RTHK: Bali 'suitcase killer' released from prison

An American woman convicted with her boyfriend of killing her mother and stuffing the body in a suitcase at a luxury Bali hotel was freed from prison on Friday.

In the notorious case, then teenager Heather Mack was handed a 10-year jail term in 2015 while her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer got 18 years for the murder of Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese Mack on the Indonesian holiday island.

Schaefer beat the 62-year-old victim to death with a fruit bowl during a heated argument at the five-star St. Regis resort, before the couple abandoned the suitcase containing the battered body in a taxi and fled.

Mack, who was pregnant at the time of the crime, was found guilty on a lesser charge of assisting in the murder.

Now 25, she was freed from Bali's Kerobokan prison on Friday, the head of the prison's female section said, saying Mack had been granted early release for good behaviour.

"Heather is completely free," said prison head Lili, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"When she was released, she was a bit shocked and emotional. She hesitated and was scared, but we cheered her up."

Wearing sunglasses and an orange prison vest, Mack, who was 19 at the time of her conviction, was handed to immigration officials to await deportation back to the United States.

Bali's immigration office declined to comment on her case or say when she would be flown back home.

It was not immediately clear if Mack's now six-year-old daughter, who was being raised in a Bali foster home, would also be deported at the same time.

Earlier, Mack's lawyer said that she did not want her daughter to be deported and "hounded by the (US) media".

Since the pandemic, Mack -- now fluent in Indonesian and Balinese -- has had only video contact with her daughter, the prison official said Friday.

The 2014 murder shook the usually sedate holiday island, with details of the grisly killing emerging during the closely followed trial.

The court heard how von Wiese Mack's badly beaten body was discovered in the taxi outside the ritzy hotel where she had been staying with her daughter and Schaefer.

The couple had fled to another part of Bali, where police arrested them.

Schaefer, who remained in prison, confessed to the killing during his trial but claimed he was defending himself during an argument with von Wiese Mack, who was unhappy that her daughter was pregnant.

Prosecutors alleged that Schaefer "blindly hit" von Wiese Mack with the fruit bowl in a fit of rage after she hurled a racial slur at Schaefer, who is Black.

During the attack, Mack hid in a bathroom but later helped Schaefer stuff the body into a suitcase, the trial heard. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-10-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Lesotho Highlands Water Project to be fast tracked

The Ministries of Water in both South Africa and Lesotho have agreed to fast track phase two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) to ensure security of supply to the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS).

This follows a meeting between Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy Minister Dikeledi Magadzi and Minister Kemiso Mosenene from Lesotho to discuss matters relating to challenges hindering the completion of the project, while agreeing on solutions to fast track its completion.

The meeting took place in Pretoria on Thursday.

The LHWP entails harnessing the waters of the OrangeSenqu River in the Lesotho highlands through the construction of a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Phase I of the LHWP was completed in 2003 and Phase 2 is presently underway.

South Africa is a water scarce country, therefore, the completion of Phase 2 of the project has to be fast-tracked in order to augment the IVRS, said Mchunu.

The project, the Minister said, should be successfully done by 2027 or earlier.

In agreement, Mosenene emphasised that Phase 2 of the project requires collaborated efforts and commitment from both governments.

Water is life and no human being can survive without it. It is for this reason that the team working on the project bears in mind the needs of those that must be served with clean water. We all have to ensure that work is being carried out and done so effectively, said Minister Mosenene.

Meanwhile, the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission committed to deliver a quality project within the set timeframe and budget allocated.

Magadzi emphasised the importance of adhering to the treaty and related protocols guiding the LHWP.

We can only successfully complete this project if we continue to work hand in glove and with the same mandate in mind, which is the delivery of water to those in need, Magadzi said.

The water transfer component of Phase 2 of the LHWP comprises approximately a 165-m high concrete faced rockfill dam at Polihali downstream of the confluence of the Khubelu and Senqu (Orange) Rivers and an approximately 38-km long concrete-lined gravity tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir.  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Presidential Youth Employment Intervention to create jobs

In a bid to mitigate the high unemployment rate among young people in South Africa, the Department of Employment and Labour and the National Treasurys Jobs Fund have announced the opening of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)s National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) Innovation Fund funding round.

This is in response to the call by President Cyril Ramaphosa who demanded urgent, innovative and coordinated solutions to the unemployment rate among the youth.

The NPMN is a network of networks aimed at facilitating the successful transition of young people into and through the labour market.

The NPMN will provide active support to the entry, and retention of young people into the labour market while providing greater alignment between the various networks and systems that exist to ensure access to a shared set of opportunities and services.

The fund forms part of the comprehensive plan, driven and coordinated from the Presidency, to create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Employment and Labour said that the PYEI has identified several priority interventions to accelerate youth pathways into the economy over the next five years.

PYEI interventions

This includes the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network (NPMN), delivery of agile workforce development (including skills development interventions and the strengthening of workplace experience), support for youth self-employment and enterprise in the township and rural economy and the Presidential Youth Service programme, the department said.

Various partners across government will be responsible for implementing the different components of the PYEI.

The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) will be responsible for the National Pathway Management Network and the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) / Jobs Fund which has been appointed as the Fund Manager for PYEI.

Unemployment in our country has reached a critical state and with this intervention, we are putting shoulder to wheel and responding positively to the clear line of march by the President. We are also intentionally targeting this to the youth who constitute the biggest percentage of unemployed people in our country, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said.

Part of the NPMN initiative is the creation of an Innovation Fund, a grant initiative seeking to identify and support innovative solutions to the barriers faced by young people to meaningfully participating in the labour market and the wider economy.

Challenge Fund principles

Operating on Challenge Fund principles, the NPMN Innovation Fund which has been seeded with an amount of R71 871 715, will support initiatives focussed on resolving barriers related to the three key focus areas of the NPMN:

Demand Activation: Identify appropriate opportunities for young people through establishing real market demand and developing enabling partnerships within the wider ecosystem. Demand & Supply Linkages: Link young people to appropriate opportunities with Opportunity Holders through a streamlined process that effectively matches young person to Opportunity Holder across the networks. Enabling Youth: Improve young peoples access to view and secure both learning and earning opportunities available in the market/ network.

The department said that the Innovation Fund will assist in capacitating successful applicants to pilot and/or operationalise and scale innovative models across the country in support of the NPMN.

SA invited to participate in PYEI

As the Fund Manager for the PYEI, the Jobs Fund invites proposals from private, public, and non-profit entities that can participate in the National Pathway Management Network via the Innovation Fund.

Applications must demonstrate how the proposed project will contribute to achieving scale in terms of expanding geographical footprint, partnering with more organisations, and (or) working with young people.

At a minimum, applicants and applications must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

In the case of an NPO (NGO, CBO or FBO), such organisation must have been registered with the Department of Social Development on or before 1 January 2018 (all requisite certificates and proof of registration will be required).

For-Profit Private Sector Applicants must be registered with the Department of Employment of Labour in terms of the regulations[1] related to the Employment Services Act No 4 of 2014.

Public Entities applying for funding are subject to all applicable eligibility criteria. In addition, the proposed initiative must be distinguished from other similar initiatives previously or currently being funded with public funds.

Must be in full compliance with administrative requirements (including Tax Compliance Status).

Must have audited Annual Financial Statements (AFS) covering at least 3 years.

Must have a track record of more than three years of technical experience in the area of interest.

Demonstrate the capacity to actively support the entry and retention of young people into the labour market by demonstrating one or all of the following: (1) the ability to meaningfully activate demand, (2) access young people (aged 18 to 35) and (3) the ability to appropriately match and pathway young people to equitably access opportunities.

The NPMN Innovation Fund will make funding available as follows:

The minimum grant request available per Applicant is R3 million;

The maximum grant request available per Applicant is R15 million;

Minimum Cash Matched funding requirements are as follows:

Government Institutions 1: 0.5

Non-Governmental Institutions and other NPOs 1: 0.5

Private Sector Applicants 1: 1



For more information on the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and the application process for the NPMN Innovation Fund, interested entities are urged to visit the Jobs Fund website to access the full Innovation Fund Term Sheet and follow this link to access application form: www.jobsfund.org.za  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Looming global syringe shortage could hamper Africas vaccination rollout

World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, says the COVAX facility is working to secure agreements for the production of syringes as shortages loom.

She was speaking during the organisations press briefing on the continents fight against COVID-19.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) the world faces a shortfall of up to 2.2 billion auto-disable syringes for COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunisation in 2022.

Moeti said although COVID-19 vaccine shipments have increased on the continent, the looming threat of syringe shortages could paralyse progress in the vaccination of communities.

Already some African countrieshave experienced delays in receiving vaccines and unless drastic measures are taken to boost syringe production, Africa faces a crisis.

Syringe production both globally and locally in Africa, must be stepped up fast  countless African lives depend on it. The COVAX facility has been working to address this problem by securing agreements with manufacturers for the needle syringes and through better planning to avoid delivery [of vaccines] outpacing the supply of syringes, she said.

According to Moeti, the UNICEF shortfall of up to 2.2 billion auto-disable syringes for COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunisation in 2022.

Africas fight against COVID-19

Moeti said 29 300 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the continent which indicates a 30% drop in new cases compared to last week.

However, ten countries are facing a resurgence of the virus.

In total, the virus has claimed more than 217 000 deaths and nearly 8.5 million cases have been reported

She says at least 77 million or 6% of people on the continent have been fully vaccinated  a far cry from higher income countries who have vaccinated more than 40% of their populations.

She said this, in part, points to some African countries needing to improve their readiness for vaccination rollouts.

With 50 million doses arriving in Africa this month alone and more expected to arrive, Moeti said the WHO is assisting African countries to step up their roll out plans.

The WHO is conducting emergency support missions to help support five countries that are lagging behind, speed up and improve speed up and improve their COVID-19 rollouts with plans for missions for another 10 countries. Our experts are working with local authorities and partners on the ground to address the reasons for any hold ups and how best to address them, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Pop-up vaccine sites on Election Day

Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has announced that 1 000 voting stations in South Africa will have pop-up vaccination sites on Election Day, 1 November.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Minister told the journalists these sites will target mainly areas where the uptake of vaccination has been low.

We hope that this arrangement will offer convenience in that people will have travelled from their homes and theyll achieve both their vote and vaccination in one trip.

The Minister, who was addressing the media briefing on government efforts in the fight against COVID-19 and the national vaccination rollout programme, welcomed the support of political parties.

According to Phaahla, no organisation has raised any objections for the public to be able to have another opportunity to receive a vaccination closest to their voting stations.

The sites will be set up in the voting precinct but outside the area demarcated strictly for voting so that they dont interfere with the main purpose of the day which is voting.

In addition, Phaahla said the one-dose Johnson & Johnson will be the main jab used to avoid people from going back for their second shot.

However, Pfizer jab will be available if an individual prefers it or they are due for a second dose.

We thank our health workers who raised their hand to be on duty on this day.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) authorities for their support and cooperation.

We are happy to announce that Nandos Chicken has donated R500 000 as an incentive for health care workers for a small competition on Election Day.

In addition, Nandos is offering 1 000 vouchers valued at R500 each which will be awarded to members of 15 best performing teams in each province.

This means 135 teams will be spread equally in all provinces, which stand a chance to benefit with each team member receiving the R500 voucher.

In addition, Uber has also offered free rides up to R100 each for health workers who will be on duty on Election Day.

We appreciate every form of incentive which encourages people to vaccinate.

The Minister said the lists of pop-up vaccination sites will be available on South Africa's official Coronavirus and departments' websites.

IECs Janet Love thanked the Department of Health and the medical experts for working closely with their organisation to enable navigate the elections.

In terms of operations, she said all voting stations will make provision for personal protective equipment, hand sanitisers at the moment of PPE provisioning, for every voting station, hand sanitisers, disposable bins with lids and disinfectants for surfaces.

In addition, she said every official will be wearing a mask and is encouraging every voter to do the same and sanitise their hands at different stages.

Certainly before entering the voting station, masks are compulsory and that we keep our distance to the 1.5 metres to every extent possible.

The IEC has also made provision for the special vote that will kick start on Saturday until Sunday and said similar protocols will apply.

"The voter will be asked to wear a mask if possible, their hands will be sanitised and the indelible ink will be applied with a disposable cotton bud."  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Grocery vouchers for over 60s who vaccinate in November

To encourage more South Africans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, various companies and foundations have come on board to help boost vaccination rates by providing various incentives.

Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, said adults over the age of 60, who take the vaccine in November, will be rewarded with a R100 grocery voucher after taking their jab.

The Minister on Friday announced that the pilot scheme was valued at R26 million to benefit 260 000 pensioners.

This will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, he said.

The Minister explained that the voucher will be texted to the cellphone number senior citizens registered with on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS). Coupons will be redeemable at Shoprite, Checkers and Usave stores.

Pensioners will automatically get an invitation to receive their vouchers. However, due to the Protection of Personal Information Act or POPI Act, they will have to opt-in, by dialling "YES" at no cost to the user upon receiving an SMS.

"By dialling in, they'll then be given access to [the] Money Market account of Shoprite, which protects their money. They cannot lose their voucher and once they've registered, that money is available to them."

The Minister told journalists that the DG Murray Trust, Alan Gray Financial Services, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Elma Vaccines Foundation, Michael, and Susan Dell Foundation have sponsored the grocery vouchers.

We hope the pilot will be a success so that it can encourage other companies to come forward. We welcome other initiatives which are still being considered.

Meanwhile, Nando's has offered 1 000 vouchers valued at R500 each which will be awarded to members of 15 best performing teams at vaccination sites on Election Day, 1 November.

In addition, Uber has also offered free rides up to R100 each for health workers who will be on duty on the same day.

Update on vaccination programme

The Minister remains confident that government would have reached 40% coverage of all adults with the vaccination by mid-November.

We're also happy that we see much steadier and consistent return for the second dose of Pfizer. So, this is not a major worry, as much as it was pointed out previously since a lot more people are returning.

In addition, the Minister said the country is getting closer to the 70% of coverage of the adult population. He said he was hopeful about reaching 70% of the over 60-age group and the 50 to 59 years cohort by the end of December.

We again urge everyone to take advantage of the current low levels of infection to come forward to receive the vaccination before the expected fourth wave hit our shores.

According to the Minister, the vaccination of 12 to 17-year-olds is proceeding steadily, with 99 900 having already vaccinated by Thursday and 183 700 teenagers registered.

We expect the numbers to pick up during the school holidays, he said.

This means that South Africa has now administered over 22 million vaccine doses with 15 078 053 individuals with at least one jab which is 37.9% of the adult population.

In addition, 12 140 701 or 30% of the adults are now fully vaccinated.

On the vaccination certificates, the Minister said over 2.8 million had been downloaded so far.

I wish to again urge all South Africans to heed the call to protect themselves, their families, friends, neighbours and co-workers now by taking the vaccine, the nations future is in your hands.

He also called on citizens to keep safe ahead of the local elections.

Lets vaccinate before, on Election Day and after it, said the Minister.  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Government encourages South Africans to cast their votes

Government has reiterated its call to all registered South Africans to head to the polls in their numbers on Monday, 1 November, to elect councillors for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces.

Monday marks the sixth municipal elections held in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, as municipal elections are held every five years.

Speaking to SAnews, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Director General, Phumla Williams, described elections as a way of celebrating the democracy that was attained in 1994 and it remains a journey that keeps being enriched by South Africas non-racial society exercising their democratic right to choose who should lead them.

The Director-General said that government is pleased that through the IEC it has been able to consistently make sure that it doesnt fail the people of South Africa, by ensuring that every five years the public gets an opportunity to reflect on the leaders that were in place and what they want going forward.

Voting is our democratic right. Our forefathers never enjoyed the right to choose who they should appoint or elect as their leader. We urge all South Africans to go out in their numbers and exercise this democratic right.

To those who feel despondent, we say to you voting matters. Do not sit at home and deprive yourself the right to be a citizen of this country. A citizen who can bring about change as elections are about change. Elections are about somebody reflecting whether the previous leadership represented them. This is your right to correct and elect leadership that you think will do the right thing, Williams said.

Government has also encouraged first time voters to go out in their numbers and vote as the future of the country lies in their hands.

Williams told SAnews that it was important for a first time voter to ensure that their voice was heard during these local government elections.

The future belongs to the young and for me as a young person you still have a whole decade ahead of you and you want to inherit the government that you envisage. It is important as a young person to start taking an interest in who is going to govern this country, the country that you want to live in, the country that you want to have a future in, she said.

She added that young people owe it to those who died to achieve this democracy to flock to the voting stations on Monday.

The future is in your hands. You have to participate. You cant just be on the fence because this is your future, she told SAnews.

Security measures in place

The Director-General said that South Africans are guaranteed a safe and peaceful election as government has security measures put in place.

On Monday our security cluster led by Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, held a media briefing and assured South Africans that police and soldiers will be deployed in making sure that a conducive environment exists come Election Day.

You will find the voting stations properly secured and all we need is you to present yourself and exercise your right to vote in an environment that the security cluster has assured South Africans that they will protect, Williams said.

Collect your ID campaign

In a bid to accommodate those who would like to collect their identity documents (IDs) to enable them to vote on Monday, Williams said that Home Affairs is running the collect your ID campaign.

She said that the department has even extended its operating hours in order to also enable even those who work to collect their IDs.

A number of South Africans may have either lost their ID or misplaced it. The Department of Home Affairs has extended operating hours so that whoever lost their ID is still able to go and collect.

The other important matter is that a number of people have applied for their IDs but they have not collected them. This campaign by Home Affairs is to also appeal to those who may have registered or applied but have not collected their ID. The Home Affairs offices are open and we are urging that they go and collect, she said.

Health protocols

With the elections taking place while the COVID-19 pandemic continues, government has urged all citizens to exercise the health protocols that are currently in place, such as the wearing of a face mask, practicing social distancing and sanitising their hands.

While citizens across the country will be heading to their respective voting stations, Williams said that she will also be casting her vote at Athlone Girls High School.

I am going to vote and exercise my right. I am urging others to follow suite, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: SAHPRA approves protocol for J&J vaccine booster trial for health workers

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) on Friday approved vaccine booster doses for all healthcare workers who received the first shot as part of the Sisonke Study.

This comes after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a second dose of the J&J vaccine for all Americans 18 years and older who received a single dose.

Early this year, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), working with the National Department of Health (NDoH), Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, CAPRISA, and the pharmaceutical company came together to provide early access to the single-dose Ad26COV2.S vaccine also known as J&J.

Meanwhile, a new trial has since evaluated a booster dose given at least two months after the first dose in 31 300 participants from more than nine countries.

According to the data, vaccine efficacy against the disease was 94% in the US and 75% globally.

At a global level, vaccine efficacy was 100% against severe disease and critical disease.

In this study, two doses were safe and usual vaccine side effects were reduced following the second dose, the SAMRC said.

At home, 496 424 health workers received a dose of this vaccine to evaluate its effectiveness between 17 February and 17 May 2021.

By rolling out the Sisonke Study, we bought valuable time for healthcare workers, and were able to protect them four months ahead of the national rollout and ahead of the Delta driven third wave, said one of the co-national principal investigators of the study, Professor Glenda Gray.

Sisonke showed that the J&J vaccine was safe, easy to administer and provided good protection against severe disease and death.

The single-dose regimen has since been administered to other essential workers like educators, police officers and those living in rural locations.

In addition, more than 5.2 million people in South Africa have received at least one dose of J&J to date.

According to the SAMRC, booster shots are becoming available in many parts of the world.

Scientific evidence on the progressive decrease of immunity and the need for booster doses is evolving and some countries have decided to offer booster doses to certain high-risk populations like the elderly and health workers or other frontline workers.

The SAMRC said increasing coverage of first doses to reduce hospital admissions and deaths during a fourth wave remains a top priority since only 30% of eligible adults have been fully vaccinated.

The research organisation said the results will be used to guide future decisions regarding boosters.

We are in the final stages of approvals from the regulators and ethics review committees, and vaccination will be open to all health workers, including pregnant and breastfeeding women who received a first dose of the J&J vaccine.

However, the frontline workers who have received unauthorised booster doses of Pfizer after the J&J vaccine are encouraged not to take part in the research due to insufficient safety data.

The Department of Healths Acting Director-General, Dr Nicholas Crisp said: Vaccines remain our most powerful weapon in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and our priority remains the most vulnerable groups, especially senior citizens or adults who live with compromised immunity in the majority, ahead of a fourth wave.

Health workers who participated in Sisonke will receive an invitation by SMS on the number they used to enrol for the first part of the study.

Enrolment will be through the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) and the boosters will be offered from the week of 8 November at selected sites to be announced soon.  SAnews.gov.za

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RTHK: Biden says pope called him a 'good Catholic'

US President Joe Biden said Pope Francis called him a "good Catholic" as they met on Friday at the Vatican at the start of a European trip aimed at reasserting US international credentials.

The meeting at the Vatican lasted more than an hour  longer than Biden's two predecessors were given  and came as Biden arrived in Europe ahead of a weekend G20 summit in Rome and UN climate talks in Glasgow.

Biden, only the second Catholic to hold his office, said Francis had expressed pleasure that "I was a good Catholic" in the talks, which sidestepped the controversial topic of abortion.

The meeting kicks off Biden's Europe trip, where he hopes to push his mantra that "America is back" after the Trump years.

The Vatican meeting was closed to the media but footage released by the Holy See showed a good-humoured gathering full of smiles, with Biden at points visibly moved, and elsewhere telling the pope "God love ya".

He called the pontiff "the most significant warrior of peace I have ever met", as he gave him a presidential coin recalling the regiment in which his son Beau Biden, who died from cancer in 2015, had served.

"I know my son would want me to give this to you," Biden said.

The president, who is open about his faith and how it gives him strength, has already met Francis three times before but this was their first tete-a-tete since he entered the White House.

Biden will travel to Glasgow for COP26 climate talks after the weekend G20 meeting.

Both Biden and the pope have been outspoken on the need to tackle global warming and this was a dominant theme of their talks.

"I thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world's poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution, and lauded his leadership in fighting the climate crisis and ending the pandemic," the president tweeted later. (AFP)

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RTHK: US was 'clumsy' in submarines deal: Biden

US President Joe Biden told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday that his country was "clumsy" in securing a submarines deal with Australia behind France's back.

"We have no better ally than France," Biden said in the first meeting with Macron since the row erupted last month.

"What happened was, to use an English phrase, what we did was clumsy, it was not done with a lot of grace," Biden told journalists after the meeting in Rome ahead of a weekend G20 summit.

"I was under the impression that France had been informed long before, that the (French) deal was not going through," he said.

Biden called France an "extremely, extremely valued partner... and a power in itself" with the "same values" as the United States.

A diplomatic row erupted last month after Australia pulled out of a multibillion-dollar submarines deal with France in favour of an alternative one with the United States and Britain.

An enraged French government called secret talks leading up to the cancellation "a stab in the back", and Macron recalled his ambassadors from Washington and Canberra.

Australia announced the subs pact as it joined a new alliance with Britain and the United States, dubbed Aukus. (AFP)

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RTHK: UK threatens more checks on EU fishing boats

Britain on Friday warned it may implement new checks on European Union fishing boats if France carries out its threats of retaliatory measures in a deepening row over post-Brexit access to waters.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Britain's "credibility" was on the line in the dispute, accusing London of ignoring the Brexit deal agreed after years of tortuous negotiations.

"When you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility," he told the Financial Times.

But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will hold brief face-to-face talks with Macron at the G20 summit in Rome this weekend, vowed to defend UK interests.

"We will do whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests," he told reporters on board his plane as he flew to the G20 summit in Rome.

However he added that "the ties that unite us, that bind us together are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exists in the relationship."

France is incensed that Britain and the self-governing islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which depend on London for defence and foreign affairs, have not issued some French boats licences to fish in their waters post-Brexit.

French prosecutors on Friday ordered a trial for the captain of a British trawler detained on charges of operating without a licence.

French authorities seized the vessel at the northern port of Le Havre on Wednesday, accusing it of scooping up more than two tons of scallops in France's waters without a proper permit.

Andrew Brown of Scotland-based Macduff Shellfish, which owns the trawler, said he believed it had the proper licence and suggested there may have been an "administrative misunderstanding".

France has warned that unless licences are approved it will ban UK boats from unloading their catches at French ports from next week and impose checks on all products brought to France from Britain. (AFP)

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Court Issues Restraining Order Against IL Hospital Over Vaccine Mandate

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Liberty Counsel

Oct. 29, 2021



CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, at the conclusion of an emergency hearing, a federal District Court of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order against NorthShore University HealthSystem on behalf of 14 health care workers who have been unlawfully discriminated against and denied religious exemptions from the COVID shot mandate. The court said the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on Title VII and the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act.



The court set November 16 for a preliminary injunction hearing. In the meantime, Liberty Counsel will file a brief with the court for conditional class status to extend the relief for the entire class of health care workers.



As of last Friday, NorthShore had already started purging employees with sincere religious objections to its "Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy," by removing many of those employees from the November work schedule, including those whose appeals were still pending.



NorthShore previously granted exemptions for some employees but then denied them in mid-September. Those denials were either without explanation or because the requests failed to meet some so-called "evidence-based criteria" that NorthShore never provided the employees in advance. NorthShore then only gave employees three business days to file an appeal without stating what was missing in the original application. In that appeal, NorthShore also apparently judged the validity of their religious beliefs by requiring them to include their entire vaccination history since the age of eighteen. However, NorthShore never requested employees to provide prior vaccine information in their initial exemption requests.

After denying these employees, NorthShore also changed its exemption form to include a warning that all religious objections based on "aborted fetal cell lines, stem cells, tissue or derivative materials will result in denials." NorthShore is falsely deceptive in that form by stating that the COVID-19 injections have no link to aborted fetal cell lines and refuting the religious beliefs of health care workers who object to the undeniable connection of the injections to aborted fetal cell lines.

Illinois law dictates that employees at NorthShore University HealthSystem have the fundamental right to determine what medical care to accept and refuse. In fact, Illinois has a Health Care Right of Conscience Act that provides strong protection to all residents against discrimination based on health care choices. It states: "It shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner, including but not limited to, licensing, hiring, promotion, or any other privileges, because of such person's conscientious refusal to receive, obtain, accept or participate in any way in any particular form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience" (emphasis added).

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "Today's ruling gave emergency relief to Liberty Counsel's 14 plaintiffs who were threatened to be terminated by NorthShore University HealthSystem for their religious beliefs. This health care facility's plans to purge employees who have sincere religious beliefs against the COVID shots has been foiled. These health care workers are heroes."

Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.

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Scholarships offered to Vietnamese-Cambodian students

The King Technologies Co. Ltd. (OpenNet) and the human resource development fund for the Vietnamese community in Cambodia signed an agreement in Phnom Penh on October 28 to provide scholarships for Cambodian students of Vietnamese origin who are studying in Vietnamese universities.









At the signing ceremony. (Photo: VNA)



Accordingly, OpenNet will offer 10 scholarships, each worth US$160, to disadvantaged Vietnamese-Cambodian students in Vietnam each month. The scholarships will be sent to them via the fund.



Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang hailed OpenNets effort for the cause of education and training for the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, especially its commitment to offer stable jobs to these students when they return to Cambodia after graduation.



The Vietnamese Embassy will direct the fund to work closely to offer the best practical benefits to students, he said.



Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia Sym Chi said over 100 Vietnamese-Cambodian graduates have so far earned stable jobs in Cambodia after they graduated from Vietnamese universities.
Vietnam proposes solutions to challenges in Africa

Vietnam always stands side by side with African countries to overcome difficulties, expand effective cooperation, and look towards peace and development, says State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.













State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposes a number of solutions to address challenges in Africa



Phuc made the remarks while attending a virtual high-level open debate on cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) on October 28 evening.



He spoke highly of the outstanding achievements that African countries have recorded in recent years in national development and international integration. However, he affirmed that many African countries still have to bear the persistent consequences of colonialism and slavery, as well as conflicts, terrorism, transnational crime, climate change, food and water insecurity that are impeding the continents development.



President Phuc put forward five proposals for the international community to join hands to support African countries in rebuilding and developing their countries while responding to and recovering from the pandemic.



He proposed that African countries strongly enhance their mastery capacity, improve self-reliance to solve internal problems, promote trust-building dialogues, and further empower women and youth.



According to the Vietnamese President, African countries should continue to cultivate friendly relations, expand cooperation and integration, and uphold the rule of law, including the United Nations Charter.



The United Nations and the African Union should pioneer cooperation in realizing the initiative of Silencing the Guns by 2030, Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 on Sustainable Development, he said.



Its necessary to comprehensively and effectively promote the strategic partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, especially in strengthening the capacity for early warnings on traditional and non-traditional security threats for Peace Missions in Africa.



He maintained that expanding cooperation between regional organizations will help improve their overall capacity in preventing and resolving conflicts, and responding to regional and global challenges. He voiced Vietnams support for strengthening exchanges and comprehensive cooperation between ASEAN and the African Union.



Last but not least, he said enhancing food security will contribute to economic and social stability, thus building a foundation for sustainable peace.



President Phuc recalled the traditional friendship between Vietnam and many African countries as well as similarities that they shared such as their common struggle for national liberation and decolonization.



The two sides always cooperate, support and give each other sincere and best feelings, he emphasized, saying Vietnam is willing to help African countries overcome difficulties, including the COVID-19 fight, and expand international cooperation for the sake of peace, prosperity and development.



He said many Vietnamese officers and military doctors are joining UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, while expressing Vietnams desire to soon become an observer in the African Union.
Children in remote Thanh Hoa district struggle to school

Many small children in a remote mountainous district in Thanh Hoa Province are having to walk long, difficult roads to school.















Kindergarten and primary school children walk to school in On Village, Muong Lat District, Thanh Hoa Province



The only kindergarten and primary school in On Village in Muong Lat District lies next to each other on a mountain which is some seven kilometres from the furthest houses in the village. Local children have to walk from 2-7 kilometres to get to the school every day.



Teacher Vi Thi Bot said that she was shocked on her first days at the kindergarten to see children aged between 3-5 walking nearly six kilometres on mountainous and forest roads to school every day.



"The children usually have to leave home very early, at around five in the morning," the teacher said. "Besides books, they have to carry their lunches with them to school."



Five-year-old Giang A Mua lives five kilometres from the school. He said that he and his three-year-old brother had to leave home very early in the morning.













"Walking is tiring but we still like going to school," he said.



According to the teacher, due to the difficult road, many of her students won't go to school on rainy days.





"The roads are dangerous on rainy days," she said. "My class has 16 students but you can see we only have three coming on a rainy day like today."



Teacher Vi Van Quan at the nearby primary school said that many of his students usually look tired and sleepy during class.



"I know that they have to get up early and walk a long, difficult road," he said. "Some even have to carry their younger brothers or sisters on their backs to the kindergarten before coming to class. A few are brought by their parents who are mostly poor people doing farming work".



Teacher Bot expresses hope that the school will be upgraded to have boarding facilities so that her students can stay at the school to make their studying less difficult.



On Village has 112 households of the Mong ethnic group. They are known as the poorest community in Thanh Hoa Province. Most of the local people live on growing rice and corn on the surrounding mountains.













A man drives on a muddy road in On Village



Party Secretary of On Village, Giang A Chong was the first person in the area to have graduated from high school. He has been determined to help local children go to school and prevent child marriages which used to be common here.



"I know that only studying can help us improve our production and fight against poverty and backward traditions," he said. "I'm happy that we have gradually gained success in persuading local parents to allow their children to school."



The official shared that from these kindergarten and primary school, many students have had opportunities to further study and acquired higher education in other places. And some have returned to help develop the village.
UN Security Council demands restoration of civilian-led transitional gov't in Sudan

Xinhua) 08:12, October 29, 2021

Smoke rises from a site in Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 25, 2021. (Chinese medical expert team to Sudan/Handout via Xinhua)

The Security Council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Thursday demanded the release of detained civilian leaders and the restoration of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.

In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed serious concern about Monday's military takeover in Sudan, the suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian members of the transitional government.

The council members called for the immediate release of all those who have been detained by the military authorities, and in this regard, took note of the reported return of Prime Minister Hamdok to his residence.

They also called on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from the use of violence, and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition. They urged all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without preconditions in order to enable the full implementation of the constitutional document and the Juba Peace Agreement, which underpin Sudan's democratic transition.

File photo shows Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaking at a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 15, 2020. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

The council members expressed their solidarity with the people of Sudan and affirmed their readiness to support efforts to realize Sudan's democratic transition, in a manner that achieves the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous future. They underscored that any attempt to undermine the democratic transition process in Sudan puts at risk Sudan's security, stability and development. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and national unity of Sudan.

The council members expressed their strong support for regional and sub-regional efforts and underscored the importance of their continued engagement in Sudan.

They expressed their intention to continue to closely monitor the situation in Sudan.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to dead end: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 08:12, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes official and military ties in any form between the United States and China's Taiwan region, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday, noting that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence".

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on Tsai Ing-wen confirming the presence of a small number of U.S. troops in Taiwan to help with training.

Wang said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. "On the Taiwan question, the U.S. should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, rather than unilaterally concoct anything."

"We firmly oppose official and military ties in any form between the U.S. and the Taiwan region, and oppose the U.S. interference in China's internal affairs," Wang said.

He said the U.S. vessels have repeatedly flexed its muscles to make provocations and stir up troubles in the Taiwan Strait in recent times, sending gravely wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces and threatening cross-Strait peace and stability.

The international community is clear-eyed about who is engaging in "coercion" on the Taiwan question, Wang said.

"The cross-Strait reunification is an overriding historical trend and the right course, while 'Taiwan independence' is a retrogression leading to a dead end," Wang said.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's acts of seeking "Taiwan independence" can not change the iron-clad fact that Taiwan is a part of China, neither will it shake the international community's universal and firm commitment to the one-China principle, he said. "Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end."

Wang noted that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence". "No country and no one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Otherwise, they will suffer another defeat."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Chinese premier proffers four-point proposal on East Asia cooperation

Xinhua) 08:13, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday attended the 16th East Asia Summit, and put forward a four-point proposal in encouraging relevant parties to respect each other, work together, increase their input on fighting COVID-19 and economic recovery, uphold regional peace and stability, and promote development and prosperity.

Noting that the Summit is a "leaders-led strategic forum" with members from the major Asia-Pacific countries, and provides both representation and influence, Li said that East Asia needs to push forward synchronously the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery to continue injecting impetus into global development.

He pointed out that the Summit should always stick to its own orientation, keep regional cooperation pointed in the right direction, and promote political and security cooperation with economic and social development in a balanced way. He added that mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is a basic norm governing international relations and an important guiding principle of the Summit.

Li then put forward a four-point proposal:

First, all parties should join hands to fight the pandemic. China will scale up vaccines and other anti-pandemic supplies to the best of its ability, according to the needs of relevant countries, and will accelerate the initiative of China-ASEAN public health cooperation to enhance the regional public health capacity, Li said.

Second, all parties need to promote all-around economic recovery, uphold free and fair trade, and ensure unimpeded international logistics. Efforts must be stepped up to push for the early entry into force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

China has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will further enhance its commitment to opening-up. China will also support the efforts of countries in the region to revive tourism, said Li.

Third, all parties should promote green development, respond to the challenge of climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, fully and effectively implement the Paris Agreement, promote low-carbon transformation in a balanced and orderly manner, and achieve synergies with economic development and people's livelihoods, while ensuring a stable and secure energy supply, said Li.

Fourth, all parties should support the centrality of ASEAN. Li stressed that an open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture, with ASEAN at its center, is an important cornerstone for long-term peace and prosperity in the region.

He said that all parties should support the building of the ASEAN community and its efforts to maintain multilateralism and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core.

Myanmar is an important participant in East Asia cooperation. China supports ASEAN in properly handling relevant issues in the "ASEAN way", promoting ASEAN unity, regional stability and Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process, according to the premier.

Stressing that the South China Sea is a common home for all parties, Li said that maintaining peace and stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea serves the common interest.

"Thanks to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the overall situation in the South China Sea has remained stable," Li said.

China and ASEAN countries have agreed to reach effective, substantive regional rules at an early date, and are fully and effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The two sides have overcome the impact of the pandemic, and have substantially resumed and actively promoted consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), Li said.

He stressed that the efforts made by regional countries on maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea should be respected, and said that China is ready to work with all parties to strengthen solidarity, expand cooperation, promote common development, achieve prosperity and stability and write a new chapter in East Asia cooperation.

Attending the meeting were the leaders of ASEAN countries, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The leaders at the meeting noted that, since last year, Summit member states have continuously promoted cooperation in areas including health, economy and trade, energy, oceans, education and green development, and have achieved positive results.

They said that global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change cannot be met alone. All parties should operate in the spirit of common focus, common response and common prosperity to uphold multilateralism, promote the equitable distribution of vaccines and medicines, strengthen cooperation on the digital economy, free trade, public health and climate change.

All parties should also keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, and deepen regional economic integration, the leaders said.

They expressed their willingness to respect ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional cooperation framework and work together to promote peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China's "magnesium capital" strives to ensure global supply, environmental protection

Xinhua) 08:31, October 29, 2021

-- As winter nears, magnesium companies in Fugu, a resource-rich county in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are striving to realize their annual emission reduction targets while keeping their commissioned furnaces at full steam amid an ongoing upgrade of equipment and technology to save energy and improve efficiency.

-- Fugu, known as the country's "magnesium capital", is sparing no efforts to stabilize the strained global supply of the industrial product.

-- The county meets about half of the world's demand for magnesium -- a key metal material.

XI'AN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Though production is being slashed to meet emission targets, furnaces that turn raw materials into magnesium burn around-the-clock in China's Fugu County in an effort to stabilize the strained global supply of the industrial product.

Finished magnesium ingots are quickly packaged and loaded onto trucks, with the majority for export, so much so that the warehouses are often empty in Fugu, a sharp contrast with the overstock last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resource-rich county in Shaanxi Province meets about half of the world's demand for magnesium -- a key metal material.

As winter nears, magnesium companies in Fugu are striving to realize their annual emission reduction targets while keeping their commissioned furnaces at full steam amid an ongoing upgrade of equipment and technology to save energy and improve efficiency.

PRODUCTION CAP FOR ENVIRONMENT

In Fugu Taida Coal Chemical Co., Ltd., several workers are packing and loading finished products prepared to be sent out to the world, with the only one forklift truck busy transporting goods back and forth in workshops.

Photo taken on June 28, 2021, shows a view of Jingfu Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. in Fugu County of Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua)

"The magnesium metal enterprises in Fugu County including Taida halted production for 10 days from Sept. 20, which resulted in a shortage of magnesium supply and soaring prices in the global market," said Yang Yongliang, general manager of the company that is now ramping up production.

The suspension was aimed at meeting the energy conservation and emission reduction targets, Yang said. From September to the end of this year, some key energy-consuming enterprises including magnesium smelting ones in Fugu have to cut production for the targets.

"The magnesium industry in Fugu is of global significance. Therefore, we have to strike a balance between energy conservation and production, to ensure the stability of the global supply chain while protecting the environment," said Wang Baolin, general manager of Jinchuan Hongtai Magnesium Alloy Co., Ltd.

Wang said the production cap could be conducive to the whole industry. In the long run, the increasingly strict environmental protection requirements prompt energy-consuming enterprises to reduce pollution and conduct transformation.

With an annual profit of less than 30 million yuan (about 4.7 million U.S. dollars), Shengxin Magnesium Industry Co., Ltd. took the initiative to stop production for three months this year, during which it renovated the equipment and upgraded the production process.

Though we spent three years of profits on renovation, the projects could facilitate cost reduction, technological innovation and management improvement, said Yu Xiong, general manager of the company.

"The energy consumption has been curtailed by 30 percent, and the production efficiency rises by 40 percent," Yu said.

MULTIPLE FACTORS BEHIND PRICE FLUCTUATIONS

Magnesium, dubbed as "industrial condiment," is an essential material for manufacturing aluminum alloy in vehicles, mobile phones, computers and other industries, and has been widely used in areas including aerospace, light industry, metallurgy and instrumentation.

A staff member works at the workshop of Hongtai Yuanhe Magnesium Industry Co., Ltd. in Fugu County of Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on April 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Lyu Xiaohui)

"The world consumes about 1 million tonnes of magnesium for industrial use every year, of which Fugu County consumes about half -- with 500,000 tonnes sold to the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea and Japan among other countries," said Chen Mingqi, vice president of the magnesium industry association in Fugu County.

"The pandemic wreaked havoc on the export of magnesium last year, leading to overcapacity and a drop in price to 13,000 yuan per tonne at its lowest. The whole industry suffered great losses, and some companies halted production or reduced production. From last May, the market price of magnesium rose gradually to more than 30,000 yuan per tonne and soared to a maximum of 65,000 yuan since late September," Chen said.

Another reason for the recent soaring prices is reduced magnesium production as a result of China's move to conserve energy and cut emissions. The imbalance between supply and demand leads to a short-term surge in prices, according to Wang Zhenqing, vice head of the association.

Insiders believe the price increase of raw materials also contributes to the price fluctuation in the magnesium market.

"Prices of raw coal and ferrosilicon, the two main materials for smelting magnesium, have risen from around 500 yuan per tonne last year to the current rate of about 2,000 yuan, and from 6,000 yuan per tonne to 19,000 yuan, respectively," said Yang Yongliang, general manager of Fugu Taida Coal Chemical Co., Ltd.

With the gradual recovery of production capacity, the market price of magnesium has stabilized at about 46,000 yuan per tonne, with no sharp rise and fall expected," Chen said.

INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION, UPGRADING

Since 2002, Fugu has vigorously developed the magnesium industry relying on its rich coal resources, with more than 30 magnesium enterprises.

As a high-energy-consuming industry, magnesium is bound to undergo transformation and upgrading with China's increasing efforts on ecological and environmental protection.

Staff members work at the workshop of the Northeast Light Alloy Co., Ltd. in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on March 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

"We try to make up for the energy consumption through saving energy and reducing emissions in the downstream industries," said Tian Xiaoning, Party chief of the county.

There are 10,000 heavy trucks in Fugu County. If all the carriages are replaced with magnesium alloy and all the heavy trucks are electric, it would cut carbon emissions by more than 1 million tonnes per year, said the official, adding the county is discussing the plan with domestic car companies.

"We also plan to focus on the use of solid waste, generating 3 million tonnes of magnesium slag per year to be used as building materials," Tian said.

Some companies turn to the local utilization of magnesium, with plans to manufacture safety helmets, bicycle wheel hubs and other products.

"Compared with ordinary helmets, magnesium alloy ones are lighter and have excellent heat dissipation. The market prospects are broad," said Li Heng, general manager of Fugu Hongtai Yuanhe Magnesium Industry Co., Ltd.

"We also plan to make magnesium alloy motor assemblies, electrical integration boxes and some magnesium alloy parts on the new energy vehicles. The launches of these projects can promote the local transformation of raw magnesium in Fugu County and further enhance the added value of metallic magnesium," Li said.

Most magnesium enterprises in Fugu County are still small and medium-sized ones. "It is necessary to integrate resources of these companies next, to enhance anti-risk capabilities as a whole and contribute to the stability of the global industrial and supply chains," said Chen Mingqi.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Comparisons of Urumqi, NYC subways go viral, show prosperity of Xinjiang

Global Times) 08:38, October 29, 2021

Comparison of a subway station in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and one in New York City Photo: screenshot of Twitter

Pictures comparing a clean, bright and modern subway station in Urumqi, capital city of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and an old, shabby one in New York City in the US have gone viral, adding proof of how lives in the remote region in China have improved after effective measures against terrorism and extremism since 2016 have restored stability.

Pictures of pillars with flower-shaped structures and light blue walls are in sharp contrast to the century-old New York City subway, where tainted white tiles are falling off pillars, exposing cement inside.

"Let us take a look at both photos below, and both of them tell us a lot about which country promotes a better life for its people," Twitter user Bosco Dantas posted.

Admittedly, it is unfair to directly compare a recently built subway station with one built in the early 20th century.

But "why can Americans spend $2 trillion in Afghanistan while they don't repair or renovate the subway they ride every day?" a netizen asked.

Some also pointed out that a platform without screen doors is very dangerous. Lines 1 and 2 in Beijing, which started operation in the 1960s and 1970s, were upgraded with screen doors and elevators a few years ago.

The New York City subway system has actually become a cyber laughingstock and inspired many memes due to its age and poor maintenance.

Not long ago, a comparison between that system and the subway in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, generated similar reactions, but what's different this time is the modern station is in Xinjiang, a region that had to bear too many groundless smears and attacks from the West.

Another Twitter user wrote under the pictures that Xinjiang has modern structures but people live poor lives. That was immediately refuted by a comparison of homeless people on the streets in the US and people strolling through a shopping district in Xinjiang.

Observers believed that netizens' reaction to the comparison demonstrated public discontent over biased Western media and politicians' endless attacks on China's Xinjiang region, which go against the truth.

The Xinjiang subway station also has station names and signs in the Uygur language, according to pictures posted by netizens, unlike the cultural genocide that some Western forces have claimed.

Twitter user Doro Zhang posted sarcastically "good news, they [Western reporters] did not get a chance to take a picture of the subway being built. They would call the site cordoned off with blue boards a 'detention camp'."

"You can always turn a blind eye to the progress that Xinjiang has made and find an angle to attack the region and China. But that will not help clean the New York City subway," wrote another Twitter user, whose profile is said to be that of an international student in the US.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Hongyu)
Serbian president hails steely friendship with China, pledges deeper cooperation

Xinhua) 08:42, October 29, 2021

BELGRADE, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday hailed his country's steely friendship with China, describing China as a most reliable, most valuable and greatest friend.

During a meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vucic spoke highly of the two countries' strong political trust, substantially increasing economic and trade exchanges, saying that their pragmatic cooperation has brought benefits to the people.

The Serbian leader expressed his heartfelt appreciation to President Xi Jinping for his personal attention to and important strategic guidance for Serbia-China relations.

He also thanked the Chinese side for firmly supporting Serbia to protect its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for its assistance to Serbia in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, developing economy and improving people's wellbeing.

He said that the Serbian side will unswervingly pursue a friendly policy towards China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, jointly implement the major Belt and Road projects, so as to continue to scale new heights in bilateral relations.

For his part, Wang said that both the Chinese people and the Serbian people attach great importance to friendship and the upholding of justice, and that they both defy power politics and stand against bullying.

Noting that China-Serbia relations enjoy a strong internal driving force and a broad prospect, Wang said that for a long time, the two brotherly countries have supported and helped each other, jointly protecting their respective legitimate rights and interests and safeguarding international equity and justice.

China is proud of its "iron-clad friendship" with Serbia, and will continue to expand bilateral friendly cooperation, firmly support Serbia to realize faster and better development under the leadership of President Vucic, firmly support Serbia to protect national independence and national dignity, firmly support Serbia to play a more active role in regional and international affairs, Wang said.

He expressed China's willingness to actively promote the alignment of the two countries' development strategies, and to speed up cooperation in industrial capacity building and infrastructural projects such as the Belgrade-Budapest Railway within the Belt and Road framework.

China will also expand cooperation with Serbia in digital, innovative and green development, and assist Serbia to realize sustainable development, so as to translate their traditional friendship into more tangible results and bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said.

President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed the Global Development Initiative, which is another important global public good provided by China as a responsible major country, with a focus on the global development cause and international development cooperation, Wang said.

Gathering strength for speeding up the realization of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the initiative will help promote the early recovery of the world economy, promote green and sound development, and deliver benefits to the people of all countries, Wang explained, saying that China welcomes the Serbian side's active participation in this endeavor.

Vucic said that the Serbian side fully agrees with the initiative and will actively take part in and implement this important proposal.

Also on Thursday, the Serbian side issued a license to Chinese enterprises for the construction of a section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway.

The Serbian president spoke highly of bilateral cooperation in infrastructural construction, expressing hope that the railway will play an important role in promoting European interconnectivity.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Border law won't affect existing treaties

China Daily) 08:54, October 29, 2021

A freight train runs through the national gate in Manzhouli, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Jan 8, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

China said on Thursday that its newly adopted national land border law will not affect the country's implementation of border-related treaties it has signed, nor will the legislation change China's position on border-related issues.

The adoption of the law is a normal legislative activity that meets the demands of China's work on its national border and conforms to international law and international practices, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing.

China will not change the way it conducts border management and cooperation on border issues with its land neighbors, Wang said.

The law stipulates explicitly that China should abide by treaties on land border affairs it has signed and handle those affairs according to the principle of equality and mutual benefit, Wang pointed out.

The law also says that China will handle land border affairs with neighboring countries through negotiations to properly resolve disputes and long-standing border issues.

The legislation aims to further standardize and strengthen the management of China's national border and promote international cooperation, Wang added.

The law, consisting of seven chapters and 62 articles, covers issues including the delimitation, defense and management of land borders and international cooperation on land border affairs. It also supports economic and social development and opening-up in border areas.

The law stipulates that the State will take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and guard against and combat any act undermining territorial sovereignty and land boundaries.

It was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Saturday and will take effect on Jan 1.

Chen Guogang, an official of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said international cooperation on national land border affairs, as stipulated in the law, includes economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and security cooperation to fight cross-border crimes and the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism.

Gao Jinlu, an official of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, said the law is important in terms of China safeguarding its territorial security. It's also an important part of China's legal system concerning its national security and foreign affairs, Gao said.

China has a land border of about 22,000 kilometers with 14 countries, and it has signed treaties on national border management with 10 of them, but it's necessary for China to adopt a comprehensive and fundamental law at the State level to guide its work in this field, she said.

It's a common practice for countries to manage their national borders according to law, Gao said, adding that five of the 14 bordering countries have adopted special laws on this issue.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Hongyu)
Chinese, Serbian FMs highlight bilateral friendship, pledge further cooperation

Xinhua) 08:56, October 29, 2021

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

BELGRADE, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic held talks here on Thursday, speaking highly of bilateral friendship and pledging efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations.

During the talks, Wang recalled his fruitful meeting with Selakovic in May in southwest China's Guiyang city, saying that two foreign ministers' exchange of visits in less than half a year fully reflected the great importance attached by both sides to China-Serbia relations and the high level of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.

Traditional China-Serbia friendship has withstood the test of changes in the world and emerged from the trying times of blood and fire with new dynamism and vitality, he said.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership has grown to an unprecedented high level, he said.

Both sides have always supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, protecting their respective legitimate rights and interests and at the same time upholding international equity and justice, he said.

Wang noted that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Serbia have supported each other in difficult times, opening a new chapter of friendship between the two countries.

China regards Serbia as its most reliable partner and firmly supports Serbia to speed up its national development and rejuvenation, said Wang, expressing China's readiness to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and to look at and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, so as to continue to consolidate their already indestructible friendship and push bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

Selakovic said that the pandemic didn't block the exchanges and cooperation between Serbia and China, whose joint containment efforts have only brought the hearts of the two peoples even closer.

Serbia is proud of the steely Serbia-China friendship, and firmly believes that under the far-sighted leadership of the two heads of state, bilateral relations will continue to achieve new progress, said the Serbian foreign minister.

He stressed that Serbia is willing to work with China through in-depth communication in order to expand all-dimensional cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new height.

Serbia highly values and fully supports President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Development Initiative, which is of great significance, he said, expressing confidence in a bright future for bilateral relations and the two countries' just cause.

He reiterated Serbia's firm adherence to the one-China principle and support for China's positions on issues such as those related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.

During the talks, both sides agreed to support each other's efforts to protect their respective sovereignty, independence and national dignity, enhance communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, jointly and firmly safeguard the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides also agreed to enhance strategic alignment, forge high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, implement major cooperative projects and support the Serbian side's efforts to operate a research facility on Belt and Road.

The two sides also exchanged views on the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and China-Europe relations, agreeing that cooperation conforms to the interests of all parties and that it is necessary to enhance communication, deepen mutual trust and strive for new achievements.

Before their talks, the two foreign ministers jointly witnessed the signing of a document on the cooperation between the two foreign ministries.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Collision of USS Connecticut in South China Sea exposes severe security risks

08:59, October 29, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

The recent collision of the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine of the U.S., with an unknown object in the South China Sea has triggered broad attention from the international society. Both the incident itself and the irresponsible handling of the U.S. that followed clearly showed that the U.S. is the biggest threat to regional security and stability.

According to the U.S. side, the collision took place on Oct. 2. However, the U.S. didn't send out any information about it until five days later, and what it said was short and vague. It's been over 20 days since the incident happened, and the U.S. is still keeping quiet about the details..

What was the USS Connecticut up to do secretively in the South China Sea this time? What exactly did the submarine hit? Why did that collision happen? Did it cause a nuclear leak and bring nuclear pollution to the environment? Facing the reasonable concerns of the international society, especially the countries in the region, the U.S., which has always bragged about its "transparency" and "international responsibilities," is keeping its mouth shut about the matter.

Just imagine, will the U.S. still be acting low-key, in such an unusual manner, if similar incident happens near the U.S.? There must be something fishy about such unusualness. Given the suspicions of the U.S., all parties relevant have to doubt what indeed happened and what Washington planned to do.

The USS Connecticut is a Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine. The incident this time gave a clearer image of the potential risks of nuclear leakage and pollution brought by U.S. nuclear submarines. It needs to be pointed out that the U.S. has a bad security record in its nuclear submarine operations, and its nuclear activities have caused damages to the international security and ecology.

Apart from that, the country is addicted to the export of nuclear equipment. The U.S. and the U.K. have recently decided to carry out nuclear submarine trade with Australia, a non-nuclear state, which triggered broad criticism from the international society.

The nuclear submarines of the two countries use weapon-grade high-enriched uranium (HEU) up to 90 percent purity. To export such nuclear submarines to Australia means a transfer of massive highly sensitive nuclear materials and technologies, which will definitely create a risk of nuclear proliferation and possibly trigger an arms race.

For years, the U.S., in the name of non-proliferation, has oppressed and even posed sanctions against other countries around the world that carried out HEU activities. However, it is exporting HEU to Australia today. Such double standard proves that the U.S. is indeed the largest source of risks of international nuclear security.

The South China Sea is stable, and should not become a place where the U.S. seeks private geopolitical profits. The frequent and large-scale provocation of the U.S. military vessels and aircraft in the South China Sea has threatened the sovereignty security of China and other regional countries, and was the fundamental reason that caused the collision this time.

This year has witnessed an increasing intensity of U.S. reconnaissance near China. As of the end of July, the U.S. military had conducted close-in reconnaissance in the air and sea for nearly 2,000 times targeting China.

As a country outside the South China Sea, the U.S. has long taken the issue of the South China Sea as a tool to alienate regional countries from each other and oppress China, trying to label China with the so-called "breaking rules" and "militarization in the South China Sea." However, facts have proven again and again that the U.S. is the biggest promoter of militarization in the region, as well as the largest source of risks to regional security.

The collision of the USS Connecticut in the South China Sea was not merely a technical accident, but a serious incident threatening regional stability. The U.S. must act responsibly, release the basic information of the accident and its possible consequences to regional countries, and respond to the concerns of the international society.

What's more important is that the U.S. needs to have introspection on its role in the South China Sea. If it is still addicted to the Cold War thinking, and tries to maintain its so-called hegemony by military pressure and alienating regional countries, it will always be the biggest destroyer of regional security, and will be opposed by the forces of peace and justice around the globe.

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

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China achieves quantum computational advantage in two mainstream technical routes

09:01, October 29, 2021 By Xu Jing ( People's Daily

Research teams from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) recently made marked progress in superconducting quantum computing and photonics quantum computing technology, developing a programmable superconducting quantum computing system named "Zuchongzhi 2.1" and a quantum computer prototype named "Jiuzhang 2.0."

Photo shows the quantum processor "Zuchongzhi 2.1." (Photo from the official website of the University of Science and Technology of China)

This made China the only country in the world today to have achieved quantum computational advantage in two mainstream technical routes.

The "Zuchongzhi 2.1," a 66-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computing system, was developed by a USTC research team led by Pan Jianwei, Zhu Xiaobo and Peng Chengzhi and the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It can perform large-scale random quantum circuits sampling about 10 million times faster than the fastest existing supercomputer.

The "Jiuzhang 2.0" can produce up to 113 photon detection events out of a 144-mode photonic circuit. It was developed by a USTC research team led by Pan Jianwei, Lu Chaoyang and Liu Naile, as well as the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering & Technology. It is able to implement large-scale GBS septillion times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer, marking a major step of China's development of quantum computers.

Supercomputers are normally the type of computers with the strongest computing capabilities, fastest computing speed and largest storage. In 1981, Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman came up with the idea to invent a new type of computer based on quantum technology. Quantum computing is considered a key technology for the next generation of information revolution.

Photo shows the "Jiuzhang 2.0." (Photo from the official website of the University of Science and Technology of China)

Physical implementation of large-scale quantum computers is one of the major challenges for the world's frontier technologies. Therefore, the international academic world is taking a three-step strategy for the physical implementation, and the first step is called quantum computational advantage.

At present, random circuit sampling based on superconducting qubits and GBS are two important solutions to demonstrate the quantum computational advantage, and the latest achievements are respectively the Zuchongzhi 2.1 and Jiuzhang 2.0.

The two supercomputers are each as large as a room, said Lu Chaoyang, professor with the USTC, adding that the two differ in medium. "Superconducting quantum computing relies on superconducting materials, and photonics quantum computing on photons," he explained.

Photo shows an experiment of the "Jiuzhang 2.0." (Photo from the official website of the University of Science and Technology of China)

The successful demonstration of the quantum computational advantage marked the start of the second step of quantum computing studies.

"At present, we're still at a very initial stage of quantum computing, and it's too early to predict the prospects of the technology's future application. But it can at least improve our computing capabilities and helps scientific research in a number of fields, such as drug design, molecular simulation and code breaking," Lu said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China committed to common development, anti-pandemic cooperation

09:04, October 29, 2021 By Wang Xiaobo ( People's Daily

Officials with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) briefed China's anti-COVID assistance and international development cooperation at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on Oct. 26.

Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas was hit by floods in 2017. The Chinese government launched post-disaster reconstruction projects there using the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to offer emergency humanitarian aid for the local people. Photo shows a man receiving living materials donated through the post-disaster reconstruction projects. (Photo courtesy of the China International Development Cooperation Agency)

The officials said that since 1950, China has offered all types of assistance for over 160 countries. The country implemented thousands of complete projects and material aid programs, carried out over ten thousand technological cooperation and human resource development programs, and trained more than 400,000 personnel for developing countries.

China will prioritize health, focus on green development, improve well-being and uphold multilateralism to promote international development cooperation and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

CIDCA chairman Luo Zhaohui noted that apart from traditional bilateral aid, China has enhanced its communication and cooperation with Western countries and international organizations including the UN, to explore multilateral and trilateral cooperation actively.

When carrying out complete projects, China instills development capabilities in recipient countries, promoting human resource training and exchanges of national governance experiences, and combining grants and concessional loans to lower financing costs, Luo remarked.

Besides, China has also enhanced the whole-chain monitoring of aid projects, prevented and managed risks to clean assistance, improved the quality of the projects, and emphasized post-project evaluation to ensure the sustainable development of its foreign aid, Luo noted.

He said China not only is the first country in the world to have made remarkable achievements in pandemic control and recovered economic growth, but also has initiated an emergency humanitarian aid with the longest time span and covering the most comprehensive range.

A rural water supply project in Senegal funded by the Chinese government was completed in 2019. The project has built drinking water facilities for over two million rural residents in 12 of the 14 regions of the country, and significantly improved the drinking water quality, health conditions and living standards for Senegalese rural residents. (Photo courtesy of the China International Development Cooperation Agency)

"Since this year, China has provided over 1.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for 106 countries and four international organizations, contributing significantly to pandemic control and international anti-pandemic cooperation," Luo remarked.

Zhou Liujun, vice chairman of the CIDCA, said China had made fruitful results in its cooperation on health, agriculture, education, and green development under the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-CELAC Forum, which will help build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future and a closer China-CELAC community with a shared future. Besides, Zhou added that China's aid for the island countries in the South Pacific also achieved positive progress.

Speaking of China's vaccine aid, Deng Boqing, vice chairman of the CIDCA, said the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines have been proved as the World Health Organization (WHO) approved Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines for emergency use. He added that the large number of shots given around the globe also fully proved the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines. The international society is confident about Chinese vaccines, and scientific studies and clinical data are also in support of them, Deng said.

The Caribbean country of Dominica once suffered a simple structure of agricultural products. It mainly grew bananas and taroes. Due to underdeveloped agricultural technologies, its vegetables were mostly imported. In 2005, the Chinese government started bringing aid programs to the country, offering the latter agricultural technologies and sending Chinese agricultural experts there. (Photo courtesy of the China International Development Cooperation Agency)

Climate change is an alarm sounded by the Nature for humanity. According to Zhang Maoyu, vice chairman of CIDCA, China has implemented over 200 foreign aid projects to cope with climate change in the recent eight years, including 70 for mitigation and 150 for adaption. Besides, China has also launched over 80 training sessions about climate change and trained nearly 2,000 personnel.

In recent years, under the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund framework, China has cooperated with multiple UN organizations to launch development programs in food aid, post-disaster reconstruction, refugee relief, and maternal and child health in over 50 countries. The country also joined hands with Switzerland, Portugal, the UK, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand to implement third-party cooperation projects centering on agriculture, health, and other livelihood sectors.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China's import expo draws nearly 3,000 exhibitors from 127 nations, regions

Xinhua) 09:07, October 29, 2021

SHANGHAI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 3,000 businesses from 127 countries and regions will attend the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) scheduled offline from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai, the organizer said Thursday.

A total of 58 countries and three international organizations will also join the online country exhibition during the expo, among which 15 countries will make their debut, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau.

Through new technologies such as 3D modeling and virtual engines, visitors can immerse themselves in the digital exhibition hall to learn about the development achievements, competitive industries, culture, and tourism of the participating countries, Sun said.

The numbers of participating countries and exhibitors both surpassed those of the third CIIE last year, Sun said, adding that the offline exhibition area has been expanded to over 360,000 square meters.

A large number of the world's leading enterprises in various sectors such as food, automobile, electrical engineering, medical equipment and cosmetics are expected to showcase their products and technologies at the expo. Meanwhile, 90 enterprises from 33 least developed countries will also attend the event, Sun said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Interview: China has been firmly fulfilling its commitments of opening-up: Siemens Energy

Xinhua) 09:28, October 29, 2021

Zhao Zuozhi, the global chief strategy officer and head of Asia Pacific new energy business of Siemens Energy, poses in an interview with Xinhua in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has been firmly fulfilling its commitments of opening-up with practical actions and real opening-up initiatives, which have brought strong positive confidence to exhibitors including Siemens Energy, a company executive said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"CIIE is an important manifestation of China's commitment to expand its opening-up," said Zhao Zuozhi, the global chief strategy officer and head of Asia Pacific new energy business of Siemens Energy.

Zhao told Xinhua that the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a very good window, providing an interactive platform for exhibitors. Siemens Energy is about to sign contracts with a number of partners during the expo and looking forward to meeting more partners and committed to construct low-carbon energy solutions.

The fourth expo is to be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10 this year.

Siemens Energy will exhibit at the CIIE this year under the theme of "Let's Energize Society," and will bring four major exhibits for the first time in China to showcase the complete energy industry value chain, as well as its innovative portfolio and achievements in areas such as green hydrogen, high-voltage switchgear with zero global-warming potential and offshore wind power.

According to Zhao, Siemens Energy has been an independent exhibitor to attend the CIIE for the first time since its global independence last year, and will present its extensive business portfolio in many fields, covering industrial applications, power generation, transmission and new energy.

"With the cutting-edge technologies, Siemens Energy is looking forward to working with Chinese partners to contribute to China's '3060' goals of achieving peak carbon by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060," Zhao said.

In August, Siemens Energy has already completed the registration for the fifth CIIE, and will participate in and make preparations for the "Energy Low Carbon and Environmental Protection Technology Professional Committee" to support the expo to create a more open platform to promote communications and cooperation in the field of low-carbon and environmental protection technologies.

Although exhibiting as an independent operating company for the first time this year, Zhao said that Siemens Energy actually had participated in the three expos from the very beginning before operating independently. Through which it has accumulated rich experience and formed a positive understanding of CIIE. Therefore, Siemens Energy has completed the signing up for the next expo in advance.

In addition, Zhao said that China and Europe will be the two locomotives leading the world in the large-scale industrialization and application of new energies, especially the green hydrogen industry chain.

"China has the main elements that are necessary for the promotion of new energy industry, including market demand, favorable policies, leading enterprises, etc.," Zhao said.

"It is expected that product iterations and costs reduction will happen in China in the future," he added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China-Russia joint naval drill enhances capability to counter threats, securing regional peace: spokesperson

Xinhua) 09:31, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The joint Chinese-Russian naval drill has enhanced the ability of both sides to counter security threats at sea and maintain regional security and peace, a Chinese military spokesperson told a press conference on Thursday.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said the joint drill has deepened military relations between China and Russia. He said it saw the participation of new military equipment and enhanced the ability of commanders from both sides to coordinate in addressing unplanned situations.

A joint cruise was held following the naval exercise, Tan said, noting that it was the first joint cruise of the Chinese and Russian navies.

He said the military exercise was not aimed at any other country.

The joint naval exercise, "Joint Sea-2021," began on Oct. 14 and concluded on Oct. 23.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Serbia-China friendship is indestructible: Serbian PM

Xinhua) 09:35, October 29, 2021

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 27, 2021. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The friendship between Serbia and China is indestructible and their pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said here on Wednesday, stressing that cooperation with China is fully in line with Serbia's current and long-term interests.

The Serbian prime minister made the remarks when she met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During the meeting, Wang conveyed the warm greetings from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Prime Minister Brnabic.

Wang said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Serbia relations have stayed as strong as ever, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples and playing an important role in regional peace and stability.

Noting that bilateral cooperation projects have covered all fields and delivered economic and social benefits, Wang stressed that China-Serbia relations have become a benchmark for mutually beneficial cooperation, a model for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and an example for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC).

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Serbia have stood firmly together, and the touching moments of their friendship have left an indelible mark in the history of bilateral exchanges, and become a vivid example of their iron-clad friendship, Wang said.

"To China, Serbian friends are like family, and we are deeply impressed by the warm and heartfelt friendship of the Serbian people," he said.

Wang expressed appreciation for the Serbian side's consistent support for China's core interests and important concerns, stressing that China cherishes its profound friendship with Serbia.

China has taken China-Serbia relations as a priority in its exchanges with Europe, and is willing to jointly pursue common development and prosperity with Serbia, Wang said.

The two sides should promote the joint construction of major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, expand cooperation in the fields such as green economy, clean energy, efficient use of energy, Internet plus, cross-border e-commerce, big data, cloud computing, smart cities and 5G, in order to provide a stronger driving force for sustainable development, he added.

For her part, Brnabic asked Wang to convey her best wishes to Premier Li.

The Serbian prime minister extended her congratulations on the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), saying that the Serbian side follows closely and actively supports Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal for a Global Development Initiative, and sincerely admires the CPC's great achievements in poverty alleviation and promoting economic and social development.

"China is an inspiring example for Serbia to forge ahead and strengthens our confidence in following our own development path," Brnabic said.

The Serbian people will never forget that China provided precious support for Serbia in fighting the epidemic, selflessly helped Serbia to improve people's wellbeing and actively supported Serbia's rapid economic development, she said.

No matter how the world may change and no matter what kind of pressure it receives, the Serbian side will unswervingly pursue a friendly policy towards China, she said.

Brnabic said that her country is willing to work with China to implement the major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation in the fields such as infrastructure, digital economy, artificial intelligence and biotechnology, so as to push Serbia-China relations to a higher level.

The two sides agreed to support and make good use of the cultural centers established in their respective countries so as to consolidate public support for bilateral friendship.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Macao's merchandise trade continues to rise in September

Xinhua) 09:35, October 29, 2021

MACAO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Macao's total merchandise import went up by 13.3 percent year on year to 12 billion patacas (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) in September 2021, while total merchandise export amounted to 981 million patacas, up by 5.8 percent year on year, the special administrative region's (SAR) statistical service said on Thursday.

The latest report from Macao's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that the import of articles for casino, gold jewelry, watches and handbags and wallets swelled by 404.3 percent, 213.0 percent, 89.0 percent and 78.9 percent respectively, whereas that of beauty, cosmetic and skincare products and perfumes declined by 39.8 percent and 11.8 percent respectively.

The value of re-exports grew 3.7 percent to 783 million patacas in September, with that of perfumes and diamond and diamond jewelry surging by 247.8 percent and 125.5 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the value of domestic exports increased by 14.9 percent to 198 million patacas, the DSEC report added.

The merchandise trade deficit in September totaled 11.02 billion patacas.

In the third quarter of 2021, the total value of merchandise export and merchandise import grew by 10.0 percent and 49.5 percent year on year to 3.17 billion patacas and 39.53 billion patacas respectively, resulting in a trade deficit of 36.36 billion patacas.

From January to September this year, the total value of merchandise import expanded by 103.0 percent year on year to 113.26 billion patacas, whereas the total value of merchandise export increased by 25.6 percent year on year to 9.87 billion patacas.

The merchandise trade deficit totaled 103.39 billion patacas for the first nine months of 2021, up by 55.45 billion patacas from a year earlier.

Analyzed by place of origin, merchandise import from the mainland and the European Union (EU) in the first nine months surged by 102.7 percent and 132.7 percent year on year to 36.52 billion patacas and 35.79 billion patacas respectively.

Analyzed by destination, merchandise export to the mainland rose by 25.1 percent year on year to 1.52 billion patacas during the period from January to September 2021. Exports to the Hong Kong SAR, the United States and the EU grew by 27.2 percent, 22.1 percent and 4.2 percent year on year respectively.

External merchandise trade totaled 123.13 billion patacas during the period from January to September 2021, up by 93.4 percent from a year earlier. (1 pataca equals 0.1248 U.S. dollar)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
U.S. criticized for clandestine bio-military activities

Xinhua) 09:52, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to handle the inquiry into its bio-military activities in an open, transparent and responsible manner as they are related to international peace and security.

Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular press conference in Beijing.

The United States is the only country to block negotiations on a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and its bio-military activities have constantly drawn international attention, Tan noted.

"The U.S. has over 200 overseas bio-labs and their opaque activities have triggered extensive doubts and protests," Tan said, urging the United States to fulfill its obligations under the BWC and give detailed information of bio-military activities at home and abroad.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Commentary: China's resolution on better global climate governance

Xinhua) 09:57, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China released on Wednesday a white paper documenting its policies, actions and progress in mitigating climate change.

The document came ahead of the upcoming 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties. It testifies to China's strong sense of responsibility and even firmer resolution to join the rest of the world in tackling this pressing global challenge.

The sustenance of humanity counts on the wellbeing of Mother Earth. Thus the human race should respect, conform to, and protect its shared home planet. This is exactly what China has been advocating all along. Holding dear the philosophy of living in harmony with nature, the country has been actively responding to climate change in a responsible manner.

In its latest call for joint efforts against climate change, China in the white paper stressed on the importance of balancing the relationship between economic growth and emissions reduction, and advocated building a strong sense of common community.

Earlier this month, the country hosted the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, sending out a clear message to the larger world that it is willing to work with other nations in building a community of all life on Earth.

A greener and more sustainable planet can only be built with bold and immediate actions taken by each and every country. This is exactly what China has been practicing all along.

For years, China has voluntarily adopted nationally determined contributions and supporting policy measures, which have demonstrated its strong determination to push forward global green development.

China announced last year that it will strive to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Last month at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Beijing also pledged that the country will not build new coal-fired power stations overseas.

It is never easy for a developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion that has not completed industrialization or urbanization to make such promises. But China is serious about pursuing green development, and is honoring its pledges with an aim to contribute to humanity's better shared future.

China's goals for environmental protection have been incorporated into the overall national development program, turned into feasible action plans, and delivered faithfully.

For example, the country's carbon intensity in 2020 was 48.4 percent less than that in 2005, which means that China had more than fulfilled its commitment of achieving a reduction of 40-45 percent in carbon intensity from the 2005 level by 2020.

No country can handle the climate challenge alone. Upholding the spirit of multilateralism and unity is the only way to deal with this existential threat to humanity. This is exactly what China has been promoting all along.

For a long time, China has been attaching a great importance to global climate cooperation. To improve global climate governance, it has been playing an active role in climate negotiations, promoting a full and effective and sustained implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Just as Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, specialized agency of the UN, said recently, China has contributed a great deal in the global fight against climate change, meteorological research and assistance to poorer nations.

Amid warming temperatures, rising seas and more frequent extreme weather events, it is more urgent than ever for the international community to carry out even stronger international cooperation.

While China is walking its talks and honoring the spirit of true multilateralism, a greener and better Earth can only be when countries across the world can come together as one in the battle against climate change.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
5 scientists awarded Shaw Prize in Hong Kong virtually

Xinhua) 10:02, October 29, 2021

HONG KONG, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The awards presentation ceremony of the annual Shaw Prize for 2021 was held online on Thursday, with five scientists commended for their prominent work in the prize's three categories of astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences.

The Hong Kong-based Shaw Prize Foundation announced the list of 2021 laureates in June. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awarding ceremony was held online.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam delivered a video speech at the virtual awarding ceremony on Thursday.

Lam said that the COVID-19 pandemic has again reminded people of the importance of basic research in sciences, global cooperation and solidarity. Scientists in many parts of the world have raced against time to enhance testing capacity and produce vaccines to keep people safe.

"For Hong Kong, the commitment and investment we have made in innovation and technology in recent years has also paid off, as reflected in the many applications adopted in our fight against the pandemic," she said.

Lam said, looking ahead, especially in light of the support given by the Central authorities in the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan for Hong Kong to develop as an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, the HKSAR government will continue to accord policy priority to press ahead with Hong Kong's science and technology development.

For the 2021 Shaw Prize, the Astronomy category went to Victoria M Kaspi, professor of Physics and director of McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Canada, and Chryssa Kouveliotou, professor and chair of the Department of Physics at George Washington University, the United States. They were commended for their contributions to our understanding of magnetars, a class of highly magnetized neutron stars that are linked to a wide range of spectacular, transient astrophysical phenomena.

The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine went to Scott D Emr, director of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, the United States. He was commended for his landmark discovery of the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport pathway, which is essential in diverse processes involving membrane biology, including cell division and cell-surface receptor regulation, viral dissemination and nerve axon pruning. These processes are central to life, health and disease.

The Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences was in equal shares to Jean-Michel Bismut, emeritus professor of the Mathematics Department, Universite Paris-Saclay, France, and Jeff Cheeger, silver professor of Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, the United States. They were commended for their remarkable insights that have transformed, and continue to transform, modern geometry.

Established under the auspices of Run Run Shaw in November 2002, the Shaw Prize is an international award to honor individuals who have achieved significant breakthroughs in academic and scientific research or applications, and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind. Each prize bears a monetary award of 1.2 million U.S. dollars.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Former senior political advisor of Hainan given life sentence for bribery

Xinhua) 10:26, October 29, 2021

NANNING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced Wang Yong, a former senior political advisor of south China's Hainan Province, to life in prison for bribery.

Wang, former vice chairman of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was convicted of taking bribes worth over 90.47 million yuan (14.14 million U.S. dollars) by the Guilin Intermediate People's Court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

He was found guilty of taking advantage of his former positions in Hainan between 2000 and 2014 to seek gains for others in project approval, use of public land, contracting and job promotion, the court ruling stated.

Wang was deprived of political rights for life, and had all of his personal property confiscated and illegal gains from bribery recovered and turned over to the state treasury, the court said.

Wang said he will not appeal.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Chinese FM calls for stronger cooperation among neighboring countries of Afghanistan for lasting peace, stability

Xinhua) 10:42, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with all neighboring countries of Afghanistan to strengthen coordination and cooperation on Afghanistan-related issues, so as to help achieve lasting peace and stability in the country, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

In a video message to the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers of The Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan on Wednesday, Wang noted that the first Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in September was a creative move, as the participants officially launched the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan's neighboring countries, and issued a joint statement covering a broad range of issues.

Through the meeting, the countries established the political consensus to work together to address the changes in the Afghan situation, demonstrated their unique role as Afghanistan's neighbors, and made clear their reasonable concerns, he said, adding that the meeting drew considerable attention from the international community.

China is ready to work with all neighboring countries of Afghanistan, based on the first foreign ministers' meeting, to give full play to their advantages, strength, uniqueness and cooperation as Afghanistan's neighbors, so as to help ensure lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, Wang noted.

He pointed out that Afghanistan is at a crucial moment to transform turbulence into order, now faces both challenges and opportunities, difficulties and hopes. As its neighbors, the countries all hope to see Afghanistan enjoy peace, stability, economic development, ethnic harmony and good-neighborliness.

He also mentioned that recently, the international community has also expressed expectations and concerns over the evolution of the Afghan situation, for example, through the Moscow Format meeting last week.

Under the new circumstances, all neighboring countries of Afghanistan should, on the basis of respecting Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and sticking to the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle, step up coordination and cooperation on Afghanistan-related issues, in order to end chaos and restore stability in the country, prevent security problem spillovers, and help the country embark on a path toward good governance, Wang stressed.

In this regard, the senior Chinese diplomat made four proposals.

First, making active engagement and showing guidance. All parties should attach importance to the opportunity that the Afghan interim government is adaptable and shapable, and get in touch and talks with it in a rational and pragmatic way to increase mutual trust and exert positive influence, he said. The neighboring countries should encourage Afghanistan to take a broad-based and inclusive political stance, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, protect the basic rights and interests of ethnic minorities, women and children, fight against terrorism resolutely, and pursue policies of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

It is natural for neighbors to have some differences, but neither stand-off nor confrontation provides a sustainable solution, Wang said, noting that the right way is to be forward-looking, accommodate each other's reasonable concerns, and seek co-existence in peace.

Second, expanding multilateral coordination. Wang called for regional countries to increase mutual reinforcement and build synergy between the various mechanisms on Afghanistan, and support the United Nations (UN) as a key coordinator in such fields as maintaining stability, preventing chaos, and providing emergency assistance.

He also urged the United States and other Western countries to take up their primary responsibility in helping Afghanistan emerge from hardship to vitality, especially at present lift unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan for its state assets to be used to meet people's urgent needs as soon as possible. The World Health Organization also needs to step up coordination and provide more vaccines, medical supplies and protective gears for Afghanistan to control the spread of COVID-19 at an early date, he said.

Third, strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation. All parties should not only encourage the new Afghan authority to make a clean break with terrorist forces, but also to support it in independently, resolutely and effectively combating all extremist and terrorist organizations, including Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Wang said.

He also proposed to positively consider holding bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism dialogues and cooperation with Afghanistan at an appropriate time and forge a united front against terrorism through multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Fourth, promoting peace and reconstruction. Neighboring countries should take coordinated and robust actions to steadily increase economic and trade exchanges with Afghanistan, explore infrastructure connectivity, and help Afghanistan take part in the cooperation of jointly building the Belt and Road, said the senior Chinese diplomat, urging the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to consider how to resume financing support for Afghanistan, with a view to helping the country embark on a path of sound development.

Wang said that as a responsible major country and Afghanistan's neighbor, China has all along been playing a constructive role on the Afghanistan issue. At the first foreign ministers' meeting, China announced 200 million RMB yuan (more than 31.2 million U.S. dollars) worth of emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The first batch of supplies has arrived in Kabul and the delivery of the remaining is well underway. China will continue to provide support and help to the Afghan people to the best of its capability, he added.

China will work with all sides to promote the sound and sustained progress of the coordination and cooperation mechanism among neighbors of Afghanistan, and play a positive role in helping the Afghan people realize a safe, secure, and happy life and achieve peace and development at an early date, Wang said.

The participants at the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers stressed that the current situation in Afghanistan is at a critical stage, and the neighboring countries and important countries in the region should coordinate their positions in a timely manner and take necessary measures to play a bigger role.

Those countries mainly responsible for the current predicament in Afghanistan should honor their commitments in real earnest and provide much-needed assistance to Afghanistan, they noted.

On the premise of respecting the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, the international community should actively engage and talk with it, encourage and guide Afghanistan to form an inclusive government and implement moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, to earnestly fulfill its commitments to firmly fighting terrorism, protecting the rights of women, children and ethnic minorities, and living in harmony with other countries in the world, especially neighboring countries, said the participants.

They also called on the international community, the UN, and other international organizations to provide more emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, deepen economic cooperation and interconnectivity with Afghanistan, and help Afghanistan achieve security, stability and economic reconstruction.

The meeting was held in Tehran, capital of Iran, both online and offline, chaired by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber made an opening speech, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a video address.

Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov attended the meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took the floor via video link. Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, attended the meeting. A joint statement was issued after the meeting. According to the consensus of all parties, the third foreign ministers' meeting will be held in China in 2022.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Beijing reports 5 confirmed COVID-19 cases

Xinhua) 10:43, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Beijing reported five locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and two asymptomatic cases from 3 p.m. Wednesday to 2 p.m. Thursday.

All seven cases were reported in Changping District, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing's center for disease control and prevention, told a press briefing on Thursday.

Bejing has so far reported a total of 25 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and two local asymptomatic carriers in the latest outbreak, Pang said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Interview: Ethiopian coffee exporter eyeing Chinese market

Xinhua) 11:18, October 29, 2021

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel Degefa, CEO of Kerchanse Trading Private Limited Company, the largest producer and exporter of coffee in Ethiopia, has been setting his sights on the huge Chinese market.

"From year to year, the volume, quality and education of coffee in Asia is dramatically changing, especially in China, where our main market is located," Degefa told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Kerchanse is producing and exporting diversified types of coffee by operating with 63 washing stations, 56,000 out-growers, and 1,500 hectares of land dedicated to research and developing varieties of coffee.

"When we started 3-4 years ago exporting to China, it was a tea marketplace, not a coffee marketplace, but now it's changing. The cultural shift is bringing a lot of opportunities for coffee-producing countries like us," Degefa said.

Predicting that China will become one of the top five Ethiopian coffee importing countries within the next five years, Degefa is working to introduce his firm's coffee products to as many Chinese customers as possible, including through attending the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE).

According to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, China was among the top 10 buyers of Ethiopian coffee in July and August.

The fourth China International Import Expo is scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai. The event provides a platform for companies around the world to display their products, promote their brands and find more business partners in the world's second-largest economy.

"We have our agent in China. He will attend the expo and show Ethiopian coffee on behalf of us there," said Degefa.

"These kinds of platforms are very helpful. They will create a good relationship between buyers and roasters," he said, adding that the CIIE will also help the Chinese community understand the difference between Ethiopian coffee and other types of coffee.

In addition to the huge amount of personal connection his firm expects to form at CIIE 2021, Degefa pointed out that his firm also expects to showcase the organic and high quality coffee product exported by Kerchanse.

Yohannes Dinegdie, processing and warehousing manager at Kerchanse, said the Chinese market will be key to helping the firm achieve the goal of 55,000 tons of coffee exports during the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2021/2022 starting July 8.

"China is a big country, the aim of Kerchanse is to satisfy its customers' needs according to the customer order and preferences," Dinegdie told Xinhua.

Kerchanse is boosting its quality control department to ensure that coffee exports to China meet the taste preference of Chinese customers.

"Most of the time Chinese customers' preference depends upon the food they eat, as they relate it to the food they eat," Bacha Lencha, a senior coffee quality controller at Kerchanse told Xinhua.

"For example, they need anaerobic coffee, which means coffee that has a fruity flavor, so the Chinese market always prefers to consume coffee that has fruity characters," he said.

Lencha said the company's coffee always aim to retain top preference by foreign customers including Chinese ones.

According to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, in the previous 2020/2021 fiscal year, Ethiopia earned 906 million U.S. dollars through exports of 248,000 tons of coffee.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Chinese scientists conduct painstaking high-tech research on 0.15-gram motes of moondust

People's Daily Online) 11:26, October 29, 2021

A mere 0.15 grams of lunar soil specimens were attritioned during scientific studies conducted by researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Such a low attrition rate for the samples was made possible by way of technicians' superb skills and a globally advanced experimental platform.

Visitors take photos of an exhibit at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in south China's Hong Kong, June 25, 2021. Lunar soil brought back by China's moon mission was on display in Hong Kong on June 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

The latest achievements in research on lunar soil specimens returned by the Chang'e 5 lunar mission were recently released by the CAS. "All the research was done in our institute, which fully illustrates the scientific research strength and innovation capabilities of China," Li Xianhua, a researcher with the IGG said beaming with pride.

The lunar soil sample returned by the Chang'e 5 lunar mission and obtained by the IGG, which was 5 grams in total, looked like a handful of dust. "It would be blown away if you give a puff like this," Li explained.

Every grain of the lunar soil specimen is precious, but each can be studied with a different perspective and for different scientific purposes. The question, though, is how to dig out the "most representative" specimens that can contribute the most to productive scientific achievements.

Wu Fuyuan, director of the IGG, revealed their "secret weapon" namely, Ma Hongxia, a technician at the IGG whose deft hands can quickly manipulate each dust-sized specimen.

"Such a technician is a valuable treasure for our institute. Many research institutions at home and abroad have to 'borrow' technicians from us when they encounter difficulties in separating specimens," said Wu.

In addition to the superb skills of the Chinese technicians, the extremely low attrition of the lunar soil samples can also be attributed to a globally advanced experimental platform at the IGG.

"Geology is a discipline that is intimately linked with experiments, and our institute has established a general experimental platform called the Public Technology Center, having purchased instruments such as ion probes and nanoscale ion probes."

Besides, the platform brought together a team of engineers. During scientific research, scientists and engineers can work closely together to invent unique techniques and methods to debug the instruments to the best condition  with the instrument's capabilities able to be "used to the maximum", Wu explained.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Commentary: The ugly truth behind Washington's "fair competition" myth

Xinhua) 11:33, October 29, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. intelligence officials issued a warning recently to American companies against working with China in key emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, saying that such ties threaten America's superiority in these industries.

Such a move is a flagrant and unscrupulous obstruction of normal global exchanges and cooperation, and gravely runs counter to the principle of fair competition that the United States has long chanted.

It is now increasingly clear that American-style "fair competition" is all about keeping "America First," and playing zero-sum games. Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of World Politics Review, an online publisher of in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs, said in an article that the United States is "seeing everything through the prism of contest."

"The danger of seeing everything through the prism of a U.S.-China contest is that it reduces the world's regions to playing fields and its countries to prizes, rather than engaging with them as actors with their own interests and needs," he wrote.

History does not lack stories of the United States attempting to protect its selfish interests in the global market in the name of "fair competition."

In the 1980s, it took unprecedented strict protective actions to hammer Japan's growing semiconductor industry, including launching anti-dumping investigations against Japanese companies, forcing the country to limit exports, and levying high retaliatory tariffs.

In the early years of this century when the U.S. steel industry was facing competition from Europe, Washington did not focus on boosting the market competitiveness of its products. Instead, the United States, under the pretext of unfair competition, chose to impose punitive duties and import restrictions on the steel products of its European allies.

Over the past few years, Washington politicians have turned their sights on Chinese firms in order to contain China's development. They have deliberately stirred up trade disputes with China, imposed bans on Chinese investments, and abused the concept of national security to batter Chinese enterprises.

But have such detestable moves benefited the United States? The answer is negative. As a matter of fact, Washington's bullying has shot itself in the foot, eroded foreign investors' confidence in the United States, and undermined the country's credibility in the global market.

According to a study commissioned by the U.S.-China Business Council earlier this year, the Washington-initiated trade war with China in 2018 resulted in a loss of over 200,000 jobs in the United States, as well as a 49-percent fall in foreign direct investment in the country.

In a survey conducted by U.S. media outlet Protocol which focuses on technology, nearly 60 percent of 1,578 U.S. technology workers believe that "U.S. restrictions on Chinese technology companies have gone too far," and "a Cold War with China could cripple U.S. tech companies."

Washington should abandon its hypocritical "fair competition" theory and learn to work with others in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit. In today's interconnected world, it should have no other choice.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Tsai shows off US military presence in Taiwan,will be punished eventually

Global Times) 14:00, October 29, 2021

Punishment will come; mainland to solve question based on its own plan

Two Su-35 fighter jets and an H-6K bomber fly in formation on May 11, 2018. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force conducted patrol training over China's island of Taiwan.(Photo: Xinhua)

In a recent interview with CNN published on Thursday, Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen confirmed for the first time that US troops are present on the island for "training purposes." Experts said that this provocative announcement is for Taiwan secessionists to show off that they have got "protection" from the US, but in fact, there is no chance for them to escape punishment.

When the determination of 1.4 billion Chinese people and the strength of the Chinese mainland are taken into consideration, there is no chance for the "US military presence on the island" to change the resolution of the Taiwan question  the doomsday for Taiwan secessionists and the reunification of China, said mainland analysts. And in the short term, it's possible that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will take more actions around the island and even launch live-fire drills, while more Taiwan secessionist politicians will be blacklisted and sanctioned.

Tsai is the first Taiwan regional leader to acknowledge the presence of US troops on the island. Tsai said in the interview with CNN that they are there for "training purposes." She did not disclose the exact number of US military personnel currently on the island but said it was "not as many as people thought," and "we have a wide range of cooperation with the US aiming at increasing our defense capability."

Since 2020, it has occurred several times that words come from different sources that the US has military presence on the island of Taiwan, but this is the first time it was confirmed by Tsai.

Tsai and secessionist politicians of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority and other political forces will eventually pay for their crimes and sins, including separating the island from the country, betraying the Chinese nation to serve the interests of foreign forces and even allowing foreign military troops to set foot on the island, spreading hatred against the Chinese mainland among Taiwan residents, as well as suppressing pro-reunification figures in Taiwan.

Although the redline drawn by the Chinese mainland has been challenged, and the mainland will surely take retaliatory actions, it doesn't mean the doomsday for the Taiwan secessionists will come immediately, said experts. They remarked that the mainland will solve the Taiwan question based on its own plan, and the secessionists on the island will pay the price sooner or later.

Warnings sent

With regard to the US military presence on the island, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Thursday that "we firmly oppose the US having any form of official interaction and military connection with the island, and oppose US interference in China's internal affairs."

Wang noted that the provocative US moves in recent years have sent extremely wrong signals to Taiwan secessionist forces and have threatened the peace and stability of the region.

"Seeking Taiwan secessionism is a dead end; supporting Taiwan secessionism is a road of no return," Wang said, warning that no country or person should underestimate the determination, will and power of the Chinese people in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, "otherwise they will face failure again."

Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said on Thursday at a monthly press conference that the national reunification of China is the trend of history, and it's a mission of justice. The PLA is keeping on high alert and making sure that when the call from the Party and the people comes, the PLA can fight and win anytime.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council, said on Thursday that Tsai and the DPP authority are stubbornly pushing forward "Taiwan independence" and spreading secessionist remarks on the global stage, using the so-called democracy and freedom to disguise their ill-intentioned attempts to deceive public opinion, and Tsai's interview with CNN exposed such an attempt.

"We understand that local residents in the island hope to join in international activities, and on the basis of the one-China principle, we have made appropriate arrangements for this hope in the past, and this could happen again in the future," but "there is zero possibility for secessionists in the island to use the so-called 'participation in global events' to seek secessionism," the spokesperson said.

Tsai is playing with fire, as admitting US military presence in Taiwan is no different to stepping on the redline of the one-China principle and violating the Anti-Secession Law, Chiu Yi, a former "lawmaker" in Taiwan and a Taiwan-based pro-reunification scholar, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Tsai is risking destruction on herself because she wanted to highlight Taiwan's tie with the US to save her falling support, get US President Joe Biden's help and attempt to suppress Kuomintang chairman Chu Li-luan, Chiu said.

Tang Yonghong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday that Tsai wants to appease pro-secessionist people in Taiwan with the idea of "US protection," encourage secessionist forces and deliver a signal to the international community that the US is supporting Taiwan "as a country" and "considering Taiwan a partner of the US-led alliance against mainland [of] China" at a time when the US is playing the "Taiwan card" in the strategic competition with the Chinese mainland.

In addition to condemning the revelation, the Chinese mainland should take real actions to make the US and Taiwan secessionists pay the price, Tang said.

Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said more military actions are likely in the Taiwan Straits, and the US military presence in the region will face more countermeasures from the PLA.

If the US and the Taiwan authority continue to escalate tensions, it's likely to see massive live-fire drills, similar to those that took place during the Taiwan Straits crisis in 1995-96, some analysts predicted.

Punishment will come eventually

The DPP authority and the US are being increasingly provocative at the moment, and they know the Chinese mainland will and must take actions to respond, so they want to use this to interrupt the mainland's development, said a Beijing-based senior expert on Taiwan affairs who asked not to be named.

"Because they, especially the US, know that if they don't use the 'Taiwan card' to make trouble now to interrupt China's development, and when China has more overwhelming military advantage in the future, they would have no chance to make provocations," he noted.

"At this moment, China just needs to focus on its own development and solve all other urgent problems, not be misguided, and mark all the crimes that those secessionists committed now and in the past," the expert said. "When the time comes, we will let them pay for everything they've done."

Just on Wednesday, three PLA warplanes - two J-11 fighter jets and a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, entered Taiwan's self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone, the island's defense authorities said on the same day.

One day earlier, transport and attack helicopters of the PLA were spotted for the first time conducting training in the same area, which experts said displayed the PLA's grasp of the region.

Helicopters can become active on the battlefield only when the PLA has gained aerial superiority, and the combination of transport and attack helicopters means they could be on an amphibious assault mission aimed at landing on the island, Chinese mainland military analysts said.

A US military aircraft C-17 landed on the island in June. A source familiar with the matter told the Global Times that the aircraft was there to practice an evacuation of the American Institute in Taiwan.

Some experts said the US is preparing for another failure and getting ready to abandon its proxies again, but the secessionists on the island still believe they are under protection, which is truly pathetic and hilarious.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Empty village in E Chinas Jiangsu becomes popular tourist destination

14:02, October 29, 2021 By Zhou Yu ( People's Daily Online

Jijiadun village, once a secluded empty village in east Chinas Jiangsu province, has become a popular tourist destination thanks to the implementation of the countrys rural vitalization strategy.

Photo shows Jijiadun village, Jinxi township, Kunshan city in east Chinas Jiangsu province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhou Yu)

Located in Jinxi township of Kunshan, the village surrounded by rivers and beautiful scenery began to implement a renovation project in order to advance rural vitalization in 2016, attracting many villagers to return to their hometown and start their own businesses.

Now our village has become an entrepreneurship base and has been focusing on developing homestay businesses, Wang Huiqi, first secretary of Jijiadun, told Peoples Daily Online. Wang said all the homestay hotels in the small village have been built near rivers, which has attracted tourists from nearby cities of Shanghai and Suzhou, noting that Jijiadun received over 200,000 tourists between 2019 and 2020.

However, before the renovation project, many residents found jobs outside the village to make a living.

Life was hard in the past in Jijiadun due to poor transportation, a lack of industrial development and low crop output, said a native surnamed Wu, who is now a homestay hotel owner in the village.

Photo shows the exterior scenery of a homestay hotel in Jijiadun village, Jinxi township, Kunshan city in east Chinas Jiangsu province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhou Yu)

Wu said he was a farmer and ran his own business outside the village, explaining that he decided to go back to his hometown to run a homestay hotel after he learned about the villages implementation of the renovation project. Wu added that he felt obliged to help his hometown to develop.

Wu invited Japanese architect Shuhei Aoyam to design his homestay hotel, which has attracted over 40,000 visitors, including more than 10,000 designers, since this May.

According to Wu, young entrepreneurs in the village also include native designers, former corporate executives, manual workshop owners, and city dwellers attracted to the idyllic lifestyle.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Is China a threat to the United States?

14:45, October 29, 2021 By Vijay Prashad ( People's Daily Online

In early October, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States announced that it had created a top-level working group on China. CIA Director William Burns said that the United States is facing its toughest geopolitical test in a new era of great power rivalry, and so the CIA stated that it would focus its attention on this test. What is the test? The test is, as US President Joe Biden put it, Chinas aggressiveness.

What is the evidence of Chinese aggressiveness? The last time the armed forces of the United States and China had a serious clash was in 2001, when a US Navy intelligence aircraft, which was conducting a reconnaissance mission extremely close to South China's Hainan Province, collided with a Chinese fighter jet. Since then, there has been no direct clash between American and Chinese forces. However, the US has continued to build up military capabilities in the Pacific Ocean, strengthening its Indo-Pacific Command, establishing two new military and strategic channels (the QUAD with Australia, India, and Japan, as well as AUKUS with Australia and the United Kingdom), in addition to ratcheting up its rhetoric versus China. China, meanwhile, has built up its defensive capabilities, including military means to defend its territory and its regional interests.

Even the US military has acknowledged in a key report that China does not seek to attack the US nor threaten its interests outside of Asia (Pentagon, Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China, 2020). This same document from the US military makes it clear that China, unlike the US, has adopted a no first use nuclear policy. As the US military document notes, China will never use nuclear weapons first at any time nor under any circumstances, and China unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any nonnuclear-weapon state or in nuclear-weapon-free zones.

If the US militarys own assessment is that China is not a threat, then why does the White House continue to advance the view of a China threat? In his first speech to the US Congress as President in April 2021, Joe Biden said that China and other countries are closing in fast. Biden was not referring to any specific military developments. Despite all the rhetoric, the US still boasts a vast military, much more powerful than any other military force on the planet.

So, when Biden says that China is closing in fast, he is not in fact referring to a military challenge but to an economic challenge. It is now widely recognized that in certain key fields, such as telecommunications, high-speed rail, etc., Chinas scientific and technological achievements are already one or two generations ahead of the US. This is a serious challenge to US-based high-tech firms, which have come to believe that they have a divine right to retain their superiority. This challenge from China has been something of a surprise to them, and one that they feel can only be remedied by non-market forces, such as a US-imposed hybrid war. It is this rising economic threat that has provoked the US to adopt its increasingly war-like rhetoric and a military build-up on Chinas shores.

Vijay Prashad is an Indian journalist and executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of Peoples Daily Online.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China emerges as strong voice for developing countries in UN: Pakistani FM

Xinhua) 15:02, October 29, 2021

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has emerged as a strong voice for the developing countries in the United Nations (UN) and championed the purposes and principles of the UN charter, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

Addressing the weekly media briefing here on Thursday, the spokesperson of the foreign ministry Asim Iftikhar Ahmad made these remarks while answering a question related to the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN.

Pakistan congratulates China on the 50th anniversary of "this seminal event," Ahmad said.

He said China has upheld equity and justice, strengthened multilateralism, espoused equitable development while contributing to world peace and stability as a responsible permanent member of the Security Council.

Pakistan takes immense pride in its friendship with China, and in its own contributions to the restoration of the People's Republic of China's the lawful seat in the UN, he added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Students access intl education opportunities at home with burgeoning Chinese-foreign co-op programs

People's Daily Online) 15:22, October 29, 2021

China has given the green light for the establishment of more than 2,300 Chinese-foreign cooperative education institutions and programs, as indicated by the latest statistics, signifying that "studying abroad without going abroad" now serves as a viable option for Chinese students.

The 2021 China International Education Exhibition recently held in Beijing. (Photo/People's Daily Overseas Edition)

Of all the institutions and programs, the number of Chinese-foreign higher education institutions and related projects (including junior colleges) accounts for about 90 percent of the total, involving more than 200 majors in 11 disciplines. These cooperative endeavors involve more than 800 foreign universities and more than 700 Chinese universities.

The 2021 China International Education Exhibition, hosted by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), was recently held in Beijing, with the participation of nearly 300 overseas institutions from more than 20 countries and regions, including the UK, the US, France, Belgium, Canada and Germany.

New Zealand universities have increasingly recognized the significance of establishing deeper and more direct partnerships with foreign universities, said an official from the New Zealand Education International Promotion Bureau.

China-New Zealand educational cooperation has a history of nearly 20 years, and there are now 23 cooperative projects at the undergraduate level and above between the two countries, with the number of cooperating institutions increasing to four, bringing the total to 27.

Irish institutions have also expedited their efforts to establish links and cooperate with China's education-related departments, with figures as of June 2021 showing that there were a total of 96 collaborative institutions and programs between China and Ireland.

As the autumn semester for 2021 approached, Chinas Ministry of Education issued a message stating that it would continue to support some of the Chinese-foreign cooperative institutions and programs, as well as those between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, so as to alleviate the difficulties faced by students who are unable to study abroad due to the pandemic.

Compared with studying abroad, Chinese-foreign cooperative education has emerged as a vital direction for the future, which can help to provide quality education resources from abroad that can be fully tapped in China, said Wang Yongli, secretary-general of the CEAIE.

The current pace of growth for the number of Chinese students studying abroad has slowed down, partly due to the increasingly mature development of Chinese-foreign cooperative education, which has allowed Chinese students to enjoy high-quality international education without leaving their country, according to a report jointly issued by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a Chinese non-governmental think tank, and the Development Research Institute of Southwest University of Finance and Economics.

"Previously, I intended to study abroad. Now I have changed my plan, since the prevention and control of the pandemic is lax in other countries and the quality of education at domestic co-operative institutions is getting better, said Wu Li (a pseudonym), who has now set her sights on New York University in Shanghai.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Black-necked cranes arrive at Yunnan's Napa Lake Nature Reserve for wintering

Xinhua) 16:40, October 29, 2021

Black-necked cranes fly over the Napa Lake Nature Reserve in Shangri-la of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 29, 2021. More than 200 black-necked cranes have been spotted arriving at the Napa Lake Nature Reserve for wintering. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Interview: CIIE huge opportunity for New Zealand dairy companies' economic recovery: CIIE veteran

Xinhua) 16:41, October 29, 2021

WELLINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The China International Import Expo (CIIE), an annual trade fair held in Shanghai, China, boosts a huge opportunity for New Zealand companies' COVID-19 recovery, a New Zealand dairy company manager who is also a four-term veteran of CIIE told Xinhua on Friday.

"The fourth China International Import Expo is held under the global pandemic background; it gives me the strong confidence that China is still keeping opening-up policy and is controlling the COVID-19 efficiently. Its huge consumer market helps foreign trade enterprises like us to find opportunities in the green food industry and promote global economic recovery," said Roy van den Hurk, General Manager of Theland Global R&D, Milk New Zealand Dairy.

"With the upgrade of the NZ-China free trade agreement, we take CIIE as a fast-sales growing channel for New Zealand Dairy companies to enter into China's big market," he said.

New Zealand, the world's largest dairy exporter, has been participating in the CIIE from the very first year. China, the world's largest dairy importer, has been New Zealand's top trading partner since 2017.

One of the most active New Zealand companies at the CIIE, Auckland-based Milk New Zealand Dairy has seen increasingly larger presence at the CIIE, with an exhibition area of about 200 square meters this year. It even set up a professional live-stream broadcast team in 2020.

"As a four-term veteran, this year we have been fully prepared since the beginning of the year into the Expo, planning the first new products and series of activities. We have full confidence in China's CIIE," said Roy.

Many people including Roy will not be able to go personally to Shanghai this year due to the pandemic. "We look forward to connecting China with global resources, building a digital supply chain with low carbon traceability," he said.

Roy still remembered the benefits from the beginning of CIIE.

"After the first CIIE, thanks to the 'trade facilitation' policy piloted by Shanghai Customs and Changning District government, it took only 72 hours for Theland fresh milk from New Zealand farm to the breakfast table in Shanghai. Before that, we needed at least 7 to 8 days."

Roy said CIIE has a great penetration market effect and continuously helps his company's milk products expand to the tier 3-5 cities and rural market in China.

To better understand the trade policies in China, Roy did a lot of homework.

"I think we've been very fortunate that China has a five-year plan and healthy food was promoted in that five-year plan. The Chinese government is promoting dairy with healthy protein. We're going to be lucky in 2022... due to the upgraded free-trade deal," he said.

According to the upgraded free-trade deal between the two countries signed in January this year, existing conditions for dairy products have been maintained, with all safeguard tariffs to be eliminated within one year for most products, and three years for milk powder.

Rou did a very promising calculation about the future of the dairy trade between China and New Zealand.

"New Zealand has a big dairy economy but 95 percent of it is actually exported. But when you look at the per capita input or intake of dairy, from China to New Zealand, you look at the opportunity in New Zealand. Like myself, I can drink probably 100 liters of milk every year, in China that's just over 10 liters."

"So even if the Chinese consumer started to drink more, maybe 15 liters or 20 liters, that's a huge, huge increase in the dairy intake, so we see a huge potential and we're participating in the CIIE."

Chinese consumption of liquid milk rose strongly in 2020 and is expected to continue growing over the coming decade, according to Rabobank's latest research.

This will create more export opportunities for dairy producers in New Zealand and in other key dairy-production regions, Roy said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
New models of e-commerce bring convenient shopping experience for consumers

People's Daily Online) 17:47, October 29, 2021

New models of e-commerce have been on the rise, focusing on consumer experiences and meeting their needs for shopping in different scenarios, such as live-streaming sessions, social media platforms and community-based online shopping.

A staff worker sells children's clothes via livestreaming in Zhili Town of Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Last year, the volume of transactions completed via e-commerce platforms reached 37.21 trillion yuan in China, with the e-commerce sector demonstrating explosive growth on social media platforms and accelerating the digitalization of industries, according to a report on Chinas e-commerce development in 2020.

At a meeting on new e-commerce recently held in Changchun, northeast Chinas Jilin province, a report on new e-commerce formulated by the National Industrial Information Security Development Research Center and other institutes was released.

New models of e-commerce require a low threshold for salespersons and follow a different strategy in catching consumers attention. They can do more to convince consumers to place an order, provide platforms for enterprises in various industries to have their products sold more efficiently, and promote digital transformation so as to catch up with the latest trend, said Hua Ying, deputy director of the school of information with the University of International Business and Economics based in Beijing.

Based on traditional e-commerce shopping scenarios, products are mainly displayed in the forms of pictures and text, which is far from providing the all-round information that potential consumers seek, with many consumers seeking out more information about the products they purchase. However, live-streaming can give consumers an immersive shopping experience, with the new model of e-commerce facilitating a live broadcast that offers real-time interactions between the hosts and viewers, Hua explained.

Song Shuiguan is an inheritor of fruit pit carving, a national intangible cultural heritage in China. During live-streaming sessions that he hosts, viewers can watch the whole engraving process, which increases the chances that they will place an order during the session, with sales conversion rates being higher than on other sales platforms. In the past, few people knew about fruit pit carving. Without these live-streaming sessions, its almost impossible for me to sell the products so easily, Song disclosed.

Thanks to new models of e-commerce, nowadays it takes less time and effort for many products that were less well-known in the past due to time and location constraints to become readily known and conveniently purchased by consumers.

Another virtue of new models of e-commerce is that they are always consumer-oriented. An industry insider pointed out that in the ecology of traditional e-commerce, consumers look for goods they need; however, in the new shopping scenarios that employ a mechanism to precisely analyze users habits, personalized product recommendations are presented to consumers so that they make a purchasing decision more quickly.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Carriageworks Farmers Market in Sydney welcomes crowds again after 107-day lockdown

16:03, October 29, 2021 By Jieying Li ( People's Daily Online

Customers make a purchase in front of a vegetable stall at the Carriageworks Farmers Market. (Photo/Jieying Li)

SYDNEY, Oct. 29 (Peoples Daily Online)  Last weekend, the Carriageworks Farmers Market welcomed crowds again after a 107-day lockdown in Sydney.

The market, which operates weekly, offers goods and seasonal produce sourced from local producers in New South Wales, Australia, including bakery items, wines, coffee and teas, meat products, eggs, and so on.

Although the market remained open throughout Sydneys lockdown period, the number of customers decreased dramatically as people were prohibited from travelling more than 5 kilometers from their home.

Sydney has now entered a second stage of reopening as NSW approaches towards an 80 percent full vaccination level. Most of the areas cafes, restaurants and outdoor markets have now reopened. Customers above the age of 16 can enter these premises after showing a vaccination certificate providing proof of inoculation with two doses of a qualifying COVID-19 vaccine.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
High-quality music education has become accessible even in the remotest village after a campaign to popularize the harmonica was kicked off in Funan county, Fuyang city in east Chinas Anhui province. To help students cultivate an interest in arts and improve their artistic literacy, Funan county has required that all primary and middle schools teach students the harmonica as a compulsory course starting in September 2020, the melodious musical instrument being an affordable choice for students living in rural areas. The local government even held training sessions for music teachers and invited experts to offer courses on the harmonica before officially launching the campaign. At a primary school in Laoguan township, students were recently rehearsing the song Dance of the Golden Snake with the guidance of their teacher. Last September, all seven primary schools in our township opened harmonica lessons and we gave each of the students a harmonica for free so that they could learn the instrument in the most convenient way they could. Our school also established a harmonica interest club for students who wanted to learn in-depth and systematic knowledge about the harmonica, said Ren Peng, the principal of a local primary school. Dance of the Golden Snake is a fast song with quite a lot of key changes. Whats more, since different musical instruments are used throughout the song, the song is challenging for the students to play. But through repeated rehearsals, the students were able to know more about the harmonica during the process and were doing better and better, said Liu Mengqing, a music teacher who teaches harmonica to primary and middle school students in Laoguan township. In the past, the music education offered by rural schools in Funan focused only on singing and dancing lessons. The harmonica lessons have aroused the interest of the students and brought positive changes to them. At a middle school in Dicheng township, 90 percent of the schools total student body, or some 232 students in all, are left-behind children. Some students suffer from mental health problems. We also found that it was difficult for them to catch up with their studies and become more self-disciplined. But since the harmonica lessons were launched, we saw that the students had developed a better version of themselves, said Wang Peng, the principal of a local middle school.
More than 200 people from 69 colleges and universities in China and Germany attended the 14th Sino-German Symposium on Application-Oriented Higher Education via video link on Thursday.

Sponsored by the Department of Education of Anhui Province and the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany, the symposium has been held alternately in China and Germany every year since 2008.

The event has promoted educational reform, smoothed cultural exchanges and enhanced the connection between personnel training and economic and social development, Wan Gang, chairman of China Association for Science and Technology, said at the symposium.

Wang Qingxian, governor of Anhui, said Germanys manufacturing enjoys a worldwide reputation, and that can not be achieved without the joint efforts of universities and enterprises.

"We hope to strengthen the connection with Lower Saxony, and learn from Germany's dual higher education model, to make more colleges and universities application-oriented, said Wang.

Lower Saxony has worked closely and developed deep friendship with Anhui over the past 37 years, and the symposium is a shining example of their cooperation and also a cornerstone of friendship, said Stephan Weil, governor of Lower Saxony, who voiced his hope that Germany and China will continue to promote exchanges between young students after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Six scholars delivered keynote speeches on the day. Former German president Christian Wulff chaired the symposium.




Greece marks 81st anniversary of WW2 entry

EditorWang Xinjuan Time2021-10-29 09:31:35

A military aircraft flies during a military parade in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Oct. 28, 2021. Amid COVID-19 restrictions especially in the northern part of the country, Greece celebrated the annual "Ochi (No) Day" on Thursday with military and student parades. (Photo by Dimitris Tosidis/Xinhua)

ATHENS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Amid COVID-19 restrictions especially in the northern part of the country, Greece celebrated for the 81st time the annual "Ochi (No) Day" on Thursday with military and student parades.

On Oct. 28 each year, Greece, Cyprus and the Greek communities around the world commemorate the day when in 1940 then-Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas said "no" to an ultimatum from Italy to surrender the country to the Axis forces of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. This marked Greece's entry into World War II.

In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the celebrations culminated with a parade in which military units, including armored vehicles, tanks, infantry and special forces, marched in front of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

For the first time ever, military F-16 jets flew over the city in a formation with a rebuilt Spitfire MJ755 fighter of the 335 Tiger Squadron, the oldest squadron of the Hellenic Air Force established when Greece was under German occupation in October 1941.

"Ochi Day is a day of honor and pride for our nation," Sakellaropoulou said. "A glory moment in our history when the Greeks refused to surrender, they opposed the Nazi invasion and won over the enemy. The Greco-Italian War of 1940 reminds us all of the things we can achieve when we are united."

Due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in several parts of the country, mainly in northern Greece and in Thessaly, the commemorative parades had to be canceled.
The North Korean propaganda machine has recently started referring to leader Kim Jong-un as the "dear leader," a title previously bestowed on his father Kim Jong-il.

The state-run Rodong Sinmun daily carried a front-page article in its Friday edition with a photo of a banner hailing "Dear Leader Kim Jong-un," while other examples of such references are also more frequently being spotted.

The Unification Ministry believes the move is part of a wider effort to boost the personality cult surrounding the young leader.


According to propaganda website Uriminzokkiri on Sunday, the 620-page book enumerates Kim's alleged glorious achievements over his 10 years in power in seven chapters.

The book puts the emphasis on his nuclear weapons development, inter-Korean summits, and buddying with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The North Korean regime has published a "biography" of leader Kim Jong-un that aims to polish the portly dictator's tarnished halo after a year of unprecedented disaster for his repressive regime.

South Korea is largely glossed over. The book touches on Kim's meeting with Trump in the border truce village of Panmunjom in June 2019, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in also attended, but omits Moon's name.

Other failures are also omitted. It deals with the Singapore summit in June 2018 and the historic Panmunjom meeting in June 2019 over 15 pages, praising them as Kim's "great" achievements in foreign policy. But it says nothing about his second summit with Trump in Hanoi in February 2019, where Trump walked out.

A chapter titled "A Nuclear Weapon for a Nuclear Weapon" elaborates on an alleged hydrogen bomb test in 2016 and another test to mount a hydrogen bomb on an intercontinental ballistic missile the following year. Separately, it also dwells on tests of two ICBMs.

"Only strength can suppress hostile forces and nuclear deterrence can overpower tyrannical nuclear forces," it rhapsodizes. "We need to put an end to the history about the U.S.' one-sided nuclear blackmail with our own powerful nuclear weapons."
The World Health Organization warns a shortage of syringes is threatening to upend efforts to vaccinate millions of Africans against COVID-19, a disease that has infected more than 8.4 million people on the continent, killing 217,000.

Lifesaving vaccines are in short supply in Africa. The World Health Organization says only six percent of Africa's 1.2 billion people are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That compares with more than 40 percent of the people in most high-income countries.

Vaccine shipments to the continent are ramping up and expected to increase into next year. While that is encouraging, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says a scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress.

"I mean just to say, syringes sound like a very small item in the big picture of rolling out vaccines, but we know very well if you do not have syringes, you cannot put shots into people's arms so it is a very important topic There is a looming threat that syringe supplies will dry up," said Moeti.
Businesses have gotten used to reduced overheads thanks to telecommuting, and some employees like working from home instead of spending hours on public transportation. Others, however, have grown to hate working from home.

Most employees have been fully vaccinated and lockdown restrictions are being eased as Korea plans a phased return to normal next month. But many employers and workers alike are reluctant to resume the old office routines.

Businesses whose staff have been working from home since the coronavirus pandemic started are preparing for a return to the office.

Then what will the new normal look like? Early this month, Amazon scrapped plans to return to normal office work and told managers to draw up tailored schedules for employees. Global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers went even further and told its 40,000 full-time staff to continue telecommuting, while reporting to the office only three days a month.

U.S. big tech companies are also postponing the return to the office. Microsoft, Facebook and Google told workers to continue telecommuting if their jobs permit it. Global investment bank Morgan Stanley studied 61 major listed U.S. companies and found that 69 percent want to let staff work from home.

The situation is similar in major Korean companies. Big conglomerates have had only 30 to 50 percent of their staff in the office since the pandemic started and are gradually increasing the proportion who telecommute.

Hyundai Mobis officially adopted telecommuting late last year, while LG Electronics and SK Telecom are testing a partial system. The Korea Employers Federation recently polled the top 100 businesses in the country, and 43.6 percent said they are likely to keep letting staff work from home even after the pandemic ends.

For employers, telecommuting has its downsides because staff cannot be closely supervised and home computers may be exposed to security risks. But the savings are enormous, and productivity has actually increased. It costs money to rent, power and heat or air-condition offices in busy commercial districts. And Oh Kye-taik at the Korea Labor Institute said, "Commuting takes a lot of energy, and conserving it for work could boost productivity significantly."

Some workers agree. The World Economic Forum surveyed 12,500 workers in 29 countries and found that 66 percent want to keep telecommuting, while 30 percent said they are considering quitting if their employer forces them to return to the office.

But many others question the benefits of working from home. They say a lack of face-to-face communication could hinder creativity and cause problems in training new staff. Job Korea polled 910 salaried workers who telecommute, and 32.1 percent said they have problems doing their jobs from home. They complained that blurred lines separating work and personal lives ended up forcing them to remain on alert for much longer than they would at the office.

As a result, experts forecast a hybrid format that lets employees telecommute and work at the office depending on the type of job. They say partial telecommuting will become the new normal in the post-pandemic era.
North Korean state media have started referring to Kim Jong-un as the "great leader," a title previously reserved for his grandfather and nation found Kim Il-sung. His father Kim Jong-il was the "dear leader," which suggests a slightly lesser deity.

The 37-year-old Kim has long copied his grandfather's clothes and hairdo and even some mannerisms from the early days of his rule, but now his usurpation of the revered mantle seems complete.

Jong Kyo-jin at the Korea University Institute for Unification Studies said, "Kim Jong-il did not use the title during his lifetime, because it could have made him appear to have parted ways with the teachings of his father and challenged his quasi-divine authority."


Tae-yeon of girl band Girls' Generation is among some 3,000 victims of a W250 billion real-estate scam police are investigating (US$1=W1,170).

The fraudsters bought protected land and deceived investors by telling them the area would shoot up in value.

Police said Thursday that they arrested four people involved in the scam. The fraudsters went all over the country, including Songpa and Gangdong districts in Seoul, Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Wonju, Gangwon Province and Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, to buy up land in nature reserves at dirt-cheap prices.

In Tae-yeon's case the scammers set up a front company that bought a protected piece of land in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province for W400 million and then sold it to her for W1.1 billion three months later.

Police interviewed around 280 victims and conducted a raid in the company's Gangnam office. "We had been investigating this case since April and plan to hand over the case to prosecutors soon," a police source said. "We will continue to look for more victims."

Amid proliferating rumors about the scandal, Tae-yeon said on Instagram on Thursday, "It was my wish to find a home for my family near where I live and work. I have only just been told of the damage and am watching the situation. Please refrain from speculating..."


Chief architect of Shanghai Tower: Shanghai is a walkable city

By:Zhao Chunyuan | From: | 2021-10-29 16:39

Marshall Strabala: chief architect of the Shanghai Tower

This summer, Typhoon In-Fa brought significant storms to Shanghai. Video of the TMD system in Shanghai Tower, swaying in response to the wind, went viral once again. In fact, the Shanghai Tower is "as stable as a mountain" when a typhoon comes not only because of its sophisticated EC-TMD system, but also because of its unique structure. With a rotation of nearly 1 degree between every floor, this distinctive form also helps to withstand the impact of typhoons. As the chief architect of the Shanghai Tower, Marshall Strabala was honored with the 2021 Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award this year as a foreigner who has made outstanding contributions to Shanghai. In a recent interview, Marshall told us about his love for Shanghai and the exciting future of Shanghai in his eyes.

Marshall (fourth from left) receiving the 2021 Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award

After graduating from Harvard University, Marshall started his architectural career at SOM's Chicago headquarters. Before designing the Shanghai Tower, the team he led had already been involved in the design of two super-tall buildings, including the Nanjing Zifeng Tower and the Burj Khalifa Tower. In 2006, Marshall submitted the winning design proposal for the Shanghai Tower.So, from 2008, it was full time in Shanghai", said Marshall.

Marshalls story with the city began when he first arrived in Shanghai on a business trip in 1999."After I landed at Hongqiao Airport Terminal One, I got in a cab and the guy saidWhat street, but I had no clue what he was saying. After a minute or two, I thought and said Jinmao. He kept sayingand shaking his head. Finally, I took out my pencil and piece of paper and drew a picture of the Jinmao Tower. He looked at it and said,Oh! Jinmao, and then he took me to Jinmao Tower", Marshall said with a smile. Later, he learned to tell a taxi driver in Chinese where he was going and the taxi driver understood him the first time. And that became one of his most memorable times in Shanghai. Today, Marshall is studying Chinese and he loves to write Chinese characters. In his eyes, there is a vivid story behind every Chinese character.

One of the reasons why Marshall really fell in love with Shanghai was the pedestrian conditions in Shanghai. In his opinion, the number one thing that makes a city livable is walkability."I prefer Shanghai as a walkable city. The soft power of a city is really its ability to move people around easily, said Marshall.

Now working in the Shanghai Tower that he designed, Marshall sees it as a valuable opportunity that when there are any problems with the building, he is able to work with the owners to fix them."We have great neighbors. I always ask them how they feel about the different systems in the building so that the next buildings we make will be better and better", Marshall added. In his view, learning from the past is how someone makes things better."Living and working in a building you've designed, I would recommend for any architect", Marshall advised sincerely.

The Shanghai Living Room Proposal

Shanghai Eye

As the chief architect of China's tallest building, what are Marshalls plans and designs for the future of the city of Shanghai? The Shanghai Living Room Proposal is his answer.About a year ago, we were approached to put together some thoughts and ideas for the 14th Five-Year Plan. We chose to center on increasing transportation in the city. We tried to first not remove existing lines of transportation to make them better, because Shanghai has one of the best subway systems in the world". What Marshall and his team first came up with was the idea of sky trains."The sky train is basically a subway, but it's above ground. And the sky train would be a glass roof train that you could actually see the city from. It could be used for not only tourists but also everyday people in Shanghai. We will put these trains in the areas where there are no trains and no transportation. We found that there's a gap in the subway system along the Huangpu River. So, we started looking at where to put train stations on the Huangpu River for the sky trains, which will connect indirectly to Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport by connecting to existing metro stations. It will also become sort of a gate to Lujiazui and Houtan business district, forming a shared business district MCBD", said Marshall."We also came up with the idea of the Shanghai Eye, like the London Eye, which will be a tourist attraction that goes up high and crosses the Huangpu River. We wanted to have 100 capsules to represent the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, which is being celebrated this year. The interesting thing about the Shanghai Eye when you look at it, it's like a number eight on its side or the item for infinity", Marshall added.

At the same time, Marshall also started planning foot bridges across the Huangpu River.We have sky trains, foot bridges, and this whole network connecting Shanghai with itself as a new way to move people around, said Marshall.

Marshalls message after winning the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award

Will it happen?"I hope so, it would be nice, we'll see in the future", Marshall said at the end of the interview.
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WILL BARONET BRINGS HIS ART INSTALLATION "We Are All Homeless" to Winchester and the First Congregational Church starting on November 6th.
According to statistics, in the first quarter of 2021, there were 83 kinds of price increases, accounting for 90.21%. The average decrease in the quarter is + 20.48%, which is the highest in the past three years. The price of many products can be called ...
What are the raw materials for the increasing price of cars? This year, as supply cannot keep up with demand, many basic materials (such as copper, steel, and aluminum) for automakers have reached or are about to reach their highest prices in history. Bl...
(The Center Square)  The U.S. Justice Department will pay families and survivors of the 14 victims in the 2015 Mother Emanuel AME Church mass shooting $88 million in an agreement that acknowledges FBI background check errors contributed to the massacre.

The mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church was a horrific hate crime that caused immeasurable suffering for the families of the victims and the survivors, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday in a statement. Since the day of the shooting, the Justice Department has sought to bring justice to the community, first by a successful hate crime prosecution and today by settling civil claims.

The settlements, among the largest federal civil rights awards ever, cap a five-year legal battle and resolve claims the FBI was negligent when its background check system failed to stop Dylann Roof from purchasing the .45-caliber Glock pistol he used to shoot 14 people at a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church, a 200-year-old historically Black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The settlement includes $63 million for families of the nine killed  between $6 million to $7.5 million each  and $25 million for five survivors, or $5 million per claimant.

Roof, then age 21, was arrested by Charleston Police in February 2015 for felony possession of a prescription opioid. He went to Shooters Choice in Charleston in April 2015 to purchase a Glock.

Roofs required federal background check indicated he recently had been arrested and was an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance and, therefore, barred from legally possessing a firearm.

The FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) examiner, however, could not find the arrest documented in a law enforcement agency databank that, somehow, did not include the Columbia Police Department.

Roofs background check was set aside. After three days, under federal law, the application was automatically granted. A store employee subsequently sold Roof the Glock he would use two months later, on June 17, 2015, to shoot 14 people at Emanuel AME Church.

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In the wake of the shootings, then-FBI Director James Comey said a mistake allowed Roof to purchase the firearm.

We wish we could turn back time because, from this vantage point, everything seems obvious, Comey said in a statement. But we cannot.

Survivors and family members filed 16 lawsuits against the FBI in 2016, claiming the NICS examiner failed to exercise due diligence in obtaining a police report flagged but not found during the background check.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel dismissed the lawsuits, claiming the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act grants government employees immunity. Plaintiffs appealed before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed Gergels decision in 2019.

Former state House Rep. Bakari Sellers, son of civil rights leader Cleveland Sellers and a Columbia attorney who represented plaintiffs in the case, praised Thursday's agreement.

There was a lot of pushing and pulling, but at the end of the day, everybody in this case  everybody  feels justice was served, Sellers said.

A jury convicted Roof on 33 federal charges in 2016. He became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime in 2017. Earlier this month, his conviction and death sentence were upheld. He is being housed on death row in Terre Haute, Ind.

Since the shooting, the FBI has "strengthened and improved the background check process and taken other steps to bolster NICS as part of its comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy" designed to combat gun violence, the Justice Department said.
Gov. Eric Holcomb finally has filled his three seats on the Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission after it was controversially reconstituted in April by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

The Republican chief executive on Thursday appointed to the commission: Heather Delgado, of Munster, a partner at the Barnes & Thornburg law firm; David Wickland, of Munster, an attorney in private practice; and Todd Williams, of St. John, vice president of lending at American Community Bank.

They join Alfredo Estrada, a partner at the Burke Costanza & Carberry law firm in Merrillville; Brandy Darling, Lake County deputy prosecutor; and Aimbrell Holmes, Gary city court administrator, who were appointed in June by the Lake County Board of Commissioners.

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush has picked Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa to serve as commission chairman.

Previously, Lake County lawyers and judges, instead of the governor, selected half the commissioners that evaluate applicants when there's a judicial vacancy on the Lake Superior Court and recommends finalists to the governor for his appointment.

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The first task for the new commission will be soliciting candidates to replace Judge Diane Boswell, who died Oct. 19, or the vacancy created if another Lake County judge chooses to take over Boswell's courtroom.

That task may be delayed, however, due to a pending federal lawsuit filed by Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. seeking to do away with the nominating commissions state law requires be used to select superior court judges in Lake, St. Joseph, Allen and Marion counties.

McDermott claims it's unconstitutional for the General Assembly to mandate gubernatorial appointment of criminal, civil and juvenile court judges in Indiana's four counties with large minority populations when Hoosiers living in the state's 88 other counties all elect their judges.

Complaint in McDermott v. Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission
Delegates to the Indiana Republican Party's state convention next summer will have at least five candidates from which to choose the GOP nominee for state treasurer.

The latest hopeful to enter the race is Elise Nieshalla, of Zionsville, a real estate investor and president of the Boone County Council.

Nieshalla is promising, if elected, to align the management of state funds overseen by the treasurer with "our American values" by "avoiding investment funds that promote woke, far-left policies," as well as all companies headquartered in China.

"Indiana's constitutional officers have an important responsibility to defend our state from the creeping, socialist overreach of the Biden Administration and the extreme liberals in Congress," Nieshalla said.

"Together, we'll fight the Democrats' efforts to turn America into a socialist country and defend the effective America First policies of President Trump and Vice President Pence."

The other candidates vying for the nomination are: Morgan County Republican Chairman Daniel Elliott, of Martinsville; Suzie Jaworowski, of Fishers, a former coal company executive and director of Donald Trump's 2016 Indiana presidential campaign; Fort Wayne City Clerk Lana Keesling; and Schererville native Pete Seat, a onetime aide to President George W. Bush and Gov. Eric Holcomb.

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The current state treasurer, Kelly Mitchell, a Valparaiso University graduate, is barred by the Indiana Constitution from seeking a third consecutive four-year term.

Under party rules, the delegates will participate in multiple rounds of voting at the state convention, with the lowest vote-getter dropped after each round, until one candidate wins the nomination by securing the votes of at least 50% of the delegates.

The convention also will select between at least two candidates for the Republican secretary of state nomination  incumbent Holli Sullivan, a former state representative from Evansville; and Diego Morales, of Indianapolis, a past aide to former Gov. Mike Pence.

So far, State Auditor Tera Klutz is the only Republican running for that office.

No Democrats have yet to announce campaigns for any of the three state offices that will be on the ballot at the Nov. 8, 2022, general election.
(The Center Square)  In its 2021 Report Card, the Illinois State Board of Education says the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on Illinois schools last school year.

The data reveals lower enrollment numbers, higher rates of absenteeism, and lower rates of ninth grades on track to graduate.

During a webinar this week, state superintendent of schools Carmen Ayala said remote learning took its toll.

This past school year bore the brunt of the pandemic, said Ayala. More than 90% of Illinois students started the school year without access to fully in-person learning.

Illinois schools have received more than $7 billion in federal funding to address the impact of the pandemic. ISBE said it has directed pandemic relief funding to close the digital divide, provide mental health supports to students and educators, and help students transition to college after graduation.

Researcher Brenda Dixon says enrollment in Illinois schools was down 6% from the year before.

Total enrollment continued to decline last year with nearly 70,000 fewer students enrolling in Illinois public schools statewide, Dixon said.

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The numbers were more dramatic for younger students. Pre-K enrollment was down 17%, and kindergarten enrollment fell 8% from the year before.

Chronic absenteeism also was a problem. One in five Illinois students was chronically absent last year, missing 10% or more of the school year, a 21% increase over 2019.

Graduation rates remained steady at 86% which was close to the national average, but graduation rates for Blacks were 77%, which was 4% lower than the national average.

The rate of ninth-grade students on track to graduate dipped 5% from 2019 to 2021, reflecting an increase in students receiving failing grades. ISBE said it will use $25 million in federal funds to institute a statewide tutoring program.

Dixon said statistics show the teacher shortage is softening with fewer positions open, and salaries spiked.

Teacher pay increased with teachers earning $70,705 on average in 2021, 3.9% more than in 2020 and the largest percentage increase in recent years, Dixon.

A law enacted in 2019 to raise the minimum teacher salary took effect last year.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday called on the junta in Sudan to restore civilian rule, pledging that his country would continue to stand with the Sudanese people and their nonviolent struggle.

Leaders and organizations around the world  have united in condemning the military takeover in Sudan and the violence against peaceful protesters. Today, the UN Security Council has added its voice to this international chorus, he said in a statement.

Together, our message to the military authorities in Sudan is clear: the Sudanese people must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and the civilian-led transitional government must be restored, he added.

The U.S. president also called on the military to immediately release all those detained and restore the institutions associated with the transitional government.

The events of the past few days are a serious setback, but the United States will continue to stand with the Sudanese people and their non-violent struggle to advance the goals of the Sudanese revolution, he also said.
A Jordanian citizen arrested in Turkey for allegedly spying for the UAE has been released but banned from leaving the country, Daily Sabah reports.

Ahmed Mahmoud Ayesh Al Astal attended the hearing at the Sakarya 2nd High Criminal Court via online communication from the prison as his lawyers were present in the courtroom.

He will remain under house arrest in Turkey and at the disposal of the justice.

Al Astal was arrested by the counterterrorism squads from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Oct. 21, 2020.

He has been charged with crimes of political or military espionage and disclosing information that needs to remain secret for the states security, or for its internal or foreign political interests.
The UN Security Council has adopted on Friday Oct.29 Resolution 2602, extending the mandate of the MINURSO, the UN mission operating in the Sahara for another year, until 31 October 2022.

MINURSOs previous one-year mandate was set to expire on October 31.

The resolution reiterates the UNSCs repeated calls for a realistic, practicable, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution, emphasizing that such a solution ought to come through compromise.

The text, drafted by the United States, emphasized the need for resumption of consultation between the parties to the conflict, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the separatist group of Polisario.

In this new text, the UN executive body enshrined, once again, the pre-eminence of the autonomy initiative, presented by Morocco on April 11, 2007, and welcomed the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco for the settlement of the Sahara issue through its autonomy plan offered under its sovereignty, a plan that gained the support of the international community.
Emory University has been recognized by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for having produced the second-highest number of Gilman Scholar recipients during the past 20 years among midsized universities.

All Gilman Scholars are outstanding undergraduates who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate in studying abroad.

Emory has sent 197 students abroad in the past two decades through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, more than all but one midsized university in the United States. The U.S. State Department announced Emory as one of the top producers this week during recognition of the more than 34,000 students named Gilman Scholars since its inception in 2001.

Emorys effort with the Gilman Scholars program is part of its commitment to excellence in the liberal arts and sciences through innovative study and programs that encourage intellectual growth. Emory Colleges Office of International and Summer Programs oversees the recruitment of students and the application process as part of its essential work to increase accessibility and the diversity of students in all study abroad programs.

Im excited to see our Office of International and Summer Programs recognized for its ongoing efforts to recruit and support a diverse and inclusive population for participation in our study abroad programs. These types of experiential learning opportunities are essential to the liberal arts education we offer, and we will continue to develop pathways to make them accessible for all students, says Michael A. Elliott, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.

Gilman recipients study around the world, both independently and in Emory-specific programs such as a summer Human Health initiative in Paris. Recent Emory recipients have studied in Germany, South Korea, Tanzania and elsewhere.

In previous years, the State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, also has cited Emory for success as a top producer of Gilman recipients among STEM students and for racial and ethnic minority students.

For information about how to apply for the next round of Gilman awards, contact your advisor with Emory OISP.
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It is with great concern and anguish we note that mosques and members of the Muslim community and their houses were attacked in different areas in Tripura. This is said to be retaliation for the unfortunate attacks on the Puja Pandals and on members of Hindu Community in Bangladesh during the recent Durga Puja festival.

We welcome the reports of statement of Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said that party workers, mainly from minority cell, are keeping a close watch everywhere to ensure such undesirable activities do not happen. Prevention is indeed important but not sufficient. What is required is condemnation followed by exemplary action against all perpetrators of violence involved.

We call upon the Prime Minister to condemn the violence and urge the Chief Minister of Tripura to initiate immediate action to identify, try and secure exemplary punishments for all those involved. This along can prevent recurrence of all such unjustifiable violence not only in the State but across the country. The signatories of this statement had unequivocally condemned the violence in Bangladesh and demanded that the Government of Bangladesh should take immediate action to identify, try and secure exemplary punishment of all the perpetrators. But attacking some innocent people in India for what has happened in Bangladesh makes no sense.

Indeed one fails to understand how Muslims of Tripura are responsible for the attacks in Bangladesh and why they should be punished for something with which they are not even remotely connected. The only connection they may be sharing with the perpetrators of violence in Bangladesh is that they belong to the same community. But making people complicit in crimes and assault them just because they belong to the same community defies all logic, law and even common sense- making it absolutely unjustifiable and grossly criminal.

Citizens are also responsible for this deplorable state of affairs because of their silence  sometimes due to unethical indifference, sometimes out of fear of the communal groups and at times because of the reluctance to call out the governments for their inaction.

It is time the citizens realise that if they do not challenge the growing trend of using violence against another community due to some differences, then every community becomes vulnerable and any and every person can get attacked. Indeed, sometime or the other, they may find themselves bracketed with the community that is made a victim, and as a result, they could face violence and even death.

It is important to remember that every person has multiple identities and with one identity she / he may belong to the majority and another identity may make her / him a minority.

If violence and assault against another community continues to gain sanction and becomes a norm, then only Hindu Muslim identities will not remain vulnerable to violence. In fact we are already seeing violence against communities extending to other religious identities like Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, etc. or caste identities between Dalits and Upper Castes or even within Upper Castes and within Dalits or linguist groups or regional groups and the list could go on and every person may find herself or himself or at the receiving end sometime or the other.

So the Choice before every citizen is simple and clear: Take a stand against sectarian violence today to nip it in the bud or keep quiet to become its victim with your family tomorrow.

Aasha Ramesh- Researcher- Activist, Karnataka

Christopher Fonseca, AITUC, Goa

Fr. Cedric Prakash- Prashant- Gujarat

Harsh Kapoor- sacw.net

Irfan Engineer- Centre for Study of Society and Secularism- Maharashtra

Mazher Hussain- COVA Peace Network- Telangana

P.V. Rajagopal- Sarvodaya Samaj

Ram Puniyani- All Indi Secular Forum

Satyapaul- South Asian Fraternity

Sandeep Panday- Social Activist- Uttar Pradesh

Issued on behalf of the Signatories by:

Dr. Mazher Hussain

(Executive Director, COVA Hyderabad, India)
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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on October 29, 2021

2021/10/29

CCTV: China has announced that President Xi Jinping will attend through video link the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit. Could you talk about China's expectations for the summit?

Wang Wenbin: With the continued spread of COVID-19 and accelerated changes and adjustments in the international economic landscape and global governance system, the world economic recovery is fraught with instability and uncertainty. The G20, as a premier platform for international economic cooperation, should adhere to true multilateralism, uphold the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, seek common ground while shelving differences, build consensus on combating COVID-19, revitalizing the world economy and promoting inclusive and sustainable development and jointly address common challenges. China stands ready to work with all sides for a successful Rome Summit to contribute to an early global victory over COVID-19, and the steady recovery and growth of the world economy.

Xinhua News Agency: Will China be represented physically at the Rome Summit?

Wang Wenbin: President Xi Jinping will attend the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit through video link. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the summit in person in Rome as President Xi's special representative.

Shenzhen TV: On October 28 local time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with State Councilor Wang Yi in Belgrade. Can you share some information?

Wang Wenbin: From October 27 to 28, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Serbia, where he met respectively with President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic, and had talks with Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic.President Vucic invited State Councilor Wang Yi to jointly meet the press after their meeting.

The Serbian side said, China is Serbia's most reliable, precious and greatest friend, and the two countries enjoy well-deserved iron-clad friendship. Serbia thanks China for its firm support for Serbia in defending independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and fully agrees with and is ready to actively join and implement the Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping. It will unswervingly pursue a friendly policy toward China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and jointly implement the major Belt and Road projects, so as to continue to scale new heights in bilateral relations.

On his part, State Councilor Wang said, upholding and developing China-Serbia friendship fully meets the trend of development and represents the right side of history. China is proud of the iron-clad friendship between the two countries, and will continue to redouble efforts in developing China-Serbia friendship and cooperation. China firmly supports Serbia in defending national independence and dignity and in playing a more active role in regional and international affairs.

China and Serbia agreed to support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and national dignity, firmly uphold the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs, advance high-quality BRI cooperation and translate China-Serbia traditional friendship into more tangible outcomes of cooperation that will better benefit the two peoples.

Bloomberg: News reports say that Tajikistan has accepted a Chinese proposal to build a police outpost on the Afghan border, which is the latest sign that Beijing is worried about security concerns in the region after the US left Kabul. Does the foreign ministry have a comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: I answered a related question yesterday, which you may refer to. I can also confirm that there is no Chinese military base in Central Asia.

China Review News: On October 28, China officially submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Could you share more information with us?

Wang Wenbin: On October 28, China's UNFCCC national focal point officially submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat "China's Achievements, New Goals and New Measures for Nationally Determined Contributions" and "China's Mid-Century Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy". Yesterday I also talked about the recently released "Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking Before 2030" and the white paper titled "Responding to Climate Change: China's Policies and Actions". These are all concrete measures China has taken to implement the Paris Agreement. They demonstrate China's sense of responsibility and represent its latest contributions to global efforts in addressing climate change.

As a responsible major country, China will continue to contribute to global climate governance. We also call on the international community, especially developed countries with historical responsibilities for past greenhouse gas emissions, to work together under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and contribute their due share to advancing global climate governance.

Beijing Youth Daily: In recent days, the spokesperson of the foreign ministry has made elaborate and comprehensive responses to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Taiwan-related statement. I want to follow up on a specific part. Blinken particularly stressed that Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one. US officials also claimed that China "abused" UNGA Resolution 2758. Do you have any response to that?

Wang Wenbin: The relevant remarks by the US side are a distortion of historical facts. Here, I'd like to shed some light on the truth.

Fifty years ago, before the UNGA reviewed the draft resolution submitted by Albania and Algeria, known as Resolution 2758, the US and some other few countries put forward the so-called reverse-IQ draft resolution and the "dual representation" draft resolution in order to retain the Taiwan authorities' seat. The former required that any proposal to deprive Taiwan of representation at the UN would require a two-thirds supermajority for approval, and the latter required accepting the representatives of the PRC while retaining the representation of Taiwan. The reverse-IQ draft resolution failed to pass. With the adoption of Resolution 2758, the PRC has fully restored its lawful seat at the UN. The "dual representation" proposal by the few countries including the US immediately became null and void.

The historical facts have clearly shown that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The Taiwan region is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The system, agencies and the Secretariat of the UN should abide by the one-China principle and UNGA Resolution 2758 when dealing with Taiwan-related affairs. These principles have been universally recognized by the international community since half a century ago.

The one-China principle brooks no challenge and Resolution 2758 cannot be distorted. Fifty years ago, the attempt by a few countries to reject the one-China principle and obstruct the passing of Resolution 2758 was foiled. Fifty years later, anyone that tries to challenge the one-China principle and Resolution 2758 will suffer a greater defeat.

Bloomberg: Do you have any more information on a possible summit between Xi and Biden this year?

Wang Wenbin: We have answered the question many times and have no more information to offer.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope celebrates Halloween this year with a striking observation of the carbon star CW Leonis, which resembles a baleful orange eye glaring from behind a shroud of smoke.

CW Leonis glowers from deep within a thick shroud of dust in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Lying roughly 400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, CW LEonis is a carbon star -- a luminous type of red giant star with a carbon-rich atmosphere. The dense clouds of sooty gas and dust engulfing this dying star were created as the outer layers of CW Leonis itself were thrown out into the void.

When small to intermediate-mass stars run out of hydrogen fuel in their cores, the outwards pressure that balances the crush of gravity within their cores falls out of equilibrium, causing the star to start collapsing [1]. As the core collapses, the shell of plasma surrounding the core becomes hot enough to begin fusing hydrogen, generating enough heat to dramatically expand the outer layers of the star and turn it into a bloated red giant. Stars in that phase of life eject huge amounts of gas and dust outwards into space, eventually jettisoning their outer layers. In the case of the carbon star CW Leonis, this process has surrounded the star with a dense pall of sooty dust.

Along with CW Leonis's smoky veil, the vibrant orange and green tints of this image make it a fitting celebration of Halloween. Hubble has captured a ghoulish gallery of halloween images over the years -- from ghostly faces and cosmic bats to a carved pumpkin formed from binary stars. This year's image resembles a single, baleful eye of cosmic proportions glaring out from within a cloud of smoke.

While these observations make for a striking image, they were originally made to answer pressing scientific questions about CW Leonis. As the closest carbon star to Earth, CW Leonis gives astronomers the chance to understand the interaction between the star and its surrounding envelope. This is a particularly interesting object to study as the envelope of CW Leonis is relatively turbulent, with a complex inner structure that astronomers believe may be sculpted by a nearby companion star.

The bright beams of light radiating outwards from CW Leonis are one of the most intriguing parts of this image, as they've changed in brightness within a 15 year period -- an incredibly short span of time in astronomical terms. Astronomers speculate that gaps in the shroud of dust surrounding CW Leonis may allow these beams of starlight to pierce through and illuminate dust further from the star. However the exact cause of the dramatic changes in their brightness is as yet unexplained.

Detailed Hubble observations of CW Leonis taken over the last two decades also show the expansion of ring-like threads of ejected material around the star -- CW Leonis's sloughed-off outer layers.

This image incorporates observations from 2011 and 2016 by one of Hubble's workhorse instruments, the Wide Field Camera 3. CW Leonis is brightest in the red filters, R and I, and therefore the simmering orange colour pervading the centre of the image well represents the real colour of the star.

Notes

[1] Hydrogen-burning stars roughly 0.3-8 times as massive as the Sun will eventually become red giants, but stars that begin outwith this mass range will evolve differently, the less massive ones never reaching the red giant stage and the more massive ones becoming incredibly luminous supergiants.

Larger images

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A close-up view of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket vertical with the Crew Dragon atop for the Crew-3 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during sunrise on Oct. 28, 2021.

Also in view is the crew access arm. A four-person crew will launch aboard the Crew Dragon atop the Falcon 9 on Oct. 31 to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 2:21 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A. Crew 3 is the third crew rotation flight to the space station for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, and the first flight of a new Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Photo credit: SpaceX KSC-20211028-PH-SPX01_0001 Larger image

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Glasgow, host of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26), is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

Situated in west-central Scotland, Glasgow is the largest city in the country. It lies along both banks of the River Clyde, the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom and the third-longest in Scotland. The city occupies much of the lower Clyde valley, and its suburbs extend into the surrounding districts.

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, can be seen in the centre-right of the image, located in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow, along with Stirling and Dundee, all lie in the Central Lowlands, where over half of Scotland's population lives.

The Highlands, visible in the upper-left of the image, is the largest region in Scotland covering more than 25 600 sq km of land and is home to stunning scenery. The area is divided in two parts: the Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the northwest Highlands. The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis, as well as the legendary Loch Ness.

From 31 October to 12 November, the COP26 summit will take place in Glasgow - bringing together parties to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As in previous years, ESA will have a strong presence at COP26. ESA's theme at COP26 will be 'Taking the pulse of the planet from space and supporting climate action' which aims to demonstrate the role of ESA's missions and satellite data to strengthen our understanding of climate from space. This will support policymakers, society, businesses and communities to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate and develop resilience in support of the UNFCC Paris agreement.

During COP26, the much-anticipated documentary which covers the ESA-led science expedition to the Gorner Glacier in Switzerland will be released for the first time. The documentary follows ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, along with Susanne Mecklenburg, Head of ESA's Climate Office, and their scientific team to one of the biggest ice masses in the Alps: the Gorner Glacier. Owing to its dramatic retreat, the glacier is one of the most extensively studies glaciers in the world. Read more about the expedition and watch the documentary trailer.

- Download the full high-resolution image.

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New York (United Nations) 28 October 2021 (SPS)- The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the UN, Amb. Neville Gertze, stressed Yesterday before the Joint General Debate of the 4th Committee, his countrys particular concerns about the situation in Western Sahara, calling for thorough review of the UN Missions mandate in this last colony in Africa.

We are particularly concerned about Africas last colony, Western Sahara, and the plight of the Saharawi people, He stressed, adding that With the current mandate up for renewal at the end of this week, deep reflection is required on how the mandate can yield more meaningful results.

He recalled that The UN has invested a significant amount of resources in MINURSO, a Mission established in 1991 in accordance with the mutually agreed settlement plan for the primary purpose of facilitating a referendum, hence the need for serious efforts to finish the UN duty in Western Sahara.

He specifically affirmed that his delegation specifically highlights this taking into account the flared tensions and the ongoing armed conflict between the two parties, calling on the two parties to honour the provisions of the ceasefire, show restraint and work towards finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

He further welcomed the appointment of Alexander Ivanko as

the new Special Representative for MINURSO and of Staffan de Mistura as the new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, hoping that these appointments will lend themselves to the advancement of lasting and sustainable peace between Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco in accordance with the UN Settlement Proposals and various UN and AU Resolutions.

On another hand, Ambassador Gertze noted the progressive stance taken by the US Congress to veto the establishment of a US Consulate in Dakhla, considering that this positive development shows respect for human rights and affirms commitment to the right to self-determination in Western Sahara.

In the same vein, he took note of the recent pronouncement by the EU Court of Justice concerning their understanding of the status and territorial sovereignty of the two parties in this long unresolved case of decolonisation.

He concluded by reiterating Namibias longstanding call for the Special Committee to undertake a visiting mission to Western Sahara. This was strongly amplified by several petitioners who spoke before this Committee.

He considered in this respect that a visiting Mission would move us away from an abstract to realistic perspective of the situation on the ground. Unresolved issues like the question of Western Sahara are the reason the relevance of the UN is questioned. We must ensure that as Member States, we hold each other accountable to Charter obligations and the principles of international law, he said. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijans satellite operator Azercosmos exported services worth around $32.3 million to 36 countries in January-September 2021, the Centre for Economic Reforms Analysis and Communication of Azerbaijan reported in its Export Review for October.

The company's revenues from the export of services accounted for 91 percent of its total revenues.

The five main countries to which Azercosmos exported services in the first nine months of the year were the U.S. with $9.6 million, France with $7.2 million, the UK with $6.6 million, Malaysia with $3.7 million and the United Arab Emirates with $1.3 million.

Particularly, in September, the company exported services worth $1.5 million to 26 countries.

Established in 2010, Azercosmos is the only satellite operator in the South Caucasus region and provides high-quality satellite services for telecommunications and geographic intelligence.

Azercosmos along with Azerspace-1, Azerspace-2 and Azersky satellites, facilitates the reception of signals from satellites of other satellite operators and via a fiber-optic network.

Earlier, Azercosmos launched a satellite internet platform Azconnexus, which will provide high-quality satellite internet services in Azerbaijan.

Additionally, the company sealed cooperation agreements with various organizations such as the View Satellite Network, Media Holding, SatADSL, Globecast, ViewMedia, Space Engineering, TheAngle, Prime African Media Systems, Satelliteherd, etc. One of Turkey's leading news channels TRT World has started broadcasting via the Azerspace-1 satellite. Azercosmos has signed a commercial agreement with a number of Turkish and Kyrgyz channels as well.
By Trend

The price of Azerbaijani natural gas supplied to Bulgaria is four times lower than the cost of Russian, Chairman of the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation of Bulgaria Ivan Ivanov said, Trend reports citing Naviny.

Ivanov said that Bulgaria imports from Azerbaijan only 350 million cubic meters of gas out of the agreed 1 billion cubic meters per year.

The head of Bulgargaz Nikolay Pavlov noted that all the price advantages of Azerbaijani gas and gas from other suppliers are in favor of consumers.

Now Azerbaijani gas is supplied to Bulgaria through the existing line with a capacity of 3.68 billion cubic meters per year at the Kula-Sidirokastro border point with Greece.

Azerbaijani gas supplies via the 878-kilometer TAP gas pipeline to consumers in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria began on December 31, 2020.

The gas pipeline is designed to transport 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the Shah Deniz field through Greece and Albania to Western Europe.
By Trend

Some 56,823 Azerbaijani citizens visited Turkey in September 2021, which is 14 times more than the same period last year, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey.

According to the ministry, the share of Azerbaijani citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in September amounted to 1.62 percent.

At the same time, 317,000 Azerbaijani citizens visited Turkey in 9M2021, which is 73.12 percent less compared to the same period in 2020.

It is noted that the share of Azerbaijani citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in 9M2021 amounted to 1.81 percent.

The ministry reports that 3.999 million tourists visited Turkey in September, which is 57.8 percent more compared to September last year.

In addition, it is noted that 21.507 million tourists visited Turkey 9M2021, which is 81.78 percent more compared to the same reporting period last year.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The Culture Minister and the Azerbaijan Union of Theater Workers are pleased to announce the Festival of Theater Performances.

The festival, scheduled for November 2-5, is timed to the first anniversary of Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.

The main goal of the festival is to increase the number of dramatic performances reflecting the courage and heroism of the Azerbaijani soldiers.

The festival will feature a number of theater performances including "I Believe", "Ticket to Paradise", "The Value of Happiness" and "Chingiz Epic".

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27.

The 44 days of war ended with the Russian brokered peace deal signed on November 10 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement ended the 30-years-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.
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 29, 2021

- President Ilham Aliyev approved a law on renaming Khojavand region's Vang village into Chinarli village.

- President Ilham Aliyev called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

- The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry released information on the latest situation in the frontline. A list of destroyed military equipment of the Armenian armed forces was announced.

- A video of Gubadli region's liberated villages was released.

- The territory of Goranboy and Tartar regions came under fire. The Armenian troops, who were forced to retreat, opened fire on civilians.

- High-ranking Armenian officers were killed. Video footage of equipment and ammunition left by the Armenian troops on the battlefield was released. Two Armenian Su-25 planes were destroyed.

- The territory of Tartar region, including diplomatic representatives, came under fire. Another civilian was killed by the Armenian fire.

- Armenian servicemen, who fire at civilians in Azerbaijans Barda, killed on battlefield. Forces and equipment of the Armenian armed forces destroyed.

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.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

NATO Secretary-Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina has expressed appreciation for Azerbaijans support to NATO in Afghanistan, the organization reported on October 28.

"The secretary-generals special representative expressed appreciation for Azerbaijans support to NATO in Afghanistan, and specifically for the role played by Azerbaijani units in supporting the evacuation efforts of Allied and partner personnel and Afghans at risk, from Kabul airport, this past August," the report added.

Colomina listened to views on the challenges faced by Azerbaijan following the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020. He also reviewed current NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation, including the resumption of cooperation with the Azerbaijan authorities within the Planning and Review Process partnership framework.

On October 18, Colomina travelled to the South Caucasus, visiting Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia to introduce himself in his new capacity.

It should be noted that on November 20, 2002, the Azerbaijani army's 22-member peacekeeping unit began operating in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

On January 9, 2018, Azerbaijan increased its staff to 120 in order to enlarge its contribution to the mission.

In addition to being represented in the relevant commands of the mission, the Azerbaijani army's peacekeeping forces also successfully fulfilled the task of guarding the Kabul International Airport. Thus, the Azerbaijani army's peacekeeping contingent, jointly with Turkish forces, carried out official duties to ensure the security of the Kabul International Airport.

The Taliban armed group retook power in Afghanistan 20 years after it was toppled by the USA. The collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul came in the wake of Taliban blitzkrieg that began on August 6 and led to the capture of more than two dozen Afghan provinces by the morning of August 15.

The Azerbaijani army's peacekeeping detachment was formed in 1997. The Azerbaijani servicemen acted within the NATO/U.S.-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and South Sudan from September 1999.

Azerbaijan' relations with NATO started in 1992 when Azerbaijan joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. This forum for dialogue was succeeded in 1997 by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which brings together all Allies and partner countries in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Bilateral cooperation began when Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 1994. Thanks to regular participation in PfP activities, Azerbaijan has been able to contribute actively to Euro-Atlantic security by supporting NATO-led peace-support operations.

Azerbaijans participation in the PfP Planning and Review Process (PARP) since 1997 has allowed NATO and individual Allies to assist Azerbaijan in developing selected units to improve interoperability with those of the Allies.
By Trend

Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov met with Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Banking Association Alpaslan Cakar on October 28, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci also participated in the meeting.

During the meeting. the current state of relations between the two countries in the financial and banking sector, as well as prospects for the development of cooperation, were discussed.
By Azernews





By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has congratulated Turkey on Republic Day.

In a message posted on his Twitter account on October 29, Bayramov said: Today is the 98th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. We sincerely congratulate brotherly Turkey on this special and significant day and wish it to exist forever. We remember with deep respect all our martyrs who died in the struggle for independence.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also shared a post on the 98th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

"On the occasion of the National Day of the brotherly Republic of Turkey, we express our best wishes and warm congratulations to the Government and People of Turkey. Happy Republic Day, dear Turkey!" the ministry tweeted.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov also congratulated brotherly Turkey.

"The Azerbaijani-Turkish union, which is an exemplary model in the system of international relations, is an essential factor that stimulates the dynamic development of our economic cooperation. We congratulate the brotherly people of Turkey on the occasion of Republic Day and wish them peace and sustainable progress," the minister tweeted.

In his relevant message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 28, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev praised Turkey's current crucial place in the international arena.

Politically, economically, militarily powerful and stable Republic of Turkey, occupies a very important place in the international arena today. Large-scale programs and projects implemented under your leadership contribute to the comprehensive progress and prosperity of your brotherly country. Your people's great trust and confidence in you is undoubtedly the most important factor ensuring the success of the strategic development policy that you are pursuing, he said.

Aliyev said that Azerbaijani-Turkish friendly and fraternal relations "based on solid foundations such as the common history, national and spiritual values of our peoples, are a clear manifestation of our unity and solidarity".

The president stressed a "historic period" in Azerbaijani-Turkish relations.

"We are currently witnessing a historic period of these relations. In line with the goals and directions set out in the Shusha Declaration, our allied relations are expanding day by day and being enriched with new content," he added.

The Azerbaijani leader underlined "the decisive, unequivocal political and moral support given personally" by Erdogan, Turkey and the Turkish nation had played a great role in Azerbaijan's struggle for the liberation of its lands.

"Our people will never forget this support, which once again demonstrated the Azerbaijani-Turkish solidarity to the whole world, Aliyev said in his message.

I am confident that we will continue our joint efforts towards further strengthening and developing our unity, and fruitful and active cooperation in all areas in line with the 'one nation, two states' slogan, the head of state added.

On June 15, 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijans victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijans Naval Forces have conducted a contest for the Best Ship Division title, the Defence Ministry reported on October 28.

The naval competition, which was held under the 2021 combat training plan, aims to improve the combat readiness of units, advance the knowledge and professional skills of servicemen, as well as to determine the best division of the Naval Forces, the report added.

The competition consists of three stages. Initially, personnel, weapons and equipment were examined, then, the organization of military service and storage conditions of material means in a military unit were inspected.

In the end, the combat readiness of the units implementing fire and other tactical standards was assessed, the ministry said.

The military leadership awarded the winners according to the results of the final stage, the report concluded.

Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness.

The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.




By Trend

On October 28, the chairman of the Milli Mejlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, sent a letter of congratulations to the chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (VNST) on the occasion of the Republic Day, Trend reports with reference to the press service of the Milli Mejlis.

According to the information, Sahiba Gafarova congratulated Mustafa Sentop and the members of the VNST, as well as the fraternal Turkish people on the 98th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey on her behalf and on behalf of all the deputies of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan. Gafarova expressed her wishes for continued prosperity, progress, peace and well-being.

In her letter, the Chairperson of the Milli Mejlis also expressed confidence that the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood, which has passed the test of time, will continue to grow stronger, becoming a guarantee of security, peace and stability in the region.
By Azernews





By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan will open its embassy in the Vatican, local news sources have reported.

The bill "On the establishment of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Holy See [the Vatican]" was debated and adopted at the parliament's plenary session on October 29.

At the session, MPs stressed that the embassy's opening will make a significant contribution to the development of ties between the sides.

For the first time in history, Azerbaijan, being a country with a Muslim majority, contributed to the restoration of Christian monuments in the Vatican and other Christian countries.

Azerbaijan ensured the restoration of the catacombs of St. Marcellinus, St. Peter and St. Sebastian in the Vatican. It also funded the restoration of Notre Dame in France.

The country, which has always been distinguished by religious tolerance, is committed to its values ??of multiculturalism and the preservation of religious monuments both in Azerbaijan and abroad.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

The head of Azerbaijans mission to the European Union (EU), Vagif Sadigov, and European Council President Charles Michel have discussed partnership and the regional situation after last year's war with Armenia.

On 25 October 2021, ambassador Vagif Sadigov as a new head of Azerbaijans mission to the EU presented his credentials to Michel and the sides had a bilateral meeting following the ceremony, the mission said on October 28.

Sadigov expressed hope about the soonest resumption of negotiations on a new Azerbaijan-EU agreement, reiterating Azerbaijans strong willingness to make an outstanding deal based on mutual compromises.

He underlined that the Southern Gas Corridor will contribute to the mutual cooperation with the EU by delivering natural gas volumes from Azerbaijan to wider European geography.

The officials also discussed the priorities of the Eastern Partnership beyond 2020 and the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan.

Sadigov expressed Azerbaijans expectations on the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit, describing the EU as a trusted partner of the country. He also hailed the EU's willingness to support the regional peace-building efforts.

Furthermore, he briefed Michel about the post-war situation in the region, including the large-scale reconstruction projects carried out by Azerbaijan on its liberated territories.

Sadigov highlighted the importance of Michels visit to Azerbaijan in July 2021 in terms of bolstering bilateral relations and strengthening dialogue on regional issues.

In turn, Michel asked the ambassador to convey his warm greetings, best wishes, and appreciation to President Aliyev, expressing his hope to see the latter in the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit.

Michel congratulated Sadigov on his appointment and wished him success in strengthening further Azerbaijan-EU relations.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey will increase its trade volume with Chad, Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported.

Erdogan made the remarks at the joint press conference held together with Chads interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno in Turkey's Ankara, the report added.

"We would like to see Chad among the leading partners of our country in Africa. Last year, our trade volume exceeded the target we set and reached $112 million with an increase of 47 percent. We wish to deepen and diversify our commercial relations, taking into account the potential we have, Erdogan stressed.

He added that the new target is to increase the bilateral trade volume to $200 million in the first stage and to reach $500 million in the second phase.

We aim to develop trade and economic relations in a holistic, inclusive, mutual respect and win-win approach," Erdogan said.

He stated that Turkey is ready to give all kinds of support to Chad during the transition period.

Erdogan underlined that Chad, which has assumed the term presidency of the G5 Sahel and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, plays an important role in the region.

Recalling his recent visits to Angola, Togo and Nigeria, Erdogan said that Turkey hosted the third Turkey-Africa Economy and Business Forum in Istanbul on October 21-22, and the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit will also be held in Istanbul on December 17-18, 2021.

"We want to see my esteemed brother among us at the summit. We are determined to further our cooperation with Chad in every field, he stressed.

Speaking about Turkeys educational activities in Chad, Erdogan recalled the construction of an agricultural school in the country.

Erdogan highlighted the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Turkish Airlines and the non-governmental organizations contributions to the development of Turkey-Chad relations.

He also thanked the Chadian government for supporting Turkey against terrorism.

We cannot forget the support of our Chadian brothers in the fight against FETO. We are grateful for the transfer of FETO-affiliated schools in NDjamena to our Turkish Maarif Foundation in 2017, Erdogan added.

Furthermore, the Turkish president expressed his willingness to cooperate with Chad in the military defence and security fields and in fighting terrorist organizations and armed opposition groups.

As a part of Itnos visit to Turkey, numerous documents such as the memorandum of understanding on technical, scientific and economic cooperation, agreement on the abolition of visas for diplomatic passport holders were signed between the two countries.
Huawei Digital Power has signed a key contract with SepcoIII for the Red Sea Project with 400 MW PV plus 1300 MWh battery energy storage solution (BESS), which is currently the world's largest energy storage project.

The contract was announced at the Global Digital Power Summit 2021 in Dubai, UAE.

The two parties will cooperate to help Saudi Arabia build a global clean energy and green economy centre, said a statement.

This 1300 MWh off-grid energy storage project is the largest of its kind in the world and represents a milestone in the global energy storage industry.

The Red Sea Project has been listed in the Saudi Vision 2030 as a key project. Its developer is Acwa Power, and the general contractor of EPC is SepcoIII. Located on the Red Sea coast, Neom is also known as the city of the future, powered entirely by renewable energy. It will lead a new way of life and drive new economic growth, as resources such as oil are increasingly depleted.

With more than 10 years of experience in researching and developing energy storage systems as well as more than 8 GWh energy storage system applications, Huawei Digital Power is committed to integrating the digital information technology with PV and energy storage technologies to build a more efficient, stable, and safe smart string energy storage system using the string, intelligent, and modular designs, aiming to help PV become the main energy source and build a green and bright future. -TradeArabia News Service
Nokia is demonstrating innovative private wireless solutions at Gitex 2021 to help enterprises accelerate digitisation to enhance efficiency and productivity in a sustainable manner.

At Gitex in the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 17 to 21, 2021, Nokia is also showcasing several pathbreaking Industry 4.0 use cases. Nokia solutions are designed to help enterprises realise their business goals by improving operational efficiency while gaining greater control over their infrastructure.

The demos are in line with the UAE's Government's Vision 2021 to maximise the use of technology to build a more sustainable and progressive world.

The demonstrations, held at booth Z2-D10, feature the role of private wireless networks in gaining situational awareness by monitoring people, assets and vehicles. Nokia also showcases enhanced efficiencies possible with connected Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)/Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR). Nokia will also demonstrate the benefits, such as improved safety and security, with advanced automation in ports and utility digitalisation.

Nokias private wireless solution is developed primarily for utilities, mining and oil and gas industry verticals. The solution, including Private wireless, IP/MPLS, microwave, and Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON) solutions, along with Nokia's 4G and 5G devices, are developed especially for critical communications in harsh environments.

Besides Industry 4.0 solutions, Nokia demonstrates Integrated Operations Centre (IOC), as part of its Smart Cities demo. IOC helps unify asset management, efficiently orchestrate operations and facilitate many use cases from smart waste management to public safety to city mobility.

Kamal Ballout, Head of Enterprise, Nokia MEA, said: "Our field-proven Industry 4.0 solutions are helping enterprises across the world to digitally transform themselves and gain a business edge by increasing productivity and reducing operational expenditure. Gitex is the biggest technology show in the region, and we are thrilled to participate in the show by demonstrating our technology solutions. Our innovative solutions are designed to address the problems faced by the businesses and prepare them for the future."-- TradeArabia News Service
Petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) has announced plans to invest nearly 1 billion ($1.37 billion) at its plant in Teesside located north of England.

The investment will go into strengthening operations at Teesside and enabling its chemical cracker transformation, stated the Saudi company.

"This will reduce its carbon footprint by up to 60 per cent in phase one, making it one of the worlds lowest carbon-emitting crackers," it added.

Welcoming the news, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Fantastic to see nearly 1 billion invested in Sabic's Teesside facility, creating and safeguarding 1,000 jobs. It's a huge vote of confidence in the UK's chemicals and processing industry, which is pioneering innovation in clean, green technology."

Sabic has manufacturing units across the globe including in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific. It produces chemicals, commodity and high-performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals. The companys total production reached 60.8 million metric tonnes in 2020.

Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest oil-exporting company, which has a 70 per cent stake in Sabic, also announced plans to become carbon neutral by 2050 in line with the kingdoms goals to cut emissions to protect the environment earlier this week. The kingdom has set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
Help India!



Independent journalist Mohammad Ali was announced as the winner of this years Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting on South Asia by the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) for his report on right-wing vigilantes radicalization of Indias Hindus. The past winners of the award include Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist Dexter Filkins and renowned investigative journalist Azmat Zahra.

Irfan Mehraj | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  Independent journalist Mohammad Ali was last week announced as the winner of the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting on South Asia 2021 by the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), a journalism organization based in the U.S. and Canada.

Ali was awarded for his investigative piece on the Hindu vigilantes radicalization of Indias Hindus by using a dangerous cocktail of social media and Hindutva. The 10,000-word long piece titled The Rise of a Hindu Vigilante in the Age of WhatsApp and Modi appeared in the American magazine WIRED, well known for its focus on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. The piece appeared as a cover story in May 2020 of WIRED magazine.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Ali announced, I am grateful to @sajahq for the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting on South Asia 2021 for my profile of a Hindu vigilante in @WIRED. It was an investigation into the process of radicalization of Indias Hindus using a dangerous cocktail of social media & Hindutva.

The Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting on South Asia is awarded yearly by SAJA. Named after American journalist Daniel Pearl, who was killed in Pakistan in 2002, the past winners of the award include Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dexter Filkins, and renowned investigative journalist Azmat Zahra.

Ali said that he is elated at the award. Besides helping my career, the award will draw more attention to the rise of Hindu extremism in India, Ali told TwoCircles.net.

Ali said the idea for the WIRED story on the rise of Hindu vigilante in India, especially after right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in India in 2014, was spawned as he didnt like the liberal media coverage of Hindutva in India.

Ali said for the story he spent a lot of time with the foot soldiers Hindutva, who would carry out the task of propaganda for Indias slide towards right-wing Hindu extremism.

I didnt want to demonize them (the workers of right-wing parties in India) but instead to humanize them and tell their story, Ali said, adding, With all being said, these workers and the work they do is historically significant as it is changing the course of Indias fate as a democracy.

Alis has been reporting and writing on the rise of Hindu nationalism and violence against Muslims in India for over twelve years.

A post-graduate in literature, Ali started his journalism career with TwoCircles.net in 2008 before joining The Hindu in 2012.

I belong to the generation of Indian Muslims who witnessed the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat and became conscious of the oppression against the community, Ali said.

Ali said his foray into journalism came naturally as becoming conscious of the issues facing Indian Muslims lead me to write about it.

TwoCircles.net, Ali said, gave him a platform to write about these issues.

At TCN, the reportage on Muslims was a priority. It was not done before in any other mainstream publication. Working at TCN provided me with a great experience in understanding the issues facing the Muslim community in India beyond what was being written about them in the mainstream press, Ali said.

It was at TwoCircles.net, Ali said that he did his best stories. His series of stories on the wrongful incarceration of Mohammad Amir brought the focus on the impact of the war on terror on Indias marginalized Muslim community.

Mohammad Amir, a resident of Azad Market in Old Delhi, was falsely charged in 20 cases of bomb blasts in and around Delhi in 1998. He was finally released in January 2012, after 14 yearlong wrongful incarceration.

TwoCircles.net was the first news portal to break the sad story of Aamir.

Ali detailed the plight of Aamir and his family in a 2010 article titled 12 yrs in jail and counting: Story of Amir  a victim of war on terror, after he met briefly met Aamir by chance at Teeshazari Court in Delhi.

Aamirs story is the defining story of my career. The story brought focus on him and he was eventually released. I still keep in touch with him, Ali said.

Currently based in New York, Alis work has been featured in WIRED, Al Jazeera and The Hindu, among others.

Ali said that due to threats to his life in 2017 from extremist Hindu groups he had to move to the US in 2018 when Columbia Journalism School offered him a fellowship.

Ali has been interviewed by The NewYorker (in a piece on the lynching of Muslims in India), Al-Jazeera (The Listening Post episode on use of WhatsApp in spreading violence and propaganda in India), Harpers Magazine (on the lynching of Muslims in India), Guardian, (on murders triggered by fake news on WhatsApp), and dozen other Indian publications.

His WIRED piece, which won him the Daniel Pearl Award, which was over a year-long investigation into the functioning of the foot soldiers of RSS, is a powerful account of how Modis rise has unleashed an army of violent Hindu extremists on Indias minority communities pushing them to the possibility of second-class citizenship.

To report for the story, Ali spent months with workers of Bajrang Dal which is part of a larger ideological fraternity patronized by BJP and Modi.

The WIRED piece is one of the very few instances of reporting in American magazines on Bajrang Dals functioning on a day-to-day basis, and demonstrated how politics transforms a society, how hatred is created between communities in the name of ancient wounds and how it is deployed to control power in the present, Ali said.

Ali said that his WIRED piece documents how the most commonplace and most humane things like eating a meal or falling in love can be politicized and turned into sources of majoritarian rage and violence against minorities.

Ali is currently working on a book on India. The book is about the transformation of a secular liberal Democracy like India into a majoritarian Hindu state, he said.
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Abilene, KS (67410)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High around 60F. Winds light and variable..

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31 people are under investigation for videos posted online; 11 have been arrested and 7 already repatriated. The clash originated from a protest by a Turkish citizen who, due to the crisis, says he cannot even afford bananas. The Turkish ruling class, majority and opposition,after years of welcoming refugees in the name of Islam wants to send them back to Syria.

Istanbul (AsiaNews/Agencies) -Turkish authorities have detained and deported a group of Syrian refugees for sharing "provocative" images and videos online in which they eat a banana. The controversy around the fruit of "discord" was born in recent days, when a Turkish citizen complained that poverty now prevents him from buying the basic foods of everyday life, including a kilo of bananas. The cause of the crisis, according to him, is due to the huge amount of refugees that Ankara hosts on its territory. Hence the ironic response of some Syrians, which, however, did not please the authorities.

"Youre living more comfortably. I cant eat banana, you are buying kilograms of banana, said a Turkish man as he chided a female Syrian student in a Oct. 17 video taken in Istanbul. A Turkish woman joined in, accusing the Syrians of enjoying lavish lifestyles in Turkey rather than going back home to fight, dismissing the students explanation that she has nowhere left to return to.

At the moment 31 Syrian refugees are under investigation, 11 of whom have been arrested and seven deported across the border for their "provocations". Another 11 suspects are at large and the police have begun a search to locate them. Among the charges are those of "fomenting hatred and hostility" in public opinion. At a time of serious crisis, not only economic but also social, the videos represent a sensitive issue that risk fomenting anger among citizens, while the government is committed to placate the discontent and the decline in consensus that concerns the same majority party Akp (Justice and Development Party).

Moreover, the front against migrants is increasingly broad and seems to unite government and opposition. In an interview with the Hurriyet Daily News, Kemal Klcdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition party in Turkey, vowed in September to send all Syrian and Afghan refugees back to their homes within two years of coming to power. I am very sensitive on this issue. I am not racist. Im not angry at the people who came here, but at the people who made them come here, said Klcdaroglu during a meeting in September, adding that Turkey can "hardly feed itself and cannot take the burden of the refugees.

In a nation of 82 million inhabitants, which has welcomed up to 3.6 million Syrian refugees, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have added to an economic and financial situation that had already become difficult in the last period. And that has, in fact, transformed the neighbors from "Muslim brothers" to be welcomed according to the slogans of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to unwanted guests who take resources away from the local population and exacerbate social poverty.
by Shafique Khokhar

Scores of families who lost their homes received financial aid from Caritas Pakistan to pay the rent for new housing. For Archbishop Benny Mario Travas, God loves everyone, but he is closer to the poor and to those who live in difficult conditions.

Karachi (AsiaNews)  After being evicted by the government, only Caritas has helped a group of Pakistani Christians and Muslims to obtain new housing.

Recently, the Christian charity has donated money to families from the parishes of St Jude, St Philip and St Michael in the Archdiocese of Karachi.

Our homes were destroyed and we lived amid the ruins that were left," said Shahid, a local resident, speaking to AsiaNews. "Many people passed by, taking pictures and asked what had happened, but only Caritas helped us without distinction of religion.

We are proud to be Christians. Muslims have told us that we are great and some have changed their minds about us, noted Shahid, who uses a walker since he only has one leg.

Caritas Karachi executive secretary Mansha Noor is behind the initiative to financially support the homeless families.

The charity has so far provided food, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, shelter and cash support for rent to 406 families; but all this is made possible by volunteers, he explained. On Wednesday, another 60 families in St Philip Parish received financial aid to pay for rent, also thanks to the contributions of Missio Austria, Caritas Japan and Caritas Italy.

Caritas is love and charity. It is the social arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan and promotes integral human development, said Archbishop Benny Mario Travas of Karachi.

God loves everyone, but he is closer to the poor and to those who live in difficult conditions. The prelate thanked Caritas staff for their work so far helping vulnerable families in the archdiocese. Under the leadership of Mansha Noor, the program was brought to a successful conclusion, he said.
by Li Qiang

The authorities arrested Wu Lijie for the 2018 protests at the Jasic plant. Chai Xiaoming, editor of the Maoist website Red Reference, remains in prison. Ma Houzhi also stays prison  he tried to register the Maoist Communist Party of China. On the eve of the Partys 6th Plenum, Xi does not tolerate any challenges to his power, from either left or right.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  The authorities released a Maoist activist jailed three years ago for supporting labour protests at a factory owned by Jasic Technology company, Radio Free Asia reported.

Wu Lijie (also known as Wu Yishan) was released from prison on 22 October. However, several observers note that the release of the editor of the Maoist Red Flag Network does not mean that the leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) want to give room to the left-wing opposition to Xi Jinping.

Wu was targeted by the communist regime over a 2012 article in which he urged peasants and workers to put into practice Marxist doctrine and rise up against oppression.

Between July 2018 and January 2019, 44 people were arrested or disappeared, including Wu, for disrupting public order at Jasic Technology's Shenzhen plant, Guangdong.

They included Maoist-inspired students and workers who wanted to set up an independent trade union within the factory.

Jasic is a publicly traded group that according to demonstrators treated its employees "like slaves".

According to the Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin, 603 strikes and 314 workplace accidents were reported in China in the past six months, mainly over back wages.

Independent trade unions were banned in China after the 1989 Tiananmen protests, when an alliance between students and workers led to the formation of independent trade unions. Their actions ended in a military crackdown and the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Trade union members were arrested in connection with the protests at Jasic plant and convicted in a secret trial. Some of them had been convicted previously for trying to establish independent trade unions. In April 2020, the authorities released five of them.

however, a well-known member of the Maoist wing of the Communist Party, Chai Xiaoming is still held in a detention centre in Nanjing (Jiangsu).

State security police arrested Chai, the former editor of the Red Reference website in March 2019, after he published an article calling for a different path to modernise China (from Xi's).

Ahead of the celebrations marking the centenary of the CPC, on 1 July, the authorities arrested other prominent Maoists, including 77-year-old dissident Ma Houzhi.

A former academic, Ma wanted to register the Chinese Maoist Communist Party, challenging the ban on political parties other than the CPC.

Xi now has to contend with the Partys right-wing faction, whose goal is to maintain the system of economic liberalisation launched by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s and strengthened since 1992.

Pro-market elements within the CPC are critical of the "shared prosperity" agenda promoted by President Xi, who touts it as an attempt to force large (private) businesses to share their growing wealth with the less privileged strata of society.

They see this as a Maoist expedient to weaken those entrepreneurs who could threaten the power of the supreme leader with their economic strength.

The 6th Plenum of the 19th Central Committee of the Party will be held between 8 and 11 November, which will focus on the major achievements of the CPC in its century of life and outline its future direction under the leadership of Xi.

The Chinese president does not allow challenges to his power, whether they come from the right or from the left.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

New pandemic wave hits the country. The population, especially the Orthodox clergy, shows a general resistance to vaccination. Public demonstrations are forbidden, including religious processions. At least 231,000 dead since the outbreak of the health emergency.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Orthodox Church continues to lose figures of the highest spiritual value to Covid-19. Russia is grappling with a violent and endless wave of pandemic, with the population - especially the Orthodox clergy - showing a general resistance to the vaccination campaign.

The coronavirus has forced the Kazan diocese to cancel the solemn Nov. 4 procession in honor of the city's Madonna. It is the day of the feast of National Unity, linked precisely to the memory of the miraculous icon that led the people's armies against invaders in the early 17th century.

President Vladimir Putin has decided to suspend work from October 30 to November 7, with strong restrictions on any public demonstration, internal and external travel, and therefore also on family reunion visits. Russians are accustomed to the long vacation at the beginning of November: in Soviet times the revolution was celebrated on November 7, and the holiday of the 4th was chosen not to change this habit at the beginning of winter frosts. However, it will be very difficult to respect the lockdown measures, because in these days it is usual to share the celebrations in very wide and exuberant forms.

The new wave of the lung disease is taking away from the faithful many priests and monks in all regions. On October 27, a Patriarchate working group for measures against the coronavirus released very alarming data, memorializing several clerics who have passed away in recent days, at still relatively young ages.

On October 26, 49-year-old Father Sergij Oprja (see photo), parish priest of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Latonovo, in the Rostov region, died. The day before, 60-year-old "protoierej" Ioann Podvornjak, pastor of the Church of St. Nicholas in Utysevo, in the Siberian region of Tjumen, died. Several other priests have died in recent days, such as 74-year-old Fr. Aleksandr Mukhametov in Volgograd, 51-year-old hieromonk Kirill (Korolskij) of Kamchatka and 66-year-old protoierej Grigorij Sekretarev of the Pskov region.

Yesterday in Russia there were more than 39 thousand cases of infection, with 1,114 deaths. The official victims since the beginning of the pandemic are 231 thousand, although many believe these figures are much lower than the real ones. On Putin's orders, the government has intensified the vaccination campaign, which so far has reached just over 30% of the population. Much more aggressive messages will be spread, even without going as far as compulsory vaccination. In fact, many regions have instituted new lockdowns, closing schools and many public places, cinemas and theaters.

The president of the Constitutional Court, Valerij Zorkin, warned that "the restrictive measures taken by the authorities must be commensurate with the level of danger to society, and not lead to the violation of constitutional rights and freedoms. The virus claims victims especially among the elderly, but the number of infected people under 60 remains high.
South Korean spies denied that Pyongyang's leader may have used look-alikes. Sister's attendance at public events increases. Intelligence chief: "Possible that the North will agree to negotiate peace treaty without preconditions."

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has lost 20 kg, but does not seem to have health problems, according to Seoul's intelligence service during a closed-door parliamentary session. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) denied rumors that Pyongyang was using a stand-in for its strongman's recent public appearances.

Kim Byung-kee, a Democratic Party parliamentarian, explained that the NIS conducted a detailed study of Kim Jong-un's health using artificial intelligence. The North Korean leader's health has long been the subject of speculation because of the political implications that his sudden demise could have. He has apparently not yet named a successor.

The Nis then revealed that Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong have attended 71 and 34 public events, respectively, this year. For the leader, that's 45 percent more than last year; for Kim Yo-jong, who now also oversees relations with the United States and South Korea, it's double that in 2020.

According to the head of the NIS, Park Jie-won, it is possible that Pyongyang will agree to discuss with Seoul the signing of a peace treaty without preconditions, but he clarified that this is a personal opinion. In recent months, South Korean President Moon Jae-in had proposed the signing of a treaty to formally end the 1950-53 war, but the communist regime had demanded as a precondition for the talks that economic sanctions be lifted and joint military exercises with the United States cease.

Finally, intelligence confirmed the restarting of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor and the decline in trade with China, which fell to 5 million (158.5 million euros) in the first nine months of this year. The figure corresponds to a third of the previous year's values.
Howard County police said a 16-year-old boy was panhandling in the area of Daystar Court and NightMist Circle in Columbia on Oct. 29, 2019, when Ford approached him and asked whether he was looking for work. Once in the vehicle, Ford told the teenager he could earn hundreds of dollars if he performed sexual acts with other people, according to the states attorneys office.
Defense attorneys want yet another list kept internally by Mosbys office that tracks officers who have faced allegations of misconduct but have not been found guilty or their complaints have not been substantiated. Mosby has referred to this as a disclosure list  or matrix  with more than 300 names. When one of these officers comes up in a criminal case, prosecutors will share the particular allegation with the defense attorney, but prosecutors still may call the officer to testify in court.
A neighbor found the child next to her father in the street and brought her to Wilsons mother, Michelle Torres, who lives nearby, Torres previously told The Baltimore Sun. She said she ran with her granddaughter back to where Wilson was lying, in the 200 block of S. Conkling St. She got there to see him being loaded into an ambulance.
Another unnamed officer then handcuffed and searched Kuniken, the lawsuit reads, confiscating a pocketknife before placing him in the back of a squad car. The lawsuit claims that Newberg then drove him to the departments Southwestern District where he was detained in a holding cell and told he was arrested on charges of interfering with an investigation, which the lawsuit called bogus.
Khan, 41, has admitted to being a courier for al-Qaida and taking part in the planning of several plots there were never carried out. He pleaded guilty in February 2012 to charges that include conspiracy, murder and providing material support to terrorism in a deal that capped his sentence in exchange for cooperating with authorities in other investigations, including the case against the five men held at Guantanamo who are charged with planning and providing logistical support for the Sept. 11 attack.
She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave the governors office at the mansion. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door shut, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.
Before becoming director of legislative reference in the mid-1990s, he had been an associate city solicitor and, before that, a partner in a law firm. Aisenstark had engaged in the tedious but important work of charter revisions; he became adept at turning the language of legislation into the language of law. He had also served as chief author of legal opinions for one of Marylands finest and wisest attorneys general, Steve Sachs. It was Sachs who suggested I visit Aisenstark in City Hall. The former AG said I would be amused if not fascinated by Aisenstarks keen interest in Cervantes Don Quixote. Aisenstarks office, Sachs said, was filled with dozens of books, artwork and artifacts related to the Man of La Mancha.
Legislators from Marylands three western most counties  Garrett, Allegheny and Washington  have requested that they be absorbed into West Virginia, and West Virginia Gov. Jim justice is welcoming that move, arguing that West Virginia is almost like Heaven. Well, a quick Google search of state rankings reveals a quite different picture of conditions in West Virginia. For example, 16% of people in West Virginia live in poverty, placing that state 46 out of 50; Maryland, meanwhile, is third from the top with 9% of its population in poverty. In other rankings from among 50 states, West Virginia ranks 45th in education, 48th in economy and 50th, the very bottom, in infrastructure. West Virginias economy is dominated by coal mining, a rapidly declining activity. In overall rankings, West Virginia is No. 47 out of 50, while Maryland stands at No. 6. So one must ask oneself: Why in heavens name would anyone wish to move from Maryland to West Virginia?
In their recent commentary, Gregory Squires and Antwan Jones told us about research demonstrating a striking correlation between stable housing and physical health (Housing policy affects population health, research shows, Oct. 20). A healthy workforce produces more goods, generates more useful ideas and carries on more effective collaborations. Plus, when we stay healthier, health care costs for everyone stay lower. All those benefits are underpinned by stable housing.
Regarding Michelle Deal-Zimmermans column on critical race theory (Lets be critical of the theory that race doesnt matter, Oct. 26), my son was three years old and in an upscale Howard County day care center when another child told him that he was Black. And thus, my son was robbed of his innocence. The incident forced my wife and I to deal with a subject that we had hoped wouldnt have to be addressed at such a young age, made much harder because our light-skinned family looks like descendants of Thomas Jefferson.
After The Baltimore Sun reported on Hills actions, a retired doctor submitted a complaint to the Maryland Board of Physicians, which licenses and oversees doctors and other medical professionals. The doctor cited the newspapers reporting in his complaint. He also said he filed a complaint to the legislatures ethics committee; that committee operates confidentially and has not announced any actions.
The PodoSighter uses AI to identify a key indicator of early kidney disease

UB researchers have leveraged the power of digital pathology and computational modeling to develop a new approach to detecting and quantifying podocytes,shown above, a specialized type of cell in the kidney that undergoes damaging changes during early stage kidney disease. Image: NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Journal is highlighting this artificial intelligence advance on the cover of the November issue

Id like to see more women join STEM and data science. Its a great field to be in...Theres a lot of cutting edge research and youre literally changing lives, using AI applied to health care. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  In the early stages of kidney disease, a specialized type of kidney cell called the podocyte undergoes damaging changes in both its structure and function. Those changes are key indicators of the ultimately devastating damage that end stage renal disease can cause, but these specialized cells are difficult to detect.

Now, University at Buffalo researchers have leveraged the power of digital pathology and computational modeling to develop a new approach to detecting and quantifying podocytes.

The cloud-based tool, called the PodoSighter, is described in a paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology; the research is being highlighted on the cover of the journals November issue.

The project is an example of how advanced computational capabilities are allowing scientists to glean new information from complex images of anatomical structures.

Understanding human systems

In the medical domain, understanding human systems depends on analyzing huge amounts of very different types of data, said Pinaki Sarder, PhD, senior author on the paper and associate professor of pathology and anatomical sciences in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The question is, how do we combine all these data to try and understand fundamental human systems and disease?

Working in the emerging area of computational nephropathology, Sarder and his colleagues are focused on developing a better understanding of the information found in images of kidney biopsy samples.

Its been known for decades that the quantity and density of podocytes are important both for diagnosis and prognosis of end stage kidney disease, said Darshana Govind, PhD, first author, who did her doctoral work in Sarders lab. She is now a data scientist at Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

In the early stages of kidney disease, podocytes begin to change shape and, as the disease progresses, the number of them will fall. A healthy person has more podocytes than a sick person, Sarder explained. If one day we can track the loss of podocytes, then we can determine the stage of the disease. Right now, thats not possible, but its one of the goals of the UB research.

One of the biggest challenges in dealing with images of biopsied tissue is that they contain huge amounts of data. The additional challenge with podocytes is that they are found deep within the glomeruli, the sac-like bundles of capillaries that handle first-line filtration of blood in the kidneys.

Its very challenging to identify podocytes in an image, Govind explained, noting there are so many cells in the glomerulus that its hard even for trained pathologists to figure out which nuclei belong to podocytes. Different types of staining can be used to highlight the podocytes, but sometimes the staining causes other important image information to be lost.

Convolutional neural networks

The solution they developed is to use a machine learning technique called convolutional neural networks, a learning algorithm that can distinguish specific objects in an image. It was developed based, to a certain degree, on the ways that the visual cortex in the human brain processes visual information.

The technique involves essentially training the computer to detect podocytes. The tissue is prepared in the clinic and the AI-based method detects it for you, said Govind. You click a button and the podocytes are identified.

Density information is also provided. The PodoSighter not only detects podocytes, but it spits out a report on how many of these cells are identified in each glomerulus and what the density is, a key indicator for disease progression, said Sarder. He explained that as kidney disease progresses, the glomerulus grows in size while the number of podocytes goes down.

Currently primarily a research tool, the PodoSighter can work on samples from both animals and humans. The goal is to eventually get this into routine use in clinics for human use, which the researchers say may be possible in just a few years.

The researchers conducted some of their work at the Center for Computational Research at UB.

Sarder added that there is tremendous potential for this kind of research that utilizes artificial intelligence in medicine.

One of my goals at UB is not only to do research but also to develop a workforce, and thats very important, he said. Dr. Govind has done excellent, very difficult work for her PhD and has been published in a top journal. He noted that while its improving, there still arent many women working in artificial intelligence right now.

Its challenging, said Govind, because you dont see a lot of women in the field. Id like to see more women join STEM and data science. Its a great field to be in. Its hard to be one female in a room full of men, so I encourage more women to join AI teams. Theres a lot of cutting-edge research and youre literally changing lives, using AI applied to health care.

This project was supported by several grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, including a Kidney Precision Medicine Project grant and a grant from the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program.

In addition to Sarder and Govind, other UB co-authors are Jeffrey Miecznikowski, Rabi Yacoub, Brendan Lutnick, Amber Worral, Imtiaz Mohammad and John Tomaszewski. Other co-authors are from University Hospital Cologne; Johns Hopkins University; Universite de Paris; Kitware Inc.; University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf; University Hospital Essen; University of California San Francisco; and University of California Davis.
Buffalo, WY (82834)

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Marie-Elena studied creative writing, art, and photography at University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating with a BA in Studio Art -Visual Media. She moved to California from Nebraska in 2019 and is happy to call Calaveras County her home.

Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
SOS Bareboat has since planned and managed more than 25 charters, including in Australia and Tonga in the Pacific, and Italy and Turkey on the Mediterranean. Others include the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea, the Caribbean Islands, the Swedish archipelago, Lake Champlain and up the coast of Maine. In 2022, the SOS Bareboat sailors will return to the British Virgin Islands.
If you are looking for virtual STEM activities for the whole family, join us on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. for our STEMusic virtual concert. Elementary-aged children will love dancing along with the Singing Engineer Roy Moye III, as he presents a high energy virtual concert where kids can watch live experiments, solve math problems and enjoy some incredible music. Also, on Nov. 6 at 1 p.m., families with animal lovers are sure to enjoy a virtual program from EcoAdventures on animal feeding and training. Participants will learn what it takes to care for and train exotic animals like crocodiles and lizards.
The firm announced the deal as it reported third-quarter results, missing analysts expectations in both earnings and revenue as the stock market in September lost gains made in July and August. The firm also saw $6.4 billion of net outflows during the quarter as some investors shifted away from growth after years of attractive returns, the company said.
About 6% of Marylanders dont have insurance, and the number of uninsured young adults is about three times that of most other age groups. About 40,000 people ages 18 to 34 are now eligible for the new state subsidies, out of more than 90,000 uninsured in that group.
If we could press a button and every student in Maryland could get voting rights, we would, Gupta said, adding that he and one of his predecessors made their case for expanded rights to the Washington County school board. Where we differ is on what we think could pass in the General Assembly. There will be opposition.  We do expect a backlash.
Every year we get a number of applicants who are vetted through our staff to make sure they meet all the requirements, Chris Heyn, director of the Department of Land Use and Management, which administers the preservation foundation program, told the commissioners at their meeting Thursday. We then present the applicants to the county agricultural preservation board, [which] makes recommendations to the state program for acceptance. You, as a board, need to approve those applicants and the use of the county funds for the match that is required.
Investigators believe the Chevrolet Colorado crossed over the white edge line and into the shoulder portion of the highway when he struck the AAA vehicle and Shehzad, the release said. The Colorado continued to travel off of the right side of the highway, up and over an embankment and into a tree where the vehicle came to rest.
He demonstrated that commitment by first appointing William Rowel a member of the Caucus of African-American Leaders (CAAL). That appointment was followed by an unprecedented number of women, Latinos and African Americans to his administration. He has the most diverse administration in the history of the City of Annapolis. Every administration should be judged by its record, not its rhetoric.
Manthey said she did not expect the surge in financial support, which came from supporters in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, and even a few from her native Washington state. She has used the infusion of cash to buy signs, literature and other expenses in the final push toward Election Day on Nov. 2.
There is a high-pressure system that is banked well to the north of New England and we have an approaching area of low pressure. And the result of the two is essentially causing this easterly flow, Souza said. Its really just causing the water to pile up on the shoreline. And therefore, the water levels  when the tide runs out  cant fully evacuate.
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the law-enforcing authorities are investigating the recent communal violence in the country which happened during the Durga puja celebrations.

"Contrary to all the ongoing propaganda, only 6 people died during recent violence of which 4 were Muslims, killed during the encounters with law enforcing authorities, and 2 were Hindus, one of whom had normal death and another when he jumped in a pond. None was raped and not a single Mandir was destroyed. However, deities or goddesses were vandalized," Bangladesh FM said in a statement.

"The law enforcing authorities are investigating into the matter. The government is committed to hand out justice to every wrongdoer and to save all its citizens irrespective of their faiths," he added.

While regretting the incidents of violence, the minister informed that the Sheikh Hasina government took immediate action against the perpetrators.

"The perpetrators have been arrested and now they are under police custody. About 20 houses were burned down. They have been rebuilt and everyone got compensation. More compensation is underway," he said.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister even said "enthusiastic media and individuals" are spreading cooked-up stories centring on the recent violence basically to embarrass the government that is committed to religious harmony.

Expressing the commitment to religious harmony, the minister noted that the number of Puja Mondops increased admirably in every place in Bangladesh.

"It may be mentioned that in recent years, the number of Puja Mondops increased admirably in every place in Bangladesh including individuals' houses as government pays money for every Puja Mondop," he said.

Momen also informed that a probe is underway in the incident wherein a person left a copy of the Holy Quran near the foot of a deity which sparked outrage on social media.

"Reportedly a drug-addict person left a copy of the Holy Quran near the foot of a deity when there was no worshippers or organizer at the Puja Mondop and another person took a photo of it and put it up in the social media, Facebook, sparking outrage," he said.

(ANI)

Also Read: Bangladesh violence: Communal tensions prevail despite actions by law enforcement officials
Clay Center, KS (67432)

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They cant be fired and they cant be placed on what is effectively, in my mind, unpaid leave, U.S. District Judge John Kness said during his ruling. The hospitals going to have to keep paying them. If you wish to require them to show up to work and use PPE and go through testing because you need the help and you dont want to pay them to be off site, thats up to the hospital.
Bartlett, whose research includes working to improve the safety and effectiveness of antibiotic use in children, will answer questions about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for younger children, possible side effects from the shots and what other steps families can take to support their childrens health heading into flu season.
Three men driving a silver Nissan Maxima drove into the doors of the store on the 900 block of North Rush Street early Friday at 1:05 a.m. in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
Unlike in previous years, the state is releasing the data in two batches, with the district-specific data slated for publication Dec. 2. The testing window last spring was extended because of the pandemic, running from March 15 through May 28, and some districts opted to conduct testing this fall.
As a result, and after discussions with Hubbard leadership, weve decided it is best that I step away from the show. Im energized to move forward and defend myself against claims made against me and the station, and look forward to seeing them through to their conclusion. I am confident that at the end of the day the courts will rule and the right outcome will prevail.
Boldens criminal defense attorney at the time, Charles Ingles, alleged Frazier was improperly told police had got the guy who did the shooting, then walked him in front of Bolden in the station before the lineup. Detectives promised Ingles he could be present with Frazier as he viewed the lineup but Pesavento had blocked him from entering the room at the last minute, Safer said.
On the day of the shooting, Chicago police POD cameras, plate readers and other surveillance showed the a car recently purchased by Offerd traveling to the first block of Oak Street, where two gunmen jumped out and opened fire as Weekly stood on the crowded street, prosecutors have said. Other gunmen also emerged from a second trailing car.
Apart from such complex global agreements, a lot can be done by everyday people. We can conserve energy by all the familiar methods, from being mindful with the thermostat to driving (or now renting, thanks to Hertz), electric vehicles. We can make our local communities more resilient with stronger building codes that discourage development in areas vulnerable to fire and flood. We can direct our investments to corporations that take sustainability to heart and avoid those contributing to global warming. We can lobby our employers to improve their records on environmental, social and governance issues.
There are so many problems that we have and we dont have the solutions or there was an attempt at a solution and it didnt work, Lewis said. I feel like I have the ability to draft up structures that may be able to help. And Im not trying to be the monopoly on these things, but I just want to help us to imagine a world where were actually free, and figure out what that looks like, and tap into the things that our ancestors did like land tenure (an idea that everyone has a role and nobody steps on each others toes, and we are all able to profit and benefit) and recreate those things so that we have structures of everyday living that serve us.
Theres many Americans that are desperately searching for a better way. They want solutions. Not more problems. They want action, not extremism. They want light, not darkness. And the sooner we do it, the better it will be for the land that we love, Kinzinger said. Now is the time for choosing. Now is the time to work together to be part of the solution.
In her letter, Lightfoot rebutted public safety concerns over a shortage of officers by noting that several cops who were put on no-pay status subsequently backed down. Only a small number of police have been sent home, Lightfoot said. There were 35 police officers in no-pay status but five have been taken off because they changed their minds and agreed to comply with the rule.
An Evanston police spokesman said there is a pending investigation into these incidents and declined to release further details at this point in the investigation. More information may be forthcoming in the next few days, police said.
Sitting in an empty classroom with a dictionary in hand, Zhang Haiyan showed her students online how to look up a word in a dictionary as a laptop camera streamed the study session.

"Who can tell me on which page the character 'Ge' is," she asked, followed by answers input by her students flashing on the screen.

Zhang is a Chinese language and literature teacher at the fourth primary school of Xingqing District in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

With a fresh resurgence of COVID-19 reported in many parts of China, including Beijing, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, educational authorities have ordered affected areas to suspend in-person classes and offer courses online.

In Ningxia alone, all six county-level areas that have reported COVID-19 cases in the latest outbreak have suspended in-person classes for more than 467,000 students at all local kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools, Tian Xilin, an official with the regional education department, told a press briefing on Tuesday.

In addition to the pre-recorded videos aired online, the region has organized teachers to offer interactive courses and help clear doubts through livestreaming, said Tian.

Teacher Zhang said that last year her school was not able to determine whether the students were present or not for the pre-recorded courses. However, through the livestreaming platform, teachers can now see not only the number of attendees but also their names.

"If students are absent or perform poorly on their homework, we will contact their parents for supervision," she said.

He Cuiling, president of the school, said they were ready to deal with the impact of the epidemic resurgence.

The school has distributed mobile phone tripods to teachers for livestreaming, and lent some tablet computers to the students who do not have online class gadgets.

"The livestreaming platform has been upgraded, enabling the school to monitor all the online courses for assessment and feedback," said He.

He Anning, director of the faculty development center of Xingqing district education bureau, said that in early 2020, students of the same grade could study with the unified pre-recorded videos, as all schools across the region began the new semester online at the same time due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

"The latest resurgence, however, cut the semester in the middle with different classes being at different curriculum progress, leading to the demand for a targeted approach in online course content," the official said, adding that livestreaming platforms have been able to meet the demand, allowing teachers to teach their own courses online.

Li Wenxing, president of Shengyuan primary school in the city of Wuzhong, said the school requires its students to watch the unified video classes on television during the day, and livestreaming interactive sessions are arranged in the evening.

"We livestream after 6 p.m. so that parents don't have to leave their mobile phones to their children at home during the daytime for the classes," Li said.

An Siwen, a fifth-grade student, said she used to lose track of the content easily while watching the pre-recorded videos on television.

"Now, with my own teacher livestreaming and occasionally asking me about my homework or study-related questions, I can concentrate better," she said.

Despite attending school remotely from home, An attends the routine flag-raising ceremony, held every Monday in Chinese schools, wearing her school uniform. She sang the national anthem during the online ceremony, just as she did on campus.

An said she hopes the epidemic to end soon and return to campus as soon as possible.

"I miss my classmates. I want to study together with them," she said.
China has fully and effectively fulfilled its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments and earned wide recognition from the vast majority of WTO members, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.



Since its accession to the WTO in 2001, China has made vigorous efforts to align itself with the WTO rules, open its market and abide by the rules, Wang Shouwen, China's vice minister of commerce, told a press conference on WTO's eighth trade policy review of China.

China has received full recognition from the director-general of the WTO and the vast majority of WTO members, said Wang, who is also the deputy China International Trade Representative.

China's overall tariff level has dropped from 15.3% at the time of China's entry into the WTO to 7.4% at present, lower than that of all developing members and close to that of developed members of the WTO, he added.
A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to handle the inquiry into its bio-military activities in an open, transparent and responsible manner as they are related to international peace and security.

Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular press conference in Beijing.

The United States is the only country to block negotiations on a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and its bio-military activities have constantly drawn international attention, Tan noted.

"The U.S. has over 200 overseas bio-labs and their opaque activities have triggered extensive doubts and protests," Tan said, urging the United States to fulfill its obligations under the BWC and give detailed information of bio-military activities at home and abroad.
China has submitted two documents on its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term emission control strategies to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the country's Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The two documents, titled "China's Achievements, New Goals and New Measures for Nationally Determined Contributions" and "China's Mid-Century Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy," were handed in on Thursday, according to the ministry.

This is China's concrete action in implementing the Paris Agreement and reflects the country's determination and efforts in promoting green, low-carbon development and addressing global climate change, the ministry said.

The document on China's achievements, new goals and new measures for NDCs has summed up China's policies, measures and results in implementing its NDCs since 2015, as well as key policies and measures for its new goals.

It also expounds on China's basic stance on global climate governance, contributions and considerations on further promoting international cooperation against climate change, the ministry added.

The other document, while summarizing China's key progress in controlling greenhouse gas emission, puts forward China's guiding principles, strategic visions, strategic priorities and policy orientations on its mid-century long-term low greenhouse gas emission development, and its approaches and advocacies for promoting global climate governance.

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is scheduled from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. This is the first of its kind since the Paris Agreement came into force.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday attended the 16th East Asia Summit, and put forward a four-point proposal in encouraging relevant parties to respect each other, work together, increase their input on fighting COVID-19 and economic recovery, uphold regional peace and stability, and promote development and prosperity.

Noting that the Summit is a "leaders-led strategic forum" with members from the major Asia-Pacific countries, and provides both representation and influence, Li said that East Asia needs to push forward synchronously the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery to continue injecting impetus into global development.

He pointed out that the Summit should always stick to its own orientation, keep regional cooperation pointed in the right direction, and promote political and security cooperation with economic and social development in a balanced way. He added that mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is a basic norm governing international relations and an important guiding principle of the Summit.

Li then put forward a four-point proposal:

First, all parties should join hands to fight the pandemic. China will scale up vaccines and other anti-pandemic supplies to the best of its ability, according to the needs of relevant countries, and will accelerate the initiative of China-ASEAN public health cooperation to enhance the regional public health capacity, Li said.

Second, all parties need to promote all-around economic recovery, uphold free and fair trade, and ensure unimpeded international logistics. Efforts must be stepped up to push for the early entry into force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

China has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will further enhance its commitment to opening-up. China will also support the efforts of countries in the region to revive tourism, said Li.

Third, all parties should promote green development, respond to the challenge of climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, fully and effectively implement the Paris Agreement, promote low-carbon transformation in a balanced and orderly manner, and achieve synergies with economic development and people's livelihoods, while ensuring a stable and secure energy supply, said Li.

Fourth, all parties should support the centrality of ASEAN. Li stressed that an open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture, with ASEAN at its center, is an important cornerstone for long-term peace and prosperity in the region.

He said that all parties should support the building of the ASEAN community and its efforts to maintain multilateralism and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core.

Myanmar is an important participant in East Asia cooperation. China supports ASEAN in properly handling relevant issues in the "ASEAN way", promoting ASEAN unity, regional stability and Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process, according to the premier.

Stressing that the South China Sea is a common home for all parties, Li said that maintaining peace and stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea serves the common interest.

"Thanks to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the overall situation in the South China Sea has remained stable," Li said.

China and ASEAN countries have agreed to reach effective, substantive regional rules at an early date, and are fully and effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The two sides have overcome the impact of the pandemic, and have substantially resumed and actively promoted consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), Li said.

He stressed that the efforts made by regional countries on maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea should be respected, and said that China is ready to work with all parties to strengthen solidarity, expand cooperation, promote common development, achieve prosperity and stability and write a new chapter in East Asia cooperation.

Attending the meeting were the leaders of ASEAN countries, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The leaders at the meeting noted that, since last year, Summit member states have continuously promoted cooperation in areas including health, economy and trade, energy, oceans, education and green development, and have achieved positive results.

They said that global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change cannot be met alone. All parties should operate in the spirit of common focus, common response and common prosperity to uphold multilateralism, promote the equitable distribution of vaccines and medicines, strengthen cooperation on the digital economy, free trade, public health and climate change.

All parties should also keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, and deepen regional economic integration, the leaders said.

They expressed their willingness to respect ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional cooperation framework and work together to promote peace and prosperity in the region and the world.
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China firmly opposes official and military ties in any form between the United States and China's Taiwan region, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday, noting that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence".

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on Tsai Ing-wen confirming the presence of a small number of U.S. troops in Taiwan to help with training.

Wang said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. "On the Taiwan question, the U.S. should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, rather than unilaterally concoct anything."

"We firmly oppose official and military ties in any form between the U.S. and the Taiwan region, and oppose the U.S. interference in China's internal affairs," Wang said.

He said the U.S. vessels have repeatedly flexed its muscles to make provocations and stir up troubles in the Taiwan Strait in recent times, sending gravely wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces and threatening cross-Strait peace and stability.

The international community is clear-eyed about who is engaging in "coercion" on the Taiwan question, Wang said.

"The cross-Strait reunification is an overriding historical trend and the right course, while 'Taiwan independence' is a retrogression leading to a dead end," Wang said.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's acts of seeking "Taiwan independence" can not change the iron-clad fact that Taiwan is a part of China, neither will it shake the international community's universal and firm commitment to the one-China principle, he said. "Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end."

Wang noted that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence". "No country and no one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Otherwise, they will suffer another defeat."
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The Security Council on Thursday demanded the release of detained civilian leaders and the restoration of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.



In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed serious concern about Monday's military takeover in Sudan, the suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian members of the transitional government.

The council members called for the immediate release of all those who have been detained by the military authorities, and in this regard, took note of the reported return of Prime Minister Hamdok to his residence.

They also called on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from the use of violence, and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition. They urged all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without preconditions in order to enable the full implementation of the constitutional document and the Juba Peace Agreement, which underpin Sudan's democratic transition.

The council members expressed their solidarity with the people of Sudan and affirmed their readiness to support efforts to realize Sudan's democratic transition, in a manner that achieves the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous future. They underscored that any attempt to undermine the democratic transition process in Sudan puts at risk Sudan's security, stability and development. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and national unity of Sudan.

The council members expressed their strong support for regional and sub-regional efforts and underscored the importance of their continued engagement in Sudan.

They expressed their intention to continue to closely monitor the situation in Sudan.
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Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed China-Serbia friendship on Thursday, saying that to maintain and further such friendship is "to stand on the right side of history."



Wang made the remark at a joint press conference after his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucic said the two sides have held in-depth discussions on consolidating friendship and intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation, and reached extensive consensus.

Serbia-China cooperation has been fruitful in recent years, he said, citing that the two-way trade volume has tripled in five years thanks to their high-level mutual political trust and the extraordinary "iron-clad friendship."

The president expressed thanks to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their consistent support for Serbia.

He said the Serbian side fully agrees to China's proposal on expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of innovation, and trusts that with China's support, his country will usher in a new stage of development and advance with the times.

Wang hailed the special bond between the Chinese people and Serbia, saying that the 1.4 billion Chinese people regard Serbia as an "iron-clad friend" at the other end of Eurasia.

Wang praised Vucic as an outstanding leader known by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, who firmly safeguards national sovereignty and dignity and unswervingly pursues a friendly policy towards China.

Serbia is a country that sticks to principles and the Serbians are a nation of moral integrity and value friendship. The Chinese people are proud to have such a good and faithful friend, said Wang.

Guided by the strategies mapped by their presidents, China-Serbia relations have endured the test of time and are full of vitality, and their friendship is unshakable and solid as rock, said Wang.

He thanked the Serbian side for its consistent support for China's legitimate stance on issues related to China's core interests and major concerns, saying China is ready to stand together with Serbia in its efforts for safeguarding sovereignty, independence and national dignity.

The China-Serbia concrete cooperation has yielded fruits and truly benefited the two peoples, said Wang, who sees an even greater outlook of such cooperation.

While safeguarding their respective legitimate rights and interests, the two countries are also safeguarding the basic norms governing international relations and maintaining fairness and justice of the world, said Wang, shrugging off irresponsible remarks made by certain forces on China-Serbia friendship.

"To maintain and further our friendship is in line with the trend of times and is to stand on the right side of history," he said, expressing confidence in the future of bilateral relations.

Serbia is the second leg of Wang's Europe tour which started from Greece on Wednesday.
You are here: World

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the 16th Group of 20 (G20) Leaders' Summit via video link, which will be held from Oct. 30 to 31, at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Friday.
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Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said a batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are expected to arrive in Egypt "very soon," Egypt's official MENA news agency has reported.

China-Egypt bilateral relations have reached a new level thanks to the close cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, given the fact that the two countries have been supporting each other all along, Liao told an online news conference, according to the report on Wednesday.

Egypt is currently using China's Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines in its vaccination campaign nationwide.

Egypt's state-owned vaccine maker VACSERA and Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac signed an agreement in April to jointly manufacture the Sinovac vaccines in VACSERA's factory in the North African country.

The country has so far managed to vaccinate about 24 million people against COVID-19, with plans to vaccinate 40 million people out of its around 100-million population by the end of 2021, according to Egyptian officials.
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Meltblown Nonwovens Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Meltblown Nonwovens Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Meltblown Nonwovens Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.0 % over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Meltdown Nonwovens is a special type of fabrics that is used for filtration, sorbents and drug delivery system.

Non-Woven fabrics provide excellent comfort and advanced insulation, making it very versatile. Due to its versatility, it holds importance in transportation vehicles like cars, trains and aircrafts. Due to the filament characteristics, the Meltblown nonwovens have smooth textures, providing high surface area for excellent insulation, softness and filtration. Also, the initial capital investment for Meltblown manufacturing is lower compared to other process. In order to decrease the overall weight of the vehicle, manufacturers are extensively using Meltblown nonwoven fabrics.

The production of Meltblown nonwoven fabric involves heavy machineries, that are very high in cost. The hefty initial investment related to machineries used for overall production is the key restraint for the growth of this market. Also, the pricing pressure from customers and the variety of available alternatives in the market, are the major factors that might hamper the Meltblown Nonwoven market globally in the forecast period.

Due to strong presence of developing economies like India and China, the region of Asia Pacific is estimated to continue its dominance in the forecast period.

With the expansion, the demand for Meltblown nonwoven market was growing considerably well, until the whole world got hit by the sudden attack of Covid-19 that has unsettled the market globally. With the current scenario, of strict lockdown in many countries to contain the virus, the future growth of meltdown nonwoven market is somewhat unfavorable.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market encompasses market segments based on product type, application and country/regions.

In terms of product type, the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market is segregated into

Fine Fiber Melt-Blown Nonwovens

Dual texture Melt-Blown Nonwovens

By application, the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market is also classified into,

HealthCare & Hygiene

u Disposable Gown

u Drape market

u Sterilization

u Wrap Segment

u Sanitary products

Absorbents

Filtration Media

u Filter Media

u Cartridge filters

u Clean Room Filters

u Others

Apparel

u Thermal Insulation

u Disposable Industrial Apparel

u Substrate for synthetic leader

Electronics Specialties

u Liner fabrics used in floppy disks

u Battery separators

u Insulation capacitors

Others

u Manufacturer of tents

u Elastomeric nonwoven fabrics etc.

By raw materials, the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market is also classified into,

Polypropylene

Polyethylene

Polybutylene Terephthalate

Others

By country/region, the global Meltblown Nonwovens Market has been divided into

North America (the U.S., Canada),

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as

Kimberly-Clarke

Mogul

DOW Chemicals

DuPont

Irema Ireland

Don & Low

Atex

Pegas NonWovens

Fiberweb Technical Non-Wovens

Toray

XIYAO

Freudenberg Performance Materials

Oerlikon

Jinan Xinghua Nonwoven Fabrics

Others players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Meltblown Nonwovens related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Request for Sample with Complete TOC and Figures & Graphs @ https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=410

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Meltblown Nonwovens Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020  2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Meltblown Nonwovens Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as Kimberley Clarke, Mogul, Dow Chemicals, Dupont, Irema and many more.

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Meltblown Nonwovens Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Meltblown Nonwovens Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Meltblown Nonwovens Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Meltblown Nonwovens Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Electric Vehicle Fluids Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is projected to expand with healthy CAGR over the period of forecast.

As on date of publishing, this report will capture the impact assessment of COVID-19 on this market and the same will be considered in our market forecast methodology. Clients purchasing this report between April and June 2020 will be getting a free updated market data excel sheet between July and December 2020 accounting for the impact of COVID-19 on the market in the current year 2020 and forecast period.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints & Opportunity of the Market:

Presently, the application for the EV fluids is limited to the driveline & battery thermal management although in the coming years, due to the increase in the fast charging there will be devoted coolants for the power electronics & even the charger cables. In the power electronics, liquid cooled high power on-board charger could be the standard fit for that, replacing the air-cooled, 3.3/3.7kW on-board charger.

Electric Vehicle currently present the new set of challenge to its ICE counterpart. Electric Vehicles require a fluid which can cool & lubricate motor, & also protect on-board electronics & be well-matched with the non-metal material like the plastics. Hence, developing the specialized high-performance lubricant for the BEVs could actually result in the high margin sales.

Although the EV sales gone down in China by 4% Year Over Year in the year 2019, it still accounts for roughly 50% of the global EV market (1.1 to 1.2M units yearly).Main push for the Electric Vehicles came from the government subsidies, provided for the purpose of making the Electric Vehicle price comparable to that of the ICE. Now that the subsidies for the cars with the total driving distance covered less than 250km is being taken away & the remaining subsidies are being cut by ~50%. Government is looking to phase out the most of the subsidies soon. Its going to be interesting to see if the Electric Vehicles can sustain healthy YOY growth in the past 4 years.

Among the 19 Electric Vehicle models from the 8 OEMs, which cumulatively accounted for roughly 87% of the total US sales in the year 2019, only 3 were from the B segment,8 belonged to the C segment & 8 belonged to the D Segment. C and D segment vehicles are the ones having higher rate in the price category are better suited to absorb high cost of Electrification as compared to the B segment

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market encompasses market segments based on vehicle type, EV type, application and country.

Based on vehicle type the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is classified into:

Passenger Vehicle

Commercial Vehicle

Based on EV type the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is classified into:

BEV

PHEV

HEV

Based on Application the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is classified into:

Driveline

Battery Coolant

Grease

By country/region, the global Electric Vehicle Fluids Market has been divided into:

North America (the U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries)

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries)

Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries)

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

Royal Dutch Shell PLC

Total S.A.

Castrol Limited

FUCHS Lubricants

ExxonMobil Corporation

Lubrizol Corporation

Petronas Nasional Bhd

Others players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Electric Vehicle Fluids Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Request for Sample with Complete TOC and Figures & Graphs @ https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=445

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Electric Vehicle Fluids Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Electric Vehicle Fluids Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Electric Vehicle Fluids caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Electric Vehicle Fluids Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Electric Vehicle Fluids Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Electric Vehicle Fluids Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects
Wallpaper Market Growth & Trends

The global wallpaper market size is expected to reach USD 2.2 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 3.7% over the forecast period, based on a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising home renovation activities, coupled with technological advancements in printing techniques for wallpapers, has been significantly driving the product demand. Furthermore, rising disposable income, a shift in consumer preferences, and increasing DIY projects involving the usage of wallpapers are expected to drive the market in the coming years.

Furthermore, increasing demand for stain-resistant and eco-friendly wallpapers is driving the market. Several manufacturers are testing the humidity levels and providing products and solutions to combat issues regarding bacterial growth due to the wallpapers. Moreover, companies, such as Sangetsu and York Wallcoverings, have launched several products, which are stain- and damage-resistant.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the industry, as several businesses were closed to enforce stringent regulations in view of the spreading infection. The shutdown of major regions, such as China and South Korea, which are one of the major suppliers for raw materials, has impacted wallpaper producers globally. The shortage in supply of raw materials like wood pulp, vinyl, and ink from manufacturers has resulted in a demand-supply gap.

The pandemic has digitized the medium for the wallpaper industry. Several manufacturers are offering templates and designs through their e-commerce websites to gain traction among millennials. In addition, HP Printers is creating awareness about eco-friendly and easy-to-use wallpapers. The company has been carrying out demonstrations in Japan and providing training to personnel regarding the usage of digitally printed wallpapers.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Wallpaper Market Report

Wallpaper Market Report Highlights

The vinyl product segment held the largest revenue share in 2020 due to the multifunctional use of vinyl

On the other hand, the nonwoven segment is likely to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period due to the growing demand for easy-to-peel wallpapers

High demand for DIY wallpapers is another factor propelling the growth of the nonwoven segment

In 2020, North America led the global market accounting for the maximum revenue share owing to a rise in consumer disposable income, advancements in digital printing, and increasing demand for home remodeling in the region

Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028 due to the rapidly expanding hospitality sector in APAC

Access Press Release@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-wallpaper-market

Wallpaper Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global wallpaper market on the basis of product, end-use, and region:

Wallpaper Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Vinyl

Nonwoven

Paper

Fabric

Others

Wallpaper End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Residential

Commercial

Wallpaper Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America US. Canada

Europe UK. Germany Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific India China Rest of Asia Pacific

Central & South America Brazil Rest of Central & South America

Middle East & Africa South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa



List of Key Players of Wallpaper Market

Sangetsu Corp.

York Wallcoverings, Inc.

Schumacher & Co.

AS Creation Tapeten AG

Osborne & Little

The Romo Group

Grandeco

4Walls

Marburger Tapetenfabrik

Asian Paints

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
An automotive side airbag which is also known as curtain airbags is part of the passive safety system inside an automobile. It is generally inflatable devices that help in protecting the passengers and drivers head and chest during a side-impact crash while an accident takes place

Demand Scenario

The global automotive side airbags market was USD 6.40 billion in 2018 and is estimated to reach USD 9.71 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 6.14% during the forecast period

Growth by Region

Asia-Pacific region leads the market with more than half of the market share in 2018 owing to the demand for enhanced safety features across all automotive segments, including mid-range and entry-level vehicles in the region. Europe, on the other hand, holds the second position with more than 27% share in 2018 due to the presence of major automobile manufacturers and rapid technological developments focusing on enhanced safety features in the region. North America is also expected to grow due to rising disposable income in the region paired with the wide-scale preference of automobiles with safety features by people in the region.

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Drivers vs Constraints

The market is mainly driven by rising public concerns and awareness of vehicular safety especially in the developing automotive markets such as China and India paired with the growing importance of crash test and NCAP ratings of vehicles globally. Also, rising automotive sales are also propelling the growth of automotive side airbags market globally. However, the growth is hindered by lack of regulation for airbags in medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

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Industry Trends and Updates

Kia Motors Corporation, South Koreas second largest automobile manufacturer has launched its first dedicated hybrid model named as Niro inbuilt with enhanced safety features with first and second-row side or curtain airbags to protect the passengers during a crash.

Autoliv, Inc., a global leader in automotive safety to all leading car manufacturers had delivered over half a billion airbags for side protection to reduce injuries and fatalities to the occupants chest during side-impact collisions of their vehicle. This newly patented side airbag was launched in cooperation with Volvo and Mercedes.

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San Francisco, 29 Oct 2021: The Report Powder Compacting Pressers Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Mechanical, Electric), By Application (Powder Metallurgy, Ceramic & Cement), By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2028

The global powder compacting pressers market size is expected to reach USD 408.9 million by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2020 to 2028. The rising adoption of powder compacting pressers in the end-use industries, including automobile, military, machining, and aerospace, is anticipated to have a positive impact on the market growth.

Increasing automotive production, mainly in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and South America, is projected to aid the market growth. Furthermore, governments across the globe are providing tax incentives to vehicle manufacturers switching to electric standards, in turn, augmenting the demand for powder compacting pressers.

The aerospace and military sectors are the early adopters of powder compacting pressers, thus, lightweight parts made from aluminum, titanium, and steel, are witnessing growth. Products manufactured by these machinery aids in reducing material wastage as compared to the conventional methods, in turn, complementing the equipment demand.

Companies are collaborating with educational institutions to develop processes and technologies offering a sustainable advantage in the future. Rising investments in R&D for the incorporation of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), in powder compacting pressers are expected to complement market growth.

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Powder Compacting Pressers Market Report Highlights

By product, hydraulic powder compacting pressers are expected to witness considerable growth from 2020 to 2028 owing to their ability to provide versatility in stroke length, die space, and pressure

In terms of application, the ceramic and cement segment is expected to witness the fastest growth from 2020 to 2028. This is credited to the increasing adoption of powder compacting pressers in the production of ceramic cutting tools due to the high heat resistance and extensive usage in metalworking for extremely hard parts

The automotive end-use segment held the largest share in 2020 on account of the rising advent of electric vehicles, coupled with the adoption of the equipment to manufacture gears, seals, and magnets

In 2020, France accounted for a 13.8% share in the European market owing to the increasing production of complex parts with high dimensional accuracy and quality in the aerospace industry in the country

Manufacturers are engaged in collaborations to expand their geographical presence, increase production capacity, and launch new powder compacting pressers using advanced technology

List of Key Players of Powder Compacting Pressers Market

KomageGellnerMaschinenfabrik KG

SMS group GmbH

Osterwalder AG

MaschinenfabrikLauffer GmbH & Co.KG

Gasbarre Products, Inc.

Ajax CECO Erie Press

Beckwood Press

Digital Press

DORST Technologies GmbH & Co. KG

Cincinnati Incorporated

Nanjing East Precision Machinery CO., LTD.

Dongguan Yihui Hydraulic Machinery Co., Ltd.

Santec Exim Pvt. Ltd.

Quintus Technologies AB

SACMI IMOLA S.C.

Access Press Release of Powder Compacting Pressers Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-powder-compacting-pressers-market
The Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Report, in its latest update, highlights the significant impacts and the recent strategically changes under the present socio-economic scenario. The Anesthesia Monitoring Devices industry growth avenues are deeply supported by exhaustive research by the top analysts of the industry. The report starts with the executive summary, followed by a value chain and marketing channels study. The report then estimates the CAGR and market revenue of the global and regional segments.

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Till: 2027

The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and product. These segments are studied in detail, incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country levels. The segment analysis is helpful in understanding the growth areas and potential opportunities of the market.

Get | Download FREE Sample Report of Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-4894

A special section is dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market. The impact is closely studied in terms of production, import, export, and supply.

The report covers the complete competitive landscape of the Worldwide Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market with company profiles of key players such as:

Masimo

Fukuda Denshi

Infinium Medical

Covidien PLC

GE Healthcare

Nihon Kohden Corporation

Philips Healthcare

Mindray Medical International Limited

Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGAA

Schiller AG

Criticare Systems, Inc.

Heyer Medical AG

Want to add more Company Profiles to the Report? Write your Customized Requirements to us @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/get-custom-research-4894

Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Analysis by Product:

Advanced Anesthesia Monitors Anesthesia Gas Monitors Depth of Anesthesia Monitors Standalone Capnography Monitors Other Anesthesia Monitoring Devices (MRI Compatible Anesthesia Monitors)

Basic Anesthesia Monitors

Integrated Anesthesia Workstations

Others (IT Enabled Monitors)

Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Analysis by End User:

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Analysis by Geography:

North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)

(USA, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South-East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of Latin America) The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

What is the expected growth of the Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market between 2022 to 2027?

Which application and type segment holds the maximum share in the Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market?

Which regional Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market shows the highest growth CAGR between 2022 to 2027?

What are the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market?

Who are the leading market players and what are their Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

What business strategies are the competitors considering to stay in the Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market?

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Retired Coronado Public Library director Christian Esquevin was the guest speaker at the Coronado Roundtables October meeting at the librarys Winn Room. His insightful presentation included images of the beautiful murals by the famed Mexican artist Ramos Martinez that once adorned the walls of the La Avenida Cafe.
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.
A more violent carjacking took place 37 miles away in the small town of Marlborough Sept. 11. In that incident, two armed thieves attacked a 64-year-old woman outside a supermarket around 7 p.m. as she was getting into her car, demanding money. They threw her into the back seat, put a bag over her head and beat her with a hard object, state police said.
We know that were not Louisiana, said Debra Jervis, a lifelong resident of Blue Hills, whose basement flooded during Fred. We have not lost our homes, and we understand that there are really bad scenarios in other states. But what we are going through right now is such that weve never experienced before, and were not able to cope with that.
Desire Franqui, who has been a housekeeper for three years, said her weekly hours have decreased from 40 to just eight. Her one weekly shift is busier than before: shes gone from being responsible for 15 rooms between checkouts and daily cleanings to 13 checkouts, which take longer to complete.
This year, the Connecticut General Assembly voted on a constitutional amendment to end our states restrictive absentee voting laws by allowing for universal access to absentee ballots to become the electoral norm. While most legislators voted in favor of the measure, the legislature did not meet the 75% threshold the resolution needed to appear on next years ballot. Instead, if the measure is voted out of both chambers next year, electors will have the chance in 2024 to vote on a constitutional amendment that would lift all restrictions to voting absentee.
I always tell people, Im a millennial, but Im an elder millennial. I can still talk to you about dial-up, said Hawthorne, a lawyer in the state Department of Labor who will quit state service to take the full-time position as president, which paid $142,000 according to the AFL-CIOs most recent public filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
Heather Gates, the president and CEO of Community Health Resources, which operates a statewide network of programs for adults and children impacted by mental illness, substance use disorder or trauma, said that legislators could consider significant retention incentives, a pool of funding for staff to be reimbursed for educational expenses, repayment of student loans, and absolutely anything that says to our staff, we value what youre doing, we understand that you are a critical part of meeting the needs of the kids and families in Connecticut.
Its sad that it took months, and the loss of another life, for the governor to finally acknowledge both the seriousness and depth of this crisis,' Candelora said. Well have to wait and see what the governor and law enforcement officials know about the tragic death of this teenager, but the fact that during a news conference he even mentioned Republican concepts as he stood alongside people demanding reform to our juvenile justice system should send a clear signal to legislative Democrats.
Lincoln, NE (68508)

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Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 32F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Lincoln, NE (68508)

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A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 32F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Lincoln, NE (68508)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 56F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 33F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
For those who feel haunted by litter: Dress up as a zombie and straggle over to the Morgan Library to sign in and pick up litter grabbers and bags. Prizes will be given for best costume in categories of Most Scary, Most Original, Most Elaborate, Most Glamorous, Most Environmental and Most Recyclable.
We did not have a formal vote to do that, I did a poll of some of the council members and once I got a majority of them that said it was fine to rotate, thats what we continued to do until we did have an opportunity to discuss the issue and come to a conclusion about it, Price told the Daily Press.
To the world, Governor Linwood Holton is known as a giant of civil rights and change. When others stood in the doorways of schools to block de-segregation, our Dad walked us (and bused us) to integrated schools to show the rest of the world the way of justice, his children said in the statement.
Lubbock, TX (79409)

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Sunny to partly cloudy. High around 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph..

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Mostly cloudy. Low 47F. WSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph.
Q How was your experience working with actors from the South and the Hindi?

I have stopped looking at actors as belonging to the South or North or to the Hindi industry or the Tamil, Telugu or Kannada industry. Even before that, I stopped looking at audiences as being Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, etc. I write a script and look at which actor has the capability to play a part, or will look best in it, irrespective of whether hes a Malayali, a Bengali or anything else. I just approach the actor and ask if hes interested. I can't deny the fact that having Baahubali behind me helps a lot. But I dont go with that visiting card, I go with the visiting card of my script and my characterisation.

Q RRR The clash of RRR with Radhe Shyam will affect the business?

The clash wont hamper the business. Even if four films come together, if they are good, people are going to come to watch all of them. There are multiple instances in the past when this has happened. And its not just Radhe Shyam  more films are going to come. I certainly hope and wish all the films are good, all of them make money, make the audience excited and happy. This is not the time to say my film has to do well, the other film should not. This is the time for all of us to come together and want all films to make money.

Ram Charan and Rajamouli share a light moment

Q So a bottleneck competition is expected?

Because of the COVID times and everything being shut for one-and-a-half years, a bottleneck is expected. But if your content is good, it doesnt matter how many films come together. People are going to come. Theyll be looking for many choices.

Q Was there a dilemma for you about releasing RRR in theatres?

I make films only for theatres, for the audience to come together, watch together... The way I operate is to see a large number of audience members sitting inside a cinema hall experiencing a film. So, the decision was easy for me, there was no dilemma involved.

Q How have you managed to stay clear of historical contradictions that are common in period films?

Such problems occur in biopics. From the beginning, we have made it clear that this is completely fictional. I took the lives of these real-life freedom fighters  Allu Sitaram Raju and Komaram Bhim  who belong to the same era, and worked in the same way to bring about an uprising of their people. There is a gap in their stories, when no one knows what happened in their lives. I was excited to imagine what would have happened if these two superheroes had actually met and exchanged ideas. What if they were friends or had fought against each other? There is not one bit of real historical fact in the film. It is about an imaginary friendship between two real superheroes.
Kaliningrad: The 7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on October 28 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia, the navy said.

During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as Tushil by Datla Vidya Varma, the Navy said in a statement. "Tushil" is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield, it said.

Based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of Russian Federation for the construction of two ships of Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the contract for construction of two ships was signed between India and Russia on Oct 18.

The construction of these ships is based on the Indian Navy's specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of Air, Surface and Sub-surface. The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian Weapons and Sensors are equipped to operate in Littoral and Blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force, the release said.

They feature "stealth technology" in terms of low radar and underwater noise signatures. These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as Surface to Surface Missiles, Sonar system, Surface Surveillance Radar, Communication Suite and ASW system along with Russian Surface to Air Missiles and gun mounts.

The stealth frigate was launched in presence of D Bala Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India (Moscow) and senior dignitaries of the Russian Federation and officials of the Indian Navy.

Ilya Samarin, Director General, Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, in his address dwelt upon the challenges faced by the shipyard in executing the complex shipbuilding project. Despite challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, production of the ships was continued by the utilisation of innovative solutions. He thanked the Indian Government for their unstinted support and reiterated the shipyard's commitment to delivering the ships as per contractual timelines.

D Bala Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India (Moscow), highlighted the long-standing tradition of Military-Technical Cooperation between India and Russia. He acknowledged the efforts put in by the Yantar Shipyard to ensure that the ship was launched as per contractual timelines overcoming the challenges imposed by COVID-19.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has referred 'drugs and bitcoin scam' to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) because of the international nature of transactions.

While speaking to ANI on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said, "Officials have conducted an enquiry. Karnataka government had filed the case in 2020 and we've completed the investigation in 3 cases and they have been charge-sheeted."

Bommai further stated that his government has launched a crackdown on drugs, bitcoin and online gaming in the state.

"The case further referred to ED, CBI because of international nature of transactions. So there is nothing to hide. I have raised a war on drugs, bitcoin and all these online gaming," said Karnataka CM.

Earlier on Thursday, former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah alleged that politicians and officials were involved in a Bitcoin scam in the state and that the investigation agencies are trying to safeguard them.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar claimed that it took place on a large scale and said that it is shocking to hear the names of police officers, political leaders and businessmen in the scam.

"The bitcoin scandal has taken place on a large scale, with big names being heard in the scam in Karnataka. I have been trying to collect information. It is shocking to hear the names of police officers, political leaders and businessmen," he told reporters here on Thursday.

Notably, these allegations come ahead of by-polls scheduled in Karnataka in two constituencies.
New Delhi: In what is being seen as a clear message to Beijing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday co-chaired the 18th India-Asean Summit with leaders of nine of the 10 Asean nations, with the leaders affirming the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea, and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight.

A Joint Statement on cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region was also adopted at the Summit, with New Delhi reiterating its support for Asean centrality in the Indo-Pacific region and also the freedom of navigation. Maritime cooperation will also be strengthened.

Top MEA officials said that the leaders exchanged views on the situation in Myanmar at the Summit. MEA officials said India would continue to support peace and restoration of the democratic process in Myanmar. The menace of terrorism was also discussed by the leaders, with PM Modi calling for a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism.

In its Statement, the MEA said, PM Narendra Modi today participated in the 18th India-Asean Summit at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the current Chair of Asean. The Summit was held virtually and saw participation from the Leaders of Asean Member States.

The MEA further said, Highlighting the milestone of 30th anniversary of India-Asean Partnership, the leaders announced the Year 2022 as India-Asean Friendship Year. Prime Minister underlined the centrality of Asean in Indias Act East Policy and in Indias Vision for the wider Indo-Pacific Vision.

New Delhi added, On COVID-19, the Prime Minister highlighted Indias efforts in the fight against the pandemic in the region and also reiterated support for ASEANs initiatives in this regard. India has contributed medical supplies worth USD 200,000 to ASEANs humanitarian initiative for Myanmar and USD 1 million for ASEANs Covid-19 Response Fund.

On trade and investment, he underlined the importance of diversification and resilience of supply chains for post-COVID economic recovery and in this regard, the need to revamp the India-ASEAN FTA, New Delhi said.

The MEA added, The discussions also covered regional and international issues of common interest and concern, including South China Sea and terrorism. Both sides noted the importance of promoting a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS. The leaders affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea, and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight.
According to D.Madhuri Reddy, counsel for the Andhra Pradesh government in NGT, the southern bench of NGT in Chennai issued orders to this effect on Friday. (Twitter)

Hyderabad: In a jolt to Telangana state government, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday ordered a stay on Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project. It directed Telangana government not to go ahead with the projects until environmental clearances are obtained from the Centre.

According to D.Madhuri Reddy, counsel for the Andhra Pradesh government in NGT, the southern bench of NGT in Chennai issued orders to this effect on Friday.

The AP government impleaded in a petition filed by a resident of Mahbubnagar district in the National Green Tribunal in August this year against the project alleging environmental violations.

Earlier in July this year, the NGT ordered the constitution of the joint committee to inspect project works following the petition filed by D Chandramouleswara Reddy, a farmer from Kadapa, along with other farmers from Rayalaseema, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts against the project.

In the petition, the AP government alleged that the TS government dubiously and artificially divided the PRLIS into two phases  irrigation (83.9 TMC) and drinking water with evaporation losses (6.1 TMC)  to evade legal scrutiny.

The NGT's joint committee inspected projects works in September and submitted a report to NGT in October first week stating that Telangana took up irrigation works in Palamuru-Rangareddy project, instead of permitted drinking water component works. The NGT said that it is a violation of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2016. The joint committee suggested imposition of an environmental compensation of Rs 3,70,87,500 on Telangana.

Following this, the NGT Chennai bench ordered a stay on Palarmaru-Rangareddy project works.
Rome: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Italy on Friday to participate in the two-day G20 Summit, the global forum for international cooperation.

PM Modi is likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit including one with Italian PM Mario Draghi.

Sources stated that ahead of the summit, PM Modi is scheduled to have a brief meeting with European Union President Ursula Von Der Leyen and President of European Council Charles Michel on Friday.

Apart from attending the summit, which has its focus on the global economy, health, sustainable development, environment and climate change, there are likely to be meeting with heads of several states.

Sources claimed that there are at least three such meets lined up on the sidelines on the first day of the Summit. PM Modi will use this opportunity to ensure greater cooperation from the nation's participating in the G20 summit.

PM Modi is expected to be hosted at the residence of the Italian PM in the evening. On October 30, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican early morning and will attend the G20 summit that has "Global Economy and Global Health" as the first session.

The same day, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to have a meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron and a meeting with the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo. PM Modi is expected to have a meeting with Singapore PM Lee Hosein Loong as well.

The next day, the Prime Minister is expected to have a meeting with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 summit besides participating in discussions on "Climate Change and Environment and Sustainable Development". There will be a global summit on supply chain resilience, sources said.

Indian Sherpa Piyush Goyal has held various meetings with his counterparts.

Later today, PM Modi will pay floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Piazza Gandhi. Sources stated that there is a cultural event that PM Modi can attend and is likely to visit some historical sites as well.

G20 is a global forum whose members account for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent population. The theme of this G20 meet under the Italian Presidency is centred around 'People, Planet and Prosperity.'

The Summit is being attended by heads of state, governments of G20 member countries, the European Union and other invited countries and international organisations.
The apex court granted liberty to the petitioner to make a representation to the Karnataka government on the issue. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging the Karnataka government's decision to restrict entry from Kerala at borders of Kasaragod and Mangalore only to those having a negative RT-PCR report saying there was no violation of the fundamental rights of persons.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai observed that COVID has not yet ended and the conditions imposed are not unreasonable and issued in the larger public interest.

The apex court said otherwise there is no restriction on the movement of citizens from Kerala to Karnataka.

The bench said the earlier restrictions have been relaxed by Karnataka by issuing a revised circular dated July 31, 2021, which had relaxed the requirement for RT-PCR test taken within 15 days from the date of travel.

This was done in the interest of students, business professionals, and others, it said.

"The rights of movement of individuals from the State of Kerala to the State of Karnataka is not restricted. There is no violation of any fundamental rights of persons in Kasargod district to travel to Mangalore or other parts of Karnataka. Circulars issued by the State of Karnataka cannot be interfered with by this court in the interest of larger public health. Therefore we see no reason to interfere," the bench said.

The apex court granted liberty to the petitioner to make a representation to the Karnataka government on the issue.

Advocate Haris Beeran, appearing for a Kerala MLA, submitted that the people in Kasargod depend on Mangalore city for education, medicare, and other needs.

It was also his contention that their travel to Mangalore daily has been inhibited by the circulars issued by Karnataka.

Beeran referred to the guidelines issued by the Centre to the states and Union Territories (UTs) which asked not to place any restrictions on the intra-state movement of persons and goods by air, water, or road.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Manjeshwar constituency MLA A K M Ashraf challenging the September 28 order of the Kerala High Court which had dismissed two pleas challenging the Karnataka government's decision to restrict entry from Kerala at borders of Kasaragod and Mangalore only to those having a negative RT-PCR report, saying the neighbouring state was well within its powers to issue such directions.

The high court had said it was an admitted fact there was no blockade of the roads from Kerala to Karnataka and the restrictions, like a negative RT-PCR certificate, were imposed within that state because of the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 pandemic prevalent in Kerala.

"Therefore, going by the guidelines issued by the central government, it is clear that under any such circumstances, the states are given the power and responsibility to impose reasonable restrictions, to combat the disease.

"Therefore, state of Karnataka was well within its powers to issue circulars, orders or guidelines under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in consonance with various guidelines issued by the central government," the high court had said while dismissing the two PILs, one by Ashraf and the other by Jayananda K R, the Secretary of Rastrakavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai Smaraka Samithi.

The high court had said that the Karnataka government has the necessary leverage to issue circulars, taking into account the situations prevailing in the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra.

"Viewed from that angle, it can never be said that a part of the cause of action for the writ petitions has arisen within the state of Kerala. This is more so when there is no absolute prohibition for the citizens of Kerala to travel to Karnataka by any means, but we can only view it as restrictions imposed by the state of Karnataka.

"Whether the restrictions imposed within the State of Karnataka are reasonable or not, is a matter to be considered and decided by the jurisdictional High Court," the bench had said.
Lucknow: Scotching speculation over the BJP's chief ministerial face in the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Yogi Adityanath has to become chief minister in 2022 for Narendra Modi to be sworn in as the prime minister again in 2024.

The Union Home Minister also asserted that the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls will lay the foundation for the BJP's victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The remarks by Shah at a function kick-starting the BJP's membership expansion drive here assumes significance amidst reports of differing opinions among state leaders on whether the party should fight the 2022 elections under the leadership of Adityanath.

Shah also addressed the party's Shakti Kendra conveners and in-charges of the Awadh region at the event at the Defence Expo Ground here.

On the occasion, the former BJP president released a slogan, 'Mera Parivar, BJP Parivar' amid the party consistently dubbing its rivals and opposition parties as "family-run parties".

"When Modi Ji is the prime minister, he gives all that is required by Uttar Pradesh. The foundation of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which has to be won under the leadership of Modi Ji will be laid in the 2022 assembly elections here, the Union Home Minister said.

"Modi Ji has to be made the prime minister in 2024 and Yogi ji will have to be made the UP chief minister once again in 2022, he said.

Noting that the election is meant to make Bharat Mata a 'vishwaguru' (world leader), Shah said after Diwali, the electioneering will gain momentum and exhorted party workers to work dedicatedly for it.

"When the BJP men come out and walk with the lotus flag and its slogans, the opposition parties start feeling threatened, he said, further exhorting the party workers to aim at winning more than 300 seats in the upcoming UP assembly polls.

Pointing that the BJP's membership expansion drives were also started before the 2014, 2017 and 2019 elections, Shah said the membership campaign before the 2022 elections is being launched on Friday.

Recalling the glorious past of the state, Shah said since the Mughal rule till the BJP came to power in 2017 with a full majority, it never appeared that Uttar Pradesh is the land of Baba Vishwanath, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.

He emphasised that the BJP worked for getting the right recognition due to the state and took it ahead to empower it further.

"The BJP has proved for the first time that governments are formed not for the family but for the poorest of the poor in the state, he said, taking a dig at various opposition parties.

Attacking opposition parties and leaders, especially Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his poll-related activities, Shah said, "After the drums of elections were sounded, those who were sitting at home have come out in new clothes to show that their government is going to be formed."

"I ask Akhilesh (Yadav) to give an account for how many days he stayed abroad in five years, give the account to the people of UP," he said.

"These people ruled for themselves, for their families and if they had any broader thinking, it was for their caste men but never for anyone else, Shah further taunted.

Recalling the 1990 police firing at Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya during the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, Shah said these people had in 2014, 2017 and 2019 mocked the BJP with their slogans mandir wahin banayenge, par tithi nahi batayenge (Will build the temple there but won't tell the date when it will start). But the foundation stone of a grand Lord Ram Lala temple has already been laid in Ayodhya today and the construction work is on in full swing, he said.

Under the guidance of Modi Ji, Yogi Ji has run the government for the poor, women, youth and the unemployed, he stressed, lauding the working of the Adityanath government.

Shah also attacked the Gandhi and Vadra families of the Congress along with the SP and the BSP.

The former BJP president was welcomed by senior leaders and ministers, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Lucknow on his arrival.
While the high-flying Mr Khare did not superannuate as a Cabinet secretary as some had expected given his stellar track record, he still retains key to the mighty PMO. (Twitter)

Cautious but gets the job done, is what one senior colleague says of him. Most observers agree that this one vital trait has helped Amit Khare rise to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) as his new advisor. This, and the fact that he has steered two of the NDA governments flagship policies  National Education Policy and the IT Rules  explain why the 1985-batch IAS officer from the Jharkhand cadre who retired last month, is seen as among the handful of babus considered indispensable by the NDA government.

So, while the high-flying Mr Khare did not superannuate as a Cabinet secretary as some had expected given his stellar track record, he still retains key to the mighty PMO. And given the buzz surrounding his appointment, he may well outshine the Cabinet secretary during his new two-year tenure and may well become principal secretary to PM. Dont forget though that Rajiv Gauba himself had handpicked him for earlier stints.

Though he has always enjoyed the confidence of his political masters, even in the UPA years, his real stellar rise in the current government may be traced to his days as secretary for information and broadcasting, where he swiftly earned Narendra Modis attention and was made responsible for all communication strategies. It also gave him better access to the PMO. He will need all these formidable skills to steer the government through key state elections next year as also the lingering post-Covid scenario.

Govt sets ball rolling for secy-level appointments

Last month (September 22) this column had reported about the babu shortage at the Centre, with multiple secretary-level vacancies, including in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) even as several eligible officers are still waiting to be summoned for these vacant slots. But the recent and long-awaited empanelment of 12 IAS officers from the 1985 and 1987-89 batches and 27 IAS officers of the 1990 batch is a clear sign that the government is now planning to fill some of the current vacancies as well those that will arise in the next few months due to the retirement of some babus. Babu observers have been quick to note that only one Gujarat cadre officer is in the list. Curious, since this states cadre usually holds a special place in the NDA government.

At present several secretary-level posts are vacant in the steel, drinking water and sanitation ministries and the department of border management, among others, are vacant. This situation also prevails in the department of biotechnology and the department of science and technology, though these two posts are usually earmarked for scientists. Also, there are several babus lined up for retirement. In the coming weeks, secretary-level vacancies will come up in the ministries of petroleum and natural gas, housing and urban affairs and environment, forests and climate change. For instance, Tarun Kapoor will retire as petroleum secretary next month while Rameshwar Prasad Gupta will retire as environment secretary in December.

With such critical posts vacant or soon to be vacated, the decisions have to be taken sooner than later. The latest round of empanelment has now opened the avenues for the government to start making secretary-level appointments.

IFoS officers trigger a rumble in the jungle

A piquant situation has developed in Karnataka where several Indian Forest Service (IFoS) cadre posts are filled with non-cadre officers. B.K. Singh, a former principal chief conservator of forests, says that the trend has only become more pronounced over the years, irrespective of which party is in government in the state. IFS officers now tend to get posted outside the forest department, which is severely impacting the conservation and development of forests. It is said that currently, more than 42 cadre posts are vacant across the state.

IFS officers are now being posted in the state tourism department, agriculture department and even disaster management, among others. Sources say that many of these appointments have been made without prior approval from the Central government. Though the forest services never complained initially, its now a rumble in the jungle.

They point out that the rules state explicitly that a cadre post shall not be filled by a person who is not a cadre officer except in case no cadre officer is available. In that case, the non-cadre officer will be replaced when a suitable cadre officer becomes available.

But in the case of Karnataka, the government has allegedly contravened the IFoS cadre rules by appointing non-cadre officers to cadre posts, without approval from Delhi.

Share a babu experience! Follow dilipthecherian@Twitter.com. Lets multiply the effect.
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Elk Grove, CA (95624)

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A paramilitary soldier patrols past a shop that was set on fire in Rowa village, about 220 kilometers from Agartala, in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, Wednesday, Oct. 27 2021. Tensions were high in parts of Tripura state on Friday after a string of attacks against minority Muslims, seen as retaliation for the violence against Hindus in bordering Bangladesh earlier this month. State authorities deployed police and paramilitary troops and banned the assembly of more than five people in areas where attacks were reported. Police said at least one mosque, several shops and homes belonging to Muslims in the northern part of the state had been vandalized since Tuesday. No deaths have been reported.
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Galt, CA (95632)

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Galt, CA (95632)

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Russian gas company has suggested Moldova can access gas supplies at a cheaper rate if its free trade deal with the EU is implemented with modifications. An energy shortage has struck Europe as the supply of gas on the tap is significantly reduced, driving itself to a crisis.

Vladimir Putin told the EU states the gas is flowing but will stop without a contract renewal with Gazprom, the top gas firm in Russia.

A recent meeting with members of the EU has led to no unified move, as nine of them are not revising the regulation for energy supplies.

Kremlin exerts extra effort to deliver the most in demand gas

Many European Union leaders have expressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the gas as a weapon to step on the west's neck as it suffers an energy crisis, reported the Express UK.

One report by the Swift headline stated that Gazprom requested a delay in implementing EU regulation, which will make the gas market liberal and competitive in the long run.

After Moldova's gas contract with the Russian gas supplier ended, the government declared an emergency. The deal ended in September with the country and supplier still deciding on the price of the gas? The company seeks a new deal to supply them.

To that effect, Gazprom made it clear gas exported to Moldova would stop, pending payment for previous deliveries before. Also, no contract has been negotiated for December either, and the firm stated last Saturday.

Maia Sandu's pro-west government bought about one million cubic meters of natural gas by force. This is a trial buy of energy supplies to have more than one provider, cited Reuters.

But the Russian gas company 'Gazprom' offers less price should Maia Sandu relax the restrictive EU rules, which it is about to implement soon.

Read Also: French President Macron Says Global Oil System Needs To Stabilize As it Would Compromise Transition to Renewable Energy

The Moldova government reported that it signed a contract regarding a trial purchase of natural gas via state-owned company Energocom and Polish firm PGNiG.

A statement issued by the government sources says that it has made the first purchase from other sources in the country's history.

To date, the government is in talks with Russia's most prominent supplier, Gazprom, during the week to get a fair price. As stated by Andrei Spinu, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei of Moldova last Monday, noted AP News.

EU reeling from the power crunch

Due to the dire straits of its energy shortage, the country has sought assistance from the European Union and Ukraine to help alleviate the energy crisis.

Sandu prefers the EU over the Russian federation favored by the defeated Igor Dodon in last year's election for the president of Moldova.

She is to blame, said the opposing party. Going to Moscow would have initiated a new deal. But she chooses to depend on the EU for support, which is now reeling from the power crunch.

Instead, Sandu shot back it was the job of companies to do such negotiations and deals.

Russia blamed for EU's energy problem

Ukraine says that Russia has used the gas problem as leverage against the whole of the EU, but the Kremlin says it is not their fault, saying the flawed policy of the European Union is to blame. Members of the bloc are arguing over the specifics of dealing with the energy shortage.

For Moldova's gas needs, the Russian gas company 'Gazprom' has solutions, and restrictive EU rules should be shelved for now, though the firm assures cheaper gas if it complies.

Related Article: Russian Ambassador Says To Stop Accusing Putin of Weaponizing Gas Supplies, States the Nord Stream 2 Could Alleviate the UK Fuel Crisis

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The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) said that it is untrue Dr. Anthony Fauci experimented on torturing monkeys and scaring them after reports came out. People expressed outrage at the news that his research included torturing and scaring them in connection to his research.

But the NIMH just discounted it as another conspiracy theory against the chief scientist who has been unpopular as of late. Finding out that the researcher embarked on such cruel experiments, cruelly scaring monkeys to some, is too much.

Experiments on primates were done by the agency, not by Fauci

The NIMF told Reuters that their agency was conducting that specific study, not him, to clear Fauci. The doctor's agency National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is blameless based on the admission.

A report by NBC News further mentioned the cost of the research was almost $100 million to study monkey brains from 2007. Approximately about $16 is the cost of a study to probe the way monkeys would be terrified of rubber snakes and fake spiders.

According to conservative activist Candace Owens, last October 24, she posted this statement going through the experiments done by Fauci on social media. One of the most alarming is the use of acid to destroy parts of a monkey's brain to make it more terrorized. Though not human, these animals, humans are close to them genetically, reported the Independent.

The reaction of users on Facebook and Twitter was a mix of irony and sarcasm to the news of experimenting cruelly on primates. They were horrified how he would allow such barbarity and not do anything about it but continue studying it.

Read Also: Coronavirus Facts Not Acceptable If It Fails to Match Anyone's Worldview, Dr. Fauci Says

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is just a sub-agency part of the Department of Health and Human Services. NIMH is only one of 27 institutes and centers under the NIH.

Fauci's agency is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the agencies under the health agency. One spokesperson said that the particular study was not given funds by the NIAID, where the expert is the chief from 1984.

A statement said that animal studies are crucial to learning about the brain in health and disease, the NIMH supports research appropriately done with the highest scientific and ethical principles.

The animals used for NIH research are experimented on but protected with laws, regulations, and policies that ensure they get human treatment.

Animal welfare advocates condemn the experiments

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has severely criticized all these studies. A year ago, a video was obtained about the NIMH studies that were done on monkeys with damaged brains for a specific experiment to probe further. It was the White Coat Waste Project that shared the video showing animal cruelty. It was obtainable through the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, obtained via a DC federal court.

In 2020, several lawmakers composed of a bipartisan group asked if the research done by the NIMH was deserving of the funding it got.

The reports about the experiments done on the monkeys at NIMH in Maryland show why more oversight is needed in this concern. They say similarities between man and monkey is something to consider. When Fauci experimented by torturing monkeys and scaring them, might have crossed the line.

Related Article: Dr. Anthony Fauci Dismisses White House Tirades, Urges Instead to Fight Coronavirus

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A life insurance scammer gets caught with four cohorts after involving a dead homeless man with a poisonous cobra. They used the deceased to convince a policy to pay for death benefits under false pretenses but were caught red-handed by Indian police.

The mastermind and alleged accomplices whose scheme was exposed by the investigators ended in arrest. They thought it to be foolproof when they killed the homeless man, and it would be an instant life insurance payout, but they weren't ingenious enough to outsmart the police.

Scammer fakes own death to claim $5 million life insurance benefits

The report said that Prabhakar Bhimaji Waghchaure, 54, a resident in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, had killed Navnath Yashwant Aanap, 50, using a deadly cobra. From there, the accused used the corpse to claim about $5 million of life insurance from a US-based company, reported the Daily Star.

Several of the suspect cohorts of Waghchaure is Praveen, his nephew, together with a local Harshad Lahamge, who both identified the body as Waghchaure. The mastermind just came home to India, living as an ex-pat in the USA.

UNILAD reports the preliminary medical examination noted that a poisonous snake killed the man. Authorities then gave the body to Praveen for burial rituals.

But, the scammer and its perpetrators were exposed by investigators who looked into the claims of the policy. The fraudsters may not have been aware of that information about the alleged death of the 54-year-old, the life insurance scammer.

Read Also: Russian Man Dies From Unforeseen Complication While Doing Snake Swallowing Stunt

Insurance probe reveals homeless man used to represent the scammer

Insurance investigators visited the deceased man's home, and the probers asked the locals questions. One of the neighbors said they did not know anything about a snake incident, but they saw an ambulance during the alleged incident.

One of the people involved, Lahamge, was asked questions by the police and said that Lahamge claimed Praveen got sick and died from COVID-19.

The investigators could not trace any of Waghchaure's relatives but got a lead from his phone information. He was not dead but still living and breathing, posing as Praveen at the hospital and staying someplace else undeclared, cite the Sun UK.

Police Superintendent Manoj Patil stated that the insurance probe had a prior claim in 2017. The fraudster wanted to get money for his wife's death, which prompted the investigator to probe the current claim further.

He added that the wife of Waghchaure is alive, with other cohorts in the fraud scheme. They got the snake from a rescuer of snakes, choosing a cobra specifically.

The last part was to look for a homeless person, who can be mistaken for Waghchaure, and get the shake to bite the victim. Then the 54-year-old would impersonate Praveen and report the snakebite incident.

Leading the victim to his death, they took him by force with Waghchaure to where they would kill Aanap. The snake bit him on the toe because the handler Harish Kulal forced the snake to bit.

When the body was ready, they took it to the supposed dead man's home, then called an ambulance to report the death of Waghchaure.

Others involved in the confusing case are Sandeep Talekar and Prashant Chaudhary, the relatives of Prabhakar Bhimaji Waghchaure, the insurance scammer, found Aanap, the victim, and Lahamge, who managed to get the cobra.

Related Article: Chinese Chef Dies After Severed Snake Head Bit Him in Kitchen Tragedy

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The Vatican unexpectedly canceled a scheduled live broadcast of President Joe Biden visiting Pope Francis on Thursday, the Holy See's latest limitation on media access.

The Vatican press office gave no explanation for why the live coverage of Biden's visit was cut to merely the arrival of the president's motorcade in the Apostolic Palace courtyard, where he would be greeted by a Vatican monsignor.

Any live coverage of Biden greeting the Pope in the Throne Room of the palace was canceled, as was any live footage of the two men sitting down to begin their private conversations in Francis' library, when the cameras would ordinarily have ceased operating.

Joe Biden will have personal and political meeting with Pope Francis

The Vatican said it will give credentialed journalists with edited footage of the encounter after it occurred, Daily Mail reported. Biden, the second Catholic president of the United States, has seen Pope Francis three times before, but this will be his first meeting as president.

The audience was being closely watched since the United States bishops are meeting in a few weeks for their annual fall assembly, and one of the agenda issues has been inspired by conservatives who believe Biden's support for abortion rights should bar him from taking Communion.

Though any letter issued by the bishops' conference is unlikely to identify Biden by name, it's probable that there will be a strong message of condemnation. Francis has emphasized the church's opposition to abortion, referring to it as "murder." However, he has stated that bishops should be pastors rather than politicians.

A Roman Catholic president will visit the Vatican for only the second time in US history to meet with his church's leader, as per NBC News. But Friday's encounter will be unlike any other between a pope and a president, more of a reunion between two men who have grown close personally and politically over the previous decade.

Read Also: Kim Jong Un Starves Citizens as North Korea's Leader Order To Lessen the Food They Eat Until 2025

Vatican canceled live broadcast plan

Whereas John F. Kennedy was careful to establish his independence from Rome, Biden has not shied away from highlighting how his faith has shaped his career, nor from the relationship he's formed with Francis, which is based on shared faith and philosophy and has deepened through multiple face-to-face meetings.

They'll gather for the first time as peers and fellow chiefs of state, with topics including climate change, poverty, and the global reaction to COVID-19 on the agenda.

But it was a highly personal moment between them a few days later that proved the most impactful. Just three months after Biden had buried his oldest son, Beau, Pope Francis conducted a private audience with Biden and his family before leaving the United States from Philadelphia.

Biden introduced Pope Francis to his family, including his son's widow and children, one by one in a small, unremarkable room at the airport before the group sat down for a long talk.

Per Voice of America, the administration sources said the two have met three times and exchanged letters, and Biden has met with both of Francis' predecessors. This Pope's audience will not be shown live on television.

The Vatican canceled a planned live broadcast of the conference on Thursday, which Biden would attend before flying to Rome for the G-20 summit and then to Glasgow, Scotland for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Related Article: Joe Biden, Democrats Vow To "Make Billionaires Cry" With Tax on Rich as They Race in Finalizing Spending Package



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The Biden administration is contemplating paying hundreds of millions of dollars to migrant families that were separated at the southern border during Trump's government a total of $1 billion.

Proposal of Federal Agencies

In a recently published article in National Review, officials from the departments of HHS, Homeland Security, and Justice have proposed paying each individual $450,000, or nearly $1 million per two-person family, to settle claims about the long-term traumatic and psychological effects of being torn apart as a result of former President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance policy.

The payments are in response to challenges brought in the wake of the policy's implementation, which began in April 2020 and ended in June 2020. Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union believes that the Trump Administration separated about 5,500 children from their parents.

Moreover, these children were separated at the border and transported to HHS facilities, while their parents were sent for prosecution for unlawfully crossing the border between the United States and Mexico. Families were unable to be imprisoned throughout the legal processes, which led to the separations, according to a report published in Salon.

Read Also: US Judge Issues Ruling To Protect Migrants at US Borders From Being Expelled by Biden Administration

Elements of Lawsuits Filed by Parents

The action comes as federal agencies work through a backlog of cases brought by parents whose children were taken from their care forcefully and reportedly experienced long-term trauma as a consequence of the so-called "zero-tolerance" policy.

Based on the claims, several of the youngsters suffered from a variety of illnesses, including heat exhaustion and hunger, and were held in dangerously cold quarters with insufficient medical care, according to a published report in MSN News.

Many of the complaints detail long-term mental-health issues for the children as a result of the months they were separated from their parents in dangerous circumstances, such as anxiety, a fear of strangers, and nightmares. According to some of the victims, the lawsuits seek a variety of settlements, with the average claim being about $3.4 million per household.

Lawyers Currently Negotiating for Settlement

In a published article in The Wall Street Journal, in terms of a schedule, migrant attorneys have reportedly said in court that they are now discussing settlements with the Biden Administration and hoped to strike an agreement by the end of November.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's immigrant-rights project and a lead negotiator on one of the lawsuits said that President Biden has agreed that the issue of family separation is a moral stain on the country that must be adequately addressed. Not only must that remedy involve substantial monetary compensation, but it must also give the means to stay in the nation.

On the other hand, the strategy had enraged Republican legislators, who maintain that the administration did nothing wrong when it separated children from their parents as a deterrence to families considering illegally entering the U.S. through the borders.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said that the Biden administration's promises of citizenship and entitlement programs have already exacerbated the greatest border crisis in history, and a large monetary prize would further exacerbate the situation.

Related Article: Biden Promises Migrants Entry at the Border



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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that her city would use a $35 million fund to try out a new universal basic income program for one year to give 5,000 low-income families $500 payments.

The official said that while the universal basic income program may be controversial for some, it just made sense for her. However, Lightfoot noted that while people should be taught how to fend for themselves, the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic has forced many into financial ruin. She said the program was a simple way for lawmakers to support families and prevent them from falling deeper into despair.

Universal Basic Income Program

Lightfoot's plan comes as part of the Chicago mayor's $16.7 billion budget for 2022, which was passed on Wednesday during a City Council meeting. After the win, the official touted the approval of the budget as the "most progressive budget ever in the history" of Chicago.

Chicago officials will be using about $2 billion funds they received from the American Rescue Plan enacted by United States President Joe Biden's administration. Despite the majority of the city's 50 aldermen expressing their support of the decision to use the funds that way, the 20 members of Chicago's Balck Caucus argued it should have gone to violence prevention programs, The Hill reported.

In support of the funding, Lightfoot said it was a way for the city's government to assist "hard-hit, low-income households in need of additional economic stability. Similar efforts, which have been tested in other areas such as California and New York, were under the title of universal basic income and gave financial support to people who have been struggling to pay for necessities.

Read Also: Donald Trump And His Administration Accused of Messing Up Their COVID-19 Response; Former Coordinator Says 40 Percent of Deaths Could've Been Prevented

During her budget address, the Chicago mayor said that they would not be reducing city services and reassured that there would be no city layoffs due to the program's funding. Lightfoot aims to use the city's money from the federal government to counter rising pension costs in the region.

Additionally, the proposed spending plan and federal relief funds include a budget used for police, boosting affordable housing, efforts to clean vacant lots, and planting 75,000 trees, NBC Chicago reported.

Financial Support

The recent announcement marks when Chicago has become the last city in the United States to offer monthly cash payments to residents. Participants who will receive part of the budget will be chosen randomly, but only those who earn less than $35,000 annually will be eligible for the program.

Lightfoot aims to relieve financial burdens on families that are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities previously revealed that hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents lost their jobs due to the effects of the health crisis in its first six months. It was also reported that roughly 18% of Chicago residents are living below the federal poverty line.

"Growing up, I knew what it felt like to live check to check. When you're in need, every bit of income helps," wrote Lightfoot earlier this month on Twitter, Business Insider reported.

Related Article: House Select Committee Rears Back on Requests For Trump Records Due to Potentially Lengthy Court Battle

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Parents who have not yet signed up for advance Child Tax Credit payments may have to wait until 2022, although it is possible that some families will get up to $7,200 in Child Tax Credit payments from the IRS next year.

The Child Tax Credit program has been increased from the previous $2,000 yearly mark to $3,60 per year, allowing families to claim $300 per child under the age of six and $250 per child between the ages of six and seventeen on a monthly basis.

However, as a result of the delay, those families who did not sign up for the Child Tax Credit payments in 2021 but were entitled to do so will be able to receive up to $7,200 per child in 2022.

Before the second half of the Child Tax Credit, payment is given out to parents in 2022, there are only monthly installments left in 2021. Officials claim the IRS is overworked and understaffed, which is why some people have received payments in certain months but not others.

As upsetting as it may be, it is critical to maintain patience and remember that any Child Tax Credit payments owed to you can be claimed the following year.

The IRS advises that you keep a close monitor on your bank account since the expected stimulus payments may arrive on a date other than the 15th of each month, which is when most Americans get them.

As a result, if you owe one or more payments, it's possible that they'll arrive at any time. Per MARCA, experts advise looking at the code connected with the deposit and tracking it carefully to submit personal income taxes correctly in the spring.

Read Also: Others May Receive a Fourth Federal Stimulus Check Worth $1,400; Here's Who Are Eligible and When They Can Get One!

Why haven't I got my Child Tax Credit payment 2021?

According to CNET, there are a few potential reasons why your family hasn't gotten a stimulus payment in July, August, September, or October.

You may not have gotten a September payment if you're married filing jointly and just one spouse recently changed their bank account or address in the IRS Update Portal. This was a technical issue that should have been resolved.

According to an IRS statement issued last month, around 700,000 households, or 2% of those eligible for the credit, did not get their payment on Sept. 15. The impacted households should have received their compensation by now.

Your money was delivered via mail, and the US Postal Service is still holding it up. In August, millions of households got stimulus checks through snail mail instead of direct deposit due to a technical glitch.

You have a mixed-status family with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (or where one parent is an immigrant and the child has a Social Security number). Those families may not have gotten their first July payment due to an IRS blunder, but they should have been eligible for modified amounts in August and September.

Because your family did not submit a tax return in 2019 or 2020, the IRS is unaware that you are eligible. If that's the case, register for payments via the nonfiler registration option online by the extended Nov. 15 deadline.

Even though you now have a primary home in the United States, the IRS believes you do not qualify since you spent less than half of the year in the United States in 2019 or 2020.

After you filed a 2020 tax return, your new child or adopted dependent became a member of your household, and you haven't been able to update that info in the IRS system yet (the option to add dependents should be available this fall).

Even though your condition has altered in 2021, your household's circumstances in 2020 disqualified you. If your income was previously too high or your custody arrangement changed, this may be the case.

Using the IRS Update Portal, you are unenrolled from this year's advance monthly payments. If this is the case, the credit will be given to your family when you submit your taxes in 2022. You'll be able to re-enroll in the monthly payment scheme later this fall if you choose.

Will there be more Child Tax Credit payment?

According to some news sites, families in 2022 may be eligible for Child Tax Credits of up to $7,200 per kid. Although no formal advice on whether families would get this amount has been issued, one possibility might make it a reality.

In 2021, eligible families will get $3,600 for each child under the age of six and $3,000 for every child aged six to seventeen. Many households are already getting monthly payments for half of their credit.

Those who do not get the monthly installments will be given a full refund when they file their 2021 tax returns next year. Suppose lawmakers prolong the increased Child Tax Credit through 2022 without reducing the present credit level. In that case, those households could earn $7,200 per child under the age of six ($6,000 per child ages six to 17) - effectively giving those families two full credits in one year.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden met with senators and lobbied for a one-year extension of the tax credit's monthly advance payments. Millions of children are believed to have been pulled out of poverty and millions more from food insecurity as a result of the advance payments, as per Go Banking Rates via Yahoo.

Related Article: Delayed or Missing October Child Tax Credit Stimulus Payment? Here's IRS Contact Details To Trace Your Money!

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Rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific arose when the EU bloc violated the 'One China Principle' by planning a Taiwanese diplomatic mission soon. The plan comes after the US was caught sending troops to Taipei, which Beijing said there would be consequences.

The US is allegedly goading its allies to face the Chinese in the South China Sea and all waterways in that region of the world.

One of the possible reasons why the focus in the east is the loss of Afghanistan is a significant factor that dictates this move by the Biden administration.

Taipei official visit to Brussels violates the One China policy

A new rift between Brussels and Beijing signals worse tensions after the mainland government told the European Union leaders to leave Taiwan alone, reported the Express UK.

Sources say that Chinese officials are incensed at a visit to Brussel by a Taipei official on an EU tour to show that the island is independent. For President Xi Jinping, the island is part of China.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has been to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Reuters will expect him to be at an anti-China demonstration in Rome by the week's end.

By chance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be visiting Italy at the same time.

Beijing would not let the Czech Senate off the hook for violating One China, saying it was a very provocative act to do. Also, Wu was criticized for promoting secessionism in his EU trip.

But that will be nothing when the Taiwanese official goes to Brussels itself. Help along by the EU bloc violating 'One China Principle' without concern.

Read Also: China Reveals New Stealth Anti-Satellite Weapon; Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Technology Rattles the US

The EU gets an earful from China

According to an EU representative, she knew about the state visit by the official, and they will be talking to Taipei even if they aren't recognized officially, cited Politico.

Beijing sent a terse response to the EU. It read that China opposes any interactions by any nation with Taiwan, especially countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing, states by the Chinese Mission to the EU (CMEU), which is clear.

It got wind of a planned trip by British members of parliament (MEPs) to the island planned for next week.

The CMEU posted on social media their response to that. Saying the MEP's trip will compromise the EU promise to a One-China and cause damage to their relationship. It was essentially causing potential problems that would have repercussions.

Sources say the US is increasing its influence to affect the dispute with China, which is getting more pronounced, detrimental to the EU more than the US.

Recently the elected president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, said that she believes the US will not abandon Taiwan if the PLA decides to start an armed takeover of the Republic of China (ROC).

The recent fall of Kabul has made much doubt the US couldn't stop third world insurgents, much less a modern army like China despite the brazen pronouncements for the White House that China has heard.

Tsai Ing-wen admitted there is US military adviser on the island herself and added Washington and Taipei are working together in defense matters.

Allegedly the US might be stoking the tension that Beijing will unify by force. For now, the mainland Chinese government has remained silent.

Along with the EU bloc violating the 'One China Principle' creating tension, Joe Biden's pivot to Asia has bothered experts about the sudden move to repulse China if it assaults.

Related Article: New Zealand Open To Join the AUKUS Defense Deal; Move Could Start Nuclear Arms Race in Indo-Pacific

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The United States government is in talks to offer immigrant families financial support that would amount to $450,000 per person that was affected by former U.S. President Donald Trump's strict immigration policy.

The money would be used as compensation for parents and children who were separated from each other, which many have argued have caused them lasting psychological trauma. Several agencies are working together on this front, including the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services.

Immigrant Families

The agencies are considering sending payments that would support immigrant families, said people familiar with the matter, although the current price tags could change. The majority of immigrant families who tried to get into the United States through the Mexico border included a parent and a child. The people argued, however, that many families would more likely receive small payouts depending on their circumstances.

A representative for families who have filed lawsuits, the American Civil Liberties Union, identified about 5,500 children who are believed to have been separated from their families at the border during Trump's presidency.

The United States federal government could use up to $1 billion in sending payments to immigrant families eligible for financial compensation. The affected families were separated from each other under Trump's zero-tolerance policy that began in April 2018. The Republican businessman's executive order was issued without warning to other federal agencies.

Read Also: Donald Trump And His Administration Accused of Messing Up Their COVID-19 Response; Former Coordinator Says 40 Percent of Deaths Could've Been Prevented

Trump's policy made it so that all adults who were trying to illegally enter the United States, including those who had children with them, were referred for prosecution. American authorities then separated the children of those families and placed them in the Department of Health and Human Services' custody, Yahoo News reported.

Authorities enforced the separation with no process on how families would be reunited with each other, as some parents were deported. Later, former President Trump ended his policy with an executive order released on June 20, 2018.

Financial Compensation

The situation comes amid a wide array of lawsuits filed by parents who were affected by Trump's 2018 policy. The lawsuits allege that some of the children who were separated from their families suffered from a range of ailments. The list includes heat exhaustion and malnutrition. The lawsuits also claim that children were kept in freezing cold rooms and were given little medical attention, Market Watch reported.

The majority of the lawsuits claim that children affected by the policy suffered mental health problems from the trauma of months of being separated from their parents while living in harsh conditions. The families are seeking a range of payouts, with the average being about $3.4 million per family, people familiar with the matter said.

Lawyers for the families and the government have told courts in recent months that they had hoped to reach a deal by the end of November. "President Biden has agreed that the family separation policy is a historical moral stain on our nation that must be fully remedied, said the deputy director of the ACLU's immigrant rights project, Lee Gelernt, the Wall Street Journal reported.



Related Article: House Select Committee Rears Back on Requests For Trump Records Due to Potentially Lengthy Court Battle

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European gas prices have fallen as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin's directive to Russia's largest natural gas business to inject more gas into EU storage facilities.

Gazprom To Start Putting gas in Austria and Germany

In a recently published article in Newsweek, prices plummeted when Putin instructed Alexei Miller, the leader of the state-controlled gas firm Gazprom, to begin pumping gas into the company's storage facilities in Germany and Austria once the domestic facilities were filled by November 8.

Vladimir Putin said that this would allow them to meet their contractual obligations in a dependable, steady, and consistent way, as well as send gas to their European partners throughout the fall and winter. He also added that this would result in a more advantageous scenario, at the very least, in the European energy market as a whole.

Following a sharp spike in Europe's gas prices in recent weeks, the price decrease comes as a welcome relief. Due to reduced European Union stockpiles and the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, demand in Asia has been robust, according to a published report in Euro News.

Read Also: German Chancellor Angela Merkel Warns Vladimir Putin Over Controversial Gas Pipeline That Might Be Used As Weapon Against Ukraine

The 27-Member State of EU Depends on Russia

The EU's 27 member states presently rely on Russia for more than 40 percent of its gas imports. While Gazprom has satisfied its long-term commitments, it has chosen to fill internal storage rather than sell extra gas on the EU spot market.

Some European lawmakers have claimed that Russia is withholding gas to put pressure on German and EU officials to approve the Nord Stream 2 project sooner rather than later, according to a recently published article in Financial Post.

On Thursday, Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy leader, accused Russia of applying political pressure on Moldova. He said that if prices rise over the globe, not only in Europe, it is not due to the weaponization of gas supply in general. However, it is in the case of Moldova.

What is Nord Stream 2?

Last week, Putin said that one of the two connections of the new pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea had already been loaded with gas in preparation for its debut and that shipments might begin "the day after" once regulators approve it.

With a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, Nord Stream 2 is planned to send gas straight to Germany, avoiding Poland and Ukraine, who, like the US, have been vocal opponents of the project.

Furthermore, Ukrainian officials are concerned that the pipeline would cost the country $2 billion in yearly gas transit costs and degrade its international reputation in the wake of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and assistance for separatist terrorists in eastern Ukraine.

Needless to say, while Gazprom has satisfied its long-term commitments, it has chosen to fill internal storage rather than sell extra gas on the EU spot market. Some European lawmakers have claimed that Russia is withholding gas to put pressure on German and EU officials to approve the Nord Stream 2 project, which was just finished, according to a report published in U.S. News.

Related Article: Biden's Energy Adviser Asks Russia To Provide Europe With a Larger Natural Gas Supply While Waiting for Regulatory Approval

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When the Queen was sent to hospital, Prince Harry allegedly "panicked," since he plans to bring Lilibet to the UK for Christmas to see Her Majesty.

The Duke of Sussex allegedly felt "helpless" after discovering the news hundreds of miles away in his LA home, and he's been "checking in nonstop" to make sure his grandmother is doing well, according to an unnamed source.

Prince Harry feels bad about leaving the Royal Palace

According to the source, Prince Harry, 37, still feels bad about moving to the United States with his wife Meghan Markle and their children. The Duke also laments not being able to say "goodbye" to his late grandpa, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, as per PinkVilla via MSN.

If you didn't know, the Queen has been resting after physicians advised her to cancel her public appearances. This year, the duke plans to visit his relatives in the United Kingdom for Christmas. It's been said that Prince Harry hopes to return home with Meghan Markle for Christmas, if not sooner, so that Queen Elizabeth may finally meet Lilibet and see Archie.

After signing a new contract, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle risk diluting their brand. Since leaving the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have struck a number of lucrative collaborations, including multimillion-dollar partnerships with Netflix, Spotify, and Apple.

"Impact partners" and investors at sustainable investment firm Ethic are their most recent venture, The Scottish Sun reported. However, Palace Confidential anchor Jo Elvin has argued that by "spreading themselves over so much," the couple may "deplete their worth."

Bot Sentinel, a free platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyze data, conducted an analysis of 114,000 tweets about the Sussexes since January 2020 to follow the growth of hatred against the couple on social media.

Read Also: Selena Gomez, Chris Evans Dating Rumors: Fans Speculate Singer Spotted on Actor's Instagram Story

Queen Elizabeth is forced to slow down

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to stand down as senior members of the Royal Family in January 2020.

The 95-year-old queen planted plants with Prince Charles at Balmoral, attended the inauguration of the Scottish parliament, visited Canadian service troops at Windsor Castle, and attended the first big event at Buckingham Palace since the pandemic began.

That was only after the first week. Scott Methven, the Queen's former piper, told Insider's Mikhaila Friel that he's shocked at "how hard everyone expects the Queen to work considering her age."

Certain royal analysts feel the monarch is overworked and that her hectic schedule is one of the reasons she has canceled some royal events this month. Following medical advice, the Queen canceled a visit to Northern Ireland on October 18 and spent the night in hospital for preliminary medical checks before returning to Windsor Castle.

The palace announced on Tuesday that she will not be attending a climate change summit in Scotland because she had been advised to rest. Throughout her 69-year reign, Queen Elizabeth has had a busy schedule, and she hasn't slowed down much in recent years.

According to a 2016 Telegraph story, the Queen performed 341 engagements in the year before she turned 90, more than Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry combined. And four days after her husband, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, she was back at work, conducting a retirement ceremony for one of her top aides at Windsor Castle.

Related Article: Prince Charles Taking Over Queen Elizabeth's Duties After Health Scare as Royal Family Dismantle Claims of Internal Feuds



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Experts think the COP26 will end in disagreement for all participants especially with the absence of Moscow and Beijing.

It is possible that it will not be successful because of the differences of the members. It is noted that the last meeting on dealing with natural gas supplies did not go so well either.

The theme of this year's climate change event is keeping the global temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Big players may not chip in

The conference that starts this Saturday is called the "Keep 1.5 Alive," which is the temperature to keep in Global warming.

Though some experts have weighed in and predicted a disaster due to the political economy of climate change, cited the Politico.

Oliver Geden, who is connected to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, spoke his thoughts on the affair. He added that it is a wasted effort by all participants, with the small ones ready to comply but the big ones will not agree to that. Failure is a strong end based on the analysis.

Also,COP 26 in Scotland will not have all countries willing to take on the economic and political ramifications of cutting emissions abruptly.

About 200 representatives from their respective nations will be there. Alhough Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin are not interested, the US will be there.

Sources say that some nations want some adjustments to be done to tweak the goals for the summit. Those from Europe are trying to explain that global heat of 1.6 to 1.7 is acceptable and is not a failure, reported the Express UK. With that, COP26 may end in disagreement as the goal is very ambiguous.

Read also: European Union Seeks Solution As Energy Crisis Gets Worse; Russia is Blamed for the Shortage

Some countries are also starting to move the goalposts. Top government advisers in Europe are preparing to explain to the public why 1.6 or 1.7 degrees might not mean total failure.

One unidentified British diplomat said that the summit may not reach its goals, and that it would be unfortunate, cited by Politico. He added if the COPs cannot deliver it would impact a lot.

Climate change is not a lost cause

Not everyone agrees that 1.5 Celsius objective of the COPs is a loss. Farhana Yamin, a British lawyer who has attended all the U.N. Climate talks said that because of vulnerable countries, it will stay.

She remarked that resetting the threshold for climate change is somewhat unacceptable.

To that effect, the Italian government asks the G20 nations to stop using coal as an energy source. According to Italy it would be beneficial to the 1.5 Celsius goal, noted Reuters.

But, the world's major powers and big developing countries disagree vehemently, these countries like China, India, and Russia are not agreeing even before the talks. It is alled as a way to adjust the goalposts of the Paris Agreement.

India's former lead climate negotiator, Rajani Ranjan Rashmi said that it's a mirage, and those who want the 1.5 Celsius should cut theirs faster. He added they've hit the 1.5 Celsius goal already.

Needless to say, the COP26 may end up in disagreement as even before it even started. It seems that ignoreing the needs of developing nations is crucial and should not be criticized.

Related article: French President Macron Says Global Oil System Needs To Stabilize As it Would Compromise Transition to Renewable Energy

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A Russian individual was extradited to the United States and appeared in federal court in Ohio on Thursday for his alleged involvement in a global cybercrime ring.

Russian National Develops a Ransomware Called "Trickbot"

In a recently published article in MSN News, according to the Justice Department, Vladimir Dunaev, 38 years old, is suspected of creating a malware for a gang responsible for the "Trickbot" trojan banking software and ransomware.

The Trickbot virus was created to steal the personal and financial information of millions of individuals all over the globe, resulting in enormous financial loss and damage to essential infrastructure in the United States and elsewhere.

According to a news statement from the Department of Justice Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Brennan of the Northern District of Ohio, today's statement highlights the considerable extent to which federal law enforcement agents and the country's foreign allies will go to bring these accused cybercriminals responsibly, as per Washington Examiner reports.

Read Also: Putin Calls Russia's Major Natural Gas Company To Supply More Gas in Austria and Germany

How Does the Malware Work?

Based on the court records, the malware's goal was to steal login passwords for internet banking and other personal information. This involves using web injects and keyboard recording to acquire credit card information, emails, passwords, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses from infected machines.

Furthermore, Dunaev stole money, caused computer damage, and stole sensitive information from people, financial institutions, school districts, utility companies, government bodies, and private enterprises, according to a report published in WHBL.

Moreover, between November 2015 and August 2020, he reportedly did so. Millions of individuals have been touched by the organization across the globe.

Another Person Alleged as a Member of the Trickbot Organization Arrested

In a published article in National Post, as part of the Trickbot organization, another individual has been detained and arraigned. According to the Department of Justice, Alla Witte of Latvia was charged with 19 counts in June, including conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. She entered a "not guilty" plea.

Meanwhile, Dunaev is accused of conspiring to conduct computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, as well as conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and money laundering. He is also accused of wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft on several counts. Dunaev faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison if convicted. To all counts, he has pled "not guilty."

Cybercrime in the U.S.

Cybercrime, which is expected to cause $6 trillion in worldwide damages in 2021, would be the world's third-largest economy, if treated as a country, after the United States and China if it were assessed as a nation, according to a report published in Cybercrime Magazine.

Global cybercrime expenses are expected to increase by 15 percent each year over the next five years, reaching $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion USD in 2015. This is the largest transfer of economic wealth in history, it jeopardizes incentives for innovation and investment; it is tenfold greater than the damage caused by natural catastrophes in a year, and it will be more lucrative than the worldwide trade in all major illicit narcotics combined.

Related Article: 3 Former US Intelligence Officers Confess to Working for Foreign Entities in Conducting Several Cyber Crimes



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As his bitter divorce fight with Angelina Jolie drags on, Brad Pitt's attempt to appeal the court's latest custody ruling was refused.

After Judge John Ouderkirk was disqualified, the Academy Award winner's representatives requested that the matter be reviewed again in September. Brad, 57, has lost yet another custody battle.

According to documents obtained by the publication, the high court "upheld the appeal court's disqualification ruling" on Wednesday. Brad's five minor children with Angelina Jolie, 46, are the subject of the November 2018 custody agreement.

Brad Pitt lost again in court

The original decision was based on a technical procedural issue, and the Supreme Court's decision not to review that procedural issue does not change the extraordinary amount of factual evidence that led the trial judge - and the many experts who testified - to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children's best interests, a representative for the actor told People.

In July, Judge Ouderkirk was removed from the case for failure to make necessary disclosures concerning other cases involving Pitt's legal counsel. According to the court filings, his conduct may lead an objective person, knowing of all of the circumstances, to doubt Ouderkirk's impartiality in the case.

However, Brad Pitt's lawyer contended that Ouderkirk's removal would have essentially upended California's constitutionally mandated interim judicial system. Despite their ongoing custody fight for their remaining six young children, Angelina Jolie and her family have been seen on the red carpet this year, as per The Sun.

The Golden Globe winner wore a gorgeous metallic gown at the premiere of the Marvel film 'Eternals' over the weekend. At the Rome Film Festival, she was joined by her grown-up children Zahara and Shiloh.

Read Also: Selena Gomez, Chris Evans Dating Rumors: Fans Speculate Singer Spotted on Actor's Instagram Story

Angelina Jolie speaks out about her relationship with her children

Angelina Jolie's attorney, Robert Olson, responded to the recent ruling by saying that the 'Eternals' star "welcomes" the verdict and is delighted for the family to now go ahead constructively, Newsweek vis MSN reported.

Pitt and Jolie divorced in September 2016, two years after being married in August 2014. Jolie filed for divorce, alleging "irreconcilable differences," and the couple has been fighting for custody of their children ever since.

Although their divorce was finalized in 2019, the former couple is still fighting over their assets. Chateau Miraval, their $164 million French chateau and winery, was the subject of a court battle in September. They've since worked out a deal on their assets.

Angelina Jolie, who is in the middle of a custody battle with Brad Pitt over her children, has spoken out about their relationship. She recently expressed her delight in watching her children grow up and inspire one another, as well as her desire to learn about all the varied elements of who they are.

Per Republic World, the actress discussed her bond with her six children. She described them as "really nice people." She also stated that because they are so numerous, she believes they have a huge impact on one another and that she is "honest and human" with her children.

She went on to say how interested she was to hear about different aspects of their personalities and how her priority was to be there to assist and develop all aspects of their lives.

Related Article: Angelina Jolie Suffers a Beauty Mishap Due to Her Hair Extensions While at the 'Eternals' Premiere; Daughter Shiloh's Style Changed



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According to accounts during WW2, a lost German U-Boat became the final resting place of dead Nazis. This treasure is supposed to have golden loot and treasures which never reached Germany.

Before the fall of Berlin, the Third Reich was said to be hunting for gold or treasure but many of them were lost. One of these is the Amber Room from Russia.

Other treasures that are said to be lost on the U-Boat were unknown riches and priceless artifacts like Tutankhamun's lost at the bottom of the sea when it sank.

Hunt for Hitler's undersea treasure fleet

About forty years ago, Roger Miklos, treasure hunter extraordinaire, reported that he has traced one of Adolf Hitler's clandestine U-boats lying on the ocean floor close to one of the islands in the Turks and Caicos, reported the Express UK.

In World War 2, the U-boat fleet was prowling the Atlantic for victims, true to their mission in which they sank a total of 1,500 ships of the allies. These were mostly transports carrying much need supplies to embattle Britain for the US. From 1939 to 1945, it was dubbed the Battle of the Atlantic.

Mr. Miklos said that the lost submarine was a special version of the U-boat that was optimized for undersea transport. A fleet of nine of these boats were built until 1945 when the war ended.

The said lost German U-Boat had dead Nazis who died on the boat while trying to reach Argentina, cited the Deep Trekker.

Read also: Titanic Artifacts Found, New Discovery Mission "Like Opening a Treasure Box"

Speaking about the wreck, he never gave the exact coordinates when was still alive. However, he kept documents that contained the location of Hitler's secret U-Boat, and other papers.

In 2018, he passed away from heart attack. Speaking in his final interview prior to his death, he detailed some information that was never mentioned before.

He said that the content in Hitler's sub is the biggest find. He added that it will surpass every other discovery that were missing for the last 72-years.

Search for the treasure U-boats

The mystery of Miklos's sunken U-boat that he was supposed to have found years back is the subject of a History Channel special. In the show, they investigated his account and attempted to retrace the steps of the treasure hunter.

According to diver and explorer Mike Fletcher, who allegedly got a call from the family of Miklos, they were supposed to give everything that was kept for many years, including the secrets that were investigated by Fletcher and his colleagues.

He was asked if the claim of art treasure and priceless loot does exist in the fabled Nazi hoard. He confirmed that the loot exists and is not a tale.

The German army is an avid collector of gold and precious art while the war raged. Fletcher said the underwater vessels might have tried to smuggle the king's hoard before Germany fell.

Before Miklos gave his account, there were attempts to find the secret long-lost U-boat and the alleged dead Nazis on board.

Related article: Divers Discover Sunk Warship With Treasures of the Amber Room Looted by Nazis in World War 2

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Iran recently announced that it was ready to start discussing a nuclear deal and waiting on the United States government on what actions it should take next regarding the agreement that was made in 2015.

The announcement by Iranian authorities was made on Wednesday and suggested that the region is willing to rejoin discussions on the agreement. Under the deal, Tehran temporarily halted its development of atomic technologies in exchange for being free of economic sanctions.

Iran's Nuclear Deal With America

Iran's announcement comes as a surprise to many people as the election of Ebrahim Raisi, who became president of the country in June, left many U.S. authorities without any hope for an agreement regarding the nuclear deal. However, the official's statements come as a pleasant revelation to the American government.

With the Iranian president's announcement, it is now United States President Joe Biden's turn to express his stance on the nuclear deal. However, some question the Democrat's willingness to revive the deal as despite campaigning last year to re-engage with Iran, Biden has done very little to move forward with his commitment, Yahoo News reported.

The announcement was echoed by Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri who posted a message on Twitter saying he had been involved in "very serious and constructive dialogue" on the "essential elements for successful negotiations with the European Union's deputy secretary-general for political affairs, Enrique Mora.

Read Also: Joe Biden Departs for Rome to Meet Pope as the Vatican Changes Live Broadcast Plan and Will Only Provide Edited Footage

The Iranian official said that the two parties have agreed to begin discussions and negotiations before the end of November. Bagheri said that an exact date would be announced at a later date, most likely next week.

The discussions between Iran and the United States were suspended by the former after Raisi's presidential victory. For months, Iran has put a stop to going back to talking with the U.S., which has caused concerns among American authorities that the deal would not be revised, Business Insider reported.

Iran's Alleged Delaying Tactics

The situation also comes as tensions between Iran and the United States have risen due to Tehran ramping up nuclear activity, violating the deal's parameters. However, the Iranian government has continued to argue that its efforts were peaceful and were not done in anticipation of aggression.

On the other hand, UN atomic energy watchdog's Director-General Rafael Grossi said in late October that Iran was very close to having sufficient materials to successfully build a working nuclear bomb. The deputy head of the Middle East North Africa program at Chatham House, Sanam Vakil, said she did not expect an agreement to come anytime soon due to Iran's alleged "delaying tactics."

Additionally, Vakil said that Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Kani, refused to meet the E3, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, in a coordinated manner. The official said that the action suggested that Iran was "trying to sow divisions alongside the delaying tactics" that have been seen.

"I expect that the negotiations will take a number of months and we should be prepared that those negotiations might not see the final resumption of the deal," said Vakil, CNBC reported.



Related Article: Donald Trump And His Administration Accused of Messing Up Their COVID-19 Response; Former Coordinator Says 40 Percent of Deaths Could've Been Prevented

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An Indian nuclear missile test done by Delhi has sent a message to Beijing that the country is not playing around. Tensions in the borders between India and China may have had an uptick as the leaders in Beijing see it as more than a missile launch.

Indian units that fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile were successful and hit the target reasonably well, said the military.

The ICBM Agni-V was able to track its way to the Bay of Bengal, and strike an island on the east coast.

A serious deterrent

Leaders at Delhi made it clear that the missile test is part of a policy that no nation can threaten India with a nuclear deterrent but will not engage in first use as Beijing.

This ICBM was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization which can be mounted with a nuclear warhead. Having the weapon has upped Beijing's response to the Galwan and Ladakh situation in the borders, and LAC.

Specifications of the weapon are said to be 5,000-kilometers, which place Chinese targets in its crosshairs and Beijing as well.

Every city in #China covered

#Agni5Missile

What a journey it has been ... #Drapjabdulkalam- salute you sir.

This nation is indebted to you forever.

Pic courtesy @toi pic.twitter.com/32RudAt22y  Major Madhan Kumar  (@major_madhan) October 28, 2021

The standoff distance of the Agni-V will allow the missile to be placed in central or the south of India, but keep targets in range. It worries the PLA that such a capability is in the hand of Indian forces, cited the Global Times.

Highly mobility is the ICBMs best quality and it is carried to the front or anywhere by road. Each projectile is kept in its own canister-launch system for portability.

Agni-V: answer to the PLA arsenal

The Indian military responded to have a deterrent with an Indian nuclear missile test, compared to the overwhelming arsenal of China. To date, the People's Liberation Army has medium and long-range weapons for keeping adversaries out that began in the 90s.

Read also: Border Flashpoint Between India and China Shows Chinese Camps Emptying in Satellite Images

One of the top three superpowers with the third spending for defense technology totals 1.3 million servicemen, noted the Stars Post. Although, a huge chunk is going to its soldiers pay.

In June 2020, about 25 Indian troopers with PLA soldiers got killed in skirmishes in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh Region. To date, it has been the most lethal fight in almost 45 years.

Guns are not allowed. But fisticuffs and weapons like clubs and stone are allowed at the western Himalayan border.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that the conflict was not caused by the Indian side. Express UK reported that Modi said, "We never provoke anyone....There should be no doubt that India wants peace, but if provoked, India will provide an appropriate response."

But he made it clear that peace is the only option, but stressed only if no provocation is done. He also warned that a response will follow if something severe is done.

But Beijing tried to hide that it had fatalities. In February, they admitted that four were killed in the heated skirmish in the highland border clash.

A paper in China said that their soldiers were killed defending their country's border while India is indirectly referred to.

Recently, there have been talks with both sides on the border, with commanders failing to defuse ignited tensions which ended in uselessly.

In June 2021, Indian PM Modi ordered the deployment of 50,000 more troops on the border. This raises a chance for a larger conflict if it erupts. The Indian nuclear missile test does cause more tension with possible nukes involved.

Related article: India Starts Construction of Border Infrastructure to Counter China

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American intelligence agencies are under widespread criticism after documents revealed that despite several groups tracking down the Taliban militant group prior to their takeover of Kabul, not one was able to forecast the unprecedented attack.

The incident occurred when United States military troops were still deployed in the region and could have moved to intercept the insurrection group before they initiated their plans in mid-August. Classified materials were acquired and reviewed, showing how agencies tracked the Taliban advances from spring 2020 until July of this year.

Failed US Intelligence

The documents reveal that U.S. intelligence agencies predicted the militant group would continue gaining ground as the Afghan government was unlikely to be capable of defending itself without support from the American military. Roughly two dozen intelligence agencies were tracking the militant group, but all could not foresee the group's attack on Kabul by Aug. 15.

Summaries of reports were obtained that were made by four key intelligence agencies, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department's intelligence bureau, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The CIA released a report on May 17 that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's government was expected to fall by the end of the year. The report came just a month after United States President Joe Biden announced that the American government would be withdrawing all of its remaining 2,500 military troops in the war-torn country.

Read Also: Joe Biden Departs for Rome to Meet Pope as the Vatican Changes Live Broadcast Plan and Will Only Provide Edited Footage

As the Taliban later made their way to the capital city of Kabul, President Ghani fled the country, leaving his people to be taken over by the militant group. Shortly after taking control of the presidential palace, the Taliban group posted photos on social media showing them at Ghani's desk as they announced the formation of a new government in the region.

The CIA forecast a "complete Taliban takeover" within two years less than a month after releasing its May report. A report dated June 4 released by the DIA indicated that the insurrection group was planning to continue its strategy of isolating rural areas from the Afghan capital over the next year. The agency also predicted that the Afghan government would hold Kabul, the New York Post reported.

Optimistic Estimates of Taliban Attack

The forecasts that the CIA made and released anticipated the fall of Kabul in the hands of the Taliban militant group. However, all estimations assumed that the insurrection group would conduct the takeover after the complete withdrawal of American troops.

Many experts believe the documents offer new and crucial information about why the U.S. federal government was not prepared to deal with the Taliban attack on Kabul. The incident caused a massive shutdown of the region, forcing the capital's airport to close temporarily.

Biden's decision to withdraw all American soldiers from Afghanistan has received widespread criticism for the aftereffects in the war-torn nation. Currently, the U.S. government is still working to evacuate a small number of American citizens still stuck in Afghanistan along with thousands of locals who are at risk under the new government's rule, Forbes reported.

Related Article: US Government Could Pay $450K for each Immigrant Affected by Trump's Strict Policy; Families File Lawsuits for Psychological Trauma

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Donald Trump's ally, John Eastman, recently admitted that he was counting on former Vice President Mike Pence to toss out the results of the 2020 election.

However, Eastman claimed that Pence turned out to be an establishment guy at the end of the day because he didn't side with the ex-POTUS, according to the Huffington Post.

John Eastman under fire for two coup memos

Trump's former ally also came under fire for two notorious coup memos that detailed the various ways that Pence could've challenged or manipulated the number of electoral votes that Joe Biden received.

Eastman is also expected to testify before the House select committee, which is currently investigating the Jan 6 Capitol riot.

John Eastman urged Mike Pence to lie about the 2020 election

In his two-page memo, Eastman detailed his plan on how Pence could throw out the results of the 2020 election. Trump's former ally also urged Pence to declare that no candidate reached the 270 votes in the Electoral College.

This would've thrown the election to the hands of the House of Representatives, and each state will be given a single deciding vote.

Since Republicans controlled 26 state delegations, Trump would've been declared the winner with the majority vote.

Reports also revealed that when Eastman proposed the plan to Pence, Trump was with them at the Oval Office. The conversation took place on Jan. 4, which was two days before the insurrection.

Read Also: House Select Committee Issues 11 New Subpoenas Amid Capitol Riot Investigation; Trump Files Lawsuit To Protect Potential Evidence

John Eastman subpoena

Earlier this week, reports revealed that a committee aide told Eastman that he could avoid getting subpoenaed if he voluntarily chose to cooperate with the committee's investigation.

"[The committee needs] to determine to what extent there was an organized effort against Vice President Pence and we believe that, you know, some of the actors' names have become known, including John Eastman, who laid it out in a memo," Rep. Jamie Raskin told CNN.

Earlier this year, Pence wrote a letter to Congress saying that he would not do what Trump asked.

Pence said that his oath to support and defend the Constitution prevents him from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which ones should not.

Donald Trump continues to claim that election was rigged

However, Trump saw things differently. During one of his speeches, the ex-POTUS urged Pence to show extreme courage and stand up for the Constitution.

The former president also said that if Pence doesn't do what Trump wants him to do, he would be disappointed in him, according to NPR.

Even though a year has already passed since Biden was named winner in the 2020 election, Trump continues to claim that he should've won.

Melania Trump's husband is still unable to provide any concrete proof that the recent election was rigged. But he continues to spread lies about it.

Last month, Cyber Ninjas also confirmed that the result of the 2020 election was not fraudulent. And the group's report after performing an election audit was regarded with utmost importance because Cyber Ninjas are supporters of Trump.

Related Article: Stephen Colbert Projects Joe Biden is Still President After Republican-led Audit In Arizona Showed POTUS Beat Donald Trump

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Lauren 'El' Cho's remains were found in Southern California four months after she was reported missing.

The New Jersey native stayed at an Airbnb with her friends in June. And her pals said that Cho left the compound in a state of agitation without her phone. She didn't also have access to food and water.

Lauren El Cho's boyfriend reported her missing

According to BuzzFeed News, Cho's boyfriend, Cody Orrell, is the last known person to have seen her alive. He was also the one that reported her missing hours after her disappearance.

One week later, Cho's relatives created a Facebook page to raise awareness about her disappearance. After four long months, the Korean American woman's body was found near the Joshua Tree National Park.

New Jersey woman's cause of death still unknown

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying that Cho's cause of death is still undetermined. They also stressed that they would release no further information until they get the toxicology reports.

Before Cho's remains were found, her friends asked for the public's help locating the young woman via Twitter. At the time, thousands of Americans became concerned about the disappearance of New York native Gabby Petito.

Read Also: Officials Find Bodies of Arkansas Woman, Her Daughter in a Car That's Been Missing Since 1998

Lauren Cho's disappearance didn't receive much attention

As such, Cho's friends rallied behind her in the hopes that she would also get the same attention from the press.

According to USA Today, officials said that thousands of other missing persons also need to receive Petito's same attention. Critics also pointed out that there seems to be a so-called missing white woman syndrome, wherein only missing women that are white get enough press coverage.

On the contrary, missing persons of color do not get as much attention. Not much is known about Cho, but her family described her as a talented musician, an incredible baker, a hilarious and loyal friend, among many others.

"A strangely intuitive gift giver, and probably the coolest sister one could hope for. But this is where El really shines: as an aunt. The love she has for her sibling is unmatched. Even among family, the consensus is that her nibling is the person El loves most in this world," Cho's family said via NBC News.

More information about Lauren 'El' Cho's case

Before Cho's remains were found, the housekeeper at the Airbnb that she and her boyfriend stayed in told reporters that the couple drank before the disappearance.

The housekeeper also revealed that Cho and Orrell got into an altercation when the former attempted to get into a car and drive. Following the confrontation, Cho stormed out of the Airbnb and into the rugged Yucca Valley desert.

As of late, no one has been arrested following Cho's disappearance. And it's also unclear if Orrell had something to do with her demise.

Cho lived in New Jersey for years. But earlier this year, she decided to relocate to the West Coast. The 30-year-old also worked as a music teacher. She later pursued a career as a chef and ran her own food truck business.

Related Article: Brian Laundrie's Parents Might Go Missing Next; Family Attorney Denies Any Knowledge on Client's Old Cellphone

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Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will meet for the first time in Rome on Friday following a major clash over Australia's nuclear-powered submarines last month.

According to reports, Biden and Macron will be joined by 18 others during this week's meeting. The presidents are in Rome for the climate summit.

Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron will discuss several issues

Ahead of the meeting, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser of the White House, said that Biden and Macron's meeting would be constructive and substantive.

The presidents will also tackle various issues like counterterrorism in the Middle East, trade, technology, and economic matters.

Celia Belin, a visiting fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at The Brookings Institution, said that the upcoming bilateral meeting could pave the way for those consultations to lead to concrete announcements.

"The meeting between the two leaders will be the occasion to make some announcements and to see whether or not... this crisis was the occasion to define... a new common agenda, or if there are sort of long, lingering issues that cannot be addressed," Belin told CNN.

After Biden and Macron's meeting, a statement will be released detailing everything that they discussed.

Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron had a brief falling out

Last month, Biden and Macron were faced with tensions after it was announced that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia partnered to assist in helping the latter develop nuclear-powered submarines.

Following the announcement, France released a statement saying that they were not informed regarding the deal beforehand. They also noted that the new partnership jeopardized an existing contract with Australia to provide the country with diesel-powered submarines.

The tensions worsened to the point that France temporarily recalled its US ambassador.

Read Also: Biden Tells Australia, UK To Mend Ties With France To Restore Normalcy After the Divisive AUKUS Deal

The presidents' phone call changed everything

Weeks later, Biden and Macron reportedly spoke on the phone and settled some important matters. The POTUS acknowledged the missteps in how his administration handled the discussions regarding the partnership.

Biden and Macron also agreed to open a process of in-depth consultations that can help with their decision-making process. Following the presidents' phone conversation, Macron decided to bring back the French ambassador to Washington next week, according to the official statement of the White House.

According to the Associated Press, Biden and Macron have some expectations ahead of Friday's meeting. Macron is reportedly expecting Biden to commit to supporting French anti-terrorist operations n the Sahel region of Africa. Throughout the past couple of months, France has been seeking greater intelligence and military cooperation from the country.

While Biden and Macron are in a meeting, their respective wives will also reunite. First Lady Jill Biden will host Brigette Macron for a bilateral engagement on Friday afternoon.

Emmanuel Macron phoned Joe Biden after he was elected

Prior to Biden and Macron's clash, the two presidents previously had an excellent relationship. Macron was one of the first people who congratulated the POTUS after being elected president in the 2020 election. A statement from the Elysee Palace revealed that Macron also congratulated Vice President Kamala Harris, according to France 24.

Related Article: French President Emmanuel Macron Claims the US Disrespected France By Going Behind The EU's Back To Secure AUKUS Deal

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Shinhan Financial Group Deputy President Park Sung-hyun speaks during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Lee Min-hyung



Shinhan Financial Group has pledged to keep developing its measurement system for environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) management to maximize its financial impact across society.



Back in November 2019, the nation's top-tier financial holding firm developed what it called the Social Value Measurement Framework (SVMF) in partnership with Yonsei University.



The company said it would continue to systemize the SVMF, so its affiliates can design their business strategies not just for reaping profits, but also for maximizing social value.



"We have triple bottom lines when pursuing ESG, including eco-friendliness, co-prosperity and trust," Shinhan Financial Group Deputy President Park Sung-hyun said during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the KCCI building in downtown Seoul, Friday.



Under the three pillars, the company runs nine ESG activities, including finance education, social donations and financial customer protection, according to the Shinhan executive.











SK Group Vice President Kwon Key-joon, center, speaks during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Friday. From left are Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, Kwon and Shinhan Financial Group Deputy President Park Sung-hyun. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Christian Heller, CEO of Europe-based non-profit organization Value Balancing Alliance, speaks in a video message during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum themed "Global Investors' ESG Proposals" at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Friday. Captured screen image





By Yi Whan-woo







Standardized measurement of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance at a global scale is becoming increasingly important for the accurate and transparent valuation of companies rushing to join the ESG bandwagon, Value Balancing Alliance (VBA) CEO Christian Heller said, Friday.







In a video message during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum themed "Global Investors' ESG Proposals" at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building, the CEO highlighted VBA as a group of mostly international companies and that such trait can help accelerate developing and testing methods for the standardized accounting of corporate value.







Founded in 2019 by German multinational chemical company BASF, VBA members in Asia include SK Group and Shinhan Financial Group.







Heller headed BASF's Value-to-Society program that has inspired VBA.






Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho, front row center, poses with participants of the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum, held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Baek Byung-yeul



The importance of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) has greatly expanded as a key facilitator to promote the transformation toward sustainable growth in the post-COVID-19 time. For the sake of sustainable growth, it has become essential to understand global investors' investment principles.



From this standpoint, The Korea Times hosted the Global ESG Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29, providing an opportunity to discuss key ESG issues and trends among global investors and help them strategize effective ESG tactics.



The event was held in cooperation with the KCCI. In accordance with the health authority's quarantines guidelines, only 49 officials working at local companies and global investment institutions attended the event.





Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho speaks during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho gave a welcome speech to announce the start of the forum. Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Jeong Eun-bo delivered an opening speech and Korea Investment Corp. (KIC) CEO Jin Seung-ho gave a keynote speech.



"Now is the time to solve social problems through responsible management and more actively implement management that has a positive impact on the environment. ESG, which demands environmental and social responsibility, and sound and transparent management, has become the most important factor in sustainable development beyond the problem of corporate survival," Chairman Seung said.



"We've seen that the more environmental and social responsibilities are fulfilled through ESG management, the more positive an effect they can have on corporate performance. To secure sustainable growth engines, companies should make ESG management a more active corporate strategy. I hope today's forum hosted by The Korea Times will serve as an opportunity for domestic companies to come up with more realistic and effective strategies for ESG management."





Fighting climate change is key factor in global investment principles 'Regulator pursues ESG goals not because it's easy but because it's hard' Korea Investment Corp. committed to setting world's counter-climate change model [Photos] Korea Times Global ESG Forum Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho, left, greets Financial Supervisory Service Governor Jeong Eun-bo during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

In his opening speech, FSS Governor Jeong stressed that companies should further strengthen their ESG responses, before it is too late to catch up with changing trends, even while the global economy is struggling with uncertainties caused by the prolonged virus pandemic and global supply shortage issues.



Financial Supervisory Service Governor Jeong Eun-bo delivers an opening speech for the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

"Under severe internal and external economic conditions, I think ESG management practices can be a big burden on companies. Nevertheless, the emphasis on ESG at today's forum is due to the justification that it is difficult but is the way we should go and the urgency that it will be late if not now," he said.



The FSS governor further mentioned that pursing ESG can threaten corporate management practices, but it also presents opportunities to meet more investors.



"As an example to that is that the ESG level of companies has a positive effect in attracting foreign investors. Also, the so-called value consumer, led by the MZ generation, is showing purchasing behavior in consideration of the ESG activities of companies, so ESG has become an important factor in securing future consumers," he said. The MZ generation is a Korean term referring to people born between 1981 and the early 2010s.



Jin Seung-ho, CEO of Korea Investment Corp., gives a keynote speech during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

In his keynote speech, KIC CEO Jin urged institutional investors to join hands together to pursue ESG strategies based on social responsibility.



"The KIC took an initiating role in establishing global stewardship principles among domestic institutional investors, and has made great efforts to improve profitability and sustainability through ESG investment," the CEO said. "The introduction of an ESG integration system that applies ESG values to the entire asset group and working processes can be a representative example of our efforts."



For ESG value to contribute to improving environmental problems and solving corporate and social issues, Jin vowed that the KIC "plans to continue developing ESG investment and invest in ESG strategy funds and green projects."



Participants are seen during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in central Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

After the speeches, two panel discussions followed. Moderated by Richard Lee, senior partner of McKinsey Korea, the first panel discussed global investors' ESG investment principles, with panelists including National Pension Service (NPS) Global Responsible Investment & Governance Division Head Yi Dong-sub, BNL Paribas Asset Management's Global Client Group Head Steven Billiet, BlackRock Korea Country Head Choi Man-yeon and Swiss Re Korea Branch Head Jonas von Oldenskiold.




McKinsey & Company Korea Senior Partner Richard Lee, left, moderates a panel discussion during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held in the KCCI building in Seoul, Friday. Second from left are BlackRock Korea Country Head Choi Man-yeon, Swiss Re Korea Branch Head Jonas von Oldenskiold and National Pension Service Global Responsible Investment & Governance Division Head Yi Dong-sub. BNP Paribas Asset Management Global Client Group Head Steven Billiet's face is seen on the screen as he joined the event online. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Kim Jae-heun



Global investors with expertise in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles proposed their investment principles for the post-COVID-19 era, as the role of ESG has greatly expanded as a key facilitator to promote sustainable growth. They further gave advice on how to better cope with ESG-led changes and what changes companies should pursue for each principle of ESG.



Moderated by McKinsey & Company Korea Senior Partner Richard Lee, the four representatives from the National Pension Service (NPS), BNP Paribas Asset Management, BlackRock Korea and Swiss Re Korea Branch shared their insights into and strategies for ESG investment principles during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the KCCI building in Seoul, Friday.



Lee opened the discussion by introducing the participants, whose organizations he said represent over $10 trillion that is being managed around the world.



"BlackRock alone has $9.5 trillion, and the NPS also has close to $1 trillion. As they say, follow the money. Money flow really helps understand how the world will move," Lee said.





BlackRock Korea Country Head Choi Man-yeon speaks during the panel discussion of the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the KCCI building in Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



BlackRock Korea Country Head Choi Man-yeon started with a brief speech on his company's sustainable investments spanning a range of strategies combining traditional investment approaches with ESG insights to deliver both financial and purpose-driven outcomes.



"We believe that sustainable investing is not a temporary theme but is going mainstream. We believe that integrating material sustainability-related insights into our investment processes will improve long-term risk-adjusted returns," Choi said.



It is BlackRock's investment conviction that climate risk is investment risk. Climate change has become a defining factor in companies' long-term prospects. BlackRock seek to provide clients with a clear picture of how sustainability-related issues affect risk and long-term financial performance.



At the time of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's 2020 letter to CEOs, the fiduciary announced commitments that included additional efforts towards cutting out investments in some coal-related businesses from some of its portfolios and increasing the number of sustainability-focused funds that it offers.









Swiss Re Korea Branch Head Jonas von Oldenskiold shared his company's perspective on the environmental challenges.



Mitigating climate risk and advancing the energy transition is one of the three ambitious areas in which Swiss Re has significant knowledge and capacities.



"There has been a drag on economic growth, GDP of 1.6 percent over the last 50 years on average, as a result of natural catastrophes and other climate change-related perils," Oldenskiold said. "Our job is to take risk and we are getting exposed to climate change. If we look back in 2020, we had $190 billion of economic losses that was created by climate change-related perils. Roughly, only $90 million of those were insured, so there is still a big gap."





McKinsey Korea Senior Partner Richard Lee speaks during a panel discussion of the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum held at the KCCI building in Seoul, Oct. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul




South Korea's business sentiment remained subdued for November as concerns over higher oil prices and global supply disruptions offset optimism over a rebound in demand amid eased antivirus curbs, a central bank survey showed Friday.







The survey of 2,836 companies, conducted by the Bank of Korea, showed the country's business sentiment index (BSI) stood at 86 for November, unchanged from the previous month.







A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The index measures manufacturers' outlook on business conditions in the coming month.







The BSI for manufacturing companies decreased to 88 from 93 over the same period, with that for the non-manufacturing sector rising from 81 to 85, the poll showed.







The BOK said that the sentiment for non-manufacturing firms improved as eased social distancing rules could lead to more consumption but rising energy prices and the global supply bottleneck weighed on the sentiment for manufacturers.







South Korea plans to ease long-enforced restrictions on gatherings and business operations with its shift to the "living with COVID-19" scheme on Nov. 1 meant to gradually restore daily life back to pre-pandemic days.







A separate poll showed the country's business confidence inching down for November on soaring material and energy costs, as well as a slowdown in the Chinese economy.







The Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) said in a statement that its business survey index of the country's top 600 companies by sales came to 100.6 for next month, down 2.6 points from October.







Although it worsened, it remained above par. A reading above 100 means companies expecting improvements in business conditions outnumber those that are pessimistic.







KERI, the research arm of the country's top business lobby, the Federation of Korean Industries, said the slight drop in business sentiment comes as local firms are burdened by a jump in oil and raw material prices.







Also responsible is the slumping Chinese economy, which is feared to weaken their exports to the country, South Korea's top export market.







The index for the manufacturing sector fell from 101 to 96.5 for November, with that for the non-manufacturing industry also dropping to 105.9 from 106.9.







KERI said the performance index for November stood at 98.3, remaining below the benchmark 100 for the fourth consecutive month. (Yonhap)


Korea Investment Corp. (KIC) Chairman and CEO Jin Seoung-ho delivers a keynote speech during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



Sovereign wealth fund chief promises ESG investing will not end up losing returns



By Yi Whan-woo



Korea Investment Corp. (KIC) is committed to setting its countermeasures against investment risks caused by climate change as a global model for institutional investors, KIC Chairman and CEO Jin Seoung-ho said, Friday.



In his keynote speech during the 2021 Korea Times Global ESG Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Jin also said the KIC, Korea's sole sovereign wealth fund, will spare no efforts to show that observing environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles will not end up hurting returns.



The commitment addressed by Jin comes as the KIC pushes to build up its leading role among domestic institutional investors in expanding ESG investing.



ESG investing is a form of investment based on the values of ESG, and it prioritizes financial returns alongside a company's impact on the environment, its stakeholders and the Earth.



ESG investing on one hand has prompted fear among investors that they will lose out in returns, partly due to lack of transparency and difficulty measuring and managing risks.



"We'll come up with a model that can successfully counter higher risks from climate change, implement it for all the KIC's investment portfolios and make it as an example for international institutional investors to follow," Jin said.






Dansaekhwa master Yun Hyong-keun in 1980 / Courtesy of PKM Gallery



By Park Han-sol



Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) master Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007) was often called "a painter of silence" when he was alive for his reserved nature. But that didn't mean he was unwilling to use his words or actions, especially when facing injustice.



In 1956, he served six months in Seodaemun Prison for remaining in Seoul instead of joining the mass evacuation when North Korea invaded the South during the 1950-53 Korean War. After the April 19 Revolution in 1960  a series of nationwide protests following President Syngman Rhee's vote-rigging scandal  he was forced to resign from his teaching position at Cheongju Girls' High School in North Chungcheong Province, due to his openly critical remarks against the administration.



And in 1973, Yun was tortured and imprisoned yet again, while teaching at Sookmyung Girl's High School, for questioning the school's decision to illicitly enroll a student with the support of the then-head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. His "crime," the authorities of the Park Chung-hee administration deemed, was having violated the Anti-Communist Act.



That year at the age of 45, after decades of struggle against the corrupt authorities that left him in despair, Yun turned to his canvas to express his pent-up frustrations and sorrows.





Yun's "Umber-Blue" (1980) / Courtesy of PKM Gallery



While a variety of bright colors filled his works until the late 1960s, his canvases started being dominated by thick, dark columns  painted in a concentrated mixture of burnt umber and ultramarine paints that best represented his turbulent state of mind.



"My paintings portray a single, piercing cry without any needless words in the way," he wrote in his diary in 1977. "What prompted me to resort to such drawings is far from being pristine or wholesome."



His brushstrokes bled naturally across the linen or cotton raw canvas  appearing light brown as its fabric was not bleached  reminiscent of the traditional East Asian calligraphy or ink and wash paintings.



He declared his new series to be called, "Cheonjimun" (Gate of Heaven and Earth): "Blue is the color of Heaven, while umber symbolizes the color of the Earth. Hence, I call them Heaven and Earth, with the gate serving as the composition."





Yun's two pieces titled "Drawing" (1971) / Courtesy of PKM Gallery



Another medium that Yun resorted to expressing his thoughts and sentiments through in lieu of a gush of spoken words is writing  in the form of notes scribbled quickly in his sketchbooks, diaries and letters to family and friends.



PKM Gallery in central Seoul has interpreted over 300 pieces of his texts gathered at his studio in Seogyo-dong, Mapo District. On Oct. 22, after a painstaking compilation process lasting more than two years, the gallery announced the publication of "Memories of Yun Hyong-keun," offering a glimpse of the artist's recollections and sensibilities that were transferred onto his canvas.



The notable pieces include his detailed moments of contemplation regarding what constitutes art, as well as his travel accounts with some of Korea's greatest modern artists: Lee U-fan, Park Seo-bo and Kim Tschang-yeul.



His notes also hint at the strong bond he shared with the 20th-century abstract art master Kim Whan-ki, who was both his father-in-law and an influential mentor. Yun called Kim his own "father," and was devastated by his death in 1974.



Six months after Kim's passing, the artist visited Kim's studio in New York and subsequently wrote in his diary: "It feels so empty to see his art without being able to see him."



The amount of love he showed toward his wife and only child was equally great, indicated by the caring letters he sent whenever he was overseas.



Along with such texts, the book is sprinkled with photographs and memorable drawings from his sketchbooks. It also holds heartfelt essays written by his son, Yun Seong-ryeol, his longtime friend and sculptor Choi Jong-tae and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) director Youn Bum-mo in remembrance of the painter.





An installation view of the exhibition "Memories of Yun Hyong-keun" held at PKM Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of PKM Gallery
Lee Seok-hyun, vice chairman of South Korea's National Unification Advisory Council, a presidential advisory board, is seen speaking with Deputy Assistant of Secretary for Korea and Japan Mark Lambert during their meeting in Washington, Oct. 28. Yonhap



The United States is reviewing the possibility of declaring a formal end to the Korean War from various angles, a ranking U.S. diplomat has said, according to a South Korea official visiting the U.S.



Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, made the remark in a meeting with Lee Seok-hyun, vice chairman of South Korea's National Unification Advisory Council, according to Lee. The council offers policy recommendations to the South Korean president.



Lambert's remark comes after White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted possible differences between South Korea and the U.S. over when a declaration of the war's end could be or should be made.



"We may have somewhat different perspectives on the precise sequence or timing or conditions for different steps," Sullivan said earlier when asked if the U.S. believed an end of war declaration could help restart dialogue with North Korea.



South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 war as a catalyst to resume dialogue with the North.



Pyongyang has stayed away from denuclearization talks since 2019. It also remains unresponsive to numerous overtures for dialogue from the Joe Biden administration that came into office in January.



Lee said U.S. outreach to the reclusive North so far included a dialogue proposal through email.



"The U.S. continues to propose holding dialogue, even sending an email to North Korea in recent days, but North Korea is not responding," the South Korean official said while speaking with reporters in Washington, adding the North appears to be uninterested in talking directly with the U.S.,at least for now.



Meanwhile, a group of U.S. lawmakers is expected to send a letter to President Biden next week to urge diplomatic engagement with North Korea and also U.S. support for the Seoul-proposed end of war declaration, an informed source said.



Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) told Lee that he and Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) had sought to send such a letter to the president this week, but decided to wait for others to join, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.



Sherman was quoted saying that he expected around 10 members of the House of Representatives to sign the letter that he said will also be sent to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Yonhap)






A U.N. General Assembly committee has approved three draft resolutions concerning North Korea, including one reaffirming the Assembly's commitment to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" abandonment of Pyongyang's nuclear program, its website showed Friday.







On Wednesday, the First Committee in charge of disarmament and security affairs approved 25 resolutions and decisions, including those related to the North, amid reports that the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs.







Among the three resolutions is one entitled "Joint courses of action and future?oriented dialogue towards a world without nuclear weapons." It includes provisions calling for the North to renounce nuclear arms.







"Other provisions would have the Assembly reaffirm its commitment to the complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions," a summary of the committee session reads. DPRK is the North's official name.







Another approved document, titled, "Comprehensive Nuclear?Test?Ban Treaty," carries the Assembly's call for the North to fully comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.







"The Assembly would reiterate its condemnation of the six nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions and urge that country's full compliance," the summary said.







"It would welcome all efforts and dialogue to that end, including inter?Korean summits and summits between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," it added.







North Korea has been under multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions for its weapons programs, although it has not tested nuclear and long-range missiles since late 2017.







A North Korean delegate rebuked the resolution, claiming hostility from the United States is the cause of the instability of the Korean Peninsula.







The delegate, in a coverage document, cited the committee's adopting a "double standard" of criticizing North Korea, while keeping quiet on joint military exercises between the United States and "its servile forces," apparently referring to South Korea.







The resolution is expected to be officially adopted at a plenary meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in early December. (Yonhap)


gettyimagesbank



By Lee Hyo-jin



The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced the medical industry, boosting its digital transformation and introducing new healthcare models for contactless services.



Telemedicine, which enables doctors to treat patients remotely via telecommunications technologies, was technically illegal here in the pre-COVID-19 era under the Medical Services Act.



But through a revision to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, since February 2020, the provision of virtual healthcare services has been allowed in a limited manner when the country's infectious disease crisis level is "serious," or at the highest level of alarm.



The revision has led to the emergence of multiple businesses providing telemedicine services. Through a mobile app, patients can now receive counseling from licensed doctors, along with a diagnosis and prescription, without having to visit a clinic.



According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, from February 2020 to September of this year, there have been over 2.7 million telemedicine visits, and about 1.3 million patients have received remote healthcare services.



The reported benefits of the virtual services include expanded access to medical services while reducing disease exposure for both patients and medical staff, and a more efficient use of healthcare staff capacity amid the pandemic.



However, the future of telemedicine businesses remains uncertain, as the country prepares to return to normalcy from November under the government's "Living with COVID-19" strategy.



The telemedicine companies, worried that they might lose the legal grounds for their businesses to operate once the pandemic has been eradicated, have been demanding the government to revise the relevant laws to establish a sustainable business environment.



Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol positively assessed the effects of digital healthcare on public health, but he avoided giving direct responses as to whether the government would support the growth of the industry after the pandemic.



"Contactless medical care has greatly contributed to the enhancement of public health amid the pandemic," he said during a National Assembly audit session, Oct. 6. "But when the country returns to normalcy and the infectious crisis level goes down from the current level, medical services will also have to return to their traditional form."





Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol speaks during a National Assembly audit session, Oct. 6. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family /Korea Times file





By Lee Hyo-jin







Six divorced men who have been refusing to pay child support expenses to the custodial parent were issued a 100-day driver's license suspension, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.







The ministry said that it has requested the law enforcement authorities to issue the order to the individuals, Thursday. The suspension will be retracted upon payment of unpaid child support expenses.







This is the first imposition of such an order for delinquency in child support payments after the relevant laws were revised in July.







Under the revised law, those who have failed to pay child support following a court order may face up to a one-year prison term, a fine of up to 10 million won ($8,550), an international travel ban or a driver's license suspension.







The government may also disclose their personal information, including their name, age and occupation on the ministry's website if they continue withholding payment.







According to the ministry, the six men have failed to pay 15.1 million won, 34.4 million won, 50.4 million won, 65.2 million won, 69.6 million won and 120 million won, respectively.







Of them, one man, who was identified only by his surname of Kim, paid 36 million won out of the total 65.2 million won he owed, after he was notified that his driver's license would soon be suspended.







"This case shows that the newly-introduced penalty against people who refuse to pay child support is having actual effects. We will continue to strengthen monitoring and revise the relevant measures to improve the environment for single parents to raise children," said an official at the gender equality ministry.


President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican, Oct. 29. AP-Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in on Friday asked Pope Francis to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the pope positively reacted to the offer, saying he is willing to do so if he receives an invitation from the North, an official said.



Moon made the offer during a meeting with the pope at the Vatican earlier in the day, saying a papal visit to North Korea will serve as momentum for bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula.



"If the pontiff visits North Korea when an opportunity arises, it will be momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon told the pope, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.



The pope encouraged Moon, saying, "I am willing to go there for peace and help all of you if (North Korea) sends a letter of invitation," according to Park.





President Moon Jae-in, center, walks with Head of the Papal Household, Mons. Leonardo Sapienza, right, as he arrives for a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Oct. 29. AP-Yonhap





President Moon Jae-in, center right, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, center left, are greeted as they arrive for a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Oct. 29. AP-Yonhap




Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae holds a press conference on the government's plan to fully resume in-person school classes at the government office complex in Seoul, Oct. 29. Yonhap



South Korea will fully resume in-person school classes next month in line with the government's "living with COVID-19" scheme, the education ministry said Friday.



In-person attendance at kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools will resume nationwide on Nov. 22, following this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), a state-run university entrance exam, on Nov. 18, according to the ministry.



Universities will be allowed to gradually resume in-person classes starting Monday.



The plan is part of the government's "living with COVID-19" scheme to be imposed for the next four weeks as part of a broader plan to gradually lift the virus restrictions by the end of January.






Former Deputy Prime Minister and independent presidential hopeful Kim Dong-yeon announces the foundation of his political party, named, "New Wave," during an event in Mapo District, Seoul, Oct. 24. Joint Press Corps



This article is the fifth in a series on the major presidential contenders' leadership styles, campaign promises, strengths and weaknesses, as well as career histories  ED.



By Nam Hyun-woo



Former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon is known for his life story of overcoming difficulties and rising as Korea's top financial policymaker. He appears to have chosen an uneasy path in his presidential campaign, founding his own political party to stand as a candidate outside the country's current political dynamics dominated by the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the conservative People Power Party (PPP).



On Oct. 24, Kim founded his party, named "the New Wave," saying that he wants to change the "political dynamics" of Korea completely through creating the party.



"As long as the current political ecosystem dominated by the two major parties remains, it is impossible to resolve structural problems that Korea has been suffering from for the past 20 years," Kim said during the party's founding ceremony. "With politics having the thickest market barrier in the country, I created the New Wave party in order to break down this barrier and change political dynamics."



Both the DPK and the PPP sought to recruit Kim, since he is a figure whom centrists or moderate voters can embrace, given his background of serving ranking government jobs under both liberal and conservative administrations. However, the 64-year-old did not reply to those calls, dropping hints that he would pursue his own brand of politics that does not sit along the left-right political spectrum.



On Sept. 8, Kim announced his presidential bid as an independent candidate and called for a change in today's political establishments, casting questions on how far his political venture will go.



From working student to top financial policymaker



Kim is a career civil servant, having served more than 30 years mostly in economy and budget-related areas during both liberal and conservative administrations.



Born in 1957 in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, Kim attended a vocational high school and took a job at a bank at the age of 17 without a college diploma, as he had to support his family from his teenage years. While working, he studied during the evenings at a professional college  Kookje University  for eight years before graduating.



After passing two state exams for the selection of ranking public servants in 1982, he started his career as a government official at the Economic Planning Board, which is now the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Due to Korea's culture of putting emphasis on one's academic background, Kim continued his studies to earn a master's degree at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Administration and a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.



In 2008, Kim served as the secretary of economy and finance for conservative President Lee Myung-bak to assist Korea in overcoming the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. In the following year, Kim became secretary of national assignments and was then named as the second vice minister of economy and finance in 2012.



In the following Park Geun-hye administration, which was also conservative, Kim became the minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination in 2013, as Park acknowledged Kim's expertise in budget planning.



He resigned in 2014, citing health and family issues  his son died of leukemia in 2013  and was appointed as president of Ajou University in 2015. After serving two years there, he was named as the liberal Moon Jae-in administration's inaugural deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance.











Then-Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, right, shakes hands with Jang Ha-sung, then-presidential chief of staff for policy, during their meeting at the Financial Supervisory Service's training institute in Jongno District, Seoul, Aug. 29, 2018. Yonhap



He served for the Moon administration from June 2017, carrying out the President's early economic policies, including income-led and innovation-led growth.



During this process, it was reported that Kim clashed with the presidential office over the income-led growth policy, which is the idea that increasing employees' income will stimulate consumption and therefore, economic growth. Kim claimed that this policy would not economically feasible, and thus that the country should put greater emphasis on innovation-led growth, which encourages companies to come up with innovative technologies and business by easing regulations and nurturing infrastructure.



As Korea's job-related indices continued to plummet in 2018, and following the Moon government's efforts to raise the statutory minimum wage, Kim took a stand against the President, stating that the government needed to slow down the minimum wage hike.



As this issue became a major point of conflict between Kim and Jang Ha-sung, the then-presidential chief of staff for policy and an ardent advocator of income-led growth, concerns were raised of internal party division on government policy, and Moon replaced both Kim and Jang at the same time in December 2018.



Upon his departure from the finance ministry, Kim received calls to join the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the PPP, but he refused, saying "I am the first deputy prime minister of the Moon administration," and that he would "return as a citizen."





Then-Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon waves to reporters as he leaves the Government Complex Sejong on Dec. 10, which was his last day of office as Korea's top economic policymaker. Yonhap



Since then, Kim has spent more than two years formulating his approach to supporting the country's prosperity. He published a book titled, "Breaking the Taboos of Korea," which outlines his political vision that sees Korea shift away from its "winner-takes-all structure" and become a "country of opportunities."



Everything but politics experience



Kim is viewed as a candidate having many traits that Korean voters like. He is: an economic expert who knows how to manage state coffers, a former high-ranking official who took a stand against higher powers for what he believes, a man with an archetypal rags-to-riches life story, and a fresh face who is not intertwined in the politics of the liberal and conservative parties.



Pundits and politicians have also said that Kim is one of the best prepared presidential candidates who have designed election pledges to support his political vision of breaking up the power of the establishment and creating a country full of opportunities.



"Given Kim's life story, professional career and expertise, I have been recommending that he jump into politics for years," said Kim Chong-in, a former lawmaker who has served as an interim leader of both the PPP and the DPK.





Former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, left, shakes hands with Kim Chong-in, a former lawmaker who has served as interim leader of both the conservative main opposition People Power Party and the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea, during their breakfast meeting at a restaurant in Seoul, Oct. 12. Joint Press Corps
The liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)'s presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, center, visits an exhibition booth of a robot industry exhibition at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. The ruling party candidate has said that reducing work hours is an unavoidable trend in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and that the country will adopt a four-day workweek system at some point in the future. Joint Press Corps



By Jung Da-min



Debates over the matter of introducing a four-day workweek system have risen again in political circles, ahead of the upcoming presidential election slated for March next year. Similar discussions about the feasibility of shortening the workweek were made earlier this year in April among candidates of the Seoul mayoral by-election.



The idea has again come to the fore after local broadcaster JTBC reported on Wednesday that the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, is considering the introduction of a four-day workweek system as one of his policy promises, citing his comments to a related question.



Lee has said, "The four-day workweek system is something that should be implemented someday for a decent life and the reduction of work hours." While serving as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee introduced a four-day workweek as a pilot project through a local company.



Lee took a step back due to criticism against the idea, telling reporters at a robot industry exhibition in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the following day that he did not mean to introduce it right away if he is elected as the next president. But Lee has made it clear that he believes the four-day workweek could be a solution to labor market concerns during the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and that the matter should be debated actively.



"If you used to have to work 10 hours a day to produce what you needed in the past, the era will soon come when you can produce what you need after working for an hour or two. In an era where innovation is important, rest and leisure become very important values," Lee said. "In that respect, reducing work hours is an unavoidable trend in order to increase the potential for creativity and innovation."





The liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)'s presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, center, visits an exhibition booth of a robot industry exhibition in the Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. The ruling party candidate has said that reducing work hours is an unavoidable trend in era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and that the country will adopt a four-day workweek system at some point in the future. Joint Press Corps



The ruling party candidate said that he sees it as too early to make a promise to introduce the four-day workweek system as a national policy immediately if he is elected president, but the time has come to reduce work hours gradually, and that the country will ultimately adopt a four-day workweek system at some point.



Political watchers said that Lee's consideration of a possible introduction of a four-day workweek system in the future is in line with his other policy promises to woo supporters of the liberal bloc, such as offering a basic income for young people, farmers and fishermen, which will later be expanded to all people, and providing at least 1 million "basic homes," which refer to public rental housing units offered at lower prices.



The conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader, Lee Jun-seok, criticized the ruling party candidate's review of a four-day workweek system, saying that it would encompass steep wage cuts and job losses, along with a deterioration of the working environment.





The conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s leader Lee Jun-seok, center, speaks during a Supreme Council meeting of the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps



The PPP leader said during a party meeting, Thursday, that the DPK candidate was trying to attract votes from young people in their 20s and 30s by telling them that he will introduce a four-day workweek system, but that such a policy will fail, as it is "ignoring the fundamentals of economics."



The PPP is still finalizing its presidential candidate through the party primary, which runs until Nov. 5. Among the PPP's presidential contenders, Rep. Hong Joon-pyo said, Thursday, during a conference where he announced his policy welfare promises, that he would adopt a four-day workweek system for elderly workers only to increase jobs for them by activating a flexible work hour system, but said that it is too early to introduce a four-day workweek system to everyone.



The progressive minor opposition Justice Party and its candidate Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, who has included the introduction of a four-day workweek system as one of her policy promises, said that a reduction in work hours should come without a reduction in wages, and that a four-day workweek system is the people's right when the Korean economy has reached the advanced country level.



"The four-day workweek system is to set the future-oriented working time standard for Korea, one of the countries with the longest working hours among other OECD countries. It is also about a major transformation of our socio-economic system that should encompass profit sharing between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as income guarantees for workers under precarious conditions and the self-employed," Shim said in a press release to reporters, Friday.




Judiciary sector urged to double efforts to retain public trust



The Constitutional Court rejected the National Assembly's impeachment of a judge accused of meddling in politically sensitive trials during the 2013-17 Park Geun-hye administration. In a five-to-three vote, the court voided the impeachment of Judge Lim Seong-geun, saying the case was legally null and void as the now-retired judge cannot be sacked.



In the first-ever impeachment case of a sitting judge, the DPK members slammed Lim for interfering with some sensitive cases, including a libel filed in 2015 against a Japanese journalist. The five justices in a majority ruling cited the need to reject the "legally inappropriate" impeachment, of which beneficial purposes cannot be upheld.



This means the court stopped short of deliberating over whether Lim's behavior was unconstitutional. In contrast, three justices opined Lim deserved impeachment as his interference in the trials was a grave violation of the Constitution. They said Lim infringed upon article 103 of the Constitution, that "Judges shall rule independently according to their conscience and in conformity with the Constitution and laws."



As impeachment of a judge requires consents from at least six justices, Lim managed to avoid the disgrace of being sacked. Yet this does not necessarily mean he is acquitted of his meddling in the trials. His assertion is totally nonsense that he just offered advice to junior judges as a colleague. DPK Rep. Lee Tan-hee, who led the impeachment motion, expressed strong regret over the court's decision, saying the justices gave up their duties to protect the Constitution.



There has been controversy over the DPK's attempts to impeach Lim. Critics said the ruling camp was attempting to tame the judiciary and influence future cases affecting ruling camp figures. They also noted the DPK members attempted to humiliate Lim, as the impeachment was improper because Lim was about to step down from his post.



Much controversy has been aroused surrounding the impeachment case. In particular, the revelation of a recorded conversation between Chief Justice Kim Myeong-soo and Lim created a great stir just prior to the National Assembly vote on Lim's impeachment. The recording showed the chief justice was only trying to read the minds of the ruling camp elites while turning down Lim's resignation.



Kim told Lim, who was meeting him to tender his resignation, that "What on Earth will the National Assembly will tell me if I accept your resignation when they are hectic to impeach you? We need to watch the political situation." Kim faced a barrage of demands to quit his post while Lim also took flak for secretly recording the conversation and disclosing it, greatly undermining the public trust in the judiciary.



We urge the judiciary to double its efforts to retain its honor and trust from the people, learning lessons from the unprecedented impeachment case. People have the right to a fair ruling regardless of the political power, and the judiciary sector can obtain its raison d'etre only when it guarantees such basic rights.


A woman holds a smartphone with Meta logo on it in front of a displayed Facebook logo in this illustration taken, Oct. 28. Reuters-Yonhap



Facebook is now called Meta, the company said on Thursday, in a rebrand that focuses on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.



The name change comes as the world's largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.



CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the company's live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference, said the new name reflected its work investing in the metaverse, rather than its namesake social media service, which will continue to be called Facebook.



The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel "Snow Crash" three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm which can be accessed by people using different devices.



"Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future," said Zuckerberg.



The company, which has invested heavily in augmented and virtual reality, said the change would bring together its different apps and technologies under one new brand. It said it would not change its corporate structure.



The tech giant, which reports about 2.9 billion monthly users, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years from global lawmakers and regulators.



In the latest controversy, whistleblower and former Facebook employee Frances Haugen leaked documents which she said showed the company chose profit over user safety. Haugen has in recent weeks testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee and lawmakers in the UK's Parliament. Zuckerberg earlier this week said the documents were being used to paint a "false picture."



The company said in a blog post that it intends to start trading under the new stock ticker it has reserved, MVRS, on Dec. 1. On Thursday, it unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, replacing its thumbs-up "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape.

Facebook shares closed 1.5 percent higher at $316.92 on Thursday.





Seen on the screen of a device in Sausalito, Calif., Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the keynote address during a virtual event, Oct. 28. AP-Yonhap




Second Vice Science Minister Cho Kyeong-sik speaks during a briefing at the Seoul Government Complex, Friday, on the results of an investigation into the cause of KT's network failure that occurred Monday. / Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun



A mistake by an employee of a firm KT outsourced for its routing work was to blame for the nationwide network disruption earlier this week, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Friday.



KT's internet network error disabled both wired and wireless services around 11:20 a.m. on Monday. Most services were back by noon, but some disruptions lasted longer.



The telecom company stated in the days following the network failure that a routing error was the cause and that the large-scale disruption was the result of work that was performed during the day instead of when it was supposed to have been carried out  at night when there is less network traffic.



"We found that an employee entered the wrong command while changing a network router at a location in Busan," Second Vice Minister Cho Kyeong-sik said in a briefing on the results of the inspection into the cause of the network failure.



A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routing refers to the designation of network routes for data to reach a service subscriber.



The ministry said disruptions to phone calls and text messaging were caused as people increasingly turned to these mediums when internet services stopped working for them. IPTV subscribers also experienced disruptions as many reset their devices following the failures and traffic surged accordingly.



But the ministry said the fundamental reason for the accident was KT's failure to oversee the firm outsourced to carry out its routing work.



KT had approved the work process to be carried out between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., but this ended up being done in the daytime under KT's consent. In addition, KT managers were not present to supervise the routing process at the time.



There were also systematic problems such as the absence of a simulation testbed that could detect errors in the planned routing, and the absence of a system that could prevent the error from flowing on to affect nationwide networks.



The ministry said it will come up with plans to ensure network stability, such as checking network operators' management systems and introducing simulation systems that can detect errors arising in processes such as routing.



The ministry said it will also strengthen monitoring of network operators to enable early detection of telecommunication disruptions and deal with such problems swiftly.



KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo said a day earlier the company would compensate those impacted via a center to be set up next week.



The ministry said it will check whether KT follows through with its pledge for compensation.


A British trawler Cornelis Gert Jan is seen moored in the port of Le Havre, France, Oct. 29, after France seized it in the French territorial waters without a license. Reuters-Yonhap



Britain threatened on Friday to board French fishing boats and France stood by a plan to impose sanctions on British vessels in a deepening row over post-Brexit fishing rights.



The long-running dispute flared this week after France listed measures that would be taken against Britain if London did not allow more French trawlers to fish in U.K. waters and then seized a British boat in French territorial waters.



Britain challenged France's explanation that the scallop dredger had no permission to fish in French waters, and hit back by threatening retaliation and summoning the French ambassador to London for talks later on Friday to explain Paris's actions.



The row is part of a wider dispute over post-Brexit trade arrangements between Britain and the European Union which could lead to severe disruptions before Christmas if it spins out of control.



British Environment Secretary George Eustice said London could retaliate if France enforces sanctions including extra customs checks on British goods from Tuesday. The prospect of Paris also raising energy tariffs to Britain also loomed.



"Obviously it's always open to us to always increase the enforcement that we do on French vessels, to board more of them if that's what they're doing to our vessels," Eustice told BBC television.



"There are other administrative things that we can require of vessels," he said.



French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie told France 2 TV there had been no progress in the negotiations for more licences to fish in British and said it was right for France to consider sanctions against Britain.



Threats and counter-threats



The Cornelis Gert Jan, a scallop dredger, was escorted to the northern French port of Le Havre overnight on Wednesday after its crew failed to prove it was allowed to fish in French territorial waters, French officials said.



British officials said it had the correct documentation. The local prosecutor's office said the vessel's skipper will be called to appear before a court in Le Havre in August, 2022.



France says Britain has refused to grant its fishermen the full number of licenses to operate in British waters that France says is warranted. Britain says it is issuing licenses to vessels that meet its criteria.



France has threatened to ban British fishing boats from unloading in French ports, carry out additional license checks on British vessels, tighten controls of trucks, reinforce customs and hygiene controls and raise power tariffs.



Seas Minister Annick Girardin has made clear France cannot cut off electricity supplies to Britain as a retaliatory measure but said it could raise tariffs. Britain was importing about 6 percent of its electricity supply from France on Thursday, data showed.



Eustice said London's focus for now was trying to resolve the issue with the European Commission, the EU executive body, and with France's ambassador to London.



Britain's Brexit minister, David Frost, was due to hold talks in London on Friday with European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic.



Some British officials portray France's defense of its fishermen as an attempt by President Emmanuel Macron to show he is defending their interests before an election in April in which he is expected to seek a new term.



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can also ill afford to look weak on fishing rights after leading the campaign to leave the EU.



Fishing makes a small contribution to the French and British economies but is a lifeline for some coastal communities. (Reuters)


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a COVID-19 vaccination center at in London, Oct. 22. Johnson flies to a G20 summit in Rome with one big goal: persuade the leaders of the world's biggest economies to make ambitious climate change commitments at next week's U.N. climate summit in Glasgow. AP-Yonhap



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flies to a Group of 20 meeting in Rome on Friday with one big goal: to persuade the leaders of the world's biggest economies to put their money where their mouth is at the U.N. climate summit in Scotland.



Johnson will deploy his ebullience and his _ admittedly divisive _ charm to try to extract cash and carbon-cutting commitments from the G-20, which contains some of the world's biggest carbon emitters, including China, the United States, India and Russia.



Accounting for 75% of the world's trade and 60 percent of its population, the G-20 has often been accused of being too big and diffuse to take strong collective action. And Johnson's Brexit-tinged global image means his arm-twisting power may be limited.



The G-20 is meeting as the European Union and ex-member Britain wrangle over trade rules, and amid a simmering U.K.-France spat over fishing rights in the English Channel. France is also incensed over a U.S.-U.K.-Australia nuclear submarine deal that saw Australia cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy French subs.



Those disputes are clouding Johnson's hopes of a ''G-20 bounce'' to build momentum for the 12-day COP26 climate conference, which starts Sunday in Glasgow. He's hoping to leave Rome bearing a sheaf of global carbon-cutting pledges, a plan to curb coal use and a long-promised, never-delivered $100 billion a year in aid to help developing countries tackle the impacts of climate change.



''The biggest issue is ratcheting up ambition,'' said Jared Finnegan, a public policy expert at University College London. ''Boris (Johnson) has been talking for some time about how he expects the largest economies, the G-20, to come forward with more ambitious pledges than what countries put forward in 2015'' when the landmark Paris climate agreement was struck.



''Some countries have come forward with that and played ball, other countries have not,'' Finnegan added.



Major G-20 polluters, including Russia and Australia, have failed to improve on the carbon-cutting pledges made after the Paris conference. Neither Chinese President Xi Jinping nor Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders of two of the biggest carbon emitters, plan to attend the G-20 or COP26 in person.



The world is currently far adrift of the goal set in Paris of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, considered a threshold between manageable and disastrous climate change. Keeping ''1.5 alive'' is the focus of the Glasgow meeting. To do it, Britain has honed in on a mantra of ''coal, cars, cash and trees'' _ eliminating fossil fuels, switching to clean vehicles, spending money and stopping deforestation.



Johnson said this week it was ''touch and go'' whether the climate summit would meet its goals.

''We might not get the agreements that we need,'' Johnson said during a question-and-answer session with children.



That may be a prudent lowering of expectations, but Johnson faces some big obstacles. Britain's leader is mistrusted by many European leaders for his role in Britain's 2016 decision to leave the EU and the years of rancorous divorce negotiations that have followed. U.S. President Joe Biden has also been wary, seeing echoes in Johnson's crowd-pleasing antics of Donald Trump's populism.



Johnson insists that Brexit does not mean a U.K. retreat from the world, and has championed his vision of an outward-looking ''Global Britain'' during the country's presidency of the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations this year. A G-7 summit in England in June was considered a modest success by Britain, even though environmental groups said its climate commitments lacked substance.



Johnson makes a more credible green messenger than some rich nations' leaders. The U.K. has promised to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and has published a detailed plan for getting there. Unlike Australia, it is on course to eliminate coal from its energy mix within a few years. And unlike the United States, there's limited political opposition in the U.K. to tougher climate rules.



But the British government's decision this year to cut foreign aid spending from 0.7 percent of GDP to 0.5 percent because of the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic alarmed aid groups and undercut the U.K.'s commitment to developing nations. The British government said this week that cut will remain at least until 2024.



The U.K.'s annual budget, announced Wednesday, made scant mention of climate change while slashing passenger taxes on domestic flights and freezing taxes on automobile fuel.



Johnson's spokesman, Max Blain, denied those measures undermined Britain's environmental image or net-zero target.



''I think anyone that's been tracking our commitments on climate change and net zero can see that the United Kingdom is leading the way on this,'' he said.



Pessimists might wonder _ if G-20 can't agree how to fight climate change, what hope is there for the almost 200 nations who will gather at COP26 in Glasgow?



Yet Finnegan sees progress in the fact that a Conservative British government wants to be seen as a green leader, and in the way the global conversation on climate has shifted.



''Even the fact that we're talking about net zero by 2050  that is something that just wasn't on the table even five years ago,'' he said. (AP)




Leaves start to turn color on a tree outside of White Hall Classroom Building on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff
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Interactive Producer, Retail Minneapolis , Minnesota , United States Marketing Summary

Posted: Oct 14, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200299806 Marcom is Apple's Global Marketing Communications group. We oversee all of Apple's advertising and marketing to ensure the flawless development and execution of world-class customer experiences. The Interactive Retail team is recruiting an experienced producer. This person will lead NPI /Product launch projects that design, launch and market complex products that extend Apple's ecommerce platform. In this role, you will collaborate with internal creative and development teams, as well as with partners from Retail and IS&T (Apple's internal development group) as part of the producer team that designs experiences for Apple's digital Retail platforms. You will have the opportunity to improve the way customers interact with Apple Online Store. Key Qualifications You have at least four years experience in digital project management, with at least two years experience leading increasingly more complex projects. Interactive agency experience is helpful.

You are ready to run significant projects in a lead capacity.

You have a successful track record of digital innovation and delivery across multiple platforms.

You are comfortable with ambiguity and change and can focus on the smallest detail as well as define broader strategic plans.

You work effectively with creative, development, and cross-functional teams.

You deliver results and have a can-do attitude when it comes to hitting milestones and meeting deadlines.

You are able to build positive relationships with colleagues and business partners, and you can communicate effectively one on one and in large groups.

You can clearly articulate the business strategy and solutions as they relate to briefs.

You are familiar with a variety of Internet technologies.

You have strong communication and interpersonal skills and thrive working in a creative and dynamic environment.

You are highly organized and love to craft efficiencies to further streamline processes. Description Manages projects for key, high-profile launches, campaigns, and corporate initiatives. Manage and lead multiple work streams and programs. Organizes and summarizes information quickly and succinctly while maintaining focus. Able to manage project communications across functions, matrixed teams and geos. Able to "manage up" through clear, timely and concise reporting. Facilitates project presentations independently to senior stakeholder level Works under tight deadlines and has the flexibility to accommodate change. Able to track project progress, responsible for schedule development, maintenance, and communication of status. Manages all project communications and documentation in a meticulous and timely fashion. Can distill and articulate defined business strategy and proposed solutions to the project team Identifies risks and dependencies in cross-functional program plans, and takes appropriate action to mitigate risks and manage stakeholder expectations. Develops marketing content for multiple digital platforms and partners Maintains deliverable lists, and distributes a weekly status of project priorities to team members Routes layouts, copy, renderings, and production files for internal review and approval. Schedules hand-offs, and assures delivery of appropriate assets to internal teams. Education & Experience Bachelor's Degree is required.




AI/ML - Machine Learning Researcher, Information Intelligence New York City , New York , United States Machine Learning and AI Summary

Posted: Oct 26, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200305777 We are a group of engineers and researchers responsible for information intelligence at Apple. We build systems to connect Apple users to information in products ranging from search and Siri to on-device intelligence. We are looking for researchers who are passionate about developing algorithms, techniques, and systems that delight millions of users in Apple products and in the process push the frontier of deep learning. Key Qualifications Demonstrated expertise in deep learning with publication record in relevant conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, KDD, ACL, ICASSP, InterSpeech) or a track record in applying deep learning techniques to products

Proficient programming skills in Python and one of the deep learning toolkits such as PyTorch, Tensorflow, or Jax

Ability to work in a collaborative environment. Description We believe that the most interesting problems in deep learning research arise when we try to apply learning to real-world use cases, and this is also where the most important breakthroughs come from. You will work with a close-knit and fast growing team of world-class engineers and scientists to tackle some of the most challenging problems in deep learning and information intelligence, including natural language processing, multi-modal understanding, and combining learning with knowledge. Example applications include (but are not limited to) - Web-scale information retrieval - Human-like conversation agent - Multi-modal perception for existing products and future hardware platforms - On-device intelligence and learning with strong privacy protections Further, you will have opportunities to identify and develop novel applications of deep learning in Apple products. You will see you ideas not only published in papers, but also improve the experience of millions of users. Education & Experience PhD, or equivalent practical experience, in Computer Science, or related technical field Additional Requirements Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Apple is a drug-free workplace.








Pro Summit Mall Akron , Ohio , United States Apple Retail Summary Posted: Oct 28, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200305341 Do you want to help grow Apple's community? We seek perfection. We are idealists and problem-solvers. Forever tinkering with products and processes, always on the lookout for better. A job at Apple will be demanding. But it also rewards forward-thinking, original thinking, and tenacity. And none of us here would have it any other way. Are you highly skilled at presenting elegant solutions that simplify the complex? Are you an extremely knowledgeable salesperson? As a Pro, you understand how Apple can help customers discover their passions, and how our products differ from our competitors. You have an eye for opportunity and demonstrate your breadth of expertise in technology to craft unique value propositions and insights that differentiate Apple solutions in the market. You provide authoritative recommendations of Apple's products that build loyalty and improve the customer experience, and help drive skills and knowledge of technology across your team. Key Qualifications Extensive track record of top performing sales and customer experience results maintained over extended periods of time.

Mastery of Apple services and products as well as third-party solutions across different industries and fields, for personal, business, educational, and creative professional use.

Knowledge of business solutions and industry trends. Description You drive sales by designing complete solutions with Apple and complementary product-service offerings. You demonstrate and advise how customers can integrate technology into their homes and scale solutions across small to medium size businesses and educational institutions. You demonstrate a real passion for technology to become the go-to resource across the store for our Hardware, Software, and Services. You use knowledge about Apple technology, technical expertise, and creativity to meet customer needs and stay up to date on new information, product and service offerings, and company initiatives, by using internal tools and resources, on-the-job experiences, and peers. You partner closely with store leadership, Global Retail Support, and peers within your Region. You contribute to success across all store areas and flex appropriately to meet business needs. You will identify emerging technology and consumer trends and share how the team can use those insights to develop new sales opportunities and maintain technology industry knowledge and macro-movements within verticals to anticipate how technology can be utilized. You will lead and assist with briefings, provide recommendations for deployment and set up, and identify when to pull in additional support. The Pro mentors others in the Product Zone on specialized product knowledge and purchasing options, including financing and carrier contracts and shares practices on ownership and customer loyalty within the Product Zone and with the larger store team. You maintain expertise in all Apple products and services (in store and online), our ecosystem, and many third-party products to offer complete solutions while actively approaching and engaging with our customers to understand their needs and present customized solutions. You set up the customer's newest Apple products. The Pro brings Apple solutions to life through demos, personalization, and answers to customer questions. Build memorable experiences that showcase the benefits of Apple products. You will provide troubleshooting advice and introduce the advantages of shopping with Apple - often to multiple customers at the same time. You will support peers at the Genius Bar as needed to share knowledge and assist in providing ownership options all while providing world-class customer service to customers, and maintaining accuracy in all operational duties and transactions. Note: Apple benefits programs vary by country and are subject to eligibility requirements. Education & Experience Additional Requirements Able to effectively communicate and work with business owners and C-level executives.

Self-starter and able to achieve individual goals while also influencing the success of the overall team.

Able to collaborate cross-functionally within the store and among key partners.

Familiar with a CRM.

Superior teamwork, interpersonal, and customer service skills.

Drive for results, and make things happen.

Can tackle customer concerns using composure, listening, and presentation skills.

Strong time management and multitasking skills.

Curious to seek out information and share with the broader team.

Flexible about work, often performing multiple activities simultaneously.

Able to prioritize tasks effectively.

Provide and receive feedback from others.



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Description

Req #19253 Thursday, October 28, 2021 Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer-Prize winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services.



Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 46 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 120 local news media brands. Gannett also owns the digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, Inc., UpCurve, Inc., and WordStream, Inc., which are marketed under the LOCALiQ brand, and runs the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures.



To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com . Insert Machine / Bindery Operator I

Gannett Publishing Services Cherry Hill, NJ





Gannett Publishing Services, part of USA Today network, a division of Gannett, Inc. is looking for a motivated individual to join the Packaging Department at our production facility. The machine operator works under the direction of the Packaging Supervisor to perform duties as a team member during the packaging and press delivery process. The position is tasked with maintaining all department standards for reliability, productivity, quality, and customer service. Duties include the set-up and operation of insert machines, insert hoppers, strapping machines, bottom-wrap machines and stackers.

Also includes stacking bundles of product, loading hoppers on a newspaper inserting machine in a production environment and performing a variety of other packaging duties as assigned. Individual must be able to interact effectively in a diverse work force, effectively multitask and work independently with minimum supervision and guide other team members in the absence of the Packaging Supervisor. The position requires basic knowledge of personal computer applications, including Windows, MS Excel, Word, Outlook and Web browsers.

Experience operating material handling equipment, including powered pallet jacks and forklifts, is a plus. Must be able to stand for long periods of time, be able to bend and pick up and lift bundles in weights of up to 25 pounds. Must be able to work varied shifts that includes nights and weekends.



GAN.gps Gannett Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employees race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where Gannett employs employees. In addition, Gannett Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicants disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals application for employment with Gannett Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact Gannett Co., Inc.s Recruitment Department at Recruit@gannett.com. Job Family Printing/Press

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A series of presentations began on 19 October for the Spanish edition of The Great Betrayal, Alan Woods book about the great revolutionary struggle to overthrow the Franco dictatorship, which was tragically undermined by the leaders of the working class in the Spanish State.

The series of talks began, appropriately, in Vitoria-Gasteiz: a city that will never forget the victims of the so-called democratic transition. The event was attended by about 50 people, and 60 copies of the book have been sold so far in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The presentation was organised together with the Association of the Victims of 3 March (Martxoak 3 Elkartea), named for the massacre committed by the police on that day, during a general strike. An assembly in Vittoria, held in a parish church, was attacked with teargas to drive out the revolutionary workers and housewives, who were then fired upon with live ammunition. Five were killed and more than 100 injured. The entire discussion was imbued by the spirit of that day, and the atrocity committed against what the bosses at that time called a small local soviet.

A series of presentations began on 19 October for The Great Betrayal, Alan Woods book about the great revolutionary struggle to overthrow the Franco dictatorship / Image: Lucha de clases

The event was introduced in Basque by Daniela Castro, who welcomed the attendees and the author of the book, in attendance via video link from London. When he took the floor, he recalled his stay in Vitoria-Gasteiz just a few days before the brutal repression of the workers. He participated in the revolutionary assemblies, and was inspired by their great size, the respectful atmosphere in which they were conducted, and the radical spirit of the working class on display.

He recalled with emotion the words of a housewife: If I only have bread to give to my children, I will tell them: eat your bread, because we have to win this fight. Her spirit is what gave the book its name, referring to all the anonymous people who caused tens of millions of working hours to be lost in strikes, only to be betrayed by the leaders of the labour movement.

These leaders - Carrillo, Felipe Gonzalez, Suarez, Roca, Ajuriaguerra, Tierno, who are now considered great, wise men by the bourgeois authors of official history - kept the Franco regime practically intact. They also accepted an amnesty law that bestowed equal forgiveness on the imprisoned peaceful protesters, and also those who committed genocide, murder and torture against them.

With a leadership that is up to the task, it would be possible to break the grip of the 1978 regime, and of the capitalist system that puts human civilization itself at risk / Image: Lucha de clases

Two members of the Association, Santiago Diaz de Espada and Andoni Txasko, took the floor and discussed their ongoing struggle for justice, explaining the difficult legal situation facing those who wish to defend the memory of the victims of the so-called transition. They noted the indictment of Franco's minister Martin Villa, who was directly responsible for the murders in Vitoria, by an Argentine court in 2021. But they also emphasised that it is still impossible to judge Francoist crimes in the Spanish state, because they are considered non prosecutable under the Amnesty Law.

Pepe Blanes closed out the event by emphasising the revolutionary potential of the working class, as shown during the struggle for independence in Catalonia and the recent victory of the Tubacex factory workers in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

With a leadership that is up to the task, it would be possible to break the grip of the 1978 regime, and of the capitalist system that puts human civilization itself at risk.


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Oracle and Orange announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement as part of a joint plan to accelerate cloud-led digital transformation in West Africa.

Under the agreement, the two companies will assess plans to build Oracle Cloud regions (https://bit.ly/2ZATWqB) using Oranges infrastructure in Senegal and Ivory Coast. This aligns with a common objective of ensuring that all customer data is hosted locally, providing customers with cloud services that meet their data latency and performance requirements.

The companies also announced plans to jointly offer cloud services for enterprises and public sector organizations in the West Africa, starting with offerings in Senegal and Ivory Coast. For this initiative, Orange plans to use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to complement its portfolio of enterprise-grade managed cloud services.

Orange has an extensive footprint in West Africa, reaching more than 130 million customers in the region, and its B2B services are supported by its extensive network as well as capabilities including Internet of Things, applications, cybersecurity, cloud, and data center management. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, with its built-in security, high performance and availability, is ideally suited for mission-critical and cloud-native workloads in enterprise and public sector environments.

The planned joint go-to-market model is intended to support West African enterprises and public organizations in addressing the challenge of digital transformation through advanced cloud services, enabling operational efficiency, lower costs, and high security standards.

The two companies also plan to collaborate on a project to migrate part of Oranges internal applications onto Oracle Cloud in order to generate greater efficiencies through digitalization, particularly in administrative processes. Discussions are ongoing to jointly define the scope, conditions and feasibility of this strategic step, which has the potential to generate considerable synergies across the Groups footprint in the region.

Finally, Oracle and Orange intend to jointly promote their health solutions, especially in the area of vaccination. Such cooperation has the potential to bring considerable benefits to local populations, particularly in the light of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, through a fully-digitalized process and improved stock management.

We strongly believe that digital technology is a catalyst for economic transformation on the African continent, contributing to sustainable employment and socio-economic development. Cloud infrastructure is one of the key solutions Orange brings to companies and public institutions in its role as a multi-service operator. Oracles industry-recognized solutions should bring additional value to Oranges Cloud portfolio, said Alioune Ndiaye, Chairman and CEO, Orange Middle-East and Africa.

With improved bandwidth access, and increased awareness of the benefits of cloud computing, organizations in the West and Sub-Saharan Africa region have begun exploring migrating workloads to the cloud. This initiative with Orange is an important step toward introducing world-class cloud infrastructure in the region, said Clay Magouyrk, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

As organizations in West Africa start their digital transformations, we look forward to joining with Orange to offer a rich portfolio of cloud infrastructure services, said Jonathan Tikochinsky, executive vice president, Global Strategic Clients Group at Oracle. This partnership brings the power of Oracles OCI services and Oranges extensive managed cloud services that will empower organizations to take advantage of the efficiency, cost savings and increased security that the cloud provides.

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And, once while working late, at about 11 p.m., the anvil in the restored blacksmith shop began ringing. He was fairly certain there was no one else in the building, but when the ringing continued for several minutes he left his office to check it out. It was still ringing when he got to the anvil. And, when he placed his hand on the base of the anvil, it was vibrating.
You dont have to ask me about it, Reynolds said. You decided to move back here after moving all over the country, in a reference to Kachmars years away from the Valley working as government administrator for municipalities across the country. He returned to Bethlehem about five years ago.
The voters we represent have a direct interest in this case because its their information that will be disclosed if the subpoena stands ... Our clients are the ones who will be harmed unless the courts block the release of this data, said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the state ACLU chapter late last week.
After the feasibility study, the city plans to launch a micro-site with information and updates about the project, including its cost. Lightner said it will take the city years to implement the project if its found to be feasible. Allentown has not yet decided which company they will contract to lay the infrastructure for fiber-optic broadband. Because Pennsylvania state law limits municipalities from providing broadband services, the city would have to rely on a public-private partnership to make it happen.
Yubelkis Tavarez, one of the people who received the incorrect instructions, said the mistake was unacceptable and the person in charge of the translation needs to be more careful. Tavarez said she was aware the information was incorrect at the time she received it, but its possible others have been misled and they deserve for their votes to count in the upcoming election.
Our position is that the data from one hospital or one health network alone doesnt provide the clearest picture of the overall situation, which is why weve preferred to emphasize the importance of the daily state data to give a bigger picture of what were facing both locally and in Pennsylvania, Downs told me.
That they do not has been abundantly clear for some time. At least 63 lawsuits were filed by the Trump campaign and others in multiple states. Some of the suits were heard by judges appointed by Trump himself. All but one of the suits were dismissed or dropped due to lack of evidence. Election law scholars characterized the suits as ranging from the merely frivolous to truly outlandish.
He was convicted in July of aggravated assault. Trial testimony revealed that employee Dillon Mays, 17 at the time, reminded McCoy he was required to wear his mask over his nose, the Inquirer reported. McCoy said he didnt have to listen to him because he was old enough to be his father.
Regional

Arunachal to support inclusion of Thembang in UNESCO list

Thembang fortified village

ITANAGAR, OCT 29 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 10/29/2021 1:02:40 PM IST

Arunachal Pradesh Art and Culture Minister Taba Tedir has assured all possible support from the State government in making Thembang, a 12th century fortified village, to be included in the final list of UNESCO worlds heritage site, reports The Sentinel Assam.

The minister who, is on a two-day visit to West Kameng district, visited the village on Wednesday and interacted with the Thembang Heritage Village Council members. Thembang Village along with Ziro Valley in Lower Subansiri district of the State, are nominees for UNESCOs world heritage sites.

The council members apprised the minister about the current position of Thembang in the process of inclusion in the final list of UNESCOs World Heritage. The council also submitted a memorandum to the minister, an official communique informed on Thursday.

The memorandum stated, Thembang Village has been nominated for World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2014 along with the Ziro Valley and the State government has already declared Thembang as State heritage site in the year 2015. Even after passing of five years, there is delay in progress for making it to the final list of UNESCO. Thembang could be a great asset and pride for our state if it makes to the final list of UNESCO world heritage site, the memorandum added.

The minister said that the government would extend all support in making it to the final list of UNESCO. Tedir, who also holds the Education portfolio, also visited the Upper Primary School of the village during the day. On Thursday, Tedir visited the Government Polytechnic College, Sarada Mission School, Government Higher Secondary School and ongoing construction new building site of Higher Secondary School at Dirang. Principal of the Polytechnic College Dr Anil Choudhary briefed about the issues of the college through Power Point Presentation (PPE).

While interacting with the teachers and students of the college, Tedir informed that the State government had already allotted Rs 1 crore for the administrative building, Rs 1 crore for the library, Rs 1 crore for the 30-bedded boys hostel, Rs 50 lakhs for the play ground, Rs 30 lakhs for the internal road connection, the works of which is being executed by PWD. All necessary support will be provided by the government to get the final approval from the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) for the college, he said.

While visiting the ongoing construction site of new building of the government higher secondary school at Dirang, the minister directed the executing agency and contractor to maintain the quality of works and complete it in due course of time. Tedir also inaugurated the Information & Communication Technology Laboratory constructed under the Project JIGYASA (RAA) at Government Secondary School, Rama Camp.

The minister was accompanied by Dirang MLA Phurpa Tsering, ZPC Rinchin Zomba Merakpa, OSD to minister Chuku Mama, Special Secretary Secondary Education Saurabh Shaswat, Special Secretary Elementary Education Soumya Sourabh, DSPD RUSA Minto Ete, SLO (DHTE) Dr A K Mishra and other officers of the district.
Regional

Muslim body condemns attacks on minorities in Tripura, Bdesh violence

Tension prevails in Tripura following attacks on mosques and properties owned by Muslims.

Agartala, Oct 29 (IANS) | Publish Date: 10/29/2021 12:17:44 PM IST

All India Imams Council (AIIC) on Thursday condemned the alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, claiming that there were attacks on more than five mosques and other Muslim religious places in Tripura during the past few days.

AIIC Tripura unit President, Billal Ahmed and AICC Tripura unit Secretary, Sahid Ahmed said in connection with the Bangladesh violence, there were several violent incidents and attacks on the mosques which took place in Agartala, Kakraban (southern Tripura), Kailashahar, Dharmanagar, Panisagar (in northern Tripura) and other places.

Appreciating the Tripura government for providing security in Muslim religious places, the AIIC leaders urged the state government to take adequate steps to prevent recurrence of such violent incidents. While talking to the media, the AIIC leaders demanded compensation for the damage of the mosques, madrassas and houses as well as properties belonging to the Muslim community. Billal Ahmed urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to put international pressure on the Bangladesh government so that in future no minorities were attacked there.

The AIIC has demanded capital punishment for 35-year-old Iqbal Hossain, who according to the organisation is the main conspirator in the Bangladesh violence against minorities.

The Tripura governments Minority Affairs and Education Minister, Ratan Lal Nath claimed that there was just one incident that took place in northern Tripuras Panisagar and it was not an attack.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC promulgated in Panisagar and Dharmanagar sub-divisions of the north Tripura district on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. Other steps, including providing security, to the religious places were also taken immediately, Nath told the media on Thursday.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Saurabh Tripathi said anti-national and mischievous elements on Twitter and Facebook are spreading fake news and rumours. The videos and photos that are being spread have no connection with the Panisagar incident.

No fire incident took place at any mosque, said the IGP, adding that cases were registered against rumour mongers.

The opposition CPI-M, Congress and the Trinamool Congress blamed the ruling BJP government of supporting the right-wing organisations to gain political mileage in the civic polls to be held on November 25 and the Assembly elections in 2023. The ruling BJP government, however, rubbished the allegations levelled by the opposition parties.
Berlin Reporter Housing needs discussed at North Country Council's annual commission meeting

by Angel Larcom REGION  Representatives from the NH Housing Authority and Stepwise Data Research in Maine, presented research findings and housing recommendations during the North Country Council's annual commission meeting last week. Although more than 30 communities were surveyed, the study's focus centered on Coos County.



NH Housing Authority Public Affairs Manager Jack Ruderman said, "The state continues to experience an acute housing affordability and supply crisis. There's very low inventory, prices have skyrocketed and supply is in very short demand. We're looking at an unprecedented challenge in the housing arena. We knew the North Country was unique in terms of the focus of its economy, the age of its population and the nature and condition of the housing stock. We knew that if we were to come up with any solutions and a way to attack the housing affordability problem, we would need to develop something tailored specifically to the region. We couldn't use a one-size-fits-all approach for the entire state."



Affordability is a supply issue in the North Country. Approximately 44 percent of the renters said their ability to live in the North Country depended on finding affordable housing. Thirty-nine percent of those polled applied more than 30 percent of their income towards housing costs. Housing supply gaps for renters with annual incomes less than $35,000 ranged between nine percent and 39 percent, while housing supply issues affected homeowners with annual incomes up to $75,000.



Yet another critical finding of the study was the mismatch between supply and demand when it came to housing location. More than 80 percent of renters preferred being closer to work versus available amenities or less expensive housing. Approximately 88 percent of homeowners chose close work proximity over lower housing costs as well.



About 65 percent of homeowners with mortgages said they would need to renovate their existing homes or find an alternative to meet their needs. In addition, 88 percent of both renters and homeowners said their success depended on their ability to find adequate housing close to work. Nearly 45 percent of those polled also said employers should take a more active role in helping their employees find accommodations.



Housing Authority representatives said local solutions were being applied, often unsuccessfully, to the regional housing problem. Limited staff, expertise and resources at the municipal level and the increased demand for builder and developer services compounded the matter.



More notably, COVID has worsened the lack of affordability for middle-class homebuyers. Median home prices have increased by 40% statewide in the last two years. In addition, zoning law reviews in 31 communities showed that many towns do not meet the NH Workforce Housing Law standards, enacted in 2008.



The study highlighted key issues, including declining and aging populations, a mismatch between housing supply and demand, and a lack of affordability for low-wage workers. Affordability has also decreased for the middle class. The lack of local capacity was also identified as a critical factor in the North Country.



Possible solutions included the development of new programs and the alignment of existing funding with regional housing needs. Housing Authority representatives also suggested increased advocacy for regional solutions rather than local solutions and increased local planning and regulatory capacity.



Some suggestions included incentivizing higher density housing developments and improving homeowner investments using Community Development Block Grants and other funding sources. The group also noted the need for new programs to help first-time homebuyers compete in the new, COVID-impacted market and increase connections between rental-seekers and non-traditional rental units.



Ruderman noted that a single-family home on a large lot was not the best alternative for the low-income or gig-economy workers or the elderly population in the North Country.



"There are some funding sources that could provide opportunities for homeowner investment. These funds are not typically used in such a way, but it's possible, and it could be a solution for the North Country," stated Ruderman.



The Housing Authority representative also suggested funding increases in village centers by utilizing RSA7090, enabling municipalities to provide tax breaks to people who want to significantly rehabilitate properties in downtown areas. REGION  Representatives from the NH Housing Authority and Stepwise Data Research in Maine, presented research findings and housing recommendations during the North Country Council's annual commission meeting last week. Although more than 30 communities were surveyed, the study's focus centered on Coos County.NH Housing Authority Public Affairs Manager Jack Ruderman said, "The state continues to experience an acute housing affordability and supply crisis. There's very low inventory, prices have skyrocketed and supply is in very short demand. We're looking at an unprecedented challenge in the housing arena. We knew the North Country was unique in terms of the focus of its economy, the age of its population and the nature and condition of the housing stock. We knew that if we were to come up with any solutions and a way to attack the housing affordability problem, we would need to develop something tailored specifically to the region. We couldn't use a one-size-fits-all approach for the entire state."Affordability is a supply issue in the North Country. Approximately 44 percent of the renters said their ability to live in the North Country depended on finding affordable housing. Thirty-nine percent of those polled applied more than 30 percent of their income towards housing costs. Housing supply gaps for renters with annual incomes less than $35,000 ranged between nine percent and 39 percent, while housing supply issues affected homeowners with annual incomes up to $75,000.Yet another critical finding of the study was the mismatch between supply and demand when it came to housing location. More than 80 percent of renters preferred being closer to work versus available amenities or less expensive housing. Approximately 88 percent of homeowners chose close work proximity over lower housing costs as well.About 65 percent of homeowners with mortgages said they would need to renovate their existing homes or find an alternative to meet their needs. In addition, 88 percent of both renters and homeowners said their success depended on their ability to find adequate housing close to work. Nearly 45 percent of those polled also said employers should take a more active role in helping their employees find accommodations.Housing Authority representatives said local solutions were being applied, often unsuccessfully, to the regional housing problem. Limited staff, expertise and resources at the municipal level and the increased demand for builder and developer services compounded the matter.More notably, COVID has worsened the lack of affordability for middle-class homebuyers. Median home prices have increased by 40% statewide in the last two years. In addition, zoning law reviews in 31 communities showed that many towns do not meet the NH Workforce Housing Law standards, enacted in 2008.The study highlighted key issues, including declining and aging populations, a mismatch between housing supply and demand, and a lack of affordability for low-wage workers. Affordability has also decreased for the middle class. The lack of local capacity was also identified as a critical factor in the North Country.Possible solutions included the development of new programs and the alignment of existing funding with regional housing needs. Housing Authority representatives also suggested increased advocacy for regional solutions rather than local solutions and increased local planning and regulatory capacity.Some suggestions included incentivizing higher density housing developments and improving homeowner investments using Community Development Block Grants and other funding sources. The group also noted the need for new programs to help first-time homebuyers compete in the new, COVID-impacted market and increase connections between rental-seekers and non-traditional rental units.Ruderman noted that a single-family home on a large lot was not the best alternative for the low-income or gig-economy workers or the elderly population in the North Country."There are some funding sources that could provide opportunities for homeowner investment. These funds are not typically used in such a way, but it's possible, and it could be a solution for the North Country," stated Ruderman.The Housing Authority representative also suggested funding increases in village centers by utilizing RSA7090, enabling municipalities to provide tax breaks to people who want to significantly rehabilitate properties in downtown areas.

Berlin Reporter Shaheen visits Berlin to discuss COVID spike Witnesses testify at Zhukovskyy trial Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Gilford Steamer Selectmen get a look at details on solar

by Erin Plummer The selectmen got a look at what kind of solar array might work for town hall and how much such a project would cost, though said the town was nowhere near making a comittment.



During a previous meeting resident Carolyn Johnson suggested that the selectmen use some of the ARPA funds for solar panels on town buildings. The board asked her to contact some experts in the field and come back to the board with more details on how this could be accomplished.



Connor Sanborn, co-founder of Sunflower LLC in Gilmanton, spoke with the board during the Oct. 13 meeting about how the town could have a solar array and how much money this could save them in the long run.



Sanborn said they took a sample of 10 solar installations they have done in Gilford, Belmont, and Gilmanton and broke down what the cost savings has been for those projects. On average those 10 homes saved around $142 a month and $1,700 a year.



One system the company compared to Gilford's buildings and needs was one done at Crystal Lake Farms in Gilmanton. The first year, the project saved $556 a month in revenues, and has a projected savings of around $160,000 in a two-to-five-year period.



Sunflower looked at town hall as well as the fire station.



"Turns out there's quite a bit of good roof space on both buildings that would be amply suited to accommodate solar panels at a very productive level to allow for a really quick payback, it turns out," Sanborn said.



On town hall, Sanborn said solar panels could be installed the section of the roof over the police department section that faces south. He said the project could install an array of 104 panels.



Such a project could cost around $100,000 and could immediately save the town $660 a month in the first year.



Solar electricity could cover 20 percent of the town's electric bills, especially on energy demand. Sanborn said while this can't cover the entirety of someone's bill, a portion could still save a lot of money in the long run.



Sanborn said the town is currently buying electricity from an alternate supplier, saying this alternate supply could be coming from clean energy.



Sanborn said the ARPA funding is an exciting opportunity because it would mean the town would now have to take money out of their budgets for this, giving it this opportunity to move forward.



" This is a really amazing opportunity, not just for Gilford but for a lot of towns in New Hampshire to kind of kickstart their energy production from a more environmentally focused perspective but also a financially focused perspective long into the future in terms of how long these assets are going to be generating energy," Sanborn said



One resident said It didn't make sense for the town to spend over $100,000 for a project that would only save 20 percent on its electric costs.



Sanborn said 20 percent didn't seem like much, but the electrical costs for a building like that aren't what people would see in an average home and some savings would be better than nothing.



The panels would have a lifespan of around 20-25 years. Selectman Chan Eddy asked how they would be disposed of at the end of their lifecycle. Sanborn said Sunflower recommends to its customers that they "dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner" and they are in contact with companies that recycle the panels.



When asked about solar capacity, Sanborn said solar panels can actually be more efficient in colder areas and solar exposure can be high on cold days. He later said the panels can hold up to any weather conditions, especially winter weather in New England.



Johnson said there was a question about whether the ARPA funds could be used for this project. She said she looked into the details of the fund and the uses listed are not exclusive.



The selectmen said this was something they would have to examine further before thinking of making any steps further.



"This is a lot for us to think about," said Selectman Kevin Hayes. "It is a long way to go before we even talk about a bid for solar."



Sanborn said he understood, also suggesting they speak with Gilmanton's energy committee for more information. The selectmen got a look at what kind of solar array might work for town hall and how much such a project would cost, though said the town was nowhere near making a comittment.During a previous meeting resident Carolyn Johnson suggested that the selectmen use some of the ARPA funds for solar panels on town buildings. The board asked her to contact some experts in the field and come back to the board with more details on how this could be accomplished.Connor Sanborn, co-founder of Sunflower LLC in Gilmanton, spoke with the board during the Oct. 13 meeting about how the town could have a solar array and how much money this could save them in the long run.Sanborn said they took a sample of 10 solar installations they have done in Gilford, Belmont, and Gilmanton and broke down what the cost savings has been for those projects. On average those 10 homes saved around $142 a month and $1,700 a year.One system the company compared to Gilford's buildings and needs was one done at Crystal Lake Farms in Gilmanton. The first year, the project saved $556 a month in revenues, and has a projected savings of around $160,000 in a two-to-five-year period.Sunflower looked at town hall as well as the fire station."Turns out there's quite a bit of good roof space on both buildings that would be amply suited to accommodate solar panels at a very productive level to allow for a really quick payback, it turns out," Sanborn said.On town hall, Sanborn said solar panels could be installed the section of the roof over the police department section that faces south. He said the project could install an array of 104 panels.Such a project could cost around $100,000 and could immediately save the town $660 a month in the first year.Solar electricity could cover 20 percent of the town's electric bills, especially on energy demand. Sanborn said while this can't cover the entirety of someone's bill, a portion could still save a lot of money in the long run.Sanborn said the town is currently buying electricity from an alternate supplier, saying this alternate supply could be coming from clean energy.Sanborn said the ARPA funding is an exciting opportunity because it would mean the town would now have to take money out of their budgets for this, giving it this opportunity to move forward." This is a really amazing opportunity, not just for Gilford but for a lot of towns in New Hampshire to kind of kickstart their energy production from a more environmentally focused perspective but also a financially focused perspective long into the future in terms of how long these assets are going to be generating energy," Sanborn saidOne resident said It didn't make sense for the town to spend over $100,000 for a project that would only save 20 percent on its electric costs.Sanborn said 20 percent didn't seem like much, but the electrical costs for a building like that aren't what people would see in an average home and some savings would be better than nothing.The panels would have a lifespan of around 20-25 years. Selectman Chan Eddy asked how they would be disposed of at the end of their lifecycle. Sanborn said Sunflower recommends to its customers that they "dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner" and they are in contact with companies that recycle the panels.When asked about solar capacity, Sanborn said solar panels can actually be more efficient in colder areas and solar exposure can be high on cold days. He later said the panels can hold up to any weather conditions, especially winter weather in New England.Johnson said there was a question about whether the ARPA funds could be used for this project. She said she looked into the details of the fund and the uses listed are not exclusive.The selectmen said this was something they would have to examine further before thinking of making any steps further."This is a lot for us to think about," said Selectman Kevin Hayes. "It is a long way to go before we even talk about a bid for solar."Sanborn said he understood, also suggesting they speak with Gilmanton's energy committee for more information.

Gilford Steamer Stow makes commitment to Michigan Tech Gilford would join Gilmanton, part of Laconia under proposed redistricting Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Granite State News Bagge appointed Town Treasurer

by Elissa Paquette

Town Treasurer John Burt (left) welcomes newly appointed Town Treasurer Carl Bagge, whose term will officially begin on Jan. 1, 2022 and end Dec. 31,2024. (Photo by Elissa Paquette) (click for larger version) WOLFEBORO  Wolfeboro resident Carl Bagge has accepted an appointment to serve as Town Treasurer for a term, which will run from Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2024. Current treasurer John Burt, at age 88, has declared his intention to retire, though he continues his public service as a member of the town budget committee. Burt and Bagge are already engaged in transitional training.



Bagge introduced himself to the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday, Oct. 20, following a series of interviews with town officials, as a retired Certified Public Accountant licensed to serve in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Bagge and his wife have had a vacation home in Wolfeboro for several years, and moved into a full time home in February 2020, following retirement as managing partner of Bagge, Cennamo & Pascoe, LLP of Windsor, Connecticut.



Most of his experience is in financial accounting  audits, reviews and compilations of financial statements, said Bagge, and he has served on many professional committees at the state and national level.



He said he and his wife have always been active in their community, but commented that over the last few years, he learned to say no and curtailed his activities. Then he started to feel that he's "been skating. I saw the article, and thought, 'Why is no one stepping up to the plate?'" So he stepped forward and here he is, engaged in the community. WOLFEBORO  Wolfeboro resident Carl Bagge has accepted an appointment to serve as Town Treasurer for a term, which will run from Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2024. Current treasurer John Burt, at age 88, has declared his intention to retire, though he continues his public service as a member of the town budget committee. Burt and Bagge are already engaged in transitional training.Bagge introduced himself to the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday, Oct. 20, following a series of interviews with town officials, as a retired Certified Public Accountant licensed to serve in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Bagge and his wife have had a vacation home in Wolfeboro for several years, and moved into a full time home in February 2020, following retirement as managing partner of Bagge, Cennamo & Pascoe, LLP of Windsor, Connecticut.Most of his experience is in financial accounting  audits, reviews and compilations of financial statements, said Bagge, and he has served on many professional committees at the state and national level.He said he and his wife have always been active in their community, but commented that over the last few years, he learned to say no and curtailed his activities. Then he started to feel that he's "been skating. I saw the article, and thought, 'Why is no one stepping up to the plate?'" So he stepped forward and here he is, engaged in the community.


Littleton Courier Littleton residents vote down school safety improvements

by Angel Larcom LITTLETON  Littleton taxpayers voted 15 to 10 for tax relief over building improvements during a sparsely attended public hearing held at the Littleton High School cafeteria last week.



Statutory funding changes adopted after the completion of Littleton's annual school budget delivered $447,138 in supplemental adequacy aid to the district. School officials hoped voters would approve their request to assign $255,000 of the aid funding to a facility maintenance capital reserve fund established in 1993.



The warrant article was favorably approved by three of the five school board members. During the public hearing, board member Larry Blaisdell reminded the public that the supplemental aid was not a financial windfall. The district could not likely use grant funding to address critical safety issues in multiple schools.



"Any tax money comes from us to begin with. This money was returned to us by the Department of Education after they finally finished up their calculations. What we're seeking tonight is to expand 255,000 of those dollars in order to meet and accomplish some of the items that we determined to be safety issues," noted Blaisdell.



"We can't spend this money without your permission. We don't want to spend the whole $477,000, and we've already sought to return $681,826 to the taxpayers," noted Blaisdell.



Voters raised concerns about the under-utilization and upkeep costs of the former Daisy Bronson Middle School building, which currently houses the Littleton Academy. However, a bulk of the requested $255,000 was allocated for a new fire system at the Lakeway Elementary School. Yet other voters suggested the continuation of repair work on the existing outdated systems.



Board Chair Greg Cook informed voters that the capital reserve fund currently holds approximately $75,000 for building maintenance. He also noted that two board members voted against the $447,000 addition.



"It's not the amount that we would need to get these safety items done. So they would have to be delayed to this year's current operating budget, or we add them on as warrant articles," noted Cook.



Matthew St. John then addressed the reason behind his nay vote and that of fellow board member Erica Antonucci.



"It's not a matter of us thinking that these expenditures are unworthy. We certainly think that these are things worth spending money on, but from my perspective, doesn't the town already give enough money to the school district for operations? From our perspective, the school district is well-endowed and has received many millions of dollars in the last two years from federal funding due to all the COVID legislation passed in Concord and Washington, D.C. We think the taxpayers should also benefit from the excess voter funds that have been going around. I think it would be more appropriate for these expenditures to be considered as part of the budget or as part of a warrant article," stated St. John.



At least five of the 25 voters in attendance submitted written requests for a secret ballot. The warrant article failed with 10 in favor and 15 opposed. LITTLETON  Littleton taxpayers voted 15 to 10 for tax relief over building improvements during a sparsely attended public hearing held at the Littleton High School cafeteria last week.Statutory funding changes adopted after the completion of Littleton's annual school budget delivered $447,138 in supplemental adequacy aid to the district. School officials hoped voters would approve their request to assign $255,000 of the aid funding to a facility maintenance capital reserve fund established in 1993.The warrant article was favorably approved by three of the five school board members. During the public hearing, board member Larry Blaisdell reminded the public that the supplemental aid was not a financial windfall. The district could not likely use grant funding to address critical safety issues in multiple schools."Any tax money comes from us to begin with. This money was returned to us by the Department of Education after they finally finished up their calculations. What we're seeking tonight is to expand 255,000 of those dollars in order to meet and accomplish some of the items that we determined to be safety issues," noted Blaisdell."We can't spend this money without your permission. We don't want to spend the whole $477,000, and we've already sought to return $681,826 to the taxpayers," noted Blaisdell.Voters raised concerns about the under-utilization and upkeep costs of the former Daisy Bronson Middle School building, which currently houses the Littleton Academy. However, a bulk of the requested $255,000 was allocated for a new fire system at the Lakeway Elementary School. Yet other voters suggested the continuation of repair work on the existing outdated systems.Board Chair Greg Cook informed voters that the capital reserve fund currently holds approximately $75,000 for building maintenance. He also noted that two board members voted against the $447,000 addition."It's not the amount that we would need to get these safety items done. So they would have to be delayed to this year's current operating budget, or we add them on as warrant articles," noted Cook.Matthew St. John then addressed the reason behind his nay vote and that of fellow board member Erica Antonucci."It's not a matter of us thinking that these expenditures are unworthy. We certainly think that these are things worth spending money on, but from my perspective, doesn't the town already give enough money to the school district for operations? From our perspective, the school district is well-endowed and has received many millions of dollars in the last two years from federal funding due to all the COVID legislation passed in Concord and Washington, D.C. We think the taxpayers should also benefit from the excess voter funds that have been going around. I think it would be more appropriate for these expenditures to be considered as part of the budget or as part of a warrant article," stated St. John.At least five of the 25 voters in attendance submitted written requests for a secret ballot. The warrant article failed with 10 in favor and 15 opposed.

Littleton Courier Littleton School Board decides against mask mandate at emergency meeting County broadband project secures funding, faces opposition Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Littleton Courier Local schools celebrate ranking from US News

by Angel Larcom LITTLETON  Each year, the US News and World Report publishes the best-rated schools in each state to help guide families in their educational choices. Several regional public schools celebrated when the 2021 report was released last week.



Franconia's Lafayette School made the top 20 elementary school list for New Hampshire, coming in 16th place with an overall score of 93.24 out of 100. Bethlehem and Lakeway Elementary Schools also scored high, reaching the top 30 percent with 29th and 45th place out of 295 schools.



Local high schools also fared well, with Profile Regional School climbing back into the top ten list at seventh place in New Hampshire, with an overall score of 92.83 out of 100. It was the only North Country school to make the top ten list in New Hampshire and held its own against significantly larger schools with populations nearing 1,000 students.



WMRHS is ranked 18th, Lisbon High School ranked 43rd with an overall score of 57.89 out of 100 points. Littleton High School secured 49th place out of 96 high schools in 90 New Hampshire districts.



According to the media giant, high school rankings are determined by schools whose student body exceeds expectations in state assessments for math and reading, earns qualifying scores in college-level exams and maintains a high graduation level. Elementary schools are gauged on state-required test scores and how well students are prepared for the high school experience.



US News and World Report determine scores in partnership with RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm based in North Carolina. The two organizations reviewed over 24,000 high schools, of which less than 18,000 received rankings. Schools are ranked under various outlets and do come in at different numbers depending on the site.



The media agency collects Common Core data from the US Department of Education, the College Board, the International Baccalaureate, statewide math and reading assessment tests and graduation rates to calculate accurate performance ratings. The schools are never contacted directly.



The Lakeway Elementary School celebrated its achievements last week. In a social media announcement posted on Oct. 21, the school stated, "All of your hard work, determination, and 'get it done' attitudes are being recognized by this ranking." LITTLETON  Each year, the US News and World Report publishes the best-rated schools in each state to help guide families in their educational choices. Several regional public schools celebrated when the 2021 report was released last week.Franconia's Lafayette School made the top 20 elementary school list for New Hampshire, coming in 16th place with an overall score of 93.24 out of 100. Bethlehem and Lakeway Elementary Schools also scored high, reaching the top 30 percent with 29th and 45th place out of 295 schools.Local high schools also fared well, with Profile Regional School climbing back into the top ten list at seventh place in New Hampshire, with an overall score of 92.83 out of 100. It was the only North Country school to make the top ten list in New Hampshire and held its own against significantly larger schools with populations nearing 1,000 students.WMRHS is ranked 18th, Lisbon High School ranked 43rd with an overall score of 57.89 out of 100 points. Littleton High School secured 49th place out of 96 high schools in 90 New Hampshire districts.According to the media giant, high school rankings are determined by schools whose student body exceeds expectations in state assessments for math and reading, earns qualifying scores in college-level exams and maintains a high graduation level. Elementary schools are gauged on state-required test scores and how well students are prepared for the high school experience.US News and World Report determine scores in partnership with RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm based in North Carolina. The two organizations reviewed over 24,000 high schools, of which less than 18,000 received rankings. Schools are ranked under various outlets and do come in at different numbers depending on the site.The media agency collects Common Core data from the US Department of Education, the College Board, the International Baccalaureate, statewide math and reading assessment tests and graduation rates to calculate accurate performance ratings. The schools are never contacted directly.The Lakeway Elementary School celebrated its achievements last week. In a social media announcement posted on Oct. 21, the school stated, "All of your hard work, determination, and 'get it done' attitudes are being recognized by this ranking."

Littleton Courier Littleton School Board decides against mask mandate at emergency meeting County broadband project secures funding, faces opposition Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Newfound Landing New Hampton Historical Society to host program on historic barns

NEW HAMPTON  The New Hampton Historical Society presents "The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns" Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Gordon-Nash Library, 69 Main St., New Hampton.



The evolution of barn architecture tells the story of New Hampshire agriculture. Barns changed from early English style, to Yankee style, to gambrel and then pole barns to accommodate the changing agriculture. Majestic barns represent Yankee ingenuity, hard work and skilled craftsmanship. Learn how barn styles evolved to meet the needs of population growth and changes in society. This presentation will be a chronological walk through time, with photo illustrations of barns around the state that are examples of these eras of agricultural history.



"Barn Talk" will be presented by John Porter who was raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon, New Hampshire, graduated from UNH with a B.S. Degree in Animal Science and then went on to get a master's degree in Animal Nutrition and Farm Management from Cornell University. He served as a Dairy Specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension from 1974 until his retirement in 2006, and currently operates his own consulting company, Farm Planning Services, LLC. He has edited, published and contributed to books on the NH Dairy Industry and the preservation of old barns.



The Historical Society thanks New Hampshire Humanities for providing our 2021-2022 Presenters and Programs.



Our programs are free and open to the public. Please note: Masks will be required at this indoor presentation. NEW HAMPTON  The New Hampton Historical Society presents "The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns" Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Gordon-Nash Library, 69 Main St., New Hampton.The evolution of barn architecture tells the story of New Hampshire agriculture. Barns changed from early English style, to Yankee style, to gambrel and then pole barns to accommodate the changing agriculture. Majestic barns represent Yankee ingenuity, hard work and skilled craftsmanship. Learn how barn styles evolved to meet the needs of population growth and changes in society. This presentation will be a chronological walk through time, with photo illustrations of barns around the state that are examples of these eras of agricultural history."Barn Talk" will be presented by John Porter who was raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon, New Hampshire, graduated from UNH with a B.S. Degree in Animal Science and then went on to get a master's degree in Animal Nutrition and Farm Management from Cornell University. He served as a Dairy Specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension from 1974 until his retirement in 2006, and currently operates his own consulting company, Farm Planning Services, LLC. He has edited, published and contributed to books on the NH Dairy Industry and the preservation of old barns.The Historical Society thanks New Hampshire Humanities for providing our 2021-2022 Presenters and Programs.Our programs are free and open to the public. Please note: Masks will be required at this indoor presentation.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-28 21:16:54|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the 16th East Asia Summit via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 27, 2021 (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday attended the 16th East Asia Summit, and put forward a four-point proposal in encouraging relevant parties to respect each other, work together, increase their input on fighting COVID-19 and economic recovery, uphold regional peace and stability, and promote development and prosperity.

Noting that the Summit is a "leaders-led strategic forum" with members from the major Asia-Pacific countries, and provides both representation and influence, Li said that East Asia needs to push forward synchronously the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery to continue injecting impetus into global development.

He pointed out that the Summit should always stick to its own orientation, keep regional cooperation pointed in the right direction, and promote political and security cooperation with economic and social development in a balanced way. He added that mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is a basic norm governing international relations and an important guiding principle of the Summit.

Li then put forward a four-point proposal:

First, all parties should join hands to fight the pandemic. China will scale up vaccines and other anti-pandemic supplies to the best of its ability, according to the needs of relevant countries, and will accelerate the initiative of China-ASEAN public health cooperation to enhance the regional public health capacity, Li said.

Second, all parties need to promote all-around economic recovery, uphold free and fair trade, and ensure unimpeded international logistics. Efforts must be stepped up to push for the early entry into force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

China has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will further enhance its commitment to opening-up. China will also support the efforts of countries in the region to revive tourism, said Li.

Third, all parties should promote green development, respond to the challenge of climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, fully and effectively implement the Paris Agreement, promote low-carbon transformation in a balanced and orderly manner, and achieve synergies with economic development and people's livelihoods, while ensuring a stable and secure energy supply, said Li.

Fourth, all parties should support the centrality of ASEAN. Li stressed that an open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture, with ASEAN at its center, is an important cornerstone for long-term peace and prosperity in the region.

He said that all parties should support the building of the ASEAN community and its efforts to maintain multilateralism and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core.

Myanmar is an important participant in East Asia cooperation. China supports ASEAN in properly handling relevant issues in the "ASEAN way", promoting ASEAN unity, regional stability and Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process, according to the premier.

Stressing that the South China Sea is a common home for all parties, Li said that maintaining peace and stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea serves the common interest.

"Thanks to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the overall situation in the South China Sea has remained stable," Li said.

China and ASEAN countries have agreed to reach effective, substantive regional rules at an early date, and are fully and effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The two sides have overcome the impact of the pandemic, and have substantially resumed and actively promoted consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), Li said.

He stressed that the efforts made by regional countries on maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea should be respected, and said that China is ready to work with all parties to strengthen solidarity, expand cooperation, promote common development, achieve prosperity and stability and write a new chapter in East Asia cooperation.

Attending the meeting were the leaders of ASEAN countries, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The leaders at the meeting noted that, since last year, Summit member states have continuously promoted cooperation in areas including health, economy and trade, energy, oceans, education and green development, and have achieved positive results.

They said that global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change cannot be met alone. All parties should operate in the spirit of common focus, common response and common prosperity to uphold multilateralism, promote the equitable distribution of vaccines and medicines, strengthen cooperation on the digital economy, free trade, public health and climate change.

All parties should also keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, and deepen regional economic integration, the leaders said.

They expressed their willingness to respect ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional cooperation framework and work together to promote peace and prosperity in the region and the world. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-28 23:35:07|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes official and military ties in any form between the United States and China's Taiwan region, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday, noting that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence".

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on Tsai Ing-wen confirming the presence of a small number of U.S. troops in Taiwan to help with training.

Wang said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. "On the Taiwan question, the U.S. should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, rather than unilaterally concoct anything."

"We firmly oppose official and military ties in any form between the U.S. and the Taiwan region, and oppose the U.S. interference in China's internal affairs," Wang said.

He said the U.S. vessels have repeatedly flexed its muscles to make provocations and stir up troubles in the Taiwan Strait in recent times, sending gravely wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces and threatening cross-Strait peace and stability.

The international community is clear-eyed about who is engaging in "coercion" on the Taiwan question, Wang said.

"The cross-Strait reunification is an overriding historical trend and the right course, while 'Taiwan independence' is a retrogression leading to a dead end," Wang said.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's acts of seeking "Taiwan independence" can not change the iron-clad fact that Taiwan is a part of China, neither will it shake the international community's universal and firm commitment to the one-China principle, he said. "Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end."

Wang noted that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence". "No country and no one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Otherwise, they will suffer another defeat." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 00:12:33|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Oct. 15, 2021 shows customers shopping at Billingsgate Market in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

The conflict between France and Britain over fishing rights continues to escalate as France threatens retaliatory measures including preventing British fishing boats from disembarking at ports and increasing border and sanitary checks on British goods.

LONDON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The dispute over fishing rights between Britain and France has escalated as France threatens retaliatory measures against Britain's fishing industry and the broader trade. It is a fresh sign the sector with tiny economic value continues to exert outsized influence on their post-Brexit relations.

On Wednesday evening, France said it was preparing sanctions, and some measures could be imposed from next Tuesday unless enough progress is made in its fishing row with Britain. The move came after France complained only half of the licenses needed were given to French fishing boats to operate in British territorial waters.

Measures unveiled by France include preventing British fishing boats from disembarking at ports, increasing border and sanitary checks on British goods, tightening security checks on British boats and increasing checks on trucks going to and from Britain. Media speculates further measures could include cutting electricity supplies to the British Channel island of Jersey, as France previously threatened in May.

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2020 shows British boats during sunrise at Shoreham Docks, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

"France's threats are disappointing and disproportionate, and not what we would expect from a close ally and partner," a British government spokesperson said in a statement.

"The measures being threatened do not appear to be compatible with the trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) and wider international law, and, if carried through, will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response. We will be relaying our concerns to the EU Commission and French government," the spokesperson said.

Britain insisted it has granted 98 percent of licence applications from EU vessels to fish in its waters. British media said since Dec. 31, 1,673 EU vessels have been licensed for fishing, of which 736 were French.

Britain's Brexit Minister David Frost said Britain will be seeking urgent clarification of the French plans and will consider what further action is necessary.

Post-Brexit fishing row between Britain and France started earlier this year after the British Channel island of Jersey's government introduced a new licensing system requiring French boats to show fishing history in Jersey's waters to obtain future permits. It led to both sides dispatching navy vessels to monitor the situation in Jersey's waters in May.

Fishing is politically sensitive to both Britain and France. It is a thorny issue during the time-consuming Brexit talks, with the EU linking British financial firms' access to its market with their fishermen's rights to operate in British waters.

It will appear more sensitive given the French presidential elections next April and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's eagerness to demonstrate his country's control of its own waters after Brexit.

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2020 shows a British fishing boat at Shoreham Docks, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

Adam Parsons, Europe Correspondent for Sky News, said Emmanuel Macron has an election next year and knows that sticking up for fishermen plays well with voters in northern France. Boris Johnson, always casting his own eye on public opinion, is well aware that fishing rights became a totemic topic among many Brexit voters.

Neither side wants to be seen to back down too readily. But a resolution will require cool heads, gentle diplomacy and level-headed thinking -- France's decisions to go public with its threats may not help that process, according to Parsons.

Patrick Martin-Genier, professor of Paris Institute of Political Studies, told media that the TCA was signed between the EU and Britain, not France and Britain. "In other words, EU countries must be united on fisheries. The French government has made several attempts to secure the support of EU countries, but Brussels has so far been careful not to add fuel to the fire, only previously expressing regret at the limited number of fishing licenses granted."

France has pushed the EU to increase pressure on Britain over the fishing rights dispute. The Guardian reported earlier this month that 14 EU member states, including France, Belgium, Ireland and Spain, are preparing to issue a joint declaration accusing the British government of risking "significant economic and social damage" to their fishing communities.

Fresh fish are seen at a fish market of the old port in Marseille, France, Sept. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)




Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 01:25:15|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled a framework for a 1.75-trillion-U.S.-dollar social spending package following weeks of intensive negotiations with congressional Democrats. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled a framework for a 1.75-trillion-U.S.-dollar social spending package following weeks of intensive negotiations with congressional Democrats.

The so-called Build Back Better Framework includes 555 billion dollars in clean energy and climate investments, 400 billion dollars in funding for child care and free preschool, 200 billion dollars in child tax & earned income tax credits, and 150 billion dollars in investments for affordable housing, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

The framework seeks to impose new taxes on the largest corporations and the wealthiest Americans to raise revenue of around 2 trillion dollars over a decade to fully pay for the social spending plan.

If passed, the framework will impose a 15 percent minimum tax on corporate profits for firms with earnings over 1 billion dollars reported to shareholders, and a 1 percent surcharge on corporate stock buybacks, according to the fact sheet.

The framework would also apply a 5 percent surtax rate on individual incomes above 10 million dollars and an additional 3 percent surtax on incomes above 25 million dollars.

The framework is far smaller than Biden's original 3.5-trillion-dollar proposal, and it has not been written into legislative language yet.

"No one got everything they wanted, including me, but that's what compromise is. That's consensus," Biden said in remarks at the White House before departing for a week of summits in Europe.

"Given half a chance, the American people have never ever, ever, ever left the country down, so let's get this done," Biden said, urging Congress to pass both the social spending package and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

It's not clear whether the framework would pave the way for the House of Representatives to approve the 1.2-trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed by the Senate earlier this year.

Progressive House Democrats have held up the Senate-passed bill for months, demanding a vote on the larger social spending plan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 02:35:19|Editor: huaxia

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Smoke rises from a site in Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 25, 2021. (Chinese medical expert team to Sudan/Handout via Xinhua)

The Security Council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Thursday demanded the release of detained civilian leaders and the restoration of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.

In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed serious concern about Monday's military takeover in Sudan, the suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian members of the transitional government.

The council members called for the immediate release of all those who have been detained by the military authorities, and in this regard, took note of the reported return of Prime Minister Hamdok to his residence.

They also called on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from the use of violence, and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition. They urged all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without preconditions in order to enable the full implementation of the constitutional document and the Juba Peace Agreement, which underpin Sudan's democratic transition.

File photo shows Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaking at a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 15, 2020. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

The council members expressed their solidarity with the people of Sudan and affirmed their readiness to support efforts to realize Sudan's democratic transition, in a manner that achieves the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous future. They underscored that any attempt to undermine the democratic transition process in Sudan puts at risk Sudan's security, stability and development. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and national unity of Sudan.

The council members expressed their strong support for regional and sub-regional efforts and underscored the importance of their continued engagement in Sudan.

They expressed their intention to continue to closely monitor the situation in Sudan. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 03:45:34|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the closing ceremony of the fifth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. The 5th FII concluded on Thursday in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh with major investment deals and cooperation. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)

RIYADH, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The fifth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) concluded on Thursday in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh with major investment deals and cooperation.

Under the theme "Invest in Humanity," the three-day event has attracted around 5,000 individuals and 300 speakers from strategic and knowledge partners, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Vice Minister for Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez revealed a strategy that will open new cultural investment opportunities through PPPs or joint ventures to bolster the infrastructure around creative industries, and ease regulation to allow businesses to thrive.

He also said that over 100 cultural initiatives, engagements and events are taking place in the kingdom.

Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih said that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of biotechnologies, and the need to push this sector to the top of national priorities.

A memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom (UK), with the aim to promote direct investment between the two sides, was signed on Thursday. The deal will facilitate the establishment and expansion of Saudi companies in the UK, as well as the establishment and expansion of British companies in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia and Spain agreed to cooperate in promoting tourism sectors. They highlighted that the tourism sector needs strong leadership and coordination to bring government and private sector partners together to work more collaboratively.

Furthermore, 44 companies received the licenses to move their regional headquarters to Riyadh.

Al-Falih said the decision demonstrates that the kingdom's capital is becoming an increasingly attractive place to conduct business.

The forum also witnessed the announcement of many calls to overcome the global impacts of COVID-19, including the call from the Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb to unify global traveling regulations and legislation, urging cooperation between countries and the private sector.

The event discussed ways to invest in clean water, education, public health, gender equality and fighting poverty.

It is worth mentioning that the FII hosts a satellite hub in Beijing to allow top officials, CEOs and investors in China to join the discussions online. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 11:05:43|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. intelligence officials issued a warning recently to American companies against working with China in key emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, saying that such ties threaten America's superiority in these industries.

Such a move is a flagrant and unscrupulous obstruction of normal global exchanges and cooperation, and gravely runs counter to the principle of fair competition that the United States has long chanted.

It is now increasingly clear that American-style "fair competition" is all about keeping "America First," and playing zero-sum games. Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of World Politics Review, an online publisher of in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs, said in an article that the United States is "seeing everything through the prism of contest."

"The danger of seeing everything through the prism of a U.S.-China contest is that it reduces the world's regions to playing fields and its countries to prizes, rather than engaging with them as actors with their own interests and needs," he wrote.

History does not lack stories of the United States attempting to protect its selfish interests in the global market in the name of "fair competition."

In the 1980s, it took unprecedented strict protective actions to hammer Japan's growing semiconductor industry, including launching anti-dumping investigations against Japanese companies, forcing the country to limit exports, and levying high retaliatory tariffs.

In the early years of this century when the U.S. steel industry was facing competition from Europe, Washington did not focus on boosting the market competitiveness of its products. Instead, the United States, under the pretext of unfair competition, chose to impose punitive duties and import restrictions on the steel products of its European allies.

Over the past few years, Washington politicians have turned their sights on Chinese firms in order to contain China's development. They have deliberately stirred up trade disputes with China, imposed bans on Chinese investments, and abused the concept of national security to batter Chinese enterprises.

But have such detestable moves benefited the United States? The answer is negative. As a matter of fact, Washington's bullying has shot itself in the foot, eroded foreign investors' confidence in the United States, and undermined the country's credibility in the global market.

According to a study commissioned by the U.S.-China Business Council earlier this year, the Washington-initiated trade war with China in 2018 resulted in a loss of over 200,000 jobs in the United States, as well as a 49-percent fall in foreign direct investment in the country.

In a survey conducted by U.S. media outlet Protocol which focuses on technology, nearly 60 percent of 1,578 U.S. technology workers believe that "U.S. restrictions on Chinese technology companies have gone too far," and "a Cold War with China could cripple U.S. tech companies."

Washington should abandon its hypocritical "fair competition" theory and learn to work with others in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit. In today's interconnected world, it should have no other choice. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 20:59:40|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Xi stressed that for China-Britain relations to achieve sound development, mutual trust is the foundation, understanding is the precondition, and proper management of differences is the key.

China, he added, views China-Britain ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, and hopes that Britain will respect facts and perceive China's development path and system in a comprehensive and objective way. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 22:18:47|Editor: huaxia

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Staff members send food and drink to stranded tourists in Ejina Banner of Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 29, 2021. A total of 5,095 stranded tourists began to leave Ejina Banner on Friday. The tourists, in 113 chartered bus tour groups, will take vehicles to Baotou, Erdos and other places for quarantine. (Xinhua/Bei He)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-29 23:54:22|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted two Egyptian draft resolutions on the establishment of the nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, Egypt's official Ahram Online news website reported on Friday.

The two draft resolutions were approved by the majority of the members of the committee, which deals with disarmament and international security issues, it said.

The first resolution calls on all countries in the Middle East that have not joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to do so, and to subject their nuclear facilities to the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its comprehensive safeguard system, Egyptian Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdel Khalek was quoted as saying.

The second one emphasizes the importance of implementing the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPT's Resolution on the Middle East, presented by Egypt on behalf of the Arab countries.

The 1995 Review and Extension Conference resolutions called on all Middle Eastern states to take practical steps towards the establishment of an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological, and their delivery systems.

The resolutions also called on non-NPT signatories to accede to the NPT and accept full-scope of the IAEA safeguards, and urged nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states to fully cooperate with regional efforts to create a weapons of mass destruction-free zone in the Middle East. Enditem
The President and First Secretary of Zanu Pf, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa says despite the negative impact of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and its western allies, the country continues to forge ahead to achieve an upper middle-income society by 2030.

The President said this while officially opening the 19th annual ZANU PF Peoples Conference which is underway in Bindura.

The illegal economic sanctions and all forms of of coercive measures are unjustified and a violation of the human rights of the people of our great country.We call for the immediate and unconditional removal.However despite the adversity of these illegal sanctions,our country under a ZANU PF led Government,continues to forge ahead in unity to attain the status of a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Economy by 2030,he said.

The National Peoples Conference comes a few days after the annual 25 October,SADC Anti -Sanctions Day thus the President expressed gratitude to SADC member states for providing support in calling for the removal of the illegal embargoes.

The party remains grateful to SADC member states and other progressive countries for the solidarity and unwavering support in calling for the unconditional removal of the illegal and counter-productive sanctions.I commend Party structures throughout the country for organising the anti-sanctions campaign marches,said the President.

He called on ZANU PF members to continue working hard and in unity towards economic emancipation of the people, as it is everyones responsibility to utilise the land for production.

As we deliberate during this conference,let us recommit ourselves to Party Mission of ensuring that as the people of Zimbabwe,we forever remain masters of our on destiny .ZANU PF and all its structures must keep alive its revolutionary ethos,principles and values,he added.

The President also attributed the economic growth forecast to the ease of doing business reforms implemented by the Second Republic.

In line with promises made in the 2018 Election Manifesto and previous Congress and Conference Resolutions; our economy is projected to grow by 7.8 %. Zimbabwe has opened for business and instituted far reaching ease of doing business reforms.These have seen foreign direct investments and diaspora remittances, reaching unprecedented levels, noted the President.

ZANU PF members were also implored to work tirelessly to guarantee that the party remains the first choice for the majority of the population.

China,Tanzania and Russia also presented solidarity messages to the ruling party and further called for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.

Earlier on,President Mnangagwa, the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Zanu PF Second Secretary Cde Kembo Mohadi planted trees to mark the beginning of the 19th Annual National Peoples Conference at the BUSE grounds.

The 19th National Peoples Conference is running under the theme Growing and modernising the economy towards Vision 2030. zbc




POWER utility Zesa Holdings multi-billion-dollar electricity facilities have been overwhelmed after prolonged under-capitalisation, internal data showed this week, placing the countrys growth plans under threat.

So dire is the power situation that the seven-page internal document titled Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) Operations Overview, warned that the viability and survival of the ZPC had been thrown into doubt by several factors, including a deteriorating foreign currency crisis.

The paper said key facilities had been buffeted by numerous forced outages owing to tube leaks and ID fan failures that have compromised reliability.

Zesa Holdings executive chairperson Sydney Gata told journalists during a tour of the 920-megawatt (MW) Hwange Power Station recently that rolling blackouts currently affecting the economy would be addressed by January 2022.

Electricity supply is a unique service which is demanded instantly, Gata told journalists on the day the paper was released. This asset was designed and commissioned in 1983 using 1970s technology, but has been operating non-stop. I am not saying we are ending load-shedding, but come January, you will notice changes.

This will come from improved HPS (Hwange Power Station) operations and maintenance of the plunge pool at Kariba which we will finish in December.

But the ZPC data revealed a different story showing generation plummeting to about 10% of installed capacity at two of ZPCs five plants, while a third has collapsed.

The power giant, with an asset base of about US$4,5 billion as at December 2019, presides over a massive electricity generation infrastructure  a mix of thermal and hydroelectric facilities.

These are Hwange Power Station, the 1 050MW Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station, the 120MW Harare Power Station, the 100MW Munyati Power Station and the Bulawayo Power Station, a 90MW asset said by the report to have been idle.

Hwange Power Station, whose plants were commissioned between 1983 and 1987, is currently generating 460MW, which translates to half of the facilitys installed capacity.

The Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station, which was commissioned from 1960 to 1962, with upgrades from 2017 to 2018, is the only well-functioning facility, generating 900MW out of its 1 050MW installed capacity.

Production at Harare Power Station has plummeted to 13MW out of a maximum 100MW, the data showed, giving an indication to the factors behind Zimbabwes rolling blackouts.

It said the massive power facility at Munyati is producing 13MW of a possible 100MW.

ZPC said out of a combined capacity to generate 2 280 MW, output had plummeted to 1 386MW, which translates to about half of this capacity, and executives were last week sceptical, saying some of the mega power stations had been unsettled by forced outages.

Access to foreign currency is threatening ZPCs viability and survival, ZPC, which is battling to service debts, said.

The thermal power stations have gone beyond their design life. Fundraising is required for new projects and upgrading existing plants (but) ZPC owes substantial amounts to its trade creditors, almost 80% is due for major station input. A number of skilled personnel are leaving the company/country.

It said ZPC had scaled up lobbying the government to grant it permission to increase tariffs in order to deliver on its mandate.

ZPC is embarking on life extension and repowering programmes to upgrade existing infrastructure. Apart from the greenfield projects, ZPC is also refurbishing its existing plants which are now old. ZPC is continuously lobbying for a cost-reflective tariff to be able to deliver on its mandate, the parastatal said.

Gata told journalists during the tour that the power firm would be exploring export market opportunities, even as it struggled to service its domestic clientele.

It projected steeper surge in output this year, with ZPC sending out 8 181,86GWh of energy to the market, 7% above a projected 7 661,90GWh.

ZPC is currently implementing a number of projects to increase the supply capacity and meet the demand. The projects portfolio includes a mix of thermal, hydro and solar power plants to be implemented to meet the Vision 2030 national goal of an upper middle-income economy, ZPC said.

The plummeting power output will be a big hurdle to Zimbabwes plans to grow its economy by 7,8% this year.

On Thursday, the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe said it would be ramping up production next year following a significant recovery in 2021.

However, the Chamber of Mines president Colin Chibafa said the industry was extremely worried about developments in the power sector.

Survey findings show that mining executives are expecting the infrastructure and energy situation for the mining sector to worsen in 2022, highlighting fragile electricity supply, Chibafa said in the State of the Mining Industry, an annual survey.

Zesas push for an increased tariff is an area of concern and exporters inability to meet Zesas additional requirements to import power from the region.

Respondents experiencing significant power outages indicated that they were not connected to dedicated power lines, while those experiencing moderate and occasional power outages reported that they were connected to dedicated power lines, but the transmission infrastructure is old and susceptible to faults.

Most of the respondents indicated that they were facing some power outages. Of those facing power outages, some indicated that they were facing up to six hours of power outages per day, with the rest indicating that they were experiencing more than six hours of power outages per day, Chibafa said.

The Chamber of Mines survey said there were new projects while expansion of existing operations was underway, specifically in the gold and platinum industries that have potential to increase mineral output in 2022.

Three gold mines indicated that they had just resumed operations in 2021 and would ramp up production in 2022. Seven other gold mines indicated that they are undertaking expansion projects at their operations, Chibafa noted.

Zimbabwe is currently battling one of its worst power crises with consumers being cut off the grid for up to 12 hours a day. Zimbabwe Independent


Economic saboteurs who are bent on derailing milestones of the Second Republic will be dealt with accordingly, without fear or favour, President Mnangagwa said.

In his address to the Central Committee yesterday, President Mnangagwa, who is also Zanu-PF President and First Secretary, said the party leadership should continue highlighting the successes and emphasising the need for unity and peace to the masses.

This years 19th National Peoples Conference is being held under the theme Growing and Modernising the Economy towards Vision 2030. It provides an opportunity for the party to evaluate progress made on the implementation of the 2018 Election Manifesto and previous resolutions.

The party should stand tall and proud that we are well on course to realising the promises we made. As President and First Secretary, it is my expectation that the conference will further give impetus to the party to emerge stronger, united and result-oriented. Let us continue to provide leadership where we are, to show that we are honourable members of the Central Committee of this Revolutionary Party.

Comrades; Reports on the State of the Economy and State of Social Services, among other aspects, detail the significant successes we have realised. Milestones have been reached to consolidate macro-economic stability. The war against saboteurs of economic development continues unabated, and they are being dealt with without fear or favour, said the President.

According to the Zanu-PF constitution, the Central Committee is the principal organ of the Congress and consists of 230 members drawn from the partys 10 provinces. It acts on behalf of Congress when it is not in session and among other things; implements all policies, resolutions, directives, decisions and programmes enunciated by Congress.

This years 19th National Peoples Conference is being held in a hybrid format that will see provinces meeting in their provincial capitals while a selected few party senior members will be at the main venue of the conference in Bindura Mashonaland Central Province. This is to curtail the spread of Covid-19, the global plague that has brought a new normal.

The President said the conference provides the party with an opportunity to evaluate progress made on the implementation of the 2018 Election Manifesto and successive conferences. I commend the Central Committee leadership and the party for mobilising communities to participate in the Presidential Climate Proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme. Let us continue to honour our forebears who waged the protracted armed liberation struggle, through the full utilisation of our land and other God-given natural resource endowments. My administration reaffirms that the land reform is irrevocable and now behind us.

Comrades; the Central Committee is applauded for ensuring the implementation of strategies that strengthen our party structures. The mobilisation of many to join our party from diverse socio-economic backgrounds is welcome and must continue at full throttle. As the Central Committee, I urge you to continue nurturing a political system where increased usage of ICTs and other innovative methods will see a rise in the political consciousness of our cadres.

Zanu-PF Vice Presidents Cdes Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi exchange greetings with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa at Zanu-PF headquarters before a Central Committee meeting in Harare yesterday. (Pictures by Believe Nyakudjara)

In pushing towards the countrys vision of becoming an upper middle income economy by 2030, the President said his Government will continue providing platforms for young people to showcase their array of talents.

I further commend the Central Committee for giving direction and guidance towards the successful implementation of the restructuring exercise. The democratic process that informed the restructuring of our party must serve as a springboard to strengthen structures of the party.

I want to reiterate that we are a united, disciplined and peaceful party. Violence, political chicanery and divisive elements have no place in our colossal revolutionary party. Under the Second Republic, we will scale up programmes that enhance dialogue, social cohesion and national unity. We are indeed diverse but one people, with one national anthem and one national flag.

Upholding constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law, as well as the protection and preservation of our rich cultural heritage is sacrosanct. Similarly, our people deserve the protection of their national pride, identity and dignity. I, thus, urge the Central Committee to always preach love, harmony and hard honest work for the sustainable development of our great country.

This is the true meaning of independence, freedom and democracy. Individually and collectively, we have the sacred responsibility to provide the requisite leadership that must see our country growing and modernising the economy towards Vision 2030.

As loyal and patriotic cadres, we are duty bound to accelerate the empowerment process of our people, in sync with the revolutionary aspirations of our party, as articulated in the party constitution, said the President.

As the country fast approaches the 2023 elections, with focus on mobilising 5 million votes for the President, the President said party members have a duty to ensure that the revolutionary movement remains home to everyone.

Serving our people whole-heartedly and delivering a better quality life for all remains at the centre of all that we do. To this end, resolutions crafted during this momentous 19th National Peoples Conference must clearly articulate this objective.

A thunderous victory for the party in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections is imperative. Party mobilisation and organisation must also be focused and sharpened to achieve the desired electoral victories in both urban and rural areas. The party is on an accelerated course to ensure the development and prosperity of our great country,

Zimbabwe. Brick by brick, stone upon stone, we are certainly building the Zimbabwe we all want; leaving no one and no place behind, the President said. Herald
New Zealand, where the borders were closed early in the pandemic, has reported just 6,124 coronavirus cases and 28 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The figures, however, have consistently started to creep upward since August, when the more contagious delta variant somehow escaped from a quarantine facility after it was brought into the country from a traveler returning from Australia.
Schools are allocated money in the spring based on projected enrollment for the upcoming school year, and usually have to give some of that cash back if their rolls are lower than expected. That policy was suspended last year, and will do so again now by using federal stimulus funds to cover any losses.
The appalling conditions were worsened by the overcrowding caused by the intake backlog [of detainees waiting for beds] and the lack of access to functional showers during the entire five-day period, reads the letter to the Office of Compliance Consultants, an organization created by federal courts to monitor city jail conditions.
On Saturday, the Sixth Ave. Fall Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Sixth Ave. from 34th St. to 42nd St. At 11 a.m., Maimonides Stadium will host the Coney Island Childrens Halloween Festival and Parade; watch for impact on Surf Ave. The Howard Beach Kiwanis Halloween Parade will start at 11:30 a.m. at Cross Bay Blvd. and 159th Ave., proceeding to Cross Bay Blvd. and 165th Ave.
Cincinelli has already served more than two years in jail since her arrest in 2019, which counts toward her sentence. She could be out within 12 months, her lawyer James Kousouros said.
I feel that everyone should have their vaccine, said one of the women, Maureen, who also refused to give her first name. Most people should get the vaccine. Theyre serving the public, they should get it. Why dont they want to get it? Whats the issue? People arent dying from it, so why wouldnt they want to? Especially if theyre in the field, saving lives. Look at whats going on in the world. How many people have died? It could happen to them.
It was not immediately clear if anyone else had been in the apartment or why the victim was shot. Police said he didnt reside there and that none of the suspects appeared to live there, either.
The six smoke-eaters were instantly suspended for four weeks after commandeering the vehicle, with its emergency lights flashing, before four of the fuming firefighters headed inside to declare the city mandate meant blood would be on (the) hands of State Sen. Zellnor Myrie  who had nothing to do with the order for city workers to get vaccinated or get sent home without pay.
The truth is, the choice is for you to make, its not for anybody else to make, that I think its extremely disgusting what this city is doing, what the politicians have been doing and what theyre doing now, Martinez said.
All I ever wanted was for him to get on the stand and say, Im sorry, Reavis says of Paul Murdaugh, who was allegedly drunk while operating the boat in question, and was charged in 2019 with Beachs death before he died earlier this year.
Despite hours of attempts to deescalate and make contact with the resident, he started shooting at officers again at around 3:19 p.m., said Chacon, noting that by this time, a local school had been placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure. The lockdown has since been lifted.
Henderson and Carlson set the Smallwood home on fire after the murders. The bodies were damaged to the point that investigators couldnt determine if Kristen Smallwood had been stabbed or shot to death, but they did discover that Henderson ripped open her womb and stabbed the unborn child.
According to WSB-TV, doctors discovered two masses on her brain in April. After undergoing surgery, Moore was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord, according to Mayo Clinic.
Watching George Floyd call for his mom just broke my heart. Me being a mom, a Black mom, a Black grandmother. We call out for our mom when were hurting, when were in pain, and when were in need... And unfortunately his mom could not come to his rescue. In fact, no one came to his rescue. Its heartbreaking.
Sitting Bull was born in 1831 and became chief and medicine man of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux. He was best known for his unification of the Sioux tribes in the Great Plains in the late 1800s. He also fought back against settlers who sought to move into tribal land, according to NBC News.
This meeting will be conducted respectfully, and there will be no shouting out from the crowd, Bergen said. That is not how we ever, ever, conduct meetings in this building.
Hannah still, to this day, has never had an accidental discharge, the letter said. The first one on this set was the prop master and the second was a stunt man after Hannah informed him his gun was hot with blanks.
Though the killings occurred within 24 hours in the same state, they are being tried in separate counties. In Allegany County, which includes Cumberland, Burnham was indicted in the killing of his moms friend, Rebecca Reynolds. In Howard County, which includes Ellicott City, he was indicted in the deaths of the Robinettes, along with felony auto theft, using a firearm in the commission of a felony crime of violence and simple theft.
Officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz fatally shot Wallace on Oct. 26, 2020. They fired 14 bullets at Wallace, who was carrying a knife and going through a mental health breakdown, according to his family. Video of the shooting showed Wallaces mother begging the cops not to shoot her son.
Ive spent my career guided by a simple principle: Stand up to the powerful on behalf of the vulnerable. To be a force for change, she says in her first campaign ad. Ive gone after the drug companies for fueling the opioid crisis. Ive fought for better conditions and transparency in nursing homes. Ive sued the Trump administration 76 times. But whos counting?
We need them to be healthy so my message to all city employees who are not yet vaccinated is: We care about you. We care about your health and your families health. We care about the health of the people we serve and come in contact with every day, de Blasio told reporters at the Police Academy in Queens. Today, we honored people who made us safer. By getting vaccinated were making the city safer.
Investigators are supposed to do their jobs and come up with what actually happened, he said at a union get out the vote event in Manhattan. The prosecutors office, theyre going to present their case, and we should all wait and see the final outcome.
Ive been shot by the mob, recovered, took a licking came back ticking, been attacked many times. So this is just within the normal course of what my life has brought me, a slightly dazed Sliwa said as he exited Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side with his left arm in a sling.
Its not just the boroughs of the city of New York who want Eric Adams; the people of the State of New York need Eric Adams as the next mayor, Hochul declared on the final Friday of the citys one-sided general election race for mayor. I am so looking forward to have a partner whose values I believe in: Fighting for working men and women.
The French, who lost out on more than $60 billion from the submarine deal, have argued that the Biden administration at the highest levels misled them about the talks with Australia  and even suggested Biden was adopting the tactics of his predecessor, Donald Trump. France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about a major geopolitical shift, and having its interests ignored in the Indo-Pacific where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops.
Heather Mack, whos now 26, served seven out of the 10 years of her sentence. She didnt say anything to the crowd of reporters as she was escorted out of the Kerobokan Female Prison in Balis capital city Denpasar into a waiting car.
We are reacting to an insufficient and mediocre policy, to the rejection received with applause and shouts from the Senate floor, a shame for Italy. And we are protesting against a parliament that elevates and protects haters, violent, murderers, he said.
The queen is unable to visit the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, which begins Sunday and runs through Nov. 12. But she is expected to be back on her feet in time to honor Brits who died serving their country.
We need to invest in community resources that meet peoples needs and get at the root drivers of poverty, poor health and crime. We need to ensure people can access stable housing, quality health care and steady employment. And our ongoing plans to reduce our citys jail population must be based not only on a commitment to these investments, but also on undoing the myriad ways our legal system currently criminalizes poverty and health issues like addiction and mental illness, and keeps people, disproportionately communities of color, entrapped in states of debt and despair.
Another constitutional amendment, Proposal 4, would make it possible for any voter to request an absentee ballot, and to cast their vote by mail in any election. Before COVID, voters had to meet strict criteria to be eligible for an absentee ballot, and to swear they had a valid excuse such as being away from home on Election Day or having an illness or disability. New York is one of just 16 states that requires an excuse to qualify for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots are open to all voters in the other states  from bright red Utah and Wyoming, to dark blue Vermont and Maryland.
Carlson has been credibly accused of being sympathetic to white supremacy, most notably during an extensive segment on HBOs Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that noted Fox News was extending Carlsons role at the network. When accused of being a white nationalist, Carlson frequently says he doesnt know what that means and denies wrong doing. President Biden last week said that it was his opinion that white supremacy fueled the invasion of the Capitol.
Each year the OAS Secretary General publishes a proposed Program-Budget for the coming calendar year. The OAS General Assembly meets in a Special Session to approve the Program-Budget. Find these documents from 1998-2013 here.

Each year in April, the OAS Board of External Auditors publishes a report covering the previous calendar years financial results. Reports covering 1996-2016 may be found here.

Approximately six weeks after the end of each semester, the OAS publishes a Semiannual Management and Performance Report, which since 2013 includes reporting on programmatic results. The full texts may be found here.

Here you will find data on the Human Resources of the OAS, including its organizational structure, each organizational units staffing, vacant posts, and performance contracts.

The OAS executes a variety of projects funded by donors. Evaluation reports are commissioned by donors. Reports of these evaluations may be found here.

The Inspector General provides the Secretary General with reports on the audits, investigations, and inspections conducted. These reports are made available to the Permanent Council. More information may be found here.

The OAS has discussed for several years the real estate issue, the funding required for maintenance and repairs, as well as the deferred maintenance of its historic buildings. The General Secretariat has provided a series of options for funding it. The most recent document, reflecting the current status of the Strategy, is CP/CAAP-3211/13 rev. 4.

Here you will find information related to the GS/OAS Procurement Operations, including a list of procurement notices for formal bids, links to the performance contract and travel control measure reports, the applicable procurement rules and regulations, and the training and qualifications of its staff.

The OAS Treasurer certifies the financial statements of all funds managed or administered by the GS/OAS. Here you will find the latest general purpose financial reports for the main OAS funds, as well as OAS Quarterly Financial Reports (QFRs).

Every year the GS/OAS publishes the annual operating plans for all areas of the Organization, used to aid in the formulation of the annual budget and as a way to provide follow-up on institutional mandates.

Here you will find information related to the OAS Strategic Plan 2016-2020, including its design, preparation and approval.
Our only options are if there are code violations or illegal activity. We cant go in and say, You need to manage this better, she said. Its something were trying to address, we just have to be careful about how we go about it. If they have to shut it down (because of code violations), were faced with x number of people being out on the street again. Its a very difficult position to be in.
The U.S. Department of Education is firmly committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, a spokesman said in a statement. This action taken by the Department comes after we made repeated requests to work together and protect students, educators, and school communities. We believe Floridas actions have violated federal law by reducing state funds based on the receipt by districts of federal funds.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Veterans Advisory Council hosted an official POW-MIA ceremony to honor United States military prisoners of war and those still missing in action as part of national POW-MIA Day. University of Central Florida Air Force ROTC Detachment 159 and color guard lead the symbolic setting of the table, where each item on the table represents the commitment to remember and honor our POW-MIAs from the five military branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
It is a fair question that a 45-year-old funding formula that was designed in a world of zero school choice of any kind, not choice schools, not charter schools, not virtual schools, not private schools, it was you will go to your neighborhood school and like it, does that funding formula still work in a world where more and more families are availing themselves of choice? I would argue that it doesnt, House PreK-12 AppropriationsChairman Randy Fine told the News Service of Florida in an interview Thursday.
First, he told a 911 operator that Celenza had shot herself; at other points he claimed a neighbor shot her, suggested her little boy did it, and maintained hed shot her in self-defense, Shorstein said.
Those rules dont have anything to do with the political content of signs, but they prohibit any kind of signs or flags on property along the beachfront road, the newspaper reported.
Detectives reported finding evidence related to the clothing seen in the surveillance videos in the boys bedroom. And some of the items had a presumptive positive result for the presence of blood, the report said. A dive team found a knife in a nearby pond that investigators believe was the murder weapon.
It affected a parent who went and paid to see my content, but then they had to go send in these photos of me to the school and make me not be allowed to be around children anymore, which Ive done and dedicated my life to for pretty much five years Triece told reporters Thursday at the office of NeJame Law, where shes being represented in a looming lawsuit. I dont know who was told what I do. And now Im supposed to walk into the building and I dont know what was said to my sons teacher ... I dont know whats been said about me to anyone at that school.
Swanson said after the riot, several members of First Presbyterian Church said they were deeply disturbed by what happened. So far, he said no members of his church have been accused of participating in the storming of the Capitol but said if it is later revealed that someone did, he would be bothered but would not shun that person.
He could have made another major push for Floridians to get vaccinated. But he didnt, possibly because his Republican Party is rapidly aligning itself with the anti-vaxxer movement. Plus, he hired a surgeon general whos a vaccine skeptic. DeSantis is now hesitating on booster shots, which may account for why Florida ranks No. 33 among states in seniors getting boosters.
But as absurd as that sounds, it makes sense. Thats because Crist has much more experience at one of the trickiest parts of being governor: managing special sessions of the Florida Legislature. In four years, Crist had eight special sessions on subjects as varied as property taxes, light rail and oil drilling. Things didnt always go well.
The CEPP is just one governments directive to mandate changes to just one sector within one country. And while electricity production is significant, its only 25% of the problem. What about the other 75%? What about other nations? Its better to address our systemic, global challenge with a policy that has systemic effect and global reach.
Your right to earn a living should not be contingent upon COVID shots, DeSantis said in a statement. In Florida, we believe that the decision whether or not to get a COVID shot is a choice based on individual circumstances, so we are litigating against the Biden Administration and will be passing legislation in this Special Session to protect Florida jobs and protect parents rights when it comes to masking and quarantines.
China was Boeings biggest market for the Max before the crashes, and the company is still waiting for regulators there to let the plane fly again. If that approval doesnt come in the next six to 12 months, the company will have to trim plans to boost Max production, Calhoun said.
The Democratic proposal, unveiled Wednesday by Sen. Ron Wyden, would tax the gains of people with either $1 billion or more in assets, or three consecutive years of income of $100 million or more, at the capital gains tax rate of 20% and the 3.8% net investment income tax rate. It would apply to fewer than an estimated 800 people, who would have to pay tax on the value of tradable items, like stocks, even if they dont sell them. Under current law, such assets are subject to tax only when theyre sold.
This whimsical park will especially captivate the attention of young visitors, who may crane their necks to discover the magic on this trail. There are stone-faced statues and figurines, but are there real fairies who inhabit this space? In a spiritual destination such as Cassadaga, anything is possible.
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Amnesty International (AI) Friday asked the Sudanese army to stop the use of unnecessary lethal force against protesters opposed to the military takeover, which has so far claimed the lives of six people
Prominent Iranian painter "Iran Darroudi" passes away aged 85

10/29/21

Source: Mehr News Agency

Iranian veteran painter, director, writer, art critic, and university professor, Iran Darroudi passed away at the age of 85 in Tehran on Friday morning. The Iranian veteran painter Iran Darroudi died of cardiac arrest on Friday morning at the age of 85.



Iran Darroudi

1936-2021

Iran Darroudi was also a director, writer, art critic, and university professor who was born in 1936 in Khorasan to a prominent dynasty.

Darroudi's lifetime achievements include her 60 individual exhibitions and 200 group exhibitions, art critiques published in various newspapers, colorful speeches in cultural and artistic establishments around the world, some 80 collaborative documentaries, and last but not least an autobiography, "Distance Between Two Dots".

These are the results of more than 50 years of her work in Contemporary Art of Iran. The same activities that she carried out while rubbing shoulders with great individuals such as Andrew Marlowe, Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Antonio Rodriguez, Ahmad Shamloo etc.

Today she's hailed as one of the most influential artists in the world, with her artwork displayed at internationally recognized venues such as the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, the Kerman Museum of Fine Arts, the Sa'dabad Palace, the Saheb Gharani-e Palace, Belgium's Ixelles Museum and a number of exhibitions of Contemporary Art in New York.

Her latest project takes Darroudi back to her motherland, where she has donated some 150 works of art to a foundation named after her to be put on permanent display for the people of Iran.
Petroleumworld's

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Viewpoints on Energy, Geopolitics, and Civilization PW Days View Clara Ferreira Marques /Bloomberg: All Our

Covid Failures Can Inform the Climate Fight Jeff J Mitchell/Getty



And fast Delegates at Glasgows COP26 summit would do well to

remember missteps in another not-so-distant battle: Covid-19.



Its not often that we get a preview of global catastrophe, and yet Covid-19 has offered us just that: a cataclysm that affected the entire planet, cost too many lives, battered economies and hit the poorest disproportionately hard. Unimpeded, a warming planet will do all that and more. Like the pandemic, limiting climate change will test governments ability to adapt and cooperate across borders. This time, we dont have to fail. For all the cheering scientific breakthroughs, its hard to look back and see Covid-19 as anything other than a litany of failures. That of governments, which should have been better prepared to use their resources. That of countries, too wrapped up in themselves to learn from each other and help the more vulnerable. The least wealthy 52 countries have 20% of the global population but 4% of vaccinations. The Covax vaccine initiative has fallen short. Deficiencies in record-keeping and testing mean that in much of the developing world we dont even know exactly how many people have died from Covid-19. What does that have to do with climate? Plenty, and not just because some causes of climate change, from deforestation to factory farming, also increase the risk of pandemics. The consequences of global warming, such as altered weather patterns and habitats, create opportunities for pathogens to find new hosts, for diseases to leap from animals to humans. The first, and the simplest, is that underplaying the problem and delaying action serves no one. In January 2020, as the first cases of Covid-19 were detected in the U.S., President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus very much under control. It wasnt. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shook hands in a hospital in early March and spoke of business as usual, even as Italy was already in crisis. Putting off action failed to avert a lockdown, made it far harder to contain the virus and landed Johnson himself in intensive care. A report from the U.K. parliament this month declared it one of the most important public health failures the country has experienced. The same risk exists for climate: Waiting may ease short-term costs but greatly increases long-term ones. It makes disastrous temperature increases harder to avert. The second is that multilateralism is the key to success. Climate change cannot be resolved with national solutions alone. However advanced the European Unions green recovery, the world still needs Asia to stop burning coal. The limited role of the World Health Organization and others when it came to organizing a global response to the pandemic, and the sheer unwillingness of states to share resources and information, simply cannot be repeated with global warming. That means talks in Glasgow must narrow the gap between countries commitments, agree on rules underpinning a global carbon market  the missing piece of the Paris climate rulebook  and deliver on promises of hefty financial support for developing nations. The already-promised annual $100 billion should have been reached in 2020. Without this, the consequences in economic, social, health and migration terms will be devastating for all. The third lesson is that governments determine the success of efforts on this scale, even if private enterprise is vital to the solution. We know from the pandemic that countries with good institutions and effective leadership did better than those without. That means investing in capacity, to help countries adapt at the speed that they need. It also means stronger action from leaders. Governments need to step up, set climate targets, invest and enable regulators to get tough on disclosure and greenwashing. The pandemic has also shown us that science and technology can do great things when sufficiently funded. The wrong conclusion to draw here is the one that Australia and others appear to have landed on  that its fine to delay action on climate, because miracle carbon-extracting solutions are on their way. Thats a bet the planet will likely lose. But it is true that generous financing and attention can do the impossible, as they have done with vaccines, particularly mRNA shots. This is important to understand at a time when investment not just in renewables but in vital related infrastructure, never mind adaptive technologies, is falling short. Finally, theres the importance of winning (and retaining) hearts and minds. The fights against Covid-19 and climate change have suffered from misinformation. Both require not just strong measures, but popular support for such policies  even if they are uncomfortable in the short term  and an understanding of the consequences of inaction. Covid-19 has shown how a lack of trust in government can undermine solutions, as low vaccination rates and record death rates in Russia demonstrate. The same is true of climate. That will mean ensuring the burden of climate responses is spread  mitigating the impact of carbon taxes on the poorest, say  and also capitalizing on evidence that increasingly frequent extreme weather is moving public opinion from alarm to action.



Leaders in Glasgow: Learning from past errors is our best hope of future success.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. ___________________________

Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities and environmental, social and governance issues. Previously, she was an associate editor for Reuters Breakingviews, and editor and correspondent for Reuters in Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia.. Petroleumworld, do not reflect either for or against the opinion expressed in the comment as an endorsement of Petroleumworld. Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Bloomberg, on October 28, 2021. All comments posted and published on Petroleumworld, do not reflect either for or against the opinion expressed in the comment as an endorsement of Petroleumworld. Original article Use Notice: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of environmental and humanitarian significance. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.



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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in Rome to attend the crucial 16th G20 Summit that will take place over the weekend, during which the leaders of the group will discuss the global economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, sustainable development and climate change.

This is the first in-person G20 Summit since the outbreak of the global pandemic in early 2020.

The first day of the Summit will see deliberations on 'Global Economy and Global Health', while the second day will witness an address by the Prince of Wales on the topic of the role of private finance in the fight against climate change.

Also on the second day, world leaders will also deliberate on climate change and environment, sustainable development among other issues.

Before his departure, Modi tweeted on Thursday: "Over the next few days, I would be in Rome, the Vatican City and Glasgow to attend important multilateral gatherings like the G20 and COP26. There would also be various bilateral and community related programmes during this visit."

In a separate statement, he said that the Summit will "allow us to take stock of the current global situation and exchange ideas on how the G20 can be an engine for strengthening economic resilience and building back inclusively and sustainably from the pandemic".

Upon his arrival in the Italian capital on Friday, the Prime Minister said in a tweet: "Landed in Rome to take part in the G20 Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome."

Modi was received by senior officials of the Italian government and Ambassador of India in Rome, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Modi's visit to Rome and the Vatican City till October 31 comes at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi will also be meeting with leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them.

In the Vatican, Modi will call on Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In a shocking development, a private sector power major of Mumbai has accused a prominent state Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a sugar baron hailing from a well-known political clan, of allegedly violating a business agreement that has resulted in a loss of around Rs 170 crore to the company in the past over six years.

The company is Pravara Renewable Energy Lt. (PREL) -- part of the Mumbai-based Gammon India Ltd conglomerate -- which had set up a 32-MW power generation plant at the Padmashri Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, (PDVVPSSK/Karkhana) in Ahmednagar, helmed by senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

Incidentally, he is a grandson of the legendary Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil who founded Asia's first cooperative sugar mill; a son of former Union Minister the late Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil and the uncle of (Ms.) Nila Ashok Vikhe-Patil, who is the high-profile Political Advisor to Sweden Prime Minister's Office.

Last week, the PREL filed for Arbitration Proceedings before the Bombay High Court, and later plan to file a petition seeking justice and compensation for its huge losses -- estimated at around Rs 170 crore, besides approaching higher political authorities for redressal, officials said.

When contacted, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil declined to comment on the matter on grounds that it is before the consideration of the courts.

"Since the matter is already sub-judice, it's not proper for us to comment on it... Whatever allegations are made by them, we shall reply and present our stand before the court... Let the arbitrators decide on the issues raised," the Karkhana Chairman Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil told IANS.

The Ahmednagar plant was set up on a BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) basis with a 28-year period of concession, including three years for construction, according to Mineel Mali, Director, AJR Infra and Tolling Ltd., the PREL's promoter.

As per the agreement, the PREL set up a state-of-the-art power generation facility -- the biggest of its kind in the state -- which can use multiple fuels, including green fuels like bagasse, biogas, cane trash, rice bran, etc., or fossil fuels like coal.

As part of the understanding the Karkhana had agreed to supply a certain quantity of bagasse every year to enable the PREL generate electricity for the sugar factory's consumption and also for sale to the MSEB.

However, in the past over six years, the Karkhana has defaulted by its failure to provide the PREL with over 5.70-lakh tonnes bagasse, Mali contended.

This in turn, caused a massive reduction in the power plant's electricity generation and its production fell short of a whopping 2.56-lakh MW, worth around Rs 170-crore in the past six years, causing huge stress.

All efforts to convince the Karkhana top brass to provide the bagasse or other fuel to help the company recover its losses have failed to elicit response compelling them to go for Arbitration proceedings, claimed the company.

Hoping to settle the issue amicably, the PREL Director S.K. Vats in August 2021 shot off a strong letter to the Karkhana's then Managing Director, (the late) T.R. Dhone, demanding suitable "compensation" for its gross losses of over Rs 170-crore.

The PREL officials have charged the Karkhana of resorting to 'strong-arm tactics and intimidation' to drive away their staff and allegedly grab the full-fledged functional power plant set up at the company's expense, but Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil declined to comment on this too.

The company top brass explained that given the current power crisis scenario owing to coal shortages, if the Karkhana cooperates it can contribute to resolving the peoples' problems by using the green fuels in the PREL plant which has immense environmental benefits.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
BJP MP Varun Gandhi has once again made it clear that he will not 'tolerate any injustice' done to farmers.

Varun has posted his video interacting with some officials and farmers. He can be heard warning the officials that if there is any corruption or irregularity in paddy procurement, he will not approach the government but will go to court directly.

He said that he will depute one representative at every procurement centre who will record the proceedings.

"At every procurement centre in the state, there is crippling corruption which is completely out in the open. Farmers' grains are forcibly rejected after which they sell their produce out of desperation to middlemen. The administration takes a cut," he said.

He alleged that the nexus between officials and middlemen is forcing farmers to sell their grains at a much lower price.

He said that farmers will continue to be exploited in mandis as long as there is no legal guarantee for MSP.
Cherian Phillip on Friday after two decades of being a fellow traveller with the CPI-M, announced that he is returning to his 'ancestral' home -- the Congress party.

"My roots are in the Congress and I have now realised that I can grow only in the Congress. While being in the CPI-M, I was never given a chance to join mainstream politics. I have been a political 'creature' starting from age 12 to 47 years while being in the Congress.

"After which I joined the CPI-M as a fellow traveller and for the past two decades, I was cut away from being an active political 'creature'. Since I have invested myself for the Congress, I felt it was time to return to my ancestral house -- Congress," said Phillip while speaking to the media.

"I was not ousted from the Congress party, instead I went out on my own. At that time I was upset with the Congress party as the same faces in the party were being fielded again and again. Now I feel that has changed and what I wanted then, has started to happen now," and added that he is not looking for any posts or positions in the Congress.

During his time with the CPI-M, he said he was treated with respect by all the leaders and he never asked for a Rajya Sabha seat, as he felt his domain was only state politics.

"Even though I was given an Assembly seat to contest at the 2001, '06 and '11 Assembly elections by the CPI-M, none of it was not a safe seat. The only thing I wished was for a safe seat, but it never happened. I have the highest regards for all the CPI-M leaders, who treated me well. Even though I know a lot of secrets, I will never ever reveal it," added Phillip.

Just before he announced his decision to return to the Congress, he called on his long time mentor former Defence Minister A.K. Antony at his house here.

"We all know that Cherian did not get his due share in the Congress party and when he announced his decision to leave, it was a big shock for me. For almost three years, we did not have any communication and after that we slowly renewed our old times and since then we have had the best of relations.

"One big thing about him is that even though for 2 decades he was a fellow traveller of the CPI-M, never ever did he take the CPI-M party membership. He has held only one flag and has been a member of only one political party and that's the Congress," said Antony.

The return of Phillip was on the cards, when early this month he openly criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who has been his biggest supporter since the former left the Congress and joined the CPI-M in 2001.

The homecoming of Phillip then became clear, early this week, when he was given an award by two-time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Incidentally, the first call for 67-year-old Phillip, a bachelor, came from none other than present Lok Sabha member K. Muraleedharan, son of K. Karunakaran, who defeated Phillip at the 2011 Assembly elections, when the two contested against each other.

Way back in 2001, Phillip revolted against the Congress party on being denied a ticket by Chandy.

Phillip was fielded in two more Assembly polls in 2006 and 2011 by the CPI-M, but he failed to win and he was also given plum posts, first as the chairman of the KTDC from 2006-11 and then a cabinet minister equivalent post in one of the pet projects of Vijayan from 2016 to 2021.

The relation between Vijayan and Phillip turned sour in April this year amid speculation that he will be nominated for the Rajya Sabha.

But for the first time, Vijayan failed to support him, instead he backed his closest aides John Brittas who headed the Kairali TV, and V. Sivadasan who was looking after the social media operations of the party from the state party headquarters and both went to the Upper House.

Since then Phillip started to maintain a distance from Vijayan and he denied to accept the post of the vice-chairman of the Kerala Khadi Board, which was offered to him and the other day took potshots at Vijayan for failing to rise to the occasion after the recent floods hit the state.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that 7,722 people turned Covid positive after 71,681 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, while the test positivity rate stood at 10.77 per cent.

He also said that 6,648 people turned negative, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 78,722, of which 8.5 per cent were in hospitals.

As many as 86 Covid deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 31,156.

On the vaccination front, 94.6 per cent (2.52 crore) of the above 18 years old population have been given one dose of vaccine, of which 50.4 per cent (1.34 crore) have got both doses.
In a big relief to commuters, the Delhi Police have started removing barricades along the Tikri and Ghazipur borders, 11 months after these were installed to stop the farmers from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh entering the national capital.

After starting the action at the Tikri border on Thursday, the police reached the Ghazipur border on Friday morning to remove the barricades there also.

Besides, Delhi Police personnel were seen removing the concrete wall and sharp nails, which were part of the barricading.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Uttar Pradesh unit president Rajveer Singh Jadaun told IANS: "We have not closed any road, Delhi Police have put up barricades and are now removing them."

"As soon as the road is cleared, we will leave for the national capital as going there is our first right," he said.

The Supreme Court, in its recent order, said that farmers have the right to protest against the Centre's farm laws, but they cannot block roads indefinitely.

After the Apex Court's remarks, the farmers had started clearing a part of the road at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

On Thursday, while speaking to IANS, a senior Delhi Police official said: "There is no traffic movement at Tikri border as it is still closed. We have just removed a few obstacles, the rest are still there."

Delhi Police removed the concrete and cement barricades with the help of JCB machines.

It is expected that in the next two to three days, barricades will be totally removed and roads will be cleared for traffic.

Recently, the Haryana government officials inspected the border and reviewed whether the roads have been closed by the Delhi Police or protesters.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders for the past 11 months demanding the repeal of the three agricultural farm laws, which they dub as "black laws".
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Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/29/2021 -- According to a new market research report "Customer Experience Management Market with COVID-19 Impact, by Component (Solutions, Services), Touchpoint, Deployment Type, Organization Size, Vertical (Travel and Hospitality, BFSI, Retail, Healthcare, IT and Telecom), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Customer Experience Management Market size to grow from USD 9.5 Billion in 2021 to USD 16.9 Billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.3% during the forecast period.



CEM has changed the way organizations interact with their employees and customers. It provides insights for day-to-day decision-making, thereby resulting in enhanced operational efficiency, optimized business outcomes, and increased customer satisfaction. The transformation enables innovation and creativity in a particular domain, rather than simply improving and supporting traditional methods. CEM is rapidly gaining traction as enterprises seek solutions, technologies, and platforms to transform operating processes and business models. For example, online services are now firmly established in the banking and financial sectors, resulting in the proliferation of online activities and websites.



Browse in-depth TOC on "Customer Experience Management Market"

312- Tables

54- Figures

282- Pages



Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=543



The services to record a higher growth rate during the forecast period



In the customer experience management market by component, the services is expected to record a higher growth rate during the forecast period. The overall services segment has a major influence on the customer experience management market's growth. These services assist end users in reducing overall costs, increasing overall revenues, and improving business performance. With the help of these services, organizations can track, evaluate, and analyze the requirements of their business to make better-informed decisions.



Large Enterprises are expected to hold a larger market share during the forecast period



By Organization size, large enterprises are expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period, as compared to SMEs. Large enterprises deploy CEM solutions to enhance their CE and satisfaction. Large enterprises encompass distributed data related to customers scattered across different departments and are, hence, opting for cloud-based CEM solutions to gain valuable insights from this data. The adoption of CEM solutions helps large enterprises enhance customer interaction and loyalty. Large enterprises are keen on investing in new and latest technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and machine learning to automate the customer engagement process.



Cloud deployment mode is expected to have a higher growth rate during the forecast period



By Deployment Mode, cloud is expected to have a higher growth rate in 2021, compared to on-premises deployment mode. Cloud-based CE solutions are preferred over traditional systems as they are effective and compatible in addressing the rising level of customer expectations. Besides reducing costs associated with upgrading and updating CE solutions, cloud deployments also help organizations integrate technologies to provide a better CE to their customers.



Healthcare sector is expected to have a higher growth rate during the forecast period



By Verticals, Healthcare sector is expected to have a higher growth rate during 2021-2026. In the healthcare vertical, consumer expectations and demographics evolve and influence the desire to seek more detailed information about their health. A great difficulty comes when there is a mismatch between the different communication channels consumers use and the limited ways with which healthcare organizations can interact with customers. Many consumers expect a different experience and set of interactions with their health care providers than they have in the past, and this is a fact across age groups and customer segments. If health care providers do not completely use the customer-driven encounters, they can be at a high risk of losing their market share.



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North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period



North America is expected to hold the largest market size in the global customer experience management market during the forecast period. The region constitutes developed economies, such as the US and Canada, which have fairly adopted the latest instruments in domains such as customer data analytics and real-time reporting, besides incorporating advanced technologies such as machine learning and AI; this makes organizations in these economies excel in the customer experience management market space. North America is a front-runner when talking about digital advancement and technology adoption.



The key and emerging market players in the customer experience management market include Adobe (US), IBM (US), Oracle (US), Avaya (US), Nice (Israel), Nokia (Finland), SAP (Germany), OpenText (Canada), Tech Mahindra (India), Verint Systems (US), Zendesk (US), Teradata (US), Sprinklr (US), Medallia (US), InMoment (US), SAS (US), Clarabridge (US), Sitecore (US), NGDATA (Belgium), Amperity (US), Mixpanel (US), Segment.io (US), ZephyrTel (US), MindTouch (US), Algonomy (US), and SoGoSurvey (US). These players have adopted several organic and inorganic growth strategies, including new product launches, partnerships and collaborations, and acquisitions, to expand their offerings and market shares in the global customer experience management market.



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Homo bodoensis lived in Africa during the early Middle Pleistocene, around 500,000 years ago, and was the direct ancestor of the Homo sapiens lineage; however, this species was not the most recent common ancestor of Eurasian (Neanderthals and Denisovans) and African (Homo sapiens) hominins.

The Middle Pleistocene (774,000-129,000 years ago) is important because it saw the rise of Homo sapiens in Africa and Neanderthals in Europe.

However, human evolution during this age is poorly understood, a problem which paleoanthropologists call the muddle in the middle.

The announcement of Homo bodoensis hopes to bring some clarity to this puzzling, but important chapter in human evolution.

The study of human evolution in the Middle and Late Pleistocene has experienced significant advances in recent decades, said lead author Dr. Mirjana Roksandic, a paleoanthropologist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Tubingen, and her colleagues.

We now know that the origin of Homo sapiens was African (possibly pan-African) and extends further back into the late Middle Pleistocene than previously thought.

It is also clear that this taxon was dispersing out of Africa prior to 60,000 years ago, likely in multiple smaller waves, with a major dispersal post-60,000 years ago .

Further, over the past two decades species assigned to the genus Homo (e.g., Homo floresiensis, Homo naledi, and Homo luzonensis) that were contemporary with the Homo sapiens lineage but are considered to have played little to no role in the latters evolution, attest to the complexity of the later Pleistocene human evolutionary record.

The Middle Pleistocene is no longer dismissed as the proverbial muddle in the middle, but is increasingly recognized as a key time frame that witnessed the appearance, on a global scale, of two critical traits of later human morphology: greater encephalization and smaller teeth, and likely the differentiation of geographic groups.

Homo bodoensis is based on a reassessment of existing fossils from Africa and Eurasia from this time period.

Traditionally, these fossils have been variably assigned to either Homo heidelbergensis or Homo rhodesiensis, both of which carried multiple, often contradictory definitions.

Talking about human evolution during this time period became impossible due to the lack of proper terminology that acknowledges human geographic variation, Dr. Roksandic said.

Previously, paleoanthropologists found that some fossils of Homo heidelbergensis actually belonged to early Neanderthals, making the name redundant. For the same reason, the name needs to be abandoned when describing fossil humans from east Asia.

Further muddling the narrative, African fossils dated to this period have been called at times both Homo heidelbergensis and Homo rhodesiensis. The latter species is poorly defined and the name has never been widely accepted.

The name bodoensis refers to the site of Bodo Dar in Ethiopia where the fossil specimen Bodo 1 was discovered.

Bodo 1 is a partial cranium of an adult (presumably male) individual, preserving the face and the anterior braincase, found in autumn 1976 by Alemayehu Asfaw, Paul Whitehead and other members of the Rift Valley Research Mission in Ethiopia headed by Jon Kalb, the researchers said.

Under the new classification, Homo bodoensis will describe most Middle Pleistocene humans from Africa and some from Southeast Europe, while many from Europe (e.g. Sima de los Huesos) will be reclassified as Neanderthals.

Homo bodoensis separated from the Eurasian groups before the split of the Eurasian forms into Neanderthals, Denisovans, and possibly other groups, the scientists said.

While essentially an African species, Homo bodoensis may have played a role in the evolutionary history of the Levant and Europe.

In particular, Middle Pleistocene specimens from the two regions (mostly concentrated in the eastern Mediterranean), which do not demonstrate any Neanderthal traits, such as Mala Balanica (Serbia) and some specimens from the Levant such as Hazorea and Nadaouiyeh Ain Askar could be considered as Homo bodoensis.

The species was potentially present in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene (as evidenced by the Ceprano specimen) and may have contributed to a mixed morphology seen in Arago, Petralona, and possibly other fossils in Western Europe.

The teams paper was published this week in the journal Evolutionary Anthropology.

_____

Mirjana Roksandic et al. Resolving the muddle in the middle: The case for Homo bodoensis sp. nov. Evolutionary Anthropology, published online October 28, 2021; doi: 10.1002/evan.21929
General Capital Limited advises that its subsidiary General Finance Limited, a licensed Non-bank Deposit Taker, will upload its quarterly report for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 to the Disclose Register today.

The attached unaudited quarterly report shows that General Finances business has continued to grow with the achievement of new record levels in its total assets and Net Profit After Tax (NPAT).

 Total assets were $79.1m as at 30 September 2021, up 11.0% from 30 June 2021 and 22.6% from 31 March 2021.

 NPAT for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 (Q2) of $323k was 46.7% up on Q1 NPAT, and also significantly higher than the full year NPAT for the prior financial year ended 31 March 2021.

 General Finances capital ratio was 16.07% at 30 September 2021, which is double the minimum requirement.

Mr. Brent King, Managing Director, explained that this report is required as General Finance Limited holds a Non-bank Deposit Taker licence and the reporting is a requirement of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.

It has been another very positive quarter for General Finance. We will continue to advise the market each time General Finance Limited uploads a document to the Disclose Register, said Mr. King.

The information can also be found at www.disclose-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz.

Please see the links below for details

General Capital (GEN:NZ) subsidiary General Finance update

General Finance Limited Quarterly Report - 30 September 2021

Source: General Capital Limited

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Page Content

*Pfizer vaccine works well, boosters not yet needed for general public*





Studies have shown us that, the vaccine offers excellent protection for the fully vaccinated even after 8 months! We can see this first hand on St. Maarten, where the death rate is 1.6% due to COVID-19 disease, and only 0.04% were fully vaccinated. We will continue to keep the public informed about scientific studies and our plans for boosters (through this page).





At this moment we continue to urge all persons to continue to get vaccinated so that we can reach heard immunity!





Some persons with severely reduced immunity (due to sickness) are often not sufficiently protected even after two doses. Some of these persons can achieve better protection after a third vaccination, the Health Council of The Netherlands recently advised. Third doses are different from boosters, and ONLY considered for persons who a medical specialist evaluates as having a very weak immunity.





The Vaccination Management Team (VMT), in coordination with St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), hereby announces that a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for severely immunocompromised patients on St. Maarten. On St. Maarten, approximately 300 - 400 patients are currently being treated by a medical specialist in the context of one or more critical health conditions that decrease immunity. These specific conditions are stated on the RIVM website at: https://www.rivm.nl/.../vaccines/immunocompromised-patients.





In coordination with SMMC, the VMT will be contacting the patients that are eligible as per the above-mentioned criteria. These persons identified as eligible by medical specialists only, will be invited to receive the 3rd COVID-19 vaccination shot. All COVID vaccinations will be administered at CPS office located at Vineyard building, Monday  Friday from 8.30 am  12.00 pm and 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
In a bizarre twist to these cases in November 2020, the Attorney Generals Department withdrew the first case on Isurumath Nivahana agreeing with the defense that Divineguma funds might not be considered as public funds as they belong to the 1.2 million Divineguma beneficiaries. This was like the well-known Sathasivam case!

by Dr Laksiri Fernando

It might not be the case in America. However in Australia, if the image of a politician is tarnished with corruption allegations, business deals or any other abuses, that person should not be appointed as a Minister, or he/she should resign when those are pointed out or investigated. Australia is undoubtedly a more mature and a reliable democracy than America. Especially in the case of public funds or money earned through dubious means, even in the private sector, democracy should be shielded from those who are involved in corruption and misdeeds.

Sri Lanka had relatively strong democratic traditionsin 1950s and even in 1960s. When the Thalagodapitiya Commission (1959) revealed some corruption allegations against M. P. deZoysa and D. B. Monnekulame they resigned from their ministries and from Parliament. Of course there were others who were more adamant, and they had to be punished/censured through by-partisan procedures in Parliament. The Left and the minority parties were most principled at that time on corruption issues. More than the Parliament, independent anti-corruption commissions might be best like in Australia.

In Sri Lanka, those anti-corruption traditions have become pathetically eroded thereafter due to various reasons such as (1) the instability in the constitutional/legal system, (2) establishment of a dubious economic system in the name of an open economy, (3) ambiguous business deals nationally and internationally, (4) erosion of political party discipline, (5) emergence of opportunistic parties and interest groups, and (6) the decline of ethics and values in the education system in general. (7) Religious leaders and organizations also may be responsible for this deteriorating situation.

Australian Example

Previously, I have written on the Australian example (A Bottle of Wine Throws a Premier Out!). It was a simple failure to declare a bottle of wine received by the New South Wales Premier, Barry OFarrell, in 2011 from a business person. When it became revealed to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in 2014, the Premier gracefully resigned from the position. It was just a potential issue of corruption and not even corruption per se.

Of course there are persons in Australia who are adamant and deny any wrong doing and they are eventually punished through the revelations before the independent commission/s. That is possible because the commissions are truly independent and adhered to high standards. This is apparently not the case in Sri Lanka or unfortunately even in the Attorney Generals Department. Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald are two recent cases in NSW. A List of Australian politicians convicted of crimes can be obtained from Wikipedia.

Even last month the NSW Premier, Ms. Gladys Berejiklian, had to resign from her position, when ICAC started investigating whether she had breached public trust when she awarded special grants to the electorate, Waga Waga, represented by her undeclared secret lover.Previously, the person in question, MP Daryl Maguire, had to admit and resign involved in some business deals and seeking payment over a property deal.

Even in Australia, there are grants to electorates and community organizations. However, those should not be distributed based on party preferences or political favoritism, whoever in power. It is quite doubtful whether this is the case in Sri Lanka. Leading to elections, those who are in power usually misuse public funds to win those elections and to favor their constituencies in order obtain votes. This is in addition to various business deals, favoritism,and other corrupt practices. These are terrible distortions in democracy.

Basil Rajapaksa Case

There have been allegations and counter allegations between political parties and governments on various fraud and corruption issues in Sri Lanka. There are over a dozen of people who are allegedly involved in corruption who are in the present government and in the opposition. The allegations against the present Minister of Finance, Basil Rajapaksa, is highlighted in this article because the whole countrys economic policies, financial management, public administration, international relations and future of the country would be affected by his alleged misdeeds and lack of integrity. Even he is innocent his image will encourage the others to involve in corruption and fraud.

It is true that most of the allegations of corruption of Basil Rajapaksa emerged under the UNP/SLFP government between 2015 and 2019. However the indictments were filed under the authority of the Attorney Generals Department and the actions or arrests by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).

One of the first scandals was the Malwana house and property deal. It was alleged that the property was purchased in November 2010 under undeclared and laundered money for Rs. 64 million, but worth Rs. 208 million. The name of Thirakumar Nadesanalso was propped up as the actual purchaser as from the Pandoras Box. However, they refused to accept the ownership of the property, an implicit acceptance of some guilt. By this time, Basil Rajapaksa was the Minister of Economic Development!

Then there were two other instances where Basil Rajapaksa, with officials under him, allegedly utilized public funds to support the election campaign leading to the Presidential elections in January 2015. This pattern of public funds being utilized for election purposes under different administrations, perhaps have a long history which have not properly been investigated.

Of course it was the newly formed FCID which questioned and arrested him for the misuse of public funds. But it was the Attorney General who filed the indictments against him and his officials in the Colombo High Court. The role of the FCID then and thereafter was questionable as the efforts had some apparent political motives. However, could we say the same to the AG or AGs Department? Then AG is in fact the present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Divineguma Funds

The first case was about Divineguma funds being utilized for housing grants for political purposes under a dubious program (Isurumath Nivahana). The amount utilized was Rs. 2,992 million. It is now and then said that the disbursement of funds were stopped by the Election Commissioner after the official start of the election campaign. That itself proves the allegation.

The funds were obviously utilized for election campaign purposes. Just because one is a Minister, he or she should not have the authority to transfer or utilize funds arbitrarily. These are the questions, the dates included, and to whom any funds were given, that should have been investigated by an independent commission like the ICAC in Australia, not just legal questions in a high court. These are moral and ethical matters that politicians should abide by in a working democracy.

The second case was about again Divineguma funds allegedly being utilized to purchase GI pipes to be distributed to Provincial Councils, and to the people through them before the Presidential elections in January 2015 again obviously for political purposes. The amount involved was Rs. 36.5 million. There were other allegations and cases but the above three are sufficient to raised the issue that the politicians and ministers should be free from corruption and dubious financial matters, if Sri Lankas democracy to be sustained and serve the people without discrimination to political party, ethnicity or any other distinction.

Acquittal of Rajapaksa?

In a bizarre twist to these cases in November 2020, the Attorney Generals Department withdrew the first case on Isurumath Nivahana agreeing with the defense that Divineguma funds might not be considered as public funds as they belong to the 1.2 million Divineguma beneficiaries. This was like the well-known Sathasivam case! The argument itself admits the culpability of the misuse of funds, public or otherwise, without proper approval of the Treasury.

It is on the same premise, having referred to the previous case, that the AGs Department has withdrawn the case of GI pipes this month (Rs. 36.5 million at stake) without any proper hearing. It is not the High Court that has acquitted Basil Rajapaksa, but the Attorney General! Can the Ministers or Finance Ministers arbitrarily use or transfer funds from one purpose to the other without a transparent procedure or treasury approval? The purpose was obviously election and political. If that is the case, Sri Lanka undoubtedly is a bizarre democracy.

What is the definition of public funds? It appears that the AG Departments legal pundits do not have a proper idea or definition. The following is what given in Australia by the Taxation Office.

Public funds fall under two types: (a) funds established and controlled by government or government authorities and (b) funds to which the public is invited to contribute and in fact contribute. A Public fund may be established as a separate entity, for example under an instrument of trust, or as part of a sponsoring organization.

Under this definition, particularly under (b), Divineguma funds are definitely public funds. Those funds are not Basil Rajapaksas private funds. Some may refuse the definition by saying it is an Australian definition,and not a Sri Lankan one! But this is a common definition, and we are living in on the same planet inheriting hopefully a common democratic tradition.

Conclusion

Like Barry OFarrell and now Gladys Berejiklian in Australia, Basil Rajapaksa should resign. His image is tarnished using public funds for political purposes. He is particularly not suitable for the position of the Minister of Finance. If he is the Minister in charge of the whole countrys financial and economic matters, what justice that people could expect? He is also in charge of various financial transactions and trade deals with foreign companies and countries. What transparency people could expect from him?

His appointment as the Minister of Finance was utterly wrong. If not by a brother, who would comfortably appoint him for this position? If he remains as the Minister of Finance, he would again and again would commit similar evils during the future elections or even otherwise. As far as he remains as a Minister, of course among others, democracy in Sri Lanka would be in peril.
Modern-day Turkish food which is largely inherited from the Ottomans, has successfully survived for over 700 years.

OCTOBER 29: TURKEY REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

Turkish cuisine, which is regarded as one of the finest and richest in the world, has been enriched since the migration of the Turkic people from Central Asia to Anatolia in the 10th century. The uniqueness of Turkish culinary culture is best understood as a totality of foods and beverages, which provide nutrition to the people living in Turkey, the ways of preparing, and preserving them, techniques, equipment and utensils required, eating manners and all the practices, which are developed around a lavish Turkish feast. Moreover, Turkeys ideal geographical location straddling between Europe and Asia has also seasoned the uniqueness of Turkish flavours.

The Central Asian Turkish kitchen which wasfairly plain and limited in terms of menu, eventually led to fundamental changes as a result of migrations. The variety of products offered by the lands of Asia and Anatolia, interaction with different cultures over a long historical process, the new tastes developed in the place of kitchens of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires have all played a major part in shaping the new chapter of Turkish culinary culture.

Modern-day Turkish food which is largely inherited from the Ottomans, has successfully survived for over 700 years. During the Ottoman period, Turkish culinary culture was mainly structured with a balanced consumption of animal products and grains.These features from the Ottomans remain to influence the modern delights of Turkey.

Turkish cuisine is very well known for its diversity of flavours, which differ from one region to another. Each region of Turkey has its own kitchen culture, including distinct ingredients resulting authentic recipes. While vegetables, seafood and mezes are mainly consumed in the Aegean cuisine, different varieties of kebabsare preferred with a choice of spices in the South Eastern kitchen. The Northern region has its own special culinary culture with the famous hamsi/anchovy, cornflour and collard as main ingredients but not only. A wide range of desserts including the well know baklava and Turkish delight also adds more variety to our kitchen.

Not only cuisine, but also the dining habits in Turkey vary historically and even regionally with regard to village, city, and settlements. Despite all these differences in Turkish society, there are still common features in the rich culinary culture of Turkey. One can regard Turkish Tea & Coffee as one such commonality used as a sign of hospitality and often offered at the end of every meal.
System error

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context: ... 21: </%method> 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: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

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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(0x7f3fde3e8dd8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde46ca48)', '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(0x7f3fde3e8dd8)') 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(0x7f3fde46ca48)') 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(0x7f3fde3f4d18)') 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(0x7f3fde46ca48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde46ca48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdda96b70)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdda90d28)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdda90d28)') 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: </%method> 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: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... 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(0x7f3fddf686f0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fddfce5c8)', '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(0x7f3fddf686f0)') 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(0x7f3fddfce5c8)') 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(0x7f3fddf77d80)') 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(0x7f3fddfce5c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fddfce5c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdda95858)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde7aec28)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde7aec28)') 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: </%method> 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: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... 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(0x7f3fde3e6420)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdead0e90)', '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(0x7f3fde3e6420)') 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(0x7f3fdead0e90)') 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(0x7f3fde3d9d50)') 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(0x7f3fdead0e90)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdead0e90)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdda94e40)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdeaabb58)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdeaabb58)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

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context: ... 21: </%method> 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: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

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Homestead, FL (33030)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 79F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 73F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
What you need to know about the Facebook Papers

by Leanna Garfield

Facebook is now undergoing what may be the tech giants biggest crisis in its 17-year history. On Friday, The Washington Post reported that a second Facebook whistleblower came forward to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging that the company prioritizes growth over combating hate speech, disinformation, and other threats to the public. The whistleblowers testimony follows that of former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, whose legal counsel released whats known as the Facebook Papers  a 10,000-page collection of internal reports, memos, and chat logs leaked to more than a dozen major news outlets.





The documents paint a grim picture of how Facebook has repeatedly and knowingly put profit ahead of peoples safety. From Facebooks role in the U.S. Capitol insurrection, to its system for sorting the world into tiers, to its disregard for clear evidence its platform was causing harm, here is just a snapshot of what we know from the Facebook Papers so far.

Facebook sorts the world into tiers.

Internal documents show how Facebook decides which countries will receive higher levels of monitoring and moderation, and where investment in peoples safety doesnt make it into the budget, The Verge reports. They also reveal where the company has been slow to respond to controversial content when it believes it may be politically costly to do so. Only eight countries made the priority list. The rest of the world didnt make the cut.

Facebook increasingly suppresses political movements it deems dangerous.

Facebook employees have also complained about the companys ad hoc approach to content moderation. According to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook is essentially playing whack-a-mole with movements it deems dangerous, straying from its public commitments to preparedness and neutrality.

Facebook lets politicians bend rules.

Facebooks senior executives stepped in to allow U.S. politicians and celebrities to post whatever they wanted on the platform, even though employees stressed that they were breaking Facebooks own rules, The Financial Times reports. Much of the content helped further spread misinformation and harmful content. There have also been past reports of this happening outside the U.S. too, although Facebook said it ended the practice in June 2021.

Facebooks language gaps allow hate speech to flourish.

Internal documents show that Facebook still doesnt have enough moderators who speak languages other than English and understand cultural contexts outside of the U.S, says The Associated Press. In Afghanistan and Myanmar, for example, these loopholes have allowed hate speech toward marginalized groups to thrive on the platform. While in Syria and Palestine, Facebook squashes ordinary speech, imposing overreaching bans on common words, as well as posts from activists facing violence.

Facebook knew it was being used to incite violence in Ethiopia.

Facebook employees repeatedly criticized the company for failing to limit the spread of posts inciting violence in Ethiopia, where a war has continued for the past year. CNN reports that they warned managers about how problematic actors were using Facebook to spread content that seeded calls for violence in the region. The company did close to nothing. A similar story is playing out in India.

Bureaucracy and technical glitches slowed Facebooks U.S. Capitol riot response.

When supporters of Donald Trump tried to stop Joe Biden from being declared president, Facebook employees say its response was inadequate and too slow. Internally, critics complained that Facebook didnt have a real game plan for addressing harmful election disinformation, according to The Washington Post. And some plans, like a change that would have prevented Groups from changing their names to things like Stop the Steal, faced technical problems.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly chose growth over safety.

According to a series of complaints, Zuckerberg made countless decisions and statements that ultimately put people at risk. The Washington Post notes: The companys use of growth-hacking tactics, such as tagging people in photos and buying lists of email addresses, was key to achieving its remarkable size. In some countries with repressive regimes, Zuckerberg has also agreed to increase censorship of anti-government posts.

On Monday, Zuckerberg began Facebooks quarterly earnings call by addressing the wave of news coverage surrounding the Facebook Papers.

Good faith criticism helps us get better, but my view is that we are seeing a coordinated effort to selectively use leaked documents to paint a false picture of our company, he said. The reality is that we have an open culture that encourages discussion and research on our work so we can make progress on many complex issues that are not specific to just us.

In many places around the world, Facebooks actions (and inaction) can have deadly consequences. The Facebook Papers reveal that its time to regulate Facebook and other Big Tech companies. That starts with passing a comprehensive U.S. federal data protection law. Not only would that help protect our right to privacy, it would prevent companies from harvesting the data that is weaponized against us, a practice fueled by profit-at-any-cost business models.

Leanna is the Digital Engagement Lead at Access Now. She is a digital strategist, editor, and journalist, passionate about building and connecting communities. Through her work, she has strategized and executed holistic communications strategies that create authentic connections, bridging online and IRL spaces. Leanna comes to Access Now from Lesbians Who Tech & Allies, where she led its digital engagement work, aimed at increasing diversity in tech industries across the world. Previously, as a reporter for Business Insider, she covered technology and civic design. Her work has also been featured in The World Economic Forum, The Independent, Slate, Inc, Bitch Media, and elsewhere. She graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
EQS Group-Ad-hoc: BEACONSMIND AG / Key word(s): Annual Results

Beaconsmind AG releases its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, with 56% growth in revenue



29-Oct-2021 / 20:30 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS Group - a company of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





beaconsmind AG (ISIN: CH0451123589, EURONEXT: MLBMD, VIENNA: BMD) releases its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, with 56% growth in revenue



Zurich, Switzerland - October 29, 2021, 6:00pm CEST - beaconsmind (ISIN: CH0451123589 - Ticker: MLBMD), a SaaS provider in Location-Based Marketing (LBM) for retail chains unveils today its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, which corresponds to its 2020/2021 financial year. Results are below guidance given during its listing in February 2021 with revenue growth of 56% to CHF780K and negative EBITDA of CHF2.0M.

The core driver for underperformance in revenue growth is the COVID19 pandemic's impact on beaconsmind's clients, which led to the postponing of roll-outs of the beaconsmind solution in stores. For the next twelve months, the number of stores expected to be rolled out by beaconsmind's key clients amounts to several thousands, compared to a currently installed store base in the hundreds. The company is ready to fulfil global project orders in a record time, with an installing capacity of at least 100 stores per week, compared to under 30 at the time of listing in February. This capacity build-up and related increase in opeRating fixed costs are the main drivers for the increased loss, in addition to the costs of the listing of the company shares on EURONEXT ACCESS market in Paris in February 2021 and the listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange in March 2021.

The company's salesforce was strengthened during the period and resulted in a record number of new client acquisitions. The company first won the DEPOT account, one of the largest home furniture specialists in the German-speaking countries with over 500 stores across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Then, beaconsmind won the Roberto Cavalli account, the haute couture fashion house, and Maison-B-More, an established UAE fashion retail group. The company now has a specialised salesforce in place across several retail verticals, with a very strong momentum in the pipeline of potential accounts. This investment in sales was an absolute priority for beaconsmind, as the company aims to move away from a high dependency on one large anchor client and strives to diversify its expected revenue base by expanding in new verticals like department stores, supermarkets/hypermarkets, logistics, culture, and Hotels/Restaurants/Cafes.

Finally, the company expanded its geographical reach by opening an outpost in Dubai, UAE, where it partnered with the Seed Group, a company of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, to bring location-based marketing software and solutions for retail chains to the Middle East region. Thanks to this partnership, beaconsmind now has direct access to the companies of the royal family of Dubai, such as Emirates airlines, and the Jumeirah Group, which alone opens potential implementation of beaconsmind's solution across a significant portfolio of hotels, dining, retail and wellness locations across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The Seed Group is supporting beaconsmind with market entry facilitation as well as office headquarters and acts as a local sponsor.

Max Weiland, CEO of beaconsmind AG, said "Throughout the period, the number of project orders held-up has been constantly growing. Although I am disappointed that the orders were delayed by our clients because of operational reasons and COVID19, I am delighted by the work performed by our team to prepare their imminent fulfilment. Furthermore, our diversification, both in terms of geographies and client verticals, is already bearing fruit, with a record number of accounts wins in the period in Europe and the Middle East. We are extremely excited about our pipeline and prospects, and look forward to winning some ground-breaking accounts in the coming months."



About beaconsmind

Founded in 2015 in Switzerland, beaconsmind is a pioneer in the field of location-based marketing (LBM) software for retail chains. beaconsmind helps retailers run successful location-based marketing campaigns. By fitting stores with bluetooth beacons that precisely locate and identify customers, and by integrating its Software Suite, beaconsmind opens a brand-new channel for retailers to interact with their customers, fundamentally transforming the shopping experience. Thanks to its solution, retailers can converge digital and physical shopping and address the convenience gaps of each.

For more information, please visit www.beaconsmind.com
[Restaurants] are suffering from labor issues, so this is a way to solve that dilemma, Siegmann says. Its a huge gamble right now to invest a million dollars in a full-service restaurant. Or you could spend $15,000 on a vending machine, get it branded and install it, and if doesnt work, just unplug it and put it somewhere else.
Renee works the late, late shift  the dark hours  and is supposed to hand the Raffa shooting to a homicide unit, but because that squad is overextended she offers to work the case on her own time. Logically, she turns to Harry, who knows more about solving crimes than almost anyone. Although officially retired from the force, Harry will never retire from solving crimes. Renee finds Harry poring over copies of cold cases stacked on his kitchen table; hes also built a room under his carport to store copies of other case files. Renee and Harry link their cases to silent partners each dead man had, while she still looks into the Midnight Men.
Hollywood activist Cat Uden, shown on Thursday, says a police officer warned her not to wear this condo costume to a Halloween block party. Uden made the costume in protest of a proposed condo on public beachfront land. She says the officer later agreed that she could wear the costume, but could not tell anyone why, because she doesnt have a permit to protest. (Michael Laughlin/Sun Sentinel)
Cruzs lawyers have long indicated that his mental health will play a crucial role in their efforts to keep him off death row. With the latest ruling, they still will be able to argue that he suffered from mental illnesses, but they wont be able to explore the failure of officials to recognize the threat he posed to the public.
Police got video surveillance of the crime from neighboring businesses and got descriptions of the suspects. They were able to identify one suspect as a resident of a nearby community, which is where witnesses said the suspects were seen heading during their escape.
But this year, Leonardi, who was sworn in in November, posted on Facebook photos of the lunch and of students standing outside the Rosies sign. I was SO honored to be invited to chaperone Wilton Manors Elementarys field trip to the incredible Rosies! The students and I had a fun walk over and learned a lot about our community!
Prosecutors had hoped to bolster their case by introducing as evidence a brief video taken 15 days before the protest shootings that shows Rittenhouse watching some men exit a CVS pharmacy and commenting that he wished he had his rifle so he could shoot them because prosecutors say he baselessly thought they were shoplifters. Thomas Binger, the lead prosecutor, said it showed Rittenhouses mindset as a teenage vigilante, involving himself in things that dont concern him. But Judge Bruce Schroeder questioned the relevance of the video to the charges. He ruled it wouldnt be allowed, though he suggested he could reassess that ruling later.
There is no question that environmental racism is a shameful part of Americas legacy, and Browards. Not far from this project site, residents lived for decades near a Fort Lauderdale incinerator that spewed toxins throughout Black neighborhoods and made people sick with cancers and other medical problems. Not until last year did the city finally agree to pay damages to another incinerators many victims exposed to poisonous chemicals over several decades, and its not lost on anyone that a controversial public works project is never built in an affluent white community.
Second, while I support two-state solution, it is foolish to say Jews are occupying Arab land when the Jews, and Christians, were in Israel first. If Hardy wants to follow what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, his anger should be directed at radical Islam for being racist and refusing to accept that Jews and Christians were in Israel before Islam began. Jews simply want to live in their homeland in peace and when they respond to radical Islam, antisemites say Jews are brutalizing Palestinians.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Rome/New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cheered loudly in greeting by a large crowd of Indians at the Piazza Gandhi in Rome as he went to offer floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi there.

Indians shouted Modi, Modi and Bharat Mata ki Jai, as the PM arrived at the venue on Friday. He greeted the gathered Indians with folded hands, as the security services stood in a protective ring around him.

A group of Hindu devotees chanted a Shiva mantra in unison as the Prime Minister was passing, and he paused to hear them recite the entire mantra. They later presented him with a book.

The PM then proceeded to present floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.

Remembering Bapu  the Mahatma whose ideals continue to inspire the world!

PM @narendramodi offered floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhis bust at Piazza Gandhi in Rome, Italy.

Exuberant members of the Indian community greet the PM at Piazza Gandhi in Rome, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

The Prime Ministers Office said in a tweet: The ideals of the great Bapu reverberate globally.

In Rome, PM @narendramodi paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.

Earlier, the Prime Minister began his official engagements in Rome with a productive interaction with Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

UNI/RN
Rome/New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held wide-ranging talks with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on issues covering trade and investment ties, climate change, Covid-19, and global and regional developments.

This was the Prime Ministers first official engagement in Rome after he arrived earlier in the day for the 16th G20 Summit.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said on the talks: Wonderful meeting with

@EU_Commission President @vonderleyen and @eucopresident Charles Michel. We had wide-ranging talks on deepening the India-EU friendship, particularly in areas such as trade, commerce, culture and the environment.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on the talks:

Deepening ties between India and EU!

PM @narendramodi met European Council President Charles Michel

@eucopresident & European Commission President @vonderleyen.

An extensive discussion covering trade & investment ties, climate change, COVID-19, global & regional developments.

The two sides also discussed ways to enhance people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet.

In a tweet, the Prime Ministers Office said:

Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission.

The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet.

Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister arrived in Rome, Italy, to attend the 16th G20 Leaders Summit.

He was received by senior officials of the Government of Italy and the Ambassador of India in Italy Neena Malhotra.

The G20 is the first in-person Summit of the grouping since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

His visit, from October 29-31, is at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. He will later travel to Glasgow, United Kingdom, from November 1-2 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for the COP26 summit.

UNI/RN
UWs Shogren Among Academics Who Support Elimination of Subsidies for Fisheries

A University of Wyoming professor has pledged his support against subsidies for fisheries that he and hundreds of other university faculty and scientists say lead to overfishing worldwide.

Jason Shogren, the Stroock Chair of Natural Resource Conservation and Management in the UW Department of Economics, is among academics who recently signed a letter urging the World Trade Organization (WTO) to eliminate harmful subsidies they say encourage overfishing on the high seas and in waters under national jurisdictions.

As economists, we are always saying to policymakers: Get the prices right. The right price means the price that accurately reflects the true costs and benefits to all of society, not just a select group or industry, Shogren explains. Typically, most government subsidies are not designed to get the prices right but, rather, to help out one industry over another or to help producers more than consumers. Politically, there are reasons to do this; economically, there are not. Why? Because governments are artificially distorting how scarce resources are allocated across an economy, and total economic value goes down.

Shogren is among 296 authors from 255 institutions, primarily academic, who signed a letter, titled WTO Must Ban Harmful Fisheries Subsidies, that was published today (Oct. 29) in Science. The journal publishes the very best in research across the sciences, with articles that consistently rank among the most cited in the world.

My contribution is to join the scientific chorus asking that the WTO ban countries from incentivizing overharvesting through the artificial distortion caused by the subsidization of costs and prices, Shogren says.

The letter, from representatives from 46 countries over six continents, urges the WTO to eliminate harmful subsidies  to curb overfishing, biodiversity degradation and loss, and CO2 emissions, and to safeguard food and livelihoods.

The group estimates global fisheries subsidies at $35.4 billion in 2018, of which capacity-enhancing subsidies are $22.2 billion. The top five subsidizing political entities -- China, the European Union, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan -- contribute 58 percent or $20.5 billion of the total estimated subsidy.

The figures come from a book titled Infinity Fish: Economics and the Future of Fish and Fisheries and written by Ussif Rashid Sumaila, a professor and Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia. Sumaila is the lead author of the letter that appears in Science.

An effective agreement must eliminate subsidies for fuel, distant-water and destructive fishing fleet, and illegal and unregulated vessels, according to the letter. The letter urges the WTO to address the issues at its 12th Ministerial Conference, which is scheduled Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in Geneva, Switzerland.

All countries depend, in part, on fishing. So, in effect, all countries are threatened in the long run if incentivized overharvesting is allowed to continue, Shogren says. The countries most threatened today are those countries with developing/emerging economies in which most fishermen are small-scale or subsistence level operators. Fisheries can be a significant part of overall GDP (gross domestic product). Looking at World Bank data, affected countries include some of the poorest economies, which include Somalia, Sierra Leone, Chad and Liberia.

For more information, email Shogren at jramses@uwyo.edu.


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Gibraltar Literature Week - Alan Titchmarsh

Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture regrets to inform that Alan Titchmarsh MBE will be unable to attend Gibraltar Literature Week due to personal family reasons.

All patrons who have bought tickets for his talks, via buytickets.gi, will be refunded automatically with no further action required on their behalf.

Notwithstanding this, GCS says it is confident that with the great local line up, the dedicated Pop-Up Book Shop, and the talks and sessions by international authors Lord Jeffrey Archer and Christopher Lloyd, Gibraltar Literature Week, will be an outstanding success.

Tickets for Gibraltar Literature Week are now on sale at www.buytickets.gi

Full schedule of all the events and a pocket guide will be released next week. For further information please contact GCS Development Unit on 20049161 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
One of the ten key factors of the Revised Arusha Declaration, "Audit and Investigation", is one of the priorities for an effective national Customs integrity programme. With this in mind, the WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme is supporting the Customs of Burkina Faso in their efforts to fight corruption.

From 18 to 28 October, over fifty Customs officials from Burkina Faso attended a workshop led in cooperation with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to strengthen their internal control function.

The activity allowed participants to identify and get familiar with the needed tools to efficiently exploit the results of the controls included in their annual work plan. CBSA expert facilitator particularly provided guidance towards strategic and tactical decision making with respect to integrity risks, to better get familiar with good practices based on concrete administrative and criminal cases.

The results of the Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS) conducted in Burkina Faso early 2021 were also discussed. It was decided that their detailed analysis and recommendations would soon be integrated into the action plan dedicated to internal control.

In his opening remarks the Director General of Burkina Faso Customs emphasized the strategic importance of a sustained and professional commitment of the internal control teams within the organization in order to promote integrity. He also encouraged participants to foster collective action on internal affairs and to develop and consolidate investigative skills through the A-CIP Programme.

The WCO A-CIP Programme currently supports more than 20 countries in the five WCO regions, with funding from Norad and Canada. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.
Within the framework of the COPES-STCE Project, the Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme held on October 26 and 27 a virtual Awareness Workshop for Senior Managers, with the aim to highlight the importance of the development of a functional and efficient strategic trade control national system.

The training course brought together 20 Senior Executive Officers from Indonesia Customs. The training was delivered online both in English and Bahasa.

The Workshop focused on the role of the senior management in enabling and supporting activities combatting illicit trade of Weapons of Mass Destruction and related items. In particular, the WCO emphasized the Customs security mandate established by the Punta Cana Resolution and the International legal framework governing strategic trade control.

An assessment tool using maturity models, newly created within the Customs Operational Practices for Enforcement and Seizures (COPES) Programme, was then presented. This tool was first introduced during the last Enforcement Committee. The assessment process is split into three stages: self-assessment, on-site assessment by experts and the issuing of a report with recommendations.

The COPES-STCE Project also invited participants from Indonesia Customs to discuss how to develop a national STCE framework.

The WCO would like to offer its heartfelt thanks to Indonesia Customs for their ongoing cooperation and EXBS (the donor) for its financial support and expertise on the ground.

For more information on the STCE Programme, please contact WCOSecurityProgramme@wcoomd.org.

For more information on the COPES Programme, please contact COPES@wcoomd.org.
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Wang Yi: To Maintain and Further China-Serbia Friendship is on the Right Side of History

2021/10/29

On October 28, 2021 local time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and invited him to meet the press together afterward.

Vucic said that during this visit, the two sides held in-depth discussions on consolidating Serbia-China friendship and intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation and reached extensive consensus. Recent years see fruitful Serbia-China cooperation, as the two-way trade volume tripled in five years, which fully reflects the high-level mutual political trust and the extraordinary "ironclad friendship". The Serbian side is sincerely grateful for the consistent support of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government. Serbia fully agrees to China's proposal on expanding bilateral cooperation in innovation and believes that with China's support, Serbia will usher in a new stage of development and advance with the times.

Wang Yi said that there is a special bond between the Chinese people and Serbia. The 1.4 billion Chinese people regard Serbia at the other end of Eurasia as an ironclad friend. The 1.4 billion Chinese people are familiar with Serbian President Vucic who firmly safeguards national sovereignty and dignity and unswervingly pursues a friendly policy towards China.

Wang Yi said that Serbia is a country that sticks to principles, and the Serbians are a nation of moral integrity and sincere friendship. The Chinese people are proud to have such a good and faithful friend.

Wang Yi said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Serbia relations have endured the test of time and are full of vitality, and our friendship is unshakable and solid as a rock. He thanked the Serbian side for its consistent support for China's legitimate stance on issues related to China's core interests and major concerns. China is ready to stand together with Serbia in its efforts to safeguard state sovereignty, independence and national dignity. The practical bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results and truly benefited the two peoples, showing even broader prospects.

Wang Yi said that despite the irresponsible remarks made by certain forces on China-Serbia friendship, we both know it well that China and Serbia are safeguarding our respective legitimate rights and interests, safeguarding the basic norms governing international relations and upholding international fairness and justice. To maintain and further our friendship is in line with the trend of times and is on the right side of history. We are delighted and satisfied with the current China-Serbia relations. We are fully confident in the future of our relations and believe that a brighter future will come.
Wang Yi Holds Talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic

2021/10/29

On October 28, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic in Belgrade.

Wang Yi said, we had a fruitful meeting this past May in Guiyang. The two foreign ministers' exchange of visits in less than half a year fully reflected the great importance attached by both sides to China-Serbia relations and the high level of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. Traditional China-Serbia friendship has withstood the test of changes in the world and emerged from the trying times of blood and fire with new dynamism and vitality. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership has grown to an unprecedented high level. Both sides have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning our respective core interests and major concerns, protecting our respective legitimate rights and interests and at the same time upholding international equity and justice. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Serbia have supported each other in difficult times, opening a new chapter of friendship between the two countries. China regards Serbia as its most reliable partner and firmly supports Serbia in speeding up its national development and rejuvenation. China is ready to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and to look at and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, so as to continue to consolidate the already indestructible friendship and push bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

Selakovic said that the pandemic didn't block the exchanges and cooperation between Serbia and China. The joint efforts in the fight against the pandemic have brought the hearts of the two peoples even closer. Serbia is proud of the ironclad Serbia-China friendship, and firmly believes that under the far-sighted leadership of the two heads of state, bilateral relations will continue to achieve new progress. Serbia is willing to work with China through in-depth communication in order to expand all-dimensional cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new height.

Selakovic said, the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping is of great significance. Serbia highly values and fully supports it. Serbia is full of confidence in a bright future for bilateral relations and the two countries' just cause. Serbia will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle and firmly support China's position on issues related to Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong and others.

The two sides agreed to support each other's efforts to protect respective sovereignty, independence and national dignity, enhance communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, jointly and firmly safeguard the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides agreed to enhance strategic alignment, forge high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, implement major cooperative projects and support Serbia's efforts to operate a research facility on Belt and Road.

The two sides also exchanged views on the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and China-EU relations, agreeing that cooperation conforms to the interests of all parties and that it is necessary to enhance communication, deepen mutual trust and strive for new achievements.

Before the talks, the two sides jointly witnessed the signing of a document on the cooperation between the two foreign ministries.
The UN Security Council expressed "serious concern" over Monday's power grab, urging the military to step aside. Russia and China were both influential in the watering down of the text, according to reports.

The UN Security Council wants Sudan's military to relinquish power and restore the civilian-led transitional government, the international body said on Thursday.

In a statement, agreed by consensus, the 15-member Council called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. The Council also called for the immediate release of all those who have been detained by the military and urged "all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without pre-conditions."

The international peace and security body expressed "serious concern" regarding Monday's power grab by the military in the poverty-stricken African nation, which has enjoyed only rare periods of democracy since gaining independence in 1956.

Russia and China take softer stance

The British-drafted statement comes after laborious talks, which have been ongoing since Tuesday, among Security Council members. The wording of the text was somewhat diluted after pressure from Russia.

The statement expresses concern over the "suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency" and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Hamdok was taken on Monday by the military and is now under guard at his home. Previously, he had been held at the residence of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the man who led the military coup. Other ministers, however, remain under full military arrest.

According to the AFP news agency, one diplomat said China insisted upon including Hamdok's return to his home in the carefully worded text. The UN, however, maintains he is still denied his freedom.

The discussions among the Security Council members came against a backdrop of a renewed struggle between Western nations and Russia for influence in Sudan.

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A first draft statement floated early this week condemned the coup "in the strongest terms," but this terminology was eventually dropped.

In the version that was ultimately adopted, the council "called upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from the use of violence and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."

US joins widespread condemnation of military coup

Later on Thursday, US President Joe Biden also demanded that Sudan's military authorities step aside and immediately restore the East African country to civilian rule.

"Our message to Sudan's military authorities is overwhelming and clear: the Sudanese people must be allowed to protest peacefully and the civilian-led transitional government must be restored," Biden said in a statement.

The president described the events of recent days as "a grave setback" for Sudan.

"I urge Sudan's military leaders to immediately release all those detained and restore the institutions associated with the transitional government," he added.

Clashes break out after coup

In the wake of Monday's coup, clashes have broken out between soldiers and protesting civilians.

Several people have been killed, with well over 100 injured, according to Sudan's Health Ministry.

(AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)
Protests against Sudan's military coup entered a fourth day on Thursday as demonstrators rebuilt barricades demolished by security forces during unrest on Wednesday night.

In a statement posted on social media, ministries and agencies of Sudan's most populous state, Khartoum, which includes the capital and twin city Omdurman, declared a general strike - although they said they would continue to supply flour, cooking gas, and emergency medical care.

The main market, banks and fuel filling stations in Khartoum were closed on Thursday. Hospitals were open only for emergency services.

Health officials have confirmed seven deaths since Monday when General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan - Sudan's de factor leader since the departure of Omar al-Bashir in 2019 - dissolved the government created to lead the country to full civilian rule and arrrested leading politicians including the prime minister Abdallah Hamdok.

With activists mobilising for mass demonstrations later this week, there are fears the death toll could rise.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, added his voice on Thursday to the international pressure on al-Burhan.

In a phone call with his Sundanese counterpart, Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, Blinken said his government condemned the military takeover and the arrest of the civilian leaders.

Spoke to Sudanese Foreign Minister al-Mahdi to condemn the arrest of civilian leaders in Sudan and to discuss how the U.S. can best support the Sudanese people's call for a return to civilian-led transition to democracy. - Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 28, 2021

Blinken said on Twitter that they also discussed how his country could best support the Sudanese people's call for a return to a civilian-led transition to democracy.

The World Bank stopped grants for projects in Sudan on Wednesday in response to the military's seizure of power as state oil company workers, doctors and pilots joined civilian groups opposing the takeover.

"I am greatly concerned by recent events in Sudan," World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement from Washington.

"And I fear the dramatic impact this can have on the country's social and economic recovery and development."

His comments came as pilots from the national carrier Sudan Airways went on strike along with staff from Badr and Tarco Airlines.

Doctors belonging to the Unified Doctors' Office group of unions also said they were striking. The doctors were one of the driving forces behind the uprising that brought down Bashir.

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Hamdok had touted assistance from the World Bank as a significant accomplishment and was depending on around 2 billion euros of funding for several large development projects.

The 65-year-old on Thursday remained under guard at his home. A delegation of European and American envoys reported him to be in good health following a visit on Wednesday.

Western governments have called for restoration of the council and the release of civilian leaders.

Change

But al-Burhan has shown little sign of emollience. Sudan state TV reported that Burhan had dismissed six Sudanese ambassadors from their posts, apparently because they rejected the military takeover.

The six were envoys to the United States, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head of mission to Geneva.

Power-sharing between the military and civilians had been increasingly strained over several issues, including whether to send Bashir and other military commanders to the International Criminal Court, where they are wanted for alleged atrocities in Darfur.

Burhan said on Tuesday the army had no choice but to sideline politicians who he said were inciting people against the armed forces.

He said he acted to stop the country slipping into civil war.

Volker Perthes, the United Nations special representative, met al-Burhan on Wednesday and told him the UN wanted to see a return to the transition process and the immediate release of all those detained.
Mekekke, Ethiopia  At least six people were killed and 21 injured in an Ethiopian army airstrike Thursday on the Tigray regional capital, Mekelle, hospital sources told VOA.

The attack brings the total number of casualties reported by medical personnel from a series of government bomb strikes since last week to at least 12 dead and 55 wounded.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces issued a statement saying the latest attack was aimed at Mesfin Industrial Engineering, which it said was a military equipment maintenance facility operated by the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

But witnesses in Mekelle told VOA that the late-morning airstrike hit a residential area.

The victims were rushed to the city's Ayder Referral Hospital where Tsega, a wounded resident, told VOA that a bomb had hit her house with her entire family inside.

"There were many people at home. Children slept. Half of our house has been damaged," she said in Tigrinya. "We've survived. However, the house next to ours was demolished. I don't think anybody could survive there."

Gebremeskel Abraha, who was being treated for a knee wound, said he was walking on the street when the attack occurred.

The bomb "fell in between the houses while I was passing by," he said. "The people you see here were hit by that bomb. Houses were ruined. Those who have been hit are peaceful people."

Azeb Aregay, a neighborhood resident, said it was not clear how many people were killed or injured.

"They are still searching," she said. "Peaceful people are being hit. There are no fighters or armed people here. It is a residential area."

Dr. Kibrom Gebreselassie, the medical director at Ayder Referral Hospital, said six dead and 21 injured had been brought to the facility so far.

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"Ambulances are coming in as we speak now. The number might go up," he told VOA. He said three of the dead were children.

Kibrom blamed a blockade of the region for shortages of food, drugs and medical equipment at the hospital.

"We survived until now on the drugs we had in the stock. As you see, the hospital is full and we are treating people in the tents we set up on the streets outside," he said.

Ethiopian Communications Minister Legesse Tulu insisted that the attack hit a legitimate military target, telling VOA's Habtamu Seyoum in a telephone interview that the strike "successfully targeted" a site that the government believed the TPLF used as an "arms maintenance facility."

"The target was Slot 2," he said. "Manufacturing Slot 2 is a place where they manufacture and repair military equipment. They repair there their heavy weaponry, and they use the heavy weaponry mainly to destroy towns, properties of farmers and infrastructure, et cetera. It was targeted to deter this, and it has been successfully targeted."

Legesse said the federal government had not received any reports of civilian casualties from the strike and accused the TPLF of trying to deceive the international community and the media with false information.

"What we know is a successful raid was conducted that hit the military manufacturing that they use for military equipment maintenance facility. Nothing was done to attack civilians intentionally or deliberately."

VOA stringer Mulugeta Atsbeha reported from Mekelle in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Habtamu Seyoum reported from Washington.
"Also making an appearance in the documentary is the show's infamous series producer, Kayode, who answers some of the most difficult questions that fans have asked over the years about the show".

The first-ever documentary about Big Brother Naija is set to drop in November.

The mini-documentary, titled, BBNaija: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy, produced by ID Africa's The Bang Studio, will premiere on Africa Magic in November.

This was disclosed in a statement by Njideka Akabogu, Lead Public Relations Officer to the organisers of Big Brother Naija, on Wednesday.

She said BBNaija: "The Fame, The Fans, The Frenzy will take viewers behind the scenes of the biggest reality television show in Africa and reveal some truths about the show's production."

According to her, the documentary will feature some of the most popular housemates the show had ever created including: Mercy Eke, Laycon, Nengi, Prince, Alex Asogwa, Bisola Aiyeola, Elozonam, and Ozo.

"Also making an appearance in the documentary is the show's infamous series producer, Kayode, who answers some of the most difficult questions that fans have asked over the years about the show and camera times for the housemates who have passed through the show.

"BBN: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy tells the untold story of the show and examines its impact through the eyes of relevant stakeholders, with appearances from the host, crew and organisers of the show which has grown to become the biggest Big Brother franchise in the world," she said.

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Femi Falodun, chief executive officer of ID Africa, explained that the show is an African pop-culture phenomenon, so it is necessary to tell its story.

"At ID Africa, we love to tell untold stories and what better story to tell than that of the biggest big brother instalment in the history of the franchise.

"In the recently-concluded season alone, the show recorded over a billion votes from millions of viewers, it was also watched in over 30 countries across the globe.

"I am thrilled that we get to share the backstory of how this show is made and how much it changes the lives of the participants," he said.

Busola Tejumola, executive head of Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice, shared her excitement about the premiere of BBN: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy.

"We have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years to make Big Brother Naija a success, so it is quite exciting to see the story of how the show comes together each year being told so brilliantly.

"The documentary will give fans an insight into how much work it takes to deliver the show each year," she said.

BBN: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy will premiere in November across Africa Magic and Hip TV. You can also watch this exclusive show on Netng's YouTube and insidebbnaija.com.

DStv subscribers will also be able to watch the documentary on-the-go through the DStv app on multiple devices at no additional cost. The app is available for download from the Apple and Google Play stores.

For more information on the documentary, visit insidebbnaija.com or follow the verified social media pages of Netng, DStv, GOtv and Africa.

(NAN)
Mr Soyinka berated the Nigerian government for making travelers fill a "ludicrous" questionnaire that has nothing to do with COVID-19 on the travel portal.

Nobel laureate and renowned playwright, Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, narrated how he was 'banished' from entering Nigeria.

In a press conference at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, the Noble laureate said he was denied his right to movement twice.

"Not being able to return to your own country is banishment." Mr Soyinka said.

The ordeal

The Professor of Literature said a few months ago when he wanted to come into the country from Paris, at the point of boarding the aeroplane, he was told he couldn't get on board.

"I had my vaccination, I have taken the 72-hour covid test, I was negative but there was one more, there was a new one called PCR which the Nigerian government had begun to insist on," he said.

PCR means Polymerase Chain Reaction. It's a test to detect genetic material from a specific organism, such as a virus. It is a covid-19 travel test requirement for travelers coming in and out of the country.

Mr Soyinka said he believed it was his fault, so he went back to Paris with his luggage.

But it happened the second time a week ago despite following all travel protocols and having the PCR, he said.

"This time I had my PCR and of course it did not happen to me alone, there were other Nigerians who had a similar scenario, they couldn't leave because they had already passed the immigration," he said.

He said they were denied entry because they had not obtained a travel permit from the Nigerian government. He said he was directed to make certain payments then "permission would be generated so I could travel back to my own country."

He said despite his status in the country, he refused to contact any government authority to intervene.

Mr Soyinka said the portal was inaccessible for him to generate the permit.

The next day, about six staff of the aviation company tried to access the portal from different computers but it was not reachable, he said.

He noted that although payment from his credit card was acknowledged, it still "did not generate this permit to enter Nigeria which has the barcode."

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The professor said at a point in a bid to gain entry into the country, he almost took a flight to Lome. He added that it took "special permission" for him to enter his homeland.

'Ludicrous questionaire'

He also berated the internal affairs and health ministries for making travelers fill a "ludicrous" questionnaire that has nothing to do with COVID-19 on the travel portal.

"What the majority of those questions have to do with Covid, I don't understand. I went through some of the questions repeatedly... We do not require this kind of secret service questionnaire," he said.

He said it was disheartening to see fellow Nigerians sleeping on couches, "trapped in limbo," because some government officials are technologically inefficient.

Mr Soyinka pleaded with the ministry of health and internal affairs to stop treating Nigerians as criminals and illegal immigrants.

He suggested that the Nigerian government provide an emergency line should there be technological hitches.
A government analysis says companies failed to pay trillions in witholding and value added tax between 2010 and 2020.

Local and foreign corporations are owing the Nigerian government over N7 trillion in taxes, limiting the government's revenue and helping you fuel massive borrowing, the head of the country's financial intelligence unit has said.

The Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Modibbo Tukur, said the companies are partly responsible for the rise in national debt profile of the country.

Mr Tukur said the NFIU has carried out an analysis of firms operating in Nigeria to arrive at the figure.

The amount is about half of Nigeria's total budget for 2021 which had a deficit of over N5 trillion. The proposal for 2022 has a revenue shortfall of more than N6 trillion and the government has said it will borrow to close the gap as it has done over the years.

Speaking on Tuesday shortly after defending the NFIU's 2022 budget proposal before the Senate committee on anti-corruption, Mr Tukur said the tax analysis covered between 2010 and 2020.

He said the companies, mostly in the oil and gas and telecoms sectors, had a total inflow of over N76 trillion within the period, requiring a projected payment of over N3.9 trillion as value added tax (VAT).

The firms' total outflow was over N72 trillion with a projected withholding tax of over N3.7 trillion.

Mr Tukur said the analysis, which was done for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS), will also be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Finance for further action.

He expressed the hope that all the companies involved will be made to reconcile their accounts and pay all taxes expected of them.

"If compliance is still weak, this will be escalated to the Presidency, the National Assembly, EFCC, ICPC and even the Corporate Affairs Commission," he said.

Already, the FIRS is locked in a legal battle with the satellite television provider, South Africa-based Multichoice, over unpaid tax.

The tax body accuses Multichoice of owing company income tax of N1.2 trillion and VAT of $342 million.

The firm on Wednesday lost an appeal against FIRS at the Tax Appeal Tribunal, and has filed another appeal at the Federal High Court.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has lamented that inequality in the availability of COVID-19 vaccine was hindering the global economy's growth.

Commenting on recent analysis that showed that G20 countries had received 15 times more COVID-19 vaccine doses per capita than countries in Africa, UNICEF's Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, was quoted in a statement to have explained:

"Vaccine inequity is not just holding the poorest countries back - it is holding the world back."

Speaking ahead of the G20 Leaders' summit this weekend, Fore said: "As leaders meet to set priorities for the next phase of the COVID-19 response, it is vital they remember that, in the COVID vaccine race, we either win together, or we lose together."

Ahead of the summit, 48 UNICEF Africa ambassadors and supporters have also united, calling on countries to deliver doses by December.

The analysis, conducted by science analytics company, Airfinity, exposed the severity of vaccine inequity between high-income and low-income countries, especially in Africa.

It found that doses delivered to G20 countries per capita were 15 times higher than doses delivered per capita to sub-Saharan African countries; 15 times higher than doses delivered per capita to low-income countries; and three times higher than doses delivered per capita in all other countries combined.

The statement noted that wealthy countries with more supplies than they need have generously pledged to donate these doses to low- and middle-income countries via COVAX but these promised doses are moving too slowly, insisting that of the 1.3 billion additional doses countries have pledged to donate, only 194 million doses have been provided to COVAX.

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It lamented that African countries particularly have largely been left without access to COVID-19 vaccines, with less than five per cent of the African population fully vaccinated, leaving many countries at high-risk of further outbreaks.

The statement added: "As leaders prepare to meet for the G20 Summit in Rome this weekend, 48 UNICEF Africa ambassadors and supporters from across the continent have united in an open letter, calling for leaders to honour their promises to urgently deliver doses, writing that "the stakes could not be higher."

The letter's signatories, including Angelique Kidjo, Arlo Parks, Davido, Tendai Mtawarira, Femi Kuti, Tony Elumelu, Ramla Ali, Kate Henshaw, Winnie Byanyima and others, called on leaders to donate the pledged vaccines by December, along with the necessary resources to turn the vaccines into vaccinations.

It added: "Every day Africa remains unprotected, pressure builds on fragile health systems where there can be one midwife for hundreds of mothers and babies.

"As the pandemic causes a spike in child malnutrition, resources are diverted from life-saving health services and childhood immunisation. Children already orphaned risk losing grandparents.

"Disaster looms for sub-Saharan African families, four out of five of whom rely on the informal sector for their daily bread. Poverty threatens children's return to school, protection from violence and child marriage."
A Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Thursday, issued a warrant for the arrest of an Irish, Neil Murray, over his involvement in the alleged Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) scandal.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bala Sanga.

Sanga told the court that the ex-parte motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 dated August 20 and filed August 25, was brought pursuant to Sections 3, 35, 36 and 37 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and under the inherent power of the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that while the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the EFCC, is the applicant, Murray is the respondent.

NAN also reported that Murray, an employee of P&ID, is also a director of Lurgi Consult Ltd, an associate company of P&ID.

The lawyer said the respondent (Murray), who is at large, is named in counts one to eight of the criminal charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 before the court in which a Director in P&ID, James Nolan, is currently standing trial.

Sanga, therefore, prayed the court for an order of warrant for the arrest of Murray for him to be brought before the court and face trial on the aforementioned criminal charge.

He gave three grounds upon which the application was brought.

"That this Honourable Court has the statutory powers under provisions of Section 3, 35, 36 and 37 of the Adminstration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 to grant the prayers being sought.

"That the respondent is named in count numbers 1-8 of the criminal Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 and indicated to be at large.

"That the proof of evidence in support of Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 discloses prima facie evidence against the respondent among others," he said.

The EFCC lawyer also prayed the court to issue an arrest warrant against Nolan, following his absence in court.

But the judge declined to grant the request in view of the fact that there was no proof that hearing notice for the Thursday's proceeding was served on Nolan.

Justice Mohammed, who granted the prayer for issuance of arrest warrant on Murray, adjourned the matter until January 25, 2022, for trial continuation.

Nolan, alongside two others, was also, on October 18 re-arraigned in an amended-32 count bordering on money laundering before Justice Donatus Okorowo of FHC.

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Although Nolan and two companies; Goidel Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI), and ICIL Limited, were re-arraigned, his co-accused person, Adam Quinn, was at large.

An alleged accomplice in the scandal, a Nigerian, Mrs Grace Taiga, who was a former director of Legal Services, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is also standing trial before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the same court.

On September 20, 2019, the EFCC had earlier arraigned Taiga in an FCT High Court in Apo, for complicity in the controversial contract Nigeria signed with the Irish firm, P&ID in 2008.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had sentenced the company, incorporated in British Virgin Island to wind up in Nigeria and its property forfeited to the federal government.

Ekwo convicted two directors, Mohammed Kuchazi and Adamu Usman.

Kuchazi and Usman were arraigned on an 11-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence; dealing in petroleum products without appropriate licence; money laundering and failure to register P&ID with the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) as required by law, amounting to economic sabotage against the Nigerian state.

They had pleaded guilty to the 11 counts of fraudulent involvement in the contract.

The court, in its ruling, convicted the suspects and ordered the firm to forfeit all its assets to the Nigerian Government. (NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said a good number of Nigerians have taken over the role of God by failing to put their faith in him amid the crisis currently bedevilling the nation.

The president stated this at the 11th National Prayer Breakfast organised by the Christian Legislators Fellowship of the National Assembly with the theme "Faith in a time of crisis".

President Buhari, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Maurice Mbaeri, however said sincere prayers would bring about the much-needed change in Nigeria.

While agreeing that it is very difficult to keep faith in times of crisis, the president assured Nigerians that the country shall continue to join hands to pray for its sustenance and good until the desired result is achieved.

According to him, "The theme of this year's national prayer breakfast, 'Faith in the Time of Crisis', clearly speaks of what we need as individuals and as a collective in these times when most Nigerians seem to have forgotten their faith because it appears that we are facing insurmountable hurdles. However, in actual fact, a good number of Nigerians have taken over the role of God by failing to place their trust in Him and placing it entirely on themselves and other men.

"Of course, it is very difficult to keep faith in times of crisis, especially when all we think we can do and agree as humans, and most especially policy makers, is not yielding the desired results of calming the stormy waves.

"As such, we begin to ask God, where are you? We begin to debate whether there is need to trust God. I am confident that this keynote address that has been delivered by the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith, Goshen City, Abuja, Bishop David Abioye, has encapsulated these thoughts in a more elaborate and succinct manner and further encourages us all on how to keep our faith in times of crisis.

"Our hope is in God Almighty and our strength is in his will concerning us and that is why we are confident that these prayers are not in vain but will work out for our good as a people and as a nation. Prayer is a source of strength regardless of religion and it brings forth solutions at all times. In our multi-layered society where there is an obvious combination of various tribes and religions, it is fair to say that we believe that sincere prayer would bring about the desired change and betterment of our families, local communities and of course the society at large."

Also speaking, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the State House Chaplain, Pastor Seyi Molomo, said a new nation is birthed already but covered by the clouds of crisis.

He also said the destiny of the Nigerian nation is in the hand of the children of God as the scripture enjoined them to always cry to God when there are challenges.

The vice-president said: "In the throes of the pandemic well over a year leading to severe economic downturn, there were loss of jobs and source of livelihood. As we climb out of the recession, we have been faced with an unprecedented scale of insecurity in different zones of the nation. But for us who are gathered here today, Christian legislators, who trust in the God that answers prayers and who lead by faith and not by sight, would see the invisible.

"By our faith, we have knowledge that every time that a nation is challenged, it is God's call to his people to take action, to rise up in faith, seize the opportunity for God to demonstrate that he is all over the nations, he is the creator of the heavens and the earth and that he knows the beginning from the end. The scripture has consistently shown us that the children of God by their faith are central to the deliverance of their nation in time of crisis.

"They must desire the change, they must cry to God and be ready to make the sacrifice of repentance. The word of God does not agree with logic or with our thinking. God is saying here that it is not the nation that repents. It is his own people who are called upon to repent and turn from their evil ways. As we are the salt, we are also the light. The light ends the darkness. It marks the end of a night of weeping and marks the glorious sunlight of the morning of joy.

"As we pray, we prophesy our crisis will end. A new nation would be birthed. One where like the city to which Elisha went, the land was healed and the people prospered and peace and joy prevailed.

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I speak these words also to our nation. Thus says the Lord, I have healed this waters. From it there shall be no more death or barrenness. According to the words of Elisha which he spoke, we say the same words to our nation as well that there is an end to the crisis. There is a dawning of a new day, the birthing of a new nation. As the scripture says, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. The new nation is birthed already but covered by the clouds of crisis, one crisis or the other, but I want to let us know the clouds would clear and God Almighty would take all the glory for the birthing of this new nation."

Earlier in his sermon, the Guest Speaker, Bishop David Abioye, said faith is the life wire of Christianity which is needed to overcome the challenges facing the country.

Abioye, who is the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Abuja, while noting that the people need to turn away from evil and turn to God as faith goes with integrity, urged that despite everything, the nation must remain committed to the will of God.
The N5 billion suit instituted by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, against the federal government; and the Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami as well as the Nigeria Arny has been slated for hearing on November 2 at the Abia State High Court.

Kanu had through his Special counsel, Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, filed the suit to enforce his Fundamental Rights which he said was violated by his rendition from Kenya.

Other respondents in the suit include the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services DSS.

He seeks among other prayers, to the returned to Kenya first where he was "kidnapped and rendition to Nigeria".

The matter was first handled by Vacation judge, Justice KCJ Okereke who later returned the suit to the Chief Judge for reassignment as his vacation time elapsed.

It was later reasigned to the Abia Chief judge but before it came up for hearing penultimate week, the federal government applied for be time extension to respond to the charges.

Meanwhile, Kanu's lawyer in a statement, Thursday, said the suit would be entertained on November 2 in the court of the Chief Judge.

According to the release, "the Nigerian government and its Attorney-General will be expected to move their extant application for extension of time to file their defense to the suit and my opposition to the application."

It further read:"I wish to take this opportunity to emphasize that the maim aim of this Suit is to prevent the Nigerian government from profiting from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's extraordinary rendition. That is why one of the orders we seek is for Kanu to be released from detention forthwith.

"It is my intention therefore to, on 2nd November, move for an instant Ruling on the Nigerian government's application for extension of time, so that the case can proceed quickly to the next level, which is expected to be a definitive hearing on the substantive matter.

"The Nigerian government needs to be reminded that Fundamental Rights suits are intended to be concluded quickly, especially in situations such as this where my Client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (the Applicant) is currently incarcerated."
The plaintiffs had told the court that poor people were being excluded from political participation through the imposition of outrageous costs of nomination and expression of interest forms on pollical aspirants by political parties.

The Nigerian government is not directly responsible for the "outrageous" cost of nomination and declaration of interest forms imposed on political aspirants by their political parties, the ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled in a judgement.

The court acknowledged that the facts presented by the plaintiffs pointed to "a restrictive practice by political parties in imposing exorbitant fees to secure party nomination to contest for some important national electoral positions", but said, "the impugned practice is not directly attributable to the respondent (the federal government) to entail its responsibility and accountability".

The court, according to a statement issued by its information unit on Thursday, made the pronouncement on Wednesday in a judgement delivered in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on a right enforcement suit filed by five Nigerians.

The Nigerian political system disallows independent candidacy, leaving anyone with intention to run for elective public offices with no choice but to raise money to pay for the exorbitant costs of the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest for the party's ticket required to run in the multi-party general elections.

The practice encourages the seizure of the political space by moneybags who become godfathers that handpick who run for elections and expect their preferred candidates who win the election to take instructions from them on assuming office.

Suit

Five Nigerians from different parts of the country - Kenneth Roberts, Goodluck Edafe, Matthew Oguche, Macauley William-Jumbo and Josephine Okeke - filed their rights enforcement suit at the ECOWAS Court on October 18, 2018, to challenge the system of "outrageous costs" of obtaining forms to contest for political parties' tickets.

They argued through their lawyers - F. Ogwuche, K. Nwafor, M. William-Jumbo and J. Okeke that they - the system violated their right to participate in governance "as it takes political office aspirations beyond the reach of the middle class and the poor."

According to them, the imposition of such exorbitant costs amounts to a gradual and systematic entrenchment of plutocracy as the forms have become a vehicle to completely marginalise and to exclude some people.

The applicants, through their lawyers, argued that it amounted to "a gradual and systematic entrenchment of plutocracy, a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich to the exclusion of the poor and middle classes."

They cited Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to assert their right to equal access to public office.

The expression of interest and nomination form fees "fixed arbitrarily and exorbitantly" has led to a marginalisation of political office aspirants, they also argued.

This, they added, "is a gradual and systematic entrenchment of plutocracy, a Government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich to the exclusion of the poor and middle classes".

Judgment

While agreeing with the applicants that the high cost of obtaining the forms were restrictive, the government sued as the defendant in the suit could not be blamed for it.

The judge rapporteur and presiding judge, Edward Asante, said the clause in Article 13 of the African Charter relied on by the applicants which provided that has "put the national authorities in the best position to enact local laws in accordance with the Charter to address peculiar circumstances."

The judge quoted the said provision as reading, "Every citizen shall have the right to participate freely in the government of his country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives in accordance with the provisions of the law."

But he noted further that the Nigerian laws only gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) "minimal responsibility to monitor the activities of the political parties" adding that the current mandate "clearly excludes control over the levying of fees by the political parties against those who expressed interest and picked their nomination forms to be sponsored by them."

The court agreed with the respondent when it asserted that "there is no legal basis, as of now, that vests the respondent (the Nigerian government) with the authority to control the charging or capping of nomination fees by political parties."

Citing two of its decided cases, the court acknowledged that while it is the duty of the state to properly regulate the conduct of elections to give meaning to the right guaranteed under Article 13, it noted that such a right is not absolute.

It therefore held that since "political parties, as per the extant laws of the Respondent, are juristic persons whose internal arrangements are exclusively reserved for its members save areas legislated out to be controlled and supervised by the electoral commission, the cumulative effect of the extant laws of the Respondent have made the charging or capping of expression of interest and nomination fees, a prerogative of the political parties, obviously in pursuant to their constitutions and internal rules and regulations which are promulgated and agreed upon by their members."

Indirect participation

In conclusion, the court acknowledged that the respondent's electoral legal regime "does restrict the right of the applicants and for that matter the ordinary citizens in the low income from participating directly or indirectly in the elections of the country and urged them to take solace in their representation through their party representatives".

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"Indeed, if the applicants are members of any registered political party capable of submitting and sponsoring candidates to INEC for political office in the Respondent, then they have indirectly participated in the government of the Respondent anytime their parties field candidates for national elections," the court added.

Government's preliminary objection dismissed

The court has earlier dismissed the preliminary objection of the Federal Republic of Nigeria about its competence to hear the matter and ruled that it has jurisdiction and that the case was therefore admissible.

The lawyer representing the government, Maimuna Lami Shiru, had challenged the competence of the Court to hear the matter which she described as concerning internal affairs and outside the mandate of the ECOWAS Court and that the case lacked substance.

She further contended that the fees were not excessive as alleged by the applicants as the political parties presented at least five aspirants cutting across various socio-economic levels of citizens during their party primaries.

Other judges on the panel were Gberi-Be Ouattara and Januaria Moreira T. Silva Costa.
Former governor of Ondo state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, hours after meeting with four of the governors, led by its chairman of governors forum and Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

Mimiko defection to the PDP is coming the third time after leaving the party in 2019 to form the Labour Party LP which later changed to Zenith Labour Party ZLP.

The visit of the four governors Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde; Rivers, Nyesom Wike and Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu is coming less than 24 hours to the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party.

A statement issued after over three hours meeting with the ZLP leaders and supporters at Mimiko' s Ondo country home, the party state chairman, Hon Joseph Akinlaja said that "stakeholders of the party from across the 18 Local Government areas of Ondo State have resolved to join the Peoples Democratic Party PDP after a meeting held at the residence of the party's national leader, Dr Olusegun Mimiko in Ondo on Wednesday.

Akinlaja said that " the meeting which has Dr Olusegun Mimiko, former deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, his running mate, Gboye Adegbenro, former speaker, Jumoke Akindele, the state chairman of the party, Hon Joseph Akinlaja among other leaders in attendance resolved after deliberations to pitch their tent with the Peoples Democratic Party to rescue the country from the misrule of the APC and set her on a path of peace and progress for the benefit of all.

"The meeting followed an earlier visit by four PDP governors led by chairman of their forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State. Okezie Ikpeazu, Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde had told the press after their meeting with Mimiko that they are in Ondo to invite Mimiko and his teeming supporters in the ZLP to the PDP.

"The stakeholders meeting was called to discuss the meeting with the PDP governors and intimate members with the outcomes of series of interactions with PDP leaders on the invitation extended to him.

"Mimiko told the stakeholders that the ZLP in being invited to join the PDP to rescue the country from the brink of insecurity.

"Stakeholders appraised developments across the nation and agreed that the PDP is the most viable platform to work with to be able to work towards winning future elections in the State and in the country as a whole.

"Mimiko had earlier told members that leaders of the PDP have shown demonstrable commitment to fully integrate all willing joiners from the ZLP and accord them full membership rights in what promises to be a win for PDP members and Nigerians alike.

"After detailed deliberations by leaders across Local Government Areas, Hon Akinlaja, the State Chairman, asked that a motion moved for members of the ZLP in Ondo State to join the PDP be put to vote to which all present voted yes by popular acclamation.

Earlier, after about an hour closed door meeting with Mimiko, governor Tambuwal said "we are here in the beautiful of Ondo Town, in Ondo state the home of our leader, and brother, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, former governor of Ondo state to re-invite him back to his family, his political family, PDP and work towards rescuing Nigeria.

"I am here with the governor of Abia, Rivers and Oyo. We had a very robust engagement with mimiko and very optimistic to hear something very positive from him soonest.

"The message is simple, let's come back to reposition the PDP and rescue the country. The urgency of the matter is now."

"We are rebuilding the political platform, the PDP, we are repositioning it towards ensuring that PDP is back to power in 2023".

Also addressing newsmen, Dr Mimiko said that the visit by the PDP governors " is one of the many engagements to woo him back to the party.

"This is one of the series of interactions we have had over the last few months. They have come to tell us why we should join forces with them in the PDP and the efforts they are making in repositioning the party."

Mimiko promised to make known his position on the visit of the PDP governors after meeting leaders of the Zenith Labour Party yesterday evening.

According to him " We have listened to them and going to have our stakeholders meeting and ultimately it's the people, the stakeholders that will decide. We will give them information and they will take a decision."

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Addressing ZLP supporters after the closed door meeting, Governor Wike urged them to support Mimiko to return to the PDP.

Wike said that "We are here because we know the importance of Iroko. We need everybody in the country to work together to rescue the country. It is everybody's business to rescue this country. Tell him to join us so that we can move the country forward."

Also, governors Tambuwal, Makinde and Ikpeazu said that the business of rescuing Nigeria from the misrule of the APC is that of Nigerians like Mimiko.

Present to receive the four governors include Mimiko wife, Olukemi, former deputy governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, three members of the Ondo state house of assembly, Rasheed Elegbeleye, Tomide Akinribido, Festus Akingbaso, former speaker, Jumoke Akindele, former chief Judge, Olaseinde Kumuyi and deputy governorship Candidate of ZLP in the 2020 election, Gboye Adegbenro and state chairman of the PDP, Fatai Adams, his predecessor, Clement Faboyede, Ondo ZLP Chairman, Joseph Akinlaja among other leaders of the ZLP.

Vanguard News Nigeria
Farmers draw water for their animals from a hand-dug shallow well in a dry riverbed in Zimbabwe's western Nkayi district, November 6, 2019.

Cape Town  Rising temperatures and a decline in rainfall across eight Southern and East African countries are set to slash the production of important food crops in the region by 2050, says a new study. And even when climate change produces improved rainfall, it will be too unpredictable to enable proper planning to take advantage of it.

These are among the conclusions reached by scientists from the University of Cape Town who assessed how crops, particularly staple foods grown by subsistence farmers, will survive climate change.

The scientists' report  covering Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe  has been released by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the specialised United Nations agency which works to improve food security.

Governments which have signed up to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change aim to keep the rise in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees centigrade  ideally 1.5 degrees  above pre-industrial levels.

The new report, issued by IFAD days before the next round in Glasgow of the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the convention (COP26), is pessimistic about the prospects in the countries it covers.

"Temperature increases in the hottest months in all eight countries are predicted to be a full 2C or more, and could reach as much as 2.6C in some places," it says.

"At the same time, rainfall is forecast to decrease by well over 20 mm in the driest months, and by more than 100 mm per year in the worst hit nations."

If this happens, it will have "a devastating impact on yields of staple and cash crops grown by small-scale farmers" in parts of the eight nations, IFAD adds.

"This could have a catastrophic impact on poverty and food availability unless there is an urgent injection of funding to help vulnerable farmers adapt how and what they farm."

In what IFAD portrays as "a worst-case scenario", the annual maize crop in a household in the Namibe province in Angola could decrease by 77 percent by 2050.

The scientists focussed especially on staple foods such as beans, cassava, cowpea, groundnuts, maize, millet, peas, pigeon peas, sesame, sorghum, sweet potato and wheat.

"Compounding the hotter, drier conditions that are forecast, familiar seasonal patterns will be disrupted," the report says. "Temperature rises will also include more frequent and severe heat waves and unusually hot days.

"Rainfall will be scarcer but also more erratic, with flash floods threatening crops and soil stability. The combined effects of the hotter, drier conditions will exacerbate water and heat stress on crops, and reduce the growing seasons."

The changes could lead to "the disaster of total crop failure" and "will inevitably force fundamental changes to local crop choices and agricultural practices by the year 2050."

Although the study indicates that rainfall may increase during rainy seasons in some areas, especially in East Africa, it will vary from year to year, making it difficult for farmers to adapt to take advantage of the change.

Ahead of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, which begins on October 31, 2021, IFAD said a commitment by wealthier countries to mobilize U.S. $100 billion a year to help less developed countries by 2020 remained unfulfilled.

Money raised to fight climate change includes funds that are intended to mitigate global warming and that aim to help countries adapt in the face of climate change. IFAD said developing countries need about $70 billion to $100 billion a year to be able to adapt. But only $22 billion is being directed to that end at present.

"Annual adaptation costs in developing countries alone are expected to reach $140 to $300 billion per year by 2030. Currently climate finance flows are focused primarily on mitigating global warming. For every $18 dollars spent on mitigation, just $1 is spent on adaptation."

Dr. Jyotsna Puri, IFAD's associate vice-president in its Strategy and Knowledge Department, said in a news release accompanying the report: "While efforts in mitigation are essential, they will take two or three decades to bear fruit. We must urgently invest in adaptation now so that small-scale farmers, like the ones in this study, can continue to grow the crops they rely on for their incomes and to feed their nations."

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Pleading the cause of smallholder farmers, IFAD said those in developing countries "are the most vulnerable and the least able to cope. They produce a third of the world's food and up to 80 percent in some areas of Africa and Asia, but receive less than two percent of the funds invested globally in climate finance."

The report, entitled "What can smallholder farmers grow in a warmer world?", says ways of adapting to climate change could include:
Nairobi  Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has given the strongest indication yet that his name will be on the ballot in next year's presidential election.

With the launch of his economic blue print this week, Mudavadi's path is clear and he has even given his plan for the first 100 days if elected to office.

It includes restructuring the ballooning public debt so as to jumpstart the economy as well as ending the appetite to borrow.

"Economic recovery is going to be painful in the short term but rewarding in the long term," he said.

Mudavadi served as Finance Minister under the era of former president the late Daniel arap Moi and was credited for economic stability and growth in the country.

Under President Uhuru Kenyatta's government, the public debt is at Sh7.7 trillion up from Sh1.8 trillion when Mwai Kibaki left office 9 years ago. Kenya's debt ceiling is Sh9 trillion.

Mudavadi said he is also keen to offer incentivise to small businesses to help jumpstart the economy.

"My economic agenda will follow on reviving, revamping, diversifying and redirecting investments for economic growth," he said.

Mudavadi's economic blueprint also includes enhancing agricultural production and marketing to guarantee food security.

He said he will also expand the manufacturing base by reducing the cost of energy and support the micro, small and medium enterprises to create job opportunities for the youth.

On corruption, Mudavadi said his government, if elected to office, will be a thing of the past.

Mudavadi said he will also ensure every Kenyan is vaccinated against COVID-19 within the first 100 days if elected president.

The Amani National Congress (ANC) leader has urged the youth to turn out in large numbers and register as voters in the ongoing mass exercise by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Mudavadi said voter apathy has been responsible for bad leadership and called on the thousands of youths without ID cards to register for the same and take up the voter's card.
Deputy President William Ruto has mourned the passing on of Shem Shamalla, the High Priest of the African Church of the Holy Spirit.

In a post on his social media on Thursday, the DP eulogized Shamalla as a faith leader with steadfast religious credence.

The DP further added that the deceased's sermons were powerful, enriching, and educative.

Deeply saddened by the loss of High Priest Shem Shamalla of the African Church of the Holy Spirit - Kakamega. He was a faith leader with steadfast religious credence. His sermons were always powerful, enriching and educative. pic.twitter.com/O3j3VSJvc0

-- William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 28, 2021

Shamalla, 84, died on Wednesday morning, October 27, at his Malava home in Kakamega County after a short illness.

The deceased hogged media headlines on September 18, 2021, when the DP toured his region during one of his political rallies gifted him a car

Before he was gifted, the church members had pleaded with Ruto, saying their High Priest was "always hiking rides on bodabodas",

He was the fifth High Priest of the church which started in 1927 and has a majority of its following in Kakamega.

Shamalla will be buried on October 30 but until then his body will be preserved at home according to the church's doctrines.
Abuja  President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said that though the country was facing various challenges, hope and trust in God will still prevail.

He however said that many Nigerians have unfortunately chosen to play the role of God by failing to put their trust in the Almighty.

The President spoke at the 11th National Prayer Breakfast organised by the Christian Legislators Fellowship of the National Assembly with the theme "Faith in a time of crisis."

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Maurice Mbaeri, Buhari said there was hope for a better future.

He said: "The theme of this year's national prayer breakfast, 'Faith in the Time of Crisis', clearly speaks to what we need as individuals and as a collective in these times when most Nigerians seem to have forgotten their faith because it appears that we are facing insurmountable hurdles. However, in actual fact, a good number of Nigerians have taken over the role of God by failing to place their trust in Him and placing it entirely on themselves and other men. Of course, it is very difficult to keep faith in times of crisis, especially when all we think we can do and agree as humans, and most especially policy makers, is not yielding the desired results of calming the stormy waves.

"As such we begin to ask God, where are you? We begin to debate whether there is need to trust God. I am confident that this keynote address that has been delivered by the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Goshen City Abuja, Bishop David Abioye has encapsulated these thoughts in a more elaborate and succinct manner and further encourages us all on how to keep our faith in times of crisis.

"Our hope is in God Almighty and our strength is in his will concerning us and that is why we are confident that these prayers are not in vain but will work out for our good as a people and as a nation. Prayer is a source of strength regardless of religion and it brings forth solutions at all times. In our multi-layered society where there is an obvious combination of various tribes and religions, it is fair to say that we believe that sincere prayer would bring about the desired change and betterment of our families, local communities and of course the society at large."

In his remarks, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo represented by the State House Chaplain, Pastor Seyi Molomo expressed optimism of a new nation.

"In the throes of the pandemic well over a year leading to severe economic downturn, there were loss of jobs and Source of livelihood. As we climb out of the recession, we have been faced with an unprecedented scale of insecurity in different zones of the nation. But for us who are gathered here today, Christian legislators, who trust in the God that answers prayers and who lead by faith and not by sight, would see the invisible.

"By our faith we have knowledge that every time that a nation is challenged, it is God's call for to his people to take action, to rise up in faith, seize the opportunity for God to demonstrate that he is all over the nations, he is the creator of the heavens and the earth and that he knows the beginning from the end. The scripture has consistently shown us that the children of God by their faith are central to the deliverance of their nation in time of crisis.

"They must desire the change, they must cry to God and be ready to make the sacrifice of repentance. The word of God does not agree with logic or with our thinking. God is saying here that it is not the nation that repents. It is his own people who are called upon to repent and turn from their evil ways. As we are the salt, we are also the light. The light ends the darkness. It marks the end of a night of weeping and marks the glorious sunlight of the morning of joy. As we pray, we prophesy our crisis will end.

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"A new nation would be birthed. One where like the city to which Elisha went, the land was healed and the people prospered and peace and joy prevailed.

I speak these words also to our nation. Thus says the Lord I have healed this waters. From it there shall be no more death or barrenness. According to the words of Elisha which he spoke, we say the same words to our nation as well that there is an end to the crisis. There is a dawning of a new day, the birthing of a new nation. As the scripture says, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. The new nation is birthed already but covered by the clouds of crisis, one crisis or the other, but I want to let us know the clouds would clear and God Almighty would take all the glory for the birthing of this new nation", he said.

Delivering his message, the Guest Speaker, Bishop David Abioye who is the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Abuja urged Nigerians to remain faithful in God and turn away from their evil ways.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Thursday faulted the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed's recent claim that the country is better today in terms of security than it was in 2015 when President Buhari took over.

CAN's Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, made known the position of the apex Christian body in an exclusive interview with *Vanguard* in Abuja.

Recall that a British-based magazine, The Economist, had reported that the jihadist threat against Nigeria had worsened in size and scope despite the effort of the military to checkmate it.

But, the Minister picked holes in the report, describing it as wrong in its entirety, and even faulted some Nigerian media for amplifying the foreign report without any attempt to verify the contents.

Reacting, however, CAN said the statement by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were his personal opinions.

He said, "We do not agree with the Honourable Minister's assertions, but they are his personal opinions. A majority of Nigerians will disagree him on this matter. Definitely, we cannot agree with him.

"Going by his antecedents, many citizens no longer believe his statements about the state of affairs in the nation, and this is quite unfortunate.

"We know that Nigeria today is not better than it was in 2015, going by the rate of abductions, banditry, wanton killings of innocent people, attacks on security personnel, destruction of government establishments, and even lopsidedness in federal appointments amongst other injustices and pain in the land.

"For us, we cannot agree with Alhaji Lai Mohammed."

Vanguard News Nigeria
Bandits on Tuesday invaded Yanbuki village in the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing seven people and stealing 1,5000 cows and sheep.

An indigene of the village, Garba Musa, said told our correspondent that the bandits stormed the village on Tuesday night, shooting indiscriminately.

He said: "Immediately they arrived, they opened fire on anyone they could see. Everybody ran helter-skelter to protect themselves. They later moved from house to house, searching for foodstuffs and animals and also broke many shops.

"They also rustled over 1,500 domestic animals like cows, sheep and goats."

According to him, after the bandits left the village, the residents came out from hiding and discovered that seven people had been shot dead, while others sustained injuries.

"We have buried the seven people, but the number of casualties could be more than this because some people ran to the bush and have yet to be seen."

The spokesperson for police in the state, SP Mohammed Shehu, confirmed the attack, saying the Commissioner of Police has already deployed enough police personnel in the area in order to restore peace."
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has warned his cabinet members against the destruction of campaign billboards and posters in any area of the state.

To this end, Zulum threatened to sack any member of his cabinet found to be involved in the destruction of the campaign posters especially, that of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff for the All Progressives Congress (APC ) national chairmanship seat, mounted at strategic positions in Maiduguri.

The governor gave the warning after receiving reports that billboards belonging to the former governor were being destroyed.

LEADERSHIP on Wednesday gathered that the campaign billboards were destroyed by a serving commissioner just days after Zulum had banned all political thuggery in the state.

Sources close to the governor added that he was furious over the incident and threatened to sack the commissioner in question should such an act repeat itself.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed that it would deduct N163.7 billion fuel subsidy payment from its contribution to FAAC in November.

The corporation announced that it spent N123.73 billion on petrol subsidy in September 2021 which was not deducted due to a deficit position.

The corporation in its report to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for October meeting said the N123.7 billion, with additional N40 billion deferred deduction would be deducted from FAAC remittances for November.

The corporation said it deducted the value shortfall or fuel subsidy payment of N149.28 billion from the October remittances. Other deductions made were: N629.28 billion for Strategic Holding cost and Pipeline repairs and N1.67 billion for product losses.

NNPC also reported that "the sum of N265.13 billion was the Gross Domestic Crude Oil and Gas revenue for the month of September, 2021."

The overall NNPC Crude Oil lifting declined by 33.5 per cent in August to 5.79 mbbls for Export & Domestic Crude compared to the 8.71Mbbls lifted in July 2021. Nigeria recorded 1.417 million barrels per day production in August,2021 while Crude Oil export revenue received in September 2021 amounted to $8.38 million equivalent to N3.22 billion.

With no provision for petrol subsidy in the 2021 Budget, NNPC has resorted to direct deduction from FAAC remittance, which it terms 'value shortfall' in its books.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed had on Monday disclosed that the federal government would continue to subsidise petrol consumption till June 2022.
Nigeria and countries like Ecuador and Chile ought to look towards investing in renewable natural capital and intangible assets, like knowledge, innovation and institutions, as a way of diversifying from oil as their reserves are more likely to be exhausted in less than 50 years.

This was revealed in a World Bank Report entitled, "The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021" released yesterday.

According to the report, unless new oil wells are discovered, the current oil reserves of Nigeria will only last about 49 years while the gas still have over 100 years' worth in reserves.

The report also noted that 18 countries still have oil reserves that will last for more than two generations and some others have more than a century worth of reserves, but that "oil-producing countries like Nigeria and Ecuador could entirely deplete their oil reserves in fewer than 50 years at current depletion rates, assuming no other significant oil fields are discovered or become commercially viable."

According to the World Bank report, many countries such as Nigeria "with high rents from non-renewable natural capital have not invested sufficiently to offset the depleting asset. This is expressed in terms of negative adjusted net savings.

"This is true not only for hydrocarbon-rich countries such as Iraq and Nigeria, but also for some mineral-rich countries, such as Guinea and Sierra Leone. The negative adjusted net savings in these countries are a lead indicator of unsustainable wealth management. If continued, it will negatively impact the value of future wealth.

"This is because the value of a depleting non-renewable asset is being consumed rather than being invested in offsetting asset accumulation such as via human capital or productive capital investment. Therefore, governments may need to consider policies that would better preserve and build wealth or look for alternative sources of income to raise their net savings."

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According to the report, investments in renewable natural capital and human capital could help countries to diversify their asset portfolio and reduce their dependence on non-renewable natural capital.

It noted that the share of human capital in total wealth had increased by more than 10 percentage points between 1995 and 2018 in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana while it had declined or had not changed in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

The report cited Gabon and Nigeria as examples of decline in multiple types of wealth.

"Although their non-renewable wealth (mainly from fossil fuels) increased by more than 30 per cent during the 2004-14 commodity boom (in part due to newly discovered deposits and the increase in fossil fuel prices), this non-renewable wealth dropped below pre-boom levels after 2015.

"At the same time, these countries had among the largest declines in renewable natural capital per capita. Gabon dropped from $1,400 to $1,200, and Nigeria dropped from $3,000 to $1,300 in fewer than five years. The decline of these assets in turn affected the countries' total capital per capita, especially after 2015.

a
Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, has reacted to the impeachment of Hon. Abok Ayuba as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, expressing surprise about the development.

LEADERSHIP reports that Abok, who represents Jos East state constituency, was on Thursday morning impeached by eight out of the 24 Assembly members.

The eight lawmakers carried out the impeachment while other lawmakers who were opposed to the speaker's removal were prevented by security agents from gaining access to the Assembly complex

But Governor Lalong, who spoke on Thursday, when the new Speaker, Yakubu Sanda, visited him at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, the state capital, said 16 lawmakers signed for the impeachment of the former Speaker.

A statement issued on Thursday by the governor's Director of Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut, said: "The new Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda has led principal officers and some members of the House to the Government House to assure the Executive arm of its collaboration and cooperation in running the affairs of the State.

"The new Speaker was received at the Government House by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Prof. Danladi Abok Atu, on behalf of the Governor.

"Speaking during the visit, the Majority leader of the House Hon. Naanlong Daniel said they were at the Government House in line with the tradition of the House to introduce the new leadership of the House whenever there is a change."

The statement added that the new Speaker emerged after 16 of the 23 members of the House signed the petition to impeach the former Speaker.

"He said the new Speaker emerged after 16 of the 23 members of the House signed the petition to impeach the former Speaker Rt. Hon. Nuhu Ayuba Abok over a series of allegations.

"The new Speaker Hon. Yakubu Sanda said the new leadership of the House will work in synergy with the Executive and Judiciary for the peace, progress and development of Plateau State.

"He said the House which now enjoys full autonomy will use its legislative powers to ensure that Government programs and projects impact the people at the grassroots level."

Responding on behalf of the governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Atu, said Governor Lalong and the entire Executive arm was surprised with the development, but nevertheless respects the decision of the House which is an autonomous organ that has powers to manage its internal affairs.

He assured the House that the doors of the Executive will always remain open for collaboration and cooperation with the legislature in delivering good governance and actualising the Rescue Agenda.

The new Speaker was accompanied on the courtesy visit by Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Shehu Sale Yipmong, 11 other lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has described the removal of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Ayuba Abok, allegedly by only eight members of the 24-member House of Assembly as illegal.

Spokesman of the CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said Nigerians should ask how did the administration come up with the plan to deploy trigger-happy Police and DSS personnel to the House of Assembly as early as 6am to provide cover for only eight members of the House of Assembly to purportly remove the Speaker.

He said it was clear that only eight members of the Assembly did not form a quorum and the House Rules which guide activities of the state legislature did not permit such an undemocratic situation where security forces will restrain members from accessing the chambers while providing cover for only eight members.

According to him, the regime has now tried again and perhaps believes it has perfected the system it tried severally at the National Assembly to force leadership change.

He said, "President Muhammadu Buhari deployed security forces which he alone has the power to deploy to desecrate democracy in Plateau.

"The impunity of the APC and Governor Lalong must be curtailed now by the people of Plateau State. The governor knows and is no longer in doubt that he has become so unpopular that he cannot mobilize all members of the House from his party.

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"APC has 15 members of the House, but the governor could only mobilise 8. How unpopular could a party in power be? Nigerians must know at this point that the sin which Hon. Ayuba Abok is alleged to have committed against the APC and the governor is that he gave Governor Simon Lalong an ultimatum to protect his citizens.

"This is like reminding the governor that he had failed in his primary duty."

CUPP, therefore called on the nine PDP members of the House of Assembly and the seven courageous members of the APC to insist that Hon Ayuba Abok remains the Speaker.

"They should resist these myopic wannabe tyrants who cannot respect the tenets of constitutional democracy and principles of separation of powers.

"This is yet another wake-up call for all Nigerians to remain vigilant and watch this tyrannical regime closely and be ready to reclaim our country from them. We must not allow them to foist insecurity and killings on the country and use that as an avenue to elongate their regrettable and disastrous stay in power," he added.
Graft and impunity in planning departments, and greed among developers has led to an increase in collapsing buildings across the country.

This explains why county officials wait for buildings to collapse before they rush to declare them unsafe.

As Kenyans await the outcome of investigations into the collapse of five-storey buildings in Gachie and Kinoo and a recent one in Membley, Ruiru, past incidents have shown that a majority of such efforts are rarely prosecuted successfully.

Most past cases have no clear record of action taken, and for the few that ended up in court, developers managed to have their way.

It's perhaps such outcomes that have encouraged impunity among greedy investors and emboldened unethical professionals.

In 2016, Dorkami House and the adjacent Neighbours Heights, both in Juja, were declared to be posing grave danger to the public after allegedly developing major cracks on the floors and walls.

The Kiambu County Government sued the owner, Mr Robert Kamau Kamiti, for carrying out a development without an approved plan for Dorkami, and for failing to build Neighbours Heights in accordance with the approved plan, thereby compromising its structural integrity.

Lacked jurisdiction

The court ordered the two buildings to be demolished, but the developer appealed the ruling in 2018 and obtained stay orders. Justice Joel Ngugi later ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to order demolition.

"In either case, jurisdiction lies, in the first instance, with the county government and not the court. It, therefore, follows that the demolition orders given by the court exceeded its jurisdiction and are improper," the judge ruled.

The two buildings have since been retrofitted and occupied, amid unresolved concerns by neighbours.

When we reached out to Mr Kamau to ask about the buildings' safety, he said his neighbours were jealous. He then promised to provide approvals from the county government but later resorted to issuing threats.

Though the developer later apologised for the threats and presented copies of letters allegedly clearing the two buildings for occupation, the Nation could not verify if the copies were genuine as calls to Kiambu director of communications Franklin Wambugu went unanswered.

In October 2009, a five-storey building under construction in Kiambu town collapsed, trapping workers under rubble and claiming 17 lives. No one was held accountable.

Mr Stephen Kimani Kamau, the owner, the engineer of the then Kiambu municipal council, the designer and the contractor were charged in a Kiambu court with causing the deaths.

They were acquitted three years later on grounds that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Lucrative criminal enterprise

The court reached that conclusion despite evidence showing that the building fell as a result of poor workmanship and had grave structural faults.

Preliminary findings on the cause of the collapse of the nine-storey building in Membley on October 17 show that the developer applied for a building permit in January this year but went ahead with construction without approvals.

"The probable cause of the failure was the foundation, but we are still going to establish the exact cause as we go forward," said Margaret Ogai, CEO of the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).

Following the recent incidents, the National Construction Authority (NCA), EBK, and the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (Boraqs) have jointly issued a 30-day notice to all developers to make sure they comply with regulations.

"It is unfortunate that we meet when buildings collapse like we are doing a post-mortem, and I think the question we should be asking ourselves is, how do we do the right thing?" Boraqs chief executive Mwongera Rukaria posed.

NCA estimates that over 200 Kenyans died between 1990 and 2019 in documented cases of buildings collapsing. Despite this, a 2018 building audit report from the agency revealed that piecemeal efforts had been made to address existing concerns.

Booming demand for housing in counties has created a lucrative criminal enterprise in planning departments, where unnecessary hurdles are established to force developers to part with bribes to get approvals. In one county in central Kenya, a former governor was accused of pocketing Sh8 million to clear a development.

Haphazard development

In another incident, a county official was awarded several acres to allow a multinational to put up a multi-billion shilling project.

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"As demand... increased exponentially, the industry found itself faced with haphazard development, underscored by a lack of professional capacity to support the same," the report notes.

Experts say there is a management challenge at the industry level, particularly the lack of coordinated regulatory efforts, leading to proliferation of quacks.

"An engineer is not just anyone who has a degree, it is someone who is tested," EBK member Johnson Matu says. Developers seeking short-cuts engage non-registered professionals, he adds.

An earlier audit the President ordered after buildings collapsed in Nairobi cited poor workmanship as the main cause (51 cases observed). Substandard materials (40) and poor structural design (36) were also to blame.

Raul Figueroa, a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University who studied Nairobi's buildings, found that the quality of construction was poor across the city, but was more alarming in Buru Buru and Eastleigh.

Contractors were also found to be profiting from stealing steel and cement, thus responsible for weaknesses in their projects.
A Nairobi court on Thursday declined to release passport belonging to MP John Waluke to allow him travel to the US for a Parliamentary event.

In rejecting the application Justice Esther Maina said Waluke is a convict and cannot be allowed to travel outside the country.

Waluke and his business partner Grace Wakhungu were convicted last year by the Anti-Corruption Court for the theft of Sh297 million from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).

The trial court also imposed a combined fine of Sh2 billion. In default, Wakhungu was handed a 39-year sentence while the Sirisia MP was slapped with a 34-year sentence.

In September 2020, the High Court in Nairobi granted the convicts bond pending the hearing and determination of their appeal.

Waluke was set free on a Sh10 million cash bail or an alternative Sh20 million bond. Wakhungu was ordered to pay Sh20 million cash bail or an alternative Sh30 million bond in order to be released to await the hearing of the appeal.

The judge directed them to deposit their passports with the court and further ordered that they should not leave the country without the court's permission.

Another condition was that the convicts should be reporting to the High Courts deputy register once a month.
opinion

Cairo, Egypt  The fate of Egyptian women and girls delicately hangs in the balance as the country continues to have one of the worst records in the world for gender equality. With oppression often state-sanctioned, Egyptian women face a daily struggle against sexual harassment and other violations of their basic human rights, including institutionalised violence.

Today, African Women Rights Advocates (AWRA) and The Five Foundation, The Global Partnership To End FGM, have come together with Equality Now, Democracy for the Arab World Now and several prominent voices from the region and beyond, to demand that the Egyptian government takes immediate steps to fix this situation.

It needs to take clear action to enhance the rights of women and girls in all areas of life, including by ending child marriage and banning articles that perpetuate sexual violence and gender discrimination in the text of the country's laws.

The signatories to an open letter are also demanding that the Egyptian government enforces laws against female genital mutilation (FGM). With 27.2 million affected - around 90 percent of the female population - Egypt has one of the highest number of survivors of FGM in the world, yet the government is failing to act effectively.

It's clear that if and when perpetrators are eventually arrested and convicted, they are given extremely short and suspended sentences, such as when 17-year-old Mayar Mohamed Moussa was killed in 2017 -- and just over one year ago when yet another girl, 12-year-old Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud, died in a private medical clinic in Manfalout.

In 2013, 13-year-old Soheir al-Batea's killer Dr. Raslan Fadl only spent a couple of months behind bars in 2016, after evading arrest for three years. The anti-FGM law was strengthened earlier this year, but we know of first hand reports of clinics in Cairo still openly offering to medicalise the harmful and sometimes deadly practice.

Furthermore, women cannot fully claim their basic right to bodily autonomy in a state where public laws do not criminalise marital rape or virginity testing. The government has made no effort to address domestic violence in Egypt, which has been long tolerated and accepted in society.

Egyptian women and girls have had enough. In the last couple of years, they have come forward in unprecedented numbers to break the fear barrier and reveal harrowing lived experiences with sexual abuse.

Survivors demanded justice and called on the state to help end impunity for perpetrators of sexual harassment. However, their pleas for bodily autonomy fell on deaf ears when in January 2021, the Egyptian cabinet proposed a personal status bill that would strip women of their basic rights even further.

Human rights activists and grassroots women protested the regressive proposal, which would have given fathers priority over mothers in child custody. It would also have allowed fathers to prevent mothers from travelling abroad with their children.

In matters of marriage, a male guardian such as an uncle, father or brother would have had to sign a marriage contract on behalf of the wife. Although this particular draft law is now unlikely to be passed, signatories of the Open Letter want more clarity to make sure it does not reappear in a new format since the law was proposed by the government as opposed to one political party representative.

In Egypt, the internet remains one of the only public avenues of alternative expression; and yet Egyptian female social media influencers who are unaffiliated with the state or ruling elite have been targeted with arrests.

Since 2020, authorities launched a highly abusive campaign against women social media influencers and have prosecuted over a dozen of them under vague "morality" and "public indecency" laws, accusing the women of violating "family values."

When famous influencer Haneen Hossam was acquitted after her arrest, authorities re-arrested her in 2021 and charged her with "human trafficking" for merely using social media in ways that challenged patriarchal norms.

Regional and global women's rights activists who are familiar with Egypt's bureaucratic and oppressive history towards women maintain that this is a state-sponsored crackdown to rein in female social media influencers by resorting to sexist "morality" charges that violate women's rights to freedom of expression, bodily autonomy, and non-discrimination.

Donors and corporations investing in Egypt should also take note of all of these violations against its female population, and provide support where it's critically needed - particularly to grassroots women activists.

The prosperous, fair, and peaceful vision that the United Nations and global powers hold for "Generation Equality" cannot be achieved when the Arab world's most populous nation grossly undermines its women and girls.

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Egypt must live up to its role as a beacon of hope and civilization, and so the Egyptian government must be held to account to carry through the changes that are needed so that young girls are free to live dignified and fulfilled lives.

Later this month, Egypt will have an ideal opportunity to do so, when it will be asked to be part of a review by the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Egypt's economic transformation is already happening. It is one of the leaders in the region in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, but its potential will never be fully realised until its government allows the female half of its population to be safe, free and be able to contribute socially and economically to the country's future.

Reem Abdellatif is Director & Chief Operating Officer of the African Women Rights Advocates movement (AWRA). Nimco Ali is CEO of The Five Foundation, The Global Partnership To End FGM.
A paralegal with a gender-based violence unit in Kisumu County was on Tuesday charged in a Winam court with causing bodily harm on her neighbour's domestic helper.

Ms Grace Aketch appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Chrispine Oruo for harming Ms Beryl Achieng on October 24.

Ms Aketch, a paralegal working with the Centre for International Health, Education and Biosecurity (CIHEB-Kenya), but attached to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) Gender-Based Violence Centre, reportedly committed the offence in Mamboleo, Kisumu East sub-county.

She denied the charge and was released on Sh10,000 cash bail and an alternative bond of Sh30,000.

Prosecutors have lined up five witnesses, including a doctor at JOOTRH who will testify against Ms Aketch.

Police reports show that the Sunday evening incident stemmed from a disagreement between the two, with Ms Aketch accusing the victim of draining dirty laundry water to her back yard and causing a bad smell.

The incident was captured on video by the victim's employer and shared on Facebook.

Ms Aketch allegedly slit the victim's wrist.

Ms Achieng and her employer reported the assault at the Mamboleo police post, only to learn that Ms Aketch had also recorded a statement accusing them of abuse and trespassing.

The case will be heard in March 2022.
Children in the South Rift region who are caught up in legal trouble, abused or neglected now have a place to stay away from police cells.

Minors with court cases will no longer be locked up like adults at police stations, after a Child Protection Unit (CPU) was opened at the Kericho police headquarters.

The children will stay at the centre as they await processing by the Judiciary.

It has boarding facilities that can hold children for the 24-hour legal limit before they are taken to court or as they await to be transferred to correctional centres.

The CPU was funded by multinational tea company James Finlay Kenya, which has operations in Kericho and Bomet counties.

The new facility opened against the backdrop of a recent incident in Bomet where nine suspects, including four minors, broke out of police cells after cutting through metallic bars.

One suspect has since been arrested while the others are still at large. The incident demonstrated that children are being held in cells with adults, which is against the law.

Justice Asenath Ongeri of the Kericho High Court said all children are vulnerable as they cannot defend themselves and they need protection.

"There are two categories of children in such a set-up - those who have committed or are suspected to have committed offences and those who have been abandoned or in need of protection," said Justice Ongeri when he presided over the opening of the centre on Wednesday.

She said children at risk of violence, exploitation, neglect, abuse and separation from family could access integrated protection services and legal aid at the centre.

"The world has come a long way in coming up with conventions on the rights of children, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which has been adopted by the African Union as a regional document, as well Kenya's Children Act of 2001," Justice Ongeri said.

"The Constitution of Kenya gives rights to children and the family unit and the Child Protection Unit that we have commissioned in Kericho is in line with the local law and international conventions."

Mr Gideon Mutai, Kericho's county attorney, said setting up the centre came as the region faced an upsurge of criminal cases involving juveniles.

"Cases of defilements, abuse of children and their being abandoned by parents have lately become issues of concern in the South Rift region, with a rise in the number of street families," he said.

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Exposing children to life in the streets, he said, was breeding a culture of lawlessness among them at a tender age when they should be protected by the society.

Defilements between juveniles have also been reported in the region, raising concern among stakeholders.

Mr Simeon Hutchinson, the managing director at James Finlay, said the company wants to help alleviate the problems facing children in the region.

"A lot of people have been working behind the scenes for a long time to make the dream come true, to have a secluded place for children who are in conflict with the law. We are happy this has become a reality and children will now have the opportunity to raise their own voice and be heard," Mr Hutchinson said.

"James Finlay will continue to work with local communities and stakeholders to improve infrastructural facilities in schools and offer scholarships to needy but bright children so that they can have equal opportunities and make informed choices in their lives in the future besides contributing to development in the society."

He said children should be continuously empowered to know their rights and speak out against injustices facing them.

"When children are knowledgeable about their rights, they can contribute to their safety and look out for their peers as well. There is a need to create functional facilities that enable access to appropriate protection services for children," he said.
Deputy President William Ruto is facing a rebellion on the Coast over the endorsement of preferred candidates for various elective seats.

His two latest visits to the region is threatening to split further his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) after those unhappy with the endorsements mull decamping from the party.

In Kwale, gubernatorial hopeful Lung'anzi Mangale has resolved to quit UDA and focus on rebranding himself ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Mr Mangale, who is reportedly unhappy with the endorsement of Kwale Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani to succeed Governor Salim Mvurya, has given a clear indication that he is on his way out of the party.

"I am putting a lot of effort to self-rebrand. I do not want my candidacy to be associated with any party," he said in an interview with Nation.Africa

This is after reports that he had ditched the party, and had even turned down requests by pro-Ruto MPs in Kwale to step down and vie for the Senate seat.

Two months ago, he confirmed he was a member of UDA and indicated that he would be vying for the governor's seat on the party's ticket.

He even shared a platform with Dr Ruto and Ms Achani in Kombani during DP's Coast tour.

"Speaking at the DP's rally did not mean much. I am glad that I was allowed to address such a huge forum, which is a rare opportunity," Mr Mangale said.

At the event, however, Ms Achani stole the show as she seemed closer to Dr Ruto, with whom she shared the podium amid cheers from their supporters.

Ms Achani accompanied the DP at various rallies, including in Malindi, as other UDA aspirants and lawmakers drummed up support for her to succeed Mr Mvurya.

Mr Mangale's campaigners claim that he did not have a seat at the dais as Ms Achani sat next to DP Ruto.

But Ms Achani's closeness to DP Ruto may have disappointed Mr Mangale, perceiving it to mean that the country's second in command might prefer Ms Achani, with the feeling that party nominations may not be free and fair.

The two are supposed to battle it out with four other candidates from different parties, including Kwale Speaker Sammy Ruwa, Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga, businessman Daniel Dena and former Cabinet minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

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Dr Ruto is facing the same dilemma in Taita Taveta County. During his visit to Mwatate and Voi, he seemed to have favoured former governor John Mrutu, a move that angered Dan Mwazo and Stephen Mwekesi, who are threatening to ditch the party. The two are also eyeing the seat on a UDA ticket.

This is after Mr Mwakesi conspicuously skipped DP Ruto's rally, triggering speculation that he might have fallen out with some party officials rumoured to prefer Mr Mrutu's candidacy.

In Kilifi County, DP Ruto has fronted Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa for the governor's seat under the UDA. Ms Jumwa ditched ODM for the DP's party as she seeks to succeed Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, who is serving his last term.

In Mombasa, the presumed UDA boss campaigned for former senator Hassan Omar, who is seeking to succeed Governor Hassan Joho, also serving his second and final term.

He also campaigned for Jomvu parliamentary hopeful Karisa Nzai and his Mvita counterpart Omar Shallo.

However, during his meeting with delegates in Mombasa, Mr Ruto assured them that UDA will hold free and fair nominations ahead of 2022.

"Nominations will be free, fair and democratic. Nobody will be given a free ride. There will be no direct nominations unless we only have one candidate. I guarantee you that," he told his supporters.
As the 2022 General Election approaches, the two top presidency contenders -- Deputy President William Ruto and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga -- will have to work harder to avert splits in their parties.

Despite saying primaries would be free and fair, the nomination headache is already showing, with strong contenders and allies eyeing the same seats in counties.

The parties have attracted fierce competition for their tickets, leaving arch-rivals Ruto and Odinga with a dilemma on whether to embrace consensus or yield to democracy and allow hopefuls to battle it out for tickets.

The former option may avert a falling out but would leave many disgruntled, while the latter could mean a disruptive competition in which the leaders' preferred aspirants may lose.

The DP and the Orange leader are not helping matters either as they endorse their preferred candidates. It is such endorsements that have seen the DP facing a rebellion in Coast.

His two latest visits to the region are threatening to split the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a party he is associated with.

Kwale governor hopeful Lung'anzi Mangale recently left UDA, reportedly unhappy with the endorsement of Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani.

The DP faces the same dilemma in Taita Taveta county where he appears to favour former Governor John Mrutu, angering Mr Dan Mwazo and Mr Stephen Mwekesi, who have threatened to leave UDA.

In Kilifi, the DP is fronting Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa for governor. He also campaigned for former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar who wants to succeed Governor Ali Hassan Joho.

During a meeting with UDA delegates in Mombasa recently, the DP said nobody would be handed a direct ticket "unless we only have one aspirant".

Mr Ruto faces the same dilemma in Nyanza and his Rift Valley backyard.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang and Senator Samson Cherargei are seeking the county's top seat, while in Uasin Gishu, Soy MP Caleb Kositany, businessman Jonathan Bii, Nairobi Devolution executive Vesca Kangogo and Kenya's envoy to Pakistan Julius Bitok want to succeed Governor Jackson Mandago.

Senator Aaron Cheruiyot will face Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter in the Kericho governor race.

The DP will meet Rift Valley UDA aspirants in a fortnight.

UDA Secretary-General Veronica Maina said hopefuls from Kericho, Nandi, Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Bomet, Uasin Gishu, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot counties would meet on November 9.

They want to be assured that there would be no party favourites for gubernatorial, senatorial, parliamentary and civic seats.

Political equation

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who joined UDA on Tuesday, is likely to shake the political equation for the DP, whose ally, Woman Representative Purity Ngirici, has stuck with him and is eyeing the county top seat.

The apprehension by aspirants is that Mt Kenya MPs who have defied State pressure to stand by the DP -- including Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Alice Wahome (Kandara) and Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu) -- would get special treatment.

Mr Odinga faces a challenge in Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori, Kisumu, Kisii and Mombasa counties where his allies want to be governors.

Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o will face the man he succeeded -- Jack Ranguma -- former Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga, Senator Fred Outa and EAC Chief Administrative Secretary Ken Obura.

In Mr Odinga's home county of Siaya, among those whose names have been touted to replace Governor Cornel Rasanga are Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, Deputy Governor James Okumbe, former police spokesman Charles Owino and former permanent secretary Carey Orege.

There was talk of a preferred line-up last week with the ODM chief's blessing -- Mr Orengo for governor, Eala lawmaker Oburu Oginga for senator and the incumbent for Alego Usonga MP.

The claim was dismissed by ODM, Dr Oginga and Mr Orengo. Mr Rasanga said there is nothing wrong with hopefuls crafting line-ups.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said the party is likely to explore consensus as part of its nomination but added that the National Elections Board is the only organ dealing with primaries.

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"The party has not settled on anyone for an elective position. We acknowledge that consensus is one of the four methods ODM elections and nomination rules provide for but this can only be initiated by the NEB," Mr Sifuna said.

Mr Odinga's allies seeking to take over from Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti include Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata, ODM Chairman John Mbadi, former Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga, Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and County Secretary Isaiah Ogwe.

Asked if they would shelve their ambitions, Ms Wanga and Mr Mbadi dismissed the idea.

Mr Mbadi, who is also the Suba South MP, said it's only fair to let individuals gun for whatever political seats they desire.

"It's not the first time my party leader is going for the top seat. We have been standing with him, helping in strategy away from the glare of the public. That does not stop any person from contesting other seats," he said.

Additional reporting by Onyango K'Onyango and Siago Cece
Low voter registration in Lamu County has been attributed to drought and lack of national identity (ID) cards among those 18 and older.

The revelation was made on Wednesday by county IEBC boss Mohamed Adan.

Speaking in his office, Mr Adan noted that with only a week remaining for the mass voter listing to be concluded, only 3,648 new voters of the 15,910 targeted had registered.

This translates to only 23 per cent of the targeted voters since the listing started three weeks ago.

Mr Adan said the drought has pushed eligible residents, mostly pastoralists, away from registration centres as they search for pasture and water for their livestock in other wards and counties.

He explained that clerks were ensuring they reach every corner of the county, with many herders refusing to register until they go back to their home wards.

"We have many herders from Witu and even neighbouring Tana River County now residing in Hindi with their livestock due to the ongoing drought," he said.

"We have reached out to them but they have refused to register where they are. They insist they will register once they go back home."

On the issue of IDs, Mr Adan noted that in most villages, especially those on the Somalia border, such as Kiunga, Kiwayu, Mkokoni and Boni forest, many adults have not listed as they are still waiting for the IDs.

Applying for an ID in Lamu is stressful and slow because applicants must be vetted by security agencies.

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The national government introduced the vetting in 2014 shortly after the Mpeketoni terror attack after officials established that Al-Shabaab militants were posing as locals and acquiring IDs.

According to records seen by the Nation at the Lamu County Youth Assembly Office, at least 700 young people in Lamu have registered for IDs but have not yet received them.

"IEBC has even involved chiefs' offices to help us reach every village to ensure those who haven't registered do so," Mr Adan said.

"We found that many Kenyans here have no IDs and I suspect that is because of the security situation here and the hurdles involved in getting the document."

Another reason for the low registration, he said, was that most young people with IDs in Lamu are spread across universities and colleges around Kenya and have not been reached.

Mr Adan noted that more than 10,000 university and college students from Lamu are studying in other parts of the country.

"These students might have registered wherever they are. I am talking about adults who took IDs from 2017 onwards. After compilation and verification of the voter register, I am sure we will hit the 15,910 new voter targets here," he said
Tourism and hospitality industry players have suffered a major blow after the government declined to review its PCR rules for fully vaccinated international tourists.

Kenya requires tourists to show a negative Covid-19 PCR certificate when entering and departing.

Sector players have been urging officials to review these rules for fully vaccinated international visitors so as to boost the ailing industry, which was hurt by the pandemic, leading to job losses and the temporary closure of almost all beach hotels.

But Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya will only allow in vaccinated international tourists on a reciprocal basis.

"In other words, if other countries are allowing Kenyans who are vaccinated to (enter) without further tests, we will reciprocate. What we are doing is holding bilateral discussions with various countries," he said.

Speaking at a scientific conference in Mombasa, Mr Kagwe said that the future of international travel will be entirely dependent on vaccinated travellers and Covid-19 passports.

"Countries across the world will not allow people who have not been fully vaccinated to enter those states and Kenya is going to be the same," he said.

"We want people coming to Kenya to be fully vaccinated and depending on the global trends and World Health Organization advice, we will make up our minds as we go along," he added.

Tourists coming to Kenya must be safe to protect Kenyans.

He said Kenya had reached bilateral agreements with the UK and Qatar under which fully vaccinated citizens will not be quarantined or tested.

"We must ensure tourists cannot contract the virus here and will further not bring the virus. Covid-19 passports will be a must just like a yellow fever card," he said.

"At the moment, for instance, that's the rule we have agreed with the UK and Qatar. This is something that is developing in various countries in the world."

He defended Kenya's stand, saying the policy will not affect the tourism sector and that the country's key source markets are fully vaccinating their populations.

"It is in the interest of the tourists to want to be vaccinated before they start travelling. Our decision will boost tourism because travellers will be secured. People will fear to travel if they don't think they are safe," he added.

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Mr Kagwe assured industry players that Kenya will intensify its mass vaccination to instil confidence in tourists.

The UK government recently removed eight countries, including Kenya, from its "red list" - countries from or to which travel is restricted.

The move meant that people from these countries will no longer have to quarantine in a hotel and PCR tests will not be required for fully vaccinated travellers returning to England.

The UK is one of Kenya's key source markets.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers chief executive Mike Macharia has been urging the government to review its PCR rules for fully vaccinated tourists.

Kenya Coast Tourism Association CEO Julius Owino said that by reviewing the PCR rules, the region will start receiving more international tourists, especially from European countries.

The players have pushed officials to double mass vaccination in order to assure travellers of their safety.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has also urged Kenyans to be vaccinated as the sector recovers from the pandemic shock.
When nature calls, people need toilets but in Mandera town, traders are decrying the lack of these vital facilities.

To them, lack of proper sanitation facilities such as toilets is like a ticking time bomb.

"We have been suffering at the bus park for a long time. The county government is busy collecting revenue from every entity and stall yet no service is offered to the traders," Mr Hassan Adan, a trader at Mandera Bus Park, said.

He said some entrepreneurs have lost their merchandise to thieves as they went looking for toilets to relieve themselves.

"People are losing their goods here just because they went looking for a toilet far away," he said.

And Ms Anne Kathure, a beautician, said since the current toilets were filled, the local administration had failed to build new ones or even drain the old ones.

"It is a struggle to use the filled up toilets. You either jump into a taxi and go back home or walk into a hotel and pretend to buy something just to use their toilet," she said.

She said the county government has continued to charge them Sh20 to use the filled up and untidy toilets.

"We are at risk of contracting diseases as rains are approaching because the waste will start following everywhere and that will lead to a cholera outbreak at this market," she said.

Ms Halima Ahmed Lakicha, a milk vendor at the Mandera bus park, says she is forced to walk about a half kilometre to Musdalifa hotel just to access a toilet.

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In the Mandera bus park and the nearby market, there are at least four toilets that are not functioning according to Mr Hassan Ali, the traders association deputy chairman.

He said despite the filled up toilets, the county government has failed to provide and sustain the Covid-19 containment measures.

"Covid-19 is still with us but the county government has never provided the handwashing facilities at this market. We are left to survive despite requesting these necessary facilities," he said.

But Mr Osman Ibrahim Mohamed, the Mandera County Chief Officer for Trade, Investment and Industrialization denied the claims by the traders.

"We have two twin toilets at the bus park that are functioning despite being manned by individuals. The individuals collect revenue on our behalf," he said.

According to Mr Mohamed, those complaining of lack of toilets are a few individuals who are angling for free services.

Mandera town is among the few towns in the country that lack proper waste management and disposal plan.

There is no sewerage system in Mandera town and every home relies on a septic tank.

"We recently acquired two exhausters as a donation by the World Bank and we shall be draining all the filled up toilets in Mandera town," Mr Mohamed said.

Reports have shown that a shortage of toilets contributes to diarrheal infections like cholera and dysentery.
Deputy President William Ruto will meet aspirants hoping to run on the United Democratic Party ticket from his Rift Valley stronghold in a fortnight to assure them that the nominations will be free and fair.

UDA secretary-general Veronica Maina said political hopefuls from Kericho, Nandi, Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Bomet, Uasin Gishu, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot will meet on November 9.

They want to be assured that there will be no party favourites for gubernatorial, senatorial, parliamentary and civic positions.

"During a consultative meeting with delegates drawn from Lamu, Kwale, Mombasa, Taita Taveta and Tana River counties at Wild Waters in Mombasa, I gave them assurance of free, fair and democratic nominations," Dr Ruto tweeted last week when he was in Coast.

He also met aspirants from Murang'a, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Embu, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui and Makueni at his Karen residence in a bid to shore up his chances in Mount Kenya.

The DP also held discussions with Maa community leaders from Kajiado, Narok and Nakuru counties.

"I want to assure all that our party will embrace contests based on issues and development track record. We will work out a win-win situation and not a win-loss when election time comes. I call on all the aspirants to campaign on ideologies and whoever loses should support the winner," Dr Ruto said in Kajiado.

"Everyone will be accommodated in government as they are all leaders in their own rights. Politics is about interests. All those contesting are not angels who fell from heaven, they have served in various positions and therefore can be judged based on what they did."

UDA chairman Johnstone Muthama said the meetings give contenders an opportunity to know what is expected of them in the nominations.

"The agenda is to inform the aspirants what will be required and expected to earn a UDA nomination certificate. This will help them not to sit and think that friends of the DP, Muthama and the SG will land direct tickets," said Mr Muthama.

"There's nothing like that. They have to work for it. We would want to manage the party where members are also involved in every key step we are making."

Having declared interest in the presidency, the DP has been campaigning in Mount Kenya, Western and Coast with little going on in the Rift Valley.

Despite facing a strong threat from Kanu chairman and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi as well as Orange Democratic Movement boss Raila Odinga in his political backyard, Dr Ruto has taken the 'hustler' campaign to other regions to increase his chances of succeeding President Kenyatta.

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Though his Karen residence has been busy with delegations from different communities, he's yet to host any from the Rift Valley. He has hosted regional kingpins, community leaders, youth and women, potential political partners, party leaders and religious groups.

As he rolls out his 'hustler' policies to boda bodas and mama mbogas in various regions, the DP has maintained low-key activities 'at home'.

He's been speaking of his rags-to-riches story of a man who rose from a selling chicken in Turbo township to the Office of the Deputy President.

DR Ruto is known for his generous donations, such as school buses and cash to women groups in Central, Western and Coast. As a result, Mr Odinga has questioned the source of his wealth.

The DP had two empowerment programmes in the Rift Valley in February. One was held in Sotik, Bomet County and the other in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County.
Dr Mwatasa Hussein, a research pharmacist, recalls sleeping under desks in a classroom at Ng'onzini Primary School in Kinango, Kwale County, 15 years ago.

He was a Standard Eight candidate and he and others preferred to stay in school overnight so that they could have more time to study.

"It was very hard because some of us would walk more than 5km to school. We were candidates and wanted to be closer to the teachers," Dr Hussein said.

"We would convert classrooms into dormitories at night by spreading locally made mats made of sisal and then rearranging the rooms in the morning for learning to resume."

Girls and boys slept in separate classrooms. Spending nights at school helped them avoid distractions at home, such as domestic chores, and protected them from elephant attacks.

Looking back as an alumnus of the school, he is happy that today's candidates no longer have to go through what he experienced.

Thousands of learners in Kinango sub-county encounter wildlife frequently, and this spikes in dry seasons.

Two months ago, a hyena killed two children from the same family who had gone to buy food in Silaloni, Samburu, Kinango sub-county.

Kinango is at the centre of Shimba Hills and Tsavo National Park, and encounters with wild animals, mainly buffaloes and elephants, are common.

Children who walk long distances to school are always at risk of being attacked by the animals.

But the Japanese government has come to the rescue of these children with a Sh14.9 million project. In partnership with the Born Free Foundation, a conservation non-governmental organisation, they have built two dormitories at Ng'onzini Primary School, making it among the first primary schools with boarding facilities in Kinango sub-county.

Speaking when the two buildings were handed over to the school administration, Japan's ambassador to Kenya, Horie Ryoichi, said that investment in education is important for every country and Ng'onzini pupils will have a better environment for their studies.

"I believe that adequate boarding facilities will provide the pupils with (a conducive) learning environment that will help them study efficiently and effectively to complete their education on time," he said.

The dormitories will have a capacity of 75 each, one for girls and the other for boys. The two buildings are solar-powered, have an efficient water supply system and are equipped with improved sanitary facilities.

Born Free Foundation Country Manager Timothy Oloo said the organisation worked with the school on their nature conservancy projects and had identified its challenges.

"The school also neighbours Mwaluganje Elephant Conservancy, which meant that the jumbos were right at their doorsteps," he said. The UK-based group put up a fence around the school and the barrier will reduce conflict between humans and wildlife.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said the county government seeks partnerships with like-minded organisations to reinvest in education infrastructure.

"Such projects are life-changing to the people of Kwale. This also shows the good relationship Kenya has with other countries to foster impactful partnerships," Mr Mvurya said.

Parents also expressed relief that the buildings had been completed.

"This is what I was waiting for. One of my children is in Standard Eight and I cannot wait to see her finally start living within the school," said 45-year-old Lathu Kyengo.

Ms Kyengo, who has five children attending the school, said she sometimes accompanies them to school at 7am to ensure that they are not attacked by elephants.

Children are also unable to fully concentrate on their studies because of challenges at home such as drought and famine.

Headteacher Gube Kenga said parents will only be required to pay a small amount of money for food for their children. He pleaded to other well-wishers to donate food as the region had been hit by drought and famine, limiting access to food.

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"The pupils used to be threatened by jumbos, this being their area. At around 7pm, you would barely walk two kilometres from the school without encountering them," he said

Kenya Wildlife Service Kwale County Warden Jacob Orale said the security of teachers and students would improve, thanking the two entities for the initiative.

"The project is going to improve the safety of pupils, because they will be confined in the school," he said.

He added that elephants had attacked and killed people in Silaloni, Kilibasi and Kuranze.

Elephants have recently been seen leaving their natural habitat in Tsavo National Park in search of pasture and water, destroying private property as they move.

The beasts have also affected learning in some areas as students can no longer walk to school early in the morning or back home in the evening for fear of being attacked.
Isiolo residents have alleged bias in the transfer of voters' details in Isiolo North constituency.

The residents said they were being turned away from the office and claimed that the Independent, Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) returning officer, whose job is to transfer voter data, was usually unavailable in the office.

Most residents who protested outside the office on Tuesday said they had visited the office several times but were not served.

Among them was Ms Fatuma Ali, a businesswoman who travelled from Nairobi and claimed she had been visiting the office since last Thursday with no success.

"The concerned officer should notify us when she is available so that we do not keep wasting our time coming here. I have been visiting the office from Thursday to today (Tuesday)," Ms Ali said.

Ms Florence Mukiri and Mr George Kinyanga said that every time they went to the office they were told to return the following day.

"I have visited this office for five days but I have not been helped. The officers have been telling me the returning officer is not around and that I should go back the following day," Mr Kinyanga said.

Another resident, John Mwenda, wondered why the officer could not delegate the duty to the deputy whenever she was out of the office for other engagements.

"They should tell us where to go and get the services because we are tired of the frustrations," said Ms Regina Akai, expressing fears she might not be able to transfer her vote to her preferred area.

But Isiolo North constituency Returning Officer Habiba Godana dismissed the claims, saying the office was doing its best to serve residents.

Offering the services

Ms Godana, who drove in while residents were speaking to journalists, said she was committed to offering the services. She downplayed allegations of discrimination.

"We are trying our best but have been overwhelmed by the ongoing voter registration, which as the returning officer I must also monitor," she said.

Some 297 transfers had been processed at the office by Monday.

Meanwhile, Isiolo Deputy Governor Abdi Issa has petitioned the commission to extend the voter registration so as to achieve the 17,294 target in the county.

Lamenting low voter registration turnout, Dr Issa said the drought had seen many residents migrate in search of water and pasture for their animals and officials need to give them more time to return home and register.

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The listing is in its fourth and final week and will end on November 2.

Isiolo County had by Tuesday registered 3,459 new voters, with the majority in Isiolo North, according to County IEBC Manager Jaban Mutwiri.

The Albatinge clan, while launching a drive to get more young people to register as voters in Isiolo town, blamed the low numbers on the lengthy application process for identity cards in the region.

Led by secretary-general Silas Eudan, the group asked local elected leaders to help youths whose IDs are pending to get the documents so that they can take part in the listing and exercise their democratic rights in the 2022 General Election.

"The government should ensure the ID applications are processed within the shortest time as our people have been waiting for several years to get the crucial documents," said group vice-chairperson Ismael Galma, who was with chairperson Harrison Thuranira.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's allies have said they will not be swayed by defections from the ruling Jubilee Party, saying it is only a matter of time before the Head of State shows his Mt Kenya stronghold the political direction to take.

The legislators said the President's silence on his succession should not be misconstrued to mean political weakness, arguing that he was currently focused on building his legacy.

In interviews with the Nation yesterday, they said Mr Kenyatta is still the undisputed Central Kenya political kingpin, stating that anyone intending to seek the support of the vote-rich region in next year's elections will have to seek his blessings.

Leaders from the region have been defecting from Jubilee, driven by the need to survive politically amidst the party's diminishing popularity.

The political movements are being influenced by the March 2018 'Handshake', a political truce between President Kenyatta and his rival, ODM leader Raila Odinga, and their popularity, as well as Deputy President William Ruto's growing support in the region.

The latest defection is that of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who joined Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Party (UDA).

Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu said the President was on the right political track as far as the 2022 succession politics is concerned.

"I think it's getting clear gradually without him having to step out and speak it himself. Right now, he's doing what he needs to be doing for now -- focus on completing the major projects that he started that make up his legacy. Once that's done, then he will speak, and he will be heard. And it will be at the right time within the context of closure and transition advice.

"Only Waiguru defected and she did it because she is personally unable to do her politics herself: she needs it done for her by others. So it is really not a loss to our end; we just shifted a problem to our competitors," said Mr Ngunjiri.

Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni concurred, saying the President should wait until all those who are not politically loyal to him leave Jubilee before making his move.

"There is a lot of political baggage from Jubilee that cannot be passed to Mr Odinga. And it is best that they decamp and be left with the rebellious Jubilee wing. It is that wing that derailed and distracted Mr Kenyatta, making him look bad in Mt Kenya.

"Those who have always deceived him and made his governance difficult will be known. They pretended to be very close to him but we knew they were a political obstacle. How do you abandon a floating ship and jump into a sinking ship?" he asked.

Igembe North MP Maoka Maore said President Kenyatta had already shown the direction he wanted the region and the country to take, and did not need to emphasise it further.

The MP said there was no "blind or deaf" leader who did not know where the country was moving.

He also downplayed Dr Ruto's popularity in the region, saying five times of campaigns in the region by Mr Odinga were already tilting the scales in his favour.

"Ruto has been campaigning in this region for four years but Raila's campaign, for those few times, have shown that the region is receptive to him. Just wait and see. By December, this support will have been clipped substantially and we will be singing a different tune," the MP said.

But Dr Ruto's allies hit back, saying his popularity cannot be wished away.

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Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said the region was not going to take any directions from anyone, adding that the decision on who to vote for had already been made by the people.

"The Mt Kenya people will take direction from no one, including the President. They have already made a decision on whom to vote in as president. The President should emulate President Mwai Kibaki and let the people elect a president of their choice, and (he should) retire in peace and secure a dignified exit," he said.

Meru Senator Mithika Linturi told governors in Mt Kenya region to "stop pretending" they were supporting Mr Odinga and declare their stand.

"Power is not for the fainthearted. (Ms) Waiguru has gone where the people are and we are ready to work with her. I must thank her for taking the bold move and she is welcome. It is not easy to make such a decision and as expected, she might be persecuted but that is what it means to be a leader," Mr Linturi said yesterday in a phone interview.
A witness yesterday told a Nairobi court that a certificate presented by Kapseret MP Oscar Kipchumba Sudi to the electoral commission as he vied for a parliamentary seat in 2013 election, bears admission and serial numbers of two different people.

Mr John Kutima, a former employee of the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) told the court that certificate number 36262 was issued to a male student who graduated with a diploma in purchasing and supplies management.

Mr Kimutai's admission number, he said was NRB/20870 and the certificate was issued on September 24, 2009.

The witness told chief magistrate Felix Kombo that admission number NRB/20879 belongs to a female student, who obtained a diploma in management of NGOs from KIM. The student, he said was registered at KIM in 2005.

"As per our records, the said Oscar Kipchumba Sudi has never registered as a student of the institute," Mr Kutima told the court while being led by prosecutor Joseph Riungu.

He said a copy of the certificate presented to KIM from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is not authentic.

Forgery charges

Mr Kutima, who was in charge of administration of examinations, said the institute was compelled to verify the information after an anonymous letter was sent to them in 2015, seeking information on the authenticity of the information.

He added that the EACC later sent a letter to KIM in August 2015, seeking verification of the certificate bearing Mr Sudi's name.

The Kapseret MP has been charged with forging a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate purporting it to be a genuine document issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec).

He is also accused of forging a diploma certificate in Business Management, purporting it to be a genuine document issued by the KIM.

The certificates had been attached to forms the MP filed at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), for parliamentary election. The forms include a self-declaration form and a statutory declaration form.

On Tuesday, a Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) official also told the court that the KCSE certificate held by the MP, allegedly from Highway secondary school, is not genuine. The hearing was adjourned to November 17.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo at the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit at the Sirius Park of Science and Art in Sochi, Russia, 23 October 2019.

analysis

Felix Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress became the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in January 2019 after one of the most anticipated elections in the country's history.

Party loyalists celebrated. But many others - both in the DRC and abroad - lamented another stolen election. The Financial Times found incontrovertible proof that the election had been the subject of a fraud on an eye-watering scale. While Martin Fayulu should by rights be the sitting president of the DRC, Tshisekedi is occupying the presidential palace, or the "White House" as it is sometimes called.

It was an inauspicious start. The fragility of Tshisekedi's position was compounded by the fact that he and the former head of state Joseph Kabila had formed an uneasy alliance. But they made unhappy bedfellows, which meant that a power struggle soon ensued in the very heart of Congolese politics.

Tshisekedi's coalition, Heading for Change, was a minority - both in the Congolese National Assembly and in the Senate. The two branches of the Congolese parliament were dominated by the Common Front for Congo coalition that was controlled by Kabila.

With a lack of parliamentary support, Tshisekedi was admittedly in a weak position. He had to accept Kabila's choice for prime minister, Sylvestre Ilunga, in May 2019. It took him until this year to finally be able to oust Ilunga, a former economics professor.

In April Tshisekedi also succeeded in removing many members of the Common Front for Congo coalition from power. He firmly established his grasp on political power in Kinshasa.

In short, his government no longer has the excuse that it is being hampered by the dead hand of the old Kabila cabal. Having reinforced his grip on the presidency, Tshisekedi needs to set about enacting a programme of change that delivers for the Congolese people.

What's been done

In March 2019, Tshisekedi started a 100 day emergency programme to kickstart his presidency. The programme was launched by the publication of a 78 page document that covered some of the most important priorities of the present government at the time. While many issues were covered, such as industry promotion and energy, much of the money was reserved for infrastructure: $183.2 million. Yet, many of these projects are incomplete.

Despite the need for more action with regard to the road-building projects, the president could take some - albeit very limited - credit for the ending of the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo. While local communities and NGOs were at the heart of this relief effort, it happened under Tshisekedi's watch and he will doubtless point to it as an achievement. At the same time, some political prisoners have been freed in a move that distinguishes this presidency from that of Joseph Kabila.

While some change has been forthcoming, few Congolese have seen major improvements. There is still much more to be done to make life in the DRC better for its citizens, and this is particularly true outside the capital.

What's still to be done

First, serious violence continues in the Ituri province in the north-east. After a decade of relative peace from 2007 to 2017, inter-communal violence between the Lendu and Hema has reignited in recent years. The recent campaign of terror by the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces has also served to increase violence in the country's north-eastern region.

While violence continues in eastern DRC, there is potentially more progress in the hugely important mining sector located largely in the Upper Katanga province, where there has been much less violence. Tshisekedi's government is involved in a long process of negotiations with a consortium of Chinese mining investors based in the south-east of the country.

These negotiations, while slow, may yet yield some benefits for the Congolese state. The talks centre on how much money Chinese investors will give the state in return for the minerals they mine.

In May, the president stated that he believed previous mining contracts could be reviewed. In general, he sought to renegotiate the infamous Sicomines "minerals-for-infrastructure" deal that was struck between a group of Chinese investors and the Congolese government in 2008. In August, he formed a commission to examine mining deals with a view to getting better terms in general.

Looking to the future

If a good mining deal can be arrived at, the relative prosperity of this sector could serve to propel Tshisekedi's plans beyond the old 100 day emergency programme.

First, it could help the ailing infrastructure sector, which has seen little development. Much of it is in a state of disrepair. A decent road network would help to propel business and not least those in the agricultural sector, which is so important for the DRC.

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Secondly, more state funds could help the president tackle the problems in the education system. There is currently a serious teacher strike in the DRC, with lack of pay being one of the reasons for the stoppage. This is a problem in need of an urgent solution.

Third, the DRC's health sector could also do with a boost in investment, not least because of the pandemic.

In short, Tshisekedi's government now has some hard-won political capital with which to enact some of the changes that he promised during his campaign. Some of these changes could be delivered if a decent mining deal can be negotiated, and if that money finds its way to the right places.

The mining sector - controversial as it is - has seen sustained growth since the commodity boom in 2007. Transparency within the mining sector is also reportedly improving. It is, therefore, time for Tshisekedi to secure a good deal and resolve some of the many problems his citizens are experiencing.

Reuben Loffman, Lecturer in African History, Queen Mary University of London
analysis

There is something inherent in the idea of democracy that invokes expectations of valuing human dignity and thus freedoms. These include freedom of association, thought, belief, religion and speech, and freedom from government abuse.

Contemporary comparative politics scholars Christian Welzel and Ronald Inglehart argue that

liberal democracy is a manifestation of human freedom.

A liberal democracy is therefore understood as entailing two parts:

access to power on the basis of regular, competitive elections, where every citizen has political equality in selecting the government

constraints on that power through institutional controls such as a constitution and an autonomous, organised civil society, to protect personal freedoms.

The democracy part is fairly easy. It is the means of accessing power through elections and popular participation. But the liberal or constitutional component is more complex. Is is about allowing for restraint on that power and a commitment to protecting individual freedoms. This is often not so palatable to ruling political elites.

This is true for countries across the globe. "Pure" democracies - popular power without restraint - can be pernicious systems. They can be prone to corruption and infringe essential civil liberties. Examples can be found on every continent, including Africa.

This is borne out by the fact that there have been elections in a number of countries that deem themselves as democracies. But that's where democracy ends. Only Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa are considered to be "free" in terms of political and civil liberties. This is according to a measurement designed by Freedom House. Political liberties are measured according to the electoral process, political pluralism and participation, and the functioning of government. Civil liberties are measured in terms of freedom of expression and belief, associational rights, rule of law and individual rights.

The citizens of sub-Saharan African countries are aware of this. They recognise that, despite having regular elections, they are not getting the supply of the type of democracy they want. Based on surveys by Afrobarometer, the largest proportion (56%) of respondents understood democracy in terms of civil liberties and personal freedoms. These included freedom of speech, religion and movement. The second highest ranked understanding of democracy (only 17%) was in its procedural form, namely voting, elections and multiparty elections. Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan research network, which conducts public attitude surveys in up to 37 African countries.

In the latest (2016/2018) Afrobarometer survey, support for democracy was high. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated they wanted a democratic regime. But only 36% perceived a supply of democracy.

Most therefore didn't feel they were getting the type of democracy they wanted.

My research engages with sub-Saharan Africa's so-called "democratic deficit", as identified by Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi.

I argue that the deficit in sub-Saharan Africa's democracies is in the classical liberal tradition (accountability and civil liberties). It is less so in the democratic tradition (elections and political participation).

More a liberty deficit than a democratic deficit

Distinguishing liberal democracy from democracy is important as it allows for a better identification of the problem.

Liberal democracy is a compromise of two traditions. On the one hand, political power attained through popular participation. On the other, accountability and liberty ensured through informal and formal institutions.

The term "liberal" is derived from the philosophy of classical liberalism. It recognises the importance of limiting "arbitrary government by institutional controls". It also recognises guaranteeing "specified rights of the individual against encroachment by government".

The challenge is how to address this liberty deficit. How to restrain and make the ruling elite more accountable and how to protect civic freedoms.

A vibrant and independent civil society has become widely recognised as a core social requisite for the development of a liberal democracy. Philosopher and anthropologist Ernest Gellner argues that civil society - rather than elections - is the guarantor of civil liberties. Societies are vulnerable to arbitrary rule if there is an insufficient density, diversity and depth of associations.

My work noted that it is here that religion could potentially play its part, in terms of civil society development and engagement. Especially in a region with high religiosity. Afrobarometer data shows that only 5% identify as having no religious affiliation.

Numerous studies have noted religion's propensity for the establishment and spread of civic groups. An example is a study about the influence of missionaries in the development of liberal democracy in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania by Robert Woodberry. He found that Protestants were catalysts in the initial development and then spread of voluntary organisations.

He noted that this influence then contributed to the dispersion of power due to the growth of associational life as well as protest tactics. This eventually provided the impetus for the formation of political parties prior to independence.

Religious affiliation and civic engagement

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Afrobaromater surveys also provide some insights into the relationship between religious affiliation and civil engagement. These were conducted between (2016/2018) covering 32 sub-Saharan African countries.

They showed that, on an individual level, the religiously affiliated were more civically engaged than those not affiliated. Civic engagement included attendance of a community meeting membership of a voluntary association, and membership of a religious group outside normal worship meetings.

Civic engagement was not high overall. Nevertheless, the least civically engaged were those who weren't religiously affiliated.

There are also some institutional examples that are instructive. In the run-up to Zimbabwe's 2018 national elections, churches and faith communities under the Zimbabwe Council of Churches umbrella campaigned for peace through their iVote and iPray initiatives. They urged citizens to vote, but to do so without violence.

For its part the South African Council of Churches together with other civil society organisations held silent protests in response to corruption involving COVID-19 emergency funding.

I don't go as far as to argue that civic associations are the panacea to the region's liberty deficit. However, I argue that they can play an important role in holding political power to account and protecting freedoms.

Nicola de Jager, Associate Professor, Stellenbosch University
analysis

Leaving the post vacant for nearly a year casts doubt on the AU's commitment to the majority of Africa's people.

When the post of Youth Envoy for the African Union (AU) chairperson was created in 2018, the message to young people and governments across the continent was clear - youth interests and their leadership matter to the AU, and countries should take note and follow suit.

Africa is, after all, the world's youngest continent with a median age of 20 compared to the global figure of 31 years. According to Pew Research Center, all but one of the 20 countries with the lowest median ages are in Africa (Afghanistan is the exception).

But despite the potential of this position for Africa, the post has been vacant since February when the first Youth Envoy Aya Chebbi's two-year term ended. AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat is due to announce the new envoy on 1 November, Africa's Youth Day.

The hiatus could have resulted from poor coordination between Faki's office and the Youth Division as staff adjusted to structural changes brought on by AU institutional reforms. Nonetheless, the delay casts doubt on Faki's commitment to youth empowerment and threatens the progress over the past three years in mainstreaming youth issues in the AU Commission.

Despite the potential of the Youth Envoy position for Africa, the post has been vacant since February

Chebbi's time in office coincided with Faki's tenure as AU chairperson. He was re-elected at the 34th AU summit in February and could have extended Chebbi's term. By not doing so and failing to appoint a successor, the envoy's office and staff - short-term volunteers from the AU's Youth Volunteer Corps - were essentially dissolved. This was a blow for youth leadership, especially considering that the African Youth Charter calls for the regular replacement of leaders to encourage inclusion and participation.

The AU Commission's handling of the Youth Envoy matter raises two institutional red flags. First, it neglected a vital leadership position on a continent populated mainly by young people. Africa's youth are a minority among national, regional and continental leaders, which creates a generational disconnect with those in positions of power. As long as this endures and the socio-economic aspirations of millions of young people remain unaddressed, the AU is unlikely to achieve a peaceful and prosperous continent.

And the AU Commission wasn't short of options to replace Chebbi. Several promising candidates from within its own ranks could have been considered. These include five African Youth Ambassadors for Peace, six Saleema Youth Victorious Ambassadors and five Anti-Corruption Youth Ambassadors. A succession plan could have ensured that a new envoy or an interim representative took up the position during the February AU summit.

Second, the hiatus seems to have diminished the relevance of the Youth Envoy's office despite its commendable legacy. Its track record includes providing a bridge between the AU chairperson and the Youth Division. Chebbi also built ties with other AU Commission programmes and AU organs, and improved young people's access to her office. Without a leader in the AU, all the continental body's outreach activities involving youth are compromised.

The hiatus has diminished the relevance of the Youth Envoy's office despite its commendable legacy

To re-establish the office, the incoming envoy will, like Chebbi, have to spend a significant part of their term on fundraising and staffing. Three specific priorities for the new leader are financing, diversity and accessibility.

Financing was a significant challenge for Chebbi and one that the AU has only partially addressed. Whereas she was remunerated via honorariums, the incoming envoy will receive a salary and likely be based in Addis Ababa. The first envoy moved to AU headquarters almost a year into her term due to a lack of office infrastructure. Her nine-member advisory council worked remotely from the AU's six regions. Paying the envoy's salary is crucial, but funds are still lacking for youth-related initiatives.

Diversifying the team working with the envoy is also essential in terms of their geographic and thematic expertise. To collaborate effectively with the AU's various programmes, skills are needed in agriculture, peace processes, climate change and security, among others. The envoy also needs to engage with the African youth in the diaspora.

Financing was a major challenge for Chebbi, and one that the AU has only partially addressed

Concerning accessibility, the incoming envoy needs to be visible and interact with youth in countries across the continent. A limited travel budget and COVID-19 restrictions meant Chebbi could make only two trips during her term, to Namibia and South Sudan. Online interactions are beneficial but reach only those youth with the access and resources for digital connections.

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The AU is responsible for enabling contact between the new envoy and its commission, regional economic communities and member states. For the incoming envoy, the task is to rebuild the momentum lost since February and tackle grave challenges on behalf of Africa's youth, such as unemployment, violent extremism and the difficulties caused by COVID-19.

Perhaps the new appointee's hardest task though will be convincing the AU Commission and member states to capacitate the Office of the Youth Envoy as a demonstration of support for sustained continental youth leadership.

Muneinazvo Kujeke, Research Officer, Peace Operations and Peacebuilding, ISS Pretoria

This ISS Today is published as part of the Training for Peace Programme (TfP) funded by the government of Norway.
press release

The Angaza Awards: Women to Watch in Banking and Finance program has opened the call for entries for the "2021 Top 10 Women to Watch" list to feature women across the various industries that make up the financial services sector. The entry period for the Award runs from 1st August 2021 to 30th October 2021.

"The common thread tied together all the 2020 participants, regardless of their country or industry, was the pursuit of excellence. The Top 10 Women to Watch are truly exceptional and stand head and shoulders above their peers in terms of delivering quantifiable results. That creates long-term impact for their firms, the economy and society," said Nuru Mugambi, Angaza Awards Chairperson and New Faces New Voices Kenya Founding Trustee. "We are excited to open up the Angaza Awards to the Continent, and we look forward to showcasing the amazing talent that we know is out there."

The 2021 Award follows last year's program, which covered the East Africa Region, was sponsored by Equity Bank Group and Old Mutual Ltd and attracted entries from Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The 2020 Angaza Awards ceremony featured Dr Nancy Onyango of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and New York Times Best-Selling Author Gail Evans as keynote speakers. It was supported by Graca Machel Trust and New Faces New Voices Kenya. This year, the Award seeks to recognize women from across Africa who shape the financial sector through their organizations.

"The Angaza Awards put a spotlight on my professional achievements for the first time, and concurrently brought attention to NCBA Bank, but most importantly raised the profile of female bankers in Rwanda. My reflections are on what I quoted from the media that says, "We thought there was only one female banker in Rwanda, until Angaza". Said Lina M. Higiro, Chief Executive Officer, NCBA Bank Rwanda PLC, was recognized as one of the Top 10 Women to Watch in Banking and Finance.

"Angaza Awards 2020 has built my credibility in the international space and validated my outstanding position back home," said Millicent Omukaga, Advisor on Women Empowerment and Financial Inclusion at African Development Bank Group, who was also recognized. "Highlighting my achievements made me stand out as a solid banking and finance professional among my peers," she added.

The 2021 Pan-African Awards judging panel includes:

Catherine Musakali, Women on Boards Network (Kenya)

Esohe Denise Odaro, Head of Investor Relations, International Finance Corporation (United States)

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Hedwige Nuyens, Managing Director, International Banking Federation (UK)

Yawa Hansen-Quao, Executive Director, Emerging Public Leaders (Ghana)

Maxwell Pirikisi, Board Member, Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (South Africa)

Joanita Lunkuse - Jaggwe, Expert on Financing, Office of the Prime

Minister, Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (Uganda)

Luke Ombara, Director of Regulatory Policy and Strategy, Capital Markets Authority (Kenya)

The Angaza Award criteria include assessing the applicants' area of responsibility and contribution to firm performance. Scores are also awarded for achievement that transcends the institution and results in sector or community shared value creation. Professionals in Banking,

Capital Markets, Insurance, Investment Banking, Fintech, Fund Management, Microfinance, and Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) are invited to submit their applications or nominations via the Award Web page at www.AngazaAwards.com.

The Graca Machel Trust supports this great initiative as a way of celebrating women movers and shakers in the finance sector!

Watch the 2020 Awards here.

This article was compiled by Nuru Mugambi, Angaza Awards Chairperson and New Faces New Voices Kenya Founding Trustee.
opinion

The seizure of power by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday was a brazen usurpation of the constitutional order, a selfish effort to protect the privileges of the army, and a betrayal of a succession of promises he himself had made.

Al-Burhan's action is a military coup, pure and simple: a power grab in defiance of a constitutional order which was as precious as it was fragile. It is an unconstitutional change in government that should automatically lead to Sudan's suspension from the African Union until such time as the legitimate order is restored. In this case, legitimate order does not mean a new formula contrived by the general himself in order to preserve his own stolen status, under which he puts in place his lackeys who, should they accept his offers, will show not only that they are for sale in Sudan's political marketplace but also that their price is cheap. For nobody has any confidence that al-Burhan will be anything other than a minor clone of his deposed mentor, Omar al-Bashir, who ran Sudan in this manner for three decades, leaving it in a desperate state inherited by the democratic revolution.

No, a return to constitutional legitimacy in Sudan means at minimum that al-Burhan steps down from power, as he was legally obliged to do next month when his term as the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council expired.

The general's putsch has shown him to be unpatriotic--he is pursuing private or factional interests regardless of the cost to the Sudanese people as a whole.

A national leader is prepared to make sacrifices--as an individual, as a representative of a constituency--for the greater good of the country. Such self-denying steps are particularly essential in times of hardship when the future of the nation is in the balance. Nobody pretended that the transition to democracy after the April 2019 revolution would be anything other than troubled and painful, requiring concessions from all involved.

For the army those necessary compromises start with reducing its bloated numbers and budget. It would mean dismantling the military's toxic penetration of the economy, so that officers no longer control the most lucrative commercial sectors. It would mean unpicking the networks of corruption that they have over decades woven throughout the economy.

A patriotic spirit would require that military leaders are ready to face accountability before the public for the violations perpetrated during the rule of al-Bashir and in the weeks after the democratic revolution, when peaceful protesters were brutally massacred in the streets of Khartoum. Perhaps if the generals were ready to be frank and repentant, there would be an opening for reconciliation and forgiveness, a compromise in pursuit of a common future. On the other hand, if the soldiers arrogantly regard themselves as above the law, then those options are foreclosed.

Justice was one of the central calls for the revolutionaries who put their lives on the line in the street protests and the sit-in around the military headquarters. It was agreed as a component of the Constitutional Declaration.

Over the last two years, the size and spending of the army has expanded, even while the national economy has been in crisis. There is now, belatedly, progress towards stabilizing the economy with debt relief and financial aid. That is all in jeopardy now.

Al-Burhan has said that he staged the coup to 'prevent war'. In reality, it not only threatens bloodshed on the streets but also puts the incomplete peace process at risk. The biggest armed groups in Darfur and South Kordofan were still negotiating with the government on the terms of a peace deal. The success of those peace talks is now in doubt.

Rather than continue with the often slow and frustrating process of dialogue with civilians, al-Burhan put his personal and factional interests first, holding out the false promise of decisive leadership. It's a betrayal of Sudan.

Finally, al-Burhan has proved himself untrustworthy. He signed the Constitutional Declaration and a host of other commitments. Just last weekend he met with the US Special Envoy, Jeff Feldman. Al-Burhan said he was thinking of taking power but was either too confused, timid or dishonest to be frank and to understand the clear message that Feldman conveyed: 'don't do it'. Within hours of Feldman's departure, the general made his power grab.

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And no decisive leadership has been on show. Al-Burhan has been hesitant and clumsy, a poor actor on a big stage who cannot properly remember his lines. The perfidy of Sudan's non-leader is plain for all to see.

*See also this piece published on the BBC.

Alex de Waal is Research Professor and Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at The Fletcher School, Tufts University. He was the founding editor of the African Arguments book series. He is the author of The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power.

Debating Ideas is a new section that aims to reflect the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It will offer debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books.
analysis

Several days of fighting between government troops and militia have heightened political uncertainty over the long-overdue national polls. In addition, there is still no agreement on the electoral procedure.

After weeks of heated disputes between the outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and his Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over the disappearance of a female spy, the two men finally agreed to move on. According to a deal signed by Farmajo and Roble, "speeding up elections is a top priority."

Somalia currently has no legitimate national authority. The mandates of the federal institutions expired in February and cannot constitutionally be extended. But there has been a political understanding that the incumbents remain in office pending an electoral process to establish a new parliament and government.

"That understanding is now fraying because the electoral process is months behind schedule. Villa Somalia [Somalia's Presidential Palace] has been systematically frustrating the process at every turn and trying to manipulate the election model for its benefit," said Horn of Africa expert Matthew Bryden. "If so, then there is a very real risk that some political stakeholders will lose patience and that the fragile understanding that currently maintains stability may begin to disintegrate," Bryden told DW.

Insecurity remains a significant challenge

Somalia's al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has already vowed to disrupt the electoral process. To make matters worse, fighting between regional forces supported by the federal army and the once allied moderate Sufi militias in Galgaduud province of central Somalia has killed more than 100 people. The clashes injured another 200 others.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Sufi leader Sheikh Mohamed Shakir Ali Hassan said the central government deployed more troops from Mogadishu to Guri-El and used excessive force as the national army clashed with the group.

The violence affected medical services in the district, causing massive destruction at two hospitals in the area. As a result, more than 100,000 people fled to neighboring villages.

"We cannot describe the level of destruction by the conflict here in Guri-El district," Anas Abdi, a district commissioner, told DW. "But we are committed to all we can to bring those affected and displaced people back to the district, get assistance and restart their livelihood."

The fight against al-Shabab

The moderate Sufi group claimed it had taken over the area to intensify fighting al-Shabab insurgents in the region. However, both state and central government officials believe the group's leaders were regrouping in an attempt to influence the regional administration in the upcoming elections.

Somalia's best-trained counter-terrorism forces are being used to fight another force [the Sufi moderate group] that has had great success fighting al-Shabab, according to Jay Bahadur, a Somalia political analyst and researcher based in Nairobi.

"The president of Somalia's constitutional term limit expired in February, and he has since been using foreign-trained security forces to cling to power," Bahadur said. "Most recently, he's turned the Danab battalion - Somalia's most elite counter-terrorism force - against a militia that has historically had the greatest success fighting against al-Shabab.

"This should be an issue of particular concern to the United States, which has trained and equipped the Danab battalion at great expense. The only party benefiting from the president's actions is al-Shabab," the Canadian-born author known for writing a book on piracy in Somalia, added.

No concession on the electoral process

Very little progress has been made on the clan-based elections where five regional states choose 52 members of the senate . The upper house consists of 54 seats in total.

Moreover, there is no meaningful agreement or deadline on critical aspects of the electoral procedures. The indecision has enormous potential for further disputes and delays about the list of 275 lower house members or house of representatives.

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The national indirect clan-based election, a highly complex system of governance in Somalia for the last 20 years, was pushed back several times due to federal and state-level disagreements over procedures.

Initially, Somali political stakeholders had agreed that only two candidates should run for the senate seat.

The regional leaders had given the authority to identify the two persons eligible to run for a seat. Then the regional parliament for each state had to decide which candidate goes to the senate in a vote.

Unlike the senate, the lower house of parliament, which comprises 275 members, is selected by 27,775 clan delegates. In other words, it is not a universal suffrage election or a one-person, one-vote system. But clan elders will pick -- by hand -- a total of 27,775 delegates to select the 275 lawmakers. Thus, there are 101 delegates for each lower house seat.
Nairobi  Private sector producers of electricity in Kenya Wednesday launched the Electricity Sector Association of Kenya (ESAK) which is made up of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), private participants in the development of captive power plants for commercial and industrial facilities, as well as participants in the electricity transmission and distribution value chains.

George Aluru the ESAK Chairperson, said the main goal for the body was to harness the abilities of the private sector in contributing to the development of a sustainable sector.

The first order of business for ESAK he said would be to address the negative publicity around IPP participation in the power sector and outline an agenda around delays in licensing and approvals leading to long lead times and high development costs.

"The association is seized with a myriad of challenges, chief of them being how to support economic growth by attracting investment in electricity while ensuring sustainability where the customer, utilities, and generators all benefit equally," said Aluru.

Others are the lack of stability in laws especially around taxation as well as supporting the current focus on the financial stability of Kenya Power, the sole off-taker of locally generated electricity capacity.

"ESAK supports the activities geared towards improving the wellbeing of Kenya Power and we welcome any collaboration with the Government to this end. We acknowledge that there is insufficient understanding around IPP involvement and how the sector works. ESAK will continue to constructively engage stakeholders offering partnership, data-driven and accurate information on the state of the sector", said Aluru

Victor Ogalo the Deputy CEO at KEPSA in charge of Competitiveness and Operations said despite the current challenges, Kenya's energy sector is well developed with widespread private sector participation compared to other developing countries.

"The ongoing further unbundling of the sector under The Energy Act 2019 is also expected to allow for increased competition in the generation, transmission, and retail of electricity with anticipated direct consumer gains in improved efficiencies and cost reductions while attracting further private sector investments", he added.
Jos  The impeached Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Abok Ayuba, on Thursday held a parallel plenary following the his impeachment.

The embattled speaker alongside other members of the house held the session at Zawan Community Hall in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of the state.

The session, presided by Hon Abok was reported to have suspended six members said to have spearheaded his impeachment.

Daily Trust had reported how Abok was impeached in the early hours of Thursday following the endorsement of 16 out of the 24 members of the house.

Briefing journalists shortly after the sitting, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Philip Dasu, who s loyal to the Abok, said "The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes a clear provision for the impeachment of the Speaker. it requires a 2/3 majority. We are 24 and we are supposed to have a minimum of 16 members to sign and affirm the impeachment of the Speaker.

"To our greatest surprise, we were in the House today very early in the morning when we got an information that there was an attempt to impeach our Speaker. I went and I found seven people and I was the eighth person before the rest came.

"We are not in agreement with what happened. The Governor is a lawyer and knows the constitution. He will not accept that illegal process, if he does, it is left for him to battle with his profession."
Estos recursos nos permitiran financiar proyectos y gastos que generen impactos positivos sobre el medio ambiente, y promuevan el acceso equitativo y de calidad a los servicios de salud, vivienda, y educacion, como parte de nuestro objetivo de cierre de brechas.

2/2
? El presidente @PedroCastilloTe y ministros de Estado participaran en el Encuentro Presidencial y VI Gabinete Ministerial Binacional Bolivia-Peru, en La Paz.

???????? Ambos paises impulsaran, a traves del dialogo politico, la agenda bilateral, en beneficio de nuestros pueblos. pic.twitter.com/3mtiAnTvP0
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The civil service system in Armenia is in the active phase of reforms, Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan said at a discussion on the European Union Twinning Project Support to Further Implementation of Civil Service Reform in Armenia.

I am hopeful that the issues raised during this discussion will contribute with their important solutions to the modernization of the sector, and will approximate the civil service system with the European Unions guidelines, he said.

Papikyan added that Armenia always highly appreciates cooperation. In his words, there is great potential in the cooperating sides, and the utilization of this potential is an important cornerstone for the reforms which is contributing to the continuous cooperation between Armenia and the EU.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. On October 28th Lilit Makunts, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Unites States of America, met with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D - California), Member of Congressional Caucus of Armenian Issues, the Armenian Embassy said in a statement on social media.

Ambassador Makunts presented the five-year program of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, in particular, the foreign policy priorities, as well as the commitment to the implementation of the democratic reforms.

The interlocutors discussed the current situation in Armenia caused by the coronavirus, in that regard Ambassador thanked Congressman for her efforts and support to Armenia in fight against the pandemic.

Congresswoman Eshoo expressed her concern over the situation followed by the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and support to the Armenian people in overcoming the created challenges.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received members of the Atlantic Council, his Office said today.

The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, founded in 1961. It manages ten regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosperity.

Before visiting Armenia, the members of the Council visited Azerbaijan and Georgia. The purpose of the regional visit is to explore the situation in the three South Caucasian countries, the operation of democratic institutions there, as well as to understand the causes and possible developments of the situation in the region.

The guests addressed questions to President Sarkissian about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the recent developments, the 2020 war, the post-war situation in Armenia, the level of democracy and the future programs.

The President introduced the essence of the Artsakh issue, presented the humanitarian problems caused by the war and stated that Azerbaijan is still refusing to return the Armenian prisoners of war.

Talking about the contemporary world, the Armenian President said that the latest technological and scientific developments have made the world unpredictable and instable. He said that the key guarantee of becoming successful in such a world is to effectively use the human resources.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. A Russian border guard truck crashed 150 meters into a gorge in Armenia, leaving 1 dead and another injured, the emergency situations ministry reported.

The incident happened midday October 29 in the 80th kilometer of the Yerevan-Meghri road, near Tigranashen.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, Archbishop Raphael Minassian.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan once again congratulated His Holiness Raphael Bedros on the occasion of being elected the 21st Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics.

Your Holiness,

I am glad to see you, this time in the new status, and I want to congratulate you first of all on being elected Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church. We highly appreciate the activity of the Armenian Catholic Church in preserving and developing the identity of our people. The undeniable contribution made by the representatives of the Armenian Catholic Church to the Mekhitarist Congregation and the Zmmar Congregation is widely recognized.

I am very glad that you have been elected Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church, taking into account that you have, in fact, been active in the Republic of Armenia for the last 10 years.

Of course, leading a larger diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church, but your main residence was in the Republic of Armenia, which means that you are better aware of the problems, nuances, peculiarities of Armenia. I think that your choice in this regard will further contribute to our cooperation, to making it more effective. "

Catholicos Patriarch of Armenian Catholics said,

Mr. Prime Minister,

I am very thankful to you for your sincere expressions, feelings, and I am deeply touched, first of all, that you were the first, even prior to the Catholics, to congratulate me on my election to this new post. I keep in my heart that, in the end, I am seen as a dear son of my nation, as you noted, and be sure, all these sacrifices that you are making are in our hearts.

We have nothing else to do but remember you in prayers, in a special way, so that the kindest God can truly support you, protect you, and lead you to good, peaceful shores. It is our wish, our dear feelings towards you, and also towards our homeland.

The interlocutors exchanged views on preservation of the Armenian identity, strengthening of Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora unity, state-church ties, and the cooperation of the secular and spiritual authorities in this direction. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Catholicosate of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics has a great role in strengthening the spiritual values of our people, preserving the national identity and cultural heritage, and that the Armenian Government will continue to contribute to that cause.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. As a result of the coordinated actions taken by the head of Tegh community Davit Ghulunts, Armenian and Russian border guards, the Azerbaijani side returned 106 sheep stolen from a resident of Kornidzor, Syunik Province on October 22, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Facebook page of Tegh Municipality.

The communitys municipality also noted that the recent media reports by the Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan that the Azerbaijanis had entered the administrative territory of Kornidzor and stolen the livestock is misinformation. The municipality urged everyone not to distort any information, to wait for the official statements of the local municipality, noting that if necessary, they are ready to cooperate with everyone.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had separate meetings with Hovig Safoian, Chairman of SADA Company and Ara Mahdessian, Co-founder of ServiceTitan Company, which operate in the field of high technologies, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

During both meetings, the Prime Minister highlighted the activities of the above-mentioned companies in the field of high technology, emphasizing that this area is one of the Government priorities. Nikol Pashinyan added that the Government is interested in the development of IT companies, the expansion of the latter as a result of new investments, and the creation of jobs. The Prime Minister noted that during such meetings he is ready to discuss issues of concern to those companies, opportunities to provide appropriate assistance to the companies within the framework of Government tools.

Hovig Safoian, referring to the activities of SADA company, noted that the branch of the company operating in Armenia now has 30 employees, but they plan to increase that number to 350 as a result of new investment programs in the near future. He added that the company cooperates with a number of leading companies in the world, including Google, develops various software solutions, including in the field of education. Mr. Safoian noted that in particular, the platform designed for the sphere of education, which was developed in cooperation with Google, was introduced in the education systems of different countries, and is ready to be introduced in Armenia in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the initiative, noting that he will instruct the responsible Government departments to discuss with Mr. Safoian the opportunities of cooperation in that direction.

Ara Mahdessian, Co-founder of ServiceTitan, provided details about the company's activities and upcoming programs. He noted that the company's Armenian office, which was established in 2018, already has 200 employees, the amount of investments in Armenia has reached $40 million. Mr. Mahdessian emphasized that the Armenian team is constantly expanding, new departments with new specializations are being opened, and investment projects will continue to develop. The programs are aimed at the continuous growth of the company, product improvement, training and involvement of the best specialists.

Prime Minister Pashinyan welcomed the successful operation of ServiceTitan, adding that both this company and other successful organizations in the field contribute to the continuous development of the high technology sector in Armenia. In this regard, the Prime Minister highlighted the preparation of highly qualified specialists and the steps taken to ensure their long-term activities in Armenia.
US President Joe Biden arrived in Rome to take part in the G20 summit, the White House said in a press release.

October 29, 2021, 10:08 Biden arrives in Rome for G20 summit

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARTSAKHPRESS: Biden is scheduled to have a private audience with Pope Francis later on Friday.

The US President is also scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italys President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

On October 30-31 Biden will take part in the G20 sessions dedicated to economy and other key international issues.

Then, Biden will head off to Glasgow to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).
On October 28th Lilit Makunts, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Unites States of America, met with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D - California), Member of Congressional Caucus of Armenian Issues, the Armenian Embassy said in a statement on social media.

October 29, 2021, 11:32 US Congresswoman expresses concern over situation followed by 2020 Artsakh War

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARTSAKHPRESS: Ambassador Makunts presented the five-year program of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, in particular, the foreign policy priorities, as well as the commitment to the implementation of the democratic reforms.

The interlocutors discussed the current situation in Armenia caused by the coronavirus, in that regard Ambassador thanked Congressman for her efforts and support to Armenia in fight against the pandemic.

Congresswoman Eshoo expressed her concern over the situation followed by the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and support to the Armenian people in overcoming the created challenges.
President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received members of the Atlantic Council, his Office said today.

October 29, 2021, 14:21 Armenian President Sarkissian presents essence of Artsakh issue to Atlantic Council members

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, founded in 1961. It manages ten regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosperity.

Before visiting Armenia, the members of the Council visited Azerbaijan and Georgia. The purpose of the regional visit is to explore the situation in the three South Caucasian countries, the operation of democratic institutions there, as well as to understand the causes and possible developments of the situation in the region.

The guests addressed questions to President Sarkissian about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the recent developments, the 2020 war, the post-war situation in Armenia, the level of democracy and the future programs.

The President introduced the essence of the Artsakh issue, presented the humanitarian problems caused by the war and stated that Azerbaijan is still refusing to return the Armenian prisoners of war.

Talking about the contemporary world, the Armenian President said that the latest technological and scientific developments have made the world unpredictable and instable. He said that the key guarantee of becoming successful in such a world is to effectively use the human resources.
A 1-month-old baby infected with COVID-19 died at a Yerevan hospital.

October 29, 2021, 14:57 1-month-old baby infected with COVID-19 dies in Yerevan

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The Yerevan State Medical University Chief of Staff Shushan Danielyan said in a statement that the baby died in the morning of October 29 at the ICU of the Muratsan hospital, where it was admitted on October 19.

[the baby] was put on ventilator on October 26, Danielyan said. Listen to experts, get vaccinated and protect yourself and your loved ones from this menacing disease.
On October 29, the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Migration of the Republic of Artsakh provided washing machines to 200 displaced families.

October 29, 2021, 16:45 Displaced families provided with washing machines

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARTSAKHPRESS: Ani Tovmasyan, Head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Migration of the Republic of Artsakh, told Artsakhpress that the assistance was transferred to the ministry by the Armenian community of Krasnodar, Russia.

"Individuals from both Russia and Artsakh assisted in the purchase of the washing machines. The initiators of the donation, together with the Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Migration of the Artsakh Republic Armine Petrosyan, personally followed the process of delivering humanitarian aid to the citizens.

According to Azatouhi Simonyan, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Artsakh on Diaspora Affairs, the program was launched with her active mediation and in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Migration of the Republic of Artsakh .

"In the previous days, washing machines were also provided to some families temporarily residing in Armenia; the choice of the families was made by the community," said A. Simonyan.

Marianna Baghryan who has been displaced from the Avetaranots community of Artsakhs Askeran region, is one of the beneficiaries of this program. She thanked the Armenian community of Krasnodar and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Migration of the Republic of Artsakh for providing a washing machine to her family.
OLDWICK, N.J., October 29, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Bests Andrea Keenan will participate in a panel discussion about lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic at the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) Americas Digital Conference on Nov. 9. The one-hour session, titled "Strategic Learnings from the Pandemic," begins at 10 a.m. (EST). This event is virtual.

Keenan, the executive vice president and chief strategy officer of AM Best Rating Services, Inc., will be joined on the panel by Thomas Holzheu, chief economist, Americas for the Swiss Re Institute, and Peter Manchester, global insurance consulting leader and insurance leader for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) at EY. They will address socio-economic and financial learnings from the pandemic; how the industry is likely to change in the future; and COVID-19s impact on customer behaviors.

For more information, please visit ICMIFs conference page.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005511/en/

Contacts

Kate Smith

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5817

kate.smith@ambest.com



Jim Peavy

Director, Communications

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644

james.peavy@ambest.com
Half of Indigenous Australians aged 16 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as Aboriginal leaders seek an urgent prime ministerial meeting about failings in the rollout.

The figure was revealed as concerns were raised about more than 200 Indigenous workers at remote community stores, mostly in the Northern Territory, still unvaccinated two weeks out from that jurisdiction's jab mandate deadline.

National Indigenous Australians Agency head Blair Exell has told a Senate estimates hearing 50.4 per cent of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16-plus are double-dosed.

About 63 per cent had received one dose.

"Pleasingly, we are seeing Indigenous vaccination rates climb," Mr Exell said on Friday.

Across the country, about 76 per cent of all over-16s are double-dosed and nearly 88 per cent have received one dose.

A total of 6283 Indigenous Australians had been infected with the virus up until Wednesday.

About one in 10 have been hospitalised, with 13 dying in NSW.

More than 20 Aboriginal leaders and health professionals have sought a meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and his ministers for health and Indigenous Australians.

Signatories including Professor Marcia Langton are "gravely concerned" about the low take-up of vaccines among Indigenous communities.

There is alarm about the lack of "realistic or actionable contingency plans" to deal with outbreaks agreed to by Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and Indigenous experts.

"It is evident that quarantine is currently near-impossible for those in overcrowded housing, as well as those without ready access to food, grocery and pharmaceutical delivery services," the letter said.

The commonwealth-owned Outback Stores company said all of the organisation's 109 frontline employees were fully vaccinated.

But it's estimated just 15 to 20 per cent of 284 Indigenous people employed by Aboriginal corporations who work in the stores are jabbed, two weeks out from the Northern Territory's November 12 vaccine deadline.

Story continues

Outback Stores chief executive Michael Borg was "reasonably comfortable" of making progress in coming weeks.

"But I know that there will be some individuals that will be a little bit hesitant," he said, adding some "tough discussions" would be needed.

Outback Stores hoped to get through another 150 vaccinations in the next fortnight so workers, mostly in the NT, could keep their jobs.

The territory government is requiring swathes of workers including in community stores to have a first dose by November 12 to keep their jobs, with full vaccination due by December 24.

The Northern Land Council said it was "working against some pretty silly social media messaging coming from kind of crazy church groups".

"I don't understand it," acting chief executive Joe Martin-Jard said.

"But we're asking people to stop listening to social media and to get advice from their Aboriginal health practitioners or their doctor or nurse to tell them the truth."

Mr Martin-Jard could not say what proportion of the council's Indigenous workforce remained unvaccinated.

Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner said about 66 Indigenous staff members were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

It had a $500 vaccination incentive, but not everyone elected to take the money.
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Co-owner of Aviation Gin, Ryan Reynolds, still promotes the drink on an occasional basis. (PHOTO: PA/Getty Images)

Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds was a proud owner of American Aviation Gin, a craft gin brand thats produced in Portland. He has since sold the brand to Diageo August this year for a sweet US$610 million, but still remains as someone who has ongoing ownership interest.

According to a press release, the gin inhibits a regionally inspired flavour hinting of smoke and freshly cut grass as the pleasantly heavy rye and spice make an entrance. The gin is also infused with a blend of botanicals including cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper, and two kinds of orange peel.

Aviation Gin. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore)

This is what Reynolds has to say about his brand, "I've tried every gin on the planet and Aviation is, hands down, the best. Also, I don't recommend trying every gin on the planet. Stick with this one."

You can order a bottle (or two) of Aviation Gin from Amazon Singapore, at S$80 (usual price S$99).

Brad Pitt poses with a bottle of Fleur de Miraval. (PHOTO: Fleur de Miraval)

Fleur de Miraval

Now you can savour a taste of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolies highly anticipated champagne, Fleur de Miraval, in Singapore at Sushi Kou. Made available in Singapore, the exclusive rose champagne with only 20,000 bottles produced, will be stocked at exquisite Japanese omakase establishment, Sushi Kou, which is the very first restaurant in Singapore to serve this first edition, celebrity bubbly.

Fleur de Miraval rose is a blend of 75 per cent Chardonnay and 25 per cent Pinot Noir, aged in a cellar for three years before release. It was made using the old-world saignee method, which bleeds off a portion of the pressed juice after it has been in contact with the skins and seeds to give the rose champagne an aromatic profile.

Story continues

Sushi Kou

Address: Holiday Inn Orchard, 11 Cavenagh Road, #01-13/14, Singapore 229616

Operating hours: Wed-Mon 12-3pm & 6-10:30pm (closed on Tuesdays)

Casamigos

Casamigos Blanco Tequila was launched by actor George Clooney, Randy Gerber (supermodel Cindy Crawfords husband) and Mike Meldman in 2013.

Four years after its debut, the brand was acquired by Diageo, the worlds largest spirits conglomerate for a reported cool sum of US$1 billion.

You can order a bottle of Casamigos Blanco Tequila from Amazon Singapore, at S$120

Ciroc Vodka. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore)

You may know hip-hop artist Sean Diddy Combs or better known as Diddy today  the music mogul incurred a fortune of over US$800 million, thanks to the equal-share venture of his vodka brand with Diageo.

The five-times-distilled vodka, which is made using grape spirit, is floral and perfumed, with fruity raspberry and rose petal notes.

You can order Ciroc Vodka from Amazon Singapore, at S$72

Always drink responsibly. Visit Health Hub for advice.

*Strictly for non-Muslims aged 18 and above.
Ohio artist Christine Mauersberger discovered her love of fiber arts in 1977, when the then-17-year-old toured Fiberworks, an exhibition of 49 textile artists at The Cleveland Museum of Art. It was one of the first contemporary fiber arts exhibits to be held in a major art museum.

I saw the large-scale artworks of 49 international contemporary fiber artists, she said. Each was considered a pioneer in the growth of textiles as a medium for artistic expression. I was mesmerized by each piece and dazzled by the prospects of what I could achieve in my work.

The results of that discovery can be seen in the Schweinfurth Art Centers Davis Family Gallery, where Mauersbergers exhibition Marks Made will be on display through Jan. 9. Her artwork, which ranges from small, hand-stitched pieces to room-sized hanging installations, fills the gallery.

My work has evolved from drawing and sewing small works to designing and executing large permanent installations, she said. I see a continuation in working in the same vein. Making small works are happy moments for me. They allow me to finish something with relative ease while concurrently working on larger pieces.

Mauersbergers journey to full-time artist didnt start immediately after seeing Fiberworks. Instead, she spent 20 years working in the financial field while taking classes at night and on weekends.

Throughout my post-graduate years, I continued to take specialized classes in lacemaking, quilting, printmaking and drawing, she recalled. I didnt know how to make the leap from working for someone else to working for myself. As I think back to that time, I now know that fear is what kept me from moving towards my goal as an artist.

She finally quit at the end of 2009 to devote herself full-time to her art.

Quilts in Auburn gallery's annual show have personal, pandemic subjects Many artworks in this years "Quilts=Art=Quilts" exhibition at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn tell a story. The story that Lena Meszaro

With all her work, no matter its size, Mauersberger begins with thinking and drawing.

Each work is planned out for logistical purposes, she said. I use my drawing as a thinking process, then I consider the tools I will use to create the outcome I have visualized.

When her piece will be hand-sewn, she doodles ideas or reviews past marks, then decide on the material  paper or fabric  and thread.

I think about what makes me happy, and which material I want to spend time with: a material that feels good, looks nice, and inspires my sense of well-being, she said.

There are some instances when Mauersberger stitches without a plan, usually when she is in extreme emotional distress.

For instance, when a loved-one has died, I am filled with such grief that I can only express and sooth my interior space with stitch, she explained. In these moments, my hands work in complete concert with my brain, transferring thoughts onto fabric through stitch.

Her piece Warm and Safe, made after her father died, is one example. She found what seemed like an old Army blanket in a thrift store that was the color of old, woolen Boy Scout uniforms. She stitched a circle in the center, and incorporated a cross made from an old scarf that her father inherited from his former Scoutmaster. Making it was Mauersbergers way of working through her grief.

All of her hand-stitched pieces are made from personal experiences, whether sad or happy, so they are never for sale. However, Mauersberger is happy to make commissioned artwork, especially large-scale installations.

My fear falls by the wayside when I step into this arena, she said.

For a recent large-scale commission for the Moxy Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, the client wanted her to use blue jeans, belts, zippers and other materials to evoke the fashion industry, but said the work should not look like clothes. The hotel was located in a region of the country where many fashion designers work.

I used a 3-D raster computer program to create multi-layered drawings and present the design, she said. Wrapped is the largest textile work Ive ever made.

Mauersbergers installation Timelines, which fills a corner of the Davis Family Gallery, actually began as a smaller piece she made following the death of her mother on Aug. 16, 2012.

I was never so sad in my life, she said. Concurrently, I also knew that I wanted to move away from small hand-stitched pieces into 3-D work.

In her mind, she heard the frequent admonition of her mother: If you think of it, do it. So Mauersberger did it.

In my studio, I had this material called Rubylith. In a moment of inspiration, I thought, what if I cut the Rubylith into strips and sewed it to tulle? Then hung it so the lines would appear to float?

Within two weeks, she had created a small, 8-foot-wide piece that, along with 11 other artworks, earned her the Ohio Arts Council Award of Individual Excellence and a Creative Workforce Fellowship in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

That was when Mauersberger believes she became a professional artist.

After that, I started my website, I started reaching out to other artists, she said. In 2016, she began teaching, including a recently completed stitching workshop at the Schweinfurth.

She later expanded the concept of her floating lines into Timelines.

After I made it, I thought, wouldnt it be great if you could walk around it and enjoy it? she said. Its so simple. Its meant to be joyful and happy.

Thats how Mauersberger describes her life now.

I waited my whole life for this, she said. I worked, knowing that there was something else I should be doing. I dont want to be doing anything that doesnt make me happy.

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.

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Every Friday, The Citizen features a pet available for adoption from the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York. This week, we spotlight Athena.

AGE: 3 years old

BREED: Pit bull terrier

COMMENTS: Beautiful Athena has been with us since midsummer. We won't go into her unfortunate past, but she is a very lucky girl to have found her way to us! We love her and really want her to find her new family  sooner rather than later.

Athena is 3 years old. Sadly, Athena did not get the attention she so deserved in her previous life. She is enthusiastic about everything she does. She is extraordinarily smart and has learned so much during the past few months. We recommend at least basic obedience training for Athena. Please check in with shelter staff for training recommendations.

Athena is spayed, up to date on all vaccinations (rabies, distemper, kennel cough), negative for heartworm disease and on monthly preventives.

Athena is beautiful, smart, loving and ready to move on. Please stop by to check her out.

Q. Who is your best friend?

A. That would be Bella! Or I should say it was Bella. We were housemates before we came here. She lived in a kennel down the hall, but she got lucky and her new family found her. My Bella is gone, but I am very happy for her and sad for me. I just can't think about a new BFF right now, but thank you for asking. If you see Bella, please tell her I miss her.

Q. If you could visit any place in the world where would that be?

A. Because we are curious canines, my shelter friends and I always want to visit the places where our ancestors came from. There are conflicting opinions on where pit bulls originated from. Some put us in Greece during the 1st century, where we worked as herding and working guard dogs. Others put us in England during the 10th century. So my ideal first trip would be to start in Greece and work my way over to England. Nothing strenuous, just a leisurely tour of the islands.

Q. Is there something special you would like our readers to know about you?

A. Well, there is! In case you hadn't noticed I am named after Athena, the Greek goddess of battle strategy and wisdom. I have many of the same attributes as she did. I like to think that wisdom is one of them, as in I have the wisdom to behave myself  LOL! In mythology, Athena was always accompanied by her pet owl and Nike, the goddess of victory. I have a very cool name and I try to live up to it.

Q. How would you describe yourself?

A. I'll try to be brief. I am a very nice girl. I love people and I like other dogs! I never got much attention in my former living situation, so I am looking for a home where I will get at least some basic obedience training. I love to run and play in the yard, so I'm hoping my new family will make time to exercise me every day. I'm a pretty simple girl and my needs are basic. You can talk to my shelter people about me. They love me and will be happy to give you a glowing report.

Q. If you could have a job, what would that be?

A. I think I might like to be a "sniffer" dog! Sniffer dogs can play many roles. They can work at airports to sniff out contraband, they can be military dogs and they can detect bombs. But what I would really like to do is help people! Many "sniffer" dogs can predict seizures, detect if your insulin levels are out of whack and many other things. I would even work for free, or for a few biscuits. Please let me know if you hear of any openings. Thank you.

Q. If you could meet someone famous, who would that be?

A. Now, I do know that Athena the goddess was part of Greek mythology, but if she was the real deal, so to speak, I would have loved to meet her. I mean, what could be cooler than meeting a real live goddess?

Q: Do you have any advice for our Citizen readers?

A. I do! In case you hadn't noticed, good people, the temperatures are dropping and soon it will be really, really cold out there! Did you know that there is a shelter law in New York state? Well, there is, and it is very specific about the type of shelter that you must provide for your pup if it spends any time outside. If you would like a copy of that law, please check in with my shelter people. They will be happy to help you. Better yet, keep your pup inside where it's warm and cozy! Thank you and much love and many licks. Athena and friends.

The Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York is a New York state-registered shelter/rescue, registration No. RR-181. Pursuant to Article 26-A, Section 408 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, the registrant is authorized to operate as a registered pet rescue, in compliance with such law.

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A Cayuga County jury has found an Auburn man guilty of forcible rape.

After a seven-day trial in Cayuga County Court, a jury found Brian Lawrence, 25, of 109 Washington St, Apt. 1, guilty of first-degree rape, a class B felony and second-degree trespass, a misdemeanor, according to a press release Thursday from Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann.

This is Lawrence's second felony conviction and he faces up to 25 years in prison with 20 years of post-release supervision, the DA said. Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 21.

The conviction stems from an incident on Dec. 20. At 10:26 a.m. that day, Auburn police were dispatched to Holley Street for a report of a barefoot woman walking in a bathrobe, while a man possessing a butcher knife followed her, police said at the time. The woman had called 911 and said the man raped her and that he might kill her. Police arrived and located the woman in a Seymour Street residence. The suspect, Lawrence, was found walking in the Seymour Street area and was detained.

During the course of the investigation, police discovered Lawrence entered the victims residence without her permission, using a key he took from another person. The investigation determined that while in the victims apartment, Lawrence forcefully raped her. Following the rape, Lawrence took a knife from the victims house. The victim made her way out of the apartment and started walking down Holley Street, looking for help, at which time Lawrence followed her while in possession of the knife. Police located a knife near the area where Lawrence was located.

Auburn Police Detective James Frost secured video surveillance footage of the interaction between the victim and the defendant immediately following the rape, as well as video surveillance footage of the victim fleeing while on the telephone with 911 and the defendant chasing after her, according to the DAs press release.

In addition to the evidence presented from the Dec. 20 incident, the jury heard a jail phone call that occurred three days prior to jury selection in which Lawrence tried to get the victim to lie under oath. She refused.

I commend this victim for coming forward and bravely testifying at trial despite how difficult it must have been reliving the trauma of that day in front of the jury and defendant," said Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano, who prosecuted the case. "The defendant, both directly and indirectly through victims own family, repeatedly tried to get her to lie on the witness stand. Thankfully, she was strong enough not to succumb to the combined pressure and testified truthfully.

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When it comes to political experience, voters have a wide spectrum to choose from this year for Auburn City Council.

One candidate has been holding and running for elected offices for more than two decades, another was a newcomer to politics eight years ago but is now seeking a third term, a third has successfully run for school board but is making a new venture into municipally elected service, and a fourth is running a first campaign for office.

They are all seeking one of the two four-year terms up for grabs in this year's election. In January, Councilor Debby McCormick announced she wouldn't be pursuing reelection. Incumbent Terry Cuddy is seeking a third term, and three other candidates  Ginny Kent, Tim Lattimore and Robert Otterstatter  stepped forward to run, as well.

Ginny Kent

Born and raised in Auburn, Democrat Ginny Kent said she has always been interested in what makes the city tick and felt this year presented the right opportunity to try for a council seat.

She's touting her varied experiences serving the community, including currently being the associate development director for the Cayuga Community College Foundation, formerly running Leadership Cayuga for 13 years and being the education coordinator for the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce. She also ran the chamber's grants information office.

"I felt this was sort of my time, my time in my career, and I'm more than willing to dedicate whatever time it takes to be a really effective city councilor," said Kent, who is also a former two-term elected Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education member.

Ginny Kent Age: 67 Family status: Married with two grown children Occupation: Associate director of development, Cayuga County Community College Foundation Education: B.S., Binghamton University, and A.A., Cayuga Community College Elected and/or community service experience: Auburn school district elected school board member, 2004-2010; Seymour Public Library Board of Trustees (elected), 2010 - present; Auburn Industrial Development Authority board member, 2006-2010; City of Auburn Comprehensive Planning Committee, 2008-2009; Auburn Beautification Commission, 2007- 2011; United Way Funds Distribution Committee, 2009-2017; Finger Lakes Community Arts Grants Panel Member, 2011-2015

Her additional public service experience includes serving as a Seymour Library trustee, being a founding member of the Auburn Beautification Commission, serving on the City of Auburn Comprehensive Planning Committee and the Auburn Industrial Development Authority.

It is important to support existing businesses, she said, so they have the resources to expand, keep current employees and hire new ones. Kent said she feels it is important to attract new businesses in the area through working with the Cayuga Economic Development Agency and other organizations "that help people explore and discover new businesses."

Another priority of Kent's is providing safe drinking water. A part of that, she said, would be the state approving the updated Owasco Lake Watershed rules and regulations passed at a joint meeting between the council and the Owasco Town Board last year. The state has yet to adopt the directives.

Once those are approved, the edicts are "going to start to have teeth and we will have that help to make sure these rules are being followed," Kent said. She added that she supports the work of the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council.

With opioid overdoes increasing in the city since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kent said she supports efforts such as the county's participation in the HEALing Communities Research Study, which analyzes overdose data and holds events distributing and training people in how to use Narcan. She also acknowledged the addiction recovery nonprofit Nick's Ride 4 Friends opened up a larger facility earlier this year through funding from the state's DRI grant to the city. She believes that resource is going to be able help people dealing with addiction and their families.

Kent said she feels the city needs to continue to find additional funding and other avenues to help those who are addicted. She said her family has been impacted by addiction, as well.

"This is something that really, really cuts across every socioeconomic status, every class, ethnicity, every community," she said. "It really is affecting everybody."

When explaining her support for Auburn's upcoming municipal-run ambulance service scheduled to begin Nov. 1, she said there have been delays in response time with the city's current provider, TLC Emergency Medical Services.

"I want our ambulance to be focused on the patient and being part of a team. When there's a medical emergency in town, you have the police and the fire department there to take care of whatever that situation is that caused the medical emergency, and now you will have the ambulance right there with them, taking care of that individual who needs their attention, and not concerned about making a profit," she said.

Kent also said she supports the city's distribution of American Rescue Plan money to support public health expenditures "to mitigate the pandemic issues that we're dealing with right now" and funds meant to address the outbreak's negative economic impacts. She also said she had an idea of using some of the funding to assist the Auburn Police Department, since there have been "fewer people stepping to take the test and try to become a police officer" along with several retirements over the last few years.

Kent believes the city's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was impressive.

The unexpected challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the focus on how we operated as a city, but it didn't stop our determination to keep moving, she wrote in her submission to The Citizen's candidate guide this year. Auburn maintained essential services and continued work on Downtown Revitalization projects and kept infrastructure projects on schedule, rebuilding the State Street Bridge and getting the South Street project underway.

Robert Otterstatter

A new arrival to Auburn-area elections is Robert Otterstatter, a Republican and co-owner of farm-to-table restaurant and coffee shop Octane Social House. He said he originally had no political aspirations when he moved back to his hometown. But he felt the city wasn't hearing his concerns.

"At some point you are dismissed just one too many times, and if you're not going to listen to me as a resident and you're not going to listen to me as a business owner, then maybe I need to fill one of the four (city council) seats and get my voice heard that way," he said.

If Otterstatter does secure a place on the council, one of his priorities would be making Auburn an area where families can find success. He believes one of the factors that would make that possible would be bringing more businesses in to Auburn, though he acknowledged "we are better off now than we were 10 years ago."

Robert Otterstatter Age: 50 Family status: Married with three children Occupation: Owner, Octane Social House (farm-to-table restaurant) Education: Doctorate in educational leadership Elected and/or community service experience: Recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush; BSA Eagle Scout; BSA Explorer Advisor 20+ years; National Chairman of Law Enforcement Exploring; local food pantry volunteer

However, he still feels there are additional opportunities. Otterstatter said he believes the majority of educated Auburn residents are not working in the city and are traveling to places like Syracuse and Rochester for their jobs. He would like to see more Auburn community members "live, work and play" in the city.

Otterstatter's prior experience includes being a commander with the Weld County Sheriff's Office in Colorado and being the English department chair at the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington D.C. before he moved back to Auburn with his family in 2018. He had been the commander of the school and community resource division for that county's sheriff's office, and he plans on applying his experience with crime prevention and breaking down "the barriers between law enforcement and the community" to the Auburn City Council if elected.

He is also focused on crime prevention, which he believes boils down to factors such as substance abuse, "staying one step ahead" of criminals and community policing.

In terms of addressing the opioid epidemic, he mentioned the different resources already present in the community, such as Nick's Ride 4 Friends, but he believes additional resources need to be available.

"If we had the resources behind us and we had people, whether it's our law enforcement or if it is social workers or a social element that simply goes out and has face-to-face interactions with our substance abusers, that would be far more effective," he said.

He also recommended that Auburn look at how other areas in the country have successfully handled substance abuse issues and emulate their processes. He also suggested looking into directing some of the federal American Rescue Plan funding toward those issues, adding that he feels it is important to make sure those funds are being used appropriately.

Otterstatter heavily criticized how the city handled the COVID-19 pandemic, calling the city's response "abysmal." He noted that in 2020, he and his wife would tune in to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's daily press conferences to receive updates on how the state has handling the outbreak, while "nobody from city council was reaching out to the public."

That said, he noted that city services, such as trash pickup and the police and fire departments responding to calls, continued throughout the pandemic but he wanted city personnel to have communicated with the city more, instead of deferring to the county or the state.

One issue Otterstatter mentions frequently on his social media pages is the city's declining population and how to combat that. He said he believes Auburn is losing its senior citizens due to increasingly high taxes, and younger people are leaving "because there's no place for them to find success locally. They feel as though they have to leave here to find success."

To deal with this, it would be important to talk to the city's youth and get them involved and "then we have to value the responses of our kids." Otterstatter said he is actively working on establishing a free weekly "youth cafe" at his business, where young people could have something to do.

On the issue of protecting the Owasco Lake watershed, Otterstatter said that Cuddy has been working on protection efforts for years but that harmful algal blooms continually appear in the lake each year.

"We've done lots of talking in the last eight years. We have to start acting," he said.

Terry Cuddy

Terry Cuddy, a Democrat who has been on the council since 2014, said one issue he is particularly passionate about is the protection of the Owasco Lake watershed, and said he's offended by the implication from some critics that he and the council haven't done enough. The health of the lake prompted him to run for council in the first place, since he was inspired to pursue a seat after he founded the Cayuga Anti-Fracking Alliance in 2011. He later founded Save Owasco Now! in 2016.

"Everyone thinks that once you get in office, then that's when you get things done. No, you still have to be active and mobilize people around the issue. When you're in office, it doesn't mean, 'Oh, I can make the decisions.' You have to build a coalition to get things happening," Cuddy said.

Terry Cuddy Age: 49 Family status: Married with one child Occupation: Teacher at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Education: Bachelor's degree from Alfred University and Master's degree from SUNY at Buffalo Elected and/or community service experience: Current city councilor since January 2014; Auburn Industrial Development Authority Board Member since 2014

He said that he is still waiting for the updated watershed rules and regulations to be approved by the state, noting that the Auburn and Owasco governments passed those rules in October 2020. Cuddy also cited other efforts such as the powder-activated carbon treatment system for the city of Auburn to treat toxins from harmful algal blooms, a system that has prevented toxins from getting into treated drinking water.

Cuddy has also frequently critiqued the Nine Element Plan to protect the lake that the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council and the county have been working on. That approach is an alternative to the Total Maximum Daily Load plan Cuddy has advocated for.

"I'm a critic of that avenue, I've always been a critic, so to think that I think everything's hunky dory, for somebody to say that about me, I think is unfair," he added.

"A lot more needs to be done to protect the watershed, and I will continue to fight for those protections, beyond the rules and regs. The rules and regs are a priority, but we need long-term planning for that."

Cuddy said he is proud Auburn has retained city employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and kept services going in the process.

"I just want to make sure that we can get out of this in a better place than we started," he said.

There are completed infrastructure projects he is proud of, such as the work on the North Division Street Bridge that was finished in 2019, the State Street Bridge replacement project the city had a ribbon cutting for in June and renovations through the city's networks of parks. The new Auburn Public Safety Building on Seminary Street and State Street Events Plaza are also nearing completion.

Cuddy, a teacher with Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, said one of his priorities if reelected would be educational programming in the city's parks focused on citizenship, adding that he sees opportunities for partnerships with BOCES and the county.

"I think this is a good time to get young people into the idea of service to a community, service to help give back to society, the idea of civics and how government can work for people," he said. "As the pandemic ends and there's so much division, I think it's time to really identify the good things that make us American and that is this idea of community and doing for others."

Auburn's population has decreased from the 2010 U.S. Census to the 2020 Census. When asked about the change, Cuddy noted the city's population has been decreasing for decades, just as it has for most upstate New York communities.

"We can't judge a city's success based purely on population. It comes down to quality of life. So when I drive around Auburn, I see some progress over the last seven and a half years. I think the quality of life has improved," he said. "The population has decreased slightly and decreased in line with other communities of our size, but I drive in the surrounding communities and I don't see the kind of activity and the teeming growth that I see in Auburn."

In terms of how the city has handled the pandemic, he said the state, county and federal governments have taken the lead, but said the city is "always on standby." He also mentioned the city's efforts such as having firefighters become vaccinators, holding clinics on city-run property and assisting the Cayuga County Health Department "in any way we can," in addition to providing services to Auburnians on an everyday basis.

Tim Lattimore

Republican Tim Lattimore has been involved in the community for decades, including being a former councilor and mayor of Auburn and currently serving his third and final term as a Cayuga County legislator. With this council bid  one he is making after losing four straight mayoral runs  he hopes to continue the work he has done over the years.

"When I leave this Earth, I want people to say I left it better then when I found it," Lattimore said.

Having been born in Auburn, lived in the city most of his life and raised his children here, he feels invested in the area's success. A broker at the insurance company Aversa Agency Inc., he wants people who were raised in the area as children to stay to live in the city.

Tim Lattimore Age: 71 Family status: Divorced with four grown children Occupation: Insurance agent for 45 years; work out of Aversa Agency Inc. Education: Associate's degree at Auburn Community's degree (Now Cayuga Community College); bachelor's degree from West Virginia University Elected and/or community service experience: City council for four years; mayor for four years; 12 years as a Cayuga County Legislator; 10 years on the city and the county planning board

One of his priorities if elected would be to expand the tax base for the city and the county, arguing "If there's more people pulling the tax wagon, the load is a lot less," as he feels the middle class is being "squeezed." Lattimore said also he would want to work with the Democrats on the council, of which there is currently a majority. He has been collaborating with those on different ends of the political spectrum for years, while noting he would not be afraid to speak his mind.

"I have no problem getting along with people as long as they want to do the right thing," Lattimore said. "I'll work with anybody who wants to make this place better, but I will stand up to power."

He also believes strongly in economic development, saying he has experience bringing in industry into the area. In addition to the elected offices he's held, Lattimore served for a decade on the city and county planning boards. He also cited his three straight successful runs for a county Legislature seat representing an Auburn district as evidence that residents appreciate his ideas.

The protection of the Owasco Lake watershed is also important to Lattimore. He suggested a "greenbelt around the lakes" with vegetation stopping the flow of water and the nutrients in the water, and he would like the Finger Lakes Land Trust to be more active in the local watersheds and set up more vegetation along the lakes.

"We need less development in the watershed, and the land trust keeps it green," he said. "Hopefully, we can put in higher grasses."

Lattimore said he has no problem with farms and industry, he just believes there needs to be less development on the watershed. He also wants to be sure that new rules and regulations for the watershed, if adopted by the state, get enforced by the two official purveyors of Owasco Lake water: the city and the town of Owasco.

To address Auburn's population decrease, Lattimore would like the state's STAR system for senior citizens be enhanced, and advocated for less tax increases in general. He'd also like see more programs in the city and county for senior citizens to "get out and enjoy the day."

Lattimore believes more industry would help bring in people to work and that bringing the population back in the city and the state overall would help New York get back the "congressional muscle" he feels the state used to have.

Lattimore has been a vocal detractor of the upcoming ambulance service set to be operated by the city, slated to begin Nov. 1. He asked, "Where are the numbers?" in terms of Auburn's cost estimates for the ambulance system. He has concerns about the cost and potential liability claims involved in such an undertaking.

"As a risk manager in this business, I would look and see whether or not it's a wise move for us to be on the hook," he said.

He also slammed the various months-long contracts the city had been establishing over the last couple of years with TLC Emergency Medical Services, the city's longtime and current ambulance provider, until the Auburn-run system was approved by council earlier this year. TLC's current deal with Auburn runs through Oct. 31.

For the allocations for the American Rescue Plan, he said he would love to see the city and the county  which also scored federal money  go into shared services. He also suggested tourist attractions such as a zoo or aquarium, and going to the public to see what they would want the funding be used for.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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Longtime Syracuse television reporter and anchor Dan Cummings will be signing off for the final time before the end of the year.

WSYR-TV NewsChannel 9 announced Friday that Cummings, who was born and raised in southern Cayuga County, will be retiring Dec. 20. Most recently serving as morning news anchor, Cummings has been at NewsChannel 9 for 37 years.

WSYR said that after earning a bachelors degree from SUNY Geneseo and a masters degree from Cornell University, Cummings got his start in radio at WNYR in Rochester, WTKO in Ithaca, and WHEN in Syracuse. He joined NewsChannel 9 in 1984 as an assignment editor, and during his time at the station, he has held many positions, including reporter, anchor, managing editor, assistant news director, and news director. He began anchoring "The Morning News" in 2008.

In 2013 he was honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary for Saints Among Us. He has won New York State Broadcasters awards and been nominated for regional Emmy awards for sharing the stories of local Veterans through Veterans Voices. His final Veterans Voices special will air at 7 p.m. on Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11. Cummings has twice been honored with the Press Clubs Professional Standards Awards, and in 2018 he received the Press Clubs highest honor, being named to the Syracuse Press Club Wall of Distinction.

Since 1984, the owners and local managers of NewsChannel 9 have given me the opportunity of a lifetime to grow and learn something new every day, Cummings said in a news release. I will be forever grateful for the friends Ive made at this TV station and for the pure joy of working with so many talented and creative professionals.

Congratulations to Dan that after spending almost four decades with NewsChannel 9 he is ready for his next chapter," WSYR-TV Syracuse VP and General Manager Bill Evans said in a statement. "Dan has made a tremendous impact on so many people, businesses, and charities during his broadcasting career. I am truly grateful for what Dan has done for this community, the lives he has touched, and the positive impact he has had on NewsChannel 9 and our employees over his historic career.

WSYR said that Cummings lives in Syracuse with his wife, Danielle, and is the proud father of Anna and Jonah.

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Students in Auburn's Herman Avenue and Owasco elementary schools were able to get COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday as Cayuga County started the fi
Beijing (Gasgoo)- VOYAH, the premium EV brand of Dongfeng Motor, unveiled the body in white of the brands first MPV model during an automotive event in Tianjin City, and the vehicle was scheduled to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

Photo credit: VOYAH



The body of VOYAHs MPV possesses three pioneering innovations, namely a 2000MPa hot-stamped door ring, an MPV-first 200MPa aluminum-silicon composite coating door beam, and an MPV-first penetrating aluminum rocker rail. According to the carmaker, the auto body is made of 70% high-strength steel and 23.6% hot stamping steel, forging a super-high-strength cage-type cabin framework.

The 2000MPa hot-stamped laser-weld door ring covers the A/B pillars and the bottom cross member of the car, ensuring safety against impact as well as lightening the vehicle weight and increasing NEDC.

Photo credit: VOYAH

In order to optimize onboard protection for passengers and the battery pack, the penetrating aluminum rocker rail can minimize intrusion and speed.

Photo credit: VOYAH

During the automobile body designing phase, the VOYAH team acted on the basis of the 2021 C-NACP five-star criteria and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)s standards and performed 42 types of collision situations through CAE simulation, striving to build a safer MPV model.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas largest automobile company SAIC Motor announced a new company to be responsible for the independent operation for its R brand today, and named the head of the new company.

Photo credit: SAIC Motor



The new company, named Feifan Auto, has a registered capital of RMB7 billion ($1.09 billion). With RMB6.65 billion ($1.04 billion) invested, SAIC Motor owns 95% of the companys stake, while the rest 5% belongs to employee equities, with RMB350 million ($54.71 million) invested. Besides, SAIC Mobilitys head Wu Bing was named as the subsidiarys CEO.

According to SAIC Motors announcement, the new Feifan Auto will be operating under an asset-light marketization strategy, motivating the overall morale of the creative team.

The newly established auto company is positioned as a user-oriented, data-driven technology company, dedicated to building a mid-to-high-end new energy intelligent mobile space.

Photo credit: SAIC Motor



With SAIC Motors leading core new energy battery, motor and electric control technologies, mature L4 autonomous driving experiences, five innovation centers targeting the artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, network security and software fields, and the industrial chain spreading over 70 countries, Feifan Auto will be well-positioned in the auto industry.

SAIC Motor has continued laying out in the mid-to-high-end intelligent electric market in the past few years. In 2020, the carmaker brought out a premium intelligent battery-electric brand IM Motors with Alibaba Group and Zhangjiang Group. With the Feifan Auto this time, SAIC Motor is making efforts to come ahead in the auto industry reformation.
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.

JAC Jan.-Sept. net profit jumps 360% YoY

JAC Group reported a loss of RMB283 million in the third quarter while the net profit for the first three quarters surged 359.88% from a year ago to RMB195 million.

GAC Group quarterly net profit down by 64.7% YoY



GAC Groups net profit attributable to the parent company plunged 64.71% year on year to RMB947 million in the third quarter, according to the company. Its quarterly revenue jumped 19.48% to RMB20.8 billion.

GAC AION to build pilot production line for in-house developed battery

GAC AION, the subsidiary of GAC Group, will invest a total of RMB336 million to build pilot production line for in-house developed battery.

Photo credit: GAC Group

Great Wall Motor reports increase in quarterly revenue

Great Wall Motor reported net profit of RMB1.416 billion, down by 1.72% from a year earlier while its quarterly revenue increased 10.13% year on year to RMB28.87 billion.

SAIC Motor new branch to run R Auto independently

Chinas largest automobile company SAIC Motor announced a new company to be responsible for the independent operation for its R brand today, and named the head of the new company.



NIO Oct. car deliveries impacted due to retooling of production line

NIO will delay the delivery of some vehicles, which are supposed to be handed over to consumers in October, as its vehicle production was affected this month by the modification works at the JAC-NIO Advanced Manufacturing Center in Hefei, according to a notification NIO released on Oct. 29.



China has worlds largest charging network by Sept.

By the end of Sept. 2021, there were 2.223 million charging piles across China, up 56.8% from the same period last year, according to the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA). Those facilities constitute the world's largest national charging network.



SAIC Motor sees Q3 net profit drop 14.75% YoY

In the third quarter of 2021 (reporting period), SAIC Motor saw its gross revenue dip 13.17% year on year to 186.616 billion yuan ($29.201 billion), according to the latest financial results the company released on Oct. 29.



Tesla reportedly orders 45GWh batteries from CATL

Tesla has ordered 45GWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from Chinese battery giant CATL for the production of next year, mainly for the Model 3 and the Model Y, local media outlet 36kr reported today, citing several sources who are familiar with the matter.

VOYAH to launch first electric MPV at the Guangzhou Auto show

VOYAH, the premium EV brand of Dongfeng Motor, unveiled the body in white of the brands first MPV model during an automotive event in Tianjin City, and the vehicle was scheduled to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show.



NIO Announces Plan to Jointly Build Green Ecosystem in the Sanjiangyuan National Park

On Oct 29, NIO announced the plan to jointly build a green ecosystem in the Sanjiangyuan National Park together with the Sanjiangyuan Ecological Protection Foundation. NIO will provide its smart electric vehicles to the foundation, and build battery charging facilities to support the park patrol in the area.



CATL breaks ground for 50GWh lithium-ion battery manufacturing base in Yichun

On Oct. 28, CATL broke ground on a lithium ion battery manufacturing base in Yichun, Chinas Jiangxi province, the battery titan announced via its WeChat account.



Former executive of chip developer Xilinx joins NIO as chief expert

Hu Chengchen, former director of the Labs Asia Pacific of Xilinx, the world's largest programmable chip developer, has joined Chinese EV startup NIO this month as chief expert and assistant to vice president, according to Mr. Hu's personal Linkedin account.

GAC Group's Q1-Q3 revenue leaps 28.64% YoY



For the first three quarters of 2021, GAC Group earned 55.117 billion yuan ($8.625 billion) of revenue, representing a 28.64% year-on-year growth, while saw its net profit attributable to shareholders climb 5.63% to 5.284 billion yuan ($826.769 million), according to the company's latest quarterly financial results.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Oct. 28, CATL broke ground on a lithium ion battery manufacturing base in Yichun, Chinas Jiangxi province, the battery titan announced via its WeChat account.

CATL's Yichun lithium-ion battery manufacturing base; photo credit: CATL



The Yichun battery project involves an investment of 13.5 billion yuan ($2.112 billion) and is expected to feature an annual production capacity of 50GWh new-type lithium-ion batteries.

The new battery factory will play an important role in CATLs global strategic deployment and contribute to the building of a green industrial development system integrating lithium resources, lithium battery materials, power batteries and electric vehicles in Yichun, said CATL.

In July, the Ningde-based battery maker signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Jiangxi provincial government and Yichun municipal government to place the aforesaid project in Yichun.

Then in mid-September, CATL struck a deal with Yichun government to plow 13.5 billion yuan in the construction of a new-type lithium-ion battery manufacturing base in the city.

Yichun has the world's largest reserve of lepidolite, the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral, amounting to around 2.5 million tons of proven lithium oxide.

Notably, Gotion High-Tech, another main automotive lithium-ion power battery supplier in China, celebrated in late May the foundation stone-laying ceremony for its lithium-ion battery project in the lithium resource-rich city as well, which is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2022.
On Oct 29, NIO announced the plan to jointly build a green ecosystem in the Sanjiangyuan National Park together with the Sanjiangyuan Ecological Protection Foundation. NIO will provide its smart electric vehicles to the foundation, and build battery charging facilities to support the park patrol in the area.

Located at the center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Sanjiangyuan area is home to the source of the Yangtze, the Yellow and the Lancang Rivers. With an average elevation of more than 4,700 meters, the area is known as China's water tower. The area serves as an important ecological barrier and a germplasm bank of alpine creatures in China and therefore possesses great ecological values. This October, the Sanjiangyuan National Park was set up as one of China's first national parks.

In addition, the NIO User Trust will join hands with the Sanjiangyuan Ecological Protection Foundation to build eco-villages in the area. In the next five years, the NIO User Trust will continuously invest in building ecology research bases in the villages, pushing forward research on bio-diversity protection, initiating non-profit programs such as Bed & Breakfast in Diaolou (residential buildings that resemble watchtowers), and contributing to realizing rural vitalization to promote environmental protection and economic development in the Sanjiangyuan area.

Earlier this year, NIO launched the plan to jointly build green eco-system and facilitate environmental protection with ecological stakeholders in different areas by leveraging NIOs advantages in smart electric vehicles, as well as battery charging and swapping facilities. This May, NIO kicked off the joint green island building plan in the Xisha Islands. The collaboration with the Sanjiangyuan National Park is the second one in the series. Looking forward, NIO will continue to contribute more into making the world greener.
PARISFrench cosmetics company Exsens is debuting Coconut Hot Kiss, a new coconut flavor, as part of a rebrand of its popular Arousal Lip Gloss Line.

We wanted a name that was more in tune with the product. Arousal Lip Gloss was a little too pedestrian and took us away from what this product is really about: kissing! said Rebecca Pinette-Dorin, Exsens North American brand manager. We hope this rebrand will inspire customers to take their make-out sessions to the next level. Of course, our formula is still body-safe and sugar-free, so if the kissing happens to lead to other things, no worries!

Known for their spot-on flavors, Exsens continues the tradition of creating high-quality, vegan and paraben-free sexual wellness products with Coconut Hot Kiss.

The strawberry flavored hot/cold sensation lip gel is already a number-one bestseller in the U.S., and with the new Hot Kiss rebrand, the company aims to open new markets and target a younger demographic. The clean formula is non-staining, condom-friendly and cruelty-free.

The entire Exsens sexual wellness line encourages intimacy, foreplay and fun, featuring a variety of products for sexual wellness and body care products like organic body oils and intimate cleansers. All Exsens products are 100 percent vegan and paraben-free.

For more information, visit exsens-usa.com.
With officials at Lowell Observatory hoping to gain support for congressional action allowing them better use of more than 600 acres of property west of the facility, Flagstaff City Council opted to hold off on support this week.

But while the city council didnt take action this week, several councilmembers indicated they intend to support the legislation.

That support could come in early November.

Council decided to wait largely to give the city attorneys office additional time to review the draft legislation that Lowell is hoping Congress passes this year.

W. Lowell Putnam, the great-grandnephew of Percival Lowell and the current sole trustee of the observatory, told the city council that it's on the clock, and if they cannot get the legislation passed this year, the effort may stall until 2023, and added that Lowell is pushing to get the legislation included in an omnibus bill passed in December.

But that bill contains language that some local interest groups have said came as a surprise to them. Those groups, which include Friends of Flagstaffs Future (F3) and the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter, continue to oppose the bill.

The area, referred to as Section 17, encompasses 640 acres of former U.S. Forest Service property that was granted to the observatory by Congress in 1910. But the land came with restrictions set by Congress, namely that it be used for observatory purposes.

The problem: It is not clear what an observatory purpose allows for, an issue that the observatory has encountered repeatedly as it has sought to use the property, Lowell director Jeff Hall told the council.

When weve gone to the Forest Service to ask, Would this be an observatory purpose? the answer has always been, Well, go ask the boss, which is Congress, and that is what weve done, Hall said.

Marilyn Weissman with F3 told the Arizona Daily Sun that after the issue was discussed before city council earlier this year, she and others were under the impression that Lowell intended simply to seek clarification on how the land could be used from Congress.

Weissman said they were disappointed and surprised when the draft legislation had language that removed the observatory purpose restriction.

Putnam told Council that while that had been their intention, when they went to Washington and spoke with congressional staffers, staffers indicated that simply seeking to clarify or expand the definition of observatory purpose would not work.

Putnam said they were informed that such a change may not provide enough security or clarity for a bank to approve financing on a project on the property.

As such, they went in a different direction, and instead are hoping to strip the property of that restriction but place it within the citys normal regulatory frame work.

The observatory would then go through a master planning process with the city and the community -- coming out the other side of that process with a legally binding document that would outline what the future of the area will be.

But Putnam hoped that a master planning process would not get in the way of congressional action and both efforts could occur simultaneously.

That solution seemed to please most councilmembers, who said if guardrails were in place to ensure that the city and Council had the authority to approve or reject projects within the area, they saw little reason not to support the effort.

Only Councilmember Jim McCarthy appeared to oppose that direction, while the remainder of city council indicated that once city staff could verify the language in the bill, and if Lowell was in agreement, a public master planning process could move forward soon.

But that worried Weissman, who said she believes that any master planning effort should occur long before congressional action is taken. In that way, the encumbrances on the area are adjusted or changed only after everyone is in agreement with what the future of the area will be.

Weissman also said she worries that even the city and the council may have significant input on the future of the area; she said without some federal restrictions, projects may still move forward that some Flagstaff residents might find objectionable.

Adrian Skabelund can be reached by phone at (928) 556-2261, by email at askabelund@azdailysun.com or on Twitter at @AdrianSkabelund.

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A recent college graduate surnamed Liu used to dream about landing a job at a multinational corporation after her graduation, but now she is busy preparing for the civil service exams and applying for positions at banks and public schools simultaneously.

"Before the pandemic, I still desired to work for a foreign company, but now I prefer to work in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) or become a civil servant as these jobs are more stable since there might be uncertainties with the development of foreign companies due to the ongoing pandemic," Liu told the Global Times.

Liu is not alone among the more than 9 million college graduates in China in 2021 - a record high - who are looking to land a dream job amid mounting difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As many industries and businesses struggled during the pandemic, employment opportunities at SOEs and civil service jobs have become the most popular among new college graduates over the past two years.

While China's quick recovery from the COVID-19 helped stabilize the jobs market, there are also mounting challenges for newly graduates to find their dream jobs amid a confluence of factors, including the fallout from the pandemic, shifting economic trends, tightening regulations in certain areas and an industrial transformation, analysts noted.

Opportunities, challenges

Thanks to China's robust economic recovery, graduates in 2021 have already seen a big boost in the range employment opportunities available compared with the past two years.

According to a survey released by Chinese recruitment website 51job.com in September, 82 percent of the graduates surveyed have applied for jobs. Among them, 81 percent - or around 66 percent of the total respondents - have already received offers, far exceeding the 42 percent recorded in 2020.

However, overall pressure of youth employment is still significant as the number of college graduates will reach 9.09 million in 2021, Ha Zengyou, a senior official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, said at a press briefing on October 20.

Ha said that some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have scaled back recruitment and remain cautious for increasing the quotas affected by the sporadic COVID-19 cases across the country. Harsh weather conditions, including floods, have also impacted the jobs market, the official said.

The imbalanced supply and demand for talent in some industries have also resulted in the complexity for domestic employment market, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

As China is currently going through a period of industrial restructuring and transformation in a bid to boost domestic consumption, tertiary industry are displaying the strongest demand for talent, said Zhang.

Analysts pointed out that more jobs now require applicants with specific skills such as data analysis or algorithm capabilities as a variety of enterprises are undergoing a digital transformation, which has resulted in a shortage of eligible talent.

The country's tightening regulations in some areas such as the tutoring sector since July has also had a significant impact on domestic youth recruitment, as most of employees in the tutoring industry are younger people.

The number of positions in the education sector opened for graduates has fallen between July and September, while the number of applications also fell sharply in August, according to the China Institute for Employment Research (CIER) Index. It indicates that the overall trend and performance of the country's job market decreased from 13.38 to 8.19, according to the newly released report from the CIER of Renmin University of China and the Zhaopin.com job platform on Monday.

Shifting preferences

Apart from the difficulties in landing a job in certain industries, preferences among new college graduates are also shifting.

Jobs at SOEs, civil service jobs, banks and other areas that are viewed as "stable" have become the most popular jobs for graduates to begin their career. Multiple graduates told the Global Times on Monday that SOEs and civil service jobs are their first picks.

Zhang Xi, a master student from the Henan University of Technology, told the Global Times that she is most interested in applying for civil service jobs or positions at SOEs that fit her major.

"Civil service jobs are more stable and have a relatively lower risk compared with internet companies," said Zhang, adding that the majority of her peers are now more inclined to take the civil service examination as a result of the pandemic and layoffs at some internet companies and private tutoring institutions.

Meanwhile, there are increasing opportunities for civil services jobs this year. Since the beginning of 2021, local authorities across the country have given greater priority to promoting the employment of college graduates and young people by creating more job opportunities at government departments, public institutions and SOEs, especially by expanding market-oriented employment channels, said Ha.

A human resource manager who works for a bank based in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality told the Global Times on Monday that the bank has received more applications in 2021 compared with last year.

However, there are still great opportunities in other industries, according to Zhang, emphasizing that graduates can also broaden their options for employment based on their needs.

For example, many graduates majoring in English might have preferred to work as English teachers in educational institutions previously, but now the market demand for vocational training such as adult English training and business English is booming, providing a host of new opportunities.
More than three weeks have passed since the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine of the US Navy, collided with an "unknown object" in the South China Sea, the US military still has not released basic information on the accident that is of concern to China and many other countries in the region.

The accident exposed intensive, hidden US military activities beyond freedom of navigation in the region, which could seriously damage navigation safety, fishing work, ecological environment, not to mention sovereignty violations in the South China Sea, experts said.

The US Navy announced on October 7 that the USS Connecticut hit an "unknown object" on October 2 while submerged in the South China Sea that left more than 10 sailors injured and caused a partial damage to the submarine.

It took the US Navy five days after the accident to make this short and vague statement, and until today, the US military has not revealed further details of the accident. They haven't revealed the exact location where the collision happened and what object was hit by the submarine.

By not revealing the details of the collision, the US is intentionally hiding something, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The USS Connecticut likely sailed to a location where it is not allowed to be for a covert spy operation, but failed to effectively grasp the underwater situation and resulted in the collision. The US knows it is in a wrong position so it cannot reveal the details," Wei said.

The US Navy is known for sailing carelessly in the South China Sea in the name of "freedom of navigation," and many of such activities are provocative and unprofessional, like crossing into other ships' normal sailing routes, trespassing into other navies' exercise zones and intruding into other countries' territorial waters, observers said.

US warships and submarines have caused many accidents that gravely harm navigation safety, including collisions with various objects or civilian ships on many occasions in recent years, the petition said, noting that these incidents have seriously threatened the safety of the life and property of local residents.

For example, in February 2001, the Los Angeles class nuclear-powered submarine USS Greeneville struck and sank a Japanese fishing vessel identified as the Ehime Maru during routine operations off the coast of Hawaii, killing nine.

In 2017, the USS Fitzgerald destroyer collided with a container ship near Japan, resulting in seven deaths and several injuries.

Later in 2017, the USS John S. McCain destroyer collided with a chemical tanker in the South China Sea, leading to ten deaths.

In 2018, the USS Decatur destroyer sailed very close to a Chinese destroyer and almost caused a collision when the US warship was attempting to trespass Chinese waters near Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Wei also pointed out that the USS Connecticut is a nuclear-powered submarine, and any accident to a nuclear device, which carries highly enriched uranium, could result in severe damage to the environment.

The US has also not given any information about the effects of the collision on the ecological environment of the region, or if it had a negative impact on navigation safety and fishing work in the area, the petition said.

The collision exposed that, in addition to showing off its strength publicly, the US military has also been conducting numerous covert activities in the South China Sea, the petition said, noting that these activities are by no means "innocent" and pose a great threat to regional peace and stability often without the public's knowledge.

A lot of US naval activities are hegemonic moves that seriously violate the international law and disrespect other countries' sovereignty, Wei said.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson at the ministry, said at Tuesday's regular press conference that China and other countries along the South China Sea have the reason to demand the US to answer the following questions: What was the mission of the nuclear submarine in the South China Sea? What exactly did it collide with? Why did that happen? Did a nuclear leak take place and bring nuclear pollution to the maritime environment?

The US must explain the incident in detail so as to respond to the concerns and questions of countries in the region and the international community, Zhao told the Global Times when asked about the collision.

If the US refuses to reveal all the details about the collision, China and other relevant countries could be forced to build well-rounded maritime early warning systems to monitor US vessels in sensitive waters, so they can warn the US before it takes any risks, and be better prepared to deal with any dangers caused by the US, Wei said.

The US must reveal the truth behind the USS Connecticut's collision because countries around the South China Sea have the right to know.
More than one world leader says humanity's future, even survival, hangs in the balance when international officials meet in Scotland to try to accelerate efforts to curb climate change. Temperatures, tempers and hyperbole have all ratcheted up ahead of the United Nations summit.

And the risk of failure looms large for all participants at the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26.

Six years ago, nearly 200 countries agreed to individualized plans to fight global warming in the historic 2015 Paris climate agreement. Now leaders will converge in Glasgow for two weeks starting Sunday to take the next step dictated by that pact: Do more and do it faster.

It's not easy. Except for a slight drop because of the pandemic, carbon pollution from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is increasing, not falling.

Between now and 2030, the world will spew up to 31 billion U.S. tons of greenhouse gases beyond the amount that would keep the planet at or below the most stringent limit set in Paris, the United Nations calculated this week.

"Everything is at stake if the leaders do not take climate action," young Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate said. "We cannot eat coal. We cannot drink oil, and we cannot breathe so-called natural gas."

Her words were echoed by a man tasked with steering one of the world's richest economic blocs through the climate transition.

"We are fighting for the survival of humanity," European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said. "Climate change and the threatening ecocide are the biggest threats humanity faces."

Climate change is fueling heat waves, flooding, drought and nastier tropical cyclones. Extreme weather also costs the globe about $320 billion a year in economic losses, according to risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide. And people die.

"The unhealthy choices that are killing our planet are killing our people as well," said Dr. Maria Neira, director of public health and environment at the World Health Organization.

Humanity and the Earth won't quite go off a cliff because of global warming, scientists say. But what happens in Glasgow will either steer the world away from the most catastrophic scenarios or send it careening down a dirt road with tight curves and peril at every turn. It's a situation where degrees, even tenths of a degree, translate into added risk.

"We are still on track for climate catastrophe," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday, even after some countries' recent emission pledges.

For months, United Nations officials have touted three concrete goals for these negotiations to succeed:

Countries must promise to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared with 2010.

Rich countries should contribute $100 billion a year in aid to poor countries.

Half of that amount must be aimed at adapting to climate change's worst effects.

World leaders have recently softened those targets a bit, and they say the goals may not quite be finished by mid-November, when negotiations end. U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry told The Associated Press: "There will be a gap" on emission targets.

Under the Paris pact, nations must revisit their previous pledges to curb carbon pollution every five years and then announce plans to cut even more and do it faster. Delayed a year by the pandemic, this year's meeting is the first to include the required ratcheting up of ambitions.

The hope is that world leaders will cajole each other into doing more, while ensuring that poorer nations struggling to tackle climate change get the financial support they need.

The headline goal set in Paris was to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times. The world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this month that the 1.5-degree mark "is the threshold for our survival, humanity, our planet Earth."

But every analysis of current climate-change pledges shows that they are not nearly enough to stop warming at that point but will instead lead to at least another degree or a degree and a half Celsius of warming (about 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit).

All five emissions scenarios studied in a massive UN scientific assessment in August suggest that the world will cross that 1.5-degree-Celsius threshold in the 2030s, though several researchers told the AP that it is still technically possible to stay within that limit or at least temporarily go over it and come back down.

Small island nations and other poor, vulnerable communities said in 2015 that 2 degrees would wipe them out, and insisted on the 1.5-degree threshold.

"Our way of life is at stake," said Tina Stege, the climate envoy for the Marshall Islands. "Our ability to provide our children with a safe and secure future is at stake. Atoll nations like the Marshall Islands do not have higher ground to retreat to."

In Glasgow, divisions between nations are big, and trust is a problem, say several United Nations officials and outside analysts.

Rich countries like the United States and European nations developed carbon-belching energy and caused most of the problem historically, but now they ask poor nations to cut or eliminate the use of fossil fuels. In return, they've promised $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries switch to clean energy.

So far, the funding has fallen far short of that amount.

"Failure to fulfill this pledge is a major source of the erosion of trust between developed and developing nations," Guterres said.

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As Yellowstone County officials continue planning for a major expansion of MetraPark, adding facilities like an outdoor amphitheater and smaller performance hall, theyre also considering how the public facilities will be managed.

At the same time the county is seeking a replacement for Metras retiring General Manager Bill Dutcher, officials are also researching public facilities elsewhere in the West that are privately managed.

Were going down both routes, looking at hiring a new manager and exploring the pros and cons of private management, Yellowstone County Commissioner Don Jones said Thursday.

Currently, MetraPark is managed by county employees, along with an advisory board and the Commission. If MetraPark did move to private management, that could include existing managers, Jones said.

Jones has researched privately-run public facilities in Nampa, Idaho, and Casper, Wyoming. In the case of Nampa, private management was able to generate new revenue streams that helped to close a financial gap that may otherwise have had to be closed by taxpayers.

The timing is good to look at all the possibilities, Jones said. Were looking for a new manager at Metra, and were looking at what it would take to manage a larger facility.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Biden administration on Friday launched a second bid to end a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, while also reaffirming a commitment to reinstate it under court order.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Remain in Mexico policy likely contributed to a drop in illegal border crossings in 2019 but with substantial and unjustifiable human costs" to asylum-seekers who were exposed to violence while waiting in Mexico.

The announcement came more than two months after a federal judge ordered that the policy be reinstated "in good faith, while leaving an opening for the administration to try again to justify ending it.

The administration said earlier this month that it expected to reinstate the policy, known officially as Migrant Protection Protocols, around mid-November, subject to Mexican government approval. Mexico wants cases to generally conclude within six months, timely and accurate access to case information and better access to legal counsel for asylum-seekers.
The part of the survey supported by the USGS will be made available to Rio Tinto at the same time it is released to the public. Rio Tinto will not have access to the USGS-funded data before it is released to the public. The part of the survey funded by Rio Tinto will be given to Rio Tinto with the understanding that it will be released to the public after a one year sequestration period.

Letendre said, Eventually, the information will be made public.

Rio Tinto already has a project in the region. Its Madison copper-gold project is near Silver Star.

We obviously have an interest in copper but we are also looking at some critical minerals to explore, said Letendre.

As a result of this partnership, the expanded survey area will include large zones of the Boulder Batholith that are of mutual interest to the USGS and Rio Tinto, based on input from the State Geological Surveys, he said.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Rio Tinto intends to mine sludge from its Kennecott mine to harvest critical minerals.

Rob Thomas, a geologist and a professor of environmental sciences at University of Montana Western, said Thursday he has mixed feelings about the exploration.
As recent as last month, the leaders were prepared to reconvene using the Legislature's remaining four days, a time frame Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said would have been "a lot more difficult."

Wardner said talks with the governor in recent weeks helped the state leaders reach agreement on the special session. He declined to specify any sticking points in the discussions, though the leaders have voiced little appetite for Burgum's proposal to use the state budget surplus for two-year income tax relief, instead preferring something permanent.

Burgum said his administration and the Legislature's budget writers are in "about 80% agreement" on how to spend nearly $700 million of the Rescue Plan aid.

"I would just have to say today that's a really great starting point," the governor said.

In a statement, he said the special session "will give lawmakers the time and flexibility they need to complete legislative redistricting and make wise investments that provide a high return for taxpayers without growing government.

Lawmakers are eyeing the remainder, more than $420 million, for funding previously approved projects that fell short of meeting federal guidance for other coronavirus aid.
While Powell had not announced he was running, he was behaving like a candidate. He had embarked on a multi-city tour to promote the sale of his best-selling autobiography "My American Journey." My contacts with Republican legislative leaders were met with an overwhelming positive response.

Kelly told me that he was in frequent contact with Powell close associates Ken Duberstein and Richard Armitage, and they had assured him that Powell was open to running, and they had even discussed strategy with him.

He would have to declare himself a candidate in the New Hampshire primary by the deadline that was shortly before Christmas. Powells chances appeared good in New Hampshire where independents could vote in the Republican primary.

From there the plan was to concentrate on other open primary states where Powells outsider candidacy would be particularly strong against the establishment candidate Bob Dole.

Ambrose and I were ecstatic when a Time/CNN poll taken in October showed Powell leading Bill Clinton 5141. Kelly confided to Ambrose and I that Powell would likely declare his candidacy at his alma mater, the City College of New York.

We were fired with enthusiasm.
North Dakota's Game and Fish Department is asking deer hunters this season to step up efforts to help with chronic wasting disease surveillance, even as a different disease garners most of the attention this fall.

Wildlife officials received about 1,000 reports of dead deer after epizootic hemorrhagic disease -- commonly called EHD -- surfaced in late August, and the department has offered license refunds to nearly 30,000 hunters because of the outbreak. Hunters who do take to the field in western and central North Dakota are being asked to drop off deer heads at collection sites so they can be tested for another disease -- chronic wasting, a brain ailment.

Many folks are aware of the fairly bad epizootic hemorrhagic disease year weve had, Game and Fish Wildlife Veterinarian Charlie Bahnson said. While EHD is a different disease from CWD, it illustrates the impact diseases can have on our wildlife populations. And unlike EHD, which is cyclical, CWD can become an increasing, annual pressure on our herd.

Game and Fish since 2002 has tested for CWD, and state officials are bracing for possible accelerated growth in deer cases. Thirty of the 44 cases identified since the first infection in 2009 have occurred in the past two years, and 18 were confirmed last fall -- the most in any season.

The disease has been documented in five hunting units: 3F2 in the southwest; 4B in the west; and 3A1, 3A2 and 3B1 in the northwest. Infection rates remain low, but in 3F2 -- which has the bulk of the confirmed cases with 34 -- they've been climbing.

Samples will be tested this year from deer taken from units 2H, 2I, 2J1, 2J2, 2K1, 2K2, 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3B3, 3C, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.

Knowing where CWD is in the state and how many deer are infected is critical for managing the disease, according to Bahnson.

One major goal is to confidently determine what areas do not have CWD, he said. We need to test a lot of deer to make that assessment, which is why hunters willingness to help is so important.

A list of collection sites can be found at https://bit.ly/3bgs2SN. Hunters can drop off heads of adult or yearling deer. Fawns and head-shot deer can't be tested. Hunters wishing to keep the heads can bring them to a Game and Fish district office during business hours to have them sampled. Results will be provided within four weeks. Hunters can go to "My Account" on the departments website, gf.nd.gov.

Hunter involvement is important because Game and Fish needs a certain number of deer heads to determine infection rates. About 7% of hunters took part last year in the CWD surveillance program.

The overall percentage needed is tough to estimate because of the different numbers of licenses allotted in various units, but "once we start to get a couple hundred deer (heads) within a unit, we start to approach statistically valid estimates," Bahnson said. "If we're down below 100, we get wide margins of error."

He offered 10% as a "crude estimate" of the overall percentage target, with less than 5% being a level at which infection rates can't be confidently calculated.

"Year-round the department works pretty hard to follow up on reports of sick and dead animals, but the bulk of our total from every unit comes from hunters," Bahnson said. "That's what we depend on."

Bahnson said he hopes the attention given to what EHD has done to the deer population raises awareness of the seriousness of CWD. Deer hunting is a hobby and tradition for many in North Dakota, and its also a multimillion-dollar industry.

For more information about CWD and more details on related regulations, go to https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd.

This year's deer gun season starts at noon Nov. 5 and continues through Nov. 21.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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Sunday is the deadline for organic producers in North Dakota to apply for reimbursement of part of their organic certification costs.

The state Agriculture Department is accepting applications through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program for fiscal year 2021.

Organic farmers, ranchers, processors and handlers can receive up to $500 of the organic certification costs paid between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said.

The federal government has given the state $70,800 for the program this year.

Certification enables organic producers and processors to label and sell their products with a federal organic seal, and command a higher price. It also assures consumers that products are produced by recognized organic methods.

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3gzH1u7.

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New mandates for investing North Dakota's oil tax savings have been hampered by an understaffed state agency and a lack of process for investment proposals, and marked with little transparency over how some money is being invested.

Thirty percent of monthly state oil tax revenue goes into the Legacy Fund, which voters created in 2010. The 2021 Legislature passed a bill directing the State Investment Board to invest a target 20% of the $8.4 billion fund in the state, putting half in equities, or investing in companies in the state, and the other half in infrastructure loans to local governments and a business loan program through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.

The first 10% includes 3% targeted by the North Dakota Growth Fund, which made its first investment this week, in St. Louis-based Lewis & Clark AgriFood.

50 South Capital, which manages the Growth Fund as general partner, has refused to divulge the investment amount, citing confidential information. The Growth Fund is authorized up to $250 million but has $100 million for its initial five-year investment period.

50 South also has refused to release its partnership agreement, saying it also is confidential.

State Retirement and Investment Office Interim Executive Director Jan Murtha cited an exception to North Dakota's open records law, that to disclose the investment amount would cause "competitive injury" to the state.

She said "If they were to disclose that, at that level, that could impair, would impair negotiations with other potential investments, as you can imagine, like the conversations that could result: 'Well, you gave so-and-so this much, why won't you give us at least this much or why won't you give us more?'"

The agreement's confidential nature is not unique to the Growth Fund or North Dakota, she said.

"We have not disclosed that level of agreement for any manager for any investment because those agreements are your secret sauce, essentially," she said. "That is specific, negotiated terms that, again, if they were to be disclosed, could hamper the state's ability, then, to enter into agreements with other managers."

One watchdog wonders what the danger is.

"In my mind, I guess the idea would be that you want to publicize this as much as possible and make it attractive to other people to maybe try to take advantage of it," North Dakota Newspaper Association attorney Jack McDonald said. "And by keeping everything under the board, you have no idea what's involved, you have no idea how much money you might get or what might be involved, and frankly, North Dakota citizens still don't know what that money is doing."

50 South has touted Lewis & Clark AgriFood's "long track record of investing" in North Dakota, but it has invested only in the Fargo-based Bushel agriculture software company, which filed with the state as a corporation in late 2019. 50 South Managing Director Trey Hart said AgriFood does meet the Growth Fund's eligibility requirements.

McDonald said the AgriFood investment "barely meets the criteria" of the in-state investment mandate's intent.

"I think there's always been in an interest in North Dakotans taking care of North Dakotans, and this (mandate) was the way to do it," he said. "I just think the more information about it, the better it's going to be."

A key state lawmaker sees the disclosure of the investment amount as inevitable and important, citing transparency of public money.

"Any of these investments, as they get struck, are going to have some time to get the details finished out on it, but there is an expectation of what funds the state provided into investments," said Rep. Keith Kempenich, R-Bowman, who chairs the Legacy Fund's advisory board, which met Thursday.

But there's no timeline or policy for releasing private equity investment amounts, he said. The state has previously only done public investments, he said.

"We probably will have to have a conversation about what expectations are, but I'd say within 30-90 days that there'd be a disclosure of what, how it got spent," said Kempenich, the No. 2 House budget writer. He expects there to be at least yearly reports, as early as December.

Murtha said "whatever we are required to disclose is going to be out there," likely investment data in aggregate form later on.

"As there are more investments made after the initial investment ... there are going to be things that can be disclosed in the aggregate that right now after the initial investment wouldn't be able to be," Murtha said.

The advisory board on Thursday approved of doing a study of the Legacy Fund's portfolio and new investment mandates. Murtha expects the study to produce results in early 2022.

Her office has been beset by understaffing, having lost 175 years of experience in the last year and a half due to employees' retirements and resignations. The office oversees about $20 billion of assets.

Murtha has asked the Legislature this fall to use special funds to add six new positions to help meet the expectations of the Legacy Fund investment mandates. Thirteen of 19 office positions are filled, and the office needs a chief risk officer and chief investment officer.

The understaffing has impeded the full rollout of the investment mandates.

The delay in a 7% Legacy Fund in-state investment component has frustrated the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, who attributes the slow pace to the advisory board.

Public interest is high in the Legacy Fund, he said. The advisory board on Thursday reviewed several proposals expressing interest, but it has no framework to act on them. People and companies have ideas, Nathe said.

"The problem is there's no phone number, there's no door to knock on, there is nobody to present this plan to," said Nathe, who has prepared a bill draft for an "in-state impact investment committee" to develop guidelines for eligible investments. He called the delay "extremely frustrating."

"The bill has passed. It is law, and yet they still haven't worked on it, after it received tremendous support from the Legislature and tremendous public support, they still haven't moved on it one bit," Nathe said of the advisory board. He's concerned the state could miss out on good projects.

Kempenich, the panel's chairman, noted the "perfect storm" of Retirement and Investment Office understaffing, including the lack of a chief investment officer. He pointed out other components of the investment mandates are in place, such as the Growth Fund.

"It takes a while to move this around," Kempenich said.

At least one interested group shares Nathe's frustration.

"We are extremely disappointed that a process has not been developed to allow strategic investments in economic development projects across the state of ND and across many growth sectors in the state that do not 'fit' into the investment model provided by 50 South Capital," wrote Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation CEO Connie Ova.

Bank of North Dakota President Todd Steinwand, an advisory board member, said, "I think that's what this committee needs to do, is start and find a process that allows these investments or these people to submit an application, but then who makes the investment decision? How is that vetted? How is that handled? What criteria does it make?"

The board, which has met twice in two weeks, took no action Thursday on a process, but Kempenich said the panel next month will discuss "overall parameters."

"I want to expedite this as much as anybody," he said.

Murtha told the panel it can expect "quite a few meetings" over the next six to seven months as her office brings on a chief investment officer and as the Legacy Fund study plays out.

Another Legacy Fund mandate for an in-state manager also awaits direction.

North Dakota Bankers Association President and CEO Rick Clayburgh said financial institutions have been waiting many years for the opportunity.

"I just don't want us to lose sight of this whole idea of allowing our financial institutions the opportunity at least to be considered for money management purposes in the state," he told the board.

Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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Gov. Doug Burgum has called a special session of the Legislature for next month, giving lawmakers more time for major tasks but providing opportunity for other topics to emerge.

The special session will begin Nov. 8. Burgum's Friday announcement with Republican majority leaders came after House and Senate budget panels this month winnowed proposals for spending North Dakota's $1 billion of federal American Rescue Plan Act coronavirus aid, including a major natural gas pipeline and other one-time projects.

A legislative panel will meet Monday to advance bills to the special session.

The Republican-controlled Legislature will then take up the Rescue Plan proposals and also will approve a new map of legislative districts drawn from 2020 census data.

State lawmakers have submitted more than 20 other bills, some dealing with critical race theory and anti-vaccination mandates, but those bills must be approved through a delayed bills process in the special session.

The second-term Republican governor last month submitted his own wish list for the Rescue Plan money plus the $410 million surplus from the 2019-21 budget cycle.

Republican majority leaders last month expected the Legislature to reconvene using the four days left over from the regular session earlier this year, seeing it as unlikely the governor would call a special session.

The state constitution limits the Legislature to 80 days of meetings every two years, and this years regular session lasted 76 days. Lawmakers left Bismarck on April 30.

Burgum's announcement gives the Legislature all the time lawmakers need to finish their work, not subject to the 80-day limit. House Majority Leader Chet Pollert, R-Carrington, expects committees to work into the night, likely 12-hour days. He'd like the special session to conclude the night of Nov. 12.

"I would like it to be an efficient but an expedited matter going forward, and that will be our plan," Pollert said.

He called the process "grinding," acknowledging a "gnashing of teeth, privately and publicly, but that's the way this process works, and that's how we get a product that I think we can be proud of."

As recent as last month, the leaders were prepared to reconvene using the Legislature's remaining four days, a time frame Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said would have been "a lot more difficult."

Wardner said talks with the governor in recent weeks helped the state leaders reach agreement on the special session. He declined to specify any sticking points in the discussions, though the leaders have voiced little appetite for Burgum's proposal to use the state budget surplus for two-year income tax relief, instead preferring something permanent.

Burgum said his administration and the Legislature's budget writers are in "about 80% agreement" on how to spend nearly $700 million of the Rescue Plan aid.

"I would just have to say today that's a really great starting point," the governor said.

In a statement, he said the special session "will give lawmakers the time and flexibility they need to complete legislative redistricting and make wise investments that provide a high return for taxpayers without growing government.

Lawmakers are eyeing the remainder, more than $420 million, for funding previously approved projects that fell short of meeting federal guidance for other coronavirus aid.

The Rescue Plan aid must be put to a purpose by the end of 2024 and be spent by the end of 2026. Infrastructure, information technology and economic development projects emerged as common themes for spending the money.

Pollert said leaders will address the potential need for a veto session "at the time," should one arise from the special session.

The leaders expressed comfort with gathering lawmakers for the special session, even as October has been the state's deadliest month of the calendar year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Pollert said "a majority" of lawmakers are vaccinated for COVID-19. Wardner said people are welcome to wear face masks. The 2021 Legislature had a mask mandate for most of its duration, though many lawmakers were lax in wearing masks.

The Legislature has met in special sessions 15 times in state history, most recently in 2016 to address a $1 billion state revenue shortfall.

Previous governors called the Legislature into a special session for redistricting in 1991, 2001 and 2011.

A Republican-led committee drafted a redistricting plan over the summer, creating three new districts in the states fastest-growing areas but erasing an equal amount in some rural regions, due to population shifts.

The group also voted to create House subdistricts on the Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold reservations, a move tribal leaders believe will increase the odds for electing their own members to the Legislature.

Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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World leaders are heading to Glasgow to come up with yet another plan to tackle climate change. Joe Biden had hoped to have a stack of climate-related legislative accomplishments to brag about. But they're being held up and threatened in the fight over the price tag of the Build Back Better reconciliation bill.

The stakes, we're constantly told, couldn't be higher. If Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and the Republicans succeed in stripping just the proposed Clean Energy Performance Program alone it will "destroy the world," according to Gizmodo. Biden doesn't go that far. But recently, at a CNN townhall, he repeated his oft-cited claim that climate change poses an "existential threat to humanity."

Such rhetoric isn't merely wrong -- humanity can survive climate change -- it's also counterproductive. The fight against climate change will be long and messy, and implying otherwise will make it longer and messier. For 30 years, activists and politicians have said before these periodic climate confabs that this is our "last chance" to act or to save the planet.

Normally, if you miss your last chance to do something -- catch a flight, see a movie, etc. -- you stop trying. If you think climate change should be the moral equivalent of war, then you should manage expectations like a wartime leader does. You don't say, "We'll lose the war if we lose this one battle" -- unless it's true.

You also don't refuse to use your most effective weapons, at least not in a fight for the survival of humanity, without a good reason. And in this case, the best weapon in our arsenal is nuclear power. As former NASA climatologist James Hansen and his colleagues have argued, there's "no credible path to climate stabilization that does not include a substantial role for nuclear power."

But to quote Greta Thunberg, the Joan of Arc of climate activism, the arguments against nuclear power boil down to it being "extremely dangerous, expensive" and "time-consuming."

Let's start with dangerous. For reasons of human psychology, deep-seated fear of nuclear power is socially acceptable among those who claim to "follow the science." But just as the COVID-19 vaccines have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, a few people -- literally a few -- have had bad reactions to the vaccine that may have contributed to their deaths. Whatever that number is -- three? four? -- that's more Americans than have died from nuclear power.

The Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the worst in American history, caused no deaths or detectable incidents of cancer. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant was very deadly, killing up to 18,000 people. But the number of radiation-related deaths or illnesses connected to the power plant meltdown have been in the low double digits. The first confirmed radiation-related death occurred in 2018. The UN reports that so far, the "most important health effect" hasn't been a spike in cancer but the damage to "mental and social well-being" caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

Indeed, if you include all factors, including industrial accidents, air pollution, etc., nuclear power is arguably the world's safest form energy production.

Then there's the cost. It's true: Building nuclear plants, whether with existing or new technology, is expensive. But once nuclear plants are built, the energy they produce is cheap. That's why Germany, which has been mothballing its nuclear plants in a largely failed decade-long experiment, has the most expensive electricity rates in the world. And Germany's carbon emissions are 10 times greater than those of France, which gets 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. Wherever nuclear plants have been closed, writes Ted Nordhaus, founder of the Breakthrough Institute, "clean electricity has been replaced with dirty power."

There's also something weird about politicians who scoff at cost concerns to fight climate change (on their terms) and then raise the cost of building nuclear plants as prohibitive, when they can provide carbon free electricity on a massive and reliable scale.

Indeed, one reason it takes so long for nuclear plants to get built is that many of these politicians stand in the way of getting them built, by pandering to NIMBYism and supporting red tape. They're all in for "decarbonizing" transportation while opposing technology that will keep electricity affordable.

None of this is to say that nuclear power alone is a silver bullet, nor is it to deny that the question of how to deal with nuclear waste isn't a thorny one (especially after President Obama rejected science in favor of politics to shut down the perfectly safe Yucca Mountain waste repository). Some old plants do need to be shut down, but they should be replaced with new, safer and less expensive ones.

But if Biden is serious about fighting climate change -- and wants to show it -- he should take nuclear power seriously.

Jonah Goldberg writes for the Los Angeles Times.

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"She is a beautiful example of her species, and she was a nightmare in her day to a lot of other critters."

-- Fossil Excavators President Mike Kjelland, an assistant professor of biology at Mayville State University, on the nickname "Beautiful Nightmare" given to a rare dinosaur fossil found in southwestern North Dakota.

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"Social media is one tool used to share important, verified public health information. Others increasingly used the comment section on many of the Department of Health posts to share misinformation."

-- Marie Moe, spokeswoman for North Dakota's Health Department, which has turned off public comments and replies on its social media accounts.

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While well-intentioned, this program mostly leaves the landowner and North Dakota taxpayers holding the bag.

-- Troy Coons, chairman of the Northwest Landowners Association, which says cleanup of some abandoned oil wells the state sought to plug using federal coronavirus relief money is incomplete, and costs at times far exceeded what's considered typical.

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"It really is the gem of the state."

-- Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation Executive Director Aaron Barth, after the group received a $250,000 state grant to create a master plan to guide development along the Missouri River from Misty Waters north of Bismarck to the confluence of Apple Creek and the river south of Bismarck.

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Their way of doing business is concerning to us.

-- Elizabeth Loos, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance, which filed a complaint with the North Dakota Attorney Generals Office after state Transportation Director Bill Panos met individually with Billings County commissioners to discuss a possible bridge over the Little Missouri River. The format of the meetings meant they weren't public.

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Hes a great ambassador for our state and cares about where he comes from.

-- Sara Otte Coleman, director of the state Tourism Division, which is working to extend its contract with Hollywood actor Josh Duhamel to promote tourism in his home state.

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"Hopefully we will continue to see declines in reported cases and that hospitalizations and deaths will decline soon."

-- Kirby Kruger, head of the Health Department's disease control division and forensic pathology section, on an apparent waning of the most recent pandemic surge.

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Holiday travel is right around the corner and we hope to see the aviation industry rise to the challenge and ensure an appropriate workforce is available to accommodate the needs and air service demands of the flying public.

-- Kyle Wanner, executive director of the state Aeronautics Commission, detailing an aviation workforce shortage.

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Given its track record of investing in North Dakota and its focus on the agrifood industry, we believe Lewis & Clark AgriFood is an excellent investment for the North Dakota Growth Fund given the breadth and diversity of the states agriculture industry and leading entrepreneurs focused on it.

-- 50 South Capital Managing Director Trey Hart, on the first North Dakota Growth Fund investment. Officials refused to say how much taxpayer money was invested.

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"To truly move the needle with ending stigma, we need to be able to make data-driven decisions."

-- North Dakota first lady Kathryn Burgum, speaking at the fifth annual Recovery Reinvented conference about a survey that found officials have made gains in the past three years in ending the stigma of drug and alcohol addiction.

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"We have done everything we can do in this area."

-- Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben, on measures to address nuisance off-highway vehicles.

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What Changes with Office 365's Transformation? Dive into this e-guide to learn 5 best practices to consider for Microsoft 365 backup, explore why you need both a retention policy and backup, and more.

Take Office 365 Data Security From The Cloud Into Your Own Hands In this e-guide, security veteran Kevin Beaver identifies 4 measures enterprises have to consider when managing Microsoft Office 365 data security and privacy to ensure you're taking appropriate measures to secure your information.

Microsoft Technology Center Reduced SharePoint 2010 Migration by Two Months with DocAve Read this case study to see how The Microsoft Technology Center successfully completed a SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint 2010 migration quicker than expected with DocAve.

Dell SharePoint Infrastructure Optimization with AvePoint In this white paper a solution overview is provided, followed by details of the solution stack which includes components of AvePoint's DocAve Software Platform and Dell hardware components.

Tales from the Field: Business Drivers and Checklist for Successful SharePoint Governance Watch this webcast to learn the three P's and business requirements for driving governance focusing on the challenges Microsoft and AvePoint customers face.

Presentation Transcript: The Truth Behind SharePoint Recovery and Availability: Meeting your SLAs Read this webcast transcript to learn about recovery and availability with SharePoint 2010.

Presentation Transcript: Application Life Cycle Management, a Cautionary Tale This transcript of a presentation on SharePoint focuses on application lifecycle management (ALM) and developing features. Coding, platform capabilities, enhancements, application development, automation of builds and more are discussed in this comprehensive resource.

Presentation Transcript: To BLOB or Not to BLOB? Storage Optimization Demystified Join SharePoint MVPs Dan Holme and Randy Williams for a balanced, intelligent, detailed examination of the technologies and issues surrounding BLOB externalization.

eGuide: Tackle SharePoint Sprawl and Implement Effective Training Strategies Read this E-Guide and uncover key SharePoint training techniques and strategies. Learn which factors can lead to SharePoint sprawl and how your organization can regain control of your SharePoint deployment.

eGuide: Best practices for implementing a SharePoint governance initiative This E-Guide discusses integrating external SharePoint access into SharePoint governance policies, and best practices for implementing a governance initiative.

Intelligently Reducing SharePoint Costs through Storage Optimization In this e-book, expert Don Jones discusses data optimization strategies to lower costs and improve SharePoint functionality, allowing SharePoint to become the central data and content repository it is designed to be.

The Essential Guide to SharePoint Replication This guide examines SharePoint replication as a potential solution to challenges organizations face when using SharePoint as a communication tool for geographically-disparate work sites.

Case Study: Helix Energy Solutions Replicates Data and Content to Geo-Distributed SharePoint Farms & Sea Vessels with DocAve This case study covers how Helix Energy Solutions, an offshore energy production service firm, leveraged DocAve to replicate data to globally distributed SharePoint server farms and ships at sea.

Case Study: Henderson Global Investors Bolsters Microsoft SharePoint Adoption with DocAve This case study details the efforts of Henderson Global Investors, an asset management firm, to improve their SharePoint-based content management, backup and administrative functions using AvePoint's DocAve Software Platform.

Case Study: Park Nicollet Protects Vital SharePoint Data and Meets Compliance Objectives with DocAve This case study describes how Park Nicollet Health Services was able to leverage AvePoint's DocAve to meet crucial compliance objectives and protect vital SharePoint data.

Case Study: Tata Steel Satisfies SharePoint Backup and Restore SLAs with DocAve This white paper provides a case study example of DocAve Backup and Restore's capacity to extend the native capabilities of SharePoint and provide superior backup and recovery.

Optimizing Worldwide SharePoint Data and Content Access with DocAve This white paper outlines the technological and infrastructural barriers that businesses must overcome to ensure their SharePoint platform can quickly respond to ever-changing needs at "Web speed."

Case Study: Microsoft Technology Center Reduced SharePoint 2010 Migration by Two Months with DocAve Migrating from SharePoint 2007 to the 2010 platform comes with a host of challenges. This brief case study shows how a leading New York City technology center saved time and money with a migration solution.

Encouraging Greater SharePoint Adoption This paper discusses the progression of SharePoint usage, features available to encourage SharePoint adoption, focusing on the technology components required, scalability of the platform to accommodate growth, migration strategies, and how AvePoints DocAve Software Platform help ensure a scalable, reliable platform for bolstered adoption.

Encouraging SharePoint Collaboration This paper discusses how Microsoft SharePoint is the platform of choice for organizations to store enterprise-wide content. New features in SharePoint Server 2010 take the platform to the next level by improving the platforms scalability and usability to further enhance collaboration among knowledge workers.

Increasing SharePoint Adoption: Unleash Content Access Across the Enterprise This paper examines how organizations are turning to Microsoft SharePoint to connect their knowledge workers, business processes, and enterprise-wide content. New features in SharePoint Server 2010 are aimed at improving the platforms scalability and usability, inherently driving the SharePoint deployment to evolve and grow as business dictates.

Embracing the Cloud: Strategies for Hybrid Microsoft SharePoint Deployments This white paper discusses the benefits to utilizing SharePoint Online, cloud storage, hybrid management, and the options organizations have for the proper management and governance of their hybrid deployments.

Social Security Administration Deploys DocAve to Protect Mission-Critical SharePoint Deployment In early 2008, the Social Security administration they deployed their pilot SharePoint deployment that was accessible to all agency staff. After evaluating several backup solutions, SSA administrators chose AvePoint Doc Ave Backup and Recovery for their SharePoint environment. Read this case study to learn why.

Center for Charter Schools at Central Michigan University Uses DocAve to Migrate Mission-Critical SharePoint Data The Center for Charters at CMU needed a unified platform upon which to collaborate effectively, store digital assets efficiently, and maintain industry compliant audit histories. Read this case study to learn how they used DocAve SharePoint Migrator for a hassle-free migration into MOSS with no metadata loss.
The entrepreneurs fight for a free press and human rights in an increasingly authoritarian Hong Kong is recognized yet again, even as he sits in jail for violating the draconian National Security Law. []

At the annual International Press Freedom Awards, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will honor Jimmy Lai, longtime Acton friend and outspoken political dissident in Hong Kong, with the 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award.

The annual event, set to take place Nov. 18, presents the award to a recipient chosen by CPJs board of directors, to honor one who exemplifies extraordinary and sustained commitment to press freedom, the Committees press release stated.

Jimmy Lai is not just a champion of a free press, he is a press freedom warrior. He fights for the right of his Apple News organization to publish freely, even as China and its backers in Hong Kong use every tool to quash them, said Kathleen Carroll, chair of CPJs board. The CPJ board is pleased to honor Jimmy Lai with the 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. And we look forward to the day when we can present that award to him in person, the press release added.

Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence on charges under Hong Kongs wide-sweeping National Security Law (NSL). The law, imposed in June 2020, puts into practice Beijings intensifying crackdown on all forms of political dissent.

However, Lais convictions have remained unappealable in the face of Hong Kongs intimidating and increasingly authoritarian rule and stifling of human rights in pursuit of absolute control of its citizenry.

The Acton Institute awarded Lai with its 2020 Faith and Freedom Award. In its press release at the time, Acton declared that Lais sterling character in the face of totalitarian adversity deserves all the plaudits we can muster. For that reason, we have awarded Lai our 2020 Faith and Freedom Award.

After the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1995, Lai founded the pro-democracy media group Next Digital Media and its subsidiary news service, Apple Daily, in opposition to the increasing reach of Hong Kongs government and restrictions on human rights.

Hong Kong authorities took notice of the newspapers popularity. This past June, Hong Kong police raided Apple Dailys headquarters, froze HK$18 million (USD$2.3 million), seized the companys documents, and forced the newspaper to fold the next week.

Additionally, many Next Digital board members have been arrested on charges under the NSL. Remaining members have resigned in fear of violating the draconian law.

Lai is a living example of commitment to the dignity of the human person. The CPJs recognition of his fight to safeguard human flourishing contributes to the effort to continue his struggle to revitalize the rights of Hong Kongs citizens.

More information on the Gwen Ifill Award and the CPJ International Press Freedom event can be found on their website.
A Friend in Need - story by W. Somerset Maugham
Charles Munger, a "97-year-old billionaire-investor turned amateur-architect" gave $200 million to the University of California Santa Barbara on one condition: that no one could change his blueprints for a "11-story, 1.68-million-square-foot structure that would house up to 4,500 students, 94 percent of whom would not have windows in their small, single-occupancy bedrooms," reports The Independent. A prominent consulting architect named Dennis McFadden who has been on the UCSB Design Review Committee for 15 years resigned in protest, calling Munger Hall "unsupportable from my perspective as an architect, a parent, and a human being."

McFadden disagreed sharply with what the university has described as "Charlie's Vision" for the benefits of a "close-knit" living experience. "An ample body of documented evidence shows that interior environments with access to natural light, air, and views to nature improve both the physical and mental wellbeing of occupants," he wrote. "The Munger Hall design ignores this evidence and seems to take the position that it doesn't matter."

So far, McFadden continued, the university has not offered any research or data to justify the unprecedented departure from normal student housing standards, historical trends, and basic sustainability principles. "Rather," he said, "as the 'vision' of a single donor, the building is a social and psychological experiment with an unknown impact on the lives and personal development of the undergraduates the university serves."
The very first sentence on Boston Medical Center's website says, We are here for you. But, ironically, that wasn't the case for an emergency patient about to receive ankle surgery in 2016. The surgeon assigned to oversee the procedure was there when he escorted the patient into the operating room, but then he left to eat  and snooze  in his parked car, missing the entire rest of the day and night.

Five years later, Dr. Tony Tannoury is "facing a $5,000 fine and will be required to complete professional development courses after being reprimanded by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine," according to USA Today.

From Boston.com:

Dr. Tony Tannoury, 54, admitted that he woke up in his car that November night in 2016, called the teaching hospital and was told that a chief resident had performed the operation he was supposed to oversee, according to a consent order released Monday by the Board of Registration in Medicine. Tannoury didn't return to the hospital until the following day. In a recent ruling, the state Board of Registration in Medicine concluded that Tannoury, who was the attending surgeon for orthopedic trauma emergencies that night and had escorted the patient with the resident into the operating room, had "engaged in conduct that undermines the public confidence in the integrity of the medical profession."

With some of longest hours of all professions, you can't blame an exhausted surgeon for succumbing to a nap once in a while. Luckily it happened in his car and not in the middle of an OR procedure.
Nearly every nation on the planet has had their share of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. But Tonga, the island nation in the South Pacific with a population of about 106,000, had managed to stay completely clear of the virus  until today, when a traveler from New Zealand was tested positive upon arrival.

From ABC News:

Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga's isolation has helped keep it safe but it faces big challenges should the virus take hold due to its under-resourced health system.

The nearby nation of Fiji avoided significant outbreaks until April, when the delta variant ripped through the island chain, infecting more than 50,000 people and killing at least 673.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said in a radio address that the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday and had been isolating at a quarantine hotel.

The prime minister planned on Monday to make an announcement about any future lockdowns, according to news website Matangi Tonga.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, well-known for its internal corruption, corrupting influence on others, racism, and making the world less equitable and more violent, begrudgingly returned $30,000 it took from Kermit Warren, "an out-of-work shoeshine man from New Orleans, was carrying nearly $30,000 in cash through the airport in Columbus, Ohio," reports NBC News.

I wrote about the DEA's crime against Warren in August, where I said: "Kermit Warren shined shoes at a hotel and collects scrap metal for a living. Besides serving in the Army Corps of Engineers, he is a deacon at his church and is a proud grandfather. None of that mattered to the Drug Enforcement Administration which used civil forfeiture laws to swipe his life savings that he was going to use to buy a truck."

From Institute for Justice, which came to Warren's aid to get his money back:

At the Columbus airport, TSA screeners noticed that Kermit had a large amount of cash in his bag. They asked him about it but let him continue to his gate. Later, as Kermit and Leo were waiting to board their flight, DEA agents approached them and asked questions about Kermit's cash. The officers were uninterested in Kermit's and Leo's evidence about the source and purpose of the money; it was clear the officers were simply there to take it. Kermit panicked and did something he greatly regrets: In a last-ditch effort to avoid losing his hard-earned life savings, he told the agents that he was a retired New Orleans police officer and showed them his other son's old badge, which Kermit keeps for sentimental reasons. The officers saw through this right away and Kermit admitted that he was not a former cop. The DEA agents took all of Kermit's money. But they did not arrest Kermit or Leo or charge them with any crime. Instead, the agents let them board their plane to New Orleans without Kermit's life savings. About six months later, the government filed a civil forfeiture complaint in federal court, arguing that Kermit's money should be permanently taken because it is somehow connected to drug activity. But the government's allegations do not connect Kermit or his money to any crime. Instead, the government contends that Kermit vaguely fits the profile of a drug courier. But the government should not be able to take property forever with flimsy evidence; it should have to prove someone's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

From NBC News:

With his savings gone and the Covid pandemic depriving him of steady work, the longtime church deacon barely scraped by. He said he wasn't even able to buy his seven grandchildren Christmas gifts. "This last year has truly been a nightmare for me," said Warren, 58. But this week, he received good news: federal prosecutors agreed to return all of his money and dismiss the case, according to a settlement agreement signed Thursday and obtained by NBC News. "It gives me a great amount of joy and peace," Warren said. "What happened to me should never happen to anybody in this world." Thousands of people are stopped and stripped of their money each year by U.S. law enforcement under a process known as civil asset forfeiture. The controversial practice allows the government to seize people's property  even without filing criminal charges  if it is suspected of being linked to criminal activity.

The DEA refused to give NBC News a comment.
NASA scientists are calling for a new framework to report evidence for life beyond Earth. Given that "our generation could realistically be the one to discover evidence of life beyond Earth," NASA chief scientist Jim Green and colleagues write in a Nature article, and that the public is very interested in knowing if that happens, it's essential that scientists learn how to carefully and methodically announce findings that will almost certainly be sensationalized. It's a fascinating challenge for science communicators to consider! From NASA:

They envision a scale informed by decades of experience in astrobiology, a field that probes the origins of life on Earth and possibilities of life elsewhere.

"Having a scale like this will help us understand where we are in terms of the search for life in particular locations, and in terms of the capabilities of missions and technologies that help us in that quest," Green said.

The scale contains seven levels, reflective of the winding, complicated staircase of steps that would lead to scientists declaring they've found life beyond Earth. As an analogy, Green and colleagues point to the Technology Readiness Level scale, a system used inside NASA to rate how ready a spacecraft or technology is to fly. Along this spectrum, cutting-edge technologies such as the Mars helicopter Ingenuity begin as ideas and develop into rigorously tested components of history-making space missions.

The authors hope that in the future, scientists will note in published studies how their new astrobiology results fit into such a scale. Journalists could also refer to this kind of framework to set expectations for the public in stories about new scientific results, so that small steps don't appear to be giant leaps.

"Until now, we have set the public up to think there are only two options: it's life or it's not life," said Mary Voytek, head of NASA's Astrobiology Program in at NASA Headquarters in Washington and study co-author. "We need a better way to share the excitement of our discoveries, and demonstrate how each discovery builds on the next, so that we can bring the public and other scientists along on the journey."
A patient at Alabama's Mobile Infirmary Medical Center for some reason left their hospital room, opened a refrigerator in the facility's cryogenic storage area, and removed multiple frozen embryos stored there by the nearby Center for Reproductive Medicine. Apparently shocked by the temperature of the vials, the individual dropped the embryos on the floor where they became nonviable. Now, three couples who were clients of the fertility center have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both facilities. From Advance Local:

One of the suits cited Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker's concurring opinion from a 2017 case in which the court ruled that a woman could sue her doctor for wrongful death when she had a miscarriage.

"Wrongfully causing and/or allowing the death of an embryonic human being is no different than causing the death of a human being at any other stage of life," the lawsuit states. "Embryonic human beings are human beings."

The three couples suing the fertility clinic and hospital, said they suffered "severe mental anguish, strain, and emotional distress" over the incident.
It means shifting from gasoline-powered vehicles to building the extensive network of charging stations that will be needed if those carbon-fueled cars and trucks are replaced by electric vehicles. It likely means developing a plan to phase out appliances and heating systems powered by fossil fuels.

But to get there, the path will be shaped by decisions that will be made in the coming years. And there isnt broad agreement on how to get there.

There are different views on how much we should electrify and how fast we should electrify, said Donna DeCarolis, the president of National Fuels utility business. Most presume that, by 2030, if your furnace breaks, youre going to electrify.

Utility officials are pushing for an approach that uses the existing infrastructure, especially for natural gas, that would continue to use the network of underground pipelines that they already own. In their vision, the pipes would carry natural gas mixed with hydrogen to reduce harmful emissions. That would save money, they said.

But others, including some environmental groups, want to move more forcefully away from carbon-based fuels, including natural gas, and more aggressively toward a more fully electrified future.
"I don't want to exit," she said. "I want to grow this into the next big thing. My mother's in New Zealand. She would die if I don't get these into New Zealand."

At Thursday's final round, one of the judges, Jackie Reses, a former Square Financial Services executive, asked Brady if anyone had ever approached her about buying the business. Brady said that hasn't happened.

New investment. Automation is a "key pillar" of Top Seedz's growth strategy, and the $1 million prize from 43North will fuel those plans, Brady said.

"It's a largely manual manufacturing process at the moment," she said.

With increased automation, Top Seedz can ramp up production beyond its current 50,000 boxes of products a month, she said.

"Our limitations now are our production facility," Brady said. "If we can plow more money into production, we can meet demand. It's all about getting the cracker into people's mouths."

Top Seedz operates from a location near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The company is exploring whether to expand there or move into a different location to grow.
Rebecca Brady looked in disbelief when she heard the announcement: her startup, Top Seedz, had won the $1 million grand prize in the 43North business plan competition on Thursday.

Total shock  I wasnt expecting it at all, said Brady, the founder of an artisan cracker and seed business based in Cheektowaga. I was even thinking, I dont even mind if I dont get (a $500,000 runner-up prize). Thats OK, Ive done well to get this far. 

She fared much better than that. Brady won over a panel of judges who picked a $1 million grand prize winner and seven runners-up who won $500,000 each in the program at Shea's Buffalo Theatre. Two other finalists in the field of 10 won no prize money.

Brady, a New Zealand native, launched Top Seedz in 2017, with $5,000 in seed money. She outlined her plans to scale up the business and get her products into thousands of stores in the next few years. Automation will be a key part of its development, but the business also plans to expand its workforce beyond its current 20 employees, she said.

"We want to employ a lot of people," including a bigger sales force, Brady said.
A Rochester teenager who admitted causing the crash that badly injured Buffalo Police Officer Jonathan Negron was sentenced Thursday in Erie County Court to nine years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The 16-year-old, whose name has not been released by authorities due to his age, pleaded guilty to two felonies stemming from a car chase that rendered Negron unconscious following the June 3 chase.

The youth pleaded guilty in September to charges of assault on a peace officer and unlawful fleeing a police in a motor vehicle. He faced a maximum of 15 years in prison.

"Anytime someone pleads to the charge, nine out of 10 times, the judge is going to give a lesser commitment than the maximum sentence," said District Attorney John J. Flynn, during a news conference Thursday in his office after the sentencing.

"I obviously respect and appreciate the fact when someone steps up and admits what they did, and pleads to the charge," Flynn added. "Nine years here is not a light sentence."

Flynn said what the youth did to Negron justifies the length of his sentence.
At a time when ghost guns are being found on Buffalo streets more frequently than ever, New York State has enacted new laws aimed at clamping down on these untraceable, assemble-at-home weapons.

Buffalo has seen a significant rise in ghost guns this year, with city police having confiscated more than 50 such guns, according to the department.

Compare that to all of last year, when city cops recovered five of these firearms. From 2018 through 2020, police seized 15 ghost guns, said Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.

"There are so many ghost guns that are out on the street right now that it's a pandemic in its own right," Gramaglia said. "We don't know how many are out there."

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed into law measures that make it a crime to sell ghost guns and for anyone other than gun dealers or gunsmiths to possess one of the main components needed to assemble a firearm. The moves were hailed by advocacy groups like New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Brady and Giffords.
Sections include Labor, Cities, Literary Criticism, Mind/Body/Spirit, Hip-hop Culture, Whiteness Studies, and Indigenous Studies.

"Given that it was a passion project, I felt I would be most energized if I was selling books that I loved, and that helped me become the person I am," Bartley said.

The sections Empire and Capital are among them. "That's the most unique," Bartley said. "I've always had an interest in who's behind the curtain in capitalism, and those two are entwined in the way I look at the world."

Beyond books, Bartley recently started serving authentic Belgian waffles in the back of the store along with coffee and soda.

"I knew if I was going to do books, there had to be a draw because books don't draw more than 1 or 2% of people who are into books. I wanted something delicious and simple, and that wouldn't require ordering lots of things," Bartley said.

His waffle journey began 12 years ago in Cincinnati. "I bit into this waffle at a waffle stand, and I sensed that my life was changing," Bartley said.

The Liege waffles Bartley prepares in a commercial kitchen are made with yeast, butter and caramelized pearl sugar. After the dough is refrigerated overnight, he mashes the sugar into the elastic shape to add sweetness.
The leading candidates for Erie County sheriff are collecting money from their parties, individual donors and, in Democrat Kimberly Beatys case, a spouse as the race ticks off its final days.

Late-arriving donations reported to the state Board of Elections show the Democratic Party days ago threw almost $37,000 into Beatys campaign, which has been underfunded when compared to Republican John C. Garcias.

She was being outspent in the media, said Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner, explaining that the party donation was meant to sustain or enhance Beatys advertising on television, radio and social media.

Her overriding message was that she has the deeper resume, more command experience and is not the candidate endorsed by the controversial incumbent leaving office, Sheriff Timothy B. Howard.

The three candidates still actively campaigning have, at different points, gone into their household accounts for campaign cash. Beatys husband, retired Buffalo Police Officer Vernon Beaty, loaned $8,000 to his wifes fund Tuesday, according to a record with the state Elections Board.
Only one of the mayors top 10 contributors is not a member of the business community. William Renaldo has been the citys fire commissioner for three years.

He has given Brown more than $10,000, he said, because he holds him in high regard on both a personal level and a professional one.

He has morals and values I associate with, Renaldo said of Brown. The way he handled the pandemic was amazing. Not a single person was laid off. He instituted administrative leave for anyone who needed it, whether they contracted the disease or needed time off.

Progressives for Walton

Among Waltons top 10 contributors, the only local business owner is Steve Mackie, who provided her campaign with the use of some of his property, an in-kind contribution worth $7,650.

He, like Walton, grew up on the East Side. For a time, she lived across the street from the Lemon Spot, his car repair shop in the Fruit Belt, and he got to know her when she brought her car in for service.

Shes always been a good person, Mackie said. I think she would do well for the community shes grown up in. Ive seen nothing being done in my neighborhood until the Medical Campus decided to locate here.
James, as well as Hochul, have also stepped up their fundraising activities, especially in New York City  the geographic heart of political money raising events for Democrats seeking statewide office.

Since Cuomos political troubles began in earnest earlier this year  resulting in calls for him to resign and an impeachment inquiry  James has been quietly maneuvering to run for governor.

In recent polls, Hochul has been leading the field of potential challengers, including James, as well as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Others interested include Long Island U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi.

+2 With eyes on 2022, Hochul pounds the pavement in New York City Since taking office Aug. 24, 62% of all or part of Hochul's days as governor have been spent in New York City.

"It means Hochul has to raise more money and put together a coalition that goes from Western New York to New York City," said veteran Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. "Tish James has a rough road, but so does Hochul."

The announcement pits Hochul, the first woman governor of New York, against James, who would become the first Black female governor in the nations history.

James would join Cuomo and former governor Eliot Spitzer as among those who have sought to go from the states top lawyer to its chief executive in Albany.
OLAF FUB SEZ: According to Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist and World War II veteran Bill Mauldin, born on this date in 1921, Im convinced that the infantry is the group in the army which gives more and gets less than anybody else.

. . .

FUTURE HOME  Get a look at the place where Cornell Cooperative Extension plans to build its new educational center on Burton Road south of Powers Road in Orchard Park during an open house at the vacant site from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Visitors should dress for the weather. RSVPs needed today. Call Jolie Hibit at 716-652-5400, ext. 176, or email jah663@cornell.edu.

. . .

FURRY FRIENDS  Ten Lives Club Cat Adoption Group will host a Fall Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Sole at Woodlawn Beach, 3580 Lake Shore Road, Blasdell. There will be vendors, raffles, food for purchase and cats available for adoption, as well as adoptable dogs from Buddys Second Chance. For more info, call 716-646-5577, ext. 1, or visit tenlivesclub.com.
"This is a rock-solid investment into the development of all our people," he said.

Still, Higgins especially lamented the loss of the paid family leave provision, even though New York State already has its own family leave plan.

So did Gillibrand.

Until the bill is printed, I will continue working to include paid leave in the Build Back Better plan," she said in a statement.

Paid family leave got dropped after Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, objected to it, saying it should be dealt with in separate legislation.

Manchin is one of two moderate Democrats, along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who demanded that the Build Back Better bill shrink dramatically and be entirely paid for by tax changes to be included in the measure.

Higgins said he understood why those compromises had to be made.

"This is the process," he said. "We have 435 members of the House. There are 100 members of the Senate, and it's a 50-50 Senate with a vice president acting as the tie-breaker. Everybody can't have their own way."
When a violent situation puts the public in danger, there is a clear and legitimate reason for police to be there to protect citizens and restore order.

As we have noted in this space before, the problems of requiring police to deal with the mentally ill date to the 1980s, when New York adopted the policy of deinstitutionalization, a practice in which some mentally ill patients were moved out of hospitals and  theoretically  into a system of community care. That system never developed, making police the de facto first responders, a duty for which they were not trained.

If Walton is elected mayor, she has vowed to direct more funding to mental health care. The challenge would be paying for that without cuts in police funding that could make the city less safe.

Funding for police has climbed steadily during Browns years in office. If he wins another term, the city would benefit from the administration bringing in an outside evaluator to study the Behavioral Health Team and see if there are improvements it could make to ensure it meets its mission.

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
I do not agree with voting yes on five amendments to the state constitution (Oct. 24 editorial). Instead, I ask communities throughout Western New York to question the potential unintended consequences of Proposal 2, as its currently written.

Family dairy farms across our state have been leading the nation in environmental stewardship for generations. Farms operate under strict environmental regulations and guidelines, and we work with our employees every day to protect our natural resources, while ensuring the health and safety of each other, and our cows.

However, the proposed Green Amendment could overturn decades of teamwork, land preservation, and animal care that nearly 4,000 New York State dairy farms have strived for.

What does clean air and water and healthful environment mean? If the Green Amendment passes on Nov. 2, well likely find out through complaints and lawsuits because the courts will decide.

As its written, the amendment appears to give undefined rights to file complaints against family farms or New Yorks own government agencies  the very people whose passion and life work is to protect our natural resources, and over what complainants believe are environmental wrongdoings.
Product Preview is a weekly series spotlighting the latest and greatest debuts in the marketplace. Check back every Friday for whats new and notable.

Fresh off the heels of High Point, the gorgeous fall collections keep rolling in. From artisanally made table linens to outdoor-friendly side tables wrapped in fanciful (and weatherproof) silicone cord fringe, here are some highlights from the latest round of releases.

From left to right: Catalina Solid in Clay, Malmo Check in Redwood, Catalina Stripe in Clay, Tahoe Ripple in Oxblood and Shiga Brick in Coral by Commune at Kufri. Laure Joliet

Hand-loomed textile studio Kufri tapped Los Angelesbased design firm Commune for an ultracool fabric collaboration called Utopia. Handcrafted by artisans in India using centuries-old weaving techniques, the collection references a wide range of heritage processes, including an asymmetrical checkerboard design named Shaker Plaid and a wavy-lined print called Tahoe Ripples.

The Tikal Wood vase, candle holders, and Arch serving board in Granadillo, Odissi Linen napkins in Olive, and Hidalgo Ceramic mugs at The Citizenry. Courtesy of The Citizenry The brand's Hidalgo Ceramic mugs Courtesy of The Citizenry Left: The Tikal Wood vase, candle holders, and Arch serving board in Granadillo, Odissi Linen napkins in Olive, and Hidalgo Ceramic mugs at The Citizenry. Courtesy of The Citizenry | Right: The brand's Hidalgo Ceramic mugs Courtesy of The Citizenry

The Citizenry introduced its newest tabletop collection just in time for the holidays. The artisanally (and ethically) made assortment spans serving pieces, table linens and seasonal decor accents, including hand-woven plaid and ecru-striped napkins and ceramic mugs made by a group of four artisans in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Ma Vie pillow (front) and Ardoise linens with custom embroidery by Maison Anne Carminati. Courtesy of Maison Anne Carminati

Maison Anne Carminati released a romantic new pillow and linen collection called La Mome Piaf. Teeming with soft hues and plush materials, each piece in the assortment pays homage to legendary French performer Edith Piaf, including a plum-and-black patterned print named Je Ne Regrette Rien and the graphic Ma Vie pillow.

he Eggo plate, Pasta bowl and Cereal bowl in Saddle Satin from the Saturn dinnerware collection at BKLYN Clay Courtesy of BKLYN Clay The brand's Crater cup in Stofler Courtesy of BKLYN Clay Left: he Eggo plate, Pasta bowl and Cereal bowl in Saddle Satin from the Saturn dinnerware collection at BKLYN Clay Courtesy of BKLYN Clay | Right: The brand's Crater cup in Stofler Courtesy of BKLYN Clay

Brooklyn-based ceramics studio BKLYN Clay debuted a hip line of handmade tabletop pieces and decor accents. The artisanal assortment features the sleek and stackable Saturn stoneware dinnerware collection, as well as the artfully glazed Crater cup, which is sprayed in contrasting colors to create a shadowy contoured effect.

The Minos table lamp and Teddy bedhead by Charles Zana Mobilier Francois Halard The brand's Island wall lamp and Kos table lamp Francois Halard Left: The Minos table lamp and Teddy bedhead by Charles Zana Mobilier Francois Halard | Right: The brand's Island wall lamp and Kos table lamp Francois Halard

Parisian architect and designer Charles Zana unveiled his first ever furniture and lighting collection, Mobilier, in an ethereal exhibition entitled Ithaque. The luxe assortment features an array of dreamy minimalistic designs, including a curvy headboard upholstered in honey-hued velvet named Teddy and a bronze table lamp with a woven wicker shade called Kos.

The Butler side table in polished aluminum and the Octavia lounge chair in fiberglass by Laun Ye Rin Mok

Los Angelesbased design firm Laun launched a futuristic furniture collection called Dawn. The outdoor-friendly selection features four fashionable pieces inspired by the surreal, biomorphic imagery found in Octavia Butlers science fiction novel of the same name, including an angled egg-style chair and a weatherproof side table draped in silicone cord fringe.

Ottoman upholstered in Cashmere Velvet in Ruby and cushions (from left to right) in Silk Velvet Linen Flange in Gold, Assegai in Bronze and Classic Linen in Clay by de Le Cuona. Courtesy of de Le Cuona

British textile brand de Le Cuona debuted the travel-inspired Overland collection. Brimming with earthy hues, subtle patterns, and raw textures, the chic fabric series offers 10 distinct designs carefully crafted from flax, wool, and cashmere available in more than 50 colorways, including a subtly striped linen that pays tribute to the Tuli Block in Botswana and the rustic Stampede that mimics the look of animal tracks left in the sand.

Aaspura, Rajasthan-based artisans Anita and Preeti with the Manchaha rug they crafted for Jaipur Living. Courtesy of Jaipur Living The Manchaha rug in LES-756 at Jaipur Living Courtesy of Jaipur Living Left: Aaspura, Rajasthan-based artisans Anita and Preeti with the Manchaha rug they crafted for Jaipur Living. Courtesy of Jaipur Living | Right: The Manchaha rug in LES-756 at Jaipur Living Courtesy of Jaipur Living

In an effort to reduce waste, Jaipur Living launched a collection of sustainably made floor coverings named Manchaha. The global rug company challenged some of its artisans to create carpets composed entirely of leftover materials, and the result is a kaleidoscopic assortment of truly one-of-a-kind hand-knotted pieces.

Lily of the Valley 8" octagonal salad plates, 10" luncheon plates, and reversible gift wrap in green by Carolyne Roehm for The Enchanted Home. Courtesy of The Enchanted Home The brand's Lily of the Valley 8" octagonal salad plates, 10" luncheon plates, and reversible gift wrap in blue by Carolyne Roehm. Courtesy of The Enchanted Home Left: Lily of the Valley 8" octagonal salad plates, 10" luncheon plates, and reversible gift wrap in green by Carolyne Roehm for The Enchanted Home. Courtesy of The Enchanted Home | Right: The brand's Lily of the Valley 8" octagonal salad plates, 10" luncheon plates, and reversible gift wrap in blue by Carolyne Roehm. Courtesy of The Enchanted Home

The Enchanted Home teamed up with lifestyle aficionado Carolyne Roehm for a fanciful capsule collection. The whimsical assortment features dinnerware, gift wrap and tissue paper with a delightful Lily of the Valley motif based on one of the artist-and-designers paintings.

The Silicone Vinyl collection at Pindler Courtesy of Pindler

Pindler dropped a colorful collection of eco-friendly leather alternatives called Silicone Vinyl. Constructed of a coated fabric made from silicone (an organic polymer), the buttery soft assortment provides a leather-like stretch and is approved for both indoor and outdoor use.

Homepage photo: The Utopia collection by Commune for Kufri | Laure Joliet
Best Denim Overshirts for Fall

Denim Overshirts Are Your Key to Unlocking Fall Layering

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Whats on your list of fall style essentials? Whatever the answer might be, allow us to recommend a stylish denim overshirt as a new addition. After all, you can hopefully already count a rugged henley, one of the most versatile mens watches, a durable shirt jacket and a great pair of wear-anywhere jeans on that list, at least in matters of casual style.

RELATED: AskMen's Ultimate Fall Style Guide 2021

What if we told you the rugged denim overshirt is yet another way to welcome the crisp chill of fall with easygoing wearability, just a touch of functionality and long-lasting style points? Denim overshirts exist in a bit of a tricky middle ground. Theyre cut longer than a denim trucker jacket, and theyre made with tougher materials (I.E. Cotton denim) than your favorite flannel shirt, although some fit and feel more like a regular button-down. Layering is still very much on the table, though.

The style can be worn as a true work shirt in your yard or on a job site, but theyre also well-suited for fall fun, be it leaf-peeping, brewery beer imbibing (or homebrewing), or laid back weekend hikes.

The thicker build makes them an ideal top layer above the aforementioned flannel shirt, or a thermal henley, or both. The more options you have for fall layering at your disposal, the more comfortable and cozy youll be, and the better youll look this season. Enter a new world of seasonal layering with our favorite denim overshirts and shirts for fall.

Todd Snyder Italian Denim Utility Shirt

Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder has taken the traditional workshirt and turned it into a refined piece you could even wear in place of a blazer, if you so choose. This is a sturdily built Italian denim shirt ideal for layering, and Snyder might recommend wearing on top of a turtleneck for runway-ready holiday style, or over one of the designers famed Todd Snyder x Champion crewneck sweatshirts for weekend getaway style.

$249 at ToddSnyder.com

Goodlife Denim Shirt

Goodlife Clothing

The best denim overshirts and shirts can handle a bit of everything, from work to play. Goodlifes Denim Shirt is available in three distinct washes, but its the deep indigo, with dark snap buttons, that functions best as an overshirt when you want to show off that new band tee or thermal henley. The brand says the 5.5oz. Denim is soft but substantial, which sounds like it hits the sweet spot for autumn layering.

$175 at GoodlifeClothing.com

Levis Jackson Worker Denim Shirt

It only makes sense that Levis delivers a well-made denim overshirt, given that the brands ingenious five-pocket jeans were worn by prospectors and explorers in the early days of denim in the United States. This modern denim shirt draws on that same inspiration with slightly oversized buttons, flap button chest pockets for your essentials, and a somewhat roomier fit designed for layering. And if you just want to wear it with black Levis jeans to head (safely) back to a rock concert? It wont miss a beat.

$79.50 at Nordstrom.com

Mavi Jeans Rio Deep Brushed Denim Shirt

Mavi Jeans

If you like your denim shirts with lightweight layering potential, this richly colored denim shirt (with plenty of character in its deep indigo color) is the way to go. Contrast-stitch pockets and helpful stretch fabric makes this an ideal option to throw on for breezy fall days, especially atop a charcoal long-sleeve tee  preferably alongside Mavi jeans for a cleaned-up look.

$88 at Mavi.com

Wrangler Riggs Workwear Denim Shirt

Wrangler Riggs

In need of a super-dependable denim overshirt for the toughest jobs on your fall to-do list? Wrangler has just the shirt for that, built with side gussets for ease of movement. The front-button chest pockets can store small tools, and the cotton build makes it easy to layer over a thermal shirt and beneath a waxed chore coat.

From $34.58 at Amazon.com

AG Elias Denim Overshirt

AG Elias

Plenty of brands you can trust to craft the best mens jeans also do quite the job with making the best denim overshirts. Take AG Jeans, purveyors of this deep indigo cotton overshirt, complete with oversized chest flap pockets for functional storage aplenty. The hardware on this shirt is more like the buttons found on your favorite denim jacket, so wear this shirt as often as possible, especially on cool fall mornings, coffee in hand.

$245 at Nordstrom.com

Billy Reid Shoals Denim Shirt

Billy Reid

This particular Billy Reid denim shirt has been in the brands arsenal for years, so why mess with a good thing? Its not as heavy as a true denim workshirt, but that doesnt mean you cant wear it layered over a base tee and then beneath, say, the brands Bond Peacoat for an expert blend of high and low. Its the perfect balance of rugged and versatile that only the famed Alabama-based designer can pull off.

$198 at BillyReid.com

Joes USA Heavyweight Denim Shirt

Joes USA

For a remarkably agreeable price (just a shade over $40), get a heavyweight denim shirt you can layer atop everything from a simple graphic T-shirt to a long-sleeve merino tee for added fall warmth. Double and triple-needle stitching at key stress points ensures long-lasting durability for the price. And like other denim items in your rotation, this shirt should break in over time the more you wear it.

From $34.99 at Amazon.com

Dickies Flex Denim Long-Sleeve Shirt

Dickies

Now heres a denim overshirt that means business. Dickies built its brand on some of the toughest workwear on the market, and theyve not let up to this day. This denim overshirt incorporates stretch fabric by way of Dickies FLEX, and also uses oversize buttons and chest pockets to store your everyday carry. Team it with Dickies work pants, and youll cruise through your to-do list (or another round of beers if youre off the clock) without missing a beat.

From $33.58 at Amazon.com

A.P.C. Victor Denim Shirt Jacket

A.P.C. Victor

A.P.C, like Levis or AG Jeans, knows a thing or two about denim. They also know a thing or two about turning classic styles into more fashion-forward pieces, like this indigo take on the denim overshirt. Contrast gold stitching plays nicely off the medium-color denim, and the sturdy buttons lend this a true shacket feel  wear it unbuttoned over a crisp white tee or switch up your layers to style it with a crewneck sweatshirt.

$255 at Nordstrom.com

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Starting This Sunday, JetBlue Partially Moves to State-of-the-Art Terminal B for Most Flights; Boston Service Remains at Historic Marine Air Terminal

Northeast Alliance With American Airlines Continues to Deliver Customer Benefits and Better Competition With More JetBlue Flying at LaGuardia Than Ever Before

NEW YORK, October 29, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced effective this Sunday, October 31 it will expand its footprint at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport (LGA) across two terminals, operate more daily departures than ever before with up to 35 daily flights and serve more than triple the number of nonstop destinations flown in 2019. JetBlues growth  aimed at delivering more competition and low fares to travelers  is made possible through its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005317/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

"LaGuardia is one of the most asked for airports by customers, but its also one of the most congested, and JetBlue has long lacked the slots to grow our operation," said Dave Fintzen, vice president, Northeast Alliance, JetBlue. "But thanks to our alliance, we can tap into Americans slot portfolio, substantially expand JetBlue-operated flying at LaGuardia with increased frequencies and new destinations and bring our much-loved experience and low fares to more JetBlue and American customers."

Simple, Split Terminal Operations

Starting this Sunday, JetBlue will expand operations to two separate terminals at LaGuardia to make way for more flying and new destinations. The airline will continue to operate in the historic Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A) but will also be expanding into LaGuardias state-of-the-art Terminal B.

"We are very pleased to welcome JetBlue back to Terminal B," said Frank Scremin, Chief Executive Officer of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the manager and developer of the new terminal. "From NYC inspired shops and dining to world class art and more, were excited for JetBlue customers to experience the progress weve made transforming Terminal B into a modern gateway New Yorkers can be proud of. "

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All Boston flights will operate at the Marine Air Terminal, while flights to and from all other destinations will operate at Terminal B. JetBlue will operate up to 12 daily departures to Boston at the Marine Air Terminal and up to 23 additional daily departures to other destinations from Terminal B. Terminal B is also home to American Airlines and will allow for convenient connections between the airlines within the same terminal.

JetBlues split operation at LaGuardia will continue until the airline fully relocates to Terminal B in the future.

The LaGuardia Terminal B redevelopment  now more than 85% complete  includes a new 1.3 million square foot terminal with 35 gates, an array of New York City-inspired shops and dining options, permanent pieces of art by leading artists and a one-of-a-kind water feature.

More Departures to More Destinations

In addition to expanding its footprint at LaGuardia, JetBlue will also expand its list of nonstop destinations and number of daily flights. Starting Sunday, October 31, the airline will introduce three all-new routes with daily service between LaGuardia and:

Jacksonville, Fla. (JAX), up to twice daily.

Sarasota, Fla. (SRQ), once daily.

Savannah, Ga. (SAV), once daily.

With the addition of new destinations and increased flying on select routes, JetBlue will now operate up to 35 daily departures at LaGuardia, more than ever before. Still, JetBlue intends to grow further in the months ahead. In 2022, the airline will operate more than 50 daily departures and add service to even more new destinations, again enabled by the NEA. In the first half of the year, JetBlue will introduce nonstop service between LaGuardia and:

New Orleans, La. (MSY), on sale and launching March 27.

Nashville, Tenn. (BNA), on sale and launching March 27.

Portland, Maine (PWM), on sale soon and launching summer 2022.

By summer 2022, JetBlue will serve 16 nonstop destinations from LaGuardia, more than even before.

Northeast Alliance Supercharges Competition

JetBlues expansion at LaGuardia is a direct result of the NEA with American, which creates a viable third competitor in the Northeast by, among other things, connecting JetBlues growing network to Americans through codeshare and reciprocal loyalty benefits. The NEA is already delivering countless benefits to customers and enabling the expansion of JetBlues low fares and great service.

JetBlue has announced nine all-new destinations and 32 new routes, enabled by the NEA. Together JetBlue and American have added 58 new routes, including 18 international flights that will launch by 2022 and increased frequencies on more than 130 routes giving more options and choices to customers. The airlines are now codesharing on 175 routes, giving the pair a combined schedule with the number of markets and seats that for the first time in JetBlues two-decade history allows it to offer its customers options that stack up against larger, dominant carriers.

In New York, JetBlue and American plan to operate close to 500 daily flights next month, 300 of which will be flown by JetBlue. Given a vastly expanded network and flying, the NEA is estimated to generate more than $800 million dollars in annual consumer benefits. JetBlue is also in the process of hiring 1,800 new Crewmembers as a direct result of the growth that the NEA is enabling  jobs that otherwise would not be created without this alliance.

JetBlue will continue to implement the NEA and deliver tremendous benefits of added competition to its customers.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America, and between New York and London. For more information, visit jetblue.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005317/en/

Contacts

JetBlue Corporate Communications

Tel: +1.718.709.3089

corpcomm@jetblue.com
SYDNEY (AP)  The U.S. State Department expressed outrage and demanded an investigation on Friday after The Associated Press reported that Myanmars military has been torturing detainees in a systemic way across the country.

The United Nations top expert on human rights in Myanmar also called for strong international pressure on the military. And lawmakers in Washington urged Congress to act in the wake of APs investigation, which was based on interviews with 28 people, including women and children, imprisoned and released since the military took control of the government in February.

We are outraged and disturbed by ongoing reports of the Burmese military regimes use of systematic torture across the country, the State Department said, using Myanmars other name, Burma. Reports of torture in Burma must be credibly investigated and those responsible for such abuses must be held accountable.

APs report, which included photographic evidence, sketches and letters from prisoners, along with testimony from three recently defected military officials, provides the most comprehensive look since the takeover into a highly secretive detention system that has held more than 9,000 people. The AP identified a dozen interrogation centers in use across Myanmar, in addition to prisons and police lockups, based on interviews and satellite imagery.

Security forces have killed more than 1,200 people since February, including at least 131 detainees tortured to death.

The AP found that the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has taken steps to hide evidence of its torture. An aide to a high-ranking commander told the AP that he watched security forces torture two prisoners to death. Afterwards, he said, soldiers attached glucose drip lines to their corpses to make it look like the men were still alive, then forced a military doctor to falsify their autopsy reports.

The APs investigation sheds important light on the scope and systemic nature of the juntas criminal torture campaign, U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said in a statement. The confession of military personnel who directly witnessed detainees being tortured to death will be important for accountability efforts, as well as the APs uncovering of torture and interrogation center locations.

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Given the militarys efforts to hide its abuses, Andrews said the accounts in APs report are very likely just the tip of the iceberg.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the House to hold a vote on the BURMA Act in light of the findings. The legislation would authorize additional targeted sanctions against the military.

While the U.S., United Kingdom and European Union have already placed sanctions on high-ranking Myanmar military members and state-owned enterprises, they have yet to sanction American and French oil and gas companies working in Myanmar. That has allowed the military to maintain its single-largest source of foreign currency revenue, which the Tatmadaw uses, in part, to purchase weapons.

The disturbing reporting by the Associated Press on the sadistic torture and horrific violence committed by the Burmese military junta are sadly the latest in a long string of their atrocities, including genocide against the Rohingya, McCaul said in a statement, referring to the militarys mass slaughter and rape of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in 2017.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also urged Congress to pass the legislation.

I condemn the Burmese militarys unconscionable treatment of detainees, allegedly including victims as young as 16 years old, in the strongest possible terms, Meeks said in a statement.

The administration is considering sanctions that could impact Myanmars oil and gas industry but has yet to make a decision, according to officials familiar with the process. These officials say privately that there is great internal debate among the National Security Council, the State Department and Treasury about how best to ensure that any sanctions imposed do not negatively affect the people of Myanmar.

Human rights groups also urged an immediate international response.

The APs searing and expansive investigation sheds light into the black-box of the Myanmar militarys detention facilities. The Tatmadaws methodical torture regime  and attempts to hide it from public view  demand immediate global acknowledgement and action, said Susannah Sirkin, director of policy at Physicians for Human Rights. The group concluded that the wounds seen in photographs sent by the AP of three torture victims were consistent with deliberate beatings by sticks or rods.

The military did not respond to a request for comment on APs report. Earlier this week, it dismissed questions from the AP about its findings as nonsense.

___

Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
When will the world's population reach ten billion?

This article is part of Yahoo's 'On This Day' series

On 31 October, 2011, the world's population was estimated to have reached seven billion.

Dubbed the Day of Seven Billion by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the day marked a milestone in the inexorable rise of the global population.

The milestone came just 12 years after the number of people in the world hit six billion, showing the speed with which populations were rising.

Watch: Robotics: Solution to meet demand of global population

Ten years on, population growth may have slowed but continued to creep upwards.

In 2019, a United Nations report predicted that the worlds population would increase by two billion people in the next 30 years, taking it to nearly 10 billion (9.7 billion) in 2050.

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However, some other estimates put the 10 billion milestone at anywhere between 2054 and 2071.

The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights report, published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, concluded that the worlds population could reach its peak of nearly 11 billion around the end of the current century.

According to a report in 2019, despite global population growth some countries could see their populations halve. (Getty)

The report, which provided an overview of global demographic patterns and prospects, also confirmed that the worlds population is growing older due to increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels, and that the number of countries experiencing a reduction in population size was growing.

The world's population is thought to have hit one billion for the first time in 1804, taking more than a century to hit two billion, which it reached in 1927.

After that, population growth sped up, with the number of people in the world reaching three billion in 1960, five billion in 1987, and then seven billion in October 2011.

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Despite steady growth in the world's population for centuries, several European countries could see their populations halve by the end of the century, a report suggested last year.

Research compiled by the University of Washington, published in medical journal The Lancet, suggested that a total of 23 countries around the world, including Spain, Italy, Poland and Portugal, could see their populations drop by more than half of their current number.

Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, said: "The 21st century will see a revolution in the story of our human civilisation.

"Africa and the Arab world will shape our future, while Europe and Asia will recede in their influence. By the end of the century, the world will be multipolar, with India, Nigeria, China, and the US the dominant powers.

"This will truly be a new world, one we should be preparing for today."

Watch: Which countries release the most CO2?
The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District is standing behind its investigation after an appeal from the ACLU.

In a media statement sent out on Thursday afternoon, Michelle Golden, director of human resources and public relations for the CFAUSD, said the district is not able to reply to the complaint/the specific case in question due to the confidential pupil records under state and federal law.

The District is committed to providing its diverse student population with the best possible education, Golden said. We have made it a priority to implement and enforce policies to address pupil discrimination, and to be inclusive throughout our process of developing those policies. Weve also built an entire program that is specifically dedicated to supporting our diverse student body, and to educating our students about the rights and responsibilities that all students share to prevent and address discrimination. We aspire to provide an educational environment that is not only free of discrimination, but is welcoming to all.

The ACLU of Wisconsin filed an appeal earlier this month with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction on behalf of the Cultivative Coalition, an organization of current and former students of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District who experienced persistent and severe discriminatory harassment at school.

The appeal challenged the districts alleged perfunctory and evasive handling of the pupil discrimination complaint that the ACLU filed earlier this year.

Under Wisconsin law, students experiencing discrimination must first work through a complaint and investigation process at the school district level before presenting their claims to DPI. Other ACLU of Wisconsin school discrimination clients have received adverse decisions at the district level before being vindicated by DPI.

The Chippewa Falls investigation was conducted by an attorney from the law firm that represents the district. The decision was brief, did not explain the legal standards the investigator applied, and discredited without explanation the extensive evidence provided by the complainants, including documents, videos, and extensive witness interviews.

Based on this information, the investigator concluded that the complaint was deficient under applicable law, finding that, There is no evidence to conclude that the District has created or is responsible for a hostile environment on the basis of ones race, sex, or sexual orientation that is sufficiently severe, pervasive or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the District.

The response explaining the findings by the district was brief, which those who filed the complaint felt was a poor handling of the situation.

The districts response to this complaint is entirely consistent with its longstanding practice of deflecting responsibility and minimizing the concerns of students facing discriminatory harassment, said Elisabeth Lambert, Equal Justice Works fellow with the ACLU of Wisconsin and the attorney on the case. Still, were excited and proud to have reached this stage. Weve made it through the part of the process that the district controls, and now, weve assembled an extensive, compelling body of evidence and are looking forward to presenting it to DPI.

Golden said conducting thorough investigations into their conduct is an important aspect of their process.

Investigating and resolving discrimination complaints such as the complaint that was filed by the ACLU is a significant part of what we do to provide for an appropriate educational environment, Golden said. The District is committed to conducting thorough investigations in accordance with applicable policy and state and federal law, as well as implementing supportive and remedial measures.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 28)  Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) said companies from the United Kingdom remain confident about doing business in the Philippines.

"The interest in the Philippines remains high, we've kept it going," BCCP executive director Chris Nelson told CNN Philippines. "Overall, it's been challenging, but pleased to say our members have stayed."

With COVID-19 cases in the Philippines going down, restrictions easing up, and vaccination rates rising, Nelson said the Philippine government can further boost this confidence by passing key economic legislation.

"Economic measures which are currently being debated, particularly the Retail Trade (Liberalization) Act, Foreign Investments Act, Public Service Act, are very important," he said. "If we can get those measures passed, I would see more (investors) coming."

Nelson said the chamber hopes these measures would be passed during the Duterte administration.

The BCCP is also hoping that the next leadership would continue to focus on such measures that would further liberalize the Philippine economy, and promote data transparency and ease of doing business, Nelson added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 28)  Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani were a no-show again at the ongoing Senate inquiry on Thursday on alleged irregularities in the procurement of COVID-19 supplies.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon described the siblings as fugitives after the Senate security personnel failed to arrest them last week, after being cited for contempt.

Again, contemptuous yung ginawa nila. Habang siya ay nakasalang, si Mohit Dargani, nung sinabi namin na sila ay pako-contempt, that would have been the reason for him to say, magsasalita na po ako, he said.

[Translation: Again, what they did was contemptuous. When Mohit Dargani was still being questioned, when we said that we would cite them for contempt, that would have been the reason for him to say, Im ready to speak up.]

Imbes na magsalita, nawala na lang po sa virtual meeting, hindi na po sumagot. Umiskapo na po at naging fugitives sa Senado, at hindi na sila nagpakita silang magkapatid. Ayan po ay nagpapatunay na may tinatagong kasalanan ang mga ito, added Gordon.

[Translation: Instead of speaking up, he suddenly went missing from the virtual hearing and never answered anymore. They escaped and have become Senate fugitives and the siblings never showed up again. It goes to show that they have done something wrong.]

The Darganis allegedly went missing after the Blue Ribbon Committee ordered their arrest for refusing to submit subpoenaed financial documents.

Mohit, Pharmallys corporate secretary, left the hearing on Oct. 19 after being told they would be detained at the Senate until they answer questions on the source documents of the companys financial statements.

In a statement last Oct. 22, he alleged that the committee unjustly treated him and his sister.

Michael Yang

Meanwhile, senators had a hard time dealing with former presidential adviser Michael Yang during Thursdays Senate investigation.

Gordon bluntly told Yang that people find his replies as arrogant.

Marami ring nanood sa iyo at maraming nagte-text sa akin ang sinasabi arogante ka, nang-aasar ka....Walang natutuwa sa iyo, kaya magpakatino ka, he said.

[Translation: Many people are watching you and many are also texting me, saying that you are arrogant and you are teasing us...No one is happy with you, so you should act properly.]

Through an interpreter, Yang said that he was not being arrogant and that he loves the Philippines.

I came here to the Philippines and I really love this country. I am not arrogant. I really dont know what people think of me. Im just simply doing business here, he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan also called out Yang for telling half-truths and yawning while senators were questioning him.

He's not being upfront; he's not telling the whole truth. He's probably telling half-truths before this committee, he said.

Yang apologized for yawning, saying that he has been sitting in the virtual hearing for six to seven hours.

The Senate is investigating the deal of the Department of Budget and Managements Procurement Service with Pharmally for the procurement of allegedly overpriced personal protective equipment and testing kits worth 8.68 billion.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 28)  A controversial government medical supplier did not pay taxes last year while a former presidential adviser only paid a fraction of his taxable income in 2018, a senator said on Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon presented a summary of tax records based on documents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. In it, he noted that Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. claimed a tax credit worth over 96 million last year but did not pay any tax.

CNN Philippines requested comment from Pharmally on the issue.

Pharmally president Twinkle Dargani and corporate secretary Mohit Dargani, meanwhile, had very low ITRs considering their purchase of luxury cars, as pointed out by Drilon. He added that the ITRs of the company director, Linconn Ong, were all unreadable.

RELATED: Senators to Pharmally's Darganis: Come out of hiding, submit sought documents

Drilon also pointed out that former presidential adviser Michael Yang did not make any filings from 2014 to 2017. However, he paid 7,600 for a taxable income of 208,000 according to the Senate leader. Later in the hearing, the Chinese businessman said he will consult his accountant on the issue.

Resigned Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, the former head of the agencys Procurement Service, filed his ITRs through the eBIR Forms Online Facility but could not be viewed by the bureau, said the senator. Lao also did not make any filing last year, he added.

Drilon also noted that Greentrends Trading International, a supplier of Pharmally Pharmaceutical, did not file any ITRs from 2015 to 2021. Another company, Xuzhou, had no available records beginning 2017.

Xuzhou Construction, the governments second top pandemic supplier, earlier told the committee it is a state-owned company in China and that it pays income taxes there. It said it doesnt pay taxes in the Philippines since it doesnt accept payments in the country.

Drilons presentation summed up that most of the ITRs of those allegedly involved in the anomalous deals were either not filed, unreadable or incomplete.

On his end, panel chairman Sen. Richard Gordon noted that the said documents were supposed to be for their executive session but emphasized the people's right to information on matters of public concern must be recognized. The committee "is in power" to declassify these, he added.

The Blue Ribbon Committee also adopted a motion urging the Bureau of Internal Revenue to form a task force that will perform a special audit on taxes paid by medical goods suppliers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tax expert Mon Abrea reiterated during todays hearing that not paying taxes, failure to register with the BIR, not filing tax returns, under-declaring sales, and claiming expenses without supporting documents are grounds for tax evasion and are criminal violations under the National Internal Revenue Code.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  President Rodrigo Duterte's net satisfaction rating continued to drop, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Duterte scored +52 in the SWS poll conducted from Sept. 12 to 16. Although classified as "very good," the latest figure is 10 points below his June 2021 score of +62. It's also the lowest since his +45 or "good" rating in June 2018.

The survey also showed 67% of adult Filipinos are satisfied with the President's performance, an 8-point drop from June. About 15% are dissatisfied, which is up by 2 points, while 11% are undecided, which is down by one point.

SWS said the double-digit drop in the chief executive's satisfaction rating was due to "decreases in all areas except in Mindanao," where it barely moved to +76 from +79, which is classified "excellent."

In Metro Manila, Duterte's rating dropped 15 points to +48, or a downgrade from "very good" to "good."

Ratings in Balance Luzon and Visayas were also downgraded to "good" - falling 14 points to +44 and 9 points to +44, respectively.

Urban net satisfaction was also classified as "good" after the rating dropped 16 points to +49. Rural net satisfaction remained "very good," but was down by 6 points to +55.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults across the country. The sampling error margins are 3% for national percentages and 6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  A bill has been filed at the House of Representatives seeking to suspend excise tax hikes on fuel products amid the current increases in oil prices.

Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Friday filed House Bill 10246, which pushes for a four-year suspension of excise tax increases on gasoline, diesel, and other fuel products.

The period of suspension is from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2025, as stipulated in Republic Act 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Rodriguez said once the adjustments are suspended under the proposed measure, taxes on regular gasoline and unleaded gasoline would drop to 4.35 per liter and 5.35 per liter, respectively.

Taxes will not be imposed on diesel, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas, according to the bill.

"One way to help the Filipino people is to temporarily suspend the collection of the increase in excise taxes on oil products imposed under the TRAIN Law until the country has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic," Rodriguez said.

Excise tax on gasoline is currently at 10 per liter, 6 per liter for diesel, and 5 per liter for kerosene.

The filing of the bill comes after several lawmakers called for the temporary suspension of excise tax on fuel products to help public utility drivers cope with the price increases.

The government recently revived the Pantawid Pasada Program - releasing 1 billion in financial assistance for jeepney drivers affected by the oil price hikes.

The Department of Finance has opposed plans to suspend the oil excise tax, saying it will be "detrimental" to the country's economic recovery.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has also appealed to lawmakers to give his department the power to suspend the oil excise tax.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  A Bongbong Marcos-Bong Go tandem is now unlikely to happen in the upcoming elections.

PDP-Laban president Alfonso Cusi on Friday said the idea of having the former senator run in tandem with the ruling party's vice-presidential aspirant seems impossible now.

"I think that will not happen because we have firmed up already ang pagtakbo po ng tandem ni Bato (dela Rosa) and Bong Go," Cusi told CNN Philippines' The Source.

[Translation: I think that will not happen because we have firmed up already the tandem of Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go]

"Sa ngayon imposible (It seems impossible now) because we are no longer in touch with them (Marcos camp)," Cusi added.

The energy secretary shared that PDP-Laban was able to talk with the son and namesake of ousted strongman Ferdinand Marcos after Dela Rosa filed his candidacy.

However, "nothing materialized" in their discussion, he said.

The idea of a Marcos-Go tandem first floated earlier this month when Marcos filed his certificate of candidacy under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas without a running mate. At the time, PDP-Laban's Dela Rosa has yet to file his bid for the presidency.

RELATED: Bongbong-Bong Go tandem for 2022 elections possible  Imee

Marcos earlier revealed that he initially wanted to have Duterte as his vice president. However, he was not immediately informed of Duterte's announcement that he will retire from politics, he said.

READ: Bongbong Marcos wanted Duterte as his VP, open to running with Bong Go

PDP-Laban initially pushed for a Bong Go-Rodrigo Duterte tandem. But with Duterte's announcement, Go eventually settled for vice president and Dela Rosa became the party's standard bearer.

Cusi said their party chairman is also unlikely to change his mind about running for vice president, but PDP-Laban offered him to run for Senate instead.

RELATED: Cusi says Duterte 'discerning' possible Senate bid

"As far as PDP is concerned, we have firmed up the (Dela Rosa-Go) tandem at yun ang tinutulak natin ngayon [and that's what we are pushing for right now]," Cusi added.

Aside from Marcos and the Dela Rosa-Go duo, other key aspirants for the top posts in the 2022 elections are the tandems of Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan, Manny Pacquiao-Lito Atienza, Ping Lacson-Tito Sotto, and Leody De Guzman-Walden Bello.
(CNN)  A large number of unvaccinated workers say they'll quit their jobs if their employers follow upcoming federal rules to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a think tank concentrating on health issues, found 37% of unvaccinated workers say they will quit their jobs if forced to either get vaccinated or take weekly Covid tests. And if their employer mandates vaccines and doesn't offer the testing option, 72% of the unvaccinated workers say they will quit.

The Biden administration is drafting workplace safety rules that will require all businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate the vaccines for their employees or frequently test workers. That large employer rule would apply to about 80 million US workers, or two-thirds of all workers nationwide.

If the surveyed unvaccinated workers follow through on their threats to quit, it would lead to somewhere between 5% to 9% of workers leaving their jobs, depending upon what rules they face.

But the survey results come with a big caveat: Many unvaccinated workers who say they would quit may not follow through on that threat.

"What people say in a survey, and what they would do when faced with loss of a job can be two different things," noted Liz Hamel, vice president and director of public opinion and survey research at KFF, in an interview earlier this month ahead of the latest survey.

Several major employers, including United Airlines and Tyson Foods, that have imposed vaccine mandates report nearly all their workers have complied with the rules.

Although 24% of adults in the survey said they knew someone who left their job over a vaccine mandate, only 5% of unvaccinated adults said they had actually quit over an employer vaccine mandate. Those who say they have quit represent 1% of US adults.

The survey, published in the October 2021 Vaccine Monitor Report, was conducted between October 14 to October 24 using phone interviews with more than 1,500 American adults.

Potentially bad news for the job market

The job market is especially difficult for employers to find and retain workers, with a near record number of job openings outnumbering the number of people looking for work, and people quitting jobs at a record pace, according to Labor Department data.

Losing employees who don't want to be vaccinated or tested in a tight job market is one reason many employers were reluctant to imposed a mandate earlier this year. And it's the reason many business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, have voiced support for the federal regulations, since there was less chance of losing workers if other businesses have to follow the same rules.

Still. in recent weeks, a number of other business groups have voiced concerns that the mandates could add to the nation's already struggling supply chain problems if unvaccinated workers start leaving their jobs. And a number of police and fire departments around the nation with vaccine mandates about to go into effect could soon face staffing shortages because of the large numbers of unvaccinated people among their ranks.

The opposition to any kind of Covid rules among the unvaccinated isn't a major surprise said Hamel earlier this month.

She said while earlier in the year many of the unvaccinated had not been able to arrange to get a shot or had been putting it off. But the survey found that 72% of adults now have gotten at least the first of two vaccine shots. So today, with vaccines easily available, the remaining unvaccinated workers have a strongly held belief that vaccines are a bad idea.

"Those unvaccinated workers are the strongest hold outs," she said.

Mandates and compliance

Employer vaccine mandates are becoming more common, even ahead of the new rules going into effect. The survey found 25% of workers now say their employer has required them to get the Covid-19 vaccine, nearly triple the 9% who faced mandates in a June survey.

Some employers, including government contractors and most health care workers, will be required to mandate vaccines without a testing option for their workers, to comply with federal rules. Federal employees will also be required to get vaccinated.

Some other employers may require vaccines without offering the testing option, especially those who believe it is too difficult or expensive to coordinate a widespread testing program.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, an advocate of vaccine mandates, argues it would be disruptive to airline operations and its passengers if it was conducting regular testing. He warns that airlines that allow for a testing option could have thousands of employees who test positive or don't get their weekly test to be unable to report to work. He said could lead to flight cancellations and service problems.

United has also argued in court that vaccinated workers are strongly opposed to working aside unvaccinated workers due to the health risk they pose.

Almost all United employees have complied with the mandate, with about only 3% of the airline's 67,000 US employees having either applied for religious or medical exemptions or facing termination.

Tyson Foods also recently announced that 96% of its 120,000 US workers had complied with its vaccine mandate, with 60,000 of the workers getting the shots since the mandate was announced in August.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "72% of unvaccinated workers vow to quit if ordered to get vaccinated."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  The Philippines' first local importer of molnupiravir has its eyes on manufacturing the oral anti-COVID-19 drug in the country.

"If Merck allows or gives the permits as well to the local manufacturer, we may also explore the possibility of doing it here," MedEthix Inc. president and CEO Monaliza Salian told CNN Philippines' The Exchange.

Asked when domestic production could begin, Salian said the ball is in the American drugmaker's court.

"We read from their publications that they were able to approve local manufacturers. But if it really happens, it's a good development for us because treatment will be nearer home and we will work on it," the MedEthix chief explained.

Merck announced on Thursday it is signing a deal with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to allow affordable access to the drug across the globe. The MPP will be selecting drugmakers from 105 low- to middle-income countries for the royalty-free license.

Salian also confirmed the arrival in the country of the antiviral pills good for 300,000 patients by mid- to end-November.

MedEthix will be importing molnupiravir on behalf of four hospitals under a compassionate special permit from the Food and Drug Administration.

Local distributor Jackpharma Inc. president Meny Hernandez also told The Exchange that they're looking to price the pill at 150 each for patients. Four capsules are to be taken twice a day for five days.

Merck is currently seeking emergency use authorization for molnupiravir in the United States.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the law that will defer the first regular elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed on Friday.

Instead of holding the regional polls in 2022, it will be moved to May 2025 to synchronize with the midterm elections.

Republic Act No. 11593, signed on Thursday, also states the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will continue to be the interim government in BARMM until 2025.

The President, however, may appoint the 80 new interim members of the BTA who shall serve up to June 30, 2025 or until their successors have been elected.

In 2018, Duterte signed the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The law abolished the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and established a new autonomous political entity with more power, including its own parliament.

The creation of the BARMM has raised hopes that the Bangsamoro will have a chance at genuine self-governance that it has been fighting for decades.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Restrictions and quarantine protocols remain for travelers coming from certain countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but these vary by risk levels.

They are added to either the red, yellow, or green list. As per the Inter Agency Task Forces Nov. 19 announcement, minors  regardless of their vaccination status and country of origin  will follow the testing and quarantine protocols of the parent or guardian traveling with them.

Here are the IATFs classifications for various countries from Nov. 16 to 30:

Red

Travelers from or have been to red-listed countries 14 days before arrival are not allowed to enter the Philippines regardless of vaccination status. However, Filipinos may be exempted if they arrive via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights.

These individuals are required to undergo 14-day quarantine - ten days at a facility and four days at home. They will take an RT-PCR test on the seventh day but they must complete the quarantine period. During the ten-day isolation, they'll be under the Bureau of Quarantine's strict symptom-monitoring.

Travelers merely transited a red-listed country without leaving the airport or having been cleared for entry by immigration authorities will not be considered as a traveler from that country. But these individuals will still be required to follow the protocols prescribed under their vaccination status.

Faroe Islands and The Netherlands are the only countries on the red list as per the IATFs latest issuance.

Green

Countries that are green-listed may have their fully vaccinated travelers, foreign nationals included, enter the Philippines without the need to undergo facility-based quarantine.

However, they have to present a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. They are also enjoined to monitor any symptoms in the next 14 days.

For fully vaccinated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and non-OFWs, they have the option to take the RT-PCR test upon arrival, but they have to be quarantined in a facility until their results come out negative.

They can forego the quarantine if they already have a negative test result 72 hours before departure from the country of origin. No on-arrival RT-PCR test is required either, according to IATF spokesperson Karlo Nograles.

For the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers, they have to be quarantined. They shall take a swab test on the fifth day of isolation and will be released once they get a negative result. Foreign nationals have to arrange hotel reservations for six days.

These travelers can also do self-monitoring until the 14th day from their arrival date.

The countries under the Philippines' green list are:

- American Samoa

- Bhutan

- Chad

- Mainland China

- Comoros

- Cote dIvoire (Ivory Coast)

- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

- Federated States of Micronesia

- Guinea

- Guinea-Bissau

- Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China)

- India

- Indonesia

- Japan

- Kosovo

- Kuwait

- Kyrgyzstan

- Malawi

- Mali

- Marshall Islands

- Montserrat

- Morocco

- Namibia

- Niger

- Northern Mariana Islands

- Oman

- Pakistan

- Palau

- Paraguay

- Rwanda

- Saint Barthelemy

- Saint Pierre and Miquelon

- Saudi Arabia

- Senegal

- Sierra Leone

- Sint Eustatius

- South Africa

- Sudan

- Taiwan

- Togo

- Uganda

- United Arab Emirates

- Zambia

- Zimbabwe

Yellow

Fully vaccinated travelers from yellow-listed countries must present a negative RT-PCR test result done within 72 hours prior to departure from their country of origin.

They will then undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test done on the third day. After getting discharged, these individuals are likewise enjoined to self-monitor up to the 14th day of their arrival.

Fully inoculated travelers without a negative pre-departure test will still be subject to facility-based quarantine with a RT-PCR test on the fifth day. Should they test negative, they will be released from facility quarantine and required to quarantine at home until the tenth day of their arrival.

For the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified by Philippine authorities as valid and authentic, they shall go through facility-based quarantine and take an RT-PCR on the seventh day. They will be released when they get a negative result but are required to continue home isolation until their 14th day. Foreign nationals shall be required to secure their pre-booked accommodation of at least eight days.

The government said all other countries, jurisdictions and territories that were not mentioned in the previous lists, shall be under the yellow list.

The lists are effective from Nov. 1 to 15, while the new interim protocols will take effect starting Nov. 22.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Metro Manila stays under Alert Level 3 until Nov. 14, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Friday.

Although health experts noted improvements in new COVID-19 cases and hospital utilization rate, Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force wanted to ease restrictions gradually to prevent infection spikes.

"Habang nagtataas tayo ng transportasyon, tataas ang mobility, inaasahan na posible din tumaas ang kaso ng COVID. Inuunti-unti natin ang pagbaba ng alert level system nang sa ganoon ay hindi naman biglang sumipa muli ang numero ng mga kaso ng COVID," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: While we increase our transportation capacity, mobility will increase, and it may lead to increase in cases. We are gradually downgrading the alert level so we don't see a spike in new COVID-19 cases.]

The IATF also allowed public utility vehicles plying Metro Manila and nearby provinces to increase passenger capacity from 50% to 70% beginning Nov. 4. It will be gradually increased to full capacity.

The Department of Health on Friday said Metro Manilas moderate risk level is not enough to merit a downgrade to Alert Level 2.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Metro Manila's average daily attack rate needs to drop from 7.4 to 7 or lower before restrictions are further eased.

Under Alert Level 3, establishments are allowed up to 30% capacity as long as all customers are fully vaccinated, while 50% capacity is allowed in outdoor venues.

RELATED: What you need to know about the COVID-19 alert level system in NCR

Expansion of alert level system

The alert level system will be implemented in more areas nationwide from Nov. 1 to 14, the IATF said.

Alert Level 4: Aurora, Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, and Davao Occidental

Alert Level 3: Baguio City, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Iloilo City, Siquijor, Lanao del Norte, Davao City, and Davao del Norte

Alert Level 2: Angeles City, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Quezon province, Lucena City, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu Province, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental

Community quarantine classification

A number of areas outside the alert level system were placed under different community quarantine classifications.

Mountain Province, Catanduanes, and Zamboanga City shall be under modified enhanced community quarantine from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.

Abra, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino shall be placed under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions from Nov. 1 until Nov. 30.

Placed under general community quarantine for the whole month of November are Ifugao, Benguet, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur, Dagupan City, Batanes, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Albay, Naga City, Camarines Norte, Tacloban City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, General Santos City, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur.

All other areas not mentioned shall be placed under modified GCQ for the entire month.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29) The country continues to hike its COVID-19 vaccine supply as it received nearly one million more Pfizer doses on Friday.

The fresh shipment of 973,440 government-procured shots landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 past 9 p.m., state media reported.

The Inter-Agency Task Force said a portion of the new vaccines would be allocated for pediatric vaccination, which is set for a nationwide rollout beginning next week.

Registration, requirements: What you need to know about nationwide COVID-19 vaccination of older kids

The Philippines reached a new milestone in its coronavirus inoculation program on Thursday as the total doses delivered to the country hit the 100 million mark.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez earlier said the government is eyeing to increase its daily vaccination target to 1.5 million shots  in hopes of a better Christmas and a safe election season.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday signed Proclamation No. 1236, declaring the regular and special working and non-working holidays for next year.

Nov. 2 (All Souls' Day), Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), and Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve) will remain as special working days in 2022.

It was only this year when these were declared working holidays to boost "economic productivity" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

No other changes were made to the list provided under Proclamation No. 1107, signed on Feb. 26, 2021.

Below are the other holidays for 2022:

Regular holidays

Jan. 1 (Saturday) - New Year's Day

April 9 (Saturday) - Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor)

April 14 - Maundy Thursday

April 15 - Good Friday

May 1 (Sunday) - Labor Day

June 12 (Sunday) - Independence Day

Aug. 29 (Monday) - National Heroes' Day

Nov. 30 (Wednesday) - Bonifacio Day

Dec. 25 (Sunday) - Christmas Day

Dec. 30 (Friday) - Rizal Day

Special non-working days

Feb. 1 (Tuesday) - Chinese New Year

Feb. 25 (Friday) - EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary

April 16 - Black Saturday

Aug. 21 (Sunday) - Ninoy Aquino Day

Nov. 1 (Tuesday) - All Saints' Day

Dec. 8 (Thursday) - Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

The President will issue separate proclamations for the observance of the Eid'l Fitr, the end of the month-long Ramadan, and the Eid'l Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, once the dates of these Islamic holidays have been determined through the Hijra or lunar calendar. It is the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos that would recommend the actual dates on which these holidays will fall.

The Labor Department shall enforce the implementing guidelines for the new proclamation.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Local authorities in Malay, Aklan have shortened the curfew hours in Boracay  a world-class tourist spot  in an effort to spur economic recovery.

Effective Friday, curfew hours on the island were adjusted to 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. from the previous 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

This comes after the local government eased restrictions on fully vaccinated visitors from Panay Island and Guimaras.

Acting Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista said he wants to encourage more tourism activities as he expects travelers to flock to Boracay starting this weekend.

In mainland Aklan, however, the curfew hours are still from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Aklan also appealed to extend businesses' operating hours from the current 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The group cited data showing there were only 35 active COVID-19 cases in the province, as of Oct. 25.

CNN Philippines' Stringer Carla Doromal contributed to this report.
(CNN)  The last time President Joe Biden visited the Vatican, he was still reeling from the loss of his son Beau to cancer a year earlier.

The reason for his 2016 visit was the Third International Regenerative Medicine Conference, and  in a speech delivered with a massive bronze sculpture of the Resurrection as his backdrop  Biden made an impassioned call for developing new cures for the disease that took his son's life.

But he also recalled a moment of kindness from his host, Pope Francis, who visited the United States in the months following Beau's death and gathered with Biden's extended family as he departed the states from the Philadelphia International Airport.

"We had just lost my son," Biden said at the start of his speech. "And he met with my extended family in the hangar behind where the aircraft was. And I wish every grieving parent, brother, sister, mother, father would have the benefit of his words, his prayers, his presence. He provided us with more comfort that even he, I think, will understand."

Biden returns to the Vatican on Friday to meet a Pope, who has provided both familial comfort and ideological inspiration, to a President whose faith has long underpinned his public and private lives.

The visit is expected to touch on their personal relationship as Catholics and other key world issues, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday. And their issues-related discussion is expected to address climate, migration, and income inequality  major areas of consensus among both men.

Biden will be the 14th US president to meet with a pope at the Vatican. President Woodrow Wilson was the first to do so in 1919.

A live broadcast of Biden's meeting with the Pope has been canceled by the Vatican over the objections of journalists. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Vatican will distribute video of some parts of the arrival and greeting with the Pope following the meeting, according to Bruni.

While areas of common ground are expected to be discussed, it's not clear whether the Vatican will put Biden in the hot seat.

Discussions about diverging viewpoints have occurred in meetings between popes and US presidents, such as when Pope John Paul II failed to convince President George W. Bush to halt the American invasion of Iraq. But when White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed over whether the two men would discuss abortion and the President's pro-choice stance, Psaki said on Wednesday, that they're focused on areas of consensus.

"There's a great deal of agreement and overlap with the President and Pope Francis on a range of issues  poverty, combating the climate crisis, ending the COVID-19 pandemic," Psaki said. "These are all hugely important, impactful issues that will be the centerpiece of their discussion when they meet."

She also said Friday's meeting "absolutely has personal significance" to Biden and that she suspects it will be "a warm meeting."

The meeting will be heavy with symbolism for the nation's second Catholic President, who attends Mass almost every week, makes the sign of the cross during his speeches, and displays a photo of Francis in the Oval Office alongside frames of his wife and grandchildren.

Typically, world leaders offer a gift to the pope at the Vatican during their visits and  given Francis' humble approach to the papacy  the gift is not likely to be extravagant. It's also expected that Biden will not kiss Francis' ring. During past meetings with popes, Biden has refused to do so, saying his mother told him not to kiss the ring and that no one is "better" than him.

Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, a columnist for the Religious News Service and a former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, told CNN that "the priority is to look for areas where they can work together with the leader who's visiting  and if there's problems with the country, at least incrementally improve relations with them."

"It's a big difference whether you're meeting with Joe Biden or with the head of China," he added.

Biden's long history meeting with popes

Francis is the third pope Biden has met, following meetings with Pope John Paul II while Biden was in the Senate and Pope Benedict XVI during his time as vice president.

Biden met with John Paul II several times, first kicked off by a lengthy meeting at the Vatican in 1980 to discuss the impacts of the potential collapse of the Soviet bloc, when Biden said the pope had to wave away aides who knocked on the library door several times during the conversation. But the President appears to have forged an even more personal bond with Pope Francis.

Biden arrives at the meeting having already met Francis on several occasions, including when he attended Francis' installation in Rome in 2013 and when he traveled there again for the medical summit three years later.

Yet it was Francis' visit to Washington in 2015 that drove the two men together in new ways.

During his stop in Washington, Francis and Biden were briefly neighbors when the Pope overnighted at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See, just across Massachusetts Avenue from the vice president's residence.

Biden accompanied Francis on many of his stops, including greeting him at the airport and sitting in the front row when he received an elaborate state welcome at the White House. Biden was sitting just behind Francis on the rostrum in the House chamber when the Pope delivered an address to Congress. He stood beside Francis during his speech to a crowd on the National Mall from the Speaker's balcony, and he saw the Pope off in Philadelphia after the private meeting with his family.

Francis clearly left an impression on Biden during that visit.

In the year following the Pope's US appearances, Biden wrote in a short profile for Time Magazine's "Time 100" that his Holiness "captivated America" during the trip. And some five years later, as he was preparing to assume the presidency, he still recalled the private meeting in Philadelphia.

"He didn't just speak about Beau. He spoke in detail about Beau, about who he was, and about family values, and about forgiveness and decency," Biden told Stephen Colbert in December.

"I am a great admirer of His Holiness. I really am," Biden added.

The relationship between the two men, the White House has said, "is very personal."

Unlike his past meetings with Francis, Biden is now the president, elevating their talks to an official encounter between two heads of state. Still, it is unlikely Biden's deep Catholic faith will not inform and guide his audience.

The tone for this anticipated dynamic between two heads of state appears to have been set since Francis' call congratulating Biden on his presidential win last November.

At the time, the Biden-Harris transition team said in a statement that the "president-elect expressed his desire to work together on the basis of a shared belief in the dignity and equality of all humankind on issues, such as caring for the marginalized and the poor, addressing the crisis of climate change, and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities."

Biden's journey of faith

Biden wrote in 2019 that he learned Catholic values "at my father's dinner table, at Sunday Mass, and at St. Paul's and Holy Rosary Elementary." Nuns at school, he said, taught him "reading, writing, math and history, as well as core concepts of decency, fair play, and virtue." He often wears his late son's rosary on his wrist, and in public life, he's frequently talked about the role faith has played in carrying him through grief, including the fatal car crash that killed his wife and infant daughter and Beau's battle with cancer.

Biden has long attended mass, and it's remained a near-weekly tradition since he's taken office.

On the weekend of Biden's Vatican visit, the President's Washington, DC-based parish  Holy Trinity Catholic Church  told CNN it would deliver an intercessory prayer "that the meeting between Pope Francis and President Biden be blessed with wisdom and inspire the necessary actions to address the crisis of climate change. We pray to the Lord."

Robert Krebs, a spokesperson for Biden's Wilmington-based church  St. Joseph on the Brandywine  and the city's diocese, said in a statement that "we pray open and honest discussion between these two leaders will be productive in addressing the many challenges facing our country and world."

Biden, who himself thought of becoming a priest after the deaths of his wife and daughter, maintains friendships and seeks guidance of several people in the spiritual community. A source familiar with the situation told CNN the President maintains a "circle of friends close to him, with whom he talks freely about his faith in spiritual matters."

"The President speaks freely about his faith. And he speaks about it with a number of people," the source added.

That broad circle includes White House meetings with a number of faith leaders to discuss Biden's policy agenda, as well as personal friendships with clergy such as Wilmington Rev. Silvester S. Beaman; Sister Simone Campbell, the former executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; and Father Kevin O'Brien, a Jesuit priest who resigned from his role as president of Santa Clara University in May, following an investigation into conversations he had with graduate students at a series of informal dinners. The investigation found he engaged in behavior "inconsistent with established Jesuit protocols and boundaries" at those dinners and that they involved alcohol. No inappropriate behavior was found outside those dinners, according to a statement from the university.

Navigating politics and faith

Biden has long found himself navigating the delicate politics that come with being a Catholic Democrat who supports abortion rights and gay marriage. Those convictions have often put him at odds with leaders in the church.

It's an issue that's long frustrated him, saying once in 2005: "The next Republican that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary down their throat."

American bishops moved forward with a plan that tried to permit individual bishops to deny communion to politicians who support abortion rights, setting up a potential public rebuke of Biden along with other prominent Catholic Democrats, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But the conference has underscored that "there will be no national policy on withholding Communion from politicians." And the latest draft of the document on the "meaning of the Eucharist," which US bishops will vote on in mid-November, will reportedly not refer specifically to whether Catholic politicians are eligible to receive Communion. However, bishops can propose making amendments to the documents.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop for Washington, DC, has said he will not deny the President communion.

The communion refusal movement is driven by the extremely conservative wing of the Catholic Church, and any official statement on the matter would need to be approved by the Vatican.

Reached for comment, the conference referred CNN to the Vatican.

While Francis has maintained a staunch opposition to abortion, describing it as "murder," he has avoided taking a firm stance on the idea of denying communion to politicians who support it. He said last month that politics should not influence decisions about receiving communion and called for "compassion and tenderness" in those decisions.

Biden has dismissed the effort, telling reporters over the summer it was a "private matter" that he did not believe would be successful.

Reese said he doesn't expect the communion issue to come up during the Vatican meeting.

"With the limited time they have, they're going to be dealing with real big foreign policy issues  world issues," he said.

"You're going to have a picture  Pope Francis and Joe Biden  smiling and laughing together. And it's gonna be pretty hard for the bishops to beat up on Joe Biden after they've got this smiling photo of the two of them," Reese added.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Biden set for audience with Pope Francis in a meeting heavy with symbolism for America's second Catholic president"
(CNN) US President Joe Biden has arrived at the Vatican for a highly symbolic meeting with Pope Francis.

His motorcade arrived at St. Peter's Square just before noon local time (6 a.m. ET).

Biden is the second Catholic US president, and his talks with Francis come with deep personal and political stakes.

The visit has been clouded by severe restrictions on press coverage. Independent journalists will not be allowed to see the two men meeting at all, and no live pictures of the Pope greeting Biden will be transmitted.
(CNN)  Misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines has cost lives.

Disinformation about the 2020 election threatens US democracy.

Counternarratives about climate change allow countries and corporations to ignore the effect of their actions on the Earth's atmosphere.

Dangerous falsehoods, spreading like an invasive species, are emerging as a great challenge to society in 2021.

The election lie finds new life in GOP House candidates. We've written over and over in this newsletter about the threat of former President Donald Trump's false fantasy about the 2020 election. And we'll continue to do that as long as he repeats the lie that he won.

But rather than becoming ostracized by Republicans, he's staying very much in their mainstream.

A new CNN report by Alex Rogers, Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju scrutinizes a crop of House candidates in a special program for "Young Guns" -- politicians showing promise.

More than a third of these recruits from states across the country have, like Trump, sown doubts about the 2020 election or embraced his efforts to overturn it.

That list includes: Eli Crane and Walt Blackman in Arizona; Cory Mills and Anna Paulina Luna in Florida; Karoline Leavitt, Gail Huff Brown and Tim Baxter in New Hampshire; Jake Evans in Georgia; Tyler Kistner in Minnesota; Monica De La Cruz-Hernandez in Texas; Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin; and Jesse Jensen in Washington.

Specifics from the report:

When asked who she believed won the 2020 election, Leavitt, a former Trump press aide, said, "Donald J. Trump."

Baxter, a state representative, told CNN, "President Donald J. Trump is right, it's time for an audit in every state." Asked who won, Baxter responded, "The candidate who got the most legal votes!"

And Gail Huff Brown, a former TV reporter whose husband, former Sen. Scott Brown, served as Trump's ambassador to New Zealand, told a local ABC affiliate in September that "there were a lot of irregularities" in 2020 and "Covid won."

There are not two sides to this story. It is difficult to cover politics in an unbiased way at a time when so many candidates have embraced falsehoods.

"I think this is actually like a real challenge for mainstream journalism because you're taught there's two sides to every story," said Axios managing editor and CNN contributor Margaret Talev during an appearance Thursday on "Inside Politics."

She channeled my exact thinking on this.

"There's not actually two sides to the story," she said. "There's a knowable truth. The election was legitimate and Joe Biden ... is the legitimately elected President of the United States. The election was not stolen, so that's got to be the starting point. How do you interview a candidate when there is no baseline for truth, where the premise of the candidacy is built on a mistruth, on misinformation?"

She said it's a problem for political journalists, but it carries over to other parts of life and across the world where there are rising authoritarian movements.

"When the genesis of the candidacy is premised on a deliberate mistruth, it poisons the well fundamentally," she said.

Murdoch's media empire spreads the false claims. The same issue carries over to the media, where The Wall Street Journal published a long letter from Trump that pushed his false ideas about the election.

It was one thing to print his words when he was in office. He was the President of the United States. Now, however, as he tries to mount a political comeback built on the election lie, it is journalistic malpractice to hand him a platform.

Fox News, which like the Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch, is promoting a new special, "Patriot Purge" with Tucker Carlson, that appears to push what CNN's Oliver Darcy refers to as "1/6 trutherism," or the silly idea that the insurrection was a setup.

It's hard to conclude anything but that Murdoch and his media empire are intentionally pushing the conspiracy theories.

Oil companies and climate change. False information was also the top subject at a hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill, although the topic was climate change and not the election.

Oil company executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Royal Dutch Shell were assembled as part of an ongoing investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about whether they intentionally misled the public about fossil fuels contributing to climate change.

"Spare us the spin today. We have no interest in it," Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who's the chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment, said during his opening remarks. "Spin doesn't work under oath."

The hearing was framed as a Big Tobacco moment for Big Oil. The tobacco executives took part in a famous hearing in 1994 when they misled lawmakers about their knowledge of the dangers of smoking.

"They too faced a choice. They chose to lie under oath, deny that nicotine is addictive," Khanna said. "That didn't turn out too well for them."

Today's oil companies all acknowledge climate change and have embraced PR strategies highlighting that they'll be part of the solution.

"Exxon does not, and never has, spread disinformation regarding climate change," CEO Darren Woods said during his prepared remarks. "Its public statements about climate change are, and have been, truthful, fact-based, transparent and consistent with the views of the broader, mainstream scientific community at the time."

Facebook is now Meta. The ultimate facilitator of misinformation and disinformation might be the great democratizer of information, Facebook. Under fire and facing possible new regulation, the tech giant rebranded itself Thursday. The overarching company will go by the name Meta, per founder Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook's namesake service will now, according to CNN's Samantha Murphy Kelly, be "just one of the company's subsidiaries, alongside Instagram and WhatsApp, rather than the overarching brand."

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Misinformation is the invasive species of 2021'
(CNN)  New Zealand on Thursday said it would begin easing COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place on its national borders since March 2020.

Chris Hipkins, minister in charge of New Zealand's COVID-19 response, said that from November, travelers from Pacific countries such as Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu will no longer need to quarantine on arrival.

The 14-day hotel quarantine period will be shortened to seven days for fully vaccinated travelers from abroad, with a plan to move to a system of home isolation for fully vaccinated arrivals later in 2022.

"It's time we reopened to the world. We can't remain shut behind the walls of Fortress New Zealand," Hipkins said at a news conference.

New Zealand's on-guard approach

Data from Johns Hopkins University show that the country reported 96 new cases and no deaths on Thursday.

New Zealand was an early adopter of strict border restrictions in response to the pandemic, closing off leisure traffic to one of the most desirable destinations in the world.

It tried a "travel bubble" with big neighbor Australia but suspended that in July as the Delta variant spread.

Even with this announced easing, New Zealand is planning on strong efforts keep COVID-19 in check.

All foreign nationals entering New Zealand will need to be fully vaccinated starting November 1.

Air New Zealand, the country's flag carrier airline, has said passengers on its international flights will need to be fully vaccinated. It will start implementing the policy on February 1, 2022.

This story was first published on CNN.com "One of the world's most closed-off nations to start easing Covid-19 travel restrictions"
(CNN)  Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been told by doctors to rest for at least the next two weeks and not undertake any official visits, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday.

The announcement comes more than a week after the monarch, 95, spent a night in the hospital for what a spokesman described at the time as "preliminary investigations."

"Her Majesty's doctors have advised that she should continue to rest for at least the next two weeks. The doctors have advised that Her Majesty can continue to undertake light, desk-based duties during this time, including some virtual audiences, but not to undertake any official visits," the palace said in its statement Friday.

"Her Majesty regrets that this means she will be unable to attend the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday, 13th November. However, it remains The Queen's firm intention to be present for the National Service of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday, on 14th November."

The Queen had canceled a trip to Northern Ireland last week following medical advice to rest more, but resumed "light duties" on Tuesday, including two virtual audiences with the South Korean and Swiss ambassadors to the UK.

A source close to the palace told CNN at the time that her overnight stay in the hospital last week was "not Covid-related." She returned to Windsor Castle "in good spirits" after one night, the palace said.

The palace announced on Tuesday that the Queen would not be making a planned appearance at an evening reception at the COP26 summit next week, and would instead make a video address.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Queen Elizabeth II told by doctors to rest for at least two weeks, will not carry out official visits."
The state Department of Health reported 72 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths for Cumberland County Friday.

The county has reported 57 deaths so far in October, the fourth highest death total for a month during the pandemic (December 2020 had 163 deaths, January 2021 had 113 deaths, and November 2020 had 93 deaths). The county reported 21 COVID-related deaths in September.

The number of patients hospitalized in the county with COVID-19 decreased to 95 in Friday's report, down one from Thursday. There are 18 adults in intensive care (down two from Thursday) and 16 on ventilators (down two from Thursday). Thirteen adult ICU beds remain open of the 115 currently staffed across the county, and 34 of 95 ventilators in the county are in use.

Friday's report included 230 test results, with 11 probable cases. Comparing just the number of negative tests (158) and confirmed positive tests (61), the county saw 27.9% of its tests come back positive.

The southcentral region reported 718 cases and 26 deaths Friday, with 190 cases and five deaths in York County, 122 cases and one death in Blair County and 61 cases and two deaths in Franklin County.

Franklin County reports 55 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Friday (down 15 from Thursday), with four of 28 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 12 of 35 available ventilators in use. There are 13 adults in intensive care and seven on ventilators.

Dauphin County reports 119 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Friday (up two from Thursday), with 24 of 198 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 78 of 177 available ventilators in use. There are 33 adults in intensive care and 21 on ventilators.

School-age children

In its weekly update for the eighth week of the school year, the department reported 72 cases among children aged 5-18 in Cumberland County during the week of Oct. 20-26, a decrease of 46 from the 118 cases reported last week. That brings the total number of cases in Cumberland County for this school year to 1,261.

Statewide, the number of cases among 5- to 18-year-olds decreased for the fifth week in a row with 5,238 cases reported. The state said the total number of cases in that age group for the school year is 59,743.

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 8.5% for the week of Oct. 22-28, down from 10.6% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people decreased to 123.9, down from 156.7 the previous week.

Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, had the lowest percent positivity in the state for the week of Oct. 22-28 at 3.3% and the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 people at 63.9.

Philadelphia and Sullivan counties each dropped out of high transmission status for COVID, with both listed as substantial spread now.

Penn State Health update (Oct. 29)

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.

Friday's update shows 107 total cases (102 adults, 5 pediatrics) in the health system's four hospitals  25 are fully vaccinated (23.4%) with two in an ICU and no one on a ventilator, 67 are nonvaccinated (62.6%) with 22 adults in an ICU and 12 adults on a ventilator, and 15 are unknown status patients. Four of five children hospitalized are unvaccinated, with two in an ICU and two on a ventilator.

Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill has 20 COVID patients. Ten are fully vaccinated adults (no one in ICU and no one on a ventilator) and 10 unvaccinated adults (one in an ICU and one on a ventilator).

Hampden Medical Center has six COVID patients. Five are not fully vaccinated (two in an ICU, two on a ventilator) and one is 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 except Sullivan and Philadelphia counties which have dropped to "substantial," the next highest level. 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 62.5% of its total population of 253,370 become fully vaccinated. For the county's vaccine eligible population of people ages 12 and older, 72.1% have been fully vaccinated.

County numbers in the southcentral region (for Oct. 29):

Adams County (pop. 103,009): 49 new cases; 13,301 total cases (10,886 confirmed, 2,415 probable); 44,016 negatives; 224 deaths (+3); 49.8% of county population vaccinated

49 new cases; 13,301 total cases (10,886 confirmed, 2,415 probable); 44,016 negatives; 224 deaths (+3); 49.8% of county population vaccinated Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 35 new cases; 6,800 total cases (4,618 confirmed, 2,182 probable); 12,430 negatives; 171 deaths (+1); 34.6% of county population vaccinated

35 new cases; 6,800 total cases (4,618 confirmed, 2,182 probable); 12,430 negatives; 171 deaths (+1); 34.6% of county population vaccinated Blair County (pop. 121,829): 122 new cases; 17,507 total cases (13,783 confirmed, 3,724 probable); 47,037 negatives; 387 deaths (+1); 46.1% of county population vaccinated

122 new cases; 17,507 total cases (13,783 confirmed, 3,724 probable); 47,037 negatives; 387 deaths (+1); 46.1% of county population vaccinated Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 72 new cases; 28,161 total cases (22,044 confirmed, 6,117 probable); 101,577 negatives; 624 deaths (+2); 62.5% of county population vaccinated

72 new cases; 28,161 total cases (22,044 confirmed, 6,117 probable); 101,577 negatives; 624 deaths (+2); 62.5% of county population vaccinated Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 54 new cases; 34,800 total cases (29,883 confirmed, 4,917 probable); 127,907 negatives; 650 deaths (+5); 58.4% of county population vaccinated

54 new cases; 34,800 total cases (29,883 confirmed, 4,917 probable); 127,907 negatives; 650 deaths (+5); 58.4% of county population vaccinated Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 61 new cases; 21,816 total cases (17,790 confirmed, 4,026 probable); 64,251 negatives; 459 deaths (+2); 45.4% of county population vaccinated

61 new cases; 21,816 total cases (17,790 confirmed, 4,026 probable); 64,251 negatives; 459 deaths (+2); 45.4% of county population vaccinated Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 10 new cases; 2,250 total cases (1,116 confirmed, 1,134 probable); 4,994 negatives; 31 deaths; 31% of county population vaccinated

10 new cases; 2,250 total cases (1,116 confirmed, 1,134 probable); 4,994 negatives; 31 deaths; 31% of county population vaccinated Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 25 new cases; 6,855 total cases (5,639 confirmed, 1,216 probable); 20,569 negatives; 157 deaths (+1); 46.6% of county population vaccinated

25 new cases; 6,855 total cases (5,639 confirmed, 1,216 probable); 20,569 negatives; 157 deaths (+1); 46.6% of county population vaccinated Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 13 new cases; 2,906 total cases (2,646 confirmed, 260 probable); 6,634 negatives; 116 deaths (+1); 39.9% of county population vaccinated

13 new cases; 2,906 total cases (2,646 confirmed, 260 probable); 6,634 negatives; 116 deaths (+1); 39.9% of county population vaccinated Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 56 new cases; 20,609 total cases (17,622 confirmed, 2,987 probable); 62,945 negatives; 339 deaths (+4); 50.6% of county population vaccinated

56 new cases; 20,609 total cases (17,622 confirmed, 2,987 probable); 62,945 negatives; 339 deaths (+4); 50.6% of county population vaccinated Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 23 new cases; 7,271 total cases (6,876 confirmed, 395 probable); 17,540 negatives; 199 deaths (+1); 48.7% of county population vaccinated

23 new cases; 7,271 total cases (6,876 confirmed, 395 probable); 17,540 negatives; 199 deaths (+1); 48.7% of county population vaccinated Perry County (pop. 46,272): 8 new cases; 5,309 total cases (4,101 confirmed, 1,208 probable); 13,225 negatives; 122 deaths; 46.8% of county population vaccinated

8 new cases; 5,309 total cases (4,101 confirmed, 1,208 probable); 13,225 negatives; 122 deaths; 46.8% of county population vaccinated York County (pop. 449,058): 190 new cases; 62,548 total cases (50,919 confirmed; 11,629 probable); 193,775 negatives; 976 deaths (+5); 55.1% of county population vaccinated

ZIP code-level counts (updated Oct. 29):

17013: 3,376 positives, 15,760 negatives - +37 since Oct. 22

17015: 2,022 positives, 7,678 negatives - +24 since Oct. 22

17050: 3,206 positives, 16,049 negatives - +40 since Oct. 22

17055: 3,606 positives, 18,238 negatives - +62 since Oct. 22

17011: 3,330 positives, 15,247 negatives - +49 since Oct. 22

17007: 481 positives, 1,954 negatives - +4 since Oct. 22

17065: 347 positives, 1,357 negatives - +4 since Oct. 22

17324: 389 positives, 1,407 negatives - +12 since Oct. 22

17241: 907 positives, 3,434 negatives - +13 since Oct. 22

17257: 2,326 positives, 7,744 negatives - +28 since Oct. 22

17240: 221 positives, 697 negatives - +5 since Oct. 22

17025: 1,542 positives, 6,189 negatives - +31 since Oct. 22

17070: 1,434 positives, 5,887 negatives - +25 since Oct. 22

17043: 492 positives, 2,230 negatives - +8 since Oct. 22

17019: 1,693 positives, 6,016 negatives - +40 since Oct. 22

17266: 28 positives, 136 negatives - +1 since Oct. 22

School district and college case counts (updated Oct. 29)

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): 17 student cases and 3 staff cases being monitored as of the sites last update on Oct. 27.

(reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 17 student cases and 3 staff cases being monitored as of the sites last update on Oct. 27. Carlisle Area School District (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 10 new cases since Oct. 22; 164 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Oct. 27.

(reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 10 new cases since Oct. 22; 164 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Oct. 27. Camp Hill School District (posts chart that includes total case count): 1 new student case and 1 new staff case since Oct. 22; 62 student cases and 8 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(posts chart that includes total case count): 1 new student case and 1 new staff case since Oct. 22; 62 student cases and 8 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Cumberland Valley School District (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 14 cases since Oct. 22; 194 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.)

(reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 14 cases since Oct. 22; 194 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.) Mechanicsburg Area School District (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 6 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 29.

(chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 6 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 29. Shippensburg Area School District (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 2 new cases since Oct. 22; 147 cases this school year (started Aug. 19) as of the charts last update on Oct. 27.

(reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 2 new cases since Oct. 22; 147 cases this school year (started Aug. 19) as of the charts last update on Oct. 27. South Middleton School District (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 4 new casts since Oct. 15; 72 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Oct. 22.

(posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 4 new casts since Oct. 15; 72 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Oct. 22. West Shore School District (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 53 student cases and 6 staff cases being monitored as of Oct. 29.

(reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 53 student cases and 6 staff cases being monitored as of Oct. 29. Dickinson College : 2 student cases and 1 employee cases since Oct. 22; 34 student cases and 24 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.)

: 2 student cases and 1 employee cases since Oct. 22; 34 student cases and 24 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Messiah University : 8 new student cases and 6 new staff cases since Oct. 22; 58 student cases and 24 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.)

: 8 new student cases and 6 new staff cases since Oct. 22; 58 student cases and 24 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Shippensburg University: 13 new student cases and 4 new staff cases since Oct. 22; 163 student cases and 21 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 - 8.8% last 7 days (9.1% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 159.5 (175.4 previous 7 days)

Adams County: Percent Positivity - 15.2% last 7 days (16.0% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 192.2 (236.9 previous 7 days)

Cumberland County: Percent Positivity - 8.5% last 7 days (10.6% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 123.9 (156.7 previous 7 days)

Dauphin County: Percent Positivity - 11.9% last 7 days (12.5% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 168.9 (197.3 previous 7 days)

Franklin County: Percent Positivity - 11.7% last 7 days (12.5% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 149.7 (169.0 previous 7 days)

Lebanon County: Percent Positivity - 11.7% last 7 days (12.9% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 174.2 (201.0 previous 7 days)

Perry County: Percent Positivity - 15.2% last 7 days (15.5% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 175.1 (164.2 previous 7 days)

York County:

Percent Positivity - 15.4% last 7 days (14.7% previous 7 days)

last 7 days (14.7% previous 7 days)

Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 245.2 (258.1 previous 7 days)

Email Jeff at jpratt@cumberlink.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelPratt.

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She compared the sky to a celestial dome arcing over the city of the dead.

Tints of dawn and hues of sunset paint a fresco captured in words by Sarah Woods Parkinson.

In 1930, the local poet and historian drew a contrast between notable people buried in the Old Graveyard located between East South Street and Cemetery Avenue in Carlisle and those interred at a famous church in the heart of London.

Here they rest in Carlisles Westminster Abbey, she wrote. These rulers were not clad in the purple of royalty but in the garb of a republic; the judges wore not the ermine of courts, but the cloak of charity  .

Thirty-two years before she penned the book Memories of Carlisles Old Graveyard, Parkinson conducted a detailed inventory of the movers, shakers and ordinary people at rest within its walls.

Her book included a chapter highlighting the tales behind the tombstones of people who had a lasting impact, not just on Carlisle and Cumberland County, but on the whole of Pennsylvania. The closing sentences of the chapter summarize the importance of her work.

Let us guard our history, not destroy it, Parkinson wrote. Treat it as a sacred trust, not as a specimen. When the next generation turns memorys page, what will they read? To your children and mine let us pass on our history.

Drawing a comparison

The original 1751 plan for Carlisle required that a public burial ground be located on the outskirts of town leaving the Square open for trade, politics, socializing and worship. Though the oldest tombstone dates from May 1757, the Old Graveyard was not officially established until February 1767.

Perhaps the earliest comparison with Westminster Abbey was made by local attorney Richard Woods during a speech he delivered on April 23, 1912. Woods was welcoming visitors to the national convention of the Patriotic Order Sons of America held that year in Carlisle. He mentioned that many notable men are buried in the Old Graveyard.

Twelve years later, the comparison showed up again in an Oct. 18, 1924, article published by The Sentinel during the lead-up to Old Home Week, a series of events designed to welcome back past residents of Carlisle. Language used in that article was similar to what Parkinson wrote in her book.

Matthew March, the current education director at the Cumberland County Historical Society, leads schoolchildren on tours of the Old Graveyard as part of a lesson on local history.

When asked his thoughts, March said the Carlisle burial ground is similar to the London church in being the final resting place of many influential people. But theres an important difference.

While many of the dead buried at the abbey are clustered together by profession, the dearly departed of Carlisle are often grouped into family plots delineated by cast iron fences.

Though much of his tour is focused on the legendary Molly Pitcher, there are many other people buried within the Old Graveyard who played a much greater role in history.

Judge for yourself

Judges are among the most notable individuals, March said. He cited as an example Hugh Henry Breckenridge, a Revolutionary War chaplain who left the ministry to become a lawyer and author.

Breckenridge traveled west where he established the Pittsburgh Gazette newspaper and started the school that eventually became the University of Pittsburgh, March said.

Not to be outdone was Frederick Watts, an agricultural reformer whose early influence and support helped to sustain the Farmers High School that eventually developed into Penn State University.

Judge Watts had such a force of character and power of concentration that he was able to conduct a large practice, fill the office of president of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and be co-reporter on the state [judicial] reports, Parkinson wrote. The railroad he so successfully managed placed on its tracks the first sleeping car ever used.

Then, there was James Hamilton, an Irish immigrant with British ideals of social rank.

He required the sheriff and tipstaves to escort him from his residence to his office, Parkinson wrote. Finally, the sheriff rebelled and had himself relieved by legislation. Not only the sheriff objected but the geese on the public square who hissed as the procession passed. Their owners refused to destroy them feeling that until they found a goose that laid the golden eggs, the feathers were worth something.

At first, Judge Hamilton was very severe, Parkinson wrote. One morning on entering the courtroom he saw in large letters on the wall More Leniency! Later, he became more kind and died beloved and respected by all.

Sound off

Soldiers are also among the noteworthy, March said. By his count, 15 of the original members of the Society of the Cincinnati are buried in the Old Graveyard. The nations oldest patriotic organization, the society was formed by officers who served together in the Revolutionary War. Still in existence, its mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence.

Chief among the soldiers are Gen. John Armstrong. Old Home Week in October 1924 included an event at the gravesite of Molly Pitcher where Henry Prather Fletcher, U.S. ambassador to Italy, delivered a patriotic speech.

He [Armstrong] learned his soldiering in the bitter experience of Indian warfare, Fletcher said. We have seen him lead the expedition to Kittanning, 200 miles into the Alleghenies. He was severely wounded in the battle in which he destroyed the Indian stronghold, but three years later we find him again leading the advance Pennsylvania Division under Col. Bouquet in Gen. Forbes successful expedition against Fort Duquesne.

When the struggle with the mother country [England]  came on he was one of the first to take arms in the patriot cause and served with distinction, Fletcher said. He was in 1776 a brigadier general and major general in 1777. He commanded the Pennsylvania Division at the Battle of Germantown.

Armstrong was not alone. The Old Graveyard includes the tombstone of William Thompson, the first commissioned officer in the Continental Army.

His command included the men of Cumberland, York and Lancaster counties, Parkinson wrote. They were the first company to reach Boston from west of the Hudson and therefore were objects of much attention. Quite a number of the members of his command are buried in this graveyard.

Then there is Rev. John Steel, the first Army chaplain, known for his feisty attitude.

He always went into the pulpit to fight either for body or for soul, Parkinson wrote. It is said, in the midst of service one day, word was brought of an Indian attack nearby. Pronouncing the benediction, he led his men; they pursued the Indians, rescued the prisoners, and returned for another service.

The Rev. John Craighead was just as spirited in his support of the cause. Often, during his sermons, Craighead urged the faithful to join George Washington in the struggle for liberty.

Upon one occasion every person save one had arisen and promised to go or send a representative, Parkinson wrote. This exception was an old woman, who rising to her feet, interrupted the enthusiasm by loudly calling Stop! Mr. Craighead, I just want to tell you [if] you lose such a purty boy as I have, you wont be so keen for fightin. Youre always preachin to the boys about it, go and try it.

Craighead did just that. Soon after being called out, he received a commission as an Army captain and fought with his men.

History lesson

Besides Watts and Breckinridge, there are other men buried in the Old Graveyard who made important contributions in the field of education.

Before his death in July 1851, Andrew Blair was the first president of the board of directors of the public schools of Carlisle. He assumed that role in 1836 when Carlisle became the first chartered school district in Pennsylvania. In her book, Parkinson quoted another school director who described Blair as kind, loveable and fatherly toward the schoolchildren in his charge.

His face never wore a frown in the school room, and when he left, the calm of benediction seemed to descend on the reckless youngsters, Parkinson wrote.

Of all the educators she profiled, the most quirky is James Ross, a Dickinson College professor and compiler of the first Latin grammar in America.

Personally, he was a handsome man, with light hair and a florid complexion  genial on the street, but terrible in the classroom, she wrote. He carried a cat o nine tails attached by a ring to his little finger, and was so absent minded that he sometimes forgot to remove the implements of torture when he took his dinner. In addressing his students, he always spoke in Latin, and took no heed of their requests unless they addressed him in the same language.

Better known and more enduring is Charles Nisbet, the first president of Dickinson College. The Sentinel had this to say in an article published on Oct. 18, 1924:

There are some characters whose life and color death cannot extinguish. Dr. Nisbet lives on as long as Dickinson College grows and increases in size and value.  In all learning most accomplished, of reading, immense, memory faithful, in real acumen of wit, pleasantry and satire, by universal acknowledgment, truly astonishing.

Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com.

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We are entering the time of year when families gather for holidays. In each others company, we share memories, catch up and re-connect. We take stock of our many blessings and express gratitude.

These gatherings are a reminder of how we are bound to each other. Our relationships with family members and close friends, for better or for worse, make us who we are. Around the holiday dinner table we see the faces of people who carried us during difficult times and the people we supported along the way.

Simply knowing that we do not go through life in isolation is the greatest source of gratitude for most people. Regardless of our financial resources or emotional strength, we dont have to go it alone. We cannot go it alone. It is unavoidable that the beginning of life finds us in the care of other people, and the end of life is often the same.

During holiday celebrations this year, maybe you will remember a friend or neighbor who has lost everyone close to him or her and look for ways to support and include that person. Maybe you will contemplate how an aging family member will need support in the future. How we support one another is a defining feature of a great family or community.

Public health data on the aging Baby Boom generation, the rise in dementia diagnoses, and the rise in diagnoses of such conditions as autism reveal that support for the most vulnerable among us will be an increasingly common aspect of everyday life. It is coincidental, but worth noting, that at this time of year we also make choices about elected officials. When you cast your vote on Election Day, you will place trust in the policy makers and judges responsible for ensuring that the needs and rights of vulnerable people are honored and protected.

During this past week, a committee within the Pennsylvania House of Representatives held a hearing to examine guardianship. When most people think of the governments role in the life of a family or individual, they think of taxes, marriage licenses, divorce decrees and the settling of a deceased persons estate. But if a person loses the mental capacity to make legal, financial or medical decisions, the guardianship system is the safety net that ensures that life will go on for that incapacitated person.

Of course, planning for incapacity and the many kinds of support that will be necessary should be part of every persons estate planning. Unfortunately, most people procrastinate when it comes to making legal plans for the future. Even if they have completed a durable power of attorney and advance health care directive, they may fail to keep it updated with changes in the law and changes in the family.

In the absence of legal planning, many people experience a health crisis with no one legally authorized to pay the bills, deal with insurance companies, apply for long-term care benefits or arrange for proper health care. It does not matter when there are supportive family members or friends if those helpers were never authorized by a power of attorney to exercise the rights of the incapacitated person.

The House committee hearing focused on legislation through the lens of preventing abuse, exploitation and neglect. There have been well publicized instances of theft by professional guardians. When an incapacitated person has no trustworthy family members or friends, a court may appoint a professional guardian to make every financial, legal and medical decision. While most professional guardians do extraordinarily important work with integrity, the few bad apples got the attention of the legislature and even inspired a Netflix movie called I Care a Lot.

The legislation currently under review would increase criminal background checks for all guardians, not just professional guardians. A criminal history report from both federal authorities and the State Police would be required. Fingerprints would be submitted. The guardian would be required to prove his or her eligibility to work in the United States. The background check would need to be re-submitted every three years, all at the expense of the person seeking to serve as guardian.

If you were an elected lawmaker, these may seem like sensible protections to ensure that no vulnerable Pennsylvanian will be victimized. But if you are the adult child of an aging parent, you may view this legislation as an expensive hurdle that invades your privacy and impedes you from caring for your mom or dad. If you are the parent of a profoundly disabled child who is approaching his or her 18th birthday, you are already carrying a hefty financial burden out of love for your child. In addition to special education plans and medical appointments, you would also have to prove to the government that you are not a criminal threat to your child.

The House considered a similar bill that would mandate the appointment of counsel for the incapacitated person. Certainly there are cases where a person disputes the conclusion that he or she is unable to manage finances and health care decisions. Before guardianship strips a person of the right to make these decisions, there should be some consideration of the need for an attorney to advocate for that person in court. Current law allows the judge to appoint counsel in cases where there is a dispute about the guardianship or reason to believe that exploitation may occur. But disputed cases are rare in comparison to cases where family members are simply trying to care for a loved one. In many counties, the cost for an additional attorney for the incapacitated person will be borne by the family.

Lawmakers and judges face a significant challenge in finding solutions that fit for every family in every part of a diverse state. Given the drawbacks of the ideas under consideration, we would all be wise to vote carefully and plan carefully.

During holidays marked by gratitude and family togetherness, take a moment to consider how you will support those among you who become incapable of managing lifes responsibilities. Consider how you will be supported during your life journey. Legal planning plays a critical role in being our brothers  or sisters or moms or uncles  keeper.

Find additional articles & resources at www.KeystoneElderLaw.com or join their Facebook group Later in Life Planning and Resources. Keystone Elder Law P.C. is located in Mechanicsburg. Call 717-697-3223 for a free telephone consultation with their Care Coordinator.

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The November General Election will be Tuesday and for St. Francois County, there will only be two items on the ballot  both for the residents of the city of Farmington.

Both are sales taxes for the city.

Public Safety Tax

The first one is a half-cent sales tax proposition designed to be used strictly for public safety enhancements by funding the police and fire departments, most notably for wage increases in the police department and staff additions in both departments. The tax is expected to generate approximately $2.2 million annual revenue.

Currently, the police and fire departments are funded solely through the general revenue fund. The issues involving Farmingtons sizable growth in recent years has created a large increase in service calls for both departments. These expansions in service calls are creating a need for more manpower, the cost of which is growing faster than the growth of the current sales tax revenues.

The plan is specifically designed for four key allocations:

 Add eight additional full-time firefighters at a cost of $650,000.

 Add five additional uniformed police officers at a cost of $350,000.

 Supplement police department salaries at a cost of $300,000.

 General fund replacement at a cost of $900,000.

The general fund replacement is designed to ensure that other departments  specifically the library and parks and recreation  would continue to have sufficient funding.

Police Chief Rick Baker explained the need for the additional funding for his department.

First, I want to give a big thank you to our citizens, the administration, the current and past city councils for the support that they have shown the police and fire departments, he said. The officers here  and Im sure the fire department also  have always known the city has backed us with what we need. [We] dont ask for things that we dont feel is needed within our departments so that we can run them properly.

The conditions have been creeping up the last few years, with Baker stating that 2020 was the straw that broke the camels back for his department.

As far as the police department, 2020 was a rough year for us and for everyone, he said. Nationally, as you see whats going on with police agencies, the morale is down. Thats trickled down to our department also.

"Because the morale is down, in 2020 we lost four officers. Ive been working for the city of Farmington for 38 years, Ive never seen our department down four officers, all of which came from patrolman. That really hurts our department as far as manpower, officer safety and being able to do our job. When the four officers left, I talked to them; a couple of them decided they didnt want to be police officers anymore. That was due to the stigma with the police profession. They all said it was the pay and being overworked.

Baker and City Administrator Greg Beavers talked several times last year, trying to figure out how to fix the issues. He said that recruitment is much more difficult than it used to be.

We used to get 50 applications per one officer position, Baker said. When we had four officers open last year, we had 12 applications.

"...To get a person from application process, approved by city council and hired, and through our field training is at least six-eight months, depending on how the process carries out. When we are down this many, its really affected what we can do for our community.

With a 24/7, 365 days a week schedule, Baker needs a lot of manpower to handle the needs of Farmington.

When youre talking about five new officers right now, if we are at full staff, we have 19 officers that actually work the road, he said. Thats six on days, seven on evenings, six on nights. When were sick from COVID, vacations, injuries, then that depletes those officers on the individual shifts. It makes it harder for us to maintain enough officers to get the job done and keep the officers safe.

If given the additional five officers under the new funding, Baker plans to go to 10-hour shifts for his road officers.

The schedule would have overlapping hours, he said. Before you go off, within a two-hour period, the other shift comes on. That gives the working officers an opportunity to come off the road, do their reports that they are getting behind on.

"When they are on the street right now, theyre running from call to call. Its hard for them to sit down at a computer and write the report. When they try to do that, they get a call to go somewhere else, then they get behind, then their reports are down, and it costs the city overtime. Not only is there one report, there may be follow ups. Then you have to write a supplement to follow that original report. We only have three investigators. They do the serious crimes and assist the officers when they can.

Currently, because the reports cannot be completed during the regular shift, the city is having to pay the officers time and a half overtime pay to accomplish the tasks. It also doesnt allow for what Baker calls uncommitted time for other duties.

This comes up every year in surveys from the citizens, he said. Where we get marked down  and its 100% true  their biggest complaint is that they dont see officers in neighborhoods anymore. We dont have time to go into a neighborhood to patrol the area. With the additional manpower and 10 hour shift, well be able to schedule officers to do the patrols.

When you look at manpower studies, which [Beavers] and I look at periodically, theres what they call committed time and uncommitted time. Committed time is when an officer is answering a call or doing things they have to do. Uncommitted time is patrolling and traffic enforcement. For every committed hour, theres supposed to be three to four hours of uncommitted time. We hardly have any uncommitted time.

Baker said that within the last 10 years or so, the city has hired additional officers, but to fill openings created by the need for three school resource officers and an officer working with the Drug Task Force. The five officers would strictly be patrolman, working within the community.

Another problem of the continuous calls that Baker talk about is the time to recover from high-pressure situations.

Theres a lot of stress in doing what we do, he said. When we go to a call, people are upset, they deal with it every day. There needs to be time for that officer to decompress. When youre going from call to call and youre concerned youre not getting the reports done, it really wears on an officer.

The Fire Department

Farmington Fire Chief Todd Mecey explained the issue of keeping up with the increasing volume of calls his department is contending with.

Ours really relates to trying to keep up with community growth, he said. As the community continues to grow, our call volume continues to grow. We are just trying to keep staff and apparatus to keep up with that call volume. Right now we are running two trucks on duty during the week and one truck on the weekends. Its not because the weekends are slower, theyre just as busy on the weekdays. Its strictly related to we just dont have enough staff to make that happen. So, when that one truck is busy and another call comes in, we are depending on people to come from home.

A lot of things have changed for us. We have qualifications that people have to meet to be hired. We used to be able to find those people locally, they lived in our community. Over the past 5-10 years, weve had to continue to relax that standard on residency to find qualified people to work. Now we dont have a residency requirement other than living in the state of Missouri. Weve seen our staff continue to expand further and further out, which takes them longer to get here if we have to recall them.

Being a full-time, paid employee department, Mecey has certain standards to maintain with state and federal regulations. As part of the potential new tax, the department is looking at hiring eight new full-time firefighters.

We have standards to meet for the amount of people turned out for a fire in a specific amount of time, he said. We also have standards to meet on our response. Because we have paid staff, if you have some paid staff or all paid staff, it all falls into the same category, which is a requirement of being able to show up for 90% of the calls within four minutes. We got to the point where we werent meeting that, we added the truck on for five days a week, now with the community growing and call volume expanding, weve gotten outside of that.

The additional staffing is going to provide us with being able to staff enough apparatus to handle our current call volume most of the time. This expansion would be able to put us seven people on per day, although we are still going to be depending on mutual-aid and recalled personnel for structural fires. The amount of people required for a fire under todays standards require 14-21 people within eight minutes of the alarm. Day-to-day operations such as fire alarms, assists for medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, with that seven people, we are going to be able to handle the vast majority of those calls.

Mecey stated that a big part of Farmingtons fire department is responding to fire calls outside of the city, and even outside of the county.

We do provide a lot of mutual aid outside of Farmington, he said. We are the only paid department in our area, our county. By personnel quantity, we are one of the larger departments in the county. With that, we get requested for a lot of mutual aid. We do our best to provide a quick response for those people as well, but protecting the citizens of Farmington is our primary goal and mission. If you look at our population and call volume and compare that around the state to communities of our size, even after this expansion of full time staff, its still going put us at or below the levels staffed in other communities.

Both departments also have to continuously deal with training, an important part of keep certifications. While quite a lot of it can be done locally, some of the specialization is not locally available and requires travel, taking an employee out of the schedule.

Some guys will have additional certifications such as fire investigation, HAZMAT or ice rescue, Mecey said. Those things arent available online or locally, were going to have to send somebody out.

Training is an issue in our department, Baker said. A lot of our training is done in house, but there are specialized training that comes up where officers go sometimes even out of the state to receive that training. It could be anywhere from one day to a couple of weeks.

Use Tax

The second question on the ballot is a use tax for the city of Farmington. With the recent passage of legislation in Jefferson City, internet sales taxes can be made available to local governments that have lost out to out-of-state sellers, such as Amazon and Wayfair. The Wayfair bill, SB 153, was recently signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson. To be able to recover those taxes, Farmington will have to pass a use tax to receive reimbursed from the state.

Addressing the subject of the proposed use tax, Beavers said an ever-increasing percentage of the nation's economy is moving to the internet.

We have to restructure how we pay for things," he said. "As more and more sales move online, we have to put this [use tax] in place. It will begin the process of changing the way we collect revenue for the city.

Commerce is changing, the way that commerce is being transacted is changing, and we have to change tax collection policy, Beavers said. Theyre being changed in different ways. Farmington has had a 2% rate for many years, one of the lowest in the region. Many cities, because theyve lost sales tax revenue because of the shift in commerce  people buying more stuff online  have had to increase their local sales taxes just to provide essential services: police, fire, parks, all those things are paid for by sales taxes. Farmington has had sufficient growth that weve avoided doing that.

Beavers said that Farmington is missing out on tax revenue estimated at about $120,000 per year.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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During the Ste. Genevieve County Commission meeting Thursday morning, the commission heard updated reports on the damage done by Sunday evenings tornado.

Deputy County Clerk Michele Gatzemeyer read a report submitted by Emergency Management Director Felix Meyer.

In St. Mary, 30 houses and one business were affected, she said. Five structures and the one business were completely destroyed. All electric has been restored to the area.

In the Coffman area, Meyer is still waiting on a final report from the Wolf Creek Fire Department. As far as he knows four homes appear to have been destroyed. There was damage to Coffman Baptist Church and damage to the outbuildings at Crown Brewery.

Meyer stated in his report that there was one reported injury, with that person transported to Mercy Jefferson Hospital. The injuries were not serious. He also stated that Citizens Electric was still working on outages in the Coffman area as of Wednesday.

Road and Bridge Foreman Scott Schmieder said that the county is finishing its cleanup work in the St. Mary area Thursday.

Other counties offered help, Perry County sent a crew immediately," said Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson. "They were from as far away as Butler County. Naturally, Madison and St. Francois County had their own problems.

District 2 Commissioner Randy Ruzicka added, We are all blessed that nobody got killed. We had excellent organizational skills in Meyer and Schmieder. The other thing I found touching was how the neighboring counties reached out and were right there to help us.

As cleanup continues in Madison County, the county commissioners signed a proclamation Wednesday declaring a state of emergency in Madison County.

The proclamation wording says that Madison County has encountered a tornado and severe weather conditions and a threat exists to the lives and property of the people of the county

It goes on to state areas within the boundaries of Madison County are immediately threatened and an emergency exists.

"The Board of County Commissioners Madison County, Missouri hereby declare that a state of emergency exists in Madison County, Missouri, and we hereby invoke and declare in full force and effect in Madison County, Missouri, all laws, statues, of the State of Missouri, Madison County, for the exercise of all necessary emergency authority for the protection of the lives and property of the people of Madison County Missouri and the restoration of local government with a minimum of interruption," the proclamation said.

The proclamations states all public offices and employees of Madison County are directed to exercise the utmost diligence in discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency.

"All citizens are called upon and directed to comply with necessary emergency measures to cooperate with public officials and the Madison County, Missouri, Emergency Management Agency forces in executing emergency operations plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified public offices," the proclamation says.

The document was signed by Madison County Presiding Commissioner Jason Green, District 1 Commissioner Tom Stephens, and District 2 Commissioner Larry Kemp.

Earlier this week the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-3 tornado hit Fredericktown Sunday night, damaging homes, businesses and the main electrical substation that feeds power to the city. The weather service noted the rating could be upgraded as more information is gathered.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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Dunn walked the jurors through the events of the weekend, including the torch rally in which she said various counter-protesters and two plaintiffs were attacked, as well as the rally and the car attack. Her statements highlighted the violent and racist rhetoric used by the defendants when planning the rally and the efforts of plausible deniability she argued they used to deflect blame.

Plausible deniability  just like mace, shields and flagpoles  was a tool of this conspiracy, Dunn said. Plausible deniability is when you set up a situation in such a way that you can claim later, you had nothing to do with it, and we expect that is exactly what you will see and hear from the defendants in this case.

After Dunn had spent roughly an hour walking the jury through an overview of the evidence against the defendants, co-counsel Roberta Kaplan introduced the jurors to the plaintiffs.

A diverse group of people from across the Charlottesville area, Kaplan described in detail the circumstances that led each plaintiff to be in the city that weekend and the harm they suffered as a result.
Unfortunately, we can't take an adult dose and dilute it down to the pediatric size, said BRHD medical director Dr. Denise Bonds. We must use the pediatric doses on the 5 to 11-year-olds.

More doses are expected to arrive in the health district later next month and in December, allowing any child who wants to get vaccinated to do so.

People shouldn't panic about getting vaccines, Bonds said, asking for patience. There will be plenty of pediatric vaccines. It's just in this initial rollout.

In the meantime, the health district is planning to focus on children with underlying medical conditions as well as those living with older family members, in multi-family households or with adults in public-facing jobs.

Medical conditions that increase risk for COVID-19 include lung disease, obesity or a neurologic disorder. National data from the CDC shows that Black and Hispanic kids have been hospitalized at higher rates than white children, according to Wednesday's presentation.

Those are the kids that we really want to get vaccinated right away because we want to keep them out of the hospital, Bonds said, encouraging families to consult with their pediatrician about specific concerns.
What can make vaccinations more fun? Why, a party, of course. Cue the house music.

The local chapter of the NAACP, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is partnering with Linn County Public Health, Samaritan Health and the Community Services Consortium to provide whats being called a vaccine party on Saturday afternoon. Organizers tout the effort as a way to make vaccination seem less daunting and more fun.

I wanted the event to be engaging and create kind of a lighter atmosphere on a heavy subject, said Deidre Greene, Health & Wellness chairwoman for the Corvallis/Albany NAACP. When people come theyll hear music and see balloons and get a raffle ticket.  Its something that can draw the community in.

Green said that the music will be provided by a live DJ named Captain Hezekiah.

The event will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature a dance floor and raffle prizes. A tent will be set up in the parking lot of the Heritage Shopping Center in Albany, right in front of Target.

Volunteers from Linn County Public Health will be on-hand to administer doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

While the effort was borne out of a desire to get more people of color vaccinated  because the immunization rates among Black and Latino residents is lower  all are welcome to come down to the mall for a first, second or booster dose of any of the three main vaccines on the market.

Statewide, about 50% of the Black and Latino populations have completed a vaccine series. In Linn and Benton counties, which are treated as one region in OHA charts, about 32% of the local Latino population has received at least one dose. About 45% of the Black population has been vaccinated.

Greene, a retired nurse practitioner whos lived in Albany for 20 years, said getting vaccinated is an important part of contributing to a healthy community.

Ive been a resident of Albany for 20 years and the NAACP wanted to do our part in protecting our community, she said.

Another incentive at this event, aside from the music and prizes, is that the first 100 participants will receive a free lunch catered by Ohana Kitchen Hawaiian food truck. Greene said the whole affair cost about $3,000 to put on, all of which was put up by the Community Services Consortium and Samaritan.

If its successful, the organizers say they will likely put on more vaccine parties in the future, especially in Linn County where the immunization rate remains much lower than in neighboring Benton County. Linn County has 66.2% of its 18 and older population vaccinated, according to OHA data. Benton Countys vaccination rate is 78.1%.

For those who received a J&J vaccine, anyone 18 and older is eligible for a booster shot after two months. J&J recipients can receive any brand of vaccine as their booster dose.

For those who received a Pfizer or Moderna series, only people who are 65 years or older  or people who are 18 and older and are considered high-risk, either due to underlying medical conditions or residency at long-term care settings  are eligible for a third-dose booster.

To determine if youre eligible for a booster, check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html. Nonbooster first and second doses will also be administered at the clinic.

The event is free and open to the public, with no prior appointment needed.

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.

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Things should be looking up for Democrats. Americans are flush with spending money. (They added at least $2.5 trillion to household savings during the pandemic.) Unemployment is back under 5%. As for stocks, the S&P 500 is up more than 30% from what it was before the pandemic.

Most every item on the Democrats' social wish list polls quite well.

Nevertheless, Democrats are deeply worried about the governor's race in Democratic-leaning Virginia and their ability to hold onto their bare majorities in the House and Senate. The reason is not honest disagreements over legislation. It's a small group on the left intent on slime-attacking Democratic moderates and scaring voters with their radical visions.

The bizarre part is that the lefties in the House number only about 17. Meanwhile, there are about 130 crazies in the Republican House caucus  crazy defined by their January vote to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Yet the right-wing media has succeeded in portraying the Democratic fringe as the party's leadership. This couldn't have been done without the help of the supposedly liberal media, always ready to quote, profile and invite on camera the most strident voices in the left. We're looking at you, MSNBC and The New York Times, whose journalists inhabit the same elite urban circles as the attention freaks.

The party's real political magicians get scant coverage. Abby Finkenauer managed to win a formerly Republican district in northeastern Iowa only to lose it in 2020 amid radical chatter about defunding police. Republicans were able to flip 15 hard-won Democratic seats, even as Democrat Joe Biden beat former President Donald Trump by 7 million popular votes.

Fox News and Newsmax will always find some obscure professor with a pointedly offensive critique of America to showcase as emblematic of Democratic thinking. Democrats can't control that. But they can impose penalties for their politicians who are too dense or don't care about messaging that scares the public.

Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represent districts so safe that Steve Bannon could win them if he had a "D" after his name. They do politically dumb things like attaching the term "people of color" to issues having nearly nothing to do with race, thereby confusing white voters who might want what they're proposing, like universal pre-K.

As for people of color, most aren't subscribing to the radical agenda, witnessed in the recent mayoral primary in New York City. Former police official Eric Adams won handily over the ultra-woke Maya Wiley, whom Ocasio-Cortez enthusiastically endorsed.

Guess what. Blacks and Latinos want public safety, especially at a time of rising crime. They also tend to be more socially conservative than white liberals, particularly members of the white liberal gentry.

That's a big reason, Democratic political analyst David Shor says, for Democrats having lost about 2% of support among African Americans. Hispanic support dropped by 8% to 9%.

Some of it was all that socialism talk by the radicals. Cubans, Colombians and Venezuelans don't care for socialism. But there was more.

"The (strikingly large) decline in Hispanic support for Democrats," Shor says, "was pretty broad. This isn't just about Cubans in south Florida. It happened in New York and California and Arizona and Texas."

Democrats can hope that Trump continues to favor candidates seriously accused of domestic violence. The estranged wife of Sean Parnell, one of Trump's endorsements, has two protection-from-abuse orders issued against him. Parnell is now running for the Senate in Pennsylvania.

Democratic voters really have to think strategically. That might include raising primary challenges to candidates more interested in their Twitter following than securing real power in Washington. The very democracy could depend on them.

Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com.

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The unconstitutional, inappropriate ambassadorship to the Vatican should be discontinued. The Roman Catholic Church is not a country.

Joe Donnelly is reportedly being picked to be the next envoy to the Holy See. Roman Catholics exclusively have served in this role since the Reagan administration created the ambassadorship in 1984.

Even though the U.S. Constitution explicitly precludes any religious test for public office, if confirmed, Donnelly would become the 12th Roman Catholic to serve as Vatican ambassador. (Perhaps if an ambassador is to be named, a pro-choice secular humanist should be selected!)

Official diplomatic relations between our country and the Holy See prefer and favor Roman Catholicism over other religions and religion over nonreligion.

This unprecedented link between the United States and a head of a world religion seriously politicizes their relationship. One former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See said when opposing the possibility of nominating a pro-choice Catholic to the ambassadorship, Its imperative, its essential that the person who represents us to the Holy See be a person who has pro-life values.

The Vatican issues absolutist doctrinal decrees which include official opposition to many human, civil and constitutional rights, such as gay marriage, birth control, abortion, embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia. The churchs role in the rape of children is notorious. The church demands that Roman Catholic citizens and legislators vote en masse in strict accord with these decrees and in direct contravention of the Constitution.

End our federal governments unholy alliance with the Roman Catholic Church.

John S. Dearing

Corvallis

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Willamette Grange #52 has replaced our buildings roof structure and added strength to exterior walls, reversing a long period of decline. This was accomplished with help from several contributors.

Our grange thanks the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund for its generous donations. In 2019 the tribe funded engineering plans needed to save the historic Willamette Community and Grange Hall. In 2021, the tribe donated $5,000 toward purchase of replacement trusses. We wish to express our greatest appreciation to the Siletz Tribe.

We also thank the Kinsman Foundation for its grant of $20,000 early in our fundraising, before anyone believed in, or maybe even knew of, our restoration project. This encouraged early supporters, and the grant gave us a head start on opportunities that require matching funds when we had few resources. The foundation buoyed our spirits.

Wed like to express gratitude to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Preserving Oregon Program for its grant of $20,000. The staff of the program were very supportive and encouraging throughout the process. This is a government program that appreciates the importance of history and community.

The Ford Family Foundations much-appreciated grant of $25,000 helped save this community center. The foundation come through for many rural community projects and activities, and is a cherished supporter of Oregons rural communities.

Lastly, the Oregon Cultural Trust Cultural Development Grant contributed $12,286 to help us reach our goal of structurally repairing and weatherproofing this grand community resource.

We cannot thank these grantors enough for supporting this community.

Toni Hoyman

Philomath

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El Salvadors Superintendency of Competition confirmed that it has received a request for approval of General International Telecoms acquisition of Movistar (Telefonica Moviles) and Telefonica Multiservicios.

If it chooses to admit the application following a review, the competition watchdog will then have 90 days to conduct a technical analysis seeking to assess the impact of the proposed acquisition on competition in El Salvadors mobile sector.

Earlier this month, Telefonica Centroamerica Inversiones reached an agreement with General International Telecom Limited for the sale of its entire 99.3% holding in Telefonica Moviles el Salvador for a total of US$144 million. The deal will require regulatory clearances before it can close.

Telefonica holds a 60% stake in Telefonica Centroamerica Inversiones, with the remaining 40% held by Corporacion Multi Inversiones. TeleGeography reports that the sale is part of a broader strategy by Telefonica to reduce its exposure to risk in Latin America and create value to improve return on capital.
The West African Telecoms Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has acknowledged the need to develop technical and regulatory means to combat the rising wave of electronic fraud. It also hopes to address the standardisation of roaming tariffs in the sub-region.

These were the main results of a two-day meeting organised by WATRA in collaboration with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), which took place this week in Abuja.

The meeting was attended by representatives of telecoms regulators from countries across West Africa. They deliberated on the advantages of building a unified market in telecommunications services in West Africa in order both to combat roaming and cyber-related frauds and also to achieve the standardisation of roaming tariffs among ECOWAS member states.

The Executive Vice Chairman of The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Chairman of WATRA Professor Umar Garba Danbatta (who was represented by NCCs Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil) noted that about 75 per cent of trade within ECOWAS is informal, and thus poorly recorded.

Digitising trade through electronic payments would thus be a significant step towards formalising, governing and boosting intra-ECOWAS trade activities. However, he pointed out, this in turn requires improved collaboration on combating electronic fraud.

As for regional roaming, he noted that reducing and eventually eliminating the cost of roaming for both voice and data would be a significant contributor towards boosting trade within the region.

The question now is when and how these laudable intentions can be realised. Many other regions have removed roaming fees including, within Africa, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC).
With the continued drop in fixed voice service revenue failing to offset the steady growth in fixed broadband service revenues, the total fixed communications services revenue in Thailand is set to decline from US$5.0bn in 2021 to US$4.5bn in 2026.

According to GlobalData, the fixed voice service revenue is set to decline at a CAGR of 10.8% over 2021-2026 due to falling circuit-switched subscriptions and a drop in fixed voice average revenue per user (ARPU). High preference for mobile and OTT-based communication services will also drag down fixed voice revenues in coming years.

However, fixed broadband service revenue will increase at a CAGR of 1.8% over the forecast period, mainly driven by the steady rise in fiber-to-the-home/business (FTTH/B), fixed wireless, and digital subscribers line (DSL) subscriptions.

Aasif Iqbal, a Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, said: Fiber lines will remain the most prominent fixed broadband technology over the forecast period, with its share in total the fixed broadband access lines increasing from 61.1% in 2021 to 66.8% in 2026. This growth can be attributed to the expansion of fiber optic network coverage in the country. For instance, the Thailand government, under Thailands Village Broadband Internet Project (Net Pracharat), is working on the deployment of fibre optic core network spanning across 80,000 kilometres countrywide."
Satellite broadband service provider Yahclick, an Abu Dhabi-listed Yahsat subsidiary, has signed a partnership with iSat Africa to expand its enterprise business in Nigeria, Zambia, the DRC, and East Africa.

According to a press release, the new partnership will support iSAT Africa, an African network operator present in twelve markets, to deliver connectivity services for cellular backhaul, business applications, supervisory control, and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, as well as provide connectivity to remote sites, including mines.

The services will be provided through YahClicks high-throughput satellite Ka-band capacity, the company said in a statement to Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

Farhad Khan, CEO of YahClick, said: This partnership with iSAT Africa is another step in our plans for further growth and expansion across Africa. With our existing strong presence in these countries, our partnership with iSAT Africa will enhance our reach into the unserved and underserved markets. We look forward to enabling greater connectivity for people and businesses across Africa during the upcoming months.

The company said revenues from fixed satellite data services in Africa are expected to grow at an average rate of 15.8% per year between 2020 and 2029.

Linking with iSat Africa also spotlights the massive opportunity the growth of HTS capacity will have on the Sub-Saharan African market, especially when it comes to unlocking high-demand flexibility in applications like Backhaul or Community WiFi, it added.

Rakesh Kukreja, Managing Director of iSAT Africa said: The new partnership with YahClick will bring a significant improvement in services to our customers in these markets with business operations in remote areas. iSAT Africa will equip them with advanced and dependable technical capabilities. Rural cellular backhaul will enhance the connectivity proposition for the major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in these countries, thus bringing connectivity to the unconnected, and bridging the digital divide in Africa."

Rakesh added: "Whilst embracing the new norm post-COVID era, our connectivity solutions will allow for inter-branch office connectivity and communications, data gathering, redundancy, and disaster recovery solutions for our customers in Nigeria, the DRC, East Africa, and Zambia. The referenced solutions and other vital tasks will now become easier, effective, and reliable thanks to this partnership."
Were all rolling on up toward the holidays, and I want everyone who has any connection to me, either positive or negative, to have a good one. Theres been a ton of research coming out this last couple of weeks that many of the COVID-19 ritualistic class would find upsetting. But in the spi
Jessica VanAnda had never tried her hand at the National Peanut Festival recipe contest.

But she decided to try it this year and entered every category other than cakes in the adult division. It paid off. VanAnda of Fountain, Florida, walked away with multiple ribbons and won the overall grand prize in the adult division for her Southern Butter Nut Cupcakes.

This is the first time Ive ever done anything like this, VanAnda said. Im very one of those kind of people  Im all or none. I would have done the cakes, but I ran out of time. It was 2 oclock this morning and I was ready to go to bed.

The 2021 National Peanut Festival Recipe Contest was held Thursday at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, as was the cake decorating contest.

While VanAnda won the adult division grand prize, the student grand prize went to Natalie Brosseau of Enterprise for her candies entry, Nanas Peanut Butter Bonbons.

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The recipes that VanAnda used for her cupcakes and her gooey muffins originated with her grandmother, but she added to them for the contest. She started practicing her recipes about two weeks ago with her husband and co-workers serving as taste-testers for the cupcakes, muffins, cookies, candies, and pies.
Saliba said communication and collaboration are key to curtailing gun violence and meeting the needs of the citys youth.

They would like to see more community engagement with the schools and more community activities for them to be involved in  thats one thing I learned and was glad to hear it, Saliba said.

Students brought up the idea of business leaders coming into the school and talking to them and the idea of a mentorship program. Some students even proposed a mentorship program with adults in the community mentoring older students and older students mentoring younger students.

Though an educational morning, Saliba said he has several more meetings with adult groups and individuals about what the community is doing in response to gun crimes and plans to schedule more small-group meetings with Dothan students.

This is more than just the shootings that have happened over the last few weeks, Saliba said. What you dont want is that the gun violence returns to its normal rate and then we dont do anything at all until the next time it happens again. Lets take the opportunity now to talk about what we can do to pull together. I think thats what important to me.

Sable Riley is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at sriley@dothaneagle.com or 334.712.7915. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com .

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In the interest of celebrating all things fall in a safe and family-friendly environment, Sunset Memorial Park will host its third annual Trunk or Treat event on Saturday from 6-8 p.m.

Wiregrass families are invited for a night of free, festive fun and plenty of treats.

Weve had a great response to this event the past two years, Sunset Memorial Park owner Toni Byrd said. We hope this year is the best yet. We love all the excitement this season brings and we really look forward to hosting families. We think its very important to offer the community a safe place to enjoy trick or treating.

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Sunset is joining forces with myriad local businesses and organizations. Groups like the local VFW, and Houston County Rescue and businesses like Flowers of Hope, the Joy FM, and AR Workshop will host fun, themed trunks.

In addition, with the upcoming holidays in mind, Sunset is accepting cash and non-perishable food donations for the Wiregrass Area Food Bank, a hunger relief agency serving Houston, Henry, Dale, Coffee, Geneva, and Barbour counties. In addition to canned goods, the Food Bank is asking for packaged rice, beans and pasta, baby food, cereal, and formula.
The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by up to year in jail and up to three years probation, with discretion for the court to impose lesser penalties including no jail time.

Commisso, an executive assistant for Cuomo, says he groped her when they were alone in an office at the governors mansion in Albany.

She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying once, I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.

Commisso's lawyer, Brian Premo, said in a statement to the Times Union that she hadn't been consulted about the criminal complaint.
MIAMI (AP)  The state of Florida should consider requiring high-rise buildings near the coast to undergo safety inspections every 20 years, according to a coalition of engineers and architects that formed after a Miami-area condominium collapsed in June, killing 98 people.

The recommendations, released four months after Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside, are based on preserving the long-term health of buildings by assessing environmental and other degradation of structures and their systems over the life of a building," the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida and the Florida Engineering Society said in a news release.

Seven of the states engineering and architecture associations formed the Surfside Working Group to come up with ideas to prevent another tragedy like the partial collapse of the 12-story beachfront property.

The group also said nearly all large buildings in Florida should be inspected for structural problems within their first 30 years, with follow-ups every 10 years. Buildings within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of saltwater should be inspected within their first 20 years, with follow-up safety inspections every seven years, the group said.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  The state of Florida on Thursday sued President Joe Biden's administration over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors, opening yet another battleground between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the White House.

The lawsuit, announced by DeSantis at a news conference, alleges the president doesnt have the authority to issue the rule and that it violates procurement law.

DeSantis has vowed legal action over federal vaccination requirements and fought masking and vaccine rules implemented by local governments in Florida. He recently announced he would call state lawmakers to the Capitol next month to pass legislation to combat vaccine mandates enacted by private businesses. DeSantis is eyeing a possible 2024 presidential run and has been consistent in his criticism of Biden's handling of the pandemic and other issues.

The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa and names Biden, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson as well as White House contracting officials as defendants.
To the world, Governor Linwood Holton is known as a giant of civil rights and change. When others stood in the doorways of schools to block de-segregation, our Dad walked us (and bused us) to integrated schools to show the rest of the world the way of justice, his children's statement said.

Of raising taxes, Holton once said at a 1999 conference on his administration: Ill bet not three of 10 people in this room could tell you what tax I increased, but they all appreciate the swimmable rivers throughout Virginia which my 1 percent increase in the state income tax paid for.

Holton alienated Democrats who controlled Virginia's General Assembly when he insisted on a GOP opponent in 1970 for U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr.s bid for reelection as an independent.

By the time his term was over, Holton had also lost his own partys support. His choice as state GOP chairman lost to the preferred candidate of GOP conservatives.

Although he never officially left the GOP, the former governor increasingly sided with Democrats.
Part of the committee's investigation has dealt with another official who was in the meeting, Sherry Bren, the former director of the state's real estate certification program. About a week after Peters received her license in November 2020, Bren was pressured to retire by Hultman. She eventually did so this year but not before receiving a $200,000 payment from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

Republican Sen. David Wheeler said it looked, at the onset, like the governor created a conflict of interest by including her daughter in the meeting. But he was convinced by Hultman's explanation that the agreement was reached before the meeting. He also pointed out that Bren herself did not review Peters' work samples.

At no point, was there pressure placed on Sherry Bren to approve the license," he said.

Lawmakers also requested that Bren appear before the committee, but she declined. She and Hultman are both barred from disparaging each other as part of Bren's settlement.

In a statement to the AP, Bren said, I am at this time working with my attorney to achieve an opportunity to provide relevant facts to members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee and to correct any factual inaccuracies that were provided to them by Secretary Hultman in her testimony today.
Alabama lawmakers met in a special session Thursday to draw new districts for congressional, legislative, and state Board of Education districts, a task required after every census to keep districts approximately equal in population.

Republican and Democratic legislators are likely to disagree over the plans. Two Democratic state senators have already filed a federal lawsuit over the congressional districts. The lawsuit says Alabama should have two Congressional districts where Black voters would have a chance to elect a candidate of their choice.

District 7 has had an African-American majority since 1992. Advocates for changing the map say two Black representatives in the states seven-member U.S. House delegation would more accurately reflect the states population, which is about 27% black.
The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine batch gifted by Australia at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, October 28, 2021. Photo by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam

A batch of 800,000 AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses provided by the Australian government arrived in Hanoi Thursday.

With this third delivery, Australia has met its commitment to share 1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses from its own supply with Vietnam within this year, the Australian Embassy stated.

In addition to the gifted vaccine doses, Australias Ambassador to Vietnam, Robyn Mudie, announced Australia would support Vietnam to purchase approximately 3.7 million more vaccine doses, through a procurement agreement with the UNICEF and in partnership with Vietnams Ministry of Health.

Apart from the vaccine support, Australia will provide AUD60 million ($45.3 million) in support for Vietnams Covid vaccine rollout.

This package, according to the embassy, would support Covid-19 vaccine procurement, cold chain upgrades, training for healthcare workers, and support vaccine rollout in remote provinces.

So far, 22.6 million of Vietnam's 96-million population have been fully vaccinated.
Vietnam has approved the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12-17, the second one to get such approval after the Pfizer vaccine.

Duong Thi Hong, deputy director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that "Children vaccination would begin in localities that have gone under social distancing, has high Covid-19 infection rates, high population density and high infection risk."

For children who are studying in schools, vaccination would be prioritized for high school students, before moving onto secondary students. Those who are not studying in schools would also be listed for vaccination.

HCMC started vaccinating children against Covid-19 on Wednesday, with those aged 16-17 being prioritized. The national vaccination campaign for children will commence in November.

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine earlier has been approved for vaccinating children, with two shots given around three to four weeks apart. Consent from parents or guardians are needed for their childrens vaccination.

Vietnam has vaccinated around 54.5 million adults with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot and 22.6 million have been fully vaccinated.

Children under 18 account for around 17 percent of all Covid-19 infections in Vietnam, according to data from the health ministry.
The government has agreed in principle to resume commercial flights to and from countries and territories deemed highly safe with appropriate pandemic prevention measures in place.

The Government Office said Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has asked the Ministry of Transport to submit a plan before Nov. 5 to resume regular international commercial flights.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will discuss with partners ways to accelerate the recognition of vaccine passports, the office said.

Passengers land on Quang Ninh Province's Van Don Airport from France, Sept. 23, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Binh Minh

Minh has also agreed with the policy of creating favorable conditions for foreigners to enter Vietnam, as per categories approved by the Prime Minister, including people visiting Vietnam to research markets, attend conferences, seminars and visit relatives; and Vietnamese people residing abroad with their relatives.

These people need a certificate of vaccination or a certificate of having been infected and recovered from Covid-19. Vietnamese people residing abroad are exempted from visas, according to a regulation issued in 2015.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said last Thursday that Vietnam has accepted vaccine passports from 72 countries and territories, and is discussing the issue with 80 others.

Vietnams vaccine certificate has also been recognized by some countries. This is a legal basis to reopen and bring economic and social activities back to the new normal.

On Oct. 22, in a draft plan sent to the Ministry of Transport for approval, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam proposed launching pilot flights to carry foreign tourists to specific tourist destinations like Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa, and Quang Ninh during the first phase scheduled to start this quarter.

Vietnam closed its doors to foreign tourists and canceled all international flights in March last year, allowing only Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts, and highly-skilled workers to enter with stringent quarantine conditions.
An annual report from Forests & Finance, a coalition of research and civil society groups, analyzed policies and investments by financial institutions in companies with the highest exposure to deforestation risks after the Paris pact.

It focused on financial flows to the largest 300 firms involved in the production and trade of key commodities that threaten forests if land is cleared for plantations or ranches - including palm oil, pulp and paper, beef, and soy in Southeast Asia, Central and West Africa, and South America's Amazon.

"The real-world economy is continuing to sow the seeds of climate chaos," said Tom Picken, forest and finance campaign director at coalition member Rainforest Action Network (RAN).

"The solution is actually very simple: stop financing forest destruction now. The world simply cannot afford further government and corporate greenwash and delay," he added.

Cutting down forests has major implications for global goals to curb warming, as trees absorb about a third of the planet-heating carbon emissions produced worldwide, but release the carbon they store when they rot or are burned.

Forests also provide food and livelihoods, help clean up air and water, support human health, are an essential habitat for wildlife, aid tropical rainfall and offer flood protection.

But last year, tropical forest losses worldwide equaled the size of the Netherlands, according to monitoring service Global Forest Watch.

The new report found that about $238 billion in credit was provided to the biggest deforestation-risk firms by banks and other financial institutions between January 2016 and June 2021.

The banking sectors most responsible for tropical deforestation-risk investments are located in Brazil, Indonesia, China, the United States and Japan, the report noted.

The majority of investments by these institutions lacked adequate policies or checks to safeguard against deforestation, nature destruction or human rights violations, it added.

RAN's Picken called for harmonized international financial regulations to tackle investments linked to forest loss.

"We need to see a wholesale change in the way that the financial sector continues to fuel deforestation and climate change," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

In the last decade, pressure from consumers and green groups has pushed major brands that grow, trade or buy commodities to pledge to end deforestation in their supply chains.

But high-profile members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) - many of them household names - struggled to meet a 2020 target to purchase only sustainably produced commodities.

At November's COP26 climate summit, host nation Britain wants an agreement to end deforestation by 2030, and has asked big producers and consumers of agricultural commodities to halt tree clearance for their cultivation, UK-based media reported.

Jan Willem van Gelder, director of Profundo, a Netherlands-based nonprofit involved in the report, said banks were putting the Paris accord out of reach by funneling billions into deforestation globally.

"If governments continue to leave these financial flows unaddressed, there is little hope that we will achieve even the most conservative of our collective climate goals," he added in a statement.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims in Article 20 that Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Cuba is party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sits on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Cubas own Constitution, as revised in 2019, purports to protect the rights of assembly, demonstration and association.

Yet when would-be demonstrators, organized through a Facebook group called Archipelago, requested permission to conduct a nation-wide march for change on November 20th, the government scheduled for that same day a National Defense Day, putting soldiers in the streets for three days of military exercises surrounding the planned protests.

Archipelago then requested permission to march on November 15. The Cuban government denied this request, stating that the protests are a provocation and part of a regime change strategy for Cuba tested in other countries." The Cuban regime is subsequently intimidating march organizers by calling for labor union demonstrations on November 15, announcing harsh sentences for detained July 11 protestors, cutting off Internet access, and making public threats.

The United States strongly condemns the Cuban regimes decision to deny permission for peaceful protests to take place on November 15. By refusing to allow these demonstrations, the Cuban regime clearly shows that it is unwilling to honor or uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Cubans, said U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

The United States remains deeply committed to the Cuban people, their right to assemble peacefully and express themselves, and their struggle to freely choose their leadership and their future.
An escalating nuclear arms race was a chief hallmark of the Cold War between the NATO Alliance and the Warsaw Pact. In the mid-to-late 1960s, as tensions ratcheted up and to many a nuclear conflict seemed inevitable, the Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament, a United Nations-sponsored forum in Geneva, Switzerland, negotiated the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons, or NPT. Every country except India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan has joined the NPT.

The treaty, which entered into force in 1970, has three pillars: nonproliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. NPT Parties have met every five years since, and in 1995 they agreed to extend the treaty indefinitely.

Since its inception over 50 years ago, the NPT has made irreplaceable contributions to international security, said Bonnie Denise Jenkins, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, before the United Nations First Committee. However, we cannot take the NPTs enduring success for granted. Its continued success requires constant vigilance and effort. As such, we reaffirm our commitment to the NPT and to preserving and strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime.

Ambassador Jenkins noted that in the many years since the NPT entered into force, the world has come a long way toward nuclear disarmament. In 1967, the United States had 31,255 nuclear weapons in our active stockpile, she said. By 2017, this number was just under 4,000, a more than an eight-fold decrease in our nuclear arsenals. This historic success was achieved through our commitment to easing tensions, reducing risk, and negotiating in good faith towards nuclear disarmament.

Nonetheless, we still have a long way to go toward full nuclear disarmament. To demonstrate its commitment to disarmament and transparency the United States on October 5 released newly declassified information regarding our nuclear weapons stockpile. It is an act of good faith, and a tangible, public demonstration of the U.S. commitment to transparency, said Ambassador Jenkins. Transparency also helps build on our prior successes by building trust and confidence in arms control regimes and reducing the risk of strategic miscalculation.

As we, along with the United Kingdom and France, demonstrate transparency about our nuclear stockpiles, we call on other states with nuclear weapons to do likewise, she said. We commit to do our part in cooperation with other UN Member States and the United Nations to advance our common objectives for peace and international security.
" " It's not surprising that the super plugged-in among us are starting to worry about what all that connectivity is really costing us. Elke Meitzel/Getty Images

The labels "digital vegan" and "digital vegetarian" are buzz-worthy, meme-ready terms that mean different things to different people. The idea behind the tags, though, is simple enough: to try to give a name to those who want to limit the role of digital media in their lives.

These are the serious unpluggers  the so-called digital detoxifiers  the ones who want to, in the words of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, take the ever-connected "complexifiers" out of their lives. Those who not only want to rid themselves of Facebook, but Apple and/or Microsoft and/or Google and/or other digital boogeymen, too.

That's a radical and scary idea for millions. No email. No Twitter. No online calendars. No cat videos. No memes, even.

But those who make the leap  even for a short time and maybe not even as radically as the vegetarians/vegans  are compelled to do so for two main reasons: One, unplugging seems good for your health, mental and otherwise. And two, it's a good way to see just how scary staying completely plugged in really is.

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The Privacy Problem

With all the bad press around Facebook in the past few years, it's not surprising that the super plugged-in among us are starting to worry about what all that connectivity is really costing us. Privacy is a huge concern. The internet behemoths know a lot about you if you spend any time online at all  where you bank, where you shop, what you like, what your politics are, who's on your friend list, etc.

That may not seem like a big deal to a grandma in Iowa or a high school student in Florida. But don't fool yourself: We're all in this interconnected world together. People are looking. At everybody.

"For a lot of people, the government really and truly is not after you. And you have bigger fish to fry in your life," says Gennie Gebhart, the associate director of research for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which touts itself as the leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech and innovation. "One thing I tell people is that you're not worried that the government is coming after you. But they may be coming after journalists and dissidents and community organizers, who we all need.

"So things like adopting an end-to-end encrypted messenger, for example  'I don't need that. I don't care.'  when we use that stuff, you're protecting everybody who also needs that ... If we all use it, who can say whether that end-to-end encrypted message is a highly valuable secret or just me texting my grocery list to my partner? Everything gets much harder for those folks who might be trying to put down those vulnerable people in society."

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Taking Precautions

Privacy concerns are reason enough for many people to take precautions, including the recent call to delete Facebook. Kashmir Hill, a reporter and editor for the Gizmodo Media Group, recently completed a multi-part series entitled "Goodbye Big Five." In it, she tried to cut the "Big Five"  Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft  completely out of her life, one a week and, then, all at once.

She used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep those companies from tracking her online movements. She ditched her MacBook Airs and her iPhone for a Linux laptop and a tiny Nokia non-smartphone. (She texted using a number keypad!) She had to give up her browser of choice, her regular email, her contact lists and a good chunk of the internet that is hosted on Amazon servers. Ridding herself of the Big Five, she writes, was "the digital equivalent of a juice cleanse." From the introduction to her series:

Maybe you're in the camp of people who worry that these companies have too much access to our purchases, our movements, our social networks  and perhaps even our thoughts. Maybe you're disturbed by the concentration of so much economic power in a handful of companies built on the West Coast's fault lines. Or maybe you want them to have less insight into your life so they have less sway over our society. But how? How do you reduce their power? Is it even possible?

The headline on her last piece in the series sums up her experience: "I Cut the 'Big Five' Tech Giants From My Life. It was Hell".

"It is, for the average person, practically impossible to fully quit," Gebhart says, which Hill made painfully evident in her series. In reality, it probably isn't even advisable. "The more practical lesson is that there are a lot of opportunities to scale back," Gebhart says. "There are a lot of opportunities to think about exactly where you intersect with different companies and scale it back to where it makes sense for you."

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Digital Detox

Another reason many give for avoiding the tech giants, or detoxifying their digital lives  besides the whole privacy issue  is that unplugging can just feel good. It can, many believe, be good for you.

For years, Mary Gomes has included a "digital fast" in her psychology classes at Sonoma State University. She instructs her undergraduates to step away from the screens and put the smart phones down, if not 24/7, at least as much as it makes sense for them in the four days of the fast.

"What I often find is that there's a mix of trepidation, for some, and interest, cautious excitement for others ... sometimes both in the same person," Gomes says. "I really go to a lot of effort to put them at ease ... By the end of the experiment, most people are literally thanking me."

Research has pointed out the damage that too much screen use can do to person-to-person communication. ("[M]obile communication devices such as phones may, by their mere presence, paradoxically hold the potential to facilitate as well as to disrupt human bonding and intimacy," one 2012 study found). Other research has discovered how screen time, especially before bed, can disrupt a body's circadian rhythm and affect sleep.

Gomes listed other pluses of at least temporarily unplugging (being more in the moment, better productivity, a chance to break the habit) in a story for the University of California Berkeley's Greater Good Magazine. She continues to include a media fast in her classes. "I love it. I really do. It feels like there's such a clear purpose for doing this," she says.

People all over are discovering the benefits of getting off the digital grid. There's Screen-Free Week (April 29-May 5 this year). There's the National Day of Unplugging before that (March 1-2). There are others.

Americans, according to Nielsen, spend more than 10.5 hours a day on media. Some of us may check our phones, evidently, some 200 times a day. Is it time for an unplug once in a while, given all the dangers out there?

"I think really the biggest concern I have is how it makes them unaware of all the other options they have. What they could be doing with their attention," Gomes says of her students. "It's more in the missed opportunities."

" " Some places should be off limits when it comes to technology, otherwise you simply miss out on the good stuff. AlenaPaulus/Getty Images

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Checking email continues to be a digital time suck for many of us, and we'll do it whenever  and wherever  we can. According to an Adobe survey, 28 percent of us have scrolled through our work email while in the bathroom. Of course, 40 percent of us have used that spot to look at our personal email, too. Sadly, almost half of us take a peek at work emails, at least occasionally, while on vacation.
In 1864, Nevada Territory had only 40,000 inhabitants, considerably short of the 60,000 normally required for statehood. Fortunately, the discovery of the incredibly large and rich silver deposits in and around Virginia City made the region one of the most important and wealthy in the West. Not only silver was found, but placer miners had been finding gold in what was called Gold Canyon since 1849.

The massive underground silver discovery became known as the Comstock Lode. The ore from the Comstock demanded a wide array of expensive new technologies for profitable development. For the first time, western mining began to attract investments from large eastern capitalists, and these powerful men began to push for Nevada statehood.

The decisive factor in easing the path to Nevadas statehood was President Lincolns proposed 13th Amendment banning slavery. Throughout his administration, Lincoln had appointed territorial officials in Nevada who were strong Republicans, and he knew he could count on the congressmen and citizens of the new state of Nevada to support him in the coming presidential election and to vote for his proposed amendment to the Constitution. Since time was short, the Nevada constitutional delegation sent the longest telegram on record up to that time to Washington, D.C., containing the entire text of the proposed state constitution.

Their speedy actions paid off with quick congressional approval of statehood and the new state of Nevada did indeed provide strong support for Lincoln. On January 31, 1865, Congress approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning slavery. The original documents pertaining to Nevada Statehood can be seen at the State Archives building in Carson City.

Lincoln was the first Republican President of the United States. I find it interesting to note that Lincoln was not the first Republican to run for President. In 1856, Republican nominee John C. Fremont ran against Democrat James Buchanan for the office. Fremont lost the nomination by 174 electoral votes for Buchanan to 114 for Fremont. John C. Fremont is an icon in Nevada History. He was known as the Pathfinder for his early exploration of the Great Basin, a name he gave to our region.

In 1861 Fremont was given command of the Department of the West during the Civil War by president Lincoln. During his brief tenure as a general, he ran his department autocratically and made hasty decisions without consulting President Lincoln or Army Command. President Lincoln relieved Fremont of his command for Insubordination.

Due to the fact that President Lincoln was the President of the United States when Nevada became a State, many places in Nevada bear his name. Lincoln County, Lincoln Hall at UNR, streets named Lincoln, the Lincoln Highway and others.

On the centennial of President Lincolns birth in 1909, the design for the one cent coin was changed from the Indian head design to the Lincoln image we have today. In my office, I have a small bronze statue of Lincoln to remind me about one of our greatest presidents.

Dayton author and historian Dennis Cassinellis books can be ordered at a discount on his blog at denniscassinelli.com.

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The Biden Administration has botched immigration policy at the southern border as badly as it did the Afghanistan withdrawal.

According to figures released on October 22 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were an unprecedented 1,659,206 apprehensions recorded by the border patrol in the fiscal year just ended.

In addition, immigration authorities say the number of people known to have sneaked across the border rose as well, currently estimated at 1,000 per day. This surge means that more than 2 million migrants will have entered the United States illegally this past fiscal year.

The record number of apprehensions is taking a toll on border communities  and on morale inside the Border Patrol.

Immigration experts dont expect the pace of illegal crossings to slow anytime soon.

The principal blunder of Bidens Presidency has been his capitulation to the far left on issue after issue. Progressive policies are detached from reality, ignoring how the world actually works.

The central cause of the migrant tidal wave was Bidens presidential campaign promise he would suspend deportations, offer a pathway to citizenship, guarantee illegal immigrants government healthcare, free education, and, in some states, Covid checks (up to $15,600 in New York).

These perverse incentives have caused the border to be overrun by migrants. In September, some 15,000 Haitian and others crossed the Rio Grande en masse in the expectation that they would be able to claim asylum in the U.S.

They were trapped in awful conditions around the Del Rio Bridge, without basic necessities. These migrants may have carried Covid-19, with border agents overwhelmed.

U.S. authorities have encountered illegal border-crossers not just from Mexico or Central and South American countries but from 160 nations around the globe. People are coming to Mexico from distant spots to cross illegally into the U.S. confident Biden will let them stay.

The Biden Administration refuses to advise cities and states how many border-crossers they are sending to their communities  or who they are. Some illegal immigrants have criminal records and gang connections, including to the infamous MS-13 El Salvadorian gang.

Vice President Kamala Harris was belatedly dispatched to Guatemala and Mexico in late June famously telling migrants do not come. In the intervening months, illegal border crossings have continued unabated.

The Washington Post editorial board concluded that Bidens immigration policy has been a failure and he needs a coherent strategy for the border. Months have passed with no meaningful action.

As the Biden administrations designated lead on border issues, Republicans mock Harris as the MIA border czar for her failure to go to southern border hot spots.

Critics pummeled Biden after he claimed at a October 21 CNN town hall that he has not had time to visit the southern border amid the ongoing migrant crisis.

The Biden administration implausibly keeps saying the border is closed, but it does nothing to make that a reality.

The White House wont do that because it fears upsetting the Democrats activist left, which wants open borders, with any migrant able to enter the U.S. at any time and for any reason.

On assuming office, Biden scrapped President Trumps immigration policies, which were working.

Biden cancelled border wall construction projects and sought to cut 96 percent of border security assets out of the budget.

He ended the Migrant Protection Protocols, Trumps Remain in Mexico policy for asylum-seekers staying in Mexico pending their court date.

Biden sought to end the Title 42 policy requiring deportation of all border-crossers from Mexico and Central America for public health reasons as a result of Covid-19.

His political salvation would be to re-instate Trump-era immigration policies.

Bidens poll numbers are sinking. A Fox News poll (Oct.16-19) found 35% approve v. 61% disapprove of his policy on immigration  a disastrous 26% gap.

The current border chaos is politically unsustainable.

Jim Hartman is an attorney residing in Genoa, Nevada. Email him at Lawdocman1@aol.com.

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The modern-day unemployment insurance program came out of the Great Depression when millions of workers found themselves without a job. The 1935 Social Security Act created the federal-state joint venture to safeguard individuals against financial distress and destitution for a limited amount of time after they become unemployed.

Currently, the system is not uniform across the US, every state follows some similar general guidelines, but benefits vary from state to state. Not all workers can claim unemployment insurance compensation in normal times, but the covid-19 pandemic brought the failings of the current system to light and there have been proposals to overhaul the program.

How does unemployment insurance work?

Unemployment insurance is financed through both state and federal unemployment taxes on employers. The state payroll taxes for unemployment insurance vary by state but the federal tax is uniform. As of 2021, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) tax rate is 6 percent of the first $7,000 paid to each employee annually.

The federal government ensures that all states provide basic protections for eligible workers but imposes minimal requirements. States can choose the eligibility criteria, such as the type and duration of prior employment.

The rate that benefits replace wages for the unemployed vary widely from state to state. So too does the number of weeks of unemployment compensation but most states offer 26 weeks of regular unemployment compensation.

In 2021, two states provide more, Massachusetts 30 weeks and Montana 28 weeks. Eight states provide fewer with six states, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Kansas and North Carolina, periodically changing the maximum number of weeks depending on the unemployment rate.

Who is eligible for unemployment compensation?

In order for a worker to claim unemployment compensation he or she must lose his or her job through no fault of their own. If a worker leaves their job voluntarily they most likely will not qualify for unemployment insurance, there are exceptions. Additionally, those who are self-employed such as contractors or gig workers as well as undocumented workers generally cannot claim jobless aid.

The worker must also be actively looking for gainful employment, the active work search requirement can be fulfilled in a variety of ways and varies from state to state. It generally includes applying for a job in person, by mail or online through a employment service or state job listings board. Another way is applying for work through a temporary staffing agency or registering for work or reemployment services with the state career center. The requirement could also be fulfilled by interviewing for a job, attending a job fair or other event that would help a worker find a new job.

How are unemployment benefits paid?

Many states require that a worker go through a waiting week in which no benefits are paid. Only in the following week can a laid off worker file their initial claim. Even then, some states will not make the first payment until three weeks after a worker starts claiming weekly benefits, the federal standard.

Those collecting jobless aid can receive their unemployment payments via paper check, direct deposit to an account or pre-paid debit card, or on a state issued pre-paid debit card. How states send the payments again varies from state to state but states cannot require that those claiming benefits use a state issued pre-paid debit card according to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Claimants should be aware that unemployment benefits are taxed by the federal government and some state governments as well must be declared on tax returns.

Claimants may have to pay back any over payments

In the event that a worker claiming unemployment benefits receives excess amounts they most likely will be asked to repay the overpaid amount back to the state. Overpayments can occur because of unintentional filing errors by the filer or the agencies with which they are filing. The claimant can appeal collection to avoid having to return the money but usually has to do so within a set time limit set by the state. Claimants should check with their states unemployment agency for specific details.

If the overpayments were due to intentional erroneous filing by the claimant that constitutes fraud and can have legal implications and result in criminal charges.

Potential changes to the unemployment insurance system

The covid-19 pandemic laid bare the inadequacies of the unemployment insurance program in the US. The patchwork system means that workers in some states have woefully lacking support while they look for a new job. Three senators; Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, Michael Bennet, Sherrod Brown are proposing a revamp of the national system which would make benefit protections for workers uniform across the US and fill in gaps exposed by the pandemic-induced economic crisis.

They wanted the measures included in the Build Back Better bill being negotiated in Congress between moderate and progressive Democrats. However, the proposal was not part of the framework when President Biden announced an agreement on Thursday.
Ho Chi Minh City receives donation from Laos Attapeu Province in COVID-19 fight

(Source: VGP)

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28, Chau expressed her thanks to the Attapeu Provincial Party Committee, authorities and people for their support, which illustrates the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, reported VNA.

She voiced her hope that when the pandemic is placed under control in both countries, the two localities will continue implementing their cooperation activities, which have benefited their people while contributing to the consolidation of Vietnam  Laos relations.

For her part, Lao Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Phimpha Keomixay said that the donation from the Attapeu Province aimed to share difficulties with Ho Chi Minh City during its fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

She took the occasion to convey her thanks to Ho Chi Minh Citys Party Committee, authorities, and people for their support to Laos during the countrys construction and development as well as their assistance for Lao people who are living and working in the city amidst COVID-19.

She expressed her belief that Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular will soon contain the pandemic and continue cooperative programmes with Laos, including the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao capital of Vientiane for the 2021  2025 period./.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

BELGRADE, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed China-Serbia friendship here Thursday, saying that to maintain and further such friendship is "to stand on the right side of history."

Wang made the remark at a joint press conference after his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucic said the two sides have held in-depth discussions on consolidating friendship and intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation, and reached extensive consensus.

Serbia-China cooperation has been fruitful in recent years, he said, citing that the two-way trade volume has tripled in five years thanks to their high-level mutual political trust and the extraordinary "iron-clad friendship."

The president expressed thanks to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their consistent support for Serbia.

He said the Serbian side fully agrees to China's proposal on expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of innovation, and trusts that with China's support, his country will usher in a new stage of development and advance with the times.

Wang hailed the special bond between the Chinese people and Serbia, saying that the 1.4 billion Chinese people regard Serbia as an "iron-clad friend" at the other end of Eurasia.

Wang praised Vucic as an outstanding leader known by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, who firmly safeguards national sovereignty and dignity and unswervingly pursues a friendly policy towards China.

Serbia is a country that sticks to principles and the Serbians are a nation of moral integrity and value friendship. The Chinese people are proud to have such a good and faithful friend, said Wang.

Guided by the strategies mapped by their presidents, China-Serbia relations have endured the test of time and are full of vitality, and their friendship is unshakable and solid as rock, said Wang.

He thanked the Serbian side for its consistent support for China's legitimate stance on issues related to China's core interests and major concerns, saying China is ready to stand together with Serbia in its efforts for safeguarding sovereignty, independence and national dignity.

The China-Serbia concrete cooperation has yielded fruits and truly benefited the two peoples, said Wang, who sees an even greater outlook of such cooperation.

While safeguarding their respective legitimate rights and interests, the two countries are also safeguarding the basic norms governing international relations and maintaining fairness and justice of the world, said Wang, shrugging off irresponsible remarks made by certain forces on China-Serbia friendship.

"To maintain and further our friendship is in line with the trend of times and is to stand on the right side of history," he said, expressing confidence in the future of bilateral relations.

Serbia is the second leg of Wang's Europe tour which started from Greece on Wednesday. Enditem

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Editor: Zhang Zhou
Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a national awarding ceremony to honor outstanding talent in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Thursday urged efforts to break new ground in fostering high-quality professional talent.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when attending a national awarding ceremony to honor outstanding talent in Beijing.

Noting that China has achieved marked progress in the work on talent, Hu called for further efforts to accelerate the construction of a talent system in alignment with the country's high-quality development, deepen the reform of the appraisal and incentive mechanisms for talent, and create a good environment in which various kinds of talent can fully unleash their potential. Enditem

Editor: GSY
Anton Rovenskyy, Master of International Relations, International Political Scientist



The destruction of the world order and the erosion of the global security system leads to the increase in a number of conflict points not only on land, but also on sea. The international sea law is in crisis, which leaves the matter of disputed sovereignty and imperfect competition in oceans, seas and straits without proper regulation. In the material below, we will take a glance look on the most explosive crises in the World Ocean.

The Sea of Japan

The antagonism between the DPRK and the US drives the tension in the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang considers the US military presence in Japan and South Korea as a threat, regularly testing missile weapons in the Sea of Japan, including those capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

While the Trump administration started negotiations on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which reduced the risks for the region, the Biden administration considers communication with Pyongyang as the periphery of its foreign policy. In its turn, the global change in the geopolitical landscape from 2020 as well as the global crisis of the security system and economic relations predetermine the Sea of Japan as one of the most explosive regions in the world.

Moreover, the recent passage of Russian and Chinese warships during joint exercises through the Tsugaru Strait between the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, which caused a nervous reaction in Tokyo, demonstrates the Sea of Japan to become an arena of confrontation between four nuclear powers simultaneously.

The South China Sea

In late October 2021, Li Keqiang, the Premier of the State Council of the PRC, stated that China and the ASEAN countries should speed up consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in order to conclude it. In the meantime, the South China Sea is one of the main stumbling blocks in relations not only between the PRC and the ASEAN countries, but also between the PRC and the US. Thus, the United States accuses China of militarizing the South China Sea and erecting artificial islands in the region, increasing Beijings military capabilities and, accordingly, reducing the combat potential of American aircraft carrier groups in the region.

Considering the establishment of AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) and the escalation of tensions between China and Taiwan in the South China Sea, in the short and medium term a rather difficult operational situation will remain. And it is unlikely that the signing of the above Code of Conduct will be able to change the status quo.

The Persian Gulf

The high conflict potential of the Persian Gulf is due to many factors: from huge hydrocarbon deposits to the military presence of outer states to the historically tense relations between the Middle Eastern states. A number of Gulf countries (in particular, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) are among the countries that spend the most on military needs in relation to GDP globally. In fact, there is an ongoing arms race in the region, which will intensify if the sanctions against Iran would be lifted and, accordingly, Tehran's financial capabilities would expand.

At the same time, extensive US military presence also characterizes the region. The main base of the US 5th Fleet, responsible for the region, is Bahrain. Starting from the Arab Spring of 2011, the country is the de facto protectorate of Saudi Arabia, which helps the Bahrain ruling dynasty to stop the conflict with the Shiite majority. The Shiite factor in Bahrain is viewed by Saudi Arabia as one of the opportunities for Iran to put pressure on Riyadh, Tehran's main rival in the region.

The Red Sea

In recent years, Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia come closer together, which determines the water area of the Red Sea region as relatively calm in comparison with the Persian Gulf. For example, a few years ago, Egypt handed over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia as part of a bridge project crossing between Sinai and the Arabian Peninsula. Relations between Egypt and Israel, which have learned from the military conflicts of the middle of the last century, are improving steadily.

There are two possible destabilizing factors in the Red Sea. First, the lingering terrorist underground in the Sinai Peninsula. One should point out, in early 2017 the Islamic State took responsibility for the missile attack on the Israeli resort of Eilat from the territory of the Sinai Peninsula. Despite the massive military and police forces used by Egypt to suppress terrorist activity in the peninsula, the situation is far from the complete eradication of risks.

The second factor is Sudan itself, which in the recent years has been regularly shaken by military coups, as the country has become an arena of confrontation between the US, Russia, China, and France. Many powers want to gain a foothold in Sudan and deploy a naval base, but Sudans permanent internal instability prevents the implementation of such an idea. One should point out, in the past few weeks, the work of the only seaport, Port Sudan, located in the Red Sea governorate, has been practically paralyzed as part of the interclan and intertribal struggle in Sudan.

Eastern Mediterranean

The Arab Spring, which resulted in the wars in Syria and Libya, has increased tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The discovery of large gas fields and control over them, which will become one of the key subjects in the Eastern Mediterranean in the next decade, is an additional factor in increasing the regions conflict potential. At the same time, Turkey, which consistently promotes its interests in the Middle East and North Africa, has expanded its geopolitical ambitions over the past 10 years. Turkey is opposed by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France, and Israel, but at the moment they cannot curb Turkish expansion in the region.

Migration flows from Africa and the Middle East is also one of the uncertainties for the Eastern Mediterranean region. Pursuing their narrow corporate interests, some states of the region are trying to use this factor as an instrument of pressure to obtain additional financial resources.

The Strait of Gibraltar

There are a bunch of contradictions in the Strait of Gibraltar, which is pivotal to the global sea trade, that can turn into local armed confrontations.

On the one hand, one should point out the contradictions between Spain and Morocco related to the latter's challenge Madrids sovereignty over Ceuta, a semi-exclave located on the northern coast of Africa, directly opposite Gibraltar. The degree of conflict rose at the end of 2020, when the head of the Moroccan government stated that Ceuta and Melilla are as Moroccan as Western Sahara is. While Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is an ambiguous question due to the norms of international law, the Trump administration recognized Moroccan rights over this disputed territory, which in a certain sense freed the hands of official Rabat. However, the reaction of the Foreign Ministry of Spain followed immediately: Madrid made it clear, it would not allow Rabat to bring to challenge the ownership of Ceuta and Melilla to the public. One cannot but recall the situation in 2002, when Spain using its force ousted the Moroccan police and cadets of the naval school from the tiny island of Perihil, which is also the subject of a dispute between Rabat and Madrid.

On the other hand, Spain disputes London's sovereignty over Gibraltar. Brexit (moreover, in 2016 96% of Gibraltar residents voted to remain in the EU) strengthens Spain's position in this dispute. In particular, there is additional room for maneuver in terms of increasing the economic influence of Spain on Gibraltar.

The Gulf of Guinea

While for the last 10-15 years the coast of Northeast Africa was considered the most pirate-dangerous region in the world, the center of pirate activity has recently shifted to the Gulf of Guinea. According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMM), from 30 to 50% of the incidents involving pirates have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea. Oil tankers and container ships, as well as cases of kidnapping of ship crew members for ransom, are the main target of sea robberies.

The greatest influence on the Gulf of Guinea basin countries is projected by the former colonial powers, represented by France and the UK. The US, Russia, China, Turkey, and Pakistan also have a keen interest in the region. A rivalry between the above states is possible for the right to become a donor of security for the region and to ensure unhindered maritime navigation. Such a state (or coalition of states), which would solve the above problem, would also receive additional pros in the world maritime trade system and the corresponding rent.
Ukrenergo is preparing to place "green" eurobonds in dollars, a source in banking circles told Interfax.

BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Ukreximbank were appointed organizers of the placement.

Conference calls with investors within preparation for the deal will begin on October 28.

Earlier in October, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine provided Ukrenergo with state guarantees in the amount of up to UAH 22.8 billion ($ 865 million at the exchange rate at the time of the resolution) for issuing eurobonds to pay off debts for electricity produced from renewable energy sources (RES).

According to the document, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine together with Ukrenergo and Guaranteed Buyer state enterprise, one of the participants in the wholesale electricity market, must ensure that the borrowed funds are directed to pay off the debt arising under contracts for the sale and purchase of electricity at a feed-in tariff, signed between Guaranteed Buyer and RES generation.

Ukrenergo expects to ensure full repayment of debts to producers of "green" electricity by issuing eurobonds and its own funds, head of the company board Volodymyr Kudrytsky told Interfax-Ukraine.
Entrepreneur Vasyl Khmelnytsky, as a loan guarantee, indirectly owns 20% of shares in the European company TKB Pacific Worldwide, which in turn owns 25% in Russia's INK-NefteGasGeologiya, but plans to withdraw from shareholders by the end of 2022 after full repayment of the loan.

"I'm not doing business in Russia and have not invested in the acquisition of shares of Irkutsk Oil Company (INK)," Khmelnytsky commented to Interfax-Ukraine on the publication of the Russian edition of Forbes that he could be a co-owner of several INK assets.

The Ukrainian businessman explained that he has known the owner of TKB Pacific Worldwide for 35 years.

"The securities are registered for me with the right to buy back. At the moment, most of the loan has already been repaid. I do not take part in operating activities and management. I do not receive dividends from activities," Khmelnytsky stressed.

He clarified that in 2017, TKB Pacific Worldwide exercised an option to purchase a 25% stake in subsidiary INK-NefteGasGeologiya, whose oil production does not exceed 2% of INK's total oil production.

"I have nothing to do with this transaction and do not receive income from the securities of the Russian company," the Ukrainian businessman said.

The Russian edition indicated that INK-NefteGasGeologiya holds licenses for the Ayan block and the Ayan gas field.

Khmelnytsky in October 2017 united his business projects and social initiatives under the brand UFuture Investment Group (Brussels). UFuture is a holding company with a diversified portfolio of assets in real estate, infrastructure, industry, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and IT. UFuture's assets are estimated at $ 550 million. The total capitalization of the businesses in which it has invested exceeds $ 1 billion.
President's Office may offer to resume financial support for business, but it to be less than UAH 8,000  presidential advisor

The President's Office of Ukraine is considering the possibility of resuming financial support for business during a tough lockdown, but its amount may be less than UAH 8,000 paid last spring, Adviser to the President of Ukraine Oleh Ustenko has said.

"The national budget's receipts may turn out to be lower than expected due to the lockdown," he told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Not only the revenue side will suffer, but also the expenditure side. In particular, additional funds will have to be spent to support the business by analogy with the previous presidential initiative, according to which entrepreneurs in the 'red' zones could receive UAH 8,000 each," Ustenko said.

The volume of such assistance this time will be smaller, since the business will be able to partially work, serving vaccinated citizens, the adviser to the president said.

In his opinion, the business has adapted to the new working conditions, moreover, even in the "red" zones, it will not be completely closed.

"The lockdown will stimulate the Ukrainians to vaccinate, and we see that this is already happening," Ustenko said.

"The lockdown will not pass without a trace, but the current situation differs from the previous lockdowns. Firstly, the economy is already adapted to such situations, there is experience and understanding of how to move in a period of severe restrictions. Secondly, the business itself will be able to function relatively normally, there is a certain number of vaccinated, there is the same experience," the presidential adviser said.

He also said tough restrictions will entail a slowdown in economic growth, but to a much lesser extent than before.
Since Friday midnight in Donbas, one shelling attack has been recorded near Prychepylivka, as a result of which a Ukrainian soldier was wounded, the press center of the JFO headquarters has reported.

"As of 7:00 on October 29, one violation of the ceasefire was recorded. Near Prychepylivka, the invaders fired from automatic heavy grenade launchers. One soldier of the Joint Forces was wounded. He received medical assistance and was evacuated to a hospital," the JFO staff said on its Facebook page on Friday morning.

Over the past day on October 28, the enemy recorded 14 ceasefire violations, five of which with the use of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

As a result of the shelling attacks, two JFO servicemen were injured. The military is in a hospital. The state of health of both is moderate.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet to develop a program for the restoration of the research fleet.

He said this at a meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Odesa on Friday.

"Today, Mr. Shkarlet, our Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, is present here. I really look forward from him - this is a new task, a difficult task, I am sure that we will cope - we are waiting for a large-scale program for the revival of the research fleet for the next five to ten years. We propose to set such a high bar for ourselves, it is not easy, but very logical. And the goal is 36 scientific vessels, 12 of them are ocean-going of ice-class," Zelensky said.

The President stressed that with the acquisition of the James Clark Ross icebreaker, Ukraine began to return to the world ocean.

"What exactly does this give us? This is a great opportunity to study the resources of the ocean, to participate on an equal footing in global world projects. The oceans are the space where most of the scientific discoveries take place in the 21st century. And in order to have a worthy place there, in this space, Ukraine must build its ships and buy while, unfortunately, they are not being built yet," Zelensky stressed.

He also called on all regions to join the construction and development of shipping in Ukraine.

As reported, Ukraine acquired the British icebreaker James Clark Ross on August 19, and on August 30, the ship was officially handed over in the port of Frederikshavn (Denmark), and a blue and yellow flag was hoisted over it. On October 5, the ship arrived at the Odesa seaport.
Prince Harry is worried about the Queen, Thinking about coming home? (Photo : REUTERS )

All through, the Queen has been enduring as could be, and since her return from Balmoral in September, has set out on a stuffed program of occasions and gatherings. Recently, in any case, she was seen strolling with a stick, and last week she went through a night in an emergency clinic.



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She dropped her arranged excursion to Northern Ireland and will presently don't head out to the environment gathering COP26 one week from now - all things being equal, Prince Charles will give a discourse. While refreshes on her wellbeing stay dubious, reports propose that Prince Harry is highly stressed over his grandma.



His five-month paternity leave, in truth by his and Meghan's organization Archewell, has just barely concluded. Aside from an appearance at Global Citizen Live in New York in September, the couple has stayed at home with Lilibet, five months, and Archie, two.



The Queen has never met her extraordinary grandkid, Lilibet, and in spite of gossipy tidbits about a Windsor dedicating,

progressively, this looks improbable. Harry went into "alarm mode" after hearing the news that the Queen was in the medical clinic, the source continued. They guarantee that Harry is quick to return to Britain with Meghan at the earliest opportunity, so the Queen "can at long last meet Lilibet and see Archie once more".



Harry has been back twice since the move in 2020, for Prince Philip's memorial service and the sculpture uncovering. Reports propose that he and Prince William are still scarcely talking after the Oprah talk given by Harry and Meghan the previous Spring.



They told the unbelievable TV questioner that a senior imperial family had scrutinized Archie's skin tone before he was conceived. They suggested that prejudice was a factor, while Harry likewise guaranteed that Prince Charles had 'cut him off. In accordance with the family strategy of 'joke just Christmas presents, he once gave her a given cap "Ain't life a b**ch" composed on it - she allegedly found it "entertaining".



Illustrious creator Katie Nicholl has said that "uncommonly near her grandson, the Queen confides is Harry". Addressing Oprah about the drop out of 'Megxit', Harry later demanded, "I never sucker-punched my grandma - I have a lot of regard for her. " Harry has consistently considered his to be as a tutor. "Regal watchers are presently asking Harry to 'get on a plane' and come and see the Queen - with or without the remainder of his family. "


U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker announces the planned merger of AMR Corp, the parent of American Airlines, with U.S. Airways during a news conference at Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport (Photo : TREUTERS/Mike Stone/File Photo)

American Airlines Chief Executive Doug Parker on Thursday sounded the alarm about disruptive and violent incidents onboard U.S. airplanes after a flight attendant was physically assaulted, prompting a flight diversion.



"This type of behavior has to stop," Parker said in a video posted on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CVlEKgSD-F-. "American Airlines will not tolerate airport or inflight misconduct of any kind."



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American said a New York to Santa Ana, California, flight on Wednesday diverted to Denver after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant.



U.S. airlines have reported a record number of violent incidents this year and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pledged a "zero tolerance" approach.



Parker called the latest incident "one of the worst displays of unruly behavior we've ever witnessed."



A passenger on the flight told CBS https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/10/28/aa-flight-from-new-yorks-jfk-to-john-wayne-airport-diverts-to-denver-after-flight-attendant-attacked-by-passenger Los Angeles that the flight attendant had blood splattered on her mask after she had been punched. The passenger was arrested when the plane made its unplanned stop in Denver.



On Oct. 8, President Joe Biden said he instructed the Justice Department to "deal" with https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-us-will-deal-with-violence-airplanes-2021-10-07 the rising number of violent incidents onboard planes.



FAA Administrator Steve Dickson imposed the zero-tolerance order on passenger disturbances aboard airplanes after supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump were disruptive on flights around the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack. He has said the zero-tolerance order will last until least mid-January.



Through Monday, there have been 4,941 reports of unruly passenger incidents, including 3,580 related to pandemic face covering regulations.



The FAA has initiated enforcement actions in 216 cases, issuing more than $1 million in proposed fines.



Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at a hearing on Wednesday that flight attendants were facing thousands of confrontations over wearing masks on aircraft. "This has to be taken seriously. These assaults in the so-called name of liberty are unacceptable," Durbin said.



In June, a group representing major U.S. airlines such as American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines as well as aviation unions asked Garland to prosecute violent air passengers.



A union representing Southwest Airlines workers said in May that a flight attendant "was seriously assaulted, resulting in injuries to the face and a loss of two teeth."



Delta in September called on other U.S. airlines to share lists of passengers who have been banned during the COVID-19 pandemic for disruptive behavior to help deter the rising number of incidents. Delta said since the pandemic began it has put more than 1,600 people on its "no fly" list.



Parker said the passenger who assaulted the flight attendant would be banned from the airline.


U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One as he departs Washington on travel to Italy from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., (Photo : REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hold a series of high-profile meetings with foreign leaders during his trip to the G20 in Rome and U.N. climate conference in Glasgow.



Tricky issues are on the table, from close ally France's accusations of betrayal over an Australian submarine deal to Turkey's demands after a scotched fighter jet deal.



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He will also talk supply chain woes, tax pledges and energy shortages, the White House says. Here are meetings to watch:



EMMANUEL MACRON



Biden will meet with the French president on Friday in Rome as the two men try to repair relations soured when the U.S. thwarted France on a submarine deal.



They will continue discussions on security cooperation in Africa, Europe and the Indo-Pacific, the White House said last week.



POPE FRANCIS



Biden is only the second Catholic U.S. president, and his meeting with the Pope on Friday comes amid a heightened criticism from American archbishops over his stance on abortion. The two will discuss climate change, migration and income inequality, the White House said Tuesday.



MARIO DRAGHI



Biden and the Italian prime minister will meet before G20 talks that Draghi is hosting and will discuss climate, health, the state of the global economy and ongoing international crises.



TAYYIP ERDOGAN



A fighter jet program will be the main topic at a meeting between Biden and Turkey's president in Glasgow, the Turkish leader told state media. The U.S. suspended a F-16 jet deal after Turkey bought Russian missiles, and Erdogan says.



The White House has not yet confirmed the meeting. Biden heads to Glasgow on Oct. 31. Turkey last week threatened to expel U.S. diplomats over criticism of the jailing of a philanthropist.



The decades-old partnership between NATO allies has gone through much tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara's closer ties with Moscow, its naval ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. charges against a state-owned Turkish bank and erosion of rights and freedoms in Turkey.


Our reputation for producing star communication graduates precedes us. You only need to look at the long list of notable Charles Sturt alumni to see youll be in good company. Laura Brown, Melissa Doyle, Jessica Rowe, Lizzie Pearl, David Lipson and Hamish Macdonald  just to name a few. All Charles Sturt communication grads  and all big players in the media world.Our revitalised Bachelor of Communication is your ticket to a dynamic career in the communication, media and design industries. But what sets this degree apart from those at other unis? Well, its the only communication degree in the country to be co-developed, co-designed and co-delivered with our distinguished alumni and industry partners. Thats right. Youll be learning from the very people you aspire to be.Delve into a new way of learning either online or on campus with podcast lectures, hands-on workshops and masterclasses from industry experts. Graduate in just three years or choose the accelerated option and get your bachelors in two and a half years. Balance study, work, life and internships with a condensed two-day timetable. Get real-world experience through work placements with big-name companies. Study in our facilities in Bathurst  the home campus of some of Australias biggest names in media and communication.Are you ready to experience the Charles Sturt difference? This is your chance.
The buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine has left US officials perplexed, muddying the Biden administration's response.
Egypt and Albania inked three cultural cooperation documents at the conclusion of an extended discussions session held in Cairo on Saturday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between both countries.

The documents, signed in the presence of the Egyptian and Albanian prime ministers and other high-level officials, included an executive programme for cooperation between the Egyptian and the Albanian culture ministries.

The second document is a protocol for cooperation between the General Egyptian Book Organisation and the Albanian Ministry of Culture, while the third is a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of museums between the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt and the National History Museum in Albania.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama, who co-chaired the session, witnessed the signing of the cooperation accords.

According to a statement by the Egyptian cabinet, Madbouly ordered the bodies concerned to study a suggestion made by the Albanian side to operate direct flights between Cairo and Tirana.

Madbouly said Egypt has expertise in several fields, atop of which are energy, transport, electricity, natural gas and infrastructure.

Madbouly expressed his hope that both countries efforts to support economic, trade and investment relations would lead to the establishment of a joint business council between the Egyptian Businessmen Association and the Albanian Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Egyptian-Albanian Committee for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is set to hold its first meeting in Tirana in November 2021.

Rama also expressed his aspiration to benefit from the Egyptian experience in organising exhibitions, hosting cultural events and improving education.

Rama urged enhancing rates of trade exchange between Egypt and Albania, stressing the importance of cooperation in several fields, including agriculture, livestock, water, culture, education and others.

Identical views on regional issues

Earlier Saturday, Rama held a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, where they discussed a host of regional and international issues as well as the means to boost economic relations between Cairo and Tirana.

During the meeting, El-Sisi congratulated Albania on its election as a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for the 2022-2023 term.

El-Sisi also highlighted identical views Egypt shares with the southeastern European country on most regional and international issues, a statement by Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The Egyptian president stressed to Rama that holding periodical political consultations between the two countries is important in light of Albania's efforts to promote peace and stability in the Balkan region as well as its "active" role in addressing international crises.

Rama expressed his country's aspiration to promote bilateral cooperation with Egypt, especially amid "Egypt's strenuous efforts to promote international peace and security."

He praised "Egypt's pivotal role at the regional level in the Middle East and Mediterranean basin," the statement added.

El-Sisi and Rama also agreed on the importance of maintaining stability in the eastern Mediterranean region and respecting the sovereignty of the states regarding their natural resources on their lands and their economic zones as per the rules of international law and the principles of good neighbourliness.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has stressed Egypts keenness to reach a legally binding and balanced agreement as soon as possible and without further delay on the long-standing dispute with Ethiopia on the GERD.

The Egyptian people are closely following the developments of the GERD issue. And I would like to assure our aspiration to reach  as soon as possible and without further delay  a balanced and legally binding agreement in line with the presidential statement issued by the Security Council in September 2021, El-Sisi said on Sunday in a recorded speech to the opening session of Cairo Water Week 2021.

The president said such an agreement would guarantee Ethiopias development goals as well as limit the water, environmental, social, and economic damages of the dam to the downstream countries  Egypt and Sudan.

The decade-old negotiations last stalled in April, with both downstream countries blaming the latest instance of failure of the talks on Ethiopias intransigence. Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding agreement that regulates the rules for filling and operating the dam.

Egypt fears that its water supply will be diminished by the dam while Sudan is concerned about regulating flows to its own dams.

Ethiopia has repeatedly refused to sign such a deal, and, instead, insists on mere guidelines that can be modified at any time at its discretion.

In September, the UN Security Council adopted a presidential statement encouraging Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to resume negotiations to swiftly reach a mutually acceptable and binding agreement on the filling and operation of Ethiopias mega-dam.

Cairo and Khartoum resorted to the security council after Ethiopia unilaterally completed the first and second filling of its controversial dam despite the absence of an agreement.

The water situation in Egypt

Egypt, which has been paying special attention to water issues recently, is hosting the fourth edition of the CWW  with a significant number of ministers, official delegations, and senior officials in attendance at the event  with the aim of spreading awareness on water issues and promoting innovation to face the most pressing water-related challenges.

El-Sisi underscored that the current chapter on water rights and issues represents an early case of how access to water could be compromised around the world in the near future amid the continued challenges of water scarcity and the inability to enact effective cross-border coordination and cooperation.

Egypts annual share of water per capita does not exceed 650 m3, which is well below the international threshold for water poverty specified by the United Nations at 1,000 m3 per capita annually, El-Sisi stressed.

The Egyptian president said that Cairo has drawn up a four-pronged strategy to manage its water resources through 2037 at an initial cost of up to $50 billion.

The strategy aims to rationalise water use, improve water quality, provide additional water resources via establishing water treatment plants, and creating a climate suitable for optimal water management.

Additionally, El-Sisi called for upholding the principles of international cooperation and solidarity in order for the world to overcome all water-related challenges.

He assured that the global water crisis is a pressing challenge due to the steady rise in the worlds population and the depletion of fresh water sources.

El-Sisi added that environmental deterioration, climate change, and the establishment of uncharted water projects without taking into account the importance of maintaining safety and sustainability have also affected the availability of water worldwide.

The Egyptian president expressed his hope that the CWWs discussions will promote the rational and sustainable management of water resources as well as encourage riparian states to uphold the values of integration and participation, activate the rules of justice and equity, and not harm the interests of their neighbours.

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Speaker of Egypts House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly and President of Romania Klaus Iohannis marked in a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday the 115th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Egypt and Romania.

This year represents the 115th anniversary of the two friendly countries of Egypt and Romania establishing diplomatic relations, said El-Gebaly.

He added that it is a great honour for Egypt to have strong relations with Romania at all levels.

El-Gebaly stressed that the two countries will work together to reinforce relations to serve the interests of both.

Meanwhile, Romanias president said his current visit to Egypt reflects the growing relations between Cairo and Bucharest.

I am here in Cairo to push relations between our countries forward to cover all fields, said Iohannis.

They also discussed fostering political and parliamentary relations between Egypt and Romania.

El-Gebaly and Iohannis also opened an exhibition that includes several historical documents that chronicle the relations between Egypt and Romania.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had discussed in a meeting earlier Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart means of developing cooperation between both countries, particularly in the energy, investment, industry, trade, and tourism fields.

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The U.N. Security Council called on Sudan's military leaders Thursday to restore the civilian-led transitional government and immediately release all those detained after the military takeover.

The U.N.'s most powerful body also expressed ``solidarity'' with the Sudanese people and affirmed its readiness ``to support efforts to realize Sudan's democratic transition'' and the peoples' aspirations ``for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous future.''

The press statement approved by all 15 council members went through several revisions, diplomats said, mainly to address objections from Russia, which did not want to ``condemn'' the military takeover as originally proposed in the British-drafted text.

The final version instead expresses the Security Council's ``serious concern'' about the military's Oct. 25 takeover, the suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, as well as other civilian members of the transitional government.'' It noted Hamdok's reported return to his residence.

Protests denouncing Monday's takeover have continued in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere, and many businesses shut in response to calls for strikes. The coup led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan threatens to halt Sudan's transition to democracy, which began after the ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising.

Council members ``underscored that any attempt to undermine the democratic transition process in Sudan puts at risk Sudan's security, stability and development.''

They called on all parties ``to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from the use of violence, and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.''

The Security Council urged all parties ``to engage in dialogue without preconditions, in order to enable the full implementation of the Constitutional Document and the Juba Peace Agreement, which underpin Sudan's democratic transition,'' and it expressed strong support for regional efforts to end the crisis.

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Unilateral actions by Ethiopia in the absence of a fair and legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has harmed Egypt and Sudan, Egypts Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati said Friday.

In a speech via video conference to the Water Security in the Framework of Climate Change meeting ahead of the UNs Climate Change Conference (COP26), the irrigation minister spoke about the latest developments in the GERD issue and its impact on both Egypt and Sudan.

The conference will take place in Glasgow, Scotland between 31 October  12 November.

Egypt and Sudan have long demanded Ethiopia sign a fair and legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD, but the upstream country has refused. After African Union-sponsored talks between the three countries deadlocked in April, Ethiopia unilaterally commenced with the second filling of the dam in May.

These unilateral decisions had an impact on the ecosystem and social system like in the case of Sudan, Abdel-Ati said, referring to the impact caused by the first and second fillings in 2020 and 2021.

Egypt has already offered Ethiopia several alternatives to unilateral action, including a scenario that enables the dam to generate electricity up to 85 percent of its capacity even in cases of drought, the minister revealed.

He also added that a fair and legally binding agreement would allow for coordinating responses to climate change, mitigating its negative effects.

There have also been recent studies that raise several questions about the GERDs safety, which are legitimate concerns for downstream countries, he said.

The irrigation minister stressed the importance of considering the transboundary dimension when developing shared waters, which requires coordination, consultation and information exchange to jointly manage resources through a legally binding agreement.

Transboundary waters are those shared by two or more countries, like the Nile River.

In his speech, Abdel-Ati said that Egypt was not against any development projects in the Nile Basin countries, giving examples of how Egypt has previously approved the construction of dams, including funding the Owen Falls reservoir in Uganda.

He also stated that Egypt did not object to the construction of several dams in Ethiopia like Tekeze, Sharashara and Tana dams.

At the same time, the minister emphasised the huge discrepancy in the volume of water resources between Egypt and upstream countries.

Egypt depends on one river, the Nile, for 97% of its needs whereas upstream countries enjoy huge water abundance as the amount of rain that falls ranges from 1600-2000 billion cubic metres of water annually, Abdel-Ati said, adding that other countries use rainwater to irrigate its crops and have other rivers than the Nile, like Ethiopia, which has 12 rivers.

On the other hand, Egypt is very water-scarce, with only 750 cubic metres per capita annually, an amount that is close to the water poverty line, he explained to the conference.

The irrigation minister revealed that Egypt has prepared a strategy for water resources through 2050 and developed a national plan for water resources through 2037 at a cost of up to $50 million, which is expected to increase to $100 billion.

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A thief who broadcast his face unawares to thousands of Facebook users while stealing a reporter's cellphone during a live stream last week was handed a one-year prison term, a Cairo court ruled on Thursday.

The court also sentenced a shop owner, who bought the stolen phone, to one month in prison, setting bail at EGP 100 (about $6) pending an appeal.

The first defendant was convicted of robbery and driving the wrong direction on a road, while the second of knowingly buying stolen property.

Reporter Mahmoud Ragheb was live-streaming the aftermath of a small earthquake on the Egyptian Youm7 Facebook page just outside Cairo on 19 October when a young man on a motorbike snatched his phone and sped off.

The live stream showed shaky footage for a few seconds before the robber accidentally switched the broadcast, showing his face to viewers.

The hundreds of viewers initially watching the reporters stream quickly grew to thousands who forgot the quake and focused on the live robbery taking place.

Social media outlets were flooded with memes and jokes about the thief, who casually smoked a cigarette while riding his motorbike, checking behind him for pursuers.

The thief took several minutes to realise his mistake and turn off the phone, which allowed authorities to easily recognise him and make an arrest hours later.

Thousands of comments made fun of the robber, describing him as "the worst thief of the month," "the most unfortunate thief in the world," and on a "highway to jail."

The video of the robbery amassed over 24 million views and nearly 50,000 comments in the following hours.

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Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ambassador Hamdy Loza said that the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines and the strengthening of the local pharmaceutical industry would greatly contribute to achieving the Africa-EU partnership goals.

Loza made the remarks in a speech that he delivered on behalf of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at the second ministerial meeting of African and EU foreign ministers in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The deputy foreign minister explained that lasting peace in Africa can be attained through an overall approach that ensures the security of continents natural resources, food and economy.

He also pointed to African-backed Egyptian endeavors to host the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC in 2022.

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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee adopted on Thursday two Egyptian draft resolutions related to making the Middle East a nuclear weapons-free zone, said Egypts Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Osama Abdel-Khalek.

The two draft resolutions were approved by the majority of the members of the UNGA's First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security issues.

The first calls on all countries in the Middle East that have not joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to do so and to subject their nuclear facilities to the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its comprehensive safeguard system, according to Ambassador Abdel-Khalek.

The second emphasizes the importance of implementing the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPTs Resolution on the Middle East, presented by Egypt on behalf of the Arab countries.

The 1995 resolution calls upon all states to take practical steps towards the establishment of a Middle East zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.

Israel is one of three UN member states with active nuclear programs that have not joined the NPT. The other two countries are India and Pakistan.

Iran, despite signing the NPT, has in the past been found non-compliant with the IAEA safeguard system.

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Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decree on Friday to delegate Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghaffar to undertake the duties of Health Minister Hala Zayed till her recovery from health problems.

The decree was published in the official gazette.

Zayed suffered from a heart attack on Tuesday and was hospitalised to receive treatment, according to Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed

Some Egyptian media reports claimed on Thursday that Zayed, born in 1967, left the hospital and returned to her home.

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The African Union (AU) said Wednesday it had suspended Sudan until civilian rule in the country is restored.

The AU said it rejected the military takeover as an "unconstitutional" seizure of power.

The continent-wide bloc said it "strongly condemns the seizure of power" and was suspending Sudan from all AU activities "until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority".

Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday ordered the dissolution of the government and declared a state of emergency, sparking widespread international condemnation.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was placed under military arrest, along with his ministers and civilian members of Sudan's ruling council, sparking angry protests on the streets on Khartoum.

Hamdok was later released under close guard, but other ministers and civilian leaders remain in detention.

Security forces launched sweeping arrests of anti-coup protesters Wednesday, in a bid to end three days of demonstrations against the power grab.

A number of Western powers have called for an urgent meeting with Hamdok, saying they still recognise the prime minister and his cabinet as the constitutional leaders of Sudan.

The AU suspended Sudan in June 2019 after pro-democracy protesters demanding civilian rule were gunned down outside army headquarters in Khartoum.

Their membership was reinstated three months later after Hamdok announced the appointment of Sudan's first cabinet since the ousting of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir.

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Greece and Germany will bring down the curtain on a frequently difficult chapter in relations when Angela Merkel embarks on her final visit to Athens as chancellor on Friday.

German financial rectitude never sat well with Greeks, who made both Merkel her then-finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble the target of their anger as the country was buffeted by the financial crisis post-2008 that led the European Union to impose tough austerity measures.

"One of the most hated women in Greece" was how German tabloid Bild described Merkel as she faced angry protests on a visit to Athens in 2012.

Looking back in September, she conceded that "the most difficult moment of my term was when I asked for so much from Greece."

Starting in 2010, Merkel began to urge Greece's then Socialist prime minister, George Papandreou, to implement tough austerity measures to cut burgeoning public deficits.

The Greek government agreed to the painful budget cuts and tax increases in return for 300 billion euros (now $370 billion) in international bailout funds.

Pensions were slashed and the minimum monthly wage fell to less than 600 euros and a wave of privatisations was set in motion.

In addition, staffing levels in public services and hospitals were reduced and there were shortages of medicines and other material.

At the height of the crisis in 2012, Merkel faced protesters brandishing banners with Nazi swastikas and depictions of her as a Hitler caricature.

- 'Go back' -

After leftist radical Alexis Tsipras was elected prime minister in January 2015, tensions became almost palpable.

Months before he became leader, Tsipras had memorably told Merkel to "go back".

By this time, Athens was facing being kicked out of the euro, but finally bowed to pressure from its creditors and agreed to fresh austerity measures.

As she bows out of office after 16 years, Merkel's stock remains low in Greece.

A Pew Research poll conducted in 16 different countries found that, in Greece, only 30 percent of people had confidence in her, compared with an average of 77 percent elsewhere.

Current Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week in Brussels that Merkel "will be the first to admit, as indeed, she already has, that she asked a lot of the Greeks, on several occasions and that austerity went beyond what Greek society could bear."

For Alexander Kritikos, at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Merkel's farewell visit to Athens "is an important signal indicating that the very difficult past years of economic crisis in Greece can now be considered as well on the way to being successfully concluded."

He said that the German leader had been able to establish amicable relations with the current conservative Greek government which "finally signifies normality" returning to ties between the two countries.

The visit "marks a turning point for Greece which has advanced out of the crisis," said a Greek government source.

The talks on Friday will focus primarily on the energy crisis in Europe and the ongoing fight against the pandemic, the source said.

Relations with Turkey will also be on the agenda, as will migration and the situation in Libya.

Athens is hoping that Merkel's successor wil not be quite as conciliatory as she has been on occasion with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, particularly on thorny issues such as Turkey's gas exploration in waters claimed by Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean, and difficult relations over the divided island of Cyprus.

Relations between Athens and Ankara were further soured with the deployment in August last year of a Turkish seismic research vessel in disputed waters.

Greece has since signed a deal to buy French Rafale fighter while Turkey is set to take delivery of six submarines designed in Germany.

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Tensions were high in parts of India's northeastern Tripura state on Friday after a string of attacks against minority Muslims, seen as retaliation for the violence against Hindus in neighboring Bangladesh earlier this month.

State authorities deployed police and paramilitary troops and banned the assembly of more than five people in areas where attacks were reported.

Police said at least one mosque, several shops and homes belonging to Muslims in the northern part of the state had been vandalized since Tuesday. No deaths have been reported.

``Some troublemakers are hellbent on disturbing peace and communal harmony in Tripura,'' said Senior Police Officer Bhanupada Chakraborty, adding that the situation was under control.

Muslim leaders said that Hindu mobs attacked mosques and torched their properties following a protest rally Tuesday by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or VHP, a hard-line Hindu nationalist group with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. It is not known if the attackers were members of the VHP.

Vinod Bansal, the VHP's national spokesperson, denied that its members were involved in the attacks.

``We did not attack anyone. We were peacefully protesting against anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh,'' he said.

In Bangladesh, at least six Hindus were killed and hundreds of houses and businesses torched on Oct. 13 after an image posted on social media was perceived as insulting to the country's Muslim majority. The violence also led to demonstrations in India.

The Bangladeshi government was swift in its response after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to ``hunt down'' the attackers. It has so far arrested around 300 people.

Chakraborty said police in Tripura have registered cases following the attacks but did not specify against whom. No arrests have been made so far.

Vinod Sonkar, a local lawmaker from Modi's party that rules Tripura state, said the government has set up a committee to investigate the violence.

Tripura borders Bangladesh and Muslims make up less than 9% of the state's nearly 4 million population.

Mohammad Salam, a Muslim cleric in Panisagar town in northern Tripura, said hundreds of VHP members chanting anti-Muslim slogans stormed a mosque on Tuesday and ransacked it. He said they also burnt several Muslim properties.

``We are living in fear since then,`` Salam said.

The fresh attacks are a jarring reminder of the rising religious tensions in India.

``There is a fear psychosis among the Muslims in Tripura after the incidents,'' said Islamuddin, a Muslim opposition lawmaker from Tripura who goes by one name. ``The state authorities could have reacted a little more faster to control the situation.''

On Thursday, the country's main opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the attacks.

``Those who indulge in hatred and violence in the name of Hinduism are not Hindus but hypocrites. For how long will the government pretend to be blind and deaf?'' he wrote on Twitter.

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After US President Joe Bidens remarks on the US commitment to Taiwan earlier this month, the administrations reassurances to China have been very welcome

In a CNN town hall meeting on 21 October hosted by the US networks correspondent Anderson Cooper, US President Joe Biden said that the US has a commitment to do that in answer to a question on whether Washington would come to the defence of Taiwan if China attacked it.

China, Russia, and the rest of the world know that we have the most powerful military of the worldWhat you have to worry about is whether or not they are going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they make a serious mistake, Biden said.

The following day, on 22 October, Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin invited the US to be cautious with words and actions on the question of Taiwan.

When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty 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, he said.

He reaffirmed the Chinese position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory and described the issue of Taiwan as a purely domestic Chinese affair that allows no foreign intervention.

In an exercise of damage control White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on 22 October that there had been no shift in the official US position regarding Taiwan and that the US president in his answer to Coopers question the previous day was not announcing any change in [US] policy. She added that nor has he made a decision to change our policy.

On the same day, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin attending a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels told reporters that nobody wants to see cross-strait issues come to blows, certainly not President Biden, and there is no reason that it should. He also signaled US solidarity with Taiwan by affirming that the US would continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself, and so will stay focused on those things.

The most reassuring US statement intended to calm Chinese concerns came from State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in his press briefing on 22 October, when he said that the president was not announcing any change in our policy, and there is no change in our policy. The United States defence relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwan self-defence, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo.

He reiterated the official US position in the context of its four-decade-old One-China Policy, namely that the US would consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means as a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United States.

The Taiwan Relations Act was passed by the 96th Congress in March 1979 and enacted as Law 96-8 by former president Jimmy Carter on 10 April 1979. It declares that the policy of the US is to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the US and the people of Taiwan, as well as the people of the China mainland and all other peoples of the Western Pacific region.

It further states that the decision to establish diplomatic relations between the US and China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means and that any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including boycott or embargoes, is considered a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.

It stipulates that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive nature and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardise the security or social or economic system of the people of Taiwan.

Since the law was enacted in 1979, successive US administrations have adhered to what has come to be known among strategists and military planners as a policy of strategic ambiguity. But the answer given by Biden at last Thursdays town hall meeting concerning the US reaction were China to attack Taiwan has raised doubts about the continuing validity of the Taiwan Relations Act to the changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region in general and in the context of the increasingly adversarial relationship between the US and China.

The damage control that the Biden administration quickly initiated was meant to reassure the Chinese.

Such reassurance came at the right time. On 12 October, the Chinese military warned of its determination to crush any attempt to separate Taiwan from mainland China after it carried out beach landings and assault drills in Chinas Fujian Province, which is directly across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan.

Military analysts believe that recent flyovers by the Chinese Air Force indicate that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) could easily send warplanes to the southern and eastern parts of Taiwan. It is interesting to note in this context that the Chinese Air Force has flown nearly 150 warplanes into Taiwans air identification zone this month.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the Pentagon has sent two dozen personnel from special operations forces to Taiwan to conduct secret training operations. According to the US newspaper, these forces have been on the island for at least a year. Taiwanese Defence Minister Chin Kuocheng told his nations parliament this month that China could be ready for a full-scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025.

Such sabre-rattling from all parties does not serve peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. The keys to maintaining security in this region are that no unilateral actions should be taken to reunify Taiwan with the mainland and there should be no use of force to bring about such reunification. It was reassuring to hear Chinese President Xi Jinping expressing his wish for the peaceful reunification of mainland China and Taiwan on 11 October during the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the fall of the last dynasty to rule China.

The re-affirmation by senior US officials of the US commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act is more than welcome. A strategic miscalculation in the Strait of Taiwan would not serve the national interests of the powers vying for influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The passing of Hassan Hanafi a few days ago signalled the end of the life of one of the most important and influential philosophers in Egypt, the Arab region, the Muslim World, and I would even say of humanity at large, in contemporary times. However, his intellectual legacy will remain with us for many years and decades to come.

All over the world, many books, let alone articles and papers on various aspects Hanafis vast, deep and rich contribution were published during his lifetime, and many more are still expected. In this light I will confine this article to only one topic, namely his role in nurturing the culture of dialogue in diverse contexts, as well as his constructive endeavour to suggest parameters and shared assumptions on the basis of which dialogue might take place. I have in mind three examples of this, spanning more than half a century.

Starting in the early 1970s, in many writings including his book Religious Dialogue and Revolution, Hanafi called for a inter-faith dialogue aimed at rediscovering the progressive and humanistic dimensions in all religions, and thereby seeking to arrive at the common denominator among them  based on his comprehensive understanding of both Islam and Christianity, including hiswork for his PhD at the Sorbonne in Paris in the 1960s.

His argument is that, from such a perspective, believers in all religions would discover common ground. Justice and freedom constitute the main objectives of all religions. This exercise necessitates dialogue based on mutual respect and equality.

Such a stand was very progressive at that early stage, preceded only by the initiatives and efforts of the then Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout, on two parallel tracks, namely to bridge differences and create better understanding among Muslim sects, and simultaneously to seek common grounds with Christianity, based on an enlightened, open-minded and modern approach to religions in general and Islam in particular.

Towards the end of the 1970s and the beginnings of 1980s, Hanafi further developed his perception of the culture of dialogue and worked to promote it, this time among various philosophical and intellectual trends within the Arab and Muslim worlds. This vision was clearly embodied in several of his books at that stage, including The Islamic Left: A Project for Renaissance and Heritage and Modernization. Beside calling, in the framework of Islamic civilisation, for a synthesis between various schools of thought, each with its own points of strength and weakness, he argued for dialogue among conflicting ideological perspectives in the Arab and Muslim worlds at the time. He specified four intellectual positions, acknowledging that within each there were sub-ideologies with their own differences: Arab nationalist, Islamist, leftist, and liberal.

He called for dialogue aimed at finding what is common among them and focusing on points of strength. For him, Islamists had a claim to authenticity and speaking a language comprehensible to ordinary citizens, while Arab nationalists enjoyed the experience of post-WWII popular support; leftists were, directly or indirectly, behind the major socio-economic transformations in the Arab and Muslim worlds for their quest for equity and justice, and finally liberals were the champions of the post-WWI liberal era, with all its achievements in the way of tolerance, pluralism and diversity, the golden age for human rights and individual liberties.

Hanafis idea was that, in order for it to be fruitful, positive and constructive, the dialogue among those positions should start without any prior conditions, restrictions or exclusions. This call, at the time, corresponded to attempts in the 1970s to introduce some forms of political and cultural pluralism and expand the margins of individual freedoms in several Arab countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, while other countries were already flourishing, whether in freedom of expression (Kuwait) or tolerating difference (Lebanon).

The third case in which Hanafi demonstrated his commitment to elaborating a culture of dialogue was the aftermath of the emergence of Samuel Huntingtons notion of a clash of civilisations and conflict of cultures. In response to that thesis, Hanafi published a number of books, studies and articles, including the famous two volume Dialogue among Civilisations and Cultures.

He was at the forefront of the call to deny the logic of threat and danger put forward by the proponents of the confrontationist and conflictual thesis. He also tried to undermine the arguments for superiority of one culture over others, arguing for one human civilisation throughout history, where at each stage of its development, a different culture had greater contributions, whether at the material or moral level, than others.

His efforts in this respect, in addition to roles of other Arab, Muslim and even progressive Western thinkers at the time, contributed substantially to a relative retreat and recess in the expansion of the thesis of conflict and confrontation, whether in the West or elsewhere, including in some cases the Arab and Muslim world, which came as an antithesis to Huntingtons argument. Hanafi proposed a synthesis, calling for dialogue based on reason, balance, mutual understanding and respect for what is common and what is specific. The other component of such proposal was the rejection of all campaigns mobilising hatred of the other and of difference.

Such a legacy will continue to enrich Muslim, Arab, Egyptian and human thought for a long time to come.

* The writer is a commentator.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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All nations pass through critical junctures when their fates hinge on vital decisions taken by their leaders. Unfortunately, the people inevitably bear the brunt of any mistakes, whether the decisions were informed and full of foresight or whether they were precipitous and narrow-minded.

The intransigent, short-sighted, and self-serving behaviour of the Ethiopian government has caused negotiations over its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project to fail for over two years running.

During that period, two major rounds of negotiations were sponsored by the African Union (AU), first under the chair of South Africa and then under the chair of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Before that, Ethiopia jettisoned the opportunity to find a solution made possible by the US under former president Donald Trump. A nearly final agreement was ready for initialling after 12 rounds of negotiations hosted by Washington from October 2019 to mid-February 2010, but then Addis Ababa failed to turn up for the last round.

Not only has the Ethiopian behaviour pushed bilateral relations with Egypt into the danger zone, but it also threatens regional security in the Nile Basin and East Africa, jeopardising maritime traffic in the strategic corridor for the movement of oil, commercial shipping, and naval vessels from the Gulf of Aden through the Bab Al-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and Suez Canal to the Mediterranean.

On top of this looms the spectre of spreading turmoil and its detrimental impacts on the Nilotic environment and its ecological equilibrium.

Cooperation between the three parties to the dispute over the GERD, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, is the solution, but the prospects should be as attractive as possible. Towards this end, I propose a collective and comprehensive regional development project called the Eastern Development Corridor (EDC) as a way of solving the conflict over the GERD.

In addition to its purpose of enabling the cause of collaboration to prevail over the sources of conflict, the project could serve as a model for the optimal management of a transboundary river in a manner that observes its geographical and ecological unity, conserves the riparian ecosystem, maximises the rivers potential, and makes its resources available for the benefit of all countries that share its banks.

This institutional mechanism would be an output of the trilateral contractual agreement on the GERD. Its first section would deal with the technical aspects of water-resource management, coordinating the operations of the various dams in the three countries, the system for the joint supervision of their operations, the composition and duties of resident observation teams at the various dams, the reservoir levels, the scheduling of refilling and discharge, the management of silt and run-off, and other concerns and arrangements. The second section would address joint development projects.

The EDC, which would be governed by the Blue Nile Basin Authority, could achieve major economic benefits for the three riparian states and also eliminate the sources of acrimony, alleviate tensions, reduce the risks of recurrent disputes, and promote peace and stability in the region as a whole. Ethiopia, a landlocked country, would have the additional advantage of a maritime outlet through Egyptian ports on the Mediterranean. Sudan, too, would gain. With the Nile at its heart, the multifaceted EDC would foster cooperation in energy production, overland and maritime shipping, passenger transport and communications, and other areas.

This broader framework for collective benefit would further the cause of collaboration and integration over the forces of division and discord. Indeed, the nature of this project is organically suited to its environment. River basins are complete, integrated ecosystems, and they should be treated as distinct geographical entities. It therefore makes sense to manage the Niles water resources collectively and to pursue holistic approaches to the development of this Basins agricultural, industrial, social, human and cultural resources and potentials.

The three countries that share the Blue Nile, namely Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, stand at a precarious historical juncture. A solution to the GERD dilemma is now of the essence, and it involves reaching a mutually satisfactory arrangement based on a comprehensive vision of equitable development in conformity with established international law. Such a vision would guarantee Ethiopias right to development and Egypts right to its share of Nile water, which is to say its right to life.

Most immediately, the focus should be on the crucial question of the standards of construction of the body of the GERD and its water storage in coordination with the downstream dams in Sudan and Egypt. The scheduling of these operations should take into account the rivers hydrology, variations in flow, and cycle of drought seasons so as to safeguard the structural and operational wellbeing of the hydraulic installations and operations in Sudan and Egypt.

The tripartite technical teams that met in the negotiation rounds on the GERD in Washington came close to meeting these conditions. Moreover, the technology exists to develop the required formulas. Engineers are now able to test diverse scenarios and solutions using computer simulations to arrive at workable schedules and ratios for reservoir filling and discharge rates that ensure no country is harmed.

It is also not too soon to look ahead to the types of projects that the EDC could generate. The EDC infrastructure fund and its scientific research and development mechanisms would be the organisational and intellectual hubs for establishing and broadening the scope of regional cooperation. Already planners have envisioned an extensive electricity grid linking the three countries, making clean energy available to Sudan and Egypt for use in their industries or for export to Europe or the Gulf. Then there is the transportation and shipping grid: highways stretching from Ethiopia through Sudan to the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal Economic Corridor, and a 940 km railway from Ethiopia through Khartoum to Aswan, linking up to the Egyptian railway system.

The EDC and its subsidiary projects would not be short of potential funders. In addition to international financial institutions and donor agencies, China, for example, would most likely be interested in the framework of its Belt and Road Initiative, especially given how Beijing has been keen to strengthen its bonds with pivotal countries along its routes.

The Blue Nile Basin Authority could also look eastward for inspiration on multilateral cooperation projects linking countries in a transboundary river basin. One of these is the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which was formed to promote and coordinate the sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the mutual benefits of the lower Mekong countries and the peoples well-being, according to its Website. The MRC has initiated joint projects worth more than US$22 billion to serve the sustainable development of its member countries, which, in addition to China, include Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.

The proposed EDC for the Eastern Nile Basin countries conforms to the international trend to finance multipurpose projects that benefit more than one country. Moreover, the project could also expand to include all the Nile Basin countries.

Since the announcement of the Nile Basin Initiative, donor nations have been waiting for all the Nile Basin countries to come together in the Cooperative Framework Agreement, more familiarly known as the Entebbe Agreement. Unfortunately, only the upper riparian nations signed the agreement, preventing the emergence of a comprehensive agreement for Nile Basin water-resource management that would serve both upstream and downstream nations. As a result, potential donors have shied away. However, the EDC may inspire a solution from another direction and induce upper and lower Nilotic countries to bridge their differences.

However, Egypt and Sudan, on the one hand, and Ethiopia, on the other, must first bridge theirs. Now, at least, they have a good amount of time until the next flooding season in July to reassess their positions in the light of the experiences of previous negotiating rounds over the GERD. Hopefully, with the help of their international partners, they will then be able to put forward new proposals that will end the current stalemate and achieve the much-needed breakthrough.

A solution is possible as long as the parties concerned summon the necessary will and Ethiopia begins to act in good faith. Ethiopia must understand that it will not be able to reap the fruits of the development it expects from the GERD unless it considers the welfare of its downstream neighbours, Sudan and Egypt, and resolves to work together with them for the benefit of all.

It needs to shed its narrow, short-term blinkers and open its mind up to the vast horizons of possibility that would become available through cooperation. With resolve and perseverance, an Eastern Development Corridor could become a reality, ensuring the sound management of the Blue Nile and its resources for the benefit of all its countries and sustaining the River Nile as a source of life and growth for all.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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More NGOs are working on Egypts Decent Life Initiative to develop rural areas and alleviate poverty, Chair of the Professional Development Foundation Mohamed Farouk Hafeez tells Al-Ahram Weekly

More and more civil society organisations are becoming involved in activities carried out as part of Egypts presidential Decent Life Initiative to help serve its goals of alleviating poverty and improving the living conditions of vulnerable groups, especially in rural areas.

One such NGO is the Professional Development Foundation (PDF) that focuses on south Aswan. It has now finished work it undertook in the first phase of the Decent Life Initiative, PDF Chairman Mohamed Farouk Hafeez told Al-Ahram Weekly.

President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi launched the Decent Life Initiative in January 2019 to help develop rural areas. It became a national project earlier this year meant to improve the lives of rural inhabitants countrywide and enhance the services available to citizens.

The initiative seeks to unify efforts among state institutions in cooperation with NGOs, private-sector companies, and domestic and international development partners to promote sustainable development and alleviate poverty in 4,658 villages nationwide, with investments estimated for the three-year project at LE700 billion.

By developing three villages in south Aswan, the PDF has changed the living conditions of residents. It renovated 290 houses and focused on the economic empowerment of villagers. Women were taught crochet knitting, and a website was set up to exhibit their handicrafts online. Contractors trained local young men in technical skills, such as electrical engineering, carpentry, and plumbing. They were then given equipment to help them to kick-start their own projects.

The PDF contributed to roofing 175 houses and developing 60 others in the Hikma and Manar villages, developing 100 houses in the Karama village, furnishing and equipping 20 houses for widows in Hikma and Manar, and providing each family with appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves, along with gas cylinders, chairs and sofas, and kitchen cupboards.

The government covered 80 per cent of the cost of renovating government buildings in the villages enrolled in the Decent Life Initiative, and the PDF shouldered the remaining 20 per cent. The buildings are part of projects supervised by the Ministry of Housing in 44 villages in Aswan, Hafeez said.

The PDF also signed a cooperation agreement with Misr Hitech Seeds to provide farmers in the targeted villages with high-quality corn seeds for free to improve the quality of their harvest and consequently bring in more revenues. The agreement said that PDF agricultural engineers would educate local farmers about modern means to increase production.

Hafeez said that agricultural production had increased 3.5-fold as a result, and some 41 feddans of corn were cultivated experimentally in the Hikma and Manar villages. One feddan produced on average 16 ardabs of corn, an increase of 200 per cent. In June 2020, the PDF coordinated with farmers in the villages of the Wadi Al-Naqra area in Aswan to prepare 500 feddans of land to be cultivated with corn the company would donate.

The Jeena Company that specialises in aromatic plants donated seeds to the villagers and guided them on modern irrigation methods to increase production.

The PDF will now participate in the second phase of the initiative, which focuses on developing human resources and raising workers skills, offering training programmes, rehabilitating nursery employees and managers, upgrading centres for people with disabilities, developing community schools, and empowering women and young people, Hafeez said.

Studies were conducted on the needs of Aswans Manar, Karama, and Hikma villages, including demographic characteristics, the social, educational, and vocational status of the inhabitants, average incomes, jobs, and the number of individuals in each family, Hafeez said.

The PDF is providing the villages with trained and qualified help in cooperation with Aswan University, he added, explaining that economic empowerment includes training the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The PDF held its fifth annual NGOs Award of Excellence ceremony in mid-October under the guidance of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. The award is meant to encourage NGOs to offer their best in service of the community.

NGOs applying for the award should be licensed, their activities should focus on human development, and the monetary award should be spent on the project for which the prize was awarded.

In the latest round, 1,012 NGOs applied in the competition, and 14 qualified for the final round. Four monetary prizes will be presented to those NGOs that have had the most positive impacts, these amounting to LE150,000, LE100,000, LE75,000, and LE50,000. Other NGOs will receive in-kind prizes through training courses designed to enhance skills and stimulate innovation, as well as take part in the information technology support programme Techsup Egypt.

The PDF is now presenting a new award under the slogan of Raising Awareness to spread ideas for development projects on social media and motivate as many users as possible to engage in volunteer work.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 21 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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It is hard to find anyone in Egyptian official circles who would use the word coup to describe this weeks military takeover in Sudan, despite the army dissolving the Transitional Council and government, and placing Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian leaders under arrest.

Naming is not the point for us. We are concerned with what is going to happen now, and how it will influence the stability in Sudan, said one government official when asked how Egypt is qualifying Mondays developments in Sudan.

At the crack of dawn, and less than 12 hours after a demonstration in support of civilian politicians who were facing what the protesters said was an anticipated coup, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, the military head of the Transitional Council that has been running Sudan since the ouster of its Omar Al-Bashir, and Mohamed Dagalo, head of the influential Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF), issued orders to arrest leading members of the transitional government who have been squabbling with their military partners for at least a year. The move came after US Envoy to the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman had held meetings in Khartoum to broker a deal to facilitate the remainder of the transition, including, according to some Western diplomatic sources, a delay in the handover of power from the military to civilian politicians originally scheduled for November.

According to one of the concerned diplomats and analysts in Egypt and Sudan who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly, what happened on Monday came as no surprise.

It has been brewing since the summer, said Amani Al-Taweel, an analyst on African affairs at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. The two sides simply failed to reach agreement and things just hit a dead end.

In a televised statement on Monday noon in which he announced the decision of the Armed Forces to take over the country in cooperation with the RDF and appoint a technocrat government, Al-Burhan said the move was intended to realise the goals of the 2019 December Revolution and preserve Sudans security and stability.

In remarks from Paris, Mohamed Al-Asbati, head of the influential Sudanese Professionals Union, disagreed. According to Asbati, Al-Burhan cannot argue that he is pursuing the aims of the December Revolution by executing a military takeover directed by senior military officials many of whom were closely associated with the regime of ousted dictator Al-Bashir.

Speaking on Monday evening, Al-Asbati anticipated a considerable push-back from the Sudanese people. His expectations proved right.

Following an appeal by the influential Forces of Freedom and Change, with the Professionals Union on board, tens of thousands of Sudanese took to the streets on Monday night. They condemned the takeover and vowed to continue their protest until Al-Burhan reversed his decisions.

On Tuesday morning, Reuters reported that seven people had been killed and 140 were injured in clashes between soldiers and protesters. And despite the blocking of the Internet and mobile networks, the protests were continuing.

Al-Burhan has come under international pressure to reverse his decision. White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said: We reject the actions by the military and call for the immediate release of the prime minister and others who have been placed under house arrest.

The European Union said that it condemns the detention of Hamdok and other members of the civilian leadership, and called for their immediate release, adding that the actions of the military represent a betrayal of the revolution, the transition and the legitimate requests of the Sudanese people for peace, justice, and economic development.

The UN Security Council was scheduled to convene late Tuesday evening (East Africa time) to discuss Sudan behind closed doors. An informed Western diplomat said the council would avoid painting Al-Burhan in a corner while making it very clear that he must release Hamdok and other civilian leaders and enter a dialogue that will facilitate completion of the transition. Should Al-Burhan refuse, says the diplomat, Sudan is likely to lose much of the international economic support it was promised.

The Arab League has expressed concern about the developments in Sudan. A statement issued by Egypts Foreign Ministry said it was closely following developments in Sudan and called on all Sudanese parties to give priority to the higher interest of the country, especially stability and security.

An Egyptian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the ups and downs and Sudan cannot go on forever without having an impact on the stability of the country and the entire region  and certainly on the stability of Egypt.

The positions of Egypt and Sudan have grown closer over a range of strategic issues, including negotiations with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Indeed, Mondays events unfolded as Egyptian and Sudanese military forces were participating in the Guardian of the South military drill which is scheduled to continue until 29 October at Egypts Mohamed Naguib military base.

According to Hani Raslan, an expert at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic studies, military cooperation between Egypt and Sudan is seen as crucial in Cairo.

At the outset of Sudans December Revolution in 2019, Cairo sided with the Sudanese military under Al-Bashir, only to recalibrate its position when Al-Bashir was ousted. Today, the Egyptian government official said, Cairo is taking care not to miscalculate, given that the situation in Sudan remains fluid.

The dynamics of the situation continue to unfold in international and regional capitals where there is little agreement on what constitutes the best scenario to get Sudan out of its political quagmire. Several influential regional capitals have suggested the US and EU allow Al-Burhan a chance given the lack of agreement and competence among the civilian leaders. The proposal has been greeted tepidly at best.

According to a Khartoum-based diplomat, the final scenario will be decided by the the people on the street.

Al-Asbati says the Sudanese public will not give up and calls for civil disobedience to protest against Al-Burhans decision will have a strong impact.

Wagdi Saleh, a Khartoum-based civilian politician, insists the volume of support for civilian politicians in Sudan far exceeds support for the military. It is an analysis others dispute, arguing that when push comes to shove the army can call on a large constituency.

It is a tough situation, says Sudanese historian Hassan Altom. He argues that while the civilians are not all on the same page, the militarys supporters, especially in Darfour and other parts of Sudan, have demands that Al-Burhan may not be able to fully acknowledge.

There is short term uncertainty ahead, says Al-Taweel, for even if Al-Burhan manages to persuade the international community to accept his move it remains unclear how things will unfold on the ground in a country that has had more than its fair share of conflict.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Some Iraqis think outside powers are intervening in the fallout from the countrys elections, with this having a polarising effect

The ongoing elections crisis in Iraq has raised concerns about how outsiders have become de facto participants in the countrys domestic policies, especially by stepping into efforts to reshape the political system after the recent parliamentary elections.

Though foreign attempts to interfere in Iraqs elections cannot be overtly seen, they have been widely noticed through bids to manage and balance outsiders interests in the countrys domestic politics, including in choosing a new prime minister.

With many disillusioned groups in Iraq continuing to dispute the votes results and with some alleging foreign intervention in the election, there are reasons to worry about further complications in Iraqs troubled politics sparked by unwarranted or ill-advised meddling.

The EU has joined the UN Security Council in deploring the scepticism about the election results. While the UN body described the vote as technically sound, the EU said voters were able to freely express their will.

But several hundred people have been protesting against fraud in the parliamentary elections on a Baghdad street leading to the entrance of the Green Zone, home to the US embassy, other diplomatic missions, and government offices.

The protesters, mostly supporters of the Al-Fatah List, the political wing of an alliance which brings together pro-Iran Shia militias and factions, have been demanding a recount of votes they claim have been tampered with.

The alliance, which was the second-largest bloc in the last Iraqi parliament with 48 seats, has emerged as the biggest loser in the recent elections with only around 15 seats in the new one.

Its main rival, the Sadrists, a bloc led by cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, maintained the most seats in parliament and appeared to have increased its seats in the 329-member assembly from 54 in 2018 to more than 70.

Spokespersons for the Al-Fatah List have denounced the UN officials responsible for monitoring the elections and helping to prevent voter fraud. They have also accused the US, Britain, and the UAE of interfering in the elections.

Iraqs Higher Independent Electoral Commission said that a manual recount of the votes from the elections had showed almost no difference from the initial tally, clearing the way for the countrys supreme court to ratify the results and for the political parties to form a new government.

But as the country grapples with the daunting task of resolving the wrangle over the election results and gets ready for the new government, dissatisfaction remains and threatens to explode and subvert the peaceful transfer of power.

While some other issues also remain difficult, fear of foreign meddling in influencing Iraqs post-election politics is likely to complicate the formation of the next government.

Many foreign stakeholders, especially Iraqs neighbours, are in the mix and seem to be hoping to shape the political conversation about the aftermath of the elections and see their interests prioritised.

Ahead of the ballot, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mohammad Al-Halbousi and leader of a rival list, Khamis Al-Khanjar, in a clear show of support for Iraqs Sunni Muslim factions.

But one major factor in determining the impact of outsiders collusion remains the US-Iranian rivalry in Iraq and Washington and Tehrans intriguing bids to keep themselves fully engaged in the beleaguered country as part of their larger power strategies in the region.

In each of Iraqs elections since the ouster of the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, US and Iranian interests in Iraq have led to interference by the two countries in choosing a new prime minister, a post marked by competition from Iraqs Shia groups.

The job is important because Iraqs prime minister has overall control of the army, security forces, the government, and other key state institutions, as well as the budget and the countrys foreign relations.

Irans point man in Iraq, Al-Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani, who was killed by a US aerial attack last year, and top US diplomats have all in the past exercised pressure on Iraqi political groups to give or deny some Shia politicians the prestigious post.

At present, the focal point of the US-Iran conflict in Iraq is the future of the pro-Iran factions. While Iran is seeking to maintain and increase its influence in Iraq by investing in projects linked with loyal militias, the US is looking to weaken the paramilitary forces.

Iran has publicly welcomed the results of the Iraqi ballot, and Iranian foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the elections were an internal affair related to the Iraqi people and the parties there.

But Iran was evidently shocked by the poor performance of its allies in the elections amid fears that their dwindling popularity could weaken its grip on Iraq and undermine its regional reach.

Western diplomats told Reuters that Iran dispatched the new leader of the Al-Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, to Baghdad when the initial results were released, apparently seeking a way to retain Tehrans allies despite their dramatic loss of power.

Meanwhile, Irans official media continues to drum up the narrative of the Iraqi Shia militias about electoral fraud and their claims of US attempts to obstruct the victory of Shia and resistance movements in the elections in Iraq.

The US is also clearly, though not publicly, showing a strong interest in the outcome of the Iraqi elections, which revealed pro-Iran factions losing most of their seats in the new parliament.

While the White House congratulated the Iraqis on the mostly peaceful elections and voiced hopes for a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people, the US media and commentators have heaped lavish praise on the elections as being democratic.

The US policymakers preference in the elections had been Al-Sadr and his movement, with the aim being to harm the campaign of the pro-Iran factions. Al-Sadrs victory in the elections has reinforced their hopes that he will help to counter the influence of these groups and their militias in Iraq.

The US policymakers have resorted to the traditional spin of the US media in their efforts to portray Al-Sadr as a strong nationalist leader and Iraqs saviour from Iran.

On the eve of the voting, a Washington Post headline read Former US foe likely to emerge as kingmaker in Iraqi election  with tacit American backing.

After Iraqi Election, a Shia leader emerges as an Unlikely US Ally, wrote the New York Times in a glaring headline three days later.

Although still unpredictable, the cleric is consistently an Iraqi nationalist and now seems to be emerging as an arms-length American ally, helping the United States by preventing Iraq from tilting further into Irans axis, it said.

Joining the chorus, prominent US political commentator Fareed Zakaria said that Al-Sadr has come a long way from his days as a violent revolutionary to gradually assuming the role as a candy party boss.

The US once threatened to kill Muqtada Al-Sadr as his militia battled the occupying forces. Now, the powerful cleric is helping Washington by keeping Iran at bay, Zakaria said on the US network CNN.

The US tilt to Al-Sadr may also have gone beyond rhetoric. On Thursday, the Saudi-owned Independent Arabia media outlet reported that Al-Sadrs cousin Jaafar Al-Sadr, who is Iraqs ambassador to the UK, had made a secret visit Washington to discuss post-election arrangements in Iraq.

Obviously, such a clear preference by the US and its allies is aimed at playing a significant role in influencing debates about the formation of the new Iraqi government and promoting a shift in the countrys domestic politics.

But it is not clear whether such engagement can shape developments on the ground in Iraq the way policymakers in Washington and in some European and Middle Eastern capitals would like in their rooting for a friendly new prime minister in Iraq and the curbing of Irans influence in the country.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Three events were organized earlier this week to bid farewell to the Director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Cairo and counsellor of the Russian Embassy Alexey Tevanyan and his wife for their great contributions in supporting cultural relations between Egypt and Russia in recent years.

The first event honouring Tevanyan was a dinner party organised by Ambassador Ezzat Saad, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the former Egyptian ambassador in Moscow.

Saad stressed that the great effort made by Tevanyan was evident in his various and extended activities in Egypt.

This event was also attended by the Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgiy Borisenko and the Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Hrachya Poladyan and his wife, together with President of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association Ibrahim Kamel, and Head of the Association and the Arab Union for Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities Sherif Gad.

For his part, Borisenko thanked Tevanyan for his work, which produced fruitful results and has had a direct impact on the development of cultural ties between the two countries.

The centres employees in Cairo also organised a grand celebration to bid farewell to Tevanyan and his wife in the presence of Marat Gatin, the centres new director.

The final ceremony honouring him was organised by the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities.

At this ceremony, Gad indicated that Tevanyan treated the association as a key partner from his first day of work, adding Together, we were able to implement many effective and influential activities. The great activity of Tevanyan, which extended to the Egyptian media, made him a well-known figure in cultural circles, and he was glad to find he is known in the Egyptian street.

At the same ceremony, the associations Secretary-General Fathy Toughan said that they are proud of the achievements that have been implemented with the centre under the wise management of Tevanyan, and we are confident that this distinctive activity will continue with the presence of the new director Marat Gatin.

Tevanyan expressed his thanks and happiness for this warm Egyptian farewell and addressed the centres workers, saying, You have become a part of my life.

Egypt has also become my second home, and I will be happy to return, especially since I drank from the Nile water in Aswan to confirm the popular saying, and there is no doubt that my period of work in Egypt has been the most important of my life.

As an expression of their gratitude, members of the association, including professors Bahega El-Helbawy, Ayman Montaser, Samia Tawfiq, Mounir Nasr Eldeen, Tamer Fouad and Refaat Kamal Eldeen gave a number of gifts to Tevanyan.

Tevanyan has served as the centres director since 2017.

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Former President Donald Trump is stepping from afar back into the hotly contested Virginia governor's race with a tele-rally planned Monday for Republican Glenn Youngkin, according to a person familiar with his plans.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. December 12, 2020. [File Photo: AFP]

Trump will not be appearing with Youngkin. The call-in event will take place the day before an election in which Youngkin appears to be running neck-and-neck with Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who has tried throughout the race to tie his opponent to the former president.

Trump lost the state by 10 points in 2020. The person who discussed his plans spoke on condition of anonymity before the event was announced. Youngkins campaign declined to comment on the planned event.

Throughout the campaign, Youngkin has played a delicate dance, trying to win over Trumps loyal base, which he needs to win the election, while at the same time avoiding more extreme positions that might turn off more moderate voters, particularly those in suburban Washington and Richmond. Such moderates turned against Trump and helped deliver President Joe Bidens victory.

The last time time Trump waded into the race  calling into a rally organized by his conservative allies  McAuliffes campaign quickly made ads featuring Trumps praise of the Republican, even though Youngkin hadnt attended the event.

On Wednesday night, Trump issued a cryptic statement suggesting he might make a last-minute, first appearance in Virginia before the election, though officials in the state said nothing was planned.

Thank you, Arlington, see you soon! he wrote after supporters briefly interrupted a Biden rally for McAuliffe. Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich later said Trump looked forward to being back in Virginia! Details will be released when appropriate," but no event was announced.

Biden at that rally had goaded Trump over his absence from the state.

Think about it: He won't allow Donald Trump to campaign for him in this state," Biden said of Youngkin. "Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed?

Youngkin has largely campaigned without big Republican names while McAuliffe has appeared with the biggest names in Democratic politics, like Biden and former President Barack Obama, as well as celebrities such as musician Dave Matthews.

Democrats immediately criticized Youngkin for Trump's involvement.

Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, called on Youngkin to tell voters immediately whether he plans to take part in the event, which she said shows the two cant stay away from each other.

Donald Trump is on the ballot, make no mistake about it, she said. His name may not be on the ballot, but he is on the ballot.

McAuliffe also tweeted about the news, saying, Virginians, lets come together to REJECT Trump and send a powerful message to the nation: we are not going back.

Bloomberg News was first to report that the event had been confirmed. __ Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin contributed to this report from Richmond, Virginia.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 29, 2021 - 11:34 | Arts, Japan, All

Michiaki Ueno of Japan won the top prize in the cello division of the Geneva International Music Competition on Thursday, the organizers said, becoming the first Japanese cellist to receive the award.

The 25-year-old Japanese was awarded 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) for claiming first prize, while Bryan Cheng of Canada, 24, and Jaemin Han of South Korea, 15, ranked second and third in the competition, respectively.

"I was happy enough I was able to play a piece I love, but it is great the result turned out to be good," said Ueno, who currently studies at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Dusseldorf, a music university in Germany.

He was formerly a student of Japanese cellist Hakuro Mori, professor at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. The Geneva competition, founded in 1939, discovers, supports and promotes talented classical musicians up to 30 years of age and is considered a springboard to an international career.

In 2019, Japan's Hinako Takagi, 32, won the first prize in the composition division.

Related coverage:

Japanese composer Hinako Takagi wins 1st prize in Geneva music competition

Ueno performed Witold Lutoslawski's "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" in the final. He said this piece was one of the reasons why he decided to enroll in the competition as "the occasions to play this concerto are rare."

Following an award ceremony, Ueno expressed gratitude to those who supported him and said his dream is "to become a cellist whose performances can be enjoyed by people all over the world."

A 27-year-old cello student in the audience praised his performance, saying, "The piece Ueno has chosen is very complicated, technically as well as in terms of integration into the orchestra. This was a risky choice."

The chair of the jury, Ivan Monighetti, said Ueno "has a very strong personality. He goes with full involvement in the pieces he plays. This is very impressive."

Each edition of the contest focuses on two categories of instruments including piano, flute, string quartet, voice and percussion. Cello and oboe were in the spotlight this year.

The cello division was originally scheduled to be held last year but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 29, 2021 - 14:15 | All, Japan

Okinawa authorities started removing a massive amount of pumice stones from the coast of the main island Friday that drifted ashore following an underwater volcanic eruption earlier this year, disrupting fishing and tourism.

The removal started at the fishing port of Hentona in Kunigami, a village located in the northern part of Okinawa, with a prefectural government official saying the "unprecedented" operation could take two to three weeks to complete.

The port has been swamped with floating pumice stones, making it difficult for fishermen to set out to sea. Two shovel loaders were seen scooping up the stones, which gave the sea's surface a gray appearance as if cement had been poured into the water.

For areas that cannot be reached by such vehicles, the authorities plan to use a boat and put up a fence-like structure to prevent the pollution from spreading further.

"We have no choice but to proceed with the cleanup work by trial and error," the official said. "We will think about how to dispose of the pumice stones after checking safety aspects."

Other coastal areas in the north have also been affected, and the official said the Okinawa prefectural government plans to carry out similar removal operations at other fishing ports.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was campaigning for this weekend's general election in Kagoshima on Friday, said he had set up a response team to handle recovery efforts and provide financial support to local fishermen.

"Seeing as the pumice on the sea surface could spread to a wide area of Japan, we will continue to deal with the matter carefully," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told a press conference in Tokyo.

Isozaki said the pumice had washed up at 16 fishing ports in Okinawa and Kagoshima with 40 boats damaged, six of which can no longer sail.

The pumice stones are believed to have originated from the Fukutoku-Okanoba underwater volcano, located more than 1,000 kilometers away.

The eruption in August of the volcano in the Ogasawara island chain in the Pacific Ocean was so powerful that it resulted in the formation of a C-shaped isle near Iwoto Island, which is around 1,200 km south of Tokyo.

Since then, pumice stones have also washed ashore in the Amami island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture.
By Takaki Tominaga, KYODO NEWS - Oct 29, 2021 - 08:44 | All, Japan

Japan aims to increase its reliance on renewable energy in achieving net-zero emissions, but the role of nuclear power to be played toward that end appears to be elusive even in the government's energy plan approved by the Cabinet about a week ahead of Sunday's general election.

The plan outlines ways to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and cut greenhouse gas emissions 46 percent in fiscal 2030 from fiscal 2013 levels, an ambitious leap from the previous reduction target of 26 percent.

The government aims to have renewables account for 36 to 38 percent of Japan's total power generation capacity in fiscal 2030, more than double the 18 percent recorded in fiscal 2019, while the percentage of fossil-fuel-fired thermal power has been slashed to 41 percent, down from 76 percent.

But the percentage for nuclear power remains unchanged at 20 to 22 percent from the previous plan, released in 2018.

The status of many nuclear plants in 2030 and thereafter is unclear considering the facilities' 40-year operating limit and other regulatory hurdles, and there has been no public consensus on whether the country should continue to use nuclear power beyond 2050 either.

Yudai Maeda, an executive of renewable energy firm afterFIT Co., said people's emotional reactions toward nuclear issues have somewhat subsided from the years after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and voter interests have been taken over by the coronavirus pandemic.

"Major issues in the election are more like how to restore the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic," Maeda said.

A recent Kyodo News poll showed 36.7 percent will decide on who to vote for in the general election based on economic policies, while 16.1 percent said coronavirus measures were paramount.

Tsutomu Miyasaka, a professor of biomedical engineering at Toin University of Yokohama and pioneering researcher on thin and flexible solar cells, also believes energy and environmental issues should attract attention, just as climate change was one of the key issues for German voters in their September election.

A report by the U.N. Environment Programme released this week warned that the average global temperature could rise 2.7 C by the end of the century despite various climate pledges and mitigation steps.

That is well above the aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement -- to keep global warming below 1.5 C this century over pre-industrial levels.

The international organization also said that whether the world can meet the goal of avoiding potential catastrophe hinges on efforts by humanity to halve annual greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years.

Net-zero commitments, declared by 49 nations, including Japan, and the European Union could shave off another 0.5 C, if these pledges were made robust and if 2030 promises were made consistent with the net-zero commitments.

"Climate change is no longer a future problem. It is a now problem," said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate change conference known as COP26. "The clock is ticking loudly."

To achieve the 2030 emissions cut target, Maeda said nuclear power plants are necessary. However, Japanese political parties cannot agree on what to do with nuclear plants even though they agree on the country's direction toward carbon neutrality.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his Liberal Democratic Party will restart idled nuclear plants, providing they have adequate safety measures, in order to supply electricity stably and at a reasonable price.

In contrast, the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan pledges to abandon nuclear power as soon as possible and will not allow any new nuclear plants to be built.

The Democratic Party for the People, a smaller opposition party, has said it will restart nuclear plants that cleared safety rules but will not allow the construction of new ones.

Following the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, most of the nuclear plants in Japan remain offline under stricter safety regulations.

"Realistically, I think (Japan) cannot help but to heavily rely on nuclear and solar power to achieve that 2030 goal," said Maeda, a former Foreign Ministry official.

He stressed nuclear should not be a long-term power supply given the tremendous amount of money needed in the event of an accident and falling renewable energy costs.

In the long run, energy experts have high expectations for offshore wind power.

"Producing large quantities of electricity from renewables requires a vast amount of space. Since Japan is a maritime nation with the world's sixth-largest exclusive economic zone, it's got to be offshore wind," he said, adding floating turbines will hold the key.

Solar cells produced by Miyasaka, also a fellow at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, are expected to contribute to improving the space problem for renewables if they overcome durability challenges and go into commercial mass production.

Miyasaka's perovskite solar modules are thin, flexible, and light yet capable of generating high voltages compared with silicon photovoltaics, with their characteristics enabling them to be installed or applied on unconventional places, including low load-bearing roofs, windows and automobile bodies.

In the not too distant future, Miyasaka believes people will be able to generate power by perovskite solar modules on places such as balcony floors and car bodies, store it in batteries and then use it during the night.

In building such a society, Miyasaka said the reliance on nuclear power could be reduced soon rather than later because disaster-prone Japan faces higher risks than many other countries.

"It is time for us to seriously engage in finding ways to live without nuclear power plants," he said.

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By Maki Shinozaki, KYODO NEWS - Oct 29, 2021 - 15:05 | Feature, All, Japan

Elderly people in long-term nursing care for dementia and other illnesses are increasingly being rewarded for work at convenience stores and other businesses that are struggling to find staff due to Japan's acute labor shortage.

The feeling of purpose gained from working encourages people to become self-reliant and gives a sense of satisfaction, according to an industry insider, who says the initiatives offer an opportunity to expand a framework that has proven mutually beneficial to social welfare service providers as well as understaffed businesses.

"I enjoy coming here, and I am happy to see other people pleased," said Masako Kawashita, an 80-year-old who works at a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. Wearing a company uniform and black apron, she performs tasks such as sanitizing shopping baskets.

Under an arrangement between the store and a nearby care facility, Kawashita and others in their 60s to 90s who are certified as requiring long-term care for mild dementia, engage in work, except for waiting on customers, such as stacking and checking shelves with the support of a caregiver from the facility.

They work one hour each visit and receive a shopping voucher worth 1,000 yen ($8.80) for every three shifts, which they can exchange for products throughout the Seven-Eleven store network.

The program was started under the "Nanashoku (Seven Color) Project," jointly launched by care providers and convenience store owners to encourage dementia sufferers to engage socially and to add work to their weekly schedule.

They work during times set aside for recreational activities at their care facilities.

The users have a strong work ethic, says, Takayuki Morishige, 41, operator of Yasuragi no Mori Maebara, a care facility in Funabashi, which participates in the project, adding, "People who normally use walking sticks have begun working without them."

Store owner Yusuke Kujirai, 47, who employs the elderly workers at three of his stores, said, "Staff members are happy to see them come to work with such enthusiasm." Their presence has energized the stores, he said.

The ability to work to some level has little to do with dementia, Tsugumi Sato, 28, secretary general of the project, said. People with the disorder can work at businesses like this because people with diverse backgrounds and work histories can work at convenience stores.

In 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare informed local governments nationwide that users of care services would be allowed to engage in so-called "paid volunteer" activities.

People in care in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, deliver direct mail within walking distance for Yamato Transport Co.

In Machida, Tokyo, care provider Days BLG!, a pioneer in initiatives to engage people with dementia in meaningful work, began a program nine years ago to allow its users to place flyers in mailboxes and wash cars at car dealerships.

Takayuki Maeda, 45, representative of Days BLG!, who offers advice to care facilities across Japan, stressed the importance of people who can gauge corporate needs and conditions and match those to the wishes and abilities of elderly people.

He pointed out that understanding about the value of the project can only progress at speed if precedents are set. Once it is proven to work, local governments will be more supportive of the program.

Related coverage:

Japan's job availability rises in Sept. ahead of economic restart

FEATURE: AI speakers play growing role in daily life of elderly, disabled

Dementia patients reported missing in Japan in 2019 hit record 17,500
KYODO NEWS - Oct 29, 2021 - 21:44 | World, All

The head of the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan expressed concern on Friday about China's ongoing actions to undermine stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, reaffirming Washington's commitment to helping the island defend itself.

The director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, said at her first press conference since taking office in July that the United States has a shared and abiding interest in peace and stability across the strait, which Washington considers central to its security and that of the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Emphasizing the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is "rock solid," Oudkirk said, "We are deeply concerned by ongoing PRC's efforts to undermine that stability," referring to the acronym of the People's Republic of China.

When asked whether the United States will come to Taiwan's defense if China launches an attack, Oudkirk said U.S. policy toward Taiwan "is clear, is well-known and has not changed," citing the Taiwan Relations Act.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since a civil war led to their split in 1949.

Their relations have deteriorated since independence-leaning Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan's president in 2016. The mainland considers the island a renegade province.

Related coverage:

Taiwan leader confirms presence of U.S. troops on island: CNN

U.S., Japan square off with China on maritime security amid tensions

China's Xi vows to uphold global justice amid tensions with Taiwan
New Delhi:

GUJCET 2019: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board has changed the date for the Gujarat Common Entrance Test 2019 (GUJCET) 2019 exam. With the election date coinciding with GUJCET exam we have decided to change the date. Being a holiday, the new date could not be worked out yet. It will be done in a day or two, Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told The Indian Express.



The exam was earlier scheduled to be conducted on April 23 which coincided with the date of General Election 2019. Now, the exam has been scheduled to be held on April 26 (Friday).The Gujarat Board had earlier changed the date of the board examination and the reason cited by the board was the clash with CBSE exams. Initially, the state board had announced that GUJCET would be conducted on March 30, which was then postponed to April 4, giving the same reason.



As per the circular issued by GSHSEB on January 21, keeping in mind the change in the schedule of CBSE examination, the GUJCET date announced on April 4, will now be conducted on April 23. Previous year too, the exam was conducted on April 23.The earlier change in the GUJCET schedule from March 30 to April 4 was announced by the GSHSEB on January 10. The chairman said that before announcing this third revised date, the CBSE chairman was consulted.

About Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB)

The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) was established on May 1960, to administer and regulate the higher education system in the state, it prepares and prescribes the syllabus and textbooks in the affiliated schools. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) conducts the annual exams for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (HSC). Apart from the secondary and higher secondary examination, the board also conducts Engineering Entrance Examination (GUJCET).
Quetta:

Security has been stepped up for polio vaccination teams in the troubled province of Balochistan after a female child health worker was killed and another injured in the Chaman area on Thursday. Assistant Commissioner of Chaman, Syed Sami Agha told the media that the polio workers were targeted after unknown men on motorcycles opened fire on an immunisation team in Sultan Zai, a city near the shared border with Afghanistan.

He confirmed that one female polio worker was killed, while another was injured. "We have stepped up security for the immunisation teams throughout the province," the health minister for the province said in Quetta.

Soon after the targeted killing, the anti-polio campaign in the area was suspended, with levies forces conducting a search operation in the area.

The health officials said that around 1,50,000 policemen are escorting around 2,60,000 health workers in the new anti-polio vaccine drive in which over 2.5 million children in the province are to be administered the anti-polio vaccine.

Polio workers have been targeted by militants in other parts of the country as well and earlier this week, the police arrested several men in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after they orchestrated a campaign to spread fear and rumours about the anti-polio vaccines causing illness among children.

On April 23, a policeman deputed with an immunisation team was also gunned down in Bannu.

Polio is endemic in only three countries in the world- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Although, a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea at the end of last year.

Immunisation efforts have in the past been hampered by militants. They have previously alleged the immunisation campaigns are a cover for Western spies.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are no competition and both the parties will be defeated in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress candidate and ace boxer Vijender Singh said on Friday.

The 33-year-old, who is making his electoral debut as Congress's South Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate, is pitted against BJP leader and sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri and AAP's Raghav Chadha.

"The BJP and AAP candidates are no competition for me. I will eliminate BJP from here. I am here to meet and connect with people," Singh said during a footmarch in Delhi's Tigri area.

The ace boxer's footmarch, which lasted for two hours, passed through several residential pockets and slum clusters. He began it by seeking the blessing of the elderly and offering prayers at the Chhattarpur Temple.

"I do not have any false promises to make nor any assurances to give them (people). I will only speak the truth and not deceive them," Singh said.

"Mera dhyaan rakh lijiyega (Please take care of me)," the Congress candidate told people as he visited houses and met them in narrow lanes of slums.

However, some people complained that they did not get a chance to interact with Singh as his supporters were leading him away.

"I had specially come down to meet him but he just crossed without acknowledging me. His supporters were taking him away so quickly," 72-year-old Kesari rued.

But, there were some who managed get selfies clicked with the boxer-turned-politician.

Vishnu Agarwal, a grocery shop owner, said, "He (Singh) came to my shop and urged that we should take care of him during the polls."

In Block H, where most people live in shanties, Singh entered some dwellings and met residents.

In a video shared on Twitter, Singh can be seen pointing to a garbage dump and saying, "This is the condition of Delhi. I am in a roadshow and you can see this."

"The state government has failed," he said.

Singh also stopped a child and asked him whether there is water supply in his house and the child replied in the negative.

Traffic was affected in several parts of the area as the pugilist, accompanied by scores of supporters, walked in the area and greeted the voters.

Vimla Devi said the area has a problem of drainage."In a month, there are 10 days in which we get dirty water. During rains, rainwater seeps into our house. There is a problem of drainage," she said.

Some residents complained of not getting clean drinking water and accused politicians of making false promises.

"Earlier, we had to go to Dakshinpuri, which is 4-5 km away, to fetch water but after (AAP chief) Arvind Kejriwal came to power (became CM), we started getting water in our houses.

"However, there is a problem of getting clean water. We want that whoever comes to power ensures we start getting clean water through the month," Rohan Lodhiwal, a resident, said

Dr Mohammad Yusuf Khan, 70, said most of the politicians who come only make hollow promises which are never fulfilled.

Delhi will go to polls on May 12. The South Delhi constituency, which holds a key place in the power dynamics of the national capital, will see a triangular contest between Singh, incumbent Bidhuri and AAP's Chadha.
Islamabad :

Pakistani archaeologists claimed that they have discovered remains of metal workshops from the Indo-Greek period dating back to the 2nd century BCE. The archaeologists from the University of Peshawar (UoP) made the discovery from a site in the Hayatabad neighbourhood of Peshawar, Dawn reported.

Professor Gul Rahim told media that the site is located close to the border of the Khyber district, adding that excavation work at the site has been going on for the past three years.

He said that they have recovered coins dating back to the Indo-Greek period and estimated to be about 2,200 years old.

The professor said that the Indo-Greeks had migrated from Afghanistan to present day Peshawar, and ruled the region for about 150 years.

"The relics recovered show that the site was some sort of a metal workshop as we have found iron melting pots, molds, trowels, knives and drills, which were used at the workshop," Rahim said.

The workshop also likely produced arrows, bows, daggers, and swords, he added.

"The site shows that the workshop was divided into blocks, whereas remains of furnaces, grinder stones and other vestiges of the era are still clearly visible," said the professor.

Professor Gul further said that "this marks the first discovery of an organised Indo-Greek workshop in the province so far."

Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, an archaeological surveyor, said that "as compared to Buddhist sites that were built using brick masonry, this site was made from clay so it was difficult to preserve it.

He said that remains of the Indo-Greek period have also been found in Gor Khatri archaeological complex.

Jan Gul, an MPhil scholar at the UoP, said that it was the first time that students were able to see Indo-Greek remains, as previously only Buddhist and Mughal relics had been studied.

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New Delhi:

At least six demining experts were killed after a massive explosion rocked a warehouse of explosives and landmines in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday.

A government official told Xinhua that the experts affiliated with the Saudi mine-clearing project in Yemen MASAM, were killed and nearly seven others injured when an accident blast rocked a warehouse containing defused explosives in Mocha.

He further added that the blast occurred during the process of collecting and organizing the remnants of mines and explosives that were defused from various areas on the country's western coast after being planted by the Houthi rebels.

In a statement, the Saudi lanmine clearance project MASAM said that the explosion killed the leader of team26 named Abdul Baki Mohammed and five of his supporters.

Earlier, in the month of January this year, as many as five foreign experts also with MASAM - two from South Africa, a Croatian, a Bosnian and a Kosovar - died in an accidental explosion in the central province of Marib.

Rights groups say landmines have killed and injured hundreds of civilians and blocked aid deliveries since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the government's war against Houthi rebels in 2015. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people - most of them civilians - have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded in fighting since March 2015. Rights groups say the toll could be much higher.

It is to be noted that Saudi Arabia, which has been leading an anti-Houthi military coalition since early 2015, launched a project to dismantle mines in Yemen in June 2018, which has so far since removed more than 50,000 mines in the country, including over 5,000 in February and another 6,000 in March 2019.

As part of initiative launched by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), Saudi Arabia aims to remove mines left behind by Houthi rebels and equip the Yemeni specialists on the ground with the skills and resources necessary to clear landmines.

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New Delhi:

After campaigning for his party in several states across India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now reached his own Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. A sea of humanity thronged the temple town in Uttar Pradesh, as PM Modi holds a road show in his parliamentary seat on Thursday, a day before filing his nomination for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019.

The prime minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd as his cavalcade passed through the Lanka and Assi areas of the city. After completing the 7-kilometre stretch of his roadshow between BHU campus gate and the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the prime minister also performs Ganga Aarti and offers prayers in presence of BJP president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." "There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted.

The roadshow, which started at 5:15 pm, came to an end around 8 pm this evening. The show of strength takes place on a day the Congress ended all speculation about its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking on Modi in the city. The grand old party has again fielded Ajay Rai from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

Here are the Highlights from PM Modi's road show in Varanasi:





22:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I have only one mantra for every moment of my life - Rashtra Pratham, India First: PM Narendra Modi.

21:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I can't say that our dreams for Kashi's development have all been fulfilled but the speed with which they are heading towards fulfillment has hastened: PM Modi.

21:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The last five years were for effort, the next five years will be for results: PM Modi.

21:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In As a servant of Kashi, in five years, I have attempted to employ a model for the development of farmers, the youth and everyone else: PM Modi in Varanasi.

21:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi blessed me to become both MP and PM: Narendra Modi.

21:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Overlooking terrorism as challenge will be an injustice to the country: PM Narendra Modi.

21:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi gave me courage to answer terrorists in their language, says PM Modi.

21:28 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In People ask 'What did Modi change in Varanasi?' But before that, I want to talk about what Kashi has done for me: PM Modi.

21:28 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Five years ago, when I came to Kashi, I had said 'Ma Ganga has called me'. Ma Ganga gave such a calling, the people gave me such love: PM Modi.

20:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi to interact with some of the prominent personalities of Varanasi shortly.

20:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi.



20:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Covering 7-kilometre stretch between BHU campus gate and Dashashwamedh Ghat, Narendra Modi's roadshow has come to end. The prime minister will take part in the Ganga aarti along with other BJP leaders shortly.

20:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP president Amit Shah, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reaches the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

18:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP president Amit Shah reaches the Dashashwamedh Ghat where PM Modi will be taking part in the Ganga Aarti shortly.

17:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Narendra Modi will shortly arrive at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where he is scheduled to participate in the Ganga aarti.

17:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi is gearing up to welcome its beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



16:22 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" Modi tweeted.



After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi.



There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi.



Har Har Mahadev!

 Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019

// ]]> // ]]>

16:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi shortly. Watch visuals from outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU).





Crowd awaits outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in anticipation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive shortly to hold a roadshow in Varanasi#ElectionsWithNewsNation



Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/MNcpbPZPDS pic.twitter.com/4N1JrrTaNR

 News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 25, 2019



15:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi's mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to begin shortly. Being touted as a show of strength, the roadshow will include union ministers, state chief minister and other senior leaders of the BJP.

14:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "25 ton of rose petals, 5 lakh BJP workers 4m all corners, most cabinet ministers, prominent allies, all stops pulled for a show to be remembered. Message is not 4 Varanasi, but 4 last 4 phases. Clearly hype will attract people but votes, not so sure," Ajay Kumar reports from ground zero.



25 ton of rose petals, 5 lakh BJP workers 4m all corners, most cabinet ministers, prominent allies, all stops pulled for a show to be remembered. Message is not 4 Varanasi, but 4 last 4 phases. Clearly hype will attract people but votes, not so sure. a@NewsNationTVa a pic.twitter.com/cBMX8Fsjw5

 Ajay Kumar (@_Kumar_Ajay) April 25, 2019



14:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "Amidst blistering heat, preparation afloat for Modis a@narendramodia mega show. 11-km-long roadshow culminating at Dashasamegh Ghat with Aarti. Virtually entire cabinet, prominent allies, entire media staff of BJP ensuring unprecedented media coverage," reports our Managing Editor from Varanasi.

14:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ahead of Modis roadshow, security has been tightened across Varanasi. Hundreds of security personnel have been deployed along the route of the roadshow. The police is also using drones to keep a vigil on any suspicious activity prior or during the roadshow.
New Delhi:

In a first, the Indian Army will start online registration of women for recruitment as soldiers into the military police. The online process will start on Thursday. The project, that was mooted by General Bipin Rawat soon after taking over as Army Chief, was given the final approval by the Defence Ministry recently.

It was reported in January that women would be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had then said that the government had taken a "historic" decision to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the armed forces.A

For all notifications details, visitA https://joinindianarmy.nic.in/bravo/notifications.htm

Last year, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, was moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police.A

Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year.A

Till now, women were allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army.A

The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.A

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Beijing:

The Chinese military said on Thursday that it "always attached importance" to relations with the Indian and Pakistani counterparts and was ready to make more efforts to advance the ties, but kept silent over the absence of ships from its all-weather ally at the fleet review of the 70th anniversary celebrations of China's navy. Two Indian battle ships, including INS Kolkata - the biggest indigenously built stealth destroyer - along with INS Shakti - one of biggest fleet support ships - took part in the fleet review at Qingdao on April 23 which was presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Significantly, conspicuous by their absence were the ships of Pakistan Navy at the parade. The Pakistan Navy reportedly could not send its ships to PLAN's most celebrated moment despite the all-weather relations due to the recent Indo-Pak hostilities after the deadly Pulwama terror attack in February. However, a delegation headed by Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi attended the event.

Asked how China viewed the participation of the Indian Navy ships, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Col Ren Guochang told a media briefing that more than 60 countries sent their naval delegations and 13 countries have sent their ships to take part in the review.

He said the Chinese navy's 70th anniversary celebrations will "undoubtedly concretise the friendship and mutual relations between the PLA Navy (PLAN) and its international counterparts." "At the same time, China always attached importance to the military- to-military relations between China and India and China and Pakistan. We are ready to make more efforts with the two nations to push forward the military relations and exchanges," he said.

He, however, evaded answer to a question over the absence of the Pakistan Navy ships in the fleet review. Col Ren was critical of the French naval ship which was scheduled to take part in the PLAN celebrations. China reportedly withdrew the invitation to the French naval ship Vendemiaire on the ground that it trespassed into Chinese waters at the Taiwan Strait, which Beijing claims as part of it.

Also, significantly while arriving to take part in the PLAN's grand event, the Indian Navy ships came through Taiwan Strait, the narrow strip of waters of the Pacific that separates, China and Taiwan.

China protested to the US on March 25 when two American naval ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait. In his media interaction after the arrival of the Indian ships, Commander of INS Kolkata, Captain Aditya Hara when asked whether the Indian ships came through Taiwan Strait said in April 21 during a media interaction at Qingdao that the India ships did pass through the Taiwan Strait and that the transit was made in accordance with international law. Chinese ships were present in the Straits to offer assistance for a safe passage, he said.

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New Delhi:

In a major setback to fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi, the London Court on Friday rejected his bail. The next hearing in the case will be conducted on May 24. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, was produced before a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink from the jail. The hearing this week took place as per the 28-day time frame for judicial remand in such cases.

Modi was arrested in London recently. Modi had left India before the fraud came to light in January 2018. The Income Tax Department had last month provisionally attached 29 properties and 105 bank accounts of Modi, his family members and firms as part of its probe.

The taxman had also filed a charge sheet against Modi before the special court under sections 276 C (1) (wilful attempt to evade tax), 277 A (false statement in verification), 278 B (offences by companies) and 278 E (presumption as to culpable mental state) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Modi, the prime accused of Indias biggest banking scam, will be extradited to India much sooner and wont be delayed like absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya. According to a report, India will be able to bring back Modi within six months. And unlike Mallya, Modi cant argue on the grounds of human rights and political motivation.

A report in Times of India recently said that since the UK Courts had struck down the human rights issue in Mallyas hearing, it would give advantage to the India probe agencies. The report also said that the extensive and water-tight investigation papers by Indian agencies show enough proofs to meet the dual criminality clause, which is required in the UK courts while dealing such cases.

From the fake Letters of Intent to bank transfers, the chargesheets by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have detailed account of Modis modus operandi. The agencies have already seized the diamantaires properties in India worth Rs 1,873 crore. Nirav Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on March 19. During his first court appearance a day later, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities.

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New Delhi:

Xiaomias Global Vice President and India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain on Friday revealed that the company will be soon launching a new smartphone in India.

In a tweet, Jain highlighted his recent meeting with Qualcomm India President Rajen Vagadia and Qualcomm Vice President of Product Management Kedar Kondap amd revealed that a new Xiaomi phone with the latest Snapdragon 7xx "is coming to India very soon."

Take a look at his tweet:

Great meeting Rajen @rajen_vagadia & Kedar from #Qualcomm.@Xiaomi & @Qualcomm have always worked together to bring the latest & the best!



Breaking news: A new #Xiaomi phone with latest #Snapdragon 7_ _ (announced just 2 weeks ago) is coming to India very soon!



Any guesses? YZ pic.twitter.com/TnrnTOr4PI a Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 26, 2019

A

Any guesses, which smartphone Xiomi will launch?

The development comes just a couple of days after Xiaomi launched the Redmi 7 and Redmi Y3 in India.

It is to be noted that earlier this month, Qualcomm announced three of its new Snapdragon SoCs, namely the Snapdragon 665, Snapdragon 730 and Snapdragon 730G.

Well, with the hint that is given by Manu Kumar Jain, it is easy to say that the smartphone with either have Snapdragon 730 or Snapdragon 730G. However, for the model name and its other specifications, we all have to be in wait and watch mode.

The ongoing rumours suggest that the Xiaomi will launch its Mi A3. The smartphone is likely to have an in-display fingerprint sensor and stock Android Pie. Alongside the Mi A3, Xiaomi may bring Mi A3 Lite. This could be cheaper than the Mi A3 and would have inferior specifications. Importantly, both the models of Mi A3 are speculated to have a 32-megapixel selfie camera.

It is worth mentioning here that Samsung recently launched its new flagship Galaxy A80 with the gaming-centred Snapdragon 730G SoC. It is yet to reach the Indian market.

Earlier this week, Xiaomi launched Redmi Y3 selfie camera phone with a 32-megapixel sensor at the front and the Redmi 7 budget phone. Both phones will go on sale in India next week.
New Delhi:

An Indian Navy officer, identified as Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, died in a fire which broke out onboard INS Vikramaditya in Karnatakaas Karwar on Friday morning, the INS said in a statement. The Navy said while the fire was brought under control, the officer lost consciousness due to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. He was immediately taken to the Naval Hospital at Karwar but could not be revived, the Navy said.

A Board of Inquiry to investigate the fire incident has been ordered.

Indian Navy officer Lt Cdr DS Chauhan dies in firefighting efforts on-board INS Vikramaditya.



Read full story: https://t.co/Lr3plBcBrO pic.twitter.com/I5A6OPu6sX a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 26, 2019

India's largest warship -- aircraft carrier INS Vikramadityaawas "operationally deployed" along with its fleet of MiG 29K combat aircraft in 2014.The 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier procured from Russia at a cost of USD 2.33 billion had arrived in India in January 2014 and is stationed at its home-base in Karwar in Karnataka.

The fire was reported Friday morning when the ship was entering harbour in Karwar in Karnataka. The fire was brought under control by the ship's crew in a swift action, preventing any serious damage to the carrier's combat capability, an official said. Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the fire fighting efforts in the affected compartment and while the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes, the Navy said.

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New Delhi:

A day after it was made official that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not contest from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, senior party leader Sam Pitroda on Friday claimed that she took the decision herself.

aIt (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it,a Pitroda was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Sam Pitroda, Indian Overseas Congress Chief: It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it. pic.twitter.com/65hTQurplT a ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019

Earlier on Thursday, the Congress fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ending speculation on a possible blockbuster electoral duel between Vadra and the PM in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh.

The 'will she, won't she' suspense ended following nomination of Rai, who unsuccessfully contested against PM Modi in last general elections and finished third in the contest after the BJP leader and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal.

Speculation on Priyanka Gandhi making her electoral debut from Varanasi had been rife for the past few weeks and was fuelled after Congress president Rahul Gandhi, to a question on whether he planned to field his sister against PM Modi, said last week, "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing."

Priyanka Gandhi herself had added to the buzz by saying on Tuesday that she would abide by her party's decision on the matter.

Meanwhile, the SP-BSP grand alliance has declared Shalini Yadav, who joined the Samajwadi Party on Monday evening, as their candidate from Varanasi.

After years of working in Congress backrooms, Priyanka Gandhi joined full-time politics in February as in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, hoping to change the party's fortunes in the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

Varanasi constituency will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19.A Prime Minister Modi has filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today. BJP chief Amit Shah along with senior BJP and NDA leaders, including JD (U) president Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other were present with him.

In 2014, Modi won the seat by a margin of over three lakh votes against Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. While Modi got over 5,81,000 votes, Rai managed about 75,000 votes.
New Delhi:

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday while praising Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik said he is ready to die but not to surrender before Delhi for the sake of self-respect of Kashmiris. Yasin Malik despite being severely ill is languishing in jail because he is advocating a dialogue with India but is not willing to sell self-respect of Kashmiris. He has preferred death over surrender. I congratulate him for that, Abdullah said. He said this addressing an election rally in Devsar area of Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam district.

Hitting out at separatists Abdullah said, the election boycott will not serve any purpose. The separatists have only led Kashmir towards death and destruction and today the NIA is after them, he said.

Earlier, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti sought immediate release of JKLF chief Yasin Malik. While speaking to media, Mufti said, ''Yasin Malik (Kashmiri Separatist) should be released immediately as he is really unwell. Also, other members of Jamaat-e-Islami should be released. Sadhvi Pragya on whom there are several serious accusations, has been set free.''

JKLF chief Yasin Malik, arrested in connection with alleged terror funding case was sent to judicial custody till May 24 by Delhi court on Wednesday. The court had earlier sent Malik to NIA custody. He was brought to New Delhi after a court in Kashmir granted his transit remand to the National Investigation Agency.

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal also sought reply from the defence counsel on a plea of Tihar jail authorities seeking to produce Malik through video conference due to security concerns.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reserved its judgment on a CBI plea for reopening three-decade-old cases in which Malik was an accused.

Malik was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police from his residence in Srinagar on February 22 and was shifted to the Kothibagh police station. The detention came two days after the state administration said the security of 18 separatist, including Malik, would be withdrawn. The JKLF leader on Thursday termed the announcement a "lie".
New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was rushed to hospital in Lucknow today. Multiple media reports have said that Yadav has been admitted to emergency ward in PGI, Lucknow. Yadav was last seen attending a joint rally with rival-turned-ally Mayawati in Mainpuri last week. Once steadfast rivals have now joined hands to take on the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections.

In 1995, Samajwadi Party workers had allegedly attacked a state guest house where Mayawati was camping with her supporters. The immediate provocation was Mayawati's decision to withdraw from the government and join hands with the BJP. Ever since then the two had become sworn enemies. The SP patriarch is contesting from Mainpuri and Mayawati campaigning for him is proof that they have buried their hatchet, at least for now. Mulayam had not attended the other SP-BSP joint rallies in Deoband, Badaun and Agra because of health issues.

The Samajwadi Party patriarch is contesting from his bastion Mainpuri in this Lok Sabha elections. He had filed his nomination papers from the constituency last month. As per the affidavit, the SP patriarch has declared a total property, both movable and immovable, worth Rs 16.52 crore. This is Rs 3.20 crore less than the assets declared by him in an affidavit ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

According to the affidavit, a case was registered against Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on September 24, 2015, for allegedly threatening IPS officer Amitabh Thakur over phone. The case is pending in the court of the chief judicial magistrate. His affidavit mentions that he owes Rs 2.13 crore to his son Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav and his wife Sadhna Yadav have an annual income of Rs 32.02 lakh and Rs 25.61 lakh respectively. Sadhna Yadav has shown assets worth Rs 5.06 crore.

According to the election affidavit, Mulayam Singh Yadav does not have a car. However, his wife owns a luxury car.

The feud in the first family of the Samajwadi Party was, however, evident as Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav was not present there. Shivpal Singh Yadav, who founded Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) after falling apart with his nephew and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has announced his candidature from Firozabad in the coming polls.

During the Yadav family feud in 2016, Ram Gopal Yadav had sided with Akhilesh Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav, the former defence minister, has won the seat four times in the past- 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Interacting with media after filing the papers, the SP leader exuded confidence that his party would win the election and said he is not a candidate for the prime minister's post.
New Delhi: A Hindu family is being threatened for worshipping in their own home in Kalindi Kunj in the national capital. The sound of conch shells and bells ringing during the puja is being protested by neighbours of a particular community. The victim has accused the police of not registering an FIR after several days have passed in the case. The incident is said to have taken place on October 19, 2021 (Tuesday). According to reports, the incident took place in Madanpur Khadar Extension.

Roshan Pathak has been living here with his wife Shanti and 2 children for the last 24 years. Roshan Pathak drives a rickshaw to support his house. According to Roshan Pathak's daughter, the puja was taking place at his house on Tuesday, October 19. At the same time, his neighbour Danish entered his house and threatened to stop the puja. Danish also threatened them not to ring conch shells and bells again. He said the sound of worship disturbs his sleep. At the same time, Danish also gathered several Muslim families in the vicinity. After which all of them joined together and threatened the Pathak family not to ring bells and conch shells again.

In their complaint, the victim's family has also alleged that Danish threatened to kill the entire family. At the same time, if you do this again, threaten to lift the statue of God and throw it out. The victim's family in their complaint has also expressed apprehension of house robbery. Fed up with this, Roshan Pathak complained to the police about the incident. According to him, the police did not pay any heed to his complaint. When the Hindu organisations came to know about the matter, they strongly objected to it. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal has demanded strict action against the accused. Vinod Bansal shared the news in his tweet and wrote, 'Read Carefully - this news is not from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh but of Jihadistan flourishing in. Can't Hindus worship even at home?'

Andhra Police Seize Rs 2 Crore Worth Ganja in East Godavari's Chintoor

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New Delhi: On October 28, 2021, a major explosion occurred on the earth's side of the sun. From there came the solar storm, the coronal mass. Due to which there was a radio blackout in South America for some time. Scientists have expressed apprehension that radiofrequency may be disrupted in some other corners of the world today, October 29 and 31, 2021. This is the category X1 solar storm, i.e. it can cause bigger damage. This storm has been recorded not only by the United States but by scientific institutions in many countries of the world.

The solar dynamics observatory of NASA said it is a powerful solar storm. It's sent a wave to the U.S. Other parts of the world may see waves of charged particles emanating from the sun this weekend. More than that, the problem will be for countries or institutions whose satellites are orbiting the Northern Hemisphere. Or their communication systems are located in the northern hemisphere of the Earth.

The sun had been quiet for many years. It has been reactivated in December 2019. Its new solar cycle has started. Which is called Solar Cycle 25. A bicycle lasts for 11 years. Solar storm means the coronal mass emanating from the sun. It is quite dangerous and harmful. Scientists have recently warned that a severe solar storm will hit the earth in the future, which could lead to an Internet deluge. That is, the internet around the world may be shut down or disrupted for several days.

Nawab Malik's another controversial statement, stated Fashion TV head as drug mafia

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Colombo: Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga announced that the Sri Lankan government has approved five new airlines to operate into the country before the end of the year in order to boost tourist arrivals following the lifting of Covid restrictions. As a result, starting November 1, Sweden's Edelweiss Air will fly once a week and Russia's Aeroflot twice a week, while Air France will fly three times a week starting November 3. In addition, starting in the first week of December, AZUR Air of Russia and Neos Air of Italy will fly twice a week to Colombo, according to the Minister.

These airlines' operations into the country will be governed by strict health regulations. "The goal is to boost foreign earnings and contribute to the national economy by revitalising the tourism industry," Ranatunga said. "If the current trend continues, October will likely be the year's highest monthly arrivals," Ranatunga said. "With the relaxation of travel restrictions, there is a growing interest from international visitors to visit the country," said the Minister.

International travel had resumed following the global administration of the Covid-19 vaccine, with nearly 16,500 tourists arriving in Sri Lanka between October 1 and 24, boosting hopes for the crisis-plagued industry. According to official figures, 13,547 tourists arrived in September, bringing the total for the first nine months to over 54,768. The tourists were mostly from India, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Russia, Germany, the Maldives, Canada, France, the United States, and Indonesia.

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Kabul:The Taliban's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi urged the international community to support the removal of sanctions on the incumbent government of Afghanistan led by the group during a meeting with 14 foreign envoys, according to media reports. According to reports, the meeting took place on Wednesday in Doha.

Minister Muttaqi "explained the new Islamic government, ensuring security, ties with the international community, economic situation, sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, and the elimination of corruption" during the meeting, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

"Afghanistan is witnessing its first dominant government in 40 years," the Minister was quoted as saying at the meeting. "The international community should call on the US to lift sanctions on the Afghan people's national wealth." He added that the new Afghan government "as a responsible government" had met all of the requirements and should be recognised.

The envoys urged the Taliban to follow international rules, respect human rights, ensure safe passage to Afghanistan, and eliminate terrorism during the meeting, which was reportedly mediated by the Qatari government. The Acting Foreign Minister met with Markus Potzel, Germany's Ambassador-designate to Afghanistan, earlier on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka approves launch of five new airlines in order to boost tourism.

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United States announces additional humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.
Islamabad: A bloody clash has erupted between supporters and police of the radical outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in its Punjab province. The conflict began when talks between the Imran government and the TLP failed. TLP is demanding the release of his party chief Saad Rizvi and the expulsion of the French ambassador.

TLP had given a two-day ultimatum to the Sunday government to suffice its demands. At the same time, it warned that the capital Islamabad would be besieged if their demands were not fulfiled. Later on Wednesday, TLP marched towards Islamabad, causing clashes between police and TLP supporters at several places. Pakistan's Home Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Thursday evening that the government is in discussions with TLP. He also spoke to the party's imprisoned chief Saad Rizvi over the phone, but no agreement has been made so far.

He said, 'In connection with talks with TLP. We are not taking steps back but they are not moving forward.' The Pak government says it is ready to accept the party's first demand, including the release of Rizvi. But We are not ready to formally expel the French ambassador.

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US to give $144 million to Afghanistan!

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UN: According to the US State Department, the United States has pledged USD 144 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan "as part of our enduring commitment to the people" of the war-torn country, which is now under Taliban control. According to a statement released by the Department on Thursday, the new addition brings total US humanitarian aid to the country and to Afghan refugees in the region to nearly USD474 million in 2021, making it the largest amount of assistance from any country.

According to the Department, the funding is provided directly to independent humanitarian organisations such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international and non-governmental organisations after extensive vetting and monitoring.

"It will allow our partners to provide lifesaving protection, food security assistance, essential health care, winterization assistance, logistics, and emergency food aid in response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by healthcare shortages, Covid-19, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter," according to the statement. We will continue to support our regional partners with lifesaving assistance and protection services for Afghan refugees, as well as Afghans in need inside Afghanistan, with this new humanitarian funding." The Department went on to say.

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Kameshwar Mandal of Janakpur took his five-year-old son to a hospital in India in the 1990s. There, he was diagnosed with thalassemia, a rare hereditary disease. At that time, even the doctors of Nepal did not have any idea about this disease. Mandal shares, From a doctor in India, we learned the treatment for this disease also involves blood transfusion twice a month besides medicine.

Even though hundreds of citizens like Mandal and his son are suffering like this, the government seems indifferent about this disease and the condition of its patients. Doctors say in the long run, the governments lack of interest in hereditary diseases, which are becoming a major headache for the public health sector, will have a huge social, economic and psychological impact.

They also mention hereditary diseases are becoming a big problem for many people in Nepal as they are finding it hard to get treatment as the diagnostic laboratories and doctors themselves do not have enough information about the disease. In such a scenario, many are having no choice other than to visit the wrong doctor, hence wasting their time, money as well as life.

Blood-related hereditary diseases

According to the World Federation of Hemophilia, one in 5,000 men is born with haemophilia. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

According to a research book published by TIF Cyprus, 327 thalassemia patients are diagnosed in Nepal annually and it is estimated there are 800 patients so far. According to haematologist Dr Bishesh Poudyal, thalassemia has developed as a public health headache in Nepal.

He claims most of the patients die before they are diagnosed due to a lack of access to diagnosis. Eighty per cent of haemophilia patients with access to treatment are living with disabilities as the disease is not detected on time. For others, access to treatment is not available, he says.

Poudyal adds the abovementioned case is only one of the hereditary diseases of the blood-related group. Apart from thalassemia, patients with many other hereditary diseases in Nepal are compelled to lead a difficult life as a result of the governments neglect. Among them, haemophilia, sickle cell anaemia and many other rare blood diseases are found.

According to the World Federation of Hemophilia, one in 5,000 men is born with haemophilia. As per the World Health Organization, one in every 10,000 people has haemophilia. This means about three thousand people in Nepal may have been affected by haemophilia. But, so far, only about 700 have been identified.

This disease, which affects only men in general, has also been seen in three women in Nepal, Poudyal says.

According to a study conducted in 2016-17, 10 per cent of the population of the Tharu community suffer from sickle cell. This disease is more likely to be transmitted to children if both mother and father have it. However, if the disease is in only one person, either mother or father, the chances of transmitting this disease to the child are very low.

Poudyal says that some patients die without being diagnosed with the disease.

Thalassemia, haemophilia and sickle cell anaemia are blood-related hereditary diseases that are found in many people. Along with this, many other blood-related hereditary diseases have plagued the lives of others, informs Poudyal.

Lack of awareness among doctors

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Physical weaknesses in a woman are considered to be a reason behind not getting pregnant. But, a woman will also not conceive if the man has azoospermia, a condition in which the sperm count is either less or not present at all or not active. It is seen in 1 per cent of men of the worlds total population and in 10 to 15 per cent of men having infertility, as per the Cleveland Clinic, a world-renowned health site.

In Nepal, men with such problems waste time and money in the lack of information and proper advice about the disease and visit doctors later. Moreover, there are many doctors who are unaware of it. Hereditary disease expert Dr Neelam Thakur says she has met many patients who have wasted money and time due to the doctors lack of understanding about hereditary diseases and genetic disorders.

More than 20 women who are in good physical condition visit Thakur every year with the problem of not being able to get pregnant. After spending millions of rupees in many health institutions, they come to her and find out that they do not have any X chromosome.

Dr Dharmagat Bhattarai, arguably the first and only DM paediatric immunologist and rheumatologist in Nepal, has found children with different types of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), caused by genetic disorders that directly affect the immune system, in the course of a year after he returned to Nepal. Some of the patients are undergoing treatment, and some have died. Now, some patients come to me, saying they could not recover even after undergoing treatment multiple times. If diagnosed properly, there can be many patients with PID in Nepal.

Recently, a family with a two-year-old boy came to his clinic. The boy had been diagnosed with skin rashes and blood clots. More than a dozen doctors had examined the boy before Dr Bhattarai. The children had become weak due to a lack of diagnosis even after being admitted to the hospital several times. The family had spent millions of rupees.

In contact with Bhattarai, the family found out that he was suffering from early complement lupus (SLE). He has identified more than 200 people with such diseases in a single year.

The above incident shows how hereditary diseases are becoming a big problem. This is just an example. There are a lot of patients who die even after spending everything because their doctors dont know about the hereditary disease, he shares.

Hurdles in diagnosis and treatment

Photo by Olga Kononenko on Unsplash

According to doctors, although there are many patients suffering from different types of hereditary diseases in Nepal. Such diseases could not be diagnosed as there are no labs in Nepal that can diagnose them. Also, it is very expensive to get the services available in the existing labs.

Due to that, many patients are dying before identifying the proper treatment and due to wrong treatment even if they reach health institutions, Poudyal explains.

According to Poudyal, there is no facility in any hospital outside the Kathmandu valley to go for follow-up after the completion of the first phase of complex treatment. Patients with blood-borne diseases who have to go to the hospital every week for a long time are suffering a great deal. We are in an early stage of developing tests and treatments for hereditary diseases, but the number of patients is growing at an alarming rate, Poudyal reports.

Likewise, Dr Bina Prajapati, the first paediatric neurologist of Nepal, currently working at the Kanti Childrens Hospital, says, After finding out a disease is incurable or curable only when you have a lot of money, the relatives/ families of some patients return home with a heavy heart. Before we came here, doctors used to say that such diseases do not exist in Nepal, but now they have been found, so the development of this area is necessary.

Although a genetic lab was set up at the Bir Hospital three years ago in collaboration with the World Health Organization, not all genetic disorders are tested there. That is why many people are forced to rely on India for diagnosis.

An organisation has run a blood transfusion clinic for thalassemia patients in Kalikasthan, Kathmandu. Since the government has not made it easy for blood transfusion for the treatment of thalassemia patients, more than 175 patients regularly come to the institution run by the parents of thalassemia patients.

Patients with thalassemia cannot even buy medicines at a pharmacy easy as many of the medicines are not registered with the Department of Drug Administration. These medicines are also distributed by the same organisation. We have been forced to do this because the government has not done it. In some cases, the government has not facilitated the work done by us, says Durga Pathak, chairperson of the organisation.

Poudyal says it is time for the doctors to think a little further than the treatment they are doing. According to him, there are many types of diseases that doctors study only in books but do not pay attention to. Many types of hereditary diseases are treated by doctors as common infections and patients are suffering, he says.

Bhattarai has found many patients with hereditary diseases such as immune imbalance, hyper-inflammation, lymphoproliferative disease, and autoimmunity. Only 10 patients with PID have been found. Two of the highest-risk SCID patients have died. But many doctors still do not know about such diseases.

Lack of human resources

As the field of hereditary disease treatment in Nepal is in its initial stage, doctors admit many people do not know about hereditary diseases and there is also a shortage of human resources to deal with them.

Thakur still remembers those days when she entered the Bir Hospital after studying MSc in clinical genetics in 2012. She was discouraged by other doctors who did not have many ideas about her expertise. She says it took almost eight months to provide information about the hereditary disease at the Bir Hospital. Having worked without pay for eight months, she had to struggle to get a licence from the Nepal Medical Council.

According to her, the Medical Council did not allow her to take an exam for a licence as there was no hereditary disease specialist in Nepal before her. After five years of effort, she was able to take the examination.

The experience of Poudyal is no different. He has experiences that doctors did not believe there were hereditary diseases related to blood about seven years ago. Although the situation is different than before, there is no debate on the field of hereditary diseases due to lack of human resources, he says.

According to him, the government has not formulated any policy in this regard as there are no doctors studying hereditary diseases in Nepal. Therefore, doctors of other diseases are seeing patients with hereditary diseases. Until two years ago, there was no post on the organogram of the Ministry of Health regarding hereditary diseases.

In the only position established recently, Thakur is working at Bir Hospital. That has paved the way for other doctors to study this subject as well. But, the only one post opened is not enough, says Thakur.

Possibility of prevention

Physicians who are active in treating a variety of hereditary diseases in one form or another say although hereditary diseases are difficult and expensive to treat, there are various measures that can be taken to prevent them. For that, the government should invest in setting up a genetic lab and spreading public awareness, they view.

When a foetus is around 12 weeks old in the mothers womb, non-invasive prenatal testing can detect hereditary diseases such as Downs syndrome and muscular dystrophy. If the baby is likely to have such a long-term disease in the test, there is an option to have an abortion.

In the same way, women who have lost their children many times despite their good physical condition can find out why they lost their first child. Thakur says, Through this method, parents will be able to plan for their second child by finding out why the child was destroyed in the womb.

But, patients are suffering because people still have to rely on Indian hospitals for such tests. Dr Prajapati, says the government should make such tests in a genetics laboratory as it would be unaffordable for the common people if private labs start such tests in Nepal. Although Nova Labs has recently started testing genetics in the private sector, it is not possible to get tested there.

Many hereditary patients would be relieved if both the government and the policy sector could take the initiative to carry out the necessary tests on hereditary diseases, she says.
" " Princess Diana sits on the steps of her home at Highgrove, Gloucestershire in 1986. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

From the first time she appeared on the scene as the beautiful "Shy Di," through her "fairytale" wedding to Prince Charles, their bitter divorce and her tragic death, Diana, Princess of Wales, fascinated the world. Here are five things that you may not know about her.

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1. She Had a Brother Who Died as a Baby

Diana was her parents' third daughter, born in 1961 into the aristocratic Spencer family. She told Andrew Morton for the book "Diana: Her True Story": "It was a very unhappy childhood ... I couldn't understand why I was perhaps a nuisance to have around, which in later years I've perceived as being part of the whole question of the child who died before me. It was a son (John, who died within ten hours of his birth in 1960) and both my parents were crazy to have a son and heir. 'What a bore, we're going to have to try again.' And then comes a third daughter." Her parents later had a son, called Charles, in 1964.

2. Her Handbag Trick Foiled the Paparazzi

" " Princess Diana steps out of various cars, clutching her purse to her cleavage when necessary. Tim Graham/Tim Graham/Getty Images

One of Diana's favorite accessories designers was Anya Hindmarch, who created a clutch purse that Diana strategically displayed. "She would pop into our first shop on Walton Street, without any bodyguards, and she was very lovely, very low key," Hindmarch recalled to The Telegraph. "She always used to refer to [the Anya clutch] as her 'cleavage bag,' because she would use it when she got out of the car to protect her modesty." Indeed, you'll see several pictures of Diana with her clutch purse up by her cleavage. Kate Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge, also only carries a clutch, but for different reasons.

3. She Was Initially Terrified Around Land Mines

In the last years of her life, Diana became involved in the cause of unexploded land mines left behind from wars, which caused civilians to lose limbs after unsuspectingly stepping on them. In February 1997, she made a highly publicized documentary with the BBC where she donned protective gear and walked through a field strewn with land mines in Angola. She was accompanied by Paul Heslop, who at the time worked for an organization that removed these land mines.

"She wasn't making eye contact, and I felt that initially she was disinterested," he told the BBC in 2017. "And then, when the whole mob of journalists came off the other planes I suddenly realized why she was so nervous. And this poor woman was about to go into a live minefield, a dangerous area, in front of however many hundreds of millions or billions of people on the news, and I thought back to the first time I went into a minefield, and I was petrified."

" " Princess Diana wears protective body armor while visiting a land mine field being cleared by the charity Halo in Huambo, Angola. Tim Graham/Getty Images

In the field, the princess was shown a dummy land mine and she pushed a button to detonate it, just as Heslop's team normally did. They took great care to keep her safe. "I did not want to be on the front page of the news the next day as the man who'd blown up Princess Diana," said Heslop. A year later, after Diana's death, the U.K. ratified the international convention banning land mines.

4. The Car She Died in Was Structurally Unsafe

Diana died in Paris Aug. 31, 1997, in a car crash that has been the source of controversy ever since. Conspiracy theorists believe that her death was orchestrated, but many of the mysteries surrounding it have been solved. One involved the whereabouts of a white Fiat Uno that was driving slowly in the tunnel that Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed raced through with driver Henri Paul at the wheel. Some people wondered if the vehicle had been put there to purposely to cause Paul to lose control of the car. Police never found the vehicle, but some French journalists discovered it belonged to a Frenchman of Vietnamese origin. The man was frightened by the commotion surrounding the crash, took off, and later repainted the car red.

An even bigger revelation from the journalists was that the Mercedes Paul had been driving had instability problems, and had been written off after being involved in a major accident two years earlier. Yet somehow, the car was rebuilt and sold to a limousine company who used it to ferry guests of the Ritz hotel. Paul, who died in the crash with Diana and Al-Fayed, had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

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5. A Musical of Her Life Is Headed to Broadway

The team behind the Tony-winning show "Memphis" has created a musical called "Diana" that has attracted attention from Broadway producers. The plot mainly centers around Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and will feature all the usual suspects  including Queen Elizabeth and Charles' mistress-turned-second wife Camilla Parker Bowles. Expect lots of '80s-style music courtesy of the team's composer-lyricist David Bryan, who is also the keyboardist for the band Bon Jovi. Its debut has been pushed back several times because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now expected to premiere in November 2021. But before that, it will air on Netflix in October, in a first-of-its-kind movie.

Now That's Interesting Diana expressed compassion toward people from an early age. At her boarding school, she visited the elderly in a home once a week. "I adored that. It was sort of an introduction for bigger things," she recalled in "Diana, Her True Story."

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Originally Published: Aug 31, 2020
" " Radio broadcaster Orson Welles adapted the H.G. Wells' book 'War of the Worlds' from Victorian England to present day New England gaining new listeners for his broadcast. Public Domain/HowStuffWorks

Before his ascent to cinematic genius, Orson Welles was just a fledgling director in New Deal America. But in 1938, the man who later brought the world "Citizen Kane" caused quite a stir when his pre-Halloween radio drama struck terror in the hearts of Americans nationwide, who believed that what they heard was real.

At the time, Welles, who was just 23, was the director of a New York City-based program called "Mercury Theatre on the Air." It was a radio show featuring a renowned New York drama company founded by Welles and John Houseman (best known for his role in "The Paper Chase"). But it's most remembered for that infamous night of Oct. 30, 1938, when Welles and the troupe updated H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel "War of the Worlds" for the national radio program's Halloween episode.

Before the era of Netflix and chill, families sat in front of their radios and listened to music, the news, plays and other shows for enjoyment. In 1938, Sunday evenings were one of the most popular times for radio programming. But Welles was competing for an audience with the prime time ratings winner, a show called the "Chase and Sanborn Hour," starring ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, which also aired at 8 p.m.

That's why Welles got the idea to adapt "War of the Worlds" from Victorian England to present day New England  in hopes of reviving the story and gaining new listeners.

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The Show Began

On Sunday, Oct. 30, 1938, at 8 p.m., the broadcast began. An announcer came on the air live and said:

The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air in "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells.

Next Welles came back on the air, as always, to set the scene for the play. His introduction was followed by an official-sounding weather report that was credited to the Government Weather Bureau. Then, almost out of nowhere, the announcer tells listeners the broadcast is cutting to "the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra."

Nothing sounds out of the ordinary to radio listeners. But in actuality, everything is completely scripted and broadcast from the Mercury Theatre.

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Things Got Really Hairy

To make the broadcast sound as authentic as possible, the show was continually interrupted with a series of "news bulletins." The bulletins began suddenly, first breaking in on the orchestra music supposedly playing from New York's Meridian Room. The bulletin reported that a professor at the Mount Jennings Observatory in Chicago saw explosions on Mars. Then a second, even more official sounding news bulletin, included a "live interview" with astronomer Richard Pierson from the Princeton Observatory in Princeton, New Jersey.

What follows is the actual question and answer session between "Carl Phillips" and "astronomer Richard Pierson" that listeners heard:

Phillips: Just a moment, ladies and gentlemen, someone has just handed Professor Pierson a message. While he reads it, let me remind you that we are speaking to you from the observatory in Princeton, New Jersey, where we are interviewing the world-famous astronomer, Professor Pierson ... One moment, please. Professor Pierson has passed me a message which he has just received ... Professor, may I read the message to the listening audience?



Pierson: Certainly, Mr. Phillips.



Phillips: Ladies and gentlemen, I shall read you a wire addressed to Professor Pierson from Dr. Gray of the National History Museum, New York. "9:15 P. M. Eastern Standard Time. Seismograph registered shock of almost earthquake intensity occurring within a radius of 20 miles of Princeton. Please investigate. Signed, Lloyd Gray, Chief of Astronomical Division" ... Professor Pierson, could this occurrence possibly have something to do with the disturbances observed on the planet Mars?



Pierson: Hardly, Mr. Phillips. This is probably a meteorite of unusual size and its arrival at this particular time is merely a coincidence. However, we shall conduct a search, as soon as daylight permits.



Phillips: Thank you, Professor. Ladies and gentlemen, for the past 10 minutes we've been speaking to you from the observatory at Princeton, bringing you a special interview with Professor Pierson, noted astronomer. This is Carl Phillips speaking. We are returning you now to our New York studio.

" " Orson Welles and his troupe of actors practice for their live reading of 'War of the Worlds' on Oct. 30, 1938. Public Domain

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Martians Invaded Grovers Mill

The next "bulletin" announced more explosions on Mars, and then Welles and his theatrical troupe announced that at "8:50 p.m. a huge, flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grovers Mill, New Jersey, 22 miles from Trenton."

The same Carl Phillips and Professor Pierson (who were live at the observatory in Princeton, New Jersey) almost immediately began reporting from Grovers Mill. Phillips described the scene:

The ground is covered with splinters of a tree it must have struck on its way down. What I can see of the ... object itself doesn't look very much like a meteor, at least not the meteors I've seen. It looks more like a huge cylinder. It has a diameter of ... what would you say, Professor Pierson?

Then new characters entered the "scene:" policemen, citizens of Grovers Mill, the owner of the farm where the meteor crash landed. These citizens were gathering at the crash site to view the commotion, and began describing how they were zapped by the object's heat ray. And then Phillips again reported what he saw:

Phillips: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed ... Wait a minute! Someone's crawling out of the hollow top. Someone or ... something. I can see peering out of that black hole two luminous disks...are they eyes? It might be a face. It might be ... Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now it's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large, large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it ... Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The monster or whatever it is can hardly move. It seems weighed down by ... possibly gravity or something. The thing's raising up. The crowd falls back now. They've seen plenty. This is the most extraordinary experience. I can't find words ... I'll pull this microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop the description until I can take a new position. Hold on, will you please, I'll be right back in a minute.

Screams are heard, as are strange hissing and humming noises. Then explosions. And finally silence. A polite radio announcer said they'd lost communications with Grovers Mill and the broadcast faded to piano. Then suddenly a second announcer dropped this bombshell:

Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grovers Mill by telephone. Just a moment. At least 40 people, including six state troopers lie dead in a field east of the village of Grovers Mill, their bodies burned and distorted beyond all possible recognition...

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How Did Welles Make Listeners Believe?

By the middle of the hourlong program, hundreds of thousands of Americans had bought the hoax, believing that Martians had landed on Earth. Welles wanted panic, and that's exactly what he got. But, how did he succeed in creating mass hysteria via the airwaves? Why did a radio play intended for Halloween leave its listeners so spooked?

The broadcast's effects were attributed to two primary factors: format and timing. Welles wanted an authentic sound for the program and achieved it by creating a series of news bulletins describing the alien invasion as it was supposedly happening. The bulletins interrupted a seemingly ordinary music show to inform listeners of the invasion. More bulletins rushed in from around the country reporting martian sightings. It even included a fake "Secretary of the Interior" in Washington, D.C., who urged people to stay calm, as Martians were destroying cities.

After the broadcast supposedly cut out from CBS headquarters, an announcement finally came that the plot was only fiction. Welles intentionally withheld this reminder from the middle section of the show, so that anyone tuning in after the introduction had no idea of the hoax. For nearly 30 minutes, from the initial reports of explosions on Mars to the lost signals from Manhattan, there were no disclaimers.

He also knew when the first sketch on "Chase and Sanborn" ended, many listeners would turn their dials to his program to hear the musical interlude. Just as NBC listeners did that, they heard the reports from Grovers Mill on CBS, and had no idea that the alien invasion story was fake.

In an era when Americans believed everything they heard on the radio, many were livid upon learning of the trickery. Thousands called radio stations, police and newspapers. Many in the New England area fled their homes. While the broadcast received harsh criticism for sending people into a frenzy, the event took its infamous place in popular culture almost instantly. To this day, there are allusions, in both film and literature, to the night when Orson Welles pulled the greatest prank in the history of radio.

Now That's Crazy The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigated the "War of the Worlds" program but no law was really ever broken. In the end, all the publicity it generated for Orson Welles helped him land a huge Hollywood contract.

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Originally Published: Oct 30, 2019
In the 1940s, Bengali Muslim intellectuals sought to find a new autonomy in a comprehensive break with the texts and language of the Hindu-dominated literature of the Bengal Renaissance. But within a few years of Pakistans founding, a new generation argued that disavowing the past was not liberating and would make the case for a more complex reckoning with Bengals literary past.

In April 1971, following his escape from Dhaka to the relative shelter of a village in rural Narsingdi, Dainik Pakistan journalist Shamsur Rahman (19292006)one of modern Bengals most distinctive literary voicesresumed writing poetry. In the poem, Svadhinata Tumi (Freedom, You Are), Rahman (1972: 67) sought to work out the meaning of a word that the brutality of Pakistans military repression had endowed with immediate and inescapable significance, and famously addressed freedom itself by invoking Bengals literary past: you are Rabindranaths timeless poetry, you are his imperishable song. Throughout the war, Rahman (1972: 23) continued to underscore the significance of modern Bengali literature to Bangladeshs future, and in a number of poems surreptitiously smuggled out of Dhaka, he insisted that true freedom would bring about the denouement of Pakistans prescriptive and constraining literary protocols, and that East Bengal would no longer be a prison house for poets.
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Head to Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park for fun, free activities from October 29, 2021-March 6, 2022. Now in its 20th season, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park features skating at NYCs only free-admission ice rink, warm drinks, delicious food offerings and other holiday traditions! While still proceeding with an abundance of caution for the safety of its guests, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is thrilled to be welcoming back its most popular attractions this winter season. The open-air holiday market will be open daily through January 2, 2022, and will feature over 170 new and returning merchants. For more information, please visit: wintervillage.org
Workforce

White House: 'There's not a cliff here' when it comes to vaccine deadlines

The White House says that its "creating flexibility within the system" in terms of the vaccination mandate for feds and contractors and how those who don't comply will be disciplined. Still, Republican lawmakers say that they have remaining questions.

Feds are under orders from the Biden administration to be vaccinated by Nov. 22. Federal contractors are under a December 8 deadline. In both groups, there will be limited religious and medical exemptions.

White House coronavirus response coordinator, Jeffrey Zients, told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday that the requirements "will not cause disruption" to the economy or supply chain.

He stressed that "there are still weeks until we reach those deadlines," continuing on to say that "it's important to remember that those deadlines are not cliffs."

"Even once we hit those deadlines, we expect federal agencies and contractors will follow their standard HR processes and that, for any of the probably relatively small percent of employees that are not in compliance, they'll go through education, counseling, accommodations and then enforcement," he said.

That process would play out "across weeks, not days," he said. "And so, to be clear, we're creating flexibility within the system. We're offering people multiple opportunities to get vaccinated. There is not a cliff here. And the purpose, I think, most importantly, is to get people vaccinated and protected, not to punish them. So, we do not expect any disruptions."

Stephanie Rapp-Tully, a partner at Tully Rinckey who specializes in federal employment law, told FCW that she agrees that the upcoming deadlines are "starting lines."

"The process for removal should follow the normal removal process, which in most cases includes notice of a proposed action, time for the employee to respond, and a determination to be made and all elements, such as the reasonableness of the penalty imposed, are considered and evaluated," she explained. "The length of the process will vary not only agency to agency, but by sub-agencies, divisions, departments, etc. All disciplinary actions are supposed to be viewed in the specific context of that individual employee."

The Safer Federal Workforce task force has recommended a process for disciplining feds that don't comply with the requirement already. It includes education and counseling up to removal from service.

Top Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform want more information on the mandates and enforcement plans.

James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and Jody Hice (R-Ga.), top Republican on the Subcommittee on Government Operations, are seeking information about compliance rates and attrition from Office of Personnel Management Director, Kiran Ahuja, General Services Administration head Robin Carnahan and Shalanda Young, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget..

The two wrote that they're not satisfied with OPM, OMB and GSA's statements that the mandates will cause only minimal attrition.

"If they are wrong about attrition [of contractors or federal employees], they risk significant disruption of agency missions, major adverse consequences for workers, families and businesses and the breach of an untold number of federal contracts," they wrote.

The two also said that the mandate "may ultimately be deemed unlawful," citing a century-old Massachusetts court decision that itself actually backed a vaccine mandate but only imposed fines for non-compliance. The letter makes no reference to a raft of recent federal and state court decisions affirming the legality of COVID-19 vaccination mandates by private businesses and government entities.

Comer and Hice wrote that they're also concerned about how the administration will handle authorized exceptions, saying that "insistence on allowing extremely few exemptions is also troubling."

So far, there's "no indication how many employees will be denied exemptions and reasonable accommodations," Rapp-Tully said. So there's also no indication as to how many unvaccinated will be fired. The "scope of noncompliance" with the mandate also isn't evident yet, she said.

Comer and Hice asked for more information about the mandates by Nov. 10, ranging from the number of feds who are vaccinated to internal documents and communications tracking employee terminations due to vaccination status.
Cybersecurity

Federal cyber leaders assess TMF awards

Chris Inglis takes a question during a Naval Academy cybersecurity event May 2, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Jon Quinlan)

Top federal cyber leaders convened this week to review a series of awards recently announced through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) as part of an initiative to promote cross-agency projects supporting cybersecurity and IT modernization efforts.

National Cyber Director Chris Inglis said he co-chaired the meeting on Wednesday to take a hard look at ongoing projects supported by the fund after the TMF Board announced $311 million in new awards in late September, focusing on zero trust cybersecurity projects and cross-government technology programs.

Inglis was joined at the meeting by Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, as well as Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly and Chris DeRusha, federal chief information security officer for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The TMF is at a pretty good place when it comes to how the money has been used so far following a $1 billion investment in the American Rescue Plan, Inglis said on Thursday at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But were spending as much time to think about the doctrinal ... enduring, enterprise-wide capabilities that well build into that, he added, so we achieve coherence that then helps us manage this more efficiently and with more effectiveness.

His comments came shortly after it was reported by the Washington Post that Inglis had appointed DeRusha to serve as his deputy for federal cybersecurity. DeRusha will also remain in his current role as the federal CISO, merging his budgetary and cybersecurity responsibilities as the TMF Board and government agencies increasingly focus their investments on cybersecurity plans and modernization efforts.

A former deputy director of the National Security Agency, Inglis was appointed as the inaugural national cyber director by the Senate in June of this year. Last month, he told an audience at the Reagan Institute that one of his primary responsibilities would be ensuring "roles are preassigned and the muscle memory is healthy and well" when it comes to new processes for addressing federal cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Each of the projects announced by the TMF Board included a focus on modernization and cybersecurity, including Login.gov, the General Service Administration's cross-government identity management solution. The project was awarded a record $187 million to help scale the service, reduce barriers for adoption and attract larger agencies, a GSA spokesperson previously told FCW.
(Adds details, comment)

By Yoruk Bahceli

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Yields on Southern European government bonds surged on Friday as money markets pulled forward bets on European Central Bank rate hikes to next July amid growing uncertainty over the central bank's policy stance.

At the ECB's Thursday meeting, its president Christine Lagarde disappointed expectations of a firm pushback against the recent pricing of two ECB rate hikes in 2022 -- at odds with the bank's economic outlook.

Money markets now price a 10 basis-point rate rise in July 2022 and two full hikes by October 2022, raising the question of what implication this might carry for the bank's bond-buying programme.

"The ECB clearly doesn't trust its own inflation forecast. And neither does the market, as (overnight index swaps) pricing makes so painfully obvious," said Arne Petimezas, analyst at AFS Group.

Reuters quoted sources on Thursday as saying ECB policymakers had discussed the risk that inflation, currently at 13-year highs, would remain above the ECB's target in 2022. They were also split about whether it would ease in 2023.

Bloomberg News meanwhile said Lagarde's perceived soft approach was a result of the ECB governing council advising her to stop short of saying that bets on a rate hike are wrong.

On Friday, October's euro zone inflation reading meanwhile came in well above expectations at 4%, alongside better-than-expected GDP growth.

Policymakers exacerbated the jitters, suggesting persistently high inflation would mean the bank can't maintain large bond purchases and negative interest rates for long, and that it should not make a long-term commitment to continuing asset purchases.

Greek and Italian bonds, among the biggest beneficiaries of ECB stimulus, bore the brunt of the selling, as Thursday's policy decision maintained the ECB will end bond-buying -- the main factor capping Southern European borrowing costs -- shortly before it hikes rates.

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If the market reckons the ECB can raise rates next year, "the read-across is that they would have brought purchase programmes to a close at that point," said Richard McGuire, head of rates strategy at Rabobank.

Greek 10-year yields jumped over 25 bps to 1.33% while Italian equivalents rose nearly 20 bps to 1.18%, both reaching the highest since July 2020 in their biggest daily jumps since the height of the pandemic last year.

The risk premia they pay over German equivalents was at the highest since November.

Germany's 10-year yield, the euro area benchmark rose to the highest since May 2019 at -0.064%.

Inflation-adjusted, or real bond yields led the market moves.

Germany's 10-year real yield, which had been at a record low on Wednesday even as markets ramped rate hike bets, rose 23 bps in the biggest jump since March 2020. It rose to -1.727%, the highest since July.

Italy's 10-year inflation-adjusted has surged 42 bps over the last two sessions.

The sharp real yield rise pushed a gauge of euro zone inflation expectations down over 10 bps, below 2% for the first time in a week.

"There comes a time when the market prices such a hawkish central bank that it has to also price inflation expectations further out the curve going lower, thinking that... you won't get such a possibility of inflation running out of control," said Peter McCallum, rates strategist at Mizuho in London.

(Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; Editing by Saikat Chatterjee, Angus MacSwan and Sujata Rao)
OLDWICK, N.J., October 29, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issue Credit Rating (Long-Term IR) to "bbb+" (Good) from "bbb" (Good) on the $4,695,000 Class B 10.00% Fixed Rate Asset Backed Notes, Series 2008-3, issued by 321 Henderson Receivables V LLC (the issuer), a special purpose Nevada limited liability company. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term IRs of "aaa" (Exceptional) on the $74,646,000 Class A-1 8.00% Fixed Rate Asset Backed Notes, Series 2008-3 and the $9,389,000 Class A-2 8.00% Fixed Rate Asset Backed Notes, Series 2008-3, issued by 321 Henderson Receivables V LLC. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The issuer was formed for the purpose of acquiring receivables from an affiliate; conducting activities required for the maintenance and servicing of the receivables; creating trust and/or other entities for the purpose of securitizing the receivables; issuing securities related to the securitization; and organizing other activities incidental to the performance of the aforementioned items.

Proceeds from the issuance of the notes, along with contributed equity capital, were used to purchase a pool of structured settlement and annuity receivables (receivables) from the affiliate and to fund the initial reserve requirement. The initial pool of receivables consisted of 1,844 contracts totaling approximately $189.2 million in payment obligations from 107 insurance companies. Nearly all of the receivables were pursuant to a court order. A structured settlement describes an arrangement between a claimant and a defendant, which results in compensation to the claimant who has settled a claim, primarily arising from a personal injury lawsuit with the defendant. The compensation arrangement provides for a payment to be received by the claimant over time, usually in the form of an annuity payment issued by an insurance company. A settlement receivable represents the purchase of all or a portion of a claimants right to receive scheduled settlement payments, thereby providing liquidity to the claimant whose structured settlement no longer meets his/her particular life circumstance.

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The upgrade of Class B notes reflects the improvement of its credit enhancement. The overall rating actions reflect qualitative and quantitative considerations, including default probabilities that are derived from stochastic modeling that incorporates the default probability of the insurance carriers providing the annuity payments and the assumed recovery rate on the cash flows in the event of a carrier default. The modeling of the transaction incorporates updates on the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of the insurance carriers; the financial data required for modeling purposes; and remaining collateral information, including the reduced payment obligations of Guaranty Association Benefits Company, a not-for-profit captive insurance company formed for making payments to the payees and certificate holders of the liquidated Executive Life Insurance Company of New York.

The ratings and the outlooks could be affected negatively if one or more of the following occurs: a reduction in the remaining scheduled payments; deterioration of the Long-Term ICR of the remaining insurance carriers; an increase in the level of the write-off activity; and a breach in ongoing surveillance or compliance benchmarks. However, the rating and the outlook of the Class B notes could be upgraded if there is significant improvement on the underlying cash flows.

These are structured finance ratings.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office

responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005504/en/

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David Mautone

Financial Analyst

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5765

david.mautone@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

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Senior Financial Analyst

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Director, Communications

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FILE PHOTO: The logo for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia adorns their head office in central Sydney

(Reuters) -The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said on Friday the country's largest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia had pleaded guilty to 30 criminal charges for mis-selling consumer credit insurance between 2011 and 2015.

Scrutiny of Australian lenders and financial institutions has ramped up significantly since a Royal Commission inquiry in 2018 found widespread shortcomings in the sector, forcing companies and regulators to take swift action.

Last month, the securities regulator said CBA had promoted and sold certain policies as an add-on insurance product to 165 customers by telephone and online.

"The bank is no longer selling the products and the 165 customers affected had been compensated," a CBA spokesperson in an emailed statement said, adding that the company had fully cooperated with the ASIC during its investigation.

The news follows a similar civil lawsuit by ASIC against Australia's no.2 lender Westpac Banking Corp in April for selling consumer credit insurance to customers who had not agreed to buy it.

ASIC is conducting a wider review into consumer credit insurance sales between 2018 and 2019 by as many as 11 banks, and has slapped Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and National Australia Bank with similar lawsuits and scrutiny.

CBA has also been hit by multiple lawsuits this year, after having been sued for underpaying its staff earlier this month.

(Reporting by Yamini C S in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the pioneer of online platform learning in Indonesia, Cakap continuously gives the best learning experience for its users through the quality of the teachers. From its success in Batch 1 a few months ago, Cakap Teacher Academy, a digital teaching training program, is back for Batch 2. This also strengthens Cakap's position as a technology education company in Indonesia that has empowered more than 1000 local and global teachers.

Cakap Teacher Academy Presented Batch 2, Empowering Thousands of Indonesian and Global Teachers

Tomy Yunus, The CEO and Co-Founder of Cakap stated, "In line with our mission to elevate people's lives in Indonesia through equal access to quality education, we are committed to presenting competent and professional teachers. Furthermore, we are also grateful to have our platforms trusted by teachers from various backgrounds as well as countries and cultures, such as from Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Japan, and also South Korea to have joined the Cakap platform. Seeing the need to increase the competence of teachers in foreign language education, we present the Cakap Teacher Academy Batch 2 program as a real step to improve the competence of teachers who can directly improve the competence of human resources in the country."

Rachmadi Widdiharto, Director of Primary Education Teachers, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia stated, "The teacher's role is the spearhead for educational transformation. This becomes very important for every party in the field to support the empowerment of teachers and educators. We appreciate Cakap as one of the digital platforms that puts concern about the development of teacher competencies in Indonesia which has an impact on the quality of Indonesian education through the Cakap Teacher Academy program. We hope that this empowerment effort will continue and extend to all regions of Indonesia."

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia as the main institution in the field of education in Indonesia will also continue to empower teachers with various initiatives. One of the programs currently being run by the Ministry of Education and Culture is the Program Guru Penggerak. The program is a leadership education program for teachers to become learning leaders. This program includes online training, workshops, conferences, and 9 months of mentoring for future aspiring teachers.

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In accordance with the government's goals, Cakap Teacher Academy also has the same mission to encourage teachers and educators in Indonesia to be more digital-savvy. Cakap Teacher Academy, which was launched a few months ago, has successfully empowered teachers and some of them have succeeded in joining the Cakap teaching team. This program is a certification program that directly provides training to increase the capacity and competence of teachers in teaching students.

Yoshua Yanottama, Cakap Senior Education Manager, explained that "The cutting-edge learning system will be the key to the curriculum in our program. This program will bring 2 main competencies: communicative teaching techniques and the use of technology through Cakap Interactive Self-Paced Learning. The curriculum is based on more than 6 years of online learning experience at Cakap combined with best practices in language teaching. That way, this program will be relevant for those who are just about to enter the world of teaching as well as those who are experienced but want to renew their teaching skills."

English is the largest class program in Cakap, and that is why currently Cakap Teacher Academy focuses on teaching English. Cakap sees the need for empowerment of ESL teachers who have more value in teaching English to people who do not use English as their primary language. The same background makes ESL teachers have more value in applying lessons that are more suitable for the character of their students. In this case, students with minimal knowledge of English can more easily understand English lessons.

"In the future, we hope that Cakap will continue to be committed to empowering teachers in Indonesia through various programs. We also hope that in the future Cakap Teacher Academy can empower teachers from various fields of science," closed Tomy.

For further information, please contact:

Titi Husnul Khotimah

Sr. Public Relations

Ph: +62 81290868924

Email : titi.khotimah@cakap.com

About Cakap

Cakap is a startup company that develops online learning applications with two-way interaction among students and professional teachers through video calls and text conversations. Our proprietary education platform enables two-way learning interactions for life skills learning across Asia Pacific. Available on Google Play and App Store to reach different segments of students, because everyone deserves a quality education. CAKAP provides educational solutions with international standard learning curricula to provide the best online learning experience. #MakinCakap

SOURCE Cakap
Carnival Spirit and Legend Reflagged to Bahamas Registry

NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The celebrations on the inaugural cruise for Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras continued today in Nassau as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and Captain Vincenzo Alcaras welcomed Bahamas Prime Minister The Honourable Philip Brave Davis, members of his cabinet and local officials aboard for a tour and luncheon meeting. The ship, flying the Bahamian flag, is a symbol of Carnival's commitment to The Bahamas, and is carrying more than 4,300 guests who enjoyed various shore excursions and activities during the day-long visit.

From Left to Right: Domenico Rognoni, Senior Vice President of Compliance, Carnival Cruise Line; Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line; Bahamas Prime Minister The Honourable Philip Brave Davis; Micky Arison, Chairman, Carnival Corporation & plc.

"We are thrilled to be visiting Nassau with our flagship Mardi Gras and welcoming Prime Minister Davis and his leadership team aboard," said Duffy. "Carnival has a longstanding relationship with The Bahamas and we look forward to working closely with the Prime Minister and his cabinet as we continue to restart ships in our fleet, bring more guests to The Bahamas, and demonstrate our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit."

Carnival also announced today that it has reflagged two additional vessels, Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit, to Bahamian registry, bringing the total number of vessels registered in the country to six.

"We value our business relationships across The Bahamas whether our investments in destinations and facilities such as the Grand Bahamas Shipyard, the local tourism and excursion partners that employ many Bahamian citizens, or the Bahamas Maritime Administration that shares our commitment to safety and environmental protection. We're proud and honored to continue to expand the number of ships we have registered here," said Domenico Rognoni, senior vice president of compliance for Carnival Cruise Line. "The Bahamas' insight, cooperation and professionalism in all aspects of our business play a key role in our maritime operations."

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Carnival Legend is scheduled to replace Carnival Pride in Baltimore resuming year-round operations Nov. 14, 2021, while Carnival Spirit, based in Australia, is on a pause in guest operations through February 2022. Mardi Gras, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Sensation and Carnival Sunshine are the other Carnival ships registered in The Bahamas.

Mardi Gras was christened during a "Universe of Fun" celebration on Oct. 23 in Port Canaveral, Fla. The celebration marked the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry's restart this summer.

Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas to be powered by eco-friendly Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and features BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea. Mardi Gras is sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, offering seven-day itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean, stopping in Nassau every other week.

For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.

ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

Carnival Cruise Line is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line with a total of 24 ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports and employing more than 40,000 team members from 120 nationalities. The line resumed cruise operations July 3, 2021 while its newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, featuring the first roller coaster at sea and the first in the Americas powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., July 31, 2021. As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival Celebration, sister ship to Mardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as a third as-yet-unnamed XL-class ship in 2023.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carnival-cruise-line-welcomes-bahamas-prime-minister-during-mardi-gras-stop-in-nassau-301412272.html

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line
HONG KONG, OCTOBER 1: Students hold Chinese national flags as they attend a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China at a school in Hong Kong on October 1, 2021. (Photo by Miguel Candela/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

With tourists stranded at vacation spots, major cities under lockdown and whole train-loads of passengers placed in quarantine, Chinese authorities have enlisted vast swaths of the population to track down and smother the country's third outbreak of the delta variant this year.

On Friday, the National Health Commission reported 48 symptomatic coronavirus infections from local spread, bringing the number of confirmed cases from the latest outbreak to more than 300 people across 14 provinces.

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In many countries, those kinds of numbers would be untroubling or even a cause for celebration. But not in China, which remains steadfastly committed to eliminating the virus while most of the world shifts toward mitigation.

The arrival of the more transmissible delta variant in China earlier this year only served to strengthen the Chinese Communist Party's confidence in its "zero covid" approach and pride in its ability to mobilize the masses to stamp out outbreaks.

Now, authorities have once again launched something akin to a nationwide manhunt to restrain the virus by tracking down the transmission chain and quarantining anyone with exposure - no matter how fleeting and irrespective of whether they had been vaccinated.

Video: Why mask meltdowns occur and how to handle them

On Thursday, authorities halted two high-speed trains traveling to Beijing because of a single passenger on each who was deemed a close contact of a confirmed case. Despite no one on board being confirmed as a carrier, all of the nearly 350 passengers were put in centralized quarantine.

Chinese state media has released maps with bright red dots showing every city or town where cases have been confirmed, as well as intricate flowcharts with a jumble of arrows to illustrate transmission.

In a bright red square at the center of one map sits Ejin Banner, a northeastern county of 36,000 bordering Mongolia, where one of the longest chains of infections began. Since the first cases were confirmed, more than 10,000 tourists have been stranded in Ejin, a popular destination in the Gobi known for picturesque red-leaved desert poplars in the fall.

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The Inner Mongolia government on Thursday said it would strive to get everyone home within three to five days, if they were proven healthy, using a system of end-to-end management to ensure they remain under observation on arrival.

Although the Chinese authorities have largely been successful in securing public buy-in for the elimination approach, it is not always popular in places where lockdowns have repeatedly disrupted daily life, such as Ruili, a border town in southwestern Yunnan that has endured five lockdowns this year.

After Ejin Banner, lockdowns were also imposed in Lanzhou, a northwestern city of 4 million and the capital of Gansu province, and the northeastern Heihe, a border town adjoining Siberia, where neighborhood committees prevent outsiders from entering residential compounds and villages.

In practice, containment measures often vary significantly across regions, with some local authorities focusing on theatrical but ineffective measures like using drones to spray disinfectant, often releasing promotional videos of their efforts.

Some of the strictest measures have been implemented in Beijing, which is preparing to host a meeting of top Chinese Communist Party leaders as well as the Winter Olympics in February. In areas of the capital deemed to be at risk, public transportation has been curtailed and tourism halted.

Local authorities have also meted out severe punishments for those who fail to comply with containment measures, with Beijing police on Wednesday announcing 19 criminal investigations over individuals suspected of violating epidemic-related laws.

In one case featured in state media, a trucker driving a cargo of frozen goods into the city from neighboring Hebei province was detained along with his company manager after police discovered they had forged a negative coronavirus test.

"At the time we were in a rush to deliver the goods and didn't realize this was such a serious matter," the driver's boss said in an interview with a local television channel. "We cased trouble for everyone. I hope you can all not do as we did and respect epidemic control policies."

In case the message was unclear, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday released an interview with a Beijing-based lawyer in which he explained that failure to follow coronavirus protocols could constitute "endangering public safety in dangerous ways" - a crime, he added, that carries the death penalty.

- - -

The Washington Post's Pei Lin Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.

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PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dawn L. Farrell has been appointed to the Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) ("PGE" or the "Company") board of directors, effective January 1, 2022.

"We are pleased to welcome Dawn to the PGE Board," said Jack Davis, chair of the PGE's board of directors. "Dawn's considerable experience in the electric sector during a time of intense regulatory changes, increased competition and technological advances, as well as her leadership in the transformation of a carbon base company into a leading clean and renewable focused company will support our own transformation."

Farrell comes to PGE with more than 35 years of energy industry experience with TransAlta and BC Hydro. Farrell was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta) since 2012, before retiring in March of this year. Prior to serving as CEO, she held a variety of executive leadership positions at TransAlta and British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority (BC Hydro) including leading the commercial operations and development at TransAlta and generation and engineering at BC Hydro.

Farrell holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Arts in Economics, both from the University of Calgary. She attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

Farrell serves as the lead director of The Chemours Company and is a board member of Canadian Natural Resources, Limited. She also serves as a member of the Trilateral Commission and is the Chancellor of Mount Royal University. Ms. Farrell has held past board positions including the Business Council of Canada and the Alberta Business Council.

Farrell will serve on the Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee and Finance Committee.

About Portland General Electric Company

Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves approximately 900,000 customers with a service area population of 2 million Oregonians in 51 cities. PGE owns 16 generation plants across Oregon and other Northwestern states and maintains and operates 14 public parks and recreation areas. For over 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future, with goals of achieving at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and 100% reduction in GHG emissions by 2040. In 2021, PGE became the first U.S. utility to join The Climate Pledge. In 2020, PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated $5.6 million and volunteered 18,200 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For the eighth year in a row PGE achieved a perfect score on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. For more information visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/news.

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Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the company's investments in projects that advance its decarbonization strategy and other sustainability goals as well as other statements containing words such as "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon," and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: demand for electricity; the sale of excess energy during periods of low demand or low wholesale market prices; operational risks relating to the Company's generation facilities, including hydro conditions, wind conditions, disruption of fuel supply, and unscheduled plant outages, which may result in unanticipated operating, maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement power costs; failure to complete capital projects on schedule or within budget, or the abandonment of capital projects, which could result in the Company's inability to recover project costs; the costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those that govern emissions from thermal power plants; changes in weather, hydroelectric and energy markets conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of purchased power and fuel; the development of alternative technologies; changes in capital and credit market conditions, which could affect the access to and availability of cost of capital and result in delay or cancellation of capital projects or execution of the Company's strategic plan as currently envisioned; the outcome of various legal and regulatory actions; general economic and financial market conditions; severe weather conditions, wildfires, and other natural phenomena and natural disasters that could result in operational disruptions, unanticipated restoration costs, or liability for third party property damage; cyber security breaches of the Company's customer information system or operating systems, data security breaches, or acts of terrorism, which could disrupt operations, require significant expenditures, or result in claims against the Company; PGE business activities are concentrated in one region and future performance may be affected by events and factors unique to Oregon; and widespread health emergencies or outbreaks of infectious diseases, which may affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Source: Portland General Company (POR)

Media Contact:

Mike Houlihan

Corporate Communications

Phone: 503-504-9706

Investor Contact:

Jardon Jaramillo

Investor Relations

Phone: 503-464-7051

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SOURCE Portland General Company
JINAN, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 28th, Dialogue with Shandong 2021- Germany-Shandong Industry Cooperation and Exchange Seminar got underway in Jinan. People from a wide range of sectors from Germany and Shandong gathered to promote inter-government dialogue, industry linking and project cooperation, and to write a new chapter in a history of friendly cooperation.

The site of the themed seminar

Li Ganjie, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, attended the Seminar and took the opportunity to meet with Martin Wansleben, CEO of DIHK, and Ansgar Kriwet, Member of the Management Board Sales of Festo. A number of people delivered speeches at the Seminar, and these included: Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor; Gao Yan, Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT); Stephan Weil, Minister President of Lower Saxony of Germany; Melanie Huml, Deputy Minister President and Minister of State for European and International Affairs of Bavaria of Germany; Frank Ruckert, Charge d'Affaires of Embassy of the Germany in China; and Shi Mingde, President of the China-Germany Friendship Association. In addition to introducing the major development strategies of Jinan, Qingdao and Shandong to attendees in the context of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Seminar included expert discussion groups and cooperative experience-sharing sessions.

Dialogue with Shandong 2021- Germany-Shandong Industry Cooperation and Exchange Seminar was co-hosted by the People's Government of Shandong Province, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and DIHK. With the theme 'Strengthening Cooperation in Innovation and Seeking Industrial Development', the event included thematic workshops, a series of industry linking meetings, and on-the-spot discussion meetings. The seminar was conducted both online and offline.

More than 50 German institutes and enterprises came to Shandong to attend the event. Among them were more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, among them Siemens, Volkswagen, and Festo, as well as many lower-profile industry leaders. The industry exchange and linking meetings included four sessions: Sino-German Scientific and Technological Innovation, High-end Equipment Manufacturing, Building Energy Conservation, and Environmental Protection Technologies.

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Several industries in Shandong Province and Germany are complementary and as such, there are close economic and trade exchanges. Germany is Shandong Province's largest trading partner in the European Union. From January to September 2021, Shandong Province's total amount of import and export trade with Germany amounted to CNY49.93 billion, up 18.3% YoY.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=405773

Caption: The site of the themed seminar

Cision

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SOURCE China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council
DUBLIN, October 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Europe Sickle Cell Anemia Market and Competitive Landscape - 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Europe Sickle Cell Anemia Market and Competitive Landscape - 2021, provides comprehensive insights into Sickle Cell Anemia pipeline, epidemiology, market valuations, drug sales, market forecast, drug forecasts, and market shares.

This research analyzes and forecasts Sickle Cell Anemia market size and drug sales. It also provides insights into Sickle Cell Anemia epidemiology and late-stage pipeline.

This research covers the following - Sickle Cell Anemia treatment options, Sickle Cell Anemia late-stage clinical trials pipeline, Sickle Cell Anemia prevalence by countries, Sickle Cell Anemia market size and forecast by countries, key market events and trends, drug sales and forecast by countries, and market shares by countries.

The research scope includes the countries Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Europe (EU5 Countries).

Research Scope:

Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Europe

Sickle Cell Anemia pipeline: Find out drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia by development phase 3, phase 2, by pharmacological class and company

Sickle Cell Anemia epidemiology: Find out the number of patients diagnosed (prevalence) with Sickle Cell Anemia by countries

Sickle Cell Anemia drugs: Identify key drugs marketed and prescribed for Sickle Cell Anemia in the US, including trade name, molecule name, and company

Sickle Cell Anemia drugs sales: Find out the sales value for Sickle Cell Anemia drugs by countries

Sickle Cell Anemia market valuations: Find out the market size for Sickle Cell Anemia drugs in 2020 by countries. Find out how the market advanced from 2018 and forecast to 2026

Sickle Cell Anemia drugs market share: Find out the market shares for key drugs by countries

Benefits of this Research:

Evaluate commercial market opportunities for Sickle Cell Anemia drugs

Synthesize insights for business development & licensing

Track market size, competitor drug sales, market shares in Sickle Cell Anemia market

Develop in-depth knowledge of competition and markets

Analyze Sickle Cell Anemia drug sales data to update your brand planning trackers

Develop tactics and strategies to take advantage of opportunities in the market

Track Market Events and Trends and analyze key events in Sickle Cell Anemia market

Develop forecast models, healthcare frameworks, or economic models

Answer key business questions; supports decision making in R&D to long term marketing strategies

Key Topics Covered:

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1. Sickle Cell Anemia Treatment Options

2. Sickle Cell Anemia Pipeline Insights

2.1. Sickle Cell Anemia Phase 3 Clinical Trials

2.2. Sickle Cell Anemia Phase 2 Clinical Trials

2.3. Sickle Cell Anemia Phase 1 Clinical Trials

3. Sickle Cell Anemia Epidemiology Analysis by Countries

4. Germany Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

4.1. Marketed Drugs for Sickle Cell Anemia in Germany

4.2. Germany Sickle Cell Anemia Market Size & Forecast

4.3. Germany Sickle Cell Anemia Drugs Sales Forecast

4.4. Germany Sickle Cell Anemia Market Share Analysis

5. France Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

6. Italy Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

7. Spain Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

8. UK Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

9. Europe Sickle Cell Anemia Market Insights

10. Research Methodology

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yriyjk

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005848/en/

Contacts

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(Bloomberg) -- The company that runs the worlds largest and most controversial social network has a new name. The reactions ranged from like to angry emoji face.

Most Read from Bloomberg

On Thursday, Facebook Inc. co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg led a 90-minute video presentation about the companys efforts to build out an immersive digital world known as the metaverse. He capped it off by sharing that his company will henceforth be known as Meta. Its social media servicesInstagram, WhatsApp and Facebook itselfwill keep their names, but starting in December the company will begin using the stock ticker MVRS.

Many observers took to the internet to weigh in on the nameofficially Meta Platforms Inc., in full. Even Twitter Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey, who sometimes obliquely critiques his larger rival, offered his thoughts:

Robert Scoble, a virtual reality enthusiast renowned in Silicon Valley for being photographed wearing Google Glass in the shower, said on Twitter that it was the "wrong company to sell us the future." Another tweet Scoble surfaced referred to Zuckerberg's presentation as buzzword vaporware.

Others active in virtual reality work were less dismissive. Matthew Ball, a strategist and co-leader of the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, which lists on the NYSE as $META, said Facebook's new name is suited for the seismic shift in computing the social network wants to lead. This isnt a New Coke situation, Ball said. Were not talking about a new product, but a belief in a fundamentally new plane of human existence.

He is not upset that Zuckerberg and company lifted the same name. It's a prefix, he said. You can't trademark a prefix.

Story continues

Still, others embraced a parallel with cigarette maker Philip Morris, which changed its name to Altria in 2003. Facebook is following in the footsteps of Big Tobacco after the industry was exposed for its toxic and deadly impact on society, Mike Davis, president of the Internet Accountability Project, a Facebook critic, said in a statement. Philip Morris got caught preying on kids, so they became Altria. Facebook got caught preying on kids, so they became Meta.

U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat of New York, replied similarly:

Its not the first or most radical major corporate rebranding. Some attempts landed better than others. Many renames occurred as the companies, like Facebook, were confronting severe criticism, political pressure and backlash from damning internal documents.

Phillip Morris, of course, changed its name in an attempt to divert public perception from tobaccoits main businessand toward its food products. Verizon Communications Inc.itself created in a rebrand of the company formed in the merger of telecom companies Bell Atlantic and GTErenamed its AOL and Yahoo properties as Oath, only to re-rebrand them two years later to Verizon Media. Perhaps most infamously, Tribune Publishing Co. in 2016 became Tronc, a mashup of the words Tribune and online, hoping to signal a modernization for the internet age, but that produced so much mockery and ridicule that the publisher changed its name back within two years.

In 2015, Google created a new parent conglomerate, Alphabet Inc., to separate its profitable internet business from its costly futuristic enterprises. Google's co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, also used the opportunity to appoint a successor to run Google, and eventually retire. Zuckerberg doesn't seem to be doing that. When analyst Ben Thompson asked him if he would appoint a CEO for the Facebook app, in an interview posted on Thursday, Zuckerberg said he still care[d] deeply about the social media part of what we do. Luc Wathieu, a professor of marketing at Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business, said Facebooks new name might help it create some psychological distance from its problems with consumers, though he was skeptical of that strategys effectiveness, or whether that was even the point. Im not sure that it will reduce any of their current problems, he said. They are still built the same way.

In a note, Robert W Baird & Co. Inc. analyst Colin Sebastian viewed Zuckerbergs presentation as lackluster compared to another famous tech demo. In 2007, Steve Jobs actually presented an iPhone, Sebastian wrote. We'll have to wait longer for the metaverse.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
DUBLIN, October 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Coal Power Generation Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Pulverized, Cyclone Furnaces), By Application (Residential, Commercial & Industrial), By Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2020-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global coal power generation market demand to reach 2,228.32 GW by 2028 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.6% from 2020 to 2028

Strong energy demand is expected to drive the coal industry to generate electricity. Coal is a key material for electricity generation owing to its abundant availability and low cost. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in stagnated growth of industrial activities around the globe owing to lockdown measures imposed in most countries, which has reduced the demand for new coal-based plants for power generation in industrial sectors.

Its demand from prospective industrial customers is expected to be on the lower side on account of funds that were previously allotted for industrial development but were diverted to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Pulverized coal firing is traditionally the most widely used technology over cyclone furnaces or others due to higher thermal efficiency and lesser emissions.

The factors, such as high emission rate, are expected to cater to the growth of Cleaner Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) systems with 1.0% CAGR over the forecasted period in comparison with the traditional technologies.

Uniper SE plans to end the commercial production of electricity of its Heyden 4 hard coal power plant in Germany by January 2021 and close the plant completely by July 2021. In October 2019, NTPC announced that it installed two 660 MW units at the Tanda and Khargone super thermal power generation stations.

The availability of raw material is a key factor that affects any production process, controls its setup, and helps drive market growth. In the case of coal-fired power generation, coal is utilized as an energy source and is a major raw material used for power production.

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Coal Power Generation Market Report Highlights

In terms of volume, the pulverized coal systems segment accounted for the maximum volume share in 2020 and is further expected to witness prominent growth over the forecast period.

The residential application segment dominated the market and accounted for more than 56% of the volume share in 2020.

In 2020, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest volume share of more than 74.5% and will retain the leading position throughout the forecast period.

The presence of well-established players in India, Japan, China, and South Korea is anticipated to provide further impetus to the APAC regional market growth.

On the other hand, Middle East & Africa is estimated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1 Methodology & Scope

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Market Definitions

Chapter 4 Market Variables, Trends & Scope

4.1 Market Size and Growth Prospects

4.2 Industry value chain analysis

4.3 Coal power generation Market Dynamics

4.3.1 Market Driver

4.3.1.1 Availability of raw material in abundance

4.3.1.2 Presence of coal-based economies primarily in the Asia Pacific region

4.3.2 Market Restraint Analysis

4.3.2.1 Growing Demand For Electric Power Through Clean Energy Sources

4.3.3 Opportunity Assessment

4.4 Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping

4.5 Regulatory Framework

4.6 Business Environment Analysis: Coal Power Generation Market

4.6.1 Industry Analysis - Porter's

4.6.2 PESTEL analysis

4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Coal Power Generation

4.7.1 Challenges

4.7.2 Impact Verdict - Medium

Chapter 5 Coal Power Generation Market: Technology Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1 Coal Power Generation market share by technology, 2020 & 2028

5.1.1 Pulverized Coal Systems

5.1.2 Cyclone Furnaces

5.1.3 Others

Chapter 6 Coal Power Generation Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1 Coal Power Generation market share by application, 2020 & 2028

6.1.1 Residential

6.1.2 Commercial & Industrial

Chapter 7 Global Coal Power Generation Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis

7.1 Global Coal Power Generation Market: Regional Movement Analysis, 2020 & 2028

Chapter 8 Company Profiles

Uniper SE

CHINA SHENHUA

China Huadian Corporation LTD. (CHD)

China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd.

American Electric Power Company, Inc.

Dominion Energy

Jindal India Thermal Power ltd.

RWE

NTPC Ltd.

Southern Company

KEPCO Engineering & Construction Company. INC

Duke Energy Corporation

TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD

STEAG GMBH

YONDEN Shikoku Electric Power CO.,Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8pucxz

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005750/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

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State and local officials took swift action in 2020 to ensure voters could access the polls with mail ballots and alternative voting options in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result was a safe, secure, fraud-free election with the highest voter turnout in 100 years.

But instead of lauding election officials for their work under difficult circumstances, state Republican politicians across the country chose to scapegoat them and pass laws limiting their ability to respond to changing circumstances while threatening them with significant criminal sanctions to keep them in line. In some cases, Republicans stripped their state election officials of their powers entirely.

These new laws were all inspired by former President Donald Trumps lie that the successful changes implemented by state and local election officials led to widespread election fraud in 2020. Republicans at all levels of government have refused to challenge the former president after his lies led to an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Instead, theyve taken up his fight.

There is absolutely no question that this is a reaction to the 2020 election and the Big Lie that somehow the election wasnt legitimate, said Lawrence Norden, an elections lawyer with the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit that backs voting rights. Theres no question about that.

The limitations on election officials, the new rules making it harder to vote, and the introduction of vague criminal penalties scaring people away from working the polls or running for a local election administration office are all a part of Trumps ongoing campaign to delegitimize elections across the country.

Its driving thousands into retirement, said Adrian Fontes, the former top elections official for Maricopa County, Arizona, and a Democrat now running for Arizona secretary of state. Its a less safe environment because of the mounting threats. Its had a significantly negative effect. And its because Donald Trump doesnt believe in democracy and neither do his supporters.

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Making It Harder To Make It Easier To Vote

Republicans targeted election officials' discretion to allow absentee voting, including the use of ballot drop-boxes, after the 2020 election. (Photo: John Locher/Associated Press)

The restrictions on election officials fall into a handful of categories, according to Norden. First, there are the restrictions on doing things that were done in 2020 to make it easier, he says.

Republicans in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas and Texas banned or limited local officials from sending mail-in ballot applications to voters who dont request them. Officials in Florida can no longer send mail-in ballots to voters who didnt specifically request them. In Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Indiana, local election officials are now limited in their ability to place and run mail-in ballot drop boxes. Iowa, Montana and Texas all placed limits on the hours and locations of polling sites. And Georgia banned mobile voting sites, while Texas forbids drive-thru voting locations.

In each case, its in reaction to how the particular thing impacted the 2020 election, Norden said.

Texas bans on mailing absentee ballot applications, drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting sites came after Harris County, a large metropolitan area that is home to Houston and has trended heavily to Democrats in recent elections, deployed all three policies during the 2020 election to try and protect voters from the pandemic while maintaining their access to the polls.

In 2020, Georgias state board of elections voted to allow counties to deploy drop boxes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sent out mail-in ballot applications to all voters for the June 9 primary (although not the general election). The four big counties in the metro Atlanta area  Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett  set up 111 drop boxes to collect mail ballots for the general election. But now, the GOP-run state legislature has limited them to just 23 drop boxes.

A lot of these restrictions can be argued against with common sense, Fontes said. What happens if a legislature prevents a local election official from moving an early voting location? What happens if a church serving as a polling site burns down? Local election officials have to be able to run the election.

I dont think there is any question that this is meant to chill the ability of election officials to do outreach to their voters and to ensure their voters can cast ballots.Lawrence Norden, elections lawyer with the Brennan Center for Justice

These new limits on local election officials could be rolled back if Congress passes the Freedom to Vote Act, a package of voting rights, redistricting and campaign finance reforms. By setting a national standard for voter access, the bill would not only prevent states from blocking local election officials who seek to ease voter access, but would actually require officials to increase access.

However, the law is currently stalled because all 50 Republican senators voted to filibuster it. There are also lawsuits filed in state and federal courts challenging all of these laws.

Stripping Officials Of Power

The second way that GOP-run states have limited election officials is to strip them of their power to run elections or threaten them with criminal sanctions.

In Arizona, Republicans stripped the authority to oversee elections from Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, and gave it to Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, for the 2022 election. In Georgia, the legislature booted Raffensperger from a seat on the state board of elections for the 2022 elections after he refused Trumps entreaties to find enough votes to overturn the states 2020 election results.

Notably, the Arizona and Georgia Republican legislatures only stripped their secretaries of state of their election oversight roles through 2022, when both offices are up for election. In each case, there are Republicans running for the office who openly embrace Trumps election fraud lies and could regain election oversight authority in time for a third Trump presidential run, if they win.

Republicans in Kansas and Kentucky also placed new limits on their Democratic governors ability to issue election-related emergency orders connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Georgia, Republicans made it easier to purge local officials and replace them on a partisan basis. There is already a preliminary effort to purge election officials in Fulton County, the states most populous county and home to Atlanta, and replace them with people more amenable to the Republican-run legislature.

Republicans in Texas banned drive-thru voting in 2021 after Harris County officials used it to help people vote safely in 2020. (Photo: David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

In Iowa, Republicans didnt directly strip local election officials of their ability to run elections but chose instead to hang the threat of criminal sanction and fines up to $10,000 over their heads. County auditors, who run local elections and have had some discretion in implementing election rules in the past, must now solely follow guidance from the Iowa secretary of state or face potential criminal penalties.

I dont think there is any question that this is meant to chill the ability of election officials to do outreach to their voters and to ensure their voters can cast ballots, Norden said. And to just scapegoat them for election results that some voters might not like and make them villains.

For Roxanna Moritz, the former Scott County auditor and an Iowa Democrat, the new law threatening fines and criminal charges for technical infractions was the last straw. Already burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic, the lies about election fraud that began long before Trump lost the 2020 election and the constant threats from Trump supporters targeting her and her office, Moritz decided to retire despite winning reelection for a fourth time in November.

Moritz is currently under investigation for approving $3 extra pay per hour for election workers without getting approval from Scott Countys board of supervisors during the crush of the pandemic in 2020. While working 75-80 hour weeks, she said, she forgot to inform the board of a pay raise for the smaller pool of workers who still signed up to work during the pandemic. Under the new law, its possible Moriz could face significant sanction for boosting workers pay without notice to the board, although the law does state that misconduct must be willful.

It was really hard to leave the way that I left, Moritz said. I had just got reelected and I feel like I let my constituency down by doing what I did. But I was not prepared, if I made an honest mistake, being taken to the woodshed and possibly being fined $10,000 and charged with a felony.

More election officials may look for the door, Moritz believes, as Republicans continue to scapegoat them and as the harassment they face keeps mounting.

As soon as anyone gets charged, it will be the end of anyone wanting to step forward just in case they make a mistake, Mortiz said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
FILE PHOTO: A Huawei logo is seen on a cell phone screen in their store at Vina del Mar

By David Kirton

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Revenue of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd plummeted 38% in the third quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, with U.S. sanctions having hobbled its smartphone business and new potential growth areas still in their infancy.

The Chinese telecoms giant posted revenue of 455.8 billion yuan ($71.32 billion) for the first three quarters on Friday, down by almost a third on the same period a year earlier, with a profit margin of 10.2%.

Revenue for the third quarter alone came to 135.4 billion yuan, based on Reuters calculations.

Performance was "in line with forecast", said rotating Chairman Guo Ping.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump put Huawei on an export blacklist in 2019 and barred it from accessing critical U.S.-origin technology, impeding its ability to design its own chips and source components from outside vendors.

The restrictions have badly hurt Huawei's handset business, with rotating Chairman Eric Xu saying in September that revenue from smartphones would dip by around $30 billion to $40 billion this year.

While Huawei did not break down its third quarter figures by business segment, the company said that the decline is mainly attributable to its consumer business.

Huawei occupied 8% of China's smartphone market share in the third quarter, down from 30% a year earlier when it was the market leader, according to Counterpoint Research.

On the other hand, Honor, formerly a sub-brand which Huawei sold to keep it alive last November, sold 96% more phones in the same quarter compared to a year earlier, grabbing a 15% share of the China market, Counterpoint said.

Huawei is looking to develop new growth revenue streams outside of base station infrastructure and handsets, with a cloud business, and smart ports, mining and smart electric vehicles businesses.

In June it launched its Harmony operating system on smartphones, and is looking to supply software to autos companies.

Story continues

But these new lines will take some time to bear fruit, executives said.

The company, however, has received a boost from the return of its chief financial officer and daughter of its founder Ren Zhengfei. Meng Wanzhou returned to work at its headquarters on Monday after almost three years fighting extradition to the U.S. in Canada, with Chinese officials signalling the case against her had been dropped to help to end a diplomatic stalemate.

($1 = 6.3910 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by David Kirton; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0975 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of October 12, 2021, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on October 1, 2021, and payable on October 29, 2021. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period: October 2021



Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.0975

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable October 29, 2021, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.





For the period 10/1/2021-10/31/2021

For the fiscal year-to-date period

11/1/2020-10/31/2021 1 Source

Current

Distribution ($)

% Breakdown

of the Current Distribution

Total Cumulative

Distributions ($)

% Breakdown

of the Total

Cumulative

Distributions Net Investment Income

0.0585

60%

0.9163

78% Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains

0.0000

0%

0.0310

3% Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains

0.0131

13%

0.1909

16% Return of Capital or Other Capital Source

0.0259

27%

0.0306

3% Total per common share

0.0975

100%

1.1688

100%

















Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on September 30, 2021

6.48%





Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2021

8.10%





Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through September 30, 2021

21.12%





Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2021

8.09%



________________________ 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2020, and will end on October 31, 2021.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

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The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the October 2021 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0975 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Effective October 1, 2021, copies of all notices informing shareholders of distributions made by the fund in excess of accumulated net investment income will be posted on John Hancock Investment Management's public website (jhinvestments.com) and on the Legal Notice System (LENS), a service offering of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) accessible by broker-dealer firms. To the extent required, notice may also be provided via press release. John Hancock Investment Management will continue to distribute paper copies of these notices by mail until March 30, 2022, after which date the notices will be delivered exclusively via the methods described above.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and as Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups, and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.2 trillion (US$1.1 trillion) as of June 30, 2021. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.

One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and education savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

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SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management
By Mei Mei Chu

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Malaysia plans to relax restrictions on the entry of migrant workers in the second half of 2022 in order to ease a pandemic-induced labour crunch and boost output in the palm oil sector, a government report said on Friday.

Output in the world's second largest producer of the ubiquitous vegetable is expected to fall to multi-year lows in 2021 after border restrictions designed to curb the coronavirus outbreak halted the entry of workers from countries like Indonesia, India and Bangladesh.

The sector is expected to rebound next year, however, in anticipation of the improved production of palm fruit bunches and a better oil extraction rate, according to the government's 2022 economic outlook report, which was released ahead of Malaysia's budget announcement on Friday.

"The continuation of the national B20 biodiesel programme for the transportation segment, along with higher demand of crude palm oil from India and China, are expected to further support the production of crude palm oil," the report said.

Malaysia is reliant on around 330,000 documented migrant workers to turn its abundant palm oil into everything from ramen to chocolates and lipstick. (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by James Pearson)
Top Glove, the world's largest producer of medical gloves, has slashed its fundraising target in Hong Kong in its second attempt to sell shares in the world's third-largest capital market.

The Kuala Lumpur-based company would raise between HK$3.68 billion and up to HK$4.24 billion (US$545 million) inclusive of an overallotment option through an initial public offer (IPO) in Hong Kong, according to Top Glove's statement to Bursa Malaysia before filing its preliminary listing document in Hong Kong today .

"After taking into account the prevailing share price of the company and the funding requirements of the group, the board has resolved to revise the proceeds to be raised from the proposed issuance," Top Glove said in its filing to the Malaysian bourse.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Top Glove delayed its first Hong Kong IPO attempt in August, originally slated for US$1.9 billion, more than a year after the United States banned imports of its personal protection equipment, citing evidence of forced labour practices at its factories. The ban was lifted on September 10, after US authorities "had determined upon additional information that Top Glove's products were no longer being produced by forced labour," according to a statement.

That did not help Top Glove's shares in Kuala Lumpur, which plunged 57 per cent between the US ban and its rescission, wiping out 36.6 billion ringgit (US$8.8 billion) in market value over 14 months. The company, along with the air ventilator maker Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, were among the biggest winners during the Covid-19 pandemic, as worldwide demand for personal protection equipment (PPEs) and medical devices soared.

A dual primary listing in Hong Kong would help broaden Top Glove's investor base, enabling it to reach new institutional investors including Chinese funds and wealth management investors, said the company, whose shares are traded in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

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This was not Top Glove's first revision. The company cut its fundraising target to about US$1 billion in April before its listing application lapsed in August.

Source: KPMG. SCMP Graphics alt=Source: KPMG. SCMP Graphics

Top Glove now plans to issue up to 793.5 million new shares, or 9 per cent of its enlarged issued share capital, just about half the 1.5 billion shares it had originally hoped to sell in February. Top Glove said the reduction was intended to minimise dilution to existing shareholders' stakes.

It plans to use the net proceeds to more than double its production capacity to 201 billion pieces by 2025, from 100 billion pieces. It will build six factories, adding to the 37 plants it already has globally, most of which are in Malaysia.

Top Glove also plans to allocate about HK$10 million to strengthen its "corporate governance framework with a particular focus on improving its labour practices," in line with international labour organisations' standards, it said in the filing.

CICC is the sole sponsor of the deal. The company's IPO plan is now subject to approval by the listing committee of the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited, the operator of the city's bourse.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 29, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Norda Stelo wins the award for sound governance in the 2021 Fideides competition.

Alex Brisson, president and CEO (CNW Group/Norda Stelo)

The Fideides competition is a recognized and highly regarded event among the business community in the greater Quebec City and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions. It acknowledges companies that have distinguished themselves during the year through their exceptional business performance.

Norda Stelo, a 100% Quebec-owned company, has succeeded, with the help of an ambitious strategic plan and sound governance, in reinventing itself at a time when the consulting engineering and construction industry was experiencing an unprecedented confidence crisis throughout Quebec. By relying on the redefinition of its values, the quality of its employees, the development of high-level expertise and differentiating services, Norda Stelo can proudly shine again.

In order to qualify in the sound governance category, the company must have distinguished itself by having adopted one or more recognized governance practices over the past three years, including in relation to risk management, performance measurement, sustainable development or social responsibility.

"Our team is both delighted and honored to have won this prestigious recognition. The crises of the past few years, including the pandemic, have forced us to reinvent ourselves and corporate governance has been central to our transformation," said Alex Brisson, President and CEO of Norda Stelo inc.

About Norda Stelo Inc.

Norda Stelo was formed in Quebec in 1963. The firm operates 17 offices across Canada and supports its clients wherever they may evolve, having deployed projects in more than 50 countries for both public administrations and private and industrial sectors.

Norda Stelo has developed a multidisciplinary expertise in the implementation of urban infrastructure and transportation projects (road, port, railways and public transportation), as well as projects within the manufacturing, mining and energy sectors.

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The company's strong suit is based on its team, and every day it strives to "Mobilize collective intelligence to serve the sustainability of its partners' assets, the communities and the planet".

SOURCE Norda Stelo

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RIGA, Latvia, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Is Ukraine a difficult neighbor or a future partner for the EU? Open Europe Virtual Congress experts tried to find the answer during an online event on October 26.

Open Europe: Experts try to find out what Ukraine is for the EU: a difficult neighbor or a future partner

The discussion facilitated by Ruslan Pankratov, leader the Latvian "Ricibas" political party, was joined by representatives of 5 countries: ex-member of Bundestag Waldemar Herdt (Germany), Luis Marinelli, who ran for California's governor office in 2020 (USA), ex-vice mayor of Vilnus Algirdas Palezkis (Lithuania), political scientist and the president of "Peter the Great" foundation Valery Dvoinikov (Belgium), director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies Dragana Trifkovich (Serbia).

Valery Dvoinikov started off elaborating on the context in which russophobia was being actively promoted in the EU, and that laid the foundations for the following chaos around Ukraine. The main problem, according to Dvoinikov, lies in the troubled relations between Russia and the USA, and the destructive policies targeting Eastern Europe. His suggestion was for France to use its diplomatic potential for conflict resolution instead of causing more escalations.

Algiras Palezkis, who had to stand trial in Lithuania for "denying Soviet occupation", continued by adding that 30 years ago the Baltic states presented themselves as mediators, diplomats able to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern Europe due to their history, culture and geographical location. And now they ended up not just stepping away from that role, but moreover, becoming the frontline, and having their governments behave in a very provocative way. The same mistake is repeated by Ukraine: instead of reinforcing its strengths it has lost common sense following external orders rather than the interests of its people.

Waldemar Herdt had a clear answer to the key event question, stating that Ukraine cannot be a partner for the EU anytime soon as it will require a lot of investment to restore from the chaos it is in at the moment. That investment is a commitment given by the EU to be able to impose its own standards and vision. Ukraine at the moment is governed by a team that ignores the interests of its own people, putting them in danger, ruining the country's economy. The war in the southeast will continue until they are the ones benefiting from it, and those mainly are the Ukrainian government that can use it to justify its own weakness and incompetence, and its American puppeteers interested in destabilization next door to Russia. Following this madness the EU has already lost more than 170bln because of sanctions. European Union was founded as a union of sovereign states, nowadays it dictates more regulations than Moscow used to do at any point of Soviet history. "Brussels want to regulate everything in the EU: from the width of cucumbers farmed to the length of vacuum cleaners produced" - Waldemar says.

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Luis Marinelli expressed his opinion saying that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is fueled externally, but the extremes it has got to are a complete nonsense.

Dragana Trifkovich compared the current events in Ukraine to Yugoslavia of the 1990s, noting that a very similar "divide and conquer" scenario is being used. She said that she witnessed the events in the Southeast of Ukraine in 2014-2015 and the powerful propaganda in EU trying to present the situation is an extremely distorted way.

Experts still remain optimistic saying that it could still be possible to build the Big Europe as a common economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok if European countries acted as sovereign entities securing the best interests of their peoples.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1672882/Open_Europe.jpg

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SOURCE Open Europe
POINT to host inaugural educational event highlighting radiopharmaceuticals, their therapeutic benefit, and commercial considerations on Dec 6, 2021  register online at https://hub.pointbiopharma.com/dec2021



INDIANAPOLIS and TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POINT Biopharma Global Inc. (NASDAQ: PNT), a company accelerating the discovery, development, and global access to life changing radiopharmaceuticals, and Kinectrics Inc., a leading service provider to the nuclear power and electricity industry, announced today a long-term supply agreement for Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) to support POINTs in-house no-carrier added Lutetium-177 (n.c.a. Lu-177) production program.

Radiopharmaceuticals that use modern medical isotopes like Lu-177 are much easier for patients to access, as they can be administered outside of hospitals without an overnight stay. The administrative burden on clinics can also be reduced by using n.c.a. Lu-177, that does not contain long-lived radioactive impurities present in other versions of Lu-177, which may require clinics to keep patients on-site longer and implement additional costly radiation safety measures. For these reasons, whenever POINT uses Lu-177 in a program, only n.c.a. Lu-177 is utilized.

The input material for creating n.c.a. Lu-177 is Ytterbium-176 (Yb-176): a stable isotope precursor that is irradiated in nuclear reactors, producing Lu-177 through neutron activation. Currently, the production of all n.c.a. Lu-177 depends on a complex and very limited global supply chain. With this agreement with Kinectrics, POINT is laying the groundwork to access large quantities of highly enriched Yb-176, creating the worlds first, stable North American supply of n.c.a. Lu-177, thereby establishing POINT as a dependable provider of high-quality radiopharmaceuticals.

Ensuring a secure, redundant and consistent isotope supply is a cornerstone of POINTs radiopharmaceutical platform, said Dr. Joe McCann, CEO of POINT Biopharma. Our integrated Lu-177 isotope supply chain is a rarity in the industry allowing us to advance our pipeline and positions us as a future leader in the commercial supply of these treatments. Kinectrics deep experience in nuclear physics and engineering makes them an ideal partner to supply stable isotope precursor for our manufacturing processes.

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Creating a North American supply of Yb-176 is critical to safeguard the supply-chain for Lu-177, said David Harris, CEO of Kinectrics. Following the creation of Isogen, our joint venture with Framatome that is focused on commercial isotope production at Bruce Power, we saw it fitting to expand our investments to include stable isotope enrichment. Kinectrics is uniquely positioned to apply our international capabilities in engineering, physics, and chemistry to develop state-of-the-art stable isotope enrichment technologies. This new investment will create a long-term, scalable solution, and we are excited to support POINTs rapid growth and strong pipeline of Lu-177 therapies, and to bring together the innovations of two great companies.

This agreement is a positive development for health care globally as patients across the country and around the world rely on the continuous availability of medical isotopes, said James Scongack, Bruce Powers Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President of Operational Services. It comes at a time when we work to solidify Canadas position as a global isotope powerhouse through virtual trade missions to Europe and the United States which will allow us to leverage Canadas existing nuclear infrastructure and supply chain to explore opportunities for multi-lateral collaboration with a goal of ensuring a reliable and stable supply of life-saving medical isotopes.

To learn more about n.c.a. Lutetium-177 as well as other medical isotopes, attend POINTs inaugural educational day on Dec 6, 2021  register online at https://hub.pointbiopharma.com/dec2021.

About Kinectrics

Kinectrics is an integrated life cycle management services company providing testing, inspection, certification and engineering consulting to the electric power generation, transmission and distribution markets worldwide. Kinectrics helps keep the electricity industry's new construction projects and existing operations running smoothly through its independent laboratories, a diverse fleet of field inspection equipment and an award-winning team of over 1,000 engineers and technical experts. From concept to completion Kinectrics partners with customers to ensure that utility assets perform safely, reliably and efficiently throughout their life cycle. www.kinectrics.com

About POINT Biopharma

POINT Biopharma Global Inc. is a globally focused radiopharmaceutical company building a platform for the clinical development and commercialization of radioligands that fight cancer. POINT Biopharma Global Inc. is combining a portfolio of best-in-class radiopharmaceutical assets, a seasoned management team, expertise in radioisotopes such as Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177), and industry-leading manufacturing capabilities and supply chain to revolutionize theragnostic drug development and radioligand commercialization. Learn more about POINT Biopharma Global Inc. at https://www.pointbiopharma.com. Information about POINT Biopharma Global Inc.s Phase 3 SPLASH trial for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients can be found at https://www.splashtrial.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: may, will, could, would, should, expect, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, project, potential, continue, ongoing or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the benefits of the recently completed business combination, as well as statements about the potential attributes and benefits of New POINTs product candidates and the format and timing of New POINTs product development activities and clinical trials. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to be accurate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results, including, among others, the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against New POINT following the closing of the business combination, the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations, the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of New POINT to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees, the impact of COVID-19 on New POINTs business, the ability to maintain the listing of New POINTs common stock on the NASDAQ, changes in applicable laws or regulations, the possibility that New POINT may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in RACAs definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on June 9, 2021. Most of these factors are outside of New POINTs control and are difficult to predict. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Company Contact:

Ari Shomair

media@pointbiopharma.com

(647) 812-2417

Investor Relations Contact:

Alex Lobo

Stern Investor Relations

investors@pointbiopharma.com




Dangerous travel as early season snow blankets parts of Alberta

Friday was not a day to be driving through the mountains to or from Alberta, which is seeing some significant snowfall Friday at higher elevations, with some totals also possible as far down as Calgary. Snow continues through to early Saturday morning in some places. Behind this snowy system, widespread cooler temperatures will span the Prairies this weekend, with daytime highs struggling to climb over the freezing mark. While not unusual for this time of year, this will be by far, the coldest weather of the season to date. More on the significant chill, plus a look at Friday's swath of snow, below.

MUST SEE: How spooky is your Halloween forecast? Here's what to expect Sunday

FRIDAY NIGHT: BRACE FOR TRICKY TRAVEL WITH SOME OF THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT SNOW OF THE SEASON SO FAR

Pacific moisture is streaming over the Rockies into Alberta, combining with cool temperatures to bring loads of snow at the mountain peaks and higher elevations, with even some flakes expected as far down as Calgary.

A stream of Pacific moisture is once again pointed at B.C., and while it manifested there as very heavy downpours, and snow at that province's higher elevations, there was plenty left over to spill across the Rockies into Alberta.

"Totals will be elevation dependent, with 20-40+ cm possible for the higher terrain. There will be a tight gradient along and west of the QE2, where totals will climb from near 5 to over 15 cm," says Michael Carter, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.

In Calgary, accumulations will range from 5 to 10 cm through early Saturday.

ABSnow (4)

Snowfall warnings are in place for some of the mountains and foothills, some the first of this season, and periods of dangerous travel remain likely through the night.

"Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions," says Environment and Climate Change Canada in the snowfall warning. "Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance."

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RELATED: When should you switch to winter tires? Provincial breakdown, here

WEEKEND: SIGNIFICANT CHILL SETTLES IN BEHIND THE SNOWY SYSTEM

The snow finally eases during the pre-dawn hours on Saturday, as high pressure moves back into the region and sweeps the skies clear.

Temperatures will fall significantly, with cities like Calgary and Edmonton even struggling to crack the freezing mark. Overnight lows will fall deep into negative territory.

"This could lead to snow accumulations sticking around for a while in areas that see heavier totals," says Carter.

ABSaturday

Be sure to check back for the latest updates on this snowy system for Alberta.
The new resort comprises part of The Red Sea Project, one of the world's most ambitious regenerative projects, covering 28,000 square kilometers on Saudi Arabia's west coast, comprising 16 resorts, a marina and a championship 18-hole golf course. Foster + Partners will design the "Coral Bloom" concept for Shurayrah Island where SLS Red Sea will be located.

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SLS Hotels & Residences, a brand from Ennismore, in collaboration with The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), which spearheads the development of The Red Sea Project, today announced SLS Red Sea will open its doors in Q1 2023. The project will bring 150 hotel rooms including 12 suites and 15 villas spanning over 800,000 square feet of single story accommodation. The property will feature expansive one, two, three and four bedroom Pool Villas each with ample space and the privacy afforded with one's own private swimming pool. Ennismore's top culinary and mixology experiences including Seabird, Fi'lia and Floating World will ensure this phenomenal new property speaks to the most discerning guests. The Ciel Spa, a state of the art fitness center and Altitude Pool along with a ballroom for special occasions and meeting rooms complete this distinguished offering.

Recreation & Wellness at SLS Red Sea

SLS is part of Ennismore, a creative hospitality company rooted in culture and community, with a global collection of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Ennismore is a joint- venture with Accor, formed in 2021

Chadi Farhat, SLS Brand COO & Head of Middle East & Asia Pacific states, "We are happy to announce SLS Red Sea in collaboration with John Pagano and his team at The Red Sea Development Company. We are excited to be working with architect Piero Lissoni again to deliver our signature SLS experience at this stunning property. We truly believe that once open, the property will be a highly sought-after destination for global travelers and locals alike with its exclusive spa, lounge and culinary concepts."

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John Pagano, Group CEO, The Red Sea Development Company, "We are pleased to partner with Ennismore & Accor for the launch of these three prestigious brands, the Fairmont, Raffles and SLS. The Red Sea Project aims to deliver a unique barefoot luxury experience to our guests, and the name Accor has become synonymous with luxury the world over. We are proud to have these prestigious brands at the development and look forward to working together to set a new global benchmark in regenerative luxury tourism. This is truly a milestone moment for the brands, for TRSDC and for the Kingdom"

The property's opening and involvement in this exceptional new development is a testament to the SLS Hotels & Residences brand's long-standing experience in delivering unforgettable, experiential and timeless experiences.

The Red Sea Development Company has an uncompromising commitment to protect and enhance the natural, historical and cultural environments that will make this destination unique. Leading the global transition towards regenerative tourism, the project is going beyond sustainability to have a regenerative impact on not only the environment, but also on society and the economy too. 22 islands will be developed, leaving 75 percent of the islands untouched and only 1 percent of the entire destination will be developed. Nine islands will be designated as special conservation zones to protect the species that live and thrive there. Part of The Red Sea Project's regenerative approach will be achieved by exploring new technologies, such as 3D coral printing and coral farming processes to boost coral populations. Additionally, the project is investigating suitable carbon sequestration techniques to help reduce the overall carbon footprint, such as marine algae farms, expansion of seagrass and mangrove habitats and mechanical trees, as well as sustainable drinking water production technology.

Architectural design for the property is led by London based Foster + Partners who designed the "Coral Bloom" concept for the resort, which will be operated by 11 international hotel brands including SLS. Shurayrah Island forms the hub island of The Red Sea Project and is inspired by the island's natural state, with each of its hotels designed to give the impression that they have washed up on the beaches and nestled among the dunes like driftwood. The resorts on Shurayrah will be created using lightweight materials with a low thermal mass and manufactured offsite, meaning more energy efficient construction and less impact on the environment. Interior Design is being handled by Milan and New York based Lissoni + Partners.

This news comes on the heels of the recent opening of the first SLS property in the Middle East, SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences.

ABOUT SLS HOTELS & RESIDENCES

SLS is the home of an extraordinary experience coupled with a playful ambiance. Culinary artistry, theatrical interiors, subversive design touches and unexpected indulgences are at the heart of every SLS property. Collaborations with leading developers, architects, designers and chefs allow SLS to continue anticipating, innovating and shaping the future of luxury lifestyle living. With seven properties in Beverly Hills, Miami, Bahamas, Cancun, and Dubai, SLS is set to open two additional properties in Puerto Madero, Argentina and Scottsdale by 2023. Learn more at SLSHotels.com .

SLS is part of Ennismore, a creative hospitality company rooted in culture and community, with a global portfolio of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Ennismore is a joint- venture with Accor, formed in 2021. ennismore.com

ABOUT THE RED SEA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) was incorporated as a standalone entity on 10th May 2018, to spearhead the development of The Red Sea Project, and is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. TRSDC is also developing a second luxury destination on the Red Sea coast, AMAALA, that will create a unique tourism destination where people and nature thrive in harmony.

The Red Sea Project is one of the world's most ambitious regenerative projects, covering 28,000 square kilometers on Saudi's west coast, the destination will offer a new type of barefoot luxury experience for visitors from around the world.

The destination will be developed to the highest standards of sustainability. Including an archipelago of more than 90 untouched natural islands, as well as dormant volcanoes, desert, mountains and cultural sites, the project will deliver new levels of service excellence, using technology to enable a seamless personalized experience that will position Saudi Arabia on the global tourism map.

Media Contacts

Emily Venugopal, Emily@bacchus.agency

Cara Chapman, Cara@bacchus.agency

Rebecca Cousins

Director  PR & Communications

The Red Sea Development Company

Rebecca.Cousins@theredsea.sa

SLS Red Sea

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sls-announces-sls-red-sea-in-collaboration-with-the-red-sea-development-company-in-q1-2023-301410948.html

SOURCE SLS
Press release - Paris, October 29th, 2021

Notification of crossing of threshold at SMCPs share capital by the Trustee of the exchangeable bonds issued by European TopSoho S.a.r.l.

The Company has taken note of the declaration of crossing of threshold filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers) by GLAS, in its capacity as Trustee under the bonds exchangeable into SMCP shares issued in September 2018 by European TopSoho S.a.r.l.1, a subsidiary of the Shandong Ruyi group. As part of this declaration, GLAS indicates, following the failure to redeem these bonds at their maturity date on September 21, 2021, having taken possession of part of the underlying SMCP shares representing 29% of the share capital and 22.3% of the voting rights of SMCP. GLAS also indicates that as a result of the enforcement of the share pledge, a receiver has been appointed, in charge of selling all of the pledged shares to a third party.

By a letter dated 28 October 2021, GLAS has also asked to the Board of directors of SMCP to convene a General Meeting of shareholders the agenda of which shall be the change in the composition of the Board of directors, notably through (i) the dismissal of all Board members representing TopSoho S.a.r.l./Shandong Ruyi and (ii) the appointment of four new independent Board members.

SMCP will convene its Board of directors in the coming days, in order to examine this request and the consequences of this threshold crossing.

SMCP reminds that this situation does not affect its own financings and operations. Value creation for all of the Group's stakeholders (shareholders, employees and other partners) is at the heart of the company's strategy. SMCP and its teams remain fully committed to the implementation of the One Journey strategic plan to 2025.

ABOUT SMCP

SMCP is a global leader in the accessible luxury market with four unique Parisian brands: Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and Fursac. Present in 43 countries, the Group comprises a network of over 1,600 stores globally and a strong digital presence in all its key markets. Evelyne Chetrite and Judith Milgrom founded Sandro and Maje in Paris, in 1984 and 1998 respectively, and continue to provide creative direction for the brands. Claudie Pierlot and Fursac were respectively acquired by SMCP in 2009 and 2019. SMCP is listed on the Euronext Paris regulated market (compartment A, ISIN Code FR0013214145, ticker: SMCP).

Story continues

CONTACTS

INVESTORS/PRESS SMCP BRUNSWICK Mathilde Magnan Hugues Boeton Tristan Roquet Montegon +33 (0) 1 55 80 51 00 +33 (0) 1 53 96 83 83 mathilde.magnan@smcp.com smcp@brunswickgroup.com





1 See Declaration 221C2914 dated 29 October 2021, available on the French Financial Markets Authoritys website

Attachment




Today, on 29 October 2021, AS Tallinna Vesi held an investor conference webinar where the Management Board Members Chief Executive Officer Aleksandr Timofejev and Chief Financial Officer Kristi Ojakaar introduced the performance of the 3rd quarter and nine months of 2021.



We thank all the participants. Webinar recording is available here and the presentation is available here.

AS Tallinna Vesis financial results for the 3rd quarter and nine months of 2021 in more detail are available here.





Laura Korjus

Head of Communications

Tallinna Vesi

(+372) 626 2271

laura.korjus@tvesi.ee




U.S. lawmakers vote to tighten restrictions on Huawei, ZTE FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with a Huawei logo is seen in front of U.S. flag in this illustration

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to approve legislation to prevent companies such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd or ZTE Corp that are deemed security threats from receiving new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators.

The Secure Equipment Act, the latest effort by the U.S. government to crack down on Chinese telecom and tech companies, was approved last week by the U.S. House on a 420-4 vote, and now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

"Chinese state-directed companies like Huawei and ZTE are known national security threats and have no place in our telecommunications network," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said.

The measure would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing or issuing new equipment licenses to companies on the FCCs Covered Equipment or Services List."

In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks.

The affected companies included the previously designated Huawei and ZTE, as well as Hytera Communications Corp, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.

The FCC in June had voted unanimously to advance a plan to ban approvals for equipment in U.S. telecommunications networks from those Chinese companies even as lawmakers pursued legislation to mandate it.

The FCC vote in June drew opposition from Beijing.

The United States, without any evidence, still abuses national security and state power to suppress Chinese companies," Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson at China's foreign ministry, said in June.

Under proposed rules that won initial approval in June, the FCC could also revoke prior equipment authorizations issued to Chinese companies.

A spokesperson for Huawei, which has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, declined to comment Thursday but in June called the proposed FCC revision "misguided and unnecessarily punitive."

Story continues

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the commission has approved more than 3,000 applications from Huawei since 2018. Carr said Thursday the bill "will help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into Americas communications networks."

On Tuesday, the FCC voted to revoke the authorization for China Telecom's U.S. subsidiary to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
DUBLIN, October 29, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "New Zealand Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The New Zealand data center market size by investments is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.12% during the forecast period 2021-2026.

The report considers the present scenario of the New Zealand data center market and its market dynamics for 2021-2026. It covers a detailed overview of several growth enablers, restraints, and trends in the market. The study includes the demand and supply aspects of the market.

New Zealand ranks 1st in the "Ease of Doing Business" Survey conducted by the World Bank in 2020 and an emerging data center market in APAC, with local players currently dominating the market. Auckland is the prime location for data center investments in New Zealand, hosting the maximum number of data centers. The internet penetration in New Zealand was over 94%, which was one of the highest in the APAC.

This report analyses the New Zealand data center market share. It elaboratively analyses the existing and upcoming facilities and data center investments in IT, electrical, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standards. It discusses market sizing and investment estimation for different segments.

NEW ZEALAND DATA CENTER MARKET OUTLOOK

New Zealand is an emerging data center colocation market in APAC and is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period.

Increased demand for cloud and colocation services in New Zealand triggered investments by Microsoft, AWS, and other hyperscale service providers. Auckland is the primary data center hub in New Zealand, hosting around 40% of the existing data centers.

The introduction of the 5G network in New Zealand in March 2021 is likely to increase data center investments. Vodafone and Spark have already launched a 5G network, and 2degrees is likely to launch 5G later in 2021.

Story continues

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and New Zealand colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in New Zealand by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country.

A detailed study of the existing market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the data center market size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in New Zealand

Facilities Covered (Existing): 33

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 04

Coverage: 10 Cities

Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)

Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in New Zealand

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2026)

Retail Colocation Pricing

Wholesale Colocation Pricing

The New Zealand data center market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting.

A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

The launch of advanced technologies such as AI, ML, and robotics and the commercial deployment of 5G network across the country in 2021 will attract more investment during the forecast period.

Microsoft, a hyperscale operator, has announced the opening of a cloud region, likely to be operational in 2022. AWS has announced its AWS Asia Pacific (Auckland) cloud region and is expected to be operational in 2024.

NEW ZEALAND DATA CENTER MARKET VENDOR LANDSCAPE

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hitachi Vantara

Huawei

IBM

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

NetApp

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

AECOM

Arup

Aurecon

Beca

Hawkins

Mott MacDonald

Norman Disney & Young

The Building Intelligence Group

TransWorks

WT

Support Infrastructure Providers

3M

ABB

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Alfa Laval

Black Box

Climaveneta

Cummins

Cyber Power Systems

Eaton

EcoCooling

KOHLER-SDMO

Legrand

Rittal

Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Thycon

Trane (Ingersoll Rand)

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

Amazon Web Services

Canberra Data Centers

Datacom

Data Vault

DCI Data Centers

Microsoft

Plan B

Spark Digital

REPORT COVERAGE:

EXISTING VS. UPCOMING DATA CENTERS

Existing Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity)

Auckland

Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity)

NEW ZEALAND DATA CENTER INVESTMENT COVERAGE

Infrastructure Type

IT Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

IT Infrastructure

Server

Storage Systems

Network Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches and Switchgears

PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Rack Cabinets

Other Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

Building Development

Installation and Commissioning Services

Building & Engineering Design

Physical Security

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Tier Segments

Tier I & Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV

Geography

Auckland

Other Cities

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a6yrft

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005267/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
The first part of Germannas plan, devoted to curriculum, will help faculty and staff implement innovative and culturally responsive models that increase academic support for its low-income Black students, she said.

Germannas commitment to Black Minds Matter is evident in the success of this grant proposal, Germanna President Janet Gullickson said. We work daily to end the effects of centuries of systemic racism.

Black Minds Matter is Germannas commitment, adopted in summer 2020, to become an anti-racist institution.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Gray said Germanna will hire three faculty fellows to increase diversity and provide professional-development training to create inclusive and supportive learning environments for its students.

To help revise its curriculum, the college will hire a diversity instructional designer to work with faculty, she said.

GCC faculty will receive training in using and adopting free Open Educational Resources to save students money and replace commercial textbooks.

Open Educational Resources will allow faculty to incorporate under-represented histories and authors into classroom materials while reducing educational costs for students, Gray said.
Today is Friday, Oct. 29, 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

Biden at Vatican to talk climate, poverty with Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Declaring its good to be back, President Joe Biden on Friday opened a five-day European trip at the Vatican, where he and Pope Francis  the worlds two most prominent Roman Catholics  planned to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.

A dozen Swiss Guards in their blue and gold striped uniforms and red-plumed halberds stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard for the arrival of Biden and his wife, Jill. They were received by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, who runs the papal household, and then greeted one by one the papal ushers, or papal gentlemen, who lined up in the courtyard.

Its good to be back, Biden said as he shook the hand of one of them. Im Jills husband, he said to another before he was ushered into the frescoed Apostolic Palace and taken upstairs to the popes private library.
We will stand by to take the appropriate action, he said. Any infraction of that agreement, by France or any other partner, is something we would obviously need to respond to.



ROME  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow may not provide the boost for global efforts to fight climate change that many are hoping for.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a G-20 summit in Rome, Guterres said there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver.

He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, we are still careening towards climate catastrophe.

Guterres said there are serious questions about some of those pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, the target set in U.N. talks on fighting climate change.

He said G-20 leaders in Rome, whose countries are responsible for most of the worlds global greenhouse gas emissions, have an opportunity to put things on track for the Glasgow talks, which will begin as the Rome summit ends.


In September 2020, the Nebraska Supreme Court voted to remove a ballot issue concerning the legalization of medical marijuana.

They said the medical marijuana one didnt meet the criteria, and the gambling one did, Fremont City Councilmember Mark Jensen said. So that was a big disappointment for us obviously.

Now heading into the 2022 election year, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuanas Nebraska Medical Cannabis Campaign is working on two marijuana-related issues on the upcoming ballot.

Jensen, a volunteer with the committee, will host a petition-signing event 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Jensen Technology at 2225 N. Clarkson St.

The first petition, the Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act, will create a statute that removes penalties for possession of limited amounts of medical cannabis.

Additionally, the second petition, the Medical Cannabis Regulation Act, will create the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission, which will regulate the manufacturing and possession of cannabis in the state.

In order to go before the secretary of state to be placed on the ballot, the petitions require 122,274 signatures by July 8, 2022.

Nebraskans for Marijuana, co-chaired by Sens. Adam Morfeld and Anna Wishart, gathered more than 182,000 signatures in 2020, which Jensen was a part of doing so.

I really dont have a personal attribution to this, other than that Ive gotten more involved and more interested in this as Ive gotten involved in the campaign and met people and seen what was going on, he said.

Regardless of how people feel about recreational marijuana use, Jensen said medical cannabis can be used to treat health issues such as chronic pain.

Theres a lot of different products here that need to be used in a lot of different ways, he said. The list is growing longer of the different ailments things can safely and effectively treat.

For example, Jensen said the campaign is endorsed by organizations such as the Nebraska Epilepsy Foundation.

Theyre trying to get it to children who have seizures daily so that it can not be completely controlled, but can provide some relief to where you might drop it by 40, 50, 60, 70, 80% of whats happening to them, he said. And its important for those who really are trying very hard to get this done.

As well as Jensen Technology, Jensen said petitions will be available at other locations during their regular business hours, including Ambient Crystals at 141 W. Military Ave. and Kure CBD and Vape at 33 W. Sixth St. and 3341 E. 24th St., Suite 110.

Jensen said people can find more information on the ballots and medical marijuana or volunteer for the campaign by visiting nebraskamarijuana.org or contacting him at jensenmwj@hotmail.com.

With the issues potential to hit the ballot next year, Jensen said hes hopeful and expects to see even more support for the campaign.

There are some families here that have been working on getting this done for over a decade, and I applaud their resilience, he said. Im confident we can push this over the finish line this time.

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U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld of Los Angeles has issued a protective order that prohibits Rep. Jeff Fortenberry from being left alone with evidence related to his indictment on charges of lying to the FBI about illegal foreign donations to his 2016 reelection campaign.

Blumenfeld will preside at Fortenberry's trial in Los Angeles, which is scheduled to begin on Dec. 14.

"At no time, under no circumstances, will any cooperator materials be left in the possession, custody or control of defendant, regardless of the defendant's custody status," the judge ordered.

"Because these materials could be used to identify the confidential informants or cooperating witnesses, the court finds that the unauthorized dissemination or distribution of the materials may compromise the ability of such persons to participate effectively in future investigations in an undercover capacity and/or may expose him/her to potential safety risks."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins, chief of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles, said at a preliminary hearing last week that he intends to call eight witnesses, including some who may be current or former employees in the nine-term Lincoln congressman's office.

Fortenberry's attorney, John Littrell of Los Angeles, informed Magistrate Judge Rozella Oliver at the hearing that he would file a motion later to dismiss the case because of a lack of venue in Los Angeles since all the contacts involved were in the District of Columbia and Nebraska.

At issue in the case is $30,000 in illegal campaign donations to Fortenberry from Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury channeled to the congressman's campaign through American donors at a Los Angles fund-raising event.

Jenkins told the magistrate last week that Fortenberry "lied and misled repeatedly" in attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into the 2016 contributions.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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Ive got some arthritis behind my left knee so Ive been going to physical therapy.

Physical therapists can tell you that pain from one area of the body can radiate to another.

Everythings connected, which probably explains why Ive had a little pain above my knee.

To explain further, one PT even mentioned the old song that talks about the bones being connected  like the knee bone to the thigh bone.

I asked if the therapist knew where that song came from.

She didnt.

So I had to tell her.

The song called, Dem Bones, refers to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, Chapter 37.

By this time in Bible history, the people of Israel and Judah have fallen away from God and been taken into captivity by their enemies.

So many years have passed and the people wonder if theyll ever see their homeland again.

But a prophet named Ezekiel has visions.

And one vision thats filled with bones  and hope  is recounted in the book of Ezekiel, Chapter 37, in the Bible.

In this vision, the spirit of the Lord brings Ezekiel into the middle of a valley filled with very dry bones.

The Lord has a question: Son of man, can these bones live?

Sovereign Lord, you alone know, Ezekiel says.

The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones  saying God will make breath enter them and they will come to life. God will attach tendons and make flesh come on them and cover them with skin.

And then Ezekiel will know that God is the Lord.

So Ezekiel does as hes commanded.

He prophesies.

And as he does, theres a rattling noise and the bones come together.

Bone to bone.

Then tendons, flesh and skin come on them.

Yet theres no breath in these figures.

The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy again  which he does  and breath enters these bodies.

They come to life and stand on their feet as a vast army.

The Lord explains that the bones represent the despondent people of Israel and Judah.

God even quotes the sad people who say: Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; theres nothing left of us.

Yet amid their despair, God paints this picture of hope, basically telling them that hes going to bring them out of their graves (those pits of despair) and take them back to their homeland.

Whats more, God will put his spirit in them.

And when theyre home, theyll know it was the Lord who accomplished all of this.

Our Lord was as good as his word.

Many people, who wanted to return, did go home.

The book of Nehemiah tells how that ancient-day man responded to the call of God and led people back to Jerusalem. There, they found the stones of the wall that had been around the city.

Those stones had been burned and had become rubble.

Yet stones that might have been considered worthless became the building blocks for a new wall.

Faithful men of God rebuilt the walls in 52 days even amid threats and scoffing from their enemies.

I marvel at the miracle.

At the same time, I believe God can do something similar with us.

He can take the broken, charred pieces of our lives and help us build them into something stronger and even more beautiful than before.

Ever wonder why Jesus was born the son of a carpenter?

Why not the son of a farmer?

Jesus talks about farmers in the Bible.

Or why not the son of a fisherman?

Some of Christs closest disciples were fishermen.

Why not the son of a shepherd or a merchant or a Pharisee?

OK. Maybe not a Pharisee.

But why the son of a carpenter?

I believe its because carpenters build and rebuild and fix things.

And thats what Jesus can do with our lives.

He can repair whats broken. He can renew, restore and rejuvenate.

I firmly believe that broken hearts, wounded spirits and crushed souls are his specialty.

Throughout my career, Ive interviewed amazing people  former drug addicts, people in near-fatal accidents and others, whove known the life-transforming work of Christ in their lives.

One is Curtis Barnes, whom I interviewed in 2017.

Curtiss mother died six days before his 12th birthday. His dad was in prison when his mom died. When his dad got out of prison, Curtis went to live with him.

Basically, I was raised in a drug house, he said.

Curtis struggled with addiction for 21 years. He overdosed from heroin. He was in car wrecks, stabbed or beaten and left for dead.

At age 33, Curtis was facing five felonies when he was sent to jail for the fifth time.

As he sat in jail, Curtis found some reading material about God. Curtis realized hed either die or spend the rest of his life in jail, unless he did something to turn it around.

So he gave his life to God.

That was in 1998.

Today, Curtis is executive director of Sheepgate, Omaha, a division of Adult and Teen Challenge of the Midlands, which helps men overcome the cycle of addiction.

I was never a drug addict, but I know how much God helped me when I was a single mom and, years later, a deeply grieving widow.

These days, Im amazed at how God can heal and restore and give me hope even on the grayest days.

And I know he can do it for others.

Now for the last couple of weeks, Ive been doing exercises to strengthen a muscle in my left leg, which should help my knee.

Im very grateful for physical therapists.

But if I want to gain spiritual strength and hope, the best exercise I can do is pick up my Bible and read or pray or listen to a sermon or some worship music.

Its the best therapy I know.

Tammy Real-McKeighan is news editor of the Fremont Tribune. She writes a weekly faith-based column.

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European countries -- including Hungary, Romania, and Serbia -- should "think twice" about deepening economic ties with China before their foreign policy becomes "skewed," warned Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu during a diplomatic trip through Europe. In an October 27 interview with RFE/RL in Prague, Wu said that Taiwan was looking for "new friends" amid growing tension with China. Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan to be one of its provinces and has recently stepped up military activity in the region. U.S. President Joe Biden has reiterated his "rock-solid" commitment to Taiwan. But Biden caused confusion when he said the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if it was attacked by China, departing from a long-held U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity." Wu said the United States remains a reliable ally despite the chaos that followed the U.S.-pullout from Afghanistan.
More criminal defendants with untreated psychosis languishing in Colorado jails will maim and kill themselves if the state doesn't reduce a growing backlog of nearly 350 people waiting for treatment at the states primary mental hospital, court-ordered monitoring reports predict.

And court documents and budget requests show that problems at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo are likely to get worse before they improve.

We see wait lists and wait times increasing exponentially throughout 2021, even if pandemic-related restrictions ended immediately, concluded a report issued on May 24 by two experts monitoring the states mental hospital system for U.S. District Court Judge Nina Wang.

Furthermore, without significant increases in admissions to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, we foresee serious injury and/or death occurring within this population of severely, acutely ill who have been court-ordered to treatment, the experts wrote.

As court orders for psychiatric treatment for defendants nearly tripled in four years, new infection-control protocols to protect from COVID-19 restricted the states ability to admit patients to the hospital for those services, according to documents.

A crippling workforce shortage, with more than 300 open positions, is a major contributing factor, forcing the Pueblo mental hospital to close three of 24 units in recent months, according to Robert Werthwein, director of the states Office of Behavioral Health, part of the Colorado Department of Human Services, which oversees the states two psychiatric hospitals.

At the same time, state and federal regulators are demanding new construction to mitigate suicide risks at the hospital. The improvements required to fix life-threatening problems identified by regulators at the facility will further delay admissions for treatment, court documents state.

As a result, more criminal defendants suffering acute psychosis are stacking up in jails, unable to proceed to trial until they receive court-ordered mental competency evaluations or return-to-competency services from the state hospital, according to a court filing last month by the expert monitors.

The Colorado Department of Human Services has allowed conditions to regress back to the era before it signed a consent decree in April 2019, to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing the department of violating the due process of inmates, the report from experts Neil Gowensmith and Daniel Murrie states.

One man  described as catatonic, psychotic, delusional and with bleeding genitals due to his bizarre behaviors  has been on the departments priority admission list for more than one month, and his total wait is now beyond six months, their report said. Another detainee has been on the same priority-admission list for weeks, even though he is described as high acuity  aggressive  disoriented and threatening to staff.

Between April and June, two inmates in county jails awaiting hospital admission killed themselves, the experts found.

One was 42-year-old Michael Pyle, who was arrested and incarcerated on Jan. 22 at the Adams County Jail after he rammed a Thornton Police Department car and threatened an officer with a gun. His actions prompted a high-speed chase through the Denver suburbs, court documents show.

Pyle had terrorized his family, telling his mother that he believed his uncle had the "devil's altar" in his basement, his uncle, David Knipstein, said in a restraining order he filed in court after the arrest. Knipstein described in the document his nephew displaying "violent, erratic behavior."

Anne Pyle believes her son would be alive if he had been transferred to an inpatient bed at Pueblo hospital sooner and treated for his mental illness. But he spent about five months in the Adams County Jail, waiting for a bed at the hospital to open, before hanging himself on May 27.

"If he had only been able to get treatment, everything could have turned out differently," she said. "He had so much to offer and was such an incredible person."

Michael Pyle had been in the Pueblo mental hospital before, his mother said. He was diagnosed with several disorders and placed on medication. He received counseling, was released, got a good job and "seemed to be functioning well," she said.

When street riots started last year during the pandemic near his downtown Denver apartment, he "started spiraling downhill," Anne Pyle said.

"He told me he thought he needed to be in a hospital again, and he started trying to check himself in somewhere," she said, crying.

It was near Christmas last December, and Michael couldn't find anywhere that would take his Medicaid insurance or doctors to give him a referral, Anne Pyle said.

"I think he gave up," she said. "His only option was to get in trouble with the police."

While Pyle was at the Adams County Jail, a judge ordered Pyle to undergo mental health treatment at the Pueblo facility, so he could be restored to competency to stand trial.

"He was told he would be transferred to the Pueblo hospital," his mother said, but the wait stretched on.

"It's appalling," Anne Pyle said. "We should be ashamed of ourselves for the lack of mental health treatment, the shortage of beds and cuts in funding. I'm angry with the system and the legislators."

'Public health crisis'

Suicides and self-harm are among several consequences of admittance delays, and more such incidents are likely to occur, given the current conditions, the experts said in their memo to state health officials.

Twice as many mentally ill inmates are waiting twice as long now than in the past, a circumstance that Gowensmith and Murrie labeled a public health crisis.

Some individuals have such severe psychiatric illness that they have covered themselves with urine and/or feces, eaten feces, cut or mutilated themselves, refused to shower for weeks, refused to eat for days, attempted suicide and at times been victimized or injured by staff or other inmates, their May report found. Some have also attacked staff or other inmates, when acting on paranoid delusions or hallucinations that are symptoms of their untreated psychotic illness.

Untreated psychosis is a life-threatening illness with mortality rates around 7%, they noted.

Patients are entering the hospital from jails in more pressing mental distress, said Sallette Thompson, a psychologist who has worked at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo for two years.

I think the acuity has increased for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is COVID, which has increased stress on everyone, she said. Certainly, its going to hit more vulnerable populations in a larger way.

Exacerbating the problem are demands from federal and state regulators for new construction at the hospital to mitigate suicide risks, which the two experts predicted in their August court report will further slow admissions to the state hospital.

The Joint Budget Committee, the legislative body that crafts the state budget, agreed last week to allocate the Office of Behavioral Health emergency funding of $4.1 million for mandated suicide mitigation efforts at the Pueblo hospital.

The agency asked for the money after federal and state regulators warned that the states license needed to keep the Pueblo facility open was in jeopardy, following a July suicide attempt, as first reported in The Gazette.

The survey by state regulators after that suicide attempt  which left a 20-year-old criminal defendant from Kersey with loss of brain function from trying to hang himself from the door to his room  found pervasive, life-threatening conditions in seven buildings housing patients at the hospital. The regulators demanded a plan to correct issues severe enough to have caused, or are likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a patient.

The directive hit as the number of people waiting in jails around the state for court-ordered mental competency evaluations or restoration services continued to mount.

The backlog has grown to nearly 350, Werthwein, of the Office of Behavioral Health, told the states Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force on Sept. 23. Thats up from what Werthwein said to The Gazette on Sept. 9 was a waiting list of around 300. Among those being delayed in a jail is an actively psychotic pregnant female, Werthwein said.

Behavioral health right now in this state is the worst Ive ever remembered, he said. Its bad, people are really struggling.

Staff shortages continue to be a stumbling block for resuming full operations at the Pueblo hospital, Werthwein said.

Pueblo hospital staff who have joined the labor union, Colorado Workers for Innovative and News Solutions, or WINS, which represents 31,000 state employees, participated in negotiations to raise the minimum wage to $15 for all state jobs and for an annual 3% cost of living raise for the next three years, said Thompson, the hospital psychologist and a union member.

State officials and the union reached the agreement last week.

Lower wages have caused an exodus of staff to leave the hospital, Thompson said. I hope if we can fill some of these positions, well be able to address the (jail) backlog better.

We do this work because we love our clients  theyre funny and interesting and they want all of the same things we do, she said. For a lot of us its a calling, not just a job.

Upgrades necessary to maintain federal funds

Details about the survey by state regulators that found life-threatening conditions at the hospital in Pueblo were referenced in the Office of Behavioral Healths emergency budget request. The Colorado Department of Human Services declined to make the results public, as did the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which conducted the survey of the facility.

In rejecting The Gazettes request to release the findings, officials said the state health department was still investigating the July suicide attempt of Chase Falk. However, a provision in the states open-records laws allows the release of state agency investigative records if doing so is in the interest of public health, welfare or safety.

Some details of the survey could be gleaned from an analysis of the budget request submitted to the Joint Budget Committee. About $800,000 is needed to install new cameras, or the hospital will have to add 154 additional staff to keep patients safe, that analysis found. It further determined that more than $3 million is needed to address suicide hazards in patient rooms.

Several hospital employees told The Gazette that mitigation devices on doors to rooms were supposed to prevent patients from self-harm but apparently weren't functioning properly. Falk's was at least the third suicide attempt this year inside the hospital, an employee said. An adolescent girl used shards from a broken mirror and a man used a razor to harm themselves.

The Joint Budget Committee staff also said the survey found that the psychiatric hospitals current incident management systems are outdated and inadequate in regards to data collection and regulatory compliance.

The Joint Budget Committee expected a parallel request for more money for additional employees, said Colorado Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican from Carbondale and member of the Joint Budget Committee, given that the mandatory improvements will change how the facility operates.

The hospital  which has seen state staffing plunge from 1,388 in 2020 to 1,158 as of Friday, with 304 positions vacant  should beef up hiring, even if the new cameras are installed, the survey determined. Since the hospital will no longer be allowed to lock patients in their room due to suicide risks, an additional 27 safety specialists need to be hired, even as records show the hospital struggles to keep past staffing adequate, according to the analysis by the Joint Budget Committee staff.

They were locking the doors of the patients for safety, but they have to have the doors unlocked, which means more cameras and surveillance by human beings, Rankin said. Im sure another request will be coming along later.

The upgrades are required for the hospital to continue to receive federal funding, Rankin said.

We did not have an option, but its the right thing to do, he said, noting that adding more mental health beds has been a longstanding need in Colorado.

Colorado Department of Human Services officials pointed out to the legislative budget-writing committee that past suicide mitigation requests for the hospital in Pueblo had been rejected in the past two previous fiscal years.

Greater health risk than COVID

The mandate to reduce suicide risk comes at a time when the states mental health system is already in distress.

Colorado remains under a two-year-old federal court consent decree that found the state violated due process by not providing mental health competency evaluations to criminal defendants on a timely basis. Not complying has cost the state $17 million in federal fines since March 2019, according to the Department of Human Services.

Gowensmith and Murrie, the two experts monitoring Colorados compliance with the consent decree for the federal judge, urged state health officials in their May memo to reconsider infection-control protocols at the state hospital, which they said had slowed admissions.

Months after that memo, in August, the experts reported to the federal judge in a court filing that despite their urging, state health department quarantine mandates that had left 90 beds at the state hospital empty, had not been relaxed. At that time, the waitlist for admission to the Pueblo hospital topped 300 criminal defendants.

In our view, the untreated, severe psychiatric illness harming certain detainees waiting in jails is now a greater public health risk than the risk of spreading COVID-19 to or from these same individuals, they stated in one court filing.

While judges order severely mentally ill inmates to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital within 35 days, some are now waiting more than six months for a psychiatric bed and not receiving treatment for their conditions in the meantime, the May report found.

Department leaders had made substantial progress until June 2020 in meeting the goals of reducing the number, length of wait and the suffering of the criminal defendants, the report stated.

However, the pandemic has twice halted admissions, from November to mid-December of 2020 and from early April into May, increasing the waiting list from 124 at the end of October 2020 to nearly 350 now.

Many of these individuals need urgent inpatient mental health care, the report said, yet safe and reasonable options are virtually non-existent.

Forced medications are not allowed in most county jails, private hospital beds contracted by the Department of Human Services at extra expense are full, and other private hospitals refuse to admit such patients, citing safety concerns, the report said.

The Department of Human Services may consider applying for emergency staffing assistance from a program that was reactivated last week, said agency spokeswoman Madlynn Ruble.

The Staffing Shortage Fusion Center, led by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management through the Colorado Unified Coordination Center, again is making short-term workers available to long-term care centers, hospitals, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and other licensed care facilities where shortages due to COVID-19 are impacting patient care.

Healthcare contractors, National Guard members, volunteers from the Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer program, nonprofit organization representatives and a Colorado Hospital Association program fill the slots.

Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo has not used Fusion in the past but will explore it as an option to address current staff shortages, Ruble said in an email.
Colorado Politics senior political reporter

Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist.
A Gazette investigation shows an increasing number of soldiers, including wounded combat veterans, are being kicked out of the service for misconduct, often with no benefits, as the Army downsizes after a decade of war.
October cant go on without some sort of party for Emma Crawford. Coffins will not race down the streets of Manitou Springs like usual and, for the second year in a row, a smaller affair will be held in Emmas honor this weekend.
With a backdrop of Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the skyline of Colorado Springs, the first wave of balloons for the Labor Day Lift Off inflate to take flight in September.
With federal regulators poised to give approval in the coming days, Colorado is set to receive its first shipment of vaccines for 5-to-11-year-olds as early as Friday, and the state could begin administering doses to eligible kids by Nov. 5, officials said Thursday.
Machine learning spots language disparities to improve COVID-19 tracing

Among the challenges posed by the pandemic were language barriers public health agencies faced as they struggled to trace infection spread among Latino communities.

In Santa Clara County, Calif., only 25% of the population is Latino, but it accounted for more than 56% of the states COVID cases. That put Spanish-speaking contact tracers  who call patients with diagnoses, identify and notify their contacts and assist with isolation and quarantine  in high demand.

These Spanish-speaking contact tracers have been key to reaching potentially infected individuals as quickly as possible, but with thousands of cases per day -- and limited numbers of Spanish speakers and interpreters -- it can take days to alert a patients contacts.

An additional challenge is that Spanish-speaking residents may be reluctant to talk with government employees asking for complex, personal information -- especially through someone not fluent in the language, according to a report in Stanford Universitys Human-Centered AI News.

To improve contact tracing in the Latino community, Santa Clara County health officials partnered with experts from Stanford Universitys RegLab -- a group that designs and evaluates programs, policies and technologies to modernize government. They wanted to see if they could predict when a contact speaks only Spanish or has limited English proficiency. With that insight, the county could then assign the patient to one of the countys native Spanish speakers.

A team led by Daniel Ho, faculty director of the RegLab and associate director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, used machine learning to predict peoples language needs, helping contact tracers resolve cases faster and narrowing the health gap between the countys Latino and other communities.

Contact tracers usually start with only the most basic information about the people they call, such as the patients name, address, date of birth and test result.

Researchers combined that bare-bones data with demographic information from the census and other administrative data. A machine learning algorithm analyzed and weighed data like census block group, age and name-based race and ethnicity information from census and mortgage data and identified patterns that would predict a language preference. Contacts were scored as to which language they would likely to prefer before they were assigned to a tracer.

To test the algorithms effectiveness, the RegLab worked with Santa Clara County to conduct a test that randomly routed half of the cases to a language specialty team with bilingual speakers and treated the other half with the countys typical process.

In just two months, the benefits became clear. In the test group, the time it took to complete cases dropped by nearly 14 hours over the control. Same-day completions rose by 12%, and the number of people refusing to be interviewed dipped by 4%.

Based on the results and success of this trial, Santa Clara County has expanded language matching to all of [Santa Clara Public Health Departments Case Investigation and Contact Tracing], and the state of California is contemplating adoption in the statewide system, the authors said in in their paper.

When we connect with people in their preferred language, it makes a huge difference in their willingness to share information about themselves, their health, and their families and friends, said study co-author Dr. Sarah Rudman, director of contact tracing for the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department.

The new approach has not only improved peoples willingness to engage in the process, but it has also allowed Rudman to ensure the countys bilingual tracers could be assigned to the contacts most likely to need them.

Before the algorithm you could hear frustration in the voices of our tracers when they would get mismatched with a contact, Rudman said. After the algorithm, there would be talk of the families they had connected with, many of whom stayed on the phone only because the tracer spoke Spanish and pronounced their name correctly.

When every missed contact can mean additional infections, these are significant improvements, Ho said, noting that the partnership between people and machine was a surprising -- and refreshing -- outcome for him.

Theres much worry in the AI community about whether machines will displace human judgment, he said, But, this case is a model for how machines and people can integrate in complex ways that make both better.

The full study is available in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
Renae Aukes has recently joined Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, Iowa, as an RV sales consultant.

Aukes is a graduate of North Iowa High School and attended Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, where she graduated with an associate degree. Aukes continued her education at Minnesota State University, in Mankato, Minnesota, receiving her bachelors degree for elementary education.

Aukes was most recently employed by Hy-Vee, where she served in many management roles over the past 23 years.

Lichtsinn RV in Forest City is Iowa's largest RV dealer and is one mile down the road from the Winnebago factory.

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Imagine presenting your big idea to a world leader. No pressure at all.

Kale DiMarco, a junior at Mason City High School, did exactly that last week with research he had done on sustainable agriculture.

DiMarco was selected to present solutions he developed in a research paper to the World Food Prize Foundation Global Youth Institute. The event is typically held in Des Moines during mid-October, but this year, it was held virtually through Zoom due to COVID-19 concerns.

(The event) was kind of surreal because you had world leaders there and youre just talking to them over Zoom, said DiMarco.

In order to make it to the Global Youth Institute, DiMarco had his paper selected to be presented at a statewide level. After presenting it, DiMarco was chosen to move on to the national level.

The Global Youth Institute has over 200 high schoolers from around the world participate in presenting and discussing their findings with experts and peers. Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates attend this event to discuss world issues with both the students and other experts.

This year, since it was held virtually, research was presented in small-group roundtable discussions facilitated by academic and industry experts. Students and teachers also had the opportunity to participate in virtual immersion activities, hosted by Iowa State University.

DiMarcos research focused on sustainable agriculture in Ghana, where he created a multi-pronged solution concentrating on making farming more environmentally friendly and creating education opportunities for farmers.

I figured obviously you want to make the farming more productive and also more environmentally friendly. So that involves different methods like no-till agriculture and crop rotation, said DiMarco. But then you also needed a way for the farmers to learn those methods and implement it. I proposed the creation of an organization to recruit specialist farmers, maybe like college educated, and bring them over into Ghana and try to set up a mentor relationship with the farmers there.

Dawn Guritz, who advised DiMarco in his research, explained that every student in her English class was given the same instructions and developing solutions for a large research paper. Guritz says the paper helps students review good types of sources and find answers to questions. The World Food Prize Foundation is one of the sources students can use to enhance their knowledge of their research questions.

For me, it was more about seeing them learn and grow and go beyond the walls of the school or even the state of Iowa to know whats going on, said Guritz.

Guritz becomes familiar with students research over the three-month period that they work on it, with initial talk about the paper starting in December. All of the research papers are worked on and cleaned up for their final submission in March.

This year was the first year I was able to split up the papers and have other teachers who had not helped the students or known anything about the topics and review and rate them. I had, I think, 20 total students who had higher end ratings that they had the opportunity to participate in the Iowa Youth Institute process, said Guritz.

DiMarco was notified earlier this summer he had been selected to present at the national level. Over the summer, he and Guritz worked on refining his research paper for the national submission in August.

DiMarco said he was more nervous presenting at the national level than what he was at the state level.

The last one I just kind of showed up because I was like 'I will try this out and see how this goes'. Then I got selected and then I was like oh, now its kind of a big deal. I was much more nervous for the second one, said DiMarco.

DiMarco said the people who had listened to his presentation liked the idea of looking into the psychology of farmers and communicating new ways of farming.

Its more than a job, its a tradition. So you do need something to actually affect (Ghana farmers) that way and they liked that idea, said DiMarco.

(DiMarco) did a really great job investing himself in his sessions and sharing his information and listening and answering questions, said Guritz. Even though he said he was more nervous for the second one, (he) didnt sound like it.

DiMarco says the experience has caused him to be more invested in researching subjects and thinks it will help him in the future with college.

I havent really thought about what I want to do past high school, subject wise. But agriculture would be kind of interesting, said DiMarco.

Abby covers education and public safety for the Globe Gazette. Follow her on Twitter at @MkayAbby. Email her at Abby.Koch@GlobeGazette.com

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The family paid for the funeral the following Tuesday and Miller went and talked to Colbert again, he said. He bought a tent to use at the cemetery and some other equipment from him.

He bailed me out at a time I had nothing, Miller said.

It took a while for him to make the business profitable.

It was a struggle, Miller said. For four years I worked third shift at Lane Furniture and did funerals during the day.

Miller said it was his faith in God and serving his customers honestly and fairly that would make his business a success.

If I cant do it right, Im not going to do it at all, Miller said. I believe if you do whats right God will bless you.

As word spread, families from Danville, Lynchburg, Halifax and Roanoke joined the ones from Pittsylvania County using his services and he was able to give up his night job.

In 1972, Miller built the first part of the building on Zion Road that still houses Miller Funeral Home, and expanded it to its current 11,000-square-foot facility in 1984.

Miller and his wife, Bernice  also a funeral director  have been very active in their community.
Officials celebrate new foxed-base operator at airport

Averett University celebrated its new role as operator of Danville Regional Airport during an event held at the facility Tuesday.

The university held a ribbon-cutting marking the opening of AU Aviation Services, the new fixed-base operator at the airport.

Dozens of city and university officials attended the event that included recognition of the Rembold family, which had operated the airport for more than 70 years before Averett became the operator July 1 under an agreement with the city of Danville.

This has been a mission, a lifes work, for the Rembolds, Averett President Tiffany Franks told attendees just before presenting a framed photo of an airplane in flight to the family. Pilot after pilot, if theyve been here, theyve known a Rembold and they are so appreciative for all the care that has been shown to them by the Rembold family.

Franks praised the Rembolds dedication and service to the airport, calling them a tough act to follow. Mike and Libby Rembold operated the facility under General Aviation Inc.

These two people are synonymous with the fixed-base operation and they have been the bedrock of the operation at the Danville Regional Airport for decades, Franks said.
Jack Miller, the owner and founder of Miller Funeral Home in Gretna, died Wednesday following a brief illness, the business announced.

He was 89.

Growing up as one of 12 children of a tobacco farmer, he first lived in Mount Airy and then moved to Gretna.

Miller said he knew as a young boy that God was calling him to help people with final arrangements, he told the Register & Bee in a 2017 interview.

Its not something everyone can do, but I felt it was something God wanted me to do, Miller said. All through high school I told people it was in me and was what I wanted to do.

After high school, Miller served two years in the Marine Corps and then attended Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, graduating in 1962.

Miller said he apprenticed at a funeral home in Lynchburg and became a licensed embalmer in 1964. That same year, he became the first Black owner of a funeral home in Pittsylvania County, the Register & Bee reported in 2017.
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Howie was diagnosed recently with breast cancer. She has worked at HPU since 2014 when she joined the department as an instructor of dance.

Every semester, the dance concerts are held as fundraisers for local charities and organizations, collecting canned food and school supplies for the community. This year, HPU students raised money for Cancer Services, the nonprofit that helped Howie through her cancer journey.

HPU students started fundraising efforts in August by selling pink bracelets. During the opening night of the Sept. 30 concert, HPUs Dance Company, along with faculty in the department of theater and dance, honored Howie by wearing pink and encouraged the audience to wear pink, too.

Christine Stevens, Connie Quagliata and a few of the dancers presented the check of $2,000 to Willonda Thomas of Cancer Services on Oct. 22.

Scholarships
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, 33,400 city workers remained unvaccinated. The city said it would provided updated vaccine rates on Saturday.

The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while changing schedules, canceling vacations and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.

The department must manage the unfortunate fact that a portion of our workforce has refused to comply with a vaccine mandate for all city employees, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, who had COVID-19 in January, said his department was sending reminders to workers whose records indicated they hadnt yet received a shot and that NYPD vaccination sites will remain open all weekend. Shea said thousands of officers whove applied for medical and religious exemptions will be allowed to work while their cases are reviewed.

Nearly 1,000 officers were vaccinated on Friday alone, the NYPD said, rushing to meet the deadline for the mandate and an extra incentive: workers who get a shot by Friday will get $500.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The U.S. Justice Department is in talks to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to each child and parent who was separated under a Trump-era practice of splitting families at the border, a person familiar with discussions to settle lawsuits said Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that the government was considering payments around $450,000 to each person affected. A person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that figure was under consideration but changed, though not dramatically. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.

The discussions continue, and there is no guarantee the two sides will strike agreement.

About 5,500 children were split from their parents under President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, under which parents were separated from their children to face criminal prosecution for crossing the border illegally, according to court filings in a federal case in San Diego. Inadequate tracking systems caused many to be apart for an extended time. The payments are intended to compensate for the psychological trauma.
ROWLAND  A body discovered on Monday in Robeson County has been identified as that of a former High Point resident.

The body of Jessica Lawrence, 42, of St. Pauls, was discovered during a missing person search operation, according to the Robeson County Sheriffs Office.

Lawrence was reported missing on October 12 by a family member.

Not the information we wanted to hear but sadly, as expected we have terrible news to report, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a news release.

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I spoke with Jessicas mother today and while this does bring a little relief to the family as to her being located, I can assure the public that we plan to bring the person(s) to justice that were involved in this heinous crime, he said.

Lawrence, who worked at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, was last seen at her home on Sept. 26, the sheriffs office said.

On October 14, Michael L. Brayboy, 42, of Rowland, was spotted driving Lawrences Jeep. Brayboy was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Red Springs, deputies said.

Hes charged with failure to report a change of address by a sex offender.
RALEIGH  The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Thursday that it's going ahead with the lease of a nearly 200-square mile area off the North Carolina coast for offshore wind development.

On Monday, the department will publish a notice in the Federal Register proposing the lease sale of a large portion of the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area, starting a 60-day public comment period that lasts until Jan. 3, 2021, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.

When completed, the Wilmington East area could generate more than 1.5 gigawatts of electricity, enough for more than 500,000 homes, according to the department. By comparison, Duke Energys natural gas-powered Sutton Plant near Wilmington has a capacity of 625 megawatts, less than half the offshore wind areas potential.

President Joe Biden has set a national goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind built by 2030. Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper announced state targets of 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040.
Consider that Police Commissioner Dermot Shea pronounced the behavior of the two cops absolutely inexcusable and called for them to be disciplined, but added that he wouldnt expect them to be fired, suspended or placed on modified duty. So apparently theyll get off with a good, stern talking to.

And yes, some will say Gilbert should have expected what he got. Everybody knows you dont question a cop. But that attitude is part of the problem. If youre not causing a disturbance, posing a threat or hindering him in the performance of his duties, why, exactly, cant you question a cop? Especially when said cop is flouting rules everyone else is supposed to obey? Is he not a public servant? Are we not the public?

But then, power unrestrained serves only itself.

The police are esteemed  rightly  for being first responders, for running toward danger. But that is not, and cannot be, a get-out-of-accountability-free card. Wed demand answers from the janitor or short-order cook who behaved as if rules were for other people. Why is it so hard to hold to the same standard men and women in whom we vest such sweeping authority?
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Turkish occupying state continues its attacks on areas of NE, Syria through the bombing of the area by UAVs and artillery fire, as well as statements by its officials about new occupation attacks in the area.

In this context, Egyptian journalist Mohammad Wasel, said: "The violations and crimes committed by Turkish militias and armed factions in northern Syria, as monitored by observers and human rights organizations, are a lack of identity, and systematic displacement, the resettlement of foreign mercenaries in the north of Syria, and extrajudicial killings, under the silence of the international community, of Turkish violations."

In a special statement to ANHA agency, Wasel asked: How long will the silence about Turkey's crimes, massacres, and looting of Syria's goods continue? "It is time to punish Turkey and oblige it to immediately leave Syria," he said.

The Egyptian journalist writer pointed out that "Turkey still supports outlaw mercenary groups and uses them for their goals under the full watch and hearing of everyone, and even moves them as it wants from northern Syria to Libya, following all forms of crimes under the protection of major countries," expecting that this "will not continue."

Turkish threats to launch new attacks coincide with an internal economic crisis, as well as a crisis with the European Union and European countries over Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 system, in addition to Erdogan's statements and his intent to expel the ambassadors of 10 European countries.

Wasel pointed out, "Turkey's collapsed economic situation, its exit from the Group of Twenty, the most economically powerful in the world, and its crisis in the eastern Mediterranean with Greece and Cyprus, which entangled the Turkish government with the European Union, which made its position explicitly clear that Turkey will not have a place in the European Union because of its actions that cannot be Silence about it, as well as Erdogan's threat to expel 10 ambassadors under the pretext of interfering in Turkey's internal affairs.

At the conclusion of his speech, Egyptian journalist writer Mohammad Wasel asked: "Is the honeymoon between the European Union and the United States of America over, and Turkey will be held accountable for its crimes, violations, and looting of the goods of northern Syria? This is what the coming days will clarify."

T/S

ANHA
Helena Public Schools is asking parents of children who usually ride a school bus to drive them to school one week per month due to the ongoing shortage of bus drivers.

And they will pay them to do it.

This change is set to go into effect Nov. 15. According to district communications officer Karen Ogden, the district is still short by nearly 15 drivers for the 68 routes driven each week.

"Some districts in Montana have canceled specific routes altogether for the remainder of the year. That is something we absolutely want to avoid," Ogden said. "So, we're asking our families to help us ensure that no schools or neighborhoods have to shoulder an unfair burden because of the driver shortage. In order to cover all of our routes with fewer drivers, we're asking families to transport their kids to school for one week of every month."

According to a statement from the district, families will receive compensation based on their normal level of ridership. This will be determined by the district's new bus security system, in which students scan an ID card to board the bus each day. The cost of compensation to families is covered from discounts provided by the district's transpiration contractor, First Student, for the routes they are unable to cover because of the driver shortage.

"We have managed the shortage so far this fall by temporarily doubling up some routes," transportation director Tom Cohn said in a letter to parents. "As a result, some kids are spending well over an hour on the bus, which is not fair to them and their families. Other districts in Montana have canceled some routes altogether for the remainder of the year. Another option that puts undue hardship on families."

The district was adamant that this cost will not be paid via taxpayer money.

The district hopes the Nov. 15 date gives families time to make arrangements for the week they are responsible for transporting their student to school. The routing schedule and letter from Cohn was sent to parents on Oct. 29, but can also be found at helenaschools.org under the transportation section.

According to Ogden, the district will work with families who do not have a vehicle or other means of transportation to make sure all kids can get to school. Families who are in need of this assistance are asked to contact Cohn, as soon as possible to make arrangements. Cohn can be reached at 406-324-2100 or at transportation@helenaschools.org.

This amended scheduled is expected to be in place for the remainder of this school year, unless more bus drivers are recruited.

"With this new schedule, we will resume our normal, pre-COVID routes," Ogden said. "The difference is that families will be responsible for providing transportation for five consecutive days of each month."

According to Cohn's letter, if parents want they can be reimbursed for their transportation costs. In order to be reimbursed, they will need to be registered for bus service via the parent portal, use bus service at least 8 times per month for full reimbursement and complete a family transportation contract and a form W-9. Families who use the bus 7 or fewer times per month will only receive partial reimbursement.

According to Cohn's letter, full reimbursement is equal to $100 per month and partial reimbursement is $50 per month.

Total reimbursement will be calculated at the end of the 2021-22 school year and checks for the total amount will be issued in June 2022. Families who receive compensation of more than $600 will also receive a 1099 tax document to report the payment.

Anyone with questions or comments about the changes are encouraged to contact Cohn.

"On behalf of all our drivers and staff, we appreciate your help getting our community's children safely to and from school each day during these difficult times," said Cohn. "I will be in frequent communication to keep you apprised of any new detail or changes."

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Forum to discuss community needs

Rocky Mountain Development Council Inc. is doing a Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment and will hold a community forum at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Helena Senior Center, 200 S. Cruse Ave.

Pizza and soda will be provided. A Zoom option is available and can be found on Rocky's website at www.rmdc.net.

A needs assessment is a process for creating a profile of the needs and resources of a given community or target population. The council hopes to gather information from a large number of customers, community members and partners. The findings of the assessment will be shared.

In addition to our community forums across Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis & Clark counties, Rocky also has an online survey. To take the survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/Rocky2021CCNA, or call 406-447-1680 and a paper copy will be mailed to you. Community comment is critical.

For more information on Rockys Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment, contact Community Outreach Coordinator Kara Nelson at (406) 457-7377 or knelson@rmdc.net.

Nov. 7 fundraiser to help Olympic hopeful

There will be a fundraiser 2-5 p.m. Nov. 7 to help Konnor Ralph of Helena, who has qualified for the U.S. Ski Team.

The event, at the Lewis and Clark Brewery, includes a silent auction, live auction and raffle.

Ralph, 18, is on the Freeski Rookie Slopestyle team.

High school students honored for leadership skills

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry on Tuesday recognized high school students for their pursuit of academic excellence and leadership development at the Jobs for Montanas Graduates (JMG) annual LEAD Montana Conference.

The LEAD Montana Conference is about equipping emerging leaders with the skills needed to impact their schools and communities Erica Swanson, state director of JMG said.

Over 20,000 students have been served over the span of 30 years. 95% that participate in the model graduate high school, 92% seek full time employment and 51% post-secondary.

JMG, a Department of Labor & Industry program that teaches students the skills they need for college and career readiness, hosts the conference each year to allow students to meet with public and private business leaders. Each year the LEAD Montana Conference brings hundreds of students from schools across Montana together to participate in training sessions and engage with fellow students.

This years winners of the logo contest were Whitehall High School, Hot Springs High School and Paris Gibson Education Center & Whitehall Middle School. This years winners of the essay contest were: Max Macino from Culbertson High School, Jack McAllister from Hot Springs High School, Kaylee Stremcha from Paris Gibson Education Center, and Gracie Hickman from Whitefish Independent High School.

Gov. Greg Gianforte and JMG alumna Madison Glass from Helena High School also spoke at the event.

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East Helena man accused of credit card fraud

A 33-year-old East Helena man has been accused of credit card fraud.

Douglas Lawrence Brown is charged with felony deceptive practices and felony accountability.

On Aug. 28, a man contacted Helena Police Department to report his debit card had been stolen out of his vehicle while it was parked in Guadalupe Hall parking lot at Carroll College. He believed someone had entered his vehicle and reported that his debit card, driver's license and $30 cash were missing.

He said he believed the card was taken on Aug. 26 as a First Interstate Bank statement showed a number of unauthorized purchases totaling more than $2,200. There were also some failed "Cash App" transactions to specifically named individuals in Helena.

Through investigation at various stores and video stills from Home Depot, Brown was ultimately identified as he was on probation at the time, authorities said. Brown was recognized with at least two other individuals at a number of the businesses where the transactions were made.

Law enforcement eventually made contact with Brown on Sept. 9, who said his cousin Seth Anderson had given him the debit card. Brown confirmed using the card numerous time and further confirmed that Anderson was present during the purchases. Anderson was observed at several of the locations making purchases with the card, authorities said.

Helena woman accused of assaulting cop

A 58-year-old Helena woman has been accused of assaulting a member of law enforcement.

Terri Lynn Howell is charged with felony assault on a peace officer and misdemeanor violation of a no contact order.

On Oct. 21, law enforcement was dispatched to Logan Street for reports of a male kicking a female's door. The officer determined there was a no-contact order between the man and woman with the man as the petitioner and woman as the respondent.

The no contact order states the defendant is to have no contact with the man by any means.

The defendant was reminded of the order. After the parties were separated, the officer reportedly saw the defendant tell the man to "come here" and motioned for him to walk over to her.

The defendant was arrested. After being transported to the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center, the defendant grabbed the genitals of the arresting officer causing significant pain while being removed from the patrol vehicle.

A 43-year-old Helena man has been charged with is fourth DUI.

Joshua Paul Schultz is charged with felony DUI (fourth offense).

On Oct. 22, law enforcement received a call for a possible impaired driver. The complaint advised they saw a red Jeep swerving and stopped in the middle of the road. They said they saw it turn onto Ptarmigan Lane. An officer found the vehicle in a parking lot on the 3300 block of Dredge Drive. A male was asleep in the driver seat with the vehicle running. The officer knocked on the window, waking the defendant up.

Court documents state the defendant had slow deliberate movements and bloodshot eyes. He reportedly smelled of alcohol and admitted to consuming both alcohol and marijuana, police said. He showed more signs of impairment during a standardized field sobriety test and had a breath-alcohol content of 0.264.

A criminal history check showed three prior DUI convictions.

Helena man and woman charged with heroin possession

A 23-year-old Helena man and 23-year-old Helena woman have been charged with possessing heroin.

Kristopher Michael Davenport has been charged with felony heroin possession and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession. Lakota Lee Salminen is charged with felony heroin possession.

On Oct. 24, law enforcement responded after receiving a call from an off-duty police officer stating he had observed people in a vehicle preparing a syringe for drug use.

Davenport reportedly had a syringe on his lap and he had a valid warrant for his arrest at the time. Salminen was on probation at the time and Probation and Parole would authorize a search of the car.

Once at the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center, a small back of brown substance, heroin, was found on Davenport. During a search of the vehicle a syringe, scale, spoon and bags were located. A syringe with heroin in it was located in Salminen's purse.

East Helena man charged with strangling spouse

A 32-year-old East Helena man is accused of strangling his spouse.

Joseph Gregory Pennington is charged with felony strangulation of a partner or family member.

On Oct. 22, law enforcement responded to Trerise Road for reports of a woman being strangled by her husband. A deputy contacted the woman in the driveway of the residence. Court documents state she was visually upset and claimed her husband had been drinking all day and was highly intoxicated.

She said the defendant had become aggressive with her and started pushing her around. The woman said the defendant put his arms on her neck and tried to choke her. Court documents state that the defendant motioned with her arms indicating the defendant was behind her with his right arm around her neck.

The victim said she struggled to breathe and she was held in his position for a few minutes. The deputy saw red marks on both sides of her neck and scratches on her arms, chest, shoulders and back of her neck.

When speaking with the defendant, the deputy determined that he was intoxicated due to the slurred speech. The defendant reportedly claimed to have consumed an entire bottle of vodka. The defendant would not provide any details as to what had occurred.

Helena man charged after shotgun assault

A 33-year-old Helena man has been charged after allegedly shooting someone with a less-than-lethal shotgun.

Kacey Shane Gessner is charged with felony assault with a weapon and felony tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

On Oct. 10, officers responded to reports of a victim who had been shot at a residence on the 1900 block of Euclid Avenue. Court documents state the victim had injures from a less-than-lethal shotgun round and expressed fear that the defendant would kill him.

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The Montana Nurses Association on Friday filed a motion to join a lawsuit against the state's new law banning most employers from requiring vaccines.

The lawsuit was initially filed by the Montana Medical Association, doctors, clinics and patients in September. It asks a federal judge to strike down provisions in Montana's House Bill 702, which bars most employers, including hospitals, from requiring employees get vaccinated.

Proponents of the law argue it prevents discrimination against people who choose not to get vaccinated as a personal health care choice. Rep. Jennifer Carlson, a Republican from Manhattan, previously told the Montana State News Bureau requiring vaccines is "not how America works."

The Montana Nurses Association said Friday the law endangers nurses, undermines safe working conditions in health care and interferes with the provision of high-quality health care in the state.

Nurses are Montanas frontline health care providers, and we have a professional commitment and ethical duty to ensure that Montana nurses are safe at work and can focus on what they care most about: providing high quality safe healthcare to our patients, said Vicky Byrd, CEO of the Montana Nurses Association, said in a press release.

Montana's vaccination rate has lagged behind the national average. Montana's daily COVID-19 case count, according to the state's cases by diagnosis date tally, has been trending downward in recent weeks, but its new cases per 100,000 remains second in the U.S. only to Alaska. Vaccines have shown to be very effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Data from the state health department shows from April 1 to Oct. 22, those who weren't vaccinated accounted for 84% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state and 76% of all deaths.

The law, championed by GOP lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in earlier this year, was the first of its kind in the country banning vaccine requirements from employers. It's now in contention with direction from President Joe Biden, whose looming rule aims to require businesses with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.

Like the Montana Medical Association, the Montana Nurses Association claims its footing in the case on workplace safety laws, federal disability laws and the state Constitution. And while the medical association's initial filing targets the provisions prohibiting vaccine requirements in hospitals and physicians offices, the nurses association requests a judge allow vaccine requirements in all health care settings, including clinics, jails, prisons and schools.

The nurses association argued in their brief that HB 702 disrupts the balance already in place where health care providers make reasonable accommodations for nurses who can't be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons.

"It prevents health care settings from relying on professional judgement and evidence based on public health practices to manage the relationship between vaccination requirements and the provision of reasonable accommodations," the lawsuit states.

Last week Attorney General Austin Knudsen last week filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, calling the medical association's claims "meritless" and an "open wish to discriminate" against unvaccinated people.

"The state of Montana put forward a clear policy that Montanans cannot be denied their fundamental right to pursue employment based on vaccination status," the Attorney General's Office wrote in the motion.

U.S. District Court Court Judge Donald Molloy set a Nov. 1 deadline for the medical association to respond to the Attorney General's motion to dismiss.

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Where do you put a grizzly bear, once youve caught it?

In response to a new state law, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear managers produced a set of maps showing where they might release grizzlies captured during their official duties. On Thursday, the state Fish and Game Commission sent the maps out for public comment.

Judging by the speakers who came in person to critique the plan, the final decision in December wont be easy.

Senate Bill 337 requires the commission to pre-approve the relocation site list, and prohibits FWP bear managers from relocating a grizzly captured for causing conflict if it is outside a federal recovery zone. State agents can still trap the bears suspected of killing livestock or other conflicts. But if no federal agent is available to move the bear to a release site, it might have to be killed in the trap.

Grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states have had threatened status under the federal Endangered Species Act since 1975. To help them, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other state and federal agencies created six recovery zones, four of which are completely or partially in Montana.

They include the 8,900-square-mile Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem from Glacier National Park to Lincoln; the 9,209-square-mile Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem surrounding Yellowstone National Park in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho; the 2,800-square-mile Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem in northwest Montana; and the 5,830-square-mile Bitterroot Ecosystem on the Montana-Idaho border.

While grizzly recovery efforts and research are concentrated on those ecosystems, the bears themselves are wildlife free to roam as deer and mountain lions can. However, several speakers at Thursdays meeting suggested grizzlies should be treated differently outside those ecosystem boundaries.

Were concerned about the proximity to farms, ranches and communities, and the excessive amount of grizzlies we have roaming now, said Trina Jo Bradley, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Front Ranch Lands Group. The focus needs to be on lethal removal, rather than moving the problem to someone elses backyard.

You should release only to recovery zones, as the Legislature intended, state Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, told the commissioners. Thats what they were set up for. If they are too full, thats an inadequacy of the Endangered Species Act.

That misunderstands the purpose of recovery zones, according to Montana Wildlife Federation vice president Chris Servheen, who led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services grizzly recovery effort for 35 years.

Thats a basic confusion some people have, that we want to confine grizzly bears to recovery zones, Servheen said. Grizzlies are a native species to be found anywhere throughout most of western Montana. The majority of grizzly habitat is outside recovery zones. To imply that grizzly bears are supposed to be inside and not supposed to be outside, is misrepresentation of the entire recovery program.

In discussion with commissioners, FWP Administrator Ken McDonald said the relocation list included places both inside and outside recovery zones. He added that the choice of where to put a captured grizzly was made on a case-by-case basis. Managers would not release one in a drainage where a trail crew was working, for example.

FWP also wants to consider long-term grizzly policy in its relocation, McDonald said. Federal courts have blocked two recent attempts to delist grizzlies from the Endangered Species Act, in part because isolated populations risk declining genetic diversity. That might be resolved by releasing captured bears from the Northern Continental Divide to the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, as is currently done between the NCDE and the Cabinet-Yaak.

Fielder and other critics of relocation told the commissioners that releasing grizzlies might hurt wolf trappers. The 2021 Legislature also liberalized wolf harvest by removing quotas, allowing snaring and night-hunting with lights and other measures.

If you take bears from one location and put them in a different location, thats going to restrict trappers ability to get into those locations because now the bears are there, said Tim McKenrick of the Montana Trappers Association.

Sarah Lundstrum of the National Parks Conservation Association praised the relocation site maps and suggested some additions. Having more options would make it easier for bear managers to quickly resolve a capture with less stress to the captured animal, she said.

Wed like to see more relocation sites on the northern end of the Greater Yellowstone and west toward the Beaverhead, Lundstrum said. That would support genetic connectivity with grizzlies in the NCDE, by supporting natural connectivity on the farthest edges of the recovery areas. We also need relocation sites in the Bitterroot, so we can return bears captured within it or on the edge of it.

The Bitterroot Ecosystem has seen growing grizzly presence, according to Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee reports. However, the area currently has no confirmed resident grizzlies. A grizzly captured on a golf course near Stevensville in 2018 had to be relocated to the NCDE because no Bitterroot release sites had been authorized.

Federal FWS officials said on Wednesday they plan to contract with some non-FWP wildlife managers to handle grizzly transport after the state restriction takes effect in March 2022. FWS relocations would also not be limited to the release sites approved by the Montana Fish and Game Commission.

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Two rules changing how anglers can fish an upper stretch of the Madison River will go into effect in January despite a working groups attempts to reverse the action.

The recently formed Madison River Work Group unanimously opposed a revision to fishing regulations approved by the previous Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2020.

Out of 300 questionnaires distributed to anglers using the upper Madison, 99% of respondents opposed the new rule, Hugh Zackheim told the commission. The number-one concern was conflict between wade anglers and boaters.

In order for the measure to be reversed, however, the rulemaking process has to be followed. To meet those deadlines, set by the Montana Secretary of State, means the rule will go into effect before the current commission can annul the regulations.

To those uninitiated to the states rulemaking process the proceedings may seem about as clear as muddy spring runoff.

Under Montanas 2021 regulations, fishing from boats was not allowed on the Madison River between the Quake Lake outlet downstream to Lyons Bridge. Under the new rule, fishing from a boat would have been allowed in a portion of that water  from Raynolds Pass fishing access site to Lyons Bridge  on Saturdays and Sundays from June 15 to Sept. 30 under a trial program.

Another rule would have prohibited outfitters and guides from conducting business between June 15 and Sept. 30 between Lyons Bridge and Palisades day use area on Sundays and from Raynolds Pass FAS to Lyons Bridge on Saturdays.

The new rules were created in an attempt to reduce boating and angler traffic on one of the busiest rivers in the state.

Fish and Wildlife Commission member K.C. Walsh, who represents Region 4 in Great Falls, said that opening up the upper section to boats for the first time in 30 years generated a lot of public opposition. He also said the Raynolds Pass FAS is currently not capable of handling an increase in boat/trailer traffic that would likely be generated.

To repeal the rule, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has to file a request with the secretary of states office, which can only be done twice each month, explained Becky Dockter, FWPs chief legal counsel. Then the agency has to allow 30 days for public comment. Given the timeline, the earliest the commission could address the repeal would be after their scheduled meeting in December.

To further complicate the issue, fishing regulations for 2022 would go to press in early January, likely with the soon-to-be-repealed rule published.

Eileen Ryce, FWP Fisheries administrator, said that wouldnt be a problem. The regulation could be printed with an asterisk noting the possible change and signage could be erected at fishing access sites along the river. In addition, the correct regulations could be posted to FWPs website when they are finalized.

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Montana has again risen to the top tier of COVID infections, hospitalizations, and general fussing that you cant tell me what to do."

Obviously, that is true as the governor has clearly declared that he objects to mandates and therefore mandates that no one can have them.

The chief education officer has informed parent groups that they need not heed the CDC or their doctors regarding vaccinating or masking their children while attending public schools. And the attorney general has decided that law school has prepared he and his staff to override medical decisions and storm the hospital if they refuse to go to the local farm and ranch store to locate treatments demanded by family members. But these individuals and families do choose to use the hospital, overworked staff and  hopefully not- public funds to provide medical care.

Perhaps it is time to set up tent cities where the insistently unvaccinated and elected officials who support their right to infect others can sign in for care. No one need to wear a mask, bovine medication can be delivered directly by the postal service and medical services can be provided by their pastor, neighbor or the internet.

Cathy Kendall

Helena

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SHELBYVILLE  An Oconee man who led police on a high-speed chase has been sentenced to seven years in prison on a drug charge.

Nathan W. Moore, 38, was arrested on June 1 after police attempted to stop his vehicle for driving with a loud exhaust. He fled at a high rate of speed, abandoning his vehicle after disregarding a stop sign and driving through a back yard of a residence, according to the police report.

Moore was apprehended as he ran toward a tree line in Tower Hill. Police found 1.8 grams of methamphetamine and 2.8 grams of buprenorphine in Moore's pocket.

Moore was sentenced Tuesday in Shelby County Circuit Court on a charge of as unlawful possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine.

According to Shelby County States Attorney Nichole Kroncke, the offense normally carries a sentencing range of probation to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

"Moore faced an extended term sentence with a maximum term of 10 years due to his prior criminal history," Kroncke said in a press release.

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Moore was sentenced to a concurrent term of six years for the offense of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with a prior conviction.

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

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DECATUR  Richland Community College's enrollment for fall 2021 increased by .8 percent.

Community colleges nationwide saw a significant decrease in enrollment during the pandemic, but Illinois community colleges are not seeing as much of a decline, according to the Illinois Community College Board.

As the College has continued to navigate this unprecedented pandemic, it has been challenging to predict or anticipate enrollment trends and outcomes," said President Cris Valdez. "While much work remains, we are pleased to continue to serve this community and look forward to continued growth.

Fall enrollment in Illinois community colleges is down 1.5 percent overall compared to a 13.7 percent overall decline in 2020. That 1.5 percent is well below the national average of 5.6 percent and is the smallest rate decline for the Illinois Community College system overall since Fall 2010. In addition to Richland, 16 Illinois community colleges saw enrollment increases in Fall 2021 compared to just three for the 2020 fall semester.

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"We believe this data signifies an upward trend in students returning to advance their educations at community colleges throughout Illinois in the years to come, said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham.

Online and dual-credit courses have also seen increases, and the greater availability of online courses could be one reason for the uptick in enrollment, according to the ICCB.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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SPRINGFIELD  Despite some earlier hiccups, Democratic lawmakers approved their proposed congressional redistricting map in the waning hours of the Illinois General Assembly's fall session.

The map passed the Illinois Senate 41-18 on a partisan roll and 71-43 in the House. It heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk.

Legislative Democrats unveiled a first draft of the congressional map earlier this month and subsequently released two revised maps, each of which would likely result in electing a congressional delegation with 14 Democrats and three Republicans.

But divisions over the level of Latino representation and the pairing of two Democratic incumbents in the Chicago area threatened the new maps immediate prospects and for a time opened the possibility that approval could be punted to January, when only a simple majority would be needed.

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With an immediate effective date, the legislation needed supermajorities to pass the legislature since it is past May. This meant that Democrats had little wiggle room for defections especially in the House.

One of the sticking points was the status of a second Latino district. The state has long packed Latino communities on Chicagos Northwest and Southwest sides into one hyper-minority district.

The group is among the fastest-growing minority groups in the state. To account for this, a district based on Chicago's Northwest Side and western suburbs was drawn with about a 47% Latino population in addition to the long-existing Latino majority district.

But some say an influence district is not enough, arguing that a second Latino majority district was necessary.

However, the effort got back on track later in the evening, with Democrats opting to approve the map after some behind-the-scenes negotiations and tweaks to the proposal.

The largest change came in the Chicago suburbs, where Rep. Marie Newman, D-La Grange, was drawn into a heavily-Latino district with Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Chicago.

Newman had previously been in the same district as Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove.

Senate President Don Harmon, presenting the map in committee Thursday morning, said he hopes that everyone feels represented for the next 10 years in the General Assembly and in Congress.

In the end, we're going to pass a map and no one is going to be 100% happy with it, Harmon said. That is the nature of the legislative process, that is the nature of compromise. We've had many, many hearings, we have taken more public input than I think we have ever before in a redistricting cycle. And we've listened.

Here is a rundown of the new downstate-based districts:

12th  This rural district covers Southern Illinois, including almost everything south of Interstate 70. It also includes some outlying portions of Metro East. This heavily Republican seat includes the homes of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland.

13th  This string bean-shaped district stretches from the Metro East region near St. Louis to Champaign-Urbana, picking up the urban cores Springfield and Decatur in between. It is largely urban in character, but also includes all of Macoupin County and some other rural areas in Central Illinois. The district voted for President Joe Biden by an 11-point margin in 2020.

No incumbents live in the district. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who represents the current 13th Congressional District, was drawn into the new 15th Congressional District. Democrats Nikki Budzinski of Springfield and David Palmer of Champaign have announced campaigns for the seat.

15th  This largely rural Central Illinois district stretches from Iowa to Indiana, picking up outlying areas of Springfield and Decatur and several mid-size towns like Charleston, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Quincy and Taylorville. It includes most rural areas between U.S. Route 136 to the north and Interstate 70 to the south. The district is a safe Republican district and includes the Taylorville home of Davis.

16th  This rural district jigsaws from the Wisconsin border to just south of Bloomington-Normal. It covers much of rural Central Illinois and wraps around to get outlying parts of the Twin Cities, Peoria and Rockford.

Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, both reside in the district. It is a safe Republican seat.

17th  This C-shaped district picks up most of Bloomington-Normal, Galesburg, Macomb, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford. Like the 13th, this district connects several urban centers in downstate Illinois. Biden won the district by just under eight points.

Incumbent Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, is retiring, leaving the seat open. Republican Esther Joy King, who came within a few points of defeating Bustos in 2020, is running.

Democrat Angie Normoyle, a member of the Rock County Board, and Jonathan Logemann, a Rockford alderman, have announced campaigns. Other Democrats are expected to jump in as well.

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OTTAWA  The autopsy results released this week in the Jelani Day case have not changed his familys message.

He was taken without his permission, Days aunt, Terri Davis, said Thursday. Someone took him without his permission, and they hurt him in a way that they would not want their family member to be hurt, their loved one.

Day, a 25-year-old Danville native and Illinois State University graduate student, was found dead on Sept. 4 in the Illinois River near Peru. He had been reported missing from Bloomington on Aug. 25 and his car was found in Peru on Aug. 26.

Scott Denton, a forensic pathologist who has worked with law enforcement on countless investigations in Central Illinois, performed an autopsy on Sept. 5. The autopsy report was obtained this week by The Pantagraph via the Freedom of Information Act.

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In the report, Denton writes no evidence of antemortem injury, with presence of all decomposed organs, without evidence of an assault, altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury were found.

Day's body had undergone severe decomposition from being in the river and had been fed on by fish and turtles. When Denton began the autopsy, Day wore an undershirt and underwear with a sweatshirt wrapped around his waist. Shoes, socks and shorts were found in another location in Peru.

The manner in which Mr. Day went into the Illinois River is currently unknown," Denton's report states.

Days family has been adamant in their belief that he was murdered and did not go into the river by choice.

My nephew did not kill himself. He didnt drive himself to Peru; he did not put himself in the river; he did not take out his eyeballs, Davis said Thursday. The implications are lies.

The autopsy report indicates the soft tissues of his eyes were absent with abundant active insect larval activity, and the bones around the eyes were not broken.

During a march through Peru on Tuesday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, This looks like typical southern justice, having previously compared this case to that of Emmett Till, a Black teen lynched in 1955 in Mississippi. Tills attackers brutalized, shot and dumped him in the Tallahatchie River. His body was unrecognizable when he was found.

We demand justice for Jelani now, Jackson said. It may be a long fight or a short fight. It could be a long fight, but we will fight.

Days mother Carmen Bolden Day said Tuesday, with the cause of death announcement, law enforcement wanted them to believe Day put himself in the Illinois River.

I want you all to use your common sense because obviously common sense is not common in Peru or Bloomington or LaSalle or up at the coroners office, she said to a crowd of supporters. Please be advised that this is not what Jelani did to himself. I need justice. I need (Illinois Attorney General) Kwame Raoul to hear this, to see us, to make something happen. I need the FBI to come in. I dont need oversight from the Illinois State Police; I need action taken.

Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington on Wednesday also spoke about the Day investigation during a community meet and greet. Simington was recently named chief and said Wednesday that getting a full briefing on what occurred in the Day case was his top priority.

With my life and professional experience, I know the Bloomington Police Department gave a great effort, and the things that were in the media were concerning as an outsider, said Simington, who previously worked for the Illinois State Police. When I arrived, I realized a lot of that was not true. There was tremendous effort given to the case, literally, from the start. At some point the public may know more about that. It is an ongoing criminal investigation.

Simington said he could not comment on the progress made in the case because it is an ongoing investigation, but he said Bloomington officers involved in the case have put significant overtime and effort into the investigation since it began as a missing persons case.

We are working every day with the task force thats involved in the death investigation, he said. We are still attached to it, we will be attached to it as long as we need to, we will work with state police, the FBI and the law enforcement agencies up there. Were going to do our very best to try to figure it out.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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Dr. Scot Martin Discusses Ivermectin As A COVID 19 Option

Some people, even locally, are using the drug ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment or prevention option.



Most area doctors KXDJs Chris Samples has spoken with do not trust it but others around the country have prescribed it.



So, what is ivermectin?



Dr. Scot Martin, veterinarian at Hansford County Vet Hospital, explained, Ivermectin is a parasiticide that is used in animals to treat internal parasites. It has been used for that purpose in other countries, namely in Africa, actually before it was approved in the US, to treat people that had parasites. There has been quite a lot of research, even before the epidemic, to show that it did have some antiviral effects against coronavirus. Ive not looked at that totally, but I have researched it and there is proof in the literature to show that it does have antiviral effects against the coronavirus.



He said they have received calls and questions about the drug.



Unfortunately, the form of the product we have is made for use in animals only so we cant recommend or sell any of that product to people for that specific purpose. However, there is a human form that you can get from your doctor to take, he noted.



That is the precise issue with some of the overdose stories we have heard.



People are using the animal version rather than the human version and dosing themselves incorrectly. As always, if you need a medicine prescribed, you should contact your local physician.






California is taking bold actions that mean more students will have access to milk and dairy foods. Governor Newsoms recent climate package expands the states Farm to School program by providing $60 million over the next two years, a move that comes on the heels of the Golden State being the first state in the country to offer free school meals to all schoolchildren.

These programs are critically important to supporting healthy students and communities, since one in six children in the United States is impacted by food insecurity. Many more lack essential nutrients needed for optimal growth due to underconsumption of fruit, vegetables, and dairy foods. For so many children, school meals are the only opportunity they have to consume healthy food, making school meals a critical safety net.

Farm to School programs, long supported by the dairy community, are also part of the solution as they provide equitable access to healthy foods, including milk and dairy, and nutrition education. Importantly, research shows that eating patterns established at an early age influence not only academic and lifelong success but also food and beverage choices made throughout life. In turn, nutrition access and education positively impact health outcomes such as risk for obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in adulthood.

Dairy Council of California believes all children and their families deserve equitable access to healthy foods and nutrition education. We also believe that milk and dairy foods are essential to daily healthy eating patterns  and Farm to School programs are an important way to demonstrate these values in action.

In California, we are proud of the recent efforts to support nutrition equity, but there is work yet to do across the globe, the country, and in our backyard, and we cant do it alone. For that reason, we encourage dairy farmers to support their local Farm to School initiatives and collaborate with other advocates for healthier children and families as part of the Lets Eat Healthy movement. Learn more at HealthyEating.org/Join.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

October 25, 2021
Group housing for calves is a common topic of conversation in todays dairy industry, but its not a system that is easy for all farms to implement. That does not mean dairies cant still reap the benefits that come from raising calves in social groups, though.

Whitney Knauer, an assistant professor with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, believes that housing two calves together in a pair is an easier transition for many farms that still yields positive results.

I really like pair housing because we get a lot of the advantages of social housing without the detrimental effects of large groups, she said during a presentation at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference.

Knauer explained that pair housing requires few changes in overall calf management on the farm and generally wont impact the milk delivery system. Paired housing doesnt require a new building, and both hutches and pens can be adapted to accommodate two calves. There is a lot of opportunity to modify what we already have, she said about housing.

Studies have shown the same benefits in paired calves as they have in those raised in groups, including greater starter intake at weaning, longer lying times at weaning, and less vocalization at weaning. Calves raised with a peer also have a reduced fear of new objects or novel situations.

Knauer noted that pair housing is best suited for farmers that are already doing a good job with raising their calves. If a farm is currently facing health challenges among the calf herd, this would likely not be a good time to facilitate this change.

Pairing provides the most benefit when it is done earlier in life, prior to three weeks of age. Knauer recommended starting calves out individually for a week to 10 days and then forming the pair. There should be no more than a two-week age difference between the two calves, and less than one week is ideal, she said. Calves should be vigorous and drinking well before being moved into a pair, she added.

There are various ways to create groups in either hutches or pens, but Knauer reminded that each calf must be provided at least 35 square feet of resting space.

For milk feeding, Knauer noted that calves must be fed, at minimum, 6 liters of milk or milk replacer per day, split into two meals. It is most desirable to offer this liquid in a nipple bottle or nipple bucket to slow drinking time and reduce the risk of cross sucking.

If cross sucking is a concern, Knauer said it can be minimized by feeding more milk and feeding out of a nipple. She said there is also the option to split calves up for feeding. While this adds labor  about one minute per calf in a University of Minnesota trial  she said the calf feeders actually found it easier to feed calves when they were separated for milk delivery.

Knauer noted that the pen should include a water bucket and calf starter bucket for each calf. One benefit of social housing is that calves can learn from their peers, so if one calf is eating or drinking, it is desirable for the other calf to be able to mimic the behavior and to do the same activity at the same time.

No matter what system is used to pair calves, Knauer reminded the audience, The basic principles of excellent husbandry and management apply. Practices such as colostrum feeding, proper bedding, and so forth will all play a role in the success of pair housing for calves.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

October 28, 2021
Today is Friday, Oct. 29, 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

Biden, pope to talk virus, climate, poverty at Vatican

ROME (AP)  President Joe Biden arrived at the Vatican Friday to meet with Pope Francis, the world's two most notable Roman Catholics huddling to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.

Biden and his wife, Jill, arrived at the Vatican in an unusually long motorcade of more than 80 vehicles, owing in part to Italian COVID-19 restrictions on the number of people sharing a car.

A dozen Swiss Guards in their blue and gold striped uniforms and red-plumed halberds stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard awaiting Bidens arrival. Biden was being received by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, who runs the papal household, and then greeted one by one the papal ushers, or the papal gentlemen, who lined up in the courtyard.
GREENSBORO  BJ Barnes, the former Guilford County sheriff and current mayor of Summerfield, is considering starting a webpage of his own after being banned from Facebook  twice.

Nearly 9,000 people follow Barnes popular Facebook page, which can still be viewed, but has no new posts since early May when Barnes said he was first bumped from the social media site.

They blocked me for about a month the first time, Barnes said. He said he was not given a reason by Facebook for the ban.

The block came after a post in which Barnes referenced Obiden, a term coined by former President Donald Trump when referring to President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama. Barnes said he suspects terms used by conservatives are often sought out on Facebook by those looking to block posts or accounts.

Im not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but I think the conservatives are at a disadvantage when it comes to using a liberal outlet like Facebook, said Barnes, a prominent Guilford County Republican.

Barnes said he made it no secret on his Facebook page that he isnt a supporter of Biden.
Whisnant said he has heard the rumors, but as far as he knew no one has actually filed a report related to claims of trafficking or other illicit transport of people at the airport.

Nor has the city received any tips from federal authorities that such activity is taking place, he said.

In fact, we have a police officer who is federally sworn through Homeland Security who is tied into all of the information that would come directly through those channels, Whisnant said. If this were going on, we would get information through those channels, and there is zero information of that.

The Hickory Airport has seen an uptick in activity this year, and planning for longer-term growth at the airport is a priority for city leaders.

Earlier this month, the Hickory City Council awarded a $1.5 million contract to Wilkie Construction for a new 12,000-square-foot hangar.

Sports travelers, particularly Appalachian State University teams and teams coming to the area to play App State, have also been increasingly using the Hickory airport.

Kevin Griffin, kgriffin@hickoryrecord.com, is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record.
After a long time, Telstra has literally hit the jackpot with a business move: the company has fallen in with the Australian Government's wishes and jointly acquired Digicel's business in the South Pacific, something that the US has pushed Australia to do.

The entire deal was in Telstra's favour: there was minimal outlay, with Canberra bearing the brunt of the expenditure (US$1.3 billion from the government as opposed to US$270 million from Telstra). And given that the telco has provided the government with a lifeline, it is well placed to call in the favour when the sale of the NBN Co comes around.

A high-level version of I'll-scratch-your-back-if-you-scratch-mine. Telstra gets to own and operate the company and also own 100% of the ordinary equity.

Canberra has been under pressure from Washington ever since it became known that China Mobile, one of the top three operators in China, might be casting a covetous look towards Digicel. One only has to mention the term "national security" in the US capital these days to set the fire alarms screaming.

The last time a similar situation arose was when ASIS director-general Nick Warnerto the Solomon Islands in 2017 to prevent a deal with Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei Technology for the laying of a submarine cable.

Warner spoke to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and forced him to cancel the deal. The message conveyed was that if the Solomon Islands proceeded with the project, then Australia would withdraw the licence for the cable landing rights in Sydney.

The project was finally awarded to the Vocus Group, with Australia footing two-thirds of the bill, a sum of about A$100 million. Anything to keep the administration in Washington happy.

The sale of the NBN Co has been part of the logic (if one can call it that) behind setting up such a company to provide broadband to the whole country. Only the most biased observer would call it a success, but it still staggers on its merry way, even forking out healthy bonuses to its executives.

The mandarins in Canberra would like to recoup whatever cash they can through the sale of the company, but will have to wait until an opportune time arrives. There hasn't been any talk about this for the last two years given the outbreak of COVID-19.

The fact that a sale, most likely to Telstra, would take the country back to where it was in the 1990s  when a certain large firm partly owned by the government was able to dictate terms to all and sundry in the telco business  does not appear to have registered with government bureaucrats.

Telstra has been looking for a way to become the 800-lb gorilla again and joining in the purchase of Digicel has now put it firmly in the box seat to acquire NBN Co as and when the latter is put on the market.

For a company that has seen its share price go mostly south ever since David Thodey left its portals, that would be a very sweet day indeed.
As Officer Tyler Timmins left the Pontoon Beach Police Department to go on patrol Tuesday morning, he was talking about his daughter.

And on Monday, Timmins met with Police Chief Chris Modrusic about making changes to his schedule so he could be with his family on New Year's Eve. That's when the Timmins family would be celebrating Christmas.

Those were two of the examples Modrusic cited to show Timmins' dedication to his wife, Linsey, and daughter, Chloe.

It was shortly after Timmins left the station that he was fatally shot at a gas station as he approached what he believed to be a stolen pickup truck.

Modrusic spoke about Timmins' character during a news conference on Wednesday when authorities announced that a Highland man, Scott Hyden, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Timmins' death.

"Linsey, Chole and his family were everything to Tyler and everyone who knew him knew that," Modrusic said.

"A close second to him was his job," the chief said. "Tyler truly loved being a cop. He loved his job. He loved this department and everyone on this department."

"In the day when most are running from law enforcement, he still took pride in his job every single day."

Modrusic said the 36-year-old Timmins "paid the ultimate sacrifice" on Tuesday morning.

"As devastating as this loss is to his family, us and this entire law enforcement community, I truly believe if Tyer could tell us anything, he would tell us all, he didn't die for nothing," Modrusic said. "He died doing exactly what he loved, protecting and serving this community and the surrounding communities."

Slain officer praised by principal

Butch McGill, who was the principal at East Alton Middle School when Timmins was a student there, echoed Modrusic's praise for Timmins.

McGill, who is now retired, said he would often hear from students who say they wanted to be a police officer so they could get a badge and carry a gun on their hip.

"That wasn't Tyler," McGill said. "Tyler wanted to be a police officer because he wanted to serve others."

"He was always there to help people, even in middle school he was like that."

McGill noted that Timmins had family members who also had served in law enforcement.

McGill recalled a time when his wife, Judy, was working as a teacher at Roxana High School and had to fill in as an administrator one day. On that day she had to call the police to help with a student.

McGill said his wife was so relieved to see that it was Timmins who responded to the call for help. Prior to working as a police officer in Pontoon Beach, Timmins also had worked as an officer in Roxana, Hartford and was police chief in Worden.

McGill said his wife said, "I couldn't have been more proud of him, the way he handled it."

"It was a troubled kid that was in trouble, but he showed kindness and worked his way through it," McGill said of Timmins' response to the student.

McGill said Timmins was known for being witty and intelligent, but that he also knew when to be quiet in class.

"I don't think there's anybody who didn't like him," the former principal said.

McGill, who first met Timmins when he was in the fourth or fifth grade, said Timmins' death reminded him of when Timmins' mother died.

Beverly Timmins passed away in June 2017. She was 53.

"His Mom passed away way too soon ... and she was a very giving person and he just followed in her footsteps, I think," McGill said.

As a longtime educator, McGill said he often shares the message that, "If you were ever a child in my classroom or in my school, you're still one of my kids."

And after hearing about Timmins' death, McGill said, "I feel like I lost a kid."

Family members remember Timmins as a hero

Timmins' family said in a statement Thursday that, while Timmins is being recognized for his sacrifice in protecting the community, to them, he has been "a hero since day one."

"Tyler was the epitome of compassion, empathy and caring throughout his life," the statement said. "He gained notoriety on October 26th when he was senselessly killed in the line of duty. To many he was a hero that day, for us he has been a hero since day one."

"The family of Officer Tyler Timmins mourns the loss of our son, husband, father, brother and friend. We would like to thank the law enforcement community and the thousands of others who have expressed their love, support and concern.

"There are no words to describe what was taken from us. We will always remember his devotion to his family, his dedication to his career and community, and the love and laughter that he shared with us," the family statement said.

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If the harmonica is a model collectors want or if there is something unusual about it, its in perfect condition and has the original box, it might sell for more. Its not possible to estimate the value without seeing it. Take it to a music store in your area and see if someone there can give you an idea of value.

A: Jasper Cabinet Furniture was based in Jasper, Indiana, starting at the turn of the 20th century. The company produced secretary desks, china cabinets, curio cabinets, chests of drawers and other furniture. If antique furniture collectors  or those inheriting older curio cabinets or chests  are lucky, their pieces will come with its original key. Before getting upset if you dont see a key, check to see if its taped in a drawer or on the back panel. If the key is nowhere to be found, your first step would be to remove the lock and take it to an antiques store, hardware store or a locksmith. Be sure to call ahead to make sure the store has a collection of old bit keys, often called skeleton keys. If youre lucky, the store will have a key that slides into the keyhole and throws the bolt. If not, a locksmith can look for a bit-key blank thats a close fit. Antique master keys can typically open every lock in a home, most commonly in Sears Craftsman and Victorian homes, as well as any home thats close to a century or more in age. Those antique skeleton keys are also known as bit and barrel keys.
In videos that circulated on social media, Bittles daughter is seen pressed against a fence on a short but steep incline on the Paisley campus. At some point, she, the resource officer and two other men fall to the ground, some landing on her. The resource officer, with a knee now on the girl, handcuffs her while she lies on her stomach.

The girl, still handcuffed, was then taken through the front door of the school, past classmates and parents waiting to pick up their children, humiliating her, her mother said.

Bittle said she wishes the officer and staff members had not resorted to handcuffing her daughter.

If they had found some sort of communication or used their words with her in the field that day, things wouldnt have gotten that far, Bittle said. They literally treated her like she was a criminal, like she had a weapon, like she had done a serious crime on their premises.

No charges were filed against the girl.

School Superintendent Tricia McManus said in a statement that she was disturbed by what she saw in a video of the incident and that due to her strong belief in the power of relationships with students and restorative practices, I would have hoped this situation could have been de-escalated before it reached this point.
Two weeks after three Rural Hall town council members and the town manager resigned, the interim town manager, Frank James, resigned Wednesday. James, who retired in 2017 after 38 years as town manager, came back to resume duties after Megan M. Garner resigned and then took a position as city manager for Graham. On Oct. 21, three council members abruptly resigned after a meeting, citing conflicts among elected officials and what they called harassment and unfounded allegations of financial impropriety lodged againt Garner. State Treasure Dale Folwell has called for an investigation into the town's financial statements as a way to settle the matter once and for all.
An employee at Appalachian State University is facing a criminal charge after a mobile phone was found earlier this month in a dormitory bathroom, authorities said.

ASU police received a report Oct. 15 about the mobile phone being found in a vent of a third-floor bathroom in Eggers Residence Hall, Appalachian State said in a statement.

ASU police then began an investigation.

University police later obtained an arrest warrant for Jerry Alan McGlamery, 49, of Wilkes County, a facilities operations employee, ASU said.

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McGlamery is charged with misdemeanor secret peeping, a court record says.

McGlamery was arrested in Wilkes County Oct. 22 and taken to the Wilkes County Jail, authorities said. He has been released from custody after posting a $1,500 bond, according to VINE, a national victim networking service.

McGlamery has been placed on investigatory leave pending the university polices investigation, App State said. McGlamery has not worked on campus since Oct. 15, and he isnt permitted to return to campus.

Facilities operations employees at App State manage campus buildings, systems, grounds, utilities and vehicles, according to the universitys website.
The National Weather Service is warning that a low-pressure system could continue to bring rain Friday in North Carolina as it moves into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Gusty winds up to 35 mph are possible Friday in central North Carolina, including Forsyth and Guilford counties, the weather service said.

The conditions could produce damaging winds and isolated tornadoes ahead of the cold front, the weather service said.

The low-pressure system will swing its fronts north along the East Coast on Friday as it spreads moisture across the Northeast in the form of rain showers, the weather service said.

Heavy rain leading to flash flooding might happen in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians, where between 1 to 2 inches of rain may fall by Saturday morning, the weather service said.

Temperatures are expected to fall across the Southeast Friday in the wake of this low-pressure system, the weather serviced said. High temperatures will be between 15 to 25 degrees below average for these areas through Saturday.
That howling you may soon hear in the evening when the sky gets dark isnt related so much to Halloween or political disappointment as to wildlife and urban sprawl. This is the time of year when young coyotes leave their parents to establish a home of their own, according to a press release from the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission. They howl or bark to each other, essentially, to say, Im over here.

And since their options have been limited by encroaching human development, more of them are likely to explore and perhaps settle down in the forests and green patches that stitch together our neighborhoods. So were likely to hear and see more of them than before.

But while some may find their songs and their presence disturbing, theres no cause for alarm. With a modicum of forethought, we can co-exist, as we have for decades and centuries before now.

Coyotes are canids, like dogs, and have reddish to dark gray thick fur. They have long slender snouts, bushy tails and pointed ears and can grow up to 45 pounds. Theyre considered an invasive species, having first moved into North Carolina in the 1980s from neighboring states.
I love Lincoln, Doucet said. Lincoln has my favorite coffee shop, except for Cuba. I bought three portable espresso coffee makers at that place. They were $25 each, I was like, youre kidding. Ive burned two of them out. But I still use the third one. Coffee was so bad in the U.S. back then, we brought our coffee with us. We still do.

That coffee shop is The Mill, and Doucet said hes kept in touch with its owners over the years.

Doucet, 70, was born into a Cajun family of musicians, learned banjo at 6, guitar at 8 and was in a Cajun rock band with his cousin Zachary Richard at 12.

But, importantly, he said, he began to absorb traditional Cajun music, picking up the violin in his early 20s.

I heard this music growing up and learned it, he said.. I had the ability to meet the masters who did it in the 20s and 30s, Canary Fontenot, Dennis McGee. Not that they taught me anything. Theyd play something and Id watch and try to play it like them.

The fiddle drenched Cajun music is rooted in ballads and dance songs brought to the Louisiana bayou by French-speaking Acadians when they were kicked out of the Canadian maritime provinces in the mid 1700s.
Read the Bible in a Year at Sheridan Lutheran Church  Commit to 30 minutes of reading the Bible, per day, for a year. The commitment will also include a few large teaching events and small group study buddies. First meeting is at 6955 Old Cheney Road. Register: Sheridanlutheran.org/event-registration. More information: j.hestermann@sheridanlutheran.org or e.bostrom@sheridanlutheran.org.

Rebuilding After your Relationship Ends: First-Plymouth Church  6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Through-Nov. 17. Instructor is Gary Summers. Cost of the class is $60, including book. Whether it is our choice or the choice from a partner to end a relationship, the experience comes with many intense feelings. The sense of loss can be devastating. Reclaiming ourselves often takes effort and time. Sharing our experiences with others provides hope in our recovery. Register with addie@firstplymouth.org.

Short Stories by Jesus Book Discussion Group: First Presbyterian Group at the Eatery  6-8 p.m. through Dec. 1, Wednesdays. Amy-Jill Levine invites us to look at the parables of Jesus, through the Jewish lens, originally how the parables were taught. Each week group members will gather to discuss the topic chapter of the week at the Eatery, 2548 S. 48th St. Register: fpclincoln.org/event/short-stories.
Pat Condon, who has served as Lancaster County attorney since he was appointed in 2018, announced Thursday he will seek his second full term in the office.

Standing behind a lectern at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln and in front of a campaign sign with his name on it, the Republican announced his reelection bid while noting law enforcement across the country is "at a crossroads"  one that Condon himself is attempting to navigate.

Reading from prepared remarks, the longtime trial lawyer lamented soft-on-crime states and municipalities, but pitched himself as both a hardline law-and-order prosecutor and a compassionate steward of state statute.

Condon said some county attorneys across the United States are declining to charge criminals who steal less than $1,000 worth of merchandise and banning the use of cash bail.

"That is the wrong direction for law enforcement to be headed," he said. "We cannot let Lancaster County go down that road."

But in the same speech, Condon touted diversion programs that he has worked to create and expand, offering rehabilitative programs for defendants who are veterans, struggling with mental health issues, facing DUI charges or charged with certain drug crimes.
An inmate at the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln who was reported missing Oct. 28 after not returning from a work assignment was taken back into custody Wednesday, according to the Department of Correctional Services.

Austin Risor removed his electronic monitoring device near 33rd and Superior streets, a news release said.

It's not known where he was arrested, but he has been booked into the Lancaster County Jail.

Risor was sentenced to 10 to 11 years in 2016 for multiple charges in Madison County, including drug offenses, theft and public indecency.

The Community Corrections Center is the least restrictive of Nebraska's state prisons. Inmates are allowed to work outside the prison, attend classes or religious services with prior approval.

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The two had been dating since the middle of July, according to police.

At separate hearings Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Fullerton argued for their continued detention pending trial.

While Idigima doesn't have a substantial criminal history, Fullerton said, "she was in basically a position of public trust with the State Patrol's evidence room and is alleged to have stolen significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, which were then suspected to have been distributed by her codefendant to other persons."

Idigima's attorney, Jamel Connor, said she had only one speeding ticket on her record, has lived all her life in Lincoln and has four children, three of whom are minors.

Magistrate Judge Cheryl Zwart said there was a presumption of detention in the case, and the grand jury has found that she was able to "under the nose of the Nebraska State Patrol do some fairly significant criminal activity."

"If she can work in their facility and they can't see it, how is Pretrial Services to trust anything she says about her conduct while they're trying to supervise her," she said.
The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner related to his successful challenge of the medical marijuana petition drive.

John Cartier, an attorney who worked with Nebraska Families for Medical Cannabis, asked the commission in April to review whether Wagner violated state law by not disclosing who paid legal fees for the petition challenge.

Both Cartier and Wagner said the complaint had been dismissed.

State law requires elected officials to report any gift more than $100 in value on a Statement of Financial Interests, which is filed annually with the state office responsible for administering election laws.

Cartier said the commission found the legal fees for the challenge were not considered a gift because Wagner had not solicited the money.

Complaints made to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission are not made public unless the subject of the complaint invokes the right to do so or the commission enters an order finding a violation occurred, said Executive Director Frank Daley.

The commission has not entered an order finding that Wagner violated the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Act, he said.
U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld of Los Angeles has issued a protective order that prohibits Rep. Jeff Fortenberry from being left alone with evidence related to his indictment on charges of lying to the FBI about illegal foreign donations to his 2016 reelection campaign.

Blumenfeld will preside at Fortenberry's trial in Los Angeles, which is scheduled to begin on Dec. 14.

Fortenberry's attorney, John Littrell of Los Angeles, said the judge's order was routine, "not an unusual step at all."

"The prosecution proposes an order like this in any case involving the use of confidential informants," Littrell said.

"The protective order does not limit the congressman's access to information and it will not inhibit our ability to defend this case."

Judge Blumenfeld ordered: "At no time, under no circumstances, will any cooperator materials be left in the possession, custody or control of defendant, regardless of the defendant's custody status."
The State Penitentiary was built in 1869 and has undergone several renovations, but corrections officials have argued that it's no longer cost-effective to upgrade the facility with an average population of nearly 1,300 inmates.

There are limits to how much work can be completed at any given time within a fully occupied prison," Strimple said. The issue has never been money, it's a reflection of an aging infrastructure.

The prison's water system has faced numerous problems for years, including five water main breaks between December 2017 and September 2018, according to an independent watchdog agency that oversees the corrections department.

In September 2018, one water main broke in two areas on consecutive days, according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System. Inspector General Doug Koebernick wrote in the report that it appears as though it will be a regular issue due to the aging infrastructure of the facility.

James Davis III, a deputy state ombudsman for Nebraska corrections, said Thursday he was investigating the matter after getting complaints from inmates and their families.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol seized 601 pounds of methamphetamine and 108 pounds of cocaine, worth more than $3 million, in a traffic stop near Evanston on Sunday.

It is the largest amount of meth seized at once in Wyoming history, said David Tyree, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent based in Cheyenne.

Charging documents in Uinta County show that a trooper pulled over Darren Kareem Hall and Brandon Layton Rampersaud, both from Ontario, Canada, on Sunday afternoon on Interstate 80. The pair were traveling in a rented Dodge Caravan minivan.

After an initial speeding citation, court filings state, a drug dog alerted the trooper to substances in the cars backseat, where there were eight large black duffel bags with 142 plastic bags and 32 plastic tubs of methamphetamine. The 601.2 pounds, or 272,700 grams, are worth more than $2 million based on meths current street value.

The trooper also reportedly found 40 bricks of cocaine in cardboard boxes, totaling 49,290 grams. That amounts to around $1 million worth of the drug.

Hall and Rampersaud were arrested at the scene. Both face a pair of felony charges for possessing meth and cocaine with the intent to deliver, according to court documents.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation plans to build a roundabout next year at an intersection northeast of Wahoo where five people have died in crashes in less than a year.

And until then, the agency plans to lower the speed limit and make a series of lane restrictions at U.S. 77 and Nebraska 109 on the 6-year-old Wahoo bypass.

The moves come after the department conducted a video review of the crossroads to examine driver behavior and existing conditions, though it maintains the intersection meets all design and traffic engineering standards, it said in a news release Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Shannon Ankeny said later the department couldnt disclose the number of collisions at the intersection, or say when it conducted the review.

We worked with, like I said, local public officials and members of the public because they asked us to look at the intersection, she said.

In late July, the Saunders County Board of Supervisors  after a discussion with Wahoos mayor and administrator, and the county sheriff, attorney and public works director  voted unanimously to ask the state to address safety concerns at the intersection.
Regarding the Lincoln Journal Star editorial ("Postal Service is held to unreasonable standard," Oct. 21), Id like to clarify several factors that are not accurate in this editorial.

First and foremost is the claim that we are cutting delivery from five days a week to three. The United States Postal Service continues to deliver six days and week and in many areas seven days a week to provide world-class service to our valued customers.

Recently, the Postal Service unveiled our 10-year plan to ensure we remain the nations most trusted federal agency.

The plan, called Delivering for America, will help put the organization on a path to financial sustainability, according to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who announced its key components in a March 23 message to employees.

This plan marks the start of an important chapter for the Postal Service in our long history and tradition of changing and improving to better serve the American public, DeJoy wrote.

The plan will:

* Create a modernized Postal Service capable of providing world-class service reliability at affordable prices.

* Maintain universal six-day mail delivery and expanded seven-day package delivery.
Govt-and-politics

topical alert

ELECTION ALLEGATIONS

Eight cases of election fraud at Racine County nursing home, Sheriff Schmaling says

ADAM ROGAN, adam.rogan@journaltimes.com Sgt. Michael Luell of the Racine County Sheriff's Office, right, and Sheriff Christopher Schmaling conduct a news conference Thursday detailing allegations of election fraud at a Mount Pleasant nursing home.

YORKVILLE  The Racine County Sheriffs Office announced in a Thursday morning news conference that it has identified eight cases of what it believes to be election fraud at a Mount Pleasant nursing home.

Following the allegations, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Racine County Republican, called for Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Meagan Wolfe to resign. The WEC called an emergency special meeting to be held by teleconference Thursday evening.

In Brief According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office's Thursday presentation on election fraud: EIGHT people whose family members said should not have been able to vote and would not have consciously wanted to vote did vote at Ridgewood Care Center, which has a capacity for 200 residents, of whom 42 voted in the 2020 presidential election.

people whose family members said should not have been able to vote and would not have consciously wanted to vote did vote at Ridgewood Care Center, which has a capacity for residents, of whom voted in the 2020 presidential election. ZERO people to date have been charged with any form of election fraud, although the RCSO may refer its investigation at some point to the Racine County District Attorney's Office.

people to date have been charged with any form of election fraud, although the RCSO may refer its investigation at some point to the Racine County District Attorney's Office. Sheriff CHRISTOPHER SCHMALING hopes a statewide investigation will be launched, but he said Thursday that earlier this year Attorney General Josh Kaul's office rejected the idea.

hopes a statewide investigation will be launched, but he said Thursday that earlier this year Attorney General Josh Kaul's office rejected the idea. Assembly Speaker ROBIN VOS, a Racine County Republican, on Thursday called for the resignation of Wisconsin Elections Commission administator MEAGAN WOLFE.

ADAM ROGAN, adam.rogan@journaltimes.com The Ridgewood Care Center, 3205 Wood Road, Mount Pleasant, is shown here on Thursday afternoon, hours after Sheriff Christopher Schmaling and Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Luell alleged there were eight cases of election fraud at the facility.

Sheriff Christopher Schmaling and Sgt. Michael Luell, who led the investigation, said that eight men and women whose mental capacities had diminished due to age and/or disease, several of whom were largely unaware of what day it was and sometimes couldnt recognize family members, sent mail-in ballots from Ridgewood Care Center, 3205 Wood Road.

No charges have, to date, been filed in connection to the investigation. Schmaling and Luell said they may forward recommendations to the Racine County District Attorneys Office, but would prefer that a statewide investigation be launched.

Focus on SVDs and WEC

The Sheriffs Office is alleging that the Wisconsin Elections Commission repeatedly broke the law when it advised municipalities throughout the state to not follow state law and no longer require Special Voting Deputies to go into nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically, SVDs include one Republican volunteer and one Democratic volunteer who go into a nursing home to ensure that those want to vote but cannot physically make it to the polls are able to cast an absentee ballot. That law was waived by a bipartisan vote of the WEC throughout 2020, which the RCSO alleges is illegal and should be considered election fraud under Wisconsin statute. According to the investigation, staff members acted as SVDs, even though state law was supposed to have prohibited this.

In March 2021, Special Voting Deputies  which have no affiliation with a sheriff's deputy other than the name similarity  were again OKd by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

The WEC is a six-member board with three Democratic appointees and three Republican appointees. As such, the guidance it passed in a series of votes regarding Special Voting Deputies  which the RCSO alleges broke the law  was bipartisan, often with a 5-1 vote, with Republican Commissioner Commissioner Robert Spindell voting against due to asserting that SVDs could safely go into nursing homes.

"I have had some discomfort ... We will be telling the clerks to break the law ... Is there some other way we can accomplish this same thing?" Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson said during a WEC meeting, a recording of which was played Thursday by Luell, even though Knudson still voted to ignore the law.

Vos

Wolfe

Vos released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying: "Peoples trust in Wisconsins elections has been tested. Many Wisconsinites feel elections are not safe and secure, and now the Racine County Sheriffs investigation found clear violations and lawbreaking within the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Clearly there is a severe mismanagement of WEC, and a new administrator is needed. I am calling for the resignation of Meagan Wolfe as Elections Commission Administrator."

JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, pointed out on Twitter Thursday afternoon that Vos' statement made no mention of WEC Commissioner Dean Knudson, who Vos appointed, or one of the two other Republicans on the commission who "supported (the) initial decision to suspend SVD requirement."

In a statement, Wolfe said: The discussion about Special Voting Deputy access during the COVID-19 pandemic is over 18 months old and has occurred entirely in public meetings. Information about the topic is available on the WEC website here: https://elections.wi.gov/node/7537. Agency staff cannot speak on behalf of our Commissioners without their guidance to do so.

When asked for comment on Vos' demand for Wolfe's resignation, Riley Vetterkind, the new spokesman for the WEC, replied in an email: "Let us get back to you on this."

Other options unexplored, RCSO alleges

Luell alleged Thursday that not only did the WEC advise that laws be ignored, but also that they failed to find alternatives to traditional SVDs to ensure that people who wanted to act as SVDs could do so in the interest of election integrity. He pointed out that the WEC has been meeting virtually for months, but never advised that perhaps SVDs could also do their work virtually.

Luell also reviewed visitor logs from the facility throughout 2020 that found dozens of non-employees and non-residents, such as maintenance workers and those coming in for interviews and at least one DoorDash food delivery driver, were allowed into the building throughout 2020, but no exceptions were made for SVDs.

Seeking statewide investigation

Schmaling said that he suspects that election fraud is more widespread, but said that Luells investigation dealt only with Ridgewood.

No allegations or evidence of election fraud beyond the eight alleged cases at Ridgewood were made Thursday. The Wisconsin Department of Justice said that it is unaware of any similar allegations in the state as of Thursday.

The Journal Times called the Ridgewood Care Center to seek comment on the investigation soon after the sheriff's press conference ended. The woman who answered the phone said she couldnt speak on the allegations, forwarded the call to a supervisor, Administrator Scott Myers, who then did not pick up the phone.

Schmaling said that in the spring, he contacted Attorney General Josh Kauls office to initiate a statewide investigation of voting in nursing homes, but Kauls office rejected that suggestion.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, headed by Kaul, responded to questions with a statement Thursday afternoon.

Were confident that local law enforcement and District Attorneys in Wisconsin take voter fraud seriously and that, if there are credible allegations of fraud, they will be thoroughly investigated by local law enforcement. In the event that local law enforcement or District Attorneys need assistance in any case involving credible evidence of fraud, the Wisconsin Department of Justice is available to assist," Gillian Drummond, spokesperson for the Wisconsin DOJ, said in an email. "Here, DOJ was previously in contact with Sheriff Schmaling, and DOJ advised that certain interviews be conducted that had not been at that time. Significantly, no charges have been filed in this case by the Racine County DAs office. DOJ is also currently not aware of similar allegations anywhere else in Wisconsin."

No agency in the state other than the Attorney Generals Office has the authority to launch such a statewide investigation, Schmaling said

During Thursdays press conference, Schmaling repeatedly said he is not trying to overturn any elections or get any votes retroactively changed. Joe Biden won Wisconsin by 21,000 votes in 2020, which has been repeatedly affirmed by recounts and, so far, by a Republican-ordered audit of the 2020 election.

"We're not trying to change one vote," Luell said. "We're not trying to change one election. We're trying to hold the government accountable."

The RCSO investigation, which was not known to the public or to the Wisconsin Elections Commission until Wednesday, is not part of any of the statewide probes, Schmaling said.

Luell and Schmaling said they are not explicitly seeking charges against anyone; they are leaving that to prosecutors.

"Whatever happens to the WEC is up to the Legislature," Luell said.

Still, Luell and Schmaling repeatedly stated that they believe laws were broken and that there should be consequences. "There was clear violations of the law," Schmaling said.

Nursing home questions

Luell said he reached out to the families of more than 40 Ridgewood residents who voted in the election; eight of them said their loved one should not have voted and would not have consciously wanted to vote because of their own diminished mental capacity. According to Luell, he recalled that one of the eight had a court order ruling them to be "adjudicated incompetent." Per LawInsider.com, "Adjudicated incompetence means inability or unfitness to manage one's affairs because of mental condition determined in a court proceeding."

Under state law, "No person may be denied the right to register to vote or the right to vote by reason that the person is alleged to be incapable of understanding the objective of the elective process unless the person has been adjudicated incompetent in this state."

However, Luell said that he was told by Ridgewood employees that they filled out ballots for people who were only capable of pointing to the ballot, and then the employee inferred who they were voting for. One employee, Luell said, said they were instructed that for residents who did not appear they wanted to vote could be placed in a chair pointed at a TV with the news turned on, and then "come back in a day or two and try again" to see if they want to vote.

One of those who voted, identified only as Shirley, allegedly cast an absentee ballot even though she often could no longer recognize her own daughter  a woman named Judy, who filed the original complaint  and had begun hallucinating, then died in Oct. 9, 2020, weeks prior to Election Day, according to the Sheriffs Office.

"The facility took advantage of Judy's mother," Schmaling alleged.

The investigation began in late 2020 after Judy filed a complaint with the WEC. The WEC forwarded the complaint to the Racine County District Attorneys Office, which then forwarded the complaint to the RCSO for investigation, according to the Sheriffs Office.

Judy and five other people, all of whom appeared middle-aged or older, attended the press conference but did not take questions. The Sheriff's Office declined to share Judy's and Shirley's last name(s). Schmaling said they were there to show the "human impact" of what had been alleged.
The man allegedly claimed he was doing "exams" on the child, who is younger than 13, when he was actually assaulting her.
Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling wants a statewide investigation into alleged election fraud in nursing homes, including at Ridgewood Care Center in Mount Pleasant.

Its unclear if that will happen, but there certainly is statewide attention on the topic now.

GOP leaders join calls

A number of Republicans have called for either the removal of Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe or the entirety of the six people who serve as WEC commissioners  or both  including the commissioners appointed by Republicans.

Gov. Tony Evers has criticized the Republican calls for resignations. Evers specifically called out Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for Vos having called for Wolfe to resign  which she refused to do.

Vos had stated: Clearly there is a severe mismanagement of WEC, and a new administrator is needed. I am calling for the resignation of Meagan Wolfe as Elections Commission Administrator. Cover-ups and complacency with law-breaking are red flags Wisconsinites cannot ignore.

Evers responded, writing: Speaker Vos comments are unbecoming of his office and the people we serve. Its my expectation  and one Wisconsinites share  that elected officials in this state treat others with civility and respect. The speakers behavior today fell woefully short of those expectations.

State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, called for all six WEC commissioners  all volunteers, three appointed by Republicans and three appointed by Democrats  to be removed from their positions following the Sheriffs Offices news conference Thursday detailing its allegations of election laws being ignored amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vos office did not reply to a request for comment Thursday on why he called for Wolfe, who is a paid state employee, to step down but not the others.

Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, called for mass resignations at WEC  WECs reputation is damaged beyond repair.

WEC responds

Primarily, the allegations detailed by Schmaling and Sgt. Michael Luell, the lead investigator on the case, focus on how Wisconsin law requires, with some exceptions, Special Voting Deputies to be sent into nursing homes to conduct absentee voting. That law was waived amid the pandemic by a vote of the WEC commissioners.

After an emergency teleconference meeting Thursday night, most of which was closed to the public, five of the six commissioners issued a lengthy statement in which they stated strenuous disagreement with the allegations made Thursday in a press conference orchestrated by the Racine County Sheriffs Department.

To put it simply, we did not break the law, Commission Chair Ann Jacobs, a Milwaukee attorney, wrote. In fact, without action from the Commission, many residents in Wisconsin care facilities could have and would have been disenfranchised and not able to vote in the 2020 elections.

The letter continued: Statutes call for two attempted visits by SVDs to a facility after a 5-day notice period. If the SVDs are not allowed access, then absentee ballots are sent to those residents. Residents complete those ballots in the same manner as other absentee ballot voters. The timeline for these visits, and the sending and return of absentee ballots, all must occur in the 22 days immediately before an election. In 2020, the U.S. Postal Service advised that clerks should plan for 13 days to send a ballot and have it mailed back to them in time to be counted on Election Day.

In a thoughtful, public, and hours-long discussion at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioners acted in a bipartisan fashion to preserve the right to vote by ensuring ballots were sent to care facility voters in time for the ballots to be mailed and returned.

The Journal Times asked Mount Pleasants village clerk, Stephanie Kohlhagen, who requested the absentee ballots at the home, about this. In an email, she replied: The ballots you reference were mailed to the electors in a response to the applications they submitted.

Commissioner Julie Glancey, a Democrat and a former clerk, stated in the letter: We knew that for the protection of residents, only essential workers  which did not include SVDs  were being allowed into facilities across the state. As such, we knew it was essential to preserve the right to vote for those residents, so rather than require the absurdity of sending SVDs to knock on a locked door, we pivoted to the absentee voting process.

Added Commissioner Mark Thomsen, a Democrat who also is an attorney: If we had waited for two unsuccessful attempts by SVDs to enter nursing homes, we would have been in danger of missing the deadline to get their votes collected and counted. Our goal was to allow as many eligible voters as possible to participate in the election.

On virtual SVDs During a press conference Thursday, Sgt. Michael Luell had wondered aloud why the Wisconsin Elections Commission had not advised Special Voting Deputies to do their work virtually, rather than go into nursing homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Five of six WEC commissioners, plus Administrator Meagan Wolfe, responded to that in their letter Thursday night. "While the WEC has embraced virtual SVDs as a possible solution to providing nursing home residents with voting assistance, not all facilities have the necessary equipment or training to allow for digital assistance. Additionally, it is unclear how a digital process would work with the rights of observers. The WEC is an agency that cant make demands on private facilities to purchase technology. Nor does the WEC have control over the individual staff members who work in nursing homes."

Commissioner Robert Spindell, a Republican appointee, did not sign Thursdays letter.

Spindell repeatedly voted against waiving the SVD rules throughout last year after initially voting in favor. After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Spindell had given voice to unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that Trump actually won when he attended and spoke at a Stop the Steal rally on Dec. 7 in Madison.

Family members testimony

Luells investigation was based primarily on family members of eight residents, one of whom is now deceased, of Ridgewood Care Center. According to Luell, those family members attested that their loved ones did not have the mental capacity to vote due to dementia and/or similar afflictions.

In the hours following the detailing of the investigation, some legal questions arose regarding whether all eight of these residents were actually unable to vote.

According to the WEC: Under the law, if someone hasnt been adjudicated as incompetent by a court, they cant be refused the right to vote for things like dementia or other brain-related diseases.

According to the Sheriffs Office, only one of the eight had been adjudicated by a court. The commissioners statement noted that, if this is true, then a prosecution may be in order in only that case.

For the other seven, the Sheriffs Office relied on the accounts of family members of those at the nursing home.

A loved one of a Ridgewood resident was adamant that (redacted name) would not have requested an absentee ballot. (Redacted name) was usually unable to remember what she ate for breakfast that day.

The commissioners letter stated that it must be stressed that an individuals voting right can be restricted only by an incompetency order from a judge, not a friend, family member or even a doctor.

Its not fraud if your family thinks that you arent competent enough to vote and you still vote. Family members dont have that power, Rachel Rodriguez, the elections management specialist for Dane County, tweeted Thursday evening.

Questions of legality

Luell, who also serves as the RCSOs public information officer, did not respond to a request for comment responding to the claims that family members cannot declare whether their loved ones can vote.

However, if someone  such as an employee of a nursing home  were to fill out a ballot on behalf of someone else and the voter truly did not have any knowledge of voting, that would be illegal.

According to the sheriffs investigation, the truth may land somewhere between the two. According to one of Luells reports, a former staff member of Ridgewood said that the director of the facility instructed her to push residents to vote even if they initially declined.

According to a report written by Luell: I asked (name of former Ridgewood employee redacted) if she was influencing (redacted name of Ridgewood resident)s vote given that (redacted) had reservations and confusion about voting. The director of the facility then told the employee to ask the resident Democrat or Republican to just jog her memory of what the words are.

When Luell asked: So you think some of these people that you were instructed to have vote, probably did not have the mental capacity to vote? The former employee, according to the report, answered: Probably not.

The Sheriffs Office also pointed out that state law prohibits staff members of nursing homes to serve as SVDs, but that appears to be among the laws waived/ignored by the WEC due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Rodriguez said in a Friday interview that nursing home staff are allowed to help residents fill out ballots in typical years after SVDs have already visited the home twice; the WEC advised that those two typically required visits were being waived due to COVID-19 and nursing homes should proceed as if those two visits had been attempted and failed.

Helping someone who has a disability, regardless of the pandemic, is legal under most circumstances. Someone who cannot use their hands or is blind and thus is unable to write or read the ballot itself, for example, can have a family member or friend or coworker fill out a ballot at their instruction.

You can have someone read the ballot to you and have someone mark that ballot for you, that would totally be legal, Rodriguez said. She did, however, note that certain people are not allowed to help. Those include employers and union representatives. Nursing home staff are allowed to help after the two typically required SVD visits have occurred.

Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson, while he did on several occasions still vote to waive the SVD rules, did express concern about the sweeping actions of the WEC amid the COVID-19 emergency.

I have had some discomfort ... We will be telling the clerks to break the law ... Is there some other way we can accomplish this same thing? he said during one meeting.

On March 2, 2021, according to Luells reports, WEC staff attorney Jim Witecha had advised commissioners that their actions had not been wrong in part because of the legal principle of force majeure, which is defined as unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.

Witecha noted that the pandemic could serve as such an act of God that would stop Special Voting Deputies from being able to fulfill their legal duties.

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YORKILLE  The Racine County Sheriff's Office's investigation into allegations of election fraud in nursing homes has drawn international attention despite its narrow initial scope.

Media outlets locally and across the world, including in languages other than English, started picking up the story Wednesday night after Sheriff Christopher Schmaling issued a news release previewing a Thursday news conference that would include "proof of state-wide election law violations."

At the Thursday morning news conference, he and Sgt. Michael Luell, the lead investigator, detailed their probe into a single nursing home, Ridgewood Care Center in Mount Pleasant, that includes eight alleged cases of elderly people who did not have the mental capacity to vote who still voted.

Schmaling said he believes that fraud of this sort is more widespread. "I have to believe this (kind of investigation) is going to take place in every county across our state," he said, since the WEC gave the same advice  that the RCSO believes was illegal  to all clerks statewide.

National attention

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said the same, tweeting Thursday afternoon "Following the LAB (Legislative Audit Bureau) report, what Sheriff Schmaling has uncovered + disclosed might only be tip of the iceberg of fraud in the 2020 election. The Legislature must be given the time, resources, and cooperation of election officials to conduct a complete investigation of allegations."

Former President Donald Trump, who has not stopped claiming he actually won the 2020 election despite without providing evidence to support his assertion, had his eyes on Racine County, too. "Watch OAN (One America News Network) now, BIG breaking news in Racine County, Wisconsin!" he said in a mass email to supporters while Thursday's press conference was going on. OAN is one of the former president's favorite TV stations, a conservative outlet that also has reported on the allegations in Racine County.

Area sheriffs endorse Steil re-election bid Four current southeastern Wisconsin sheriff's  including Kenosha County's David Beth  and two whoa re retired have thrown their support behind Congressman Bryan Steil's re election bid for the First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A man who said he was a reporter from The Gateway Pundit, a far-right news outlet that was launched to "expose the wickedness of the left" according to its founder, was among the credentialed members of the media allowed into Thursday's news conference. As of 1:40 p.m. Thursday, the top story on its website was the Racine County press conference. The headline to its widely read story quotes Schmaling as saying "Election law was not just broken but shattered."

Others at the press conference included multiple Milwaukee area TV stations and a reporter from the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel.

Members of the public, including two from the local H.O.T. (Honest Open Transparent) Government group whose meetings have often been the scene of people claiming the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, were denied entry.

Reporters inside the Racine County Sheriff's Office substation where the conference was held heard a man yelling "This is bull(expletive)" after being denied entry prior to the conference beginning.

Seeking more reports The Racine County Sheriff's Office has set up a phone line and email specifically to receive more complaints related to alleged election fraud: 262-636-3853, voterintegrity@racinecounty.com

Local Republicans support RCSO probe

Two local Republicans, state Sen. Van Wanggaard of Racine and state Rep. Chuck Wichgers, expressed support for Schmaling's investigation through separate news releases.

Wichgers, who was allowed into the RCSO building Thursday but was not in the press conference room, told a reporter that the investigation was "big" before the press conference.

Whether it was seen in the Legislative Audit Bureau Audit released on Friday, or through todays presentation by Sheriff Schmaling, it is clear that the staff and commissioners at the Wisconsin Elections Commission are consciously deciding to ignore the law," Wanggaard said in a statement. "That cannot happen ... Vulnerable people were taken advantage of and manipulated. Attorney General Josh Kaul and his offices refusal to even be briefed on this matter is beyond disappointing."

Actually, Kaul's office was briefed, Schmaling said at Thursday's news conference, but declined to investigate after a phone call.

Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Justice said that during that conversation in the spring, more investigation needed to be done before something statewide could be considered.

Were confident that local law enforcement and District Attorneys in Wisconsin take voter fraud seriously and that, if there are credible allegations of fraud, they will be thoroughly investigated by local law enforcement. In the event that local law enforcement or District Attorneys need assistance in any case involving credible evidence of fraud, the Wisconsin Department of Justice is available to assist," Gillian Drummond, spokesperson for the Wisconsin DOJ, said in an email. "Here, DOJ was previously in contact with Sheriff Schmaling, and DOJ advised that certain interviews be conducted that had not been at that time. Significantly, no charges have been filed in this case by the Racine County DAs office. DOJ is also currently not aware of similar allegations anywhere else in Wisconsin."

Wanggaard's statement continued: "It shows that Kaul is more interested in partisan politics than enforcing the law and protecting the vulnerable. If the Attorney General refuses to prosecute, local district attorneys must. Whether it be Patricia Hanson in Racine, Ishmael Ozanne in Dane County, where the GAB (Government Accountability Board) is housed, or elsewhere, there must be consequences  legally and/or electorally. Abraham Lincoln once said 'Laws without enforcement are merely good advice.' He was right."

Added Wichgers in a statement: "The State Legislature passed Senate Bill 205 in June of this year to deal with illegal voting practices at nursing homes and Governor Evers vetoed the bill. Exploiting our most vulnerable citizens and their constitutional right to vote should not be treated lightly. This is shameful."

Vos: WEC's Wolfe should resign

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, released a statement of his own: "Peoples trust in Wisconsins elections has been tested. Many Wisconsinites feel elections are not safe and secure, and now the Racine County Sheriffs investigation found clear violations and law-breaking within the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Clearly there is a severe mismanagement of WEC, and a new administrator is needed. I am calling for the resignation of Meagan Wolfe as Elections Commission Administrator."

However, as JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com pointed out on Twitter Thursday afternoon, Vos' statement made no mention of Commission Dean Knudson, who Vos appointed, having "supported (the) initial decision to suspend SVD requirement."

In a statement prior to Vos calling for Wolfe to step down, Wolfe said: The discussion about Special Voting Deputy access during the COVID-19 pandemic is over 18 months old and has occurred entirely in public meetings. Information about the topic is available on the WEC website here: https://elections.wi.gov/node/7537. Agency staff cannot speak on behalf of our Commissioners without their guidance to do so.

Then, later in the afternoon after Vos and also state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo called for her removal, Wolfe said As Wisconsins nonpartisan chief election official, I have a statutory obligation to rise above political attempts to undermine our elections ... Despite the current political firestorm, I will continue to apply my full focus on the important work of serving all Wisconsins voters and local election officials. It would be irresponsible to spend any energy engaging a blatantly partisan and coordinated attempt to baselessly challenge the integrity of democracy in our great state.

State Dem party allegation rebuked by RCSO The Democratic Party of Wisconsin alleged that the Racine County Sheriff's Office and Village of Mount Pleasant broke election laws amid the investigation. The party claimed that laws require "elections officials maintain custody over all materials associated with elections," but then Luell said during Thursday's press conference that "At the end of our interviews (with) Mount Pleasant (village officials), they provided me with copies of the applications for absentee ballots, and they provided me with the ballot envelopes. However, when The Journal Times asked Luell for a response to the allegations, Luell in an email clarified that: "They were copies of the ballot envelopes." Democratic Party of Wisconsin interim Executive Director Devin Remiker issued the following statement: Todays press conference was nothing more than a publicity stunt. The Racine County Sheriffs Department has been wasting taxpayer money in an attempt to rehash discredited claims about the 2020 election results. There werent any charges filed or even any suggested. The press conference didnt shed light on any election fraud, but did reveal the Racine County Sheriffs department may have broken the law during their own farce of an investigation. Just last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau released its election audit, and as recounts, court cases, and Trumps own Department of Homeland Security have already proven, the LAB found the 2020 election was safe and secure. But none of this matters to Republicans, who will go to any lengths to try to cast doubt on the 2020 election results  including apparently breaking the law. This is yet another attempt to attack our democracy and cast doubt on a free and fair election, in which Wisconsinites elected Joe Biden.

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TOWN OF WATERFORD  A state review board on Thursday threw out the towns plan for remaking itself as a village, thwarting a strategy that was aimed at blocking annexation by neighboring municipalities.

The Wisconsin Incorporation Review Board dismissed the towns proposal to create the new Village of Tichigan, on the grounds that the new village failed to meet state standards, including presenting the physical makeup of a cohesive community.

The ruling means that unless town officials successfully appeal the matter in court, a two-year effort at bolstering the towns borders will end in failure. Keeping up the fight would mean taking the matter to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

Waterford Town Board member Tim Szeklinksi said he was unsure whether the town would appeal, although he was not ruling it out.

I dont know what the next step is, Szeklinksi said. Im all for keeping my options open.

Another board member, Dale Gauerke, said appealing the decision would be a waste of time. Gauerke said the town instead should turn its attention to rebuilding relations with the neighboring Village of Waterford, which opposed the incorporation effort.

Gauerke said he, too, opposed the incorporation effort when it was first discussed.

Im kind of hoping that we can put this behind us, he said.

Town Chairman Tom Hincz and other Town Board members either declined to comment or could not be reached for comment.

Referendum would have been next

If the Review Board had approved the towns petition, a public referendum among town voters would have been the next and final hurdle before creating the Village of Tichigan.

The town wanted to change itself to a village  a different kind of municipality with more autonomy  to fend off annexation of some of its territory by the neighboring Village of Waterford.

Village of Waterford officials opposed the incorporation effort, saying it would undermine the rights of town property owners who want to be annexed into the village.

Stan Riffle, an attorney representing the village, said Thursday he agreed with the Review Boards ruling that the towns incorporation petition fell short of the states standards.

The board was exactly on point, Riffle said.

Two-year process

Town leaders initiated the process of seeking village status in July 2019, citing a desire to stop annexation by the Village of Waterford. State law gives villages more authority than towns in blocking such annexation moves.

As required by state law, the petition began in Racine County Circuit Court, where a judge cleared the way for the matter to advance to a review by the Wisconsin Incorporation Review Board.

The review board ruling approved Thursday as a draft determination will be filed with the circuit judge by Nov. 8, at which point the judge will dismiss the towns petition as a court case.

Only one standard met

The state found that the proposed Village of Tichigan met only one of the states standards, tax revenue, which means that there would be a tax base large enough to raise money for funding basic needs of the new village.

But the petition failed to meet four other standards for creating a new village. State officials found that the proposed village was not sufficiently compact and homogenous; that it could not provide many services as well as the neighboring Village of Waterford could; that it did not have enough potential for future urban development; and that incorporating as a village might hinder resolution of government problems in the region.

The town covers about 33 square miles, with a population of 6,562. The area is largely divided by Tichigan Lake and the Fox River.

For those living along Tichigan Lake and the Fox River, the waterways may function as a unifying feature, as evidenced by the many social and outdoor recreational opportunities they provide, the state ruled. However, for residents of western, southern, and southeast portions of the proposed village, these waterways may function as a barrier, not only physically but also socially.

On the issue of hindering government solutions, the state noted that Town of Waterford officials have tried negotiating border agreements with some neighbors, but not with the Village of Waterford. And because the village is better suited than the town to provide most basic services in the area, the state concluded: Incorporation could make future service provision to some residents more problematic.

The five-member Review Board did not vote on the ruling Thursday, but all five members said they agree with the findings and with the determination that the towns petition should be thrown out.

Board member Rich Eggleston said the Town of Waterford and Village of Waterford appear to be neighbors who cannot get along  but who pretend to get along.

This is not the way that government should be done, Eggleston said.

On the issue of presenting a compact and homogenous village map, board member William Goehring said the town cannot meet that standard, because Tichigan Lake and the Fox River are insurmountable obstacles.

The geography is really the enemy here, Goehring said. No way around it.

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PLEASANT PRAIRIE  A 73-year-old woman was killed in a two-car, head-on collision in the 11400 block of Sheridan Road on Thursday afternoon.

The 4:18 p.m. crash occurred when her car apparently crossed the center line of the road, colliding with an SUV, according to Sgt. Aaron Schaffer of the Pleasant Prairie Police Department. The woman, who was from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene, Schaffer said. Her identity was not released pending notification of family.

The driver of the SUV, a 38-year-old Kenosha woman, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, and village fire and rescue personnel transported her to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. Her condition was not immediately known late Thursday, Schaffer said.

Schaffer said a witness in a vehicle that was traveling behind the southbound sedan told police the older woman had been driving erratically and the car had initially crossed into the northbound lane.

In an attempt to avoid the car, the driver of the SUV, which had been traveling northbound, maneuvered into the southbound lane, but the car traveled back into the southbound lane and the two vehicles collided, Schaffer said of the preliminary traffic investigation.

Both lanes of Sheridan Road from 112th to 116th streets were closed and traffic re-routed for just over five hours, he said. Authorities with the Wisconsin State Patrol's Technical Reconstruction Unit assisted village police with the crash, which remained under investigation as of Friday.
GREELEY, Colo. (AP)  A former longshot Idaho gubernatorial candidate on trial in the 1984 killing of a 12-year-old Colorado girl has testified that he did not know the girl or her family before she vanished and denied being involved in her disappearance.

At the time, Steve Pankey was a neighbor of Jonelle Matthew and her family in Greeley, Colorado, a city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Denver. The girl's remains were found by oil and gas workers in 2019. She had been fatally shot.

Pankey first took the stand Thursday and returned to be questioned by the prosecution on Friday. He was charged with Jonelles murder last year after showing extreme interest in the case for many years and allegedly sharing details with investigators that had not been made public.

Pankey said in court that he pretended to know information about the case out of bitterness for police and for his former church and former employer, both of which he wanted investigated, KCNC-TV reported.

Most of his testimony on Thursday to questions by his lawyer was rambling and included comments about his hatred of racist police officers and of being bullied for being bisexual.

District Attorney Michael J. Rourke pressed him about his views about police during questioning Friday, which Pankey said came from seeing police officers humiliate and hurt Hispanic people while he was working for an ambulance service in California. Pankey said that he refused to put a splint on a sheriff's deputy who broke his leg because of his beliefs about police, letting the deputy ride to the hospital in pain.

He said the deputy screamed for eight or 12 minutes.

I sat there and watched, Pankey said.

Pankeys lawyer, Anthony Viorst, has argued that his client is obsessed with true crime mysteries and has Asperger syndrome, which causes his mind to process information differently and leads him to get in middle of these things to prove his own self importance.

Prosecutors said Pankey kept up to date on the case throughout the years even as he moved his family to several states before settling in Idaho where he ran unsuccessfully as a Constitution Party candidate for Idaho governor in 2014 and in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, the year that authorities said he was named as a person of interest in the girls death.

Pankey contacted the Idaho Statesman newspaper to tell his side of the story after he became a person of interest.

He told the newspaper that he was home with his then-wife the night Jonelle went missing, their car packed for an early-morning trip the next day to visit family in California. They took the trip and returned home six days later in 1984, Pankey said, and he then heard the news about a missing child on the radio.

Pankey's ex-wife, Angela Hicks, testified during the trial that the family had initially declined the invitation to travel to California but Pankey suddenly announced they were going on Dec. 21, 1984, the day after Jonelle disappeared.

Jonelle disappeared after she was dropped off at home by a friend and the friends father following a performance at a Christmas concert.

She was last seen at 8 p.m., entering the ranch-style home where she lived with her father, mother and sister. But when her father returned from her older sisters basketball game an hour later, Jonelle was gone.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, KCNC-TV.

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(CNN)  Scientists may have detected signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way, in what could be the first planet ever to be discovered outside our galaxy.

The possible exoplanet was discovered in the Whirlpool Galaxy, the spiral galaxy Messier 51 (M51), by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA said in a press release on Monday.

An exoplanet is a planet outside of our solar system that normally orbits a star other than our own sun in our galaxy. Until now, all other exoplanets have been found in the Milky Way, and most of them have been found less than 3,000 light-years from Earth.

This newly discovered possible exoplanet in the Whirlpool Galaxy would be about 28 million light-years away, thousands of times farther away than those in the Milky Way.

"We are trying to open up a whole new arena for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies," Rosanne Di Stefano, lecturer instructor in astronomy at the Center for Astrophysics at the Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who led the study, said in a statement.

The team searched for dips in the brightness of X-rays from X-ray bright binaries, which usually contain a neutron star, when a massive star collapses, or a black hole pulling in gas from a closely orbiting star. The material near the neutron star or black hole becomes superheated and glows in X-rays.

The region creating bright X-rays is small, and so a planet passing in front of it would be easy to spot, as it would block most, or all, of the X-rays. This allows exoplanets to be detected at much greater distances.

However, researchers will have to wait a long time to confirm whether they have discovered an extragalactic exoplanet. Due to its large orbit, the planet candidate would not cross in front of the binary partner for another 70 years, meaning it could take decades to confirm the observation.

"Unfortunately to confirm that we're seeing a planet we would likely have to wait decades to see another transit," co-author astrophysicist Nia Imara, of the University of California at Santa Cruz, said in a statement. "And because of the uncertainties about how long it takes to orbit, we wouldn't know exactly when to look."

If the planet does exist, experts say that it would have had to survive a supernova explosion that created the neutron star or black hole. And in the future, the companion star could also explode as a supernova and blast the planet once again with extremely high levels of radiation.

Researchers will search the archives of both Chandra, which has substantial datasets for some 20 galaxies, and European Space Agency satellite XMM-Newton, for more exoplanet candidates in other galaxies. They add that another interesting line of research is to search for X-ray transits in Milky Way X-ray sources to discover new nearby planets in unusual environments.

The study was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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I'd like to commend the Racine Police Department's finest for their interaction with our kids, ages 2 through 4, recently.

As founder, executive director and teacher of the Cops 'N Kids Reading Center, I took the morning class enrolled in the Margaret Drysdale Reading Program at the center for a walk around the neighborhood. As we walked past the Racine Police Department at 730 Center St., some of Racine's finest came outside to greet the kids. They had huge smiles on their faces, invited them inside, and proceeded to shower them with treasures and souvenirs to take back to the center with them.

They met Chief of Police Maurice Robinson, Deputy Chief Jessie Metoyer and Lt. Martin Pavilonis. The kids were so excited when they got back.

Oh and Kim Stafford, administrative assistant, and Stacey Martinez, transcriber/warrant clerk, at the front desk helped assemble the gift bags for Lt. Pavilonis to hand out to our children in his police uniform. It made such an impact on our kids. One of our students, 3-year-old Jordan told the Lt. and Chief Robinson that he was going to be a police officer when he grows up. Jordan's dad told me that Jordan has always said he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

Thank you Racine Police Department. Keep up the great work.

Julia M. Witherspoon, Racine

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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.

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KEARNEY  A Grand Island man faces up to one year in jail after being convicted of the unintentional death of a Chadron man following a two-vehicle crash east of Ravenna in March.

Sergio Tinajero, 26, of Grand Island pleaded no contest earlier this week in Buffalo County Court to misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the 4:45 a.m. crash on U.S. Highway 2. The crash happened five miles east of Ravenna near the intersection of Highway 2 and Pawnee Road, and resulted in the death of Curtis Deines, 52, of Chadron who the Buffalo County Sheriffs Office said died at the scene.

In exchange for Tinajeros plea a charge of driving an unregistered vehicle, a misdemeanor, was dismissed by the Buffalo County Attorneys Office.

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A no contest plea is neither an admission nor denial of guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea. Judge John Rademacher accepted his plea and ordered the Nebraska Probation Office to do a presentence investigation on Tinajero. Findings of that report  including background information on a defendant, family and criminal history, employment record and a substance abuse evaluation  will help Rademacher to issue an appropriate sentence, which is scheduled in December.
Nebraska officials took steps Friday to oppose a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Gov. Pete Ricketts on Friday issued an executive order barring government agencies from complying with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

President Bidens coronavirus vaccine mandate is a stunning violation of personal freedom and abuse of the federal governments power, Ricketts said in a news release. While we have encouraged Nebraskans to get vaccinated, this is a personal health decision, and not one that should be coerced."

Also Friday, Attorney General Doug Peterson announced that he joined with attorneys general from nine other states to sue the Biden administration over its attempt to mandate vaccines for federal employees and federal contractors.

In addition to federal employees and contractors, the president's vaccine mandate, which he announced last month, also covers most health-care workers and people who work at businesses with at least 100 employees. It has yet to legally take effect for any workers other than federal contractors, and it's not clear whether it even applies to state and local government workers.
Hi. Vern here. Oh, you dont recognize me? I seeyou think Im wearing a costume. Well, did you ever think that maybe youre one wearing the costume? Whos the one wearing what? I dont know. I do know that there is one time a year where I can completely be myself and walk around anywhere I want without anything to worry about. Humans call it Halloween. So instead of the regular  HOLY @&#%%5E Karen! What IS that THING?   I get  Dude, nice costume! If only more folks could be more comfortable being themselves in their everyday costumes. Another thing that happens this time of year is the getting and giving away of candy. The village of Victory has a long history of getting and giving.

Since Halloween started back before anybody can remember, I hear the reason for dressing up in costumes and getting candy is to celebrate the last harvest of the year, the upcoming winter season and honoring the dead. Its the perfect time of year to go down to the Mississippi River to the village of Victory. Ya know, a river town sure is good place for remembering.

Back in the day, Stevens Landing in Victory was a stop and a pick up stop for grains, like wheat. (Victory is in is town of Wheatland  so thats convenient.) It also was a port to receive logs that were floated down river when waters opened up in the spring. You could always tell you got a log from upriver because it had these holes drilled in at the end of the logs. They used to use those holes to tie the logs together with rope to get them down the river together. Floating one log at a time would have taken too long, plus its fun to do things together. The Victorians had plenty of things they did together that made the place what it was. An active steamboat landing, good wagon roads that went to excellent farm land, rock quarries of endless limestone, plenty of trees for logging, a great bed of clay for making bricks. I might be crazy to say this, but I bet if you looked hard enough, you might find pieces of Victory all around Vernon Countyfrom logs that built homes, to limestone and bricks that built foundations and more.

Victory used to have two warehouses, two hotels, a church, a school, a post office and a country store. Victory also had a fruitful business called the Victoria Nursery. It had apples, plums, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, vegetables and sorghum that were grown there. They could also ship the produce most anywhere on the steamboats from the landing. Best fruit this side of the Mississippi, they said

Well, its time to get back to being myself and doing whatever it is I do. I hope you can be yourselves tooIts really the only thing you can be, no matter what time of year it is.

Christina Dollhausen, Vernon Countys economic development coordinator, will be sharing with Vernon County View readers the adventures of Vernon S. Quatch.

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The city of La Crosse announced Thursday that three young adults have been arrested in the theft and damage to the Hatched Baby sculpture in September.

Police said they arrested Caden M. Boge, 21, Matthew J. Reich, 20, and Victoria L. Rodewald, 22, for the incident, in which the face of the sculpture was stolen overnight outside of city hall. The sculpture, a gift from an artist from La Crosse's German Sister City, has since been deemed irreparable.

"The La Crosse Police Department has continued investigating and identified and arrested those responsible for damaging and stealing the face section of the sculpture," a statement from police and Mayor Mitch Reynolds said.

"We would like to thank those community members who came forward with information and tips in support of the investigation," it said.

Police discovered the blue face of the Hatched Baby, also commonly known as the "Blue Baby" was missing on the morning of Sept. 12, and later was found outside a home on King Street the next day.

The sculpture, a somewhat controversial blue baby head with a full set of teeth shown emerging from a cracked egg shell, had been dismembered in the theft, and its head was split in two and removed from its base, only the face taken.

While missing, photos of the face emerged online, showing the dismembered sculpture inside someone's home.

Police have referred felony charges for both Boge and Reich to the La Crosse County District Attorney's office, and each received signature bonds. Boge is facing charges of theft and possessing stolen property, while Reich faces charges of criminal damage to property and receiving stolen property.

Rodewald was only issued a citation for possessing stolen property.

This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. to clarify language in the incident.

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Eileen Moeller is a member of the 2021 Rising Stars Under 40 recognized by the 7 Rivers Alliance and the River Valley Media Group.

Age as of 9/1/2021: 34

Town of residence: Winona

Occupation/company: Managing Director, Frozen River Film Festival

Family: Spouse, dog, cats, many chickens

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

One of my proudest professional accomplishments has been successfully advocating for better hours and pay for a variety of creative workers at Great River Shakespeare Festival. For several years, I worked with Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) as the Marketing & Sales Director. However, the small size of the year-round staff meant I was able to work in other areas of the festival, and serve as part of the leadership team. During the pandemic, the administration and artistic leaders spent many months reviewing the "We See You, White American Theatre" document (a list of demands, recommendations, and information compiled by theatre artists of color in 2020).

Some of the demands laid out were to have diversity not only on stage, but among the administrative staff, design staff, technicians and more; it also called on theatres to end unpaid internships and apprenticeships, among many other specific benchmarks. Reviewing this document as a team led us to think critically about our practices as a seasonal theater and to implement some policies for material change.

These had to do with setting goals for increased diversity at all levels of the organization, and also altered the way in which we thought about creative labor - such as who gets time off and who does not. In a theater with unionized actors, many times the performers have accommodations made for them that are not also offered to technicians or early-career interns. We wanted to end those practices and give all company members adequate time to rest. I am proud of pushing my colleagues to think more critically about the things we took for granted as the "norm" in the theater world.

The lessons I learned from that process and from working with the thoughtful and creative people at GRSF have carried over into my current position as the Managing Director of Frozen River Film Festival (FRFF). Creative work is work, and it deserves to be treated as such.

Please tell us what community and volunteer activities youre involved with  and why?

I currently serve as a co-chair for the Board of Directors for the Advocacy Center of Winona. The work happening at the Advocacy Center is an essential resource in the community for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and issues of basic safety affect the community as a whole. Years ago, I felt called to support the organization because of its genesis in grassroots feminism. Today, I still feel passionate about the organization's history, but am excited to be part of growing it into something that can serve a greater diversity of people in our community. We are now tackling initiatives to support LGBTQIA+ teens and other exciting community outreach work. I also serve as the representative for Ward 2 in Winona on the Winona City Council. I decided to run when I noticed that younger voices had not been represented on the council for many years, and that more support was needed to grow the city's creative economy and bolster Winona's small businesses and recreational tourism. There is so much going on in this wonderful town, and I want to see it continue to grow.

Tell us what inspired you to be a leader in your organization and in your community.

I'm always excited about the new businesses, initiatives, and artistic pursuits of the people around me, and I want to help make those things happen! The intelligent and creative colleagues and friends in my life are the biggest inspiration for me. When I have said, "Someone should do something about that," my friends and family are the ones who say, "Then do it!" More specifically, I have been very inspired by the women in my life - women who start their own businesses and make cool art and care about their community - they spark me into action and keep me going.

What advice would you offer younger leaders to aid their success?

While it is important to find your voice and practice using it to advocate for the things that are important to you, I also think it is imperative to learn to advocate for yourself. Learning to say "no" when a project doesn't spark excitement within you or when you do not have the bandwidth to take on another thing is incredibly empowering. Leaders often emerge because they're the people who keep showing up to do the work and make the thing happen. But it is difficult to keep showing up when you are burnt out! Take a break and take care of yourself so that you can truly be passionate and engaged about the things that are important to you.

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Garrett Zimmerman is a member of the 2021 Rising Stars Under 40 recognized by the 7 Rivers Alliance and the River Valley Media Group.

Age as of Sept. 1, 2021: 31

Town of residence: La Crosse

Occupation/company: Principal of La Crosse Polytechnic School and Coulee Region Virtual Academy and Supervisor of Summer School in the School District of La Crosse.

Family: My wonderful wife Carrie and our two kids Graham and Finley

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

My proudest professional accomplishment is my work in charter schools in the School District of La Crosse. As a principal, I helped move La Crosse Polytechnic into downtown La Crosse and develop our job shadow/internship curriculum. Also, I am now turning Coulee Region Virtual Academy into a standalone school. Both of these schools have terrific teachers who make me better every single day.

Please tell us what community and volunteer activities youre involved with  and why?

La Crosse Polytechnic is focused on servant leadership and getting students out into the downtown La Crosse area. I am so proud of our work with Downtown Mainstreet, the Cameron Farmers Market and Toys for Tots. We are looking to expand that to more groups because we want our students to recognize their role in the community.

Tell us what inspired you to be a leader in your organization and in your community.

The people in this area have inspired me to be a leader. I have had the privilege to work with so many fantastic students, teachers, colleagues, and community members in the La Crosse area. I wanted to move into a position where I can impact more students to find their educational fit, while creating a supportive workplace.

What advice would you offer younger leaders to aid their success?

Do not ask your people to do something you have not tried yourself. I have lived by that and it really helped me lead through the pandemic. I was able to feel the stress of leading Zoom classes, so I could emphasize and collaborate with my teachers. I won't forget that. So for any young leaders, jump in and teach that lesson, make that call, run a line, or help that customer. That gives you insight into how your systems work while listening to your people.

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Two Lancaster city police officers were fired earlier this month for submitting forged COVID-19 vaccination cards to the department falsely indicating theyd been vaccinated, according to their termination letters.

Heather Schaeffer got a blank vaccination card from her cousin, who is in the military and involved in vaccination efforts, made a copy and sold it to Benjamin Lapp for $20, according to documents LNP | LancasterOnline obtained through a Right to Know request to the city.

The city does not mandate employees to get vaccinated, but strongly encourages them to do so, Jess King, chief of staff to Mayor Danene Sorace, told LNP earlier this year.

Employees who are not fully vaccinated must wear masks in city buildings; those who are fully vaccinated do not, according to the policy.

According to Schaeffer and Lapps termination paperwork, Capt. Richard Mendez learned in September that the two had been openly speaking about having fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards.

Both admitted submitting the forged cards during a Sept. 22 interview with police officials, the paperwork said. Lapp also told the officials that Schaeffer had other fraudulent cards and was possibly selling them.

Efforts to reach Schaeffer and Lapp or a police union representative on Friday were not immediately successful.

The paperwork also said the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office opened a criminal investigation into the matter on Sept. 29. District Attorney Heather Adams declined comment Friday afternoon.

A check of online court documents Friday afternoon did not show any criminal charges filed against either Schaeffer or Lapp.

They were accused of violating police department standards of conduct for failing to follow regulations and orders, conduct unbecoming an officer and of violating the citys human resources policies concerning insubordination and unlawful conduct.

They failed to show at a due-process hearing before city officials earlier this month and instead submitted responses saying they had nothing further to add, according to termination letters signed by Sorace. The letters also said they may appeal or file a grievance through the police union.

The department and city did not comment beyond issuing a brief statement of their firings Friday, which referred to COVID-19 records falsification and being unfit for duty.

Schaeffer, who was fired Oct. 20, was sworn in on March 17, 2017. Before coming to Lancaster, she worked at departments in Perry and York counties and for Franklin & Marshall College's public safety department. She made a base salary of $72,349 and held the rank of officer upon termination.

Lapp, who was fired Oct. 18, was sworn in on Aug. 10, 2016. He graduated Manheim Central High School and was an officer for three years in Hagerstown, Maryland, before joining the Lancaster force. He made a base salary of $79,622 and held the rank of officer upon termination.
Republican candidates running for Elizabethtown Area school board violated the state's election code by failing to disclose campaign contributions, according to complaints filed with the Lancaster County Board of Elections and the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Gregory Paulson, a Lancaster-based attorney representing two Democrats also running for the school board, filed two complaints this month claiming Republican candidates James Emery, Danielle and Stephen Lindemuth and incumbent Jim Read illegally distributed signs across the Elizabethtown area without filing necessary paperwork revealing who purchased them and for how much.

Since the complaints were made, the Republicans have rectified the issue by amending campaign finance reports and creating a political action committee whose name was added to some of the signs in question, the county elections board confirmed to LNP | LancasterOnline this week. Campaign finance records filed with the county this month also back that up.

Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said she is not always made aware of campaign finance complaints, including the ones in this case, so no charges were filed.

Before the primary in May, campaign yard signs for the Lindemuths and Emery began popping up in Elizabethtown. The signs read Vote Real Republicans and Paid for by Doug Lamb.

Lamb is the owner of Doug Lamb Construction in West Donegal Township. He and Donald Lamb run the faith-based nonprofit Partnership for Revival, which chartered buses from Lancaster County to then-President Donald Trumps Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C. That rally gave rise to a violent insurrection of the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the presidential election results. Danielle Lindemuth, who is the nonprofits secretary, and her husband, Stephen Lindemuth, attended that trip.

The Lambs are pastors at Elizabethtowns LifeGate Church, where Emery occasionally preaches.

Neither the candidates nor Doug Lamb submitted campaign finance paperwork with the county disclosing how much Doug Lamb donated for the signs, one of Paulsons complaints states and county records show. On Oct. 6, two days after the complaint was filed, the Republicans filed an amended report citing a $420.93 in-kind contribution from May 3 for yard signs, county records show.

Doug Lamb did not respond to a request for comment.

In late September, yard signs for Emery, the Lindemuths and Read were distributed across the school district, Paulsons other complaint, also dated Oct. 4, states. The signs said they were paid for by FRIENDS OF THE CADIDATES -- a misspelling of the word candidates.

The Republicans didnt register FRIENDS OF THE CADIDATES as a political action committee prior to their distribution, the complaint states and county records show.

Since then, the Republican candidates put stickers over FRIENDS OF THE CADIDATES on the signs with a newly formed political action committee, or PAC, called Back to Basics in E-Town Schools PAC. Paperwork registering the PAC was filed with the county elections office Oct. 7.

Related campaign finance filings from the most recent reporting period, spanning from early June to mid-October, show that PAC received $680 in contributions, spent $40 and has $959 in unpaid debts and obligations.

Contributions came from husband and wife Donald and Nanette Lamb ($240 each), and Michael D. Spangler and Faye J. Fittery ($100 each). The $40 expenditure went to Michael D. Spangler for a post office rental fee. The unpaid expenses listed were $588.44 in yard signs and $371.49 for an undisclosed purchase. The creditor for those purchases: Danielle Lindemuth.

Emery and Danielle Lindemuth declined to comment for this story. Stephen Lindemuth could not be reached for comment. Read, who is seeking a second term on the school board, told a reporter he had no role in the campaign decisions. He simply signed the papers he was asked to sign, he said. He acknowledged his slate resolved the issues mentioned in the Democrats complaints.

Read said he doesnt even have his own campaign sign in his yard.

Im not a big campaigner. Ive never been one to sell myself. I never have been, he said, adding that hes not as dedicated to winning as other candidates.

Kristy Moore, a Democrat running for Elizabethtown Area school board who also serves as the Elizabethtown Democratic Committee leader, said the school board needs members who will follow the rules.

"Every day, I teach my children and my students about the importance of following the rules, Moore, a public school teacher, said in an email. School directors are entrusted with our tax dollars and our children's education. We want leaders who will follow the rules, do right by our students, and steer clear of mistakes that will cost the families and tax payers of Etown."

Together, Moore and fellow Democratic candidate Sarah Zahns PACs raised nearly $10,200 in the most recent reporting period; their combined expenditures totaled about $9,100. Listed among the contributions was an in-kind contribution from Paulson, the lawyer, for $900. Moore confirmed that Paulson did not give her $900; he gave $900 worth of legal services at no charge.

Read the complaints:
Barry Flory didnt have much to say the day after he was injured in a fire that left him homeless.

Im fine and feeling very thankful, he said Tuesday from his room at Lancaster General Hospital, where he was being treated for smoke inhalation and burns to his legs. Lets just leave it at that.

The 68-year-old East Lampeter Township man was thankful for his neighbor Katrina Aviles, who carried him out of his burning home Monday morning.

Barry was standing right inside the door and I heard him tell the 911 dispatcher that he couldnt get out and needed someone to help him, Aviles said of the moment she reached Florys front door.

Aviles, 33, was returning home from dropping her daughter off at school when she noticed smoke coming from the windows and door of Florys house on Hickory Drive.

Aviles and her husband, Abraham, are U.S. Army veterans who both served in Iraq in 2008. She said she immediately parked her car in her driveway and ran across the street to Florys home.

I think having that kind of training and experience pushed me into action when I became aware of Barrys situation, she said. I told Barry we had to go but he said he was not able to walk and was having difficulty breathing without his oxygen, so I put his arms around my neck and carried him on my back down his wheelchair ramp.

Aviles said Flory, who lived alone, asked if she could go back inside and retrieve his wheelchair, but the flames had already spread throughout the living room and near the front door.

At this point I could hear a popping sound but I didnt know what it was, Aviles said.

Instead, she carried Flory, who has cancer, to a safe area near another neighbors house and waited with him for emergency personnel to arrive.

I was very scared, but I told Barry I wasnt going to leave him until the ambulance got here to take him to the hospital, Aviles said.

Lafayette Fire Chief David Keens acknowledged Aviles effort to get Flory out of his burning home.

She ditched her car and went over to help. She basically started the rescue and facilitated the process for us, and needs to be commended for it, Keens said.

The fire began after Florys oxygen machine malfunctioned, according to Keens. The blaze caused an estimated $185,000 in property damage, and the home was condemned by township authorities.

Aimee Flory said the situation has been very traumatic for her father and their family. His second wife, Diana, died in 2016.

I think he is truly blessed to have the kind of neighbors that he has, she said. And what Katrina did is nothing less than heroic.

She said her father would be staying at her home in Reading when he is released from the hospital on Friday.

Meanwhile, Aviles is grateful that her neighbor is safe and no one else got hurt in the fire.

Im glad I decided to come straight home after I dropped off my daughter and was here to help Barry when he needed it, she said. But I also think that any of the residents on this little street would have done the same thing because Barry is well-loved here.

I still shake a little bit when I think about what happened Monday, but I knew the obvious thing to do was to get him out, Aviles said. It was very scary, but that wouldnt stop me from doing it again.

A GoFundMe page for Barry Flory can be found here.
Planning to create a new nature preserve in northern Lancaster County, officials at the Lancaster Conservancy are in the process of acquiring 90 acres of forested land in Elizabeth Township.

At an auction last week, Conservancy officials agreed to pay $19,000 per acre for the land, outbidding other potential buyers.

The cost to purchase the land and conduct related conservation planning is expected to exceed $2 million, conservancy officials said Thursday afternoon, announcing the pending purchase.

Officials must pay for the land before the end of the year, according to conservancy president Phil Wenger, who said fundraising efforts are underway.

At this point, our work has just begun. Now we must raise the funds necessary to acquire and then care for this tract forever, Wenger said in a news release. If we hadnt bid, this property would have likely been lost to development as pressure for building lots increases.

The conservancy preserves land by taking ownership of wild spaces to ensure that they will not be developed  a process that relies heavily on donations, either of land or public and private grant dollars, Wenger has said.

The forested land in Elizabeth Township, which is adjacent to the southern end of Speedwell Forge County Park, was considered a priority location for preservation, Wenger said in a later phone interview. He cited the areas natural cover, water resources and proximity to the public park.

In fact, the conservancy has been working to preserve the area for more than a decade, said Kate Gonick, the organizations senior vice president of land protection and its general counsel.

The space includes a stream that flows into the nearby Speedwell Forge Lake, officials said.

The conservancys move to preserve the area was celebrated by Tim Schaeffer, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

This parcel is critical to protect and sustain water quality, aquatic resources, and recreational opportunities at Speedwell Forge Lake, Schaeffer said. It also complements ongoing and future habitat and watershed restoration and conservation in the Hammer Creek Watershed that will benefit the creek, the lake, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Part of the preservation process will include the creation of a management plan, which officials said will identify and outline the work needed to restore habitat and enhance biodiversity on the property, while also exploring opportunities for public recreation and community partnership.

Wenger said he expects to partner with other local agencies, and with county leaders, while working on the project.

To date, the conservancy has protected more than 7,900 acres across 47 preserves in and around Lancaster County, according to the organizations website.
Republican candidates in next weeks Manheim Township commissioners races raised a record $96,960 and spent $60,674 as of Oct. 18, more than doubling the amount raised by Democrats in a race to determine which party will control the government of the fast-growing and increasingly politically competitive municipality.

Both Democrats and Republicans this year have blown past previous campaign spending totals. Democrats spent a record amount of money  $13,387  in 2019 when they gained a majority on the five-member board. Republicans that year spent only $1,765.

Republicans single-largest contribution for the 2021 general election came from state Sen. Ryan Aument, R-West Hempfield Township, whose campaign contributed $49,000 to Township Forward, the PAC supporting the GOP slate in the commissioners race.

Republicans also received $35,000 from the Building a Stronger Pennsylvania PAC, a political action committee started in 2015 by former state Rep. Katie True and former county GOP committeeman John Leaman. Republican commissioner candidate John Bear now runs the PAC.

Democrats, meanwhile, have raised almost all of their funds from local, individual donors, rather than political action committees. Since the May primary, Democrats have raised $33,254 and spent $23,790 across multiple political committees.

These campaign finance totals dont include money spent by the parties township committees. The Manheim Township Republican and Democratic committees spent $32,000 and $27,000, respectively, toward supporting their commissioner and school board candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Candidates on both sides have used these funds for more than a dozen flyers and mailings, as well as sponsored social media posts, according to campaign finance filings.

The fast-growing township is a major target for both parties. In the 2020 election, state and national Democrats poured more than $1 million into Senate candidate Janet Diazs campaign in hopes of flipping the 13th Senatorial District, which includes Manheim Township. Two years prior, Democratic congressional candidate Jess King won Manheim Township by 966 votes.

President Joe Biden won in almost every precinct in Manheim Township last year, collecting 52% of the vote. Still, Republican candidates swept in down-ballot races, with two incumbents  U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker and state Sen. Scott Martin  winning the township.

The money question

Republicans hope their big spending this year will pay off by bringing the township back into GOP control.

The Republicans can look to this team and see a really positive message of how we compete and win in suburban municipalities in Pennsylvania, Aument said.

Theres a tendency [in the Republican Committee of Lancaster County] for atrophy, to rest on your laurels, that you don't have to run competitive races, that you don't have to put up the best candidates; the voter edge will carry the day, said Bear, who was once a state representative for the area. Thats not the case in Manheim Township and we intend to put up first-class campaigns moving forward and do a better job at vetting people that might serve the community really well and pick up our game.

Democrats questioned why the Republicans would invest so much money into a local race.

We went into this campaign knowing we were against well-funded opponents who we expected would bring a lot of money into the race, said Carol Gifford, a Democratic candidate and current commissioner. When we saw it, it was a shocking figure.

But one Democrat said money alone wont be enough to win the township this year.

Republicans are scared that Manheim Township is increasingly purple to blue, said Stella Sexton, a Democratic commissioner candidate. They think they can just spend enough money to buy their way out of that, but to me, theyre wrong. Money isnt the problem.

[Democrats are] not stopping, were just continuing to put the hard work in and its resonating with a lot of folks, Sexton added, noting that shes personally knocked on more than 3,000 doors in the township to talk about the Democrats candidacy.

Auments interest

Auments district does not include Manheim Township, but he explained his investment in the GOP slate this year by pointing to bigger stakes for county Republicans.

Its a critical race for the (RCLC), he said. Its important for the Republican Party to demonstrate that it has a message and it can compete and win in suburban municipalities and I believe this team thats running has a tremendous breadth of experience and laid out a tremendous vision.

The township, with more than 40,000 residents, is similar to the size of a state House district, so municipal candidates should expect to spend similar amounts of money, Aument said of the GOPs big spending here.

Pennsylvanias 203 House districts contain approximately 60,000 residents each. Candidates in the 97th House District, which represents Manheim Township and surrounding municipalities, spent more than $165,000 each in the 2020 general election. Republican incumbent Rep. Steve Mentzer still won the election by nearly 7 percentage points.

Aument, 44, said he and Bear, 48, came up together in Lancaster County politics. At one time when they were both in the state House, they shared a legislative office suite in Harrisburg, and Aument said hes been a close political ally and friend ever since.

Im thrilled someone of Johns caliber is willing to get back into elected office, he said.

Aument and Bear both said from their experience in politics, late attempts to bring attention to campaign fundraising are an indicator theyre waging a losing campaign.

State Sen. Scott Martin, whose district does include the township, contributed $500 to the GOP slates PAC, according to the latest filings. Martin is exploring a gubernatorial run, and most of his spending last month was on campaign events and contributions to the state and county GOP committees.

Martin said in an email that he's still fundraising after a tough re-election campaign, "defending myself against millions of dollars of out-of-state, liberal special interest spending against me, which forced me to spend more resources than ever."

Manheim Township has become the part of the county that politicos watch to "see how the political winds are blowing," he added.
One particular house in Annville, Lebanon County, is well-known for its annual showcase of spooky, homemade Halloween decorations.

Bryan Burns and his wife Erin Quintana spend a couple days in October each year covering their front yard in the 400 block of East Main Street with bloodied dolls, vampires in coffins, a large spider and other monsters or scary creatures. Onlookers might also catch a glimpse of (fake) corpses and an imprisoned skeleton hanging from their tree.

Nothing is store bought, except for some styrofoam and a few dolls. Community members have also donated dolls and mannequins.

We just like Halloween, Burns said. My wife especially likes being artistic and I like building stuff so I build the stuff and she makes it look cool.

Though the couple took a decoration hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they plan to continue to come back year after year bigger and better.

New this year is a large spider and a skeleton in a cage. The spider was made from spray foam, PVC pipe, a bicycle helmet and a wig. It adds to a collection of decorations that has been growing since their first setup in 2018.

For a few months around Halloween, they become local celebrities. Burns said people often stop him and say Oh youre that house with the surplus and crazy Halloween decorations.

Its hard to imagine the Burns setup getting any bigger than it already is, but a next door neighbor offered a portion of their yard to expand the attraction.

The neighbor commented on a post by Quintana in the Lebanon, PA Happenings group in September.

They do an awesome job every year, Paul Sherman commented. One of the reasons I wanted to buy the house - because of their decorating I need to start stepping up my decorating to keep up.

Others have mixed feelings.

Seeing the hung people, it was definitely a bit uncanny, Orlando Perone commented. However, I would not complain. I know its decorations.

Burns said the overwhelming reaction has been positive.

Its been a nonstop stream of people coming by asking if they can take pictures, Burns said, adding that several people have stepped into the yard to take selfies with a grim reaper figure by their porch. Everybodys been super cool about it. We havent had any complaints.

One year, however, the police stopped by because a driver complained that the spectacle became a distraction.

Theres nothing they can do about it, they just came by to let us know someone complained, Burns said. If this is a distraction, so is a gigantic inflatable reindeer at Christmas-time.
THE ISSUE: Last December, Pennsylvanias largest pension fund  the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System  adopted a figure for investment profits that its executives said was rock solid, an Oct. 22 news article jointly written by Spotlight PA and The Philadelphia Inquirer explained. But that figure turned out to be wrong. In April, the board disavowed the figure, adopting a new, lower number that triggered an increase in pension payments for 100,000 public school employees. The botched calculation is now being investigated by the FBI and financial regulators, the Spotlight PA/Inquirer article stated. The article further details what appears to be a problematic lack of communications within the fund, especially with regard to what was known throughout the second half of 2020.

Transparency is important, but its not just a nebulous concept that we toss around in editorials. It has real-world implications, such as making sure that details of big investments are being examined by more than just a few individuals.

Before we delve further into this, we should understand why the finances of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System matter. As The Inquirer Editorial Board explained in July, the now $73 billion pension fund is hardly an agency with a lot of room for error. Nearly half a million public school employees rely on the funds pension plan to make ends meet, and tens of thousands of teachers who currently work in classrooms are counting on the system for support during their own retirements in the years to come."

In other words, a lot of people and their families cannot afford to see this fund screw up.

So its disturbing to read some of the details being reported by Spotlight PA and The Inquirer about the extent to which many people were seemingly in the dark in 2020, leading up to the calculation error that has federal officials taking a closer look behind the scenes.

Evelyn Williams, the funds spokesperson, says the fund launched a detailed review of its investment profits calculation in summer 2020. In a sworn affidavit, Williams detailed months of investigation that involved three outside consultants to make sure the figure was right, Spotlight PA and The Inquirer reported.

Yet that investigation went unmentioned to the pension funds board during the public meeting last December when it voted to adopt what turned out to be the flawed calculation.

In that affidavit, PSERS is acknowledging that they knew something was potentially wrong in the summer of 2020, said Terry Mutchler, who serves as a lawyer for state Sen. Katie Muth, D-Montgomery, who joined the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System's board of trustees in early 2021. (Mutchler, the first executive director of the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, has represented LNP Media Group and LNP | LancasterOnline in legal cases seeking public records unrelated to this issue.)

One big question that remains unanswered is whether the pension funds board of trustees knew about the detailed review when it voted in December.

Thats just one of the answers we need, but we likely wont have answers anytime soon. A hearing officer has ruled that the funds communications with consultants from the summer of 2020 to present can be withheld from the public and are exempt from the Right-to-Know law, because they are now part of an ongoing investigation.

Hearing officer Erin Burlew, responding to an appeal by The Inquirer to see those materials, ruled that since the fund began its own in-house noncriminal investigation in the summer of 2020, it could keep those documents secret. That includes the December meeting when the board endorsed the mistaken figure and this spring when the calculation debate climaxed with the boards disavowal of the number, Spotlight PA and The Inquirer wrote.

We join those who find Burlews ruling questionable. Mutchler told Spotlight PA and The Inquirer that, as a general rule, an internal investigation does not automatically transform otherwise public records into records that are off the table.

Of course, the fund now has the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission to worry about, too. There will be much more scrutiny regarding what communications took place and who knew what, and when.

We cant help but wonder if the serious mess the fund now finds itself in  a mess that brings no small amount of anxiety for former and current public school employees in Pennsylvania and their families  could have been avoided with better transparency and openness of communication.

Thats where we return to transparency being more than just a noble concept. It should be considered a best practice, especially when billions of public dollars are at stake.

Some larger pension funds, to increase yield, have veered toward riskier investments in recent years. If youre a small-town teacher counting on such a fund for your retirement, shouldnt you demand transparency? Shouldnt you want as many people as possible looking over the shoulders of those managing those funds, to potentially keep them from doing anything too stupid or risky?

Now, unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System may end up being a cautionary tale about what happens when such transparency isnt present.
No new COVID-19-related deaths were recorded in the Linn-Benton region on Wednesday, Oct. 27, but hospitalizations are pushing to capacity limits.
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Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Rain. High 46F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 34F. Winds light and variable.
The numbers of daily COVID-19 infections and deaths have continued to decline, both in the region and in Idaho and Washington states.
Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
A Lompoc woman was one of two people killed in a DUI-related vehicle collision on Oct. 26 in Goleta, resulting in the arrest of a Santa Barbara man.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau on Oct. 27 identified Silvia Velasco, 45, who was killed in the collision along with Gilberto Arteaga-Gutierrez, 39, of Santa Barbara, according to spokeswoman Raquel Zick.

After the crash, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Andrew Raymond Burgher, 31, of Santa Barbara and booked him into jail on suspicion of murder and driving under the influence.

His bail was listed at $2 million.

Coroner identifies Santa Maria, Solvang residents killed in two Hwy 101 crashes The Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Coroners Bureau on Thursday identified a man and a woman from Santa Maria, and a Solvang man killed in two separate vehicle collisions along Highway 101 in Goleta on Wednesday.

The collision occurred at about 7:30 p.m. along Cathedral Oaks Road, west of Camino Cascada, in unincorporated Santa Barbara County, according to CHP Officer Jonathan Gutierrez.

Burgher was allegedly driving a 2016 Toyota 4-Runner eastbound at a high rate of speed when he struck the rear of a 2002 Ford Mustang in the right-hand lane and traveling in the same direction, causing it to spin clockwise and strike two parked vehicles along the south curb of Cathedral Oaks Road.

The collision killed Arteaga-Gutierrez, the Mustang's driver, and Velasco, his passenger, who were declared dead at the scene, according to Gutierrez.

Cathedral Oaks Road was closed for several hours while officials conducted an investigation, which remains ongoing.

Both Arteaga-Gutierrez and Velasco required heavy extrication from their vehicle, according to Capt. Bertucelli, a County Fire Department spokesman. The collision also damaged a fire hydrant, he added.

Burgher sustained minor injuries and was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital via American Medical Response ambulance. He was arrested once he was medically cleared.

Additionally, a small dog was located in the 4-Runner, but was in good health and transported to County Animal Services, according to Gutierrez.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the CHP at 805-967-1234.
Jack M. Balkin (Yale University - Law School) has posted Korematsu as the Tribute that Vice Pays to Virtue (Arkansas Law Review, Vol. 74, No. 2, 2021) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

This essay responds to Mark Killenbeck's argument for partially rehabilitating Korematsu v. United States, the infamous Japanese Internment Case. Killenbeck argues that Korematsu deserves credit for announcing the doctrine of strict scrutiny for racial classifications, and that we should criticize the case because of serious defects in the Supreme Court's decisional process, which he details at length.

The quality of the decision making process in a Supreme Court case has very little to do with how a case is viewed by later generations, which are more concerned with what a case did and whether it was just or unjust from the standpoint of the present. The constitutional canon (and anticanon) are constructed by cultural memory, and cultural memory is largely indifferent to, if not ignorant of, the criteria of good professional lawyering that Killenbeck is most concerned with. The central reason why Korematsu is anticanonical today is that the Court reached a deeply unjust result of which later generations are ashamed.

Korematsu also deserves no credit for announcing the doctrine of strict scrutiny in racial classifications. First, as a threshold matter, because the test of strict scrutiny treats classification by the state as both the central vice of White Supremacy and the chief mechanism of contemporary racial injustice, the doctrine's limitations have done as much to ignore or perpetuate racial injustice as to remedy it. Second, Korematsu should get no credit for merely mouthing the words of strict scrutiny but doing nothing to effectuate them. The argument assumes that Korematsu's hypocritical pronouncement somehow caused later courts to adopt the doctrine and apply it in a just fashion. But it is far more likely that courts began to protect racial minorities for different reasons, and simply cribbed convenient language from Korematsu and Hirabayashi v. United States. Courts were making lemonade from lemons, as courts often do. Moreover, there were plenty of other sources of Supreme Court doctrine that would have done just as well.

Good legal decision-making, however desirable, is not the same thing as justice. And, for better and for worse, what we tend to remember years later about the work of courts  if we remember it at all  is not judges professional skill, their attention to the factual record of cases, their scrupulousness about procedural niceties, and their devotion to craft. Rather, it is whether, in the eyes of later generations, they did justice in their time.

Highly recommended.
The great-grandson of the legendary Lakota Sioux Chief Sitting Bull has been confirmed as his closest living relative using an innovative new DNA technique applied to hair taken from the Native American leader's scalp lock.

People had tried to question Ernie LaPointe's relationship with Sitting Bull, who was also known as Tatanka-Iyotanka, LaPointe said in a news release. LaPointe wanted to have their relationship confirmed via genetic analysis to put an end to the speculation and allow the final resting place of Sitting Bull's remains to be settled.

Keep scrolling for a listing of places in the U.S. with Native American meanings

The analysis was done using autosomal DNA extracted from genetic fragments in the hair lock, which was in poor condition after being stored for more than a century at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. It was returned to LaPointe and his sisters in 2007.

Other techniques rely on mitochondrial DNA, which can only trace the female line, or the Y-chromosome in nuclear DNA, which traces the male line. The technique using nuclear DNA couldn't be used because Sitting Bull only had daughters. These types of DNA can also be hard to extract from damaged remains.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  The U.S. wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that has become a major point of conflict in the strained U.S.-China relationship, and will work to counter Beijing's malign influence, a U.S. diplomat said Friday.

In her first public news conference, Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy, reiterated that the U.S. remains deeply committed to Taiwan and is actively working on new areas of cooperation such as in cybersecurity and supply chains.

The value of our partnership and our support for Taiwan is rock solid," Oudkirk said. We are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan.

The U.S. support for Taiwan comes as tensions between China and the island are now at the highest in decades, with Beijing stepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets toward Taiwan. China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan, which split from the mainland during a civil war in 1949.

The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition of China from the ruling Nationalist Party government in Taipei to the Communist Party in Beijing in 1979, but has continued to maintain a strong unofficial relationship with the self-ruled island.
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He said hes joked with people about how the building will be so bougie.

The old Downtown building was about 100 years old. The new building, which he is developing, will have a restaurant area that is at least twice as big with a capacity of about 150.

Itll have outdoor seating and a meeting/conference/community room. His old building had two apartments upstairs that he rented out and the new one will have nine.

The buildings completion will depend on whether Bougie and his contractors continue to run into supply chain issues. It was supposed to be done by February, and is now getting pushed back to March for the restaurant area.

The apartments phase is pushed back until May because the contractors cant get windows.

Bougie said Harms Insurance Group, his local insurance company, which sells him insurance through West Bend Insurance of Wisconsin, definitely took care of me.

He had business interruption insurance, so he was able to pay his employees throughout the transition. Insurance money also paid for his move, the build-out of the temporary location, and is paying to help him move to the permanent location.
Drummond said DOJ had been in contact with Schmaling and advised that certain interviews be conducted that had not been at that time.

Sgt. Michael Luell, who led the investigation, said he contacted the families of more than 40 Ridgewood residents who voted in the election, and eight of them said their loved one should not have voted and would not have consciously wanted to vote because of their own diminished mental capacity.

Luell said that he was told by unnamed Ridgewood employees that they filled out ballots for people who were only capable of pointing to the ballot, and the employees then inferred who they wished to vote for. One employee, Luell said, said they were instructed that for residents who did not appear they wanted to vote could be placed in a chair pointed at a TV with the news turned on, and then come back in a day or two and try again to see if they want to vote.

The Sheriffs Office alleged one woman cast a ballot even though she often could no longer recognize her daughter, who was identified by Schmaling only as a woman named Judy, who filed the initial complaint. Schmaling said Judys mothers vote was counted even though she died about a month before the election.
BOISE  When gunshots rang out in Boise Towne Square on Monday afternoon, people inside had to react immediately and search for safety.

Some people exited the mall. Some simply ran away from the sound of gunshots. Others said they had no quick plan.

But a lot of mall employees, aware of safety procedures to follow during a shooting, helped usher people into their stores before locking the front entrance gates and hiding in storage rooms, dressing rooms and bathrooms.

She says, OK, everybody, just relax. Nobody can get to us, mall walker Kat Steel said of a Hot Topic store manager. ... She said you guys are all safe, we just have to sit this out here. We know how it works.

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said at a Wednesday news conference before the mall reopened that she spoke with many employees who shared their stories of responding to the chaos.

They were hearing bullets, they were close to what was happening, McLean said. I know that its tough to come back today.

Two people, Roberto Padilla Arguelles and Jo Acker, were killed in the shooting, and four more were injured, according to the Boise Police Department. The shooter, identified by police and the Ada County Coroners Office as Jacob Bergquist, died in a hospital on Tuesday after exchanging gunfire with police outside the mall.

Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee commended the employees and customers who were at the mall when the shooting happened.

When we look at this event, those at the mall responded admirably and did quickly what we have learned is best practice, Lee said Tuesday. They quickly ushered those patrons that were in their locations to back rooms. They closed and sheltered and secured, so they became inaccessible and minimized the risk of being victims.

Having her do that was a life saver

Steel said she was the mall to get some exercise. She said shes still cognizant of COVID-19, so she prefers the less-crowded second level.

Steel had just walked past Macys and was headed toward the food court when she first heard a loud bang. She thought maybe something fell onto the floor or a light bulb popped.

Then, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom  and she knew it was a gun, Steel said by phone. Everyone around her started running. The noise came from behind, so she rushed away from the direction of Macys, she said.

As she started running, she saw an employee at Hot Topic holding the metal security gate about halfway up, waving people into the store.

Get in here. Quick, quick, Steel recalled the store manager saying.

The manager waved people in until that mall area was empty, Steel said, and then locked the gate.

She could have run to her gate and just slammed it down and locked it and went back to that room, Steel said. But she didnt. She stayed there and she held it open.  For that I will be eternally grateful.

With the entrance to the front of the store locked, Steel estimated that she hid with about 20 others, including a few employees, for nearly two hours in Hot Topics storage room. While some in the group were shaky and teary, Steel said, the employees helped calm people.

The manager called 911 multiple times, Steel said, and informed police of where they were. Employees told people in the group to mute their phones and stay quiet.

Over time, people became friendly while trying to avoid any panic, Steel said. She recalled the manager describing her actions as standard operating procedure.

She said, I always read my S.O.P.s, Steel recalled. I always know what were supposed to do.

If not for hiding in Hot Topic, Steel said she isnt sure where she would have gone. In those chaotic moments, she didnt have a plan.

But the store manager did.

Having her do that was a life saver, Steel said.

What-if scenario actually happens at mall

At 1:49 p.m. Monday, Kari Jenkins checked out at the Attic Salt store. She knows the exact time because it was printed on her receipt.

Jenkins heard the gunshots as she was walking down a mall hallway. At the same time, Mark Freckleton began running through the protocol for an active shooter.

Freckleton owns The Reveal, a costume store. He has 30 years of law enforcement experience, including 17 at the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, he said by phone. He was in charge of safety and security.

Freckleton said he also was a police officer and spent time in the military, and he helped write and teach procedures for active-shooter training at juvenile facilities in Nampa, Lewiston and St. Anthony.

After mass shootings throughout the country, Freckleton said, he knew something like this could be a possibility.

When we opened this store in the mall, my wife and I had already discussed what would we do and how we would do things if anything happened, Freckleton said. Just kind of a what-if scenario for general emergencies.

The Reveal at the mall opened on Sept. 15. Less than six weeks later, the what-if scenario became reality.

He went toward the stores entrance and got ready to pull down the gate. Thats when Jenkins ran into the store and sped straight to a dressing room in the back. Freckleton said he was prepared to wait for others in search of safety, but he didnt see anyone else in the hallway. He closed the gate and walked toward Jenkins while his son, an employee at the store, locked the gate.

Unsure how Jenkins would react, Freckleton said he approached cautiously. Once they began talking, he told her of his law enforcement experience.

He goes, I have this under control. Just want to make sure youre OK, Jenkins recalled in a phone interview. That was like a sigh of relief.

Jenkins said that after she spoke with Freckleton, she felt about 80% better, because she trusted the store was secure.

Freckleton met with his son and went to the bathroom in the back corner of the store. He stayed there because he didnt want to be moving around, he said. After about an hour, Freckleton, his son and Jenkins left the mall safely when police arrived to clear the area.

Training tells us that active shooters take the path of least resistance, Freckleton said. So typically theyre not going to try to break into doors and do stuff like that. ... Everything that we did, I felt really confident that we were safe, at least to that point.

Idaho Statesman reporter Kyle Land contributed.

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GREELEY, Colo.  Steve Pankey, the 70-year-old Idaho man on trial for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, testified Thursday, admitting he lied about the case to law enforcement over the years, out of bitterness against his former church, his former supervisor and police.

This is the hard part because I raised my hand and I swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Pankey said after his defense attorney, Anthony Viorst, questioned him about an alleged Dec. 27, 1984 conversation Pankey claimed to have had with his father-in-law about someone looking to hide a body.

It did not happen, Pankey said.

Viorst asked Pankey to clarify: What did not happen?

When you listen to the radio, the TV, everything, it was all about the Jonelle Matthews case and there was talk that it was related to Sunny View Church of Nazarene, Pankey testified. And I began a very bitter retaliation of words against Russ Ross and the people of Sunny View, Pastor Christy, and all who I hated.

Pankey maintained he hadnt known Jonelle nor the Matthews until after the young girls disappearance on the night of Dec. 20, 1984, repeating his assertion that he had no involvement in her disappearance.

Jonelle sang in a televised choir concert in downtown Greeley before a family friend, Ross, and his daughter dropped Jonelle off that night to what was believed to be an empty home. She wasnt seen again until her remains were discovered in July 2019 by oil and gas workers in rural Weld County.

Prior to admitting about the series of lies Pankey said he engaged in, Pankey recounted his life leading up to Jonelles disappearance. He said a Greeley Police officer who lived next door to his aunt and uncle when he was 4 or 5 was the first adult to cause him fear. Pankey said the officer had a mean dog and would often yell and scream at his uncle. He also claimed the officer was known to beat his wife.

After graduating from an alternative high school in La Puente, California, Pankey testified that he went on to work for a mortuary and ambulance service in La Puente in 1969. Pankey said there was a lot of abuse perpetrated against minorities by white cops.

This is building to what happened later on, Pankey said, going on to recount a crash he responded to in which a sheriffs deputy wrecked his car, breaking and mangling his leg.

Pankey said the deputy was screaming in pain because Pankey didnt put an air splint on the injured leg to stabilize it.

I just sat there and let him scream in pain, Pankey said. The reason I did that is because I had so much hatred for these cops for some of the things that Ive seen done. And the cop was crying out, and he says, Cant you do anything for me?

And I just said, No, and I sat there. Afterwards, I felt really bad because I had let another human being suffer. But my thinking was  I could get one more white cop off the road if his leg was mangled so much he couldnt be a police officer again.

So I had a burning, burning hatred for the LA County Sheriffs Office and what I saw there.

Pankey went on to confirm various details about his background previously mentioned in the trial.

He clarified he wanted to get a criminal justice degree at Aims Community College, but was denied taking those classes because he wasnt with a law enforcement agency. Pankey said he had applied to the Greeley Police Department, but was denied due to his gay past.

As a compromise with school administration, Pankey said, he took psychology and sociology classes and would be able to say he had a general education with a minor in criminal justice.

Pankey denied owning a red Toyota Celica, saying he only briefly owned a silver Toyota Celica when he was living on Weld County Road 47 1/2.

Pankey also tried clearing up confusion about his claims to being a youth pastor at Sunny View Church of the Nazarene, where he said he was doing many of the duties of the youth pastor who worked at the church prior to Pankeys arrival.

Pankey said he was asked to leave the church, but returned a few times for choir practice.

There were some people who supported me, and there were people who wanted to keep me there and  Pankey said before Viorst cut him off to move on to a different line of questioning.

Pankey denied his ex-wife Angela Hicks testimony that he ever banned radio, TV and news from the household. He also said the trip his family took to Big Bear Lake, California, after Jonelles disappearance was planned, despite Hicks testimony it was a rushed trip.

Pankey recounted his arrest the day before Jonelles disappearance, explaining his auto business he ran out of his home on 10th Street went under that year, leading to financial woes. When he went to cash a check at Norbel Credit Union on Dec. 19, 1984, Pankey was arrested on suspicion of harassment and third-degree criminal trespassing.

Pankey testified the last vehicle on his lot was going to be repossessed, and he wanted it taken off the lot before leaving for California. He said he would have a neighbor move it down the road, leading to threats from the bank that doing so would result in Pankeys arrest, according to Pankey.

Pankey went to the bank to cash a check, and the employee he was speaking with got mad and refused to cash the check, Pankey said. He was fingerprinted, photographed and immediately released.

Pankey said he hadnt dumped the dogs suddenly before the trip to California, but he had taken them to a shelter months before because he couldnt afford to keep them and was getting rid of the fence on his property.

Much of Pankeys testimony about his activities the night of Jonelles disappearance, his trip to California and the drive back echoed earlier interviews he had given to broadcast news station KTVB and the podcast Unfound.

Then Viorst asked about the conversation Pankey claimed to have had with his father-in-law, in both media interviews.

I was humiliated when Russ Ross held me in 7 Up and the other man hit me, Pankey said after admitting the conversation hadnt happened. I spent a couple of hours in the basement jail area with my attorney, and I was praying, and he was talking to me about my testimony.

Pankey said his lies got bigger and bigger and bigger over the years.

Mr. Viorst was saying to me, because I would give certain things, and hed say, Well, thats a good answer, Pankey said. And then Id say other things, and hed say, Well, thats bullshit. Nobodys going to buy that.

Pankey emphasized his faith as a reason for coming clean. He suggested Hicks testimony was filled with lies, as if he were being punished for his earlier lies.

I made a lot of stuff up out of bitterness for things that happened to me at Sunny View and for things that happened to me at 7 Up and my revenge on them was to  and cause I hated the police, Pankey said. It was all in one to say, Ive got information that you want, and you cant have it.

It was a polite way of flipping them the bird. It was pure hatred on my part.

Viorst asked Pankey why the jury should believe Pankey didnt know the Matthews prior to Jonelles disappearance, given his previous lies. Pankey said hes always clearly stated he didnt know the Matthews from Dec. 20-26 of that year.

Pankey said he truly thought it was possible someone with the church may have tried putting a Hispanic girl in her place due to things he said were going on at the church, echoing the theory hes previously presented. He said he learned about the shoe prints in the snow that were raked over when Lt. Mark Lockwood spoke to him about the case in the 1990s.

Pankey explained his rocky marriage with Hicks was the result of guilt over premarital sex, hoping that if he married her, prayed and read Scripture that theyd eventually develop romantic feelings. It never happened, he said.

Presented with a statements in which Pankey claimed to have information about Jonelles disappearance, Pankey said he was just trying to be a big man in the case.

I had no knowledge, Pankey said.

Firearms instructor testifies

Before Pankeys testimony Thursday afternoon, a firearms instructor and pastor in Idaho testified to giving Pankey gun training around 2019, when he became a person of interest in the case. Lance Earl testified Pankey was a beginner shooter. He said Pankeys lack of skills appeared genuine and frightening.

On cross-examination, Earl confirmed its easy to lose handgun skills if someone doesnt stay up-to-date with training. He also noted its easier to shoot closer targets. Assistant District Attorney Robb Miller also argued Pankey could have faked the lack of skills, given the timing of Pankey becoming a person of interest.

Greeley Police Detective Robert Cash was called back to the stand, facing further questions about Viorsts alternate suspect, Norris Drake, who died in 2007. Cash testified he didnt know Drakes shoe size, but said he conducted a follow-up investigation into Drake.

During questioning, Viorst referred to Cash as a hostile witness, which Miller denied.

Cash confirmed a June 2019 interview with Hicks in which she said the car that caught fire on Pankeys property was not drivable. Cash in the interview mentioned the possibility of Pankey having a mental illness. Miller said that was just the tip of the iceberg in the investigation. Later interviews and reports built stronger evidence against Pankey, Cash said.

Other witnesses called by Viorst included James Roybal, a retired Greeley police sergeant who interviewed Jonelles classmates, including Rochelle Baxley, who testified this year to seeing a red or orange car that troubled Jonelle while on the bus back from the concert. In Roybals report, there was no mention of the car, which Roybal said he would have written up.

Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells noted the report wasnt perfect, with the name Baxley misspelled in the report. She also pointed out the report said nothing about Baxley being with Jonelle that night. Roybal said Baxley only mentioned the possibility of Jonelle being a runaway.

Another witness testified to a discussion she had with Pankey about his self-published book, Graveyards, in which he depicts the murder of a young Greeley woman as the result of nefarious people in the Nazarene Church. Miller highlighted the murder was publicized in the media, and that the victim had worked with Pankeys wife.

Blaine County Coroner Russell Mikel testified to working with Pankey during a double murder case, in which the two responded to the scene of the crime only to be turned away because the sheriffs office was investigating. After the investigation, Mikel was the only one to drive back.

Tribune reporter Morgan McKenzie contributed to this report.

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JEROME  Jerome High School released students early Friday morning because of a reported social media threat.

The school district sent out a note to families saying that a threat against students and school personnel was posted on Snapchat.

We regard any threat made against our students and staff with the utmost seriousness, the message said.

The Mountain High junior and high schools were also closed and other schools were on lockdown because of a similar Snapchat threat was reported at the junior high. School officials later said police there determined the threat there was not credible.

The Twin Falls Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook that it also received reports of the Snapchat threats and other Magic Valley schools took precautions, but the office believes the post was created in Florida.

The Twin Falls Sheriffs Office believes that there is no credibility to this threat in the Magic Valley area, the post said.

The screen shot has been making the rounds on social media referencing a school with the initials JHS. The viral post had schools across the country on edge.

According to sacbee.com, the post has also been shared in California, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Investigations were done at many JHS schools across the country, including Jesuit High School in California and Juniper High School in Florida.

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BOISE  Republican state legislators called on the Idaho School Boards Association to cut ties with its national affiliate on Tuesday, lamenting a recent move by the national group that has sparked ongoing GOP outcry on Capitol Hill.

Thirty-five lawmakers signed a letter to ISBA decrying the National School Boards Associations politically sensitive request: that federal law enforcement crack down on members of the public who harass or intimidate school board members.

NSBA has since apologized for the wording of its ask, made in a letter that, as Education Week reported, called the White House to review whether threats or actual acts of violence by school board attendees could constitute domestic terrorism under the USA PATRIOT Act, a post-9/11 counterterrorism law.

The lawmakers, predominately representatives from Idahos more-conservative House, said NSBAs apology in no way changes the need for the ISBA to withdraw its membership.

The NSBA already revealed their desires, making this apology seem insincere and forced, lawmakers wrote.

ISBA had already distanced itself from the national groups move, as lawmakers acknowledged Tuesday. The state lobbying group for trustees had previously said it wasnt asked for input on NSBAs letter and wasnt notified that the request for federal involvement would be sent to the White House. In an Oct. 13 statement, ISBA wrote, we do not seek the involvement of federal law enforcement in local decisions.

But ISBA will maintain its national affiliation, at least for now.

Responding to lawmakers in a letter Thursday, ISBA said it will very carefully monitor the actions and conduct of NSBA but argued Idahos values and perspective must be included at the national level via its NSBA membership, now, more than ever.

Idaho school boards have been rocked by protests, related police responses and outbursts from meeting goers over the last 18 months. NSBA acknowledged the roots of this national and state-level strife  pandemic protocols and the perception that public schools contain leftist teachings  in its request to the feds.

But Idaho lawmakers and the ISBA have both accused the NSBA of going too far. And school boards associations in at least Ohio, Missouri and Pennsylvania have rescinded their national memberships over the issue.

The web of rifts comes around three weeks before ISBAs annual conference in mid-November, and before the Legislature returns to town the same week.

A timeline and a paper trail

Sept. 29: NSBA writes to President Joe Biden. In a letter addressed to the President, NSBA asked for support from federal law enforcement in handling a growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation at school board meetings. The request  and language it used  ignited backlash among congressional Republicans and some NSBA members.

Oct. 4: DOJ vows to respond. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo, directing the FBI to meet with federal, state and local leaders to discuss how threats against school staff and officials should be addressed and reported.

Oct. 13: ISBA condemns letter to Biden. The state group requested a formal apology from its national counterpart, and a review of NSBAs processes around consulting members.

Oct. 22: NSBA apologizes. The national organization said there was no justification for some of the language in the letter it sent, and expressed regret for sending it. The organization in a memo to state school boards associations announced it would review its processes and procedures and improve the way it consults and communicates with its members across the country.

Oct. 26: Lawmakers write to ISBA. They urged ISBA to pull its membership, as it will be a clear statement concerning the NSBAs stance regarding parents and stakeholders.

Oct. 27: ISBA responds to lawmakers. Group leaders said they greatly value the voices of active and involved parents, but will stay in national association for now.

The same day, Garland doubles down. The attorney general defended his memo geared at quelling threats against school staff and officials. Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., the Democratic official pointed to a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence as Republican senators pushed him to rescind the memo, the Associated Press reported.

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GOODING  Two mayoral races, one school board seat and two city council positions make up the five contested races in Gooding County.

On Nov. 2 voters will choose the mayor of Gooding, two Gooding city council members, the mayor of Wendell, and one Hagerman School Board member.

There are also 22 uncontested races, including two positions where no candidates applied.

In Lincoln County there are three contested races: two fire protection district seats and one school board seat.

Gooding Mayor

Incumbent Jeff Brekke has lived in Gooding for six years and has served as a board member for Southern Idaho Tourism and Southern Idaho Rural Development.

Locally, he has worked on a theater restoration board and served on the Gooding City Chamber board of directors.

We have made great strides in the last four years, Brekke said. We have opened up the City Council and the city government, we have become much more responsive to citizens when they have an issue.

He thinks the biggest challenge facing Gooding currently is infrastructure upkeep and repairs.

The city government recently completed a water project and is currently working on the sewer treatment plant, expanding it and bringing it into compliance, he said.

Brekke says his experience as mayor for the last four years would help him if he was reelected.

I have learned a lot. It has been a great experience. I enjoyed it and I learned something new every month, he said. And I think just the love for this community, my friends and neighbors here in town. I am here for the long haul and I want to see the city prosper.

Diane Houser has lived in Gooding for 41 years and worked in government for 34 years. She has worked for Gooding County and spent eight years on the City Council.

At the county level, she was the chief deputy clerk, managing auditing, payroll, human resources, and elections.

She thinks Gooding needs to join together and be a community again.

I believe I can bring change to Gooding and make Gooding great again, Houser said.

Gooding City Council

Incumbent Jerry Pierce has a degree in elementary education and retired from law enforcement after 30 years. He has been a council member for the last year after being appointed by the current council.

He thinks the biggest issue facing Gooding is fiscal management on budget issues.

Community members have wanted to know why there are deficits in the water and sewer systems, he said. The city is working to update these systems.

I have shown honesty and trustworthiness and have the best of the community at heart, he said.

Aubrey Cheney, 42, owns a local wellness and art store in Gooding. She has been a lifelong resident.

In my opinion only, the biggest issue any community is facing locally or not, is the lack of its members who are willing to stand and respectfully refuse to be silenced, she wrote over email.

Cheney believes that her life experiences and journey towards self-awareness and self-acceptance would be helpful if she was elected to the City Council.

She calls herself a doer and wants to provide the community support through action.

People have been talking for years now about how its time for some accountability changes, she wrote. I am here to start making some of them happen.

Incumbent Chuck Cram, has been a resident of Gooding for 22 years. He is married and a father to three boys. He works at North Canyon Medical Center and attends church at the Gooding Springs Calvary Chapel.

Similar to Pierce, he thinks the biggest challenge facing the city is infrastructure.

We live in an aging 100-year-old plus city and its got infrastructure issues that we are trying to address, Cram said.

His experience the last four years on the council is his biggest asset, he said.

I feel that I have done what I came to do and that is to make Gooding a better place to live, he said. I would like the opportunity to spend four more years doing it.

Lai Lonnie Rodgers was unable to be reached for comment.

Wendell Mayor

Brad Christopherson told the Times-News over Facebook that he will immediately resign the position of mayor if he were to be elected. Christopherson was recently offered a full-time job to help with code enforcement. He has previously served as a council member, mayor and city administrator.

Rebecca Bunn Vipperman is a fifth-generation Wendell citizen and has served on the City Council for the last two years. She has a degree in political science and previously worked in property management.

She thinks the biggest issue facing the community is growth.

I think its preparing for that growth, being ready for growth and new ideas but still maintaining that small-town feel that we love and our small-town values, she said.

She thinks her two years on the City Council, her political science degree and experience managing large properties would help her if she was elected mayor.

I am coming into it with fresh eyes and a willingness to ask questions and learn, she said.

Hagerman School Trustee Zone 1

Dagny Bogaard could not be reached for comment.

Incumbent Monte Osborne could not be reached for comment.

Other races

Candidates in the following races are uncontested and may not appear on the ballot:

Gooding School Trustee Zone 1: Deborah Balch

Gooding School Trustee Zone 5: Michael Perry

Gooding Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 1: Jim Brockman

Gooding Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 2: Joseph D. Pavkov

Gooding Recreation Direction Subdistrict 1: No filling

Gooding Recreation Director Subdistrict 2: John L. McLaughlin Jr.

Gooding Cemetery Commissioner Subdistrict 3: Ron Darcy

Wendell City Council (Vote for two): Shaun Spencer & John Gnesa

Wendell School Trustee Zone 2: Michelle Ponce

Wendell School Trustee Zone 4: Jack R. Lancaster

Wendell School Trustee Zone 5: Quin Young

Wendell Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 1: Warren Lawton

Wendell Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 3: Danny L. Mason

Wendell Recreation Director Subdistrict 3: Sarah Huskinson

Cemetery Commissioner Subdistrict 3: Gary E. Cox

Bliss City Council (Vote for two): Sharon Fuelling and no filing

Bliss School Trustee Zone 2: Clinton J. Palmer Jr.

Bliss School Trustee Zone 4: Stan Hoskovec

Bliss School Trustee Zone 5: Lauresa Schoessler

Bliss Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 2: Mike Elliott

Bliss Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 3: Stephen Shern

Hagerman City Council (Vote for two): Jared Hillier and Wes Owsley

Hagerman School Trustee Zone 4: Bryan Whitmarsh

Hagerman School Trustee Zone 5: Philip A. Gossi

Hagerman Fire Commissioner Subdistrict 3: Kirt Martin

Hagerman Cemetery Commissioner Subdistrict 1: Jeff Brown

Hagerman Cemetery Commissioner Sub district 2: Lynn I. Arriaga

Lincoln County Richfield School Trustee Zone 4:

Hope Hughes could not be reached for comment.

Acee Lucero graduated from Richfield High School in 2001. She has a bachelors degree in nutrition science and previously worked for Glanbia Nutritionals. Now, she runs a local certified organic farm.

Her experience working with teams would be beneficial to the role of a school board member, she said. Coming together as a team for students is important but she is also willing to stand up and speak out if necessary.

I would like to see our kids have more access to programs, be it art, music, drama, so I think overall we have a very amazing, small, close-knit community, she said. I would like to see our kids have opportunities in the schools to discover their potential.

Her strength as a candidate includes having grown up through the school system, as well as living and doing business in the community.

I have been deeply rooted in this community and I know the strengths and the opportunities we have to be the best we can be, she said.

Richfield Fire District Zone 1:

Ashley Lezamiz

Jose Laughmiller

Mark Whitesell

Richfield Fire District Zone 3:

Jason Brauburger

Tommy Standlee

Luann Swainston

(The Times-News was unable to contact any of the fire district candidates.)

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Union leaders across Connecticut want Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly to follow through on talks of providing so-called hero pay to more essential workers who stayed on the job during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the first day of the group's two-day biennial convention, the Connecticut AFL-CIO, an umbrella federation of unions, voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution. It calls on the Democratic governor and the Democratic controlled General Assembly to provide hazard pay for all public sector and private sector essential workers by allocating remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars for that purpose.

Union leaders expressed frustration that many of their workers who remained on the job and risked their health and the health of their families during the pandemic have not yet been rewarded financially.

The bus drivers, you know, were out there and didnt get hazard pay. We didnt get any of that, said Veronica Chavers, president and business agent for the union ATU, Local 443, in Stamford. We werent even recognized and our bravery and our health and all that was in jeopardy.

The Connecticut AFL-CIO previously asked state lawmakers to allocate federal COVID-19 relief funds during a special legislative session in June to those deemed essential workers during the pandemic.

"We want all essential workers to receive pandemic hazard pay. This would include nurses, childcare workers, bus drivers, grocery and retail workers, building cleaners, fire fighters, police officers, and many others who put their lives and health on the line to serve their communities throughout the pandemic," said David Dal Zin, a spokesman for the Connecticut AFL-CIO. He said Lamont's proposal, which sets aside roughly $20 million, would exclude thousands of workers.

Currently, there is roughly $218 million in unallocated federal COVID funds. But Lamont's chief of staff, Paul Mounds, said last month that money was being kept in reserve and the administration was still evaluating how it would be spent.

At Lamont's request, state lawmakers earlier this year reserved $22.5 million for hazard pay. Of that sum, about $10 million is supposed to go toward payments to essential state employees and $12.5 million to members of the Connecticut National Guard.

A spokesperson for the Office of Policy and Management said Thursday in an email that discussions are still on-going with the unions" about how that $10 million would be allocated.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chair of the General Assemblys Appropriations Committee, said she has not yet received an accounting of which state employees will receive a share of the $10 million. But given the large number of state employees and others who might qualify as an essential worker, she's uncertain how many will ultimately get a check.

I just don't think there's enough money to go around, she said.

Meanwhile, Osten said the state's remaining American Rescue Plan funds will likely be needed for other purposes, ranging from replenishing the state's unemployment trust fund to financially stabilizing struggling nonprofit social service agencies. Osten said she believes AFL-CIO members care about and will ultimately benefit from such targeted spending.

Osten noted how some private sector health care workers and others considered essential workers have received lump sum payments. For example, the state used some of its federal COVID-19 relief money to provide hazard pay to nursing home and home care workers who threatened to strike over stalled contract talks. Also, some private companies, such as Stop & Shop, have provided bonuses to their workers.

Lamont, who addressed the convention virtually on Thursday, appeared unaware of the resolution passed shortly before his appearance. He praised the many union members who came to work during the pandemic and noted one of the silver linings of the pandemic is how people better appreciate essential workers. Lamont made note of the extra pay provided to the nursing home workers in the new labor deal his administration reached with District 1199 New England, SEIU, and how it's something to build off of as we round the corner after this tragic year-and-a-half."

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
You are a founding father, Professor Wood, of a massive campaign of censorship. You're not the most responsible, but the five of you are responsible. And that's why, right now, I want to ask you to write another open letter to Sen. Cotton, and to Gov. DeSantis, and to all the other demagogues who are using your letter to ban the 1619 project, to say, I am Gordon Wood, and damnit, I am not in favor of censorship."

During a telephone interview a few days later, Wood called the debate a disaster," said he was blindsided by Holton's attack and that Holton was carrying out his role as the primary defender among historians of the 1619 project. Asked if he found any positive qualities in the series, which includes essays on politics, culture, criminal justice and religion among other subjects, he criticized it for encouraging a sense of victimhood" and feeling aggrieved that he called understandable but self-destructive" in the long run.

The letter Holton asked for will not be written.
Another important event that the hospital hosted this month was our Crush the Crisis opioid take back day on Oct. 23, which coincided with the United States Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Done in partnership with local law enforcement agencies as a way to address the opioid misuse crisis that is a critical concern across our country and sadly, right here in McDowell County, we collected almost 70 pounds of expired or unneeded medications. The problem is so serious that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that in just the yearlong period between 2018 and 2019, drug overdose deaths increased by almost 5%, and over 70% of those deaths  numbering 70,630  were related to use of an opioid. Of equal concern is that these overdose deaths have quadrupled in the two decades between 1999 and 2019.
Early gadolinium enhancement (EGE) compared with precontrast SSFP sequence (not shown) is observed on early postcontrast short-axis SSFP images in (A) 16-year-old male, (B) 17-year-old male, (C) 16-year-old male, and (D) 19-year-old male, and on early postcontrast short-axis perfusion image in (E) 17-year-old male (arrow, A-E). Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is also present (arrows) in all 5 patients (F, G, H, I, and J; same patients as in A, B, C, D, and E, respectively). EGE and LGE predominantlyaffect subepicardium of the inferior, inferolateral, or anterolateral walls. EGE extends beyond confines of LGE in patient shown in (A) and (F) and in (B) and (G). Basilar LV involvement is present in patient shown in (A) and (F), (B) and (G), and (C) and (H). Mid-cavity LV involvement is present in patient shown in (D) and (I) and in (E) and (J). Credit: American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), American Journal of Roentgenology (AJ

According to ARRS' American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), radiologists need to be cognizant of the association between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination and myocarditis, as well as the role of cardiac MRI for assessing suspected myocarditis postvaccination.

"In this small case series, all patients with myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination were adolescent males and had a favorable initial clinical course," explained first author Lydia Chelala from University of Chicago Medicine. Noting that every patient's cardiac MRI examination showed findings typical of myocarditis from other causes, "late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) persisted in two patients undergoing repeat MRI."

Chelala and team's retrospective study included patients who underwent cardiac MRI between May 14, 2021 and June 14, 2021 for suspected myocarditis within 2 weeks of COVID-19 mRNA vaccinationwithout known prior COVID-19. With clinical presentation, hospital course, and postdischarge events recorded, the cardiac MRI examinations were reviewed in consensus by a cardiothoracic radiologist and cardiothoracic imaging fellow.

Of the 52 patients who underwent cardiac MRI during the study period, Chelala and colleagues identified 5 male patients (age range, 1619 years; mean age, 17.2 years) who presented within 4 days of the second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. After mean hospitalization length of 4.8 days, all 5 patients were discharged in stable condition with improved or resolved symptoms. However, two patients underwent repeat cardiac MRI that showed persistent, albeit decreased, LGE.

Acknowledging that their article is the first report to describe additional results of short-term follow-up in this patient population, the authors of this AJR article also conceded, "the observations do not establish causality."

Explore further Myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination may resolve quickly for youth

More information: Lydia Chelala et al, Cardiac MRI Findings of Myocarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Adolescents, American Journal of Roentgenology (2021). Journal information: American Journal of Roentgenology Lydia Chelala et al, Cardiac MRI Findings of Myocarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Adolescents,(2021). DOI: 10.2214/AJR.21.26853
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Children with mental health problems were at increased risk of developing a mental disorder as an adult, a new systematic review has found.

The research led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, found prevention and early intervention should be targeted at primary school age children and those who are experiencing symptoms rather than waiting for a diagnosis.

The study found experiencing mental health symptoms before 14 years of age and even as young as five were predictive of mental disorders well into adulthood. Importantly, symptoms rather than a diagnosis in childhood were more strongly linked with having a mental health disorder as an adult.

The systematic review of 40 studies assessed the influence of mental health problems in childhood later in adulthood in Australia, US, New Zealand, The Netherlands, UK, Finland, France, Brazil and Spain in over 50,000 participants.

MCRI Dr. Melissa Mulraney said the mental health problems present in childhood were more likely to continue through to adulthood, rather than new disorders being diagnosed.

The study found children with anxiety were up to 10 times more likely to have an anxiety disorder as an adult and those with mood and depressive symptoms were up to 28 times more likely to have depression as an adult. Similarly, children with behavioral difficulties were at high risk of having ADHD or antisocial personality disorder in adulthood.

The review showed having any psychiatric disorder between nine to 16 years increased the odds of multiple psychiatric disorders in young adulthood sixfold. Children who had bulimia at 13 had 20 times the odds of bulimia as an adult.

Dr. Mulraney said most mental health treatment services were targeted at youth or adults despite symptoms largely emerging in childhood.

One in seven Australian children aged 4 to 17 years has a mental health disorder. But of these, only half have accessed mental health services.

Samantha's daughter was diagnosed with severe anxiety, ADHD and autism at age 10.

She said it was a 12-month wait to see a psychologist and occupational and speech therapists and her daughter was still in need of a support worker.

"There is a significant demand for mental health services, which is causing long wait times and delaying treatment," she said. "My daughter would be in a very different place now if she had received medical intervention earlier."

Samantha said it was essential that teachers were better trained to identity mental health problems and more psychologists were needed in schools.

"Schools aren't properly equipped to support and understand mental health behaviors and triggers," she said.

"Focusing on the early primary school years will much better equip students for the transition to high school. Trying to get my child ready for high school is almost insurmountable now given how late the treatment came."

MCRI Professor Harriet Hiscock said having a greater understanding of the developmental trajectories of the major mental health disorders from childhood to adulthood was critical to informing the timing of treatment and intervention efforts.

"Given the COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded mental health problems, it's even more vital to assess for mental health problems in young children and to design, evaluate, and implement prevention and early intervention programs for children prior to adolescence," she said.

"Mental health supports for primary school aged children need strengthening and frontline providers such as GPs, nurses, pediatricians and child psychologists require upskilling to manage child mental health concerns."

Professor Hiscock said a "community of practice" pilot in Melbourne's west and north was aiming to improve the capacity of primary and secondary care clinicians to identify and manage infant, child and adolescent mental health presentations, reduce pressure on specialist services and support earlier access to treatment and care.

The findings come after a recent survey by MCRI found fwo in five young people experienced mental health problems and one in five had suicidal thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic last year in Victoria. School closures also saw four in five teenagers report an increase in school-related stress.

Researchers from the Institute for Social Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, The Royal Children's Hospital, Deakin University, Women's and Children's Health Network in North Adelaide and the University of Adelaide also contributed to the findings.

Explore further Children face extensive wait times for costly private mental health support

More information: Melissa Mulraney et al, A systematic review of the persistence of childhood mental health problems into adulthood, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2021). Journal information: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Melissa Mulraney et al, A systematic review of the persistence of childhood mental health problems into adulthood,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.030
(HealthDay)Coronavirus cases have plunged by 60% since mid-September's Delta-driven peak, U.S. health officials said earlier this week. But with winter on the way, they warned that Americans still need to protect themselves and others against COVID-19.

"We are now heading in the right direction ... but with cases still high, we must remain vigilant heading into the colder, drier winter months," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a White House coronavirus briefing, CNN reported.

Along with the arrival of winter, there's still a relatively high number of cases and many children remain ineligible for vaccination.

Over the last week, new cases averaged 69,011 a day, compared to 127,531 a day in mid-September, Johns Hopkins University data show, CNN reported.

The all-time peak was in mid-January, with more than 251,800 new cases a day.

There were 51,541 COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals as of Wednesday, a 50.4% decrease from September, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CNN reported.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 deaths over the past week averaged 1,369 a day, compared with 2,092 on Sept. 22, the Hopkins data showed.

Some experts have been cautious about whether the United States has seen the worst of the pandemic.

"We saw this happen in June over the summer, when we declared the pandemic to be over a bit too early," Dr. Richina Bicette-McCain, associate medical director at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told CNN.

"We decided that those who are vaccinated need not wear masks, which turned into everyone not wearing masks, and then subsequently the spike and the Delta wave followed," she added.

Explore further Unvaccinated should not travel this labor day weekend: CDC

More information: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID-19

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

It's clear that the pandemic isn't going to go away soonand getting vaccinated remains an important tool in warding off COVID-19.

But if you're undocumented, getting the vaccine can seem complicated.

Federal authorities have said that vaccines are open to everyone "regardless of immigration status." So, if you are an undocumented person who is otherwise eligible to receive the vaccine, your immigration status won't prevent you from being vaccinated.

"You are eligible to receive this vaccine," Lenart says. "It's in the public health interest to help get us out of this pandemic that we make sure everybody who lives in the U.S. has access to the vaccine."

But you may have other concerns about getting the vaccine. "These often come from decades worth of mistrust that has been bred in the healthcare system, as well as in the immigration system," says Jana Lenart, a COVID-19 outreach specialist with Philadelphia-based immigration services and resettlement organization HIAS Pennsylvania. "That can be a powerful influential factor." That trust is not going to be regained overnight.

If you have concerns about getting vaccinated opening you up to immigration enforcement, if English isn't your preferred language, or you want to know how it will affect your status, here is what you need to know:

Q: Will the vaccine cost me anything out of pocket?

A: No. Getting vaccine should not cost you any money, regardless of whether you are undocumented or not, or whether or not you have health insurance.

If you do have insurance, your insurer will be billed for the cost of the vaccinationand if you are enrolled in Medicaid, that service will pay for the vaccine. If you are uninsured, providers will be able to have the federal government pay for it through the Health Resources and Services Administration's Provider Relief Fund, according to the National Immigration Law Center.

"These vaccines are free, and you should not be charged for either the vaccine itself, or the cost of the provider providing you with that vaccine," Lenart says. "If you don't have health insurance, you're not going to be billedyou're not going to have to pay a single penny."

Q: What ID do I need to show?

A: That depends on the individual provider or vaccination site, Lenart says.

Some places ask for information like your Social Security number (if you have one), or identification such as a state ID or driver's license. Others may ask you to prove that you are a resident in the area by showing a piece of mail, such as a utility bill.

But providing a social security numbers is "absolutely not a requirement" to have one or provide it to be vaccinated, Lenart says. Some providers, like those who use the Provider Relief Fund, are required to ask for it, but not having one shouldn't prevent you from getting a vaccine. And in lots of cases, no identification is required.

Q: What if English isn't my preferred language?

Language access can be a big challenge, and providers having translation services is often case-by-case, too, Lenart says, and finding clinics with translation services for less common languages has been a challenge. In those cases, she adds, it may be up to you to find the space that best accommodates your situation.

A: If you need help:

Check with other community members

Reach out to immigration organizations in your area

If you want information about the vaccine in different languages, check the CDC's COVID-19 Communication Toolkit for Migrants, Refugees, and Other Limited-English-Proficient Populations.

Q: Is ICE allowed at vaccination sites?

A: No. Neither U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nor U.S. Customs and Border Protection are able to "conduct enforcement operations at or near vaccine distribution sites or clinics," according to a February announcement from the Department of Homeland Security.

As a result, immigration enforcement "will not be at or near any vaccination clinics," Lenart says, and getting vaccinated will not increase the likelihood of deportation.

Q: Can the provider share my information with authorities?

A: No. The information you give cannot be used against you. This is because of a "data use and sharing agreement" with the CDC and jurisdictions where vaccines are being administered. That information can only be used to expand the public health response to COVID-19.

"Information that's collected for the purpose of vaccines cannot be used for any civil, criminal, or immigration-related enforcement," Lenart says. "It does not put anybodyespecially undocumented immigrantsat greater risk of deportation."

Q: Will getting the vaccine affect my public charge status?

A: No.Getting vaccinated won't impact your ability to get a green card or become a naturalized citizen in the future, says Lenart. The DHS announced that in March, noting in a statement that "medical treatment or preventative services for COVID-19, including vaccines, will not be considered for public charge purposes."

"That's the big concernthat it could affect [your] eligibility," she says. "But it absolutely does not."

Explore further Adults with disability less likely to have received COVID-19 vaccine

2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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When Christiane Kammogne left Cameroun after completing a bachelor's degree in management, the concept of work-related stress wasn't on her radar screen. In 2011, two years after arriving in France, she was astonished to learn of suicides among employees at the company where she was employed as an HR advisor.

"I came from a country where work was the way to stay alive, and in France people were killing themselves because of their work," she recalls. "I couldn't understand it. But I suspected it might be possible to find correlations between suicide and cultural background."

Kammogne, an associate researcher at UdeM's Health and Wellness at Work Observatory, decided to investigate whether cultural factors, particularly ethnicity and immigration status, affect the work-depression link in Canada's workforce.

In her Ph.D. thesis, supervised by Prof. Alain Marchand of the School of Industrial Relations, she analyzed data from nine cycles of Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey, from 1994 through 2011.

Data on a total of 6,477 employed persons was analyzed; 18% were immigrants and 8% belonged to visible minorities.

Positive effect of work for minorities

Kammogne factored in a wide range of variables to determine whether there is a link between depressive symptoms and cultural identity among employed persons, including:

personal characteristics (gender, age, lifestyle)

work-related characteristics (over-qualification, opportunity to use skills, decision-making authority, social supports, working time, etc.)

family factors (marital status, number of children, household income, family tensions)

After controlling for confounding variables, the data shows that ethnicity and work-related factors operate independently on depressive symptoms.

"Contrary to what some other studies have found, our results show that employed persons from visible minorities report significantly fewer depressive symptoms than Caucasian workers," says Kammogne.

This finding seems paradoxical, as the analysis also shows that visible minority employees are more likely than white workers to be overqualified and have less opportunity to use their skills, less decision-making authority and less work autonomy.

"One possible explanation is that work has a more positive role for visible minorities, even if their job is not commensurate with their education or with the positions they may have held in their country of origin," Kammogne suggests.

People who have social supports at work are less likely to report depressive symptoms.

It is noteworthy that the immigrant respondents in the study population had been in Canada for an average of 20 years: "These are long-time immigrants who have had time to adjust and accept their fate." This may account for the divergence with some other analyses of immigrant populations.

Deskilling remains a societal issue

Christiane Kammogne found that deskilling is a continuing problem for visible minorities.

"The Statistics Canada surveys cover 17 years, and over that period things did not improve for ethnic minorities. After struggling to find work, they end up in jobs with long hours, irregular schedules and poor conditions."

The findings might have been different had the analysis focused on recent immigrants: "Studies show that immigrants are generally in good physical and mental shape when they arrive in Canada, but their health declines during the first five years. Often, their mental health becomes poorer than that of the general population. Deskilling may be an important factor in the deterioration."

Christiane Kammogne concludes that "it would be appropriate for interventions aimed at improving working conditions to be ethnically targeted, particularly with respect to overqualification, which seems to be a persistent problem in Canada's labor force."

Explore further Undocumented immigrant women more likely to use health services than men
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For low- and middle-income countries, a COVID-19 vaccination program built on prompt procurement, effective on-the-ground distribution, and a rapid pace of vaccination (the total number of doses given daily) is likely to have a greater public health impact than one focused on relatively small differences in vaccine efficacy, according to a study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Scientists evaluating clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccination program in South Africa found that an emphasis on these implementation factors in countries with limited resources is likely to dramatically reduce infections, save lives, and curtail overall health care costs through fewer hospitalizations. The study appears in Nature Communications.

"What's critically important is getting shots into the arms of individuals as quickly as possible," says lead author Krishna Reddy, MD, MS, a pulmonary and critical care physician at MGH. "Our study shows that increasing the pace of vaccination as well as vaccine acceptance among populations is likely to be more important than focusing on relatively small differences in vaccine efficacy in terms of getting ahead of the spread of the virus and protecting more people."

Most low- and middle-income countries do not have access to sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines due to cost, limitations on available doses, and logistical challenges of vaccine production, distribution and storage. Using a validated computer simulation model of COVID-19, the MGH team found that meeting the South African government's goal of vaccinating 67 percent of its population within a year would make an enormous impact on infections and deaths while actually reducing health care costs compared with low levels of population coverage. Increasing vaccinations to 80 percent of the population would save even more lives while only modestly increasing costs.

"Achieving the Department of Health's goal of vaccinating the majority of its population in South Africa, and in similar low- and middle-income countries, will require global policymakers to better fund and facilitate vaccine distribution," says senior author Mark Siedner, MD, MPH, an infectious diseases clinician and researcher at MGH. "These leaders must also work diligently to remove restrictive patent barriers, liberalize distribution, and achieve affordable pricing for resource-constrained countries by negotiating with vaccine suppliers, similar to what's been done for HIV drugs over the last two decades." At the local level, he adds, an urgent need exists for investment in well-run vaccine distribution and administration systems and community outreach to get shots into arms as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The researchers also pointed out that practices like mask-wearing and physical distancing remain crucial to reducing the spread of the global pandemic while vaccination programs are being rolled out. Underscoring the need for a multi-pronged effort is the fact that currently only 20 percent of South Africans are fully vaccinated.

"Our hope is that findings from our study will motivate international political leaders to recognize the importance of getting vaccines quickly distributed to countries that don't have the resources of the United States and other high-income countries," emphasizes Reddy. "It's a sound investment for every country since the fastest and most equitable way to get out of this global pandemic emergency is to ensure that people everywhere have ready access to affordable vaccines."

Reddy is an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Siedner is an associate professor of Medicine at HMS. Co-authors include Kenneth Freedberg of MGH and HMS, and Richard Lessells of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

More information: Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26557-5
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New research led by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment for people with Perrault syndrome, a rare genetic condition resulting in hearing loss in men and women, and early menopause or infertility in women.

The research, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, was funded by organizations including, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Action Medical Research and The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID).

The international collaboration was led by Professor Bill Newman, Consultant at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and Genomic Solutions Associate Lead for Manchester BRC's Hearing Health theme.

The theme improves the lives of adults and children by preventing potentially devastating congenital deafness, diagnosing acquired age-related hearing deficits, and developing new treatments. Professor Ray O'Keefe, Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Manchester co-led the study.

Professor Newman, who is also Professor of Translational Genomic Medicine in The Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine at The University of Manchester said that "providing more families with an accurate diagnosis for their child's health problems removes the need for unnecessary investigations, allows closer monitoring to spot problems earlierand enables accurate genetic counseling for other family members who may be at risk.

"This research began 10 years ago at Saint Mary's Hospital, when we saw a local family who had Perrault syndrome. We undertook some genetic studies and identified a novel gene and changes in that gene that caused that diagnosis in that family."

"For a lot of genetic conditions there is just one gene that is responsible for those health problems. After sharing our discovery we had requests from around the world asking us to undertake tests in their patients, to see if they had changes in this same gene."

"Although patients had the same conditions as the Manchester family, we weren't finding changes in this same gene. That made us think there must be other genes involved. Working with others around the world we have now identified eight different genes that can cause this same condition."

"We know these genes are important in a part of the cell called the mitochondria, known as the energy bundles of the cell, we know that some tissues in our body are very susceptible to when the mitochondria don't work, and that's why we believe these hearing and ovarian problems occur."

"As girls do not usually receive this diagnosis until puberty, earlier diagnosis would help young women to make decisions about preserving their eggs before menopause, to allow reproduction options later in life. "

"Babies with significant hearing loss will now be screened for changes in these genes so that we can identify earlier if they have Perrault syndrome. This has potential life-changing impact for families."

Dr. Ralph Holme, Director of Research and Insight at RNID said that "we are delighted to have been able to help fund this important research. Not only will it directly benefit families with this specific type of hearing loss, but a deeper understanding of the biological processes involved in hearing are likely to have wider implications, providing insights into more common forms of hearing loss."

Professor Newman added that "understanding that many different genes and changes in them can cause the same condition helps us to think in terms of new specific treatments."

"Going forward, knowing that these genes are all linked together means that perhaps it would be possible to create a treatment that would work for all of them."

Explore further New genes for human deafness found in Israeli families

More information: Irit Hochberg et al, Bi-allelic variants in the mitochondrial RNase P subunit PRORP cause mitochondrial tRNA processing defects and pleiotropic multisystem presentations, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2021). Journal information: American Journal of Human Genetics Irit Hochberg et al, Bi-allelic variants in the mitochondrial RNase P subunit PRORP cause mitochondrial tRNA processing defects and pleiotropic multisystem presentations,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.10.002
A man prepares to drive his car Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Sunday April 7, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19, Friday Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker, File

The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga's isolation has helped keep it safe but it faces big challenges should the virus take hold due to its under-resourced health system.

The nearby nation of Fiji avoided significant outbreaks until April, when the delta variant ripped through the island chain, infecting more than 50,000 people and killing at least 673.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said in a radio address that the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday and had been isolating at a quarantine hotel.

The prime minister planned on Monday to make an announcement about any future lockdowns, according to news website Matangi Tonga.

Christchurch had been free from the virus for months until this week, when four community cases were reported after a returning resident caught the virus while in Auckland, where an outbreak has been growing since August.

A pig wonders around a house in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Sunday April 7, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19, Friday Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker,File

Young men play a game of rugby at sunset in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Wednesday, April 10, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19, Friday Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker, File

New Zealand health officials said the traveler to Tonga was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and had returned a negative test before leaving for Tonga. The officials said they would be working with their Tongan counterparts to confirm the case and provide more details in the coming days.

Tongan Health Ministry chief executive Dr. Siale 'Akau'ola said it was unfortunate the plane had already left Christchurch before the news came of the community cases there, Matangi Tonga reported.

'Akau'ola said all frontline workers including health staff, police officers and airport staff who were on duty when the plane arrived had also been put into quarantine after the positive case was confirmed. He added that all those working near the flight had been vaccinated.

Located northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is home to about 106,000 people. About 31% of Tongans are fully vaccinated and 48% have had at least one dose, according to research group Our World in Data.

Explore further Tonga declares Zika epidemic after five confirmed cases

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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South Africa has approved a clinical trial for a COVID vaccine pill, Israeli pharmaceutical company Oramed said on Friday.

Its majority-owned subsidiary Oravax Medical has received clearance to begin enrolling patients in the trial of an oral vaccine, the company said in a statement.

South Africa has hosted several COVID vaccine trials. This will be the first for an oral approach.

Oral vaccines are particularly attractive for the developing world because they reduce the logistical burden of immunisation campaigns, the company said.

But they could also increase uptake in wealthy countries where needle aversion is an often missed factor in hesitancy.

"They do not require a medical professional to administer," the company said in a statement. "They are more desirable to the potential recipients because they do not involve injections."

A vaccine pill could become especially attractive if ongoing boosters are required.

The World Health Organization also on Thursday warned that Africa's vaccination efforts risked being paralysed by a severe shortage of syringes needed to administer jabs.

Explore further Why an Israeli company is developing an oral COVID vaccine

 2021 AFP
Ambassador of Belarus A.Metelitsa meets the Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Commerce and Investment

On October 29, 2021, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Andrei Metelitsa met with Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Commerce and Investment, co-chairman of the Joint Belarusian-Pakistani Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Abdul Razak Dawood.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and also discussed preparations for the sixth meeting of the Joint Commission.

A special attention was paid to the events planned in the near future, including the organization of a National Belarusian exposition and a business forum within the framework of the industrial exhibition in Karachi on November 16-18, 2021.

The interlocutors reaffirmed their mutual interest in promoting bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Pakistan.

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Complaints alleging financial coordination have been filed against Missoula municipal judge candidates Jennifer Streano, Eli Parker and Jacob Coolidge.

The complaints were filed with the office of the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices by Rosalie Sheehy Cates, a volunteer campaign treasurer for Ethan Lermans campaign. Lerman is running in Department 3 against Coolidge.

Cates alleges that the three candidates raised contributions as individuals, then essentially pooled the money for management and coordination by Westridge Creative, a campaign consulting firm.

The alleged pooling of resources lacks transparency, and Montanans have a right to know who is financing campaigns, Cates said.

In effect, a contributor giving to any of the candidates was giving, unreported, to all the candidates, Cates writes in her complaint.

I am a volunteer campaign treasurer and not an expert on Montana campaign finance. COPP is not allowed to discuss my questions about these expenses unless I file a public complaint, Cates said in a statement to the Missoulian. I have done so because the coordination appears so blatant. But the real problem is that the candidates have exceeded legal campaign contribution limits. These are candidates (who are running) to sit as judges, and whether they follow the law is a crucial question.

Specifically, Cates says in her review she finds at least $4,000 spent by each candidate in openly coordinated, shared expenses by Westridge Creative. The money was spent on campaign signs, mail cards and other campaign materials. Cates hopes this can set precedent and clarify similar situations for nonpartisan races going forward, she said.

COPP accepted Cates request to investigate campaign financing violations on Tuesday.

Streano, Parker and Coolidge refuted the claims of coordinated expenses, saying theyve reported all of their expenditures and have not mixed up or used one anothers campaign money.

Everything (Cates) has noted is everything we have reported to the political practices, theres nothing unreported, Streano said. The committee of political practices did not find any issue with our reporting, these are all public documents.

We feel weve done everything to cooperate, if weve made any errors were ready to correct them and move forward, Streano continued, adding the three dont have any shared funds or shared accounts and campaign materials were paid for individually by each candidate.

In response to the claims of lack of transparency, the candidates said theyve been all about clarity with constituents.

Weve never co-mingled funds and weve been very deliberate about that from the outset, Coolidge said. People contribute to one of our three campaigns and if the same person contributes to different campaigns they have to do so separately.

Parker also noted judicial candidates are not prohibited from endorsing other judicial candidates.

The three candidates have been in touch with COPP and will submit a response to the complaint by Monday.

Streano is running in Department 1 against Sam Warren. Eli Parker is running in Department 2 against Thorin Geist.

This years municipal judge race has been contentious  Streano, Parker and Coolidge came under fire by Coolidges opponent, Lerman, during a candidate forum earlier this month for running as a team with group think.

The trio rebuffed these claims, saying that while they believe cohesiveness is important for the courts new structure, there would be no group-think and they would act independently.

Both Cates and the three judicial candidates mentioned that coordination itself is not illegal.

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Former Vice President Al Gore joined former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus to discuss climate change as part of an annual speaker series hosted by the University of Montanas Max S. Baucus Institute on Thursday night.

The event was largely held remotely over Zoom, with some in-person participation at the Baucus Institute. Gore participated from Tennessee and displayed a photo taken by the International Space Station of the earths atmosphere as his background.

When you stand on the ground and look up at the sky it seems like a vast and limitless expanse, especially on a clear day, Gore said. But the truth is it is a very, very thin shell  and yet every single day we are spewing another 162 million tons of man-made global warming pollution into that thin shell of atmosphere, using it as if it were an open sewer.

The pair fielded questions from students and offered words of encouragement for those feeling downtrodden by the climate crisis. They also stressed the need for immediate action to be taken to prevent more climate-related fallout.

Gore explained that the impacts of climate change are already being observed in Montana with droughts, crop failures and raging wildfires. He recalled a recent trip he took with one of his daughters to Glacier National Park, where he saw firsthand the receding glaciers.

An analysis of federal disaster declarations by the Washington Post found that nearly one in three Americans live in a county impacted by a major weather disaster this summer alone.

Thats also why we need as many voices calling for the right kind of change and thats really been my top priority since leaving public office, Gore said.

This weekend, Gore will depart Tennessee for Scotland to meet with leaders during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference who are putting forward plans to maintain the Paris Agreement and limit the global temperature to increasing no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The United States and China typically account for half of global CO2 emissions produced annually. The first question of the night aimed to address how those two countries can work together to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the future.

Gore allowed Baucus to take the first stab at the question, referring to the former ambassador as my expert on China.

When Baucus first began working with Chinese President Xi Jinping about climate-related issues, he said it was like talking to a fence post. Eventually, he and other leaders from the United States were able to make some progress after they explained the opportunities to be had as a world leader on that front.

Chinas in some of the same situations as most countries. They want to address climate but they know its very difficult to convert, Baucus said.

He continued to say there is no doubt in his mind that China would be receptive to making larger strides to address climate change, but the United States needs to lead that charge.

Gore agreed and added that he is optimistic about the two countries making progress due to their rapidly shifting economics.

Both countries are acting largely out of economic self-interest to try and establish a leadership position in the new industries of the future  although I want to make it clear that the optimism has to be met with transparency and accountability, regardless of the country in question, Gore said. We need to be able to monitor the progress being made and hold one another accountable to our pledges.

Another question sought to clarify how Tribal communities fit into the climate change equation in terms of impacts and solutions.

Gore commended Indigenous leaders for their continued efforts in standing up to the oil and gas companies who have been developing fossil fuel pipelines through land they consider sacred, as well as vital aquifers.

That clarity of purpose thats exhibited so effectively by Indigenous communities around the globe to protect the lives of their families and communities and ours is empowering, Gore said.

Baucus lauded conservation efforts by Tribal communities in Montana, such as the Badger-Two Medicine Wilderness.

Another student from UM cited a recent study that found that a significant portion of American youth are experiencing mental health issues related to climate change and asked what the political pair would say to offer optimism to those children.

The question was personal for Gore as a longtime climate activist, but he insisted that change doesnt necessarily come from the top, its triggered by grassroots efforts with calls to action that are loud and persistent.

This generation and its leaders are rightly and justly demanding a better future and theyre embracing the challenge as if their lives depend on it and actually the rest of us must follow their lead, Gore said.

Baucus encouraged the next generation to develop new innovative climate-friendly technologies. He also called for support for president Joe Bidens Build Back Better plan, touting its incentives for Americans to convert to electrical vehicles.

Were in the most critical decade of our lives and we need everyone to help drive progress toward a cleaner future, Gore said.

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At 128 years old, its no surprise that the University of Montana campus is home to numerous ghosts and chilling tales.

The older, historic buildings have had many identities over the years, serving as dormitories, then academic spaces and later offices. Tens of thousands of students, staff and faculty have passed through campus.

Some seem to have never left.

The most prominent figures of university lore roam the corridors of Brantly and Main halls and lurk around corners of the campus underbelly  the storied steam tunnels that connect each building underground.

Two longtime UM employees, Cary Shimek and now-retired Jed Liston, have taken a particular interest in recounting these supernatural circumstances and have even been involved with haunted tours on campus.

Though Liston and Shimek claim to be skeptics, theyve both experienced things that they cant explain.

Read ahead, if you dare.

Brantly Hall

Built as a girls dorm in 1922, Brantly Hall now operates as an administrative office building for employees working for the alumni association and communications department.

I think people will argue that Jeanette Rankin (Hall) and Main Hall are super haunted, but I think we have the best stories here, said Shimek, who has an office in Brantly, during a tour on Wednesday.

This one seems to be the most haunted, and the most cited as the most haunted on campus, added Liston, whose office was also in the building.

One of the most common ghosts at Brantly is rumored to be a female student who committed suicide in 1929, but Shimek and Liston have been unable to find any record of the tragic event.

Shimek used to help organize Family Weekend on campus in the fall, and nearly 10 years ago he led Haunted UM tours. The tours were extremely popular, but ended abruptly after something happened in the basement on what would become the last tour ever.

Down steep flights of stairs sits a long, dark hallway that is only illuminated by the red glow of exit signs or a single light bulb triggered by motion sensors. This is where the tours would reach their climax.

The hallway would be filled with smoke from a smoke machine, and an actor dressed as the Brantly ghost would run toward the tour groups shrieking get out before disappearing into one of the basement rooms.

On this particular tour though, the smoke set off the fire alarm and Shimek had to escort the families outside while the fire department made its way to campus.

Im trying to entertain these parents and then all of a sudden one of these windows just goes 'pshhh,' and shatters outward, Shimek said, imitating the sound of breaking glass.

To this day I am a skeptic, I have to believe it was an overzealous theater student, but at the same time we had alarms blaring and so much smoke in the air, maybe there was some stress on the building, he continued. I dont know, but it just kind of freaks you out.

Shimek wondered if perhaps the Brantly Hall ghost broke the window out of frustration with the tours depiction of her.

Liston also has a story about the Brantly Hall ghost.

When Listons office moved from the third floor of Brantly to the first, he met the buildings janitor for the first time, who asked him if hed like the light on or off. Liston responded to shut the light off and joked that he didnt want to attract the ghosts from the basement.

And he said, oh, you dont have to worry about that, your new office is in the most haunted corridor here, Liston said.

The janitor told Liston that the ghost always enters the building through the hallway where his office is located, and that she announces her presence with a knock on an old radiator.

At first, the knock will start slowly.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

But then it speeds up ...

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

And grows louder ...

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

And then its quiet  thats when shes told you shes here, Liston said.

Though the famed Brantly Hall ghost caused the hair on the back of peoples necks to stand up, those who work in the building claim it isnt a malicious spirit. In fact, she appears to move objects like shes pulling a joke.

One night, a janitor was alone finishing up his evening shift, vacuuming a corner room in Brantly, when he realized hed forgotten to lock some interior doors. He turned off the vacuum and left the room. By the time hed returned, the vacuum was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the vacuum turned on in a neighboring office.

The door was locked, so he tried knocking on it several times to no avail. Finally, he unlocked the door and found it running with no one inside the office.

Sometimes shell move stuff in the Great Room. Shell take a trinket or something and move it and Ill just know that its somewhere else, Liston said.

But that ghost isnt the only one that haunts Brantly Hall. Theres also a phantom German Shepherd that roams the halls.

But the dog is anything but ghastly. In fact, it's known to run up to people and wag its tail, but then suddenly disappears as they reach down to pet it.

Main Hall

Main Hall is also a paranormal hot spot on campus, but most of the action occurs in the basement.

There are many figures that have been spotted down there, including a man wearing a red flannel shirt, a woman dressed in a Victorian outfit, and another woman wearing frilly lace. The German Shepard is also rumored to have been seen.

The man in the red flannel is most commonly seen passing through the locked vault in the basement, crossing the hall into the men's bathroom and then disappearing after he walks into a stall.

One janitor in the building was cleaning the mens bathroom one evening when a woman in a Victorian outfit walked in. He turned and informed her that this wasnt the womens room before she disappeared into a supply closet.

Another janitor encountered a different woman dressed in frilly lace, who would walk the length of the hallway with her. She could only see her in her peripheral vision.

The janitor told Liston that the unknown figure made her so mad shed just start yelling down the hallway, youre not walking with me tonight! Despite her efforts to fend off the spirit, it would still accompany her almost every night she worked.

The tunnels

The universitys campus encompasses seemingly independent buildings, but the reality is that they are all connected underground through a sprawling tunnel system that transfers steam heat to every corner of campus.

The tunnels have been university lore for years and some students in the past have been successful in accessing them. Since the university increased security to prevent students from wandering around underground, its largely only maintenance workers who wander the bowels of campus.

What weve always heard from the maintenance people is that theyd be walking down here and theyd see the red flannel shirt guy go around a corner, Liston said.

When the workers would turn the corner to see where he might be hiding, he would disappear without a trace.

The German Shepherd is also a common sighting in the tunnels.

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was accused in a criminal complaint Thursday of committing a misdemeanor sex crime, two months after he resigned under pressure in a sexual harassment scandal.

But prosecutors said Thursday they didn't know the document had been filed, and the woman's attorney said she hadn't been given a chance to decide whether she wanted to go through with a case.

The one-page complaint, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff's Office, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under a woman's shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The document didn't name the woman but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, at the executive mansion in Albany last year around that date.

The office of the county's district attorney, David Soares, which would handle any prosecution and was involved in the investigation, issued a statement saying it had been caught off guard by the filing.

"Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriffs Office against Andrew Cuomo, it said. The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.

The Times Union newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the complaint had been issued prematurely" before a final decision had been made about whether Cuomo would face charges.

The office of Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple didn't directly address that report, but confirmed in a statement that Albany City Court had issued a criminal summons ordering Cuomo to appear at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17.

The statement suggested it was court officials, not prosecutors or a law enforcement agency, that made the decision to issue the summons. It said sheriff's investigators had determined there was probable cause to present evidence to the court for their review to determine the most appropriate legal pathway moving forward on the investigation."

Cuomo's lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that the Democrat never assaulted anyone and that the sheriff's "motives here are patently improper.

Sheriff Apple didnt even tell the District Attorney what he was doing. But Apples behavior is no surprise given (1) his August 7 press conference where he essentially pronounced the Governor guilty before doing an investigation, and (2) his Offices leaking of grand jury information. This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics.

The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by up to year in jail and up to three years probation, with discretion for the court to impose lesser penalties including no jail time.

Commisso, an executive assistant for Cuomo, says he groped her when they were alone in an office at the governors mansion in Albany.

She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying once, I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.

Commisso's lawyer, Brian Premo, said in a statement to the Times Union that she hadn't been consulted about the criminal complaint.

It was my clients understanding that the district attorneys office was in agreement with the sheriffs department that it was going to conduct a thorough, impartial and apolitical evaluation of the case, and only after completion of the investigation, speak to my client to allow her to make an informed decision as to whether she would proceed as a victim in the case, Premo said. Like the district attorneys office, she was informed about this recent filing through media.

The Associated Press doesnt identify alleged sexual assault victims unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in interviews.

Commisso filed a complaint with the sheriff in August in the same week a report from state Attorney General Letitia James concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Other accusations outlined in the report range from planting unwanted kisses to asking unwelcome personal questions about sex and dating.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after the release of the report, marking a dramatic downfall for the third-term governor who had been seen as a beacon of sturdy competence during his daily COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the attorney general's report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose office is not involved in the criminal investigation, issued a statement saying her civil probe had been conducted without fear or favor.

The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report, she said.

James is said to be close to announcing a run for governor, multiple people with knowledge of her plans have told The Associated Press.

The complaint filed by the sheriff's department investigator said evidence in the case included police BlackBerry messages, cell phone records, building security records, Cuomo's flight records and a text message from his mobile phone. The complaint was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court as received Thursday.

Cuomos attorney, Glavin, has claimed records show the two were unlikely to have spent time alone during the period in question. Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, ridiculed Thursday's turn of events.

"'Accidentally' filing a criminal charge without notification and consent of the prosecuting body doesnt pass the laugh test and this process reeks of Albany politics and perhaps worse. The fact that the AG  as predicted  is about to announce a run for governor is lost on no one. The truth about what happened with this cowboy sheriff will come out, he said.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties also had said they asked for investigative materials from the attorney generals inquiry to see if any of the allegations could result in criminal charges.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee is completing a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo that began before he resigned. The also were looking at the administrations handling of COVID-19 data and efforts to rush COVID-19 testing for Cuomos inner circle in spring 2020.

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)  A prosecutor won't charge library employees for making sex education and LGBTQ-themed books available to young people in a deeply conservative city in Wyoming coal-mining country, saying he wouldn't have a case.

The three books in the teenager section and one in the children's section are among dozens contested at the library in Gillette in recent weeks. Library officials have been reviewing the complaints.

One couple went further, bringing five books to the attention of the Campbell County Sheriff's Office in September. Sheriff's officials referred the matter to county prosecutors, who asked a prosecutor in a neighboring county to handle the matter to avoid a potential conflict of interest with fellow county officials at the library.

The books are This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson, How Do You Make a Baby by Anna Fiske, Doing It by Hannah Witton, Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, and Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy by Andrew P. Smiler.

Four of the books aren't obscene and having them in the library youth sections isn't engaging in sexual intrusion under Wyoming laws that conceivably could apply, Weston County Attorney Michael Stulken wrote Wednesday to Campbell County Sheriff Scott Matheny.

I cannot ethically bring criminal charges if the facts surrounding a certain matter are not supported by probable cause, Stulken wrote.

Stulken didn't review This Book is Gay because he didn't get a copy, he wrote. The library board voted Monday to uphold a decision by library staff that moving This Book is Gay out of the teen section would be censorship, the Gillette News Record reported.

Stulken's opinion appeared to be thoroughly researched, the library's executive director, Terri Lesley, said Thursday. I'm happy to have this decision made so that we can move on, Lesley said by email.

Hugh Bennett, who along with his wife, Susan, filed the complaint with the sheriffs office, called the decision not to file charges disappointing.

"We had thought that they would see a problem with recruiting children for sexual activity when theyre not mature enough for that to be an issue in their lives, creating an issue where it should not be created, Bennett told The Associated Press.

The couple still believe it's wrong to use public money to keep such books in the library youth sections, Bennett said.

Im not intending to change my mind because of something a lawyer chooses to do or not do, Bennett said.

Such complaints nonetheless pose a real threat to Wyoming's LGBTQ community, said Sara Burlingame, executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Wyoming Equality.

Welcome to Wyoming. We're all opposed to all kinds of things. We don't ask the government to act against our neighbors, Burlingame said.

The book objections follow protests and threats last summer over a transgender magician planning to perform at the library, causing the magician to cancel.



Follow Mead Gruver on Twitter at https://twitter.com/meadgruver

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WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States on Friday hit Iran with a fresh set of sanctions as President Joe Biden prepares for a key weekend meeting with European leaders to discuss the possible resumption of nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic.

The Treasury Department announced the new penalties against two senior members of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps and two affiliated companies for supplying lethal drones and related material to insurgent groups in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen and to Ethiopia, which has been fighting rival Tigray forces for almost a year.

Although the sanctions are unrelated to Irans atomic program, the Biden administration has said it wants to build on a potential agreement to revive the languishing 2015 nuclear deal to include Iranian support for such groups and curtail its ballistic missile development.

Iran has yet to commit to a date to return to the nuclear talks in Vienna but has signaled it will do so next week with a target of late November for resuming the negotiations. The U.S. and others have expressed skepticism about Iranian intentions, and Biden is set to meet the leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Saturday in Rome to plot strategy on Iran.

The Vienna negotiations halted in June ahead of Iran's election that brought hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi to power. The talks, which do not directly involve the U.S. because President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, have languished since despite the stated intentions of both Washington and Tehran to return to compliance with the agreement.

Friday's sanctions block any assets that those targeted may have in U.S. jurisdictions, bar Americans from transactions with them and, perhaps more importantly, also subject foreign people and firms that do business with them to potential penalties.

The two targeted Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, Brig. Gen. Saeed Aghajani and Brig. Gen. Abdollah Mehrabi, oversee the Guard's drone activities, including support for unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, attacks by proxies on commercial vessels, Saudi oil facilities and U.S. and allied interests throughout the Middle East, according to Treasury.

Irans proliferation of UAVs across the region threatens international peace and stability. Iran and its proxy militants have used UAVs to attack U.S. forces, our partners, and international shipping, Treasury said in a statement. Treasury will continue to hold Iran accountable for its irresponsible and violent acts.

The two firms, the Kimia Part Sivan Co. and the Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Co., along with the latter's managing director, were sanctioned for supplying engines and technical assistance to the drone programs, Treasury said.

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Leaders have complained for years that Billings has become a dumping ground for many of the state's paroled and prerelease convicts, some of whom have committed heinous crimes here.
The Montana Nurses Association on Friday filed a motion to join a lawsuit against the state's new law banning most employers from requiring vaccines.

The lawsuit was initially filed by the Montana Medical Association, doctors, clinics and patients in September. It asks a federal judge to strike down provisions in Montana's House Bill 702, which bars most employers, including hospitals, from requiring employees get vaccinated.

Proponents of the law argue it prevents discrimination against people who choose not to get vaccinated as a personal health care choice. Rep. Jennifer Carlson, a Republican from Manhattan, previously told the Montana State News Bureau requiring vaccines is "not how America works."

The Montana Nurses Association said Friday the law endangers nurses, undermines safe working conditions in health care and interferes with the provision of high-quality health care in the state.

Nurses are Montanas frontline health care providers, and we have a professional commitment and ethical duty to ensure that Montana nurses are safe at work and can focus on what they care most about: providing high quality safe healthcare to our patients, said Vicky Byrd, CEO of the Montana Nurses Association, said in a press release.

Montana's vaccination rate has lagged behind the national average. Montana's daily COVID-19 case count, according to the state's cases by diagnosis date tally, has been trending downward in recent weeks, but its new cases per 100,000 remains second in the U.S. only to Alaska. Vaccines have shown to be very effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Data from the state health department shows from April 1 to Oct. 22, those who weren't vaccinated accounted for 84% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state and 76% of all deaths.

The law, championed by GOP lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in earlier this year, was the first of its kind in the country banning vaccine requirements from employers. It's now in contention with direction from President Joe Biden, whose looming rule aims to require businesses with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.

Like the Montana Medical Association, the Montana Nurses Association claims its footing in the case on workplace safety laws, federal disability laws and the state Constitution. And while the medical association's initial filing targets the provisions prohibiting vaccine requirements in hospitals and physicians offices, the nurses association requests a judge allow vaccine requirements in all health care settings, including clinics, jails, prisons and schools.

The nurses association argued in their brief that HB 702 disrupts the balance already in place where health care providers make reasonable accommodations for nurses who can't be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons.

"It prevents health care settings from relying on professional judgement and evidence based on public health practices to manage the relationship between vaccination requirements and the provision of reasonable accommodations," the lawsuit states.

Last week Attorney General Austin Knudsen last week filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, calling the medical association's claims "meritless" and an "open wish to discriminate" against unvaccinated people.

"The state of Montana put forward a clear policy that Montanans cannot be denied their fundamental right to pursue employment based on vaccination status," the Attorney General's Office wrote in the motion.

U.S. District Court Court Judge Donald Molloy set a Nov. 1 deadline for the medical association to respond to the Attorney General's motion to dismiss.

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The Legislature's special counsel Thursday sent the Montana Attorney General's Office an initial request for information related to the office's dispute with St. Peter's Health in Helena.

Special counsel Abra Belke requested the Attorney General's Office turn over the information by Nov. 5.

St. Peter's Health earlier this month said its doctors were harassed and threatened by three public officials after medical staff declined to administer ivermectin to a patient who requested it. These officials also threatened to use their positions of power to force doctors and nurses to provide care that is not authorized, clinically approved or within established guidelines, St. Peter's said.

The Attorney General's Office has countered that it did not threaten anyone at St. Peter's, but was instead investigating "serious allegations" of patient mistreatment and that the patient was being denied access to legal documents. The hospital has refuted those claims.

Attorney General Austin Knudsen, a Republican, confirmed he and Deputy Attorney General Kris Hansen were two of the officials involved. The third official has not yet been identified. The Attorney General's Office also dispatched a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to the hospital, a spokesperson confirmed last week.

Following the reports, minority Democratic legislative leaders called on House Speaker Wylie Galt and Senate President Mark Blasdel, both Republicans, to dispatch the special counsel to investigate the dispute. Galt and Blasdel approved the request Monday.

Belke's request for information, dated Oct. 28, seeks "production and/or examination of any and all documents, records, and electronically stored information maintained by or in the possession of the Montana Department of Justice, including the Attorney Generals Office and the Montana Highway Patrol, referring to or related to the complaint of patient mistreatment and the ensuing investigation by your office."

The request said records could include, but weren't limited to, "memoranda, e-mail, calendars and scheduling requests, call logs, dispatch records, investigative reports, and notes taken by Department of Justice employees."

The law outlining the special counsel's duties also require state agencies to assist in their pursuit of such records.

Knudsen told the Montana State News Bureau on Wednesday the investigation into the family's claims against the hospital was ongoing. The patient at the center of the controversy has died.

The Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond late Thursday to an email seeking comment on whether it would be able to meet Belke's Nov. 5 deadline, or whether the request raised any concerns about turning over confidential criminal justice information.

The Montana State News Bureau, which first reported on the dispute, has also made repeated requests for information similar to what Belke is seeing. Those have gone unfilled by the Attorney General's Office.

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Two rules changing how anglers can fish an upper stretch of the Madison River will go into effect in January despite a working groups attempts to reverse the action.

The recently formed Madison River Work Group unanimously opposed a revision to fishing regulations approved by the previous Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2020.

Out of 300 questionnaires distributed to anglers using the upper Madison, 99% of respondents opposed the new rule, Hugh Zackheim told the commission. The number-one concern was conflict between wade anglers and boaters.

In order for the measure to be reversed, however, the rulemaking process has to be followed. To meet those deadlines, set by the Montana Secretary of State, means the rule will go into effect before the current commission can annul the regulations.

To those uninitiated to the states rulemaking process the proceedings may seem about as clear as muddy spring runoff.

Under Montanas 2021 regulations, fishing from boats was not allowed on the Madison River between the Quake Lake outlet downstream to Lyons Bridge. Under the new rule, fishing from a boat would have been allowed in a portion of that water  from Raynolds Pass fishing access site to Lyons Bridge  on Saturdays and Sundays from June 15 to Sept. 30 under a trial program.

Another rule would have prohibited outfitters and guides from conducting business between June 15 and Sept. 30 between Lyons Bridge and Palisades day use area on Sundays and from Raynolds Pass FAS to Lyons Bridge on Saturdays.

The new rules were created in an attempt to reduce boating and angler traffic on one of the busiest rivers in the state.

Fish and Wildlife Commission member K.C. Walsh, who represents Region 4 in Great Falls, said that opening up the upper section to boats for the first time in 30 years generated a lot of public opposition. He also said the Raynolds Pass FAS is currently not capable of handling an increase in boat/trailer traffic that would likely be generated.

To repeal the rule, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has to file a request with the secretary of states office, which can only be done twice each month, explained Becky Dockter, FWPs chief legal counsel. Then the agency has to allow 30 days for public comment. Given the timeline, the earliest the commission could address the repeal would be after their scheduled meeting in December.

To further complicate the issue, fishing regulations for 2022 would go to press in early January, likely with the soon-to-be-repealed rule published.

Eileen Ryce, FWP Fisheries administrator, said that wouldnt be a problem. The regulation could be printed with an asterisk noting the possible change and signage could be erected at fishing access sites along the river. In addition, the correct regulations could be posted to FWPs website when they are finalized.

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LONDON (AP)  Protesters took to the streets Friday in London's historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

The protests in London, which were joined by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as well as many other young campaigners from around the world, are part of a global day of action before leaders head to Glasgow for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Many environmentalists are calling the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 gathering the worlds last best chance to turn the tide in the battle against climate change.

The protesters included Friday for Future activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, who called out the banks for financing activities such as deforestation, mining and polluting industries, which they blame for the destruction of their homes and their futures.

As much as we are passionate to be here, we shouldnt have to be here," said Brianna Fruean from Samoa. "Our pain, our suffering, our tears and our sorrows shouldnt be what it takes to take action. We already know what we need to do: we need to phase out of the fossil fuel era, we need to divest from these industries that are causing this harm and despair.

The mood music ahead of the climate talks appears fairly downbeat, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the summits host, saying its touch and go whether there will be a positive outcome.

On Friday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned at the Group of 20 summit of leading industrial and developing nations that there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver. He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, the world is still careening towards climate catastrophe.

The protest in London began at the Climate Justice Memorial outside the insurance marketplace of Lloyd's of London, where red flowers spelling out Rise Remember Resist were laid.

The focus later centered on the headquarters of international bank Standard Chartered, where the few dozen protesters, including Thunberg, chanted Keep it, Keep it, Keep it in the ground! and Ensure our future, not pollution!" A vigil outside the Bank of England will round out the day's protests.

We have companies like Standard Chartered who are funding our death, said Collette Levy-Brown, a climate activist from Botswana. People are slowly dying. In Africa, we are seeing the climate crisis already.

Across the world, demonstrators have been taking to the streets to urge action now, including in coal-reliant Poland, where city sirens sounded at noon in Warsaw and other major cities. Poland's conservative government has been slow to embrace new climate goals, arguing that the country needs more time to phase out its heavy dependence on coal.

The summit in Glasgow is taking place a year late because of the coronavirus pandemic. Six years ago in Paris, nearly 200 countries agreed to individual plans to fight global warming. Under the Paris pact, nations must revisit their previous pledges to curb carbon pollution every five years and then announce plans to cut even more and do it faster.

The headline goal set in Paris was to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times, yet the world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

The hope is that world leaders will cajole each other in Glasgow into doing more, while ensuring that poorer nations struggling to tackle climate change get the financial support they need to adapt.

The U.N.'s Guterres said, however, there are serious questions about some of those emissions pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.



David Keyton in London, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw and Karl Ritter in Rome contributed to this story.



Read more of APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate

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Even those werent the best gifts that Aldridge got to deliver, however.

We handle a lot of medicine that people dont know about, including lifesaving cancer drugs and diabetic medicine, Aldridge said. They have to be at a certain place at a certain time every day or two. The people that really, really life-and-death needed it, it always tickled me to know that I was getting their medicine to them to keep them alive.

And Ive lost a few customers (to those diseases). They were a good part of my business.

Those accomplishments, along with helping co-workers develop their careers, were part of what made working for UPS worth it, with Aldridge noting they balanced out some of the more physically challenging aspects of being with the company.

UPS is hard on a mans life because you work 12 hours a day and you dont get home until 7:30 or 8 oclock at night, Aldridge said. Its kept me in good shape, and its kept me alive. UPS is a great company. Ive actually helped several people get jobs. Probably the best achievements are getting some of the people Ive worked with or met on the route jobs at UPS.
As conservatives rallied to Rittenhouse as a symbol of gun rights and resistance to the sometimes damaging protests that followed George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, he has seemed at times to revel in his notoriety. He posed for photos in a Wisconsin bar with members of the far right extremist group the Proud Boys, though his attorneys say there's no evidence he was affiliated with the group before the shootings.

THE MEN RITTENHOUSE SHOT

Rosenbaum, 36, was released the day of the shootings from a Milwaukee hospital where he had been treated for a suicide attempt. It's not clear why he was on Kenosha's streets the night of the protests, though he had a fiancee who lived in the city. His background includes a conviction for sexual conduct with a minor in Arizona in 2002. The judge denied a defense request to argue that Rosenbaum was trying to get Rittenhouse's rifle because, as a convicted sex offender, Rosenbaum couldn't legally get one on his own.

Huber, 26, of nearby Silver Lake, is seen on video swinging a skateboard at Rittenhouse before he was shot. He was known around Kenosha's skateboarding community, and his girlfriend, Hannah Gittings, said skateboarding was his life. Huber served a pair of prison stints stemming from family conflict, including choking his brother in 2012.
Ezekiel answers these questions with a series of visions. Chapter 10 shows God picking up out of the temple, abandoning it in preparation for its destruction. And in chapter one, we see God following them into exile  four-faced creatures, UFO-style sky wheels, and all. God isnt tied to the land or bound by the temple walls as they thought. Ezekiel and his people may have lost everything, they may have been carried off into exile, strangers in a foreign land, but God has gone into exile with them.

There will be times when well feel like we are in uncharted territory. We will all face situations unlike anything weve ever dealt with, and in those moments, well probably ask some of the same questions Ezekiels people asked. What now? Have I gone too far? Is God even still there? How do I find God when Ive forgotten where to even start looking?

As Ezekiel found out, though, no matter what has happened, how far you think youve wandered or where you end up, God goes with you. God picks up out of the places you once encountered him and meets you wherever you end up. God goes into exile with you. Ezekiels people had suffered a lot, and they would suffer a lot more before it was all over, but for them, it was enough to know that God went through it with them. And I think it can be enough for us to know that too.

Jason Koon is an ordained minister who lives in Morganton with his wife and two teenage daughters. Email him at jason.koon035@gmail.com.
Jefferson defeated Three Forks in three sets, 25-14, 25-7, 25-9 Thursday night in the District 5B tournament. The Panthers will face Townsend in the finals on Friday.

Dakota Edmiston and Rachel Van Blaricom combined for 32 kills to power Jefferson's offense. Gracie Leiva also played a big role in the win, recording 18 assists.

Emma McCauley finished with a team-high 12 digs while Sophie Livesay had eight blocks and Sydney Mace had a good night serving the ball, as she finished with two aces on the night.

Also Thursday:

Volleyball

Twin Bridges 3, Harrison-Willow Creek 0: Twin Bridges swept Harrison-Willow Creek 25-13, 25-11, 25-15 on Thursday night. Fran Pollorena had an all-around great match finishing with 13 kills, 13 assists and three aces for the Falcons. Callie Kaiser finished with 11 kills and six digs.

Ennis 3, Gardiner 1: Ennis defeated Gardiner in four sets, 24-26, 25-23, 25-17, 25-13 Thursday night. Addison Oliver finished with 11 assists and 10 digs for Ennis, while Shelby Klein had 12 kills and five aces. Rylee Klasna also had a good outing, finishing with 11 assists.

Shields Valley 3, Twin Bridges, 0: After defeating Harrison-Willow Creek, Twin Bridges was swept by Shields Valley 25-18, 27-25, 25-9 Thursday night.

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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).

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Carbon cash back

Re: Study: Fossil fuel production needs to be slashed (Oct. 21, p. A2)

We all just went through a summer of smoke. I dont know how many days you suffered through, but I counted 92 in my home here in South Central MT.

Folks have begun to connect the dots between the deep drought, beetles killing forests, the wildfires, the heat, and lack of adequate snowpack  all made worse by our changing climate. Our burning of fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that are heating up the planet.

Climate experts warn us that the world must drastically reduce the burning of fossil fuels and cut its production of coal, oil, and gas by more than half in the coming decade to keep global warming from reaching dangerous levels.

None of us want more government expansion to tackle this. So, heres a great carbon pricing alternative: a carbon-fee-and-dividend that puts money back in peoples pockets to spend with no restrictions. Combined with a border carbon adjustment, we can get the rest of the world to do the same.

Carbon pricing adheres to our values of fiscal responsibility while encouraging innovation and boosting the economy.

This policy is revenue-neutral and wont grow the government. This policy puts a fee on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas at the port, mine, and well. It starts low, and grows over time so there is no economic shock.

The money collected from the carbon fee, the carbon cash back, is given in equal shares every month to the American people to spend with no restrictions. The government does not keep any of the money.

Ill use my monthly carbon cashback to first (and Ive got a long list) buy an air purifier cause it looks like we are all in for more summers of smoke and wildfires until we can decrease our greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.

To learn more, check out https://citizensclimatelobby.org/price-on-carbon/. Then please ask Senators Tester and Daines, and Representative Rosendale and ask them to support this policy now.

Alexandra Amonette, Big Timber

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Both this weeks event and the one that will be on Monday are centered on taking our cultural beliefs and sharing them with others in the community to better understand each other and celebrate together, Jesse Garcia said. Garcia is one of the advisors for the MCC LULAC Students club.

At Mondays event there will be plenty to do and enjoy. Families can enjoy Day of the Dead-themed crafts, foods and music. The event will feature a screening of the Disney-Pixar film, Coco, and older guests can enjoy playing Loteria, or Spanish Bingo. Loteria cards will be $10 each, and all proceeds go to the LULAC scholarship fund  a scholarship that many MCC LULAC club members have benefited from.

The event will also feature guest speakers, including Rosa Mendoza from the Diversity Service Center of Iowa and West Libertys Hector Garrido.

(Garrido) has extensive knowledge on the culture and the history of Mexico, and he knows a lot about Day of the Dead, Salazar said.
Milton Serrano Jr. giggled as the parents of the man he murdered gave their victim impact statements.

Serrano, 22, was convicted of second-degree murder and criminal mischief on Oct. 12 in the stabbing death of Chantz Stevens, a former standout athlete in Wilton.

On Friday in the Cedar County Courthouse, Serrano was sentenced to the maximum 50 years on a second-degree murder charge and five years on a criminal mischief charge, to be served concurrently. He will also serve a 10-year sentence for burglary in Muscatine County concurrently.

During the sentencing, Judge Mark Lawson admonished Serrano for statements he made during the presentence investigation.

Serrano was sentenced in Cedar County after the trial was moved to Dubuque County because of the pretrial publicity surrounding the incident.

Serrano was arrested in Muscatine on July 19, 2020, after altercations at a party at 938 Quincy Ave., Clarence, Iowa.

Prosecutors argued Serrano went to the party looking for a fight, and got into two that night. During the first, he told people he had a knife and threatened to stab people. During the second, he stabbed Stevens twice in the abdomen.

Stevens died at the scene.
Itd be very, very positive to get it done before the trip, Biden said Monday.

But as talks slogged on, administration officials began to play down the significance of Biden's spending plan still hovering in limbo. White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed that the president can still work the phones from Rome, the city that gave birth to the word Senate. She suggested that foreign leaders can see beyond ongoing backroom talks with U.S. lawmakers in order to judge Bidens commitment.

They dont look at it through the prism of whether there is a vote in one body of the legislative body before he gets on an airplane, Psaki said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan, though, has framed the bills as vital to the nation's security. Making these investments in American strength will be very important to our national security going forward, he said.

Reaching for a deal that has had a perilous journey thus far, the president is beginning his trip abroad with an expert in the power of prayer. Biden, the nations second Catholic president, will meet Friday with Pope Francis at the Vatican in a visit that is part personal for the intensely religious commander in chief and part policy, particularly around matters of climate and confronting autocracies.
The St. Helena High School Homecoming Parade, which typically closes Main Street, is using a new route this year due to traffic congestion caused by the storm-related closure of Silverado Trail.

The parade will leave St. Helena High School at 1:55 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, and stay on streets west of Main Street, passing all four public school campuses. Members of the public are encouraged to congregate along Oak Avenue between Adams Street and Hillview Place.

Starting at the high school, the parade will go down Grayson Avenue and onto Valley View Street, Spring Street, Allyn Avenue, Madrona Avenue, Spring Mountain Road, Hillview Place past RLS Middle School, and then down Oak from Hillview to Adams Street. The parade will turn onto Adams and then back onto Allyn, retracing its steps.

Silverado Trail is closed between Deer Park Road and Meadowood Lane because a segment of the road was undermined by erosion during Sunday's storm. The road will be closed for approximately three weeks, according to a city press release issued Thursday.

Repairs will require removing the existing pavement, excavating loose soil, adding a new roadway base consisting of large rocks, laying down new soil, and repaving and restriping the road.

A temporary traffic signal has been installed at the corner of Highway 29 and Deer Park Road to help deal with heavy traffic congestion.
Napa County has begun presenting a new honor - not for success in the classroom, the sporting field or the business world, but for showing strength in surviving and prospering through crime and violence, or for aiding crime victims.

Eleven county residents and public safety officers received certificates of honor in the countys inaugural ceremony Celebrating Survivors, Honoring Heroes. Organized by the office of District Attorney Allison Haley, the event is meant to become an annual tribute to crime victims rebuilding or enriching their lives, and those who advocate for them.

Their examples can inspire others to get involved in the welfare of others in Napa County, Haley said before the presentation to each honoree of a plaque and a potted succulent plant, which she described as a symbol of growth and resilience after adversity.

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We honor bravery, kindness to others and kindness to strangers, Haley told an invited audience of more than 50 people Thursday morning at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center, including members of her office, law enforcement officers, and local crime survivors.

Celebrating Survivors, Honoring Heroes was inspired by ceremonies in other counties that spotlight people who otherwise would receive little or no attention for their achievements  and to turn peoples attention beyond arrests and prosecutions, according to Stephanie (Sam) Macumber, deputy district attorney in Haleys office and the organizer of the Napa event.

It was time for us to have an event that focused on our good Samaritans, our law enforcement officers and our survivors, and to thank them for what theyve gone through, what theyve done for the community and how they keep people safe, said Macumber, who will retire in April after 30 years in the judicial system. So many people do good who dont get recognized, and we want people to recognize them and be encouraged to help others, she said.

Local crime survivors honored on Thursday included:

- Yahira Martinez, who competes in muay thai martian arts and is applying for college;

- Thalya Castro-Garcia, a former community service officer who event organizers said was injured when her car was struck by a drunken driver;

- Adriana Sanchez, mother of 11- and 9-year-old sons;

- Aprhil Hernandez;

- Maria Dolores Avina de Torres;

- Arionna Neal;

- Heather Lily Robinson;

- Christina Lore;

- Camila Rivera Rangel, a high school junior aspiring to become a psychologist.

Also receiving awards at the event were Napa Police officer Jesus Martinez, who assists clients of Napa Emergency Womens Services, and Cecil Brown, a Napa County Sheriffs Office detective assigned to cases of crimes against children.

Future Napa ceremonies for crime survivors may take place in larger venues with larger audiences as COVID-19 health and safety rules are relaxed, according to organizers.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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Downtown Napa brewpub and restaurant Stone Brewing closed abruptly on Thursday morning and laid off 40 staff members, according to a company statement.

Were incredibly disappointed to leave Napa, said the statement from the brewing company. We poured so much passion into the renovation of the beautiful 1877 Borreo Building.

However, according to Stone Brewing, landlords West Pueblo Partners forced Stone to close.

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Not so, said Kevin Teague, a spokesperson for West Pueblo Partners. (Stone) chose to close by not paying rent.

West Pueblo Partners, which consists of Teague, Michael L. Holcomb, Michael C. Holcomb and John Nichols, owns the Borreo Building. It is located at Third Street and Soscol Avenue.

Stone Brewing and West Pueblo Partners have spent most of 2021 in a legal dispute over unpaid rent.

Napa's Stone Brewing and landlord dispute rent payments during COVID-19 Napa's Stone Brewing and landlord West Pueblo Partners are caught up in lease dispute at the historic Borreo Building.

The COVID-19 pandemic battered the brewery business, said the beer company. Sales dropped dramatically.

Stone said Napa landlord West Pueblo Partners refused to work with them on a rent deferral.

Stone sent partial rent payments for the months the COVID shut down orders restricted its Napa operations, and full rent for the months after the orders were lifted, however, West Pueblo Partners refused the payments and insisted on terminating our lease.

West Pueblo Partners saw it differently.

The partners said Stone refused to pay rent even as it continued to operate its restaurant and brewery.

Stone Brewing, one of the top 10 largest craft brewing companies, chose to stop making its rent payments even though it had the money to pay rent. Stone Brewing has not paid rent for a year now," said Teague on Thursday. "During that time, Stone also launched a large expansion of its business.

As of March, Stone reportedly owed West Pueblo Partners $211,273 in back rent.

Earlier this year, West Pueblo Partners started the process to evict its tenant.

Stone Brewing Company next filed a lawsuit in Napa Superior Court alleging breach of contract and other causes.

According to J. Noah Hagey, an attorney for Stone Brewing, the Napa Stone lease includes a provision that protects the tenant from events outside their control such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stone has struggled to operate and maintain the brewery during the pandemic, said Hagey.

West Pueblo Partners disagreed.

Stones excuse is that COVID somehow impedes its ability to pay rent, said Teague. Stones claims lack merit, said Teague.

On Oct. 15, Napa Superior Court judge Hon. Victoria Wood, Dept. ruled in favor West Pueblo Partners.

The lease was clear, the court wrote. Stone Brewing was not delayed, interrupted or prevented from paying rent.

Catch up on Napa County's top news stories In case you missed it, here is a look at the most-read stories on NapaValleyRegister.com.

Stone simply made a financial decision not to, pay rent, Wood wrote.

Even with this setback, Stone isnt giving up, said the company.

We intend to vigorously appeal the trial courts ruling, because it is wrong, said the Stone Brewing statement.

It makes us incredibly sad that Stone Brewing chose to spend money on litigation rather than on making rent payments and supporting its Napa workforce, said Teague.

On Thursday, Stone Brewing said it will be offering the opportunity for some team members to relocate to Southern California and will do all we can to support those we leave behind in Napa, including providing severance and benefits coverage.

Stone Brewing opened in Napa in May 2018 after an extensive renovation of the Borreo Building.

You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com

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As the world slowly reawakens and travel and events resume I took the first opportunity to return to Italy. From my last visit, which took place in early March 2020, not much has changed.

Aside from masks and required proof of vaccinations indoors and smaller crowds, the country is vibrant and full of passion as always.

The purpose of the trip included Vinitaly 2021, which is one of the most relevant events as far as Italian wine is concerned. The event, along with many others across the globe, was canceled in 2020 and postponed to October from April in a smaller last-minute format.

In spite of the reduced event, the three days offered a respite from virtual meetings and served as a great opportunity to reconnect buyers to the producers.

I had the pleasure of attending a handful of fascinating seminars that offered an in-depth educational experience. The first one was  of all beverages  sake. I found myself sitting down as a student rather than wearing the educator hat this time.

The class offered a wealth of information not only on the styles of sake produced but plenty of insight on the Italian sake scene, mixology, and even an excellent cheese and sake pairing.

It was led by Italian sake authority Lorenzo Ferraboschi and renowned mixologist Simone Baggio, who demonstrated to a packed classroom a few of his favorite ways to introduce sake into cocktails.

It was great to see the level of excitement that surrounds sake worldwide, attracting people from all ages and areas of expertise. Lorenzo guided the educational tasting, which included long-time favorite, Dewazakura from Yamagata, driven by a highly aromatic floral style, and Shirayuki Edo Genshu from Hyogo, which, due to its aging, delivers a mountain of flavor with burnt creme brulee, espresso, and tobacco.

As a sign of the growth in sake interest in Italy, Lorenzo told me theres a Sake Challenge planned for 2022 that will invite chefs and sommeliers to pair their favorite classic Italian fare with sake.

The second seminar was all about the Marche, a coastal region in the eastern part of Italy that is gifted with a varied landscape from mountain ranges and beachside views.

The two-hour masterclass titled De la Vigna a la Tabola" (from the vineyard to the table) was led by the Marche authority Mirco Carloni, alongside a number of producers offering an insight into the wines of production, vineyards, and culture. The Marche has more than 300 producing wineries and it is also one of the top regions championing organic and biodynamic farming practices.

The tasting included 12 wines, seven white wines dominated by Verdicchio di Castello di Jesi DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Classica e Garantita or Classic and guaranteed demonization of origin), which certifies regulation and quality.

The highlights included the 2019 Umani Ronchi Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio di Castello di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore. Because of the old vines and concrete aging in one year, this wine offered richness and complexity rivaling some great whites from the world.

Founded in 1957 Umani Ronchi is located in the city of Ancona, and it is established as one of the leading wineries in the region with a presence worldwide.

Also a winner in my book the 2020 Tenuta Cocci Grifoni Colle Vecchio Pecorino Offida DOCG. This winery has always been a champion of Pecorino, which produces wines with a kiss of Orange Creamsicle on a salty layer with ocean spray; and this one was exactly like that. A couple of strong theories exist on the arrival of Pecorino to the region. One supports that Romans brought it from Greece while new research indicates it came from Germanic roots. Either way, this is a variety worth exploring and a vivid example of the Italian passion for unique grapes.

On the red wine front we tasted a Montepulciano-dominated flight, some with Sangiovese and others with Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, bringing more structure and density to the wines.

One of the best examples to me was the 2017 San Giovanni Leo Guelfus Piceno Superiore Offida DOC composed of 70% Montepulciano and 30% Sangiovese. This wine offered a rustic and juicy snapshot of the traditional reds of the region  easy drinking and playful instead of offering complexity and longevity.

An essential component of this class was the producers spending time talking in-depth about their wines, history, and production methods in a captive setting.

To be continued ...
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It is necessary to show patience in the matter of withdrawal of the Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia. Andranik Kocharyan, a member of the majority "Civil Contract" Faction in the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia and Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security, stated this Friday during the traditional briefings at the NA.

According to the lawmaker, such issues do not like hurriedness.

"Why are you in a hurry? Do not rush, calm down. Clarity and patience are needed here," Kocharyan added.

He believes, however, that the Azerbaijan armed forces should not be in the territory of Armenia.

"There can be no armed forces of foreign states where everything is ours," said the pro-government MP.
Ambassador of Armenia to the Islamic Republic of Iran Artashes Tumanyan today held a meeting with Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran Rostam Ghasemi.

As reported the Embassy of Armenia, issues related to the alternative Goris-Kapan motorway, construction of the North-South highway and the Persian Gulf-Black Sea transport corridor were discussed during the meeting, and importance was attached to the implementation of the mentioned projects.

Ambassador Tumanyan informed that construction of the alternative Goris-Kapan motorway is almost over, emphasized the large road construction project being launched in Armenia in 2022 and attached importance to the possibility of the participation of Iranian companies in this project.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Ghasemi transmitted the Iranian sides willingness for cooperation, expressed gratitude for the work done and voiced hope that new programs will be implemented.

Ambassador Tumanyan has been recalled and will be replaced by Armenias new Ambassador to Iran Arsen Avagyan.
Man, 29, jumps from Yerevan bridge

Armenia MFA confirms PM Pashinyan's readiness to meet with Azerbaijans Aliyev on December 15

Quake shakes coast of Vanuatu

State minister: Nationwide quarantine, specific restrictions planned to be imposed in Karabakh

Artsakh President convenes National Security Service consultation

Opposition MP: Armenia FM stated that Turkey has proposed new precondition: corridor

Armenia military expert: US Embassy warns its citizens to avoid Karahunj-Davit Bek, Kapan-Chakaten road sections

Armenia opposition MP: Air carrier operating flights from Syunik Province cannot have any security guarantees

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2 Azerbaijanis injured in anti-tank mine explosion at Karabakh conflict zone

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Synopsys boss pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

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China fines Alibaba for violating antitrust law

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Artsakh President visits Askeran city, meets with regional capitals youth

President to Russia Patriarch: Armenian people highly value your efforts aimed at achieving peace in our region

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8 injured in tragic accident on Yerevan-Gyumri motorway are discharged from hospital

China, Russia, US agree to promote political dialogue on Iran

Azerbaijan mother, son commit suicide on same day

One pedestrian dies on the spot, other hospitalized after hit by car in Armenia village area

US beauty consultant is accused of killing woman by injecting silicone into her butt

Brazil Amazon deforestation reaches highest level in 15 years

Newspaper: Armenia soldiers are prohibited from filming episodes from their service, posting them on internet

Newspaper: Armenia opposition is forming large-scale resistance network

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

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Armenia serviceman Meruzhan Harutyunyan, killed in Syunik Province, was buried at Yerablur Military Pantheon

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Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, Archbishop Raphael Minassian.

The Prime Minister once again congratulated His Holiness Raphael Bedros on the occasion of being elected the 21st Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics.

Your Holiness,

I am glad to see you, this time in the new status, and I want to congratulate you first of all on being elected Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church. We highly appreciate the activity of the Armenian Catholic Church in preserving and developing the identity of our people. The undeniable contribution made by the representatives of the Armenian Catholic Church to the Mekhitarist Congregation and the Zmmar Congregation is widely recognized.

I am very glad that you have been elected Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church, taking into account that you have, in fact, been active in the Republic of Armenia for the last 10 years.

Of course, leading a larger diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church, but your main residence was in the Republic of Armenia, which means that you are better aware of the problems, nuances, peculiarities of Armenia. I think that your choice in this regard will further contribute to our cooperation, to making it more effective. "

Catholicos Patriarch of Armenian Catholics said,

Mr. Prime Minister,

I am very thankful to you for your sincere expressions, feelings, and I am deeply touched, first of all, that you were the first, even prior to the Catholics, to congratulate me on my election to this new post. I keep in my heart that, in the end, I am seen as a dear son of my nation, as you noted, and be sure, all these sacrifices that you are making are in our hearts.

We have nothing else to do but remember you in prayers, in a special way, so that the kindest God can truly support you, protect you, and lead you to good, peaceful shores. It is our wish, our dear feelings towards you, and also towards our homeland.

The interlocutors exchanged views on preservation of the Armenian identity, strengthening of Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora unity, state-church ties, and the cooperation of the secular and spiritual authorities in this direction. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Catholicosate of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics has a great role in strengthening the spiritual values of our people, preserving the national identity and cultural heritage, and that the Armenian Government will continue to contribute to that cause.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had separate meetings with Hovig Safoian, Chairman and Co-founder of SADA Company and Ara Mahdessian, CEO and Co-founder of ServiceTitan Company, which operate in the field of high technologies.

During both meetings, the Prime Minister highlighted the activities of the above-mentioned companies in the field of high technology, emphasizing that this area is one of the Government priorities. Nikol Pashinyan added that the Government is interested in the development of IT companies, the expansion of the latter as a result of new investments, and the creation of jobs. The Prime Minister noted that during such meetings he is ready to discuss issues of concern to those companies, opportunities to provide appropriate assistance to the companies within the framework of Government tools.

Hovig Safoian, referring to the activities of SADA company, noted that the branch of the company operating in Armenia now has 30 employees, but they plan to increase that number to 350 as a result of new investment programs in the near future. He added that the company cooperates with a number of leading companies in the world, including Google, develops various software solutions, including in the field of education. Mr. Safoian noted that in particular, the platform designed for the sphere of education, which was developed in cooperation with Google, was introduced in the education systems of different countries, and is ready to be introduced in Armenia in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the initiative, noting that he will instruct the responsible Government departments to discuss with Mr. Safoian the opportunities of cooperation in that direction.

Ara Mahdessian, one of the founders of Service Titan, provided details about the company's activities and upcoming programs. He noted that the company's Armenian office, which was established in 2018, already has 200 employees, the amount of investments in Armenia has reached $40 million. Mr. Mahdessian emphasized that the Armenian team is constantly expanding, new departments with new specializations are being opened, and investment projects will continue to develop. The programs are aimed at the continuous growth of the company, product improvement, training and involvement of the best specialists.

Prime Minister Pashinyan welcomed the successful operation of Service Titan, adding that both this company and other successful organizations in the field contribute to the continuous development of the high technology sector in Armenia. In this regard, the Prime Minister highlighted the preparation of highly qualified specialists and the steps taken to ensure their long-term activities in Armenia.
There wont be obstacles for Turkey to normalize relations with Armenia, if Armenia solves its problems with Azerbaijan. This is what President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday during a press conference with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Kovsakan, which is currently under the control of Azerbaijan. Erdogan was in Azerbaijan to attend the opening of the airport that was under construction for the past few months in Varanda.

The conditions for building strong peace are favorable now more than ever. In this regard, Armenia needs to show sincere will to settle the problems with Azerbaijan. If Armenia does this, there wont be any obstacle for the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia, Erdogan declared.

During a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Turkologist Ruben Safrastan expressed the view that Erdogans statements are being used within the Turks traditional rhetoric that is not aimed at paving the real way for launching negotiations with Armenia and normalizing relations. The real goal is to take advantage of Armenias defeat in the war and strengthen pressure on Armenia in order to achieve Armenias acceptance of Turkeys preconditions, not normalize relations, Safrastyan stated.

On October 28, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Turk that Turkey is considering with Azerbaijan the normalization of relations with Armenia. Safrastyan noted that Turkey is an elder partner in its relations with Azerbaijan and that now it is informing Baku about its actions, not reaching an agreement on them with Baku.

Touching upon the statement that the President of Russia made at Valdai Discussion Club a few days ago that the establishment of peaceful coexistence will also favor Armenia, Safrastyan noted that Russia is interested in the establishment of stability in the region, the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and the operation of communications. He also agrees with the views that Turkey may intend to penetrate into the economy of Armenia which has become weak after the war.

Turkey will seek to make sure Armenia accepts and meets its conditions. If Armenia accepts and meets the conditions (the additional condition is the so-called Zangezur corridor), Turkey will establish relations with Armenia, open borders, do trade, etc. As to how favorable this is for Armenia, thats a different story. In my opinion, its not favorable. I am certain that Turkey wont take this step until Armenia doesnt make concessions. In its turn, Russia wants to see the normalization of relations, but doesnt have a picture of how difficult it is going to be.

The post-war situation is unprecedented  Russia seems to be losing its monopoly of calling the shots in the region. Now Turkey is taking advantage of Armenias defeat in the war and its successes in absorbing Azerbaijan and is trying to play its game in the region. Regional issues may also be discussed during the Russian-Turkish negotiations. Turkey and Azerbaijan are persistently talking about the corridor, and an attempt is being made to exert pressure and turn the opening of the corridor into a more real issue, he said.
BGR

For as much as this live-action adaptation of a beloved anime was anticipated by fans, Cowboy Bebop looks at this point more like Cowboy womp-womp for Netflix. Based on the early reaction from fans, that is, as well as reviews such as one from our sister publication Variety that laments the series is just the  The post Netflixs insane new sci-fi action series is stirring up serious controversy appeared first on BGR.
Mr Cuomo, pictured with his daughter on the day of his resignation in August

A criminal complaint accusing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of groping has been filed in a court.

The complaint, filed in the state capital Albany on Thursday, accuses Mr Cuomo of groping a woman under her blouse at the governor's mansion.

A lawyer for Mr Cuomo - who resigned in August - denied the charge, dismissing it as politically motivated.

A misdemeanour count of unwanted touching can carry a sentence of one year in prison.

Mr Cuomo stepped down after the New York state attorney general found in an investigation that he had harassed 11 female employees.

The former governor denied sexual misconduct, but apologised for ever making any woman feel uncomfortable.

According to CBS News, the BBC's partner in the US, Mr Cuomo has been issued with a criminal summons to appear in court on 17 November.

The filing states that Mr Cuomo did "intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part".

It states that he did this "for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires, all contrary to the provisions of the statute".

The complaint does not name the victim, but says the alleged abuse occurred at the governor's executive mansion in Albany on 7 December 2020.

Mr Cuomo's lawyer, Rita Glavin, told CBS that her client denies the charges, and accused the local sheriff of an "improper" motive.

"This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics," she said.

The charge comes more than two months after a former aide to Mr Cuomo, Brittany Commisso, filed a complaint with the county sheriff, accusing the governor of touching her breast last year.

Mr Cuomo has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing towards Ms Commisso, who is a former executive assistant to the governor.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated Mr Cuomo and is now herself tipped as a candidate for governor, tweeted: "The criminal charges against Mr Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report."
(Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator allowed a body representing 261 radio stations to negotiate a content deal with Facebook and Google on Friday, as part of the country's new law to compel the tech giants to pay for news content.

The body, Commercial Radio Australia (CRA), will now have 10 years to negotiate with the tech giants for its members except the stations run by Nine Entertainment who had already secured deals, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said.

Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google have been required since March to negotiate with Australian outlets for content that drives traffic and advertising to their websites. If they don't, the government may take over the negotiation.

It, however, hasn't been smooth sailing, with some publishers being left out and in September and Facebook saying https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/facebook-wraps-up-deals-with-australia-media-firms-tv-broadcaster-sbs-not-2021-09-22 it stopped negotiating licensing deals.

"This authorisation allows CRA to negotiate payment with Facebook and Google for its members' news content, and for its members to engage in discussions with each other about those negotiations," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

In August, the ACCC allowed another industry body, Country Press Australia, to negotiate with the two companies on behalf of its 81 news publishers.

(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Oxygen

The brutal murder of a nine-year-old girl in 1959 has finally been solved, marking an end to one of Washington states oldest cold cases. Candice Candy Rogers disappeared while selling Camp Fire Mints  a fundraiser for the Camp Fire Girls, a Girl Scout-like organization  in her Spokane neighborhood on March 6, 1959, according to a press release issued by the Spokane City Police Department. Searchers found boxes of mints strewn along the street; it was the only indication of which direction s
The Biden administration on Friday said it would make another attempt to end the "Remain in Mexico" protocols, a Trump administration initiative that forced tens of thousands of asylum seekers back into Mexican border towns to await their court dates in the U.S.

The administration has been under pressure from immigrant advocacy groups to end the policy but has met with legal roadblocks.

In a briefing before the announcement, Department of Homeland Security officials told reporters they had reassessed the policy, also known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas once again determined it was appropriate to end it despite acknowledging its impact in reducing unauthorized migration. One official pointed out that multiple factors can drive migration, but based on the department's own assessment, the protocols had been effective in deterring border crossing attempts.

PHOTO: Mexican National Guards patrol outside the make-shift camp for asylum seekers, Feb. 14, 2021, in Matamoros, Mexico. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images)

"In looking at the data from 2019, there is a fairly clear reduction in encounters at the land border starting around the time that the MPP was implemented across the entire border," one DHS official said. "That said, you know, correlation is not necessarily causation."

However, the officials said the humanitarian consequences outweigh the potential benefits of reduced illegal entries. Humanitarian organizations have documented high rates of murder, kidnapping and extortion on top of squalid conditions facing those subjected to "Remain in Mexico."

MORE: Annual border arrests hit record high despite trending down in recent months

A new policy memo to DHS officials dives deeper into the decision-making process by considering potential costs to states as well as potential improvements that could be made to MPP. However, the officials maintained that certain issues with returning migrants back across an international boundary will persist. Immigrant advocacy organizations have been principally concerned with the lack of access to legal services for migrants who are sent back.

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PHOTO: Tents setup at a migrant shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, Sep. 11, 2021. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Once individuals are returned across an international border, there's limited opportunities for the United States to be able to affect their safety and security once they're in the control of another sovereign nation," one DHS official said.

The acknowledgement of MPP's deterrence capabilities is a significant concession for the Biden administration. For months, Republicans have condemned the administration for repealing "Remain in Mexico," citing the decision as a driving force behind the record number of arrests at the border.

MORE: Border Patrol suspends using agents on horseback amid outrage

Biden suspended "Remain in Mexico" on his first day in office and Secretary Mayorkas attempted to officially end it in June. A federal judge ordered the Biden administration to reinstate the protocols last August in response to a legal challenge by the state of Texas and Missouri. The Justice Department continues to fight the order and hopes an appellate court will reverse it or remand the decision back to the district court.

PHOTO: An informal migrant camp in Tijuana, Mexico, Sep. 11, 2021. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Embedded in the district court's order to reinstate was a suggestion that the administration needs to be capable of either detaining every migrant who attempts an illegal entry or subject them to "Remain in Mexico." MPP was implemented by the Trump administration in 2019 and, as DHS officials point out, Congress has never provided enough funds to detain every unauthorized migrant.

MORE: Homeland Security issues new guidelines for arresting, deporting immigrants

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., a critic of "Remain in Mexico" from the start, praised the Biden administration for making another attempt at repealing the protocols.

"It is my sincere hope that this new memorandum from the Department of Homeland Security will meet the necessary legal criteria to revoke this xenophobic policy once and for all, and allow our country to continue working to restore our status as a beacon of hope for those seeking refuge, a better life for their loved ones, and a shot at contributing to our nation, Menendez said.

Much of the administration's ability continue the practice relies on cooperation from the Mexican government, which was initially opposed to the idea, but has since considered conditions under which it could be reinstated. Talks with Mexican officials are ongoing, DHS officials said.

Depending on whether the Mexican government will agree, the Biden administration is on track to reinstate "Remain in Mexico" by mid-November. Oral arguments are scheduled in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 2.

Biden admin makes another attempt to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
PARIS (Reuters) - French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie told France 2 TV on Friday that there was no progress in talks between France and Britain over post-Brexit fishing licences, and added it was right for France to consider sanctions against the UK.

Britain and France have been at loggerheads over how to resolve fishing licences following the UK's decision to leave the European Union.

On Thursday, Britain denounced France's seizure of a British boat in French waters and warned Paris against further retaliation, in a rapidly deteriorating row over post-Brexit fishing rights.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
The White Houses plan to continue the child tax credit expansion for another year would mean a savings of thousands of dollars in 2022 for the millions of California families with income of less than $151,100.

The plan, which would help families with an estimated 8.16 million California children, is part of a $1.75 trillion framework for a massive budget and tax plan President Joe Biden unveiled Thursday.

The child tax credit was increased earlier this year for 2021 only. The plan allows qualifying families with children 6 to 17 to get a tax credit of $3,000 per child a year. Those with children under 6 can receive $3,600.

Since July, families have been able to get the credit as a monthly payment of up to $300 per child. It was unclear Thursday whether the monthly payments would be available in 2022.

Heres the estimated average impact on California families that qualify, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington research group:

 Less than $29,100 income (lowest 20%)...$4,080

 $29,100 to $51,700 (next 20%...$2,850

 $51,700 to $83,200 (next 20%)...$2,780

 $83,200 to $151,100 (next 20%)...$2,340

 $151,100 to $358,700 (next 15%)$1,870

 $358,700 to $992,800 (next 4%)...$1,620

 $992,800 and above (top 1%)...0

The increase in the maximum amounts begins to phase out for parents with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000 for single filers, up to $112,500 for heads of households and up to $150,000 or less for married couples filing jointly

The credit has been refundable, meaning that if the credit is larger than the tax someone is supposed to pay, the government will make up the difference. If someone owes $600, for instance, and qualifies for $3,000 in child care credits, theyll get $2,400 from the government.

The plan unveiled Thursday would make the refundability permanent.

If Congress fails to act, the credit would revert to its former level of a maximum of $2,000 per child under 17, and the benefit would be reduced even more, or ended entirely, for many low-income families.

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The White House and Democratic leaders had wanted to continue the expanded child tax credit through 2025, but that plan was cut back as part of an effort to find common fiscal ground between the partys centrists and liberals.

While many lawmakers wanted to see more details of the package, there was optimism that it would eventually be approved as Biden addressed House Democrats at the Capitol.

In the Senate, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, whose qualms about different parts of the package drove negotiations, said I look forward to getting this done, expanding economic opportunities and helping everyday families get ahead.

Francesca Chambers of McClatchys Washington Bureau contributed to this report.
Oct. 29WILKES-BARRE  The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce has announced its list of honorees for the 2021 Annual Dinner Awards, presented by Mohegan Sun Pocono, set for Nov. 18, at 5:30 p.m.

With the safety of everyone in the community in mind, the event will have two different viewing options:

A limited number of tickets are available to attend the live event in-person at Mohegan Sun Casino, 1280 Highway 315, Plains Township.

The second viewing option will be a virtual live-stream of the event program, with a drive-up-takeaway meal from Mohegan Sun Casino and a 2021 Annual Dinner Swag Box, for attendees to celebrate and view the program live from the comfort and safety of their home or office.

The honorees for the night include:

Diversity Champion Business of the Year Award

NEPA's 1st Annual Black Owned Business Expo

Charitable Organization of the Year Award

Fork Over Love

Connect Icon Award

studio BE

Emerging Business of the Year Award

Building Blocks Learning Center

Legacy Business of the Year Award

AssuredPartners of NEPA

Pride of Place Awards

Charlotte L. Casterline, M.D. YMCA Early Learning Center

Residence Inn by Marriott Wilkes-Barre Arena

Street Art Society of NEPA

'Honoring Our Past & Trailblazing Our Future' Lifetime Recognition Honorees

John Aciukewicz, CASA of Luzerne County

Charles Barber, Luzerne Foundation

Wico van Genderen, Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce

Paul Lumia & Barbara Romanansky, North Branch Land Trust

Mike Murray, Times Leader Media Group

Steven J. Scheinman, MD, Geisinger

The Chamber invites the community to join in the celebration at the safely-held event, which will follow all local, state, and federal health and safety recommendations.

To register to attend either in person or virtually, visit  https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/events/calendar  and for sponsorship or congratulatory advertising opportunities, contact Michaela Benczkowski at 570-408-1721.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
WASHINGTON  A former Australian prime minister said Friday he thinks China could soon invade Taiwan or otherwise escalate the situation and that the West should now be planning its military and economic response.

I think we need to be prepared to think the unthinkable, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a Wilson Center event here.

I think its highly possible that at some point in time, perhaps quite soon, China might up the ante, either with a blockade of the so-called rebel province  to teach the Taiwanese that they ... need to make some kind of an accommodation with Beijing  or perhaps even a full-scale invasion, he added.

Abbott earlier this month made geopolitical waves when he accused China of being a bully and expressed enthusiastic support for Taiwan while visiting the democratically ruled island.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military harassment of the island by flying fighter jets toward Taiwan  a trend Abbott said he expects to get more intense.

Abbott sees Chinese leader Xi Jinping as emboldened by the Wests mild reaction to Chinas takeover of Hong Kong. Unlike Hong Kong, Taiwan would offer military resistance, but it would still need outside backing, he said.

In the absence of support from others, the Taiwanese might regard it as an unequal and ultimately hopeless struggle. And thats why I think its important for Taiwans fellow democracies to provide all the solidarity that we can, Abbott said.

US troops on Taiwan, confirms island nations president, confident America would defend it

U.S. President Joe Biden set off alarm bells in Beijing early this month by saying the U.S. has a firm commitment to help Taiwan defend itself in the event of a Chinese attack. Though the White House later played down the remarks, Abbott said he was encouraged by Bidens comments and that theres more broadly been a rhetorical escalation from the West.

Abbotts appearance came weeks after the unveiling of a U.S.-British deal to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, which supplanted a prior French deal to supply Australia with its own submarines.

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On Friday, Abbott reiterated his calls for Australia to take over one or more retiring U.S. Los Angeles-class or U.K. Trafalgar-class submarines soon because the new nuclear-powered subs wont arrive for years. The nuclear-powered submarines hes proposing for the interim would augment the Collins-class submarines in Australias inventory, he said.

We need better, bigger, faster more wide-ranging submarines not in two decades time but now, he said, adding that the challenges are pressing, the peril is not far off.

Both the U.K. and France have dispatched carrier groups to the region, and the Royal Navys Astute submarine was on a port call to Perth on Friday. Abbott said he hopes the U.K. will send more naval assets and use Singapores facilities, as the U.S. Navy does.

I think its very important for Britain and France, which have long had a Pacific presence, to increase that Pacific presence, given that east Asia is probably now the most strategically important part of the world, he said.

Abbott also called for enhanced intelligence sharing with Japan, saying it could be a powerful addition to the Five Eyes intelligence arrangement.

U.S. military officials have called China the pacing challenge. On Thursday, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hyten said the rate at which Chinas military is developing capabilities is stunning, while U.S. development suffers from brutal bureaucracy.

In spite of a Biden administration defense budget that prioritizes technology development, Abbott said the gap is likely to get wider, not smaller in the years to come.

Is the U.S. increasing its capabilities at the same rate as China is? I think the short answer is no, he said.
By Yingzhi Yang and Brenda Goh

BEIJING (Reuters) - Short-video apps owner Kuaishou said on Friday that its co-founder Su Hua was stepping down as chief executive with immediate effect and would be succeeded by the company's other founder Cheng Yixiao.

Su's role as the chairman of the board will remain the same, Kuaishou said in a statement, adding that Cheng will oversee the company's daily operations and report to Su.

The change is the latest among China's most well-known tech companies where founders have relinquished their jobs overseeing daily operations amid efforts by Chinese regulators to strengthen their oversight over big corporations.

Last month, JD.com announced its founder Richard Liu would switch his focus to the company's long-term strategy, creating the new role of president to run the company's day-to-day operations, although retaining his titles as chief executive and chairman.

In May, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming announced he would step down as CEO. He will retain his position as chairman.

E-commerce company Pinduoduo founder Huang Zheng stepped down as chairman earlier this year, having earlier relinquished his CEO title. Alibaba founder Jack Ma retired as chairman of the company in 2019.

Su, 39, is estimated by the Hurun China Rich List 2021 to have a net worth of $5.9 billion. In 2013, the former Google and Baidu engineer joined Kuaishou which was launched by Cheng in 2011, to serve as its CEO and Cheng became the chief product officer.

Beijing-based Kuaishou operates Kwai and Snack Video for international markets. In August, it exited the U.S. market by shutting down Zynn, a short-video app that was available in the United States.

The company, backed by China's social media giant Tencent, also operates the Kuaishou app in China and competes with ByteDance's Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Kuaishou said in June that its global monthly active users reached 1 billion.

(Reporting by Yingzhi Yang and Brenda Goh; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
(Fixing typo in headline)

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping will participate in the Group of 20 (G20) leaders' summit in Rome on Oct. 30-31 via video link, according to a notice from China's foreign ministry on Friday.

He will make a speech at the summit, the notice said.

Xi has not left China since early 2020, when the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear.

A handful of other key leaders from wealthy G20 nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not attend in person. Host Italy had hoped the summit would see all leaders meet face-to-face.

U.S. President Joe Biden has confirmed he will attend in person.

The G20, whose countries account for 80% of global carbon emissions, is considered an important stepping stone before the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Scotland, which begins on Sunday.

Xi is also not expected to attend COP26 in person, which could indicate that the world's biggest CO2 producer has already decided that it has no more concessions to offer at the U.N. COP26 climate summit in Scotland after three major pledges since last year, climate watchers said.

The G20 also aims to underline that rich countries should stump up $100 billion dollars per year to help poorer nations adapt to climate change.

This goal was supposed to be achieved by 2020, according to an agreement reached in 2009, but has not been met.

(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Michael Perry)
Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought President Joe Biden in this week to finally close the deal on Democrats domestic agenda. Rep. Pramila Jayapal had other plans.

As Biden prepared for the high-stakes meeting with House Democrats on Thursday, Jayapal made an urgent plea on a call with White House chief of staff Ron Klain: Dont send the president to pressure liberals to vote Thursday on the Senates infrastructure bill without a more progressive social spending bill thats fully done.

Klain pushed Jayapal, who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, to vote for the infrastructure bill during the call, according to a source familiar with their conversation. Jayapal responded that she wanted to avoid sending Biden off to Europe on Thursday with a failed vote, according to multiple Democrats.

What happened next is a dizzying fall of dominos. Biden didnt directly ask House Democrats to pass his bipartisan infrastructure bill, leaving Pelosi to make the request. Then Jayapals progressives dug in against the infrastructure vote that the speaker wanted to tee up  using the presidents lack of a request for cover.

By dinnertime on Thursday, House Democratic leaderships plans to pass the infrastructure bill had imploded for the second time in a month, an embarrassing defeat as the president was en route to Rome. After the House headed home, Pelosi huddled with her two deputies, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.

The top three Democrats knew they were within striking distance of passing the bill that morning and were left dumbfounded by the lack of a direct ask from Biden. They all agreed thats why they couldnt get the votes.

It all boils down to the fact that there wasnt an ask, Hoyer said, according to a source familiar with the meeting.

The call between the top House progressive and Bidens chief of staff illustrates Democratic leaders struggle to get on the same page about how to wield their complete control over Congress and the White House  not to mention the limits of that control. In the end, Democrats  and Biden himself  were left empty-handed, escalating tensions across the party and leaving a crack in the trust between the legislative and executive branches at a critical time.

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During Biden's visit to the Hill, after the Klain-Jayapal call, the president blindsided Democratic leaders by not directly asking the caucus to pass the Senate-passed infrastructure bill Thursday, according to multiple Democrats familiar with the strategy. Pelosi even stood up before her members to clarify the point, directly pushing for the long-anticipated infrastructure vote to deliver Biden an important legislative win before he departed for Europe.

The president has asked for our vote today, Pelosi told the caucus, according to a source familiar with the remarks. In order for us to have success, we must succeed today.

A Democratic source in the room for Biden's visit noted that he touted the infrastructure bill and deliberately highlighted its components that would be the most appealing to progressives. Chief among those are the bill's climate resiliency provisions and help with lead pipelines nationwide that continue to expose children to toxins in water.

But the damage to an infrastructure bill Biden publicly blessed four months ago had been done. Although Pelosi and her leadership team toiled for several more hours to round up votes  mobilizing their whipping apparatus and pressing the White House to clarify Biden wanted Democrats to vote yes that day  emboldened liberals didn't budge.

As the day wore on, senior Democrats only grew more furious with the White Houses silence. While taking Air Force One to Rome, Biden made only one call House Democrats were briefed on  to Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), to tell her he appreciated her CNN appearance talking positively about their agenda. Biden then reiterated that he wasnt explicitly pushing for the House to pass the infrastructure vote immediately, according to multiple Democrats familiar with that conversation.

"We do not comment on private conversations with lawmakers, but the President is fighting every day to pass the bipartisan infrastructure deal and the Build Back Better Act into law as soon as possible because they will change the lives of millions by ensuring our economy delivers for the middle class," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. Bates touted the multiple benefits of the social spending framework, including on climate and child care.

Immediately after the meeting with Biden, Jayapal huddled with her progressive caucus, where she told them she had urged the White House earlier not to push progressives to vote on infrastructure alone, according to people in the room.

The president made a really compelling speech for both bills. He said he wants both bills to pass, Jayapal told reporters after Bidens meeting on Thursday. He did not ask for a vote on [infrastructure] today. The speaker did, but he did not.

Bidens hesitancy to demand a vote Thursday was one of several glaring issues that senior Democrats had with the White Houses strategy during the chaotic nine hours before Pelosi and her leadership team yanked the infrastructure bill for the second time in a month.

As Biden attempted to sell his incomplete social spending framework to the public, delivering a speech shortly after visiting with House Democrats, he and his team did not try to clear up whether or not they wanted an infrastructure vote on Thursday.

And in a repeat of September's struggles, the White House again did not mount an aggressive lobbying effort to get progressives to provide the votes for the infrastructure package. Despite multiple Cabinet members making calls or virtually meeting with members, none appeared to clearly push for an infrastructure vote on Thursday. Instead Biden's Cabinet warned Democrats against trying to cram too much into the separate social spending package.

Multiple Democrats even directly pressed top White House officials about whether they wanted a vote on the infrastructure bill Thursday during briefings on the social spending framework but never received a direct answer, according to multiple sources familiar with the meetings.

The fraught dynamics between the White House and House Democrats in particular have become more pronounced in the past month. Some Democrats say thats in part due to Klains friendly relationship with progressives, which has given the party's liberal wing a powerful White House ally  unlike in prior Democratic administrations.

Klain, multiple sources say, primarily talks to progressive lawmakers and is rarely if ever the person House leadership or centrist Democrats turn to in the White House.

His coziness with the left has frustrated leaders and moderate Democrats who view it, at times, as an impediment to getting Bidens agenda passed, though it has won him praise from progressives who believe passing as many of their priorities as possible would be a boon to Democrats. A source familiar added that Klain talks to House leaders, moderate senators and in recent weeks to centrist Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who has advocated for the House to quickly vote on infrastructure. The White House maintains that Klain, like other key figures of Bidens team, is frequently in communication with Capitol Hill.

House Democratic leaders plan to make another go at Bidens agenda next week, though any vote would almost certainly come after their partys pivotal gubernatorial race in Virginia on Tuesday.

Pelosi and her leadership team have instructed House committee chairs to formalize their revisions to the initial 1,684-page draft of Bidens bill by Sunday night. After a five-hour hearing on the social spending bill on Thursday, Democrats on the House Rules Committee plan to reconvene as soon as Monday to continue teeing up its roughly $1.75 trillion investment in climate action and the safety net.

I completely understand the desire to get everything wrapped up in advance of these really significant meetings and conversations, said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), one of roughly three dozen progressives who refused to back the $550 billion infrastructure bill on the floor this week.

But the challenge is ensuring that we are going to be able to get both bills.

Nicholas Wu contributed reporting.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw slammed President Biden Thursday over a Wall Street Journal report that Biden is considering paying $450,000 to migrant families that were separated on the southern border during former President Trump's administration, alluding that military families get worse government benefits than that.

"Biden wants to pay illegal immigrants $450,000 for their hardship while breaking our laws," Crenshaw, R-Texas, a Navy SEAL veteran, tweeted. "For perspective, if a service member is killed in action, their next of kin gets an insurance payment of $400,000. Let that sink in."

According to the Wall Street Journal, the potential $450,000-per-person payments would come as the government is trying fight with lawsuits filed over alleged hardship stemming from the policy of separating parents from minors.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT: 'WE ARE BUILDING OUR OWN BORDER WALL'

Fox News asked the Department of Homeland Security to confirm the story, but it referred to the Department of Justice for comment. The Department of Justice declined to comment.

Several other Republicans attacked the president over the Wall Street Journal report.

"Pres Biden reportedly wants to pay a billion dollars to illegal immigrants in the middle of a record-setting border crisis What in the world is he thinking???" Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tweeted. Grassley also said the report is "UNACCEPTABLE."

Under Biden, migrant crossings on the southern border have spiked to nearly unprecedented numbers, overwhelming federal immigration agencies, local and state law enforcement, and border communities.

The White House has declined to call the situation a crisis and argues that the best way to stop the constant stream of border crossings is reducing push factors in the countries the migrants are coming from.

Fox News' Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Canada and the Netherlands are counting on the weekend Group of 20 summit in Rome to make significant progress toward clinching an acceptable deal at the United Nations climate meeting starting immediately afterward.

After a bilateral meeting Friday with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in The Hague, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the timing of the G-20 summit in Rome could help the climate talks known as COP26 that start in Glasgow on Sunday.

The fact that the G-20 is immediately before COP26 allows some of the major countries around the world responsible for significant emissions to actually meet and work in advance of hopefully what will be a very successful COP, meeting, Trudeau said.

At the moment, plans from nations around the world submitted ahead of COP26 would still fall far short of the headline goal set in Paris six years ago: to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times. The world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since that era.

Rutte estimated that plans combined so far ahead of the climate summit that runs Oct. 31-Nov. 12 in Glasgow would still mean a rise of 2.7 C.

So there is still a gap. And there is still a lot we need to do, he said.

Despite the daunting challenge, Rutte said he had two reasons for optimism: "One is that theres no way not to do this because then we collectively have such a big problem and everybody understands, he said.

Secondly, because it is such a big opportunity  the huge opportunity we see in this country for creating so many new jobs and new economic prosperity at the same time. Building a clean country, Rutte said.
NEW YORK  The family of Eric Garner urged a Manhattan judge Thursday to reconsider calling Mayor Bill de Blasio and current and past NYPD commissioners to testify at a judicial inquiry scrutinizing the circumstances of the Staten Island fathers death.

In a motion filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, lawyers for Garners mother, Gwen Carr, asked Judge Erika Edwards to require the high-ranking officials to testify based on new evidence from Joseph Reznick, head of the NYPDs Internal Affairs Bureau.

When Edwards barred city leaders from having to testify in a July ruling, she couldnt see the whole picture, says the Garner team. Her decision found that people at the Staten Island scene of Garners fatal arrest would make better witnesses than de Blasio and Police Department brass.

They fill in the necessary gaps, Alvin Bragg told the judge of de Blasio and the NYPD commissioners knowledge. The Manhattan district attorney candidate is one of the lawyers representing Carr and police reform advocates in the inquiry.

I think we all want to create an enduring record.

Carr and her allies have long argued that the mayor and the police commissioners were essential to the oversight and cops disciplinary process after her sons killing on July 17, 2014, and that there remain questions only they can answer.

They say Reznick  the highest-ranking NYPD official slated to take the stand at the inquiry  proved their point on Tuesday.

The deputy commissioner testified that the departments Internal Affairs Bureau has the authority to place the officers responsible on modified duty. But he said the authority did not lie solely with IAB and that the department advocates office has the power to impose disciplines, too.

The NYPD department advocates office is the unit responsible for prosecuting crooked cops; IAB handles the probes.

Two affidavits filed in the night from Maya Wiley, the former Civilian Complaint Review Board chairwoman and counsel to de Blasio, and Donovan Richards, the Queens borough president, said Carrs lawyers were correct. The filings are Wiley and Donovans first contributions to the inquiry.

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Richards said he had firsthand knowledge that the citys top officials were privy to internal decisions about Garners death in city custody from the get-go.

He said de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, First Deputy Police Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, and former Police Commissioners Bill Bratton and James ONeill declined to share details with him about probes into Garners death when he was chairman of the city Council Public Safety Committee.

However, they indicated knowledge of and input into the disciplinary process, but were not at liberty to disclose information about an open investigation, reads Richards affidavit.

Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kevin Richardson, who ran the department advocates office, is another official Edwards excluded from having to testify and who Wiley and Richards claim has answers.

Wileys affidavit says the chain of command started with key decision-maker Richardson and then led to Tucker, then to Bratton, before September 2016, and ONeill after Sept. 1, 2016.

The affidavit goes on to say it would have been customary for de Blasio to be briefed and consulted periodically by NYPD brass throughout the process in high-profile matters like the Garner case.

De Blasio deferred to the city Law Department when asked about the motions.

I know Gwen Carr. I respect her greatly. Shes been through hell, he said. There have been consequences for people involved who obviously deserve those consequences. And we changed a lot. We changed a lot about how we police.

Carr was not impressed.

The only reason to give fake condolences now is to try to excuse their wrongdoing after the fact, she said. This inquiry is about transparency, its not about giving the city a chance to do public relations damage control, and it shouldnt be a platform for those who were never held accountable to try to get favorable media coverage, she said.

These officers should be fired, and Eric should be alive.

The cop who used the deadly chokehold on Garner was canned by the NYPD in August 2019.

City Law Department spokesman Nicholas Paolucci said, There is no basis for the court to revisit its earlier decision.

Edwards said she would issue a decision on the motions on Friday.

NYPD Officers Mark Ramos and Craig Furlani, briefly testified Thursday about responding to a radio call for assistance from cops trying to subdue Garner. Ramos admitted he told an EMS worker he thought a dying Garner was playing possum.

Sgt. Dhanan Saminath took the stand after Ramos and Furlani. The sergeant said under questioning that he didnt mean to downplay Garners grave condition when he told a dispatcher the 42-year-old was just having trouble breathing and not that he was unconscious.

A summary judicial inquiry is allowed under a rarely cited section of the New York City charter. Such a proceeding has not been held in the Big Apple in almost 100 years, say legal experts. Its sole purpose is to be transparent with concerned New Yorkers.



(New York Daily News staff writer Chris Sommerfeldt contributed to this story.)


LONDON  Statues have been pulled down and national icons reevaluated, but Europes efforts to come to terms with its imperial past have largely stopped short of handing back the cultural treasure pillaged by the continents colonial powers.

Until now, perhaps.

This week a Cambridge college, a French museum and a Scottish university all returned artifacts looted from West Africa, with activists and officials hailing a potential turning point in the yearslong battle to ensure Europes reckoning on race extended to restitution of what it plundered.

Jesus College, Cambridge, returned a bronze sculpture of a cockerel to Nigeria Wednesday, becoming the first U.K. institution to return one of the famed Benin Bronzes. The next day, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland handed over a bronze of the head of an Oba, or king.

Master of Jesus College Sonita Alleyne with Nigerian's Abba Isa Tijani before the handover of the looted bronze cockerel, known as the Okukur. (Joe Giddens / AP)

These sculptures were looted, along with thousands of other works, from the historic Kingdom of Benin  located in modern day Nigeria  when British forces overran and destroyed much of Benin City in 1897. The Benin Bronzes, a group of brass and bronze sculptures made from at least the 16th century on, are widely seen as among Africas most culturally significant artifacts.

The British Museum still boasts Benin Bronzes among its collection, in London, while others made their way to collections throughout the world.

On Wednesday the Quai Branly Museum in Paris also handed over 26 artifacts to the Republic of Benin, a former French colony which borders Nigeria, that were stolen in 1892. They are among 5,000 works requested by the West African country, according to Reuters.

Amatey Doku, a former student at Jesus College who was among those to propose in 2016 that the colleges cockerel be repatriated, said this weeks handovers marked a huge turning point.

For the Benin Bronzes specifically, this moment will be looked back as the real dismantling of the argument that it couldnt be done, he said.

The returns will increase the pressure on other Western institutions to follow suit.

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More broadly, said Doku, they have also brought into focus the continued legacy of colonialism in British and European institutions.

The work is not done, its not finished, he added. But I do think this is a really significant moment.

Abba Isa Tijani, from Nigerias National Commission for Museums and Monuments, said that Wednesdays handover in Cambridge offered an opportunity for other institutions and countries.

Jesus College has set an example, he said in a video posted on Twitter.

Image: A bronze sculpture depicting an Oba (king) of Benin is seen in this handout photo (Kalyan Veera / Reuters)

This weeks flurry of activity follows a decision by Germany earlier this year to work on its own restitution plan for Benin Bronzes, in what Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described as a turning point in dealing with our colonial history.

Earlier, in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron said during a visit to Burkina Faso that it was no longer acceptable for a large part of the cultural heritage of several African countries to remain in France.

The next year a report, commissioned by Macron, recommended that French museums give back works that were taken without consent if African countries request them.

This marked a crucial step on the way to this weeks developments, said Barnaby Phillips, the author of Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes.

Although that report only pertained to France, I think it sent shockwaves through the museum world, and affected particularly the other big colonial powers, Germany and the U.K., Phillips said.

Then came the reckoning that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. While in America the fallout focused largely on police violence and the legacy of slavery, in Europe a large part of the focus was on the enduring impact of colonialism.

That, again, put European museums very much under the spotlight, said Phillips.

Presiding over the ceremony in Paris this week, Macron said:

The British Museum recently received a letter from the Nigerian government asking for the return of the countrys antiquities. A spokesperson said the museum was reviewing the documents and would address them fully in due course, adding that it was hosting a meeting of a group this week in which developments regarding the return and restitution of Benin works to Nigeria were discussed.

The museum understands and recognizes the significance of the issues surrounding the return of objects and works with communities, colleagues and museums across the globe to share our collection as widely as possible, the spokesperson added.

The institution has a strict policy on the permanent removal of art from its collection that is governed by a 1963 law, called The British Museum Act.

Souleymane Bachir Diagne, director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University in New York, agreed with Doku that this weeks handovers marked a turning point.

It will be much harder for many museums to refuse [to] even to discuss the question if certain Benin bronzes have been already restituted, said Diagne, adding that museums are also pressured by public opinion to justify the presence of African artifacts within their collections.

Whats more, he said, the global south would now be a player in the circulation and exchange of museum artifacts because they will now own these works.

This is an outcome Doku also wants to see.

This isnt about these artifacts going back to their countries and never to be seen again, its about the ownership of these pieces being in the right place, he said.
Brice Laccruche Alihanga, a once-powerful chief of staff under Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison after a high-profile trial sparked by an anti-corruption crackdown.

Laccruche, 41, became a powerbroker in the oil-rich state after Bongo suffered a stroke in October 2018 and spent months convalescing abroad.

Shortly after Bongo returned to the political stage, Laccruche was sidelined in November 2019 and then became a target in an anti-corruption drive that also aimed at several high-flying associates.

Laccruche, a French-Gabonese who had also had the rank of minister, was arrested in December 2019 and held in custody for allegedly siphoning off public funds.

The court in the capital Libreville sentenced him on the relatively minor charge of "improperly issuing administrative documents" and fined him five million CFA francs ($8,900, 7,500 euros).

He is also being prosecuted separately for other offences.

"This is a grossly unfair sentence which completely discredits the notion of justice," Laccruche's lawyer Anges-Kevin Nzigou told AFP.

He said the punishment was a "political decision".

"I don't know if we are going to appeal -- I don't believe in the ability of the magistrates involved in this case to interpret the law" correctly, he said.

Laccruche appeared in court looking hunched, thin and unshaven, an AFP reporter said.

His custody became a legal issue in France, where an examining magistrate last year began probing allegations that he and his brother Gregory, who is also accused of embezzlement, were being held arbitrarily.

A working group at the UN's Human Rights council said late last year that the detention of the two brothers and three other individuals, was "arbitrary" and demanded they be immediately released and compensated.

Bongo was first elected in 2009 after the death of his father Omar, who led the country for 42 years.

After Laccruche was fired, Bongo appointed his eldest son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, as his key aide, with the title of coordinator of presidential affairs.

dyg/amt/blb/ri/bp
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised significant concerns about a plan to use spectrum for 5G wireless networks on aviation safety and is planning to issue a formal warning about the issue, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters.

The aviation industry has voiced alarm about the plan to use C-Band spectrum for more than a year. Network carriers are expected to begin using the spectrum starting Dec. 5 starting in 46 markets.

FAA Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims in a previously unreported Oct. 6 letter said the agency shares "the deep concern about the potential impact to aviation safety resulting from interference to radar altimeter performance from 5G network operations in the C band."

An FAA spokeswoman said Friday it "continues to engage with other agencies so that aviation and the newest generation of 5G cellular technology can safely coexist."

The Federal Communications Commission said Friday it remains committed to ensuring air safety as the agencys successful track record demonstrates, while moving forward with the deployment of new technologies that support American business and consumer needs."

The FAA held a lengthy Oct. 14 meeting with the aviation industry on the issue. FAA and FCC officials have held numerous discussions about the issue, the sources said.

The FAA is planning to soon issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin and an airworthiness directive about the issue, two officials told Reuters, confirming a Wall Street Journal report.

The aerospace and airline sector met with the FCC in August https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1081157361951/Aviation%20and%20Aerospace%20Ex%20parte%20Notice%20Aug%206%202021%20w%20OET%20WTB%20IB.pdf, warning without changes "major disruptions to use of the National Airspace System can be expected from the rollout of 5G" and added the FAA will be forced to "drastically reduce aviation operational capacity."

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Wireless trade group CTIA said Friday 5G networks can safely use C-band spectrum "without causing harmful interference to aviation equipment," and cited numerous active 5G networks using this spectrum band in 40 countries... Any delay in activating this spectrum risks Americas competitiveness."

One longer-term solution is retrofitting some altimeters with "out-of-band filters," but it would likely take years and "many thousands of civil aircraft are likely to be impacted, the aviation industry said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)
Meta Facebook name change Facebook

Facebook announced it is changing its name to "Meta" on Thursday.

Celebrities, politicians, and brands poked fun at the new name on Twitter.

Some users expressed concern the name change was an attempt for the company to skirt criticism.

People on the internet were quick to poke fun at Facebook's new name, Meta.

After the news was announced on Thursday, jokes about the name change went viral, as brands, politicians, and celebrities took shots at the new name.

"And it was on that day that 'that's so meta' went from being an interesting observation to a devastating insult," popular YouTuber Hank Green tweeted.

"'Meta' is short for 'I meta girl in high school who I had a huge crush on only to find her years later on Facebook posting anti-vax links and Tom Hanks pedophile theories,'" comedy writer Matt Oswalt tweeted, referencing Q-anon conspiracy theories.

Many people used the new name as an opportunity to take digs at Facebook's reputation for misinformation.

The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 28, 2021

Other users pointed out the timing, saying it's a step for the company to distance itself from recent controversy. The announcement comes amid a series of negative reports about Facebook's business practices.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly denied that the new name has anything to do with the recent controversy, calling the idea "ridiculous." Instead, he says "Meta" underscores the company's plans to build a virtual universe called the metaverse.

Several politicians, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, slammed the name.

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A former White House advisor expressed concern that Zuckerberg would quickly become "king" of the virtual universe.

While many users had concerns about the name change, others had fun with the new branding.

Several brands reacted to Facebook's new name. Wendy's joked it was changing its own name to "Meat," and an Aldi Store UK account teased they'd change their logo to "Betta."

Twitter had some criticism for Meta. Its CEO Jack Dorsey called the new name "self-referential," while Twitter's safety team said the only Meta it would acknowledge was its own internal META team.

Though Facebook's announcement caused a stir on social media, experts told Insider's Katie Canales that the new name will not be enough for Facebook to win back consumers' trust or shield it from the backlash surrounding the leaked documents detailing its business practices.

Facebook will start trading under the new stock ticker MVRS in December.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Flight attendants say they've been caught in a rising spate of verbal and physical abuse since travel surged in the summer. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

A passenger punched an American Airlines flight attendant twice in the face, union officials said.

The airline's CEO said it was working to ensure the attacker is "prosecuted to the fullest extent."

The assault is one in a barrage of abuse that attendants have faced since travel surged this summer.

An American Airlines flight attendant was admitted to the hospital with broken bones in her face after she was attacked by a passenger on Wednesday.

The assault happened on Flight 976 from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. After the incident, the plane diverted to Denver, and the passenger was detained, American Airlines said.

The flight attendant had bumped into the passenger, who later got up from his seat and punched her twice in the face in front of the galley, said officials from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, who cited witnesses on the plane, CBSLA reported.

One witness, Mackenzie Rose, told the outlet that the flight attendant walked back down the aisle and had "blood splattered on the outside of her mask."

Another witness said there happened to be a doctor on the flight who assessed the injury and said the attendant's nose wasn't broken, but it was bleeding, ABC News reported.

Julie Hedrick, APFA's president, said the attendant initially apologized to the passenger after she bumped into him in the first-class cabin, but that didn't stop him from attacking her, The Washington Post reported.

The assault was "one of the worst displays of unruly behavior we've ever witnessed," said Doug Parker, American Airlines' CEO, in a video statement on Thursday.

The offending passenger was barred from flying with the airline, said Parker, who added that a travel ban "is not enough" as punishment.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure he is prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. We're also working with the FAA, who has the authority to levy fines of over $50,000 to disruptive passengers," he said, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Flight attendants across the US faced a swell in physical and verbal abuse when US travel eclipsed pre-pandemic levels this summer, Insider's Allana Akhtar reported. Many described how the violence affected their mental health and created an "emotionally abusive" work environment.

"We've never had passengers assault us like this," Hedrick said, referring to Wednesday's incident, The Post reported.

"I think for flight attendants going to work today, the mental exhaustion of 'what am I going to be dealing with?' - you just don't know what's going to happen on your flight today," she added.

Read the original article on Insider
Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday ended her final official visit to Athens by acknowledging that Greeks had paid a heavy price with austerity policies imposed to resolve its debt crisis.

Greece faced a rolling financial implosion from 2009, and Merkel and her ministers demanded huge budget cuts, civil sector layoffs and drastic tax hikes in exchange for their support for bailouts of more than 300 billion euros.

At the height of the crisis in 2012, she was greeted by protesters brandishing images showing her with a Hitler moustache, with German tabloid Bild describing her as "one of the most hated women in Greece".

"I've always stressed my awareness of the impositions and challenges that the Greek were faced with related to the euro question," Merkel said after meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

But the chancellor insisted that the adjustment would have been less brutal had Greece and several other EU states undertaken key reforms during times of prosperity.

Der Spiegel magazine wrote on Friday that the Greek crisis was "a period of hysteria" where EU solidarity began to fray.

Greece admitted in 2009 that it had massively underreported its public deficit, leading to a panicked sell-off of government bonds and rising costs of borrowing that spread to several other eurozone countries.

"I think we were all very shocked about the susceptibility of the euro for external speculation," the chancellor admitted Friday.

She said the Greek-German relationship had always had a "good basis" but that it had gone "through difficult times during my tenure", vowing to visit Greece again as a private citizen.

- 'Voice of reason' -

Mitsotakis said on Friday that the Greece of today was "no longer a source of crises and deficits".

He called Merkel "the voice of reason and stability" and pointed out that she had gone against the advice of her ministers during a turbulent 2015 and "refused to ostracise Greece from the eurozone".

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Starting in 2010, Merkel began to urge Greece's then Socialist prime minister George Papandreou to implement austerity to cut burgeoning public deficits.

Pensions were slashed, the minimum monthly wage fell to less than 600 euros and a wave of privatisations was set in motion.

In addition, staffing levels in public services and hospitals were reduced and there were shortages of medicines and other materials.

- 'Go back' -

After leftist radical Alexis Tsipras was elected prime minister in January 2015, tensions became palpable.

Months before he became leader, he had told crowds of cheering supporters that Merkel and her then-finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble should "go back".

Greece was on the verge of being kicked out of the euro at the time, but Tsipras finally submitted to pressure from its creditors and agreed to fresh austerity measures.

Tsipras wrote in Die Zeit news magazine last month that "honesty" had created "the building of trust" with the German chancellor despite their political differences.

Merkel worked with eight Greek prime ministers from across the party spectrum, including technocrat PM Lucas Papademos, a former European Central Bank vice-president who survived a 2017 letter bomb attack.

Merkel had been the intended recipient of a similar explosive device sent by a Greek far-left group in 2010. It was intercepted at the chancellery and deactivated.

As she bows out of office after 16 years, Merkel's stock remains low in Greece.

A Pew Research poll conducted in 16 different countries found that, in Greece, only 30 percent of people had confidence in her, compared with an average of 77 percent elsewhere.

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Associated Press

Khari Hasan Kalo peered out of the window of the repatriation flight as it touched down in northern Iraq. It's a place he and his family had hoped never to see again after they left for Belarus two months ago, driven by dreams of a new life in Europe. Kalo, 35, had begged for loans and spent his savings on the ill-fated journey to the Belarusian capital of Minsk, the first stop on a journey to the West.
Two students at Texas A&M University claim in a lawsuit they suffered chemical burns during a fraternity hazing incident.

Patrick Close and Jose Figueroa, former pledges in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, seek $1 million from the lawsuit that was filed Oct. 18 in Harris County District Court. They claim members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, commonly referred to as SAE, violated the Texas anti-hazing statue .

The students claim in the lawsuit they were pledging the fraternity during the spring semester when they were forced to do various kinesthetic activities. At least eight of the fraternitys members then poured various foreign substances on them, the lawsuit states.

The substances poured on Close and Figueroa included human spit, raw eggs, paint, food condiments and eventually the industrial strength cleaner known as SC-200, according to the lawsuit.

SC-200 is for industrial and institutional use only and can cause severe skin burns and serious eye damage. People who are exposed to the chemical are advised to immediately rinse their skin.

Close and Figueroa suffered severe burns and were transported to a Houston hospital for emergency skin graft surgery, according to the lawsuit.

Close and Figueroa are both permanently disfigured as a result of the burns they endured, the lawsuit states. They will likely require further medical treatment, attorneys said in the lawsuit.

On Wednesday, Texas A&Ms SAE chapter was suspended for two years, which will be followed by two years of probation, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Texas A&M will not tolerate actions or behavior that degrades, intimidates, humiliates or endangers students, a university spokeswoman, Kelly Brown, told the publication. We will continue our hazing prevention education programs, which includes outlining what constitutes hazing and the consequences for such poor choices. Hazing is a violation of Texas A&Ms Student Code of Conduct, student organization policies and Texas state law.

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The national SAE chapter and its local chapter were both named in the lawsuit, as well as the following members: Austin Marshall, George Jarkesy, Dylan Vacek, Ryan Pugh, Andrew Mitchell, Kaleb Snodgrass, Cole Gerletti and Jorge Garza.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon did not comment on the lawsuit in a statement to A&Ms student newspaper, The Battalion.

Fraternity member posts fake No Blacks invitation to another frats party, NC cops say

Fraternity members get probation after pleading guilty to alcohol charges in Washington
Heather Mack has now been released from jail

An American woman convicted for helping to kill her mother in Bali has been released from jail early.

Heather Mack had been found guilty of assisting in the high-profile 2014 murder which saw her mother's body stuffed into a suitcase.

Mack subsequently was sentenced to 10 years in jail, but was released early on Friday.

Dubbed the "suitcase murder", the case had rocked the Indonesian island, which is not known for violent crime.

Mack, then 19, had travelled to Bali for a holiday with her then 21-year-old boyfriend Tommy Schaefer and her mother, wealthy socialite and academic Sheila von Wiese-Mack.

Following a heated argument with Ms von Wiese-Mack, Schaefer beat her to death with a fruit bowl in their hotel room at a five-star resort.

He claimed he had been defending himself after Ms von Wiese-Mack became angry upon learning that her daughter was pregnant.

Mack and Schaefer then stuffed her body into a suitcase, abandoned it in the boot of a taxi, and went on the run.

They were found by Bali police days later, hiding out at another hotel.

Schaefer was eventually sentenced to 18 years for the murder. Mack received a shorter jail term as she was found to have played a lesser role.

On Friday prison officials said Mack's sentence had been reduced because of good behaviour. She is now awaiting deportation to the US.

Sentence reductions are common in Indonesia.

Mack, who was pregnant at the time of the killing, subsequently gave birth in prison.

It is unclear if her six-year-old daughter, who has been living in the care of a foster family, will join her. But Mack's lawyer told AFP that she wishes for her daughter to stay in Bali to avoid being "hounded by the (US) media".

Mack has given media interviews over the years from prison, where she has talked about the incident as well as her troubled relationship with her mother.
Human Remains Found in Sunken Vehicle Connected to 1988 Missing Persons Case

Pope County Sheriff's Office

Human remains tied to a missing person's case in Arkansas from 1998 were recently found in a vehicle, according to local officials.

On Tuesday, the Pope County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call that a car  which matched the description of a missing person's report  was found in a body of water in Russellville, a news release states.

The Pope County Sheriff's Office revealed on Wednesday that the car belonged to Samantha Jean Hopper, a 20-year-old woman who went missing on Sept. 11, 1998.

RELATED: Remains of Missing 5-Year-Old Boy Elijah Lewis Likely Found in Abington, Mass., District Attorney Says

According to police and the original missing persons report, Hopper  who was pregnant at the time  was reportedly traveling to Little Rock with her 22-month-old daughter, Courtney Holt, when they both disappeared.

"Samantha was reported to have been traveling to drop her daughter, Courtney Holt, off before continuing on to a concert in Little Rock; however, Samantha, her daughter, and her blue Ford Tempo were never located," per the release.

Samantha Jean Hopper

Pope County Sheriff's Office

The vehicle was initially found by local nonprofit Adventures With Purpose, which works specifically on cold cases across the country, per the release. After making the discovery, investigators received assistance from Elmo's Crane Service and Battlecross Towing to remove the vehicle, which was in about eight feet of water.

The human remains found in the recovered vehicle were then sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for DNA testing, the sheriff's office said.

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.

"The Pope County Sheriff's Office would like to send our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt, " Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said in a statement. "We are thankful to have been a small part of helping bring this 23-year-old case to closure."

Jones also thanked Investigator Erick Riggs and other parties who helped on the case.
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has urged richer countries to share their vaccines with poorer ones, in an exclusive interview with the BBC.

Mr Widodo said it "shouldn't be just a few countries that get all the vaccines, and some other countries get only a little".

He was speaking ahead of a visit to the G20 and COP26 meetings, where he will be meeting other world leaders.

Indonesia was one of the countries hardest hit by the Covid pandemic.

President Jokowi - as he is popularly known - also made the case for why there should be more vaccine equity so that developing and poorer countries aren't left behind in this pandemic.

"Everyone has helped, but in my opinion it's not enough," he said, in a virtual interview from the Indonesian presidential palace in Jakarta.

"In this time of crisis, advanced countries need to do more in helping poor countries get vaccines, so that we can overcome this pandemic together."

Mr Widodo's comments come as Indonesia attempts to recover from the ravages of the pandemic. At its peak, the country officially recorded more than 50,000 cases a day, but the real numbers may have been higher. Nearly 150,000 people have died, according to government data.

People died in their homes, gasping for breath as oxygen supplies ran out across the archipelago. The sick were turned away from overflowing hospitals and funeral grounds ran out of space for the dead.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that the country was "teetering on the edge of a Covid-19 catastrophe".

But Mr Widodo's administration initially downplayed the disease. His former health minister Terawan Agus Putranto famously said the country would be spared from the virus, because of "all the prayers."

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In the interview, he acknowledged the mistakes his administration made in managing the pandemic, saying that it was down to the lack of healthcare infrastructure in the country.

"Our hospitals, our facilities were full and could not handle the load," he said, "and that led to a lot of deaths."

The COVID situation has improved since then, with both deaths and case numbers falling, according to government data.

The vaccination drive has also picked up. According to the latest data from the World Bank, Indonesia has given more than 100 million doses of vaccines in the country, with almost 30% of the population fully vaccinated - no easy feat in a huge archipelago.

But while urban areas like Jakarta are now seeing high levels of vaccination rates, rural areas are harder to get to.

"The difference between facilities is huge [between rural and urban areas], this is what we need to reform," Mr Widodo said. "For example there is no ICU in some hospitals, we need to fix that and buy the equipment and get these facilities ready so that we can make it better."

But critics say that it was not just a lack of investment in healthcare that was the problem - it was a lack of preparedness on the part of the government that led to hundreds of thousands dying when they could have been saved.

Among them healthcare workers, who had been inoculated using the Chinese Sinovac vaccine - what Indonesia first used in its attempts to vaccinate its population.

Authorities later added other vaccines into the mix and have been able to procure more supplies. But the delay in getting vaccines to the vast population has cost the country dearly.

Which is why Mr Widodo is pushing for developing countries to be allowed to house manufacturing facilities for vaccines - a proposal he is taking with him to the G20 meeting where he will meet with his global peers.

Earlier this year, leaked documents seen by the BBC showed that rich countries have attempted to block the vaccine manufacturing capabilities of poorer nations, citing patent protection and funding in new research for future vaccines.
When Instagram influencer Tommy Marcus read that Kabul had fallen to the Taliban he sprang into action, without knowing that like-minded US veterans were also desperate to do something.

"I was more horrified and disgusted and just wanted to help," recalls the 26-year-old New Yorker, who is known to his 800,000 followers as "Quentin Quarantino."

With just a few clicks on his phone from his home in New Jersey, Marcus started what would become an extraordinary operation to evacuate hundreds of terrified Afghans.

In three days he raised $7.2 million and rallied to his cause retired soldiers and former diplomats, as well as experts in asylum law, humanitarian aid and airlifts from war zones.

It is a plotline worthy of a Hollywood movie: a combination of the power of social networks, rapid crowdfunding and the logistical efficiency of American veterans that led to the rescue of 565 Afghans.

AFP has spoken to several of the main actors of "Operation Flyaway," which was launched on August 17 and is ongoing, and reviewed contractual and budgetary documents related to chartered planes and arrivals in the United States.

Messages from Afghan women, children, LGBTQ people, social workers, journalists and interpreters to organizers begging for help to flee the country have also been read.

Marcus, known on social media for humorous memes that target ex-president Donald Trump and tackle issues related to vaccinations and abortion, was stunned by the images of desperate Afghans hanging from a US military plane that was taking off from Kabul airport.

He was overwhelmed by photos and messages from Afghans pleading with him to act, including one from a woman who wrote: "For humanity and justice accept me as a refugee in a safe country."

- 'Liberal-pacifist' -

Marcus posted a message to his followers saying he wanted to help but wasn't sure how, and within a few minutes "thousands and thousands" of responses poured in, he told AFP.

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Among them was one from a longtime fan who claimed to be working with a group that recently got a few hundred people evacuated to France and was now out of money, according to Marcus.

The influencer urged his followers to help him raise at least half a million dollars in 24 hours.

Instead, $5 million poured in, he said. Within three days, he had received more than $7 million, with 123,000 people donating an average of $59 each.

"It was a crazy viral burst of money," said Marcus, who then needed to figure out what to do with it.

The self-described "liberal-pacifist" turned to war-zone professionals for guidance.

He was approached by Raven Advisory, a former Pentagon and CIA security services agency, and enlisted Karen Kraft, a former US Army Reserve officer turned TV producer who heads a veterans association.

"Everybody had a shared sentiment that we have to do something," said Kraft, the backbone of the operation.

Jason Hatch, a retired army officer and ex-diplomat, took responsibility for finding papers for Afghans already in transit in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kosovo, Uganda and Albania.

"This is the purest thing that I've ever done," Hatch told AFP.

- Suicide bombing -

They spent $4.79 million on chartering several flights that helped rescue the 565 Afghans.

The money was shared between several charter companies including Egyptian firm Mayfair and Kiwijet, owned by New Zealand businessman Nicolas Steele. US authorities have previously investigated Steele on suspicion of fraud, according to the Washington Post.

The companies were in the process of organizing several additional flights when on August 26 a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group tore through Kabul Airport, killing more than 100 people including 13 American soldiers.

"Flyaway" flights that had already been paid for were cancelled due to the deteriorating security and soaring insurance premiums, but later were able to resume.

"That froze everything," lamented Enrique Herrera, a retired US Air Force member who was given the job of "special operator."

Another $1.2 million was sent to a women's NGO and around $1 million remains yet to be spent, accounts show.

Kraft said two new flights with room for 600 passengers are ready to leave as soon as possible.

GoFundMe, the large crowdfunding platform that handled the release of the funds, told AFP that Flyaway had complied with US and international laws and financial regulations.

The Pentagon and State Department have not spoken publicly about Operation Flyaway.

Detractors note that the several hundred people rescued are a drop in the ocean compared to the 123,000 extracted by the US government and other states.

So was it all worth it? "Absolutely," said Herrera. "Because those are human lives."

Somayah, whose father was killed by the Taliban, was one of those evacuated to a nearby country on September 21.

The 21-year-old hopes to make it to the United States to "have a country to call my new home... where I'm able to be who I literally am and really want to be," she told AFP.

nr/arb/pdh/mlm/bfm/dva/axn
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. In light of that, when we looked at James Cropper (LON:CRPR) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on James Cropper is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.021 = UK1.2m  (UK81m - UK24m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).

So, James Cropper has an ROCE of 2.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Forestry industry average of 8.4%.

See our latest analysis for James Cropper

roce

In the above chart we have measured James Cropper's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering James Cropper here for free.

What Does the ROCE Trend For James Cropper Tell Us?

In terms of James Cropper's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 12%, but since then they've fallen to 2.1%. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

In Conclusion...

We're a bit apprehensive about James Cropper because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Despite the concerning underlying trends, the stock has actually gained 18% over the last five years, so it might be that the investors are expecting the trends to reverse. Regardless, we don't like the trends as they are and if they persist, we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

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Like most companies, James Cropper does come with some risks, and we've found 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.

While James Cropper may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
BRUSSELS, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Iran and world powers seeking to revive a 2015 nuclear deal are trying to agree a date for the resumption of talks in Vienna as soon as possible, a European Union spokesperson said on Friday.

Iran's top negotiator said after talks in Brussels this week that negotiations in Vienna will resume by the end of November.

EU spokesperson Peter Stano said the Oct. 27 meeting in Brussels was "useful" and "helped to define a way forward to resume negotiations in Vienna".

"We are working together with other partners, including Iran and other signatories (of the Iran nuclear deal), to fix a concrete date as early as possible to reconvene in Vienna," Stano told a regular briefing.

In April, Tehran and six powers started to discuss ways to salvage the 2015 nuclear pact, which three years ago then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned. Trump then reimposed sanctions on Iran that have devastated its economy by squeezing its oil exports.

But the talks have been on hold since the election of Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in June, who is expected to take a tough approach if the talks resume in Vienna. (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Sabine Siebold; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol on Friday will interview one of the 650 defendants charged with breaching the Capitol, part of an attempt to collect evidence about the rioters motivations, contacts and travel arrangements.

Heather Shaner, an attorney who represents multiple defendants in Jan. 6 cases, confirmed that one of her clients will be remotely interviewed Friday afternoon.

Shaner also revealed that she helped connect the committee with another source  not one of her clients  who claimed to have information related to associates of Alex Jones, the far right broadcaster who helped promote pro-Trump election conspiracy theories.

This individual has met with the committee, Shaner said.

POLITICO agreed not to identify Shaners client who will be interviewed Friday. However, the Jan. 6 committee has been reaching out to multiple defense attorneys for those charged in the attack to solicit voluntary interviews. Until Friday, it was unclear if any had accepted their invitation.

Many of those charged have expressed remorse about their actions and suggested their presence at the Capitol was driven by Donald Trumps call to march on Congress. Dozens of those who participated in pro-Trump rallies on Jan. 6  which later morphed into the attack on the Capitol  traveled in groups and may be able to aid investigators as they inquire about the organizers of the Jan. 6 demonstrations that preceded the insurrection.

Shaner, during a Thursday sentencing hearing for another Jan. 6 defendant, Jack Griffith, indicated that he, too, would be willing to cooperate with the committee.

And at a sentencing hearing Friday for defendant Leonard Gruppo, his attorney Daniel Lindsey indicated Gruppo had cooperated with the Jan. 6 committees investigation and was betrayed by Trump.

He followed the recommendation of a president who is amoral and cannot tell the truth  a former president, Lindsey said.

The judge in Gruppo's case, Beryl Howell, credited Gruppo  a military veteran  for cooperating with lawmakers, saying he demonstrated his remorse since Jan. 6, "particularly by talking to members of Congress on the select committee to help deter other people with the specialized training you [received] in the military, not to turn it against fellow Americans. Howell sentenced Gruppo to 24 months of probation, 90 days of home detention and a $3,000 fine.

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The committee has been interviewing and collecting documents from those involved in planning the rallies, though its unclear if all of the depositions have gone forward. A deposition set for Friday with a former Justice Department official who aided Trumps effort to overturn the election was postponed after he switched attorneys.

The committee was set to hold closed-door interviews Friday with Amy and Kylie Kremer, a mother-daughter duo whom committee investigators believed were part of organizing Trumps rally at the Ellipse. But a committee aide confirmed the depositions were postponed amid ongoing talks.

"Todays depositions have been postponed for a short time as witnesses continue to engage with the Select Committees investigation," the aide said.

Josh Gerstein and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
Oct. 28A judge has denied a request from a group of Waldo County residents to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them in which they are accused of spreading brothel-related rumours about two Belfast women.

The attorney representing the eight defendants asked the judge this summer to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging it infringed on their first amendment rights to petition the government. Justice Robert Murray issued an order denying the motion to dismiss on Monday. The order was the first issued by the judge in the case.

There are currently two other pending motions in the case awaiting a ruling from Murray, including a motion for summary judgement and a scheduling order change, according to the plaintiffs' attorney, David Walker.

R.M. Woodford and April Walker  who are mother and daughter  filed the lawsuit in May, accusing the eight defendants  including two Belfast city councilors  of spreading false statements on Facebook that they run a brothel and host sex parties.

The defendants outright deny ever making the statements and allege that the women have fabricated the Facebook comments used as evidence in the lawsuit.

In their lawsuit, April Walker and Woodford accuse the defendants of spreading the rumors after the women expressed their opposition to a proposal for a former school to be converted into rental properties more than two years ago.

While the defendants deny ever making disparaging remarks about the women, they do admit to making public statements on Facebook about the Pierce School, according to court documents.

The group's attorney, Christopher MacLean, has said the lawsuit is an attempt to deter his clients from participating in public discourse in the future. MacLean argued the lawsuit should therefore be dismissed because it violates Maine's anti-SLAPP statute, which was enacted to give the courts a way to quickly dismiss meritless or frivolous lawsuits that seek to silence or harass those who speak out on issues of public interest. SLAPP stands for "strategic lawsuits against public participation."

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However, Murray denied MacLean's motion to dismiss, stating that the statements Woodford and April Walker allege the eight defendants made "cannot be considered activity that would qualify as an exercise of the defendants First Amendment right to petition the government," according to his order.

Murray said the affidavits submitted by the defendants in which they deny that they made the alleged statements cannot be the basis for the dismissal "at this early state of the proceedings."

As of Thursday afternoon, MacLean said he had not yet seen the order.

Editor's note: Despite having the same last name, David Walker is not related to his client April Walker.
Rep. Steve Christiansen looks on as he stands on the floor of the Utah House of Representatives, in Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake County Republican Party has elected a replacement for a Utah state representative who resigned from the Legislature to join the private sector. Christiansen will represent District 47 following a special election conducted by the Salt Lake County GOP last week Utah GOP Replacement, Salt Lake City, USA - 16 Sep 2019

Rick Bowmer/AP/Shutterstock Rep. Steve Christiansen

Utah Rep. Steve Christiansen abruptly resigned from the state legislature on Thursday evening, writing obliquely to colleagues that the decision was motivated by "attacks" on his family after he pushed for an audit of the 2020 election results, despite no proof of fraud.

"While I expected, unfortunately, to be to be personally maligned and ridiculed as a public servant, I did not expect to see individuals attack my wife as they have, nor to see the significance of the impact of those attacks on her and our family. Primarily for that reason, it has become necessary to 'pause,' " Christiansen, 60, wrote in the letter sent to the Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.

The Republican  who has served in the legislature since January 2020  further used the letter to resign from his position at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, writing, "I do not wish to infer that my views represent those of [the church.] I therefore believe it is best to retire from Church employment to avoid potential misunderstandings."

According to his LinkedIn page, Christiansen served as director of Presiding Bishopric Projects at the church.

The now-former state representative added in his letter that the decision to leave the church was his alone.

Christiansen's resignation comes days after he gave a speech at a conspiracy-fueled right-wing press conference featuring controversial figures such as disgraced Trump adviser Michael Flynn and others who promoted unproven treatments for COVID-19, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

RELATED: Disgraced Trump Adviser Michael Flynn Tries to Walk Back Comment That a Coup 'Should' Happen Here

Christiansen had in recent weeks been pushing for an audit of the 2020 election results in Utah, which was won by former President Donald Trump.

Despite Trump's win in the state, Christiansen continued to argue that the vote was not "clean," calling for an audit at an Oct. 20 meeting about election integrity, which brought hundreds to the Utah state Capitol.

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Gov. Spencer Cox pushed back on those claims in a statement released last week, saying, "There is absolutely no evidence of election fraud in Utah."

In Arizona, where Trump supporters also called for an audit despite there being no evidence of election fraud, an audit only reaffirmed President Joe Biden's win.

In his resignation letter, Christiansen wrote, "We are in the midst of a Constitutional crisis of epic proportions and there is much to be done! The day may come when I re-enter the public arena. In the meantime, however, I plan to maintain a strong voice for freedom and liberty and remain engaged in the battle to ensure election integrity, medical freedom, and the protection of families."

Christiansen's office did not response to PEOPLE's request for clarification on the threats he said his family received or on a request for more details about the timeline of his resignation.

In a statement posted to Twitter after Christiansen announced his resignation, the Utah House Majority wrote that it wished him "the best in his future endeavors."

This evening, Rep. Steve Christiansen resigned from the Legislature. We wish him the best in his future endeavors. pic.twitter.com/ov0rGI6wO2  Utah House Majority (@utahhousereps) October 29, 2021

Utah Democrats, however, cheered the exit, saying in a statement obtained by local station KUTV that they "unequivocally condemn attacks on the families of elected officials. However, Rep. Christiansen made a name for himself in our state and nationally as a peddler of dangerous conspiracy theories. By aligning himself closely with insurrectionists who sought to destroy our system of government and way of life, Rep. Christiansen put our state, nation, and democratic ideals in jeopardy."

RELATED: The Fraught Final Days of Trump's Presidency  'You Know He's Crazy'

Earlier this week, some of the country's top election officials spoke before Congress and detailed the threats they said they've received from Trump supporters, which ramped up in intensity along with legal challenges to the election.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, described how, as poll workers continued tabulated votes two weeks after the election, "armed protesters gathered outside my home and chanted, 'Katie, come out and play. We are watching you.' "

The threats spanned across the aisle, too, with Al Schmidt, a Republican city commissioner on the Philadelphia Board of Elections, telling a Senate committee he received several threats, including one that said: "Tell the truth or your three kids will be fatally shot," along with the names of his children, his address, and a photo of his home.
Does the October share price for Volution Group plc (LON:FAN) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Volution Group

The model

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK48.2m UK49.4m UK52.5m UK54.1m UK55.3m UK56.4m UK57.2m UK58.0m UK58.8m UK59.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x4 Analyst x3 Est @ 2.91% Est @ 2.31% Est @ 1.89% Est @ 1.59% Est @ 1.38% Est @ 1.24% Est @ 1.14% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% UK45.2 UK43.3 UK43.1 UK41.6 UK39.8 UK38.0 UK36.2 UK34.4 UK32.6 UK30.8

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK385m

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.9%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2031  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK59m (1 + 0.9%)  (6.8% 0.9%) = UK1.0b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK1.0b ( 1 + 6.8%)10= UK530m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK915m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK4.9, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

Important assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Volution Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.202. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Volution Group, we've put together three important aspects you should look at:

Risks: Be aware that Volution Group is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does FAN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
Yuk Wun Pong uses a walker and is stuck in her apartment because the elevator at Cathay Manor is not operational. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Yuk Wun Pong hasn't left her apartment in 22 days.

The elevators in Cathay Manor, a low-income senior housing complex in Chinatown, haven't worked in weeks.

Pong, 86, who lives on the ninth floor, uses a walker, so she can't climb the stairs. Her son-in-law brings groceries.

On Thursday, Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer announced that his office has filed 16 misdemeanor charges against the building's owners.

"It is outrageous that vulnerable senior citizens in a 16-story high-rise are essentially trapped in their units," Feuer said.

Owners of the Cathay Manor building in Chinatown face allegations that the elevators in the 16-story building for low-income seniors are inoperable and have not been maintained in accordance with the Los Angeles Fire Department's safety protocols. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Without working elevators, elderly residents in the building may not be able to get groceries or visit the doctor, he said.

The charges against the owners, Gong Donald Toy and C.C.O.A. Housing Corporation, in the criminal complaint filed Wednesday include failing to maintain working elevators, failing to keep the building in good repair and failing to comply with fire safety protocols.

On Sept. 1, an official from the Department of Building and Safety visited Cathay Manor in response to an anonymous complaint about the elevators, Feuer said.

One elevator was repaired prior to an inspection a week later. By Oct. 15, it was again out of service.

As of Thursday, both of the building's elevators were still out of commission, said Feuer, who is running for mayor.

Toy, who is chief executive of C.C.O.A. Housing Corporation, said Thursday that he was not aware of the criminal charges but that he knew of the residents' concerns.

He said he was waiting on parts required to fix the elevators.

The goal of "my board and myself and our organization is to provide affordable housing for seniors," Toy said. "Basically, we've done that for 35 years and really had no major incidents. It's unfortunate that these incidents have happened, and we've been trying to address it."

But the elevators have been unreliable almost since Cathay Manor opened in 1984 as the first federally subsidized senior housing project in Chinatown.

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In 1988, about 200 residents protested maintenance lapses, including elevator problems, in the building.

Wing Ng walks up several flights of stairs to get to his apartment because the elevator at Cathay Manor is out of order. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Records with the Los Angeles Housing Department's code enforcement division show more than 30 complaints about the building this year, including for unmaintained electrical services; unsafe and unsanitary premises; defective drywalling and peeling paint; dampness in rooms; missing fire extinguishers; lack of illumination in hallways and stairways; and an inability to reach managers.

In August, some tenants staged a protest, describing the offline elevators and broken laundry facilities. Several said they had resorted to washing clothes and linens in the sink and hanging them up to dry.

Toy said workers won't come to fix the laundry machines because they don't want to climb the stairs.

Qi Zheng Chen's kitchen lights do not work at her apartment at Cathay Manor. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The elevators have been red-tagged for emergency repair for months, said Chester Chong, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who has been assisting the tenants.

"The management don't treat the resident as a human being," he said. "They don't care. They only ask, 'Where is the money?'"

More than 300 residents live in the building's 278 units, according to Chong.

Many speak Cantonese, Vietnamese or Spanish and have limited English.

Even problems that seem easy to fix are more complicated than they seem, Toy said. The dark stairwells require new electrical parts, not just lightbulbs, he said.

"We stand ready, and we want to resolve to make the solutions good for everybody," he said. "We have no reason to not want to repair or to not want to do certain things."

A view of City Hall from inside Cathay Manor, a building in Chinatown. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo, whose district includes Chinatown, said in a statement that global supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are making it hard to obtain the necessary parts.

But his "paramount concern is for the safety and access of the seniors and tenants in Cathay Manor," he said.

Cedillo said the city hopes to get a manual operator for one elevator within 48 hours and to modernize the other one.

Thuy-Linh Nguyen, who is in her 50s, recently lugged eight bottles of water up the stairs for an 80-year-old friend.

"I feel so sorry for all of these seniors because their concerns are not respected, never listened to," Nguyen said.

A resident of Cathay Manor in Chinatown points out the laundry room being out of service for an extended period. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

"My laundry smells because I can't wash or dry every single thing properly," said the friend, Tuyet Nguyen, an immigrant from Vietnam. "We're stranded without outside air. We just need a bit of exercise, and we force ourselves to find a way to get out, though we are experiencing pain."

The lack of working elevators is a serious safety issue, Feuer said, since a fire could be catastrophic.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has placed the building under a fire watch, which keeps it under continuous surveillance to detect signs of fire.

Ideally, the owners will fix the elevators, but various city departments are also making plans to assist the residents, Feuer said.

Each of the 16 criminal charges is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.

Wing Ng has called the building home for more than 11 years. He recently underwent an operation for kidney cancer and struggles to walk up the six flights of stairs to his apartment.

"It's really, really hard, but I consider myself lucky because I can still walk," said Ng, 81, alluding to neighbors who are in wheelchairs and trapped "because they can't go anywhere."

Pong, the ninth-floor resident, is a widow who lives alone.

The retired seamstress can't move in with her children because they don't have extra space.

She pays $231 a month for the subsidized apartment, passing the time watching Cantonese television.

"I cannot go anywhere," she said. "Living here, it's like a jail."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Malaysia's government on Friday proposed a record budget for 2022 to bolster an economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, with various industrial incentives and cash handouts for the poor and a one-time tax for high-income companies.

Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz introduced in Parliament the budget proposal of 332.1 billion ringgit ($80.2 billion), up from 320.6 billion ringgit ($77.4 billion) in the current year.

He said a virus lockdown in the third quarter has set back an economic recovery. With 95% of adults and more than 60% of teenagers fully vaccinated, he said the budget is designed to strengthen economic recovery, build resilience and drive reforms."

The budget is the first under the administration of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who took office in August after two changes of government since 2018 elections.

Ismail was the deputy prime minister under Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned after less than 18 months in office following infighting in his coalition. Ismail's appointment brought Muhyiddins alliance back to power.

It also returned the premiership to Ismails United Malays National Organization, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in the 2018 elections amid a multibillion-dollar financial scandal.

Zafrul said Malaysia's economy is expected to grow 5.5%-6.5% in 2022, up from 3%-4% projected this year after a contraction of 5.6% last year. Despite the increased spending, he said the government's budget deficit is expected to narrow to 6% from 6.5% this year.

With many livelihoods hit by the pandemic, he said the government will dish out 8.2 billion ringgit ($2 billion) in cash handouts that will benefit 9.6 million poor households and individuals. Nearly 5 billion ringgit has also been allocated to create 600,000 new jobs, he said. The budget also includes about 31 billion ringgit ($7.5 billion) for subsidies, assistance and other incentives to ease the public's burden, he said.

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To boost state coffers, Zafrul said the government will impose a one-time special tax for high-income companies generating more than 100 million ringgit ($24.1 million) in profits. The first 100 million ringgit in taxable earnings will be taxed at 24% while the rest will be taxed at 33%, he said.

Opposition lawmakers asked how the government will raise enough money for the expanded budget and said it didn't focus enough on helping businesses out of the crisis.

They will borrow, borrow and borrow. With this budget, the national debt will cross 1 trillion ringgit ($241.4 billion) in 2022. The debt servicing costs for these debts will be 43 billion ringgit ($10.4 billion) in 2022," bigger than the 32 billion ringgit ($7.7 billion) allocated for health, opposition lawmaker Wong Chen tweeted.

The budget is seen in part as an effort by Ismail and his UMNO party to win back public support, especially that of rural ethnic Malays, and show that it can lead the country again. General elections are not due until 2023, but many expect polls could be called next year.

___

This story corrects the finance minister's name.
Oct. 28A Hillsborough County jury has convicted a Manchester man of wielding a machete and raping a woman in a crime that is rare  the rape of a woman by a stranger.

Sitting in Manchester, the Hillsborough County Superior Court jury found Jose Polanco Diaz, 26, guilty of aggravated felonious sexual assault, falsifying evidence, indecent exposure and three counts of criminal threatening.

"This was a horrible experience (for the victim), given the horrific nature of the crime and the randomness," said Jonathan Cowal, the assistant Hillsborough County attorney who prosecuted the case.

Manchester police arrested Diaz hours after the Sept. 4, 2020, attack. He has been held in jail since his arrest, and he will return to court on Dec. 13 for a sentencing hearing.

Cowal said the county will seek a lengthy prison sentence.

Diaz did not testify during his two-day trial, and his defense centered on mistaken identity. His public defender in the case, Kimberly Kossick, said she did not want to comment on the case.

The victim, who was in her 40s, testified and Cowal said that she did an excellent job on the stand.

He said she is trying to put the attack behind her and has relocated.

The attack took place about 9 a.m. on a Friday morning, with Diaz entering the victim's basement apartment on Auburn Street near Lincoln.

He swung the machete, threatened her and then sexually assaulted her. She ran off and told her boyfriend. When he returned, Diaz raised a machete at him.

Cowal said it's unclear what the motive was for the attack, if any, as it was likely a crime of opportunity. Diaz has a history of break-ins.
Marc Zumoff, the former sportscaster for the Philadelphia 76ers for the last 27 years, has been enjoying retired life since closing his chapter on television in June.

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We spoke to the Northeast Philadelphia native about what would make his perfect day in the city:

Breakfast: Sabrina's Cafe near the art museum on Callowhill Street to get the challah french toast and an omelet.

After breakfast: Go for a bike ride along the Schuylkill River Trail or take a walk through Old City.

Afternoon: On a good-weather day, visit the Rail Park, which Zumoff called one of his favorites because "it's just a place to chill." If the weather isn't great, Zumoff likes the Barnes Foundation.

Lunch: Famous 4th Street Delicatessen's turkey special.

"I'm Jewish so I'm a huge deli guy," he said.

Early evening: Yoga at Maha Yoga on Samson Street before heading to the Italian Market or South Street if he's "feeling adventurous."

Dinner: Sang Kee Peking Duck House on 9th Street in Chinatown.

"In the winter time, there's nothing better to warm the tummy than noodle soup," he said.

Late night: Get a drink at Charlie was a sinner. Bourbon neat in the winter. Moscow mule in the summer.

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Mexico announced Thursday it will give temporary humanitarian visas to children and pregnant women who are traveling with a migrant caravan currently moving north through the country.

Driving the news: A recent caravan of Central American and Caribbean migrants is traveling towards Mexico City and the U.S. and comprised largely of families with children, per Reuters.

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Details: Eligible migrants will be granted one-year humanitarian visas, the Mexican Ministry of Interior announced.

With the visa, migrants will have access to shelters and food, the announcement said.

The government said "from the first moment when the group of migrants left Tapachula, Chiapas, on October 23, the immigration authority has followed up and offered assistance" to the migrants.

Yes, but: On Saturday, hundreds of Mexican law enforcement officers in anti-riot gear blockaded the group's path at a highway checkpoint near the Guatemalan border, per Reuters.

"Authorities did not want to become embroiled in violent confrontations due to the number of children and pregnant women in the caravan," Reuters reports.

Go deeper: Mexico's drug cartels target migrants as they expand into extortion

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Former Vice President Mike Pence and Mujahedin-e Khalq leader Maryam Rajavi. Attila Kisbenedek and Siavosh Hosseini/Getty Images

Mike Pence endorsed the MEK, a fringe Iranian dissident group with little support in Iran.

The group forbids members from thinking sexual thoughts, considering them a distraction from their goals.

Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, and Mike Pompeo have also endorsed the group.

Former Vice President Mike Pence offered his support on Thursday to a fringe Iranian dissident group that seeks to overthrow the Iranian government, calling the group's long-time leader, Maryam Rajavi, an "inspiration to the world."

Pence, along with former Sen. Joe Lieberman, spoke at the 2021 Free Iran Summit in Washington, DC, a conference held by an organization affiliated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), which maintains a secretive compound in Albania.

"One of the biggest lies the ruling regime has sold the world is that there's no alternative to the status quo," Pence said, referring to Iran's theocratic government, where an ayatollah wields supreme power and influences who can run for elected positions. "But there is an alternative, a well-organized, fully prepared, perfectly qualified and popularly supported alternative called the MEK."

The room then erupted in cheers, with members of the audience chanting the phrase "M-E-K" repeatedly.

"The MEK is committed to democracy, human rights, and freedom for every citizen of Iran. And it's led by an extraordinary woman. Mrs. Rajavi is an inspiration to the world," Pence declared.

The former vice president criticized the Biden administration for its "embrace" of the JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear deal, from which the Trump administration withdrew the United States in 2018. Negotiations between the US and Iran over reviving the nuclear accord remain stalled.

Pence also said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi should be removed from office by the people of Iran and "prosecuted for crimes against humanity and genocide," referring to Raisi's involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.

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A secretive group that forbids sexual thoughts

Maryam Rajavi has been the leader of the mysterious group ever since the group's previous leader, Rajavi's husband Massoud, disappeared during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, where the group was formerly headquartered.

The group was delisted as a terrorist group by the US in 2012 after a lobbying campaign, despite killing American citizens in Iran.

The MEK has been labeled a "cult-like group" and does not appear to have significant support within the country it aims to lead. That's because the MEK was protected for 20 years by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein - who waged a brutal 8-year war against Iran - and has reportedly collaborated with Israel to kill Iranian nuclear scientists and received funding from Iran's leading regional foe, Saudi Arabia.

Both the New York Times and BBC report that the group forbids members from thinking sexual thoughts, participating in "self-criticism rituals" and record any such thoughts in a notebook.

"We had a little notebook, and if we had any sexual moments we should write them down. For example, 'Today, in the morning, I had an erection,'" a former member of the group told the BBC.

"You can't have a personal life when you're struggling for a cause," a current member told the Times.

The MEK is also well-funded, paying American political figures like former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak at their events. And prominent Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor John Bolton, have also spoken at MEK events or endorsed the group.

It is unclear whether Pence was paid to speak to the group, and a spokesperson for Pence did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Myanmar's military sentenced a close aide of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 20 years in prison on Friday, his lawyer said, the first high-ranking member of her party to be jailed by a junta court.

The country has been in turmoil since a February 1 coup ousted Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) government, accusing it of fraud in 2020 polls it won in a landslide.

Myanmar has since been in chaos, with huge democracy protests and a crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 1,200 people, according to a local monitoring group.

Former member of parliament and NLD speaker Win Htein was handed 20 years in jail for treason by a special court in the capital Naypyidaw, lawyer Myint Thwin told AFP.

He added that he would appeal the sentence, and that his client was in good health.

Win Htein, 80, is the first high-ranking NLD member to be sentenced by the junta after a trial.

The former soldier is a longtime political prisoner who has spent long stretches of time in detention for campaigning against military rule.

Considered Suu Kyi's right-hand man, he was long been sought out by international and domestic media for insights into what Myanmar's former de facto leader is thinking.

The wheelchair-bound politician requires oxygen to help him breathe, according to local media, and suffers from hypertension, diabetes, and heart and thyroid diseases.

Ahead of his arrest three days after the coup, he told local media the military putsch was "not wise", and that its leaders "have taken (the country) in the wrong direction".

- Vendetta -

The sentencing was "an indication that this regime does want to throw the book at these NLD leaders", including Suu Kyi, said Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.

"They do want to portray them as having been traitorous, corrupt and so on. It's definitely not a good sign for others," he said, although he added it was possible the junta held a vendetta against former soldier Win Htein.

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Suu Kyi faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for decades, from illegally importing walkie-talkies to flouting coronavirus rules.

She testified for the first time in a junta court on Tuesday, four months after being put on trial by the military, a source with knowledge of the case told AFP.

Media have been barred from attending Suu Kyi's trial at the special court in the military-built capital Naypyidaw and the junta recently banned her legal team from speaking to reporters.

Before the ban, her lawyers said the Nobel laureate, 76, would not call any defence witnesses at her incitement trial and she will represent herself.

The junta has threatened to dissolve the NLD and continues to wage a bloody campaign against opponents to its rule.

bur-rma/axn
A North Carolina nanny was arrested for misdemeanor child abuse this week after the 2-year-old's parents witnessed their nanny allegedly force-feeding him live on video, according to reports.

Max Oglesby, the boy's father, posted video of the incident on Facebook, writing that he and his wife had to make the "tough" decision to hire a nanny for a couple of days a week so they could work on their bar in Washington, North Carolina.

But when they turned on the nanny camera during a break at the bar they allegedly witnessed her holding their son down in his high chair and forcing food into his mouth  then holding his mouth closed.

Oglesby said he and his wife immediately raced back to their home in New Bern, North Carolina, but first told Maxs mother to go to the house while they made the hour drive, according to the New Bern Sun-Journal.

"This was being watched by us live and only a SMALL clip of the 2 HOURS she spent doing this to our son," he alleged. "We are heartbroken for our son and furious that this happened. We are taking appropriate actions upon this matter and will not stand for this happening to our baby or anyone else's babies."

The nanny, identified as Lauren Rowe, was arrested Wednesday and released on a $2,500 bond. Her next court date is Nov. 8, according to WITN-TV in Washington, North Carolina.

The parents claimed their son had bruising on his arm after the incident.

Oglesby said Rowe had been recommended to his wife via a Facebook group for local moms and she had a check on Care.com.

"I feel like we took the right steps," he said, according to the Sun Journal.

Laura Oglesby, the boy's mother, told WITN, "I wanted to kick her (bleep), I wanted to come here and pin her down and I wanted to put food in her mouth."
Michelle Surrency reacts to the news of an indictment of Trooper Christopher Baldner. CBS New York

Christopher Baldner was indicted on murder, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment charges Wednesday.

Tristin Goods says Baldner rammed his SUV during a traffic stop in December 2020.

The SUV hit a guardrail, flipped, and 11-year-old Monica Goods was ejected from the vehicle and died.

A New York State trooper has been charged with murder, 10 months after he rammed a family's SUV during a traffic stop and caused the death of an 11-year-old girl, prosecutors allege.

A grand jury indicted Trooper Christopher Baldner on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and first-degree reckless endangerment in connection to the December 22, 2020 incident which resulted in the death of 12-year-old Monica Goods, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday.

Prosecutors allege that Baldner pulled over the Goods' family car for speeding, but fired pepper spray into the car during the traffic stop.

In an interview with the New York Daily News in June, Monica's father, Tristin Goods, said he was driving upstate with his wife and two daughters to visit family for Christmas.

Goods claimed Baldner was argumentative from the start of the traffic stop, yelling at him and claiming that Goods was driving so fast that he shook Baldner's car and demanding to know whether he had drugs or guns in the vehicle, according to the Daily News.

Prosecutors said that after Goods drove away after being pepper sprayed, Baldner pursued them, ramming his police vehicle into their SUV twice.

The Goods' car flipped over "several times" and Monica was ejected from the car, killing her, prosecutors said.

Baldner surrendered Wednesday morning and was suspended from the department without pay, state police officials told NBC New York. Baldner was ordered held without bail pending a bail hearing scheduled for November 4, according to the Associated Press.

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Baldner's union, which said it would be providing him with an attorney, issued a statement to Insider on Friday, from the group's president, Thomas H. Mungeer.

"The New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association sends our condolences to the family of the child who died in the December 2020 crash," Mungeer said. "We respect the legal process and are preparing for the next step, which will be to provide legal representation to the involved Trooper, a right afforded to every American citizen tried by a jury of peers. As this case makes its way through the legal system, we look forward to a review and public release of the facts, including the motorist's reckless actions that started this chain of events."

In a press conference after the charges against Baldner were announced on Wednesday, Monica's mother, Michelle Surrency, said that the indictment was a step in the right direction, but justice hasn't been attained for her daughter yet.

"We were robbed. And it's not fair," Surrency said, according to NBC New York. "I just want people to know the fight isn't over. This is just the beginning. You know, I didn't lose one child that day, I lost two because Tristina will never be the same."

An advocate for Monica's family, the Rev. Kevin McCall, added that Baldner shouldn't have even been behind the wheel.

Gov. Kathy Hochul previously revealed that Baldner was involved in two other crashes on the NYS thruway - an incident in January 2017 where he crashed into someone on I-87 and an incident two years later where he crashed into another vehicle, seriously injuring three people and causing "grave risk of death," CBS New York reports.

"We cannot allow someone that has a history to be on any police force throughout this state," McCall told CBS New York.

Monica Goods' family didn't respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Read the original article on Insider
Isaiah Andrews, 83, maintained his innocence when his wife was slain weeks after they wed in 1974. Ive become free, said Andrews after new trial.

An 83-year-old man who maintained that he did not murder his wife in 1974 has been found not guilty after spending 45 years in prison.

Isaiah Andrews of Cleveland was vindicated after a new trial was granted him last year, once his lawyers from the Ohio Innocence Project discovered compelling evidence pointing to another suspect  information that had never been turned over to Andrews original defense team.

Isaiah Andrews is shown after his second trial for his wifes murder, giving media interviews. He was found not guilty this week of a murder for which he served 45 years in prison. (Photo: Screengrab/Facebook/Ohio Innocence Project)

For over four decades, Isaiah Andrews has fought for justice for his wife and for his freedom, Marcus Sidoti, one of the attorneys, said in a statement Wednesday. Today the jury got it right. He is finally vindicated. Isaiah will never get these decades of his life back, but he can now live the remainder of his life a free man.

Andrews was found not guilty by a unanimous verdict in a new trial that featured mostly the reading of transcripts, as many of the original trials witnesses have passed away.

A couple of images from today of OIP client Isaiah Andrews, whose retrial 47 years after his wife's murder ended with a unanimous jury verdict of not guilty. There in support were fellow OIP clients Ruel Sailor, Charles Jackson and Laurese Glover.#wrongfulconviction pic.twitter.com/vYTJTOd9Lj  OhioInnocenceProject (@theOhioInnProj) October 27, 2021

American prisons are overflowing with people like Isaiah Andrews, serving time for crimes they did not commit due to prosecutorial misconduct. These injustices should never stop enraging us. https://t.co/lBImwY8iqL  Sam Allard (@SceneSallard) October 27, 2021

According to Cleveland Scene, Andrews was arrested after his wife, Regina Andrews, was found dead near Forest Hill Park on Sept. 18, 1974. She was brutally stabbed and police believed she was sexually assaulted. The woman was wrapped in hotel linens.

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There was an original suspect, Willie Watts, a man whod been in the area near where Mrs. Andrews body was found and whod been staying in a Howard Johnson hotel missing its bed linens after he checked out. However, Watts had an alibi for the time that police believed Mrs. Andrews had been killed. When the coroner adjusted the time of death, however, police never again questioned Watts. It was that bit of information that was never shared with Isaiah Andrews defense team, prompting a new trial.

Local reporting notes that Watts went on to have a long criminal history after the 1974 murder, including several crimes against women. He died in 2011.

At the time of her death, Isaiah and Regina Andrews had only been married three weeks.

In the courtroom after the verdict, Andrews told reporters, Ive become free.

This was the right result today, but I dont know if hell ever get actual justice, Brian Howe of the Ohio Innocence Project told Cleveland.com. He should have never been convicted in the first place, and he certainly never should have been retried.

The Ohio Innocence Project is part of the University of Cincinnati, where it was founded in 2003. Since their inception, their work has led to the release of 33 wrongfully convicted Ohioans, who collectively served nearly 650 years behind bars.

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An Oklahoma deputy has undergone surgery after being shot seven times during a standoff with a suspect Friday morning.

Deputies with the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office surrounded a home at around 8 a.m. in response to a domestic-related call. The suspect retreated into his home and barricaded himself inside.

The suspect, later identified as Braedon Chesser, 27, shot at the deputies, hitting one deputy seven times.

Chesser has been identified as former Marine, and he used what officers believed to be an assault rifle. He fled the scene following the shooting and remains on the run.

ATLANTA OFFICER INJURED, SHOTS FIRED IN TRAFFIC STOP GONE WRONG

Oklahoma Highway Patrol is assisting with the manhunt. Authorities provided photos of Chesser from 2020 and 2018 as they cannot confirm his current appearance.

Chesser is otherwise described as a white male, 510", and 185 pounds.

CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTING: DOJ AGREES TO MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH VICTIMS' FAMILIES

First responders took the deputy, who has not been named, to OU Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. His condition is currently unclear.

The injured deputy has been with the department for about a year and a half.

Nearby Bethel Acres Public Schools said that it would maintain a shelter-in-place order until further notice, News 9 reported.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Department or 911.
Olivia Munn knows all about the pressure to be perfect in her pregnancy.

The Newsroom star, who is expecting her first child with comedian John Mulaney, appeared virtually on SiriusXMs Pop Culture Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, where she admitted she felt insecure about her changing body and the clothes she could no longer wear, especially after seeing photos of women who "are super skinny, and have this little bump and everything is effortless." When Munn reached out to a stylish friend about finding cute maternity clothes, she was discouraged when the friend pointed her towards former Victoria's Secret Angel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who is currently pregnant with her second child.

"Rosie's great and I love Rosiebut that's what I mean," Munn said. "I don't have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's body at all and that's kind of, that was the first step of feeling like, 'Oh if I am not handling maternity well, if Im not looking chic and cool and effortless, and if my body is changing like this that means that I'm failing. That means that I'm already not doing things right.'"

Munn shared that the experience reminded her of her early days in Hollywood. She recalled being told she was "too big to be on TV," leading her to "under eat."

"I was like, 'Fine, you are calling me this, fine,' and 'ha ha ha' but it wasnt 'ha ha ha," Munn explained. "I would do that on the surface but behind the scenes, I was talking to doctors, [asking] 'What can I do to lose weight?' Asking friends what their tips and tricks ... Then starting that cycle of eating too much, over eating, under eating and then before you know it, 'Oh, she is too skinny.'"

In a recent interview with Yahoo Life, Munn shared how she manages the pressure of being in the public eye.

"I think that comes in waves," she said. "You can really manage it at times and others it just feels like you cant. It's really hard to have a grasp on it and even when you think you have a grasp on it, it will slip away from you at some point. The best thing I can do is surround myself with my friends and the people who I love and who really love me. That's a good escape from social media and the pressure of being in the public eye. How you feel about it is constantly changing and shifting, but the constants in my life are my friends and family. They have a much higher priority than any outside influences."

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WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland summoned Belgium's ambassador on Friday to express "disapproval and indignation" after Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo accused Warsaw of "playing with fire" in a worsening dispute with Brussels over the rule of law.

Ambassador Luc Jacobs was called in to see Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek, the Polish foreign ministry said, adding: "Such public comments (as De Croo's) do not contribute to a good climate in Polish-Belgian relations."

The Belgian Embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Referring to comments made by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview, De Croo said in a speech on Wednesday: "You are playing a dangerous game, you are playing with fire when waging war with your European colleagues for internal political reasons", according to a transcript.

Morawiecki had told the Financial Times on Sunday that Poland would use any means at its disposal to defend itself if Brussels were to start "the third world war" by withholding funds in a dispute over judicial reforms.

The European Commission has demanded that Poland undo a disciplinary regime for judges that critics say increases political control over the courts in order to unlock 36 billion euros ($42 billion) of COVID-19 recovery funds.

The EU's top court has also imposed fines of 1 million euros a day on Poland for failing implement a ruling to dissolve a disciplinary chamber for judges.

Warsaw has condemned the use of financial penalties as "blackmail".

(Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anna Koper; Editing by John Stonestreet and Catherine Evans)
Rep. Cori Bush speaks to reporters after meeting other House Democrats in Washington DC, on October 28, 2021. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Progressive Democrats forced party leadership to rethink its attempt to pass a spending package.

Biden and Pelosi pleaded with House Dems to pass infrastructure spending on Thursday.

Some refused, insisting on different sequencing which they say will ultimately secure more spending.

Progressive House Democrats celebrated on Thursday after disrupting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's latest attempt to advance the spending bills that are the centerpiece of President Joe Biden's domestic agenda.

The House Progressive Caucus, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, made clear on Thursday that they would not vote to advance the smaller of Biden's two packages, $550 billion of infrastructure spending.

Without their support, Democrats had too few votes to pass the bill, prompting Nancy Pelosi to pull it. The vote now can't happen until at east next week, Insider reported.

The delay ruined Biden's hope of securing a legislative victory before beginning an overseas tour including a pivotal climate-change summit in Scotland.

The Progressive Caucus has repeatedly insisted that it won't pass the infrastructure package until the much larger social-spending package - now pegged at around $1.75 trillion - also makes progress.

The group has said it fears that the larger package will get whittled down, or dropped altogether, during the legislative process.

Their plan is to hold up the other bill as leverage until the large package is secure, a strategy that has brought them into conflict with Biden and Pelosi.

As it became clear that the Progressive Caucus had triumphed - a repeat of a similar gambit in late September - members of the group celebrated their success.

"Folks in my district & across the country expect us to keep fighting for their families - and that's exactly what we're doing," Rep. Ayanna Pressley, of Massachusetts, tweeted Thursday evening. "A deal is a deal. These bills move together."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also celebrated by posting a check-mark on Twitter in response to another tweet that read: "Hold.the.line."

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"Hold the line" is a slogan used by progressives who are determined not to change their position. Extra pressure from in-person entreaty from Biden on Thursday to advance the package failed to change the dynamic.

The argument over the order in which to pursue the two packages has led to deepening rifts within the Democratic Party, Insider reported previously.

Some progressives have said that one reason for their hardline position is distrust of senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.

Sinema and Manchin forced cuts in the scope of the social-spending package, also known as the Build Back Better Act, which shrank by more than half from a projected $3.5 trillion to the $1.75 trillion now under discussion.

Rep. Cori Bush tweeted: "The best way to guarantee that Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin support the President's framework is for the Build Back Better Act to pass in the Senate first."

"The people - not just some, but ALL of our people - must win," she added.

In a statement on Twitter, the Progressive Caucus wrote: "There is too much at stake for working families and our communities to settle for something that can later be misunderstood, amended, or abandoned altogether."

Read the original article on Business Insider
LONDON (AP)  Protesters took to the streets Friday in London's historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

The protests in London, which were joined by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as well as many other young campaigners from around the world, are part of a global day of action before leaders head to Glasgow for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Many environmentalists are calling the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 gathering the worlds last best chance to turn the tide in the battle against climate change.

The protesters included Friday for Future activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, who called out the banks for financing activities such as deforestation, mining and polluting industries, which they blame for the destruction of their homes and their futures.

As much as we are passionate to be here, we shouldnt have to be here," said Brianna Fruean from Samoa. "Our pain, our suffering, our tears and our sorrows shouldnt be what it takes to take action. We already know what we need to do: we need to phase out of the fossil fuel era, we need to divest from these industries that are causing this harm and despair.

The mood music ahead of the climate talks appears fairly downbeat, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the summits host, saying its touch and go whether there will be a positive outcome.

On Friday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned at the Group of 20 summit of leading industrial and developing nations that there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver. He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, the world is still careening towards climate catastrophe.

The protest in London began at the Climate Justice Memorial outside the insurance marketplace of Lloyd's of London, where red flowers spelling out Rise Remember Resist were laid.

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The focus later centered on the headquarters of international bank Standard Chartered, where the few dozen protesters, including Thunberg, chanted Keep it, Keep it, Keep it in the ground! and Ensure our future, not pollution!" A vigil outside the Bank of England will round out the day's protests.

We have companies like Standard Chartered who are funding our death, said Collette Levy-Brown, a climate activist from Botswana. People are slowly dying. In Africa, we are seeing the climate crisis already.

Across the world, demonstrators have been taking to the streets to urge action now, including in coal-reliant Poland, where city sirens sounded at noon in Warsaw and other major cities. Poland's conservative government has been slow to embrace new climate goals, arguing that the country needs more time to phase out its heavy dependence on coal.

The summit in Glasgow is taking place a year late because of the coronavirus pandemic. Six years ago in Paris, nearly 200 countries agreed to individual plans to fight global warming. Under the Paris pact, nations must revisit their previous pledges to curb carbon pollution every five years and then announce plans to cut even more and do it faster.

The headline goal set in Paris was to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times, yet the world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

The hope is that world leaders will cajole each other in Glasgow into doing more, while ensuring that poorer nations struggling to tackle climate change get the financial support they need to adapt.

The U.N.'s Guterres said, however, there are serious questions about some of those emissions pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.

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David Keyton in London, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw and Karl Ritter in Rome contributed to this story.

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Read more of APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate
University of California, Berkeley, students, faculty and alumni, including those of Filipino descent, are protesting an exhibit that they say depicts Filipino history and scholarship through a racist lens.

Members of the universitys community have been speaking out against the exhibit at the universitys main library, which aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the department of South and Southeast Asian studies.

They say a portion of the exhibit  which features the works of several white male Berkeley scholars such as David Barrows and Bernard Moses, who championed U.S. colonization of the Philippines  perpetuates racist beliefs while decentering those of Filipino descent.

Many of Filipino descent are protesting the exhibit that, they say, perpetuates racist beliefs about Filipino history. (Courtesy Jalen Johnson)

Though a 300-word addendum has been added to the exhibit this month, the schools student government, along with several other campus organizations, hosted a protest Thursday before the conclusion of Octobers Filipino Heritage Month. The groups indicated that the addendum is insufficient, demanding an apology from the school.

What is the right thing to do? To work with communities that are directly impacted, and to work collaboratively to have an exhibit more stakeholders can be proud of, Alex Mabanta, who spearheaded the rally, told NBC Asian America. Theres been no forum for direct community input.

Janet Gilmore, a campus spokesperson, said in a statement that the university will continue to meet with members of the school community. In reference to the addendum, she wrote that the library had made modifications to the exhibit, but did not offer an apology from the school.

While individuals such as David Prescott Barrows have a clear legacy of racism towards Filipinos, Black people and Indigenous peoples, they and their work remain part of Berkeleys history, she said in the statement. And for that reason we must exercise extreme care, caution and sensitivity when presenting their work and discussing their legacies.

The display case entitled Berkeley Scholars in the Philippines, had originally been presented with the details and works of school administrators who supported colonization, including Alfred Louis Kroeber, Robert Gordon Sproul, Moses and Barrows.

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Absent from the display was proper criticism of the mens harmful legacies, particularly as the university had already begun to strip some of their names from buildings last year, several faculty members noted.

Barrows, who was a faculty member at the university for decades in the early 1900s, served as superintendent of schools in Manila while the United States had been occupying the Philippines. While in the role, he instituted the usage of his own textbook, A History of the Philippines, as the standard for schools in the country. The textbook is included in the display.

Barrows, who had expressed that Filipinos had an intrinsic inability for self-governance and were an illiterate and ignorant class, had championed the superiority of English over native Filipino languages, Joi Barrios, a lecturer of Filipino language at the university said. In his reinforcement of feudal, colonial and pro-imperialist values, Barrows left a lasting, damaging legacy in the Philippines, she explained.

The moment you privilege English as the language of education  You come to accept colonization, and you come to think of your culture as inferior to the culture of the colonizers, Barrios said. Then you kind of accept the benevolent assimilation myth that you were colonized, because you deserve to be colonized.

Among other problematic elements in the display is an old newspaper article announcing Moses appointment to the Philippine Commission. The commission, which was established by then-U.S. President William McKinley and made up of white men, operated as a legislative and, to a lesser degree, executive power in the Philippines in 1900.

In response to the display, which they say included almost no discussion or representation of communities from the Philippines, including Berkeley scholars from the Philippines, the schools student government passed a resolution last week to condemn the exhibit.

In the resolution, the group demanded that the university not only acknowledge and apologize for the harms it perpetuates in surfacing the colonial period from the colonizers gaze, but also advocate for recognition and celebration of October as Filipino American History Month. It is also asking for commemoration of Oct. 25 as Larry Itliong Day, uplifting the work of the legendary Filipino American labor organizer. The student government also called for further commitment to campus resources and academic initiatives, including a Philippine studies program, to create a more inclusive environment for those of Filipino descent.

Catherine Ceniza Choy, a tenured Filipino American professor of ethnic studies who said she was not consulted for the opening of the exhibit, said the display was particularly alarming considering the awareness around Barrows and the widely discussed renaming process that had taken place.

What happened here at this exhibit is yet another example of the persistence of U.S. national amnesia about colonialism in the Philippines and the violence of that colonialism, she said.

While information on the white scholars is provided in the display, another table, which contains the works of Choy and Karen Llagas, another lecturer at the school who teaches Filipino language, among others, is given no such background and sits in a separate area.

Choy pointed out that the intention of the exhibit is to celebrate scholarship in the past 50 years. Not only were the works displayed largely pro-colonialist, she said their scholarship preceded the 50 years, which further erases the achievements of the many academics of Filipino descent who have come from the university.

Theres a way in which these representations also perpetuate how white American men specifically are historical agents and actors and that the Philippines peoples and Filipino Americans in the diaspora  we are of the past. We are not dynamic. We are not actors who are central in this history, Choy said, pointing out that Berkeley has no shortage of contemporary scholars of Filipino descent.

Choy, who said she was only contacted about the exhibit after it had been opened to the community, said the addendum felt like an afterthought.

Though the portrayal of the Philippines is offensive and inaccurate, its more so a reflection of an American colonial mentality that is embedded into U.S. education, Llagas explained.

Its not to put the blame on the people who curated this exhibit. Its kind of to shine a lens on what it is that theyre operating in. what culture and what academic climate theyre operating in, she said.
theGrio has the latest in reality TV news from the week.

From The Real Housewives of Potomac taking over daytime TV to Kenya Moores spooky choreography on Dancing with the Stars, theGrio is back with your Reality Roundup of the week.

Screengrab via Youtube: Karen Huger

The Real meets Potomac

With Garcelle Beauvais as a co-host, The Real is no stranger to reality TV stars (Beauvais joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2020.) This week, however, the daytime talk show got some extra reality juice as all of the Real Housewives of Potomac flew out to LA to dish on everything season 6 and their highly anticipated reunion.

The Grand Dame Karen Huger told the co-hosts, Its reality. Women, we get along sometimes, sometimes we dont. While she agreed that sometimes it can get very mean on their show, she said, we never go so far, some of us, that we cant come back and say, Look Im sorry, lets move on.'

Candiace and Mia set the record straight

While on The Real, Candiace Dillard Bassett and newbie Mia Thornton broke down their altercation that had all of the fans talking this season. While on their cast trip, the two housewives got into it over comments made about their mothers, Bassetts music career, and more, ultimately leading to salad being thrown across a kitchen.

I come in peace at all times, but I always say Im always home, my porch light is on, if you come to my door I answer and you receive the smoke, Bassett dished on the show. Mia came to my door, with the smoke, and I was home! She added that Thornton really hurt her feelings when she criticized her music and album Deep Space.

Thornton shared that she completely forgot about the altercation until watching the show. She told the co-hosts, When I saw myself in that trailerI forgot I threw the lettuce!

Cynthia Bailey gets the word on the street

While the word on the street of Potomac, Gizelle Bryant, was in Los Angeles to visit The Real, she also stopped by E! Daily Pop, which was guest co-hosted this week by Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Cynthia Bailey. While on the show, Bryant spilled on her relationship with Karen Huger: I think Karen loves to say my nameits a very beautiful name, so Im not mad at her!

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She added, You do want to fight with somebody that knows boundaries, and its a respect game. Like, she can go for the jugular, I can go for the jugular, but at some point we respect each other in the fight. I get so tickled watching yall!

Dorit Kemsley was robbed at gunpoint

In a horrifying story, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday evening, mere hours after the RHOBH reunion aired on Bravo. Per a police spokesperson who spoke with E! News, the incident took place the night of Wednesday, Oct. 27three male suspects took property from the house, located in Encino, Calif.

Kelsey was home with her two children, Jagger, 7, and Phoenix, 5, when the suspects entered the home through a rear window. While the children remained asleep in their rooms, Kemsley simply told them, Dont hurt my babies. Dont kill me. Im a mother.

Kenya Moore eliminated from DWTS

Unfortunately, Team Twirls time on Dancing with the Stars has come to a close. Kenya Moore was eliminated from the dancing competition series on Monday nights Halloween-themed episode. She shared after getting eliminated, I just want to say thank you so much for this opportunity. This has been a dream come trueI have so much respect for all of you, and all of you; I love you guys so much!

Moore appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show hosted by Tiffany Haddish, and opened up about her time on Dancing, the new season of RHOA, and more.

Check out her interview below:

Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Acting Up? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post Reality Roundup: RHOP takes over The Real, Kenya Moore eliminated on DWTS and more appeared first on TheGrio.
An unclassified version of an intelligence community assessment on the origins of COVID-19 released Friday afternoon shows that various agencies still dont agree on whether the pandemic began from a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China, or was caused by a natural crossover from animals to humans.

In the spring, President Biden ordered the intelligence community to conduct a 90-day review looking at the pandemics origins in China, amid growing debate and questions on the issue. The virus has now killed some 5 million people around the world, and infected almost a quarter of a billion, while disrupting global economies.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

After examining all available intelligence reporting and other information, though, the IC remains divided on the most likely origin of COVID-19, states the report, released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. All agencies assess that two hypotheses are plausible: natural exposure to an infected animal and a laboratory-associated incident.

The report, however, appears to discount the idea that the virus was engineered in a laboratory as a weapon. Most IC analysts assess with low confidence that SARS-CoV-2 was not genetically engineered, the report states.

The intelligence community also appears largely skeptical that the virus, even if it did escape from a lab, was the result of what is known as gain-of-function research, in which scientists boost a viruss capabilities in order to study its behavior. Yet even on this point, analysts at the various agencies appear uncertain.

No IC analysts assess that SARS-CoV-2 was the result of laboratory adaptation, although some analysts do not have enough information to make this determination, the report states.

In recent months, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Bidens top scientific adviser on the coronavirus, has faced Republican criticism about the funding provided to the Chinese laboratory in Wuhan from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he heads. The claim made by Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is that NIH helped enable gain-of-function research that could have started the pandemic. Fauci has argued that the work the lab conducted with those funds did not meet the criteria for gain-of-function research.

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Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. (J. Scott Applewhite/Pool/Getty Images)

While noting the lack of consensus among intelligence experts, the report is also likely to give new life to those who have long argued that a laboratory leak of the coronavirus should be considered as a possibility. That theory, once dismissed by some as fringe, appears to have some strong support among one unidentified part of the intelligence community.

One IC element assesses with moderate confidence that the first human infection with SARS-CoV-2 most likely was the result of a laboratory-associated incident, the report reads, probably involving experimentation, animal handling, or sampling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Yahoo News first reported in April 2020 that the intelligence community was looking at the possibility that the virus had escaped from a Chinese laboratory.

The U.S. intelligence community analysts employ whats known as confidence assessments to convey to policymakers and others within the national security bureaucracy how assured they are of their conclusions.

High confidence judgments are generally taken to be based on high-quality information or intelligence. Moderate confidence judgments mean that the information is credibly sourced and plausible, but not of high enough quality to warrant a high confidence judgement, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Finally, low confidence judgments are based on evidence that is questionable, too fragmented or poorly corroborated, according to the office.

The carefully couched language of the intelligence community is likely to settle few debates. And those who were hoping to have a more definitive statement on the viruss origins are likely to be disappointed by the report, particularly since the intelligence community says it will be unable to provide a more definitive explanation for the origin of COVID-19 unless new information comes to light.

For more immersive stories, click here.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
Bruce Willis. CG/VCG via Getty Images

In a new podcast, a journalist says Bruce Willis once made her wait nine days for an interview.

Martha Frankel said on "Haileywood" that the actor made a restaurant shut down and then didn't tip.

She also called the overall experience of speaking to him "a nightmare."

A journalist reflected on interviewing Bruce Willis in 1996, calling it "a nightmare."

iHeartRadio's new original podcast, "Haileywood," tells the story of how Willis moved into the small town of Hailey, Idaho, in the '90s, bought and developed property, and then seemingly abandoned the town, as The Independent reported.

On the first episode, "His Own Private Idaho," host Dana Schwartz spoke with a journalist who said she had a negative experience with the "Die Hard" star.

In 1996, journalist Martha Frankel got an assignment to interview Willis for Movieline in London. It's an assignment that she described to Schwartz on the podcast as "a nightmare."

Frankel said she waited nine days for Willis to agree to speak with her. Instead, spending her time at a spa in Windsor, a town about 30 miles west of London.

The journalist said she tried to ease the actor's trepidation about the interview with stories of mutual friends they have in common or the promise of conducting the interview over a poker game with his team. Willis wanted "no part of" any of the tactics Frankel used to try and make him feel secure, she said.

Bruce Willis during Celebrity Sightings at Lakers Basketball Game - June 15, 1987. Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

"He didn't really want to talk about anything," said Frankel, recalling their interview. "It was just a drag and he wasn't fun and he wasn't funny. And I know he's all of those things. I had seen him in action. I know he can be that."

Frankel described Willis as "very serious" and adamant about going off the record to talk about his failed 1991 musical, "Hudson Hawk."

But Frankel said she was bothered by more than Willis' steely behavior toward her. The actor made the restaurant they ate at shut down to the public during dinner service "so that nobody would come over for his autograph," she said, adding that Willis didn't tip at the end of the meal.

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"And then he didn't throw $300 bucks on the table for the waiter," she said. "So I did."

"I want rich people to be more generous than not rich people," Frankel told Schwartz. "But you know what was the best thing? He walked in and out of that hotel and nobody said a word to him, nobody recognized him."

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in 1990. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

Insider reached out to a rep for Willis to confirm Frankel's recollection, but didn't immediately hear back.

This is not the first time Willis has been labeled as difficult by journalists. In 2013, he apologized for a "boring" interview on BBC's "The One Show," blaming jetlag, The Hollywood Reporter wrote.

That same year, Willis was called "rude," "painful," and "completely uncooperative" by Britain's Magic 105.4 reporter Jamie Edwards while promoting his movie, "Red 2," with Mary Louise Parker, reported Page Six.

As recently as last July, "Celebrity Karaoke Club" host AJ Odudu called an interview with Willis a "big disappointment." She described Willis as "absolutely appalling."

New episodes of iHeartRadio's podcast, "Hailywood," are available on Wednesdays.

Read the original article on Insider
This article first appeared on Simply Wall St News.

With commodity prices rising, oil companies are gaining interest, as they keep beating the earnings while offering attractive yields. The market is facing the reality that oil is not dead yet. It is hard to talk about the yield in that sector without mentioning Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) that offers an attractive dividend of 6.10%.

See our latest analysis for Exxon Mobil

Earnings Results

Non-GAAP EPS: US$1.58 (beat by US$0.06)

GAAP EPS: US$1.57 (beat by US$0.07)

Revenue: US$73.7b (beat by US$1.74b)

Revenue growth  59.7% Y/Y

The company is anticipating future annual capital investments in the US$20-25b range with a significant increase in low-carbon spending. From 2022 onwards, the share repurchase program is authorized to a tune of US$10b.

Finally, from Q4 2021, the dividend will be increased to US$0.88 per share. This hike will ensure it remains on the S&P 500 dividend aristocrat list.

According to the latest reports, Exxon could add as many as 67 wells for the Yellowtail development cluster offshore Guyana. The campaign is scheduled to run from mid-2023 through 2032. The cluster could theoretically run production of 250,000 barrels per day of oil and 450 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

A Look Into the Ownership

Exxon Mobil has a market capitalization of US$271b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Exxon Mobil.

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Exxon Mobil?

We can see that Exxon Mobil does have institutional investors, and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock, and they like it.

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But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk of being in a 'crowded trade.' When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Exxon Mobil's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Exxon Mobil. Our data shows that the largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc., with 8.3% of shares outstanding. With 6.4% and 6.0% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also an excellent practice to research analyst recommendations to understand a stock's expected performance better. Quite a few analysts cover the stock so that you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Exxon Mobil

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions, too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Exxon Mobil Corporation in their names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to hold a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$303m of stock. Arguably recent buying and selling are just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, with a 47% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

For such a high market cap stock, we find it interesting to see significant general public ownership. Exxon Mobil has traditionally been a stock known for an excellent dividend yield, allowing many retirees to keep it in their passive income portfolios.

We are glad to see that the retail market did not lose faith in the company despite the recent turmoil.

To truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Exxon Mobil that you should be aware of. Also, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12 months ending on the previous date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full-year annual report figures.

Simply Wall St analyst Stjepan Kalinic and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
NY Daily News

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said what many were thinking after a jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges on Friday. This is America, Kerr said Friday before his team played the Pistons. Were treading down a dangerous path. It wasnt a shocking verdict, but one that poses great risk going forward if we continue to go down this path. ... States determining that people can just ...
The tragic events on the set of the Western film Rust are sadly familiar to those who closely follow the film industry.

Last week, Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm while rehearsing a scene, fatally shooting the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza on the movie's New Mexico set. Reports have since emerged that the production was in disarray before the incident; according to The Los Angeles Times, about a dozen crew members walked off the Rust set in protest of unsafe working conditions and were replaced by non-union workers.

Meanwhile, the police reported that armorer Hannah Gutierrez first checked the prop gun before it was given to assistant director Dave Halls, who allegedly pronounced it a "cold gun," meaning it didn't contain live rounds. Affidavits state that the police were told Halls "did not know live rounds were in the prop gun" before it had been given to Baldwin. A police investigation is still ongoing.

This is far from the first time that such an incident has occurred. In fact, many quickly compared the shooting to the 1993 death of actor Brandon Lee on the set of the action-fantasy film The Crow. Lee was killed at the age of 28 in a similar accident involving a prop gun, one of numerous fatalities on set throughout Hollywood history. Often, these accidents have been the result of negligence and failure to follow proper safety procedures, casting a shadow over many productions.

Here are some notable examples of accidental deaths that have occurred on movie sets over the years.

Vic Morrow, Brandon Lee and Deadpool

Everett Collection; Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection; Joe Lederer/TM & 20th Century Fox Film Corporation/Courtesy Everett Collection Vic Morrow in 'Twilight Zone: The Movie'; Brandon Lee in 'The Crow'; 'Deadpool 2'

Catch-22 (1970)

Production on Mike Nichols' adaptation of the classic war satire was troubled from the start, with the director staging numerous complicated shots involving vintage B-25 planes. Early in the shoot, one of the planes "lost control on the runway and sent the extras in its path scrambling for safety," according to Mark Harris' recent biography of Nichols. Later, second-unit director John Jordan refused to wear a harness while filming from one of the planes and fell 4,000 feet, plummeting to his death in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

One of the most notorious incidents in movie history occurred on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1982 when actor Vic Morrow and two child performers were killed by a crashing helicopter. Special-effects explosions caused the pilot to lose control of the helicopter, which fell to the ground and killed all three actors instantly. Twilight Zone co-director John Landis and four other crew members were charged with manslaughter, with prosecutors claiming the production violated labor laws, including regulations for child actors' working conditions and hours. All five men were acquitted in 1987. The accident prompted numerous changes to safety regulations on film sets, including new rules regarding helicopter use from the Federal Aviation Administration and additional safety measures from the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild.

Top Gun (1986)

Aerobatic pilot Art Scholl died while filming a stunt on the Tom Cruise blockbuster in 1985, which required him to perform a spin in a plane. Scholl was unable to recover from the spin, and the plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean near Carlsbad, Calif. The official cause of the crash was never determined.

The Crow (1994)

THE CROW, Brandon Lee, 1994, (c) Miramax/courtesy Everett Collection

Everett Collection Brandon Lee in 'The Crow'

As noted, the Rust incident quickly sparked comparisons to the death of Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow in 1993. A bullet was mistakenly left in a gun from an earlier scene, and was fired at Lee in a scene that called for blank rounds, striking the actor and killing him. Reports found that the film's weapons specialist had left the set when the scene was shot, with a prop assistant left responsible for the gun. The shooting was ruled an accident due to negligence and no charges were filed.

After the Rust shooting, Lee's family released a statement on Twitter, saying, "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."

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

Sonja Davis, a stunt double for Angela Bassett, was fatally injured while performing a 42-foot fall off of a building on the set of the Eddie Murphy horror-comedy. Davis' mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Paramount and Eddie Murphy Productions, claiming the film's crew failed to provide proper safety equipment for the stunt.

XXX (2002)

Stunt performer Harry O'Connor, who doubled for Vin Diesel on the first XXX film, was killed when he hit a bridge pillar in Prague while filming a paragliding stunt in April 2002.

The Expendables 2 (2012)

THE EXPENDABLES 2 from left: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Terry Crews

Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection 'The Expendables 2'

Stuntman Kun Liu was killed and another stunt performer was seriously injured in a staged explosion on the set of The Expendables 2 in 2011. Liu's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit the next year, alleging that the conditions for the stunt were unsafe; their lawsuit claimed second unit director and stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski "recklessly organized, planned, set up, produced, directed, trained, coordinated and otherwise prepared for and implemented the stunt which involved the use of explosives and other similar ultra-hazardous activities in the rubber boat so as to cause an explosion, thereby injuring [Liu] and causing his death."

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Crew member Ricardo Cornelius died from injuries sustained while working on Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2015. During a prep day involving safety checks on the Cape Town set of the film, Cornelius was helping to rotate a Hummer on a turntable during a rehearsal when he slipped and became trapped between the vehicle and a wall.

Suntwoman Olivia Jackson was also severely injured during filming when her motorcycle collided with a camera crane, which required her left arm to be amputated and left her with lasting nerve damage. In 2020, Jackson won a lawsuit against a company involved with the film, with a South African court ruling that the stunt was negligently planned and executed. Jackson claimed that director Paul W.S. Anderson changed the timing of the camera crane's move between rehearsals and filming to secure a more exciting shot.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

DEADPOOL 2

Twentieth Century Studios Ryan Reynolds in 'Deadpool 2'

In August 2017, stuntwoman Joi "SJ" Harris" died in a motorcycle crash during filming on Deadpool 2. It was her first job as a stuntwoman, although she was an experienced motorcycle rider and semi-professional road racer, and several in the stunt community questioned the decision not to use a more experienced stunt performer for the scene. (Sources indicated at the time that Harris was chosen over a veteran stuntwoman because her appearance was a closer match for actress Zazie Beetz.) An investigation found that Harris' motorcycle struck a curb, throwing her from the vehicle and through the plate glass window of a nearby building.

Related content:
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Pope Francis on Friday, giving him a cross made from barbed wire from the peninsula's demilitarized zone and again urging him to visit North Korea.

Moon, who is Catholic, was in Rome for the G20 summit of world leaders. He held private talks with the pope for about 25 minutes, the Vatican said.

Moon's office said the president, who will leave office in May, had told Francis that a papal visit to Pyongyang would help revive the peace process https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-north-south-korea-talks-over-summit-reopening-liaison-office-sources-2021-07-28 on the Korean Peninsula.

"If you send me an invitation, I will gladly go to help you, for the sake of peace. Aren't you brothers who speak the same language? I'm willing to go," it quoted the pope as saying.

The Vatican said in a statement that the two sides discussed "the promotion of dialogue and reconciliation between Koreans" and the hope that "joint effort and good will may favour peace and development in the Korean peninsula, supported by solidarity and by fraternity".

When he met the pope in 2018, Moon relayed a verbal invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Francis for the pontiff to visit North Korea.

Vatican officials said at the time that the pope, who has made many appeals for rapprochement between the two Koreas, would consider such a trip under certain conditions if it could help the cause of peace.

North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as long as it does not undermine the state.

But beyond a handful of state-controlled places of worship - including a Catholic church in the capital Pyongyang - no open religious activity is allowed and the authorities have repeatedly jailed foreign missionaries.

There is little information on how many of North Korea's citizens are Catholic, or how they practice their faith.

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Negotiations between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes have been stalled amid efforts by both Koreas to develop increasingly sophisticated weapons https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/nkorea-fired-unidentified-projectile-yonhap-citing-skorea-military-2021-09-15.

North Korea last week confirmed it test-fired a new, smaller ballistic missile from a submarine.

(Additional reporting by Cynthia Kim in Seoul; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, one of the most prominent figures during the Covid-19 pandemic, is the sole candidate to lead the World Health Organization once his current term expires, the WHO announced Friday.

In his application letter, the Ethiopian former health and foreign minister said Covid-19 had "ravaged the world" and in a second term, he wanted to make sure the planet was "truly ready" to deal with another such crisis.

Elected to the WHO leadership in 2017, his five-year mandate runs out in August.

"A single candidate was proposed by member states by the September 23, 2021 deadline: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus," the WHO said in a statement.

Tedros was nominated by 28 countries, the UN health agency said.

Seventeen European Union members gave him their backing, including Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Germany and Spain's nominations said strengthening the WHO in the wake of the pandemic "must continue with full and undivided commitment", saying the organisation needed "strong, pragmatic and visionary leadership".

Outside the EU, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Oman, Rwanda, Tonga and Trinidad and Tobago proposed Tedros, the WHO statement showed.

Indonesia said the world was still overcoming the pandemic "and needs a continued leadership within the WHO".

Kenya, Oman and Rwanda said it was their deep belief that Tedros "is ideally placed to continue in the role".

- Infuriating Trump and China -

Tedros, 56, graduated with a biology degree in his homeland before completing a masters in immunology of infectious diseases and a doctorate in community health in Britain.

He worked as a field-level malariologist in Ethiopia before leading a regional health bureau and then joining the government, working his way up the ministerial ranks.

In 2017, Tedros became the first African candidate to head the powerful UN agency. His general bonhomie stands in marked contrast to the frostiness of his predecessor Margaret Chan.

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He has been the public face of the WHO since the Covid-19 crisis began, and is relatively popular due to his role in steering the organisation's efforts to coordinate the pandemic response.

Tedros continually rages against inequity in the global vaccine rollout and urges countries to "do it all" to bring the pandemic under control.

His leadership was blasted by former US president Donald Trump, who began pulling the United States out of the WHO, accusing it of being Beijing's puppet and covering up the outbreak of the virus.

Trump's successor Joe Biden halted the withdrawal, while Tedros has also irked China by demanding greater transparency over the pandemic outbreak and putting renewed focus on the possibility that it may have leaked from a Wuhan laboratory.

He has also faced criticism after a devastating report on allegations of rape and sexual assault by workers sent to fight Ebola in the DR Congo between 2018 and 2020 found that 21 WHO employees had committed such abuses.

- Job 'not yet done' -

In his application letter, Tedros said the "demands lying ahead have made me more determined than ever".

He said that under his leadership, a transformed and more prominent WHO "has withstood the greatest test of a century to steer the world through an unprecedented health crisis".

But he stressed: "Our job is not yet done. Covid-19 has ravaged the world and left much to be rebuilt. It has also shone a spotlight on WHO's many needs."

Tedros wants to reinforce global public health defences "to ensure the world is truly ready to prevent, prepare for and respond to another crisis of the nature of Covid-19 or worse".

Member states will formally vote for the next WHO chief in a secret ballot in May during the 75th World Health Assembly, the organisation's main annual meeting of member states.

rjm/vog/jv
By Victor Jack

LONDON (Reuters) -Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg joined protesters at a noisy demonstration outside the London offices of Standard Chartered bank on Friday to demand that financial institutions stop funding the extraction of fossil fuels.

The high-profile global climate protester appeared briefly on the streets of the City of London, the financial heart of the British capital which is home to some of the world's biggest banks and financial firms.

Placards at the demonstration said "Keep It In The Ground" and "Can You Breathe Money?".

The 18-year-old was joined in the narrow streets of the British capital by around 20 international climate activists from countries including Namibia, Philippines and Samoa who are due to travel with Thunberg to the United Nations climate summit, or COP26, in Glasgow.

Mobbed by television crews and photographers, she stood alongside other young protesters before leaving shortly afterwards.

Thunberg told the BBC in an interview that they wanted banks to "stop funding our destruction", because so many still direct funding to companies such as oil groups.

She has recently berated politicians for 30 years of "blah, blah, blah" rather than acting to curb global warming.

Campaigners were due to gather in other cities including New York and Frankfurt to argue that big financial institutions should stop pumping money into the extraction of fossil fuels.

(Reporting by Victor Jack; writing by Kate HoltonEditing by William Schomberg)
(The Independent)

The world cannot wait any longer  we need drastic action to fight the climate crisis now. Thats the message to world leaders from experts, activists and politicians across the globe as nations prepare to meet for the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Speaking to The Independent, they have called for meaningful agreements to lower emissions and address the global emergency, which is already driving harsher extreme weather events, inescapable sea-level rise, and injustice for the worlds poorest.

And you can join their call by signing The Independents petition (scroll to the bottom of the page), demanding that leaders go as far as possible to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels  the aspiration of the landmark Paris Agreement.

Cop26 begins our decisive decade, when science tells us we must choose between triumph and tragedy, John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate, told The Independent.

Inaction invites climate disaster. But if we work together, we can seize the extraordinary opportunities ahead, dramatically cutting emissions, reinventing our economies, and ultimately saving the one planet we share.

Cop26 is the worlds moment of truth, added UK shadow business secretary Ed Miliband. Are governments serious about climate action? Will our leaders fail us and future generations, or do they get it?

Inaction invites climate disaster, John Kerry told The Independent (PA)

Today, global temperatures are already around 1.2C above pre-industrial levels  and CO2 levels in the atmosphere are at their highest in at least 2 million years.

Research shows this heating is supercharging deadly extreme weather events, including this summers North American heatwave and Germanys floods, which together killed hundreds of people.

Were already seeing death and suffering caused by the climate crisis, Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate told The Independent.

Why is it so vital we get action from world leaders at Cop26? The reason is urgency, added Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa in Kenya.

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I come from a pastoralist community in northern Kenya, and have seen with my own eyes the ravages of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and drought on farming communities in Africa.

Those people cannot afford to see countries dragging their feet and delaying urgent climate action.

But as world leaders head into the conference, they will be faced with the reality that they are not currently doing enough to meet the Paris goals of keeping the temperature rise below 2C, with an aspiration of limiting heating to 1.5C.

A recent UN assessment found that countries most recent pledges would reduce CO2 emissions by just 7.5 per cent by 2030, when compared to previous commitments. For the world to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C, a cut of 55 per cent is needed.

Without further action, these pledges will allow the world to heat up by around 2.7C, according to the analysis.

Cop26 is an opportunity to advance global responses to the climate issue, starting with more committed emission-reduction targets  as current ones point to 2.7C of warming, said Brazilian politician and environmentalist Marina Silva.

A healthy, safe and sustainable environment has just been defined as a human right by the UN.

Cop26 president-designate and UK minister Alok Sharma added: People around the world are already living with the devastating effects of the planet getting warmer. And with every fraction of a degree, the situation gets worse.

That is why countries on the front line of climate change fought so hard for the temperature goal of well below 2C, and as close as possible to 1.5C, to be enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

We owe it to those countries to make Cop26 the moment world leaders commit to decisive action to keep a 1.5C future alive.

We are putting our lives on the line to protect biodiversity, forests, and ecosystems, said Nemonte Nenquimo (Amazon Frontlines)

The Independents petition is calling for leaders at the summit to take concrete action towards keeping temperatures at 1.5C by leaving fossil fuels in the ground and instead investing in green forms of electricity.

The petition also calls for leaders to tackle the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis as one, ensuring efforts to protect and restore nature are at the heart of measures to stop global heating.

It adds that the voices of the worlds most climate-vulnerable communities, including indigenous peoples, must be at the forefront of conversations taking place at Cop26.

Indigenous peoples, who are on the front lines of the battle to protect nature, need direct support. We are putting our lives on the line to protect biodiversity, forests, and ecosystems, Nemonte Nenquimo, indigenous activist and leader of the Waorani nation from the Amazonian region of Ecuador, told The Independent.

World leaders, organisations and civil society need to back us in our struggles, and support the indigenous movement and organisations leading solutions to this crisis.

We need to unite in the struggle because the fight is not only up to indigenous peoples but for all of humanity.

To join in our fight in helping to encourage world leaders to hit our climate targets, please sign our petition below. We thank you for your support.

Read More

Cop26 Glasgow  news: Insulate Britain protesters block roads

When is Glasgows Cop26 UN climate conference taking place?
By Mark Hosenball and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. intelligence agencies said on Friday they may never be able to identify the origins of COVID-19, as they released a new, more detailed version of their review of whether the coronavirus came from animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab.

The Office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a declassified report that a natural origin and a lab leak are both plausible hypotheses for how SARS-COV-2 first infected humans. But it said analysts disagree on which is more likely or whether any definitive assessment can be made at all.

The report also dismissed suggestions that the coronavirus originated as a bioweapon, saying proponents of this theory "do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology" and have been accused of spreading disinformation.

The report issued on Friday is an update of a 90-day review that President Joe Biden's administration released in August, amid intense political infighting over how much to blame China for the effects of the global pandemic rather than governments that may not have moved quickly enough to protect citizens.

China responded on Friday by criticizing the report.

"The US moves of relying on its intelligence apparatus instead of scientists to trace the origins of COVID-19 is a complete political farce," Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in an emailed statement.

"... It will only undermine science-based origins study and hinder the global effort of finding the source of the virus," the statement said.

Former Republican President Donald Trump - who lost his bid for re-election as the deadly pandemic ravaged the U.S. economy - and many of his supporters referred to COVID-19 as the "China virus."

Some U.S. spy agencies had strongly favored the explanation that the virus originated in nature. But there has been little corroboration and over recent months the virus has spread widely and naturally among wild animals.

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The ODNI report said four U.S. spy agencies and a multi-agency body have "low confidence" that COVID-19 originated with an infected animal or a related virus.

But one agency said it had "moderate confidence" that the first human COVID-19 infection most likely was the result of a laboratory accident, probably involving experimentation or animal handling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

U.S. spy agencies believe they will not be able to produce a more definitive explanation for the origin of COVID-19 without new information demonstrating that the virus took a specific pathway from animals to humans or that a Wuhan laboratory was handling the virus or a related virus before COVID-19 surfaced.

The report said U.S. agencies and the global scientific community lacked "clinical samples or a complete understanding of epidemiological data from the earliest COVID-19 cases" and said it could revisit this inconclusive finding if more evidence surfaces.

China has faced international criticism for failing to cooperate more fully in investigations of COVID's origins.

The embassy statement also dismissed that criticism.

"We have been supporting science-based efforts on origins tracing, and will continue to stay actively engaged. That said, we firmly oppose attempts to politicize this issue," it said.

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball and Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Sandra Maler and Sonya Hepinstall)
The Wake County school board will vote Tuesday on a plan to provide bonuses and raises In recognition of employee efforts and service during the pandemic.

In an email sent Thursday to district employees, Wake said options for employee bonuses and salary increases will be presented for a vote at Tuesdays school board meeting. Wake could approve a $1,250 retention bonus, raising employee salaries to a minimum of $13 an hour and a 1% increase in the local salary supplement paid to teachers.

The plan for higher pay comes as Wake and other school districts across the nation have seen massive staffing shortages that have forced the remaining workers to do more to fill the gap. The high vacancy rate and low pay is one reason why some bus driver called in sick on Friday to protest working conditions, leading to numerous bus delays.

The state is responsible for paying the base salaries of most school employees. But with a state budget not yet approved, school board members urged staff last week to come up with a plan to use federal COVID relief money to reward school employees.

There are real limitations to how long people can go without a raise and our folks are not just bus drivers and teachers and instructional assistants and cafeteria workers, Kristin Beller, president of Wake NCAE, said in an interview Thursday. Theyre not just workers in a school system. Theyre human beings whove lived through the COVID pandemic just like everyone else.

Theyve lost family members to COVID. Theyve racked up hospital bills. Some had hours cut last year. They shifted their families and lives to provide meals and support to students when less was known last year.

School districts across the state, including Durham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro, have also used part of their federal COVID dollars to increase compensation for school employees.

Bonuses, raises to be discussed

In its email, Wake listed what it called the most likely to be considered proposals:

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 A one-time recognition and retention bonus of $1,250 to be paid in the November paycheck to all employees who currently receive benefits. Part-time staff would receive a prorated bonus.

 An increase to bring all employees to a minimum of $13 an hour. This would be retroactive to July 1 and be included in the December paycheck.

 A 1% increase in the local supplement paid to certified staff retroactive to July 1. This increase, which would be paid in the December paycheck, would go to people paid on the teacher and student services personnel scales.

The options will be discussed at the board work session that begins at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The vote will occur at the regular meeting that starts at 5:30 p.m.

We also will continue to await approval of a state budget to determine next steps for additional compensation increases for 2021-2022, Wake said in the email. We are hopeful that we will see future salary increases for other employees and employee groups once final state and local budgets are passed.

Even after Tuesdays vote, Wake said future discussions are also expected about additional employee bonuses this year and through 2023-2024.

Beller said Wake school employees deserve pay increases from the district and the state. She said employees deserve hazard pay for working at a time when most schools are full with no social distancing and with what she called inadequate contact tracing for COVID-19 cases.

Wake NCAE is 100% for all employees who are working in-person to receive bonuses for the hazardous conditions that people are working in, Beller said.
Howard University freshman Kymora Olmo has been camping out in a tent for more than two weeks to protest the conditions at some of the resident halls on campus.

Movements dont happen in a day, revolutions dont happen in the day, Olmo said.

Students like Olmo have taken over the campus's Blackburn Center to protest the conditions of their dorms for more than two weeks now, after reports of rodent infestations, Wi-Fi connectivity problems and mold.

Olmo has been an active member of the protests, often using a bullhorn in videos and images that have circulated online.

I decided to get involved the first night, Olmo said. I decided to come back in the morning and see how I could help, and then people heard me speaking. I got handed a bullhorn and the rest is history.

Even though the students were energized, she says, the first few nights were not easy.

We started out sleeping on the concrete with sleeping bags. It was cold. We woke up stiff, the first night was really rough, Olmo said. But our community took care of us and now we have tents. We have sleeping bags, were getting heaters. So the nights are getting more comfortable, but theyre not getting any warmer. You know, we dont want to be out here until November, but if thats what it takes, then thats what it takes.

Image: Kymora Olmo near the tents at Howard University. (Courtesy Kymora Olmo)

As for any changes on campus since the protests began, she said, The only changes have really been in the weather and the fact that they started cleaning the dorms, but at first they wouldnt even acknowledge that there was mold in the dorm.

Earlier this week, the university confirmed to NBC News that the school had detected mold in 38 out of 2,700 dorm rooms on the Washington, D.C., campus.

A statement from university President Wayne A. I. Frederick last week read, While there have only been a small number of documented facilities reports relative to our entire inventory of residence rooms, we are actively inquiring about unreported issues that may be in the residence halls by going door to door to interview and assist each resident. The results of our inquiries to date affirm that the issues are not widespread and the vast majority of our students are living comfortably in their rooms.

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The list of demands have been stated at several of the protests and press conferences students have held on the campus.

We need a housing plan for the future generations of Howard, Olmo said. Shes calling on Howard administration to provide more resources for upperclassmen and undocumented students who arent able to afford off-campus housing after their sophomore year.

Secondly, we want an in-person town hall with President Wayne Frederick, where students can discuss their grievances and their experience as the Mecca, she said, referring to Howard's nickname and reputation among HBCUs.

Kymora Olmo. (Courtesy Kymora Olmo)

Olmo said so far, Frederick has only met with student leaders and not the full student body, as outlined in the demands. We asked for a town hall, where all students can be heard, she said.

Their third demand is to have student and alumni positions reinstated on the board of trustees with voting power, Olmo said. The seats were removed during the pandemic.

We have a board of trustees where basically the governing body for the school, they decide tuition, they decide selling. They basically control all decisions that affect their lives, and they removed our voting power off of that board, Olmo said.

Lastly Olmo said, Our final demand is legal and academic amnesty for everyone involved in this process.

Olmo said demonstrations reached another level of intensity during a recent protest when campus police tried to physically move students as they attempted to lock down the student-occupied Blackburn Center.

I had someones arm around my neck ... and then my Blackburn family pulled me to the inside, and I was basically being choked as I was being pulled by campus police, she said.

Neither Howard University nor the campus police responded to a request for comment on that incident.

Frederick released a statement earlier this week about the protests more broadly, saying, the University is willing to continue engaging in substantive conversations with student protesters and leaders regarding their expressed concerns. The occupation of the Blackburn center must end. The truth remains that all of our students deserve a best-in-class dormitory experience at Howard, and we will continue to do our best to ensure that they receive it.

Still, Olmo said some students are worried about being a part of the movement.

Not everyone feels comfortable speaking out on the issues, the intimidation, retaliation, gaslighting and everything else we have faced for speaking up  the whole student body has watched that and it has affected our students, she said.

All of this has led Olmo and some of her friends to consider where they want to spend the remainder of their college career.

If things dont change she said, I will be transferring. I do not have $48,000 a year to keep being mistreated. Now if Howard can get it together, I will continue to call the Mecca my home.

Regardless of the challenges, for now, she will continue being a voice for her student body.

I fight for this cause for my peers who cannot, Olmo said, I come from a long line of strong Black women. I do. And they have instilled in me the tools to use my voice and use the power that is within me to help others.

Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
By Ross Kerber

(Reuters) -New York's $268 billion state pension fund on Thursday became the latest to restrict its holdings in Unilever Plc in response to sales limits imposed by the company's Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement sent by a spokesman, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said a review found the company and its subsidiary "engaged in BDS activities," referring to the "Boycott Divestment Sanctions" movement that seeks to isolate Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund has total Unilever equity of $111 million, the spokesman said. The fund is the third-largest U.S. public pension fund.

Pension officials in other states including New Jersey, Arizona and Florida have also moved to sell shares in Unilever or restricted the purchase of new stock for similar reasons.

Unilever representatives did not immediately comment.

Ben & Jerry's moved in July to end a license for its ice cream to be sold in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, saying sales there were "inconsistent with its values." Most countries consider Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.

Some American Jewish groups such as the liberal-leaning J Street have also raised concerns about Israel's settlements and opposed calls for actions against Ben & Jerry's or Unilever.

Unilever had said the decision was made by Ben & Jerry's independent social mission board, and said it does not support the BDS movement.

In a letter to DiNapoli's office in August, Unilever CEO Alan Jope said Unilever is committed to its business in Israel, where it employs nearly 2,000 people, and said the Ben & Jerry's brand will remain in Israel.

"We have welcomed this decision to stay in Israel emphatically, and have been seeking to handle this matter in as respectful and sensitive way as possible," Jope wrote.

(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Gerry Doyle)
Funemployment

Whitney Green doesn't see herself returning to an office; after four years as a community therapist, she quit to move to Rome and is living off her savings. Credit - Stephanie Gengotti for TIME

Life for Whitney Green looks a little different these days. She wakes up to the sounds of Rome: scooter engines echoing off cobblestones, the lilting chatter of cafe patrons collecting their morning espresso shots. She goes to Italian classes in the afternoons. She eats bowls of pistachio gelato and handmade pasta, and watches tourists congregate at the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. Shes teaching herself to play keyboard and building a website for her dream jobher own telehealth practice. Its a far cry from her past life as a community mental-health therapist for at-risk youth in San Francisco, a job she quit in June to move to Italy with her girlfriend.

Green is one of millions of Americans leaving traditional jobs this yearand choosing not to recommit to clocking in at all. This is the highest mass resignation the U.S. has seen since 2019, pre-pandemic, and the numbers are still rising. In June, 3.9 million quit. In July, it was another 3.9 million. In August, 4.3 million. The numbers are even more notable for young workers: in September, nearly a quarter of workers ages 20 to 34 were not considered part of the U.S. workforcesome 14 million Americans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who were neither working nor looking for work.

Whitney Green doesn't see herself returning to an office; after four years as a community therapist, she quit to move to Rome and is living off her savings. Stephanie Gengotti for TIME

For some, its burnout. For others, the timing was ripe to refocus on side projects as the stresses of the pandemic started to wane. And for many, especially in a service sector dominated by zillennials (those in their late 20s on the border of Gen Z and millennial), poor treatment and low wages became unsustainable. Green represents one slice of that: shes a 31-year-old with a masters degree who decided to step back from earning income to take a self-imposed sabbatical and live off savings before working for herself one day. Meanwhile, there are an estimated 10.4 million jobs in the U.S. that remain unfilled, as this exodusdubbed the Great Resignationoffers young workers time to nurse the wounds of pandemic burnout and untenable working conditions with dramatic life changes.

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They are saying, I love this industry, but I will not come back unless there are permanent wage increases.

This is a revolution, not a resignation, says Ifeoma Ezimako, 23, who resides in Washington, D.C. A former hospitality worker and bartender, Ezimako was fed up with ill-tempered patrons and extra-low wages while working her last service job in March 2020; she had worked in service for five years, but enough was finally enough. As the behavior of customers deteriorated during the pandemic, she and her co-workers opened their eyes to the daily injustices of tipped work, she says. (A common experience: being asked to pull her mask down so patrons could see her face to decide how much to tip.) To her, the money just wasnt worth the stress. She quit to refocus on herself, studying for a sociology degree with her familys support. Now she volunteers with One Fair Wage, an activist organization that helps service industry employees organize for better standards.

The leisure and hospitality sector has the lowest median age of any industry, at 31.8 years, and today, Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, says about half of surveyed service-industry workers say they plan to quit in the next year. Jayaraman is cautious in aligning this movement with that of white collar workers trading jobs for funemployment. Maybe among white collar workers, its just people quietly resigning, but among service workers, they are organizing, she says. They are saying, I love this industry, but I will not come back unless there are permanent wage increases. Even though many cant afford to stop working, she says, theyve drawn a line in the sand, thanks to the light-bulb moment of pandemic-precipitated challenges accessing unemployment assistance, worsening income inequality and newfound leverage due to staffing shortages.

There is a distinction between the experiences of Ezimako and Green. But both are part of a broader societal shift, wherein young workers are prioritizing their self-worth.

Read More: Why Literally Millions of Americans Are Quitting Their Jobs

Now, for the first time in their careers, young people have the ability to do so. Workers like Green, who had well-paying jobs leading into the pandemic, have a greater sense of financial comfort after spending less and saving more during the past 19 months, says Harvard economist Lawrence Katz. Plus, the abundance of open jobs maycounterproductivelymake workers feel more confident dipping out of the workforce. Katz cautions that this is less about young workers leaving the labor market entirely, but instead about trying out new things, and taking advantage of new opportunities and not sticking with the old bargain.

The pivot to remote work has also made possible a level of work-life balance that those in their 20s and early 30sthe first generation where half of kids had two parents working full-timehad never imagined. Thats especially true for millennials; a 2020 Gallup poll showed 74% did not want to return full-time to offices, the highest of any age cohort. Millennial women are particularly likely to stay home given the need for childcare flexibility. Over 309,000 women dropped out of the workforce in September alone. Childcare is a piece that people have been underestimating for a while, says Alicia Sasser Modestino, an economist at Northeastern University. Even before the pandemic it was a crisis; now, with day care center closures andironicallystaff shortages for these very jobs, women may have no choice but to stay home, indefinitely.

Over 10 million jobs are unfilled in the U.S.; signs like these, seen in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, paper the country. Michelle Gustafson

Read More: The Great Resignation Is Finally Getting Companies to Take Burnout Seriously. Is It Enough?

For others, remote work just isnt fulfilling enough. When Emma Grace Moon quit her marketing agency job in June, she was ready to disentangle herself from a structure that held her back. I felt like I could exceed my trajectory way faster if it was in my hands, rather than reporting every year, every month, with a quarterly check-in. I felt like I could be making more and also growing way faster if I just did it myself, she says. These days, Moonwho is just 22, having skipped collegegoes it alone as a consultant. Shes making three times her former income, she says from her Brooklyn apartment; her area of expertise, working with direct-to-consumer brands, was primed for pandemic-era growth. She now also has the flexibility to travel and make her own hours, even if that often looks like working all the time instead of 9 to 5.

Someone like Moon doesnt quite fit the typical understanding of the employment market in the U.S.; as an independent worker, shes not filling an available job listing. But with six clients and counting, shes certainly not underemployed and doesnt see herself shifting back to working for someone else, ever. Its allowed me a lot of time to think and process and make better decisions than I probably would if I had the pressure of a management team, she says. Plus, the anxiety of depending on others for income is long gone. Ive had PTSD from past roles where Ive seen people get fired out of the blue, or Ive been fired before, she says, citing the instability of startups where many white collar Gen Z and millennial workers gravitate.

My goal is not to go back to having a boss."

The burnout of startup culture is common. Seattle-based engineer Cory Gabrielsen, 30, quit his job as the second employee at an agriculture technology startup in April. The travel demands were intense; he spent 14-day stretches on site visits overseeing robotic farm equipment, with requirements he calls pretty insane. After two years on the job, he was ready for time off. For several months after he quit, he says he did nothing, recovering from burnout.

Read More: The Pandemic Revealed How Much We Hate Our Jobs. Now We Have a Chance to Reinvent Work

Now, he spends his days option trading, running a Twitter bot account that tracks Ethereum pricing, and dabbling in Web3 and cryptocurrency investments. And while he wouldnt describe himself as happier nowhe misses the social interaction of an officehis mood is more neutral day-to-day, and he looks forward to building his presence as an independent entity who can do what he wants when he wants. I have no stress on the job compared to what I used to do, he says. Hes not working full-time and has no concerns about money, thanks to his savings, investments and a boom time in the crypto world. My goal is not to go back to having a boss, he says.

Economists predict that the Great Resignation is only getting started, especially for Gen Z and millennial workers who are well positioned to find new ways to earn income. A former colleague of Gabrielsens quit the same day he did and has since moved to Amsterdam. Moon and Green say many of their friends have sought advice on how to shift away from their nine-to-fives. Jayaraman warns that, unless the restaurant industry introduces drastic changes, even more young service workers will choose their mental health over income. Without significant government investment in childcare, young mothers will prioritize their families. Whatever their motivation, though, young blue collar and white collar workers alike are finding themselves happierand more independent. For Green, the change has helped kick-start her dream of a balanced, fulfilling career, which becomes more of a reality with every daily scoop of gelato.

With reporting by Mariah Espada
Mandated by state code, officers must respond to the orders, and with strains and shortages rippling across the entire mental health system  and a staggering lack of beds for patients  officers often are sitting with patients for days at a time and transporting them to mental health providers across the state rather than local hospitals or treatment centers.

In 2015, the department responded to 91 TDOs. This year, it is projected to respond to 381.

Its taxing the police departments resources, said Zuidema, but more than that, its a symptom of a broken system that is seeing regional repercussions.

We are seeing an incredible demand for mental health services, and as much as it impacts our department and challenges our ability to provide services that the community expects, what is even more critical is that the folks who need mental health services are not getting what they need, he said.

He addressed city council at its Tuesday work session, advocating for an update to state code so law enforcement can be out of the business of sitting with mental health patients, including those who are seeking help voluntarily, Zuidema said.
Some of the house and its history is recounted in "The Ghosts of Charlottesville and Lynchburg," a book written by L.B. Taylor in 1992. It references the 1937 WPA report, which said the house is generally known as "the house where the cradle rocked."

According to Taylor's account of the report, it was called the Poston House after W.C. Poston, who bought the property in 1902. It is "impossible to determine who built it," but records indicate it was built in about 1819 by Edmund B. Norvell, or by Thomas Wyatt, before 1813.

Some reports say the house was "dreadfully haunted."

Trueheart Poston, son of the man who bought the house in 1902, also gave an account of the rocking cradle story in the 1937 report. The broad strokes were the same, with some amendments  such as the cradle was commanded in the name of "Beelzebub," and rocked for some days.

Other ghost sighting in the house, as told by Poston, include a story about Walter Addison, then editor of The Lynchburg News. He and his wife were guests in the home, and in the early hours of the morning, Addison saw an old woman on the landing, and later would come to find no such woman was living the house.
Toyota Motor has unveiled the first electric vehicle under its dedicated EV brand, Toyota bZ. It is an SUV that will go on sale by the middle of next year.

The automaker said on Friday it plans to bring seven fully electric bZ models to the global market by 2025.

Toyota says the vehicle's range is roughly 500 kilometers on a single charge. It says it aims to achieve world-class battery performance with a 90-percent capacity retention ratio after 10 years' use.

A solar panel in the roof can generate enough electricity to run 1,800 kilometers a year. That means the vehicle can still be used even when disasters or other events make regular charging impossible.

Toyota's Japanese rivals are also launching new EVs. Nissan will start global sales this winter, while Honda plans to release new models in China next spring.
Officials with Tokyo's Shibuya Ward have started conducting patrols of some areas in a bid to prevent crowd trouble in the days leading up to Halloween on Sunday.

The event falls on the first weekend since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government lifted coronavirus restrictions on business hours for restaurants and bars.

In previous years, Halloween has attracted large numbers of revelers to the area near Shibuya station. On some occasions, rowdy crowd behavior has attracted criticism.

On Friday evening, about 20 ward officials patrolled an area crowded with people.

They called on some of them to stop drinking on the street. They have also asked convenience stores and other shops in the surrounding area to suspend the sale of alcohol on Saturday and Sunday.

A senior official expressed hope that people will enjoy Halloween at home, instead of drinking in public spaces.
Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho Ltd on Friday won a major court victory in its quest to use a poison pill defence against its biggest shareholder - a closely watched ruling that could make hostile bids in Japan far more difficult.

The Tokyo District Court rejected a request for an interim injunction from Asia Development Capital (ADC), saying the investment firm's purchases of shares in Japan's biggest manufacturer of printing presses for newspapers could be seen as potentially coercive.

It noted that ADC had quickly built up its 40% stake despite warnings from Tokyo Kikai and has not presented the company with a new management plan.

The court also said that actions taken to exclude ADC from a vote by Tokyo Kikai shareholders on whether to adopt the poison pill were "not unreasonable", as the vote was designed to allow other shareholders to judge whether the acquisition would hurt their interests or not.

ADC, a Tokyo-listed firm led by Malaysian businessman Anselm Wong, lambasted the ruling, saying it will immediately appeal to the Tokyo High Court.

The ruling "does harm to the transparency of the Japanese securities market, undermines the capital markets' principle of one share, one vote and damages trust in our legal system," ADC said in a statement.

Tokyo Kikai said in a statement that the poison pill was legal and appropriate.

The battle highlights both a rise in hostile takeovers in Japan over the past few years as well as what experts have called failings in the country's takeover rules, noting they leave small cap firms particularly vulnerable to aggressive stake-building from unwelcome investors.

ADC built up most of its 40% stake in a matter of weeks earlier this year. A holding of more than 33% in Japan gives the stakeholder veto rights over important board decisions and sometimes de facto control.

Tokyo Kikai is seeking to issue new shares to dilute that stake and at an extraordinary general meeting last week where ADC was prevented from voting, Tokyo Kikai shareholders voted in favour of the poison pill.
The mind trail is a one month event consisting of three separate trails featuring art installations located in 3 different areas of Nara prefecture.

When people are so tired of being stuck inside, the mind trail invites you outdoors into one of the most beautiful prefectures that can be found in Japan. For this journey we visit the Soni location. The art you find in the forest is certainly surreal. I think it would be tough to say that the feeling it gives is only one of positivity. More, you feel a sense of awe or otherworldliness. The first piece of art seems almost like a jellyfish or some kind of floating alien. The second is more like a horse, or possibly a Chocobo. Finally if you complete the trail, there is the altar. No object could sum up better the feeling you will experience on the mind trail, and that is one of wonder.

But why art?

The excerpt below is taken from 'The Mind Trail' website. Please visit for more information.

Since last year and continuing into 2021, numerous art festivals have been canceled or postponed due to Covid-19. Being in a moment when even traveling across prefectures to visit museums is difficult, some may feel vacant, not being able to express themselves through normal activity they used to be engaged in. One must visit art museums or art festivals in order to tangibly feel art. Perhaps this unprecedented situation could be an opportunity to create a museum on the spot where each individual stands and also in ones mind (=museum in the mind). In the nature indigenous to Okuyamato, could we somehow take all the energies that have been accumulated over this period of worlds overwhelming changes in how we deal things in our lives, and express them through works created by artists? This is the concept that we worked around with to start this art festival in 2020 last year. Visitors to this art festival will be inspired by many new findings from nature, as well as through contacts with the local people residing in the community.
If violations of OSHA regulations are found, Deere & Co. will likely be required to pay a fine. The amount of the fine depends on how much liability Deere had in the incident as well as the severity of the safety accident, according to Allen. If the company is cited, they could contest the citation to dissolve liability if they disagree with the ruling.

Paul Iversen, labor expert at the University of Iowas Labor Center said that major accidents, like amputations, are going to happen in manufacturing jobs.

But you always want to be at zero, Iversen said. So it does indicate that theres something that needs to be improved.

Davenport Works

Davenport had three reported work accidents that caused employees to have amputations over five years from 2013-2018, according to OSHA records.

The first documented amputation was in January 2013, when a union assembler was installing a lifting device on a wheeled product when the device became caught. His left thumb was pinched between the bottom of the lifting device and the opening of the parts and resulted in a left thumb partial amputation. The second instance of amputation took place in February 2017, but a description of the amputation was not available on the form that was filed.
Amerikiss didnt recognize any names on the display but said her grandfather and great-grandfather both served in the military.

Sgt. Brent Maher and Sgt. Thomas Houser of Council Bluffs are among a dozen or more southwest Iowa soldiers killed in various incidents during the War on Terror.

We can never forget those who sacrificed everything for our freedom, co-creator Bill Williams said in the Patriotic Productions press release. While this memorial is about those who have died, it was created for the living  to help families in their grief, while reminding the rest of us of the terrible price paid for our freedom by our current generation of military.

The Iowa memorial is one of 15 state memorials representing 60% of the nations fallen since Sept. 11, 2001, the press release from Patriotic Productions stated. There is also a national traveling memorial, which includes more than 5,000 of the nations fallen since then from every state. The national memorial was unveiled in Washington, D.C. in late 2017. More information is available at RememberingOurFallen.org.

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Editor's Note This story was originally published in Revisited magazine, Issue 3, fall 2016.

Over 40 years have passed since Lincoln County was rocked by the news of the murders of six members of the Henry Kellie family of Sutherland by Erwin Charles Simants, a man the Kellie family had once befriended.

Some would say that the story of those killings and the subsequent trials  there were two, because of a court decision finding jury tampering in the first trial  stands among the top 10 stories of the 20th century in Lincoln County.

That the story remains at least a matter of annual recollection is evident in the yearly mental evaluations and judicial reviews that state law requires to determine if Simants, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in his second trial, should be granted more freedom or even be released from the Lincoln Regional Center, where he has been institutionalized since 1979.

That the story remains alive is evident, too, in that a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling pertaining to coverage of the Simants trial remains an item for study in law and journalism schools across the nation.
CHESTERFIELD, S.C. (AP)  A South Carolina lawyer involved in a half-dozen state police investigations has been cagey about his assets and should have to hand over control of his money to independent representatives so that he does not engage in further fraud, an attorney told a judge Friday.

Attorneys in three different civil cases have said they fear Alex Murdaugh is trying to hide millions of dollars they could possibly collect in their lawsuits. They said he could shift money between unknown accounts and potentially sell off property and a boat after he turned all his affairs over to his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh.

Murdaugh's lawyer said he hasn't been found responsible in any of the civil suits and has insurance to cover if he is required to pay damages. Attorney John Tiller added that if Murdaugh loses control of his assets, that would open the door for similar things to happen in countless other cases if the person who sues thinks the defendant doesn't have enough insurance.

They are long in facts and innuendo but they are short on the law, Tiller said during a hearing in a Chesterfield County courthouse.
The Nebraska State Penitentiary was built in 1869 and houses minimum, medium and maximum security inmates. It has undergone several renovations over past decades, but corrections officials have argued that it's no longer cost-effective to upgrade the facility with an average population of nearly 1,300 inmates. Nebraska's corrections department has identified $60 million in maintenance projects that are needed throughout the prison system, including $12.5 million at the state penitentiary.

There are limits to how much work can be completed at any given time within a fully occupied prison," Strimple said. The issue has never been money, it's a reflection of an aging infrastructure.

In a statement, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes said building a new prison is the smartest investment the state can make to securely house inmates.

Otherwise, we will never get out of the ongoing cycle of making repairs  repairs that are even more expensive due to the age of the facility and the issues with working around a higher security population, he said.

The prison's water system has faced numerous problems for years, including five water main breaks between December 2017 and September 2018, according to an independent watchdog agency that oversees the corrections department.
The closer gets a little closer. Photo: Getty Images

After going in circles for months, Joe Biden had finally cleared a path forward in Congress for his signature social-spending plan, the Build Back Better Act. He came to Capitol Hill on Thursday to sell a framework for the plan that he hoped would unite the warring factions of the Democratic Party. I dont think its hyperbole to say that the House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week, he said to a conclave of congressional Democrats in a Capitol Hill basement. Speaker Nancy Pelosi then urged a vote on the infrastructure bill that day so that Biden would have a victory by the time his plane arrived in Europe, the outset of a major foreign trip on which he would represent the U.S. at a climate-change summit in Glasgow. He landed empty-handed.

Yet for all the familiar vibes on Capitol Hill, where it seems like there is an artificial deadline creating a manufactured crisis for Biden almost every week, the president had notched a real win: Progressives accepted the framework he had crafted to meet Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinemas demands in particular. There was a congressional committee already going over the actual text of the social-spending bill and the increasing likelihood that the situation would have improved by the time he returned to Washington.

Biden has been in the role of a circus rider since summer, trying to get both progressives and moderates to join in support of his agenda. House moderates have been eager to pass the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which was already approved in the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan vote, but wary of the size and scope of the Build Back Better bill, recently tagged at $3.5 trillion. Progressives have been doing their utmost to make the social-spending plan as comprehensive as possible and loath to give up their leverage over moderates  i.e., the infrastructure bill  until the social-spending legislation is agreed to by Manchin and Sinema.

Progressive distrust of those two was already high thanks to the significant compromises the pair of senators forced on the left and what progressives saw as the constantly moving goalposts of what they found acceptable. Bernie Sanders had originally touted a figure as high as $6 trillion and authorized a bill allowing up to $3.5 trillion to be spent. But the top line of the framework has now been brought down to $1.75 trillion. The Trump tax cuts would be left fully intact, the federal government would not be allowed to negotiate to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, and the United States would remain the only industrialized country not to offer paid family leave.

After Biden spoke on Thursday, progressives plotted their next steps and whether to take half a loaf instead. The question all of us are going to have to answer is: Do we vote against a bill that contains provisions we all support because it doesnt contain all the provisions we want? said Peter Welch. The answer was an enthusiastic yes to voting for it from almost every progressive. As Ilhan Omar told reporters, As a caucus, the progressive caucus is happy with this framework and eager to push it through.

That didnt mean they were ready to support the infrastructure bill.

With Manchin and Sinema remaining cryptic about a framework deal crafted to satisfy them, progressives held firm in refusing to support a vote on infrastructure. Juan Vargas of California told reporters, I dont trust what the senators are going to do  they have to commit. If they dont commit to it, then Im a no because then we will lose Build Back Better.

In a potentially positive sign, Sinema did have a Thursday afternoon meeting with Pramilia Jayapal, the leader of the House progressive caucus. Still, there remain all sorts of choke points for the legislation, including members who previously pledged to vote against any deal that does not include immigration reform or remove the cap on state and local income-tax deductions.

So even if the long-term prognosis looks better, the short term was doomed: No legislative successes to herald in Europe, and nothing for Terry McAuliffe, the increasingly beleaguered Democrat running for governor in Virginia, to woo swing voters with ahead of Tuesdays election.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer. Photos: Screenshot via Telegram; Getty Images

Ron Watkins is not the only peddler of conspiracy theories seeking office in 2022, but he may be the most influential. The former 8chan administrator is known as one of the most popular answers to the question Who is Q?, but now hes hoping to move beyond his alleged role in seeding the false far-right QAnon theory, which was embraced by some January 6 rioters. Watkins has filed papers to run for Congress, hoping to unseat Democrat Tom OHalleran in Arizonas First Congressional District. It is clear from his announcement video that he hasnt fully put his past behind him. Watkins says hes running to fix elections from inside the machine, referring to the debunked idea that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump in swing states like Arizona. As his outsider campaign unfurls, here is a primer on Watkins, his role in QAnon, and some of the more absurd and troubling details of his long-shot bid.

So is Ron Watkins actually Q?

Before the QAnon conspiracy theory spilled onto mainstream social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it was hosted on an image board called 8chan, which was owned and operated by Ron Watkins and his father. Between pages dedicated to child pornography and white supremacy, a poster claiming to be a government figure with Q-level clearance would issue new information drops unspooling the supposed conspiracy. While the users identity was never confirmed publicly, the father and son were some of the only people able to say authoritatively which posts were actually from Q. And the original founder of 8chan, Fredrick Brennan, said in June 2020 that he definitely, 100 percent believed that Q either knows Jim or Ron Watkins or was hired by Jim or Ron Watkins. By September, his hypothesis was a little sharper, suggesting that the Q account was initially run by someone else, with the Watkins family taking over in late 2017. Both Jim and Ron Watkins have denied being Q.

How did Watkins announce his congressional run?

Watkins posted a video to Telegram on October 15 announcing that he was running for the Republican nomination in Arizonas First Congressional District. Reading from a script in a stilted voice, Watkins said he was looking to unseat the dirtiest Democrat in the D.C. swamp, as if incumbent Democrat Tom OHalleran were a household name or a notorious symbol of political corruption.

This is what Trump has unleashed. QAnon leader Ron Watkins announces run for Congress in a downright frightening video. pic.twitter.com/B89FK057Oi  Mike Sington (@MikeSington) October 15, 2021

Some of Watkinss rhetoric in the video echoed that of other GOP primary candidates in 2022. We must stay vigilant and keep up the pressure both here in Arizona and throughout the country to indict any and all criminals who have facilitated election fraud, Watkins said. President Trump had his election stolen not just in Arizona, but in other states too. We must now take this fight to Washington, D.C., and vote out all the dirty Democrats who have stolen our republic.

But at other points Watkins made it clear that hes far more extreme than the average GOP candidate hyping Trumps stolen-election lies. In the video, he said he was inspired to run by his pastor, Jeff Durbin of the Apologia Church in Mesa, Arizona, who once said that it was a bit of an insult to Hitler to compare what he did in Nazi Germany to what the pro-choice movement has done in the United States.

What is Watkinss connection to QAnon now?

Watkins has repeatedly denied knowing or being Q, and on Inauguration Day, he told followers that the QAnon community should go back to our lives as best we are able. But he has had difficulty separating himself from the conspiracy that made him famous. In the comments for the video announcing his run, Telegram users rattled off QAnon terms and ideological shorthands. Watkins also had some trouble explaining to the Daily Beast why he was a keynote speaker at the QAnon conference Patriot Double Down on the weekend of October 22:

In an interview Monday with The Daily Beast, Watkins and science fiction author Tony Teora, his volunteer campaign coordinator, struggled to explain why, if Watkins is not involved in QAnon, hes among the keynote speakers at a QAnon conference called the Patriot Double Down in Las Vegas this coming weekend.

When you say thats a QAnon convention, I never saw anything posted that its a QAnon convention, Teora said, until a reporter for The Daily Beast pointed out that the conferences organizers use the aliases QAnon John and Q Queen Amy.

Further cementing the conferences QAnon ties, a poster for the event features both Q and 17, an important number for QAnon believers since Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet.

The number 17 is just an auspicious number, Watkins said. Ron, Ron, oh God, oh God! Teora said.

Does he actually live in Arizona?

It may not be a coincidence that Watkins filed to run in Arizona, a state that does not require candidates to be full-time residents; they must only live there at the time of the election itself. Watkins, a 30-something who went to high school in Seattle, has told the Arizona Republic that he has an address in Sedona.

How have local Republicans responded to his bid?

Since announcing his run, Watkins has endorsed two Republican candidates in Arizona, posting pictures of himself with former state attorney general Tom Horne, who is running for state superintendant, and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, an anti-mask former news host who has been endorsed by Donald Trump.

But some state-level political operators are skeptical of Watkinss prospects. This new guy getting in the race whos allegedly related to the QAnon phenomenon has no chance of winning, Republican consultant Stan Barnes told the Daily Beast. No chance. Let me say that again: No chance.

Does anyone think Watkins has a shot?

Arizonas First Congressional District, which is geographically larger than Georgia, is expected to be one of the most competitive general elections in the 2022 midterms. Tom OHalleran, a former Republican who switched parties before entering office in 2017, won the district last year by just three points, and the states independent redistricting committee has redrawn the First in a way that would make it slightly more advantageous for Republicans.

Whatever Republican candidate emerges from the primary should have a strong chance in the race, which is being targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee. However, Watkins already has serious primary competition, including State Representative Walter Blackman, an Army veteran who earned a Bronze Star while serving in Iraq, and Eli Crane, a former Navy Seal who makes badass bottle openers shaped like a .50 caliber bullet. Both these candidates had more than $100,000 cash on hand at the end of September, per FEC records. Watkins, meanwhile, spent his September attempting to sell screenshots of the five times Trump retweeted him (before they were both banned from the platform) as NFTs.
In the spirits world, bartenders are gatekeepers and guides. Curious about gin styles? Pondering the difference between bourbon, rye and blended Scotch? Ready to sample mezcal? Your friendly local barkeep has your back.

For years, whenever Cathead Distillery launched a new product, they would start on premise, in bars and restaurants. Yet when the Jackson, Mississippi, distiller kicked off its campaign for a new bitter orange vodka in March, it went the opposite direction.

Its very different than how we approached releases of the past, says Richard Patrick, who co-founded the small distillery in 2010 with Austin Evans. We approached it for the COVID times of home bartending, and making things simple for people. We wanted something very versatile for folks to enjoy who dont have a lot of training wheels involved in how to make a cocktail.

But Cathead cant deny how this past year has shifted and amplified trends in how, what and where people drink. In addition to the bitter orange vodka, the company captured two trends in one with a sessionable line of 5% alcohol by volume, or ABV, drinks. They created sparkling vodka-based canned cocktails in flavors including cranberry and limeade.

And these types of changes are being seen throughout the entire industry, not just a select few brands. Heres a look at how shopping at your local liquor store may look different these days.

Can that cosmo

A collective social pivot from bar stool to living room couch amplified a trend that was already fizzing before the pandemic. Canned cocktails, ranging from mojitos and mules to fruity spritzes and spiked lemonade, are big and getting bigger.

Were definitely seeing a lot of canned and bottled cocktails, ready to drink, says Kara Newman, spirits editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine. Thats partly an outgrowth of what was going on during the pandemic, this need for things to be outdoors-friendly and portable. There were so many distilleries and entrepreneurs and bar owners that rolled out their own products.

While canned cocktails may be booming, that doesnt mean theyre easy to make. A lot of them are pretty mediocre, Newman says. Some of them are made with a great amount of care, and some arent.

There are a lot of ways for a canned cocktail to go sideways, as Newman wrote in a June story for Wine Enthusiast. Fresh citrus isnt shelf stable, so some makers substitute citric acid. Sometimes the base is different, too. Is that canned margarita made with tequila? Maybe not.

Is it actually the same spirit, or is it neutral grain alcohol or something else? Newman says. Is it wine-based or malt-liquor-based, and its trying to be a beer-garita? Is it made with artificial flavors or citric acid as opposed to lime?

Yet many see promising improvements. Toronto-based wine and spirits writer Kate Dingwall likes brands like LiveWire, which was created by award-winning bartender Aaron Polsky in Los Angeles.

Many bartenders are making their own options, says Dingwall, whos been covering the industry for liquor.com, Eater and Forbes magazine, among others, for about seven years.

Its exciting, Dingwall says. Weve been drinking in parks, weve been drinking on patios, weve been drinking everywhere but bars. The rise of this canned cocktail movement makes it easy to do so.

Cocktail session: no- and low-ABV

Low- and no-ABV cocktails have been hot for a few years, and as people reevaluate habits they picked up drinking in relative isolation, the trend is surging.

Consumers are starting to wake up to the possibilities of the no- and low-ABV moment, Dingwall says. Before Seedlip, which produces nonalcoholic distilled spirits, launched in 2015, we didnt have a lot of options for nonalcoholic drinkers other than, like, Coca-Cola. Which is fine, but it doesnt feel like an adult way to drink at a cocktail bar.

No- and low-ABV drinks can be as basic as bitters and club soda or a wine spritz, or as complicated as any other high-octane cocktail such as a shrub, which is made with fruit-based syrups and preserved with vinegar.

Its way more sophisticated, with more flavors and more formats, Newman says. Its really come a long way from bitters and soda, or a Shirley Temple juice-and-soda-type format.

Pros dont prefer the term mocktails for these fermented and often complex beverages. They are often marketed as spirit-free and zero-proof. Other brands prefer to state their beverages are unleaded, safe for work or cocktail adjacent.

One challenge with low- and no-ABV spirits is that, as Dingwall explains, creating the spirit is just as expensive. The process is tedious. The equipment and bottles cost the same, but consumers have hesitation around, Why do I pay to flavor my drink like alcohol?

Still, Dingwall is encouraged by this trend, and she doesnt see it as only for the sober crowd.

If over the pandemic you hit drinking fatigue, a low-alcohol cocktail that doesnt leave your head spinning is a nice alternative even if you are a drinker, Dingwall says. Its about options, and it ties into our increasing awareness of health and sustainability.

Farm to flask

The word terroir, referring to the soil and climate that can affect flavors based on a growing territory where an item or ingredient is produced, is typically associated with wine. Recently, Newman has begun to see the term associated with spirits too. Were seeing more estate distilleries, she says, making farm to flask, or ground to glass. Theres more of an interest in terroir of certain spirits, in the whiskey sector in particular, an emphasis on the provenance of rye, barley and corn.

She noted Roknar Minnesota rye whiskey from Far North Spirits in Hallock, Minnesota, which has been doing really interesting experiments with rye and where its grown, according to Newman. KO Distilling in Manassas, Virginia, gets all of its rye, wheat, corn and malted barley from Virginia farms. Another innovator is Joe OSullivan, head distiller at Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon. He was one of the first to insist on purchasing apples, pears, cherries and more for his brandies from farms within 50 miles of their still.

The emphasis on terroir ties into a secondary trend of spirits that are sustainably made and distributed with minimal interference, Newman says.

Sometimes that looks like Good Vodka by New Yorks Good Liquorworks, which distills vodka from coffee cherries that would otherwise be discarded. Other distilleries have eliminated plastic or shifted their packaging in other ways. Newman has been seeing more bags in boxes, as well as bottles made out of paper and spirits in large-format cans that weigh less to ship than a heavy bottle.

For example, the St. Agrestis Negroni Fountain uses bag-in-box technology similar to boxed wine. Their 1.75 liter package equates to 20 Negroni cocktails that are made with Brooklyn-based St. Agrestis own housemade amaro.

The only thing to go in your trash is the spout, Newman says. Everything else is recyclable. As were getting closer to having gatherings again, large-format, ready-to-drinks might have legs.

Thank you, next

Some trends are relatively easy to quantify with balance sheets and sales numbers. Others are a bit more esoteric.

Dingwall noted the rise of consumer education, people doing their own research without a bartender or sommelier to guide them through. More people are knowledgeable of what amaro liqueur is, for example. Agave spirits are having a moment. Premium tequilas, like high-end whiskeys, are more popular than ever.

For herself, Newman has enjoyed seeing more acknowledgement of products made by people from various racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ producers with strides made in inclusivity. And shes noticed more bars emphasize Fun with a capital F by serving more elaborate cocktails, organizing pop culture themes and overall vibes that are friendly and not stuffy.

The speakeasy is getting pushback, that sense of formality, she says. Were seeing younger drinkers who didnt come up in that environment who are looking for something that feels approachable.

For Newman, the social element is amplified, and her expectations for presentation feel higher.

I just spent the last year making my own martinis at home. When I go out, I will be glad to order a martini, Newman says. But I want gorgeous glassware, and the whole theater of watching someone make the drink for me, placed in front of me, garnished with pizazz.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has been awarded $500,000 to complete a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network project, according to a press release.

The U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture seeks to assist farmers' mental health needs by investing nearly $25 million for 50 grants in support of the project, which includes the grant given to Alabama.

According to a release, this grant will provide training and outreach events for farmers to make them more aware of the stress triggers associated with mental health.

These events will provide farmers with information and resources as well as help connect farmers, ranchers and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs.

This funded project must initiate, expand or sustain forms of counseling and assistance including farm telephone helplines and websites; training programs and workshops; support groups; and outreach services and activities, according to a release.

Creating and expanding a network to assist farmers and ranchers in times of stress can increase behavioral health awareness, literacy and positive outcomes for agricultural producers, workers and their families, NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille said in a release.


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Honey, the GWORLS were upset about this elimination on twitter!! I haven't been watching regularly but I am too. All my blessings for Vanity TBQH

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Amazing post! Thank you bb. Ill be back after I watch to discuss!

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Yay, thank you! I tried to stick to your format as much as possible cause your posts always look so nice 

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xoxo

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This season is very so so.

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Ah, thoughts! Feelings! Feels odd to comment on my own post but oh well.



- Until judging this was such a good episode, the reading challenge was good, snatch game had cute moments.

- Ella as Nigella was perfection, Im so happy she won.

- I started yelling at my tv when Krystal was announced safe. How? RIGGA MORRIS.

- The lip sync wasnt great, but Choriza shouldnt have been bottom two in the first place.



The favouritism stinks. Last season Tayce was getting told I thought youd be awful but you surprised me by being good?, this season Krystal does bad/mediocre in challenge and runway and she gets coddled and praised.

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What was THAT?

Did the production really not foresee River and Choriza becoming fan favorites?

And I understand Ru's love for a skinny fashion twink, and Krystal is mega talented, but what the actual fuck is Scarlett still doing there???



Scone leaving really threw a big wrench into the production and they didn't recover.

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this episode was something...and dragula started and the contrast in quality and judging is so fucking strong, i wish we had discussion posts for it (dragula)



like what the fuck was that macaulay culkin pls lmfaooo

choriza may is so effortlessly hilarious in english imagine how she is in her native tongue

vanity annoys me and it suks since shes the only black queen and i feel forced to like her but nah she annoys me

kristal is so boring yet rupaul keeps sucking her dick and cock for breathing like im over it





dragula >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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LOL, they eliminated their best queen? OK.

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The Wiggles reference from Michelle Visage KILLED ME.

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so i guess i did make the right decision when i decided to dip

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Ru cackling at that one note Macaulay Culkin in the workroom had me worried about the rest of the episode and I was right! That was some bullshit. How Krystal was safe is beyond me. And frankly, Scarlett and Vanity were also weaker than Choriza. River had a bad snatch game but I'm sad to see her go.





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Oh BYE! Glad I stopped watching last week.

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The end of this episode had me shook and not in a good way. via GIPHY

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Also, brb, going to watch the newest episode of Canada's Drag Race to try and shake off this mess.

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danggggg ru really gave it to everyone this episode in terms of "ok this cast isn't that funny so I'm going to pick everyone's character for them" and "i'm gonna kick off two people just to get this shit over with and make sure everyone knows I'm not playing around"



kinda loved it lol if I cared more about this season I would probably be more shocked/upset but I'm just like yeah sure ok fine why not

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Love that attitude, I wish I could rock it not only for international seasons but main and AS too.

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That lipsync was not even close to double elim worthy

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It was a mediocre mess, but it felt like Choriza was forced into the bottom for them to be able to do this.



As is so often the case for me tho, I felt underwhelmed by snatch game anyway which doesnt seem to be how others felt so maybe I should rewatch.



Honestly this whole season has felt so underwhelming and no one stands out to me as much as some normally would by now and so it feels like production working extra hard to insert twists and gags and stunts to distract.



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I was not really impressed by this snatch game either. I really don't enjoy when the queens get around the no fictional characters rule by being the fictional character but writing the actors name on their card. Scarlett didn't do a Macaulay, that was just Kevin from Home Alone. Same with Vanity and Krystal playing fictional characters. I was not impressed with the judges but their point that when you do that you're just doing someone else's jokes was valid. And then while I love River, it wasn't a great effort so that doesn't leave many performances to be excited about.



Ella and Kitty were great. I thought Choriza did enough that she should have been safe and anyone else could have been in the bottom.

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ick

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Stared at this for a good long while trying to figure out what it stood for.

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absolute trash.

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Right? Wasnt he telling us yesterday that he didnt hit her?

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Men will really jump through semantics hoops to dance around the fact that they committed assault. "I didn't hit her" is always code to me for "I did something other than hit her". Honestly, people who don't do stuff like this almost always say something like "I never put my hands on her" etc.

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Oh hai Mark

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I read what's posted, there's nowhere that he hit her?

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hey! he said he didnt hit her okay!!!! just screamed in yolandas face and said vile things to her before calling up his wife and verbally abusing her too!!

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Fix your shit, Zayn.

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theres no fixing this. he will do this again :/

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mte...his little fines and probation won't do a damned thing except make him hate women even more.

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Honestly considering the fight he got in with apparently Bella's friends over the summer, flinging slurs everywhere, this is clearly an escalating pattern. I truly hope I'm wrong for his daughters and Gigi's sake but this looks bad and I hope he's with a good therapist.

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Absolutely right. Lbr, the chances of someone with kids calling it quits after only one incident is sadly pretty low. Most people stick it out until it's inevitable to split.

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yupppp

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Holy shit.

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jfc i never knew what an abusive pos he really is

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It's funny because I feel like he told us. Chris Brown is his idol, and the way he treated every single girlfriend he's had.

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poor Gigi

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Good for her for getting out. I couldnt imagine my partner screaming that shit at me about my mother, that must have been horrific

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Especially when she wasn't even there and couldn't do anything! I'd be so terrified for my mother and daughter. :(

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The sentiments about sticking up for your partner could be reasonable but its actively harmful to say shit like that over the phone to someone on another continent in the midst of a fight AND his tone is completely wrong. All thats coming through is rage.

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I'm honestly so so proud of her. getting out is TOUGH AS FUCK on so many levels. it's so common for victims to become "addicted" to and emotionally dependent on their abusers, too.

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mte, Im glad this led to a breakup and shes hopefully away from him and safe with her baby

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The work shell have to do, keeping her daughter away from the worst parts oh her father and grandmother... do not envy

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Damn this went from 0-60. Kinda like he did, I guess

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Zayn stans on twitter: "it was only verbal!!!"

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she deserves it bc she leaked something we made up!!

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They're all just repeating the same two talking points almost verbatim. And both seemingly are bullshit.

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the most fucked up part is like, okay so for argument's sake let's assume she did leak the kid's pictures. that's messed up, for sure. but HOW would that be anywhere near the same ballgame as the abuse described in this post?!! do people really think that would legitimize the violence??

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Thats so scary and sad and I really hope they realize soon (by growing up and educating themselves) how dangerous verbal abuse is and that it must be taken seriously.

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One of them posted pictures of him and his sisters and mom and said "Does this look like someone who would do that" They're so dumb.



They seriously sound like Chris Brown and Johnny Depp stans.

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"Intensive care bill or it didn't happen!!!"

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Imagine defending someone you've never met. I have my celeb favourites too but they're all just people and I don't know them.

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they clearly don't understand how impactive emotional abuse is. they can fuck off forever.

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Jeez that's horrible.

I feel so bad for gigi. Hope the bebe is fine.



Before people go "Yolanda ain't shit either" so? Doesn't mean she deserves to do thru this.

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"the f***ing sperm that came out of [my] f***ing c***.



????

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Im so confused by this

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idk why he would say that like, I'm sure Yolanda is well aware of how children are made

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mte

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Shit men say. Like a child is your property. Rme.

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Ewww, gross!



I am imagining he was either being possessive about his daughter, or try to be very demeaning  like "you mean less to me then the sperm that came out of my cock in the shower this morning."



Very graphic either way...

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makes me wonder if sometimes my father looks at me and contemplates the tadpole thingy he squeezed out of his peepee 35 years prior

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Imagine referring to your own daughter like that. Ick

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That's cuz he's stupid. He can't even properly formulate a sentence.

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he's being aggressively possessive of his daughter and reminding her than he's a man at the same time. I've got too many traumas to count from things like this situation and worse happening in my parents house daily. I hope she leaves and takes the baby with her and that they can all heal and receive any help they need doing so. Zayn can straight fuxk off but I do hope he gets help in multiple ways if they stay around him or not.



Edited at 2021-10-29 03:41 pm (UTC)

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this is why i don't find the "you should have stayed in your dad's ballsack" type of jokes funny.



it takes a sperm AND an egg and 9 months of gestation inside of the mother to make a baby. jokes like that place too much primacy on the father's hand in creating a child when all they are in the process are glorified sperm donors.

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My only guess was an interaction that went:

Yolanda: what gives you the right to speak to me about [grandchild] like that?

Zayn : the f***ing sperm that came out of [my] f***ing c***





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It's such a weird way to speak about your daughter. He sounds like such a man child.

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yeah ive been trying to make sense of iti wonder if he actually meant it like, the sperm (khai) that came out of my cunt (gigi???? ) basically claiming all rights to the property of both yolandas daughter and granddaughter, like saying, theyre both mine. :(

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cock

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Christ on his throne, I can only imagine how shitty he's going to be when they start dividing up custody, birthdays, and holidays. And with Thanksgiving and Xmas coming up right now too? No thank you.

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That line actually reaaallllyyy reminds me of my half-brother. He says things like that just to (try to) shock people. Like, he'd talk about having sex with his girlfriend in front of his mother (we share a father), just to get that "you're my son I don't want to know any of that" reaction, like he WANTED to make people uncomfortable in that specific way. When he had kids and his mom wasn't babysitting enough, he decided she'd never see the kids again, saying "they're MY kids anyway, they came out of my *** when I was ***** my wife from behind!"



TL;DR: Trashy behavior even ignoring that he's speaking about a human child and all the gross possessiveness (and talking about her like she's NOT a sentient human being).

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Hes a serial cheater and once filmed a women going down on him without consent



this is just more of the usual nasty ass narcissistic, misogynistic toxic-masculine thoughts that men like him have once they have daughters.



Edited at 2021-10-29 06:56 pm (UTC)

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he's not an eloquent one, that's for sure

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he is 100% saying that his daughter is his property. This is gonna get ugly

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I don't know anything about him, but that's fucking horrific.

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yikes. I was always kind of rooting for them, idk. I liked him. super disappointing. poor Gigi. how do you get over something like this, you're stuck with him being your kid's dad forever.

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All this, I agree

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I also rooted for them. I do not really know much about them though.



i also have a young child, and the images they shared with public of their life in that Pennsylvania home was a bit of escapist lifestyle porn for me during the pandemic.

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i mean, after this she can prob get full custody relatively easily (or at the very least infrequent supervised visits) & she's financially independent. she can keep contact w him to a minimum if she chooses to, and hopefully she does.

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That's absolutely not true, it really depends and we only know a few facts. And I don't know if it *should* be true. Is it seriously best to keep a child from her father? That's a very serious thing and according to this, the abuse was not directed towards the child. Not to defend him whatsoever... if I was Yolanda, I'd get a restraining order (they probably already have them by now). But thee baby is a whole other thing

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Family courts are really bad when it comes to this. As long as none of the abuse is directed at the child, most of the time they will get their share of custody no problem.

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you would think this would be the case, but the american family court system is obsessed with ~kids need their dads~. there are far, far too many cases of women being forced to share custody with their abusers, even when there are also credible accusations (or convictions!!) of child abuse.

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Same. I had a soft spot for him because we're both introverts with debilitating social anxiety. Gigi seemed like a godsend, tbh.



Oh well. Men are trash.

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Fuck him. Forget him.



I barely knew my dad after the divorce and I'm glad considering what a pos he was until the day he died last year.

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Jesus. And to think how many other times he must have yelled like that...



Violent garbage. Hope Gigi and Khai are safe and he stays tf away from them.

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I'm guessing these are harassment and not straight domestic violence charges bc his ass would be deported? I cant imagine immigration won't be looking into this.

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He has an American daughter. Could he be deported?

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remember the "slums of monaco" mess? Kelly Rutherford made up some embezzlement(?) stuff about her german(?) babby daddy that got him deported but screwed her over in the end anyway bc the kids still got to see him. in Monaco

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Oh absolutely. See also: Joe Guidice.

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My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

The White Girl by Tony Birch

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

The Yield by Tara June Winch

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

NON-FICTION

No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani

Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture by Bruce Pascoe

The Hate Race by Maxine Beneba Clarke

OTHER RECS

Hey guys!!! Our reading challenge is ALMOST OVER, so don't give up now! For November, we will be exploring the literary lands of Australia, guided by our very own, who wrote this month's post for us! - Australia is the largest country located with the continent of Oceania and is both. The majority of the population makes its home on the coast, in particular the east coast in the cities of Melbourne (Victoria), Sydney (New South Wales) and Brisbane (Queensland).with at least 65,000 years of history (evidence estimates place it between 80,000 to 125,000 years). At the time of colonisation there was over 250+ unique groups and languages, many of which have now been lost.- While Captain James Cook is often the explorer most associated with Australia, he was not the first European to encounter the land.and the country was known as New Holland until James Cook mapped the east coast in 1770 and claimed the land for the British Empire, renaming it New South Wales. British navigator Matthew Flinders was the first person to suggest the name Australia and that name was officially adopted in 1824.- Federation of the six British self governing colonies occurred on the 1st of January 1901 to become the commonwealth of Australia.The policy had legs long before federation with restrictions and taxes placed on Chinese miners during the Gold Rush (1851 on) period. The dismantling of the policy started at the conclusion of the Second World War to encourage non-British immigration (mostly Greeks, Italians and Yugoslavians) under the guise of "Populate or perish" and lingering fear over an Asian invasion from the war butIt is estimated that around 311 massacres occurred over 140 years with thousands of Indigenous peoples killed, though no definitive records were kept sites of these massacres were often marked by the names they came to be known by such as Murdering Gully in Newcastle.- Conditions for Indigenous people varied from state to state, often forcibly relocated to missions or working for low wages and/or rations. Children were regularly taken by the state to be raised separately from family as to further encourage a decline of culture, connection and language. These children were known asand. Even though there were efforts to bar them from serving,- Much like the United States,In 1965 a Freedom Ride organised by Sydney University students occurred to help raise awareness of Aboriginal health and living conditions and highlight social discrimination. In 1966 Vincent Lingiari led a strike to protest poor pay and working conditions on a station, which would be immortalised in the song From Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody. But it wouldn't be until the late 90s that Queensland would instate a scheme to repay stolen wages of aboriginal workers and there is currently a class action in Western Australia for the same.- In 1985 the government returned(also known as Ayers Rock, a large sandstone rock formation in the centre-ish of Australia, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, and famous for it's colours changing with the sky) to the Anangu to whom it is sacred. However it would take until 2019 that climbing the rock would be banned. Andin the groundbreaking Mabo case that would confirm the existence of native title in Australia., mostly due to it's relative isolation, but it also has one of the highest extinct rates in the modern world. Destruction of habitat as well as climate change is threatening even to some the iconic residents ie Koalas. The Daintree Rainforest located on the north east coast of Queensland is one of the oldest continuous rainforests in the world with an extremely high rate of endemic species. The fierce, irreverent novel of aspiration and rebellion that is both a cornerstone of Australian literature and a feminist classic.Miles Franklin began the candid, passionate, and contrary My Brilliant Career when she was only sixteen, intending it to be the Australian answer to Jane Eyre. But the book she produced-a thinly veiled autobiographical novel about a young girl hungering for life and love in the outback-so scandalized her country upon its appearance in 1901 that she insisted it not be published again until ten years after her death.Odette Brown has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. After her daughter disappeared and left her with her granddaughter Sissy to raise on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. When a new policeman arrives in town, determined to enforce the law, Odette must risk everything to save Sissy and protect everything she loves.In The White Girl, Miles-Franklin-shortlisted author Tony Birch shines a spotlight on the 1960s and the devastating government policy of taking Indigenous children from their families.Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Frannys history begins to unspoola passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crimeit becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny's dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?Knowing that he will soon die, Albert Poppy Gondiwindi takes pen to paper. His life has been spent on the banks of the Murrumby River at Prosperous House, on Massacre Plains. Albert is determined to pass on the language of his people and everything that was ever remembered. He finds the words on the wind.August Gondiwindi has been living on the other side of the world for ten years when she learns of her grandfathers death. She returns home for his burial, wracked with grief and burdened with all she tried to leave behind. Her homecoming is bittersweet as she confronts the love of her kin and news that Prosperous is to be repossessed by a mining company. Determined to make amends she endeavours to save their land  a quest that leads her to the voice of her grandfather and into the past, the stories of her people, the secrets of the river.Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winchs The Yield is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity.Two women awaken from a drugged sleep to find themselves imprisoned in an abandoned property in the middle of a desert in a story of two friends, sisterly love and courage - a gripping, starkly imaginative exploration of contemporary misogyny and corporate control, and of what it means to hunt and be hunted.Strangers to each other, they have no idea where they are or how they came to be there with eight other girls, forced to wear strange uniforms, their heads shaved, guarded by two inept yet vicious armed jailers and a 'nurse'. The girls all have something in common, but what is it? What crime has brought them here from the city? Who is the mysterious security company responsible for this desolate place with its brutal rules, its total isolation from the contemporary world? Doing hard labour under a sweltering sun, the prisoners soon learn what links them: in each girl's past is a sexual scandal with a powerful man. They pray for rescue - but when the food starts running out it becomes clear that the jailers have also become the jailed. The girls can only rescue themselves.Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. After a childhood of poverty and petty crime in London's slums, William Thornhill is transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. But freedom can be bought, and when Thornhill claims a patch of land by the Hawkesbury River, the battle lines between the old and new inhabitants are drawn.It was a cloudless summer day in the year nineteen hundred.Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of Hanging Rock. Further, higher, till at last they disappeared.They never returned.In 2013, Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani was illegally detained on Manus Island. He has been there ever since. This book is the result. Laboriously tapped out on a mobile phone and translated from the Farsi. It is a voice of witness, an act of survival. A lyric first-hand account. A cry of resistance. A vivid portrait through five years of incarceration and exile.History has portrayed Australias First Peoples, the Aboriginals, as hunter-gatherers who lived on an empty, uncultivated land. History is wrong.In this seminal book, Bruce Pascoe uncovers evidence that long before the arrival of white men, Aboriginal people across the continent were building dams and wells; planting, irrigating, and harvesting seeds, and then preserving the surplus and storing it in houses, sheds, or secure vessels; and creating elaborate cemeteries and manipulating the landscape. All of these behaviours were inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag, which turns out to have been a convenient lie that worked to justify dispossession.Using compelling evidence from the records and diaries of early Australian explorers and colonists, he reveals that Aboriginal systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australias past is required  for the benefit of us all.Dark Emu, a bestseller in Australia, won both the Book of the Year Award and the Indigenous Writers Prize in the New South Wales Premiers Literary Awards.'Against anything I had ever been told was possible, I was turning white. On the surface of my skin, a miracle was quietly brewing . . .'Suburban Australia. Sweltering heat. Three bedroom blonde-brick. Family of five. Beat-up Ford Falcon. Vegemite on toast. Maxine Beneba Clarke's life is just like all the other Aussie kids on her street.Except for this one, glaring, inescapably obvious thing.> The Swan Book by Alexis Wright (Dystopia Indigenous Fiction)(Alexis Wright also has quite a few other titles)> Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko (Indigenous Fiction)> Born Again Blakfella by Jack Charles (Indigenous Memoir)> White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad (Non Fiction Ruby Hamad is a Syrian/Lebanese Journalist)> Its Been A Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian (Queer Romance)> Bruny by Heather Rose (Speculative Political Thriller)> Juliet Marillier, Liane Moriarty, Graeme Simsion, Kate Morton, Hannah Kent




Edited at 2021-10-29 07:06 pm (UTC)

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Oh, hell no, indeed!



But also, nothing of value was lost so... hit it, Mr. Cube.

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Excuse me, you will not address the co-architect of the Platinum Plan (for Black Americans) with that tone tbh!!!

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i'm tired of humans

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This just says to me all the more reason to be Team Jack Black. Since he's clearly vaxxed to still be in the cast.

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Nothing but respect for MY Bowser.

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I hope he is, but if the studio considers him the bigger *cough*white*cough* star they might give him a pass.

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He posted a video of himself getting it iirc.

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IF they were willing to pay Ice Cube $9 million and let him walk away, it sounds like they are pretty serious about their vaccination policy.



Edited at 2021-10-30 12:09 am (UTC)

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(my reaction to him walking away from 9m so he can endanger his life and everyone around him)



Edited at 2021-10-29 06:58 pm (UTC) (my reaction to him walking away from 9m so he can endanger his life and everyone around him)

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How dumb. Lmao for $9 million yall can try out any vaccine on me.

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Ikr?!



Imagine being so narcissistic and full of shit in telling the world you're that your arrogance and stupidity is worth more than 9 MILLION $$$!



Isn't he one of those guys that "prides" himself on being a bad-ass, hard-edged man and yet he can't even take 2 injections in an arm?!? The irony of it all

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seriously give me one made in a high school science class for that cash

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Threw away nine MILLION because of a free vaccine, couldn't be me!

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Enjoying this self own! Continue losing work, we don't mind!

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Imagine being able to just walk away from a $9 million paycheck. Imagine being willing to do that just because you don't want to get a fucking shot.

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mte Jesus fuck



Rich people truly live in a different universe

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Considering 8% of our state employees have bounced instead of getting a shot, I'm just like "nothing shocks me, ever." [I'm not mad, bye to them, have fund finding another job with that kind of benefits and security!.]



At least Cube has you know, royalties and shit to fall back on. Imagine walking away from a whole ass job when you're not a millionaire. D:

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I'm starting a government job in 2 weeks. I saw people saying they refused to get vaxxed before the mandate went out. So they just basically wasted months of trying to get the job and getting fingerprinted just to basically fire themselves. So stupid.

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meanwhile there are people all over the globe who'd give pretty much anything to be able to get this vaccine

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Ive been looking for this gif for ages, thank you!!!

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Lmao the Cardi pop ups!

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9 mil to star opposite Jack Black, so almost a certain hit, and he said no so he doesnt have to get the Covid shot.





Truly I just dont understand humans

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Pretty dumb to hurt your own bag

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Didn't he also campaign with Trump? This dude perpetually makes dumb ass decisions.

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Oh Lord. I forgot about that shit.

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Yep. He's one of Trump's African-Americans

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Let's get Ice T in his place.

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EXCLUSIVE: STXInternational is launching sales on Guy Ritchie action-thriller "The Interpreter," which will star Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier who returns to a warzone to repay a debt to his interpreter https://t.co/UmrlTvXIGD  Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) October 29, 2021



Remember way back when when Jake Gyllenhaal ("The Guilty", Old Soul Connoisseur) joined a nameless, plotless Guy Ritchie (Just make The Real Rocknrolla already, old man) film?

Here's that plot, and here's STX International already opening preorders on it.



Gyllenhaal will play Sergeant John Kinley who on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan is teamed with local interpreter Ahmed to survey the region. When their unit is ambushed on patrol, Kinley and Ahmed are the only survivors. With enemy combatants in pursuit, Ahmed risks his own life to carry an injured Kinley across miles of grueling terrain to safety. Back on U.S. soil, Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given passage to America as promised. Determined to protect his friend and repay his debt, Kinley returns to the warzone to retrieve Ahmed and his family before the local militias reach them first.





Which sounds way too nuanced to be a Guy Ritchie film but ok.

Will the US Military help fund this one too?



src
Iran, the country holding the worlds second-largest natural gas reserves, risks turning into a net gas importer unless it finds some $50 billion investments in its gas industry, Iranian media report.

Although it is home to over 17 percent of the global gas reserves, Iran has been suffering from chronic underinvestment lately after President Trump withdrew the United States from the so-called nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed economic sanctions that drove away the energy supermajors that had the means to help Tehran develop these reserves.

President Biden has engaged Iran in new talks, but these have recently stalled as neither side appears willing to make necessary concessions. As a result, the Iranian government has warned this winter could bring power cuts because of insufficient gas supply for power plants. The managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company, for his part, has warned the country risks becoming a net importer of gas unless steps are taken urgently, Iran International reports.

Irans biggest oil deposit is the South Pars offshore field, which it shares with Qatarthe latter refers to it as the North Field. Five years ago, Tehran struck a deal with French TotalEnergies to invest $5 billion in the development of yet another phase of the field, but with the snap-back of U.S. sanctions, TotalEnergies left the country, leaving Chinas CNPC to take its place. However, development of the field has been slow in coming, apparently. A recent Bloomberg report put Irans gas shortage at 200 million cubic meters daily.

To reduce the risk of blackouts this winter, Iran has been building its crude oil reserves, Bloomberg reported earlier this month, but according to the Iran International report, the future of the countrys oil production is no less grim than the future of its gas production without some $150 billion in fresh investments.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil prices are on course to post their first weekly loss in two months, with both coal and natural gas prices falling as well. Whether this marks the end of the recent crazed rally in energy prices remains to be seen, but there are certainly more bearish factors on the horizon.

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 29th, 2021

The recent remarkable energy rally calmed down this week, with gas, coal, and oil prices all posting a weekly loss. In the case of crude, it was the first weekly decline in two months. Whilst oil companies were buoyed by an overwhelmingly positive string of Q3 results (most notably Chevron reporting its highest quarterly profit in 8 years), the case for $85+crude prices has weakened over this week. Iranian talks are back on the geopolitical agenda in November, crude inventories in the US increased once again, and geopolitical uncertainty threatens Bosnia, Libya, and Sudan.

OPEC+ to Stick to Supply Discipline. The OPEC+ Joint Technical Committee meeting this week largely agreed that the oil group should maintain its 400,000 b/d monthly supply increases, despite importers calls for more barrels.

Iran Nuclear Talks Will Restart Next Month. Top negotiators from Iran and the European Union have agreed to restart nuclear talks by the end of November following a three-month hiatus triggered by the election of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Chinese Coal Futures Continue their Tumble. Chinese thermal coal futures, as traded on the Zhengzhou exchange, have seen their biggest weekly fall in years, dropping to 970 CNY per metric ton ($150/mt) on the back of Beijing tightening the screws on coal prices.

Shell Declares Force Majeure at Bonny Terminal. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), the operator of the Bonny terminal, declared force majeure as it shut down the terminals oil feed line on the back of several leakages, with at least 150kbpd Bonny Light stranded for the time being.

TotalEnergies Invests in Kazakh Wind Farms. TotalEren, a Kazakh wind firm part-owned by TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE), has signed a MoU on a 1GW wind energy project backed up by a battery system of some 1GWh, poised to become the largest renewables project in the Central Asian country beset by crypto mining-triggered power shortages.

Equinor Prioritizes Gas Exports over Oil. Norways oil champion Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) will halt the re-injection of gas at the Gina Krog field and use those volumes for exports instead in a bid to boost natural gas exports to Europe on the back of the highest gas prices ever seen.

Reliance and BP Square Off with Indias NOCs. UK major BP (NYSE:BP) teamed up with Indias largest private refiner Reliance to quadruple the number of fuel stations they operate in the country to 5,500 in a bid to wrest downstream market share from state-owned refiners.

Windfall Profits Might Trigger Wave of Share Buybacks. Buoyed by Q3 results coming in at a profit of $6.75 billion, US major ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) will spend some $10 billion on share buybacks thanks to windfall profits from high oil and gas prices this year, a practice it suspended in 2016.

Year-Long Probe into US Climate Lies Starts. The US Congress started a wide-ranging probe this week that would look into oil companies misleading the public about climate change, with top executives from leading firms like Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) testifying at hearings. Related: Oil And Gas Stocks Are Popular Once Again

Mozambique LNG to Come Back Mid-2022. Mozambique LNG, the 20 billion liquefaction project developed by French major TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE), is rumored to restart around mid-2022 after it was put on hold this year amidst recurring attacks from Islamic State-linked militants.

Japan Wants to Harness Typhoon Energy. Challenergy, a Japanese startup, designed an upright square-bladed turbine that would harness the energy of typhoons - on average, Japan gets an average of 26 typhoons and tropical storms a year.

ExxonMobil Quits Black Sea Acreage. Following several years of unsuccessful talks, ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) has finally found a buyer for its 50% stake in the XIX Neptun Deep Block in offshore Romania as price caps render further development problematic.

Gazprom Done with Domestic Storage Replenishment. Russias gas giant Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) stated it had reached the 72.6bcm target level in Russian gas storage, finalizing the injections by November 08, implying Russia might be sending more gas to Europe in less than two weeks.

Saudi Arabia Sees Wind Prospects Surge. Vestas Wind Systems (CPH:VWS), the worlds largest wind turbine maker, seeks to launch the 400MW Dumat al Jandal wind plant in the upcoming months and set up a regional headquarters to expand further in the Middle East.

Worlds Largest Iron Ore Producer Probed by US SEC. Brazils Vale (NYSE:VALE)announced it has received a formal notice from the US Securities and Exchange Commission on a potential probe coming up, focusing on misconduct in the mining giants public disclosures over the 2019 Brumadinho disaster.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Before we become too enraptured with mainstream media headlines about energy shocks and energy crisis, there is one very important fact to consider: We are not short on crude oil or natural gas. As a cartel, OPEC can choose to produce more at any time. It chooses not to. That is a form of price manipulation. Russia is withholding natural gas from Europe, presently holding gas hostage at a time of European crisis until Germany certifies Nord Stream 2 to go live. That is also price manipulation - and a form with which we are all familiar.

As participants in a free market, American shale cannot, as a group, choose to produce more crude oil. It produces only what its shareholders will allow; and right now, investors dont want shale to ramp up production significantly. That is not price manipulation. American shale is not beholden to a cartel; rather to a diverse group of investors who want the patch to remain disciplined and will simply withdraw money if its not.

Apart from weather-related disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico (which disrupted natural gas supplies) and India (where flooding has disrupted coal production), the only actual shortage the world is dealing with is renewable energy.

The lesson here is to be careful what power source you rely on most. That reliance dictates your level of crisis. Italy, the UK, Germany, and Spain all rely heavily on gas for power generation.
- The Mexican government reduced the tax rate PEMEX ought to pay to 40% from 54% currently, arguing that the NOC still needs support after the liberalization drive weakened it.

- At the same time, PEMEX remains the worlds most indebted oil company with overall debt of more than $110 billion and lost its investment-grade status this year, so the financing of such an upstream renaissance remains dubious.

- Crude production of Mexicos national oil company PEMEX averaged 1.75 million b/d in January-September 2021 and it is eyeing the 2 million b/d mark by 2024.

- December-delivery Henry Hub futures fell to $5.8 per mmBtu on the back of a temporary easing in European and Asian gas tightness.

- Production issues have hampered the Freeport LNG terminal as a wax buildup in its pipelines still limits shipments, with Train 3 at Chenieres Sabine Pass LNG also down due to technical issues.

- As of today, only 5.3 million tons LNG have departed from US liquefaction terminals, the lowest level since February 2021.

- Netting another month-on-month decline, US LNG exports have been falling for four straight months already, just as Asian LNG prices started shooting through the roof.

1. US LNG Export Slowdown Couldnt Have Happened at Worst Time



Source: Kpler.

- Netting another month-on-month decline, US LNG exports have been falling for four straight months already, just as Asian LNG prices started shooting through the roof.

- As of today, only 5.3 million tons LNG have departed from US liquefaction terminals, the lowest level since February 2021.

- Production issues have hampered the Freeport LNG terminal as a wax buildup in its pipelines still limits shipments, with Train 3 at Chenieres Sabine Pass LNG also down due to technical issues.

- December-delivery Henry Hub futures fell to $5.8 per mmBtu on the back of a temporary easing in European and Asian gas tightness.

2. Mexico Keeps on Dreaming Big

- Crude production of Mexicos national oil company PEMEX averaged 1.75 million b/d in January-September 2021 and it is eyeing the 2 million b/d mark by 2024.

- At the same time, PEMEX remains the worlds most indebted oil company with overall debt of more than $110 billion and lost its investment-grade status this year, so the financing of such an upstream renaissance remains dubious.

- The Mexican government reduced the tax rate PEMEX ought to pay to 40% from 54% currently, arguing that the NOC still needs support after the liberalization drive weakened it.

- Interestingly, production figures from Mexicos energy regulator CNH are 100,000 b/d lower than those of PEMEX  the Mexican NOC blames it on temperature differences at the time of measuring.

3. India Needs to Buy More Spot LNG to Meet Demand

- India has tried to shield gas consumers from increasing LNG prices this year by ramping up domestic production, however even accounting for long-term supplies coming in as planned, India would need to ramp up spot purchases of LNG.

- This would mean great pain for Indian buyers as the domestic prices are regulated and calculated on the basis of international benchmarks annual average plus a 3-month time lag.

- With the magic of domestic gas output fizzling out, India would need to buy some 0.6-0.7 million tons per month of spot cargoes, over and above its term buying commitments.

- LNG departures en route to India were particularly low this month (at 1.7 million tons), with buyers essentially renouncing on buying any spot cargoes.

4. Most Solar Projects Face Postponement or Cancellation on Soaring Costs

- The rapidly increase cost of manufacturing materials required to produce photovoltaic panels and higher shipping costs could threaten a hefty 50 GW of PV projects planner for 2022, Rystad reports.

- This would mean almost 60% of all projects are under threat as manufacturing costs soared from below $0.2 per Watt peak (Wp) to $0.28 per Wp in the second half of 2021.

- All feedstocks required for PV production have seen their prices surge this year  silver, copper, aluminum  however, the year-to-date tripling of polysilicons hit the hardest.

- Overall, the levelized cost of electricity for photovoltaic panels increased by between 10% and 15% this year alone.

5. New IMO Targets to Boost Ammonia and Hydrogen Shipping

- The UN International Maritime Organization aligned on a target to decrease the carbon emission intensity of the shipping sector by at least 40% by 2030 from 2008 levels.

- According to IMO, overall GHG shipping emissions should halve by 2050, however with most of the shipping industry seemingly ready to accelerate the low-carbon transition, that goal might be revised further.

- There is an increasing pressure to include upstream emissions (also known as well-to-tank) in accounting methods, creating a double whammy for fossil fuels.

- The European Union has already pledged to include shipping in its carbon scheme, compelling all ships above 5,000mt tonnage to pay for their emissions, estimated at some 90 million tonnes CO2.

6. Activist Investor Launches Drive to Split Shell

- The activist hedge fund Third Point has built up a large ownership stake in Anglo-Dutch major Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS) worth $750 million and is now called for its splitting into two separate companies.

- Third Point advocates spinning the companys natural gas, renewables and trading businesses into a separate firm, arguing Shell is being pushed in too many different directions.

- Shells exchange stature took a beating this Thursday, losing almost 3 per share amidst the commotion caused, despite most other shareholders voicing their opposition to the plan.

- Shell reported a Q3 profit of $4.13 billion this week, helping decrease the companys overall debt burden to $57.5 billion.

7. The US Starts Running Out of Coal, Too

- Coal stockpiles at US power plants have fallen to their lowest in 24 years, at 84.3 million tons, as demand for the fossil fuel continues to outpace domestic production.

- Whilst aggregate coal production rose 9% year-on-year to 436.4 million short tons in January-September 2021, equivalent to 35 MMst, only some 40% of the increment went for exports.

- US power producers are on track to burn 19% more coal this year yet with stock draws as quick as they are now, year-end inventories might drop to 50 million tons.

- At the same time, the number of coal miners in the US slid 9% since the onset of the pandemic, making it even harder to ramp up production quickly.
U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 2 million barrels in the week to 215.8 million barrels, the lowest since 2017, the EIA said. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 432,000 in the week to 125 million barrels.

Crude inventories rose 4.3 million barrels to 430.8 million barrels the week ending October 22, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This number was well above the 1.9 million barrels analysts had expected.

U.S. crude stocks rose more than expected in the latest week, the government reported on Wednesday, but inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub dropped sharply again, suggesting markets remain tight due to steady demand and stagnant production, Reuters reported.

This weeks weakness isnt being fueled by a significant shift in the bullish fundamentals, but anytime crude oil supply rises especially five weeks in a row, traders are going to sit up, take notice and reassess the supply/demand situation. Furthermore, renewed concerns over a COVID-surge could also be limiting gains.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday, putting the market in a position to form a potentially bearish closing price reversal top. This will be the second sign of weakness this week with the first being a change in trend to down on the daily chart.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday, putting the market in a position to form a potentially bearish closing price reversal top. This will be the second sign of weakness this week with the first being a change in trend to down on the daily chart.

This weeks weakness isnt being fueled by a significant shift in the bullish fundamentals, but anytime crude oil supply rises especially five weeks in a row, traders are going to sit up, take notice and reassess the supply/demand situation. Furthermore, renewed concerns over a COVID-surge could also be limiting gains.

US Crude Stocks Rise More than Expected, Cushing Hub Plunges  EIA

U.S. crude stocks rose more than expected in the latest week, the government reported on Wednesday, but inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub dropped sharply again, suggesting markets remain tight due to steady demand and stagnant production, Reuters reported.

Crude inventories rose 4.3 million barrels to 430.8 million barrels the week ending October 22, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This number was well above the 1.9 million barrels analysts had expected.

U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 2 million barrels in the week to 215.8 million barrels, the lowest since 2017, the EIA said. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 432,000 in the week to 125 million barrels.

Renewed COVID-19 Concerns Threaten Recoveries in Europe, Russia, and China

Some of the profit-taking this week is being fueled by rising cases of COVID-19 in Europe, Russia, and China, which are threatening hopes for an economic recovery.

Concerns over an outbreak in China are drawing the most attention. The country has reported nearly 250 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 since the start of the current outbreak 10 days ago, with many infections in remote towns along porous international borders in the countrys northwest.

China had 50 new local cases for October 26, the highest daily count since September 16, official data showed on Wednesday.

A surge in new cases of COVID-19 threatens to disrupt the recovery in oil demand, ANZ Research commodities strategists Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari said in a new report on Thursday.

OPEC+ Expected to Stay the Course on Oil Output Plans

An OPEC+ committee largely stuck to forecasts of a strong demand rebound this year and next ahead of a meeting next week, at which the group is expected to rubber-stamp a planned output increase of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December, Reuters reported.

The Joint Technical Committee (JTC), which met on Thursday, now expects oil demand to grow by 5.7 million bpd in 2021, 120,000 bpd below OPECs forecast in its latest monthly report, two OPEC+ sources said.

The JTC left its demand forecast for next year steady at 4.2 million bpd, one of the sources said.

Weekly Technical Analysis

Weekly December WTI Crude Oil

Trend Indicator Analysis

The main trend is up according to the weekly swing chart. The uptrend was reaffirmed this week when buyers took out the previous high at $84.22. A trade through $61.11 will change the main trend to down.

Retracement Level Analysis

The minor range is $61.11 to $85.41. The market is currently trading on the strong side of its retracement zone at $73.26, making it the nearest support.

The short-term range is $55.54 to $85.41. Its retracement zone at $70.53 to $66.99 is the best support area. This zone is controlling the near-term direction of the market.

The main range is $37.70 to $85.41. If the main trend changes to down then its retracement zone at $61.56 to $55.93 will become the primary downside target and value area.

The retracement zone targets will move up as the market moves higher.

Weekly Technical Forecast

The direction of the December WTI crude oil market the week-ending November 5 will be determined by trader reaction to $83.76 on Friday, October 29.

Given the prolonged move up in terms of price and time, a close under $83.76 on October 29 will form a potentially bearish closing price reversal top. This wont change the trend to down, but if confirmed next week, it could trigger the start of a 2- to 3-week correction with $73.26 a potential downside target.

If anything, this chart pattern could become the source of heightened volatility over the near term.

Bullish Scenario

A trade through $85.41 will negate the closing price reversal top and signal a resumption of the uptrend. If this move is able to generate enough upside momentum then look for a possible surge into the next major top at $89.93.

Bearish Scenario

A sustained move under $80.58 will confirm the closing price reversal top. If this move creates enough downside momentum then look for the selling to possibly extend into $78.78.

A trade through $78.78 will indicate the selling pressure is getting stronger. This could trigger further acceleration to the downside with $74.67 the next likely target. This is the last potential support level before our primary downside target at $73.26.

Short-Term Outlook

OPEC+s move to raise daily output by 400,000 bpd is not expected to shock prices lower. Furthermore, dont expect OPEC and its allies to succumb to pressure from major consumer nations to speed the rate of output hikes.

Demand (for oil) can decline as there is still uncertainty. We also see there is yet another pandemic wave spreading across the world, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Reuters.

One takeaway in the EIA report is that WTI crude storage at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub is likely to stay low for months.

Another takeaway is that despite the fall in stocks at Cushing, the Gulf Coasts inventories rose to 247 million barrels in the week, partly due to a net increase in imports which hit their highest since June.

Perhaps the biggest blow and one that could continue to weigh on prices over the near-term is the news that Chinese thermal coal futures saw their biggest weekly fall in over five years on Friday as the powerful state planner said there was more room to adjust coal prices after its recent investigations into producers.

This is important because earlier in the month, a sharp rise in coal prices drove some energy producers to switch to crude oil for power. At that time, some analysts were saying this move could increase demand for crude oil by 500,000 to 1,000,000 barrels per day. The news helped drive crude oil prices sharply higher as traders increased bullish bets due to harsh winter cold expectations.

If prices get cheap enough, power generators will burn coal rather than crude. This will drive oil prices lower because of dampening demand.
Rebounding U.S. oil demand, a slow recovery of domestic production, and extreme weather-related events have drawn many barrels this year out of the key U.S. crude hub at Cushing, Oklahoma. Crude oil stocks at Cushingthe delivery hub for the WTI Crude futures contracthave more than halved since April 2020, when the market was fretting about high inventories as the pandemic forced governments to announce widespread lockdowns. Back then, a lack of storage at the Cushing delivery hub contributed to sending WTI Crude down to a negative price.

The picture is quite the opposite a year and a half later after U.S. oil demand recovered to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, production remains stifled by strict capital discipline in most of the U.S. shale patch and by storms in the winter and hurricanes over the summer.

Stocks At Cushing Have Halved Since April 2020 Market Rout

From more than 60 million barrels of crude inventory at Cushing back in April 2020, crude stocks at the hub dipped to below 30 million barrels in the week to October 22, 2021, EIA data showed on Wednesday.

Crude stock at the Cushing hub fell by a massive 3.9 million barrels week on week to stand at 27.3 million barrels as of October 22, the EIA's weekly inventory report showed on Wednesday. Cushing crude inventories were down by 54.4 percent compared to the same week last year, and down by 40.6 percent compared to the same week in the pre-pandemic year 2019.

Last week's dip to below 30 million barrels marks the lowest level of Cushing crude inventories since the first week of October in 2018.

How Did We Get Here?

Demand in the U.S. has rebounded this year from the pandemic slump of 2020. Per the EIA data, total products supplieda proxy for demandover the last four-week period averaged 20.8 million barrels a day, up by 9.9 percent from the same period last year.

Total U.S. oil demand reached a record high for the month of September at 20.6 million bpd, API's Monthly Statistical Report (MSR), based on U.S. petroleum primary market data through September, showed.

Related: Crude Build Puts The Brakes On The Oil Price Rally

The data "reinforced a combination of developments that has been recurrent so far in 2021  that is, demand outpaced supply, inventories fell and, consequently, imports and prices rose," API's Chief Economist Dean Foreman wrote earlier this month.

At the same time, U.S. crude oil production has hovered around 11.3-11.4 million bpd in recent months, down from a peak of 13 million bpd just before the pandemic. The Texas Freeze and Hurricane Ida sent domestic crude production down to 10 million bpd for weeks in February and September, respectively.

Meanwhile, the U.S. shale patch has been cautious in ramping up activity, even at $80 oil. Instead, most producers, especially the listed ones, prioritized returns to shareholders over production growth.

Stocks Hitting Tank Bottoms?

The market was closely watching the Cushing data in EIA's weekly report as inventories at the delivery hub for the WTI futures contract could give it clues about where the U.S. benchmark is headed.

"[W]orries over hitting tank bottoms should continue to be constructive for WTI timespreads," Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy at ING, said on Thursday.

Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, commented:

"At this rate of decline Cushing could hit its operational floor within a few weeks. A stunning reversal from last year when the pandemic prompted a glut of crude oil so big that exhausted storage capacity briefly forced WTI below zero. Watch those WTI front end spreads."

HFI Research, an energy research service, noted that "It's not where we are today, it's where we are headed given the recent draw/builds. We see flat US crude storage through refinery maintenance season before draws resume into year-end."

"Storage at Cushing alone has the potential to really rally the market to the moon," Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, told Reuters.

Low Cushing Inventories Support WTI

Stocks at Cushing at a three-year low have resulted in a narrowing of the discount of the WTI Crude prices to Brent Crude prices. As of early Thursday, WTI Crude traded at a discount of $1.67 a barrel to Brent Crude with prices down, mostly due to Iran saying that nuclear talks would resume by the end of November. Prices were also weighed down by the inventory build of 4.3 million barrels in U.S. commercial crude stocks. In fact, the dip in Cushing stocks was the only bullish point in EIA's weekly report for the week to October 22.

Earlier in October, the WTI to Brent discount was more than $4 per barrel. The spread is now at the narrowest it has been in just over a year, since September 2020. Related: Biden Likely To Arrive Empty-Handed At COP26 Climate Summit

The WTI futures curve points to high short-term demand as the backwardation in the one-year time spread is now higher than $10 a barrel.

The WTI December 2021 contract traded at a premium of over $10.30 per barrel to the December 2022 contract early on Thursday, suggesting inventories at Cushing could stay at low levels for months as storing oil is uneconomical in such a steep premium for nearer-dated crude.

Earlier this week, the premium of the WTI December 2021 contract to the December 2022 futures contract hit a high of $12.48 per barrel. This was the largest such premium since at least 2014, as per Refinitiv Eikon data cited by Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Big Oil majors, including Exxon, BP, Shell, and Chevron, may be subpoenaed to turn over financial documents as part of a congressional probe into alleged disinformation about the effect of the industry on the climate.

"Today's witnesses refused to take responsibility for big oil's decade-long disinformation campaign," said the chairwoman of the Committee of Oversight and Reform, as quoted by CNBC, following a hearing of executives from the four companies and the American Petroleum Institute.

"We need to get to the bottom of the oil industry's disinformation campaign with these subpoenas," Reuters quoted Carolyn Maloney as saying. The committee chair aims to uncover funding of "shadow groups", public relations firms, and social media.

The hearing focused on the period since the 1970s when Big Oil's own research showed a link between their business and the environment, but the companies ignored it, according to Reuters.

One of the participants in the hearing, Democrat Ro Khanna, told Reuters that Big Oil had changed its tune; its actions were not always in sync with this tune.

"I don't believe that you purposely want to be out there spreading climate misinformation, but you're out there funding these groups," Khanna said.

"Our understanding of the science has been aligned with the consensus of the scientific community as far back as 20 years ago," said Exxon chief executive Darren Woods during the hearing. "As science has evolved and developed, our understanding has evolved and developed, as has our work and position on the space."

The chairwoman of the committee, however, complained that she had not received the information she was looking for and that none of the companies and other entities called to testify had supplied the "key documents" the committee wanted, instead supplying a generous number of publicly available documents.

The key documents Maloney wanted were those detailing funding information "to understand their payments to shadow groups and to over 150 public relations companies and advertisements on social media."

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The modern breakfast burrito, according to the ever-reliable internet, was invented in 1975 at Tia Sophia, a diner in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

And people probably were putting eggs, cheese and potatoes in tortillas way before that.

So why, you may ask, did I not try a breakfast burrito until a few weeks ago?

Ive been pondering that question ever since a World-Herald trio set out to find the best breakfast burrito in the Omaha metro area.

I wasnt sure about a suggestion to make breakfast burritos the first entry in our Omahas Great Grub series, an updated revival of our former Food Prowl. I asked my co-workers: Are they really that popular?

Theyre all over town and all over social media, they replied, at fast-food outlets, upscale eateries, diners and convenience stores.

And people love them.

We had no trouble finding five places to sample, from South Omaha to near Gretna. Given time, we could have gone to at least a couple dozen more.

And what we ate  across the board  was satisfying.

Joining me on the quest were Kiley Cruse, a features reporter and editor, and digital producer Charlotte Higgins. Both were amazed when I said Id never consumed a breakfast burrito.

We needed to complete our mission within a few weeks, so we decided to try two each time we ventured out.

To clue in the clueless (like me), a traditional breakfast burrito is a flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese and some kind of morning meat (sausage, bacon or ham). Many places put their own spin on it.

Our first stop was Javis Tacos near 180th and Q Streets, where I learned that two-a-day might be a tad ambitious.

This thing is huge, I said as I picked up our burrito at the counter. It might weigh a pound.

My arm ached a little bit as I set it on our table.

For $8, you get a burrito thats at least 7 inches long and a couple inches wide, and filled with eggs, hash browns and chorizo, a Mexican sausage. For $2 more, it comes loaded with your choice of fillings from the cold bar that features items such as pickled veggies and pico de gallo.

We opted for the standard with green salsa and sour cream and no cold bar.

The tortilla was soft and chewy and clearly made fresh in house; it was not tough, as are some flour tortillas.

It was very spicy, but the sour cream balanced the heat.

The chorizo added nice flavor, Kiley said.

The ingredients were plentiful and evenly distributed, although the pieces of egg and meat were too small.

And the hash browns, which dominated, seemed as though they werent fully cooked and definitely werent crunchy brown.

We decided it was a good value but that cold bar ingredients would have elevated it.

Our next stop was Shirleys Diner near 138th and Q Streets. It was a good thing we paced ourselves at Javis, because we found another massive burrito there. We cut it into four pieces, had more than enough to eat and took one segment home.

The $10.99 burrito bulged with ingredients: scrambled eggs, Monterey jack cheese, tater tots, pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, queso, avocado crema, and, in an unusual turn, smoked pulled pork.

You couldnt customize, but you didnt need to.

It was all packed in what seemed like a commercially produced tortilla, tougher than the Javis wrap. It appeared to be layered rather than mixed together, allowing individual ingredients such as eggs and crunchy-fresh onions and peppers to shine.

Every bite tastes different, both Kiley and Charlotte said.

Fresh avocado and pico made the whole thing taste fresh, Charlotte added.

The pulled pork was inspired, we said. But we all agreed that the queso, ladled on top, didnt add much.

On our second day out, we visited Sunnyside on Center and Good Lookin, both in midtown.

The burritos at Sunnyside, near 35th and Center Streets, offer lots of choices for only $7.50. You get one protein (besides cheese and egg): bacon, house-made turkey or pork sausage or house-made chorizo.

Theres also a vegetarian mushroom burrito on a whole wheat tortilla, but we didnt try it.

Both the meat and non-meat offerings have crispy home fries, cheese and your preferred sauce, either chipotle queso or green chili.

Unlike others, theyre a more appropriate size for one person. We divided our bacon and chipotle queso burrito into threes and we were still hungry enough to enjoy our second stop.

The eggs in the Sunnyside burrito were cooked perfectly, chunky enough to make you feel like it was breakfast. And the tasty, non-tough tortilla was seared on the grill  a nice touch. Charlotte said.

Good Lookin, near 50th Street and Underwood Avenue, offers a $10.95 burrito with a twist  its garnished with pickled onions (mixed with non-discernable pieces of jalapeno) and shredded radishes and sauced with a slightly sweet aioli.

Its filled with sharp white cheddar cheese and Oaxaca cheese, similar to Monterey jack, bacon, tater tots and salsa.

I thought the aioli gave it a great flavor, but Charlotte wasnt a fan. She wanted more spice. (Our server told us the aioli originally had more heat but was changed because of customer feedback.)

I also liked how prominent the eggs were and the fact that the entire thing was grilled. Kiley was impressed with the perfectly cooked bacon. And we all agreed that the tortilla was tougher than some.

Our final stop, on the third day, was Abelardos, in the heart of South Omaha at 31st and Q Streets.

It had by far the most breakfast burrito variations wed seen, including a steak version we didnt find elsewhere and one with only hash browns for people who dont eat meat. It also had a wider variety of sauces.

We tried the sausage burrito, and it was a serious contender for best of the five, especially considering its the product of a fast-food place with a drive-thru. (It started in Omaha and now has dozens of locations scattered in at least three states.)

It was large enough to share but not large enough to be freakish.

The potatoes were chunky and well-cooked. The sauces tasted bright and fresh  not always the case for fast-food condiments. The tortillas were the most authentic of any we tried, and the best.

And it was only $9.46 including tax. Thats a lot of food for less than $10.

In the end, we decided that each burrito had something going for it:

 Javis was wrapped in a great tortilla and could be customized with an amazing array of add-ons. Even with a $2 upcharge for the cold bar, that makes it a bargain.

 Sunnyside on Center offered the least expensive burrito. It was big enough to fully satisfy one person but small enough to eat with ease. And it was the most like a traditional breakfast with its big hunks of egg and crispy bacon.

 The burrito at Good Lookin came with the best presentation. It was perfectly plated with a little pile of veggies on the side and the aioli, though not everyones mojo, sets it apart. If youre looking for a nontraditional burrito, this is a good choice.

 The sauces available for the Abelardos burrito, along with the fresh authentic tortillas and variety of protein choices, make it the perfect choice for a late-night snack that wont induce guilt. It was our runner-up.

 And Shirleys Diner offered the burrito with the most depth, which made it our favorite. The smoked pulled pork, the big hunks of avocado, ample egg and super-fresh pico all put it over the top. And you really could satisfy three appetites with its size.

Shirleys manager Ben Fackler said he created the burrito because he wasnt happy with the very basic version that had been on the menu for a few years.

I really wanted to take it up to a different level, he said. I just wanted to have something enormous on a plate, smothered with cheese.

He added all the ingredients he would want in the breakfast burrito which, he said, would be just about everything.

When he was teaching his staff how to make it, he kept telling them he wanted it bigger, and they would just laugh, he said. He finally purchased the biggest tortillas he could find.

I would say, It has to be like a baby, a newborn baby, Fackler said. I wanted it to be the size of my son, who was a little smaller (than some babies) at birth.

Customers responded with enthusiasm, he said. One woman got hooked when her daughter brought leftovers.

She liked (the burrito) so much that she wanted to put in a to-go order and come get one, he said. She lived in Council Bluffs. For her to like it that much and want to drive all that way back out, Im really proud of that.

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Vivekanandan said she is seeing hospitalizations among younger people who dont have underlying health conditions but do have elevated body mass indexes, a known risk factor. A BMI of 30 is considered obese, but a BMI of even 25 to 30 is overweight.

Initially, monoclonal antibodies were authorized for a more limited group of people, she said, including people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions. Long-term care facilities, she said, did a fantastic job of getting monoclonal antibodies to their patients earlier in the pandemic, heading off serious illness and death.

Since then, however, the criteria have been relaxed, Vivekanandan said. Health care providers can decide whether their patients would benefit from the treatments. And supplies of the drugs, which were tight for a time during the summer delta surge, now are loosening.

In addition, one monoclonal product, produced by drugmaker Regeneron, now is authorized as a preventive in people who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but are at high risk of serious illness and have had a close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19.
The water Westlands doles out to its agricultural customers comes from the Central Valley Project, a federally run network of dams, tunnels and canals that brings water from Californias wetter north to the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley and heavily populated Southern California.

The case raises questions about how much water major districts that serve corporate interests should be entitled to at the expense of tribes and environmental interests that rely on certain water flows, said Patricia Schifferle of Pacific Advocates, a natural resources consulting firm.

The argument really is: Are we going to allocate that much water to Westlands Water District without conditions? she said.

The contract gives Westlands access to 1.15 million acre-feet of water for irrigation and other purposes, though it doesn't guarantee all of that water in drier years like the one California is now experiencing. Since 1988, Westlands has only received its full allocation from the Central Valley Project six times, according to the district's website.

An acre foot is 325,851 gallons (about 1.23 million liters). An average household uses one-half to one acre-foot of water a year, according to the Water Education Foundation, meaning the contract gave Westlands access to enough water to serve up to 2.3 million households.
(CNN)  Costco this week raised its starting wage for hourly store workers in the United States for the second time this year as businesses hike pay to draw and retain workers amid a labor shortage.

Costco told employees last week that it would increase its minimum wage from $16 an hour to $17 starting on Monday. Costco has arbout 180,000 U.S. employees, and 90% of them work hourly. Costco's new starting wage puts the chain, which has among the lowest turnover rates in the retail industry, $2 per hour above Amazon, Target and other top retailers' minimum wage and $5 an hour above Walmart's.

Costco's latest pay bump comes as many retailers, restaurants and other service sector employers raise pay, offer signing bonuses and sweeten their benefits packages in response to struggles hiring workers.

Costco raised its minimum wage to $14 in 2018 and $15 in 2019. In February, the company based in Issaquah, Wash., hiked it to $16 an hour. Business Insider first reported its most recent increase.
Our message to gun traffickers is clear: if you bring illegal firearms into our state, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, Bruck said. We are committed to shutting down the pipeline of illegal firearms into New Jersey, especially the untraceable ghost guns that are quickly becoming a favorite of criminals."

Shapiro, who is running for governor in Pennsylvania next year, asked during a news conference why Pennsylvania lawmakers haven't cracked down like New Jersey has.

This case also underscores the need for new laws, both at the federal level and especially in Pennsylvania, to stop the flow of ghost guns into the hands of people looking to do harm in our communities, he said.

Pillus' case stems from a September visit to an Allentown, Pennsylvania, gun show where he bought the 13 handgun kits, according to officials. Authorities said they tracked him to his Morris County, New Jersey, residence where they also confiscated an AR-15-style rifle without serial numbers, 13 9-milimeter handgun kits, two 30-round AR-15 magazines, along with handwritten handgun assembly instructions and firearm assembly tools, among other things.
At separate hearings Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Fullerton argued for their continued detention pending trial.

While Idigima doesnt have a substantial criminal history, Fullerton said, she was in basically a position of public trust with the State Patrols evidence room and is alleged to have stolen significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, which were then suspected to have been distributed by her codefendant to other persons.

Idigimas attorney, Jamel Connor, said she had only one speeding ticket on her record, has lived all her life in Lincoln and has four children, three of whom are minors.

Magistrate Judge Cheryl Zwart said there was a presumption of detention in the case, and the grand jury has found that she was able to under the nose of the Nebraska State Patrol do some fairly significant criminal activity.

If she can work in their facility and they cant see it, how is Pretrial Services to trust anything she says about her conduct while theyre trying to supervise her, she said.

Zwart said that on the other hand, Idigima has some medical issues that had significant risk of problems if she were to be in custody in a jail cell and likely wouldnt do well if she were to get COVID-19 there.
At least two candidates intend to challenge State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh when she runs for reelection in 2022.

Christian Mirch, a lawyer and police officer, and Elizabeth Hallgren, a small-business adviser and educator, have launched campaigns for Cavanaughs west-central Omaha district.

District 6 is bordered, roughly, to the north and south by Maple and Pacific Streets and to the east and west by 144th and 72nd Streets.

Mirch worked as an Omaha police officer for 10 years and left after finishing his law degree to clerk for Nebraska Chief Justice Mike Heavican, he said. He later worked in private practice at an Omaha law firm, he said, then opened his own practice and does some work for the State Department of Labor. He still works part time as a police officer in Yutan.

Mirch is also on the board of the Set Me Free Project, which offers curriculums aimed at preventing human trafficking. He was chair of the Douglas County Republican Party but said he stepped down this week in accordance with party guidelines related to running for office.

A flyer for a Mirch fundraising event names Rep. Don Bacon as a special guest.
U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld of Los Angeles has issued a protective order that prohibits Rep. Jeff Fortenberry from being left alone with evidence related to his indictment on charges of lying to the FBI about illegal foreign donations to his 2016 reelection campaign.

Blumenfeld will preside at Fortenberry's trial in Los Angeles, which is scheduled to begin on Dec. 14.

"At no time, under no circumstances, will any cooperator materials be left in the possession, custody or control of defendant, regardless of the defendant's custody status," the judge ordered.

"Because these materials could be used to identify the confidential informants or cooperating witnesses, the court finds that the unauthorized dissemination or distribution of the materials may compromise the ability of such persons to participate effectively in future investigations in an undercover capacity and/or may expose him/her to potential safety risks."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins, chief of the public corruption and civil rights section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles, said at a preliminary hearing last week that he intends to call eight witnesses, including some who may be current or former employees in the nine-term Lincoln congressman's office.
U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. of Los Angeles signed the protection order on Thursday. It was requested by federal prosecutors who said that dissemination of sensitive information could lead to identifying confidential informants, jeopardizing their work in other cases and exposing them to potential safety risks.

The seven-page order also states that distribution of the materials could affect ongoing investigations of other public officials.

The order states that Fortenberry can view evidence and statements gathered by confidential informants only in the presence of his defense attorneys  he cannot be left alone with those materials. Fortenberry, according to the order, is also barred from taking any of the materials with him. He cannot write down or memorialize any of the information.

Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry pleads not guilty to federal charges The defense attorney representing Rep. Jeff Fortenberry against allegations that he misled and obstructed a federal investigation came out swinging during the congressman's initial court hearing.

The protection order clears the way for prosecutors to share with Fortenberrys attorneys statements and recordings gathered by confidential informants. That information can be used by Fortenberrys attorney to prepare for their defense or in reaching a plea deal.
Warden Michele Wilhelm said that portable bathrooms were brought in and that more than 9,000 bottles of water were on hand. Showers were delayed until the water was back on, she said.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha tweeted a list of observations Wednesday after he visited the lockup while access to water was still inconsistent.

McKinney said he started seeing social media posts Wednesday morning from people with family and friends inside the penitentiary. Then he started getting text messages about the situation. He was already planning to go to Lincoln, so he decided to stop by the prison unannounced.

He said he was told that there had been water problems there since Monday.

Asked about this timeline discrepancy, Corrections spokeswoman Laura Strimple said in an email that she thought that staff at the facility had an inkling that something was happening with the water but that the extent of the issue certainly did not become apparent until Tuesday.
Given all this, requiring civics education should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it has become  like everything else  a deeply partisan issue. The Wisconsin bill passed the Assembly on a largely party-line vote. Our politics have become so dysfunctional we cant stop posturing long enough to have a serious discussion about what basic things to teach our children.

Whose fault is that? Well, there is blame enough to go around. In fact, if there is one thing both parties do exceptionally well, its finding ways to blame the other side. But democratic institutions cannot function in a culture of blame. That ought to be civics lesson No. 1.

Lesson No. 2 should be that compromise is a good thing.

It is impossible to have a representative government without compromise. Yet today, too many Americans think we can improve society by electing fighters to Congress instead of collaborators. The result is that we have legislators who think it is their job to fight for control of the curriculum rather than work together to ensure meaningful education.

If we did manage to work together, what would that look like? Well, for starters we could agree on four essential objectives.
We engage the mission by keeping the focus on the gospel and reaching people. But we dont do this in a vacuum separated from the larger cultural issues of our time.

Over the past year and a half, weve been through the wringer, and its significantly impacted leaders.

The pandemic not only took the lives of hundreds of thousands, it also exposed deep fractures in society. Masks, mandates, vaccines, politics and conspiracy theories all added to the tumult.

For those in leadership, the challenges have never been greater it seems. But this is where history may come to our aid. Put another way, weve been here before. And though history does not really repeat itself, it does tend to rhyme. We can lead better in the future by sometimes looking back to the pastparticularly at tumultuous times like the one we face now.

In the 1960s, the hippie counterculture would seem like the last place God would choose to send revival. Young people marked by drug addiction, the sexual revolution and dropping out of society sounds more like a call for the judgment of God than a recipe for revival from God.

But in the middle of that incredibly divided time, God touched a generation. The Jesus People Movement came unexpectedly and led to a revolution in worship and the evangelization of many baby boomers.

Its happened before; could it happen again?

Cultural Convulsions

Every 50 to 60 years it seems the United States goes through a cultural convulsion. We faced one in the late 1960s, another around the turn of the last century, and another half a century earlier with the Civil War. These seasons trigger upheaval and uncertainty, and are often marked by fear.

We are in the midst of such a convulsion. For many, the division we experience today seems unprecedented  unless we look back to the last cultural convulsion. In many ways, last year was a lot like 1968. The parallels between 19681969 and 20202021 are striking:

April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. More than 100 cities experienced protests and riots. That same year, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, and the most intense protests of the Vietnam War to date came following the Tet Offensive.

May 25, 2020: George Floyd was murdered by police. Over 140 cities reported protests and riots.

September 1968: The Avian Flu (H3N2) was first recognized in the United States. Called the Hong Kong Flu, between 1 and 4 million died globally and 100,000 in the U.S.

March 2020: The United States shut down because of COVID-19. Over 5 million globally and almost 700,000 in the U.S. had died as of September 2021.

August 2628, 1968: The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago in a time of unrest and protests, with the violence shown on national television.

January 6, 2021: Images of protestors storming the Capitol sent shock waves rippling through the nation.

There are three things I want to say about our current situation and its parallel with 1968. First, dont expect to go back to normal when the pandemic ends.

I believe we will have a season of turbulence for another three to four years as Americans question their institutions, wonder who is being honest with them and search for clarity in a time of mixed messages by the media. The influence of social media and cable news will only extend this upheaval.

On the surface, we can easily be discouraged as there seems to be a dark cloud over our world that doesnt appear to be breaking up any time soon. But we still have hope in the work of the Spirit to do new things. Its not always the case, but tumultuous times can create the fertile ground out of which a new work of the Spirit can sprout and grow.

You can find such an example in 1968. A pastor of a small church in Costa Mesa named Chuck Smith began to be aware of the many unreached hippies in his area. And that year he met Lonnie Frisbee, who would become an evangelist who saw multitudes come to Christ. Calvary Chapel exploded into a megachurch and church-planting phenomenon. It is this church that, more than any other, has reshaped corporate worship.

Out of a time of deep division in our country came a movement exalting Jesus and invigorating worship.

Third, we remember the mission drives the church into society. We cant solve all the issues of our time any more than Chuck Smith could fix all the crises of 1968. But we can do what he did: We can teach the Word, share the good news with those on the margins and create spaces for the coming generation to thrive spiritually.

Engaging the Mission

We must elevate our ecclesiology and engage the mission. We elevate our ecclesiology by reminding people of the importance of the church participating in the mission of God. We engage the mission by keeping the focus on the gospel and reaching people. But we dont do this in a vacuum separated from the larger cultural issues of our time.

In 1968, American society was trying to understand the counterculture. Churches like Calvary Chapel stepped into that space focusing on the mission to reach people and saw God do remarkable things.

Soon after Calvary Chapel built a new building, a board member who was not a fan of the hippies pouring into the church put up a sign before a service that said, No bare feet allowed. Pastor Chuck tore down the sign and told the board that if the choice was between the youth and the new carpet, the carpet could go. The hippies kept coming, and the church kept growing. In a cultural moment, the church must speak up for the marginalized for Christs sake. In a cultural moment that can create a lot of angst and vision drift, the church must keep its eyes on Christ.

I saw a sign in the yard of a church that said, If you wear a mask, you are not welcome. We need Chuck Smiths today who will say, No matter who you are or what you believe, Jesus loves you, and we do, too.

Speaking into issues with the truth of the gospel and sharing Gods love for all people in a divided time is not a problem; it is an opportunity.

What if today, while the headlines focus on the strife, God is quietly at work with the next Chuck Smith encountering this generations Lonnie Frisbee?

If we stay focused on the mission God has given and lead well through the crisis, we may soon find out.

God often works in powerful ways during perilous times.

Read more from Ed Stetzer 
The time to start feeding hay varies throughout the Midwest, but with grass supplies short in drought-stricken areas, many producers have already started.

With harvest in full swing, some producers may turn to harvested corn fields to put pounds on gestating cows. Others may try soybean fields.

Anything you can do to push back feeding hay is beneficial, says Denise Schwab, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist in eastern Iowa.

If you had drought conditions, you are likely already feeding hay, she says. Some areas had some rain, but in many areas, pastures are pretty short.

Producers who are able to utilize crop residue can maintain gestating cows through much of the fall. Schwab says corn leaves and husks provide a good deal of feed value.

She says the last cutting of hay should be done before Sept. 15, which allows the grass to rest ahead of winter. Pasture conditions should be monitored to make sure grass stands are sturdy.

It may be tempting to overgraze pastures, but that should be avoided, says Eric Bailey, Extension beef specialist with the University of Missouri.

You will see pastures grazed down to nothing, but you want to start feeding hay when the grass height is 3 to 4 inches, he says. When you get below 1,000 pounds of available feed per acre, intake drops substantially. In a Missouri fescue field, each inch represents 300 to 400 pounds of feed.

Producers also need to assess hay quality.

Dry cows can get along just fine with average or lower-quality hay, but for those that are calving yet this fall, they need higher-quality hay, Bailey says. They are at their peak for nutrient requirements.

He recommends hay be tested, adding supplementation may be necessary.

With fescue and some other cool-season grasses, you still have 7 to 8% crude protein, and thats plenty for a cow, Bailey says. Energy is usually more of an issue.

Heifers have different requirements, and Bailey recommends that heifers be separated from older cows so they can get the feed they need.

We like heifers to be at 60 to 65% of their mature weight when they are bred, he says, adding heifers will continue to grow closer to their adult weight up until calving.

With winter approaching, Schwab says now is a good time to assess not only quality but quantity.

If you think you dont have enough hay, start looking at what you have, she says. Nutrient requirements in the second trimester are not as important as the third trimester. You dont want to get to January or February and realize you need more feed to get them to calving.

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When Illinois consumers start shopping for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange next week, theyll see at least three new options for next year, including plans from UnitedHealthcare, which pulled out of the states marketplace five years ago.

UnitedHealthcare, which is the second largest health insurer in Illinois, Oscar Health and Molina Healthcare of Illinois plan to offer health insurance coverage on the Illinois ACA exchange, also known as the Obamacare exchange, for 2022, the companies said. Open enrollment for exchange plans starts Monday at healthcare.gov.

UnitedHealthcare will offer plans to consumers in Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, and Will counties. Oscar will offer plans in Cook, DuPage and Lake counties. Molina will offer plans in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties.

Many of the people who purchase exchange plans are those who dont get health insurance through employers or government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid.

The addition of the three insurance companies is a change that could help address years of criticism that the exchange hasnt offered consumers enough options. And it comes after federal legislation, passed earlier this year, expanded subsidies meant to help consumers afford exchange plans, which have also been criticized as too expensive.

Experts encourage people to shop around to see what new options may be available for next year and to see how prices may be changing.

Its always the case that you want to really check your options during open enrollment, but I think thats especially true in places where there are multiple new carriers coming in, said Louise Norris, a licensed broker and health policy analyst for healthinsurance.org, an insurance agency-operated website. If you dont do anything your plan will renew, but your rate could change and even your benefits could change.

Oscar is offering plans in 11 states, including Illinois for the first time, for next year. UnitedHealthcare plans to offer coverage options on the exchanges of 18 states next year.

UnitedHealthcare decided in 2016 to exit the exchange in Illinois and many other states, following losses that stemmed from covering a population that was sicker than expected.

It was a common problem for many insurers in the early years of the exchange. That year, UnitedHealthcare was one of at least five insurers that decided to flee the exchange in Illinois, reducing options for consumers.

Insurers that remained on the exchanges then spent the following years raising monthly prices, called premiums, often dramatically.

They sort of right-sized the premiums, Norris said. In hindsight, the premiums had been set too low, and once they did that and everything kind of shook out, it became a profitable market again. Now were seeing, for last three years, and now 2022, the carriers returning to the market because it is a profitable market for them.

It was not immediately clear Thursday afternoon how much plans from UnitedHealthcare, Oscar and Molina might cost in Illinois. Each year, the Illinois Department of Insurance releases an analysis of exchange plans and their costs, but that analysis was not yet available on Thursday afternoon.

For years, most of the people whove signed up for exchange plans have qualified, based on their incomes, for subsidies to help offset the plans monthly costs. But in years past, a portion of people did not qualify for those subsidies, leaving them to pay often high monthly premiums and deductibles.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, which expanded who could get those subsidies and the amounts of the subsidies. Many people with lower incomes may now be eligible for subsidies so large that theyll be able to get certain plans at no monthly cost to them. And the legislation expands who can get those subsidies, to people making more than 400% of the federal poverty level.

The subsidies are growing as the costs of health insurance on the exchange, in some cases, are rising.

The states largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, said in rate filings that it plans to raise prices, on average, for its exchange plans by about 5% next year. Health Alliance Medical Plans, which offered plans mostly outside of the Chicago area this year, has said it plans to raise rates by an average of 10%.

Other insurers rates are changing only slightly, on average, for next year, with Bright Health Insurance Company of Illinois projecting about a 1.3% increase, Celtic Insurance Company a 3.2% decrease and Cigna a 1.6% increase.

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NORMAL  Normal police are asking for the publics help in locating a missing 16-year-old boy.

Devin Lee Davis was last seen on Oct. 19 near Main Street in Normal, alone and on foot. According to a post from the Normal Police Department, he did not have a cellphone, transportation or money with him

Davis is described as a 6-foot-tall biracial boy, weighing about 145 pounds. He has brown eyes, a mustache and curly black hair worn in an afro style.

He was last seen wearing a black Puma brand hooded sweatshirt with white stripes on the sleeves, distressed blue jeans and black and purple high top Jordan sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Normal Police Department at 309-454-9535.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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PERU  In response to a letter sent this month by state Rep. Kambium Buckner, Peru Police Chief Robert Pyszka said that investigators with the multi-jurisdictional unit gave all files in the case of Jelani Day's death to the FBI.

The Day family is continuing to ask for the FBI to take over as lead investigator in the case. Pyszka said the FBI has told the unit they will assist them in all matters, but they will not take charge of the case.

Buckner's letter requested that specialized resources, skills and attention are needed in the investigation and Pyszka's department should allow Illinois State Police to provide that.

Pyszka in a statement said he understands the pressure Buckner is fielding. However, the chief said he disagreed with statements Buckner wrote in his letter, including "unsettling discrepancies and inconsistencies including the analysis of surveillance video and the securing of the crime scene among other issues."

He also told The Pantagraph on Friday that investigators are still reviewing surveillance videos in the case.

Pyszka said the state representative has not reached out to him to discuss his concerns of inconsistencies and discrepancies in the investigation.

The chief also said the unit has contacted the FBI several times, with the most recent being early last week. Additionally, he said an independent autopsy report conducted by the Day family has not been yet been furnished to the unit.

"As far as the other claims concerning the investigation, I cannot comment as it is an ongoing investigation," Pyszka stated in the statement.

Results of the investigation's autopsy report were announced Monday by the LaSalle County Coroner's Office, indicating Day's cause of death was drowning. The report, received by The Pantagraph by a Freedom of Information Act request, stated forensic pathologists found no evidence of assault or altercation, or sharp, blunt or gunshot injury on Day's body, which became severely decomposed in the Illinois River.

Forensic Pathologist Scott Denton said it's unknown how Day went into the water.

Day's aunt, Terri Davis, told The Pantagraph Wednesday that the investigation's autopsy results have not changed her family's assertions that Day's life was taken by someone without his permission.

A march calling for Justice for Jelani Day was held Tuesday in Peru. The late student's mother, Carmen Bolden Day, led troops of supporters to where her son's car, clothing and body were found, also noting the distance between all three.

She said Tuesday that "none of this stuff adds up."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has also drawn parallels to the Emmett Till case, where a Chicago teen was killed in 1955 in Mississippi.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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SPRINGFIELD  Illinois lawmakers appeared to be hitting some roadblocks Thursday in their effort to reach agreement on a new set of congressional district maps on the final scheduled day of their fall veto session.

During a meeting of the Senate Redistricting Committee on Thursday morning, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he expected the latest draft to be put into bill form later in the day. But he also said he expected that bill to be introduced first in the House, and as of midafternoon Thursday the House Redistricting Committee had not scheduled a meeting.

Just before 5 p.m. Thursday, House Redistricting Committee Chair Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, declined an interview request with Capitol News Illinois, noting she was working with fellow lawmakers.

I dont know yet, she responded when asked if the maps would pass Thursday night or be delayed until January.

Part of the problem lawmakers face is the fact that, under the Illinois Constitution, any bill passed after May 31 cannot take effect until June 1 of the following year, unless it receives a three-fifths majority in both chambers. Thats 71 votes in the 118-member House, and 36 votes in the 59-member Senate.

Democrats currently hold 73 votes in the House and 41 votes in the Senate, but a consensus on what district lines would be acceptable had not been reached thus far.

Crains Chicago Business reported Thursday that one option being discussed would be to wait until January, when it would take only a simple majority in both chambers to approve the maps.

That, however, would leave lawmakers with only a very short window in which to approve the new maps. Thats because Jan. 13 is the first day candidates can begin circulating petitions to qualify for the primary ballot, according to a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, and those petitions must be submitted to the board no later than Monday, March 14.

House and Senate Democrats released their latest draft of a proposed set of maps late Wednesday night. Although it was largely similar to earlier drafts, the newest draft would pit three pairs of incumbents against one another in the 2022 primaries, should they all choose to seek reelection.

In southern Illinois, which saw the most dramatic population declines since the 2010 census, Republican Reps. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, and Mary Miller, of Oakland, would be paired together in a new 12th District.

In central Illinois, Republican Reps. Darin LaHood, of Peoria, and Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, would face each other in a 16th District primary.

And in the western suburbs of Chicago, Democratic Reps. Sean Casten, of Downers Grove, and Marie Newman, of La Grange, would face off in a 6th District primary.

The plan would also create a second Latino influence district in a new 4th District that would include portions of Chicagos Northwest Side, in neighborhoods such as Melrose Park, Stone Park, Franklin Park and Northlake.

Some people who spoke during that hearing expressed disappointment with the latest draft, including residents of what is currently the 3rd District on Chicagos southwest side.

In 2020, Newman edged out then-incumbent Rep. Daniel Lipinski in the Democratic primary in that district and went on to win the general election. The latest proposal, like both other drafts before it, would put much of that district into a new 6th District, but the latest draft would pit Newman in a primary against Casten.

William Beaulieu and Clare Duggan, both members of a group called Coalition for Change IL3, said that group was formed, in part, to unite the diverse communities and bring about change in the 3rd District.

We are politically active, we are involved. And we were unhappy when the coalition was formed with our current representative because of almost a complete lack of communication and opportunity for input, Beaulieu said.

Members of that coalition have testified at nearly every public hearing about new congressional maps since the hearings began in early August, and Duggan said many of them had submitted their own proposed maps through the Democratic caucuses mapmaking web portals.

Despite that, Duggan said, while the latest draft would keep more of the current 3rd District intact than previous iterations, significant parts of the district would be broken off into other districts.

Under questioning from Republican senators, Harmon said the proposal was based on the totality of input that legislative leaders received from the public as well as other sources, including private communications with staff from various congressional offices.

We are not obviously adopting one person's map and presenting it as our own, Harmon said. We are taking input from all sources and it is reflected in the maps presented to the Senate.

The Illinois congressional delegation is currently split 13-5 in favor of Democrats. According to the nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project, the latest plan would create 13 Democratic-leaning districts, three Republican-leaning districts and one competitive district with a slight Democratic edge.

That could prove important nationally for Democrats who are expected to lose seats in the 2022 midterms, and possibly their slim majority in the U.S. House.

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SPRINGFIELD  Lawmakers were closing in on approving a package of tax credits and incentives meant to encourage the development of the electric vehicle industry in Illinois Thursday evening.

The legislation, dubbed the "Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois (REV) Act," passed the Senate 55-0 and later passed the House 110-2-1. It heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk.

If signed, the package would offer "enhanced" tax credits modeled after the state's Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program.

Essentially, businesses involved in the electric vehicle industry, from automakers to parts and battery manufacturers, would be eligible for income tax credits based on the amount of new jobs they create and construction credits for building facilities.

Pritzker, whose office is pushing the initiative, said Wednesday that it was "important for us to be competitive" in the EV realm as other states put together similar incentive packages.

The governor said the state would not aim to offer the most incentives, but enough to leverage the state's strategic advantages in workforce development and location.

"We try to bring all those things together with some EDGE credits in order to put a package forward that's attractive," Pritzker said. "Let me tell you, we are getting incoming calls because people have heard that not only did we pass a great climate package, but also that we're looking at passing an electric vehicle stimulus package that will bring literally tens of billions of dollars to the state of Illinois and thousands and thousands of new jobs in a new industry we want to be a leader in."

Deputy Gov. Andy Manar, testifying before the Senate Executive Committee Thursday, said the EV package would yield "future-proof jobs for Illinois" that the state's strategic advantages alone could not.

"That is a good recipe for success as the automotive industry transitions, but we have learned in recent months, that is not enough," Manar said. "We need more."

Illinois has already become a center for EV production in the United States with automaker Rivian making Normal the site of its North American manufacturing.

James Chen, vice president for public policy at Rivian, said that it was crucial for their company and other EV automakers to have access to a robust supply chain, noting that the company was "in active discussions with three potential suppliers, all of whom have asked how Illinois compares to other states in terms of a business friendly atmosphere."

"This will lead to a greater investment in the state, increased jobs and the growth of Illinois' industrial base in electric vehicle technology, supporting Illinois' goal of becoming the Silicon Valley of electric vehicles," Chen said.

Though the tax credit portion of the legislation received near-universal support, some business groups such as the Illinois Chamber of Commerce opposed the legislation for its inclusion of a labor neutrality position, which basically means that recipients of REV tax credits won't oppose unionization efforts from their employees.

Chamber CEO Todd Maisch said that the provision was "really undercutting a lot of positives" in the legislation. The Illinois Manufacturers Association supported it, however.

"Is this bill perfect? No, but it makes Illinois competitive with our neighboring states and our competitors across the country," said IMA President Mark Denzler.

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The military veteran, who won a long-shot suburban congressional district a decade ago, became one of a handful of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. He joins a small but growing list of GOP Trump critics in Congress deciding to bow out.

Kinzinger announced his decision in a video early Friday, saying the time is now to move on.

My disappointment in the leaders that don't lead is huge, he said.

He hinted at other political plans, saying: I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide. I want to make it clear  this isnt the end of my political future, but the beginning.

Later Friday, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, announced he would be running for re-election. Kinzinger and LaHood were drawn into the same U.S. House district during the remapping process.

Kinzinger was elected in 2010. The Normal West graduate attended Illinois State University and served on the McLean County Board. He left in 2003 to join the U.S. Air Force.

Republicans are well-positioned to pick up the House majority in next years midterm elections, but the departure of Kinzinger and other more traditional conservatives casts a shadow over the party now led by Trump.

The former presidents influence remains strong on GOP voters and Kinzingers criticisms of Trump would have become difficult to overcome as his district was being redistricted to lean more Republican.

The Illinois Republican became increasingly critical of his own party since the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. At the invitation of Democrats, he defied his leadership to join Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as a member of the House committee investigating the attack.

He said the country is poisoned and we must unplug from the mistruths weve been fed.
Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has applauded President Akufo-Addo over his initiative to provide small-scale miners with alternative employment and livelihood opportunities in the mining sector.



NPP government set up a Committee called Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining to clamp down on illegal mining, locally called galamsey, which has been destroying the countrys water bodies and lands and also badly affect the mining communities.



Its under this notion that President Nana Akufo-Addo has launched the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) in Western Region to support small-scale miners and persons who have been affected by the ban on illegal mining in about five Regions across the country.



President Akufo-Addo over the years has introduced many initiatives for the betterment of the people of Ghana including Free SHS, Planting for Food and Jobs, One District, One Factory among others.



The NAELP is an initiative to reduce the burden of the people in the mining communities.



This is a laudable initiative and we should encourage people in the mining communities to support and sign on to this scheme so as to help sanitize the environment to help the country enjoy clean water. NPP is still working and will continue to work for the betterment of every Ghana, she said.

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.

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Former Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye says former President John Mahama is sowing seeds of confusion and dispute to discredit the Electoral Commission ahead of the next elections.



According to him, the former President's election rigging allegations against the Commission are a ploy by the opposition National Democratic Congress to dissuade Ghanaians into having little to no confidence in the EC, hence challenging its integrity.



Mr. John Mahama is unhappy with the outcome of the 2020 elections and still blames the Electoral Commission for the victory of the governing New Patriotic Party led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



"2020 was Ghanas worst election. If I was marking her, I would have given her an F. She is marking her own paper after the examination so she can give herself any mark she likes.



Tell me which election in Ghana was ballot papers printed yet one million ballot papers were found elsewhere . . . We didnt witness this under Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan. She [Jean Mensa] knew there was ballot stuffing," Mr. Mahama said in an interview quoted on 3news.com.



Reacting on Peace FM's morning programme 'Kokrokoo', Dr. Okoe Boye feared those seeds being sown by the former President might germinate and cause chaos in the 2024 elections.



"It's like a design to have the referee discredited. If you are going for a contest and the referee is discredited, it will be difficult to accept the outcome of the elections. If we're holding elections and no one believes the referee, the ground has been laid for chaos . . . The seeds of confusion and dispute are being sown now by the utterances of the former President and those who toll that line," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.





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.

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Dr Frederick Yao Mac Palm, the brain behind the alleged coup plot, is captured on audio and video, saying that the National Communications Authority (NCA) would be made dysfunctional on the D-day.



Even if we have to bomb the whole Ministry for transmission to go off we would do that, he emphasised.



This was when the High Court trying the case played some of the recordings made by Staff Sergeant Sule Kwadwo Awarf, Prosecution star witness, during series of meetings held to allegedly plot the coup detat.



Dr Mac Palm was explaining that only Ghana Broadcasting Corporation would be working on the day of the coup as the rest would be made to go off and that was where the announcement would be made to Ghanaians about the seizure of power.



In that meeting which involved Dr Mac Palm, Chief Executive Officer of the Citadel Hospital, Bright Alan Debrah, alias BB, freight forwarder, Sule, a soldier and Donyo Kafui, alias Ezor, a blacksmith, Dr Mac Palm asked Ezor to give the list of materials needed for the manufacturing of the weapons and how much money was required for them, which he (Ezor) was to manufacture.



Ezor gave the cost as GHS5,000.00 and mentioned some of the materials needed as Iron rods, gun powder, caustic soda and hacksaw blade.



That was when BB interjected that Ezor should beat the cost down because Dr Mac Palm was the only one funding the entire operations.



Dr Mac Palm, who did not want to force Ezor on that said, I dont want to suppress anyone, I dont cheat. You know how I work, stressing that I dont need anything, I can eat anything, I have a place to lay my head but it is for the future.



How much should we give you to be able to buy the items? Mac Palm finally asked. After here we have to know the price of the Assault Riffle, he asked.



Dr Mac Palm was not certain whether the operation would succeed, thus, he asked Sule who assured him that it would work 100 per cent, provided there was enough money to recruit more boys, adding that they needed to organise those who were hungry.



The meeting also deliberated on whether or not to bring in a fetish priest who would make participants swear their loyalty, else, they die.



He (Mac Palm) spoke of monitoring a guy he did not mention as he (the guy) had stopped attending their meetings he knows you, hes afraid of you,- (addressing Sule) but said he (the guy) was not a bad person just that he did not have the courage.



Sule was heard taking Ezors contact so as to be visiting him in the course of making the weapons.



Later in the video, Mac Palm and Sule visited a container to be used by Ezor as his manufacturing workshop.



Dr Mac-Palm, Ezor and BB have been jointly charged with Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli, Johannes Zikpi, a signaler, with the Ghana Armed Forces, Corporal Seidu Abubakar, Lance Corporal Sylvester Akankpewe, Corporal Ali Solomon, Warrant Officer II (WO2) Esther Saan and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo.



They are facing varied charges such as conspiracy, high treason, possession of firearms, explosives and ammunitions and they are being tried by a three-panel judges: Justices Hafisata Amaleboba, Stephen Oppong and presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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" " Mitya Aleshkovsky /Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0) On April 26, 2021, Moscow's prosecutor's office ordered Navalny's network of regional offices, including those of the FBK, to cease operations. Amnesty International said: "The objective is clear: to raze Alexei Navalny's movement to the ground while he languishes in prison."

Prominent anti-corruption activist, opposition leader and founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), Alexei Navalny, is a hero to millions of Russians and supporters around the world. But he is a constant irritant to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party which Navalny describes as the "party of crooks and thieves."

Navalny came to prominence around 13 years ago when he started blogging about corruption at state-owned companies. By 2011, his readership had ballooned, turning him into one of the leaders of anti-Putin demonstrations in Moscow, some of the largest seen in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The purpose was to gain followers, influence and to finally run for national office himself, which Putin and his party had no intention of allowing to happen.

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Nyet-So-Nice, Navalny

In 2013, Navalny launched an unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Moscow, a bold move and one that would have positioned him as part of the power structure of the international city. But despite his courageous voice against corruption, Navalny has a complicated political side.

He ran on a nationalist platform, calling for highly restrictive (some say racist) immigration policies against Muslims in the Caucasus and Central Asia. He also supported Russia's 2008 war against Georgia. And though that's not why he lost the election, these views came back to haunt him as he saw his support erode with human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Duke University's Irina Soboleva told VOX.com that Navalny's "hardline anti-immigration stances alienated members of his young, urban base."

In 2013 and 2014, Russian officials charged Navalny with embezzlement, accusing him of misappropriating about 16 million rubles ($500,000) worth of lumber from a state-owned company. The move was designed to harass him and drive support away from his anti-corruption campaign. After the second charge, he was placed under house arrest and was officially only allowed to speak to his family. Navalny began a campaign to further expose corruption and weaken Putin and his government. He posted embarrassing videos of Russian officials on his YouTube channel (it currently has 6.5 million subscribers.)

A brilliant political strategist, Navalny focused on building his "brand" as a corruption-fighter, establishing a robust national network of regional politicians committed to anti-corruption and the defeat of the United Russia party. He also announced his intention to run for president in the coming years (which the government has since refused to allow.) But these actions put a target squarely on Navalny's back.

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Putin's Personal Grudge

In 2017, the antiseptic, zelyonka, was thrown in Navalny's face and (according to him) cost 80 percent of his vision in his right eye. Two years later, he was detained by the police and put in jail. While there he suffered a severe skin reaction requiring medical attention at a hospital. He claimed he'd been poisoned and it seemed obvious that harassment from Putin's regime was escalating.

" " Alexei Navalny, face covered in the green antiseptic zelyonka, after the attack against him in Moscow on April 27, 2017. Evgeny Feldman/Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 4.0)

In August 2020 Navalny fell ill while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow. The plane diverted, making an emergency landing in Omsk, near Kazakhstan. Navalny fell into a coma before arriving at the hospital. Because of previous attacks and because his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and other members of his team were barred from the hospital, speculation immediately arose that Navalny had been poisoned. After weeks in the hospital at Omsk, Navalny was stable enough to be transferred to a hospital in Berlin, Germany, to be examined, treated and hopefully to recover.

He was released on Sept. 23 and in October, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok, a lethal, military-grade nerve agent. Operatives learned that Novichok had liberally been spread on the crotch of Navalny's underwear. Naturally Putin and his cronies denied involvement, but evidence suggested otherwise.

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Where Is Navalny Now and How Is He Doing?

Navalny flew back to Russia in January 2021 knowing that the Kremlin had placed him on the federal government's wanted list for "evading supervision" (a requirement of his probation in the 2014 embezzlement case) while he was recuperating in Germany from the poisoning. He was immediately arrested at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, telling reporters at the scene, "I am not afraid. I know that I am in the right and that all the criminal cases against me are fabricated."

In early February 2021, Navalny was convicted of violating the terms of his 2014 conviction, and later sentenced to serve his sentence of at least 2.5 years at Penal Colony No. 2, also known as IK2 in the city of Pokrov in the Vladimir Region of Russia, east of Moscow. The prison is known for strict enforcement of rules, "a colony maximally isolated from the outside world ... in which convicts are 'broken,'" according to Mediazone.

On March 31, Navalny started a hunger strike protesting the lack of appropriate and independent medical care related to ongoing symptoms from the Novichok poisoning. The hunger strike continued for three weeks before his condition worsened to the point that prison officials hospitalized him for treatment, raising speculation that he might be force-fed. This led to outcry from leaders around the world including U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders of the G7.

" " Navalny on Feb. 29, 2020 during a march in memory of politician Boris Nemtsov, a physicist, liberal politician and reformer, who was assassinated on Feb. 27, 2015 in Russia. Micha Siergiejevicz /Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Navalny's spokesperson posted on Facebook that "Alexei is dying ... it's a question of days." Physicians close to the dissident stepped in, persuading him to end his hunger strike, which he did on April 23, 2021, releasing a statement on social media:

"Doctors, whom I fully trust, published a statement yesterday stating that you and I had achieved enough for me to end the hunger strike. And I will say frankly  their words that the tests show that 'in a minimum time there will be no one to treat ...' seem to me worthy of attention."

Despite mounting international pressure to release Navalny, few expect that to happen. Instead, in a move designed to further silence Navalny and his organization, a Moscow court ruled to shut down the activities of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, pending a decision on whether the organization should be outlawed as an extremist group, even as thousands of demonstrators continue to march in the streets in support of Navalny and opposition to Putin.

Now That's Interesting Alexei Navalny studied law at Moscow's Friendship of the Peoples University, graduating in 1998. He spent a year as a student in the U.S. as a Yale World Fellow in 2010. His colleagues in the Fellowship put out a statement of support on his behalf in August 2020.
" " Flowers are left outside Gold Spa in Atlanta where three women were killed March 18, 2021. Suspect Robert Aaron Long was arrested after a series of shootings at three Atlanta-area spas that left eight people dead, including six Asian women. Megan Varner/Getty Images

A white man travels to one business and kills several workers. He then kills more people at a similar business.

Six of the eight people he killed are Asian women, leading many people to call for him to be charged under the new state hate crime law. Authorities resist, saying they aren't sure that racial bias motivated the man's crimes.

That's the situation unfolding in the Atlanta area in Georgia, right now. But there is often a gap between public opinion and law enforcement when people believe a hate crime has been committed, whether against LGBTQ people, racial minorities or Jewish people.

Hate crimes and hate murders are rising across the U.S., but long term polling data suggests that most Americans are horrified by bias-motivated violence. They also support hate crime legislation, an effort to deter such attacks.

Yet officials often resist the quick classification of incidents as a hate crime. Hate crimes have precise qualities, which must be met to satisfy legal requirements. And even when police and prosecutors believe the elements of a hate crime are present, such crimes can be difficult to prove in court.

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What Is a Hate Crime?

I have studied hate crime and police for over 20 years.

Hate crimes are crimes motivated by bias on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. In some states, gender, age and gender identity are also included. Hate crime laws have been passed by 47 states and the federal government since the 1980s, when activists first began to press state legislatures to recognize the role of bias in violence against minority groups. Today, only Arkansas, South Carolina and Wyoming do not have hate crime laws.

In order to be charged as a hate crime, attacks  whether assault, killings or vandalism  must be directed at individuals because of the prohibited biases. Hate crimes, in other words, punish motive; the prosecutor must convince the judge or jury that the victim was targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic.

If the defendant is found to have acted with bias motivation, hate crimes often add an additional penalty to the underlying charge. Charging people with a hate crime, then, presents additional layers of complexity to what may otherwise be a straightforward case for prosecutors. Bias motivation can be hard to prove, and prosecutors can be reluctant to take cases that they may not win in court.

It can and does happen, though. In June 2020, Shepard Hoehn placed a burning cross and a sign with racial slurs and epithets facing the construction site where his new neighbor, who is Black, was building a house.

Hoehn was charged with and later pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges in Indiana. A few months later, Maurice Diggins was convicted by a federal jury of a 2018 hate crime for breaking the jaw of a Sudanese man in Maine while shouting racial epithets.

" " Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black worshipers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2017, was convicted of 33 charges, including hate crimes, two years later. Grace Beahm-Pool/Getty Images

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How to Charge a Hate Crime

The first use of the term "hate crime" in federal legislation was the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990. This was not a criminal statute but rather a data-gathering requirement that mandated that the U.S. attorney general collect data on crimes that "evidenced prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity."

Soon, states began passing their own laws recognizing bias crimes. But hate crime legislation has not led to as many charges and convictions as activists may have hoped.

Law enforcement struggle to identify hate crime and prosecute the offenders. Even though 47 states have hate crime laws, 86.1 percent of law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI that not a single hate crime had occurred in their jurisdiction in 2019, according to the latest FBI data collected.

In many cases, police have received inadequate training in making hate crime classification.

"What weights do you give to race, dope, territory? These things are 90 percent gray  there are no black-and-white incidents," said one 20-year veteran police officer in a 1996 study of hate crime.

But I've also found that police departments are rarely organized in a way that allows them to develop the expertise necessary to effectively investigate hate crimes. When police departments have specialized police units and prosecutors who are committed to taking on hate crime, they can develop the routines that allow them to investigate hate crime in a manner that supports victims.

In the late 1990s I studied a specialized police hate crime unit in a city I called, for the purposes of anonymity, "Center City." My study revealed that those detectives could distinguish non-hate crimes  for instance, when the perpetrator angrily used the N-word in a fight  from cases that are truly hate crimes, as when the perpetrator used it during a targeted attack on a Black person.

Without the right training and organizational structure, officers are unclear about common markers of bias motivation, and tend to assume that they must go to extraordinary lengths to figure out why suspects committed the crime.

"We don't have time to psychoanalyze people," said the same veteran police officer in 1996.

Even law enforcement officers specifically trained in bias crime identification still may not name incidents as hate crime that, to the general public, seem obviously bias-driven. This may be the result of police bias.

" " Mourners visit the memorial outside the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 31, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where 11 Jewish people were killed in a mass shooting. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

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Limits of the Law

Advocates for hate crime victims maintain that police and prosecutors can do much more to identify and punish hate crimes.

Empirical evidence supports their claims. The FBI's 2019 report contains 8,559 bias crimes reported by law enforcement agencies. But in the National Crime Victimization Survey, victims say that they experienced, on average, more than 200,000 hate crimes each year. This suggests that police are missing many hate crimes that have occurred.

Distrust of police, especially in Black communities, may dissuade minorities from even calling the police when they are victimized by hate crime for fear they could also become victims of police violence.

All this means that perpetrators of hate crimes may not be caught and can reoffend, further victimizing communities that are meant to be protected by hate crime laws.

Hate crime laws reflect American ideals of fairness, justice and equity. But if crimes motivated by bias aren't reported, well investigated, charged or brought to trial, it matters little what state law says.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.

Jeannine Bell is a professor of law at Maurer School of Law at Indiana University.
" " The Mafia family tree has many layers. HowStuffWorks

The structure described below refers specifically to La Cosa Nostra. Other crime organizations have similar structures, but may differ in some ways.

Each Mafia gang is known as a family. The number of families can range from fewer than 10 to more than 100. Sometimes, the emergence of a new family must be approved by the heads of other families, while in some cases a group can splinter off from another family and consolidate its power, becoming recognized as a new family over time. Each family has separate business dealings, but the dealings of the families can intermingle depending on their proximity to one another and the commonality of their ventures.

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The leader of each family is known as the boss, or don. All major decisions are made by the don, and money made by the family ultimately flows to him. The boss's authority is used to resolve disputes and keep everyone in line.

Just below the boss is the underboss. The underboss is the second in command, although the amount of power he wields varies. Some underbosses resolve disputes without involving the boss. Some are groomed to replace the boss if he is old or in danger of going to jail.

Beneath the underboss are the capos. The number of capos varies depending on the overall size of the family. A capo acts like a lieutenant, leading his own section of the family. He has specific activities that he operates. The capo's territory may be defined geographically (as in, "everything west of 14th Street belongs to Louie 'The Key' DiBartolo") or by the rackets he operates ("Alfonze 'Big Al' Maggioli is in charge of illegal gambling"). The key to being a successful capo is making money. The capo keeps some of the money his rackets earn and passes the rest up to the underboss and boss.

The dirty work is done by the soldiers. A soldier is the lowest rank among made men. Soldiers are part of the family, but they hold little power and make relatively little money. The number of soldiers under any given capo can vary tremendously.

In addition to soldiers, the Mafia uses associates. They're not actual members of the Mafia, but they work with Mafia soldiers and capos on various criminal enterprises. An associate can include anyone from a burglar or drug dealer to a lawyer, investment banker, police officer or politician.

One other position within the family is somewhat legendary: the consigliere. The consigliere is not supposed to be part of the family's hierarchy. He is supposed to act as an adviser and make impartial decisions based on fairness and logic rather than personal feelings or vendettas. This position is meant to be elected by the members of the family, not appointed by the boss. In reality, consiglieres are sometimes appointed and are not always impartial. The position was made famous with Robert Duvall's portrayal of lawyer Tom Hagen, fictional consigliere to the Corleone family in two of "The Godfather" movies and the Mario Puzo novel upon which they were based.
" " Pope John Paul I (1912-1978) greets the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square afer his first blessing, Aug. 27, 1978. He died a month later, his reign lasting for only 33 days. He has moved one step closer to sainthood. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Albino Luciano, better known to the world as Pope John Paul I, reigned as pope for only 34 days before his death in September 1978. But he will soon join the ranks of 20th-century popes who the Catholic Church has canonized. This literally means they have been entered on the "canon," or list, of people formally declared to be in heaven and have been granted the title "Blessed" or "Saint."

The process requires a rigorous examination of the life and holiness of a candidate and involves several stages that can last years or even centuries.

After someone with a reputation for exceptional holiness dies, a bishop can open an investigation into their life. At this stage, the person can be granted the title "Servant of God." Further details and research are needed for them to be recognized as "Venerable," the next stage in canonization.

The following step is beatification, when someone is declared "Blessed." This usually requires that the Vatican confirm that the person performed a "miracle" by interceding with God. Two miracles are required before a "Blessed" can be declared a saint.

What, then, is a miracle?

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More Than Medicine

The word is used widely in nonreligious ways. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which sums up the church's teachings, defines it as "a sign or wonder such as a healing, or control of nature, which can only be attributed to divine power."

In the canonization process, a miracle almost always refers to the spontaneous and lasting remission of a serious, life-threatening medical condition. The healing must have taken place in ways that the best-informed scientific knowledge cannot account for and follow prayers to the holy person.

Pope John Paul I's beatification was greenlighted by the sudden healing of an 11-year-old girl in Buenos Aires who had been suffering severe acute brain inflammation, severe epilepsy and septic shock. She had been approaching what doctors considered almost-certain death in 2011 when her mother, nursing staff and a priest began praying desperately to the former pope.

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The Bigger Picture

Catholic belief in miracles is long-standing and rooted in what the church believes about the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospels portray Jesus as a teacher, but also as a wonder-worker who turned water into wine, walked on water and fed a large crowd with minimal food.

As a Catholic theologian and professor, I have written about saints, especially the Virgin Mary, and taught university courses on hagiography, or writing about saints' lives. In Catholic tradition, miracles represent more than physical healing. They also confirm what Jesus preached: that God is willing to intervene in people's lives and can take away their suffering.

For Christians, then, Jesus' miracles suggest strongly that he is Son of God. They point to what Jesus called "the reign of God," in which Christians hope to be reunited with God in a world restored to its original perfection.

" " A woman closes her eyes in prayer as Pope Benedict XVI arrives to conduct a mass to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham, central England, Sept. 19, 2010. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

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Devil's Advocate?

Naturally, thoughtful people can object to the claimed supernatural origin of such events. And the development of medical science means that some healing processes can indeed now be explained purely as the work of nature, without needing to claim that divine intervention has been at work. Some Christian writers, notably the Protestant theologian Rudolf Bultmann, have also interpreted Jesus' miracles as having a purely symbolic meaning and rejected them as being necessarily historical, literal truth.

The Catholic Church has for centuries held that science and faith are not sworn enemies but rather different ways of knowing which complement each other. That understanding guides investigations of supposed miracles, which are undertaken by the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which has about two dozen staff and more than 100 clerical members and counselors.

Theologians working for the Congregation assess all aspects of the life of a candidate for canonization. These include the "Promoter of the Faith" (sometimes called "the Devil's advocate"), whose role was changed in 1983 from finding arguments against canonization to supervising the process.

Separately, a medical board of independent scientific experts is appointed to investigate a claimed miracle. They begin by looking for purely natural explanations as they review the medical history.

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New Rules

The process of canonization has undergone continuous revisions throughout history.

In 2016, Pope Francis initiated reforms in how the church assesses miracles, which are meant to make the process more rigorous and transparent.

The Catholic groups who request to open a canonization case for a particular person fund the investigation. Costs include fees paid to medical experts for their time, administrative expenses and research. But cases were often opaque and expensive, reaching well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi wrote in a 2015 book.

Among Francis' 2016 reforms was a new rule that all payments be made by traceable bank transfer so groups can better track the Vatican's spending.

Another of Francis' reforms is that in order for a canonization case to go forward, two-thirds of the medical board are required to affirm that the miraculous event cannot be explained by natural causes. Previously, only a simple majority was needed.

The overall point of these reforms is to protect the integrity of the canonization process and avoid mistakes or scandals that would discredit the church or mislead believers.

Since Catholics believe that the "Blesseds" and saints are in heaven and intercede before God on behalf of people who seek their help, the question of miracles is a matter of being confident that prayers can and will be heard.

Dorian Llywelyn is the president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
Credit:  Marie Louis, Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)

Ancient genes that predate the last Ice Age may be the key to survival, at least if you are a dolphin, according to new research led by the University of St Andrews.

Genes up to 2.3 million-years-old helped the bottlenose dolphin adapt to new habitats through changes in behavior and may be the secret to their survival and range expansion, according to the new research published in Science Advances.

Understanding the processes that allow species to extend their ranges and adapt to environmental conditions in a newly available habitat, such as coastal habitats at the end of the last Ice Age, is an essential question in biology.

This new international study involving the University of Montpellier, the University of Groningen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Copenhagen and the University of La Rochelle in collaboration with researchers from Scotland, Ireland, the United States and Switzerland addressed this in the highly social and long-lived common bottlenose dolphin, a species which has repeatedly adapted from being an offshore (pelagic) species to life in coastal waters.

Key to their ability to adapt to changing environments over generations are genes associated with cognitive abilities and feeding behaviors, indicating that bottlenose dolphin sociality has helped them to adapt and survive.

Dr. Marie Louis, visiting scholar in Professor Oscar Gaggiotti's research group in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, said: "Old genes were important contributors to bottlenose dolphins' ability to repeatedly adapt to coastal waters across the world.

"Furthermore, several of the genes involved in this repeated adaptation to coastal habitats have roles in cognitive abilities and feeding, suggesting a role of social behavior in facilitating the ability of bottlenose dolphins to adapt to novel conditions.

"Conserving old genes may thus be critical for any species to cope with current rapid global change."

The research team re-sequenced and analyzed the whole genomes of 57 coastal and pelagic dolphins from three regionsthe eastern North Atlantic, western North Atlantic and eastern North Pacificto figure out how the bottlenose dolphin has been able to repeatedly adapt to coastal waters.

The team found that the pelagic and coastal ecotypes from the Atlantic and the Pacific have evolved independently, while those in the Atlantic are partially related.

Scanning the genomes for patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation, the team found that some regions of the genome were under the influence of selection in all three geographically distant coastal populations and were thus likely involved in adaptation to coastal habitats.

Even more striking was the fact that these genomic regions under parallel adaptation, and present at low to intermediate frequency in the pelagic populations, were very old.

This suggests that these old genes have been repeatedly repackaged during the formation of coastal populations, when new coastal habitats opened up, for example at the end of the last Ice Age.

The paper "Selection on ancestral genetic variation fuels repeated ecotype formation in bottlenose dolphins" is published in Science Advances.

Explore further Dolphins adapt to survive invasive coastal constructions

More information: Marie Louis et al, Selection on ancestral genetic variation fuels repeated ecotype formation in bottlenose dolphins, Science Advances (2021). Journal information: Science Advances Marie Louis et al, Selection on ancestral genetic variation fuels repeated ecotype formation in bottlenose dolphins,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg1245
This aerial view of a burning area of Amazon rainforest reserve, south of Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil, taken in August 2020 shows how deforestation has fueled an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions rose by 9.5 percent last year, mostly because of deforestation, a report said Thursday, making it one of the only major economies not to cut pollution as the pandemic hit.

Even as worldwide emissions fell seven percent in 2020a silver lining of Covid-19 stay-at-home measures that paralyzed the global economyBrazil released the equivalent of 2.16 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, its highest since 2006, said the report from the Climate Observatory, a coalition of environmental groups.

"The increase in deforestation in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon rainforest, put the country at odds with the trend seen in the rest of the planet," it said.

Deforestation in Brazil has surged since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019 with a push to open protected lands to agribusiness and mining.

Like most countries, Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, reduced pollution from the energy sector last year as the pandemic brought industry and aviation to a standstill.

Emissions there fell by 4.6 percent, to levels not seen since 2011.

But that gain was more than offset by increases of 2.5 percent for the agricultural sector and 23.7 percent for "land use changes," which includes the cutting and burning of trees.

Driven largely by farming and cattle ranching, such land clearing releases carbon into the atmospherea major problem for the world's biggest producer and exporter of soy and beef.

Under Bolsonaro, the Brazilian Amazon has lost more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,860 square miles) a year of forest cover, an area the size of Lebanon, up from 6,500 square kilometers a year over the previous decade.

Climate Observatory executive secretary Marcio Astrini blamed Bolsonaro's "anti-policies" on the environment for the emissions increase.

"Brazil managed the feat of being perhaps the only major carbon emitter to pollute more in the first year of the pandemic," he said in a statement.

"This is one more blow to the international image of the country, which arrives completely discredited to the COP26"the upcoming UN climate summit.

Opening Sunday in Glasgow, it is the biggest climate conference since the 2015 Paris talks produced a landmark accord on curbing global warming, and is seen as crucial for setting global emissions-cutting targets.

Explore further Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon surges to 12-year high

 2021 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Weeks after a massive oil spill marred the Orange County coast with significant environmental and economic damage, state lawmakers met in Sacramento on Thursday to demand that those responsible "be held accountable," with one legislator calling for an end to offshore drilling in California.

At an oversight hearing by the state Senate's Natural Resources and Water Committee, legislators acknowledged that ending offshore drilling would be an extremely difficult taskthe majority of oil rigs off California's coastline are in federally regulated waters. And any effort to rescind leases in state waters for drilling, pipelines and other oil infrastructure could face swift legal challenges and potentially cost taxpayers millions, if not billions, of dollars.

Still, lawmakers and state officials who testified Thursday agreed that the threats to wildlife and California's cherished beaches will remain as long as oil is extracted offshore.

"Is offshore drilling worth it? The risks that seem omnipresent jeopardize a coastal economy here in California that is worth approximately $44 billion a year," said Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine).

Min noted that offshore oil production in both federal and state waters in California accounts for less than 0.3% of annual production in the United States.

"That's not even a drop in the bucket and yet we continually face this threat of oil spills," he said.

The spill off Huntington Beach dumped an estimated 25,000 gallons into the ocean and investigators suspect it was caused by a cargo ship anchor snagging a 17-mile-long pipeline that runs from an oil platform to the Port of Long Beach.

Thursday's hearing shed little new light on the investigation into the cause of the spill, which occurred 4.5 miles offshore in federal waters. No additional details surfaced about the timing and effectiveness of the response to the spill by the pipeline operator or U.S. Coast Guard, which came into question in the days after the incident.

Chuck Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, provided an overview of the state's response to the spill. On Sunday, Oct. 3, two days after officials received reports of a potential spill, Bonham said he and other state officials flew over the water to see for themselves the extent of the crisis they faced.

"[What] I viewed from the air that morning terrified me, confirmed we were in the middle of a significant event. We should assume worst case," Bonham said.

Bonham said that during the first week of the response, there were close to 1,500 people deployed to clean up beaches and sensitive environmental sites, contain the oil floating off the coast and treat wildlife soaked by spilled oil. When asked about the investigation into the cause of the spill, Bonham deferred to federal authorities leading the inquiry.

"It is connected to that evidentiary and investigatory dynamic and I just can't comment," he told lawmakers.

Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee) called for a thorough investigation into the spill and how it could have been prevented, but he cautioned members not to jump to conclusions about who was to blame.

"While surely the oil company has some responsibility in the matter, I think it's important for us not to push all the blame onto the industry before knowing all the facts," Jones said.

The spill forced beach closures and deposited gobs of crude oil along the coast in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach, killing fish and birds and threatening sensitive wetlands. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved federal disaster assistance for businesses affected by the spill.

At a news conference at Bolsa Chica State Beach days afterward, Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was "time once and for all to disabuse ourselves that [oil drilling] has to be part of our future." Min has also vowed to introduce legislation to end drilling and oil production off the California coast.

An Amplify Energy subsidiary, Beta Operating Co., operates the oil rigs off the Orange County coast and the San Pedro Bay Pipeline is responsible for the pipeline that burst. Though the spill occurred in federal waters, the pipeline is one of many granted a long-term lease by the State Lands Commission to pass through state waters, which extend three nautical miles from shore.

Representatives from Amplify were invited to testify at Thursday's hearing but declined, said committee chairman Sen. Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles).

In California, both Democratic and Republican governors and the state lands and coastal commissions have successfully fended off numerous efforts to expand offshore drilling in federal waters.

In the 1980s, when the administration of then-President Reagan sought to open much of the nation's outer continental shelves, 24 California cities and counties passed local laws banning new infrastructure that would support offshore drilling. Seventeen of them were sued by oil companies, but the ordinances all still exist in some form.

In 1994, the state Legislature passed the California Coastal Sanctuary Act, which prohibits new leasing in state waters.

When the Trump administration pushed to open federal waters to drilling on an unprecedented scale, California passed laws blocking new oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure from being built on state lands.

The Orange County spill was just the latest blow to California oil and gas industry production, which has been on the decline since the mid-1980s.

In April, Newsom took action to ban new permits for hydraulic fracturing starting in 2024, halting the controversial oil extraction method that's been targeted by environmental activists for years.

The governor also called on the California Air Resources Board to determine how to end all oil extraction in the state by 2045. The governor's office said that plan would coincide with California's effort to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2045, including Newsom's call to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.

And last week, the Newsom administration took the first step toward banning new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools and healthcare facilities. Newsom offered a blunt assessment about the future of California's billion-dollar oil and gas industry when he announced the measure.

"We don't see oil in our future," he said.

Explore further Oil spills have marred the California coast and shaped its politics

2021 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The distribution of known Centaurs though the outer solar system. Credit: Eurocommuter/Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons 3.0-share alike license.

From Mercury to the depths of the distant Kuiper Belt, there aren't many unexplored corners of the solar system out there. One class of object, however, remains to be visited: the transitional Centaurs out beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Now, a new study from the University of Chicago recently accepted in The Planetary Science Journal looks at the feasibility of sending a mission by mid-century to intercept, follow and watch a Centaur asteroid as it evolves into a mature inner solar system comet.

It's a major mystery for planetary astronomy: how do comets get trapped in short-period path (that is, a comet with an orbital period of less than 200 years) in the inner solar system? Jupiter plays a major role in this regard, deflecting incoming debris both into and out of the solar system. On approach, a prospective new comet to the inner solar system stands a 40% chance of having its orbit altered by Jupiter. A prime example was long-period comet Hale-Bopp, which had its orbit shortened from 4,200 to 2,533 years during its 1997 perihelion passage. And as recently witnessed (twice!) in the past month, Jupiter also gets frequently smacked by incoming asteroids and comets.

Indeed, a close passage near Jupiter is a gateway intoas well as a ticket out ofthe solar system.

2060 Chiron was the first Centaur asteroid discovered and recognized as such in 1977, followed by 5145 Pholus in 1992. Today, 452 Centaurs are known, ranging from the orbit of Jupiter to Neptune. Clearly, these are intriguing transitional objects in their own right and worthy of study not only as pristine samples of the early primordial solar system, but also as transitional objects between inert icy asteroids and active comets. To get an idea of just how strange Centaurs are, witness the bizarre world of 10199 Chariklo, the only asteroid known to possess a ring system. With orbits crossing those of the main larger planets of the solar system, Centaurs have an average lifespan of only a few million years, which is short, as the multi-billion year history of the solar system goes. And though we haven't visited a Centaur yet per se, we may have gotten a preview of one of these strange objects during flybys of the outer moons of Saturn and the ice giant worlds of Uranus and Neptune during the Voyager 2 mission.

Saturns moon Phoebe: a captured Centaur? Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.

"Centaurs are extremely interesting for many reasons," lead researcher on the study Darryl Seligman (University of Chicago Department of Geophysical Sciences) told Universe Today. "I think the most intriguing aspects of this population is that they will show us the missing link in our understanding of the temporal evolution of the minor bodies in the Solar System. The Centaurs in between the giant planets serve as the source population for the Jupiter family comets, which presumably originate out past Neptune."

The spacecraft in the proposal would literally be a "mission of opportunity," loitering in the orbit of Jupiter until a suitable target drops by. NASA has had similar Discovery Class proposals in the past with the Centaurus and Chimera missions. The European Space Agency's (ESA's) proposed Comet Interceptor would carry out a similar mission plan, loitering at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point and awaiting a target of opportunity.

Missions such as OSIRIS-Rex and New Horizons have demonstrated the capability to conduct distant asteroid rendezvous, and Juno and the recently launched Lucy mission to the Jupiter Trojans are demonstrating the ability to utilize solar power beyond the asteroid belt.

The orbit of P/2019 LD2 ATLAS. Credit: NASA/JPL.

The good news is, we may not have to wait long to catch a short-period comet in the act of formation. One prospect is a recently discovered Centaur that may make the transition to an inner solar system comet over the next century. It is P/2019 LD2 ATLAS, which will make a close pass near Jupiter in 2063 at only 0.016 AU (1.5 million miles or 2.4 million kilometers) distant. Not only would this object make a suitable target, but all-sky surveys such as Vera Rubin set to see first light in 2022 will very probably uncover more potential targets.

"A Centaur mission like the one we are proposing might seem like a wild idea, but it certainly has precedent," says Seligman. "An exciting thing is that it is possible that there may be additional targets that will transition into the inner solar system sooner than LD2, maybe in the next couple of decades. If there are any additional targets that get detected, they will all be reachable for a spacecraft loitering at Jupiter's L2 point, since they all experience a period of low relative velocity with respect to Jupiter."

Explore further To watch a comet form, a spacecraft could tag along for a journey toward the sun

More information: Darryl Z. Seligman, Kaitlin M. Kratter, W. Garrett Levine, Robert Jedicke, A Sublime Opportunity: The Dynamics of Transitioning Cometary Bodies and the Feasibility of In Situ Observations of The Evolution of Their Activity. arXiv:2110.02822v1 [astro-ph.EP], Journal information: The Planetary Science Journal Darryl Z. Seligman, Kaitlin M. Kratter, W. Garrett Levine, Robert Jedicke, A Sublime Opportunity: The Dynamics of Transitioning Cometary Bodies and the Feasibility of In Situ Observations of The Evolution of Their Activity. arXiv:2110.02822v1 [astro-ph.EP], arxiv.org/abs/2110.02822
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Medicines come from chemical reactions, and better chemical reactions lead to better medicines.

Yet, the most popular reaction used in drug discovery, called the amide coupling, makes an inherently unstable amide bond. Because the body excels at metabolizing medication, one of the most important and difficult goals of drug research is to invent metabolically stable molecules, so we can take one pill a day instead of every 15 minutes.

To that end, researchers at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy hacked the popular amide coupling to produce a carbon-carbon bond instead of an amide. The carbon-carbon bond is the most prevalent bond arrangement in nature and in synthetic drugs, and it's also typically more stable than the amide bond, said Tim Cernak, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and principal investigator of the study that appears online in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

The discovery of the carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction opens the door to more stable medicines, and is particularly applicable to biological probes and new medical imaging agents, Cernak said.

"It's actually really, really difficult to invent a molecule that has that stability so that you can take just one pill a day," he said. "If we don't put all this optimization into stabilization of molecules, we'd have to take one pill every 15 minutes or 20 minutes. It would be very inconvenient."

The common amide bond is formed by coupling an amine and a carboxylic acid. To form a carbon-carbon bond, researchers identified a catalyst that deaminates the amine and decarboxylates the carboxylic acid, forming a carbon-carbon bond in the process.

Joining an amine and a carboxylic acid to make a carbon-carbon bond is also advantageous because these reagents are available in the highest diversity, and are typically less expensive than other raw ingredients that could be used to make a carbon-carbon bond.

"Think of a big box of Lego pieces," Cernak said. "What if you knew you could only take the nub on one side and connect it only to one side." But by adjusting the reaction conditions, researchers could join those Legos in different ways. "Now you learn you can turn the piece and connect it on the other side. We're taking the classic breaking point of two Lego pieces and making that the stable union."

Cernak's lab focuses on the merger of data science and chemical synthesis. Rapid adjustments to the starting materials were possible because of the lab's own miniaturized high throughput experimentation technique, said co-author Zirong Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in Cernak's lab.

Zhang navigated through more than 1,300 failed reactions before she found the one that yielded the carbon-carbon bond. Miniaturization makes the experimentation greener and faster by using smaller quantities of reactants, she said.

"We are using as much as a hundred times less starting material than traditional methods," Zhang said. "When you go smaller, it's a more green chemistry because you consume less, and this also allows you to more efficiently look at reactions."

It's analogous to Moore's law, the observation that computational power would double about every two years as transistors shrank.

"We've applied Moore's law to the process of chemical experimentation," Cernak said. "We shrink the size of the reaction, but we backfill that additional space that we got with more reactions."

That's what allowed Zhang to run hundreds of reactions to finally find that "diamond in the rough"the hidden catalytic condition that worked, which nobody could find before.

Also unique was the data science strategy on the front end.

"We did a huge amount of data science to target this specific reaction," Cernak said.

The group analyzed chemical vendor building block catalogs to understand which raw ingredients were most broadly available, and mined drug databases to look for the most important bonds.

Explore further A map of reactions helps control molecular properties

More information: Timothy Cernak et al, The Formal CrossCoupling of Amines and Carboxylic Acids to Form sp3sp3 CarbonCarbon Bonds, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2021). Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Timothy Cernak et al, The Formal CrossCoupling of Amines and Carboxylic Acids to Form sp3sp3 CarbonCarbon Bonds,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202112454
Using improved breeds and modern practices, Rwandan farmers are empowered to raise 100-bird flocks as a source of income and nutrition. Credit: UTIA

How can rural producers in Rwanda better produce chicken for both household consumption and profit? University of Tennessee researchers are suggesting a hybrid model for the Rwandan broiler industry, among other improvements, in a new journal article.

"Strengthening smallholder engagement and integration in the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain" delves into the broiler industry in Rwanda. Through a four-year pilot project with the Smith International Center, researchers partnered with a Rwandan feedmill, Zamura Feeds Ltd., to test a poultry production model with smallholders. Through this project, the US and Rwandan teams examined the broiler supply chain, and identified ways to improve the broiler industry in Rwanda. The effort was funded under the umbrella of a Global Development Alliance (GDA), which leverages public-private partnerships, in this case between: USAID/Rwanda; a US-based foundation, the African Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP); a Rwandan animal feed company, Zamura Feeds Ltd.; and a U.S. land-grant institution, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA).

The pilot project employed a private extension model to train, supply resources for, and support 500 smallholder households to successfully produce broiler chickens to modern industry standards for consumption and market sale. Trained farmers raise broilers in their own bio-secure 100 sq. ft. coop, with 100 birds on a 45-day grow-out cycle. Through the provision of micro-loans for capital and recurring expenses and guaranteed broiler chicken buyback at the end of each grow-out cycle, the goal was to create a sustainable model for small-scale broiler production that can be scaled up throughout Rwanda and the surrounding region.

"Smallholders in Rwanda make up over 80% of farmers and cultivate less than 2.2 acres of land on average. Many farmers already raise chickens in traditional backyard settings, primarily for home consumption," said Hans Goertz, the project administrator and co-author of the article. "In a densely populated, mountainous country such as Rwanda, intensifying poultry production presents an avenue for households to diversify and improve their income and nutrition."

Currently, the Rwandan broiler industry consists of smallholders and large poultry operations. The smallholders operate most farms in Rwanda, but they are limited to low-intensity, village poultry production. Large operations and importers supply the commercial meat market in East Africa.

However, hybrid asset-building broiler operations are a third production model that provide an entry point for smallholders in the broiler industry. Integrating this method would allow the small operations to increase production and profitability.

To scale up this model, the researchers had several suggestions across the broiler value chain, including: reducing the recurring costs of production; providing value chain trainings; facilitating microfinancing; reducing post-harvest costs; increasing local demand for broiler meat; and strengthening policies in support of smallholders.

"Hybrid production models like the one described in this article provide a way for smallholder farmers to start broiler enterprises and compete with larger producers in the market," Goertz said, "We hope that this body of research contributes to a more vibrant, inclusive broiler sector that provides economic opportunities and affordable animal protein for East African communities."

Researchers on the project are Tom Gill, Smith Chair in International Sustainable Agriculture; Regis Nisengwe, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, UTIA; Hans Goertz, project development specialist, and David Ader, assistant director, both with the UTIA Smith International Center; Katie McGehee, director of the African Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP); Ritah Nshuti, chief operations officer, Zamura, Ltd.; Alon Gumisiriza, poultry technician manager, Zamura, Ltd.; Mike Smith, professor of animal science, UTIA (retired); and Emily Urban, graduate student, School of Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Sciences Section, Cornell University.

The full journal article, "Strengthening smallholder engagement and integration in the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain" was published October 8, 2021, in World's Poultry Science Journal.

Explore further Researchers identify species of bacteria linked to lameness in broiler chickens

More information: Tom Gill et al, Strengthening smallholder engagement and integration in the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain, World's Poultry Science Journal (2021). Tom Gill et al, Strengthening smallholder engagement and integration in the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/00439339.2021.1975523

Provided by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Lake Oroville, seen here in September 2021, is nowhere near as full as it should be, and recent storms didn't make much difference.

It had been completely dry in Sacramento for six months. Then the heavens opened and a record-breaking amount of rain fell in one day.

Such extreme shifts are becoming more frequent in California and are a harbinger of what is to come for the rest of a warming planet, scientists say.

"California is a sentinel state. It's like a canary in a coal mine," said Justin Mankin, a Dartmouth College professor who specializes in climate change.

"The state is a crucial bellwether for society's capacity to respond to these types of climate stresses happening today."

And it's not looking good.

Soaring temperatures have been responsible for multiple heat-related deaths this year, while a historic drought has left swathes of the western United States parched, with desperate pleas from officials to save precious water supplies.

Forest fires have torn through the countryside at an alarming rate, consuming more than 2.5 million acres (one million hectares) in California this year, and sending choking smoke over towns and cities.

Then, when the weather suddenly turned and a "bomb cyclone" smashed into the US West Coast last weekend, severe thunderstorms inundated towns and left streets waist-deep in water.

When the long drought suddenly gave way to a rain storm, streets in some California towns flooded.

Around 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) of rain fell on state capital Sacramento in one day and, with no vegetation to soak up the heavy water, the burn scars left behind by wildfires created treacherous mudslides and rockslides.

These suddenand intenseshifts, known as "weather whiplash," have always been part of California's natural meteorology.

But global warming, chiefly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities, is making it a lot worse.

The exacerbation of these extremes over the past decade in California is "consistent with what climate projections indicated," said Marty Ralph, director of the San Diego-based Center for Western Climate and Water Extremes.

Water management

So far, California is failing the test created by weather extremes.

"The impacts associated with the weather events that have occurred just this past week, and over the past 20 months of drought tells me that Californians are not well adapted to the climate they have right now, let alone to the climate that's coming," said Mankin.

Wildfires have destroyed 2.5 million acres of California this year, including much of the town of Greenville.

For Ralph, a worsening of the already difficult conditions has worrying implications for water management.

"It will be more challenging for the current water infrastructuremeaning dams and canals and all thatto handle getting more of the rain in shorter periods, and having longer dry spells in between," he said.

The key to surviving these extremes will be smarter prediction. Maybe.

"If we have reliable enough forecasts, they might be able to release some extra water ahead of the storm in order to make space for the flood," said Ralph.

Blink of an eye

The storms that recently raked the West Coast brought their own destruction, but they did help to make up some of the drought deficit.

Lake Oroville, a key reservoir, was 30 feet (nine meters) higher a few days after the storm, California's Department of Water Resources said.

Tinder dry forests are easy prey for wildfires that have scarred the Californian landscape.

But the extra water was not much more than a drop in the bucket at a time when reservoir levels are at historic lows.

"Maybe it eases some of the pressures associated with mandatory water reductions or voluntary water use reductions or whatever sets of policies the governor's office may be considering," said Mankin.

"But the fact of the matter is, it is not enough to address the drought. The drought is going to be here next week," he said.

As world leaders ready to gather in Glasgow for COP26a make-or-break summit on the future of the planetscientists are unanimous that climate change is not a hypothetical.

It is already happening, and even if Glasgow exceeds expectations, humanity is still going to have to deal with the consequences of the damage we have already done.

"Our mission of mitigating our emissions, which should be the immediate focus, will just stop it from getting worse," said Mankin.

The historic drought has pummelled farmers.

Despite the long drought, some Californians continue to use water in ways that might be considered wasteful.

"It won't stop it from happening."

Ralph agreed.

What humans as a species have set in motion is something difficult to fully fathom in the horizons people understand, he said.

"It's very slow motion relative to human lifetimes," he explained.

"Relative to the planet, it's happening in the blink of an eye."

 2021 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The relatively narrow human birth canal presumably evolved as a "compromise" between its abilities for parturition, support of the inner organs, and upright walking. But not only the size of the birth canal, also its complex, "twisted" shape is an evolutionary puzzle. Katya Stansfield from the University of Vienna and her co-authors have published a study in BMC Biology presenting new insights into why the human birth canal evolved to have this complex shape. They suggest that the longitudinally oval shape of the lower birth canal is beneficial for the stability of the pelvic floor muscles.

In most women, the upper part, or inlet, of the birth canal has a round or transversely (left-to-right) oval shape, which is considered ideal for parturition, but it is unknown why the lower part of the birth canal has a pronounced longitudinally (front-to-back) oval shape. This twisted shape typically requires the Baby to rotate when passing through the narrow birth canal, which further increases the risk of birth complications.

In comparison with humans, apes have a relatively easy birth pattern that does not require rotation of the baby thanks to the longitudinally oval shape of the birth canal both at its inlet and the outlet. "For giving birth, it would be much easier to have a uniformly shaped birth canal also in our species," says Katya Stansfield, a specialist in biomechanics. Instead, the twisted human shape requires a complex, rotational birth mechanism: The baby needs to rotate to align the longest dimension of its head with the widest dimension of each plane of the birth canal. Misalignment can lead to obstructed labor and result in health risks for both mother and baby.

A research team of evolutionary biologists and engineers from the University of Vienna, the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research in Klosterneuburg and the University of Porto hypothesized that the support function of the pelvic floor muscles, which are suspended across the lower pelvis and also play an important role in sexual function and continence, may have influenced the evolution of the shape of the birth canal. The team carried out extensive biomechanical modeling of the pelvic floor and found that the highest deformation, stress, and strain occur in pelvic floors with a circular or transverse-oval shape, whereas a longitudinally oval elongation increases pelvic floor stability. "Our results demonstrate that the longitudinally oval lower birth canal is beneficial in terms of stability," says Katya Stansfield. "However, this outcome prompted us to ask why the pelvic inlet in humans is not also elongated longitudinally," elaborates Barbara Fischer, an evolutionary biologist.

Traditionally, it has been assumed that the transverse dimension of the human pelvis is constrained by the efficiency of upright locomotion. "We argue that the transverse elongation of the pelvic inlet has evolved because of the limits on the front-to-back diameter in humans imposed by balancing upright posture, rather than by the efficiency of the bipedal locomotion," says Philipp Mitteroecker, who was also involved in this study. A longitudinally deeper inlet would require greater pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis, which would compromise spine health and the stability of upright posture. These different requirements of the pelvic inlet and outlet likely have led to the evolution of a twisted birth canal, requiring human babies to rotate during birth.

Explore further Childbirth versus pelvic floor stability

More information: Ekaterina Stansfield et al, The evolution of pelvic canal shape and rotational birth in humans, BMC Biology (2021). Journal information: BMC Biology Ekaterina Stansfield et al, The evolution of pelvic canal shape and rotational birth in humans,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01150-w
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Forest area is increasing in Europe, mainly because farms are getting fewer and smaller. This should be good news, but it must be put into perspective alongside the loss of forest that the EU's growing agricultural imports cause in third countries. We call this "imported deforestation."

The European Union is the world's main trader in agricultural products with imports totalling 142 billion in 2020. These imports include commodities such as palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee and soya which are responsible for deforestation in the countries that produce them.

The EU case is not unique. At the global level, tropical areas are losing forests at a rate of 10 million hectares per year according to the FAO's latest report on forest resources, and temperate areas, which are gaining forest area at a rate of 5 million hectares per year.

Of the 10 million hectares of forest lost each year, just under two-thirds can be unambiguously attributed to agricultural expansion, with the remaining third being a combination of forest fires, logging and other factors. About one-third of the forest area lost is linked to international trade. By fighting against imported deforestation, it is therefore possible to make a significant difference in total tree loss worldwide.

Acknowledging its role in imported deforestation, the EU is currently stepping up to reduce the impacts of its imports. After the European Parliament adopted a report on the issue, the EU is heading toward a mix of mandatory and voluntary rules to tackle the problem. Meanwhile, some EU countries, like France, have already set up national strategies to combat imported deforestation.

How to fight imported deforestation

Preventing imported deforestation means knowing how to quantify the phenomenon and monitor it. For example, tropical wood from Africa can pass through China where it is processed before being imported into Europe. This means we need complex traceability chains to track the origin of imported wood with the support of customs services and private companies.

Then there is the question of timing. Should Ivory Coast cocoa from farms that replaced forests destroyed in the 2000s still be counted as a liability for imported deforestation? We need to set a cut-off date after which products imported from an area can be disconnected from deforestation.

It is also necessary to take forest degradation into account. This is the reduction of a forest's capacity to provide goods and services, which is reflected in a reduction in tree density. Countries define forest degradation by setting their own tree cover thresholds, which results in several hundred definitions.

For imported deforestation, the choice of this threshold is critical. If it is low, heavy degradation can occur without this transformation being qualified as deforestation. If it is high, the conversion of vegetation that has all the ecological characteristics of forests into agricultural land might not technically be considered deforestation.

Many sustainable production activities, such as selective logging, lead to forest degradation. But with good forest management, this degradation is limited and reversible.

The same principle applies to certain forms of agroforestry (such as cultivating cocoa under forest shade) or the collection of firewood in dry forests. The challenge, then, is not to avoid all degradation, but to control the factors that cause it in order to keep it within sustainable limits.

These different issues, which at first glance seem technical, refer to political choices that are the responsibility of policy and the law.

Zero deforestation certificates

We believe it is necessary to distinguish between illegal and legal deforestation, building on the EU timber regulation which bans the import of all illegally harvested timber.

Differentiating between legal and illegal is politically more feasible than boycotting agricultural production associated with deforestation that is legal in the producing country but deemed environmentally problematic by the EU.

If legal agricultural production is banned, the EU would risk exposing itself to trade retaliation, not to mention complaints to the World Trade Organisation about trade discrimination.

Ideally, producing and importing countries should agree on common definitions of forest and on cut-off dates. But this will be a long and difficult process.

It seems more realistic to ban the import of agricultural products from illegal deforestation and to modulate tariffs according to the information and guarantees that importers provide to ensure their production can be certified as "zero deforestation." These certifications would be accredited by the public authorities and would be subject to a continuous evaluation process.

Switzerland has just paved the way via for this an agreement with Indonesia that lowers tariffs by 20% and then 40% for certified palm oil across three approved standards.

A fair measure for small producers

In all cases, it will be necessary for importers to comply with the legal requirement for due diligence to ensure that an imported product is not associated with illegal land conversion.

If there is insufficient information regarding the status of the product and the import goes ahead, the importer will not only have to fulfill its due diligence obligation, but will also have to demonstrate that its product is zero deforestation in order to benefit from a favorable customs tariff.

If the due diligence suggests a high risk of illegality, then the responsible importer will not market the shipment. If due diligence is successful and no risk of illegality is found, but the product is not certified as zero deforestation, a higher tariff is applied. If the due diligence is successful and the product is certified as zero deforestation, then it receives a favorable tariff.

Currently, many products such as soy or cocoa have tariffs of 0%. Differentiating between zero-deforestation products and others will require an increase in some of these tariffs.

The additional revenue from this could be used to fund programs to help small-scale producers in exporting countries move toward sustainable practices and become certified. Such an allocation would refute accusations of protectionism and provide a good faith basis for defending this measure at the World Trade Organization.

As with all ecological taxation, the aim of a zero deforestation certification scheme would be for the yield of the import tax to decrease over time. Ideally, Europe would eventually only import certified zero deforestation products, redressing the global imbalance between the parts of the world that are gaining forests and those that are losing them.

Explore further Illegal clearing by agribusiness driving rainforest destruction

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
People holding banners and a balloon of the globe march to demand the world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

Israel said Friday its hope to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to demand action ahead of next week's U.N. summit on climate change.

As a small country, Israel contributes little to global warming, but officials say it has much to offer the world in terms of green technologies. Israel, which has already had to adapt to life in a parched region, is widely considered a world leader in areas such as solar energy storage, sustainable protein alternatives, agriculture technology and desalination.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced the pledge in a statement Friday, saying it was a continuation of efforts already underway to combat climate change.

"With the new goal, Israel is lining up alongside the developed countries that are already taking action to attain the goal of zero emissions," he said. "We are responding to the global challenge, finding technological solutions and joining in to achieve this important goal."

Israel had previously said it would fall short of the goal of the international community to reach zero net emissions by 2050, expecting to reduce emissions by 85% by that time. Environmentalists have cited a lack of political will by previous governments and the country's reliance on newly discovered natural gas for energy for the lower target.

People holding banners march to demand world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels during a rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

People holding banners march to demand world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels during a rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

People holding banners march to demand world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels during a rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

A man holds a display depicting dead penguins during a march demanding the world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

A person is covered in a blanket with a sign reading "dead of heat" as a prop during a march demand the world leaders to take action in reversing climate change and stop the use of fossil fuels in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Thousands of Israelis gathered Friday in Tel Aviv to take part in a worldwide day of action before leaders head to the Scottish city of Glasgow for the start of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Friday to demand action.

International officials will meet in Scotland from Sunday to try to accelerate efforts to curb climate change, with more than one world leader saying humanity's future is at stake. Six years after the historic Paris climate agreement, carbon pollution from coal, oil and natural gas is increasing, not falling.

Explore further Flawed climate change targets miss the mark

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
In the center can be seen (a) Sampling locations of Dalangtan and Qarhan in the Qaidam Basin; (b) distribution of surface samples; (c) section DLT-P3; (d) section CEH-P3. Credit: Science China Press

Astrobiology is a scientific field that studies the origin,evolution, and distribution of life and habitability in the universe. Mars is the most promising planet for the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the solar system; thus, exploration of Martian life and habitable environment have been a special focus in planetary science.

Salts deposits are the key targets for exploring traces oflife on Mars, including possible organic molecules of biogenic origin. As there is no Martian sample returned to Earth, and human beings are not able to reach Mars for experiments to date, analogy researchs on Earth are the main method for studying life in Martian salt deposits.

The continuous drought, strong ultraviolet radiation and various landforms have made Qaidam Basin an ideal Martain analog site. In this paper, Dr. Cheng (School of Geography and Tourism, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics) and Dr. Xiao (State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Planetary Science Institute, China University of Geosciences) determine the distribution of the lipid of the salt sediments in the Qaidam Basin (see image below)and compare these results with that of the typical Martain analog sites.

The team found that salt samples in the Qaidam Basin are enriched with fatty acid compounds, GDGTs and archaeol compounds were also detectedin these salt samples. Compared with the hypersaline samples, the clay samples not only have a higher abundance of fatty acids,GDGTs and archaeol compounds, but also a more diverse lipids composition. The distribution of lipids in the salt deposits from the Qaidam Basin provides an important reference for Mars.

The research was published in Science China Earth Sciences.

Explore further Japan aims to bring back soil samples from Mars moon by 2029

More information: Ziye Cheng et al, Distribution characteristics of lipids from salt sediments in Qaidam Basin and their astrobiological significance, Science China Earth Sciences (2021). Journal information: Science China Earth Sciences Ziye Cheng et al, Distribution characteristics of lipids from salt sediments in Qaidam Basin and their astrobiological significance,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s11430-021-9812-2
This approximately 70-centimeter-wide image depicts a MicroBooNE electron neutrino event, with an electron shower (straight line and dots bottom left to top right) and a proton track (short red line at bottom left). MIT researchers have been using the MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab to uncover new secrets behind neutrinos. Credit: MicroBooNE Collaboration.

Neutrinos are one of the most mysterious members of the Standard Model, a framework for describing fundamental forces and particles in nature. While they are among the most abundant known particles in the universe, they interact very rarely with matter, making their detection a challenging experimental feat. One of the long-standing puzzles in neutrino physics comes from the Mini Booster Neutrino Experiment (MiniBooNE), which ran from 2002 to 2017 at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab, in Illinois. MiniBooNE observed significantly more neutrino interactions that produce electrons than one would expect given our best knowledge of the Standard Modeland physicists are trying to understand why.

In 2007, researchers developed the idea for a follow-up experiment, MicroBooNE, which recently finished collecting data at Fermilab. MicroBooNE is an ideal test of the MiniBooNE excess thanks to its use of a novel detector technology known as the liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC), which yields high-resolution pictures of the particles that get created in neutrino interactions.

Physics graduate students Nicholas Kamp and Lauren Yates, along with Professor Janet Conrad, all within the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science, have played a leading role in MicroBooNE's deep-learning-based search for an excess of neutrinos in the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam. In this interview, Kamp discusses the future of the MiniBooNE anomaly within the context of MicroBooNE's latest findings.

Q: Why is the MiniBooNE anomaly a big deal?

A: One of the big open questions in neutrino physics concerns the possible existence of a hypothetical particle called the "sterile neutrino." Finding a new particle would be a very big deal because it can give us clues to the larger theory that explains the many particles we see. The most common explanation of the MiniBooNE excess involves the addition of such a sterile neutrino to the Standard Model. Due to the effects of neutrino oscillations, this sterile neutrino would manifest itself as an enhancement of electron neutrinos in MiniBooNE.

There are many additional anomalies seen in neutrino physics that indicate this particle might exist. However, it is difficult to explain these anomalies along with MiniBooNE through a single sterile neutrinothe full picture doesn't quite fit. Our group at MIT is interested in new physics models that can potentially explain this full picture.

Q: What is our current understanding of the MiniBooNE excess?

A: Our understanding has progressed significantly of late thanks to developments in both the experimental and theoretical realms.

Our group has worked with physicists from Harvard, Columbia, and Cambridge universities to explore new sources of photons that can appear in a theoretical model that also has a 20 percent electron signature. We developed a "mixed model" that involves two types of exotic neutrinosone which morphs to electron flavor and one which decays to a photon. This work is forthcoming in Physical Review D.

On the experimental end, more recent MicroBooNE resultsincluding a deep-learning-based analysis in which our MIT group played an important roleobserved no excess of neutrinos that produce electrons in the MicroBooNE detector. Keeping in mind the level at which MicroBooNE can make the measurement, this suggests that the MiniBooNE excess cannot be attributed entirely to extra neutrino interactions. If it isn't electrons, then it must be photons, because that is the only particle that can produce a similar signature in MiniBooNE. But we are sure it is not photons produced by interactions that we know about because those are restricted to a low level. So, they must be coming from something new, such as the exotic neutrino decay in the mixed model. Next, MicroBooNE is working on a search that could isolate and identify these additional photons. Stay tuned!

Q: You mentioned that your group is involved in deep-learning-based MicroBooNE analysis. Why use deep learning in neutrino physics?

A: When humans look at images of cats, they can tell the difference between species without much difficulty. Similarly, when physicists look at images coming from a LArTPC, they can tell the difference between the particles produced in neutrino interactions without much difficulty. However, due to the nuance of the differences, both tasks turn out to be difficult for conventional algorithms.

MIT is a nexus of deep-learning ideas. Recently, for example, it became the site of the National Science Foundation AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions. It made sense for our group to build on the extensive local expertise in the field. We have also had the opportunity to work with fantastic groups at SLAC, Tufts University, Columbia University, and IIT, each with a strong knowledge base in the ties between deep learning and neutrino physics.

One of the key ideas in deep learning is that of a "neutral network," which is an algorithm that makes decisions (such as identifying particles in a LArTPC) based on previous exposure to a suite of training data. Our group produced the first paper on particle identification using deep learning in neutrino physics, proving it to be a powerful technique. This is a major reason why the recently-released results of MicroBooNE's deep learning-based analysis place strong constraints on an electron neutrino interpretation of the MiniBooNE excess.

All in all, it's very fortunate that much of the groundwork for this analysis was done in the AI-rich environment at MIT.

Explore further New results from MicroBooNE provide clues to particle physics mystery

More information: S. Vergani et al, Explaining the MiniBooNE excess through a mixed model of neutrino oscillation and decay, Physical Review D. journals.aps.org/prd/accepted/  ec5bd4195b8b262a3bf4 Journal information: Physical Review D S. Vergani et al, Explaining the MiniBooNE excess through a mixed model of neutrino oscillation and decay,

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
Arctic peatland in the Mackenzie Valley. A quarter of all global peatland carbon is found in Canada. Credit: Ed Struzik, Author provided

When record-breaking wildfires in western Russia killed 65 people, injured 1,068, destroyed 3,500 homes and caused billions in damages in 2010, it was no longer business-as-usual in Russia's response to the impacts of climate change.

Not only did the Russian government begin investing more in traditional fire suppression, fire science and prevention strategies, it also began, with financial help and expertise from Germany, to restore peatlands that had been badly degraded by agricultural developments and the mining of peat to produce energy for household use and power plants. A fifth of Russia is covered in peat, mostly the northeastern side of the country.

Peat is partially decomposed plant material that builds up over centuries in cool swampy, waterlogged conditions such as bogs and fens and to a lesser extent swamps and marshes. Representing just three percent of the Earth's landscape, peatlands like those in the Hudson Bay Lowlands can store five times more carbon than the Amazon rainforest. Collectively, they store twice as much as carbon than all of the world's forests.

They also play an outsized role in filtering water and mitigating floods, drought and wildfires, such as those that loomed large in British Columbia this year. Had a large fen near Fort McMurray not been drained in the 2000s, it might have slowed the 2016 Horse River fire long enough for firefighters to gain control of it and avoided the evacuation of 88,000 people, according to Sophie Wilkinson, a peatland scientist at McMaster University.

Canada, endowed with more pristine peatland than any other country, has a unique opportunity to preserve, and in some cases restore these ecosystems, found on the tundra, in temperate and boreal forests, in the Rockies and the Great Lakes region such as Georgian Bay.

Not only do they play an oversized role in managing climate change, regulating water and protecting critically endangered species such as caribou and whooping cranes, they offer denning sites for polar bears, turtles and Massasauga rattlesnakes. They also nurture many of the 546 plants that Indigenous people use for medicine.

Global restoration efforts

Russia and Germany are not the only countries investing heavily in peatland restoration. China has successfully done this in the Zoige Plateau, the most extensive mountain peatland in the world, after 700 kilometers of drainage ditches were dug in the 1960s and 1970s to provide more grazing for yaks. The restored fens now filter and store freshwater for tens of millions of people.

In the United States, the Fish and Wildlife Service is rewetting badly degraded peatlands in the Great Dismal Swamp, a protected peatland on the border of North Carolina and Virginia, and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, in North Carolina, to mitigate wildfires and floods and to keep carbon in the ground.

Great Britain and other European countries are doing the same to restore biodiversity and to meet their climate change goals. The sale of horticultural peat that is extracted from bogs and fens will be banned in Great Britain in 2024.

Peatland under threat

Canada has been slow to recognize the many virtues of peatlands. Oilsands operators continue to drain and clear them to extract bitumen. Hydro projects like Muskrat Falls will flood or disturb them with cutlines. Mining companies, like the 18 that have 1,300 claims in Ontario's so-called "Ring of Fire" in the Hudson and James Bay Lowlands, will dig them up and build roads through them if their developments go ahead. And cities like Calgary have drained peatlands to make way for urban developments.

Calgary recognized this mistake. It paid the price in 2013 when an epic rain-on-snow event in the Rockies sent a wall of water downstream. The worst flood in Canadian history may have been mitigated had there been peat to sop up some of the water. Sphagnum, one of many mosses that are the foundation of peat, holds 15 to 26 percent of its weight in moisture, according to John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change from the University of Saskatchewan.

Restoring peatlands in Russia.

But that flood would have been even worse had the beaver-managed Sibbald Fen and adjoining forest in Kananaskis country been degraded, as the southwestern Rockies may be if coal developments there are allowed to move forward. In interviews for my book Swamplands, Pomeroy and his colleague Cherie Westbrook have underscored the need to protect alpine fens and forests.

While other countries, including the U.S. and the Republic of Congo, have mapped out their peatlands, Canada has not. The limited information makes it difficult to protect them.

Peatland maps

Peatland mapping has produced some surprising results, including the discovery of 14 million hectares of tropical peatland in the Congo basin in 2017.

Not all fens cover areas as extensive as those in the Congo and boreal forest. Mountain fens in the U.S. tend to be very small. They cover one percent of the land surface in the Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming and one percent of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.

In each case, the distinct nature of these mountain fens play an oversized role in supporting insects, plants and animals and in storing water and carbon. Small peatlands such as the 18 inventoried in Wyoming contain 32 threatened plant species, four of which are found nowhere else in the state.

Over the past two decades, David Cooper, a wetland and riparian ecologist from Colorado State has, along with colleagues, identified thousands of high elevation fens that were previously unknown or unappreciated for what they were. The numbers in some cases are mind-boggling.

In the 2000s, 1,738 fens covering 11,034 acres were identified in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Ninety percent of these fens were found at elevations ranging from 2,700 to 3,600 meters. Cooper estimates there are more than 2,000 fens in the San Juan mountains alone, ranging in size from 0.2 to 20.5 hectares.

No one knows how many fens there are on the Canadian side of the Rockies because no one, including Parks Canada, has looked as closely.

150 billion tons

Many scientists continue to underestimate the virtues of peatland ecosystems because of the dearth of plant and animal species. This is true if you compare the peat-rich boreal forest region to the Amazon rainforest. But it is a false slight for all the other ecosystem services that peatlands offer.

One to three billion birds fly north to the boreal peatlands of North America each spring to breed, resulting in three to five billion of them migrating back in fall.

Scientists like Mike Waddington at McMaster University, Line Rochefort at Laval University and Jonathan Price at the University of Waterloo, have the expertise to restore Canada's peatlands. David Cooper is helping, as is Dale Vitt, a former University of Alberta botanist who pioneered the art of restoring peatlands. Yet their numbers are few, as are their funding sources.

If Canada wants to change course, it needs to catch up with what the rest of the world is doing in restoring and protecting peatlands. Thirty percent of the world's soil carbon stock is found in the world's peatlands. Canada contains a quarter of that150 billion tons that are still in the ground.

Explore further Valuable peatlands at risk of disappearing

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Braided River at the Yangtze headwaters. Credit: Dongfeng Li

Rivers flowing from the Tibetan Plateau and the surrounding high Asian mountains which support one-third of the world's population have experienced rapid increases in annual water and sediment runoff since the 1990s, and the volume of sediment washed downstream could more than double by 2050 under the worst-case scenario, a team of scientists has found.

The cause is "amplified warming": Since 1950, the High Mountain Asia area, or the region of Asia containing five mountain ranges including the Himalaya and Hindu Kush around the Tibetan Plateau, has warmed by about 2 degrees Celsius, twice the amount of warming worldwide. That warming is precipitating more glacier melt, permafrost thaw while annual rainfall is also increasing, the researchers note.

"These findings have far-reaching implications for the region's hydropower, food and environmental security," the researchers observe. The findings also highlight the under-appreciated importance of sediment fluxes and have implications for potential changes in the global carbon cycle, they add.

The research, published today in the journal Science, is led by the National University of Singapore and includes three researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, including Irina Overeem, Jaia Syvitski and Albert Kettner, all researchers in the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. Overeem is also a CU Boulder associate professor of geological sciences, and Syvitski is professor emeritus of geological sciences.

The scientists analyzed observational data of runoff and sediment fluxes from 28 headwater basins over the past six decades.

Sediment flux is the mass of sediment that passes through a specific point in a river basin over a given time period, "like truckloads of sand being transported, in this case by water," Overeem said. Although river runoff, the amount of water entering a river system, and sediment flux are both increasing, they are rising at different rates.

In the river basins the scientists studied, runoff increased by about 5% per decade, while sediment flux increased about 12% per decade.

Overeem explained the variability is affected in two ways: "With glacial melt and permafrost thaw there are new sources of sediment, that previously had been frozen in place in the landscape now can slump into the river. In addition, if more rainfall triggers bigger floods, you suddenly have exceeded a threshold and you can pick up so much more sediment" compared to average conditions. "If you increase the source and the proportion of a couple of these extreme events, you'll get disproportionally much more sediment. So that is maybe what's going on in this system."

River-borne sediment can benefit highly populated areas like Bangladesh, where sediment helps maintain the coastal zone. But in other areas such as Tibet or Nepal, which have hydro-electric power plants, rising levels of sediment can wear out the dams' turbines and fill reservoirs with sand and silt.

By harming existing or planned hydropower projects and reducing irrigation capacity, rising sediment fluxes can thus "threaten the region's food and energy security," the authors write. Additionally, the rising levels of sediment, which can carry nutrients, pollutants and organic carbon, can have implications for water quality and flooding, potentially affecting millions of people.

Research on the High Mountain Asia watershed was facilitated by the area's unusually good, long-term records of streamflow and sediment flux, Overeem said, adding that datasets of similar quality do not exist for Greenland or the whole Arctic.

In the Arctic, scientists have also recorded increases in water discharge from melting ice and increasing rainfall but have few measurements of sediment flux.

"What is happening on the Tibetan plateau may be happening in the Arctic as well, but we just don't have enough long records there and observational support to really know that yet," Overeem said.

Explore further Research shows increased sediment flux in the Yangtze river headwater

More information: Dongfeng Li et al, Exceptional increases in fluvial sediment fluxes in a warmer and wetter High Mountain Asia, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Dongfeng Li et al, Exceptional increases in fluvial sediment fluxes in a warmer and wetter High Mountain Asia,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abi9649
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Three hundred scientists from 255 institutions in 46 countries, including Professor Dirk Zeller and Ph.D. candidate Lincoln Hood from The University of Western Australia, are asking members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to ban harmful fisheries subsidies at the 12th Ministerial Conference to be held in Geneva, Switzerland next month.

In an open letter published in Science and spearheaded by Professor Rashid Sumaila, Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the University of British Columbia, the researchers say that the WTO has a unique opportunity to pass an effective agreement that eliminates subsidies for fuel, distant-water and destructive fishing fleets, and illegal and unregulated vessels.

Citing a comprehensive body of research, the signatories explain that government payments that lower the cost of fuel and vessel construction, support fleets that plunder the high seas, incentivise overcapacity and lead to overfishing. As a result, they contravene the aims of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 14.6.

In their view, the 164 states represented at the WTO can use the upcoming meeting to sign an agreement that forbids such harmful practices, while allowing special and differential treatments for small-scale, sustainably managed wild fisheries that support food and nutritional security, livelihoods and cultures, particularly in low-income countries.

Underpinned by transparent data documentation and enforcement measures, the researchers say the deal should also foster accountability by supporting low-income countries' efforts to meet their commitments and transition to sustainable management.

Professor of Marine Conservation and Director Sea Around UsIndian Ocean, Professor Zeller said the researchers hoped the letter would urge the WTO members to take a bold step and pass the motion to ban harmful subsidies.

"After years of concerted efforts in various international fora, we now have an opportunity to address the most important cause of global overfishing and social inequity in marine resource use. Let's grab this chance for real and effective change," Professor Zeller said.

Explore further 12 nations to take aim at fishing subsidies at WTO

More information: U. Rashid Sumaila et al, WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies, Science (2021). Journal information: Science U. Rashid Sumaila et al, WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abm1680
By including sharp contrasts in land features on small scales, a new study focusing on a 100x100 km box (shown here) improved the accuracy of weather and climate predictions. Credit: Duke University

By leveraging a popular weather forecasting model, environmental engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that sharp contrasts in relatively small land features play an outsized role in local weather developments, which can in turn influence larger climate trends. The study indicates that the addition of such detailed data, which is currently overlooked in climate and weather forecast models, should make such predictions more accurate.

The results appear online October 27 in Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (JAMES).

"Our research illustrates that landscape heterogeneity, such as croplands next to a city, or a lake next to a forest, can lead to more powerful thunderstorms," said Nathaniel Chaney, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke.

"What makes this important is that the scale at which these patterns happen is smaller than what we can include in current global models," added Jason Simon, a postdoctoral associate working in Chaney's laboratory and first author of the paper.

Whether making long-term global climate predictions or short-term weather predictions, climatologists and meteorologists turn to a handful of global models (e.g., the United States uses the Global Forecasting System). One of the limitations of these models is the scale at which they make their calculations. To avoid months of simulation runtime, these models split the Earth's surface into boxes measuring between 10 to 100 kilometers (62.1 miles) per side. Variables such as temperature, wind speed and moisture are directly calculated at each node where the corners of these boxes meet but are interpolated or averaged for all the space between them.

"That's a large distance between points, in which there's plenty of patterns causing changes on their own," Simon said. "It's a whole aspect of weather that's being missed. And if it involves clouds, then it's going to have a large impact on the energy balance in relation to climate change on a global scale."

In their study, Chaney and Simon used a higher-resolution weather model, the Weather and Research Forecasting model (WRF) to see what effect sharply defined changes in soil moisture at a 100-meter spatial resolution have on cloud formation. They focused on a 100-kilometer box over north-central Oklahoma on three summer days, considering landscape patterns where small lakes and rivers lay next to forests or thunderstorm-drenched plains, for example. Acquiring actual ground data from specific days ensured that the small-scale features they used were accurate representations of the real world.

After running the simulations, the results showed that sharp differences in landscape at these scales can have a disproportionately large effect on the formation of clouds. For example, a drier, hotter area next to a cooler, moister arealike an area where plains and city meetwill create surface atmospheric pressure differences between the dry and moist regions that triggers secondary circulations in the atmosphere. These circulations, in turn, lead to the enhanced formation of clouds.

While this is not the first study to reveal these sorts of dynamics, it is the first that uses realistic land surface data versus statistically simulated spatial patterns that may or may not reflect reality. It is also novel in its spatial resolution, which was shaved down to just 100 meters in the Weather and Research Forecasting model.

Chaney and Simon say that it would take a lot of work to get global models like the Global Forecasting System to be able to run simulations with this scale of land surface data included. But according to their new results, it could be possible if researchers adopted the tricks used by Chaney's group to simulate high-resolution landscape spatial patterns.

"Whether it's a multi-year global climate model or a local daily forecast, incorporating this level of detail would improve their accuracy," Simon said.

"In the summer monthsespecially in North Carolinawe don't know if it's going to storm until it's almost raining on us," added Chaney. "Using this approach in a forecasting model could help us know several hours in advance."

Explore further Better weather forecasting through satellite isotope data assimilation

More information: Jason S. Simon et al, SemiCoupling of a FieldScale Resolving LandSurface Model and WRFLES to Investigate the Influence of LandSurface Heterogeneity on Cloud Development, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (2021). Jason S. Simon et al, SemiCoupling of a FieldScale Resolving LandSurface Model and WRFLES to Investigate the Influence of LandSurface Heterogeneity on Cloud Development,(2021). DOI: 10.1029/2021MS002602
Schematic representation of the proposed structure with two different materials where, n1 and n2 are the refractive indices, and the incident light is transverse magnetic polarized. Credit: Koivurova et al.

Over the past few years, physicists and engineers worldwide have developed a growing number of advanced optical technologies and photonic devices, which can be used to emit, detect or manipulate light. The ability to easily control the coherence properties of emitted light beams, however, would open exciting new possibilities for these systems, enabling their use for various other applications.

Researchers at Tampere University and University of Eastern Finland theoretically demonstrated a strategy that could grant exceptional control over the coherence of light beams emitted by lasers. This strategy, introduced in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, is based on the use of an enhanced epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) mirror, a known metamaterial (i.e., synthetic composite with properties that are not generally found in natural materials).

"Our study was a direct result of a national collaboration effort that begun in 2019, under the Academy of Finland flagship project Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN)," Matias Koivurova, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org. "I studied the coherence of light during my PhD at the University of Eastern Finland, and as soon as I graduated, I moved to work at Tampere University under the flagship project. One of the points of the collaboration was to study how exotic matter, such as epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials, affect the coherence properties of light."

After he familiarized himself with the basic properties of metamaterials, Koivurova started exploring the idea that they could be enhanced by alternating films of an ENZ material with films of dielectric materials (i.e., insulating materials that can transmit electricity without conducting it). His findings led to the realization of a new, enhanced ENZ material, dubbed eENZ.

The new study by Koivurova and his colleagues builds on this previous work, by theoretically demonstrating the potential of the eENZ material they created. Ultimately, it provides an initial example of how the new material could be used to enhance photonic technologies.

Schematic representation of the proposed near plane parallel laser cavity. The device consists of (from front to back) an eENZ back mirror, a polarization rotator, a linear polarizer, gain media, and an outcoupling mirror. Credit: Koivurova et al.

"The theoretical basis of our study is simple," Koivurova explained. "We start with some initial guess for the electric field inside a laser cavity. Then, we numerically propagate it between the cavity mirrors, taking the polarization of the field into account. By investigating both polarizations for several initial guesses, we were able to construct the correlation functions for the output light."

Through a series of theoretical calculations, Koivurova and his colleagues showed that the insertion of an eENZ mirror inside a laser cavity could enable significant control over the coherence of the light beam emitted by the laser. Notably, the control achieved over the coherence properties of the light beam appears to be truly exceptional, theoretically enabling the switching of the light between completely incoherent (e.g., light from an incandescent bulb) and entirely coherent (e.g., a laser beam) within a single device.

"These properties have been thought of as mutually exclusive before, except for some special cases," Koivurova said. "Moreover, our study demonstrates that eENZ can be used without switching to construct very high-quality lasers with nearly arbitrary cavity parameters."

In the future, the recent study carried out by this team of researchers could potentially simplify the design and development of lasers, while also reducing the cost of their fabrication. In addition, it could pave the way towards the development of new illumination and imaging devices that emit light beams with a controllable coherence.

So far, the results gathered by Koivurova and his colleagues are merely theoretical. In their next studies, they thus plan to fabricate eENZ mirrors and characterize them, to test their hypothesis in real-world experiments.

"After finding the optimal recipe for fabrication, we will experimentally showcase their properties and later build a prototype laser around the material," Koivurova added. "We already have several samples awaiting characterization and we are very excited to explore this further."

Explore further Tiny lasers acting together as one: Topological vertical cavity laser arrays

 2021 Science X Network
Elizabeth Azzuz stands in prayer with a handmade torch of dried wormwood branches before leading a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Azzuz, who is Yurok, along with other native tribes in the U.S. West are making progress toward restoring their ancient practice of treating lands with fire, an act that could have meant jail a century ago. But state and federal agencies that long banned "cultural burns" are coming to terms with them and even collaborating as the wildfire crisis worsens. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Elizabeth Azzuz stood in prayer on a Northern California mountainside, arms outstretched, grasping a handmade torch of dried wormwood branches, the fuel her Native American ancestors used for generations to burn underbrush in thick forest.

"Guide our hands as we bring fire back to the land," she intoned before crouching and igniting dead leaves and needles carpeting the ground.

Others joined her. And soon dancing flames and pungent smoke rose from the slope high above the distant Klamath River.

Over several days in early October, about 80 acres (32.4 hectares) on the Yurok reservation would be set aflame. The burning was monitored by crews wearing protective helmets and clothingfirefighting gear and water trucks ready. They were part of a program that teaches Yurok and other tribes the ancient skills of treating land with fire.

Such an act could have meant jail a century ago. But state and federal agencies that long banned "cultural burns" in the U.S. West are coming to terms with themand even collaboratingas the wildfire crisis worsens.

Wildfires have blackened nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 square kilometers) in California the past two years and more elsewhere amid prolonged drought and rising temperatures linked to climate change. Dozens have died; thousands of homes have been lost.

Elizabeth Azzuz stands in prayer before leading a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. "Guide our hands as we bring fire back to the land," she intoned before crouching and igniting dead leaves and needles carpeting the ground. Others joined her. And soon dancing flames and pungent smoke rose from the slope high above the distant Klamath River. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Scientific research increasingly confirms what tribes argued all along: Low-intensity burns on designated parcels, under the right conditions, reduce the risk by consuming dead wood and other fire fuels on forest floors.

To the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa in the mid-Klamath region, the resurgence of cultural burning is about reclaiming a way of life violently suppressed with the arrival of white settlers in the 1800s.

Indigenous people had their land seized, and many were killed or forced onto reservations. Children were sent to schools that forbade their languages and customs. And their hunter-gatherer lifestyle was devastated by prohibitions on fire that tribes had used for thousands of years to treat the landscape.

It enriched the land with berries, medicinal herbs and tan oak acorns while killing bugs. It opened browsing space for deer and elk. It let more rainwater reach streams, boosting salmon numbers. It spurred hazelnut stems and bear grass used for intricate baskets and ceremonial regalia.

A torch is lit before it's used to set fire to a parcel of land for a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples set fire to clear forest floors of undergrowth. It supported foods such as acorns and hazel wood used in baskets. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Now, descendants of those who quietly kept the old ways alive are practicing them openly, creating "good fire."

"Fire is a tool left by the Creator to restore our environment and the health of our people," said Azzuz, board secretary for the Cultural Fire Management Council, which promotes burning on ancestral Yurok lands.

"Fire is life for us."

PERSECUTION AND PERSEVERANCE

Nine years ago, Margo Robbins got a facial tattootwo dark stripes from the edges of her mouth to below her chin, and another midway between them. It once was a common mark for Yurok women, including her great-grandmother.

"I got mine to represent my commitment to continuing the traditions of our ancestors," said Robbins, 59, whose jokes and cackling laugh mask a steely resolve.

She would become a leading voice in the struggle to return fire to her people's historical territory, much under state and federal management. The more than 5,000-member tribe's reservation courses along a 44-mile (70.8-kilometer) stretch of the Klamath.

Crews lay out hoses in preparation for a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. The burning was monitored by crews wearing protective helmets and clothing, firefighting gear and water trucks ready. They were part of a program that teaches younger Yurok and other tribes the ancient skills of treating land with fire. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Since 1910, when infernos consumed more than 3 million (1.2 million hectares) western acres, federal policy had considered fire an enemy. "Only you can prevent forest fires," Smokey Bear later proclaimed in commercials.

"They considered tribal people arsonists, didn't understand the relationship between fires and a healthy forest," said Merv George, 48, a former Hoopa Valley Tribe chairman who now supervises Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in Northern California. "I heard stories of people getting thrown in jail if they were caught."

But when George joined the U.S. Forest Service as a tribal relations manager in 2008, western wildfires were growing bigger and more frequent; officials knew something needed to change.

Two national forestsSix Rivers and Klamathjoined a landscape restoration partnership with the Karuk tribe and nonprofit groups. It released a 2014 plan endorsing "prescribed," or intentional, burns.

Mae McLean with Cal State Parks climbs down a hill to extinguish a runaway log that rolled down the mountain during a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Participants in the burn were young and middle-aged, native and non-native, novices and veteranssome from area tribes, others from far away. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

A year earlier, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, had approved a small cultural burn on Yurok land.

It was a victory for Robbins. As a young girl of Yurok, Hupa and Irish descent, she learned the basketry fundamental to her native identity. Tribes use baskets for gathering food and medicinal plants, trapping eels, ceremonial dancing, cradling babies, even prayer.

"Weaving is really, really soothing. It's kind of like medicine for your soul," she said, displaying finely crafted baskets at a Yurok firehouse near the village of Weitchpec.

But weaving materials had become scarce, particularly hazel wood. Burns in bygone days helped the shoots grow straight and strong. Under no-fire management, hazel was stunted by shrubs, downed trees, matted leaves.

With grandchildren on the way, Robbins wanted them carried in traditional baby baskets. She needed tribal forests to produce high-quality hazel once more. That meant fire.

Water fills a holding tank set up by crew members preparing for a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. To prepare for the one this month in the Klamath region, Yurok leaders studied weather forecasts, scouted mountainous burn areas, positioned water tanks, uncoiled fire hoses, equipped and drilled 30-plus crew members. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

After the state-sanctioned Yurok small burn, Robbins and other community members established the Cultural Fire Management Council to push for more.

They allied with Karuk and Hupa activists and The Nature Conservancy to create the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network, which conducts training burns that have drawn hundreds of participants from across the U.S. and other countries. It has expanded into Oregon, Minnesota and New Mexico.

"It's really exciting and gives me a lot of hope that the tide is changing," Robbins said. "We revived our language, our dances, and now, bringing back fire, we'll restore the land."

'FINALLY BEING HEARD'

To prepare for the one this month in the Klamath region, Yurok leaders studied weather forecasts, scouted mountainous burn areas, positioned water tanks, uncoiled fire hoses, equipped and drilled 30-plus crew members.

Lloyd Owens, a member of the Yurok tribe, carries a torch as he walks away from a hill he lit on fire during a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples set fire to clear forest floors of undergrowth. It supported foods such as acorns and hazel wood used in baskets. But starting in the early 1900s, federal policy made such activities illegal. That disrupted the tribes' hunter-gatherer lifestyle. And it built up fuels that feed wildfires. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

As Azzuz finished her ceremonial prayer, the wormwood that coaxed the first flames was replaced with modern "drip torches"canisters of gasoline and diesel with spouts and wicks. Team members moved quickly along a dirt trail, flicking droplets of burning fuel.

Smoke billowed. Flames crackled and hissed. Tangles of green and brown foliage were reduced to ash. Young Douglas firs that squeeze out other species were another target.

But larger treesoaks, madrones, coniferswere largely unscathed, aside from patches of scorched bark.

"It's beautiful and black," Azzuz exulted. "By next spring, there will be a lot of hazel shoots."

Hour by hour, torch bearers moved down the slope, igniting swaths of forest floor. Co-workers in radio contact watched firebreaks, ready to douse or beat down stray flames.

Sweat drips from the face of Nick Hillman, 18, a member of the Yurok Fire Department and a member of the Karuk tribe, as he takes part in a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. To the Yurok and other tribes in the mid-Klamath region, the resurgence of cultural burning is about reclaiming a way of life violently suppressed with the arrival of white settlers in the 1800s. "I know my ancestors want me to be doing this," Hillman said. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

There were young and middle-aged, native and non-native, novices and veteranssome from area tribes, others from far away.

Jose Luis Dulce, a firefighter in his native Spain and Ecuador, said he wanted to help revive Indigenous techniques in Europe and South America. Stoney Timmons said his tribethe Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of Californiawants to host its own training session next year.

"I'm getting some good lessons to take back," Timmons said.

The exercise was especially satisfying for Robert McConnell Jr., who spent years with Forest Service wildfire crews, attacking from helicopters and driving bulldozers. Now a prescribed fire specialist with Six Rivers National Forest, he works with fire instead of against it.

"I get to feel like I'm Indian again when I get to burn," he said. "It's encoded in my DNA. It's like there's a spark in my eye when I see fire get put on the ground."

Robert McConnell Jr, a prescribed fire specialist with Six Rivers National Forest and a member of the Yurok tribe, shovels dirt to put out a fire that climbed the bark of a tree during a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. "I get to feel like I'm Indian again when I get to burn," he said. "It's encoded in my DNA. It's like there's a spark in my eye when I see fire get put on the ground." Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

As shadows lengthened, cheery yips gave way to shrieks: "Log! Log!" A chunk of flaming timber jounced down a sharply angled slope, smacked onto a two-lane road and hurtled into a thicket below, igniting brush along the way.

Although crew members quickly extinguished the flames, the runaway log was a reminder of the job's hazards.

Nick Hillman, 18, his face glistening with grimy sweat, was unfazed. "I know my ancestors want me to be doing this," he said.

When Yurok forestry director Dawn Blake helped light the hillside, she felt a connection with her grandmother, who wove baskets and set fires in the area long ago.

"We've been talking and begging about doing this for so long, just spinning our wheels," said Blake, 49. "It feels like we're finally being heard."

BIGGER AMBITIONS

But tribes want to go beyond training exercises and "family burns" on small plots. They're pushing to operate throughout the vast territories their ancestors occupied.

Brody Richardson, a member of the Yurok tribe, carries a torch as he takes part in a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. In recent years, federal and state officials have formed partnerships with Northern California tribes to allow limited burning, despite some opposition from a jittery public. Native leaders say their fires are carefully planned and well executed. They hope to burn larger areas in their historical territory. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

"My ultimate goal is to restore all this land back to a natural state," said Blaine McKinnon, battalion chief for the Yurok Fire Department and a leader of the recent cultural burn.

Relations with federal and state authorities have improved, but complaints persist about permits denied, burns postponed and heavy-handed oversight.

Cultural fire leaders say pledges of cooperation from agency higher-ups aren't always carried out by local officials, who fear dismissal if fires get out of hand.

It's a fair point, said Craig Tolmie, chief deputy director of Cal Fire, which struggles to balance the tribes' desires for more fire with opposition from a jittery public.

"People have really been traumatized and shocked by the last two fire seasons," Tolmie said.

Under state laws enacted this year, tribal burners and front-line regulators will work more closely, he said. One measure requires his department to appoint a cultural burning liaison and provide training and certification for prescribed fire "burn bosses."

Stoney Timmons, right, a member of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians, uses a torch to light the ground on fire as Spencer Proffit, with the Bureau of Land Management, looks on during a cultural training burn in Weitchpec, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Timmons said his tribe wants to host its own training session next year. "I'm getting some good lessons to take back," he said. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Another makes it easier to get liability insurance by raising the bar for requiring burn professionals to pay for extinguishing out-of-control firesa rarity but always a risk. Lawmakers also budgeted $40 million for a prescribed fire insurance fund and tribal burn programs.

Still, prescribed burns alone can't rid forests of more than a century's accumulation of woody debris, Tolmie said, arguing that many areas should be "pre-treated" with mechanical grinding and tree thinning before fires are set.

Ancient wisdom and scientific research show otherwise, said Chad Hanson, forest ecologist with the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute in California. Regulators are "trying to extort tribes" by making cultural burns contingent on logging, he said.

Bill Tripp, the Karuk tribe's natural resources director, said the solution is empowering tribes to handle prescribed burns while Cal Fire and the Forest Service focus on suppressing wildfires.

Robert McConnell Jr, a prescribed fire specialist with Six Rivers National Forest and a member of the Yurok tribe, watches for embers flying uphill from the cultural training burn area on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. The cultural training burn was part of a program that teaches younger Yurok and other tribes the ancient skills of treating land with fire. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Raven Parkins, foreground center, a member of the Modoc tribe, and Max Brotman, left, fill gas canisters during a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. Hour by hour, torch bearers moved down the slope, igniting swaths of forest floor. Co-workers in radio contact watched firebreaks, ready to douse or beat down stray flames. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

From left, Max Brotman and Rhodri Wiseman, rest along with Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians Eric Timmons and his brother, Stoney Timmons, after they finished working a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Margo Robbins, a member of the Yurok tribe, holds a hazel leaf while scouting an area before a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Tribes like the Yurok use baskets for gathering food and medicinal plants, trapping eels, ceremonial dancing, cradling babies, even prayer. But weaving materials had become scarce, particularly hazel wood. Burns in bygone days helped the shoots grow straight and strong. Under no-fire management, hazel was stunted by shrubs, downed trees, matted leaves. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Marty Duncan, a member of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians, prepares for a cultural training burn after waking up in a campsite in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Over several days in early October, about 80 acres (32 hectares) on the Yurok reservation would be set aflame. The burning was monitored by crews wearing protective helmets and clothingfirefighting gear and water trucks ready. They were part of a program that teaches younger Yurok and other tribes the ancient skills of treating land with fire. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Margo Robbins shows off a baby basket she made out of hazel wood to participants of a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. As a young girl of Yurok, Hupa and Irish descent, she learned the basketry fundamental to her native identity. Tribes use baskets for gathering food and medicinal plants, trapping eels, ceremonial dancing, cradling babies, even prayer. "Weaving is really, really soothing. It's kind of like medicine for your soul," she said. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Stoney Timmons, a member of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians, smells a lemon balm plant while scouting an area with fellow participants of a cultural training burn in Weitchpec, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Before they were outlawed, cultural burns enriched the land with berries, medicinal herbs and tan oak acorns while killing bugs. It opened browsing space for deer and elk. It let more rainwater reach streams, boosting salmon numbers. It spurred hazelnut stems and bear grass used for intricate baskets and ceremonial regalia. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Margo Robbins, a member of the Yurok tribe, talks to participants of a cultural training burn as they visit a ceremonial dance pit in Weitchpec, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Robbins would become a leading the voice in the struggle to return fire to her people's ancestral territory, much of which is under state and federal management. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Jose Luis Dulce, center right, a firefighter in Ecuador and in his home country, Spain, listens during a briefing before a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. Dulce said he attended the training to help revive Indigenous techniques in Europe and South America. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

A scorched hillside rises from the backyard of Ruth, 72, and John Bain, 76, a member of the Karuk tribe, where last year's Slater Fire destroyed a house and several antique cars on their property in Happy Camp, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. "They can get rid of the brush and that will save a bigger fire down the road, probably," said John. "It's gonna help because that's all going to come back in two or three years as just brush and if they can keep that under control, it could stop a big fire. I think the tribe should do it and the Forest Service should do it too." Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

A woman fishes in the Klamath River as a mountain which burned in last year's Slater Fire stands in the background in Happy Camp, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. Wildfires have blackened nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 square kilometers) in California the past two years and more elsewhere amid prolonged drought and rising temperatures linked to climate change. Dozens have died; thousands of homes have been lost. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

John Bain, 76, a member of the Karuk tribe, walks by his prized 1954 Chevy five-window pickup that was destroyed in last year's Slater Fire which tore through his property and the Klamath National Forest in Happy Camp, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. "I never seen winds like that. I never thought it would do what it did," said Bain. "I lost my little two-bedroom house and my shop, car port, a 40-foot cargo container, and the barn shed and I had four pick-ups that burned up." Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Talon Davis, 27, a member of the Yurok tribe, holds his son, Kenneth, 2, at the end of the day following a cultural training burn on the Yurok reservation in Weitchpec, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Davis welcomed the opportunity "to show the world what good fire is." He added, "this is how we're supposed to care for Mother Earth. Put fire back on the ground, bring our home back into balance." Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

The mid-Klamath area is ideal for a teaching center where cultural burners could "guide us into a new era of living with fire," said Tripp, who learned from his great-grandmother and was setting small blazes in his remote village by age 8.

Tribes are uniquely positioned to train younger generations about stewardship-oriented fire management, said Scott Stephens, an environmental policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

"We'd need literally thousands of people doing this burning to ramp it up to a scale that's meaningful," he said.

Talon Davis, 27, a member of the Yurok crew, welcomed the opportunity "to show the world what good fire is." He is Robbins' son-in-law; his own toddler has been carried in her baskets, as she wished.

"This is how we're supposed to care for Mother Earth," he said. "Put fire back on the ground, bring our home back into balance."

Explore further Native approaches to fire management could revitalize communities, researchers find

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The World Bank's flagship report, The Changing Wealth of Nations/ for the first time emphasizes the importance of social capital to sustainability. By including the role of trust, social norms and community cohesiveness in securing a sustainable future, it represents a major advance in the international effort to go beyond GDP for the measurement of progress.

Cambridge economists Matthew Agarwala and Dimitri Zenghelis make the case in the report that social capital is an essential asset with the capacity to improve productivity and growth, and help address the challenges faced by modern society.

"Our ability to promote wellbeing in the community and to prosper economically revolves around trust, dignity, and respect. It hinges on our connection with others and with the institutional resources that support us," says Zenghelis, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge.

"The Bennett Institute's Wealth Economy project demonstrates that social capital statistics can reveal important insights into economic performance, resilience to shocks (including war and pandemics), and where to target funds for leveling-up. The aim is to establish guidelines for standardized comparative measures for use in economic research and crucially, to hold governments' feet to the fire. Such an effort is long overdue and the potential returns for society are hard to overstate.

"The inclusion of our research in the world's longest running series on wealth accounting brings us one step closer to recognizing social capital as an economic asset that underpins national and global wealth."

Chapter 15 on Social Capital and the Changing Wealth of Nations by Agarwala and Zenghelis outlines several priorities for policymakers to recognize:

First, trust, networks, social interactions, and the ability to achieve outcomes requiring collective action are important determinants of social, health, and economic outcomes.

Second, the lack of a precise and universally accepted definition has undermined its measurement, valuation, and integration into mainstream economic analyses, but the UK and United States are pioneering new approaches.

Third, the fact that social capital is not directly measured in monetary terms in no way reduces its importance to economic performance. Just as it did for natural capital, the evolution from theoretical concept to consistent accounting will take decades of development and refinement.

Fourth, progress in survey penetration and the use of higher frequency data offer great potential for social capital research.

Finally, it recommends the Changing Wealth of Nations continues to examine how social capital relates to, and interacts with, wealth accounting.

"A better understanding of measuring wealthincluding human, social, natural and physical capitalis important for a green, resilient, and prosperous future," says Agarwala, Project leader for the Wealth Economy, Bennett Institute. "It's crucial for all assets to be measured with equal importance for governments to get policies right for sustainable development."

The World Bank's Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 report provides data for a more comprehensive view of economic growth and sustainability. Published in late October 2021, it finds that the share of total global wealth in renewable natural capital is decreasing and threatened by climate change. Also that global wealth has grown overall but at the expense of future prosperity and by exacerbating inequalities.

Countries that deplete natural resources in favor of short-term gains are putting their economies on an unsustainable development path. While indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are traditionally used to measure economic growth, the report argues measuring changes in natural, human, social and produced capital offers deeper insight into the extent to which growth is sustainable.

The report tracks the wealth of 146 countries between 1995 and 2018, by measuring the economic value of renewable natural capital (such as forests, cropland, and ocean resources), non-renewable natural capital (such as minerals and fossil fuels), human capital (earnings over a person's lifetime), produced capital (such as buildings and infrastructure), and net foreign assets. As well as social capital, the report accounts for blue natural capitalin the form of mangroves and ocean fisheries for the first time.

Explore further This index measures progress and sustainability better than GDP

More information: Full report: Full report: openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36400
AbbVie's Cariprazine (VRAYLAR) Met Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 Study as an Adjunctive Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder

Details Category: Small Molecules Published on Friday, 29 October 2021 17:54 Hits: 822

- In a Phase 3 clinical trial, Study 3111-301-001, cariprazine (VRAYLAR) met its primary endpoint demonstrating statistically significant change from baseline to week six in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score in patients with major depressive disorder

- In a second Phase 3 clinical trial, Study 3111-302-001, cariprazine demonstrated numerical improvement in depressive symptoms from baseline to week six in MADRS total score compared with placebo but did not achieve statistical significance

- Safety data were consistent with the established safety profile of cariprazine across indications with no new safety signals identified

NORTH CHICAGO, IL, USA I October 29, 2021 I AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced top-line results from two Phase 3 clinical trials, Study 3111-301-001 and Study 3111-302-001, evaluating the efficacy and safety of cariprazine (VRAYLAR) as an adjunctive treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In Study 3111-301-001, cariprazine showed a statistically significant change from baseline to week six in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score compared with placebo. Patients treated with cariprazine at 1.5 mg/day achieved improved MADRS total score at week six compared to placebo (p-value=0.0050). Patients treated with cariprazine at 3.0 mg/day demonstrated improvement in MADRS total score at week six over placebo but did not meet statistical significance (p-value=0.0727). In Study 3111-302-001, cariprazine demonstrated numerical improvement in depressive symptoms from baseline to week six in MADRS total score compared with placebo but did not meet its primary endpoint for either the 1.5 mg/day or 3.0 mg/day dose.

In a previously published Phase 2/3 registration-enabling study, RGH-MD-75, patients treated with cariprazine flexible doses of 2.04.5 mg/day in addition to ongoing antidepressant therapy (ADT) met the primary endpoint and achieved improved MADRS total scores at week eight compared to placebo (p-value=0.0114).

Based on the positive results of studies 3111-301-001 and RGH-MD-75, and the totality of data reported, AbbVie intends to submit a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the expanded use of cariprazine for the adjunctive treatment of MDD.

"When added to ongoing antidepressant treatment that has produced inadequate response in patients with major depressive disorder, cariprazine has now demonstrated that it can further improve depressive symptoms by providing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements compared to placebo in two large, well-controlled registrational clinical trials," said Michael Severino, M.D., vice chairman and president, AbbVie. "Major depressive disorder is one of the most common and serious mental illnesses, and more than half of these patients never experience satisfactory results from this debilitating condition. Based on the results, we believe cariprazine has the potential to benefit these patients as an adjunctive treatment."

The safety results of cariprazine in all three studies were consistent with its established safety profile across indications with no new safety signals identified. The most common adverse events occurring at >5% in the cariprazine groups during the six-week study period were akathisia, nausea, insomnia, headache and somnolence.

Full results from studies 3111-301-001 and 3111-302-001 will be presented at a future medical meeting.

MDD is a common condition with 19 million people of all ages affected in the United States.1 The World Health Organization lists depression as the third-leading cause of disability worldwide and as a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. Symptoms can include depressed mood, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, changes in appetite or weight, changes in sleep, psychomotor agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, indecisiveness, and current thoughts of death.2 In the United States, the mean age of onset for the first episode is 26 years old,3 and MDD represents an estimated $211 billion economic burden.4

Cariprazine is marketed as VRAYLAR in the United States and is FDA-approved to treat depressive, acute manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder, as well as schizophrenia in adults. Cariprazine is being co-developed by AbbVie and Gedeon Richter Plc. More than 8,000 patients worldwide have been treated with cariprazine across more than 20 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of cariprazine for a broad range of psychiatric disorders.

About Studies 3111-301-001 and 3111-302-001

Study 3111-301-001 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial with 759 participants conducted in United States, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Study 311-302-001 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial with 752 participants conducted in United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Serbia, and Slovakia. For both studies, following a screening period of up to 14 days, patients with an inadequate clinical response to their antidepressant monotherapy (ADT) were randomized into three treatment groups (1:1:1). The first group received cariprazine 1.5 mg/day + ADT, the second group received cariprazine 3.0 mg/day + ADT, and the third group received placebo + ADT. For six weeks, the medication was given once daily in addition to the ongoing ADT treatment, to which the patient had experienced inadequate clinical response.

About Study RGH-MD-75

Study RGH-MD-75 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose, outpatient, multicenter trial with 808 participants, conducted in United States, Estonia, Finland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Sweden. After 7-14 days of screening and washout of prohibited medications, eligible patients entered an 8-week, double-blind treatment period in which they continued antidepressant treatment and were randomized (1:1:1) to adjunctive cariprazine 1-2 mg/day, cariprazine 2-4.5 mg/day, or placebo. After double-blind treatment, patients entered a 1-week safety follow-up period. Data from Study RGH-MD-75 were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.5

More information about studies 3111-301-001, 3111-302-001 and RGH-MD-75 is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About VRAYLAR (cariprazine)

VRAYLAR is an oral, once-daily atypical antipsychotic approved for the acute treatment of adults with manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder (3 to 6 mg/day) and for the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder (bipolar depression) in adults (1.5 or 3 mg/day). VRAYLAR is also approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults (1.5 to 6 mg/day).

While the mechanism of action of VRAYLAR is unknown, the efficacy of VRAYLAR could be mediated through a combination of partial agonist activity at central dopamine D and serotonin 5-HT 1A receptors and antagonist activity at serotonin 5-HT 2A receptors. Pharmacodynamic studies with cariprazine have shown that it acts as a partial agonist with high binding affinity at dopamine D 3 , dopamine D 2 , and serotonin 5-HT 1A receptors. Cariprazine demonstrated up to ~8-fold greater in vitro affinity for dopamine D 3 vs D 2 receptors. Cariprazine also acts as an antagonist at serotonin 5-HT 2B and 5-HT 2A receptors with high and moderate binding affinity, respectively as well as it binds to the histamine H 1 receptors. VRAYLAR shows lower binding affinity to the serotonin 5-HT 2C and  1A - adrenergic receptors and has no appreciable affinity for cholinergic muscarinic receptors. The clinical significance of these in vitro data is unknown.

VRAYLAR is being developed jointly by AbbVie and Gedeon Richter Plc, with AbbVie responsible for commercialization in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan and certain Latin American countries (including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela).

Visit www.vraylar.com for more information.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warnings, and Medication Guide.

About AbbVie in Mental Health

AbbVie is driving the pursuit of better mental health. Over the last 30 years, the company's scientists and clinicians have worked to tackle the complexity of mental illness and today offer a portfolio of medicines and a pipeline of innovation that spans depression, anxiety, bipolar I disorder, and schizophrenia. To learn more about AbbVie's work to support individuals throughout their mental health journey, please visit www.abbvie.com or follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

References:

Abuse, S. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29393/2019NSDUHFFRPDFWHTML/2019NSDUHFFR1PDFW090120.pdf. Accessed on August 31, 2021. World Health Organization. (2021). Depression. Fact Sheet. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression. Accessed on September 16, 2021. Kessler RC, et al. Psychol Med. 2010;40:225-237. Greenberg PE, et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(2):155-162. Durgam S, Earley W, Guo H, Li D, Nemeth G, Laszlovszky I, Fava M, Montgomery SA. Efficacy and safety of adjunctive cariprazine in inadequate responders to antidepressants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult patients with major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016 Mar;77(3):371-8. doi: 10.4088/JCP.15m10070. PMID: 27046309.

SOURCE: AbbVie
BOLTON LANDING  The deli counter at Tops market was particularly busy Thursday afternoon as crew members of the Showtime series Billions walked from their filming location at The Sagamore resort into the village to get some lunch.

We heard that shes been overly swamped today because its been just constant, said Tops Assistant Store Manager Scott Washburn, referring to the deli manager. We heard it was a film crew.

The Sagamore was closed to the public Wednesday and Thursday as the Showtime series Billions was filming its sixth season. The show stars Damian Lewis as hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod and Paul Giamatti as U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades.

Billions is an American television series created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Earlier this month, the show put out a casting call looking for extras from the local area.

The casting director specifically requested people from Lake George, Bolton Landing, Queensbury, Warrensburg, Glens Falls, Corinth and Whitehall. The casting call was also seeking people with upscale cars.

Washburn said he has never seen the show, but admitted having people in town this time of year is good for tourism.

Everything is closing down more and more every day, he said. Well be to a point where were the only guys in town.

Gretta Hochsprung can be reached at 518-742-3206 or ghochsprung@poststar.com.

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Spa City man sentenced for rape

BALLSTON SPA  A Saratoga Springs man was sentenced on Wednesday to 11 years in prison for raping a child younger than 13.

Kurtis R. Patterson, 22, was arrested on March 15 after police said he had sexual intercourse and sexual contact with the person, who is an acquaintance of his.

The incident took place in Saratoga Springs.

Patterson pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court in August. He also was sentenced to 20 years of post-release supervision.

Area man charged with

DWI

LAKE GEORGE  A Saranac Lake man was arrested on Wednesday after police said he drove at almost four times the legal limit for intoxication.

State police received a call at about 2:30 p.m. reporting a vehicle off the road between exits 22 and 23 of the Northway in the town of Lake George.

Police found the vehicle and charged the driver, 31-year-old Craig Fortune, with felony counts of driving while intoxicated-previous conviction within 10 years and aggravated DWI.

Fortune had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.31%, police said. The legal limit for intoxication is 0.08%.

Fortune is due back in Lake George Town Court on Nov. 11.

LG man charged with assault

LAKE GEORGE  A Lake George man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting someone during a domestic incident.

Roarke Shea, 36, is accused of getting into a verbal argument with the victim and then striking the person in the head, police said.

Shea was charged with a felony count of aggravated family offense and misdemeanors of third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sent to Warren County Jail.
CORINTH  An Indian Lake man has been charged with attempted murder after police said he entered a Corinth residents home and attacked him with a tomahawk.

Justice D. Locke, 19, is accused of forcibly entering a Mallery Street apartment in the village at about 11:30 p.m.

Locke allegedly assaulted the person with the weapon.

The victim was airlifted to Albany Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, according to a news release from the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office.

The victim was an acquaintance of Lockes, police said.

Sheriffs Capt. Jeff Brown said police are not releasing the victims identity for his protection. He did not have an update on the victims condition.

The investigation is ongoing and Brown said it would be premature to comment on a motive.

Sheriffs Office investigators found Locke in Indian Lake.

Locke was also charged with first-degree burglary. He was arraigned in Milton Town Court and sent without bail to Saratoga County Jail. He is due in Corinth Town Court at a later date.

New York State Police Troop B helped recover the weapon.

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Only about four in 10 students in grades three through eight statewide took the statewide exams in English and math last spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, state education officials announced on Thursday.

A total of 41.9% of students took the English language arts exam and 39.9% took the math one.

Because of the limited participation, the state Education Department is not making any comparisons statewide on student achievement. School district data can be found at data.nysed.gov.

The tests were not given at all in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Education denied the states request for a waiver from the giving tests. So, the state shortened the exams and gave them over one day instead of two. Students who were learning fully online did not have to come to school to take them.

The state will return to the two-day format in the spring of 2022.

State officials said in a news release that depending on the percentage of students who participated in each school or district, the results may not be representative of the student population.

Corinth Superintendent of Schools Mark Stratton shared that view.

The results are incomplete and heavily impacted by the pandemic. Unfortunately, schools are still dealing with numerous positive cases and quarantines resulting in further learning loss, he said in an email.

Only about 80% of Corinths third-graders took the test. Of those, 41% were proficient in math and 34% in English.

However, only 59% of eighth-graders took the English test and 50% took the math tests.

Glens Falls had 87% of its third-graders take the English test and 88% take the math test. About 62% of students passed the English test and 52% passed the math.

Only 63% of eight-graders took the English and test and 47% took the math test.

Students with disabilities, English language learners and those who were economically disadvantaged took the tests at rates lower than average, according to the state.

The pandemic exacerbated already existing inequities for students and this fact is most evident in our 2021 statewide assessment participation rates, said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young Jr. in a news release. The board and the department are committed to addressing these disparities by helping schools implement policies and practices to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. Together we must work to ensure that all New York dtate students have the support they need to be successful in school and in life.

State officials stressed in a news release that the state assessments are one tool that educators can use to understand whether students are meeting the standards.

Statewide assessments

The following is the percentage of students who passed the state exams in English and math in grades three for some local school districts. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only four in 10 students took the exams statewide.

If the district had less than a 70% participation rate in a particular grade level, there will be an N.A. in that space.

* = District does not have eighth-grade students

** = Queensbury has all students take algebra in lieu of the state test

District ELA Grade 3 Math Grade 3

Abraham Wing 37% 24%

Argyle 48% 44%

Bolton 100% 77%

Cambridge N.A. 53%

Corinth 44% 34%

Fort Ann 80% 69%

Fort Edward N.A. N.A.

Glens Falls 62% 52%

Granville 41% 41%

Greenwich N.A N.A.

Hadley-Luzerne 49% 38%

Hartford 68% 69%

Hudson Falls 47% 41%

Johnsburg 64% N.A.

Lake George 80% 73%

North Warren 55% 55%

Putnam 75% 88%

Queensbury 63% 68%

Salem 46% 42%

Saratoga Springs 78% 75%

Schuylerville 70% 70%

South Glens Falls 60% 43%

Whitehall N.A. N.A.

MICHAEL GOOT

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Michael Goot covers politics, crime and courts, Warren County, education and business. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct quotes by, and references to, two Town Board members, John Alexander and Bryan Rounds, whose statements and positions were reversed in the original posting of this story and in The Post-Star printed version. Additionally, the day of the meeting was corrected, as were the names of two speakers.

WARRENSBURG  After a two-hour public hearing Wednesday evening, the Town Board decided to rethink its proposal for a one-year moratorium on new commercial development downtown.

There are still a lot of loose ends, said town Supervisor Kevin Geraghty. We need to go back and reconsider. This is not what the public wants.

Warrensburg will be closed for business if this goes through, said Town Board member John Alexander.

The intent (of the moratorium) was control over new box stores, specifically a Dollar General proposed for 3760 Main St., said Town Board member Bryan Rounds. I cant go forward with shutting down business for this property.

The draft is flawed, said Town Board member Richard Larkin, who introduced the proposal in July. We need to review it and maybe take another approach.

Although attorney Mark Schachner, a partner in the firm that provides the towns legal counsel, said he had intended to be crystal clear in writing the draft, speakers were confused about which properties and activities would come under the moratorium.

The Town Boards ideas seem to have morphed over the last few weeks, Schachner complained, after listening to Larkins replies to some questions from the audience. The draft was written to include all buildings along Main Street from Point A (Plank Bridge Road) to Point B (Third Avenue).

Many speakers, including Alexander, were clear that they didnt want the town telling them what to do on their land.

Why do you think you have the right to tell people what to do with their properties? asked Eddie Murphy. How can you make laws that the taxpayers are against?

Gary Cooper said his guests at his Main Street vacation rental spend a lot of money in the area. The three members of the board in favor of the moratorium do not have control of our property and our lives on Main Street, and we pay your salaries, he said.

A lawyer who said she represented the developer of the proposed Dollar General store pointed out that the project already has town area and setback variances. Imposing a moratorium that would stall the project could leave the town open to expensive litigation, she warned.

Others didnt want to discourage new businesses from coming to the area.

Corporate America provides a lot of jobs for people, one woman said. There are so many overlapping restrictions.

Denying new businesses costs other taxpayers money, said Shelley Hamilton.

I havent come across anyone who doesnt like Dollar General, just not there, Rounds said. He and Teresa Whalen, director of Warrensburg Beautification Inc., said that other communities with Dollar General stores have sited them on the outskirts of their business districts, where parking and traffic are less restricted.

Town Code Enforcement Officer Jim Hull said many of the historic buildings that the moratorium is aimed at saving are past the point of salvage. The elderly owners cant afford their upkeep and the buildings are so deteriorated that no one will buy them, he said.

A number of speakers called for updating the towns zoning codes and comprehensive plan, and wondered why the town hasnt taken any steps to begin that process. Whalen, Rounds and Larkin said a moratorium would allow the town time to review and revise the code, but others said that could be done without a moratorium. A woman said the Planning Board already has the authority to consider traffic impacts and appearance when doing a site plan review.

We can work on the codes starting next week, Geraghty said.

Larkin said he had asked for a consultant to guide the process, but that didnt happen.

People on both sides of the issue want Main Street to keep its flavor and development too, Larkin said. We dont want corporate America coming here and telling us what to look like.

A man said he divides his time between Florida and Warrensburg and lately has chosen to spend more time in Warrensburg.

Florida is ruined, he said. Warrensburg isnt. Please try to protect the town.

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National

Biden announces 'historic' deal  but still must win votes

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he and Democrats in Congress have reached a historic framework for his sweeping domestic policy package. But he still needs to lock down votes from key colleagues for whats now a dramatically scaled-back bill.

Eager to have a deal in hand before his departure late in the day for global summits, Biden made his case privately on Capitol Hill to House Democrats and publicly in a speech at the White House. Hes now pressing for a still-robust package  $1.75 trillion of social services and climate change programs  that the White House believes can pass the 50-50 Senate.

The days fast-moving developments put Democrats closer to a hard-fought deal, but battles remain as they press to finish the final draft in the days and weeks ahead.

Lets get this done, Biden exhorted.

It will fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better, he said about the package, which he badly wanted before the summits to show the world American democracy still works.

Together with a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, Biden claimed the infusion of federal investments would be a domestic achievement modeled on those of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.

I need your votes, Biden told the lawmakers at the Capitol, according to a person who requested anonymity to discuss the private remarks.

But final votes will not be called for some time. The revised package has lost some top priorities, frustrating many lawmakers as the presidents ambitions make way for the political realities of the narrowly divided Congress.

Paid family leave and efforts to lower prescription drug pricing are now gone entirely from the package, drawing outrage from some lawmakers and advocates.

Still in the mix, a long list of other priorities: Free prekindergarten for all youngsters, expanded health care programs  including the launch of a new $35 billion hearing aid benefit for people with Medicare  and $555 billion to tackle climate change.

Theres also a one-year extension of a child care tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 rescue and new child care subsidies. An additional $100 billion to bolster the immigration and border processing system could boost the overall package to $1.85 trillion if it clears Senate rules.

One pivotal Democratic holdout, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, said, I look forward to getting this done.

However, another, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, was less committal: This is all in the hands of the House right now.

The two Democrats have almost single-handedly reduced the size and scope of their partys big vision, and are crucial to sealing the deal.

Republicans remain overwhelmingly opposed, forcing Biden to rely on the Democrats narrow majority in Congress with no votes to spare in the Senate and few in the House.

Taking form after months of negotiations, Bidens emerging bill would still be among the most sweeping of its kind in a generation, modeled on New Deal and Great Society programs. The White House calls it the largest-ever investment in climate change and the biggest improvement to the nations healthcare system in more than a decade.

In his meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol, Biden made clear how important it was to show progress as he headed to the summits.

We are at an inflection point, he said. The rest of the world wonders whether we can function.

With U.S. elections on the horizon, he said its not hyperbole to say that the House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week.

At one point, Biden asked for a spirited enthusiastic vote on his plan, said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.

Twice over the course of the hour-long meeting Democratic lawmakers rose to their feet and started yelling: Vote, vote, vote, said Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia.

Bidens proposal would be paid for by imposing a new 5% surtax on income over $10 million a year, and instituting a new 15% corporate minimum tax, keeping with his plans to have no new taxes on those earning less than $400,000 a year, officials said. A special billionaires tax was not included.

Revenue to help pay for the package would also come from rolling back some of the Trump administrations 2017 tax cuts, along with stepped-up enforcement of tax-dodgers by the IRS. Biden has vowed to cover the entire cost of the plan, ensuring it does not pile onto the debt load.

With the framework being converted to a 1,600-page legislative text for review, lawmakers and aides cautioned it had not yet been agreed to.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the progressive caucus leader, said: We want to see the actual text because we dont want any confusion and misunderstandings.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Biden asked the House to vote on the related $1 trillion infrastructure bill that already cleared the Senate but became tangled in deliberations over the broader bill. But others said they did not hear an urgent request.

When the president gets off that plane we want him to have a vote of confidence from this Congress, Pelosi told lawmakers, the person at the private meeting said.

But no votes were scheduled. Progressives have been withholding their support for roads-and-bridges bill as leverage until they have a commitment that Manchin, Sinema and the other senators are ready to vote on Bidens bigger package.

Hell no, said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., about allowing the smaller infrastructure bill to pass.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., shared her own story of making pennies at low-wage work, struggling to afford child care and wanting to ensure constituents have better.

We need both bills to ride together. And we dont have that right now, Bush said. I feel a bit bamboozled because this was not what I thought was coming today.

Instead, Congress approved an extension to Dec. 3 of Sundays deadline for routine transportation funds that were at risk of expiring without the infrastructure bill.
Hard Rock also announced a $20,000 commitment benefiting the Atlantic City Police and Fire departments. The funds will go toward equipment.

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While others brought their appreciation directly to the source, Ocean held a banquet for first responders at Lunas, a VIP cafe space.

Every day were out responding to everything  theres no nights, weekends or holidays off  and for Ocean to acknowledge that, it means a lot to the men and women out there, said Jules Schwenger, president of Atlantic City Local PBA 24.

Harrahs, Caesars and Tropicana brought responders coffee, salads and even a heart-shaped pizza with a special message on the lid of the box.

Were really trying to make them feel special on this day for all they have done for us through the pandemic, said Joe Lodise, senior vice president and general manager of Caesars Atlantic City.

+3 Furor over proposed Galloway Township alternative-education charter school GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Residents voiced their anger at the Township Council on Tuesday about a 

Capt. Paul Hess of Fire Station No. 1 appreciated the gesture.

Were the new-age firefighters trying to eat decent food, he joked. And the coffee? Thats gone  all day, all night were drinking it.
When the Supreme Court rules in the coming months on the Mississippi and Texas laws substantially restricting abortions, it will do more than decide the future of its 1973 ruling legalizing a womans right to end her pregnancy.

It will almost certainly plunge the long-simmering issue into the midst of the 2022 midterm congressional and gubernatorial elections at a time both Democrats and Republicans believe it could help them.

One is likely to be wrong. Or, perhaps, each will be right in some places and wrong in others.

Ever since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, abortion rights has been a potent factor in many national and state elections, and its an issue in next months Virginia governors race. As is often the case, the Republican, Glenn Youngkin, favors additional restrictions and the Democrat, Terry McAuliffe, opposes them.

But polls on which party benefits are as complicated as those on the attitude of Americans toward the practice itself.

For example, 2020 television network election exit polls showed a majority of voters favored keeping abortion generally legal. They also showed the proportion regarding the issue as an important factor in their vote was roughly the same among supporters and opponents of abortion rights, about three in five.
October 29, 2021 in Books (E)

[prMac.com] American Fork, Utah - The Jane Austen Project is pleased to announce a one week 50% off sale to celebrate the launch of the Jane Austen's World app in the Apple App Store. The Jane Austen's World app for iPad is a new exploration of the literary world of renowned author, Jane Austen. Starting with the full text of Pride & Prejudice, the world app adds character bios, a Jane Austen bio, trivia, quotes, and an interactive map of England showing all the locations depicted in the book.



Reading Pride & Prejudice is a delightful experience between digital curling pages. Change the font, the font size, and the background color to suit your needs. Bookmark multiple pages for a quick return. Brightness control allows you to adapt to your environment.



It all began as the desire of Kim Izatt, chief content contributor, to better understand the different terms used in Austen's books that were from another time period. From there it blossomed into a full-blown project to explore the depths of the book through various means. The Trivia section was added to directly address Kim's initial interest, providing definitions and context to many of the more esoteric words and phrases used in the book. For example, did you know that "chaise and four" refers to a carriage with four horses? Or that "Boulanger" is a circular dance of couples?



Another point of interest is where are all the different towns located that are mentioned in the book? How far was it to travel to London? Thus a beautiful map, created by illustrator Chase Jensen, was added with interactivity for learning about each location. For instance, you could learn that Pemberly is a fictional town while Brighton is quite real. Both are referenced in Pride & Prejudice. Or learn that Gretna Green, another very real town in Scotland, is a popular place for eloping couples because marriage laws allowed young love birds to marry without parental permission.



As Jane Austen is a popular and quotable author, Jane Austen's World would not be complete without a Quotes section. Happily flip through pages of popular and insightful quotes from the book:



* "Kitty has no discretion in her coughs; she times them ill."

* "I have high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least."

* "I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise."



Character biographies round out the fun. Starting with a beautiful portrait wall of character depictions by Chase Jensen, each portrait may be tapped to bring up a biography of that character. These include such personal statistics as age, family, and fortune plus quotes from other characters and/or the narrator regarding this character - as seen through the eyes of others.



Device Requirements:

* iPad Tablet

* iPadOS 13.0 or later

* macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip

* 70.5 MB



Pricing and Availability:

For a limited time. Jane Austen's World is only $4.99 (USD) (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Books category. Future releases will provide the same content for each of the remaining 5 of Jane Austen's primary 6 books - Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park.

The Jane Austen Project is an effort dedicated to bringing greater insight into the world of Jane Austen's books through interactive media. Copyright 2013-2022 Jane Austen Project, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iPad Mini are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.

###
As the strike of Deere & Co. enters its third week, one of the issues facing the company and the picketing UAW workers is safety in the workplace.

A safety complaint was filed Oct. 19 at John Deere Seeding Group in Moline to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Peoria.

The complaint covered employees that were affiliated with a union and was filed six days into the strike.

The complaint could have been filed retroactively to the incident if the employee was on strike, according to Scott Allen, public information officer for OSHA Region 7, which includes the state of Illinois. OSHA is required to investigate all complaints and has a six-month period to do so, according to Allen, but will investigate this complaint as soon as possible. More details on the incident will not be available until the investigation is completed.

The way the investigation will be conducted depends on the details of the incident, according to Allen.

They could take actions such as calling the company and asking about a specific situation, or you could decide to just go out there and make a full formal investigation, Allen said.

The complaint is not an isolated incident.
You should see how fast people drive here, one Moline union worker said.

On Oct. 19, for example, Moline Police said a semitruck entered Gate 24 of the Moline plant driving too fast near a group of union workers on the picket line.

Union members were near the driveway when the truck entered the gate. A night-shift officer in a squad car was at the intersection when the truck entered the plant and asked the driver to drive slower.

The officer dealt with the incident like any any other observed traffic infraction, Moline police said in an email to the Quad-City Times/Moline Dispatch-Argus at that time. No additional police were called to the scene.

Paul Iversen, labor expert at the University of Iowa Labor Center, said deaths on the picket lines were not common but near misses or minor accidents, like the incident at Moline, are. Specifically, vehicles entering a plant with a picket line in front have been known to speed through the picket line without waiting for union members to completely clear the driveway.

It doesn't sound like that was the case in this situation, Iversen said. But there are a number of situations where there have been near-misses where people have had to jump out of the way very quickly to avoid being hit.
Smithson

There have been safety issues brought up at the middle and high schools and Smithson said the district community has an obligation to meet students where they are and make sure they are getting the support they need.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the students have faced a lot of change and some have had trouble adjusting, Smithson said. They need help learning how to handle things like confrontation. When students have trouble with math, they get that help. The same needs to be done with behavior.

The district does already have things in place to assist with this, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Smithson said she wants to make sure they are being implemented with fidelity.

Zumdome

Zumdome said school safety is an important issue  making sure that students walk into an environment where they feel accepted and the focus is education and nothing else.

Based on conversations with other parents, bullying is a huge problem and those parents do not feel like anything is getting done, Zumdome said.
A 27-year-old Chadron resident is charged with four felonies following his arrest Thursday morning.

According to Sergeant Patrick Young, at about 2:19 a.m. Thursday the Chadron Police Department received a 911 call from a woman requesting officers to respond to an apartment complex in Chadron. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man in the apartment who had been severely beaten with life threatening injuries. Officers ensured the male remained conscious and called for a Chadron rescue unit to arrive and transport thim. The Chadron Fire Department arrived on scene and the injured male was transported to the Chadron Community Hospital and was later transported by air to Regional West Hospital in Scottsbluff due to the extent of his injuries.

Officers were able to interview witnesses who reported Shawne Russell of Chadron had assaulted the man and proceeded to steal the injured mans vehicle. Over the next six hours, officers searched for Russell and for the reported stolen vehicle. Chadron Police officers located the stolen vehicle shortly after the initial call, abandoned in Wilson Park. The vehicle was secured and towed to the Chadron Police Department, where through a search warrant, it was processed for evidence related to the assault and the theft.

A search warrant was also obtained for the apartment where the injured male had been located. During this search warrant, items related to the assault were seized, including photographs and DNA evidence. As the investigation continued, it was learned two firearms had been stolen from the injured male during the assault. The firearms were located at an abandoned residence in Chadron and were taken into evidence.

Chadron Police officers and officers of the Nebraska State Patrol were able to locate Russell inside a private residence in Chadron and he was arrested without incident. A search warrant was obtained for the person of Russell and items seized included clothing and photographic evidence.

Russell was transported to the Dawes County Jail and lodged, charged with Class II felonies for first-degree assault, a Class ID felony of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and a Class IC felony of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Bond was set at 10% of $100,000.00.

Police Chief Rick Hickstein reported there was a knife involved in the fight, though nobody was cut with the knife.

The Chadron Police Department was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department.

A 47-year-old Chadron woman was also arrested on felony charges related to racking up more than $5,000 on an unauthorized credit card.

Sergeant Jarvis Wallage reports that on Wednesday, October 27, the Chadron Police Department and the Nebraska Health and Human Services department made an arrest in a multi-month investigation involving an elderly resident in Chadron having an unauthorized credit card opened and used in their name.

The investigation focused on Heidi Irish-Tunheim, who had direct contact with the resident in a trusted position as a CNA and Med Aide. Chadron Police ascertained that the credit card amassed a balance of more than $5,000 by which video was located of the female utilizing the credit card for personal gain. On Oct. 27 Wallage, , the lead investigator on the case, and other members of the Chadron Police Department, served a search warrant on Irish-Tunheims local address which resulted in the seizure of financial documents and personal electronic devices.

As a result, Irish-Tunheim was placed under arrest for a Class IIA felony of identity theft, a Class III felony of criminal impersonation and a Class IIIA felony of abuse of a vulnerable adult. She was remanded to the custody of the Dawes County Jail where her bond was set at 10% of $50,000.

The Chadron Police Department was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol, The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Nebraska Department of Labor, and the Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit.

Interestingly, the Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit is now where former Chadron police chief Tim Lordino is working. Chief Hickstein noted Sergeant Wallage spoke with Lordino during the investigation for some advice on the search warrant, but that was the extent of Lordinos involvement.

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When parents or guardians of very young children find themselves wondering about their childrens development, they dont have to wonder on their own.

The Rapid City Area Schools district offers free screenings for those pre-kindergarten children, with the opportunity for follow-up services if needed. Family members can call and make an appointment for screenings offered each month  sometimes multiple times  through April of this school year.

Todd Christensen, special education program manager for RCAS, said the screening of children 3 to 5 years old covers motor skills, command of concepts, language use, vision and hearing. Its generally done at Jefferson Special Services, at 21 St. Joseph St., but for some programs screening is done on site.

Christensen said a child will move from station to station during the screening, with a parent or guardian in the room watching and sometimes offering encouragement.

For the most part, when children come in theyre pretty excited, he said. They get to meet new people. And our screening team mostly consists of retired teachers. So they do a wonderful job of greeting kids and making them feel welcome, and quickly establishing a rapport.

After the screening, district officials will consult with parents, possibly advising further evaluation with consent from parents or guardians. If a developmental delay or any other problem is discovered in an evaluation, the district can explore many different ways to work with that problem.

Sometimes, Christensen said, the district might move directly to an evaluation  particularly if the child has already received a diagnosis.

Tessa Burke, Child Find coordinator for RCAS, noted something she reminds families if services are recommended.

We always say, Its where your child is right now, she said. We want to meet them where they are right now and help them get to where they need to be.

Resources also exist for children who are even younger. Families with children from birth to three years old, Christensen said, can call South Dakota Birth to Three at 800-305-3064 to set up an appointment at a local office. Christensen said RCAS officials regularly meet with Birth to Three staff members and can collaborate on services provided to children.

Regarding the 3 to 5-year old children, Christensen noted some of the most frequent concerns.

When most of our students go through screening, if there are concerns, its usually in that speech-language area, Christensen said, noting language and social-emotional development tend to need attention.

I think technology is contributing a little bit to that, he said, adding that the experience of using language in relation to live human beings can be especially helpful for children.

I think our families right now are working more, he added. I think its harder for them to make ends meet, and so children may not have some of the same experiences that others had.

Christensen stressed the importance of physical books, describing the way a child can examine a book and distinguish the cover from its pages in a tactile way. But he also emphasized the power of human interaction when its mixed with language-learning, regardless of where the text originates.

If somebody reads to a child using an iPad, thats fine, he said, underlining the potency of interaction. Asking children questions about whats going to happen next is so important in language development.

Christensen acknowledged the value of technology but still placed heavy emphasis on human connection.

I think some of the technology is wonderful, but for me the development of language comes from that interaction  asking questions about the book, he said.

Burke, too, described how interaction  and its absence  can influence young childrens learning. She noted the bite that COVID-19 took out of young childrens ability to interact.

COVID happened when they were so young that they didnt have a lot of socialization with peers, so that is affecting their speech and language  how they interact  as well as some of their early learning skills, she said.

In the future, Burke said, restoring those social interactions can help children, particularly if good interactions are modeled by adults.

Burke and Christensen mentioned Rural America Initiatives, Head Start and the overall Department of Youth and Family Services as important resources for families.

Christensen said families whod like to inquire about screenings or who have any questions can call 605-394-1813.

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A solar flare that erupted Thursday may cause a rare appearance of the Northern Lights in South Dakota on Saturday night if local weather conditions allow the phenomenon to be seen, an official with the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

Bill Murtagh, program coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, said Friday the organization issued a "Geomagnetic Storm Watch" for Saturday after an eruption on the sun occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time Thursday.

"It was a fairly strong eruption and it produced a coronal mass ejection of material that gets shot out into space, and in this situation it's coming towards earth," Murtagh said. "We ran our models and looked at this event closely, and we do think it's going to impact us here on earth (Saturday) sometime during the daylight hours."

The Space Weather Prediction Center categorizes solar storms on a scale of one to five, with one being weak and five being extreme. Murtagh said Saturday's impact is categorized as a three, which is strong. That means the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are expected to glow across most of the northern tier of the United States, as far south as Denver and Kansas City.

Murtagh said the best viewing opportunities will be after 10 p.m. Saturday and could last until the early morning hours of Sunday.

"What the sun did is basically shoot a magnet out into space. These big eruptions are like a billion tons of plasma gas, but also a magnetic field," Murtagh said. "With this magnet hurled at us in space making that 93 million-mile transit from the sun to the earth, when it hits the earth's magnetic field, we have two magnets coming together. There is going to be some sort of reaction, and that's what causes the Northern Lights."

In order to have the ability to see the Northern Lights, Murtagh said it is best to get away from city lights. However, local weather conditions may not allow the phenomenon to be seen.

The National Weather Service's Rapid City forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions Saturday night with a slight chance of snow, but it is possible for some of the clouds to clear off during the overnight hours.

The Journal's weather partner, AccuWeather, predicts viewing conditions will be poor Saturday night across northwestern South Dakota, most of North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern Wyoming. Accuweather forecasts that viewing conditions will improve to "fair" from Rapid City south to the Nebraska panhandle.

The best opportunities for viewing will be in central and eastern Nebraska and northeast Colorado. Good regional viewing chances also exist south of Sioux Falls, near Vermillion and Sioux City, and south of Minneapolis, Accuweather predicts.

Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com.

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Chloe Ryan loves to craft horror stories.

Its a lot of fun to be on the edge of your seat, said Ryan, a junior at South Dakota Mines. Ive convinced a lot of people to never go camping with me again.

Ryan, along with more than a dozen other students at the School of Mines, is channeling her fondness for fearful things this semester in Laura Kremmels course, Terror & Horror: The Gothic Tradition." Theyre exploring an ancient topic that may be more relevant than ever as they investigate whats scary, both now and centuries ago, through the literary texts theyre reading and the projects theyre pursuing.

Theyve also been working on a pair of ghost tours, one of which is still to come. Beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Kremmel and her students are conducting the second of their Ghost Tours of Rapid City, sponsored by the Science, Technology & Society program. The tour begins at Einstein Bros. Bagels, at 501 E. Saint Joseph St.

Anyone can come and join the free tour and listen to the students present ghost stories theyve researched and rehearsed, focusing on various downtown legends.

For Kremmel, an assistant professor of English at the university, the whole process of exploring scary things is a familiar one.

Ive been interested in scary stories since I was a kid, she said, and then she explained how she channeled that interest into a master of letters in Gothic Studies at the University of Stirling, in Scotland. She also earned another masters degree and a Ph.D., both in English, at Lehigh University.

Kremmel has developed her research with an eye on the outside world. Shes been working on a book, scheduled to be published this spring, called Romantic Medicine and the Gothic Imagination: Morbid Anatomies.

I was revising it heavily over the COVID year, she said. I do have a chapter on contagion in there. The chapter was there before, but it took a different shape.

She said the chapter focuses on Mary Shelleys novel, The Last Man.

Its a plague novel, basically, Kremmel said, and she described how characters in the novel respond to the plague in the absence of public health information.

Because there was no public health messaging, people are basically left to rely on rumors  lots of what were seeing today, actually  and the rumors themselves kind of became more dangerous than the plague itself, she said.

This research is not part of the class, Kremmel stressed, noting that the course shes teaching is rooted in the assigned literature. Those books include well-known novels such as Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights. The reading list also includes the more recent The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson, and several other pieces as well.

Kremmel emphasized that in class, the students plunge into careful analyses of texts to understand fear from another perspective  and sometimes a very distant perspective.

Were simultaneously talking about what they find unsettling and what the people of the time period when the book was written would have found so unsettling, she said.

Kremmel reflected on why such a course, steeped in the humanities, might be valuable to students whose concentrations lean toward the scientific. It fulfills an upper-level humanities requirement, but as Kremmel tells it, it does much more than that.

Theyre used to listening a lot, she said of the students. The ability to discuss things with each other I think is valuable for many reasons.

Kremmel also described how Gothic literature can nudge a student to think outside of the usual parameters. The Gothic element, she said, "expands your own experience beyond the boundary of yourself."

That's a powerful sort of expansion, she suggested, especially when students can discuss their reactions and interpretations with one another.

The Gothic, I always say, is the literature of the Other," she said. "People who have been cast out, who are not considered to be part of the community, who are not considered to be conventional  the Gothic gives them a voice.

As Kremmel and her students prepared for the storytelling tours, they focused especially hard on the concept of the ghost.

Were going to resurrect some of these Others who may have been forgotten," she said on Thursday. "Thats what ghost tours do in general.

Early Thursday afternoon, Kremmel took her class outside onto the campus lawn to practice telling their stories. On a windy day, the air was suddenly thick with tales about haunted taverns, hotels, firehouses, theaters and even the odd haunted tree.

Kremmel said she likes to work on some type of public outreach project when she teaches the class. The last time she taught it, in 2018, she and her class coordinated a Frankenstein festival, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelleys novel.

I like to get them out of classrooms to see how they can use the material differently, Kremmel said.

After students practiced telling their stories on Thursday, they shared some thoughts about the class  and how different it is from most of the material they study.

Its the concept of terror and horror that distinguishes it from other classes, said Chance Schisler, a School of Mines senior taking the class. Even with other English classes, you have (mostly) technical writing and communication.

Kremmel said the class builds on those skills, but she added that students use the skills in ways  such as telling scary stories  that they might not employ elsewhere.

And starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, they'll do that for anyone whod like to listen.

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Three Rapid City schools are now out of secure status, according Rapid City Police Department Spokesperson Brendyn Medina.

That's as of 11:15 a.m. Friday.

Medina said police will be performing walkthroughs throughout the course of the day, but said it looks like the threat is unfounded.

Earlier this morning, Corral Drive Elementary School, West Middle School and Southwest Middle School were placed on secure status due to a potential threat found on social media, according to Rapid City Public Information Officer Katy Urban.

Urban said a threat was discovered on social media and it was unclear if the threat referenced the three schools in Rapid City or not.

Medina said that there are no active threats in the schools and the secure statuses were purely precautionary.

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When Glacier Country Tourism first opened its doors in 1985, the travel industry in Montana hardly existed.

Fast forward to now and tourism is one of the top two industries in the state, bringing in billions of dollars annually.

That growth has come with its own set of challenges, including aging infrastructure, overcrowding, affordable housing, workforce shortages and impacts on the lifestyle of local residents.

Glacier Country Tourism  western Montanas regional destination marketing organization  aims to address those challenges while working to sustain the states growing tourism industry through its new Destination Stewardship Strategy initiative.

We have significantly grown the tourism industry to become one of the two industries in Montana that brings in billions to our economy every year, said Glacier Country Tourisms President/CEO Racene Friede. Until about five years ago, our work really focused on travel promotion.

But now its really more about us thinking strategically about all the communities and figuring out the amount of tourism each community can handle, Friede said. We want to find a good way to sustain it, but still manage to maintain that quality of life for the people who live here.

On Monday in Hamilton, consultants hired by Glacier Country Tourism will begin an ambitious effort to gather public input for the proposed 10-year plan at a public town hall meeting at the Bitterroot River Inn from 9 to 11 a.m.

The meeting is the first of many to collect public input from citizens in the eight-county area and 75 communities contained within the boundaries of the western Montana tourism region.

We are literally doing eight town halls in five days, Friede said.

The town halls offer residents their first opportunity to learn about the proposal and provide input. In addition to the eight town halls next week, Glacier Countrys team of consultants plan to directly engage hundreds of residents through one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and electronic surveys.

The planning process is part of an ongoing shift away from destination marketing that has been the groups focus for most of its history. Friede said the Destination Stewardship Strategy might be a first of its kind due to the lengths the organization is taking to get the public engaged.

We cant do something like this behind the scenes, Friede said. We have to go into each of the counties and really talk with the people who live there. We need to find out whats happening on the ground. What are the challenges? What are the opportunities?

The tourism organization has already been adapting to the realities on the ground level. This year, its campaign focused on the people who were giving the great out-of-doors a try after concerns over COVID-19 kept them away from Disneyland or other more populated tourist attractions.

It was a visitor that we hadnt necessarily seen or even marketed to in the past, Friede said. They were new to outdoor recreation. They just werent quite familiar with how to do it and how to do it safely and responsibly. Our entire campaign this year has been about how to recreate responsibly. Whoever this new visitor is, we want them to be good stewards to our communities, just like us.

The expectation for the strategic plan is there wont be a one size fits all kind of solution.

One of the challenges is we dont have just one community to work with, Friede said. We have 75 communities. Every single one is special. They have a different makeup. They have different services. They have different assets.

She hopes residents will take the time to help Glacier County Tourism understand those differences.

We are just trying to figure out what are the hopes, the dreams, the challenges, the opportunities of the counties, communities and the residents who live there, she said. We want to know how we can help them achieve their goals in a balanced and responsible manner.

Glacier Country Tourism is one of six tourism regions in Montana. The regions received their first funding for travel promotion through the 1987 state lodging facilities tax. Glacier Country includes Ravalli, Missoula, Mineral, Sanders, Lake, Lincoln, Flathead and Glacier counties.

The groups second town hall will be in Missoula County at the Seeley Lake Community Hall from 3 to 5 p.m.

While registration for the town halls are encouraged, they are not required. People can also participate through online surveys. There will also be a virtual town hall meeting on Friday, Nov. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The organization hopes to have the plan completed in May or June.

For more information or to complete a survey, go to partners.glaciermt.com/destination-stewardship.

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Montanas Department of Environmental Quality ignored state and federal law when permitting the expansion of a coal mine, which continues to operate in southeast Montana, a court has ruled.

State District Judge Katherine Bidegaray ordered DEQ to revisit its 2015 permit to expand Rosebud Mine. The 25,752-acre strip mine is currently the sole source of coal for Colstrip Power Plant, which burns about 8 million tons of coal annually.

Moira Davin, a DEQ spokesperson, said its too early to know what the court order will mean for mine operations.

They werent able to say yet how it would impact anything, Davin said of her team. They say they really have to go over it closely and have some conversations about what that would mean.

There have been six areas permitted for mining over the decades. Thursday's order deals with one area of roughly 6,000 acres.

The Montana Environmental Information Center, a pollution watchdog, and the Sierra Club are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

At the core of the order is how DEQ dealt with mine water flowing into the East Fork Armells Creek. For years the creek has been the target of salty runoff from the surface mine and also contaminants from the toxic coal ash ponds servicing the power plant.

Since 2006, DEQ considered Armells Creek pollution impaired, unable to support the growth of aquatic life. There has been no effort to undo pollution damage to the creek, though state law requires a plan. Bidegaray found that DEQ was doing the opposite, allowing already harmful salt levels in Armells to increase another 13% with pollution from the permitted area, while also ignoring runoff from future areas, which have since been permitted.

DEQ is forbidden under the Montana Strip and Underground Mine Reclamation Act from issuing mine permits unless the mine owner proves that the mines impacts wont damage the balance of water outside the permit area. The point of the law is to maintain and improve the states clean and healthful environment, a requirement of the Montana Constitution.

The law wasnt followed when regulators approved permits for a section of the mine known as Amended Area B, Bidegaray concluded. Rosebud Mine owner Western Energy didnt provide proof and DEQ didnt require it to. The permit opened another 4 million tons of coal to mining.

Later, when the Montana Environmental Information Center confronted DEQ with evidence the mine would do biological damage to East Fork Armells Creek, regulators fought to keep the evidence from being considered. MEICs report by a qualified biologist showed there was life in Armells.

Backing DEQ in not accepting the evidence was the Montana Board of Environmental Review, an appellate body whose hearings examiner ruled against accepting MEICs report about the mines impacts on water quality, among other things.

Ruling in favor the mine expansion, the Board of Environmental Review concluded that conservation groups "failed to present evidence necessary to establish the existence of any water quality standard violations. That conclusion followed the board not allowing the evidence to be introduced.

It was nauseating. It was so disgusting to see DEQ and the hearings examiner bend over backwards to do anything that the mining company wanted, at the expense of water quality, the facts, and the law, said Anne Hedges, MEIC director of policy and legislative affairs. And to not be able to do anything about it, other than wait to get into court so we would get a fair consideration of our claims.

The mine permit isnt valid if it wasnt done right, Hedges said, meaning coal mining should stop in the area covered by the permit.

Asked if DEQ made the same errors in other permits, Hedges said the more recent permitting of Rosebud mine Area F treated the water quality of Armells in the same way that Bidegaray ruled against Thursday.

There was also an issue with DEQ and the Board of Environmental Review turning to an admittedly flawed report to justify their work. The report was a study of Armells done by someone without qualifications. Both the board and DEQ had recognized the report as unacceptable, but used it anyway to justify the mine permit.

It was irrational and arbitrary for the DEQ and the BER to rely on an analysis that both entities expressly found to be unacceptable and unreliable for assessing the applicable water quality standards,  Bidegaray concluded. An agency may not rely on evidence that the agency itself deems inadequate.

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Grizzled old prospectors with picks, pans, sluice boxes and trusty mules need not apply.

A new and unprecedented partnership between a federal agency and a multi-national mining company plans to arrange flights next year over southwest Montana's Boulder Batholith to search from the sky for mineral resources considered vital to national security. They range, A to Z, from aluminum to zirconium and include rare earth metals.

Supply-chain snarls have made finding domestic sources for these minerals even more pressing, officials say. And rare earth metals promise to play a key role as the nation moves away from fossil fuels.

Which doesnt mean the U.S. Geological Survey or the Rio Tinto Group would scoff at more mundane minerals like copper and gold. Rio Tinto, headquartered in London, has mines around the world, including the Kennecott copper mine near Salt Lake City, the Diavik diamond mine in Canadas Northwest Territories and many others.

The Boulder Batholith, a region known for its mineral potential and productive mining, stretches roughly between Butte and Helena and between the upper Clark Fork River and upper Missouri River valleys. Granite similar to that exposed along Interstate 15 near Butte is the host rock for the ores mined at Butte.

Much of it is public land.

The partnership of the USGS and Rio Tinto was announced Wednesday. A news release reported, The USGS will fly airborne geophysical surveys in areas of interest with support from Rio Tinto during 2022 as part of its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative.

The agency said the partnership with Rio Tinto  whose company name references a river in Spain turned red from historic acid mine drainage  will provide a clearer picture of the potential for critical mineral resources beneath the Continental Divide near Montanas Boulder Batholith.

Critical minerals are those deemed essential to the economic and national security of the United States, that have a supply chain vulnerable to disruption and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economy or national security.

According to the International Association for Energy Economics, A key feature of renewables is the usage of rare earth metals. These metals are critical to the renewable energy technology manufacturing value chain.

Alex Demas, a spokesman for USGS, said Wednesday that the agency and Rio Tinto are completing negotiations with an aviation company that will provide the necessary flights. He said USGS and Rio Tinto are providing matching funds to pay for the airborne surveys.

The USGS is investing $450,000 in the airborne geophysical survey, Demas said.

Simon Letendre, a spokesman for Rio Tinto, declined to disclose the companys financial stake in the surveys.

Demas provided a USGS explanation about the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative: "Instruments on the airplane will measure variations in the earths magnetic field and natural low-level radiation created by different rock types near and up to several miles beneath the surface. This information will help researchers develop geologic maps of the area that will be used to better understand the geology and mineral resources in the region. The scientific instruments on the airplane are completely passive with no emissions that pose a risk to humans, animals or plant life."

The process can identify potential deposits of minerals.

This will be the first time the USGS has partnered with a resources company for the Earth MRI program. Wont the data that emerges provide Rio Tinto an unfair leg up on mining competitors, an advantage funded in part by taxpayers?

Demas responded.

There are two parts to the entire geophysical survey, one being paid for by the US Geological Survey and another by Rio Tinto Exploration based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, he said.

The part of the survey supported by the USGS will be made available to Rio Tinto at the same time it is released to the public. Rio Tinto will not have access to the USGS-funded data before it is released to the public. The part of the survey funded by Rio Tinto will be given to Rio Tinto with the understanding that it will be released to the public after a one year sequestration period.

Letendre said, Eventually, the information will be made public.

Rio Tinto already has a project in the region. Its Madison copper-gold project is near Silver Star.

We obviously have an interest in copper but we are also looking at some critical minerals to explore, said Letendre.

As a result of this partnership, the expanded survey area will include large zones of the Boulder Batholith that are of mutual interest to the USGS and Rio Tinto, based on input from the State Geological Surveys, he said.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Rio Tinto intends to mine sludge from its Kennecott mine to harvest critical minerals.

Rob Thomas, a geologist and a professor of environmental sciences at University of Montana Western, said Thursday he has mixed feelings about the exploration.

On one hand, if mining proceeds in the Boulder Batholith it could affect public use of the lands within.

A persons favorite hunting spot could become a mining operation, Thomas said.

And theres always a chance of accidents that could have environmental consequences, he said.

Yet Thomas said the minerals sought could play an important role as the nation turns to electric vehicles, alternative energy and other changes to try to combat climate change.

People embrace mining here and its job potential for my students, he said. I dont have concerns. I think I have very mixed feelings about it.

Thomas added, There are some really good, honest people in the mining industry in Montana.

Rio Tintos major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, industrial minerals and iron ore. The company has been criticized in some countries for a lackluster environmental record. In May 2020, blasting by Rio Tinto to extend an iron ore mine destroyed ancient Juukan Gorge Aboriginal heritage sites in Australia. Two rock shelters destroyed by the blasting showed evidence of continuous occupation and cultural knowledge stretching back 46,000 years.

A subsequent report said the destruction shocked the nation. Rio Tinto apologized.

Meanwhile, Demas said data harvested from the Earth MRI flyovers should be useful both to mining companies and to the officials who manage resources.

The more you know about an area, the more you know whether there is justification for going in there, he said.

Mark Thompson, vice president of environmental affairs for Butte-based Montana Resources, said that he does not feel Rio Tinto is being offered an unfair advantage as long as Montana Resources might someday negotiate a similar deal with USGS.

He added that in his role as past president of the Montana Mining Association he feels excited to see large-scale, non-impactful minerals exploration. He also said he supports adding to domestic supplies of critical minerals.

Demas said USGS will alert the public before the flights start.

We've been flying data collection surveys like this all around the country as part of our Earth MRI effort and when we have dates for the Montana flights, we'll issue a public service announcement so people will know what we're doing.

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The $10,000 from the Capital One program has helped us to catch up on some things and it has allowed us to invest in financial planning as well, Tucker said.

Mike Lindsey and Kimberly Love-Lindsey opened their Lillie Pearl restaurant on East Grace Street in downtown Richmond at what would seem an inopportune time  November 2020, when the pandemic was still going full throttle.

They were ineligible for any of last years PPP loans, but the duo say the business has done has pretty well.

Going into this, we had to be really smart, Lindsey said, adding that they were able to save money by getting a lease and occupying space that had previously been a restaurant.

We had to do what we could and not extend ourselves, he said. We were living by the seat of our pants.

The business expanded in September when they opened Buttermilk and Honey, a fried chicken restaurant in the West Broad Marketplace in the Short Pump area of Henrico.

The Capital One program has been great for us to network and just talk to people and build those relationships, Love-Lindsey said.

Lindsey said his goal is to further expand the number of locations, though he is not rushing it.

The next few years, I hope to have two or three more Buttermilk and Honey [locations] and a couple of Lillie Pearl-type of restaurants, he said. Kim and I are just thinking about it and taking it one month at a time.
Both candidates said they are confident they can win the hard-fought election on Tuesday. Cherry said that while the district is typically described as left-leaning, he said it has a sizable share of suburban independents who he believes will swing his way.

Education, getting businesses back up and running  those are issues that transcend party, Cherry said.

Sponsler didnt dispute that Democrats in her district and elsewhere in Virginia appear less enthusiastic than they did during the 2017 and 2019 elections, when liberals and progressives turned out in droves leading to sizable wins for Democrats in the state.

Sponsler said its a positive feature of the 2021 elections, and should not be read as a sign that Democrats wont be successful. She said it just looks different.

Is there the same energy as when Trump was in office and we had this crisis management mindset by people directly harmed by some of his policies? No, there is not that kind of feeling, Sponsler said.

Its not a lack of enthusiasm. Its, OK, we can breathe a little bit. Thats good. Ive been to war, and being on high alert all the time is not healthy, she added.

They are not chomping at the bit, but they will turn out. That looks less exciting, but it is enthusiasm and civic engagement.
Last week, the Youngkin campaign rolled out an ad featuring a mother who sought to ban the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved by Black author Toni Morrison from Fairfax County Public Schools.

The woman in the ad, Laura Murphy, says Youngkin supports parents ability to opt their children out of school content they find too explicit. At the time, Murphy said she wanted the book removed altogether until the district put in place new policies related to explicit material. The ad attacks McAuliffe for vetoing a bill when he was governor that would have allowed parents to block their children from reading books in school that contain sexually explicit material.

The ad doesnt mention Morrisons novel, but a Washington Post article from 2013 includes an interview with Murphys son, who read the book as a student, calling the book disgusting.

Beloved, which is at times violent, details the gruesome plight of former slaves after the American Civil War through the eyes of a Black woman.
Located at 707 W. Broad St., the new location is one block west of North Belvidere Street, contains a small parking lot and is already owned by VCUs real estate arm, the VCU Real Estate Foundation.

The plot is also adjacent to VCUs technology services, meaning less rerouting of fiber and cable will be required. The university considered moving the operation to a third-party location or outsourcing the work but determined those routes would be more expensive.

VCU plans to spend $23 million to put up the building, a cost paid by the university. For the remaining $19 million, which covers the cost of replacing the equipment, the university is requesting the state pay those bills.

VCU also plans to move its employees from 700 W. Grace St. to the new facility. Those employees work in capital accounting, facility operations and other departments. VCU plans to raze 700 W. Grace St. between 2023 and 2024 to make way for a new honors dorm.

Currently located across West Grace Street, the honors dorm eventually will be replaced by a new arts building, said Meredith Weiss, vice president of administration.
ROME (AP)  Face to face at the Vatican, President Joe Biden held extended and highly personal talks with Pope Francis on Friday and came away saying the pontiff told him he was a good Catholic and should keep receiving Communion, although conservatives have called for him to be denied the sacrament because of his support for abortion rights.

The worlds two most prominent Roman Catholics ran overtime in their discussions on climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic, a warm conversation that also touched on the loss of presidents adult son and included jokes about aging well.

Biden said abortion did not come up in the meeting. We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion, Biden said.

The presidents support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion. American bishops are due to meet in their annual fall conference in mid-November, and will find themselves debating a possible rebuke of a U.S. president just weeks after their boss spent so much time with Biden that all their subsequent meetings were thrown off by an hour.
Youngkin has tapped into the frustrations of parents groups in Northern Virginia  many of them headed by officials with ties to the Trump administration, the Republican Party, or both  who have decried school COVID safety precautions, transgender policies and curriculums.

In recent weeks, Youngkin has seized on allegations of sexual assault at two Loudoun high schools that were allegedly committed by the same student. The cases were widely publicized by conservative media, after the father of the first victim was arrested in an altercation with another parent at a School Board meeting discussing transgender policy.

That led some activists to allege that school officials were more interested in punishing parents than stopping a student who has been charged with sexual assaults in separate schools.

Although the details of the case are still emerging, Pence seized on it, saying he was angered to think those crimes happened because some adults cared more about politics than the well-being of our kids.

McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Freundlich said: Mike Pence peddling these divisive, hateful, right-wing lies shows that he and Glenn have more in common than their complete and total allegiance to Donald Trump.
On Wednesday night, Trump issued a cryptic statement suggesting he might make a last-minute, first appearance in Virginia before the election, though officials in the state said nothing was planned.

Thank you, Arlington, see you soon! he wrote after supporters briefly interrupted a Biden rally for McAuliffe.

Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich later said that Trump looked forward to being back in Virginia! Details will be released when appropriate, but no event was announced.

Biden at that rally had goaded Trump over his absence from the state.

Think about it: He wont allow Donald Trump to campaign for him in this state, Biden said of Youngkin. Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed?

Youngkin has largely campaigned without big Republican names while McAuliffe has appeared with the biggest names in Democratic politics, such as Biden and former President Barack Obama, as well as musician Dave Matthews and other celebrities.

Democrats immediately criticized Youngkin for Trumps involvement.
We got a preview of that economic opportunity earlier this week. On Monday, Siemens Gamesa, a global energy company, announced it would build an offshore wind turbine factory at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal  the first facility of its kind in the U.S. When fully operational, that project alone will create more than 300 family-sustaining jobs. If we change course now, that industry, and those jobs, could be lost to Maryland, New Jersey and beyond.

The economic benefits of clean energy in Virginia dont end with offshore wind. Solar development is racing across the commonwealth, spurred in part by the VCEA. In 2020 alone, Virginia saw more megawatts of solar installed than 46 other states. Each of those megawatts is an investment in our commonwealth, creating jobs in construction and maintenance, reliable income for farmers and landowners, and millions in tax revenue for rural communities like those in Southside and Southwest.
In 2018, the 4th Circuit reversed the Forest Services permit, ruling that the agency had been too accepting of Mountain Valleys assurances that burying a 42-inch diameter pipe along steep slopes in the Jefferson National Forest would not cause major problems with erosion and sedimentation.

We still think the agency didnt take a hard look at sediment, Nathan Matthews, another attorney for the Sierra Club, said in asking the court to invalidate the approval for a second time.

The judges hearing the arguments regularly interjected questions, which including asking the Forest Service why models it relied on predicted far less sedimentation than what has been measured by USGS gauges.

How is the model an effective measure of what will happen in the forest if it is not considering real-world evidence? Judge Stephanie Thacker asked at one point.

The courts earlier reversals of permits issued to Mountain Valley came during the administration of Donald Trump, and pipeline opponents were hopeful that under the control of President Joe Biden, federal agencies would think twice about defending the renewed permits.

That has not happened, with lawyers for the government arguing Friday that additional steps have been taken to correct earlier problems.
A man who was released on parole in 2019 after being sentenced more than 30 years ago to life in prison for a series of violent armed robberies in Henrico County was convicted this week of abducting and robbing a man in Henrico last year.

Freddie Louis Ferrell Jr., 52, pleaded guilty Monday in Henrico Circuit Court to armed robbery and abduction with the intent to extort money in a Dec. 11, 2020, incident in which the victim was pistol-whipped, tied up and robbed of a quantity of marijuana. The victim was then placed in the trunk of a vehicle and driven away, according to a summary of evidence.

In exchange for his pleas, prosecutors withdrew malicious wounding and four felony firearm charges against Ferrell. In accordance with a plea agreement, Ferrell was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 11 suspended, giving him nine years to serve.

Evidentiary problems led prosecutors to withdraw five of the charges. Ferrell and another defendant, Michael Wayne Jones Jr., were charged jointly in the crimes and they told contradictory stories about who had the gun, and the evidence was not entirely clear which one of them, or both, had a gun, said Henrico Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Matthew Ackley. No gun was ever recovered.

Police recovered the marijuana after executing a search warrant at Jones home.
Youngkin has tapped into the frustrations of parents groups in northern Virginia  many of them headed by officials with ties to the Trump administration, the Republican Party, or both  who have decried school COVID safety precautions, transgender policies and curriculums.

In recent weeks, Youngkin has seized on allegations of sexual assault at two different Loudon County high schools allegedly committed by the same student. The cases were widely publicized by conservative media, after the father of the first victim was arrested in an altercation with another parent at a school board meeting discussing transgender policy.

That led some activists to allege that school officials were more interested in punishing parents than stopping a student who has been charged with sexual assaults in separate schools.

Although the details of the case are still emerging, Pence seized on it, saying he was angered to think those crimes happened because some adults cared more about politics than the well being of our kids.

Mike Pence peddling these divisive, hateful, right-wing lies shows that he and Glenn have more in common than their complete and total allegiance to Donald Trump, McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Freundlich said.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Virginia and our New River Valley affiliate write to request that those responsible for allowing the use of the St. Albans Sanatorium for a Haunted Hous, immediately cease making it available for that purpose. This use is inappropriate and insensitive to individuals and families affected by mental illness. Further, titling the activities Un-Hinged reenforces damaging stigmas and stereotypes.

This use of the facility is offensive and has negative impacts on the one in five people affected by mental illness. The alliance fights daily to reduce stigma and eliminate stereotyping of individuals living with a mental illness so they will not be afraid to reach out for help. Using the St. Albans facility to portray individuals with mental illness as monstrous or violent sets our work back years and further hurts individuals with a treatable medical condition.
" " Look at that resemblance! You're not alone if you've wondered if these two towering beastmen  Bigfoot (left) and Chewie  were related. Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images; RichLegg/E+/Getty Images

It's Sunday, Feb. 26, 1984, and like millions of other kids in the United States, you're watching the network TV debut of "Star Wars" (aka "Star Wars: Episode IV  A New Hope") on CBS.

"Is that Bigfoot?" asks your dad, when Chewbacca appears onscreen.

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"No, Dad," you manage.

You've told your dad about Chewbacca before. He's seen the action figure. For that matter, he's seen actual depictions of Bigfoot before on "In Search of" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," so your dad should know better.

"He looks like a Bigfoot," Dad contends, walking out of the room.

And you can only sigh.

That was more than 36 years ago. Today, with eight more films in the series released, you reflect on your dad's confusion and you can't help but wonder: What IS the connection between these two, towering beastmen?

"Bigfoot," of course, is another name for Sasquatch, a folkloric North American being said to resemble a shaggy, upright ape. The creature has roots in the folk beliefs of various native North American tribespeople and is part of a familiar trope in global folklore: the beastman, a form neither entirely human nor entirely animal that inhabits the wild, untamed and sacred parts of the world. In modern times, Bigfoot has also come to symbolize a longing for the unexplored and an embodiment of environmental concern. It's also a frequent obsession of pseudoscientific investigation and unsubstantiated sightings.

Wookiees (like Chewbacca), at least within the lore of "Star Wars," have nothing to do with Earth. It's a galaxy far, far away, remember? As we know from 1978's "The Star Wars Holiday Special" and subsequent treatments, the Wookiees hail from the forest planet Kashyyyk. While many observers mistake them for a primitive species, the Wookiees boast both a rich culture and an aptitude for advanced, spacefaring technology. They fought in one of the final, crucial battles during the Clone Wars, and Chewbacca became a prominent rebel hero during the Galactic Civil War that followed.
" " Does element 115 (moscovium) have anything to do with powering alien spaceships? HowStuffWorks

Element 115 is an enigma of sorts. It was only added to the periodic table in 2016, yet for decades it has attracted extra attention because of a supposed connection to extraterrestrial technology and alien lifeforms.

Intrigued? Before we answer whether there is a connection, let's find out what element 115 really is.

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"Element 115, or moscovium, is a man-made, super-heavy element that has 115 protons in its nucleus," emails Jacklyn Gates, a scientist with the Heavy Elements Group in the Nuclear Science Division for Berkeley Lab in California. (As with all elements on the periodic table, the element's number corresponds to the number of protons in the nucleus of the element's atom.) "That is 23 more protons than the heaviest element that you can find in large quantities on Earth, uranium."

Gates says that element 115 is an extremely rare element that's made one atom at a time in particle accelerators. It exists for just a fraction of a second before it decays into another element.

"It is special because it is near a predicted 'island of stability' where some super-heavy nuclei might have much longer lifetimes. Instead of living for less than a second, they could exist for minutes, days or even years! That is long enough that we might be able to use them for practical applications," she says.

Element 115 was discovered in 2003 in Dubna, Russia at the Flerov Laboratory for Nuclear Reactions by a group of scientists led by nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian. The element was eventually named moscovium because Dubna is in Moscow.

To make this element, the scientists accelerated ions of calcium-48 (48Ca) to around 10 percent of the speed of light and then bombarded americium-243 (243Am) with them. Through this bombardment, they were able to successfully fuse the nuclei of 243Am and 48Ca atoms, says Gates. "To create a super-heavy element, you need the complete fusion of two lighter elements," she notes. This process produced four atoms of moscovium.

"The new element that they made had 115 protons (20 from the 48Ca and 95 from the 243Am)," she says. "This new element was then separated from all the other reaction products using the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator and then implanted into a detector where scientists were able to watch element 115 decay into element 113."

It took years for researchers to work out some of the details about moscovium. It wasn't until 2018 that Berkley Lab scientists figured out that the element's mass or atomic weight (the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom) was 288.

To nab this vital number, they repeated the process that the first discoverers used to pin down the element. In doing so, they managed to produce roughly one atom of moscovium per day, and that atom was captured by an instrument called FIONA (For the Identification Of Nuclide A), which to the untrained eye looks like a small metal bank vault. So far, moscovium doesn't have a practical use outside of scientific study.

Element 115 and the Alien Connection

Element 115 was only discovered in 2003, but it may sound familiar because the name has been around for decades in connection with UFOs, aliens and other related phenomena.

We're referring to the long-lived story of Robert ("Bob") Scott Lazar, who in 1989 went public with what he said was top-secret information about element 115. Lazar claimed to be a former employee at Area 51, the famous (and highly classified) area of the Nevada Test and Training Range operated by the United States Air Force, where his job was to reverse-engineer crashed alien flying saucers. He said that he'd personally worked with element 115, which was used to pilot alien spacecraft.

It is "impossible to synthesize an element that heavy here on Earth. ... The substance has to come from a place where super-heavy elements could have been produced naturally," Lazar said.

Lazar said that he'd seen evidence of anti-gravity propulsion technologies, and nine alien spacecraft stored in a hangar at Area 51. Those spaceships ostensibly used some sort of propulsion system that harnessed the inherent power of gravity, and thus utilized the characteristics of element 115 to work their technological wizardry.

The government doesn't confirm the employment of anyone who's worked at Area 51. And as some sources have pointed out, the gist of his claims have never been thoroughly disproved.

Yet, there is still the fundamental science contradicting his claims.

"No, there is no connection between this discovery and the claims of Bob Lazar," says Gates. "Presently, all the created atoms of element 115 have decayed way too fast to be used to fuel UFOs!"

So instead of the excitement about little green men and incredible spacecraft, we're left with real, tangible  and equally thrilling  science. For the people who are immersed in these advances on a daily basis, that's more than enough. After all, moscovium is an amazing element. Gates says that it is a sign that we're pushing the boundaries of what we know about the universe.

"Element 115 is special in that we can make it easier than some lighter elements like element 112 or element 113. Typically, as we add more protons, it becomes harder to make a new element. This trend is broken around element 115. Due to this, we have been able to make over 100 atoms of element 115 and begin to understand its nuclear and chemical properties," she says.

Virginia Trimble is a physics and astronomy professor at the University of California Irvine who also finds element 115 exciting.

"As 'discovery space' advances into heavier and heavier nuclides, their properties provide stronger and stronger tests of our basic physical understanding  they don't always decay in the expected patterns, and where more than a few atoms can be produced at once, they don't always have the chemical properties that you would expect from their position in the periodic table," Trimble says via email.

Editor's note: After this story was published, we heard from Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell who directed the documentary "Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers" and is very familiar with Lazar. Corbell emailed us some additional information about Lazar and element 115 that we've excerpted here: "When Lazar first came forward in 1989, he made a point to explain that theres no reason a version of element 115 couldnt be synthesized and observed at some point in the future. In fact  he predicted that it would be observed (as did many)  just likely not in a stabilized form (because of the statistical improbability of landing on a relevant isotope). ... The [isotope discovered in 2003] is not the isotope that would account for what Lazar has described having had access to while working at Area 51 (Site 4). Lazar reports that the 115 he had access to was far more stable.

"My understanding of Lazars thinking is that with the advances in bombardment techniques new isotopic combinations would be achieved. However  just like how gold has 37 different isotopes and only one isotope is stable  115 is suspected to have MOSTLY rapid decay isotopes... So hopefully in the future we will land on a version with a longer half-life  even if it just ends up being a few atoms of it. That would be cool  and one day will likely happen," Corbell says.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Elements have been discovered roughly every three years  until recently. Now, researchers must pump more technology (and money) into projects that may or may not generate fleeting atoms of newfangled elements. One lab in Russia  the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions  hunts relentlessly for new elements, in hope of expanding our understanding of the universe. In the past 50 years, the lab has discovered nine new elements.

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Originally Published: Sep 2, 2020
FLORENCE, S.C.  Haigh Porter said it never entered his mind that Florence One Schools planned to name the park between the McClenaghan Administrative Annex and the districts attendance and zoning offices on Dargan Street after him.

Porter, the Florence County master-in-equity and a former mayor, said Thursday morning at a ceremony dedicating the park that he thought Florence One Schools Board Chairman Porter Stewart, who is a lawyer, was calling to discuss a case with him.

I was down at the beach one Friday morning  I was taking a long weekend off  when the phone rang and Betsy said Porter Stewart wants to speak to you, Porter said. I thought well, hes got a case coming before me Monday, maybe they settled it. When he told me why he was calling, I was astounded. I was honored.

Porter said he hoped the park and the recently opened McClenaghan Administrative Annex building would be a new spark to set of revitalization and redevelopment of his old neighborhood.

He said that he had grown up three blocks away from the park and that the area was the upper end of his neighborhood.

Stewart said earlier that Porter attended McClenaghan and also attends church at St. Johns in the 200 block of Dargan Street.

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State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearmans announcement this week that she wouldnt seek reelection was an early surprise, but not particularly unexpected.

Shes made progress in upgrading the states perennially limp education system the last few years by helping to provide much-needed boosts to teacher pay, update the school bus fleet and consolidate some small districts, which should lead to better education in those areas.

But in the recent months of the pandemic, she struggled with her own Republican Party in efforts to keep students and teachers safe. Whether it was about mask mandates or virtual schools, the General Assembly and Gov. Henry McMaster always seemed to be poking their fingers in school business that should have been left to the states constitutional officer elected to deal with schools.

A few politicos reportedly already are scrambling to figure out whether theyll run for Spearmans job, which likely will take on a new importance in 2023 for one reason: It will soon pay more. Spearman currently earns $92,007, but thanks to a recent change in the law, the jobs salary soon will be set by the Agency Head Salary Commission. That means the new superintendent will certainly earn six figures, not five  probably in the $250,000 range. That, in and of itself, will draw lots of candidates.
 By 5-3 order, SCOTUS vacates stays of Oklahoma executions entered by Tenth Circuit ... and one execution carried out | Main | Will "outcry" over ugly details of latest Oklahoma execution impact its plans to have six more in coming months? 

The US Sentencing Commission today published on its site this two-page letter by Acting Chair Charles R. Breyer (which is dated September 15, 2021). The letter discusses the release of a "new" Guideline Manual as well as recent work by the Commission. All federal sentencing fans will want to check out the whole letter, and here are just some of the interesting excerpts:

As many of you know, since early 2019, the United States Sentencing Commission has been operating without the quorum of four voting members required by statute to promulgate amendments to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. Thus, the 2018 edition of the Guidelines Manual, which incorporated amendments effective November 1, 2018, was the last version of the Guidelines Manual released.

The Commission has received feedback indicating that hard copies of the 2018 Guidelines Manual are significantly worn and that there is a limited supply of new copies available. In addition, the Commission has identified the need to update Appendix B, the accompanying volume to the Guidelines Manual that compiles the principal statutory provisions governing sentencing, the Commission, and the drafting of sentencing guidelines. Congress has amended several of the statutory provisions contained in Appendix B since the Commission released the 2018 Guidelines Manual.

As acting chair of the Commission, I am pleased to transmit this edition of the Guidelines Manual, which is a reprint without changes of the guidelines, policy statements, and commentary contained in the 2018 Guidelines Manual featuring a new cover in Berkeley blue....

Although lacking the quorum necessary to promulgate guideline amendments, the Commission has introduced several interactive tools and other resources to assist with guideline application over the past few years....

The Commission continues to perform other statutory duties while it awaits the appointment of new voting commissioners. Over the past few years, the Commission has met the growing demand for the Commissions work products, resources, and services, as evidenced by an impressive increase in the Commissions website traffic. The Commission continues to release new and informative sentencing data, research, and training materials....

The Commission also continues to work on several important policy priorities, including examining the implementation of the First Step Act of 2018. To inform a newly constituted Commission and to provide Congress and others a timely assessment of the First Step Acts impact, the Commission has been collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on the five sentencing provisions contained in the Act. In 2020, the Commission released The First Step Act of 2018: One Year of Implementation, a comprehensive report comparing data from the first full year following the enactment of the Act with data from fiscal year 2018, the last full fiscal year prior to its enactment. More recently, the Commission published a report analyzing how courts are ruling on compassionate release motions after the First Step Act and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission is currently collecting further data on compassionate release motions, including the reasons courts are asserting for granting and denying such motions, to inform Congress and the public, as well as its own policymaking.
How an influencer and army vets raised $7 mn to rescue Afghans From his home in New Jersey, Instagram influencer Tommy Marcus started what would become an extraordinary operation to evacuate hundreds of Afghans (AFP/Ed JONES)

When Instagram influencer Tommy Marcus read that Kabul had fallen to the Taliban he sprang into action, without knowing that like-minded US veterans were also desperate to do something.

"I was more horrified and disgusted and just wanted to help," recalls the 26-year-old New Yorker, who is known to his 800,000 followers as "Quentin Quarantino."

With just a few clicks on his phone from his home in New Jersey, Marcus started what would become an extraordinary operation to evacuate hundreds of terrified Afghans.

In three days he raised $7.2 million and rallied to his cause retired soldiers and former diplomats, as well as experts in asylum law, humanitarian aid and airlifts from war zones.

It is a plotline worthy of a Hollywood movie: a combination of the power of social networks, rapid crowdfunding and the logistical efficiency of American veterans that led to the rescue of 565 Afghans.

AFP has spoken to several of the main actors of "Operation Flyaway," which was launched on August 17 and is ongoing, and reviewed contractual and budgetary documents related to chartered planes and arrivals in the United States.

Messages from Afghan women, children, LGBTQ people, social workers, journalists and interpreters to organizers begging for help to flee the country have also been read.

Marcus, known on social media for humorous memes that target ex-president Donald Trump and tackle issues related to vaccinations and abortion, was stunned by the images of desperate Afghans hanging from a US military plane that was taking off from Kabul airport.

He was overwhelmed by photos and messages from Afghans pleading with him to act, including one from a woman who wrote: "For humanity and justice accept me as a refugee in a safe country."

- 'Liberal-pacifist' -

Marcus posted a message to his followers saying he wanted to help but wasn't sure how, and within a few minutes "thousands and thousands" of responses poured in, he told AFP.

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Among them was one from a longtime fan who claimed to be working with a group that recently got a few hundred people evacuated to France and was now out of money, according to Marcus.

The influencer urged his followers to help him raise at least half a million dollars in 24 hours.

Instead, $5 million poured in, he said. Within three days, he had received more than $7 million, with 123,000 people donating an average of $59 each.

"It was a crazy viral burst of money," said Marcus, who then needed to figure out what to do with it.

The self-described "liberal-pacifist" turned to war-zone professionals for guidance.

He was approached by Raven Advisory, a former Pentagon and CIA security services agency, and enlisted Karen Kraft, a former US Army Reserve officer turned TV producer who heads a veterans association.

"Everybody had a shared sentiment that we have to do something," said Kraft, the backbone of the operation.

Jason Hatch, a retired army officer and ex-diplomat, took responsibility for finding papers for Afghans already in transit in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kosovo, Uganda and Albania.

"This is the purest thing that I've ever done," Hatch told AFP.

- Suicide bombing -

They spent $4.79 million on chartering several flights that helped rescue the 565 Afghans.

The money was shared between several charter companies including Egyptian firm Mayfair and Kiwijet, owned by New Zealand businessman Nicolas Steele. US authorities have previously investigated Steele on suspicion of fraud, according to the Washington Post.

The companies were in the process of organizing several additional flights when on August 26 a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group tore through Kabul Airport, killing more than 100 people including 13 American soldiers.

"Flyaway" flights that had already been paid for were cancelled due to the deteriorating security and soaring insurance premiums, but later were able to resume.

"That froze everything," lamented Enrique Herrera, a retired US Air Force member who was given the job of "special operator."

Another $1.2 million was sent to a women's NGO and around $1 million remains yet to be spent, accounts show.

Kraft said two new flights with room for 600 passengers are ready to leave as soon as possible.

GoFundMe, the large crowdfunding platform that handled the release of the funds, told AFP that Flyaway had complied with US and international laws and financial regulations.

The Pentagon and State Department have not spoken publicly about Operation Flyaway.

Detractors note that the several hundred people rescued are a drop in the ocean compared to the 123,000 extracted by the US government and other states.

So was it all worth it? "Absolutely," said Herrera. "Because those are human lives."

Somayah, whose father was killed by the Taliban, was one of those evacuated to a nearby country on September 21.

The 21-year-old hopes to make it to the United States to "have a country to call my new home... where I'm able to be who I literally am and really want to be," she told AFP.

nr/arb/pdh/mlm/bfm/dva/axn
At approximately 9:30 p.m., two doctors rolled a patient needing emergency ankle surgery into the operating room. The head surgeon said he needed to eat prior to the operation, and stepped away to eat in his car.

He didn't come back until the next day.

Dr. Tony Tannoury, a spinal surgeon at Boston Medical Center, had fallen asleep in his car. He is now facing a $5,000 fine and will be required to complete professional development courses after being reprimanded by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.

The incident happened in late 2016 and was reported to the board in January 2017 after Tannoury was reprimanded from the hospital, the Boston Globe reported. The board announced disciplinary action against Tannoury's medical license on Monday, nearly five years after the incident.

There were a number of factors that caused the disciplinary action to take so long, the board's executive director, George Zachos, told the Boston Globe.

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"The patient was notified of the situation and the surgical outcome was positive," a spokesperson for Boston Medical Center said. "Dr. Tannoury is the director of spine services at Boston Medical Center and no additional issues have been raised about his services since this incident."

Tannoury has been licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts since 2005 and is also licensed to practice medicine in Maine. He is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Tannoury did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massachusetts doctor fined for sleeping in his car and missing surgery
Meissa is developing a nasal vaccine against COVID-19. But it's still in the earliest phase of human testing. Meissa Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are great at preventing severe illnesses and death.

But they don't always stop transmission or mild cases.

Nasal vaccines could fill that gap.

If we could vaccinate your nose, there's a good chance we'd be able to end this pandemic right now.

But the COVID-19 shots available in the US can't control everything that happens in your nostrils. If they did, they might be able to stop all transmission of the virus that happens through our talking, singing, laughing, breathing, and sneezing around each other.

If successful, a new kind of vaccine - a nasal mist that requires no needle - promises to do all that by providing the special kind of coronavirus immunity people need to stop shuttling this virus around.

"An intranasal vaccine could help bring an end to the pandemic and help give us true control over SARS-CoV-2 by limiting infection and transmission," said Marty Moore, the CEO of Meissa Vaccines. "We shouldn't settle for a new normal. We can get back to the old normal."

For now, that idea remains one that needs much more robust clinical data behind it to become a reality that we could all sniff up. But the prospect is still quite exciting to many immunologists around the world.

Shots in the arm aren't always great at preventing the sniffles

One big reason vaccine breakthrough infections happen is because the injectable COVID-19 vaccines have been designed to give a person's body good systemic immunity against the virus, protecting internal organs such as the lungs and the heart from severe infection. But a shot in the arm can't do as much for your nose in the long run.

If a vaccinated person is exposed to COVID-19, they may still get a case of the sniffles, or a flu-like COVID-19 illness. This is because they haven't developed great mucosal immunity against the coronavirus. In other words: They're still susceptible to infection via the vulnerable moist tissues that interact with the outside world, such as those in the nose, eyes, and mouth.

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"Very early on during that honeymoon initially after vaccination when your neutralizing antibodies are at their highest, you get a bit of a spillover effect into the upper airway," Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious-disease specialist at Bellevue hospital in New York, said at the recent IDWeek infectious-disease conference, explaining the issue of lacking durable mucosal immunity after vaccination.

Gounder, and many other leading infectious disease experts, including Dr. Stanley Perlman who's on the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, have lamented that there isn't a nasal or oral COVID-19 vaccine in late-stage trials. We have to "find another way to elicit a mucosal response to complement the systemic immune response" people get from needle-in-the-arm vaccines, Gounder said. And nasal vaccines could be the answer.

Meissa is one of a few smaller companies pursuing COVID-19 nasal vaccines in early-stage human trials. Codagenix, another US company, has also announced some promising (but extremely small) early trial results. Other nasal vaccines are being developed around the world, with ongoing trials in Israel, Russia, Cuba, India, Hong Kong, and Iran.

"Our aim is to be the transmission-blocking COVID vaccine," Moore said.

Immunologists are excited about the prospect of nasal vaccines - both for unvaccinated people and as boosters

Meissa's early clinical data (which the company said it would share in more detail at an upcoming immunotherapy conference in late November and early December) indicated that unvaccinated patients who are given a couple drops of Meissa's vaccine in each nostril have average mucosal antibody levels slightly higher than those measured in people with natural immunity to the virus.

This suggested that Meissa's vaccine could potentially work well at preventing peskier sniffly infections, not just the COVID cases that land people in the hospital.

"It suggests that we can deliver immunity that's like natural infection, but we can do it safely," Moore said.

This prospect has many immunologists quite excited, not only because nasal vaccines could be offered to vaccine-hesitant people who don't like shots but also because they might, perhaps, be used as boosters to top up the already very good systemic immunity people have gotten from injectable vaccines.

Meissa's initial human trial is still ongoing, with 70 participants in it so far. It's only in phase 1, meaning any approval or even emergency authorization for this type of vaccine is many months and likely several thousand more volunteer participants away, at best.

But so far, the results look good. Meissa, which is conducting much of its research in Kansas, said there were many reasons people have chosen to join their early-stage trial.

"Sometimes it's people who are Ph.D.s or highly educated, who see the benefit of an intranasal to prevent infection itself," Moore said. "And oftentimes, it's people who just don't want a shot. They don't want something injected into them."

Common side-effect complaints after Meissa's nasal vaccine so far have included runny noses, coughs, sore throats, and headaches. But the company said that no worrisome safety signals had surfaced with the vaccine, which uses a live-attenuated RSV platform to deliver the coronavirus' characteristic spike protein to vaccinees without risking the coronavirus itself spreading from them.

"There are quite a few people who would rather have drops in the nose than the needle," Moore said. "So I think an intranasal vaccine could reach not all, but many vaccine-hesitant people."

Read the original article on Business Insider
After a six-year pause, Oklahoma carried out its third consecutive botched execution Thursday, causing 60-year-old John Marion Grant to vomit, convulse and curse as he was killed with a lethal injection of three drugs.

Grant was killed with the same three-drug combination that was used in the infamous 2014 execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhed in pain and whose killing took 43 minutes. Locketts execution was followed by that of Charles Warner in 2015, who cried out that his body was on fire after being injected with the drugs. Richard Glossip was scheduled to die later that year, but then-Gov. Mary Fallin (R) called off the execution at the last minute because the corrections department had the wrong combination of drugs. Warners autopsy report later revealed that he, too, had been executed with the wrong drugs.

Sean Murphy, an Associated Press reporter who witnessed Grants execution, said he convulsed about two dozen times after the injection of the first of three drugs, midazolam, and began to vomit. The vomit covered his face and ran down his neck and the side of his face, Murphy said. Murphy, who has observed 14 executions, said this was the first time he had seen an individual vomit during an execution.

Based on the reporting of the eyewitnesses to the execution, for the third time in a row, Oklahomas execution protocol did not work as it was designed to, Dale Baich, a lawyer for a group of people on death row who are challenging Oklahomas execution protocol, said in a statement. This is why the Tenth Circuit [Court of Appeals] stayed John Grants execution and this is why the U.S. Supreme Court should not have lifted the stay. There should be no more executions in Oklahoma until we go trial in February to address the states problematic lethal injection protocol.

John Marion Grant, 60, was executed with a three-drug combination Thursday in Oklahoma. (Photo: Counsel for John Marion Grant)

Before he was killed, Grant was a plaintiff to the litigation that Baich referenced. In August, U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot ruled the case could proceed to trial but dismissed six plaintiffs, including Grant, over a legal technicality. At the time, Friot suggested that the deaths of these dismissed plaintiffs could be used as evidence for the upcoming trial into whether Oklahomas lethal injection protocol violates Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

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Grant became a human experiment for the other death-row prisoners challenge to Oklahoma execution process, Robert Dunham, the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said in a statement Thursday. Oklahoma had botched its last three execution attempts before its six-year execution pause, but apparently learned nothing from that experience. But to say this is another botched Oklahoma execution would be inadequate. Oklahoma knew full well that this was well within the realm of possible outcomes in a midazolam execution. It didnt care  and the Supreme Court apparently didnt either.

Grant suffered extreme neglect and abuse as a child. He took full responsibility for the 1998 killing of Gay Carter, a woman who worked at the prison he was incarcerated in, and spent his years on death row trying to understand and atone for his actions, more than any other client I have worked with, Sarah Jernigan, Grants lawyer, said in a statement after his death.

In her statement, Jernigan outlined the ways the state had failed Grant throughout his life. When John stole to feed and clothe himself and his siblings, Oklahoma labeled him a delinquent instead of a desperate and traumatized child left to fend for himself. John wasnt even a teenager yet when Oklahoma sent him to the first of several state-run youth detention facilities, where he experienced abuse so painful he couldnt talk about it, Jernigan said.

Oklahoma ultimately dumped John on the streets with no skills and no support for the mental illness that was exacerbated by years of being both the victim of and witness to beatings, rapes, and extended periods in solitary confinement, amongst other abuses. When he committed a robbery at age seventeen, Oklahoma sent him to an adult prison, subjecting him to further victimization, as later documented in a class-action lawsuit, Jernigan added.

Through all of this, John never received the mental health care he needed or deserved in prison. And when he eventually committed a violent crime, the murder of a prison worker, Oklahoma provided him with incompetent lawyers who had no business handling a case with the ultimate punishment at stake.

Grant was the first person to be executed in Oklahoma since 2015, when the state paused executions after a series of high-profile screw-ups. Last year, the state announced a new, supposedly safer execution protocol. But it was nearly identical to the old protocol: Both call for midazolam as a sedative, vecuronium bromide as a paralytic and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

That Grant was executed on Thursday came down to a grim legal technicality.

During a May 2020 hearing on the lethal injection protocol lawsuit, Friot stated that he had received assurances from then-Attorney General Mike Hunter that the state would not seek executions while the litigation was ongoing. In August, Friot ruled that the case could proceed to trial  but he dismissed six plaintiffs from the suit, including Grant.

Friot claimed the six individuals had failed to offer a reasonable alternative to Oklahomas lethal injection protocol, something the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled is necessary in these kinds of legal challenges. In fact, all of the plaintiffs, including Grant, had signed a court filing that included four alternative methods of execution. Friot instructed the plaintiffs to affirmatively indicate their preferences, which six of the plaintiffs declined to do, mostly citing religious or moral objections to facilitating their own deaths. One later said he did not intend to decline to specify an alternative.

(Photo: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma)

Friot appeared to welcome the idea that the six dismissed plaintiffs could serve as human test subjects to help determine whether Oklahomas lethal injection protocol is unconstitutionally cruel. Because ... six of the plaintiffs in the case at bar have declined to proffer an alternative method of execution, there may well be a track record ... of the new Oklahoma protocol by the time this case is called for trial as to the other twenty-six plaintiffs, the judge wrote in a footnote in a court filing.

Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor, who replaced Hunter in July, took advantage of Friots move and quickly scheduled executions for the six men, plus a seventh who is not part of the litigation. The six plaintiffs have since been reinstated to the litigation, but the state has pushed forward with the executions in violation of its promise last year. Julius Jones, who has a credible innocence claim, is the next person scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma, on Nov. 18.

On Wednesday, an appellate court granted a stay for Grant and Jones, finding there was nothing in the relevant case law that specifically requires a prisoner to designate a method of execution to be used in his case by checking a box when the prisoner has already identified in his complaint the very same alternative methods given as choices on the form. But in a partisan decision, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated both stays on Thursday, allowing Grants execution to proceed.

The Supreme Court did not publish an explanation of its decision.

Days before Grant was killed, his lawyers asked Friot to order the omission of the paralytic drug from his injection in order to preserve evidence of the physical manifestation of pain and suffering during the execution. The judge, who previously removed Grant from the litigation for failing to specify how he wanted to die, denied the request.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Watch: Indigenous people demand protection for Amazon at COP26

Around 25,000 people will descend on Glasgow this week for the Cop26 climate summit. It is the most important UN climate meeting since countries set an aspiration of limiting global temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century under the Paris Agreement in 2015.

This summit will be a crucial test of whether countries can come together to get themselves on track for meeting the 1.5C target, which is currently slipping beyond reach.

On the eve of the pivotal event, The Independent spoke to leading climate experts, politicians and activists from across the world on why now is the time to take action against the climate crisis.

Vanessa Nakate, climate activist, Uganda

Vanessa Nakate (AP)

Were already seeing death and suffering caused by the climate crisis here in Uganda. But it is going to get much, much worse.

To keep to 1.5C of global heating (the so-called safe limit), the UN says we need to halve global emissions by 2030. After almost 30 years of international climate summits, we are yet to see any significant drop in emissions.

Glasgow must be the starting point for a complete reshaping of the global economy. Otherwise, the consequences are unthinkable.

Alok Sharma, Cop26 president-designate, UK

Alok Sharma (PA)

People around the world are already living with the devastating effects of the planet getting warmer. And with every fraction of a degree, the situation gets worse.

That is why countries on the front line of climate change fought so hard for the temperature goal of well below 2C, and as close as possible to 1.5C, to be enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

We owe it to those countries to make Cop26 the moment world leaders commit to decisive action to keep a 1.5C future alive.

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, UK

Nicola Sturgeon (PA)

Climate change and nature loss remain the greatest challenges facing this planet, and this is our best, perhaps only, chance to address them.

Cop26 must move the world from promises to action, and mobilise the ambition, finance, resources and joint working needed to deliver on the Paris Agreement goals.

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Scotland, as a responsible global citizen, will do everything we can to play our part.

John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate, US

John Kerry (AP)

Cop26 begins our decisive decade, when science tells us we must choose between triumph and tragedy.

Inaction invites climate disaster. But if we work together, we can seize the extraordinary opportunities ahead, dramatically cutting emissions, reinventing our economies, and ultimately saving the one planet we share.

Mitzi Jonelle Tan, climate activist, the Philippines

Mitzi Jonelle Tan took part in this years global climate strike (Getty)

I shouldnt have to say why action is vital.

At this point, if the millions of lives impacted every day across the globe by this climate crisis built off of exploitation and imperialist colonisation is still not enough reason to act, then clearly these so-called leaders arent capable of doing their job.

Ed Miliband, shadow business secretary, UK

Ed Miliband (AFP)

Cop26 is the worlds moment of truth. Are governments serious about climate action? Will our leaders fail us and future generations, or do they get it?

A green investment plan at home. Building alliances abroad. Keeping 1.5C alive in Glasgow. We cant let Cop26 be the greenwash summit. Mobilise, organise, pressure those in charge. This is the decisive decade.

Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief, Costa Rica

Christiana Figueres is the Costa Rican diplomat credited with sealing the Paris Agreement deal in 2015 (AFP/Getty)

When we set the goals for the Paris Agreement in 2015, we were not aware that we had a deadline to meet, of halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. That came later, in 2018, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its special report on 1.5C.

That is why Cop26 is crucial  and it must be the start of a decisive decade of action.

Nemonte Nenquimo, Waorani leader, co-founder of Ceibo Alliance & Amazon Frontlines, Ecuador

Nemonte Nenquimo is an Indigenous activist and leader of the Waorani nation from the Amazonian region of Ecuador (Amazon Frontlines)

We need to take action. Indigenous peoples, who are on the front lines of the battle to protect nature, need direct support. We are putting our lives on the line to protect biodiversity, forests, and ecosystems. No decisions affecting Indigenous territories should be made without Indigenous peoples participation and consent.

World leaders, organisations and civil society need to back us in our struggles, and support the Indigenous movement and organisations leading solutions to this crisis. We need to unite in the struggle because the fight is not only up to indigenous peoples but for all of humanity.

Tessa Khan, environmental lawyer, UK

Tessa Khan is founder of Uplift (Uplift)

At Cop26, world leaders have to commit to ending any new oil, gas and coal production  no exceptions.

Past Cops have failed to address the elephant in the room  fossil fuels  even though the science is clear that we have to keep fossil fuels in the ground if were going to keep the Paris Agreement alive.

Dr Mya-Rose Craig, environmental activist, UK

Dr Mya-Rose Craig (Greenpeace)

I am [one of] the 167 million living in Bangladesh, the country where my maternal grandparents were born.

We are a country created 50 years ago out of oppression and death. We will fight until you listen.

At 3C of warming, Bangladesh will see tens of millions affected each year. We demand immediate and sufficient action to halt the climate catastrophe.

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, France

Anne Hidalgo (AP)

As mayor of Paris, the city where the historic climate agreement was signed, I believe that Glasgow comes at a critical moment for states to upscale and accelerate their action plans, including in my own country, France.

We need to act now to stay the course of the Paris Agreement, which I witnessed first-hand in 2015.

Oladosu Adenike, climate activist, Nigeria

Oladosu Adenike (N/A)

How do we win the race against climate change when we keep making long-term commitments (beyond 2030) while the climate crisis is happening at an alarming rate?

It is no longer negotiable to patronise climate action. The lives of billions of people, especially those that are vulnerable like my country, matters towards every decision that will be taken. Hence, we need more action and not words alone.

Eriel Deranger, executive director of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), Canada

Eriel Deranger (ICA)

We need to get this right: were on borrowed time. The debate is over, we need emissions-reducing agreements  not carbon trading and false solutions  and safeguards for human and Indigenous rights.

Indigenous peoples have been influencing climate action for decades and we cant afford to accept false solutions that further put our communities at risk.

Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, Kenya

Mohamed Adow (Christian Aid)

Why is it so vital we get action from world leaders at Cop26?

The reason is urgency. I come from a pastoralist community in northern Kenya, and have seen with my own eyes the ravages of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and drought on farming communities in Africa. Those people cannot afford to see countries dragging their feet and delaying urgent climate action.

Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee, UK

Lord Deben (left) (PA)

Climate change is a symptom of what weve done to the world. Once you understand that, you can understand how biodiversity and pollution fit in. You dont cure the symptoms, you cure the disease. All of our impacts on the environment must be factored into Cop26.

We have to fight climate change because otherwise it will destroy us. But in fighting it we build a cleaner, greener, kinder world. It is actually the way to create a better world.

Marina Silva, politician and environmentalist, Brazil

Marina Silva (AFP/Getty)

Cop26 is an opportunity to advance global responses to the climate issue, starting with more committed emission-reduction targets, as current ones point to 2.7C of warming.

A healthy, safe and sustainable environment has just been defined as a human right by the UN.

Yeb Sano, executive director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Yeb Sano (Greenpeace)

The climate crisis is one of historys biggest injustices, with those least responsible for the problem suffering the most.

Urgent and scaled-up actions based on what science and justice demand are crucial to avert the crisis and to bring back dignity into peoples lives. Inaction is not an option.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP, UK

Caroline Lucas (Getty)

Cop26 must deliver a justice reset: justice for those in the global south who didnt cause climate breakdown and must be given financial and technical support by the rich countries who did; and justice for young people and future generations, so theyre not left with the terrible consequences of a crisis that weve allowed to get worse.

Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, UK

Tanya Steele (David Bebber)

Cop26 [is] one of the most important summits in a generation. And arguably the most important this country has ever hosted. Success is vital. We cant afford to fail.

We need to redouble our efforts to ensure a future where nature and people can coexist  seeing it take its rightful place as our greatest ally at the heart of the fight against climate change.

Luca Bergamaschi, founder and director of the ECCO think tank, Italy

Luca Bergamaschi (ECCO)

Cop26 is vital for accelerating emissions reduction and unlocking trillions of new finance for climate action and solidarity.

Italy, under the leadership of Mario Draghi, can play a key role through ending public support for new oil and gas investment, reallocating its SDRs [special drawing rights] for climate, and supporting the recapitalisation of multilateral development banks.

Dr Saleemul Huq, director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development, Bangladesh

Dr Saleemul Huq (AFP/Getty)

I have been working with some of the poorest and most climate-vulnerable communities in some of the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries for over two decades, to help them be ready to adapt to the adverse impacts of human-induced climate change.

Over those two and a half decades, world leaders have met every year at the annual Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where they repeatedly pledged to act but then failed to do so enough to prevent loss and damage from human-induced climate change actually happening now.

Cop26 is the first Cop of this new era of loss and damage from human-induced climate change, and my expectation of leaders is that they will finally demonstrate the political will to deal with the climate emergency. However, I am not holding my breath.

The Independent has launched a petition calling on world leaders to take meaningful action on the climate crisis immediately.

We want global leaders to make the decisions necessary at the Cop26 UN climate summit to agree on securing global net zero by mid-century, and keeping the 1.5C target from Paris within reach.

To join in our fight in helping to encourage world leaders to hit our climate targets, please sign our petition below. We thank you for your support.

Watch: What is the Paris Agreement?

Read More

Cop26 Glasgow news live: Biden says forests indispensable

What are the Covid rules at Cop26?

Cop26 off to shaky start as queues and chaos mar first 24 hours
DES MOINES -- Iowans who lose their jobs for refusing to comply with an employer's COVID-19 vaccination requirement would still be able to collect unemployment benefits under legislation passed Thursday by the General Assembly and headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her expected signature.

House File 902, a bill intended to soften the financial blow associated with COVID-19 related firings, also would allow employees in private Iowa businesses to claim they are medically vulnerable or have a religious objection to a mandated vaccine based solely on their statements, rather than with the backing by a bona fide professional.

The measure passed the Iowa House by a 68-27 margin, and later cleared the Iowa Senate on a 45-4 vote.

I believe the bill will help people, said Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, chair of the House State Government Committee, which initiated the late-arriving bill added to the agenda of Thursdays special legislative session. I do recognize that it does not go as far as a lot of us  myself included  would like. But he added, I believe what is before us is what can become law.

Kaufmann agreed with other GOP legislators who wanted to go further in barring vaccination mandates in workplaces and schools in calling for an interim panel to consider expansions when lawmakers convene for their regular session in January or possibly in a third special session this year.

Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, said the bill would create a more lenient system for Iowans who lose their jobs for refusing to comply with an employers COVID-19 vaccination requirement, but would absolutely not protect anyone from being fired. It doesnt protect a job of a single Iowan who loses their job, she told colleagues during House floor debate.

Democrats, who are in the minority, expressed concern the measure was creating a new workplace exemption in Iowa law that makes it possible for anyone to claim a medical exemption without having backup from a doctor or other accredited professional. Also, they said the religious exemption was not well-defined in a policy change that needed a fiscal note from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency to understand the cost implications for the states unemployment trust fund and potential rates charged to employers to cover the payments.

Rep. Henry Stone, R-Forest City, said the bill was intended to find a meaningful solution to a vaccine mandate handed down by the federal government that would balance the rights of individuals with the rights of businesses owners by helping the employees who dont feel comfortable receiving the vaccine but not placing businesses in a position where they have to choose between breaking state law or federal law.

We needed to take the action now, said Stone, noting that some Iowa workers are facing the prospects of losing their jobs over the issue. January will be too late for Iowans, he said, contending the bill will go on to save jobs.

On the Senate side, Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Hiawatha, pressed the bills floor manager, Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Aurelia, on the potential cost  especially to businesses  and the number of employees who could be affected.

Schultz said he could not put a reliable estimate on the legislation, which he confided made him a little uneasy. I dont want to have to do this. Nobody does, he said. Were reacting to authoritarianism. We didnt ask to do this.

Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, said it was telling that no one spoke in support of the bill during a House subcommittee earlier in the day.

We, the people, were blindsided with last-minute legislation that is ineffective and designed to look good, but fail, said Lindsay Mayor, a leader in the Informed Choice Iowa group. The public hasnt even had 24-hours notice to examine the language and consider the impacts of the bill.

J.D. Davis, an Iowa Association of Business & Industry vice president, spoke in opposition to the measure as drafted, saying it would place businesses in a terrible position as they try to wade through various federal or state requirements that may be in conflict with the new language without really solving the problem it was intended to address.

Other speakers  some who traveled to the Capitol to participate in a rally opposing government-mandated vaccinations  called the legislation a Band Aid that actually would help employers more than workers, while a number of Iowans and legislators were upset that more public discussion did not go into the drafting of a measure carrying broad policy implications.

The teacher in me says this deserves an incomplete, said Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, who had hoped the measure would be tabled.

Vaccine requirements have not universally said that employees who refuse would be fired. Some mandates say those who refuse inoculation must undergo regular COVID-19 testing instead.

Earlier this month, Reynolds said she was having great conversations with legislative leaders regarding the potential for considering legislation during the special session to prohibit workplace requirements that workers get COVID-19 vaccinations as an employment requirement. However, the bill did not include language to prohibit vaccination mandates in the workplace. The governor said Statehouse Republicans were looking at the issue after her legal adviser determined she did not have the authority under Iowas constitution to issue an executive order prohibiting any entity, including private businesses, from imposing COVID-19 vaccination requirements on employees or customers as has been done in other states.

According to the bill, an employer who requires an employee, including a job applicant, to receive a COVID-19 vaccine must waive the requirement if the employee requests a waiver and makes either of two submissions to the employer: a statement that receiving the vaccine would be injurious to the health and well-being of the employee or an individual residing with the employee; or a statement that receiving the vaccine would conflict with the tenets and practices of a religion of which the employee is an adherent or member. The bill also provides that an individual who is fired for refusing to receive a vaccination against COVID-19 must not be disqualified for unemployment benefits because of it.

We respect peoples medical privacy and civil rights and we dont feel its the state governments job to step on those rights, Stone said.

Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, called the legislation a joke because all it was doing was offering a consolation prize of unemployment benefits to Iowans who are losing their jobs. This does nothing but giving you chump change for your freedom.

However, House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the bill creates a process businesses must follow to allow medical and religious exemptions from any COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

"After months of hard work, careful consideration, and listening to the stories of Iowans, I believe we have found a meaningful solution to protect Iowans and Iowa businesses from the Biden administration's extreme government overreach, said Grassley, who noted the bill passed with bipartisan support.

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SIOUX CITY -- Anyone who's watched more than one entry in a horror movie franchise knows what the score is when it comes to the film's villain. At the end, they'll be "vanquished" only to return with a vengeance in the next installment.

The same could be said for Halloween over the past two years. In 2020, major holiday gatherings were canceled in at least 37 states due to COVID-19 concerns (per USA Today). A report that year from the National Retail Foundation noted that consumers they polled were less likely to: dress up, hand out candy and trick or treat than they were in the year 2019.

But this year, there's reason to believe that Halloween has arisen from the previous year's slumber. Consumer spending could reach a record high of $10 billion (according to the NRF).

In Sioux City, certain candies are being snatched up in no time at all and costumes are coming at a premium. A motorist making their way down major thoroughfares in town would see tombstones aplenty in yard after yard, massive spiderwebs radiating outward from front porches and evil-eyed dragons keeping watch over homes.

"This is the best year and a lot is because, with COVID, people were hanging low and now people are wanting to get out and do stuff. And its a fun way to go out," Almost Antique and Costume Emporium owner Jason Visvikis said.

According to Visvikis, business at the downtown Sioux City store, which sells costumes yearlong, is well above normal this year and customers have occasionally had to try multiple places before finding what they're looking for.

In terms of what's popular, Visvikis said that costumes for horror film characters such as Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees have continued to dominate but so too have decade-specific getups.

"This year, the go-go and the hippie and the Roaring '20s," he said.

Siouxland trick or treat times North Sioux City- No set times Sergeant Bluff- 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31 Sioux City- 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31 South Sioux City- 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31

Monica Waldon, an assistant manager for Palmer's Old Tyme Candy Shoppe, said that there's been steady, high-volume business throughout the spooky season.

"I think a lot of people are making up for last year with COVID," she said.

Specifically for Halloween, Waldon said that the store will conjure themed taffies, suckers and Rice Krispies Treats shaped like mummies. Of course there's also candy corn (in multiple flavors) and caramel apples. If people want Halloween accessories for their kitchens, they can pick up frightening aprons and towels as well.

"We get quite a few orders for our caramel apples and we do sell out of those within a couple of days," Waldon said.

For Sioux Cityan Mary Burford, Halloween marks the beginning of a decorative season for her family that crescendos with Christmas. She said that they'll put all kinds of yard items out each year in anticipation of Oct. 31, but that last year was a little bit more scant. So in 2021, she gave a little bit extra.

"I made most of it," Burford said.

The wake of vultures is one of the things that she said took the longest because she had to go and buy lawn flamingos then repaint them and append fur to their necks. Keeping the vultures company are numerous bats, hanging skeletons, bloody hands reaching out of the ground and a replica of Cousin It from "The Addams Family." When the day comes, there will inflatables of Frankenstein's monster and a pirate pup too.

Beyond just wanting to do more than last year, Burford has a personal investment in her decorating this Halloween.

"This is kind of a memorial to my mom. She passed away in March at the age of 90. She liked to see me do this stuff," she said.

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter at TwoHeadedBoy98.

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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.
ATLANTA (AP)  A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year  a proliferation that has driven some unnerved homeowners indoors and prompted a flood of anxious social media posts.

In metro Atlanta, Jennifer Turpin  a self-described arachnophobe  stopped blowing leaves in her yard after inadvertently walking into a web created by the Joro spider. Stephen Carter has avoided a walking trail along the Chattahoochee River where he encountered Joro webs every dozen steps.

Farther east in Winterville, Georgia, Will Hudson's front porch became unusable amid an abundance of Joro webs 10 feet deep. Hudson estimates he's killed more than 300 of the spiders on his property.

"The webs are a real mess," said Hudson, an entomologist at the University of Georgia. "Nobody wants to come out of the door in the morning, walk down the steps and get a face full of spider web."

The Joro  Trichonephila clavata  is part of a group of spiders known as orb weavers for their highly organized, wheel-shaped webs. Common in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan, Joro females have colorful yellow, blue and red markings on their bodies. They can measure three inches across when their legs are fully extended.

It's not clear exactly how and when the first Joro spider arrived in the U.S. In Georgia, a researcher identified one about 80 miles northeast of Atlanta in 2014. They have also been found in South Carolina, and Hudson is convinced they will spread across the South.

It's also not clear why they are so abundant this year, though experts agree their numbers have exploded.

"We see natural ebbs and flows in the populations of many different species that may be linked to local conditions, particularly slight changes in rainfall," said Paula Cushing, an arachnologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Cushing and other experts say Joros are not a threat to humans or dogs and cats and won't bite them unless they are feeling very threatened. Hudson said a researcher collecting them with her bare hands reported the occasional pinch, but said the spiders never broke her skin.

Researchers, however, don't agree fully on what impact, if any, the spider will have on other species and the environment.

Debbie Gilbert, 67, isn't waiting to find out. She has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for the spiders around her home in Norcross, Georgia, winding their webs with a stick, bringing them down and stomping them.

"I don't advocate killing anything. I live in peace with all the spiders around here and everything else," she said. "But (Joros) just don't belong here, that's all."

Nancy Hinkle, another entomologist at the University of Georgia, said Joros help suppress mosquitoes and biting flies and are one of the few spiders that will catch and eat brown marmorated stink bugs, which are serious pests to many crops.

Most of the Joros are expected to die by late November, but they may return in equally large, or even larger, numbers next year, though scientists say even that is hard to predict with any certainty.

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Today is Friday, Oct. 29, 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

Biden at Vatican to talk climate, poverty with Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Declaring its good to be back, President Joe Biden on Friday opened a five-day European trip at the Vatican, where he and Pope Francis  the worlds two most prominent Roman Catholics  planned to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.

A dozen Swiss Guards in their blue and gold striped uniforms and red-plumed halberds stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard for the arrival of Biden and his wife, Jill. They were received by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, who runs the papal household, and then greeted one by one the papal ushers, or papal gentlemen, who lined up in the courtyard.

Its good to be back, Biden said as he shook the hand of one of them. Im Jills husband, he said to another before he was ushered into the frescoed Apostolic Palace and taken upstairs to the popes private library.

Keep scrolling for links to full versions of these top stories and more.

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US cites 'crisis' as road deaths rise 18% in first-half 2021

DETROIT (AP)  The number of U.S. traffic deaths in the first six months of 2021 hit 20,160, the highest first-half total since 2006, the government reported Thursday, a sign of growing reckless driving during the coronavirus pandemic.

The estimated number was 18.4% higher than the first half of last year, prompting Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to call the increase an unacceptable crisis.

That percentage increase was the biggest six-month increase since the department began recording fatal crash data since 1975.

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Oklahoma executes inmate who dies vomiting and convulsing

McALESTER, Okla. (AP)  Oklahoma administered the death penalty Thursday on a man who convulsed and vomited as he was executed for the 1998 slaying of a prison cafeteria worker, ending a six-year execution moratorium brought on by concerns over its execution methods,

John Marion Grant, 60, who was strapped to a gurney inside the execution chamber, began convulsing and vomiting after the first drug, the sedative midazolam, was administered. Several minutes later, two members of the execution team wiped the vomit from his face and neck.

Before the curtain was raised to allow witnesses to see into the execution chamber, Grant could be heard yelling, Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" He delivered a stream of profanities before the lethal injection started. He was declared unconscious about 15 minutes after the first of three drugs was administered and declared dead about six minutes after that, at 4:21 p.m.

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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:

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

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TODAY IN HISTORY

Today in history: Oct. 29 In 1929, Black Tuesday descended upon the New York Stock Exchange. Prices collapsed amid panic selling and thousands of investors were wiped

Today in sports history: Oct. 29 In 2014, Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants win Game 7 on the road for their third World Series title in five years. See more spor

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was accused in a criminal complaint Thursday of committing a misdemeanor sex crime, two months after he resigned under pressure in a sexual harassment scandal.

But prosecutors said Thursday they didn't know the document had been filed, and the woman's attorney said she hadn't been given a chance to decide whether she wanted to go through with a case.

The one-page complaint, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff's Office, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under a woman's shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The document didn't name the woman but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, at the executive mansion in Albany last year around that date.

The office of the county's district attorney, David Soares, which would handle any prosecution and was involved in the investigation, issued a statement saying it had been caught off guard by the filing.

"Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriffs Office against Andrew Cuomo, it said. The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.

The Times Union newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the complaint had been issued prematurely" before a final decision had been made about whether Cuomo would face charges.

The office of Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple didn't directly address that report, but confirmed in a statement that Albany City Court had issued a criminal summons ordering Cuomo to appear at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17.

The statement suggested it was court officials, not prosecutors or a law enforcement agency, that made the decision to issue the summons. It said sheriff's investigators had determined there was probable cause to present evidence to the court for their review to determine the most appropriate legal pathway moving forward on the investigation."

Cuomo's lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that the Democrat never assaulted anyone and that the sheriff's "motives here are patently improper.

Sheriff Apple didnt even tell the District Attorney what he was doing. But Apples behavior is no surprise given (1) his August 7 press conference where he essentially pronounced the Governor guilty before doing an investigation, and (2) his Offices leaking of grand jury information. This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics.

The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by up to year in jail and up to three years probation, with discretion for the court to impose lesser penalties including no jail time.

Commisso, an executive assistant for Cuomo, says he groped her when they were alone in an office at the governors mansion in Albany.

She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying once, I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.

Commisso's lawyer, Brian Premo, said in a statement to the Times Union that she hadn't been consulted about the criminal complaint.

It was my clients understanding that the district attorneys office was in agreement with the sheriffs department that it was going to conduct a thorough, impartial and apolitical evaluation of the case, and only after completion of the investigation, speak to my client to allow her to make an informed decision as to whether she would proceed as a victim in the case, Premo said. Like the district attorneys office, she was informed about this recent filing through media.

The Associated Press doesnt identify alleged sexual assault victims unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in interviews.

Commisso filed a complaint with the sheriff in August in the same week a report from state Attorney General Letitia James concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Other accusations outlined in the report range from planting unwanted kisses to asking unwelcome personal questions about sex and dating.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after the release of the report, marking a dramatic downfall for the third-term governor who had been seen as a beacon of sturdy competence during his daily COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the attorney general's report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose office is not involved in the criminal investigation, issued a statement saying her civil probe had been conducted without fear or favor.

The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report, she said.

James is said to be close to announcing a run for governor, multiple people with knowledge of her plans have told The Associated Press.

The complaint filed by the sheriff's department investigator said evidence in the case included police BlackBerry messages, cell phone records, building security records, Cuomo's flight records and a text message from his mobile phone. The complaint was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court as received Thursday.

Cuomos attorney, Glavin, has claimed records show the two were unlikely to have spent time alone during the period in question. Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, ridiculed Thursday's turn of events.

"'Accidentally' filing a criminal charge without notification and consent of the prosecuting body doesnt pass the laugh test and this process reeks of Albany politics and perhaps worse. The fact that the AG  as predicted  is about to announce a run for governor is lost on no one. The truth about what happened with this cowboy sheriff will come out, he said.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties also had said they asked for investigative materials from the attorney generals inquiry to see if any of the allegations could result in criminal charges.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee is completing a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo that began before he resigned. The also were looking at the administrations handling of COVID-19 data and efforts to rush COVID-19 testing for Cuomos inner circle in spring 2020.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Two Republican appointees to the Ohio State Board of Education resigned Friday, about two weeks after they opposed its decision to rescind an anti-racism resolution passed last summer.

Board President Laura Kohler, of New Albany, told reporters that GOP Gov. Mike DeWine requested her resignation and that Republicans in the state Senate who didn't like the resolution would've had enough votes to remove her if she didn't step down.

The resolution was passed by the board last summer after George Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police. It condemned racism and included an acknowledgment that the path to equity begins with a deep understanding of the history of inequalities and inhumanity.

It talked about training board members and Department of Education employees to identify their own biases, and recommended that districts reexamine areas such as curriculum and discipline strategies.

In their resignation letters to DeWine, Kohler and board member Eric Poklar, of Worthington, didn't specifically mention the anti-racism resolution or related controversy. Kohler told the governor that she felt resigning was how she could best support you and your work at this time. Poklar wrote that his time on the board has ended and he was ready to pass responsibilities to the next person.

The governors office expressed gratitude for their service but said Friday, it wasnt commenting further. Hours later, the office announced two new appointees to the board: Richard Chernesky, of Waynesville in Warren County, and Brandon Kern, from Amanda in Fairfield County.

Earlier in the week, senators had voted to confirm three other appointed board members who had voted in favor of rescinding the anti-racism resolution.

That resolution became part of the increasingly heated debate in Ohio and around the country over how race and racism are taught in schools. And in a 10-7 vote this month, board members opted to replace the resolution with one to promote academic excellence in K-12 education for each Ohio student without prejudice or respect to race, ethnicity, or creed.

The replacement condemns standards, curriculum, or training that seek to divide or to ascribe circumstances or qualities, such as collective guilt, moral deficiency, or racial bias, to a whole race or group of people.

The state board is responsible for setting certain standards for the operation of Ohio's public schools, but districts retain local control over decisions about their own policies and what instructional materials they use.

The newest members join the board just as it's beginning a search for a new state superintendent to lead the Ohio Department of Education, after Paolo DeMaria recently stepped down.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) 

State and federal laws did not prevent Madison election officials from providing auditors access to election records, according to a memo by the Legislative Reference Bureau released Thursday by Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.

The memo comes a day after nonpartisan attorneys for the Legislature said that Madison's decision to prohibit auditors from handling the ballots was arguably reasonable under federal law, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

The dueling memos follow the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureaus report on how clerks complied with state laws in the presidential primary in April 2020 and the general election last November. The Audit Bureaus report noted that Madison, Milwaukee County, and the town of Little Suamico in Oconto County did not allow auditors to physically handle ballots, citing ballot-security guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Reference Bureaus memo states that state law gives the Audit Bureau complete access to all records during an audit investigation and federal law and guidance does not prohibit an election official from handing over election records.

Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl told the Audit Bureau in late August that she would provide copies of ballots, absentee ballot envelopes and other election-related documents but would not supply the original documents.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Wisconsin State Journal.

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert Thursday about illegal, potent cannabis edibles for sale that are being packaged to look like snack and candy brands that are popular with children and teens.

The edibles are being sold online and at California unlicensed shops and often contain levels of THC, the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis, that are many times higher than the legal limit or contain highly toxic synthetic cannabinoids, Bonta said.

These arent Doritos, these are not Sour Patch Kids, these are not Oreos. They are unregulated and untested cannabis products sold by unlicensed manufacturers and marketed to underage Californians, he said.

A copycat bag of Doritos, for example, has an unverified 600 milligrams of THC in a single bag, much higher than the 100 milligrams per package allowed by California law, Bonta said.

While cannabis-infused edibles packaged to look like our favorite brands may seem harmless and fun, the dangers of consuming unregulated and untested cannabis products are high, particularly for children and teens, said Bonta said.

Bonta said people who want to verify legal cannabis products in California should look for the universal symbol for cannabis  a triangle with a marijuana leaf and an exclamation point inside of it and CA, for California, written underneath it.

"If you see indications of copycat packaging or do not see the universal symbol, the product is illicit and may be dangerous," he said.

He said the products also pose a risk for adults because they are untested and unregulated, could lure teens to the illegal cannabis market because of the fun packaging and appeal to young kids who could eat them not knowing what they are ingesting.

California has also experienced a rise in emergency room visits in recent years related to cannabis poisoning among young children.

In 2016, there were about 21 visits per 1 million Californians under age 5. In 2020, there were approximately 113 visits per 1 million Californians, according to the state Attorney Generals office.

Bonta encouraged people who come across copycat cannabis-infused edible products to file online complaints with the state Department of Cannabis Control.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  The Louisiana Senate has created a special committee to dig into complaints about the use of excessive force by the State Police, after troopers were documented in a series of beatings of Black men that have drawn attention from federal investigators.

Senate President Page Cortez told The Associated Press that he set up the seven-member advisory panel in response to requests from senators concerned about troopers' behavior. He sent a letter Thursday officially naming lawmakers to the committee. Two senators from Baton Rouge will lead the work: Republican Sen. Franklin Foil will be chairman, and Democratic Sen. Cleo Fields will work as vice chairman.

Foil intends to hold the panels first meeting in December. He expects the committee to hear from the State Police and the public with an eye toward developing recommendations for tightened laws regarding use of force that legislators can consider. The review will focus more on overall policies, rather than specific allegations of improper force, he said.

The Senate Select Committee on State Police Oversight will go over what kind of oversight the State Police has when there are reports of excessive force that may have been used inappropriately and what mechanisms they have as far as safeguards, said Foil, a lawyer and Navy officer who has worked as a military judge.

Cortez asked the panel to submit its recommendations to the full Senate by Oct. 31, 2022.

The committee is set to examine the Louisiana State Polices use-of-force policies as federal prosecutors are scrutinizing a series of beatings by troopers and whether top police brass obstructed justice to protect troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene.

The investigation began as a civil rights probe into Greenes death, which police initially blamed on a car crash at the end of a chase near Monroe. But prosecutors interest has since broadened to look at other beatings and whether commanders broke the law to shelter the troopers seen on long-withheld body camera video punching, dragging and stunning the Black motorist.

Officials from Gov. John Bel Edwards on down refused for more than two years to publicly release the body camera video of Greene's arrest before it was obtained and published by the AP this spring.

Greenes death was among at least a dozen cases over the past decade in which the AP found state troopers or their bosses ignored or concealed evidence of beatings, deflected blame and impeded efforts to root out misconduct.

Its behavior that dozens of current and former state troopers told the AP is part of the agencys culture of impunity, nepotism and, in some cases, outright racism.

Col. Lamar Davis, the superintendent of State Police, said he's tightened policies on the use of force, and he suggested problems were limited to the actions of a few troopers whose behavior he called appalling."

Our agency welcomes the legislative review of departmental policies and processes including the recent improvements made to our operations, training and administration over the last year, Davis said in a statement. We remain committed to the reform process.

Fields, a lawyer who requested creation of the Senate special committee, didnt return calls for comment. He previously persuaded lawmakers to set up a task force to study law enforcement training and misconduct issues. The task force's suggestions led to passage earlier this year of new restrictions on the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, detailed policies for use of body cameras and a requirement for police agencies to have anti-bias training for state grant eligibility.

Members of the new Senate committee come from around the state, including from the northeast Louisiana region whose State Police unit is at the heart of many of the allegations.

Sen. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat whose district includes Monroe, said one of her priorities on the committee is ensuring that the State Police can't obscure troopers' wrongdoing.

My goal is policy, said Jackson. But my goal is also policy in the area of internal affairs and what happened and how are officers able to hide body cameras and other evidence and totally cover things up.



Bleiberg reported from Dallas.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed into law a bill that allows Iowa workers to seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and guarantees that those who are fired for refusing a vaccine will qualify for unemployment benefits.

Reynolds signed the bill a day after the Iowa Legislature passed it in a one-day special session convened to pass the state's redistricting maps. The law becomes effective immediately.

Reynolds has opposed government requirements for masks and vaccines, even though COVID-19 has killed nearly 7,000 people in Iowa and medical science has shown both tools to be effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

She said in a statement that no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reynolds said she believes the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19 but has often voiced opposition to mandates.

Iowa remains 23rd in the nation for percentage of its population fully vaccinated at 55.4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About a third of the state's population still has not received at least one dose of vaccine and most of the state continues to experience a high level of community spread of the virus.

Reynolds said she plans to sue the federal government to challenge its proposed vaccine mandates once President Joe Biden's administration releases the rules.

More than 100 people opposing vaccination requirements rallied at the Iowa Capitol Thursday to push for stronger language. Lobbyists for the business community said the bill puts business owners in conflict between complying with federal directives or state law. Businesses also are concerned about increased unemployment insurance costs.

Other Republican-led states also have pushed back against efforts to require employee vaccinations including Montana, Arkansas, Texas and West Virginia.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner related to his successful challenge of the medical marijuana petition drive.

John Cartier, an attorney who worked with Nebraska Families for Medical Cannabis, asked the commission in April to review whether Wagner violated state law by not disclosing who paid legal fees for the petition challenge.

Both Cartier and Wagner said the complaint had been dismissed.

State law requires elected officials to report any gift more than $100 in value on a Statement of Financial Interests, which is filed annually with the state office responsible for administering election laws.

Cartier said the commission found the legal fees for the challenge were not considered a gift because Wagner had not solicited the money.

Complaints made to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission are not made public unless the subject of the complaint invokes the right to do so or the commission enters an order finding a violation occurred, said Executive Director Frank Daley.

The commission has not entered an order finding that Wagner violated the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Act, he said.

Wagner became the challenger to the ballot initiative  which was signed by 196,000 Nebraskans  after Lincoln attorney Mark Fahleson pointed out the measure appeared to violate the state's single-subject rule.

The longtime sheriff told the Journal Star in September 2020 while his name was listed on the lawsuit, he wasn't aware of who paid for it.

Fahleson said he approached Wagner because he knew the sheriff was an opponent of marijuana legalization. However, Fahleson declined to say who paid for the challenge, citing attorney-client privilege, but said that no tax dollars were spent on the litigation.

In a 5-2 decision in September 2020, the Nebraska Supreme Court determined the initiative violated the state's single-subject rule, and it was removed from the November ballot.

During this legislative session, opponents mounted a successful filibuster against Sen. Anna Wisharts bill to legalize medical cannabis, and another petition drive is underway.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist

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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polish lawmakers held an emotional debate Thursday on proposed legislation dubbed Stop LGBT," which would ban pride parades and other public gatherings deemed to promote same-sex relationships.

The lawmakers are due to vote Friday on whether to reject or continue work on the proposal, which is a citizens legislative initiative that was submitted to parliament by conservative activists.

One of the activists who presented the bill, Krzysztof Kasprzak, opened his speech to lawmakers by describing the LGBT rights movement as a form of totalitarianism. He compared it to Nazism, and accused it of seeking to overthrow the natural order and introduce terror.

Wodzimierz Czarzasty, a left-wing deputy speaker of parliament, called it the most disgusting speech" he had heard in his time in parliament.

A string of opposition lawmakers  on the left, center and even from a conservative group  denounced the proposed legislation as inhumane, homophobic or a violation of the right to assembly guaranteed in Poland's constitution.

It got the praise of lawmakers on the far right, while Piotr Kaleta, a lawmaker with the ruling right-wing conservative party, Law and Justice, held up photos allegedly showing scenes from pride parades that he described as shocking.

We want normality in Poland, Kaleta said. If you accuse us of being in the Middle Ages, then we want to be in these Middle Ages.

It was not clear if the proposal had the backing to move forward.

Poland's right-wing nationalist government is already involved in a bitter dispute with the European Union over judicial independence and law primacy. So Warsaw might not want to open another front with its EU partners, most of whom strongly oppose any discrimination against lesbians, gay men and bisexual and transgender people.

Under Polish law, citizens can submit legislative proposals to parliament if they get the signatures of at least 100,000 eligible voters. The Life and Family Foundation, which lobbied successfully for a recent restriction on abortion rights, gathered 140,000 signatures for its Stop LGBT proposal.

In a statement Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International said that if adopted as law, the proposal would place the rights of LGBT people in Poland at greater risk than ever.

We call on Polish (lawmakers) to recognize that love is love, and reject this hateful proposal which is discriminatory to its core, said Amnesty's Nils Muiznieks.

This initiative may not have originated with the Polish government, but let us be clear: the governments normalization of hateful rhetoric has created an environment in which people feel empowered to spew bigotry, Muiznieks added.

In recent years Polish lawmakers, including the president, have lashed out at what they call LGBT ideology, presenting it as something that prematurely sexualizes young people and threatens the countrys traditional Roman Catholic values.

Most of the anti-LGBT rhetoric has come during election campaigns, though two years ago dozens of Polish communities passed resolutions declaring themselves to be free of LGBT ideology or adopted family charters stressing that families are based on unions of men and women.

But recently, facing the threat of a loss of EU funding, some Polish regions have revoked the anti-LGBT resolutions.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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ROME (AP)  The Latest on the Group of 20 summit taking place in Rome:

ROME  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he unsuccessfully pressed President Xi Jinping to increase Chinas carbon-cutting goals ahead of a key United Nations climate change summit.

China released an updated version of its climate targets this week, promising to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and to have carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2030.

Johnson told reporters that he pushed Xi to move the peak to 2025 when the two men spoke by phone on Friday.

I wouldnt say he committed on that, Johnson said as he flew to Rome for a G-20 summit. On Sunday Johnson will host world leaders, though not Xi, at the two-week climate conference in Scotland.

Johnson said Xi explained about Chinas heavy dependence on coal power, and Johnson said that he replied that the U.K. had cut its own coal reliance from 40% of energy in 2008 to 1% today. Johnson said China should embrace technology to speed the transition to green energy.



ROME  U.S. first lady Jill Biden says she and Brigitte Macron, her French counterpart, sipped wine together as if they were sisters.

The women spent about an hour Friday getting better acquainted at an Italian restaurant in Rome.

Their husbands, President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, were meeting elsewhere in the city to ease tensions that flared after France felt blindsided by a U.S.-U.K.-Australia military deal.

The leaders are in Rome to attend the Group of 20 nations summit.

Upon leaving the restaurant, Jill Biden said the meeting with Brigitte Macron was wonderful.

She added: Its nice, two friends together, just like sisters.



ROME British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in Italy for a Group of 20 summit with a stark message: modern civilization may crumble like Ancient Rome if world leaders dont act to curb climate change.

Johnson told reporters on his plane that Romes ruins are a fantastic reminder, a memento mori for us today  that humanity, civilization, society can go backwards as well as forwards, and when things start to go wrong they can go wrong with extraordinary speed.

After the two-day G-20 meeting, Johnson is set to host a two-week U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Johnson will urge G-20 leaders to act more quickly, saying the worlds rich countries, which grew wealthy from using the fossil fuels that promote global warming, must bear the brunt of fighting climate change.



ROME  France has donated 67 million vaccine doses to the worlds poorest countries, making it the second country after the United States to have given the most to the UN-backed COVAX vaccine initiative.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France has met its commitments regarding vaccine donations, which have benefited over 45 countries, including around 30 in Africa. France has pledged to donate another 60 million doses by mid-2022.

The announcement comes as health and finance officials who gathered ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Rome warned of a two-track pandemic recovery, with COVID-19 vaccine shortages and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back after the pandemic.



ROME  Health and finance officials who gathered ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Rome warned of a two-track pandemic recovery, with COVID-19 vaccine and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back.

Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, said Friday that efforts to speed vaccinations were short $20 billion needed to pursue a goal of 40% of the world vaccinated by years end and 70% by the middle of next year.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the increasing divergence between developing and developed countries would be a major strategic risk for the rest of the world.

The ministers decided to create a G-20 joint task force to ensure efforts to combat the pandemic and prevent future ones are adequately funded.

The G-20 has supported the UN-backed COVAX initiative, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Summit negotiators have been focusing on efforts to strengthen local health resources, vaccine supply chains and vaccine production in less prosperous countries.



ROME  Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to calm stormy waters over fishing with France as he flew to Rome for a G-20 summit, where he is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

France is one of our best, oldest, closest, allies, friends and partners, he told reporters. The ties that unite us, that bind us together are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exist in the relationship.

Calling Macron a friend, he said that people on either side of the Channel may be trying to stir up disharmony between the U.K. and France, but I dont think Emmanuel shares that perspective.

Im puzzled about whats going on, Johnson said. He said there appeared to be an implicit breach of the legally binding Brexit divorce treaty in Frances threats  and reiterated Britains willingness to respond to any French sanctions.

We will stand by to take the appropriate action, he said. Any infraction of that agreement, by France or any other partner, is something we would obviously need to respond to.



ROME  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow may not provide the boost for global efforts to fight climate change that many are hoping for.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a G-20 summit in Rome, Guterres said there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver.

He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, we are still careening towards climate catastrophe.

Guterres said there are serious questions about some of those pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, the target set in U.N. talks on fighting climate change.

He said G-20 leaders in Rome, whose countries are responsible for most of the worlds global greenhouse gas emissions, have an opportunity to put things on track for the Glasgow talks, which will begin as the Rome summit ends.



VATICAN CITY  U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived at the Vatican for a private meeting with Pope Francis.

The worlds two most notable Roman Catholics plan to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.

Biden and his wife Jill arrived at the Vatican in an unusually long motorcade of more than 80 vehicles, owing in part to Italian COVID-19 restrictions on the number of people sharing a car. A dozen Swiss Guards stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace to greet them.

Biden is in Rome for the Group of 20 summit.



VATICAN CITY  South Korean President Moon Jae-in has given Pope Francis a statue of a cross made with barbed wire from the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

Moon, a Catholic, called on Francis on Friday before the start of the Group of 20 summit in Rome.

The Vatican, which didnt allow independent media in the audience, said Francis gave Moon a medallion replicating Berninis original plan for St. Peters Square. The design envisages the two main colonnades of the piazza embracing humanity in the church.

South Korean presidential officials had said they expected Moon and the pope to discuss a possible papal visit to North Korea since Francis had previously expressed a desire to do so if it becomes possible. Moon first floated the idea of a papal visit to the North in 2018 when he revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had said the pope would be enthusiastically welcomed in the officially atheist North.



ROME  Italy is deploying 5,300 extra troops and police officers, curbing public transport and sealing off a whole neighborhood of Rome to keep the peace during this weekends Group of 20 summit.

Police were out in force already Friday as leaders began arriving, and schools in the Italian capital canceled afternoon activities so students could get home before most roadblocks were set up. Protests and demonstrations were planned throughout the weekend.

The main security zone was around the Nuvola cloud-like convention center in Romes Fascist-era EUR neighborhood. But other areas were being cordoned off at different times depending on where the leaders were, including around the presidential palace and even the Trevi Fountain.

COVID-19 economic recovery and climate change are the two main issues being discussed by the leaders of the worlds 20 biggest economies, who are gathering in Rome before heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the U.N. climate conference.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Now that we have our new political maps for the next decade, we can start to look ahead at what the next elections in Iowa might look like.

But first, we will pause only briefly here to remind readers that it was suggested in this space one week ago that it seemed more likely than not that Iowa Republican state lawmakers would approve the second set of proposed redistricting maps, which is exactly what they did this week during a special session of the Iowa Legislature.

Now that our little back-patting session is out of the way, lets talk about the future.

While political considerations are not, as stated in Iowa law, to be a factor when the states nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency draws up the maps, the reality is new boundaries create political impacts.

Perhaps the most interesting pending decision will come from U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The Republican is in her first term representing the current 2nd District, but her home in Ottumwa was drawn into the new 3rd District. If she stays put  and assuming she would survive any potential primary challenge  she could possibly face U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat who is serving her second term representing central Iowas 3rd District.

Does Miller-Meeks stay in the 3rd and create a potential incumbent-vs.-incumbent general election race in 2022? Or does she move into the new 1st District, which contains a significant portion of the current 2nd District that she represents, and run there? Another option: She could stay put and run in the newly created 1st District (The U.S. Constitution does not require U.S. representatives to live within their districts, only within the state they represent.)

Of course, Axne has her own decision to make; she is still considering a potential run for governor.

If Miller-Meeks runs in the 1st, she could have to face Zach Nunn, with whom she served in the Iowa Senate, in a primary race. Nunn had announced his candidacy in the current 3rd District, but his home in Altoona was moved into the new 1st District.

Its starting to feel like you wont be able to tell a candidate without a program next year.

The new maps retained a potential Battle of the Former KCRG-TV Anchors in what will be the new 2nd District: Republican Ashley Hinson, who is serving her first term representing the current 1st District, and Democrat Liz Mathis both live in the new 2nd District.

Quick sidebar: My first question to the fine folks at LSA will be: How were the districts numbered and didnt you have any leeway to change the numbering method? Because the new 1st District is very similar to the current 2nd District, and vice versa. This has no meaningful impact on Iowa elections or politics, but it sure will test my memory and my editors attention over the next year.

At the statehouse level, Im hearing that Republicans are generally happy with the new maps, and Democrats are accepting them through a clenched-teeth smile. In the Iowa Senate, Democrats recognize their path back to a majority still will take multiple election cycles. But they have two big targets painted for next years elections.

Jack Whitver, the Republican majority leader in the Iowa Senate, lives in an Ankeny district that has been getting a little better for Democrats, and got a little more so with its change in redistricting. Unseating a legislative leader, no matter how politically competitive the district, is no easy feat. But its also not unprecedented. Republicans did it in 2016, when they beat former Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Democrat from Council Bluffs.

Senate Democrats also have their eye on Roby Smith, a Republican from Davenport who has taken the lead on statehouse Republicans elections bills. If both stayed put, Smith could face Jim Lykam, a longtime state legislator and senator from Davenport, in what would be a wildly interesting race.

Come what may, pending the governor's signature, we have our maps, the redistricting process is over, and Iowas gold standard was not tampered with. Regardless of the electoral outcomes of the next 10 years, that was a victory for all.

Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ErinDMurphy

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Drunk driving causes power outage

A Sioux City man was arrested the night of Oct. 23 after he crashed a truck into a utility pole on 14th Street while intoxicated, causing a power outage.

At around 11:47 p.m. Oct. 23, 48-year-old Horacio Campos-Martinez of Sioux City was driving a 2009 Ford F-150 eastbound on 14th Street near McDonald Street when he crossed the center line and struck a utility pole, causing power outages, according to a criminal complaint.

Campos-Martinez was found "stumbling" a block away from the site of the crash, according to the complaint, and had extremely poor balance, red, watery eyes, slurred speech, a strong odor of alcohol, and had urinated himself. He failed a field sobriety test, and his blood alcohol content was found to be .189%, more than twice the legal limit.

During an interview after being read his Miranda rights, Campos-Martinez admitted to having consumed beer and a shot, according to the complaint.

Campos-Martinez has several previous convictions for operating while intoxicated, including a conviction in Woodbury County in 2018 and another in Dickinson County in 2020. His license was barred as a habitual offender until 2024 and has three separate revocations in effect through 2026, and he is required to have SR-22 insurance (a legal requirement for some high-risk drivers), but he told officers he had no insurance on the vehicle.

He is also required to have an ignition interlock device equipped in his vehicle, but did not have one in the truck.

Campos-Martinez was arrested and faces charges including OWI (third), operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock, failure to maintain control, failure to provide proof of financial liability and various charges related to driving with a revoked, suspended and/or barred license.

He was held in the Woodbury County jail on $7,500 bond, and is expected to be extradited to South Dakota on a bench warrant to face other driving-related charges there from 2018, for which he failed to appear in court.

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With Successions siblings engaged in an episode-long argument about whether or not to join forces against Logan Roy, Mass in Time of War felt like the first conversation the four of them have ever had where their fathers presence receded just enough to inch toward an honest reckoning. But while the elder sons make the case for corporate parricide, with Kendall leading the charge and Connor just hoping hell finally get to run something, their younger siblings cant take advantage of the moment, even though if they presented a united front against their father, he would, as as Shiv puts it to Roman, bleed out. This failed attempt at sibling solidarity isnt surprising, but its still hard to watch. Succession is not a show that leans heavily on pathos, and its hard for any one character to generate sympathy. But there is pathos in this group of damaged people who are unable to come together, even though they are the only four human beings in the world who can understand each other.

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While its become obvious to point out there are no good people to root for on Succession, that being Team Roman or Team Shiv trivializes how awful all of these people are, you can still imagine the kind of childhood the Roys had, set against one another by a father who uses his love and approval as a bargaining chip. No amount of money can wash that trauma away. Because while Logan Roy is many things, first and foremost, he is an abuser. The show is cagey about how it shows thisits overall saltiness makes a serious, unironic look at trauma feel jarring, and its careful never to put the Roy children in too sympathetic a light. (If we needed a reminder that they are toxic, Connor whines to his father that he and Willa had to fly back to New York scheduled, which is apparently how private plane owners refer to commercial air travel.) But the abuse is there, and it is savage.

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In Season 2, after Shiv riffs that Waystar Royco needs a good old fashioned dinosaur culling, Roman makes a crack in front of his dad and out of nowheresudden, volatile, terrifyingLogan backhands him across the face. No, dont fucking touch him! Kendall shouts, and for once we see the Roys stripped of their rivalry and shitty banter, an older brother trying to protect his younger brother. The moment lasts the briefest of moments, and then everyone else, including Roman, rushes to brush past it. Watching them simply move on is almost as chilling as seeing the abuse itself.

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Then there is the psychological abuse Logan puts Kendall through when he forces him to meet the parents of the man Ken left to drown at the end of Season 1. Kendall has his own crimes to account for, we all know that, but Logan isnt trying to get his son to clear his conscience. Hes just twisting the knife, reminding Kendall that he owes a debt hell never be allowed to repay.

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The fascinating thing about Succession is that its not a show about succession at all. Its about how Logan dangles the promise of the throne as a way to wield power over his kids, and how that rivalry affects the siblings. What does it mean when theyve all been raised to want the same brass ring, and theres no splitting it four ways? Kendall, Shiv, and Roman have all been through the same poisonous charade that Logan might name them CEO. (Poor Connor only gets Youre my number one reassurances on the phone after getting stuck with the job of ensuring the company jets arrive on the right tarmacs.) But that shared experience still cant lead them to common ground.

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And thats painful, because the Roy siblings do love each other. They may treat each other horribly, they may share their fathers talent for exploiting each others weaknesses, but they also feel at home around each other. Can you say that about anyone else they spend time with? The genius of this show is that it looks like a shiny corporate thriller but its really an intimate family drama about the basic, underexamined bond of siblingsthere is no one else in the world who has experienced the same childhood, with these particular parents. And while every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, Succession takes Tolstoys concept to the extreme. Lots of families have terrible, abusive patriarchs. But there is only one Logan Roy.

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Thats all part of what makes the siblings failure, or inability to join together so heartbreaking. Its rare to see the four of them truly alone, a mirror of the scene in the first episode where they discuss Logans request to add Marcia to the trust. They even agree on some stufflike the fact that the company, and their father, have done terrible things. And they care, not just from a PR angle, but from a moral one. Waystars cover up of the assault and murder of women working on its cruise lines horrifies them. Thats a low bar, but for these kids, its something. If there is one thing the Roy kids are truly good at, its understanding how power works, so they know if they side with Kendall their father is finished. They can end him. Its the right play, and for a company besieged by a hostile takeover and criminal allegations it is probably the only play, the only way to gain even the appearance of a fresh start. But they cannot do it.

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Instead Kendall, even though hes publicly removed himself from Logans version of Game of Thrones, cannot help trying to position himself as number one. He makes slippery promises like Ill be CEO on paper, and tells Shiv, Youre the one I want, sounding just like his father, even as he implies shes just angry because she knows he did the right thing and she didnt. But shes repelled by his desire to dress up his actions as a moral crusade. Shiv, after all, likes to think of herself as the good Roy, someone who is better than she actually isdistancing herself from the company and backing progressive political candidates is how she copedand she cant stand Kendall trying to take the high ground.

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If Ken had approached it differently, he might have won Shiv over. But he cant help himself, just as Shiv cannot help herself when she coolly attacks Roman by calling out his sexual fixation on Gerri. She needs Roman, but she savages him, with the practiced ease of someone whos been doing it her whole life. And while Connor is most aligned with Kendalls crusadesaying Amen, brother when Kendall refers to Waystar as a declining empire within a declining empirehe also seems the most afraid of his father . When the doughnuts from Logan arrive, Connor stares at them as if they are a dagger delivered for a ritual suicide. Hes out. The others tell Kendall theyre out too, and then the siblings do what they do best, which is to rip each other to pieces. Its all the more depressing knowing theyll never get such a good chance to oust their father again.

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In some ways, the sibling dynamics on Succession remind me of The Crown, another prestige drama about a family where no outsider can every fully understand what it means to be part of the Firm. The language, the sense of duty, and the means of succession itself are completely different, but the loneliness is the same. As Succession barrels forward, Im certainly not rooting for any of the kids. But I am rooting for the Roys, plural, for these four siblings to be able to find some comfort in each other among the wreckage. Even that may be too much to hope for.
The joke goes something like this: A ferocious storm sweeps through a town, and in the aftermath, a man clambers onto his roof to escape the floodwaters. As he sits there, someone in a canoe comes by and offers to carry him to safety. No, thanks, the man replies. God will save me. The man paddles off, and the waters continue to rise. Shortly afterward, someone in a boat pulls up to offer help. No, thank you, the man says again. God will deliver me. The waters rise higher. Finally, a Coast Guard helicopter appears; someone with a megaphone offers to drop a ladder. No, thank you, the man says for a final time. I prayed for God to save me. The helicopter flies off, the waters engulf the roof, and the man drowns. When the man arrives in heaven, he asks in confusion, What happened, God? Why didnt you rescue me? God replies, I sent you a canoe, a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?

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If you ever regularly attended a Christian church, youve probably heard a version of this story, sometimes called the parable of the drowning man. But in the last year, a new version has cropped up. In it, a man ignores advice to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, and get the COVID vaccine. When he dies after contracting the virus at a party, God tells the confused Christian that he gave public health officials the intelligence to develop the vaccine and to educate the public about social distancing, hand-washing, masks, and other measures. I imparted wisdom to your leaders, who realized the dangers of COVID-19 and how humans could protect themselves, this version of God says in a Florida newspaper column in July, in one of a number of similar editorials in local and regional newspapers. Many of your leaders made sure they communicated to everyone. What more could I have done?

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The drowning man parable appears often in the discussion of Christian vaccine hesitancy. For some pro-vaccine Christians, the parable gives voice to their frustrations with anti-vaxxers claims to religious conviction behind their decisions. But does the parableone of the most commonly told modern Christian storiesreally address the issue the pro-vaccine camp thinks it does? Whom is the story for? And could it really convince anyone of anything?

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First, to understand why the parable of the drowning man pervades Christian discourse, you have to understand the theological meaning behind it. I first heard it some 20 years ago in South Alabama from a Catholic priest who almost certainly pulled it from the internet. He played it for laughs, but some preachers have used it as a genuinely meaningful, if lighthearted, fable to illustrate a sermon. Its essentially a way of expressing one of the core tensions in Christianity itself, said John Evans, a professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego.

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As Evans put it, this story puts a folksy anecdote to the theological questions around free will. There is a continuum in how Christians see Gods level of direct activity on Earth that ranges from a hands-off watchmaker God on one end to a God who interferes directly in every element of life. Virtually no Christians exist at either endpoint of the spectrum, Evans said, and the parable of the drowned man serves as a way of emphasizing the absurdity of the latter extreme.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the story has been around in some form or another for decades, but its not clear exactly where it originated. James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University, speculated that it might have emerged in the U.S. in the early or mid-20th century (without the helicopter), possibly as a pointed joke in response to the rise of Pentecostalism, which largely views the world as one still existing in an age of miracles. O. Wesley Allen Jr., a professor of homiletics at Southern Methodist Universitys Perkins School of Theology, also guessed that it began as a joke and made its way into church settings when a preacher was looking for a simple way to reconcile the Bibles message with the modern understanding of the world. After the rise of the Enlightenment, there was a tension in especially Protestant forms of theologies about the way God interacts with the world, Allen said. People looked for more and more ways to make their faith make sense in relation to scientific knowledge. In some sense, this joke has its origins in that air. It likely spread orally, and by the time televangelists were using these kinds of extrabiblical parables in addresses to a national audience, it would have been ubiquitous.

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The idea it responds tothat the way to solve problems is to wait for Gods solutionis a strain of Christian thinking with apocalyptic musings and real-life implications. This is still so deeply interwoven into a Christian mentality, that the evil in the world is insurmountable and they have to hold tight and wait for Gods plan, said John Corrigan, a professor of religion and history at Florida State University. In the minds of Christians who see a fully corrupted material world, Corrigan said, any solution to a problem that comes from human institutions rather than a direct message from God should be treated with suspicion.

It may be that the parable has never before been invoked so often, and for such a heated and high-stakes discourse, as now. Andrea Kitta, a folklorist at East Carolina University who currently studies stories told about COVID and the vaccine, said she encountered the drowning man parable alongside a parody of a vaccine card that mocked Christian anti-vaxxers by claiming its owner was vaccinated by the Lord. In a separate cartoon, she saw the parable as a direct analogy. Instead of a helicopter, its Pfizer and Moderna, she said.

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But is the parable an effective way to understand evangelical resistance to the vaccine? It certainly isnt uncommon for some Christians to cite Gods protection as one justification for not worrying too much about COVID or the vaccine. But the God will save me retort, with even a moments consideration, presents some theological head-scratchers. Why would God protect some faithful Christians and not others? Is it a matter of how hard someone prays? Or are you resigning yourself to the idea that everything, including when and how you die, is predetermined?

That collapse in logic gets to the true issue here, and the major reason so many invokers of the parable misunderstand their target: Many experts believe that Christian anti-vaxxers arent really thinking about their objections through a religious lens, even when they claim they are. According to Monique Deal Barlow, a doctoral candidate at Georgia State University who researches the intersection of politics and evangelical Christianity, the complaints more often have to do with concerns about a political or pharmaceutical elite trying to profit off the vaccine at their expense. So theyre more paranoid about being microchipped and tracked than about the mark of the beast, Deal Barlow said. Evans, too, said he doubts whether religion really has anything to do with it, especially given that no major faith leaders oppose the vaccine. In conservative Protestantism, youre supposed to have a religious justification for most of the things you do, so youre going to come up with one, he said. It didnt start with religion. It started with conservative Republican misinformation about the vaccines.

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So if vaccine indifference isnt truly based on the idea that God will protect you, then what is it based on? The Christian faith leaders who preach against the vaccine often do so with more worldly warnings of government control and persecution. And this is the rub, said Curtis Chang, co-founder of the Christians and the Vaccine project. Its all about reflexive distrust of secular institutions.

Thats the other major failing of the parable as a tool. The story points to the help of humans, but only in the form of individual people looking out for each other. The new version of the parable, when applied to COVID, is that God gave people brains capable of identifying precautions and inventing a vaccine. But of course the vaccine isnt just about the medical researchers and their brains. Its about the production of a scientifically complicated product and its mass distribution. Its actually a miracle of institutional cooperation and collaboration, Chang said. And this is where the Christian blind spot comes in, thinking God only works through individuals or a church. Christians have not been taught to think of God working through secular institutions, he said. Were seeing the ramifications.

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The complexity of Christian vaccine hesitancy is the reason many experts believe this parable wont do much. The editorials are using it as a hammer, said Allen. They might believe God is offering the vaccine as Gods work through the scientists, but theyre not really writing for the people on the other side of this. The darker, explicitly COVID-related version likely isnt used often in pulpits, as few pastors would want to cast the blame for COVID deaths on the victims ignorance. When its not printed as an earnest plea in a local paper, it exists more often as a joke on the internet, directed at the unvaccinated victims expense.

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Still, Chang and others believe the drowning man parable has value. Its not a clincher by any means, he said. People will respond, How do we know its from God? So it doesnt answer the question. But its a potentially helpful conversation opener. According to Deal Barlow, this kind of familiar Christian story and Christian language might be effective as a line of argument specifically if it comes from a trusted person, such as a friend or pastor.

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To be clear, the idea that God will protect an individual Christian against COVID isnt just a cover for political reasoning. There are certainly many people, including a great number of biblical literalists, who do believe God is personally looking out for them. Its a dominant belief, and not one to take lightly. But for Chang and others, the value in discussing the parable of the drowning man, at least when its telling comes from a good-faith effort by sympathetic and trusted figures, is establishing whether that really matters. It strips away the religious patina so you can get to whats really going on, Chang said. Because if people deceive themselves into thinking its a religious issue, you cant get to the heart of the thing. Its an important exercise in clearing away surface-level justifications.

Is there an interesting story happening in your religious community? Email tips to molly.olmstead@slate.com.
As laws claiming to target critical race theory in K12 schools and public universities move forward in various states, professors like me who teach on race and power in America (disproportionately faculty of color) are caught in the crosshairs. Wisconsins most recent policy, passed in the State Assembly, lists banned words that include white supremacy, whiteness, equity, multiculturalism, anti-Blackness, and hegemony. But if folks knew more about what critical race theory actually is, they would understand how challenging it would be to eliminate the teaching about racism in everyday life. Theyd also understand that banning words will not meaningfully change whether we teach critical race theory (whatever they believe it to be) at all.

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I live in the blue state of New Jersey, where I feel protected by state legislation affirming that all people should know of and remember the human carnage and dehumanizing atrocities of American slavery. But while I dont anticipate that any critical race theory rules will affect educators here any time soon, the threat still looms over me. Just a year ago, then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order that banned the teaching of divisive concepts on race in any institution that receives federal funding. Considering the massive expansion of similar state-level policies, the next Republican president will undoubtedly continue the effort to restrict teachers throughout the nation, including university-level educators like me.

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The truth is that these rules take direct aim at the kind of teachers most experienced at communicating about race and racism.

As a professor who teaches on race, media, and politics, Im comforted by my understanding that the key concepts in critical race theorymore than any particular termsare what we need to teach students about the ways racial bias manifests. Cheryl Harris seminal essay Whiteness as Property explains how whiteness has historically functioned as an asset under American law. Dorothy Roberts work on the markedly different treatment of drug-addicted Black and white mothers is an intersectional analysis of the criminal justice and child protection systems that shows race to be more of a factor than the actual crime when it comes to legal punishment, incarceration, and family separation. Charles Mills The Racial Contract makes us think about how Americas social contract with its citizens has created a power structure based on race. These arguments are based on historical law, texts, and evidence. They are rooted in stories about real people, their dreams and their tragic ends. I do not need to use the term whiteness to describe what it iswhiteness and other terms describing race and power in America are simply shorthand for much bigger ideas that Im confident Id be able to communicate to my students, even if forced to adhere to anti-CRT language bans.

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Take for example colorism, a word on Wisconsins banned terms list. Colorism means prejudice against people with darker skin tones and preference shown for those with lighter skin tones. Instead of using this word to explain the concept to students, I can talk about the famous paper bag test principle by which skin color determined admissions to social groups, clubs, and events in the Black community. Or I could analyze the film School Daze with my students. I do not need the phrase land acknowledgment to talk about the Lenape people who lived on the land where my university currently stands or explain what happened to them. I do not need the phrases restorative justice or structural inequity to tell the stories of Kalief Browder or the Exonerated Five. Students dont need to hear anti-Blackness to understand the anguish and pain of George Floyd as he died or the police union calling him a violent criminal after his last gasps of air. People who believe that a banned words list can prevent the discussion of American history and culture are people who know neither very well.

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The truth is that these rules take direct aim at the kind of teachers most dedicated and experienced at communicating about race and racism. The teachers who discuss the tragedies and horrors of anti-Blackness, slavery, and genocide in this country are the exceptions, not the rule. They are already well-versed in maneuvering around tone-deaf administrators, poorly informed students, scarce resources, and outdated curricula. They are passionate about their work and intentional about their learning goals. And I expect that they are the teachers most skilled at circumventing and subverting these sorts of policies.

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There is a long history of Americans fighting and sabotaging racist laws, which those well-versed in critical race theory deeply understand. During slavery, Black people learned how to read and teach others to read despite laws against it. They figured out how to memorize and pass messages that helped the North win the Civil War against the Confederacy and sang songs with tips that helped other enslaved people to escape. When cities and towns across the United States refused to fund schools for Black children, their parents donated the funds, building materials, and land to create schoolhouses. Once Black people received the right to vote, they learned to read passages of the Constitution just to cast a ballot and pass racist literacy tests. American laws barred Chinese workers from becoming citizens or marrying white people, and at one point kept Chinese women from immigrating to the U.S. at all. American Indian and Indigenous languages were banned from being spoken in the 1800s, but now federal grants fund their slow recovery. Separate but equal was once the law of the landand now every university and school in this nation is required to admit students regardless of race.

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I do not mean to suggest that these kinds of battles have ever been easy. There have been casualties and indescribable losses along the way. But there has always been a struggle to make things better for the most vulnerable people in this country, and there is power in that work. Anticritical race theory laws will not erase those efforts.

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Yes, the fight against critical race theory is a fight against affirmative action, a refusal to acknowledge the easily proven facts of American racism throughout this nations history, and a defense of white supremacy and power. Yes, it aims to terrorize and frighten people in every space of learning in American society. And, yes, we should be concerned. But the people behind this legislation should be concerned, too. Their efforts will fail. More than 60 percent of Americans say they are in favor of children of learning about slavery and the ongoing effects of racism. And we will teach them despite these roadblocksin fact, we will teach them because of these roadblocks. Efforts claiming to oppose critical race theory are not just on the wrong side of history; they are on the wrong side of whatand whoAmerica is today.
We are living through a golden age of exorcism. Since the 1990s, when the famous Italian exorcist Gabriele Amorth revived the rite, the number of exorcists in the Roman Catholic Church has exploded, with training courses running in Rome forced to turn would-be exorcists away.

The pope himself has endorsed the practice, as a growing number of Protestant churches promote deliverance ministries and other exorcisms as a central part of worship. And Hollywood has embraced it as a plot device, pouring cash into endless feature films, one tragically canceled TV series (and another critically acclaimed show thats still ticking), and spending $400 million on a forthcoming Exorcist trilogy, inspired by the 1973 classic.

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But what exorcists actually do is still, in many places, shrouded in secrecy. Long suspicious of depictions of their work in popular culture, exorcists are a notoriously cagey bunch, and hard to pin down for an interview. In 2015, Giuseppe Giordan, an Italian sociology professor, received a rare window into the daily life of a working exorcist in the form of a 200,000-word diarya daily record, in a Microsoft Word document, of every exorcism this anonymous person undertook, documenting more than 1,000 cases over 10 years in meticulous detail.

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Two years later, Giordan, a professor at the University of Padua, and his co-researcher at Western Sydney University, Adam Possamai, detailed their findings in a paper in the journal Current Sociology titled Mastering the Devil: A Sociological Analysis of the Practice of a Catholic Exorcist. The paper offers a level of detail on real-life modern exorcism not before seen. The unnamed exorcist, who is skeptical of most cases of possession, works closely with a psychiatrist to identify true cases, while also employing a heavy metal chair, reciting vulgar Latin to beat back the devil, and calling on several helpers to contain the convulsing bodies of the possessed.

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But beyond describing the specifics of the rite, Possamai and Giordan take their tools of analysis to the exorcists practice, dissecting the identities of the possessed and describing for the first time the incredible diversity of people who seek the professional services of an exorcist.

This week, I sat down with Giordan at a cafe in the shadow of Paduas Basilica of St. Anthony to talk about what this rare document reveals and to ask why exorcisms are so popular right now. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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John Last: Tell me about how you obtained this exorcists document. Its quite rare to get something like this, no?

Giuseppe Giordan: I knew the exorcist from when we both taught in Rome.  He was a professor of philosophy in a famous university, a Catholic university. His approach to life was very, how could I say, scientificnot superstitious. I reconnected with him after many years, and we went out for lunch, and as we were just talkingyou know, what are you doing now?he told me that the bishop of Padova told him to be the exorcist of the diocese, which is quite a big diocese in Italy. I was surprised because I knew him as a very, I would say, rational person. So I said, Listen, youve changed, youve shifted completely! And he said, No, no, no. I dont believe in the devil. I see the devil every day.

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He told me, You cant imagine how people come to me for help. He called it spiritual disease. So after a while, I said, Why dont we talk a little more, because this is an interesting field of research. From then on, we met once or twice a week for two years.

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He was very scientific in his approach. He made a document where he wrote everything, very organizedpersonal data, why they went to him, their jobs, age. It was a perfect document for a sociologist to analyze.

It was really unbelievable. First of all, it was quite rare for an exorcist to keep a document like that. Secondly, it was impossible that an exorcist gives that document to someone other than a priest or a bishop. But we had known each other forever.

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Before we published our paper, the last issue was, will you allow us to attend an exorcism? He said thats difficult, but when the person, the possessed, said yes, we attended an exorcism and wrote down what happened.

How did this particular exorcist approach the rite of exorcism?

We could write an encyclopedia on what we saw. The way exorcisms are performed, I dont think it depends on the possessed, I think it depends much more on the exorcist.

If you read the rite of exorcism, he followed exactly what is written. This exorcist is convinced that the Latin is much more effective with the devil than Italian, because Latinyou know, VADE RETRO SATANA [go back, Satan]is much more explicit.

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Tell me about some of the cases that he dealt with. How did they challenge common assumptions about exorcisms?

From the sociological point of view, we were interested in understanding why people believe this. Because we assume that the more people are educated, the less they should believe in this kind of stuff. But we discover the opposite.

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In this document there are 1,100 cases over 10 years. He worked a lot. First, only 5 percent really were possessed, according to the exorcist, which means around 50 people, out of 1,000. Out of the general group, around half were not very educated. But the other half, they were very educated. And among the 50 [he decided were] possessed, they were really educated.

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Second, they were on average middle-agedbetween 40 and 50. Third, there were more men than women. Also, while for a certain percentage it was enough, just one or two rituals, in other cases there are ongoing rituals for years.

Another unexpected thingbut again, the character of the exorcist is the fundamental key to understand thisthe exorcist worked with a psychiatric doctor. They worked together.

To triage cases.

Exactly. It is clear that when a person goes to the exorcist, they are expecting something. They perceive something bad. They dont know how to name it. And probably, the easiest way is to call it Satan, or I dont know what. So the exorcist, the first thing he does is say, lets try to talk with a psychiatrist, and lets see the reaction.

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Of course, the psychiatrist must also believe there is something beyond, in order to work with an exorcist. But it shows that science and belief, they sustain each other. Its not a zero-sum proposition: more science, less superstition. Not at all.

Exorcisms are usually depicted in films and TV as quite brutal and harsh, even violent. Is that what its like in real life?

No. Not to that extent. Father Gabriele Amorth (a famous exorcist from Rome), if you read his books, describes all kinds of strange things, which are not in the experience of this exorcist.

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OK, so, speaking in tongues, speaking in different languages, yes. He experienced three or four times people speaking in perfect Latin, without any reason to know it. Thrashing, moving hands and legs so that its a little bit dangerousthree or four times. Yelling, much more.

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To be honest, it is not so exciting. The tension was much more before the rite. The wife of my co-author Adam (Possamai) and my wife were nervousthey said, What are you doing??

It feels dangerous.

Si! It was something, but not so  [Shrugs.]

But in 1,000 cases, he has just a few where there is inexplicable illness. But he was really cautious in practicing exorcism. Some people use a diagnostic exorcism to see if youre possessed or not. He didnt use that because he said it was dangerous. If you perform the exorcism, a person could act as though theyre possessed, even become convinced.

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So, nothing so exceptional. For us, it is more interesting to see the people who believe they are possessed. People who have degrees, who have a positionuniversity professors, high-level positions. They really do believe they are possessed.

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Your paper describes one person who received 354 exorcisms over the course of 10 years. What was happening there?

Yes, that is a kind of illness which is not explainable by medicine. The psychiatrist and exorcist, both of them agreed after going to different doctors. Nobody was able to explain what was going on, so they said, yeah, this person needs exorcism. And why? They are very pragmatic. Does it work? Yes? Then keep doing it. The 300-times possessed, he is convinced it helps a lot. Because it gives him the strength to go on another week.

In your work you talk about a growing cultural interest in exorcism and an increasing belief in the power of the devil. What do you think is driving that?

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Even within the church, there is debatedoes the church believe that the devil exists? If you talk about God, probably nobody cares. If you talk about the devilI spoke at a university, we presented the book, and we had to say to people, Enough! We have no more seats! If you do something about God, its maybe two, three people. This is the discussion within the Catholic Church.

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Now today, exorcism is spread over all religions. Every religion has blessings, delivery rites. But in Catholicism, it really grew in the late 1990s. Amorth, the exorcist in Rome, he was the one who pushed to rediscover this. And he succeeded, by the way. He started a group of exorcists in Rome, and now they are hundreds800, 900 people in the association. They give courses, training exorcists, and they have to refuse people.

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Why do people believe in possession? I think that the more science is able to reply to how, more people ask themselves about why. And you know, probably the traditional churches are not able to give credible answers anymore. So people go to folk religion, which has always been a little bit dismissed or put aside from the official churches. So there is coming out in us the tribal aspect of everyday life. We are not that much different from people who lived 2,000 years ago. There is a strong interest in this based on what we do not understand of life.

I dont know if we are satisfied with the replies of science. But again, once we know how things work, there is always room to ask why things happen.
Our advice columnists have heard it all over the years. In this special edition, we dive into the Dear Prudie archives and share some of the best letters weve received about creepy happenings . Join Slate Plus for even more advice columnsyour first month is only $1.

Dear Prudence,

I love my house, which I bought about four years ago. I feel comfortable, peaceful, calm, and happy in it. I lived here about a year before one day my neighbor across the street asked if I knew about the woman who died there years ago. I said No! with utter surprise, and he began to scold the realtors for not disclosing the details. He said it was very sad and tragic, but I dont know anything about who she was or any circumstances surrounding the story. All I know is that there were some not-so-great people living here for years while the house was rented out, and that this neighbor has lived on the street for a long time. If anybody knows something about this street, its probably him.

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I havent told anybody about this. Im engaged now and neither my family nor my future wife know. If we felt ghosts moving things around or felt evil spirits or something, Id feel more compelled to say something. We both feel complete peace and have even talked about how peaceful the air is, so to speak. I feel like saying something will only open a can of worms. She loves this house and wants to stay here until we are old! She is generally freaked out about ghosts and spirits. Even talking about them makes her uncomfortable and causes her to change the subject. I would like to know more about the history of our house, but I dont know where to look. More importantly, should I say something that could put a stain on how she loves our house, or do I leave that skeleton in the closet?

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Im not sure what you would tell your partner, if you decided to. I dont want to creep you out unnecessarily, but my guess is that most houses of a certain age have seen at least one death within their walls. You have, almost certainly, at one point or another been inside of a building someone else once died in. The whole planet is a grave of everyone who has ever lived before you! (I realize this makes me sound like a Cure song, but you know what I mean.) If the most recent owner of the house had been brutally murdered three weeks before you bought the place, and the killer were still on the loose, you might have grounds to say something to your fiancee and the realtor who sold you the place. But all you have is a gossip-y neighbor and the vague intimation that a long time ago he didnt like the family who used to rent your house. Youve lived here peacefully for years, you and your future wife both love it there, and no one else has stopped in front of your yard, lifted a trembling finger to your front door, and whispered, Thats it  thats the murder house. I dont think youre withholding important information from your partner, and I dont think your property has had an unusual relationship to death. I hope you two are able to stay there until youre old, too. Danny M. Lavery

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From: Help! Should I Tell My Fiancee About the Grisly Death That Happened in My House? (June 10, 2019)

Dear Prudence,

Ive been living with my roommate, Leanne, for three weeks. I thought she was a hipster who put up pictures of old indie rock stars on her wall. Then my friend came to our dorm and told me the dudes in her pictures were serial killers: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein. I freaked out and asked Leanne to take them down, but she refuses. She wont explain why she put the pictures up, which also freaks me out.

I hate looking at pictures of these evil people and have been spending nights in my friends dorms. I have to wait to transfer rooms until theres an opening. Leanne and I barely talk now. Im not someone who enjoys horror films, and I get scared easily. I want to be comfortable in my room, and Im not sure how to do that. Am I being immature for not getting over this?

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It is very reasonable and not at all immature to say, I dont want pictures of serial killers all over my walls. By no standard of the maturation process is it reasonable to say, By such-and-such an age, you must feel extremely comfortable falling asleep under a poster of Ed Gein. If your roommate isnt willing to compromise, then I think its worth involving an RA or your universitys housing office. She can look at serial killers all she likes, just not on the walls you two have to share. D.L.

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From: Help! My Roommate Wont Say Why She Decorated Our Dorm With Photos of Serial Killers. (Sept. 5, 2018)

Dear Prudence,

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My boyfriend, Peter, wants to break up with me. Obviously thats his right, I know that, but it feels like Im actually being irresponsible by just leaving. Peter has always had an interest in the paranormal and things like that. So do I, although I prefer M.R. James to actual, real-life creepy places. Over the past six months, however, Peter has moved further left of the socially accepted idea of normal. Hes become convinced that Im the reincarnation of an evil witch. And sure, maybe he just thinks Im an evil witch and wants an excuse to dump me. Id actually be relieved if that were true, to be honest. Peter really seems to believe that Im an evil soul, though, and is quite sad over this.

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I just dont know how to navigate this breakup ethically and respectfully. Hes not violent or a risk to himself, and there are plenty of worse conspiracy theories out there. On the other hand, he also wants to end a three-year relationship because hes realized hes dating an evil spirit. That doesnt seem like the decision of a healthy psyche, and this has all just happened in a relatively short space of time. He doesnt talk to his familyhes always said they were weirdly religious, which seems relevant nowand hes distanced himself from his old friends so he could find ones with the same interests. Right now it feels like Im the only person in his life with a healthy dose of skepticism, and that it would be irresponsible to just  leave for saner pastures. But hes a grown man and he doesnt want me around anymore (since I am apparently unconsciously feeding on his purity), so is there anything I can do? Hes obviously not inclined to take my evil-inspired advice right now.

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There is a complicated gray area in between totally unreasonable/baffling but part of the rich tapestry of human weirdness and deeply concerning, time to call a doctor, and Im afraid this might fall into it. Certainly I dont think you should stay in a relationship just because youre afraid youre the only tether a person has left to sanitythats not a reasonable or healthy burden to place on yourself. If you want to try to remain even distantly connected so that you can periodically check in and potentially try to intervene if or when his delusions do strike you as more worrying, then I think thats worth doing. But I think this romantic relationship is clearly over, and to whatever degree youll be able to remain in his life, itll be as someone who cares deeply about his well-being and wants him to maintain a strong grip on reality. I think the best thing you can do now is accept that this relationship is over.

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I dont want to say that just because hes fallen prey to a conspiracy theory/is experiencing what sounds like delusional thinking, you are necessarily in danger, but I do hope that if he ever escalates from Youre an evil spirit to Youre an evil spirit, and its my responsibility to get rid of evil spirits, youll already be far away and well-protected. To that end, I think you should make sure that youre not alone with him right now. I know you say hes not violent or a risk to anyone, and Ill take your word on that. Im not suggesting you need to call the police or put him in a psychiatric holdI dont think that would do him much good. But if he ever does start offering threats, please prioritize your safety. D.L.

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From: Help! My Boyfriend Thinks Im the Reincarnation of an Evil Witch. (June 3, 2019)

Dear Prudence,

Last year one of our neighbors was really ticked off about our Halloween decorations being too scary. We really do go for the more ghoulish decorating and have a lot of fun with it! Whats Halloween without the fog machines, scary music (not loud), ghosts, and gruesome decor? The neighbors on either side of us have joined the fun and put up quite a display themselves. None of the decorations are over-the-top blood and guts, but the standard Halloween fare. The angry neighbors across the street have a 5-year-old daughter. They said she wouldnt sleep with the light off for a month after our horrifying decorations scared the daylights out of their little girl. They also said they hoped that we would refrain from the frightening decorations since we now knew they upset their daughter. They still will barely speak to any of us who decorated using anything scary to a 5-year-old. Prudie, the kids on our street are a wide variety of ages, with the vast majority of the kids being 8 or older. I have three boys ages 8, 10, and 12 who have a great time with the scary stuff. Is it insensitive for us to decorate with tombstones, scary witches, and skeletons? My boys and their friends next door are already planning new ideas for the Halloween display. Should I pull the plug on the fog machine and plan a super-duper Happy Halloween?

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My daughter was still in her high chair having dinner when our first trick or treaterwearing a wolfman maskcame to the door, and my husband thought it would be great to bring him into the house and show our toddler. Naturally, hysterics ensued. Nonetheless she recovered and went on to be dressed as a witch and a skeleton during her elementary-school years and even asked to go back twice to the house of the people with the twitching plastic rat. Sure, your neighbors daughter was scared, but being a parent means not expecting the world to bend to your child, but guiding your child through the world. If the parents have carried out this grudge for a year, I feel sorry that their little girl is missing lessons in humor and resilience. My suggestion is that before you start the decorating you go over and speak to the parents and say that youd enjoy it if their daughter (and her parents) came over to help your sons decorate the house. Say that you think if she helps the big boys, and can see all this scary stuff is just things in boxes and not so scary after all, that she will really enjoy the festivities. If they shut the door in your face, tell your sons to skip their house when they go out for candy. Emily Yoffe

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From: Help! My Neighbors Say Our Halloween Decorations Are Too Scary for Their Daughter. (Sept. 25, 2012)

Dear Prudence,

For more than a decade, I have been involved in my citys pagan community (Wicca to be precise). My husband is also Wiccan. Im not some 20-year-old flake rebelling against her parents. I am educated, intelligent, and articulate, and I came to Wicca in my 30s, spending these past years soul-searching and learning. After advice and support from my husband, my teachers, and members within the community, I have decided to leave behind my 15 years in the corporate rat race to begin spiritual mentoring and teaching, full time. My dilemma is this: Virtually everyoneexcept my business contacts, my parents, and sisterknows that I am a devoted pagan. Believe me, coming out of the broom closet is a one-way trip. I have never hidden the fact that Im Wiccan, but I have also never advertised it. Im worried about my parents and sisters ability to cope with what they will see as a very sudden and weird change in my life. How do I tell them about my religious practices and my choice to go public without them trying to have me committed and deprogrammed? Seriously, can you help me?

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Perhaps you shouldnt have saved up your religious conversion news for a decade, but since you did, your best bet is a sit-down with your folks and your sister. If Prudie were in your broom closet, er, shoes, she would explain that believing your selection of religions would strike them as weird, you spared them the information. Being a practicing Wiccan for all these years, however, you can tell them that you wanted them to know at a time when they would no longer think it a hasty decision. Be prepared, however, for some resistance to what is still a misunderstood and minority religious practice. Chances are that people who know nothing of Wiccan culture imagine its about pointy hats and cauldrons. Good luck. E.Y.

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From: Witch Way (Dec. 4, 2003)

Dear Prudence,

I dated my first husband for eight years before we married a decade ago, so I was considered part of his family. We were both in our early 30s. Within the year he died suddenly of a massive heart attack. As you can imagine, it was a terrible shock. His parents handled all the arrangements, which I really appreciated. However, this included a double gravesite for the two of us, with his name, date of birth, and death, and my full name and date of birth on the tombstone. Obviously I should have paid more attention, but I was just numb. They still refer to our gravesite, even though I am happily remarried and have 3-year-old twins. I tend to tiptoe around this, but clearly they expect me to be buried there. However, my preference now is to be buried with my current husband. My first marriage was so short, and I am happier and more fulfilled in this one. My former in-laws are in their 70s, so in the ordinary course of things they should go first. But if that doesnt happen, I dont want to cause an ugly fight. Is stating my preference in my will sufficient? I dont want to be cruel, but whenever I try to gently broach the subject it does not go well.

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If your former in-laws are otherwise accepting of your new husband, Id be inclined to tell you to make your own arrangements, say nothing to them, and bank on the very strong odds that you will outlive them. But as your own experience bears out, life does not always follow the ordinary course of things, and the potential fallout and hurt feelings that could result if either of them outlived you would be very painful for your husband and children, Im sure. Rather than try to broach the subject, which implies that you are inviting their input, just tell them (kindly, of course) that while you loved their son very much, when you die youll be buried with the father of your children. D.L.

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From: Help! My Deceased First Husbands Parents Want Me to Be Buried Next to Him. (Feb. 17, 2016)

More from Dear Prudence

I live in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country, but on one of the more modest streetsmostly doctors and lawyers and family business owners. (A few blocks away are billionaires, families with famous last names, media moguls, etc.) I have noticed that on Halloween, what seems like 75 percent of the trick-or-treaters are clearly not from this neighborhood. Kids arrive in overflowing cars from less fortunate areas. Should Halloween be a neighborhood activity, or is it legitimately a free-for-all in which people hunt down the best candy grounds for their kids?
Many progressives are unhappy with President Joe Bidens scaled-down version of the Build Back Better Act, his signature spending bill. Democrats had already cut their original plan in half, to $3.5 trillion; the new framework, announced on Thursday, cuts it in half again, to less than $2 trillion. Biden thinks he can get Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the two Democrats who rejected bigger versions of the package, on board with this version. With razor-thin margins in both chambers of Congress, Biden cant afford any defections on the left. But if youre one of the disappointed progressives, heres why you should take the deal.

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1. Everything in it is good. Its really that simple. Were not talking about balancing good provisions against bad ones. Were talking about how much good stuff youll get. The plan doesnt fund Medicare coverage for dental work, for instance, but it does fund Medicare coverage for hearing. It doesnt offer the originally proposed $400 billion for home-based care, but it does offer $150 billion. It doesnt pay for free community college, but it does massively subsidize child care and universal pre-K. Theres no downside.

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2. The left has used its leverage. Progressive lawmakers held up the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which the Senate had already passed, to pressure Manchin, Sinema, and House Democratic centrists to support the BBB plan. They laid out their demands and forced the centrists to negotiate. The centrists have now clarified their limits. Take it or leave it.

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3. You can come back for more later. This isnt the last spending bill Congress will pass. And while normal bills can be filibustered, that barrier can be circumvented through budget reconciliation. So you can try again for the dental coverage, the community college funding, and other items. You can also raise the corporate tax rate, which Sinema refused to do. Its still sitting there at a low 21 percent. Manchin is willing to raise it to 25 percent. Thats an extra revenue source that Democrats, with one more vote, could tap in the future.

4. Some of whats in the bill cant wait. Its true that many people will suffer because they need help that isnt funded in this plan. But on the one thing that absolutely cant waitcontrolling greenhouse gas emissionsthe plan keeps the vast majority of what was in the larger version. Progressives have argued for years that we have to move quickly to save the planet. So lets start with these climate provisions, and we can add more later.

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5. The package is bigger than it looks. The BBB debate is completely warped by panic among Democrats that theyll never have power again. They think they have to cram a decades worth of spending into one bill. They dont. Many of the cuts in the package are just reductions in the time frame. Under this legislation, for instance, the expanded Child Tax Credit would be authorized only through 2022. Thats a zero percent compromise for the next year. Why not just come back in a year and try to extend it?

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6. Some of the omitted ideas can stand on their own. Biden wanted to let the government negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to drive down drug prices. A handful of Democratic centrists said no, so that idea has been dropped from the package. But its still overwhelmingly popular, with 75 percent support among all voters and nearly 70 percent support among Republican voters. You dont have to stall the whole package over such proposals. You can rally the public to pass them later.

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7. You can elect lawmakers who will vote for bigger plans. The Democratic Party is big and diverse. In the BBB debate, from left to right, Manchin and Sinema are the 49th and 50th senators in that coalition. Instead of grousing about what they wont accept, youre better off working to elect more Democrats, so that Manchin and Sinema are the 51st and 52nd senators in the coalition. Theyll agree with you on some things but not others, and it wont make or break you.

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8. The time-limited proposals are good campaign issues. Next year, when the expanded Child Tax Credit approaches its expiration, you can tell voters that theyre about to lose it unless they elect more Democrats. And in 2024, as the expanded health insurance subsidies approach their expiration, you can deliver the same pitch. Time-limited programs arent the best way to make policy, but they fit the democratic process. You can launch a program, demonstrate that its working, and ask voters to renew it.

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9. Were lucky to be where we are. In the November election, Republicans locked down 50 Senate seats. They outpolled Democrats for a 51st seat and had the advantage of incumbency in the race for a 52nd seat, both of which went to runoffs in Georgia. Mitch McConnell was firmly on track to remain in power as Senate majority leader. Then Donald Trump miraculously intervened. For the next two months, Trump made himself and his lies about the election the biggest issue in the country. He convinced many right-wing voters in Georgia that their ballots didnt matter, and he scared moderates and progressives into turning out for the two Democratic nominees, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Thats why, instead of begging McConnell for crumbs, youre negotiating with Manchin and Sinema over trillions in new spending. Cheer up.
This story was produced in partnership with The Garrison Project, an independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing.

Earlier this month, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced 125 arrests from Operation Round-up, a sting aimed at combatting human trafficking. It was the latest in a wave of anti-trafficking stings in Floridas fourth most populous county, which includes Tampa. In 2019, Chronister conducted two high-profile operations with Hollywood-style namesOperation Trade Secrets I and Operation Trade Secrets IIthat netted 85 and 104 arrests respectively. Theyre often uncritically covered by local media, sometimes with mugshots and full names of those arrested but not yet convicted of a crime.

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Chronisters office said the operation helped rescue four women and one teenager from the heinous grasp of human trafficking. But none of the 125 people arrested during Operation Round-up were charged with human trafficking, according to a review of all of the charging documents by The Garrison Project, a new, non-partisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing. Though Operation Round-up was almost entirely focused on arrests of men, such stings often operate as a means for police to arrest sex workers under the guise of rescuing women from traffickers. Critics of the large operations say law enforcement is harming the very people they say theyre trying to protect.

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Of the charges, 103 arrests were for soliciting another to commit prostitution, eight were for entering or remaining in a place for prostitution, and two were county ordinance violations for unlawful acts related to a solicitation event/as a precursor to prostitution. Four people were charged with aiding and abetting prostitution, two with transporting for prostitution, one with offering to procure another for prostitution, and one with purchasing the services of a person engaged in prostitution. One person was charged only for having a previous warrant. All of these charges were misdemeanors.

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Of the four felony charges, two people with were charged with transmission of harmful material to a minor, using a computer to solicit and other related charges; one was charged with deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution; and one person received a felony drug charge for possession in addition to a misdemeanor solicitation charge.

Jessica Lang, a public relations coordinator for the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said Operation Round-up was aimed at targeting those who are seeking to take advantage of or exploiting another person through human trafficking. But she also confirmed that none of the people arrested by the sheriffs office were charged with human trafficking violations.

Despite the lack of human trafficking charges, Chronister touted Operation Round-up as a success. 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, he said in a press release. Chronister also pledged to create a 12-person unit focused on human trafficking, as a result of the operation. To still see these types of numbers, to still see the number of women we are rescuing, I knew we had to have a full-time squad, he said.

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Fighting human trafficking funnels resources to law enforcement agencies. The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office is one of several local agencies in a Human Trafficking Task Force that received nearly $750,000 from the Justice Department early last year.

Chronisters focus on human trafficking is common amoung law enforcement agencies in Florida. So too is the fact that these stings rarely net traffickers. Perhaps the most high-profile sting was the 2019 raids of massage parlors on Floridas east coast that resulted in nearly 300 arrests, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, charged with soliciting prostitution. Its manifestly obvious to us that this is human trafficking, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said. But soon afterward, prosecutors admitted that no one arrested in the raids was charged with human trafficking. There is no human trafficking that arises out of this investigation, said an assistant state attorney. In September 2020, Florida prosecutors dropped the case against Kraft entirely.

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Part of the problem is that law enforcement officers continue to conflate sex work with trafficking. Under Florida law, trafficking victims are defined as those who are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. But research shows, that most people in the sex work industry do not enter because of force or coercion. The arrests in Florida continue to back up these claims. For example, in 2020, The Appeal found that the vast majority of charges in Operation Trade Secrets II were for solicitation, and that nearly 30 of the arrests were simply of sex workers.

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Sex workers say that these mass arrests make their work less safe by putting them at constant risk of arrest and prosecution. At the same time they do nothing to solve the problem of human trafficking. An arrest doesnt address the social issues that bring people to sex work, one Tampa sex worker, who asked not to be identified, said.

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The emphasis by sheriffs departments on clients of sex workers is part of a larger approach to halting trafficking called End Demand that focuses on arrests of clients instead of sex workers themselves. As was the case in Hillsborough County, the arrests are often widely publicized and include the names and mugshots of men. The purpose of this tactic is to discourage people from seeking out sex workers.

But research has shown that End Demand results in increased harms against sex workers, including reduced access to health and community services and increasing their risk of violence. A policy brief by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects argues that End Demand puts sex workers in dangerous work conditions. Women sex workers report feeling increasingly unable to refuse clients demands for unprotected sex, accepting clients they previously would have refused, and working in riskier locations, for longer hours and at night in order to continue to meet their basic financial needs in the face of reduced demand, the brief states.

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Theres no real evidence that targeting demand for commercial sex impacts human trafficking and we do have a considerable body of research that they do cause harm, said Erin Albright, who has worked with multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking taskforces for nearly 15 years. Beyond that though, my concern about these operations comes down in part to resources. They can be pretty extensive and expensive, and rarely identify actual victims. So my concern is, how much money are we spending on theseand for what outcomeswhen we have victims of trafficking who cant find safe housing.

Chronisters office referred the women to Selah Freedom, an anti-trafficking non-profit based in Sarasota that runs a 22-bed residential shelter for trafficking victims. The organization, which brought in $4 million in revenue in 2019, is also part of the Tampa Bay human trafficking task force.

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Stacey Efaw, Selah Freedoms executive director, said it could not confirm it is providing services to these women, or explain the services it is providing them, for privacy reasons. She said their services, which include therapy and job assistance programs, are not mandatory in cases of law enforcement referrals. Its voluntary, if they want help, Efaw said.But Alex Andrews, the cofounder of the Sex Workers Outreach Program Behind Bars, which provides support for incarcerated sex workers and victims of trafficking, says these services arent always perceived as voluntary by those who are referred to them by law enforcement. Its not referred for services so much as it is coerced into services. We call it coercive intervention, where they get a choice between going to jail, or going to this program, Andrews said. They try to talk them into being victims, because otherwise theyre going to criminalize them.

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Andrews said organizations like Selah Freedom that see all sex work as trafficking miss the chance to help people who are engaging in sex work access supports like mental and physical health care and safety planning. In order to do that, she said, you have to recognize bodily autonomy and the spectrum of consent.

In the best case scenario, women arrested in these stings are referred to people who may or may not help them, and they may or may not want the help, said Aya Gruber, a criminal law professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. But in the typical scenario, women are arrested, theyre processed, some can end up with cases, and some are now in the purview of the police and the police are on the lookout for them.

Chronister and other agencies raids arent actually designed to end trafficking, Gruber points out. Instead, they are simply interrupting a sex work operation. In the long run, Gruber said, these tactics could actually make the problem worse. Frequent raids that sweep sex workers up into the criminal justice system could make them worse off, and more destitute upping the likelihood that they come in the grips of an exploiter.
On Friday, President Joe Biden met with Pope Francis for the first time since he took office. Biden, a deeply devout man and the countrys second Catholic president, spoke with Francis privately for 75 minutesa remarkable amount of time and more than twice as long as Francis significantly less warm meeting with President Donald Trump. When Biden emerged from the meeting, he indicated that the conversation had amounted to a major repudiation of the conservatives in the U.S. church: The two hadnt discussed abortion, Biden said. And, more crucially, he said the pope had told him that he was a good Catholic and should keep receiving Communion.

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The question of whether Bidens support for abortion rights could disqualify him from receiving Holy Communion has been the major point of attack for conservative Catholics and one of the most divisive Catholic controversies in recent history. In June, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, considered to be one of the most conservative bishop conferences in the world, openly debated the question, ultimately electing to draft a document clarifying its understanding of the sacrament. In that debate, several prelates directly referenced Biden, with Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City ranting against a Catholic president thats doing this, the most aggressive thing weve ever seen in terms of this attack on life.

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Since then, conservative Catholics have continued to assert that clergy should turn Biden away should he ask for Communion, citing canon law rules around who can and cannot be in Communion with the church. Denying a politician the Eucharist, one of the most sacred elements of Catholic faith, for his political positions would come as a shock in the Catholic world. As Bidens defenders have pointed out, St. John Paul II gave Communion to a former mayor of Rome who supported abortion rights. Still, the debate isnt entirely new. Pope Benedict XVI, Francis predecessor, had himself indicated that he believed that those who persisted in supporting abortion access should be barred from receiving Communion. While he was still a cardinal, Benedict wrote a letter to U.S. bishops arguing that it was not a sanction or a penalty but an outcome of the person becoming unworthy to receive Communion because of an objective situation of sin.

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But Pope Francis does not share Benedicts philosophy. He has very frequently spoken about the Eucharist as nourishment for a sinners soul, not as a reward for the pure. And while Francis is firm in his position that abortion amounts to murder, he has also emphasized that abortion is not the preeminent Catholic issue and that defending migrants, the poor, and other vulnerable groups is of equal importance. In May, the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote in a letter that the American debate over the Eucharist could become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States and that it was misleading to portray abortion and euthanasia as the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching.

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Francis came closest to directly addressing the debate in September, when he told reporters that he had never refused the Eucharist to anyone. He did add that he was unaware of any instances in which a pro-choice politician had received Communion from him, but he concluded his comments by arguing that bishops should be pastors rather than politicians.

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Still, Francis has held back on explicitly commenting on the Biden-Eucharist question, in part to avoid amplifying the debate or alienating conservative Catholics in the U.S. (The Vatican did not confirm anything about Francis conversation with Biden, saying it was private.) The Vatican is well aware that Biden will not be denied Communion, given that the decision is ultimately up to a parishioners local bishop, and Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory has been very clear that he will not deny Communion to anyone. But Francis silence on the matter allowed conservatives to continue to speculate with the cover of ambiguity. Now they will no longer have that cover.

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That is, as long as they take Biden at his word. Given the early reaction from conservative Catholics casting such doubt, many will still be able to stake their position while maintaining that they are not in conflict with the pope. But its not the regular lay Catholics who have the ultimate say in this. Next month, the U.S. bishops will meet to debate and vote on their document on the Eucharist. And while individual conservative Catholics will likely continue to debate the question until Francis himself puts out a statement asserting that Biden should continue to receive Communion, it may just be that for the bishops participating in the conference, this latest comment from Francis finally puts the issue to bed.
In the first days of jury selection this week in Sines v. Kessler, the civil case filed against the organizers of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, nearly every populist conspiracy theory funneled through conservative social media directly into the right-wing media ecosystem made an appearance. Defendants in the case have indeed come to unite the right, viewing nearly every aspect of jury selection through their own partisan lens. In the intervening years since the case was filed, the right has birthed one right-wing boogeyman after another. They have battled for public attention with their ouroboros of populist conspiracy theories designed to keep and hold media attention in a society riven by multiple crises.

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Plaintiffs have built their case on an unusually deep trove of evidence. In the weeks after the Unite the Right rally that devolved into chaos and violence, thousands of private messages between Unite the Right organizers and attendees were leaked and published. These messages reveal detailed plans about preparing for violence, improvising weapons, and even exploring the legality of running down protesters with cars. The evidence has been damning. Leaked messages and videos have led to federal and state criminal indictments and military courts-martial. One of the defendants in Sines, Robert Azzmador Ray, went into hiding after a felony warrant was issued for him in Virginia for his alleged conduct during the rally. He remains a fugitive.

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In response, the defendants have built a strategy around pointing fingers at whatever right-wing boogeyman is most convenient. They have claimed, at various times, that local and state police conspired with antifa to allow violence to occur, that plaintiffs engaged in a conspiracy to commit racial violence against white people, and, bizarrely, that the KKK Act only bars conspiracies to commit violence against Black people and Republicans.

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To this end, the defense has even tried to leverage the ongoing pandemic for their cause. During a pretrial hearing, defendant Christopher Cantwell, arguing on his own behalf, urged that jurors who refused to comply with court requirements to wear a mask properly and at all times should not be excluded. The mask issue has become a politicized point, argued Cantwell, who repeatedly claimed that excluding anti-maskers was a backdoor way to bias against Fox News viewers. This included Juror No. 160, who bizarrely claimed in his questionnaire that complying with COVID regulations would be a violation of his Christian beliefs, and Juror No. 175, a teacher with an autoimmune disorder who indicated on her questionnaire that she was a regular viewer of the network. They were both eventually struck for cause.

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While probing jurors responses during voir dire, Judge Norman K. Moon took the unusual step, possibly because of the presence of multiple pro se defendants, of having counsel pass questions to him to ask jurors. In one case, a juror was asked about his relative lack of concern about racism against white people in America. When he responded that he believed white people had particular advantages and didnt face significant prejudice, Josh Smith, the counsel for the now-defunct Traditionalist Worker Party, burst out, This is classical critical race theory! This is an anti-white theory being taught before being cut off by Moon.

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Antifa and Black Lives Matter continue to loom large in this case. All jurors were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 how concerned they are about the amount of prejudice against certain groups of people, including racism against white/Caucasian people. Questions 33 and 34 ask about potential jurors familiarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and antifa, respectively. Neither Black Lives Matter nor antifa is a party to the case, nor do any plaintiffs appear to claim membership to any such groups. One plaintiff, the Rev. Seth Wispelwey, tweeted, Jesus is antifa, but Jesus, too, is not a party to the case.

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Juror No. 274 indicated in his questionnaire that he believed that antifa were terrorists, a popular refrain in 2020 when protests against the police murder of George Floyd were engulfing the nation. During the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, Donald Trump postured aggressively at naming ANTIFA a terrorist organization, even while FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that antifa represents a movement and an ideology, not a particular group. Google searches for the term antifa peaked in the United States on Jan. 7, a day after pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the Capitol, leaving five dead during the Stop the Steal demonstration. And conspiracy theories suggesting that the insurrection was the result of an anti-fascist false-flag operation to make Trump supporters look bad flooded right-wing social media.

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What is Juror No. 274s evidence that antifa is a terrorist organization? When questioned, he explained that he hadnt seen any evidence, but he had watched the news the night of the attack and saw thenVirginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe condemning the right for the attack. When plaintiffs moved to strike the juror for cause, pro se defendant Richard Spencer responded that these are opinions shared by millions of Americans, who probably sourced them from Fox News. Juror No. 274 was selected.

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Spencer isnt wrong in his assessment. Defendants sought to seat a partisan jury, one whose viewpoints have been conditioned by years of right-wing media saturation. In one particularly strange incident, both he and Cantwell argued with their co-defendants counsel about approving a juror who stated he was biased against the defense and believed that the defendants are evil. The same juror also indicated that he liked Republican politician Ben Carson. I have no idea what these two think they are doing, said James Kolenich, counsel for lead defendant Jason Kessler.

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However, the defenses general strategy is clear. They are attempting to position themselves as victims: victims of antifa, victims of anti-white racism, and victims of cancel culture by the left. They seek a jury vulnerable to anxieties about the great replacement and the declining numerical dominance of white people in America. They will be arguing a different case in a different court: the case for white supremacy, fought in the court of public opinion. Defendants have been successful in striking potential juror after potential juror with preformed beliefs that neo-Nazis are evil or that white supremacy is bad.

At the same time, the defenses litmus test for impartiality has favored jurors with preformed beliefs about antifa or personal beliefs about social ethics. Juror No. 250 was a civics teacher who told his class about the case and his potential duties as a juror. He wrote on his questionnaire that he felt the defendants were heinous, but that he would be able to set aside those beliefs if the evidence supported it. He was struck for cause. Meanwhile, Moon allowed Juror No. 226 to pass despite unfavorable beliefs about Black Lives Matter, because, in the jurors words, all lives matter. Never mind that this phrase is a white supremacistcum-populist slogan.

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Moons action highlights one of the most glaring issues with the jury selection process. By insisting on treating jurors responses individually and without context, he has turned well-established concepts of racism on their head. Instead of attending to the systemic and structural aspects of racism, Moons feigned impartiality makes it seem as if racism ceases to exist so long as people dont hold individually racist opinions. Of course, 400 years of American history have shown us otherwise. But in Moons courtroom, all lives matter is seen as an acceptable position while not believing in anti-white racism is considered unacceptable.

On Monday, the plaintiffs filed a Batson motion in an attempt to reseat Juror No. 197, a Black man whom plaintiffs claim was dismissed based on his race (you are allowed to strike jurors without a reason, but not if it is a pretext for striking Black jurors). Kolenich, lead counsel for the defense, argued inartfully, in the words of the court, that this particular Black juror was struck not only because of his race, but because of his demeanor. Cantwell told the judge that in his notes he referred to the juror as an anti-white race nut. Despite this, Moon denied the plaintiffs motion, a sign of the difficulties faced when seeking justice for racist violence in a district where massive resistance, the state-sponsored effort to refuse racial integration of public schools, is still a living memory.

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Opening statements had a bizarre start Thursday morning. But the three-day jury selection gave us an insight into the stakes of the case and the defenses overall legal strategy. In addition, the jury selection process gave us insight into how the judge intends to rule on issues pertaining to race and racism. For their part, plaintiffs revealed very little of their plans. They can rely on the troves of evidence, much of which was gathered and published by anti-fascist activists over the past four years. In this light, the defense strategy makes some sense: The plaintiffs rely on the legwork of anti-fascist activists who doggedly documented the alt-right over the last half-decade. So the defense believes themselves to be under attack by antifas lawfare division. But antifa is not a party in this case.

Like masks, vaccines, and so many other battlefields in our contemporary culture war, Sines v. Kessler will ultimately be a competition between actual and overwhelming evidence on the one hand and the fragile psyche of a declining social majority on the other.

Disclosure: Emily Gorcenski pressed charges against Chris Cantwell following an attack during the rally in 2017. Both parties settled a related civil lawsuit with a mutual release of claims in 2018.
How can portraying the future help us prepare for it? As part of the Smithsonians upcoming FUTURES exhibition, the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building (AIB) collaborated with Arizona State Universitys Center for Science and the Imagination to bring together museum experts, cultural and research centers, writers, and artists to help answer that question. Then acclaimed sci-fi writers Tochi Onyebuchi and Madeline Ashby wrote eight storiesfour eachbased on that work.

A future affected by global climate change will likely see a rise in mosquito populations. But what if these deadly, disease carrying pests could become our allies? In this story, Onyebuchi imagines the world of 2071 where mosquitoes have been bioengineered to collect data and even carry vaccines.

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Join Future Tense, AIB, and the Center for Science and the Imagination on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at noon Eastern to discuss the exhibit, the pieces, and the roles museums play in depicting future narratives. RSVP here.

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Even after all this time, after preparations had been made and plans sketched out and steps detailed, then revised, then revised again, even after all the iterations and all the drafted contingencies, Omar still thought this was the stupidest idea in the world. The crew was strapping protective gear onto him and fitting his hoverbike with extra water-storage units, getting ready to send him off into the desert, and the whole time, hed been shaking his head.

You want me to chase a mosquito.

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Not a mosquito, Femi insisted without elaborating. She tugged the straps of his suit tighter and patted them roughly.

Ugo and Chima sipped their Malta Goya through straws while straddling their own bikes. Omar looked to them for guidance, but they both shrugged in unison.

Fine, Omar felt himself on the verge of saying out loud. Be idiots together.

But it took just one last look at Femis determined frown, as she checked his vitals, to know that this was a thing he was going to do. She needed it, and theyd all been friends since the cradle. There was no world where, if Femi asked him to ride alone into the desert to find and bring back a single bug, he would say no.

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Its called an Eco-Tracker. Chima dusted her fingerless-gloved hands, but they were still covered in oil grease. The corrugated roof of the abandoned warehouse trapped heat like no mans business, so Omars water-collar was working on overdrive, tiny fans whirring with the effort of spinning droplets of recirculated water, filtered from the surrounding air, onto his face. Here, Chima said, and gestured for the others to crowd around the tabletop, which lit up like a board game with a holographic map of the world. A series of indecipherable digits and acronyms and random letters in other languages cascaded down the right-hand side of the display, and it all looked super important, but Chima paid it no mind.

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What are we looking at? Femi asked, a hint of wonder in her voice. These days, she sounded more and more joyless, more and more single-minded. Ever since her trip to New York City, it was like shed turned into a soldier who had eyes for nothing outside of her mission.

Right now, it is focused on climate indices, Chima said. Carbon emissions. Red is for high and blue is for low. But thats pretty obvious. Ugo leaned over her shoulder to touch some of the screen, and Chima slapped his hand away. Ah-ah, what is the matter with you? Getting your greasy fingers all over my baby!

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Ugo had a cheek full of chin chin hed been snacking on. Its not my fingers that are the greasy ones, he said around the fried dough sticks.

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Anyway, it can be calibrated to track human migration patterns. Chimas fingers blazed over the touchboard and the display changed, morphed, to zoom in on some areas or zoom out, the red dots changing color, joining each other, getting larger, splitting apart. It looked like watching cell growth on a screen. And with the right tinkering, you can use it to track water sources.

But how? There was that wonder again in Femis voice. How does it know all of this?

Chima stood straight and put her fists on her hips, grinning broadly. Satellites. The only way to access open-source data. Everything else is owned by Western companies with IP patents, but if you make your own modeling algorithms,she tapped a soot-darkened finger to her templethen you can make the data do whatever you want.

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So this is why youve been skipping school? Ugo sniped. In return, Chima shot him a scowl.

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Omar said nothing this whole time, only watched Femi. Hed been tracking this change in her demeanor of late, trying to figure out how he could bring her back. Trying to figure out what had drained all the happiness out of her well.

Why did you make this? Femi asked.

Chimas face softened. She leaned over the display, touched a few keys that seemed to be randomly placed, and the splotches signaling water sources grew arrows that blinked in and out. Using available data, we can track the movement of various animals and 

And trace the course of diseases, Femi finished.

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Everyone looked to Femi and saw the way her body tensed. It wasnt like the steeliness went away, but it became suddenly leavened with something else. Something Omar would realize later was hope.

It had started with the itchiness, what the physician had called scattered pruritic papules. The papules soon grew, then came the hyperpigmentation, after which the leopard skin started to develop. Grandfathers outsides began to look more and more like tissue paper. By the time the glaucoma had arrived, hed begun stubbing his toe and bumping into things and asking for the light to be turned on where it already was, claiming there were shadows where there werent.

Femi had thought, like everyone else, that he was simply growing old. But the primary care physician had suggested a biopsy, so Femis family took Grandfather to see the surgeon, who came back after the operation and told them a bunch of words Femi didnt understand. Like Onchocerca volvulus and ivermectin and onchodermatitis. But one word that stood out in the torrent of terms was blindness. It was the old term for what it turned out was afflicting Grandfather. River blindness. A disease that was supposed to have been eradicated more than a quarter of a century ago.

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Afterward, Femi had asked Grandfather about his routine, about anything he could have done, anything he could have eaten or drunk that would have infected him or that would have exposed him to the black fly that allegedly carried the parasite that caused the disease.

Grandfather had no answers, but did complain that having to stay at home meant he could no longer fellowship with his age-mates by the pond.

Ugo, who lived nearby, rode with Femi out to the pond in question.

Get back! Ugo had shouted, sticking his arm out to block Femi once theyd gotten close to the body of water.

Even from this distance, they could see the malfunctioning insecticide-spraying drones collapsed and rusting in a patch of grass. The drones had been deployed throughout rural Nigeria as part of the governments disease-prevention program, but of course no good thing could last in this governments hands. And here lay the limits of human ingenuity, poorly hidden by the shrubbery, while the insects, the flies and mosquitoes and parasites they were tasked with killing, romped and played and proliferated over that small body of water.

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It had been a perk of Femis scholarship that, like some of her age-mates, she was to spend several months conducting independent study in another country. Many of her friends had gone to the Peoples Republic of China. Theyd already been taking Mandarin since secondary school, and some of the boys even had long-distance girlfriends they practiced their Cantonese with. Another of Femis friends went to South Korea, and another to Argentina.

But something was calling her to the United States.

She didnt know what it was, until she found herself one afternoon in the middle of the Smithsonians exhibit on geoengineering. The exhibit had started with a depressing litany of statistics detailing the impact of humans on the planet, but then a series of innovations and key decisions had begun to reverse the tide. Cloud-seeding technology developed in the Sahel and exported elsewhere. The progressive refinement of weather-modeling techniques to address localized water shortages.

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The use of mosquitoes as agents of vaccine delivery.

The centerpiece of the exhibita reconstruction of a mosquito bioengineered to carry a malaria vaccine in its bloodstreamstopped Femi cold. The electronic display next to the amber-encased insect spoke of the shift in thinking that led to this innovation. Human survival could not depend on eradicating the carriers of disease. There had been enough catastrophic bio-intervention predicated on removing entire species from the ecological equilibrium. But why not have these formerly hostile things help us? Mosquitoes were ubiquitous in many places, and they were always going to be there, buzzing and stinging. They provided a necessary food source for other species, but also performed a number of other ancillary functions in maintaining the stability of their environment. It had been a Nigerian biomedical engineering student whod come up with the idea of gene-editing mosquitoes to carry vaccines, and the team hed supervised had created the first vaccine-carrying Culicidae.

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Omar had hated growing up where he did. Though the mosquitoes were as much a fact of life as gravity and the too-hot sun, he never grew used to them. So when the family moved and he met Femi and Ugo and Chima, he felt as though hed been born anew. Still, he had nothing but scorn for the backwater that had birthed him. It wasnt until Ugo and Chima, after having discovered what was happening to Femis grandfather, came up with their plan that he realized why it was important that hed come from where hed come from.

Youre the only one that can go to the colony, Chima had told him as the three of themChima, Ugo, and Omarlounged on Omars rooftop, stargazing. You have all the antibodies. It would kill us to go and retrieve those mosquitoes for the experiment.

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Ugo, normally quiet, waited until the silence had become uncomfortable before saying, Do it for Femi. She needs us.

Omar revved his bike. The engine barked, then settled into a hum beneath him.

He didnt want to start talking; if he did, hed never leave. So he spared one last glance at his friends before heading off. It mightve been a trick of the sunlight on his visor, but he thought, as he turned to face forward, that those were tears glistening in Femis eyes, and a crescent-moon smile glowing on her face.

This story is a piece of near-future science fiction, but is inspired by the real-life research and work being conducted today by Suzan Murray, Mac Farnham, James Hassell, and Dawn Zimmerman at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Yvonne Linton at the National Museum of Natural History.

Read the rest of the AIB-inspired stories on Future Tense here, and download the poster here.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
How can portraying the future help us prepare for it? As part of the Smithsonians upcoming FUTURES exhibition, the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building (AIB) collaborated with Arizona State Universitys Center for Science and the Imagination to bring together museum experts, cultural and research centers, writers, and artists to help answer that question. Then acclaimed sci-fi writers Tochi Onyebuchi and Madeline Ashby wrote eight storiesfour eachbased on that work. In the story below, Ashby imagines the world of 2071, where judicial cases around climate migration, religious freedom, and criminal justice reform have opened the voting booth to younger citizens.

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Join Future Tense, AIB, and the Center for Science and the Imagination on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at noon Eastern to discuss the exhibit, the pieces, and the roles museums play in depicting future narratives. RSVP here.

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Dawna rubbed her eyes. OK, whats next?

Jay toggled over to the next pane. Claremont v. Florida.

Dawna beamed. I like this one.

Everyone likes this one.

Does that mean you want to take it, or should I?

Why do we even have to cover it? Everyone knows this case. Everyone.

Dawna jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Vi. Vis from North Carolina.

Jay frowned. Wait, really?

Vi threw horns. Go Devils.

I could have sworn

Dawna made the universal gesture for shut up, and looked over at Vi. Vi, I think this means you should take it.

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Vi rolled their shoulders. OK. But you have to stop me if I get something wrong. They took a delicate sip of something sweet, and began: It started in Miami-Dade County.

Its always Florida, Jay said.

Oh, do shut up, Dawna said. Please go on, Vi.

Kyanite Claremont was 15 when Hurricane Hecate displaced her and her family. They were evacuated as climate refugees to Nebraska for a period of six months, and had no set return date to their original residence. Their plan was to allow Kyanite to finish the school year in Nebraska. While there, Kyanite was automatically enrolled at school for early voter registration for an upcoming election.

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And why did Nebraska allow her to register so early?

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Nebraska was piloting a program to maintain numbers of young residents that included early enfranchisement. The program proposed allowing voters to register at 15 years of age, with state voting rights instantiated at 16, similar to the graduated licensing standard. The logic, said local legislators, was that teens who saw the impact of their vote would be more invested in their communities, and therefore more likely to stay in those communitiesto attend university or community college there, to pursue a trade, to maybe, just maybe afford a house and a baby one day and boost the states congressional representation. State universities got in on the idea: they promised a bump up the admission consideration queue for preregistered voters. This was later contested by private universities.

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We should study that, too, Jay said.

Hush, Dawna said. Let her talk.

Vi continued: Kyanite had already turned 16 before the election. She met Nebraskas standard. But when Kyanite returned to Florida and tried to vote absentee in the state of Nebraska, the elections department of Miami-Dade County refused to process her ballot because she wasnt of legal voting age in the State of Florida. Since the eradication of the U.S. Postal Service, county elections departments had created what they called clearinghouses for all ballotsincluding absentee ballots, which they cured before sending to other states. But Kyanites ballot was never cured, and never sent to Nebraska, because she was underage in Florida.

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This being the first time in Floridas history that being underage has stopped anyone from doing anything, Jay sniped.

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The State of Florida claimed that because the election was federal, Kyanites ballot was fraudulent. The Claremonts claimed that because the State of Nebraska had developed a new style of ballot for the newly registered voters in their pilot program, Kyanite had only voted the slate to which she was allowed access in Nebraska: state and local matters. But there had been errors wherein young Nebraska voters still received federal ballots, in addition to the local ones, and on those grounds, Florida threw out the ballot.

Could anyone check Kyanites ballot to see if shed received the wrong kind?

No. It had been thrown out. All attempts to find it failed. This was why she sued. She claimed that she had done nothing wrong, and had been disenfranchised by one state simply for having been granted the franchise in another.

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How did the case make it so high up in the courts?

For one, voter registration had become the third rail of Florida politics. It was endless circle of debates, like a python slowly gorging on its own tail, about the security risks of online voting infrastructure versus preserving the franchise of an ageing and disabled population made more vulnerable by rising tides, endless hurricanes, and seemingly immortal mosquito populations carrying lethal disease.

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I like that python detail, Jay said.

Stop interrupting, Dawna said.

Im being supportive!

What the judges in the 11th Circuit didnt know was that Kyanite Claremont was a member of Sunrise, a nationwide ministry whose signature legislative agenda was an attempt to recognize 17-year-olds as legal adults. Sunrise Ministries preached that life began at conception, and funded multiple studies on prenatal care and epigenetic stressors suggesting that the uterine environment was just as important to brain development and general health outcomes as access to sufficient care in early childhood. Thats how it got kicked up to the Supreme Court. It was a First Amendment challenge.

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Tell us the opposing perspective at the time, Dawna suggested.

Now whos interrupting? Jay asked.

Vi took a deep breath. Critics suggested that any push for legal change to the age of majority was simply a way for the group to skirt existing laws regarding the age of consent, legal marriage, and state education requirements. Sunrise responded that the Vatican itself had an interdisciplinary working group whose sole focus was to draw a line between human personhood and that of artificial intelligence, and the group had reached similar conclusions regarding human development. These were published in multiple white papers and encyclicals, all of which were reviewed by medical journals like JAMA, allowing other labs to conduct similar experiments with developing neural networks. It was cutting-edge science that had revealed the possibility of prenatal personhood, not a special interest group.

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Very nice, Jay said, miming applause. Shades of Bryan, there. We should get you some suspenders.

Yeah, youre doing great, Dawna added.

Thanks to their involvement in Sunrise, the Claremont family had access to a nationwide network of supporters who were happy to fund Kyanites case. The case challenged Kyanites disenfranchisement on these grounds: Her assertion of adulthood was itself an act of political speech rooted in religious faith, and therefore doubly protected. Adulthood, Claremonts legal team argued, was an issue of identity, and therefore only Kyanite was fit to judge her capacity for its attendant responsibilities. Age could be determined by the passage of time, yes, but maturity could no more be imposed on or granted to an individual than sexuality, faith, or political inclination. And, they argued, the experience of adulthood was likely to change in an environment in which youth bore the outcome of climate-based legislation with none of the legal responsibility for deciding it.

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Moreover, said Claremonts team, childhood itself was a social construct, and a relatively recent one at thatmore relevant as a marketing category than a legal one. The Framers had every opportunity to clearly define adulthood in Article II of the Constitution when enumerating the criteria for the leader of the free world, but chose instead to focus on defining citizenship. If thirty-five were the magical age of enlightened decision-making, they argued, then why not grant federal voting rights at 35, not 18? Further Amendments concerning the vote (including the 26th) did not define adulthood, but simply conferred a single right of citizenship to those 18 years or older who otherwise met the criteria. Almost all other rights of citizenship were conferred at birth. Claremonts team argued that given the rapid pace of climate change, the rights afforded to young people didnt match the responsibilities expected of them. And since a test of intelligenceor income, social score, land ownership, or military serviceto determine access to the ballot would violate the Equal Protections Clause, and since the state already relied on individuals to determine their mental soundness in all other respects, asking individuals to determine their adulthood was natural.

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And how was Florida unique in this regard? Dawna asked, imitating the proctor voice.

Florida, in particular, had been charging youths as young as 14 as adults for certain crimes in criminal court since 1978, and could transfer any 16-year-old to adult court in felony cases. As such, Kyanite and other legal minors were beholden to the political community without being recognized members of it. If there was no floor, Claremonts team argued, there could be no ceiling.

So what did Florida say? Jay asked.

The State of Florida argued that changing the definition of adulthood to a personal metric rather than an objective one would open the door to scores of individuals defaulting on mortgages and other responsibilities after they declared themselves puer in esse, or young at heart. Identities change, they said. And if adulthood were an identity, Florida argued, there was nothing to stop adults from shedding it. Further, establishing adulthood as a negotiable legal category would allow unchecked abuse of children coerced to declare themselves adult: laws prohibiting child marriage and child labor would be defanged instantly.

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So that was an end-run to change the voting age by changing the definition of adulthood. But there were other efforts to lower the voting age. Was Florida the first state to grant minors the right to vote, after all?

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Vi beamed. No. That was Nebraska. Based on the states pilot project, the Nebraska Senate passed legislation a day before the Supreme Court handed down their verdict on Claremont. So technically, they were the first.

And that is the question on the exam that everyone misses, Dawna said, checking it off the list.

Because they all think its Florida, Jay explained. And because the Nebraska story is really boring.

Its not boring, Vi protested. The bar exam itself is whats boring.

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You only think that because youre 15, Jay said. Jay clicked his claws together. They were an older model, not as well-articulated as they could be, but handmade by a local artisan. He preferred a more distinctive body plan over a branded identity. When youre a crotchety old man like me, youll find it more interesting.

Arent you, like, 17?

I turn 18 next month! He gestured at his carapace. Im almost a real old-fashioned man!

Youre a real something, all right, Dawna said. Next?

This story is a piece of near-future science fiction, but is inspired by the real-life work and historical research being conducted today by Jon Grinspan at the National Museum of American History.

Read the rest of the AIB-inspired stories on Future Tense here, and download the full poster here.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
On Thursday, Facebook turned its annual Connect conference on its virtual reality offerings into a brand-wide, midcrisis makeover: The company debuted a new nameMeta, replacing Facebook Inc.and a sales pitch for the metaverse, which is essentially an internet in which users interact with one another in virtual three-dimensional spaces. The keynote presented viewers with Facebooks far-off vision of the metaverse, which apparently consists of people building virtual home offices and playing cards with robots in zero gravity. It was a sweeping and strange presentation, with the news of the name change reflecting the companys stated pivot to, and substantial investment in, building the metaverse. The Facebook platform will now just be one of the subsidiaries along with Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR, and othersunder the Meta parent company. Also, there was a jar of Sweet Baby Rays.

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OH MY GOD pic.twitter.com/w6yE2NG5pu  Katie Notopoulos (@katienotopoulos) October 28, 2021

The hour-and-a half long livestream was a frenetic CGI extravaganza, like if Pixar produced an employee-onboarding video for an energy drink. It was the sort of spectacle that you wouldnt quite expect from a company that is currently dealing with literally dozens of major scandals as a result of what is likely the most consequential leak in its history. Since mid-September, Facebook has been dogged by a constant flood of alarming news stories based on tens of thousands of documents that former employee Frances Haugen provided to journalists and regulators. The documents reveal that Facebook was aware that a number of its products and operations were seriously harming its users and society in general. Among the more prominent revelations are that internal research indicated that Instagram is making body image issues worse in many teen girls, that Facebook didnt have a clear plan to handle content that fueled the Capitol Riot, and that its algorithms reward angry and divisive posts despite changes that the company said would elevate friendlier content.

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At the very beginning of the presentation, Zuckerberg attempted to assure viewers that all this metaverse talk wasnt just bread and circuses, referencing all the scrutiny and public debate currently swirling around his company. I know that some people will say that this isnt a time to focus on the future, and I want to acknowledge that there are important issues to work on in the present. There always will be, he said. So for many people, Im just not sure there ever will be a good time to focus on the future. He then stressed that making mistakes is simply a part of building the future. The term mistakes would seem to understate the gravity of the accusations that the company is currently facing, from tolerating religious violence in India to being ill-equipped to crack down on human trafficking.

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From there, however, the bizarreness of the presentation cut against just how significance an expansion Zuckerberg was laying out. To sell the metaverse, the livestream included a cavalcade of clips featuring alien pets, virtual afterparties, and a hydrofoil video game.

It was only later in the program that a rather serious theme came up, one that Zuckerberg seemed to wish to disarm. At one point, the CEO assured his audience that Facebook is taking great pains to build the metaverse responsibly. Zuckerberg called up Nick Clegg, Facebooks vice president for global affairs and communications, who has been the go-to representative to defend the company against accusations that its harming society and democracy for years. Over the past month hes been arguing that Haugens leaks are misleading and that the repeated comparisons between Facebook and Big Tobacco are overblown.

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During his segment with Zuckerberg, Clegg claimed that the goal of protecting users wont conflict with innovation in metaverse. In the past, the speed that new technologies emerged sometimes left policymakers and regulators playing catchup. So on the one hand, companies get accused of charging ahead too quickly, and on the other, tech people feel that progress cant afford to wait for slower pace of regulation, he said. I really think that it doesnt have to be the case this time around, because we have years until the metaverse we envision is fully realized. Zuckerberg then rattled off a number of principles that Facebook will emphasize in its metaverse development, such as transparency, safety, privacy, and inclusion. The details of how exactly the company plans to put these principles into practice were scarce, save for a few mentions of safety and parental controls, age guidance, and data collection disclosures.

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Citing these principles is all well and good, though the real question is how much Facebook (or Meta) will prioritize them. Haugens grand thesis, unifying all of her disclosures to the public, is that Facebook repeatedly puts profits, symbolized by growth and engagement, before people. Or, in other words, that engagement and growth will always trounce measures that will improve wellbeing and safety. When its convenient, the platform will happily install safeguards to improve safety, transparency, or what have you. But if that safeguard puts growth at risk, the company is likely to look the other way. As Catherine Buni recently pointed out in Slate, the metaversea category of internet where Facebook is trying to plant its flag earlywill give the company unprecedented opportunities to collect biometric data and draw in young users. Policymakers may opt to be especially proactive to ensure that Meta goes down the right pathdespite, or perhaps especially because of, Zuckerbergs assurances that this time his company will get things right.
How can portraying the future help us prepare for it? As part of the Smithsonians upcoming FUTURES exhibition, the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building (AIB) collaborated with Arizona State Universitys Center for Science and the Imagination to bring together museum experts, cultural and research centers, writers, and artists to help answer that question. Then acclaimed sci-fi writers Tochi Onyebuchi and Madeline Ashby wrote eight storiesfour eachbased on that work.

Private citizens are already travelling to space, and journeys between Earth, orbiting stations, and far-flung worlds will almost certainly become more common in the future. In this story, Ashby imagines the world of 2071, in which an international crew of researchers, scientists and museum professionals learn how to safely bring a fetus to term on the Moon, ushering in a new generation of humanity among the stars.

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Join Future Tense, AIB, and the Center for Science and the Imagination on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at noon Eastern to discuss the exhibit, the pieces, and the roles museums play in depicting future narratives. RSVP here.

It was an accident.

No matter how many times they repeated this, no one seemed to believe it. This organization doesnt have accidents, they kept hearing, from both their respective organizations. And, How could you let this happen? and, What do you mean, your methods failed?

It was ironic, of course, that it happened on the moon. Across millennia, Earths moon was thought to govern these things in the same way that it pulled and pushed the tides. The Ishango Bone was most likely a lunar calendar intended to track menstruation. Selene, Change, Mayari, Huitaca: All were moon goddesses one could imprecate for a child. Muslims made dua for sighting both the new and full moons. This was one reason why the ghazal, the Arabic love ode, so often contained references to the face of a lover resembling the face of the moon: occasionally turned away, occasionally smiling back.

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What does that have to do with you getting knocked up? asked Haniya, the program director at Rachels agency.

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Rachel sighed. She was so tired. The only thing worse than morning sickness was morning sickness in a low-gravity environment. M.R.E.s didnt taste any better on the way back up.

Im trying to paint a picture, said Nasser, through gritted teeth.

Paint it somewhere else.

Rachel spoke directly into the device on her wrist, in the hope it would make her sound more authoritative. Its my decision, she said, just as Nasser said, Its her choice.

Theres misoprostol in your medical complement, said Haniya. In the ensuing silence, she added: Im trying to spare you some heartbreak, here. You and your team. No one has ever done this. We have no idea if or how it would work, to carry this child to term. The child could die. You could die.

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The same is true of every mission, Rachel said. How are we supposed to become a spacefaring species if we cant procreate in space? Were up here to do research on lunar life. This is the ultimate research project.

Haniya sounded exhausted. You know our policies. Its just like the protocols regarding possible extraterrestrial life: Existing human life takes precedence over potential life. Were working hard enough just keeping adults alive in space, Rachel. You want to throw a baby into that scenario?

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I want you to send me a creche.

Prenatal or post?

Both, Nasser and Rachel said, simultaneously.

Haniya cursed foully in each of her many languages. No. Out of the question. We dont have room on the shuttle for that kind of weight. And your habitat cant handle the power drain.

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China seems to be doing just fine.

Chinas creche already has primate embryos in it. And thats all theyll ever be. The experimental plan is to terminate after 200 days, if they survive that long. And even if we could get you a creche, our surgical bots arent coded for the procedure. Youd still need an OB/GYN.

Well, why dont we have an OB/GYN here?

You know why not. We expected the first inhabitants of our lunar bases to be smarter than this! Smarter than you!

Nasser ended the call with a single swipe. There was a moment of uncomfortable quiet, and then Nassers captain, Aisha, sighed deeply. OK, she said. No creche. None from our people, either.

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Whens the next Russian robot re-up? Nasser asked.

Three months. Even if they could do the transfer, both Rachel and the fetus would be at too much risk by then. Im not even certain it would be legal.

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Rachel rolled her eyes. Were really going to debate the window of viability, up here? On the moon?

Every nation on the moon has to abide by its own laws, Aisha said. Its not like any of us are  She trailed off. Mashallah, of course! The curator!

The curator, a man named Nigel Trombey, was a U.S.-Canada dual citizen who had come up to install an Apollo exhibit on behalf of the Smithsonian Institutions Neil Armstrong Center for Lunar Culture and Innovation. The strain of the installthere was a livestreamed media event, and a tight deadlinebrought about a heart attack. But his emergency stent, part of a lunar medicine complement that had arrived 30 years prior, was no longer guaranteed for re-entry. So hed stayed three months longer than intended, while his team down below gathered data on whether his heart could survive the trip home. He existed like those stateless people trapped in the nooks and crannies of international airports, constantly being promised a trip home that never materialized. This indefinite waiting period was made possible thanks to his compressor suit, which had originally been intended for display as part of the exhibit, as an example of biomedical innovations necessary for scaling up long-term human survival beyond Earth. It was a flame-orange full-body leotard with millions of dollars worth of sensors and actuators inside, plus micro-pneumatic threads to create pressure and give Nigels heart the conditions for recovery. It was this piece of sartorial innovation that Aisha suspected would be helpful to Rachel. On the heaviest resistance setting, her heart would experience Earth-like gravityand so might her uterus. That is, if Nigel could help them fabricate another one.

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You know, we have a prototype creche in the exhibit, Nigel said. He paused for effect. Granted, its a prop from media that the Smithsonian consulted on, but honestly, making a fictional prop work like the real thing seems easier than making a whole new suit from scratch out of parts cannibalized from every habitat here.

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The current compressor suit design isnt interoperable with our exosuits, Rachel said. Right?

Thats true. Its not. If you were to put this on, youd have to stay inside the habitats, and hope you never needed to go outside.

So I couldnt do half my job, Rachel said, throwing up her hands, because Im pregnant. What century is this?

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Nasser looked grim. Well have to modify this design extensively. Wasnt it meant for pneumonia patients?

Nigel nodded. For upper respiratory and pulmonary disease, yeah. It can detect low blood oxygen and emerging blood clots. Once the early research was publishedit was a shirt, firstthe space agencies got interested. But the designer refused to code for systems that werent interoperable with each otherbasically, she said that until every country on the moon agreed to the same programming standards and offered to share resources, she wouldnt license the design for continued production. So here I am, wearing the most expensive piece of vintage clothing this side of the Victoria and Albert.

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When the others said nothing, Nigel added, Thats a museum joke. Its well-curated.

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They didnt laugh. Instead, Rachel said, Can we ask the designer for help?

You could, if she were alive, Nigel said. She designed the suit to deal with her own long-term illness. She willed it to the Smithsonian.

Now it was Nassers turn to curse in every language he knew. Rachel just sat down dejectedly on one of the storage cubbies. She instantly rose again when it woke up and trundled away someplace safer. She watched it leave and snuggle up against its storage unit brethren.

Maybe my director is right, she said, in a defeated voice. Maybe I should just go home. Maybe they should have sent someone else.

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Nigel rolled his eyes. He pointed out his porthole. Look outside. Whats out there?

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They looked. The little blue marble, Rachel said.

Exactly. This is the moon, damn it. And on the moon, we do not know the meaning of the word quit. I had a heart attack here, and Im still alive. You can do this. You just need to ask for help.

We tried, Nasser pointed out. It didnt go so well.

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Think about everyone on that marble. Whats the one thing that unites our species? Whats the one thing that might encourage all our agencies to work together toward one goal, if you ask for their help?

You mean going public, Rachel said. Right now. Sharing this. With the whole world. As a way to put pressure on our respective agencies.

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This is space. Everythings about pressure, in one way or another. Youre going to give birth to the first lunar citizen, the first person for whom borders truly mean nothing. Thats huge. And you can do it, if every agency here agrees to provide you with the resources you need. More compression suits, a better surgeon, a creche, whatever it might be.

What, like a United Nations in space?

Again, Nigel gestured toward the porthole. Why not? What are we here for, if not to do something new? Why even do this job at all, given the risks? You could say the same thing about parenting. He smiled. We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because that challenge is the one we are willing to accept.

And unwilling to postpone, Nasser added.

And one we intend to win, Rachel finished.

This story is a piece of near-future science fiction, but is inspired by the real-life work and research being conducted today by Sara Cronan, Ashley Hornish, Rebecca Ljungren, Matthew Shindell, and Ryan Sim at the National Air and Space Museum.

Read the rest of the AIB-inspired stories on Future Tense here, and download the poster here.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Two baby birds were born in California without any help from malesthat is, they were each produced by a female bird alone. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance released a report Thursday detailing the discovery, which reveals that condors, a critically endangered species of bird, are able to asexually reproduce.

A few years ago, the Wildlife Alliance researchers began tracing the parentage of the California condors they keep in captivity. (The goal was to better track the birds, after an incident in which a couple of birds accidentally had their wing tags switched.) But when researchers analyzed the genetic profile of two of the male baby chicks, they noticed something strange: The genetic markers used for parentage determination indicated they couldnt have had a male parent. Each bird had just one parent.

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Oliver Ryder, the director of conservation genetics at the Wildlife Alliance and one of the co-authors of the report, filled Slate in on what it was like being a part of the discovery and what it means for the future of the critically endangered species, as well as updated us on the fate of those baby birds. The conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Meredith Moran: Was it a huge shock that these birds could reproduce without help from a male?

Oliver Ryder: It was a huge surprise. I mean, its not what we were looking for. It was a bucket of water in the face. It was quite a moment when all the data came together with the realization that that was the only reasonable explanationthat we discovered that there were two chicks that had been hatched that had no male contribution.

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So female birds were around the males, but chose not to reproduce with them. Why?

They were with males that they had reproduced with sexually, but I dont know whether they chose to not do it this time. I dont know if they were aware or not, and Im not really sure how to test that. But we have the facts that they were capable of reproducing sexually, and did, and then for reasons that we can only speculate about, they didnt. And then one of them at least started again.

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One of them has started reproducing sexually again?

Yes, sexually again. I dont have the latest records, but possibly both of them.

So we know that these endangered birds can reproduce without males. If all the male condors disappeared, would the population be OK?

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We dont know. I mean, I would assumebut we dont have any evidence that condor females would continue laying eggs in that situation. We really dont have a good idea yet of the frequency of asexual reproduction in condors. We know its happened twice, and thats remarkable.

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But, you know, depending on the frequency, or what it would look to trigger it environmentally or in the background of an individual bird, we dont know about that, so it would really just be speculation.

Why can birds occasionally reproduce asexually, but not humans?

Its complicated, but humans have a higher level of gene regulation that marks the maternal and paternal genomes. The male has to provide genetic information to a mammal embryo to produce a placenta. There are contributions that have to come from males in order to have normal development, whether its a male or a female, so parthenogenetic development [which is what these condors did] only results in tumors in people.

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The paper notes that both of the chicks that were birthed like this are now deceased. One of them was kept in captivity and the other was released into the wild. What happened?

One died of an infection, and the otherwere not exactly sure why it died, but it was malnourished and didnt successfully compete with other birds for food.

How is it decided which condors remain in captivity and which get released into the wild?

Its not a process that I participate in closely, but my understanding is that they want to produce animals with a wide genetic diversity, so that when they reproduce in the wild, theyll have as large of a gene pool as possible. So theres a genetic consideration and then theres a sex considerationyou want to have a basically equal sex ratio.

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All condors before release go through a kind of training for reintroduction into the wild. Theyre trained to avoid landing on power lines. Their flight skills are assessed, and to some extent, their behavioral skills are assessed. All of this is done by the experts in the big production team and they make those decisions.

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Do female condors reproduce asexually in the wild?

Thats something were waiting to find out.

How much do you think this finding will change the process of the captive breeding program going forward?

I think its very important to monitor this to understand the species as well as possible, but I dont think that the day-to-day management is going to change much. I do think that if we get a sample from a chick to identify a set and it turns out its a male and then, when we do the parentage analysis, its all homozygous, you know, we will have found another, and were going to pay very close attention to how that bird develops and its behavior.
ARCHIVED - Spain Covid update October 28: cumulative incidence approaches medium risk



The rise of infections in Spain hasnt increased hospital pressure so far

Having spent three weeks at the low-risk coronavirus level, Spain is inching ever closer to the medium-risk category once again as cases continue to rise. The all-important cumulative incidence rate is now at its highest point since October 7, as the pandemic generally worsens throughout Europe. The situation is particularly worrying in Eastern European countries where the vaccination rate is still very low but also in the United Kingdom, which continues to report more and more cases of the new Delta Plus variant

Cumulative incidence rate

The latest data from the Ministry of Health on Thursday October 28 show that the 14-day incidence rate has risen to 49.62 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, up from 46.28 infections on Monday.

Infections

An additional 2,212 new cases were reported on Thursday, 1,241 in the past 24 hours. These figures are slightly lower that the same day last week, when 1,881 infections were recorded.

This brings the total number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,008,887.

In the past two weeks, a total of 23,546 positives have been registered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Thursday that Europe is the only region in the world where infections are growing, 4% in the last week, compared to decreases in Africa (21% less), Asia Oriental (17% less), America or Southeast Asia (9% in each case).

Hospitalisations and fatalities

The rise in the cumulative incidence rate has so far not translated into increased hospital pressure.

There are 1,647 admitted for Covid treatment in Spain, 413 of whom are in the ICU. Both these figures have reduced slightly in the past 24 hours, bringing the occupancy rate of general beds to 1.34% (down from 1.38% yesterday) and 4.53% in ICUs (4.62% yesterday).

In Thursdays health report 33 new deaths were registered, compared with 20 on the same day last week. In the past week, 72 people have lost their lives, raising the overall death toll to 87,322.

Vaccination data

As of Thursday, 88.5% of the population (37,282,484 people) have been double jabbed while 90.3% (38,013,994) have received at least one dose of the vaccination.

Image: Archive
Fico plays down journalists questions.

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If you are about to watch me eat bacon or cheese there  why do you care, reacted Smers chair Robert Fico on footage from camera that filmed him in the hunting cottage talking about the current cases, as quoted by the Sme daily.

Former PM Fico reacted to the videos that leaked to media that depict him, former interior minister of his government and people close to corruption scandals, discussing live cases at the cottage. General Prosecutor Maros Zilinka and inspectorate of the Interior Ministry will deal with the leakage.

Fico really eats something on the video but meanwhile he also discusses ongoing cases with Marek Para, who is attorney of former Police Corps president, currently in the custody, Tibor Gaspar and his son Pavol Gaspar.

Miroslav Bodor, father of the charged Nitra oligarch Norbert Bodor, also in custody, was also present. The police believe Bodor Jr. was in charge of an organised criminal group that interfered with the work of the police.
Bojnice Castle will celebrate the Halloween weekend with evening tours, and what's new in Bratislava?

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An apple orchard was created in the Botanical Garden of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. (Source: TASR)

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This week's roundup will take you to Bojnice to celebrate Halloween and to several places in Bratislava. And there is a folk song to listen to as well.

A wooden house in the open-air museum next to Stara Lubovna Castle, eastern Slovakia. (Source: TASR)

TRAVEL

Halloween at Boojnice Castle

Although it is seen as a very romantic place, Bojnice Castle will take on a darker atmosphere on Halloween weekend when evening tours take place there.

The tours will be held on October 30 and 31, with the first entry starting at 19:00 and ending two hours later.

We wont be short of pumpkins typical for this period. Our ancestors already knew of carved spooky pumpkins, said Petra Gordikova of Bojnice Castle, a branch of the Slovak National Museum.

She added the ancestors called such pumpkins svetlonos (jack-o'-lanterns), and they followed the mythological idea of the Celts, who believed that on the last day of October, the souls of the dead returned and tried to take control of everything alive. Pumpkins were to protect ancestors from those souls.

The tours will be individual, without a tour guide. Visitors will be able to move freely along the marked path and choose where they want to go.

As part of the tours, visitors can also descend into the family tomb and pay homage to the last aristocratic owner of the castle, Gordikova said, noting that it was this last owner who gave the castle its extraordinary, romantic architectural appearance.

Related: Activists from Zilina are live streaming Californian worms eating a pumpkin to promote composting ahead of Halloween.

Bojnice Castle. (Source: TASR)

Castle: In the Small Carpathians, the Dobra Voda castle ruins are hidden in the silence of the trees.

Chairlift: The only Bratislava chairlift, which operates between Zelezna studnicka and Kamzik, will reopen to visitors at the start of next year following the reconstruction of its stations. The chairlift will then celebrate 50 years since its launch.

Interview: In 70 to 75 percent of interventions, hikers themselves are to blame for the incidents that require mountain rescuers, said chief of the Mountain Rescue Service Jozef Janiga.

LITERATURE

Rusyn version of Andersen stories

Growing up, Lydia Budayovas parents would only tell her stories and fairy tales in Slovak. She does not remember any books in Rusyn, though it was the language spoken in their household.

Her mother would address her in Slovak when she was a child, but her father and all her grandparents only talked Rusyn to her. She started speaking Rusyn only at university when she joined the organisation Molody Rusyny, which brings young Rusyns together.

A world fairy tale collection has been published in the Rusyn language. (Source: Lydia Budayova)

One of their recent initiatives to support the cultivation of Rusyn in children and their parents is to address the lack of childrens books in their native language: they decided to raise money to publish the first-ever translation of a world fairy tale collection in Slovakia. They chose Hans Christian Andersens fairy tales as those do not require a further introduction to readers.

Related: Newsreader Oli Dzupinkova, a proud Rusyn woman, has published a cookbook in which she offers numerous Rusyn recipes to wider audiences.

DISPLAY

Graffiti, symbols and Bratislava housing estates

The Station Contemporary Art Gallery in Bratislava exhibits the works of Matus Matatko and Filip Sabol. The two artists, who grew up in Bratislava housing estates in the nineties, painted them together, and it is their first collaboration.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with the artists:

With the Break the Wall project, you symbolically return to your childhood and adolescence, to the place where you spent most of your time  to a housing estate of the nineties and noughties. Why this topic?

F.S.: Growing up in the housing estate was very formative for me. I realise every day - even though I no longer live in that housing estate - that I still carry those years of life with me.

And that is what this exhibition is about. We wanted to do something related to housing estates, but at the same time, because we are no longer as big of gangsters as we thought we were when we were 16, we wanted to amplify it by moving out of the housing estate. So, it is actually our view of the housing estate from a distance.

M.M.: When a person grows up in a housing estate, it is the entire world for them. I remember it too. I did not need anything else, that was enough for me. Each housing estate has its streets, corners, its rules, its laws; there are certain figures, personalities that shape the genius loci of that place. All the memories and stories we were telling each other as we created the works for this exhibition - and we had a really fun time  helped us come up with symbols and ideas of how that settlement could work.

Some might say that we could have painted blocks of flats and figures, but we went about it completely differently. At first, one may not even realise that it is about housing estates, but when one looks at the images and connections and understands the workings of the system, one finds out what it is about. There is irony, there is a critique of the principles of young thinking that we had then, and now we look at it from a distance.

Sabol and Matatko's exhibition is held in Bratislava until early November 2021. (Source: Sme/Jozef Jakubco)

Other events

In Bratislava, on the evening of October 31, a Halloween cruise on the Harmonia sightseeing boat is planned, with live music and games. Tickets are available here.

The international Bratislava Mozart Festival kicks off on October 29, and it will run until November 21. A walking tour devoted to 18th-century classical music in Bratislava will be held on November 4.

The [fjuzn] festival, which took place in September in Bratislava, will move to Luc, a club in the city of Trencin, on November 5. The next day, November 6, the festival will be held in Nitra.

ARCHITECTURE

New and repurposed 1944 heating plant

The former Jurkovic Heating Plant  built in 1944 and named after its original designer, prominent Slovak architect Dusan Jurkovic  is part of the massive 420 million Sky Park development in the heart of the capital on the banks of the Danube.

Jurkovic Heating Plant in Bratislava. (Source: Penta Real Estate)

Surrounded by residential towers designed by the award-winning British architectural studio Zaha Hadid Architects, it is one of few historical industrial buildings still standing in the capital that has been repurposed.

This project shows that it makes sense to preserve such old buildings, said architect Martin Pasko from the DF Creative Group architectural Studio.

See how the repurposed plant looks and what you can find inside.

Benches: A thousand retro benches will be installed around Bratislava.

WHAT TO LISTEN TO

How are you?

Foreigners with a basic command of the Slovak language are familiar with the phrase Ako sa mas? But people in the Saris region ask how you are doing differently: Jak se mace?

This turn of phrase is also the title of the song recorded by the folk group Ludova hudba Stana Balaza. A video for the song was filmed in the Upper Saris region, near the highway tunnel Branisko and in the heart of the region  the town of Bardejov.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/azg_IEFilZo

In one song, listeners can enjoy female and male voices, as well as those of talented children from the village of Raslavice and its surroundings.

Thanks for joining me. Have a faboolous Halloweekend. - Peter

Do you have any tips? You can reach Peter at peter.dlhopolec@spectator.sk
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/australian-embassy-in-switzerland-to-resume-work-after-30-year-break-in-2022-1090313920.html

Australian Embassy in Switzerland to Resume Work After 30-year Break in 2022

Australian Embassy in Switzerland to Resume Work After 30-year Break in 2022

ZURICH (Sputnik) - Australia will reopen its embassy in Bern in 2022 after a 30-year pause to mark 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T12:55+0000

2021-10-29T12:55+0000

2021-10-29T12:55+0000

world

australia

switzerland

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"I am so pleased to announce that Australia will open our embassy in Bern, Switzerland, in 2022, strengthening the political, economic, strategic, cultural and scientific ties that unite our two countries. Importantly, our new embassy will enhance engagement between our countries to promote a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a video statement.The head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, also recorded a video message in which he welcomed Australia's decision.In 1992, Australia closed its embassy in Bern for financial reasons. Since then, the only Australian diplomatic mission in the European country has been the consulate-general in Geneva.

australia

switzerland

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world, australia, switzerland
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/australias-defence-minister-says-macrons-anger-over-aukus-botched-sub-deal-due-to-looming-election-1090306360.html

Australia's Defence Minister Says Macrons Anger Over AUKUS-Botched Sub Deal Due to Looming Election

Australia's Defence Minister Says Macrons Anger Over AUKUS-Botched Sub Deal Due to Looming Election

French President Emmanuel Macron and Australias PM Scott Morrison spoke for the first time on 28 October, more than a month after a diplomatic row was... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T09:23+0000

2021-10-29T09:23+0000

2021-10-29T09:23+0000

france

emmanuel macron

australia

scott morrison

peter dutton

aukus

aukus

us

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/16/1083440677_0:141:3139:1907_1920x0_80_0_0_3d2323bbb01c630774b2305403ba348f.jpg

Australias Defence Minister Peter Dutton has suggested that Pariss lingering frustration over the scuppering of its multi-billion submarine deal with Canberra can be explained by looming elections in France.The minister was commenting on the tentative steps being taken by the sides to resolve the issue. On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had his first telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron since the termination of the 2015 diesel-electric submarine contract with Naval Group in the wake of the AUKUS announcement. Under the new AUKUS alliance with the United Kingdom and United States, unveiled on 15 September, Canberra opted instead for nuclear-powered submarines to be built in Australian shipyards using US and UK reactor technology. He emphasized that Australia understood Frances frustration. He reiterated that the decision to opt for nuclear-powered submarines would give Australia security and protection into the coming decades, and we dont make any apology for that. Australias defence minister also echoed statements made by a spokesperson for Morrison, who described the exchange between Morrison and Macron as having been a candid discussion. Dutton referred to a read out of the conversation as saying it was a productive phone call. Morrison had been keen for the phone call to happen, Dutton added. President Emmanuel Macron called Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday, ahead of a Group of 20 meeting in Rome this weekend and the subsequent UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on October 31- November 12. The presidential Elysee Palace had issued a statement to say that in his phone conversation with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Canberra to propose some specific actions to reboot bilateral relations after the scrapping of the submarine contract broke the relationship of trust.Australias decision to ditch the sub deal had triggered fury in France, which claimed it had been dealt a stab in the back. Paris had immediately pulled envoys from the US and Australia and scrapped a defence summit with Britain. The French ambassador has since returned to Australia, with Foreign Minister Marise Payne revealing she would be meeting with Jean-Pierre Thebault in an attempt to patch up the diplomatic rift, adding she regrets the deep disappointment that France feels. The AUKUS announcement made by Washington, Canberra and London on 15 September revealed that the three countries would be forming a new security alliance that would encompass cooperation on AI, cyberwarfare and, possibly, envision stationing of more US troops and naval capabilities in Australia. The pact will also enable Canberra to build a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in Australian shipyards using American and British reactor technology. France, deploring that it had been blind-sided by the agreement, which was not discussed by the US, the UK and Australia with their other allies and partners beforehand, had slammed the three countries' behaviour as "unacceptable." As fallout from AUKUS, France lost out on its own $65 billion agreement with Australia for the purchase of 12 French attack submarines.Both the announcement of the alliance and the termination of the sub deal triggered outrage among French society. Some high-profile opposition politicians went so far as to suggest Paris should consider withdrawing from NATO altogether over the perceived snub. Countries such as Russia, China and North Korea, perceived as Washingtons potential adversaries, denounced the creation of AUKUS as fraught with destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region and triggering a new regional arms race.

FeEisi Australia and the US are two scary cats hiding their secret deal from France. For 18 months Australia and the US hid their submarine deal. Why did Australia hid for almost 2 years? 2

gira yar I get paid over $87 per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. I never thought Id be able to do it but my best friend earns over 10k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The potential with this is endless. Heres what Ive been doing .. 0

3

france

australia

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2021

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

france, emmanuel macron, australia, scott morrison, peter dutton, aukus, us, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/austrian-energy-giant-omv-reveals-when-nord-stream-2s-second-line-will-be-ready-to-pump-gas-1090324845.html

Austrian Energy Giant OMV Reveals When Nord Stream 2s Second Line Will Be Ready to Pump Gas

Austrian Energy Giant OMV Reveals When Nord Stream 2s Second Line Will Be Ready to Pump Gas

Nord Stream 2s commissioning is awaiting approval from regulators in Berlin and Brussels as Europe braces for a cold winter. One of the projects twin... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T18:55+0000

2021-10-29T18:55+0000

2021-10-29T19:13+0000

omv

nord stream 2

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

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The second leg of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be filled with gas before the end of 2021, Alfred Stern, chief of Austrian energy giant OMV, has announced.The CEO confirmed that the pipelines first string has already been tested, filled with gas and prepared for use. He stressed that he could not speculate as to when the pipeline would be commissioned.Nord Stream 2 began filling up with gas at the beginning of the month. On 18 October, Nord Stream 2 AG, the companys Switzerland-based operator, reported that one of the pipelines two strings was filled with gas, creating the pressure necessary for deliveries to begin. However, in order for this to happen, Nord Stream 2 still needs to be certified as an independent operator, with this process threatening to drag on until spring 2022 and the end of the current heating season, particularly if it faces resistance from Germanys Green lawmakers and US allies in the European Unions institutions.OMV is one of the half-a-dozen companies involved in Nord Stream 2 alongside Russias Gazprom, Germanys Uniper and Wintershall, Frances Engie, and the UK-Dutch concern Royal Dutch Shell. The project envisions the delivery of Russian-sourced gas to northeastern Germany using a twin pipeline laid at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. From there, the gas can be delivered to other countries in Central and Western Europe, with Germany serving as a gas hub. Once up and running, the project will be able to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year  thereby doubling the capacity of the existing Nord Stream network, which was launched between 2011 and 2012.The United States has spent over two years seeking to sabotage Nord Stream 2 via sanctions amid a bid to sell Europe its liquefied natural gas supplies. The Biden administration moved to scrap restrictions against Nord Stream 2 AG this summer with the aim of improving relations with Germany  the projects main European beneficiary. In recent weeks, Washington has expressed concern about the gas shortages facing Europe, and has blamed Moscow for the supply crunch. Russian officials and Gazprom have dismissed the allegations.

https://sputniknews.com/20211015/us-asks-russia-to-do-more-for-eus-energy-security-after-spending-years-sabotaging-nord-stream-2-1089948366.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211027/german-regulator-to-consider-nord-stream-2-network-independence-1090238444.html

Dicksonrp Watch them fffrrrrreeezzzzeeee this winter... America is coming to rescue you all.. Free natural gas outta theirs and isrealhell arse.. 0

1

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2021

Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

omv, nord stream 2
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/belarus-orders-closure-of-us-embassys-public-diplomacy-usaid-offices-in-minsk-us-says-1090309638.html

Belarus Orders Closure of US Embassys Public Diplomacy, USAID Offices in Minsk, US Says

Belarus Orders Closure of US Embassys Public Diplomacy, USAID Offices in Minsk, US Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The government of Belarus has requested Washington to close the US embassys Public Diplomacy and USAID offices, including the American... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T11:09+0000

2021-10-29T11:09+0000

2021-10-29T11:09+0000

belarus

news

us

diplomacy

usaid

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"On October 20, 2021, the Belarusian authorities informed the United States of new measures designed to impede the functioning of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk by forcing the closure of the Embassys Public Diplomacy and USAID offices, including the American Center in Minsk. The Belarusian authorities are forcing the Embassy to terminate the employment of more than 20 Belarusian members of our staff," Fisher said.According to Fisher, these actions reflect the deep insecurities of authorities of Belarus about "the role of diplomacy, people-to-people ties and independent civil society.""The United States will not be deterred from its commitment to helping advance democracy and human rights in Belarus and to supporting the aspirations of the Belarusian people to build a more promising future in a free and independent Belarus, nor will these recent measures cause us to abandon the outreach and engagement that have benefitted the Belarusian people and which have advanced the relations between our citizens," she added.

Crookim But where are the CIA agents gonna operate from if their USAID office is closed? 5

mandrake That usaid is stillin country isa serious lapse on belarussian governmentsince usaid is anextension of cia. As is the regular embassy so its about time to sendthe morons packing as well! 4

4

belarus

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belarus, news, us, diplomacy, usaid
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/biden-heads-to-europe-for-g20-climate-summits-1090302222.html

Biden Heads to Europe for G20, Climate Summits

Biden Heads to Europe for G20, Climate Summits

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden on Thursday departed for Europe to attend the G20 summit in Rome and UN Climate Change Convention in Glasgow... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T06:13+0000

2021-10-29T06:13+0000

2021-10-29T06:13+0000

joe biden

world

g20

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090118955_0:0:2987:1680_1920x0_80_0_0_45dc0d8ae7d21369249bc701bf53c981.jpg

Biden is expected to arrive at Rome-Fiumicino International Airport shortly after 2 a.m. local time (midnight GMT) on Friday, according to a White House schedule of the trip published Thursday.Bilateral Meetings in RomeThe president will begin his program of meetings with a trip to the Vatican, where he will talk with Pope Francis about the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and caring for the poor, the White House said.Biden is only the second Catholic US President, the other being John F. Kennedy. First Lady Jill Biden will also be attending the trip to the Vatican.The American leader will then hold bilateral meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi.Bidens last scheduled event for Friday is a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting comes following tensions between the US and France over a submarine deal between the US, UK and Australia that undermined a previous Franco-Australian submarine deal.White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that he expects a forward-looking statement to come out of the meeting between Biden and Macron. The statement will detail cooperation on counterterrorism and the Indo-Pacific, as well as how to deepen dialogues on energy and technology, Sullivan added.G20 SummitOn Saturday and Sunday, Biden will begin participation in the G20 Leaders Summit, hosted by Rome. A number of meetings, speeches and bilateral talks on a variety of global issues are expected to take place at the summit. Biden will be joined at the summit by US Special Representative for Climate John Kerry.White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday that Biden will discuss with G20 leaders how to get aid to the Afghan people without the involvement of the Taliban-led (designated terrorist by the UN and Russia) government. Sullivan added that constructive talks on that matter may occur between the US, Russia and China.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be in attendance at the summit and will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a virtual speech.Biden will also hold a bilateral meeting with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the margins of the G20, a government spokesperson said. The bilateral will likely be followed by talks on Iran and the JCPOA with France, the US and UK, the spokesperson added.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that he will address the issue of rules-based digitalization and accountability for social media platforms. The EU will be focused on efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recovery, and climate change, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.Biden will host a supply chain meeting on Sunday, Sullivan said on Thursday. The meeting will consist of like-minded states from multiple continents talking about how to better coordinate to deal with short term supply chain disruptions and challenges, Sullivan added.UN Glasgow Climate SummitBiden on Monday will depart for Glasgow to take part in the World Leaders Summit at the start of the 26th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.The event will begin on Tuesday, with 140 leaders coming to discuss global efforts to combat climate change, UK Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward said on Thursday. The preceding G20 summit in Rome also provides an opportunity to push G20 leaders to get more commitments to net-zero emissions ahead of the Glasgow summit, Woodward added.The White House on Thursday confirmed a meeting between Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Glasgow summit. Erdogan told reporters earlier this month that he and Biden will discuss the refund of $1.4 billion for F-35 fighter jets that the US refused to deliver to Ankara due to their decision to purchase Russian military equipment.Biden will leave Glasgow for the US on Tuesday following the meetings and arrive back in Washington on Wednesday, according to the White House schedule of the trip.

https://sputniknews.com/20200927/g20-leaders-summit-will-be-held-virtually-on-21-22-november-1080592154.html

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joe biden, world, g20
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/bjp-to-hold-mumbai-protest-to-support-officer-investigating-star-kid-aryan-khans-drug-case-1090305672.html

BJP to Hold Mumbai Protest to Support Officer Investigating Star Kid Aryan Khan's Drug Case

BJP to Hold Mumbai Protest to Support Officer Investigating Star Kid Aryan Khan's Drug Case

Maharashtra state minister Nawab Malik has been attacking Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede since opened a case investigating alleged drug use... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T12:18+0000

2021-10-29T12:18+0000

2021-10-29T12:18+0000

mumbai

politics

politics

maharashtra

drug

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

india

politics

drug

bollywood

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India's federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the main opposition party in the state of Maharashtra, will stage a demonstration in support of Narcotic Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede on Friday.The officer is linked to investigating a drug case involving Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The demonstration will be led by Narendra Gaokar, chief of the BJP's Other Backward Class wing (OBC Morcha), outside its headquarters in Nariman Point. The BJP's Mumbai chief, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, will also take part in it. The protest will start at 3pm (GMT 5:30pm).The BJPs decision to take to the street to defend Wankhede comes a day after the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan. He was arrested by the NCB officer on 3 October. The protest is to counter Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has lambasted Wankhede for his alleged highhandedness.NCP politician and state cabinet minister Nawab Malik has lately launched a series of attacks against Wankhede. He has even claimed that the recovery of banned drugs from the cruise liner by the NCB was "fake".The minister has also alleged that the NCB officer used a fake Scheduled Caste certificate to get an Indian Revenue Services (IRS) job.Wankhede has denied all the allegations.

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mumbai, politics, politics, maharashtra, drug, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, politics, drug, bollywood, bollywood, politics, shahrukh khan, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/bombay-high-court-sets-14-conditions-for-aryan-khans-release-from-jail-on-saturday-1090315845.html

Bombay High Court Sets 14 Conditions For Aryan Khan's Release From Jail on Saturday

Bombay High Court Sets 14 Conditions For Aryan Khan's Release From Jail on Saturday

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan and his friends have been granted bail after spending more than 20 days in jail. They were arrested by India's... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T15:46+0000

2021-10-29T15:46+0000

2021-10-29T15:46+0000

drug trade

actor

drug

celebrity

drug trafficking

narcotics

drug smugglers

celebrity scandal

bollywood

shahrukh khan

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The Bombay High Court has issued 14 conditions for granting bail to Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and his friends, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were arrested in the cruise ship drug case on 3 October after the NCB's raid. They will leave jail on Saturday, 30 October.Some of these conditions include "not leaving the country without permission, not indulging in similar activities, not communicating with others of the accused, such as his friend Arbaaz Merchant, and not talking to the media." Aryan will also have to appear before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) every Friday.He has to submit a personal bond of INR100,000 ($13,345), according to the order, and surrender his passport. If any of these conditions are violated, the court says, the NCB can request bail be cancelled. Should Aryan, Arbaaz, and Munmun indulge in any drug-related activities, their bail can be scrapped. Meanwhile, Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla, who has starred against Shah Rukh Khan in many of his previous films, has signed the surety for Aryan Khan's bail.After being tipped off about the cruise party, the NCB conducted a raid on 2 October and arrested Aryan and his friends Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, among others.They had repeatedly been denied bail and were sent to jail on 8 October for allegedly possessing and consuming drugs on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai. Aryan's lawyer has denied that his client possessed or consumed drugs.

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Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg

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drug trade, actor, drug, celebrity, drug trafficking, narcotics, drug smugglers, celebrity scandal, bollywood, shahrukh khan, drug gangs, celebrity gossip, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/childish-remarks-iran-slams-israeli-envoy-to-india-for-accusing-it-of-destabilising-west-asia-1090311674.html

'Childish Remarks': Iran Slams Israeli Envoy to India For Accusing It of 'Destabilising' West Asia

'Childish Remarks': Iran Slams Israeli Envoy to India For Accusing It of 'Destabilising' West Asia

Besides the UAE, Israel last year also normalised ties with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. All the diplomatic agreements were mediated by the US under former... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:16+0000

2021-10-29T13:16+0000

2021-10-29T13:16+0000

middle east

israel

iran

india

uae

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The Iranian Embassy in India on Friday took Naor Gilon, Israel's new ambassador to New Delhi, to task a day after the envoy used his maiden press conference after arriving from Tel Aviv to accuse Tehran of destabilising the west Asian region.In a terse statement, the Iranian mission said that Israels human rights record in the region, whether in massacring Palestinians or the scandalous involvement in the Pegasus spyware controversy is well-known to everybody".The Iranian statement also red-flagged what was described as Israels "aggressive" policies towards other regional neighbours such as Syria and Lebanon.During a five-day visit to Israel this month, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid held the first meeting of a new four-nation grouping, also comprising the US and the United Arab Emirates.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the meeting virtually.Israeli officials have said that the new grouping would focus on economic cooperation, including boosting infrastructure and regional connectivity and was a direct outcome of the Abraham Accords signed last year.The historic Abraham Accords, mediated by the US and announced on 13 August last year, led to normalisation of ties between Israel and the UAE.The text agreement of the Abraham Accords stipulates that both Israel and the UAE stand ready to join with the United States to develop and launch a 'Strategic Agenda for the Middle East' in order to expand regional diplomatic, trade, stability and other cooperation.'Similar Evaluation' of Events in the Region, Says Israeli AmbassadorOn Thursday, Israeli Ambassador Gilon reiterated that the four nations coming together was a consequence of the Abraham Accords which he said were signed because of similar concerns, as shared by Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi, about the role of Iran in the region.As I said before, many of the evaluations of whats happening are similar, the Israeli envoy said.Gilon, however, also clarified that the four-nation grouping wasn't directed at any country, Iran included, and was more focused on economic cooperation.

https://sputniknews.com/20210719/what-is-pegasus-spyware-and-why-have-the-worlds-journalists-woken-up-so-angry-and-scared-by-it-1083413005.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211001/israel-opens-diplomatic-mission-in-bahrain-one-year-after-signing-of-abraham-accords--1089564865.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211029/israeli-envoys-admission-on-pegasus-spyware-contradicts-indian-govts-claims-stokes-controversy-1090301092.html

Dicksonrp Iran, Russia and other right minded countries need to be aware of the treacherous back stabbing racist discriminating collies led by Modi. India is now a pariah state in the company of mass murderers and bandits led by the io terrorist jew scums of the earth. 6

Barros Heinrich Himmler is lacking Israel! 3

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/condolences-pour-in-from-fans-after-indian-actor-puneeth-rajkumar-dies-following-cardiac-arrest-1090310868.html

Condolences Pour in from Fans After Indian Actor Puneeth Rajkumar Dies Following Cardiac Arrest

Condolences Pour in from Fans After Indian Actor Puneeth Rajkumar Dies Following Cardiac Arrest

Actor Puneeth Rajkumar  also known as "Appu" and "Powerstar"  was highly respected in the Kannada-language film industry in the Indian state of Karnataka. He... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T15:14+0000

2021-10-29T15:14+0000

2021-10-29T15:14+0000

actor

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actor

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india

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The death of 46-year-old Puneeth Rajkumar following a cardiac arrest on Friday has shaken India's film industry. The Kannada cinema actor is survived by his wife Ashwini Revanth and two daughters, Vanditha and Drithi.Rajkumar was reportedly working out in his gym when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital. Scores of fans gathered outside his house and the hospital in Bengaluru city where the actor was receiving treatment in intensive care, while several celebrities and fellow actors wished him well. Due to the commotion, the Karnataka government has urged people to remain calm, deployed police officers to Rajkumar's residence, and closed cinemas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his condolences to the actor's family, describing him as "prolific."Scores of celebrities, politicians, and fans have flooded social media with comments, with many describing Rajkumar as a "powerhouse" of Kannada-language cinema.The actor was one of the highest paid stars in Kannada cinema, and was first cast in one of his director father's films called "Premada Kanike" in 1976. As a child, he appeared in over two dozen movies and received the coveted National Film Award for his part in "Bettada Hoovu" in 1985 at the age of ten. Rajkumar's first lead role came in 2002 with "Appu," which was a blockbuster hit. He went on to star in many hit movies in Kannada cinema including "Arasu," "Milana," and "Vamshi."

Pradeep Madgaonkar 45 free schools 26 orphanages 16 old-age homes 19 Goshala 1800 children education 2 eye were donated RIP Kannada power star Puneet Rajkumar 0

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/deadline-looms-prince-andrew-has-to-respond-to-sex-assault-lawsuit-filed-by-virginia-giuffre-today-1090318867.html

Deadline Looms: Prince Andrew Has to Respond to Sex Assault Lawsuit Filed by Virginia Giuffre Today

Deadline Looms: Prince Andrew Has to Respond to Sex Assault Lawsuit Filed by Virginia Giuffre Today

Last month, the Duke of York was served with court papers by Virginia Giuffre who claims he sexually abused her in 2001 when she was 17. 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T16:56+0000

2021-10-29T16:56+0000

2021-10-29T16:56+0000

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Prince Andrew has just a few hours left to respond to a lawsuit which has been filed against him in New York by Virginia Giuffre. If he does not respond, he will face a default judgment. The next hearing is scheduled to take place at a Manhattan court on 3 November. The Duke of York was served legal papers on 21 September but has not provided a response yet.According to the prince's lawyer, Andrew Brettler - as quoted by the Daily Mail - he will file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Virginia Giuffre, who is 37, claims that she was forced by the late financier and paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, and his sometime girlfriend and British socialite, Ghislaine Maxwell, to have sex with Prince Andrew in 2001 when she was 17. She also insists that the Duke knew that she was a minor under US law and that she was a victim of Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme. The prince rejected all the allegations. In an interview on BBC flagship programme, Newsnight, in November 2019, he told the interviewer Emily Maitlis: "I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened... I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."Maxwell is at present in a New York jail awaiting trial on sex abuse and grooming charges. She pleaded not guilty. Jeffrey Epstein was a US financier and convicted sex offender who was arrested in July 2019 on sex-trafficking charges of minors and died in his cell a month later apparently by committing suicide.

Alba1970 he's a auld beastie bassa he should be castrated with a broken bottle 4

TruePatriot His attorney should advise him to not even respond. Let it go to default and then it's a case of good luck on collecting whatever judgement is given. 1

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Sofia Chegodaeva

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/delay-and-inadequacy-prof-blasts-swedens-deliberate-spread-of-covid-19-1090301592.html

'Delay and Inadequacy': Prof Blasts Sweden's 'Deliberate Spread' of COVID-19

'Delay and Inadequacy': Prof Blasts Sweden's 'Deliberate Spread' of COVID-19

According to professor Goran Svensson, a misguided strategy, coupled with a failure to implement drastic measures, has resulted in Sweden becoming an outlier... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T06:44+0000

2021-10-29T06:44+0000

2021-10-29T06:44+0000

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Sweden's standalone handling of the COVID-19 pandemic  when the Nordic nation, unlike its neighbours and most of the world, continued to live in a largely business-as-usual mode, only recommending that its citizens wash their hands and keep their distance  is being scrutinised amid criticism.Professor Goran Svensson at Kristiania University College, who has been investigating the connection between the number of infected, sick and dead using the Swedish example, is very critical of the country's actions, which resulted in a death toll nine times higher than in neighbouring Norway.According to him, it was impossible that the Swedish Public Health Authority, with its 500 employees, was unaware of what consequences of the spread of infection would have for morbidity and mortality.No spread of infection is equal to no sick and dead. The health data clearly showed that in line with increased spread of infection, sickness and mortality also increased almost linearly. That is to say, the connection is very clear. Since the start of the pandemic, Sweden has had a higher spread of infection than neighbouring countries, week after week, Svensson told the science portal Forskning. The connections are frighteningly strong. It was thus entirely possible to predict how many will become ill, and how many will die, when the infection is at a given level, he said.Furthermore, he maintained that the idea behind Sweden's initial unobtrusive strategy, despite its conflicting messaging and subsequent denial, was to achieve herd immunity.The professor argued that Sweden handled the corona as a flu virus and not a pandemic virus. In particular, he called the virus reaching elderly homes on 1 April, barely two weeks after the authorities pledged measures to protect the old and frail, a bad April Fool's joke.In Sweden, the government handed over the responsibility to the Public Health Authority, which in turn contented itself with giving recommendations, without injunction, to the Swedish population.So it was the population itself that got the responsibility, instead of the government shouldering it, Svensson commented.Per capita, the death toll in Sweden is at the same level as South Africa and Iran, despite the fact that the country has a well-developed economy with a small, sparsely populated population, Forskning noted.The consequences of exposing the population to illness and death have been downgraded, underestimated, and worst of all, perhaps neglected by the Public Health Authority, Svensson argued. This means that several thousand lost their lives unnecessarily, and many more have become ill than if the Swedish handling wasn't characterised by delay and inadequacy, the researcher concluded.All in all, Sweden has seen 1.17 million cases of COVID, with over 15,000 deaths, more than the rest of the Scandinavia combined. By contrast, neighbouring Norway, which has more or less similar or same conditions, had merely 204,000 cases of COVID, with only 900 deaths.

https://sputniknews.com/20201217/swedish-king-scolds-government-over-covid-19-pandemic-i-believe-we-have-failed-1081488637.html

Thomas Turk Nor does Hess.. the Swedish Medicos were simply unaware that COVID19 was an engineered bio-weapon, (Dr Francis Boyle), thinking it was just a flu variant. Note, not a whisper about injections. Maybe he was aware the injection was a FRAUD! ''Forbidden knowledge. Medical Bombshell: Pfizer Vax Attacks Human Blood Creating Clots Under Microscope''. . 2

mandrake Of course he knows what hes on about- the pitiful thing is that no one dares to speak up and call a spade a spade because when someone does, his career is over. There is no room for independent thoughts outside the confirmed and approved set by the authorities. So Svensson apparently working from Norway is not constrained like his swedish employed sissies! 1

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/ex-lawmakers-ask-judge-to-block-trump-bid-to-access-white-house-records-in-6-january-probe-1090313617.html

Ex-Lawmakers Ask Judge to Block Trump Bid to Access White House Records in 6 January Probe

Ex-Lawmakers Ask Judge to Block Trump Bid to Access White House Records in 6 January Probe

Former president Donald Trump has dismissed the House Select Committees probe into the 6 January unrest at the Capitol as a sideshow meant to distract... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T12:53+0000

2021-10-29T12:53+0000

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

capitol

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42 former Democratic lawmakers and 24 of their 'Never-Trump' Republican counterparts have signed on to a legal brief to be presented before the Washington, DC federal District Court on Friday asking the judge in the case to reject the former presidents legal campaign to block access to White House records.The appeal urges the Court to deny [Trumps] request for a preliminary injunction so that the Select Committee.can obtain the information it needs to do its work.The letter was signed by a number of big name ex-Democratic lawmakers, including former senator Gary Hart, and former representatives Barney Frank and Frank Israel. GOP signatories include Carlos Curbelo, Reid Ribble, and Charles Boustany  all of whom criticized Trump ahead of and during his presidency.Formed in July, the Democrat-dominated House select committee, which all but two never-Trump Republicans have boycotted, was created after Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a similar probe in the upper chamber in the spring. The committee is the latest effort to cause irreversible damage to Trumps standing and permanently bar him from politics after his January impeachment by House lawmakers in January was thrown out by the Senate.Executive PrivilegeThe select committee has issued dozens of subpoenas for records and the testimony of senior former Trump administration officials in an effort to prove Trumps role in the 6 January violence. Trump has promised to fight the subpoenas through the invocation of executive privilege a legal right granted to presidents and former presidents from testifying in potentially politically-charged investigations.Earlier this month, Trump launched a lawsuit against the select committee and the National Archives in a bid to block the release of requested records, citing their alleged almost limitless scope and lack of legislative purpose. The case is expected to appear before US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has convicted several protesters in the 6 January riots and attacked Trump directly over the Capitol unrest, on 4 November.Last week, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was held in contempt of Congress after failing to appear before the select committee, with his case referred to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution. If convicted, Bannon could face a $100,000 fine, or up to one year in prison.Bannon is one of over two dozen Trump allies subpoenaed to testify, with former chief of staff Mark Meadows, ex-communications aide Dan Scavino, former Pentagon official Kashyap Patel and organisers of the Stop the Steal rally held outside the White House on 6 January also summoned to speak to the select committee.Thousands of Trump supporters convinced that the election had been stolen from the president stormed the Capitol complex on 6 January as Congress formally certified Joe Bidens victory in the November 2020 vote. The unrest took place about 2 km from the White House, where Trump was holding a separate Stop the Steal rally, and where he made promises not to give up the legal fight to contest election results.The violence at the Capitol left five people dead, including a US Capitol Police officer and an Air Force veteran shot dead outside the House chamber by a cop.Democrats immediately accused Trump of responsibility for the unrest. The former president maintains his innocence, and has pointed to his (since deleted) tweets urging protesters to stay peaceful and go home. Last week, a new book revealed that Trump allegedly wanted to go down with the crowd at the Capitol to try to stop supporters from doing anything bad.Over 500 people have been charged with crimes connected to the 6 January violence, from trespassing and disruption of Congress to theft, weapons charges, threats and conspiracy. Thousands of National Guardsmen were deployed in Washington in the aftermath of the unrest, and stayed in the capital until well after Bidens January inauguration.

https://sputniknews.com/20211022/us-judge-sets-4-november-for-hearing-on-trumps-executive-privilege-claim-in-capitol-riot-inquiry-1090140892.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211019/i-wanted-to-go-down-with-the-crowd-trump-thinks-he-wouldve-stopped-capitol-rioters-book-reveals-1090043027.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/family-and-medical-paid-leave-to-drop-from-bidens-package-1090283913.html

Family and Medical Paid Leave to Drop from Biden's Package

Family and Medical Paid Leave to Drop from Biden's Package

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talk about Biden's trip to Europe to discuss climate change with world leaders, what... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T08:28+0000

2021-10-29T08:28+0000

2021-10-29T08:28+0000

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climate change

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sen. joe manchin (d-west virginia)

inflation

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letitia james

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Family and Medical Paid Leave to Drop from Biden's Package On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talk about Biden's trip to Europe to discuss climate change with world leaders, what Taiwan's fight for independence will look like as the U.S. stake their support, and the 'Build Back Better' campaign that has failed to build anything.

Guests:Guy McPherson - Climate Scientist | COP26 SummitScott Ritter - Former UN Weapons Inspector | NATO Expanding Budget And Imaginary DogmaMichael Goodwin - Journalist | Biden's 'Build Back Better' Hasn't Built AnythingIn the first hour, Guy McPherson joined the show to talk about the COP26 climate change summit where the UN will discuss definitive ways to slow the overall warming of Earth. McPherson has a plan to cover surfaces around the globe with a reflective material that would cool the planet ever so slightly.In the second hour, Fault Lines was joined by Scott Ritter for a discussion on Taiwan counting on the United States to defend them in a Chinese invasion. Scott says there is no resolve, in a war between China and the US, that will not achieve nuclear strikes.In the third hour, Michael Goodwin joined the conversation to talk about the losses in Bidens Build Back Better Plan and the decrease in the budget for it as he nears Joe Manchins original mark. Michael also talked about Letitia James now running for New York Governor.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/fishing-row-just-latest-round-in-guerrilla-trade-war-waged-by-eu--france-against-uk-observers-say-1090288851.html

Fishing Row Just Latest Round in Guerrilla Trade War Waged by EU & France Against UK, Observers Say

Fishing Row Just Latest Round in Guerrilla Trade War Waged by EU & France Against UK, Observers Say

France on 28 October seized the British trawler Cornelis Gert Jan for allegedly fishing in French territorial waters without a license. What's behind the... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T07:29+0000

2021-10-29T07:29+0000

2021-10-29T07:29+0000

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The seizure of the British vessel by France came amid a renewed spat over post-Brexit fishery rights apparently triggered by the UK Ministry of the Environment's decision to grant just 12 licenses to French fishermen out of 47 applications. According to London, the ministry's move was fully in line with the post-Brexit agreement with the EU.Paris has also threatened to impose extra customs and hygiene checks on imports arriving from the UK, potentially creating more red tape and banning British fishing boats docking in some French ports to sell their catches. The UK has lambasted the French warnings as "disappointing and disproportionate", with British Home Secretary Priti Patel saying that discussions regarding the matter will continue both at the EU Commission level and with the French administration.Trigger for the Fishing RowAccording to Dowd, the French response is, "as usual, disproportionate and unreasonable": "There already exist dispute resolution mechanisms but the French wont use them," argues the professor. "The French response also reveals, yet again, that the French government is acting in bad faith towards the UK."The ongoing spat originates from Brexit, believes Jeremy Stubbs, President of the British Conservatives in Paris (BCiP): "It is clear that since the Brexit negotiations, [French President Emmanuel] Macron has not been seen as London's best friend," he suggests. "The fishing issue is a continuation of these negotiations."When the Europeans are unwilling to reach a compromise, the UK thinks that it's partly related to Macron; on the other hand, British PM Boris Johnson is considered by the French intractable when it comes to the fishing issue, according to the politician. As a result, "each side is constantly taking revenge on the other with no end in sight: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," according to Stubbs.He believes that post-Brexit Franco-British relations "are doomed to a certain degree of hostility", which is extremely unproductive and problematic, according to the politician.Did AUKUS Add Insult to Injury?France has a good reason to be dissatisfied with Brits after its defence contractors were expelled from a lucrative submarine deal with Australia, according to Georges Kuzmanovic, the head of the Sovereign Republic party and a 2022 presidential candidate.Although it's Washington who played the first fiddle in concluding the trilateral US-UK-Australian deal, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the move as a "stab in the back" while France's defence minister then called off talks with her British counterpart, Ben Wallace.And still, Kuzmanovic is inclined to agree with Stubbs that the fishing row was largely triggered by Brexit: "It's all about Brexit. [It is being done] to punish [Brits]. Plus France is negotiating on behalf of the entire European Union."According to the French presidential candidate, it's Brussels, not Paris, that wants to punish Britain in the first place. The UK's exit makes it very difficult for the European Commission to tackle secessionist sentiment in the EU, with the people of Greece, the Netherlands, and France increasingly thinking about independence, he notes. The politician argues that it is in the interests of France to establish mutually beneficial cooperation with the UK, given their close proximity to each other. However, the EU should not interfere in the countries' relations, according to him."I think we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement: we get access to British fishing areas, and the UK gets our electricity," Kuzmanovic says. "I'm talking about the electricity generated by our nuclear power plants."'No, I Regret Nothing'Despite Brexit creating economic and political hurdles it appears that British Brexiteers, including fishermen hit by the latest row, don't regret the choice they made.The fisherman explains that Brexit has not affected his company: "I landed a processor internally in the UK and my product stays within the UK," he says.Although last year the shellfish and fish prices dropped significantly due to Brexit and the uncertainty, since then things have returned to normal and dont look that bad at all regarding fishing, according to him.

https://sputniknews.com/20211028/uk-reportedly-summons-french-envoy-amid-escalating-fishing-row-1090287507.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210920/bojo-vows-uks-ineradicable-love-of-france-in-bid-to-mend-fences-amid-diplomatic-row-over-aukus--1089224747.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210123/brexit-red-tape-eu-punishing-great-britain--northern-ireland-for-leaving-the-bloc-britons-say-1081855868.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211012/a-common-front-10-eu-members-join-france-to-condemn-uk-over-post-brexit-fishing-licences-1089865313.html

Tom One Its about time the French were put in there place. Trade sanctions and bans on imports would be a good start. Also closing the tunnel for a week or so would soon bring then to the senses. Hull and others ports could be used and only U.K. traders allowed through. 0

Medvezhonok These decisions are made by civil servants, not politicians. Decision-making is strictly rules-based. You can't bend or break the rules just because it is politically expedient. If the applicant doesn't provide any of the required evidence, the application is denied. Simple as that. That's the way we have always done things and the French know it very well by now, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to them. 0

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france, boris johnson, emmanuel macron, world, europe, opinion, fishing, brexit, euroskepticism, fishing trawler, eu, fishing rights, licences, uk, aukus
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/greece-calls-on-eu-to-pursue-tougher-policy-towards-turkey-1090321051.html

Greece Calls on EU to Pursue Tougher Policy Towards Turkey

Greece Calls on EU to Pursue Tougher Policy Towards Turkey

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union should show its discontent with Turkey's "arbitrary" behaviour by actions, not only words, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T16:36+0000

2021-10-29T16:36+0000

2021-10-29T16:36+0000

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"Western moderation appears to encourage Turkeys arbitrary behaviour," Mitsotakis said at a joint press conference with Acting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Athens, as quoted by Greek newspaper Kathimerini. "Its time for European principles to translate into European practice."Mitsotakis noted that Greece wants friendly relations with neighbouring countries on the basis of international law, but "will not tolerate challenges to its sovereign rights."Merkel, in turn, urged both countries to resolve disagreements through dialogue.For decades Greece has been at odds with Turkey over a range of issues, such as competing for territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean and the Greek-Turkish divide in Cyprus. The EU, not recognising the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state, has repeatedly expressed official support for Greece, threatening Turkey with sanctions, but has never carried them out.Under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom are the guarantors of Cypriot security and territorial integrity. The treaty also reserved guarantors the right to interfere on the island if its independence is deemed under threat.In 1974, Turkey used the treaty to justify its invasion of Cyprus. A decade later, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus unilaterally proclaimed independence and has to date been recognised only by Turkey.The United Nations is currently trying to broker reconciliation talks with the leaders of the Greek and Turkish sides of the island.

https://sputniknews.com/20211003/turkey-plans-to-counter-drilling-of-hydrocarbon-resources-off-cyprus-foreign-ministry-says-1089624976.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/india-deploys-us-weapons-including-chinook-helicopters-to-ramp-up-defence-at-disputed-china-border-1090308276.html

India Deploys US Weapons, Including Chinook Helicopters, to Ramp Up Defence at Disputed China Border

India Deploys US Weapons, Including Chinook Helicopters, to Ramp Up Defence at Disputed China Border

India has increased its defence purchases from the US over the last five years, buying about $3.4 billion worth of armaments between 2016 and 2020. The country... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T12:12+0000

2021-10-29T12:12+0000

2021-10-29T12:12+0000

tibet

ladakh region

us

china

india

arunachal pradesh

people's liberation army (pla) navy

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India has been bolstering its defence capabilities with recently-acquired American weapons in areas adjacent to the eastern part of China's Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), which borders the north-eastern part of the country.The military build-up in India's north-eastern region has seen India bring in US-manufactured Chinook helicopters, ultra-light towed howitzers and rifles, domestically-made supersonic cruise missiles and a new-age surveillance system, a Bloomberg report said on Friday.The advanced weaponry is being commanded by the newly-raised Mountain Strike Corps, an offensive unit of the Indian Army under the Eastern Command.Lieutenant General Manoj Pande, the head of the Indian Armys Eastern Command, has expressed confidence in the armys military preparedness in dealing with any eventuality on China's border.He also confirmed an increase in the deployment of satellites, long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and other capabilities by India at the Arunachal Pradesh border in recent months.A major part of the 3,488-kilometre-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China falls under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Command.Most of the build-up of weaponry is focused in the Tawang Plateau of Arunachal Pradesh, a region administered by New Delhi but claimed by Beijing as part of Tibet.According to an Indian media report, PLA troops came face-to-face with Indian border guards at the Arunachal border this month before returning to their base - or bases - in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).China earlier this month also raised objections to the visit of Indian Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to Arunachal Pradesh, as it warned New Delhi against taking any action that would complicate and expand the boundary issue.Indian military commanders have pointed out that the north-eastern region is of critical importance to the nation. A narrow strip of land known as the Siliguri Corridor, around 50 kilometres in length, connects the region to the rest of the country.The region borders Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In 2017, the Indian Army crossed over to Bhutan to stall a road-construction project launched by China near the Doklam Plateau.New Delhi fears that the presence of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on the Doklam Plateau, lying at the tri-junction of three countries, would put the Siliguri Corridor within firing range of Chinese weapons in the event of hostilities.Not only has New Delhi been upgrading its military capabilities, it has also been speeding up the construction of critical infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh.Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 14 October presided over the "breakthrough blast (an event marking the end of excavation operations)" on the main tube of the under-construction Sela Tunnel, an all-weather connectivity project in Arunachal Pradesh.The two-lane road tunnel will be the highest in the world, at an altitude of over 13,000 feet (about 4,000 metres), and would reduce the time taken to reach Tawang (on China's border).Indias military build-up and the infrastructure upgrade along its north-eastern borders was only accelerated by the eruption of a border standoff in the Ladakh region last year. Ladakh UT lies in Indias north; the military operations there are overseen by the Indian Armys Northern Command.Thirteen rounds of military commander-level talks and several rounds of diplomatic parleys between the two nations have failed to completely resolve the dispute, which turned deadly last year after troops from both the sides clashed in the Galwan Valley. The incident, which was the deadliest along the India-China border in over four decades, resulted in the death of 20 Indian and four Chinese troops.Chinas New Land Boundary LawIndia has also strongly reacted to Beijings new Land Boundary Law, which was reportedly passed by the National Peoples Congress on 23 October.According to Xinhua News Agency, the new law calls upon the state to take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support peoples life and work there, and promote coordination between border defence and social, economic development in border areas.Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on 27 October that the new law will have an implication on our existing bilateral arrangements on border management as well as on the boundary question, which remains unresolved.We also expect that China will avoid undertaking action under the pretext of this law which could unilaterally alter the situation in the India-China border areas, stated the Indian official.

https://sputniknews.com/20211019/chinas-pla-ramps-up-scale-military-drills-duration-near-arunachal-pradesh-indian-general-warns-1090029676.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210614/one-year-after-galwan-battle-china-reasserts-claim-over-ladakh-with-more-infra-bomber-trials-1083146160.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211027/india-warns-beijing-against-altering-status-quo-at-lac-under-pretext-of-new-border-law-1090245989.html

Dicksonrp You collies need to concentrate on feeding your large destitute population living and shitting on the streets instead of creating problems with China. If you had sense and didn't have a racist idiot as Modi for a leader, you would have mended relations with China and cooperation would have made this region wealthy and supplied a good standard of living for both sides of the boundary. But you have taken a basket full of water from the zio terrorist isrealhell and evil empire head, USA and made a mess. Good thing the Chinese walloped your arses last year. 3

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Dhairya Maheshwari

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Dhairya Maheshwari

tibet, ladakh region, us, china, india, arunachal pradesh, people's liberation army (pla) navy
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/indian-navys-stealth-frigate-launches-at-russian-shipyard-to-boost-anti-submarine-warfare-capacity-1090305416.html

Indian Navys Stealth Frigate Launches at Russian Shipyard to Boost Anti-Submarine Warfare Capacity

Indian Navys Stealth Frigate Launches at Russian Shipyard to Boost Anti-Submarine Warfare Capacity

India approved buying four frigates from Russia for around $2 billion in 2018. Two of them are being purchased directly from Russia for $950 million and the... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T12:11+0000

2021-10-29T12:11+0000

2021-10-30T07:59+0000

indian navy

talwar

frigates

project 11356 frigates

russia

china

sanctions

india

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The Indian Navy is about to receive a significant boost in its range of naval warfare after the launch of its seventh ship in the stealth frigate P1135.6 class at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad in Russia on Thursday.The ship, formally named Tushil (a Sanskrit word which means Protector Shield), is able to participate in aerial, surface and sub-surface combat and has stealth technology, the Indian Defence Ministry said on Friday. All four frigates will be capable of firing BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.India and Russia signed a deal for four Admiral Grigorovich class/advanced Talwar-class guided-missile frigates in 2018. These frigates are expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2027. These frigates accommodate two multirole helicopters and will be used for anti-submarine and airborne early warning missions.The Indian Navy said that these frigates with a potent combination of state-of-the-art Indian and Russian Weapons and Sensors are equipped to operate close to shore or out at sea, both in a solo capacity and as participants in a naval task force. The frigates are powered by M7N.1E gas turbine engines from Ukraine, for which India has already inked a separate agreement. At present the Indian Navy operates six Talwar-class frigates. The Indian Navy currently operates around 140 warships, with plans to increase that number to 198 by 2027.

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indian navy, talwar, frigates, project 11356 frigates, russia, china, sanctions, india, 
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/israel-has-ability-to-block-us-from-reopening-consulate-in-jerusalem-for-palestinians-official-says-1090296275.html

Israel Has Ability to Block US From Reopening Consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians, Official Says

Israel Has Ability to Block US From Reopening Consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians, Official Says

A senior US government official has confirmed that the US would have to get Israels consent before reopening a consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians that... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T00:33+0000

2021-10-29T00:33+0000

2021-10-29T00:33+0000

jerusalem

middle east

israel

palestinians

us consulate general

west bank

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occupation

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The revelation came during a Wednesday hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) asked Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon about the protocols for opening a consulate in another country.Is it your understanding that, under US and international law, the government of Israel would have to provide its affirmative consent before the United States could open or reopen the US consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, or does the Biden administration believe it can move forward to establish a second US mission in the Israeli capital city of Jerusalem without the consent of the government of Israel? Hagerty asked.The Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem was never explicitly for Palestinians and was created in 1844, long before Israel or the Palestinian National Authority was created. However, after the creation of Israel in 1948 and the opening a separate US embassy in Tel Aviv, the consulate provided such services for Palestinians who no longer had a state in which to do so.After the Trump administration announced in 2018 it was moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in line with a 1995 act of Congress that was repeatedly waived by presidents before him unwilling to throw a hornets nest into a fragile peace process, the consulate was merged with the embassy.Earlier this year, after US President Joe Biden took office and Israel fought an 11-day war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Biden revealed his intent to reopen the consulate alongside other services for the Palestinian population in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, such as $75 million in development funds for the West Bank and $110 million for Gaza. Funding for the UNs mission to Palesitnian refugees, UNRWA, was also restored after being severed by Trump, to the tune of $235 million.Hagerty suggested at the Wednesday hearing that the US reopening the consulate general would be a violation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995.However, McKeon corrected him, adding that Theres no intention to move the US embassy from Jerusalem.When Britains Palestine Mandate was partitioned by the United Nations into Jewish and Palestinian states in 1947, Jerusalem was intended to be an international city controlled by neither country, but in the war against Jordan, Syria and Egypt that followed its declaration of independence the following year, Israel captured far more land than had been partitioned to it, including western Jerusalem. East Jerusalem was later captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, and in 1981, it declared the city annexed and that it was the Israeli capital. The UN denounced the land seizures as violations of international law.The Palestinian National Authority, formed after the 1994 Oslo Accords, governs from Ramallah in the West Bank, which is under Israeli control. However, the PNA has said that in any future Palestinian state - to which the Biden administration says it remains committed - the capital must be East Jerusalem. That position has been backed by the UN and European Union.About 2.8 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, while another 327,000 live in East Jerusalem and another 2 million live in Gaza, which is not connected to the West Bank and has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas won elections there in 2007.Gideon Sa'ar, who heads the Israeli Ministry of Justice, which alongside the Foreign Ministry would have to sign off on the move, flatly told the Jerusalem Post there was no way that would happen.Saar noted that he and Bennett are on the same page.

vot tak Ability, but not the testicular fortitude. A colony of leashed nuts. 7

vot tak "the US would have to get Israels consent" ... The usa needs an israeli ok for just about anything. That is the nature of being a colony. 6

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jerusalem, middle east, israel, palestinians, us consulate general, west bank, us, occupation
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/kiev-claims-its-using-turkish-made-combat-drones-in-eastern-ukraine-in-self-defence-1090322962.html

Kiev Claims Its Using Turkish-Made Combat Drones in Eastern Ukraine in Self-Defence

Kiev Claims Its Using Turkish-Made Combat Drones in Eastern Ukraine in Self-Defence

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military released a video showing the first combat deployment of a Turkey-bought Bayraktar drone in the Donbass. Militias in the... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T17:57+0000

2021-10-29T17:57+0000

2021-10-29T18:40+0000

ukraine

turkey

drone

donbass

bayraktar

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Ukraines deployment of its Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is being carried out solely for defensive purposes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.Ukraine protects its territory and its sovereignty in accordance with the duty and oath of everyone who serves today, who defends Ukrainian statehood. We are not executing an offensive, we are just responding, Zelensky said, speaking to local media on Friday. His comments were published on the presidents website.Zelenskys comments follow the publication of a video by the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces on Tuesday showing what it said was the first-ever combat deployment of one of its Bayraktar TB2 drones to destroy a D-30 howitzer battery used by Russian terrorist forces [sic] that was supposedly shelling Ukrainian forces.Ukraine acquired 12 Bayraktar drones from Turkey in 2019, and in April 2021 the two countries announced the creation of a joint venture to produce 48 more of the UAVs.Russia, one of the guarantors of the Minsk ceasefire agreements alongside Germany, France, and Ukraine has expressed concern over the use of combat drones by Kiev, pointing out that doing so is illegal under the terms of the Donbass ceasefire.The US Embassy in Kiev defended the drones deployment, releasing a statement on Friday blaming the side supported by Russia for repeatedly using howitzer artillery and drones against Ukrainian forces and killing a Ukrainian serviceman.The war in Donbass began in the spring of 2014, after US and European Union-backed political forces ousted Ukraine's unpopular but democratically-elected president Viktor Yanukovych in a coup in February of that year. The crisis led to the spontaneous formation self-defence militias of local residents in Donbass Donetsk and Lugansk regions concerned with the new authorities threats against the countrys Russian-speaking minority. These forces began making demands for regional autonomy, with some calling for the creation of separate states. Kiev responded with military force, and the conflict raged throughout the summer, fall and winter of 2014-2015, killing tens of thousands of people and prompting nearly 2.5 million residents to flee their homes (as many as one million of them to Russia, where they were accepted as refugees).The conflict was frozen thanks to ceasefire negotiations in Minsk, Belarus in February 2015, and the Minsk protocols provided a mechanism through which Kiev could restore its control over the rebellious territories while providing the latter with constitutionally-guaranteed autonomy status. The ceasefires provisions, and agreements reached since ban the deployment and use of weapons in and near settlements, as well as offensive, reconnaissance and sabotage mission activities, and the use of drones, in the conflict area.Turkey has shipped its Baryaktar TB2 drones to nearly half-a-dozen countries, including Ukraine, the Tripoli-based Libyan government, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Qatar. Poland has ordered 24 of the drones, with the first batch expected to be delivered next year. Azerbaijan used the combat drones heavily against Armenian self-defence forces during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, with the UAVs inflicting heavy losses against Armenian defenders. As many as 7,000 people were killed and more than 140,000 were displaced in the conflict, which was halted after the deployment of about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to separate the two sides.

https://sputniknews.com/20210924/israeli-spy-cell-might-have-stolen-sensitive-defence-industry-data-from-ankara-turkish-media-claims-1089378217.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210826/1083714822.html

FeEisi Russia can also supply drones to Donbass for self-defense. 5

md101 Russia is allowing the criminal kiev nazi regime too much. Inaction by Russia will make things only worse. The time for action is NOW, not when their US puppet masters decide. 3

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/kim-jong-uns-drastic-weight-loss-is-result-of-his-healthier-habits---reports-1090295172.html

Kim Jong Un's Drastic Weight Loss Is Result of His Healthier Habits - Reports

Kim Jong Un's Drastic Weight Loss Is Result of His Healthier Habits - Reports

Over the course of the past year, there were numerous reports that Kim Jong Un could be suffering from some serious disease, and that he might have already... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T01:08+0000

2021-10-29T01:08+0000

2021-10-29T01:08+0000

weight

north korea

kim jong

dprk

kim jong-un

weight loss

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In light of media reports that North Korea is currently facing food scarcity, its ruler Kim Jong Un has lost at least 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in recent months, multiple media outlets reported, citing South Korean spy agency statement.According to the reports, South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Thursday that Kim seemed to be in good condition, with his weight loss appearing to be the consequence of his seeking to improve his physique.The spy agency reportedly revealed at a behind-closed-doors meeting how they had become high-tech weight watchers, employing artificial intelligence techniques and computer analysis of super-resolution video of Kim to assess his health.They reportedly believed that the 1.72 m (5 foot 8 inches) leader had formerly weighed as much as 139 kg (308 pounds), but that he now weighs around 119 kg (264 pounds).Kim has displayed no signs of illness, and he has participated in public activities for 70 days this year, up 45% from the same time last year, according to reports, citing South Korean legislators.Despite this, speculation regarding Kim's health has persisted, including continuous rumors that an impostor has been standing in for him at public appearances, which the South Korean National Intelligence Service reportedly denied as unfounded.Back in 2020, The Sun posted a video in which Kim was seen talking to two alleged lookalikes, who were both dressed in his signature black pinstripe suit and Cuban heels.Along with his concern over his appearance, Kim has begun insisting that the political doctrine named after his late father, Kim Jong Il, now be referred to as "Kimjongunism" rather than "Kimjongilism."More to that, Kim Jong Un has allegedly removed portraits of his late father and grandfather from a Workers' Party conference room. The reports of his health and political changes come as Kim appears to be facing the most difficult period of his 10-year leadership, owing to economic difficulties aggravated by the global COVID-19 pandemic.Officials in North Korea are grappling with rising food prices and shortages of medicine and other basic supplies, which have exacerbated the development of water-borne diseases like typhoid fever. North Koreans were reportedly told that the food crisis would last for another three years.

https://sputniknews.com/20210803/kim-jong-un-in-good-health-despite-appearing-with-mystery-band-aid-on-head---south-korean-spy-1083514822.html

vot tak Basically a gossip article. 5

Gone South Korea's National Intelligence Service is apparently doing a very constructive and publicly extremely useful work. "They had become high-tech weight watchers" - now, if this is not useful, I don't know what is. Thank you for taking so much care of Kim's health! I'm sure you'll be doing it for his successor, too. 3

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Kirill Kurevlev

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weight, north korea, kim jong, dprk, kim jong-un, weight loss
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/lets-fly-to-baby-yoda-island-redditors-spot-fancy-looking-piece-of-land-in-indian-ocean-1090298540.html

Let's Fly to 'Baby Yoda Island': Redditors Spot Fancy-Looking Piece of Land in Indian Ocean

Let's Fly to 'Baby Yoda Island': Redditors Spot Fancy-Looking Piece of Land in Indian Ocean

The island, actually called Gunner's Quoin, is located north of the island of Mauritius, the main island of the state of the same name, located about 2,000 km... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T03:32+0000

2021-10-29T03:32+0000

2021-10-29T03:32+0000

mauritius

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Seen reruns of The Mandalorian a few too many times? A Google Maps user claimed to have discovered an island that resembles the show's adorable character Grogu, most commonly known as Baby Yoda, from the Disney series. A screenshot of the island has been shared on a popular Reddit thread dedicated to unusual Google Maps discoveries.A Reddit user who goes under the alias u/No_Raptors contributed the island image and captioned it "Baby Yoda Island."Two big protruding areas on the island could be regarded as Yoda's ears. However, not everyone in the comments agreed with this, as one of the users saw a "cow" in the picture.Others stated the island resembled Shrek, Dumbo the elephant, and even Stitch from the Disney film Lilo & Stitch.Coin de Mire, commonly known as Gunner's Quoin, is only 65 hectares in size and is located 8 kilometers north of Mauritius, near Ile Plate, popularly known as "Flat Island," according to Visit.Today's description.Gunner's Quoin is a basaltic volcanic cone that dates back thousands of years. Natural boulders, stretches of bare rock surrounding the coast, and numerous and well-preserved volcanic extrusions all point to the island's volcanic origins.You can check out the fascinating island via this link on Google Maps.

mauritius

indian ocean

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Kirill Kurevlev

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Kirill Kurevlev

mauritius, indian ocean, star wars, island, memes, viral
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/magnesium-prices-in-china-fall-after-resumption-of-production-at-key-enterprises-1090314453.html

Magnesium Prices in China Fall After Resumption of Production at Key Enterprises

Magnesium Prices in China Fall After Resumption of Production at Key Enterprises

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Magnesium prices in China have fallen after leading enterprises in Shaanxi province in central China resumed their production at the... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:08+0000

2021-10-29T13:08+0000

2021-10-29T13:08+0000

asia & pacific

china

magnesium alloy

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As a result, magnesium production in Yulin City, which includes Fugu County, fell by almost 40% in annual terms.In this regard, magnesium prices increased, while metal supplies decreased. As for September 17, the factory price of magnesium of Xintian Magnesium Alloy was reportedly 45,000 yuan ($7,034) per ton. On September 22, the price soared to 65,000 yuan. On October 28, the price returned to 43,000 yuan per ton.Caixin reported that the stabilization of magnesium prices was also caused by the decrease in coal and ferrosilicon prices.According to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, in 2020, the country produced 858,300 tonnes of magnesium.Magnesium mining in China had ballooned over the past decades, making it one of the key suppliers of the metal to the global market. In 2020, Chinese exports of magnesium products exceeded 5 million tonnes.Magnesium alloy is widely used in the aviation and automotive industries and in the production of electric appliances. It is also regarded as an environmentally friendly engineering material.In October, a number of European industry associations informed the EU authorities about severe shortages of magnesium. The EU is expected to run out of stocks by the end of November. As a source in the European Commission told Sputnik, the authorities are in contact with China to address the problem.In September, the Chinese government faced shortages of coal and electricity in several regions of the country. According to business news outlet Caixin, plants in Fugu County, Shaanxi Province, which produced about 50% (478,600 tonnes) of China's magnesium last year, suspended their production between September 20-30 at the behest of authorities amid a coal shortage.

china

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asia & pacific, china, magnesium alloy
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/meta-as-in-metasticizing-democrats-dunk-on-facebook-following-rebrand-1090317107.html

Meta as in METAstasising: Democrats Dunk on Facebook Following Rebrand

Meta as in METAstasising: Democrats Dunk on Facebook Following Rebrand

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that his company would be renamed "Meta," ostensibly to bring the tech giant into line with its "metaverse"... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T14:16+0000

2021-10-29T14:16+0000

2021-10-29T16:51+0000

facebook

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Democratic lawmakers and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have unloaded on Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, alleging that a rebranding will not wash away the harm to society caused by the tech giant under its previous name.Meta as in we are a cancer to democracy metastasising into a global surveillance and propaganda machine for boosting authoritarian regimes and destroying civil societyfor profit! Democratic New York congressional representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  a long-time critic of social media, wrote in a scathing tweet.Connecticut Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal echoed AOCs criticism, suggesting that a new nom de plume may confuse and distract, but wont erase years of devious practices and disregard for privacy, kids wellbeing, spreading hate and genocide.His colleague, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, tweeted that while Facebook wants us to start calling it Metawere just going to keep calling it what it is, a threat to privacy, democracy, and children.Twitter, whose CEO Jack Dorsey has been feuding with Zuckerberg for weeks over Facebooks dystopian metaverse concept, poked fun at his social media rivals rebranding, mockingly tweeting BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter following Zuckerbergs renaming announcement.US fast food giant Wendys also joined in the mockery, jokingly changing its name to Meat.Zuckerberg revealed the companys new name at the companys Facebook Connect conference on Thursday, promoting his "metaverse" as a new shared platform involving the use of virtual and augmented reality in a variety of applications for both work and play.Zuckerberg has a long record of interest in virtual reality technology, buying out Oculus, a VR headset maker, in 2014, and working with the Pentagons top secret defence research arm to make advances in cyberwarfare using augmented reality. The company piled $10 billion into its reality Labs division in 2021, and plans to double the number of workers involved in the project in the coming years.Whistleblower TestimonyThe Meta rebrand comes amid damning criticism from former Facebook executive-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen. In testimony before US and British lawmakers in recent weeks, Haugen accused the company of engaging in toxic business practices, and of a failure to moderate potentially harmful content and hate speech, particularly in markets outside the US such as India.Haugen alleges that the platform failed to tackle "election misinformation" and "inflammatory content" during and after the 2020 US presidential election  including allegations made by former president Donald Trump that the election was stolen and misinformation related to hot-topic issues such as the coronavirus. Her testimony has prompted some Democrats to demand that the state step in to regulate the company amid evidence that self-regulation is not working.Republicans have broadly dismissed calls to resolve problems with the company using state regulation, but have long alleged that Facebook and other tech giants have an implicit bias against conservatives. As an example, they have often cited the New York Post story about Hunter Bidens laptop in the run-up to the November election. Facebook and Twitter moved to limit the storys sharing, with Trump and Republicans accusing the tech giants of unacceptable censorship.

https://sputniknews.com/20211028/facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-reveals-companys-new-name-will-be-meta-1090287736.html

https://sputniknews.com/20200617/age-of-deplatforming-short-list-of-conservative-voices-muted-by-internet-giants-1079643572.html

TruePatriot The extreme danger of the "metaverse" is that it will be peddled to kids and lock them into only this reality making them so they are unable to function in Reality. This is indeed the start of the matrix being loaded. It is a very dangerous development and should be stopped before going further. Remember, Farcebook started out as a data mining company funded by the CIA, now it's moving into mining and enslaving people's brains especially those that are the most malleable. 3

Notta Snowflake Baron von Zuckenstein needs a new country for beating his meta. Also I believe his strategy is to register this new firm as an NGO non-profit so that he can play the Soros game with impunity. All Fartbook ever was and is only serves objectives identical to the core doctrine of communitarian fascist "umgericht" mind control-based ideological indoctrination per the Open Society mythos and aesthetic. All Freakbook employees in Europe will need to complete their work kit are uniforms designed and supplied by Hugo Boss as were the S.S. sissyboy rags of yore. 2

4

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Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

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facebook
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/moldova-and-gazprom-extend-gas-supply-contract-for-5-years-1090323518.html

Moldova and Gazprom Extend Gas Supply Contract for 5 Years

Moldova and Gazprom Extend Gas Supply Contract for 5 Years

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Moldova and Gazprom have agreed to extend the contract on gas supplies to the republic for five years, deliveries will begin on 1... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T18:10+0000

2021-10-29T18:10+0000

2021-10-29T18:22+0000

world

moldova

gas

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"Negotiations between the Moldovan delegation and Gazprom have ended in St. Petersburg. Under the agreement, the contract between Gazprom and Moldovagaz will be extended for five years, using the formula proposed by the Moldovan side," the ministry said on Facebook.Gazprom has said that the contract was extended on mutually beneficial terms. Earlier in the day, Moldovan President Maia Sandu told a briefing that she had requested help from Romania, Poland, Germany and Azerbaijan to overcome the gas crisis in the country. Moldova has already struck four deals with the Polish PGNiG, Dutch Vitol, Swiss DXT Commodities and Ukrainian Naftogaz. The Russian oil and gas company earlier said it would continue supplying gas to Moldova if the country paid its debt in full. According to Gazprom, Moldova's debt for supplied gas currently stands at $433 million ($709 million with overdue payments).On 22 October, Moldova's parliament introduced a state of emergency in the country due to the energy crisis to quickly allocate funds from the budget for the purchase of additional volumes of gas in order to maintain pressure in the gas pipeline.On 1 October, Gazprom extended the contract with Moldova for the supply of gas for a month. Moldovagaz reported on 6 October that gas consumption in the country temporarily exceeded the supply of fuel from Russia, which might lead to problems with the supply of electricity.

Charlie McD There was never a spat. Moldova just didn't want to pay the price of the gas. Simple. All good. No issue here. Move on. 2

Dicksonrp Maia asked the other countries for help. They all refused the jew girl because she didn't want to use condoms 1

2

moldova

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world, moldova, gas
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/moscow-us-demands-that-55-more-russian-diplomats-workers-leave-country-1090324981.html

Moscow: US Demands That 55 More Russian Diplomats, Workers Leave Country

Moscow: US Demands That 55 More Russian Diplomats, Workers Leave Country

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Washington demands that 55 more Russian diplomats and administrative and technical workers of the Russian embassy and consulates leave the... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T18:56+0000

2021-10-29T18:56+0000

2021-10-29T19:02+0000

news

us

russia

maria zakharova

diplomats

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"Given the demands put forward by Washington that another 55 of our diplomats and administrative and technical workers should leave the United States in the coming months (and this essentially means expulsion), the situation on the diplomatic 'front' will only get worse," Zakharova said in a statement.She clarified that there are about 130 Americans working in diplomatic missions in Russia, while less than 200 Russians work in the Russian embassy in Washington and two consulates in New York and Houston.In August, the Russian Embassy in the US received the list of 24 diplomats who had to leave the country by 3 September. In addition to that, the US authorities cancelled valid visas of diplomats' spouses and children without explaining the reason. On 15 April, US President Joe Biden signed a decree to introduce sanctions against 32 Russian individuals and companies. Washington also announced that it would expel ten Russian diplomats from the country. In late April, the US Embassy in Russia said that in response to retaliatory measures introduced by Moscow, starting 12 May it would provide consular services only to US citizens and in a limited number of cases.

sharknbake21 RUSSIA should just clsoe their embassies in the US and, also shut down usa embassie sin Moscow as well. 7

Dicksonrp Hope Russia gladly reciprocate this measure..... AND REFUSE THE AMERICAN REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL AIRLINE OVER FLIGHT FOR WINTER WHICH THEY ARE REQUESTING NOW. Let other airlines make the money instead at the expense of the US Airlines 4

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news, us, russia, maria zakharova, diplomats
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/poland-purchases-250-us-tanks-for-political-rather-than-security-reasons-ex-army-chief-says-1090314108.html

Poland Purchases 250 US Tanks for Political Rather Than Security Reasons, Ex-Army Chief Says

Poland Purchases 250 US Tanks for Political Rather Than Security Reasons, Ex-Army Chief Says

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland's purchase of 250 Abrams tanks from the United States was dictated by political rather than operational expediency, Gen. Mieczyslaw... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

news

russia

poland

tanks

defence

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Poland expects to receive the 250 tanks model M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 in 2022. In September, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that they will be deployed on the country's eastern border."Why do we buy 250 tanks, and not 500? We want to equal the military potential with the Russian Federation, which has, as far as I know, more than 20,000 tanks? We will never be even. The entire NATO has been trying to achieve military parity for 50 years and failed, so we don't have to try to do it on our own," Gocul, who served from 2013-2017, said.The ex-Army Chief said that buying a large number of tanks is pointless without strong air defence to back them up, questioning Polands choice of weapons acquired.Gocul added, referring to purchase, that "this is not an urgent operational need, but an urgent political need."Poland has called on NATO to do more to rein in Russia, which the Polish government considers a primary security threat. Moscow has consistently denied any plans to attack other countries, including NATO members, but vowed to respond to any attempts to encroach on its territory or hinder its development.

Nonyank Ask Iraq how that went when the US sold them tanks, US got miffed, halted all support including spare parts etc., so Iraq sold them back to the US and bought many more new upgraded Russian T90s thare are much more reliable and way less expensive all around! 9

Notta Snowflake The sale went through thereby giving Poland a total inventory of less than 500 MBT's. My thoughts are that the deal happened so that Poland in turn can sell these off to the Azov fascists on a basis which spares the DoD the direct culpability for arming the Sir Elton John Rainbow Chicken Suit army of Western Ukraine. The flaunters of violations of the Minsk Accord will use these to push into the peninsula of Crimea as part of a coordinated action with the AUKUS consortium of fools. 8

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news, russia, poland, tanks, defence
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/rdif-hails-eus-decision-to-open-borders-for-sputnik-v-vaccinated-visitors-from-argentina-1090325457.html

RDIF Hails EU's Decision to Open Borders for Sputnik V Vaccinated Visitors From Argentina

RDIF Hails EU's Decision to Open Borders for Sputnik V Vaccinated Visitors From Argentina

Argentina was the first Latin American country both to approve the use of the Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus and to localise production. 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T18:59+0000

2021-10-29T18:59+0000

2021-10-29T18:59+0000

argentina

europe

vaccine

eu

covid-19

sputnik v

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The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has hailed a European Council recommendation to EU countries to lift travel restrictions imposed on Argentina, the only manufacturer of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in South America. In a 29 October press release, Russia's sovereign wealth fund, which is responsible for marketing Sputnik V overseas, called the Council's suggestion a testimony to the success of the vaccination campaign in Argentina. The Argentine Ministry of Health has previously published a study, which showed that Sputnik V offered a greater immune protection than other vaccines used in the country. A different study conducted by the National University of Cordoba demonstrated that the Russian-made vaccine was more effective against the Delta strain of coronavirus than AstraZeneca and Sinopharm jabs. RDIF, for its part, has emphasised that Argentina has witnessed a thirtyfold decrease in the daily COVID-19 caseload over the past five months thanks to a successful vaccination campaign. Aside from Argentina, the European Council has advised to remove travel restrictions for Chile, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan. All these countries have approved Sputnik V for use.Argentina was the first Latin American country to authorise the Russian vaccine for use. Later, it announced plans to produce 4-5 million doses of Sputnik V monthly and expects to ramp up yearly production to 500 million doses. Sputnik V, the world's first vaccine against the coronavirus, has been approved in 70 countries so far. Since early March, Sputnik V has been under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Dicksonrp I'm UNVAXED.. I'm NOT TAKING the NWO zio terrorist western poison!!! But if Sputnik V or Light becomes available in my country, I'll certainly take it. 0

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argentina, europe, vaccine, eu, covid-19, sputnik v
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/russia-ready-to-assist-lebanon-in-investigation-of-beirut-port-explosion-1090320433.html

Russia Ready to Assist Lebanon in Investigation of Beirut Port Explosion

Russia Ready to Assist Lebanon in Investigation of Beirut Port Explosion

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to provide possible assistance to Lebanon in the investigation of the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, Dmitry Lebedev... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T16:22+0000

2021-10-29T16:22+0000

2021-10-29T16:22+0000

beirut

news

lebanon

explosion

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The press office of Lebanese President Michel Aoun reported that the president had officially appealed to the Russian ambassador in Beirut, Alexander Rudakov, with a request to provide satellite images of the port of Beirut at the moment of the explosion."In order to develop traditionally friendly Russian-Lebanese relations, the Russian party is ready to provide possible assistance," Lebedev said, confirming receipt of the request for satellite images.On Friday, at the invitation of the Lebanese side, a meeting of Aoun and Rudakov was held. There was discussed the request of the Lebanese party following up the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai forum, which spoke about Moscow's possible assistance in the investigation of the explosion circumstances in the port of Beirut."The tragedy in the port was a difficult ordeal for the Lebanese nation. We have always supported an objective, impartial and non-politicized investigation of those circumstances," Lebedev said.A powerful explosion occurred in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020. At least 280 people died, and more than 6,000 were injured. Some 300,000 people were left homeless after many houses were damaged or destroyed.

https://sputniknews.com/20210927/probe-into-beirut-port-blast-suspended-as-lawsuit-filed-against-judge-report-says-1089446619.html

Preterist-ADSeventy Hopefully Russias satellite images will show the mushroom cloud that was the result of Israels nuclear missile attack on the port of Beirut Lebanon. All videos sent to YouTube showing the mushroom cloud were immediately removed protecting the perpetrators. An explosion of ammonium nitrate fertilizer cannot produce a crater in solid granite that was 600 wide. Only a nuclear explosion can do that. 2

Dicksonrp Quite correct. You are lucky that RT, now controlled by the jhu terrorist as well, did not delete your comment stating the same thing I said.promptly deleted by them. ! minutes before and after live video from the satellite will show a missile from isrealhell incoming. The reason US offers nothing in this area is because they have to shield their masters, the children of Lucifer 2

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beirut, news, lebanon, explosion
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/sudans-al-burhan-says-wishes-to-see-prime-minister-hamdok-in-politics-but-up-to-him-1090318007.html

Sudan's al-Burhan Wishes to See Prime Minister Hamdok in Politics, But It's 'Up to Him'

Sudan's al-Burhan Wishes to See Prime Minister Hamdok in Politics, But It's 'Up to Him'

KHARTOUM (Sputnik) -Sudan's armed forces commander-in-chief and de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said he would be glad if Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T14:46+0000

2021-10-29T14:46+0000

2021-10-29T15:00+0000

sudan

news

politics

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Sputnik is the first media to interview the Sudanese military leader after recent developments in the country, which saw several senior officials detained and the government dissolved.Hamdok, along with several other government members, was detained by the Sudanese military last Monday, which prompted hundreds of people to protest the takeover in the streets. The next day, Hamdok was returned home.On Thursday, the Sudanese authorities prohibited the foreign, justice, agriculture, transport and irrigation ministers from meeting the ousted prime minister at his home, according to Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources of Sudan, Yasser Abbas.

https://sputniknews.com/20211028/one-killed-two-injured-in-protests-against-military-takeover-in-sudan-1090293261.html

sudan

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sudan, news, politics
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/sudans-leader-al-burhan-says-new-prime-minister-to-be-technocrat-1090301860.html

Sudan's Leader al-Burhan Says New Prime Minister to Be Technocrat

Sudan's Leader al-Burhan Says New Prime Minister to Be Technocrat

KHARTOUM (Sputnik) - Sudan's new prime minister will be a technocrat but there are no candidates for the post yet, armed forces commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T06:03+0000

2021-10-29T06:03+0000

2021-10-29T06:03+0000

sudan

africa

prime minister

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"The previous prime minister was elected through consensus between political and military forces. Now there are no political forces, so we have a patriotic duty to lead the people and help them in the transition period until elections are held. We will choose a prime minister who will belong to technocrats," al-Burhan said.There is no list with names of candidates for the post yet, the official added.The cabinet will be appointed by a new prime minister, as the military will not interfere, al-Burhan assured. It is up to different layers of the Sudanese society to reach consensus on a candidacy for prime minister, according to the Sudanese leader.A new prime minister and the Sovereign Council will appear in Sudan within a couple of days, "within a week at the latest," Abdel Fattah al-Burhan added.The Sudanese military on Monday morning detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and several other members of the government. Al-Burhan, who heads the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council, announced in a televised address to the nation the introduction of a state of emergency and the dissolution of the country's government. On Tuesday, it was reported that Hamdok and his wife returned to their capital residence.

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sudan, africa, prime minister
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/taiwan-confirms-presence-of-us-troops-nato-increases-presence-on-russias-border-1090295289.html

Taiwan Confirms Presence of US Troops; NATO Increases Presence on Russia's Border

Taiwan Confirms Presence of US Troops; NATO Increases Presence on Russia's Border

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen confirmed the presence of US military personnel on the island in a statement that many consider crossing China's red line. 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T08:26+0000

2021-10-29T08:26+0000

2021-10-29T08:26+0000

julian assange

nicaragua

haiti

syria

nato

cnn

the critical hour

radio

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Taiwan Confirms Presence of US Troops; NATO Increases Presence on Russia's Border Taiwan leader Tsia Ing-wen confirmed the presence of US military personnel on the island in a statement that many consider crossing China's red line.

John Kiriakou, journalist, author, and host of The Backstory, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Julian Assange's defense put forth a thunderous rebuttal to the prosecutor's case at the end of the first day's hearing procedures. A crowd chanting "free Julian Assange" gathered outside of the courthouse, many yelling that the US is attempting to exercise extra-territorial legal authority.KJ Noh, peace activist, writer and teacher, joins us to discuss China. Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen confirmed the presence of US military personnel on the island in a statement that many consider crossing China's red line. International security analysts are concerned that the US neocons are edging the world closer to a disastrous military conflict.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss Biden's spending bills. The Biden administration seems poised to scrap almost all of the social spending programs that attracted support from the left flank of his party. Some observers are arguing that this ostensible change of plans is a part of a neoliberal plan and that these programs were set up as sacrificial lambs in a fake fight.Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, joins us to discuss the media. George Soros and billionaire Russia-gate proponent Reid Hoffman have joined to fund a media group known as "Good Information Inc." The group is also pushing for more censorship, as their website states We believe there is an urgent need for regulation of social media platforms.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. President Biden is maintaining occupation of the Syrian oil fields even as US troops are becoming frequent targets of retaliatory attacks. Also, US war profiteers are lamenting the end of their money-laundering operation in Afghanistan.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss NATO. NATO is stepping up its military presence in the Baltic States and Ukraine, creating instability on Russia's borders. While NATO leaders claim that the moves are defensive, there are no signs of aggressive moves by Russia that would precipitate such provocative acts.Dr. Jemima Pierre is an associate professor of Black studies and anthropology at the University of California. She joins us to discuss Haiti. A new article in the online media outlet Haiti Liberte argues that "The current Haitian crisis powerfully demonstrates the essential role played by the Americans in Haitian politics." The author argues that inconsistent and contradictory policy statements are further destabilizing the beleaguered nation.Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss the Global South. The increased US economic repression both at home and abroad makes it clear that defending Nicaragua's sovereignty is critical to world stability. Also, we review 10 things that people need to know about Latin America.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

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julian assange, nicaragua, haiti, syria, nato, cnn, the critical hour, , radio
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/talented-mr-biden-hunters-art-sales-reek-of-pay-to-play-but-doj-lost-sense-of-smell-analysts-say-1090303037.html

Talented Mr Biden: Hunter's Art Sales Reek of Pay-to-Play But DoJ Lost Sense of Smell, Analysts Say

Talented Mr Biden: Hunter's Art Sales Reek of Pay-to-Play But DoJ Lost Sense of Smell, Analysts Say

It is obvious to everyone that Hunter Biden's art exhibitions are nothing but a new influence-peddling scheme, say Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel and... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

2021-10-29T13:00+0000

barack obama

art

joe biden

hunter biden

world

us

opinion

ukraine

the new york post

emails

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Hunter Bidens New York City exhibition kicked off on 23 October at the Georges Berges Gallery in SoHo, with the novice artist's paintings being offered at prices ranging from $75,000 to $500,000 each. However, it's not easy to enter Berges' sanctum sanctorum, as the gallery is using a team of lawyers to vet anyone who wants to see Hunter's art show, according to the New York Post.It is not the first time that Hunter Biden has tested the waters of some new field and immediately achieved impressive results. In 2014, Hunter was invited to the board of directors of Ukrainian gas firm Burisma, being offered a salary reportedly amounting to $83,333 per month despite having zero experience in the energy field. Similarly, in 2013, Joe's versatile son managed to create a $1 billion private investment fund with China's Bohai Capital even though his firm Rosemont Seneca was founded just four years earlier and he himself was seen by many as a novice in the field.'Biden's Artworks are Insult to Real Artists'It appears that American lawmakers have never believed in Hunter's innate talent to succeed despite having no expertise in a sphere of his choice. In September 2020, GOP senators released a report indicating that most of Hunter Biden's financial gains occurred at the time when his father was vice president. A month later, The New York Post released a series of bombshell reports suggesting that Joe Biden was well aware of the influence trading scheme and, possibly, received a percentage from his son's lucrative deals. In addition to that, the latest expose by the Daily Mail alleged that Joe and Hunter Biden had shared bank accounts.Apparently therefore, doubt has been cast regarding Hunter's artistic skills, while his artwork sales are seen by some GOP lawmakers and conservative observers as yet another form of influence-trading.There are many good artists in New York City who are struggling to have their work showcased in a gallery for any reason, according to the analyst. The fact that unknown artist Hunter Biden has a special show in a NYC gallery which was reportedly attended by just three people on a recent day "should begin to tell you that maybe this is nothing more than a way for people who want to try to get closer to the notoriously, as alleged, corrupt Biden family to get on their good side by sending some money ostensibly to Hunter." According to Ortel, one cannot say how much of this money might end up in the pockets of the Biden family and Joe himself.Huge Price Tags & Suspicious Art DealsMeanwhile, impressive price tags of the first son's debut artworks have attracted attention from Republican lawmakers who pressured Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden's art sales.During the 21 October House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) showed Garland two paintings from famous artists Claud Monet and Edgar Degas, estimated at $700,000 and $500,000, respectively. Then he showed a debut artwork by Joe Biden's son, offered for $500,000, adding that Hunter has never had any artistic background and was unable to find a gallery to exhibit his works before 2020. The congressman raised the question as to whether it is a mere coincidence that Hunter Biden's pricey paintings have been in demand since his father won the presidency.Back in July, the White House asserted to the press that it struck a deal with the gallery to keep the identities of any buyers secret both to Hunter Biden and the Biden administration. However, Republican lawmakers did not buy into this, arguing that the information about the deals could easily find its way out.In September 2021, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter obtained by The New York Post to Hunters art dealer, Georges Berges, requesting documents about the White House's ethical arrangements with the gallery as well as information about potential buyers and purchases of the president's son's paintings.Berges' ties to the Bidens also raise questions, according to the Daily Mail. The dealer was photographed in a bar wearing a Camp David hat earlier this month. Camp David is the traditional retreat of the sitting US president.The picture, shared on Instagram by celebrity interviewer George Wayne, triggered questions as to whether Berges spent time with the Bidens before the opening of Hunter's art exhibition in SoHo.The Bidens' Scandal Remains Officially UnseenIt appears that the Bidens don't care about ethical issues when it comes to their influence-peddling schemes, according to Jason Goodman, an American investigative journalist and founder of Crowdsource the Truth.At the same time, Hunter Biden does not seem disturbed by the IRS-FBI probe into his financial operations, as he still hasnt sold his stake in the Beijing-connected firm despite previously vowing to do so.Apparently, the Bidens have a good reason to sleep well at night, as the FBI, Big Tech, and Big Media are largely continuing to shield them, while the Biden administration, for its part, appears to return the favour, according to the journalist."Take Andrew McCabe for instance, the disgraced, fired former deputy FBI director," Goodman notes. "His removal and the controversy surrounding it were the top news stories in March 2018. Now that Trump is out and Biden controls the DOJ, this disgraceful criminal has had his pension restored and all records of his firing expunged."The Biden scandal disappeared "like Houdini's elephant" with the help of the media, Silicon Valley giants and intelligence officials who did not want the public to see it, wrote Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University, in his blog."[A]n influence peddling scheme that directly impacts the President and his family continues to be officially unseen," the lawyer noted on 19 October, adding that the appointment of a special counsel for the Bidens is long overdue.Turley is correct in saying that the special counsel should be appointed, but of course it is an unlikely outcome under the current administration, Jason Goodman believes.

https://sputniknews.com/20211016/evidence-of-hunter--joe-bidens-shady-conduct-continues-to-pile-up-but-nobody-cares-analyst-says-1089971657.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210409/laptop-saga-juiciest-part-of-hunter-bidens-story-excluded-from-memoir-daily-mail-expos-1082585199.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211014/ex-obama-ethics-chief-slams-psakis-handling-of-questions-about-hunter-bidens-art-sale-1089929683.html

ukraine

camp david

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Ekaterina Blinova

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Ekaterina Blinova

barack obama, art, joe biden, hunter biden, world, us, opinion, ukraine, the new york post, emails, camp david, pay to play, laptop, big tech, burisma
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/two-can-play-at-that-game-uk-promises-retaliation-if-france-escalates-post-brexit-fishing-row-1090318240.html

'Two Can Play At That Game': UK Promises Retaliation if France Escalates Post-Brexit Fishing Row

'Two Can Play At That Game': UK Promises Retaliation if France Escalates Post-Brexit Fishing Row

British trawler The Cornelis was intercepted by France in the Baie de Seine on 27 October and escorted into Le Havre port after French officials claimed its... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T14:10+0000

2021-10-29T14:10+0000

2021-10-29T15:16+0000

france

post-brexit

fishing rights

george eustice

uk

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Environment Secretary George Eustice has warned Paris that if it should carry out its latest threats amid the spiraling post-Brexit fishing spat, London could respond in a proportionate way". Weighing in on Frances threats - ranging from blocking ports and carrying out security checks on British vessels to reinforced controls of lorry traffic, customs and hygiene and raised tariffs - Eustice said on Sky News:As part of post-Brexit arrangements, which includes the UK leaving the EUs common fisheries policy, French trawlers are required to provide historical GPS data to prove they worked in those waters before Brexit. Paris has been fuming over a decision last month by the UK and the Crown Dependency Channel Island of Jersey to refuse dozens of French fishing boats licences to operate in their territorial waters, issuing 50 percent fewer than it was entitled to, according to French government spokesman Gabriel Attal. George Eustice insisted the UK had issued licences to 1,700 vessels, including 750 French fishing boats, which represents 98 percent of applicants. The remaining vessels, he explained, could not prove they had fished in these waters previously, so could not get a licence under the trade and co-operation agreement.Against this backdrop, on 27 October France suggested it might start taking steps against the UK over the issue, such as extra border checks, bans on the UK boats accessing French ports, and even actions that might affect power supplies to Britain. The next day, French authorities fined two British boats and detained a UK scallop dredger, 'Cornelis Gert Jan', escorting it to the Port of Le Havre. The charge "relates to fishing in French waters without a licence and that's the bone of contention", according to the head of public affairs for Macduff Shellfish, which owns the boat. "We believe we were fishing with a valid licence and the French authorities don't," he added. British authorities have challenged France's explanation that the trawler ostensibly had no permission to fish in French waters, and summoned the French ambassador to London for talks. Two Royal Navy patrol vessels were reportedly in a state of high readiness on Thursday night should the situation escalate further.On Friday, the prosecutor in the French port of Le Havre said the captain of the detained scallop trawler would be summoned to appear in court in August next year. George Eustice slammed comments made by France as "completely disproportionate, they're unacceptable". The minister urged France to dial down the belligerent rhetoric, calm down and remove these threats, they're not acceptable". He told the outlet that the UK would talk to the European Commission, which has got a role and a responsibility to make sure its member states, including France, abide by the law, abide by the terms of the agreement that was reached. The European Commission has also weighed in, saying there are plans to propose to London a last round of negotiations over UK-issued fishing licences over the weekend, a fishing industry source was cited as saying by Reuters on Friday.There is a will to find a solution, it is not for pleasure that we are here and there is a will to find a way out. But they are determined, said the source, adding:Eustice was also cited by Sky News as suggesting that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could confront French President Emmanuel Macron on the issue at the coming COP26 summit in Glasgow. Downing Street has since confirmed that Boris Johnson will engage in a brush by meeting with Macron on the margins of the G20 summit in Rome this weekend and raise a range of issues.

france

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Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

france, post-brexit, fishing rights, george eustice, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/uk-mulling-criminalising-attempts-to-change-sexuality-gender-identity-through-coercive-conversion-1090316052.html

UK Mulling Criminalising Attempts to Change Sexuality, Gender Identity Through 'Coercive Conversion'

UK Mulling Criminalising Attempts to Change Sexuality, Gender Identity Through 'Coercive Conversion'

Earlier in the year, when the Queen outlined the UK Government's legislative agenda, Women and Equalities minister Liz Truss said Downing Street was committed... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T14:59+0000

2021-10-29T14:59+0000

2021-10-29T14:59+0000

boris johnson

lgbt

liz truss

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The UK Government Equalities Office (GEO) has tabled proposals that could render conversion therapies  when children are persuaded to change their sexuality or gender identity through counselling  a criminal offence, reported The Times.The new offence for so-called talking therapies, according to the GEO, would be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years. For example, the legislative proposals will clamp down on attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological, physical, or spiritual methods. While applicable to under-18s under in any circumstance, it would also spread to cases involving adults who have not freely consented to the therapy or been fully informed about the potential impacts. Furthermore, it was acknowledged that some believe an adult cannot consent even when fully aware of the potential for being harmed. It was underscored that the freedom for an adult to enter such an arrangement should be protected." The legislative proposals are part of a raft of measures seeking to ban the coercive practice, reportedly by next spring. However, they are preceded by a six-week long public consultation on the issue, set to wrap up on 10 December. Furthermore, the GEO vowed that the legislation introduced by early 2022 would ensure that those found guilty of conversion therapy as a criminal offence would not be able to profit from the manipulations. "Robust and stringent" consent requirements would be demanded, added the GEO. The consultation document states: The GEO underscored that expressing the teachings of a specific religion, including casual conversations or private prayer, will not constitute conversion therapy. The Office pledged further efforts in conjunction with religious communities to ensure a balance between peoples protection and respect for the right to freedom of religion and belief. Regulated clinicians would be granted the opportunity to continue working with those who may question if they are LGBT+, added GEO. Among the other mulled measures are Conversion Therapy Protection Orders, which would presuppose removing the passports of those at risk of being taken overseas, boosted support for those deemed at risk and ways of preventing promotion of conversion therapies online. It will fund a support service for victims and those at risk of conversion therapy and is launching a tender process in November. Minister for Women and Equalities, Lizz Truss was cited as saying:She added that the announced plans would allow an archaic practice that has no place in modern life" to be banned. Back in May, the government announced its commitment to introducing legislation to crack down conversion therapy. Downing Street said at the time it would make sure that any action was "proportionate and effective" and "does not have unintended consequences."Critics of the current proposals believe they fall short, urging a ban on all types of conversion therapy and warning of loopholes."Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Anneliese Dodds also said that the planned legislation left the door open for people to consent to insidious practices on religious grounds.

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Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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boris johnson, lgbt, liz truss
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/us-approves-emergency-use-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-children-5-11-years-old-1090326739.html

US Approves Emergency Use of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5-11 Years Old

US Approves Emergency Use of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5-11 Years Old

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday it approved the emergency use of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine in children... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T19:45+0000

2021-10-29T19:45+0000

2021-10-29T19:46+0000

us

vaccination

pfizer

vaccine

food and drug administration (fda)

covid-19

delta variant of covid-19

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"Today, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children 5 through 11 years of age," the FDA said in a press release.Last Saturday, FDA released a report in which it indicated that the predicted benefits from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children of this age exceeded the risks of side effects. A day prior to that, vaccine developer companies Pfizer and BioNTech said that their vaccine had demonstrated over 90% efficacy in children aged 5 to 11. In the paper, the firms did, however, note the risk of post-vaccination myocarditis in youngsters.Those above the age of 12 are currently allowed to take the Pfizer vaccine in an emergency, and those aged 16 and up are fully sanctioned. COVID-19 has infected at least 1.8 million children aged 5 to 11 in the US since the outbreak began, with at least 143 children in this age group dying as a result.

TruePatriot Absolutely outrageous to be experimenting on kids and risking their health with these experimental gene therapies. Study after study has proven the bug is no risk to kids. 1

1

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us, vaccination, pfizer, vaccine, food and drug administration (fda), covid-19, delta variant of covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/us-gen-says-chinas-done-hundreds-of-hypersonic-weapon-tests-while-dod-is-bureaucratic---report-1090297155.html

US Gen. Says China's Done 'Hundreds' of Hypersonic Weapon Tests While DoD is 'Bureaucratic' - Report

US Gen. Says China's Done 'Hundreds' of Hypersonic Weapon Tests While DoD is 'Bureaucratic' - Report

Gen. Hyten's remarks come a week after a failed US hypersonic test and as tensions between the US and China over Taiwan, which the latter considers as an... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T02:48+0000

2021-10-29T02:48+0000

2021-10-29T02:48+0000

military & intelligence

us

china

hypersonic

hypersonic missiles

joint chiefs of staff

bureaucracy

hypersonic weapons

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Following China's purported test of a hypersonic missile, the second most senior US general stated that China's military growth is "stunning," while US development is hampered by "brutal" bureaucracy, CNN reported on Thursday.According to the report, General John Hyten, the outgoing Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, backed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's assessment of China as a "pacing threat," while describing Russia as the greatest immediate concern.He echoed his immediate superior, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, in expressing alarm over the recently reported Chinese hypersonic test, which Milley described as "very close" to what he calls a "Sputnik moment," apparently referring to the fact that the USSR was the first in the world to launch an artificial satellite, taking first place in the space race, which came as a complete surprise to the US.The development of hypersonic weapons, according to Hyten, exemplifies the vast differences between the US and China's approaches. In the last five years, he reportedly claimed, the US has conducted nine hypersonic tests, whereas the "Chinese have done hundreds."Explicitly, the general slammed the US approach to failed new weapons tests, discussing last week's failed hypersonic missile test by the US military, which was cut short entirely after a rocket booster designed to accelerate a glide vehicle to hypersonic speeds failed.In particular, Hyten praised the approach to the development of weapons in North Korea, noting that its leader Kim Jong Un decided "not to kill scientists and engineers when they failed, he decided to encourage it and let them learn by failing."'Unbelievably Bureaucratic and Slow' Pentagon Must Be HastenedHe also urged his yet-unnamed successor to "focus on speed and re-inserting speed back in the process of the Pentagon" in "anything that he touches." However, the general refused to go into detail about what is known about China's alleged hypersonic missile test this summer, saying only that it happened and that it is "very concerning." But he emphasized that Russia is the most immediate threat to the US, citing Russia's more than 1500 deployed nuclear weapons, of which China has around 20%.According to Hyten, China's hypersonic and nuclear weapons are only partially related to Taiwan, hence they are "meant for the USA" instead.Hyten was previously the head of US Strategic Command, where he oversaw the country's nuclear arsenal and kept an eye on strategic threats.

https://sputniknews.com/20211019/global-times-us-should-stop-eyeing-too-much-on-chinas-hypersonic-missiles-and-broaden-its-horizons-1090031421.html

vot tak More israeloamerican propaganda from one of the dedicated disseminaters of this nonsense at sputnik. The messege here is Russia=bad. China=bad. The israeloamericans need to spend more on aggressive war preparation. 6

feketehollo shut the fck up stupid USA general. the world wants to see your evil empire fail and your country fall into 3rd world conditions. Nothing you can do to stop it except for destroying the world, that you can do. Only destroy not to build. 6

8

china

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Kirill Kurevlev

military & intelligence, us, china, hypersonic, hypersonic missiles, joint chiefs of staff, bureaucracy, hypersonic weapons
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/us-special-envoy-says-met-with-sudanese-military-chief-one-day-before-coup-1090304091.html

US Special Envoy Says Met With Sudanese Military Chief One Day Before Coup

US Special Envoy Says Met With Sudanese Military Chief One Day Before Coup

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, said that he met with the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Transitional... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T07:31+0000

2021-10-29T07:31+0000

2021-10-29T07:31+0000

sudan

world

us

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I saw him twice, two-and-a-half-hours on Saturday, an hour or so on Sunday. On Sunday, it was one-on-one. And he was talking to me about his concerns with the transition, what he saw as stumbling blocks in the transition, problems in the transition, disarray on the civilian side, the lack of some institutions, Feltman said on the PBS NewsHour TV program.Al-Burhan and the head of the paramilitary forces, General Hemeti, have never hinted that they would dissolve the government through military tools but discussed with the US means to address their ostensible concerns with how the transition was going, he added.Al-Burhan will soon realize that it is not so easy to return Sudan "to the dark past during the 1989-2019 ruling of President Omar al- Bashir, given the determination of protesters to prevent such a scenario along with major international and regional pressure on the general, Feltman said.When asked to comment on the lack of major condemnation of the military regime in Sudan from countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the diplomat said that their tacit support would be of little use to Sudan, particularly in solving impending economic problems.Earlier this week, the World Bank suspended financial aid to Sudan over the military coup.The Sudanese military on 25 October detained Prime Minister Hamdok and several other members of the government. Fattah al-Burhan declared a state of emergency in the country and the dissolution of the government. On 26 October, Hamdok and his wife were reported to have returned to their residence in the capital.In April 2019, Sudan saw a military coup d'etat, sparked by protests amid a deep economic crisis and declining living standards. Al-Bashir, who ruled for 30 years, was removed from power and later imprisoned.In September 2021, the Sudanese authorities announced that they had thwarted an attempted military coup. According to a statement from the command of the armed forces, most of the participants in the coup attempt were detained, including 21 officers and a number of soldiers. Hamdok said at the time that the coup attempt indicated the need for reforms in the army and security agencies. The Sudanese authorities slammed the supporters of al-Bashir as the organizers of the mutiny.

vot tak The threats from feltman make it clear the israeloamericans lost influence due to the sudan coup and are desperately trying to get back in control. 0

WhatTheFishIsThis Sudan's "Awareness" of Better Alternatives for Financial Aid and Developmental Collaboration. Results .. Bye bye US, IMF and all your attached hegemonic "strings". ROFL 0

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sudan, world, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/us-sub-struck-in-secretive-south-china-sea-deployment-suffered-damage-to-ballast-tanks-report-finds-1090308706.html

US Sub Struck in Secretive South China Sea Deployment Suffered Damage to Ballast Tanks, Report Finds

US Sub Struck in Secretive South China Sea Deployment Suffered Damage to Ballast Tanks, Report Finds

On 2 October, the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class nuclear powered fast attack submarine, struck an unidentified object in the South China Sea. 11 seamen... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T10:36+0000

2021-10-29T10:36+0000

2021-10-29T10:56+0000

nuclear submarines

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The USS Connecticut suffered damage to its forward portion and ballast tanks after bumping into an unidentified object in the South China Sea earlier this month, sources said to be familiar with the Navys initial damage assessment have told USNI News.In submarines, ballast tanks are used to control vessels buoyancy. The tanks are flooded when a sub needs to submerge, and cleared of water using compressed air to make it buoyant again.The outlets sources stressed that the subs onboard nuclear reactor and propulsion systems were not impaired in the incident. They did not comment on whether the subs torpedo tubes, which are situated in the forward portion of Seawolf-class boats, were affected.Acting assistant secretary of the Navy for R&D and acquisition Jay Stefany has told lawmakers that repairs to the USS Connecticut will likely disrupt the existing ship repair schedule at the Navys four public shipyards  already said to be overwhelmed with a backlog of repair and retrofit orders.If we ended up doing [repairs] in one of the public shipyards, that would certainly cause perturbations in all the other work in the shipyards, Stefany said, speaking before the House Armed Services Committees readiness subcommittee on Thursday.Earlier this week, sources told USNI News that the Navy still wasnt certain what the USS Connecticut ran into during its South China patrol, with no object definitively determined. Earlier this month, Politico reported that the sub may have hit a natural underwater feature. However, veteran Russian submariner, admiral and former commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet Vladimir Valuyev told Sputnik that the subs advanced onboard navigation systems should have virtually ruled out a collision with an underwater reef or rock formation.Naval Sea Systems Command are said to be continuing the evaluation of the scope of the damage. China has accused the United States of engaging in a cover-up. On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stressed that Beijing has repeatedly expressed grave concerns over the matter and asked the US side to make clarifications, and accused the Pentagon of nothing but a brief and vague statement issuedwith procrastination, and a confirmation by a so-called informant that the incident did happen in the South China Sea.Such an irresponsible, cagey practice gives regional countries and the international community every reason to question the truth of the incident and the intentions of the US, Zhao said.US officials initially only stated that the incident took place somewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. The Navy later clarified that the incident took place in the highly sensitive South China Sea, but only after a China-based think tank honed in on the approximate location where the sub bump took place. According to the South China Strategic Situation Probing Initiatives assessment, the incident took place southeast of Chinas Hainan Island and north of the Paracel/Xisha Islands in the Hainan-Paracel-Bashi Channel triangle. The think tank used satellite data, plus the location of other US warships in the area, to make its determination.The Connecticut is a Seawolf-class sub one of the most advanced, but also the most expensive, kinds of attack subs in the US Navys arsenal. Only three Seawolf-class subs were ever built, with an order for 26 more vessels cancelled in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War and a short-lived era of slashed Pentagon budgets. The sabre-quiet attack subs nuclear propulsion systems make their endurance virtually unlimited  apart from the need to ensure food and provisions resupply for crews. Their onboard weapons include Mark 48 torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and land-attack cruise missiles.China has laid claim to wide swathes of the South China Sea, and has repeatedly called on the United States to put a halt to its so-called freedom of navigation naval patrols in the area.

Norman Peterson Sure do have their panties in a wad, those Chinese...best count your subs, Mr Xi...might be missing one... 16

Dicksonrp The Chinese is making a mickey, quite rightly, out of the evil empire gay navy. They know exactly what and were it happened. Just maybe the gay navigator did not see the stealth containers strategically place under water to do exactly what happened if you were trespassing. LOL,LOL..Careful the next time it does not go BOOOMMM 14

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Ilya Tsukanov

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/wh-press-pool-bristle-over-bidens-closed-for-cameras-meeting-with-pope-1090327352.html

WH Press Pool Bristle Over Biden's Closed-for-Cameras Meeting With Pope

WH Press Pool Bristle Over Biden's Closed-for-Cameras Meeting With Pope

On Friday, Biden had an approximately 90-minute conversation with the head of the Catholic Church, a crucial element of his trip to Italy for the G20, which... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T21:54+0000

2021-10-29T21:54+0000

2021-10-29T21:54+0000

joe biden

us

press

pope francis

vatican

democrats

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White House reporters accompanying President Joe Biden to Italy expressed dissatisfaction on Friday with their lack of access to the Pope Francis-Biden summit. The media was enraged by the Vatican's unexpected cancellation of a live broadcast of their meeting, given that reporters tend to complain about Biden's accessibility even back in the US. At the same time, Washington Times reporter Jeff Murdock claimed that the summit was an "embarrassment for the freedom of the press." He also took a jab at White House press secretary Jen Psaki in his Twitter post regarding his disappointment over such a "disgraceful" incident.However, both reporters' followers noted to the frustrated journalists that the nature of the meeting was primarily personal, and that it was even understandable that of all the cameras, reportedly only Vatican ones were allowed at the meeting, given who was visiting whom.But, in recent years when heads of state have visited the Vatican, it has been customary to have live television broadcasts to all reporters present.This, perhaps, prompted many journalists present in Rome to complain about what they described as a "violation of freedom of the press."Biden is the country's second Catholic president. According to Biden's summary of the meeting to the press, Pope Francis told him that he should keep receiving communion and that the subject of abortion rights in the US was not brought up."We just talked about the fact that he was happy I'm a good Catholic," Biden said. "And I should keep receiving communion."

https://sputniknews.com/20211029/pope-francis-calls-biden-a-good-catholic-amid-abortion-debate-in-us-1090326306.html

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Kirill Kurevlev

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Kirill Kurevlev

joe biden, us, press, pope francis, vatican, democrats
https://sputniknews.com/20211029/whats-in-a-name-facebooks-now-called-meta-1090304480.html

What's in a Name? Facebook's Now Called Meta

What's in a Name? Facebook's Now Called Meta

The rebranding comes after a series of negative media reports about Facebook that cited documents leaked by a former employee. The reports claimed that... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:09+0000

2021-10-29T13:09+0000

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On Thursday, Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebranding process. According to the company's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, the new name would "broaden its reach beyond social media into areas such as virtual reality". This change applies only to the parent company and not individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The change comes in the wake of a series of media stories, based on files leaked by former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, who also accused the company of putting "profits over safety". Commenting on these allegations, Zuckerberg said that the reports were a "coordinated effort to selectively use leaked documents to paint a false picture of our company".Meanwhile, a poll recently conducted by Brand Analytics in Russia shows that Facebook's decision to rebrand to Meta has not been widely discussed by Russian users. Unlike the recent Facebook outage, the change in the company's name has not caused a stir among Russian users, the poll said. Check out Sputnik's gallery to find out more.

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https://sputniknews.com/20211029/why-russias-moderate-conservatism-might-play-key-role-in-resolving-wests-ideological-standoff-1090314722.html

Why Russia's 'Moderate Conservatism' Might Play Key Role in Resolving West's Ideological Standoff

Why Russia's 'Moderate Conservatism' Might Play Key Role in Resolving West's Ideological Standoff

The main message of Vladimir Putin's Valdai speech to the Western audience was that the former path of liberal hegemony has reached a dead end, says Norwegian... 29.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-29T13:33+0000

2021-10-29T13:33+0000

2021-10-29T13:36+0000

valdai discussion club

joe biden

donald trump

world

europe

us

russia

opinion

vladimir putin

cold war

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Vladimir Putin's Valdai speech has reverberated through mainstream media and social networks, striking a cord with Western audiences of all stripes and triggering criticism, curiosity and praise. Professor Glenn Diesen from the University of South-Eastern Norway has explained what's so special about the Russian president's latest manifesto and its timing.Sputnik: In 2007, Vladimir Putin delivered his landmark speech during the Munich Security Conference warning about the "uncontained hyper-use of force in international relations" by the US, Washington's global dominance, and the erosion of international law. What are the main differences between the Valdai address and the Munich speech? How has the world changed since 2007?Glenn Diesen: In 2007, Putin cautioned that the unbalanced unipolar order legitimised by liberal hegemony was destabilising the international system. Putins comments were widely condemned in the West as aggressive but these comments merely reflected the basic assumptions of realist theory - When there is only one centre of power, there are no constraints and the dominant power will then expand to the detriment of common security. Russian security concerns were defined by NATO expansionism towards Russian borders, NATOs interventionist foreign policy, and the Western powers exempting themselves from the constraints of international law by instead legitimising the actions by referring to democracy and human rights. This contradicts the fundamental basic principle of a benign security architecture, which is to not enhance ones own security at the expense of the security of other states. However, Russian was weak and largely standing on its own, so its security concerns could be ignored.In 2021, the world looks very different. Power has shifted rapidly from the West to the East, primarily from the US to China, and the relative power of the West in the world continues to decline. Russia has recovered its former strength and has given up on its former Western-centric foreign policy by instead prioritising relations with the East. We still have the legacy of the unipolar order in terms of NATO expansionism, NATO regime change and humanitarian interventionism, and the effort to replace international law with the Orwellian concept of a rules-based international order that does not consist of any rules. But the international distribution of power has changed and Russia can draw clear red lines against further NATO expansionism in Ukraine and interventionism in Syria, while Russia diversifies its economy away from the West to inoculate itself from the enduring sanctions.Furthermore, Putin criticised how the liberal ideology that justified the former hegemonic order has manifested itself in a revolutionary and destructive 'woke' ideology. The challenge ahead is thus to restore a balanced multipolar international system to restrain the uncontained hyper use of force, and recognise the need for conservative principles as an anchor of stability against revolutionary liberalism.Sputnik: Following the Putin Valdai speech the Kremlin specified that Russia sees itself as an inalienable part of Europe. What European and Western forces, in general, are major addressees of Putin's speech? What aspects of the Russian president's Valdai address should Western audiences pay attention to in the first place?Glenn Diesen: For such a speech there is both a domestic and international audience. The main message to the Western audience was that the former path of liberal hegemony has reached a dead end, and there is a need to change course. Putin applauded NATOs withdrawal from Afghanistan, which signifies an important milestone to the end of Western unilateralism. Much of the speech focused on the internal disruptions in Western societies. Putin opined that the current trajectory of the West is not sustainable in terms of economic development and revolutionary liberalism, and these problems cannot be resolved by using Russia as an external bogeyman and thus doubling down of bloc-based politics.Much like a stable domestic society requires a balance between liberalism and conservatism, so does Russia offer balance in Europe. Russia is therefore not positioning itself against the West, merely against Western unilateralism. Implicitly, by recognising that Russia is an inalienable part of Europe, the West, we can overcome bloc-based politics and have a counter-weight to revolutionary liberalism. This is obviously a message that appeals to some strands of Western conservatives.Sputnik: Putin's remarks about moderate conservatism and fake "progressivism" have resonated with American conservatives, who quoted the Russian president in social media and conservative media outlets. What do American and European conservatives think about Russia? What are the odds of Moscow building deeper ties with like-minded forces in the West despite an ongoing anti-Russia propaganda?Glenn Diesen: After the Cold War, there was an effort in the West to recast the former capitalist-communist divide into an overly simplistic binary liberal-authoritarian divide in which Russia remains an adversary that must be excluded from Europe. While Russian conservatism obviously has a foreign policy component, it is a common mistake to dismiss it as being opportunistic. Russia has a natural inclination towards conservatism as an anti-dote for its revolutionary past. Conservatism is a philosophy of organic change whereas every nation develops in accordance with its own unique history, traditions and culture  which is imperative as the present rests on the legitimacy of the past. A key problem for Russia is its revolutionary history, in which the past is uprooted to start all over. From a conservative perspective, Russias 1000-year long development has been catastrophic and fragmented as Kievan Rus, Mongol Russia, Muscovy Rus, Peter the Greats Russia, Soviet Russia, and liberal Russia were all periods that purged the era before it. This creates profound divisions and makes the peaceful transfer of power difficult if the political opposition envisions a new Russia incompatible with current Russia.I think this is an important idea, as purging the Soviet past is in itself a revolutionary act that only continues to fragment Russians into what the real Russia represents. Russian conservatism can be said to be successful when a shared national consciousness emerges in which the communists embrace the societal value of the Orthodox Church and liberals accept the principle of gradual change instead of starting again in year zero.Putin explicitly compared the revolutionary mood in the West with the Bolshevik Revolution in Russias own past as the past is purged to give way to new social realities untainted by the flaws of history. This message predictably was well-received among many American conservatives.Sputnik: What's your prognosis on the deepening struggle between "conservatives" and "liberal globalists" in the US and the EU and what role could Russia play in this cultural and ideological standoff?Glenn Diesen: The problem in the West is that liberalism has decoupled from the nation-state, which dismantles the shared platform of liberals and conservatives. The nation-state is largely a conservative construct in which the distinctive nation reproduces its culture, faith, family and traditions. Yet, the stability of the conservative nation-state has made it the most successful vessel to advance liberal ideals in which the individual is not constrained by culture, faith and traditions.States prosper when they can position themselves between the group and the individual, between continuity and change, and between the past and the future. Putin is therefore deeply critical of the current cultural revolution in the West that aims to liberate itself from its own history, culture, traditions, faith and even biological realities such as gender. This attempt to create entirely new social realities will destabilize the West and fragment their societies.Russian conservatism unavoidably places Russia in the middle of the Western ideological standoff. The liberal globalists envision a subject-object relationship with Russia in which the West is the teacher and Russia is the civilisational apprentice that attempts to remake itself in the Wests image. Russia adamantly rejects this role and the liberal excesses of the West. While this creates ire among the liberal globalists, the blatant rejection of the liberal dogmas creates support among many Western conservatives.The reason is that the values of many Western societies are fundamentally reorganised and it is occurring without intellectual opposition. The changes are not advanced based on rational debate, rather they are rammed through as an issue of right versus wrong, tolerance versus hate, or the virtuous versus those who should not be allowed to keep their jobs. While Putin mocking the absurdity of renaming breast milk as human milk may seem to be low-hanging fruit, it is probably refreshing for many conservatives to see a state leader stating what they consider obvious.Over the past years, Trump was undermined by those portraying him as a Russian agent, there was censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal during the election by those claiming it was Russian disinformation, and then Trump was condemned for not hitting back at Russia when reports emerged that Russia had put bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan. All of these conspiracy theories have been revealed as being fraudulent, and it might incentivise some conservatives to question if the ideological standoff with Russia has largely been manufactured.Glenn Diesen is the author of "Europe as the Western Peninsula of Greater Eurasia: Geoeconomic Regions in a Multipolar World" (2021); "The Return of Eurasia" (2021); "Russian Conservatism: Managing Change under Permanent Revolution" (2021), "Great Power Politics in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Geoeconomics of Technological Sovereignty" (2021), "Russia in a Changing World" (2020), "The Decay of Western Civilisation and Resurgence of Russia: Between Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft" (2018), and "Russia's Geoeconomic Strategy for a Greater Eurasia (Rethinking Asia and International Relations)" (2017).

https://sputniknews.com/20200618/vladimir-putin-the-real-lessons-of-the-75th-anniversary-of-world-war-ii-1079656136.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211021/russia-and-us-are-on-the-right-track-following-geneva-summit-putin-says-1090108021.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211022/why-putins-conservatism-of-optimists-approach-resonating-with-traditionalists-in-us-and-eu-1090128178.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211021/putin-says-discussion-on-men-and-women-in-west-has-become-phantasmagorical-1090106736.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211028/capitol-riots-why-dems-effort-to-expel-maga-lawmakers-from-congress-wont-succeed-at-this-point-1090284291.html

LINDADREW MODERATE is better than sadism e-tremists which run uk/america and now they have got australia into bestial forces but I wish they would act against sadism /satanic paedos of the west 2

LINDADREW even wearing a cross OFFENDS SATAN IN UK AND YOU CANT WEAR ONE AT WORK 2

2

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Ekaterina Blinova

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Ekaterina Blinova

valdai discussion club, joe biden, donald trump, world, europe, us, russia, opinion, vladimir putin, cold war, liberalism, revolution, nato, conservatism, woke
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).
A new barn did not deter Ynothos from extending her winning streak to six in Thursdays fourth race at Rideau Carleton which honoured the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Societys 25th anniversary. Contested on a beautiful fall afternoon in the nations capital the $6,900 race, for distaffers, was reduced to six with the scratch of Village Jamie.

Claimed by Limco Inc of Quebec in her last start at Rideau, Ynothos is now trained by Vic Puddy but maintained her regular pilot of Guy Gagnon. Leaving from post seven, Ynothos swept down to grab the lead well before the opening panel in :27.4.

She tripped the half in a leisurely :57.4 and stepped it up to 1:26.3 for the three-quarters. Down the stretch her competitors started to close in but it was too late as she hit the wire first in 1:55.4. Clodam Bayama took second while Howmacfiesty was third.

A six-year-old daughter of Camystic, the winner now has 13 wins in 21 starts this year for over $38,000 in earnings. Lifetime her earnings are just shy of $140,000. She is the first foal from a full sister to former Western Canadian champion Red Star Hottie ($667,000).

Every Standardbred racetrack in Ontario hosted a race in honour of OSASs significant anniversary in 2021. Todays contest was the 12th and final one and OSAS extends sincere thanks to every track and their staff for the great hospitality and to all of the wonderful OSAS volunteers. They all ensured each event was special and a celebration of the great work OSAS has done over the past 25 years.

The AGCO Judges declared the eighth race a No Contest as a result of a mishap that took place as the field neared the half-mile point of the race.

Lil Moe Money, who was sitting fifth on the rail for driver Ryan Guy, made a break and became hooked up with Red John and driver Samuel Fillion. Both drivers were dumped out of their racebikes, and the horses spun around and began to race head on toward the remainder of the field.

Warning lights and sirens were put in place at all tracks across the province to alert drivers of a No Contest situation, and these protocols were activated as the field moved across the backstretch.

Despite the warning signals being activated, none of the drivers pulled up their horses. As the field neared the finish line the two loose horses were running head-on in the infield toward the field. Fortunately, the loose horses were avoided by the field as it raced toward the finish line.

Reports from the source indicate the horses were apprehended and suffered no injuries. Both drivers were uninjured, as well.

To catch all of the highlights from Thursdays card be sure to check out the latest edition of Rideau in Ten. The video can be viewed below:

(With files from OSAS)

To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results  Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Lyons Sentinel is the No. 1 ranked horse in harness racing, but she is still looking to solve the Breeders Crown.

In fact, she enters Saturday afternoons $330,000 Mare Pace at The Meadowlands attempting to capture her first Breeders Crown final.

The four-year-old finished the finals second by a neck at age two; second by a quarter-length at age three; and was also third in last weeks elimination after winning seven straight.

Nonetheless, trainer Jim King Jr. is looking forward to Saturday afternoon and hopes to put the Breeders Crown past behind him.

Im not happy about losing, but I thought she went a tremendous mile, King said after Lyons Sentinel was third in the Mare Paces single elimination, beaten a length by Rocknificent in 1:48.4. She was out a long ways, got flushed early. They went big around the turn and by the time they got down to the wire, she was coming again.

So, Im not displeased at all. I dont feel at all discouraged about how things will go (this) week. Im just glad we didnt draw the 10 hole. Our being here (for the elimination) was all about the draw. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they dont.

Breeders Crown elimination winners got to draw for a starting spot in posts one through five as the reward for their victory. Lyons Sentinel will race out of post three Saturday and is the 5-2 morning-line favourite despite her elim setback. Rocknificent got post one and is the 3-1 second choice.

Racing begins at noon Saturday at the Big M and features eight Breeders Crown finals for horses ages three and up.

Lyons Sentinel, a daughter of Captaintreacherous out of Tutu Hanover, has won 21 of 44 races and more than $2 million in her career. This year she has hit the board in 13 of 16 races, with nine firsts, a second and three thirds good for $664,658 in earnings.

Driven by Tim Tetrick, Lyons Sentinel had a qualifier leading up to the elimination. She won in 1:53.1 with a :26 final quarter.

Thats not the same (as racing), said King, who won a Crown with Shartin N in 2018. But this (elimination) is a good mile under her and Im coming to win this week. I hope it happens. Trips make all the difference.

It was a tough go, but thats OK; one of her best miles was the last time she got beat. It was out of the 10 hole right here (in the Dorothy Haughton Memorial), and she raced a tremendous mile and ended up fourth. I dont know if she was ever better than that.

Rocknificent, who finished second to Lyons Sentinel five times this year before beating her in the elimination, is trained by Linda Toscano and driven by Scott Zeron. She has four wins, eight seconds and $395,780 in earnings this year.

(Her elimination) was exactly the race you would love to see her get, said Toscano, who has won seven Breeders Crown trophies. She didnt have to be used too hard, she just did her normal leave, and she got a great trip behind a horse that carried her.

It worked out really well for us for a change because (Lyons Sentinel) is so monstrously good. She was just a little too far back and we were able to take advantage of the situation.

And while winning was nice, it was the performance that had the trainer really smiling.

Obviously, youre always happy when you win a Breeders Crown elimination, Toscano said. But I was more thrilled for that mare because she just comes back every week and gives us her best effort. I was tickled she could win. Scott has done an amazing job with her. He loves her and she goes so well for him.

Despite the horse finally beating her nemesis, Toscano is not predicting victory on Saturday.

It would be fun, but I dont for one minute discount how great Lyons Sentinel is, she said. I know how good she is.

Peaky Sneaky will take aim on a second straight Breeders Crown trophy after winning last years race for three-year-old female pacers. She has yet to win this year, taking three seconds and five thirds while earning $96,452 in 14 starts. For her career she has won $745,171 in 39 starts, winning eight.

The horse finished second for trainer Nancy Takter and driver Dexter Dunn in the elimination and is 5-1 out of post two. She will have to overcome not only her rivals on Saturday, but history as well. No female pacer has ever won the Breeders Crown at both ages 3 and 4.

Im happy with how she raced, Takter said. She finished really good. She was good with pace. She likes to race in the fall. She likes the Breeders Crown. Hopefully, she likes the Breeders Crown (this) week. Im super happy with her.

Two horses received byes into the final, Racine Bell, who was supplemented to the race for $32,500, and Drama Act.

Racine Bell has 11 wins, six seconds and four thirds in 23 starts for trainer David Dewhurst and has banked $253,910 this season. Ron Burkes Drama Act has 12 wins, a second and third in 18 starts and has earned $155,280.

The Breeders Crown Mare Pace is race nine Saturday, the sixth of the eight Breeders Crown finals. To view the full entries for Saturday's Breeders Crown card of harness racing at The Meadowlands, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries  Saturday Program Pages.

(USTA)
Virginia will help preserve historic sites in Culpeper and Orange counties, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation announced Thursday.

The two projects are included among $7.5 million in Virginia Land Conservation Foundation grants that will protect 8,000 acres and fund 30 conservation projects across the commonwealth.

To protect a 45-acre battlefield tract near Culpeper Countys Cedar Mountain, the American Battlefield Trust will receive $249,876.

Culpeper preservationists cheered the news.

The Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield are excited that such an important parcel is now a part of the Cedar Mountain battlefield, Diane Logan, president of the local friends group, told the Culpeper Star-Exponent. FCMB and American Battlefield Trust historians are working to add interpretive kiosks and walking trails to the site. I cannot think of a more appropriate way to recognize the 160th anniversary of the 1862 battle.

The tract was the site of an hourlong artillery duel, including Confederate Capt. William Pegrams battery, that ended the battle, the trust said.
The criminal charges against McGuiness include allegations that she hired her daughter and one of her daughters friends, both high school seniors at the time, as temporary employees in May 2020, even though other temporary employees had to leave their positions because of a lack of available work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities said Elizabeth McGuiness, who has not been charged, continued to be paid even after enrolling at a college in South Carolina last August. Payments to McGuiness daughter totaling $19,000 were deposited into a bank account for which McGuiness is a listed owner.

McGuiness also is charged with orchestrating a 2019 no-bid contract for a company she had used as a campaign consultant when running for lieutenant governor in 2016. Investigators said she evaded public bid requirements by keeping the initial contract with My Campaign Group just under the $50,000 threshold that requires public bids. They said she also avoided getting approval from he Division of Accounting, a separate state agency, for the payments to My Campaign Group by splitting up invoices and keeping payments under the $5,000 reporting threshold.

Authorities said that when employees in her office became aware of McGuiness misconduct, she responded by trying to intimidate the whistleblowers, including submitting more than three dozen requests to the Department of Technology and Information for the contents of their email accounts. That allowed McGuiness to monitor several employees email communications in real time, according to prosecutors. They said McGuiness also monitored the email of a former employee who now works in a separate government agency.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The activity Clarke hosted was an Ozobot Bit workshop. Clarke was able to secure 10 Ozobot kits through the Nebraska Library Commission, and then partnered with Carlos Williams, a career tech navigator with AIM Institutes Educational Opportunity Center out of Scottsbluff, to teach the students about basic coding and programming.

Clarke has worked with the Aim Institute, which is based in Omaha, before, so she thought it would a good idea to get them involved again.

The O-bot (Ozobot) is a simple way to teach coding to kids, Williams said. Its a special little robot thats color coded to  or its coded to do whatever you want to  so they (students) get a chance to write their own code.

Clarke said, Its a concrete way  rather than just in theory  its a way for them to hands on be able to understand that you take these sets of colors, and you can teach that robot to do what you want it to do within this framework. And thats basically simple coding.

Williams said he was impressed by the students knowledge of technology and how much they enjoyed the activity.
The court also nullified requirements that paid circulators file an affidavit with the secretary of state and that each petition indicate whether a circulator is paid or a volunteer.

A different panel declared portions of the law unconstitutional in 2020, but the Michigan Supreme Court last December declared the case moot because one of the plaintiffs dropped a ballot drive due to the coronavirus pandemic. The League of Women Voters of Michigan and other groups sued again in February.

This ruling is a victory for democracy and the people of Michigan, said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, one of the plaintiffs. The liberal advocacy organization has said it plans to support 2022 ballot initiatives to overhaul lobbying rules and subject legislators and the governor to public-records requests.

Petitioning is our most direct exercise of democracy, and efforts to hinder that only hurt voters right to use their voices to affect policy change, Christina Schlitt and Paula Bowman, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, said in a statement.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, unclear and misreported stories about where the virus came from have proliferated. Did it come from the wet market in Wuhan? From the Wuhan Lab? Was it a bio attack?

Jackie Gingrich Cushman Jackie Gingrich Cushman writes a weekly human-interest column for Creators Syndicate that focuses on current events and political issues.

Early last year, President Donald Trump said that it might have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. The media mocked him, and for the most part, dismissed his suggestion.

Since then, we have not learned for sure where the virus that causes COVID-19 came from, but we have learned that the research carried out in Wuhan and funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health was not properly managed with appropriate oversight.

Last week, Lawrence A. Tabak, principal deputy director of the Department for Health and Human Services, which NIH is part of, sent a letter to Rep. James Comer, the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, regarding NIH funding of experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The letter revealed that EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit based in New York City, engaged in NIH-funded experiments at the Wuhan center that resulted in bat coronaviruses becoming more infectious, potentially to humans. EcoHealth failed to report this finding right away, as was required by the terms of the grant, Tabak wrote.
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His life changed when he had grandchildren. Work had never allowed him time to enjoy his own children, but when he had his first granddaughter, it was as if the war he had waged inside himself suddenly ceased. He would stand for an hour or more at a time pushing his granddaughter on the swing. In a couple of years, he had a grandson and perhaps for the first time began to enjoy life.

They found his lung cancer about a year and a half after his grandson was born. He told me once that after he was told of his cancer it was as if everything in his life just fell away, except his family and his belief in God. Thoughts of work, bills, news events  they all just disappeared as meaningless.

The cancer treatments made him sick at his stomach and weak over the next few months. They didnt work anyway. At the end, he lay in bed in the home he had built with hospice helping take care of him. His family knew the end was near and were all with him his last night. He had what I think the old folks used to call the death rattle caused by blood in his lungs when he breathed.

His mother came to the house that night. He told them he didnt want to see her, but she came into the bedroom anyway. And you know, as sick as he was, and only a few hours from death, he forced himself to turn on his side toward the wall away from her sight. She didnt stay long.

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Rotorua Lakes Council staff and contractors have successfully been able to quench a bore that was causing hot water and steam to come up through Hatupatu Drive today.

Earlier, part of of Hatupatu Drive behind the Rotorua Sportsdrome was closed due to geothermal activity in the area.

Water was used to cool and quench the bore, says a Rotorua Lakes Council spokesperson. Water will continue to be poured into the bore over night to ensure it stays inactive. The bore is to be grouted shut permanently.

Part of Hatupatu Drive remains closed but a detour is in place so the public can still access Oruawhata Drive and Queens Drive.

Safety fencing remains in place and security staff will be keeping an eye on things over night. If youre in the area please keep well clear of the safety cordons, says a Rotorua Lakes Council spokesperson.

Council staff say that the cause of the event was due to a casing failure, likely caused by the ground conditions in the area.

This event is not considered to be linked to any other recent bore-related events.

Council staff and contractors continue to monitor and assess the situation.

Part of Hatupatu Drive remains closed but a detour is in place so the public can still access Oruawhata Drive and Queens Drive. Photo: Rotorua Lakes Council.
COVID-19 vaccination rates increased statewide over the last three months, but variations in rates mean widespread immunity is far off, health officials said this week.

Cowlitz County residents starting vaccination increased from an average of about 50 per day in mid-July to about 200 per day in early-to-mid-September, according to the county health department.

Vaccinations among county residents began to increase before Gov. Jay Inslee announced the vaccine mandate in August, said Stefanie Donahue, county health department communications manager. New vaccinations spiked around Sept. 13, the last day people could begin their Pfizer vaccine series to meet the Oct. 18 deadline. The majority of county residents who initiated vaccination at that time received the Pfizer vaccine, Donahue said.

Our best assessment is that the spike, and the increase seen after the announcement, was likely the result of both the background trend in vaccine initiation as well as in response to the governors vaccination requirement, she said. Once we have more complete and current data on vaccine initiation, completion, and booster doses, we will know more about what is driving behavior.

COVID-19 vaccinations also increased statewide, but appeared to have decreased and leveled off after peaking in early October. Statewide, 64.9% of residents initiated vaccination and 60% were fully vaccinated as of Monday.

Cowlitz Countys vaccination rate is below the state average, with 56.7% of county residents initiating vaccination and 51.8% fully vaccinated as of Monday.

Vaccination coverage is highest among 65- to 79-year-old Cowlitz County residents at about 74% fully vaccinated, according to the health department. At 33%, 12- to 17-year-olds had the lowest rate.

Castle Rock continued having the highest vaccination coverage in the county with 69% of residents fully vaccinated. Coverage remained lowest in rural southeast Cowlitz County, including Ariel and Cougar, with 35% fully vaccinated.

The variation in rates within Cowlitz County illustrates the difficulty the state is facing in reaching a high enough community immunity level to largely prevent infections.

Health officials have a formula to predict how much vaccination is needed to significantly slow COVID-19 spread, about 80%, said Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist, during a press briefing Wednesday. However, that modeling doesnt take into account the variety in vaccination rates, he said.

Thats the biggest problem were struggling with in Washington state, is the state is not entirely equal with its vaccine coverage, Lindquist said. So it will probably take quite a bit more than that 80%.

State preps for child vaccines

The state is set to receive more than 300,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses for children 5 to 11 years old next week, ahead of federal approval, said Michele Roberts, state health department acting assistant secretary.

Washington has been allocated 230,000 doses and chain pharmacies enrolled in the federal program will receive about 80,000 doses, Roberts said.

The federal government indicated doses will start shipping once the Federal Drug Administration issues the emergency use authorization, she said. If all goes according to plan, doses will be in the state ready to go once the Centers for Disease Control and Western states group give the go ahead, Roberts said.

Roberts said she expects about 30% of the states 680,000 5- to 11-year-olds to get the vaccine, which is a smaller dose than the version authorized for children 12 years old and older.

Although the number of Washington children with COVID-19 is low, those 12-19 years old have one of the highest weekly rates of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past month.

Statewide, there were 189 outbreaks reported at K-12 schools from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, said Lacy Fehrenbach, state deputy secretary for COVID response. The outbreaks had a median of five cases, with 12,084 cases total, she said.

Schools and early learning centers surpassed bars, restaurants and gatherings in recent outbreaks, but are also more closely monitored than other locations, Lindquist said. The state isnt seeing a disproportionate amount of cases among children, he said.

There is a disproportionate amount of cases among unvaccinated people of all ages, Lindquist said. Most COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated people, he said.

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Amazon.com Inc. is overhauling a controversial worker-productivity yardstick that has drawn the ire of warehouse employees who say it imposes an unsafe burden on them.

The worlds largest online retailer uses sophisticated algorithms to monitor productivity at its facilities, and employees must explain why theyve been away from their workstations -- what Amazon calls time off task. If they reach a certain threshold theyll be issued warnings and even terminated.

Starting today, were now averaging Time off Task over a longer period, Dave Clark, the chief executive officer of Amazons global retail and logistics business, said Tuesday in a post on Amazons corporate blog. Clark also said the company would no longer consider a positive test for marijuana use as disqualifying when hiring new employees and will support proposed federal legislation that would legalize marijuana.

The companys decision to overhaul its productivity targets coincides with a series of news reports that the rate of injuries at Amazon warehouses is higher than its peers in the logistics industry. Some employees have identified the fast pace of work as a contributing factor in repetitive stress injuries. Workers have also previously told Bloomberg that sometimes they are considered off task when they are visiting the bathroom.

Regulators in Washington state found there was a direct connection between Amazons employee monitoring and discipline system and musculoskeletal disorders among workers at a company warehouse in DuPont, Washington. Amazon said it would appeal the citation, which included a $7,000 fine, the Seattle Times and Reveal reported. During Amazons Prime Day sales rush last year, workers at a company warehouse in New York said Time off Task protocols made it impossible for them to abide by pandemic safety guidelines.

Clark said that the Time Off Task program was designed to identify defects with workers tools and, secondarily, to identify underperforming employees. The goal is to re-focus the conversations on instances where there are likely true operational issues to resolve, he said. We believe this change will help ensure the Time off Task policy is used in the way it was intended.
In what will be a massive setback for Pakistan, an app belonging to a terror group active on its soil, has just been banned by Google from Google Play Store. Google has removed the app from Google Play Store for having links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad. Google has removed the app from its Play Store as it violated its policies.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad-linked app, which now stands removed from the Play Store is called Achi Bateen and it had garnered over 5,000 downloads from the Android users. It was red-flagged to Google by India Today.

The app camouflaged its operations by promoting Islamic teachings of several Pakistan-based religious leaders via its platform. And from the first glance, it did not seem to be associated with any terror outfit. However, it hosted two links on its page one of which contained soft copies of several books written by Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar. On the other hand, the second link on the developer page had voice recordings of the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar and close associate Talha Saif. In addition to this, the page also had old write-ups written by Azhar under the pen-name Saadi.

Delhi-based digital lab, Innefu Labs, which carried out a technical analysis of the app for India Today, identified certain anomalies in the apps functionality. The application is connected to servers in the Contabo data centre based out of Germany.

The app asked for permissions which were different from its functionality. This often happens when you want to add further functionalities to the app without asking for further permission from the users, Tarun Wig, co-founder of Innefu Lab, which analysed the app, told the publication. He also said that the behaviour of the Achi Bateen app was similar to the UC Browser app that was banned in India last year.

The app accessed users GPS location and it could start the process automatically when the smartphone had been booted.

The most dangerous part regarding the Jaish-e-Mohammad app was that it was programmed to run continuously in the background without letting the user of the phone know. In addition to location, the app also accessed a users network and storage data along with media and other files.
BLIRT S.A. (DNA Gdansk)

Informacje o firmie

Dane Teleadresowe:

Opis firmy

BLIRT(Biolab Innovative Research Technologies) is a company that offers life science services in scope of biotechnology, microbiology, chemical synthesis and analytics and conducts its own R&D projects. The company was established in September 2008.



DNA-Gdansk division was formed as a result of an incorporation of the DNA-Gdansk Ltd., a company with a 16-year experience in providing solutions and tools for medical and molecular biology. The fusion took place in September 2010 and the DNA-Gdansk brand was maintained. DNA-Gdansk is one of the first biotechnological companies in Poland with self-developed methods in a microorganism?s genotyping field .It also has a number one experts in genetic engineering and molecular diagnostics.

DNA-Gdansk is the national leader in production of the PCR diagnostic kits and educational kits for genetic engineering, molecular diagnostics and microbiology classes. In DNA-Gdansk Division we use our own research solutions as well as specially modified ones. We also apply commonly used methods and techniques that are adapted to a particular case.

DNA-Gdansk Division offers:
Credit: University of Tokyo

Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science find that drones may be the next generation of communication bases to monitor the ocean and seafloor because of their high-speed positioning, stability, and efficiency.

To conduct ocean surveys, sensors mounted on underwater robotic devices are typically used in communication with sea-surface base stations. Researchers from Japan have found a promising way to optimize this underwater communication.

In a study published this month in Remote Sensing, researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science revealed that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, show promise as communication bases with robotic devices known as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for ocean surveys.

AUVs are commonly used for underwater survey missions and monitoring the seafloor because they can obtain detailed seafloor images and information. Sea-surface base stations are a necessary partner to the AUVs to obtain absolute positions and real-time data because ocean water weakens the transmitted radio wave signals. However, these base stations have low mobility and drift with sea disturbances. Thus, to optimize this underwater communication, researchers at The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science aimed to address these limitations with devices that would be more efficient, fast, and stable.

"Because sea-surface vehicles cannot efficiently achieve high-speed observations, we examined whether UAVs could be used as a base station for underwater communication with an AUV," explains lead author Yusuke Yokota. "UAVs can travel at 50 km/h or more and they are not affected by ocean currents or other perturbations, making them ideal candidates for this application."

To do this, the researchers first observed whether the UAV could land on a sea surface and lift off to return to its base. They then studied the underwater communication using two UAVs (with one imitating an AUV) to find out the distance stability between the hovering and underwater devices. Finally, the researchers examined the sea-surface sway of a UAV used as a buoy.

"The results are very exciting," says Takumi Matsuda, second author of the study. "The application of UAVs will reduce the cost of many ocean observation operations."

In addition to the distance stability between the hovering and underwater devices, the UAV was functional as a measurement buoy under wind speeds of 510 m/s and wave height of ~1 m.

"Our results suggest that because of their robust hovering control, stability against sea-surface sway, and operation speed, UAVs may be a suitable communication platform with AUVs in ocean surveys up to a distance of approximately 1 km from the shore," says Yokota. "However, further research is necessary before we can carry out more complicated work with them."

More information: Yusuke Yokota et al, Underwater Communication Using UAVs to Realize High-Speed AUV Deployment, Remote Sensing (2021). Yusuke Yokota et al, Underwater Communication Using UAVs to Realize High-Speed AUV Deployment,(2021). DOI: 10.3390/rs13204173
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Google has rolled out a new tool making it easier for kids and teens to yank images off of search results.

According to a recent blog post published by Google, the move was made to help minors have greater control over their digital footprint.

"While we already provide a range of options for people seeking to remove content from Search, we know that kids and teens have to navigate some unique challenges online, especially when a picture of them is unexpectedly available on the internet," said Danny Sullivan, Google's public liaison for search, in a statement.

Google's policy says users must submit image URLs featuring an "identifiable individual" under the age of 18. Google advises also adding search query terms that pull up the images. The removal request must be made by the person in the images or a minor's parent or legal guardian.

The tool also facilitates the removal of images of minors who died before age 18.

The process begins by submitting a form with the image URLs, search results and search query information.

Google says once a request is made, you will get an email confirming they've received it. After reviewing the request, Google may reach out for more information, then notify you of its decision.

Because Google's tool only addresses search results, the company says users should also contact the webmaster of any sites containing the images to purge them from their site, too.

Explore further New child safety features for Google, YouTube

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.
Six Franklin County landowners whose property was swamped by muddy runoff from the Mountain Valley Pipeline three years ago have settled their lawsuit against the company.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in a brief order filed in Roanokes federal court.

Brought in May 2018, the lawsuit sought damages for three couples who live a short distance from Cahas Mountain Road, which was buried in about eight inches of mud that washed from a construction site during heavy rains.

The runoff continued downhill to land owned by Wendell and Mary Flora, leaving a blanket of sediment and muddy water that covered hayfields and made its way into nearly streams, the lawsuit alleged.

Glenn and Linda Frith and Michael and Frances Hurt, who live less than half a mile away, claimed they suffered similar harm from erosion caused by a several-day storm that started May 15, 2018.

The lawsuit accused Mountain Valley of creating a nuisance, damaging property that it had not acquired through eminent domain and trespassing by virtue of the soil, water and mud that it allowed to invade its neighbors land.
Stock said the property is owned by Norfolk Southern and if the project came to fruition, DRPT could talk to the company about acquiring it.

In the traveler survey conducted between the fall of 2019 and the winter of 2020, 1,318 people took the survey with 80% of residents saying easy access to the station was the biggest influence they had in taking the train.

Stock said DRPT anticipates a net of 10,050 new riders per year as a result of a Bedford station  or 28 new riders per day.

Going forward DRPT can move to do a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Study, which is meant to determine if there would be any adverse impacts as a result of a train service in Bedford and would solve the transportation problems in the area.

Stock said DRPT expects to start Amtrak Thruway Bus as a first step and will begin serving Bedford next spring.

Mary Zirkle, economic development coordinator for the town of Bedford, said she is very pleased with the outcomes that DRPT staff presented for the finding that Norfolk-Southern freight would not be delayed if a Bedford stop were added.
Registered voters in Franklin County are eligible to cast ballots Tuesday in statewide and local general elections.

Polls open at 6 a.m. in the countys 23 precincts and close at 7 p.m.

Voters in all precincts will cast ballots in races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general and the local race for the at-large seat on the Franklin County School Board.

There are two contested Virginia House of Delegates races: one in the 9th District, the other in the 22nd District.

The majority of Franklin Countys precincts are in the 9th District, but three are in the 22nd DistrictBurnt Chimney, Bonbrook and Coopers Covewhile Dudley and Rocky Mount East are in both districts.

There are magisterial district races for school board and board of supervisors on county ballots too.

Besides Dudley, Rocky Mount East, Coopers Cove, Bonbrook and Burnt Chimney the countys other precincts are Endicott, Ferrum, Henry, Fork Mountain, Snow Creek, Dickinson, Sontag, Waidsboro, Rocky Mount South, Rocky Mount West, Callaway, Hodgesville, Gogginsville, Bowmans, Boones Mill, Scruggs, Glade Hill and Penhook.

Here is a look at individual races:
Altogether, the patrol division is down 15 officers, Falldorf said.

That equates to about a shift and a half. Right now were running about eight to nine per shift. And we would like to be up around 12 to 15 per shift.

The three officers on light duty suffered work-related injuries. Coming back from a significant knee or shoulder injury takes some time. It can take up to eight months to heal after a major surgery like that, Falldorf said.

GIPD is not getting the applicants that we used to get, Falldorf said. When I started 35 years ago, we had 80-plus applicants. Now were lucky to get 10 to 15. And then, once you do testing and background and all of that, we really do lose a lot of applicants through that process as well.

The distrust or mistrust thats kind of put on law enforcement across the United States as of late has had a little bit of an impact on staff levels, Falldorf said.

The mistrust of law enforcement is kind of a national phenomenon, he said.

I think even though our community is pretty supportive, that still kind of spills over, he said. You see a lot of stuff in our state Legislature today that deals with reform in law enforcement and things like that, he said.
Clinton Garno of Grand Island, who sent a suspicious package to the Hall County Election Office in September 2020, was sentenced last week to 231 days in jail, the time hes already served.

Garno, 32, was given nine months of post-release supervision. He was sentenced Oct. 22 by District Court Judge Stephen Illingworth.

He was found guilty of making terroristic threats, which is a Class IIIA felony.

The suspicious package was delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to the Election Commission Office, which is located inside the Hall County Administration Building, on Sept. 14, 2020.

Law enforcement was called to the building at about 8:50 a.m. Sept. 14. A bomb technician from the Nebraska State Patrol determined that the package was not a bomb.

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Inside the package was a small pump spray bottle filled with a blue liquid. The liquid was tested and determined not to be hazardous.

Forty-two people were working inside the Hall County Administration Building when the package was delivered. Everyone in the building was evacuated to a safe location.
The Omaha Police Department, the state's largest agency, also met the six metrics but was unable to provide the specific number of times that language assistance services were used from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2021 "due to the events of 2020 and other reporting requirements," department officials said.

Some agencies within the same county differed wildly on following best practices. For example, Hall County has 22.5% of its residents who speak a language other than English at home, a figure that rises to nearly 26% counting just Grand Island, the county's largest city.

The Hall County Sheriff's Office complied with all of the best practices, but the Grand Island Police Department checked off just two of the categories: having at least one multilingual officer and tracking instances of language services requests. Grand Island, with 1,104, had the most requests for language services over a two-year span of any of the six law enforcement agencies that provided numbers for that metric.

The Dundy County Sheriff's Office was the only agency that did not respond to the ACLU of Nebraska's request.

Godinez said that language access discrepancies among law enforcement agencies is a result of a lack of a state standard.
Early on, one of our retailers came to us and said, We need you to continue. We have a significant amount of our customer base that relies on ramen for their food. They cant afford other meals, Saller said. We made a decision to continue (ramen production) because we dont know what the food supply is going to be. We think we made the right decision to ensure our little part of the having food supplies on shelves.

Its pushed us toward U.S. production, manufacturing and warehousing. Its become apparent to us that the food supply should be primarily U.S. sourced. We want to be part of bringing the food supply and jobs back to the United States. Having food facilities in the United States with lots of good-paying jobs we think is important, Saller said.

By the time phase four is complete, Albany Farms hopes to employ as many as 900 workers in Belle Fourche.

These jobs are new jobs. Theyre not being taken from California or another state, Saller said. We think having a food company thats very consistent is an asset to the community.
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:
Two students worked at tables outside of the SIU Student Center on Thursday to raise money and collect food for victims of the tornado that tore through Chester earlier this week.

Emma Hathaway, a student at Beck Area Career Center working towards her LPN in Redbud, and Cierra Creason, a sophomore majoring in social work, arent part of any particular organization and put the drive together on their own to help their hometown.

Chester's my hometown, I lived there my whole life, Creason said. So when I saw that this tragedy hit us, I knew that I had to do something, I couldn't stand back and not do anything. And I knew those people needed much more help than they were receiving. So we really just want to help our community to rebuild and heal.

Hathaway said her boyfriend's house was hit by the tornado and was destroyed. It is expected to be bulldozed by Dec. 1.

So that's really impacted me. And then I had other family members that were hit. So it was pretty big on my half too, Hathaway said.

Creason said the tornado significantly impacted those living in mobile homes in the community.

Especially in our trailer core area, we have a lot of people with a significant amount of damage who are going to be homeless. Due to the insurance companies just wanting to condemn the homes, Creason said. We've been focusing our support and donations over there for food and financial assistance and everything like that. Our next town over, Bremen, is where they got a lot of damage as well.

Creason said a lot of the damage impacted those who are not financially well off, but overall she and Hathaway have received a lot of support, especially from younger people in the community.

We're hoping to see more support in the future, Creason said. So far, I've been getting a team of volunteers together to clean up debris and everything. We worked for about two hours last night cleaning up debris, by the trailer court ... Tree limbs and sheet metal and everything. And we also plan to take most of the metal and scrap it and then use whatever money we get from that as part of our financial donations.

So far, the two say they have enough donations to feed about 50 families.

In a Facebook post about where individuals in the community can donate food for those in need, Creason wrote: I would like to let everyone know that Benson's Wine Bar, Reids, Chester Ace Hardware, Rozier's Country Market - Chester, and the Chester VFW are all drop off points for food donations!! Im very grateful to have the team and the support I have!#ChesterStrong.

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An agreement between Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois will provide mentoring and educational opportunities, summer camps and potential scholarships for junior high and high school students and encourage them to pursue STEM careers.

On Monday Austin Lane, SIU chancellor, and Loretta Graham, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA), which will help diversify STEM fields. Nationwide, women made up 29% of those employed in science and engineering occupations in 2017.

The MOA fits well with SIU's Imagine 2030 strategic plan, which include pillars to foster student success, support diversity, equity and inclusion, and build partnerships, Lane said.

We are excited to partner with Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois and to encourage these young ladies to imagine themselves pursuing a college education and making an impact after they graduate, particularly in STEM fields, he said. With this agreement, we can reach out to them as young as junior high and plant the seed early. We hope they will see that a world-class education, personal attention and unique, hands-on learning opportunities are in their backyard.

This is SIUs fifth agreement this year with a school district or youth organization. It is similar to those with Carbondale Elementary School District No. 95, Girls Inc. of St. Louis, East St. Louis School District 189 and Cahokia Unit School District No. 187.

One of every seven school aged girls in Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois 40-county mostly rural jurisdiction is a Girl Scout. The four pillars of Girl Scouting are STEM, life skills, entrepreneurship and the outdoors.

I am excited to work in partnership with Southern Illinois University in providing opportunities for Girl Scouts within Southern Illinois to gain exposure, teaching, mentoring, program and scholarship opportunities with Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Graham said. Through this partnership, we are building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

The agreement includes:

SIU will provide virtual or in-person educational and mentoring opportunities for Girl Scouts in junior high and high school members in any academic areas of interest with a special emphasis on STEM-related programs.

Girl Scouts will have opportunities to attend summer camps, including leadership, STEM-related and aviation camps.

High school sophomores to seniors can participate in on-campus Experience SIU Day opportunities.

SIU will work to establish scholarship opportunities for student members who meet established criteria. Qualifying students from Illinois are also eligible for the Saluki Commitment, the universitys pledge to close financial gaps in tuition.

High school seniors in the program will receive a personal visit from the SIU chancellor during the fall of their senior year.

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SPRINGFIELD  Despite some earlier hiccups, Democratic lawmakers approved their proposed congressional redistricting map in the waning hours of the Illinois General Assembly's fall session.

The map passed the Illinois Senate 41-18 on a partisan roll and 71-43 in the House. It heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk.

Legislative Democrats unveiled a first draft of the congressional map earlier this month and subsequently released two revised maps, each of which would likely result in electing a congressional delegation with 14 Democrats and three Republicans.

But divisions over the level of Latino representation and the pairing of two Democratic incumbents in the Chicago area threatened the new maps immediate prospects and for a time opened the possibility that approval could be punted to January, when only a simple majority would be needed.

With an immediate effective date, the legislation needed supermajorities to pass the legislature since it is past May. This meant that Democrats had little wiggle room for defections especially in the House.

One of the sticking points was the status of a second Latino district. The state has long packed Latino communities on Chicagos Northwest and Southwest sides into one hyper-minority district.

The group is among the fastest-growing minority groups in the state. To account for this, a district based on Chicago's Northwest Side and western suburbs was drawn with about a 47% Latino population in addition to the long-existing Latino majority district.

But some say an influence district is not enough, arguing that a second Latino majority district was necessary.

However, the effort got back on track later in the evening, with Democrats opting to approve the map after some behind-the-scenes negotiations and tweaks to the proposal.

The largest change came in the Chicago suburbs, where Rep. Marie Newman, D-La Grange, was drawn into a heavily-Latino district with Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Chicago.

Newman had previously been in the same district as Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove.

Senate President Don Harmon, presenting the map in committee Thursday morning, said he hopes that everyone feels represented for the next 10 years in the General Assembly and in Congress.

In the end, we're going to pass a map and no one is going to be 100% happy with it, Harmon said. That is the nature of the legislative process, that is the nature of compromise. We've had many, many hearings, we have taken more public input than I think we have ever before in a redistricting cycle. And we've listened.

Here is a rundown of the new downstate-based districts:

12th  This rural district covers Southern Illinois, including almost everything south of Interstate 70. It also includes some outlying portions of Metro East. This heavily Republican seat includes the homes of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland.

13th  This string bean-shaped district stretches from the Metro East region near St. Louis to Champaign-Urbana, picking up the urban cores Springfield and Decatur in between. It is largely urban in character, but also includes all of Macoupin County and some other rural areas in Central Illinois. The district voted for President Joe Biden by an 11-point margin in 2020.

No incumbents live in the district. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who represents the current 13th Congressional District, was drawn into the new 15th Congressional District. Democrats Nikki Budzinski of Springfield and David Palmer of Champaign have announced campaigns for the seat.

15th  This largely rural Central Illinois district stretches from Iowa to Indiana, picking up outlying areas of Springfield and Decatur and several mid-size towns like Charleston, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Quincy and Taylorville. It includes most rural areas between U.S. Route 136 to the north and Interstate 70 to the south. The district is a safe Republican district and includes the Taylorville home of Davis.

16th  This rural district jigsaws from the Wisconsin border to just south of Bloomington-Normal. It covers much of rural Central Illinois and wraps around to get outlying parts of the Twin Cities, Peoria and Rockford.

Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, both reside in the district. It is a safe Republican seat.

17th  This C-shaped district picks up most of Bloomington-Normal, Galesburg, Macomb, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford. Like the 13th, this district connects several urban centers in downstate Illinois. Biden won the district by just under eight points.

Incumbent Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, is retiring, leaving the seat open. Republican Esther Joy King, who came within a few points of defeating Bustos in 2020, is running.

Democrat Angie Normoyle, a member of the Rock County Board, and Jonathan Logemann, a Rockford alderman, have announced campaigns. Other Democrats are expected to jump in as well.

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Crime-and-courts

editor's pick alert top story

S.C. seeks death for Stokes; contract killers case moving through courts

SCDOC Stokes

The S.C. Attorney Generals Office is continuing its effort to make sure contract killer Sammie Louis Stokes gets the death penalty.

Stokes murdered two people in Orangeburg County.

In August, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out Stokes death penalty after his lawyers argued an Orangeburg County jury should have been told about Stokes traumatic childhood.

In response, the S.C. Attorney Generals Office submitted an application to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to keep Stokes on death row ahead of the states formal filing of a petition for writ of certiorari.

Last Friday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts denied the request to keep Stokes on death row.

Judges order new sentence for S. Carolina man on death row COLUMBIA  A federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing for a South Carolina inmate who has spent two decades on death row.

The S.C. Attorney Generals Office expects to file its petition by Dec. 22 in an effort to maintain Stokes death penalty.

The petition will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take a closer look at the details of Stokes case, rather than a quick view of the case based on the decision of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The U.S. Supreme Court could reinstate Stokes death penalty sentence once it reviews the states petition.

Vance man facing burglary charge Orangeburg County

If the Supreme Court allows the appeals court ruling to stand, the S.C. Attorney Generals Office is allowed to hold another sentencing hearing for Stokes by Oct. 22, 2022. If the state doesnt hold a sentencing hearing by Oct. 22, 2022, Stokes will continue serving a life sentence.

Stokes, now 54, raped, tortured and murdered Connie Lee Snipes, 21, of Bamberg, on May 22, 1998 in Branchville.

According to U.S. Court documents, Patti Syphrett, then 42, hired Stokes to kill Snipes, who was her daughter-in-law, for $2,000.

At 9:30 p.m., Syphrett and Snipes picked up Stokes at a pawn shop.

The three then went to Branchville and picked up Norris Martin, court documents say.

The four of them then drove down a dirt road in Branchville and stopped. Syphrett remained in the car while Stokes, Martin and Snipes walked into the woods. When they got into the woods, Stokes told Snipes, Baby, Im sorry, but its you that Patti wants dead ' " court documents said.

Martin, then 37, testified that Stokes forced him, at gunpoint, to engage in a sex act with Snipes.

Then Stokes engaged with a sex act with Snipes.

Stokes then stabbed Snipes multiple times.

Stokes and Martin each shot Snipes once in the head and dragged her body into the woods, where Stokes continued to mutilate her body.

A farmer discovered Snipes body on May 27.

Days after Snipes murder, Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office investigators attempted to serve a warrant to Syphrett at her Rivelon Road home in Orangeburg. There investigators made a gruesome discovery: Douglas Ferguson, 24, was found dead under a blanket.

Hed died due to suffocation after Syphrett and Stokes bound him with duct tape, including his nose and mouth.

Martin reached a plea deal with prosecutors and received a life sentence.

Syphrett was also found guilty of conspiracy and murder and received a life sentence.

Stokes was 31 when he killed Snipes and Ferguson.

His lawyers believe that if the jury knew details of Stokes childhood, they likely wouldve sentenced him to life in prison instead.

According to court records, both of Stokes parents were alcoholics. Often, his childhood home lacked running water and he was forced to steal food to eat.

As a child, he was whipped with electrical cords.

He watched as a man, whom he referred to as his stepfather, break his mothers jaw by stomping on her face.

When Stokes was 9, his father died unexpectedly on the lawn in an episode witnessed by Stokes.

When Stokes was 11, he was sexually assaulted.

Stokes mother died when he was 13. She was intoxicated, on the couch and fell into a coma, court documents say. He also witnessed her death.

Stokes repeated eighth grade three times, before leaving school at 18 when he was in the ninth grade.

During the same year, he married a 27-year-old woman, who was one of his mothers friends.

In 1988, a jury convicted Stokes of attacking his wife with a knife.

After his release from prison in 1990, Stokes again assaulted his wife, choking her and leaving her unconscious.

TheTandD.com: Full access for 6 months for just $1 Support local journalism by becoming a member at www.TheTandD.com The editor's limited time offer is full access to all the website has to offer for just $1 for six months. https://go.thetandd.com/june3

He was convicted in 1991 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Neither Stokes lawyers nor the S.C. Attorney Generals Office would comment about the pending litigation in the case.
The atmosphere was excited, accented by laughter and the sounds of praise music at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Cameron, where the Rev. Willie N. Waring and his wife, the former Betty Lee Dennis, were congratulated by a parade of church members and friends on Sept. 25.

Blue skies and sunshine set the backdrop on a pleasant fall afternoon as the couple perched beneath a tent decorated for their retirement celebration. Approximately 50 vehicles, some adorned with balloons or banners, drove from Old State Road onto Cameron Road and passed by the retirees honking horns, waving, blowing kisses and shouting congratulatory phrases.

One church member recounted a funny anecdote in her familys experience with the pastor, saying that at their marriage ceremony she and husband, Jacob, were presented to the guests as Joseph and Gloria Heatley nearly 34 years ago. She said the preacher corrected himself with a chuckle referring to the fact that he has always been a very good natured soul.

The Warings have been with our church for 35 or 36 years. They have been such a great couple. Rev. Waring has always loved his people and supported us so well, said church member and Oranggrburg City Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt.

We thank them and we encourage them to be blessed and enjoy retirement, she said.

The Rev. Barry A. Fogle Sr., acting pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, commented, Reverend and Sister Waring have taught us so much and we are thankful for them. Anything we asked, they have delivered.

They are a joy. Everyone in the church and community just loves them, said Mary Fogle, his wife.

Brayden Berry, the Warings grandson said, I think that my Pop Pop is a very important person in my life because if it wasnt for him, I wouldnt be here today. He taught me that I should always be respectful to others and to myself as well.

As a leader, role model and mentor, Rev. Waring touched the life of South Carolina Rep. Jerry Govan.

Rev. Waring has impacted me going all the way back to the time when I first got interested in politics. He was head of the Ministerial Alliance and played a key role not only in working with ministers across the county in terms of their involvement in the political process, but also in terms of providing leadership when it came to concerns of particularly the African American community, said Govan.

You have to remember that back then, things were much different than they are now, and because of his exemplary leadership for that organization, later on when I answered my call to ministry  he was one of my biggest supporters and still is. I have had the opportunity to come and preach at his church, he said, explaining that he is working toward becoming ordained, but to him, the service of ministering is much more important than the title.

The Bible says that the 'Steps of a good man are ordered,' and I can think of no finer example of that than Rev. Waring, who is always willing to reach out and help anybody in need. It is in demeanor, how he treats people, and the dignity and respect that he displays. He is humble and carries himself in such a Godly manner. It makes you want to mold and model yourself after him, said Govan.

Dorothy Elmore, one of the oldest matriarchs of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, shared her thoughts and appreciation for Rev. Waring and his wife.

Rev. and Mrs. Waring are two of the most compassionate people, and they would come and see about their people no matter how far they had to travel. We are going to miss them because they are the kind of people you love to keep around you  they are Godly, compassionate and warm, she said.

We have been blessed. God is with us. We are going to miss them. We are trusting that they live a very long life to come, said Elmore.

According to church member and Retirement Committee Chairwoma, Evia Thomas, Rev. Waring has a proud history and a long list of lifetime accomplishments including receiving his bachelor of science degree from Baptist College of Charleston and his master of divinity degree from Cummins Theological Seminary. He is a life member of the NAACP and has held a positions as a member of the Holly Hill Branch of the NAACP Executive Board. Thomas added that Rev. Waring has served as a chaplain at the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties and as a member of the advisory committee for the paralegal program at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

"Rev. Waring's religious experiences include serving as assistant pastor of Lovely Hill Baptist Church in Holly Hill, as pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church of Orangeburg, and later as pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Cameron for 37 years," she shared.

"Rev. and Mrs. Waring are the proud parents of three children and five grands," said Thomas.

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We live in a brave new world. A world in which we may only refer to pregnant people, and where maternity outfits have become parenthood pieces.

A world in which the words of feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg have become fodder for ellipses and brackets because they are not sufficiently inclusive. A world described even by a New York Times opinion columnist as a bit Orwellian.

And ultimately, a world in which efforts to provide opportunities for women to become doctors, professors and mothers have been transformed into the erasure of women from society.

Take the ACLUs egregious misquote of the late Justice Ginsburg. During her confirmation statement, Ginsburg noted that the decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a womans life, to her well-being and dignity. Yet that statement was not sufficiently inclusive for the ACLU, which replaced woman with person, and also omitted the pronouns her and she to make the quote gender-neutral. The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a [persons] life, to [their] well-being and dignity. When the government controls that decision for [people], [they are] being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for [their] own choices, the ACLU posted.

Similarly, in its amicus brief in Dobbs vs. Jacksons Womens Health, the Mississippi abortion case pending before the Supreme Court, the ACLU goes through Cirque du Soleil contortions to, in a case concerning pregnancy and abortion, avoid referring to women. The organization that once led the charge on womens rights even asserts that it recognizes that people of all gender identities ... may also become pregnant and seek abortion services.

Meanwhile, the leading British medical journal, the Lancet, provoked outrage with its Sept. 25th cover that referred to women as bodies with vaginas. In an X-rated medical post, Healthline recently entitled an article, Everything you need to know about HPV in vulva owners. The CDC  part of the federal government  recently recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people. And the term mother was recently axed from the Scottish governments maternity policies.

The debate is not merely one of words (though of course words matter) but also has significant real-world consequences for women. In early January, for instance, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that requires schools to allow male athletes to play on womens teams. When women are forced to compete with and against male-bodied athletes, they lose out on the opportunities for fair play once guaranteed by Title IX, which was enacted to prohibit discrimination against female students and athletes.

The erasure of women has prompted push-back from both sides of the aisle. In response to an ABC headline noting the risks the Delta variant pose to pregnant people, for example, former Democratic congresswoman and one-time presidential candidate, Tulsi Gabbard expressed outrage: Some hate women so much that they literally want to erase even the word woman from our vocabulary.

New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg disagreed with the ACLUs rewriting of Justice Ginsburgs legacy, writing [i]ts somewhat Orwellian to rewrite historical utterances to conform to modern sensitivities.

Sen. Ted Cruz recently noted the irony that the word woman is now verboten. Similarly, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took the House leadership to task for passing a resolution to remove gender-specific terms from a document outlining House rules.

Ultimately, the Lancet and the ACLU were forced to issue half-hearted apologies. The Lancets editor-in-chief apologized to readers who were offended. The ACLU director Anthony Romero noted that he regretted the alteration of Ginsburgs words and that the organization would refrain from drastically altering quotes in the future.

Nevertheless, Romero explained his view that the Ginsburg would have agreed with their red-lining of her words. The ACLU did not delete the altered tweet. These weak apologies highlight that the erasure of the term woman from common parlance is part of a deliberate campaign to minimize the unique female experience.

At the end of the day, when it is no longer a womans province to be female, the push for progress has been turned on its head  and lost so very much. Not only does this erasure ignore biological fact, but it also strips women of their humanity, designating people as mere bodies with specific parts. That is not progress.

Erin Hawley is senior legal fellow at IWF, senior appellate counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, and former law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 59F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 37F. Winds light and variable.

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Climate jargon can feel overwhelming. Illustration by Dennis Lan/USC, CC BY-ND

As a major U.N. climate conference gets underway on Oct. 31, 2021, youll be hearing a lot of technical terms tossed around: mitigation, carbon neutral, sustainable development. The language can feel overwhelming.

It sounds like youre talking over people, one person said of the terminology during a recent study colleagues and I conducted through the USC Dornsife Public Exchange.

Climate reports are often written at a scientific level. So we thought it would be helpful to clarify some of the most common terms.

To do that, we interviewed 20 people about common terms used by climate scientists and climate journalists. We then used their feedback to explain those terms in everyday language. With the help of the United Nations Foundation, we chose eight terms from reports written by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Heres a guide that may help you to follow the news about climate change. The explanation of each term starts with the technical definition from the IPCC. The text that follows puts it into plain language.

1. Mitigation

IPCC definition: Mitigation (of climate change): a human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.

Translation: Stopping climate change from getting worse.

When people talk about mitigation they often focus on fossil fuels  coal, oil and natural gas  used to make electricity and run cars, buses and planes. Fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. When these gases are released, they linger in the atmosphere. They then trap heat and warm the planet.

Some ways to mitigate climate change include using solar and wind power instead of coal-fired power plants; making buildings, appliances and vehicles more energy efficient so they use less electricity and fuel; and designing cities so people have to drive less. Protecting forests and planting trees also help because trees absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and lock them away.

Use of solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels is growing. Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images

2. Adaptation

IPCC definition: In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.

Translation: Making changes to live with the impacts of climate change.

Climate change is already happening. Heat waves, wildfires and floods are getting worse. People will have to find ways to live with these threats. Los Angeles, for example, is planting trees to help people stay cooler. Coastal cities like Miami may need sea walls to protect against floods. More adaptation actions will be needed as climate change gets worse.

3. Carbon dioxide removal

IPCC definition: Carbon dioxide removal methods refer to processes that remove CO2 from the atmosphere by either increasing biological sinks of CO2 or using chemical processes to directly bind CO2. CDR is classified as a special type of mitigation.

Translation: Taking carbon dioxide out of the air.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air has been increasing for many years. In 2019, there was 1.5 times more of it than in the late 1700s. Planting trees and restoring grasslands can remove carbon dioxide from the air. There are also carbon dioxide removal technologies that store it underground or in concrete, but these are new and not widely used.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee discusses equipment that can remove carbon dioxide from the air. Gov. Jay Inslee/Flickr, CC BY-SA

4. Carbon neutral

IPCC definition: Carbon neutrality is achieved when anthropogenic CO2 emissions are balanced globally by anthropogenic carbon dioxide removals over a specified period. Carbon neutrality is also referred to as net-zero carbon dioxide emission.

Translation: Adding no net carbon dioxide into the air. This does not have to mean that you cant add any carbon dioxide. It means that if you do add carbon dioxide into the air you take out the same amount.

The IPCC warns that the world needs to be carbon neutral by 2050 to avoid a serious climate crisis. This means using both mitigation to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide added to the air and carbon dioxide removal to take carbon dioxide out of the air.

5. Tipping point

IPCC definition: A level of change in system properties beyond which a system reorganizes, often abruptly, and does not return to the initial state even if the drivers of the change are abated. For the climate system, it refers to a critical threshold when global or regional climate changes from one stable state to another stable state.

Translation: When it is too late to stop effects of climate change.

One of the most talked-about tipping points involves the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Some research suggests it may have already started happening. West Antarctica alone holds enough ice to raise sea levels worldwide by about 11 feet (3.3 meters). If all glaciers and ice caps melt, sea levels will end up rising about 230 feet (70 meters).

6. Unprecedented transition

IPCC definition for transition: The process of changing from one state or condition to another in a given period of time. Transition can be in individuals, firms, cities, regions and nations and can be based on incremental or transformative change.

Translation: Making big changes together to stop climate change  in a way that has not been seen before.

In 2015, countries around the world agreed to try to keep the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F). Among the biggest sources of global warming are coal-fired power plants. Quickly shifting the world to renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, would be an unprecedented transition. Without big changes, climate change could make the world unlivable.

7. Sustainable development

IPCC definition: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and balances social, economic and environmental concerns.

Translation: Living in a way that is good for people alive today and for people in the future.

The United Nations has shared sustainable development goals. These goals aim to help countries grow in ways that are healthy for both people and the environment. Producing more carbon dioxide than the planet can manage is an example of unsustainable development thats causing climate change.

Levels of carbon dioxide in the air have risen quickly over the past 70 years. NOAA

8. Abrupt change

IPCC definition: Abrupt climate change refers to a large-scale change in the climate system that takes place over a few decades or less, persists (or is anticipated to persist) for at least a few decades and causes substantial disruptions in human and natural systems.

Translation: A change in climate that happens much faster than it normally would.

Our world is changing quickly as a result of climate change. Wildfires are raging in parts of the Western U.S. that were once too wet to burn. Coral reefs are dying as the ocean is getting warmer. These changes would not have happened so quickly  or at all  were it not for climate change.

___

Lance Ignon, a former communications adviser for the IPCC and now senior associate dean for strategic initiatives and communication at USC Dornsife and a co-author of the paper with Wandi Bruine de Bruin, Lila Rabinovich, Kate Weber Marianna Babboni and Monica Dean, contributed to this article.

Get our best science, health and technology stories. Sign up for The Conversations science newsletter.

Wandi Bruine de Bruin has received support from the University of Southern California Dornsife College Public Exchange and the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making (CEDM) through a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation and Carnegie Mellon University. This project is a collaboration between the University of Southern California and the United Nations Foundation.

___

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A man incarcerated at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington died on Thursday, the Department of Corrections said.

Harry Alford has been hospitalized at the Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley at the time of his death. He was 65 years old, and a native of Richmond, California.

The department does not disclose protected health information for incarcerated people, but will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Alford was serving time for a first-degree murder conviction from North Dakota. He was transferred to WMCI in 2005 as part of an interstate compact.

Alford is the third person to die while incarcerated in Torrington this month. Jerry Thomas Tapp, 79, died on Oct. 4 and Desmond Otto Triplett, 71, died last week.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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Wyoming is one of 10 states suing the Biden administration over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, which is set to go into effect in December.

The lawsuit alleges that President Joe Bidens executive order is an overstep of his power, violating state enforcement power, the 10th Amendment, federalism and a handful of other federal policies. It also alleges that it would be an unconstitutional use of spending power.

This vaccine mandate for federal contractors is a clear example of the extreme federal overreach that Wyoming must put an end to, Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement. Today, as promised, we take action as a broad coalition of which (Attorney) General (Bridget) Hill is proud to be a part. We are committed to defend the interests of Wyomings people and protect them from further federal intrusion into our lives.

Hill joins attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Dakota in the suit, which was originally filed in Missouri. Florida also filed a similar suit on Thursday, and the governors of states including Texas, Alabama and South Dakota have issued their own executive orders meant to block state and private-sector mandate enforcement.

Theyre asking a U.S. District Court to rule that the federal mandate is unlawful and to stop it from being enforced at the state and local levels.

The suit names 15 defendants including Biden, several members of the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and leaders of other federal offices that deal with contractors.

The mandate, issued in a Sept. 9 order, applies to any person or company doing business with the federal government. The deadline for full inoculation for workers covered by the order is Dec. 8. A statistic included in the complaint states that one in five American workers are employees of federal contractors.

The suit states that the power to impose vaccine mandates, to the extent that any such power exists, is a power reserved to the States.

A complaint filed in federal district court says that enforcing a vaccine mandate will cause large-scale resignations among unvaccinated federal contractors and their employees.

Gordon, for his part, has stated multiple times that he will not impose a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Wyoming. He has also indicated the state will take legal action against another Biden executive order that would require workers at businesses with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.

The lawsuit comes as state lawmakers are meeting in Cheyenne to craft bills aimed at fighting vaccine mandates. Its unclear in practice what kind of effect those efforts may have, as federal law supersedes state statute.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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The University of Wyomings Faculty Senate voted Monday to ask UWs administrators to postpone a proposed reorganization that would move several programs from the College of Arts and Sciences to other colleges on campus.

The resolution was put forward by the Faculty Senates executive committee, which consists of eight faculty members, including the Faculty Senate chair and other leaders.

The original draft of the resolution requested an additional three months of review time, and was prompted after faculty met with the provost and president last week and were dissatisfied by the administrators explanation of their reorganization plans, Faculty Senate Chair-Elect Renee Laegreid told WyoFile.

In an amendment, Faculty Senate voted not to ask for a specific length of an extension and instead stated that it does not endorse the current restructuring proposal and instead advocates that the UW campus community engage in meaningful deliberation as part of a later strategic planning process.

Most faculty understand the need to change, Laegreid said. Most of them would be committed to working toward change, but our voices havent been meaningfully heard, despite what the president and provost say.

In July, UW unveiled its proposed changes, which wouldve consolidated some departments and cut 65-70 employees  mostly faculty  saving approximately $4 million. The plan would eliminate 10 department head positions.

Since then, administrators have significantly scaled back reorganization plans, but some faculty believe the remaining proposals have been marred by a rushed process and poor data, they say.

One of the reasons [Ed] Seidel was elected president was because the University of Wyoming could use an update to be more competitive, but this has happened so quickly, Laegreid said.

UWs board of trustees are set to vote on the reorganization plans at their next meeting Nov. 17-19. Administrators plan to unveil their latest reorganization proposal in about a week.

The university has faced pushback since announcing the first iteration of the reorganization proposal in July.

More than 700 responses poured in during an Aug. 27 to Oct. 1 comment period. Nearly one-third of respondents identified themselves as UW employees, while 19% were students and 31% were alumni. Some 80% of respondents said that the plan doesnt move UW in the right direction. The original restructuring was orchestrated as part of a plan for UW to cut $13.6 million in existing spending, while diverting some of that funding into new programs.

But now that the reorganization proposal has been significantly scaled back. Provost Kevin Carman estimated last week the reorganization will probably save only about $250,000, though the precise figure is still in the process of being quantified.

While the proposed reorganizations were catalyzed by the necessity of implementing further budget reductions, the proposed reorganizations will not yield substantial budget reductions per se, Carman wrote in an Oct. 12 memo unveiling the latest proposal. Rather, the proposed reorganizations are intended to position UW for a strong future as it fulfills its tripartite land-grant mission of learning, discovery, and engagement.

In July, President Seidel stressed that UW needed to act on the reorganization quickly to be able to implement the $4 million in expected cost savings by the start of the next fiscal year.

Because those expected savings have been severely downsized, some faculty are arguing theres no longer a compelling reason to have trustees vote on the plan in November.

I wish they would put the brakes on this, said Narina Nunez, a professor of psychology. Lets do this from the beginning and do it correctly.

Before administrators unveiled the original reorganization proposal in July, they tasked a committee of faculty and students with conducting a special program review to evaluate academic units in preparations for new cuts.

The committee was convened in February and submitted a report to administrators April 28.

In that report, the authors expressed little confidence in their findings, citing a lack of time. The committee ranked units on a variety of metrics, including teaching loads, student demand, grant funding, scholarship, UWs strategic plan and mission and the land-grant tradition of the university.

Since most UW programs are performing well, the degree of separation across the quintiles was relatively small. In other words, most programs are solid, the committee wrote in its report. As a result, in many cases, only a very small decimal point separated the ranking of the programs.

The committee concluded the report does not provide a reliable path forward to achieve the necessary budget cuts.

A few months later, administrators announced their reorganization plans and initiated a formal process governed by UW Regulation 2-13, which requires administrators to submit final proposals to the trustees within four months of the original request.

Faculty members told WyoFile they wish administrators had informally discussed their ideas for reorganization before triggering the 2-13 process.

Ruben Gamboa is the department head for UWs Department of Computer Science, which administrators announced in July would be dissolved.

The first I heard of it was mid-summer, Gamboa said. I had personally been told that the [department heads] that would be affected by the reorganization plans would be notified.

He wasnt, he said.

UW made its original decision to dissolve his department based on data about class sizes and potential cost savings that werent accurate, Gamboa said

A lot of that I attribute to haste, he said. Making decisions based on data is important. I think the administration would like to do that. I think sometimes they think theyre doing that, but theyre using bad data.

UW has now revised its plan, which proposes Gamboas department be merged with the Department of Computer Engineering.

When Carman presented the original proposal to the trustees in July, he stressed the need for greater academic efficiencies, asserting that about half of classes have fewer than 13 students.

We love to have small classes and a favorable student-faculty ratio, but theres a point at which this just cant be sustained, he said at the time.

Faculty were quick to challenge that statistic, calling it misleading at best and, at worst, blatantly false.

Anyone whos around academia would know those numbers are wrong, Gamboa said.

The class-size statistic included individual instruction courses, like internships and thesis work for a single student.

When those courses are excluded from the data, only 14% of all undergraduate courses at UW had enrollments of fewer than 13, according to a Sept. 30 email from the Office of Academic Affairs. Of those courses with fewer than 13 students, 84% are upper-division classes, based on data from Fall 2019.

Seidel and Carman publicly repeated that assertion several times over months  a move faculty say misled the public and empowered UWs detractors across the state who believe UW is overfunded.

Whats astonishing is that Ed would continue to say that in public, said Donal OToole, a veterinary professor and former Faculty Senate chair. We cant teach a class of 10 students without getting permission, so the idea that more than 50% of classes have less than 12 students is absurd.

After administrators unveiled their proposal in July, Carman convened numerous committees to evaluate specific proposals.

The committees didnt need to submit their reports until Oct. 1, but by mid-September, administrators had already announced significant revisions to the reorganization. More revisions came once the committees reports were submitted.

Lars Kotthoff, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, served on the committee that considered the merger of departments for chemistry and chemical engineering.

As with all the 2-13 committees, Carman charged Kotthoffs with exploring the benefits of the proposal and forming mitigation strategies to overcome unintended consequences.

The committees werent charged with determining whether the proposal was a good idea to begin with, Kotthoff and others have noted.

I feel like a lot of committees didnt feel comfortable giving frank opinions, he said. They were just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

OToole said he believes several committees advanced proposals they disagreed with but knew would be palatable to administrators.

In an email to WyoFile, Carman stressed the committees had the liberty of not supporting the recommendations and/or suggest [sic] alternatives.

Several did so, he noted.

After administrators submit their final reorganization plan to trustees, in about a week, they will take public comment until the board votes Nov. 19.

Though the savings from the reorganization are now in the thousands not millions, UW is still looking to find other ways to cut $13.6 million in existing spending.

Many of those cuts will come from within academics, but not all.

It is possible that additional 2-13 committees will be needed depending upon final recommendations from deans as they implement their budget reductions, Carman said in a Friday email.

A proposed 3% across-the-board cut for most programs should save $2.6 million, Carman wrote. UW is also considering changes to its retirement policies that would save about $1.5 million and increased efficiencies in the instructional delivery could save $750,000, he wrote.

For non-academic cuts, increased parking fees should save $500,000 and the university is also working on consolidating some auxiliary services  things like dining and dormitories  which is expected to save about $2.2 million.

Faculty members told WyoFile that many of their colleagues are currently looking to leave UW for other institutions because of reorganization plans and other budget cuts.

Morale is at a rock bottom, OToole said. I think many people are just resigned and they feel this is a dysfunctional university.

While the July proposal called for the elimination of up to 70 faculty positions, Carman said in an email last week that the number will be much smaller, though still undetermined.

Theyre probably going to lose 65 faculty anyways with what theyve done with their foolishness, Nunez said.

OToole, whos taught at UW since 1990, expects older faculty nearing retirement wont be as likely to leave, but young talented faculty members will.

Under the July proposal, UW announced that faculty from existing departments that are discontinued, reorganized, consolidated, or reduced and who are qualified and have discipline specific expertise will be considered for open and funded positions.

Once he saw that, Kotthoff started preparing an application packet, he said.

We assumed that this would be the worst-case scenario and we would need to apply just like anybody else, he said.

OToole said he thought that reorganization was designed to remove dead weight  well-paid professors with mediocre research portfolios. Instead, its liable to push out people like Kotthoff, whom OToole described as a star that UW needs to retain.

Once faculty members began preparing for that re-hiring process, it was natural to start applying to other universities as well, Kotthoff said.

I definitely feel like I have no choice, Kotthoff said. I dont really see this as a safe place for employment anymore.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

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Three major bills fighting back against the Biden administrations vaccine mandate advanced to third reading Thursday, a final step before they can move to the opposite chamber.

Senate File 1003, COVID-19 discriminatory practices-prohibition, went through amendments that reworked the structure and methods of the bill. One from Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, would make vaccination status a protected class in public accommodations, joining race, religion, color, sex and national origin.

Public accommodations include places such as hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and shops.

Nursing homes have been among the most impacted public accommodations of the pandemic, and the bill prompted some concerns from senior advocates.

Our concern with 1003 is as written, a nursing home couldnt determine whether it is closed to visitors without a vaccine when it is deemed to be in the best interest of the residents by administration, said Tom Lacock, spokesman for the Wyoming AARP. When 0.6% of the population is taking about 45% of all COVID deaths, it seems important to let local administration decide on visitation rules for their facilities.

The bill had contained significant provisions tied to insurance, but those were gutted, in part due to concern that the measure would result in dramatic hikes in premiums, as well as unforeseen consequences.

Another amendment that would have eliminated all criminal penalties was withdrawn, but will likely be brought back for Fridays third reading.

On the House side, two bills advanced to third reading after undergoing significant changes. But those amendments might be reworked again on Friday, multiple lawmakers said.

The House adopted an amendment to its compromise bill on vaccine mandates that would only hold an employer liable for violating its provisions if they did so knowingly.

That means if a business implemented a vaccine requirement that did not align with state law, they would not face consequences unless it could be proved they were aware it violated the statute.

A second change to the bill was designed to allow state law to remain in place if a judicial stay were issued against federal rules regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

It continues to assert (that) the state will push back against all federal preemption efforts, Rep. Dan Zwonitzer said. It basically says, We will fight.

The legislation would permit businesses to implement vaccine mandates so long as they allow a litany of exemptions and accommodations for unvaccinated employees. The new amendment cancels out a change adopted Wednesday that acknowledged federal rules would nullify any conflicting policies passed by the Legislature during the special session.

Because no federal rules tied to the Biden administrations vaccine mandate have been issued, its unclear how any bills passed during the session might conflict with federal law.

Before the session began, groups such as the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce came out against a prohibition on private vaccine requirements, arguing such regulations would infringe on businesses right to operate within the state.

The House will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. Friday, and the Senate will reconvene at 10 a.m.

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Deborah De Labastide pours her genuine love for the Yuletide season into her popular ponche-de-creme blends, pastelles and black cake.

De Labastides self-branded Debs Exquisite Island Drinks line is a must-get for visitors at the annual Christmas upmarket at Lions Cultural Centre in Port of Spain.
THE murder toll continues to rise following the shooting deaths of three men in separate incidents between Thursday evening and yesterday morning.

The killings took place in Laventille, San Juan and Freeport.

Two of the victims have been identified as Aaron Thomas and Nathaniel Phillip, while the victim in the Freeport incident remained unidentified up to yesterday evening.
That has resulted in us having a pretty big gap in the way were able to service the customers were trying to serve, Goldmon said. So this whole issue around equity is geared toward addressing that gap.

Although many farmers are glad to see that progress is being made toward addressing USDA discrimination, Stewart said it will take more than forming a committee to fix the generations of systemic racism and discrimination.

The committee and all of these things are nice, but results are what really matter, she said. The equity part is important, but you need the right people handling it.

You cant change that 1.4% without taking care of the farmers that are already there, said James, Stewarts husband. By lending that 1.4% more money to help them grow, thats a great thing, but it doesnt change that 1.4% by lending money to the same people.

James sees their ranch as an opportunity for their family to continue farming for generations to come. He said by the time their kids are 18, theyll be prepared to take it over and continue to help it expand.
She makes a compelling argument, said Chairwoman Erika Neuberg.

But rather than wrestle with the issue Thursday, the commission chose to keep that line in place, at least for now, with the option of making future changes before final adoption.

The real debate Thursday came over how to draw the lines for the states 30 legislative districts, with the Republican and Democratic commissioners on opposite sides of the key battle of how to divide Southern Arizona.

Neuberg, an independent, sided with the two Republicans in saying she prefers a plan that allows what she called right-of-center residents in the Tucson area to have a chance to elect someone who shares their political philosophy.

But in doing so, the commission rejected a proposal by Shereen Lerner, one of the two Democrats, to create a district with a population split nearly even between the two major parties.

Lerner argued that would be fair and would still provide Republicans with a good opportunity to have their voices heard.
Her goal was to become an elementary school teacher or a special education teacher. Fred Narcaroti said she was fantastic with kids and they gravitated toward her.

He described Savannah as a very artistic person. Fred Narcaroti remembers her painting pictures for each of her family members when she graduated high school. Even though she had no formal training, Fred said the pictures she painted were amazing.

Savannah also spent a lot of her time at Kids Unlimited, a nonprofit organization for young performers who want sing, dance and act.

She sung beautifully and was a great performer Fred Narcaroti said. Kids Unlimited was a big part of her life and is where she really found herself.

Above everything else, Savannah was a kind, caring and selfless person, Fred Narcaroti said. Back when Savannah was in high school, Fred noticed the chargers in the house were going missing. He later found out Savannah was taking them to school to give to classmates who didnt have chargers at home.

Peoples needs became before hers, Fred said. She was such a great listener, such a patient person, and had just a big heart. She was a bright light.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into Tucsons general election this year, according to the latest filings that show contributions as of Oct. 16.

Most of the money came from individuals, PACs and public matching dollars provided by the city through a program that seeks to level the playing field for political fundraising.

Prominent figures like former Tucson Mayor Johnathan Rothschild were among this years contributors, and multiple candidates received thousands of dollars from donors involved in the real estate and construction industries.

Candidates experienced disparate campaign funding totals. Kevin Dahl, a Democrat, raised thousands more than any other candidate this year and he outraised his Ward 3 opponents by tens-of-thousands of dollars.

Of the candidates, only Alan Harwell Jr. didnt file his latest campaign finance report on time, according to Ana Marrufo, a management assistant with the city clerks office. Two PACs supporting different ballot items also filed their reports after the due date, which can result in nominal penalty fees for each late day.
From Old Tucson Studios' "Nightfall" to pet costume contests, Tucson knew how to bring the Halloween spirit to town in the 1990s. Take a look 
Photojournalist

Rebecca Sasnett has been a photojournalist with Star since 2019. Previously she worked as a freelance photographer for Arizona Athletics and USA Today Sports. She loves hanging out with her three cats and four dogs.
Residents of Casas Adobes, the unincorporated area centered on Ina Road and Oracle, have reason to feel insulted after the redistricting discussions this week.

Arizona Independent Redistricting Commissioner David Mehl and others have made it very, very clear they dont want Casas Adobes residents lumped into a district with their neighbors in Marana and Oro Valley.

In fact, the mayor of Marana, Ed Honea, sent a letter, signed by others including Sen. Vince Leach, insisting his town has much more in common with far-flung places like the Houghton Road Corridor than with nearby Casas Adobes.

In the letter, Honea and the others define their community of interest as SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, Eagle Crest Picture Rocks, Red Rock, Marana, Oro Valley, Tanque Verde Valley and the Houghton Road Corridor.

It would take an hour to drive from SaddleBrooke Ranch to, say, the Safeway at the corner of Houghton and Broadway.

What goes unsaid, of course, is that the communities mentioned in the letter lean Republican, while Casas Adobes does not.

Our small communities and unincorporated localities depart with these areas in our priorities on principles relating to work, life and raising a family, the letter says.
One family, lots of friends.

Thats how Ray Flores describes Flores Concepts newest venture The Monica, an homage to El Charro founder Monica Flinn. The restaurant will open early next year on the first floor of the Hexagon building at City Park, 40 E. Congress St. downtown.

The 4,500-square-foot restaurant with a 2,500-square-foot patio will feature an open display kitchen that tips its spatulas to the classic American pantry and buffet-style dining halls, where the kitchen creates whatever is in its pantry.

In the case of The Monica, the kitchen will feature dishes from some of Tucsons most notable chefs and food personalities and will serve as a brand incubator, offering a menu that changes depending on seasonality and which of the familys friends decide to drop by.

We want to bring back a few friends who were lost during the pandemic, businesses that were lost, said Flores, president of his familys restaurant company. This is a family thing. This is our family and the friends and family of Tucson.

Flores said he is in conversations with a number of prominent Tucson chefs past and present about participating in the venture, which will be helmed by executive chef Danny Perez.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Unspecified family obligations" prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to suddenly cancel his trip to Scotland for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, a huge gathering of international leaders on a subject that is among his highest priorities.

Newsom, who has four children ages 5 to 12, will participate in the gathering virtually, spokesperson Erin Mellon said. Mellon declined to comment when asked to provide details about what prompted Newsom to change his plans.

Newsom asked Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a fellow Democrat, to lead California's delegation to Glasgow. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kounalakis said she spoke to Newsom on Thursday and had a sense she might be asked to go.

The governor has a young family and we should all be understanding, especially those of us who have been there," said Kounalakis, who has two grown sons.

Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who is attending the conference, said he suspects Newsom is very disappointed to not be going.

He loves this issue, he cares about it a lot," Hertzberg said. Its a big deal to him, and Im sure he desperately wanted to go.
The coronavirus pandemic also looms large in the collection of new entrants as super-spreader, long COVID and vaccine passport made the list.

Partisan politics contributed more slang to the lexicon, such as whataboutism," which Merriam-Webster defines as the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse. For Britons, the dictionary notes that whataboutery is more commonly used.

The dreaded vote-a-ramas that have become a fixture in the U.S. Congress is explained this way: an unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on.

And still other new terms come from the culinary world, such as fluffernutter, the homey sandwich of peanut butter, marshmallow creme and white bread.

Horchata, the cold sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds and usually flavored with cinnamon or vanilla, also made the cut, as did chicharron, the popular fried pork belly or pig skin snack.

As for dad bod? The dictionary defines that as a physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
LONDON (AP)  Protesters took to the streets Friday in London's historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

The protests in London, which were joined by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as well as many other young campaigners from around the world, are part of a global day of action before leaders head to Glasgow for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Many environmentalists are calling the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 gathering the worlds last best chance to turn the tide in the battle against climate change.

The protesters included Friday for Future activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, who called out the banks for financing activities such as deforestation, mining and polluting industries, which they blame for the destruction of their homes and their futures.
OPINION: "The importance of an opinion journalist at a newspaper, and the reason the press is mentioned in the First Amendment, is to call out powerful people when they abuse their power," writes the Star's new Opinion editor, Curt Prendergast.
OPINION: "The catch is, these fines could be applied to something as small as hanging a flyer or notice in the wrong spot, which has nothing to do with a workplaces actual labor conditions. Even worse, the budget bill even includes fines that could be levied against directors or officers of a company personally," according to four chambers of commerce in Arizona.
There are more than 10 million job openings in America right now. The worker shortage is contributing to goods shortages, rising prices and supply network problems.
Local journalism is important  and producing it costs time and money.

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The church increased its focus on religious education. For many years, two Benedictine Sister from Guthrie or Tulsa would come to teach a two-week Vacation Bible School., but that was the only formal instruction provided for children.

In the 1970s, three houses adjacent to the church were purchased to serve as classrooms for religious, educational instruction and were used into the 1980s. Due to the deterioration of the houses, two were razed in the 1980s, and one remained to use for classes.

In 1985, the church purchased the First Baptist Church property on the corner of 3rd and A streets and a two-story hotel, The Barrett Hotel. First Baptist Church had just completed the construction of a new building. The old hotel was razed due to extensive water damage, and the church building was used for religious education.

In 1988, it was evident the church needed a larger facility. The Religious Education Center was sold to Skiatook Auction, and a new parish hall was built west of the rectory.

In the 1990s, longtime parishioner Tom Murray passed away, leaving a large sum of money to the parish. The gift allowed the parish to pay off debt for building the parish hall, pave two parking lots, remodel the interior, including the addition of a restroom, purchase a new organ and pews, and renovate the rectory.
Monty Steele, a 33-year American Airlines employee who attended the protest, said they gathered Thursday in the hope that they will convince the airline to reverse its vaccine mandates.

Its a medical procedure we dont want forced on us, Steele said. It shouldnt be forced on anybody.

Steele said he applied for a religious exemption from receiving the vaccine because he said all three vaccines approved for use within the U.S. were developed using aborted fetuses.

According to a January document from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, neither the Moderna nor the Pfizer vaccine was developed using a fetal tissue-derived cell line (cloned copies of cells from a fetus aborted in the 1970s or 1980s), but both companies used a cell line to test the efficacy of the vaccine.

Thus, while neither vaccine is completely free from any use of abortion-derived cell lines, in these two cases the use is very remote from the initial evil of the abortion, the document states, while also maintaining that people can receive the vaccines in good conscience with the assurance that reception of such vaccines does not involve immoral cooperation in abortion.
When installed during the road enhancement decades ago, the median was meant to give crossing pedestrians an island of safety mid-street, but it can also obscure pedestrians, Farley said.

Heading west on 15th Street just below the 40 mph speed limit  as was the SUV that struck Calzada-Gutierrez  drivers can suddenly find themselves upon the Urbana Avenue crossing despite a proceeding warning sign: the crosswalk is at the apex of a small hill.

The driver of the SUV was distraught and stayed at the scene to talk with police, Farley said. He told them he was looking forward through his windshield and driving about 35 mph when he suddenly saw someone walking in front of his vehicle. He said he braked and swerved left to try to avoid hitting him but that at that point, it was too late.

A witness who was driving a car behind the SUV told police he saw the pedestrian and had hoped the other driver did, too, according to the report.

One working theory: A pillar of the involved car  the support between the drivers side window and front windshield  coupled with the low light could have created a blind spot on the vehicles approach as Calzada-Gutierrez crossed the street.
At some point, a 7-year-old boy who was bound by his wrists and neck came to police from the apartment. Officers untied him, and he said there had been an argument and that his mother had been assaulted, bound and potentially strangled.

Officers heard something that sounded like a gunshot, Watkins said, and entered the apartment. When they got inside, Perry pushed Blades lifeless, bound body down the stairs.

During a confrontation, officers shot and killed Perry and rescued a 4-year-old girl, also bound, police said previously.

Both children were placed in protective custody. Watkins said both were unharmed physically, but God knows what scars there are mentally.

The volatile and quickly escalating situation was resolved in about an hour.

Its tragic the mother of these two children and these two children went through a completely hellish nightmare of a situation, Watkins said. There are no winners here.

Watkins said Perry was likely suffering severe mental issues and on a particularly bad intoxicant, but detectives are waiting for confirmation from the Medical Examiners Office on the latter to say for certain.

The next call came about 11 hours later early Sunday.
A state appellate court overturned on Thursday a Rogers County murder conviction and life without parole prison sentence for a man who admitted to shooting a Claremore man while robbing him and others in 2017.

However, other convictions related to the robbery and an unrelated assault will keep Marquise Petey White in state prison for a while longer.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the state of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to prosecute White in the shooting death of Dakota Rex, 22.

Rather, the appellate court said Whites murder case should have been prosecuted by federal authorities because it met the terms of the Supreme Courts 2020 McGirt decision, which determined that the Muscogee Nation reservation from the 1860s was still intact because Congress had never specifically dissolved it.

Major crimes occurring in Indian Country are the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.

Rex was American Indian, and the crime occurred within the Cherokee Nation reservation, which the state appellate court recognized as being still in existence, too, due to similar treaty language to that cited in the McGirt ruling.
A Broken Arrow man whose state murder conviction and life prison sentence were overturned admitted Friday in federal court to fatally shooting his father in 2016.

Jacob Patrick Krafft, 39, admitted to shooting Eric Krafft on Oct. 21, 2016, at their Broken Arrow home.

As a result of this argument, I shot my father in the leg with my hunting rifle while he was standing in our kitchen, Krafft wrote in his plea, adding that he called 911 before his father died.

He faces up to life in prison on the charge of second-degree murder in Indian Country.

Krafft had been serving a 25-year-state prison term after a Tulsa County jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.

Kraffts state conviction and prison term were overturned in February after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals determined that the state did not have jurisdiction to prosecute him.

In his appeal, Krafft successfully argued that the state did not have jurisdiction because he was an American Indian and the death occurred within the Muscogee Nation reservation.
Oklahoma public schools reliance on filling teaching vacancies with teachers who are not accredited for the position has reached a record high and is likely to continue climbing during the current academic year.

On Thursday, the Oklahoma State Board of Education approved another 254 emergency teacher certifications for school districts that reported having no certified candidates to hire.

That brings the year-to-date total since June 1 to 3,428, exceeding the states previous record of 3,321, set in 2019-20.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister told the state board on Thursday that many school districts have indicated that the delta variant surge that coincided with back-to-school season has them contending with the most serious challenges, including hiring and other staffing issues, since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Anecdotally, school officials say special education teaching vacancies are the most difficult to fill, but state law does not allow for emergency certification of underqualified individuals in those positions.

Data from the Oklahoma State Department of Education shows the three largest categories of emergency certifications granted for 2021-22 to date are elementary school education, early childhood education and English.
A member of the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education is asking the state auditor to take a look at the districts financial records.

Claiming that he has been denied access to the records, District 6 representative Jerry Griffin made a public request Wednesday afternoon for State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd to conduct a forensic audit of the districts finances for the last six years.

Griffin said at least two public requests for financial records were rebuffed, as were several private requests.

I am not making any specific allegations yet, he said. I want the auditor to do a preliminary Lets look and see if theres anything we need to see review like she did with Epic (Charter Schools).

I know her plate is full right now, but I dont know how far these tentacles will reach. I just want to start the conversation.

However, Trey Davis, a spokesman for the State Auditor and Inspectors Office, confirmed Wednesday afternoon that an individual school board member does not have the authority to formally request a special state audit.

Under state law, such a request has to come from the governor, the attorney general, the local district attorney or a citizen petition.
The city isnt going to stick it to Tim Inman, after all.

The chef and owner at Stonehorse Cafe was notified by the city earlier this week that the 14-foot-high stainless steel chefs knife sculpture he placed in his front yard doesnt violate the citys zoning code and that the notice of violation he had received last month has been rescinded.

Even if the knife had been found to be in violation of the zoning code, Inman likely would have been able to keep the knife right where it is, as long as he got a permit for it.

But the fight, such as it was, is over, and now he can go back to his unspectacular life in the Terwilleger Heights neighborhood.

I spend my money on three things: good food, good wine and artwork, Inman said. I live a simple life in a smaller house. I like where I live, and what I have around me is stuff that I want to see.

The story of how the giant knife got there in the first place makes perfect sense if, like Inman, you cook for a living and the oak tree in your front yard dies.
Bells Amusement Park closed in 2006. It was on this day that year that the parks lease at the fairgrounds was not renewed by the Tulsa Count
The vehicles discovery greatly narrows the scope of the search for the men, Roebuck said, but many pieces are still missing from the big-picture puzzle.

Selbys mother, 80-year-old Glenda Cookie Parton, is the subject of another Silver Alert that was issued Wednesday after she disappeared Monday while looking for her son, deputies said.

Parton was spotted on surveillance footage at an undisclosed business that evening with a man initially unknown to deputies. Her vehicle was found abandoned on the side of U.S. 75 near the 56th Street North exit on Tuesday.

They arrived at the business in her car, together, but then within hours of the time that video was taken, no one was able to reach her, and she completely disappeared, Roebuck said.

Deputies solicited tips from the public Wednesday, sharing an image of the man taken from the surveillance footage, and Roebuck said he was identified Thursday and brought in for an interview with investigators.

It just keeps getting weirder, Roebuck said of the case. These are people who are in constant contact with friends and family, and for that to suddenly cease leads us to be gravely worried for their safety.

Grimes requires medication to manage his diabetes.
A blaze that burned 120 acres in about 20 minutes Thursday has western Oklahoma firefighters warning residents to be on the lookout for smoke on windy days, especially while driving.

Wind gusts are finally about to taper down after days of blustery conditions, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa.

"North to northwest winds will gust 30 to 40 mph ... gradually tapering off (Friday) afternoon as low pressure moves farther away from the region," forecasters said.

Because of gusts nearing 50 mph Thursday, a grass fire along Oklahoma 64 in Texas County required collaboration from seven units of area firefighters, a news release states.

High winds and dry conditions were cited as the cause for the rapidly moving blaze five miles east of Hooker, which started about 1 p.m. Thursday.

"Hooker, Adams, and Baker firefighters responded first, finding heavy fire and smoke moving rapidly with the wind to the south, Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley said in a statement adding Optima, Tyrone and Hough firefighters assisted.

According to the news release, the blaze produced "blackout conditions for travelers" on Oklahoma 64, with wind blowing dirt and smoke to obscure visibility.
Before the curtain to the death chamber was raised, Grant could be heard shouting, Lets go! Lets go! Lets go! Lets go!

Grant was strapped to the death chamber gurney with restraints visible on his chest and arms with a white sheet covering his body from mid-chest down. He appeared to have IVs in each arm.

When the cocktail of lethal drugs began flowing shortly after 4 p.m., Grant turned and raised his head to look around. After a few minutes, he pushed against his chest restraints and began to froth at the mouth and then vomit. As more time passed, members of the execution team entered the chamber to wipe his mouth and face. They returned to clean his face after he continued to vomit.

With his eyes closed and still breathing, Grant was pronounced unconscious at 4:15 pm.

His breathing slowed as the subsequent drugs in the execution protocol entered his veins, and a member of the execution team entered the chamber to check for a pulse after about five minutes. Department of Corrections Director Scott Crow then entered the chamber and said: The execution is complete. The time of death is 4:21 p.m.

The state halted its use of the death penalty in 2015 after the problematic executions of Clayton Lockett and Charles Warner.
Dont you feel a wee bit bad for Merrick Garland?

Granted, youre probably infuriated that the fascist putsch plotters continue to roam free. Which means youre probably asking yourself on a hourly basis, When oh when oh when is someone gonna frickin do something about it?

That lament may well be aimed at the U.S. attorney general, who has vowed to restore the rule of law by bringing justice back to the Justice Department. By now its crystal clear that the lowest people in the highest places, on the eve of Jan. 6, conspired to take democracy down.

Indeed, the House voted to recommend that subpoena stonewaller Steve Bannon be prosecuted by the DOJ for criminal contempt. (Nine Republicans even concurred.) As Adam Schiff remarked, Are some people truly above the law, beholden to nothing and no one, free to ignore the law and without consequence?

I guess well find out at some point. All Garland has said thus far is that his department will apply the facts and the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution, which could mean anything.

But, if I may muster a smidgen of sympathy, Garland is in a tough position. Hes a high-minded man of probity whos been tasked to confront the lowest form of human life.
So, where are these workers?

Survey after survey shows they are taking time to figure out what they want and demand better from employers.

Dubbed The Great Resignation, The Big Quit or The Great Reshuffle by various media, its the era of the worker. The pandemic has been devastating in so many ways that it forced people to think about how they are living their lives.

Is this job worth it? Am I fulfilled? What do I really want? What else is out there?

These are the big questions we sometimes forget to revisit once we enter the workforce. Life takes over with work, family and other obligations. It becomes a hamster wheel.

The pandemic stopped everything, and nothing has returned to the way it was; it probably never will.

The national labor shortage launched a number of studies and surveys to figure out whats behind it. Its easy to get lost in the data, but common threads run through the findings.

Most notably, vacancies arent because of unmotivated workers or generous unemployment benefits, a narrative that originated with owners and executives.
Da Nang has launched a tourism recovery plan to welcome fully vaccinated foreign visitors from November after nearly two years of suffering from COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

The three-phase plan, which has been approved by the prime minister and is based on the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Culture, was presented by the citys tourism department at a meeting held on Thursday with many tourism businesses.

It was launched as Vietnam is easing strict COVID-19 restrictions, which had been applied for several months, to reactivate socio-economic activities under new normal conditions, a euphemism for living safely with the coronavirus.

The city will prioritize vaccination for the tourism workforce and run many programs to attract domestic and international visitors at the end of this year, said Tran Phuoc Son, vice-chairman of the municipal administration.

Under the ministrys guidance, travelers would be required to have proof of a negative RT-PCR or RT-LAMP test for the coronavirus within 72 hours prior to departure.

They would have to present 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, or a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 within 12 months before their entry date.

Visitors would also be required to have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 with a minimum liability limit of US$50,000 and to install the IGOVN app, which was developed by Vietnams Ministry of Public Security, on their smartphones for use during their trips.

Phase 1 will begin from November to receive visitors coming from travel firms tour packages and through charter or international commercial flights.

Phase 2 of the plan is scheduled to take place from January 2022, with more locations permitted to welcome foreign visitors arriving in the same way as in phase 1.

Phase 3 will kick off to fully open tourism to foreigners when phase 2 wraps up, which depends on actual epidemic situations.

Currently, the citys tourism sector is actively preparing new tourism products and planning events to lure international visitors, said Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the local Department of Tourism.

The department is also proceeding with a tourist media campaign to popularize the citys tourism recovery plan in new normal conditions, especially to international travelers, through the slogans Da Nang Now Open and Enjoy Da Nang.'

On this occasion, the agency announced the launch of VR360 application One-Touch to Da Nang at http://vr360.danangfantasticity.com, with many features that introduce local attractions, help users contact local visitor support centers, and provide various useful instructions.

Da Nang, with a population of nearly 1.5 million, is accelerating COVID-19 vaccination, with over 768,700 first shots and more than 91,900 second jabs having been administered to residents as of Thursday, according to official figures.

Since the pandemic struck Vietnam in early 2020, the central coastal city has documented 5,465 COVID-19 cases, including 105 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported on Thursday.

Nationwide, a total of 905,477 infection cases, including 813,963 recoveries and 21,910 fatalities, have been reported.

Recently, the countrys daily new infections and deaths have sharply fallen, to 4,876 and 54 on Thursday from 12,103 and 352 two months earlier, according to the ministrys data.

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The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health on Thursday submitted a set of criteria to the municipal Peoples Committee that would allow for the reopening of massage parlors, clubs, bars, and karaoke shops should it be approved.

The health departments proposition also covered indoor and outdoor activities, online game centers, beauty salons, barbershops, street vendors, lottery ticket sellers, and other facilities determined by the district-level authorities.

Such services and activities have been closed for at least five months over COVID-19 transmission concerns.

Each service and activity must be operated within one of the following four levels in order to ensure the implementation of effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures under the governments resolution No. 128, which adopts provisional guidelines on safe adaptation to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the first level, indoor and outdoor activities are allowed to take place without any cap on the number of participants, while street vendors and lottery ticket sellers can work without any requirements.

For other services and activities, participants must either be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, have recovered from COVID-19, or test negative for the pathogen within 72 hours of joining in the activity.

In the second level, indoor and outdoor activities are permitted to take place at no more than 75 percent of their normal capacity, with the criteria for COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and recovery remaining the same as the first level.

The capacity limit is the same for barbershops, but decreases to 50 percent for the remaining services.

In the third level, the number of participants in indoor and outdoor activities and at barbershops will be restricted to 50 percent of their normal capacity and 25 percent for other services.

In this level, only street vendors and lottery ticket sellers who have either received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine or recovered from the disease are permitted to work.

In the fourth level, the number of participants in indoor and outdoor activities and at barbershops will be reduced to 25 percent of their normal capacity, while the remaining services will be suspended.

Ho Chi Minh City allowed sit-down food and beverage services to reopen from Thursday, following almost five months of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since erupting in Vietnam in late April, the fourth coronavirus wave has caused over 429,000 infections and around 16,500 deaths in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Health reported on Thursday.

Nationwide, a total of 900,669 cases, including 813,963 recoveries and 21,910 deaths, have been recorded.

The countrys daily new infections fell sharply to 4,892 on Thursday from a peak of nearly 15,000 in September.

Ho Chi Minh City saw its daily new cases and fatalities drop to 1,069 and 25 on Thursday compared to 4,134 and 122 a month ago, according to the ministrys data.

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Vietnams Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group has won a category award at the 2021 World Communication Awards (WCA) for its smart city project, organizers have announced.

The organizing committee of the 2021 WCA, which took place in London, on Tuesday honored Viettels Smart City model as the 'most efficient and innovative' in the world.

As the only Vietnamese enterprise in the list of nominations for the Smart Cities Award category, Viettel overcame many strong competitors, such as China Telecom Global, KT Corporation, and ZARIOT.

An award winner, military-owned Viettel has been listed alongside many big players in the world of technology and telecommunications, including Orange, Swisscom, Airtel, Ericsson, PCCW Global, and others.

Among the WCAs 20 award categories for 2021, the Smart Cities Award seeks to find an effective and innovative solution that benefits people and businesses toward improving quality of life and increasing city governments' operating efficiency.

The award is evaluated based on five criteria, including the application scope of the solution, the ability to meet peoples needs or improve their lives, the completeness compared to existing solutions on the market, benefits for people from the solution, and the role of organizations and enterprises in building a smart city.

As a comprehensive solution, Viettels Smart City model can help each city or province use its local resources in the most optimal way based on accurate and appropriate analysis, thereby improving competitiveness and enhancing peoples satisfaction.

Thirty cities and provinces in Vietnam have so far signed cooperation agreements with Viettel in the application of smart city construction technology.

Previously, the Smart Administration Center Project developed by Viettel in Thua Thien-Hue Province won the Telecom Asia Awards 2019 in the category of Asia's most innovative smart city project.

Established in 1989, Viettel is headquartered in Hanoi and run by the Ministry of National Defense.

As the largest telecom service provider in Vietnam, it has invested in various projects in many countries around the world.

Initiated by the UKs Total Telecom Magazine since 1999, WCA has been held annually as one of the most prestigious telecommunications awards in the world.

The WCA judging board consists of 70 experts who are representatives of the largest organizations in telecommunications such as IDC, GSA, and Global Data.

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The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has brought forward a plan to reopen offline classes for ninth and twelfth graders from December since the metropolis is deploying a COVID-19 vaccination plan for local children.

Only ninth and twelfth graders who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to return to bricks-and-mortar classrooms in the next two months, according to the proposal made by Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the education department, at a meeting on Friday morning.

The scheme is pending the approval from the municipal Peoples Committee.

Schools across Ho Chi Minh City have been shuttered since May 10 for COVID-19 prevention and control, with students largely switching to online learning.

As functional forces are returning over 250 schools, which were requisitioned for the use of COVID-19 quarantine and treatment, to the education sector, the implementation of the back-to-school plan will depend on the virus transmission risk in each district, according to Hieu.

The director said nearly 40,000 students from 12 to 17 years old in the citys 21 districts and Thu Duc City have received a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine dose on on Wednesday and Thursday, the first two days of the citys ongoing kid vaccination drive.

The first phase of the inoculation campaign is expected to conclude this week.

In addition, Friday mornings meeting highlighted such issues as the employment of administrative workers at schools, a dearth of music and art teachers, students lack of essential equipment for online study, social insurance schemes for non-public kindergarten teachers, and the delay of school construction projects.

In his remarks, Duong Anh Duc, deputy chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, said that the citys educational and health officials, together with district-level authorities, will refurbish school campuses to welcome back students aged 12 to 17 as soon as all safety requirements are met.

Ho Chi Minh City has been the biggest epicenter in the country since the fourth outbreak began on April 27, with over 429,000 local cases.

The city of about nine million people had administered over 12.9 million vaccine doses as of Friday, with more than 5.6 million people fully inoculated.

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The European Commission has suspended funding to the World Health Organization's programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to concerns over the U.N. agency's handling of the sexual abuse scandal.

An Oct. 7 letter from the Commission marked "SENSITIVE", seen by Reuters, informed the WHO of the immediate suspension of financing for five WHO programmes, including its Ebola and COVID-19 operations.

The total amount is more than 20.7 million euros ($24.02 million).

The Commission, in an emailed statement to Reuters in Brussels, confirmed the move, saying that it expected partners to have "robust safeguards to prevent such unacceptable incidents as well as to act decisively in such situations".

"The Commission has temporarily suspended the payments and will refrain from awarding new funding related to the humanitarian activities undertaken by WHO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This measure does not affect EU funding for WHO operations elsewhere," it said.

WHO officials contacted separately for comment did not immediately reply.

The EU funding suspension raises diplomatic pressure on the WHO and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to take further action on the documented violations and management negligence, and to prevent it from happening again anywhere.

Tedros, widely believed to be seeking a second five-year term in May, has steered the global response to COVID-19, the worst public health crisis in a century. But major donors led by the United States and Germany have demanded fundamental reforms to its ability to deal with outbreaks and the scandal.

Some 83 aid workers, a quarter of them employed by the WHO, were involved in sexual coercion and abuse during Congo's 10th Ebola epidemic, an independent commission said last month. The report cited nine allegations of rape.

A copy of the EU letter was sent to the Code Blue Campaign, part of the Aids-free World, a watchdog group that aims to end impunity for sexual offences committed by U.N. civilian and military personnel.

The European Commission's letter, addressed to Tedros, voices "extreme concern" over the "magnitude of the findings".

It seeks assurances that victims have been protected and compensated; details of WHO's recruitment process in Congo including background checks; WHO action to ensure alleged perpetrators are not re-hired by the UN or aid groups; and an independent review of "individual responsibilities within WHO for the negligence in the treatment of allegations and evidence".

"In view of the gravity of the reported situation, the Commission hereby suspends all payments relevant to the activities undertaken by your organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo," it reads.

The Commission seeks a WHO reply within 30 days and says that Brussels will then take another 30 days to decide whether to resume payments or confirm suspension for up to another 30 days. In the meantime, no new funding will be awarded to the WHO for activities in Congo, it adds.

'Violent crimes'

The WHO last week issued its plan to prevent any further misconduct by aid workers deployed in its field operations, vowing to ensure the scandal would be "the catalyst for a profound transformation of WHO's culture".

Gaya Gamhewage, World Health Organization's director of prevention and response to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, gestures during an interview with Reuters in Geneva, Switzerland October 26, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Dr. Gaya Gamhewage, WHO acting director of prevention and response to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, told Reuters in an interview this week that more women have reported sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers during the Ebola crisis from 2018-2020.

She reiterated that the WHO was referring the rape allegations to national authorities for investigation and said that WHO was sending all 83 case files to U.N. investigators in New York for action regarding employees of all agencies.

Paula Donovan, co-director of AIDS-Free World and its Code Blue Campaign, said in a statement this month after the WHO's management response plan was issued that the agency was failing to pursue most perpetrators.

This is a giant step backward. The WHO is treating dozens of violent crimes alleged against its own personnel and top officials as simple breaches of UN rules. If governments allow the UN to get away with this, it will be a solid victory for UN impunity.

"The entire process reinforces the bogus notion that UN personnel and senior officials are above the law," she said.

($1 = 0.8617 euros)
Facebook Inc is now called Meta, the company said on Thursday, in a rebrand that focuses on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.

The name change comes as the world's largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the company's live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference, said the new name reflected its work investing in the metaverse, rather than its namesake social media service, which will continue to be called Facebook.

The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel "Snow Crash" three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm which can be accessed by people using different devices.

"Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future," said Zuckerberg.

The company, which has invested heavily in augmented and virtual reality, said the change would bring together its different apps and technologies under one new brand. It said it would not change its corporate structure.

The tech giant, which reports about 2.9 billion monthly users, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years from global lawmakers and regulators.

In the latest controversy, whistleblower and former Facebook employee Frances Haugen leaked documents which she said showed the company chose profit over user safety. Haugen has in recent weeks testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee and lawmakers in the UK's Parliament. Zuckerberg earlier this week said the documents were being used to paint a "false picture."

The company said in a blog post that it intends to start trading under the new stock ticker it has reserved, MVRS, on Dec. 1. On Thursday, it unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, replacing its thumbs-up "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape.

Facebook shares closed 1.5% higher at $316.92 on Thursday.

People pose for a photo in front of a sign of Meta, the new name for the company formerly known as Facebook, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S. October 28, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Tarnished reputation

Facebook said this week that its hardware division Facebook Reality Labs, which is responsible for AR and VR efforts, would become a separate reporting unit and that its investment in it would reduce this year's total operating profit by about $10 billion.

This year, the company created a product team in this unit focused on the metaverse and it recently announced plans to hire 10,000 employees in Europe over the next five years to work on the effort.

In an interview with tech publication the Information, Zuckerberg said he has not considered stepping down as CEO, and has not thought "very seriously yet" about spinning off this unit.

The division will now be called Reality Labs, its head Andrew "Boz" Bosworth said on Thursday. The company will also stop using the Oculus branding for its VR headsets, instead calling them "Meta" products.

The name change, the plan for which was first reported by the Verge, is a significant rebrand for Facebook, but not its first. In 2019 it launched a new logo to create a distinction between the company and its social app.

The company's reputation has taken multiple hits in recent years, including over its handling of user data and its policing of abuses such as health misinformation, violent rhetoric and hate speech. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging anticompetitive practices.

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg addresses the audience on 'the challenges of protecting free speech while combating hate speech online, fighting misinformation, and political data privacy and security,' at a forum hosted by Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) and the McCourt School of Public Policy in Washington, U.S., October 17, 2019. Photo: Reuters

"While it'll help alleviate confusion by distinguishing Facebook's parent company from its founding app, a name change doesn't suddenly erase the systemic issues plaguing the company," said Mike Proulx, research director at market research firm Forrester.

The plans to phase out the Facebook name even from products like video calling device Portal show the company is eager to prevent the unprecedented scrutiny from hurting the rest of its apps, said Prashant Malaviya, a marketing professor at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. read more

"Without a doubt, (the Facebook name) is definitely damaged and toxic," he said.

Zuckerberg said the new name, coming from the Greek word for "beyond," symbolized there was always more to build. Twitter Inc CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday tweeted out a different definition "referring to itself or to the conventions of its genre; self-referential."

Facebook rebrands as Meta. Courtesy Facebook/via Reuters

Zuckerberg said the new name also reflects that over time, users will not need to use Facebook to use the company's other services.

In 2015, Google reorganized to create a new holding company called Alphabet Inc, as the popular search engine broke into new fields such as self-driving cars, high-speed broadband and expanded its cloud business. Snapchat also rebranded to Snap Inc in 2016, the same year it launched its first pair of smart glasses.

Facebook, which this year launched its own pair of smart glasses with Ray-Ban, announced a slew of new AR and VR product updates during Connect. These included a way for people using its Oculus VR headset to call friends using Facebook Messenger and for people to invite others to a social version of their home, dubbed "Horizon Home."

Zuckerberg also showed video demos of what the metaverse could look like, with people connecting as avatars and being transported to digital versions of various places and time periods. He said that the metaverse would need to be built with safety and privacy in mind.
GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and other aid groups on Thursday appealed to leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies to fund a $23.4 billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs to poorer countries in the next 12 months.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Group of 20, whose leaders are meeting in Rome at the weekend, had the political and financial power needed to end the pandemic by funding the plan, which he said could save five million lives.

The latest update of the so-called Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), until September 2022, is expected to include use of an experimental oral antiviral pill made by Merck & Co for treating mild and moderate cases.

If the pill is approved by regulatory authorities, the cost could be as little as $10 per course, the plan said, in line with a draft document seen by Reuters earlier this month.

"The request is for $23.4 billion. That's a fair amount of money, but if you compare with the damage also done to global economy by the pandemic it is not really that much," Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy to the ACT-Accelerator, told reporters earlier.

Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister, acknowledged that the ACT-A has struggled to secure previous financing.

"I hope and urge that the G20 will make a commitment to end the pandemic," Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, whose country co-chairs the fund-raising effort, told the media briefing.

Equal budgets of $7 billion are earmarked for both vaccines and diagnostic tests, with a further $5.9 billion for boosting health systems and $3.5 billion for treatments including antivirals, corticosteroids, and medical oxygen.

Tedros noted at the briefing that global cases were rising for the first time in two months, driven by Europe.

Booster vaccines

COVAX, the vaccines arm of the ACT-A, has delivered some 400 million COVID-19 doses to more than 140 low- and middle-income countries, where vaccination rates remain low, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said.

About 82 countries are likely to miss a WHO global target of 40% vaccination coverage by year-end, but some of them could if supplies start flowing, she said.

"One of the things that is now interfering in a big way is the need for boosters, more and more high income countries are going in for the booster doses and this is now sucking up the vaccine doses as well," Swaminathan added.

Nearly a million booster jabs are being given each day, "three times the amount of vaccines being administered in low-income countries," she said.

Referring to India, which resumed "relatively modest" COVID-19 vaccine exports this month after suspending them in April due to its domestic epidemic, Swaminathan said: "I think these volumes coming out of India will go up significantly."

Merck drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering emergency use authorization of molnupiravir, the antiviral pill Merck has developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. It was shown in a clinical trial to halve the risk of serious disease and death when given early for COVID-19.

"This is a drug that we are currently evaluating and we met with Merck on Friday to discuss data from their current clinical trials that are under way in other countries," said Maria van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID, adding the agency hoped to issue guidance on its use in coming weeks.
What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Society

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications has fined Trang Tran, an ex-model, VND7.5 million (US$331) for often swearing and using offensive discourse in live streams on Facebook.

-- Health workers administered a COVID-19 vaccine dose to about 40,000 children aged 12-17 in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, chief of office at the municipal Department of Health.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has submitted a set of criteria for massage parlors, clubs, bars, and karaoke shops to reopen to the municipal People's Committee for approval. Such services have been suspended for at least five months over COVID-19 transmission concerns.

-- The Mekong Delta of Vietnam is facing a high risk of a COVID-19 outbreak after many among an influx of internal migrant workers who returned to the region from urban areas early this month have tested positive for the novel coronavirus

Business

-- Da Nang plans to welcome back international visitors on package tours from November, according to the local Department of Tourism.

Sports

-- Vietnam have been drawn into Group C, including Japan, South Korea, and Myanmar, at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, to take place in India from January 20 to Feburary 6.

World News

-- Facebook Inc is now called Meta, Reuters quoted the company as saying on Thursday, in a rebrand that focuses on building the 'metaverse.'

-- "The Delta coronavirus variant can transmit easily from vaccinated people to their household contacts, a British study found on Thursday, although contacts were less likely to get infected if they were vaccinated themselves," Reuters reported.

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The Ministry of Health logged 4,899 more COVID-19 cases in Vietnam on Friday, along with 2,169 recoveries and 56 deaths.

The latest cases, including ten imported and 4,889 local infections, were documented in 50 provinces and cities, the health ministry said, adding that 2,305 patients were found in the community.

Ho Chi Minh City reported 977 of the domestically-infected cases, Binh Duong Province 697, Dong Nai Province 697, Bac Lieu Province 398, An Giang Province 320, Kien Giang Province 249, Tay Ninh Province 180, Soc Trang Province 151, Can Tho City 101, Ha Giang Province 60, Hanoi 37, Khanh Hoa Province 30, Da Nang two, and Hai Phong two.

Vietnam had confirmed 4,876 locally-acquired infections on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian nation has registered 905,558 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave emerged on April 27, 813,315 of them having recovered from the respiratory disease.

Ho Chi Minh City is still the biggest epicenter with 430,059 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 231,721, Dong Nai Province with 64,412, Long An Province with 34,559, Tien Giang Province with 16,199, Dong Thap Province with 9,611, Khanh Hoa Province with 8,947, Da Nang with 4,965, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,603, and Hanoi with 4,533.

Vietnam detected only 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves.

The health ministry recorded 2,169 recoveries on Friday, bringing the total to 816,132.

The toll has jumped to 21,966 deaths after the ministry announced 56 fatalities on the same day, including 32 in Ho Chi Minh City and six in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has found 910,376 infections since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have administered nearly 79 million vaccine doses, including 1,712,435 shots on Thursday, since vaccination was rolled out on March 8.

More than 23.3 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!
A draft version of Vietnams Law on Population looks to incentivize birth rates in places with an aging population, including Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province, with a one-off bonus for each child delivery.

The Vietnamese government will encourage each household in low-fertility regions to have at least two children, according to the bill.

They will offer a reward of no less than a month of the minimum wage for a womans first childbirth, or no less than two months of minimum wage for her second child delivery.

As prescribed in a government decree this year, a minimum monthly wage in Vietnam can range from VND3-4.4 million ($132-194), depending on each regions economic status.

This means a mother in Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest economic hub that applies the highest wage level, will receive some VND8.8 million ($387) after delivering her second child.

A pair of parents having at least two children will have their kids admitted to public kindergartens and elementary schools by the government.

They will also have their tuition waived when attending public middle schools.

The draft law also proposes intervention measures for high-fertility regions, such as a bonus for any ethnic minority woman, or any woman married to an ethnic minority husband, who has had two children and does not plan to have more.

The proposal also advocates for free supplies of birth control for women, as well as orientation sessions for soon-to-be-married couples.

This is the first time Vietnam has ever proposed a reward bonus for childbirth after many provinces and cities, most of which are located in the south, have seen the birth rate plunging in recent years.

As per the document, 21 provinces and cities in southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, Ben Tre, and Da Nang, are reporting a birth rate of less than two children per mother, which is Vietnams replacement level fertility, or the rate at which the population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration.

In recent years, the fertility rate in Ho Chi Minh City has dropped to 1.3-1.5, the lowest in the country.

A decision issued in April 2020 by then-Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc encouraged people to marry before they are 30 and bear children early.

Women should have their second child before 35, it suggested.

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A Parliamentary report into Australias arts and cultural institutions has recommended Streaming platforms spend 20% of their revenue on Australian content.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts report Sculpting a National Cultural Plan: Igniting a post-COVID economy for the Arts also recommended that 20% of that 20% be required to be spent on Australian childrens content and drama.

It follows ongoing calls for the sector to meet minimum quotas, similar to those applied in Europe.

The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government introduce legislation that requires over-the-top (OTT) media services (streaming and video / subscription video on demand services) to allocate at least 20 per cent of their local revenue on new Australian drama, documentary, childrens content, commissions, co-productions or acquisitions of content.

The new legislation should also prescribe that OTT services allocate at least 20 per cent of the 20 per cent quota to local childrens content and drama.

SPA welcomes the findings of the inquiry, which took a detailed and considered look at the importance of the sector to the countrys cultural, social and economic well-being, the impact of the pandemic, and what steps are necessary to ensure success into the future, said Matthew Deaner, CEO of Screen Producers Australia.

We would like to thank the Parliamentarians on the Committee for their diligent exploration and consideration of the issues and the thoughtful response to the full scope of factors in play.

In particular, the report recognises that Australias screen sector is a major cultural industry which creates jobs, promotes Australia to audiences overseas and is a nation-building asset. The importance of screen content production to regional economies, in terms of local investment, showcasing regions and encouraging future tourism is also a highlight of the report, as is the recognition of the cultural and economic power of Australian childrens content.

Of critical importance, however, is future-proofing the regulatory environment for the sector, and this is explicitly supported by the landmark recommendation for a 20% Australian content expenditure requirement on streaming services.

This is in line with the SPA proposal, and will create 10,000 local jobs, $360 million in new investment and 300 hours of great Australian content for audiences, on the platforms they are using.

A safeguard at this level will keep us competitive internationally with markets such as France and Italy, which have implemented or announced 20-25% safeguards. Canada is also considering a quota at this level.

We also know that such a measure would be popular with Australians, who in recent polling expressed majority support for a 20% safeguard for streaming platforms in Australia.

With the release of this report the time is ripe for Government action, and we look forward to the release of the Ministers response to the Media Reform Green Paper and a transition into conditions of certainty and growth.

The Committee also recommended the title of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications be amended to include the Arts.
Stefanovic. Karl Stefanovic.

Yep, Karl throws on the tux in his very own Bond impression for a Daniel Craig story this Sunday on 60 Minutes.

60 Minutes is also doubling down on Karl with not one but two stories from him.

No wonder he earns so much!

Saving the Roo

There was a time, not so long ago, when anyone looking skyward could see a flying kangaroo soaring by. Then COVID struck. Immediately, the roo went on the endangered list. After that, things got even worse. Extinction became a very real possibility. Thousands of Qantas employees were stood down and thousands more lost their jobs. Billions of dollars of revenue evaporated as the iconic Australian airline suffered like never before. But as Karl Stefanovic reports, from Monday the skies will once again be busier because the battle to save the flying roo is now being won.

Reporter: Karl Stefanovic

Producer: Natalie Clancy

Collateral Damage

It was always going to be a risky assignment, but Australian construction engineer Robert Pether thought helping to rebuild war-torn Iraq was an important and noble job. He doesnt think that now. In April, Robert was thrown in jail. An overcrowded Baghdad prison cell will be his home for at least the next five years, and after that he will only be freed if he pays a US$12 million fine. As for his crime? Well, it seems to be nothing hes done. Rather, its because the building company he works for is embroiled in a dirty business dispute with its client, and Robert, caught in the middle, has become collateral damage.

Reporter: Tara Brown

Producer: Tracey Hannaford

No Time to Waste

Super-spy James Bond has faced and conquered countless villains, but nothing prepared him for the evil of COVID-19. The pandemic derailed the release of the 25th Bond movie, No Time To Die, by almost two years. Now its about to hit Australian screens and the hero is facing his toughest battle. Bonds mission is to revive an ailing film industry by getting audiences back into cinemas. But there is also another problem for the movies producers. Star Daniel Craig says this is the last time hell be calling himself 007. Thankfully, finding the new Bond wont be mission impossible, but it will be challenging.

Reporter: Karl Stefanovic

Producer: Joel Tozer

10pm Sunday on Nine.
Never get between fans of a good prison drama and their TV screens.

With the end of Wentworth this week, I was reminded about the conclusion of its blueprint series Prisoner.

When 692 episodes came to a halt in the UK in the early 1990s, fans protested to Birminghams Central Television.
To celebrate Halloween, SBS On Demand has curated Fright Night  a collection of films and TV series designed to bring the fear and some laughs this spooky season.

From grisly tales of the supernatural and the ravenously insane, to blood-thirsty zombies and vampire oddities, SBS On Demand has scoured the globe to bring you the best in local and international horror, sci-fi and psychological thrillers to help you embrace the dark side of Halloween this October. The Fright Night collection is now available on SBS On Demand.

Headlining the Fright Night collection is 10-part American horror series, Day Of The Dead. The first three episodes will be available on SBS On Demand from 5pm on Saturday 30 October. Weekly episodes will then be fast-tracked from the US each Saturday.

Day Of The Dead (TV Series, 2021) starring Keenan Tracey, Daniel Doheny, Natalie Malaika and Morgan Holmstrom

Inspired by the zombie universe of George A. Romeros original 1985 film of the same name.Day of the Dead is the story of six strangers trying to survive the first 24 hours of an undead invasion.This ode to George Romeros famous flesh-eaters reminds us that sometimes all it takes to bring people together is a horde of hungry zombies trying to rip them apart. Each season will take place over a single day, showing how the residents of a small town react when the dead begin to come back to life. But unlike most zombie tales, Day of the Dead isnt the story of a crisis bringing out the worst in people. Instead its an ass-kicking adventure about how our differences become strengths.

Bedevil (Film, 1993) starring Tracey Moffatt, Uncle Jack Charles and Mawuyul Yanthalawuy

Australian film Bedevil is three tales of the supernatural from Indigenous visual artist, Tracey Moffatt, combined into one extraordinary feature film. Rich in virtuosic design, drama and movement that traverses the Outback, the city, and Australias Indigenous-Anglo divide, Moffatts breathtaking style draws on influences as diverse as Vincente Minelli and Masaki Kobayashi and makes Bedevil one of the most dazzling feature debuts in Australian cinema.

The Void (Film, 2017) starring Aaron Poole

When police officer Carter (Aaron Poole) discovers a blood-soaked man limping down a deserted road, he rushes him to a local hospital with a barebones, night shift staff. As cloaked, cult-like figures surround the building, the patients and staff inside start to turn ravenously insane. Trying to protect the survivors, Carter leads them into the depths of the hospital where they discover a gateway to immense evil.

Oculus (Film, 2014) starring Australian actor Brenton Thwaites and Doctor Whos Karen Gillan

Haunted by the violent deaths of their parents ten years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie and Tim are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror is behind the tragedy, and contains a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it.

Under The Skin (Film, 2013) starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Pearson and Jeremy McWilliams

An alien being in the guise of a seductive woman (Scarlett Johansson) prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey  unsuspecting men who fall under her spell. The victims are then stripped and consumed. However, existence in all its complexity begins to change the alien visitor. Nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film in 2015.

Red Nights (Film, 2010) starring Carrie Ng and Frederique Bel

A Cantonese Opera that tells the tragedy of the Jade Executioner who created a poison that killed by giving the ultimate pleasure. A French woman escapes to Hong Kong after having killed her lover to take an antique holding the potion. She becomes the hand of fate that pits a Taiwanese gangster against an epicurean woman murderer who sees herself as a new incarnation of the Jade Executioner.

* In French and Cantonese with English subtitles

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (Film, 2016) starring Sheila Vand and Arash Marandi

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome skateboarding vampire who preys on men who disrespect women.

*In Persian with English subtitles

The Night Eats The World (Film, 2018) starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Golshifteh Farahani, and Denis Lavant

After waking up in an apartment where only the night before a party was raging, Sam is forced to come to grips with reality  he is now alone, and the living dead have invaded the streets of Paris. Petrified with fear, Sam is going to have to barricade himself inside the building and organize his survival. But is he really the sole survivor?

*In English, French and Norwegian with English subtitles

The Host (Film, 2006) starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Go Ah-sung

Directed by Parasites Bong Joon-ho, The Host is set after an American military base of Yongson releases toxic chemicals in the drain to the Han River under the direct order of an arrogant coroner. Six years later, a mutant squid monster leaves the water and attacks people on the side of the river.

*In Korean and English with English subtitles

The Untamed (Film, 2016) starring Ruth Ramos, Simone Bucio and Jesus Meza

A couple in a troubled marriage locate a meteorite, initiating an encounter with a mysterious creature. Their lives are turned upside down by the discovery of the creature, which is a source of both pleasure and destruction.

*In Spanish with English subtitles
UK series SAS: Who Dares Wins, and its celebrity spin-off, has announced its new Chief Instructor following the exit of Ant Middleton earlier this year.

He is US veteran Rudy Reyes, who boasts a highly-decorated military career, including time served as a Recon Marine, an elite rank limited to just 300 troops.

Former Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke has also joined the crew as the Directing Staff.

They join Jason Foxy Fox and Mark Billy Billingham when the show begins filming in its new location in Jordan.

To be named Chief Instructor is a huge honour  made even more rewarding working alongside Billy, Foxy and Remi  heroes on and off screen, said Reyes.

During Sevens recent Upfronts its footage of the next SAS season, recently filming in NSW, indicated Ant Middleton would be joined by former US Navy SEAL Clint Emerson and UK Dean Stott, a former soldier in the British Special Forces,

It isnt clear if Seven will air the new UK season on 7plus without Middletons involvement.

Source: Digital Spy
Two episodes of new doco series Unheard are available for free from today on Amazon Prime Video.

The six part series, the first produced by LADbible Australia Originals, gives an insight into critical issues of racial discrimination in Australia, including: Indigenous deaths in custody, the targeting of Indigenous youth, attacks towards Asians during COVID, Islamophobia, the vilification of the African community and the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.

The opportunity to program this compelling investigative series is significant to us, said Tyler Bern, Head of Content, Amazon Prime Video Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Unheard is a necessary action and awareness series that is globally relevant to Prime members in Australia and makes them aware of social injustice locally. We are very proud to be involved with LADbible Australia on this production and showcasing this important documentary series.

The Unheard campaign and documentary series not only provides a platform for these powerful stories to be told, but also helps put a global focus on Australian incidents of racial injustice that are often overlooked, says executive producer, writer and creator, Shahn Devendran, Head of Originals, LADbible APAC. We are proud that LADbibles first feature documentary series is able to support our campaign partners, and in working with Amazon Prime Video and Screen Australia will help bring these important issues to light.

The six stand-alone episodes in the Unheard series are told through intimate interviews, blended with animation, archive footage, podcasts, photographs, phone conversations and info-graphics revealing the shocking statistics and complexities behind the larger issues. Each episode is led by the voices of personal accounts, so their experiences and calls for justice are presented without filter.

The Unheard documentary series is an extension of LADbible Australias UNHEARD campaign. Launched in February 2021, the campaign utilises LADbible Groups global audience of almost a billion and Australian audience of 11.8 million to support their campaign partners; the National Justice Project, Human Rights Commission, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, The Refugee Council of Australia, Change.org, African Women Australia, Asian Australian Alliance, Islamophobia Register Australia, Deadly Connections Community and Justice Services and All Together Now.

Unheard was written and produced by Shahn Devendran (LADbible Australia Originals), Jack Steele (Between Two Lines), Cathy Vu (SBS), Luke Cornish (Alone Out Here), Dan Mansour (The Final Word), Olivia Suleimon (Rosalines Untaming) and Ellen Dedes-Vallas (Nickelodeon).

Friday October 29 on Amazon Prime Video.
Arwa Almazrouai was born and raised in Rustaq, Oman and lived there until the age of 17 when she decided to come to the United States to study. At University of Dayton, she studied for one year in the Intensive English Program (IEP), received her Bachelors in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Additionally, Arwa served as a Resident Coordinator of the Cross-Cultural Connections (CCC) residential community for the 2019-2020 academic year and currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Global Learning Living Community (GLLC) at UD for the 2021-2022 academic year.

What was one important intercultural dimension of your experience at UD?

When studying at the Intensive Language Program (IEP), I had to learn an entirely new type of English language. In order to be prepared for academic research and writing papers, I had to learn to replace everyday language with academic words. Furthermore, I had to learn to properly cite sources in a specific academic style, which was somewhat foreign to me. I am very grateful for my time at IEP and all that it taught me!

What drew you to the field of mental health counseling and how is it connected to intercultural learning?

In Oman, there is a lot of work to do when it comes to mental health. It is most often misunderstood, stigma persists and there is a great deal of awareness to raise. Witnessing people asking people to pray depression away, or forget about it, fueled my interest in learning about psychology and to serve in the field of mental health. I even have extended family who dealt with tactile hallucinations, such that they felt bugs or creatures crawling on their skin for example, and it was really hard to see them struggle with this. The belief in spirits and the paranormal in Oman led people to explain the hallucinations as the activities of angry spirits who were seeking to aggravate the person. These experiences have taught me about the need to be culturally competent. A good mental health clinician must distinguish between cultural beliefs that simply make up a persons life and when these same beliefs can cover up mental health challenges that hinder day-to-day functioning. My experiences in Oman have made me very sensitive to intercultural communication in the field of mental health, but they have also taught me that sometimes we have to question cultural beliefs in order to provide treatment. Being an effective clinician requires both intercultural awareness and knowledge of the mental health field. Intercultural competence does not mean taking all beliefs at face value.

Who or what inspired you to work towards being a globally-minded citizen?

My friend Shannon, who I often spent Christmas with once I had moved to the United States, engaged me in conversations about culture and identity. She was the first person who raised the concept of global citizenship to me. At first, I mostly thought global citizenship was owning a passport and traveling the world. Through talking with Shannon I came to the conclusion that global citizenship actually exists in the mind. Only an open mind and an open heart can do the work of global citizenship.

In my first year at UD, I was part of weekly global conversations where we gathered to speak on a variety of topics, in a safe space to learn about each other. I eventually facilitated some of the conversations and it was extremely enriching to learn so much about others and myself through these conversations. I learned an important lesson: it is essential to be humble and honest about what we know, and to do the self-work and reflection on our blind spots and ignorance about certain topics. I have found myself on numerous occasions being called upon to be a spokesperson for international students and women from Oman and/or the Middle East. But my experience cannot speak for everyone. At first, I would answer these kinds of questions with less qualifications, but now I know I cannot speak for these entire groups. Being a global citizen means doing constant work on yourself and developing your thought process and self-awareness with humility.
Pope Francis and Joe Biden will discuss climate change, coronavirus and tackling poverty (PA images)

Joe Biden has arrived in Rome for an audience with Pope Francis ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The White House has said the two men will discuss climate change, coronavirus and tackling poverty, with both having respect for fundamental human dignity.

The US President will meet the Pope on Friday, before flying to Glasgow for COP26, which is due to start on Sunday.

Pope Francis released a statement ahead of the meeting in which he said political leaders must give concrete hope to future generations that they are tackling climate change.

It is essential that each of us be committed to this urgent change of direction, he told BBC Radio.

The political decision makers who will meet at COP26 in Glasgow are urgently summoned to provide effective responses to the present ecological crisis and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations.

President Biden takes pride in his Catholic faith, using it as moral guidepost to shape many of his social and economic policies.

He wears a rosary and frequently attends Mass, yet his support of abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many US bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she expects a warm and constructive dialogue between the two leaders.

Theres a great deal of agreement and overlap with the president and Pope Francis on a range of issues: poverty, combating the climate crisis, ending the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

These are all hugely important, impactful issues that will be the centrepiece of what their discussion is when they meet.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the president and pontiff would meet privately, then hold talks with expanded delegations.

Mr Biden is visiting Rome and then Glasgow, Scotland, for back-to-back summits, first a gathering for leaders of Group of 20 leading and developing nations and then a global climate conference.

Story continues

In a change of tact from his predecessor Donald Trump, who pulled the US out of the landmark Paris climate agreement, Mr Biden has vowed to tackle the climate crisis and has described it as an existential threat to civilisation.

However problems are already brewing between COP26 attendees due to differing views on two of the summits key aims, phasing out coal and keeping temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

If the worlds richest nations cannot agree on either, persuading struggling poorer nations to do so will be extremely challenging.

Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and India are reportedly holding out against efforts to phase out coal use.

Chinas President Xi Jinping will be participating in the G20 leaders summit via video link, the countrys foreign ministry said.

Read More

COP26: Which world leaders are attending and who is snubbing it?

Challenges face leaders and negotiators in bid to deliver successful Cop26

Cop26 chance to win a victory for life on Earth but more action needed: Kerry
Sanoma Media Finland, press release, 29 October 2021

Kaius Niemi, Editor-in-Chief: The threat of imprisoning three Helsingin Sanomat journalists undermines press freedom in Finland

Three Helsingin Sanomat journalists are being prosecuted for disclosing and attempting to disclose a national secret.

Two Helsingin Sanomat investigative journalists and a journalist who was Acting Editor at the time are being prosecuted for disclosing and attempting to disclose a national secret. The police investigation that led to the prosecution was prompted by an article published by Helsingin Sanomat in December 2017 on the activities of the Finnish Intelligence Research Centre, which is operated by the Finnish Defence Forces. Prosecution of Kaius Niemi, Senior Editor-in-Chief, and Esa Makinen, Managing Editor, at Helsingin Sanomat was waived.



The threat of imprisoning three Helsingin Sanomat journalists undermines press freedom in Finland, says Kaius Niemi, Senior Editor-in-Chief at Helsingin Sanomat.

We are very disappointed by and concerned about this situation, where three of our journalists are under threat of imprisonment for doing their job of communicating information in a country such as Finland. The three journalists have not disclosed national secrets. All the information published by HS is available from public sources, Niemi states.

It is untenable in an open western democracy that there are attempts to criminalise journalistic work like this. We fully stand behind our journalists, Niemi says.

According to the prosecutors press release, the prosecution would also concern the preparation of unpublished articles. This is completely exceptional and practically amounts to preventive censorship, Niemi says.

In December 2017, Helsingin Sanomat published an in-depth article on the Finnish Intelligence Research Centre, which conducts military intelligence operations. The article provided background information on this branch of intelligence less known to the public. At the time, an exceptional legislative project was underway in Finland to urgently amend the Constitution. The intelligence legislation reform was intended to give intelligence organisations very extensive powers to monitor network traffic, which would curtail fundamental rights. There were strong social grounds for writing the article.

Story continues

After the article was published, the police launched a pre-trial investigation into the case. The home of one of the journalists was searched, and the legality of these coercive measures was eventually the subject of Supreme Court proceedings on two occasions.

Already during the pre-trial investigation, the police stated that the journalists had not obtained the information by unlawful means.

I find this situation regrettable. Sanoma strongly supports its journalists targeted by legal action, says Pia Kalsta, CEO of Sanoma Media Finland.

To request an interview with Kaius Niemi, please contact:

Hanna Johde, Communications Director, tel. +358 40 673 8977, hanna.johde@sanoma.com

Helsingin Sanomat is the largest daily in the Nordic region and a forerunner in subscribable digital journalism.




(Alastair Grant/PA) (PA Wire)

The Queen maintained her typically busy schedule in October until she was told to rest by doctors and cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland over a week ago.

Here is what the 95-year-old monarch has been up to since the start of October:

 October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize

The Queen appears on a videolink from Windsor Castle to receive the High Commissioner for Belize, Therese Rath (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

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 Queens Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

 October 12: Accompanied by the Princess Royal, she 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.

The Queen uses a walking stick as she arrives at Westminster Abbey (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA) (PA Wire)

 October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queens 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 Champion Day.

 October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new governor-general of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro.

Dame Cindy Kiro on a videolink with the Queen (Buckingham Palace/PA) (PA Media)

 October 19: The Queen has virtual audiences with the Japanese and EU ambassadors, then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit.

 October 20: She is under strict orders to rest and reluctantly cancels a two-day trip to Northern Ireland.

 October 21: Buckingham Palace confirms the Queen spent the previous night in hospital for preliminary investigations.

She returns to Windsor Castle at lunchtime and is said to be in good spirits, back at her desk, undertaking light duties.

Story continues

A TV news crew outside Buckingham Palace after the Queen returned to Windsor Castle (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Wire)

 October 24: The monarch misses a church service at Windsor.

 October 26: The Queen carries out virtual audiences from Windsor Castle, her first official engagements since she was ordered to rest by doctors.

Later, Buckingham Palace announces the Queen has reluctantly decided not to attend a Cop26 reception in Glasgow on November 1.

Instead, she will deliver an address in a recorded video message.

 Today The Queen received two Ambassadors in audience via video link from Windsor Castle.



 There are more than 170 Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in London at any given time and each will have an Audience with The Queen shortly after taking up his or her role. pic.twitter.com/Pf9NiUFGca  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 26, 2021

She also speaks to Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of his Budget.

 October 27: The Queen holds her weekly meeting with the Prime Minister by phone.

 October 28: She presents poet David Constantine with the prestigious Queens Gold Medal for Poetry 2020 in a virtual ceremony, speaking to him by videolink from Windsor Castle.

The 2020 winner of The Queens Gold Medal for Poetry, David Constantine, has been officially presented with his medal during a virtual Audience with The Queen.



David was joined at Buckingham Palace by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who chairs the Poetry Medal Committee. pic.twitter.com/HWGUqkNCS1  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 28, 2021

 October 29: Buckingham Palace announces the Queen has been advised by doctors to rest for the next two weeks and only undertake desk-based duties.

The Palace says she has the firm intention of leading the nation in honouring the countrys war dead on Remembrance Sunday on November 14.

Read More

Queen was on very good form during weekly conversation, says PM Johnson

Queen is in very good form, says Boris Johnson

What the papers say  October 30
Police Scotland officers patrol past the SSE Hydro venue in Glasgow (AFP via Getty Images)

COP26 will commence on Sunday with representatives from nearly 200 countries to meet in Glasgow to try to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The UN climate change summit enables countries to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by 2050.

While this is considered a critical opportunity, some global players have a greater impact on the world stage with most greenhouse gas emissions coming from a relatively small number of nations.

And the UN has warned that national plans by countries to tackle the climate crisis still leave the world on track for temperature rises of 2.7C.

So which are the most significant countries and what are the major issues to be tackled at COP26.

(AP)

China

COP26 needs high level support from China as the worlds biggest greenhouse gas emitter, responsible for around 80% according to US climate envoy John Kerry.

The country has already made significant climate commitments including a September 2020 promise to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

However, President Xi Jinping has not said how it will reach this extremely ambitious goal.

The Chinese leader is expected not to attend the UN summit in Glasgow and instead participate virtually in some events, making any binding agreement harder to reach.

Climate watchers suggest this could indicate China has nothing new to offer following its three major pledges last year.

Mixed messaging also exists surrounding the nations long-term climate goals and its short-term political rules.

For example, coal has been China's main source of energy for decades and is still heavily relied upon.

President Xi said that China will phase down its coal use from 2026 and stop building new coal-fired projects abroad.

Nevertheless last week, he ordered mines to produce as much coal as possible to make up for a shortage linked to recent power cuts.

Tensions also continue between China and the US in an era of intense competition.

Story continues

US President Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images)

US

President Joe Biden wants to show the UN climate conference that the United States is back in the fight against global warming. But continued haggling in Congress over legislation to advance his climate goals threatens to undermine that message.

The US is the highest greenhouse gas emitter per capita and one of the highest on an absolute basis, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

While the Biden administration has set more ambitious targets for climate action, the US Congress will need to pass new legislation to put the country on a path towards the pledged ambition levels.

Biden had hoped to showcase legislation designed to fulfill a US pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50 to 52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, seeking to provide an example that would encourage other nations to take bold, quick action to protect the planet.

The plan includes hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in clean energy, but some aspects such as a programme that would reward electricity companies for investing in renewables and penalise those that did not, have been cut from a bill to fund his social and climate change agenda.

In September, the US and the European Union pledged to a 30% methane reduction target.

Open-cut coal mine in Singleton in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney, Australia (AFP via Getty Images)

Australia

Australias gas and mining sector accounts for almost one third of its methane emissions.

Ahead of COP26, leaders have ruled out promising to cut these emissions by 30% by the end of the decade.

One of the worlds largest exporters of coal and liquified natural gas, this stance will add to existing criticism that the country is too slow in addressing climate change.

Minister for industry, energy and emissions reduction Angus Taylor said the only way Australia could achieve that target would be to reduce numbers of cattle and sheep.

This is because almost half of the countrys annual methane emissions come from the agriculture sector, where no affordable, practical and large-scale way exists to reduce it other than by culling herd sizes, he added.

Australia has said it will commit to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but will not legislate the goal and instead rely on consumers and companies to drive emission reductions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to fly to COP26 imminently.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)

Russia

Russia will press for its forests, nuclear plants and hydro-electric power to be recognised as green projects at the COP26 climate summit, its environment minister has said.

The country is the worlds fourth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases with the largest area of forests globally.

Nuclear and hydro power account for around 40% of all electricity produced in Russia, while forests cover a little less than 50% of its territory.

President Vladimir Putin, who plans to address the talks via video-link, has said he wants Russia to be carbon neutral no later than by 2060.

Boris Johnson has urged Putin to advance this to 2050.

Russia is expected to press for Article 6 of the Paris accord, which calls for robust accounting to avoid double counting emissions reductions but has yet been implemented, to cover forests, nuclear energy and hydropower.

Around half of the annual absorption capacity of Russias forests, or some 600 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, is lost to fires and logging, so Moscow is doubling financing to around 145 million a year to tackle the fires.

Russias annual net emissions are now 1.6 billion CO2 equivalent, around half that of the 1990s, he said, adding that Moscow was studying ways to pump the gas back into the soil.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Brazil

The UK government is asking world leaders to pledge to stop deforestation by 2030, with a quarter of global emissions coming from forests being converted into farmland.

The European Union, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia are among those who have already agreed to support the change.

Now attention is on Brazil, home to the Amazon rainforest, which is yet to sign.

However, officials say they will tell the summit that the country will be accelerating its target of zero illegal logging to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2027 or 2028.

Brazils greenhouse gas emissions increased by 9.5% in 2020 largely due to increased deforestation in the Amazon during the second year of far-right President Jair Bolsonaros government, according to climate change experts.

In April 2021, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon broke global records after a total10,851 square miles was deforested the year prior.

Between August 2020 and July 2021, the Amazon lost 6,510 square miles, an area nearly seven times bigger than greater London, according to Brazilian research institute Imazon.

Workers load coal onto a truck at the Jharia coalfield in Dhanbad, India (AFP via Getty Images)

India

India is yet to set a target date to reach carbon neutrality, a target set by Chinas President Xi for 2060 in a surprise move last year.

The country is the worlds third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed his attendance at COP26.

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By Sarah Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu urged "freedom-loving countries" on Friday to work together against China, during a rare trip to Europe that is taking place amid heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

Self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own and has not ruled out taking by force, does not have formal diplomatic relations with any European countries apart from Vatican City. But it is keen to deepen ties with European Union democracies.

Wu's European trip has angered Beijing https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-foreign-minister-adds-slovakia-rare-europe-trip-2021-10-21, which last week warned Slovakia and the Czech Republic against undermining their bilateral relations with China by allowing a visit to those countries.

"The rise of the People's Republic of China, as led by the Chinese Communist Party, is the defining challenge for the world's democratic states. This warrants our working more closely together," Wu said in a virtual address at a summit held in Rome by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. This is an international group of parliamentarians seeking a tougher stance on China.

Taiwan is on the frontline of an ideological battle against authoritarianism, Wu said, and the world would feel the impact if China attacks the island.

"We are determined to defend ourselves," he said in his remarks broadcast online.

Taiwan's defence minister said this month that military tensions with China are at their worst in more than 40 years.

Fearing retaliation from Beijing, many countries are unwilling to host senior Taiwanese ministers.

Earlier this week, Wu gave a speech at a conference in Slovakia and then travelled to Prague to meet the city's Mayor Zdenek Hrib and Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil, both of whom visited Taiwan last year in a move that angered China.

Wu's visit overlapped with a Taiwan trade delegation's visit to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania, which have all donated COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan.

Lithuania and Taiwan announced earlier this year that they would open de facto embassies in each other's capitals, drawing China's ire https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-tells-lithuania-withdraw-envoy-row-over-taiwan-2021-08-10.

(Reporting by Sarah Wu; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Gordi is a Syrian Kurd who lives in Austria and he is desperate to get his parents to safety.

They are trapped in the forest between the Belarusian and Polish borders with little food or water.

His parents are among thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa seeking to enter Poland, a country in the European Union, from Belarus.

But the new Polish razor wire erected under a state of emergency has left many stuck in the forest.

Some are suffering from serious illnesses, including high-blood pressure and diabetes and in need of immediate medical attention, according to Gordi.

"First of all, I'm not helping just any old person, I'm helping my parents. I think in the laws of all countries, of all religions, it is not forbidden for a person to help their parents. Second of all, the people there, aside from my parents, they're also human beings. They need help - I'm not saying to allow them entry into Poland, but at the very least get them help. No one even wants help from the Polish government, just allow a way for international organizations, the Red Cross, they would enter to help."

Gordi said his parents reached the rural frontier overland from Minsk after a flight from Syria when his mother suffered a leg injury.

He learned that she was taken to a nearby Polish hospital but was signed out without proper treatment and pushed back with his father across the border in Belarus.

In videos Gordi showed Reuters, migrants appeared to be living in forested area as winter set in, one even showed visuals of what he said to be two dead bodies.

Reuters could not independently verify the footage or information.

Gordi said he tried to approach the border but was turned back several times by police.

Activists like Magdalena Luczak, from NGO Grupa Granica, have advised him not to enter the restricted state of emergency zone, where he could face arrest or fines.

The Polish region's police spokesperson told Reuters that 170 individuals have been charged for helping cross the border illegally.

Story continues

The EU says the migrant flow has been orchestrated by Belarus in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Minsk over human rights abuses.

But humanitarian groups accuse Poland's ruling nationalists of violating the international right to asylum by pushing migrants back into Belarus instead of accepting their applications for protection.

Poland says its actions are legal.
Poker Philanthropist Gershon Distenfeld Wins WSOP Bracelet, Pledges All Winnings to Charity ($204K)

October 29 2021 Brandon Bloom

On the third and final day of Event #48: $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold'em at the 2021 WSOP, a champion was crowned as Gershon Distenfeld defeated Johan Schumacher after a back-and-forth heads-up battle for $204,063 and his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

The event attracted 800 entries who created a prize pool of $1,068,000, with the majority of that money awarded to the ten players who navigated their way to the final table. Ari Engel and Thomas Boivin were among those to win their first two tables, but ultimately come up short for the coveted prize.

As he did with the winnings from his domestic Main Event final table last year, Distenfeld has pledged to donate his entire score to various charities and hopes he can inspire other members of the poker community to be more philanthropic when possible.

"My wife Aviva and I have been blessed with financial means and it's a core value of ours to give both our money and our time to help make the world a better place," Distenfeld said earlier this week.

"Id love to offer a challenge to every bracelet winner to give away 1% of their money to the charity of their choice. Theres no lack of needs out there. If I could have a lasting impact in the poker community, it would be that," he added today.

Event #48: $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize (USD) 1 Gershon Distenfeld United States $204,063 2 Johan Schumacher Belgium $126,133 3 Jonathan Betancur United States $94,270 4 Orson Young United States $71,142 5 David Tran United States $54,217 6 Sohale Khalili United States $41,728 7 Ari Engel Canada $32,439 8 Thomas Boivin Belgium $25,473 9 AP Garza United States $20,208 10 Craig Trost United States $16,197

Gershon Distenfeld

On his bracelet win, Distenfeld said: "Ive always dreamt of winning one, and its one of those things you think is never going to happen. I just dont know what to say. I even teared up a little bit which is not very like me."

"I want to thank my family for showing up and surprising me. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law Sam and Jen Goldstein. They came and rooted me on, it was great. I wanted a rail so last night I offered a bunch of my friends to fly them in today and no one could do it."

"Id love to offer a challenge to every bracelet winner to give away 1% of their money to the charity of their choice."

"Theres one person who always told me I was going to make a final table and would come no matter what, and he, unfortunately, passed away. His name is Yonky Berger. Id like to dedicate my win to him. He was one of my biggest supporters, and I have a lot of supporters..."

"Theres no doubt he would have flown out this morning had he been alive and healthy, so I want to dedicate my bracelet win to him."

Distenfeld, a backgammon player by trade ("I think I'm much better at backgammon") credits poker pro Jonathan Little for helping his poker game, after the latter volunteered to help Distenfeld prepare for the 2020 WSOP domestic final table where he ultimately finished in eighth place for $125,885.

Gershon Distenfeld and Johan Schumacher

Final Table Action

Ten players started the day with nearly even stacks and it wasnt long before the first player was eliminated in a cooler. Craig Trost got his stack in preflop holding kings against the aces of Distenfeld and the aces held to eliminate Trost only a few hands into the day. Over an hour later, AP Garza was next to go in ninth, and Thomas Boivin was gone in eighth when getting rivered against fellow Belgian, Johan Schumacher.

Ari Engel was then eliminated in seventh after running tens into the jacks of Distenfeld, Sohale Khalili hit the rail in sixth after losing a flip, and David Tran had his run ended in fifth place by Orson Young.

Young was the next player to bust after running kings into Schumachers aces to lose a chunk of his stack and losing the rest to Schumacher soon after. Jonathan Betancur had a solid stack but lost two hands in a row to Schumacher, first with fives against kings and the second one as a flip, to hit the payout desk in third and set up a heads-up battle between Schumacher and Distenfeld.

Related: Scott Wellenbach Gives Away All of His Poker Winnings 'Because He Can'

Heads-Up Play

When heads-up play began, Schumacher held nearly twice as many chips as Distenfeld, but Distenfeld wasnt going to go down easily. The two found themselves at the first possible junction to end the tournament when Schumacher jammed deuces into Distenfelds ace-ten. An ace came on the turn to keep Distenfeld alive and the two practically swapped stacks.

Distenfeld extended his lead and soon had Schumacher on the ropes. Schumacher was all-in and at-risk several times, and every time, he won the hand to stay alive. He eventually took back the chip lead after having been down to only a couple of big blinds and it was anyones match.

Down to a short stack again, and once again, he had several all-in and at-risk situations in which he was able to survive. Distenfeld and his rail likened Schumacher to a cat, seemingly having nine lives, since at that point Schumacher may very well have doubled nine times in the heads-up match.

After that double, the two players got all the chips in again with Schumachers queen-ten looking to be in good shape against Distenfelds queen-four. The flop changed nothing, but the dealer put out a four on the turn to put Distenfeld ahead, and the river blank meant that the match was over and Distenfeld was officially the winner and claimed his maiden World Series of Poker bracelet.

Johan Schumacher navigated his way to the heads-up stage

Johan was incredible, such a good player, Distenfeld said of the heads-up match. He just had an instinct. He called my hand a couple of times. I thought he was a better player than me, to be perfectly honest. What a nice guy too, such a nice guy. Couldve gone either way certainly.

I was supposed to be on a noon flight home today, then I switched it to a red-eye but Im missing that as well. So I dont even have a hotel room for tonight, I dont have a flight back for tomorrow, but again my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are here so I think were gonna go out and celebrate something.

Congratulations to Gershon Distenfeld for winning Event #48: $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold'em!

The Charities

The morning after his victory, Distenfeld shared with PokerNews the charities he selected to receive funds.

"And all of this in memory of my dear friend and largest poker fan - Yonky Berger, who passed away six weeks ago after a battle with cancer," he said. "I hope hes looking down from heaven with pride. Im crushed that I cant celebrate this accomplishment with you."

Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) - Benefitting Three Square Food Bank and Families for Effective Autism Treatment

- Benefitting and Leket - Leket (Hebrew word for gleaning) rescues excess food that would go to waste and distributes it to the needy.

- Leket (Hebrew word for gleaning) rescues excess food that would go to waste and distributes it to the needy. Yad Leah - Collects and distributed lightly used clothing donations while preserving the dignity and privacy of the recipients.

- Collects and distributed lightly used clothing donations while preserving the dignity and privacy of the recipients. Minds Matter - Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.

- Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world. Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society - provides an array of services for cancer-stricken patients in need.

- provides an array of services for cancer-stricken patients in need. Iron Mike Youth Foundation - changing the lives of children and families through youth sports. This charity was recently started by the family of Distenfeld's late friend, Mike Snyder who tragically passed away three years ago at the age of 57. "Me winning this bracelet would have brought him so much joy," said Distenfeld.

- changing the lives of children and families through youth sports. This charity was recently started by the family of Distenfeld's late friend, who tragically passed away three years ago at the age of 57. "Me winning this bracelet would have brought him so much joy," said Distenfeld. Young Israel of Hollywood Thanksgiving food drive

Thanksgiving food drive Chabad of Emerald Hills (the synagogue the Distenfelds belong to)

Check out our 2021 WSOP Hub here!
When Justin Bray decided to give college another try, he picked the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Oconee Campus as the place to start since it was close to his home in Athens, Georgia.

"Once I got there, I really enjoyed it," said the rising senior pursuing a degree in communication with a concentration in public relations. "I liked learning and getting to know the professors there."

Though he initially intended to transfer to a larger university, Bray remained at UNG.

"The intimate connections and smaller feeling I got at UNG made me stay," the 31-year-old said.

Many opportunities and student-related activities emerged for Bray. He joined the eSports Club and the Vanguard, the student newspaper on UNG's Gainesville Campus. Bray also applied for a couple of prestigious awards through the Nationally Competitive Scholarships Office. In March, he was selected by Campus Compact as UNG's Newman Civic Fellow.

"It was super exciting to get that email from Campus Compact," said Bray, who will be one of 212 students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico in the 2021-22 academic cohort.

Campus Compact member institutions select the fellows who are community-minded student leaders on their campuses and demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally and internationally. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program named in honor of Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact's founders.

Dr. Leigh Dillard, associate professor of English who nominated Bray, said he fits the requirements.

"Justin has a heart for service and community involvement," Dillard said.

That's apparent with Bray's full-time job. He is the program manager at Books for Keeps, an Athens, Georgia-based nonprofit that serves children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade through the program called "Stop Summer Slide," and an opt-in peripheral program for sixth through 12th grades.

He hopes his job and path will lead him to graduate school.

"I am interested in public administration," said Bray, who plans to graduate in 2022. "I think I would like to lobby for change in the form of educational reform in public schools using the skills learned in public administration."
The United States should either deliver the F-35 fighter jets that Turkey paid for but was blocked from receiving, return the money or give another product instead, the Turkish foreign minister said Thursday. Daily Sabah reports that Turkey, a manufacturer and buyer of the F-35s, was expelled from the program last year over its purchase of Russias S-400 air defense systems. It says its removal is unjust and has demanded reimbursement for its $1.4 billion investment in the program.

We have clarified our view on the S-400. We have been unfairly removed from the F-35 program despite being one of the partners in it. These aircraft are not being supplied to Turkey, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Turk in a televised interview. Either Turkey needs to be sent back to the F-35 program, or the money we paid should be given or compensated with other products.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, Washington offered Ankara a package of F-16 jets and modernization kits in exchange for the payment. The standoff will be the most important topic in the meeting between Erdogan and his American counterpart Joe Biden as they are set to meet in Glasgow, Scotland on the margins of the United Nations climate conference (COP26), which will start on Oct. 31. Ankara had ordered more than 100 F-35 jets, made by Lockheed Martin, while its defense industry has been a prominent player in the development and manufacturing of the aircraft. We have a $1.4 billion payment regarding the F-35s. We need to discuss how the repayment plan will be, Erdogan said, noting that he would have a chance to directly confirm if Washington was willing to return the money through F-16 deliveries. If so, we will go for a deal in that regard.

Alternatives

Still, any military sales would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress, known for its anti-Turkey stance that has repeatedly damaged bilateral relations. If the U.S. does not want to resolve the issue about F-35s, or if the U.S. Congress blocks it, Turkey will consider other options, Cavusoglu said. Turkey has never been without alternatives ... When there is a need, it (Turkey) can turn to other countries. We have alternatives, the minister stressed.

These options include purchasing Russian-made Su-35 or Su-57 fighters, Cavusoglu said, echoing remarks by Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Chairperson Ismail Demir, who earlier this month also said Turkey could acquire the jets in the event the U.S. freezes the sale of F-16 fighters. The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on many issues, including Syria and Ankaras closer ties with Moscow.

Washington argues that the S-400 air missile systems could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the F-35 jets and that they are incompatible with NATO systems. Turkey, however, insists that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance. The purchase of the S-400s has triggered U.S. sanctions. In December 2020, Washington blacklisted the SSB, it's chief Demir and three other employees.

High-level contacts

Separately, a statement by the Turkish Defense Ministry on Thursday said the two NATO allies have agreed to continue talks to resolve the issue over the F-35s. Representatives of the Turkish and U.S. defense ministries held a meeting in the capital Ankara, in which they also discussed financial issues, the statement read. A statement by Pentagon also said delegations from the two countries held another round of talks aimed at resolving the dispute over F-35s.

Spokesperson Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth said top Pentagon officials Andrew Winternitz and Melissa Benkert led a U.S. delegation to Ankara on Oct. 27 for dispute resolution discussions to address remaining issues resulting from Turkeys removal from the F-35 program, which was finalized on Sept. 23.

They were joined by a delegation from Turkeys Defense Ministry, the Pentagon said. The meeting demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. government to conclude respectfully Turkeys prior involvement in the F-35 program," Semelroth said in a statement. Discussions were productive, and the delegations plan to meet again in the coming months in Washington, D.C., he added. Turkeys National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin also spoke by phone on Wednesday to discuss cooperation, as well as regional defense and security issues, the Defense Ministry said.

Late Wednesday, top advisers to Erdogan and Biden also discussed defense issues and how to resolve disagreements, the White House said. Turkeys Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kaln and the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan talked about a range of issues, including the F-35 program and Ankaras request to purchase F-16 jets and modernization kits.
The Belarusian government decided to ban the export of medical and technical oxygen from the country for six months.

"To establish a temporary ban on the export of goods from the list outside the Republic of Belarus to the EAEU member states according to the appendix, regardless of their country of origin, outside the customs territory of the EAEU in the Republic of Belarus to states that are not members of the EAEU, goods placed under customs export procedures , temporary export, processing outside the customs territory and re-export ", - says the resolution of the Council of Ministers, published on the national legal Internet portal. The explanatory note to the document clarifies that we are talking about technical, medical oxygen, both in gaseous and liquid states.

The ban does not apply to humanitarian aid to foreign countries and oxygen transported in transit outside the customs territory of the EAEU. Also, the moratorium will not affect the transit of goods that starts outside the customs territory of the EAEU and ends in the state of the Union.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry must notify the Eurasian Economic Commission of the ban.
Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the ruling "Georgian Dream" party, said that after October 30, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili should not be relevant in Georgian politics at all.

"He is a prisoner and everyone will put up with it, he will have to serve his sentence of at least 6 years," - Kobakhidze was quoted by "Georgia Online".

He stressed that Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili made a statement herself that she did not intend to have mercy on Saakashvili.

When a prisoner is on hunger strike, the starving prisoner is responsible for this, the matter is simple. I heard a very firm statement from the president that she is not planning to pardon Saakashvili in any way. The hunger striker himself is responsible for the hunger strike, and we are responsible for protecting human rights and all departments will act accordingly, "- said the chairman of the "Georgian Dream".

Let us remind you that Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in Tbilisi on October 1. On the same day, he went on a hunger strike. Commenting on his detention, the ex-head of state noted that he did not admit the charges brought against him and considered himself a political prisoner.
The head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, signed a document on the appointment of Abdulpatakh Amirkhanov as chairman of the government, the press service of the head of the republic reports.

In addition, Amirkhanov must submit proposals on the structure of the executive authorities of Dagestan and on the members of the regional government.

Let us remind you that the MPs unanimously supported Amirkhanov's candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of Dagestan.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on a hunger strike since October 1 and previously refused medical assistance, has resumed taking medications, said the former Georgian leader's lawyer Giorgi Gelkhauri.

Visually, Mikheil Saakashvili's health was deteriorating, so he was prescribed medication. Mikheil Saakashvili had already taken medications.Today they will run some tests on him, we will wait for answers, "- TASS quotes the words of the lawayer.

It is clarified that the priority is the hospitalization of the ex-president in a civilian clinic not to endanger his life.
During a teleconference, the head of the Austrian OMV, Alfred Stern, spoke about the readiness of the first pipeline of Nord Stream 2 to work.

"The first line was filled with gas, so it is already ready for launch. The project operator also expects that the second line will also be filled with gas by the end of the year," Stern said.

He also drew attention to the fact that "Nord Stream-2" can make an important contribution to the diversity of European gas infrastructure and can help rebalance supply and demand.

Let us remind you that the construction of "Nord Stream-2" was completed in September 2021. Its first line is already filled with gas, and the second will be filled in mid or late December.

Deputy Principal Director for Energy at the Institute for Energy and Finance Alexey Belogoryev noted in an interview with a Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent that gas supplies via "Nord Stream 2" may not start this year. It depends on the regulatory authorities, that is, on the timing of certification of both the project operator and the gas pipeline itself for its technical compliance with EU standards. Most likely, it will be certified in the first quarter of next year, it is doubtful that this will be done before January 1. The process can be accelerated only if there is a political will of the Europeans," he said.

It is important to understand that "Nord Stream-2" will not be able to radically affect the European gas crisis. "The volumes of supplies through the pipeline in the first months will be small. Rather, its launch will have a positive psychological impact, which may lead to a speculative price adjustment - but it will not change the overall balance of supply and demand in the market. Even with the launch of "Nord Stream-2" before the end of the winter period, at least until February, gas prices in Europe will be very high, as indicated by current futures," Aleksey Belogoryev noted.

The situation with gas in Europe can be can be corrected by an increase in the filling level of European underground gas storage facilities, but now a period has already begun when gas is mainly taken from gas storage facilities, and injection is quite problematic here. That's why, I do not think that it will be possible to do something to improve the situation in the near future. The conclusion of additional long-term contracts for the supply of liquefied gas is also very problematic. Russia has little to offer to help Europe," the economist concluded.
The head of the UFC fighting organization Dana White plans to hold a meeting with the Dagestani blogger Hasbulla Magomedov, better known as Hasbik.

"We will meet with him this week. I do not know if he will ever perform in the UFC, but we will definitely do something together," - quotes the words of White "Sport Express".

Let us remind you that the 18-year-old Hasbik gained popularity on the Internet several years ago. He is 93 cm tall and weighs 18 kg.
The current challenges are unprecedented and Vietnamese people need to share the same mindset to overcome them, according to Nguyen Dinh Cung, an economist.

From real life

Giang A Mia, a HMong ethnic minority man, arrived at the stopover station at the ThanhHai communes head office in Thanh Liem district in Ha Nam province at dusk on October 8.

The man, together with others, has left Binh Duong four days before, driving his motorbike for 1,500 kilometers before reaching his destination.

A Mia returned to his hometown with no idea about what he would do to earn his living.

I will go to the fields and to the forest. Theres nothing else to do, he said, adding that income from this work will be much lower than VND100,000 a month, not enough to buy 5 kilograms of rice.

Chair of Thanh Hai Commune Tran Van Tham, who had been keeping watch at the stopover station for several months, said the station had received more than 8,000 people so far, with three groups of people arriving on one day and 12 groups the other day. About 95 percent of them are ethnic minority people from northern provinces.

Since the day HCM City and southern provinces lifted the 5-month long lockdown, there have been many groups of people leaving for their hometowns on motorbikes. Some of them headed for eastern and western provinces in the south, and many of them had to travel thousands of kilometers to mountainous provinces in the north.

HCM City estimated that 1.3 million people left the city for hometowns in the first half of October.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) has not released official statistics about them, but initial figures have raised the alarm about social security and an unprecedentedly high unemployment rate.

In Q3 2021, 23 provinces imposed lockdowns to prevent the pandemic spread. As many as 4.7 million people lost their jobs, including 1.7 million people who became unemployed, an increase of 532,200 over the previous quarter.

According to Pham Hoai Nam from GSO, as of September 15, about 1.3 million workers had left industrial centers in HCM City and neighboring provinces for their hometowns.

In Q3 2021, 23 provinces imposed lockdowns to prevent the pandemic spread. As many as 4.7 million people lost their jobs, including 1.7 million people who became unemployed, an increase of 532,200 over the previous quarter.

The income of laborers in HCM City decreased by half to VND4 million a month from VND9 million, the sharpest drop in the country.

The lockdown lasted too long, which led to a high proportion of workers in the official job sector losing jobs, the official said.

When reporting the employment situation in Q3 and the first nine months of the year, the national statistical agency used descriptive instead of the usual neutral ones. It said the employment situation got worse, the unemployment rate rose to an unprecedentedly high rate and the monthly income of laborers decreased sharply.

 to National Assembly forum

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reported to the NA that as of October 15, the Government had delivered financial support to 24 million people and had lent VND566 billion to businesses, so that 161,000 workers could be paid.

The Government provided 137,000 tons of rice to 2.4 million households with 9.1 million people in 31 cities/provinces, who suffered from the impact of Covid-19.

The financial support to people, as well as other relief support packages to businesses have helped but they are far from satisfying their basic needs.

A Government report said initial statistics showed that tens of millions of people need support. In HCM City alone, 7.5 million people received support over the last three support campaigns.

The fates of A Mia and millions of other redundant workers are just a part of the picture about the socio-economic situation of the country. Events have led to a minus quarterly GDP growth rate (-) 6.17 percent, the lowest in history since records have been kept.

The biggest problem, according to Cung, former head of the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), is the decline in growth.

Retail turnover growth, for example, is decreasing; the PMI index in the processing and manufacturing industry is dropping sharply; public investment is decreasing; private investment is increasing slowly; the southern key economic zone is getting weaker; and the growth rates of GDP and business fields in the southern key region are lower than the north.

As such, with the GDP growth rate estimated at 3 percent this year and 2.91 percent in 20920, the GDP growth rates of two consecutive years will decrease sharply compared with yearly average rates. This would be the sharpest drop of the three periods of recession after doi moi (renovation).

So, what are the possible missions for Vietnam to obtain the 6 percent growth rate target in 2021-2025? Cung said.

Credit guarantee fund

Tran Dinh Thien, a respected economist, believes that its necessary to set up a credit guarantee fund, and the State should act as a guarantor for businesses to get loans from banks.

He stressed that liquidity and businesses capability of accessing new loans are the most serious factors for economic recovery. Businesses are getting exhausted, and they cannot satisfy requirements to borrow money from banks.

According to Cung, Vietnam has resources to support businesses. Its forex reserves total $100 billion, and its easy to borrow money domestically. And international financial institutions have committed to provide loans to help Vietnam recover the economy.

Cung, at a meeting with Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, who is leading a team drafting the economic recovery program, suggested that Vietnam needs to accept the high state budget over-expenditure of 8-10 percent of GDP, or even higher, to create momentum for the economy in coming years. The figure would be roughly $30 billion, or 3.7 times higher than the $8 billion stimulus package in 2009.

Tu Giang - Lan Anh

Private sector: the driving force for recovery and breakthrough Economic experts say that for over 30 years of development, Vietnam has not yet built a strong team of private enterprises which play the role of a "launch pad" for the country's economic development.
People in areas with low fertility rates may receive a reward twice as much as the regions minimum wages if they have a second child.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is collecting opinions for the October 2021 draft outline of the Law on Population, which sets out measures to adjust the fertility rate.



Article 9 of the draft Law on Population has measures to encourage couples to have two children in provinces with low fertility rates.

The measures include the States one-time support in cash equal to at least one month of the regional minimum wage to couples who give birth to the first child; and two months of regional minimum wage when they have the second child.

The highest monthly regional minimum wage level would be VND4.42 million for Zone 1 and the lowest, VND3.07 million, applied to Zone 4.

As such, the women in provinces belonging to Zone 1 with low fertility rates could receive up to VND9 million.

The couples who commit to have two children will be able to send their children to public preschools and primary schools. Their children will be exempted from tuition at public secondary schools.

The State encourages agencies, organizations and businesses to provide consultancy services on marriage and family; build an environment and community with favorable conditions for couples to have two children, take care of them and share responsibilities among family members. The State also encourages employers social responsibility toward workers with small children.

The couples who have two children and commit not to have more children will receive support to access social housing in accordance with current laws.

The women of ethnic minorities, or Kinh women whose husbands are ethnic minorities from poor households, residing in difficult areas, will get one-time support in cash equal to the regions minimum wage if they have two children and promise not to have more children.

Couples can have contraceptive methods for free.

The State will give support to those who provide contraceptive services in areas with difficult and very difficult socio-economic conditions; those who mobilize couples of childbearing age to practice clinical contraception; and to those who provide family planning services and basic population service packages suited to local geographical, socio-economic and cultural characteristics.

Twenty one cities and provinces, including HCM City, have been listed as localities with low fertility rates and 33 cities and provinces with high fertility rates.

Le An

The generation with only one child Having only one child or no children has not become common in Vietnam, but it can be seen clearly in some provinces and regions.
Fine art exhibit, sale

The Art Guild of Central Texas will host a fine art exhibit and sale Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at 1518 Austin Ave.

Local artists will exhibit traditional, impressionistic and modern paintings at the exhibit. Many paintings by the late Martha McKinney will be featured.

Call 254-722-9928 for more information.

Grocery giveaway

Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, in conjunction with Shepherds Heart Food Pantry, will have a grocery giveaway from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at 2625 S. 18th St.

The giveaway will include meat, dry goods, canned goods, produce and drinks.

For more information, call 254-644-8207.

Elm Mott VFD fundraiser

The Elm Mott Fire Department will have its annual fundraiser from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at Geneva Hall, 740 S. Connally Drive.

The event will include a farmers market, barbecue lunch, pumpkin-carving contests for adults and kids, live auction, raffle, lottery drawing, family photos, live music and a trunk-or-treat.

Fright Night at the Rite
HONORING OBIE

By Stephen Chapis

In February 2021, the Ocala, Florida-based American Honor Foundation (AHF) added Vought F4U-4 Corsair BuNo 97359 for their collection. As many readers know, this aircraft is one of the more famous Corsairs flying today, as its a Korean War combat veteran, one of the stars of Baa Baa Black Sheep, and it graced the pages of Warbird Digest in 2012, when then-85-year-old Charles Joseph Obie OBrien, CDR, USN (Ret), who flew it on three of his twenty-four combat missions, flew it once again in the skies over Ramona, California. At that time, it was under the ownership of Doug Matthews, who later sold it to Oklahoma resident, Trent Latshaw in 2013.

When AHF officials acquired the aircraft, they wanted to use it to tell the story of a Corsair veteran who flew the type in combat. For over a decade the aircraft was painted to represent F4U-4 BuNo 82050, which Thomas Hudner had flown on his Medal of Honor mission on December 4, 1950. When AHF learned of Obies story though, the decision was made to repaint the aircraft as it appeared when Obie, who was attached to Fighter Squadron Forty-Four (VF-44) Hornets, flew the aircraft from the flight decks of USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) and Boxer (CV-21) in June and July 1953.

The Corsair was delivered to John Mosleys Hangar 360 Aircraft Services at John Bell Williams Field (KJVW) in Raymond, Mississippi on May 9, 2021, and in just nine short weeks, a crew of six stripped off the VF-32 markings and applied the markings of Obies VF-44 using photos supplied by the author ( HERE you can read our article). The aircraft was completed on July 9, and a week later, Mark Murphy flew the Corsair directly to Oshkosh from Mississippi. On July 26, the Corsair was one of three AHF fighters to be featured on the first day of Warbirds In Review (WIR). Obie was unable to make the trip to Oshkosh, so a video interview conducted by the author at the Military Aviation Museum (MAM) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was shown in lieu of him appearing in person.

Since Obie wasnt reunited with his Corsair at AirVenture, AHF vowed to fly the aircraft from Ocala to Virginia Beach, so Obie could see his old combat steed in its proper markings, complete with his name on the canopy rail. It took a couple of months but on Sunday, October 24, 2021, schedules, weather, and aircraft maintenance status came together perfectly in Virginia Beach. When Obie and his daughter Erin arrived at the museum, where Obie was, and still is known as The Corsair Guy, the F4U-4 had been placed in the center of the ramp next to MAMs FG-1D (BuNo 92508), in which Obie logged over 100 hours in during his 14 years of flying at MAM.

For several hours Obie posed for photographs, spoke to his old friends from MAM, fielded questions from museum visitors, and was interviewed by WTKR Channel 3s Erin Miller. Then, at 3:00 pm, the ramp was cleared and Mark Murphy and Mike Spalding climbed into the F4U-4 and FG-1D respectively, and roared into the crystalline Virginia skies for a brief flight demonstration. Spectators were thrilled at the sight and sound of a pair of Bent Wing Birds over the museum, but none more than Obie as he had a personal connection with both aircraft. Since the day was about reuniting Obie with the F4U-4, his association with MAMs FG-1D was lost somewhat. That aircraft was equally special to him because the last time Obie took to the skies as a pilot in 2017, it was fittingly at the controls of MAMs Corsair.





After the fly-bys were completed, Murphy and Spalding, went feet wet to join up with Richard Henshaw and the author in Henshaws SNJ for a few photographs of Obies Corsairs in formation together over the Atlantic Ocean.

The author would like to thank the American Honor Foundation, MAM Director Keegan Chetwynd and Chief Pilot Mike Spalding, MAMs volunteers and docents, and Richard Henshaw for their efforts in honoring The Corsair Guy.
George Wilson calling it a career at ECS Federal

After a nearly 11-year run at ECS Federal, George Wilson will call it a career at the end of this year executives for ECS' parent company ASGN announced his retirement from the business during its third quarter earnings call with investors Wednesday.

Wilson will be succeeded as president by John Heneghan, current chief operating officer of ECS.

Wilson joined ECS as executive vice president in February 2011, after what for most people would count as a career at Stanley Associates. He was part of the executive team that took Stanley from 20 employees and $2 million in annual revenue, to 6,000 employees and $900 million in annual revenue before it was acquired by CGI Group for $1 billion in August 2010.

In 2014, Wilson was named president and CEO of ECS and had already orchestrated several acquisitions. At that time, ECS had grown to about $300 million in revenue. Wilson told me after an acquisition in 2015 that he had a goal of hitting $500 million in a few years.

He called it aggressive but achievable. ECS broke that mark in 2017 when it reached $525 million in annual revenue.

In 2018, ECS was pushing to nearly $600 million in revenue when it was acquired by holding company ASGN Inc. for $775 million.

Wilson continued on as president of the business and had a new revenue goal -- reach $1 billion in sales by 2021.

Following a pattern, they reached that goal a year early by recording $1 billion in revenue in 2020.

The acquisitions also continued with ASGN's backing. Since 2019, ECS has closed six transactions as theyve built out more capabilities around cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, health IT and IT modernization.

George and his leadership team have expertly navigated the federal government marketplace to meet the most critical and complex needs of our clients to reach $1.0 billion in revenues well ahead of our initial expectations, ASGN CEO Ted Hanson said in announcing Wilsons retirement.

The Stanley roots at ECS will continue with Heneghan as president. He came to ECS from CGI, the latter of which he joined through its acquisition of Stanley. Heneghan was named chief operating officer of ECS in January after working as a senior vice president for three years.
NSA told to rethink $10B cloud award to Amazon Web Services

Score this round to Microsoft in its ongoing rivalry with Amazon Web Services widely called the "Cloud Wars."

The Government Accountability Office has told the National Security Agency that it should rethink a highly-classified $10 billion cloud infrastructure award to AWS.

After the award, Microsoft went to GAO challenging how the evaluation was conducted.

GAO said it found certain aspects of the agencys evaluation to be unreasonable," according to a summary of the decision released Friday. The oversight body has recommended NSA re-evaluate proposals and make a new award determination.

Agencies are not legally bound to follow GAOs decision. But if they do not follow that recommendation, the agency has to explain why in a report to Congress.

Little other than the contract's existence is known publicly. It does go by the name WildandStormy and the ceiling value has been pegged at $10 billion.

WildandStormy is a separate effort from the multiple-award Commercial Cloud Enterprise vehicle awarded last year for use by all 17 intelligence community agencies. Microsoft and AWS each hold seats on the 15-year C2E contract.

GAOs decision is classified, but certainly lengthy. Heavy negotiations between GAO, AWS, Microsoft and NSA need to take place before we see a public version, but that remains a possibility. GAO said it intends to release a public version of the decision after the NSA conducts a security review and the companies scrub any proprietary information.

We first reported the award to AWS when we saw the Microsoft protest pop up in the GAO docket on July 22.

Given the classified nature of the work, the companies have been relatively quiet. Microsoft declined to comment and referred back to GAOs statement. Ill update this if I hear back anything from AWS.

Adding to the radio silence surrounding WandS is that all searches on the solicitation number (H98230-20-R-0225) yield nothing. General Google searches return nothing. Sam.gov and Deltek's GovWin come back empty.

Searches on WildandStormy only return news articles that followed the news of Microsoft bid protest.

That AWS and Microsoft are embroiled in another hotly contested cloud contract is no surprise. We watched their long battle for the Defense Departments JEDI cloud infrastructure contract. Microsoft won and AWS took them court.

DOD eventually canceled JEDI and replaced it with a multiple-award vehicle that AWS and Microsoft are the only cloud providers on, though others could join.

Will that happen with WildandStormy? My gut says no but anything is possible. AWS does have the right to go to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, so well watch that docket over the next several weeks.
DENVER  Breast cancer survivor Kim Newby is unapologetically angry; the cancer is back.

In June, Newby, 39, learned she has metastatic breast cancer, which occurs when cancer cells spread from the breasts to other parts of the body. According to Mayo Clinic, its classified as advanced or stage 4 cancer.

I was six years out. Im so mad, she said. Its inoperable; my doctors have me controlling it with medicine.

Newby doesnt carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation, the most common cause of hereditary breast cancer. After a double mastectomy and lymph node removal in August 2015, she underwent radiation treatments the following month.

Once she marked five years cancer-free in fall 2020, she believed she had defied the 40 percent reoccurrence rate.

A previous breast cancer awareness supporter, she had merely admired how charities helped patients through the diagnosis, treatment and recovery. When she needed similar assistance, she felt the impact profoundly.

Once you receive that diagnosis, its like this complete support system swoops, Newby explained. If you need some help with anything, its there. You dont have to worry about anything; they take care of you.

You cant imagine what thats like until you get that diagnosis yourself, she added. So when I got better, I wanted to give back over and over and over; I wanted to help the way I was helped, times 10.

Newby doesnt dwell on her anger, shifting quickly to family, friends and the full life she continues building. Boundless optimism and positivity is her trademark, according to nominators. She is owner and stylist at Goodlookin Salon in Cedar Falls, and owner of Blush Ledet Salon Spa & Boutique in Waverly.

Im thankful that I have an amazing group of people around me, said Newby. My husband (Chris) is the best of the best I could ask for. He takes me to all of my appointments, listens to everything Im told right along with me and puts up with all of my moods, she said, laughing. My clients are my friends; theyve been with me on this journey from day one.

For Newby, Day 1 was Sept. 1, 2015; she opened Goodlookin Salon less than a month after her double mastectomy.

Family and friends buoyed her through that time, just as theyd done in the past.

Prior to opening the salon, she worked as a bartender at the Elks Club in Waterloo and Catherine Doyles Pub. The job supported Newby, then a single mom, and paid her way through cosmetology school.

Her long-time customers showed up when she opened Goodlookin Salon, eager to support her in the venture.

Any of Kims clients can tell you there is nothing like hairapy sessions with Kim, said 20 Under 40 nominator Lindsey Taylor. She listens, supports and helps her clients through good times, tough times (and) everything in between, always making sure they feel beautiful when they leave her chair.

Newbys hair-side manner extends to community service. She and her husband, Chris, have two sons and are frequent volunteers at their sons schools, helping with a variety of extracurricular events. Newby also coordinated family events with friends, including Breakfast with Santa and the Mother/Son Dance.

I love doing stuff like that with my kids and my friends kids, she said. Making memories is important to me. Providing a nice, fun event where no one is rushed or disappointed  thats the best. My kids are not going to remember I got them a PlayStation and a game download. Theyre going to remember the times we spent, the fun we had, that play we went to, or the silly things we did together. Those are the things you remember when youre an adult.

Newbys parents did that for her and her siblings. They also taught her to set goals for herself and systematically work to achieve them.

My dad owned a photography studio in Waterloo. My mom was home with us and then worked at the school full time, she recalled.

Newby aspired to be like them  devoted to family, work and community. Their entrepreneurism helped her identify similar traits in others, like her uncle, who owned Gibson Specialty in downtown Waterloo. Many Elks Club patrons were self-employed, too.

I always thought, Im going to be one of those people. I can work hard and do that, too, she recalled. My dad, he had a real eye for photography  that was his passion, and he made that his career. I feel like I have that for hair.

She also emulated her mothers economic and organizational skills.

My mom told me, Dont put anything on credit, so I paid for things as I went. While I was getting started in styling hair, I might only have 7 cents when I finished paying for everything that week. That was great; Id made a profit! I was building my business; my bar jobs paid my household bills.

It all paid off, said Taylor. Her business has grown over the years, from herself and one chair to now having seven full-time stylists.

In 2015, Newby added a second location: Blush Ledet Salon Spa & Boutique, Waverly.

Sometimes, people tell Newby not to work so hard and loosen up. She enjoys her work and cant do anything half-way.

Hard work pays off, and it shows in other aspects of your life, explained Newby. It shows in all your relationships. When you understand that, you appreciate the work.

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WATERLOO -- Kyle Clabby-Kane makes a lasting impression.

Thats likely because he exudes care for others and hard-working professionalism, says 20 Under 40 nominator Niki Litzel.

Since joining his team, I have watched him work tirelessly and selflessly not only for the good of (Iowa Workforce Development), but (also) for those under his leadership, said Litzel.

Service and dedication to others is something Clabby-Kane, 38, tries to bring into all facets of his life. His is program coordinator for Iowa Workforce Development.

He started his career at Starbucks, working at the first Cedar Falls location and eventually becoming manager. After eight years there, he took a position at Target, working in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.

Clabby-Kane went on to guest experience manager at Isle of Capri Casino, a role in which he recruited staff. This helped prepare him for his current job at Iowa Workforce Development, where hes worked since 2016.

While working full time, Clabby-Kane also attended Upper Iowa University, pursuing a degree in accounting. Despite his packed schedule, he sought volunteer opportunities.

I dont think about what I cant do or that Im too busy, he said. We cant do everything, but we can do something.

Life puts you on a path where you see theres a need, Clabby-Kane added. Saying no is hard. I like to have a full plate, and I have learned to keep my plate from overflowing.

Clabby-Kane is sure to make time for family.

Kyle, along with his husband Chris, have fostered several children, providing them a healthy, safe environment in which to grow and prosper, noted nominator Mike Tyer.

Clabby-Kane and his husband viewed fostering as a natural fit for their desire to start a family.

Its been a great experience  fun to see kids grow and come out of their shells, said Clabby-Kane. We both knew there were kids in our community who needed a safe place to live, and we wanted to provide that for them.

The couple also knew theyd eventually provide a forever family when the opportunity presented itself.

We had heard others talk about knowing when its the right time to adopt  that the opportunity presents itself, and youll just know. We wondered how wed know, Clabby-Kane recalled.

Then he and his husband had that feeling. After experiencing the overwhelming sense that the time and circumstances were right, they adopted their children.

Its hard to explain; everyone says youll just know, he said. Its true; you just know in your heart when its right.

That combination of head and heart follows Clabby-Kane into the workplace, said Litzel. He leads by example and seeks to help others.

It makes me proud to know I work under a manager who exemplifies this each and every day, she explained. He is very considerate and compassionate for others and understands where people are in their lives.

Kate Elliot agreed. She worked for Clabby-Kane when he was manager at Starbucks.

He made sure he was open and available to all who worked for him, and he never asked employees to do what he wouldnt do himself, Elliot recalled. He was a model for servant leadership.

Clabby-Kane also stressed the importance of community service through volunteerism and financial support. Our relationship may have graduated from employer and employee to friends, but I still look to Kyle for advice and help, said Elliot.

Tyer has served on a variety of committees with Clabby-Kane over the years. Clabby-Kanes willingness to help others is driven his love of the Cedar Valley.

Kyle is kind, smart and the kind of person wed all be lucky to work with, and were very fortunate to have him in our community, said Tyer.

Nominator Shelly Smith lauded Clabby-Kane for his business acumen, positivity and ingenuity. She met him when she was executive director of Family & Childrens Council of Northeast Iowa. Clabby-Kane served the groups board of directors as a member of the Finance Committee.

In the first month on the job, I discovered agency funds were not sufficient to cover the next payroll, she recalls. Kyle jumped into action and taught me how to create a report using data from the past two years to project monthly income and expenses.

This led to two new fundraising events and helped solicit funds from existing donors, Smith added.

After two years of (Kyles) leadership, the agency not only was solvent, but it had built up three months worth of operating expenses in the savings account, noted Smith. Kyle is a problem-solver that has served the Family & Childrens Council as well as other organizations.

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CEDAR FALLS -- For Ryan McGeough, 38, years working in Louisiana and Florida helped him see the Cedar Valley with fresh eyes.

When you leave and come back, you tend to recognize the things that are really good about a place, explained McGeough, who serves as associate professor of communication and media at the University of Northern Iowa.

He grew up in Waterloo and moved to Cedar Falls after ninth grade. He graduated from Cedar Falls High School, then earned bachelors and masters degrees at UNI.

A doctoral program took him to Louisiana State University. He taught there, then in Boca Raton, Fla., before returning to the Cedar Valley in 2014. Since then, McGeough has earned tenure, written books and become head of his department.

Opportunities to have an impact on students lives and serve the community helped draw him home.

Ryan is driven by a deep commitment to making education accessible to everyone, noted John Fritch, dean of UNIs College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences. He is clearly both a leader and a role model in his career, having been elected to multiple national and regional leadership positions in which he has used to create opportunities for young people and diverse scholars throughout the nation.

McGeough exemplifies a strong sense of empathy and a solid work ethic, added Fritch.

For example, McGeough learned several students in his department hadnt connected when the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes online. As a result, he called each one to ensure they had everything the needed to keep up with their studies.

At about the same time, members of the Cedar Valley Jaycees worried about mounting the organizations annual school supply drive. McGeough agreed to helm the project.

Its a massive undertaking, and so many people in our area depend on that help. There are people who rely on it, said McGeough. He and his wife Danielle Dick McGeough have two children. One of the reasons we came back to the area is that the schools are really good. Some of that is because of the way we help each other.

In addition, McGeough is helping to coordinate a professional clothing closet for UNI students.

For some students, putting together appropriate, professional attire is difficult, especially if things are pretty tight financially, he explained. For those who lack such resources, we will offer basic apparel they can wear to job interviews. Its the sort of thing that boosts confidence and ensures students feel like they have a better shot.

McGeough brings this altruistic mindset into the classroom, too. He oversees the universitys required oral communications course, which enrolls as many as 700 students per year in fall, spring and summer sections.

Unfortunately, the textbook is really expensive  about $150, he noted.

McGeough joined three colleagues to devise a way to reduce or eliminate the cost. Ultimately, they decided to write a new textbook. It will be offered to enrollees for free by authors Kathryn Golsan, Danielle Dick McGeough, C. Kyle Rudick and McGeough.

We found some money from the state to help with the minimal expenses, said McGeough. It will be free online. For those who want a paper copy, it can be as close to free as possible.

The project will save UNI students a combined total of $100,000 per year. In addition, UNI graduates who go on to teach oral communication at other institutions will be allowed to offer the book for free to their students.

Its been a real blessing to look at a problem and legitimately say, Were going to do this thing. Were going to fix this. Were going to do something good in the world, said McGeough.

He enjoys that progression from discussion to collaborative planning and action.

I majored in philosophy as an undergraduate, he recalled. I stumbled into that after I took a philosophy class and really liked it. I liked asking big questions.

He also is a volunteer educator at North Tama and Meskwaki Settlement School.

McGeough enjoys looking at the conditions in which problems present themselves and studying how people respond. What leads people to find common ground?

Timing played a big influence. McGeough graduated from high school a few months before the events of Sept. 11, 2001. This and other factors influenced his research, which examines on how ordinary people use media to argue.

Sept. 11 was a time when people who were not politicians thrust us all into an intensely political moment. It was an interesting time to study this stuff and make sense of it, he recalled. As Ive continued in my education and research, I circle back to how everyday people disagree and find ways to persuade others.

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo father has been acquitted of charges that he broke his infant sons ribs in 2020.

Jurors deliberated Thursday afternoon and Friday morning before finding 30-year-old Kevin Lee Faulkner not guilty of child endangerment causing serious injury. The verdict released Faulkner from jail.

Authorities said the 3-month-old babys mother took him to a clinic in September 2020 for thrush, and staff became suspicious of bruises and abrasions on the child.

At a follow-up visit doctors found two broken ribs in the process of healing and bruises on the childs chest.

Prosecutors said Faulkner admitted to squeezing the baby because the child was constipated.

Defense attorney Nichole Watt argued that the squeeze amounted to a bear hug and had been recommended by medical staff. The hug wouldnt have been forceful enough to cause the injury, the defense argued, and the childs mother testified that other family members also had access to and cared for the baby.

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WATERLOO  Hawkeye Community College will see major turnover on its board of trustees as a result of the Nov. 2 election.

Five seats on the nine-member board are up for election and none of the incumbents are running for another term. One candidate will be on the ballot for each position except for Director District 7.

Christine Twait, 51, and the Rev. Gerald Kapanka, 59, are competing for the seat, which represents portions of Cedar Falls, rural Waterloo, and the city of Hudson. Both candidates have some connections to Hawkeye.

Twait, of Hudson, is a former University of Northern Iowa administrator who had contacts with college officials over the years through the numerous state and local boards she served on. Her two children have both taken classes at the college. Kapankas wife works for Hawkeye and three of his four children are graduates of the college.

Community colleges have always been a part of my family, said Kapanka, a Cedar Falls resident and pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. He, his parents and his sister all attended them back in his home state of Michigan. I think theyre a tremendous blessing to any community theyre in.

Running for the board is an opportunity for him to give back. I did my doctoral work in organizational systems, he noted, examining how nonprofits work. Kapanka called it exciting to see the similar workings of a community college, and I think I have something to offer with my training and experience.

Twait was the assistant provost for research and sponsored programs at UNI when she medically retired in 2015 because of an autoimmune disorder. In her various roles over the years at the university, she learned a lot of different strategies to address issues that community colleges also work on  such as workforce development, early childhood care and poverty.

My 22 years of experience in higher education included 14 years in business community outreach and economic development, she said, followed by eight years on UNIs academic leadership team. I gained such a broad perspective of the needs of our community and also the challenges facing higher education.

She pointed to the importance of the college, noting it serves more than 25,000 individuals a year and 94% of its graduates stay in Iowa. Thats a tremendous value to our state. With its training, retraining and apprenticeship programs, Twait said Hawkeye is absolutely key to addressing the workforce crisis that we have right now.

Kapanka agreed on the vital role Hawkeye plays in boosting employment across the community.

Hawkeye is a great place when we think of all the things that they provide, he said, noting that degrees or certificates are offered in more than 50 areas. Those who get training at Hawkeye, these are people who stay in our community. I think Hawkeye is really about that concept of community, and so they help build up the partnership we have with our businesses and our industries.

Kapanka is a native of Bad Axe, Mich., who has lived in the Cedar Valley and been pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church for 21 years. He was a pastor in Sioux City for 11 years before that.

He has an associates degree from St. Clair County Community College and a bachelors degree from Concordia University Ann Arbor, both in Michigan. He has a masters of divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a doctorate from Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Twait is a Postville native who has lived in the Cedar Valley for 29 years. She has worked for UNIs Iowa Waste Reduction Center, business and community services, the College of Business Administration, and research and sponsored programs.

She has a bachelors degree from UNI as well as a masters of public administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from Iowa State University.

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DES MOINES  Iowa business leaders fear expanding exemptions from workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements  and protecting jobless benefits for those who refuse to follow a mandate  may result in unintended consequences and added costs after surprise changes enacted by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds last week.

The swift arrival of House File 902 and its passage during Thursdays one-day special legislative session added to the frustration and confusion Iowa employers already were facing due to vaccination mandates that now are in conflict with the new state requirement they exempt employees who claim a medical or religious exemption.

Mike Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business & Industry, said his organizations more than 1,500 member companies representing 330,000 working Iowans have had a mixed response. Some have instituted vaccine mandates for their employees and others opposed  but most feel whipsawed by conflicting state and federal approaches.

Were disappointed by the bill, and Im not sure disappointed is strong enough, said Ralston of the legislation that became law in about 24 hours.

Theyre trying to fix a mandate with a mandate, he noted. What they did that is really frustrating is they said that somebody can decide not to get vaccinated and quit their job and get unemployment. That money is provided by employers. Its frustrating that this is sort of a social, political policy that theyre saying can be fixed by the unemployment trust fund, and thats problematic, too. Its more of a political issue than an unemployment issue.

While disagreeing with the Biden administrations plan to mandate vaccines or testing, business groups say Iowas new law puts employers at risk of facing penalties for not complying with a federal mandate, potentially exacerbates an already tight job market with a new incentive not to work and could cost businesses more if a large number of employees end up qualifying for a jobless benefit that did not exist before.

Overall, we need to do be doing everything we can to encourage people to stay within the workforce, said Joe Murphy of the Iowa Business Council. While we understand what theyre trying to do, it does begin to create some confusion between all the rules and regulations that businesses then are expected to abide by. And when some of those rules and regulations are contradictory, that puts businesses in a difficult position. Were still evaluating the total effect of this. Its law now, so well move forward the best way possible.

Reynolds, who signed the bill into law Friday effective immediately, called it a first step but a major step forward in protecting Iowans freedoms and their abilities to make health care decisions based on whats best for themselves and their families. This legislation also gives employees the assurance that they will still receive unemployment benefits despite being fired for standing up for their beliefs.

The GOP governor took the action on the same day that Iowa joined nine other states in a lawsuit challenging President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate for all workers employed by a federal contractor, which is one-fifth of the nations workforce.

As Ive stated publicly numerous times, I believe the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19, and weve provided Iowans with the information they need to determine whats best for themselves and their families, but no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine, the governor said in a statement.

Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said legislators learned from an anti-mask mandate they enacted for Iowa schools  which was halted for now by a federal judge  to take a different tact with a wide-open forced-acceptance waiver that would have the effect of allowing freedom-loving Iowans to tell the Biden administration to get off their backs. He said the bill is a partial answer that says in cases where the federal government doesnt specifically exclude waivers or exemptions, state law can apply.

Critics of the bill, which passed the House 68-27 and the Senate 45-4, said it will not protect the jobs of Iowans fired for refusing to comply with COVID-19 vaccination requirements and ultimately could place a financial burden on businesses that will pay the cost of the state changes.

It seems to us that the new law is a leap in the dark for employer liability to the trust fund, said Ralston. Should a federal mandate prove more onerous than compliance with the new state mandate, the effect could be huge. Yesterday the Legislature monetized the cost of Iowans choosing not to be vaccinated and placed that cost on business.

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WATERLOO  A call to action was put out to RWDSU Local 110 members in Cedar Rapids and North Liberty, and they delivered Friday morning to UAW workers on strike at John Deere in Waterloo.

In less than 15 minutes, some 30 members from Quaker Oats and General Mills in Cedar Rapids and Coles Quality Foods in North Liberty unloaded about 9,000 pounds of food, supplies and other necessities from their trucks and trailers at the UAW 838 Hall on Washington Street.

The haul included donated goods such as diapers, hand warmers, toiletries, frozen meat, canned goods, perishables, cups, tooth paste, winter hats, coffee, and other food, as well as cases of cereal and snacks made by the members from General Mills and Quaker.

When it comes to solidarity and it comes to situations like this, where companies are trying to take things away from their employees  the people that actually do the work and make these companies profitable  this is what happens, said Bob Dixon, 1st vice president of RWDSU Local 110. People have to strike and they have to defend themselves, and were proud of these guys for what theyre doing.

Local John Deere workers have been on strike since Oct. 14, and they and other labor advocates continue to say they deserve a fair contract as the tractor giant marks its most profitable year to date.

I think we have a strong labor movement in Iowa, demonstrated by the support that we give each other. We have to stick together through thick and thin, no matter whats going on. An injury to one is an injury to all of us, said Shane Forbes, president of RWDSU Local 110. Its an honor to be here with these guys to stand and fight with them.

Forbes expressed disappointment with what he called corporate greed, especially during the pandemic, and recalled his involvement in a strike in the 1990s.

Its a tough decision to make for your family, but you got to understand the pros and the cons of it and whats at risk if you let the company take and take and take.

Forbes added hed like to encourage other laborers at large corporations to unionize.

RWDSU Local 110 leadership said they may come up with more donations at a later date and could find themselves making another delivery to the striking John Deere workers in Waterloo or Dubuque.

Two UAW 838 members, who asked that their names not be published, said they appreciate the donations from RWDSU Local 110, as well as all the people who have donated their time and goods in support of the labor movement.

Well be here for other union workers if they ever find themselves in the same situation, one of them said.

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Both city officials and the former firefighters union representatives said they are pleased with a district court judges decision in a legal spat over supervisor promotions in the public safety department.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A judge said a Minnesota man accused of killing three family members with a wrench is mentally incompetent to stand trial, citing testimony from doctors about his schizophrenia intensified by his consumption of energy drinks.

David Ekers, 36, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder in last year's attack in a Minneapolis suburb that killed his sister, 34-year-old Eleanor Ekers; his mother, 63-year-old Linda Ekers; and his grandmother, 86-year-old Darlene Brost.

The ruling last week by Judge Lisa Janzen said evidence of the negative effect of caffeinated energy drinks on Ekers schizophrenia dates back to at least 2017. During one hospitalization in 2018, his psychotic symptoms appeared worsened with the ingestion of large amounts of energy drinks, Janzen said.

Ekers told a doctor in July that he sometimes hears voices due to poor sleep and the ingestion of energy drinks, the Star Tribune reported.

The attack happened in July 2020. A criminal complaint says Ekers' father told police that he and his son were downstairs working when Ekers went upstairs. The father heard his wife scream, David, no, then ran upstairs and saw his son holding a pipe wrench. He dropped the wrench and curled up into a ball.

Ekers said the attack stemmed from his belief that the women wanted him to return to a psychiatric hospital or start taking his medication again.

Defense attorney Melissa Fraser said Thursday that she respects Janzen and defers to her opinion.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Star Tribune.

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A federal indictment accuses a former Louisiana police officer of kicking an arrested man in the face and head, then lying about it after the man complained to the officer's superiors.

Jared Desadier, 43, was a Monroe police officer when he was arrested in July 2020 on state charges involving Timothy Williams, who sued him and other officers in April.

Neither Desadiers attorney in that case nor Williams attorney immediately responded to an emailed request for comment on the indictment handed up Wednesday by a grand jury in Shreveport.

State charges of second-degree battery and malfeasance in office are pending, with Desadier's next hearing scheduled Tuesday, Ouachita Parish District Attorney Steven Tew said.

The federal charges, which identify Williams only by his initials, are witness tampering and depriving Williams of his constitutional protection from unreasonable seizure.

Desadier kicked T.W. in the area of his head and face without justification, injuring him, according to the indictment described in a news release Thursday. The incident involved the use of a dangerous weapon (a shod foot), the indictment stated.

When Williams told Desadier's supervisors, Desadier tried to cover up, saying Williams had been injured in a fall, according to the indictment.

If convicted on both counts, Desadier could be sentenced to up to 10 years for the civil rights violation and 20 for witness tampering.

Williams' lawsuit, which also accuses seven other officers of failing to help him or helping to cover up the beating, said he was doing nothing wrong when officers answered an alarm late April 21, 2020.

He said he gave them his identification and everything he was carrying, including a rose bowl and toy gun, but then ran due to the fear of losing his life with the recent police brutality happenings.

The lawsuit doesn't specify what those happenings were. Williams' arrest was nearly a month before a Minneapolis officer killed George Floyd by kneeling on his throat. In March 2020, police in Louisville, Kentucky, had killed Breonna Taylor in a raid on her apartment.

Desadier and another officer saw him running, followed him and ordered him to stop. Williams immediately did so, put his hands up, then lay down with his hands behind his back, according to the lawsuit.

Desadier ran up and kicked him, knocking out at least one tooth, then punched him in the body and grabbed his hair, pounding his head into the concrete, the lawsuit alleged.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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En espanol

A revolution is sweeping the world of health care, fast-tracking the ability of older adults to receive medical care in their own homes rather than in hospitals and long-term care facilities. The advances can be a timesaver for family caregivers by reducing the number of trips they make to the doctor with a loved one. The advances can also dramatically improve the quality of life for the care recipient.

Even so, many patients are encountering hurdles along the way, from spotty Medicare coverage to limited access to home care outside of big cities.

Spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, medical providers are quickly expanding the telemedicine and at-home services they offer to better care for their patients. Some large medical groups have embraced futuristic technology to treat their patients from afar.

Imagine this: A doctor at a Washington, D.C., hospital orders an ultrasound for a patients leg and an echocardiogram for the patients heart. Both procedures will be done, but not at the hospital. Instead, theyll happen at the patients home.

Or this: A Mayo Clinic doctor finds that a homebound patient urgently needs an antibiotic infusion. The doctor alerts a local pharmacist. Then a health team, aided by software, arranges for the drug and equipment to be delivered to the patients home, where a nurse gives the infusion. Time, from start to finish: less than 30 minutes.

Yet such advances are not available for many older adults on Medicare. In fact, only 10 percent of an estimated 2 million homebound Medicare recipients nationally have access to home-based practices, said Eric De Jonge, M.D., director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Another challenge: Most of the hospitals and clinics leading the way are based in large metropolitan areas.

In response, the American Academy of Home Care Medicine has asked federal officials to provide enough money to cover the costs of care groups treating the sickest and most disabled older adults at home.

Booming business

New providers are entering the home care marketplace, including Amazon and Best Buy. CVS Health is reaching out to older adults with home infusion services and an in-home dialysis project.

The Mayo Clinic already has affiliations nationwide. Now it has teamed up with Oakland, Californiabased Kaiser Permanente and Medically Home Group of Boston to accelerate its in-home medicine for older adults.

This collaboration can currently perform chest X-rays, abdominal X-rays, bone X-rays and ultrasounds at home, said Michael Maniaci, M.D., a physician leader for the Advanced Care at Home program at Mayo.

And technology is advancing fast.

Bone marrow transplant patients normally recuperate in a hospital for 14 to 21 days. Now they can recover at home, Maniaci said, and one day, we hope to have bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy done in the home.

But a looming shortage of workers could slow the growth of home care, cautioned Kristofer Smith, M.D., chief clinical officer at Prospero, a senior-focused care company based in Boston.

The next five years, I think youll see an explosion of interest in this field, Smith said. The workforce will be an increasing bottleneck.

Telehealth

Telemedicine came into its own during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, federal officials acted to make telehealth services more accessible for Medicare patients. A key step was the decision to have Medicare cover the costs of routine follow-up visits via telehealth.

Now telehealth has become a routine part of health care. During a telehealth session, patients can report their vital signs to their doctors using simple tools, including:

Automatic blood pressure cuff for blood pressure and heart rate





Touchless thermometer





Pulse oximeter to take pulse and measure oxygen





Learn to measure respiratory rate

Mobile health clinics

Mobile health clinics are growing increasingly popular as a source of general health screenings, mammograms and lung cancer screenings. While they typically dont do house calls, they may offer a handy neighborhood spot to get tests or a physical exam.

Fully 2,000 mobile units are operating today, said Mollie Williams, a Harvard Medical School lecturer who oversees the Mobile Health Map, an online tool for locating such clinics nationally. She anticipates that number climbing to 3,000 in the next five years.

Williams is also executive director of The Family Van, a nonprofit mobile clinic affiliated with Harvard that serves underserved Boston neighborhoods. Two similar vans in Montgomery County, Maryland, operated by the nonprofit MobileMed, treat patients outside churches and a community center, said spokeswoman Michele Levy.

Clinics like these are represented by the Mobile Healthcare Association, a St. Louis-based nonprofit.

What unites our membership is that our members are mission-driven, said executive director Elizabeth Wallace. They want to decrease disparities. That can mean going to a homeless camp or doing mammograms at a supermarket.
Since the pandemic, wedding planning is all about making sure guests feel comfortable enough to show up in person for the ceremony. Health and safety of guests are the most important aspects of the plans, according to more than 75 percent of over 7,600 couples surveyed in spring 2021 by wedding website The Knot for its 2020 Real Weddings Study.

Celebration size and attendee numbers also play into the decision, with either handfuls on hand or guest lists topping 200. As couples plan to share their joy, wedding guests now have more decisions to make than just the gift.

Ron Segel, 74, and his wife, Meryl Manning Segel, 73, attended their first in-person wedding since the pandemic on Sept. 11, traveling from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Long Island, New York, for the marriage of the daughter of longtime friends.

They made it clear that nobody was invited who wasnt fully vaccinated, says Segel, a retired attorney. In some ways, it was refreshing and liberating that we were back together in a large group with friends. But things were clearly different.

COVID safety is the new wedding trend

Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, (a 20th-century author best known for writing about etiquette, manners and social behavior) cohosts a weekly Q and A podcast, on which she says COVID-related wedding questions are routine.

It shouldnt be  at this point in the pandemic  an unexpected part of an invitation, Post says. It may be your first time receiving one that talks about it. But with this pandemic raging on, its expected that there will be some communication about safety measures.

If youve received a wedding invitation and there hasnt been a discussion about pandemic safety, its OK for a guest to ask, Post says.

The Knot survey of those planning 2020 marriages found just over 40 percent went ahead with the wedding and reception, with the majority held outdoors. Among those who married, about one-third of couples also planned a larger gathering later. Of those planning fall and winter weddings this year, 57 percent are moving ahead with more than 100 guests, says Esther Lee, senior editor and wedding expert at The Knot.

Post says she hears from both sides  the vaccinated and unvaccinated  about how to proceed, with some saying, Im unvaccinated and want to go but dont want people yelling at me or, Weve got family we know arent vaccinated and want to know the rules in place for safety.

Meryl Manning Segel says she received at least four or five emails about safety measures before the September wedding she and her husband attended. The newlyweds married last year in a private ceremony and held a bigger event this year.

Manning Segel says she mostly felt safe to enjoy herself.

It felt great and everybody took precautions, she says of the event with almost 200 guests. The cocktail hour was outside, too. Everybody that was a server was masked. The photographer was masked. Everybody who was employed was masked. The band was masked as much as they could be.

Manning Segel, a Realtor, says she and her husband had masks on and off during the evening, but says she was a little anxious when everybody was dancing.

Youre dancing and youre sweating and half [are dancing without masks] and half are dancing with masks. Id say about 40 percent had masks on, she says. The young people did not.

To allow for greater social distancing, Lee says dance floor size is increasing and many dance floors are placed outdoors under twinkling lights.

But, no matter the protocols, she says, If a guest doesnt feel comfortable attending a wedding during this time, its more than OK to politely decline the invitation. Thats where a gift comes in handy.


Open Briefing

Melbourne, Oct 28, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - In this Open Briefing(R) interview, Bluechiip Limited ( ASX:BCT ) ( FRA:1BL ) MD Andrew McLellan discusses the September quarter 4C, License and Development agreement with US-based Fujifilm Irvine Scientific and the first sales of Bluechiip's own consumables.To read the Open Briefing Interview, please visit:About Bluechiip Limited

Bluechiip Ltd (ASX:BCT) understands that every sample - stem cells, blood, eggs, sperm and other biospecimens - is critical, so our objective is to manage each one with optimal quality in the most efficient way. Bluechiip's advanced management solution is the only one that provides sample temperature with ID in cryogenic environments to. Most importantly, this delivers confidence in every sample.

Bluechiip's unique patented technology is a MEMS-based wireless tracking solution that contains no electronics. It represents a generational change from current tracking methods such as labels (hand-written and pre-printed), barcodes (linear and 2D), and Radio Frequency Identification. Bluechiip tags are either embedded or manufactured into storage products such as vials or bags. Each product can be easily identified, and critical information such as sample temperature, is detected by readers and stored in the Bluechiip software. In addition to functioning in extreme temperatures, the Bluechiip(R) Advanced Sample management solution can survive autoclaving, gamma irradiation sterilization, humidification, centrifuging, cryogenic storage and frosting.

Bluechiip's technology has applications in healthcare, including in cryogenic storage facilities (biobanks and biorepositories), pathology, clinical trials and forensics. Other key markets include cold-chain logistics/supply chain, security/defence, industrial/manufacturing and aerospace/aviation.

Bluechiip: Delivering confidence in every sample.


Quarterly Activities Report

Perth, Oct 29, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Wiluna Mining Corporation Limited ( ASX:WMC ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:WMXCF ) is a Western Australian based gold mining company that owns and operates the Wiluna Mining Operation. The Wiluna Mining Operation is located at the northern end of the Western Australian Goldfields approximately 530 km north of Kalgoorlie and is 900 km northeast, and one and a half hours by direct flight, from Perth.The Wiluna Mining Operation has an endowment (historic and current) of over 11 million ounces and currently has a Mineral Resource of 8 million ounces which is the 8th largest gold district in Australia under single ownership.The Wiluna Mining Operation is currently in development with a two-staged, 3-year program underway to transform Wiluna from a modest, cashflow positive producer of free milling ore via a conventional Carbon-In-Pulp (CIP) plant to a multi circuit operation producing circa 250kozpa. The staged development plan, on completion, will enable Wiluna to treat all the ore types at Wiluna through four processes including;- Existing 2.1Mtpa CIP process plant;- 750,000 tpa flotation concentrator which is 90% complete and will be commissioned in December 2021, scalingup to 1.5 Mtpa capacity by FY 2024;- Gravity circuit which produces gold dore; and- Tailings retreatment plant which links tailings reclaim and reslurrying with the existing CIP circuit to producegold dore.Stage 1 development is defined at a production profile of 120kozpa. The final size and shape of the Stage 2 development at the Wiluna Mining Operation will depend on the conclusions from the Feasibility Study currently taking place. This Feasibility Study includes significant Resource and Reserve drilling which is aiming to add an additional 500koz to the current Underground Ore Reserve of 661koz @ 4.74 g/t. These updated Ore Reserves are expected to be published at the end of Q3 FY 2022.To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential.


Quarterly Activities Report

Sydney, Oct 29, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Ltd ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) provide the quarterly activities report for the period ending September 2021, notably completing the acquisition of Pangaea and EMG's 100% interests in EP167, EP168, EP169, EP198 and EP305, in the Beetaloo Sub-basin.The Board welcomed Mr Paul Fudge as a Non-Executive Director and Ms Jacqui Clarke as his Alternate Director.In the first ten days following recommencement of Extended Production Testing at the Carpentaria-1 vertical well a ~45% increase in production rate to 0.364 mmcf / day was observed compared to the average flow rate in the first phase of Extended Production Testing,$19.3 million grant agreements executed with the Australian Government to offset 25% of the cost of seismic acquisition and the drilling, fracture stimulation and flow testing of three horizontal appraisal wells in EP187.Empire received a tax offset refund in the amount of $5.37 million under the Federal Government's Research and Development Tax Incentive Scheme.Global gas prices are trading at multi-year highs even ahead of the forthcoming Northern Hemisphere winter demand peak.The Carpentaria-2H horizontal appraisal drilling program in EP187 has been initiated since the end of Quarter.Infill 2D seismic to further delineate and map the Velkerri Shales in EP187 is scheduled to start in November 2021.Gas transportation services MoU signed with APA Group since the end of the quarter.Cash at the end of the quarter was $31.8 million.Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood: This Quarter the Empire team has had further success executing our strategy focused on the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Sub-basin. The acquisition of the Pangaea / EMG properties on the Western side of the basin has transformed our company with a materially increased footprint in the basin. The upcoming drilling of our first horizontal appraisal well, Carpentaria-2H, builds on our momentum as we focus on de-risking our assets then entering production in a timely manner. Regulatory approval for the drilling of Carpentaria-2H comes with approvals for several more wells over the years ahead. The MOU we have just announced with APA Group, a leading Australian energy infrastructure business, demonstrates clear pathways to market for our Beetaloo gas and liquids resources, both to the north through Darwin and to Australia's increasingly supply constrained East Coast. Severe gas shortages that are developing across Europe and Asia demonstrate the need for secure, long-term sources of gas supply as the world transitions to cleaner energy sources. Appraisal results emerging from all operators across the basin give us increasing confidence that the Beetaloo can play a critical role in securing gas supplies for Australia and the broader region in the decades ahead.To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd

Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators.

Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006.


Quarterly Activities Report

Perth, Oct 29, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia's next rare earths producer, Hastings Technology Metals Ltd ( ASX:HAS ) ( FRA:5AM ), is pleased to report on exploration and development activities for the three-month period to 30 September 2021.Most of the activity focused on the Company's Yangibana Rare Earths Project (Yangibana) in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.The Company continues to remain lost time injury free. There were no incidents resulting in injury during the September quarter, with the LTI free period now stretching to 1157 days.Work on development of project health and hygiene management plans for Yangibana and Onslow sites have now commenced whilst a medical services contract has been approved and is being mobilised to site.Western Australian State Government CommendationHastings has received commendation from Premier Mark McGowan, on behalf of the Western Australian Government, for the Company's commitment to bring the Yangibana Rare Earths Project into production. The project is demonstrated to have strong alignment with the State's Future Battery Industry Strategy, which aims to expand the range of future battery minerals that are extracted and processed in Western Australia.Environment & PermittingEnvironmental referral documentation for the Onslow Rare Earths Plant, which will serve as the downstream hydrometallurgical processing operation for the Yangibana Rare Earths Project was submitted to the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) during the quarter. Following the end of the quarter, Hastings was informed that DAWE had granted environmental approval for construction and operation of the plant (see ASX announcement dated 26 October 2021 Commonwealth Environmental Approval for Hydro Plant Onslow). A Native Vegetation Clearing Permit, Works Approval and Development Application are being readied for submission in anticipation for the commencement of construction during 2022.Section 45C approval for the revised layout at Yangibana, to incorporate additional Mineral Resource areas that will extend the life of mine to 15 years currently, is now imminent. Secondary approvals have been progressed and are forthcoming.The Environmental Scoping Document for Yangibana Expansion 1 was approved by the WA EPA Board. Studies are well advanced to inform the approval documentation for the additional Mineral Resource areas to be used at Yangibana.Onslow Rare Earths PlantHastings received conditional approval from the WA Government's Development WA to develop the Yangibana Rare Earths Project's hydrometallurgical plant - to be known as the Onslow Rare Earths Plant - in the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area (ANSIA), near Onslow on the Pilbara coast. As detailed above, subsequent to quarter-end Hastings also received environmental approval from the Commonwealth's DAWE.ANSIA offers Hastings access to key utilities as well as proximity to a skilled workforce in Onslow and the town's port and airport facilities. The ANSIA location has access to key services required for rare earths processing, such as a natural gas connection, sufficient water and power that are all located within close proximity of the proposed hydrometallurgical plant location.ANSIA is approximately 430km by road from the Yangibana mine site. Location of the hydrometallurgical plant at ANSIA is where the final production of a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) occurs.Early Works Underway at Yangibana SiteEarly works as part of a $20 million infrastructure scope of activities are now underway at the Yangibana mine site. The 60-bed fly camp is operational and key staff and contractors are operating from the site. Enabling infrastructure works will continue ahead of the plant construction activities and mine development, which are planned to commence formally in 2022.Hastings announced in August 2021 that the initial early works construction focus would encompass:- Access roads connecting the mine site to the public Shire roads;- A 2,000m long airstrip capable of accommodating aircraft with up to 50 seat capacity;- A 300-bed accommodation village;- A multi-tower communications microwave link to connect the site to the public network;- Water reticulation from the borefield to the processing plant; and- Ongoing geotechnical activitiesYangibana Technical and Design DevelopmentProject development and associated engineering efforts including execution readiness tasks continue to accelerate during the quarter towards delivering an updated control capital budget and schedule. This will allow more rapid progress of detailed engineering to finalise the control budget and schedule for the de-coupled hydrometallurgical processing plant arrangement.Kiln, scrubber and SAG mill packages continue to progress. To assist with these works, the Hastings engineering team has been bolstered with the appointments of an experienced contracts manager and a project cost controller. Both appointments are integral as Hastings continues with early infrastructure construction over the coming months.A geotechnical program of test pitting and shallow boreholes to support final design work for the access road, airstrip, process plant and tailings storage facility was completed. This allows final design work to be completed prior to the commencement of earthworks in Q4 2021.The beneficiation plant site layouts and design continue to mature. DRA Global is continuing with detailed Material Take-offs (MTOs) for both the beneficiation and hydrometallurgical plant sites with detailed engineering to allow quantities of earthworks, concrete, steel, piping and electrical to be estimated ready for the tendering process.Water drilling tender packages have progressed with additional bores in the SipHon bore field scheduled for installation in Q4 2021 along with water pipeline designs to support earthwork construction activities.The 300-bed village tender process is progressing to a close with a final decision on award expecting late in Q4 2021.IT infrastructure packages are progressing as planned with negotiations around site access for towers being finalised with Traditional Owners. Site works for towers are scheduled to commence in Q4 2021.Work with the Shires of Upper Gascoyne, Carnarvon and Ashburton continues regarding a road condition report and assessment to support the development of an agreement that will outline road upgrade requirements, traffic management and road maintenance for the duration of the project.Ongoing cost pressures are being experienced across the board in Western Australia's resources sector because of higher energy costs, material shortages and acute skilled labour shortages. While iron ore prices have softened during the quarter the expected price correction in steel prices has not yet materialised. These inputs are placing the current capital and operating cost estimates for all development-stage resources projects under pressure. During the quarter Hastings has continued to evaluate the impacts of these increases and any project scope remediation and engineering mitigation that may be required or possible to implement to manage and offset, where possible, capital cost escalations.To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd

Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas.

Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China.

Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project.

Brockman Project

The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition).

The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project.

Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products.
The time of year has arrived when spooky urban legend tends to be more readily accepted as reality. The nights are longer, the air is colder, and the popular ghost stories of the past take on a life of their own.

One of the most notorious haunted areas in the Land of Enchantment is the Holy Ghost Campground, which is located approximately 14 miles northeast of Santa Fe, just on the outskirts of the Pecos Wilderness. It only takes a quick perusal online to find that the site is the source of all sorts of eerie rumors, the most prevalent of which involves the story of a Catholic priest who was allegedly killed by Pueblo Indians defending their land in the 17th century. The ghost of the priest is rumored to haunt the campground to this very day.

According to Santa Fe National Forest public affairs officer Julie Anne Overton, the haunted aspect interests media far more than it does the general public.

Only reporters (ask about that), Overton said with a laugh. I have heard the legend  but I have never spoken to a member of the public who has professed to have experienced that.

Allan Pacheco, a Santa Fe native who is an author, paranormal investigator and ghost tour leader throughout the northern part of the state, claims that the Holy Ghost site and the surrounding area has been the source of some interesting activity over the years.

As far as that area goes, theres also all kinds of activity beyond belief of people that go missing, Pacheco said. Lets say (we) estimate eight miles to the east, eight miles to the west, etc. As far as that Holy Ghost camp (there) are all kinds of stories with that. Activity good and bad.

But wait, theres more. Outside magazine profiled the Holy Ghost Campground as part of a feature on the 15 most haunted campgrounds in the United States in 2019, and a group of editors spent the night there after publication to investigate the claims. This was the account of that visit:

The night passed peacefully, but the next morning, associate managing editor Aleta Burchyski got up early to fish the nearby Holy Ghost Creek. About ten minutes in, her hook got snagged on a root along the bank. As Burchyski worked to free the hook, she saw a dark figure of a man in her peripheral vision, approaching her. He was walking weird, kind of loping, Burchyski says. Initially she thought it was her husband coming over to tell her how cold he was, walking strangely in an attempt to warm up. But then I turned to say hi, she says, and NOBODY WAS THERE. 

Regardless of what is or isnt true about the Holy Ghost site, Overton understands the appeal. Sometimes its just fun to be scared. If youre out in the wilderness  even better.

Think about the tradition of gathering around the campfire and telling ghost stories, she said. Theres just something about being out in the dark, away from civilization. Its just fun to sit around a campfire and try to scare each other.

Youre also out there and you hear kind of a weird noise in the night that youre not used to hearing. That can get your imagination going.

The possibility exists for plenty of weird noises to be heard while out in the northern New Mexican wilderness. However, the vast majority of those are likely wildlife  not ghostly entities.

It could be lots of critters out there, Overton said. Bears, deer, small critters like rabbits, coyotes  all kinds of birds. You might hear some owls  Any of the animals that live on those mountain ranges could wander through that area.

Pacheco, meanwhile, offers an alternative take on the legend of the Holy Ghost, which paints the area in a more positive light. According to this particular story, a priest on the run from a group of Native Americans during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 found shelter there.

He hid up there and a fog came up there and it protected him, Pacheco said. The pursuers could not see him in the fog  He survived the massacre and thus, the Holy Ghost protected this padre. But that story or that area, it runs hot and cold with good and bad things that have happened out there.

It doesnt seem like visitors are too concerned with the supernatural. The Holy Ghost is one of the top spots for campers until it closes for the winter season.

Its always been one of our really popular campgrounds, Overton said. Its in a really beautiful setting  You dont have to go too far to really get out into the woods and enjoy what nature has to offer.
WASHINGTON  China is offering no significant new goals for reducing climate-changing emissions ahead of the UN climate summit set to start next week in Glasgow.

China, the worlds top emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses that cause global warming, formally submitted its goals Thursday. The highly-anticipated announcement includes targets previously established in speeches by President Xi Jinping and domestic policy documents.

China says it aims to reach peak emissions of carbon dioxide  which is produced mainly through burning coal, oil and natural gas for transportation, electric power and manufacturing  before 2030. The country is aiming for carbon neutrality  no net emissions of CO2  before 2060.

Its not surprising, but it is disappointing that there wasnt anything new in terms of goals, said Joanna Lewis, an expert in China, climate and energy at Georgetown University.

Lewis said the document released today gave more detail about China will meet those goals, however, by measures including increasing its wind and solar power capacity, as well as carbon-absorbing forest cover.

Climate experts say key questions about Chinas future carbon emissions remain unanswered.

The document gives no answers on the major open questions about the countrys emissions, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki. At what level will emissions peak and how fast should they fall after the peak?

Nations participating in the UN climate conference, known as the 26th Conference of Parties, or COP26, submit what are called nationally determined contributions that lay out emissions reduction plans.

Its still possible that China may have additional announcements at the climate summit related to financing for renewable energy overseas, said Lewis.

Sam Geall, CEO of nonprofit China Dialogue and associate fellow at Chatham House in London said Chinas pledge is consistent with everything that weve seen from Xi Jinpings previous statements.

He and other experts are concerned that pledges on emissions targets and also on financial support to help reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate, especially for developing countries, are coming in far too late, far too small.

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Follow Christina Larson on Twitter: @larsonchristina

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

Chinas NDC is consistent with everything that weve seen from Xi Jinpings previous statements, said Sam Geall, CEO of nonprofit China Dialogue and associate fellow at Chatham House in London.

It may not be enough to get us to 1.5 degrees, which is where we want to go, he said, referring to the target set under the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

At the summit, Geall said he is looking to see countries take steps to restore trust in the process of climate negotiations, after widespread economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Promises on climate finance  money pledged by rich countries to fund climate responses in developing countries  are coming in far too late, far too small, he said.
SANTA FE, N.M.  Unions and a school bus company blame each other for a school bus driver strike that shut down much of the public school transportation serving 3,500 students in Las Cruces.

Drivers picketed the office of southern New Mexico district school bus contractor STS New Mexico on Thursday, demanding better pay and working conditions, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports.

Bus driver shortages have strained schools across the state, as education officials struggle to hire and train more workers. Some offer free training, signing bonuses and other perks for new employees.

The shortage has led the company to push mechanics into driving service, meaning there arent mechanics to fix buses when they break down, a bus driver union representative told the Sun-News.

Were just going to do the best that we can do, STS General Manager Van Wamel told the paper.

District officials told parents by text message Thursday to please make alternative transportation arrangements if possible.

A coalition of unions representing school workers said the the bus company is responsible for its strike, and suggested it would end Friday.

Todays one-day unfair labor practice strike was avoidable, but due to the continued failure of STS-NM to meet our demands surrounding student safety, worker dignity, and fair treatment of employees, the Las Cruces Transportation Federation regrettably was forced to take this drastic action, said local union president Dean Abrams.

Abrams said negotiations began in July.

The school also notified parents Wednesday evening, said spokeswoman Kelly Jameson, adding that children who cannot make it to school will be provided online work and an excused absence.

The bus company is pinning culpability for the shutdown on the union, saying the group increased wages over the past two years and a new demand for increased pay makes it difficult to reach a fair and reasonable agreement.

We truly regret the inconvenience the union strike has caused and are doing everything we can to continue providing service to our students, said Joshua Weinstock, spokesman for The Kincaid Group, which operates STS in Las Cruces.

Jameson said that special education students with transportation specified in their individualized learning plans wont be affected by the strike.

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Attanasio 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 under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.
PORTLAND, Ore.  A lawsuit has been filed saying the residency requirements for Oregons assisted suicide law violate the U.S. Constitution.

Oregon was the first state to legalize medical aid in dying in 1997, when it allowed adult residents with a terminal diagnosis and prognosis of six months or less to live to end their lives by taking a lethal dose of prescribed medication. The new lawsuit is by the national advocacy organization Compassion & Choices and an Oregon Health & Science University professor of family medicine.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports experts believe the legal action could have broad implications as the first challenge in the nation to raise the question of whether such residency requirements are constitutional.

Oregons law was the basis of the laws that have since been adopted in eight other states and Washington, DC. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Vermont and Washington state allow aid in dying for residents of their states only.

The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Portland on Thursday. It asks the court to prohibit Oregon officials from enforcing the residency provision of the law.

It says the residency requirement violates the Privileges and Immunities Clause in Article IV of the Constitution and the Commerce Clause in Article I.

The plaintiff in the case, Dr. Nick Gideonse, is a family practice physician and associate professor of family medicine at OHSU and a longtime supporter of medical aid in dying.

Ive been providing medical aid in dying since the early days of Oregons law. Its profoundly beneficial to patients who have nothing left but suffering at the end of their life, Gideonse said.

Washington also allows medical aid in dying, but according to the lawsuit, Gideonse cannot offer his Washington patients medical aid in dying without risking his medical license or criminal prosecution.
TUCSON, Ariz.  A judge has concluded a man accused of opening fire a year ago on a security officer outside a federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix is now mentally fit to stand trial.

Earlier this year, James Lee Carr was sent to a medical facility after the judge deemed him incompetent to stand trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Aguilera concluded Thursday that Carrs mental fitness had been restored.

Authorities say Carr fired three shots on Sept. 15, 2020, at a security officer who was inspecting a UPS truck at the entrance of the courthouses underground garage.

One round struck the officer in the chest, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest and returned fire with eight shots. Carr was not injured.

Immediately after the shooting, Carr called his brother and said he was sitting in a park and wanted to die because he shot the security guard, according to a criminal complaint. Carrs brother, son and ex-wife went to the park. His ex-wife took Carrs guns away without incident and called 911.

Carr has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and firing a gun in a crime of violence.

His trial is scheduled for Dec. 7.
OAKLAND, Calif.  Like many companies in trouble before it, Facebook is changing its name and logo.

Facebook Inc. is now called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the  metaverse. But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

Also unchanged, at least for now, are its chief executive and senior leadership, its corporate structure and the crisis that has enveloped the company.

Skeptics immediately accused the company of trying to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerbergs Harvard dorm room 17 years ago. The documents portray Facebook as putting profits ahead of ridding its platform of hate, political strife and misinformation around the world.

The move reminded marketing consultant Laura Ries of when energy company BP rebranded itself to Beyond Petroleum to escape criticism that the oil giant harmed the environment.

Facebook is the worlds social media platform, and they are being accused of creating something that is harmful to people and society, she said. They cant walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.

Facebook the app is not changing its name. Nor are Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The companys corporate structure also wont change. But on Dec. 1, its stock will start trading under a new ticker symbol, MVRS.

The metaverse is sort of the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a virtual environment you can go inside of, instead of just looking at on a screen. People can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.

It also will incorporate other aspects of online life such as shopping and social media, according to Victoria Petrock, an analyst who follows emerging technologies.

Zuckerbergs foray into virtual reality has drawn some comparisons to fellow tech billionaires outer space adventures and jokes that perhaps its understandable he would want to escape his current reality amid calls for his resignation and increasing scrutiny of the company.

On Monday, Zuckerberg announced a new segment for Facebook that will begin reporting its financial results separately from the companys Family of Apps segment starting in the final quarter of this year. The entity, Reality Labs, will reduce Facebooks overall operating profit by about $10 billion this year, the company said.

Other tech companies such as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and Fortnite maker Epic Games have all been outlining their own visions of how the metaverse will work.

Zuckerberg said that he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade and that he hopes the new technology will creates millions of jobs for creators.

The announcement comes amid heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of Facebook in many parts of the world because of the Facebook Papers. A corporate rebranding isnt likely to solve the myriad problems revealed by the internal documents or quiet the alarms that critics have been raising for years about the harm the companys products are causing to society.

Zuckerberg, for his part, has largely dismissed the furor triggered by the Facebook Papers as unfair.

In an interesting twist, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organization run by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, bought a Canadian scientific literature analysis company called Meta in 2017.

By Thursday afternoon, though, its website Meta.org announced that it will sunset at the end of March. The Meta.com domain, meanwhile, redirected to the former Facebooks rebranded corporate site.

At headquarters in Menlo Park, California, the iconic thumbs up sign that has long been outside was repainted to a blue, pretzel-shape logo resembling an infinity symbol.

Some of Facebooks biggest critics seemed unimpressed by the name change. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog group focused on the company, announced that it will keep its name.

Changing their name doesnt change reality: Facebook is destroying our democracy and is the worlds leading peddler of disinformation and hate, the group said in a statement. Their meaningless name change should not distract from the investigation, regulation and real, independent oversight needed to hold Facebook accountable.

In explaining the rebrand, Zuckerberg said the name Facebook no longer encompasses everything the company does. In addition to the social network, that now includes Instagram, Messenger, its Quest VR headset, its Horizon VR platform and more.

Today we are seen as a social media company, Zuckerberg said. But in our DNA we are a company that builds technology to connect people.

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Associated Press writers Mae Anderson and Tali Arbel in New York and Matt OBrien in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.
ROME  The Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled the planned live broadcast of U.S. President Joe Biden meeting Pope Francis, the latest restriction to media coverage of the Holy See that sparked complaints from White House- and Vatican-accredited journalists.

The live broadcast of Bidens Friday visit was trimmed to cover just the arrival of the presidents motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the revised plan reflected the normal procedure established during the coronavirus pandemic for all visiting heads of state or government.

That protocol also has meant an 18-month ban on any independent media being in the room for the beginning and end of the audience, as would normally be the case for a visiting head of state.

Cancelled was the live coverage of Biden actually greeting Francis in the palace Throne Room, as well as the live footage of the two men sitting down to begin their private talks in Francis library, at which time the cameras would have stopped running.

The Vatican said it would provide edited footage of the encounter after the fact to accredited media. Bruni didnt say why the Vatican had originally announced fuller live coverage only to dial it back on the eve of the visit.

Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president, has met Francis three previous times, but this will be his first as president.

The audience was being closely monitored since U.S. bishops are due to meet in a few weeks for their annual fall convention, with one of the agenda items inspired by conservatives who contend that Bidens support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving Communion. Though any document that emerges from the bishops conference is not expected to mention Biden by name, its possible there could be a clear message of rebuke.

Francis has strongly upheld the churchs opposition to abortion, calling it murder. But he has said bishops should be pastors, not politicians. As a result, the Biden-Francis body language could have given a clue about their mindsets going into the meeting.

The Vatican has provided live television coverage for the visits of major heads of state for years, including President Donald Trump, and had scheduled such coverage Friday for Biden and for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is also in Rome for a Group of 20 meeting.

Asked to comment on Vatican access during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One, the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the administration was actively engaged in the issue and would see what Friday brings.

The United States will always advocate for access for the free press, and especially for our good friends in the American press who travel with us on these long flights over, to be able to capture and chronicle the presidents engagements, he said.

A live broadcast was particularly important because the Vatican has barred independent photographers and journalists from papal audiences with leaders since early 2020, even though external news media are allowed into other papal events.

It is during those moments in the popes library that reporters can view the gifts that are exchanged, watch as the formal photograph is taken and overhear remarks as the leaders arrive and depart to get a sense of how visit is going. Only the popes official photographer and Vatican video journalists are now allowed in.

The Vatican correspondents association has protested the cancellation of such pool access and several media outlets, including The Associated Press, formally complained about Thursdays cut of the live Biden-pope broadcast and asked for an explanation.

The head of the White House Correspondents Association, Steven Portnoy of CBS News Radio, expressed disappointment at the lack of live coverage as well as the absence of independent media access. Biden is travelling with his own pool of reporters who would normally be allowed into the popes library for the beginning and end of the audience alongside reporters accredited to the Vatican.

In a series of tweets, Portnoy noted that the White House travelling pool was fully vaccinated and that such a substantial meeting between a Catholic president and the head of the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church demands independent coverage.

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AP correspondent Zeke Miller contributed from Rome.
A person was fatally shot on Thursday afternoon in Southeast Albuquerque.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said officers responded sometime before 2:45 p.m. to the 6700 block of Cochiti SE, near San Pedro and Central.

He said police found a person who had been shot and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives have been called to start an investigation, Gallegos said.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico state agencies, schools and local governments issued more than $300 million in noncompetitive contracts last year  more than triple the amount spent on such contracts in 2014.

The surge in no-bid contracts during the pandemic was in part due to a scramble to obtain COVID-19 tests, face masks and other supplies but ended up leading to a rise in fraud and waste, according to a legislative report unveiled Thursday.

Specifically, a financial audit of the Department of Health found the agency pre-paid for at least $6.5 million in protective equipment, some of which was never delivered or accounted for.

That figure could end up being even higher once new annual agency audits are finalized this year, legislative analysts said.

Some lawmakers expressed alarm Thursday at the findings, while also calling for updates to the states procurement code.

We have a responsibility to ensure the publics money is being well spent, said House Majority Leader Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, during a meeting of the Legislative Finance Committee. Yes it was (during) COVID-19, but with all due respect that sounds like an excuse to me.

Under New Mexicos current procurement laws, contracts for all goods and services that cost more than $60,000 are typically required to be awarded after a competitive bidding process.

But there are allowable exceptions for emergency circumstances and situations when only one vendor can provide the goods or services.

In all, the number of emergency contracts issued by New Mexico state agencies, local governments, schools and higher education institutions was more than five times higher during the 2021 budget year than during the previous year, according to the LFC report.

The total dollar amount of the emergency and so-called sole source contracts issued in the last fiscal year was $314.9 million  of which $104 million was spent by the Department of Health under an order issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in March 2020.

Duffy Rodriguez, the interim secretary of the state General Services Department, said Thursday the department did as good of a job as they could following the state procurement code while moving quickly to obtain pandemic-related supplies.

I am sure when the COVID-19 pandemic is over we will have a lot of lessons learned, Rodriguez told lawmakers during Thursdays hearing.

Meanwhile, the legislative report also found some noncompetitive contracts  including 81 procurements from Albuquerque Public Schools since 2016  were not properly disclosed to a purchasing division within the General Services Department, as is required by state law.

Rep. Randal Crowder, R-Clovis, said hes concerned about the possibility nepotism in some of the emergency contracts awarded during the pandemic.

He did not question any specific contracts, but cited a history of recent New Mexico public corruption cases, saying, Our state has a history of that.
Detectives arrested a man in a 2017 homicide in which he allegedly shot an acquaintance who made fun of him for being disabled during a chance encounter in Northwest Albuquerque.

Christopher Sena, 27, is charged with an open count of murder in the Nov. 28, 2017, death of 45-year-old Thomas Ramirez. Sena was arrested Thursday in Belen and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Sena  known as Fresh  was identified as a suspect and interviewed early in the investigation, according to court records, but denied any involvement.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said detectives needed more corroborating evidence. He said an arrest earlier this year provided new information on the case.

Detectives continued the investigation and compared the new information with what was known about the crime scene, Gallegos said. Additional interviews corroborated the information, which led detectives to secure an arrest warrant for Sena.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court:

Officers responded around 1:45 a.m. to the 3900 block of Fifth NW, just north of Candelaria, after Ramirezs family reported finding him shot to death in the street. Ramirezs girlfriend told police Ramirez was talking with someone inside a maroon Cadillac when he was shot.

Other witnesses told police someone called out to Ramirez from the car and he was smiling and joking with those inside before the shots rang out. They said a man named Fresh may be responsible.

Detectives identified Fresh as Sena and discovered he owned a maroon Cadillac and had tried to buy a gun days before the homicide. Sena spoke with police in April 2018 at a police station in Los Lunas and denied being involved in Ramirezs death.

He told police he had tried to buy the gun for protection after being run over by a car in Los Lunas  an incident that left him disabled.

The detective planned to execute a search warrant on Senas maroon Cadillac but the narrative in the complaint drops off from there. It picks up again in May 2021, four years later, after a friend of Senas was arrested on an unrelated federal warrant.

The friend told detectives Sena was driving him home  with Senas girlfriend and infant daughter in the backseat  when they saw Ramirez.

He said Ramirez came over to talk to them, even complimenting Sena on his Cadillac, when Sena reached across him with a pistol and shot Ramirez. The friend told detectives Sena laughed it off and said he did it because Ramirez called him a cripple.

He said, at the time, Sena was using methamphetamine and losing his (expletive) mind.

Afterward, another acquaintance of Sena told police the homicide had traumatized Sena and was eating him alive ever since.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

When the new elevated elephant overlook deck at the ABQ BioPark Zoo was unveiled this month, attorney Patti Williams gazed down, looking for one elephant in particular  Irene.

I feel like Im her fairy godmother, said Williams, a board member of the New Mexico BioPark Society. I was Irenes lawyer, and I think I may be the only lawyer in New Mexico who had an elephant as a client.

More than 24 years ago, Williams was an assistant city attorney for Albuquerque when two police officers on bicycle patrol detected a strong odor and noticed what appeared to be urine seeping from the back of a semi-trailer that was rocking slightly while parked outside a hotel near the Sunport.

Fearing the trailer might contain human cargo baking under the hot August sun, the officers instructed the two young men driving it to open the back. Inside, they found eight llamas and three female elephants  one of them, Heather, was dead. The other two, Irene and Donna, were grossly underweight, ill and in distress.

According to an Associated Press story from 1997, one of the officers commented, That trailer is not made to carry anything with a heartbeat. It was appalling.

One of the men driving the truck was the son of the owner of the King Royal Circus. He told the officers that the animals were being transported from Nevada, where they had been performing, to their home base in Texas.

Coincidentally, Williams recalled, members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums were attending a conference inside the hotel. On learning of the events unfolding outside, the outraged AZA attendees asked the then-director of the BioPark Zoo, who was attending the conference, to intervene. He contacted the Albuquerque City Attorneys Office, requesting that the truck not leave with the animals.

Thus began a legal battle that ultimately freed the animals from a life in the circus.

A zoo veterinarian examined the animals and determined theyd been exposed to salmonella. Additionally, the elephants tested positive for tuberculosis, Williams said. Out of concern that they might infect other animals if taken to the BioPark Zoo, the animals were quarantined at a local park.

In the meantime, the city filed lawsuits against everyone who had an ownership interest in the animals, and a district court judge granted an injunction preventing the removal of the animals while the case was being litigated, Williams said.

Over the following months, Irene, an Asian elephant, and Donna, an African elephant, slowly recovered their health and weight. They were later taken to their new home in a modified rhino barn at the BioPark Zoo, Williams said.

The llamas also found refuge at the zoo.

Knowing that the King Royal Circus wanted their animals back and that the animals were considered property, the city turned to property law and came up with a legal theory.

I found this law called an agister lien, explained Williams. Its essentially a livestock law that says if, for example, you find a cow or a horse or something wandering around, and you take that animal in and care for it, the rightful owner can get it back but must reimburse the person who cared for it to cover the costs of food, medicine or whatever was required to provide for the animal.

Treating and feeding sick elephants is very expensive, and the cost of reimbursing the city was more than the circus was able or willing to pay, Williams said.

So thats how we ended up getting the animals, she said.

In May 1998, 10 months after the city took possession of the animals, an administrative law judge ruled on a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture against the King Royal Circus.

The owner was fined $200,000 and his exhibitors license was permanently revoked.

In 2003, Donna, whose age at the time was thought to be between 16 and 19, was transferred to the Disney Animal Kingdom in Florida to live with a herd of other African elephants, where she has since given birth to three calves.

Irene, now 54, has remained at the ABQ BioPark Zoo, living large in a pachyderm paradise  where her fairy godmother continues to look over her.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The 2nd Congressional District in southern New Mexico leans about 14 percentage points more Republican than the nation as a whole, by one standard.

But the GOP stands to see that edge erode or even evaporate under the congressional maps recommended by the states newly created Citizen Redistricting Committee, according to analysis by FiveThirtyEight, a website that covers polling and elections.

The changes arent necessarily intentional: The citizen committee was prohibited from using partisan data as it evaluated maps, focusing instead on keeping traditional communities of interest together and other redistricting principles.

Edward Chavez, a retired Supreme Court justice who led the Citizens Redistricting Committee, said the panel used its best judgment as it considered dozens of maps based on the criteria permitted.

I think this is an experiment, and were going to find out what its like to draw maps blind to partisan data, Chavez said in an interview this week.

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David Cottrell, a University of Georgia professor, is now evaluating the maps for unintentional gerrymandering and other measures of partisan fairness. His report will go to the Legislature alongside the map recommendations.

But the analysis by FiveThirtyEight  owned by ABC News  offers a peek at the potential changes to the political landscape, if the Legislature adopts one of the recommended maps.

Two of the three options endorsed by the committee would make the 2nd Congressional District slightly less Republican, taking it from a 14 point GOP lean to just 11 or 13 points, according to FiveThirtyEight.

A third option, however, would transform the seat into a highly competitive district that leans by 1 point more toward Democrats than the does the nation as a whole.

That proposal, Concept H, was designed by the left-leaning Center for Civic Policy on behalf of a coalition of groups and adopted 5-2 by the committee. The center wasnt prohibited from factoring in partisan data as it designed a map for submission to the redistricting committee.

The committee itself, however, couldnt consider the political implications as it weighed the map.

Instead, the gerrymandering analysis comes after the fact.

Cottrell, the professor, was hired by the committee to scrutinize the maps on a variety of standards, such as how the average or median congressional seat would compare to the states leanings as a whole.

But if any of the recommendations fail the gerrymandering test, Chavez said, the committee cant amend or fix the maps. Doing so, he said, would violate the ban on committee members using political data.

Ryan Cangiolosi, a former state Republican Party chairman and member of New Mexicos redistricting committee, said he is confident the maps designed by the committee itself or its contractor, Research & Polling Inc., comply with the prohibition on using partisan data.

But theres no way to know, he said, when outside groups submit maps for the committee to vote on.

Cangiolosi was one of the two dissenting votes on the Center for Civic Policys congressional map. But it won approval and is among the three options recommended to legislators.

As I communicated during the last CRC meeting, he said this week, I have serious concerns with presenting maps to the Legislature that we as a committee cannot assure were built using nonpartisan or performance data of any kind.

There are many ways to measure partisan lean and performance. FiveThirtyEight compares a district or state to how the nation as a whole votes.

Heres a look at the three congressional proposals and the FiveThirtyEight analysis of them:

 Concept A, approved on a 4-3 vote, would largely maintain the status quo with two Democratic-leaning seats and a Republican-leaning one.

It was among seven initial concepts suggested by Research & Polling Inc., the company hired to help the committee.

Republican Yvette Herrells southern New Mexico district would lean 13 points more toward Republicans than the national average.

The Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District now held by Democrat Melanie Stansbury and the 3rd Congressional District  represented by Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez of Santa Fe  would both lean substantially toward Democrats, as they do now.

 Concept E-Revised, approved on a 6-1 vote, would also maintain the existing political landscape, for the most part.

It was designed by Chavez to reflect input from public testimony on Native American representation and other factors.

The southern-based 2nd Congressional District would have an 11 point Republican lean compared to the nation as a whole.

An Albuquerque and Rio Rancho-based district would lean 18 percentage points toward Democrats. The northern-based district would swoop down to take in part of the Mescalero Apache reservation near Ruidoso and would lean 10 points toward Democrats.

 Concept H, the Center for Civic Policy map, would establish a highly competitive southern New Mexico seat by moving much of Albuquerques West Side and South Valley into the district. It was recommended on a 5-2 vote.

The proposal would also split the conservative stronghold of southeastern New Mexico into all three districts.

The results would be a Democratic lean in every U.S. House district  by 1 point in the southern district, 11 points in the central New Mexico district and 7 points in the northern New Mexico seat.

The suggested maps are recommendations. The Legislature, where Democrats hold large majorities, is set to meet in December and will be free to pick one of the committees suggestions or draft entirely new maps.

Also to be revised are boundaries for legislative seats and Public Education Commission districts.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A group of veteran oil and gas industry insiders hope to green up New Mexicos oil patch by building solar facilities for local producers through a new Roswell-based company, Blue Sierra Power LLC.

Blue Sierras four founders have formed a strategic partnership with renewable energy developer Diode Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of global engineering and construction giant Black & Veatch. That gives Blue Sierra ready-to-go financial, engineering and construction power to offer local oil and gas producers upfront financing to rapidly build on-site solar generation that can help clean up their operations, said Blue Sierra co-founder and Managing Member Jim Manatt.

Its a novel approach by industry veterans to accelerate decarbonization among New Mexico oil and gas producers as the nation and world move to a low-carbon economy, said the longtime Roswell oilman. The companys mission reflects the immense pressure now coming to bear on fossil fuel producers to lower, and eventually eliminate, if possible, carbon emissions in field operations.

Switching from natural gas and other carbon-based electricity to renewable generation to power operations can help do that, Manatt said.

Blue Sierra Power is a company built by industry insiders, all with 40-year industry management backgrounds, to help re-power the oil patch with state-of-the-art solar systems and back-up batteries, Manatt told the Journal. We call it Re-Powering the Patch.'

New state regulations and forthcoming federal rules and laws are pushing oil and gas companies to lower methane and other carbon emissions in their operations.

At the same time, producers are facing growing pressure from investors and financial institutions to adopt environmentally-friendly practices as a pre-condition for financing going forward. That reflects a novel but rapidly emerging investor emphasis on environmental, social and governance issues, or ESG, whereby financing entities weigh the risks companies face as climate change and social concerns move to the forefront of public scrutiny, said Brad Barnds, a Blue Sierra partner based in Houston.

The ESG movement is everywhere, Barnds said. You cant move into any setting now without paying attention to it. Money (from investors) will not come if you dont lower your carbon footprint and incorporate green development.

ESG first emerged about 20 years ago, contributing to policy changes among some major companies like BP and Shell, which are now investing much more in sustainable energy development. But in the last year or so, the focus on ESG has greatly accelerated, forcing many more public and private companies to include ESG concerns in their decision-making process.

Blue Sierras partners saw the writing on the wall, Manatt said. That encouraged them to launch the company this year to help firms adopt environmentally friendly technology.

From inside the industry, it feels as if ESG is coming at us like a fast freight train in the night, Manatt said. Many in the industry are still grasping the magnitude and speed of change coming upon us.

Major companies in the Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico have deeper pockets to finance and manage their own environmental efforts.

EOG Resources, for example, became the first oil company to build its own 8-megawatt solar array in New Mexico. It came online in November 2020 in Red Hills, in the heart of New Mexicos Permian Basin operations, to help power electric motor-driven compressors that provide the pressure needed to move natural gas through pipeline infrastructure. That offsets the gas-fired, carbon-emitting engines that typically run the compressors around the clock.

But smaller companies need assistance to green-up their operations, and that creates opportunities for Blue Sierra. These (smaller companies) know they have to get green and they dont know how to do it, Barnds said. Weve come up with a plan to install solar generation to lower emissions while also reducing their operating costs.

The key is Blue Sierras new partnership with Diode Ventures, which has built many solar facilities in other states, but not yet in New Mexico. Through the business alliance, Blue Sierra partners will draw on their own decades of industry connections and knowledge to recruit oil and gas companies here for solar development.

The company will then turn those projects over to Diode Ventures and its parent, Black & Veatch, to manage all the work, including everything from initial feasibility studies and permitting and planning to building the solar arrays and even operating them if the customer doesnt want to directly take over the facility itself.

And Diode can offer upfront financing.

Theyll bring early-development funding and theyll do all the heavy lifting to develop the project, Barnds said. They have all the engineering and technology capacity in place to hit the ground running.

New Mexico offers ideal conditions for solar projects, said Paul Ksiazek, senior project director at Diode Ventures.

New Mexico has great solar irradiance, and if you go into the eastern areas, the terrain is flatter, making it easier to build, Ksiazek told the Journal. Leasing and owning land there is also relatively inexpensive.

In addition, Blue Sierra and Diode say they can build renewable energy projects of up to 80 MW for local customers in half the time it might otherwise take a utility to build a renewable facility under a power purchasing agreement with a customer. Thats because utility-scale renewable projects that send all the electricity produced directly to a customer  rather than to a utility grid  are not required under federal rules to do a lengthy grid-interconnection study before building.

New Mexico has created state enabling rules for developers like Blue Sierra and Diode to take advantage of that federal exemption, Manatt said.

As a result, we can get a project built in a year to 18 months, compared with about three years for grid-tied projects, Manatt said. That significantly reduces costs.

Under the Blue Sierra-Diode strategy, all renewable energy credits generated by solar projects will also go back to the customer to redeem them on the market, lowering project costs even more, Manatt said.

Environmentalists support industry efforts to lower carbon emissions through renewable generation, as long as those efforts dont derail long-term goals of transitioning fully away from fossil fuels over time, said Western Environmental Law Center Executive Director Erik Schlenker-Goodrich.

Renewable electrification in the oil patch is important to help decarbonize that sector and reduce harm pending a transition to 100% renewable energy, Schlenker-Goodrich told the Journal. If they can do it, thats fantastic.  But it cant be a substitute for the full, long-term transition to renewables.
A man police say may have committed dozens of nighttime home burglaries in Albuquerque was arrested this week for allegedly breaking into cars at a high school.

At the time of his arrest, Jesse Mascareno-Haidle, 19, was wearing an electronic monitoring device and was under pretrial supervision in connection with earlier felonies, according to court records.

Mascareno-Haidles history of arrests has helped fuel debate about when judges should order felony defendants held in jail while awaiting trial.

The new charges have prompted prosecutors to ask a judge for a third time to order the teenager held in custody pending trial.

The state has asked multiple times to hold the defendant in custody on his pending felony cases, Assistant District Attorney Natalie Lyon wrote in a motion for pretrial detention.

He has admitted his involvement in multiple dangerous residential burglaries, Lyon wrote. Mascareno-Haidle was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet on Monday when he was arrested, she wrote.

Noah Gelb, Mascareno-Haidles public defender, said Thursday that he was aware of the new allegations, but declined additional comment.

Mascareno-Haidle was arrested Monday after students at Rio Grande High School alerted an officer that someone was breaking into cars in the school parking lot, according to a Bernalillo County Metro Court criminal complaint.

He was charged with burglary of a vehicle, resisting or evading an officer and attempting to commit a felony, according to the complaint.

A spokeswoman for 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez said prosecutors have twice sought to detain Mascareno-Haidle pending trial.

Our office is now seeking to detain him a third time after he allegedly committed new crimes, spokeswoman Lauren Rodriguez said in a written statement.

Earlier this year, on May 7, the New Mexico Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Torrez to overturn Mascareno-Haidles release pending trial.

Mascareno-Haidle was arrested Feb. 5 in connection with an earlier nighttime house burglary and charged with seven felonies, including residential burglary, larceny and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, according to court records.

The burglaries were similar to a massive string of highly similar residential burglaries committed from July 2020 to January 2021, prosecutors said.
LAS CRUCES  New Mexico State University set a deadline of Dec. 8 for employees across its campuses to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, at which point weekly testing will no longer be an alternative.

Since Sept. 30, NMSU employees and students not fully vaccinated were required to present with a negative test result on a weekly basis. By that deadline, only 1 in 3 students had documented their vaccination status.

On Wednesday, the university said 85% of its employees had submitted vaccination records.

On Wednesday, the university said it was joining peer institutions in complying with a mandate from President Joe Bidens administration and subsequent federal guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors.

The NMSU system maintains millions of dollars in federal contracts that support research and development in a broad range of disciplines, NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu said in a news release, confirming that the hard requirement to get vaccinated applies to all 7,561 university employees, including student workers.

The employees may still request medical or religious exemptions through NMSUs Office of Institutional Equity. A spokesperson for the university said that workers granted an exemption would continue to be tested weekly.

Students, also, would still have the option of being tested every week.

Time is short for unvaccinated workers to comply with the mandate before Dec. 8. Individuals are counted as fully vaccinated two weeks after completing their course of vaccine. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is completed with a single dose, the two messenger RNA vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna require two doses, spaced three to four weeks apart.

Employees who do not comply are subject to disciplinary review and consequences including suspension without pay, demotion or even termination.

One professor, business college professor David Clements, was fired in October after publicly refusing to take a vaccine, be tested or to wear a mask indoors, which is also mandatory.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The National Hispanic Cultural Center has new leadership.

On Friday, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs named Margie Huerta as the executive director and Noel Bella Merriam as its artistic director.

The advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities has been an integral part of my career, and I have a deeply rooted passion for its promotion and preservation, Huerta said in a statement. I am honored to be selected as the new executive director and look forward to working with the staff, board, and foundation to propel the NHCC to its rightful place nationally.

She will begin her new role on Nov. 5 and will make $95,000.

The position of artistic director is a new position created as part of the new leadership model.

According to the DCA, Merriam will work directly for Huerta, guiding the artistic and educational programming of the NHCC with a focus on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion.

The position was created to respond to the size and complex nature of NHCC, said Daniel Zillmann, DCA spokesman. The Board of Directors presented two exceptional and well-qualified individuals with unique and different skillsets.

According to Zillmann, the program directors for visual arts, performing arts, history and literary arts, and education will report to Merriam.

Her duties will include developing a comprehensive artistic and educational strategy and managing the program directors for the visual and performing arts, history and literary arts, and education.

As a second-generation Nicaraguan American, I am an advocate of advancing a broader understanding of the rich diversity and numerous contributions of Hispanics predating and throughout the history of the United States, Merriam said in a release. I am excited to utilize my unique combination of experience, skills, and education in furtherance of NHCCs mission and commitment to community.

Merriam comes from the San Antonio Museum of Art where she is the AT&T Director of Education, Diversity, and Inclusion. She has spent the past 28 years working in the arts with a focus on arts learning. She will begin on Jan. 6 and will make $91,350.

The NHCC has been without a permanent executive director since April 7, when Josefa Gonzalez Mariscal resigned after 11 months in the position.

DCA Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego has been overseeing the cultural center since July.

Huerta is a New Mexican, who until five months ago was a member of the NHCC board of directors. She resigned from the board to apply for the position. She was also on a previous executive search committee during her tenure on the board.

Huerta has a long history of public service in New Mexico, with stints at New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College.

While at DACC, where Huerta was president, she was at the center of controversy when the schools nursing program lost accreditation on July 20, 2013, from the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission. Students were notified weeks later, shortly before the semester began.

The accreditation loss threatened job prospects for 109 community college nursing students, because most hospitals require nurses to graduate from an accredited program. Eventually, about three-fourths of the students transferred to NMSUs nursing program after public outcry over the situation. Huerta and DACC faced numerous lawsuits due to the event.

The NHCC Board of Directors conducted an executive search to identify candidates for executive director when Gonzalez Mariscal resigned.

Working closely with the board president and vice president, Garcia y Griego identified the need for a leadership model that was more responsive to the unique needs of NHCC. Huerta and Merriam were the two finalists for the executive director position.

The center is currently hiring for directors in both history and literary arts and visual arts with Valerie Martinez and Tey Marianna Nunn leaving the center in recent months.
A Texas-based internet provider plans to invest $250 million to establish a new fiber broadband network in Albuquerque.

Vexus Fiber, which operates in 35 communities in Texas and Louisiana, announced plans to expand into Albuquerque by building a fiber network that brings broadband connectivity to every corner of the city. Vexus president and CEO Jim Gleason told the Journal the full build-out will take about three years, but customers in certain neighborhoods will have access in 2022.

Were going to be building a faster network that is able to deliver increased speeds over traditional providers, Gleason said.

Gleason said Albuquerque is the right size of market for the company, which specializes in providing fiber to mid-sized cities. Operating in such markets allows the company to build a brand and establish a local office that has an impact on the local economy, Gleason added.

In a town like Albuquerque, thats more impactful than it is if youre in a big city, he said.

Gleason said about three-quarters of the companys planned $250 million investment in Albuquerque will go directly toward the construction of its fiber network. Gleason said the company plans to run fiber optic cable directly to homes and businesses, near where telephone and power lines connect.

Were going to be going in with a fiber line thats going to go right alongside all of those utilities, Gleason said.

Vexus expects the build-out to begin next spring after the company inks a right-of-way agreement with the city and begin its design process. Gleason said construction should create around 200 temporary jobs. Additionally, the company plans to establish an office in the city that will host approximately 150 permanent jobs in Albuquerque, including managers, sales and customer care positions.

Dan Serrano, chairman of the ABQ Westside Chamber of Commerce, said he met with leaders from Vexus prior to the announcement and was impressed that the company wasnt seeking financial incentives to relocated to the city. He said hes hopeful the company can become an economic catalyst for the city.

If it brings other (companies) who want to come, thats great, Serrano said.

Improving broadband access in New Mexico has been a point of emphasis for legislators in recent years. The industry website BroadbandNow ranked New Mexico 49th in broadband access. While Albuquerque is better connected than rural parts of the state, Gleason said Vexus has reached out to agencies offering rural broadband funds, and will look to expand its network to rural parts of the state once its established in Albuquerque.

We know there is a big push in the United States, but in New Mexico specifically, to reach out to rural areas, Gleason said.
Deputies seized at least one .45-caliber round from a prop truck along with several guns  real and fake  and boxes of other miscellaneous ammunition, according to a search warrant return filed Friday in Santa Fe Magistrate Court.

The warrant inventory, one of two released, is the first to document real ammunition being found on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set since a shooting Oct. 21 left a cinematographer dead and the director wounded during a rehearsal.

An attorney retained by the armorer, meanwhile, issued a statement saying she had no idea where the live rounds came from and blaming the production for the tragedy.

Authorities say actor Alec Baldwin, 63, was practicing a cross draw with a Colt .45 revolver when the gun discharged, firing a bullet that killed Halyna Hutchins, 42, and wounded Joel Souza, 48.

Court records state assistant director David Halls had declared the firearm cold, meaning unloaded, before handing it to Baldwin. Halls later told deputies he hadnt checked the gun properly and couldnt recall if armorer Hannah Gutierrez had either.

Nobody has been charged in the incident and the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office is investigating.

A spokesman for the sheriffs office did not return calls for comment Friday.

The shooting brought international media attention to the New Mexico production  a film centered around an accidental killing  and has led to reports from crew members of safety issues on set, including accidental gun discharges, and that guns on the set may have been used for target practice.

Jason Bowles, a lawyer for Gutierrez, said his client has been falsely portrayed and slandered by media coverage of the shooting.

Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from, Bowles said in the statement.

Gutierrez told deputies that on the day of the shooting, the guns and ammunition were inside a safe in a prop truck but some ammo was left on a cart. She said only a few people had access to the safe and one of them, prop master Sarah Zachary, had retrieved the guns before the deadly incident.

Gutierrez told deputies that no live ammo is ever kept on set.

When deputies searched the white prop truck Wednesday, according to the warrant return, they found at least one Colt .45 caliber round, one spent blank round, a rubber revolver, miscellaneous ammunition in bags, boxes and a bucket, 12 revolvers, an ammunition belt and a rifle.

In his statement, Bowles said the guns were locked up every night and there was no way any of them went unaccounted for or were used for target practice. He said Gutierrez never had an accidental discharge, but there were two on set  one by the prop master and another by Baldwins stunt double.

Bowles said Gutierrez also held two positions on set, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer.

She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department, he said. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. This was not the fault of Hannah.
WENN/Rob Rich Celebrity

The audio series, hosted by the yoga instructor wife of Alec Baldwin and chef Daphne Oz, have not have a new episode since December 2020 and its trademark expired in June 2021.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Hilaria Baldwin's "Mom Brain" podcast has reportedly been canceled, a week after her husband Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed the cinematographer of his movie "Rust" (October 21).

The yoga instructor and her co-host on the audio series, chef Daphne Oz, haven't dropped a new episode since December 2020, and now the show appears to be gone for good.

But the cancellation appears to have been in the works long before the tragic shooting on the Santa Fe, New Mexico film set.

Back in January 2021, Hilaria was ridiculed after critics questioned her Spanish heritage based on the accent she used in a series of online videos, and it emerged she was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

She quit social media for a time and also took a break from her podcasting job, and now The Sun reports the trademark for "Mom Brain" expired in June 2021.

Officials at production company Vaynerstudios, LLC and The Gallery Media Group "abandoned" the project since staff members "did not receive a response to the previous Office action within the six-month response period," according to paperwork obtained by The Sun.

Alec's wife of nine years has also removed the listing for "Mom Brain" from her Instagram biography.

As for Alec's accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins, Hilaria has offered condolences to the late cinematographer's family. "My heart is with Halyna. Her husband. Her son. Their family and loved ones. And my Alec," she wrote on Instagram on October 25 . "It's said, 'there are no words' because it's impossible to express the shock and heartache of such a tragic accident. Heartbreak. Loss. Support."
Instagram Celebrity

The '30 Rock' alum is pictured with his wife Hilaria and their six children in Manchester Center, a small town in Vermont, where he's reportedly laying low after the fatal set accident.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin has been reunited with his family following the tragedy on the set of "Rust". The actor has been pictured for the first time with his wife Hilaria and their six children during a family outing after he accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In pictures obtained by The Sun, Alec, alongside his wife, their kids and their nanny, was seen collecting take-out food from a pizza shop in Manchester Center, a small town in Vermont, on Sunday, October 24. The 63-year-old actor was seen carrying two bags of food as his family followed close behind.

Dressed in all black, the former "Saturday Night Live" star kept his head down with his glasses perched on top of his head. He appeared to still have the scruffy hair and long gray beard that he sported during the filming of the western film. He also wore a face mask which was pulled down to his chin.

Alec was also seen exiting a clothing store in the small town during a separate outing. In pictures obtained by Fox News, he donned a blue plaid shirt, dark pants and a blue face mask while carrying a brown paper bag. When he seemingly noticed the paparazzi, he covered his face with his hand.

Alec reportedly has been laying low in the quiet New England town after the fatal accident on the set of his movie last Thursday, October 21. He previously said in a statement on Twitter that he was "fully cooperating" with the police investigation into the shooting. However, on Wednesday, deputies in New Mexico said they "didn't know" his current whereabouts.

Meanwhile, a source told PEOPLE that Alec is leaning on his wife and kids for support in the wake of the unthinkable tragedy. "It's such an unthinkable tragedy and the grief and trauma for him are unbearable," the source said. "Alec is still in shock and his heart is completely broken. He is doing his best to cope and is leaning on Hilaria and the kids for support."

Alec discharged the weapon which struck Halyna and director Joel Souza on the set in Santa Fe, New Mexico last week. The cinematographer was pronounced dead after she was airlifted to the hospital. The movie's director, meanwhile, was hospitalized with a wound to his shoulder but later discharged.
Instagram Celebrity

When defending her parenting approach, the 'Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta' star reveals that it was the second time she had to be 'physical' with her 14-year-old daughter.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Tommie Lee let fans know that she doesn't like to physically punish her daughter. The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star, who previously called out her child on social media for stealing and wrecking her expensive car, admitted that she "cried" after getting "physical" in disciplining the teenager.

"After reviewing some of these remarks I feel compelled to speak on the fact that I've repeatedly thought about this incident and if it had taken a turn for the worst," the reality star wrote on Instagram Story. "All day while most of everybody who commented said I should beat my child and spoke as if they knew that's where my head was when I mentioned discipline."

"And to be honest it wasn't my previous run in with my child that was so publicly scrutinized. [It] was her 2nd time I've ever had to be physical with her and both times I cried after," the 37-year-old confessed. "If you know me in real life then you know this to be true.

Tommie then noted that while "a lot of people's focus" was on her F1 Jaguar, her concern was her 14-year-old daughter driving the car "from Tarzana to Beverly Hills with very little experience." She further explained, "The horsepower on that car with the lack of knowledge being driven by a kid could have left my child dead."

"This experience has taught me a few things and the main thing is none of us have this parent s**t on lock and unlike you 'privileged' mf's I'm not stay at home mom," she further argued. "I have to work to provide for my family so that whole you should've been home stuff is a joke to me because if I stay home I won't have one."

"Y'all voiced y'all opinions and here's mine, by the time your child reaches middle school they are no longer entertained or lead by your super f**king parenting skills," Tommie further wrote. "They are being lead and influenced by their peers and oh the undefeated Internet seeing some of these wack a** recommendations made me proud of the mother I am cause y'all trippin damn and here I was thinking I'm the bad guy."

Regardless, Tommie informed her online devotees that she did "appreciate the more sensible responses prayers and concerns." She later concluded, "We good and to all my super parents that never had no funny s**t happen to them and their kids would never disrespect them or try them like that.... Let me borrow ya pamphlet b***h I need it!"

The posts arrived after Tommie slammed her daughter on Instagram Story, saying that the latter stole and wrecked her Jaguar while she was out of town. At that time, the TV personality let out a video showing some scratches on the right front wheel of the car.
Marvel Studios Movie

Upon learning that fans are mad that Doctor Octopus has CGI tentacles in the upcoming movie, the Peter Parker depicter claims Alfred Molina does 'method acting' for his portrayal of the villain.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Having been used to critics of his movies, Tom Holland is taking in stride when fans expressed displease at a certain detail in "Spider-Man: No Way Home". Following the release of the first trailer, some people complained that Doctor Octopus' (Alfred Molina) tentacles are rendered to CGI in the upcoming movie.

The British actor has apparently caught wind of the complaints as he has given a witty response. Instead of taking offense with it, he showed his sense of humor and joked that instead of using CGI, Molina does "method acting" for his portrayal of the villain.

In giving his response, the Peter Parker depicter took to Instagram on Thursday, October 28 to post a screenshot of a scene from the trailer, in which Doctor Octopus wraps and lifts Spider-Man with his tentacles. In the caption, he wrote, "Absolutely no cgi in this picture. Method acting at its finest," tagging the official Instagram account of the movie.

Molina first portrayed Doctor Octopus in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" (2004). In the Tobey Maguire-starring movie, the villain got his menacing look thanks to fully-articulated puppet tentacles. However, technology has developed a lot since the said movie and "No Way Home" is making use of this advanced tech to bring Doc Ock back to life.

Molina isn't the only actor from Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy who will appear in the forthcoming Marvel film. Maguire has been long rumored to reprise his role as Spider-Man, though it has not been confirmed yet. "The Amazing Spider-Man" star Andrew Garfield is also said to make appearance as his own version of the web-slinger, while "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" star Jamie Foxx will return as Max Dillon a.k.a. Electro.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is directed by Jon Watts, who helmed the previous two installments, with the script written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. The superhero film is slated for a December 17 release in the United States.
Instagram Celebrity

News emerges that the 'Trap Queen' hitmaker is arrested by police as soon as he arrives in New York, where he's apparently set to take the stage of the Rolling Loud festival.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Fetty Wap has faced an unexpected roadblock during his latest trip to New York. Flying to the state reportedly for a Rolling Loud show, the Paterson-born artist was reportedly arrested as soon as he arrived in the city.

News of his alleged arrest surfaced on Thursday, October 28. According to The Neighborhood Talk, it received the information via DMs. In a screenshot of the DM, an unidentified informant texted, "Fetty wop (sic) got arrested at the airport in New York for arriving for rolling loud show."

It's currently unclear why Fetty was allegedly arrested as the source said they're still "waiting for more information." Meanwhile, social media personality and vlogger Tasha K. commented on The Neighborhood Talk's post that it's probably because he failed to make child support payments.

While it's said that Fetty traveled to New York for a Rolling Loud show, it's unknown when he was scheduled to take the stage as he was never announced as part of the full lineup of the three-day festival that kicked off on Thursday, October 28.

Meanwhile, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Nas X, Bobby Shmurda, Gunna and 50 Cent were among those who rocked the stage on the first day of the festival. For his set, 50 Cent brought up DaBaby as a surprise guest.

When it comes to the law, Fetty Wap is far from having a clean record. Over the years, he has been on the receiving end of multiple lawsuits for instances including copyright infringement, defamation, property damage and assault.

Back in November 2017, the 30-year-old star was arrested after being pulled over on a Brooklyn highway. He was subsequently charged with drunk driving, reckless endangerment, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, illegally changing lanes and drag racing.

Later in 2019, the "My Way" spitter was arrested in Las Vegas for an alleged assault. He reportedly punched three employees at the Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Vegas strip and hit a parking attendant after getting into an argument. He was then held by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on three counts of battery.
WSJ. Magazine Celebrity

In a new interview, the 'Free Guy' leading man says that he overcomes his anxiety by setting his goal 'to be present' so he can 'fully' embrace and live his life.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - Ryan Reynolds has opened up about how intense work affected his mental health. In a new interview, the "Free Guy" actor revealed that he sacrificed his "well-being" for work and achievement after unveiling his struggle with anxiety.

In a candid interview for WSJ magazine's cover story published on Thursday, October 28, the 44-year-old actor divulged that he faces anxieties about doing everything all the time. "I tend to bite off way more than I could or should chew," he admitted.

"I think maybe it's just that Canadian sensibility: 'Well, I said I was going to, so I have to deliver this.' I will do that at the cost of my own well-being sometimes," Ryan continued. He went on to say, "I fixate on things. That's sort of the engine of anxiety. I lay awake at night, wrapping and unwrapping every possible scenario. I slept at a perfect right angle for so many years."

Ryan then hinted that he's planning on taking a break from the movie industry. "I tend to pave over anxiety with work and, to a lesser extent, achievement," the "Deadpool" actor told the publication. "You want to tick boxes sometimes. So these days, my goal is to be as present as I can."

Ryan noted that he didn't want to "just tick a box just to do it." The "Red Notice" actor added, "I'm fully embracing and living that right now." He then confessed, "It's been amazing. Heartfelt personal-growth quote: check," making a checkmark in the air.

Previously, Ryan announced that he would be stepping back to focus more on being present in his private life. In an Instagram post he shared on October 16, he wrote, "Perfect time for a little sabbatical from movie making."

Ryan's wife, Blake Lively, trolled him in the comments as saying, "Michael Caine did it first." The "Gossip Girl" alum referred to Michael's announcement that he's retiring, though his representative later said that he's actually not going into retirement.
Music

The newly-released track is one of the singles off the Moroccan-American rapper's forthcoming album 'They Got Amnesia', which will be released on November 12.

Oct 29, 2021

AceShowbiz - French Montana won't let anyone make fun of him. Just days after being the butt of the joke on Twitter, the Moroccan-American rapper dropped a new single called "I Don't Really Care" and its music video, in which he boasts about being a "trendsetter."

In the visual dropped on Friday, October 29, the emcee first imitates Childish Gambino (Donald Glover)'s "This Is America" music video. In the clip, he's seen shooting a man who's tied up with a head cover.

"I don't really care/ I make trends and forget about 'em/ You know I'm still stuntin' through the virals," the 36-year-old musician raps. "Word again, beat on [?]/ I'm the big bad boy since Wallace/ I don't really care."

The footage also sees French making references to iconic clips of Eminem, Cardi B and The Weeknd with his famed sparkling red jacket and bandaged face. The music video also displays a woman sporting the "I really don't care, do u?" jacket worn by Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump.

"I Don't Really Care" is one of the singles off French's forthcoming album, "They Got Amnesia". The album, which follows his 2019 album "Montana", will be released on November 12.

The new music came just days after French clapped back at a "Squid Game" meme which joked about his reliance on features. In the said meme, participants were challenged to name the rapper's five tracks that do not include collaboration from other artists.

The meme did not go unnoticed by French, who quickly fired back by naming his 14 songs, including "Ain't Worried About Nothin", "Don't Panic", Shot Caller", "What It Look Like" and "Famous". He then argued, "Now eat a d**k [angry devil face] I'm droping a solo track this week."

Unfortunately, French's response prompted his followers to ridicule him even more. "All you proved is that French Montana is the only person who name 5 solo French Montana song," one person tweeted, before another echoed the sentiment, "not a soul on this earth outside of yourself knows any of these songs."
CHICO, Calif. - A Wednesday night shooting at a Chico gas station sent one employee to the hospital.

Fellow coworkers of the victim say their coworker is doing well, but people that come here to fill up their cars or grab a drink, still feel a bit on edge.

"I mean that changes the whole perspective on everything. I mean just you saying that is putting hairs on my back," said Luis Hernandez.

"It's a tragedy, it's super sad for something like this to happen at a place where we do come and that we consider very family-friendly," said Rachel Rickard.

Customers still trying to wrap their heads around the shooting more than 24 hours later.

"Anytime there is an act of violence, trying to understand what the intention behind it was," she said.

The shooting happened on Longfellow and First Ave. in Chico. Right across the street from In Motion Fitness at around 10 Wednesday night.

"And the fact that I work out at In Motion, after I'm done working out I come over here and grab a protein shake," said Hernandez. "I'm a little bit more alert all of a sudden you know?"

While Action News Now spoke with the employees and manager of the mini-mart, Chico PD was continuing to investigate.

The manager told us she has surveillance video of the shooting, but Chico Police asked us not to share it as their investigation continues, and we're honoring that.

Several cameras are on the inside and outside of the store, as well as a tv indoors that watches all angles.

And while people are hopeful the person responsible will be caught, for them, it puts into perspective how quickly things can change.

"Anytime that I'm deciding to leave my house or my property, I feel like I'm taking that chance," said Rickard. "That's a little scary but so is getting behind the wheel of my car and getting ready to drive, so we're all constantly taking our lives into our hands, every second that we're alive."

Chico Police say they believe this to be an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the public.

They tell Action News Now there is currently no lead on a suspect at this time.
EUREKA, Calif. (AP)  A 19-year-old Northern California man has pleaded guilty to three murders under a plea agreement calling for a sentence of 150 years in prison.

Mauricio Eduardo Sanchez-Johnson entered the pleas in Humboldt County Superior Court on Tuesday.

The Times-Standard reports that Johnson also admitted three special allegations for use of a firearm. Forty-year-old Nikki Dion Metcalf, 40-year-old Margarett Lee Moon and 16-year-old Shelly Autumn Mae Moon were slain in Bear River earlier this year.

RELATED: 19-year-old suspect arrested in Utah for Bear River Rancheria triple homicide to be extradited to Humboldt County

The prosecution accepted the plea offer made by Johnson's attorney.

A prosecution statement say the sentence means the defendant will have a parole hearing in 25 years.
REDDING, Calif. - A Friday arraignment for PG&E was pushed back more than 5 months, this all stems from manslaughter charges filed by the Shasta County District Attorneys Office in connection to the Zogg Fire.

RELATED: PG&E charged in last year's Zogg fire that killed 4

In court, PG&E deferred entering a plea pending the filing and hearing of a demurrer. The demurrer attacks the face of the complaint - not the facts of the case - as it relates to the air pollution charges filed against them, according to the Shasta County DA.

The DA says it's similar to what the company did in Sonoma County for the 2019 Kincade Fire.

After the demur process that's when PG&E will enter a plea. The next court date is April 4th, 2022, the DA anticipates this will be a long case.

Action News Now reached out to PG&E for a statement about what happened in court Friday, and here's what they provided us below:

"We continue to be saddened for the families and friends whose loved ones lost their lives in the Zogg Fire, as well as those who lost homes or businesses as result of the fire. Weve previously stated we accept CAL FIREs finding that a tree falling into our equipment started the fire, but we do not believe there was any criminal activity. Today, we informed the court that we will file a motion next month challenging the legal basis of certain charges in the governments complaint. We remain committed to working to further reduce wildfire risk on our energy system, and our 25,000 coworkers are working hard every day to deliver on that commitment."
REDDING, Calif. - As Halloween approaches, Shasta County Health and Human Services say they are not worried about a spike in COVID-19 cases.

They say trick or treaters will mostly be safe because they will be outside and in small groups of people they already live with.

Shasta County Health and Human Services said this doesnt mean that COVID-19 cant spread, but the risk is lower than holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving where many people host large indoor gatherings.

Kimberly Ross, Shasta County Health and Human Services Community Education Specialist, recommends that as trick or treaters go door to door with their own type of masks the people answering the door should wear their own to stay safe.

Those little ones that are trick or treating, they cant get the vaccine yet, Ross said. Only those age 12 and up can so we really need to protect the trick or treaters and keep our potential COVID germs to ourselves. Just share the candy, not the COVID.

Most people that talked to Action News Now from Shasta County said they arent worried about COVID spreading this Halloween.

People like Cottonwood local, Deborah Worstman, don't see a lot of trick or treaters near their rural home but are hoping those that do come to stay cautious as they move around different neighborhoods.

People should have hand sanitizer and as for us well make sure that we use frequent hand washings between trick or treaters, Wostman said."

Across the Redding area, over 30 homes are decorated for trick or treaters to enjoy as a part of the Boo Cruise.

Mario Burke set up his home for the Boo Cruise where people can enter his hallway of horror to get their candy if they dare.

The hallway itself is a self-made tent filled with decorations and fog.

Burke says hes done what he can to make sure everyone is safe so they can enjoy Halloween with peace of mind.

The tent is actually really wide, Burke said. Its 10 feet wide and 20 feet long and it gives them enough space where they can actually separate. I have plenty of airflow going through there and I have a separate exit door.

Shasta County Health and Human Services recommend that people get vaccinated before the holiday season if they plan to travel and gather indoors.

They also say if you feel sick its best to skip the trick or treating and stay home.
Managed accommodation company Stanza Living has unveiled its first-ever campaign Loved by you. Approved by Moms. The campaign prioritizes COVID measures and moms answers for worries about their children. Stanza Living provides vibrant, fully-furnished residences for youngsters to enjoy the best years of their lives.

Leaving home to learn, work, and build a life in a new city is a rite of passage for many youngsters. And feeling reluctant about their young adult living all by themselves in a strange new city is fairly common for moms. Getting the two on the same page about their views  near impossible. Add to this a pandemic that has upped parents obsession with their familys safety needs and convincing moms just became tougher.

Stanza Living VP - Marketing and Communications Sahil Chopra said: Parents and children rarely ever agree on anything. But with our product proposition, we are confident of bringing them together on the same page. Through the campaign, we are showcasing our top-notch residences - perfect for youngsters who are eager to live in a place that truly matches their tastes. At the same time, we are giving a peek into our robust COVID safety protocols and a strict no room for error policy that gets nods from parents. Whenever you search for a safe harbor in a new city, you know Stanza Living is the place to choose.

Campaign details

The digitally-native campaign will kick-start with three teaser films to bring alive a topical conflict in many Indian homes right now  after nearly two years of facing the pandemic, the aspirating young adults of India are heading back to colleges and workplaces, but moms are not too keen about the idea of them living in regular PGs, hostels and other rental spaces where COVID safety measures could be suspect. So, from worrying about whether they will get good quality food to how safe and hygienic a new place will be or even whether they should be staying on their own leaving the care and familiarity of home and family  the teasers showcase parental paranoia in today's times.

The great escape from home ft. Mom's sarcasm

Moving out from home ft. Mom's theplas

Leaving home for college ft. Mom's paranoia

Stanza Living's G.O.A.T Common areas_Loved by you, Approved by moms

Stanza Living's Delish food_Loved by you, Approved by moms

Stanza Living's LIT Rooms_Loved by you, Approved by moms

The three main films of the campaign record the conflict is resolved when the same mom-youngster duos visit Stanza Living properties and each of them is amazed by what they see - great facilities (vibrant rooms, fun common areas, and delicious food) for the youngster, and stringent COVID protocols/measures that assure the moms. The films use the creative device of the dream-like trance that lets us deliver the simple message  our residences will be loved by you, approved by moms - in a fun and memorable way.

Launching with Youtube Ad films, the campaign will be promoted across social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Sharechat; digital content and OTT platforms like Zee5, Disney-Hotstar, Sony LIV, Moj, Roposo, Voot, MX Takata, Inshorts; and DTH platforms like Airtel XStream. Targeted at students, young working professionals and their parents, students, and young working professionals across Tier I and II cities.
Eidgenossisches Departement fur auswartige Angelegenheiten

Kiev, 29.10.2021 - Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Vice President of the Federal Council and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA delivered on the occasion of Innovation Day at Unit.City. Check against delivery.

Excellencies

Honourable Minister

Honourable Executive Director of the European Business Association

Honourable CEO of Unit.City

Distinguished guests, dear ladies and gentlemen



It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you here to Ukraine's first innovation park  Unit.City. I am delighted to open today's innovation day. An innovation day dedicated to climate change  a topic relevant to every single one of us: states, corporations and individuals alike.



A global challenge to humanity that we can only tackle by working together. If Covid has shown us anything, it is that today's challenges do not stop at national borders. This is just as true for a pandemic as it is for the challenges posed by climate change  global challenges require global solutions. They require international cooperation as much as technological innovation.



They also require a new cooperative world governance on science and technology that can harness technological advances for inclusive development, allowing people around the world  not just in rich countries  to reap the social and economic benefits.



Without it, states might be at risk of engaging in a race for innovation driven by motives of gaining power and influence. Some even fear a new Cold War over science and technology. To avoid such a confrontational scenario and because nobody can face global issues alone, we should rather identify how we can adapt, evolve and respond together to the challenges and opportunities of our time  bridges should not only be built at the political but also at the scientific level.



How such science-based cooperation at state level can look was something demonstrated by Ukraine and Switzerland in the context of the current pandemic. In March 2020, Ukraine and Switzerland jointly launched a tech-for-good-project for the development of innovative portable Ambu-bag lung ventilators.



As a contribution to fighting the pandemic, the idea was not commercially but socially motivated. Its goal: to make this innovative respiratory device available at an affordable price to hospitals and dispensaries in weaker economic regions, where the demand for respiratory devices is high, but supply remains scarce because of the limited offer on the market and of the high costs per unit.



I strongly believe that such investments in new technologies and an inclusive society will not only benefit the recipient countries, but also the donor nations as well. Both Ukraine and Switzerland discovered early on that investing in research and development of new technologies contributes significantly to welfare and prosperity.



Especially in the area of climate change, new economic opportunities are opening up fast. By developing and sharing innovative clean-tech solutions, our countries can contribute to a more sustainable world while opening up new market niches for our industries.



This is an approach that Switzerland has been following consistently for many years now. In 1983, Switzerland was the first European country to adopt a comprehensive Law on Environmental Protection. Since then our country has also been active at the international level by launching initiatives in the areas of environmentally friendly waste management, smart cities, and sustainable agriculture  to cite just a few examples.



It is precisely energy-intensive sectors such as agriculture, forestry and water management that currently have some of the greatest potential. Here, it is already possible to make a significant contribution to the reduction of carbon levels and to do so at an affordable cost.



However, to be efficient in fighting climate change, countries must implement measures for de-carbonisation and greening in all sectors of their economy. These measures should derive from state-run programmes that have a national impact, also through stimulation of relevant policies and investments at the local level.



Indeed, dialogue and cooperation on climate change must not only be strengthened internationally between different countries, but also internally, in all sectors of the economy, between the central authorities on the one hand and local authorities, scientific experts, business and civil society representatives on the other hand.



This inclusive approach must be uppermost in our minds when designing climate change policies and strategies, as well as when addressing concrete issues in this domain. I highly support initiatives like todays EBA event in Kyiv. It is vital that different actors in the economy reflect on how they can develop their business while doing their part to combat climate change, by becoming agents of change through clean-tech innovations.



I am confident that if we can get all the actors from politics, business, science and civil society together and talk the same language, follow the same goal, we can achieve impactful results for the protection of our planet and at the same time help to fight poverty worldwide  sustainable development and prosperity go hand in hand, if we work hand in hand.



Let us use the great potential that lies in the variety of our know-how, skills and creativity through cooperation in clean-tech and science diplomacy.



For those among you who run a business or have an executive position in a company, I encourage you to lead your company towards becoming an innovative clean-tech oriented economic actor. Such a step is a responsible and profitable investment, for the climate, for society and for your own business!



Thank you.

Adresse fur Ruckfragen

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Herausgeber

Eidgenossisches Departement fur auswartige Angelegenheiten

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The Federal Council

Bern, 29.10.2021 - On 28 October 2021 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Major General Patrick Gauchat as Head of Mission of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East. This is the first time a Swiss officer has been given command of a UN peacekeeping mission. The Federal Council was informed of his planned deployment at its meeting on 24 September.

For Switzerland, the appointment of Major General Gauchat comes in recognition of the country's contribution to international peacekeeping missions over many years. Around 250 members of the Swiss Armed Forces are currently serving voluntarily in military peacekeeping activities.

Oldest UN peacekeeping mission

The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization was created by the UN Security Council in 1948, making it the UN's oldest peacekeeping mission. It has around 150 unarmed military observers and over 200 civilian staff. Switzerland attaches great importance to the work of UNTSO, which plays a key role in reducing risk and preventing the escalation of violence in this unstable region. With 13 military personnel in UNTSO, Switzerland contributes one of the largest national contingents of military observers.

UNTSO's mandate is primarily to monitor ceasefires and armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating and assist other United Nations peacekeeping operations in the region.

Military observers in the Golan and south Lebanon

UNTSO currently provides military observers in the Golan (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF) and in south Lebanon (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL). In addition, the organisation works to facilitate regional dialogue. UNTSO performs its various tasks through liaison offices in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Major General Patrick Gauchat currently heads the Swiss delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea. He has many years of experience in international peace missions, having held various positions in the Middle East, the Balkans, Korea and at UN headquarters in New York. In his military career, Major General Gauchat served as Deputy Commander of Territorial Region 1 until the end of 2017.

Address for enquiries

Lorenz Frischknecht

Deputy Head of Communications / DDPS Spokesperson

+41 58 484 26 17

Publisher

The Federal Council

https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html



General Secretariat DDPS

https://www.vbs.admin.ch/



Defence

http://www.vtg.admin.ch



Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Bern, 29.10.2021 - On Friday, 29 October, while on his trip to the Middle East, President Guy Parmelin met high-ranking representatives of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He held talks with the Minister of Finance, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Minister of Tolerance und Commissioner-General for Expo Dubai, Sheikh Nayan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and the Minster of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri. Among the key topics discussed were economic and financial relations between Switzerland and the UAE, cooperation in the fields of education, science and innovation, and regional political developments.

Both sides highlighted the long-standing close ties between Switzerland and the UAE. The UAE is one of Switzerland's most important trading partners in the Middle East and North Africa region. Mr Parmelin underlined the additional opportunities arising from the free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which entered into force in 2014. Furthermore, links between Swiss and Emirati institutions in the fields of education, research and innovation are growing. International issues were also discussed, including the normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel.

During the talks, Mr Parmelin also praised the World Expo in Dubai, which has been successfully staged despite the difficult conditions of the global pandemic. This is the first world exhibition held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and also the first to be held by an Arab country. Mr Parmelin took part in the Expo Swiss Nation Day on Friday. He had previously visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, on Thursday.

Address for enquiries

GS-EAER Communications

Tel. +41 58 462 20 07

info@gs-wbf.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch




Every emergency preparedness kit is just as different as the family who compiles it, says Red Cross regional communications manager Drew Brown, based in Peoria, Illinois.

There are, of course, the basics that every kit requires, and then you tailor it to your family including the four-legged members, she said.

When it comes to disasters, this time of year, she encourages people to think about fire prevention as the weather changes and temperatures fall. The American Red Cross of Illinois is called upon most often to assist in house fires, she said. She recommends making a plan of what to do in case of fire as well as ensuring your home has working smoke detectors.

The American Red Cross of Illinois serves more than 12 million people in 88 counties across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, Brown said. Last year for example, it helped 9,135 people affected by 1,832 local disasters.

Red Cross information is among the resources Derrick Appell, board president of Altona, a Knox County village in western Illinois, uses to compile tips about emergency preparedness to post on his villages website every September during National Disaster Preparedness Month.

His community also takes other actions to be prepared, including applying for and winning a USDA Rural Development community facility grant of $18,300. It is helping the community get an emergency siren so warnings can be heard in all parts of the town. Altona also got two handheld radios to improve communication.

For Molly Hammond, the memory of an F3 tornado striking the village of Gifford in 2013 remains fresh in her mind. Her parents lived there at that time. It influences the Illinois acting state director of USDAs Rural Development when her agency helps communities navigate preparedness and recovery from disasters.
The 2020 Census showed Missouris population grew by 2.8% over the past decade, compared to 7.4% growth for the U.S. as a whole. The Census showed the continuation of some population trends, including the loss of rural population, but also included some variety among rural communities.

Missouri saw population decline in rural areas, in particular northern and southeastern Missouri, as well as the urban core of St. Louis, both of which have been declining for decades. Suburban areas near Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Columbia saw significant growth.

I think the numbers reveal pretty much what everyone expected, said Peverill Squire, political scientist with the University of Missouri.

Of Missouris 114 counties, 78 saw population decline reported in the 2020 Census. Ripley County in southeastern Missouri saw the biggest population decline, losing 24% over the past decade.

Mary Hendrickson, rural sociologist with the University of Missouri, says each community has its own factors to consider.

Whats causing the population loss? she says. Thats the question that communities need to be asking themselves.

Hendrickson says it is also important to look at demographics  who is leaving rural areas.

If the young people are leaving, if they go get a college degree and dont come back, that becomes more of a problem, she says.

Losing too much population can also affect quality of life in rural areas, she says.

It can have some impact on the level of services that communities can provide, Hendrickson says.
Bomhoff, which has experience in aviation interiors dating back to 1952, has set up a new subsidiary, Bomhoff Limited, which is due to begin operations at a newly renovated facility in Tucson, Arizona. Bomhoff Limited will offer bespoke and limited-production composite-based furniture and components to OEMs and completion centres.

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The Tucson site, a former cash vault for a national bank, sits on three acres just north of Tucson International Airport. The facility has multiple features suited for aerospace, including an R&D lab, cleanroom, composite shop and a full paint booth.

It has always been my goal to be involved with the very best artisans whose passion is to fabricate exceptional quality furnishings, said Russ Bomhoff, president of Bomhoff Limited. There are many aircraft around the world that are still flying with our original furnishings. Thats the quality were looking to replicate.

Our companys goal is to provide innovative solutions for the designers and organisations who seek a working partner that has the vision, technical abilities and eagerness to turn the most challenging ideas into reality.
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Ward V's Bob Langstaff seeking four more years, with focus on police, job creation, finances

Special Photo Bob Langstaff

Editors Note: Eighth in a series about the candidates seeking the Ward II, Ward III and Ward V seats on the Albany City Commission in the Nov. 2 municipal election.

ALBANY  Heading toward the end of his 20th year on the Albany City Commission, Bob Langstaffs tenure places him as the second-longest member currently serving.

Langstaff, who represents Ward V, is seeking re-election in the Nov. 2 municipal election to a sixth term in a three-way race with challengers RyShari Burley and Colette Jenkins.

Several issues are motivating the incumbent, most notably public safety, economic development and ensuring the city remains on a strong financial footing.

I think the main thing is, the most important thing to me and I think its the most important thing in Ward V, is being safe, public safety, he said. Everybody is concerned about crime, and crime is up around the country.

Like other law enforcement agencies, the Albany Police Department has a severe shortage of officers to patrol the streets. A consultant hired by the city estimated APD is about 70 percent short of the number of officers needed, and the issue also affects the citys finances. The same study showed that over five years, the losses incurred by training officers who left after a short stint cost the city $5 million.

Thats tax dollars, he said. Retention is not just how many officers (are) on the street, its also a financial problem.

One potential solution Langstaff said he sees is freezing the citys pension plan to new hires. While current employees would remain in the plan and accrue benefits for retirement, it would allow new employees to receive bigger paychecks.

Currently public safety officers have 7% deducted from their checks and other employees 4%.

While a pension plan was a valuable inducement in the past, younger people these days do not anticipate remaining in a job for 30 years, the commissioner said. Allowing them to see a better paycheck immediately would help recruit new officers.

Thats money we could be using to increase salaries, Langstaff said. Seven percent is significant. The Generation Zs dont look at jobs the same way as our generation did. The younger generations are more mobile. The majority of new hires dont think theyll be around long enough to collect a pension.

There are several options that could be examined, Langstaff said, such as making the freeze applicable to only new officers rather than all departments and an opt-out option where they could decide whether or not to participate.

The city, Dougherty County and Albany Area Chamber of Commerce jointly fund the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, a relationship that has served well in attracting companies. Langstaff said.

An additional tool was added with a $22 million infusion of cash into a job investment fund through reimbursement from the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia. Already, $1.8 million invested through that fund has paid off, including helping attract Webstaurant to Albany, Langstaff said.

The thing thats so great about it is that $1.8 million investment has resulted in a private investment of about $60 million, he said. Weve also got close to 500 jobs that may not have been here but for the 1.8 million we gave to those companies.

Several downtown businesses, including The Flint restaurant and Pretoria Fields Collective brewery also were helped with loans, Langstaff said.

So far the funds have been used to help provide a final nudge to companies when Albany is in competition with other cities. Langstaff said he would favor opening it up as an inducement earlier in the process. Another idea is to adjust the number of jobs and investment required on the part of investors for receiving grants or loans.

Its just a different way to market it, Langstaff said. Its just we might be a little more flexible.
AMERICUS, Kan. (AP)  A Kansas school district plans to offer anti-discrimination training to staff and teachers in response to complaints about how an eighth-grade student was treated after she said she was a lesbian.

North Lyon County officials notified the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas that it plans to provide the training, particularly as it relates to the LGBTQ community, The Emporia Gazette reported.

The ACLU had threatened to sue the district after Izzy Dieker, who was an eighth grader at the time, was suspended from riding the bus for two days in January because she said "I am a lesbian" while on the bus. She said she didn't ride again for two weeks because she felt humiliated.

The Kansas Association of School Boards later found the school principal's and the bus driver's handling of the case amounted to sexual harassment against Dieker.

"While we regret that our involvement and Izzy's successful Title IX complaint were ever necessary, we were glad to learn that the district would take steps to ensure similar discrimination does not occur again," ACLU of Kansas Legal Director Sharon Brett said in a letter to the district.

The district has about 350 students and is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Topeka.
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An intriguing and distressing feature of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats is that both have a propensity for law-breaking and lawmaking. Theyre different sides of the same coin. While the former is obviously bad, in the wrong hands, the latter is no less wicked. Lawmaking, when done punitively, for gross partisan advantage, when favoring some over the many, and/or for pure power acquisition, will as easily offend and injure those citizens subject to bad laws as any violation of law.

Said the ancient Roman thinker Tacitus: The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.

Tacitus wisdom is timeless, for what do we see from the Biden administration and the Democrat-run Congress but a profusion of initiatives that they intend to make laws -- laws that meet the criteria for being bad.

To date, systemic inertia -- due, in large part, to thin Democrat congressional majorities -- internal divisions and squabbling, and a grasping incompetence have roadblocked the Democrats ambitious agenda. Pray that the GOP captures Congress in the midterms.

What, after all, is the For the People Act but a federalization of state elections for the purpose of granting Democrats naked partisan advantages in future elections? Its a gambit to entrench one-party rule. Its banana republic worthy.

The Heritage Foundation did a deep dive into the ruinous impact of H.R. 1 on elections across the nation. Heritages report sums up the potential damage:

The H.R. 1 would federalize and micromanage the election process, imposing unnecessary, unwise, and unconstitutional mandates on the states. It would reverse the decentralization of the American election process -- an essential protection of our liberty and freedom. It would implement nationwide the worst changes in election rules that occurred in 2020 and further damage or eliminate basic security protocols.

If Democrats ever pass this monstrosity, what, then, are the consequences for at least half the country? Answer: Disenfranchisement. Thats not merely a perception that ones vote doesnt count, its actually ones vote not counting in a rigged system. So malevolent an offense against so fundamental a right will cause tens of millions of citizens to regard all law as suspect, if not outright counterfeit.

In a free country, a governments legitimacy flows from the people. If Democrats manage to rig elections by law, then it follows that those elected to make and enforce the laws are illegitimate and will be regarded as such. Their power will derive from their ability and willingness to manipulate and use force -- implied or evident -- to impose laws upon the people.

While no citizen likes all laws, and no law is perfect, laws are generally respected and complied with when the processes by which they arrive are generally deemed fair. The process of striking, reforming, or replacing laws must likewise be arrived at through processes that are broadly recognized as reasonable.

It isnt hyperbole to state that H.R. 1 in itself is a recipe for national tumult and subsequent disintegration.

Another potential offender is the Democrats $3.5 trillion infrastructure measure, so-called, which is the subject of internal Democrat haggling now. The initiatives price tag is expected to be reduced to within the $1.5 -$2 trillion range to appease Joe Manchin, whos something of a tightwad by Democrat standards.

But it isnt just the insane profligacy of the measure that makes for bad law (the nation is daily clocking nearer a mindboggling $30 trillion in debt). Its everything loaded into this absurdly massive 2,465-page bill that makes it all the more toxic. Democrats have decorated this measure with rights- and liberty-trampling provisions.

So great the governmental overreach in this proposal, so numerous the offenses against citizens, its hard to prioritize whats worse.

Lets highlight the IRS bank account snooping provision. The Daily Signals October 20 discussion with Jessica Allen, the executive director for Heritage Action for America, lays bare this provisions dreadfulness.

Per the Daily Caller, October 26, Manchin appears to have nixed the idea of a more intrusive IRS -- nixed it for now. Understand, though, that in a bill so sprawling, there are ways Democrats can, last minute, sneak in language that at least opens the door to the IRS having future access to your bank statements. Vigilance is advised.

Allen had this to say about the IRS proposal:

We saw yet just yesterday that theyre changing the threshold from $600 to $10,000 in bank transactions, then it would require the IRS to be allowed to be able to snoop in your bank account. Well, if youre an average American, you probably have $10,000 worth of bank transactions a year just by simply paying rent or simply paying your mortgage. And so to think that this is all of a sudden going to limit the spine or weaponizing of the IRS against Americans is just not true. Biden is trying to appease us, but hes really missing the point. We dont want to see American institutions going after us, going after all of us, everyday average Americans. And thats what this bill does.

While Manchin may have -- temporarily -- stopped the Democrats goal of spying on your bank transactions, the measure brims with other bad.

It pushes the largest illegals amnesty in history, and as Allen states, [I]ts a huge amount of cost on taxpayers, let alone the issue of safety and security when we have a crumbling border...

Then there are the unhinged climate change provisions that will pile costs and regulations on an already burdened economy. Federal climate change subsidies feed boondoggles.

Despite Jen Psakis sophomoric spin -- that spending wont be paid for through higher taxes -- Allen warns that taxes are going to increase across the board.

Senators Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema simply cant strike enough horrid provisions to make this legislation acceptable.

Now lets take a quick look at Democrats lawbreaking.

It accelerated in 2016 with Hillary Clintons collusion with the DoJ, FBI, and CIA, principally, in trying to smear Donald Trump and derail his presidential campaign. This criminal effort continued and doubled down during Trumps presidency -- an effort replete with a special counsel (led by Robert Mueller), relentless harassment, and culminating in two unwarranted impeachments.

Whereas blue America may take smug satisfaction from their politicians conspiring with top federal appointees and bureaucrats to try to destroy a duly elected president, half or better of America took notes. If the system can be weaponized to attempt to down a blameless president, what says that the feds cant waylay ordinary citizens -- like parents whose crime is objecting to school curricula at local school board meetings? Arent those folk domestic terrorists, Merrick Garland?

Finally, Monday on Fox News, Tucker Carlson took aim at Biden breaking the nations border and immigration laws. The segment is worth watching in its entirety. Said Carlson:

So why hasn't he [Biden] been impeached? Not because he has bad character or is senile, but because he is breaking federal law. Not long ago, Joe Biden would have been impeached for that. Even Democrats understood not so long ago that immigration law is fundamental to any country.

In fact, why isnt Biden being impeached? Doesnt the presidential oath of office mean anything anymore? What is the magnitude of injuries to the rule of law resulting from lawbreaking and bad lawmaking by wantonly partisan and ideologically driven Democrats?

As fantasy writer Anne Bishop penned: When honor and the Law no longer stand on the same side of the line, how do we choose[?]

J. Robert Smith can be found regularly at Gab @JRobertSmith and occasionally on Parler, again @JRobertSmith. He also blogs at Flyover.

Image: House Democrats

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Its no coincidence that mental illness among Americas younger generation is at an all-time high, while their religious practice is at an all-time low.

Last month (Oct. 12), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill canceled classes for a day for its 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students, who were urged to consider it a wellness day in the wake of two on-campus suicides and an attempted suicide.

Colleges and universities are in the midst of a full-blown mental health crisis. UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said as much during his announcement.

In a 2019 survey, an unbelievable 45 percent of undergraduate and graduate students felt so depressed that it was difficult to function at least once during the previous 12 months, according to the American College Health Association. Sixty-six percent of students felt overwhelming anxiety and 43 percent felt overwhelming anger. More than one in ten students -- 13 percent -- seriously considered suicide.

All those numbers were up substantially from several years earlier. And post-COVID, the situation is even worse. In a Jed Foundation survey, 63 percent of students said their mental health has declined since the start of the pandemic.

Pandemic-induced social isolation, of course, has contributed to the rise in depression and anxiety. On college campuses, another factor has got to be intense academic demands, negatively impacting sleep time. The proliferation of electronic communications, which discourage face-to-face interaction, also harms wellness.

But a prominent factor is the decline in religious practice. From 2009 through 2019, religiously unaffiliated young people skyrocketed from 27 percent of that population to 40 percent, according to Pew Research.

Tyler VanderWeele is with the departments of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In 2016, he along with Harvard colleagues Shanshan Li and Ichiro Kawachi juxtaposed Center for Disease Control statistics depicting a sharp rise in suicides during the preceding decade and a half, and Gallup polling data showing a sharp decline in weekly church attendance. The scholars extrapolated that nearly 40 percent of the increase in the suicide rate stems from the drop-off in religious attendance.

Its ironic that among organizations, publications, and counseling centers that cater to suicidal students, theres nary a mention of church. Thats unfortunate because literally thousands of peer-reviewed studies have determined that regularly going to church, synagogue, mosque, or temple improves mental and/or physical health. In fact, one of the pioneers in this field, Baylors Jeff Levin, started conducting these studies at UNC-Chapel Hill back in the late 1980s. If only UNCs mental health counselors would refer to their own universitys ground-breaking research.

Another pioneer in the field, Harold Koenig of Duke, conducted a systematic review of 141 studies on the relationship between religion and suicide; 106 of them concluded that religious practice is associated with fewer suicides or suicide attempts, less suicide ideation, and/or negative attitudes towards suicide.

Its weekly attendance thats key. Most studies have found that private religious activity without churchgoing isnt associated with better mental health. Why? The scholars say its the communal, face-to-face interaction that does much to enhance wellness. Other explanations include having a keen sense of meaning and purpose thanks to ones faith and putting others before self such as through church-sponsored voluntary and charitable activities.

Those going to church at least two-dozen times a year are less than half as likely to take their own lives than those going less often, according to George Mason Universitys Evan Kleinman and Brown Universitys Richard Liu. They write, Frequent attendance at religious services may be an indicator of consistent exposure to others who provide social support The current findings are consistent with (Thomas) Joiners interpersonal theory of suicide, which posits that having a sense of belonging is negatively associated with suicidal desire.

Francie Hart Broghammer is the chief psychiatry resident at UC Irvine Medical Center. She writes that religion can instill meaning and purpose, and give meaning to suffering. I have seen this first-hand, time and time again, she recounted, with many of my patients reporting they would have attempted suicide long ago if they did not have faith, which provided them with hope in otherwise hopeless circumstances.

College is where you go to gain the world and lose your soul. Professors push their anti-religion ideology upon impressionable young minds. To atheists, were just bodies and no soul. As the prominent atheist Richard Dawkins bleakly remarked, You are for nothing. You are here to propagate your selfish genes. There is no higher purpose in life. Or as another observer put it, were nothing more than the forward edge of the sludge of evolution. With that in mind, why go on living?

College students are taking that to heart -- by permanently halting the beat of their own.

Patrick Chisholm is a senior fellow with the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America and author of Holy Health: How Church Makes You Healthier and Happier.

Image: Pixabay

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Middlebury College gained wide publicity for its decision to rename its iconic Mead Memorial Chapel due to the 100-year-old eugenics sins of its namesake, former Vermont Governor John Mead. Mead is faulted in hindsight for viewing the world through a genetic lens, even as woke Middlebury College signals it has embraced the current theory that racial discrimination is caused wholly by white oppression. As it seeks to whitewash its supposed white supremacist history, Middlebury is instead creating a record of the cyclical nature of elitist folly -- eugenics deja vu.

John Mead was not a member of the Middlebury professoriate or administration. He was a donor of the equivalent of $2,000,000 today to build the aforementioned chapel. Mead had approvingly endorsed eugenics well before his contribution but Middlebury emphasizes it is not beholden to Mead nor is the current name change a fundraising opportunity. The College seeks to distance itself from embracing eugenics in 1920 by throwing Mead under the bus as a scapegoat in 2021.

What of Paul Moody, Middleburys outspokenly sexist President for twenty-two years, between 1921 and 1943? Moody also reportedly commented, The whole of the French Canadian population could be wiped out of Middlebury and no one would miss it. Arent Moodys past sins a greater transgression than Meads and more closely identified with Middlebury College? Middlebury College is hardly purged of past institutional guilt by eliminating Mead.

Instead, Middlebury is again allowing a social-political doctrine to eclipse rational thought. Critical Race Theory and the social justice milieu of which it is part are based on a racist dogma that stereotypes people based on geneticsWhite people are privileged; Black people exploited. As Professor Rhyszard Legutko has explained (in his books; he was not allowed to speak at Middlebury), these social justice movements are integrated into and built on the same divisive, silencing tenets.

Just as Social Justice Warriors will determine who is to be historically recast on this Animal Farm barn wall, they will decide which forms of pollution are acceptable, who is a racist committing a subconscious microaggression, who is a homophobe, or transphobe, etc. This is eugenics 2021 and Middlebury is repeating the mistakes of its past.

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was an outspoken eugenicist. Has Middlebury declaimed its support of that organization or of her? Like Middlebury College, liberal media apply a double standard here: Sanger is to be forgiven. Says Time:

An advocate for womens reproductive rights who was also a vocal eugenics enthusiast, Margaret Sanger leaves a complicated legacy  and one that conservatives have periodically leveraged into sweeping attacks on the organization she helped found: Planned Parenthood. She was, of course, not alone in this viewpoint: In the 1920s and 1930s, eugenics enjoyed widespread support from mainstream doctors, scientists and the general public.

Assessing the past with 20-20 eyewear is what Wendell Berry labels historical pride. Ever-modern man looks down his nose at long-dead generations through a lens that fails to appreciate context. Of course, say many Christians, I would never deny knowing Christ, as Peter did. Id be brave.

Middleburys bravery is a sham and a perversion of truth. As expressed by former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas:

I think its unfair to apply a 21st century lens to another era in our history, he said.... Taking issue with the colleges claim that the name removal does not amount to an erasure of history, Douglas replied, Of course they are. One important element of history is that he gave the money, and his name has been on it for more than a century.

Margaret Sanger was a eugenics giant compared to John Mead. She preached in grand visions of utopian transformation that echo the urgent clamor for social justice today. Sanger wrote:

No permanent peace is possible without a grasp of the population problem. Birth Control is not merely an individual problem; it is not merely a national question; it concerns the whole wide world, the ultimate destiny of the human race. . . . In his last book, Mr. Wells speaks of the meaningless, aimless lives which cram this world of ours, hordes of people who are born, who live, who die, yet who have done absolutely nothing to advance the race one iota. Their lives are hopeless repetitions. All that they have done has been done better before. Such human weeds clog up the path, drain up the energies and the resources of this little earth.

(Sounds like she was describing what todays elites would label deplorables or Trumpies.).

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York City removed Sangers name from its Manhattan clinicshe was their founder, not merely a donor. But as her grandson Alexander Sanger notes, her legacy exposes the risks of rash social experimentation then and now:

The downfall of eugenics came when reformers began to use it as a program of social control, promoting government intervention and coercion in human reproduction. This shift points to an ongoing issue in modern sciencehow to use science for good and how to define what that good is.

George Will explained that progressives of the past, much like those seeking to shape social behaviors in the name of novel equity theorizing (i.e., CRT), believed that scientific experts should be in societys saddle, determining the human hierarchy and appropriate social policies, including eugenics. And like todays progressives, the eugenicists of the past felt the Constitution was a problem:

[E]ugenics coincided with progressivisms premises and agenda.... Progressives rejected the Founders natural-rights doctrine and conception of freedom. Progressives said freedom is not the natural capacity of individuals whose rights preexist government. Rather, freedom is something achieved, at different rates and to different degrees, by different races. Racialism was then seeking scientific validation, and Darwinian science had given rise to social Darwinism  belief in the ascendance of the fittest in the ranking of races.

Middlebury College is embracing a pernicious ideology every bit as unproven and presumptuous as was the eugenics discipline. Observes Thomas Sowell:

In the early twentieth century, the key factor behind economic, intellectual and other disparities among different groups was assumed to be genetics. American Progressives took the lead in promoting genetic determinism in the United States then, as they later took the lead in promoting the opposite presumption that disparities imply discrimination in the second half of the twentieth century. (Discrimination and Disparities, p. 25).

Thats right: White supremacy has displaced genetics as the simpletons cause of all disparities, in a profoundly unacademic leap into a political ideology at the expense of facts, and this is being done by Middlebury College (not its scapegoat donors) in 2021.

Presumably, Middlebury College does not endorse eugenics in 2021. The ritualistic effort to purge itself from past complicity by erasing a name is comparable to burning sage in the corner of each buildingit fails to exonerate. Instead, it replays the mistakes of 100 years past, in a new form. Does the College perceive that in 100 years it can simply eliminate its current disgrace by scrubbing a social justice warriors name from the Middlebury legacy?

Instead, the administration proclaimed:

This is about moving forward and actively educating ourselves on harm that is done to members of our community, past or present.

Dont these people ever learn?

Image: Mead Memorial Chapel on the Middlebury campus. Public domain.

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Chipping away at our sanity, self-worth, autonomy, and, as Que Mala would say, "fweedom," undermining our basic rights, destroying our souls  that is how I would describe the box we've been forced into. That this repression and forced constriction are occurring worldwide makes the situation no less awful, nor any more lawful.

I yearn, as I'm sure you do, to go where I want, to smile at people in stores and restaurants and even on the street, without a moronic face diaper. I long for the day when I don't have to think, "Can I go there without a vaccine passport?" Increasingly, here in California, the answer is "no."

Along with the COVID mess, there's the rest of the dumb decisions by our "ruling class." For a simple walk downtown, I put my driver's license and phone in my inner pockets, and I never carry cash. Our once-safe 'hood is now that dangerous. I am wary of people every time I get in my car, with freeway shootings rampant. We've just had two carjackings in front of the elementary school up the street.

Someone a mile from here called the police because a guy had walked into her house and was masturbating in her kitchen. Forty minutes later, a squad car came. Luckily, her neighbors subdued the guy and held him until then. That could have ended badly. We live in Tombstone these days.

I wake up and think about what I need to do today, trying to find the energy to do anything, I'm so dispirited. Can I find the words to write something meaningful? Thanks to the useless face diaper, I'm just getting over a stye in my eye that hurt like crazy. Before the last time they canceled mask mandates (that lasted about a month in June-July), I developed rashes below both eyes. Ugly, red, itchy rashes. And I don't wear a mask more than absolutely necessary, only in places where I know I'd be kicked out if I left it off or even down. And yes, I wash them daily.

I had to switch gyms because my old one rigidly required masks and, then, vaccine passports. At my new gym, along with many fellow members, I wear my mask at half-mast. We play along that way. Totally meaningless, putting it below one's nose. But we must do it because, as I found out, if you take it all the way off, somebody uptight complains. Just like the ritual entry into a (no passport required) restaurant. Once you're seated and have water, no more mask. But you can't come in without it.

What wears us down is knowing it's all meaningless, stupid, and counterproductive, but we can't do anything about it.

California is champing at the bit to vaccinate 5-year-old kids, when it's obvious, beyond any doubt, that it's wrong. But you know when we can again lose the mask? When we have reached 80% of everyone in our county vaccinated. That's an unachievable number, less the children. One more turn of the screw.

Then again, our local paper just ran a "question man" feature, asking, "How will having a Covid-19 vaccine available for 5-11-year-olds change things for your family?" The responses were that it would "ease our minds" and "allow us to travel." Our town is apparently 97.5% vaccinated, among the "eligible." You can't go to school if you're over 11 without it or even volunteer there. I'm not sure how they get the compliance information, but I guess it's by looking at vaccine passport data. Whatever happened to HIPAA?

One of my favorite reads these days is Eugyppius. The latest post talks about how the vaccinators in Europe, realizing that their efforts are futile against the spread of COVID, are nonetheless doubling down on stupid. So true! They can't admit they are wrong.

Then, yesterday, I listened to Michael Yeadon, former Pfizer scientist and executive, talk about the nefarious reasons for the jab and explain how dangerous they are. A plot to gain total control over the population sounds extreme  until you need a passport to dine in your own county or city. He asks, how soon will they be requiring a passport for other things? Grocery shopping? Letting your kids go to school? Medical care? All travel?

Today, I read the letter that Archbishop Vigano, retired papal nuncio, wrote to the bishops of this country denouncing the vaccine quite emphatically and clearly. Best thing I've read yet  and bound to have some effect, more so than most documents. Over 20% of the U.S. population is Catholic, but of course, that includes Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, so maybe I'm delusional. So is Gavin Newsom, and he's poised to implement the mandate for our 5- to 11-year-olds as soon as the government gives its blessing. Maybe the fetal cell use will sway some people. Around here, you never know. Logic and information certainly have no palpable effect.

Comment from Andrea Widburg: Someone emailed to say that HIPAA applies to healthcare providers who must keep people's records private. True. However, Congress passed HIPAA to ensure that people who had AIDS -- then a still deadly, not manageable, contagious disease -- could keep their health status private from people who might worry about catching it. Just recently, California went further and passed a law saying that it's just a misdemeanor if people with HIV/AIDS don't tell their sexual partners about the disease. Meanwhile, across America, we are being forced to divulge our health details for a disease that, for people under 60, has a less than 1% mortality rate -- and Biden is preparing OSHA regulations mandating businesses to ask. So Ms. Paulding is right to ask, "What about HIPAA?"

Image of Despair by Stormseeker under Unsplash license; edited in befunky.

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For 26 futile years, the net-zero maniacs have wasted fuel, energy, and taxpayers' money to bite the hands that provide their food, energy, welfare, and public-sector jobs.

Led by E.U. and AUKUS dreamers, they destroy reliable energy from coal, oil, nuclear, gas, and hydro while forcing us to subsidize net-negative dreams like solar, wind, wave-power, CCUS, hot rocks, pumped hydro, and hydrogen. All such speculative ventures should be funded by speculators, not taxpayers.

COP-Out-26 illustrates to the realists of China, Russia, India, and Brazil that the West has lost its marbles and is in terminal decline. For Scott Morrison to surrender Australia to these green wolves betrays an army of miners, farmers, truckies, and workers in primary, secondary, and tertiary industries that support him and his Canberra pack.

The fakery of COP-Out-26 is well illustrated by the provision of diesel generators to recharge the batteries of 26 electric cars provided for show in Glasgow. But that's OK "because the diesels are run on recycled chip fat." Horses and covered wagons would be more reliable and appropriate, and dried horse manure could cook their fake meat on their green, chip-fired barbeques.

Neither E.U. nor AUKUS green dreamers can run their world on energy plans drafted by neurotic schoolgirls, clueless princes, deluded accountants like Ross Garnaut, and serial climate alarmists like David Attenborough.

China loves Net-Zero, using its growing coal power to manufacture the wind turbines, solar panels, electric engines, and rare earth batteries for the woke world.

But the subsidy tap feeding green energy development in the Western world will run dry. Fake energy will fade away, leaving a continent of jobless people with silent mills, refineries, and factories. Our land will be littered with derelict windmills, decaying solar panels, dead batteries, and sagging transmission lines to be cleaned up in order to restore our land to productive grasslands, crops, and forests. Those huge concrete bases of abandoned wind towers will become permanent obstacles to restoration of this land.

Next we will see digital carbon credit cards designed by green academics to ration our energy and food usage to achieve their Net-Zero Nirvana.

A bleak future beckons.

Scott Morrison and his team should boycott this final futile COP-Out-26.

Barnaby Joyce should hang his head in shame  I know that he knows better.

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I discovered Dan Bongino's podcast very early on, perhaps in 2016. I liked the clarity with which he described political issues, his insights, and his ebullience. Most of all, I liked his consistent principles. "Dan," I thought, "means what he says." Bongino's fight with Cumulus Media, which syndicates his daily three-hour-long radio, proves that he really does live by his principles. That's why, despite being vaccinated himself, Bongino is threatening to pull out from Cumulus Media unless it revokes the vaccine mandates it imposed on all its employees.

In the early days, Bongino's self-produced hour-long podcast was just Bongino; his wife; and his producer, Joe Armacost. Every weekday, year in and year out, with passion, humor, and insights, Bongino discusses the political news of the day.

At least once a week, a political story arises about a Democrat, or many Democrats, engaging in some act of hypocrisy, of the type giving rise to the expression that if leftists didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any standards at all. Bongino always makes the point that, unlike leftists, his principles are fixed. If it's wrong to do something, you don't do it, regardless of the political advantage you can gain.

Over the years, Bongino started to appear occasionally on various Fox News shows, including guest hosting for Sean Hannity. Eventually, Fox gave him his own show, Unfiltered with Dan Bongino, which runs every Saturday night.

Then, when the great Rush Limbaugh passed away, Cumulus Media, which has 428 stations in 87 media markets, entered into an agreement with Bongino giving him a three-hour show in what was Rush Limbaugh's time spot. Rush wasn't with Cumulus media, but his passing left an audience hungry for top-quality content during that time spot.

While all these major changes were going on in his life, Bongino got diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (which was diagnosed thanks to someone watching his video program and noticing what proved to be a tumor on his neck). Despite surgery and further treatment (either chemo or radiation), Bongino kept doing his podcast. Thankfully, he's now in remission.

Because of his cancer diagnosis, Bongino's doctor recommended that he get a COVID vaccine, which he did. What this means is that when Cumulus Media announced that all employees must get vaccinated, Bongino was covered. Bongino, however, took issue with an employer having the power to force an essentially experimental genetic modification treatment on its employees.

When Cumulus started firing employees without regard to natural immunity or religious objections, Bongino took a stand: "You can have me, or you can have the mandate. But you can't have both of us."

.@dbongino to Cumulus Radio: "You can have me or you can have the [vaccine] mandate. But you can't have both of us."



Find your local station to listen LIVE: https://t.co/IK6DZpbTzJ



Or watch here: https://t.co/NaTE4NeVLy pic.twitter.com/tKzemVWEbB  Bongino Report (@BonginoReport) October 18, 2021

Considering that the Cumulus deal must be a valuable one to Bongino, he is truly putting his principles on the line. Cumulus is not backing down  it's still firing ordinary people for refusing to take a potentially dangerous "vaccine" that doesn't prevent people from giving or getting COVID.

Although it's unclear whether Cumulus cut Bongino off or Bongino boycotted Cumulus, what's clear is that, starting this week, the radio audience began hearing repeats, not original content. During his podcast, however, Bongino explained that he's still in the fight:

"They didn't consult with us content providers. I strongly object to the mandate," Bongino said. "The fight with them is having a real impact. Behind the scenes, it's getting a little ugly here. I wasn't on the radio today. I don't know what they did, played the 'best of' or whatever. You don't treat people this way. You don't let people go because they insist their body is theirs," he added.

.@dbongino publicly calls out Cumulus, who carries his radio show on hundreds of stations, for issuing its own vaccine mandate.



"I'm not letting this go."



Find your local station to listen LIVE: https://t.co/IK6DZpbTzJ



Or watch here: https://t.co/NaTE4NeVLy pic.twitter.com/7fAfJY9FoH  Bongino Report (@BonginoReport) October 18, 2021

If you believe in the righteousness of the position that Bongino has taken, you can help: let Cumulus know that you will stop listening to its stations until the company revokes its mandate  and then stop listening. (Sometimes it's easy to make the threats and hard to follow through.) Try listening to Bongino's podcast directly, as I have for so many years.

A lot of companies are beginning to back down in the face of American resistance. You can help Cumulus see the light and join those companies that withdrew mandates for an experimental vaccine that ought to be left to each individual's decision-making.

Image: Dan Bongino. Rumble screen grab.

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On Friday, President Biden will meet with Pope Francis. Back in the USA, many of us are hoping Pope Francis uses this face-to-face meeting with a Catholic president to make a point about abortion. How much longer can the Church continue to offer Communion to a man who has become the best friend of abortion since Roe v. Wade?

Unlike some other Democrats, who say abortion should be safe and rare, President Biden's pen has made abortion more possible. This is from a recent NPR story:

The Biden administration reversed a ban on abortion referrals by family planning clinics, lifting a Trump-era restriction as political and legal battles over abortion grow sharper from Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Department of Health and Human Services said Monday its new regulation will restore the federal family planning program to the way it ran under the Obama administration, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider. The goal is to "strengthen and restore" services, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

"Strengthen and restore" services? What a joke. Let me translate. It means that abortion will be made easier, not more rare.

We are not asking the pope to get into domestic politics. I understand that. Abortion is not about politics, but rather about life. How is the pope going to let the aforementioned ban go unmentioned in a meeting with the man who signed it?

Last but not least, we just learned that the Vatican canceled the live broadcast of President Biden greeting the pope. No one knows for sure, and more details may come out later. Let's hope that this is a sign that Pope Francis does not want the "smile and hugs" portion of the visit.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

Image: MAZUR/catholicnews.org.uk.

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On August 25, the "experts" forecast third-quarter GDP growth at 5.7%.

On Sept. 28, the "experts" lowered the projected growth to 4%.

On Oct. 28, the first reading of third-quarter GDP came out at...2%. The experts were so close.

While campaigning for Terry McAuliffe the other night, Joe Biden said the economy is doing great because of his policies and that the U.S. now has more jobs than before the pandemic.

It was trash. I would not say a decelerating economic growth from 6.7% is doing great, and we have five million fewer jobs, not more jobs. (I must have missed the fact-checkers correcting this whopper.)

Biden, his spokeswoman Jen Psaki, and others continue to intentionally lie that Biden's great policies brought us out of a deep recession when the facts show that the recession ended nine months before he took office and the economy was growing rapidly at the end of President Trump's term.

Somehow, the fact-checkers don't correct the misinformation so the public learns the truth. The social media outlets also don't block these known liars from their platforms.

It's official: the COVID recession lasted just two months, the shortest in U.S. history. So much for experts.

And as long as we are on the topic of experts, does anyone believe that the CBO or anyone can score the Democrat bills coming up in Congress accurately for ten years when experts missed projected economic growth by 3.7% only two months out? I am sure all variables will be accounted for accurately.

It is especially tough to score bills when they haven't seen them yet. House speaker Nancy Pelosi has always had the view that Democrats should vote on bills before they see the contents, just like Obamacare. Most of the media don't care about what is in the bills as they campaign for them and rip any Democrat who dares to disagree. The public will probably never know all the details in the bill because transparency is the enemy when you are seeking to remake or destroy America.

Does anyone believe that bureaucrats, politicians, and other supposed "experts" can control the temperatures, sea levels, and storm activity 100 years out if they are allowed to destroy the tens of millions of jobs related to fossil fuels? Why would we trust their dire predictions now when previous ones have been 100% wrong? How many times have we been warned the last hundred years that the ice in the Arctic would soon be gone and coastal cities would disappear? Why would predictions today be any more accurate?

Isn't it arrogant, naive, or just plain ignorant to believe that humans can control the climate when it has always changed cyclically and naturally through billions of years, long before humans or fossil fuels could have had any influence?

Should we believe the same people who intentionally lied that we could keep our doctor and our health care plan, our premiums would go down substantially, and the deficit would be reduced if Obamacare passed to control a much bigger issue, the climate?

This week, the "expert" Dr. Deborah Birx, a former government public health bureaucrat, emerged from a basement somewhere to blame Trump, without evidence, for all or nearly all deaths from COVID. Basically, she pulled that number out of her rear. She knew that if she was trashing Trump, sycophants like CNN and USA Today would run the story as if it were true.

Trump was amazing: supposedly, he didn't care about COVID, yet by the time he left office, there were three vaccines to treat it, something Dr. Anthony Fauci and others said was impossible. Sixteen million had already received the vaccine, including one million per day at the end of his term. These are other things Biden continues to lie about.

If we had real reporters at CNN and elsewhere, they would ask Birx a few questions, such as:

Why have as many people died after Biden took office as during Trump's year if all the mitigation factors prevented all deaths but 100,000?

Why did Dr. Fauci and others work so hard to discredit Trump, and Sen. Cotton, and others, who wanted to investigate the Wuhan Lab as the origin of the virus? Why was that called a conspiracy? Didn't that delay a thorough investigation? Did it ever trouble you that U.S. taxpayer dollars made their way to the Wuhan lab, which did gain of function research?

Are you as disgusted as PETA and others that U.S. taxpayer dollars were used to torture puppies and monkeys?

Why do you think CNN and other networks have ignored the torturing of animals since they all seem to care about animals and nature? Do you think they are trying to hide the truth from the public, so they still submit to the rules of the CDC, Fauci, and the NIH?

Summary: Never trust self-proclaimed or described experts, the media, bureaucrats, or politicians when they make pronouncements or predictions. Most of the time, the numbers are made up. Do your own research.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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Segregation is back, as the racialist frenzy that has gripped America since George Floyd died in police custody after overdosing on fentanyl has infected the grown-ups at America's richest and ostensibly most prestigious university. In clear violation of state and federal laws, as well as its own stated policies, Harvard University is hosting a segregated performance of Macbeth tonight. Here is a notice sent out about the disgrace:



Source.

FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, is as concerned as am I and documents the illegality and policy violations of this segregation:

Under federal law, excluding university students, faculty, and staff from educational enrichment opportunities based on race is forbidden. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids all institutions receiving federal financial assistance, whether public or private, from discriminating "on the ground of race, color, or national origin." Colleges and universities like Harvard that accept payments from students who receive federal financial aid are covered by Title VI. Massachusetts law also bars discrimination based on race in places of public accommodation, defined as "any place . . . which is open to and accepts or solicits the patronage of the general public." This includes performance spaces such as theaters. The American Repertory Theater's decision to restrict a showing of "Macbeth in Stride" only to audience members who identify as members of a certain race or ethnicity is also problematic because it appears to run afoul of the theater company's own policies, which profess dedication to "making a welcoming and accessible space for people of any identity, background, or ability"  which is no surprise, as Harvard's student body has become more diverse than ever. Hosting a racially segregated performance where people with the wrong racial background are specifically told that they are not welcome flies directly in the face of that commitment.

No doubt, the sponsors of this outrage see their good intentions paving this road to hell as excusing them from the law and common sense. Perhaps they think the use of the expression "Black identifying" means they are not limiting the ability of racially Caucasian and Asian people to attend.

I have no objection to adapting Shakespeare's work, as this performance does. Here is how it is described:

A dazzling theatrical event created by Obie Award-winning artist Whitney White and performed by White and an ensemble with a live band, Macbeth In Stride examines what it means to be an ambitious Black woman through the lens of one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters. The first of White's five-part series commissioned by A.R.T. excavating the women from Shakespeare's canon, the production uses pop, rock, gospel, and R&B to trace the fatalistic arc of Lady Macbeth while lifting up contemporary Black female power, femininity, and desire. Directors Tyler Dobrowsky and Taibi Magar (We Live in Cairo) co-stage this groundbreaking world premiere with choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.

But I take from this that the concept of "cultural appropriation" is now out the window at Harvard. So I hope ethnic Halloween costumes, Taco Tuesdays, and Caucasian actors portraying Black characters are now OK at Harvard. But we'll see if this permission applies only to cultural artifacts created by Caucasians.

Perhaps some brave member of the Harvard Community will try to buy tickets without declaring a Black identity, be refused, and file the requisite complaints and lawsuits. I hope so, though I suspect the person who did so would receive a boatload of social hell for his or her or xir's trouble.

In decades past, when I was a grad student and then a professor at Harvard, for a few years I had season tickets to the American Repertory Theatre performances at the Loeb Theatre. I saw some wonderful performances there, including a memorable version of Midsummer Night's Dream. It breaks my heart to see racism flaunted there.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
While Illinois senator Dick Durbin and the Democrats were defending Merrick Garland for threatening parents, he compared the parents to the protesters on January 6.

Durbin and the Democrats clearly don't care about a girl getting raped by a boy dressed like a girl, nor do they care that kids are taught pornographic materials or that minorities are taught that they are all victims while whites are taught to hate themselves.

Democrats claim they care about all girls and women who are sexually attacked, but when a girl gets raped, and a school system covers it up, they are virtually silent. This rape is inconvenient to their talking points that it is completely safe for people with a penis to invade their private space.

Why do most supposed journalists and other Democrats continue to call what happened on January 6 an armed insurrection when the FBI report said it wasn't an insurrection and no one was armed? The FBI report came out in August, so why are there endless investigations by Democrats, and a couple of Republicans, unless it is pure theater to mislead the public? After all, there is always another election coming up, and Democrats certainly don't want to run on their unpopular, radical policies.

Democrats usually are outraged when a cop kills an unarmed person, but they don't seem to care that an unarmed veteran woman was gunned down by a cop.

Senator Dick Durbin Likens Parents Swearing at School Board Members to January 6 Rioters

Senator Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) on Wednesday compared parents who have yelled profanities at school board members and ripped off masks to those who mobbed the Capitol on January 6.

FBI finds no evidence that Trump and his allies were directly involved with organizing the violence of the Capitol riot: report

Who is Dick Durbin?

On June 15, 2006, Durbin took to the Senate floor and, with no evidence, compared military members at Gitmo to Nazis, Soviet Gulags, and Pol Pot. On June 16, he refused to apologize for his despicable comments.

A week later, with tears in his eyes, he apologized, but only to people he may have offended with his slanderous attacks.

US senator stands by Nazi remark

US Senator Dick Durbin on Wednesday refused to apologise for comments he made on the Senate floor referring to Nazis, Soviet gulags and a "mad regime" like Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. During a speech on Tuesday, Durbin, the Senate's number two Democrat, quoted from an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the naval base in Cuba as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures. "You would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime  Pol Pot or others  that had no concern for human beings"

Durbin apologizes for Gitmo 'Nazi' remarks

"Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," Durbin said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies." His voice quaking and tears welling in his eyes, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate also apologized to any soldiers who felt insulted by his remarks.

Durbin was heavily involved in IRS illegal targeting of people who opposed Democrat policies and even lied to the Tribune about his involvement. He compared what IRS did to Nixon. I agree.

Durbin Caught Lying About IRS Contact at Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Session

Dick Durbin flat-out lied to the Tribune editorial board. This is important because we don't know how deep Dick Durbin's role was in the IRS scandal that he himself characterized as reminiscent of the worst abuses of the Richard Nixon era," Oberweis said. Oberweis again called on Durbin to reveal all emails and correspondence he and his staff had with the IRS, and this time tell the truth. Durbin has refused to support a special prosecutor in the IRS scandal and is saying that only 2 of 100 people in Illinois care that the IRS illegally attempting to suppress Americans' political speech.

Basically, Durbin will change his positions with the wind. That is how he became number two in the Democrat hierarchy in the Senate. He does what he is told.

Photo credit: Charles Edward Miller, CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
A new poll of likely voters conducted for Fox News (whose polls traditionally favor Democrats) shows a collapse in the lead Terry McAuliffe enjoyed about 2 weeks ago into an 8-percent lead for his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin. This is well beyond the claimed margin of error of plus or minus 3 points and may even be beyond the margin of cheating. And actions yesterday by the McAuliffe campaign point to panic.



Source.

When news leaked out that the campaign had already paid former Perkins Coie election law practice head Mark Elias $53,680 and a Fox News reporter contacted the campaign for comment, a reply apparently intended for other campaign staff was quickly sent as a reply, and it read, "Can we try to kill this?" That looks like sheer panic. The campaign tried to spin it, but the words tell a stark tale.

Tyler O'Neil writes:

Less than a month before Election Day, McAuliffe's campaign spent $53,680 on the services of the Elias Law Group, a firm that Marc Elias started earlier this year, Fox News previously reported. Elias had formerly worked as a partner at the law firm Perkins Coie, which the Hillary Clinton campaign hired in 2016 in order to conduct opposition research on Donald Trump  research that included the infamous Christopher Steele dossier. Republicans have accused Elias of lying to hide the Clinton campaign's role in funding the dossier. Elias has represented Democrats in efforts to contest elections. Going into the 2020 election, he represented Democrats challenging a Texas law barring "straight-ticket voting."

Coincident with the indictment by John Durham of Elias's colleague at Perkins Coie, Elias and more than a dozen other election law practice attorneys left Perkins Coie to establish a new election law firm, headed by Elias. That is the firm evidently engaged by the McAuliffe campaign.

Jonathan Turley called the engagement of such a notorious lawyer "astonishing."

Turley previously noted:

Yesterday, Turley continued:

That makes the choice of counsel astonishing given these allegations from reporters and McAuliffe's previous assertion that "someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too."

While the Fox News poll might be dismissed by some as an outlier, the same pollster using the same protocols found a rapid reversal of a solid lead into a substantial deficit in support.

I have to wonder if the poll and the evident panic in the McAuliffe campaign are causing House Democrats to balk at following Speaker Pelosi's lead in advocating passage of the so-called "infrastructure" bill that President Biden also lobbied for prior to his departure for Europe. Evidence that voters are rebelling against the Democrats' move to the hard left, even in a reliably (in recent years) blue state like Virginia, may be giving them pause  especially since McAuliffe's focus on Trump as a campaign issue does not seem to have persuaded voters.

Still, almost 700,000 mail-in votes already have been cast, and 55% of them are from "likely" Democrats. And as has happened elsewhere, unsuspected stores of mail-in ballots have turned a number of apparent Republican victories into defeats.

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Washington, D.C. is the biggest home of lies and word games in the known cosmos.

In D.C., a seven-trillion-dollar punch in your wallet costs you absolutely nothing, according to the president of the United States himself.

In Washington, D.C. a fat, aging hippie man becomes the first "female" four-star admiral of the United States, and nobody is allowed to laugh.

In fairytale D.C., a tricked-out flu virus is the biggest, scariest pandemic since the Black Death, and they will cancel you if you deny it.

In Washington, D.C., Dr. Fauci is a hometown hero, because he is the slickest liar of them all, ever since he rocketed to fame on the tail of the AIDS disaster.

Take the biggest headline lie today about the origins of COVID in an enormous U.S.-funded virology lab in Wuhan, China. Your National Institutes of Health paid for the molecular trickery that made the virus more and more deadly to human beings until the armed-up virus somehow exploded out of Wuhan and spread around the world in a matter of days and weeks.

Except that the bug didn't spread to Chinese government centers like Beijing, which simply blocked travelers from Wuhan.

Even Nature magazine, the oldest science magazine in the world, has called attention to the tricky terminology of "Gain of Function." But Nature's article is still shrouded in jargon.

In the real world, the bug's Gain of Function is a horror story.

The biggest single bug vector at the start of the pandemic went from Wuhan to Milan, where tens of thousands of Chinese workers carried the virus to overwhelm Italy's medical system overnight.

Thousands of patients started to choke from an unknown cause, and their panicked doctors had no idea what they were dealing with. They were caught unprepared, and China was not going to help them figure it out.

China knew a lot about the virus, but nobody told Italian emergency doctors, who stood by helplessly while their patients suddenly died.

The basic science that made the virus is now called "Gain of Function" research, but any American taxpayer who reads "Gain of Function" is likely to think a half-million dollars of U.S. money was spent for our "Gain of Function."

It's called the National Institutes of Health, isn't it? Why are we paying for the NIH if it isn't for human health?

This is where Fauci's word magic comes in because in biology, the jargon term "Gain of Function" refers not to human health, but to the health of the bugs that can kill you.

So you thought the NIH was about YOUR health?

Well, most of the NIH is in fact dedicated to human health. But not in virology or bacteriology or parasitology, where scientific jargon is flipped on its head. This is molecular biology, where it makes a kind of sense to look at bugs from their own point of view. If the COVID virus learns to infect humans more lethally, it's a Gain of Function for the bug. Your illness and death, your Loss of Function, is their gain  if you get what I mean.

So if the United States pays for the Wuhan lab via a cutout corporation called EcoHealth, and you naturally assume it's all for a good purpose.

Americans are so naive.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Communist Party don't care about your health.

They don't even care about the people of China.

Armies exist to kill people and break things, and the People's Army of China is set up to do that to everybody in the world except the CCP itself.

Americans think of the U.S. Army as a humane organization, after the fighting is over. Our army helped to rebuild Germany and Italy after World War 2. We helped Japan and South Korea.

But the openly declared war doctrine of China  like jihad  is very different.

The Chinese and the Taliban think war is the normal condition of humanity, and there's no such thing as a lasting peace. Peace is just a pause between wars.

Everybody in that world is a kind of Dr. Fauci, constantly flipping the plain meaning of words.

The world of predatory bugs is a zero-sum game. If the coronavirus can invade your cells, it can kidnap your molecular machinery to make millions of copies of the predatory virus. The virus wins, and you lose.

So the next time you read about "Gain of Function," don't forget what it means.

It means bio-war against humans like you.

It's not about your health. It's about the health of our predators...which might just include the celebrated Dr. Fauci.

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One of the favorite utopian goals of the left-wing loons  from members of "The Squad" to Andrew Yang  is the guaranteed-to-fail fantasy of Universal Basic Income...or, as Dire Straits said in their 1985 hit, "Money for Nothing." This welfare-on-steroids plan has already been tried and failed in Ontario, Canada, and Finland, but progressive hopes spring eternal in California, where many new ideas  business concepts, laws, social experiments, fads, drugs (legal or not), or whatever  are often tried. It's a type of proving ground, if you will

Stockton, California has tried an experiment of its own, giving $500 a month to 125 randomly-selected families, and the progressive media like NPR and The Atlantic have declared it a success. Now, the tried-and-true entitlement hub of the City of Angels -- with media prominence dwarfing that of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural hub, is jumping on board the bandwagon. The Los Angeles city council approved a measure to grant selected families a monthly stipend that requires no work and will initially last for a year.

"At Tuesdays meeting, the LA City Council unanimously voted to expand the citys initial $6 million investment in the BIG:LEAP, which stands for Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot, to nearly $40 million, making it the largest such program in the nation," according to CBSLA. Councilman Curren Price, who proposed the program, called it a "life-changing initiative."

"The program promises to benefit as many as 3,000 Angelenos with $1,000 in direct cash payments to families every month for a year," CBSLA continued. "The no-strings-attached payments will be given to families who have been hit hard by the pandemic and are living in poverty."

The program is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2022. The funds will be dispersed through debit cards. Applications will be processed at Councilman Price's district office, also referred to as the "command center." And while poverty was mentioned as a requirement for (possible) selection, it should come as no surprise that race will enter the equation as well. Price made that clear prior to Tuesday's meeting.

The idea of a guaranteed pilot program is one my office has been following for some time," he said. "It gained momentum as we witnessed our country examine the racial disparities and social injustices during the COVID pandemic." Price added that he hopes this pilot could serve as a model at the state and federal levels. He no doubt hopes his political career will follow a similar path.

"The 10-day application period opens Friday," CBSLA noted. "The program is open to adults with at least one dependent or is pregnant, is a Los Angeles resident, has an income at or below the federal poverty level, and have experienced a medical or economic hardship due to COVID-19. Applicants who will be selected at random will be required to provide eligibility documentation to prove they meet these requirements."

With a population of almost four million people  not counting illegals  there are certainly far more than three thousand families that meet the criteria required by the council's new giveaway program. How the city will deal with these "disenfranchised" citizens was not mentioned. Another spike in crime is likely. And since the program is funded, at least in part, by the money recently slashed from the LAPD budget, don't expect too much help from the police. There just aren't enough cops in the City of Angels to protect its citizens anymore.

Perhaps the lawlessness can be quelled with teams of specially trained social workers...unarmed, of course.

Image: U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

Liam Brooks is a pen name.

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It's excruciating to watch the irrelevant strive for publicity by gravitating toward any recording device to make provocative statements. Reverend Al Sharpton certainly belongs to this group of demode, publicity-seeking individuals. He was a pioneer in his field of racial demagoguery, a man who persistently and unhesitatingly played the race card to enrich himself.

Today, the likes of BLM have cornered the market and made him obsolete. Perhaps in an effort to reclaim relevance, Rev. Al Sharpton detailed his thoughts on Kamala Harris's job responsibilities so far in an exclusive interview for The Root.

As he always does, Sharpton began by taking credit for Biden choosing Kamala as his running mate:

You might remember, when Joe Biden said that he was going to appoint a woman to run with him and appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court, I challenged him and said, "Why don't you have a Black woman run like Stacey [Abrams] or Kamala?" and I had him on my MSNBC show and confronted him. So in many ways, we were the ones who stood up for her to be in that position and we want her to have a strong position, not a marginal position.

Sharpton continued that he wanted to see Kamala placed in charge of resolving race-based issues.

I want to see her be used more effectively, and I think her being in charge of voting was important, but I question her other assignments. I would like the president to put her in charge of the voting package and criminal justice. Also, he needs to put Kamala at the forefront of the George Floyd bill that he promised to get through. She was a prosecutor and a state attorney general, so she knows the criminal justice system and understands both sides. She is also a Black woman in the time of Breonna Taylor and other Black women who have suffered racism, so I think that she should have those assignments and be able to get certain things to Congress.

He ended by committing to "fight for her [Kamala] to be in a position of power because we want to see her thrive, and I will communicate that to the president within the next thirty days."

On the surface, this may seem another publicity-gaining exercise for Sharpton.



Sharpton speaks to the media following the Chauvin trial verdict.

However, it could also be seen as an affront to Kamala to presume that since she is a woman "of color," she is suited only for race-related issues.

Also, pushing for her to be in a position of power is preposterous. Kamala is the V.P., which makes her the second most powerful human in America. She can use her power to get what she wants. She is not a junior intern who needs a mentor to promote her.

Doesn't Sharpton know that more assignments are assigned only to those employees who are capable, adept, and demonstrably enthusiastic?

How has Kamala fared so far?

Biden tapped Kamala to tackle the migration challenge at the U.S. southern border. She began with her passive-aggressive resistance to the job by taking ages to visit the border, for which she was criticized by both sides.

In her infamous interview with Lester Holt, Kamala struggled to answer a basic question of why she hadn't visited the border. She traveled to the border only when President Trump announced that he would be visiting. Her visits to Guatemala and Mexico yielded nothing.

The continued influx of illegal aliens proves that she failed quite miserably at her assignment.

Following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, she once again struggled to answer elementary questions, and her poorly timed cackles continued. A BBC correspondent rightly observed that Kamala made America appear "incompetent, uncaring and unreliable."

Kamala recently appeared in a cringe-inducing video on World Space Day with child actors that had her hamming to the hilt, mouthing poorly written lines about "craters on the moon."

To sum it up: Kamala is not just a poor performer, but also an awful communicator who cannot even function as a spokesperson for her government.

The Biden administration is already suffering from myriad crises.

Why on Earth would they assign Kamala more work to worsen their catastrophes?

It has to be remembered that Kamala became the V.P. despite not winning a single state during the primary, which included her home state. She clearly has very little appeal even among her Democrat voters.

The only reason Biden's handlers chose Kamala is that they saw in her someone who was so inept, unlikable, and amateurish that she made Biden appear amiable and brighter and hence unimpeachable.

Recently, there have been reports that Kamala is unhappy not to have all-star portfolios and of being told to fix the border crisis.

Kamala also appears to be putting some distance between herself and Biden, who is suffering from record-low poll numbers. It has also been observed that Biden and Harris had 38 events together in February while just 7 in October.

The question remains: is Sharpton merely seeking publicity, or is there something more afoot?

Whenever any remarks emanate from the likes of Sharpton out of the blue, the question that must always be asked is, why now?

The easy answer is to grab some headlines.

But another possible explanation is that Kamala's handlers see the myriad failures of the Biden administration and are looking to find a way for Kamala to shirk all blame and responsibility.

By asking to see Kamala used more effectively and put on the forefront, Sharpton is also saying she doesn't have much to do in the administration, hence she is not to blame for the various crises.

Sharpton may be laying the foundation for Kamala to claim she was not assigned any top profiles or she was set up to fail because of her race.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that it will be claimed much later that she wasn't allowed the freedom to handle the border crisis, which is why she failed. Kamala may even make the charge of misogyny.

There have been rumors that plans are being laid by some in the White House to get rid of Kamala. Sharpton's remarks could be seen as a coded threat to Biden  i.e., "If you even think of removing her, I'm just waiting to play the race card and destroy you."

Perhaps Sharpton has been promised something major in the future Harris administration on the condition that he make noise about Kamala?

We will never know. However, in all this political skullduggery and instability, and with myriad never-before-seen crises plaguing the nation, its future seems more uncertain than a kite flying in a cyclone.

Photo credit: YouTube screen grab.

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Rajinikanth Admitted To A Chennai Hospital:- Superstar Rajinikanth who has been entertaining the Indian audience for more than four decades has been suffering from health-related issues for a long time. The top actor also decided to stay away from politics considering his health issues. He was honored with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award recently which happens to be the highest award for any film actor in India. He received the award recently in New Delhi. He is admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai last night and the reports say that he is admitted to the hospital for a routine health checkup.

His health condition is currently stable and 30 cops are deployed at the Kauvery Hospital as Superstar's fans are rushing to the hospital. His family members are beside Rajinikanth and the hospital authorities will issue an official health bulletin today as his fans are left in a panic state. The 70-year-old actor has been suffering from kidney-related issues and he underwent a kidney transplant in the USA two years ago. He has been flying to the USA for health checkups. Rajinikanth is done with the shoot of Annaatthe that will release on November 4th across the globe. Rajinikanth is not in a rush and he decided to do films on a selective basis.
You might have heard a lot about Material You over the past few months. Thats the official name of Android 12s design language. Now that the latest iteration of Android OS is available to Googles Pixel phones, the company is ready to bring the updated design language to third-party Android apps.

At the 2021 Android Dev Summit earlier this week, Google detailed the Material Design 3 (technical name for Material You), aka M3, to developers. It showed off the new, Material You-based UI components that developers can use in their apps. Google has already updated most of its first-party Android apps with the new design language.

Google details Material You UI components to developers

Bottom navigation bar

Starting with the bottom navigation bar, its now taller than on the previous iteration, i.e. M2. Google has removed the drop shadow this year and is highlighting active states with filled icons and a contrasting pill-shaped indicator. Inactive states are represented with outlined icons.

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As 9to5Google notes, Android apps that have already picked up the Material You redesign have adopted this component. Gmail is one of them, though Google later decreased the height of the navigation bar to the same size as on the M2 design language. The report suggests that Gmail could get rid of the text labels to further decrease the height.

Navigation rail

Navigation rail, which is a vertical navigation bar for large screens, also undergoes a similar change. Active states are now highlighted using a pill-shaped indicator rather than colored icons as on M2. Navigation rails can also feature a FAB (floating action button) at the top, while the background can feature rounded corners. No app has implemented this design as yet.

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Top app bar

For the top app bar, Google is offering four different designs: center-aligned, small, medium, and large. Theres no drop shadow here as well. Google is further replacing contrasting colors that separate the top bar from the content beneath with a color fill overlay.

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FAB

As for FABs, Google is switching from a circular design to boxier ones, with rounded corners. There are two types of FABs: small and large. The former finds use in editing widgets while the latter has use cases in areas where we typically see large buttons, such as to start a voice recorder or set up an alarm. FABs have no text labels, so they should be functionally explicit, Google notes. FAB should persist on the screen when content is scrolling.

Extended FAB

For a visually more prominent button, M3 brings extended FABs that have the same height as regular FABs and an optional icon. On M2, extended FABs are pill-shaped and have different heights and elevations.

Buttons

Google is offering various pill-shaped button designs including elevated, filled, filled tonal, outlined, and text. They are slightly taller than on M2 and have more rounded corners. Also, button labels are now in sentence case rather than ALL CAPS.

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Cards

Material Design 3 also brings three types of cards: elevated, filled, and outlined. The latter is used by Google Keep. The content inside cards will have lower elevation and will not feature a shadow by default.

Chips

The new Android design language features four types of chips: assist, filter, input, and suggestion. They are all now rounded rectangles. Earlier, smaller chips were pill-shaped, while larger ones took a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Google has also separated M2s action chips into assist chips and suggestion chips on M3. Choice chips, meanwhile, are now a subset of filter chips.

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Dialogs

Lastly, Android 12s Material You brings two types of dialogs: basic and full-screen. Google says the former will feature greater padding to account for the increased corner radius and title size. As you can see in the attached image below, this type of dialog is used by the Recorder app when you are deleting an audio file.
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Anniston, AL (36206)

Today

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. High 62F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable.
Italian businessmen urge tourism reopening to Morocco Letter to ambassador states COVID is well-managed in country

(ANSAmed) - RABAT, OCT 29 - About 50 entrepreneurs have written a letter to the Italian government to urge reconsideration of the public health situation in Morocco and to facilitate travel to the country.



The letter was sent to Italian Ambassador to Morocco Armando Barucco.



Signatories include those working in a wide variety of fields within the tourism sector, from restaurants to hotels, travel agencies, and real estate. They live in Morocco and are following closely the number of COVID cases.



"Since the beginning of the pandemic, Morocco has been on List E of countries that are considered at risk and for which a voluntary isolation period of 10 days is provided for. Even now there is an average of 400 new infections every day, while in the UK for example with 45,000 new infections every day is on List D. Those coming back to Italy from London, though potentially more dangerous due to possible virus transmission, only have to take a PCR test as well as have a vaccination certificate," the letter pointed out.



This does not make sense, it said, especially in light of the fact that Morocco "has made a great deal of progress and numerous efforts to ensure the safety of citizens and foreign residents." In Morocco, a vaccination certificate is obligatory, the state of emergency is still in place, and there is a night curfew starting at 11 PM.



The reopening to tourism is cautious, and every 15 days the list of countries in the world where infections are growing is updated and travellers arriving from them are not allowed to enter.



Tourists are slowly coming back to the country and, ahead of Christmas, even Italian businessmen would like to see things speed up.



An extension to the Italian ordinance regulating traveller flows, however, disappointed them.



The ambassador has pledged to send the letter to Rome.



In it, among other things, is this: " We Italians working in Morocco, mainly in the tourism field, are suffering enormous economic damages aggravating the already critical situation in which we have been for the past two years due to COVID".(ANSAmed).




BEIRUT - Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria are continuing political and technical talks for an agreement on the reactivation of a regional electrical grid after a decade of interruption as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria.



The electricity ministers of the three countries met Friday in the Jordanian capital, Amman, along with representatives of the World Bank to follow up on meetings last month supported by the US initiative to find energy resources to help Lebanon, which is struggling amid its worst financial crisis in recent decades.



The US proposed that Egypt should send natural gas to Lebanese power stations through Jordan and Syria.



At the same time, Washington has encouraged Jordan to send energy supplies to Lebanon through Syria.



For this reason, the three countries have been engaging in intense technical and political talks.



The Syrian authorities say that the restoring of connections with Jordan and Lebanon will cost over five billion dollars. The World Bank is taking part in the meetings as possible financier, on behalf of the US, of the operation.



On the issue of the reactivation of the 'Arab gas pipeline' taking gas from Egypt to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria, talks are still at the political level and currently appear to be stalled, ANSA was told by diplomatic sources in Beirut.
TUNIS - The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has helped transform a catastrophe into an opportunity for Tunisian fishermen in the Gulf of Gabes. With FAO support, they have been able to turn an invasive species - the blue crab - into a lucrative business.



Blue crab exports from Tunisia, FAO reports, increased significantly in May 2021 to 2,090.9 tons, worth some 7.2 million dollars - compared with the 796.1 tons worth 3.1 million dollars in 2020. The export development was due to efforts by the Tunisian authorities with FAO support to train fishermen as part of the "Strengthening Governance and Development of Fisheries in Tunisia" and then to develop a complete value chain for this niche market.



An invasive species introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, the blue crab threatened the traditional fishing techniques used along the Tunisian coast, damaging in particular the nets and traps used in Charfia (a traditional, fixed fishery system that blocks the path of fish and leads them to traps). With their sharp shells and claws, blue crabs ruin these fishing nets and feed on other fish species also caught in the nets or traps, FAO noted in a statement.



"Blue crabs were first found off the Tunisian coast in 1993. By 2014, they began proliferating massively, causing significant damage to the coastal artisanal fishing sector, especially in the Gulf of Gabes in southeast Tunisia, where, during the high season, the blue crab represented more than 70 percent of the catch off this Mediterranean gulf," the statement added.



"These predatory crabs compete with indigenous species for space and food. They feed on all other species of fish, and its only natural predator, the octopus, is not enough to limit its spread. By disturbing the natural ecosystems, the blue crab has also negatively affected the yields of Tunisian women clam collectors, who were supported by FAO to improve their household incomes," it said.



"At the same time, this blue crab is the fifth most popular crab in the world market. It is especially sought out in the Asian, United States and Australian markets where it is featured on the menus of many restaurants," it continued.



"Seeing the potential of turning this foe into a friend, FAO and the Tunisian government launched training sessions for the fishers in this region. Through the "Strengthening Governance and Development of Fisheries in Tunisia" project, FAO trained 90 fishers in Djerba, Gabes and Kerkennah", who "received information sessions on the benefits of the blue crab and 1 500 multipurpose traps to allow them to catch the crab more easily.



During FAO's practical, hands-on training sessions, the fishers were able to compare the effectiveness of these large, mesh net traps against the traditional cylindrical crab pots." The statement went on to say that: "Beyond the advancement of fishing techniques in Tunisia, FAO has assisted the government in developing a complete value chain within this niche market.



Good governance of fishing, that allows fishers to catch crabs of good quality while respecting the environment, has facilitated the marketing of the blue crab locally and internationally. The first blue crab processing and marketing plant for the Asian market, created by the government in 2019 in the Kerkennah islands, triggered a mini economic boom in the area with 50 new jobs for plant technicians." Valerio Crespi, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer explained in the statement that: "This successful plant not only allowed fishers to diversify their sources of income, it also added value to an invasive species." "Private sector investments in blue crab processing plants have gone from simple packaging and freezing raw crabs to preparing cooked products in order to expand to markets in Asia, Italy, Spain and the Americas. Some food manufacturing plants in Zarzis are considering including cooked crab as one of their products to enter other markets. In fact, even in Tunisia where crab has never been a traditional dish or ingredient in cooking, this product is starting to appear on local menus due to its new availability in markets," it noted.



"Though the consumption of fisheries' products decreased during the pandemic period, fishers in the Gulf of Gabes are grateful that FAO assisted in turning an invasive species into a lucrative business and diversifying their income sources and economic opportunities," FAO said.
BEIRUT - Turkey is ready to launch a wide-ranging military offensive across its border area with Syria using Syrian local opposition forces that it has long supported.



Reports appeared in several Arab media outlets on Friday, some citing Turkish and Russian military sources and others ones from Syrian opposition groups.



The sources said that Turkey intends to soon launch an offensive in northwestern Syria against non-Syrian jihadist forces, mostly those from Central Asia and the Caucasus.



Sources say that this is being done in coordination with Russia.



The other military offensive will, according to the same sources, focus on the northeastern part of Syria in which armed groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operate.



The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the US, EU, and Turkey, but the local armed factions in Syria linked to it - the YPG - have long been supported by the US as part of the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).



The sources quoted by the media outlets say that Turkey's planned offensive in this case has also been coordinated with Russia.



However, they added that the military operations will not be able to begin prior to a meeting in the coming days between US president Joe Biden and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of the COP26 conference climate, which will be held in Scotland from Sunday until Nov. 12.


Syria, Jordan, Lebanon meet to discuss regional power grid As part of support for Lebanon amid crisis

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, OCT 29 - Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria are continuing political and technical talks for an agreement on the reactivation of a regional electrical grid after a decade of interruption as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria.



The electricity ministers of the three countries met Friday in the Jordanian capital, Amman, along with representatives of the World Bank to follow up on meetings last month supported by the US initiative to find energy resources to help Lebanon, which is struggling amid its worst financial crisis in recent decades.



The US proposed that Egypt should send natural gas to Lebanese power stations through Jordan and Syria.



At the same time, Washington has encouraged Jordan to send energy supplies to Lebanon through Syria.



For this reason, the three countries have been engaging in intense technical and political talks.



The Syrian authorities say that the restoring of connections with Jordan and Lebanon will cost over five billion dollars. The World Bank is taking part in the meetings as possible financier, on behalf of the US, of the operation.



On the issue of the reactivation of the 'Arab gas pipeline' taking gas from Egypt to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria, talks are still at the political level and currently appear to be stalled, ANSA was told by diplomatic sources in Beirut.(ANSAmed).




The BBC has unveiled plans for its biggest and most significant push to ensure its content is fair, accurate and unbiased.

The move comes in response to the publication of the Serota Review into governance and culture at the broadcaster, which was published on Friday and made a number of recommendations on improving editorial standards.

The recommendations have been accepted by the broadcaster.

The review, led by Arts Council England chairman Sir Nicholas Serota, says the organisation needs to do more to embed editorial values into the fabric of the organisation.

It added that a number of those we interviewed felt that individuals, including high-profile and senior staff, have not always been held to account for breaching editorial standards.

It added there is a risk that recent staff cuts in regional teams in England will have a detrimental impact on editorial controls as staff deliver the same volume of output with fewer people.

Sir Nicholas said in a statement: There is no doubt the BBC is a very different place to that of 25 years ago and, thankfully, progress has been made.

Nevertheless, there is an opportunity for the BBC leadership team to go further and ensure that accuracy, impartiality, fairness and integrity are embedded more deeply across the organisation.

Sir Nicholas Serota (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The BBC can and should be properly held to account against these core values and standards.

This can only be achieved through improved transparency and openness, both internally and externally.

We have every confidence the BBC leadership understands this and also the very real need to deliver these improvements on behalf of audiences.

The review was commissioned by the BBC board following Lord Dysons scathing report into the circumstances surrounding Martin Bashirs 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Serota Review said the risk of editorial standards being circumvented by staff has been reduced significantly in the last 25 years.

However it found that some investigations into potential rule breaches were too slow to gather the facts, leaving staff to manage hostile media and audience reaction.

The BBC has published a 10-point plan focused on impartiality, editorial standards and whistleblowing, designed to help develop and safeguard staff and improve output across all BBC services.  BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) October 29, 2021

The BBC unveiled a 10-point action plan in response to the report, which includes extending impartiality training throughout the organisation.

It also recommends the BBCs board monitors impartiality through metrics including editorial complaints.

Staff should also be made aware that failure to comply with the BBCs editorial values will result in disciplinary action or dismissal regardless of seniority, profile or role, the report said.

Managers should also be challenged to represent audiences from all parts of the UK, both on and off screen as part of a diversity plan, it added.

The report also highlighted that previous director-generals have intervened and made a determination on whether the editorial guidelines have been breached.

It said such interventions are in line with the job of the director-general, but there has not always been clarity over the role they have played in editorial decisions.

Lord Tony Hall (David Parry/PA)

In 2019 former director-general Lord Tony Hall reversed a ruling which said Naga Munchetty broke editorial guidelines with comments she made on BBC Breakfast about Donald Trump after he told female Democrats to go back to their own countries.

The broadcaster said in a statement that it had accepted the reviews findings in full as it announced sweeping changes to further raise standards across the organisation and challenge claims of bias.

The BBC said its plan represents the BBCs biggest and most significant push to ensure its programmes and content are fair, accurate and unbiased and truly reflect the broad public which it serves.

BBC chairman Richard Sharp said: We need a BBC that is beyond reproach when it comes to impartiality, standards, processes and transparency.

The Serota Review makes clear recommendations to the board across all these areas, which will be acted upon.

We accept the report in full.

BBC director-general Tim Davie added: The BBCs editorial values of impartiality, accuracy and trust are the foundation of our relationship with audiences in the UK and around the world.

Our audiences deserve and expect programmes and content which earn their trust every day and we must meet the highest standards and hold ourselves accountable in everything we do.

The changes we have announced not only ensure we learn the lessons from the past but also protect these essential values for the future.

Earlier this month the new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries criticised the elitist approach of the BBC and said the broadcaster had a lack of impartiality.

She questioned whether the broadcaster would still exist in 10 years in the face of competition from new players such as Netflix.
Boris Johnson has said the UK is ready to take appropriate action against France in retaliation for threats made during a post-Brexit wrangle over fishing rights.

France is threatening to block British boats from some ports and tighten checks on vessels if an issue over a lack of licences for small French boats to fish in British waters is not resolved by Tuesday.

The Prime Minister said he was puzzled about what is going on and claimed Pariss behaviour could be in contravention of the UKs Brexit deal with the European Union.

The dispute over fishing rights escalated this week after French authorities accused a Scottish-registered scallop dredger of fishing without a licence.

The captain of the Cornelis Gert Jan vessel, understood to be an Irish national, was detained in Le Havre during the diplomatic storm and has been told to face a court hearing in August next year.

French authorities allege the Cornelis Gert Jan did not have a licence, a claim the boats owner Macduff Shellfish denies. The EU said UK authorities withdrew the licence on March 1.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss took the rare step of ordering an allied nations envoy to be summoned as she called Catherine Colonna, French ambassador to the UK, to the Foreign Office on Friday afternoon to challenge her over Frances intentions.

Catherine Colonna (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Ms Colonnas conversation with Europe minister Wendy Morton lasted less than 15 minutes and she did not speak to the waiting press pack after leaving the Whitehall department. She tripped as she waved to reporters.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the minister expressed concern to the ambassador over unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week and, like the Prime Minister, warned of a possible breach of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).

Ms Morton also expressed disappointment over the confrontational language that has been consistently used by the French government, which makes this situation no easier to resolve, according to a statement.

The Prime Minister, speaking to reporters on the flight to the G20 in Rome, urged British fishermen to be confident about going about their lawful business as he promised action against any infringement.

Fishing boats moored in Boulogne (Gareth Fuller/PA)

We are puzzled about what is going on, said Mr Johnson.

We fear there may be a breach of the terms of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement implicit in whats happening and obviously we will stand by to take the appropriate action.

We will do whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests.

British fishermen should be confident in going about their lawful business and they should be encouraged to continue fishing in accordance with the agreement. Any infraction is something we would need to respond to.

I remain concerned by French plans on fisheries and beyond. Foreign Secretary @trussliz has summoned French Ambassador @AmbColonna. We expect to have more to say on this issue tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/25UyZ5bt41  David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) October 28, 2021

His comments came after the UKs Brexit minister warned of rigorous checks on EU vessels if France does not back down.

Lord Frost met European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic for long-scheduled talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol in London on Monday, but the pair also discussed the fishing row.

The Conservative peer raised the threats by France to disrupt UK fisheries and wider trade, to threaten energy supplies, before introducing the prospect of implementing rigorous enforcement processes and checks on EU fishing activity in UK territorial waters.

Mr Sefcovic encouraged the UK to intensify discussions with the European Commission and France in order to swiftly resolve the issue of pending fishing licences, an EU statement said.

Earlier in the day, Environment Secretary George Eustice did not rule out blocking French vessels as he condemned a completely inflammatory claim from Frances Europe minister Clement Beaune that the only language Britain understands is the language of force.

Asked by the BBC how the UK would respond if France blocked British trawlers, the Cabinet minister responded: Two can play at that game.

Mr Eustice suggested French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister will talk to on the margins of the G20, could be whipping up a row as he faces a difficult election in April during which votes in coastal communities will be hard-fought.

At the centre of the dispute are the licences for small boats, which are issued only if the vessels can demonstrate a history of fishing in British waters.

Mr Eustice told MPs on Thursday 171 vessels have been licensed to fish in the UK six to 12 nautical mile zone, of which 103 are French, with 18 under 12 metres.
Boris Johnson said world leaders must do more to tackle the climate crisis during an extensive conversation with Chinas President Xi Jinping ahead of the Cop26 summit.

They spoke for 45 minutes on Friday after it was announced the Chinese premier will attend the major climate conference in Glasgow virtually after weeks of keeping the world guessing.

China is the worlds biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and other gases that devastate the environment and Mr Xis direct participation will be seen as a boost for the summit.

(PA Graphics)

Their talks also came after China submitted a new national plan for climate action, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Downing Street described the call as an extensive conversation during which they discussed issues including action to address the climate crisis, global trade, security and human rights.

The Prime Minister acknowledged Chinas new nationally determined contribution and welcomed their work on the Cop15 Biodiversity Summit, noting how critical protecting nature is to our overall climate objectives, No 10 said.

He emphasised the importance of all countries stepping up their ambition on climate change at Cop26 and taking concrete action to cut emissions and expedite the transition to renewable energy, including phasing out coal.

Chinas NDCs did not include new targets beyond those already announced, which were labelled as disappointing.

Beijing says it aims to reach carbon neutrality before 2060 and peak emissions before 2030, and to lower carbon emissions per unit of GDP by over 65% from the 2005 level.

The world is well off track to deliver necessary cuts to greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, and the need for China to redouble efforts is seen as essential.

Downing Street would rather Mr Xi had attended Cop26, which starts on Sunday, in person but will be welcoming his decision to attend by videolink.

(PA Graphics)

The president has avoided foreign travel since before the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

Mr Johnson also discussed wider international security issues including Afghanistan with Mr Xi and challenged him on two major points of contention.

The Prime Minister raised the United Kingdoms concerns about the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and human rights in Xinjiang, Downing Street said.
Cereal giant Kelloggs is offering new support to its employees experiencing the menopause, pregnancy loss or fertility treatment.

Measures will include paid leave for fertility treatment and for workers who suffer the loss of a pregnancy, including when it happens to them directly, to their partner or the babys surrogate mother.

Managers will be trained on how to talk about the menopause and pregnancy loss.

The company, which employs 1,500 people in its UK factories at Trafford Park and Wrexham, and head office in Manchester, said it wants to break the silence on issues often not discussed in the workplace.

Kelloggs said it is committed to training its managers on the menopause, to deepen understanding on the subject and to support anyone affected, with workplace adjustments, such as increased flexible working and occupational health support.

The company will give paid leave for pregnancy loss, without the need for a doctors note, to impacted employees including partners and those using a surrogate mother.

To support those going through fertility treatment, Kelloggs will give employees three blocks of leave each year as well as access to a private space to administer treatment if necessary.

Sam Thomas-Berry of Kelloggs said: We want to offer employees increased support for those often-taboo issues like the menopause, fertility and pregnancy loss.

Many people experience these issues, and the impact can be both physical and mental, but they arent discussed widely in the workplace.

Thats why were launching several new workplace policies for even better equity and inclusion at Kelloggs.

We want to create a culture where people feel psychologically safe so well encourage colleagues to be allies to others impacted by these issues.

The announcement was made as MPs are due to vote on a private members Bill later on Friday that, if passed, would make hormone replacement therapy free for those going through the menopause in England.
Crossrail is facing a serious funding gap and there is uncertainty over how loans will be repaid, MPs have warned.

A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) stated that the estimated cost of completing Londons new east-west railway exceeds current available funding by 150 million.

The predicted cost of finishing the project is now 18.9 billion.

The committee also expressed doubts over how and when Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority will repay taxpayer loans issued for the project amid the collapse in fares revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department for Transport (DfT) expects a 750 million loan to be financed and repaid from TfLs own revenues, according to the report.

The PAC recommended that, by the end of November, the DfT and TfL should set out the latters revenue forecast scenarios and the subsequent impact on whether and when Crossrails loans will be repaid.

The railway will be known as the Elizabeth Line once it opens, with services running from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, via central London.

It was set a budget of 14.8 billion in 2010 and was initially due to be completed in December 2018.

But it has been hit by a number of problems including construction delays and difficulties installing complex signalling systems.

Trains are now due to begin running in the central section between February and June next year, with full services scheduled to launch in either December 2022 or May 2023.

The new Elizabeth Line is not expected to open until next year (Victoria Jones/PA)

Labour MP, Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the PAC, said: We are finally, thankfully seeing a clearer sense of ownership, responsibility and determination to complete the Crossrail programme from those in charge, but there remains a serious 150 million funding gap to finish the programme.

There must be a focus now on finding real solutions to this.

With fares down because of the ongoing impact of Covid, we also need more clarity on the plans and timescale for repaying the significant Government loans.

TfL commissioner, Andy Byford, said: While I understand that everyone wants to know the specific opening date for the Elizabeth line, this will not be confirmed until we are completely satisfied that we are ready to go.

The project has my full, personal attention, the opening window continues to be what I have always said, namely the first half of 2022 and the final cost will not exceed a penny more than the budget which TfL inherited when it assumed full control of the project under my direction.

Crossrail chief executive, Mark Wild, said: The forecast cost of completing the project remains unchanged at 18.9 billion.

Now, more than ever, Londoners are relying on the capacity and connectivity that the Elizabeth line will bring.

He continued: Significant progress has been made across the project with delivery of the Elizabeth line now in its final complex stages.
Britain is on course to donate tens of millions of Covid-19 vaccines to developing nations, Boris Johnson has said as he urged other world leaders to follow suit.

The Prime Minister, in Rome for the G20 summit, said the UK will send a further 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine over the coming week through the Covax programme, taking the total for the year to 30.6 million.

Britain will also pass on a further 20 million doses next year together with all 20 million doses it ordered of the Janssen vaccine which is not being used in the UK domestic vaccination programme.

Officials said it would take the UK 70% of the way towards meeting its target of delivering 100 million surplus doses by the middle of 2022.

It is part of the commitment to vaccinate the world made by leaders at the G7 summit in Cornwall in June.

Addressing the G20, Mr Johnson is expected to say: Like a waking giant, the world economy is stirring back to life. But the pace of recovery will depend on how quickly we can overcome Covid.

Our first priority as the G20 must be to press ahead with the rapid, equitable and global distribution of vaccines.
Overseas residents made just 277,000 visits by air to the UK between April and June, new figures show.

That is a 97% decline on pre-pandemic levels, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Visits to UK-based friends and relatives decreased by 93%, while business trips were down 97%.

Just 13,000 holiday visits were recorded, representing a decline of more than 99%.

Travel and tourism firms blamed coronavirus restrictions for limiting demand.

The amount of money spent by overseas residents who arrived in the UK by air between April and June was 386 million, down 94% compared with the same period in 2019.

During the same quarter, UK residents made one million visits abroad by air, representing a decrease of 96% on pre-pandemic levels.

Visits to friends or relatives were the most common reason for travelling, accounting for 60% of all trips.

UK residents spent 1.122 billion on foreign trips by air in the second quarter of the year, a drop of 93% from the total during the same period two years ago.

The ban on overseas leisure travel was lifted on May 17, but people arriving in the UK were required to self-isolate unless they were travelling from a location on the green list.

Portugal was the only major viable tourist destination on the list, and even it was removed on June 8.

The Government advised people not to make non-essential trips to locations on its amber list, which covered popular destinations such as Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

A relaxation of quarantine and testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers has led to a boost in travel in recent weeks but was too late for the vital summer holiday season.
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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia granted the Air Operator's Certificate to FLYONE Armenia.

The new national airline said in a news release that it will launch flights from Armenia very soon, offering affordable tickets to Europe and Asia and maximum safety.

Mircea Maleca, the company's General Manager, said, "We are currently at the stage where we are launching the sale of FLYONE ARMENIA tickets. We look forward to start the flights and to welcome our passengers."

Yerevan airport is the point from/to which the airline will fly to Moscow, Tehran, Lyon, Paris, Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Krasnodar, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv.

By now, FLYONE Armenia invested more than 60 million Euros in the Armenian market.

Furthermore, we have created new jobs, planning to have a team of more than 135 employees, who will be paid higher salaries than the country's average. In the future we aim to grow both in terms of the number of employees and the fleet.

The company's fleet consists of Airbus A320 aircrafts, on which we will operate both scheduled and charter flights. Each aircraft has 180 seats and meets all International Air Transport Association (IATA) and EASA safety standards. Also, in pandemic conditions, the aircraft are equipped with HEPA air filters, which remove 99.97% of viruses and bacteria.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis awarded President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian with the Grand Collar of the Papal Order of Pius IX for his contributions to the development of the relations between the Holy See and Armenia, as well as for being the first Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican, the Armenian Presidential Office reports.

The Pope instructed me to hand over to you the highest order of Vatican. This is a testimony to the unique relations existing between our countries. By opening an Apostolic Nunciature in Yerevan, we want to establish high-level relations and show to the world the importance of the first Christian nation in the history for us, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State at the Holy See Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, who has recently visited Armenia, said.

He informed that President Sarkissian is the first both in Armenia and the region who receives such an order.

I accept it as an appreciation of my modest work and also as a recognition of the fact that I have been Armenias first Ambassador to the Holy See. I have always worked for the close relations between Armenia and Vatican. Therefore, I accept this, promising to do more, the Armenian President said, adding that its a great honor for receiving such an award.

The President proposed to mark the 30-year-old diplomatic ties between Armenia and the Holy See with a new exhibition, aimed at once again highlighting the rich historical and cultural heritage. That would be one more way of telling about the relations between our states and an occasion to talk about the future, Armen Sarkissian said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Sources noted that this would be the first-ever meeting with Pope Francis for Mr Modi since he became Prime Minister in 2014

The sources also indicated that the PMs meeting with the Pope, that is expected at the Vatican on Saturday morning, could pave the way for a papal visit to India. (AFP)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will call on Pope Francis at Vatican City during his visit to Italy to attend the 16th G-20 summit in Rome starting Friday, in what foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said would be an important meeting. Sources noted that this would be the first-ever meeting with Pope Francis for Mr Modi since he became Prime Minister in 2014.

The sources also indicated that the PMs meeting with the Pope, that is expected at the Vatican on Saturday morning, could pave the way for a papal visit to India. Pope Francis has been head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013. The last papal visit to India was in the 1990s during the papacy of Pope John Paul II. Some political sources hinted that the move might be part of the BJP governments attempt to reach out to the Christian community ahead of the Goa Assembly elections early next year.

Mr Shringla, briefing reporters here Thursday, said the PM would leave New Delhi late Thursday night and will be in Italy from October 29 to 31 before heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP-26 World Leaders Summit, pertaining to clean energy and combating climate change on November 1.

The G-20 comprises 20 of the worlds largest economies including India. The G-20 summit will focus on economic and health recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic as well as job creation and skill development, the foreign secretary said at a special briefing.

Asked about World Health Organisation (WHO) recognition for Indias indigenously developed Covid vaccine Covaxin, Mr Shringla said that the WHOs Technical Action Group had made certain queries to Covaxins manufacturer Bharat Biotech, for which the answers were supposed to be given soon. He hoped that WHOs recognition for Covaxin would come through soon after that.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the two summits in Rome and Glasgow. He is due to hold meetings with Italian PM Mario Draghi in Rome as well as with the Saudi Crown Prince there.

The MEA had earlier said: This will be the 8th G-20 summit that the Prime Minister will be attending. The G-20 has emerged as the premier global forum for international economic cooperation. India is scheduled to host the G-20 summit in 2023 for the first time. The forthcoming summit under the Italian presidency is centred around the theme People, Planet, Prosperity, focussing on the areas of (i) Recovery from the Pandemic and Strengthening of Global Health Governance, (ii) Economic Recovery and Resilience, (iii) Climate Change and Energy Transition, and (iv) Sustainable Development and Food Security."

The MEA had added: The Prime Minister will thereafter travel to Glasgow to attend the World Leaders Summit of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. COP26 is being held from 31 October to 12 November under the presidency of the UK partnering with Italy. The high-level segment of COP26, titled the World Leaders Summit (WLS), will be held on 1-2 November 2021. The summit will be attended by the heads of state/government of more than 120 countries.

The MEA had further said: The UNFCCC embodies the global will and vision to combat climate change. The periodic Conference of Parties to this Convention have emerged as global climate summits, providing an opportunity for stocktaking and for charting the way forward. Prime Minister last attended the COP21 in Paris in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was concluded, and whose implementation commences this year. At COP26, the Parties will work to achieve the completion of Paris Agreement implementation guidelines; the mobilization of climate finance; actions to strengthen climate adaptation, technology development and transfer; and keeping in reach the Paris Agreement goals of limiting the rise in global temperatures.
Shares of IRCTC on Friday tanked nearly 10 per cent in opening trade to Rs 822.40 apiece

IRCTC on Thursday said that the Ministry of Railways has asked it to share 50 per cent of its revenue earned as convenience fee from bookings on its website with the national transporter.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has decided to withdraw its decision on sharing of convenience fee earned by IRCTC on online bookings of train tickets, DIPAM Secretary said on Friday.

"Ministry of Railways has decided to withdraw the decision on IRCTC convenience fee," DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted.

The Indian Railways Catering and Transportation Corporation (IRCTC) on Thursday said that the Ministry of Railways has asked it to share 50 per cent of its revenue earned as convenience fee from bookings on its website with the national transporter.

Convenience fees charged from customers generated a sizable revenue for IRCTC. The fee is not part of the rail fare. It is for the service of online ticket booking offered by the IRCTC.

Shares of IRCTC on Friday tanked nearly 10 per cent in opening trade to Rs 822.40 apiece.

It recovered some ground after the government decided to withdraw its decision on IRCTC convenience fee and was trading at 887.35, down 2.89 per cent on the BSE.

IRCTC listed on the stock exchanges on October 14, 2019 at Rs 644 a piece after selling shares at Rs 320 apiece in an initial public offering.
Modi Ji has to be made the prime minister in 2024 and Yogi ji will have to be made the UP chief minister once again in 2022, he said

Lucknow: Scotching speculation over the BJP's chief ministerial face in the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Yogi Adityanath has to become chief minister in 2022 for Narendra Modi to be sworn in as the prime minister again in 2024.

The Union Home Minister also asserted that the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls will lay the foundation for the BJP's victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The remarks by Shah at a function kick-starting the BJP's membership expansion drive here assumes significance amidst reports of differing opinions among state leaders on whether the party should fight the 2022 elections under the leadership of Adityanath.

Shah also addressed the party's Shakti Kendra conveners and in-charges of the Awadh region at the event at the Defence Expo Ground here.

On the occasion, the former BJP president released a slogan, 'Mera Parivar, BJP Parivar' amid the party consistently dubbing its rivals and opposition parties as "family-run parties".

"When Modi Ji is the prime minister, he gives all that is required by Uttar Pradesh. The foundation of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which has to be won under the leadership of Modi Ji will be laid in the 2022 assembly elections here, the Union Home Minister said.

"Modi Ji has to be made the prime minister in 2024 and Yogi ji will have to be made the UP chief minister once again in 2022, he said.

Noting that the election is meant to make Bharat Mata a 'vishwaguru' (world leader), Shah said after Diwali, the electioneering will gain momentum and exhorted party workers to work dedicatedly for it.

"When the BJP men come out and walk with the lotus flag and its slogans, the opposition parties start feeling threatened, he said, further exhorting the party workers to aim at winning more than 300 seats in the upcoming UP assembly polls.

Pointing that the BJP's membership expansion drives were also started before the 2014, 2017 and 2019 elections, Shah said the membership campaign before the 2022 elections is being launched on Friday.

Recalling the glorious past of the state, Shah said since the Mughal rule till the BJP came to power in 2017 with a full majority, it never appeared that Uttar Pradesh is the land of Baba Vishwanath, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.

He emphasised that the BJP worked for getting the right recognition due to the state and took it ahead to empower it further.

"The BJP has proved for the first time that governments are formed not for the family but for the poorest of the poor in the state, he said, taking a dig at various opposition parties.

Attacking opposition parties and leaders, especially Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his poll-related activities, Shah said, "After the drums of elections were sounded, those who were sitting at home have come out in new clothes to show that their government is going to be formed."

"I ask Akhilesh (Yadav) to give an account for how many days he stayed abroad in five years, give the account to the people of UP," he said.

"These people ruled for themselves, for their families and if they had any broader thinking, it was for their caste men but never for anyone else, Shah further taunted.

Recalling the 1990 police firing at Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya during the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, Shah said these people had in 2014, 2017 and 2019 mocked the BJP with their slogans mandir wahin banayenge, par tithi nahi batayenge (Will build the temple there but won't tell the date when it will start). But the foundation stone of a grand Lord Ram Lala temple has already been laid in Ayodhya today and the construction work is on in full swing, he said.

Under the guidance of Modi Ji, Yogi Ji has run the government for the poor, women, youth and the unemployed, he stressed, lauding the working of the Adityanath government.

Shah also attacked the Gandhi and Vadra families of the Congress along with the SP and the BSP.

The former BJP president was welcomed by senior leaders and ministers, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Lucknow on his arrival.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Kyle Jaffee boxes up a to-go order at Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop in Aspen. Beginning Nov. 15, Meat & Cheese will require its guests to show proof of vaccination in order to dine indoors. Through a Pitkin County program, numerous businesses in Aspen and the county, like Meat & Cheese, will require their employees and guests to be fully vaccinated upon entry. In turn, they wont have to wear masks indoors.
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Since China has significant taxes on engines bigger than 3.0-liters, Audi has decided to offer the 2022 A8 L Horch with a 340-horsepower unit with a 48-Volt mild-hybrid system.

In terms of styling, the Audi A8 L Horch comes with a set of subtle badges on its body, a set of 20-inch wheels with a polished finish (these remind us of Mercedes-Maybach wheels), along with a modified front grille. In addition, the luxury sedan comes with Matrix LED headlights as standard, which is not a surprise, and the same goes for the company's OLED taillights.

You already know that the Horch name comes from the man who founded the Horch brand, the Audi brand, and Auto Union. All those companies merged later on to become Audi AG, the company we refer to as Audi today. It was about time that the German marque would honor his legacy , and a special edition of the A8 is the way to go.Long wheelbase sedans are especially popular in China, so the marque's A8 L , which is 130 millimeters (ca. 5 inches) longer than the A8, is the best proposition for a luxury sedan. The 2022 Audi A8 L has a length of 5.45 meters (ca. 17.88 ft.), and the rear passengers are the ones who get to enjoy the extra space.The turbocharged V6 engine offers 500 Nm of torque (ca. 368 lb.-ft). It is sent to its four wheels through the company's quattro all-wheel-drive system eight-speed automatic transmission (made by ZF). Surprisingly, it is not a plug-in hybrid , but it could have been one with ease.On top of the unique grille and wheels, Audi has designed a special paint for the A8 L Horch, which is a shade of green. At the same time, all the exterior ornaments (including side mirror caps) are finished in polished silver.The interior of the A8 L Horch comes with dedicated badges, the company's finest leather, wood, and aluminum trim, and that diamond-shaped stitching for part of the seats and the door cards. The result is elegant and understated, something that August Horch would have enjoyed.On the tech front, Audi's A8 L Horch comes with Bang & Olufsen's 3D stereo sound system. The front seats come with eight massage modes as standard, which is usually an expensive option even for the A8.Having personally tested a massaged seat in an A8 years ago, I can attest that it is pleasant and that you can't wait to get in the car again and experience it just a bit more.The public unveiling of the 2022 Audi A8 L Horch is set to take place at the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show. Audi's most luxurious sedan was unveiled before November 19, its scheduled public debut date.Suppose this model ever reaches Europe, the U.S., or any other market outside of China. In that case, it will come with a W12, according to Polish journalists
Ferrovial will begin searching for the best location for these future sites and developing the vertiport design. The final network will be used to operate the VA-X4 as part of Vertical Aerospaces agreement with Virgin Atlantic.

Vertical Aerospace has not only developed an advanced eVTOL, able to reach top speed of over 200 mph (322 kph) while also being 100 times quieter than a helicopter, but it has also made important steps toward establishing a dedicated infrastructure. After signing an agreement with Heathrow airport, it has recently launched a joint project with Ferrovial, an international airport operator.This large-scale project is meant to develop a network of 25 vertiports across the UK. These dedicated eVTOL sites will also be integrated with other types of transportation, with the purpose of increasing connectivity between cities and regions. The ultimate goal is to enable much faster traveling that doesnt hurt the environment.For example, an eVTOL flight from Heathrow to Cambridge would take only 28 minutes, compared to a taxi ride that is three times longer or a train ride that adds up to two hours.This recent agreement marks a significant milestone for the eVTOL company, which hopes to launch regular flights in just a few years. Until then, the VA-X4 still needs to be certified, which is expected to be achieved by 2024. After that, according to Vertical, its electric aircraft will provide the highest safety standards, equivalent to those for passenger jets.It looks like it wont be long until vertiports will become as common as conventional airports, and high-speed, zero-emissions flights will be regular.
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ZeroAvia has developed a 600hydrogen-electric powertrain and is working on an even more powerful version, the 2,000-5,000 kW powertrain known as ZA2000. This new version would be powerful enough to be used for a future 76-seat regional aircraft, enabling it to travel for over 500 nautical miles.The companys plans of officially launching operations for its 600 kW powertrain by 2024, and for the ZA2000 by 2026, seem to be convincing since Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures is one of the top investors. Recently, another big name was added to the list: Alaska Airlines. Its parent company, Alaska Air Group, will collaborate with ZeroAvia for developing its largest powertrain.The propulsion technology will be integrated on a full-size De Havilland Q400 aircraft, a regional 76-seater, previously operated by an Alaska Airline subsidiary. On the other hand, the manufacturer will also collaborate with aircraft regulators, to make sure that the hybrid aircraft will meet safety and operational requirements.But the airline wont stop there. Its also committed to becoming emissions-free by 2040. One of the first steps toward achieving that goal will be to convert its regional aircraft, by equipping them with the ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric powertrain. The first one will be the Q400, followed by at least 50 more, for which the airline has already secured the conversion kits. This large-scale project will also be supported by infrastructure partners, including Shell.Earlier this year, ZeroAvia conducted an interesting ground test for its 600 kW powertrain, which successfully pulled a 15-ton hypertruck. Demonstrations for the 2,000 kW powertrain are scheduled for 2022, and will likely be just as interesting as the previous ones.If things go well, a hybrid-electric regional jet with a 500-mile range will begin operating as soon as 2026.
Brendan Carr is An American lawyer nominated by Donald Trump in 2017 to become an FCC commissioner. Carr is also an avid fan of SF movies, who let Hollywood get the best of him. In a recent Twitter post, Carr stated that he intends to propose a rule that bans robots , because hes seen Terminator and I, Robot, and he knows how this ends. He also embedded a video with Spot in his tweet.Carr detailed that if a robot dog is too large to kick over in case of an emergency, it should be banned. He also added that he is qualified to propose the rule. The fact that he watched the "Terminator" franchise and many other robotics movies was the lawyers main argument, adding that the flicks should be seen as Cliffnotes for robotics degrees.A wave of disapproving comments followed his tweet, which only brought the worst out of the commissioner, who started to reply offensively to users not sharing his views on robotics. Carr even mocked a user for running a burner account for a robot dog that has gone sentient, one more reason to speed up the rulemaking. Spot, the robot dog, was the creation of Boston Dynamics, a company that is now owned by Hyundai. Made available for the general public in 2020, the four-legged machine proved to be a real hit, suitable for a plethora of applications. Spot is now used in various fields to improve safety and productivity. So far, it has been deployed in various hazardous locations such as nuclear plants to detect radiation and substations to inspect high-voltage facilities. It was even used in military camps for combat exercises.
Exactly seven years ago, I was on an airplane heading to Las Vegas. I was eager to land for my second SEMA show, as I enjoyed the 2013 edition. After the 2020 edition was canceled due to the ongoing pandemics, the Las Vegas Convention Center will once again be the host of the show for 2021.

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The #FordMustang 1400 duo just won't quit. As we prepare to take these all-electric powerhouses to @SEMASHOW, check out their new fit ???? pic.twitter.com/bLoTjP1bF6  Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) October 29, 2021

The SEMA Show has been a thing since 1967, but it wasn't until 1977 that it moved to Las Vegas. Although there are going to be several restrictions in place, most people in the automotive industry seem to be excited to be going back. Only people that are part of the industry can attend the show. But rest assured, there is going to be a lot of content coming out on here next week!It was just two days ago that Ford Performance released their newest video featuring Vaughn Gittin JR. tearing up the Faroe Islands in a Mustang Mach-E 1400. Since that moment, the film has amassed about 50,000 views on YouTube. That seems to be less than what Ken Block would've drawn in, but there's still time for people to see it. Meanwhile, Ford has also released several photos from the shoot, and the Mach-E 1400 looks nothing short of amazing.In case you were wondering what the connection between the Mach-E 1400 and the SEMA Show is, the answer is simple. The Mustang Mach-E 1400 and the Cobra Jet 1400 will both be featured at the show next week. And it seems that they will be sporting matching liveries. So there does seem to be a connection between the chosen colors and the fact that both these vehicles are, as Ford calls them, "all-electric powerhouses."As cool as these two vehicles may be, it may take a few more years until Mustang enthusiasts will come to terms with the idea that their favorite machines will no longer have internal combustion engines. While the Mach-E will probably take up a segment of clients that are looking for a more family-oriented vehicle, the regular Mustang will probably transition to a hybrid powertrain before killing off thefor good.
Carmakers tried all sorts of tricks to minimize the disruption, from building vehicles without certain systems to temporary shutdowns of the production at their plants.General Motors is one of the companies that turned to these painful approaches, though at the end of the day, its operations have still been impacted severely But as it turns out, those industry analysts who anticipated a chip shortage ease-off in the last months of the year have actually been right, as General Motors is now preparing to accelerate the production of several models in its lineup. And not only that, but the company is also adding overtime shifts at no less than six North American plants.Trucks like Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, both of which have been hit hard by the lack of semiconductors, are among the models to benefit from the introduction of overtime shifts.More specifically, GM says its adding more shifts to the Fort Wayne assembly plant in Indiana where it makes the two trucks, but also at the Silao Assembly in Mexico (responsible for the production of light-duty models).The operations at the Wentzville Assembly plant in Missouri will also be accelerated, so the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado production will gain more pace, and the same thing will happen at the Arlington Assembly facility where GM makes the GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and Cadillac Escalade.On the other hand, this doesnt necessarily mean General Motors has defeated the global chip shortage. The company still expects the crisis to return at some point next year, possibly to cause only minor production disruptions, but at least things are temporarily returning to normal at its North American plants.
After unveiling the final version, the projects next phase will be to start operating the autonomous ship on public routes in Amsterdam. Besides passenger transportation, the Roboat is also suitable for delivering goods or collecting waste. Furthermore, one operator could safely monitor up to 50 of these robotaxis, which would be beneficial both for the community and the environment.

MITs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Senseable City Laboratory have been working on this project since 2015, and several prototypes were launched over the past few years. Now, the final robotic boat is here: a two-seater black and grey vessel with improved capabilities.According to MIT specialists, this water robotaxi boasts higher precision in perception, navigation, and control. Using multiple sensors and 360-degree-view cameras, it can understand its environment and avoid collision with various objects. With the help of GPS, it can even autonomously decide a safe route from point A to point B.The Roboats innovative latching mechanism also enables it to connect to the docking station or to other boats , by detecting QR codes.The autonomous vessel is also fully electric, equipped with a large battery, the size of a small chest, that allows ten hours of continuous operation. Another interesting feature of the Roboat is its universal hull, which means that various types of top decks can be adapted to a base that stays the same, thanks to a versatile design.According to the project s representatives, this self-driving ship could easily operate 100% autonomously, 24/7. Still, for safety reasons, it is being monitored by an onshore operator for now.
So, let us start with the DocZ, which is a 1972 Datsun 240Z that has been modified in a Safari rally-inspired manner. Actor and producer Sung Kang, renowned around the world for his role of Han, in the Fast and Furious series , has restored an example with his mentor, Erick Aguilar of Erick's Racing.Kang already has another 240Z that is famous, which is dubbed FuguZ and has a Skyline engine in it, but the DocZ comes with an original L24. Well, it used to be original, but it was stroked to 2800 cc, fitted with a custom head, a trio of Weber carbs, and a custom exhaust system.The mods on the DocZ are period correct, and they have been complemented by a refreshed suspension and a brake kit, along with 16-inch '78 Nanakorobi Yaoki wheels (a tribute to the original Kobe Seiko of the Z432), along with a total makeover for the body, which got a koi fish ghost effect on its red and black two-tone paint.Another modified Nissan set for the 2021 SEMA Show belongs to Christ Forsberg, a three-time Formula Drift World Champion. His GT-R-powered all-custom, four-seat Altima drift machine, dubbed Altimaniac, produces 2,000 horsepower in a reliable form.Another Z, this time the 2023 Z, will be showcased at SEMA in its limited-edition Z Proto Spec. Only 240 units of this special edition will be sold on the U.S. market, and those visiting the booth will also get the chance to see Hiroshi Tamura, the Chief Product Specialist of Nissan, who is considered the "father of the Z program."The other side of the Nissan booth at SEMA 2021 features the 2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X that was raced in the 2021 Rebelle Rally by Team Wild Grace. They finished the rally in sixth place, and this was Nissan's sixth running in the women-only Rebelle Rally event , which is considered one of the most demanding off-road rallies in America. The racers will be on the Nissan stand to talk about their experience.Another 2022 Nissan Frontier will be showcased on the stand, but this one is called Project Overland Frontier. It comes with the NISMO Off Road Performance Suspension Kit, a two-inch lift in front, SPC front upper control arms with xAxis sealed flex joints, NISMO Off Road rear leaf springs and shocks, a full cat-back exhaust system with polished tip and laser-etched NISMO logo, as well as other modifications.This Frontier was modified for overlanding, which means that it also received a rooftop tent, a bed rack, ditch lamps, a roof rack, an all-weather bed drawer system, and many more.Most of the new NISMO Off Road parts featured on this example will be available through Nissan dealers, select NISMO retailers, or through NISMO's website starting early 2022.The second customized Nissan belonging to the company is a Project Overland Pathfinder. Also modified for overlanding, this example comes with simple modifications that owners can install to make it easier for them to travel off the beaten path.Upgrades added to the Project Overland Pathfinder include a two-inch lift kit with custom Bilstein monotube gas-pressurized shocks, custom 188-inch NISMO Off Road wheels, Maxxis RAZR AT tires in 265/60/R18 tires, and several accessories fitted to the roof to accommodate life in the wild with a vehicle, such as a roof-mounted tent, a camp kitchen, and many other elements.
It might sound like a catchy cruise name, but it is in fact the companys name for its decarbonization plan, a long-term one that has the year 2050 as its deadline. But more immediate goals have also been made public. Royal Caribbean aims to deliver a net-zero cruise ship by 2035 and intends to rely on partners such as various suppliers, shipyards, and governments to achieve that, by developing alternative fuels and technology.The cruise line company boasts of its record of designing and operating some of the most energy-efficient ships on the water. They come with an optimized hull design and system upgrade such as AC chillers that use up to 40 percent less energy, with this generation of vessels being 20 to 25 percent more efficient than its predecessors.Royal Caribbeans Destination Net Zero strategy includes four main parts: to modernize its fleet by introducing 13 new energy-efficient and alternatively fueled vessels , including the recently announced Project Evolution, to continue investing in energy-efficient programs, to develop alternative fuel and power solutions, and to optimize the deployment and integration of shore-based supply chains.In addition to its Destination Net Zero strategy, the company is also focusing on its Ultimate World Cruise , which it claims will be the worlds longest one ever. The epic voyage will kick off in December 2023 in Miami and will last 274 nights. Passengers will get to visit all seven continents, with Royal Caribbean targeting 150 of the most exciting destinations in the world. Casablanca, Morocco, Greenland, Japan, the Taj Mahal in India, and Machu Picchu in Peru are just a few examples.
It also ventured into the automotive world, producing several components ( most notably cylinder heads ) for automotive giants like Toyota or Ford. Moreover, in the late 1980s, Yamaha expanded its motorsport endeavors by entering Formula 1 as an engine supplier.The first race-ready unit, the OX88, was a 3.5-liter V8 loosely based on the Cosworth DFV. Unlike the legendary powerplant designed in by the British engineering firm a couple of decades earlier, the OX88 used by the German racing team Zakspeed throughout the 1989 season was a failure of epic proportions.Notoriously unreliable, it was considered the worse engine in the competition and although Yamaha wanted to improve it during the offseason, changes in Formula 1 regulations led to its untimely demise.Forced to temporarily retire for the 1990 season, the company started developing a new V12 with the same displacement for 1991. Codenamed OX99, it proved to be better than its predecessor, but as hard as the engineers tried to enhance its performance over the next two years, it also proved to be uncompetitive.Despite its lack of Formula 1 success, the OX99 was an advanced engine for its time and the companys management was so hyped up about its potential that they decided to build a road-legal supercar around it.It all started in 1991 when a German company was commissioned to design an initial version of the car. The sketches they produced along with the projected costs were far from pleasing, so the partnership ended swiftly. However, they didnt give up on the project which was handed down to U.K.-based International Automotive Design (IAD).This time around the proposal was in tune with Yamahas vision and by the beginning of 1992, a functional prototype was ready. Designed by Takuya Yura as a single-seater, the car dubbed OX99-11 gained an additional seat by the time it was completed.With a motorcycle-inspired tandem seating arrangement under a fiberglass canopy, the outrageous supercar had a lightweight carbon fiber body that looked very much like a Group C endurance racer . It was a masterful blend of aggressive lines and curves that culminated with an open wing integrated into the front fascia.Underneath the gorgeous bodywork, a state-or-the-art monocoque chassis was hidden. It housed numerous Formula 1-derived goodies like inboard pushrod suspension and of course, the fire-spitting OX99 V12 that was limited to 400 hp to increase reliability and make it emission-compliant.Overall, the car weighed 2,540 lbs (1,150 kg) and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in just under four seconds, making it just a few tenths of a second slower than the McLaren F1 , the ultimate supercar of the era.A total of 3 units were built by IAD before Yamaha ended the partnership over disagreements regarding the budget. The manufacturers British subsidiary Ypsilon Technology was selected to apply the finishing touches and come up with a pre-production version in just six months.Set to be released for the 1994 model year, the OX99-11 was expected to cost around $800,000 ($1,480,755 today), which was McLaren F1 money and enough to buy three V12-powered , four-wheel-drive Lamborghini Diablo VTs.With a financial crisis looming back home in Japan and unable to secure enough preorders, the company eventually killed off the project which by this time was way over budget.Although it never made it into production, the OX99-11 remains one of the most interesting concept cars of the 1990s and one of Yamahas most ambitious projects.These days, the manufacturer proudly showcases all three prototypes at various motorsport events around the country where it can be seen performing demonstration laps. In a rare video posted on YouTube by sxe10cj, you can see (and hear) this amazing machine being driven out of the pits.
One of these American-made beauties is now getting ready to leave Allens garage, after he sold it through a third party at auction on Bring a Trailer . Its a rare and hard to get 2017 Ford GT that also happens to be almost brand new, with just 700 miles (1,127 km) on the odo and the only minor modifications of a Heffner titanium exhaust system and a protective film for the paintjob.Because celebrity provenance adds plenty of value to most vehicles, the GT sold for exactly $1 million  and only four bids, which must be some kind of unofficial record of itself. That said, second-hand units of the GT can sell for as much as $1.8 million, because Ford is making only a limited number of them and the approval process is like getting into Stanford  Allens own words, and if a celebrity says it, you can imagine how hard it must be for regular folks.Earlier this year, Allen gave the Petersen Automotive Museum a tour of his impressive garage , which, at the time, also included the 2017 GT. He called it his silver spaceship and admitted that, as much as he had wanted it before he got it, he had mixed feelings about it once hed gotten to drive it. In its element, I've never driven a more fantastic automobile, he said, adding that it was, in essence, a race car for the road  and it came with the spartan interior and lack of comfort of one.On that same occasion, Allen offered a future explanation for his decision to sell the GT. He said that none of the vehicles in his fleet were garage queens and that he kept only the cars he drove. Once he grew tired or bored with an item, he simply sold it and moved on to the next one.Allen paid $485,500 for the Ingot Silver-painted 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 Ford GT, so he made quite the profit off the sale. As of the moment of press, theres some controversy over at BaT about how Ford needs to be more selective with the celebrities they sell to, lest they flip them for profit like Allen did with the 2017 GT.
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One Grip Control stands for a mix of steer-by-wire with something similar to Peugeots i-Cockpit. The yoke sits low, making the instrument panel more visible thanks to that: theres nothing between the driver and the gauges. Curiously, Toyota does not name it a steering yoke: it prefers to call it a "uniquely shaped steering wheel."Tesla fans will say thats precisely what the company did with the Model S Plaid, but theres a big difference. The One Motion Grip has no mechanical connections between the steering yoke and the wheels, which is kind of frightening. Some companies have proposed doing so, but the bZ4X may be the first production vehicle to deliver that.Without a physical connection, lock-to-lock is set at around 150 degrees, as Toyota states. That means you dont have to cross your arms while maneuvering the car. Tesla kept the same lock-to-lock relation it had with a steering wheel with its steering yoke, which generated all the criticism around it.Toyota presented images of a regular steering wheel, which must mean that the One Motion Grip will be optional. In its world press release about the car, the Japanese company said that it would have this system in the Chinese market, and other ones would receive it in models released after 2022. Considering the bZ4X will be put for sale in 2022, thats confusing.That probably means that future vehicles from the bZ (Beyond Zero) family will also present the One Motion Grip system. Toyota said it plans to introduce seven bZ models by 2025. The regular steering wheel in some of the bZ4X pictures does not have a clear explanation.Regarding the bZ4X technical specs, it is a 4.69-meter (184.7 inches) longthat is 1.86 m (73.2 in) wide, 1.65 m (65 in) tall (counting its antenna) and has a wheelbase of 2.86 m (112.6 in). The car is surprisingly light for an electric SUV: 1,920 kilograms (4,233 pounds) for theand 2,005 kg (4,420 lb) for the. Its luggage compartment can carry 452 liters (16 cubic feet) of cargo.The car is built over a new platform that Toyota said it developed with Subaru: the e-TNGA. Strangely, the company said it was a joint development when it bears the same name as Toyotas modular platform. The explanation may be that Subaru developed the AWD system and X-Mode.Underneath the floor sits a 71.4battery pack that delivers up to 500 kilometers (311 miles) of range in its FWD version and 460 km (280 mi) of range in the AWD derivative, all under thetesting cycle. As we already told our readers, Toyota promises it would retain 90% of its capacity after ten years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi), whichever comes first.Working at 355V, it does not offer the quick charging capabilities of systems that operate at 800V or higher. Toyota said it could recover 80% of charge in 30 minutes, apparently from 0 (Toyota does not clarify that), in a 150fast charger. It also states that the car will be available with an 11-kW three-phase onboard charger starting in Q4 2022. Depending on when the vehicle will be put for sale, anyone interested in buying it should wait for that.A welcome solution on the first Toyota ever conceived to be anfrom the ground up is the solar roof. The carmaker did not disclose how much energy it could generate, but it said it would be able to add up to 1,800 km (1,119 mi) per year of range.When it comes to power, the bZ4X may have a 150-kW (201-hp) motor in its FWD derivative or two 80-kW (107 hp) units in the AWD version (one per axle) for a total of 160 kW (214 hp). Both bZ4X will have the same top speed of 160 kph (100 mph). Acceleration times from 0 to 100 kph (97 mph) change a bit: 8.4 seconds for the FWD and 7.7 s for the AWD.The video below about the bZ4X also shows it will not have a frunk. Toyota chose to put a lot of mechanical elements under the hood, which will make some criticize the vehicle as they did the ID vehicles from Volkswagen. Ford has given both the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning a frunk, something Tesla has offered since the Model S. OTA (over-the-air) updates will be restricted to "the latest preventive safety package, Toyota Safety Sense, and the multimedia system," not to other aspects of the car.With so much time to study what Tesla and other companies have done with electric cars, Toyota will still offer worse solutions with the bZ4X. It may try to seduce customers with the battery pack warranty and its reputation for reliability, but perhaps the company is exaggerating in playing safe.
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The Durango Hellcat is normally an 11.5-second car, over a quarter mile. Getting it to best that time by a whole second or more is quite an accomplishment. Of course, the team didnt stop there, and thanks to the addition of an ice tank to help reduce engine intake temperature, plus a few other tweaks, this bad boy started running in the 9s.During a recent Street Car Takeover event in Virginia, the AMP Durango Hellcat raced against a wide range of competitors, doing short 1/8 mile runs as well as quarter mile ones. While dispatching an old C6 Corvette, the Durango flew past the quarter mile marker in just 9.85 seconds at 137 mph (220 kph). Thats almost Ferrari SF90-levels of fast.The most interesting run, however, came against a Challenger Redeye, which concluded with the muscle car coming out on top by a hair. The latter covered the quarter mile in 10-seconds flat (literally, 10.00 seconds) at 121 mph (195 kph), while the modded Durango took 10.07 seconds at 135 mph (217 kph). Obviously thewas faster, but it just couldnt put together as good a run as before.Fresh out the factory, the Durango SRT Hellcat produces 710 hp (720 ps) and 640 lb-ft (875 Nm) of torque thanks to a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine. Its capable of getting from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.5 seconds, and again, thats before you fiddle with the engine in any way, shape or form.
EV

According to the White House, the POTUS is pretty confident that the framework his administration is proposing can pass both houses of Congress. However, that does not mean that all propositions made by it will be approved as they are.The deal is that the negotiation process Biden said he had with Congressional Leadership and multiple other members of the Congress would probably have suppressed the idea if it had no chance of being approved.We would love to hear if the federal tax credit for EVs will go for Congress voting with the $40,000 limit. If it is still included, that will explain why Musk thinks the new incentive is tailored to benefit only a few American companies such as GM and Ford.In fact, the only cars eligible to receive the full federal tax credit nowadays would be the Chevrolet Boltand Bolt EUV, as Green Car Reports mentions. Other options such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Ioniq Electric, Mazda MX-30, Kia Nio EV, and Volkswagen ID.4 would get only the $7,500 credit some of them already enjoy nowadays. In other words, things would not change that much for them.Perhaps thats Bidens goal: to bring more affordable EVs to the U.S. market, made by unions. There are only two outcomes possible: either that will put even more pressure on battery pack prices than we already have today, or carmakers will just ignore the new incentives. It may even bring about both of them.The current chip shortage shows that automakers are focusing on vehicles with higher profit margins at the expense of sales numbers. This is what granted the Tesla Model 3 the top position in European sales charts in September. As we already wrote, batteries are also in short supply because there are not enough battery factories for all the emerging demand. Raw materials such as lithium are also experiencing massive price increases.For automakers to sell more affordable EVs, they have to solve these supply chain issues. Bidens plan would better address them to help his plan for electric vehicles work.
Seeing that, weve even decided to include these pics the Air Force releases from time to time in a special section. We call it Photo of the Day , and weve seen there over the past few months some incredible visual creations. Few of them are, however, as intimate as the one we have here.The photo was captured by an Airman 1st Class back in September and recently released by the USAF . It shows the shadowy figure of a hovering HH-60 Pave Hawk deployed with the 33rd Rescue Squadron based at Kadena Air Base in Japan. It also the shadowy figures of a couple of U.S. Marines in an apparent mid-air embrace, floating right under the helicopter.If you look close enough (click main photo to enlarge) you can see a cable that connects the two to the helicopter. Thats because, unlike what the eyes would tell you, the two are not floating aimlessly under the helicopter, but are being hoisted up during a training mission.The op took place at Camp Gonsalves in Japan and involved the usual trials and tribulations: low-level flying, hoisting, water operations and entering contested environments. All are operations the Pave Hawk is perfectly suited to perform.Tracing its lineage back to the 1980s, the helicopter ( HH-60G ) was born to operate behind enemy lines, being capable of flying at speeds of 221 mph (357 kph) and repelling enemy forces using M2 Browning machine guns.As is, the Pave Hawk is slowly exiting the scene, as the American military is planning to replace it with the new, Black Hawk-based Jolly Green II ( HH-60W ).
This SRM test represents a significant milestone in the development of the common hypersonic missile that will be fielded by the services. The new weapon will be used by the Navy as part of its submarine-launched Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program, and it will be deployed by the Army on its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) weapon system.The hypersonic missile will cut through the air at speeds greater than Mach 5, allowing for precise and rapid attacks. The weapon will enable warfighters to defeat deep inland targets from thousands of miles away in just a matter of minutes.The recent live fire test builds upon the knowledge gathered from previous trials conducted in May on the first stage of the rocket motor, and in August, on the second stage SRM Now, the Navy has validated for the first time the thrust vector control system integrated into the first stage SRM. The thrust vector control system represents a crucial component of the missile booster that allows the rocket motors to be controlled during flight.The final hypersonic missile will include the first stage SRM as part of a new missile booster paired with the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). And it looks like it won't be long until the weapon is fielded by the services.Both the Navy and the Army are ready to conduct the first flight test of the common hypersonic missile. The services will continue to work together to stay on track with the program.''Today's successful test brings us one step closer to the design validation of our new hypersonic missile that will be fielded by both the Navy and the Army,'' said Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr, Director for Strategic Systems Programs.
From programs that can process a vast amount of data for intelligence gathering to the future of autonomous weapons, AI is becoming key to our operations  and our international competition.

Why it matters: Military dominance in the future won't be decided just by the size of a nation's army, but the quality of its algorithms.

The U.S. still leads on integrating AI into defense, but some competitors like China have advantages of their own  and they're catching up.

Driving the news: The National Counterintelligence and Security Center said in a new paper published Friday that China and Russia are using legal and illegal methods to undermine and overtake U.S. dominance in critical industries including AI and autonomous systems, my Axios colleague Zach Basu writes.

Officials warned in the paper that China has "the might, talent, and ambition" to surpass the U.S. in AI in the next decade.

"I don't necessarily agree that China is ahead," says Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and a co-author of the new book "The Age of AI." "But they want to be ahead and they're investing heavily to do so."

Yes, but: So is the U.S., particularly in defense.

The Defense Department plans to spend $874 million for AI-related technologies. It also aims to increase the number of AI-related projects to more than 600, up 50% from current efforts.

"I think you should think about this as us taking science, research, innovation and bringing it to the warfighter, to the marine, to the airmen, the sailor and the soldier so we can maintain that superiority," Sen. Mark Kelly( D-Ariz.) said at a recent Axios event.

Between the lines: Intelligence gathering and analysis is one of the fields where AI can make the biggest difference now for defense, says George Hoyem, managing partner at In-Q-Tel (IQT), the venture investment unit for the U.S. intelligence community.

IQT, in partnership with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command, invested in an AI company called Primer.

Its tool, Primer Command, uses natural language processing and computer vision to capture and analyze vast content from news and social media to help analysts quickly identify novel info and filter out duplications or suspected misinformation.

"This is about deploying the best machines that we've got to find a signal in the noise that we as humans can work with," Primer CEO Sean Gourley says.

What's next: The big question facing the U.S. and other advanced militaries is how far they should go in the development of autonomous weapons  systems that could theoretically pick out and fire on targets on their own.

Flashback: UN experts reported that last year drones under the control of the Libyan government appeared to automatically target and attack opposing forces, in what may be one of the first documented uses of autonomous weapons.

UN experts reported that last year drones under the control of the Libyan government appeared to automatically target and attack opposing forces, in what may be one of the first documented uses of autonomous weapons. U.S. military officials have stressed the importance of keeping human oversight  but the faster and smarter AI becomes, the thinner the leash of human control may become.

Meanwhile, competitors are making their own advancements.

Context: Thousands of AI scientists and a growing number of countries have called for a ban on the development of these systems, citing what Max Tegmark, the head of the Future of Life Institute, says is the risk of proliferation beyond the battlefield.

"These could very quickly become weapons of mass destruction, but they'd be much less expensive and harder to restrict than nuclear bombs," Tegmark says.

"All they require is a quadcopter drone, facial recognition and lightweight weapons, all of which are cheap and accessible."

The other side: In a report released earlier this year, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence called on President Biden to reject an international ban.

"It's not practical to ban autonomous weapons because we can't define them," says Schmidt, who co-chaired the commission. "The government should enter into conversations about where the limits should be set."

The bottom line: The AI military race has begun.
Pro-democracy activists who fled Hong Kong after the passage of its harsh national security law are being careful to avoid travel to countries that might send them back at China's request, activist Frances Hui told me in an interview.

Why it matters: China's growing extraterritorial reach means that even leaving China can't guarantee safety for those targeted by Beijing.

Driving the news: Activists disrupted the Olympic torch-lighting ceremony in Greece last week, denouncing China's repressive policies in Xinjiang and Tibet.

Hui is part of a China human rights coalition that held a press conference the next day in Athens. But Hui, who is now living in the U.S., didn't travel to Greece for the event because the country has an extradition treaty with China.

What she's saying: "Every time when Im looking at foreign countries to visit, I would always look at which places are safer to go."

Off the list: Any country that still has an extradition treaty with Hong Kong or China, and any country viewed as "close to China," Hui said, such as Singapore or Thailand.

The big picture: Hong Kong, once known for its fair judicial system and well-protected rule of law, previously had extradition treaties with numerous democratic countries around the world that did not have similar treaties with China.

But after the national security law gave China sweeping law enforcement powers in Hong Kong  and explicitly stated the law applied to prohibited activity occurring anywhere in the world  numerous countries suspended their treaties with the city, though some treaties remain in force, including in Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Numerous EU countries also have extradition treaties with China, including Belgium, Italy and France.

Go deeper: With new security law, China outlaws global activism
Russia didnt cause Europes current energy crisis, which has seen natural gas prices spike 5x over last year, but Vladimir Putin seems intent on using it to his advantage.

Why it matters: Gas prices fluctuate with Putin's every word (they fell Thursday after he signaled supply would increase next month), and the supply crunch has been an uncomfortable reminder of Europe's reliance on Russian fuel. At least one country, Moldova, is in danger of a very cold winter if Russia turns off the tap.

Driving the news: Putin recently dismissed accusations that Moscow is exploiting the crisis as "utter nonsense, drivel and politically motivated tittle-tattle."

The Kremlin has noted that high prices are actually a risk for Russia because countries could turn to other fuels like coal.

But Putin is no stranger to using gas to serve geopolitical purposes, notes Anna Mikulska of Rice Universitys Baker Institute, including to increase the dependence of neighboring countries on Russia or to punish countries that move toward the West.

Putins envoy to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, hinted earlier this month that geopolitics were indeed a factor. "Change adversary to partner and things get resolved easier," Chizhov said, referring to the way the bloc treats Russia.

Putin has pushed EU countries to agree to longer-term contracts that will keep them reliant on Russian gas but, he contends, guarantee consistent supply.

And he has claimed that one way to ease the supply crunch would be for Germany and the EU to expedite approval of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which circumvents Ukraine (Russian gas giant Gazprom has already been shipping less gas via Ukrainian pipelines).

The other side: Amos Hochstein, the U.S. special envoy for energy security, dismissed that suggestion, telling reporters on Monday that if Russia has the ability to increase supply, it can do so using existing pipelines.

Between the lines: It's not clear that Russia could actually ramp up supply enough to "decrease the pain in any significant manner," says Mikulska. "But Russia has at the very least been trying to exploit these conditions to push their own objectives."

Asked if Russia was using energy as a weapon, Hochstein said: "I think we are getting close to that line, if Russia indeed has the gas to supply and it chooses not to, and it will only do so if Europe accedes to other demands that are completely unrelated."

He added: "The only supplier that can really make a big difference for European energy security for this winter is Russia."

The big picture: Russian gas remains a major part of the energy mix in many European countries.

In Germany, for example, two-thirds of natural gas imports came from Russia as of 2018, and Russian gas accounted for 16% of all energy consumption.

In several countries in Eastern Europe, 100% of natural gas supplies come from Russia.

No country is feeling the pinch more acutely than Moldova.

The former Soviet republic has a new government that is seeking to turn away from Moscow and toward the West  but has until now been entirely reliant on Russian gas.

Moldovas contract expired at the end of September, at which point Gazprom raised the price and reduced supply when Moldova refused to pay it.

The government has declared a state of emergency, said it will negotiate a new contract only if Gazprom lowers its price, and searched frantically for other suppliers  including by sealing a relatively small-scale deal with a Polish firm this week.

Zoom out: The energy crisis has a medley of causes that have little to do with Russia.

Supply tightened due to a cold winter followed by a hot summer.

Gas production in the EU has long been in decline, and renewables have taken a hit in part due to low winds.

Asian demand has sucked up much of the global supply of liquefied natural gas, limiting the potential suppliers for EU countries.

The bottom line: Europe will continue to rely more on Russia for gas than any other source, the Baker Institute's Mikulska says, for reasons of capacity, proximity and existing infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to encourage the Biden administration to ease some of its sanctions on Syria in order to allow Russian companies to take part in the reconstruction of the country, Israeli officials briefed on the talks tell me.

The big picture: The U.S. Caesar Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in Dec. 2019, imposed sanctions on several sectors of the Syrian economy, including energy and infrastructure. The law is the main deterrent for foreign companies interested in getting involved in the Syria reconstruction effort.

Behind the scenes, Israeli officials say Putin wants Russian companies to get most of the big reconstruction projects in Syria, to boost both revenues and Russian influence in the Syrian economy.

Putin told Bennett during their meeting in Sochi last Friday that some Russian companies are afraid to do business in Syria because they dont want to be hit by U.S. sanctions.

The Russians argue that this opens the way for Iranian companies that are already under U.S. sanctions to get those major projects, thereby increasing the Iranian influence in Syria, Israeli officials say.

The Israeli Prime Ministers office declined to comment.

Between the lines: The Russians seem to hope that the Israeli interest in weakening Irans hold in Syria will encourage Bennett's government to push the Biden administration to ease the sanctions.

State of play: Several Arab countries have recently moved to normalize relations with Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.

In recent weeks, Assad has spoken with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The Russians are encouraging this trend, while the U.S. says it opposes such normalization with Assad or moving ahead with the reconstruction of the country.

Whats next: The Russians want to hold a trilateral meeting of the national security advisers of Russia, Israel and the U.S. to discuss the way forward in Syria.
Syunik borders the Zangelan and Kubatli districts southwest of Karabakh which were mostly recaptured by Azerbaijan during the six-week hostilities stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November.

Armenian army units and local militias were ordered in December to withdraw from the rest of those districts as well as territory located along the Soviet-era Armenian-Azerbaijani border which has never been demarcated due to the Karabakh conflict.

The troop withdrawal sparked angry protests from local government officials and ordinary residents of Syunik. They said they can no longer feel safe because Azerbaijani forces will be stationed dangerously close to their communities, including the provincial capital Kapan.

Opposition leaders in Yerevan likewise accused Pashinian of hastily and illegally ceding those lands to Baku. But he insisted that not a single inch of Armenias internationally recognized territory was lost.

Pashinian admitted personally ordering the pullout when he spoke in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday.

I was convinced that if such a decision is not made, military hostilities will break out there and we will have problems in Syunik, he said, answering a question from a Syunik-born lawmaker affiliated with Hayastan.

The opposition bloc seized upon the remarks to demand that the Office of the Prosecutor-General launch criminal proceedings against the prime minister. The blocs parliamentary leader, Seyran Ohanian, reiterated opposition arguments that the November truce accord did not call for Armenian withdrawal from the Armenian-controlled parts of Zangelan and Kubatli.

Nobody was allowed to issue an oral order to withdraw, especially from areas which would later become bones of contentions in [Armenian-Azerbaijani] border demarcation, Ohanian told a news conference.

The former defense minister said Armenia should have at least retained control of strategic hills and roads in that border area.

The troop withdrawal left Azerbaijan in control of a 21-kilometer stretch of the main Armenian highway leading to Iran. Azerbaijani forces deployed there set up a checkpoint there in August before starting to demand hefty fees from Iranian trucks using the road.

The move caused serious disruptions in Armenias trade with Iran. Pashinians government scrambled to speed up the reconstruction of an alternative Syunik highway bypassing the Azerbaijani checkpoint.
The criminal case stems from the 2010 privatization of a hydroelectric plant located in Armenias northern Lori province. It was sold to a private firm for for 3.6 billion drams ($7.5 million) nearly a decade after being handed over to the Armenian Defense Ministry.

The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said in May 2019 that the privatization caused substantial damage to the state because the DzoraHEK plant was in fact worth an estimated 8 billion drams ($16.8 million) in 2010. It subsequently indicted Ohanian, who served as defense minister from 2008 to 2016 and is now a leading member of the countrys main opposition alliance.

Ohanian has strongly denied any responsibility for the deal, saying that it was negotiated by the Armenian Energy Ministry and approved by the former government.

Last year the SIS also brought criminal charges against Robert Nazarian, a former chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), and three other former members of the body regulating utilities. It claimed that they abused their positions to let DzoraHEKs new owner make extra profits.

An SIS statement issued in August 2020 implied that the 26-megawatt facility received privileged treatment from the PSRC because it was owned by individuals linked to former President Serzh Sarkisians son-in-law Mikael Minasian. DzoraHEK was sold to another private company, reportedly owned by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, in 2016.

Nazarian and the three other former utility regulators rejected the accusations before the law-enforcement agency concluded its investigation this spring.

A spokesman for the Office of the Prosecutor-General said on Friday that it has refused to endorse the results of the probe and has sent the case back to the SIS for further investigation. He said the SIS must shed more light on a number of important circumstances of the case but did not elaborate.

It also emerged that Borya Chilingarian, an SIS official leading the investigation, recently offered the five suspects to drop the charges on the grounds of a statute of limitations. They rejected the offer, however, demanding that the investigators formally recognize their innocence.

[Chilingarian] wanted to hear our position about closing or not closing [the criminal case] because of the statute of limitations, Ohanians lawyer, Karen Mezhlumian, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. After Mr. Ohanian refused, he sent the indictment to a prosecutor [overseeing the probe] so that the prosecutor endorses it and sends it to court.

Chilingarian insisted earlier this year that SIS investigators have collected sufficient incriminating evidence.
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5)  Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar suggested that support for Attorney General Mark Brnovich's campaign for the Senate should be based on whether he indicts anyone based on the findings of the partisan election audit in Maricopa County.

Although the unprecedented audit found no evidence of widespread voter fraud, Gosar said, "We need to demand the attorney general indict, follow through with the audit."

Gosar then said, who has repeated false claims about the 2020 election, "He's running for the U.S. Senate. Why not make him do his job? Make it conditional on that."

Fact-checking Rep. Gosar's misleading narrative about shooting of Capitol rioter Some Republican lawmakers are doubling down on reframing the attack on the US Capitol on Jan

Gosar was not available for an interview but issued a statement that claimed "crimes were found," although Maricopa County election officials have strongly rejected those claims.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responds to criticism hes not doing enough to stop border surge
FILE - A woman seeking asylum in the United States waits with others for news of policy changes, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Tijuana, Mexico. On Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, the Biden administration launched a second bid to end a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
Despite her success, Pierre is a relative newcomer to the pageant world. As an undergraduate student at Syracuse University, she signed up for the Miss Black and Gold scholarship competition on a lark with friendsand won. After placing second in the state-wide competition, she began taking pageants more seriously as opportunities for personal growth and community service.

A lot of people think were like princesses and queens, she laughed, but we really are servant leaders and we value giving back and leaving an impact.

In the 100 years since its founding, the Miss America pageant has evolved from a beauty competition known for swimsuits and evening gowns to an event where women are judged on their artistic talent and leadership skills. Each contestant develops a social impact initiative which, if they receive the title, becomes their focus for the next year.

In developing her initiative, We Hear You: Empowering Youth Voices, Pierre drew from her personal and professional experiences. Growing up, her Haitian family expected children to defer to adults, a dynamic that made Pierre feel stifled at times.

I love my culture with all my heart but I didnt necessarily feel like my voice was heard, she recalled. Even in American culture, I think the adult is often the voice you listen to.

At the Center for Teen Empowerment, which encourages young people to lead social change, Pierre helps teenagers identify issues they care aboutwhether its the environment or LGBTQ+ rightsand figure out how to make a difference. As Miss Massachusetts, shes continued that work online, hosting Instagram Live sessions and connecting with youth through social media platforms like TikTok (where she has more than 78,000 followers) to discuss issues like food insecurity and inequalities brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eventually, Im hoping to go into different schools and programs and meet young people all over the state and help them find their voices, she explained. Our young people are engaged and they know whats going on, its just a matter of listening to them.

At Boston College, Pierre is studying to be a licensed clinical social worker with the goal of helping youth and their families work through trauma. As one of 15 students selected for the recently-launched Black Leadership Initiative, Pierres classroom and fieldwork experiences will include a focus on issues faced by the Black community.

In a lot of the spaces Im in, I tend to be the only Black woman, and I feel like the education Ive gotten has been very Eurocentric, said Pierre. As a social worker, I want to be an advocate for all identities, so Im looking forward to seeing things through a different lens.

Balancing classes, a part-time job, and the Miss Massachusetts crown means a packed schedule and lengthy to-do list, but each item has contributed to Pierres growing sense of purpose. Pageants, in particular, have forced her to identify and articulate who she wants to be, and the impact she wants to have on society. In the talent portion of the competition, Pierre shows off her dance skills (she does everything from tap to jazz) but the interview portion is what she spends the most time preparing for.

Every single day its a battle of What is Liz? and What does Liz believe? she said. Its really important that the message I share is one I really mean, and it takes a lot of introspection. You have to know yourself and what you believe in, in order to be fully yourself on that stage.

Alix Hackett | University Communications | November 2021
Short, the executive vice president, chief legal officer, and member of the Office of the Chief Executive at United HealthGroup, made the gift in recognition of the guiding force that Boston College Law School has been throughout her life and illustrious 45-year legal career.

I loved my experience at BC Law School, said Short. The professors took an individual interest in the students and prepared us for both a profession and a calling to something greater than ourselves. They instilled in us the importance of servant leadershipthe calling to make the world a better place by focusing on what we can do to help others, particularly the less fortunate. To me, that is what law is all about.

A 1973 graduate of the Newton College of the Sacred Heart, which merged with Boston College in 1974, Short received her J.D. from BC Law in 1976. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group in 2012, she served as managing partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and an attorney in the Minnesota Attorney Generals Office. An eminently respected attorney, she is ranked among Americas leading business lawyers by Chambers USA.

Short said she has fond memories of Richard Huber, who served as dean of BC Law from 1970-1986, and offered praise for his successors, including Vince Rougeau, who led the school for 10 years prior to being named president of the College of the Holy Cross this summer.

The Law School has always had strong deans who supported the faculty in providing students with a broad preparation that went beyond targeting a position, said Short. It was a very personal education that stressed a human approach to law and an obligation to service that is such an essential component of the BC Law experience. That is why I wanted to endow the deanship.



Boston College Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley praised Short for her gift, which he says will be an asset in the search process for the next dean.

"As we search for the new leader of Boston College Law School, the creation of the Short Deanship will help attract the very best candidates, said Quigley. It is the latest illustration of Marianne Short's enduring commitment to the Law School and the University."
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Plenty of sunshine. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 27F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
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 
Strong Solar Flare Could Bring Northern Lights to Washington, Oregon Coast

Published 10/28/21 at 6:36 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Portland, Oregon)  [SEE THE UPDATES: Chances for Northern Lights Rise Along Washington, Oregon Coast 45% chance for Sat and Sun, but clouds come in Sunday ] Scientists from the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said the strongest solar flare in recent years just erupted from the sun early on Thursday, classified as an X1-class flare  the most powerful of them all. The result could be some spectacular sightings of the aurora borealis along the upper parts of the Washington coast and possibly even well down into the Oregon coast on Friday and Saturday. (Above: Thursday's flare caught by NASA)

With clear skies forecast on most of the Oregon coast and all of the Washington coast on those nights, a showing of the northern lights could be a memorable one. However, the southern Oregon coast will remain murky and cloudy on those nights, from about Reedsport southward into Brookings.

The flare, which is believed to have also created a coronal mass ejection (CME), was enough to disrupt communications in the southern hemisphere earlier today. It peaked about 7:30 a.m. west coast time.

However, predicting any aurora is still too early, according to Jim Todd, astronomer with Portland's OMSI.

As of now, predictions are not out yet for possible aurora activities, Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. When will the CME itself arrive? Assuming that it is Earth directed, probably on Oct. 30th or 31st. Fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs will allow a more precise forecast, so stay tuned.

The flare caused a sizable radio blackout early Thursday in South America, which was sunlit at the time and facing the sun's best and worst impacts. It did not last long, according to NASA.

SpaceWeather.com said if the northern lights do occur here, and the Earth is in the path of the electromagnetic storm, it could seriously disrupt satellite communications for a time.



Graphic showing the radio interference in South America earlier in the day (courtesy NASA)

See Oregon Coast Weather - Washington Coast Weather

Solar flares are essentially massive eruptions from the surface of the sun, where radiation sends out charged particles into space. If the Earth is in that path, the result can be plenty of northern lights into latitudes well below the Arctic Circle. Flares are classified in a letter system. X-class are the strongest, M-class are lesser so and relatively in the middle, and the C-class storms are the weakest.



Aurora Borealis in the Coast Range

"An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc., said NASA. Flares that are classified X10 or stronger are considered unusually intense."

This particular flare came from a sunspot designated AR2887, which is facing the Earth in general. It reportedly caused two other flares in the medium range the same day before the big one.

Washington State is generally in a much better position to witness northern lights during such events, and that definitely includes the coastline.

Pay attention to the latest regional weather forecasts in your area to find updates on aurora borealis predictions, or SpaceWeather.gov. If you intend to head out to photograph the phenomenon, keep in mind you may not be able to see it with the naked eye. Often, you'll need a camera with a tripod and long exposure times, then you'll need to check the camera afterwards for any curtains of light that may be there.

The photos above and below were taken by Oregon Coast Beach Connection in the Coast Range and these sights were not visible, except by the camera.

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Could a glass shortage keep you from picking up your favorite adult beverage?

The Jasper Winery in Iowa said it has plenty of wine glasses.

But theyre having trouble finding wine bottles.



Owner Mason Groben said he thought shutting down during the pandemic would be his biggest challenge after two decades in the wine-making business. But, now, there's a new problem: Dealing with a glass shortage.



There is going to be a glass shortage. And our glass supplier has told me about that, and the biggest thing is that for the first time in 20 years of making wine I've had to sign a contract for the entire next year to secure my glass, Groben said.

Groben said he's happy to have his Jasper Winery open again.

And his wedding event center business is booming.

But the supply chain slowdown is cramping his wine bottling operation.

Eighty percent of his wine ends up in bottles.

Much of his glass bottle stock comes from China and Mexico. Now, he is innovating. He is offering more wine in cans, though aluminum prices are rising too.

He said he's also been forced to use different-sized glass bottles. He's had to order earlier and pay higher prices. He said his customers are adapting.



Its a whole new challenge. We just do our best to adapt and plan ahead, Groben said.



Groben said he expects the glass shortage to last well into next year.

Watch the full story in the video above.
Beaumont might be one step closer to solving its brown water issues.

The city is moving forward with a proposal to bring in an outside expert to survey the water system and make recommendations for improvement.

According to Council member Mike Getz, since August 1, the city has fielded approximately 200 calls reporting discolored water. And on Tuesday, Chad Seidel, President of Corona Environmental Consulting LLC, visited the Beaumont City Council meeting to detail how his company might be able to get to the bottom of the problem.

We were asked to provide some context and perhaps oversight assessment of the water system, Seidel said. Our company is basically built to do exactly that.

The Colorado-based, water-focused consulting firm has worked in more than 30 states and was founded in 2013.

Their process starts with asking contextual questions, Seidel said.

What has been the operational practice? What have been the plans have been put in place? How have things been operating? What have been the complaints that have been received by staff, from citizens and customers? he said.

Other questions could include: How are is the system operating? What are the treatment processes? What is going on in the distribution system? What does this mean for water quality?

Then we'll come back with a recommendation report, which describes what we found and opportunities to address those going forward to give you the information you need to feel confident you're on the right path addressing the concerns that have been raised, Seidel explained. The schedule is to be pretty direct, and within a few months, we come back with that prepared System Assessment Report.

But Beaumont Director of Water and Sewer Operations Mike Harris believes the source of the brown water is simple:

We have a lot of minerals in our water that we pull out of the Neches River, he said. These minerals are iron and manganese, mainly  naturally-occurring metallic-based minerals. They're not harmful. We treat the water with chlorine that oxidizes these minerals. Thats where you get your brown water.

This diagnosis echoes contextual information Seidel presented to the council.

According to Harris, the city treats the water with polyphosphate, which coats the minerals to keep them from oxidizing. But as the water goes through the distribution system, it ages. The polyphosphate comes off and as the protective coating is lost, the oxidation happens again and the minerals settle on the bottom of the water line. Pressure fluctuations or changes in the direction of the flow of the water stir up the minerals again, resulting in brown water.

Nevertheless, he says its perfectly safe water. Beaumont Water and Sewer Operations are responsible to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and every month, they have to test their water for bacteria and prove to the state that the water is potable.

I tell a lot of people, The water is safe to drink, Harris said. It may not be desirable to drink, but its safe to drink.

Still the City Council wants to address residents aesthetic concerns. Coronas assessment would cost the city just over $70,000. Fixing the problem would be another endeavor entirely.

We are focused on assessments. We don't perform the outcoming services of what needs to be done, Seidel said. We just want to identify and point you to the folks that can really be boots on the ground, whether it's operational changes, or design and construction changes.

And city staff already is already taking the next steps needed to receive that assessment.

My staff was putting together the engineering services agreement today, said Beaumont Public Works and Technology Services Director Bart Bartkowiak. Once it is signed, then we will have to get the signatures from Corona. I would expect to have it fully executed by next week.

Seidel cautioned that there likely wont be a single solution that makes the problem go away.

It really does take a proactive layered strategy to address, he said.

rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/ontheREKord
Buckner Family Services, the faith-based nonprofit organization that has been helping Southeast Texas children for decades, will be searching for a new home as it prepares to sell its Beaumont campus.

Buckner administration recently announced that it was looking to sell the campus property on Manion Drive, which it's been operating from since 1979. The organization would then be looking to transition to a leased space somewhere in Southeast Texas by the end of next year.

With the new space, administration said it also will be looking to end the operation of its assessment center and the campus cottages where children have lived with assigned foster families.

Related: Buckner holds back to school event for families

Buckner Southeast Texas Laura May said that the transition was suggested after Buckner did a fiscal review of most of its programs and found that the regional organization was looking at around $4 million in expenses within the next five years to maintain its campus.

We have been here almost 42 years now, and the need to maintain and update a campus this large was seen as an incredible cost, May said. Leadership felt the best decision we could make was to move our programs to a leased space and reinvest those funds into our services and the community.

Buckner has operated a ministry focused on children and families in Southeast Texas since 1970, when it took over operation of Beaumont Childrens Home.

Over the decades, May said the organization has shifted to adapt to the needs of children in Texas and the demands of the state, which it partners with to place children with foster families.

Related: Buckner Children and Family Services names new director

That has meant moving from operating orphanages in group homes to facilitating community outreach services and intervention programs for children.

Some of its most effective programs in Southeast Texas currently include foster care and adoption, Project HOPES, a paternal parenting program called Fatherhood Effect and Family and Youth Services.

But its still operated what might be considered hold-overs compared to other faith-based child service organizations, like its assessment center and the campus cottages that are rented out to two different foster families at a time.

The assessment center is an emergency short-term shelter where children in the custody of Child Protective Services can stay up to 90 days while awaiting a more permanent placement.

Related: Buckner Calder Woods names director

May said that the assessment center will be closed by around February of next year, but Buckner was confident in the ability to efficiently place children with families and otherwise make sure there isnt a gap in services.

We wouldnt have made that decision otherwise, May said. Our numbers in that assessment center and emergency shelter have decreased over the last few years. The philosophy of Buckner and the state of Texas has been making sure more children spend time in a home setting with families.

Around 11 employees currently work for Buckner in the assessment center and emergency shelter, which May said the organization would be working with over the months to come in order to make sure they can transition to a new career.

She said she hopes most of those employees stay with Buckner at its senior living facility, Calder Woods.

Buckner will be searching for a new home to house its programming and around 37 employees that will be continuing its Southeast Texas operations.

May said that administration is staying open-minded about the space its new home will take shape in, but it is still clear that it will have to accommodate the commitment to children in Southeast Texas and Buckners ability to adapt when needed.

The nice thing about Buckner is that it has moved to meet the needs of the community around it, May said. In the same sense, we have done that with the needs of children in Texas.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP)  A military jury imposed a sentence of 26 years Friday on a former Maryland man who admitted joining al-Qaida and has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. But under a plea deal, the man could be released as soon as next year because of his cooperation with U.S. authorities.

The sentencing of Majid Khan is the culmination of the first trial by military commission for one of the 14 so-called high-value detainees who were sent to the U.S. naval base in Cuba in 2006 after being held in a clandestine network of overseas CIA detention facilities and subjected to the harsh interrogation program developed in response to the 9/11 attacks.

Khan, a 41-year-old citizen of Pakistan who came to the U.S. in the 1990s and graduated from high school near Baltimore, earlier pleaded guilty to war crimes charges that included conspiracy and murder for his involvement in al-Qaida plots such as the deadly bombing of the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, in August 2003.

He apologized for his actions, which included planning al-Qaida attacks in the U.S. after 9/11 and a failed plot to kill former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. During a two-hour statement to jurors on Thursday, he said: I did it all, no excuse. And I am very sorry to everyone I have hurt."

The jury of eight military officers was required to reach a sentence of 25 to 40 years. Jurors heard of Khans extensive cooperation with U.S. authorities following his guilty plea and heard the statement from the prisoner that also described his brutal CIA interrogation and captivity in the three years before he came to Guantanamo.

In addition to the sentence, the jury foreman said seven of the eight jurors had drafted a letter to Pentagon legal authorities recommending clemency for the defendant, which is an option under the military commission legal system.

A pretrial agreement means he could be released as early as February, at which point he would be resettled in an as-yet to be determined third country. He cannot return to Pakistan.

Jurors were not told about the pretrial agreement, which requires a Pentagon legal official known as a convening authority to cut his sentence to no more than 11 years because of his cooperation. He would also be given credit for some of the time he has already spent in custody.

It will be up to the Biden administration, which is working to close the detention center that now holds 39 men, to find a country willing to accept Khan for resettlement along with his wife and the daughter who was born after he was captured in Pakistan.

Wells Dixon, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights who was part of the defense team, said he expected Khans sentence to be completed in February. He said Khans team looks forward to working with the Biden administration to ensure he has the necessary support to allow him to move on with his life and be a positive, contributing member of society.

Despite the pretrial agreement, the prosecution urged the jury to recommend a sentence at the higher end of the range as the defense urged jurors to consider Khans cooperation, contrition and the brutal conditions of his captivity.

Since the commission of these crimes, Majid is a different person, said Army Maj. Michael Lyness, a military defense attorney. Majid Khan is reformed and deserving of your mercy.

Army Col. Walter Foster, the lead prosecutor, sought to cast doubt on Khans story of being led astray by radical Islam as a young man. He conceded the prisoner had also experienced extremely rough treatment at the hands of the CIA, but pivoted to remind the court of the 11 people killed in the Marriott bombing.

He is still alive and with us today, a luxury that the dead and victims of the J.W. Marriott bombing do not have, Foster said.

Khans cooperation is expected to help with other war crimes cases at Guantanamo, one involving five men held there who are charged with planning and aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Such cases have been bogged down for years in the pretrial stage at the base and become one of the obstacles to closing the detention enter.

____

The Associated Press viewed proceedings at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay from a video feed at Fort Meade, Maryland.
A local community group has successfully drawn an additional hearing for Sempras Port Arthur LNG project after state officials asked to learn more about their request.

Air emission permits for the first phase of the California-based energy firms proposed liquid natural gas export terminal have already been granted for its first phase, but a request for permits for possibly more liquefaction capacity came before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Wednesday.

In a decision that TCEQ Chairman Jon Niermann called a very rare split vote, commissioners voted two to one to send a request from the Port Arthur Community Action Network (PACAN) to the State Office of Administrative Hearings to review if the group has standing in the case.

In my mind, this could go either way --we are just short on facts to know one way or the other if this is personal or a cause common to the public, Niermann said.

During this phase of the states permitting process, individuals or groups have to prove they have some kind of stake in the potential addition of an air emission source in their community, a process designed to weed out obstructive requests.

The key issue at hand in this case, at least for two of the commissioners, was whether PACANs sole example of an affected community member, John Beard, can be considered an affected party.

The size of the project and the emissions it could create, seemed to help PACANs case for two of the commissioners, leading them to believe extra time and effort in considering the case couldnt hurt.

This authorization is not trivial, Niermann said. The character and quantity of these emissions could warrant consideration --probably should warrant consideration of a larger radius than we would ordinarily look at.

Commissioner Emily Lindley disagreed with the need for another hearing to find more information about Beard and PACANs case, believing there was plenty of opportunity to present the case in the groups initial request filing.

But, the group and its attorneys didnt provide enough evidence to convince her of their standing.

The hearing should begin in the next 180 days, when a panel from the states SOAH will review information from the case, and PACAN to determine whether TCEQ should consider around 10 different points raised by the group as to why the agency should adjust or reconsider the permit entirely.

As for Sempras project timeline, work is nearing completion on the relocation of Texas 87 to create a stable foundation to build on. The company recently pushed its schedule for final investment decision forward into next year.

In a statement to the Enterprise, representatives from the company said that it is confident its lengthy design and review process of the air permits in question will meet the standards of the TCEQ and community members.

As part of our commitment to Port Arthur, Port Arthur LNG is committed to ensuring compliance with all air quality requirements for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. After a thorough eighteen-month independent review of the Phase 2 permit, the TCEQ Executive Director and staff have agreed that our application is protective of the public health and welfare of the environment in the same manner as the Phase 1 permit that was issued by TCEQ five and half years ago. We appreciate the broad support of the City of Port Arthur and Port Arthur community and look forward to the timely issuance of the permit.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
LENOIR, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina man shot and wounded his neighbor and fired at police and nearby homes before he was taken into custody, a sheriff's office said.

The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said Toby Alan Horne, 52, of Rhodhiss, was charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, damage to property, and resisting a public officer, The News Herald of Morganton reported Thursday.
NEW YORK (AP)  Rapper Fetty Wap was charged on Friday with participating in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City region.

The rapper, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, was arrested Thursday at Citi Field, home of the Mets, where the three-day Rolling Loud hip-hop music festival is taking place. An indictment that had previously blacked out Maxwell's name was unredacted on Friday to publicly add his name to a case involving five other defendants, including a New Jersey corrections officer.

The fact that we arrested a chart-topping rap artist and a corrections officer as part of the conspiracy illustrates just how vile the drug trade has become, Michael J. Driscoll, a top official with the FBI's New York office, said in a statement.

The indictment charges Maxwell and his co-defendants with conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine between June 2019 and June 2020. The scheme involved using the U.S. Postal Service and cars with hidden compartments to move the narcotics from the West Coast to Long Island, where they were stored for distribution to dealers on Long Island and in New Jersey, authorities said.

Maxwell, 30, pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail at a virtual hearing on Friday. His lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio, didn't argue for bail and a prosecutor told a magistrate judge that there was a potential plea deal in the works.

There was no immediate response to a message left with Macedonio seeking comment.

Maxwell rose to prominence after his debut single Trap Queen reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015.

He has had other brushes with the law, including a 2019 arrest in Las Vegas for allegedly assaulting three employees at a hotel-casino. He was previously arrested in November 2017 and charged with DUI after police say he was drag racing on a New York City highway.

Maxwell experienced personal tragedy in October 2020 when his younger brother, 26-year-old Twyshon Depew, was shot and killed in their hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.

Then in June 2021, Maxwell's 4-year-old daughter, Lauren, died.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Endangered California condors can have 'virgin births," according to a study released Thursday.

Researchers with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said genetic testing confirmed that two male chicks hatched in 2001 and 2009 from unfertilized eggs were related to their mothers. Neither was related to a male.

The study was published Thursday in the the Journal of Heredity. It's the first report of asexual reproduction in California condors, although parthenogenesis can occur in other species ranging from sharks to honey bees to Komodo dragons.

But in birds, it usually only occurs when females dont have access to males. In this case, each mother condor had previously bred with males, producing 34 chicks, and each was housed with a fertile male at the time they produced the eggs through parthenogenesis.

The researchers said they believe it is the first case of asexual reproduction in any avian species where the female had access to a mate.

These findings now raise questions about whether this might occur undetected in other species, said Oliver Ryder, the study's co-author and director of conservation genetics for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The non-profit alliance runs the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and has been involved in a California condor breeding program that helped bring the giant vultures back from near-extinction.

With 10-foot (3-meter) wingspans, California condors are the largest flying birds in North America. They once ranged throughout the West Coast. But only 22 survived in the 1980s when the U.S. government captured them and placed them in zoos for captive breeding. About 160 were bred at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

There are now more than 500 California condors, including more than 300 that have been released into the wild in California, Arizona, Utah and Mexico.

The asexual reproduction was discovered some years ago during widespread testing of genetic material collected over decades from condors, both living and dead, in breeding programs and in the wild.

Among 467 male California condors tested in the parentage analysis, no male qualified as a potential sire" of the two birds, the study said.

California condors can live up to 60 years, but both males were sickly. One was less than 2 years old when he died, and the other lived less than eight years.
Even after back-to-back negotiations  a rarity in the more than six months since ExxonMobil Beaumont workers have been locked out of the complex  the door seems to have been closed on the possibility of a contract before Nov. 1.

When ExxonMobil presented its first amended contract proposal at the end of September, it also set a deadline for the beginning of November. At that time, the company plans to remove from its offer bonuses, raises for this year and the right for terminated employees to arbitrate.

The company and the bargaining committee for the United Steelworkers Union Local 13-243 have met on Tuesday and Wednesday after union members voted down the amended proposal last week, but no progress has been reported.

Related: USW, ExxonMobil meet for first time since 'No' vote

After both meetings, the union and the company released information blasts to employees and the media, accusing the other party of falling back on offers that already have been rejected and not taking the stakes seriously.

For the second day in a row, the company walked in empty-handed, local USW leadership wrote in a statement. This repeats their theme of not caring about their employees opinions or concerns.

It will likely be the last meeting the two parties will have before the Nov. 1 deadline, as representatives have said negotiators will be involved in a separate arbitration case through most of the week.

The company and the union on Thursday didnt announce any further scheduled meetings.

Related: ExxonMobil shares details about coming union vote

ExxonMobil did make another unique move during Wednesday's meeting, though, offering an additional perk to its offer that has remained mostly unchanged since contract negotiations started in January.

The company said it added an additional holiday to its proposal, which it said union representatives rejected as a benefit worth ratifying the rest of the contract.

Unfortunately, we are no closer to an agreement today than at any other point in the last nine months, representatives for ExxonMobil wrote in an employee bulletin.

Instead, the USW stuck with a contract proposal it delivered on Tuesday and brought a proposed return to work agreement, which the union said it hoped would pave the way for a swift transition back to the job site.

Related: USW, ExxonMobil plan for next meetings after contract vote

The company derided the unions proposal from earlier in the week, reporting that it contained measures ExxonMobil had long told the union that it couldnt and wouldnt consider.

Since the contract vote on Oct. 19, the company has repeatedly said that its proposal probably wouldnt change much, even after the Nov. 1 deadline that reduces its offer.

As we stated clearly before employees ultimately voted to reject it, this was the best offer we could make under the circumstances, representatives for the company wrote in a Tuesday statement.

The company actually made its amended contract at the end of September, but USW leadership didnt officially hold a vote to decide whether there should be a ratification election until Oct. 7.

For at least two weeks leading up to the vote, the USW urged members to vote against the offer, making the case that it still jeopardizes key issues of seniority and safety that the union has been fighting against since negotiations started in January.

Related: Workers turn down new ExxonMobil contract

USW representatives have said provisions in the contract essentially would end the unions seniority system as it works today, and eliminate several positions in the refinery that it felt was necessary for safety.

As October slips away and the lockout begins to enter its seventh month, both sides have increasingly focused on the vote to determine union representation at the Beaumont complex, which kicks off around Nov. 12.

On Thursday evening, ExxonMobil released another information bulletin comparing the Beaumont facilitys pay and benefits to its non-union plants.

It did make sure to follow the NLRBs strict guidelines, which make sure neither the company or the union can try to influence the decision of workers represented by the USW contract.

The law prohibits the Company from making promises about what your pay and benefits would be if you decertify, and we will not do so, the company wrote in the update. However, we are allowed to commit that we will not reduce current wages or reduce current benefits.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
Two Houston-based universities have been listed on a national LGBTQ nonprofit's annual rundown of "absolute worst, most unsafe campuses for LGBTQ youth" in the country.

Campus Pride, which advocates for LGBTQ inclusivity and safety at U.S. colleges and universities, creates a yearly list of campuses that have received or applied for exemptions to Title IX, a federal law that protects students from discrimination in federally funded schools, or have a "demonstrated history and track record of anti-LGBTQ actions, programs and practices," according to a news release. The group's 2021 account tallies 180 schools that meet this criteriathe most since the record began in 2015, according to NBC News.

Seventeen Texas schools made Campus Pride's 2021 list, including two from the Bayou City: The College of Biblical Studies and Houston Baptist University.

These arent just bad campuses or the worst campuses  these campuses fundamentally are unsafe for LGBTQ students, and, as a result, theyre fundamentally unsafe for all students to go to, Shane Windmeyer, founder and executive director of Campus Pride, told NBC News. They promote an environment of hostility, of discrimination, harassment, toward a group of people, and who wants  when youre trying to be educated  to have that type of negative learning environment?

The College of Biblical Studies qualified for the worst list as it holds an exemption to Title IX "allowing the college to discriminate against its students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy or receipt of abortion while still receiving federal funds," according to Campus Pride. Documents included in the listing show the campus filed for the exemption in August 2016, and was granted its request in December 2017.

Houston Baptist University likewise also holds an exemption to Title IX, which the school requested in March 2017 and was granted in December 2017. However, the school also has a history of anti-LGBTQ actions. In May 2014, Houston Baptist University president Robert B. Sloan likened people who identify as gay to alcoholics and arsonists during a "Faith in the Public Square" event with Sen. Ted Cruz.

In 2019, 41 campuses, including Houston Baptist, filed an amicus brief in Bostock v. Clayton Countya landmark court case over whether Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided protections from discrimination for gay and transgender people. Houston Baptist and other schools joined together to offer their support for employers who argued that the act didn't protect LGBTQ employees from discrimination. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with employees on the matter.

Campus Pride also includes an index of LGBTQ-friendly campuses, which features a smaller list of Texas universities. The University of Texas at Dallas has the top rating based on the institution's overall commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policy, program and practice. Meanwhile, the University of Houston, the only Bayou City school on the list, ranked fourth for inclusivity.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration is moving to cancel two environmental rollbacks under former President Donald Trump that limited habitat protections for imperiled plants and wildlife.

The proposal to drop the two Trump-era rules was slated to be announced Tuesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. It's part of a broad effort by the Biden administration to undo rules imposed under Trump that favored industry over the environment.

The designation of lands and waters as critical for the survival of vulnerable species can limit mining, oil drilling and other development. That's made the designations a flashpoint for conflict between environmental and business interests.

Industry groups and Republicans in Congress have long viewed the Endangered Species Act as an impediment to economic development. Under Trump, they successfully lobbied to weaken the laws regulations.

Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz said Tuesday's proposal would bring the endangered species law back into alignment with its original intent and purpose  protecting and recovering America's biological heritage for future generations.

The rule changes under Trump were finalized during his last weeks in office, meaning they've had little time to make a significant impact.

One allows the government to deny habitat protections for endangered animals and plants in areas that could see greater economic benefits from development. Democratic lawmakers and wildlife advocates complained that would open lands to more drilling and other activities.

The other rule provided a definition of habitat that critics charged would exclude locations species might need to use in the future as climate change upends ecosystems.

The two rules came in response to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving a highly endangered Southern frog  the dusky gopher frog.

In that case, a unanimous court faulted the government over how it designated critical habitat for the 3 -inch-long (8.9-centimetre-long) frogs that survive in just a few ponds in Mississippi.

The ruling came after a timber company, Weyerhaeuser, had sued when land it owned in Louisiana was designated as critical in case the frogs returned there in the future.

Trump officials described the changes as giving more deference to local governments when they want to build things like schools and hospitals.

But the rules allowed potential exemptions from habitat protections for a much broader array of developments, including at the request of private companies that lease federal lands or have permits to use them. Government-issued leases and permits can allow energy development, grazing, recreation, logging and other commercial uses of public lands.

Animals potentially affected by the changes include the struggling lesser prairie chicken, a grasslands bird found in five states in the south-central U.S., and the rare dunes sagebrush lizard that lives among the oil fields of western Texas and eastern New Mexico, wildlife advocates said.

_

Follow Matthew Brown on twitter: @MatthewBrownAP
Muhib Ullah, leader of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, speaks to refugees at the Kutupalong camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, April 7, 2019.

Local authorities have moved dozens of Rohingya to new locations over security concerns after their relatives were killed in two recent attacks at camps in southeastern Bangladesh, refugee leaders and police confirmed Friday.

Forty-two people representing the family of internationally known Rohingya activist Muhib Ullah, as well as 10 other families associated with the human rights organization that he led, were moved to an undisclosed location, officials told BenarNews. On Sept. 29, gunmen shot dead Ullah (pictured) in his office at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, a district near the Myanmar border.

Were offering them overall protection there. A total of 42 members of 11 families were escorted away, responding to a request of the Muhib Ullah murder case investigator, Naimul Haque, commanding officer of the Armed Police Battalion Unit-14, told BenarNews.

Haque said the relatives of Ullah and the other families linked with his organization, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), were relocated on Oct. 13 and 14.

We are not willing to disclose the name of our relocated place. We are safer here than at the camp, Md. Rashid Ullah, ARSPH spokesman and Muhib Ullahs nephew, told BenarNews.

Meanwhile, authorities announced that they had moved 31 other refugees to a U.N. agencys transit center in the area after six of their relatives were killed last week in an attack on a madrassa at the Balukhali camp in Coxs Bazar.

Md. Kamran Hossain, deputy commander of the Armed Police Battalion 8, said the families of the six killed at the madrassa had been safe but were too afraid to remain at the Balukhali camp.

They were not in any danger at the camp, but when a family member was killed in this manner, they were all scared of a terrorist attack, Hossain told BenarNews. They requested the authorities transfer them away from the camp  thats why theyve been relocated to the transit center.

UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, began opening transit centers in the area in October 2017 to assist those arriving in Bangladesh as part of a mass exodus that began two months earlier when Myanmars military launched a brutal offensive against Rohingya in Rakhine, their home state that lies just across the border from Coxs Bazar.

Transit centers have been used as temporary shelters for Rohingya left homeless by fire or other disasters and as isolation centers for those infected with COVID-19.

On Friday, UNHCR officials did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.

The transit center housing the families is about four km (2.5 miles) from refugee camps and is protected by government troops and police.

Nurul Islam, whose son, Azizul Haque, was killed in the madrassa attack, said the move was good, but he demanded that more be done.

We are safer here than at the camp, but this safety will not bring back my son, he told BenarNews. I want punishment for the killers of my son.

The two attacks occurred weeks apart, and the second one was the deadliest incident of violence at the sprawling Rohingya camps in Coxs Bazar. About 1 million refugees live in the camps including more than 740,000 who fled Myanmar since the August 2017 offensive in Rakhine.

Police reported arresting 23 suspects  nine linked to Muhib Ullahs killing including two who confessed to their roles  and 14 linked to the killings at the madrassa.

Relatives of victims of both attacks have blamed a rebel group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, for carrying them out but local authorities have rejected allegations that ARSA has a foothold in the camps or on Bangladeshi territory.

Resettlement plans

Rashid Ullah said his family and the 10 other ARSPH families were willing to settle in a country other than Bangladesh or Myanmar.

We submitted an application to the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, UNHCR and the U.S. government requesting we be able to settle in a third country, he said.

We mentioned the names of three countries in our application and correspondence is ongoing, Rashid Ullah said without offering details.

Bangladeshs commissioner for refugee relief and repatriation said he was not aware of the request.

We have found no application in this regard and we have no such authority to arrange such a settlement, Shah Rezwan Hayat told BenarNews when asked about the matter. We will follow the instructions of the foreign ministry in this regard.

The foreign ministry, meanwhile, has no information about the families potential request, according to Miah Md. Mainul Kabir, deputy minister of the ministrys Myanmar wing.

Sometimes we have seen interest from some countries to relocate Rohingya, he told BenarNews. But in this case, we did not get any such application.

We will deal with the matter if any application will be submitted with the ministry, he said.
Authorities display the covered bodies of Salahuddin Hassan, a suspected senior Islamic State militant, and his wife after they were killed during a dawn raid by government forces in Talayan, Maguindanao province, southern Philippines, Oct. 29, 2021.

A senior Filipino militant described as the overall leader of the so-called Islamic State in the Philippines was killed along with his wife in a clash on Friday with police and the military in the countrys south, authorities said.

Salahuddin Hassan previously was identified as a top lieutenant in the southern Mindanao region under the command of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the leader of the Philippine IS branch of Islamic State (IS). Military intelligence officials have said they believe Sawadjaan was killed in a clash last year although his body has not been recovered, and that Hassan has played a more active role since then.

Hassan or alias Orak is the overall Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) leader not just in central Mindanao but in the country, said Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the local infantry commander, using the Arabic name that Filipinos use to refer to IS.

He was involved in many terror activities and bombings, targeting business establishments and businessmen and exacting extortion money.

Hassan and his wife were killed during a dawn raid in Talayan, a town near a vast Maguindanao province marshland where militants are known to hide, Uy said.

With his death we are expecting more of his followers to come out and surrender peacefully, said Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division.

Hassans group has been blamed for attacks including a bombing at a night market in Davao City that killed 15 people and injured scores of others in 2016. In separate raids, authorities arrested 10 IS militants who were convicted of murder in September 2020 for their roles in the bombing.

In May 2020, Philippine counter-terrorism analyst Rommel Banlaoi wrote that the Hassan-led group has emerged to become the most active in conducting terrorist bombings in Mindanao.

In an analysis piece at the time for Eurasia Review, Banlaoi said Hassan developed bomb-making skills after he joined pro-IS followers in Central Mindanao in 2012. When one of his mentors, Basit Usman, was killed during a military operation in 2015, Hassan joined a cell of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group to establish Dawlah Islamiyah.

The military calls his group Hassan Salahuddin Group or Dawlah Islamiyah Salahuddin Group (DI-SG) with around 10 followers trained in bomb making, Banlaoi wrote last year.

He blamed Hassans group for bombings in late August and early September 2018 in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao province.

On Friday, spokesman Baldomar said Hassan was responsible for two bus bombings in southern Cotabato City early this year that killed three people.

The military expects Hassans followers to disperse, surrender or join up with other Muslim militant factions operating in the south, including under the BIFF, Baldomar said.

The BIFF is a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was the countrys largest separatist group before its leaders signed a peace deal with the government in exchange for self-rule in the south.

The BIFF itself is divided into smaller groups, one of which is led by Abu Turaife, who also publicly pledged allegiance to the IS.

It backed a five-month siege of Marawi, a city in another part of the south that was carried out by Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern pro-IS fighters beginning in May 2017, but held off from sending BIFF fighters. About 1,200 militants, government forces and civilians were killed there, including Isnilon Hapilon, who was considered the regional IS emir.

Regional and Filipino intelligence officials have said that after the militants were pushed out of Marawi, they retreated to other parts of Mindanao and have recruited young fighters to replenish their ranks, especially children of dead Muslim fighters.

Hassans attacks were concentrated in central Mindanao and were separate from Sawadjaans, which aimed to sow terror on the island of Jolo farther south, according to authorities.

In 2019, 23 people were killed in an attack on a church in Jojo, including an Indonesian couple who carried out the twin-suicide bomb attack. The next year, a similar bombing near the cathedral left 14 dead.

Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato, Philippines, contributed to this report.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (left) shakes hands with Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, during the oath-taking of the Transition Authority at the Malacanang palace in Manila, Feb. 22, 2019.

Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law postponing parliamentary elections in an autonomous Muslim region currently governed by former separatist rebels in the south, his office said Friday.

Voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were set to elect their first government next year, but the head of the transitional authority in the region had requested more time to complete reforms that he said were needed before the polls.

The polls shall be held and synchronized with the 2025 national elections, said the amended version of the law that Duterte signed on Thursday.

Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, who heads the former separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the transitional authority in BARMM had pushed strongly for the postponement of the polls.

Known widely as Murad Ebrahim, the leader had said that the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted efforts by the transitional authority to complete foundational work in time for the regional polls originally expected in 2022.

Initially, we wanted six years [of transition] but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front had agreed to a compromise of three years. However, we see that time as very short, Murad told BenarNews last December.

He was referring to negotiations that ended the fronts decades-long armed separatist campaign and led to the creation BARMM.

The extension for three more years gives us a better chance for healing, for rebuilding, and for setting the future of the Bangsamoro, Murad had said at the time.

MILF used to be the largest of guerrilla organizations fighting for a separate Muslim state in the mainly Catholic Philippines since 1978. In 2014, it signed a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the government after 17 years of conflict and negotiations in Mindanao.

The front settled for expanded autonomy and agreed that its members would turn in their weapons. In February 2019, these former guerrillas, led by Murad, formally assumed leadership of the autonomous Muslim region.

Absence of an electoral framework

Postponing the vote is tantamount to extending the term of the regions caretaker government, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, Georgi Engelbrecht, senior analyst, Philippines, said on Friday.n

[T]he former rebels running the interim government had to put aside their institution-building in order to spearhead relief operations in the region while dealing with periodic lockdowns and steering a less operational Bangsamoro Parliament, the International Crisis Groups expert said in an ICG Q&A.

Another part of the rationale for extending the transition was the absence of an electoral framework to guide parliamentary polls in the new autonomous region.

According to Engelbrecht, the interim government was responsible for designing the framework, or electoral code, but at present, only a draft code exists.

Engelbrecht noted that some observers alleged that MILF might have had an interest in extending the transition period because it meant the group would have another three years before facing voters for the first time.

While that is difficult to corroborate, the fact remains that electing 80 parliamentarians without clear guidelines would have proven challenging, the ICG expert said.

Meanwhile, Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMMs minister of the interior and local government, said Murad thanked Duterte for allowing the postponement of polls.

We are elated. At least now we can focus on strengthening our programs, Sinarimbo told BenarNews in a phone interview.

Rest assured, we can continue his legacy of peace and development in the region beyond his term.

Congressman Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao Province, who had pushed for the postponement, welcomed Dutertes decision.

We would like to thank those who supported the proposal until the endThis measure is a step to ensure that the peace agreement will be implemented for the welfare of the entire Bangsamoro and the Philippines, Mangudadatu said in a statement.

We are very grateful that our national leaders in Congress heeded our call for extension and we especially commend President Duterte.
A mourner pays respects at the spot where 15-year-old Warit Somnoi was shot during an anti-government rally two months ago, and who died on Thursday, at Din Daeng intersection in Bangkok, Oct. 29, 2021.

A Thai teen who was in a coma after being shot in the neck during an anti-government rally more than two months ago has died, police said on Friday, reporting the first fatality in political protests that began in July 2020.

Warit Somnoi, 15, died on Thursday, said Jirasan Kaewsaengake, deputy commissioner general of Metropolitan Police, who added that he hoped the teen would be the last victim of violence at a political gathering.

Warits case has been an example that has brought us tremendous grief, Jirasan said. Id like to ask everyone in all groups to act within the law and not cause violence. There should be no unrest that could bring loss.

Also on Friday, police clashed with anti-government protesters while trying to disperse more than 100 who had gathered in Bangkoks Din Daeng intersection to mourn Warit. Protesters spread flowers and lit candles while others poured red paint over the spot where the teen was shot.

Warit was shot on the evening of Aug. 16, 2021  during clashes between police and anti-government protesters  on Mitmaitree Road across from the Din Daeng Police Station. The bullet had lodged at Warits brain stem and fractured his first and second cervical vertebra, authorities at Rajavithi Hospital, where he had been taken, said at the time.

Warits mother Nipapon Somnoi told reporters the family missed her sons smile.

My heart is broken as a mother. The case should be cleared soon and it should never be forgotten, she said during the funeral prayers Thursday evening.

A mourner lights candles in front of a police station to protest the death of 15-year-old Warit Somnoi, who had been in a coma after being shot two months ago during an anti-government rally, in Bangkok, Oct. 29, 2021. [Nattaphon Phanphongsanon/BenarNews]

An abuse of power problem

Meanwhile, Warits father, Suchiti Chainok said he had many questions during the two months and 12 days that his son had been hospitalized.

We are not sure the man police arrested was the real shooter, Suchiti told the media, referring to a 28-year-old man arrested Sept. 30.

A civilian [like the man police arrested] cannot have been on the police station premises like that, Suchiti said.

Warits father was referring to what a Thai parliamentary fact-finding panel, set up to look into the shooting, said after scrutinizing CCTV footage from 54 city cameras.

The panel said on Sept. 17 that Warits alleged shooter and 10 other men in civilian clothes were seen walking around the Din Daeng junction and on the premises of the Din Daeng police station around the time of the shooting on Aug. 16.

Thirteen days later, on Sept. 30, police said they arrested Chutipong Thitkratok for Warits shooting. Chutipong was taken into custody in Kanchanaburi, the province he had fled to from Bangkok after the shooting, police said at the time.

Chutipong, who was charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of a weapon, denied being the shooter. Later, a court granted bail.

On Friday, Deputy Commissioner Jirasan said there are no other suspects based on the police investigation.

There was only one suspect arrested for Warits death. The investigator will put out a warrant with more charges against the suspect. The previous charge was attempted murder, but the new charge is intentional murder, he said.

Meanwhile, a member of the pro-democracy Free Youth Group, who along with others gathered at Din Daeng to mourn for Warit, said it was imperative that the teens case be investigated fairly.

The shots were fired in your area, near your police station, you must be responsible, Ying, the Free Youth Group member who goes by a single name, told BenarNews while addressing the police.

During largely peaceful protests that began in July 2020, demonstrators have called for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha to step down, the constitution to be rewritten, and the monarchy to be reformed.

A political science academic at Chiang Mai University criticized the police, saying they appeared to not be taking the case seriously or acting urgently.

It is tremendously sad that a boy has to die and the government has not come forward to show responsibility  what is happening goes beyond human rights violations, Naing Hlin told BenarNews.

The world has seen that Thailand does not have a safe space for the youth to participate in politics. The state has an abuse of power problem.

Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, contributed to this report.
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Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Actor Alec Baldwin has been lying low after what has been called an accidental discharge of a prop gun on the set of "Rust," a movie being filmed in Santa Fe, N.M., that killed Hutchins and injured the film's director, Joel Souza. Baldwin, who has not been charged, had not been seen in New Mexico for days since the shooting.

Sunday and Monday, however, the family was spotted on the streets of Manchester, where many locals saw them dining and getting takeout in area restaurants
Protesters took to the streets of Londons historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow
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A legal fight over a nearly year-old cell tower in Pittsfield is coming to a head in a case before the Massachusetts Appeals Court. The crux of the case: Did the city fail in 2017 to provide proper notice to abutters  as required by state law  that it was considering a special permit for the tower?
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.
People evacuated from Afghanistan on Sept. 1 wait at a U.S. military base in Germany to be resettled in the U.S. or another country. Massachusetts expects to resettle 900 Afghan evacuees, including 60 in Berkshire County. Local veterans and community groups have begun discussing ways to support the Berkshires' effort, which is led by the Springfield-based Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts.
NORTH ADAMS  Who will be the citys next mayor? Voters will decide Tuesday.

Jennifer Macksey and Lynette Bond are vying for the position; Mayor Tom Bernard is not seeking reelection.

The election is historic: For the first time, the city will have a woman in the office.

In a preliminary election in September, Macksey and Bond easily beat two other mayoral hopefuls, Aprilyn Carsno and Rachel Branch, with Macksey receiving 802 votes, Bond 611, Carsno 26, and Branch 18, according to official results from the city clerks office. Voter turnout was low  only about 16 percent of the citys approximately 9,000 voters cast a ballot.

Bond is a member of the citys Planning Board, and works as director of development for grants and research at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Previously, she worked for the town of Adams, in the community development office.

Macksey is assistant superintendent of operations and finance at the North Berkshire School Union. Earlier in her career, she worked for North Adams as treasurer and tax collector and director of finance and chief procurement officer.

Where the candidates stand on some of the key issues

What they see as the citys top issues:

I feel the city of North Adams has an aging infrastructure that needs to be addressed, Macksey said. I feel we need to bring more jobs and businesses to North Adams. I also feel we need to focus on education and public safety and quality of life. But, most importantly, we need to have an affordable community for our residents.

Bond agrees that infrastructure is key. Of course our infrastructure, she said when asked about the major issues facing the city. We also need to look at our schools, and the buildings that support our teachers and our students. And we need to look at investment, and how we are attracting and bringing in new businesses to North Adams.

Priorities for developing downtown:

Revitalizing the Mohawk Theater is Mackseys No. 1 downtown priority, she said. Also, she wants to beautify the streets with flowers in the median, work to attract more businesses, and strategize about how to bring more Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art visitors downtown.

To Bond, the Mohawk is not necessarily key for downtown. She wants to bring in more housing downtown, to update the streetscape, and to make downtown more walkable and bikeable.

Thats through better accessibility for crosswalks, slowing down traffic, more accessible sidewalks, bringing some amenities from beautification with some of those planters, updated landscaping basically, and an improved traffic flow with roundabouts.

Macksey said she is not interested in a roundabout. I would have to explore that and learn more about the rationale.

How to improve the citys schools:

Bond sees getting state money to update school buildings as key, and also wants to talk about the possibly of regionalizing school districts, or at least share some services with other nearby districts.

We have three elementary schools with an enrollment that is suitable for two elementary schools, she said. We will have to have those very hard conversations.

Macksey is not interested in regionalization.

I like the structure that we have, she said. I want to focus on building our enrollment in the sense of evaluating why students are choicing out of our district and really marketing our schools so maybe students will choice in. I think North Adams has a lot to offer in our education system.

Addressing the opioid overdose epidemic:

Both candidates want to address substance use disorder in the city, but they differ in how they would approach it.

Its not all about law enforcement. It has to be about rehabilitation, Macksey said at an October debate that The Eagle participated in.

I think we need to have more programs in our neighborhoods, she said. I will have a no-tolerance policy for drugs. ... I am going to try to convince our DA that we cant be letting people off for $40 bail and so they are back on their streets dealing again. And we are not going to tolerate people dealing drugs on our playgrounds or to our students.

Replied Bond: We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. More police officers are not going to solve the issue of substance abuse in our community.

I dont think the solution to the drug problem is arresting everyone, Macksey clarified. I think the solution is for those who need help, get them into the system and provide some resources. ... Sometimes, some people, they need to be pulled in just a little bit to get the help they need.

Addressing blighted, vacant buildings:

We need to get a hold of those landlords and work with them the best we can, Macksey said. She wants to apply for grant money to address properties and bring back a program where the city helped flip houses.

We cant turn a blind eye to our neighborhoods and what our existing housing stock is, she said.

The city needs more staff in order to address the issue, Bond and Macksey said.

Right now, we only have a single building inspector and a single health inspector, Bond said. We need ... at least one more person on the ground addressing those code enforcement issues.

Pay, particularly for entry-level positions, lags other Berkshire cities and towns and is making it hard to attract and keep staff, Bond said. Fixing that, its not going to be solved overnight, but it needs to be addressed.

Macksey also is concerned about city staffing levels and said pay is part of the issue.

Fixing the police and fire department building:

Both candidates agree that action needs to be taken on the aging public safety building, and said they want to work to secure state money for the buildings engineering and design.

We need to be creative with state and federal funding, Macksey said at the October debate. As well as maybe we need to ask for some private investment.

She added: My goal is not to have a Proposition 2 override any time. But, at the same time, we have to be realistic that we need to do something with this building.

This public safety facility is the No. 1 priority project of mine, Bond said.

Macksey said she agreed. I dont understand why the administration that we have has taken so long to do this.

Both candidates said they are open to a short-term space for the Police Department while a longer-term project is completed.

Other elections Tuesday

The mayoral candidates are not the only ones on the ballot. There are 14 people running for nine spots on the City Council.

Also, there are two uncontested elections. Four candidates  former Mayor Richard Alcombright, incumbent Emily Daunis, David Sookey and Joshua Paul Vallieres  are running for four spots on the School Committee. Two candidates  incumbent Gary F. Rivers and Diane Gallese Parsons  are running for two spots on the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District School Committee.

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Elizabeths Parish Center on St. Anthony Drive. Early voting ended Thursday.

People are still coming in, but as of right now, we have about 250 ballots cast between in-person voting and returned absentee votes, City Clerk Cathleen King said in an email early Thursday afternoon. She added: We had about 50 ballots cast at this time prior to the September preliminary.
Reporter

Greta Jochem, a Report for America Corps member, joined the Eagle in 2021. Previously, she was a reporter at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She is also a member of the investigations team.
Carole Owens: Who we are and what we could be, for better or worse
The author says that, clearly, our vulnerable young people have endured much and suffered greatly. Now, were all watching as threatened or actual violence has gone viral in our daily lives.
By Bob Cunningham '18

Ian Kennedy was on pins and needles when he gave a robotics demonstration to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently in the Stephen and Deborah Harris/RIXAN Robotics Laboratory at Bowling Green State University.

Kennedy, a senior majoring in mechatronics engineering technology in the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering, was chosen for the exhibit to show the governor his senior project and because of his extensive experience working with robots.

My goal is to become a robotics engineer and master-certified in FANUC, he said. I thought I was well suited and well prepared, but it definitely was still nerve wracking. He asked how my classes here at Bowling Green and my work in the lab have been able to help me progress out in the field or on the job site.

I actually got to talk to him a decent amount  I think I went a little bit over the time. I went on to talk about the actual manufacturing system that I was working on and how important it is that hands-on work with this type of machinery is significant because Ohio is a massively industrialized state and robotics has an ever-increasing role.

The mechatronics engineering technology program at BGSU is an interdisciplinary field that prepares students to work with emerging technologies in robotics and advanced manufacturing. This in-demand field includes the design, development, implementation, automation and management of robotics system technologies such as industrial robotics manipulators, automated guided vehicles, navigation and inspection, assistive robotics, device technologies, human-robot interaction and many other exciting applications.

Mechatronics and robotics professionals design, integrate and maintain automated and intelligent systems. These professionals conduct their work in laboratories, offices or on-site at advanced manufacturing and logistics facilities.

Kennedy, who attended the Millstream Career Center in Findlay City Schools, developed an interest in robotics and robot competitions while in high school. He was drawn to BGSU because the University had just unveiled its mechatronics engineering technology program and lab at the time.

I was given a tour prior to the start of the program opening, and they had a bunch of Mitsubishi Delta SCARA robots in that lab that I really got interested in, said Kennedy, who will graduate in December. Plus, it was a four-year program  I really wanted the background knowledge of engineering so that when I go out in the industry, it's not just about the robot; I will understand the other components, equipment and what the robot interacts with and communicates with.

Kennedy spent the summer as an intern with Perrysburg-based RoBEX, a precision integrator of industrial robots that designs, builds and installs custom robotic systems that improve productivity and safety through industrial, collaborative and autonomous mobile robots.

Cal Bowers, vice president of Growth at RoBEX, said Kennedy completed MiR Academy, a training resource for autonomous mobile robots, and played a key role in supporting a packaging company for mobile industrial robots (MiR) programming  a very large project for a critical customer. He also learned to program AutoGuide robots.

Kennedy was offered a job at RoBEX at the end of his internship, and is working part-time during his final semester at BGSU. He will start working full-time after he graduates.

At RoBEX, I spent six of the 12 weeks in central Ohio, where we had nine of our autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Essentially, what they're used for is end-of-line products, which will be boxed, stacked on a pallet and wrapped in plastic wrap. That stack on the pallet is then transferred onto our AMR robots, which transfer that pallet to its designated location for its last final step in the process of being shipped.

Currently at RoBEX, Kennedy is learning the FANUC RoboGuide to complete robot simulations and programmable logic controllers (PLC) programming.

Ian came into his internship with RoBEX with extreme confidence and a high level of composure with regard to his expectations of the position and the various position requirements that would be expected of him, Bowers said. Its evident that the educational foundation BGSU and the mechatronics engineering technology program truly prepared him for ultimate success in his role here. We incorporated a variety of projects that needed collaboration, expertise, clear understanding and patience to reach the goals set by the team, and Ian exceeded every expectation we set for him.

Kennedy gave credit to the mechatronics lab at BGSU for preparing him for a career in robotics.

They really press heavy on the industrial side of things in the lab, he said. Everything I learned in the robotics lab I was able to apply to my first internship. From going to classes in that lab, I was able to recognize the equipment, machinery and components from the lab and take what I've learned in the lab and apply to the actual industry.

After I graduate from Bowling Green, I will continue to work at RoBEX. Currently, I'm an automation engineer. My goal is to work my way up, learn robotics as much as possible, specifically FANUC and MiR applications and then possibly become a robotics engineer.
A new study shows that Ohio non-profit organizations have been robust and flexible, and most continued offering their services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Abhishek Bhati, assistant professor in the Bowling Green State University Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, joined colleagues at Ohio State University to conduct the Ohio Nonprofit COVID-19 Survey, sponsored by the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Philanthropy Ohio. The survey had more than 3,700 respondents from organizations across the state.

Bhati said the purpose of the study was to see how nonprofits fared during the pandemic in the hope that recommendations could be made to help in the future.

It was really about understanding the impact of the pandemic on the nonprofit community in the state, he said. We wanted to know if certain nonprofits were impacted more negatively than others  especially those with smaller budgets or serving immigrant, LGBTQ, communities of color and other marginalized populations.

The study was conducted in three stages, with the first survey done in April 2020, the second in August 2020 and the last in April 2021.

What the survey found was that while general concerns in nonprofits had eased since the study began, there is still a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to returning to normal operations. The capacity to deliver services varies widely depending upon the type of nonprofit with those in the health and human services sectors most likely to have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

As might be expected, during the pandemic many nonprofits saw a decrease in revenue and donations, with large organizations and those in the health care sector doing better and small nonprofits and those working in the arts struggled the most.
Be Real with God

One of the reasons so many people struggle with being authentic in their public faith walk is that they are not being real with God in private. Jesus talked about this issue in Matthew 6:5:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.

In fact, one of the greatest areas we struggle with authenticity is in our prayer life, which impacts our entire relationship with God. And Jesus suggested that, like those public hypocrites of His day, we too can be hypocritical in this area.

We all have done it  praying those King James Version prayers that keep God at arms length, and those theologically correct prayers that dont actually express the pain in our hearts.

As if God doesnt know.

Yet, we often talk to God in the same way we talk to people on social media: superficially, trying to pretend or ignore, the ugly truth. And in some cases, by not saying how we really feel for fear of God getting angry with us.

But God is a loving father and He welcomes us to be real with Him. Consider Isaiah 1:18, in a few different translations:

Come let us reason together KJV

I invite you to come and talk it over CEV

Come. Sit down. Lets argue this out MSG

God is saying... I can handle you being real with Me. I can handle your true feelings, your anger, and your pain. Matter of fact, I welcome it. Be real with Me.

Just remember the father of the sick, possessed child in Mark 9. The demon had thrown the child in fire and water and cut him, trying to kill him for years. The man had taken the boy to Jesus' disciples, but they couldn't help him. So he approached Jesus and honestly asked, ...if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus was not angered by this, but replied this way: "'If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:23-24).

Notice the man didn't try to hide, but was transparent with God in his need for grace to overcome his unbelief. That was a real prayer. The picture on the outside matched up with the fine print on the inside. And the man's child was healed, because God can handle our authentic prayers.

It's what happens when we dare to be real with God; He helps us move from a place of doubt and unbelief to a place of faith and trust.

When Jesus became one of us, He experienced the pains we go through. He understands us, and therefore, He can handle our authentic prayers.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we areyet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).

So lets start our journey of developing authentic faith by being real with God in prayer!

Photo credit: Unsplash/Ben White
Theres a curious connection between Halloween and Reformation Day, and its more than just proximity on the calendar. Why did Martin Luther nail his famous 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door on October 31, 1517? He was confronting two religious observances that promoted false saintliness and exploited peoples fear of judgment and purgatory.

What is Reformation Day?

Reformation Day (October 31) commemorates Luthers posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This act triggered the Reformation, as they were immediately translated and distributed across Germany in a matter of weeks. The Protestant Reformation was the rediscovery of the doctrine of justificationthat is, salvation by grace alone (Gal. 2:21) through faith alone in Christ alone. It was also the protest against the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. The century before the Reformation was marked by widespread dismay with the corruption of the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church and with its false doctrines, biblical illiteracy, and superstition. Monks, priests, bishops, and popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like the selling of indulgences, the treasury of merit, purgatory, and salvation through good works.

Halloween

Halloween (October 31) is celebrated by millions each year with costumes and candy. Halloweens deepest roots are decidedly pagan, despite its Christianized name. Its origin is Celtic and has to do with summer sacrifices to appease Samhain, the lord of death, and evil spirits. Those doing the pagan rituals believed that Samhain sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. Christians tried to confront these pagan rites by offering a Christian alternative (All Hallows Day) that celebrated the lives of faithful Christian saints on November 1. In medieval England the festival was known as All Hallows, hence the name Halloween (All Hallows Eve) for the preceding evening.

All Saints Day

All Hallows Day or All Saints Day (November 1) was first celebrated on May 13, 609, when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary. The date was later changed to November 1 by Pope Gregory III, who dedicated a chapel in honor of all saints in the Vatican Basilica. In 837, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) ordered its church-wide observance. Its origin lies earlier in the common commemorations of Christian martyrs. Over time these celebrations came to include not only the martyrs but all saints. During the Reformation, the Protestant churches came to understand saints in its New Testament usage as including all believers and reinterpreted the feast of All Saints as a celebration of the unity of the entire Church.

All Souls Day

All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead is normally celebrated, primarily by Roman Catholics, on November 2. This is a day dedicated to prayer and almsgiving in memory of ancestors who have died. People pray for the souls of the dead, in an effort to hasten their transition from purgatory to heaven by being purged and cleansed from their sins.

Treasury of Merit

Spiritually earnest people were told to justify themselves by charitable works, pilgrimages, and all kinds of religious performances and devotions. They were encouraged to acquire this merit, which was at the disposal of the church, by purchasing certificates of indulgence. This left them wondering if they had done or paid enough to appease Gods righteous anger and escape his judgment. This was the context that prompted Luthers desire to refocus the church on salvation by grace through faith on account of Christ by the imputation of Christs righteousness to us. To those spiritually oppressed by indulgences and not given assurance of Gods grace, Luther proclaimed free grace to Gods true saints:

God receives none but those who are forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead. He does not give saintliness to any but sinners, nor wisdom to any but fools. In short: He has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace. Therefore no arrogant saint, or just or wise man can be material for God, neither can he do the work of God, but he remains confined within his own work and makes of himself a fictitious, ostensible, false, and deceitful saint, that is, a hypocrite (Luther W.A. 1.183ff).

Why Reformation Day? Instead of the treasury of merit that was for sale, Luther protested, The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God (Thesis 62). This was Luther's desire for Reformation day.

Justin Holcomb is an Episcopal priest and teaches theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and Knox Theological Seminary. Justin wrote On the Grace of God and co-authored with his wife Lindsey Rid of My Disgrace and Save Me from Violence. He is also the editor of Christian Theologies of Scripture. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and at JustinHolcomb.com.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/jakkapan21

This article is part of our larger Halloween articles resource centered around helping you understand the history of Halloween and how it relates to the Christian faith. When deciding if celebrating Halloween is right for your family, reference these articles for some advice and tips from theologians, Bible teachers, and other Christians navigating faith today.

The Origin and History of Halloween

Reformation Day and Its Connection to Halloween

What Does the Bible Say About Halloween?

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

3 Reasons Halloween is Not The Devils (Satans) Birthday

Why We Dont Celebrate Halloween - How to Explain to Kids
Looking for something to do? Heres a list of local community and nonprofit events. Please check with your club or organization to be certain of meetings, outings and classes, as they may be canceled due to bad weather or COVID-19. If any listing is inaccurate or to submit an event, contact Julie Norwood at 231-592-8358 or julie.norwood@pioneergroup.com.

 Big Rapids DBA Chili Cook Off and Beer Tent: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, at Big Rapids City Hall parking lot, 226 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids.

 Barryton Fall Craft Show & Trick or Treating: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Barryton Conservation Club, 3444 18 Mile Road, Barryton.

 Big Rapids DBA Fall Festival Family Day and Craft Show: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, along North Michigan Avenue in downtown Big Rapids. Truck or treat (noon to 2 p.m.), celebrity pumpkin roll (3 p.m.) craft show (2-6 p.m.) and family friendly activities (2-6 p.m.).

 BRCL Fall Festival: 3-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Big Rapids Community Library, 426 S. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. Crafts, a cookie walk, lollipop pull and other activities at 3 p.m. A family friendly movie begins at 6:30 p.m. Bring your own seat.

 Corn Maze/Haunted Maze: Noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2-5 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 26-Oct. 31 for Corn Maze; 8-10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 8-30, for Haunted Maze; at Four Green Fields Farm, 15693 Wilson Road, Rodney. Cost: $3 for corn maze, ages 5 and under free; $2 for wagon rides; and $4 for haunted maze.

 Trick-or-Treat Through the Trail: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at, Morley Stanwood Bands' Haunted Trail on West Jefferson (3rd Street), between Talcott Street and Holiday Trail, west of downtown Morley near the Village of Morley sign. Regular Haunted Trail runs 8-11 p.m. Cost: $5.

 Morley Stanwood Elementary Trick the Halls: 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Morley Stanwood Elementary School, 4808 Northland Dr., Morley. Roam the halls of MSE to find treats. Includes a costume contest, cake walk, games, a haunted house and photo booth.

 Chippewa-Martiny Fire Department Open House/Halloween Party: 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Chippewa Township Community Center, 10467 19 Mile Road, Rodney

 Big Rapids Twp. Fire Dept. Halloween Party: 6-10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Big Rapids Township Fire Department, 14212 Northland Drive, Big Rapids. Free admission, coffee, cider, haunted maze and more.

TRUNK OR TREATS

 Betten Baker Trunk or Treat: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Betten Baker, 14120 Northland Drive, Big Rapids

 Stanwood Eagles Trunk or Treat: 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at parking lot near Fraternal Order of Eagles, 7200 Stanwood Drive, Stanwood

 Peacock Real Estate Trunk or Treat: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Peacock Real Estate, 18030 3 Mile Road, Morley.

 Brockway Wesleyan Trunk or Treat: 5- 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Brockway Wesleyan Church, 10951 3 Mile Road, Morley. Includes free hot dogs and hot cocoa, while they last.

RECURRING EVENTS

 Socktober: Brockway Wesleyan Church is collecting packages of NEW socks for individuals in need. Drop off socks 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday- Friday or 10:40 a.m. Sundays through October at 10951 3 Mile Road, Morley. Contact: 989-352-7719, brockwaychurch@outlook.com.

 Swiss Steak Dinner: 4-6:30 p.m. the last Friday of every month, April-October, at the Barryton Senior Center, 71 Northern Ave., Barryton. Includes dinner and dessert. Everyones welcome.

 Tai Chi: Noon on Wednesdays at Hemlock Park. Improve muscle tone, flexibility, balance and coordination. Newcomers welcome. brpr.org.

 Mecosta Co. Genealogical Society: Open 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every second Saturday, at 424 N. Fourth Ave., Big Rapids, next to Recycle. Thousands of obits and hundreds of books with history and genealogy for the Mecosta Co. area. Stop by or call Maureen Nelson at 231-250-5555 to set up an appointment.

 Mecosta County Sheriff Posse: 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Mecosta County Jail basement training room, 225 S. Stewart Ave., Big Rapids. This volunteer group is always looking for more members. For more info call 231-250-9241

 Lords Table Food Pantry: 3-5 p.m. Wednesdays at Faith Community Church, 610 Green St., Big Rapids. Everyone is welcome.

 Reed City Food Pantry: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 7, at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City.

 Morley Community Center: The center, at 151 7th St., Morley, hosts weekly pickleball, open gym, indoor garage sales and outdoor market, in addition to monthly ancestry class, craft night and blood drive. For a list of activities, visit morleycenter.org/events or call 231-856-4496.

ARTWORKS ONGOING CLASSES, EXHIBITS

106 N. Michigan Ave. in Big Rapids / 231-796-2420 / artworksinbigrapids.org

 After School Arts: 3:45-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays. Drop-ins welcome on a first come, first serve basis, but registration recommended. Register at Artworks gift shop or by calling 231-796-2420 the Monday before each session.

 Open Pottery: 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost: $10 per session, $60 for an eight-session punch card. (Additional firing fees apply. Clay may be purchased in bulk for $20 per 25 lbs.) Call 231-796-2420 to schedule your session.

 Forged in Fire for Beginners: 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 5-Nov. 9, at The Forge, 5710 18 Mile Road, Barryton. Learn the basics of bladesmithing by doing. Everything will be provided. Closed toe shoes are required. Cost: $150. Register at artworksinbigrapids.org/specialty-workshops.

 Exhibit  Art in the Time of COVID: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Oct. 12-Nov. 14. Featuring creations from Dan Kaminsky, Kym Nicolas and other artists.
Bill again joined Glenn Beck to opine on the weeks top stories, beginning with President Bidens multi-trillion-dollar spending proposal and the fact that he is essentially begging Democrats to go along. I thought Joe was gonna cry, Bill observed.

The duo also analyzed the presidents meeting with the Pope and their diametrically opposed views on abortion. Bill theorized that Joe Bidens radical stance disqualifies him from practicing as a Roman Catholic.

They then ridiculed the insane news that the Biden administration may give $450,000 per person to illegal immigrants whose families were separated in the Trump years. Bills pithy analysis: This shows the utter contempt Joe Biden has for the taxpayer!

Finally, Bill confidently predicted the outcome of Tuesdays big election in Virginia and revealed his plans for Halloween, which include dressing as a certain low-rated CNN prime-time host. Of course, thats not much of a hint.
On Thursday's No Spin News, with President Biden off to meet the Pope, Bill lays out the unbridgeable chasm between the Pope and the President on abortion. Simply put, Joe Biden's views disqualify him from being a practicing Roman Catholic.

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The fourth day of the Africa Health Conference yielded discussions on the effect of Covid-19 on the continent's public health services and this is shaping the future of healthcare in Africa, with a particular view on its digital transformation.

Source: supplied

Public Health

Digital health

Scaling of mHealth

In a panel discussion to explore ways in which Africa could become a leader in global healthcare innovation post-pandemic, panel moderator, Dr Moses Kitheka, says that the Covid pandemic had engendered new, unforeseen socio-economic consequences that cut across virtually all sectors.Many of these were felt even more severely in Africa, where healthcare systems were already under pressure, says the public health specialist with over 16 years of progressive clinical, programmatic, and technical experience in the sector.Alchemy Health Technologies founder, Dr Ntuthuko Bhengu adds that employers have a significant role to play, saying that the workplace is a crucial site for healthcare screening, tracking, surveillance, and possibly even vaccination.In the session, Dr Alex Coutinho, a global health leader and medicine and public health veteran, who has worked on the continent for 37 years, shared his insights with interviewer Fatima Abbas.Many of Africas health systems are premised that customers have to come to facilities.During Covid, partly because people were afraid to go to hospitals, people stayed home and sought alternatives, he says.There is a saying: Never let a crisis go to waste, Coutinho adds.The pandemic presented an opportunity to reimagine how we provide healthcare services to people, especially maternal care, by exploring ways to bring it to the people, he says.Author and Health Informatics (HI) expert, Dr Raphael Akangbe, spoke about how Nigerian policy-makers have facilitated leaps in tele-health, resulting in Lagos healthcare sectors prestigious reputation as fore-runners in tele-health and digital transformation.Many organisations admitted that Covid was the biggest driver towards their digital transformation, says Robin Njiru, business development manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS).We saw a lot of agility in both healthcare and government sectors that had not been seen before. We saw that business, government, and healthcare sectors in Africa can be super-agile.Shleigh Theophanides delivered a presentation on the scaling of mHealth in Africa, and the myriad applications and potentials of this exciting new field.The future of health is about sustained well-being.This will be driven by digital transformation enabled by radically interoperable data and open, secure platforms, and the empowered consumer, she says.Furthermore, Theophanides notes mHealth is a mechanism by which physical access challenges could be addressed in an affordable manner and thereby escalate the drive towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) coverage goals.
Molnupiravir, an investigational oral Covid-19 antiviral medicine, that could be the first oral antiviral medicine available for Covid-19 therapy, has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Affordable global access

No royalties

MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics submitted an Emergency Use Authorisation application for molnupiravir to the US Food and Drug Administration and are actively working with additional regulatory agencies worldwide.The submission is based on positive results from a planned interim analysis of the Phase 3 MOVe-OUT study, a global Phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-site study of non-hospitalised adult patients with laboratory-confirmed mild-to-moderate Covid-19 and at least one risk factor for progression to severe disease or death.Additionally, MSD announced the European Medicines Agency has initiated a rolling review for molnupiravir for the treatment of Covid-19 in adults.The interim results for molnupiravir are compelling and we see this oral treatment candidate as a potentially important tool to help address the current health crisis, says Charles Gore, MPP executive director.To facilitate affordable global access to molnupiravir the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc Kenilworth NJ US has announced the signing of a voluntary licencing agreement.This agreement will help create broad access for molnupiravir use in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) following appropriate regulatory approvals.MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics are jointly developing molnupiravir.Under the terms of the agreement, MPP, through the license granted by MSD, will be permitted to further license non-exclusive sublicences to manufacturers (MPP Licence) and diversify the manufacturing base for the supply of quality-assured or WHO-prequalified molnupiravir to countries covered by the MPP Licence, subject to local regulatory authorisation.MSD, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Emory University will not receive royalties for sales of molnupiravir under this agreement for as long as Covid-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO).This transparent, public health-driven agreement is MPPs first voluntary licence for a Covid-19 medical technology, and we hope that MSDs agreement with MPP will be a strong encouragement to others, he adds.Molnupiravir was invented at Emory University and licensed to Ridgeback Biotherapeutics by Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE), LLC, which was formed by Emory to advance the development of early-stage drug candidates for viral diseases of global concern.
Being in the creative industry requires one to always be ahead of the curve when it comes to thinking outside the box. Lucky Du Plessis, who has had a stellar radio career over the past decade, is doing just that as he officially joins the Penquin marketing agency as their new creative director.

Lucky Du Plessis

Who is Lucky Du Plessis?

You recently joined Star FM as their first breakfast show host. How has the experience been so far?

You and your co-host Greg Aldrige seem to have found the secret recipe to being successful on radio. What do you think you guys have that sets you apart?

You are a creative at heart and recently joined advertising agency Penquin as their new creative director. Where does your love for creating come from?

How has the way in which traditional marketing at your agency changed due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic?

What do you think makes a successful campaign?

How would you describe the way in which Penquin does marketing?

The world is consumed by content and content creation, what would you say is the secret to creating captivating content?

What advice would do you have for upcoming creatives?

While radio has always been something Du Plessis has been incredibly passionate about, he continues to want to push his creative boundaries and looks forward to doing just that in his new role at the marketing agency.Penquin is an independent, mid-size, integrated marketing agency based in Johannesburg, with a staff complement of 40 insightful individuals. The agency opened its doors in 2000 and, over the past two decades, it has been a driving force behind the growth of some of the most recognized brands in the market.Du Plessis joined the team in September as the companys new creative director  a role in which he looks forward to using his exceptional storytelling techniques to create connections between people and the brands he works with.This isnt Du Plessis's first stint at an agency. After completing his Marketing degree at Vega in 2009, he got a job as an art director at another advertising agency before his radio career took off. Now, as he and co-host Greg Aldrige become the new breakfast hosts at the recently launched Star FM, Du Plessis is excited to return to his storytelling roots at an agency and use the techniques hes learned during his radio career to bring something unique to Penquin.Du Plessis opens up about his incredible career so far:Above everything else, I am a proud family man who loves tequila, chicken nachos and the attitude and sneaker collection of a Lebron James. But, most importantly, I am a storyteller at heart and inject this into every single thing I do.Its been such a great and humbling experience. I have worked at very big radio stations in the past so its really a great chance to be working with and building a new radio station from the ground up.When it comes to Greg and me, we do everything differently. Our entire show and ethos is set on that. If someone else can do it, we wont want to do it. I think our passion for giving our audiences a unique experience alongside the chemistry we have together is something that has really set us apart.I think I was always inclined this way. I am so inspired by people and telling stories that it was the perfect fit. I look forward to bringing my experience and passion into the marketing world and I am thrilled to be doing that with an agency that understands the importance of authenticity.Weve had to adapt and create marketing and advertising for people that are at home and on their phones. The entire process has become faster and more interactive because of social media. While its true that it was always heading that way, Covid just sped up the process and we managed to keep up with consumers demands and the changing way people consume advertising.Insight. I think agencies need to always have the insight to understand not only what the brand is hoping to achieve through their campaign, but how to speak to the right target audiences as well. If the insight and creativity are there, the first stepping stone to creating a connection with audiences sets the foundation for the rest of the campaign.Unique. I love that Penquin has such a strong passion for telling stories and connecting brands and audiences in ways that really stand out. They arent afraid to push boundaries and do things differently which is why I think they have been so successful over the past two decades.Keeping it fresh is key. As much as trends help get your content out there, there is something so great in creating content that is fresh and authentic.Always keep learning. The industry is changing all the time and its so important to keep ahead of the curve. Create a goal to become a better creative every day and dont ever think that you know enough about it.
The 2021 South African municipal elections are around the corner and will be held on 1 November 2021. These are the sixth municipal elections held in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994 and they are held every five years. There are over 325 parties that will be contesting with over 23,151 election stations across the country.

The political parties and their leaders are going head to head as this is the first election since the Covid-19 pandemic. Ornico has been monitoring and measuring the performance of the political parties during the crucial month of October and presents the findings under the new report.For purposes of this research, the following political parties were analyzed: ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, ACDP, FF+ and Action SA. The volume of the data analysed for the analysis was more than 2147 articles from mainly online news articles. The report explores the media performance of the following political leaders Cyril Ramaphosa, John Steenhuisen, Julius Malema, Herman Mashaba, Velenkosini Hlabisa, Kenneth Meshoe and benchmarks their performance against each other and compares them with their own parties.The 2021 municipal elections report by Ornico goes beyond basic media monitoring performance and provides a sentiment analysis for all parties. The political discourse in South Africa is currently a very negative space  with issues such as corruption, poor service delivery and failing municipal infrastructure dominating discussions.Furthermore, this report deploys Ornico's psychographica analysis for deeper social media insights. The intention of this analysis is to measure the personality traits of the political leaders based on their external communication efforts and how do they compare/relate to the political parties that they lead. Ornico employs advanced machine learning algorithms, psychology as well as linguistics to be able to uncover the core personality that is being displayed in the free text published in social media.This report has gone way beyond traditional media monitoring by employing psychological techniques as part of its social media insights report. As a Brand Intelligence firm, Ornico provided analysis on the political parties and their leaders for topics like: Big 5 personality traits for the leaders based on Twitter and Facebook messaging, political party focus, achievement/power drivers, authenticity driven communication, tones of aggression and cooperative personality.You can download the SA Social Media Landscape Report 2021 clicking here Ornico is a Brand Intelligence company, helping marketers make sense of the endless sea of data for both advertising and media monitoring purposes across all industries. Ornico's ability to track, measure and analyse data, helps Africas top companies with better and more informed decision-making. Our SA clients such as Standard Bank, Tiger Brands, Ninety One as well as our international ones such as P&G and Reckitt Benckiser have been receiving years of in-depth insights including: trend analysis, brand reputation and crisis management, competition analysis and others.Ornicos Brand Intelligence is an all-in-one solution that combines data monitoring and insights for all aspects of a brand. Whether that is creative/brand management and advertising or PR/external communication strategies, Ornico's provides creative and media coverage of 60 countries across all mediums including print, broadcast, online and social media. Our 37 years of expertise, our people and our investment into state-of-the-art technology, help businesses make the right decisions.Follow Ornico on Twitter and Facebook @OrnicoMedia. Visit Ornico at ornico.co.za
The European Union (EU) will launch a project with South Africa at the COP26 climate summit to speed up the country's exit from coal, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

Source: Eskom Camden Power station close to Ermelo in Mpumalanga [[https://www.eskom.co.za/ Eskom

Most polluting fossil fuel

2

"The idea is that the countries support South Africa to phase out of coal faster and to go earlier and faster into developing renewables. We're still working on that," von der Leyen told a news conference, adding that the US, the UK, Germany and France were also involved.EU sources said the partnership would focus on a "just transition" in South Africa, by providing support to the regions and workers in coal industries that would be affected by a phaseout.Coal-fuelled plants supplied nearly 90% of South Africa's electricity last year.Ursula Von der Leyen also said 60 countries have now joined a pledge led by the EU and United States to cut methane emissions.The pledge, which will also be launched at the COP26 summit, would see countries commit to slash their joint methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels.Nigeria, Japan and Pakistan are among the countries that have signed up.The initiative is to be launched at the COP26 climate summit from 31 October to 12 November in Glasgow, Scotland.Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel and phasing it out quickly is seen as crucial if the world is to meet the Paris Agreement's target to limit global warming to 1.5C and avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide.The gas has a higher heat-trapping potential than CObut it breaks down in the atmosphere faster, meaning deep cuts in methane emissions could have a rapid impact on slowing global warming.The aim of the Glasgow summit is to secure enough new commitments and deals from countries and polluting industries to cut emissions fast enough to keep the 1.5C target within reach.U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has called on all rich countries to stop burning coal by 2030, and for poorer countries to do so by 2040.
Opinion article by Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, professor and director of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State.

Prof. Motlalepula Matsabisa

The role of traditional medicine in combating Covid-19

Traditional medicine and past pandemics

Economic potential of traditional medicines

Traditional medicine has been used for centuries, and today it still has a vital role to play in health care and in improving the well-being of people across the globe. Celebrating African Traditional Medicine Day on 31 August each year shows the importance of traditional medicine  especially African traditional medicine  as part of the indigenous medical knowledge systems (IKS). In fact, traditional medicine is regarded so important that the African Union has decided to designate 31 August of each year for the recognition and celebration of African Traditional Medicines Day. More recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa CDC established a Regional Expert Advisory Committee , bringing together experts from across the continent to advise and make recommendations regarding scientific research and clinical trials on traditional medicines for Covid-19, including technical and scientific assistance to member states wishing to conduct Covid-19 clinical trials. The Regional Expert Advisory Committee would also advise the WHO and CDC on how to respond to current and new pandemics through the application of traditional medicinal products. This is another indication of the important role traditional medicines and traditional health practitioners could play in health and formal economies. I am currently heading this committee of African experts.Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving the use of indigenous herbalism combined with aspects of African spirituality. On the continent of Africa, about 80% of the population are said to rely on traditional medicine for their basic health-care needs, according to the WHO. In some cases, traditional medicine is the only health-care service available; it is accessible and affordable to many people on the continent and the developing Third World. This makes traditional medicine the major provider of health-care services in Africa, including all other developing countries; therefore, it cannot be underestimated.I am involved in the research and development of traditional medicines in order to develop safe, efficacious, quality, and well-researched medicines that are easy to use, based on indigenous medical knowledge and the countrys floral biodiversity. I am also conducting research aimed at products of plant origin that can address metabolic disease such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimers, hypertension, etc. I also have an interest in developing new interventions and products for infectious diseases such as malaria and the current Covid-19 pandemic. The aim is to develop well-researched traditional medicinal products supported by controlled clinical research findings. It is quite possible that cures  or at the very least  medicines and vaccines for all modern-day illnesses, diseases, and pandemics have their origin in traditional medicine or natural products, and so there is hope that more such drugs and vaccines can still be developed. This has always been the case in the role that traditional medicine plays, not only on the African continent, but also worldwide.Even though various effective vaccines have been developed to combat Covid-19, this deadly pandemic requires all the efforts from different aspects of health interventions. There is possibly not one single intervention to stop the Covid-19 pandemic, so we are looking at non-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical interventions, including the development of herb- and traditional medicine-based pharmaceuticals for Covid-19. The core of my research is to find appropriate and relevant health solutions based on indigenous knowledge and products. Traditional medicines can play a role in all the phases of the Covid-19 disease. The phases include the acute Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III, or better known as long Covid or post-Covid syndrome. Traditional medicine products can work as antivirals, as antioxidants, treatment for respiratory conditions, as well as viral entry inhibitors and immune modulators to curb the cytokine storm associated with Covid-19.When looking at past pandemics such as the 1889 Asian or Russian flu, the 1892 Australian flu, and the 1918 Spanish flu  it is clear that traditional medicines also contributed to combating these pandemics. Together with physicians, traditional practitioners have treated patients during the pandemics by systematically selecting and using certain plants indicated for the symptoms associated with the pandemics. Those plants could still be relevant for Covid-19 today. For the Asian influenza, the H1N1, Swine flu, H5N1, Avian influenza or bird flu, the H3N2 H7N9 of 2013, a medicine called Tamiflu or Oseltamivir was used, which is derived from the star anise flower (Hook), a Chinese culinary spice plant. Tamiflu is now being sold and marketed by Roche. A new HIV antiviral compound, Patentiflorin A, which is found more effective at inhibiting the HIV-reverse transcriptase enzyme than AZT, has been discovered from the plantMoreover, only 20% of the 360,000 plant species in the world have been systematically researched, with only 10% of these reported to be used in traditional medicines. South Africa has 30,000 indigenous plants, of which 4,000 are reported to be used in traditional medicines. Drugs derived from plants constitute close to 30% of all prescription medicines, and these plant-based medicines treat 90% of all known human diseases. I have mentioned Metformin for the current treatment of type II diabetes, which was discovered in 1922 from the plant, while most anticancer medicines are derived from plants. The list of current prescription medicines that are plant derived is endless, including artemisinin for malaria, quinine for arrhythmia, digitoxin for heart failure, aspirin for pain, cyclosporine for transplantation, theophylline from the Theobroma tree for asthma  all derived from plants, and the list goes on. We as Africans are happy to buy our own products if they are sold to us from Europe. This is our biggest weakness. We do not want to support local produce and local innovations.For these reasons, therefore, my argument is that before traditional medicines can be outrightly rejected, it should be given an equal chance to be fairly researched. When HIV first became known, everybody was talking about developing HIV vaccines, and lots of investment went into research. However, to this day we have not found a vaccine against HIV. Let traditional medicines be given a chance to be equitably funded, well researched and tested, without positioning them as replacement for vaccines, but rather as alternative treatments or cures for COVID-19 and any other emergent disease, epidemic, or pandemic. There is an urgent need to institutionalise traditional medicines, not just to tolerate it, but to give it an equal chance and research funding to respond to Covid-19. Traditional medicine products should be given an equal opportunity for market approval, authorisation, and formal sales.Just like other medicines produced by large pharmaceutical companies, traditional medicine has huge economic potential. The global economy  which is made up of only 20% of the worlds plants researched thus far  has projections for 2026 showing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5,8% with a market value of USD136 billion. In South Africa, the traditional herbal market amounts to R20 billion, making it the largest health industry in the country. This sector excludes cannabis and tea products. Cannabis alone has a market projection of USD73,6 billion for 2027, with a CAGR of 18,1%, while the global tea market in 2020 was USD115 million with a CAGR of 9,5%.In South Africa, traditional medicines are supporting a minimum of 140,000 households; therefore, if research can be strengthened, we can see more households supported and more jobs created. These jobs can be throughout the traditional medicine value chain, from development to retail, marketing, and distribution. Employment can also absorb the technical skills developed by graduate students trained in our higher education sector. Through traditional medicines, we can contribute to universal health coverage  new medicines and new health solutions. Through the development of traditional medicines, we could see the contribution of traditional medicines to the sustainable development goals, such as improving health and well-being and reducing poverty and hunger, as well as quality education to the targeted communities. Africans need to conduct proper peer-reviewed research on traditional medicines to build confidence with patients and consumers of traditional medicines.
Jacaranda FM shares the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa's latest Radio Audience Measurement survey results

Jacaranda FM has an audience of over 1.4 million listeners every week



SA Radio Awards Commercial Station of the Year, best Breakfast, Drive, and Weekend shows



Authentic media partner offering resonance with a 1,558,000-strong digital community

With a weekly audience of 1,4 million listeners, almost 700,000 daily and returning listeners, and a combined social footprint of over 1.5 million fans  Jacaranda FM has evolved from a locally loved radio station into Mzansis preferred audio brand experience.Its really energising to see how much our audience has grown, especially during the pandemic where Jacaranda FMs family values and innovations are being sought out by consumers, comments Deirdre King, managing director at Jacaranda FM.Jacaranda FM is mainly listened to and streamed in Gauteng (57%), but the North West Province (16%), Mpumalanga (14%), and Limpopo (10%) share 40% of the stations fanbase, respectively. The stations fanbase is truly diverse as neither black or white listeners form a majority. Men and women are also evenly spilt, further highlighting Jacaranda FMs ability for mass reach within all target groups in South Africa.32% Of the Jacaranda FM audience are between 35 and 49 years old, whilst 28% of their listeners belong to the 25- to 34-year market. Not surprisingly, the station with heart appeals to young and old alike as 18% of listeners are younger than 24 years old and 23% are older than 50 years.Where Jacaranda FM outpaces others is that we have a fiercely loyal and exclusive audience that have enjoyed our consistency and world-class talent for the past 35 years, said Hennie Myburgh, programme manager at Jacaranda FM.Whilst focusing on consistency and innovation, Jacaranda FM retains the best pool of radio talent that highlight the diverse and meaningful South African voices in broadcast. The station has also invested heavily in innovative products such as South Africas first digital pop-up station  Only Local  focused on local tunes during Heritage month, and launching South Africas first virtual reality game to explore some of South Africas provinces during lockdown.Jacaranda FMs consistency and authentic community engagement gives marketers and brands the opportunity to reach potential consumers that are difficult to reach elsewhere, adds King.
Julian Assange, the cofounder of WikiLeaks, was arrested and forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after seven years of hiding out in diplomatic and legal limbo. Over the course of nearly a decade, Assange has been charged with three central crimes by three separate governments. First, in 2010 he was accused of raping and sexually molesting two women in Sweden; second he is accused of violating bail terms in the United Kingdom; and third, and most recently, he is accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The U.S. is also investigating him for espionage, the publication of sensitive government documents and coordination with Russia.

As Staista's Florian Zandt details below, how Assange found himself in the Ecuadorian embassy began with the first accusation in Sweden, which caused Assange to leave Sweden for the United Kingdom. By the end of 2010, he turned himself into UK law enforcement and soon after he was released on bail. This set off a series of legal battles within the United Kingdom regarding whether the UK could extradite him to Sweden. Assange feared that the Swedish government would then extradite him to the U.S., where he could be charged with the WikiLeaks release of classified documents from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010.

You will find more infographics at Statista

After many appeals, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden in 2012. Assange then sought political asylum from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, which he was granted later that same year, allowing him to stay in the embassy up until his arrest in April 2019. By 2017, the Swedish government had dropped its investigation into both the molestation and rape allegations. By the end of that year, the U.S. issued a sealed indictment for Assange charging him with conspiring to publish classified U.S. documents.

While these concrete legal battles are playing out, the public battle over Julian Assange the symbol, continues. The core of his symbolic relevance hinges on WikiLeaks 2010 publication of classified U.S. military documents from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Press freedom advocates view his arrests and prosecution as an attack on investigative journalism which could set a dangerous legal precedent if he were to be tried for espionage. National security backers view Assanges actions as a serious threat to troops and the country.

On February 24, 2020, the first week of his extradition case began at Woolwich crown court with an adjournment scheduled until May 18. As a backdrop to the court proceedings, Assange, held in the adjacent Belmarsh prison since his 2019 arrest, has experienced a significant deterioration in his health, provoking a growing group of medical doctors from around the world to issue a series of pleas. The most recent - an open letter published in The Lanceton February 17 - demanded the "end (of his) torture and medical neglect".

These medical issues and testimonies of psychiatric experts led to Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruling against an extradition request by the United States in January 2021.

After Assange was stripped of the Ecuadorian citizenship he was granted while hiding out in the country's UK embassy, the appeal hearing requested by the Biden administration concerning the extradition ruling commenced on October 27. The proceedings are estimated to last at least a couple of weeks, with a final decision most likely being delayed even further: After the end of this round's hearings, the losing side still has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court, which would draw out the battle over Assange's extradition considerably.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that Alec Baldwin and other producers of the low-budget western film, Rust, have hired the high-priced law firm, Jenner & Block, to investigate the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set.

The producers circulated a memo to the movie crew about the hiring of Jenner & Block the night before the Santa Fe Sheriffs Department was scheduled to hold a press conference and announce its current findings. (See YouTube video below for the full press conference.)

During that press conference, Sheriff Adan Mendoza revealed that a real gun, a Colt .45 revolver, was being used by Alec Baldwin at the time of the shooting. Mendoza said the gun had fired a live single round that killed Hutchins and then the bullet embedded itself into the shoulder of Director Joel Souza. (Souza was injured but survived.)

Mendoza said that the Sheriffs office has the spent shell casing that was fired from the gun and the actual lead projectile that was fired has been recovered from the shoulder of Mr. Souza. The lead projectile was turned over to the Sheriffs office directly by the medical personnel who removed it from Souzas shoulder, the Sheriff said. Mendoza added that We have recovered what we believe to be possible additional live rounds on set.

The hiring of Jenner & Block sends a signal that the film producers understand that serious litigation for negligence and/or a wrongful death suit may easily eclipse the reported budget for the film of $7 million to $8 million.

Jenner & Blocks Anton (Tony) Valukas served as examiner in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and billed $38 million, according to court records, to complete a 2200-page report on what had led to Lehmans failure. In 2014, Valukas also conducted an investigation for Jenner & Blocks long-time client, General Motors, into a faulty ignition system that led to at least 13 deaths.

Jenner & Block partner Thomas Perrelli also received a highly lucrative assignment as a result of Wall Street hubris. On July 11, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice ran this headline: Justice Department, Federal and State Partners Secure Record $7 Billion Global Settlement with Citigroup for Misleading Investors About Securities Containing Toxic Mortgages.

As part of the $7 billion settlement, Citigroup was to provide $2.5 billion in consumer relief. The settlement was extremely flexible on the forms that consumer relief could take. It included: loan modifications, refinancing, down payment and closing cost assistance for refinancing, and donations to organizations helping communities in redevelopment and provision of affordable rental housing.

Jenner & Blocks Perrelli agreed to be the independent monitor to make sure that Citigroup made good on the $2.5 billion in consumer relief. (Citigroup had collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. Instead of filing for bankruptcy like Lehman, it was secretly propped up with $2.5 trillion in cumulative loans from the Federal Reserve from December 2007 to July 2010.) In a report in November of last year, Perrelli wrote:

In my thirteenth and final report as Monitor over Citigroups July 11, 2014 Settlement Agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the five Settling States (California, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York), I am pleased to confirm that Citi has satisfactorily discharged its obligations under the Settlement Agreement.

The most high-profile assignment a law partner at the law firm has received was when Albert Jenner was chosen as Senior Counsel to the Warren Commission to assist in the investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who died on November 22, 1963.

There is a common thread between a gunshot death with live ammunition on a movie set, the gunshot death of the President of the United States in an open convertible riding through the streets of Dallas, and Lehman and Citigroup collapsing in 2008. That common thread is negligent oversight by the people in charge.

Law360 has reported that Jenner & Block law partner, Brandon Fox, will lead the investigation of the gunshot death on the set of Rust.

According to Jenner & Blocks website, Fox serves as managing partner of the firms Los Angeles office and co-chair of its Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice. The firm notes that Fox has represented companies and individuals in complex litigation and white-collar matters in federal and state court and before regulatory bodies. He has led internal investigations for clients in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), securities fraud, workplace safety, health care fraud, money laundering, and other matters.
Sustainable Development, aka Technocracy, is a Utopian myth that will not save the world but rather destroy it. Its cracked policies have been noted for at least 30 years and the fruit of destruction is all around us. If successful, their dream that You will own nothing will not bring happiness, but rather homelessness.  TN Editor

> Part of the plan involves ushering in stakeholder capitalism, in which private corporations  not elected leaders  become trustees of society, putting your privacy and data, your food and your freedom at risk

> WEF and its partners are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a unique window of opportunity to rapidly usher in The Great Reset, which involves changing everything from future global relations and the direction of national economies to the priorities of societies, the nature of business models and the management of a global commons

> Jet-setters are carbon super-emitters; the idea that the elite can continue to pollute but simply purchase carbon credits to offset their pollution is a matter of smoke and mirrors

> By 2050, its estimated that aviation will contribute 22% of global carbon emissions; still, in 2019, more than 600 private planes arrived at the Davos Forum, and that doesnt include the military planes that transported an additional 60 presidents and prime ministers

> The wealthy elite travel to the World Economic Forums annual meetings via a steady stream of private planes and helicopters to discuss issues like global sustainability

At the start of each year, the worlds elite hop into their private jets and descend upon Davos, Switzerland, a city prized not only for its luxury ski resorts but also for hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.

Also known as the Davos Forum, the event takes on a different theme each year, providing a global platform for business leaders, government officials, academia and other members of society to discuss critical issues.1 WEF is one of the key players behind The Great Reset, with their new normal dictum that, by 2030, you will own nothing and be happy.2

In such a scheme, the worlds resources will be owned and controlled by the technocratic elite. All items and resources are to be used by the collective, while actual ownership is restricted to an upper stratum of social class. Just how upper class?

To even attend the WEF annual meeting, you must be privately invited or a member of WEF, which costs $60,000 to $600,000. The attendance badge for the meeting is extra and costs another $27,000 in 2020, just to get entrance to the conference.3

Arriving on Private Jets to Discuss Sustainability

The irony was palpable at Davos 2020, which brought in a steady stream of private planes and helicopters so their passengers could discuss the climate crisis and sustainability.4 In 2018, more than 1,000 private jets and helicopters similarly made their way to Davos and, in 2017, an estimated 200 private flights landed in the city each day during the event.5

By 2050, its estimated that aviation will contribute 22% of global carbon emissions. Still, in 2019, more than 600 private planes arrived at the Davos Forum, and that doesnt include the military planes that transported an additional 60 presidents and prime ministers.6

But we neednt worry about this indulgence of the upper classes at the expense of the environment, according to WEF. Offering little self-awareness, leaders of the WEF claim that the jet-set class promises to purchase carbon credits to offset the emissions from their planes, Forbes noted. This is yet another strategy of the technocratic elite to set up a new wave of colonization in the name of sustainability and net zero carbon emissions.

Rich Carbon Super-Emitters Plan to Buy Their Way Out

The deadline Bill Gates has given to reach net zero emissions is 2050.7 Its another ironic statement coming from the jet-set elite. Gates lives in a 66,000-square-foot mansion and travels in a private jet that uses up 486 gallons of fuel every hour.8 As a result of buying up staggering amounts of farmland, hes a major contributor to carbon emissions,9 and his jet-setting lifestyle also makes him a carbon super-emitter.10

But when it comes to the elite, its do as I say, not as I do. As explained by Vandana Shiva, in order to force the world to accept The Great Resets new food and agricultural system, new conditionalities are being created through net zero nature-based solutions, which are anything but good for the environment and favor the rich.

Navdanyas report, Earth Democracy: Connecting Rights of Mother Earth to Human Rights and Well-Being of All, explains:11

If feeding the world through chemicals and dwarf varieties bred for chemicals was the false narrative created to impose the Green Revolution, the new false narrative is sustainability and saving the planet. In the new net zero world, farmers will not be respected and rewarded as custodians of the land and caregivers, as Annadatas, the providers of our food and health.

 Net Zero is a new strategy to get rid of small farmers in first through digital farming and farming without farmers and then through the burden of fake carbon accounting.

Carbon offsets and the new accounting trick of net zero does not mean zero emissions. It means the rich polluters will continue to pollute and also grab the land and resources of those who have not polluted  indigenous people and small farmers  for carbon offsets.

The idea that the elite can continue to pollute but simply purchase carbon credits to offset their pollution is simply a matter of smoke and mirrors. Speaking with Business Insider, Lucy Gilliam, with the European clean transport nonprofit Transport & Environment, stated, Youre not actually removing the emissions that have been created by that plane. The plane will have burned that fuel, and the carbon has been released into the atmosphere.12

Davos 2021: Execute The Great Reset

In 2021, due to the pandemic the Davos Forum was held virtually in January and again in person in Singapore in August. During the five-day January event, which was attended by 1,507 people from the highest levels of leadership, five domains of The Great Reset Initiative were discussed, including:13

Designing cohesive, sustainable and resilient economic systems. Driving responsible industry transformation and growth. Enhancing stewardship of our global commons. Harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Advancing global and regional cooperation.

Its made clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique window of opportunity to rapidly usher in The Great Reset, which involves changing everything from future global relations and the direction of national economies to the priorities of societies, the nature of business models and the management of a global commons.14

The end goal is to build a new social contract,15 which sounds like a lofty goal while telling you exactly nothing. Build back better is a tagline thats used often with The Great Reset, and though this is being played off as a new initiative, its actually a rebranding of terms for technocracy and the old New World Order.

Part of the plan involves the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which Schwab has been discussing since at least 2016,16 and which is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.

In terms of government, the Revolution will bring new technological powers that allow for increased population control via pervasive surveillance systems and the ability to control digital infrastructure.17 As for as its effects on people, Klaus Schwab, WEFs founder and executive chairman, wrote in 2016:18

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, finally, will change not only what we do but also who we are. It will affect our identity and all the issues associated with it: our sense of privacy, our notions of ownership, our consumption patterns, the time we devote to work and leisure, and how we develop our careers, cultivate our skills, meet people, and nurture relationships.

It is already changing our health and leading to a quantified self, and sooner than we think it may lead to human augmentation. The list is endless because it is bound only by our imagination.

Davos 2022: Ushering in Stakeholder Capitalism

Davos 2022 will take place in January 2022, with plans to continue The Great Reset narrative. The theme, Working Together, Restoring Trust, will focus on accelerating stakeholder capitalism, harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ensuring a more inclusive future of work.19

Also known as stakeholder economy, Forbes described stakeholder capitalism as the notion that a firm focuses on meeting the needs of all its stakeholders: customers, employees, partners, the community and society as a whole.20

The idea of stakeholder capitalism has been around since at least 1932, and was also endorsed by nearly 200 CEOs of large corporations in August 2019.21 However, it is now being accelerated as part of The Great Reset.

Business has now to fully embrace stakeholder capitalism, which means not only maximizing profits, but use their capabilities and resources in cooperation with governments and civil society to address the key issues of this decade. They have to actively contribute to a more cohesive and sustainable world, said Schwab.22

However, forms of stakeholder capitalism have already been tried and failed, because balancing conflicting stakeholder claims was near-impossible and only led to mass confusion and poor returns.23 The failure of this strategy is what led big businesses to focus on maximizing shareholder value instead.

The Future of Food, Privacy and Freedom Are at Stake

In stakeholder capitalism, private corporations become trustees of society, as Schwab said, which he added is clearly the best response to todays social and environmental challenges.24 But while it sounds like a good thing to have corporations looking out for their customers, suppliers, employees and society as a whole, the underlying theme is that private corporations take power over society  not elected leaders.

WEF is partnered with multinational corporations that lead the food, oil, technology and pharmaceutical industries. What does a future look like in which these corporations call all the shots? Weve already seen snippets, such as the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit, which prompted boycotts from farmers and human rights groups over claims that it favored agribusiness interests, elite foundations and the exploitation of African food systems.25

In terms of Big Tech, its possible it would end up as its own global governing body, wielding increasing power over society. Your privacy and data, your food and your access to medications would all be under the control of these corporate custodians. As political scientist Ivan Wecke wrote in Open Democracy:26

The plan from which The Great Reset originated was called the Global Redesign Initiative. Drafted by the WEF after the 2008 economic crisis, the initiative contains a 600-page report on transforming global governance. In the WEFs vision, the government voice would be one among many, without always being the final arbiter.

 Instead of corporations serving many stakeholders, in the multi-stakeholder model of global governance, corporations are promoted to being official stakeholders in global decision-making, while governments are relegated to being one of many stakeholders. In practice, corporations become the main stakeholders, while governments take a backseat role, and civil society is mainly window dressing.

 If you value your right to public health, to privacy, to access healthy food or to democratic representation, be wary of the words stakeholder capitalism when they pop up at the next Davos summit.
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As the Progressive Conservative leadership race speeds toward the finish line, Shelly Glover wants the public to know that she is the candidate representing change.

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DREW MAY/THE BRANDON SUN Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership candidate Shelly Glover speaks to supporters at Brandon's Riverbank Discovery Centre in September.

As the Progressive Conservative leadership race speeds toward the finish line, Shelly Glover wants the public to know that she is the candidate representing change.

Talking to the Sun Thursday morning, the former Conservative MP of Saint Boniface (now Saint Boniface-Saint Vital) and Winnipeg Police Service officer did not hesitate when describing how she would reshape and retool the provincial government as Manitobas first woman premier.

Throughout the campaign trail, Glover has said shes taken to heart a lot of the comments that residents have thrown her way about what they see as dysfunction, which has plagued this current government and past administrations.

During her tour of the Westman region last month, the PC leadership hopeful encountered the same sentiment over and over again  that residents of rural communities felt completely abandoned by the province.

"I think about Cromer waiting for a pipeline to be put in. They cant get any answers and theyve talked about it for years now," Glover said. "And I think about Russell. Theyve got a potash development plan and all theyre waiting for is signatures, and no one seems to be able to give them feedback as to why [those are] taking so long."

If elected premier, Glover vows to not only tighten the lines of communication between the province and these municipalities but also make sure these various projects actually get off the ground.

"When I use the word collaborate  it isnt just about talking with people," she said. "Its about talking to people, hearing people and then actually doing something. Its action. Collaboration does not exist without action. And thats whats been missing."

Another major focus of Glovers platform involves recognizing the importance of agriculture, both as a key element of Canadas economy and as the lifeblood of many rural communities across Manitoba.

In fact, the 54-year-old believes agriculture should split off from resource development and become its own separate ministry with an increased focus on decentralizing these types of services.

"How many offices have closed in our rural communities?" Glover said. "If we continue along the path of centralization, we will [harm] our rural communities."

The issue of vaccine mandates has generated a lot of controversy during Glovers campaign. When asked about her first action as premier, Glover said she would talk to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin and his team directly, hoping to provide public-sector workers with more options beyond the current health orders.

Right now, any public-sector employee dealing with vulnerable populations must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to rapid testing roughly three times a week.

While Glover is fully immunized and believes in the science behind the vaccine, she is also of the opinion that the parameters of the health orders should be expanded to accommodate workers who arent comfortable with this choice.

"Why cant we also have a conversation about treatments, about the antibody tests, about making sure that our employees get their rapid test in private?" she said.

"Every time Ive tried to have this conversation Im called an anti-vaxxer.

"I do not believe in vaccine mandates that cost people jobs when we have other options that we could be looking at first."

Having recently worked as an uncertified health-care aide, Glover said she knows the sacrifices these workers have made during the COVID-19 pandemic and doesnt want to see them sidelined now that Manitoba is undergoing its fourth wave.

"For those who have dug their feet in, lets find some answers, lets find some solutions, lets work with them," she said.

Glovers opponent in the leadership race, Heather Stefanson, has gained extensive experience in the realm of provincial politics since she was elected to the legislature in 2000, having spent time as deputy premier, minister of justice, minister of families, and most recently, minister of health.

However, Glover said her experience as a federal MP would translate to her role as Manitoba premier since she shouldered a lot of different responsibilities as the minister of Canadian heritage and official languages.

This included serving as a speaker for multiple ministers who were not fully bilingual and needed to make public announcements in both English and French.

"So Im used to studying and being put on the spot and crunching. In crunch time, Im a quick study," Glover said. "I do expect a learning curve, but I know my abilities, and Ive been very successful in the past."

But more than anything, Glover wanted to tell Manitobans that things will not stay the same under her leadership, which she views as a necessity after watching the provinces various institutions buckle under the strain of the ongoing pandemic.

"I will not settle for the status quo," she said. "The status quo has not worked, is not working, and the interest of Manitobans  thats the priority."

The Progressive Conservative election event is taking place from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Victoria Inn on Wellington Street in Winnipeg Saturday, though the times are subject to change depending on how the final vote count goes.

The event will be live-streamed on the partys website at pcmanitoba.com/leadership.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
A former longtime Westman MLA says flaws in the Progressive Conservative leadership race could call into question the legitimacy of Saturdays and is calling for a 30-day extension to the voting deadline alongside candidate Shelly Glover.

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A former longtime Westman MLA says flaws in the Progressive Conservative leadership race could call into question the legitimacy of Saturdays and is calling for a 30-day extension to the voting deadline alongside candidate Shelly Glover.

According to former cabinet minister Len Derkach, there are plenty of party members in the Russell area who still havent received their ballots in the mail as the Friday afternoon deadline for votes to be submitted is fast approaching, among other problems.

FILE Len Derkach.

In a separate interview, Glover said "thousands" of ballots are affected and called for her party to fix the "broken process" so that all of its members can have their say in selecting Maniitoba's next premier.

Derkach served seven terms in the Manitoba legislature in the constituencies of Roblin-Russell and Russell, also serving as minister of education and minister of rural development under the Gary Filmon government of the 1980s and 90s.

"The process was flawed from day one because of the shortness of the time of the campaign," Derkach told the Sun in a phone interview. "In my own mind, I found it difficult to understand how the party expected credible candidates to reach out to people throughout the province. This isnt a city election, its an election of the leader of a party for the entire province."

While he was successful in inviting both leadership candidates, Heather Stefanson and Shelly Glover, to speak to party members in the Russell area, Derkach said communicating with the party has been challenging during the campaign.

"I realized in the latter part of this campaign that thousands of Manitobans, [especially] rural Manitobans, had not received ballots yet and the time was getting very close to when ballots couldnt be mailed back and reasonably be expected to arrive in time," he said. "I tried to reach the party on several occasions. I called by telephone and each time I called, I was just given a voice mail [saying] their lines were busy and they couldnt take the call right now."

Frustrated by the lack of response, Derkach contacted Glovers campaign, which had told him theyd noticed the same problem and that six polling stations would be set up around the province, including Brandon and Dauphin.

This was also reported by CBC Wednesday evening.

The problem with those stations, according to Derkach, is that theyre being run during the middle of the workday in locations that people in rural Manitoba, like in the Russell area, will have a hard time getting to.

Derkach said he heard from a local businessman who was told his ballot would be sent by courier to his location but had yet to arrive as of Thursday morning. Because he has to run his business, he wont be able to make it to one of the polling stations on Friday.

Another party member contacted the Sun on Facebook, explaining he had not received a ballot as of Wednesday.

"To get to Dauphin from my end of the country, youre looking at [at] least an hour and a half [drive]," Derkach added. "If youre coming from Swan River or The Pas, or Flin Flon for that matter, you probably couldnt get there unless you left early in the morning. And yet, theres been nothing yet communicated that this is going to happen and where.

"This is a flawed process. This is not the kind of party that I have belonged to for many, many years, where we allowed for people to participate in an equal fashion and where anybody who has a membership is entitled to vote."

In interviews with the Sun earlier this week, Glover expressed many of the same concerns with the process as Derkach, while Stefanson downplayed the issues.

"Im very disappointed because this is now about democracy," Glover said about the missing ballots, which her team has been calling attention to for weeks. "Its not even about winning or losing. Im fighting to make sure every member has an opportunity to vote ... When you count the high number of spoiled ballots, along with people who have never received a ballot, were talking thousands."

Both Glover and Derkach had the same proposal to ensure fairness in the process: extend the voting period by 30 days to make sure every party member has a chance to get their ballot in.

"And so far theyve said no," Glover said. "And I think thats disrespectful to members. Let the chips fall where they may, but make sure members have their say ... Thats been my belief in this party from the beginning."

Stefanson said every leadership race has its challenges.

"Were just focused as a team on ensuring that our ballots go out and that our members who are supporting us have an opportunity to vote, so were focusing on that. Weve had some positive feedback from people in the community, and well continue to work with them going forward."

If the party continues as originally scheduled, Derkach believes it will be a detriment to both candidates as people complain about the legitimacy of the process.

"Mr. [interim Premier Kelvin] Goertzen is a very capable person," he said. "I sat in the legislature with Kelvin; hes a very capable individual. He can certainly continue to serve in the role that he has taken on for the next 30 days without question."

The Sun contacted the PC party to request an interview with a spokesperson regarding the ballot issues but did not receive a reply by press time.

 With files from Kyle Darbyson

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
OTTAWA - The Afghan ambassador is urging Canada to send officials to Pakistan and other countries bordering Afghanistan to help "accelerate" the passage of refugees fleeing the Taliban.

OTTAWA - The Afghan ambassador is urging Canada to send officials to Pakistan and other countries bordering Afghanistan to help "accelerate" the passage of refugees fleeing the Taliban.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Hassan Soroosh, Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada, said there was an urgent need to "expedite" the exodus, particularly of those at risk of Taliban persecution.

Soroosh praised Canada for leading international efforts to help refugees, and for its humanitarian program set up to give Afghan women leaders, human-rights activists, LGBTQ people and others at risk of persecution a safe haven in Canada.

However, he said he has heard from Afghans who have asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to be referred to the Canadian program who are still waiting for their applications to be processed.

"So far as we understand  they have not yet started their processing," he said of the UNHCR.

The humanitarian program, first announced in August, is one of two Canadian refugee streams meant to bring 40,000 Afghans to Canada in total.

The diplomat  who was speaking in Ottawa, where he has been for two years  said the international community should put pressure on the Taliban to reopen Afghanistans airports to evacuate more people desperate to escape.

It is very important to increase the frequency of commercial evacuation flights, he said. Only two major airports are currently open in Afghanistan, including Kabul.

Canadian citizens and thousands of Afghans are still stranded in Afghanistan, even though they have permission to come to Canada.

"It is an established fact that there are people at high risk, who fear for their lives and want to leave the country," said Soroosh.

Some 1,700 interpreters and other Afghans who helped the Canadian military and non-governmental organizations are sheltering in safe houses in Kabul. But because of lack of funding, some of the safe houses face closure next week.

The ambassador said "another important priority" was "the need to accelerate resettlement programs" for the "many people who have been able to make it to a neighbouring country over the past few weeks." They "still face a severe uncertain future," he said.

"There is need for better co-ordination, increased capacity and there is need for maintaining pressure on the Taliban in terms of allowing safe passage for those still in Afghanistan," he said.

Soroosh suggested Canada could bolster its diplomatic posts in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries to process Afghan applications to come to Canada.

Canada could also send staff to help the United Nations in Pakistan and other nearby states to speed referrals to Canadas humanitarian program, he said.

He warned Afghans who have fled over the border do not have the means to support themselves for long.

The ambassador urged Canada and other western countries to provide urgent food aid to Afghanistan, to fend off a "tragic and alarming" humanitarian tragedy this winter. He warned that, without help, the country faces a "catastrophe." A UN report this week predicted more than half of Afghanistan's population could starve without international aid.

Even though Canada does not recognize the Taliban, the Canadian government could funnel aid through the UN or independent non-governmental organizations, he said.

Soroosh warned the country risked economic collapse, because of a shortage of money, and that many banks were closing. A "brain drain" of engineers, doctors, academics and other professionals fleeing abroad will make it harder for civil society to function.

The ambassador warned that if poverty increases in Afghanistan, support could grow for the Islamic State militant group which is vying with the Taliban for control of parts of the country. He warned that ISIS "is a reality and it's growing in the country."

The ambassador outlined a string of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including stopping girls going to secondary school, the closure of state universities, persecution of artists, and the displacement of minority groups, including the Hazara people. He said Afghans who worked with the previous government were also being forced from their homes.

He said the Taliban should be forced to allow independent human-rights observers into the country, to monitor and catalogue abuses, as a condition of international aid.

"There is need for an international monitoring and investigation organization. It is very important to document human-rights violations," he said. "Taliban have imposed many restrictions especially on women and girls depriving them of their very basic rights, access to education and the right to work."

The ambassador is not in contact with the Taliban and he and his staff are being paid from the embassy's reserves. He says he is staying on to represent the country and its people  not the Taliban regime.

"We do not speak to them at all. We don't have any lines of communication with Kabul," he said. "All our missions are basically representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and we are very much committed to continuing our operations."

The ambassador, who has previously held diplomatic posts in Washington, Tokyo and Vienna, said that even after the money runs out he would "find ways to continue" to represent the Afghan people.

"It's a moral obligation," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.
TORONTO - Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard made a brief video appearance Friday in a Toronto court, where he faces sexual assault charges.

Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is shown during a bail hearing in Winnipeg on Jan. 19, 2021, in this courtroom sketch. A lawyer for Nygard says his client was escorted by police on a flight to Toronto where he is expected to appear in court today to face sexual assault charges. THE CANADIAN PRESS/La Liberte Manitoba, Tadens Mpwene - POOL

TORONTO - Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard made a brief video appearance Friday in a Toronto court, where he faces sexual assault charges.

Nygard appeared remotely from custody in a virtual hearing. His next hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 12.

Nygard's lawyer, Jay Prober, says his client boarded a flight from Winnipeg to Toronto on Thursday afternoon.

On Oct. 1, Toronto police announced they were charging Nygard with six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement dating back to the late 1980s and mid-2000s.

That same day, he agreed to be extradited to the United States to face one charge of sex trafficking.

Nygard was arrested in Winnipeg last year under the Extradition Act.

Authorities in New York accuse him of using his influence in the fashion industry to lure women and girls with the promise of modelling and other financial opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021
FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs had harsh words for the province's largest union Friday as thousands of public sector workers started a legal strike that forced the closure of all schools with little warning.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs speaks with the media after raising flags as part of National Indigenous Peoples Day in Fredericton, N.B., on Monday June 21, 2021. Thousands of public sector workers in New Brunswick went on strike this morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs had harsh words for the province's largest union Friday as thousands of public sector workers started a legal strike that forced the closure of all schools with little warning.

"Parents had to scramble this morning to find alternative child-care arrangements at the last minute," Higgs told a news conference, referring to the walkout by members of the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"CUPE's actions show that their primary concern is to cause disruption. They have not shown an interest in engaging in meaningful negotiations."

Education Minister Dominic Cardy said schools across the province will shift to online learning on Monday.

Those who went on strike Friday include school bus drivers, custodians, mechanics, some health-care workers in rehabilitation and therapy, educational support staff, and workers in transportation, corrections and the community college system. The strike is also affecting ferry services and provincial jails.

In all, 22,000 union members are in a legal strike position, with the main demand being higher wages. Union president Steve Drost said most of the union's members haven't had a proper raise in 15 years and remain among the lowest paid in the country.

"They've fallen so far behind the cost of living," Drost said in an interview Friday. "They are prepared to do whatever is necessary to get a fair wage."

Before contract talks broke off Tuesday night, the union was seeking a 12 per cent raise over four years, with no conditions attached. The government confirmed Thursday it was offering an 8.5 per cent wage increase over a five-year period.

Educational assistant Ashley Scott, right, pickets with other CUPE New Brunswick members along Main Street in Fredericton, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Scott's local, 2745, represents educational assistants, librarians and administrative assistants. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

Higgs said the union's push for higher wages was unrealistic.

"Responding to these demands will put the future of all New Brunswickers at risk," he said, adding that the province had contingency plans in place to ensure the health-care system  and its COVID-19 service  would not be affected by the labour dispute.

"We must recognize what the future looks like, beyond just this year .... Let's make it realistic for those who are paying the bills."

Higgs has said his government is committed to working with CUPE to reach a fair deal, but he made it clear Friday he's prepared to order the strikers back to work if necessary.

"If the union refuses to work with us to reach a reasonable agreement ... we will take the actions necessary," he said. "We are looking at options, including legislation, if that is what is takes to keep New Brunswickers safe and healthy .... I hope this will not be necessary."

Drost said Higgs's threat was unnecessary.

"We have designation levels to ensure the safety, security and protection of the public," the union leader said, referring to the province's essential worker rules. Legislating workers back would be "an abuse of power," he said.

Earlier this week, the union had warned there would be a walkout, but it was unclear when that would happen. The announcement of the strike early Friday came as a rude shock to some.

Huey Lord, 49, said three of his four children were at home with him in Rothesay, N.B., which was disrupting his routine as a remote worker for a telecommunications firm. His wife, a nurse, had to go in to work Friday.

"Working from home, even if you have yourself squirrelled away, it's hard for kids to differentiate between you being the guy working, versus you being the dad getting them waffles at any given point of the day," he said.

"I'm certainly hoping this (walkout) isn't a prolonged situation . We were just getting back to a regular routine and another disruption wasn't something we anticipated."

Teri McMackin, a 31-year-old resident of Petitcodiac, said the walkout meant shifting her five-year-old son out of kindergarten and back into daycare.

"My child isn't getting a normal kindergarten experience and that's the disappointing part," she said. "He's been in school for two months, he's been developing habits and now he's going back to daycare. For him, it's a bit confusing."

Still, McMackin said she supports the union's actions.

"I want my kids to have fun and to be safe (at school), but I also want the people who are cleaning the schools and driving the buses to be paid fair wages."

Higgs has said the government's offer corresponds with agreements reached this fall with three other bargaining units. As well, his government has pledged to increase the pay of casual workers by 20 per cent, improve pension coverage and provide an average of $3,200 in retroactive pay.

The union has pointed out that the government announced its fourth consecutive budget surplus earlier this month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.

 By Michael MacDonald in Halifax with files from Michael Tutton.
Branson police officers, staff, and supporters packed the Board of Alderman chambers at the start of the Oct. 26 meeting, with others rotating in and out of the hallway.
The public is invited to give input regarding the future use and development of Ozark Mountain State Park.
Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it.
Motorists are in for a long summer of soaring petrol prices that are now almost certain to hit $2 a litre before Christmas and remain at historically high levels until Easter.

The high cost of fuel, driven by a spike in international energy problems, is also adding to Australias supply chain crisis, and increased prices paid by trucking companies will soon be reflected in the cost of groceries and other goods.

Kerstin Wahlqvist says she finds the rising petrol prices frustrating, but they will not stop her driving around the state this summer. Credit:Joe Armao

Average unleaded prices in Melbourne continued to ease on Friday to about $1.69 a litre, down from the all-time high of $1.78 they hit on October 19, according to monitoring website Motormouth.

Oil market expert Evan Lucas, head of strategy at InvestSmart, said the slight reprieve was likely to be shortlived.
At the end of every tax year, billionaires tradeable assets would be appraised. The increase in their net worth over 12 months would be taxed at the top capital gains rate of 28.3 per cent. Musk, whose net worth has increased by $US122 billion this year to become the worlds richest person, would face a $US34 billion bill for that period alone. Over the last five years, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, worth $US196 billion, would pay as much as $US44 billion. Between them, Americas top 10 billionaires, a group that also includes Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, would pay $US276 billion. Wyden insisted it would end a system in which Americans relying on monthly pay cheques are taxed at a higher rate than billionaires and would ensure billionaires pay tax every year, just like working Americans. According to Forbes magazine, Americas 400 richest people grew their wealth by 40 per cent, or $US4.5 trillion, last year. Meanwhile a leak of billionaires tax returns published by investigative news outlet ProPublica earlier this year found the likes of Musk and Bezos paid no federal income tax in some of the last 15 years, claiming that the richest paid an effective rate of around 3.4 per cent on their growing fortunes. This was not the result of evasion, however. Almost all of these billionaires wealth is made up of unrealised stakes in their companies. While they have pushed to the top of rich lists, their fortunes remain on paper until those shares have been sold.

Musk, who receives no salary, has rarely sold Tesla shares and said he never plans to, instead using his stake to borrow money with billions worth of shares posted as collateral. According to court records, he told younger brother Kimbal in 2016: You do know that I dont actually have cash, right? I have to borrow. Musk has also put houses worth tens of millions of dollars up for sale this year. Teslas warning its share price could drop dramatically if banks called in their loans has also forced the chief executive to sell shares. The same could be likely if he was taxed on Teslas rising share price. On Wednesday Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said the idea has Bidens backing to make sure the highest-income Americans pay their fair share. High-profile senator Elizabeth Warren has been a vocal supporter of higher taxes on the uber-wealthy. Credit:AP His support represented another lurch to the Left from the 78-year-old, who campaigned as a moderate but has supported a series of radical spending and tax measures. Despite calling for higher taxes on the super rich during the presidential campaign, he also presented himself as a unifier who could reach across the aisle. As it turned out, not even Bidens own party agreed. I dont like the connotation that were targeting different people, said Joe Manchin, a Democrat Senator who has repeatedly thwarted the partys progressive policy efforts. Even less independent politicians expressed scepticism. Senator Mark Warner warned it would favour one asset class over another.

The proposal has now been dropped, with Biden instead unveiling a plan for a tax on incomes above $US10 million a year. However, the debate is unlikely to go away. The principle of the unrealised gain ideas, extended down, would cause havoc in millions of peoples lives. Henry Olden, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Centre. Taxing billionaires has become increasingly popular as share prices soar, but Olden says a market crash would put authorities in a difficult position if billionaires were able to claw back tax payments if their fortunes declined. What president wants to be in charge when Elon Musk gets a $US30 billion check from the IRS? Thats one of the reasons why its dead on arrival. Aswath Damodaran, a professor at New York Universitys Stern School of Business, says the tax would create enormous unintended consequences, such as driving share prices down as billionaires are forced to sell stakes to make payments.

Nothing ever stays isolated to the group of people that are supposedly the target of these attacks, he says. Loading Donald Trump, who could himself face paying the tax, suggested that Americas richest would flee to other nations. Most [billionaires] dont need to be in the US anyway. I know all of those very smartly run countries, and they are all thrilled by what the radical Left maniacs are doing in Congress, he wrote. Musk has further flung ideas, suggesting he could spend his fortune better than the US government could. My plan is to use the money to get humanity to Mars, he said. Telegraph, London
The worlds long-suffering workers have finally gained some measure of leverage over their bosses, and their new power is a glorious thing to behold.

In South Korea this week, tens of thousands of union members staged a one-day strike to demand better benefits and protections for temporary and contract workers. In Britain, where Brexit has contributed to severe shortages of goods and labour, Boris Johnson, the prime minister, has been taking dubious credit for what he calls a new era of higher pay.

The pandemic might have prompted many people to entertain a new possibility  that our society is entirely too obsessed with work. Credit:iStock

And in the United States, a record nearly 4.3 million people quit their jobs in August, according to the Labor Department, and more than 10 million positions were vacant  slightly down from July, when about 11 million jobs needed filling. The shortage of workers has led to a growth in wages that has surpassed many economists expectations, and seems to have discombobulated bosses who are used to employees leaping at their every demand.

There are many potential reasons for workers reluctance to work terrible jobs. People who are flush with unemployment assistance and stimulus money might be holding out for better jobs to come along. Workers who spent the last year and half on the front lines of dangerous jobs in thankless industries  for instance, enforcing mask rules for belligerent customers in shops and restaurants  could be burned out by the experience.
Flights have been booked for Ballina next week, where she will join friend Lindy Lee, who lost her husband, the photographer Rob Scott-Mitchell, to cancer two months ago. I promised Lindy, she says. I just have to do it. The MCA opened in 1991, funded initially from a bequest to the University of Sydney by artist John Power, who wanted Australians to be able to see more international contemporary visual art. By the time Macgregor arrived the university had withdrawn its annual funding leading to a financial crisis. Before she took up the Sydney job, her former boss  then-director of the National Portrait Gallery Sandy Nairne  had warned: Ive worked out there, and its a snake pit. I do think he was referring to the art world, she adds. In Birmingham, Macgregor had had a baptism of fire with the British tabloids. Her NSW political adversaries mistook the red hair, tartan and Doc Marten boots for youthful naivety, not realising Macgregors boots had steel caps. In her signature tartan, a self brand that began as a joke in Birmingham. She still has a pair of Doc Martens Credit:James Brickwood.

Nevertheless, Sydney was a shock to the system: I got yelled out a lot. Id never been yelled out, ever, ever in my entire working life until I came to Sydney, she recalls. Visitor numbers were down to 100,000 a year. Someone in government said, Weve got the harbour why do we need a Museum of Contemporary Art? Former premier Bob Carr gave the former Lord Mayor Frank Sartor the job of saving the museum, and Sartor called an international design competition that never advanced to construction. Macgregor shows me a cartoon she has kept from the time which shows Sartor at a detonator, the MCA a smoking rubble. Carr quips: Yes, Frank  but is it art? She met Sartor for lunch last week, and they enjoyed the joke. The turning point in the fortunes of the MCA came mid-2000 when Macgregor secured Telstra sponsorship to make admission free.

Yoko Ono was headlining the Biennale of Sydney. I didnt sleep for a week worrying that nobody would come, she says. Loading As soon as we opened the doors we were packed. People were curious. I walked through the galleries on the first day and people were talking and discussing the work of John Mawurndjuls barks, Tracey Moffatts photographs and Gerhard Richters paintings. From her first day, Macgregor set out to demystify contemporary art in that easy Scottish brogue of hers. She forged ties with artist communities in western Sydney. MCAs curators showcased Australian work, introducing audiences to Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Shaun Gladwell and Moffatt. Eventually, she and chairman Simon Mordant raised $53 million to build a new eastern wing, with gallery space and commercial venues from which the MCA could raise income and secure its future.

However, her biggest challenge came from a global pandemic. I have to admit when COVID-19 hit, I just thought, I cant do this again. I cant pick it up again. Were going to go down the gurgler. The first month of COVID-19 was as bad as anything, Macgregor says. Before COVID-19 struck, the MCA was welcoming more than a million visitors per year, half of whom were under the age of 35. Downstairs from her snug office the terrific solo show of American artist Doug Aitken is on show, drawing a thin mid-week crowd. JobKeeper rescued the MCA from an operating deficit last year and government assistance and philanthropic support of just over $5 million will cover this years commercial income losses. Next year commercial leases are up for renegotiation. Overall, government funding is on the decline, falling from 30 to 22 per cent of all income, a commitment a little on the loose side Macgregor says. Were actually projecting a deficit next year. The call on philanthropic donors is pressing as interest in contemporary art crosses venues. Sydney Modern opens in one year. All these issues lie in wait for Cotter, a friend, and fellow art historian. Macgregor is confident that MCAs longstanding programs in western Sydney and its social impact through art programs will differentiate the MCA. It has come through the pandemic without calling on its reserves.

MCA chair Lorraine Tarabay nominates the National Centre for Creative Learning, a joint acquisition program with Londons Tate gallery, and the strong representation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in the MCAs growing collection as among Macgregors achievements. Loading A persuasive fundraiser, one of Macgregors final acts was to secure a donation from Keith Kerridge in honour of his late wife Maureen, to fund Lindy Lees outdoor sculpture, Secret World of a Starlight Ember. Macgregor plans to stay in Italy and return to live on NSWs mid-north coast. My big love now is conservation, she says. Im a scuba diver so Ive always been a supporter of marine conservation, and Im really interested in stopping logging, chaining myself to the trees and things. I jokingly say Im going to run a wombat sanctuary. The world according to Liz Ann Macgregor

The tartan: It began in Birmingham as a joke and I did continue for the first few years here but its too warm! I do still wear it sometimes in winter. And, yes, I do still have one pair of boots. Doc Martens are very comfortable. Advice to her successor: Dont worry about the critics  they have no impact on the public! Lowlights: Five years in, at the end of the first five-year funding agreement, someone in NSW Treasury decided that as we were now stable, we didnt need the grant. I had to fight the battle again, this time very much out of the public eye. [And] COVID shutting the museum and having to tell Lindy Lee we had to postpone her exhibition until an unspecified date. Highlight: Seeing the crowds start to build once we went free and opening the new wing with the National Centre for Creative Learning at the heart of it. What maddens her: Inaccuracies about my role in the NSW governments plan to move the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta. The initial idea came out of discussions with Western Sydney cultural workers about how to address the significant imbalance of arts funding, with over 80 per cent of NSW government funding going to institutions in the CBD. I have always spoken out strongly in favour of greater equity for Western Sydney.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size I would have played any part for Jane Campion, says Kirsten Dunst, backing her chair into a small square of shade. We are on a hot terrace on the Venice Lido; Dunst, along with her fellow actor Benedict Cumberbatch and her director, are that days toast of the town for Campions first film in a decade, an atmospheric western called The Power of the Dog. Dunst is trussed in inappropriately autumnal clothes, ready for a string of television interviews. Its fun to come out and do this stuff right now because I havent done this in like, a few years, she says, not entirely convincingly, then gives one of her trademark sideways smiles. Its a little  well, even to hear myself talk this much is like  meh. In The Power of the Dog, Dunst embodies the force of the feminine. The story is set in Montana in 1925, an era when trains and automobiles had already transformed the country. Brothers Phil and George Burbank have taken over the family ranch from their politically well-connected parents, who have retired to town life. The Burbank homestead is isolated but opulent. George Burbank (Jesse Plemons) runs the business side of the ranch. Placid, obliging and always neatly dressed, he is the face of modern agribusiness. Actor Kirsten Dunst and director Jane Campion at a screening in New York this month. Credit:Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Cumberbatchs Phil Burbank, however, holds to a belief in the supposed ways of the Old West that is nothing less than fanatical. Permanently dressed in filthy chaps, expert in making ropes, whittling and riding, he rejoices in his own stench and the company of rough men. Nobody hearing him talk would guess he went to Yale, that he reads Latin, that he has ever done anything more intellectually demanding than castrate a calf. The men who work for him revere him. Loading His feelings for them are more complicated. They might well be surprised if they knew that Phil and George still sleep side-by-side in their childhood bedroom. Phil taunts George for his dull wits  he didnt make it to Yale or any other hall of learning  while George suggests stoically that he might try having a bath. Both are lonely, but they are lonely together.

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So when George suddenly marries Rose Gordon, hitherto the proprietor of the one local restaurant, Phil is predictably moved to bilious fury. She is not welcome on the ranch, neither her nor her effete teenage son Peter (Cody Smit-McPhee) nor the horses they came in on. He will do everything to drive them out or drive them mad, whichever works first. Benedict Cumberbatch, left, and Jesse Plemons play the very different Burbank brothers. Credit:Kirsty Griffin/Netflix The film is based on an almost forgotten 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, who grew up in Montana and put a good deal of his own life into the story. It might seem an unlikely subject for multi- award-winning Campion, whose films have revolved around the emotional vicissitudes and secret, sometimes perverse desires of women, but she brushes that question away. Im a creative person. I dont calculate about gender, Campion says in Venice. I just read this book, and it had a really powerful impact on me. But she did expand Roses role from Savages version of the story, in which she was essentially a pawn in the brothers endgame. Rose, first seen as a confident businesswoman, buckles under Phils savage attention. Rose was hard to play because she was so repressed, says Dunst. She has nothing that is how I feel about myself. I would never talk to Benedict on set; sometimes I wouldnt talk to anyone all day. You know how, when you dont talk for a while, your voice catches in your throat. I wanted that feeling for Rose, like when youre afraid even to speak. Jane Campion expanded the role of Rose Gordon (played by Kirsten Dunst): at that time it was very difficult for her to complain to anyone. Credit:Netflix As a woman, I was really interested in Rose, Campion says. I think at that time it was very difficult for her to complain to anyone. And her lack of confidence would make her think Im a target because there is something wrong with me and give her a sense of shame that would build to a point where she thinks no one would listen to her. There is nowhere to go but to try to see this through. Dunst saw her as a repository for Phils buried pain; every barb that hurts her gives him some relief. I sort of saw her as a picture of all this relatable pain that comes from being gaslit. And that could happen at any time, not just in the back-blocks in 1925. To be honest, Ive been in situations where Ive felt gaslit before, so I dont think its that foreign, she says.

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Youre 20. You have to learn a lot of shit in your 20s. Isnt that part of it, like dating bad people who are bad for you and then figuring that out? I mean, that to me is just life. It is that truthfulness, she says, that makes Campions films compelling. The female characters feel like real women to me, she says. And there is a sensitivity and rawness to all her characters. As an actor, these are the kinds of performances I aspire to give. She and Plemons are also partners  and parents of two small children  in real life. On screen, they have a relaxed rapport that provides substance to their rather hastily sketched romance. I think Jesse always has a very grounding presence in his films, and he is such a kind, good soul. I think that comes through, Dunst says. To be a couple already in love who fall in love on screen was just such a thing of the past. People dont get to do that these days, so to us, it felt very special that we could do this together. Not welcome: Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Roses son Peter. Credit:Netflix Filming took place in New Zealand, with Central Otago looking as if it were a dream Montana once had, to quote one critic. It would be difficult, says Campion, to find anywhere as empty or remote in Montana now. You would look around 360 degrees and see no signs of civilisation. You really felt you were on a little boat in the ocean  except you were in a landscape. Actually, the location happened to have the highest wind value for anywhere in New Zealand, which is anyway a very windy place, so it was devastatingly difficult to shoot there. Sometimes we had trouble standing up. Central Otago is Campions favourite place in her native country, she admits; the first series of Top of the Lake, the long-form series that took up much of her decade away from cinema, was also shot there. Dunst says that where she comes from, people still equate New Zealand with the Lord of the Rings movies Middle Earth. But we were in a really arid, mountainous, Montana-looking New Zealand. We were in a sort of desert. There were a lot of sheep. There was a KFC and a Subway. We stayed in a little town which had a little winery. Sam Neill has his winery not too far away. But then we shot about 45 minutes outside of that town. Filming stopped for four months when New Zealand closed its borders. Dunst returned to Los Angeles and maternity; Cumberbatch stayed in New Zealand and worked on playing the banjo, one of Phil Burbanks many cowpoke skills. He had already been sent to Montana to immerse himself in a life dominated by horses and cattle. On set, he says, Campion introduced him as Phil. Saying youll meet Benedict at the end of the shoot. She gives you every opportunity to go where you need to go. Not that it could have been a nice place to be.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Even in film circles, John Farrow is pretty much unknown in Australia. But almost 60 years after his death, the product of Marrickville in Sydneys inner west remains easily the countrys most prolific filmmaker in Hollywood. He directed almost 50 movies, produced six and wrote more than 25 screenplays  winning an Oscar  before dying from a heart attack in 1963. Dynamic, driven and prone to telling spectacularly tall stories about his life, Farrow is part of a famous Hollywood family. Driven, dynamic and enigmatic: Hollywood director John Farrow who grew up in Marrickville and went to sea at 15. Credit:Ronin Loading When he married actress Maureen OSullivan, who played Jane to Johnny Weissmullers Tarzan, they had seven children including actress Mia Farrow and author Prudence Bruns, who inspired John Lennon to write Dear Prudence. Their grandson is famed investigative journalist Ronan Farrow. Outside movies, Farrow wrote eight books, including a collection of poetry and a history of the Popes. He became a Commander in the Canadian Navy during World War II. He won an OBE and a Papal knighthood. And, despite being a staunch Catholic, he was a Hollywood playboy whose romancing of a series of Hollywood actresses apparently continued through two marriages.

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When Australia won its first Oscar for Ken G. Halls documentary Kokoda Front Line in 1943, Farrow collected it. The fact that someone so accomplished is so little known in this country fascinated filmmakers Claude Gonzalez and Frans Vandenburg when they discovered a shared affection for Farrows critically acclaimed film noir The Big Clock (1948). Director John Farrow (left) with John Wayne and Lana Turner on the set of The Sea Chase. Credit:Ronin Now, after more than a decade of detective work and interviews, they reveal his brilliantly colourful life in the documentary John Farrow  Hollywoods Man In The Shadows that is screening at the Sydney Film Festival. Wed always loved 40s cinema, Gonzalez says. We loved The Big Clock and got into a discussion about how good and vibrant a work it was, then we found that there was really nothing written about Farrow. Vandenburg adds that they were fascinated to discover he was Australian and that he had made so many Hollywood movies. John Farrow, Maureen OSullivan and their children. Credit:Ronin

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As well as directing movies starring Boris Karloff, Lucille Ball, Robert Mitchum, Lana Turner, Bette Davis and John Wayne, Farrow won an Oscar for co-writing the comedy Around The World In 80 Days (1956) after an earlier nomination for directing the war drama Wake Island (1942). His best-known movies also include Five Came Back (1939), Two Years Before The Mast (1946), Night Has A Thousand Eyes (1948), Alias Nick Beal (1949), Where Danger Lives (1950), Hondo (1953), The Sea Chase (1955) and John Paul Jones (1959). Farrow was a stylish director who told engaging stories with a constantly moving camera. Credit:Getty Gonzalez describes him as a stylish director who told engaging stories with a constantly moving camera. Hes always creating a wonderful pace and energy to his filmmaking, he says. You can also see a humanism that is very much part of his style. He always cares about not just the hero but the secondary and the third person in the story ... the unheard voice of a female protagonist or the underdog. The documentary shows that Farrows father worked for a tailor and his mother was a dressmaker until her death aged just 26, when he was three, in what was then called Callan Park Hospital for the Insane. While not diagnosed at that time , it is now thought she had post-natal depression. While Farrow later claimed to have studied at Newington College, near his home, he really went to the more humble Newtown Boys.

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According to a relative living in Engadine in the southern suburbs, 88-year-old Jim Farrow, the family talk was that John was a rascal and a scallywag as a child. While Farrow later claimed to have studied at Newington College, near his home, he really went to the more humble Newtown Boys. He used to walk around with a white coat on and a stethoscope pretending he was a doctor, he says. We knew he used to exaggerate stories and that carried on after he left Australia. While the retired hospital courier never met his first cousin twice removed, his family research was invaluable for the documentary. Can you imagine making, on average, 15 films per decade?: Frans Vandenburg (left) and Claude Gonzalez, who directed the documentary John Farrow - Hollywoods Man In The Shadows. Aged 15, Farrow borrowed money from his aunt and left Sydney as a crew member on the RMS Makura in 1919. The destination was Vancouver via Fiji and Hawaii. He later claimed to have fought in revolutions in Nicaragua and Mexico before arriving in the US in 1923, though the documentary-makers believe that was a colourful fabrication. Just like his claims to be related to Englands kings, to have written an English-French-Tahitian dictionary and to have studied at Winchester College in England and the US Naval Academy.

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He just ran away to sea, had these adventures, began writing and jumped ship in San Francisco, Vandenburg says. Thats how he arrived in America: as an illegal alien. Around a year after landing, Farrow married the daughter of a mining magnate, Felice Lewin, and they had a daughter. There is a tall story behind that marriage as well. A report with the headline Divoce looms for Cinderella Boy about two different sides of John Farrow in The Oakland Tribune in 1927. Credit:Ronin In 1927, The Oakland Tribune carried a story headlined Divorce looms for Cinderella Boy that reported Jack Farrow had been living a lie when he won over Lewin. Working as a Coast Guard seaman swabbing the decks during the day, he had been wearing a monocle and spats, claiming to be a British Lord known as the Honorable John Neville Burg-Apton Villiers Farrow, to mix with appreciative debs and dowagers at night. She wanted a divorce on the grounds of cruelty. Working as a Coast Guard seaman swabbing the decks during the day, he had been wearing a monocle and claiming to be a British Lord at night. Arriving in Los Angeles that same year, Farrow started to gain recognition as a poet and short story writer. He worked as a script consultant and caption writer on silent seafaring movies then graduated to writing dialogue when talkies began.

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So why was Johnson so effusive? Johnson has a lot invested in the success of COP26. Should it succeed Johnson and his government will bask in the reflected glory. It will be evidence that despite Brexit, the United Kingdom remains a key global player rather than a diminished one. Should the talks fail, Johnson as host will bear a large portion of the blame. With that in mind it made perfect sense that Johnson was so effusive in praise of Morrison, whatever the merits of Australias climate contribution.

At their best, international talks like this are settled well before negotiators and heads of state lob in to grip-and-grin for cameras. The Paris Agreement might have been drafted at a COP conference in December 2015, but its success was all but guaranteed a year earlier in secret talks between the United States and China. Then-US president Barack Obama, shaken by the failure of the Copenhagen talks at the start of his term, was determined that Paris would be a success and directed his climate envoy, Todd Stern, to begin discreet talks with China. US President Barack Obama talking to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Copenhagen in 2015. Credit:AFP For nine months, negotiations dragged on before Obama and Xi shocked the world with a joint announcement. The US would set new emissions-reduction targets and China would agree to cap their emissions by 2030.

The announcement broke a diplomatic logjam that had cruelled climate talks for years - the tension between developed nations that had already benefited from carbon economies and developing ones that had not. It also stripped away the excuse of critics of climate action in many nations  including Australia  that there was no point in acting until China did. Loading With the worlds two superpowers, and two greatest greenhouse gas polluters, determined to act, Paris was locked in. But the world has changed and the object of Glasgow is different. At Paris, the world promised it would begin reducing emissions in an effort to keep warming well below 2 degrees and as close to 1.5 degrees as possible. At Glasgow, nations must demonstrate that they are on track to doing so, and that they can keep to the voluntary reductions targets they have already set and increase them as needed.

Today, the cautious trust that Xi and Obama once shared has evaporated in the geopolitical rivalry between the two nations. Xi will not attend the talks and nor will his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. COVID-19 has not only distracted leaders from climate but contributed to an energy crisis that has led to a surge in coal and gas production. Though under President Joe Biden, the US has not only rejoined the Paris Agreement, but become a global leader on the climate effort, Biden is being undermined in his efforts to reduce domestic emissions by the stubborn resistance of two Democrats whose votes are necessary to pass massive spending bills. On Friday morning Australian time, China announced its updated climate targets under the Paris Agreement, to the general disappointment of observers. It contained little more than a previously declared effort to see emissions peak by 2030 and hit net zero by 2060.

Thom Woodroofe, a former climate diplomat and a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, described Chinas announcement as a missed opportunity to seize global climate leadership as the COP talks began. He added that if China was serious about hitting its 2060 net zero goal, it could not wait until the second half of this decade to start phasing out domestic coal use. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had high praise for Australias climate plan. Credit:Bloomberg Helen Mountford, vice president of climate and economics with the World Resources Institute, a US think tank, was also faint in her praise, describing Chinas plan as a modest improvement over previously announced targets. Before these talks begin, there has been no grand bargain. In this environment as Johnson heads to Rome for G20 talks convened by Italy  the co-host nation of COP26  what he needed most was momentum, or something that looks like it.

And this is where the soaring praise for Australias 2050 net zero commitment comes in. But as the Grantham Institutes Richard Black put it so bluntly, not everyone sees Australias goals in such a positive light. Loading Morrisons decision to bring to COP a projection that Australia will beat its previous commitment of reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030 wins little praise in a world where organisers are calling for 50 per cent cuts by that date. And besides, if Australia is so sure of beating its target why not make a formal commitment? But scepticism towards the Australian commitment on climate exists well beyond headline figures.

Australia has rejected joining a global compact to reduce methane emissions that is being championed at COP26 by the European Union and the US. Indeed, it is championing a gas-led recovery. And it backs the coal industry in the face of the growing global alliance to see coal rapidly phased-out. Similarly the road map outlined by Australia this week emphasises the role of as-yet unproven technology to reduce emissions in future instead of policies that would drive them down at once. This suggests to observers like Black that Australias heart is simply not in it. Its very obvious that the Australian government doesnt really want to be announcing a net zero target but that its been forced into doing so by a combination of US pressure, the threat of an EU carbon border tax and the utter horror with which its being regarded by its Pacific neighbours, Black says. The plan just put forward isnt realistic from either a climate change or economic point of view. It doesnt even try to halve emissions this decade, which the science indicates is necessary.

Closer to home, Australias small island neighbours have been polite but clear in their lobbying. I welcome Australias net-zero pledge by 2050 and look forward to seeing my friend @ScottMorrisonMP at @COP26, tweeted Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. There, Fiji will seek plans from high-emitting nations to halve emissions by 2030  the only goal that can keep 1.5 alive and keep low-lying island nations above water. Australia is far from the only country whose rhetoric is not always congruent with policy. A little over a week ago, Saudi Arabia announced a net zero target despite the fact that not long before its energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, had reportedly said at a private event hosted by the Bank of America that his nation would not stop selling oil until none was left to sell. We are still going to be the last man standing, and every molecule of hydrocarbon will come out, he said.

Despite the rapidly heating climate and the threat of catastrophic climate change within most of our lifetimes, it is not yet clear that the Paris Agreement can survive the mounting pressures confronting it, or that COP26 can succeed in harnessing its promise. Loading One person who fears the worst is UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who tweeted this week: The time has passed for diplomatic niceties. If all governments  especially G20 governments  do not stand up and lead efforts against the climate crisis, we are headed for terrible human suffering. As an agreement rather than a treaty, there is no penalty for those nations that do not set and reset increasingly ambitious emission-reduction targets. It is becoming clear that should COP26 succeed and the Paris accord prove resilient, it will need nations like Australia to embrace in spirit as well as in word.
In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, we look at Simon Holmes a Court and the burgeoning independents movement that has sprung up around the issues of climate change and government integrity.

Son of Australias first billionaire, Holmes a Court is leading the fundraising charge to turn disaffection on how the major parties are dealing with these issues into solid campaigns for a suite of independent candidates to run in the next federal election.

Freelance writer Brook Turner explores the topic in his cover story this week  HEAT STRESS: Simon Holmes a Court and the new independents he hopes will clear the air on climate change. Speaking on the podcast on the eve of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, hes joined by former Kevin Rudd media adviser Lachlan Harris, with moderation from Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland. Their wide-ranging discussion covers everything from the difficulty independent candidates face countering the power of the party machine, to why politics is among the last sectors to be disrupted by technology, to whether all this will inevitably lead to a tectonic shift in the Australian political landscape.
There are rights that we have in society along with responsibilities, and they are rights to work, to participate in cultural and social and family life. Any policy that infringes on those rights must come with very strong justification, where all the other strategies have failed, and Im not so confident that WA is at that stage yet. Professor Leask said other strategies in the vaccination toolkit included making them extremely accessible, even going door-to-door to communities, as well as implementing testing requirements that would cause enough inconvenience that people would get the jab anyway. Mandatory documentation of a recent negative test that you have to do every three days, which is what Israel has required to be able to go to cafes and gyms, can also be enough of a nudge and enough of an inconvenience that some people just go, Whatever, Ill just vaccinate, she said.

But Professor Jaya Dantas, a public health expert from Curtin Universitys School of Population Health, noted vaccine mandates existed in certain roles before COVID-19. We have certain vaccinations that we take in the workplace already, especially when working in health areas, when working with children, or when working in labs, she said. We have just now introduced the COVID vaccine to this with the other vaccines that are being taken. WAs mandates are split into three groups, with the first covering those in jobs where there is a risk to vulnerable people or where there is a high potential for transmission. This group is required to be fully vaccinated by December 31. The second and likely more contentious group is people in jobs deemed critical for the function of the community, such as supermarket staff  they must be fully vaccinated by January 31. The third group applies only to people in certain occupations, such as those in the media and Members of Parliament, who want to attend their workplace in the event of a lockdown.

University of South Australia epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman said public health would always take precedence over personal freedoms. The people who say, Look its my personal freedom and choice to get vaccinated or not  they have to understand that both in ethics and in law, public health trumps individual freedom, he said. But Professor Esterman said mandates did not have to occur in a vacuum and governments could introduce other incentives or strategies at the same time. There shouldnt need to be sort of carrots or sticks, he said.

Professor Esterman said where all governments had failed was in their messaging to the public. Theres not a single state or government that has done a really good job of explaining to the general population, in particular the poorer areas, how important vaccines are and how important public health regulations are and why they need to follow them, he said. Deakin University chair in epidemiology Catherine Bennett supported vaccine mandates, but said communicating a clear date with the public would also be an effective tool to increase vaccine rates. The big difference between WA and Queensland and the rest of the states, but particularly those with outbreaks, is there hasnt been that clear messaging about whats going to happen and when youre going to open up, she said. I think it would have been better to set the date for opening up and set that from now, even if it is three months away and then see what that happens.
The Australian Federal Police could use high-resolution satellite imagery to help solve the mystery of who took four-year-old Cleo Smith from a remote campsite in WAs north.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed the federal agency had been called in to provide the 100-strong WA police taskforce with very advanced technology as the search for Cleo enters day 14.

The AFP have some very advanced capabilities, leading edge, not just here in Australia, but all around the world and as much as Id love to reveal exactly what some of those are and how theyre being used, we certainly cant talk about that on air, he told Radio 6PR.

Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker said the AFP could request retrospective access to a range of government and spy satellites with resolutions high enough to determine the make and model of a car, but only if a satellite was in the right spot, at the right time.
A large window pane was dangling from the eighth floor of a Paddington apartment as strong winds hit Sydney on Friday afternoon.

NSW Fire and Rescue was called to the unit block on Sutherland Street just before 4.30pm.

A window was left dangling from a Paddington apartment on Friday afternoon. Credit:Amelia McGuire

Firefighters reached the window by using a ladder truck and were able to pull it back into the apartment complex. No one was home when the window dislodged.

Strong winds appear to have caused the incident although this is yet to be confirmed.
Queenslanders are being urged to help bring COVID-19 roadmap dates forward, with days remaining for those without a first dose to get one if they are to be fully protected in time.

While the first staged reopening date is set for November 19, the current seven-day average pace of second doses delivered statewide could bring the 70 per cent full-vaccination date forward by as much as a week.

Sea World is one of six south-east Queensland theme parks offering jabs across the long weekend as part of the states vaccination push.

The current rate of second doses, likely to taper off but in other states reaching higher levels faster than expected, could also bring the 80 per cent return of quarantine-free domestic travel for fully vaccinated people forward from December 17.

Queensland Health modelling suggested the dates were largely on track, said a source familiar with the matter but not authorised to speak publicly.
When youre dancing in class you get this energy boost from the people around you, she said. I was a bit unsure of how it was going to go but after coming in it felt like coming home, to have people welcoming you back, it felt really good. Victoria powered ahead with reopening despite landing just shy of its 80 per cent target for Friday at 77.8 per cent of over-16s fully vaccinated. That target is likely to be reached on Saturday. Health authorities said they believed Victoria was coming down from peak coronavirus case numbers, with 1656 new cases reported on Friday and 10 deaths, but there were concerns hospitalisations would increase as the state opened up. Premier Daniel Andrews said Victorians getting vaccinated in record numbers had enabled the state to take the hard-earned next step of easing restrictions.

Were getting back to the people and places weve missed and were also on track to be one of the most vaccinated places in the world, he said. Im so proud of Victorians and everything they have achieved. At CreateFit gym in Southbank, about 25 keen cross-fitters got stuck into a workout circuit for the first time in three months. CreateFit gym members launched straight into power snatches with barbells followed by intensive bike sessions on Friday night. Credit:Luis Ascui Cameron Joseph said coming for the first session as gyms reopened was never in doubt for him. Especially given weve not been in here for 12 weeks now, he said.

Greg Sanderson makes a cocktail at Nick and Noras. Credit:Luis Ascui Its so good with the community, like this is the equivalent of us going and having dinner with our friends. Its as if restaurants have opened for us. We want to get together we want to work out and have a good time. The cocktail shakers were finally off the shelf at CBD bar Nick and Noras, where the distinctive hum of a dimly lit indoor bar slowly returned. The largely indoor cocktail and champagne bar had chosen not to open until density limits lifted at 6pm but was running at its allowed capacity of about 100 guests within an hour of opening. Bar staff needed no warm-up: one poured five amber-coloured cocktails to precisely equal height at breakneck speed, another fired up a blowtorch over a marshmallow for garnish.

Hospitality workers Joel Bainbridge and Phoebe Askham were among the first visitors together with friend Sascha Mocerino. Champagne was their first drink of choice on a night Ms Askham said was edging towards pre-pandemic nights out. Credit:Matt Golding This time after lockdown it does feel like everyone is a bit warier, she said. Hopefully were getting there now. In a sign of the times, Greg Sanderson, managing director of bar owner the Speakeasy Group, was back shaking cocktails.

I never got into hospitality because I love spreadsheets. But just like everybody else, we are struggling for staff, Mr Sanderson said. He admitted to some nervousness around opening with COVID-19 widely circulating. Whether its this weekend or along the track, it will almost inevitably happen that someone walks in with COVID, staff will have to isolate and we may have to shut down again, Mr Sanderson said. Excitement is the main feeling though. We know hospitality has done it tough; its been one of the first industries to be shut down each lockdown. But its also the first one that people cant wait to get out and spend some money on.

Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said she was pleased hospitality venues were buzzing again and retail was back open. After the weather weve just had I can tell you hospitality venue owners are so delighted that they can welcome more people indoors, she said. Cr Capp said Melbourne had experienced a cautious reopening last week with the end of lockdown but this was an unbridled reopening. A steady line of traffic makes its way out of the city as Melbourne and regional Victoria were reunited on Friday evening. Credit:Jason South That sense at six oclock of more freedom is something thats actually hard to describe. Its like lifting a weight from our shoulders and a sense that we can be more spontaneous and really enjoy ourselves, she said.

With the state opening up for unrestricted travel for the first time and regional and metropolitan Melbourne reunified, many took the opportunity to hit the road for an unofficial long weekend for the Melbourne Cup. Loading Traffic was bumper to bumper on the Westgate Bridge heading out of Melbourne for the weekend. On the South Gippsland Highway towards Phillip Island many cars towed caravans and others had surfboards strapped to their roofs. The Gippsland region was hit hard by power outages and some holidaymakers were forced to postpone their travel plans.

Those without power also included regional businesses banking on a busy weekend to make up for losses sustained during the pandemic. There were cheers, claps and hugs as Chadstone finally opened its doors after months of closures. Customers looking for birthday gifts, clothes and a browse flooded the stores under the watch of COVID-19 marshals, who made sure those accessing venues adhered to current rules. The longest lines formed outside favourites Kmart, Target, H&M and Culture Kings. Some customers arrived as early as 4pm.

Target store manager Ida Gianfagna said staff had been working from 5am on Thursday until 3am on Friday getting the store ready. She said the governments announcement about the lifting of restrictions had caught her off guard but she had been able to employ and train 35 new workers ahead of the reopening. Weve been locked up for three months doing click and collect so my team is super-excited about customers coming in she said. Ekrem Karakos and Alev Babayigit at the Chadstone cinema for the first time after lockdown restrictions were eased. Credit:Chris Hopkins Cinema fans Ekrem Karakos and Alev Babayigit bought tickets to their first movie since July, Halloween Kills, at Hoyts Chadstone.

Mr Karakos said the best thing about restrictions lifting was finally being able to make plans at the last minute. This is a different environment, plus Ive watched pretty much everything on Netflix, all the good films, he said. Indoor pools are also now allowed to reopen and children can restart their swimming lessons. Swimming teacher Jennifer Wallace with students Body, 4, Zara, 4, Emmy, 4 and Joey, 5 at Noble Park Aquatic Centre. Credit:Paul Jeffers Swimming Victoria chief executive Jason Hellwig, who said 8 million lessons had been missed during the pandemic, welcomed children getting back in the water.

We all know with the Australian lifestyle  whether it is the beach, the river, the dam  if you dont have that skill set, we are all too aware of what can go wrong so quickly, he said. Business groups backed the latest round of restriction easing as signalling the start of Victorias economic recovery. David Jones in Melbournes CBD prepares for reopening on Friday night. Credit:Jason South Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the changes meant Victorians could get somewhat back to normal. Its not going to be an immediate recovery  businesses have a long way to go to get back to pre-pandemic levels  and we urge all Victorians to support local and plan holidays to the regional areas that have struggled over the last 20 months, he said.
Australia is fighting alongside India and China to resist a global bid to phase out coal as leaders of the worlds biggest economies negotiate a draft pledge at the G20 summit in Rome this weekend about the need to stop the existential threat of climate change.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not support a push by G20 members to set a date to end coal mining and coal-fired power stations if other leaders try to use the issue to build momentum for stronger action at a United Nations climate summit that begins in Glasgow on Monday.

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor and Prime Minister Scott Morrison on their way to the G20 in Rome. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The stance puts Australia on side with other big resource economies to prevent a G20 outcome that endorses a call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for advanced economies to stop using coal by 2030 and for other countries to follow by 2040.

French President Emmanuel Macron revived the issue on Thursday night in a phone conversation with Mr Morrison where he rebuked the Prime Minister for cancelling a $90 billion submarine contract and named coal as a key concern in climate policy.
But the write-up of that  we just need to take a little bit of extra time to make sure that its written clearly and able to be presented well to the Australian public, Jo Evans, a deputy secretary in the department, said. Jo Evans, Deputy Secretary, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, at a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Meanwhile, most of the trade-offs the Nationals have received for their reluctant support remain a mystery. Joyce, who became acting prime minister after Morrison departed on Thursday night for the G20 in Rome followed by COP26 in Glasgow, is likely to announce certain measures while hes in the spotlight. But others are to be in the budget update at the end of the year, presented as election commitments, or in next years budget if that occurs before the election.

Some of these unknown measures still have to be brought forward as cabinet submissions and go through the formal bureaucratic hoops, including being costed. That shows how unsatisfactory the process has been  the government had months to deal with net-zero, settling things with the minor Coalition partner and finalising the trade-offs. More importantly from the Nationals standpoint, theyre left exposed as they return to their electorates now parliament has risen for a three-week break. When they meet their constituents, they wont be able to produce the suite of benefits they obtained in return for their policy sign-up. For Morrison, the 2050 policy is an attempted barnacle-removing process, for both the Glasgow conference and the election. The Nationals, in contrast, see it adding to their barnacles.

The rejection of the requested methane cuts is another indication of the general weakness of the Australian plan. For all the struggle to land it, the plan is a bare minimum and will be seen as such in Glasgow. Domestically, given the flaws and inadequacies, the plan is not likely to win votes for the government; rather, it is designed to stem the loss of them to Labor and independents in the leafy southern seats. Weve yet to see Labors alternative but one would think independent candidates will still have plenty of scope to stake out ground on the climate issue. Earlier this week Morrison made some comments that set off speculation he planned a May poll, as opposed to a March-April one. A May election would give the time for another budget, with the opportunities that brought.

Whether the election is in May or March, Morrison is already in campaign mode. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In this weeks Newspoll, the government is on the back foot, trailing 46-54% on the two-party vote. Regardless, both sides regard the battle as open. Despite the election being so near, Labor hasnt broken out of a trot. Albaneses strategy is to leave the attention on the government and, more generally, to keep Labor a small target in policy terms. On the logic of its wider approach Labor could be expected to be cautious in the policy it issues on climate change, although it is still debating its position, expected to be released before Christmas. Albanese has been heavily influenced, negatively, by his predecessor Bill Shortens approach before the 2019 election, when Labor put forward an extensive and radical bag of policies.

The big target approach was seen to have scared off voters. Whether the small target will encourage people to vote Labor is hard to judge. The danger for the opposition is that, in the absence of a leader who is a drawcard, many people might be inclined to stick with the status quo. Loading Without the prospect of much substantive and highly differentiated policy being contested, the seat-by-seat campaigning will be especially significant at this election. Voters think local to a greater extent than they used to. On Thursday the government introduced controversial legislation to require voters to produce ID at the polling booth. Labor and some in the welfare sector warn this will discourage the disadvantaged, including Indigenous people, from voting. The government says there would be plenty of protections  a range of identification could be used, including a Medicare card, and a person without identification would be allowed to cast a vote, with his or her identity checked later. Given the widespread demand for identification for all sorts of things in our community, the requirement for ID when voting is not unreasonable. But it seems a solution in search of a problem because voter fraud hasnt been a feature of federal elections.
Rome: Mario Draghis life, as recently as nine months ago, was far more relaxing than it is now. He spent time at his Umbrian country house. He played golf with his son. His legacy, built as a central banker who had helped to rescue the eurozone from crisis, was already secured.

But with Italy in the depths of the pandemic, and searching for a prime minister, Draghi received an unsolicited invitation from Italys president.

And he couldnt say no, said Giovanni Orsina, director of the school of government at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome.

Italian PM Mario Draghi. Credit:AP

That explains how Draghi, 74 - pulled in from semi-retirement to become Prime Minister - now finds himself again on the world stage, hosting a Group of 20 summit where the issues in play are at least as complicated as anything from his past. The two-day summit, dealing chiefly with climate and the pandemic, will test how meaningfully the worlds industrial powers can ease gaping vaccine inequities and speed up reductions of their greenhouse gas emissions. Especially on climate, where countries commitments are many times below what science suggests is necessary, there is a considerable risk of failure.
The on Friday announced it would acquire a significant minority stake in Cleartrip, an online travel aggregator (OTA) and part of the Flipkart Group.

The amount of investment is not disclosed. As part of the investment, will also serve as the Adani Groups OTA partner. The deal is expected to close in November, subject to customary closing conditions.

Since the acquisition by the Flipkart Group, has seen 10x growth in flight bookings, it said in a statement. The is India's largest private sector airport operator catering to 25 per cent of the passenger traffic. Trends observed by Adani airports indicate that the number of passengers at airports has increased, reaching close to pre-Covid highs, it said.

The investment will further enhance the strategic partnership between the and the Flipkart Group, as both parties work towards serving Indian consumers with a wide gamut of digital offerings.

Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, said: It is such strategic partnerships among home-grown which will eventually create local jobs as well as an Atmanirbhar Bharat. The platform will become an essential part of the broader SuperApp journey we have embarked upon.

By collaborating with the Adani Group, Cleartrip aims to provide consumers with a seamless travel experience and further accelerate its growth.

Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive officer of Flipkart Group, said: As travel picks up over the next few months, Cleartrip will continue to focus on providing easy and flexible travel experiences for its customers.
on Friday reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 230.60 crore for the September 2021 quarter, mainly due to lower revenues.

Its consolidated net profit had stood at Rs 2,228.05 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2020, according to a BSE filing.

The company in a statement said, "Total comprehensive loss after tax was (-) Rs 239 crore for Q2 FY2021-22, as compared to an income of Rs 2,216 crore for Q2 FY 2020-21, due to higher contribution of one-time items to post-tax profit in Q2 of the previous year."



The firm's total income stood at Rs 5,571,76 crore in the quarter, compared with Rs 8,792,28 crore a year ago.

The income for the second quarter of the previous year included higher one-time revenue recognition by Rs 3,233 crore on account of various regulatory orders, it said.

Capacity utilisation at the Tiroda plant improved due to higher grid demand in the leading industrialised state of Maharashtra, it stated.

Similarly, it said Raipur and Raigarh plants were able to achieve higher volumes in the merchant and short-term markets.

However, lower Adani Power's capacity utilisation at Mundra on account of high import coal prices and low grid demand at Udupi due to higher renewable energy penetration resulted in offsetting higher PLF (plant load factor) in other plants.

As a result of this, during the second quarter of 2021-22, APL achieved a consolidated average PLF or capacity utilisation of 48.7 per cent, and sales volume of 12.3 billion units (BU) as compared with a PLF of 49.9 per cent and sales volume of 12.6 BU recorded in the second quarter of FY 2020-21, it stated.

During the six months ended September 30, APL and its subsidiaries achieved an average PLF of 56.7 per cent and sales volume of 28.5 BU (billion units), compared with a PLF of 50.4 per cent and sales volume of 25.3 BU in the year-ago period, it stated.

MD Anil Sardana said, "Adani Power, as India's leading private thermal power producer, stands ready to serve the growing demand for electricity, while ensuring the betterment of communities around it."



He added that with its complementarity with the Adani Group's energy mix portfolio and partnerships in natural gas and solar energy, the company will continue to seize value-accretive opportunities and pursue its long-term growth strategies.

"We stand committed to helping achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by supporting growth in the manufacturing sector through the competitive and reliable power supply," Sardana said.

Ltd (APL), part of the diversified Adani Group, is the largest private thermal power producer in India.

The company has an installed thermal power capacity of 12,410 megawatts (MW) spread across six power plants in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, apart from a 40-MW solar power plant in Gujarat.

With the help of a world-class team of experts in every field of power, Adani Power is on course to achieve its growth potential.

The company is harnessing technology and innovation to transform India into a power-surplus nation and provide quality and affordable electricity for all.

(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 that its net operating grew 30 per cent to Rs 624 crore in the quarter ended September on a year on year basis. Revenue from operations shot up 36 per cent to Rs 7,352 crore in Q2 of FY22 compared to last year, whereas EBITDA grew 28 per cent to Rs 6,053 crore.

However, profit after tax (PAT) declined 15.5 per cent from Rs 232 crore in the September quarter last year to Rs 196 crore in the same quarter this year.

Embassy REITs board declared that it will distribute Rs 537 crores or Rs 5.66 per unit for Q2 FY2022. Of this, Rs 4.52 per unit or 80 per cent of distributions are tax-free for unitholders. The record date for the Q2 FY2022 distribution is November 10, 2021 and the distribution will be paid on or before November 13, 2021.

The leasing enquiries and site visits have increased 65 per cent this quarter compared to last quarter. Bangalore is the number one city in the Indian office market currently and it's expected to drive the leasing rebound in India. We have a leasing pipeline of 500,000 square feet of new leases, deputy CEO Vikaash Khdloya told Business Standard in an interaction.

Embassys portfolio occupancy was at 89 per cent at the end of the September quarter, with 15 per cent rent increases on 1.4 million square feet of office spaces across 22 leases. It said that construction is in full swing on 5.7 million square feet of projects, of which an 1.1 million sq ft campus for JP Morgan is on track for handover by year-end.

The majority of the occupiers whom we serve have not taken up space for the last six quarters. And now there is a ramp up of offices -- physical occupancy has already increased to 10 per cent, and based on our conversations with occupiers post-Diwali they're targeting 20 per cent physical occupancy and gradually move it up till March next year. Most have completed 100 per cent of the first dose and a major major chunk of the second dose of vaccination of their employees.

Prashant Thakur, director and head of research, Anarock, said: The growth in the net operating of Embassy was along the expected lines. With the vaccination drive across India gaining significant momentum post the second wave, there was a visible uptick in commercial activity in the past few months.

Many have already started to resume their offices  at least in a hybrid model. More than anything, the growth clearly reflects the overall market sentiments wherein we are seeing commercial activity pick up pace post the second wave, he added.
The government and the have come together and launched FurtureSkills Prime--an end-to-end re-skilling/up-skilling destination to transform the talent story of the country.

It is an aggregator learning platform offering globally competitive curriculum, aligned with the industry, and approved by the government. The initiative aims to reduce the talent gap in technologies such as AI, IoT, Data Analytics, cloud computing and other emerging technologies.

As part of the journey to transform the digital learning landscape in India, the Incentives are a unique yet affordable program, whereby potential learners can upskill in ten of the most in-demand advanced technologies and earn incentives up to Rs 14,500.

Launching the platform on Friday, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, and Skills and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said the government has committed about Rs 450 crore to the skilling initiative.

"Skilling should not be seen as entry-level only, but as a continuous dynamic ladder of skilling, upskilling & reskilling. The Industry must forecast the new skills required. The private sector must act as the early warning system- as training, financial and employment stakeholder. As we go up the value chain, the competition will be more intense," said Chandrasekhar.

Employees in both IT and non-IT firms, young professionals seeking a career in emerging technologies, central & state government employees, PSU officials and autonomous bodies, fresh hires, interns, and apprentices, all can benefit from this reimbursement program. The government of India will give reimbursement of Rs 8,000 or 50% of the course fee (whichever is lower) for the deep skill courses, Rs 3,000 or 50% of course fee (whichever is lower) for the foundation courses and Rs 3000 or 50 per cent of course fee (whichever is lower) for Bridge Courses.

Chandrasekhar further added: "The skill intensity must match the competition intensity. This is a serious inflection point for us."

Indias demand for Digital Talent jobs is currently 8x larger than the available talent pool and is expected to rise to 20x by 2024. By FY2024, the demand for professionals in emerging technologies is projected to increase by 38% while an increase in employed talent remains at just 29% as per a Nasscom report.

Rekha Menon, Chairperson, Nasscom & Sr. MD, Accenture said, The launch of FutureSkills PRIME is a huge step by the government to derive benefits in the form of a future-ready talent that would facilitate both, the Government & the Industry to innovate at a much faster pace.

RishadPremji, Chairman, WIPRO said that India has become one of the biggest IT destinations for enterprises globally with its pricing competitiveness and quality talent. FutureSkills PRIME is ushering a robust paradigm to develop core competencies in emerging technologies. Willingness of to look at alternative talent pools will enable people to pick up courses that are relevant to industry, thereby bridging the digital talent gap.

CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra, said, The pandemic has compelled us to look not only at digital skills but also at business transformation, which ultimately means that technology is the glue binding the new world together. It is easily available, but we must harness it to its full potential. This is possible through dynamic platforms like the AI-enabled FutureSkills Prime, which is agile in responding to the rapidly changing needs of the market.
The Friday declined Future Group's plea for stay on an arbitration tribunal order refusing to interfere with the Emergency Award (EA) which restrained it from going ahead with the Rs 24,731 crore merger deal with Reliance Retail.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait sought response from US-based e-commerce giant which had challenged the merger before the Singapore arbitration tribunal under SIAC, and listed the appeals by Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) and Ltd (FRL) for further hearing on January 4.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for FRL, urged the court to pass an interim order clarifying that an earlier order passed by the Supreme Court which stayed all proceedings in relation to the enforcement of the EA would remain in force despite the subsequent order passed by the duly constituted arbitration tribunal.

I want the court to clarify which order will prevail. That (Supreme Court order) was a consent order. This order is in place today. After this, the tribunal order was passed. What is the interim order that I'm seeking? That the Supreme Court order will continue to operate... I don't want to be told that the tribunal order is in force, he submitted.

Senior counsel Parag P Tripathi, representing FCPL, also urged the high court to reiterate the order of the Supreme Court.

Kishore Biyani and 15 others including FRL and FCPL have been embroiled in a series of litigations with Amazon, an investor in FCPL, over the deal with Reliance. Following the EA, subsequently, a three-member arbitral tribunal was constituted to decide the issues arising from the deal.

During the hearing, the court observed that in view of the pendency of related appeals before the apex court, it would need a clearance to proceed with the fresh appeals.

How can you expect interim order to be passed by this court? Supreme Court order says proceedings stayed... Let us get clearance from Supreme Court that this is the position now (that) this subsequent order was passed, the judge said.

The court further observed that the order passed by another judge of the high court earlier this year, which had upheld the EA, was yet to be set aside and only enforcement proceedings had been stayed.

In both the appeals, issue notice... Application for ad-interim relief is dismissed, the judge ordered.

Senior advocates Gopal Subramanium and Rajiv Nayar appeared for and said that the Future group was bound by the EA.

In its plea, FRL has challenged the order of the arbitration tribunal on the ground that it is deeply flawed and is liable to set aside on fact and in law as there is no arbitration agreement between FRL and

Senior lawyer for FRL stated that the deal with REL was time-sensitive and not only the company but thousands of employees would suffer if it does not go through.

On September 9, the apex court had stayed for four weeks all proceedings before the high court in relation to the implementation of the EA and also directed statutory authorities like National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) not to pass any final order related to the merger deal in the meantime.

Subsequently, the arbitration tribunal under the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), on October 21, rejected the plea of FRL to lift the interim stay granted by its EA on October 25 last year, observing that "the Award were correctly granted".

Amazon had dragged Future Group to arbitration at Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in October last year, arguing that FRL had violated their contract by entering into the deal with rival Reliance.

The FRL and FCPL had moved the top court against the high court order of August 17 which said that it would implement the earlier order by its single-judge restraining FRL from going ahead with the deal in pursuance of the EA's award.

The high court had said that in the absence of a stay, it would have to enforce the order passed by its single judge, Justice J R Midha, on March 18.

On March 18, besides restraining FRL from going ahead with its deal with Reliance Retail, the court had imposed costs of Rs 20 lakh on the Future Group and others associated with it and ordered attachment of their properties.

On August 6, the Supreme Court gave the verdict in favour of Amazon and held that EA award, restraining the Rs 24,731 crore FRL-Reliance Retail merger deal, is valid and enforceable under Indian arbitration laws.

The apex court had also set aside the two orders of February 8 and March 22 of the division bench of the order which had lifted the single-judge's orders staying the FRL-RRL merger.

A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, since retired, had dealt with the larger question and held that an award of an EA of a foreign country is enforceable under the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act.

(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 Delhi High Court on Friday rejected a plea by Future Retail to stay a decision by a Singapore arbitration panel that has kept the sale of Future's retail assets to Reliance Industries in limbo, said MoneyControl.com. The court will hear the plea on January 4.

The Singapore arbitration panel had also rejected Future Retail's request to be excluded from the arbitration proceedings as it is party to the dispute between and Future Group, the report said.

Subsequently, Future Group had moved the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the interim order as well as permission to proceed with shareholders and creditors meetings for its planned asset sale to Reliance Retail. The court, however, said it is unable to deliver a verdict given the Supreme Courts direction on September 9 to not pass any final verdict in the matter, the report said.

and Future Group are embroiled in legal battles since the latter entered into an agreement with Reliance Retail to sell its retail assets for Rs 24,713 crore in 2020. The deal, however, has faced several roadblocks due to Amazons objection to it, the report said. contests the deal claiming that a prior agreement with Future Group entitled the company to pick up a stake in Future Retail at a later date.

Amazon in 2018 had bought a 49 per cent stake in unlisted Future Coupons Private Limited. Subsequently, Amazon had moved to the Singaporearbitration panel to block the deal. The panel passed a verdict blocking the deal last year, the report said.

In August, the Supreme Court had ruled upholding the validity of Singapore arbitration panel's award in India. In September, Amazon had approached the Delhi High Court seeking implementation of the award. However, the Supreme Court intervened, on Future Groups appeal, and ordered a stay on the proceedings of the ongoing Amazon-Future Retail case before the Delhi High Court, the report said.
MMTC-PAMP, Indias only London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) accredited Good Delivery gold and silver refinery, announced the launch of its e-commerce platform: shop.mmtcpamp.com. MMTC-PAMP is a joint venture between Switzerland-based bullion brand, PAMP SA, and MMTC Ltd, a Government of India Undertaking.

As Indias only LBMA-accredited gold and silver refinery, we have launched our e-commerce website to meet the growing demand for pure gold from across India, said Anika Agarwal, president  consumer business, MMTC-PAMP. A major driver behind this launch is customers rising trust and increased inclination towards virtual shopping. The e-commerce platform will make our unique, 24K 999.9 purest gold and silver products easily accessible to customers throughout India.

Through Jitna Sona, Utna Chandi offer the customer is entitled to a silver coin of the same weight as the gold purchased from MMTC-PAMP  applicable on purchase of gold coins and bars of 5 grams and above weight. The range of gold and silver products are available on the MMTC-PAMP website and retail stores across 12 cities. These include New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. Other cities include Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Thrissur, and Ludhiana, and two special pop-up shops set up in New Delhi and Chandigarh this festive season. The company said it is offering standard gold and silver coins, bars and collectables to customised gifting options for all occasions such as Diwali, birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.

The firm said each gold coin created by MMTC-PAMP undergoes a rigorous purification process to ensure 24K, 999.9-plus purity of the metal. To guarantee the products authenticity, each MMTC-PAMP item carries a unique number and comes packaged in an Assayer-certified card. Every gold and silver product from MMTC-PAMP offers positive weight tolerance, guaranteeing that every coin/bar weighs more than the listed weight, ensuring customers receive the highest value for their purchase.
Oravel Stays, parent of has written to the market regulator refuting all the allegations made by Zostel Hospitality. Zostel had written to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to reject Oyos draft red herring proposal.

In a letter to Zostel that Business Standard has viewed, said: We deny in toto all the allegations levelled by you against us in the Complaint. The Complaint is replete with patently false statements and self-serving half-truths, and is a deplorable attempt to adversely impact the proposed Offer and coerce the Company into granting Zostel's shareholders an entitlement to shareholding in the company that they failed to obtain in the arbitration proceedings between Zostel, its founders and shareholders and the company and the arbitral award dated March 6, 2021, issued by the sole arbitrator, Justice A M Ahmadi (Retd)."

On October 11, Zostel has written to and said "the IPO is non-maintainable as Oravel's capital structure is not final."

In the response to Zostel, further stated, The capital structure of the company is firm and accurately reflectied in the DRHP. As of date there are no shares to be issues to Zostels shareholders as the Award does not direct issuance of the companys shares to the shareholders of Zostel.

The root of the dispute between the two parties lies in a failed buyout deal six years ago, which Zostel claims was binding on Oyo.

Oyo mentions in the letter that both the partiesOyo & Zostelhad mutually agreed to terminate the agreement. terminated by Zostel pursuant to email dated September 17, 2016 and agreed to by the company pursuant to email dated September 19, 2016. Both parties commenced negotiations on new terms, which were never finalised."





Zostel confirmed the receipt of the letter. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Clean beauty marketplace Vanity Wagon has raised Rs 5.5 crore in a Pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round also witnessed participation from Venture Catalysts, Lotus Herbals, the existing investors  Agility Ventures (led by Dhianu Das) and a consortium of HNIs (advised by Instarto).

The funds raised will be used for further strengthening the tech platform, marketing, brand building, team expansion and private label acquisitions. Vanity Wagon also plans to expand in the international market.

Vanity Wagon is clean beauty marketplace focused on non-toxic products and aims to provide a one-stop solution to all beauty needs. The company has completed over 50,000 orders since inception 2.5 years back and is now serving 130,000 visitors on the website monthly, creating a robust base in the Clean Beauty space in India with a high-powered team. It has posted 4.5x growth in GMV and 100 per cent in partner brands since its seed round was raised in kast September.

"India's cosmetics market is likely to reach $28.9 billion by 2026. With this, the clean beauty market will also see double the growth. Growing disposable income will lead to the increasing purchasing power of women who are more conscious now and would prefer only non-toxic products which would not harm their skin," said Dhianu Das, Founder, Agility Ventures.

Mitesh Shah, Co-founder, Inflection Point Ventures said, Modern age definition of beauty has moved far beyond fair skin. New-age brands are constantly challenging this norm and we have seen that many made-in-India beauty brands have proven that new-age women are looking for high efficacy products which are cruelty-free. Vanity Wagons growth has been exponential and the boom in D2C and online commerce in the beauty sector is going to empower the next level of growth for the company.

Vanity Wagon began its journey in 2018 with 10 brands and today it has 151 brands in its portfolio, exhibiting exponential growth. The motto of the company is: Clean Beauty Delivered.

The information-oriented organic beauty marketplace is already associated with leading brands like Juicy Chemistry, Wow Skin Science, mCaffeine, Mama Earth, Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic and Minimalist, and continues to grow its portfolio. It has a wide range of value offerings for customers including a Digital Magazine, products in Clean Beauty, Subscription Model, Online Consultation and Full Stack Loyalty Program.

Vanity Wagon now caters to a global market (Singapore being their first entry point) with the total addressable market globally expected to be $11 billion by 2027. The Indian market is pegged to be $2 billion by 2025 thereby creating the necessity for a large e-retailer in the space. Vanity Wagon is right on its path to become the leader as an aggregator of Clean Beauty by reaping its first mover advantage and also the power packed team.
Around 30 people were detained by police for allegedly gathering to disrupt Friday namaz offered by Muslims in Sector 12 area here.

Amid a heavy police presence in the area, the protesters, mainly from various Hindu outfits, gathered and raised 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans even as the members of the Muslim community were arriving at the spot to offer prayers.

Carrying placards in their hands, they also raised slogans against the administration for allowing the Muslim community to offer namaz at designated open places in the city.

Though the situation remained peaceful, a police official said that around 30 protesters had been taken into preventive detention.

Talking to reporters, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Ankita Choudhary said, On this place people have been offering namaz for the last two years."



"There were some people from other group who were trying to stop them. So we asked them not to create nuisance and (affect) law and order situation. When they didn't listen to the administration and the police even after repeated warnings, they were detained just to maintain order, she said.

They were detained as a precautionary measure, she added.

Asked who were those who had been detained, she said investigation is going on in this regard.

Earlier in the day, police personnel had been deployed in strength following threats from some Hindu groups to disrupt public order if prayers are offered in the open.

Three years ago, the district administration had designated 37 sites in the city for Muslims to offer Friday namaz, after which there were protests by some Hindu groups.

A few months ago, one group started protests against the prayers offered in the open after which there have been protests on Fridays during this 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.)
The on Friday rejected the plea by filed by former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, seeking quashing of summons issued to him by the (ED), asking him to appear before it in connection with a case of alleged money laundering and corruption.

The high court said that Deshmukh had failed to make a case for quashing of such summons.

It further said that the former minister's plea did not merit an order to the ED and the CBI, restraining them from taking any coercive action against him.

The court, however, said that Deshmukh, like any other common litigant had a right to approach the appropriate court seeking relief if he apprehended his arrest in the case.

The court also directed the ED to permit Deshmukh's lawyer to remain present within "visible distance but not audible distance" at the central agency's office during Deshmukh's questioning.

The ED had begun a probe against Deshmukh and others, and summoned him for questioning after the CBI filed an FIR against the NCP leader on April 21 this year on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.

The CBI FIR was registered following a preliminary inquiry into the allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled against Deshmukh by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

(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.)
Senior Congress leader on Friday attacked the Centre over the Pegasus snooping matter citing the Israeli envoy's remarks that his country does not allow firms like NSO to sell products to non-governmental actors, and claimed that in India's case, the "buyer was certainly the government of India".

The Supreme Court on Wednesday set up a three-member independent expert panel to probe the alleged use of Israeli spyware Pegasus for targeted surveillance in India, observing the state cannot get a "free pass" every time the spectre of security is raised and that its mere invocation cannot render the judiciary a "mute spectator" and be the bugbear it shies away from.

"After the SC's wise and bold order in the Pegasus controversy, the first skeleton has tumbled out. Yesterday, Israel's Ambassador publicly stated that Pegasus spyware was sold only to government. So, in India's case, the buyer was certainly the Government of India," Chidambaram tweeted.

Will the Minister for Telecommunications admit that the buyer of Pegasus was the government of India, he asked.

"If he remains silent, the blot on his report card will remain," Chidambaram said.

Israel's newly-appointed Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said on Thursday said Israel does not allow companies like NSO to sell their products to non-governmental actors.

"...Every export of NSO or such companies needs an export licence of the Israeli government. We grant this export licence only for exporting to governments," he had said.

"This is the only main requirement...Under the requirements, they cannot sell it to non-governmental actors. What's happening here in India is an internal thing for India and I would rather not go into your internal matters," Gilon said.

In a significant verdict over the issue of protecting citizens' right to privacy that was welcomed by legal experts, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asserted that in a democratic country governed by the rule of law, indiscriminate spying on individuals cannot be allowed except with sufficient statutory safeguards by following the procedure established by law under the Constitution.

(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 addition of 345 in active cases to take its count to 161,334. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 0.9 per cent (one in 111). The country is thirteenth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Thursday, it added 14,348 cases to take its total caseload to 34,246,157 from 34,231,809  an increase of 0.1%. And, with 805 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 457,191, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 7,433,392 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Thursday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 1,048,200,966. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 33,627,632 or 98.19 per cent of total caseload  with 13,198 new cured cases being reported on Friday.

Now the thirteenth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases and recoveries, India has added 102,921 cases in the past 7 days.

India now accounts for 0.9% of all active cases globally (one in every 111 active cases), and 9.15% of all deaths (one in every 11 deaths).

India has so far administered 1,048,200,966 vaccine doses. That is 3060.78 per cent of its total caseload, and 75.02 per cent of its population.

Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (133959285), Maharashtra (101875176), West Bengal (79518452), Gujarat (73468517), and Madhya Pradesh (72432129).

Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1154626), Gujarat (1150239), Delhi (1141188), Jammu and Kashmir (1111891), and Uttarakhand (1051195).

Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 47 days.

The count of active cases across India on Friday saw a net addition of 345, compared to net reduction of 1,672 on Thursday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Kerala (1570), West Bengal (136), Karnataka (127), Jammu and Kashmir (25), and Chhattisgarh (22).

With 13,198 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 98.19%, 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 14,003  805 deaths and 13,198 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 5.74%.

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 1654.1 days, and for deaths at 393.3 days.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (7738), Maharashtra (1418), Tamil Nadu (1061), West Bengal (990), and Mizoram (592).

India on Thursday conducted 1,284,552 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 605,885,769. The test positivity rate recorded was 1.1%.

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 (13.15 %), Goa (12.18 %), Sikkim (12.09%), and Maharashtra (10.6%).

Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added  are Kerala (10.18%), Mizoram (8.67%), Sikkim (3.41%), Manipur (2.9%), and Meghalaya (2.75%).

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 (1563062), J&K (1179398), Kerala (1053528), Karnataka (748109), and Telangana (697804).

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6607954), Kerala (4946341), Karnataka (2987313), Tamil Nadu (2699554), and Andhra Pradesh (2065235).

Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 1418 new cases to take its tally to 6607954.

Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 7738 cases to take its tally to 4946341.

Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 478 cases to take its tally to 2987313.

Tamil Nadu has added 1061 cases to take its tally to 2699554.

Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 381 to 2065235.

Uttar Pradesh has added 11 cases to take its tally to 1710125.

Delhi has added 42 cases to take its tally to 1439751.
The on Friday agreed to hear plea related to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) on November 18.

The matter was earlier scheduled for November 30.

A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh allowed early hearing of the petitions filed by Samyak Gangwal, who sought to declare the a "State" under the Constitution and to restrain it from using Prime Minister of India or Prime Minister including its abbreviations in its name, and on its website.

The petitioner also sought to prevent the from using the State Emblem of India on its website, Trust Deed other official/unofficial communications and advertisements.

In response to the petition, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) submitted before the court that the comprises of voluntary donations made by individuals and institutions and is not a part of business or function of the central government in any manner. Furthermore, it is not a part of any government scheme or business of the central government and being a public trust, it is also not subject to audit of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

According to the Centre's submissions, PM CARES Fund is not a "public authority" under the ambit of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, further clarifying that no government money is credited in the PM CARES Fund and only unconditional and voluntary contributions are accepted under PM CARES Fund.

"It is reiterated that the Trust's fund is not a fund of the Government of India and the amount does not go in the Consolidated Fund of India," said an affidavit filed by the PMO.

The affidavit added that to ensure transparency, the audited report is put on the official website of the Trust along with the details of utilisation of funds received by the Trust.

The Centre further said that the Trust functions on the principles of transparency and public good in larger public interest like any other charitable trust and, therefore, cannot have any objection in uploading all its resolutions on its website to ensure transparency. Such a prayer is not only unheard of but is legally not maintainable, it said while urging the to dismiss the petition.

In another petition, Gangwal has challenged the decision of the Central Public Information Officer and PMO wherein the RTI application seeking documents related to the PM CARES Fund was denied.

Gangwal has filed its petition through advocates Debopriyo Moulik and Ayush Shrivastava.

--IANS

jw/shb/rs

(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.)
Dr Reddys Laboratories (DRL) is working on several product extensions as well as market expansions for its Covid products portfolio. For example, it is working on bringing in a 1 ml liquid intravenous injectable version of Gileads remdesivir, a drug widely used for Covid patients with moderate to severe symptoms.

Similarly, for its oral antiviral drug favipiravir, which it sells under an agreement with Japanese innovator FujiFilm, it is looking to expand markets beyond India, the company said.

As for MSDs drug Molnupiravir, which is currently undergoing clinical trial in India, the company said it has already shared interim data with the drug regulator.

DRL is also trying to have label expansion for mild patients for the 2-DG or 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose that it developed with the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, a Defence Research and Development Organisation arm.
Soon India may have another option in paediatric Covid-19 vaccines in Sputnik Light as Dr Reddys Laboratories (DRL) is firming up clinical trial protocols to begin testing in children. Whats more, is in discussions with the Indian regulator on using Sputnik as a booster shot to be taken six months after any vaccine regimen. The Hyderabad-based company, which is the Indian partner of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), is working actively on life-cycle management of the Sputnik V vaccine. Deepak Sapra, CEO (API and pharmaceutical services), said that the firm was working on several options for the Russian vaccines. The clinical trials for Sputnik Light in India are on and we expect to submit data to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in November. Moreover, we have finalized the clinical trial protocol for the booster dose trials too. We are currently discussing the same with the DCGI. This apart, a separate trial on children would also be done with Sputnik Light vaccine in India. And lastly, we are also discussing with our partners for exporting the India-made Sputnik to several countries, Sapra elaborated the strategy. As for Sputnik Light (the first dose component of Sputnik V which uses two different vectors Ad26 and Ad5 in the two doses) trials in children, plans to do it in two age groups  2-12 years and 12-18 years. We are now finalising the trial protocol for the same. As for dosage and strength for children, these would be decided soon. Indian sites can make and supply the Sputnik Light for children, Sapra said. As for the booster shot, the company said that they would test it as a booster after someone has completed vaccination with any Covid19 vaccine. Once someone has completed the vaccine regimen of any Covid19 vaccine, he can take a Sputnik shot as a booster after six months. Right now we are doing a trial for a booster after six months, Sapra said. Around 1.1 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine have been given in India so far. However, the demand for the vaccine in the private market is soft, DRL admitted. As such demand for paid vaccines at private centers has significantly come down in the recent months. DRL sells the Sputnik only through the private channel.

It is discussing with the Indian government now to sell the Sputnik Light  single dose vaccine  to the government. When asked if there could be a reduction in prices as Indian sites have begun manufacturing, Sapra said that discussions on pricing were on, but would depend on the Indian government, and DRLs partners in Russia and India. Sputnik V was launched in the private market for Rs 995 a dose.

The company is thus looking for more avenues to ensure sustained demand for Sputnik vaccines.

Export is one such option. We are discussing with our partners for exporting to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, African countries apart from Latin American and Central American countries, Sapra said.

Supplies from the Indian sites, however, will hold the key to exports and selling large volumes within India.

DRL has struggled with supplies from Russia since the beginning.

In September, DRL, the sole distributor of Sputnik V in India under an agreement with RDIF, was sitting on a stock of 2.6 million first dose component of Sputnik V. Such a situation had evolved as the company had received around 3.1 million doses of first dose component and only 450,000 doses of the second dose component from Russia. This had held back a large-scale roll out of the vaccine here.

Sputnik V is a heterogeneous vaccine where the first and second doses are different and use two different vectors Ad26 and Ad5. Thus to roll out the vaccine, DRL needed both the components in hand.

In the first week of September, Panacea Biotec, a manufacturing partner of RDIF, supplied the first shipment of one millon doses of the second dose component of Sputnik V for sale in India.

On Friday Sapra claimed that DRL did not have any significant stock of the dose-1 of Sputnik V. Already three Indian sites are making the component 1 and around two sites are making dose 2 of Sputnik V here, he said without divulging the names of the manufacturing partners.

India is the leading production hub for production of Sputnik vaccine. RDIF had earlier reached agreements with a number of pharmaceutical companies in India (Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, Virchow Biotech and Morepen) for production of the Russian vaccine--more than 850 million doses per year. Serum Institute of India was roped in later for another 300 million annual doses.

Around 250 million doses are planned for India at the moment.

DRL working on enhancing Covid portfolio DRL is working on several product extensions as well as market expansions for its Covid products portfolio. For example, it is working on bringing in a 1 ml liquid intravenous injectable version of Gileads remdesivir, a drug widely used for moderate to severe Covid patients. Similarly, for its oral antiviral drug favipiravir which it sells under an agreement with Japanese innovator FujiFilm, it is looking to expand markets beyond India, the company said. As for MSDs drug Molnupiravir, which is currently undergoing clinical trial in India, the company said it has already shared interim data with the drug regulator. DRL is also trying to have label expansion for mild patients for the 2-DG or 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose that it developed with the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, a Defence Research and Development Organisation arm.

DRL preparing clinical trial protocol for Sputnik Light testing on children Paediatric trial will be on two cohorts  2-12 and 12-18 yrs DRL in talks with DCGI for booster dose trial of Sputnik Booster shot of Sputnik after 6 months of completion of any Covid vaccine regimen DRL looking to export Sputnik to African, Latin American, Asia-Pac countries Three sites in India now making dose-1 of Sputnik, 2 sites making dose-2 of Sputnik DRL is discussions with Indian govt to sell Sputnik Light Pricing discussions on with GoI Prices may come down depending on discussions with GoI, DRLs partners in Russia and India
Finance and health ministers from the world's 20 biggest economies (G20) said on Friday they would take steps to ensure 70 per cent of the world's population is vaccinated against Covid-19 by mid-2022 and created a task force to fight future pandemics. They could not reach agreement on a separate financing facility proposed by the United States and Indonesia, but said the task force would explore options for mobilising funds to boost pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. "To help advance toward the global goals of vaccinating at least 40 percent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70 percent by mid-2022 ... we will take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints, the ministers said in a communique seen by Reuters. The previous goal had eyed vaccinating 70 per cent of the world's population by the autumn of 2022. We establish a Joint Finance-Health Task Force aimed at enhancing dialogue and global cooperation on issues relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, developing coordination arrangements between Finance and Health Ministries, promoting collective action, assessing and addressing health emergencies with cross-border impact and encouraging effective stewardship of resources," the statement said. The ministers said they were setting up the new body because the pandemic had exposed "significant shortcomings" in the worlds ability to coordinate its response. They pledged to support "all collaborative efforts" to provide access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To reach the goals, they said they would work to boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries, while removing constraints on supply and financing, but gave no specific details. They also called for boosting the resilience of supply chains through voluntary technology transfer hubs in various regions, such as the newly established mRNA Hubs in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, and through joint production and processing arrangements. The call for a voluntary mRNA technology transfer means that talks on the idea of a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines and therapies remain stuck at the World Trade Organisation. INDIA AT G20 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Friday met her counterparts in Singapore and Canada and discussed various issues, including economy, health and opportunities for collaboration. Sitharaman met Singapore Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and Canada's Deputy Prime Minister & Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on the sidelines of the G-20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' meeting. "Discussions were held on global preparedness for dealing with future health emergencies and sustaining the campaigns against other diseases," ministry said. PM Narendra Modi on Friday held wide-ranging talks with the top leaders of the European Union here during which the two sides discussed deepening the India-EU friendship, particularly in areas such as trade, commerce, culture and the environment. "Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission. The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at crea-ting a better planet, the PMO tweeted. India will enter the Troika in December this year and will take leadership on the issues and concerns of developing countries and emerging market economies in the forum, said India's G20 Sherpa, Piyush Goyal. Addressing the media, he also added that India is playing a huge role both in plan in India, which has been widely welcomed by all the G20 nations. G20 needs to help increase fund availability to the WHO, besides supporting ongoing multi-stakeholder mechanisms such as GAVI, CEPI, ACT-A with a specific focus on equitable and affordable access, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. There is also a need to synchronise multilateral initiatives amongst the member states in accordance with their local context.

(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.)
Just five African countries, less than 10 per cent of the continent's 54 nations, are projected to hit the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40 per cent of their population, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Seychelles, Mauritius and Morocco have already met the goal that was set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-setting body, Xinhua news agency quoted the WHO's regional office for Africa, based in the Congolese capital Brazzaville, as saying on Thursday.

The office added that Tunisia and Cape Verde will also hit the target.

Limited access to crucial commodities such as syringes may slow the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa, warned the WHO, noting that some countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, have experienced delays in receiving syringes.

"The looming threat of a vaccine commodities crisis hangs over the continent. Early next year Covid-19 vaccines will start pouring into Africa, but a scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress," said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for

The COVAX Facility is working to address this threat by securing deals with syringe manufacturers, and through better planning to avoid deliveries outpacing the supply of syringes, Moeti said.

At the current pace, still faces a 275 million shortfall of Covid-19 vaccines against the year-end target.

has fully vaccinated 77 million people, just 6 per cent of its population, while over 70 per cent of high-income countries have already vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their people.

With nearly 8.5 million Covid-19 cases and more than 217,000 deaths recorded in Africa, 10 countries are still witnessing a resurgence, including Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Cameroon and Egypt with an upward trend or high plateau, according to the WHO.

--IANS

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(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.)
Prime Minister has left New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit to be held in Rome on Friday.

Prime Minister Modi will pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his first day of arrival in Rome. He will also call on Pope Francis in the Vatican during his two-day visit.

The Prime Minister will be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29 to 31 on the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

He will be in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on November 1, 2 for the COP26 meeting at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In Rome, the Prime Minister will join other G20 Leaders during the 16th summit in discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, sustainable development, and climate change.

"This will be the first in-person Summit of the G20 since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 and will allow us to take stock of the current global situation and exchange ideas on how the G20 can be an engine for strengthening economic resilience and building back inclusively and sustainably from the pandemic," the Prime Minister said.

During his visit to Italy, the Prime Minister will also visit the Vatican City to call on Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister will also meet leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them.In Glasgow, the Prime Minister will participate in the high-level segment of COP-26 titled 'World Leaders' Summit' (WLS) on November 1,2 along with 120 heads of states and governments from around the world.

The Prime Minister said India is creating new records in collective effort for climate adaptation and he will share India's excellent track record on climate action at the WLS."In line with our tradition of living in harmony with nature and culture of deep respect for the planet, we are taking ambitious action on expanding clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity. Today, India is creating new records in a collective effort for climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience and forging multilateral alliances," he said.

PM Modi said India is among the top countries in the world in terms of installed renewable energy, wind and solar energy capacity.

"I will also highlight the need to comprehensively address climate change issues including equitable distribution of carbon space, support for mitigation and adaptation and resilience- building measures, mobilization of finance, technology transfer and importance of sustainable lifestyles for green and inclusive growth," he said.

The Prime Minister said COP26 Summit will also provide an opportunity to meet with all the stakeholders including leaders of partner countries, innovators and Inter-Governmental Organization and explore the possibilities for further accelerating India's clean growth.

(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 Ministry of Railways on Friday withdrew its claim over half the convenience fee collected by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), but not before the stock saw wild price swings as investors expressed their displeasure.

The matter pertains to a notice by to the stock exchanges on Thursday, in which it said, The Ministry of Railways has conveyed its decision to share the revenue earned from convenience fee collected by in the ratio of 50:50 with effect from November 1.

The reversal on Friday came after officials engaged with the Rail Ministry and other arms of the government, such as the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), seeking to protect its revenue stream.

Earlier in the day, Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey told Business Standard that the Railway Ministrys decision on convenience fee had been withdrawn. tweeted this information at 11.06 am, and at 2.52 pm, IRCTC informed the exchanges of this decision.

These developments significantly impacted IRCTCs shares. Having closed at Rs 913.75 apiece on Thursday, they opened at Rs 822.15 apiece on the NSE, and plummeted as low as Rs 685.15 by 10 am.

They recovered swiftly to Rs 891.70 by 11.15 am, the highest intra-day price on Friday, and then closed at Rs 845.70 apiece.

According to senior rail ministry officials, the decision to withdraw the demand was taken by Railway Board after the IRCTC management requested it to do so.

IRCTC said it has suffered during the pandemic due to loss of business and sharing revenue will not be viable at this stage, said an official, explaining the rationale behind this policy flip-flop.

There seems to be some lack of coordination between government departments. The gains to the exchequer from this claim on IRCTCs convenience fee are much lesser than the loss of shareholder value that has been inflicted, another official aware of the developments said.

A third official said of the reversal: The step was taken as the move would have created a big uncertainty for investors for PSU stocks. This, at a time when the Centres strong steps had created confidence about PSU stocks in the market. Hence, the decision is being reversed.

Sources said senior IRCTC officials had met Friday morning to discuss the issue and request the government to rethink its position. One of the options on the table was hiking the convenience fee to protect IRCTCs bottom line.

According to IRCTCs annual report, it earned Rs 299.13 crore as convenience fee in financial year 2020-21 (FY21). These gains were muted because of the fall in railway ticket bookings on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fee collection stood at Rs 349.64 crore in FY20.

Income from convenience fee was the largest revenue earner for IRCTC in FY21. This was because income from catering and comprehensive services fell from Rs 512.45 crore in FY20 to Rs 87.31 crore in FY21.

Responding to a query on whether IRCTC is justified in claiming a convenience fee and keeping all of it with itself, Rakesh Tandon, IRCTCs former managing director told Business Standard, IRCTC should continue charging a convenience fee and holding on to it. It has paid for the upgradation of ticketing infrastructure, so it must get income through convenience fee and the government should allow it.




Trader's body on Friday said it estimates Chinese exporters to suffer business losses worth Rs 50,000 crore this season due to its boycott call.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) also expects that consumers may spend about Rs 2 lakh crore during the festival sale period.

"Like previous year, this year too has given a call of 'boycott Chinese goods' and it is certain that is going to suffer a business loss of about Rs 50,000 crore in terms of stoppage of import of chinese goods by Indian traders," stated.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said a recent survey conducted by the body's research arm in 20 'distribution cities' showed that so far no orders for goods, firecrackers or other items have been placed with Chinese exporters by Indian traders or importers.

The 20 cities in the survey include New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ranchi, Guwahati, Patna, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Puducherry, Bhopal and Jammu.

(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 Ministry of Finance on Thursday said that it has released Rs 44,000 crores to States and Union Territories with legislature under the back-to-back loan facility in lieu of the (GST) compensation.

"Total amount released in the current fiscal year as back-to-back loan in-lieu of GST compensation is Rs 1,59,000 crores. It is in addition to normal GST compensation being released every 2 months out of actual cess collection," the ministry said.

In a press release, the ministry said, "Subsequent to the 43rd GST Council Meeting held on 28.05.2021, it was decided that the would borrow Rs 1.59 lakh crore and release it to States and UTs with Legislature on a back-to-back basis to meet the resource gap due to the short release of Compensation on account of the inadequate amount in the Compensation Fund."

"This amount is as per the principles adopted for a similar facility in FY 2020-21, where an amount of Rs 1.10 lakh crore was released to States under a similar arrangement. This amount of Rs 1.59 lakh crore would be over and above the compensation in excess of Rs 1 lakh crore (based on cess collection), that is estimated to be released to States/UTs with Legislature during this financial year," it further read.

The sum total of Rs 2.59 lakh crore is expected to exceed the amount of GST compensation accruing in FY 2021-22, the ministry said.

"For effective response and management of COVID-19 pandemic and a step-up in capital expenditure, all States and UTs have a very important role to play. For assisting the States/UTs in their endeavour, the Ministry of Finance has frontloaded the release of assistance under the back-to-back loan facility during FY 2021-22 of Rs 1,59,000 crore," it added.

As per the ministry, the release of Rs 44,000 crore being made now is funded from borrowings of the Government of India in 5-year securities issued in the current financial year, at a Weighted Average Yield of 5.69 per cent.

No additional market borrowing by is envisaged on account of this release, the ministry said.

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The extension given to Mr. Shaktikanta Das, the governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is good news for the market, as the economy is in the preparation mode for a takeoff. The government has quite rightly made the announcement before the term came to an end so that there is certainty on all sides. From a market perspective, this means that the mindset of the Governor is known and there will be no surprises, which could have been the case in case of a change.

While it is true that institutions are more important than the person, ideology and approach of Governors of central banks are important. Mr. Das has followed a very cogent approach of patiently hearing out the market before taking any decision, which has been a strength. There have hence been some major achievements under his first term, which has helped the economy and market.

The first is the ability to deal with conflict and collaborate with the government, which is very important in public policy. Mr. Das has taken along all the stakeholders- government, markets, banks, employees and public opinion. This is in contrast to Dr. Raghuram Rajan who could be more outspoken, which though a prerogative of an academician, could have been more guarded when part of the policy-making team. At the other end was the taciturn Dr. Urjit Patel, whose silence often opened the doors for interpretation, which in turn created perceptions in the market which may not have been right. Having worked with the government in different capacities, Mr. Das has recreated the image of the as an institution, which is in harmony with the stakeholders while taking tough decisions. Maybe his successful tenure supports the view that the right candidate for Governorship is one who has worked with the government as at the end of the day the central bank and Ministry of Finance are part of the same broader set up.

The second has been the way the central bank has worked tirelessly during the pandemic times. This was critical because for the first time the came up with very innovative tools like long-term repo operation (LTROs), TLTROs, operation twist, V3R, GSAPs etc. to ensure that targeted liquidity was available to the market. As banker to the government, the had to ensure that the large government borrowing programme not only went through at a fair cost but also did not crowd out the system. While the economy was in a trough, and demand was limited for funds, the RBI had to ensure nonetheless that there was enough liquidity.

Third, restructuring of loans of SMEs, one-time restructuring (OTR) for larger companies and moratorium were some key measures taken to ensure that there were no adverse consequences of the lockdown on the quality of assets. The possibility of large defaults was always there, and this was guided well through these measures, and it does look like that the worst is over on this count.

The fact that the Governor has reiterated the central bank position when reading out the credit policy statement is comforting as it is known that the easing of liquidity must end sometime, and rates must move up. But providing guidance on the distance to these changes is important and must be calibrated which is what the Governor has been doing by stating the gradualism approach. This means no rude shocks, which is the way to go.

Madan Sabnavis is chief economist at CARE Ratings and author of: Hits & Misses: The Indian Banking Story. Views shared here are personal

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Friday met her counterparts in and and discussed various issues, including economy, health and opportunities for collaboration.

Sitharaman met Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and Canada's Deputy Prime Minister & Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on the sidelines of the G-20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' meeting.

"Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman had an engaging discussion with @cafreeland Dy. Prime Minister & Finance Minister of on the sidelines of #G20 Finance & Health Ministers Meeting in #Rome. The Ministers discussed various issues, including economic and health cooperation," a Finance Ministry tweet said.

In another tweet, the ministry said: "Finance Minister @nsitharaman met @LawrenceWongST Finance Minister of on the sidelines of #G20 Finance & Health Ministers Meeting in #Rome ahead of #G20RomeSummit. Noting strong #IndiaSingapore relations, the ministers discussed opportunities for further collaboration".

Sitharaman also met GlobalFund Executive Director Peter Sands and appreciated Global Fund's efforts in fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

"Discussions were held on global preparedness for dealing with future health emergencies and sustaining the campaigns against other diseases," the ministry said.

This is the first joint meeting of the G20 Finance and Health Ministers under the Italian G20 Presidency.

The Ministers endorsed the Joint G20 Finance and Health Ministers Communique towards strengthening global health financing governance ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit on October 30-31.

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has unveiled a framework for a $1.75 trillion social spending package following weeks of intensive negotiations with Congressional Democrats.

The so-called Build Back Better Framework includes $555 billion in and climate investments; $400 billion in funding for child care and free preschool; $200 billion in child tax and earned income tax credits; and $150 billion in investments for affordable housing, according to a fact sheet released by the White House on Thursday.

The framework seeks to impose new taxes on the largest corporations and the wealthiest Americans to raise revenue of around $2 trillion over a decade to fully pay for the social spending plan, reports Xinhua news agency citing the fact sheet.

If passed, the framework will impose a 15 per cent minimum tax on corporate profits for firms with earnings over $1 billion reported to shareholders, and a 1 per cent surcharge on corporate stock buybacks, according to the fact sheet.

The framework would also apply a 5 per cent surtax rate on individual incomes above $10 million and an additional 3 per cent surtax on incomes above $25 million.

The framework is far smaller than Biden's original $3.5 trillion proposal, and it has not been written into legislative language yet.

"No one got everything they wanted, including me, but that's what compromise is. That's consensus," Biden said in remarks at the White House on Thursday before departing for a week of summits in Europe.

"Given half a chance, the American people have never ever, ever, ever left the country down, so let's get this done," the President said, urging Congress to pass both the social spending package and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

It's not clear whether the framework would pave the way for the House of Representatives to approve the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed by the Senate earlier this year.

Progressive House Democrats have held up the Senate-passed bill for months, demanding a vote on the larger social spending plan.

--IANS

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(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.)
Afghanistan's government is pressing for the release of billions of dollars of central bank reserves as the drought-stricken nation faces a cash crunch, mass starvation and a new migration crisis.

parked billions of dollars in assets overseas with the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks in Europe, but that money has been frozen since the Islamist ousted the Western-backed government in August.

A spokesman for the finance ministry said the government would respect human rights, including the education of women, as he sought fresh funds on top of humanitarian aid that he said offered only "small relief".

Under rule from 1996-2001, women were largely shut out of paid employment and education and normally had to cover their faces and be accompanied by a male relative when they left home.

"The money belongs to the Afghan nation. Just give us our own money," ministry spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal told Reuters.

"Freezing this money is unethical and is against all laws and values."

One top central bank official called on European countries including Germany to release their share of the reserves to avoid an economic collapse that could trigger mass migration towards Europe.

"The situation is desperate and the amount of cash is dwindling," Shah Mehrabi, a board member of the Afghan Central Bank, told Reuters. "There is enough right now ... to keep going until the end of the year.

"Europe is going to be affected most severely, if does not get access to this money," said Mehrabi.

"You will have a double whammy of not being able to find bread and not being able to afford it. People will be desperate.

They are going to go to Europe," he said.

The call for assistance comes as Afghanistan faces a collapse of its fragile economy. The departure of U.S.-led forces and many donors left the country without grants that financed three quarters of public spending.

The finance ministry said it had a daily tax take of roughly 400 million Afghanis ($4.4 million).

Although Western powers want to avert a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, they have refused to officially recognise the Taliban government.

Haqmal said Afghanistan would allow women an education, although not in the same classrooms as men.

Human rights, he said, would be respected but within the framework of Islamic law, which would not include gay rights.

"LGBT... That's against our Sharia law," he said.

Mehrabi hopes that while the United States has recently said it will not release its lion's share of roughly $9 billion of funds, European countries might.

He said Germany held half a billion dollars of Afghan money and that it and other European countries should release those funds.

Mehrabi said that Afghanistan needed $150 million each month to "prevent imminent crisis", keeping the local currency and prices stable, adding that any transfer could be monitored by an auditor.

"If reserves remain frozen, Afghan importers will not be able to pay for their shipments, banks will start to collapse, food will be become scarce, grocery stores will be empty," Mehrabi said.

He said that about $431 million of central bank reserves were held with German lender Commerzbank, as well as a further roughly $94 million with Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank.

The Bank for Settlements, an umbrella group for global central banks in Switzerland, holds a further approximately $660 million. All three declined to comment.

The Taliban took back power in Afghanistan in August after the United States pulled out its troops, almost 20 years after the Islamists were ousted by U.S.-led forces following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Friday met President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the Ursula von der Leyen here and held an extensive discussion covering trade and investment ties, climate change, COVID-19, global and regional developments.

This was Prime Minister Modi's first official engagement after he arrived here to participate in the G20 Summit where he will join other leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.

Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission. The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet, Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.

After their meeting, Ministry of external Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that they held extensive discussion on a number of key issues.

Deepening ties between India and EU! PM @narendramodi met European Council President Charles Michel @eucopresident & President @vonderleyen. An extensive discussion covering trade & investment ties, climate change, COVID-19, global & regional developments, Bagchi said on Twitter.

After the meeting, President Leyen said it was good to meet Prime Minister Modi.

Good to meet @narendramodi. Our strategic agenda is on the right track. We agreed that our trade negotiators will start to work. Well deepen our cooperation on climate including on innovation & technology Looking forward to cooperating in the Indo-Pacific #EUGlobalGateway, she said on twitter.

The 15th India-EU summit, held in virtual mode in July 2020, was attended by Prime Minister Modi, European Council President Michel and European Commission President Leyen.

In 2020, India was the EU's 10th largest trading partner accounting for 1.8 per cent of EU's total bilateral trade in goods. India-EU bilateral trade in goods in 2020 was valued at Euro 65.30 billion.

India-EU bilateral relations date back to the early 1960s with India being amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962.

The first India-EU Summit took place on 28 June 2000 in Lisbon. The relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership' during the 5th India-EU Summit held in 2004 in The Hague.

The 27-member EU is a political and economic bloc comprising 27 member states located primarily in Europe.

(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 16th G20 Summit, the first in-person gathering of leaders of the biggest economies since the onset of the pandemic early last year, will begin from Saturday in Italy's capital city amid tight security measures and with a packed agenda.

The summit will be preceded by a G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' meeting, which will also be hosted by on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to Italy, holder of the G20 Presidency since December 1, 2020, the Summit's agenda will cover the most pressing global health and economic issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.

These would include the need for the most developed economies to boost their efforts to ensure the fair and equitable global distribution of Covis-19 vaccines, especially to low-income countries.

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched an appeal for some $8 billion to speed up vaccination.

The plan unveiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) aims at immunizing 70 per cent of the planet's population by mid-2022.

The G20 leaders are also expected to discuss climate change, digital transformation and sustainable innovation, along with such issues as the situation in Afghanistan, on which called an extraordinary G20 meeting earlier in October.

Since the is scheduled to take place just before the opening of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland (October 31-November 12), the leaders in are expected to discuss a common strategy in coping with climate change.

The G20 countries have yet to agree on whether they should commit to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by around mid-century and also on the timing of the related decarbonization process.

Security will be tight in and around Rome's La Nuvola Convention Centre in the EUR district, which will host the

Rome's airspace has been closed from Thursday to November 1., although the city's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports will be allowed to operate.

The Italian capital's police ranks will be bolstered by 500 extra officers, and Carabinieri (military police) and special units will be deployed across the city to ensure security.

Set up in 1999, the G20 serves as a main forum for cooperation on financial and economic issues.

It comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US, plus the European Union.

Together, the G20 members represent almost two-thirds of the planet's population and accounted for some 80 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 75 per cent of global trade in 2020.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The will provide USD 144 million in assistance to the people of who have been facing a grave humanitarian crisis under the Taliban, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced here.

The assistance will be provided directly to independent and non-governmental humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Health Organization (WHO), following extensive vetting and monitoring, Blinken said on Thursday.

"This funding provides support directly to some of the more than 18 million vulnerable Afghans in need in the region, including Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries," he said.

With this, the total American humanitarian aid in and for Afghan refugees in the region increases to nearly USD474 million in 2021, the largest amount of assistance from any nation, Blinken said.

"It will enable our partners to provide lifesaving protection, food security support, essential healthcare, winterisation assistance, logistics, and emergency food aid in response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by healthcare shortages, COVID-19, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter," the secretary of state said.

"To be clear, this humanitarian assistance will benefit the people of and not the Taliban, whom we will continue to hold accountable for the commitments they have made," he asserted.

Observing that Afghanistan's neighbours have long hosted one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world, Blinken thanked the host countries and urged them to keep their borders open to Afghans seeking protection.

"With this new humanitarian funding, we will continue to support our partners in the region with lifesaving assistance and protection services to Afghan refugees, while we continue to support Afghans in need inside Afghanistan," Blinken 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.)
Shares of hit a 21-month high of Rs 214.50 after they rallied 10 per cent on the BSE in Friday's intra-day trade on the back of heavy volumes. The stock of the state-owned bank was trading at its highest level since January 2020.

At 11:45 am, was trading 9.6 per cent higher at Rs 214.20, as compared to a 0.11 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. In the past one month, it has surged 28 per cent, as against a 0.89 per cent gain in the benchmark index. A combined 35.81 million equity shares had changed hands on the counter on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report.

For July-September quarter (Q2FY22), had posted a 200 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 1,333 crore on robust growth in non-interest income including revenue from trading and recoveries. It posted a net profit of Rs 444 crore in the year-ago quarter.

The lender's non-interest income was up 37.54 per cent YoY to Rs 4,268 crore in Q2FY22 from Rs 3,103 crore a year ago. Its asset quality profile was broadly stable though. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 8.42 per cent this September from 8.23 per cent a year ago. Net NPAs reduced to 3.21 per cent in September 2021 from 3.42 per cent a year ago. Its provision coverage ratio improved to 82.44 per cent at end of Q2FY22 from 81.48 per cent at end of Q2FY21.

In its presentation, the management of Canara Bank had said that it is working to reduce GNPAs to 7.9 per cent and net NPAs to 2.8 per cent by March 2022. It has also guided for improvement in PCR to 83.95 per cent by end of FY22.

"Higher-than-expected slippages of Rs 6,900 crore or 4.5 per cent of loans came in as an irritant, but they included the lumpy SREI Group (Rs 3,200 crore) for which the bank has made a 50 per cent provision. However, higher recoveries/upgrades led to a marginal reduction in GNPA to 8.4 per cent. The restructured pool was down to Rs 18,100 crore or 2.9 per cent of loans, with no further pipeline," analysts at Emkay Global Financial Services said in result update.

It added: Merger/asset-quality related concerns are largely behind us, and the bank should report a gradual improvement in its RoA/RoE to 0.4-0.6 per cent/9-13 per cent over FY22-24E from 0.3 per cent/6 per cent in FY21.

Meanwhile, on October 6, 2021, Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) affirmed the 'Ba1' long-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings of four state-owned banks including Canara Bank, as well as their 'b1' BCAs. Their rating outlook has been changed to stable from negative.

"The affirmation of ratings and BCAs, and change in outlook to stable from negative, reflect the fact that despite the significant economic challenges since the onset of the pandemic, their asset quality has only deteriorated modestly while capital has improved," Moody's said.

Ace investor Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala held 29.10 million equity shares or 1.6 per cent stake in Canara Bank as on September 30, 2021, according to the shareholding pattern data filed by the Bank.
While the government has managed to do damage control, the convenience fee controversy could weigh on investor sentiment towards the PSU packmost of whom already trade at a significant discount to their private sector peers.

On Thursday post-market hours, in an exchange filing said that it has been asked to share half its convenience fee with the railway ministry. Investors panned the decision, and the stock tanked 29 per cent intraday on Friday and led to market cap erosion of over Rs 20,000 crore.

However, the government rolled back its decision, and the stock recouped most of its losses.

Despite the government's swift action, analysts said that the whole controversy could weigh on investors' minds while making future investment decisions vis-a-vis PSUs.

"It throws up many questions. We have seen in the past that PSU stocks are vulnerable to the whims of some bureaucrat sitting in Delhi who may or may not be aware of these decisions on the equity However, the swiftness with which the government acted after the stock corrected sharply is also a first,' said Alok Churiwala, MD, Churiwala Securities.

Moreover, market participants felt that the government is not subjecting itself to the corporate governance standards and minority shareholder norms that the private sector is expected to follow.

"The revenue-sharing fiasco will weigh on the stock and the PSU base because we don't know what other decisions can come like this. The damage to the sentiment has been done. Many retail investors would have lost big money,' said Ambarresh Baliga, an independent analyst.

Experts say regulatory and policy uncertainty remain the biggest risk factors when it comes to investing in PSU stocks. Also, continuous dilution by the government to meet its disinvestment targets causes oversupply in the market, depressing the stock prices.

Analysts said that the controversy is the latest example highlighting minimal safeguards for minority shareholders. Some other instances where investors have got caught on the wrong foot include cross shareholding (making one PSU to buy government stake in other PSUs), draining of cash or asking PSUs to borrow to increase dividend payout and selling shares at a huge discount to the market rate in the offer for sale (OFS).

Analysts said that the government's decisions have led to the loss of market value of PSUs and said some consultation process has to be evolved when it comes to policy decisions regarding listed PSUs.

"Look at a stock like Coal India. The reason for the stock to crack so much is that we do not know when the next OFS. The oil marketing companies are supposed to fix diesel and petrol prices, but what happens to that independence during elections? Barring a few, most of the PSU pack has been languishing. They started moving up because people started doing relative valuation comfort. These decisions can affect that sentiment," said Baliga.

On October 19, IRCTCs market cap had even briefly crossed Rs one trillion.

The convenience fee controversy is a good example of how stock value can erode overnight.

"A sureshot money-spinner can turn into a nightmare," said Churiwala.
US crude prices settled higher on Friday, turning positive after an early decline, supported by expectations that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and their allies, known as OPEC+, would maintain production cuts.

However, Brent and US crude oil benchmarks both declined on the week after reaching multi-year highs on Monday.

Brent crude rose 6 cents to settle at $84.38, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 76 cents, or 0.9%, to $83.57.

"While more Iranian supply may come online, it looks like OPEC+ is unlikely to raise production which is giving strength to the market today," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Prices have been pressured since Wednesday by a report that U.S. crude stocks rose by 4.3 million barrels in the latest week. Iran has said talks on reviving the international deal on its nuclear programme will restart by the end of November, bringing it a step closer to boosting oil exports.

Crude has surged in 2021 as economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but prices are on track to fall this week, with Brent facing its first weekly decline in about two months.

U.S. energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for a 15th month in row in October as soared to fresh seven-year highs, spurred by rising to its highest since count April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.

Exxon and Chevron are looking to add drilling rigs in the Permian shale basin after sharply cutting crews and output in the region last year, the companies said Friday. Chevron said it will add two drilling rigs and two completion crews this quarter.

On Thursday, Algeria said a crude output increase by OPEC+ in December should not exceed 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) because of market uncertainties and risks. The alliance, which is gradually unwinding last year's record output cuts, meets on Nov. 4.

British and European gas prices continued to fall on Friday after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia could start pumping gas into European storage.
Political conflicts, wars, high unemployment

Whether it is Luxembourg, Switzerland or Norway, the focus is often on the wealth of European countries. But there are always two sides to the coin. Because people in Europe are also struggling to survive. A brief overview of the poorest countries in Europe, measured as gross domestic product per capita converted into euros.

The first is Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the poorest country in Europe. The unemployment rate alone is 40 per cent. It is the third-highest level in the world after Djibouti and Congo. This puts Bosnia and Herzegovina far below the level of its poor neighbours. GDP per capita is 7.46 euros.

Albania follows. Over the last two decades, poverty in Albania has decreased significantly. However, about one-seventh of Albanians are still considered poor. More than five per cent of the population is malnourished, and about eleven per cent of children under the age of five suffer from growth retardation. Infrastructure is the biggest problem in the country. Therefore, Albania is very unattractive to foreign investors. GDP per capita is 8.50 euros.

The "bronze" medal is for RN Macedonia. It is the third poorest country in Europe. The Balkans continue to be considered the most volatile region in Europe. More than two-thirds of the population of the former Yugoslav republic live in rural areas. GDP per capita is 9.20 euros.

Serbia is fourth. In the last 30 years, the people of Serbia have experienced a huge political conflict: the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the wars that accompanied it, and the isolation from the community of states. Poverty continues to be a pressing social problem in Serbia. According to the World Bank, about 25 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line. High levels of corruption and poor infrastructure are a serious burden on the country. More than 1.3 million people are struggling to survive. GDP per capita is 9.92 euros.

Montenegro is in fifth place. Compared to other European countries, Montenegro is extremely small and can easily be ignored, but poverty is staggering. Unemployment is twice the EU average. Most of the income comes from the services sector. GDP per capita is 10.13 euros.

The sixth place is for Bulgaria. It is one of the poorest countries in Europe. 65 per cent of the population is currently unable or barely able to cover their living expenses. This is due to the high level of indebtedness of state-owned companies in the energy sector and hospitals, poor infrastructure and the threat of population decline. GDP per capita is 12.77 euros.

Seventh is Belarus, which is also still hit hard by the economic crisis. In recent years, the situation has improved very little. More than a quarter of Belarus' population still lives below the poverty line. This mainly affects children - they are the biggest victims of this problem. Roma children and those living in remote rural areas are most affected by poverty. GDP per capita is 13.42 euros.

After the wars in Yugoslavia, Croatia struggled with the gap between rich and poor, as poverty was particularly prevalent in former military zones. The has been recovering somewhat for only a few years. Tourism and the processing industry have contributed to the development. GDP per capita is 15.73 euros.

In ninth place is Russia, where the gap between rich and poor is large: some cannot get enough, others are fighting for their lives. Poverty does not correspond to the great power that Russia should be under Putin. But it still exists, especially in the villages. GDP per capita is 15.81 euros.

In 10th place is Romania, which suffers from extreme poverty. Almost half of the population lives in poor conditions. Many homes are full of orphans, abandoned children and children with disabilities whose parents are unable to care for them. GDP per capita is 16 euros.

(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.)
Indices sharply pared opening losses and traded near the flat line in morning trade. The Nifty traded above the 17,850 level. Metal, realty and PSU bank stocks advanced while private sector banks declined.

At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 66.21 points or 0.11% to 59,918.49. The Nifty 50 index fell 26.60 points or 0.15% to 17,830.45.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.09% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.26%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On the BSE, 1289 shares rose and 1609 shares fell. A total of 150 shares were unchanged.

Reappointment of RBI Governor:

The Government on Friday reappointed Shaktikanta Das as the Governor of Reserve Bank of India for three years beyond 10 December 2021. In an official statement, the government said, "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the reappointment of Shaktikanta Das as RBI Governor for a period of three years beyond December 10, 2021 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He had assumed charge as the governor of RBI effective 12 December 2018.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index added 1.13% to 5,607.35, snapping its two-day losing streak. The index lost nearly 5% in two days.

NMDC (up 5.94%), Tata Steel (up 1.55%), JSW Steel (up 1.08%), Vedanta (up 0.93%) and Jindal Steel & Power (up 0.9%) and Coal India (up 0.72%) were top gainers in metal space.

Stocks in Spotlight:

IRCTC slumped 18% after the Railway Ministry asked the company to share the revenue earned from convenience fee collected by the company in the ratio of 50:50 with effect from November 1, 2021.

So far, the entire convenience fee went to IRCTC, as the ticketing system is run by it, while the rail fare went into the account of Indian Railways. The convenience fee is not part of the rail fare. It is for the service offered by IRCTC of booking a ticket on the web. Revenue from operation jumped 85.3% year-on-year to Rs 243.36 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. Out of the Rs 243.36 crore, the company's revenue from internet ticketing business was Rs 149.97 crore in Q1 FY22, accounting for almost 62% of total revenue.

Meanwhile, the media reported that the company's board will discuss convenience fee issue today. The company will reportedly ask the government to reconsider the decision.

Motilal Oswal Financial Services rose 4.05% to Rs 925 after the company's consolidated net profit rose 80.97% to Rs 536.51 crore on 63.72% increase in total income to Rs 1328.76 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. Profit before tax surged 119.32% to Rs 659.05 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. Operating profit (excluding gains on investments) for the quarter was highest ever at Rs 270 crore, rising 118% YoY. The company said that most of its businesses delivered strong and sustainable performance in Q2 FY22. The company's capital market business PAT grew 52% YoY and asset & wealth surged 226% led by 44% increase in AMC, 88% increase in wealth management and 12x growth in private equity business driven by strong profit on exit of investment.

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Among key corporate earnings, BPCL, Adani Power, Dr Reddy's Labs, Shree Cement, UPL, Vedanta, Adani Transmission, Apollo Tyres, Bandhan Bank, Bharat Electronics, Cadila Healthcare, GAIL (India), Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals, Oberoi Realty, among others will release their September 2021 quarter earnings today, 29 October 2021.

NTPC reported consolidated net profit of Rs 3690.95 crore in Q2FY22 against Rs 3494.61 crore in Q2FY21. Total income rose to Rs 33095.67 crore from Rs 28677.64 crore YoY.

Wipro in partnership with Oracle, launched Wipro Tollway Transportation and Billing solution to enhance commuters' experience while improving profitability for tollway authorities.

bp, a global integrated energy company, and Infosys, announced that they have agreed to develop and pilot an energy as a service (EaaS) solution, which will aim to help businesses improve the energy efficiency of infrastructure, and help meet their decarbonization goals.

Tata Power Company's consolidated net profit surged 36% to Rs 506 crore in Q2 FY22 from Rs 370.93 crore posted in Q2 FY21. Consolidated revenue rose 13% year on year to Rs 9,502 crore due to expanded operation in Odisha DISCOMs and higher project execution by Tata Power Solar Systems (TPSSL) and strong business performance of all other businesses.

IRCTC said that Railway Ministry has asked the company to share the revenue earned from convenience fee collected by the company in the ratio of 50:50 with effect from November 1, 2021.

DLF reported 36% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 231 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. Consolidated revenue rose to Rs 1123 crore in Q2 FY22 from Rs 1040 crore in Q2 FY21.

InterGlobe Aviation posted net loss of Rs 1,435.7 crore in Q2FY22 against loss of Rs 1,194.8 crore in Q2FY21. Revenue jumped to Rs 5608.50 crore from Rs 2741 crore YoY.

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The 591st meeting of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India was held today under the Chairmanship of Shaktikanta Das, Governor at Mumbai. The Board in its meeting reviewed the current domestic and global economic situation and challenges.

The Board deliberated on possible measures for addressing the emerging challenges. The Board also discussed the working of sub-committees of the Central Board and activities of a few Central Office Departments including the nationwide survey among bank customers regarding banks' grievance redress system and the functioning of the Ombudsman schemes.

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Tata Motors rose 1.12% to Rs 486.35 after the company today announced the signing of an MOU with BluSmart Mobility for expanding their all-electric fleet multi-fold across Delhi NCR,

As a part of this MOU, Tata Motors will deliver 3,500 XPRES T EVs to BluSmart Mobility. The XPRES -T EV was launched by the Tata Group company in September 2021.

This contract marks a key milestone in the electric fleet market. as more customers now prefer to travel in environment-friendly vehicles, the auto maker said.

BluSmart Mobility offers all-electric ride-hailing service across Delhi NCR. The challenger brand in mobility has completed more than 700,000 rides till date covering over 22 million clean KMs on electric vehicles. It has the largest fleet of electric cabs and the largest network of EV fast charging stations across Delhi NCR.

Ramesh Dorairajan, head - electric vehicles (commercial), Tata Motors, With the XPRES- T EV, Tata Motors has developed an electric sedan exclusively for the fleet customers. We are delighted to partner with BluSmart Mobility and we are thankful to them for their continued efforts in growing the electric fleet in Delhi-NCR.

We recently crossed a key milestone of 10,000 EVs on road, which is a strong testament to how our innovative electric vehicles are resonating well with customers. This order will further strengthen our roadmap of making EVs mainstream.

Tata Motors is a global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses.

The auto major's consolidated net loss contracted to Rs 4,450.92 crore in Q1 FY22 as compared to a net loss of Rs 8,437.99 crore in Q1 FY21. Total revenue from operations soared 107.63% YoY to Rs 66,406.45 crore in Q1 FY22.

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Varun Beverages reported 59.7% increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 257.90 crore in Q3 CY2021 from Rs 161.47 crore in Q3 CY2020.

Revenue from operations grew by 33% YoY to Rs 2,398.16 crore during Q3 CY2021, primarily on account of robust volume growth over last year and higher realization on a consolidated basis.

Realization per case improved by 3.6% to Rs 156.4 per case in Q3 CY2021 driven by higher realizations in international territories.

Total sales volumes were up 28.4% YoY at 153.3 million cases in Q3 CY2021 as compared to 119.5 million cases in Q3 CY2020.

Gross margins declined by 278 bps YoY during Q3 CY2021 primarily because of increase in pet prices in India.

EBITDA increased by 29.9% to Rs. 494.66 crore in Q3 CY2021 from Rs 380.79 crore in Q3 CY2020. EBITDA margin was at 20.6% in Q3 CY2021, despite lower gross margins as higher volumes assisted the company achieve better operating leverage.

Finance cost in Q3 CY 2021 declined by 26.4% to Rs. 42.69 crore from Rs. 57.96 crore in Q3 CY2020. The company continues to reduce its debt and lower its average cost of borrowing, Varun Beverages said.

Ravi Jaipuria, chairman, Varun Beverages, said, The results were supported by strong volume growth of 28% driven by uptick in demand across markets. Even on a 2-year CAGR basis, our organic volumes were higher by 11%.

On the profitability front, we were able to maintain a healthy EBITDA margin of 21% during the quarter backed by higher operating leverage despite an increase in raw material prices. While the industry practice is that any input cost increase is passed on, we have also worked on our cost efficiencies. We are continuously monitoring the input prices to sustain our margin that will enable us to further strengthen our position in the beverage industry.

Following easing of lockdown restrictions and improving macro trends, we witnessed enhanced traction in the domestic demand environment which exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Out-of-home consumption registered an uptick driven by increase in travel and resumption in offices.

On the whole, we remain optimistic on the demand environment, given improving macros, onset of festive season and a growing sense of normalcy across domestic and international markets.

The board of Varun Beverages today approved a proposal for setting up a new plant of the company for manufacturing of plastic preforms and plastic closures at Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir. It also approved a proposal for setting up a new plant of the Company for manufacturing of juice, carbonated soft drinks and packaged drinking water at Baruni, Begusarai, Bihar.

Varun Beverages is a key player in beverage industry and one of the largest franchisee of PepsiCo in the world (outside USA). The company produces and distributes a wide range of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), as well as a large selection of non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including packaged drinking water sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo. VBL has been granted franchises for various PepsiCo products across 27 States and 7 Union Territories in India along with franchise for territories of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The scrip shed 0.41% to currently trade at Rs 819.15 on the BSE.

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The Supreme Court of India this week appointed an independent committee of experts under the oversight of retired Justice R V Raveendran to investigate the Pegasus spyware case. Besides determining the facts in the case, the committee has been asked to recommend grievance redress mechanisms and indicate interim options to offer greater protection to the fundamental right of privacy, and the associated right of freedom of speech. In the context, ournotes that the committee has the chance to start the process of setting things right. Read here

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Dish TV will seek time till December 31 for conducting its annual general meeting amid the pendency of a petition filed by its largest shareholder Yes Bank before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The company's board of directors on Friday decided to make a requisite application before the Registrar of Companies, Mumbai, for extension of timeline for holding the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

"The Board of Directors of the company vide circular resolution dated October 29, 2021, have approved making requisite application with RoC, Mumbai, as per the applicable provisions of the Act, for seeking further extension of time i.e from November 30, 2021 to December 31, 2021, for convening the AGM for the Financial Year 2020-21...," Dish TV said in a regulatory filing.

The decision has been taken "in view of the issues arising out of the pendency of an application filed by Yes Bank Ltd (a shareholder) before the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench and in order to ensure compliance of all applicable laws and guidelines in this matter," it added.

On September 28, Dish TV said the RoC has granted the company an extension of two months to call for the AGM from the due date by which it ought to have been held.

Dish TV, which is facing a notice from its Yes Bank to remove its Managing Director Jawahar Goel and four other directors from the board, has postponed the AGM, which was scheduled to be held on September 27.

Yes Bank, which holds around 25.63 per cent stake in DishTV, has already sent notice to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the DTH service provider after it had proposed to postpone the AGM.

On October 13, the Dish TV's board rejected Yes Bank's requisition notice to reconstitute the board on technical grounds as it requires certain prior approvals.

Yes Bank has filed the petition before the Mumbai bench of the NCLT seeking its direction to call an EGM to vote on the proposals to remove Jawahar Goel and four other directors.

According to reports, NCLT, on Wednesday, permitted Dish TV time till November 15 to file its reply over Yes Bank's petition.

(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 seventh frigate of P1135.6 class for the was launched at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad on Thursday in the presence of Indian Ambassador to D Bala Venkatesh Varma, the Defence Ministry said



During the launching ceremony, the ship was formally named as "Tushil", which means protector shield in Sanskrit, the ministry's statement noted.

The Indian and Russian governments had in October 2016 signed an agreement to construct four additional P1135.6 class ships -- two each in and India.

These ships feature "stealth technology" in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures, the ministry stated.

"These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as surface to surface missiles, sonar system, surface surveillance radar, communication suite and anti-submarine warfare system along with Russian surface to air missiles and gun mounts," the ministry mentioned.

Senior officials of the Russian government and the were present at Thursday's launching event, it said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived here in Italy to participate in the G20 Summit.

In Rome, Prime Minister Modi will hold discussions on global economic and health recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome, he said on Twitter.

In his departure statement, Modi said he will be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31 at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, following which he will travel to Glasgow, the UK, from November 1-2 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

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has informed the telecom department that it will not opt for the four-year spectrum payment moratorium being offered by the government to telcos as part of a relief package, sources said.

The move comes even as its rivals and have said they will avail the four-year moratorium on payment of dues.

Sources told PTI that Jio has conveyed to the Department of Telecom (DoT) that it will not opt for the moratorium.

An email sent to on the matter did not elicit a response.

had last week paid about Rs 10,700 crore to the telecom department towards outstanding amount for spectrum acquired in the 2016 auction.

With that, Jio -- India's largest telecom operator -- made full payment with regard to spectrum bought in 2016. Its outstandings now pertain to the 2014, 2015 and 2021 auctions.

Industry watchers pointed out that Jio not taking up the moratorium needs to be viewed in the backdrop of the fact that the company has already cleared its remaining dues for spectrum bought in 2016, and its outstanding for 2014 and 2015 is not very high.

The government recently approved a blockbuster relief package for the telecom sector that included a four-year break for companies from paying statutory dues, permission to share scarce airwaves, change in the definition of revenue on which levies are paid and 100 per cent foreign investment through the automatic route.

The measures, aimed at providing relief to companies such as that have to pay thousands of crores in unprovisioned past statutory dues, also include the scrapping of Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for airwaves acquired in future spectrum auctions.

The government has offered telcos the option to defer payment of the spectrum auction instalments due up to four years, with immediate effect, excluding the installments due for spectrum auction in 2021.

This option is applicable from FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26.

These deferred amounts will be spread equally over the remaining instalments to be paid, without any increase in the existing time period specified for making the payments.

Interest as stipulated in the relevant year of auction of spectrum will, however, be charged so that the net present value (NPV) of the payable amount is protected.

Also, the government has given an option to the telcos to pay the interest amount arising due to the said deferment of payment, by way of equity.

The government will also have an option to convert the due amount pertaining to the deferred payment into equity at the end of the moratorium/deferment period.

After the package was announced, wrote to telcos including Bharti Airtel, and Reliance Jio asking them to convey by October 29 (Friday) if they would be opting for the four-year moratorium.

It also gave 90 days' time to the operators to indicate if they want to opt for converting the interest amount pertaining to the moratorium period into equity.

Both and Vodafone Idea (VIL) have said they will opt for the moratorium, a move that market analysts say will free up cash flow to the tune of thousands of crores for these telcos.

On Friday, VIL in a regulatory filing said its board has approved the exercise of the option of deferment of AGR related dues by a period of four years with immediate effect.

(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.)
United Spirits Ltd

United Spirits Ltd is India's second largest spirits company in the world by volume and is a subsidiary of Diageo plc- a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding portfolio of brands across spirits beer and wine categories. The Company produces and sells around 90mn cases of Scotch whisky IMFL whisky brandy rum vodka gin and wine.The Company is engaged in the business of manufacture pu...> More
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI/BusinessWire India): After an unprecedented year, the banking and financial industry in India is rising stronger than ever.

To meet the demands of this industry, Jaro Education today announced the launch of a new PG Certificate Programme in Banking & Finance in association with IIM Trichy.

This interdisciplinary 1-year programme is designed to build a high-quality academic rigour using specially prepared courseware from IIM Trichy's eminent faculty. Through this programme, Jaro Education strives to impart quality education that enables industry-ready skills to equip tomorrows' leaders in the BFSI sector.

A recent report states that "India's retail loans to GDP ratio is less than 15 percent as against close to 80 percent for the US and the UK." Earlier in FY16-FY20, deposits grew at a CAGR of 13.93% and reached US$ 1.93 trillion by FY20. Rebounding from the pandemic's impact, the nation witnesses a transformation in Banking & Financial Services.

To support transformation in the banking industry in this digital age and equip the professionals with requisite skill-sets, the PG Certificate Programme in Banking & Finance offered by IIM Trichy and powered by Jaro Education includes rigorous pedagogy consisting of case studies, group projects, live and interactive class lectures, and development of term papers, and simulations. The course helps to acquire key knowledge on the functioning of banks and NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies), get an understanding of broad regulations governing the institutions, gain hands-on experience on real-world case studies, gather insights on new age products and innovations by banking institutions, and develop the ability to make strategy formulation and implementation.

Furthermore, to make the programme curriculum more robust, it also includes contents right from the fundamentals and advanced functioning of the banking and financial sector to the application of the strategies in the post-pandemic digital world.

This holistic Banking & Finance Course, is curated for professionals to achieve success at all levels in the banking and finance profession, boost their career growth and encourage them to contribute to an organisation's success by taking up larger roles. The course is open to working professionals who want to excel their career in the BFSI sector.

Sharing her views on the launch of the new programme, Ranjita Raman, Chief Executive Officer, Jaro Education said, "In the turbulent times, our nation's top priority is to boost its economic development based on inclusive growth using BFSI industry's bold reforms. The economic activity is expected to drive credit growth, forecasts to be 10%-13% annually. India's digital lending stood at US$75 billion in FY18 and is estimated to reach US$1 trillion by FY23, which is almost a five-fold increase in digital infrastructure. To fulfill the unmet demand, Jaro Education with our long-term partner IIM Trichy will offer a world-class PG programme for professionals in the BFSI sector. I am confident that this techno-functional PG programme will help the banking and financial professionals to build key skill sets, which will enable them to further advance their careers and contribute to Nation's economic growth."

Prof. Prashant Gupta, Chairperson-EEC, IIM Tiruchirappalli said, "We are excited to be associated with Jaro Education to offer our PG Certificate programme in Banking & Finance, which provides banking and financial professionals the opportunity to enhance their skill sets and grow in their careers. With the growing demand for qualified professionals, the Banking & Finance sector fuels expansion in volume and is predicted to set a new benchmark ahead."

Those interested in the programs can enrol here:(https://bit.ly/3jHOQQe)

The EdTech sector is observing an increased demand for technology-focused programs. To address this demand and need to create a future-ready workforce in the techno-functional area equipped with new-age skill sets, Jaro Education is planning to launch more than 30 diverse programs by FY-22 from top-ranked institutions.

To support the company's growth plan and cater to the rising demand in the EdTech industry, Jaro Education also strives to expand its workforce from 800 employees to 2,000 employees by FY22.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): Best Agrolife Ltd. delivered positive results with a 1HY22 revenue of Rs. 668.95 crore for the period ending September 30 2021, registering a jump of 4.43% over PY of Rs. 640.60 crore with an EBITDA of INR 71.29 crore; Profit after tax was Rs. 50.73 crore.

The company's PBT for the first six months is INR 67.92 crore that grew drastically five times compared to previous year's INR 12.57 crore.

In their Board of Directors meeting held on 26th October 2021, the company announced their financial results for the quarter and half-yearly results as of 30th September 2021. Best Agrolife Ltd. in its second quarter generated revenue of Rs. 324.39 Cr. with growth of 16.81% - an EBITDA of Rs. 35.23 Cr. and PAT of Rs. 24.95 Cr.

The merged turnover of two subsidiaries - Best Crop Science Pvt. Ltd. and Seedlings India Pvt. Ltd. - will reflect from the third quarter onward. The company said that it expects a growth of 30-35% in revenue and PBT to change from 7% to 11%. "We are also planning to increase our investment by investing the amount for purchasing the agrochemical factory located in Sabha, Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir)," said the company.

As proposed in the September meeting, the company has acquired Best Crop Science Pvt. Ltd. wholly-owned subsidiary in September 2021. The company was selling more formulated products in the past but is now concentrating on patent products. The patent product will increase the top line and improve the EBITDA of the company significantly.

"The continuous efforts to understand the needs of our biggest stakeholders and the farmers are showing us the path to create innovative products. With leading products in the upcoming quarters, we are creating a strong pipeline for the business," said Mr. Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Director, Best Agrolife Ltd. He further added, "We expect to create significant value for all our stakeholders and next quarter onwards, the results of our subsidiary Best Crop Science Pvt. Ltd. will reflect on our book value."

Best Crop Science Pvt. Ltd. got Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee's nod for indigenous manufacturing of Trifloxystrobin Technical u/s 9(3). Also, the company got a patent for the three-way insecticidal combination to control sucking pest complex in various crops in just one spray alone; the company has applied for a product trademark - RONFEN, and the product will be out in the market with the onset of the next Kharif season.

Statement by the company stated, "From having a major share in generics, there is a shift since the last three years to our own proprietary novel formulations development, which bring one shot solution to control a complex of pests and diseases. These innovations will not only generate high revenue along with substantial change in EBITDA margin but also create value for the entire farming community towards sustainable agriculture."

The statement further said, "Domestic market in India is still led by insecticide share in comparison to major share of herbicide in global bifurcation. Emerging labor constraints and high resistance in weeds in different crops is going to bring this parity between the world and India. We already have been working on providing some selective herbicides which will be able to control broadleaf and narrow leaf weeds together along. With our research orientation and robust R & D team, we are bringing these proprietary formulations developing from the molecules which have just come out of patent will keep us ahead of the company in the coming five years."

Best Agrolife Ltd. (BSEL539600) ranks among one of the top 15 agrochemical companies in India. It is one of the leading manufacturers and innovators in the country for Agrochemicals, Technicals, Intermediates, Formulations, PGRs, and Public Health Products.

In their 7th Board of Directors meeting held on 26th October 2021, the company announced their financial results for the quarter and half-yearly results as of 30th September 2021.

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Canberra [Australia]/ Wellington [New Zealand], October 29 (ANI/PNN): Cyble, an AI-powered, Blackbird, Xoogler, and Y Combinator-backed, cyber threat intelligence company that empowers organisations with surface web, deepweb, darkweb monitoring and mitigation services, today announced a strategic partnership with Capella Consulting to spearhead Cyble's expansion into New Zealand.

This news follows the establishment of Cyble's offices in Melbourne and Sydney, along with the appointment of Tim Youm as Cyble's Regional Sales Director - Australia & New Zealand.

This strategic partnership has been forged to address the growing concerns associated with organisations in the ANZ region being increasingly targeted by sophisticated and organised cyber attacks and also due to strong demand for Cyble's products and services and deeply engaged in the cybersecurity partner ecosystem, Cyble is proud to announce that its new partnership with Capella Consulting is directed at growing and enhancing the delivery of cybersecurity services to organisations in New Zealand.

Tim says, "Until now, most clients in the ANZ region have been raising concerns about the lack of visibility of threats targeting their organisation. This is further aggravated by the multitude of false-positive alerts while waiting for timely and relevant threat intelligence. This partnership will combine Cyble's expertise as a global provider of threat monitoring and mitigation solutions with the expertise of Capella Consulting. The presence of Cyble's dedicated ANZ region team of security researchers focused on the region will provide a significant advantage to this collaboration."

Founded in 2001, Capella Consulting is a known leader in New Zealand, providing clients with comprehensive IT and Cybersecurity consulting services." Cyble is a global threat intelligence SaaS provider with the dedicated ANZ region researcher team, which enhances our Cybersecurity practice such as tech safe.nz to help our clients uncover their cyber risks in the surface web, deep web, and dark web to mitigate against sophisticated and organised cyberattacks," said Eamonn Kelly, MD at Capella Consulting.

"Capella Consulting is an ideal partner for Cyble. This new collaboration will enable Cyble to deliver valuable threat intelligence and provide innovative dark web and cybercrime monitoring and mitigation solutions to customers in New Zealand. This is in line with Cyble's vision for enabling a stronger and safer digital economy in the New Zealand market. The collaboration strengthens our shared objectives of the development, education, and growth of our community of cybersecurity partnerships," says Mandar Patil, VP- International Market and Customer Success at Cyble.

Beenu Arora, co-founder and CEO of Cyble, says, "Capella Consulting has established longstanding client relationships in New Zealand based on the excellence of their services. This is an exciting strategic partnership for Cyble, directed at bolstering our efforts to better serve and solve the cyber risk challenges faced by clients in the region. We look forward to working with Capella Consulting to deliver the most timely and actionable cyber intelligence to the New Zealand client community."

(https://cyble.com) Cyble is a global threat intelligence SaaS provider that helps enterprises protect themselves from cybercrimes and exposure in the surface web, deepweb, and darkweb. Its prime focus is to provide organisations with real-time visibility to their digital risk footprint. Backed by Blackbird Ventures, Xoogler and Y Combinator as part of the 2021 winter cohort, Cyble has also been recognised by Forbes as one of the top 20 Best Cybersecurity Start-ups, along with several other industry recognitions. Headquartered in Georgia, United States and with offices in Australia, Singapore, and India, Cyble has a global presence. To learn more about Cyble, visit (https://cyble.com).

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): A pilot plan that will see the phased return of fully vaccinated international students to NSW has been given the green light by the Commonwealth Government, with the first flight touching down by the end of this year.

Accommodation provider Scape has been confirmed to house the returning students for a 14-day quarantine in Redfern, at a building retrofitted to accommodate up to 650 students to COVID Safe standards approved by NSW Health and NSW Police.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade John Barilaro said the staggered return of students was stage one of a pilot that would slowly expand and evolve, as vaccination rates continue to rise in NSW and internationally.

"The international education sector sustains thousands of jobs across NSW, and I'm proud that NSW is leading the way with the return of international students to our shores," Barilaro said.

"The safety of the people of NSW is paramount and we are taking no risks. All participating students will be required to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-recognised COVID-19 vaccine, and strict quarantine protocols will be in place.

"Importantly, this plan will not come at the expense of any Australian citizen or resident wishing to return home."

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the program was vital to the State's economic recovery, creating jobs and restoring growth.

"International education plays an important role in connecting NSW to the world," Perrottet said. "As we implement a range of efforts to reboot our economy, rebuilding the sector - which was worth $14.6 billion to NSW in 2019 - is a key part of our efforts."

Education partners including Australian Catholic University, Macquarie University, The University of Newcastle, The University of Sydney, UNSW, UTS, University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University, plus independent providers the International College of Management Sydney, Kaplan, Navitas, RedHill and Study Group, have signed up to the industry-funded pilot plan.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said NSW was the top destination in Australia for international students.

"More than 57,000 students are currently overseas, with many desperate to return, resume their studies, part-time jobs, connect with friends and continue their journey in our world-leading institutions," Ayres said.

The first phase of the pilot plan is anticipated to bring back 500 international students to NSW on chartered flights, paid for by the students, by the end of the year.

Scape CEO Anouk Darling said the company was proud to be involved in the pilot.

"Our Scape team are proud to partner with the NSW Government and our world class education sector, here in NSW, to welcome our returning international students into our most advanced and COVID-safe student accommodation facility at Scape Redfern," Ms. Darling said.

The announcement was welcomed by the higher education sector with Professor Barney Glover AO, Governor of the NSW Vice-Chancellors' Committee thanking the NSW Government.

"After over 18 months of planning, we are delighted that both the Australian and NSW Government are supportive of a pilot plan for an incremental reopening of our borders to our international students," Glover said.

Council of International Students Australia President, Belle Lim, welcomed the detailed planning and collaborative approach.

"We all want international students back on campus, enjoying the unique learning, work and life experience that only studying in Australia can deliver. We support the cautious approach and look forward to growing the number of students returning to NSW over time," Ms. Lim said.

CEO of Independent Higher Education Australia Simon Finn said the private higher education sector welcomes the pilot's launch and commends the NSW Government's unwavering focus on community safety, international student welfare and rebuilding the state economy.

"By working with the Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) on this pilot from the beginning, the NSW Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting both the private and public education sector," Finn said.

Participating education providers will contact students to progress an expression of interest for the pilot plan.

Vision of international students can be found (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E39LjQpDPZyC5HhtmX3gxTbIEYrT-zYg/view) here.

For more information, please contact:

Munmun Gentle - 9820623811

(munmun.gentle@rkswamymedia.in).

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Nashik (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI/SRV Media): (https://www.siom.in) Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management (SIOM), one of India's leading institutions in operations management has begun accepting online registrations for MBA (Operations Management) and MBA (Agri-Operations Management) via Symbiosis National Aptitude Test 2021 (SNAP 2021).

Through the entrance exam, aspiring students will be able to explore the world of rapidly growing Operations Management through the MBA programs offered by SIOM, Nashik. The programs offered, along with the talented and experienced faculty provide students with an educational experience that is enriching and aimed at developing globally competent professionals.

Currently, SIOM offers two programs, namely -- MBA (Operations Management) and MBA (Agri-Operations Management). The courses offer students the opportunity and insights to build a career in the most happening sector of the new age era. The MBA (Operations Management) course is designed exclusively for Engineers to meet the needs of operations expertise and competencies required by diverse sectors of the economy such as Manufacturing, Service, IT, FMCG, E-commerce, and Consulting.

The SIOM Operations Management empowers each student with sharp engineering and scientific capabilities along with smart business management disciplines. The students are provided with in-depth knowledge of operations systems and dressed to tackle planning, development, and implementation tribulations that their organization might confront in the dynamic global business networks across Manufacturing, Service, IT, FMCG, E-Commerce, and Consulting. The curriculum deals with topics such as supply chain management, project management, technology management, modeling dynamic systems, and quality management.

SIOM imparts value-based educational skills that chisel engineers into outstanding business techno - professionals atop the current competitive markets. SIOM is India's only institute dedicated to Operations Management, constituted with a vision of empowering and leading operations excellence. The curriculum deals with topics such as Quality Management, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Transportation and Logistics, Technology Management, Modelling Dynamic Systems, and Quality Management to meet the techno-managerial competency needs of the Manufacturing and Services sector in their various operations.

Additionally, students can also gain relevant practical skills through initiatives such as SAP ERP training, Six Sigma Certification, APICS certification, CII Logistics Workshop, and SCS training, all of which are aimed at delivering globally competent managers.

The SIOM MBA (Agri-Operations Management) is open to all graduates and designed to meet the needs of operations expertise and competencies required by agriculture and allied sectors through its B2B education style along with building capabilities in SCM, Logistics Production, Consulting, Ecommerce, IT domains to occupy roles in Agri business. The program focuses on developing a strong foundation for entrepreneurial and managerial pursuits in Agribusiness and allied sectors. Along with project-based learning in each semester, the program deals in Agro commodity markets, Processing and Value Chain in Agriculture, Agri Supply Chain Management, Advances in Agriculture, Agro procurement Management, Warehouse Management, and Quality Management for Agro Products. Through its comprehensive curriculum, SIOM Agri-Operations Management aims to empower students to contribute and engineer the Agri revolution.

Aspirants keen to apply for the management programs at SIOM Nashik can apply through SNAP 2021. (https://snap2021.ishinfosys.com/sn20y21/apply/Index.aspx?utm_source=SRVPR & utm_medium=ANIPR & utm_campaign=SICSRAdmissionsLP) SNAP 2021 will be conducted in a safe and secure environment during the ongoing pandemic, keeping in mind the well-being of aspirants. Aspirants appearing for SNAP 2021 will be allowed to take two attempts out of the three tests conducted this year, to help them in improving their scores. SNAP 2021 is a Computer Based Test (CBT) that will be conducted across 94 test cities nationwide on three different dates - 19 December 2021 (Sunday), 8 January 2022 (Saturday), and 16 January 2022 (Sunday). The test will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on 19 December and from 10 to 11 a.m. on 8 & 16 January.

SNAP 2021 will feature a 60-mark Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) format consisting of three sections with a total of 60 questions to be solved in 60 minutes. Each correct answer will be awarded 1 mark and each wrong answer will attract 25% negative marks.

Section 1 will comprise 15 questions from General English and include Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, and Verbal Ability. The next section will feature 25 questions from Analytical & Logical Reasoning; and Section 3 will comprise 20 questions spanning across Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency.

Shortlisted aspirants would be required to participate in the further admission process (GE-PIWAT) of that particular program - including Group Exercise (GE), Personal Interaction (PI) & Writing Ability Test (WAT).

For further information visit- (https://bit.ly/3pCJtp3) and to apply for MBA (Operations Management) or MBA (Agri-Operations Management) via SNAP 2021 visit - (https://bit.ly/3vIVWsy)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): (https://tarbull.com) Tarbull, a homegrown premium lifestyle electronics brand launches their first speaker for children called 'SuperBuddy' - a smart audio play system that engages kids for hours without screens. SuperBuddy comes preloaded with over 750+ curated stories, rhymes, lullabies, and songs for kids aged 2-10 years old.

The dominance of screens in the lives of children has been a pressing challenge for parents and the pandemic has worsened it exponentially. Parents are constantly worried about their kids spending too much time on screens, and it's hard to set limits. SuperBuddy helps to engage, entertain and support the development of preschoolers, and early graders using an "audio-only" medium that's designed to be child-friendly and easy to use. It does not have screens, cameras, or microphones recording your child's day-to-day activities, so you can trust that your kids are safe and have a fun way to listen to their favorite stories and music.

SuperBuddy is a magical speaker that acts as a storyteller, entertainer, and the perfect companion for every child. It is designed to inspire learning, dancing, singing, and creativity, thanks to its vast repository of high-quality content. It comes preloaded with Classic Fairy Tales, Adventure Stories, Jataka Tales, Mythological Stories, Stories of Great Kings, Queens, and Freedom Fighters of India, Nani Ki Kahaniya, Popular Rhymes, Lullabies, Songs, and a plethora of fun educational content delivered in an engaging format to stimulate curiosity.

SuperBuddy has a special voice-recording feature that lets the child or parent record a story, song, or message with the simple push of a button. It also moonlights as a night lamp with its soft glowing ears emitting 7 soothing colors that are perfect for bedtime. It is Bluetooth-enabled, lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge, and is built to be child-safe, and durable. Kids can operate it independently without adult supervision and there is an option of uploading additional content directly onto its memory card. With Super Buddy, the possibilities are endless!

Commenting on the launch, the Founder of Tarbull, Dinkar Pathak said, "We are thrilled to launch the SuperBuddy. This is a project close to my heart because as a father of 2 kids we have experienced the struggles with screens, the internet, and introducing age-appropriate content on a first-hand basis. Our curated content helps kids unlock a beautiful world of music and stories while keeping them engaged throughout the day without the side effects of screen addiction. It takes your little ones on a path where they can explore their imagination and weave their own magic. With SuperBuddy, you can gift your child a best friend and a teacher without worrying about issues of privacy, inappropriate content, or unhealthy engagement. Bring one home and kickstart the journey of less screen time and more Storytime."

To know more about the brand and the products, head on to

(https://tarbull.com/products/super-buddy)

(https://www.instagram.com/iamtarbull)

(https://www.facebook.com/iamtarbull)

Tarbull is a premium lifestyle electronics brand founded with a passion to create innovative and best-in-class products for the new-age consumer who deserves more. It aims to create beautiful and intelligent products through a magical synthesis of design and performance. Its range of products spans Neckbands, Wireless Earbuds, Soundbars, Speakers, Kids Edutainment, and Vacuum Tube Amplifiers.

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Bangalore(Karnataka) [India], October 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): USAID India, in partnership and the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM) organised the 'Winning Against COVID-19' Roadshow on October 26.

The objective of the Roadshow was to mobilize private sector resources and capabilities to scale up vaccination initiatives in India. USAID has been partnering with the Government of India for nearly 70 years to address a range of public health and other development challenges and shares India's philosophy to engage the private sector as a partner in this journey. To accelerate the pace of vaccinations, 20-30 major corporations in AMCHAM's network with a strong commitment towards the cause were recruited to participate.

A key purpose of the Roadshow was to forge dialogues with corporations that will potentially result in partnerships, mobilization of resources, and improved vaccination capacity. The participating corporations agreed on the urgency of the cause, especially as it will help India build resilience to subsequent waves of COVID-19, emerge from the pandemic faster and shape the market for broader partnerships with the government to drive health system strengthening initiatives going forward. Several corporations, including Boeing India, Hewlett Packard India, Cisco amongst many others demonstrated a keen interest to support these initiatives.

Remya Mohan, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Govt. of Gujarat also expressed a call for action to mobilize the private sector. USAID implementing partners - Catalyst Management Services - COVID Action Collaborative and John Snow Inc India shared their innovative demand creation and delivery models to reach the last mile and have set an ambitious target to administer over two crore (20M) doses in the coming year.

Sangita Patel, Director, Health Office USAID India, mentioned that "USAID has been very closely working with national and state governments, corporations, business associations and civil society organizations to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination efforts by supporting innovative demand and delivery options for some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach populations". She went on to say that "USAID congratulates India on its recent milestone of 100 crore vaccinations. The Winning Against COVID-19 Roadshow serves as a platform for innovative approaches to be shared and supported by the private sector."

Salil Gupte, Chairman, AMCHAM India, "Only last week, India crossed a billion COVID-19 vaccinations within the span of a year. Such a feat would not have been possible without a concerted effort by the Government and public, private, and non-profit organizations, and even community and individual contributions. We're happy that the "Winning Against COVID-19" roadshow is one such initiative through which AMCHAM's member companies are coming together with USAID and COVIDActionCollab - to help take India's ambitious vaccination drive deeper and wider into remote areas and to more vulnerable communities. "

"India has already achieved a remarkable milestone of administering 1 billion vaccines. Vaccine adoption in rural areas and among vulnerable communities is still low due to multiple reasons. Through our VaxNow programme, we aim to ensure the vaccine equity by putting vulnerable people in front of the line. Our mission is to help vaccinate 10 million people from vulnerable communities. We believe until everyone is vaccinated; no one is safe. We are happy to be part of the 'Winning Against COVID-19 Roadshow', and hope more businesses will come forward and join this fight against the pandemic, " says Shiv Kumar, Chief Integrator, COVIDActionCollab.

Dr. Sanjay Kapur, Managing Director, JSI India highlighted, "JSI is complementing the efforts of Ministry of Health of Family Welfare to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination particularly for marginalized and vulnerable population through this partnership. Acting as a catalyst, JSI is expanding and strengthening the work with the private sector to accelerate vaccination coverage across 18 selected states in India. Vaccination through mobile van is one of the modes proposed to expand reach to save families and communities. The program will look at different partnership models for outreach and urge private sector to join hands together to achieve 100% vaccination coverage in the country."

Three key priority opportunities were discussed during the Roadshow:

VaxNow vaccine camps focused on vulnerable population groups: This initiative will leverage Corporate Social Responsibility funds to support on-ground civil society organizations, to improve access to vaccines to rural and most vulnerable populations.

Vaccinations via mobile vans: Mobile vaccinations will leverage mobile units and medical staff from private players, and vaccines from government sources to increase vaccine access for last mile populations.

Demand generation across the nation via a multimodal media campaign including social media and grassroots to address hesitancies by leveraging private sector capabilities across media and customer behaviour insights.

Several states have expressed interest in these initiatives, and this can augment the existing efforts of the government is ramping up the vaccination rates in geographic areas that need support.

This was the first in a series of Roadshows to engage the private sector to mitigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar Roadshows will be organized in the coming months, focused on additional pandemic resilience efforts.

The American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India) is an association of American business organizations operating in India. AMCHAM India is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC and the AmChams of Asia Pacific. Established in 1992, AMCHAM has over 400 U.S. companies as members.

Website: (https://amchamindia.com)

The COVIDActionCollab (CAC) is an all-India collaborative, united to provide relief, recovery and build resilience among the most vulnerable communities. The collaborative consists of Organizations and Networks working together to support these communities during the period of crisis and enable them to secure their future. The 344 partners strong collaborative has delivered 30 lakh services with 2000 volunteers. The Collaborative envisions a world where vulnerable communities are empowered to survive and thrive during a humanitarian crisis. CAC aims to achieve synergy among its partners at multiple levels to accelerate impact, in keeping with the needs of these communities. Catalyst Group, the incubator is facilitating the formation and operation of the collaborative driving its success along with eminent partners such as USAID and the Skoll Foundation.

Website: (https://covidactioncollab.org)

Over the last three decades, JSI has partnered with India's government, private sector, international development partners, and community leaders to strengthen the health system and improve the overall health of India's population. JSI leverages their global expertise for implementing complex public health programs at scale to provide ongoing support for India's efforts across Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCH), Nutrition, TB, Routine Immunization etc. They have been given the mandate by MoHFW for increasing COVID-19 Vaccination uptake across 18 states in India.

Website: (https://www.jsi.com/location/india).

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Bengaluru (Karnataka)/ Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI/NewsVoir): To commemorate the Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October, leading physicians emphasized on the importance of early detection of breast cancer as the only key to reduce mortality from this rapid disease.

They also broke the common myth that breast cancer can occur only in older age groups.

The percentage of women between 30-40 years being detected with the disease has more than doubled in the last two decades. In recent times about 50% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are below 50 years of age.

Speaking on the importance of timely diagnosis, Dr. Anthony Pais, Senior Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, at the SPARSH Hospital, Cytecare Cancer hospital, HOSMAT and the Alteus hospital, Bangalore adds, "Early detection is the first step to fight breast cancer. As we see a rise in the incidence of breast cancer cases, it is important that women pay attention to their health and not ignore any worrisome signs that could indicate the onset or presence of this disease. Unfortunately, regular breast screenings and check-ups are dismal in our country and most women are not aware of the latest diagnostic technologies available for them in India. Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy or VABB is one such technique that offers highly accurate diagnosis of even the smallest lesion present in the breast, which can immensely benefit in timely detection of the condition if present."

Women often feel anxious once lumps are detected in the breast even though they may be non-cancerous and benign lesions. In younger women (15-35 years), non-cancerous lumps Fibroadenomas are more common. Fibroadenomas comprise about 50% of all breast biopsies, and this rate rises to 75% for biopsies in women under the age of 20 years.

A fibroadenoma might feel firm, smooth, rubbery, or hard and has a well-defined shape. Another extremely common condition, Fibrocystic breast disease also gives breasts a lumpy or rope-like texture and is diagnosed in millions of women worldwide.

Traditionally, these benign lumps would be removed surgically, causing much distress, leaving scars, or patients would choose to live with them in anxiety. Advanced technology like Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy (VABB) comes to respite in such situations. VABB enables removing smallest of benign lumps without leaving scars or disfigurement of the breast which can be very reassuring for women.

Dr. Shilpa Lad, Consultant & Head - Breast Imaging and Interventions, NM Medical Centre, Mumbai added, "Since the occurrence of Fibroadenomas are very common, women should be aware of advanced technologies and solutions like VABB that can offer them much respite in the course of diagnosis and cosmetic-friendly removal of these lumps. Technological advancements like VABB are helping patients live longer, healthier and lead more productive lives. VABB not only supports diagnosis but also enables a cosmetic-friendly procedure for removal of these benign lumps. Women must not panic or take stress if any lumps are detected, instead they should timely seek the right course of diagnosis and treatment as today we have much more sophisticated means to treat the disease."

VABB is a pioneering tissue sampling technique by which breast abnormalities (benign and malignant lumps) can easily be accessed through a small and single incision. It is performed with the help of either a mammogram or ultrasound, or MRI, to precisely identify the lesions.

The ability of VABB to collect multiple samples with a single needle has the potential to reduce procedure times for patients and may reduce discomfort during breast biopsy in a minimally invasive manner. In addition, it ensures that tissue samples are taken from all parts of the lesion. The samples are then sent to laboratory for detailed analysis, to identify if the lump is malignant or benign.

VABB has been approved by FDA (USA) and NICE (UK) for complete removal of fibroadenoma. This advanced technology is widely used abroad and is now available in India and is helping women take charge of their health and outsmart breast cancer.

The Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy technology increases the efficiency, accuracy, and ease of targeting such small breast lesions and therefore is practiced as a gold standard across the globe.

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Finding the right doctor is just one part of the puzzle. A lot of times, we see diagnosis going wrong, patients wanting a second opinion and treatment taking longer than expected because of disease complications.

Why is that so?



Well, it is very difficult to come up with an accurate prognosis if the patient cant recount their past medical conditions.

So, what if there was a health locker of sorts, containing all of the patients past medical tests, lab reports, details of previous conditions, their diagnoses, etc.

And this health locker were to be linked to a randomly-generated 14-digit unique Health ID, similar to other unique identifiers like Aadhaar.

With each visit to the doctor, the patient would just have to provide their Health ID for the doctor to access their past medical history.

This is what the government aims to do with its recently launched Digital Mission.

There are some other details we need to look into:



One can get a Health ID by self-registering on the ABDM portal

They can also request for the creation of a Health ID at a participating medical health facility

Health ID can be created via mobile or Aadhaar

Beneficiaries will also have to sign into a Health Information Exchange and Consent Manager (HIE-CM)

These consent managers will be mobile apps that will enable the sharing of personal health records with doctors

Heres how this will work.

You go to a doctor and they ask for your past medical records.

They will raise a request for accessing your personal health records, which you will have to approve through the consent manager app.

In the future, there will likely be multiple such consent manager apps for beneficiaries to choose from. So, it will be very similar to how UPI works, or the upcoming Account Aggregator framework for financial services.

The ABDM is expected to be a major boon for Indias healthtech

From telemedicine to online pharmacies to that are developing health lockers, the India online healthtech market is vast.

According to a media report:





India has 5,295 healthtech startups

Of these 133 eHealth have raised funding

Market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 39.6% between 2020 and 2025 to $10.6 bn

Telemedicine, which includes startups like Practo, MFine, DocTree, DocPrime and CallHealth, has the highest potential and may reach $5.4 bn by 2025

The portability of electronic medical records through Health IDs will provide a major fillip to startups.

Telemedicine startups offer online doctor consultations.

Now, with Health IDs encapsulating a patients entire medical history, telemedicine will only grow more robust.

Besides the Health ID, the ABDM will also see the creation of a national registry of doctors practising acceptable forms of medicine, as well as medical and diagnostic facilities.

According to Dr Ajay Bakshi, a volunteer with the Indian Software Product Industry Roundtable or iSPIRT, trust is very important in healthcare. India struggles with fake doctors and quacks. ABDMs national registry of doctors and medical facilities will enhance citizens trust in the healthcare provider theyre approaching.

Every allopathic doctor in India caters to 1,511 people on average. This is much higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)-prescribed norm of 1 doctor per 1,000 people.

Moreover, most of these doctors are concentrated in the metro cities, leaving rural areas vastly underserviced and at the mercy of fake doctors and quacks.

While improving the doctor-population ratio will take time, Indias techno-solutionism may have figured out a workaround.

The recently launched Digital Mission (ABDM) will create a Unified Health Interface (UHI).

This will be:





An interoperable system that would allow a patient to take the services of a doctor irrespective of whether they were on the same technology platform as the doctor

Patient could seek teleconsulation from doctors registered with multiple eHealth platforms, without having to create an account on each app

eHealth startups will gain access to patients through the UHI

Will enable any citizens in India to discover any doctor in India, set up teleconsultation

Chronic shortage of doctors, most of them concentrated in large cities

If youre living in a Tier 3 or 4 city, you may not have ready physical access to a good cardiologist or a speech therapist

Dr Bakshi also shed light on the importance of UHI:All this is not to say that the ABDM wont have its problems.

Already, there are concerns over data privacy.

While the government has maintained that the creation of a Health ID is voluntary, reports indicate that many Covid-19 vaccine beneficiaries have already been given a Health ID, without them even knowing about it.

Some state governments also feel that the creation of a separate Health ID is not necessary, suggesting that personal health records can instead be linked to Aadhaar numbers.

However, a Health ID covering ones entire medical history sounds like a good idea for improved treatment and preventive healthcare. The ABDM will have to build on this solid premise.
China has, for the first time, asked domestic companies to shoulder the responsibility for controlling the countrys greenhouse gas emissions by buying and selling emission quotas on a unified national carbon market.

The sheer scale of the problem could create the worlds largest carbon trading market, but big structural factors stand in the way.

Systemic issues in Chinas power generation industry are likely to prevent companies from effectively participating in the national carbon market: the pressure that the added cost of carbon will put on the far-from-market-driven industry and the lack of an absolute cap on the amount of carbon that can be emitted under the program.

The national carbon market began, as these things often do, with an official press conference. On Jan. 5, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced the first compliance cycle for Chinas national carbon trading market had begun on Jan. 1 and would last until the end of the year. The announcement effectively served as the official opening of Chinas national carbon trading market.

Under the cycle, which will at first be limited to domestic thermal power generators, 2,225 companies in the industry have until Dec. 31 to meet the requirements set by the government for carbon emissions.

Considering the amount of carbon dioxide produced by this industry alone in China, the market has the potential to make a big impact. In China, power generation emits more carbon dioxide than any other industry. It produced 4.14 billion tons in 2018, accounting for 43.4% of the nationwide total.

By itself, the industry produces enough emissions to create the largest carbon trading market in the world.

Although construction of the national carbon trading market is still in its initial stages, much is riding on its success. China has set ambitious goals for limiting its carbon emissions. At the 75th session of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2020, President Xi Jinping pledged that China would achieve peak carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

The paradox of carbon pricing

China has been planning a carbon trading market for years. In December 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planning agency, held a conference that signaled the construction of a national carbon trading market. The vast majority of Chinas thermal power companies, primarily coal-fired and gas-fired power plants, were supposed to register for the market between 2019 and 2020.

Carbon trading is considered an effective market-based response to climate change as it requires polluters to pay for any emissions of greenhouse gases  in this case carbon dioxide  that they produce beyond a set limit.

Government departments start by setting caps on total carbon emissions that apply to all market-registered enterprises. Next, they introduce a nationwide system for polluters  in this case power generators  to trade emissions quotas. This creates a market incentive for companies to conserve energy and reduce their emissions.

However, China has yet to realize market-based pricing for electricity, meaning that power generators have no way to raise prices and share the costs of buying carbon emission quotas, saddling them with increased costs of power generation. Experts also worry that a lack of enforcement on carbon quotas will do little to curb emissions in the short term.

If the price of carbon reaches 30 yuan ($4.64) per ton, the cost of carbon will account for 5% to 25% of the total cost of power generation, according to the head of the carbon asset management department at one centrally administrated power generation company.

For thermal power generators, the national trading market means that carbon prices will be determined by a unified market. Coal prices in China have already been set by the market.

However, the prices that power generation companies charge their customers, are still set by regional or provincial governments. As a result, electricity prices vary by province or region.

So although coal prices are set by a market, electricity prices remain regulated and set by the government. The new round of institutional reforms in 2015 only brought electricity prices further down. Under such conditions, any increase in the cost of power generation would likely squeeze the profit margins of power plants and could the struggling ones in big trouble.

Duan Maosheng, director of the Center for China Carbon Market Research of Tsinghua University, explained that because electricity prices have yet to be fully marketized, emissions control policy takes into consideration both the direct emissions of electricity producers and the indirect emissions from power consumers.

This is the difference between the carbon trading market in China and in Europe. The latter has already marketized its system. If China can do the same, then increasing the cost of power generation will increase the price of electricity, naturally leading users to consume less. Unfortunately, as things currently stand, end users in China are not affected by changes in the cost of power generation.

Cost pressure

The current system shields end users from the impact, increasing the cost of carbon, and thus power generation, while maintaining or lowering the price of electricity amounts to more pressure on the thermal power sector.

As a result, companies will be forced to weed out outdated generation units at a faster pace.

The thermal power sector will bear the brunt of the impact, said China Huadian Corporation Ltd., one of Chinas five power generation groups.

In a response to Caixin, the company said that the reform of carbon pricing and the electricity market will change the point at which thermal power companies can break even. That in turn is expected to influence decisions on everything from investment in new power generation units to energy conservation and emissions reduction itself.

In contrast to thermal power, renewable energy will benefit from policies on carbon trading, carbon neutrality and when carbon emissions are supposed to peak. This industry is expected to see significant increases in the scale of installed capacity and electricity production.

The national carbon trading market is designed to harness market mechanisms to improve efficiency and promote low-cost emissions reduction, said Wang Zhixuan, vice president of the China Electricity Council.

Wang said that survival of the fittest based on the value of carbon was the fundamental principle of the carbon trading market.

Basically, the market will put power generation companies under cost pressure, encouraging them to actively reduce carbon emissions. However, the primary concern in the initial stage of carbon trading is just to keep the market running smoothly, without any big fluctuations. This means that the pressure will not be that great at first, he said.

No fixed cap

Several experts said they remain concerned whether the carbon trading markets method of quota allocation can effectively promote emissions reductions. The European Union Emissions Trading System sets absolute caps on different greenhouse gases total emissions, then allocates quotas within that limit, which companies are allowed to trade.

In contrast, Chinas national emissions cap is the sum of all provincial emissions quotas. The competent department pre-allocates 2019-2020 quotas equivalent to 70% of the thermal power supply volume in 2018. After verifying the 2019-2020 carbon emissions, it will refund quotas or ask companies to buy additional quotas according to units actual volume of thermal power they supply.

Zou Ji, CEO & president of Energy Foundation China, told Caixin that the carbon trading market should be based on a controlled cap and quota trades. The current model of determining a cap by adding up quotas does not conform to that principle.

China has yet to propose establishing an absolute cap on the carbon trade. Several insiders agree that its not an easy goal to achieve. Lin Jiaqiao, co-director of the Rock Environment & Energy Institute, suggests that until China reaches peak carbon dioxide emissions, it will be hard to estimate industry output, making it incredibly challenging to set a cap for the carbon trading market.

In addition, thermal power generation units themselves have little power to reduce carbon emissions and limited trading quotas, Zou said.

The combination of these factors has the makings of an inactive market, he said.

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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
The Facebook Papers project represents a unique collaboration among 17 American news organizations, including The Associated Press. Journalists from a variety of newsrooms, large and small, worked together to gain access to thousands of pages of internal company documents obtained by Frances
Melrose (Atkinson-Sanbornville, NH) - Atkinson-Sanbornville: With deep sadness we announce that Lewis Charles Stevens "Chucky" passed away on Thursday, October 21, in the comfort of his son's home. He fought a hard battle with cancer and heart disease and was blessed to be surrounded by love
This weekend at the Marche du Film, the market counterpart of Cannes Film Festival, Chile will present five animated films in search of partners. For a country that has barely released a dozen animated features in its entire history, this is a watershed.

The five features will be presented on Saturday, July 10 as part of the markets Animation Days segment. They vary widely in themes, tone, and technique, ranging from 2d to cgi, and road-trip comedies to wartime dramas. Yet the stories are all steeped in the country of their origin, depicting the history, politics, traditions, and landscapes of Chile.

This slate of confidently local animation IP shows how far Chilean animation has come in the last two decades. In that time, films and series from the country, such as Paper Port and Nahuel and the Magical Book, have earned plaudits around the world; the short film Bear Story even took home an Oscar. Studios have proliferated  chiefly in 2d, but increasingly in cgi and stop motion too  as have educational opportunities.

As Cristian Freire, coordinator for the Chilean Animation delegation at Cannes 2021, tells Cartoon Brew, In the last ten years, the quantity and quality of Chilean [animation] studios has grown enormously, with better prepared artists in the discipline, access to technological tools, and institutional support.

This growth is buttressed by a three-pronged state funding system. The economic development agency CORFO supports series and features in their early stages. CNTV, the agency that oversees tv services, invests in many animated series. Finally, the Audiovisual Fund of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage covers all stages of the development and production of animated features, shorts, and webseries. All features at the Marche du Film benefited from it.

Yet the cost of animation production is such that local money alone cant necessarily cover a full feature. Two of the films below are currently set up as international co-productions, and this model is likely to endure. I would say that with new co-production agreements with countries around the world, says Freire, the chances of obtaining foreign funds and, of course, talent will become a common practice in all types of productions, not only in feature films.

Freire stresses the importance of features to Chiles long-term animation strategy. Productions help develop the industry, of course, but features also often have artistic, cultural, and social goals that are important to our society. The projects heading to Cannes certainly promise to provide this kind of value.

Read on for details of the five films that will feature at Animation Days:

Underground Stories (Historias Clandestinas)

Year of production: 2023

Format: Animation and live action 2k

Duration: 90 min

Countries: Chile, Sweden

Director: Jose Maria Gonzalez

Producers: Catalina Donoso, Patricio Ochoa, Kamila Velich

Production companies: Cusicanqui & Nino Viejo (Chile) in co-production with Laika Film & Television (Sweden)

Website: www.cusicanquifilms.cl

Stage: late development/pre-production

Synopsis: Franco Franco is a teenager who only interacts with Siri, the virtual assistant on his computer. To get closer to him, his father Ariel starts reading him a graphic novel he wrote some time ago. It tells the story of Ariels experiences as a child during Pinochets dictatorship, and about how his parents decided to hide two of the military regimes most wanted people for ten years.

Devils Vein (La Veta del Diablo)

Year of production: 2024

Format: 2k

Duration: 90 min

Country: Chile

Director: German Acuna

Producer: Sebastian Ruz

Production company: Carburadores

Website: www.carburadores.tv

Stage: pre-production

Synopsis: At the height of the mining boom of the 1920s in the Atacama desert, Mercedes, a humble 16-year-old girl, decides to steal a mysterious piece of gold. She hopes to use it to help her brother, who has gotten in trouble with the real owner of the gold: the devil under the desert.

Grandpa Miguel (Tata Miguel)

Year of production: 2021

Format: 4k

Duration: 80 min

Country: Chile

Director: Tomas Montalva

Producer: Cecilia Baeriswyl

Production company: Llolleo Creativo

Website: www.osobucoanimacion.cl

State: pre-production

Synopsis: Grandpa Miguel makes the last trip of his life in search of his youthful love with the help of his eight-year-old granddaughter, whom he just met. Grandpa Miguel teaches her on this trip that an adventure cant wait!

Uky & Lola in the Land of Fire (Uky & Lola en Tierra del Fuego)

Year of production: 2021

Format: 2k

Duration: 90 min

Country: Chile

Director: Fabian Andrade

Producer: Simon Barrionuevo

Production company: Wild Bunch Studio

Website: https://vimeo.com/wildbunchstudio

Synopsis: Uky, an impetuous and young Selknam, and Lola, a Shaman apprentice, must save their people from the evil sheep farmers who are trying to enslave them and usurp the land. Uky and Lola must work together to learn how to channel the magic of the spirits, re-establish the balance in the Karukinka, and solve the eternal dispute between the Sun and the Moon.

Winnipeg Seeds of Hope (Winnipeg el Barco de la Esperanza)

Year of production: 2023

Format: 4k

Duration: 80 min

Countries: Chile, Spain

Directors: Elio Quiroga, Benat Beitia

Producers: Antoni Marin, Ricardo Ramon, Marianne Mayer-Beckh

Production companies: La Ballesta, Dibulitoon, El Otro Film

Distributors: La Distribucion (Chile), Barton Films (Spain)

Synopsis: Victor, a widowed father, left Barcelona in 1939 with his little daughter Julia. In France, concentration camps and hardships awaits them. But there is a chance to escape aboard the Winnipeg, a ship which the poet Pablo Neruda and the Quakers in Paris have chartered to take more than 2,000 people safely to a new destination: Valparaiso, Chile, where a new life is possible.
Photo: The Canadian Press David Lawler, CEO of BP America Inc., testifies via video conference during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on the role of fossil fuel companies in climate change, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Top executives of ExxonMobil and other oil giants denied spreading disinformation about climate change as they sparred Thursday with congressional Democrats over allegations that the industry concealed evidence about the dangers of global warming.

Testifying at a landmark House hearing, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said the company has long acknowledged the reality and risks of climate change, and it has devoted significant resources to addressing those risks.?

The oil giants public statements on climate are and have always been truthful, fact-based ... and consistent with mainstream climate science, Woods said.

Democrats immediately challenged the statements by Woods and other oil executives, accusing them of engaging in a decades-long, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation about the contribution of fossil fuels to global warming.

They are obviously lying like the tobacco executives were,'' said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee.

She was referring to a 1994 hearing with tobacco executives who famously testified that they didnt believe nicotine was addictive. The reference was one of several to the tobacco hearing as Democrats sought to pin down oil executives on whether they believe in climate change and that burning fossil fuels such as oil contributes to global warming.

Maloney said at the end of the nearly seven-hour hearing that she will issue subpoenas for documents requested by the committee but not furnished by the oil companies.

Republicans accused Democrats of grandstanding over an issue popular with their base as President Joe Bidens climate agenda teeters in Congress.

Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the top Republican on the oversight panel, called the hearing a distraction from the crises that the Biden administrations policies have caused," including gasoline prices that have risen by $1 per gallon since January.

The purpose of this hearing is clear: to deliver partisan theater for primetime news,? Comer said.

The hearing comes after months of public efforts by Democrats to obtain documents and other information on the oil industrys role in stopping climate action over multiple decades. The fossil fuel industry has had scientific evidence about the dangers of climate change since at least 1977, yet spread denial and doubt about the harm its products cause undermining science and preventing meaningful action on climate change, Maloney and other Democrats said.

Do you agree that (climate change) is an existential threat? Yes or no?" Maloney asked Shell Oil President Gretchen Watkins.

I agree that this is a defining challenge for our generation, absolutely,'' Watkins replied.

Watkins, Woods and other oil executives said they agreed with Maloney on the existence and threat posed by climate change, but they refused her request to pledge that their companies would not spend money  either directly or indirectly  to oppose efforts to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

We're pledging to advocate for low-carbon policies that do in fact take the company and the world to net-zero carbon emissions, said BP America CEO David Lawler.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who leads a subcommittee on the environment, said he hopes "Big Oil will not follow the same playbook as Big Tobacco'' in misrepresenting the facts to Congress.

As Im sure you realize, that didnt turn out too well for them,'' Khanna said. These companies must be held accountable.

The committee released a memo Thursday charging that the oil industrys public support for climate reforms has not been matched by meaningful actions, and that the industry has spent billions of dollars to block reforms. Oil companies frequently boast about their efforts to produce clean energy in advertisements and social media posts accompanied by sleek videos or pictures of wind turbines.

Maloney and other Democrats have focused particular ire on Exxon, after a senior lobbyist for the company was caught in a secret video bragging that Exxon had fought climate science through shadow groups and had targeted influential senators in an effort to weaken Bidens climate agenda, including a a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a sweeping climate and social policy bill currently moving through Congress.

In the video, Keith McCoy, a former Washington-based lobbyist for Exxon, dismissed the company's public expressions of support for a proposed carbon tax on fossil fuel emissions as a talking point.

McCoys comments were made public in June by the environmental group Greenpeace UK, which secretly recorded him and another lobbyist in Zoom interviews. McCoy no longer works for the company, Exxon said last month.

Woods, Exxons chairman and chief executive, has condemned McCoys statements and said the company stands by its commitment to work on finding solutions to climate change.

Chevron CEO Michael Wirth also denied misleading the public on climate change. "Any suggestion that Chevron has engaged in an effort to spread disinformation and mislead the public on these complex issues is simply wrong,'' he said.

Maloney and Khanna sharply disputed that. They compared tactics used by the oil industry to those long deployed by the tobacco industry to resist regulation while selling products that kill hundreds of thousands of Americans.?

Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., accused the oil industry of greenwashing its climate pollution through misleading ads that focus on renewable energy rather than on its core business, fossil fuels. Shell spends nearly 10 times as much money on oil, gas and chemical production than it does on renewables such as wind and solar power, Porter said, citing the companys annual report.

Shell is trying to fool people into thinking that its addressing the climate crisis when what its actually doing is continuing to put money into fossil fuels,? she told Watkins.

While U.S. leaders and the oil industry rightly focus on lowering carbon emissions, the world consumes 100 million barrels of oil per day  an amount not likely to decrease any time soon, said Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industrys top lobbying group.

The industry group supports climate action, Sommers added, "yet legislative proposals that punitively target American industry will reverse our nations energy leadership, harm our economy and American workers, and weaken our national security.''
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this March 14, 2019, file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif. Tesla says it will relocate its headquarters from Palo Alto, Calif., to Austin, Texas, though the electric car maker will keep expanding its manufacturing capacity in the Golden State. Musk gave no timeline for the move late Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, when he addressed the company's shareholders at Tesla's annual meeting. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Elon Musk isn't happy.

With a personal fortune that is flirting with $300 billion, the Tesla CEO  the richest person on earth  has been attacking a Democratic proposal to tax the assets of billionaires like him.

The idea behind the Democratic plan is to use revenue from a billionaires tax to help pay for a domestic policy package being negotiated in Congress that would, among other things, help combat climate change, provide universal prekindergarten and expand health care programs. The proposal wasnt included in President Joe Bidens framework for the domestic policy package released Thursday, though that deal among Congressional Democrats isnt final.

Musk, who recently blew past Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the world No. 1 in wealth thanks to Tesla's soaring share price, would be liable for perhaps a one-time $50 billion tax hit under the Democratic proposal.

Forget it, he says.

My plan, the SpaceX founder tweeted Thursday about his fortune, "is to use the money to get humanity to Mars and preserve the light of consciousness."

He may well get his wish, with the proposal removed from the White House framework.

Earlier this week, Musk argued, the fundamental problem is that government spends too much money  and he warned that the billionaire tax proposal could lead over time to tax hikes for more Americans.

Eventually," he tweeted Monday, they run out of other peoples money, and then they come for you.

The Democratic proposal, unveiled Wednesday by Sen. Ron Wyden, would tax the gains of people with either $1 billion or more in assets, or three consecutive years of income of $100 million or more, at the capital gains tax rate of 20% and the 3.8% net investment income tax rate. It would apply to fewer than an estimated 800 people, who would have to pay tax on the value of tradable items, like stocks, even if they dont sell them. Under current law, such assets are subject to tax only when they're sold.

Supporters have said the tax could raise $200 billion over 10 years that could help fund Bidens legislative priorities. Republicans are unified in opposition to the proposal. And some have suggested it would be challenged in court.

The Democrats' proposal came against the backdrop of growing concerns about vast economic inequality, with the wealth of many American multi-billionaires having accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to increased stock and home equity, even more than before the virus struck.

John Catsimatidis, the billionaire grocery chain and real estate magnate who owns Gristedes, condemned the proposal as something you would expect Putin to do," referring to President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

The billionaire tax plan, Catsimatidis told The Associated Press, is a little bit insane.

The American people have reached the point where theyre saying, Enough is enough, said Catsimatidis, who lost a bid for the Republican nomination for New York City mayor in 2013.

Stop spending the money stupidly. They come up with budgets that are stupid budgets, and they want to make everybody else suffer for it.

Do we need infrastructure?" Catsimatidis added. "Sure, we need infrastructure. Do we need bridges to nowhere? No, we dont need those.

Youre talking about the people that create the jobs, he said of billionaires. We can get up and go somewhere else.

Leon Cooperman, the outspoken billionaire investor who has long denounced Sen. Elizabeth Warren's own proposal for a wealth tax, has added his voice to the exasperation coming from some of the uber-wealthy.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Cooperman said of the tax, I doubt its legal, and its stupid."

What made America great," he said, "was the people who started with nothing like me making a lot of money and giving it back. A relentless attack on wealthy people makes no sense.

Not every billionaire shares such outrage. A spokesperson for George Soros, the investor and liberal philanthropist, told the AP that Soros is supportive of the proposed billionaires tax.

And while Warren Buffett has yet to comment publicly on the proposal, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway has long called for higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy like himself.

Bob Lord, a tax lawyer and associate fellow at the progressive think tank Institute for Policy Studies, said that even if this particular proposal doesn't pass, it does reflect how concerns about financial inequality are gathering momentum.

ProPublica reported in June that some of the richest Americans have paid no income tax, or nearly none, in some years  including Musk, who, the report said, paid zero income taxes in 2018. Critics argue that Musk's criticism of the billionaire tax proposal overlooks the fact that Tesla's rise has been aided by government incentives and loans.

Lord noted, for example, that the run-up in Tesla stock Monday, after a major order of Teslas from Hertz, increased Musks wealth by roughly $37 billion  more than what the IRS collects in estate and gift tax revenue from the entire country in one year.

Wyden's proposal, Lord suggested, might need to close some loopholes.

But I think theyve done a pretty good job with it," he said. "There are folks out there who are saying the billionaires will just put their money into non-publicly traded assets. But its not going to be that easy. Its a pretty well-crafted bill.

Such tax changes could also shift how billionaire philanthropists make donations.

Brian Mittendorf, a professor of accounting at Ohio State University, said he believes that in the short term, the billionaire proposal would lead some of the uber-wealthy to rush philanthropic contributions into so-called donor-advised funds. Such funds would allow them to receive tax deductions up front without distributing any of the money. (Donors can't get the money back from these funds).

If, in fact, this were to pass, Mittendorf said, "it creates huge incentives to donate some of these assets that have gone up in value before the tax hits.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A criminal complaint filed by a police investigator with a court in Albany has accused former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of committing a misdemeanor sex crime, though there was confusion Thursday over whether the document was submitted in error.

The one-page complaint, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff's Office, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under a woman's shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The document didn't name the woman but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, at the executive mansion in Albany last year around that date.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple did not return messages. The office of the county's district attorney, David Soares, which would handle any prosecution and was involved in the investigation, issued a statement saying it had been caught off guard by the filing.

"Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriffs Office against Andrew Cuomo, it said. The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.

The Times Union, of Albany, quoted unnamed officials as saying the complaint had been issued prematurely" and that a final decision hadn't been made about whether Cuomo would face charges.

Cuomo's lawyer and spokesperson didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. A lawyer for Commisso also didn't return a message.

Commisso, who was an executive assistant for Cuomo, says he reached under her shirt and fondled her when they were alone in a room at the governor's mansion in Albany.

She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave his office at the mansion. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door shut, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying once, I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.

The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by up to year in jail and up to three years probation, with discretion for the court to impose lesser penalties including no jail time.

The Associated Press doesnt usually identify alleged sexual assault victims unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in newspaper and television interviews.

Commisso filed a complaint with the county sheriff in August in the same week a report from state Attorney General Letitia James concluded the Democratic governor sexually harassed 11 women and worked to retaliate against one of his accusers. Other accusations outlined in the report range from planting unwanted kisses to asking unwelcome personal questions about sex and dating.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after the release of the blistering report, marking a dramatic downfall for the third-term governor who had been seen as a beacon of sturdy competence during his daily COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the attorney general's report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose office is not involved in the criminal investigation of Cuomo, issued a statement saying her civil probe had been conducted without fear or favor.

The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report, she said.

James is said to be close to announcing that she will run for governor, multiple people with knowledge of her plans have told The Associated Press.

Commisso was referred to as Executive Assistant #1 in the report but publicly revealed her identity after its release. She is the only woman mentioned in the attorney general's report known to have filed a criminal complaint.

Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin has said that Commisso's story changed over time and claimed records showed the two were unlikely to have spent time alone during the period in question.

The complaint filed by the sheriff's department investigator said evidence in the case included police BlackBerry messages, cell phone records, building security records and a text message from Cuomo's mobile phone. The complaint was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court as received Thursday.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties also had said they asked for investigative materials from the attorney generals inquiry to see if any of the allegations could result in criminal charges.

Also, the Assembly Judiciary Committee is completing a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo that began before he resigned. The also were looking at the administrations handling of COVID-19 data and efforts to rush COVID-19 testing for Cuomos inner circle in spring 2020.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives in Amsterdam on Thursday.

Disinformation campaigns and extremism are a serious threat to global economies and democracy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a speech to Dutch parliamentarians in The Hague, Friday.

Trudeau is in the Netherlands for an official visit, opening his day giving a speech to and taking questions from members of the House of Representatives and Senate in the historic Ridderzaal.

Paying homage to the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands that rose out of the Second World War, Trudeau said the very values and security Allied forces fought to defend are in peril.

"Its not just conspiracy theorists and marginalized, angry people online," he said. "Its state actors, too, using disinformation, propaganda, and cyberwarfare to harm our economies, our democracies, and undermine peoples faith in the principles that hold us together."

Trudeau did not name any particular state actor, but more than one question from Dutch parliamentarians centred on the rising influence of China, a fact Trudeau said "poses tremendous challenges around the world to democracies and our trading systems."

And yet, Trudeau said China is too big a player to withdraw engagement entirely.

"We cannot pretend that China isn't there, just cross our arms and ignore it," he said. "It is too important a player in our economies right now."

Trudeau added that countries like Canada and the Netherlands have to engage China constructively on trade, on climate change, while challenging it on human rights, the situation in Hong Kong, the Uyghurs, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The prime minister was also challenged by a member of the Dutch Green party for setting targets to curb greenhouse emissions that aren't as stringent as what is being promised in Europe.

Trudeau said there has been a lot of focus on setting targets and not enough on actually implementing policies to meet them.

Later today, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and visit the Canadian War Cemetery with Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.

Trudeau and Rutte are expected to discuss trade, climate change and global security, including a joint effort to prevent further tragedies involving civilian airliners flying through conflict zones.

This weekend Trudeau will be in Italy for the G20 leaders' summit and then he will fly to Scotland for the first two days of the United Nations COP26 climate negotiations before he returns to Canada.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Former chief of the defence staff Jonathan Vance's obstruction of justice case will go to trial in May 2023.

Ten days of trial dates were set during a brief, virtual courtroom hearing this morning, three months after military police charged the former Canadian Armed Forces commander following a sexual misconduct investigation.

The case is proceeding through the civilian court system after investigators referred it there, citing what they described as "the limitations of the military justice system" in trying Canada's top military officer.

The former defence chief, who retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in April, has previously denied any wrongdoing.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service alleged in court documents that Vance repeatedly contacted a woman identified as "K.B." in early February and "tried to persuade her to make false statements about their past relationship" to military investigators.

Maj. Kellie Brennan told a parliamentary committee in April that she and Vance had an inappropriate relationship that started in 2001 and continued after he became chief of the defence staff in 2015.

Brennan also told the committee she had recorded Vance telling her on the phone what to tell military police, and had turned those recordings over to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.
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Soaring freight rates prompt cement sector reaction

29 October 2021

This week, we are taking a look at the rising costs of dry bulk freight and the resulting impact on the cement industry.



Earlier this month, the Baltic Dry Index, a global indicator of bulk freight rates, reached 5670, marking its highest level since September 2008. Dry bulk rates on the whole have been steadily rising with spot rates for large dry cargo ships, such as Capesize, topping US$80,000 a day in the opening week of October  up 50 per cent in just two weeks. Much of the rise is being driven by coal price hikes amid the global energy supply deficit, which has led the price per tonne of freight across major coal routes to a 12-year high.



Also causing the rising freight rates are stringent COVID-19 protocols at a number of ports, alongside a thin newbuilding order book which is expected to cause ship supply to remain tight for some time.

The resulting impact on cement producers has been severe. Most cement producers that have reporting profits during the 3Q21 have been doing so in spite of the freight rates. While for those who have seen a decline, it has been a significant contributing factor. Only this week, Dalmia Bharat saw a 10 per cent decline in net profit as a result of cost pressures and seasonal market weakness. In its report, it saw a 46 per cent YoY rise in freight charges during the quarter under review.



Rachid Yousry, CEO of LafargeHolcim Cote dIvoire, also noted that unprecedented increases in the prices of sea freight had sent the price of clinker in the international market up by 80 per cent. Additional clinker storage costs due to congestion in the Autonomous Port of Abidjan has only made the matter worse. So far, the producer has avoided price increases due to adjustments at plants, the acquisition of loading docks at the port and diversification of raw materials.



However, for some cement producers, the only option has been to increase prices. Cimtogo, a Togo-based subsidiary of HeidelbergCement, announced a price increase earlier this month to CFA79,000/t (US$139.80/t) at its Lome plant and CFA81,000 at Kara. According to the company, this is due to an increase of more than US$35/t in sea freight on gypsum and coal.



In Europe the rise in sea freight rates and a closure of inefficient cement capacity should both reduce the influx of cheap imports and lessen excess supply. Both of which could allow cement manufacturers to pass through increases in selling prices, according to Jean-Christophe Lefevre-Moulenq, CIC Market Solutions (France).



Although some markets cannot sustain a price rise. HeidelbergCement Bangladesh says that it is unable to increase cement prices due to intense competition in the local market, despite incurring a loss in the 3Q21 due to rising raw material and freight costs.



The mounting cost pressures in both freight and fuel have necessitated a lean into increasing operational efficiencies in areas of plant operations, such as logistics and energy efficiency, with this expected to only increase in importance.



Energy reduction webinar

Cemtech will be hosting a webinar on Energy Reduction on Wednesday, 3 November, taking a look at how producers can improve their energy management practices among other important topics. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KpD8dbwNTNmCLy3Q_xRo_Q

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Vietnamese exports slip to 5.2Mt in September

ICR Newsroom By 29 October 2021

Cement and clinker exports from Vietnam decreased 1.6 per cent to 5,232,812t in September 2021 from 5,320,173t in September 2020. Clinker exports were down 11 per cent to 3,838,040t when compared with September 2020 while cement exports noted a 54 per cent drop to 1,384,772t, said the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA). When compared with August 2021, clinker and cement exports advanced by 32 and eight per cent, respectively. Total exports rose by a quarter MoM.



January-September 2021

In the January-September period total cement and clinker exports advanced 21 per cent YoY to 33.539Mt, of which clinker saw a 23 per cent rise to 21.382Mt and cement an 18 per cent increase to 12.157Mt.

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Bangladesh's cement industry export revenue dips in 03MF22

29 October 2021

Bangladesh's cement industry has earned export revenue of US$1.59m in the first quarter of FY22 (July  Sept ), compared to US$1.81m in the year-ago period, a fall of 12.2 per cent YoY. The figure also includes a minor amount of salt, stone and related products, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.

Bangladesh exports 90 per cent of its cement to India. Experts believed that the slow arrival of clinker and increase in local consumption, plus the high cost of exports attributed to lesser export.

The export value for cement decreased by 17.2 per cent, underperforming compared with the government target set for the period due to increased local consumption and continued measures to stop COVID-19 from spreading. The government had set an advanced export target for the cement industry at US$08m for July 2021-June 2022, compared to US$7.26m achieved in the previous fiscal year.

Bangladesh's cement industry has earned export revenue of US$7.26m in the last fiscal year (July 2020-June 2021), compared to US$9.14m in the year-ago period, a fall of 20.6 per cent YoY.

However, the country's total export earnings from the rest of the merchandise shipments witnessed an 11.4 per cent growth in the 03MFY21-22. Aggregate export earnings stood at US$11.02bn against US$9.896bn in the corresponding period of the last fiscal, according to the EPB data. The government had set an export-earning target of US$43.50bn from goods in the FY21-22. Export earnings in the previous fiscal year totalled US$38.75bn.

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A woman on Blackford Street told police she found the tires on her vehicle (Jeep) had been slashed in the night. She had all four tires replaced at a cost of approximately $500. She suspects her ex-husband is responsible for the vandalism, but had no evidence to prove this allegation.



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A man on Mountain View Court told police that his son's girlfriend kept texting him trying to tell him how to handle his household. He said that he did not want her contacting him anymore. He gave police that girlfriend's name, but could not give any further information about her. He showed police the texts, which were non-threatening in manner. The texts came from his son's phone number and she simply said that she wanted him to keep his son's clothes safe. The man said that he blocked her number and would tell his son to have her quit texting him from his phone as well. The man wished to make a report of the occurrence for future reference.

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A woman on Winding Hills Lane told police that she had left the Honda motorcycle dealership after they put TN license plate on her new 2021 Honda Rebel. She said she believes it fell off somewhere on Hwy 153 while riding it home.



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A woman on Radmoor Drive told police she was informed by her Discover card that her social security number was located on the dark web. She said she was not supplied with the website her social security number was located on. She said she had already informed the Social Security Administration.



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Police observed a man panhandling on the interstate off ramp from I-75 southbound to Shallowford Road. Police approached the man and he identified himself. He was informed of the laws regarding panhandling and that pedestrian traffic is prohibited on the interstate.



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A woman at 700 I-75 southbound told police she needed to report damage to her vehicle that occurred while traveling on the interstate. She said she was traveling southbound on Interstate 75 when she hit tire debris in the roadway, causing damage to the underside of her vehicle. She contacted Doug Yates Towing to retrieve her vehicle due to damage to the fuel tank, and will follow up with insurance for repairs.



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A woman on East 37th Street told police that her daughter had just walked off after an argument with her and her boyfriend. She said she was worried because her daughter is six months pregnant. Police then spoke with the boyfriend, who said that he and the daughter were in a verbal argument and she left. Police spoke with the daughter over the phone. She said that she and her boyfriend had gotten into a verbal argument, and that her mother then got involved. She said that she began to get stressed from the argument, so she walked away to clear her head. She said she was coming back to the address and was going to leave with her mother. She then walked back, grabbed her belongings from inside the residence and left the scene with her mother.



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An employee was sitting in his ElevateTek work truck on Clio Avenue. He said he was there to test systems and showed officers testing equipment still processing. Officers checked his information and did not find any outstanding warrants.



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An anonymous caller said there was an unknown vehicle parked on West 57th Street that they wished for police to check out. There were also multiple individuals along the creek in the area associated with the vehicle. Police spoke with and identified the three individuals, two males and a female. All three said they were picking through glass bottles along the creek. They were all checked for warrants with negative results. There appeared to be no illegal activity taking place requiring police action.



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Suspicious activity was reported at 600 Lookout St. A caller said that a homeless man was walking down the street swinging a pipe. The caller said that an employee was passing the man and the employee asked if he was going to hit him with the pipe and the man said "maybe," and the employee laughed and walked away. Since there was no victim and nothing illegal was going on, police were unable to do anything about the man walking down the street.
Point Park, atop Lookout Mountain and part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, is waiving the entrance fee on Thursday, Nov. 11 to celebrate Veterans Day.



Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park has numerous unique traits, including its creation and establishment. In 1890, 18 years after Yellowstone National Park was established as the first in the world, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was created. It took U.S. and Confederate veterans, all of whom fought in these battles, coming together to spearhead a movement to create the United States first national military park. These veterans felt it imperative to preserve and commemorate these battlefields for those who fought and for those whose lives were lost.

"On this Veterans Day, visit Chickamauga Battlefield in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and Lookout Mountain Battlefield in Lookout Mountain, Tn., to experience the reason those veterans sought to preserve and commemorate these now-hallowed grounds," officials said.



Visit Point Park on this fee free day to indulge in the views and scenery of the Chattanooga Valley from 2,100 feet above, hike the natural and wildlife-abounding Lookout Mountain Battlefield 30-miles of trails, while learning the historical significance of this area during Americas Civil War in what became known as The Battle Above the Clouds. During the day, park rangers will provide programs at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will also be available at the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. to answer questions and provide information about the park and the Battles for Chattanooga.



For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the parks website at www.nps.gov/chch.
Michael James O'Grady, 78, passed away on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.



Michael and his sisters, Sarah O'Grady Houts and Margaret O'Grady Dill, were born in Chattanooga to Joseph Michael O'Grady and Lillian Reese O'Grady (Martin) and attended Notre Dame High School.



A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Michael served in 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-Vietnam. After leaving the Army, Michael worked as an engineer and lived the last 50 years in Augusta and Martinez.



Family members include his sons: Michael O'Grady, Jr., and his wife Jill, and John O'Grady; grandsons: Joshua, John, and Allan O'Grady; and sister, Margaret Dill.



He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Barbara Justine O'Grady.



A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Thomas Poteet & Son.



In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.



The family will receive friends Saturday prior to the service from 10-11 a.m. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta, Ga. 30907, 706 364-8484.

Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com.
Nathaniel Doss III said he is ending his campaign for the U.S. District 3 Congressional seat.

He said, "For the past seven months, I have been actively campaigning for the Tennessee District 3 Congressional seat. The lack of leadership I witnessed from this office on Jan. 6 led to my decision to run. I felt our community was not being properly represented in D.C. and our issues were falling on deaf ears.

"My thoughts have not changed. This is still an issue but my family dynamics have changed. During my campaign, my family lost my Grandfather and since then I have seen my once vibrant grandmother deteriorate at a rapid pace. This in turn, has added unforeseen stress on my mother, who secretly has been battling her own health issues. Many have noticed I have had less of a presence on social media; few have known the true reason. My wife and I have gone monthly to Virginia and aided in my mothers healthcare. My family and I are hopeful my mother will turn the corner and return back to her old self. I dont believe its fair to have my attention split. Therefore, after much consideration with my wife and family, I am withdrawing my candidacy for the Democratic nomination.

"Please do not be disappointed. The momentum we have built was not in vain. The will of the people have been heard and we will not be silenced again. I want to thank everyone who has volunteered and donated to my campaign. Your belief in me is what made this decision difficult.

"I am proud of the work my team, led by Sean Nix, was able to do. Alix Thornhill and Eric Reese were instrumental in building my campaign. I thank you all immensely.

"I thank my wife, Riki, for allowing me to do what was in my heart but reminding me of the man I am. She has not allowed the ugliness that is out there to darken my heart. I thank each of our 11 children for taking time out of their lives to be integral parts of this campaign. You all are the reason I fight so hard. I want to leave you a Chattanooga, a Hamilton County, you can be proud of.

"I typically would not address rumors. I live by the motto if it isnt directed it isnt respected. Though I feel the need because some of you have supported me without me addressing them and you deserve to feel at peace with your decision. I have not ever fraudulently acquired any funds for any of our businesses. My family has had a real estate brokerage in Ohio for over 60 years. As a husband I am extremely protective of my wife and family. To hear vicious attacks about my wife and her pleading with me to let it go burnt me up. For those who question my wifes lineage, please visit the newly revamped Bessie Smith Cultural Center. There is a plethora of information about my wifes family and their importance to Chattanooga and especially the historic 9th Street.

"Riki and I are very interested in the redistricting process and thank our district's leadership, D5 Commissioner Geter and School Board Representative Jones; in explaining this monumentally important issue to our community. We want to encourage all of our neighbors, friends, and family to not casually look over this process and the possible impact redistricting will have on your community. Make your voice heard. The way your community looks, functions, and thrives may depend on you.

"Thank you again for receiving my family as lovingly as you have over this year. I am truly humbled by your confidence and support. This is not a goodbye, but rather, I will see you very soon."
The East Ridge City Council extended a moratorium on outdoor advertising signs that was first put in place in May. At that time the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) suspended their rules and regulations for enforcing outdoor advertising signs and billboards along state routes which includes both Ringgold Road and the Interstate in East Ridge. They are in the process of creating new regulations but are not finished yet partially because of push-back from the billboard industry, said City Manager Chris Dorsey. East Ridge is reluctant to adopt its own rules prior to knowing TDOTs new regulations because state law trumps East Ridges. The council voted to extend the moratorium on accepting applications and issuing permits for outdoor advertising signs for another 180 days. Installation and construction of the signs will also be stopped until the new TDOT rules are finalized.

As leaf season is approaching, City Manager Dorsey said that a strategy has been developed for picking up leaves. Some part-time help has been hired to handle the citys two leaf machines while city employees drive the trucks. The work is planned to begin when most of the leaves have fallen, and will begin on the west end of town and work toward the east. There is no need to bag leaves because bags cannot be picked up by the leaf vacuums. Leaves should not be piled in drainage ditches because that causes drains to clog which results in flooding. The city will keep track of where the leaf trucks have worked and progress will be put on the citys website. There will be a second pass, but Mr. Dorsey said that it will take a couple of months before the first round is finished.

The council approved applying for and the acceptance of a grant from Public Entity Partners, the citys insurer. The $8,000 grant, which the city receives each year, is for protecting city property and to maintain property values. This year it will be used for the installation of some security cameras at Camp Jordan. To receive the grant East Ridge will be required to put in a 50 percent match of $4,000 for the cameras.

The two liquor stores that won the lottery to be located in East Ridge have been delayed because contractors and building materials have been difficult to find, said Mayor Brian Williams. But they both have submitted plans to the city for review and are moving forward despite the delays, said Mr. Dorsey.

Construction of the new playground at Pioneer Frontier and the new splash pad that will be located there have also been delayed. The completion date is fluid, said the mayor, because of labor shortage.

On Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., East Ridge Animal Services will sponsor a Bark Party behind city hall on Tombras Avenue. There will be adoptable dogs available, music and a yard sale. Proceeds will go toward the new East Ridge Animal Services building.

There will be a blood drive on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Police and Fire building on Ringgold Road. Appointments can be made, but walk-ins are welcome.

This year the East Ridge Christmas parade will be held again after it was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID concerns. It is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 20, at 6:30, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Mayor Williams praised the RAM Clinic (Remote Area Medical) that was held last weekend at Camp Jordan. It provided free health care from volunteers, including dental, vision and medical.

At the Thursday night council meeting property located at 4105 Cemetery Road was rezoned from R-3 Apartment District to R-1 Residential District on the final reading. At the next council meeting another rezoning request will be discussed for 1410 N. Mack Smith Road. The rezoning would allow the motel at that location to be rezoned from C-1 Commercial to Residential for conversion of the property into apartments. The planning commission has recommended denial because it would remove the location from the border region district where the city benefits from taxes.
A woman called police and said she believes she lost her diamond wedding ring while at the Target, 1816 Gunbarrel Road. She said the ring was loose fitting on her finger and she thinks it may have fallen off unawares. She said the ring has a 1.49 carat weight diamond set in

4.67 dwt white 14 carat gold. She said in 2015 it was appraised for $17,467.60.



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A man on North Marks Avenue told police that he had been drinking and that his girlfriend had taken his phone. Police spoke with the girlfriend and she said that she and her boyfriend were sitting on the bed, and that she was holding his phone. She said he went to grab the phone and the phone slipped away from her, bumping her in the head. She said that she was okay. Police asked her if she had the man's phone and she said that she did not. The man said that he would go to sleep and look for it later.



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A homeowner on Benton Avenue called police to report damage inside of his property. He said the previous tenant damaged the vinyl inside the kitchen. It appeared that the vinyl was burned, unknown if it was intentionally or accidentally. The carpet inside the rooms also had dog feces on it. He said the residence is currently vacant until he fixes the house and puts it back on the market. He said that he would prosecute anyone caught inside of his property without his authorization. He did not provide the name of his previous tenant.



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A man at Chattanooga Bud Dispensary, 5665 Brainerd Road, told police someone broke into his vehicle and took a package out of it. He valued the package at $9,000. Police made contact with a Verizon employee who said he heard glass break and then saw a black male leave the scene. Police will attempt to gain video footage from Verizon on a later date to identify the suspect.



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Police were called to by the Microtel Hotel, 7014 McCutcheon Road, to assist in escorting a woman off of the property. Microtel was kicking the woman out due to breaking a hotel policy. The woman left without incident. She was allowed to leave belongings in the room and return later to retrieve them.



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The owner of the apartment building at 6936 Lee Hwy. called police to report suspicious activity involving a man who goes by "Dee," who is not allowed to be on the property, and is doing so anyway. The owner said "Dee" was also harassing his tenants. Police spoke with the tenants and they declined to make a report.



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A man told police he had come off of his work shift at Chattanooga Billiards Club, 725 Cherry St., and discovered that the sunroof on his rental car had been smashed. He said that the vehicle was undamaged when he arrived at work for his 10 p.m. shift. He said he did not find any evidence of entry into the vehicle, nor did he think that anything had been stolen. Neither police nor he saw any object or tool which would have been used to smash the sunroof. He said that he would alert Enterprise Rent-a-Car, the vehicle's owner.



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A man on Bartow Lane told police that he and his girlfriend just moved to Chattanooga eight

days ago. He said his 1992 Toyoto Celica was parked in his driveway last night and he last saw it around 10:30 p.m. He said the vehicle was unlocked and the keys were inside as well. He said the vehicle is unique, being a 1992 Celica with front flip up headlights. He also said that the vehicle has New Jersey tags on the front and back. The officer entered the vehicle into NCIC as stolen.



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A man on Market Street called police to his residence and told them that his driver's side mirror was damaged..



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A man on Mountain Creek Road told police that early this morning he could hear the newspaper delivery guy talking extremely loudly with his neighbor outside. He said he went outside and asked the paper guy, "Frank," if he could please be a little more quiet. He said that "Frank" got upset and started quoting the noise ordinance. The man said that "Frank" started walking away and made a comment of "I better just leave before I kill someone." Police spoke to the neighbor, who said "Frank" is a nice guy, he just had a really bad morning. She said that someone yelled at "Frank" at work that morning and he was having a bad day. She said that "Frank" came back after the incident and apologized to her for the confrontation that morning with her neighbor. The man said he wanted the incident documented in case anything happens further down the road.



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The manager of Elder's Ace Hardware, 8164 E Brainerd Road, told police that at 1:15 a.m. that day a man with a thin build wearing a Halloween mask was caught moving the surveillance camera with a metal pole. The man walked police to the Farmhouse Boutique. Alongside the boutique, he showed police a hole cut in the fence and two stolen pumpkins left along the fence line. He walked police by the Irma Marie business and showed damage to the side door that was caused by someone attempting to pry it open. He then showed police a hole cut in the far corner of the ACE nursery fence. He said three Chimeneas, worth $300, and 12 pumpkins, worth $120, were stolen. Police attempted to get fingerprints from the iron pole used to move the cameras, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The man said approximately a year ago a very similar theft occurred using the same route behind buildings with the same fences being cut. Police collected the pictures of the suspect and door and provided the man with a complaint card.
Hamilton County Schools is partnering with local organizations to open the Global Center for Digital Innovation and break ground on the Construction Career Center.

In 2012, HCS partnered with Chattanooga State Community College to develop STEM education within the region and opened the STEM School. While Hamilton County has the most designated STEM schools in the state, the GCDI highlights the continuation of HCS and Chattanooga States dedication to providing STEM Education. This Center is the first of its kind to offer K-14 programs sustaining student learning through collegiate opportunities.

The GCDI will be co-facilitated by the HCS STEM School and Chattanooga States Engineering division. Through the GCDI opening, the STEM School is also leading the way in developing a micro-credentialing process allowing students to earn Tennessee Student Industry Credentials.

HCS is ensuring that our students have multiple pathways to build a future without limits, said Dr. Nakia Towns, Hamilton County Schools interim superintendent. The GCDI and the Construction Career Center increase students hands-on learning opportunities to develop the skills for high demand industry sectors. We are grateful for these partnerships that provide future ready learning opportunities for all students.

The Construction Career Center will house continuing education programs for high school juniors and seniors, and adults interested in a career in construction. The Center operates through Chattanooga State and TCAT. The Center will allow HCS 11th and 12th grade students to graduate with up to five construction industry certifications. The Construction Career Center will have a lasting impact on Hamilton County as it prepares HCS students for success and offers avenues for adults to enter thriving and well-paying jobs locally, said officials.






This family was always making jokes, sometimes making viewers laugh in the process. Full House also included some audience laughter, with fans wondering if a live audience was reacting to Joey Gladstones comedy routine or Danny Tanners cleaning habits.

Heres what we know about this sitcom.

Full House episode titled The Last Dance featuring John Stamos, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Bob Saget, and other cast members | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Full House introduced fans to DJ Tanner, Jesse Katsopolis, Joey Gladstone, and other memorable characters

From traveling to Walt Disney World to vacationing in Hawaii, plenty of memorable moments featured this unconventional family. Despite problems with relationships, school, work, and everything in between, the Tanner family was full of love.

This original series featured actors like John Stamos as the handsome rocker named Jesse Katsopolis and Candace Cameron Bure as the eldest Tanner sister named DJ Tanner.

Full House debuted almost 200 episodes, running for eight seasons before its abrupt end. With the series now available for streaming on Hulu, fans can relive adventures with this family.

Was Full House filmed in front of a live audience?

This sitcom first debuted in the 1980s and continued releasing episodes well into the 1990s. With laughter appearing in almost every episode of Full House, some fans wonder if there was actually a studio audience present while filming.

The answer is yes, Full House was filmed in front of a live studio audience. However, Full House wouldnt be the only sitcom to use an audience instead of a laugh track.

Shows like Saturday Night Live, Americas Got Talent, and even the Netflix spinoff series Fuller House featured a real audience reacting to the series. Of course, some safety precautions were implemented in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Was Fuller House filmed in front of an audience?

Years following the Full House finale, Netflix created their own version of this series, this time featuring the Tanner sisters as adults. Instead of Danny Tanner, his eldest daughter DJ was the head of the household, taking care of her three children while spending time with her sibling and best friend.

This series premiered several seasons on Netflix, with most episodes featuring a live studio audience reacting to the Tanner-Fuller Family. As seen from Andrea Barbers personal tape night vlog, the cast actually appeared before fans at Warner Bros Studios.

Fans of the original Full House series loved the nostalgia of DJ Tanner together with her old flame, Steve Hale. These characters even got married alongside Stephanie Tanner, Kimmy Gibbler, and their respective partners. Netflix has since premiered the final episode of this sitcom.

Episodes of Fuller House are available exclusively on the streaming platform Netflix. Fans can purchase digital and physical copies of Full House thanks to retailers like Amazon. Additionally, entire seasons of this sitcom are available on the rival subscription service, Hulu.

RELATED: In Full House Season 1, Joey Gladstone Was Always Twinning With the Mannequin in the Alcove
El Dia de los Muertos, translated as the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday also celebrated in many US communities. It has roots both in the Catholic observances of All Saints and All Souls Days and in indigenous Mexican beliefs about the dead.

According to the ancient religion of Mexico, Day of the Dead traditions help the spirits of the dead return to their families, keeping them happy and forestalling the difficulties the dead could inflict on the living. Celebrations vary by region, but they have much in common: altars with offerings to dead relatives, skull-shaped sugar candies, marigolds, incense, votives, and food; candlelit cemeteries; tissue-paper cutouts; and calaverita (little skull) decorations everywhere.

CT asked Christians whove been in ministry in places where the Day of the Dead is celebrated, Can Christians participate in good conscience? If so, how?

Sally Isais (Mexico City, Mexico): Christians shouldnt participate at all, given the nature of the holiday.

Every mid-October before the Day of the Dead, my parents would receive a note from my Mexico City school saying, If your daughter does not bring her part for the classroom offering, she will flunk civics class.

My mother would say, I am sorry, but as evangelical Christians, we cannot be part of this celebration, even if it means Sally will not pass the course. She would then ask the teacher if there was any way that I could make up for not participating. Some years I flunked the course, and other years I was allowed to present another project. My peers were always upset that I would not do my part to decorate the class altar to the dead. My children had similar experiences when they were in Mexico City schools.

Some people see the Day of the Dead as simply a Mexican cultural art form and a family-friendly celebration: colorful, decorative, and dramatic, even somewhat romantic. However, there is a dark spiritual side to the holiday that has steadily increased and become more obvious and unrestrained.

Like other evangelicals in Mexico, I believe the Day of the Dead is about honoring deathnot just the deadand taking part (consciously or unconsciously) in occult practices that God forbids his people to engage in (Deut. 18:1014).

I asked other Mexican evangelical leaders to weigh in, and they were very consistent on the issue. I havent found any evangelical Christians in Mexico who would actively participate in this tradition in which our culture, like the prophet Daniels, pushes us to compromise our worship of the one true God.

Under no circumstance should a truly born-again believer celebrate the Day of the Dead, says Victoriano Baez Camargo, pastoral leader and former director of the Mexican Bible Society.

Pastor Cirilo Cruz, president of the National Evangelical Fraternity of Mexico, states, Every altar to the dead has idols. Daniel chose not to contaminate himself with things offered to them.

Gilberto Rocha and his wife, Clara, pastors of the megachurch Calacoaya, say the normalization of Dia de los Muertos shouldnt be a big factor: Our basis should be the Word of God and not culture or what is in style.

Our participation during these days is that of witnessing, says Cruz. Many evangelical churches hold all-night prayer meetings and evangelistic outreach efforts during these especially dark days.

At the core of many Mexican Christians objections to Dia de Los Muertos is its celebration of death. This celebration is in reality the worship of death. Jesus taught us to celebrate life and that death is no longer triumphant, says Baez Camargo.

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The Rochas note that Scripture is very clear regarding death: it is the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). We cannot celebrate our enemy. We must choose between life (a blessing) and death (a curse).

The only death that Christians celebrate is that of our Savior and the life that his sacrifice has afforded to us. We celebrate Jesus, the Bread of Lifenot the dead. We participate at the table of Christ, not at the table of demons asserts pastor Edna Porras.

Believers should not participate in the Day of the Dead. To do so is to play with fire. During the days of Dia de los Muertos, we Christians take the opportunity to celebrate and share the life offered to us through Jesus Christ, who conquered death.

Sally Isais is the director of Milamex, a nonprofit ministry that leads and empowers Mexicans in their calling to walk alongside the Church and serve Christ in all areas of life.

Heidi Carlson (San Diego, California): Christians should avoid ancestor worship, but we can mourn with those who mourn.

I wasnt born into a family that participates in Day of the Dead rituals. So, when I realized I needed to prepare my children for the festivities in our San Diego neighborhood, the context I primarily drew upon was my upbringing in Africa.

Our Sherman Heights community in San Diego holds the regions most traditional Day of the Dead festivities, where the local community center hosts a hall of altars and residents participate in a candlelight procession. People set up altars in their front yards with candles, offerings, and photos. Those thoughtfully curated displays are more prevalent on our evening walks than fake cobwebs or other Halloween decorations.

In Mozambique, where I grew up, ancestor worship, as well as ancestor veneration, played an important role in peoples lives. In ancestor worship, the dead arent simply honored; their souls need to be appeased, as they can make the lives of the living better or worse. Ancestors are revered as spiritual entities that communicate with family on earth and act as mediators to a distant god. They are a presence in daily life. Fear is a common theme in ancestor worship.

For people across the globe, honoring ancestors can become a fear-filled religion. In cultures where ancestor veneration forms an integral part of cultural identity, Christians who do not participate in the rituals often risk persecution. Their seeming lack of reverence for ancestors might bring shame and bad fortune to the family. It is an apparent rejection of their cultural identity.

Given this understanding, my instinct was to remain separate and not be present at any Day of the Dead events in our neighborhood. Being present at events might hinder my Christian witness, I thought. Others might think Im tacitly endorsing ancestor worship if I engage in the activities. But these were our neighbors, our community. What was our calling in this context?

Once, during an evening stroll, we met a neighbor sitting on his front porch, carefully curating an altar. His front steps were lined with a beautiful arrangement of flowers and candles, interspersed with framed family photos. He had never done an altar before. But his father passed away the previous year, so this year he wanted to memorialize him. Joyfully, he pointed out photos and shared memories. For this neighbor, the altar functioned as a memorial.

I learned that for many residents, the Day of the Dead is a holiday of remembrance. Sharing stories and the act of communal remembrance can be a meaningful event. Day of the Dead in Sherman Heights is also a festival celebrating cultural heritage.

The secularization and commercialization have made pathways around its connection with the occult and ancestor worship, in the same way that many who enjoy Halloween are not participating in pagan ritual.

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Nevertheless, there is no denying the strong spiritual component to Day of the Dead. Some peopleeven churchgoerspray to dead relatives and leave food offerings, fearing what will happen if they dont.

Mixing Christianity with other practices and coming to believe a gospel of works may be glaringly obvious syncretism when I perceive it in others. But there are ways I may be syncretistic, trusting in Jesus and something else, that are not so spiritually different from an offering to a dead relative.

No matter where Day of the Dead celebrants fall on the spectrum or how your neighbors and community celebrate, this is not a holiday to be feared. When I see the smirking skull, I think of Pauls words: Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:5557).

When the neighborhood is bedecked with sugar skulls, candles, and pots of marigolds, I engage, asking my neighbors questions about beloved deceased family members and sharing in joy at the memories.

And perhaps I will have the opportunity to share with them the joy and assurance we have because we serve the God of the living, not the deadthe God who welcomes us not because of the rituals we perform but because of the work he did on the cross.

Heidi Carlson is a writer now living in the Kingdom of Bahrain with her husband and four children.

Alexia Salvatierra (Pasadena, California): This is an issue Christians can disagree on, so long as we put our neighbors spiritual health first.

Paul had to teach the early church about more than one morally thorny question. Instead of coming down neatly with a list of dos and donts, the apostle raised a more fundamental theological principle: How will this choice affect your neighbor?

I have the right to do anything, you saybut not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anythingbut not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others (1 Cor. 10:2324).

As a Lutheran, I understand church holidays as physical reminders of spiritual principles: helpful for people with bodies, whose learning is strengthened by physical experience. All Saints Dayone of the traditions el Dia de los Muertos stems fromis a vehicle for the biblical message that the body of Christ is both earthly and heavenly, providing a moment of reassurance, a sense of support, and a gift of perspective.

Of course, el Dia de los Muertos is not All Saints Day. For some, it is a form of ancestor worship or an excuse for a drunken party. For others, it is a time of remembering loved ones and valuing the gift of family.

I was born in Los Angeles, to family who came from the antichurch, socialist tradition in Mexico and saw the holiday as encouraging superstition. I became a Christian in the Jesus Movement of the 70s.

I joined evangelical Spanish-speaking churches who saw the holiday as promoting a dangerous distortion of the afterlife, distracting people from the eternal consequences of accepting or rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior, and encouraging pagan beliefs.

When I became a Lutheran pastor, I walked into a debate between pastors who shared the above perspective and others who thought the holiday was a positive cultural practice for its emphasis on the value of family and respect for elders, useful as a teaching tool.

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How should Christians respond? Do we participate in the best aspects of the holiday and ignore the worst? Do we absent ourselves and denounce it? In the Lutheran Hispanic context as well as in the Centro Latino community at Fuller Theological Seminary, we can find both perspectives.

It is ultimately a question of evangelism: how we proclaim the gospel in words and deeds so that the love of Christ and the way of Christ are both experienced and named.

For example, Martin Luther used the tune of a famous German drinking song for his signature hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, because he wanted to communicate the concept of ImmanuelGod with us in the midst of our lives, in every dark human corner that needs his mercy and light.

At times in the Book of Acts, Paul pointed out Gods presence in the familiar and used that as a signpost to lead people to a saving knowledge of Christ. At other times, he denounced idol worship and sinful cultural practices.

In all of the cultures that I know well, people honor the memory of their dead relatives. I can't imagine why we would consider that in itself to be a sin. As for the altars, or shrines, of Day of the Dead, building a shrine is sinful or not depending on who you are worshiping there. If you are worshiping an idol, then it is a sin. If you are worshiping God, then it is not.

However, in the Latin American context, a Christian would have to do some intentional work to clarify that a picture of a relative at a Dia de los Muertos shrine was not being treated as an idol.

It is possible to use Dia de los Muertos as an occasion to preach about earthly and heavenly family, to talk about eternal life, to ask what it takes to truly laugh in the face of deathand perhaps to do all that at the table of celebration with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:1516).

It is also possible to use Dia de los Muertos to talk about how to separate from the world and seek a life of purity and faithfulness, embodying the Word in the refusal to participate.

Whether to participate in the holiday is a question of discernment in context, using the guiding principle of love for ones neighbor. This is an example of what Martin Luther called adiaphora, a topic about which faithful Christians can disagree without breaking the unity that Jesus prayed for.

Alexia Salvatierra is Academic Dean at Fuller Theological Seminarys Centro Latino and ordained pastor since 1988.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
Like many others, we have been following the story of the 12 adults and five children associated with Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) who were kidnapped in Haiti on October 16 and are being held for ransom. The situation is difficult to contemplate, and we join countless individuals around the globe in praying for their release.

Unfortunately, circumstances in Haiti have allowed kidnapping to become all too common, routinely placing the lives of localsand sometimes those of foreignersat risk. But although the CAM abduction story fits a sad pattern of sorts, the official response has provoked queries from both religious and secular observers.

The nature and tone of CAMs public statements and the prayer requests from the captives families have surprised many people because they have included prayer for the kidnappers and a desire to extend love and forgiveness to the gang members holding the 16 Americans and one Canadian captive.

Yet these responses did not surprise us. To be clear, we do not personally know any of those being held captive by the gang known as 400 Mawozo, nor are we privy to the private conversations of their relatives. However, the content of the public prayers and the calls to pray for the captives reflect deeply rooted Anabaptist dispositions that we believe the wider Christian community would find both surprisingly familiar and thought provoking.

From Ohio to the world

CAM is a relief and service organization supported by many churches on the more conservative side of the contemporary Anabaptist spectrumplain-dressing traditionalist Mennonites, Amish-Mennonites, Dunkard Brethren, and not a small number of Old Order Mennonites and Amish. Along with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an international service agency that tends to draw support from the more assimilated side of the Mennonite family tree, CAM is one of the larger Anabaptist parachurch agencies today.

Begun in 1981, CAM was originally known as Christian Aid to Romania and grew out of an Ohio-based effort to ship care packages to Eastern Europe in the tense years of the late Cold War. Such gift giving challenged the easy way many Western Christians labeled those behind the iron curtain as the enemy.

Today CAM is involved in scores of countries. In Haiti, where CAM has been active since the late 1980s, its long-term work involves providing school supplies for children, medicines for clinics, and food for the elderly, as well as distributing Bibles and Christian literature. Short-term efforts included rebuilding in the wake of this summers earthquake. The hostages had been visiting an orphanage supported by CAM.

Three windows into the Anabaptist soul

In the days since the abduction, CAM and the captives families have issued at least ten public statements (from which come all the quotations that follow). In addition to fervent calls for prayer, the statements provide a window into the soul of the Plain Anabaptist community. They also offer an occasion for theological reflection for the rest of us.

What do we see in their response? Plain Anabaptists understand and exhibit their faith in different ways. Some are more comfortable with verbal evangelism than others. The degree to which they limit technology and avoid consumer culture also varies. Still, there is broad agreement on numerous matters, including things that bind them to other Christians.

Plain Anabaptists share many beliefs with evangelical Protestants, including the authority of the Bible, the sovereignty of God, and the availability of salvation through the work of Christ. CAMs statement that we commit this situation to God and trust Him to see us through would likely resonate with many evangelicals, as would the organizations hope that, regardless of the outcome, the Lord Jesus [might] be magnified and many more people come to know His love and salvation.

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Much of the groups language and its choice of biblical references would feel familiar to American evangelicals, including affirmations that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b) and that God invites us to call upon his name in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15) and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

But alongside these foundational sentiments, we also discover three distinctive refrains that reflect historic Anabaptist understandings of the Christian faith: the imperative to pray for the kidnappers, a nonresistant response to adversaries, and a commitment to forgive.

1) Praying for the kidnappers

In addition to asking supporters to pray for the safety of the captives as well as peace and comfort for their families back home, the CAM statements repeatedly ask us to include the kidnappers in our intercessionpresenting them as humans whose actions, as horrifying as they are, do not place them beyond the bounds of love and concern:

The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him. 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.

One father of a hostage said this about the kidnappers, We are interested in the salvation of these men and we love them.

Many [Plain Anabaptist] children are praying for the people who have been kidnapped, [and] one three-year-old child prayed that the naughty people would become good.

This last example, drawn from a young childs words, illustrates how this fundamental orientation to enemies is passed on in Plain Anabaptist circles from one generation to the next across time.

Although none of the public statements explicitly refer to Anabaptist history, these sentiments enjoining prayer for enemies and longing for the transformation of adversaries is replete in the stories of Martyrs Mirror, the compendium of Anabaptist suffering in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Like the accounts in Martyrs Mirror, the calls from CAM are grounded in appeals to the example of Jesus, who said, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

2) Nonresistance in the face of adversity

A closely related but distinct theological theme is responding to adversityeven dreadful circumstanceswithin the spirit of Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

CAMs leadership explained, We have received various comments about our position on loving those who wrong us. This teaching, promoted for many years in Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptist communities, we believe is Gods desire for all people. The statement then linked to Matthew 5:1011 to underscore that when we follow Jesus we love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who persecute us. The linked document also included these admonitions from Romans 12:1921:

Do not take revenge on your enemy for doing wrong to you.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food.

If your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink.

3) A commitment to forgive

CAMs requests to pray for adversaries were accompanied with appeals to forgive the kidnappers, regardless of how the situation plays out:

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Jesus not only taught us to do these things, but also gave us an example of how to do them. When the Roman soldiers nailed Him to the cross, He called out to God, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

A father [of a hostage] said, As a family we are giving forgiveness to these men. We are not holding anything against them. Though the past week has been difficult, the families are united in their desire to follow Jesus teaching of forgiveness.

Forgiveness in Anabaptist circles typically means rejecting revenge and extending grace, though it does not necessarily absolve accountability of the wrongdoer.

Confidence in Gods mercy

Underneath all these themes runs a calm and reflective tone, including a profound empathy for the Haitian people. This time of difficulty reminds us of the ongoing suffering of millions of Haitians, CAM noted. While our workers chose to serve in Haiti, our Haitian friends endure crisis after crisis, continual violence, and economic hardship. Despite the difficulties and dangers involved in working there, both our Haitian and American workers carry a vision to minister the love of Jesus in Haiti  [and] to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who went about doing good (Acts 10:38).

These sentiments demonstrate a posture that may seem at odds with the sectarianism that observers assume for Plain Anabaptist communities. Yet empathy is a close companion to the Anabaptist emphasis on humility, and both grow out of a confidenteven if quietly assertedsense of Gods abiding love and mercy.

As one supporter wrote:

I have a beautiful mind picturethat of thousands, likely millions of believers joining hands around the globe, their prayers ascending as a sweet incense to the Father of mercies. It matters not so much what denomination, race, or culture; we are all joined in one common heart-rending plea, Lord, have mercy.

Donald B. Kraybill is senior fellow emeritus at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (PA) College and Steven M. Nolt is senior scholar and interim director at the Young Center. They are the coauthors, with David L. Weaver-Zercher, of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy.
This article first appeared on CBE Internationals blog, Mutuality, on 10/28/2021 https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/7-ways-you-can-dress-biblical-womanhood-your-churchs

By Katie McEachern.

Katie works for CBE International as publications and educational manager as well as executive assistant to the president. She holds an MA in theology from Fuller Seminary and a desire to help people bridge the gap between theology/biblical studies and real life. A Michigander originally, Katie currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her cat, Mazel.

7 Ways You Can Dress Up As Biblical Womanhood For Your Churchs Harvest Festival

For those of us who live in the United States, Halloween is quickly approaching. Before I get into the snark you knew was coming when you saw the title, I first want to acknowledge that this is kind of a big deal. At this time last year, any kind of gathering was strongly discouraged due to the pandemic (and lack of a vaccine). But as the CDC has given us a tentative OK to celebrate Halloween this year, its quite likely that at this very moment your church is prepping for its annual harvest festival or trunk-or-treat extravaganza.

All of this also probably means, if youre a procrastinator like me, that you still have to come up with a costume to wear. Well youre in luck, because Id like to propose that this is the year we are free to have some subversive fun. Let me explain.

Earlier this year, The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr took the evangelical world by storm, opening countless readers eyes to the harmful constructs that modern, complementarian biblical womanhood and its counterpart, biblical manhood, are. Praise God!

It also prompted numerous rebuttals and reaffirmations of these unified complementarian models. Sigh.

While I deeply value Barrs book, watching this conversation unfold exhausted me. Why do we still have to combat the complementarian notion that (1) there is a unified biblical concept for womanhood and that (2) it is quiet, docile submission, while biblical manhood is, well, muscular, bold, and weighty?

The truth is, Im tired! And I am guessing you are too. So this year, I petition we use your churchs harvest festival to show rather than tell why biblical womanhood (and biblical manhood) is not as clear or monolithic as complementarian leaders would have Christians believe.

Here are a few ideas Ive come up with to get the ball rolling:

Symbols of Biblical Womanhood

1. A bloody tent peg, complete with dangling human brains

This ones great because not only is it biblical, its also spooky! When asked what on Gods green earth you are by your confused, probably horrified fellow congregants, simply say biblical womanhood. When they inevitably question you further, tell them the story of Jael from Judges 4, who welcomed Israels enemy general into her tent, lulled him into a false sense of security, and then killed him with a tent peg through the head, delivering victory into the hands of the Israelites. And if they have any questions about whether this is something the Bible praises, read them the song that follows in Judges 5, where Jael is called most blessed of women.

If you have a friend or partner you can rope into dressing up with you, you can make this into a two-person costume, where one person is Jael (I suggest her costume feature a glass of milk and a blanket) and the other is Sisera, with a tent peg sticking through his temple.

2. A signet, a cord, and a staff

To best pull off this costume, youll need to recruit two friends. When asked what you are, you can again simply say biblical womanhood. When inevitably pushed, you can tell the story of Tamar in Genesis 38one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Tamar was unfairly relegated to early, childless widowhood by her dead husbands family, specifically her father-in-law, Judah. Instead of accepting her futureless fate, she tricked Judah into making her pregnant by dressing as a prostitute. In the process, she also requested he give her his signet, cord, and staff.

Later, when Judah found out Tamar was somehow pregnant, though unmarried, Tamar used his signet, cord, and staff to turn her impurity back on him, revealing his injustice. If your friends have any question about whether this is something the Bible looks favorably on, share how Judah himself says Tamar is more righteous than I am (Gen. 38:26) and how Tamar and the children she conceived with Judah through this story are included in Jesuss genealogy (Matt. 1:3).

3. A Proverbs 31 woman, a.k.a. a working mom

For this costume, you can channel the spirit of the valiant woman in Proverbs 31 by dressing up as a working momwhatever this looks like to you. Granted, if you are a working mom, perhaps the last thing you want to do is play-act it for your church. But for the rest of us, this costume offers a unique opportunity to expand the conservative notion that the woman depicted in Proverbs 31 is a complementarian, submissive wife. When asked what you are, say biblical womanhood. When pressed for proof that a working mom is biblical womanhood, cite Proverbs 31, specifically verses 1618 and 24. You can read it for them, there, on the spot, if they need a refresher.

Biblical Women Living Out Biblical Womanhood

4. Lydia

I have to say, I love Lydia. She was such an important person on her own that Luke didnt even bother to mention if she had a husband (Acts 16:1115). Instead, she is defined by her business savvy. She was also powerful enough that her entire household converted to Christianity when she did. For these reasons, I recommend breaking out your purple pantsuit for this one (and if you dont already have one, this is a perfect excuse to purchase one).

5. Deborah holding court

What did Israels judges wear? While this costume may not be as easy as finding a power purple pantsuit, Id probably go with a gavel and some kind of flame insignia. Whats up with the fire, you ask? Well Judges 4:4 says Deborah was a judge and a woman of lappidoth (literally eshet lappidot). Many people have pointed out that while this could be (and has been) translated wife of Lappidoth, making the assumption that lappidot is referring to a man, it could just as easily be understood to mean woman of torches or fiery woman, because lappid means torch. Including fire in your costume could serve as a great learning opportunity about sexist bias in Bible translation for your church community.

To really hammer home the idea that the Bible wants us to remember Deborah as a fiery woman (with or without a husband), you could make this into a couples costume, where your partner dresses as the palm Deborah ruled under.

Couples Costumes Demonstrating Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

6. Priscilla and Aquila

One of my favorite questions to ask is, if God ordained it so that women are the submissive complements to dominant male leadership, where are all the shining examples of this model of marriage in the Bible? I have yet to find one that doesnt require some sort of qualification. There are, however, examples of egalitarian couples which require no qualificationand Priscilla and Aquila are the gold standard. Always named together, with Priscilla named first a number of times, these two were a God-honoring couple and clear team.

You can get creative with how you want to convey this egalitarian marriage through costume, but I recommend part of your schtick include, whenever possible, gently correcting mansplainersideally on biblical/theological topics. While I admit it may not be entirely fair to categorize Apollos as a mansplainer, Acts 18:26 makes it clear he was boldly preaching on topics he didnt really know enough about, which is at least mansplaining-adjacent.

7. Elizabeth and Zechariah

This costume idea is simpleone person dresses as an elderly pregnant woman and the other dresses as an elderly man. The person dressed as Elizabeth does the talking for the couple for the night, per the story we find in Luke 1. I recommend Elizabeth emphasize, as she explains the costume to your friends, that the impact of this story is not that Zechariah is unable talk for the time Elizabeth is pregnant. No, the impact of this story is found in the fact that it is Elizabeth who, due to her faith, is given the privilege of speaking for the couple by God while their miracle pregnancy unfoldssomething that is specifically acted out in Luke 1:5657.

These ideas are just a start; you are strongly encouraged to brainstorm your own biblical womanhood costume ideas to add to this list. If you think of a good costume, let us know! Better yet, tag us in your pictures @CBEInt!

Be encouraged that the underlying theme connecting these costume ideas, and the real point of this article, is that true biblical womanhood and biblical manhood is not monolithic. The Bible demonstrates that God uses us based on our gifts and strengths, not based on our gender. I hope we can communicate this to our church communities this year, whether through fun costumes worn to harvest festivals (or making jokes about potential costumes) or through conversations and relationships.
Inside the intense LGBT debate raging within the United Methodist Church (podcast)

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Christian Post reporter Michael Gryboski dives into the heated and complex same-sex marriage and sexuality debate that is raging within the United Methodist Church.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN POST PODCAST ON EDIF

From discussions about openly-gay ordination to same-sex marital blessings, Gryboski breaks down the issues at play and the potential schisms that could unfold next year at the denomination's General Conference.

"It's believed by many that [next year's conference is] going to be the flashpoint, that's going to be the breaking point," he said. "[Some believe] whatever happens there is going to lead to a schism between conservatives and progressives."

Listen to this episode of The Christian Post Podcast below:

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National defense: Playing catch-up again?

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First came the startling news from the unlikely source of Londons Financial Times that last summer China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missilethat circled the globe before speeding toward its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise.

I dont know which part of that news flash I find more alarming  that they tested such a dangerous missile or that our spy agencies were surprised. Both statements should be cause for alarm. The development of this missile signals Chinas intention to catch up or surpass America in nuclear deterrence, and the intention to develop a first strike capability against the U.S. And, if the U.S. spy networks were surprised, what else dont they know?

Add the recently discovered information that China is building over 200 missile silos in their western desert to house ICBM missiles, and our national defense alarm should be sounding at a fever pitch.

So, what kind of missile has China evidently tested? What is a hypersonic missile that circled the globe before speeding to its target?

Hypersonic is an aerodynamics term defining speeds at least 5 times the speed of sound or Mach 5 and above. That is very fast and is destabilizing to missile defense systems. Additionally, the Chinese missile was a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) missile which goes into partial orbit around the Earth to strike targets from an unexpected direction while avoiding radar detection and anti-missile defenses."

Russia is also pursuing this research, but it appears that China has surged ahead of both Russia and the U.S. in this new technology.

I have been informed by knowledgeable Defense and former Defense Department officials who asked to remain anonymous that the U.S. was on the verge of pursuing the development of this technology at the beginning of President Obamas second term (2012-13) when the President vetoed any financial support for the project. While America slept, China persevered.

So once again, the U.S. is playing that very dangerous national defense game called, Playing Catch-up. Why is it dangerous? If you are too long asleep at the wheel, you can be defeated by a technologically superior enemy.

It has happened to the U.S. before, and more than once. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, has described the testing of the Chinese hypersonic missile as very close to a Sputnik moment and the successful Chinese tests were a very significant technological event."

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space, heralding the beginning of the space age. Americans were shocked. Were the Russians ahead of us? It turned out that we could have accomplished the same feat at least two years earlier, but the Eisenhower administration didnt think it was that important.

After the initial shock, having started through lack of foresight well behind the Russians, we caught and surpassed them, testified to by the first successful moon landing on July 20, 1969. If the Russians had won the space race, there would have been dire military consequences for America.

Earlier, we came perilously close to losing the greatest struggle for human freedom and dignity in the 20th century  the Second World War. As Germany and Japan prepared for war and world conquest at a breakneck pace, America was a third-rate land and air power with a semi first-class Navy.

FDR perceived the threat to Americas security and did everything he could do to prepare America for a war he believed was inevitable and that it was to Americas advantage to enter earlier rather than later and make all preparations to be victorious.

Among the most important of those preparations was the passage of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, otherwise known as the draft. The act required that men between 21 and 35 register with local draft boards set up across the nation, and it was passed in September 1940. Without the passage of that bill, it would have taken the nation at least a year longer to mobilize its manpower to fight and win World War II against Germany and Japan. By then, it might very well have been too late to secure victory, rather than defeat.

The bill authorizing extending the draft passed by one vote. An interesting side note: I had a roommate at Princeton whose father was Rep. Orrin Harris, a Democrat from Arkansas. My roommate once asked his father, What was the most important vote he cast while in Congress?

He answered, The vote to extend the draft in 1941. His father explained that it was going to be a very close vote and Congressman Harris was from a very isolationist district. The day before the vote, freshman Congressman Harris received a phone call from Franklin Roosevelt who explained, This draft vote is very important, and I need your vote. I know the people in your district are against it, but Im your President and Im asking you for your vote. Congressman Harris voted yea and it passed the House of Representatives by one vote on Aug. 12, 1940, less than four months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. If that bill had not passed, it would have been difficult to mobilize our manpower in time to win World War II.

I hope that America learns the lessons of history and responds very quickly to this direct Chinese threat. We avoided war with the Soviet Union during the Cold War because we were prepared militarily and we had a credible nuclear deterrent triad of land, air, and submarine nuclear missiles which guaranteed that even if the Soviets attacked us first, we could still launch a strike which would destroy the Soviet Union.

At the height of the Cold War, former President Nixon explained, The only reason anyone anywhere in the world goes to bed with any degree of freedom is because of the armed might of the United States and its willingness to use it to defend itself and its neighbors.

No nation ever was attacked for being too strong. Weakness or indecision in national defense tempts aggressors to attack.

The closest we have come to nuclear war so far in the Atomic Age was the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, misinterpreted President Kennedys indecisiveness at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 as weakness and did not realize his mistake until we came within hours of a conflict that could have very easily disintegrated into a devastating nuclear exchange.

The Chinese are clearly preparing to reach a point where they can blunt any threat of American nuclear weapons being used to prevent them from conquering Taiwan by military force. In many ways, Taiwan is shaping up as the trigger point for America and China in the same way that Berlin and Cuba were the trigger points in the struggle between the Soviet Union and America.

As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. For most of Christian history, the vast majority of Christians have used some form of Just War Theory to guide them on the morality of when, if, and under what circumstances they as Christians can participate in armed conflict. Wars of aggression or conquest are never defensible in Just War Theory. Only defensive war is permissible. That does not necessarily mean that a nation has to wait to be attacked. If the evidence is irrefutable that a nation, or nations, are preparing to attack you, you are permitted, under Just War Theory, to initiate offensive military action.

The classic illustration of this is in the Six-Day War between Israel and her neighbors in 1967. It was manifestly clear that Egypt, Syria, and Jordan were preparing an all-out attack to drive Israel into the sea. Israel struck first and won the war in the first hour.

Similarly, if the U.S. Navy had encountered the Japanese Fleet cruising an hour from Pearl Harbor under radio silence, they would have considered that an act of war and would have initiated military action to protect the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Unless we are prepared to accept Communist Chinese hegemony over all the Pacific up to the shores of Hawaii, and north of Australia, including the loss of not only Taiwan, but Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and all of Southeast Asia, we must respond to this challenge in ways that prevent military hostilities from commencing. The best way to do that is to convince the Chinese Communist Party which rules China they cannot take Taiwan by force, and they cannot neutralize the American nuclear deterrent.

How do we do that? First, we stay ahead of them in military research and deployment of the results of that research. Second, we demonstrate that we have the backbone to exercise that military power in defense not only of ourselves but also of our allies.

Unfortunately, as the Chinese missile tests demonstrate, we are behind in this one critical area, and we are being forced to play that most American of games, catch-up. We must do so with all deliberate speed, or the cause of liberty and freedom in the world will suffer a terrible defeat with tragic human consequences.
Biden admin. faces criticism over 'intrusive' questions on COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption form

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The Biden administration is facing criticism over a questionnaire included in their form for federal employees seeking a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The Safer Federal Workforce task force website posted an updated template on Friday for the federal government to use when assessing whether an employee can qualify for a religious exemption.

Questions asked on the form include a request to describe the nature of your objection to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement and an explanation for how being vaccinated would substantially burden your religious exercise or conflict with your sincerely held religious beliefs.

The form also requests any possible additional information, including: How long you have held the religious belief underlying your objection, Whether your religious objection is to the use of all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines, a specific type of COVID-19 vaccine, or some other subset of vaccines, and Whether you have received vaccines as an adult against any other diseases (such as a flu vaccine or a tetanus vaccine).

Before the updated version was added to the website on Friday, the religious exemption form template received criticism from some who believe the questionnaire is problematic.

Andrea R. Lucas, a Republican commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, told The Federalist her concerns about the form.

The law does not provide a pandemic-related exception for disregarding the rights of religious employees, Lucas said. No matter the context, intrusive questions presuming insincerity from the start, seeking to catch an employee in an inconsistency, and looking for any reason to deny a religious accommodation request, are inappropriate.

Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sent a letter to the leadership of the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce arguing that the questions showcased a contempt for religious liberty.

The complete list [of questions] evinces a skepticism and indeed a hostility to applicants who harbor sincerely held religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine, stated Hawley. I fear this will chill applications by civil servants to apply for religious exemptions.

In September, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring federal employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination unless they have a valid medical or religious exemption.

It is essential that federal employees take all available steps to protect themselves and avoid spreading COVID-19 to their co-workers and members of the public. The CDC has found that the best way to do so is to be vaccinated, stated Biden in the order.

The Biden administration has been dealing with much backlash regarding their overall effort to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on various entities, including major businesses, federal contractors, the military, and some healthcare providers, among others. The mandate on businesses would require companies with 100 employees or more to fire employees who are not vaccinated or pay a fine of $14,000 for each employee who is not vaccinated.

Earlier this week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed an executive order telling state agencies to resist the implementation of federal vaccine mandates.

The federal governments outrageous overreach has simply given us no other option, but to begin taking action, which is why I am issuing this executive order to fight these egregious COVID--19 vaccine mandates, said Ivey in a statement.

Alabamians  and Americans alike  should and must have the choice to roll up their sleeves to get this shot and certainly not forced by government. While President Biden laughs at the idea of protecting your freedoms, I will continue fighting for Alabama businesses and their employees.
Republicans slam Biden admin. plan to pay over $1B to illegal immigrant families separated at border

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Republicans in Congress are demanding answers to a report that the Biden administration is planning to give nearly half a million dollars to each person who was separated from a family member after they entered the U.S. illegally and were detained by Border Patrol.

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., along with 43 of his Republican colleagues in the United States House of Representatives authored a letter to President Joe Biden Friday expressing severe concerns regarding recent reports that [the administration is] in discussions to offer illegal immigrants that unlawfully crossed the U.S. border in 2018 roughly $450,000 per person in compensation.

Promising tens of thousands of dollars to those who unlawfully entered the United States would not only reward criminal behavior, but it would surely send a message to the world that our borders are open, and our rule of law will not be enforced, they added. Compare this hefty compensation sum [$450,000] to the 2019 average median American household income of $68,703. Furthermore, compare it to the maximum payout from a SGLI life insurance policy for military members, which is $400,000.

The letter was in response to Thursdays Wall Street Journal report documenting the Biden administrations plans to give approximately $450,000 to each person who was separated from a family member under a temporary Trump administration policy pertaining to people who entered the U.S. illegally.

The payments are designed to resolve lawsuits seeking monetary compensation for about 5,500 children of illegal immigrants who claim to have suffered complications such as heat exhaustion, malnutrition, and a lack of medical attention as a result of federal immigration policy.

People familiar with the development predict that fewer illegal immigrants will receive payments from the government because only around 940 claims have been filed so far. While most families will likely receive about $1 million, some of the lawsuits are seeking payments as high as $3.4 million. The U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services will administer the payments, which could exceed $1 billion altogether.

The family separations the lawsuits intended to resolve stem from a temporary zero-tolerance policy implemented by the Trump administration in the spring of 2018 to combat the problem of illegal immigration. Under the zero-tolerance policy, all illegal border crossers, including those seeking asylum, were subject to detention and criminal charges.

Former President Donald Trump later reversed the policy, which critics derided for detaining illegal immigrant children and their parents in separate detention facilities, in an executive order after weeks of pushback. Adult illegal immigrants prosecuted by the Department of Justice are required to be detained in federal criminal detention centers that do not permit children. Therefore, if an adult illegal immigrant brought a child with him or her, the child would have to be placed elsewhere.

The Trump administration also cited the family separation policy as necessary to ensure that the adults claiming to be the childrens guardians were not human smugglers and to comply with a 2016 court ruling that requires the release of illegal immigrant children to family members living in the U.S. or a sponsor after 20 days. The decision did not require the release of the adults accompanying the children.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing families in one of the lawsuits, reacted favorably to the proposals to compensate members of separated families. Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLUs immigrant-rights project, cited the proposed payouts as evidence that President Biden has agreed that the family separation policy is a historic moral stain on our nation that must be fully remedied.

Gelernt further maintained that remedy must include not only meaningful monetary compensation but a pathway to remain in the country. He and other lawyers involved in the litigation hope to have a deal reached regarding the settlements by the end of November.

On the other hand, critics of the Biden administration see the proposed payouts as unfair. Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson classified them as reparations to illegal [immigrants].

He slammed the administration for considering paying illegal immigrants payments significantly higher than the $100,000 received by the families of American citizens who die in service to the country: That is less than a quarter of what Joe Biden intends to give illegal [immigrants] for the inconvenience of being deported.

Theyre, once again, getting $450,000 a piece from your tax receipts. Thats more than some of the 9/11 victims got. Its more than any ordinary American ever gets for anything from the U.S. government, he added.

The Journal report comes as data collected by Customs and Border Protection show that the number of encounters between illegal border crossers and law enforcement officials exceeded 1.7 million in fiscal year 2021, which concluded last month. Those figures represent a dramatic increase from the approximately 450,000 encounters in fiscal year 2020.

The statistics reflect a monthslong border surge that critics of the Biden administration attribute to its rollback of two Trump-era immigration policies: the Migrant Protection Protocols, which required those seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico while their cases were adjudicated, and Title 42, which allowed immigration officials to immediately turn back illegal immigrants because of public health concerns arising from the coronavirus pandemic.

As an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics shows President Joe Bidens approval rating on the issue of immigration remains underwater with a net disapproval rating of more than 25 points, Reuters reported that the Biden administration is expected to restart the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy, next month.
The church among the deathworks

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In his fascinating new book, Hegels Century, intellectual historian Jon Stewart comments that Hegels Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion ends on an uncharacteristically dour note: Hegel writes that the 1820s witnessed a rise in anxiety and despair because cultural symbols and institutions began to lose their meaning, plunging the world into a state of random flux.

Of course, this is all the more true of our own world, where old symbols  national flags, national anthems, national narratives  have lost their shared meaning, and have thus also lost their authority. Which flag to fly  Stars and Stripes or Pride? Which anthem to sing  Star Spangled Banner or Lift Every Voice and Sing? Where to date Americas founding  1776 or 1619? These are now serious questions.

For Christians, this flux is not too surprising. Here we have no lasting city, as the New Testament tells us. Earthly cities come and go; the city of God remains. But what happens when the earthly presence of the city of God  The Church  loses confidence in her sacred symbols?

Stewarts book arrived on the same day I noticed a courageous article by Mary Frances Myler, an undergraduate at Notre Dame, on her universitys approach to LGBTQ activism. The articles existence should be a rebuke to the officer class of American Christianity, so many members of which remain silent on such issues. As Rod Dreher observed, the article highlights the pitiful leadership of the church, one incapable of withstanding what is to come. Yet here is a young woman potentially risking her career and more in order to stand for truth and state the obvious: Christianity and Pride activism cannot be reconciled.

The article features a striking picture of a Catholic priest wearing a rainbow stole at a Coming Out Day Celebration on Notre Dames campus. Myler quotes the priest: My presence at this event was simply to affirm, support, and celebrate the dignity of every human person as a child of God. We prayed in gratitude for the unique gift that every person is [and] for an end to discrimination.

The priest was no doubt sincere in this. But his personal motives are of little significance compared to the rainbow-colored stole that he wore: It is a deathwork. And deathworks are just as lethal to the faith as any explicit denial of Christian teaching.

Deathwork is a term used by sociologist Philip Rieff. It refers to the act of using the sacred symbols of a previous era in order to subvert, and then destroy, their original significance and purpose. Rieff uses Andres Serranos notorious 1987 picture Piss Christ to illustrate this. The work is a photograph of something considered sacredin this case a crucifixsubmerged in the artists own urine. As Rieff puts it, in Serrano's photo the sacramental has been made excremental. Or, to borrow a phrase from Marx  that which was holy has been profaned.

So how is the priests stole a deathwork? To Jews and Christians, the rainbow has sacred significance. In the Bible, God places a rainbow in the sky after Noahs flood as a sign of his covenant promise not to wipe humanity from the earth in another act of judgment. It is a sacred sign  just as circumcision, baptism, and the Lords Supper also have powerful, holy significance.

It is one thing for someone unaware of the biblical narrative and the sacred significance of the rainbow to adopt it as a sign. This is likely the case for many LGBTQ individuals. To them, the rainbow signifies the spectrum of identities that their alliance contains, and is therefore a symbol of inclusion. But it is quite another thing for Christians, especially priests and ministers, to use the rainbow as a means of acknowledging the LGBTQ movement  or to express any level of solidarity with it, especially in a religious context. Such actions are deathworks, the willing subversion of the sacred in the service of the profane.

The priests and ministers who perform them are simply helping the church become just like our world: a place where the sacred symbols that give church life meaning are degraded and parodied until nothing but chaos remains, and the things intended to remind Christians of Gods faithfulness become objects of ridicule. No Christian, let alone a priest or minister, should be involved in such evil.

Long ago, Nietzsches Madman asked the rhetorical question, What after all are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchers of God? Sadly, it seems that too many of the gravediggers these days are members of the clergy.

Originally published in First Things.
Thinking biblically about politics in church

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In the lead-up to next months gubernatorial election in Virginia, more than 300 churches are planning to show a pre-recorded campaign video featuring Vice President Kamala Harris in their morning worship service. In the video  which will be shown in predominantly African American churches  Harris encourages congregants to vote for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, Virginias former governor, who is in a tight and closely-watched race with Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin.

In the video, Harris says, In 2020, more Virginians voted than ever before. And because you did, you helped send President Joe Biden and me to the White House. This year, I know that you will send Terry McAuliffe back to Richmond. The vice president concludes her message by outlining why she believes congregants should vote for McAuliffe and asking them to vote after church.

Although CNN reported on the campaign advertisement this past weekend, coverage of churches plans to show the video was relatively sparse. But besides some social media discussion that questioned the propriety of playing campaign videos during a church service, the story appears to have faded from the news. However, the incident raises some important questions regarding churches and campaigns that Christians and especially pastors should consider.

First, Harris campaign video likely runs afoul of the Johnson Amendment to the IRS code. According to IRS regulations, churches are not allowed to engage in direct political campaign activity. Under the section Charities, Churches and Politics on their website, the IRS explains:

"Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one 'which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.'

To be clear, FRC is on record opposing the Johnson Amendments application to a pastors sermons because no government entity has the right to censor speech, whether in or out of the pulpit. That is almost certainly a violation of the First Amendment, but the IRS has not brought an enforcement action against a church sufficient to produce a successful constitutional challenge in court.

However, it is ironic that after months of issuing dire warnings about Christian Nationalism and the dangers of conflating religion and politics, the left is now actively engaging in the very campaign tactics they decry when practiced by those on the right. In fact, it is the height of hypocrisy to fuss about the separation of church and state and say conservative pastors should not engage the political process when they promote a campaign-style video designed to drum up support for Democrat Terry McAuliffe in churches.

But the controversy over the Harris video raises important questions: to what extent and in what ways is it appropriate for churches to engage in politics? How should pastors guide their congregations through elections? Before answering these questions, it is helpful to recall some truths about the church.

Theologian Gregg Allison defines the church as the people of God who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and have been incorporated into his body through baptism with the Holy Spirit. While the universal Church consists of every Christian since Pentecost, local churches, led by elders and deacons, possess and pursue purity and unity, exercise church disciple, develop strong connections with other churches, and celebrate the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Supper. In other words, a local church is a congregation of believers who have covenanted together and are committed to the regular means of grace, including the regular preaching and teaching of Scripture, observance of the ordinances, and fellowship.

In terms of purpose, the church exists to fulfill several important spiritual purposes. Theologian Wayne Grudem breaks down these purposes in terms of ministry to God, ministry to believers, and ministry to the world. First, when it comes to God, the churchs purpose is to worship him. Second, the church has an obligation to nurture the faith of its members and build them up in maturity (Col. 1:28). This primarily occurs through the regular preaching and teaching of the Bible. Third, churches are called to evangelize the lost and engage in mercy ministry (such as helping the poor and needy).

Although most people (including many Christians) are not accustomed to thinking deeply about the church, it is crucial for Christians to think biblically about the church. To this end, Scripture employs several helpful metaphors and images to describe the church. The church is a family (1 Tim. 5:1-2, Eph. 3:14), branches on a vine (John 15:5), an olive tree (Rom. 11:17-24), and a building (1 Cor. 3:9). Paul refers to the church as the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:32, 2 Cor. 11:2).



The body of Christ is another familiar metaphor that Paul uses to express the close relationship between believers in the church and their relationship with Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 2:19). Paul, while addressing the Ephesian elders, cautioned, Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28). For Paul, the church is the most significant reality on earth because Jesus purchased it with His own blood. Accordingly, those tasked with its leadership must recognize the weighty responsibility entrusted to them.

In short, because the church is the blood-bought bride of God tasked with the responsibility of bearing witness to the saving news of the Gospel, I believe churches should carefully scrutinize how much time is spent on topics outside the worship of God and the equipping of the saints through the word of God. Of course, this does not mean that churches or church leaders should withdraw from politics. Far from it. While politics carries with it a certain image, the word, properly understood, actually gets at how groups of humans organize their affairs. In this sense, politics is intimately connected to community  how we relate to other people  and is inextricable from the concept of loving ones neighbor, which Christians are called to do. Further, politics implicates issues of moral importance to all Christians.

As Ive explained in Biblical Principles for Political Engagement, voting is a matter of stewardship, and Christians should seek to vote in a way that honors God and advances the wellbeing of their neighbor. For pastors, there is an additional responsibility. I believe churches ought to actively ensure that their members are educated on the issues. Pastors should preach expositionally through books of the Bible, ensuring they preach the whole counsel of Gods Word. Preaching through Scripture will have the effect of informing the conscience of congregations and help church members think faithfully about a host of public policy issues. Moreover, I think it is appropriate for churches to encourage good voting stewardship by conducting voter registration drives and distributing voter guides among their members.

Of course, wisdom and discernment are needed when it comes to how pastors think about politics and disciple their people. Conservative pastors should be aware of the potential for hypocrisy when liberals criticize them for engaging in politics while playing campaign-style videos in their own churches. Yet regardless of their individual judgments, pastors should be free to speak. The First Amendment protects speech, and the Johnson Amendment and IRS guidance have historically had a chilling and stifling effect on pastors speech.

At the end of the day, even though churches should have greater freedom and flexibility constitutionally, they should carefully and prayerfully consider how to steward their freedom well. Christians should engage politically, but that engagement must be done biblically, which is why churches (and particularly pastors) need to be wise and discerning, especially during election season.

Originally published at the Family Research Council.
Widow of televangelist Frederick KC Price defends his prosperity message Misleading ABC News report on message made him sick, she says

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Betty Price, the grieving widow of the late Crenshaw Christian Center founder Frederick K.C. Price, defended his teachings on prosperity and said a misleading ABC News report about the televangelist on the topic triggered health problems that haunted him until his death.

We cant even tell you what he went through when ABC did that to him. He had worked all of his life, the whole 50-something years he had been preaching  ABC and 20/20 messed his reputation up in 10 minutes, Betty Price recalled during a message about finding peace in a troubled environment two Sundays ago.

The ABC News segment headlined "Enough!" aired March 23, 2007, on "Good Morning America" and "20/20" and questioned whether several ministers who preach the prosperity gospel had used church donations to live lavishly," a 2010 news release about Price's defamation lawsuit said. The segment included a clip of one of the late preachers televised sermons in which he is seen telling his congregation: "I live in a 25 room mansion, I have my own $6 million yacht, I have my own private jet, and I have my own helicopter, and I have seven luxury automobiles."

Price, however, was not speaking of himself but a hypothetical person who had great wealth yet lived a spiritually unfulfilled life.

The televangelist went on to sue ABC News over the report, and four years later, the network admitted their mistake and publicly apologized as part of an out-of-court settlement between Price and the media company.

ABC News apologizes for any harm caused to you as a result of its broadcast of a video clip that ABC News stated was of you speaking about yourself when in fact you were talking about a hypothetical person, Kerry Smith, a senior vice president at the time, said in a statement. ABC News regrets that it did not conduct sufficient investigation of the clip after receiving it to establish its correct context. By presenting the footage out of context, ABC News misled its audience and failed to meet its own standards, which ABC deeply regrets.

Betty Price, who will bid her late husband goodbye at a funeral service at their Los Angeles-based church on Saturday, said her husband was deeply affected by the report because it took him off guard.

It took him off guard. That actually made him sick, she said. As a result of going through that, he had a mess with TB and a kidney thing, and the kidney thing never did get right as a result of that. And so little by little, hes had to carry that since 2007 when ABC did that.

Prices family announced on Feb. 12 that he died from COVID-19 at age 89, after a weekslong battle with the virus that has killed more than half a million people in the U.S. since a pandemic was declared last March.

Betty Prices recollection of the ABC News episode was part of a segment in her Feb. 21 sermon in which she staunchly defended her late husbands reputation as a man that lived a wonderful, wonderful Christian life, while speaking out against people who take pleasure in gossip and say stuff about people they dont even know anything about.

People have treated him, now, theres millions that have been wonderful to him all these years, but there were some people that didnt understand his life or else they were jealous. Im talking about ministers in the gospel and some people, she said. A lot of them have done a lot of evil speaking. Malice. Just wanted stuff bad to happen to him. And they havent been forgiving.

She added that because her husband stood up to defend his reputation against ABC News, ministers are now protected from what her husband experienced.

We did take that to court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had a whole law change that they could never do that to any other minister. So instead of ministers talking about him, they ought to be glad he stood for something that would affect the ministry of everybody, she asserted.

The grieving widow, who also celebrate her late husbands journey to finally now be with God, said she chose to address the attacks on her husbands character in his death because too many people have chosen to write negatively about him, particularly because of his teachings on prosperity, which she argues should not be paired with the negative practices of those who seek to exploit Christians.

One of the main things they do is they talk about the fact that he preaches a prosperity message. He only preaches a small part of a prosperity message, so why would you want to write stuff like that and say that that was wrong? And the thing about it, he got his prosperity the right way. He didnt do stuff that caused wrong to get his prosperity, she said.

We got his prosperity by the word of God. We did what the word of God said. We started when we didnt know any better and God led us step-by-step that we needed to be giving more, so we started with our giving.

"How many people would do that? We started with our giving, giving 10% when we didnt have anything. If you heard all of his message[s] you would know that he isnt a prosperity teacher like you say. He teaches on prosperity, but he is not necessarily a prosperity teacher. We started giving ourselves outta debt, giving ourselves to be prosperous so we could be a blessing to people, Price added.

She also noted that while people do not have to tithe, she believes it is a healthy practice to follow.

You should be giving under grace, which should be more than the law, and so we started continuing to give more than the tithing 10%, 12%, 15%, 25%, 30%, all the way up to 40% of our offerings out of our salary. We give 40% away of our salary. Thats the way we have prosperity. Everybody can have prosperity that way, she explained. So you dont have to be condemning him because he preaches the prosperity message.

The Crenshaw Christian Church, also known as the Faith Dome, was founded by Price in 1973. With a seating capacity of 10,000, the church building is recognized as one of the worlds largest houses of worship. Price is also known for his global Ever Increasing Faith Ministries television broadcast that started in 1978.

He was scheduled to lie in repose for two days for a public closed casket viewing on Thursday and Friday at the Crenshaw Christian Center located at 7901 S. Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles.

His funeral service is set for March 6 at 11 a.m.
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People who love and serve God in the power of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ work to discover their God-given purposes and steward His gifts to them, in much the same way as Elisha pushed his plow. They embody this truth: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:2324 ESV).

Such pushers of the plow know that not only do they persevere for the mantle of promotion awaiting them but also to reveal Gods power in their lives. When we obediently and diligently serve without putting the focus on our own abilities, we let others glimpse the Lord working through us. We honor God by keeping our commitment to push our plows the same way we try to live our lives, for His glory. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV).

Many Millennials and members of Gen Z struggle with pushing their plows because they have been conditioned by overnight YouTube sensations and viral memes that turn their peers into social media celebrities. They are bright, talented, passionate, and willing to work. But they are wary of wasting time and energy on any endeavor not promising guaranteed results. Members of our younger generations struggle to value diligence and devotion as virtues in their own right, and perhaps with good reason. Many of them are critical of the kind of corporate greed and capitalistic profiteering they have witnessed in their world.

This observation reminds us that the value of hard work must be determined not only by the plow-pushers motivation but also by the results that such an investment of labor will produce. Without Spirit-led motives that seek to fulfill God-given dreams, our efforts are wasted. When greed causes us to push our plows for more, any harvest we reap will never be enough. Jesus made this clear in a parable about a wealthy plower whose work focused only on more for himself rather than for God and others:

And He told them this parable:

The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, This is what Ill do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And Ill say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God. Luke 12:1621

Clearly, building bigger barns or renting more storage units is not the answer! The motive behind our willingness to push our plows each day matters, but it must be coupled with a meaningful goal. Christ told us, Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:27).

As we assess the plows we are pushing, we must ask ourselves about both the motivation and the end result: Why are we doing the work we are doing? For whom? For what goals or results? Even criminals and terrorists work hard to fulfill their schemes, but their motivationsgreed, power, vengeanceand their accomplishmentstheft, murder, espionagelead only to that which spoils.

The kind of plow-pushing that leads to mantles of promotion can have only one motivation: love, gratitude, and trust in the living and almighty God. For children of God and followers of Jesus, our motivation originates in the relationship we have with our heavenly Father. Knowing that God sacrificed His only Son, and that Jesus gave His life for our sins, and that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we discover only one worthy response for such gifts: Our goal becomes a desire to give everything we are and everything we have in return.

Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Persevere with Power by Samuel Rodriguez, 2021, Used by permission.
Top psychiatrists urge caution before giving puberty blockers to kids with gender dysphoria

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Psychiatrists in New Zealand and Australia are emphasizing therapeutic options for gender dysphoric individuals, particularly minors, in a shift away from what is known as the affirmation-only approach and gender-affirmative care model.

A recent position statement from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists stresses the necessity of receiving a proper mental health evaluation prior to any decisions regarding irreversible medicalization such as hormones or cosmetic gender surgeries.



There is a paucity of quality evidence on the outcomes of those presenting with gender dysphoria. In particular, there is a need for better evidence in relation to outcomes for children and young people, the new RANZCP guidance reads.

The condition of gender dysphoria is "associated with significant distress  each case should be assessed by a mental health professional, which will frequently be a psychiatrist, with the person at the center of care. It is important the psychological state and context in which gender dysphoria has arisen is explored to assess the most appropriate treatment, it continues.



In an explanation of the updated stance, Dr. Philip Morris, a fellow of the RANZCP and the president of the National Association of Practicing Psychiatrists in Australia, said that the new guidance is an acknowledgment of the complexity of the issues at hand when treating the condition and the legitimacy of taking a variety of approaches.



There may be other reasons for doing it and we need to look for those, identify them and treat them. This needs to be done before initiating hormones and changing the whole physical nature of the child, Morris said. A cautious psychotherapy-first approach makes sense. If we can do that with adolescents then we will take a big step in the right direction."

The move comes amid greater scrutiny of the experimental practices and mounting concerns appearing around the world.

Earlier this year in Sweden, officials at the Karolinska University Hospital released a statement that it would no longer be administering puberty-blocking drugs to youth under the age of 16. In neighboring Finland, updated treatment guidelines prioritizing psychological help for distressed young people were issued in 2020.

Part of the Swedish rationale for the change was a ruling in the U.K. in late 2020, where a judicial review held that children were not capable of giving informed consent to chemical puberty blockade in light of repercussions such as fertility loss.

That decision was appealed and ultimately overturned earlier this year. The young woman who helped bring it about  a detransitioner named Keira Bell who argued she was harmed by the medical experimentation at the London-based Tavistock gender clinic  has vowed to take all the way up to the UK Supreme Court.



The U.K.s National Health Service also revised its website, which had previously stated that puberty blockers were a reversible treatment, to say that their long-term effects are not known.

Commenting on the Bell case, Morris said it is a positive development that these matters are being openly discussed and that the science around this topic remains unsettled.



This [has moved from]  a topic that could previously not be talked about freely to one that we can discuss more openly now. This is a big improvement. Previously, everyone thought it was all settled but its not, certainly not from a medical angle, he said.

The revision of the RANZCP guidelines is a contrast from the previous standard guidance from the Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne  which the RANZCP had endorsed and is followed by most gender identity services in Australia  that recommended what is known as gender-affirming care. The RANZCP endorsement was withdrawn in 2019 and set in motion a consultation that eventually produced its new position statement.

Morris thinks a compromise will be the ultimate result. He said he hopes that courts and clinicians will slow down and not assume each child hoping to undergo medicalized transition is pursuing that pathway because of genuine psychological distress about their biological sex.

Such children, he said, will be treated with respect and approach them like any other patient that presents with a condition that requires proper assessment and treatment.



In the end, some cases will be transitioned but there will be fewer than [are] transitioned at the moment, he offered.
LONDON (AP)  Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to calm stormy waters over fishing with France on Friday as he flew to Rome for a G-20 summit, where he is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

France has threatened to block British boats and tighten checks on U.K. vessels unless French vessels get more permits to fish in U.K. waters, stoking tensions following Britain's messy divorce from the European Union.

France also suggested it might restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands, British Crown dependencies that lie off the coast of France and are heavily dependent on French electricity.

Since the U.K. left the economic orbit of the EU in January, relations between London and Paris have become increasingly frayed as the nations on either side of the English Channel sort out a post-Brexit path. But after days of increasingly tense rhetoric, Johnson seemed to signal calm.

France is one of our best, oldest, closest allies, friends and partners, he told reporters traveling to the summit. The ties that unite us, that bind us together, are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exist in the relationship.

Calling Macron a friend, he said some people in both countries may be trying to stir up disharmony between the U.K. and France, but I dont think Emmanuel shares that perspective.

But he also reiterated Britains willingness to respond to any violations of its divorce deal with the 27-nation EU.

British fishermen should be confident in going about their lawful business and they should be encouraged to continue fishing in accordance with the agreement, meaning the Brexit deal, Johnson said. And any infraction of that agreement  by any partner, whether the French or others, is something we would obviously need to respond to.

Britain summoned the French ambassador for a dressing-down after French authorities fined two British fishing vessels and kept one in port overnight Thursday.

Warning that two can play that game,'' London also threatened to increase rigorous checks on EU fishing vessels and launch dispute talks if France does not back down. Brexit minister Lord Frost outlined the possible response at a meeting in London with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic, hoping to put the pressure on Paris to back down on a threat of taking action by Nov. 2.

France vehemently protested the decision last month by the U.K. and the Channel Island of Jersey to refuse some French fishing boats licenses to operate in their territorial waters. France says the restrictions are contrary to the post-Brexit agreement that Britain signed when it left the EU. The UK says some vessels need to supply more paperwork.

Meanwhile, the European Union's executive said U.K. authorities withdrew the impounded vessel's license to fish off France on March 1.

But Macduff Shellfish, which operates the impounded scallop vessel Cornelis Gert Jan, hit back, saying they were unaware there was an issue with the license before the incident and have sought clarification from U.K. authorities.

Under normal circumstances, if there was an error in administration, it would have been dealt with with a phone call,'' said Andrew Brown, the head of sustainability and public affairs for the company.

Instead, the ship and its crew have found themselves at the center of post-Brexit spat on the implementation of the Brexit Fishing Agreement.

We are looking to the U.K. government to defend the rights of the U.K. fishing fleet and ensure that the fishing rights provided under the Brexit Fishing agreement are fully respected by the EU,'' the company said.

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Associated Press Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed.

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Follow APs coverage of Brexit at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit
NEW DELHI (AP)  Puneeth Rajkumar, a leading star of southern Indian regional cinema, died Friday after a massive heart attack, a hospital said. He was 46.

Rajkumar was a lead actor in 29 movies and also appeared on television, where he was the host of India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

He was taken to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, the capital of southern Karnataka state, after complaining of chest pain, the hospital said.

Dr. Ranganath Nayak, a cardiologist at the hospital, said in a statement that Rajkumar was unresponsive and his heart had ceased beating when he arrived.

The Press Trust of India news agency said Rajkumar complained of chest pains after working out for two hours at a gymnasium.

Stunned fans rushed to the hospital as news of his heart attack spread in the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined in mourning Rajkumars death, saying that future generations will remember him fondly for his work and wonderful personality.

He was the son of Rajkumar, the biggest movie star in southern India, but carved a career for himself.

After acting as a child in several movies, he debuted as a lead actor a 2002 Kannada-language movie, Appu. He followed that with other successful films including Abhi, Veera Kannadiga, Maurya,, Ajay and Arasu.

He is survived by his wife, Ashwini Revanth, and two daughters.
It didnt take retired U.S. Army veteran Darby Ledbetter long to realize hed found his Phlock with the 5 OClock Phlock Parrothead Club.

In April, the club which is comprised of fans of Jimmy Buffett and the Trop Rock music genre  relocated to Margaritaville on Lake Conroe. The Parrothead motto is Party with a Purpose and that motto fit right in line with Ledbetters vision for his music. In addition to celebrating the musicians in the Trop Rock genre, Phlock members also support a variety of charities in the area.

This is exactly what me and my wife, Cathy, are about  helping to improve the community, raising money for charities and having fun while were doing it, Ledbetter said.

On Monday, Ledbetter will release new music for the first time since 2009 and he wanted to share it his Phlock friends first.

Tonight at 5 p.m. Ledbetter will play in a pre-release party for his new EP Livin Free & Lovin Life at The Boathouse at Margaritaville. The Boathouse is a new bar and lounge in the Margaritaville Conference Center.

On YourConroeNews.com: 5Oclock Phlock Parrothead Club relocates to Margaritaville

The the pre-release party is an official 5 OClock Phlock Happy Hour, but it is open to the general public and Margaritaville guests and will be a fun time with door prizes, a raffle, great music and dancing according to Phlock President Kris Nordstrom McBride.

For Ledbetter, a member of the 5 OClock Phlock, the experiences is all of his passions coming together.

Ledbetter, who lives in Conroe, was born in Dallas but grew up in Midland.

He could be found wanting to tag along with his older brother, Tak, as he played music. His best friends dad had a band and that interested him. And during the holidays his aunts would often pull out their guitars for family sing-a-longs.

But it was always the songwriting that interested him most. As he listened to his dads records hed open up the jackets and read about the songwriters who penned the music.

I gravitated toward the songwriting early on, the singing came much later, he said.

After high school he joined the U.S. Navy and served four years, then in 1996 he joined the U.S. Army and spent three years on active duty. In 2000, he joined the Tennessee National Guard and served there until 2015 where he went from the guard to reserves.

In 1999, his wife Cathy sent some of his music to someone in Nashville. He ended up getting a call back on it.

I thought it was a joke and hung up on the guy a couple times, he said. But it lead to an offer for a musician development opportunity. The couple moved to Nashville and just as they moved, the label offering the deal folded. Thats what brought Ledbetter back to the National Guard in Tennessee.

On YourConroeNews.com: Margaritavilles License to Chill rolls out refreshed menu

He finished out his military career in Conroe, being stationed with his unit at the Conroe North Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport. He retired Jan. 1, 2020 and began a music career full time.

I lived a parallel life of music and the military, he said.

He found that even deployed there was an ample amount of soldiers musicians. Each time he was deployed, he had no trouble putting together a band to play for church services and to entertain the troops.

In 2009, he and fellow veteran musician Larry Alderman were driving home from a country radio seminar in Nashville and began talking about their time in the military. Alderman concluded the Reserves was more than what the soldiers did on the weekend.

Ledbetter went home and wrote Come the Weekend in about 30 minutes. The song was picked up by the National Guard and they ended up using the song in an internal campaign.

The National Guard then asked him to write another song that encompassed all of the military members.

The result was his I Wont Let My Guard Down which went on to win an Emmy. He was in the process of being deployed the night of the Emmys and Cathy went in his place. She caught up with him by phone in Ireland on his way to Iraq to tell him of his win.

Upon retiring from the military, his passion lead back to music and serving the community.

He said flowing into the Trop Rock genre was a natural progression for his music and songwriting.

When he met the members of the Phlock, he was in awe of the work they are doing in the community and wrote Parrotheads in Paradise in tribute.

The song was released on Aug. 16 and has done well so far on the charts he said.

He wrote three of the songs on Livin Free & Lovin Life with another veteran songwriter Tim Campbell.

Now he cant wait to share his new music with his Phlock friends tonight.

These are great people doing great charity work, he said. They are Partying with a Purpose and theyre having fun while doing it, he said.

Livin Free & Lovin Life will be released on Monday. It can be found on his website https://darbyledbetter.com/ and other streaming platforms.

shernandez@hcnonline.com
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Bond has been set at $10 million for an Alabama man accused of severely injuring his 2-month-old son.

Marterrius C. Moore, 22, of Millbrook, faces a charge of aggravated child abuse. Elmore County District Judge Glenn Goggans set the cash bond Wednesday during a court appearance, WSFA-TV reported.

Defense attorney David Vickers called the bond excessive and unconstitutional. He argued that Moore would be living at home with his parents and with no children in the home. He also said Moore has never been in trouble in the past other than missing court on a traffic ticket, which has since been resolved.

Vickers said motions would be filed for a preliminary hearing and bond reduction.

Moores son was taken to Baptist East Medical Center in Montgomery on Oct. 24 and then airlifted to Childrens of Alabama hospital in Birmingham with severe head trauma, according to the Millbrook Police Department. Police said Moore told hospital staff and officers that he dropped the infant on Oct. 19.

An investigation into the infants injuries, including multiple broken bones, found Moores story to be implausible, police said. After further questioning, Moore reportedly admitted to injuring the infant on several occasions due to his excessive crying.

Chief Assistant District Attorney C.J. Robinson called the case heartbreaking and argued in favor of the $10 million cash bond due to the nature of the offenses.

You have cranial fractures, fractures in the arm, multiple fractures other places, and the troubling part from the medical field is these fractures did not occur at the same time, Robinson said.

Robinson said Alabamas Winstons Law was created for this type of case. The law increases the possible penalty for aggravated child abuse for a child under 6 years of age to life in prison, which is the same level as attempted murder.

Moore is being held at the Elmore County Jail. It was unknown if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Andre Hudson, Rochester Institute of Technology

(THE CONVERSATION) Antibiotic resistance poses one of the most important health challenges of the 21st century. And time has already run out to stop its dire consequences.

The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria has already led to a significant increase in human disease and death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 2.8 million people worldwide are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, accounting for 35,000 deaths each year in the U.S. and 700,000 deaths around the globe.

A 2019 joint report by the United Nations, World Health Organization and World Organization for Animal Health states that drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty by 2030 if no action is taken. Superbugs are already able to evade all existing treatments  a 70-year-old woman from Nevada died in 2016 from a bacterial infection resistant to every available antibiotic in the U.S.

I am a biochemist and microbiologist who has been researching and teaching about antibiotic development and resistance over the past 20 years. I believe that solving this crisis requires more than just proper antibiotic use by doctors and patients. It also requires mutual investment and collaboration across industries and the government.

How do bacteria become resistant to drugs?

In order to survive, bacteria naturally evolve to become resistant to the drugs that kill them. They do this via two methods: genetic mutation and horizontal gene transfer.

Genetic mutation occurs when the bacterias DNA, or genetic material, randomly changes. If these changes let the bacteria evade an antibiotic that would have otherwise killed it, it will be able to survive and pass on this resistance when it reproduces. Over time, the proportion of resistant bacteria will increase as nonresistant bacteria are killed by the antibiotic. Eventually, the drug will no longer work on these bacteria because they all have the mutation for resistance.

The other method bacteria use is horizontal gene transfer. Here, one bacterium acquires resistance genes from another source, either through their environment or directly from another bacterium or bacterial virus.

But the antibiotic resistance crisis is largely anthropogenic, or human-made. Factors include the overuse and abuse of antibiotics, as well as a lack of regulations and enforcement pertaining to proper use. For example, doctors prescribing antibiotics for nonbacterial infections and patients not completing their prescribed course of treatment give bacteria the chance to evolve resistance.

There are also no regulations on antibiotic use in animal agriculture, including controlling leakage into the surrounding environment. Only recently has there been a push for more antibiotic oversight in agriculture in the U.S. As an October 2021 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine noted, antibiotic resistance is an issue that connects human, environmental and animal health. Effectively addressing one facet requires addressing the others.

The antibiotic discovery void

One of the major reasons for the resistance crisis is the stalling of antibiotic development over the past 34 years. Scientists call this the antibiotic discovery void.

Researchers discovered the last class of highly effective antibiotics in 1987. Since then, no new antibiotics have made it out of the lab. This is partly because there was no financial incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to invest in further research and development. Antibiotics at the time were also effective at what they did. Unlike chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, bacterial infections dont typically require ongoing treatment, and so have a lower return on investment.

Reversing this trend requires investment not just in drug development, but also in the basic research that allows scientists to understand how antibiotics and bacteria work in the first place.

Basic research focuses on advancing knowledge rather than developing interventions to solve a specific problem. It gives scientists the opportunity to ask new questions and think long-term about the natural world. A better understanding of the driving forces behind antibiotic resistance can lead to innovations in drug development and techniques to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Basic science also provides opportunities to mentor the next generation of researchers tasked with solving problems like antibiotic resistance. By teaching students about the fundamental principles of science, basic scientists can train and inspire the future workforce with the passion, aptitude and competency to address problems that require scientific understanding to solve.

Collaboration by triangulation

Many scientists agree that addressing antibiotic resistance requires more than just responsible use by individuals. The federal government, academia and pharmaceutical companies need to partner together in order to effectively tackle this crisis  what I call collaboration by triangulation.

[The Conversations science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories. Weekly on Wednesdays.]

Collaboration between basic scientists in academia and pharmaceutical companies is one pillar of this effort. While basic science research provides the knowledge foundation to discover new drugs, pharmaceutical companies have the infrastructure to produce them at a scale typically unavailable in academic settings.

The remaining two pillars involve financial and legislative support from the federal government. This includes enhancing research funding for academics and changing current policies and practices that impede, rather than offer, incentives for pharmaceutical company investment in antibiotic development.

To that end, a bipartisan bill proposed in June 2021, the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act, aims to fill the discovery void. If passed into law, the bill would pay developers contractually agreed-upon amounts to research and develop antimicrobial drugs for a time period that ranges from five years up to the end of the patent.

I believe the passage of this act would be an important step in the right direction to address antibiotic resistance and the threat it poses to human health in the U.S. and around the globe. A monetary incentive to take up basic research around new ways to kill dangerous bacteria seems to me like the worlds best available option for emerging from the antibiotic resistance crisis.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/antibiotic-resistance-is-at-a-crisis-point-government-support-for-academia-and-big-pharma-to-find-new-drugs-could-help-defeat-superbugs-169443.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Belarus has forced the closure of the U.S. Embassys Public Diplomacy and USAID offices in a move that comes amid the tensions with the U.S. and its allies over Belarusian authorities' crackdown on protests.

Samantha Power, the U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, said Friday that the Belarusian authorities aim to severely disrupt U.S. development assistance and public diplomacy in Belarus by forcing the closure of facilities that house key U.S. Government operations, and by ending employment of all of USAIDs local staff and Department of State public diplomacy staff.

She added that the move, which is effective Nov. 20, demonstrates the authorities callous disregard of the interests of the Belarusian people.

U.S. Envoy for Belarus Julie Fisher described the Belarusian authorities' decision as a reflection of their "deep insecurities about the role of diplomacy, people-to-people ties and independent civil society.

She added that the U.S. will not be deterred from its commitment to helping advance democracy and human rights in Belarus and to supporting the aspirations of the Belarusian people to build a more promising future in a free and independent Belarus.

The ambassador noted that the U.S. governments development assistance implemented in Belarus by USAID since the 1990s has supported entrepreneurship and the expansion of small-to-medium private enterprises. More recently, it provided key COVID-19 relief while Belarusian authorities were dismissive of the pandemic.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate in the country's disputed August 2020 presidential vote, was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure. She expressed gratitude Friday to the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy and USAID offices.

They will return to new Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter. I ask them to continue work for Belarusians  we see and value this consistent support.

Belarus' relations with the U.S. and the European Union have become increasingly tense following the country's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko being handed a sixth term in the August 2020 vote that the opposition and the West have rejected as rigged. The election fueled massive protests, to which authorities responded with a fierce crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police.

Lukashenko's government has moved methodically to squelch any remaining resistance, shutting NGOs and independent media and arresting activists and journalists.

Viktor Babariko, the former head of a Russia-owned bank who aspired to challenge Lukashenko in the 2020 vote, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in July on the money-laundering charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

On Friday, Babariko's last remaining lawyer, Yauhen Pylchanka, was stripped of his license due to alleged legal violations during the trial. Pylchanka said the move was spearheaded by the country's top state security agency, which still goes under its Soviet-era name KGB.

The Belarusian KGB initiated my expulsion from the collegium of lawyers under a sham pretext of violation of professional ethics, Pylchanka told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. Babariko has been left without lawyers and without any communications with the outside world, deprived of the possibility to properly defend himself.

Also Friday, the Belarusian Interior Ministry outlawed popular messaging app channels NEXTA, NEXTA-Live and LUXTA as extremist and blocked German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and the Current Time TV channel.

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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom fended off an attempt to remove him from office in a recall election, his fellow Democrats on Thursday began eyeing ways to make future challenges more difficult while Republicans sought to keep the status quo.

The heads of the state Assembly and Senate election committees plan to propose constitutional changes next year that will require approval from voters if they are to be enacted.

Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Elections, said he is troubled by the fundamentally undemocratic nature of Californias current process that could have replaced Newsom with someone who received a minority of votes.

Berman also was concerned that what he called the hyperpolarization of society and California's relatively low threshold to qualify a recall "creates an opportunity for small minorities of Californians to weaponize the recall process to disrupt government.

This is the last bastion of checks and balances we offer for the voters," countered Republican Assemblyman Kelly Seyarto, who said making the process harder would have a chilling effect for our voters.

Their initial joint hearing, which featured panelists of both political parties along with other experts, came after about a dozen recall supporters rallied outside the state Capitol in opposition.

I think that the ability to recall is extremely difficult as it stands, and to try and further complicate the process and make it more difficult for the people to exercise their rights works in their favor, Orrin Heatlie, chief proponent of the failed Newsom recall effort, said of Democrats who control the Legislature and every statewide office.

There have been 179 attempted recalls of state elected officials in California since voters gave themselves the power in 1911, of which 11 qualified for the ballot and six  mostly legislators  were recalled, according to background provided to the committees.

The only two statewide recall elections in California history were in the last 18 years: one unseated then-Gov. Gray Davis in 2003 and replaced him with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger; the other failed to unseat Newsom.

Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer, chairman of the Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments, called recalls "an important tool to ensure that leaders remain accountable to the electorate. But Glazer said he fears it was turned into a backdoor for the losing side of an election to relitigate those results, costing taxpayers more than $250 million to produce essentially the same outcome as when Newsom was elected in 2018.

California is one of 19 states that allow voters to recall state officials, and one of 30 states that allow the recall of local officials, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But the number of signatures, the time allowed to gather them and other processes vary widely between states.

California has one of the nations lowest thresholds for signatures and longest periods to collect them. In this year's recall, proponents had to collect 1.5 million signatures, which was 12% of the electorate who voted Newsom into office in 2018. By contrast, Kansas requires 40%.

Berman noted California also allows a longer period to collect signatures than most states. It really starkly shows how far of an outlier California is, he said.

David Carrillo, executive director at the University of California, Berkeleys California Constitution Center, said boosting the number of required signatures or compressing the collection period could make mounting a recall campaign prohibitively expensive," likely turning recalls into an extinct species.

California and Colorado are the only two states to hold recall and replacement elections simultaneously, on the same ballot. California first asks voters whether they want to remove the incumbent. Then, if a majority favors removal, the candidate who gets the most votes on the second question becomes governor.

In last month's election, Republican Larry Elder finished atop of the list of replacements for Newsom with 48% of the votes, but many voters did not choose a replacement candidate so his fraction of the overall votes cast was much less.

Bill Whalen, a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank at Stanford University, noted that California's constitutional officers have faced recall attempts within months of taking office, which he called the equivalent of frivolous lawsuits even if most never reached the ballot.

This is not a good way to run a railroad. Its not a good way to run government" for either political party, Whalen said.

Former GOP Secretary of State Bruce McPherson suggested the process be changed to require some solid evidence of malfeasance and to guarantee that a replacement candidate can't prevail with a small number of votes. McPherson also backed raising the required number of signatures as a logical way to, shall we say, tone down the recall process.

Experts also debated changes once the recall qualifies for the ballot.

The lieutenant governor should replace a recalled governor, suggested Bob Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies. But Eric Early, a lawyer for Heatlie, said that would have killed any recall effort.

This is very sacred," Early said. "This is direct democracy in action.

And Jessica Levinson, director Loyola Law School's Public Service Institute, said lawmakers should boost the qualifications required to become a replacement candidate to "get rid of the so-called clown car of replacement candidates who have no hope of becoming governor.

But she suggested any changes might be unpopular with voters and not worth the effort because recall elections remain rare.

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Associated Press writer Adam Beam contributed to this story.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP)  Dad bod, amirite, TBH and FTW are now dictionary-appropriate.

Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its venerable dictionary, including a number of abbreviations and slang terms that have become ubiquitous on social media.

Just as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding, the nearly 200-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts-based company said on its website. "New terms and new uses for existing terms are the constant in a living language."

The dictionary company said the quick and informal nature of messaging, texting, and tweeting, which has only increased during the pandemic, has contributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression.

Among them: TBH, an abbreviation for to be honest and FTW, an abbreviation for for the win.

Merriam-Webster explains that FTW is used "especially to express approval or support. In social media, FTW is often used to acknowledge a clever or funny response to a question or meme.

And it says amirite is a quick way to write am I right, as in, "English spelling is consistently inconsistent, amirite?

The coronavirus pandemic also looms large in the collection of new entrants as super-spreader, long COVID and vaccine passport made the list.

Partisan politics contributed more slang to the lexicon, such as whataboutism," which Merriam-Webster defines as the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse. For Britons, the dictionary notes that whataboutery is more commonly used.

The dreaded vote-a-ramas that have become a fixture in the U.S. Congress is explained this way: an unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on.

And still other new terms come from the culinary world, such as fluffernutter, the homey sandwich of peanut butter, marshmallow creme and white bread.

Horchata, the cold sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds and usually flavored with cinnamon or vanilla, also made the cut, as did chicharron, the popular fried pork belly or pig skin snack.

As for dad bod? The dictionary defines that as a physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi judge will decide whether a death row inmate who says he wants to be executed is mentally competent to waive all his appeals.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the examination in the case of David Cox.

Cox wrote to Mississippi Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. in August saying he wanted to fire his lawyers, give up all his appeals and have the state Supreme Court set his execution date.

I seek in earnest to (waive) all my appeals immediately, I seek to be executed as I do here, this day, stand on MS death row a guilty man worthy of death  please grant me this plea, Cox wrote in an Aug. 16 letter .

Cox pleaded guilty to shooting his wife Kim in 2010 in the Union County town of Sherman, raping her daughter in front of her, and watching Kim Cox die as police negotiators and relatives pleaded for her life. He also pleaded guilty to seven other crimes without making a bargain with prosecutors that precluded the death penalty. A jury sentenced him to death.

In another letter in July to Union County District Attorney Ben Creekmore, Cox wrote that if I had my perfect way and will about it Id ever so gladly dig my dead (sarcastic) wife up whom I very happily and premeditatedly slaughtered on 5-21-2010 and with eager pleasure kill her again.

Coxs lawyers argue that he is mentally ill and isnt competent to waive his appeals, and that its unconstitutional for the state to execute him.

There is no reliable evidence that Mr. Cox has a free or unrestrained will necessary to lodge a permanent, voluntary waiver of his right to continue pursuing post-conviction remedies, wrote Benjamin H. McGee III of the state Office of Post-Conviction Counsel.

In support of that, he cited Cox himself. In a Nov. 7 letter to McGee, Cox wrote that hes divided between skin 1 which wants to continue appeals and skin 2 which wants to be executed.

Skin 1 is not willing, while Skin 2 is willing to surrender all counsel & all appeals  still. David Cox as a whole is not a single unit, but two  David Cox within David Cox is a living division of separated matter within the same vessel of life, Cox wrote in the Nov. 7 letter .

McGee has filed a fresh petition with Mississippis justices seeking a new sentencing hearing. The lawyer says Coxs trial lawyers didnt adequately lay out the history of abuse that Cox endured as a child, including poverty, neglect, parental abandonment, chronic exposure to pornography and witnessing his father sexually abuse his sister. Coxs sister, in a sworn statement, said he dropped out of school and huffed gasoline all day, later becoming addicted to methamphetamine. Lawyers argued the substance abuse permanently injured his brain and that it would be unconstitutional to execute him, just as the Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional to execute someone with mental disabilities.

Mr. Coxs rage, violence and impulse control problems are product of brain dysfunction, not a reflection of choice or character. He has a severe psychopathology - that is, a severe mental disorder or mental illness - but he is not a psychopath, Forensic psychologist Robert Stanulis wrote in a report for the defense.

Mississippi hasnt executed anyone since 2012, amid legal disputes over lethal injection procedures and difficulty procuring execution drugs.

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This story, which was originally published December 13, 2018 has been corrected to show that the killing happened in Sherman, Mississippi, and not Shannon, Mississippi.

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Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Democrats' decision to drop a proposal for paid family leave from their massive social safety net and climate change package was met with disappointment and irritation by female voters in Virginia, a critical constituency in the tight and closely watched governor's race.

Days before Election Day, many Democratic voters there saw the elimination of the plan as a significant step back from the ambitious agenda Democrats pledged if voters ousted Donald Trump from the White House. Some worried it would leave voters soured on the party, just as Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe was scrambling to get out the vote.

"I dont think that the Biden administration is doing themselves any favors, in terms of actually, you know, making good on the promises that they campaigned on," said Meredith Katz, a Richmond mom of a 4-year-old son and an assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, who cast an early ballot for McAuliffe. A lot of people are upset and frustrated and disappointed because of that.

Its unclear whether the gloomy sentiment will become powerful enough to influence the results of Tuesdays election. Polls indicate the race for governor is deadlocked between McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin, with many Virginians having already cast their votes. And other national issues, including threats to abortion rights, may hold more sway with Democratic voters than the chaotic negotiations on Capitol Hill.

Still, McAuliffe hoped to enter the final weekend of the campaign with a sense of momentum, buoyed by progress in Congress that would remind voters that Democrats can pass bold legislation that improves their lives. Instead, he seems eager to move on from the debate.

I'm hopeful that something's going to get done, McAuliffe said when asked directly about the elimination of the family leave provision from the legislation being considered in Washington. But this race is about Virginia.

Biden originally called for up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, allowing workers to get their wages partially replaced in the event of a new child or to care for a seriously ill loved one. It's among several top Democratic priorities that were eliminated to appease two Democratic senators  Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona  who have insisted on a smaller package. Other dropped proposals include expanding Medicare to cover dental and vision care and having Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices.

The concept of paid family leave is particularly popular. A UChicago Harris/AP-NORC poll conducted in February found that 66% of Americans said they favor government funding for paid family leave, compared with just 16% who said they were opposed.

The president nonetheless described his $1.75 trillion framework as historic, saying it would "fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better.

Women in Virginia led the early resistance to Trump when their votes and activism helped propel Democrat Ralph Northam to a nearly 9-point victory over his Republican opponent in the 2017 governors race. In last year's presidential election, 53% of voters in Virginia were women, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate, and they backed Biden decisively over Trump, 57% to 41%. That helped Biden carry the state by 10 points.

McAuliffe has pledged to pursue legislation at the state level that would guarantee an unspecified amount of paid sick days and family medical leave. Hes also released several ads highlighting his commitment to the issue. Youngkin's campaign has not said where he stands on paid family leave.

The risk for McAuliffe is that paid family leave is a particularly tangible component of a broader piece of legislation that Democratic leaders have often struggled to explain and its elimination could be particularly stinging.

Some prominent activists, including the actor Alyssa Milano, encouraged women to consider other provisions in the package, including free prekindergarten, new child care subsidies and a one-year extension of a child care tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 rescue.

Kristina Hagen, the director of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, said the measure would be transformative for Virginia families.

This is why, Hagen said in a statement, with just five days left in the 2021 cycle, we are leaning in on our full support for Terry McAuliffe.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned with McAuliffe in Norfolk on Friday, spoke about the importance of both elder care and child care and electing a governor who would prioritize those issues.

If you care how workers are doing and working people and you understand that when 2 million women had to leave the workforce, a large part of it had to do with an inability to afford or have access to childcare, who is governor matters, she told the crowd.

Several women interviewed in Virginia on Thursday recalled the informal arrangements and individual kindness of bosses they had to rely on to care for their families without losing their jobs.

Katz, the Virginia Commonwealth University professor, said she was able to spend about six months at home with her son after his birth thanks to an accommodating" department chair and the ability to do some teaching remotely.

Ciarra Smith, a 35-year-old Richmond resident, recently returned to work after having her third child and said time away from work was critical for her and the baby. Her leave was paid for through her job with the state.

For them to even consider removing that (from the legislation), thats going to jeopardize not only the mothers health, but also those developmental bonds with the baby, she said. Then theyre going to be forced with, how do I maintain and survive and still care for my child? And unfortunately, women are always placed in that position.

Eucharia Jackson, a 58-year-old who attended a McAuliffe campaign event at a Richmond church on Thursday, said she was able to cobble together at least three months of leave after the births of her two children because her employer was flexible.

She called paid leave absolutely necessary for new parents and said shes seeing women increasingly disillusioned and open to Republican arguments, animated in particular by the debate over the curriculum being taught in schools.

It certainly would be good to have some good news coming from Washington, she said.

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Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Emily Swanson and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
DETROIT (AP)  A former contractor for the state of Michigan has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for helping orchestrate a $3.8 million fraud scheme involving money intended to help unemployed people during the coronavirus pandemic.

A U.S. District Court judge in Detroit sentenced Brandi Hawkins, 40, to 58 months in federal prison Thursday and ordered her to pay $3,793,186 restitution to the state.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  A small cargo ship carrying about 400 migrants that suffered engine problems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the Greek island of Crete will be towed to a safe anchorage in Greece, the Greek coast guard said Friday.

But by late Friday night, no port had been designated for the ship and there were signs the incident could turn into a diplomatic tussle with neighboring Turkey, Greece's regional rival from where the ship departed.

A coast guard statement said the Turkish-flagged freighter was located by a Greek search-and-rescue vessel east of Crete, following a tip that it needed assistance.

There was no indication that anybody on it was in ill health, although it was unclear how long it had been at sea and what its food and water situation was. The nationalities of the passengers and crew were unknown.

Right now, the important thing is to get the ship to a safe anchorage, an official with knowledge of the operation initially told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said later the vessel remained east of Crete.

The official said a formal request was to be made to Turkey to take back the ship and its passengers, who meanwhile were expected to be temporarily sheltered in a Greek port. He said it had left from Turkey, and therefore under a 2016 migrant agreement between Ankara and the European Union, Turkey should take it back.

A photograph posted by the coast guard showed scores of people, mostly men, standing in groups on the deck of a small, battered-looking freighter.

The coast guard said the ship had been heading for Italy. Using a large vessel capable of carrying several hundred people would mark a shift in smugglers' tactics.

The last time a vessel carrying several hundred migrants was located in Greece was in 2014, again off Crete. The 77-meter (250-foot) Baris cargo ship ran into trouble in international waters with nearly 600 people on board and was towed by a Greek naval frigate to the Cretan port of Ierapetra. The passengers, mostly Syrians, told officials they had paid smugglers up to $6,000 apiece for a passage from Turkey to Italy.

Crammed into flimsy dinghies, almost 1 million people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa crossed from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands in 2015. The 2016 EU-Turkey agreement was meant to prevent that from happening again.

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Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP)  An Illinois man has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting a man outside a Davenport strip club earlier this month.

Lance Johnson, 28, of Rock Island, Illinois, was arrested late Thursday by Rock Island police in the shooting death of Samuel Wires, 35, of Davenport, the Quad-City Times reported.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP)  A northeastern Indiana man has been convicted in the March slaying of his wife, who he claimed he shot after she threw a knife at him.

An Allen County jury found David Carwile, 56, guilty Thursday of murder and use of a firearm in the shooting death of his wife at their Fort Wayne home.
TOKYO (AP)  Filled with pink and fuzzy things and cuddly bears, 6%DOKIDOKI, a tiny store in the heart of Tokyos Harajuku district, is bursting with kawaii, the Japanese for cuteness.

What it doesnt have enough of, as in zero, are foreign tourists. And it could sure use some.

Like much of Asia, including Taiwan, Vietnam and Australia, Japans borders remain closed to tourists. While other Asian countries are inching toward reopening, Japanese borders will likely remain shut for some time to come. Thats a hardship for the many businesses that had come to rely on foreign tourists, who numbered 32 million in 2019, before the pandemic.

Foreigners understand kawaii' more emotionally than do Japanese. They use, Kawaii!, in the same way they say, Wonderful,' 'Awesome, or Lovely, " said manager Yui Yoshida, noting Japanese tend to use the word mainly for tangible things like cute puppies.

We had so many foreign customers before the pandemic, she said. Then suddenly no one could come.

6%DOKIDOKI opened 26 years ago and has a loyal following: when it was imperiled by the pandemic downturn, supporters in and outside Japan started up crowd-funding campaigns to keep it afloat. It is also boosting mail-order sales and has introduced colorful face masks in a psychedelic flurry of hues and bear-shaped pouches useful for carrying hand sanitizers.

Yoshida doesn't expect foreign visitors to return until cherry blossom season next year.

That even might be optimistic.

While mandatory quarantine requirements have been eased somewhat after the number of new coronavirus cases plunged from hundreds per day to a few dozen per day in Tokyo, unlike the Indonesian resort island of Bali and some destinations in Thailand, Japan remains off-limits to foreign tourists.

Japan has also effectively shut out foreign students and business travelers. A big exception, much criticized, was made for athletes and officials arriving for the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.

People remain nervous about foreign travel in this insular island culture, said Kotaro Toriumi, a tourism analyst and travel books author.

Toriumi, who teaches at Tokyo's Teikyo University, thinks foreign tourism wont revive for another year or two, even though about 73% of Japanese are fully vaccinated. Thats a much higher rate than most other Asian countries, except for Singapore.

Even if the borders reopen, tourism won't revive if Japan continues to require 10-day quarantines by travelers arriving from overseas, he said.

Even one day of quarantine is going to squelch tourism, Toriumi said, having just returned from a business trip to France, still the No. 1 destination for global tourists.

Much depends on whether COVID-19 cases will be contained. Medical experts worry infections might shoot up again in another seasonal wave.

For now, the government is preparing to restart its GoTo promotions for domestic travel, which provide discounts for travel, lodging and other spending. Last year the program was canceled after five months when the virus surged back.

The campaign is estimated to have generated nearly 1.8 trillion yen ($16 billion) in revenue from 52.6 million travelers within Japan, according to the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation.

But domestic travel still cannot fully offset the loss of business from tens of millions of foreign tourists.

Tourism from abroad to Japan started zooming in 2014, strongly encouraged by then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In 2019, the travel and tourism sector contributed 7.1% to Japan's economy, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

The target for 2020 was 40 million people. But instead, after the New Year holidays visitors dwindled as pandemic travel restrictions were imposed. Travel and tourism revenues fell to 4.7% of economic activity. Meanwhile, the number of people employed in tourism and travel, including people working at hotels, airlines, travel agencies and restaurants catering to tourists, fell to 5.4 million from 5.7 million,, the council said.

Before the pandemic, foreign tourists were spending more than 4 trillion yen ($35 billion) per year. Asian visitors intent on hoarding designer products led to the coining of the phrase baku-gai, meaning explosive shopping.

In those days, popular destinations like the ancient capital of Kyoto were jampacked with tourists. Now the crowds are mostly children on school excursions. Kiyomizu-Dera temple, famous for its spectacular hillside overlooking the city, has lost about a third of the 5 million annual visitors it had before the pandemic, even with the recent recovery in domestic travel.

Itsuo Nishida, a manager at the temple, didnt want to venture a guess as to when things might return to normal.

This is one place everyone wants to visit at least once in their lives, he said.

At 6%DOKIDOKI, so named for the bit of flutter to the heart imparted by cute things, pink-haired store clerk Emiry, spelled with that Japanese-y R, and no last name, says she has only worked in the shop during the quiet days of the pandemic.

Some shops in Harajuku are shuttered, especially in the winding back lanes.

Only two foreign customers came, the pink-haired Emiry said sadly of a recent day at the store.

And they lived in Japan. They were not tourists.

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Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
NEW HAVEN  The suspect accused in the slaying of Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang will not be able to have prosecutors send case documents directly to him at Cheshire Correctional Institution, a judge ruled Friday.

Instead, the documents must be available  at least for now  for Qinxuan Pan to review after the material is sent to the legal library at the correctional institution, according to the ruling by Judge Gerald J. Harmon.

Attorney Norm Pattis, representing Pan, had petitioned Harmon to allow Pan private access to documents concerning his case, receiving them from the prosecution through the discovery process, rather than sending them to the prison library.

Pattis said Pan reported the library was run by other prisoners, but allowing him to review the documents in his cell, where he is alone in protective custody, would ensure that they did not fall into the hands of others.

Harmon declined to grant the request Friday, saying it was policy to send documents to the legal libraries at correctional institutions and ruled that they should try that procedure before changing it. The state, the judge said, would safeguard the documents to ensure Pan can access them.

The overall case against Pan was continued again Friday, as those involved in the proceedings in New Haven agreed to wait on a decision from the Connecticut Supreme Court regarding the appropriateness of the suspects bond.

Pattis asked Harmon to put off a planned probable cause hearing for the time being, allowing the Supreme Court more time to deliberate.

The case was continued to Dec. 16.

After the proceedings, Pattis said he was pleased with the documents turned over by the prosecution to date, pointing to what he said were inconsistencies and insinuations in the states case.

Weve begun to review the material and were very encouraged by what we see, said Pattis.

Asked for an example, Pattis reiterated concerns regarding the identification of a suspect in the case. He previously noted that witnesses initially reported that people of other races were involved in the incident.

Pan previously filed a petition for the Connecticut Supreme Court to review his $20 million bond, arguing it was disproportionately high.

Under the state constitution, defendants have the right to be released on bail upon sufficient security; the justices considered the meaning of that phrase during a Sept. 8 hearing.

During that hearing, Pattis raised the example of Peter Manfredonia, accused of two killings, kidnapping, home invasion and other crimes, in which bond initially was set at $5 million.

The Pan family wonders whether this is Yale, the shadow of Yale, cast on the criminal courts, said Pattis. Every case involving Yale seems to acquire a special gravitas.

Senior Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Sugrue argued that the court should uphold the bond, which he said took into account the totality of factors, including nature of the alleged crime, the likelihood of flight and the possibility of harm coming to the community, as well as Pans alleged resources.

The state is obligated to offer some bond to the defendant, Sugrue said, but in this case believes there is no amount that reasonably could assure he would reappear in court if released from custody.

If hes out, hes gone, said Sugrue . Hes a serious and acute flight risk.

Pattis said Friday that the Supreme Court did not necessarily need to make a decision before the case in New Haven could move forward.

Jiang was shot to death on Lawrence Street in the citys East Rock neighborhood Feb. 6. Those who knew Jiang have described him as a person of faith and energy, including his parents, speaking during his funeral at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven.

New Haven police obtained a warrant charging Pan with Jiangs slaying in late February. The department had named him as a person of interest in the case Feb. 10.

Pan, formerly a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was not arrested until May 13 in Montgomery, Ala., following a search by U.S. marshals and others.

Pan was living in Malden, Mass., on the day he allegedly drove to New Haven and killed Jiang.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)  A judge on Wednesday ordered striking miners to stop picketing outside locations owned by a coal company in Alabama.

Circuit Judge James H. Roberts Jr. issued a restraining order prohibiting the union members from picketing and other activity within 300 yards (meters) of Warrior Met Coals mines and offices.

Miners have been on strike against Warrior Met Coal Inc. since early April, seeking contract improvements. Miners said they made sacrifices to save the company several years ago and want better pay and health benefits.

The restraining order comes after the company said Monday that the level of violence along picket lines had reached a dangerous level over the last week. United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts called the restraining order unconstitutional and said it will not break the strike.

It contains provisions that are unconstitutional, and it reinforces the notion that Americans  at least in Alabama  are not free to enjoy their rights to free speech and free assembly, the union president said.

Hundreds of union members from multiple states in August joined a rally to support the striking Alabama miners, vowing the judge's order would not stop them.

We remain ready to engage in serious and good-faith negotiations to resolve this dispute .... We are far stronger than the mere location of our picket lines, he added.

In a statement, Warrior Met Coal said it is focused on maintaining the safety of all employees and the community at large.

Almost a dozen miners were arrested during a protest outside a mine in May and striking miners in June reported at least three instances of violence along picket lines.

Warrior Met Coal has also offered rewards for any information on damage to transmission and distribution equipment on their property.
CHICAGO (AP)  A federal jury on Friday awarded more than $25 million to a man who sued the city of Chicago and two police detectives after being wrongfully convicted of murder and spending nearly 23 years in jail.

Eddie Bolden was freed from prison in 2016, two years after an appellate court found his trial attorney was ineffective. The Cook County state's attorney's office dropped the case rather than put Bolden on trial again and he was granted a certificate of innocence, allowing him to receive state payment for his time in prison.

But attorneys for the city and detectives argued during the federal trial that Bolden's criminal trial was fair and that he's guilty of the 1994 murders.

A spokesperson said Chicago's Law Department "is reviewing the verdict and is assessing its legal options.

Jurors ordered the city to pay $25 million in compensatory damages, and the two surviving police detectives to pay $100,000 in punitive damages. The Chicago Tribune reports that the total award tops the $25 million verdict given to Thaddeus Jimenez in 2012, and is believed to be the highest award in a wrongful conviction case in Chicago.

Bolden's lawsuit alleged that he was framed in the killings of 24-year-old Derrick Frazier and 23-year-old Irving Clayton. Boldens attorney, Ron Safer, told jurors that police had no evidence that he was involved in the drug deal that led to the killings.

Safer argued that Bolden was the only man put in a police lineup who matched the physical description a witness provided, and that detectives ignored other key evidence.

I think the jury recognized that he was victimized by a system that unfortunately has victimized people for too long, and they want it to stop, Safer said after the decision.

Attorneys for the city and the detectives argued that Bolden had connections to a high-ranking gang member who had leverage over the witnesses claiming Bolden had an alibi, giving police good reason to distrust them.

Standing with his attorneys in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after the jury's decision, Bolden, 51, teared up as he said he could barely find words to describe what he felt.

Finally, he said. Its all I can say right now.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP)  A federal lawsuit has been filed against a northern Michigan county and jail officials alleging that a 20-year-old inmate was denied access to prescribed medication to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.

The suit was filed Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Cyrus Patson of Traverse City.
FARMINGTON, Minn. (AP)  A Farmington man fatally shot his father and brother in the head, then killed his mother with a hammer two days later, according to criminal charges filed Friday.

Blake Maloney, 26, was charged in Dakota County with three counts of murder. The criminal complaint lists no motive for the killings but says that Maloney told an officer he killed three people, and that he didn't believe they were his family.

The bodies of Tracy Maloney, 53, Jack Maloney, 55, and Scott Maloney, 23, were found Wednesday by a police officer who went to a Farmington townhome to check on Tracy Maloneys welfare after one of her friends said the woman had been unreachable since she went to her ex-husband's townhome to visit her sons, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

A message left with Blake Maloney's attorney was not immediately returned to The Associated Press on Friday.

According to the criminal complaint, the officer went to the townhome Wednesday morning and asked Blake Maloney if Tracy was there and if he could talk to her. Maloney then raised his hands above his head and said, I did something. I murdered them or something, according to the complaint.

The officer found Tracy Maloney on the kitchen floor with a yoga mat over her face. There was a large amount of blood on the floor and several head injuries consistent with blows from a hammer, the complaint said.

The officer also found Jack Maloney dead on a bed in the basement, covered with blankets. He had been shot in the head. Scott Maloney was found on the second level of the townhome, blocking entry into a bedroom. He also had a gunshot wound to the head, the complaint said.

Officers found a bloody hammer and loaded AR-15 rifle in the house. At the police station, Blake Maloney allegedly said he killed his brother, then his father a couple of days before his mother came to the townhome.

He admitted he killed (his mother) with a hammer because he did not want to use the gun anymore, the complaint said.
LEBANON, N.H. (AP)  A man who was released on bail at a New Hampshire police station lobby lit a box of tissues on fire and poured hand sanitizer on it to fuel the flames, police said.

Lebanon police said the Bradford, Vermont, man had been released Thursday following a theft arrest but declined a ride home. When police left him in the lobby area, he took a lighter from his backpack, walked over to the dispatch window, and set the tissue box on fire, police said in a news release.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  A New Jersey man faces criminal charges after he purchased more than a dozen kits to make ghost, or untraceable, guns at a Pennsylvania exhibition, the top law enforcement officers from both states said Friday.

New Jersey acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said William Pillus of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, was indicted on five charges this week, including second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm, third-degree purchasing firearm parts to manufacture untraceable firearms, third-degree possession of firearm without a serial number, and two counts of fourth-degree possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine.

His girlfriend was also charged with one count of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity magazine.

Ghost guns are firearms without serial numbers that cannot be traced by authorities.

A message seeking comment was left with the lawyer listed as Pillus' defense attorney.

The attorneys general billed the arrest as a crackdown on ghost guns, which are illegal in New Jersey. A Pennsylvania judge in 2020 put a hold on a state police policy that called on retailers to call the state's background check system and not simply use the online system for sales of ghost guns.

Our message to gun traffickers is clear: if you bring illegal firearms into our state, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, Bruck said. We are committed to shutting down the pipeline of illegal firearms into New Jersey, especially the untraceable ghost guns that are quickly becoming a favorite of criminals."

Shapiro, who is running for governor in Pennsylvania next year, asked during a news conference why Pennsylvania lawmakers haven't cracked down like New Jersey has.

This case also underscores the need for new laws, both at the federal level and especially in Pennsylvania, to stop the flow of ghost guns into the hands of people looking to do harm in our communities, he said.

Pillus' case stems from a September visit to an Allentown, Pennsylvania, gun show where he bought the 13 handgun kits, according to officials. Authorities said they tracked him to his Morris County, New Jersey, residence where they also confiscated an AR-15-style rifle without serial numbers, 13 9-milimeter handgun kits, two 30-round AR-15 magazines, along with handwritten handgun assembly instructions and firearm assembly tools, among other things.

Shapiro credited the cooperative relationship between law enforcement in both states for the charges in this case.

New Jersey has tightened its already strict gun laws under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is running for reelection this year.

He's promised more gun safety legislation if reelected. Among the laws Murphy signed in his first term include a reduction in the size of magazines from 15 rounds to 10 rounds, and a measure that made it a crime to transport, ship, sell or dispose of ghost guns in the state.

The indictment comes after a 2020, partnership between the states to halt interstate gun trafficking and solve gun crimes, known as the PA/NJ Gun Trafficking Initiative."

It also comes just just weeks after the governors of four northeastern states  Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania  agreed to exchange gun crime data for use by law enforcement.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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Fauci had no involvement in study on monkey threat responses

CLAIM: Dr. Anthony Faucis experiments include one that magnified terror in the brains of monkeys and subjected them to frightening stimuli.

THE FACTS: A tweet that circulated widely across platforms this week falsely suggested a study decried by animal activists was among Faucis experiments, despite the fact that the nation's top infectious disease expert had no part in the research, nor did the institute he directs, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Reading through Faucis experiments and the one I find most alarming is the use of an acid to destroy a region of monkeys brains to magnify terror, read the tweet, first posted by the conservative commentator Candace Owens. They then simulated images of spiders and tormented them with fear. Human DNA is 97% identical to apes. Why fund that research? In reality, the research mentioned in the tweet was conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health that is separate from the one Fauci heads. Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is not involved and has never been involved in this study, NIMHs press team said in an emailed statement. Additionally, the study was not funded by NIAID. NIMH also disputed the framing of the tweet, saying that while the study did use lesioning techniques to alter the brains of monkeys, it was critically important research to learn more about brain circuits that help with emotion expression and regulation. In the 2019 study, researchers used injections of acid to target areas of the brain in rhesus macaques. They then observed the monkeys responding to a fake rubber snake, a fake spider and neutral stimuli. The study authors said their work provided insights into the neural regulation of defensive responses to threat and inform the etiology and treatment of anxiety disorders in humans. While the study in question found monkeys with the lesions had an increased defensive response to threat, other research has found that brain lesions blunted or had no effect on emotional threat responses in monkeys. Several animal activist groups and federal lawmakers have publicly criticized this research and other studies involving monkeys at the NIH. Responding to such criticism, NIMH defended its use of the primates, saying, monkeys are critical for studying these brain circuits because their brains are structurally and functionally similar to human brains. NIMH added that animals used in its research are protected by laws, regulations and policies that are intended to ensure a commitment to animal welfare. Owens did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Her tweet followed scrutiny of several experiments using dogs  some of which were funded in part by the Fauci-run NIAID.

 Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report with additional reporting by Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in Atlanta.

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Incorrect comparisons made between refugee aid, social security payments

CLAIM: Refugees resettled in the U.S. receive $2,125 per month from the government, while Social Security recipients only receive an average of $1,400 per month.

THE FACTS: Posts sharing inaccurate comparisons between the amount of government funding given to refugees seeking resettlement in the U.S. and monthly payments received by Social Security beneficiaries have been circulating for months on Twitter and other platforms. The State Department defines a refugee under the Immigration and Nationality Act as someone who has experienced persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, making them eligible for resettlement in U.S. communities. Social media users have incorrectly claimed that refugees receive $2,125 per month from the government, while Social Security recipients who have been paying into the system for years only receive an average of $1,400 per month. The assertion made in the Twitter post is inaccurate, State Department spokesperson Ned Price wrote in an email to the AP. The State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration offers a one-time, per capita amount of $2,275 to resettlement agencies, and of that amount, $1,225 is available for agencies to use toward refugees' initial housing, food, clothing and furniture costs. The rest of the funds go toward services including assistance with cultural orientation, assistance with enrollment in English language services and school, access to immigration assistance and referral to other social, medical and employment services. Assistance is only provided directly to refugees in the rare event they have established family or friend relationships who are able to meet their basic needs, such as housing, Price said. In that case, a one-time payment of $1,225 per person is provided directly. After the initial resettlement period, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement works through individual states and nonprofit organizations to connect refugees with language, employment and social services. The Office of Refugee Resettlements web page states that its Cash and Medical Assistance program, which is similar to Medicaid, lasts for up to eight months from the date of arrival in the U.S. Refugees are also eligible for public benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid. Social Security helps older Americans, workers who become disabled and families in which a spouse or parent dies. Most workers have to pay Social Security taxes for as long as they are working and qualify for retirement benefits after about 10 years of work. Workers are eligible for the retirement benefits in their 60s, depending on their birth year. When it comes to payments, the Social Security Administrations monthly statistical snapshot for September 2021, the most recent data, shows that beneficiaries on average received about $1,439 monthly. However, this number changes from month to month and varies greatly depending on the type of benefit.

 Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in Atlanta contributed this report.

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Japan has not substituted ivermectin for COVID-19 vaccines

CLAIM: Japan has pulled the vaccines and substituted ivermectin  and in one month, wiped COVID out in that country.

THE FACTS: An article published this week by a conservative radio host recirculated a months-old false claim that Japan had halted the use of coronavirus vaccines in favor of using the parasite drug ivermectin, and that the switch has led to the eradication of coronavirus cases. The claims are not true. Japan has continued to administer vaccines and has not authorized ivermectin for treating COVID-19. The drug is used to treat infections of roundworms and other parasites in humans and animals. Many health officials have warned against ivermectins use for COVID-19, saying that it could cause harmful side effects and that theres little evidence it helps. The drug is not listed by the Japanese government as an approved medicine to treat the coronavirus, according to the Japan Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agencys list of medical products approved for COVID-19. The same list shows that the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines all remain authorized under Special Approval for Emergency use in the country. The false assertion that ivermectin gained approval for use among COVID patients in Japan emerged in August after Haruo Ozaki, the chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, said at a news conference that the drug may have benefits for COVID patients but needs to be studied further. Some people online misinterpreted this as an endorsement of the drug and mischaracterized Ozaki as a government official. But the Tokyo Medical Association is an independent organization. It is not a government agency and does not reflect the official stance of the Japanese Ministry of Health. While Japan did suspend the use of about 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine in August after contamination was found in unused vials, it did not totally stop administering the vaccine. The Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were unaffected. Japan has recorded more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 650 deaths in the past month, though daily new cases have seen a steep decline from when they surged around the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Experts say an effective vaccine campaign, widespread use of face masks and subdued nightlife could be credited with the decline. About 70% of the population is fully vaccinated.

 Sophia Tulp

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Children in video died in stampede, not after receiving COVID-19 vaccine

CLAIM: Video shows 13 children lying on the floor dead after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a school in South Africa.

THE FACTS: The video, taken in 2020, shows children who died in a stampede at school in Kenya. The Department of Health in South Africa confirmed to the AP that the claim being shared was false. The graphic video, which shows a row of children on stretchers with the sounds of wailing in the background, is accompanied by comments that falsely state the children died from the COVID-19 vaccine. It circulated widely across social media and on Telegram with claims the media was not covering the deaths and that tech companies were blocking the video. The Department of Health of South Africa confirmed to the AP that they had not had any reports of deaths of children due to the vaccine. In fact, this is just misinformation designed to mislead our people, parents and guardians in particular, Foster Mohale, a health department spokesperson, said in an email. South Africa is not vaccinating children in schools. Those 12 and above can choose to go to vaccination centers to get shot, but it is completely voluntary. The Associated Press reported on the stampede, which took place at Kakamega Primary School in Kenya in February 2020. It occurred after students trampled over each other as they were released for the school day. Fourteen children died in the stampede and 39 others were injured. The AP reported that grief-stricken parents wailed and collapsed at the three hospitals where the bodies of the dead were taken. The cause of the stampede was unclear at the time. The recent false claims about the video began circulating this week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration backed a low dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children in the U.S. The panel voted that the vaccines benefits in preventing COVID-19 outweighed any potential risks.

 Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed this report.

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Video shows California ceremony, not US troops in Taiwan

CLAIM: A video shows the U.S. military in Taiwan.

THE FACTS: The video in question was filmed in front of City Hall in Monterey Park, California, and shows an annual memorial ceremony commemorating a 1937 battle between Chinese and Japanese troops. A post that circulated on Twitter recently showed a video of people marching with American and Taiwanese flags. A tweet in Chinese falsely claimed that the video showed the U.S. military in Taiwan. The video can be found circulating on Twitter as early as 2018. But the procession was filmed thousands of miles away, outside Monterey Park City Hall, Amy Wang, press division director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, told The Associated Press. The event is hosted each July by the local Taiwanese American community. She could not confirm which year the video was taken, but said those shown in the clip are part of the Taiwanese American community. The annual event commemorates the Marco Polo Bridge incident, a July 1937 conflict between Chinese and Japanese troops near the bridge outside Beijing, which triggered the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition of China from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but continues to maintain a robust, unofficial relationship with Taiwan. On Thursday, Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed that some U.S. troops were on the ground there, the AP reported.

 Associated Press writer Arijeta Lajka in New York contributed this report.

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Western New York church did not get a liquor license

CLAIM: An image of a newspaper article shows that True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, recently became the first church in New York to obtain a liquor license.

THE FACTS: This claim and the image it appeared in have circulated widely online this week, but they are both fake, True Bethel Baptist Church and The Buffalo News confirmed. True Bethel Baptist Church becomes the first Church in NYS to receive a Liquor License: Rev. Darius Pridgen thanks Mayor Brown, read the fake headline in the image, which was made to look like an issue of The Buffalo News. This is in fact a fake story, said Amy Yakawiak, information specialist at The Buffalo News, who said it wasnt clear where the false image originated. This is completely false, said Danetta McKinnon, pastor of administration at True Bethel Baptist Church. McKinnon noted that the bogus claim had been circulating since early September. An internet search did not reveal any credible news articles making this claim, and a search of the New York State Liquor Authoritys website did not turn up any legitimate liquor license records matching True Bethel Baptist Church.

 Ali Swenson

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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

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PINK, Okla. (AP)  An Oklahoma deputy sheriff has been hospitalized after being shot several times while responding to reports of a domestic disturbance Friday morning on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, authorities said.

The deputy, whose name and condition have not been released, was shot at a home in a wooded area between the towns of Pink and Bethel Acres, according to Pottawatomie County Sheriff Mike Booth.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Elizabeth Sides is so eager to get her three children  ages 5, 8 and 10  vaccinated that she looked into enrolling her youngest in a clinical trial. Now, facing likely delays in scheduling shots, shes considering crossing state lines if allowed.

Ill go to a different state, she said. Im going to go wherever my kids can get it first.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within days whether to endorse kid-size doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. If regulators agree, shots could begin as early as late next week.

New Hampshire officials said Wednesday they had ordered 15,000 initial doses for 97,000 children in that age group, but have since clarified that they expect to have 30,000 doses ready to deliver to hospitals, pharmacies and pediatricians when the vaccine is fully approved.

But school-based clinics will be delayed by at least a few weeks after the Executive Council initially rejected federal funds to set them up. The Republican-led council that approves state contracts has since accepted money from a different pot of federal funds, but still must approve individual contracts with public health networks for the clinics.

It was really disappointing when I saw the news about New Hampshire, said Sides, who lives in Hopkinton. For me, its like, Cmon, do your job.

Garth McKinney, superintendent of Nashua schools, said he, like most school administrators, was concerned about the delay given that the rate of virus transmission remains substantial and access to the vaccine has varied among families.

The added funding would have expedited the process but, nevertheless, we stand ready to do all we can to support vaccination efforts among our families' elementary-aged children once we have the approval, he said.

About 500 students ages 12 and up were vaccinated at a clinic at Nashua High School South in May, he said, and the district plans to host another one as soon as possible.

Public health and our school nurses tell us clinics are planned, ready to go, and awaiting state approval, he said.

In Hopkinton, Sides said her family has not been living in fear but has been cautious and likely will remain so even after her children are vaccinated. But that milestone will just allow us to take that huge sigh of relief, she said.

I just hope New Hampshire takes this as seriously as so many of the parents that live here do, she said.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  A year before the 2022 election, a fight over an attack ad airing on local television in Nevada is pointing to challenges both parties may face attempting to turn the debate over an infrastructure bill in Congress into campaign fodder.

KTVN, the Reno-based CBS affiliate, on Wednesday morning took the rare step of agreeing to take a political ad off the air after Senate Republicans called it inaccurate and threatened legal action. After a back-and-forth with both parties, the station decided to put it back on unchanged later in the day, according to an email its general manager sent Democrats Senate Majority PAC.

The segment, which is also airing on other channels, is the cycle's first from the political action committee of Senate Democrats. It targets Adam Laxalt, the Republican former state Attorney General whose race against Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is expected to be among next years most contested.

The ad says Laxalt is opposing relief for Nevadas economy, (saying) no to lower prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare. He even opposes the expanded child tax credit for working parents.

Laxalt has said he opposes the infrastructure bill and criticized its cost but hasnt commented on economic relief, prescription drugs or child tax credits.

In an Oct. 22 letter to stations demanding the ad be taken off air, the National Republican Senatorial Committee argued it wasnt accurate to extrapolate conclusions about specific provisions in the bill  especially when Democrats are still fighting over provisions including drug pricing and child tax credits.

Attorneys for Democrats countered that it was fair and accurate to describe opposition to a proposal by detailing its contents.

Battleground states like Nevada are accustomed to ads containing spin, but when attempted, campaigns claiming inaccuracy rarely succeed at getting them off air, both parties say.

Laxalt said in a statement that the ad reflects how Cortez Masto and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will say anything to win this race, no matter if it aligns with the facts or not."

Democrats said efforts to remove the ad reflect the popularity of the components referenced.

This takedown letter makes clear that the NRSC is acutely aware of the political risks for their candidates and incumbents opposing widely popular policies, said Brad Bainum, a spokesman for the Democratic Party-aligned PAC American Bridge.

When asked by The Associated Press, Laxalt didn't say if he supported expanded child tax credits or prescription drug pricing proposals like allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.

The ad falsely suggests that he is standing in the way of hypothetical bills that have yet to reach the floor of the Senate for a vote, said John Burke, his spokesman.

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Metz 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.
WASHINGTON (AP)  When President Joe Biden meets with Pope Francis on Friday, he wont kiss the ring.

Biden, who has met with Francis three times and with two previous popes, has said he eschews the traditional sign of respect because his mother told him not to  that no one is better than him. In their meeting, the two are expected to discuss issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change as equals.

Biden, only the second Catholic president in U.S. history, often speaks publicly about his faith and attends Mass every weekend.

As a second-term senator, Biden met with Pope John Paul II in 1980, when the two spent a reportedly chummy 45 minutes together. As vice president, he met with Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, when he famously told the pope to go easier on American nuns, who then were under fire by the church for activism on issues like poverty.

By all accounts, Biden has a positive relationship with the current pontiff, beginning when he attended Francis inauguration as pope in 2013. They also met during the pontiffs 2015 visit, including a private meeting where Biden said the pope prayed for his family as they mourned the recent death of Bidens son Beau. In 2016, they met again, when Biden spoke about cancer care at a conference on regenerative medicine at the Vatican.

The president keeps a photo of one of his meetings with the pope behind his desk in the Oval Office. Their upcoming meeting continues a long tradition of president-and-pope encounters.

Some notable moments from meetings past:

President John F. Kennedys 1963 meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was historic: The first Roman Catholic president of the United States was seeing the Roman Catholic pontiff only days after his coronation. Kennedy, who faced anti-Catholic bias during his presidential campaign, shook hands with the pope rather than kissing his ring, as is the usual practice for Catholics.

Pope Paul VIs trip to New York in October 1965 presented protocol problems. President Lyndon Johnson wanted to see him, but the pontiff was a chief of a state not officially recognized by the U.S. The solution: Johnson flew to New York for dinner at the apartment of his friend Arthur Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and the pontiff was welcomed to Johnsons suite at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel the next day.

Johnson had a penchant for somewhat odd papal presents. At that 1965 meeting, his gifts to Paul included a silver-framed, autographed photograph of himself. Two years later, at their next meeting at the Vatican, Johnson presented the pontiff with a foot-high bust of himself.

Jimmy Carter was the first president to play host to a pope at the White House. Pope John Paul II's stay at the White House featured 10,000 guests  split between separate arrival and departure ceremonies on the North and South Lawns.

President Ronald Reagan had trouble keeping his eyes open on his first visit to the Vatican in 1982. Reagans head bobbed and his eyes repeatedly closed for seconds at a time while John Paul talked solemnly of crises in the Falkland Islands and Lebanon. The incident came during a 10-day European trip with a packed schedule for Reagan. But it fed already rampant talk that the 71-year-old president wasnt physically up to the job.

Reagan sparked controversy over the separation of church and state in 1984 by establishing formal U.S. diplomatic relations with the Vatican, a long desire of the Holy See. Shortly afterward, Reagan and John Paul met during refueling stops at the airport in Fairbanks, Alaska (their paths were crossing as one finished and one began trips to Asia). The Alaska stop generated lots of excitement, but also scores of T-shirts reading The Pope Meets the Dope.

For his last of four meetings with Pope John Paul, President Bill Clinton flew to St. Louis to greet the pontiff as he began a U.S. tour. Back in Washington, the Senate was in the throes of its impeachment trial against Clinton, and John Paul said America faces a time of trial. But it was generally assumed that the pontiff, who also challenged Americans to a higher moral vision, was speaking about his long-running and sharp dispute with Clinton over the president's support for abortion rights.

At George W. Bushs last meeting with John Paul, at the Vatican in June 2004, he presented the pope with the Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor. The pontiff responded by reading a statement about his grave concern over events in Iraq, where the U.S.-led war had been going on for just over a year.

After John Paul died in 2005, Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a papal funeral.

At his first audience with John Pauls successor, Pope Benedict XVI, Bushs overly casual behavior was noted by many Italians and Vatican watchers. He addressed the pope as sir, rather than the customary your holiness, and leaned far back in his chair with one leg thrown informally over another, instead of the ramrod-straight physical posture more commonly seen in the pontiffs presence. Romes ANSA agency flashed a Gaffe Presidente headline.

For Benedicts first U.S. tour as pope, there were several presidential firsts: Bush traveled to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to meet the pontiffs plane, brought the largest crowd of his presidency to the South Lawn for Benedicts arrival ceremony, and hosted a dinner in the popes honor that Benedict didn't attend.

Former President Barack Obama met with Pope Francis twice, once at the Vatican in 2014 and again during the popes 2015 visit to the U.S., where Obama met Francis on the tarmac at Andrews and played host in the Oval Office. Before 11,000 people on the South Lawn of the White House, Obama praised the pope as a living example of Jesus teachings, while Francis lauded Obama for his commitment to addressing climate change.

Former President Donald Trump had a famously prickly relationship with Pope Francis. The two sparred during the 2016 campaign, with Francis taking a veiled swipe at Trump by declaring that people who think only of building barriers instead of bridges are not Christian. Trump, who campaigned on building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, called the comments disgraceful and suggested the Mexican government was using Francis as a pawn. When the two met at the Vatican in 2017, photos showed a stone-faced Francis standing next to a grinning Trump. The president later said their meeting had been fantastic.

___ AP News Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisianas largest health system cannot fire or otherwise discipline north Louisiana employees who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 while the mandates legality is in court, a state appeals court says.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport ruled Thursday, just a day before Ochsner Healths Friday deadline for its 32,000 employees across Louisiana and in a small part of Mississippi to be fully vaccinated or face dismissal.

State District Judge Craig Marcotte had thrown out a lawsuit brought Oct. 5 by dozens of employees at Ochsners Shreveport location. The three-judge appellate panel ordered him to hold a hearing on the mandate and to block enforcement until its legality is decided.

Ochsner did not immediately comment Friday morning.

Although the 2nd Circuit's rulings do not affect district courts outside north Louisiana, Thursday's ruling is a signal to businesses statewide that vaccine mandates are probably illegal, said Jimmy Faircloth, attorney for some of the workers who filed the suit.

That's because temporary restraining orders can be made only if the people asking for them have a good chance of winning, he said.

However, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers 21 southwest and central parishes, on Wednesday rejected a request for a similar order and reinstatement of a lawsuit against Ochsner Lafayette General Health.

We find no error in the trial courts ruling, the 3rd Circuit panel wrote.

Faircloth said he has asked the Louisiana Supreme Court to overturn District Judge Thomas Fredericks dismissal of that case.

The lawsuits argue that Louisianas constitution and laws guarantee citizens a right to decide their medical treatments.

It is unlawful for an employer to threaten to fire an employee for exercising a legal right, or to require an employee to forego the exercise of a legal right as a condition of employment, the Shreveport lawsuit states.

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Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Jennifer Selin, University of Missouri-Columbia

(THE CONVERSATION) Every president in history has refused to disclose information to Congress. These refusals are so commonplace that there is not even a comprehensive listing of how often they occur.

In just the latest incident, the House of Representatives voted to hold former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress in mid-October 2021. At Trumps request, Bannon defied a subpoena from the committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, refusing to testify.

The House vote captured the constant power struggle between presidents and Congress.

The recent eruption of this battle between the two branches of government over access to presidential information raises questions about the constitutional authority of Congress and how lawmakers acquire the information needed to hold the executive branch accountable in the U.S. system of separation of powers.

Power to investigate

No constitutional provision explicitly states that Congress has the authority to investigate problems or defects in the nations social, economic or political systems. But the legislatures power to acquire information through investigation is an established part of representative democracy.

This is true regardless of the investigations end result or even whether critics accuse Congress of being partisan. As the Supreme Court put it in 1975, democratic governance means that some investigations may be nonproductive. In times of political passion, the court said, dishonest or vindictive motives are readily attributed to legislative conduct and as readily believed.

Over 200 years of Supreme Court precedent also recognizes that the fundamental right of Congress to investigate includes the power of subpoena, which compels testimony by an individual or requires them to produce evidence.

But the power of subpoena is of little value without the ability to enforce it. That mechanism is called contempt.

How contempt works

If a target of a congressional investigation refuses to comply with a subpoena, Congress can hold the individual in contempt. There are three forms of contempt  inherent, civil and criminal  each of which relies on a different branch of government for enforcement.

Congress has its own power to enforce a subpoena. However, to use that power, Congress has to conduct a trial and then find the individual in contempt. Because this process is lengthy and cumbersome, Congress has not used it since the 1930s.

Congress can also ask the courts to declare an individual in contempt. Known as civil contempt, this method requires a resolution authorizing a congressional committee or the House general counsels office to file a civil lawsuit. The courts then determine whether Congress has the right to the information it has demanded.

Congress used this power in the past three presidential administrations  Bush, Obama and Trump  to acquire information.

However, civil contempt is also slow moving. For example, Congress held Attorney General Eric Holder in civil contempt in 2012 for withholding information relating to Operation Fast and Furious, a Department of Justice policy that allowed certain illegal gun sales in order to track Mexican drug cartels. Congress eventually obtained some records, but it took seven years for courts to reach a settlement.

The last form of contempt relies on the executive branch  specifically the Department of Justice and U.S. attorneys  for enforcement. If someone refuses to testify or produce documents, a congressional committee can first cite the individual in criminal contempt and then ask its chamber of Congress to adopt a resolution affirming the committees decision. After that resolution, the Department of Justice and U.S. attorneys decide whether to pursue the matter in court.

Criminal contempt is what the House used in the Bannon case.

Bannons defiance

In June 2021, the House of Representatives established a select committee to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. As part of the select committees investigation, committee Chairman Bennie Thompson signed a subpoena requiring Bannon to produce documents by Oct. 7 and to appear for a deposition on Oct. 14.

In response to the subpoena, former President Trump instructed Bannon, his former aide, not to comply.

Bannon refused to provide a single document or appear for his deposition, citing Trumps directive.

The select committee then issued a report recommending that the House hold Bannon in criminal contempt. On Oct. 21, the House agreed with the committees recommendation and adopted a resolution finding Bannon in contempt.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi officially certified the contempt report and referred it to the Department of Justice this week. The department will now decide whether to prosecute the case.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the department will apply the facts and the law when making this decision.

The catch

While Bannons failure to comply with the congressional subpoena is striking, he needed to do so to challenge the subpoena.

To legally contest a congressional request for information, an individual first must refuse to comply and then, if held in criminal contempt, can provide a defense.

Bannons defense  and Trumps instruction not to provide information to Congress  centers on the concept of executive privilege. Since President George Washington, executive officials have claimed the ability to withhold certain information that is fundamental to the operation of government. These claims relate to the idea that confidentiality encourages candor among presidents and their advisers when making important governmental decisions and policies.

In a letter to Bannon and three others under congressional investigation, Trumps lawyer said they are protected from compelled disclosure by the executive and other privileges, including among others the presidential communications, deliberative process, and attorney-client privileges.

Presidents and their advisers have always interpreted executive privilege broadly. However, President Trump and his advisers have taken an even more expansive view than previous administrations.

My own research suggests that Trump and his advisers have asserted this privilege in at least 84 different federal cases. In contrast, in Obamas first term, only 37 federal cases involved executive privilege claims. The claims in both administrations were made in a range of cases, from Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to lawsuits over agency actions.

Courts have recognized that cases over congressional access to information inevitably force the judiciary to side with one branch over the other. Yet, courts acknowledge the need to arbitrate disputes resulting from congressional investigations, particularly when those investigations could implicate presidential misconduct or criminal activity.

At least 14 presidential administrations have been the subject of investigations that required sitting or former presidents and their advisers to produce evidence. Legal disputes over these investigations have rarely made it to court.

But Bannon has made it clear that he will not cooperate with Congress until the judiciary steps in.

How the courts handle the matter will have implications for how Congress holds current and future presidential administrations accountable.

[Get The Conversations most important politics headlines, in our Politics Weekly newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/steve-bannon-is-held-in-criminal-contempt-of-congress-pushing-key-question-over-presidential-power-to-the-courts-170426.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP)  A school bus drivers strike in Las Cruces is over after one day, at least for now.

Union officials said that drivers and attendants agreed to return to work Friday after not reporting for work Thursday to staff bus routes for Las Cruces Public Schools due to a dispute with the bus service management company.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP)  Toyota is investing $461 million into its first U.S. plant to add new technology, increase production flexibility and reduce its carbon footprint, the company said Friday in a statement.

The announcement didn't include new jobs at the central Kentucky facility, but officials said 1,400 temporary jobs would be converted into permanent positions in an effort to improve recruiting, retain top talent and provide a more inclusive work environment.
ROME (AP)  Traditionalist Catholics descended on Rome on Friday for their annual pilgrimage, hoping to show the vibrancy of their community after Pope Francis issued a crackdown on the spread of the old Latin Mass that many took as an attack on them and the ancient rite.

An evening vespers service at Romes Pantheon basilica, the first event of the three-day pilgrimage, was so full that ushers had to add two rows of chairs to accommodate the faithful. Many young families, couples and priests filled the pews, hailing from the U.S., France, Spain and beyond.

One of the Vaticans ceremoniere, or official priests, Monsignor Marco Agostini, celebrated the evening service, which featured Latin chants, incense and brocaded vestments with the priests facing the altar rather than the pews. Many women wore lace veils, or mantillas. Many priests eschewed face masks.

We want to demonstrate our attachment to the Successor of St. Peter and that we are in the heart of the church, said Pedro dAquino, who travelled from Brooklyn, New York, for the pilgrimage. Were not interested in ideology or polemics.

Francis in July reimposed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Pope Benedict XVI had relaxed in 2007. Francis said he was reversing his predecessor because Benedicts reform had become a source of division in the church and been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church and its liturgy.

The move riled Francis' conservative critics, many of whom have gone so far to accuse him of heresy and watering down Catholic doctrine with his focus on the environment, social justice and migrants. Francis says he preaches the Gospel and what Jesus taught.

His new law required individual bishops to approve celebrations of the old Mass, also called the Tridentine Mass, and required newly ordained priests to receive explicit permission to celebrate it from their bishops, in consultation with the Vatican. Bishops were also tasked with determining if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin.

Joao Silveira, who organized the pilgrimage, said it appeared that the vast majority of bishops were allowing the Latin Mass celebration to continue as it was.

I have found things are not so different, he said after service. The bishop has more power to forbid, but the majority are not using the power to forbid.

Pilgrim Diana Catalan, a 25-year-old nurse from Pamplona, Spain, said her bishop had restricted the celebration of the old rite to one Mass per week, celebrated by one priest. She came alone to the Rome pilgrimage and said she was happy to meet others in the community who were attached to the ancient Mass.

I think were conscious of the circumstances and made a special effort to show that tradition is alive, she said.
WINSTED  According to a statement from the town of Winchester, the Connecticut Low Income Water Assistance Program is open and available to Winchester water residents who need help paying water bills. Households with annual income at or below 60 percent of the state median income can qualify for this one-time water assistance benefit.

Recipients of benefits from the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, SNAP, TFA, SSI, State Supplement, or Refugee Cash, are likely to meet income requirements. Eligible households can begin submitting applications Nov. 1.
Mike Fox, now former executive director of the Plainview Hale County Economic Development Corporation, said farewell to the EDC board of directors.

After seven years serving the EDC, he officially retired Friday effectively handing the EDCs reins over to Plainview-native Kristi Aday who is set to take over in December.

Fox was recognized during his last EDC meeting with a key to the city presented to him by Plainview Mayor Charles Starnes, with a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol gifted to him on behalf of Congressman Jodey Arrington, and a special gift on behalf of the EDC Board of Directors.

During his final address to the EDC Board on Friday, Fox called it a great honor to have been selected to represent the entity after highlighting a few business prospects hes pursued during his last three months in the role.

Aday will officially take over on Dec. 6.

She comes to Plainview after spending the last eight years serving the city of New Braunfels as assistant city manager.

Her public service career began with the city of Dallas where she served as a budget analysis and management assistant in the city managers office before moving to Florida where she spent eight years serving in different positions including deputy city manager in Sanford, growth management director in Altamonte Springs. Her last position in Florida before returning to Texas was with FIGG Engineering Group.

Shes excited to bring her wealth of knowledge to Plainview to contribute to my hometown, Aday said.

She is a 1985 graduate of Plainview High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Texas Tech University. She is the daughter of longtime Plainview residents Tom and Janie Aday.

During her introduction on Thursday, Aday said she never imagined returning to her hometown but shes excited about the possibilities her new position and return home will present.

Her family has already bought a house and plan to move to Plainview in early November, she said, so shell be around before her December start date.

Its a very special experience, she said.

As EDC director, Adays job will focus on developing short- and long-range economic development plans, programs and special projects for the city of Plainview and Hale County. She will take up promotion of development of the Plainview-Hale County Business Park and work to bring in more businesses.

In her new capacity, she will work closely with the Plainview Hale County EDC, Hale County and with the City of Plainview.

Its really good to be home, Aday said.
Plainview Rotarians held their weekly meeting Tuesday and celebrated a belated World Polio Day with a proclamation from fellow Rotarian and Plainview Mayor Dr. Charles Starnes declaring Oct. 24 (World Polio Day) as World Polio Day in Plainview.

Starnes then provided a program explaining the organizations decades-long work in eradicating the disease. He explained that in 1979 Rotarians in the Philippines began working to eradicate the disease there. Following that lead, in 1989 Rotary International launched the Polio Plus initiative, aimed at eradicating the disease from the world. This year, there have been only two new cases of Wild Polio Type 3 in the world  one in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan, both in January.
Cryptocurrency miners are eyeing the lone star state and its low-cost energy as a means for growing the industry, but Texas fragile power grid might buckle under the pressure.

Cryptocurrency is decentralized, encrypted, digital money, explains Josh Rhodes, a research associate at the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin who has been a consultant for bitcoin mining companies throughout the state. Cryptocurrency is typically created through a process called mining, which involves computers solving ever increasingly complex math problems. Whatever bit of the problem is solved, some of the cryptocurrency is made, Rhodes explains.

This process consumes a lot of energy, about 3.25 kilowatts per miner, Rhodes explains, or roughly the amount a home air conditioner consumes. Current mines in the state are eating up hundreds of megawatts, but expansion plans will push that figure into the thousands soon, Rhodes says. Cryptocurrency transactions also use a lot of energy, with the average financial exchange consuming more than 1,700 kWh of electricity, almost twice the monthly amount used by the average U.S. home.

China, formerly the country with the largest bitcoin mining industry, recently banned cryptocurrency mining and transactions, driving bitcoiners to Texas. The majority of cryptocurrency mining was happening in China because they have some pretty cheap electricity over there Rhodes says, adding it was likely banned because the country did not want to cede control of any of its economy. Because Texas has some of the lowest cost electricity in the world, it looks pretty attractive to bitcoin miners or cryptocurrency miners.

The state also has an abundance of energy. It is a top producer of wind power in the country and has a surplus of cheap solar energy.

Texas leaders have also been vocal advocates for cryptocurrency. In June, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted Its happening! Texas will be the crypto leader, after H-E-B announced it would set up cryptocurrency kiosks in some stores. During a Texas Blockchain Summit earlier this month, Sen. Ted Cruz said bitcoin mining could play a significant role [in] strengthening and hardening the resilience of the grid. Texas suffered outages during a February winter storm in which its power grid failed to meet increased demand, leaving more than 4.5 million homes and businesses without power and hundreds dead.

Because of the ability of bitcoin mining to turn on or off instantaneously, if you have a moment where you have a power shortage or a power crisis, whether its a freeze or some other natural disaster where power generation capacity goes down," Senator Cruz said at the conference. "That creates the capacity to instantaneously shift that energy to put it back on the grid.

Some experts aren't so sure. "There is merit to the idea that more flexible demand makes it easier to balance the ups and downs of supply when wind and solar vary, or when coal and gas and nuclear plants fail, Daniel Cohan, associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, told the Dallas Morning News earlier this month. "But just adding brand new demand to the grid isnt helpful, or doesnt fix the shortfalls.

Alex de Vries, founder of the website Digiconomist which analyzes the impacts of cryptocurrencies, similarly opined that the energy required for bitcoin mining could create problems for the state's energy infrastructure when he spoke with the Austin American-Statesman. "This is a massive risk when you look at the Texas grid, which is already quite weak," Vires said. "You can't blame bitcoin miners solely for that but they're definitely going to be contributing."

Though it may be risky, Cruz's goal is possible, Rhodes says, but its complicated. More demand on the grid could mean less energy to go around for everyone. However, the more demand thats on the grid should spur more investment in more power plants, Rhodes says. If this new load added to the system results in us building more power plants those power plants would be available to serve other loads like peoples homes.

Rhodes also found that the bitcoin miners would need to be willing to reduce their operations when electricity demands rise in the state. Otherwise, it could impact the stability of the grid in a negative way. If new power plants are not built because of the mines, then market fundamentals would say the price of the electricity would go up, he says.

Some industry experts have expressed environmental concerns because of the the likely higher carbon dioxide output with the use of so much electricity, which is mostly generated by coal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who announced his company's move to the state earlier this month, said in May he would no longer accept bitcoin as a form of payment for its vehicles because of the digital currency's environmental impact. He has since walked back on that statement and even had his company invest in bitcoin.

When it comes to reducing environmental impacts, Rhodes says flexibility is key. An increased demand could incentivize new wind and solar, which he adds are some of the cheapest forms of energy to build, to be developed in the state to match new demand and offset carbon emissions.

Texas' system must match supply in demand in real time, which has typically been done by turning up power plants when demand increases, Rhodes explains. "We typically cant ramp things like wind or solar," he says. "The flexibility allows us to still match supply and demand but not have to have so much firm capacity, or the ability to ramp things up and down like our thermal fleet by gas and coal."

When asked if he sees a potential ban happening in the state like Chinas, Rhodes says hes not sure the state government would have the authority to achieve so and that would instead need to be done at the federal level. Some electrical systems around the country could make it harder for mines to connect to the system and use electricity, he adds. Thats one way that you can functionally, I guess, stop it.

Still, Rhodes sees the popularity of cryptocurrency in the state continuing to grow. I do think more cryptocurrency, more bitcoin mining, is coming to Texas because theres just a lot of interest in it, he says. I think theres a lot coming.
At Bourbon Steak DC, Executive Pastry Chef and DC native Amanda Khan loves to create throwback desserts inspired by her childhood, so a nostalgic play on a campfire classic is a no-brainer.

When we were kids, my grandparents used to take my brothers, cousins, and I on a camping trip every summer, she says. I have fond memories of us roasting marshmallows for smores over the campfire at night.

For this recipe, however, Khan got her inspiration not from her American childhood but her Parisian education.

When I was in school in Paris, I went to a restaurant where the dessert was a riff on smores, and I was so impressed with how the chef was able to be creative and make something completely different, she recalls. It inspired me to create my own take on smores.

Khan is not the only American chef to transform this nostalgic camping favorite into a fine dining dish. In 2017, Bon Appetit reported no fewer than 11 restaurants offering their play on the combo of marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate, including iterations in the form of sliders, tortes, and even a whole cast-iron skillet delivered to the table, perfect for sharing (or not, as the case may be.) For her version at Bourbon Steak DC, Khan transforms roasted marshmallows into a smoky, creamy ice cream she drizzles with decadent homemade hot fudge.

This dessert is a cinch to recreate at home  provided youre armed with an ice cream maker and a trusty kitchen blowtorch (seriously, get one: you can have creme brulee any night of the week). Youll also need to make a quick stop at Home Depot to source two hardware store staples  PVC pipe and acetate  to mold the ice cream before plating.

The acetate is meant to contain the ice cream away from the PVC pipe, so you can pull it off without it actually touching the ice cream, explains Khan. The whole point of this step is just to get the ice cream in the shape of a marshmallow.

At the restaurant, the marshmallow ice cream and fudge are served with milk chocolate mousse, sheets of praline-infused chocolate, and graham cracker streusel, all assembled under a smoke-infused cloche for the perfect dramatic unveiling. At home, simply toast some graham cracker crumbs in butter to sprinkle over the top, and youll be ready to go to town on this smores-meets-sundae.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream (Makes 1 quart)

170 grams small marshmallows

375 grams whole milk

180 grams heavy cream

83 grams granulated sugar

.75 grams kosher salt

75 grams egg yolk

Place the marshmallows on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Burn as much of the marshmallows as you can with a kitchen torch. Cover with aluminum foil. Flip, remove bottom aluminum and burn again.

Bring the milk, cream, sugar and salt to a scald. (A scald is when you heat milk just before it boils, then cool slightly.) Beat the egg yolks in a separate mixing bowl, then slowly temper in the cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Place the toasted marshmallow into a blender, and strain the cream mixture over the top. Blend until smooth.

Strain, let cool, and process through an ice cream machine.

If you like, to make marshmallow-shaped servings of ice cream, line PVC tubes with strips of acetate (both available in your local hardware store or online.) After the ice cream has come out of the ice cream machine, transfer to a piping bag and fill the acetate-lined pipe with the ice cream, then smooth over the top. Freeze until ready to serve.

Homemade Hot Fudge (serves 8)

262 grams heavy cream

261 grams corn syrup

113 grams dark brown sugar

32 grams cocoa powder

2 grams salt

261 grams Manjari (64%) Valrhona chocolate, chopped, divided

5 grams vanilla extract

44 grams butter

Heat the cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, and half the chopped chocolate in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the butter, vanilla, and remaining chocolate. Stir until smooth.

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The post This SMores Recipe From a 5-star Chef Starts at Home Depot appeared first on InsideHook.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The weather on an otherwise bright and sunny Thursday in Houston has left more than 100,000 customers in the proverbial dark.

Gusty winds and sustained breezes that stirred up after Wednesday's cold front were enough to topple lines and damage the area's power infrastructure. Line crews are working to repair the network and restore power to thousands of homes left without electricity. Outages appear to be spread across Greater Houston rather than focused in on one specific area, according to CenterPoint's outage tracker.
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

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All passengers and staff using federally regulated modes of transportation are required to be vaccinated for boarding, with some exceptions for foreign nationals.

Canada provides new details on vaccine requirements and exemptions for travellers

Canada provides new details on vaccine requirements and exemptions for travellers All passengers and staff using federally regulated modes of transportation are required to be vaccinated for boarding, with some exceptions for foreign nationals.

Canada provides new details on vaccine requirements and exemptions for travellers All passengers and staff using federally regulated modes of transportation are required to be vaccinated for boarding, with some exceptions for foreign nationals.

Canada provides new details on vaccine requirements and exemptions for travellers All passengers and staff using federally regulated modes of transportation are required to be vaccinated for boarding, with some exceptions for foreign nationals. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Starting tomorrow, Canada will require travellers departing from Canadian airports and travelling on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains to be fully vaccinated.

The measure, which takes effect Oct. 30 at 3 a.m., applies to travellers age 12 and older who use federally regulated modes of transportation. This includes all domestic and international flights from Canadian airports, VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer train passengers, and cruise ship passengers on voyages of 24 hours or more.

Travellers who have started but not completed the vaccination process may present proof of a valid COVID-19 molecular test until November 29. After that date, they will not be allowed to travel, except under limited exemptions.

The federal government had announced plans to roll out these measures in early October.

Today, the government indicated that transitional measures have been put in place for unvaccinated foreign nationals who normally reside outside of Canada and who entered Canada prior to October 30. Until February 28, they will be able to leave Canada by air if they present proof of a valid COVID-19 molecular test at the time of travel.

Those who are unvaccinated and who test positive for COVID-19 during travel will not be permitted to travel further or return to their point of departure until they have completed 14 days in isolation.

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Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, who made the announcement today, also reaffirmed that a number of exemptions will be granted to allow emergencies and remote communities to access essential services. Details of these exemptions have not yet been provided.

Alghabra also indicated that the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will assist carriers in verifying the immunization status of travellers.

On October 21, the federal government announced that it was developing a standardized Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination to facilitate international travel, in collaboration with the provinces.

Travellers may use proof of vaccination issued by the local health authority in their province or territory where their vaccinations were registered, or by their country of vaccination, provided that it is a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Government of Canada.

The Government of Canada reminds travellers that they may be subject to other provincial or territorial measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is the travellers responsibility to familiarize themselves with potential restrictions at their final destination.

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Sean Fraser got into politics to create opportunities in the community where he grew up, now he is the minister responsible for Canadian immigration.

How Sean Fraser became Canadas immigration minister Sean Fraser got into politics to create opportunities in the community where he grew up, now he is the minister responsible for Canadian immigration.

How Sean Fraser became Canadas immigration minister Sean Fraser got into politics to create opportunities in the community where he grew up, now he is the minister responsible for Canadian immigration.

How Sean Fraser became Canadas immigration minister Sean Fraser got into politics to create opportunities in the community where he grew up, now he is the minister responsible for Canadian immigration. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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While working at a law firm in Calgary, Sean Fraser noticed that much of his graduating class now lived in the same city as he4,800 km away from where they grew up.



In fact, he and all five of his sisters had also left Merigomish, Nova Scotia. Although he loved his job as a lawyer, he wanted to do something to help young people and families stay and work in his home community.

I thought that could be something meaningful that I could do with my life, he said in a 2021 town hall meeting with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

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In 2015, he ran as the Liberal candidate for the Central Nova riding, which includes his hometown. He won a riding that had been dominated by the Conservative party, and has held on to his seat for the past two elections.

This week, on October 26, he was appointed to be Canadas new immigration minister.

1/I am humbled to have been appointed by PM @JustinTrudeau to serve as the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Immigration will remain a key pillar of Canadas recovery and Im committed to ensuring that we continue to have the workers we need, where we need them. pic.twitter.com/IPzjm2cSdU  Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) October 26, 2021

Fraser studied international and environmental law at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He also has a law degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

As a lawyer in Calgary he practiced environmental and human rights law. After being elected to office, he served as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance and the minister of middle-class prosperity, which was removed in the latest cabinet shuffle. Prior to that he was also the parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change.

Exactly five years to the date before he became immigration minister, Fraser advocated for more immigration to Atlantic Canada in the House of Commons. Nova Scotia has one of the highest proportions of seniors in Canada. On top of that, many young people and immigrants leave the province to pursue job opportunities elsewhere.

Citing the famous Ivany Report, which discussed the importance of immigration to support Nova Scotias economic growth, Fraser argued the best way to replenish the Atlantic regions population was through a robust immigration strategy.

In the years that followed, Atlantic Canada got the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which will soon be a permanent program. Early studies of the program suggest that it is working to help improve immigrant retention in the region.

In January this year, Fraser was named Best Orator in McLeans Parliamentarians of the Year Awards, and was a finalist under the Rising Star in Parliament category for the second year in a row.

Fraser inherits pandemic challenges, election promises

During the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has accumulated a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applicants. This past summer, the Toronto Star reported there were more than 561,000 permanent residency applications to process, 748,000 temporary residence applications, and 376,000 citizenship applications. These figures do not include applications that were sitting in the mailroom, and not yet entered into the system.

Since the crisis in Afghanistan, IRCC has shifted resources to process applications for 40,000 Afghan refugees. There are also resources allocated to addressing the 7,300 extra applications submitted to the one-time Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway.

The Liberal Party promised in its election platform to reduce processing times that have been impacted by COVID-19 to under 12 months, although the platform did not say how. The Liberals also said they would improve applications for family reunification by introducing electronic applications.

Also, since Canada changed its immigration strategy to focus more on applicants who are already in the country, the new minister will have to make decisions on when to resume Express Entry draws that include Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates.

In the platform, the Liberals said they would expand pathways to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers and former international students through the Express Entry points system. This would ideally allow for more temporary residents to be eligible for Express Entry, though IRCC has not announced how the new occupation classification system will affect eligibility.

Fraser also has the opportunity to be the immigration minister who makes good on the Liberals 2019 promise to end citizenship application fees. We will also be looking out for what he does with the budding Municipal Nominee Program, which is supposed to help address labour shortages in rural communities.

These are only some of the ongoing challenges the new minister will have to address. We will know more about Prime Minister Trudeaus expectations for Fraser when he issues the mandate letters, which outline the ministers priorities and shape the future of Canadian immigration.

On my way home from Ottawa, where I dove right into my new duties as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. I am looking forward to working with the strong team of public servants at IRCC! pic.twitter.com/AtRyrysfiG  Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) October 28, 2021

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ANALYSIS: Four years after cutting immigration by 20 per cent, the province has returned to the target of welcoming over 50,000 immigrants in 2022. This is still not enough.

Quebecs 2022 immigration plan is not enough to address labour shortages ANALYSIS: Four years after cutting immigration by 20 per cent, the province has returned to the target of welcoming over 50,000 immigrants in 2022. This is still not enough.

Quebecs 2022 immigration plan is not enough to address labour shortages ANALYSIS: Four years after cutting immigration by 20 per cent, the province has returned to the target of welcoming over 50,000 immigrants in 2022. This is still not enough.

Quebecs 2022 immigration plan is not enough to address labour shortages ANALYSIS: Four years after cutting immigration by 20 per cent, the province has returned to the target of welcoming over 50,000 immigrants in 2022. This is still not enough. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Quebec is looking to increase immigration once again.

This morning, the province announced it would welcome up to 52,500 new permanent residents in 2022.

Unfortunately, the province continues to fall short of the targets it needs to support stronger economic growth.

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Quebec currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. Its unemployment rate was 5.9 per cent in September compared with 7.1 per cent nationally. One of the reasons for its low unemployment rate is Quebec has one of Canadas oldest populations. Over 20 per cent of Quebecs population is aged 65-and-older, compared with 18.5 per cent nationally. Quebec also has a birth rate that is just as low as the national average, and one of the countrys lowest immigration rates per capita. When you put all this together, the province is facing significant labour shortages. According to Statistics Canada, Quebec is seeing among the highest increases in job vacancies in the country.

Labour shortages are problematic for several reasons. They make it difficult for employers to operate at full capacity, which makes it difficult for them to serve the needs of consumers. This, in turn, makes it difficult for employers to make investments, which hurts job creation and economic growth.

The topic of labour shortages has featured in Quebec media headlines throughout 2021 with stakeholders pointing to the need for higher immigration as part of the solution to better meet the provinces labour market needs.

For instance, the President of the Quebec Employers Council wrote an article in July providing ten solutions to tackle worker shortages, two of which pertained to increasing immigration levels and reforming the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). In September, Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters published a report that labour shortages cost the province $18 billion over the past two years, and it also called for more immigrants to help solve this problem.

To put Quebecs immigration figures into context, the province was targeting the arrival of some 50,000 immigrants annually until it elected a new government in the fall of 2018. The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) party successfully campaigned on a promise to reduce immigration by 20 per cent due to its believe more needed to be done to improve newcomer integration in the province. Under its first plan, CAQ set a target of welcoming a maximum of 41,800 immigrants in 2019.

Welcoming 50,000 new immigrants per year prior to 2019 was already low, so CAQs new policy created even greater pressure on the provinces economy. Even though Quebec has the authority to set its own immigration targets (an authority no other province or territory has), it continues to choose to welcome just 12 per cent of all newcomers to Canada, despite it being home to 23 per cent of Canadas population. On a per capita basis, Quebec is now aiming for an immigration rate of 0.6 per cent. This pales in comparison to the immigration rate of 1 per cent that the Canadian government is pursuing under the Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023.

It is important to stress that higher levels of immigration will not solve all of Quebecs labour market challenges. Analysts and commentators point out that a variety of solutions are needed such as more skills training and helping marginalized members of society access job opportunities. At the same time, immigration is a key part of the equation.

So, what is an optimal level of immigration for Quebec?

Given how significant the provinces demographic and labour force challenges are, a strong case can be made Quebec needs to set much higher levels.

A good benchmark would be setting Quebecs immigrate rate at the same level as the targets currently being pursued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

This means that given its population of some 8.4 million people, it may be wise for Quebec to pursue an immigration target of 84,000 immigrants per year.

This figure may seem high but it would be in line with the national average and would allow Quebecs immigration rate to catch up after lagging the rest of the country for many years. It would be difficult to increase immigration this dramatically in a short period of time, but the province could set a multi-year plan to gradually reach this figure within five years or so.

At the end of the day, however, CAQ was democratically elected and was given a mandate by voters to keep immigration in the province low. Nonetheless, CAQ also has a mandate to increase the prosperity of its province, and seeking higher newcomer levels without compromising integration is a key element of a prosperous Quebec.

Now that the provinces 2022 plan has been set, we can not expect Quebecs immigration targets to be adjusted within the next year. But, by this time next year, Quebec voters will head to the ballot box to decide who will lead their next government. At that point, CAQ and opposition parties will have the chance to share their vision of the future for Quebec, including what each party feels is an appropriate level of immigration to support the provinces economy.

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June 22 was a great day for Alfi, Inc, a tech company in Miami Beach, Florida, which sells facial recognition advertising software. After going public in early May at $3.75 per share and dipping to a low of $2.41, the stock had risen above $16.

On June 21, an article published on Yahoo! reported that Alfis stock was going parabolic, citing a bullish video interview conducted by Benzinga, a financial news outlet. Weve been given a big bat and were swinging, Alfis chief executive, Paul Pereira, was quoted as saying. The original Benzinga video included air horn sound effects for emphasis.

What the Yahoo! story didnt report was that, starting June 10, Alfi had paid Benzinga to promote the company with articles and videos. Benzinga, which is based in Detroit and employs an editorial staff of around 30 people, publishes hundreds of stories per day, including paid promotions written by a dedicated team, Luke Jacobi, Benzingas director of operations, told CJR. One sponsored content package, including videos and review style press release article[s] to be syndicated to websites including Yahoo!, costs $5,750, according to marketing materials shared with advertisers.

While some astute Yahoo! readers may have noticed the small Benzinga logo near the headline, few are likely to know what it means, or that Alfi had paid for the original story. The original and syndicated versions were nearly identical, down to the same lead image of a neon arrow pointing upwards. But there was one important difference. The Benzinga version included a small advertiser disclosure, while the syndicated version on Yahoo! did not.

This Alfi story was one of more than a hundred paid promotional articles originally published by Benzinga, then syndicated to better-known financial news websites like Yahoo!, Yahoo! Finance, and Markets Insider (from the website Insider) to appear without disclosures over the past six months, according to a review by CJR. Its not clear how many readers saw them, but, in the companys marketing materials, Benzinga says it has received 150 million monthly impressions through its syndication partnerships.

Representatives for Benzinga and Insider said the lack of disclosures on syndicated content was unintentional, the mistake of an algorithm. Jacobi, the Benzinga director of operations, said that Alfis shares had spiked in part because the company itself had bought back shares. Andy Serwer, editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Finance, said that its contracts with content partners dont allow sponsored content. Unfortunately this must have slipped into the partners feed. When CJR pointed out this was not an isolated example Serwer did not reply further.

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Yahoo! has been through a series of ownership and management changes in recent years. It was recently acquired from Verizon by private equity firm Apollo Global Management. In this latest iteration it publishes a variety of original news from its own sources, including Yahoo! Finance  run by Serwer, a former editor of Fortune  and Yahoo! News, where veteran journalist Michael Isikoff is chief investigative correspondent. But Yahoo! and its various verticals also republish reams of syndicated content from more and less trustworthy sources. A scroll through the yahoo.com homepage reveals a dizzying mix of articles culled from the Associated Press, Reuters, Benzinga, the Motley Fool and others.

Benzinga has begun to review stories and include more prominent disclosures since being contacted by CJR. Yahoo! and Insider have begun to remove sponsored syndicated stories. But for investors who bought at the stocks peak in late June, its too late to matter. Alfis stock is parabolic no more, settled at around $6 per share by mid-October.

The Securities and Exchange Act of 1933 made it illegal to promote a stock in exchange for payment without disclosing that payment, a response to crooked tip sheets and newspaper items of the day. Joshua Mitts, a professor at Columbia Law School who advises the Department of Justice on market manipulation and securities fraud violation, says the act of digital syndication makes the enforcement of the rules more complicated.

These duties apply to the speaker  to the one injecting the information into the market, said Mitts. Initially, that speaker is Benzinga, with proper disclosure. Then, its a secondary site, without one. Now youre asking a different question, a very interesting one, which is, what about a platform thats rebroadcasting what is in effect  has now become  a materially misleading statement?

Its a difficult claim for a regulator to bring, said Laura Posner, a lawyer specializing in securities litigation and investor protection.

In 2017, the SEC charged 27 firms and individuals for promoting stocks on news websites in exchange for undisclosed payments. The stories appeared on sites including Yahoo! Finance and Benzinga, according to the SEC  but the sites themselves werent named as defendants in the complaint. In an investor alert at the time, the SEC warned readers to look out for more undisclosed paid promotions in the future. Even if articles on an investment research website appear to be an unbiased source of information or provide commentary on multiple stocks, they may be part of an undisclosed paid stock promotion, the warning read.

An SEC spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

As it happens, this past Monday Benzinga had occasion to publish a bit of bullish news about itself. The private equity firm Beringer Capital had purchased a majority stake in the company, Benzinga reported, in a deal that valued it at $300 million, they said. A syndicated version of the story ran on Yahoo!.

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Caleb Pershan is a CJR fellow.
This summer, more than 500 journalists, many of whom are people of color, signed an open letter calling for changes to US media coverage of Palestine. The letter faulted news outlets for hewing to an objectivity standard that masked the systemic oppression of Palestinians by occupying Israeli military forces. Finding truth and holding the powerful to account are core principles of journalism, it read, concluding: We are calling on journalists to tell the full, contextualized truth without fear or favor, to recognize that obfuscating Israels oppression of Palestinians fails this industrys own objectivity standards.

Not long after, Mohammed El-Kurda Palestinian journalist who grew up in Sheikh Jarrah, an occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood whose Palestinian residents have faced threat of forcible displacementspoke with The Nation about creating a Palestine Department at the magazine, something he said all US outlets should do. In response, The Nation invited El-Kurd to join the magazine as its first dedicated Palestine Correspondent.

El-Kurd is 23 years old, and splits his time between New York and Sheikh Jarrah. When he was 11, he was the subject of My Neighborhood, a documentary that detailed the forced displacement of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. (In the films opening minutes, a young El-Kurd says hes planning to be either a journalist or a lawyer and help people.) He studied poetry writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia, and is pursuing a graduate degree in poetry at Brooklyn College. Earlier this year, El-Kurd appeared on CNN, where he challenged an anchors framing of the violence in occupied East Jerusalem; the clip quickly went viral. Last month, El-Kurd and his sister, Muna, were named to the Time 100 List for helping to prompt an international shift in rhetoric in regard to Israel and Palestine. His poetry collection Rifqa, named for his late grandmotheran icon of Palestinian resistance, as he describes her in The Nationwas published this month.

In his own announcement of his new position with The Nation, El-Kurd wrote about his plan to cover Palestinian resistance without burrowing in the sand, using a vocabulary that is loyal to the Palestinian street, and challenging the mainstream narrative about our liberation struggle. He elaborated on those goals and more in an interview with CJR; the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You cannot report on the oppressed without advocating for them.

CJR: Tell me about your decision to reach out to The Nation.

The policies, politicians, money, and weaponry of the US influence the lives of Palestinian people on the daily. There should be a Palestine department in all media outlets that situate Palestinians in their headlines but never go out and seek a Palestinian perspectiveor, when they do, take a very tokenizing approach. I wanted to start the trend.

In western journalism, oftentimes there is this marketing of unbiased journalism, objective journalism, and Im very angered by it. I used to say that I would like journalists to be braveto take the risk of reporting on topics like Palestine. But, honestly, I just want journalists to do their job. If youre in Jerusalem and youre witnessing an internationally recognized military occupation, you should report it as such.

My life has been reported on since I was a child. People have always said that I was threatened with eviction, which is a huge misconception about whats actually taking place in our neighborhood, in Sheikh Jarrah, and whats taking place all over Jerusalem in general. When we flipped the switch and started calling it forced mass displacement, you had all of these nations condemning it. You had the United Nations calling it a war crime, and you had people all around the world showing solidarity with us. Thats what I think journalism can do. Im not asking journalists to be advocates, but by merely reporting the truth, you become an advocate. You cannot report on the oppressed without advocating for them.

How do you envision your new role?

Ill report on things like resistance in Beita. But Im also excited about the possibility of writing about Palestine outside of its geography and its urgency. Palestine is constantly a headline, constantly breaking news. I want to write about whats it like to be a Palestinian and go to the beach: to see the road, how shabby the Palestinian towns are, versus the settler towns.

I want to continue to be authentic to the people in the street. What was refreshing about Sheikh Jarrahs rise in American media was that it was the exact same material in Arabic and in English. Oftentimes, when Palestinians talk about ourselves in English, we perform for a Western audience; we assume what they want to hear. In Sheikh Jarrah, our community didnt do this, and I think that was why it was so resonant.

Your work as a journalist makes you a very visible figure. Does that worry you?

In the occupied territories, the Israeli regime will arrest people for Facebook posts, for incitement. I think about that material violence. Like, What happens to my family? Is my family going to be used as a bargaining chip? Is my family going to have to deal with the consequences of my audacity?

I think about prison. Ive been incredibly lucky not to end up in prison, although I have been arrested and detained. But its something that I think about all the time.

With Rifqa, youre publishing a collection of poems. What should your readers expect from that?

I wrote the book, Rifqa, a long time ago, and Id been writing it for many years. Its a book of poems about my time in Jerusalem, my time in Atlanta.

I didnt anticipate the book receiving this much attention, which is good and bad. Its good because its pretty unfiltered. Its bad because I should have probably censored myself a little bit more, because its going to be in a lot of peoples hands. That being said, Im very excited about it.

While writing the book, I went from doing the typical trying to humanize Palestinianswhich I think now is a bad approachto now just merely writing about things as I see them, unabashedly. I [realized] if I keep writing only about the symptom, its never going to be relieved. We need to tackle things at the root, like Angela Davis says.

We shouldnt spend our energy and time painting perfect victims. This is something that I noticed living here in the US, which has made me kind of transform the way I write about the Palestinian people, about my people, in a way that is more humanizing, not just as powerless victims that are striving for perfection. They have every right to be flawed, living under a situation that forces you to acquire all kinds of flaws and all kinds of furies.

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Karen Maniraho is a CJR fellow.
A Kansas City jury decided in favor of the insurer in the nations first jury trail of a lawsuit that sought coverage for business-interruption losses caused by the coronavirus.

The jury for the U.S. District Court for Western Missouri on Thursday returned a verdict in favor of Cincinnati Insurance Co. in a lawsuit filed by K.C. Hopps. The chain of nine bars, restaurants, catering services and event spaces had argued coverage was owed for lost income because SARS-CoV-2 had caused a direct physical loss or damage.

We thank the jury for their time and attention through the trial, Cincinnati said in a statement on Friday. We are pleased that they unanimously agreed with us that our commercial property insurance policy does not provide coverage for these Covid-19 losses.

U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough was one of the few federal judges who allowed COVID-19 business-interruption claims to proceed to trial, after ruling that the policy could be interpreted to provide coverage. In 90% of the cases decided in federal court so far, district court judges granted insurers dismissal or summary judgment motions.

The 6th and 11th and 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled in favor of insurers in COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuits.

Plaintiffs attorneys lauded the victory when Bough on Aug. 12 denied Cincinnatis motion to dismiss K.C. Hopps lawsuit. But attorneys for the restaurant chain were disappointed when Bough denied their motion on Oct. 22 to prohibit Cincinnati from telling the jury that exclusions in the policy do not apply to the business-interruption claims.

K.C. Hopps on Oct. 23 filed a motion seeking an order regarding the courts policy interpretation and to revise proposed jury instructions, stating that Bough had ruled previously that the exclusions do not apply.

Plaintiff reasonably took the courts statement that the exclusions do not apply to mean that they were inapplicable as a matter of law, the motion says.

The complaint filed by K.C. Hopps states that the nine businesses within the chain were expecting to earn $17 million in 2020, but government closure orders had drastically reduced revenues. The plaintiff presented evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can linger on surfaces and spread through ventilation systems, meeting the definition of a direct physical loss.

One other COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit has gone to trial, but that case was decided from the bench. New Orleans Parish Judge Paulette R. Irons ruled on Feb. 10 in favor of Lloyds of London in a lawsuit filed by Cajun Conti, which owns a restaurant in the New Orleans French Quarter.

About the photo: Barleys Brewhouse in Shawnee, Kansas, shown here, is one in a group of nine restaurants and other businesses that have filed suit seeking coverage from Cincinnati Insurance Co.
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  An attorney for a landholding company that has sued the Union Carbide Corp. over contamination of a West Virgina property is objecting to a proposal from the chemical giant to voluntarily clean up the site, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.

Michael Callaghan represents Courtland Company in several federal court cases that allege Union Carbide broke environmental laws at an industrial landfill in South Charleston. The landfill was active from the 1950s to the 1980s and has been contaminating Davis Creek, a tributary of the Kanawha River.

Expert testing of Davis Creek revealed high levels of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, selenium, mercury and other toxic substances.

Callaghan tried to get the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to take action against the company before suing in federal court. Then earlier this month, Union Carbide submitted an application for the states voluntary remediation program to clean up the site. The state agency accepted the application and is negotiating an agreement.

In a letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection last week, Callaghan challenged the states right to accept the application, which would allow Union Carbide to clean up the site without paying civil penalties. The case is under federal jurisdiction, he wrote, and the states acceptance of the application amounts to impermissible interference in that case.

In his letter, Callaghan gave the state agency 10 days to revoke the application. Otherwise, he said, he will seek a restraining order from U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver, whos overseeing the case in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

A spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment on Wednesday afternoon.

Union Carbide Corporation said in a statement that it will respond to the letter within the confines of the comment period provided by the WVDEP. The company said it had no further comment with regard to the lawsuit.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP)  The parents of a military veteran shot and killed by a sheriffs deputy during what his family described as a mental health crisis because of his PTSD have filed a civil lawsuit against the Elmore County sheriff.

Jonathan Pears, 32, was shot and killed in the front yard of his parents home in Wetumpka on July 28. Deputies came to the home after his mother called 911 when she became concerned over her sons behavior.

The lawsuit accuses the sheriffs department of using excessive force in shooting Pears, who was holding a large knife but was 90 feet (27 meters) away and not threating anyone, according to his parents. A news release issued Tuesday said family members believe this is a case of needless, premature, and unnecessary police actions resulting in their son Jonathans wrongful death.

My son was my hero. He was a senior airman and served as a civilian contractor. Jonathan spent almost four years in Afghanistan, surviving a suicide bomber, mortar fire, and firefights, his father, retired Air Force Col. Andrew Pears, said in a news release about the case. The father said officers had less lethal means to address the situation.

Sheriff Bill Franklin did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. In July, Franklin told news outlets a deputy shot Pears because he refused commands to drop the 18-inch (46-centimeter) knife while walking toward officers and his father.

The lawsuit states Pears had returned from Afghanistan in 2019 and suffered from PTSD and was tormented by his memories of harrowing experiences in Afghanistan. Pears had completed an in-patient program at the VA months before the shooting but had stopped taking his medication.

On the day of the shooting, his parents said Pears was acting irrationally and they called 911 because they were fearful for their safety and for Jonathans safety. His mother put a gun in a locked bedroom so her son could not get it. The lawsuit said that when hearing that someone was coming to the house, Johnathon Pears said. Im not going back! Im not going back! His mother thought her son was having a flashback to the Taliban.

According to the lawsuit, Andrew Pears went out to greet responding officers but was tackled by deputies. Johnathon Pears was shot when he went outside and within seconds of being told to drop the knife.

A deputy told the parents they had to shoot Pears because he was coming at his father with a knife.

However, the truth was absolutely the opposite, the lawsuit stated.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
At least 14 construction defect lawsuits have been filed against developers and subcontractors that built thousands of Nevada homes.

Two insurers issued commercial liability policies to cover such claims, but they didnt agree on whether a prior-damage clause in one of the policies excluded coverage. Two U.S. District Court judges in Las Vegas created a legal conundrum by issuing conflicting opinions as to whether the insurer or the insured bore the burden of proving that coverage was owed under an exception to that exclusion.

The Nevada Supreme Court helped settle that question on Thursday by ruling that an insured must prove that an exception in the policy language does not exclude coverage. The high court also decided that the insured can use extrinsic evidence  meaning testimony or documents not in the pleadings  to decide whether the exception applies.

The Supreme Court said in a unanimous decision that Nevada law is silent on the question, but under contract law, the burden always falls on one party or the other to produce evidence to persuade a judge.

In Nevada, the burdens of production and persuasion rests with the insured, who has the initial burden of proving that the claim falls within the policy coverage, the court said in a unanimous opinion, citing a previous ruling. The assignment of the burden of proof to the insured to prove that the claim potentially falls within the exception to the exclusion, which in effect re-establishes coverage, is in alignment with these principles as well.

The question came to the Supreme Court via a certified question asked by the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is seeking to resolve the conflicting rulings by the U.S. District Court judges. Federal courts rely on state courts to resolve unsettled questions in state law.

Nevada homeowners brought 14 construction defect lawsuits against developers in Nevada state court from 2010 to 2013. The developers sued their subcontractors as third-party defendants. The subcontractors turned to Zurich American Insurance Co. to defend them because Zurich units had insured them while construction was underway.

Zurich obliged and reached settlements with the subcontractors, but also filed suit against Ironshore Specialty Insurance Co. for indemnification and defense.

Ironshore had issued policies to the subcontractors after construction was complete. The carrier argued that no coverage was owed because of a provision in the policy that excluded coverage for any damage that occurred before the policy was issued.

Zurich countered that the exclusion for pre-existing damage had an exception that covered any sudden and accidental damage.

On Oct. 12, 2017, U.S District Court Gloria M. Navarro ruled in Zurichs favor, finding that the prior-damage exclusion did not apply because the policies did not state when the damage occurred. She ordered Ironshore to share half the cost of the subcontractors lawsuits, which amounted to $488,233.

But five months later, U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey granted summary judgment in a separate but nearly identical lawsuit in favor of Ironshore. She found that damage that occurred before the policy was issued was clearly excluded and the exception for sudden and accidental damage did not apply.

The Supreme Court said that Navarros ruling implicitly concluded that the insurer had the burden of proving that the exception to the exclusion applied, while Dorseys order implicitly concluded that the burden rested on the insured. Dorsey made the right call, the high court decided.

The opinion says that a majority of courts that have ruled on the question about who has the burden of proving whether an exception to a policy applies have denied that the burden lies on the insured. Nevada law requires that the insured establish coverage under a policy.

We hold that the majority rule, which places the burden on the insured, to, in essence, reestablish coverage where it would not otherwise exist, accords with these principles, the opinion says.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP)  A federal jury on Wednesday awarded $17 million to the parents of a mentally ill man who was shot in a Costco store by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer.

The panel in Riverside ruled in a lawsuit filed against the city of LA and the former officer in the June 14, 2019, killing of 32-year-old Kenneth French.

I am pleased with the verdict and hoping it brings some justice to the family, Dale Galipo, an attorney for the family, told KNBC-TV.

The jurors in the lawsuit trial concluded that Salvador Sanchez, a seven-year LAPD veteran, was acting within the scope of his employment even though he was off duty. That means the city may be liable for much of the award.

The city will review its options, including an appeal, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the city attorneys office.

Sanchez was shopping at a sausage sample table in the Corona store, southeast of Los Angeles, when French struck or shoved him from behind without warning, authorities said.

Sanchez was holding his 1 1/2-year-old son in his arms when he was knocked to the ground.

Sanchez pulled a handgun and opened fire, killing French and seriously wounding his parents, Russell and Paola French.

Sanchez told investigators he believed French had a gun, that he had been shot and that his life and his sons life were in immediate danger. However, French was not armed and was moving away from Sanchez when he opened fire.

His parents said French had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The LAPD fired Sanchez last year after the citys civilian Board of Police Commissioners determined that Frenchs conduct did not present an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury  meaning that the use of lethal force was not objectively reasonable.

The Riverside County district attorney declined to charge Sanchez criminally when a grand jury didnt indict him. However, the state attorney general charged him with voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

He is awaiting trial.

An email seeking comment from David Winslow, an attorney who is representing Sanchez in the criminal case, wasnt immediately returned.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Avis "Darlene" Searan, age 75, formerly of California, passed away at Restwell Home Plus in Oskaloosa, KS, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. She was born the daughter of Leo Abraham and Avis Amelia (Gabbert) Searan in Claremore, OK, on June 25, 1946. Darlene loved watching baseball, especially,
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
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Bryce Earner

Class of 2022

Bio

Bryce Earner graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Financial Mathematics and a Minor in Computer Science. In the final year of his degree, he completed a research project on capital structure models and investigated what effect contingent convertible bonds had on a companys valuation.

He then joined the Bank of Canada as a Research Assistant, where he supported efforts in the management of the Exchange Fund Account, a $72.5 billion dollar foreign reserves portfolio. He was exposed to asset allocation under an ALM framework, yield curve modeling, and dynamics in the swap market.

Bryce joined the MSCF program to further develop his mathematical toolkit, study the latest in machine learning, and begin a career in quantitative trading.
San Fernando City, Pampanga (CNN Philippines, October 28) Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Isko Moreno said Thursday creative ways of handling government finances may help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) recover from the pandemic.

In his visit to two factories in San Fernando City, Moreno outlined his financial game plan: loans for MSMEs badly hit by the pandemic, and giving directions to local governments on how best to spend their budget allocations given the increase in internal revenue allotments in line with a Supreme Court ruling.

Called the Mandanas Ruling, the 2018 decision stated that all local governments are entitled to a share of all national taxes, not just their internal revenue allotments given by the national government. Local governments are expecting budget increases of up to 50% beginning in 2022.

Kesa magastos sa kung saan-saan lang, hihikayatin ko, sakaling maging pangulo ako, ang mga LGU na gamitin ang dagdag na kita sa maraming taon. Isanla nila ang IRA sa DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines) at maski pribadong mga banko na maraming pera ngayon dahil mahina ang loans dahil naman sa walang negosyo, para magtayo ng pabahay, iskwelahang kumpleto sa computers, at ospital, Moreno said.

[Translation: Instead of spending this money on other things, Id encourage LGUs to utilize their additional income. They can put their savings in the DBP and private banks that have loads of cash because loans are weak due to the decrease in livelihood, to put up housing, put computers in schools, and build hospitals.]

In a statement, Morenos campaign team also said that if elected president, the mayor also plans to use the added IRA to give low-interest loans to assist struggling MSMEs.

Moreno also said additional IRA proceeds will be used to target specific concerns of local governments.

"You create a menu that addresses the general population and needs. For example, with the new amount na mage-generate ng (that will be generated by the) LGU, if you create menus, then you're trying to put direction to the country's future," he said.

Moreno said will prioritize giving jobs to those affected by the pandemic, regardless of employment status.

When asked about his stand on contractualization, he answered, Thats the least of my problem. What I want is for you to have jobs, jobs, jobs. Temporary, immediate, basta maghanap buhay ka muna, pag umuunlad na tayo balikan natin 'yung issue na yun (you should be employed first, then if our lives improve we can go back to the issue). For now, we must find a way how to stimulate businesses so they can sustain jobs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Sen. Bato dela Rosa's meeting with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to offer that she replace him as presidential bet does not reflect the sentiment of the PDP-Laban, the ruling party's president said Friday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, president of a faction of the PDP-Laban, admitted that Dela Rosa indeed met with Mayor Duterte earlier this week to "offer" that he can be replaced in case the presidential daughter tries to run for the highest post.

READ: Bato also meets with Sara, says its in relation to substitution

"The good senator even offered na available siyang i-substitute ni Mayor Sara in case she will run (that he is available to have Mayor Sara substitute for him in case she will run)," Cusi said, citing Dela Rosa's argument about the Davao City mayor being a frontrunner in presidential surveys.

"But that is not the party position. That is a personal statement, personal offer ni Sen. Bato kay Mayor Inday Sara," he clarified. "Si Mayor Inday naman has been very firm na hindi siya tatakbo under PDP-Laban."

[Translation: But that is not the party position. That is a personal statement, personal offer of Sen. Bato to Mayor Inday Sara. Mayor Inday Sara has been very firm that she will not run under PDP-Laban.]

Duterte earlier filed her candidacy for reelection in Davao, but speculations continue that Dela Rosa is only a "placeholder" for PDP-Laban's standard bearer post in case she changes her mind before the Nov. 15 substitution deadline.

Cusi reiterated that Dela Rosa was being "natural" about his offer, because he would rather give way than fight against the presidential daughter for the same post.

Sara Duterte has so far stood firm that she will not run for president.

Meanwhile, PDP-Laban remains optimistic that the mayor will endorse the party's candidates through her regional alliance Hugpong ng Pagbabago ahead of the polls.

"Well we are hoping that Mayor Sara will endorse our candidates but that is really a personal decision that Mayor Inday will be making in due time," Cusi said.

"As of now, there are no formal talks going. And we are just seeing how things are developing and whether Mayor Inday will not change her mind, tingnan po natin (let's see). We are still hopeful that we will be able to establish an alliance with Hugpong," she said.

Dela Rosa is running in tandem with Sen. Bong Go under PDP-Laban. The party has also pitched to President Rodrigo Duterte the idea of him running for the Senate but the latter is still "discerning" about it, after he initially announced that he will withdraw from politics when his term ends.

READ: Cusi says Duterte 'discerning' possible Senate bid
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Salahuddin Hassan, leader of the Islamic State group-linked Daulah Islamiya, was killed early morning Friday in a joint police and military operation in Maguindanao, officials said.

Col. Pedro Balisi, commander of the Philippine Army's 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, said government forces clashed with Hassan's group in Talayan municipality's Barangay Damablac.

Balisi said troops recovered the bodies of Hassan and his wife Jehana Minbida, the finance officer of Daulah Islamiyah, as well as several firearms, ammunition and subversive documents.

Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, commended security forces for their operation which led to Hassan's death.

"This latest accomplishment is a significant blow against the DIHG (Daulah Islamiyah-Hassan Group) and another victory in our thrust against terrorism. With their leader now dead, the terrorist group will certainly crumble," said Faustino.

Hassan assumed the overall Amir position of the group after Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan died in a military encounter in 2019, Balisi said.

According to the military, Hassan was also responsible for notable attacks in Mindanao such as the Davao Night Market bombing in 2016 which killed 14 civilians, the Isulan twin bombing in 2018 which left five persons dead and at least 40 others wounded, and the bus bombings in Tulunan and M'lang towns in Cotabato early this year.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Labor leaders seeking public office in the 2022 polls hit presidential aspirant Isko Moreno for his remarks setting aside contractualization if elected.

Presidential aspirant Leody De Guzman said the Manila mayor already neglected the plight of contractual workers this early.

"'Yung middle class na batang Tondo na may 70M sa SALN ay nakalimot na sa mga problema ng milyon-milyong kontraktwal na manggagawa," said de Guzman in his tweet.

[Translation: The one who considers himself middle class and Tondo kid that has 70 million in his SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth) seems to forget the problems of millions of contractual workers.]

RELATED: Presidential aspirant Isko Moreno says net worth at 70M, ready to release SALN

In a Pampanga sortie earlier this week, Moreno said ending contractualization will be the least of his concerns if elected president.

On the other hand, De Guzman said if elected president, he will issue an executive order on a labor first policy that will put an end to contractualization.

The policy, he said, will include an aggressive job creation program and set the national minimum wage at 750. The benchmark minimum wage in Metro Manila is 537.

"Ang trabaho ay dapat sapat at may dignidad. Di sila nagtatrabaho para payamanin lamang ang mga bilyonaryo, ginagawa nila ito upang buhayin ang kanilang mga pamilya," said de Guzman, chairperson of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.

[Translation: A job should be sufficient and is dignified enough for every worker. They are not working just to make the billionaires richer, but to provide the needs of their families.]

Senatorial aspirant Elmer Labog said contractualization deprives workers of job security and causes anxiety, poverty, and mental health problems to them and their families.

"Imbes na sisihin ang manggagawa, dapat lahat ng kandidato para presidente ay magkaroon ng plano para sa industriyalisasyon ng Pilipinas. Ito ang solusyon para magkaroon ng maraming industriya at kumpanyang Pilipino na may kapasidad na lumikha ng mga good quality, stable at secure na trabaho," said Labog.

[Translation: Instead of blaming the workers, all of the presidential candidates must have a plan for the industrialization of the Philippines. This is the solution to have more Filipino-owned industries and companies which have the capacity to create good-quality, stable, and secure jobs.]

Labog, chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno, said the Labor Code was amended many times to solve the "endo" labor practice, but noted there are still around seven to 10 million contractual workers according to the latest data of the International Labor Organization.

"End of contract" or "endo" is a highly contested form of contractualization widely practiced in the country, where workers are hired for not more than five months so employers don't need to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code. It strips millions of workers of all the benefits granted by law to regular employees.

President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the anti-endo bill in 2019, citing the need to balance the concerns of employers and employees.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment showed that around 700,000 workers were regularized since the start of Duterte's term.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  The Philippine College of Physicians on Friday said Metro Manila may ease to Alert Level 2 as COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions continue to decline, but the public must be constantly reminded to follow health protocols.

"I think based doon sa number of cases natin, we have to agree with the Department of Health na pwede na nating babaan ang alert level systems natin. Marami nang bakanteng beds sa COVID emergency room pati na rin doon sa mga COVID ICU and wards, may mga bakante," PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin told CNN Philippiness New Day.

[Translation: Based on the number of cases, we agree with the DOH that we can downgrade the alert level system. There are many vacant beds now in COVID-19 emergency rooms, ICU, and wards.]

Limpin added hospitals are seeing more admissions of non-COVID-19 patients, which is a sign that the situation in medical facilities is improving.

She also said the daily new cases are averaging 3,000 for this week, with less than 1,000 cases recorded in Metro Manila. The capital region is now low risk for COVID-19, according to OCTA Research.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said local executives in the National Capital Region are ready for Metro Manilas shift to Alert Level 2, wherein more businesses will be allowed to operate and increase their capacity.

The Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila will lapse on Oct. 31. The Inter-Agency Task Force is expected to announce the next alert level on Friday.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Friday reiterated his appeal to Congress to give his agency the power to suspend excise taxes on oil products amid the hike in fuel prices.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Cusi said the Department of Energy does not have the authority to suspend the excise tax when prices reach a certain level, since the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion only allowed that from 2018 to 2020.

"There was a provision about suspending excise tax in TRAIN Law 2 but the time has expired already. Its timebound kasi that provision," Cusi said.

"Naglapse na iyon kaya (It lapsed already so) we cannot suspend it now. We are asking Congress to amend and give us power," he said.

During a hearing of the House Committee on Energy Thursday, the Finance department opposed suspending the fuel excise taxes as this may "translate to significant foregone revenue" of over 131.4 billion for at least a year.

The agency also reasoned that there is no new legislation that would suspend such taxes.

On Thursday, House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez filed House Bill 10246 which proposes that the government suspend the collection of excise taxes on fuel from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2025.

Once the adjustments are made under the proposed measure, taxes on regular gasoline and unleaded gasoline would drop to 4.35 per liter and 5.35 per liter, while taxes will not be imposed on diesel, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas.

Excise tax on gasoline is currently at 10 per liter, 6 per liter for diesel, and 5 per liter for kerosene.

RELATED: DOF urged to reconsider stand on fuel excise tax suspension
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  A pediatric infectious disease expert said the government should vaccinate at least 50% of its target population against COVID-19 before expanding the immunization to cover children aged 5 to 11.

Dr. Mary Ann Bunyi, president of Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, said the government should still focus on inoculating the priority groupssenior citizens and adults with comorbiditiessince they are at higher risk of getting severe COVID-19, which may lead to death.

"Kung ma-reach ang hinahangad na 50-70% na target, na mabakunahan itong A2 and A3, then palagay ko pwede maibigay at masimulan ang 5-11," she said during a virtual briefing Friday.

[Translation: If we hit the 50-70% target of vaccinating the A2 and A3, then I think we can start vaccinating 5-11 age group.]

Advisers for the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this week recommended the use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for the youngest age group. Data from Pfizer showed the vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing symptomatic illness among these youngsters.

In the Philippines, the government has expanded the vaccination drive to include minors aged 12-17. Starting Nov. 3, the program will be rolled out nationwide, the Department of Health (DOH) said in a statement.

READ: Registration, requirements: What you need to know about nationwide COVID-19 vaccination of older kids

The pandemic response task force also released a resolution on Friday, stating that 80% of the pediatric population should be vaccinated by December. The DOH said the country has around 12.7 million minors aged 12 to 17.

Since the start of the vaccination of minors in Metro Manila last Oct. 15, a total of 23,727 children with comorbidities aged 12-17 already received their first dose of Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

The National Task Force against COVID-19 on Friday said as of Oct. 27, 26.479 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Over 31 million individuals, meanwhile, already received their first dose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  The government will pursue Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. if proven it did not pay taxes after bagging billions of pesos in procurement deals, Malacanang vowed Friday.

"Ngayon ibang isyu ang nilalabas nila: non-payment of taxes. Ay naku po, syempre po ang ehekutibo ang mangunguna na mangolekta ng taxes kung talagang kinakailangang kolektahin 'yan," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual briefing, stressing the state needs more funds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Translation: They (senators) raised another issue: non-payment of taxes. Of course the executive will be the first to collect taxes (from Pharmally) if there really is a need to do so.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon bared in yesterday's Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the firm did not pay income taxes, and even claimed a tax credit worth over 96 million. His report was based on Bureau of Internal Revenue documents.

"Huwag po kayong mag-alala: hindi po natutulog sa pansitan ang ating BIR. Kung talagang may kulang pong taxes, hahabulin po natin 'yan and that is guaranteed," Roque stressed.

[Translation: Do not worry: our BIR is not sleeping around. If there really are pending taxes, we will go after them and that is guaranteed.]

Xuzhou Construction Marketing Group

The spokesman also played down criticisms over a photograph of President Rodrigo Duterte with the chairman of Xuzhou Construction Marketing Group, the country's second top medical supplier, back in 2017.

"Under the laws of rules of evidence, 'yung piktyur pong 'yan ay ebidensiya lamang [that picture is only evidence] of the existence of the picture - it cannot prove relationship. Ikaw naman senadora, masyado ka namang imaginative [You're too imaginative, senator]," Roque said, addressing Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

Hontiveros posted in her official Facebook page the picture of Duterte with XCMG chairman Wang Min, noting the company also did not pay income taxes after bagging a deal worth 1.67 billion.

The company told the Blue Ribbon Committee on Oct. 19 that it doesn't pay taxes in the Philippines since it doesn't accept payments here anyway.

"Bakit ba ang mga kumpanyang nagresponde sa pandemya sa Pilipinas, puro nanlalabag ng batas? Hindi tuloy malayong maisip na kaya ang daming kaso ng COVID-19 sa atin dahil sa mga kaduda-dudang medical suppliers," Hontiveros said.

[Translation: Why is it that all of the companies responding to the pandemic in the Philippines have broken the law? It's not impossible to think our COVID-19 cases are so many because of dubious medical suppliers.]

Meanwhile, Roque said he welcomes the Senate's intent to file a petition before the Supreme Court questioning Duterte's order barring Cabinet officials from attending hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

"Talaga namang ang Kataas-taasang Hukuman ang magre-resolba kapag nagkaroon po ng ibang pananaw ang ehekutibo at ang iba pang sangay ng ating gobyerno," Roque said.

[Translation: It is indeed the Supreme Court that will resolve differences in the views of the executive and other branches of our government.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29)  The Philippines' pilot run for the COVID-19 vaccination of minors has been going smoothly as parents continue to express support for the inoculation of their children, according to a health expert.

In a virtual briefing Friday, Dr. Mary Ann Bunyipresident of Pediatric Infectious Disease Societysaid they have yet to see any hesitancy from parents on the coronavirus shots for minors 12 to 17 years old.

"Nauwaan ng mga magulang na ang mga anak nila na may comorbidities, sila 'yung mga bata na maaring magkaroon ng malubhang COVID-19," she said.

"Naparating nang maayos na 'yung bakuna ay ligtas at bakuna laban sa COVID, kaya wala kaming naging balakid sa pagtanggap nila ng COVID-19 na bakuna," Bunyi added.

[Translation: Parents understand that for their children with comorbidities, there is a possibility they can have severe COVID-19. We have successfully relayed that vaccines are safe and can protect against the coronavirus, so we faced no hurdles in administering the COVID-19 vaccine.]

Last week, Department of the Interior and Local Government Usec. Jonathan Malaya said the government hopes to vaccinate over 144,000 minors with comorbidities this October.

Only vaccines manufactured by US companies Pfizer and Moderna have been approved for emergency use among minors in the country.

In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) said the government will expand the COVID-19 vaccination for children starting next week, Nov. 3.

"Hinihikayat ko ang mga magulang at kabataan, kunin niyo ang pagkakataon na mabakunahan kayo," Bunyi said.

[Translation: I'm encouraging all parents and the youth to grab the chance to get vaccinated.]

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the DOH said the country has around 12.7 million minors aged 12 to 17.
American Jazz pianist Christian Sands performed on the stage of Penn States Eisenhower Auditorium Wednesday evening, delivering a live concert with bassist Russell Hall and drummer Clarence Penn.

The event was organized by The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.

Sands, who emerged wearing a blue suit, played many of his original compositions during the concert, which went on from 7-9:30 p.m.

Sands explained the meaning of one of his original compositions, Crash, which he played at the concert. He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut and said the song was inspired by water's power and tranquility because he has always been around it.

Be Water, Sands' third album for Mack Avenue Music Group, was released in 2020. The pianist said the title of the album was taken from his early idol, martial arts master and movie star Bruce Lee.

Sands also performed some of the songs from this album with the bassist and the drummer.

Student Bella Scotti said this was her first time seeing Christian Sands in concert, and she said she thought the concert was an interesting fusion of electronics.

I think it is very important to be exposed to different kinds of music even though my family has a strong jazz background, Scotti (senior-music) said. Jazz is not my comfort zone, but I want to listen to more jazz artists that I have never heard of so that I can incorporate some of it into my own performance.

Kieran Gresko said it was an amazing experience to listen to Sands with his caliber of skill in jazz music.

As a music major, it is great to hear people doing what I do, Gresko (freshman-music education) said. It was a really good time, and I dont regret it. Im very happy to come and listen to the concert.

MORE LIFESTYLE COVERAGE
The State College Borough Council announced it stands with the Penn State student organizations opposing Uncensored America's upcoming Milo Yiannopoulus Pray the Gay Away event on Wednesday.

The borough approved a statement of opposition made by Jesse Barlow, Borough Council president and Penn State professor, on the grounds that the event incites violence and hate speech.

As President Barlow has stated, the borough has taken stand after stand and passed laws to protect the LGBTQ community, along with other marginalized people, and we need to continue that protection, said Councilman Evan Myers.

The borough said it supports the joint statement released by Penn State's University Park Undergraduate Association, Lion PRIDE and Queer and Trans People of Color condemned the upcoming British alt-right political commentator's event.

Penn State student Jacob Ehrbaker started a Change.org petition Monday in response to the planned campus visit.

"On top of this notion, the entire speech promotes gay conversion therapy, which is physically, mentally and emotionally abusive," the petition said. "Conversion therapy should be banned, as it already is in State College, but promoting these homophobic ideologies should not be allowed in a public university."

Also, in a statement Monday, Penn State officials denounced the messages, writings, activism and planned visit of Yiannopoulos, the Penn State College Democrats condemned the visit Tuesday and Penn State THON condemned the event Wednesday.

The university, however, announced it will not be taking action against Yiannopoulos because of a possible violation of First Amendment expressive rights, according to Vice President and General Counsel Steve Dunham, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims and Vice Provost for Educational Equity Marcus Whitehurst.

The borough approved support of the Penn State Jeffrey A. Conrad Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity's Love is Louder event from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday in the HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall, which is being held in response to the Milo Yiannopoulos event.

MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE

Downtown State College's The State Theatre to host bluegrass Yonder Mountain String Band The State Theatre announced it will host the Yonder Mountain String Band at 8 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Penn State's University Park Allocation Committee released a statement Friday regarding its position on its funding of Uncensored America's British alt-right political commentator Milo Yiannopoulus planned event.

The student fees are intended to fund initiatives that represent diverse perspectives and viewpoints of the student body, according to UPAC's Instagram post.

Funding the Uncensored America event was not meant to "dehumanize" a marginalized community of the student body or promote ideals harmful to diversity, equity and inclusion, the post said.

"The nature of his commentary is both highly offensive and dangerous to a community that too often faces discrimination," UPAC said in the statement. "It is our goal to facilitate a safe and welcoming environment for all students at Penn State, and we understand how this program directly contradicts those efforts."

UPAC is neutral in its decision to host Yiannopoulus and does not "explicitly share" the viewpoints of Yiannopoulus.

"All viewpoints, including those that are controversial, must have an equal chance of receiving funding," UPAC said in the statement.

Yiannopoulos identifies as an ex-gay and often speaks on anti-LGBTQ matters, according to a joint statement from the University Park Undergraduate Association, Lion PRIDE and Queer and Trans People of Color on Tuesday.

Penn State student Jacob Ehrbaker started a Change.org petition Monday in response to the planned campus visit.

"On top of this notion, the entire speech promotes gay conversion therapy, which is physically, mentally and emotionally abusive," the petition said. "Conversion therapy should be banned, as it already is in State College, but promoting these homophobic ideologies should not be allowed in a public university."

Also, in a statement Monday, Penn State officials denounced the messages, writings, activism and planned visit of Yiannopoulos, the Penn State College Democrats condemned the visit Tuesday and Penn State THON condemned the event Wednesday.

The university, however, announced it will not be taking action against Yiannopoulos because of a possible violation of First Amendment expressive rights, according to Vice President and General Counsel Steve Dunham, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims and Vice Provost for Educational Equity Marcus Whitehurst.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
Gov. Jared Polis on Oct. 19 named History Colorado's Executive Director Dawn DiPrince as Colorado's next historic preservation officer.

DiPrince will lead the State Historic Preservation Office, which is charged with maintaining Colorados inventory of historic places, administering federally funded state programs, implementing a statewide historic preservation plan, coordinating with tribal governments, managing tax credit programs and overseeing the impact of large construction and development projects on historic locations and archaeological sites in the state, according to a release from the agency.

Historic preservation is transformational and revitalizing for Colorado communities, both economically and socially, said DiPrince in a statement. I am committed to forging new pathways and opportunities to ensure that the history we are preserving is representative of all the many people who call Colorado home  and that we are wildly inclusive about who is benefiting from preservation in our state.

The SHPO is housed within History Colorado, which itself is a division within the state Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

DiPrince took over as the organizations executive director in September after joining History Colorado in 2012 and serving in a number of roles, most recently chief operating officer since 2019.

She is the first person from Southern Colorado to take on the role first held by retired lawyer William C. Ferrill in 1896. She is the third woman to hold the title, having been preceded by Barbara Sudler, who served from 1979-1989, and Georgianna Contiguglia, whose tenure lasted from 1997 to 2007.
Grace Nieland is a general assignment reporter at the Missourian. She has reported on public health and safety, judicial proceedings and breaking news. She can be reached at grace.nieland@mail.missouri.edu or in the newsroom at 573-882-5720.

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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Marjorie P. Gurvis, born to Ann and Frank Berger in Providence, R.I., on March 29, 1924, passed away in Bal Harbour, Fla., on Nov. 14, 2021, at the age of 97.

Arrangements under the direction of Epstein Memorial Chapel.
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Android 12 may seem like old news to those of us in the land o' Pixels at this point, but hold the phone: Google's latest software has some pretty phenomenal features that are lurking beneath the surface and all too easy to overlook.

We explored a dozen such treasures the other day, but there's even more juicy goodness where that came from. So here now are seven more spectacular hidden gems you'll absolutely want to dig up in Android 12 on your Pixel phone  regardless of whether you're packin' the new Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro or one of the older Pixel models.

Check 'em out, get yourself in the habit of using 'em, and then come sign up for my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover even more hidden Pixel magic.

New Pixel trick No. 1: Fast link-grabbing

Android's Overview area  y'know, the card-driven app-switching interface you see when you swipe up from the bottom of your screen and then hold your finger down, using the current Android gestures system  has gotten some seriously cool superpowers on Pixels as of late. And with Android 12, your favorite Googley phone has another tucked-away time-saver to discover there.

So here it is: Anytime you look at Chrome in your Overview area, you can grab the link of the currently open page with one quick tap  without ever leaving Overview or opening the app. And from there, it's just one more press of your precious fingie to copy the link or share it anywhere else on your phone.

How to find it

This one's easy:

Open the Overview interface by swiping up from the bottom of your screen about an inch and then stopping  or, if you're still using the old legacy three-button nav system, tap the square-shaped button on your phone's lower edge instead.

Find Chrome in your list of recent apps.

Look for the curiously shaped link icon in the thumbnail's upper-right corner.

Tap that icon, and shazam! You've got your link.

New Pixel trick No. 2: Quick device controls

One of Android's best buried treasures is the device control panel introduced in Android 11 and then weirdly tucked away to an out-of-the-way place in Android 12. Fear not, though, for your Pixel's fancy new software has a couple cool ways to bring that panel back to the forefront.

The panel, in case you aren't familiar, gives you easy access to adjusting any connected devices associated with your account  smart lights, cameras, thermostats, speakers and displays, e-rodents, you name it. It's an awesome time-saver, but it's up to you to pull it out of Android's bowels and make it accessible.

How to find it

First things first, you need to download the confusingly named Google Home app, if you haven't already, and make sure you're signed into it and set up with any connected devices you've got. And don't let the app's name fool you: It's essentially just an interface for interacting with any and all connected gadgets, no matter where they are or what purpose they serve (ahem).

Once you've got that up and running:

Swipe down twice from the top of your screen and tap the pencil shaped icon in the lower-left corner of the Quick Settings panel.

Scroll down until you see the "Device controls" tile. It may well be at the very bottom of the list, way down in the inactive tile area.

Touch and hold your finger to that tile and drag it all the way up. I'd suggest putting it into one of the top four positions, which will make sure you can always see and access it above your notifications with just a single swipe down from the top of your screen.

And there's another new Android-12-added Pixel feature along those same lines...

New Pixel trick No. 3: A smarter lock screen

In addition to showing basic info like the time, weather, and any pending notifications, your Pixel's lock screen can offer up a one-tap shortcut to that connected device control panel. In fact, the shortcut might already be there, but there's a decent chance you haven't noticed it or realized what it does.

How to find it

Once you have the Google Home app installed and configured, look for a subtle house-shaped icon in the lower-left corner of your Pixel's lock screen:

See it? Purty, right? Tap that house and tap it good, and you'll be staring at your connected device controls faster than you can say "Hey Google, house it goin'?" (as one does).

If you have the Home app set up but don't see that icon on your lock screen:

Panic and scream loudly. (Just kidding. Don't actually do that.)

Open up your system settings and head into the Display section.

Tap the line labeled "Lock screen."

Look for the "Show device controls" toggle and make sure it's in the on position.

While you're there, take note: You can also turn on a toggle in that same area to show an icon for your wallet on your lock screen and keep your Google Pay card selector one tap away. You'll need to have the Google Pay app installed and configured in order for that one to work.

New Pixel trick No. 4: The kill switches

Among its many under-the-hood privacy enhancements, Android 12 introduces a pair of new kill switches that make it super-easy for you to disable your Pixel's camera or microphone anytime the need arises. They also have the advantage of allowing you to talk about using "kill switches," which makes you sound totally hard-core...until people figure out that you're actually talking about an advanced privacy feature on your Google Pixel phone.

But, hey, I won't tell if you don't. So let's find and enable those options, shall we?

How to find it

We'll need to mosey our way back into your Pixel's Quick Settings editor to dig these lovely fellas up:

Once again, swipe down twice from the top of your phone's screen and tap the pencil shaped icon in the lower-left corner of the Quick Settings panel.

Scroll all the way down to the inactive tile area at the bottom of the list and look for the tile labeled "Mic access."

Press and hold your finger to that tile and drag it up into the active area of your Quick Settings  in whatever position you like. (Just remember that the first four tiles are the ones you'll see with a single swipe down from the top of the screen, while the first eight are the tiles you'll see with two swipes down. Anything beyond that will require an additional swipe to the side to access.)

Repeat that same process with the "Camera access" tile.

Whoop vigorously in celebration.

After that, it'll just be a single tap on either of those tiles to turn off the associated function and know no one can possibly see and/or hear whatever it is you're up to (you naughty, naughty bird).

New Pixel trick No. 5: Color coordination

Android 12's Material You theming system is surprisingly impressive, but for some reason, one of its most prominent elements seems to be disabled by default on Pixels that are upgrading to Android 12.

That element is the auto-theming of icons on your home screen so that they're coordinated with your current wallpaper and the rest of your phone's dynamically changing motif. It's a subtle touch and a purely superficial one, but it really does create a nice effect and make a meaningful difference in how pleasant your phone is to use.

How to find it

Provided you're using your Pixel's default Pixel Launcher home screen setup:

Press and hold on any blank space on your phone's home screen.

Tap "Wallpaper & style" in the menu that comes up.

Scroll down on the next screen you see until you find the "Themed icons" option.

Flip its toggle into the on position.

And, ta-da:

Pretty spiffy, wouldn't ya say? Just note that as of now, it's mostly only Google apps that are affected by this system. It'll take some time for non-Google app developers to get on board with the system and start empowering their apps to be a part of it  but with any luck, we'll see more of that soon.

New Pixel trick No. 6: A simpler Assistant shortcut

Google Assistant's got tons of worthwhile time-savers, with new options showing up all the time (especially here in Pixel Land!). But uttering "Hey Google" isn't always the most practical way to summon your trusty virtual companion. And Android's swipe-up-from-the-corner-of-your-screen gesture for activating Assistant is often awkward and inconsistent (which might be at least in part why Google disabled it by default on the new Pixel 6 devices).

Well, take note: As of Android 12 on a Pixel, you've got another option  and it's about as easy as can be: A simple press and hold of your phone's physical power button can pull up your friendly neighborhood genie and have it standing by to help with whatever you need.

B-b-b-b-b-but  oh, yes  you've gotta find and activate the feature first.

How to find it

Thankfully, there's not much to this process:

Open up the System section of your Pixel system settings.

Tap "Gestures."

Look for the line labeled "Press and hold power button," and tap it.

Activate the toggle next to "Hold for Assistant."

That's it: Now just press and hold that protruding ol' power button of yours, and your Assistant will be there in a flash. When you want to power down your phone or access any other items in the traditional Pixel power menu, press the power button and the volume-up key together (and that'll override the previously available muting shortcut connected to that same key combination).

New Pixel trick No. 7: Tap action

If you love shortcuts as much as I do, you're gonna adore this final Pixel-specific Android 12 treat. It's a new system that lets you tap twice on the back of your phone to have a specific action performed  capturing a screenshot, summoning Assistant, playing or pausing any active media, opening your recent apps, opening your notifications, or opening any app you want (whew!). As an added bonus, it also makes a lovely percussive pitter-patter.

So, yeah: This new Pixel option is pretty forkin' fantastic, to say the least. The only catch is that is seems to be available only on the Pixel 4a 5G and higher  so the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, and then the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro models (but not, curiously enough, the regular Pixel 4 or Pixel 4a devices).

How to find it

If you have the Pixel 4a 5G or higher:

Go into the System section of your phone's settings.

Tap "Gestures."

Tap the line labeled "Quick Tap."

Flip the toggle at the top of the next screen into the on position.

Select which action you want your taps to trigger.

If you go with the "Open app" option, be sure to hit the gear-shaped icon along that same line to select which app, specifically, you want to have open.

And if you find your phone is activating the tap action inadvertently, when you aren't actually tap-a-tap tappin', head back into that same area of the settings and try activating the "Require stronger taps" toggle to see if that helps.

Not a bad bag of tricks to have, eh? And hey, don't forget to come join my free Pixel Academy e-course to keep the momentum going. You'll get seven spectacular days of efficiency-enhancing Pixel knowledge  starting with some camera-centric smarts and moving from there to advanced image magic, next-level nuisance reducers, and oodles of other opportunities for pro-level Pixel intelligence.

Your Pixel productivity journey is just getting started, my dear Pipsie, and we've got plenty more ground left to cover yet.
Avday.tw 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 31 Oct 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the avday homepage on Twitter + the total number of avday followers (if avday has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the avday homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the avday homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if avday has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the avday homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the avday homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE avday DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS hcity , avday, hcity,



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (ASP.NET) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003

Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Character set and language of the site. The language of avday.tw as detected by CoolSocial algorithms.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for avday.tw by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Nailapparel.net scored 43 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 4 Jun 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the nailapparel homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the nailapparel homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the nailapparel homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the nailapparel homepage on Twitter + the total number of nailapparel followers (if nailapparel has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the nailapparel homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if nailapparel has a Facebook fan page).

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE NAIL APPAREL - Nail Art - Water-slide Nail Decals DESCRIPTION Premium Quality Water-slide nail decals. Here you will find unique water-slide decals to spice up your nails. If you have any requests please let me know. All of my decals are created at high resolution for high quality clear images. 400 plus designs KEYWORDS acrylic, decals, fake nails, gel nails, nail apparel, nail art, nail decals, nail decoration, nails OTHER KEYWORDS



The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

The language of nailapparel.net as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Operative System running on the server.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for nailapparel.net 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 like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Seozio.com scored 59 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 15 Mar 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the seozio homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if seozio has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the seozio homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the seozio homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the seozio homepage on Twitter + the total number of seozio followers (if seozio has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the seozio homepage on Delicious.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Free Website SEO Analysis Report | SEOzio Tool Home DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS website, seozio, search, search engines, engines, links, analysis



The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English ISO-8859-1English DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.16 (Debian) (PHP/5.3.3-7+squeeze15) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of seozio.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for seozio.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

A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who like website 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
Yes, I have been a victim.

No, but not for lack of trying.

I don't think so.

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If you want to know whats new in cybersecurity, watch what the startup vendors are doing. They typically begin with an innovative idea and are unfettered by an installed base and its mainstream approach. Startups often tackle problems no one else is addressing.

The downside, of course, is that startups often lack resources and maturity. Its a risk for a company to commit to a startups product or platform, and it requires a different kind of customer/vendor relationship. The rewards, however, can be huge if it gives that company a competitive advantage or reduces stress on security resources.

The vendors below represent some of the most interesting startups (defined here as a company founded or emerging from stealth mode in the past two years).

[Editor's note: This article, originally published May 5, 2021, is periodically updated as new startups emerge.]

Abnormal Security

Founded in 2019, Abnormal Security offers a cloud-native email security platform that uses behavioral data science to identify and prevent email attacks. Its AI-based approach analyzes data user behavior, organizational structure, and relationships, and business processes to help identify anomalous activity that could indicate a cyberattack. Abnormals email protection platform promises to prevent business email compromise, supply chain attacks, invoice fraud, credential phishing, and email account compromise. It also provides tools to help automate incident response, and the platform provides a cloud-native API to integrate with enterprise platforms such as Microsoft Office 365, G Suite, and Slack.

Apiiro

Apiiro emerged from stealth mode in 2020. Its devsecops platform aims to shift the secure development lifecycle from a manual and periodic developers-last to an automatic risk-based developers-first approach, according to co-founder and CEO Idan Plotnik in a blog post. The Apiiro platform works by connecting all on-premises and cloud source control and ticketing systems through an API. It also provides customizable predefined code governance rules. Over time, the platform builds an inventory by learning all products, projects, and repositories. That data allows it to better identify risky code changes.

Axis Security

The Axis Security Application Access Cloud is a cloud-based application access solution thats built on a zero-trust approach. It does not rely on having agents installed on user devices, so that organizations can connect userson premises and remoteon any device to private apps, without touching the network or the apps themselves. Axis emerged from stealth mode in 2020.

BreachQuest

Formally emerging from stealth mode on August 25, 2021, BreachQuest offers an incident response platform called Priori. It is designed to provide greater visibility through constant monitoring for malicious activity. The company claims that Priori is able to provide instant information on the attack and what endpoints are compromised once a threat is detected.

Cloudrise

Cloudrise provides managed data protection and security automation services in a SaaS format. Despite its name, Cloudrise protects both cloud-based and on-premises data. The company claims it is able to integrate data protection into digital transformation projects. It automates operational processes across data protection and privacy solutions. Cloudrise was launched in October 2019.

Cylentium

Cylentium claims its cyber invisibility technology can "cloak" a business or home network and any device connected to it from detection by attackers. The company calls this concept "zero identity." The company is marketing its products to businesses, consumers, and the public sector. Cylentium was launched in 2020.

Cytrio

Cytrio's product claims to automate compliance with US state privacy laws: California's CCPA/CCPR, Virginia's VCDPA, and Colorado's CPA. It offers a consumer-facing component that provides a portal for them to manage privacy, such as submitting data subject access requests (DSARs). Cytrio also offers discovery and classification features to identify personal information across an organization's cloud and on-premises data stores. The company was launched in June 2020.

Deduce

Deduce, founded in 2019, offers two products for what it calls identity intelligence. Customer Alerts sends notifications to customers of potential account compromise, and Identity Risk Score uses aggregated data to assess the risk of account compromise. The company uses cognitive algorithms to analyze privacy-compliant data from more than 150,000 sites and applications to identify possible fraud. Deduce claims an over 90% reduction in account takeover damage.

Drata

Drata's automated security and compliance platform is focused on audit readiness for standards such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001. It monitors and collects data on security controls to provide evidence of them being in place and working. The platform also helps to streamline workflows. Drata was founded in 2020.

FYEO

FYEO is a threat monitoring and identity access management platform for consumers, enterprises and SMBs. The company claims its credential management solutions remove the burdens of digital identity management. FYEO Domain Intelligence (FYEO DI) provides domain, credential and threat monitoring services, and FYEO Identity will provide password and identity management services beginning in Q4 2021. FYEO exited stealth mode in 2021.

Hive Pro

Hive Pro's Kronos predictive vulnerability analytics (PVA) platform centers on the four pillars of prevent, detect, respond and predict. It automates and orchestrates vulnerability remediation through a "single pane" view. The company's Artemis product is a data-driven pen-test platform and service. Hive Pro was founded in 2019.

Infinipoint

Israeli firm Infinipoint was founded in 2019. It refers to its core cloud-based product as "device identity as a service," or DIaaS, which is a device identity and posture solution. It integrates with SSO authentication and acts as a single enforcement point for all enterprise services. DIaaS uses risk intelligence to enforce policies, provides device security status, and claims to offer "one-click" remediation of vulnerabilities.

Kameleon

As a fabless semiconductor company, Kameleon is somewhat unique among cybersecurity vendors. It has developed what it calls a "Proactive Security Processing Unit" (ProSPU). It is designed to protect systems at boot and is targeted for use in data centers, managed computers, servers, and cloud computing systems. Kameleon was founded in 2019.

Open Raven

Open Ravens cloud-native data security platform is designed to provide greater visibility into cloud resources. It maps all cloud data stores, including shadow cloud accounts, and identifies the data they hold. Open Raven then monitors in real time for data leaks and policy violations and alerts teams to fix them. It can also monitor log files for sensitive information that should be removed. The company emerged from stealth mode in 2020.

Satori

Founded in 2019, Satori refers to its data access service as DataSecOps, and its purpose is to separate security and privacy controls from the architecture. The service monitors, classifies, and controls access to sensitive data. You can configure policies based on criteria such as groups, users, data types, or schema to prevent unauthorized access, mask sensitive data or trigger a workflow. The service offers pre-configured policies for common regulations such as GDPR, CCPA and HIPAA.

Scope Security

Scope Security recently came out of stealth mode, having been founded in 2019. Its Scope OmniSight product is targeted to the healthcare industry and detects attacks on IT infrastructure, clinical systems, and EHR systems. A threat intelligence component can collect threat indicators from multiple internal and third-party sources, presenting the data through a single portal.

Strata

Stratas main product is the Maverics Identity Orchestration Platform. Its a distributed, multicloud identity management platform. Stratas stated goal is to bring consistency across distributed cloud environments for user identity for apps deployed across multiple clouds and on-premises. Features include a Secure Hybrid Access solution to extend zero-trust access to on-premises apps for cloud users, an Identity Abstraction layer to better manage identity in a multicloud setting, and a Connector Catalog to integrate identity systems from popular cloud and identity management systems. Strata was founded in 2019.

SynSaber

Launched on July 22, 2021, SynSaber offers an industrial asset and network monitoring solution. It promises to provide "continuous insight and awareness into the status, vulnerabilities, and threats across every point in the industrial ecosystem, including IIoT, cloud, and on-premises." SynSaber was founded by former Dragos and Crowdstrike leaders.

Traceable

Traceable bills its main AI-based product as a cross between a web application firewall and run-time application self-protection. It claims to offer accurate detection and blocking of threats by monitoring application activity and continuously learning to distinguish normal from malicious activity. The product integrates with API gateways. Traceable was founded in July 2020.

Wiz

Founded by the team that led Microsoft's Cloud Security Group, Wiz provides a multicloud security solution designed to work at scale. The company claims its product can analyze all layers of the cloud stack to identify high-risk attack vectors and provide insight that allows for better prioritization. Wiz takes an agentless approach and can scan all virtual machines and containers. Wiz emerged from stealth mode in 2020.
Security is critical to business operations. The disruptive impact of ransomware attacks has made this clear. But if employees dont understand the goals and reasoning behind their organizations security policies  and if technical controls are too obtrusive  this can lead to apathy, resentment, and even circumvention.

The latest HP Wolf Security study  Rebellions & Rejections  uncovers worrying workforce security trends, examining how IT security teams have responded to the challenge of securing remote workers during the pandemic, and how employees have behaved. The research draws on data from a global YouGov online survey of 8,443 office workers who shifted to remote work during the pandemic and a global survey of 1,100 IT decision makers (ITDMs), conducted by Toluna.

Apathetic, Frustrated, and Increasingly Rebellious

ITDMs reported widespread security challenges caused by the shift to remote work. For example, nearly all (91%) respondents described feeling pressured to prioritize immediate business continuity over security. Making matters worse, their attempts to update security measures led 80% to report that they faced opposition from users. This was particularly true for employees aged 18-24  digital natives who feel increasingly frustrated with security getting in the way of deadlines, with nearly a third (31%) admitting that they have tried to circumvent security controls.

Key Findings

76% of IT teams polled admit security took a back seat to business continuity during the pandemic, while 91% felt pressure to compromise security if it benefitted business continuity.

Almost half (48%) of younger office workers (18-24 years old) surveyed viewed security tools as a hindrance, leading to nearly a third (31%) trying to bypass corporate security policies to get their work done.

48% of office workers surveyed agreed that seemingly essential security measures result in a lot of wasted time  rising to 64% among those ages 18-24.

Over half (54%) of 1824-year-olds were more worried about meeting deadlines than exposing their organization to a data breach; 39% were unsure what their security policies say, or are unaware if their company even has them  suggesting growing apathy or a lack of awareness among younger workers.

As a result, 83% of IT teams surveyed believe the increase in home workers has created a ticking time bomb for a corporate network breach.

The report highlights how security controls often create friction for users, creating resentment and leaving security teams feeling dejected and rejected:

80% of IT teams experienced objections from users who do not like controls being put on them at home; 67% of IT teams said they experience complaints about this weekly.

83% of IT teams said trying to set and enforce corporate policies around cybersecurity is impossible now because the lines between personal and professional lives are so blurred.

80% of IT teams said IT security was becoming a thankless task because nobody listens to them.

69% of IT teams said they are made to feel like the bad guys for imposing restrictions.

Reducing User Friction and Bolstering Security Culture

As well as describing workforce security trends in the report, HP shared recommendations for reducing user friction by implementing security controls with transparency, usability, and digital transformation in mind. HP also offered suggestions on how to build a collaborative security culture, which is vital because effective security governance relies on employees complying and engaging with security policies.

HP is helping organizations to secure the hybrid workplace by delivering transparent and unobtrusive endpoint security. With HP Wolf Security, organizations benefit from robust, built-in protection from the silicon to the cloud, and BIOS to browser. It enables security teams to deploy user-friendly tools and help to ease restrictions, while also providing defense-in-depth and enhanced protection, privacy, and threat intelligence, gathering data at the endpoint to help protect businesses.

Download the HP Wolf Security Rebellions & Rejections Report here.

About the Research

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BRIDGEPORT  A staff member at the Bridgeport Military Academy is under investigation for allegations of inappropriate behavior, according to the school district.

A superintendent memo went out to Bridgeport families on Thursday night that said the police investigation is of a serious nature.

Were cooperating fully with law enforcement, Superintendent Michael Testani told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday. Were going to be very forthcoming with law enforcement to make sure theyre able to do their jobs and come to the conclusion of the truth.

Scott Appleby, spokesperson for the city public safety department, did not return a request for comment.

The superintendent said he understood the inquiry to be in the early stages, but the staff member has been placed on administrative leave until a full investigation is conducted.

Were not leaving anything up for chance, so were acting immediately as a school district. The safety and security of our students is first and foremost, he said.

The staff member has been employed by the school district for several years, district officials said. Their position was school-based and student-facing.

The district was unable to report at this time if the allegations took place at the school setting.

I think in the next several weeks, more information will be uncovered, Testani said.

The superintendent memo encouraged parents to speak with their children, and reminded families of available school resources and support staff, including social workers and school counselors.

Testani requested that any questions or concerns be directed to his office, and said he would continue to provide updates if more public information becomes available.
BRIDGEPORT  City police are investigating after a person was shot on Center Street on Thursday night.

Officers responded to the area of Center Street for a report of a person shot in the arm around 10:30 p.m.

Police said there was no further information available late Thursday, and no update has been provided yet Friday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Easton FD / Contributed

EASTON  Town first responders on Friday remembered a fire lieutenant who died in the line of duty nearly a decade ago, helping residents during the height of Superstorm Sandy.

Lt. Russell F. Neary died on Oct. 29, 2012. The 13-year veteran volunteer fireman was serving as president and lieutenant of Eastons Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 at the time of his death. He was also an emergency medical responder with the towns volunteer emergency medical service.
FAIRFIELD  A candidate running to keep her seat on a town board is facing criticism days before the election for once retweeting a meme depicting a swastika that compared the vaccine rollout with Nazi Germany.

Representative Town Meeting member Hannah Gale, of District 6, shared the meme on Twitter, which showed a swastika below the year 1941 next to an image of a swastika modified so that the arms were syringes with the year changed to 2021. On Thursday, Gale said she retweeted the meme a couple of months ago, but has since deleted it.

Gale, a Republican, said she is Jewish and has relatives who died in the Holocaust, and did not retweet the meme to be antisemitic. She noted she has issued an apology, but still believes the anti-vaccine messaging it implied.

I apologize from the bottom of my heart if anyone felt that my retweets were a desecration to the memory of those were murdered by the Nazi government, Gale said in a tweet on Monday. My intention was to be vigilant to the promise to never allow fascism to creep into the word again. Dehumanization is stealthy.

Gale, a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, said she retweeted the post because it was shocking.

I found it so shocking and painful, she said. I deleted it because my intention was not to insult people who died in the Holocaust. My intention was to warn.

A vocal supporter of vaccine choice, Gale switched political parties late last year over state Democrats push for legislation to remove the religious exemption to vaccination mandates in Connecticut.

The Fairfield Democratic Town Committee decried the most recent tweet in a Facebook post last week, saying the party condemns the spread of vaccine misinformation.

Endorsed Republican RTM candidate Hannah Gale has been vocally and staunchly anti-vaccine and anti-mask, the Facebook post says. Gale regularly shares vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories online, including those calling COVID vaccines forced experiments, and comparing the Biden Administration to Hitlers Nazi Germany.

Gale said she is not anti-mask or anti-vaccine, but is against vaccine mandates and pro-religious exemption.

Im not saying there isnt a place for vaccines in public health. I think that there might be, she said. However, I think that at this point theres simply too many, and there are certain families and certain children that its dangerous for. I dont know what to do right now but allow some selection.

While she deleted the retweet because its intention was twisted, Gale said she still thinks the vaccine rollout is reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Why is that meme shocking? Its shocking because there is something about it that tells a certain truth, Gale said. Thats why it hits a nerve.

In a statement on Thursday, the Fairfield Republican Town Committee disavowed Gales retweet.

Fairfield Republicans unequivocally condemn the use of Nazi symbols, RTC Chairman Alex Plitsas said in a statement. Representative Gale does not speak for the local Republican party, the Republican RTM caucus, or the RTM as a whole where she serves as a member, her actions were her own. Representative Gale recently issued a written apology to both the Republican and Democrat caucus for retweeting this offensive symbol.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greeces often-strained relations in past years with European economic powerhouse Germany took center stage Friday during a visit to Athens by outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel as both the country's president and prime minister aired past grievances.

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was Merkels first official meeting during her visit to the country whose financial crisis marked much of her 16-year tenure and Germanys relationship with Europe.

There were times of difficulty and tension, Sakellaropoulou told Merkel. The financial crisis that many countries of Europe faced put mainly Greece, which was called on to pay a heavy price, in a difficult position."

Greeces decade-long financial crisis, which began in late 2009, saw a quarter of the countrys economy wiped out and Greece almost crashing out of the euro, the joint currency used by many European Union members.

Sakellaropoulou said Greeks often felt alone.

Germany was the largest single contributor to three successive international bailout packages Athens received from 2010 to 2018.

But the rescue loans came with strings attached. Greeces economy was put under strict supervision and a series of deeply resented reforms were imposed, including repeated tax hikes and cuts in pensions, salaries and public spending on everything from health care to infrastructure.

While the Greek economy had suffered years of poor management and overspending of public money which contributed to its dire financial predicament and triggered the crisis, the terms imposed in return for the bailout were particularly harsh.

Many Greeks blamed Merkel  and her finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble  for the enforced austerity which led to plummeting living standards and an economic depression which saw unemployment of 28% and youth joblessness exceeding 60%.

As the countrys financial situation gradually improved, so too did relations with Germany, along with public sentiment toward Merkel herself.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called her "the voice of reason and stability, both in Berlin and in Brussels.

Merkel was perhaps unfair sometimes, but always decisive in the borderline moments," he said.

Addressing Merkel, Mitsotakis said that you yourself bravely admitted that you asked a lot of the Greeks at a time when they were experiencing the turbulence of their financial crisis. But thankfully neither blind European austerity nor cheap supposedly national slogans endured."

Merkel, on her final visit to Athens as chancellor, acknowledged the often rocky ties, calling them quite lively.

She said she knew that I was asking a lot of the people in Greece (during the euro crisis). On the other hand there were very different governments in Greece that considered very different reforms possible.

The left-wing Syriza party won elections in 2015 vowing to reject all conditions attached to Greece's international bailouts. Although the government eventually agreed to all the terms laid out and carried out all the reforms demanded, the negotiations led to a particularly turbulent time in Greece with capital controls eventually being imposed to stop a run on the banks. The controls remained in place for years.

Merkel also noted the two countries had faced the challenge of Europe's migration crisis, when more than a million people entered the EU in 2015, many of them fleeing the war in Syria. The vast majority crossed to Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast and then headed north through the Balkans towards Germany.

Merkels Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is set to succeed her as chancellor, was accompanying her on her visit to Athens.

I hope that relations, or rather I assume, I dont have to hope, that with a new German government the relations between Germany and Greece will also develop well, Merkel said.

___

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP)  Democrat Terry McAuliffe has brought in the biggest names in Democratic politics to come to his aid in Virginia's hotly contested gubernatorial race: Obama, Harris, Abrams, Biden (both Joe and Jill).

Republican Glenn Youngkin, meanwhile, is campaigning with ... Glenn Youngkin.

The GOP candidate, a newcomer who has surprised his party with his strong bid in blue Virginia, has eschewed virtually all public campaign visits from well-known party allies, who typically flock to hot races to lend a hand. Its not that Youngkin wont take the help  the candidate has welcomed numerous high-profile Republicans to the state for closed-door fundraisers. But the Youngkin campaign's unofficial policy is that they can't campaign alongside him.

That decision to go solo is a deliberate strategy by his team to keep voters' focus on state, rather than national, issues. But it's also an acknowledgment that a parade of GOP visitors would only undermine Youngkin's attempt to keep his party  and its leader, former President Donald Trump  at arm's length.

Glenn is an outsider, hes a businessman. And so when were doing events, we want events to convey that message, said Youngkin spokesman Devin OMalley of the approach.

Trump, who lost Virginia by 10 percentage points in 2020, hasn't been easy to keep away. On Wednesday, he issued a cryptically worded statement suggesting he might make a last-minute, first appearance in the state.

On Thursday, a person familiar with his plans said he will instead be holding a last-minute tele-rally Monday, the day before the election.

Trumps announcement came the day his former vice president, Mike Pence, a far less polarizing figure than Trump, visited a small Christian college in the northern Virginia suburbs for a speech on education. But Youngkin did not join him and Pence never mentioned the candidates name, even as he echoed the same message on parental rights in schools that Youngkin has made in the closing days of the campaign

The Youngkin strategy, I think, is a smart one in that he is focused intensely on state and local issues and taking it directly to voters in the suburbs and exurbs where the election will be decided, said Mark J. Rozell, founding Dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Fairfax.

Now, in fairness, Youngkin doesnt have a major national figure in the Republican party who can help him," he added. Youngkin doesnt want Trump to come here. He cant say that openly because he doesnt want to alienate the loyal Trump voters who right now are all in with Youngkin.

Indeed, last time Trump waded into the race  calling into a rally organized by conservative allies  McAuliffes campaign seized on the appearance, quickly cutting ads featuring Trumps praise of the Republican, even though Youngkin hadn't even attended the event. The Democrats has repeatedly highlighted Youngkin's ties to Trump in a bid to turn off more moderate voters, particularly those in the suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C., and Richmond, who revolted against Trump in his final years in office and helped deliver Biden's victory.

Throughout the campaign, Youngkin has done a delicate dance, trying to win over Trump's loyal base, which he needs to turn out to win the election, while striking a far softer, less confrontational tone.

The no surrogates at political events policy has had the added benefit of providing an excuse to keep Trump out without antagonizing the grudge-bearing former president, who takes slights deeply personally.

The strategy is one Youngkin advisers say they settled on months ago and doubled down on when they announced a bus tour for the final days of the campaign with a press release that knocked McAuliffe for his reliance on big names.

The tour would highlight the contrast between the grassroots enthusiasm for Glenn Youngkins candidacy" and Terry McAuliffes dependence on Democrats like Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama to draw a crowd.

McAuliffe's campaign responded by saying Youngkin had little choice.

They are in a position where in Virginia they really can't welcome very many members of the Republican Party because its a party led by Donald Trump, said McAuliffe campaign spokeswoman Christina Freundlich. Their party has become too divisive.

With little interest from outside figures in the early days of the race, campaign officials said they realized that Youngkin could draw his own crowds without having to feature surrogates who might rub people the wrong way. And without other politicians, they could highlight his status as a businessman and political newcomer, and focus on issues like education and local taxes they believed would resonate with state voters.

But the campaign has not rebuffed the outreach entirely. Instead, it has funneled that support to closed-door fundraisers that have featured a slew of potential 2024 candidates from across the ideological spectrum including Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Maryland Gov, Larry Hogan and Sens. Cruz and Tom Cotton, along with former attorney general Bill Barr and ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan.

And it appears to be paying off.

Sandy Corbitt, 61, who works in education and attended Pence's Thursday speech in Loudoun County  an area that has become a hotbed for parental activist groups  said that promoting parental freedom can be a winner for Youngkin without help from national Republicans. Corbitt said shed not heard a ton about Youngkin but likes "what Im hearing.

I think he hasnt been asking for others to help, where it looks like the other guys had to call in everybody under the sun, she said, mentioning Obama and other top Democrats campaigning with McAuliffe. So, he cant make it on his own.

Still, if Youngkin pulls off a win, Trump is expected by allies to head to the state to try to claim credit.

I think hes going to be excited to come to Virginia. Its a state that he loves and hes always believed that we can do better here than we have in the past. So Im sure hell be here celebrating," said conservative talk show host John Fredericks, Trumps former campaign chair in the state.

___ Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report from Purcellville, Virginia.
TOPSHAM, Maine (AP)  Maine Gov. Janet Mills received her COVID-19 booster on Thursday, and urged others to follow her lead.

Mills, 73, received her shot at a pharmacy in a Target store in Topsham.
GREELEY, Colo. (AP)  A former longshot Idaho gubernatorial candidate on trial in the 1984 killing of a 12-year-old Colorado girl has testified that he did not know the girl or her family before she vanished and denied being involved in her disappearance.

At the time, Steve Pankey was a neighbor of Jonelle Matthew and her family in Greeley, Colorado, a city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Denver. The girl's remains were found by oil and gas workers in 2019. She had been fatally shot.

Pankey first took the stand Thursday and returned to be questioned by the prosecution on Friday. He was charged with Jonelles murder last year after showing extreme interest in the case for many years and allegedly sharing details with investigators that had not been made public.

Pankey said in court that he pretended to know information about the case out of bitterness for police and for his former church and former employer, both of which he wanted investigated, KCNC-TV reported.

Most of his testimony on Thursday to questions by his lawyer was rambling and included comments about his hatred of racist police officers and of being bullied for being bisexual.

District Attorney Michael J. Rourke pressed him about his views about police during questioning Friday, which Pankey said came from seeing police officers humiliate and hurt Hispanic people while he was working for an ambulance service in California. Pankey said that he refused to put a splint on a sheriff's deputy who broke his leg because of his beliefs about police, letting the deputy ride to the hospital in pain.

He said the deputy screamed for eight or 12 minutes.

I sat there and watched, Pankey said.

Pankeys lawyer, Anthony Viorst, has argued that his client is obsessed with true crime mysteries and has Asperger syndrome, which causes his mind to process information differently and leads him to get in middle of these things to prove his own self importance.

Prosecutors said Pankey kept up to date on the case throughout the years even as he moved his family to several states before settling in Idaho where he ran unsuccessfully as a Constitution Party candidate for Idaho governor in 2014 and in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, the year that authorities said he was named as a person of interest in the girls death.

Pankey contacted the Idaho Statesman newspaper to tell his side of the story after he became a person of interest.

He told the newspaper that he was home with his then-wife the night Jonelle went missing, their car packed for an early-morning trip the next day to visit family in California. They took the trip and returned home six days later in 1984, Pankey said, and he then heard the news about a missing child on the radio.

Pankey's ex-wife, Angela Hicks, testified during the trial that the family had initially declined the invitation to travel to California but Pankey suddenly announced they were going on Dec. 21, 1984, the day after Jonelle disappeared.

Jonelle disappeared after she was dropped off at home by a friend and the friends father following a performance at a Christmas concert.

She was last seen at 8 p.m., entering the ranch-style home where she lived with her father, mother and sister. But when her father returned from her older sisters basketball game an hour later, Jonelle was gone.
3 1 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps / Google Show More Show Less 3 of 3





REDDING  James Porter, 64, of Stratford has been identified by police as the motorist killed in last weeks crash on Sport Hill Road.

Although the police department is still awaiting autopsy results, Chief Mark ODonnell said authorities suspect Porter may have had a medical issue, which may have been the cause or a contributing factor in the crash.
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra appeared before the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday during a hearing to conduct a semi-annual review of the CFPB. Chopra discussed his three main priorities as director of the Bureau and expressed his desire to focus his oversight on the largest, nationwide offenders as opposed to smaller institutions.

NAFCU Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler reiterated NAFCUs policy stance on current credit union issues concerning the CFPB ahead of the hearing.

Of note, Chopras three main priorities include:
Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 58F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.
Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Mainly clear skies. Low 36F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 36F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.
Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.
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
Diplomacy was abruptly scuttled when the French decided to arrest British seamen in the escalating war over fishing rights.

Depriving anybody of their freedom is a giant step in any dispute, but for a country whose motto is 'liberty, equality, fraternity' it can rightly be viewed as outrageous.

The exact circumstances around the seizure of the scallop trawler Cornelis Gert Jan in Le Havre on Wednesday are being analysed by lawyers, but there is no doubt that sabre-rattling was the primary motivation.

The French are furious that some of their boats are currently being denied fishing rights in UK waters following the Brexit settlement, and so have started ferocious retaliatory action.

While claiming they were dealing with the matter courteously through the European Commission  as would be appropriate for an EU founding-father nation  the French instead simply sent in their security services.

'It's not war, but it is a fight,' is how Annick Girardin, the fiery maritime minister in Paris put it.

Mr Macron, of course, despises Brexit and he is clearly keen to force a confrontation with Britain over it at every opportunity, writes NABILA RAMDANI

'We are going to ask the European Commission to tell the United Kingdom that it is not respecting its agreement and therefore retaliatory measures can be put in place,' she added.

Hard-Left Miss Girardin made it clear that arresting the Cornelis Gert Jan's skipper, and threatening him with criminal charges, was just one of numerous options available.

They range from blocking all British fishing vessels from offloading their catches on French shores, and imposing stultifying red-tape barriers on other British products, to cutting off power to Jersey and Guernsey.

Threatening a nation's power supply is the sort of behaviour we have come to expect of rogue states like Russia, not of an ally and neighbour.

Yet it was with undisguised glee that Miss Girardin threatened to do just this in May.

There was a time when the term gunboat diplomacy  use of naval power ultimatums to resolve disputes  earned Britain the title Perfidious Albion. It was a pejorative name implying treachery and double-dealing. Now, however, it may be more appropriate to speak of Perfidious France as ministers such as Miss Girardin  who has confessed to having a 'pirate's soul'  up the ante without warning.

Clement Beaune, France's ferociously anti-Brexit Europe minister, is being similarly bellicose. He wants a 'zero tolerance' policy enforced towards the British as the French push for more fishing licences. The circumstances behind the dispute are technical. The UK and the Channel Islands recognise the historic rights of boats that have always fished in their waters.

New technology for verifying such claims was brought in when the UK left the Common Fisheries Policy, but not all French boats want to go to the trouble and expense of complying.

British negotiators are understandably insisting they install the technology. And yet it was Mr Beaune, apparently without irony, who declared: 'We cannot be in a climate of trust with a neighbour who does not abide by the rules.' Mr Beaune is extremely close to President Emmanuel Macron, a head of state used to speaking through his lieutenants.

The French are furious that some of their boats are currently being denied fishing rights in UK waters following the Brexit settlement, and so have started ferocious retaliatory action, writes NABILA RAMDANI

Mr Macron, of course, despises Brexit and he is clearly keen to force a confrontation with Britain over it at every opportunity.

He undermined the Oxford Covid jab, for instance, and jeopardised its rollout in Europe. He has also been mischief-making over the highly sensitive issue of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Meanwhile, there is constant friction about the number of immigrants crossing to England on small boats from the coast of France.

Mr Macron is also still fuming after losing out to Britain and the US when Australia cancelled a 60billion contract to buy French submarines.

Above all, though, he is in the throes of an election campaign. Winning a second term is his priority and he knows that his main rivals are likely to be Marine Le Pen, of the far-Right National Rally, and the equally xenophobic TV pundit Eric Zemmour.

Ultra-nationalistic voters expect to see their politicians standing up for their interests, and Mr Macron wants to play to the gallery by outperforming both Le Pen and Zemmour.

Seaborne battles with the British are an obvious way of doing this for the new Napoleon.

But there will be a reckoning. If, for the sake of another five years of power, he sacrifices any pretence of being a diplomatically-minded statesman, then he will be in serious trouble.

Mr Macron needs to jettison his pugilism, start negotiating with Britain in a manner that is civilised and constructive, and finally respect the post-Brexit order.
Did you notice a truly extraordinary omission from most of the coverage of Wednesdays Budget? Well, I found it remarkable, anyway.

In all the thousands of words that Ive read about Rishi Sunaks measures, and the hours of broadcast commentary Ive listened to and watched, Ive seen and heard barely a mention of a blistering tax increase that will affect some 7 million Britons  most of them from poorer backgrounds.

Im thinking of the staggering rise in tobacco duty, which came into force at 6pm on Wednesday, just hours after the Chancellor sat down.

This added no less than 88p to the price of 20 cigarettes  by far the biggest single-days rise in my lifetime  pushing the average cost of a legally acquired packet to an almost unbelievable 13.60 (yes, you read that correctly).

The staggering rise in tobacco duty, which came into force at 6pm on Wednesday, just hours after the Chancellor (Pictured) sat down, added no less than 88p to the price of 20 cigarettes

Before I go an inch further, I must declare an interest: throughout my adult life, Ive been an extremely heavy smoker. Pathetically addicted to tobacco, I can barely think straight without a cigarette in my mouth, let alone answer a letter or write a column.

So weak is my willpower  and here is a shameful confession  that for many years now, Ive been puffing my way through no fewer than 50 Marlboro Reds every day.

Habit

Until this week, I never dared add up exactly how much my disgusting habit was costing me per year, although I knew it must be a kings ransom. But I was so taken aback by that 88p-a-packet increase that Ive finally plucked up the courage to do the sums and face the truth. The figures Ive arrived at horrify me.

Ive worked out that unless I manage to kick the habit, or cut down radically, Mr Sunaks tax increase will cost me an extra 803 a year.

This will take my annual expenditure on cigarettes to  wait for it  12,410. To put that into perspective, it is almost 2,000 more than my entire state pension for 12 months.

So much for the finding by Deloitte, the accountancy firm, that the Budget will leave married pensioners like me a grand total of 11 per year better off! Not if we smoke, it wont.

Now, I know that very few smokers these days get through quite as many cigarettes as I do (though in my youth, when people were allowed to puff away almost anywhere, all day long, I had colleagues who claimed to get through as many as 100 a day; dont ask me where they found the time).

I should also make clear that Im not claiming for one moment to be poor  unlike the majority of smokers, who tend to have low incomes, as studies have consistently shown.

Throughout my adult life, Ive been an extremely heavy smoker. Pathetically addicted to tobacco, I can barely think straight without a cigarette in my mouth

For the time being at least, while I still write this weekly column, I dont have to rely solely on my pension to keep body and soul together. If I lost my job, however, I would certainly have to give up smoking tomorrow (though I mustnt go putting ideas into my employers heads).

Indeed, the jaw-dropping price of a packet has set me wondering where on earth so many pensioners and others, much worse off than I, find the money to carry on smoking. Do they all buy their cigarettes from smugglers  as Im told that many do?

All I can say for certain is that black marketeers will do very nicely indeed from this latest Budget. Nor will I be much surprised if we witness a surge of break-ins at tobacconists. Id step up security, if I were in their shoes.

Of course, smoking was cripplingly expensive even before Dishi Rishi dropped his 88p bombshell  which, incidentally, he didnt even think worth mentioning in his statement to the House, choosing to bury it instead in the small print on page 135 of the Treasurys Red Book, which is always published on Budget day.

Addicts

The difference is that in the past, Chancellors have always been careful to increase duty only bit by bit, year by year, so as not to shock too many addicts into giving up.

True, they never failed to claim piously that all they cared about was smokers health. But their overriding concern, or so it seemed to me, was to keep those lovely revenues pouring in.

Indeed, I remember swearing to myself, back in the 1980s, that Id give up smoking if the price of a packet ever topped 1. But when it rose by only a little above 1, I thought: Oh well, just a few extra pence wont make much difference. Four decades on, with 20 cigarettes now costing more than 13, Im still at it.

But in contrast to his predecessors at No 11, Mr Sunak doesnt appear to care that by hitting us with that 88p increase, all in one go, he risks killing the geese that lay those golden eggs. It seems he really is on a mission to stop the nation from smoking.

But almost more remarkable than that massive extra burden on smokers is how very little attention it has attracted in the media.

Im old enough to remember a time when a tax increase of only, say, 5p a packet would have featured prominently in all the news bulletins on Budget day. It would also have been splashed all over the front pages of the tabloids the following morning in huge capital letters: CIGS UP 5p!

Mr Sunak doesnt appear to care that by hitting us with that 88p increase, all in one go, he risks killing the geese that lay those golden eggs. It seems he really is on a mission to stop the nation from smoking (Stock image)

This week, I heard not a word about the 88p in any of the BBCs main news reports, though I tuned in to most of them. As for the papers, all those Ive seen  including this one  tucked the news away on inside pages, as if it was of no special interest.

Obnoxious

If you ask me, this reflects a sea-change in societys attitude to smokers like me, who have become such a despised minority that few care a damn about our woes.

Indeed, Im already bracing myself for the torrents of abuse Ill receive over the internet after admitting that Im a 50-a-day man.

Some will say people like me cost our precious NHS a small fortune (and never mind that Ive contributed a great deal more to it, and so far used the service a great deal less, than many who attack me).

Ah well, at least they can comfort themselves with the knowledge that Im likely to save the Department for Work and Pensions a few bob by dying some ten years younger than a non-smoker.

Others will confine themselves to observing that smoking is a repulsive, smelly habit, obnoxious to everyone around me.

To them, I can answer only that I know, I know. I wouldnt for the world seek to encourage anyone to take it up. Indeed, I wish I never had, in those far-off days of my youth when I thought idiotically that it was sexy and cool. But, reader, Im weak.

As for Mr Sunak, I have to grudgingly admire his political courage in slapping such a huge tax on 7 million men and women who make up 14 per cent of the electorate.

All I can say is that if anything this side of the grave will succeed in making me kick my revolting habit, this Budget will.
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has finally said sorry a month on from the day she described Tories as 'a bunch of scum . . . homophobic, racist, misogynist, vile'  adding with a knowing smile and a wink that she'd 'held back a little'.

She's reflected on 'our political debate', she says, and on the 'abuse that now seems to feature all too often', and unreservedly apologised.

Too late Angela. You may be repentant but the way you stoked that baying crowd at the Labour conference with bigotry and class warfare will never be forgotten.

It's the side of Labour decent folk loathe, the one leader Keir Starmer distanced himself from as soon as the scum word was uttered, because he knows it makes the party unelectable.

In more than 20 years in politics, I've experienced it myself. For instance, attending my friend and Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti's book launch where the comrades parted like the Red Sea when I arrived with mutterings of 'Tory b****'.

Angela says she, too, has suffered abuse and even death threats. I can only sympathise  it has happened to me, for criticising Labour

There was a time under Tony Blair and then Gordon Brown, when Labour and Tories respected each other. We acknowledged we disagreed on many issues but both believed in the greater good of providing opportunity for all and a safety net for the vulnerable.

Then came Jeremy Corbyn and his angry Momentum mob and a visceral hatred not only of the Tories, all scum obviously, but Jewish people and anyone who disagreed with the Leader.

Angela says she, too, has suffered abuse and even death threats. I can only sympathise  it has happened to me, for criticising Labour.

She wouldn't use the same language again, she says. But how can we believe that after her years of silence during those Corbyn years, when hatred swirled through their fetid ranks?

She wouldn't use the same language again, she says. But how can we believe that after her years of silence during those Corbyn years, when hatred swirled through their fetid ranks?

She was accused last year, too, of calling a Tory MP scum in the Commons. As for her refusal to apologise immediately after her comments a month ago, it doesn't inspire confidence.

Growing up on a council estate Angela Rayner often struggled for food; she left school at 16 pregnant with no education, became a care worker, then a union rep, before becoming an MP in 2015. The way she has risen should make her an inspiration.

Instead, she'll be remembered as the woman who reminded us how nasty the Labour Party can be. If I were Keir Starmer, I'd consider this high priestess of hatred too much of a liability.

And if I were Boris, I wouldn't accept her apology.

Weeks after Little Mix's Jesy Nelson, 30, was pilloried for cultural appropriation over her appearance, Madonna, 63, appears with blonde dreadlocks, in a basque and teenager's ripped jeans. It isn't just cultural appropriation with Madge, but age-misappropriation.

Red Face for Mark

Even for billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg, rebranding Facebook 'Meta' after whistleblower Frances Haugen told Parliament the company put 'astronomical profits before (the safeguarding of vulnerable) people' was breathtakingly cynical.

Zuckerberg vows Meta will continue to live by his founding principle of 'bringing people together'. Indeed  to share hatred, homophobia and racism, and find platforms where kids tell each other how to harm themselves.

He vows Meta will continue to live by his founding principle of 'bringing people together'. Indeed  to share hatred, homophobia and racism, and find platforms where kids tell each other how to harm themselves.

Protestors can't insulate the bagpipes

A motorist infuriated by Insulate Britain road blockers got his bagpipes out to try to blast them off the M25 with Scotland The Brave. Well done him, but he missed a trick with the idiots now gluing their faces to the motorways. Five minutes of Wings' Mull Of Kintyre would have had them tearing themselves off the bitumen, begging for mercy.

Five minutes of Wings' Mull Of Kintyre would have had them tearing themselves off the bitumen, begging for mercy.

Ahead of Cop26, Glasgow's council leader  the Scottish National Party's Susan Aitken  blames Margaret Thatcher for the filthy conditions of their streets. Crikey, Lady T left power in 1990 so they've had 31 years to clean up their act. Is Maggie also to blame for Glasgow having the lowest life-expectancy in the UK, the highest levels of drugs deaths in Europe and the fact that one in three children live in poverty  all presided over since 2014 by that over-stuffed little SNP haggis Nicola Sturgeon?

Ugo just couldn't tackle the tango

As soon as former rugby player Ugo Monye was axed from Strictly Come Dancing, the wokes decided he was dumped because he's black  despite the fact that Rhys Stephenson and AJ Odudu, both brilliant dancers, are still in and Judi Love is expected back tonight after a Covid break. The sad truth is, Ugo danced with the grace of an unplugged 1970s refrigerator, bless him.

The Satanist who stabbed to death sisters Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, has been sentenced to a minimum of 35 years. Because of his age, Danyal Hussein, 19, could not be given a full-life term. He could be out before he is 54 but natural justice dictates he should rot in jail for ever.

Fears of a trade war after a UK trawler was hijacked by the French. Don't they have short memories? If it weren't for the 6,939 ships carrying 156,115 British, U.S. and Canadian troops that were launched from our shores on D-Day, those cheese-eating surrender monkeys would be munching Frankfurters and speaking German.

Veteran Honoured

Shameful that the Ministry of Defence decrees no serving soldiers will carry the coffin of former Regimental Corporal-Major Dennis Hutchings, the Northern Ireland veteran who died of ill health aged 80 while on trial over a fatal shooting during the Troubles in 1974. Thousands of former soldiers plan to line the route of his funeral, proving it is old comrades not Westminster pen-pushers who truly honour those who have faithfully served Queen and Country.

Thousands of former soldiers plan to line the route of his funeral, proving it is old comrades not Westminster pen-pushers who truly honour those who have faithfully served Queen and Country.

TV's Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen's marriage has hit a 'rocky patch'. Her publicity team say it is 'something of a PR nightmare' as it coincides with the launch of her latest book. Call me a cynic, but the marital tiff does provide publicity for a book none of us would otherwise have heard of.

Sisterly sympathy for Angelina Jolie, smiling on the red carpet to promote her latest movie Eternals when the back view revealed her hair extensions gone hideously wrong. I had them once on a photo shoot, went home and the locks came off in my shocked partner's hands as he ran his fingers lovingly through my hair.

Westminister Wars
A young author who lost her left eye and underwent gruelling brain surgery after being diagnosed with melanoma has revealed how a trip to South Africa saved her life after Australian doctors failed to correctly diagnose her condition.

At the age of 21, adventurous Jessica Van Zeil felt invincible, but her world was turned upside down after being diagnosed with melanoma in 2015.

For as long as she can remember, the now 28-year-old from Melbourne told Daily Mail Australia she had a small red dot in her left eye that local doctors dismissed as a 'burst blood vessel' that was 'nothing to worry about'.

But the dot was the only symptom that led Jess to be eventually diagnosed with conjunctival ocular melanoma which later spread to her brain.

To this day doctors are unsure what caused the rare cancer as Jess always wore sunglasses and hats while outdoors.

At the age of 21, adventurous Jessica Van Zeil (pictured) felt invincible, but her world was turned upside down after being diagnosed with conjunctival ocular melanoma in 2015

In January 2015 she had two surgeries in South Africa to remove the cancer in the eye, then a month later made her way back to Australia for further treatment

Prior to being diagnosed in January 2015 while in South Africa, Australian doctors conducted a biopsy on Jess's eye and the results were benign.

'I thought I was in the clear and the doctors weren't too concerned,' Jess said.

But six months later three small dark black spots appeared on her eye near the initial spot.

'I didn't have the time, energy or the private health insurance to deal with more concerns about my eye, so I decided to leave it for a few months,' she said.



The dot on Jess' eye can be seen in school photos from 2006 (pictured)

Jess flew to South Africa for an eight-week trip and was later diagnosed while there after she became increasingly concerned about her eye.

'Being 21 I felt invincible, but an oncologist in Africa made me realise the seriousness of melanoma,' she said.

'I was in a lucky percentage to have a chance at survival.'

She had two surgeries to remove the cancer in her eye, then a month later she made her way back to Australia for further treatment.

WHAT IS MELANOMA? Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the skin cells called melanocytes and usually occurs on the parts of the body that have been overexposed to the sun Rare melanomas can occur inside the eye (ocular melanoma) or in parts of the skin or body that have never been exposed to the sun such as the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet or under the nails Melanoma is projected to be the third most common cancer diagnosed in Australia in 2020, which along with New Zealand has the world's highest incidence rate for melanoma Melanoma is more commonly diagnosed in men than women. The risk of being diagnosed with melanoma by age 85 is 1 in 13 for men compared to 1 in 21 for women Source: cancer.org.au Advertisement

To this day doctors are unsure what caused the cancer as Jess has always worn sunglasses and hats while outdoors

'For six months we watched and waited for changes, and then more dark black spots appeared on my eye and a lump the size of a pea grew on my bottom eyelid that was progressively getting bigger,' she said.

The dots and lump were a sign the cancer had returned more aggressively than anticipated, leaving Jess shocked and confused.

The cancer was considered to be a 'cutaneous melanoma' as it had moved from the eye to the eyelid and muscle.

'I knew I would lose my eye, but I just assumed I would have a glass replacement instead so I wouldn't look "different",' she said.

'But my dad later called the doctor who said my eye would be stitched shut after the surgery, which I was completely shocked to hear.

'I remember thinking "I don't want to stand out" and I wanted to live a "normal life", so I didn't want to go through with it at first.'

Jess researched potential alternative treatments herself which she later discussed with her doctor who turned down the options.

'The doctor had answers and reasons for saying no - and eventually told me if I didn't have the life-changing surgery suggested, I wouldn't be here in five years,' Jess said.

'We watched and waited for changes for six months and nothing changed, but then more dark black spots appeared on my eye and a lump the size of a pea grew on my bottom eyelid that was progressively getting bigger,' she said (lump under eye pictured left)

'That night I didn't sleep and just lay staring at the wall wondering what life looked like beyond all this for me,' she said.

However after 24 hours, Jess changed her perspective, accepted the fate of having the surgery and started to look up quirky eye patches to wear.

'I thought I could let this ruin my life or I could be courageous and embrace it,' she said.

On October 9, 2015 Jess had surgery to remove her left eye and after six months to her surprised life resumed 'as normal'

On October 9, 2015, the then 22-year-old Jess had surgery to remove her left eye then, to her surprise, life resumed 'as normal'.

'After taking the bandages off I expected to see someone foreign staring back at me, but I saw my bright familiar smile, my freckled cheeks, my button nose, my on-point eyebrows,' she said.

'The only difference was there was one eye staring back not two.'

'The only difference was there was one eye staring back not two,' she said

Eleven months later, Jess was living her life as she normally would and started wearing the eye patch in stylish ways.

However one morning when she went to have a shower before work, her toes started twitching and she had a seizure on the bathroom floor.

'I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke and thankfully my who mum was working from home called the ambulance,' she said.

After being taken to the hospital, a CT and MRI scan detected 'brain abnormalities', which was later determined to be six to eight tumours.

'The doctor told me and my mum the melanoma had returned and I was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma metastases on the brain,' Jess said.

'My mum burst into tears thinking I had a death sentence, but I didn't quite grasp the situation and asked "what's next from here?"'

One morning when she went to have a shower before work, Jess's toes started twitching and she had a seizure on the bathroom floor. After being taken to the hospital, a CT and MRI scan detected 'brain abnormalities', which was later determined to be six to eight tumours

'The doctor told me and my mum the melanoma had returned on the brain that caused the seizure and I needed to stay in hospital for 24 hours,' Jess said

The following week Jess brain surgery to remove the one tumour that was the 'safest' to extract. She then had other treatments to get rid of the remaining tumours

The following week she had brain surgery to remove the one tumour that was the 'safest' to extract.

'There was a chance I could become completely paralysed on the right side from the surgery,' Jess said.

'After the surgery I needed to learn how to walk and run again.'

She also started dual immunotherapy, ipilimumab and nivolumab treatments.

'This treatment is the only reason I am here alive and living my beautiful life. If it wasn't for this treatment I would have been given six to 16 weeks to live,' she said.

With help from the community, Jess and her family were able to raise over $100,000 to cover the costs of the treatments.

This week, six years on after the initial eye diagnosis, Jess has had her final PET scan and was given the all clear.

She is now in remission, but is still under surveillance.

In 2019 Jess recalled her experience and released a book 'Eye Won' to share her journey with others.
A 40-year-old influencer has revealed that he is petitioning for more acknowledgement of the male menopause after recently being diagnosed following a sudden bout of depression, mood swings and severe lack of libido.

London-based influencer and TV presenter Israel Cassol, or 'The Birkin Boy' as his online followers know him, celebrated the milestone earlier this year surrounded by friends and family in London.

The big birthday marked a poignant time in Israel's life, having finally found his dream job, and achieved his ultimate health goals.

What Israel thought would be the start of some of his best years rapidly took a turn as he soon found himself in dark place of depression, something he says, 'came over him like a wave'.

London-based influencer and TV presenter Israel Cassol (pictured), 40, is petitioning for more acknowledgement of the male menopause

Israel (pictured) has recently been diagnosed with the male menopause following a sudden bout of depression, mood swings and severe lack of libido

'I remember being on cloud nine after my 40th, it's an age I think we all fear slightly but as it grew closer, I started to feel excited about the milestone,' he explained. 'For me it was about celebrating all that I've achieved in the lead up to my 40's and I wanted to share this special moment surrounded by my friends and family.'

'After the celebrations had died down, I began to start feeling a sense of sadness and incredibly low. I put it down to the celebrations coming to an end but as the weeks continued, the feeling worsened.'

As the months continued Israel started to notice further symptoms in himself which he had no idea how to interpret.

He started experiencing loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, difficulty sleeping, increased tiredness, a general lack of energy and enthusiasm for things he previously enjoyed, poor concentration and short-term memory loss.

Israel (pictured) was confused over what was happening to himself and his body, but was convinced this was just how everyone started to feel once they had turned 40

Confused over what was happening to himself and his body, Israel was convinced this was just how everyone started to feel once they had turned 40.

THE MALE MENOPAUSE: HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS 'A slide into weight gain, lethargy, low libido, general grumpiness and tiredness is often seen as an inevitable part of growing older,' says Dr Gluck, 'but it needn't be.' If your husband suffers from the symptoms below, it might be time to seek help... WHERE TO FIND HELP A blood test and full medical and symptom history will reveal whether a man has reduced hormone levels. The three sex hormones men need are: DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormonal precursor produced by the adrenal glands and made into testosterone. TESTOSTERONE: The main male hormone, although women require low levels too (essential for muscles, bones and libido). PROGESTERONE: A predominantly female hormone that men need at low levels; it prevents excess testosterone. Treatment usually involves testosterone (by cream or gel), DHEA (in capsules) or progesterone. After treatment 'men sleep better, get back their zest for life and their wives get back the men they fell in love with.' Dr Gluck warns that treatment may not be suitable for men with a history of prostate cancer. Advertisement

Israel's marriage quickly started to suffer as a result, due to his lack of sex drive and pleasure in everyday activities.

'I thought maybe I was going off my partner and wanted to be with other people,' he said. 'I couldn't believe how little interest I had in being intimate and affectionate with my husband, it was not like me at all, usually I am a morning noon and night type!'

Believing he had lost all sexual desire for his partner, Israel turned to dating apps to see if someone new would bring back his spark, something he admits to later regretting.

After failing to discover the problem, Israel decided to undergo testing to see if his symptoms were the result of an underlying medical issue. What Israel discovered shocked him.

He was diagnosed with the early stages of 'Andropause', better known as the male menopause, something he didn't know existed until now.

'I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I thought the menopause was something only women went through, I never knew it could affect men just as much,' he explained.

'I was overweight, tired and had lost all sex drive, which made complete sense once the doctors told me the possibility I was going through the andropause.'

After being diagnosed, Israel was prescribed hormone creams and oral tablets to take, just as women are prescribed for the female menopause, something he is continuing to do now.

Speaking out on his social platform Israel took the brave decision to share with his 500,000+ followers what he had been experiencing, something he admits took a lot of courage.

'I took to my social media as I wanted to know how common this feeling was amongst my male followers,' he explained.

'Being an influencer with a big platform I was hesitant to share such intimate details of my life but needed to know if this was an issue others were facing.

'I couldn't believe the response I received from men describing similar symptoms I had suffered from.'

The influencer (pictured) said he couldn't believe the response he received from men describing similar symptoms he had suffered from

Israel (pictured) has spoken out on his social media platform, something he admits took a lot of courage

Israel (pictured) said 'we need to break this stigma and get more men talking, it shouldn't be shameful, men matter too'

While not as well recognised for men as it is for women, the male menopause is predominant, and cases are on the rise.

The difference is that menopause in women occurs rapidly in comparison, while the menopause-like phenomenon among men is a relatively slower process.

Still a taboo, many argue the topic of male menopause to be debatable as menopausal women stop producing eggs, while men can continue producing even into their 80s and beyond.

'Being a man, society forces you to just get on with these obstacles and feel defeated if your manhood isn't doing what it should be doing,' explained Israel.

'We need to break this stigma and get more men talking, it shouldn't be shameful, men matter too.'
A TikTok user has gone viral with her genius solution to avoiding expensive baggage allowance costs.

Kristen Black, a well-travelled artist who splits her time between Paris and Atlanta, took to the social media platform to reveal how she flies on low-cost carrier Ryanair with just hand luggage.

The travel influencer, who has racked up over 6 million views with her clever video, showed how she folds her clothes into a neck pillow and even uses her hat for storage.

Kristen Black, a well-travelled artist who splits her time between Paris and Atlanta, took to the social media platform to reveal how she flies on low-cost carrier Ryanair with just hand luggage

The travel influencer, who has racked up over 6 million views with her clever video, showed how she folds her clothes into a neck pillow

In the video Kristen can be seen kneeling on the floor of the airport as she rifles through her rucksack.

Entitled 'How to pack for your Ryanair flight', Kristen is seen packing her smaller clothes items tightly into a large knitted jumper.

She then rolls it up and folds it into a makeshift neck pillow, before placing it around her neck.

She triumphantly captions the first move 'DIY neck pillow'.

In the comments section she later makes clear that she had done this after going through security

She then rolls her clothes up folds them into a makeshift neck pillow, before placing it around her neck

Kristen then moves onto her next hat trick, placing a soft toy souvenir bought in London on top of her head

Kristen then moves onto her next hat trick, placing a soft toy souvenir bought in London on top of her head.

Covering it with a hat, she writes: 'Use your hat for the souvenirs you bought during ya trip. (sic)'

Lastly, Kristen is pictured filling her pockets with leftover items, writing: 'Stuff those pockets'.

Posing in a number of layers, Kristen concludes 'Ready for Paris fashion week + saving money so win win.'

Lastly, Kristen is pictured filling her pockets with leftover items, writing: 'Stuff your pockets'

Posing in a number of layers, Kristen concludes 'Ready for Paris fashion week + saving money so win win.'

In the comments section she later makes clear that she had done this after going through security.

And followers were thrilled with the tips, with one writing: 'Stoppp I have a Ryanair flight tomorrow and I only have cabin bags, I'm gunna be wearing three t-shirts. (sic)'

Another admitted: ' 'Literally stuffed a small pillow up my hoodie and pretended I was pregnant so my sister could get her pillow home on the plane.'

And even Ryanair's official TikTok account responded to the clip and wrote: 'Bestie I'm scared.'
Parents are furious after being offered a digital retouch service to edit school photos taken of their children.

Jennifer Greene, from Maryland, US, was stunned after discovering the service was being offered to parents of young students in kindergarten.

The Lifetouch company offered to 'retouch' the images of the children for an additional $12 and the service includes skin-tone evening, teeth whitening and blemish removal.

The service acts in a similar way to social media filters that change the way the face looks by smoothing out the skin and removing imperfections.

Parents are furious after a digital retouch service offered to edit the photos of children on school photo day. The outrage follows after Kristin Loerns noticed her son's freckles had been removed from the school photos (pictured right)

'I was shocked,' Ms Greene told The New York Post.

'I completely disagree with [retouching a child's school picture], because it's teaching kids that they need to look perfect all the time and that they can change [a perceived flaw] with the click of a mouse.'

The 43-year-old also took to Twitter to share her shock with others.

'I'm going to need someone to explain to me why @Lifetouch offers PHOTO RETOUCH for KIDS school pics?! What the hell?!' she tweeted late last month.

Ms Greene wanted to get photos taken of her 12-year-old daughter Madeline, but was worried about the effect that the services could have on her.

In a statement to The New York Post the business said: 'Our goal is always to authentically capture each child we photograph. Photo retouch is an entirely opt-in service that customers choose to add on to photo packages. Most, if not all, school photography companies offer this service and it's an expectation as an available option for schools.'

While the service has received backlash from parents, retouching is a service offered by most professional photographers.

The service acts in a similar way to social media filters that change the way the face looks by smoothing out the skin and removing imperfections (stock image)

The outrage follows after Kristin Loerns noticed her son's freckles had been removed from the school photos.

Ms Loerns told Daily Mail Australia she didn't give permission for the company to remove all of her son's freckles.

'The retouching was added automatically as part of the larger photo packages,' she said.

Kristin also shared before and after images of her son Kieran on Twitter alongside the caption: 'Lifetouch can I have his freckles back please? #editingfail'

'Don't change things that are actually a part of a child's face,' she added.

After complaining to Lifetouch the company redid Ms Loern's child's photo with the freckles intact.
A risky business idea has paid off for two young mates who made $650,000 in revenue so far this year and are set to become millionaires by January.

Childhood pals Emerson Lattouf, 20, and Isaac Fakhri, 21, were preparing to launch e-commerce haircare brand Amoris Beauty when the pandemic slapped the brakes on their carefully laid plans.

Instead, the best friends from Melbourne harnessed the power of Instagram by sending their hero product - a $49.99 vegan-friendly hair mask - to 3,000 'micro-influencers' who promoted it online before its release last October.

When they pooled their $100,000 'life savings' to get the business of the ground, the entrepreneurs could never have guessed that just one year later their hometown would become the most locked down city on Earth.

But while countless ventures fell victim to Covid, Amoris Beauty was one of the lucky few to reap a six-figure reward.

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This vegan-friendly hair mask has put two Melbourne mates on track to becoming millionaires in their first year of business

While countless ventures fell victim to Covid, childhood pals Emerson Lattouf and Isaac Fakhri (pictured) reaped a six-figure reward

'Covid has helped tremendously, [it] helped being in these Covid waves, particularly in the care space,' Mr Fakhri told news.com.au.

'Maybe if it was a styling product it might not have helped as much, but it was haircare, and personal care really started to take off.'

The boys, who only graduated from high school in 2019, developed a network of industry contacts through Hairhouse Warehouse, one of Australia's leading hair care websites, which is owned by Emerson's father, Joseph Lattouf.

They partnered with a factory in NSW and developed their product with the help of 'brutal' feedback from the Lattouf family.

The $49.99 Rejuvenating Hair Mask from Amoris Beauty has made founders Emerson Lattouf, 19, and Isaac Fakhri, 20, an impressive $33,000 in their first week of business

A customer review shows the effects of the mask in a before (left) and after (right) transformation photo; frizz and tangled clumps are replaced by sleek, smooth locks

It was an instant success, selling 660 units to the tune of $33,000 in their first week of trading.

June has been their biggest month to date, when they raked in a a staggering $16,000 in 24 hours in the run up to Mother's Day.

Today the duo have six employees working under them across warehouse fulfilment and digital marketing and are on track to make their first million in early 2022.

Like all 'Gen Z' business owners, Mr Lattouf and Mr Fakhri are natural experts in harnessing the extraordinary selling power of social media.

The brand now boasts more than 47,000 Instagram followers and hundreds of rave reviews from customers who claim they have never seen such instant results from a hair mask.

Melbourne mates Isaac Fakrhi (right) and Emerson Lattouf (left) used the power of Instagram to promote their product in the months before it launched

'We understand how quickly word can spread about a brand if it has a strong social media presence,' Mr Lattouf previously told Daily Mail Australia.

That understanding set their sights on micro-influencers, people who have between 1,000 and 100,000 social media followers and do not charge the steep marketing fees associated with more prolific personalities.

They typically focus on a specific niche such as beauty, fitness or fashion, and are regarded as unofficial experts in their respective fields who drive traffic to the websites of the products they endorse.

The boys shipped their product to 3,000 of these influencers asking them to post reviews about it on a set date, knowing 'they would rave to their friends who, in turn, would tell their other friends and the ripple effect would go from there'.

The mask (pictured) contains natural ingredients like cocoa butter and avocado oil which are both proven to hydrate and strengthen hair, protecting it from frizz and heat damage

'Three thousand people posting their opinions on the same day, with a combined 25,000,000 followers, we believed this was the quickest and most cost-effective way to be 'everywhere' as quick as possible,' Mr Fakhri said.

That strategy has paid dividends.

The mask contains natural ingredients like cocoa butter and avocado oil which are both proven to hydrate and strengthen hair, protecting it from heat damage and reducing the risk of frizz.

'We noticed many of the natural hair products just weren't as potent as chemically-based ones, so we really had an emphasis on making our product high performing with stronger conditioning than chemical ones,' Mr Lattouf said.

'Benefits' of Amoris Beauty's hair mask The $49.99 Rejuvenating Hair Mask claims to: - Intensely condition - Replenish dull, dry and damaged hair - Untangle curls - Enhance shine and softness - Protect against UV and sea water damage - Reduce static-induced flyaways - Promote hair growth Advertisement

The boys have already sold a staggering 660 units of the mask, which is cruelty-free, sulphate-free and vegan-friendly

The vegan-friendly formula is cruelty-free and sulphate-free, with $1 from every purchase donated to cancer and domestic violence charities through a partnership with corporate crowdfunding platform I=Change.

A second Amoris Beauty product is in development, but the best friends turned business partners are unsure about a release date because they 'like to get things perfect'.

Their advice to young people toying with the idea of starting a business? 'Bite the bullet and jump in.'

'We view our youth as an advantage because we have an intrinsic understanding of digital marketing and the importance of social media,' Mr Fakhri said.
A visibly uncomfortable Gladys Berejiklian has been seen puffing her cheeks as the former NSW premier fights to control her emotions during an intense ICAC hearing.

Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly made the facial expression while answering questions on Friday about her secret relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire.

The ex-NSW premier made the same 'cheek puffing' during several press conferences last year when news of the relationship was first made public.

Body language experts have previously said the facial expression is made when a person is trying to control their emotions or carefully calculate responses in their mind before speaking.

Ms Berejiklian is seen in the live-streamed ICAC hearing puffing her cheeks and shaking her head while being questioned by counsel assisting Scott Robertson.

A visibly uncomfortable Gladys Berejiklian has been seen puffing her cheeks as the former NSW premier is grilled during an intense ICAC hearing

Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly made the facial expression while addressing questions on Friday about her secret relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire

The former premier admitted she would not have revealed the secret relationship to her colleagues even now and that she did not believe it was 'significant' enough to tell people about it.

Body language expert Sophie Halliday Zadeh said Ms Berejiklian had been 'cheek puffing' to avoid 'going to pieces' during her press conference in October last year.

'She says 'I serve the people with every ounce of my body, with every ounce of my being' immediately after [the cheek puffing] about 14 minutes into her address on Monday,' she said.

'Look at her bottom lip, it pulls inwards. This is where she starts to contain her crying.

'The bottom lip often quivers, then the tears start. Here, she's controlling that quiver.'

Ms Zadeh commented that Ms Berejiklian was 'right on the edge of breaking down' by actively tensing her facial muscles to control her emotional expression.

'We can control our internal experience of emotion by containing our facial expression,' she said.

'This is due to facial feedback, the body brain feedback loop. When we feel emotion our facial expression reflects it, but in addition to that, if we control our facial expression, we can suppress the emotion experienced.'

Ms Zadeh also noticed that the premier had the 'universal expression of sadness' on her face with her brow lowered, inner brow raised and lip corners depressed.

'She's showing and feeling genuine sadness in most of the snaps, some more than others. Only one in ten people can do the inner corner of the eyebrow raise, unless they are feeling genuinely sad,' she said.

Ms Berejiklian speaking to media as she arrived the ICAC hearing on Friday

Ms Zadeh also noticed that the premier had the 'universal expression of sadness' on her face with her brow lowered, inner brow raised and lip corners depressed

'She's showing and feeling genuine sadness in most of the snaps, some more than others. Only one in ten people can do the inner corner of the eyebrow raise, unless they are feeling genuinely sad,' she said

Director of InsideOut Public Relations and media commentator Nicole Reaney said Ms Berejiklian's cheek movements could also be a way of thinking over her responses before answering, to control an aspect of the situation.

'There is a sense of tension, particularly when we compare her usual fun, kind and confident demeanour. Gladys is acknowledging the importance of fronting up rather than avoiding the media,' she told FEMAIL.

Body language expert Katia Loisel from Love Destination agreed with the other experts' sentiments, saying that her pursed lips also indicated suppressed agitation - likely at being asked similar questions over and over.

'Depending on the cluster of non-verbal signals, pursed lips can indicate both disapproval and suppressed agitation, your bodies subconscious way of holding back and saying 'no', and can also be a sign that someone is evaluating their options or weighing up what to do or say next,' Ms Loisel told FEMAIL.

Ms Berejiklian also sucked in her cheeks during Tuesday's press conference to journalists

Body language expert Katia Loisel agreed with the other experts' sentiments, saying that her pursed lips also indicated suppressed agitation - likely at being asked similar questions over and over (pictured on Monday)

What does the 'cheek puffing and sucking in' mean? The cheek suck, in which cheeks are essentially sucked in can indicate disapproval, depending on the position of lips and chin and the degree to which the cheeks are sucked in. In general, the more pronounced the cheek suck, the more intense the emotion. While a cheek suck that is accompanied by lips that purse indicates disapproval, a cheek suck followed by cheeks that blow out or blowing out from the mouth tends to indicate uncertainty and underlying anxiety. The position of the lower lip and chin can also provide important information when evaluating facial expressions with sadness linked to a more downturned mouth and crinkling of the chin. There's no doubt that intense public scrutiny and humiliation have taken their toll on Gladys Berejiklian, and the stress that she is under is written all over her face. While at times fleeting, Gladys Berejiklian's facial expressions also reveal an underlying sadness; her downturned mouth, eyebrows that are drawn up and together triangulating the upper eyelids, and slight wrinkling and pushing up of the chin known as the chin boss a sign that she is perhaps only just holding it together. Source: Katia Loisel Advertisement

In October 2020, the Ms Berejiklian said she had a 'close personal relationship' with former Wagga Wagga MP and father-of-two Daryl Maguire, 61, from 2015 to August 2020.

She managed to keep it secret from her family, friends and the public until a corruption inquiry yesterday heard phone calls in which he called her 'babe' and she called him her 'numero uno' - Spanish for number one.

Mr Maguire, who resigned from parliament in 2018 and recently divorced his ex-wife Maureen, is accused of trying to use his position as an MP to gain money by brokering property deals.

Labor has accused Ms Berejiklian of turning a blind eye to corruption but the premier has insisted that she was not aware of any wrongdoing and has refused to resign.

On Monday the New South Wales premier said she had a 'close personal relationship' with former Wagga Wagga MP and father-of-two Daryl Maguire, 61, from 2015 to August 2020 (pictured together)

She managed to keep it secret from her family, friends and the public until a corruption inquiry yesterday heard phone calls in which he called her 'babe' and she called him her 'numero uno'

On Monday night Ms Berejiklian insisted she has 'done nothing wrong' and has not been compromised by the relationship at a formal press conference, where she puffed her cheeks in and out.

Ms Berejiklian said she was not aware of Mr Maguire's alleged misconduct when they were dating.

'I assumed he was doing the right thing. I had my trust in him, and obviously I know now that that trust was misplaced, and I accept that human failing on my part, and I accept it wholeheartedly,' she said.

'I had no reason at the time to imagine that he was doing anything wrong, because I trusted him, and I assumed that, if there was any interests to be declared, that he did that.'

The premier said she effectively ended the romance when she sacked Mr Maguire from the Liberal Party before he resigned from parliament.
Australia has an unlikely new heartthrob in the form of the formidable lawyer ruthlessly interrogating Gladys Berejiklian.

Scott Robertson's deadpan expression and robotic style of questioning set pulses racing across the nation as he mercilessly grilled the embattled former NSW premier at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing on Friday.

Speaking in monotone, Mr Robertson remained calm and precise as he relentlessly probed Ms Berejiklian about her relationship with disgraced Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

But viewers appeared unconcerned about the ex-Premier's alleged indiscretions as they took to Twitter to swoon over Mr Roberston's unflinching demeanour instead.

Australia's latest heartthrob: Scott Robertson (pictured) has set pulses racing across the nation with his relentless grilling of Gladys Berejiklian at the ICAC hearing on Friday

'I think I'm in love with Scott Robertson,' one woman wrote.

'Have developed a HUGE crush on Mr Robertson,' said a second, while a third added: 'I'm in awe...so amazing, so well prepared, so professional, so over it all!'

Others gushed over the University of Adelaide graduate's intellect, with one woman declaring: 'I think I have a brain crush.'

Even television host Michael Rowland was astounded by his incisive questioning.

He tweeted: 'Making a mental note to never place myself in a situation where I have to be interrogated by Scott Robertson. He is.. rather good at his job.'

The ICAC hearings have captivated viewers, but many appeared unconcerned about the ex-Premier's alleged indiscretions as they took to Twitter to swoon over Mr Robertson instead

Dozens said they have a 'huge crush' on the University of Adelaide graduate

Tireless in his inquiries, at one stage Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian the same question 10 times in a row when she failed to clearly answer if she considered Mr Maguire to be part of her family.

'You regarded Mr Maguire as part of your family, is that right?'

When Ms Berejiklian said she didn't feel she needed to put the relationship 'on the public record', he curtly responded 'we'll let the lawyers argue about the law' and asked the same question again and again.

'What's the answer to my question then? Did you or did you not regard Mr Maguire as part of your family?' he said.

Mr Robertson indulged in a rare verbal flourish when Ms Berejiklian denied treating Mr Maguire differently to other colleagues.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives at the corruption hearing on Friday

'Are you seriously saying that Mr Maguire approached you about projects in the exact same way as all your other colleagues,' he said.

But he swiftly continued to question the premier in his signature tone.

It's a technique the lawyer has honed over 12 years since being admitted to the NSW bar in 2009.

According to his online profile he has degrees in economics, international studies and law from the University of Adelaide and also did a Masters' degree in law at Oxford University which he completed in 2007.

He specialises in commercial, construction and public law, but likes to challenge himself him by 'appearing in jurisdictions in which he is not a regular and in matters raising difficult or novel points of law or equity.'

ICAC is investigating whether Ms Berejiklian 1. Engaged in conduct between 2012 and 2018 that was 'liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct' by former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, with whom she was in a close personal relationship between 2015 and 2018 2. Exercised her official functions dishonestly or partially by refusing to exercise her duty to report any reasonable suspicions about Mr Maguire to the ICAC 3. Exercised any of her official functions partially in connection with two multimillion-dollar grants in Mr Maguire's electorate, to the Australian Clay Target Association Inc and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music Advertisement

Mr Robertson is the counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption as it investigates whether Ms Berejiklian encouraged or allowed corrupt conduct by her secret ex-boyfriend and former Wagga Wagga MP Mr Maguire between 2012 and 2018.

It is also probing her role in multi-million dollar government grants to a gun club and conservatorium of music in his electorate.

Ms Berejiklian insists she has done nothing wrong and has 'always acted with integrity'.

On Friday Ms Berejiklian's successor Dominic Perrottet was dragged into the corruption inquiry.

A tapped phone call played to a defiant Ms Berejiklian on Friday featured Ms Berejiklian speaking about funding projects in Mr Maguire's seat of Wagga Wagga and saying of Mr Perrottet: 'He does just what I ask him to.'

During the call, Mr Maguire said he 'heckled' the then treasurer Mr Perrottet and said he would have a 'f**king riot on your hands' if his electorate did not get funding for projects including Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Tumut Hospital.

In the call, Mr Maguire recalled that Mr Perrottet had told him there was no money in the budget for those projects but there was money for a planned crack down on graffiti.

Ms Berejiklian responded: 'I'll fix it'.

She called back later and said: 'I've already got you the Wagga hospital. I just spoke to Dom (Perrottet) ... He just does what I ask him to.'

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrived at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

She added: 'We're giving Wagga more money than ever before,' she said. 'I just got you the one hundred and seventy mill ... you can't tell me you've been hard done by.'

Ms Berejiklian said she had got Mr Maguire that money 'in five minutes' but he would need to speak to Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Tumut Hospital because she wouldn't fix everything for him.

Mr Maguire was pushing for between $500,000 and a million dollars for that hospital.

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about a September 2017 deal 'which would give (Mr Maguire) enough money to pay off his debts of $1.5 million'.

'Did you suspect that Mr Maguire was or may have been engaged in corrupt conduct?' he asked.

'I did not,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

Daryl Maguire (pictured, left) gave evidence at a corruption inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian (right)

'How did you think a Member of Parliament was capable of earning a commission something in the vicinity of $1.5 million in relation to a land deal?' he asked.

'I did not pay too much attention to that because he was always talking big and I didn't pay too much attention to that, but I'd trusted him as a colleague and as a close personal friend and I never thought that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied.

'Why did you believe that 1.5 million dollars might be able to be earned by Mr Maguire,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I have no recollection of what the context was of that telephone conversation but my general response is I never suspected that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied, adding that she always assumed Mr Maguire 'was very aware of his disclosure requirements'.

The tone of Friday's hearing was set at the very beginning when Mr Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

Then Mr Robertson was off - slowly grinding away at Ms Berejiklian's answers, and by doing so, the Premier's reputation.

Mr Robertson's grilling is expected to continue on Monday.
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews jetted off to Texas for the US Grand Prix despite Covid-19 travel restrictions, it has been revealed.

The Duchess of Cambridge's 38-year-old sister and her hedge fund manager husband, 46, were spotted trackside on October 22 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, ahead of the race on October 24.

James, a former Formula 3 racing driver and CEO of investment firm Eden Rock, was appointed to the board of British F1 racing team Williams Racing in September last year and was on hand to cheer on drivers Nicholas Latifi and George Russell.

The couple travelled to the US despite most British nationals being banned from entering due to Covid-19 restrictions. Restrictions will be lifted on November 8.

The Duchess of Cambridge's 38-year-old sister and her hedge fund manager husband were spotted trackside on October 22 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, ahead of the race on October 24. The couple appeared in good spirits as they spoke to guests

Pippa, who shares children Arthur and Grace with James, looked chic for the outing in a striped nautical-inspired dress by Kate Spade. She wore her hair loose around her shoulders

There are a number of exemptions, including holders of an NIE, or National Interest Exemption, which allows allow travel to the US for certain groups including students, academics and healthcare professionals.

It is also available to 'others whose travel is in the U.S. national interest for vital support to critical infrastructure, significant economic activity, or national security'.

It is possible the couple were able to apply for an exemption in some sort of business capacity.

Pippa, who shares children Arthur and Grace with James, looked chic for the outing in a striped nautical-inspired dress by Kate Spade.

The summery frock features loose sleeves and a flattering A-line shape.

Typically understated, Pippa kept her hair and makeup simple, wearing her brown locks loose around her shoulders and just a touch of eye makeup.

James, CEO of Eden Roc hedge fund, was given a personalised Williams Racing shirt and his own headset emblazoned with 'JM'.

Other VIPs at the event included Megan Thee Stallion, and Geri Horner and her husband

The couple, who keep a low public profile, appeared in good spirits as they chatted to guests.

Other VIPs at the event included Megan Thee Stallion, and Geri Horner and her husband.

James was announced as one of three new board members of Williams Racing in September 2020, following the acquisition of the business by New York-based private investment company Dorilton Capital.

Winner Max Verstappen (centre) celebrates with second place Lewis Hamilton (left) and third place Sergio Perez (right), after the US Formula One on October 24

Dorilton chairman Matthew Savage and co-founder Darren Fultz share command.

The news came as the Williams family's connection ended after more than 40 years with the resignation of de facto team principal Claire Williams, daughter of the legendary Sir Frank Williams, who has acted as the de facto boss of the British team since 2013.

Sir Frank created the Williams Racing team in 1977 and led to 16 world titles through such drivers as Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.
Journalist Charlotte Raven has spoken about her experience of living with Huntington's disease in a new memoir.

Raven, a darling of Nineties journalism known for her provocative views and blistering writing, was diagnosed 15 years ago, after discovering her father had the inherited condition on the morning of the 7/7 bombings.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a degenerative neurological condition, inherited from a person's parents, that stops parts of the brain working properly over time.

Symptoms vary but can include difficulty concentrating and memory lapses; involuntary jerking or fidgety movements of the limbs and body; mood swings and personality changes; problems swallowing, speaking and breathing; and difficulty moving. Symptoms typically first present between 35 and 45.

'Someone once described HD as an illness of mourning, which seems very apt,' Raven writes in Patient 1: Forgetting and Finding Myself, as featured in the Guardian.

Journalist Charlotte Raven, known for her provocative views and affair with Julie Burchill (pictured together in 1995), was diagnosed 15 years ago, after discovering her father had the inherited condition on the morning of the 7/7 bombings

'You lose your identity, and some of your humanity, while remaining aware enough to keep a tally of every loss...

'For me, it started with small, unexplained absences: car keys, glasses, a million lighters, shoes, clothes. Then I lost the world, city by city. Familiar places became a scary tangle of streets, so I stayed in the house.

'Then the car itself started to go missing: when we stopped at services, I could never find my way back to it.

'Bigger human losses followed. I lost my sexuality. Friends stopped remembering to visit me. And then I began to lose my own past: as my short- and long-term memory were affected by HD, the story of my life receded into the distance and became increasingly inaccessible to me.'

The title of the book comes from Raven's role as 'Patient 1' in a pioneering drug trial examining the effects of a drug, later called tominersen, that could lower the production of the mutant huntingtin protein in the spinal fluid.

The trial was ultimately aborted in March this year.

Now, 15 years on from testing positive with the Huntington's condition, Raven, is at a stage where she needs to be spoon-fed by carers and has problems with swallowing, according to The Times.

Journalist Charlotte Raven (left) has spoken about her experience of living with Huntington's disease in a new memoir, Forgetting And Finding Myself (right)

But on top of her 'daily tally of loses' is the end of her marriage to Tom Sheahan, a film director.

Sheahan and Raven were introduced at a party in Notting Hill in 2002 and went on to have daughter Anna, 17, and son John, who was born two years after Raven's diagnosis, after much consideration by the couple.

Memory lapses, mood swings and personality changes: The slow deterioration of Huntington's disease Huntington's disease is a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. It's passed on (inherited) from a person's parents. It gets gradually worse over time and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years. Symptoms usually start at 30 to 50 years of age, but can begin much earlier or later. Symptoms of Huntington's disease can include: difficulty concentrating and memory lapses; depression; stumbling and clumsiness; involuntary jerking or fidgety movements of the limbs and body; mood swings and personality changes; problems swallowing, speaking and breathing; difficulty moving. Full-time nursing care is needed in the later stages of the condition. It's usually fatal about 15 to 20 years after symptoms start. Huntington's disease is caused by a faulty gene that results in parts of the brain becoming gradually damaged over time. You're usually only at risk of developing it if one of your parents has or had it. Both men and women can get it. If a parent has the Huntington's disease gene, there's a: 1 in 2 (50%) chance of each of their children developing the condition  affected children are also able to pass the gene to any children they have Very occasionally, it's possible to develop Huntington's disease without having a history of it in your family. But this is usually just because one of your parents was never diagnosed with it. There's currently no cure for Huntington's disease or any way to stop it getting worse. But treatment and support can help reduce some of the problems it causes. Source: NHS Advertisement

'It took us a long time to decide whether to have another child, knowing they would have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene mutation,' writes Raven.

'But ultimately I didnt want Anna to be an only child, coping with weird me and having no one to play with.'

Over time, Huntington's took its toll on the marriage.

Raven writes: 'People with Huntingtons disease may sometimes seem uncaring and thoughtless... In these situations, the person with HD is not being deliberately awkward, wilful or unkind  their apparent self-centredness is a consequence of the loss of mental flexibility associated with the disease.

'Tom has good reason to believe I was prematurely unempathic. Our relationship wasnt loving or collaborative in the first place, so there were few reserves of goodwill to draw on when HD came to call... My lack of empathy delivered a mortal blow to my marriage.'

John now lives with Tom down the road from Raven's townhouse in Kentish Town, north London, but comes over every day after school while Anna, who is studying for her A-levels, lives with her mother.

Professor Ed Wild, Raven's doctor and a consultant neurologist running a research team at the University College London Huntingtons Disease Centre, who wrote the afterward to Raven's book, explained in The Times that HD is 'a burden that is almost impossible to bear and many, many marriages end'.

'And when they do, it's very difficult to say anything other than it's probably the right thing for both people. It is a real struggle to care for a person and love them when they are not really the person you met and fell in love with.'

Raven's colourful personal life made headlines in the Nineties when she embarked on a six-month affair with renowned controversialist Julie Burchill.

Burchill at the time was married to her second husband, Cosmo Landesman, whom she ultimately left for Raven. Together Raven and Landesman had co-founded the high/low pop culture magazine Modern Review with the journalist Toby Young.

Their lives remain entwined today. In 2004 Burchill married Raven's brother Daniel, 13 years her junior.

Raven, who describes herself as at one point being a 'narcissist without kindness or empathy,' according to The Times, spent the Nineties 'swanning around London' and 'taking drugs'. She still takes MDMA today.

Despite researching Dignitas at various points, Charlotte continues to look towards the future and credits her children with helping to drive her forward.

'Every day John comes back and we get an infusion of joy, because he loves his school so much and he is an amazing character,' she told The Times.

'Every day it just feels as if the bolster is being built to reinforce me for a future that is better than I could have expected.

'I am looking forward. I have the possibility of being myself again, which feels like a prize that I have won.'

Patient 1: Forgetting and Finding Myself by Charlotte Raven is published by Jonathan Cape on Thursday at 14.99
A woman in her 50s has revealed how she has thrifted her entire wardrobe from charity shops for the past three decades, saving her thousands.

Victoria Abadi, 55, from Altrincham, Manchester, began shopping in charity shops in 1989 after struggling financially as a student, but soon found a passion for shopping second hand.

Since then, the mother-of-three has vowed to only shop sustainably, with 95 per cent of her wardrobe consisting of one-off charity shop finds.

Victoria, who works as a psychotherapist, currently has a wardrobe worth 5,000, but only paid 500 thanks to her weekly charity shopping sprees.

Revealing she finds shopping 'theraputic', she said: 'There used to be a stigma about anything preloved; the clothes would often smell, and they still do but people are beginning to look at second hand items differently and more people are wanting to shop sustainably.'

Victoria Abadi, 55, from Altrincham, Manchester, began shopping in charity shops in 1989 after struggling financially as a student, but soon found a passion for shopping second hand

Since then, the mother-of-three has vowed to only shop sustainably, with 95 per cent of her wardrobe consisting of one-off charity shop finds (pictured, left and right)

Victoria, who works as a psychotherapist, currently has a wardrobe worth 5,000, but only paid 500 thanks to her weekly charity shopping sprees (pictured)

Victoria has managed to bag second hand clothing for a fraction of the price from brands like Gucci, Topshop, Miss Selfridges, Asos, River Island, and more high-street stores

Victoria has managed to bag second hand clothing for a fraction of the price from brands like Gucci, Topshop, Miss Selfridges, Asos, River Island, and more high-street stores.

Victoria explained: 'I've been shopping in charity shops since the 80s and began after having a bit of a hard time financially.

'They were all a bit stinky and smelly back then but I found some good pieces and that sparked my passion for it.

'Now, I choose to shop in charity shops because I find it therapeutic, and it makes me think outside of the box when creating outfits.

The mother-of-three now chooses to shop in charity shops because she finds the process therapeutic, and said it helps her 'think outside the box' when creating outfits

'I go to charity shops twice a week and the closest town to me has a row of eight to nine charity shops so I love spending a few hours going in and out to see what I can find.

'My favourite charity shop is Shop with Sue Rider and Barnardo's where everything is 1.'

Victoria started an Instagram account called 'My Trendy 50s' to showcase some of her favourite fashion finds.

The fashionista has managed to rake in more than 20,000 followers.

Victoria now goes to charity shops twice a week and spends a few hours going in and out to see what she can find (left and right, in garments from the charity shop)

Victoria started an Instagram account called 'My Trendy 50s' to showcase some of her favourite fashion finds and has managed to rake in more than 20,000 followers

She revealed she 'loves' showing her followers how to find similar pieces that are for sale on the high street but from a charity shop

She added: 'I love showing how you can find similar pieces that are for sale on the high street but from a charity shop.

'I get a buzz from it. A lot of my followers are also interested in thrift shopping and charity shopping.

'We can look good on a budget, and I love spreading that message.

'Whatever I spend is typically 5 per cent of the full cost of the item.'

Victoria revealed she 'loves spreading the message' that anyone can look good while on a budget (pictured)

Victoria hopes to inspire other women in their 50s to feel comfortable in their own skin and experiment with fashion

'One of the first pieces I got was a vintage Biba suede waistcoat that stood out to me, and it was beautiful and only cost me 1.'

Victoria hopes to inspire other women in their 50s to feel comfortable in their own skin and experiment with fashion.

She said: 'I love feeling good in my 50s - I dress up for work. It's inspirational for my clients.

Victoria said she hopes to inspire others to shop more sustainably and said she continues to 'recycle everything' she has

The psychotherapist predicts she has saved 4,500 over the years by shopping in charity shops to build up her wardrobe

'You can still feel amazing in your 50s and I love experimenting with fashion.

'I want more people to shop sustainably; I recycle everything I have.

'My daughter is also following in my footsteps and loves charity shops - her favourite is the British Heart Foundation.'
A series of experts have offered their top tips on how you can best deal with grief after losing a baby and what you should and shouldn't say to someone else suffering.

Grief is an extremely complex emotion which differs for every individual person - but when it comes to getting support and help, many agree that it can be difficult to know where to start.

Just last week, radio DJ Myleene Klass, 43, has revealed she couldn't speak about her four miscarriages for a whole year in an upcoming documentary for W.

The TV personality lifted the lid on her mental health battle following the ordeal, in which she experienced 'grief, trauma, sadness and fear'.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, several UK-based experts have shared some of their best advice to help you or a loved one through the difficult time of losing a baby...

Experts have revealed how you can deal with grief and what you should and shouldn't say. Pictured, stock image

1. Think before you speak

Psychotherapist Ruth Mark-Roland says that platitudes about loss do not alleviate the pain for the bereaved and instead, communicate that their loss is minimised and unsupported.

'A bereaved person is not in the space to consider the tomorrow, let alone a future without their child, as everything they imagined does not exist,' she explains. 'They are torn by the unimaginable pain of their loss.

'They want to be heard, they want to be seen. The small act of acknowledging their pain validates their enduring torment of loss.'

However according to Ruth, there are certain phrases that should be said, and others that are best avoided.

What you SHOULD and SHOULDN'T say Don't Say: 'They are at peace now.' 'It must be for the best.' 'At least you have each other' or 'At least you have your other child/children.' 'You're still young. You can always have more kids.' 'You'll be a much stronger and more compassionate because of your loss.' 'There's a reason for everything.' Do Say: 'My heart hurts for you, I am so sorry for your life altering loss.' 'This loss is life altering, I can't begin to imagine your pain.' 'There are no words to fully express just how sorry I am to hear about your loss.' 'I'm here for you if you ever want to talk or want someone to be with you, just ask.' 'I really care for you and will do anything I can to help.' 'I know it's impossibly hard for you, but if you would like to talk about [name of the deceased] I would be happy to share my memories of your child.' Advertisement

2. Talk to the right people

'Expression is the opposite of depression,' explains Zoe Clews, a mental health expert. 'We can't process grief without verbalising how we feel.

'But make sure you talk to "safe" people, that might be a grief counsellor, a therapist, a good friend, your partner or someone that has experienced their own very similar and heartbreaking loss and can relate to your pain with understanding and compassion.'

She goes on to say how grieving over the loss of a baby is a particularly 'vulnerable time in your life,' so advises being 'choosy' with who you share your heart with.

'Not everyone will understand or have the EQ (emotional intelligence) required to support you,' she says.

Meanwhile, speaking in partnership with Hand on Heart Jewellery, Ruth explains how in Western society, grief - including those of a baby or child - is frequently silenced and ignored.

'Many often feel as though there is a shelf-life with grief,' she says. 'Once the funeral is over, life seems to resume its normal rhythm for everyone else. Yet, for the bereaved parent, their new reality is just starting to sink in.

'Allowing space for the parent to speak about their loved one, be it by telling stories or just talking about this life-altering event, is cathartic as they crave a safe space to talk about what is consistently denied to them.'

3. Realise that grief comes in waves and is different for everyone

Zoe Clews also notes that following the tragic loss of a baby, you might 'one minute be poleaxed by it and the next day you might feel strangely OK - only to find yourself triggered by the most unlikely thing and back at what feels like square.'

She adds: 'Recovery is not linear, grief is not linear. Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling.'

4. A linking object Ruth explains that aside from simply speaking about their grief, there are other ways in which to help with the grieving process. 'Many bereaved parents will make use of a linking object  which can be anything from an item belonging to the deceased to a piece of tailor-made jewellery containing their fingerprint or cremation ashes,' she explains. 'A linking object keeps the bereaved connected to their loved one, providing a source of comfort and offering a reminder of any cherished memories and experiences the holder shared with the deceased.' Advertisement

Elsewhere, Gemma goes on to note that there is no timeframe for grieving to be over.

'Because of how painful grief can be, it can be easy to feel like it "should be over by now", she says. 'Grief takes time and that time is different for each of us. There is no one size fits all.'

Highlighting how there is no 'one way' to feel grief, she continues: 'When you are grieving, you can feel a spectrum of emotions for example, sadness, loneliness, relief, anger, disbelief.'

'The list is endless. It is normal to feel one thing one moment and another thing in another moment because grief often causes emotional shock.

'Grief does not have to be for someone or something living.

'One of the big misconceptions about grief is that we only grieve things that have physically died. This is not the case. We can grieve anything that we have been separated from.

'This means we might grieve losing something significant to us or a time in our lives when things were different.'

Gemma also points out that 'smiling is okay.'

'Sometimes, people can feel like they cannot enjoy aspects of life while they are grieving,' she says. 'This is not true. There may be times where you feel able to engage in things that make you smile. And there may be times when you dont. Both are okay.'

5. Do something physical

Zoe notes that as well as duvet days which allow you to 'collapse' - and is a temporary but vital part of the healing process following the loss of a child - it's important to keep your body moving to help process the shock pain and grief.

'Nothing strenuous or taxing (you've gone through enough) but gentle walks in nature to help you ground,' Zoe advises. 'Nature is a great shock absorber - let it support you.'

Gemma also highlights the importance of taking care of your physical needs.

'It is very common for people who are grieving to stop feeling motivated to do the things that are good for their physical health, such as, washing, eating or exercising,' she explains.

'It is really important to try and keep these things up as much as possible as they will be working really hard to keep you going at a time when your emotions aren't able to help as much.

'If you need to, you can ask a friend or family member to help you keep up with your physical needs.'
She has joined Girls Night In movement which sees women and men avoid going out to bars and clubs as they demand better safety measures for customers

Said was on night out with pals to celebrate lift of the first lockdown in July 2020

Love Island's Sharon Gaffka has recalled the terrifying moment she discovered her drink was spiked on a night out in London.

The 25-year-old explained how in July 2020 - a year before entering the Mallorca villa for the ITV2 dating show - she went on a night out with friends to celebrate pubs reopened following the lift of the first lockdown.

However, Sharon told how she soon found herself in a situation that has 'altered her behaviour forever'.

Writing for Grazia, Sharon penned: 'My friends found me, passed out in a toilet cubicle, in an uncompromising position, after bumping my head on the toilet, barely breathing with my eyes rolling into the back of my head, and no one could understand how this had happened.'

Love Island's Sharon Gaffka, 25, has recalled the terrifying moment she discovered her drink was spiked on a night out in London. Pictured, in the Love Island villa

Sharon - who insists she knows her alcohol limit and was confused as to how it could happen - explained how her friends called the emergency services, but were horrified that she was 'dismissed' as someone who was just too drunk.

It was only when her friend, who worked as a junior doctor, put up a fight that Sharon was taken seriously and whisked off to hospital.

'When you're feeling vulnerable it is only natural to turn to the public services put in place to protect you,' she explained. 'But why is it, when a female is left in a vulnerable position, at no fault of her own, she is dismissed for being irresponsible?'

After being seen to at hospital, Sharon was discharged with no memory of her treatment, but luckily a friend was there to take her home.

The 25-year-old (pictured) explained how the incident happened in July 2020 when she went on a night out with friends to celebrate pubs reopened following the lift of the first lockdown

Sharon (pictured) told how after her friends called the emergency services, but were horrified she was 'dismissed' as someone who was just too intoxicated

Later, Sharon called the hospital and learned they had detected something in her bloodstream that causes those who ingest it to pass out.

Despite being in hospital, Sharon, who said she could barely say her name at the time, had not been tested for date-rape drug GHB, and claims the hospital 'refused' to test her because she didn't request it.

'I was informed that had I wanted to be tested, I shouldve gone to the police station,' she said. 'I remember this feeling of being let down, as well as a huge sense of shame that I lost my inhabitations.'

National police figures confirmed there have been almost 200 confirmed cases of drink spiking in September and October alone, with 24 reports of 'spiking injection'.

Sharon (pictured) appeared on the most recent series of ITV2 dating show, Love Island

Now, Sharon who is sharing her horrifying ordeal in a bid to encourage other women with similar experiences, has questioned: 'How big does the number have to get before we see action?'

She is also taking part in the Girls Night In boycott - a movement which has seen women and men avoid going out to bars and clubs as they demand better safety measures for customers.

Dozens of local Instagram pages have been created to spread the news of the Girls Night In campaign, where women from various university cities will stay in, 'spreading awareness and challenging clubs' to keep people safe.

It comes after hundreds of cases, including drink spiking and injections, were reported in recent months.

Last week, an Aberdeen University student, Emma, spoke to the media about her 'black out' experience - after finding a puncture mark on her body after a night out in the city.

She added: 'I just knew something wasn't right. The rest of the day after, I couldn't get out of my bed, I couldn't stand up without feeling as if I was going to pass out.'

The student has now started a course of treatment to prevent her developing Hepatitis B - as she fears where else the needle might have been used.

Another hit the headlines this weekend, as an Arbroath woman shared an image of a jab mark after a night in an Aberdeen club.
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It's been a busy few weeks for Princess Diana actress Elizabeth Debicki, as she was once again spotted filming new scenes for series five of The Crown today.

Elizabeth, 31, stunned in a lilac jacket and matching skirt, thought to be inspired by a similar ensemble worn by the Princess of Wales during a trip to Washington in June 1997, on one of her final public appearances before her tragic death in a Paris car crash.

The Australian actress, who is taking over the role from Emma Corrin, was joined on location by actor Salim Daw, who is playing Mohammed Al Fayed in the series, the former Harrods owner and father of Diana's lover Dodi.

In the scenes, the pair could be seen taking their seats at what appeared to be a polo match. While it is unknown what scene was being filmed for the hit drama, Diana was spotted speaking with Mohammed on multiple occasions at the polo, including meetings in 1987 and 1988.

However The Crown will cover the Royal Family's history throughout the 1990s, so it's unclear if the Netflix series has altered timelines slightly.

Over the first three series of The Crown, the Netflix hit has become well known for bending facts to suit its narrative, and while some artistic licence is inevitable, some critics have been outraged in its rewriting of history and relationships.

Princess Diana actress Elizabeth Debicki, 31, was once again spotted filming new scenes for series five of The Crown today (pictured)

The Australian actress, who is taking over the role from Emma Corrin, was joined on location by actor Salim Daw, who is playing Mohammed Al Fayed in the series, the former Harrods owner and father of Diana's lover Dodi

Elizabeth, 31, stunned in a lilac jacket and matching skirt, thought to be inspired by a similar ensemble worn by the Princess of Wales during a trip to Washington in June 1997, on one of her final public appearances before her tragic death in a Paris car crash (pictured, Diana in the outfit)

Princess Diana wore a lilac two-piece jacket and skirt suit during a visit to Washington in 1997 to meet with the head of the Red Cross.

During the outing, she opted to wear a set of pearls and carried a white Chanel bag.

At the time she was giving to make a speech against land mines, one of the many causes she championed during her lifetime, and she joined U.S. politician Elizabeth Dole in calling for the end of land mine use worldwide.

However it appears The Crown's costume department took inspiration from the princess' stylish vacation number when dressing Elizabeth for her scenes today.

It is unknown exactly what scene was being filmed from Princess Diana's life, or whether the Netflix series is once again taking artistic license with the late royal. Princess Diana was snapped meeting Mohammed at polo matches multiple times throughout the late '80s (pictured together in 1987)

In the snaps, Diana can be seen taking a seat in the stands as she watches what appears to be a polo match alongside Mohammed.

Boasting Diana's signature locks, the actress sported an identical set of pearls, and could be seen carrying a white handbag alongside the statement lilac suit.

It is unknown exactly what scene was being filmed from Princess Diana's life, or whether the Netflix series is once again taking artistic license with the late royal.

Princess Diana was snapped meeting Mohammed at polo matches multiple times throughout the late '80s.

Boasting Diana's signature locks, the actress sported an identical set of pearls, and could be seen carrying a white handbag alongside the statement lilac suit

In the snaps, Diana can be seen taking a seat in the stands as she watches what appears to be a polo match alongside Mohammed (pictured)

It is unknown what polo match was being depicted in the filming of the fifth season of The Crown, which has been criticised for its artistic license with the truth

During the scene it appeared Diana and Mohammed were having an intense discussion while watching a polo match together in the front row of the stands

Diana was first photographed with the former Harrod's owner at a match in 1987, and later snapped in 1988 alongside Dodi and Prince William at a match in Windsor, though the Crown's fifth season is based on events of the 1990s

The outfit worn by Elizabeth today is near identical to one worn by the late Princess of Wales during a visit to the Red Cross headquarters in Washington in 1997 (pictured left and right)

It has been reported Diana first met Mohamed's son Dodi at a polo match against Prince Charles in Windsor in 1986, while the royals were still married.

She was first photographed with the former Harrod's owner at a match in 1987, and later snapped in 1988 alongside Dodi and Prince William at a match in Windsor.

In the summer of 1997, the millionaire son of former Harrods owner Mohammed entertained the former Princess of Wales on the yacht.

Dodi and Diana were photographed enjoying each other's company on his boat, named 'Cujo', in July 1997, just weeks before their deaths in a Paris car crash on August 31st the same year.

It is unknown when the events of the scene were supposed to have taken place - although Diana and Mohammed were photographed together multiple times at polo matches

During the scenes, Elizabeth's Diana could be seen in a distinctive lilac suit with large pearl earrings and a pearl necklace (pictured)

The pair were photographed kissing and embracing on the deck almost a year after Diana and Prince Charles's divorce was agreed upon. Diana, then 36, was spotted strutting on the deck, making the most of the Mediterranean sun and her new romance.

The couple also spent most of their time of Dodi's father Mohammed's super yacht the Jonikal (now known as the Sokar) that same summer.

A snap of the former royal gazing into the distance from the yacht's diving board was one of the last pictures ever taken of Diana.

The last two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family in the 1990s to 2003. The crew will be picking up the story where it left off in the fourth season.

The fifth season of The Crown will follow the breakdown of Prince Charles and Diana's marriage - as well as her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed

It was announced last year that Elizabeth would take over from Emma Corrin and play Diana for the fifth and sixth series, which will cover Diana's death in 1997

The breakdown of Charles and Dianas relationship will be a central part of the new series.

The fourth series of The Crown, which streamed in November last year, told the story of the early romance between Charles and Diana.

It was announced last year that Elizabeth would take over from Emma Corrin and play Diana for the fifth and sixth series, which will cover Diana's death in 1997.

The actress said of her casting last year: 'Princess Diana's spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many.

'It is my privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.'

The breakdown of Charles and Dianas relationship will be a central part of the new series. Pictured, the actors filming on-set today

The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family's history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet know which moments will be seen. Pictured, the actors filming today

Meanwhile Dodi Fayed is expected to play a large part in the next series of The Crown, with British actor Khalid Abdalla, 39, who starred in the 2007 film The Kite Runner, cast in the role.

Palestinian actor Salim, 70, will play Dodis father, former Harrods owner Mohamed.

The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family's history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet know which moments will be seen.

There are several poignant moments which could be used, including the Queen making a speech on her 40th anniversary of her accession in 1992, in which she called the year an 'annus horriblis'.

She was referring to the breakdown of three of her children's marriages; Prince Andrew, Princess Anne's and Prince Charles' divorce from Princess Diana.

The actors appeared relaxed as they filmed the scene, which is believed to be capturing the moment Diana and Mohamed watched a polo match together

Other notable events during the time period included a fire at Windsor Castle, her golden wedding anniversary in 1997, and the deaths of Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother and the Princess of Wales.

Imelda Staunton is taking over the role of Elizabeth II from Olivia Colman who won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2020 and 2021.

Also joining The Crown in series five is Lesley Manville, 64, who is set to star as Princess Margaret. Meanwhile Jonathan Pryce, 73, will take over the role of Prince Philip. James Murray will take on the role of Prince Andrew, replacing Tom Byrne, who played the Queen's second son in series four.
First Lady Jill Biden was dressed conservatively in a textured black suit to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican today, topping off her outfit with a traditional Catholic veil, or mantilla.

The 70-year-old looked polished in her patterned black and navy blazer and below-the-knee skirt as she was pictured arriving at the San Damaso Courtyard on Friday before posing for photos with the Pope inside the Vatican.

Though Dr. Biden has never explicitly described herself as Catholic, she regularly attends Mass with her husband, President Joe Biden.

Dr. Biden was sure to show a nod of respect to the Pope by opting for a black outfit and covering her hair with a black lace mantilla, which are worn to show piety while in the presence of God.

She also accessorized with a pair of pointed-toe pumps, gold bracelets, and one of her favorite glittering brooches, before adding a funky fashion touch courtesy of some textured fishnet-style nude tights.

First Lady Jill Biden was dressed conservatively in a textured black suit to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican today, topping off her outfit with a traditional Catholic veil

The 70-year-old looked polished in her patterned black and navy blazer and below-the-knee skirt, which she wore with some textured fishnet-style nude tights

She was pictured arriving at the San Damaso Courtyard on Friday before posing for photos with the Pope inside the Vatican

Dr. Biden showed respect to the Pope by opting for a black outfit and covering her hair with a black lace mantilla, which are worn to show piety while in the presence of God

The veil serves several purposes, including covering a woman's physical beauty 'so that the beauty of God may be glorified instead'

She also accessorized with a pair of pointed-toe pumps, gold bracelets, and one of her favorite glittering brooches

Dr. Biden follows in the footsteps of many first ladies who have come before her  both Catholic and non-Catholic  who have donned the veil while meeting the Pope at the Vatican.

Melania Trump, who does identify as Catholic, wore one for a Vatican visit in 2017, as did former first daughter Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism upon marrying Jared Kushner.

Michelle Obama (Reformed), Laura Bush (Methodist), Hillary Clinton (Methodist), and Nancy Regan (Presbyterian) all wore them as well.

Barbara Bush (Episcopalian) wore her own version of a black lace head-topper in 1991, while Rosalynn Carter (Baptist) donned a black hat for her 1976 visit.

While a mantilla is considered standard wear for women meeting the Pope, Catholic women often wear them for other religious occasions as well.

The veil also serves to emulate Mary, 'the archetype of purity and humility,' and to show 'reverence and piety while in the presence of God'

Mantillas used to be required for women attending Mass; however, since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), they are just encouraged

Dr. Biden's suit was mostly black with a textured fabric that appeared to have a bit of navy under certain light

The Bidens are pictured from behind arriving at the Vatican. Dr. Biden appears to be wearing nude fishnet stockings with her suit

While black clothing and a veil are considered appropriate for women meeting the Pope, the official dress code for a papal audience is less detailed

Explicitly required is 'casual but modest dress.' For women, this can include trousers, capris, skirts, and dresses, though bottoms must be knee length and shoulders must be covered

The Bidens, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visited the Vatican ahead of the G20 leaders' summit, which is due to get underway in Rome tomorrow.

The veil serves several purposes, including covering a woman's physical beauty 'so that the beauty of God may be glorified instead,' according to Catholic Company.

It also serves to emulate Mary, 'the archetype of purity and humility,' and to show 'reverence and piety while in the presence of God.'

Black lace is worn by married or widowed women, while unmarried women and young girls wear white lace.

Mantillas used to be required for women attending Mass; however, since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), they are just encouraged.

While black clothing and a veil are considered appropriate for women meeting the Pope, the official dress code for a papal audience is less detailed.

Explicitly required is 'casual but modest dress.' For women, this can include trousers, capri pants, skirts, and dresses, though bottoms must be knee length and shoulders must be covered.

Dr. Biden follows in the footsteps of many first ladies who have come before her  both Catholic and non-Catholic  who have donned the veil while meeting the Pope at the Vatican

Melania Trump, who does identify as Catholic, wore one for a Vatican visit with Pope Francis in 2017

Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism upon marrying Jared Kushner, also wore a veil, picking a large, statement-making version

Michelle Obama wore one to meet with Pope Benedict XVI in 2009

Michelle was raised United Methodist, but joined a church of the Reformed denomination as an adult

The Bidens, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visited the Vatican ahead of the G20 leaders' summit, which is due to get underway in Rome tomorrow.

They were pictured being greeted outside by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, where Dr. Biden smiled and shook his hand.

They then moved inside for a talk and to exchange gifts in the papal library.

The Vatican said the private meeting between the President and the Pope lasted one hour and 15 minutes, and then about another 15 minutes were spent for taking pictures and exchanging gifts.

Biden was scheduled to be with the Pontiff for only an hour, but got 30 minutes of extra time. In 2017, Francis met then President Donald Trump for 30 minutes and, in 2014, Francis met with then President Barack Obama for 52 minutes.

Biden is only the second-ever Catholic president, coming 50 years after John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president.

Laura Bush, who is Methodist, is pictured meeting Pope Benedict XVI in 2006

Her daughter Barbara did not wear a veil, perhaps because she was unmarried at the time

Hillary Clinton, also Methodist, wore black lace tied around her head for a meeting with Pope Jean Paul II in 1994

The elder Barbara Bush met with Pope John Paul II in 1991. Instead of a veil, she wore a small black hat for the occasion

Nancy Reagan wore a veil to meet Pope John Paul II in 1987

During their meeting, Biden gave Pope Francis a handwoven chasuble from 1930 from Holy Trinity Church in DC, where he often goes to Mass. An accompanying note said that, as a gift to the Pope, the White House will also donate winter clothing to charities as part of World Day for the Poor

The White House said that during the meeting, Biden lauded Pope Francis' leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and equitable global economic recovery.

'It's good to be back,' the president told one of the Papal gentlemen upon his arrival at the Holy See. 'I'm Jill's husband,' he also said, which is one of his trademark greetings.

Parts of the meeting were due to be broadcast on live TV, but the Vatican has since said it will release edited footage after the talks have taken place.

Biden arrived for the meeting  his fourth with Francis but first since becoming President  in a huge 85-car motorcade carrying his security detail. Italian COVID rules that mean each vehicle can only carry a maximum of four people.
A woman has reunited with the son she gave up for adoption more than three decades ago after taking a DNA test and learning they were a genetic match on 23andMe.

Melanie Pressley, 53, gave birth to her firstborn son Greg Vossler, 33, in Canton, Ohio, when she was age 19. Unable to financially care for the baby, the teen mom made the difficult decision to give him up for adoption.

'You go through a mourning period and yet live the rest of your life mourning,' she told Fox News of the years she spent separated from her son.

Incredible: Melanie Pressley, 53, reunited with her firstborn son Greg Vossler, 33, this summer after taking a DNA test and learning they were a genetic match on 23andMe

Difficult decision: Pressley was 18when she gave birth to Vossler in Canton, Ohio, in 1988 and put him up for adoption because she was unable to financially care for him

The agency she worked with found him a two-parent household, but the adoption was closed. For 33 years, the only reminder she had of her son was a single photograph of him that was taken the day after his birth.

'His adoptive mother had written me a letter a couple of months after he was born,' Pressley recalled. 'And she had said that when he is old enough, she will tell him [that he was adopted].'

Vossler, who now lives in Winchester, Virginia, grew up curious about his origins after being learning later in his childhood that he was adopted.

He was clueless about his biological family's medical history, and his desire to know more about his genetics after he became a father led him to take a DNA test in 2018.

Vossler told Fox News that 23andMe 'always suggests new DNA relatives,' and he thought there was a possibility that one of the connections could 'lead to something significant.'

Emotional: After learning they were mother and son on 23andMe, they met in person in June 2021 at Pressley's home in Wadsworth, Ohio

It was Pressley's daughter Rachel who gave her a gift card for 23andMe. While Rachel secretly hoped to connect her mother with her firstborn child, she claimed she wanted her to take the company's DNA test for its health report.

'I lost a mother to lung cancer  who had never smoked or drank a day in her life. So, she was selling that to me, saying, "Oh my gosh. Then you'll see if you have any of those genes or if there are any flags,"' Pressley explained.

The mom sent a message to her son on the 23andMe website right after they were matched as potential relatives and asked his age. Once he confirmed he was born on June 17, 1988, she told him that she believed she is his biological mother.

The two emailed and texted each other before they met in person in June 2021 at Pressley's home in Wadsworth, Ohio, where they had an emotional reunion.

Vossler also got to meet birth mother's husband, his two half-sisters, and his half-brother, while Pressley was introduced to her first child's wife and two sons.

Special day: Vossler also got to meet birth mother's husband, his two half-sisters, and his half-brother, while Pressley was introduced to her first child's wife and two sons

Miracle: Pressley and Vossler, pictured with his adoptive mother, feel lucky that they were able to find each other now that are so many different DNA tests on the market

'Life has a funny way of giving you what you need and not necessarily what you want. Sometimes those wants and needs do match up, but sometimes you don't realize what you actually need until the future,' he said.

'Melanies family coming into my life at this point has been a blessing. It's kind of re-ignited some passions and excitement.'

Before taking the DNA test, Pressley was admittedly afraid that her son wouldn't want to have any contact with her, but now she believes many can benefit from connecting to their separated relatives.

Both mother and son feel lucky that they were able to find each other now that are so many different DNA tests on the market.

'After finding him, I felt like my heart was just whole again,' she said. 'Becoming older, you kind of become a little wiser, but there is no shame in giving somebody up for adoption. There are loving couples out there that cannot have children that would love to raise a child.'

She added: 'It's just a blessing beyond blessings. It really is. If I could share one piece of advice, it would be: Don't be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.'

Pressley added that she has no regrets about her son's upbringing, saying: 'Im telling you, if you could meet Greg, he was given a life beyond my belief. He was raised with manners. He was raised how you would dream. Its just unbelievable.'
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has given Americans a chance to return to normal life and take part in some festivities that were missed during 2020.

One of those yearly celebrations expected to return this weekend for Halloween fis trick-or-treating.

With the pandemic not quite over yet, however, and many children and teens still unvaccinated, there are some fears that the time-honored tradition might not be safe.

Experts told DailyMail.com that trick-or-treating is safe to do this year, but parents should still take some precautions to protect their children and themselves.

Experts believe that children are at little risk when they go trick-or-treating this year, though parents should take some precautions to protect themselves and others in the household (file photo)

Even indoor gatherings at schools or community centers should be safe, but parents should still watch their children and make sure they are washing their hands, among other safety measures. Pictured: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, residents prepare for Halloween festivities at a police department on October 27

'I think it's safer than it was [last year],' Dr Chris Thompson, an associate professor and virologist at Loyola University Maryland, in Baltimore, told DailyMail.com.

Families with someone in the household who is at greater risk of Covid - whether an elderly grandparent or an immunocompromised family member - might want to sit out of festivities this year as an extra precaution, Thompson said.

'I think every family needs to do a risk assessment, around how likely they are to transmit the disease or how likely they are to have severe infection,' he added.

Thompson does recommend that parents take some precautions to protect their children - and themselves - while out on the streets.

He suggests masking for children, and potentially dressing up as something like a ninja or doctor where an effective Covid mask could be incorporated into their costumes.

Parents should also make their children who feel sick that day sit out and, for those who do go, to bring hand sanitizer with them and participate in frequent handwashing if possible.

The act of trick-or-treating itself is relatively safe, Thompson believes.

Since the interactions between a child and a person at the door are quick - generally not more than 30 seconds to a minute - the odds of Covid transmission are low.

He would still recommend for some people who plan to hand out candy to opt to place an unattended bucket outside that children can grab candy from for themselves, just to totally remove the risk of Covid transmission - especially for households where someone is at significant risk from the virus.

There is also little risk of the virus transmitting via the candy itself, either.

'It's probably pretty safe,' Thompson said about a child touching a candy wrapper someone potentially infected has touched.

'There's been no real evidence linking touching an inanimate object that has the virus on it, and then being able to get it yourself, it really needs to go into the nose, or be breathed into the lungs.'

Some parents may elect to take their children to events at a local school, community center, or at a friends house, and in those cases parents should also take precautions.

'I would first ask if the event is entirely outdoors,' Dr Pavitra Roychoudhury, a research associate and virologist at the University of Washington - who has a young child herself - told DailyMail.com.

'Then, even if it is outdoors, because there are situations where these children can come into pretty close contact with each other, I will look for a good mask, a well-fitting mask, and then [the child] would be wearing it the whole time.

'Then I would also see that it's not getting extremely crowded and that the children are not sharing food or or drinks from the same utensils and so on.'

In both situations, parents should consider transmission in their community before taking part in festivities that night.

'You'd want to do things a little bit different if you're in a very high transmission community,' Dr Robert Garry, a virologist and professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, told DailyMail.com.

The nature of the virus means that there are drastically different Covid situations in different parts of the country at any given time.

The risk of Covid transmission via someone handing someone else an inanimate object like a piece of candy is extremely low, experts say (file photo)

Leading into Halloween weekend, Covid transmission in the deep South and Mid-Atlantic - where Thompson and Garry reside - is relatively low, meaning there is an overall lesser risk of contracting Covid.

On the West Coast, and specifically the Pacific Northwest where Roychoudhury is based, cases are starting to rise once again heading into the months where the weather gets coldest.

Garry agrees that trick-or-treating is safe for children, and believes that if a kid is going to school in-person regardless then there is nothing more risky about going out on Halloween.

'[If a child] is going to go into grade school and interacting with the children in school, I don't see any real difference between that and, going to the going through the neighborhood outdoors,' he said.

'As long as they're not getting up into the face of the people that are handing out the candy, it's probably about the same as being in school, so relatively safe.'

All three experts agree that adults should get vaccinated, though, to protect themselves and the children they are with from the virus.

Children are not the only ones who can have fun on Halloween.

Millions of teens and adults will go out this weekend, celebrating the holiday with family, friends and likely a lot of alcohol.

Unlike children, older people do face a significant risk of complications from the virus, making the risk even higher.

Also, while children will largely be outdoors, having small, short interactions with people, adults are likely to be in crowded bars and parties, mingling closely indoors with people for an extended period of time.

The experts are not sure whether or not it is totally safe to go out for adults, though because people will likely go out to party no matter what, they should take some precautions.

Researchers recommend adults and teens that go out on Halloween weekend to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the virus, and to take other simple measures to stay safe like opening windows at indoor gatherings

'I think that they're probably going out [for Halloween] already,' Garry, who resides in one of the world's party capitals - New Orleans - said.

He recommends that whomever does choose to go out get vaccinated to protect themselves.

Thompson says revelers should ask themselves a few questions before going out that night.

'Try do risk assessment, how likely are you to be exposed at those parties. You [do] have a fairly high likelihood of exposure...with the high numbers of people in close proximity,' he said.

'So, then the other things you want to think about are risk of transmission and risk of severe disease so again risk of transmission.

'Do you live in a dorm? Do you live in a big family? Are you going to see a lot of other people because of your job or because you go to school. And then, as far as risk of severe infection, do you or any of your friends or family members have underlying conditions which would make it more disastrous to get this disease?'

He said that these questions should be considered before going out over Halloween weekend.

Those who are throwing parties on Halloween night can also take precautions to protect their guests.

'Having the windows open or having really good airflow has been shown to be pretty effective at helping to minimize the spread,' Thompson said.

'Having hand sanitizer around can be beneficial, and just being really clear with your expectations. If someone is sick, ask him to not come.

Roychoudhury also recommends people make sure their friends that are coming to the party are vaccinated, and if possible even to have people take a rapid response test before the gathering to make sure everyone is Covid-negative.
Cap on social care charges does not come into effect until October 2023

A report by the Health and Social Care Committee, led by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) said it is 'unacceptable' that people living with the condition remain 'unprotected from unlimited costs'

Thousands of dementia sufferers will rack up tens of thousands of pounds up in care costs before the Government's health and social levy finally comes in, a damning report has warned.

Even when the policy takes effect in 2023, it will take the average dementia patient three and a half years to qualify for the subsidies.

The report by a Commons committee, led by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, found it was 'unacceptable' that people living with the condition will remain 'unprotected from unlimited costs', despite being among the most in need of financial support.

The report called for 'significant additional investment' in the sector is required within weeks, as well as a 'bold funding reform and long-term plan'.

Last month Boris Johnson claimed that nobody in England will have to pay more than 86,000 in their lifetime to fund their care in later life as part of his controversial 12billion-a-year reforms raised through a 1.25 per cent hike in national insurance.

But only those who have been deemed most frail and in need by their local council will be eligible for the subsidies.

Even those who are accepted will have to wait until 2023, when the cap on care payments is introduced, meaning those dependent on care now will not recoup any of the costs they rack up over the next two years.

And the subsisidies will not include 'living costs' in care homes, such as food, energy bills and the accommodation.

The average care home in England costs in total about 36,000 a year for each resident, with 12,000 of this going towards daily living costs.

That means it would take the average care home resident more than three and a half years to hit the cap. For those in care now, that would mean waiting another nearly six years.

Yet official figures show half of care home residents die within a year of entering the facility, with three-quarters passing away within three years.

The above graph shows that half of people who go into care homes die within a year, and three quarters die within three years. Less than 10 per cent of residents currently in homes will live for six years, long enough to take advantage of the cap, which comes into force in October 2023

The above graph shows life expectancy for people in a care home by whether they fund the care themselves (red line) or receive support (green line). It suggests that self-funders live slightly longer on average, compared to the other group. After 12 months in a home, around 30 per cent of people who are paying for their care home will have died, while 35 per cent of those supported by authorities will have passed away

The report follows the committee's inquiry into how the social care system supports people with dementia  one of the UK's leading causes of death.

Around 800,000 Britons and six million Americans are living with dementia.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES A GLOBAL CONCERN Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way. Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? The Alzheimer's Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer's. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million. In the US, it's estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer's sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years. As a person's age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed. IS THERE A CURE? Currently there is no cure for dementia. But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are. Source: Alzheimer's Society Advertisement

It comes as the social care sector is in crisis due to staff shortages. Industry bosses revealed last week they have been forced to reject requests from nearly 5,000 people over the last six weeks due to a lack of workers.

The committee warned that for the next three years, the vast majority of the money raised from the tax will go to the NHS, and the social care budget will be increased by less than 2billion a year.

When the Government announced the cap, critics warned that the NHS was a 'black hole' that would 'swallow any money spent on it, leaving nothing extra for social care'. They also said if the NHS goes on a recruitment spree to plug staffing gaps then a higher budget will become 'baked into the system'.

The report states: 'The Government's 2019 general election manifesto included a pledge to "guarantee that no one needing care has to sell their home to pay for it".

'However, until the new cap is introduced, those with dementia continue to face unlimited costs for their social care.'

It adds: 'Those living with dementia remain unprotected from unlimited costs and navigating the system is burdensome for those providing support.

'This is unacceptable and it is therefore essential the Government's white paper addresses these issues with full reform of the social care system.'

The Government is due to publish a social care white paper  policy documents produced by ministers, setting out proposals for future legislation  later this year.

MPs said in the report they are 'disappointed' the Government hasn't provided more funding for social care for the next three years and has given 'no clarity' on how much of the funds raised from the next tax will go to social care.

They said the sector needs an extra 7billion per year by 2023 in response to the ageing population, to increase social care staff pay in line with the national minimum wage and to 'protected people who face catastrophic social care costs'.

Until the Government releases details on how much funding social care will receive the committee said it 'remains concerned that there will be not be enough core funding for social care to deliver the transformation needed for families living with dementia', they added.

The cap has come under criticism since it was announced, because not all costs a person pays for their care will contribute to the 86,000 sum.

The average care home in England costs in total about 36,000 a year for each resident, with 12,000 of this going towards daily living costs, which will not be included in the cap.

This means frail elderly people who reach the cap could still be left paying 1,000 a month for food and accommodation.

And it will take the average care home resident more than three and a half years to hit the cap. For those in care now, that would mean waiting another nearly six years.

Yet official figures show half of care home residents die within a year of entering the facility, with three-quarters passing away within three years.

The Government already steps in to cover the cost of care ifsomeone's assets fall below 23,250, including their savings and any propertythey own. But it will not count someone's property in their assets if a family member is still living in it.

Spending on care will count towards Boris Johnson's cap only if they are judged to need the support by the council. The above graph shows local authority spending on social care per adult in England from 2005 to 2019. Councils stuck to a strict budget, with spending varying between 400 and 500 per year over the 14-year period

Man forced to sell his mother's home to cover social care costs after 'harrowing' battle with local authorities Jonathan Freeman told the committee how he was forced to sell his mother's three-bedroom home after years fighting to get funding for her care. Gillian Freeman, who died in January at the age of 81, developed dementia in 2012 and moved into a care home shortly after. Mr Freeman, 51, faced a 'harrowing' battle with local authorities to get funding - but found they would come up with 'any possible excuse not to provide financial support'. He said: 'The whole process is utterly outrageous. No support whatsoever was provided for mum.' Eventually, Mr Freeman had to sell their family home in Wiltshire to fund the 5,000-a-month cost of her nursing care as his mother's lifetime savings ran out. He said: 'Despite being modest schoolteachers, my parents had saved up to make sure that they could look after themselves and their family moving forward. 'I could see that by renting her house out, one month of rent would cover less than one week of care home fees. Mr Freeman told MPs: 'I had no choice but to sell her home to make sure that we could continue to pay the fees. 'I wanted to be there to support my mum. I did not want to have to spend my time worrying about her finances and arguing with bureaucracies for what I think should be a basic right.' Advertisement

Once someone has reached the cap or had their assets fallbelow 23,250, local authorities will then step in to cover the costs of theircare. On average, Britain's have pension pots amount to 61,000.

Meanwhile, the report warned also warned that, while the cap will help around 150,000 families per year, those with 'modest assets and high care needs will still risk losing a high proportion of their wealth in the future'.

The Health Foundation estimated someone with a 125,000 house will lose half the value of their home through social care costs.

And the Alzheimer's Society told the committee the 'dementia tax'  the average amount a person with the condition has to pay for their care  would take 125 years to save for.

Dementia is unfairly impacted compared to other conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, because medical treatments exist for these diseases, so they do not have to pay for support, it said.

The report also criticised the complex care pathways and 'burdensome bureaucracy' dementia patients and their carers have to grapple with, which is 'unfair, confusing, demeaning, and frightening'.

The MPs heard how Jonathan Freeman was forced to sell his mother's three-bedroom home after years fighting to get funding for her care.

Gillian Freeman, who died in January at the age of 81, developed dementia in 2012 and moved into a care home shortly after.

Mr Freeman, 51, faced a 'harrowing' battle with local authorities to get funding - but found they would come up with 'any possible excuse not to provide financial support'.

The cross-party group of MPs who wrote the report also called for the Department of Health to develop guidance on the care and support people living with dementia should expect to receive.

The Government should also collect data on dementia diagnosis and treatment to 'monitor activity and support improvement', the report states.

The report authors said reforms to social care should be implemented to reduce the 30 per cent turnover rate and warned the Government recently announcement plans to spend 500million on the social care workforce is 'unlikely to address these issues'.

Responding to the report, Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at Alzheimer's Society, said the report 'underlines just how intolerable the broken social care system is making the lives of people with dementia across this country'.

She said: 'We fully back the Committee's call for far more investment, and a long-term plan for the social care sector, as well as training, pay and progression to create a strong care workforce  that can finally deliver the quality care people with dementia have been crying out for and denied for too long.'

Ms Carragher added that the budget this week contained 'barely enough funding' to keep social care afloat until the extra cash becomes available in 2023.

The budget set out extra funding for local authorities, but did not specify how much will be given to social care.
Chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers will no longer be told to exercise to relieve their symptoms, under new NHS watchdog guidelines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today ruled against graded exercise therapy (GET) for patients.

The controversial treatment involves starting exercise, such as swimming or walking, which is gradually increased over time.

But many patients wanted it banned because it implied their condition was merely psychological rather than physical, and actually made their condition worse in some cases.

Chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers will now be spared a controversial exercise regime that asked them to undertake more and more physical activity designed to help them better live with the condition but that campaign groups said did more harm than good (stock image)

Instead, NICE ruled CFS patients should be encouraged to plan physical and mental activities to stay within their own energy limits, incorporating rest where necessary, a technique known as 'pacing' or 'energy management'.

But critics of the ruling claim patients are now being left to live with the condition, rather than try to recover from it.

Advice was published following a long-running dispute between patients and doctors over how to treat the condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis.

The NICE guidance was originally due in August but postponed after some experts objected to the banning of GET and the limiting the use CBT.

CFS is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which is extreme tiredness, but also muscle and joint pain, headaches and problems thinking and concentrating.

These can last for years, meaning that some become housebound, unable to work full-time or socialise.

What is ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis)? ME is a long-term and poorly understood condition that causes a range of symptoms. It is grouped together with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and is also known as CFS/ME. Its main symptom is extreme tiredness and feeling generally unwell. Some people suffer from sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, headaches, a sore throat and problems thinking. And they might also experience flu-like symptoms, feeling dizzy or stick and having a fast or irregular heartbeat. The severity of symptoms can change day to day and doing too much activity usually makes them worse - known as post-exertional malaise. People with ME can have huge differences in their symptoms and how long they last. Around 250,000 people in the UK and 17million around the world are estimated to have the condition. There is no diagnostic test for ME, so doctors decide whether a patient has the condition based on their symptoms and ruling out other conditions. As it stands, the treatments offered to patients for ME are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy used for anxiety and depression, and a structured exercise programme called graded exercise therapy (GET). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was due to publish guidelines this month that would no longer recommend these treatments. But strong opinions around the illness made it impossible for NICE to reach a consensus on the treatments it should tell doctors to offer. Source: NHS and Action for M.E. Advertisement

About 250,000 Brits and 17million around the world are estimated to be living with the condition, once nicknamed 'yuppy flu'.

Prior to the new guidance, GET was one of the few options medics had to treat the condition, which has no cure.

'Any programme based on fixed incremental increases in physical activity or exercise, for example graded exercise therapy (GET), should not be offered for the treatment of CFS,' NICE said.

Instead, health chiefs recommend any exercise programme for CFS sufferers should only be considered in special circumstances.

And they should only begin by establishing exercise at a level that does not worsen the patient's symptoms.

NICE also said cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a mental health treatment designed to help change how people think and behave, is not a treatment for CFS

NICE stated that while CBT had sometimes been assumed to be a cure for CFS, this was not the case, but added it can still help people with their symptoms.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, a consultant in palliative medicine and vice-chairwoman of the NICE guideline committee, said they'd worked hard to make care for CFS sufferers more emphatic.

'Those with CFS need to be listened to, understood and supported to adapt their lives,' she said.

'The committee members involved in this guideline have worked particularly hard to ensure care becomes more empathetic and focused on the individuals needs.'

Campaign group Action for ME heralded the new guidance as a victory for patients.

Its chief executive officer, Sonya Chowdhury, said: 'The new guideline is welcomed because it acknowledges the truth of peoples experiences, and creates a foundation for hope that future children and adults with CFS will not repeat the anguish of the past.'

The group's medical advisor Dr David Strain said the NICE guidelines represented a opportunity for medics to help CFS sufferers.

'The guideline should drive better acceptance of CFS as serious medical condition and encourage doctors to personalise care based on individual needs,' he said.

'It is a real opportunity for doctors to transform the care patients receive.'

However, some experts have said the ruling will confuse medics and leave patients to live with the illness rather than recover from it.

Professor Peter White, an expert in psychological medicine from Queen Mary University of London's was concerned about the decision.

'Having looked after many patients with this illness, I worry that this guideline seems to suggest that patients need to learn to live with CFS, rather than be helped to recover from it,' he said.

Professor Trudie Chalder an expert in cognitive behavioural psychotherapy from Kings College London agreed.

'The NICE guidelines for CFS are at odds with the research evidence,' she said.

'Researchers from different institutions in different countries have found graded exercise therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy to be effective for some patients with CFS.'

'Being a clinician and researcher in this field I cant help but think clinicians will be confused by this message from a respected organisation.'

Dr Alastair Miller, a consultant physician in infectious disease and internal medicine, said while he considered the NICE guidance 'unfortunate' he welcomed the fact that medics could still provide tailored exercise programs.

'It is unfortunate that so much emphasis is given to working within current energy limits rather than a gentle and controlled pushing of those limits,' he said.

'However, it is to be welcomed that clinics will still be able to provide appropriate personalised activity and exercise programmes for those patients in whom it is felt to be appropriate.'
During a meeting of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) advisory committee on Tuesday to discuss Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in children aged five to 11, a surprising statistic was shared.

A scientist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that an estimated 42 percent of kids in this age group had been infected with Covid by June of this year.

The percentage was higher than anticipated, with previous estimates suggesting that only about seven percent of children in this age range had contracted the virus in the past.

Now, public health experts tell The New York Times they believe this 42 percent figure is an overestimate.

They say the method used for the analysis IS known for returning 'false positives' and that the sample used is not representative of the U.S. population.

During an FDA meeting on Tuesday, the CDC revealed an estimate that 42% of children between ages five and 11 (yellow line) had been infected with Covid by June 2021

Experts say this is an overestimate because the number of samples collected was small and is not representative of the U.S. population. Pictured: Raizah Touch gives her son Skyzell Touch, 6, a test for COVID-19 at Northridge Middle School in Northridge, California, August 2021

According to the CDC analysis, since November 2020, about 50,000 samples have been tested for COVID-19 antibodies every two weeks.

To do a breakdown by age, the CDC says the analysis is restricted to 15 jurisdictions that have at least 100 blood samples of children aged five to 11 collected over a two-month period.

The analysis found that seroprevalence - the percentage of those who have antibodies - among five-to-11-year-olds rose from 13 percent in November and December 2020 to 42 percent in May and June 2021

However, experts say this does not mean 42 percent of younger children are now immune to COVID-19.

Firstly, during previous waves such as the first wave in spring 2020 and the third wave in winter 2020-21, most children were kept out of schools and were staying home.

'[This figure] doesn't pass the smell test,' Dr Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona, told The Times - meaning the number doesn't seem credible to him.

Secondly, the sample of children who were tested is not representative of the U.S. population nor is it a random analysis.

Additionally, these specimens were not specifically related to Covid but may have been to treat other conditions, Dr Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University, explained to The Times

Iwasaki says that for example this sample could include children that are immunocompromised and therefore more susceptible to the virus.

'Usually, kids don't get blood drawn for any routine medical care unless they have some reason to,' she told The Times.

Lastly, studies that are based on recruiting volunteers to give blood samples or based on retrieving samples from clinics are known to have 'false positives' or overstate how many people have previously contracted COVID-19.

A very famous instance occurred when a January 2021 study estimated that 76 percent of residents in Manaus, Brazil, had been infected with Covid by October 2020.

Despite the blood donor samples showing only 44 percent had detectable antibodies, the team 'corrected' for cases without detectable antibodies and for antibody waning.

However, this figure ended up being inaccurate with Manaus suffering a deadly resurgence from December 2020 to January 2021.

Experts tell The Times that the best way to get as accurate an estimate as possible for how many people have antibodies to randomly sample households.

'If you're not careful about doing a random sample, then the seroprevalence numbers can get pretty wacky,' Bhattacharya told the newspaper.
More than 1.6 million Americans were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Thursday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cyrus Shahpar, the White House's Covid data director, tweeted on Thursday afternoon that it was the 'largest single-day increase in total doses reported administered in over four months.'

Nearly one million - 988,000 - were people receiving boosters doses, more than double the 412,000 Americans who got their first shot, Shahpar said.

Covid booster shots are now widely available to Americans after approval from regulators last week, and it seems more fully vaccinated people are getting jabbed at this point than unvaccinated people.

More than 1.6 million Americans received a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, the most in four months

More than double, 988,000, received a booster than got their first dose, 412,000, as the vaccinated have more demand for the jab than the unvaccinated

As of Friday morning, the CDC reports that 221 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, about two-thirds of the population.

More than 191 million people are fully vaccinated with 15 million people having received a booster shot at this point.

While the recent introduction of booster shots have upped raw vaccine numbers, America is still having trouble getting the remaining, eligible unvaccinated portion of the country to get their shots.

Last week, Covid boosters became authorized for Americans who were fully vaccinated with the Moderna who are either over age 65, have a serious comorbidity or work a job that puts them at risk of virus exposure.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster was also approved for all Americans aged 18 and older.

Boosters for Pfizer recipients were already available, after receiving authorization last month.

However, federals officials went one step further and allowed Americans 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.

Many fully vaccinated Americans were quick to take up the opportunity to get a booster for additional protection from the virus.

Americans who are fully vaccinated are less likely to be skeptical of shots they have already received, and the introduction of boosters is popular among vaccinated people.

The rate of unvaccinated Americans getting the shots has slowed to a stand-still, though, and getting the last remaining unvaccinated population jabbed has become a challenge.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor, the rate of Americans saying they do not plan to get the shot is actually increasing.

Two-thirds of Americans are at least partially vaccinated, but reaching the remaining unvaccinated people has been a challenge for health officials

There has been a push from the White House for employers to force their workers to get the Covid vaccine Pictured: A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot in New Hyde Park, New York, on September 23

In the October wave of the study, published on Thursday, 16 percent of American adults said they would 'definitely not' get the vaccine - the most since the monitor first began in December.

Four percent of Americans reported they will only get vaccinated if required, the same rate as last month.

More and more Americans are starting to be required to get the jab, though, as vaccine mandates are starting to go into effect across the country.

President Biden has been a major advocate of employer-based vaccine mandates, and has pushed for all companies in the U.S. with more than 100 employees to force workers to get the jab.

His decision has not gone without opposition, though, with many around the country protesting the mandates and Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gov Pete Ricketts of Nebraska - both Republicans - taking action to prevent the mandates in their states.

Vaccine eligibility is expected to expand soon as well, including children aged five to 11, and the shots could be available to that age group as early as next week.

While some parents will be chomping at the bit to get their child jabbed, there may not be a similar uptick in vaccine demand next week as there was when other age groups had the vaccine open to them.

The KFF vaccine monitor found that 16% of Americans do not plan on getting the jab, the highest total since the vaccine first became available. Around 4% of Americans will only get the jab if required

Not all parents plan to get their child jabbed, despite the upcoming approval. Just under a third of parents with a child aged five to 11 say they will 'definitely not' get their child vaccinated, and another third say they will 'wait and see'

The vaccine monitor finds that 30 percent of parents with a child aged five to 11 report they will 'definitely not' get them vaccinated.

This is an increase over September's monitor, when 24 percent of parents reported they would 'definitely not' get their child the jab.

On top of the October group, around five percent of parents say they will only get their child vaccinated if required, and 33 percent reported they would 'wait and see.'

Of those who say they have concerns about the vaccine, 76 percent fear the long-term effects of the shot, and 71 percent worry their child could experience serious symptoms.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children between ages five and 11 on Friday.

The move comes just three days after the agency's advisory committee recommended emergency use of the vaccine be expanded to young children.

About 28 million American kids will be eligible to receive the two-dose vaccine, which is one-third the dose given to people aged 12 and older, and is administered 21 days apart.

The final step will be a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) advisory panel next week, meaning the first children may be dosed starting Wednesday.

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.

The FDA authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 on Friday. Pictured: Lydia Melo, 7, is inoculated with one of two reduced doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a trial at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, September 2021

Pfizer released data last week showing its vaccine is 91% effective against infection after 16 cases of Covid were reported in the placebo group compared to three in the the group that received two kid-size doses (above)

The decision comes after Pfizer posted details of a study online last week showing its COVID-19 vaccine is about 91 percent effective against infection in elementary school-aged children.

For the study, Pfizer recruited 2,268 children between ages five and 11.

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, which 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.

No deaths occurred in either the vaccine group or the placebo group.

Last week, the Biden administration released its plans for vaccinating children over the next few months.

Child-size vials that can be kept in refrigerators along with smaller needles necessary for injecting young kids will be sent to providers across the country.

Youngsters will be able to get the shot at their pediatrician's offices or local pharmacies, and potentially even their schools rather than mass immunization sites.

And children's hospitals will set up clinics on nights and weekends so mothers and fathers can vaccinate their kids after they get off of work.

As of Friday, the federal government has purchased 110 million doses of the Pfizer pediatric shot and 15 million doses are ready to be shipped as soon as the vaccine is authorized, reported The Times.

Weekly COVID-19 cases among children have declined from a peak of 243,000 in early September to 117,000 currently

There have been fewer than 600 deaths among children since the pandemic began, with just 94 occurring among the aged 5-11 group

Because of the low risk of severe illness, more than one-third of parents with children in the 5-11 age range are not planning to get their kids vaccinated against Covid, an October survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation found

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 117,000 recorded last week, according to a report from American Academy of Pediatrics.

There have also been at least 558 pediatric deaths since the start of the pandemic, with 94 of those occurring among five-to-11-year-olds.

This means that children make up less than 0.1 percent of all Covid deaths in the U.S.

Because of this low risk of severe illness, polls have shown that many parents are not inclined to vaccinate their children.

New survey data published on Thursday from the Kaiser Family Foundation found 27 percent of parents with kids aged five to 11 say that their children will get vaccinated as soon as it's available.

Meanwhile, 33 percent say they will 'wait and see' how the vaccine is working before deciding whether or not to immunize their kids.

Another five percent of parents say they will only get their children vaccinated if it is required by their schools and 30 percent say they will not get their kids vaccinated at all.
A vaccinated person with no history of previous Covid infection is more protected than an unvaccinated person who previously contracted the virus, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study finds.

Researchers from the agency found unvaccinated Covid survivors were 5.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus than a someone who has had their shots

While previous infection does provide people with some protection from Covid, the findings show the value of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC recommends for all eligible Americans to get vaccinated, even if they previously have had COVID-19.

A CDC study found that unvaccinated Covid survivors were 5.5 times as likely to be hospitalized with the virus three to six months later than people who had never contracted the virus but are fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine. Pictured: A woman in Chicago, Illinois, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on October 15

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines work by delivering a type of 'instruction kit' into a person's body that will build a spike protein similar to the one that activates infection of COVID-19 (file photo)

For the report, published on Friday, researchers gathered data from 187 hospitals across nine states from January 2021 to September 2021.

They gathered testing and hospitalization records from people who met two distinct categories.

One group was made up of people who were unvaccinated but had previously recovered from the virus between 90 to 179 days ago - someone who would have natural antibodies but none from the mRNA vaccines.

The second group was people who had received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines between 90 to 179 days ago, but did not have any previous infection.

The latter group would only have antibodies from the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, and no natural defenses from the virus.

Researchers made adjustments based on overall vaccination rate and other factors that would impact a person's likelihood to be hospitalized including age, comorbidities and more.

After adjustments, they found that an unvaccinated Covid survivor was 5.49 times as likely to be hospitalized with Covid than a fully vaccinated person.

The team also determined that recipients of the Moderna vaccine faced the lowest likelihood of hospitalizations, though the Pfizer jab is also very effective.

'The benefit of vaccination compared with infection without vaccination appeared to be higher for recipients of Moderna than Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is consistent with a recent study that found higher vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalizations for Moderna vaccine recipients than for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients,' researchers wrote.

The findings suggest the mRNA vaccines are the best way to protect a person from Covid, though the Johnson & Johnson shot - which is only one dose - was not included in the study.

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines work by delivering a type of 'instruction kit' into a person's body that will build a spike protein similar to the one that activates infection of COVID-19.

A person's immune system will destroy this spike protein, and learn how to destroy it if Covid cells ever enter the body.

This is not the first CDC study to come to this conclusion.

In August, the agency published a study that found people relying on natural antibodies were twice as likely to get infected with the virus than someone who is vaccinated.

Now, with this new study, the agency has found that the vaccine is also more effective at preventing hospitalization.

As of Friday afternoon, two-thirds of Americans have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, with a majority having received one of the mRNA vaccines in the study.

Over 176 million of the 192 million fully vaccinated Americans were jabbed with either one of those shots as well.
Attorneys General across the U.S. are warning parents to look out for cannabis edibles in their trick-or-treating baskets on Halloween.

Marijuana-laced snacks that resemble popular treats such as Sour Patch Kids, Nerds and others have become commonplace in recent years, especially as more states legalize and decriminalize pot.

Warnings have been issued by Attorneys General in New York, Connecticut and Ohio, among others.

These treats are expensive, though, leading many to doubt whether they are actually being distributed to children.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who warned of the edibles being given to kids earlier this week, told reporters he had never actually heard of an example of a child receiving one of these copycat treats on Halloween.

Attorneys General across the country are warning parents that cannabis edibles packaged to look like popular treats could appear in their child's Halloween basket. Pictured: Edibles packaged to resemble Sour Patch Kids, Oreos, Cheetos, Nerds, Fruity Pebbles and Doritos

Pictured: Edibles packaged to look like 3 Musketeers, Twix, Milky Way, Reese's, Kit Kat, York Patties, Oreos, Butterfingers and Crunch bars

'The levels of THC in these fakes could have some real and devastating consequences for children,' Yost said in a statement.

'Parents need to be extra cautious, especially around Halloween, that these copycat products don't wind up in treat bags.'

The Attorney General's office reports that there was a 108 percent increase in calls to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Drug and Poison Information Center in 2020 due to cannabis ingestion by children when compared to 2019.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Central Ohio Poison Center also reported a 394 percent increase last year, the office says.

'Individuals and companies responsible for putting these illegal edibles within the reach of children should reconsider how they choose to make profits,' the statement reads.

'Also, sellers should know they may be subject to legal action and substantial civil penalties.'

The edibles are often placed in packages resembling popular candy, with slightly altered names and graphics.

They are laced with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a chemical in marijuana that has psychoactive ingredients and could cause hallucinations in some people.

Cannabis infused products packaged to look like popular treats could be dangerous to an unsuspecting child. Pictured: A child is escorted by her parents as she Trick-or-Treats in New York City on Halloween, 2015

Officials say a child, or anyone not paying close attention, might not realize the differences before eating the candy, and accidentally ingest cannabis.

After Yost's statement was released, local reporters asked his office if he had even encountered such a case in Ohio, for which his staff replied 'no.'

He received criticism from local media, including from The Columbus Dispatch, which reports that there are no documented cases of a child ever receiving cannabis-laced treats on Halloween.

While warnings like these are frequent, and almost a yearly tradition of Halloween, actual cases of poisoned or drug laced candy rarely, if ever, occur.

Yost's was not the only office that issued such a warning, however.

'These look-alike cannabis products are unregulated, unsafe, and illegal,' William Tong, Connecticut Attorney General, said in a statement.

'Accidental cannabis overdoses by children are increasing nationwide, and these products will only make this worse.'

Letitia James, the New York Attorney General who recently announced a run for governor, issued a similar warning this week.

'These unregulated and deceptive cannabis products will only confuse and harm New Yorkers, which is why they have no place in our state,' she said in a statement.

'It is essential that we limit their access to protect our communities and, more specifically, our children.'

Marijuana reform advocates say that the odds of someone giving out these copycat candies to children at the door are extremely low, though.

As cannabis becomes legalized across the country, more cannabis laced products are starting to hit the market. Pictured: Cannabis laced chocolate being sold in Las Vegas, Nevada

While parents are warned yearly that their children may be given drug laced candy, it happens rarely, if ever. Pictured: Children in New York City go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween of 2020

"From an economics perspective, it makes absolutely no sense that someone would go out there and spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on marijuana edibles just to give them to kids who then walk away and they never see again," Erik Altieri, executive director NORML, a marijuana reform advocacy group, told KYTX in Longview, Texas.

A small pack of these candies can cost upwards of $20 to $30 each and with dozens of children appearing at any given door on Halloween night, the price of distributing them would rack up quickly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does warn about these drugs, though, saying that edible or drinkable marijuana products put someone at a higher risk of poisoning themselves.

Since they take longer to go into effect than just smoking marijuana, a person may take more than they should and poison themselves.

The effect of edibles could also last longer than someone expects.
Sustainability has become one of the most popular investment themes over the past few years.

Figures from the Investment Association reveal that responsible funds have taken 6.7billion of investment in the first half of 2021. That is some 2.4billion more than the previous year.

As a result of this demand, there are now more opportunities than ever to invest in companies and funds focused on ESG - which stands for environmental, social and governance.

In the first half of this year, 21 ESG funds launched in the UK and 372 worldwide, according to Morningstar data.

Responsible funds have taken nearly 7bn in the first half of this year

However the over-saturation of the market means it can be difficult to distinguish what impact your ESG investment is potentially making.

We asked four fund pickers for their favourite green funds and trusts, covering everything from social impact to renewable energy.

Global ESG / sustainable

For investors who want exposure to global stocks there are plenty of ESG funds on offer, although lots tend to hold a lot of the same names like Tesla and renewable energy company Siemens Gamesa.

ETFs can be a good option for new investors - while some have relatively broad mandates, others focus on specific areas like energy, food or water.

These can fall in and out of favour and some experts claim ESG investing is inherently an active management process because of the research and due diligence necessary.

Rob Burgeman, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin

'We suggest taking a more generalist approach, meaning you do not become fixated on the daily or weekly oscillations of individual stock prices and instead focus on the longer-term view,' says Rob Burgeman, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin.

He picks out AXA WF Global Clean Economy Fund, managed by Amanda O'Toole, as a strong global ESG fund.

'[It] focusses its investment strategy on a pillar of companies poised to benefit from the direction of travel we appear to be on. Its holdings range from businesses focused on recycles to water, energy, and food,' he says.

Its top holdings include the renewable energy group Siemens Gamesa, food company Darling Ingredients and agricultural machinery supplier Deere & Co.

It has returned 24.11 per cent in the past year with an ongoing charge of 1.06 per cent.

Burgeman also notes Pictet Global Environmental Opportunities as another global sustainability-themed fund option.

Pictet is a fund house which specialises in sustainable investment, and this fund, run by Gabriel Micheli and Luciano Diana, invests in a range of largely US-based life sciences, water and engineering companies.

Its holdings include the life sciences group Thermo Fisher Scientific, semiconductor company Synopsys and Autodesk, which provides software for construction, architecture and engineering.

In the past year it has posted total returns of 19.2 per cent, slightly below the IA Global sector average.

UK ESG / sustainable

In the UK, Liontrust Sustainable Future UK Growth is a particular favourite of investment managers.

Liontrust has built up a reputation as a leader in ESG, having launched its Sustainable Future funds back in 2001.

Hawksmoor senior fund analyst James Clark

'Hawksmoor invests in three of the Liontrust Sustainable Future range of funds and we hold the team in high regard,' says senior fund analyst James Clark.

'This growth-orientated UK equity fund focuses on three broad themes  'more efficient', 'healthier and with higher quality of life' and 'safer and more resilient'  with around twenty sub-themes, and companies must fit into at least one theme in order to be included in the portfolio.'

'The fund is very well-established under lead manager Peter Michaelis with co-manager Martyn Jones having come up through the ranks from an analyst position.

Liontrust Sustainable Future UK Growth has a strong performance record, including protecting capital on the downside in weaker equity market conditions (e.g. 2018 and 2020) but this does not come at the expense of outperforming in stronger markets (e.g. 2019),' he adds.

The fund avoids exposure to miners, oil companies and banks and its top holdings include Legal & General, Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline.

Over the long term this strategy has worked - it has delivered a 73.59 per cent total return over 5 years against the FTSE All Share's 25.98 per cent.

But Burgeman notes 'in the shorter term, that has reversed as banks have come back into favour and the oil price has increased.'

Social impact investing

Impact has become another buzzword in ESG investment. While some funds can use it to mean environmental, it has generally tended to focus more on funds investing in social impact projects.

BSC Schroders Impact Trust is the first trust dedicated entirely to impact investing to list on a stock exchange. It focuses on high impact housing, debt for social enterprises and social outcomes contracts.

It was launched by Big Society Capital, a leading social impact investor, in partnership with Schroders last December.

As of 30 June, the trust had deployed two thirds of its 75million IPO funds into 23 investments. The NAV total return for this period was 6.1 per cent.

It is set to pay a maiden dividend of a 0.57 pence per share.

'Obtaining highly impactful private market exposure has previously been the preserve of institutional investors  due to high investment minimums and partnership fund structures,' says Daniel Bland, head of Sustainable Investment Management at EQ Investors.

'The launch of this unique social impact trust provides access to a diverse mix of social impact investments at a time when social issues are understandably at the forefront.'

'One of the reasons we're excited about the Schroders Big Society Capital Trust is that the strategy targets several high impact themes, working with experts in their respective fields. Ordinarily these third parties are inaccessible to most investors.'

'These underlying managers specialise in areas such as high impact social housing, investment in social enterprises to directly finance community-based projects, and social outcome contracts which are exclusively accessible to retail investors through this trust.'

In its most recent results, the trust said there was 'potential' for a further fundraise this year.

FP WHEB Sustainability Fund is known for having one of the most comprehensive approaches.

WHEB's head of research Seb Beloe has been described as 'the Cristiano Ronaldo of sustainable investment', James Clark, senior fund analyst at Hawksmoor

Its top holdings include health company Agilent Technologies and Royal DSM, which aims to improve the efficiency of global food supply chains. Its three and five year returns have come in at 11.06 per cent and 11.36 per cent respectively.

The fund is managed by WHEB Asset Management, a small boutique solely focused on managing an ESG strategy.

It has an independent advisory committee to review and scrutinise its holdings, and publishes how members vote and reports on the impact made by the companies in its portfolio.

'The WHEB team are sustainable investment specialists  this is all they do, and they have done it for quite a long time now, with this strategy having launched in June 2009.

'I have heard WHEB's head of research Seb Beloe described as "the Cristiano Ronaldo of sustainable investment", whilst lead manager Ted Franks is also very highly regarded,' says Clark.

The portfolio covers both large and small cap companies although has a bias towards medium-sized companies.

'The team are conscious of this bias plus the tilt towards high quality companies, so they minimise one further element of risk by maintaining the fund's geographic weightings at very similar levels to those of its MSCI World benchmark  they want performance to be driven by their themes and investee companies.'

'As you would expect, impact reporting is very comprehensive, which helps WHEB Sustainability to stand out in what we regard to be the best cohort of funds available to sustainably-minded investors (i.e. sustainable global equity funds).'

Environmental / Green

Arguably the most popular focus for conscious investors is the environment. While a lot of sustainable funds try to incorporate it into their strategy, there are only a handful that are solely focused on the environment.

Ninety One Global Environment Fund, run by Deidre Cooper and Graeme Baker, is a popular pick among managers. It targets businesses that will benefit from decarbonisation trends.

Its top holdings include Nextera Energy, chemical company Croda, Trane Technologies, which makes heating and ventilation systems, and electric utility firm Iberdrola.

'The fund is included within our Responsible Investment 'Advance' portfolios, which look to invest in companies that either have a 'solution' to the environmental issues we are facing or is a company that is transitioning to becoming a 'responsible business',' says Isobel Gingell, investment director at Brooks Macdonald.

Isobell Gingell, investment director at Brooks Macdonald

'We expect that there will be a rapid increase in businesses coming to the market that provide a decarbonisation solution and it is a major theme for governments, as can be seen from Boris Johnson's announcement that all electricity in the UK should be produced from clean sources by 2035.'

Impax Environmental Markets is the UK's largest environmental investment trust, and backs companies that focus on products or services to improve our impact on the environment.

It focuses on clean energy and energy efficiency, water treatment and pollution control, waste technology, and sustainable food.

Burgeman says: 'It offers a slightly broader set of investments than the Baillie Gifford fund, with around 45 per cent of its holdings based in the US, and a good portion in The Netherlands and UK.

'Many of these companies are not household names, but this is precisely what can make it a good foil for other investments in an area where there can be little differentiation between funds.'

'An alternative could be to consider the fund house Impax Asset Management Group as an investment in itself.

'It has a long and venerable pedigree in impact investing and has performed exceptionally well over the past decade as its specialism has become more mainstream.'

Renewable energy

Finally, investors who want to invest specifically in renewable energy have plenty to choose from.

Greencoat UK Wind and The Renewable Infrastructure Group are Burgeman's top investment trust picks which both invest in renewable energy assets across the UK.

'Both of these investment trusts currently provide decent yields of more than 5 per cent.

'However, it is worth remembering that they provide exposure to a set of assets, which is more likely to perform like a utility,' he says.

For something a little different, Clark suggests Gresham House Energy Storage which is an investment trust with a portfolio of battery storage facilities.

'Gresham House Energy Storage earns revenue from three sources  Frequency Response (real-time power balancing for National Grid), Trading (taking advantage of intra-day price spreads) and Capacity Mechanism (long-term contracts to meet extremes of demand),' he says.

'The trust's managers can switch the deployment of their battery storage facilities in order to optimise revenue generation.

'Launched in November 2018, this trust targets 8 per cent total returns per year on a Net Asset Value basis, including a target dividend of 7p per share.

'The trust is growing, having most recently (July 2021) raised 100m in a placing, and has a strong pipeline of investment opportunities in this exciting asset class.'
London launch: Anna Sweeting

The former boss of British luxury interior design firm Linley has picked London as the 'stand-out' location to float her new wellness and beauty firm.

Anna Sweeting, 36, is planning to list Conscious Co on a European stock exchange, with London deemed the prime target.

The firm, which Sweeting runs as chairman and chief executive, is aiming to merge with Europe-focused beauty and wellness brands.

Several industry heavyweights are also involved including Konstantin Von Unger, a member of the family behind German consumer goods giant Henkel, fashion writer and entrepreneur Tania Fares, former Watches of Switzerland chief executive Justin Stead and Alistair Crane, the founder of online shopping platform Hero.

Sweeting, described by Conscious as having a 'millennial female perspective', said it was 'an exciting time' for the business.

After her tenure at Linley, she co-founded Vaultier7, a London-based, female-led private equity firm focused on backing start-up companies in the beauty, health and lifestyle sectors.
My husband and I live in two separate flats in the same retirement block (though location is immaterial - we could be living miles apart).

We are joint tenants of both properties. We paid stamp duty as a second home for the second flat.

He pays council tax as a single person for one flat, I pay council tax as a single person for the other (this has been sanctioned by our council). One flat is worth around 70,000 (his) and one 100,000 (mine).

Separate flats: How do the rules on property and care bills apply when a couple are living in different homes (Stock image)

We live independently in each property but pay bills, service charges, and so on from a joint bank account.

What is the situation if one of us goes into a care home?

When it does come to that point, our plan is for the larger flat (whoever it is who has gone into care) to be sold with the smaller flat being the only residence of the person remaining.

We get almost exactly the same state/private pensions per month, within a few pounds per month.

Tanya Jefferies, of This is Money, replies: What will happen when one partner starts needing care is a common concern for older couples.

Yours is an unusual situation, so we asked a lawyer experienced in this area to explain how the rules on property and care bills might apply in your case.

James Urquhart-Burton, partner at Ridley & Hall Solicitors, replies: I warn you that it is not an easy read, but the full details of the charging regime for care and support can be found in official government guidance here.

The starting point is that people should only be charged in a way which they can afford and assessments by local authorities should be person-focused, reflecting the fact that both relationships and caring journeys come in all shapes and sizes.

James Urquhart-Burton: People should only be charged in a way which they can afford

What will happen if one or both of you needs care and support?

It will be for the local authority to undertake an assessment of your needs, and thereafter a financial assessment must be carried out if it intends to charge you for care and support.

The local authority should only assess the income and capital of the person who is the subject of the financial assessment.

This means that if only one of you needs care, then they will only be able to take into account that persons capital and income.

For this reason, assessment of a couples capital can be complex.

I should just say that if you need care but it can be provided in your home, then the value of your home is disregarded from the financial assessment.

If that isnt the case and placement in a care home is necessary and you jointly own your home, the local authority will usually assume that each of you has the benefit of an equal 50/50 split.

How is the assessment handled when a couple live together?

The situation is more straightforward for married couples who occupy the family home together, because they will benefit from the 'mandatory disregard'.

That means that should one of them go into a care home and the other remain in the family home, the local authority is required to disregard the residents interest in the property.

The logic behind this is that the spouse still living in the property should never be forced to move from their home to pay for their spouses care.

What if a couple live apart?

In your case, you each own both of your flats as joint tenants and you each reside in one of those flats alone.

Lets assume your husband needs to go into a care home and you dont. The flat in which he lived is now empty, and you each own it as joint tenants, so there is a presumption that you are each entitled to a 50/50 split of the equity.

Your husbands 50 per cent share of the flat he was living in will be taken into account for his financial assessment, particularly because the flat is now vacant.

You say that flat is worth around 70,000. This would mean he has 35,000 locked up in the flat (assuming no mortgage debt) and this would place him above the upper capital limit of 23,250, so he would need to self-fund his care for a time if his income is not sufficient to meet the cost of his care up front.

The same would happen if the converse situation arose with you and the flat you are living in.

Your husbands share of the flat in which you are living is not so straightforward.

You could ask the local authority to exercise its discretion to disregard your husbands share on the basis that it is your home, or alternatively, on the basis that his share has no open market value, because you, as the co-owner, are living there.

If a dispute arises with the local authority, seek independent legal advice.

What action could you take (within the rules) to limit potential care bills?

Local authorities tend to be suspicious of changes in ownership or residence which appear to have occurred to circumvent the care charging rules, but it strikes me that there are a couple of steps you could take to ensure that you and/or your husband do not spend more than you need to.

If there are other people you would like to benefit from your estates when you die, you should give some thought to 'severing' your joint tenancies on both flats.

That would mean that going forward you would hold them as 'tenants in common', each with a 50 per cent share.

You could then make new wills leaving your shares to whomever else you wish, but still giving each other a 'life interest' in the properties.

If the surviving partner out of the two of you needs to go to a care home, the last thing you want is for that person to have inherited everything, only to have to spend it all on care fees.

You should also give some thought to splitting your joint account and ensuring that your incomes and outgoings are kept separate.
I'm interested to know how the Family Building Society operates its Windfall Bond, as I'm considering making the 10,000 savings deposit required.

I have read the 'rules' several times and do not fully understand them.

It seems not all prizes are likely to be awarded every month, and that this depends on how 'tickets' are awarded.

Although winners' names are published, the value of the prize is not disclosed. I am wondering, it is possible that the top monthly 50,000 prize has rarely been awarded, and possibly never awarded? via email

The Windfall Bond has a maximum capacity of 15,000 open accounts, each holding 10,000 - but the rules around how often the top prize of 50,000 is awarded confused our reader

Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: Most people won't have heard of the Windfall Bond, or indeed its provider, the Family Building Society.

When it comes to savings products offering customers monthly prize draws, Windfall Bonds are very much the baby brother of NS&I's Premium Bonds.

Britain's most loved savings product, which began in 1956, is held by roughly 22 million people, and more than 113 billion 1 bonds were eligible for last month's NS&I draw.

By comparison, Family Building Society's Windfall Bonds, which began in 2015, have only 127million stashed away in them and only a few thousand customers.

Money held with Family Building Society, which is based in Epsom, Surrey, is covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme protection up to 85,000.

Like Premium Bonds, Windfall Bonds offer a number of monthly prizes to bond holders, which are all tax free. They can only be purchased online.

Premium Bonds only require a minimum investment of 25 to enter the draw, Windfall Bonds require a far heftier 10,000 deposit.

There is no maximum cap on Windfall Bonds, subject to availability, whereas with Premium Bonds you can deposit a maximum of 50,000.

Family Building Society winners Prize Jan 21 Feb 21 Mar 21 Apr 21 May 21 Jun 21 Jul 21 Aug 21 Sep 21 Oct 21 50,000 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 10,000 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2,500 2 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 1,000 12 11 14 10 11 10 10 7 11 11 Number per month 17 13 18 15 16 16 15 13 15 15 Value per month 87,000 23,500 39,000 85,000 78,500 87,500 77,500 84,500 36,000 28,500

There are currently 12,700 Windfall Bond accounts, each holding 10,000 - but many bond holders have more than one account.

The number of windfall Bonds currently being entered into the monthly prize draw is 15,000, and the remaining 2,300 spaces are filled by blank tickets.

This could reduce if more accounts joined the draw, but Family Building Society says it does not impact on the probability of winning.

Each qualifying 10,000 bond is entered into a free draw for a chance to win one of 21 monthly prizes. There are fifteen worth 1,000, three worth 2,500, two worth 10,000 and one 50,000 prize.

Each qualifying entry can win only one prize each month, and according to the building society each individual Windfall Bond entered into the draw has a one in 714 chance of winning a prize in any given draw.

This is based on the fact there are 21 selected prize tickets, and 15,000 tickets entered into each draw.

With one Windfall Bond, The Family Building Society claims your chance of winning a prize at least once in a year equates to approximately 1 in 60.

Premium Bonds offer much bigger money, with two 1 million prizes and five 100,000 prizes - but the odds of winning appear to be less promising.

According to numbers crunched by data scientist Andrew Zelin on behalf of the Family Building Society, savers who put 10,000 in Premium Bonds would have to wait 11,926 years on average for a 50:50 chance of winning the 10,000 prize.

Windfall Bonds versus Premium Bonds Deposit Prize FBS Windfall Bond: Years to wait for 50:50 chance of win NS&I Premium bonds: Years to wait for 50:50 chance of win 10,000 1,000 58 347 10,000 10,000 433 11,926 10,000 50,000 866 58,544 Source: Andrew Zelin, data scientist

However, from a 10,000 Windfall Bond holding, a saver would have to wait on average 433 years to win the 10,000 prize.

On top of the prizes, each Windfall Bond is also guaranteed to receive interest at the Bank of England bank rate, currently 0.1 per cent.

Though this is low compared to the current market-leading easy-access savings rate of 0.65 per cent, it is better than Premium Bonds which pay no interest.

We spoke to Keith Barber, director of business development at the Family Building Society, to get some answers to our reader's questions.

How many Bonds are eligible for the draw?

Barber replies: The numbers of Windfall Bonds eligible to be entered in the monthly draw varies each month as customers open and close bonds.

To keep the chances of winning constant, there are a fixed number of prizes available and a fixed number of tickets for each monthly prize draw.

Currently the number of tickets each month is 15,000. This number was increased from the original 10,000 last year due to the popularity of the bond.

How does the draw work?

Barber replies: Each eligible bond is randomly allocated a unique ticket number, between 1 and 15,000 each month.

As the number of eligible bonds is a bit less than 15,000, not every available ticket number is allocated to a bond.

The chances of a 1 Premium bond winning a prize each month is 1 in 34,500

In a separate process an independent specialist firm draws the 21 winning ticket numbers from the full 15,000 tickets each month, allotting these to the 21 prizes available.

That last part is particularly important  the independent firm determines which tickets win which prizes.

We then cross-check the list of winning ticket numbers to the ticket numbers allocated to eligible bonds to find out which bonds have won which prizes.

This does mean that some prizes are not awarded each month as they are allocated to ticket numbers which are not linked to a bond.

How do you find out what prizes have been awarded?

Barber replies: Your reader makes a good point that we aren't publishing the list of prizes won.

We'll address that and back-populate this years' draw results with that information over the next couple of weeks.

Can you explain why the 50,000 prize is not awarded every month?

Barber replies: In six months out of the last 10 so far this year the 50,000 prize has been won by a customer [rather than a blank ticket].

On the average month in 2021 to date, 11,800 of the 15,000 bonds were held by customers, equating to 79 per cent of the bonds.

We would therefore expect a customer to win the 50,000 prize in just under 8 months out of the possible 10 months.

Allowing for the statistical uncertainty of the draw, and based on a standard confidence interval of 95 per cent, it may be possible for there to be only seven or six months of wins over 10 months - but not five or fewer.

In 2021, we have seen six wins by investors and I am therefore confident to report that there is no evidence that the win likelihood of the unallocated bonds differs from that of the allocated bonds.

Do Windfall Bonds offer a better return than Premium Bonds?

Barber replies: A straight comparison is difficult. The Windfall Bond offers a fixed number of prizes, the Premium Bond does not.

The Premium Bond prize fund of 1 per cent is the amount devoted to prizes. Bondholders only get a return if they win, and the chances of winning are higher with a Windfall Bond than with the equivalent holding of Premium Bonds.

The average long-term cost of the Windfall Bond is the annual prize fund (the total prize fund of 92,500 x 12 months divided by 150 million held in bonds).

This equates to a return of 0.74 per cent, plus interest of 0.10 per cent on top, although the actual cost does vary each month, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, depending on the prizes won by eligible bonds.
Pandemic-hardened Britons have seen their credit scores improve over the past two years with many having spent less, saved more and reduced their debts.

The UK's average credit score is on the rise, according to Experian, having increased from 776 in September 2019 to 797 in September this year.

This was helped by the so-called 'mortgage holiday,' as well as the emergency payment freeze which allowed people to defer payments on credit cards and loans.

Know the score: People aged 31-35 have the lowest credit ratings, according to Experian

But many people also developed new financial behaviours during the pandemic, from spending less and saving more to reducing their debt.

James Jones, head of consumer affairs at Experian, said: 'It's encouraging to see people's credit scores improving on average.

'While many of us managed to pay down existing credit using lockdown-related savings, others saw their incomes hit - but, thankfully, some had their credit scores protected by payment freezes.'

Experian's research also revealed which UK regions have the best and worst average credit scores.

The highest was found in the City of London (893), followed by Wokingham in Berkshire (880) and Chiltern in Buckinghamshire (879).

Average credit scores by age Age Group Average Score 18-20 823 21-25 792 26-30 776 31-35 770 36-40 779 41-45 792 46-50 804 51-55 819 55+ 863

Kingston-upon-Hull had the lowest average score of 702, with Blaenau Gwent and Blackpool just ahead, with scores of 707 and 713 respectively.

The research also found that those aged 55 and over had the highest average score of any age group (863), whilst people in their twenties had lower scores than teenagers; perhaps because they are more likely to make purchases on credit.

Those aged 18-20 had an average score of 823, falling to 792 for 2125-year-olds.

Those aged 31-35 had the lowest score of all, 770 on average, as they are more likely to have higher unsecured credit commitments.

After that age, credit scores generally start to rise again as wages and borrowing power increase into middle age.

Why do credit scores matter?

Many Britons do not understand credit scores and their potential impact on accessing financial products, according to research from TSB.

In its survey, one in five said that they did not know what a credit score was.

More than a third of people said they thought they knew what a credit score was, but were not sure of the details while more than two in five did not know their credit score.

Nearly a quarter of people have been refused credit due to having a low score, according to TSB.

The ambitions most delayed by low credit ratings Goal % of people delaying due to credit score worries Buying a house 22% Buying a car 20% Home renovation 14% Buying new technology 13% Dream holiday 12% Starting a business 10% Change of career 9% Buying a pet 9% Dream wedding 8% Investing in shares 8% Source: Tymit

A credit score is essentially a number calculated by credit reference agencies such as Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. It effectively sums up the information in your credit report, which details your past borrowing.

Lenders such as banks then use this information to assess whether you are financially secure enough to borrow money, and if you will be able to pay it back.

A higher credit score means lenders see you as a lower risk, so you're more likely to be approved for credit and could have access to lower-interest-rate products.

Experian Credit Score Bands Very poor: 0 - 560 Poor: 561  720 Fair: 721 - 880 Good: 881 - 960 Excellent: 961  999

Credit scores influence most aspects of people's financial lives and a poor score can reduce your chances of securing a financial product such as a credit card, phone contract or a mortgage.

In fact, one in three Britons say that worries about credit scores have put a stop to their biggest life goals, according to research from the fintech credit card provider, Tymit.

The most-delayed goals included buying a property, buying a car, renovating a home and going on a dream holiday.

Pella Frost, TSB director of everyday banking said: 'Your credit score impacts so many aspects of everyday life, yet many aren't familiar with it.

'Understanding more about it can you help you become more money confident and it will improve your chances of gaining access to credit when you need it.'

How can you improve your credit score?

There are many ways people can improve their credit score.

First and foremost, it is worth checking your credit report for any errors which could be negatively impacting your score. These are often easy to fix.

Examples include duplicate or incorrect accounts, a wrongly-recorded missed payment or even a fraudulent loan taken out in your name.

Knowledge gap: New research from TSB has found that many Britons do not understand credit scores and their potential impact on accessing financial products

There is also a common misconception that having no credit leads to a good credit score, when in fact, having little or no credit history can make it difficult for credit agencies to assess you, and your credit score may be lower as a result.

You need to prove to lenders that you're a reliable borrower, which means if you don't already have a credit card it could be worth getting one - as long as you pay it off each month.

But whilst having some credit is good, too much will start to negatively affect your score. Generally borrowers should avoid spending to the limit on credit cards and ensure they make your repayments on time.

Other simple tricks for improving your score include never withdrawing cash from your credit card, and registering on the electoral roll at your current address.

By simply registering on the electoral roll at your current address, you are proving where you live and who you are, and this boosts your score.

To avoid damaging your credit score, it's also worth setting up direct debits for regular payments such as a mortgage, rent, energy bills or gym memberships.

This way you avoid forgetting about a payment, which can have potentially dire consequences for your credit score.

Ten tips to boost your rating 1) Register on the electoral roll at your current address 2) Use a credit card responsibly and always try to retain a good amount of available credit 3) Check your credit report regularly and ask for any errors to be corrected 4) Never withdraw cash from your credit card 5) Limit applications for new credit 6) If you have bad credit, stop applying for more 7) If you don't have a credit card, then get one - but just make sure you pay it off each month 8) Don't miss repayments 9) Let your credit history mature 10) Don't keep unused cards

What about Experian Boost?

Experian is now offering people a free way of boosting their credit score by a few points if they are willing to share information about regular payments they make, which are not normally included in a credit report.

This could include council tax, Netflix or Amazon prime accounts, Apple music or Spotify accounts, for example.

They must still not be spending more than they earn, and will need to allow Experian to 'scan' their main current account with a bank or building society that supports open banking.

How can people check their score?

A credit report not only details an overall credit score but also lists your credit accounts, such as bank accounts, credit cards, utilities and mortgages.

It will also display your repayment history, including late or missing payments.

There are a number of ways to view your rating and history for free.

Experian and Equifax offer 30-day free trials of their service online, but you will need to remember to cancel before the end of the promotion to avoid subscription fees.

Experian will begin charging 14.99 once the 30-day free trial is over whilst Equifax reverts to 7.95 per month.

Checkmyfile also offers a free trial to check your reports with both Equifax and TransUnion UK  although after 30 days it begins charging 14.99 a month.

Alternatively, you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three main credit reporting agencies.

Free credit report options can also be found by visiting Credit Karma and Clearscore.
While great strides have been made, coronavirus hasn't gone away. So as the cold season approaches, make sure you're protecting yourself and those around you

Life seems pretty much back to normal nowadays with most of us double jabbed and far fewer people dying from Covid... so you'd be forgiven for thinking we've got this virus beaten, right?

Wrong. Infections levels are still incredibly high, and even though death rates may have come down, getting coronavirus can still make you incredibly ill.

And it's even worse if you're one of the unlucky ones who develop long Covid, leaving you exhausted and breathless for months, unable to do the things you love.

Autumnal: The change in seasons means conditions are right for the virus to take hold again

As we head into winter, it's important to remember that this is a time when the virus can really take hold again. That's because in the cold weather we tend to huddle indoors with the heating on and windows closed.

So if someone has Covid  and remember, one in three of us don't show any signs of it  they'll be exhaling infectious particles when they breathe, speak or cough.

These will build up and become concentrated in the room, hanging around in the air to be inhaled by others, who may then develop the virus.

Unfortunately, it means the more time we spend together inside, the higher the chances of catching Covid. In fact, most cases are caught indoors.

And being double jabbed doesn't always protect you from the ravages of the virus  and even if it stops you having symptoms, you can always spread it to others.

Professor Catherine Noakes

Professor Catherine Noakes, Professor of Environmental Engineering at Leeds University, explains: 'As winter approaches, people will naturally spend more time indoors, welcoming friends and family into their home as the weather gets colder.

'While we've all been looking forward to this for so long, it's important to remember that coronavirus is still around us and can easily spread in the home.

'If someone is infected  and they might be showing no symptoms  Covid-19 particles are released into the air by coughing, talking or simply breathing.

'In an enclosed space, the infectious particles can build up over time. They remain suspended in the air, increasing the risk of other people in the room breathing in the infectious particles, especially if there is no ventilation or fresh air helping to refresh the air being breathed.

'With this in mind, as we meet more people inside, it's so important to use ventilation, such as opening a window even for just a short time, so that fresh air can disperse and blow Covid-19 particles away and decrease the risk of others being infected.'

Key to keeping safe this winter is to make sure you're vaccinated  and accept any booster jab that you're offered.

Sir Patrick Vallance

But you should also be wearing a face covering when in a crowded indoor space such as a supermarket, shop or cinema.

Keeping your home well ventilated will also make a real difference  even opening the windows for just ten minutes or so will help usher the Covid particles out while not allowing too much heat to escape.

Finally, testing yourself and your family regularly with a rapid lateral flow device, even if you don't feel ill, will let you know if you have the virus but aren't showing any symptoms. That way, you can self-isolate to protect others from it while getting a PCR test to confirm the result.

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, warns: 'While vaccines are offering us good protection, Covid-19 is still with us.

'Stay safe this winter by taking simple but effective steps such as wearing a face covering in crowded indoor spaces, testing regularly and ventilating rooms where possible.

'By doing this, we can reduce the spread of the virus and keep ourselves and others safer.'

Dr Jenny Harries

Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, agrees: 'As we approach winter, everyone should keep following the simple steps to protect themselves and others.

'Avoid mixing with others if you feel unwell, get a PCR test straight away if you have any Covid-19 symptoms and if you're meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to let fresh air in.

'Remember, the best way to protect yourself and others against Covid-19 is to get the vaccine  and the booster  so please do come forward if you are eligible.'

So make sure you protect yourself  and others  from Covid this winter.

'THERE'S STILL A DEADLY BUG AROUND'

Nina A Spencer, 41, is CEO of Mums In The Groove. a community for overwhelmed mothers, and lives in Nottinghamshire with her husband Chris, and two sets of twins: Jake and Melody, nine, and Jessica and Mason, four.

She says: 'Two weeks ago, our eldest twins had Covid, and I think it's going to be inevitable that it comes home again at some point but I'm going to be trying hard to keep it away.

Nina Spencer, with her husband Chris and two sets of twins

'I was in intensive care after giving birth four years ago and the thought of going back there scares me to death. So my husband and I are double jabbed, and we're also having the flu vaccine.

'I think it's paramount to clean high-touch areas such as door handles and toilets, and open the windows to let the air flow through. I have them open even when it's chilly.

'I'm happier being outside than in  I feel safer there. I wear a mask in shops as a sign of respect to the people who work there and take a step back to social distance when people talk to me.

'It feels like the world has returned to normal but it hasn't  there's still a deadly bug around and we have to remember that.'

'I'LL ONLY SIT IN CAFES WITH GOOD VENTILATION'

Keith Grinsted, 68, is founder of goodbyelonely.co.uk, which supports isolated people. He has two adult daughters, and lives in Sudbury, Suffolk.

Keith Grinsted

He says: 'I know a lot of people who still don't want to go out, but I want to embrace living. However, I'm 68 with type 2 diabetes so I'm very cautious and I take a rapid lateral flow test if I have the slightest concern.

'I've had two jabs and will have my booster as soon as I'm eligible, and I always wear a mask in shops and cafes and sanitise my hands when I touch things.

'I love working in cafes, but I'll only sit in one if its doors are open and there's good ventilation. And I won't go in one if I think there are too many people.

'I keep close contact to a minimum except with my daughters. I used to enjoy business networking events and exhibitions but don't go to them now  I think the risks outweigh the benefits.

'I think the more we can do to protect ourselves and others, the better chance we've got of coming out of this.'

'Remember, the best way to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 is to get the vaccine'

'The more we can do to protect ourselves, the better chance we've got of coming out of this'.
Mark Harmon has been spotted for the first time since leaving long-running NCIS after 18 seasons.

DailyMail.com saw the 70-year-old actor doing some heavy lifting and household chores outside of his Los Angeles home.

The veteran actor and former Sexiest Man Alive was seen the day after his beloved character Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs made his final appearance on the hit show.

The silver-haired father-of-two appears to be keeping busy during his retirement from acting as he walked his dogs, brought out trash cans and wheeled in a large box that was delivered to his home.

DailyMail.com spotted Mark Harmon walking his two dogs near his LA home in his first sighting since leaving NCIS

The veteran actor and former Sexiest Man Alive was seen wheeling a box into his home the day after his beloved character Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs made his final appearance on the hit show

Mark insisted on bringing the large box into his house on his own and refused help from the delivery man

Mark was seen bringing down his own transportation trolley and licking his fingers before wheeling it inside

Mark insisted on bringing the box into his house on his own, bringing down his own transportation trolley and licking his fingers before wheeling it inside.

The actor refused all offers of help from the delivery man.

Mark, who has been married to Mork & Mindy alum Pam Dawber for 34 years, was casually dressed in denim jeans, a sweater and suede shoes.

He was later seen walking his two dogs around the neighborhood.

Producer Steve Binder released a statement earlier this month confirming Marks exit, but clarified he would still be an executive producer on the CBS show.

'As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,' Binder said.

'Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go.

'So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out,' Binder concluded.

Mark, who has been married to Mork & Mindy alum Pam Dawson for 34 years, was casually dressed in denim jeans, a sweater and suede shoes

The silver-haired father-of-two appears to be keeping busy during his retirement

Producer Steve Binder released a statement earlier this month confirming Marks exit, but clarified he would still be an executive producer on the CBS show

Despite leaving the show as an actor, producer Mark Binder said 'As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show'

Harmon's final episode on the show followed Gibbs solving a case of a conglomerate CEO hiring a contract killer to take out those opposed to a copper mine.

When Gibbs was offered his badge back by Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), Gibbs revealed he was leaving the agency, choosing to stay in Alaska, where he'd been for the past few episodes.

In the episode, FBI Agent Parker (Gary Cole) stopped by Gibbs' home after he had gone AWOL, telling Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), 'something tells me hes not coming back.'

After months of rumors about his 19th season on NCIS, Mark Harmon's exit as Leroy Jethro Gibbs was confirmed in an episode called Great Wide Open

NCIS was a spin-off of CBS' JAG, both of which were created by Donald P. Bellisario, which ran for 10 seasons between 1995 and 2005

There were rumors that Mark was not going to return for the 19th season, though it's believed that he came back because he learned CBS might not renew the show if he didn't return.

NCIS was a spin-off of CBS' JAG, both of which were created by Donald P. Bellisario, which ran for 10 seasons between 1995 and 2005.

The show ended up spawning a number of CBS spin-offs itself, NCIS: Los Angeles, which debuted in 2009 and is currently in its 13th season, NCIS: New Orleans, which was canceled after seven seasons, and NCIS: Hawaii, which debuted this fall.
Child killer Sidney Cooke (pictured), 94, is one of the oldest prisoners to come before the Parole Board in recent years. His latest request for release was rejected on Thursday

One of Britain's most notorious paedophiles has failed in a bid to be freed from jail for the tenth time after the parole board said he is still a risk to society.

Child killer Sidney Cooke, 94, is one of the oldest prisoners to come before the Parole Board in recent years.

His latest request for release - his tenth such request in total since becoming eligible for parole in 2004 - was rejected on Thursday.

When he was jailed for life with a minimum term of five years in 1999, a judge described Cooke  who is also known by the surname Lomas  as a paedophile 'of the highest level of risk' and his victims said they hoped he would die behind bars.

Then 72, he had admitted a campaign of abuse against two brothers in the 1970s which began when they were just 13 and spanned five years.

Prior to that he had served nine years for the 1984 killing of 14-year-old Jason Swift.

He has also been linked to the unsolved murder of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley, who disappeared in 1984 after visiting a funfair near his home in Wokingham, Berkshire, and is suspected of being involved in the kidnap and murder of six-year-old Barry Lewis.

Nicknamed 'Hissing Sid', Cooke was one of a 1980s gang known as a 'Dirty Dozen' suspected of being responsible for the killing of up to nine young boys during sex orgies.

Operating from a flat on the Kingsmead estate in Hackney, east London, the gang hired rent boys or snatched children off the streets and subjected them to sexual torture.

Cooke travelled the country preying on vulnerable youngsters, setting up his children's Test Your Strength machine in fairgrounds and using this as an opportunity to lure boys before drugging them and subjecting them to brutal assaults.

Cooke has been held in HMP Wakefield since 1999 after he was jailed for life for sexually abusing two brothers. He was ordered to serve a minimum of five years before being eligible for release. However, the Parole Board has rejected his application on ten occasions

The Parole Board said: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented  the panel was not satisfied that Mr Cooke was suitable for release  nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Cooke should be transferred to open prison.'

The document detailing the decision described Cooke, at the time of his offending, as having 'manipulative and controlling behaviour for his own gratification' and believing he could have sex 'as and when he wanted'.

It added: 'His behaviour in prison had been mixed and had provoked concerns and even allegations over the years.'

He will be eligible for another parole review in about two years' time.

Cooke was released from jail in April 1999, after serving nine years for the manslaughter of 14-year-old boy Jason Swift in 1985.

But after his release he was immediately taken into voluntary custody for his own safety. But detectives, convinced he was responsible for other similar unsolved crimes, kept his file open.

In 1985 a group led by Cooke paid 5 to gang-rape 14-year-old Jason Swift (pictured). After his body was found in a shallow grave Cooke was sentenced to 19 years in prison for his manslaughter

Within months Cooke was accused of abusing two teenage brothers he befriended while working on fairgrounds more than 30 years ago. He was also accused of the rape of a young woman.

In an unexpected move during his 1999 trial at Manchester Crown Court, Cooke suddenly changed his plea to guilty and admitted ten offences against the youngsters and subsequently received two life sentences.

Four charges of rape, a further three of indecent assault and one of buggery were left on the court file.

Cooke was convicted for Jason Swift's murder alongside Dirty Dozen members Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell.

Bailey was convicted in 1992 of the manslaughter of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley who was raped in Cooke's caravan while visiting a fairground near Wokingham, Berkshire, in 1984.

Bailey was also convicted of the murder of Barry Lewis, six, who was abducted in June 1991 before being sexually abused by up to eight men.
A death row killer who murdered a prison cafeteria worker in 1998 yelled 'let's go!' before vomiting and convulsing 'two dozen times' as an Oklahoma's execution team delivered a controversial three-drug lethal injection on Thursday.

John Marion Grant was strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber at 4pm and given the sedative midazolam as he became the first person in the state to be executed for six years.

The 60-year-old only fell unconscious about 15 minutes later after vomiting, convulsing and swearing repeatedly with two members of the execution team having to wipe vomit from his face and neck.

He then received a lethal mix of vecuronium bromide, a paralytic drug, and potassium chloride which stops the heart and was finally declared dead at 4.21pm.

Grant was serving a 130-year prison sentence for several armed robberies when he dragged prison cafeteria worker Gay Carter into a mop closet and stabbed her 16 times with a homemade shank. He was sentenced to die in 1999.

The condemned inmate had been a plaintiff in a lawsuit set to go to trial next year challenging the three-drug protocol as inhumane, but the state refused to postpone his execution to accommodate the case.

It was Oklahoma's first execution since three botched attempts - including one that was called off because the wrong drug had been supplied - led to a halt in 2015.

The three-drug cocktail is meant to first render the recipient unconscious and unable to feel pain, followed by others that lead to death. But a media witness said Grant convulsed two dozen times and vomited before dying.

'As the drugs began to flow, the first drug, midazolam, he exhaled deeply,' Sean Murphy said in a news briefing posted online. 'He began convulsing, about two dozen times, full body convulsions.'

John Marion Grant (left) vomited and convulsed during his execution in Oklahoma for the killing of Gay Carter (right)

Grant, 60, was strapped to a gurney (pictured) in the execution chamber and given the sedative midazolam

Before the curtain was raised to allow witnesses to see into the execution chamber, Grant could be heard yelling, 'Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!'

He delivered a stream of profanities before the lethal injection started. He was declared unconscious about 15 minutes after the first of three drugs was administered and declared dead about six minutes after that, at 4.21 pm.

Someone vomiting while being executed is rare, according to observers.

'I've never heard of or seen that,' said Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center. 'That is notable and unusual.'

Michael Graczyk, a retired Associated Press reporter who still covers executions for the organization on a freelance basis, has witnessed the death penalty being carried out about 450 times.

He said Thursday he could only recall one instance of someone vomiting while being put to death.

The Oklahoma attorney general and governor did not respond to questions about Grant's reactions to the drugs. In fact, Department of Corrections spokesman Justin Wolf said by email that the execution 'was carried out in accordance with Oklahoma Department of Corrections' protocols and without complication.'

Media members gather to report on Oklahoma's first execution since 2015 amid a backlash from protesters

A statement from Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt referenced a section of the Oklahoma Constitution in which voters overwhelmingly enshrined the death penalty.

'Today, the Department of Corrections carried out the law of the State of Oklahoma and delivered justice to Gay Carters family,' Stitt said.

Grant was the first person in Oklahoma to be executed since a series of flawed lethal injections in 2014 and 2015.

'At least now we are starting to get justice for our loved ones,' Carter's daughter, Pamela Gay Carter, said in a statement.

'The death penalty is about protecting any potential future victims. Even after Grant was removed from society, he committed an act of violence that took an innocent life. I pray that justice prevails for all the other victims' loved ones. My heart and prayers go out to you all.'

Another death row inmate Julius Jones (pictured) had his stay of execution lifted along with Grant

Oklahoma moved forward with the lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-3 decision, lifted stays of execution that were put in place on Wednesday for Grant and another death row inmate, Julius Jones, by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The case was accepted for the court by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the order said. Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate.

Convicted killer Jones is scheduled to be put to death on November 18.

The state's Pardon and Parole Board twice denied Grant's request for clemency, including a 3-2 vote this month to reject a recommendation that his life be spared.

Oklahoma had one of the nations busiest death chambers until problems in 2014 and 2015 led to a de facto moratorium. Richard Glossip was just hours away from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug. It was later learned the same wrong drug had been used to execute an inmate in January 2015.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection - and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.

Outside the execution room, protesters gathered as they awaited the news of Grant's death

While the moratorium was in place, Oklahoma moved ahead with plans to use nitrogen gas to execute inmates, but ultimately scrapped that idea and announced last year that it planned to resume executions using the same three-drug lethal injection protocol that was used during the flawed executions.

The three drugs are: midazolam, a sedative, vecuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Oklahoma prison officials recently announced that they had confirmed a source to supply all the drugs needed for Grant's execution plus six more that are scheduled to take place through March.

'Extensive validations and redundancies have been implemented since the last execution in order to ensure that the process works as intended,' the Department of Corrections said in a statement.

More than two dozen Oklahoma death row inmates are part of a federal lawsuit challenging the states lethal injection protocols, arguing that the three-drug method risks causing unconstitutional pain and suffering. A trial is set for early next year.

Dale Baich, an attorney for some of the death row inmates in that suit, said eyewitness accounts of Grant's lethal injection show Oklahoma's death penalty protocol isn't working as it was designed.

'This is why the U.S. Supreme Court should not have lifted the stay,' Baich said in a statement. 'There should be no more executions in Oklahoma until we go (to) trial in February to address the states problematic lethal injection protocol.'

Grant's attorneys argued that key facts about the crime and Grant's troubled childhood were never presented to the jury

Grant and five other death row inmates were dismissed from the lawsuit after none of them selected an alternative method of execution, which a federal judge said was necessary. But a three-member panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the inmates did identify alternative methods of execution, even if they didnt specifically check a box designating which technique they would use. The panel had granted stays of execution on Wednesday for Grant and Jones, whose lethal injection is set for Nov. 18.

Jones - whose case has drawn national attention since being featured in 2018 on the ABC television documentary series 'The Last Defense' - has a clemency hearing set for Tuesday. Jones, 41, has maintained his innocence in the 1999 shooting death of an Oklahoma City-area businessman. The state Pardons and Parole Board in March recommended that Stitt, the governor, commute his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Stitt has said he will not decide whether to spare Jones' life until the clemency hearing.

Grant and his attorneys did not deny that he killed Carter.

'John Grant took full responsibility for the murder of Gay Carter, and he spent his years on death row trying to understand and atone for his actions, more than any other client I have worked with,' attorney Sarah Jernigan said Thursday in a statement after the execution.

But Grant's attorneys argued that key facts about the crime and Grant's troubled childhood were never presented to the jury. They maintained that Grant developed deep feelings for Carter and was upset when she fired him after he got in a fight with another kitchen worker.

'Jurors never heard that Mr. Grant killed Ms. Gay Carter while in the heat of passion and despair over the abrupt end of the deepest and most important adult relationship of his life,' his attorneys wrote in his clemency application.

Richard Glossip was just hours away from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug

Pamela Carter, who also worked at the prison and was there the day her mother was killed, rejected the idea that her mother and Grant had anything more than a professional relationship and urged state officials to move forward with the execution.

'I understand he's trying to save his life, but you keep victimizing my mother with these stupid allegations,' she told the Pardon and Parole Board this month. 'My mother was vivacious. She was friendly. She didn't meet a stranger. She treated her workers just as you would on a job on the outside. For someone to take advantage of that is just heinous.'

Oklahoma has historically had one of the nations busiest death chambers, but a series of problematic lethal injections in 2014 and 2015 led to a de facto moratorium.

Richard Glossip was just hours away from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug. It was later learned the same wrong drug had been used to execute an inmate in January 2015.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection - and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection

While the moratorium was in place, Oklahoma moved ahead with plans to use nitrogen gas to execute inmates, but ultimately scrapped that idea and announced last year that it planned to resume executions using the same three-drug lethal injection protocol that was used during the flawed executions. The three drugs are: midazolam, a sedative, vecuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Oklahoma prison officials recently announced that they have confirmed a source to supply all the drugs needed for seven executions that are scheduled to take place through March.

'Extensive validations and redundancies have been implemented since the last execution in order to ensure that the process works as intended,' the Department of Corrections said in a statement.

More than two dozen Oklahoma death row inmates are part of a federal lawsuit challenging the states lethal injection protocols, arguing that the three-drug method risks causing unconstitutional pain and suffering. A trial is set for early next year.

Grant and five other death row inmates were dismissed from the lawsuit after none of them selected an alternate method of execution, which a federal judge said was necessary.

The nation's high court voted 5-3 to overturn the stays of execution, with Justice Neil Gorsurch not participating

But a three-member panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the inmates did identify alternative methods of execution, even if they didnt specifically check a box designating which technique they would use. The panel had granted stays of execution on Wednesday for Grant and Jones, whose lethal injection is set for November 18.

The panel wrote, 'We find nothing in the relevant case law that specifically requires a prisoner to designate a method of execution to be used in his case by 'checking a box' when the prisoner has already identified in his complaint the very same alternative methods given as choices on the form.'

Carters daughter, Pam Carter, who also worked at the prison and was there the day her mother was killed, rejected the idea that her mother and Grant had anything more than a professional relationship and urged state officials to move forward with the execution.

'I understand hes trying to save his life, but you keep victimizing my mother with these stupid allegations,' she told the Pardon and Parole Board this month. 'My mother was vivacious. She was friendly. She didnt meet a stranger. She treated her workers just as you would on a job on the outside. For someone to take advantage of that is just heinous.'

Jones, who was convicted of murdering businessman Paul Howell in 1999, has maintained his innocence for two decades in a case that has attracted attention from celebrities and anti-death penalty activists.
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr and his brother-in-law are being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for potential insider trading just before the coronavirus pandemic sent the US economy into a tailspin, according to recent federal court filings.

The filings reveal that Burr was involved in, or linked to, a series of hasty phone calls occurring within seconds of each other on the same day he dumped a vast majority of his stock.

Burr, 65, a Republican retiring at this end of his term, is among several lawmakers from both parties who faced outrage over their aggressive trading in early 2020, before the economic threat from the virus was widely known.

That fueled accusations that the members of Congress were acting on inside information gained through their official duties to benefit financially, which is illegal under a law known as the STOCK Act.

Attorneys for Burr as well as for Gerald Fauth, a federal government official who is the brother of Burr's wife, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Burr has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Fauth chairs the National Mediation Board, an independent government agency that coordinates labor relations with the airline and rail industries. He was appointed to the board by Donald Trump.

The filings stem from a case brought by the SEC to force Fauth to comply with a subpoena. The agency argued that his close relationship with Burr and a phone call between the two, followed by calls to Fauth's brokers, made his testimony 'critical.'

Senator Richard Burr speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in June. Investigations into his stock trading have forced Burr to step down from his position as Senate Intelligence Committee chair last year

'Whether Fauth was himself tipped with inside information from Senator Burr, and whether Fauth knew Senator Burr was violating his duties under the STOCK Act by conveying that information, are matters Fauth is uniquely positioned to speak to,' the SEC said in a filing.

SEC attorneys released a timeline showing calls involving Burr and Fault happening in lightning quick succession last year on February 13, the day the North Carolina lawmaker sold off most of his portfolio.

It was roughly one week before the stock market went into a tailspin.

At the time Burr had 'material nonpublic information concerning Covid-19 and its potential impact on the U.S. and global economies' some of which he 'learned through his position' as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and from former staffers directing the government's coronavirus response, the SEC alleges in the court filing.

That day, after Burr instructed his own broker to sell, he spoke with Fauth in a call that lasted 50 seconds.

One minute later, the court document states, Fauth called one of his brokers. Two minutes later, he called another broker and gave instructions to sell shares in his wife's account.

Later that day, Burr, who was staying at the Fauths' home in suburban Washington, logged into his online brokerage account from an IP address registered to Fauth's wife, court records state.

Gerald Fauth, Burr's brother-in-law, was appointed to the National Mediation Board by Donald Trump

Burr was previously investigated by the Trump administration's Justice Department for offloading $1.6 million from his portfolio in January and February 2020. The department cleared him of wrongdoing almost a year later - on Jan. 19, Trumps last full day in office.

But the SEC continued to investigate Burr, according to court documents filed in the Southern District of New York that were first made public last week. The agency enforces federal securities law.

Burr has drawn perhaps the most scrutiny of all members of Congress for his trades in the early days of the pandemic. He was captured in a recording privately warning a group of influential constituents in early 2020 to prepare for economic devastation.

Burr denied trading on private information, but stepped aside from his position as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the FBI obtained a search warrant to seize a cellphone.

Burr is not seeking reelection next year. He was elected to the Senate in 2004 after a 10-year run in the House.

In October 2020 it was reported that he and three other senators were accused of insider trading after profiting off the stock market in March of that year, as millions were out of work and struggled at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The others were Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma. Investigations into all of them except Burr have been closed.

The STOCK Act, the statute which Burr and Fauth are being investigated under, was passed with bipartisan support in 2012 following a Congressional stock-trading scandal. It was cheered by government ethics groups and watchdogs as a long-overdue step.

In October 2020 it was reported that he and three other senators were accused of insider trading after profiting off the stock market in March of that year, as millions were out of work and struggled at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The other three were GOP Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia

But in the nearly decade since, no one has been convicted under the law.

Media reports from earlier this month found that at least 43 members of Congress violated that law this year by failing to report their financial trades as required by the STOCK Act.

It doesn't usually rise to the level of insider trading accusations, however, and Insider reports that lawmakers who run afoul of the rule usually pay a small fine around $200.

Legal experts say such insider trading cases are exceptionally difficult to prosecute because they require definitively proving whether someone acted on nonpublic information. That hinges on demonstrating intent - a high burden.

That's part of why SEC investigators are trying to get a court order to force Fauth to testify a-year-and-a-half after they first issued a subpoena.

Fauth repeatedly cited his health as a reason for not complying. His attorneys have said it is a valid reason.

But he has continued to tend to his duties for the mediation board, participating in calls and meetings. He was recently nominated for another three-year term and appeared last month with the agency's attorney to be interviewed by Republican Senate staffers before his confirmation hearing for the post.

'When he appeared for that interview, Fauth does not appear to have followed (his) physician's advice that he avoid `stressful situations,' the SEC wrote in the court filing.
The death of Liam Ranby, 21, was heartlessly hijacked by anti-vaxxers after he suffered a fatal brain aneurysm

The mother of a young unvaccinated farm worker who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm has hit out at false anti-vaxxer claims the Pfizer Covid vaccine killed him.

Liam Ranby, 21, from Whangarei on New Zealand's North Island, died on October 8 after collapsing during a gym session.

Heartless trolls hijacked Mr Ranby's tragic ordeal, claiming on social media he was suffering 'vaccine-related' side effects while he was still fighting for life in hospital.

His mother Tania Ranby said the rumours were completely untrue and that she had spoken to her son hours before his death about his decision not to get vaccinated.

'He didn't want to get vaccinated and he wanted my opinion. My advice was to take his time with the decision, don't feel pushed into it, and do what's right for him,' she told the NZ Herald.

Liam pictured with his mother Tania Ranby and sister Arnika. His mother she had spoken to her son hours before his death about his decision not to get vaccinated

'People have been messaging me telling me that I'm lying - that it's my duty to tell the public the truth.

'I'm not vaccinated, I'm pro-choice. I've heard both sides and it upsets me, people pushing the vaccine onto others.

'But it makes me sick that people are using my son to push their ideas through.'

She said Liam's father had also spoken out against the keyboard warriors at her son's funeral.

Ms Ranby said the anti-vaxxer rumours were so vocal that she even second-guessed herself about the cause of Liam's death and went back to check his medical records.

A fundraiser for Liam's family to help pay for his funeral - which has so far raised $13,990 - revealed the kiwifruit farm worker and keen musician was an organ donor.

'Liam's organs are being donated to save lives all over the country,' the fundraiser reads.

'I invite you to dig deep for them [his family] as they will need to pay for funeral expenses and time off work to grieve.'

The death of Tom Van Dijk (right) was also hijacked by anti-vaxxers wrongly claiming he died after receiving a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

In August, a Sydney private school was forced to rubbish claims one of its students died from the vaccine after anti-vaxxers spread fake rumours about the cause of his death.

St Pius X College student Tom Van Dijk, 17, died at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a swim with his family on August 21.

Daily Mail Australia revealed how false reports then circulated online that the champion swimmer and musician died shortly after receiving a dose of vaccine.

However, the Chatswood school's principal John Couani said the student had not even received his first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

'We have had a tragic loss [but] he did not have Covid-19 and did not die as a result of the vaccine,' Mr Couani told The North Shore Times.
Facebook announced Thursday that its rebranding its parent company under the name Meta and is already being mercilessly made into memes and targeted as the butt of many jokes.

The social media behemoth's founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference today that the renaming is an effort to distance Facebook from mounting scandals after a whistleblower leaked documents claiming that the platform harmed users and stoked anger.

Users on Twitter were quick to quip that the name suggests that the company is looking to steal 'literally all' of its users' metadata while another made light of a bleak future where society is even more addicted to devices and social media thanks to an all-consuming 'metaverse'.

The rename is already being mercilessly made into memes and users on Twitter were quick to quip that the name suggests the company is looking to steal 'literally all' of its users' metadata

'This all happened because Zuckerberg never meta girl until college,' one user humorously tweeted while another suggested Meta was actually an acronym

One meme made light of a bleak future where society is even more addicted to devices and social media thanks to the all-consuming 'metaverse'

Twitter's safety account posted that the only Meta its going to acknowledge is its META team, which stands for Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency and Accountability

Even Twitter's safety account posted that the only Meta its going to acknowledge is its META team - Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency and Accountability.

Yet Meta reportedly refers to 'metaverse' - Zuckerberg's vision for the company's transition into shared augmented reality where uses work and play in virtual world environments.

The 37-year-old billionaire has said he believes the metaverse to be the future of the internet and so the move is to presumably solidify Zuckerberg's top position in the shift.

Plus, as CEO and chairman of Meta, Zuckerberg has officially stepped into a new job title for the first time in 17 years, according to The Verge.

Instead of being congratulated on the position Zuckerberg was the main character of a slew of memes that made fun of the name change.

'Feta seems like an odd name,' one user tweeted alongside a screenshot of the CEO announcing the name change at the virtual conference. Thanks to Zuckerberg's hand gestures the user was also so fittingly able to photoshop a container of the cheese into his hands.

The rebrand meant that Zuckerberg, as CEO and chairman of Meta, officially stepped into a new job title for the first time in 17 years but instead of being congratulated on the position Zuckerberg was the main character of a slew of memes that made fun of the new name (above)

In another the letters of Meta were rearranged to read 'meat' as Zuckerberg seemingly held onto a raw steak while a different meme cited the fiber supplement Metamucil.

Yet another meme-maker added an 'L' to the company's new name and superimposed a long-haired wig and logo onto Zuckerberg's shirt to so fittingly transform him into a heavy metal-esque character.

But not all memes featured the social media mogul. One pictured a man beside a leaking water tank symbolic of Facebook's waterfall of scandals in recent months, which stemmed from internal documents leaked by whistleblower Francis Haugen, who made bombshell claims that Facebook 'puts profits over people' by knowingly harming teenagers with its content and stoking anger among users.

The photo was captioned 'mental health issues, data protection, Cambridge Analytica [a data firm that was embattled with the social media site for years, starting in 2014] and consumer exploitation'.

The man was then pictured placing a singular piece of tape over the leak and the caption read: 'Renaming to "Meta," suggesting that the rebrand is a shoddy attempt at cleaning the slate.

Other memes suggested that the rebrand is a shoddy attempt at Facebook clearing itself of recent scandals after whistleblower and former Facebook product manager Francis Haugen leaked the company's internal documents

Even the global supermarket chain Aldi chimed in and jokingly tweeted that it was changing its name to 'Betta' because 'we betta than all the rest'

The attempt to escape reality couldn't come at a better time for the embattled brand, which will retain the social media site as Facebook but rename Facebook Inc - the parent company that also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. It will begin trading under MVRS on December 1.

Haugen, a Facebook former product manager, left the company with tens of thousands of confidential documents that she copied in secret and released to roughly two dozen news outlets.

She testified before Congress on October 5 and British Parliament on Monday, presenting findings on the harm social media caused young users. One revealed that 13.5 percent of British teenagers and six percent of American teenagers experiencing suicidal thoughts said that they traced them to Instagram.

But the rebrand has not been marketed as a type of new beginning or cover-up of any scandals for that matter. Instead, it described itself as 'the next chapter of social connection' and in a tweet announcing the name change Meta wrote: 'Meta is helping build the metaverse, a place where we'll play and connect in 3D.'

Even the global supermarket chain Aldi chimed in and jokingly tweeted that it was changing its name to 'Betta' because 'we betta than all the rest'.

Twitter itself joined in on the fun and playfully tweeted: 'Big news lol jk still Twitter.'

Twitter itself joined in on the fun and sent out a playful tweet

Many Twitter users accused the tech firm of using the name change as a way to distract from its recent scandals

'This all happened because Zuckerberg never meta girl until college,' one user humorously tweeted while another suggested Meta was actually an acronym for 'Misinformation Exemplified To All'.

A Twitter user even pointed to the fact that Zuckerberg didn't coin the term 'metaverse' but instead swiped it from Neal Stephenson's 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash. However, the book does little to define the term beyond referring to it as an alternate reality.

All jokes aside, core findings in the documents Haugen leaked were that Facebook staff have reported for years that they are concerned about the company's failure to police hate speech - not to mention its algorithms flooded users with extremist content and conspiracy theories based on their political beliefs.

Internal messages from staff at the social media giant show that they blamed themselves for the January 6 Capitol riot after giving extremist content a platform on the site.

'One of the darkest days in the history of democracy and self-governance. History will not judge us kindly,' one worker said while another added: 'Weve been fueling this fire for a long time and we shouldnt be surprised its now out of control.'

One user pointed to the fact that Zuckerberg didn't coin the term 'metaverse' but instead swiped it from Neal Stephenson's 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash. However, the book does little to define the term beyond referring to it as an alternate reality

More tweets even joked about the company's new logo and one quipped that Apple should also rebrand to a different fruit - the horned melon

Employees pulled down a curtain draped over its iconic 'Like' sign outside the company's Silicon Valley headquarters to reveal the new branding

Whistleblower and former Facebook employee Haugen (pictured in court on Monday) left the company with tens of thousands of confidential documents that she copied in secret and released to roughly two dozen news outlets. She testified before Congress on October 5 and British Parliament on Monday and presented findings on the harm social media has caused young users

The documents, which came to be known as the Facebook Papers, also reveal that the site potentially mislead the US Securities and Exchange Commission by failing to disclose that its popularity among young users is slumping.

It's said to have failed to explain that many of its overall users are people with more than one account on its sites, meaning the actual number of users could be up to 11 percent fewer than its figures would suggest.

One trend showed that the time spent on Facebook by US teenagers was down 16 percent from 2020 to 2021 and that young adults - between 18 and 29 - were spending five percent less time on the app.

Oddly enough, Meta reported soaring profits for the latest quarter.

The company said that its net income grew 17 percent in the July-to-September period to $9.19billion, which was reportedly buoyed by strong advertising revenue. That figure means profits are up from $7.85billion a year earlier.

Meta stock rose more than one percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and rose by more than three percent on Thursday afternoon before dropping to about 1.5 percent by 5pm.

Meta is set to trade under MVRS from December 1. The company's stock rose more than one percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and rose by more than three percent on Thursday

Additionally third quarter revenue supposedly grew 35 percent to $29.01billion, exceeding analyst expectations.

The company's name change comes along with a new logo depicting a blue infinity symbol referring to the 'metaverse' - Zuckerberg's new focus to expand the company beyond its social media apps.

What is the metaverse? The 'metaverse' is a set of virtual spaces where you can game, work and communicate with other people who aren't in the same physical space as you. Facebook explained: 'You'll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. 'It's not necessarily about spending more time online  it's about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.' While Facebook is leading the charge with the metaverse, it explained that it isn't a single product one company can build alone. 'Just like the internet, the metaverse exists whether Facebook is there or not,' it added. 'And it won't be built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realized in the next 10-15 years.' Advertisement

The term 'metaverse' can refer to digital spaces, which are made more lifelike by the use of virtual reality or augmented reality.

'Our mission remains the same, it's still about bringing people together,' the CEO said, adding: 'Now we have a new North Star to help bring the metaverse to life.'

He noted that the word also means 'beyond' in Greek and symbolizes that there is 'always more to build' and 'always a next chapter in the story'.

The buzzy word - first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier - has also grown popular in Silicon Valley, where Facebook-turned-Meta is headquartered, and has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

Zuckerberg said: 'I believe the metaverse is the next chapter of the Internet and it's the next chapter of our company too. While most etch companies focus on how people could connect to technology, we focus on building technology so people could connect with each other.'

He has previously suggested the metaverse to be the future of the company and has been talking up the concept since July.

The company has invested heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on AR glasses and wristband technologies.

In addition to its name change, Meta also announced an upcoming virtual reality headset called Project Cambria, a high-end product available to be released next year at a higher price point than the $299 Quest 2 headset, the company said in a blog post.

Meta also revealed the code name of its first fully AR-capable smart glasses: Project Nazare. The glasses are 'still a few years out,' the company said in a blog post as Zuckerberg noted: 'We still have a ways to go with Nazare but we're making good progress.'

The move to Meta is reminiscent of when Google abruptly renamed itself Alphabet in 2015, making Google a subsidiary and allowing it to become a technology conglomerate.

Meta reportedly refers to 'metaverse,' which Zuckerberg said he believes to be the future of the Internet in a Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference, which is also when he revealed the rebrand
Internet users in Australia could be asked to choose a search engine from a mandatory screen as part of efforts to break up Google's dominance.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Thursday urged it be given the power to develop the screen, outlined in its third Digital Platform Services Inquiry interim report.

The report, which examines search engine selection screens like those in Europe, argues that default settings entrench Google services.

Internet users in Australia would be asked to choose a search engine from a mandatory screen as part of efforts to break up Google's dominance. Pictured : Google HQ in the US

ACCC chair Rod Sims said this stifled innovation and reduced consumer choice.

He said consumers may not be aware of search engines which protect users' privacy or have an ecological focus. Examples are DuckDuckGo and Ecosia.

Mr Sims said a competitive search market could benefit consumers by having fewer sponsored search results, better data protection and other rewards.

A Google spokesman said: 'People use Google Search because it's helpful, not because they have to and its popularity is based on quality that's built on two decades of innovation.

'Android gives people choice by allowing them to customise their device  from the apps they download, to the default services for those apps.

Google provided a search engine choice screen for Android users in Europe, which followed European Commission concerns about its dominance.

'Pre-installation benefits users by making it easier for them to use services quickly and easily. We are continuing to review the report and look forward to discussing it with the ACCC and government,' a Google spokesman said.

Google provided a search engine choice screen for Android users in Europe, which followed European Commission concerns about dominance. Pictured: Google Australia boss Mel Silva

Google's Android mobile operating system, used on phones, allowed users to customise their device, he said.

'We are continuing to review the report and look forward to discussing it with the ACCC and government,' he said.

Google has a 94 per cent share of the search engine market in Australia, according to the ACCC report.

Regulators around the world are scrutinising technology giants' competitive practices and power on a number of issues as they wield increasing economic and political influence.

The Australian government last year asked the ACCC to run a five-year inquiry into the supply of digital platform services and their impact on consumers.

Reports on online retail marketplaces and a broader one on advertising and competition issues will follow next year.
ydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said some delays are inevitable

A rail strike is set to alter the running of several Sydney trains and NSW TrainLink services on Friday.

The planned industrial action over bargaining for a new enterprise agreement will see scores of commuters experience delays during peak hour later on today.

On certain lines trains will run to a reduced frequency while other services won't travel faster than 60km/h.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said commuters should brace themselves for an extended commute - and if possible, consider another way to get home.

Planned industrial action will result in delays for Sydney peak hour commuters on Friday (stock image)

On certain lines - including the north shore, western Sydney and the Airport - trains will run to a reduced frequency, while other services won't travel faster than 60km/h (stock image)

'While we have worked to minimise impacts for our customers, some delays and longer journey times are expected for most of the day,' he said.

NSW TrainLink chief executive Dale Merrick confirmed regional rail services would also be affected.

'Regional rail and intercity customers need to plan ahead, as some journeys will take significantly longer to reach their destination and experience altered stopping patterns,' he told Nine News.

Delays expected on the following Sydney train lines on October 29: T1 North Shore & Western Line T2 Inner West & Leppington Line T8 Airport & South Line T9 Northern Line Central Coast and Newcastle Line South Coast Line Blue Mountains Line Southern Highlands Line Hunter Line Advertisement

Bargaining talks with the Combined Rail Unions, Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink are tipped to continue in November.

Limited buses will run on key routes in and around the CBD to help the lack of trains during the go-slow action.

Ferries as well as the L2 Randwick and L2 Kingsford Lines will also run as normal - but are likely to be brimming with people.
The public should be worried that China has completed hundreds of hypersonic missile tests while the US has done less than 10, says the nations second-highest ranking military officer, echoing previous concerns by top military brass.

Speaking at a Defense Writers Group roundtable, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Hyten said Chinas hypersonic missile advancements is an area of concern.

What you need to be worried about is that in the last five years, or maybe longer, the United States has done nine hypersonic missile tests, and in the same time the Chinese have done hundreds, Hyten said, according to reports.

Single digits versus hundreds is not a good place.

He did not elaborate on his concerns.

A hypersonic air-breathing weapons concept missile is seen in an artist's conception

DF-17 Dongfeng medium-range ballistic missiles equipped with a DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle, are shown in this 2019 file photo

It was revealed last week that a rocket failure caused a delay in the US militarys test of its hypersonic weapons system.

The military scheduled a test of its Army-Navy common hypersonic glide body in Kodiak, Alaska but it failed to launch, ABC News reported.

Meanwhile, China conducted a second test of a suspected hypersonic orbital missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, intelligence sources have claimed.

The new test is believed to have taken place on August 13 and involved a similar 'hypersonic glide vehicle' to one launched into space on board a Long March rocket in July, which was first reported earlier this week.

The new technology is reported to have caught US officials off guard, particularly as the system 'defies the laws of physics' and appears superior to anything in the American arsenal.

Hyten said the pace in which China is moving was stunning.

Joint Chiefs of Staff General vice chairman John Hyten said the public should be worried that China has completed hundreds of hypersonic missile tests while the US has done 9

China is thought to have carried out two tests of a hypersonic orbital nuke - the first on July 27 and the second on August 13 this year. Observers believe the 'weapon' is an updated version of a Soviet concept called a 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System', or FOBS. It is designed to evade powerful US radar systems and anti-missile defences designed to shoot down traditional ICBMs by flying in low-Earth orbit, making it harder to spot, track and destroy

'The pace they're moving and the trajectory they're on will surpass Russia and the United States if we don't do something to change it, he said. It will happen.

The two types of hypersonic weapons: Hypersonic glide vehicles A hypersonic glide vehicle is boosted aloft on a rocket to heights of between 25 miles to 62 miles above the earth before detaching to glide along the upper atmosphere towards its target. It is released at a height and speed that would allow it to glide unpowered to the target. Control surfaces on the glide vehicle mean it can steer an unpredictable course and maneuver sharply as it approaches impact. These glide vehicles follow a much flatter and lower trajectory than the high, arching path of a ballistic missile. Hypersonic cruise missiles These missiles are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines after acquiring their target. While they have internal engines, unlike regular cruise missiles, they travel far faster and higher. Advertisement

I think we have to do something.

Hytens concerns echoed those expressed earlier this week by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff.

Milley called China's suspected testing of hypersonic weapons 'very concerning' during an interview with The David Rubenstein Show on Bloomberg Television.

'I don't know if it's quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it's very close to that,' he added, referencing when the Soviet Union beat America to space in 1957 with its Sputnik satellite. 'It has all of our attention.'

Milley also warned that the new missile systems are just one of many things the U.S. should be concerned about as the Chinese military expands.

'The Chinese military capabilities are much greater than that. They're expanding rapidly in space, in cyber, and in the traditional domains of land, sea and air,' he told Bloomberg. 'We're in one of the most significant changes in what I call the character of war.'

The technology is designed to cut off enemy supply lines in the event of a conflict, the state-owned Global Times newspaper reported, adding that sneak attacks using underwater charges will make large vessels like American aircraft carriers vulnerable.

Underwater demolitions are a response to changing U.S. tactics in the Pacific, it added, claiming that Washington is dividing its forces between smaller locations instead of concentrating them in one place to mitigate the damage from attacks.

This tactic increases the strain on logistics operations required to keep large vessels such as aircraft carriers afloat, the Times said, making attacks on infrastructure such as ports and wharfs more important.

'With ports destroyed, enemy logistics support will fail and a dispersed fighting force... will also fail,' an unnamed military expert told the paper.

ABC News cited a US official who said that a booster rocket with a hypersonic glide body attached failed to launch during a launch test at Kodiak, Alaska. The image above shows a March 19, 2020 test of the joint Army-Navy common hypersonic glide body that is being developed for launch from both land and submarine

It is just the latest move in a global arms race between Russia, China and the US which is taking place against the backdrop of mounting tensions between the superpowers in the eastern Pacific.

All three countries are engaged in wholesale updates of their militaries including the development of new nuclear technology with which they can strike each-other at range.

Russia and China have, in recent years, unveiled new and more-powerful ICBMs which are capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads at targets many thousands of miles away.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff described China's alleged testing of hypersonic weapons as 'very concerning'

China, the US and Russia are engaged in a global arms race that now includes the development of hypersonic missile technology. Here, the MailOnline has compared (from left) each country's main nuclear weapon, the latest hypersonic technology they have tested, their most up-to-date aircraft carriers, main battle tanks, and cutting-edge jets

The United States, Russia and at least five other countries are also working on hypersonic technology, and last month North Korea said it had test-fired a newly-developed hypersonic missile.

Russia has previously tested a hypersonic cruise missile known as Zircon, but it flies below the atmosphere and uses fuel to power itself to hypersonic speeds rather than the Earth's orbit.

The Pentagon did not comment on China's testing of the hypersonic missile, but did acknowledge China as their 'number one pacing challenge'.

'We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond,' John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Fox News. 'That is one reason why we hold China as our number one pacing challenge.'
Convicted murderer Robert Durst has been transferred to state prison facility that cares for seriously-ill inmates after a fortnight on a ventilator with COVID-19

Durst, 78, the estranged heir of a New York real estate empire, was moved from the Los Angeles jail system Wednesday and is now hospitalized at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, prison spokeswoman Terry Thornton told DailyMail.com.

The Northern California hospital facility is for inmates with long-term and acute medical needs.

Thornton told DailyMail.com that the California Department of Corrections 'cannot discuss or disclose a persons protected health information' when asked about Durst's condition.

'Durst will be evaluated for appropriate housing consistent with his security, medical, psychiatric, housing and program needs and other case factors,' she wrote in an email.

A new mugshot that has yet to be released it said to show him propped against a pillow, suggesting he remains seriously-ill.

Durst silenced his best friend Susan Berman in December 2000 to keep her from telling authorities how she helped him cover up the 1982 killing of his wife Kathleen McCormack Durst in New York, prosecutors said.

He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for Berman's killing at the Inglewood Courthouse in Los Angeles on October 14, then diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed on a ventilator two days later.

Robert Durst is pictured at his sentencing on October 14. He was subsequently diagnosed with COVID and spent a fortnight on a ventilator, before being transferred to a prison facility for seriously-ill inmates

On October 22, New York authorities charged Durst with second-degree murder in the killing of Kathie Durst. She disappeared without a trace in 1982, and her body has never been found.

After the Westchester County District Attorney in New York reopened Kathie's disappearance as a murder case this year, the woman's family told News 12 that they felt closer to justice than ever before, but were anxious over Durst's failing health.

Astonishingly, progress was made in that case when First Lady Jill Biden's first husband Bill Stevenson said he'd been having an affair with Kathie shortly before she vanished.

Durst, 78, who appeared sickly during his sentencing, 'looked worse than I've ever seen him,' his lawyer of 20 years Dick DeGuerin told the Los Angeles Times. He suffered from a variety of serious health problems before his hospitalization.

In a push to postpone Durst's trial indefinitely, DeGuerin rattled off a list of his 'life-threatening' health issues in June, according to NBC Los Angeles, including severe malnourishment, a recurrence of esophageal cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, coronary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and spinal disease.

When Durst was being treated for one of these maladies in a jail hospital that month, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin questioned the veracity of his sickness, telling a judge that the 78-year-old defendant 'is on record in his jail calls saying that he's going to fake dementia, that he's going to secure a mistrial due to COVID.'

Kathleen McCormack Durst (left), was 29 years old when she vanished on January 29, 1982. Her body was never found

Durst entered the courtroom with a wide-eyed vacant stare. Near the end of the hearing after Bermans loved ones told the judge how her death upended their lives, Durst coughed hard and appeared to struggle to breathe. His chest heaved, and he pulled his mask down below his mouth and began to gulp for air.

Durst was also acquitted of killing a neighbor in Texas in 2003 after testifying he shot the man in self-defense during a struggle for a handgun. He was cleared despite chopping the victim's body up afterwards, and dumping it in the ocean.

The multimillionaire whose grandfather founded one of New York City's premier real estate companies was considered a suspect in Kathie's disappearance, but evaded justice for 39 years.

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

The killing had been a mystery that haunted the women's' families for years before Durst participated in the 2015 HBO documentary 'The Jinx: The Life and Crime of Robert Durst' that unearthed new evidence and caught him in a stunning confession:

'What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course,' Durst mumbled on a hot mic as he went to the bathroom, unaware that he was being recorded, during an interview with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki - the real estate scion was arrested the day before the documentary aired after the recording was shared with police.



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.

Kathie Durst was last seen on Christmas of 1982, according to interviews conducted with her family by News 12.

Her brother, Jim McCormack, told the outlet that Durst had wanted to leave the holiday gathering, but Kathie was lingering. What happened next has haunted the McCormack family since:

'[Durst] walked over to her, grabbed her by the top of her hair and yanked her. And she went with that pull. My grandmother's eyes were as big as pizza pies. She grabbed her coat and she turns to me and says "It's OK, Jimmy,"' he said.

Eight years after his wife's disappearance, Durst quietly divorced her, citing 'spousal abandonment. She was not declared legally dead until 2019.

In an affidavit, Durst wrote that 'he received no communication from his wife' after she left their home in South Salem on January 31, 1982.

Sources close to the reopened case investigation told News 12 that Durst originally told police that he had dropped Kathie off at a train station in Westchester, then spoke to her on a payphone after she took a train to Manhattan.

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.
A number of Texas Republicans have signed on to Rep. Chip Roy's memo calling for the impeachment of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, after the border officials apprehended a record 1.7 million migrants trying to cross illegally during the 2021 fiscal year.

The letter takes issue with Mayorkas terminating the border wall, failing to take adequate legal action against illegal migrants and causing CBP to become overwhelmed, releasing migrants into the interior of the US and refusing to enforce interior immigration laws.

Roy writes that Mayorkas has refused to expel most migrants under Title 42 and has ended the Migrant Protection Protocols, or the Remain in Mexico program.

The memo, obtained by Fox News, says that Mayorkas 'has failed to secure our borders and has endangered Americans in the process, and in so doing, has violated his oath to the Constitution, failing to defend it and failing to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.'

The memo argues that 'for the undeniable and unavoidable damages imposed to Texans and Americans as a whole, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors in his role as the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security.'

Roy in his memo argues that 'for the undeniable and unavoidable damages imposed to Texans and Americans as a whole, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors'

The letter takes issue with Mayorkas terminating the border wall, failing to take adequate legal action against illegal migrants and causing CBP to become overwhelmed, etc.

Texas Republican Reps. Louie Gohmert, Michael Cloud, Jodey Arrington and Pete Sessions expressed support for the memo.

The memo came before it was revealed Thursday that the Biden administration is looking to potentially pay a whopping $450,000 per person to migrant families separated under the Trump-era 'zero tolerance policy.'

In August, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., proclaimed that he would file articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, calling the Cabinet member 'a threat to the sovereignty and security of our nation'.

And on Wednesday, Mayorkas relaxed interior enforcement policy by issuing new off-limits areas where agents are not to arrest migrants.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have long been banned from making arrests in hospital and school settings, but now they will be asked to refrain from doing so at places of worship, places where children gather such as playgrounds, rec centers and bus stops and social service buildings such as domestic violence and homeless shelters.

Officers are also to avoid arrests at public demonstrations such as protests or parades, and during religious or civil ceremonies such as weddings or funerals.

The guidance also asks agents to reconsider enforcement actions 'near' such protected locations. There are exceptions in certain circumstances.

Immigration arrests inside the United States fell during the past year to their lowest number in more than a decade, it emerged on Tuesday, according to new ICE data.

New caravan of 3,000 migrants is heading toward the US, pictured above on Oct. 27

US border officials apprehended a record 1.7 million migrants in fiscal year 2021

Almost 72,000 arrests were made in fiscal year 2021, which ended in September, a drop of almost one third since 2020 when 104,000 arrests made, according to new ICE data.

The Washington Post reported that the number of arrests made by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations was down from an average of 148,000 a year from 2017 to 2019 - and far less than the 322,093 made in 2011, a peak year for activity.

It meant that the 6,000 enforcement officers made an average of 12 arrests each during the year ending Sept. 30, or one a month.

The newspaper said ICE arrests began to fall under President Biden after the imposition of new limits on immigration enforcement and a 100-day pause on most deportations.
A former Survivor contestant is leading a protest effort against a plan to allow oil and gas drilling off the coast of NSW.

The Petroleum Exploration Permit 11, known as PEP-11, is an offshore oil and gas exploration permit currently held by Advent Energy and Bounty Oil and Gas.

The company has grand plans of building oil rigs and drilling into the Earth but the license expired in February 2021.

While it has applied to renew its application, strong opposition from the community has abounded, with some environmentalists claiming it could lead to leaks, destroy marine life and affect our climate.

The permit parameters begin as close as six kilometres from the shoreline and extend for a 4,575 square kilometre zone off the coast between Manly in Sydney's northern beaches and Newcastle.

Advent has signalled that PEP-11 could be the 'closest potential new source of gas to the NSW market' and will meet any gas supply gaps Australia could face in the future.

The Petroleum Exploration Permit 11, known as PEP-11, is an offshore oil and gas exploration permit currently held by Advent Energy and Bounty Oil and Gas (stock image)

The permit starts as close as six kilometres from shore and extends for a 4,575 square kilometre zone off the coast between Manly in Sydney's northern beaches and Newcastle

But Laura Wells, a science communicator, model and Survivor contestant, told Daily Mail Australia the potential offshore drilling would be 'detrimental' to Australians' ecosystems and livelihoods.

'If that was to occur and go ahead, we will be seeing oil and gas rigs from our coastline, which is not only an eyesore but detrimental to so many ecosystems in our future, and it will affect the livelihood and lifestyles of many Australians,' she claimed.

'If oil and gas exploration does occur in the area with oil and gas rigs, we have a very high chance of an oil spill that could occur, which would be extremely difficult to all marine life in the area.

Patagonia Surf Activist and Co-Founder of Surfer For Climate Belinda Baggs grew up in Newcastle and told Daily Mail Australia that she considers the ocean and coastline her backyard and would do anything to try and protect it from any threat.

'Gas is not a transition fuel, gas is a fossil fuel and drilling for gas will obviously increase global warming and further the climate impacts that we're seeing across the coastline,' Ms Baggs said.

'It would be industrialising the horizon. Every time we go to the beach, it's a place for me to connect with my family and I know a lot of the other community feel that as well - it's our coastal culture.'

Laura Wells (pictured), a science communicator, model and Survivor contestant, said the potential offshore drilling would be 'detrimental' to Australians' ecosystems and livelihoods

The model and science communicator said that the burden of offshore drilling carried implications for tourism, especially in summer.

'When we look at it, the coast of New South Wales, it is heavily associated with tourism and also obviously property and property prices,' Ms Wells said.

'So having oil and gas rigs off our coast not only damages that, but we're looking at a huge, huge problem with tourism.'

Ms Wells mentioned that the coast is used in many ways, not only economic-wise but also health-wise and believes that the potential of having these areas inundated with oil and gas is a potential for oil spillages.

The model and science communicator said that the burden of offshore drilling carried implications for tourism, especially in summer (Pictured: Beachgoers at Manly Beach)

'I mean, we're looking at changing the landscape of our future forever if we let it go ahead.'

After seeing the worst bushfires in Australian history in 2019 and 2020 and recent flooding events, Ms Baggs said the climate impacts would be heightened if the permit is allowed.

'No offshore drilling comes without risks so there are definitely implications that could impact our natural environment and obviously heightened climate impacts.'

'We're all gonna be feeling the brunt of this from coastal erosion to more fires, more floods, and more intense storm activity.'

The former surf champion added that Australia is the biggest exporter of gas on the planet and doesn't understand why there is a need for more.

'They keep telling us that we're in a gas shortage in Australia, which I don't understand because we export more than anybody else on the planet.'

The opposition to the controversial permit reached parliament last week as Warringah MP Zali Steggall introduced a bill to stop PEP-11, but the government blocked the motion (Pictured: Laura Wells and Belinda Baggs with fellow campaigners)

The opposition to the controversial permit reached parliament last week as Warringah MP Zali Steggall introduced a bill to stop PEP-11.

Despite previous support from Liberal MPs along the NSW coast and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the government blocked the motion to debate and vote on the bill.

Ms Steggall said: 'Communities up and down the coast are united in opposition to this project. It must be stopped.

'Despite all the assurances of backbench MPs and even Scott Morrison, the licence remains active. It's clear that they are not prepared to vote for their community.'

After the right to debate and vote the bill was blocked in parliament, both Ms Wells and Ms Baggs raised concerns that the potential crisis is being ignored.

'It's now down to the single hands of Keith Pitt as a Resource Minister to make the decision now that it was blocked in Parliament, and it was blocked by politicians that said they don't actually support PEP-11,' Ms Wells said.

After the right to debate and vote the bill was blocked in parliament, both Ms Wells and Ms Baggs raised concerns that the potential crisis is being ignored (stock image)

Ms Baggs said: 'It makes you think are they just telling us what we want to hear? Or are they going to put their money where their mouth is? Because we need action and we need this off the cards.'

The former surfer has also urged residents to get educated on the issue, sign the petitions online available on the Save our Coast and Surfrider Foundation websites, and contact their local MPs to let them know that there shouldn't be new gas drillings in NSW waters.

Ms Wells added that Surfrider Foundation, Surfers for Climate and Save our Coasts have been working hard with coastal communities to get their voices heard, and they will keep continuing the fight.

'At this stage, we will keep raising our voices, we will keep making our voices heard and telling the government exactly we want and it takes all of us to band together to really do that.'

'This is our livelihood as a collective. It's not just people that enjoy the surf or enjoy the ocean, it's about everyone and everyone's future now.'

'We will be taking this all the way to the end.'
Her sister Shakira tried knocking on the door and knew something was wrong

The single mum's young daughter Valerie, four, tried repeatedly to 'wake' her up

Nikita Jarvis, 21, was five weeks' pregnant when she was found dead in bed

Pictured: Nikita Jarvis on her 21st birthday, one week before she died

A pregnant mum-of-two was lying dead in her bed for hours as her four-year-old daughter tried to 'wake' her - just one week after her 21st birthday.

Nikita Jarvis was five weeks' pregnant when she went to hospital near her home in Rockhampton, on Queensland's mid-north coast, on the morning of October 23 because she was feeling sick.

It wasn't the first time - she mysteriously stopped breathing in the emergency department in January and was placed in an induced coma, her sister Shakira Jarvis told Daily Mail Australia.

The young woman woke up with nerve damage in her leg and was in a wheelchair for a short time after that, but her sudden blackout left doctors stumped.

They also couldn't work out what was wrong with her last Saturday, and sent her home with diazepam - a drug used to control anxiety, muscle spasms and insomnia, formerly known as Valium.

That afternoon, the single mum celebrated her father's birthday with her children Valerie, four, and Michael, three, and her extended family by snacking on nibbles and watching Shrek, but the family left when Nikita grew tired at about 3pm.

Nikita is pictured with her young kids, Valerie (left, now age four) and Michael (now age three)

Shakira (pictured left with her sister) said Nikita was a 'great mum' who would do anything for her kids. She moved into a new family home with her two kids just weeks before she died

'I sent her a message at 4:58pm letting her know I wouldn't be able to take her and her son to the hairdressers that week because I had a lot of things on, and I never got a reply but didn't think anything of it,' Shakira said.

The following afternoon at about 2.20pm, their father sent Shakira a text asking if she'd heard from Nikita - she phoned twice but it went straight to voicemail.

When the kids' father - who had just moved to Brisbane for work - said he hadn't heard from her either, the 23-year-old felt sick with worry.

'I got into the car with my 10-month-old son and went to check on her,' she said.

'When I arrived, I knocked for a while and my four-year-old niece asked "who is it?"

'I told her it was Aunty Shak and asked if she could open the door, and she replied: "I can't, Mummy's sleeping and I can't wake her".'

Shakira - who had visited her sister almost every day in the weeks prior - entered panic mode and ran around the house to the back door, noticing that the kids were still wearing the clothes they'd worn for her father's birthday, 24 hours ago.

Pictured: Valerie and Michael help Nikita open presents on her 21st birthday. She was pregnant with her third child at the time

Little Valerie (pictured with her mum and her brother Michael) tried to wake Nikita, not realising she was dead

Walking up to the bedroom, the mum-of-two could feel that something was wrong - 'I could smell something was off,' she added.

Shakira said the image of her younger sister's lifeless body 'with fluids leaking from her nose and face' is burned into her mind.

'Every time I close my eyes to go to sleep I picture the way I found her,' she said.

She called an ambulance and cried as she waited outside with her baby, niece and nephew, before her father, brother, two best friends and mother-in-law arrived - 'we were all in shock just screaming and crying, we were really distraught'.

The father of Nikita's kids jumped in the car when he found out what happened and drove from Brisbane to Rockhampton - even though they were separated, they were thinking about getting back together before their third baby was born.

Paramedics said Nikita had been gone 'for a fair few hours', but couldn't determine the cause of death.

When the father of Nikita's kids found out what happened, he hopped straight in the car and drove from Brisbane to Rockhampton

Nikita and Shakira (pictured as teenagers) had a traumatic childhood and saw a lot of violence, but were best friends

The family are now relying on the autopsy results to find out what happened, but Shakira thinks her sister could have choked in her sleep but didn't wake because of the diazepam.

'Maybe she had an allergic reaction that has stopped her breathing, but it's such a shock because she was freshly 21 ,' the older sister said.

Shakira added that Nikita was very against drugs, didn't smoke, didn't like alcohol very much, and desperately wanted to get off the antidepressants she was prescribed.

To help with funeral costs and living expenses, the family set up a Go Fund Me campaign.

Shakira said she saw Nikita almost every day, and knew something was wrong when her father said he hadn't heard from her

'This situation has left our whole family traumatised and in shock, her death was so sudden and it has shaken us all,' the fundraiser read.

'We are so thankyou for donations from the public for the clothing, toys, vouchers, flowers and gift cards for the children.'

When asked about how Nikita will be remembered, Shakira described her as 'funny with a big heart.'

'She could turn anything into a joke and make you laugh, she had such a great personality, she also has the biggest heart and was just a very caring person and loved to give and see other people happy.'

Though Nikita found out she was pregnant with Valerie at 15, Shakira said she managed it well.

'She was an incredible mother, she's everything you'd want a mother to be and her kids loved her so much and she really loved them,' she said.

'They are just the best kids because they had a beautiful mum raising them well, and we were all so proud of her.'
The embattled school district in Virginias Loudoun County has another problem on its hands to add to the notorious boy in a skirt rape case.

Cops in the county are now investigating multiple incidents of a middle school boy groping other boys, the countys sheriffs office confirmed exclusively to DailyMail.com.

The alleged assaults all happened at Harmony Middle School in Hamilton, Virginia, sheriffs spokesman Kraig Troxell revealed.

He said there was one complaint made on Wednesday and while investigating, officers found there have been several similar cases since the beginning of the week.

DailyMail.com understands the boy involved is a seventh grader at the school.

The incidents involve the boy touching other students inappropriately over their clothing, Troxell said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

He said the sheriffs school resource office learned of the first incident at the end of the school day on Wednesday.

At this time detectives have determined there are additional male students who were inappropriately touched by the same juvenile. Those incidents had not been previously reported to school officials or law enforcement.

School district spokesman Wayde Byard said he had nothing to add to the sheriffs statement.

Alecia Brand, who is serving as a spokesperson for the family of one of the Harmony victims, said: 'The family is requesting privacy at this time while they seek legal counsel.

This is just another example of Loudoun County Public Schools focusing on political ideology and private interest group agendas instead of their most important jobs, safety and education.

Students walked out of Loudoun County public schools on Tuesday in protest against the county's handling of a rape allegation after a judge found the boy accused guilty

Students walked out of classrooms in multiple schools in the district as part of the coordinated protest

Scott Smith, the victim's father, was pictured with a bloody mouth, being dragged out of a school board meeting on June 22 - a month after the attack - after listening to school officials say no one had been sexually assaulted in the bathrooms when that's what his daughter had reported the previous month

The victim's parents were ridiculed by the left after her father Scott Smith was pictured being dragged out of a school board meeting on June 22. They say they now feel vindicated

Brand also represents the family of the girl who was sexually assaulted by the 'boy in a skirt.'

The new headache for the school board comes after public anger at the way it has handled the rape case at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia.

Juvenile court judge Pamela Brooks agreed with the charges - forcible sodomy and forcible fellatio - which is the juvenile court equivalent of a conviction in Virginia.

The boy, who has not been named because he is a minor, will return to court on November 15 for sentencing. He has also been charged with sexually assaulting another girl at a different school in the same Virginia school district in October.

Students walked out of their classrooms on Tuesday in a show of 'solidarity' for the victim.

Juvenile Court judge Pamela Brooks agreed with the girl and her parents, saying there was enough evidence to prove the teen boy - who is also charged in another sexual assault - forced himself on her

Some stood in front of their school, chanting: 'Loudoun County Protects Rapists!'

The teenage victims father Scott Smith was dragged out of a school board meeting and arrested on June 22 after hearing members of the Loudoun County school board claim they'd received no reports of sexual assaults involving students in the bathrooms, when less than a month earlier, his daughter had reported just that.

He was later convicted of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Smith said the now-convicted rapist was gender fluid and was allowed in the girls bathroom because of that.

His daughter, who admitted previously having sex with the boy in the bathrooms, said they had arranged to meet there again at lunchtime on May 28.

She said she went into a handicapped stall and he followed. She told him she was not in the mood for sex and he threw her on the floor and forced her to perform sex acts.

He flipped me over, she testified in court. I was on the ground and couldnt move and he sexually assaulted me.

He only stopped, she said when someone else went into the bathroom.

The row over transgender policies at Loudoun County schools has divided parents and teachers for months. Pictured, more parents at the June 22 meeting

Superintendent Scott Ziegler claimed on June 22 that he'd received 'no report' of a sexual assault in the school bathrooms. On May 28, the day it happened, he sent this email to colleagues confirming that it had been reported. 'This afternoon, a female student alleged that a male student sexually assaulted her in the restroom'

The boy told detectives in earlier statements that he stopped' because he knew he was 'hurting the girl', but he also claimed the sexual assault only happened when his 'knee length skirt got caught on his watch'.

The boy's attorney William Mann argued that because they'd had consensual sex before in the bathrooms, he was reasonable in assuming consent on May 28.

The judge disagreed. The boy is also facing another sexual battery charge on a different girl at a different school in the district. That case has not been resolved yet, and he will return to court on November 15 for sentencing.

The case became the tip of a raging debate in Loudoun County over transgender students' rights and parents' freedom of speech. The row culminated in the meeting when Smith was taken out of the room by a cop.

Schools superintendent Scott Ziegler sent an email to parents on the day the rape occurred to say the school was investigating but told the June 22 meeting: 'To my knowledge, we dont have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms.'

The girl's parents say they feel 'relieved' at the courts findings but are demanding an apology from the National School Board Association for its characterization of parents who angrily protest woke school policies as domestic terrorists.

Loudoun County Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler apologized for failing to provide a 'safe' environment for students

After Monday's verdict, the family released a statement through their attorney Bill Stanley saying: 'We are greatly relieved that justice was served today.

'No one should have to endure what this family has endured, and now their focus is completely upon their daughters health and safety as she progresses forward with her life.'

Smith said: 'I am a father who cares deeply for his daughter, who would go to the ends of the earth to protect both her and other students who attend public school in Loudoun County from suffering what she has suffered due to the misguided social policies adopted by the school board.

'I am not a "domestic terrorist.

He was ridiculed and made to appear as a bigoted transphobe when it was not generally known at the time that his daughter had been assaulted.

Smith previously told The Daily Wire about the sexual assault, saying he felt he had no choice to reveal what happened after watching the school board dismiss it.

The school board initially claimed that no one who spoke at the June 22 meeting knew about the allegation because it was still being investigated by police.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler then issued an apology, saying he 'misunderstood' what he was asked when someone asked if there had been an assault in a bathroom, and that he assumed they meant an assault by a trans teen.

The scandal also gave life to the campaign of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Glenn Youngkin, who is warning parents of the dangers their kids face in Virginia's public schools unless he is elected.

The scandal also gave life to the campaign of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Glenn Youngkin, who is warning parents of the dangers their kids face in Virginia's public schools unless he is voted in in next weeks election.

He was trailing behind Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe but has since closed in on him.

Last week, Youngkin cited the case involving Smith's daughter, saying: 'What other tragedy awaits Virginias children?'
Law enforcement officers turned down a request by Loudoun County school district for dozens of police and sheriffs at their meeting this summer, accusing the school board of being provocative and causing their own problems.

The Virginia district has been the epicenter of anger this summer at school curricula and policies - in particular, the teaching of critical race theory and rules regarding transgender students.

A June 22 meeting in the district descended into violence and chaos, with brawls and police called to make several arrests.

Sheriffs from Loudoun County are seen on June 22 arresting a parent after a contentious meeting of the school board

The row over transgender policies at Loudoun County schools has divided parents and teachers for months. Pictured, more parents at the June 22 meeting

The superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools, Scott Ziegler, wrote to Michael Chapman of Loudoun County Sheriff's Office on August 6 to request support for their next meeting, scheduled for August 10.

Ziegler sent an emailed list of his requirements: three sheriffs inside the administrative building; a K-9 explosive sweep before the meeting; a team of five sheriffs as a quick-reaction force on site near the building; undercover sheriffs in the building; a civil disturbance unit on standby near by; a special operations team on standby near the site; and a joint command post, with an onsite commander.

He also wanted, according to the communication obtained by Fox News, a security briefing ahead of the session.

Chapman replied to the email, stating: 'Your request is extraordinary and would likely constitute LCSO's commitment of a minimum of approximately 65 sworn deputies.

'Despite this, you fail to provide any justification for such a manpower intensive request.'

Scott Ziegler, the superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools, wrote to the sheriffs' office ahead of their August 10 school board meeting to request assistance

Mike Chapman, the sheriff of Loudoun County, replied to Ziegler saying that he found his list of requests 'extraordinary' and excessive

A spokesman for the sheriffs office, Kevin Lewis, then followed up, telling Ziegler that there would be no uniformed officers inside the building or out. There would be sheriffs nearby, in case of any problem.

Lewis said that Chapman felt a heavy presence of members of the sheriffs' office would not be helpful, and was not warranted.

Lewis said Chapman felt the school board was at fault for having decided unilaterally to prevent parents at the June 22 meeting from speaking.

He said their decision to install a metal detector was provocative, and criticized the school board for creating their own plan for August 10, without asking for the sheriffs' input.

Furthermore, Chapman said that six of the nine school board members had inflamed tensions by 'creating anti-racist groups on social media'.

Lewis explained that the sheriffs' office 'has been made to appear as the muscle for school board and work at the school board's direction.'

He added: 'After June 22, LCSO and Sheriff Chapman received national criticism for being bad guyat the meeting being blamed for what took place.

'He stated that some of the comments included death threats.

'He continued to say that he (Chapman) received all of the criticism and that the Superintendent and School Board took none of the push back from the community or national arena.'

Members of Loudoun County sheriffs office (pictured) felt that they were made to be the 'bad guys' in the dispute between the parents and the school district

Lewis said that Chapman felt the 'optics' were that the sheriffs' office 'deprived citizens of their right to speak in public'.

Chapman further said the school board was 'firing people up and calling LCSO to clean it up.'

Chapman told Lewis that 'the plan for Aug 10/11 puts LCSO in same position and I wont be put in that position again. School board is being dismissive of people they don't agree with.'

Lewis expressed sympathy for Ziegler's request, saying that he told Chapman that Ziegler and the rest of the board had also received death threats, and pushing back on Chapman's assertion that the safety plan was made without consultation.

The August 10 meeting did not see a repeat of the violence of the June 22 session.

Loudoun County brought in a new rule, making it compulsory for members of the public to register to speak in person or submit written comments to be shared with school board members.

Walk-up comments were accepted only until five minutes before the meeting begins, and only 10 speakers at a time were admitted into the building, with the next 10 speakers waiting in line to enter outside.
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New York City firefighters and anti-vaxx demonstrators rallied outside Mayor Bill de Blasio's residence to protest his vaccine mandate on Thursday ahead of today's deadline for city workers to get the shot.

During the protest at Gracie Mansion on Thursday FDNY union members reiterated the catastrophic consequences of a possible shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel, predicting a 20percent drop in staff.

Around 160,000 municipal employees, including cops, firefighters, and sanitation workers, have until 5 pm to get the jab or face being placed on leave without pay.

Meanwhile, De Blasio said on Thursday he stands by the mandate.

'I am not having second thoughts,' he said. 'We expected that a lot of the vaccinations would happen toward the end of the deadline. We also know a lot of people make the decision once they really realize that they're not going to get paid. That's just the human reality.'

FDNY union members, municipal workers and others protested the city's vaccine mandate for city employees outside of Gracie Mansion on Thursday, ahead of the deadline on Friday

Around 160,000 municipal employees, including cops, firefighters, and sanitation workers, have until 5 pm today to get the jab or face being placed on leave without pay

A demonstrator uses a whistle during a protest by New York City Fire Department

'I am not having second thoughts,' de Blasio said. 'We expected that a lot of the vaccinations would happen toward the end of the deadline. We also know a lot of people make the decision once they really realize that they're not going to get paid. That's just the human reality.'

The Benevolent Police Association, the NYPD's largest union, attempted to block the mandate in court but ultimately failed after a Staten Island judge rejected the request on Wednesday

They appealed again on Thursday. A new court hearing has been scheduled for November 12

Despite union leaders' remarks that the rally was not political nor anti-vaccine - just anti-mandate - some marchers held banners with racist rhetoric.

The Benevolent Police Association, the NYPD's largest union, attempted to block the mandate in court but ultimately failed after a Staten Island judge rejected the request on Wednesday.

They appealed again on Thursday. A new court hearing has been scheduled for November 12.

The city will have to prove the mandate is not 'arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion.'

Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, said that his members felt 'insulted' by Mayor Bill de Blasio's order, which was announced just last week, and warns that 30 to 40 percent of firehouses may have to close.

'I have told my members that if they choose to remain unvaccinated, they must still report for duty,' Ansbro told a news conference Wednesday.

'If they are told they cannot work, it will be the department and city of New York that sends them home. And it will be the department and the city of New York that has failed to protect the citizens of New York,' he added.

UFA President Andrew Ansbro speaks to hundreds of city workers at a rally protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate outside Gracie Mansion

NY Firefighter Protest Opposing Vaccine Mandate and hold signs reading '25 FIREHOUSES CLOSING MONDAY'

Union members, municipal workers and others demonstrate during a protest against the city's COVID-19 mandates on Manhattan's Upper East Side

Despite union leaders' remarks that the rally was not political nor anti-vaccine - just anti-mandate - some marchers held banners with racist rhetoric

During the protest at Gracie Mansion on Thursday FDNY union members reiterated the catastrophic consequences of a possible shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel, predicting a 20percent drop in staff.

'A lot of people make the decision once they really realize that they're not going to get paid. That's just the human reality, de Blasio said on Thursday

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is vaccinated and attended the protest, sided with demonstrators. 'It's going to mean less cops in the streets, less firefighters, less sanitation workers. We already have less municipal hospital workers and less teachers,' Sliwa said

Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) President Andrew Ansbro speaks during a protest outside the Gracie Mansion Conservancy against the coming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers

Some marchers on Thursday held banners and signs reading 'Trump 2024,' and 'Don't Tread on Me,' the Daily Beast reported.

'It's not about the fricking vaccine,' a firefighter told the outlet. 'It's about the city not stepping on our nuts.'

Among the almost entirely unmasked crowd, a swastika could be seen.

Uniformed Firefighters Association vice president Bobby Eustace said the protest was 'anti-mandate and anti-mandate only'.

'We want everybody to know that we are not anti-vaccination by any means, and any signs in the crowd right now that say otherwise, we don't want to be part of that,' he said.

Eustace added: 'Any negative signs, and racist signs, that stupid swastika sign right now, get rid of that. We don't want any of that stuff right here. You're not welcome. This is not about right or left. This is about anti-mandate and anti-mandate only. That is the only stance we are taking right now.'

All city workers, excluding uniformed correction officers, are required to have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 5pm on October 29

About 36 percent of employees at the New York City Fire Department remain unvaccinated, according to the city's latest tally. That's down from 40 percent on October 19

'It's not about the fricking vaccine,' a firefighter said. 'It's about the city not stepping on our nuts'

'FDNY EMS Last Year Heroes This Year Zeros,' reads a sign held by a demonstrator

Thousands of city workers, mostly firefighters, gathered outside Gracie Mansion as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's vaccine mandate looms just one day ahead of the deadline,

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is vaccinated and attended the protest, sided with demonstrators.

'It's going to mean less cops in the streets, less firefighters, less sanitation workers. We already have less municipal hospital workers and less teachers,' Sliwa said.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 300 municipal employees have been killed by COVID-19.

'I honestly have a very hard time understanding the mentality of people who will lose their job in order to not get vaccinated,' an anonymous Department of Social Services worker told the Daily Beast.

The FDNY EMS officers union and the FDNY EMS Superior Officers Association union urged first responders to get the jab.

Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, said that his members felt 'insulted' by Mayor Bill de Blasio's order, which was announced just last week, and warns that 30 to 40 percent of firehouses may have to close





'The response times are going to go through the roof. We're just not going to be able to get to the emergencies in time,' Ansbro, center, has said

'As health care professionals we are guided by science. We use medicine to save lives and scientific research has confirmed that this vaccine, by modern medical standards, is safe,' a joint statement from the unions read.

About 36 percent of employees at the New York City Fire Department remain unvaccinated, according to the city's latest tally. That's down from 40 percent on October 19.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday that 75 percent of his force is vaccinated, a number that has been steadily climbing ahead of tomorrow's deadline.

Throughout the city, 86 percent of the 300,000 municipal employees are jabbed, including teachers and health care workers who were subject to previous mandates.

De Blasio has not retracted from his decisions and said during a briefing on Thursday that he expects more vaccination at the eleventh hour.

'They will be safe,' he said. 'The reason we made this decision was, 'How do we keep safe?' That was the entire question here. How do we keep the people in New York City safe? My job is to keep people safe. Until we defeat COVID, people are not safe. If we don't stop COVID, New Yorkers will die.'
Having an epidural during childbirth does not harm childrens development, a study has found.

Almost a third of women who give birth in the UK opt for an epidural, which makes labour less painful by stopping pain signals travelling from the spine to the brain.

Some experts have suggested using a local anaesthetic to do this may have an effect on the developing brain of a baby.

But now a study of more than 435,000 British women and their children provides reassurance.

Researchers found women who asked for an epidural had no additional risk of developmental problems in their babies.

When their children were given the standard assessment at the age of two, no extra concerns were raised about their communication or ability to control their movements.

Almost a third of women who give birth in the UK opt for an epidural, which makes labour less painful, but some experts suggested it may have an effect on the developing brain of a baby (stock image)

The studys authors say the results may help women, stating: This information may be used to aid decision-making for women considering epidural analgesia in labour.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, found women having their first child, those in a higher socioeconomic group and those giving birth to a heavier baby were more likely to have an epidural.

The choice to have the anaesthetic is rarely made at random, the authors point out, with epidurals more likely where labour is long and painful.

Babies born to mothers who had an epidural were less likely to have a low Apgar score, which indicates poor health in a medical test.

Researchers also looked at whether they were more likely to need resuscitation or had to go to a special baby unit.

But now a study of more than 435,000 British women and their children provides reassurance that having an epidural during childbirth does not harm childrens development (stock image)

At first it appeared that babies whose mothers had an epidural were slightly more likely to end up needing to go to a neonatal unit or help to breathe. But when the study took into account how they were born  by vaginal delivery or Caesarean section  the risk was no longer found to be higher.

Epidurals are usually safe for women, but do carry a small risk of side-effects and complications including low blood pressure, nausea, headaches, temporary loss of bladder control and nerve damage.

The ten-year study, which was carried out in Scotland, found that babies whose mothers who took the injection of anaesthetic spent no extra days in hospital and had no more operations than other children in the following two years.

Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at Kings College London, who was not involved in the research, said: This confirms that epidurals are a safe choice for pain relief in labour and women should be reassured they will not cause adverse effects for their baby.
the Swiss Alps, Valais Blacknose were traditionally bred for meat and wool

Lambs from a breed of sheep described as 'the cutest in the world' have been born in Australia for the first time, after embryos and semen were imported from the UK.

Hailing from the Swiss Alps in Europe, the Valais Blacknose were traditionally bred for meat and wool, but their looks and gentle temperaments have since made them popular as pets.

The breed has never been on Australian soil before according to Head of Biosecurity, Andrew Tongue, from the federal agriculture department.

Dubbed the 'cutest sheep in the world', the breed Valais Blacknose were recently born on Australian soil for the first time

Hailing from the Swiss Alps, the sheep were traditionally bred for meat and wool - but their good looks have seen a surge in interest for people to keep them as pets

'The breed has now spread to Europe, the UK, and the US, and this year the first Valais reached Australia,' he said.

'Farmers and pet lovers have been interested in getting the Valais Blacknose breed into Australia for many years.'

The embryos and semen were imported to Australia this year by specialist company Caprotek after it applied to the department.

Strict biosecurity arrangements had to be put in place because genetic material from sheep can pose disease risks, including scrapie - the ovine equivalent of Mad Cow disease.

'Following a long process over three years, complicated by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, the frozen embryos and semen were approved by the department and were able to make their way to Australia,' Mr Tongue said.

'The importer was able to meet all biosecurity requirements to allow the import, and as you can see from the photos, the result was worth the effort.'

The sheep were recently born in Australia after embryos and semen were imported from the United Kingdom
Gladys Berejiklian was blasted for 'making speeches' while being interrogated during a corruption hearing.

The former premier gave lengthy answers to questions about her relationship with Daryl Maguire from lawyer assisting the commission Scott Robertson.

In a savage put-down ICAC commissioner Ruth McColl said: 'Could I ask you to answer the question and not make speeches?'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured top right) was being questioned at ICAC by counsel assisting Scott Robertson (pictured top left). In a savage put-down ICAC commissioner Ruth McColl (bottom right) said: 'Could I ask you to answer the question and not make speeches?'

Ms Berejiklian - who made numerous long speeches in press conferences while managing Covid-19 - continued to give long answers and Ms McColl said: 'Ms Berejiklian, I do not think you are heeding the message I just communicated to you.'

Opening evidence on Friday, Mr Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' he asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

In text messages in 2018, Ms Berejiklian referred to Mr Maguire as family, saying: 'You are my family'.

But when being questioned on whether she considered him as family, Ms Berejiklian gave vague answers, forcing Mr Robertson to ask her the same question 10 times.

'I do not want to diminish the strength of feeling I had for him and I do not want to diminish that in any way.

'I had very strong feelings for him but I did not feel that the relationship was at the stage where I would introduce him to my family,' she said.

It comes after a stressed looking former premier arrived for her highly anticipated appearance at the corruption inquiry into her secret love affair with Daryl Maguire.

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrived at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

Ms Berejiklian said that she did not ask Mr Maguire to return the key to her house that she had given him. But she has since changed her locks.

Outside the hearing, Ms Berejiklian said she will tell the Independent Commission Against Corruption she will 'strenuously stress' that she has always put the interests and her 'love and support' for the people of NSW first.

Her day at ICAC has finally come - after six months of private hearings, two weeks of public hearings and 500 pieces of evidence.

Speaking to the media, she thanked the public 'for the amazing support'

'It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry.

'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life.'

Ms Berejiklian said she had not been listening to proceedings at ICAC over the past two weeks.

'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state.'

But she will be regretting having spoken so openly last year about her 'close personal relationship' with Daryl Maguire a year ago after she admitted the disgraced MP was her secret boyfriend at a previous Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.

Shortly after shocking the state with her revelation, the then-NSW Premier seemingly spoke candidly about her doomed love affair with Mr Maguire with 2GB's Ben Fordham, radio presenters Kyle and Jackie O and Sunday Telegraph gossip columnist Annette Sharp.

The interviews appeared to engender public sympathy for Ms Berejiklian - but they came back to bite her on Thursday when the counsel assisting the ICAC, Scott Robertson, threw them back in her face with devastating results.

Gladys Berejiklian gave selected media interviews after admitting her secret relationship with Daryl Maguire at a previous ICAC hearing

On Thursday morning, Ms Berejiklian's legal team launched a last ditch application to have evidence from Mr Maguire kept private at the corruption inquiry into the former premier.

Sophie Callan, a barrister acting for Ms Berejiklian, told ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl, SC, who is presiding over the inquiry, that 'hallmarks or indications at the level of commitment' in the relationship with Mr Maguire should not be aired publicly.

ICAC counsel Scott Robertson said the application should be refused. 'A public inquiry is to be held in public,' he said.

He added that having a private session would risk it 'becoming a public inquiry in name only'.

Mr Robertson argued that the hearing should be able to publicly delve into the nature of the relationship between Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire because the former premier openly gave interviews to the press after a previous ICAC hearing a year ago about how she planned to marry him.

Gladys Berejiklian (centre) with Kyle (right) and Jackie O (left) of KISS FM

What Gladys Berejiklian said before outside ICAC on Friday morning 'Can I just say good morning everybody. Thank you for the amazing support the public has given to me. It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. 'I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry. 'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life. 'I haven't been listening to proceedings. 'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. 'Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state. Advertisement

Ms Berejiklian told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show that while revealing details about her personal relationship had been 'humiliating and embarrassing', it had made her feel 'more human'.

'I'm actually starting to feel even stronger after it all... It's made me feel more human and vulnerable than I've ever felt before,' she told the breakfast show hosts.

Responding to Sandilands' question about whether she had ever 'dabbled' in a same sex relationship, Ms Berejiklian said: 'I haven't and I didn't. Not that there is anything wrong with that.'

Sandilands said he understood why she'd want to keep the relationship private, given 'secret sex is the best sex', but the premier was hesitant to comment on the intimate details of her former relationship.

Ms Berejiklian told 2GB's Ben Fordham she lacked experience in intimate relationships after dedicating so much of her life to politics.

'It's fair to say that on average I would probably have less experience than the average person, but that's an excruciating thing to talk about,' she said.

'I've always been focused on my job and my work and my family and I haven't really had time for a lot else to be honest...

'It wasn't a normal relationship, he wasn't my boyfriend. I certainly hoped he would be, but it wasn't sufficiently substantial. I didn't want to introduce anyone to my close network unless I knew,' she said.

'I was certainly in love with him but no, he wasn't my boyfriend.'

Ms Berejiklian told the Sunday Telegraph that 'I'm still trying to process it. I feel like it's someone else living this  It's like I'm the main protagonist in a movie. It's like I'm the feature and the film is going to end and my life is going to go back to normal but it will never be normal again.'

'It was hard to define because it wasn't of a sufficient status,' she says ambiguously. 'It wasn't a traditional type of relationship.'

In a general press conference, she said 'Without question I stuffed up in my personal life and I accept that.

'It's very difficult for someone in my position to have a private and personal life and I'm very upset at what has transpired. But I want to make this assurance to the people of New South Wales I have always put the public first.'

She added: 'I want to state at the outset that had I known then what I know now clearly I would not have made those personal decisions that I did.

'I trusted someone that I'd known for a long time and I feel really - really let down. I trusted him for a long time.'

There was little ambiguity at ICAC yesterday, when Mr Maguire gave evidence that he and the then premier had discussed getting married and having a child.

Perhaps if Ms Berejiklian had left her words at ICAC speak for themselves and not done media interviews afterwards in an attempt to save her job as NSW premier, the public might not have found out yesterday just how close and personal her relationship with Mr Maguire actually was.
The mother of murdered student Libby Squire called for tougher action to combat cases of drink spiking as she revealed that her belief that both of her daughters were targeted.

Lisa Squire, 51, spoke out amid a spate of recent reports of drink spiking as police figures confirmed there have been almost 200 confirmed cases in September and October alone, with 24 reports of 'spiking injection'.

Her eldest daughter Libby, who was a student at the University of Hull, was raped and murdered by Polish butcher Pawel Relowicz during a night out in 2019.

Speaking to The Mirror, Ms Squire said she believed Libby's drink was spiked a year and a half before she died.

She said: 'She'd been out partying and she fell off a flight of stairs or something. I said to her, "How much had you drunk?" and she said, "Not that much, but I feel terrible, I've got a headache, I don't really remember what happened. I feel like I've got this massive fog over me".

'I said to her, "It sounds to me like you've been spiked." The after-effects were different from her normal post-alcohol evenings.'

The mother of murdered student Libby Squire called for tougher action to combat cases of drink spiking as she revealed that her belief that both of her daughters were targeted

The mother also revealed her fears that her youngest daughter Beth, who recently started a university degree, may also have been targeted.

She added that the spate of spiking cases are 'another safety issue' and suggested the police should be doing more by asking: why should we put the onus on the women to keep themselves safe?'

When Libby missing, it was initially feared that her drink may have been spiked, but subsequent toxicology reports found no signs of drugs.

Married father-of-two Pawel Relowicz dumped Libby's body in the River Hull after raping her on a playing field in the early hours of February 1 2019.

The 26-year-old Polish butcher was convicted of raping and murdering the 21-year-old when he chanced upon her after she had been out with friends.

Ms Squire previously spoke out last month when she said 'we can't accept our girls being murdered on the streets' following the death of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.

Lisa Squire, 51, spoke out amid a spate of recent reports of drink spiking as police figures confirmed there have been almost 200 confirmed cases in September and October alone, with 24 reports of 'spiking injection'

'The only way to stop this is to look out for one another - to teach our children, our sons, how to look out for their sisters and girlfriends,' she said.

'I can't believe that now another family is going through the unbelievable pain we are all still living with.

'We can't accept our girls being murdered on the streets. We can't accept it, because it is simply -unacceptable. Something has to -happen, or it will be another month and another girl will be dead,' she added to The Sun.

To combat the cases of drink spiking, nightclubs around the country have introduced covers for beverages and thousands of campaigners have boycotted venues.

Libby, was a student at the University of Hull when she was raped and murdered by Polish butcher Pawel Relowicz during a night out in 2019

It comes as the Girls Night In movement saw women and men avoid going out to bars and clubs on Wednesday night in Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol as they demanded better safety measures for customers.

Dozens of local Instagram pages have been created to spread the news of the Girls Night In campaign, where women from various university cities will stay in, 'spreading awareness and challenging clubs' to keep people safe.

It comes after hundreds of cases, including drink spiking and injections, were reported in recent months.

Petra Mirosevic-Sorgo, who runs the @girlsnightinloughborough Instagram account with two other students at Loughborough University, said her own experiences of spiking made her want to 'make sure that (others) feel safe'.

'I woke up and I was so distraught... I just remember running out to the hospital lobby crying,' the 21-year-old recalled.
Noa, 1, almost choked to death on a pancake while riding in the back of her parents car

A dashcam video captured a Florida Highway Patrol trooper saving a toddler from choking on the side of an entrance ramp on Interstate 95 near Miami.

The agency released the dashcam footage from the October 16 incident in a Twitter post that called the trooper a hero.

'Trooper Mathieu recently responded to an emergency involving a 1 year old toddler who was unresponsive on I-95. Trooper Mathieus first aid training immediately kicked in as he jumped into action, performing a series of back blows until the toddler regained consciousness! #Hero,' the FHP tweeted.

Trooper Reginald Mathieu was heading to a crash scene and had been giving another driver a speeding ticket when the little girls parents flagged him down after the youngster choked on a pancake and began turning blue.

Miami police have released dashcam footage of an officer saving a choking child

Reginald Mathieu, a highway patrol officer in Florida, ran to the where the group were gathered and saved the life of a baby girl

The Florida Highway Patrol described Trooper Mathieu's action as 'heroic'

They and two other cars had stopped along the ramp and were in the road, attempting to get the one-year-old child to breathe.

The father posted about the horrendous experience on Instagram soon after the incident.

'Theres no greater scare than the potential of losing your child. I hope no one ever has to go through it because its traumatic,' the dad wrote.

'Last weekend we almost lost Noa. Im nauseous even typing that. We were on our way to Vizcaya Museum and packed Noa a snack (as we usually do). Mini pancakes cut in halves. They are her favorite. Noa was eating as we drove on I95, but after some time Noa was quieter that usual.

'We turn around to see her drooling with her head hanging down and eyes rolled back. I speed over to the shoulder of the highway and my wife rushes out of the car to get Noa out of the car seat while I called 911. Ali is holding Noa face down while hitting her back but nothing is working. At this point Noas body is limp and shes turning blue.

'I see a Florida Highway Patrol right off the exit of the highway giving someone a ticket so I sprint to him. He leaves the car hes ticketing and speeds to Noa.'

The father of the little girl posted about the entire experience on Instagram

The officer's heroic, breathtaking rescue took place on the side of a busy highway

Mathieus first aid training kicked in as he performed a series of back blows until the infant regained consciousness

The dashcam video shows the trooper running up to assist the unconscious child.

A passerby had already tried to use an anti-choking device on the child, but was not successful.

Mathieu began performing back blows on the child until she regained consciousness. The youngster was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Imperial College London has come under fire from a professor over a report that called for one of its buildings named after one of the greatest 19th century scientists to be renamed, and for a bust of him to be removed.

The investigation said the Huxley building, named to commemorate the biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, should have its name changed because his views might now be considered to be racist. It has also suggested a bust of Huxley be removed.

Staff and students are now set to be consulted over the recommendations before the college determines what action to take next.

An investigation carried out by a history group established by Imperial College London in response to the Black Lives Matter movement has recommended the university's Huxley building be renamed, and a bust of biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (pictured) be removed

The recommendation comes after the university set up an independent history group in response to the Black Lives Matter movement that gained global attention last summer and questioned how some historical figures are commemorated.

Huxley, who first suggested that birds are closely related to dinosaurs, was identified by the group as being one of the contentious figures honoured by the university.

It said that the building - which houses the university's departments of mathematics and computing in Kensington, London - should be renamed on account of the biologist's beliefs about human intelligence and race.

The report says Huxley's essay titled 'Emancipation - Black and White' 'espouses a racial hierarchy of intelligence, a belief system of "scientific racism" that fed the dangerous and false ideology of eugenics; legacies of which are still felt today'.

Citing this, the report has said a bust of Huxley, who was the first dean of the Royal Colleges of Science from 1881-85, should be removed from display and placed in college archives. It is currently displayed in the building's reception.

'The group believe this falls far short of Imperial's modern values and, in light of this, the group recommend that the bust of Huxley should be moved from the building for preservation with this historical context to College archives and the building should be renamed,' the report said.

'An explanation of the renaming process should be visible as outline in the general recommendations.'

The report said that the building in Kensington, London (pictured, file photo) - which houses the university's departments of mathematics and computing - should be renamed on account of the biologist's beliefs about human intelligence and race.

But Stephen Warren, professor of astrophysics who joined the University in 1994, called the report 'astonishing' in a letter to The Times.

'I am sorry that it has chosen to judge people from the past by the standards of today,' he wrote. 'I would say that Thomas Henry Huxley is the individual of whom Imperial can be most proud.

The report says Huxley's essay titled 'Emancipation - Black and White' 'espouses a racial hierarchy of intelligence, a belief system of 'scientific racism' that fed the dangerous and false ideology of eugenics; legacies of which are still felt today'

'Rightly, he was and is widely admired. If Huxley is to be cancelled, no one from the past is secure.'

The report also named other controversial figures. Lecture rooms named after influential people who advocated eugenics, like WD Hamilton - a lecturer at the college from 1964 to 1977 - should also be renamed, it said.

It also raised questions over endowments given to the university from 19th and early 20th century philanthropists - Alfred and Otto Beit and Julius Wernher - over their treatment of largely black migrant workers in diamond and goldmines.

Should a room or building be renamed, the report suggested that a plaque or QR code should be placed on the site to explain why.

Alice Gast, Imperial's president, said: 'While we cannot change history, we can find ways to clarify what it means, learn lessons from it, and ensure that we are not perpetuating legacies that we find abhorrent.'
Billionaire financier Leon Black has escalated his battle against a Russian model who accused him of rape by filing a lawsuit accusing her of defamation and setting out to 'destroy him' in a 'criminal enterprise'.

Black, 70, a close friend of the notorious financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was first publicly accused of rape and sexual abuse in March by Guzel Ganieva, 38.

Ganieva alleged Black is a 'violent, sadistic,' sexual predator who raped and harassed her then coerced her into signing an non-disclosure-agreement. She went on to file a lawsuit against Black in June.

But now, Black, once one of New York City's most powerful executives as the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, is suing Ganieva and her law firm Wigdor Law for defamation and racketeering conspiracy.

In Black's lawsuit, he accused them of engaging in a 'criminal enterprise,' including by allegedly falsely linking Black to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Ganieva has alleged Black forced her to fly to Florida to 'satisfy the sex needs' of Epstein at his Palm Beach villa.

After filing her initial lawsuit in June, Ganieva amended it in September to include the accusations of a second woman, referred to only as Jane Doe, who alleged she was violently raped by Black in Jeffrey Epstein's New York residence in 2002.

'Knowing that to him, and in his world, reputation matters, they set about to destroy him and make him pay anything to make them stop,' Black's lawyers said in a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court said. 'They are planning to line their own pockets with the results.'

Billionaire investor Leon Black has escalated his battle against a former model who accused him of rape, filing a lawsuit on Thursday accusing her and her law firm of defamation and racketeering conspiracy (Black pictured in California in 2018)

Guzel Ganieva, 38, is a Russian model who accused Black of rape and longstanding sexual abuse. In September, she amended her initial lawsuit to include the claims of a second woman who said she was violently raped by Black in 2002 (Ganieva pictured in NYC in 2011)

Ganieva has alleged Black forced her to fly to Florida to 'satisfy the sex needs' of Jeffrey Epstein at his Palm Beach villa

'This is an obvious act of retaliation,' Ganieva's lawyer Jeanne Christensen said in an email about Thursday's lawsuit. 'We look forward to defending ourselves against these ludicrous allegations.'

Christensen, who is a partner at Wigdor LLP, told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'This is an obvious act of retaliation and the allegations put forth by Black are delusional.

'While Mr. Black is free to engage in ludicrous conspiracy theories, it is disheartening to learn that his law firm Quinn Emanuel would sign onto this outlandish theory of victim shaming while they simultaneously attempt to cash in and market themselves as a firm that represents actual survivors.'

The lawsuit and resulting investigation comes after Black denied any knowledge of Epstein's wrongdoing when his heinous crimes were exposed.

Ganieva first went public with her accusations about Black's long-standing history of sexual abuse and coercive behavior.

Black resigned from his position as head of the massive investment firm Apollo Global on March 22, just days after Ganieva posted a series of tweets claiming that her abuse at the hands of black started in 2008 and continued until 2015.

She went on to file a lawsuit against the billionaire financier in June, in which she branded him a 'violent and sadistic' sexual predator who raped and harassed her, before alleging that the former CEO of Apollo Global Management forced her to fly to Florida to 'satisfy the sex needs' of Jeffrey Epstein at his Palm Beach villa.

Ganieva has also claimed that Black tried to arrange for her to have sex with Epstein in 2008.

Black (right) stepped down from his role as CEO of Apollo in march after he was revealed as a long-time associate of pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein (left). Pictured: Black and Epstein at a screening of the film Capote in 2005

Guzel Ganieva has accused Black of rape and a long-standing history of sexual abuse. Ganieva is pictured (left) with friends Natane Boudreau and Claudia Mason in 2011

Ganieva alleged that the former CEO of Apollo Global Management forced her to fly to Florida to 'satisfy the sex needs' of Jeffrey Epstein at his Palm Beach villa

Black had previously admitted to having a six-year affair with Ganieva, which he claims was consensual, and said he paid Ganieva $100,000 a month for 15 years not to discuss the relationship after she allegedly tried to extort him of $100 million. Those payments stopped after Ganieva tweeted about Black in March.

But the financier, who is married to broadway theatre producer Debra Black, has refuted all of the sexual abuse claims made against him.

Lawyers for Ganieva then in September filed an amended complaint detailing the 'horrific experiences' of a Jane Doe who says she was violently raped by Black in 2002.

Ganieva's legal team said Jane Doe's experiences show that 'contrary to Black's version of events that he knew 'nothing' about Epstein's sexual wrongdoing, as alleged, Black was perpetrating his own sexual crimes at Epstein's home as far back as 2002.'

According to an amendment to Ganieva's initial lawsuit against Black, a second woman referred to only as Jane Doe was violent raped by the billionaire financier at Jeffrey Epstein's New York townhouse in 2002 (pictured)

Black (pictured with wife Debra) already stands accused of years of 'bullying, threatening and pressure tactics,' to 'force' Ganieva's silence, according to a previous lawsuit (pictured in 2017)

Going a step further, the motion alleges that Black had a, 'long-standing relationship with Epstein for years. that involved arranged massages with women for money at Epstein's home.'

According to the amended suit, the Jane Doe met Epstein 'sometime around 2000,' when she was introduced by an acquaintance, a Ukrainian woman.

Jane Doe alleged that a short while into her association with Epstein, she was violently assaulted by Black after he instructed her to give him a massage at Epstein's NYC home.

The suit claims that a 'huge' Black, standing more than 6ft 4in and weighing more than 300lbs, brutally raped her before paying her off.

Jane Doe is described as a single mother of 'limited financial means' and, it is alleged, Black, 'believed that his money couldsilence [her] and nullify his behavior.'

In response, Black's legal team released a statement saying they are unaware of the reported criminal probe from the Manhattan DA's office and repeated Black's denial of any claims made against him.

'As we have previously stated, Mr. Black has provided substantial documentary evidence in legal filings, including text messages and recordings, that show Ms. Ganieva's claims to be completely false,' the spokesperson said.

'In addition, we have been in contact with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and provided detailed evidence of Ms. Ganieva's extortion of Mr. Black.'

Black recently bolstered his legal team, adding John Quinn, a name partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Susan Estrich, whose clients have included former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.

'There is really no reason Mr. Black should be defending himself,' Estrich, who said she has known Black since they studied at Dartmouth College in the 1970s, said in an interview. 'Private consensual adult conduct is not the law's business. Extortion and defamation are the business of the law.'

Black has publicly regretted his involvement with Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Earlier this year, Black stepped down from Apollo after an outside independent review found he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning, though was not involved in Epstein's criminal activities.
Gladys Berejiklian's successor as NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, has sensationally been dragged into the corruption inquiry into her secret affair with disgraced Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

A tapped phone call played to a defiant Ms Berejiklian on Friday featured her speaking about funding projects in Mr Maguire's seat of Wagga Wagga and saying of Mr Perrottet: 'He does just what I ask him to.'

During the call, Mr Maguire said he 'heckled' the then treasurer Mr Perrottet and said he would have a 'f**king riot on your hands' if his electorate did not get funding for projects including Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Tumut Hospital.

Mr Maguire recalled that Mr Perrottet had told him there was no money in the budget for those projects but there was money for a planned crack down on graffiti.

Ms Berejiklian responded: 'I'll fix it'.

She called back later and said: 'I've already got you the Wagga hospital ... I just spoke to Dom (Perrottet), and I said just put the 140 in the budget.

'And he said 'no worries' - he just does what I ask him to.'

Mr Maguire: 'It's meant to be 170.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Whatever it is, 170  he's putting it in whatever it is OK.'

Mr Maguire: 'Like we would lose Wagga ... we would f***ing lose and they would campaign like you wouldn't believe and we would have nothing to defend ourselves with, a hole in the ground, I can't believe they didn't even do it. That idiot I spoke to, he's (blanked out) nephew.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'To be honest it's Brad's (health minister Brad Hazzard) fault for not being on top of who needs what.'

Mr Maguire: 'I said to Brad, I've been to them, they asked me for the list...'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Can you please not get yourself worked up again because all you do is shout at me sometimes.'

Mr Maguire: 'The Tumut bomb fire, the Tumbarumba bomb fire going, I've got all those God damn issues going .... he's got that f**king bushfire happening in Tumbarumba and there's no money for Tumut hospital... hello, guys, this is the key to win the God damn vote up there...'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left) was recorded on a tapped phone call saying Dominic Perrottet (pictured right) 'does what I ask him to'. At the time of the call, Ms Berejiklian was the NSW Premier and Mr Perrottet was the Treasurer. Since then, Mr Perrottet has succeeded her as premier

Ms Berejiklian added: 'We're giving Wagga more money than ever before,' she said. 'I just got you the one hundred and seventy mill ... you can't tell me you've been hard done by.'

She said she had got Mr Maguire that money 'in five minutes' but he would need to speak to Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Tumut Hospital because she wouldn't fix everything for him.

Mr Perrottet and Mr Hazzard are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Maguire was pushing for between $500,000 and a million dollars for that hospital.

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrived at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about a September 2017 deal 'which would give (Mr Maguire) enough money to pay off his debts of $1.5 million'.

'Did you suspect that Mr Maguire was or may have been engaged in corrupt conduct?' he asked.

'I did not,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'How did you think a Member of Parliament was capable of earning a commission something in the vicinity of $1.5 million in relation to a land deal ... It didn't cross your mind that it was somehow unusual or strange that a sitting Member of Parliament would think that they could earn $1.5 million in relation to a land deal in or around Badgerys Creek,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I did not pay too much attention to that because he was always talking big and I didn't pay too much attention to that, but I'd trusted him as a colleague and as a close personal friend and I never thought that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied.

'Why did you believe that 1.5 million dollars might be able to be earned by Mr Maguire,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I have no recollection of what the context was of that telephone conversation but my general response is I never suspected that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied, adding that she always assumed Mr Maguire 'was very aware of his disclosure requirements,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Mr Scott persisted with his line of questioning. 'It was at least not regarded as sufficiently strange that you decided to make any notification to this commission or an agency (that) was answerable to you?'

'That's correct,' said Ms Berejiklian.

In another call played to the commission, Ms Berejiklian also called Mr Maguire 'hokis', an Armenian term of affection, but also said that sometimes he shouted at her.

Ms Berejiklian's parents are both Armenian immigrants to Australia.

A defiant Ms Berejiklian told the Independent Commission Against Corruption she would not have revealed her secret relationship to Daryl Maguire to her colleagues even now.

Opening evidence on Friday, ICAC counsel assisting Scott Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

It comes after a stressed looking former premier arrived for her highly anticipated appearance at the corruption inquiry into her secret love affair with Daryl Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian said that she did not ask Mr Maguire for the key to her house that she had given to him back.

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian why she supported a multimillion-dollar proposal for the state government to pay for an upgrade of the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) gun club when Treasury said the submission did not demonstrate a net benefit to the state.

ACTA is based in Wagga Wagga and the project was strongly supported by Mr Maguire.

At the time of the proposal in December 2016 Ms Berejiklian was NSW treasurer and chair of the government's expenditure review committee (ERC).

'The bush was on fire in terms of their attitude to the government,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'We'd just lost a seat to the Shooters Party.'

Her view was that supporting the gun club proposal project would have 'kept a portion of the community pleased' and the government was keen to show it wasn't ignoring the bush.

Asked if her support for the proposal could have been influenced by her relationship with Mr Maguire, Ms Berejiklian said: 'It could have been part of the consideration but the ... strongest consideration was the consequence of the Orange by-election.'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured top right) is being questioned at ICAC by counsel assisting Scott Robertson (pictured top left)

In another tapped called tendered into evidence, Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire of her plan to fire a public servant.

They were discussing a proposal for the NSW government to give millions of dollars to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in his electorate of Wagga Wagga.

'I can't stand that guy. His head will be gone,' she said.

Mr Maguire told her that she should not do so until the bureaucrat, whose name has not been released, fixed the conservatorium proposal.

'Tell him to fix it, and then after he fixes it, I'm sacking him,' Ms Berejiklian said.

Mr Robertson, for ICAC, asked if she delayed sacking a person so they could finish work on one of Mr Maguire's pet projects.

'That person is still in the public service today,' she replied.

Mr Robertson put it to Ms Berejiklian that 'one of the factors as to why you decided not to sack that individual immediately was that Mr McGuire wanted him to fix his conservatory ... do you agree?'

She replied: 'I can't say that was the main reason.'

'So it is possible it was at least one reason,' asked Mr Robertson.

'It could be one of the reasons, yes,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Earlier, in a testy exchange, Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about her understanding of proceedings.

'Are you having some difficulty with my questions? I am trying to frame them in a precise way as well so you can answer them yes or no.

'Are you having some difficulty understanding my questions,' he asked.

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Mr Robertson, I'm just concerned that you are skewing the fact that all of my colleagues rightfully deserve my attention and my advocacy and my support for things that mattered in their communities.'

'Skewing or not, you understand that your role as a witness is to direct yourself to the questions that are being asked, you understand that?' Mr Robertson responded.

'Yes, I do,' she replied.

'You have senior counsel to represent you who have an opportunity to ask for clarification. You understand that, don't you?'

'I do, yes.'

Mr Robertson asked why Ms Berejiklian why she didn't declare her close personal relationship with Mr Maguire 'with a view to avoiding any perception of favouritism, to use your phrase, in relation to Mr Maguire?'

'We didn't share finances, we didn't live together, I was not confident in his level of commitment. I did not regard him as a member of my family, and I did not regard there to be any impact on my public responsibility and I did not think the relationship had a sufficient status for me to disclose it and had I been in a (situation) where I've thought it was significant enough I would have, but I didn't have confidence, didn't have confidence that was against case,' she replied.

Outside the hearing, Ms Berejiklian said she will tell the Independent Commission Against Corruption she will 'strenuously stress' that she has always put the interests and her 'love and support' for the people of NSW first.

Her day at ICAC has finally come - after six months of private hearings, two weeks of public hearings and 500 pieces of evidence.

Speaking to the media, she thanked the public 'for the amazing support'

'It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry.

'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life.'

Ms Berejiklian said she had not been listening to proceedings at ICAC over the past two weeks.

'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state.'

But she will be regretting having spoken so openly last year about her 'close personal relationship' with Daryl Maguire a year ago after she admitted the disgraced MP was her secret boyfriend at a previous Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.

Shortly after shocking the state with her revelation, the then-NSW Premier seemingly spoke candidly about her doomed love affair with Mr Maguire with 2GB's Ben Fordham, radio presenters Kyle and Jackie O and Sunday Telegraph gossip columnist Annette Sharp.

The interviews appeared to engender public sympathy for Ms Berejiklian - but they came back to bite her on Thursday when the counsel assisting the ICAC, Scott Robertson, threw them back in her face with devastating results.

Gladys Berejiklian gave selected media interviews after admitting her secret relationship with Daryl Maguire at a previous ICAC hearing

On Thursday morning, Ms Berejiklian's legal team launched a last ditch application to have evidence from Mr Maguire kept private at the corruption inquiry into the former premier.

Sophie Callan, a barrister acting for Ms Berejiklian, told ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl, SC, who is presiding over the inquiry, that 'hallmarks or indications at the level of commitment' in the relationship with Mr Maguire should not be aired publicly.

ICAC counsel Scott Robertson said the application should be refused. 'A public inquiry is to be held in public,' he said.

He added that having a private session would risk it 'becoming a public inquiry in name only'.

Mr Robertson argued that the hearing should be able to publicly delve into the nature of the relationship between Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire because the former premier openly gave interviews to the press after a previous ICAC hearing a year ago about how she planned to marry him.

Gladys Berejiklian (centre) with Kyle (right) and Jackie O (left) of KISS FM

What Gladys Berejiklian said outside ICAC on Friday morning 'Can I just say good morning everybody. Thank you for the amazing support the public has given to me. It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. 'I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry. 'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life. 'I haven't been listening to proceedings. 'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. 'Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state. Advertisement

Ms Berejiklian told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show that while revealing details about her personal relationship had been 'humiliating and embarrassing', it had made her feel 'more human'.

'I'm actually starting to feel even stronger after it all... It's made me feel more human and vulnerable than I've ever felt before,' she told the breakfast show hosts.

Responding to Sandilands' question about whether she had ever 'dabbled' in a same sex relationship, Ms Berejiklian said: 'I haven't and I didn't. Not that there is anything wrong with that.'

Sandilands said he understood why she'd want to keep the relationship private, given 'secret sex is the best sex', but the premier was hesitant to comment on the intimate details of her former relationship.

Ms Berejiklian told 2GB's Ben Fordham she lacked experience in intimate relationships after dedicating so much of her life to politics.

'It's fair to say that on average I would probably have less experience than the average person, but that's an excruciating thing to talk about,' she said.

'I've always been focused on my job and my work and my family and I haven't really had time for a lot else to be honest...

'It wasn't a normal relationship, he wasn't my boyfriend. I certainly hoped he would be, but it wasn't sufficiently substantial. I didn't want to introduce anyone to my close network unless I knew,' she said.

'I was certainly in love with him but no, he wasn't my boyfriend.'

Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian's day at ICAC has finally come

Ms Berejiklian told the Sunday Telegraph that 'I'm still trying to process it. I feel like it's someone else living this  It's like I'm the main protagonist in a movie. It's like I'm the feature and the film is going to end and my life is going to go back to normal but it will never be normal again.'

'It was hard to define because it wasn't of a sufficient status,' she says ambiguously. 'It wasn't a traditional type of relationship.'

In a general press conference, she said 'Without question I stuffed up in my personal life and I accept that.

'It's very difficult for someone in my position to have a private and personal life and I'm very upset at what has transpired. But I want to make this assurance to the people of New South Wales I have always put the public first.'

She added: 'I want to state at the outset that had I known then what I know now clearly I would not have made those personal decisions that I did.

'I trusted someone that I'd known for a long time and I feel really - really let down. I trusted him for a long time.'

There was little ambiguity at ICAC yesterday, when Mr Maguire gave evidence that he and the then premier had discussed getting married and having a child.

Perhaps if Ms Berejiklian had left her words at ICAC speak for themselves and not done media interviews afterwards in an attempt to save her job as NSW premier, the public might not have found out yesterday just how close and personal her relationship with Mr Maguire actually was.
Man of the hour: Scott Robertson (pictured on Friday) carefully, precisely and doggedly questioned Gladys Berejiklian on Friday

With a deadpan expression and a patient but almost robotic questioning technique, Scott Robertson is not the sort of lawyer you might see in a Netflix crime show or a Hollywood movie.

But he is now something of a media star after his grilling of Gladys Berejiklian at Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings was beamed to thousands of Australians on Friday.

Speaking slowly and in monotone, Mr Robertson remained calm and precise as he relentlessly grilled the former NSW premier about her relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.

At one stage he asked the ex-NSW premier the same question ten times in a row when she failed to clearly answer if she considered Mr Maguire as part of her family.

'You regarded Mr Maguire as part of your family, is that right?'

When Ms Berejiklian said she didn't feel she needed to put the relationship 'on the public record', he curtly responded 'we'll let the lawyers argue about the law' and asked the same question again and again.

'What's the answer to my question then? Did you or did you not regard Mr Maguire as part of your family?' he said.

Mr Robertson enjoyed a rare verbal flourish when Ms Berejiklian denied treating Mr Maguire differently to other colleagues.

'Are you seriously saying that Mr Maguire approached you about projects in the exact same way as all your other colleagues,' he said.

But he swiftly continued to question the premier in his characteristic monotone.

It's a technique the lawyer has honed over 12 years since being admitted to the NSW bar in 2009.

According to his online profile he has degrees in economics, international studies and law from the University of Adelaide and also did a Masters' degree in law at Oxford University which he completed in 2007.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives at the corruption hearing on Friday

He specialises in commercial, construction and public law, but likes to challenge himself him by 'appearing in jurisdictions in which he is not a regular and in matters raising difficult or novel points of law or equity.'

Mr Robertson is the counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption as it investigates whether Ms Berejiklian encouraged or allowed corrupt conduct by her secret ex-boyfriend and former Wagga Wagga MP Mr Maguire between 2012 and 2018.

It is also probing her role in multi-million dollar government grants to a gun club and conservatorium of music in his electorate.

Ms Berejiklian insists she has done nothing wrong and has 'always acted with integrity'.

On Friday Ms Berejiklian's successor Dominic Perrottet was dragged into the corruption inquiry.

A tapped phone call played to a defiant Ms Berejiklian on Friday featured Ms Berejiklian speaking about funding projects in Mr Maguire's seat of Wagga Wagga and saying of Mr Perrottet: 'He does just what I ask him to.'

During the call, Mr Maguire said he 'heckled' the then treasurer Mr Perrottet and said he would have a 'f**king riot on your hands' if his electorate did not get funding for projects including Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Tumut Hospital.

In the call, Mr Maguire recalled that Mr Perrottet had told him there was no money in the budget for those projects but there was money for a planned crack down on graffiti.

Ms Berejiklian responded: 'I'll fix it'.

She called back later and said: 'I've already got you the Wagga hospital. I just spoke to Dom (Perrottet) ... He just does what I ask him to.'

She added: 'We're giving Wagga more money than ever before,' she said. 'I just got you the one hundred and seventy mill ... you can't tell me you've been hard done by.'

Ms Berejiklian said she had got Mr Maguire that money 'in five minutes' but he would need to speak to Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Tumut Hospital because she wouldn't fix everything for him.

Mr Maguire was pushing for between $500,000 and a million dollars for that hospital.

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about a September 2017 deal 'which would give (Mr Maguire) enough money to pay off his debts of $1.5 million'.

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrived at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

'Did you suspect that Mr Maguire was or may have been engaged in corrupt conduct?' he asked.

'I did not,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'How did you think a Member of Parliament was capable of earning a commission something in the vicinity of $1.5 million in relation to a land deal?' he asked.

'I did not pay too much attention to that because he was always talking big and I didn't pay too much attention to that, but I'd trusted him as a colleague and as a close personal friend and I never thought that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied.

'Why did you believe that 1.5 million dollars might be able to be earned by Mr Maguire,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I have no recollection of what the context was of that telephone conversation but my general response is I never suspected that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied, adding that she always assumed Mr Maguire 'was very aware of his disclosure requirements'.

The tone of Friday's hearing was set at the very beginning when Mr Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

Then Mr Robertson was off - slowly grinding away at Ms Berejiklian's answers, and by doing so, the Premier's reputation.

Mr Robertson's grilling is expected to continue on Monday.
Taxes are set to hit 1trillion for the first time as the squeeze on British families intensifies, Budget documents reveal.

The total tax take is forecast to reach 1,038,000,000,000 in 2026-27.

That would be a third more than this year, taking the tax burden to the equivalent of 36.2 per cent of gross domestic product  the highest level since Clement Attlees post-war Labour government in the early 1950s.

The figures, published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), also reveal that wealth taxes  inheritance tax and capital gains tax  will bring in more than 130billion over the next six years.

The figures published by the OBR show Britain's tax receipts will hit 1trillion in 2026-27 after the announcements made in Wednesday's Budget by Chancellor Rishi Sunak

The Chancellor said the rise in the tax burden was necessary because this country suffered the biggest shock in 300 years.

The tax take this year is expected to total 775.7billion, according to the OBR.

The rise in the burden over the coming years follows a string of tax hikes by Mr Sunak including in corporation tax, a freeze in income tax thresholds and the introduction of the health and social care levy.

But it has caused unrest among Tory MPs, some of whom believe the Chancellor should be cutting rather than raising taxes.

MP Kevin Hollinrake said: As soon as we get over this hump in the road of Covid recovery and Brexit readjustment, weve got to get taxes down.

Fellow MP Andrew Bridgen said if the economy grows 6 per cent this year he and many more will be looking for big tax cuts.

By 2027, the Government will collect 91.9billion in capital gains tax and will take 40.5billion in inheritance tax.
A key ally of Rishi Sunak yesterday proclaimed a philosophical shift in Conservatism as experts suggested the pandemic was not the driving factor behind the Chancellors huge spending.

Simon Clarke, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said public spending was rising because the Government believed the state had a role to play in delivering its policy priorities.

He accepted that this was a break from the Tory orthodoxy during the time of David Cameron and George Osborne, who slashed the size of the state.

Under Mr Sunak, the size of the state and the tax burden are to rise to their highest for decades.

At times the Chancellor has appeared to suggest that the Governments actions have been forced by the Covid pandemic, the biggest economic shock in 300 years.

Simon Clarke (right) and Rishi Sunak (left) pictured before Wednesday's Budget

But yesterday the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that 80 per cent of the extra spending announced in Wednesdays Budget had nothing to do with the pandemic.

The economists said the majority of the spending increase was the result of the Chancellors decision to increase spending on health, social care and other priorities regardless of the pandemic.

Mr Clarke outlined the change in the Tory philosophy to BBC Newsnight on Wednesday.

We recognise that the state has a role to play in achieving some of our policy priorities and the Chancellor was very open about the fact that this is something that is a philosophical shift, if you like, from the Cameron-Osborne, he said.

Asked whether the new Conservatism was high spending and high taxes, he said: What we want to see is to get the economy turbo-charged, to unlock the productivity and to deliver growth more evenly across the UK.

'That does require some upfront spending. We are not shying away from the fact we are making big, big calls in terms of the investment in our infrastructure.

The Budget was a departure from the usual Tory doctrine of low taxes and a small state

Mr Clarke has backed the Chancellor's pivot away from traditional Tory economic policy

Tory backbencher John Redwood said: I dont quite know what the Chief Secretary was on about because the Chancellor was very clear that Government cant do everything. He said at the end of the Budget that we need lower taxes and a smaller state.

I want to see first-class healthcare and education but we also need to ensure productivity and value for money. That is why I disagree with the Government on its specific tax rises such as the national insurance rise, which is a tax on jobs.

I am on the Chancellors side: The economy needs to get back to the kind of policies to bring us faster growth. And we will get faster growth if we dont hit peoples incomes quite so much, like we are doing with this NI rise.

The IfS also said that if things go right, Mr Sunak could be able to cut taxes by 7billion before the next election thanks to a war chest he will have built up. On Wednesday the Chancellor said his goal was to reduce taxes  even though he has introduced the highest tax burden since the 1950s.
A Briton who took to the air alone in her husband's steerable balloon while pregnant should be credited as the first to woman to control a flying machine, a new book claims.

Rose Spencer, the wife of aeronaut Stanley Spencer, took to the sky above Crystal Palace, south London, in July 1902.

The flight took place 15 months before what is generally accepted to be the first motorised flight by a woman.

The official accolade belongs to Aida de Acosta Root Breckinridge, who flew a craft built by Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont in Paris.

But Spencer's earlier flight was reported in some newspapers at the time. She carried out the feat in the course of trials of a craft built by her husband with the intention of pipping Santos-Dumont's Paris attempt.

A Briton who took to the air alone in her husband's steerable balloon while pregnant should be credited as the first to woman to control a flying machine, a new book claims. Rose Spencer, the wife of aeronaut Stanley Spencer, took to the sky above Crystal Palace, south London, in July 1902. Above: Rose and her husband with daughter Gladys

British Australian author Sally Smith uncovers Rose's story in her new book, Magnificent women and Flying Machines.

Quoted in The Times, the author said: 'It was quite clear that Britain's Rose Spencer took off on her own and flew, circling above Crystal Palace in south London, for just on half an hour before making a very controlled and gentle landing.

'This was a year before the accepted pioneer Aida De Acosta made her flight, and I am delighted Rose should now receive the credit she deserves.'

Her book quotes from New Zealand newspapers which reported the original flight.

One dispatch reads: 'The honour of being the first lady to navigate an airship has fallen to Mrs Stanley Spencer.

'The aerostat behaved admirably and was under perfect control'.

The flight took place 15 months before what is generally accepted to be the first motorised flight by a woman. Above: The couple's airship in midair

A Daily Mail report written in 1903 mentioned Spencer's flying attempts

However, because Rose's flight was not officially recorded, it has since ben overlooked.

Santos-Dumont is hailed in France and Brazil as being the first person to pilot a heavier-than-air flying machine. He did so in 1906 in his winged aeroplane.

Whilst the Wright brothers' more famous plane had flown in 1903, Santos-Dumont's feats were the first heavier-than-air flights certified by the Aeroclub of France.

Spencer's machine could only carry one adult. It consisted of a bamboo frame which was hung below a hydrogen balloon. It was powered by a petrol engine and steered with a rudder.

A Daily Mail report written in 1903 mentioned Spencer's flying attempts.

The article read: Mr Stanley Spencer, the well-known aeronaut, is to make eight attempts to fly his large new airship from the Crystal Palace to St Paul's Cathedral and back, rounding the ball of the cathedral dome.

'The first trial is fixed for next Friday, September 11.'
Vaccines for children must be 'turbocharged' to prevent the need for more restrictions, Jeremy Hunt said yesterday.

The former health secretary, who is now chairman of the Commons health committee, said delays in rolling out boosters and jabs for pupils have left the UK with higher case rates than other Western nations.

At a Royal Society of Medicine webinar, he said: 'Essentially we need to turbocharge the vaccine rollout  particularly the booster jabs and the children's vaccine programme. That is at the heart of what's driving the increased case rates.'

He added that the Government must be willing to rapidly implement Plan B if needed.

Vaccines for children must be 'turbocharged' to prevent the need for more restrictions, Jeremy Hunt (Pictured) said yesterday

In England, just one in five 12 to 15-year-olds have had their jab so far, whereas in France two thirds of children were jabbed before schools reopened.

Latest data suggests the recent surge in cases  driven by the rampant spread of Covid-19 in classrooms  has already peaked.

But infection levels among secondary pupils are still ten times higher than in the over-80s. Yesterday, there were 39,842 positive cases, 962 admitted to hospital and 165 deaths.

The drop in cases has raised hopes that Plan B - involving mandatory face masks, working from home and vaccine passports - will not be needed.

Mr Hunt said the Government must not be afraid of 'U-turning' once again if cases start to increase.

He also criticised delays by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that left the UK lagging behind other Western nations in vaccinating youngsters and starting boosters.

Mr Hunt said: 'The growth in cases that we're currently experiencing has principally happened in teenage schoolchildren.

'The delay in the booster programme and the schoolchildren vaccination programme is at the heart of why we're seeing a mini-surge at the moment.

'That's where I think we need to focus our efforts to turn things around.'

He said the failure to vaccinate children before they returned to school has left the UK 'more exposed' than other nations.

Meanwhile Sir Patrick Vallance said the country was currently in a 'very uncertain phase' of the pandemic but that a 'difficult winter' lay ahead.

He told the BBC: 'You need to absolutely be prepared (for plan B)This is obviously something the government will have to consider carefully but we need to be ready to move fast if that occurs.'

He added: 'Nobody is really clear which direction this is going in, but they are clear about the two big variables that could change that.

'One is waning immunity, so if immunity wanes faster than expected, you'll see a bigger increase, and that's why it's so important to get booster shots going in the vulnerable and the elderly in particular.

'The second is the behavioural change, how quickly we return to pre-pandemic behaviours.'

He said that, as immunity builds from vaccination and infection in children, the surge in infections is likely to level off.
A long standing myth about sharks attacking humans as a case of a mistaken identity has proven to be true.

A team of researchers from Sydney's Macquarie University concluded in the eyes of many juvenile white sharks, surfers and swimmers are similar in appearance to seals and sea lions in the ocean.

Significantly many of the feared ocean creatures are colour blind, meaning images above the water surface such as wetsuits don't look any different.

The research team also concluded that great white sharks, along with bull sharks and tiger sharks, account for the most bites on humans, according to 7 News.

Ominously, great whites, the world's largest predatory fish, rip chunks out of their prey, which is then swallowed whole.

A team of researchers from Sydney's Macquarie University concluded in the eyes of many juvenile great white sharks, surfers and swimmers are similar in appearance to seals and sea lions in the ocean

But despite their fearsome reputation the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has revealed the famed species is in rapid decline, with their numbers decreasing significantly each year.

The ocean creature made infamous by the Jaws movies have a reputation for picking up sound and smell from great distances - but at close range it was previously widely thought they relied on their eyesight to catch prey.

But the researchers instead discovered sharks can barely distinguish shapes and their short-term vision is up to six times weaker than a human.

When it comes to young white sharks, their vision is even worse - which isn't good news for surfers, who are the 'highest risk' of fatal shark bites, particularly from juveniles.

'Our study looked at mistaken identity from the visual perspective of a (great) white shark,' Laura Ryan, the lead author of Macquarie University's department of biological sciences, said in a statement.

'Video footage of sea mammals, swimming humans and paddling surfboards was compared from the white shark's perspective, viewing the potential prey from below.'

Based on the findings, Ms Ryan added the future research focus will be 'developing a greater understanding of why shark bites sometimes happen'.

In turn, she hopes this 'could lead to improved solutions that not only prevent shark bites, but also don't endanger other marine wildlife'.

Many of the feared ocean creatures are colour blind, meaning images above the water surface such as wetsuits don't look any different for great white sharks (pictured)
White employees of AT&T have been told to read an article saying that they are racist, are told to confess to their 'white privilege' and acknowledge 'systemic racism,' and must engage with set texts or else they will be penalized in their performance reviews.

John Stankey, who took over as CEO of AT&T in July 2020, has encouraged his staff to make use of an anti-racism education program entitled Listen Understand Act

AT&T, in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, introduced an internal program called Listen Understand Act.

John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T, wrote to the company's 230,000 employees in an April 2021 email, obtained by journalist Christopher Rufo and published on his website.

Stankey, who took over as CEO in July 2020, urged his workers to make the most of the resources provided by AT&T's anti-racism portal.

'As individuals, we can make a difference by doing our part to advance racial equity and justice for all,' he wrote.

'If you are looking for tools to better educate and inform yourself on racial equality, resources are available at Listen. Understand. Act.

'We also encourage you to actively participate in our recently launched Equality First learning experience, a new initiative to increase awareness and action around our value to Stand for Equality.'

Most employees are not forced to engage with the Listen Understand Act program, but managers at AT&T are now assessed annually on diversity issues - with mandatory participation in programs such as discussion groups, book clubs, mentorship programs, and race reeducation exercises, according to Rufo's source.

The source told Rufo that employees are asked to sign a loyalty pledge to 'keep pushing for change.' They are encouraged to sign up to 'intentions' such as 'reading more about systemic racism' and 'challenging others' language that is hateful.'

The source, described as a senior employee, said: 'If you don't do it, you're a racist.'

AT&T's headquarters in Dallas, Texas, are pictured. The company has donated $21.5 million to causes working to enhance racial justice

Rufo published several pages from the Listen Understand Act portal.

One of the recommended reading items was a May 31, 2020 article from the Chicago Tribune by columnist Dahleen Glanton, entitled: 'White America, if you want to know who's responsible for racism, look in the mirror.'

The article claims that America is a 'racist society' and says 'white people are the problem'.

'Regardless of how much you say you detest racism, you are the sole reason it has flourished for centuries,' Glanton writes.

She adds that 'American racism is a uniquely white trait and that black people cannont be racist'.

It continues that white women 'have been telling lies on black men since they were first brought to America in chains' and they 'enjoy the opportunities and privileges that white supremacy affords them' and 'if you are white, you must look in the mirror, feel a sense of guilt, and move out of the way.'

The portal also recommended books such as White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo, and White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White, by Daniel Hill.

DiAngelo's book was among those recommended to AT&T employees

In the 'Act' section of the training program, Rufo reported, AT&T encourages employees to participate in a '21-Day Racial Equity Habit Challenge'.

The plan, he said, relies on the concepts of 'whiteness,' 'white privilege,' and 'white supremacy' and those participating must commit to 'do one action [per day for 21 days] to further [their] understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.'

The challenge begins with a series of lessons on 'whiteness,' which claims, among other things, that 'white supremacy [is] baked into our country's foundation,' that 'Whiteness is one of the biggest and most long-running scams ever perpetrated,' and that the 'weaponization of whiteness' creates a 'constant barrage of harm' for minorities.

Participants are told: 'Notice your biases and judgments as they arise. These are gold for you to excavate your subconscious!'

Among the suggestions are items such as: 'Prepare yourself to interrupt racial jokes. Click HERE for some advice about how.'

The authors of the 21 Day Challenge state: 'We think understanding white privilege is a powerful lens into the complexities of doing social justice work, so we've focused our resources on that specific issue.'

A man walks with an umbrella outside of AT&T corporate headquarters on March 13, 2020

An AT&T spokesman told DailyMail.com that Rufo's report was 'misleading' and 'filled with misinformation and inaccuracies'.

'Our goal is to build a workplace that is civil, inclusive and understanding,' the spokesman said.

'The misleading City Journal post is filled with misinformation and inaccuracies, including the ridiculous claim that we require employees to participate in 'race reeducation' exercises. This is blatantly untrue.

'We simply provide employees with resources they can use on a voluntary basis to facilitate conversations that are important to them, our customers and the communities we serve.

'Whether an employee uses these resources or not is up to them, and does not affect their annual performance rating.

'We have a long and proud history of valuing diversity, equality, and inclusion, and will continue to do so.'

On August 23, as part of a comprehensive review of corporate America's anti-racist activities, The Washington Post reported that AT&T had made lobbying for police reform part of some of their employee's job.

AT&T's Western region president, Ken McNeely, told the paper that employees in the legislative and public affairs teams had the lobbying for police reform included in their annual review.

'Our financial contributions to support police reform is but a slice of the pie,' McNeely said, after the paper reported AT&T donated $21.5 million to causes advocating racial justice.

'We actually took a more direct route: Filing testimony or a letter of support in our name  using our brand  is in many instances more impactful than giving money to a third party.'

The company is not the first to push critical race theory onto its workers. Earlier this month, Walmart has forced more than 1,000 executives to through training that teaches white people are guilty of 'white supremacy thinking' and 'internalized racial superiority'.

Walmart launched the training program in 2018 under CEO Doug McMillon through the Racial Equity Institute - a North Carolina-based firm that works with universities, government agencies and corporations - making the program mandatory for executives and recommending it to hourly-wage employees.

According to the documents leaked to City Journal, the program begins with the claim that the US is a 'white supremacy system' designed by white Europeans 'for the purpose of assigning and maintaining white skin access to power and privilege.'

The whistleblower also claimed that McMillon is a believer in critical race theory and hopes to export the program to other large corporations through his role as chairman of the Business Roundtable, which comprises of more than 200 of American's largest companies.

Despite the commitment to promote diversity and racial equality, only one of Walmart's nine top executives is not white, Global Chief Technology Officer Suresh Kumar, and the vast majority of its 40 vice presidents are white.

The top six leaders reportedly made a combined $112 million in salary in 2019.
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Alec Baldwin and his family were spotted in Vermont on Thursday - a full week after the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of his new movie Rust in New Mexico.

The 63-year-old actor was seen clothes-shopping in a small town in the small town of Manchester, Vermont, which lies about 60 miles northeast of Albany, New York.

The sighting of Baldwin and his family in New England comes as it was revealed on Thursday that the Rust producer and his team declined to purchase an insurance package that protects them from horrific instances that prevent the film from being completed.

Baldwin was seen wearing a blue mask over his face, according to Fox News.

The Long Island native who is best known for his roles in the hit NBC sitcom 30 Rock and his Donald Trump impersonations on Saturday Night Live wore a plaid shirt and dark pants.

Baldwin has apparently been in Manchester, Vermont since Monday, when he was seen on foot picking up a takeout order of Italian food from a local restaurant.

Alec Baldwin was spotted on Thursday doing some clothes-shopping in the small town of Manchester, Vermont

The 63-year-old actor covers his face as he leaves the store in Manchester, Vermont, on Thursday

Baldwin was spotted in Vermont a full week after the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of his new movie Rust in New Mexico

Baldwin was seen wearing a blue mask over his face. The Long Island native who is best known for his roles in the hit NBC sitcom 30 Rock and his Donald Trump impersonations on Saturday Night Live wore a plaid shirt and dark pants

The Rust producer and his team declined to purchase a completion bond, a common form of insurance that Hollywood studios buy in case of some catastrophic event that prevents projects from being finished.

According to The New York Times, Baldwin and his five fellow producers paid the insurance giant Chubb for a package that covers a range of potential problems, including damage to equipment, injury to cast and crew, and even a death on the set.

But the producers declined to purchase the more expensive completion bond, which usually costs about 2 percent of a film's budget.

Hollywood observers expressed shock that Baldwin's production firm, El Dorado Pictures, declined to secure a completion bond.

The film, which had an operating budget of about $6.5million, was financed through the preselling of distribution rights as well as by investments from wealthy outsiders.

The Rust producers (who include Baldwin) declined to purchase a completion bond, a common form of insurance that Hollywood studios buy in case of some catastrophic event that prevents projects from being finished.

On Wednesday, sheriff's deputies in New Mexico said they 'didn't know' his 'current whereabouts'.

Baldwin has been cooperating with the ongoing police investigation into the shooting, and has also been in contact with Hutchins' family.

As he bunkers down with his wife and kids, investigators in Santa Fe, New Mexico - where the shooting happened - continue to interview witnesses.

On Thursday morning, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza told Good Morning America that he still has not been able to determine who brought live ammunition onto the set of Rust, the Western movie Baldwin both stars in and is producing.

The 63-year-old actor was stony-faced as he collected a mountain of take-out food for him and his six children. He was accompanied by a nanny, and his wife Hilaria was also nearby but was not photographed

Alec Baldwin is shown in a northeast town over the weekend with his wife and kids. He was spotted carrying a large take-out food order for the family, as police in Santa Fe continued to investigate the shooting

Baldwin is cooperating with the authorities and has also spoken to Halyna Hutchins' family

Alec Baldwin is pictured with Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. The production started shooting on October 6. Hutchins died on October 21

'As far as we understand, live rounds should not be on set. The key questions we're focusing on is how the live rounds ended up on set, who brought them on set and why they brought them on set. We haven't... we've got some initial statements. There was close to 100 people total on set. Interviews are continuing.

'Everybody we've spoken to knows that live rounds should not be on set and why they were there is going to be the main question,' he said.

Assistant director Dave Halls admitted to investigators that he didn't check every barrel of his gun but 'should have' before he handed it to him on the set of Rust last week, and that he only looked at three of the five chambers in the weapon.

Halls' bombshell admission is in a search warrant that was unsealed by the Sante Fe County Sheriff's department and issued on Wednesday afternoon.

It contains details of Halls' interview with the cops, and what Hannah Gutierrez-Reed told them too.

Halls said Gutierrez-Reed, 24, handed him the weapon and ordinarily opens it, 'spins the drum' to show him the ammo and he declares it safe.

Dave Halls told cops that he 'should have checked' all of the gun's chambers 'but didn't' before he handed it to Alec Baldwin last Thursday, new search warrants have revealed

A portion of the interview between Halls and sheriff's deputies that was released on Wednesday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department

On Thursday however, he said he 'couldn't remember' if she spun the weapon, and that he could only remember seeing three dummy bullets, identified by hole in the side of their cartridge.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed told police that the guns were kept in a safe that few people had access to

'David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds.

'He advised he should have checked them all but didn't and couldn't recall if she spun the drum,' the search warrant says.

Baldwin was handed the gun and it fired in the direction of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza. Hutchins died and Souza was hospitalized.

Afterwards, Halls brought the gun back to Gutierrez-Reed and told her to open it for him.

The warrant also describes how Hannah Gutierrez-Reed described there never being 'any live rounds' on set.

'Hannah advised that she checked the 'dummies' and ensured "they were not hot rounds".

'She said as the crew broke for lunch, the firearms were taken back and secured inside a safe on a prop truck on set.

'During lunch, she said the ammo was left on a cart on the set and not secured.

'After lunch, [property manager] Sarah Zachary pulled the firearms out of the safe inside the truck and handed them to her.

'She advised there are only a few people that have access and the combination to the safe.

'Hannah advised that she handed the gun to Alec Baldwin a couple of times, and also handed it to David Halls. Hannah said no live ammo is ever kept on set.'
Gladys Berejiklian has boldly stepped out in an emerald green blazer to appear calm and collected as she is grilled during an intense ICAC hearing, a personal branding expert says.

The former NSW premier sported the blazer over a black midi dress as she answered questions about her secret relationship with disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire at the hearing on Friday.

Personal branding expert Sue Currie told Daily Mail Australia Ms Berejiklian had 'instinctively' gone for the calming emerald colour.

'We instinctively seek out green when under stress or emotional trauma,' she said.

Gladys Berejiklian has worn an emerald green blazer to appear calm and collected as she is grilled during an intense ICAC hearing, a personal branding expert says

The former NSW premier sported the blazer over a black midi dress as she answered questions about her secret relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire at the hearing on Friday

'Green is soothing, relaxing, mentally as well as physically. It helps those suffering from anxiety, depression and nervousness.'

Ms Currie said the choice of colour was a power move and a display of confidence as it indicated 'all systems are green'.

'There is quite a lot of significance that you can read into the wearing of the colour green,' she said.

'For instance, the Irish see green as lucky. In ancient Greece green symbolised victory.

'And when "all systems are green", it means everything is in order. It has a calming, cool quality and is often worn by surgeons in operating rooms.'

Ms Currie described the ex-premier as a 'classical style' of dresser with Ms Berejiklian sporting a black saddle bag and black pumps along with her outfit.

'Wearing this formal style of blazer has an air of maturity and that "I am taking this seriously,"' she said.

'Being quite a medium-deep colour, it imparts an air of seriousness. Being worn with black, a neutral colour, and worn with a dress gives an air of femininity which lessens the impact of being too formal. '

Her overall look was praised as the perfect look for Ms Berejiklian's big day in front of the ICAC panel.

'The style says - credible, practical, conservative and trustworthy,' Ms Currie said.

'And the jacket is a good colour for her skin tone. It doesnt drain her, making her appear healthy and energised.

Ms Currie said the choice of colour was a power move and a display of confidence as it indicated 'all systems are green'

Ms Currie described the ex-premier as a 'classical style' of dresser with Ms Berejiklian sporting a black saddle bag and black pumps along with her outfit

Observations of her outfit were made as Ms Berejiklian told the corruption inquiry she would not have revealed her secret relationship with Mr Maguire to her colleagues even now.

This is despite having changed her door locks after they split up as he had a key that had not been returned.

Opening evidence at hearing, ICAC counsel assisting Scott Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'
Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot has announced the city will launch a $31 million universal basic income pilot in 2022 which will give $500 a month to low income families.

The program, part of Lightfoot's $16.7 billion proposed budget for 2022, was approved by the city's council on Wednesday.

Lightfoot's budget also boosted Chicago Police spending to $1.9 billion - $200 million more than 2021's police budget - after having made an $80 million cut in 2020 following protests to defund the department.

The pilot will give monthly payments of $500, to five thousand Chicago low-income families. To be eligible, recipients must be adults and earn less than $35,000 a year.

Lightfoot called it 'the most progressive' budget in the history of Chicago.

'This program is controversial for some. But for me, it just makes plain sense,' Lightfoot said, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.

The pilot is largely funded by the $2 billion Chicago received from Biden's American Rescue Plan.

A basic income pilot approved by the Chicago City Council will give monthly payments of $500 to 5,000 low-income families. To be eligible, recipients must be adults and earn less than $35,000 a year

'Today we passed the FY2022 Chicago Budget making it the most progressive budget in City Hall's history,' said Lightfoot

Chicago made a $80million cut from its budget in 2020 in response to protests calling to defund the police, leading to 400 fewer police officer positions.

However, at a graduation ceremony for police recruits last week, Lightfoot said that she doesn't plan to make further cuts to the police budget and that Chicagoans actually wanted more cops.

'People want you - every day. I travel this city from neighborhood to neighborhood, all across the city, north and south and east and west,' Lightfoot said.

'Our residents are desperate for your help and your support. They want more police - not less police,' she added.

Lightfoot said she was inspired by the hardships she experienced growing up to propose the program, and shut down critic remarks that the program will discourage people from working.

A 2019 task force by the mayor's office found that at least 500,000 individuals live below or at the poverty level - that is 18percent of the city's population.

'Of course, we need to teach people how to fish. But, in this moment with so many people suffering in pain and worrying about financial ruin, this is what we must do to make sure that these families don't slip into the abyss,' Lightfoot said on Wednesday.

'I knew what it felt like to live check to check. When you're in need, every bit of income helps,' she said ahead of the city council's approval on Wednesday.

Guaranteed income pilots first became popular in 2019, when the city of Stockton, California, started to provide no strings attached stipends to 125 of its residents.

Researchers reported more full-time employment and improved mental in recipients.

Chicago's decision came just one after the Los Angeles city council approved a COVID-19 relief program that will provide $1,000 monthly payments to thousands of families in one of the most poverty-stricken districts in the city.

More than 3,000 families will receive assistance from BIG:LEAP, or Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot.

More than 3,000 families will receive assistance from BIG:LEAP, or Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot

Mayor Eric Garcetti called it 'the largest guaranteed basic income program anywhere in the United States of America.'

In New York City, a pilot program giving payments of $1,250 to as many as 40 homeless people between 18 and 24 for two years - with no strings attached, was announced during the summer.

Recipients can request how they want their money, such as in incremental payments or upfront as cash, and have no limits as to how they could spend it.

Since 2019, around 40 mayors have either started to consider or successfully launched guaranteed income programs.

But critics warn of a possible downside, people relying on fixed income can become discouraged of joining the workforce.

In October, the National Federation of Independent Business reported more than half of small businesses are having trouble filling up jobs.
Billionaire James Packer has admitted there were 'many oversights' during his time overseeing Crown's Perth casino operations during a rare public sighting from an unknown location.

Mr Packer made the admission on Friday while appearing via videolink before a West Australian royal commission examining Crown's suitability to retain its Perth casino licence.

A former Crown Resorts director, and still the company's major shareholder, Mr Packer also chaired Burswood Limited - a subsidiary of Crown primarily responsible for the running of the Perth casino - between 2004 and 2016.

He also told the probe he should have quit as a company executive - having not attended any of Burswood's board meetings during his final three years as chairman.

Billionaire James Packer has admitted there were 'many oversights' during his time overseeing Crown's Perth casino operations during a rare public sighting

The inquiry heard the Burswood board reported to that of Crown Resorts and the majority of its directors were also Crown executives.

Mr Packer accepted the arrangement effectively left Crown overseeing itself and in hindsight there should have been a majority of independent directors on the Burswood board.

Counsel assisting the commission Patricia Cahill SC asked Mr Packer whether there had been anyone appointed to the board during his time as chair who had anti-money laundering or financial crime risk experience.

'I don't believe there was,' he replied. 'Looking back there are many oversights, things that should have been done differently. I did not believe at that point in time that Crown Perth was engaged in money laundering.'

Mr Packer's rare public appearance from an undisclosed location came days after Crown was castigated by a Victorian inquiry for 'illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative' behaviour.

But the royal commission, headed by former Federal Court judge Ray Finkelstein QC, stopped short of recommending Crown should lose its Melbourne casino licence.

Instead, it was recommended Crown continue operating under the oversight of a special manager for two years while it undertakes comprehensive reforms.

The WA inquiry is due to deliver its final report in March 2022.

A general view of the Crown Perth casino. Mr Packer chaired Burswood Limited - a subsidiary of Crown primarily responsible for the running of the Perth casino - between 2004 and 2016

James Packer and his girlfriend Kylie Lim are seen at Club 55 beach in St Tropez, France on June 24, 2018

Earlier this year, the NSW Bergin report found Crown had 'enabled or facilitated' money laundering at its Perth casino through an account linked to a shell company, Riverbank Investments.

WA's inquiry has heard the state's Gaming and Wagering Commission opted not to investigate allegations of money laundering against Crown after the company's 'persuasive' former legal boss told them it was a media beat-up.

Evidence has previously been heard about Mr Packer's links to former Crown director and Perth investment banker John Poynton.

Mr Poynton replaced Mr Packer on Crown's board in 2018 as a nominee of the billionaire's company Consolidated Press Holdings.

James Packer pictured left with his father Kerry in 2005. The younger Packer on Friday admitted he should have resigned from the company's board as he did not attend any of Burswood's board meetings during his final three years as chairman

The royal commission has heard Mr Poynton had signed a consultancy agreement with CPH for which he received a $50,000 annual fee.

It included a clause that he disclose confidential information relating to Crown Resorts 'on demand'.

Mr Poynton has testified he never provided confidential information to Mr Packer or CPH.

He resigned in February as a non-executive Crown director and chair of Burswood Limited.
A second woman in less than a month has been denied the opportunity to have a life-saving organ transplant simply because she won't get vaccinated against COVID.

Leilani Lutali, 56, from Colorado has been denied the chance to have a kidney transplant after the hospital that would have been performing the operation refused to treat her because she hadn't had the coronavirus vaccine.

Lutali who has stage 5 kidney disease, desperately needs transplant to save her life but in September, Colorado health system UC Health took her off its organ donation list despite the fact she already had a donor lined up.

UC Health said that Lutali could only remain on the transplant list if she and her donor, Jamiee Fougner, 45, both got vaccinated against COVID.

Lutali, who was approved for the life-saving procedure at the end of August was informed that she no longer qualified to have the transplant performed just one month later.

Leilani Lutali, 56, left was removed from the kidney transplant list because neither she not her friend, Jamiee Fougner, 45, right, who is her organ donor, are vaccinated against covid

Lutali faces stage five kidney failure and has now been removed from the organ recipient because she failed to get vaccinated

The UCHealth hospital denied Leilani Lutali the chance to get a new kidney because of her unvaccinated status. She is currently listed as inactive on the organ waitlist

Leilani Lutali, 56, who has stage-5 renal failure has been denied a life-saving kidney transplant because she and her prospective donor are unvaccinated

'I was notified that because my donor and myself were unwilling to be vaccinated, that I would not be able to receive my transplant with UC Health in Colorado,' Lutali explained to Fox News on Thursday night.

'Initially, it was explained that the policy had changed. That was the major thing. And then when I began probing to understand what my options might be, the gist of it was they were trying to protect my health from coming in and not being vaccinated, that I would have certainly contract covid post-surgery.'

Lutali explained that she had already caught covid naturally in July and had antibodies against the infection but the hospital said that it didn't count.

She pleaded with them and offered to take a covid test prior to surgery or to allow for a religious exemption. At each turn, she was denied.

'I asked if I could sign a waiver saying that I understand with the risks that I am taking, and they said no. So, all avenues that I could think of are closed to me,' Lutali explained.

Her donor, Jamiee Fougner, who was prepared to sacrifice one of her own healthy kidney's could not understand the hospital's position.

'For me, it felt like they are holding my kidney hostage. Here I have a perfectly healthy kidney that I am giving as a gift to Leilani, and they won't let me give it to her because we won't be coerced into having the covid-19 vaccine,' said Jaimee Fougner, 45, who met Lutali in a bible study and decided to donate her kidney to her friend

'I just thought that it was ridiculous because they are not even testing patients prior to surgery to even try and prevent you from bringing covid into the operating room.

'For me, it felt like they are holding my kidney hostage. Here I have a perfectly healthy kidney that I am giving as a gift to Leilani, and they won't let me give it to her because we won't be coerced into having the covid-19 vaccine,' Fougner added.

The two met during a Bible study group over the past year and just a few months later, Fougner offered one of her kidneys to Lutali after the two developed a close friendship.

Fougner said she has not received the vaccine for religious reasons, and Lutali hasn't received the shot because she says there are 'too many unknowns.'

The women claim they were not informed about the hospital's policy until it was too late.

Leilani Lutali, foreground, and Jaimee Fougner pose for a photo. Lutali recently found out her hospital wouldn't approve her kidney transplant surgery until she got the COVID-19 vaccine. Even though she has stage 5 kidney disease that puts her at risk of dying without a new kidney

Leilani Lutali wears a cross around her neck at her home in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lutali says she has been despondent since receiving the news that she can no longer receive the kidney that will save her life.

Lutali is now turning to hospitals in other states to receive her kidney transplant

'We were kind of thinking that this might happen before the end of the year, and it was somewhat like running into a brick wall at 90 miles an hour. I really had a lot to digest about what did that mean for my life. Would dialysis be available to me without having the vaccine? I was told yes, but that it was also highly irresponsible of me.'

Lutali, who is a recruiter for tech companies, says it seems like her hospital was so insistent on saving her from COVID-19 that is is willing to let her possibly die by blocking her transplant surgery.

The life expectancy for those with stage-5 kidney failure is about five to 10 years while on dialysis treatment, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

UC Health has released a statement on the situation: 'For transplant patients who contract COVID-19, the mortality rate ranges from about 20% to more than 30%. This shows the extreme risk that COVID-19 poses to transplant recipients after their surgeries.

'This is why it is essential that both the recipient and the living donor be vaccinated and take other precautions prior to undergoing surgery. Surgeries may be postponed until patients take all required precautions in order to give them the best chance at positive outcomes.

The Aurora-based hospital said it would be requiring a majority of transplant recipients and living donors to be vaccinated to avoid organ rejection or recipient death due to COVID

The American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems and networks in the United States, said it did not have data to share on the issue, but it said many transplant programs insist that patients get vaccinated for COVID-19 because of the weakened state of their immune system.

While any type of surgery may stress a patient's immune system and leave them vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 later, organ transplants recipients are even more at risk because they have to take a powerful regime of drugs to suppress their immune system to keep their body from rejecting the new organ, which is seen by the body as a foreign object,

Lutali and Fougner have now started the transplant application process once again - this time at a different hospital located in the state of Texas where there are no such pre-requisites.

Lutali is not the only person being denied a transplant because of a refusal to get vaccinated.

Michelle Vitullo, 65, has stage 4 liver disease and was denied a lifesaving transplant this month

Last week, an Ohio woman was denied a life-saving transplant because she refuses to get the shot. The hospital says she needs it as the transplant would weaken her immune system.

Michelle Vitullo, 65, has been going to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment for her stage 4 liver disease since 2019. At that stage, the liver is permanently damaged and many of its cells turn into scar tissue.

But she has refused to get the vaccine for religious reasons, and also over fears it could damage her health, with that stance now derailing an urgently-needed transplant.

Despite the drama, Vitullo is still refusing to have the vaccine, and is now hoping another hospital might perform the procedure instead.

The hospital requires a COVID-19 vaccine for donors and recipients, but Michelle, her husband Jim and their daughter Angela believe the vaccine is a 'big mistake'

Vitullo was initially excited on learning that her daughter Angela Green was an exact match.

Doctors were set to remove part of her liver and use it to save her mother when the entire procedure was suddenly called off at the end of September, around two weeks before the surgery was scheduled.

'We were told to get ready,' Green, 43, told WJW in Cleveland. 'Then we get the news we were taken off the list and we can't do it without the vaccine and it was heartbreaking.'

The Cleveland Clinic released a statement saying that it recently began requiring organ donors and transplant candidates to be vaccinated.

'For the living donor, preventing COVID-19 infection around the time of a surgical operation is crucial,' the world-renown hospital said.

'For the transplant candidate, in addition to a major operation, medications taken after an organ transplant weaken a person's immune response. Serious complications of COVID-19 are most likely to develop in those individuals who have weakened immune systems, as their body has a reduced ability to fight and recover from infections.'

The entire family is suddenly facing the prospect that Michelle may not get better - though they still refuse to get the vaccine.

Michelle Vitullo has stage 4 liver disease, in which the liver may become enlarged or shrink, liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, and the liver cannot function properly

In Stage 4 liver disease, the liver may become enlarged or shrink, liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, and the liver cannot function properly, according to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles

Cirrhosis, as it's also known, can be fatal and is typically the final stage before a transplant becomes necessary, according to the hospital. Patients with cirrhosis are also at higher risk of developing lung cancer.

In a liver transplant with a living donor, the donor's remaining liver regrows and returns to its normal size, volume and capacity within a couple of months after the surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The transplanted liver portion grows within the recipient and restores normal liver function.
Police have revealed they were on the scene less than an hour after Cleo Smith's mother woke up and found her four-year-old missing.

Little Cleo vanished from the tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister two weeks ago at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon, WA.

On Friday morning local time (2pm AEST), Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde revealed Ellie, Cleo's mum, first called 000 at 6.23am - despite initial reports she searched the campground for hours before police arrived.

'Police arrived at 7.10am and by 7.26am set up a protected site,' he revealed.

Inspector Jon Munday initially told the public police arrived 'about mid-morning' at the scene, but this was proven incorrect on Friday.

By 11am, homicide detectives had been sent to the area and police were already searching cars in and out of the campsite.

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith (pictured) urged the public to contact police if they have any information

Police were unable to check inside many of the shacks immediately because most were bolted shut with padlocks

'Those police did a really good and thorough job,' Mr Wilde said.

Police were unable to check inside many of the shacks immediately because most were bolted shut with padlocks.

Mr Wilde also explained away the lapse in time before detectives searched the family home in Carnarvon, citing the need for 'priorities' in a case as far reaching as Cleo's.

'Our priority was at Blowholes and in the tent,' he said. 'We knew from what Ellie and Jake had told us that she went missing from the campsite', so the home was not considered a priority.

It comes after it was revealed detectives in the 100-strong taskforce had responded to 200 potential sightings of Cleo in the two weeks since she disappeared.

'Unfortunately all of those have proved unfruitful,' Mr Wilde said.

'That's been national as well, other policing jurisdictions have helped us and followed those leads through for us, so we're very grateful for that.'

They're still desperately trying to find Cleo's sleeping bag.

While none of the leads have been accurate yet, he is still calling on the public to continue searching for Cleo and reporting any potentially useful information.

Pre-schooler Cleo Smith (pictured) is still missing after vanishing from a camping ground in remote Western Australia almost two weeks ago

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her

Police initially believed Cleo simply wandered off at the remote campsite, but are now convinced she was snatched in the dead of night by a child predator.

Investigators scoured the area, conducting sea, air and land searches, but there was no sign of the missing child and police admit they have no 'concrete' suspects.

Superintendent Wilde said more than 100 campers who stayed at the Blowholes site have been interviewed by police.

'We do however believe there are still other campers that were staying in that Blowholes vicinity who we have not yet identified,' he said.

Detectives have 'fully reviewed past incidents' that have been reported at the site after Daily Mail Australia revealed a mother complained in 2014 of a 'man in his 40s trying to lure her daughter to his car'.

The girl's distressed mother lodged a complaint with police at the time, warning the man asked her daughter to 'go for a drive in his car' but she refused and ran back to her family.

In the attempted abduction from 2014, the little girl wasn't able to provide a thorough description of the man's appearance, and it appears nothing ever came of the police report.

But she shared the post publicly hoping to warn other parents who might bring their children to the area, adding it would be a 'good time to remind our precious ones of stranger danger'.

Mr Wilde said all previous complaints had been investigated and that nothing of a similar nature had been reported recently.

Police are also still scrambling to find a car witnesses say was travelling in the vicinity at the same time where Cleo disappeared.

The vehicle was turning south off Blowholes Road, near the area Cleo's family was camping, and headed for Carnarvon.

The timing of the car sighting coincides with evidence from other campers that they heard the sound of screeching tyres rapidly leaving the campsite about 3am.

The witnesses were travelling north on the North West Coastal Highway on their way to work when they spotted the mysterious car leaving the camping ground.

They were unable to give a description of the car or how many people were inside as it was too dark.

Pictured: A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police arrived

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday revealed the Australian Federal Police are using sophisticated technologies to help track Cleo down.

Without getting into specifics, he said there are options available to the officers globally that could bring Cleo home.

According to Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker, Mr Morrison could be referring to satellite data that might've captured key moments from the campground on the night Cleo disappeared.

'The high resolution ones, you're a bit more limited, so they're not going to be overhead at every single point  every half a day, sure, but not every hour or minute,' he told WAToday.

'If they think there was something during the day at the campsite that was present on the day Cleo went missing, such as a car, they may be trying to use satellite imagery to track down a timeline.

'There is a strong chance they may have gotten something, it may not have been the highest resolution, but it could have been something.'
A New Jersey professor said that 'we got to take white people out' during a discussion on the national backlash on Critical Race Theory.

Brittney Cooper, 41, a professor at Rutgers University, made the shocking comment during an online discussion with The Root's Michael Harriot titled Unpacking The Attacks On Critical Race Theory on September 21.

She started by saying on the topic: 'Kids actually can grasp Critical Race Theory because the issue that the right has, is that Critical Race Theory is just the proper teaching of American history.'

She said the accurate portrayal of history was the white people 'didn't discover America' because there were already indigenous people and that they had 'committed acts of violence in order to make yourselves seem superior.'

Cooper added: 'It's not that white people don't know what they have done,' presumably referencing slavery, which was abolished in 1865 after a nearly 300-year-long stint of being legal.

'They fear that there is no other way to be human than the way in which they are human' noting that whenever she speaks to a white person they write off 'all of this power' as merely a part of 'human nature'.

New Jersey professor Brittney Cooper (pictured) said: 'We got to take these motherf*****s out' when discussing white people and Critical Race Theory (CRT) during an online conference with The Root Institute on September 21

Host Michael Harriot (left) nodded in agreement throughout the conversation as Cooper (right) said that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything,' adding that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'

Cooper continued: 'They do this thing where they say that how white people have done humanity - how they have acted as human beings - is the way all of us act. So they think black people are going to get them back.

'And I wouldn't be mad at the black people who want to get them back but what I believe about black people is that we have seen what a sh** show this iteration of treatment of other human beings means. And my hope is that we would do it differently in the moments when we have some power.'

During Cooper's response Harriot was seen nodding his head in agreement before asking the Rutgers professor what she thinks the other options are.

He provided the options as 'they' - presumably lumping all white people together - 'coming around to the majority of human beings on the planet's way of thinking' or 'they say f*** that' because they don't want to relinquish said 'power'.

Cooper called whiteness an 'inconvenient interruption' in history and referenced a 2016 TED Talk where she 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'

Cooper candidly responded: 'The thing I want to say to you is, "We got to take these motherf*****s out," but like we can't say that,' before noting that she 'doesn't believe in a project of violence'.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The fight over critical race theory in schools has escalated in the United States over the last year. The theory has sparked a fierce nationwide debate in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country over the last year and the introduction of the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project, which was published by the New York Times in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived on American shores, reframes American history by 'placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the center of the US narrative'. The debate surrounding critical race theory regards concerns that some children are being indoctrinated into thinking that white people are inherently racist or sexist. Those against critical race theory have argued it reduces people to the categories of 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on their skin color. Supporters, however, say the theory is vital to eliminating racism because it examines the ways in which race influence American politics, culture and the law. Advertisement

She shared that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'.

She added that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything' and cited a TED Talk she did on the topic back in 2016 titled The Racial Politics Of Time. According to a synopsis the speech 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'.

Cooper - a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC - went on to elaborate on 'white colonialism' and said it is her job to help 'get to the other side of this very inconvenient apoca(lyptic)-interruption of black and indigenous world-making'.

She then asked: 'Does that give people comfort on the day-to-day when you're just having to deal with white folks and the travesties that they create in the sense that they want to destroy the planet?'

'Nah,' Cooper said in response to her own question.

'Despite what white people think of themselves they do not define the laws of eternity,' she added when theorizing about when whiteness, which she called an 'inconvenient interruption' in history, will end.

'Their projects are not so sophisticated' she added, noting that she 'showed up' in this point of history 'precisely so that we could help to figure out an end and a way to the other side of this gargantuan historical tragedy that is white supremacy'.

The Root Institute's description of the conversation called it 'a healthy dose of reality'.

The New Jersey professor teaches classes on women's and genders studies and authored three books 'expressing her frustrations, desires and expectations of society as an African American feminist woman,' according to Cooper's website.

Cooper is a professor who teaches classes on women's and genders studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey

Rutgers University has yet to comment on Cooper's statements.

After a look at her social media it is evident that Cooper keeps her personal life out of the public eye. It is unclear if she is in a relationship or has children.

But she did carve out time in the segment to discuss white people having children. She said: 'White people's birth rates are going down...because they literally cannot afford to put newer generations into the middle class.'

'They kind of deserve it,' she added with a smile.

Cooper ended the segment circling back to CRT, saying that it helps black people 'reclaim our own heritage, our own power, our own sense of the ways that our life-giving strategies'.

'That's why white people are afraid of us,' she said, adding: 'Until they need us.'
Gladys Berejiklian's answers to ICAC counsel Scott Robertson have tested the patience of the commissioner at the corruption inquiry into the former NSW premier.

Ms Berejiklian was answering questions about a pet project of Daryl Maguire's - the Riverina Conservatorium of Music - when ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl SC suddenly intervened.

Ms McColl said she got the impression Ms Berejiklian 'did turn turn your mind to whether you should disclose that at the time.'

'I don't think I did, commissioner,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'Never crossed your mind?' asked Ms McColl.

Ms Berejiklian then launched into a long-winded, 77 word answer saying 'it was nothing I needed to disclose because it was in my personal life and we do not share anything in common apart from that close personal relationship.

'We lead separate lives. I did not feel it was at a state which the threshold for me was would I introduce them to my parents? My sisters?

'Was I confident it was going to be something to last the distance of time? I didn't feel that.'

Ms McColl said: 'That feels like you took a fairly intense process of analysis, Ms Berejiklian?'

'Perhaps not at those specific times though,' said Ms Berejiklian.

It comes as audio was played of Daryl Maguire telling Ms Berejiklian he had been called to be a witness to the ICAC for the first time, 'so that's exciting'.

Ms Berejiklian gave him some advice: 'Two rules - be honest and listen to your lawyer.'

Mr Maguire assures his then partner that 'If you are called to give evidence it doesn't mean to say you are guilty.'

Ms Berejiklian sympathised with his predicament. 'What a nightmare, my goodness,' she said.

'With all the troubles that I've got. Honest, to goodness,' he replied.

Ms Berejiklian said a sporting event would make things feel better.

'That's OK. The good news is Wednesday is State of Origin,' she said.

On a tapped call Mr Maguire compared the ICAC to the 'Spanish Inquisition' and said they could be tapping his phone.

'They could be taping your conversation with me right now. You wouldn't know,' he said.

You 'can't even have a conversation now, they're taping it', Mr Maguire said of the ICAC.

In another intercepted call, Ms Berejiklian said to Mr Maguire that 'The bottom line is if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about.'

Earlier, Ms Berejiklian's successor as NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, was sensationally been dragged into the inquiry.

A tapped phone call played to a defiant Ms Berejiklian featured her speaking about funding projects in Mr Maguire's seat of Wagga Wagga and saying of Mr Perrottet: 'He does just what I ask him to.'

During the call, Mr Maguire said he 'heckled' the then treasurer Mr Perrottet and said he would have a 'f**king riot on your hands' if his electorate did not get funding for projects including Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Tumut Hospital.

Mr Maguire recalled that Mr Perrottet had told him there was no money in the budget for those projects but there was money for a planned crack down on graffiti.

Ms Berejiklian responded: 'I'll fix it'.

She called back later and said: 'I've already got you the Wagga hospital ... I just spoke to Dom (Perrottet), and I said just put the 140 in the budget.

'And he said 'no worries' - he just does what I ask him to.'

Mr Maguire: 'It's meant to be 170.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Whatever it is, 170  he's putting it in whatever it is OK.'

Mr Maguire: 'Like we would lose Wagga ... we would f***ing lose and they would campaign like you wouldn't believe and we would have nothing to defend ourselves with, a hole in the ground, I can't believe they didn't even do it. That idiot I spoke to, he's (blanked out) nephew.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'To be honest it's Brad's (health minister Brad Hazzard) fault for not being on top of who needs what.'

Mr Maguire: 'I said to Brad, I've been to them, they asked me for the list...'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Can you please not get yourself worked up again because all you do is shout at me sometimes.'

Mr Maguire: 'The Tumut bomb fire, the Tumbarumba bomb fire going, I've got all those God damn issues going .... he's got that f**king bushfire happening in Tumbarumba and there's no money for Tumut hospital... hello, guys, this is the key to win the God damn vote up there...'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left) was recorded on a tapped phone call saying Dominic Perrottet (pictured right) 'does what I ask him to'. At the time of the call, Ms Berejiklian was the NSW Premier and Mr Perrottet was the Treasurer. Since then, Mr Perrottet has succeeded her as premier

Ms Berejiklian added: 'We're giving Wagga more money than ever before,' she said. 'I just got you the one hundred and seventy mill ... you can't tell me you've been hard done by.'

She said she had got Mr Maguire that money 'in five minutes' but he would need to speak to Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Tumut Hospital because she wouldn't fix everything for him.

Mr Perrottet and Mr Hazzard are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Maguire was pushing for between $500,000 and a million dollars for that hospital.

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrived at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about a September 2017 deal 'which would give (Mr Maguire) enough money to pay off his debts of $1.5 million'.

'Did you suspect that Mr Maguire was or may have been engaged in corrupt conduct?' he asked.

'I did not,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'How did you think a Member of Parliament was capable of earning a commission something in the vicinity of $1.5 million in relation to a land deal ... It didn't cross your mind that it was somehow unusual or strange that a sitting Member of Parliament would think that they could earn $1.5 million in relation to a land deal in or around Badgerys Creek,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I did not pay too much attention to that because he was always talking big and I didn't pay too much attention to that, but I'd trusted him as a colleague and as a close personal friend and I never thought that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied.

'Why did you believe that 1.5 million dollars might be able to be earned by Mr Maguire,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I have no recollection of what the context was of that telephone conversation but my general response is I never suspected that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied, adding that she always assumed Mr Maguire 'was very aware of his disclosure requirements,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Mr Scott persisted with his line of questioning. 'It was at least not regarded as sufficiently strange that you decided to make any notification to this commission or an agency (that) was answerable to you?'

'That's correct,' said Ms Berejiklian.

In another call played to the commission, Ms Berejiklian also called Mr Maguire 'hokis', an Armenian term of affection, but also said that sometimes he shouted at her.

Ms Berejiklian's parents are both Armenian immigrants to Australia.

A defiant Ms Berejiklian told the Independent Commission Against Corruption she would not have revealed her secret relationship to Daryl Maguire to her colleagues even now.

Opening evidence on Friday, ICAC counsel assisting Scott Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

It comes after a stressed looking former premier arrived for her highly anticipated appearance at the corruption inquiry into her secret love affair with Daryl Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian said that she did not ask Mr Maguire for the key to her house that she had given to him back.

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian why she supported a multimillion-dollar proposal for the state government to pay for an upgrade of the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) gun club when Treasury said the submission did not demonstrate a net benefit to the state.

ACTA is based in Wagga Wagga and the project was strongly supported by Mr Maguire.

At the time of the proposal in December 2016 Ms Berejiklian was NSW treasurer and chair of the government's expenditure review committee (ERC).

'The bush was on fire in terms of their attitude to the government,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'We'd just lost a seat to the Shooters Party.'

Her view was that supporting the gun club proposal project would have 'kept a portion of the community pleased' and the government was keen to show it wasn't ignoring the bush.

Asked if her support for the proposal could have been influenced by her relationship with Mr Maguire, Ms Berejiklian said: 'It could have been part of the consideration but the ... strongest consideration was the consequence of the Orange by-election.'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured top right) is being questioned at ICAC by counsel assisting Scott Robertson (pictured top left)

In another tapped called tendered into evidence, Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire of her plan to fire a public servant.

They were discussing a proposal for the NSW government to give millions of dollars to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in his electorate of Wagga Wagga.

'I can't stand that guy. His head will be gone,' she said.

Mr Maguire told her that she should not do so until the bureaucrat, whose name has not been released, fixed the conservatorium proposal.

'Tell him to fix it, and then after he fixes it, I'm sacking him,' Ms Berejiklian said.

Mr Robertson, for ICAC, asked if she delayed sacking a person so they could finish work on one of Mr Maguire's pet projects.

'That person is still in the public service today,' she replied.

Mr Robertson put it to Ms Berejiklian that 'one of the factors as to why you decided not to sack that individual immediately was that Mr McGuire wanted him to fix his conservatory ... do you agree?'

She replied: 'I can't say that was the main reason.'

'So it is possible it was at least one reason,' asked Mr Robertson.

'It could be one of the reasons, yes,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Earlier, in a testy exchange, Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about her understanding of proceedings.

'Are you having some difficulty with my questions? I am trying to frame them in a precise way as well so you can answer them yes or no.

'Are you having some difficulty understanding my questions,' he asked.

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Mr Robertson, I'm just concerned that you are skewing the fact that all of my colleagues rightfully deserve my attention and my advocacy and my support for things that mattered in their communities.'

'Skewing or not, you understand that your role as a witness is to direct yourself to the questions that are being asked, you understand that?' Mr Robertson responded.

'Yes, I do,' she replied.

'You have senior counsel to represent you who have an opportunity to ask for clarification. You understand that, don't you?'

'I do, yes.'

Mr Robertson asked why Ms Berejiklian why she didn't declare her close personal relationship with Mr Maguire 'with a view to avoiding any perception of favouritism, to use your phrase, in relation to Mr Maguire?'

'We didn't share finances, we didn't live together, I was not confident in his level of commitment. I did not regard him as a member of my family, and I did not regard there to be any impact on my public responsibility and I did not think the relationship had a sufficient status for me to disclose it and had I been in a (situation) where I've thought it was significant enough I would have, but I didn't have confidence, didn't have confidence that was against case,' she replied.

Outside the hearing, Ms Berejiklian said she will tell the Independent Commission Against Corruption she will 'strenuously stress' that she has always put the interests and her 'love and support' for the people of NSW first.

Her day at ICAC has finally come - after six months of private hearings, two weeks of public hearings and 500 pieces of evidence.

Speaking to the media, she thanked the public 'for the amazing support'

'It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry.

'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life.'

Ms Berejiklian said she had not been listening to proceedings at ICAC over the past two weeks.

'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state.'

But she will be regretting having spoken so openly last year about her 'close personal relationship' with Daryl Maguire a year ago after she admitted the disgraced MP was her secret boyfriend at a previous Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.

Shortly after shocking the state with her revelation, the then-NSW Premier seemingly spoke candidly about her doomed love affair with Mr Maguire with 2GB's Ben Fordham, radio presenters Kyle and Jackie O and Sunday Telegraph gossip columnist Annette Sharp.

The interviews appeared to engender public sympathy for Ms Berejiklian - but they came back to bite her on Thursday when the counsel assisting the ICAC, Scott Robertson, threw them back in her face with devastating results.

Gladys Berejiklian gave selected media interviews after admitting her secret relationship with Daryl Maguire at a previous ICAC hearing

On Thursday morning, Ms Berejiklian's legal team launched a last ditch application to have evidence from Mr Maguire kept private at the corruption inquiry into the former premier.

Sophie Callan, a barrister acting for Ms Berejiklian, told ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl, SC, who is presiding over the inquiry, that 'hallmarks or indications at the level of commitment' in the relationship with Mr Maguire should not be aired publicly.

ICAC counsel Scott Robertson said the application should be refused. 'A public inquiry is to be held in public,' he said.

He added that having a private session would risk it 'becoming a public inquiry in name only'.

Mr Robertson argued that the hearing should be able to publicly delve into the nature of the relationship between Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire because the former premier openly gave interviews to the press after a previous ICAC hearing a year ago about how she planned to marry him.

Gladys Berejiklian (centre) with Kyle (right) and Jackie O (left) of KISS FM

What Gladys Berejiklian said outside ICAC on Friday morning 'Can I just say good morning everybody. Thank you for the amazing support the public has given to me. It's been very very deeply appreciated at a very difficult month. 'I'm looking forward to fulfilling my obligations and appearing before this inquiry. 'I will strenuously stress again - as I have every day of my life in public office - my love and support for the people of this great state has always been the forefront of any decisions I've made in public life. 'I haven't been listening to proceedings. 'All I will say is my love and passion for everything that is great about New South Wales remains the case. I've been buoyed by the public support I've seen. 'Every decision I've taken in public life has always been in the public's best interests, and the interests of the people of this state. Advertisement

Ms Berejiklian told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show that while revealing details about her personal relationship had been 'humiliating and embarrassing', it had made her feel 'more human'.

'I'm actually starting to feel even stronger after it all... It's made me feel more human and vulnerable than I've ever felt before,' she told the breakfast show hosts.

Responding to Sandilands' question about whether she had ever 'dabbled' in a same sex relationship, Ms Berejiklian said: 'I haven't and I didn't. Not that there is anything wrong with that.'

Sandilands said he understood why she'd want to keep the relationship private, given 'secret sex is the best sex', but the premier was hesitant to comment on the intimate details of her former relationship.

Ms Berejiklian told 2GB's Ben Fordham she lacked experience in intimate relationships after dedicating so much of her life to politics.

'It's fair to say that on average I would probably have less experience than the average person, but that's an excruciating thing to talk about,' she said.

'I've always been focused on my job and my work and my family and I haven't really had time for a lot else to be honest...

'It wasn't a normal relationship, he wasn't my boyfriend. I certainly hoped he would be, but it wasn't sufficiently substantial. I didn't want to introduce anyone to my close network unless I knew,' she said.

'I was certainly in love with him but no, he wasn't my boyfriend.'

Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian's day at ICAC has finally come

Ms Berejiklian told the Sunday Telegraph that 'I'm still trying to process it. I feel like it's someone else living this  It's like I'm the main protagonist in a movie. It's like I'm the feature and the film is going to end and my life is going to go back to normal but it will never be normal again.'

'It was hard to define because it wasn't of a sufficient status,' she says ambiguously. 'It wasn't a traditional type of relationship.'

In a general press conference, she said 'Without question I stuffed up in my personal life and I accept that.

'It's very difficult for someone in my position to have a private and personal life and I'm very upset at what has transpired. But I want to make this assurance to the people of New South Wales I have always put the public first.'

She added: 'I want to state at the outset that had I known then what I know now clearly I would not have made those personal decisions that I did.

'I trusted someone that I'd known for a long time and I feel really - really let down. I trusted him for a long time.'

There was little ambiguity at ICAC yesterday, when Mr Maguire gave evidence that he and the then premier had discussed getting married and having a child.

Perhaps if Ms Berejiklian had left her words at ICAC speak for themselves and not done media interviews afterwards in an attempt to save her job as NSW premier, the public might not have found out yesterday just how close and personal her relationship with Mr Maguire actually was.
Jurors from Derek Chauvin's murder trial have revealed that it was the cop's failure to render first aid to George Floyd that ultimately led to his murder conviction.

During an interview with Don Lemon on CNN Thursday, juror Nicole Deters said a vote was held straight after the judge had summed up the case in April, with four or five people leaning towards not guilty or undecided on the charge of third-degree murder.

Explaining how her fellow juror Jodi Doud had ultimately convinced all 12 to convict, Deters said: 'At some point, I think it was Jodi, I'm pretty sure it was Jodi said, 'Wait a minute, does the intended act of harm have to be the death of George Floyd, or can it be him not providing the life support?'

'And it was like all of a sudden the light bulbs just went on for those people that I think were undecided or on the not guilty side.

'I brought up the fact that this is not what he did but more or less what he didn't do. He did not provide lifesaving measures for George Floyd when he knew that the guy was in pain or needed medical attention.'

Chauvin was ultimately convicted of third-degree murder, second-degree unintentional murder, and manslaughter.

Meanwhile, jurors denied they felt public pressure to convict the Minneapolis cop who knelt on George Floyds neck for more than nine minutes, causing him to die.

Five jurors and two alternates told Lemon Thursday that race was never mentioned during the jury deliberations and that initially a few of them wanted to acquit Chauvin of third-degree murder.

They also described the traumatic experiences of having to watch the video of Floyds death repeatedly while trying to come to agreement on a verdict.

Five jurors and two alternate jurors who were empaneled in the Derek Chauvin murder trial spoke to CNN's Don Lemon Tonight on Thursday

Some of the jurors said they were left so scarred emotionally that they needed therapy and were experiencing nightmares.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter as well as second- and third-degree murder in the death of Floyd, who was black.

He is currently serving a 22-and-a-half year prison sentence in a Minnesota penitentiary. Chauvin plans to appeal the verdict.

The May 25, 2020 incident in Minneapolis was filmed by a 17-year-old bystander and shared on social media, where it quickly went viral.

The video clip ignited months of protests, riots, demonstrations, and upheaval nationwide.

Floyd, 46, died on May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market.

He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car.

They put him on the ground instead.

Seated left to right in the first row: Brandon Mitchell, Nicole Deters, Jodi Doud, and Sherri Belton Hardeman. Seated left to right in the back row: Alternate juror Lisa Christensen, trial juror Tossa Edorh, and alternate juror Nichole Williams

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter as well as second- and third-degree murder in the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, who was black. Chauvin is seen above at his sentencing in Minneapolis on June 25

Chauvin is currently serving a 22-and-a-half year prison sentence in a Minnesota penitentiary. He plans to appeal the verdict. The May 25, 2020 incident in Minneapolis was filmed by a 17-year-old bystander and shared on social media, where it quickly went viral. The video clip ignited months of protests, riots, demonstrations, and upheaval nationwide

It is definitely in my spirit and it will always be there, Sherri Belton Hardeman said of the video in which Floyd is heard saying that he could not breathe while Chauvin continues to press his knee against his neck.

Belton Hardeman, who is black, said that watching Floyd call out for his mother in his final moments alive left her emotional.

Watching George Floyd call for his mom just broke my heart, she said.

Me being a mom, a black mom, a black grandmother...We call out for our mom when we're hurting, when we're in pain, and when we're in need...

And unfortunately his mom could not come to his rescue.

Nicole Deters (left) and Sherri Belton Hardeman (right) denied that the jury convicted Chauvin to appease public opinion

In fact, no one came to his rescue. It's heartbreaking.

She then recalled the moment in the video when prosecutors said that Floyd was dead.

'I had a big gasp,' she said.

'I've never experienced anything like that before. I don't think any of us have. It was very, very traumatic.

'And it just hurt - just hurt my whole soul, my whole body. And I felt pain for his family.'

Despite the emotionally charged environment, Belton Hardeman said the jurors were there to do a job.

I absolutely wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page, Belton Hardeman said.

I wanted to make sure that we were doing due diligence and that we actually understood what our task was.

There was no room for error at all.

Jurors Brandon Mitchell (left) and Jodi Doud (right) said they would have liked to have heard testimony from Chauvin himself

Tossa Edorh also denied that the panel voted to convict because that was what the public expected them to do. 'We went through everything, the evidence, facts and everything before we made the decision,' he said

It took the jury more than 10 hours over a period of two days to reach a verdict.

Chauvins attorneys argued during the course of the trial that the former police officer was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial in light of the massive public pressure to secure a conviction.

But the jurors rejected any notion that their verdict was rendered to placate public opinion.

I think we got here because of systemic racism within the system, right, because of what's been going on. That's how we got to a courtroom in the first place, said juror Nicole Deters.

But when it came down to all three verdicts, it was based on the evidence and the facts 100 percent.

Fellow juror Tossa Edorh also denied that the panel voted to convict because that was what the public expected them to do.

You know, I just want the truth out, you know, Edorh told Don Lemon Tonight.

People are talking and saying stuff out there, which are not true.

People are saying that we were pressured to give that verdict that day.

Like, there was a pressure on us to convict, so which was not true, you know.

The death of Floyd sparked nationwide protests against police brutality last year

We went through everything, the evidence, facts and everything before we made the decision.

At the start of deliberations, the jurors said that they were all in agreement that Chauvin was guilty of second-degree manslaughter.

But there were four or five jurors who initially thought he was not guilty of third-degree murder.

What convinced the jurors to vote to convict on that charge was the fact that Chauvin never tried to render aid to Floyd despite having ample opportunity to do so, they say.

The jurors said that they viewed the video over and over in order to see if Chauvin or any of the other officers checked Floyd for a pulse.

One of the jurors, Jodi Doud, said to her fellow jurors during the deliberations: Wait a minute. Does the intended act of harm have to be the death of George Floyd, or can it be [Chauvin] not providing the life support?

According to Deters, all of a sudden light bulbs just went on for those people I think that were undecided or on the not guilty side.

The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, I cant breathe and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyds neck for what authorities say was nine-and-a-half minutes, including several minutes after Floyds breathing had stopped and he had no pulse.

Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, and told the jury: Believe your eyes.

From there it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides.

'You wake up with nightmares, see it sometimes, especially when other people will talk about it when they don't know where I was,' said alternate juror Nichole Williams.

'But yeah, it's something I will never forget, no matter how much therapy I've already done.'

During their interview with Don Lemon Tonight on Thursday, the jurors said they would have liked to have heard directly from Chauvin, who chose to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination by declining to testify in his own defense.

Nonetheless, they said it likely would not have made a difference in their verdict.

Judge Peter Cahill of Hennepin County, Minnesota, said on Monday that he will make the names of all 15 jurors and alternates who sat in the courtroom public next week

One juror, Brandon Mitchell, said: The evidence was the evidence.

It would've been nice to hear his reasoning, why he did what he did, said alternate juror Lisa Christensen.

I keep thinkin' about this critical decision making model that they kept - were trained on and they kept bringin' up.

And it was supposed to be you're supposed to constantly reassess the situation over and over again.

And I don't think he - once Mr. Floyd was on the ground, he was not reassessing Mr. Floyd at all, his condition at all, what care he needed.

When asked what she would want to ask Chauvin, Doud replied: Why? Why did you do this? Why didn't you get up?

That's been the question on everybody's mind.

Why did you stay there so long? Why?

Belton Hardeman added: I'm still trying to understand nine minutes and 29 seconds.

Why? And I don't think that Derek Chauvin could explain that to me ever.

Mitchell said that hearing Chauvin speak could have alleviated the jurors trauma.

For us, I mean, it's a traumatic experience, Mitchell said.

It kind of would have added some closure for us just to hear what were you thinking.

Like, how did it get to this?
A speaker at a school board meeting in Florida was removed by security for reading a vulgar passage of a highly sexualized book available in the district's high school libraries.

In a video shared by an attendee of the meeting, Chair of Orange County Schhol Board Teresa Jacobs is heard instructing police officers to remove Jacob Engel, 27 after he read an excerpt from 'Gender Queer: A memoir.'

'I'm going to read a passage of a book that's floating around in your schools that has been banned from many other schools,' Engels begins saying.

'As a member of the LGBT community, the fact that this is floating around for children as young as ninth grade is concerning,' he added.

Scroll down for video

Jacob Engel, 27 was removed from the board meeting after he read an excerpt from 'Gender Queer: A memoir'

Four copies of the 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe were in three of the Orange County School Board's 22 high schools

He then reads from the book: 'Fast forward, we've been dating for two months. We've made out. We've had sex. We moved down the sex thing at work...'

Engel goes on to read an explicit part of the text that discusses strap-ons and other sexual devices and imagery.

'Sir, I appreciate...' Jacobs says in an attempt to make Engels stop reading.

'I'd like to continue reading,' Engel replies and keeps on reading an even more detailed sexual account from the book.

'Mr. Engels, you're out of order. Remove him from the chambers,' Jacobs says as other attendees protest.

Engels is eventually removed from the meeting.

Alicia Farrant, a member of Moms For Liberty and the person who recorded the video, is heard saying 'no way.'

She adds that the problem is precisely that school officials don't know the content made available for children when Jacobs tries to defend herself saying she had never heard of the book.

Chair of Orange County Schhol Board Teresa Jacobs instructed police officers to remove ]Engel. Engel read an explicit passage from 'Gender Queer'

According to the Daily Beast, Engels (right), a journalist and Infowars collaborator, has ties with the far-right political group The Proud Boys.

'I understand the contradiction here. This is the first time I've heard of this and the board has heard of this. We will look into it, and I do hope the book is removed. OK?' Jacobs said.

'And if not, we'll be back here having this conversation again, but I can guarantee you, I did not know that book was in the library,' she added.

Four copies of the book 'Gender Queer,' by Maia Kobabe were in three of the board's 22 high schools.

OCPS Director of Media Relations Shari Bobinski said in a statement that the book has since been removed from the schools' libraries, FOX reported.

Bobinski wrote: 'The School Board was unaware this book was available in school media centers. At this time, the book is not on library shelves and is under review.

'If anyone has a concern about materials or books found in our media centers or in our classrooms, Orange County Public Schools has a process in place for parents or guardians to submit a form to the school principal to address a concern.'

According to the Daily Beast, Engels, a journalist and Infowars collaborator, has ties with the far-right political group The Proud Boys.

The outlet reported that he has been photographed in the Proud Boys black-and-gold uniform and in a pro-gun protest with a group of Proud Boys in 2018.

Engels told the outlet that he is just an investigative journalist who embedded to the Proud Boys to write about them.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe's campaign team accidentally sent their discussion on how they could 'kill' a Fox News story - to the very reporter asking for comment.

Fox News editor Tyler O'Neil had contacted McAuliffe's campaign for comment on how they had reportedly spent almost $54,000 on high-profile attorney Elias Law Group - known for their work in election-related legal challenges.

The email appears to have sparked panic within the campaign, with McAuliffe spokesperson Christina Freundlich asking: 'Can we try to kill this?'

Unfortunately for Freundlich, and her boss, she did not send the email to colleagues as intended.

Instead, she accidentally sent the email back to O'Neil.

The McAuliffe campaign did not respond to Fox News' further requests for comment.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe's campaign reportedly spent $60,000 on a high-profile attorney Elias Law Group known for their work in election-related legal challenges, including the investigation came to be known as the anti-Trump 'dirty dossier'

McAuliffe's campaign team accidentally replied to emails from Fox News asking for a comment with talks to 'kill' the story (pictured)

McAuliffe spokesperson Christina Freundlich (pictured) reportedly mistakenly responded to the email from Fox, which was instead meant for her colleagues

The email snafu came about as Fox investigated reports of McAuliffe's spending on Elias Law Group.

McAuliffe's campaign spent $53,680 on the law group's services less than a month before Election Day, as reported by Fox.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called the move 'astonishing' and later tweeted: 'McAuliffe may be preparing to challenge any win by Republican Glenn Youngkin.'

Elias Law Group was opened by Marc Elias earlier this year, who worked as Hillary Clinton's general counsel during her presidential campaign and commissioned a research firm to look into Trump's relationship with Russia on behalf of Democrats back in 2016.

The investigation came to be known as the anti-Trump 'dirty dossier' and although Elias falsely denied his involvement in the report it was revealed that he did, in fact, hire opposition research firm Fusion GPS in April 2016 to dig up dirt about Donald Trump.

Republicans notoriously believed that Elias lied so as to not reveal that Clinton's campaign funded the dossier.

However, the scandal didn't stop Elias from representing liberal politicians such as Iowa Democratic candidate Rita Hart in the 2020 election.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called the move 'astonishing' and later suggested that spending so much money on the law firm may be in preparation 'to challenge any win by Republican Glenn Youngkin'

Polling has shown that Republican Glenn Youngkin (pictured) is more likely to win if voter turnout is low at the election next week

According to Fox, House Republicans have continued to accuse the lawyer of having a 'serious conflict of interest' considering that he and Perkins Coie - the law firm where he worked at up until August 2021 - represented half of the Democratic committee members who would be deciding the case on Texas' 'straight-ticket voting law'.

'There are a host of election lawyers but McAuliffe selected an attorney accused of lying to the media, advancing rejected conspiracy theories, and currently involved in a major federal investigation that has already led to the indictment of his former partner,' Turley wrote in a blog post on Thursday.

McAuliffe, a former governor of Virginia, has repeatedly gone after his opponent Youngkin in an attempt to serve a non-consecutive second term in the position.

Virginia doesn't allow governors to run for consecutive terms, so McAuliffe had to sit out four years before running for his old job again.

President Joe Biden crossed the Potomac River to Arlington, Virginia, Tuesday night to campaign for the Democratic candidate.

'How well do you know Terrys opponent?' Biden asked a crowd of McAuliffe supporters. 'Well just remember this. I ran against Donald Trump. And Terry is running against an acolyte of Donald Trump,' he said, tearing into.

The president also blasted Trump's statements following the death of Colin Powell and ripped the GOP candidate for picking up Trump's election fraud claims.

He called out Trump's 'attack' on Powell 'unbelievable' while speaking near the Pentagon in a region filled with military workers and contractors, referring to when Trump called the general a 'RINO' - Republican In Name Only - after his death at age 84.

Biden hailed Powell as a decorated American hero.

'Trump did the same thing about John McCain. That's who Donald Trump is. All coming from a guy who invented the Big Lie, drove a mob of insurrectionists to breach the Capitol on the sixth of January. And to this day, he incites people all around the country,' Biden said.

With the tight election in Virginia likely to reverberate across national politics after Election Day next month, Biden pointed to Youngkin's statement about election 'integrity' to paint him as a pawn of Trump.

'This guy starts that he's calling for election integrity Now why did he do that?' Biden asked the crowd.

He supposed Youngkin did it because he wanted to hear from Trump.

McAuliffe appeared with First Lady Jill Biden (right) at a rally earlier this month in Richmond, Virginia

Former President Barack Obama supported McAuliffe on Saturday in Richmond, Virginia

'There was a price he'd have to pay for the nomination, and he paid it,' Biden said. 'But now he doesn't want to talk about Trump anymore. Well, I do. Talk about an oxymoron: Donald Trump and election integrity.'

Youngkin has since fired back at Biden, accusing him of having a 'failed presidency'.

McAuliffe has seen his lead over Republican Glenn Youngkin slip away with one week to go until the election.

A new USA Today/Suffolk University Poll released Tuesday has the candidates essentially tied - with McAuliffe receiving 45.6 percent and Youngkin at 45.2 percent. Five percent of Virginians polls remained undecided.

Emerson and Monmouth University surveys also have the Democrat and the Republican tied.

That's a big change, as McAuliffe had been comfortably ahead of Youngkin for most of the race - sometimes by as much as nine points, surveys showed.

Now that the race has tightened, Democrats have been forced to send their biggest political stars - such as Joe and Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Barack Obama - to the state to get McAuliffe across the line.

Polling has shown that Youngkin is more likely to win if turnout is low.
During another day of shellshock evidence at the corruption inquiry into Gladys Berejiklian, the most astonishing testimony of all might have been a tapped phone call where her secret lover Daryl Maguire said to his-ex-lover: 'They could be taping your conversation with me right now.'

He wasn't being paranoid - investigators for the NSW corruption watchdog, the ICAC, were taping his every word, and had been for some time.

There was a lot of rivalry for shock of the day, though - from Ms Berejiklian's dogged resistance to the notion that she should have declared her relationship with Mr Maguire, and Dominic Perrottet, her successor as NSW Premier, being dragged into evidence, via several terse exchanges with the ICAC's counsel and commissioner.

Ms Berejiklian made a hasty exit in a white Range Rover on Friday evening after five-and-a-half hours in the harsh ICAC spotlight, but a lot of water passed under the bridge before that.

Here's what emerged from Ms Berejiklian's grilling on Friday.

After six months of private hearings, two weeks of public hearings and 500 pieces of evidence, the former premier of NSW was finally going to have her say before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The day started with Ms Berejiklian speaking to the media assembled outside the ICAC building in Sydney. She said she would 'strenuously stress' that she has always put the interests and her 'love and support' for the people of NSW first.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney on Friday, October 29, 2021

Gladys Berejiklian giving evidence into the ICAC inquiry into her

Killer question

Opening proceedings on Friday, ICAC counsel assisting Scott Robertson began with a killer question.

'If you were able to have your time again would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?' Mr Robertson asked.

Ms Berejiklian responded she didn't feel it was a commitment she could share with her parents, Arsha and Krikor, or her sisters.

ICAC counsel Scott Robertson (pictured left) had several testy exchanges with Gladys Berejiklian (right) at ICAC on Friday

'I didn't feel there was a sufficient significance to be able to do that in terms of significance.'

Ms Berejiklian said that she did not ask Mr Maguire for the key to her house that she had given to him back.

Gladys panics after losing a seat

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian why she supported a multimillion-dollar proposal for the state government to pay for an upgrade of the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) gun club when Treasury said the submission did not demonstrate a net benefit to the state.

ACTA is based in Wagga Wagga and the project was strongly supported by Mr Maguire.

At the time of the proposal in December 2016 Ms Berejiklian was NSW treasurer and chair of the government's expenditure review committee (ERC).

'The bush was on fire in terms of their attitude to the government,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'We'd just lost a seat to the Shooters Party.'

Her view was that supporting the gun club proposal project would have 'kept a portion of the community pleased' and the government was keen to show it wasn't ignoring the bush.

Asked if her support for the proposal could have been influenced by her relationship with Mr Maguire, Ms Berejiklian said: 'It could have been part of the consideration but the ... strongest consideration was the consequence of the Orange by-election.'

Testy exchange

In a testy exchange that set the tone for the day, Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about her understanding of the proceedings.

'Are you having some difficulty with my questions? I am trying to frame them in a precise way as well so you can answer them yes or no.

'Are you having some difficulty understanding my questions,' he asked.

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Mr Robertson, I'm just concerned that you are skewing the fact that all of my colleagues rightfully deserve my attention and my advocacy and my support for things that mattered in their communities.'

'Skewing or not, you understand that your role as a witness is to direct yourself to the questions that are being asked, you understand that?' Mr Robertson responded.

'Yes, I do,' she replied.

'You have senior counsel to represent you who have an opportunity to ask for clarification. You understand that, don't you?'

'I do, yes.'

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian why she didn't declare her close personal relationship with Mr Maguire 'with a view to avoiding any perception of favouritism, to use your phrase, in relation to Mr Maguire?'

'We didn't share finances, we didn't live together, I was not confident in his level of commitment. I did not regard him as a member of my family, and I did not regard there to be any impact on my public responsibility and I did not think the relationship had a sufficient status for me to disclose it and had I been in a (situation) where I've thought it was significant enough I would have, but I didn't have confidence, didn't have confidence that was against case,' she replied.

Off with his head!

In a tapped call tendered into evidence, Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire of her plan to fire a public servant.

They were discussing a proposal for the NSW government to give millions of dollars to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in his electorate of Wagga Wagga.

'I can't stand that guy. His head will be gone,' she said.

Mr Maguire told her that she should not do so until the bureaucrat, whose name has not been released, fixed the conservatorium proposal.

'Tell him to fix it, and then after he fixes it, I'm sacking him,' Ms Berejiklian said.

Mr Robertson, for ICAC, asked if she delayed sacking a person so they could finish work on one of Mr Maguire's pet projects.

'That person is still in the public service today,' she replied.

Mr Robertson put it to Ms Berejiklian that 'one of the factors as to why you decided not to sack that individual immediately was that Mr McGuire wanted him to fix his conservatory ... do you agree?'

She replied: 'I can't say that was the main reason.'

'So it is possible it was at least one reason,' asked Mr Robertson.

'It could be one of the reasons, yes,' agreed Ms Berejiklian.

Daryl's unusual $1.5million problem

Mr Robertson asked Ms Berejiklian about a September 2017 deal 'which would give (Mr Maguire) enough money to pay off his debts of $1.5 million'.

'Did you suspect that Mr Maguire was or may have been engaged in corrupt conduct?' he asked.

'I did not,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'How did you think a Member of Parliament was capable of earning a commission something in the vicinity of $1.5 million in relation to a land deal ... It didn't cross your mind that it was somehow unusual or strange that a sitting Member of Parliament would think that they could earn $1.5 million in relation to a land deal in or around Badgerys Creek,' Mr Robertson asked.

A stressed-looking Gladys Berejiklian arrives at the ICAC on Friday morning - breaking her silence outside court

'I did not pay too much attention to that because he was always talking big and I didn't pay too much attention to that, but I'd trusted him as a colleague and as a close personal friend and I never thought that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied.

'Why did you believe that 1.5 million dollars might be able to be earned by Mr Maguire,' Mr Robertson asked.

'I have no recollection of what the context was of that telephone conversation but my general response is I never suspected that he was doing anything untoward,' she replied, adding that she always assumed Mr Maguire 'was very aware of his disclosure requirements,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Mr Scott persisted with his line of questioning. 'It was at least not regarded as sufficiently strange that you decided to make any notification to this commission or an agency (that) was answerable to you?'

'That's correct,' said Ms Berejiklian.

Dominic Perrottet is dragged in

Ms Berejiklian's successor as NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, was sensationally dragged into the inquiry.

A tapped phone call played to a defiant Ms Berejiklian featured her speaking about funding projects in Mr Maguire's seat of Wagga Wagga and saying of Mr Perrottet: 'He does just what I ask him to.'

During the call, Mr Maguire said he 'heckled' the then treasurer Mr Perrottet and said he would have a 'f**king riot on your hands' if his electorate did not get funding for projects including Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Tumut Hospital.

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left) was recorded on a tapped phone call saying Dominic Perrottet (pictured right) 'does what I ask him to'. At the time of the call, Ms Berejiklian was the NSW Premier and Mr Perrottet was the Treasurer. Since then, Mr Perrottet has succeeded her as premier

Mr Maguire recalled that Mr Perrottet had told him there was no money in the budget for those projects but there was money for a planned crack down on graffiti.

Ms Berejiklian responded: 'I'll fix it'.

She called back later and said: 'I've already got you the Wagga hospital ... I just spoke to Dom (Perrottet), and I said just put the 140 in the budget.

'And he said 'no worries' - he just does what I ask him to.'

Mr Maguire: 'It's meant to be 170.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Whatever it is, 170  he's putting it in whatever it is OK.'

Mr Maguire: 'Like we would lose Wagga ... we would f***ing lose and they would campaign like you wouldn't believe and we would have nothing to defend ourselves with, a hole in the ground, I can't believe they didn't even do it. That idiot I spoke to, he's (blanked out) nephew.'

Ms Berejiklian: 'To be honest it's Brad's (health minister Brad Hazzard) fault for not being on top of who needs what.'

Mr Maguire: 'I said to Brad, I've been to them, they asked me for the list...'

Ms Berejiklian: 'Can you please not get yourself worked up again because all you do is shout at me sometimes.'

Mr Maguire: 'The Tumut bomb fire, the Tumbarumba bomb fire going, I've got all those God damn issues going .... he's got that f**king bushfire happening in Tumbarumba and there's no money for Tumut hospital... hello, guys, this is the key to win the God damn vote up there...'

Ms Berejiklian added: 'We're giving Wagga more money than ever before,' she said. 'I just got you the one hundred and seventy mill ... you can't tell me you've been hard done by.'

She said she had got Mr Maguire that money 'in five minutes' but he would need to speak to Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Tumut Hospital because she wouldn't fix everything for him.

Mr Perrottet and Mr Hazzard are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Maguire was pushing for between $500,000 and a million dollars for that hospital.

Commissioner loses patience with Gladys

Ms Berejiklian's answers to ICAC counsel Scott Robertson tested the patience of the commissioner at the corruption inquiry.

Ms Berejiklian was answering questions about a pet project of Daryl Maguire's - the Riverina Conservatorium of Music - when ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl SC suddenly intervened.

Ms McColl said she got the impression Ms Berejiklian 'did turn turn your mind to whether you should disclose that at the time.'

'I don't think I did, commissioner,' Ms Berejiklian replied.

'Never crossed your mind?' asked Ms McColl.

Ms Berejiklian then launched into a long-winded, 77 word answer saying 'it was nothing I needed to disclose because it was in my personal life and we do not share anything in common apart from that close personal relationship.

'We lead separate lives. I did not feel it was at a state which the threshold for me was would I introduce them to my parents? My sisters?

'Was I confident it was going to be something to last the distance of time? I didn't feel that.'

Ms McColl said: 'That feels like you took a fairly intense process of analysis, Ms Berejiklian?'

'Perhaps not at those specific times though,' said Ms Berejiklian.

State of Origin

More tapped audio revealed Mr Maguire telling Ms Berejiklian he had been called to be a witness to the ICAC for the first time, 'so that's exciting'.

Ms Berejiklian gave him some advice: 'Two rules - be honest and listen to your lawyer.'

Mr Maguire assures his then partner that 'If you are called to give evidence it doesn't mean to say you are guilty.'

Ms Berejiklian sympathised with his predicament. 'What a nightmare, my goodness,' she said.

'With all the troubles that I've got. Honest, to goodness,' he replied.

Ms Berejiklian said a sporting event would make things feel better.

'That's OK. The good news is Wednesday is State of Origin,' she said.

Daryl suggests ICAC could be listening (they were)

On another piece of tapped phone evidence, Mr Maguire compared the ICAC to the 'Spanish Inquisition' and said they could be tapping his phone.

'They could be taping your conversation with me right now. You wouldn't know,' he said.

You 'can't even have a conversation now, they're taping it', Mr Maguire said of the ICAC.

In another intercepted call, Ms Berejiklian said to Mr Maguire that 'The bottom line is if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about.'

Ms Berejiklian's evidence to ICAC will resume at 9am on Monday.
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New York City is facing a crime spike, shortages of emergency workers and piles of trash on the streets as Monday's COVID vaccine deadline for city workers looms.

Figures show that 22 per cent of the city's 36,000 cops, 35 per cent of the Big Apple's 10,951 firefighters and 20 per cent of the city's 10,000 emergency responders - around 4,300 of whom are employed by the fire department - are also yet to get jabbed.

Close to a quarter - 23 per cent - of the city's 7,200 uniformed sanitation workers remain unvaccinated, with the figures sparking fears of huge shortages of essential workers in the coming weeks. Trash bags have begun to accumulate in piles in Staten Island and Brooklyn, amid claims the slowdown is an unofficial protest at the vaccine mandate.

They - along with any of the city's other 160,000 workers - will be put on unpaid leave from Monday if they fail to show proof they've had at least one vaccine dose.

The vaccine deadline officially expires at 5pm Friday, with anyone showing proof of one shot before then receiving a $500 bonus. But workers will be allowed to get the shot on Saturday and Sunday, and won't be put on unpaid leave if they show up to work with proof of inoculation on Monday.

Thousands of emergency and sanitation workers are still not vaccinated ahead of the New York City's vaccine deadline on Friday, at 5 p.m.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's edict has triggered furious protests, and warnings up to 40 per cent of fire houses could close, with up to 150 fewer ambulances a day in service.

Mike Salsedo, 44, was among hundreds of firefighters protesting Thursday outside de Blasio's official residence, Gracie Mansion. He said he believes he has natural immunity to COVID-19 after having the disease last year and doesn't need to be vaccinated, a stance that's contrary to the consensus among public health experts.

'Im a man of faith, and I dont believe that putting something manmade into my body is good,' Salsedo said.

Another firefighter, Jackie-Michelle Martinez, said the ability to choose was 'our God-given right' as she questioned the city's decision to move away from its previous policy, which allowed workers to stay on the job if they had a negative COVID-19 test.

'If the weekly testing is working, why are you, Mayor de Blasio, eliminating it?' she asked.

New York City has also been hit by surging crime figures, fueling worries a reduction in cop numbers could further worsen that issue.

Robberies are up 10 per cent in the last 28 days, compared to the same period of 2020, with felony assaults rocketing by 15.2 per cent over the same four week period, and by eight per cent in a year.

Non-rape sex crimes have spiked by 27 per cent year on year, with hate crimes up by 90 per cent.

De Blasio held firm on the mandate despite the concerning numbers of just how many essential workers have actually gotten vaccinated. He insists the deadline will prompt a last minute surge in vaccination numbers.

Trash is pictured piled up in Brooklyn Friday, as sanitation workers call in sick days before New York City's vaccine mandate comes into force

A corner in Flatbush was piled high with uncollected garbage bags - with fears the problem will soon grow even worse

The opposition against the mandate stands as firefighters rallied outside de Blasio's home on Thursday, sanitation workers appeared to be skipping garbage pick ups in protest and the city's largest police union went to an appeals court seeking a halt to the vaccine requirement.

Pat Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said the hard deadline 'sets the city up for a real crisis.' Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, warned longer response times will 'be a death sentence to some people.'

He spoke as:

The city's 160,000 employees must show they have gotten at least one jab of the COVID-19 vaccine or face unpaid leave come Monday

Of the 17,000 FDNY firefighters, 35 per cent are unvaccinated, and only 80 per cent of the more than 10,000 EMS workers are vaccinated

About 78 per of the more than 35,000 NYPD officers are vaccinated, and a third of the more than 7,200 sanitation workers are still not vaccinated

The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20 percent of its fire companies and have 100 to 150 fewer ambulances in service a day

Garbage has begun pilling up in Brooklyn and Staten Island as sanitation workers protest the vaccine mandate

Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to defend the mandate and said mandatory overtime and extra-shift will be implemented to make up for the losses

NY State Governor Kathy Hochul says she'll offer state resources to help plug any gaps caused by staff being put on leave

New York continues to register a seven day average of just 732 COVID cases daily, and an average of nine deaths

Firefighters rallied outside Mayor Bill De Blasio's residence Gracie Mansion on Thursday to protest his COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all city workers

The city is bracing for a worker shortage as tens of thousands of municipal employees remain unvaccinated, including 35 per cent of the city's 17,000 firefighters. Protesters are pictured in Manhattan Friday

Protestors said they have a right to choose whether to get vaccinated or not rather than be forced an ultimatum by the government, with some bringing a casket with the word 'Freedom' written on it to Thursday's demonstration

The city's employees have until 5 p.m. on Friday to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with these workers expressing their dissatisfaction at the mandate

Those who fail to show proof they've gotten the jab face being placed on leave without pay

De Blasio said Thursday that the city has contingencies to maintain adequate staffing and public safety, including mandatory overtime and extra shifts - tools that he said were typically used 'in times of challenging crisis.'

'My job is to keep people safe - my employees, and 8.8 million people,' De Blasio said at a virtual news briefing on Friday. 'And until we defeat COVID, people are not safe. If we don't stop COVID, New Yorkers will die.'

During the protest at Gracie Mansion on Thursday FDNY union members reiterated the catastrophic consequences of a possible shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel, predicting a 20 per cent drop in staff

Some protestors wore anti-vaccination patches resembling those wore by Jewish people during the Holocaust

UFA President Andrew Ansbro speaks to hundreds of city workers at a rally protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate outside Gracie Mansion

NYC PBA President Pat Lynch has long criticized de Blasio's vaccine mandate

At least 5% of unvaccinated Americans have QUIT their jobs over the vaccine mandates At least five per cent of Americans have chosen to quit their jobs rather than get the COVID-19 vaccine as part of their workplace mandates, a new poll has found. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) polled 1,519 adults from October 14 to October 24 on vaccination trends, from getting their children vaccinated to asking if they'd leave their job over vaccine mandates. The study also found that 37 per cent of unvaccinated adults - who account for said they would leave their job if their employer required a vaccine or weekly testing. The figure increases to 72 percent if weekly testing is not an option. Since vaccine mandates started going into effect, the workers surveyed reported that vaccine requirements have jumped from nine per cent of employers in June to 25 per cent this month. The study also found that workers coming from a $90,000 or more household were more likely to experience vaccine mandates from their employers than those living in a $40,000 or less household. Of the 1,500 polled, 36 per cent of those who identified as a Democrat reported their employer required vaccination, while Republicans polled only reported 17 per cent. However, 72 per cent of Republican workers reported they do not want their employers to require it, while only 20 per cent of Democrats said they opposed being forced. Advertisement

People who refuse to get vaccinated are now a big factor in the continued spread of the virus. Backers of mandates say New Yorkers have a right not to be infected by public servants unwilling to get the shots.

But the city faces a major staffing crisis if hundreds of emergency works are placed on leave.

The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20 percent of its fire companies and have 100 to 150 fewer ambulances in service a day while changing schedules, canceling vacations and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.

Ansbro said up to 40 per cent of firehouses could close.

'The department must manage the unfortunate fact that a portion of our workforce has refused to comply with a vaccine mandate for all city employees,' Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

'We will use all means at our disposal, including mandatory overtime, mutual aid from other EMS providers, and significant changes to the schedules of our members. We will ensure the continuity of operations and safety of all those we have sworn oaths to serve.'

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, who caught COVID in January, said his department was sending reminders to workers whose records indicated they hadn't yet received a shot and that NYPD vaccination sites will remain open all weekend.

More than 700 officers were vaccinated on Thursday alone, the NYPD said, rushing to meet the deadline for the mandate and an extra incentive: workers who get a shot by Friday at a city-run vaccination site will get $500.

'On Monday, when this thing really starts being enforced, we're going to check the vaccination status and if you're not vaccinated, no pay and you're going to be not able to work,' Shea said in a video message Wednesday to officers. 'I don't think anyone wants that to happen. I don't think you want it to happen. I certainly don't. We need you out there.'

Fire department officials are holding virtual meetings with staff, explaining the mandate and imploring them to get vaccinated.

A Staten Island judge on Wednesday refused a police union's request for a temporary restraining order on the mandate, but she ordered city officials into her courtroom next month to explain why the requirement shouldn't be reversed. If the mandate is deemed illegal, workers put on leave will be given back pay, the city said.

Teamsters Local 831 President Harry Nespoli, whose union represents the city's sanitation workers, suggested the workers were causing slowdown as a show of protest over the vaccine mandate.

'Look, you're going to have some spots in the city that they feel very strongly about this,' he told the New York Post of the vaccine mandate.

The slowdowns has caused garbage to pile up in Brooklyn and Staten Island as resident complain about sidewalks being overtaken by trash reminiscent of when sanitation worker's went on strike in 1968.

The trash along Flatbush Avenue and Avenue is pilling up at the end of the block on October 28

The trash along Flatbush Avenue is reminiscent of city's days in the 60s and 70s, where garbage littered nearly every sidewalk

Nespoli noted that more and more are choosing to get the jab just before the deadline.

'In the last five days, we had 300 more that got vaccinated,' he told the Post.

He added that he and others oppose the vaccine mandate because the city's program only provides two options, either vaccinations or weekly testing.

Those who refuse to get the shot would be place on unpaid leave, and those who do get the jab are entitled to a $500 bonus.

The mayor also called the sanitation slowdowns 'unacceptable' and said that the department will move to 12-hour and Sunday shifts to ensure trash doesn't pile up.

He warned sanitation workers in a Thursday news conference, saying 'If you don't want to do the job - someone else will.'

De Blasio on Thursday credited the impending deadline for moving the needle on vaccinations across city government. In the last week, the number of affected workers who've gotten at least one dose rose from 71 per cent to 76 per cent.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, wearing a Halloween costume, said he would put and end to the slow down during a news conference on Thursday. He warned employees that they could be replaced

About 35 percent of employees at the New York City Fire Department remain unvaccinated, according to the city's latest tally. That's down from 40 percent on October 19

He has remained stead fast in keeping the hard deadline, saying it would save lives.

COVID-19 is the leading cause of death of law enforcement officers in the U.S., killing 498 officers since the start of 2020 compared to 102 gun deaths, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks police fatalities.

When the state required all workers at hospitals and nursing homes to get vaccinated, a last minute rush of people to comply meant that few facilities experienced staffing challenges.

'We expected that a lot of the vaccinations would happen toward the end of the deadline,' de Blasio said. 'We also know a lot of people make the decision once they really realize that theyre not going to get paid. Thats just the human reality.'
A former Commonwealth Bank clerk who stole $3.5 million from customers' accounts partly due to pressure from her abusive boyfriend was unable to avoid jail due to the 'extraordinary' amount taken.

Hsin-Yu 'Angie' Tsai, 33, was jailed for at least 14 months after admitting to withdrawing $2.4 million from one customer, and $500,000 from a dead woman's account, among other frauds between 2014 and 2015.

Judge John Pickering found Tsai funded her lavish lifestyle of luxury watches, expensive handbags and a house through the proceeds of crime due to poor judgment and greed.

Hsin-Yu 'Angie' Tsai, 33, was jailed for at least 14 months after stealing $3.5m from customer between 2014 and 2015 (pictured, Ms Tsai arrives to Downing St District Court on Friday)

'One immediately wonders why someone with a job and knowing the risk why she would think of stealing such an extraordinary amount of money from the bank,' he said.

But in sentencing Tsai in the District Court on Friday to a maximum term of three years and three months, he noted the extreme greed in her partner's requests including $30,000 in shoes and clothes, and a Ferrari.

'Buying a Ferrari is perhaps the greediest thing someone can do from stealing money that there is in this world,' he said.

The judge felt genuine sympathy for her suffering at the hands of her emotionally, financially and physically abusive partner, saying he took advantage and exploited her position for his own financial gain.

But the judge could not ignore the fact that '$3.5 million is a lot of money'.

'You can clearly see overall globally this was a significant offence.'

Ms Tsai (pictured) stole $2.4m from a customer and $500,000 from an account of a deceased woman

Tsai pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and one for using a false document.

An investigation was launched after a CBA customer who had accrued $2.4 million in money he had been depositing from South Africa was told he only had about $13,000 left in his account.

This led to the revelation she had previously withdrawn $500,000 from a woman's term deposit two days after she died in 2014.

An investigation was launched after a Commonwealth Bank customer who had accrued $2.4 million in money he had been depositing from South Africa

Tsai used a degree of sophistication in transferring the money around multiple times to hide its path and location, the court was told.

While working as a customer service specialist with the major bank, Tsai said her partner became overwhelmingly obsessed with materialism, expecting lavish gifts like Swiss watches, designer clothes and a car.

Her parents would regularly send her $3000 a month from Taiwan and she also had access to their trust fund of $3 million which she infrequently withdrew from without asking, she said in evidence.

But she was too scared to ask her parents for financial help to leave her partner.

After they did break up she was given a $1 million settlement from their spoils and she used the money to travel Europe, China and purchase an apartment.

The judge noted a 'remarkable' aspect of the case was having already stolen millions undetected, Tsai continued to work at the bank for another three years up until 2019.

'During that time she did not commit any further frauds or engage in any misconduct whatsoever,' he said.

This showed she had significantly rehabilitated and matured, and had shown genuine remorse and shame over her offending.

Tsai will first be eligible for parole in December 2022.
A ute driving on the wrong side of the road has slammed into 4WD in a bizarre and terrifying collision that has social media users scratching their heads.

Footage from a Toyota Land Cruiser's dash cam captures the moment it's hit head on by a white ford, which crosses the centre line on a desolate road in Cobar, in central western New South Wales, on Wednesday just before 8pm.

The panicked driver can be heard screaming in disbelief as the heavy collision unfolds.

'Mate what the f**k are you doing? You f***ing dumb c***,' he shouts.

Commenters on TikTok debated whether the driver of the ute was intoxicated, asleep, suffering a medical episode or just a very 'bad driver'.

But for international viewers of the clip, there was a great deal of confusion about who was actually in the wrong because in nations like the US motorists must drive on the right side of the road.

Looks like 'the other guy is in the wrong?' one person asked.

'If you're not an Aussie you clearly don't understand that the left side of the road is ours. 4WD is not at fault at all,' a commenter explained.

The motorist who posted the video said everyone in the vehicle walked away from the crash despite the heavy impact and offered assistant to the ute driver.

'Everyone in the vehicle was okay. Just a few scratches,' the driver of the Land Cruiser said.

'We took his keys away as he didn't know what happened. We called the cops and they took him away.'

Pictured: The white Ford ute can be seen veering across the centre line to the wrong side of the road

Pictured: The terrifying moment of impact is captured by the Land Cruiser's dash cam

The motorist who posted the video said everyone in the vehicle walked away from the crash despite the heavy impact and offered assistant to the ute driver

Commenters praised the driver for slowing down as the ute approached, saying it may have 'saved lives'.

'I reckon it's good thde4WD stopped him, who knows what else could've happened,' one person said.

'Thankfully you're in a big 4WD and not some Corolla that could have been written off by this man,' another wrote.

Others said: 'Good job for slowing the car down, you saved his life plus your own' and 'You handled it really well.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for comment on whether anyone has been charged over the incident.
A terrified family were sent tumbling from a moving bridge this week in Belgium after it began to open while they were driving over it.

Video footage shared on social media captured the moment the family's red car became stranded on the Marie Thumas Bridge in the city of Leuven on October 27.

Seemingly without warning, the bridge started to open in order to allow a ship to pass through.

Parents and child (1.5) are scared of their lives when their car falls off an open bridge. Leuven, Belgium pic.twitter.com/iiMTfzVucy  The Entertainer. (@haverkamp_wiebe) October 28, 2021

Video footage shared on social media captured the moment the family's red car became stranded on the Marie Thumas Bridge in the city of Leuven on October 27

It is not yet known how the incident occurred but an investigation is currently underway

However, this left the family stuck on the bridge, unable to reverse back off in time.

As a result, with the bridge continuing the rise, the car eventually began to slip backwards, before the back bumper hit the road.

At this point the vehicle then fell over backwards and landed on its roof on the closed barrier.

The family of three were left trapped inside their vehicle and were eventually freed by the fire service before being taken to Gasthuisberg hospital.

It is not thought that their injuries are severe, according to Commissioner Marc Vranckx.

Speaking about the incident, Carolien Peelaerts of Flemish Waterway, said on local radio this morning that an investigation is now underway into how events unfolded.

It is not yet known why the bridge began to rise with the family still driving over it.
President Joe Biden will meet with his British, French and German counterparts on Iran as part of the G20 as Chinense President Xi Jinping will participate in the summit via video link after American criticism he wasn't attending.

Biden will host a sitdown with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday. They make up the E3 - the European leaders who signed onto the Iran nuclear deal.

The president is seeking a 'united' policy on Iran, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday.

'It's an opportunity to closely coordinate with our key European partners, at the leader level, on a joint negotiating position as we work towards a resumption of negotiations,' Sullivan said.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Rome in the early morning hours Friday

Chinense President Xi Jinping will participate G20 via video link after American criticism he wasn't attending

Donald Trump nixed the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting international sanctions against its economy, in 2018 - a move that angered European allies.

The JCOPA agreement will also be a topic of conversations.

'Those will be the two main elements of the meeting,' Sullivan said. 'Fundamentally centering around a shared strategy and solidarity and unity in our approach, which of course will be a study in contrast with the previous administration since Iran was one of the areas of most profound divergence between the previous administration and the Europeans.'

Sullivan conceded he didn't know if Iran was ready to return to the negotiating table.

'It's not entirely clear to me yet whether the Iranians are prepared to return to talks,' he said. 'We have heard positive signals that they are, but I think we have to wait and see when and whether they actually show up at the negotiating table. And we're prepared to negotiate in good faith for a return to mutual compliance with the JCPOA. We hope they are as well.'

Meanwhile China's President Xi Jinping will participate in the G20, according to a notice from China's foreign ministry on Friday.

He will make a speech at the gathering of the leaders of the world's largest economies.

Xi has not left China since early 2020, citing the COVID pandemic.

Relations between Washington and Beijing remain strained as the U.S. wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that has become a major point of conflict in the two countries' relationship.

In her first public news conference, Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy, said the United States remains deeply committed to Taiwan and is actively working on new areas of cooperation such as in cybersecurity and supply chains.

'The value of our partnership and our support for Taiwan is rock solid,' Oudkirk said. 'We are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan.'

Beijing has stepped up its military harassment of Taiwan by flying fighter jets over the island. China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan, which split from the mainland during the civil war in 1949.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also is not attending the G20 summit, which the White House criticized the two leaders for skipping.

'I would point out that neither China nor Russia would be attending the summit in person at the leader level. Largely it seems due to COVID-19. The US and Europe will be there and they'll be there energized and united at both the G20 and COP25, driving the agenda, shaping the agenda as it relates to these significant international issues,' Sullivan said earlier this week.

Additionally, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez isn't attending, and the attendance of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida isn't likely, as there are lower house elections in the country on Sunday.

Biden will also convene with French President Emanuel Macron on Friday, their first face-to-face meeting since the AUKUS submarine deal between the US, UK and Australia that roiled the French

President Biden will meet with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (upper left), French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (upper right) on Saturday on Iran

Biden and wife Jill Biden arrived in Rome for the summit in the early morning hours on Friday after their departure was delayed due to the president's last-minute negotiations with Democrats on his trillion-dollar congressional agenda.

The president wanted a vote on his $1.1 trillion infrastructure deal before he touched down in Italy. Liberal members of his party refused to support that plan until they had a guarantee that moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema would support Biden's $1.75 trillion package of social programs.

The House delayed the infrastructure vote until next week as progressives reassured they would only vote for that bill in tandem with the larger spending package.

Instead, the House passed a temporary extension of surface transportation funding that lasts until Dec. 3.

Biden will begin his first day in Rome with a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Francis. Biden, the country's second Catholic president, will meet behind closed doors with the Pontif after the Vatican announced the meeting would be closed to the press.

The president will then meet with his Italian counterparts, including President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

Biden will also host a one-on-one with Macron on Friday, their first face-to-face meeting since the AUKUS submarine deal between the US, UK and Australia that roiled the French.

On Sunday, Biden will meet with other world leaders to discuss supply chain issues and energy prices.

He will also discuss implementation of the global minimum tax, which G7 finance ministers worked out back in June. Earlier this month, 136 countries agreed to set up a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%, to be imposed by 2023.

On Monday, Biden will head to Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26, a United Nations climate summit, where he'll likely face questions about his Build Back Better plan and its climate provisions. The framework of the $1.75T social and climate bill now includes $500 billion in climate provisions.
Gordon Brown has called on Western leaders preparing to gather at Cop26 in Glasgow to 'make a decision' to provide the world's poorest people with Covid vaccines.

Mr Brown was among a group including former UN general secretary Ban Ki-Moon and ex-New Zealand premier Helen Clark who this week called for world leaders to send unused vaccines from the global north to the global south and keep vaccination targets on track.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Brown said of those due to gather in Scotland: 'They're the people who control these vaccines. Make a decision, get the unused vaccines out.'

'Nobody's really safe until everyone's vaccinated everywhere,' the 70-year-old told GMB.

Scroll down for video

A mother is pictured above getting her vaccine in Diepsloot Township near Johannesburg, South Africa last week

'The disease is spreading in the poorer countries, it's going to mutate, we're going to have new variants like Delta, they're going to come back to haunt even the fully vaccinated here.

'It's in all our interests to get the vaccines all around the world to everyone.'

A World Health Organisation (WHO) plan to redistribute an over-supply of unused vaccines to the 92 vaccine-poor nations could deliver an extra 600 million doses to Africa and low-income countries as soon as December.

Mr Brown said: 'The disease is spreading in the poorer countries, it's going to mutate, we're going to have new variants like Delta, they're going to come back to haunt even the fully vaccinated here'

How many jabs have been sent? By Joseph Laws for MailOnline According to Our World in Data, 49% of the world's population has been given a coronavirus vaccine. Just 5 per cent of people in Africa are fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from October 27th. In South Africa, only 19 per cent of people are fully vaccinated while just a quarter of the population is partly vaccinated with one jab. Advertisement

'Now the good news is we have the vaccines, we just need to get them out to people,' he added.

Mr Brown and more than 150 world leaders called on the Pope to intercede this week.

It comes ahead of the G20 summit in Rome.

It is scheduled to begin on Friday under the chairmanship of Italian premier Mario Draghi.

They asked Pope Francis to exert his influence to ensure the summit uses its 'historic opportunity' to end the vaccine inequality they say is plaguing the world.

After noting that 'partnerships work sometimes and they work quite well', Mr Brown called on Western leaders to implement the plan.

Countries that make up the G20 include the EU and UK, Japan, Russia, France and the United States.

GORDON BROWN: Hoarding Covid jabs we don't need - but the rest of the world is crying out for - will be a scar on our souls

By Gordon Brown for the Daily Mail

The heroism of our health workers and the genius of our vaccine inventors will be immortalised when Covid is written up in the history books.

But despite their efforts the world is at a crossroads this weekend: we may be little more than halfway through the damage caused by Covid.

So far, 242million men, women and children have been infected by Covid. But in the next year alone, ACT-A  the body coordinating diagnostics, vaccines and treatments  expects another 200million cases.

As of yesterday, the official figure for deaths was 4.9million, but in a new report, out this week, ACT-A medical experts say that over the next year they expect another 5million to die.

World leaders, who meet in Rome this weekend, must confront the continuing fall-out from what is now a two-track pandemic in which the fates of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated are diverging with devastating effects.

Rollout: A Kenyan girl receives a jab of the Covid vaccine in Masai village, southern Kenya. The Covid vaccination rate in the east African country is only 2.8 per cent

Three-quarters of next year's cases  142million  are now expected to occur in the unvaccinated low and middle-income countries.

From there, if we do not act quickly, the disease will spread and mutate and new variants will come back to haunt even the fully-vaccinated here at home.

But there is a way forward. By December, the world will have produced a total of 12billion vaccines  enough to offer two shots to every adult.

But in a dozen countries, only 1 per cent or less have been vaccinated compared with 70 per cent in most of the West.

In low-income countries as a whole, the figure is just 3 per cent. Just one in ten health workers in Africa has been immunised.

So unequal is the distribution of vaccines that, even after we set aside vaccines for young people and make allowance for boosters and donations to poorer countries, there are today 240million unused vaccines stockpiled in Western countries.

The figure rises when the stock of unused doses across the richest 20 countries is added, which as a whole amount to 750million. By February, that stockpile will reach 1.75billion.

The number of unused Covid vaccine doses in the richest 20 countries is expected to reach 1.75billion by February 2022 (stock image)

To have manufactured enough vaccines to immunise every adult, but to hold and hoard these vaccines in one half of the world and deny them to the other half is a moral outrage and represents the biggest international public policy failure of our times.

Tragically, many of the hundreds of millions of doses stockpiled will soon reach their 'use-by' date and have to be destroyed if not donated immediately.

100million vaccines are at risk of expiring by December in the US, Canada, UK and EU alone, and by February the figure could exceed 200million across the G20.

At a time when only two in five health care workers globally are fully vaccinated, the vaccines should be in arms, saving lives, not on shelves, gathering dust.

The delays mean that the September target of fully vaccinating 10 per cent of every nation's population was missed in 56 countries.

The number of additional doses we need to achieve our target of vaccinating 40 per cent of every country by the end of the year is 500million, but on current projections, 82 countries are at risk of missing that goal too.

GORDON BROWN has warned that the low vaccination rate in poorer countries will threaten to breed a Covid variant which could engulf us all

Despite the promise of donations to come, this vaccine inequity will be a scar on the soul of the world unless the countries that hold the vaccines  and still have a near monopoly on future orders  agree to transfer their delivery contracts to those who need them.

Saturday's G20 can start to address these inequalities. There should be an immediate airlift of the 240million unused vaccines stocked by the four largest western G20 members  the EU, the US, the UK and Canada  to the global South.

If this happens, then other G20 members who have unused vaccines  Australia (38million unused vaccines) and Korea (43million) as well as China  could be persuaded to switch their delivery contracts to COVAX, the body promoting the vaccine internationally, enabling us to make good the 500million shortfall between now and December.

Then, as manufacturing is ramped up to 2billion doses a month, we can have every reason to expect we will reach 70 per cent of coverage earlier than planned  by June 2022.

The pandemic is humanity's greatest test of solidarity yet, and our generation will be judged by how many deaths we can prevent.

We have the tools to reach the goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of every country by next year, but only if we act now can we save many of the five million lives whose fate this weekend is in our collective hands.
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The crew of a British trawler seized by France in the port of Le Havre enjoyed a tipple of Whiskey and appeared to be in excellent spirits after they were warned to stay onboard for their safety as the fishing fallout continues.

Scottish seafood giant Macduff Shellfish, which owns the vessel, confirmed it has advised its workers to remain on the boat and was trying to get them safe passage home.

It comes after Environment Secretary George Eustice today urged France to drop its 'unacceptable' fishing row threats as he said the UK will retaliate if Paris escalates the dispute, warning: 'Two can play at that game.'

But photographs showed the crew beaming and giving the thumbs-up despite being kept on-board the highjacked vessel in Le Harve this afternoon after facing a 70,000 fine for allegedly poaching in French waters.

Sailors aboard the Cornelis Gert Jan trawler vowed to toast the Queen with Scotch Whisky from their Union Jack mugs amid the fishing fallout.

The fishermen exclaimed their shock at finding themselves at the centre of a diplomatic row between Britain and France over fishing rights.

One fisherman told MailOnline: 'We need all the help we can get! We are right in the middle of it [the international row]. We are front page news!'

The Scottish crew said they did not know when they would be able to leave port, after their boat was impounded by the French navy two days ago.

The crew of a British trawler seized by France in the port of Le Havre has been warned to stay onboard for their safety as the fishing fallout continues. Pictured: The crew onboard today

Photographs showed the crew of the high-jacked fishing boat still remained in good spirits in Le Harve this afternoon despite facing a 70,000 fine for allegedly poaching in French waters

Sailors aboard the Cornelis Gert Jan trawler vowed to toast the Queen with Scotch Whisky from their Union Jack mugs

Scottish seafood giant Macduff Shellfish, which owns the vessel, confirmed it has advised its workers to remain on the boat and was trying to get them safe passage home. Pictured: The crew onboard today

The Cornelis Gert Jan (pictured on Friday) was ordered to divert to Le Havre after French authorities said it did not have a licence

It comes after Environment Secretary George Eustice today urged France to drop its 'unacceptable' fishing row threats. Pictured: The crew appeared to be in high spirits onboard the scallop trawler this afternoon

The captain has been formally accused of fishing inside French territorial waters without a licence.

French ministers have said they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels if the UK does not agree to hand out more post-Brexit fishing licences by Tuesday next week.

Mr Eustice said the threats are 'completely disproportionate' and represent a 'clear breach' of the Brexit deal and EU law as he said Paris must now 'calm this down and remove these threats'.

The French ambassador is being summoned to the Foreign Office today to explain France's actions and Mr Eustice suggested the matter could also be raised at the highest level.

He said it is 'possible' that Boris Johnson will confront French President Emmanuel Macron on the row when they meet at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow which gets underway on Sunday evening.

Downing Street later confirmed that Mr Johnson will hold a 'brush by' meeting with Mr Macron in the margins of the G20 summit in Rome this weekend, with the PM expected to raise a 'range of issues'.



Britain was last night preparing to retaliate after a UK trawler - the Cornelis Gert Jan (pictured right in in Le Havre, France, October 29, 2021) - was detained by France amid fears the fishing row could spark a full-blown trade war

The captain has been formally accused of fishing inside French territorial waters without a licence. Pictured: Crew of the Cornelis Gert Jan trawler are pictured on Friday

Crew members of the scallop trawler Cornelis Gert Jan are pictured this morning in Le Havre shortening the mooring line

Mr Eustice said it is 'possible' that Boris Johnson will confront French President Emmanuel Macron on the row when they meet at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow

What is the fishing row between the UK and France about? - How did Brexit spark the fishing feud? When the UK left the EU, it also left the common fisheries policy, which since 1970 has allowed the bloc's members access to all European waters outside the first 12 nautical miles of each country's coastline. The Brexit deal outlined how EU boats could continue to fish in UK waters, but British fishermen would get a greater share of the catch from those domestic waters. Most of the share is being transferred to the UK this year, and there will be annual negotiations to decide how the catch is shared out going forwards. - Why has this inflamed tensions with France? The rollout of the post-Brexit arrangements has caused a row, with Paris accusing the UK of failing to grant permission to every eligible French boat to fish in British waters. But the UK is adamant that it is following the terms of the Brexit deal which requires trawlers to provide historical GPS data to prove they worked in those waters before Brexit. Some vessels have been unable to provide that data which has seen their applications for a licence be rejected. The Government has insisted 98 per cent of all EU fishing licence requests have been granted but France believes it is being shortchanged. - What is France threatening to do? French ministers have warned they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if the fishing licence dispute is not resolved by Tuesday next week. France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, told French TV news channel CNews: 'We have been extremely patient. Our fishermen have been extremely responsible. And so, from November 2, it's over. We will engage in dialogue if the British want to, but we are taking retaliatory measures.' - How has the UK responded? Environment Secretary George Eustice said the French threats risk breaching the terms of the Brexit deal and EU law. He warned the UK would respond in an 'appropriate and calibrated' manner if they were carried out. The UK Government is calling for 'calm', with the Foreign Office summoning the French ambassador to explain the actions taken by Paris. - Why was the British trawler detained? The scallop vessel Cornelis was ordered to divert to the port of Le Havre after the French authorities said it was fishing in French waters without a licence. The French said that another British trawler had been fined for obstruction after refusing to allow police to board to carry out checks. The owner of the Cornelis, Macduff Shellfish, said the vessel had been fishing legally in French waters and called on the British Government to protect the rights of British fishermen. Advertisement

Director of MacDuff Shellfish Andrew Brown told the Telegraph: 'It appears our vessel is another political pawn in the ongoing dispute between the UK and France on the implementation of the Brexit Fishing Agreement,' he said.

'UK fishermen in general are not particularly well thought of by the French industry so we've told the crew to stay onboard for their own safety and we want to get them out as soon as possible.'

The fishing row stepped up a gear yesterday after a UK trawler was detained by France amid fears the friction could spark a full-blown trade war.

Two Royal Navy patrol vessels were last night said to be on a state of 'high readiness' in case of further fallout, but there was no immediate sign they would be required.

The Cornelis Gert Jan was ordered to divert to Le Havre after French authorities said it did not have a licence.

The trawler's boss claimed his vessel was being used as a 'pawn' in the fishing dispute and blasted the 'politically motivated' French.

It emerged this morning that the skipper of the trawler is to go on criminal trial and faces a fine equivalent to more than 63,000.

Prosecutors in Le Havre confirmed the captain of the Cornelis Gert Jan will appear before judges on August 11.

He has been charged with 'acts of unauthorised sea fishing in French maritime salt waters by a third party vessel to the European Union'.

'He now faces a fine of 75,000 (63,000) euros as well as administrative sanctions', said Le Havre deputy prosecutor Cyrille Fournier.

Mr Fournier said: 'The captain of the Cornelis Gert Jan was given a summons by maritime police to appear at the hearing of the Criminal Court of Le Havre on August 11, 2022.'

The prosecutor added: 'After verification, the captain of the vessel did not have the authorisation required to fish in the French exclusive economic zone'.

This was despite claims by the owners of the Cornelis that the boat had been fishing legally when it was detained on Wednesday night.

The Government has accused the French of breaking international law and France's ambassador to London will be hauled in today to face questioning.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said French ambassador Catherine Colonna would be expected to attend the Foreign Office 'to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands'.

French ministers warned this week they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if the issue of post-Brexit fishing licenses is not resolved by November 2.

They have also threatened the electricity supply to the Channel Islands.

UK ministers were yesterday reportedly presented with retaliatory options should Paris press ahead with its threat next week, with one such option including further restricting French fishing access to UK waters.

Another potential move on the table in the 'options paper', presented to a Cabinet sub-committee chaired by Lord Frost, is the stepping up of checks on French vessels landing in UK ports, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Eustice this morning urged Paris to withdraw its threats as he warned the UK stands ready to retaliate.

He told Sky News: 'We think that the comments that have been made by France on this are completely disproportionate, they are unacceptable.

'The things that they are suggesting doing which is basically starting to be difficult at the borders and close ports and so on, this is a clear breach not only of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement that we have got with them but also of EU law, the official control regime.

'We don't really think it is justified at all because this is a very small number of vessels that just don't qualify under the terms of the agreement that was reached.

'And so what we are asking France to do is obviously try to calm this down and remove these threats, they are not acceptable.'

Asked how the UK could respond to an escalation, he said: 'The first thing is, as the UK, the way that we approach these things and the way you should is we will be talking to the European Commission.

'In fact I spoke to the commissioner two days ago when these threats were first made, because the European Commission has got a role and a responsibility to make sure its member states, including France, abide by the law, abide by the terms of the agreement that was reached.

'We have also summoned the French ambassador. Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, is going to raise these issues with her and ask her to explain and give an account of what they intend to do.

'We don't know what they will do. They say they wouldn't introduce these measures until Tuesday, probably at the earliest, so we will see what they do.

'But obviously if they do bring these into place, well two can play at that game. We obviously reserve the ability to be able to respond in a proportionate way.'

Mr Eustice also suggested Mr Johnson could raise the issue with Mr Macron in the coming days.

He said: 'It is also possible that the Prime Minister will have an opportunity to meet President Macron obviously because they will both be gathering, getting ready for COP26.'

Mr Johnson and Mr Macron will be in the same room on Saturday and Sunday before COP26 as they attend a G20 summit in Rome.

Downing Street said there will be a 'brush by' meeting between the two leaders in the margins of the summit in Italy.

The fishermen (one is pictured carrying Union Jack mugs) exclaimed their shock at finding themselves at the centre of a diplomatic row between Britain and France over fishing rights

Crew member of British trawler the Cornelis Gert Jan holds a bottle of whiskey and a mug showing the union flag as he prepares to make a toast

The fishing row stepped up a gear yesterday after a UK trawler was detained by France amid fears the friction could spark a full-blown trade war. Pictured: Crew laughing and smiling on board the Cornelis Gert Jan on Friday

Two Royal Navy patrol vessels were last night said to be on a state of 'high readiness' in case of further fallout, but there was no immediate sign they would be required. Pictured: Crew members on the trawler on Friday

The trawler's boss claimed his vessel was being used as a 'pawn' in the fishing dispute and blasted the 'politically motivated' French. Pictured: Crew members on board the Cornelis Gert Jan on Friday

Pictured: French gendarmes aboard the Cornelis-Gert Jan scallop boat which has been impounded by the French Gendarmerie Maritime

Mr Eustice suggested Mr Macron could be stepping up the fishing row because he is facing a difficult election next year.

He told the BBC: 'I don't know, but there obviously is an election coming up in France, it may be that is a factor in this.'

The Cornelis and its eight crewmen languished in port last night, with the crew being told to stay on board. As of Thursday night, there was no indication when it would be allowed to leave.

With its blue hull, white bridge and red winches it has a somewhat ironic French tricolour appearance.

Andrew Brown, director of the boat's owners, MacDuff Shellfish, told the Daily Mail the French were 'exploiting' supposed confusion over post-Brexit paperwork.

But Mr Brown also feared an 'admin error' on the UK side as the Cornelis appears to have 'dropped off' a list of licensed vessels British authorities sent to Europe.

Mr Brown said: 'It appears our vessel is another pawn in the ongoing dispute between the UK and France on the implementation of the Brexit Fishing Agreement.

'They have the right to query things if they feel there is some kind of error in any of the paperwork, but they don't usually behave in such a heavy-handed manner.'

Two British boats were stopped by French police while fishing in Baie de la Seine on Wednesday. The captain of one was fined and let go after refusing to let officers board, but the second was detained and taken to Le Havre for allegedly fishing without a licence

The Cornelis set off on a five-day fishing trip from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, at 12.30am on Tuesday and entered French waters that evening.

It fished uninterrupted until French vessel Athos intercepted it in the Baie de la Seine at around 6pm on Wednesday. The Cornelis was escorted into Le Havre port.

A UK Government spokesman said last night: 'Lord Frost chaired a ministerial meeting earlier today to consider the UK response to the measures set out by France yesterday.

'The proposed French actions are unjustified and do not appear to be compatible on the EU's part with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) or wider international law. We regret the confrontational language that has been consistently used by the French government on this issue, which makes this situation no easier to resolve.

'We have raised our concerns strongly with both the French and the EU Commission. As a next step, the Foreign Secretary has instructed Minister Morton to summon the French Ambassador.

'We repeat that the Government has granted 98 per cent of licence applications from EU vessels to fish in the UK's waters and, as has consistently been made clear, will consider any further evidence on the remainder.'
A psychiatrist withheld evidence from Julian Assange's first extradition hearing that he had fathered two children while in the Ecuadorean embassy, a court has heard.

Michael Kopelman, of King's College London, was accused of failing to reveal Assange had babies with his lawyer Stella Moris in the Ecuadorean Embassy.

Lawyers for the Assange told the High Court he spoke to defence solicitor Gareth Peirce, 80, about identifying Ms Moris and the children.

Edward Fitzgerald, QC, said: 'Ms Peirce indicated that she believed that such identification be temporarily postponed.'

He said the psychiatrist, who gave key evidence on Assange's mental state, had admitted withholding details to protect the family's privacy.

But the US government claims a district judge who blocked the extradition should have ruled out Kepelman's evidence after it emerged he had misled her.

Michael Kopelman (pictured), of King's College London, was accused of failing to reveal Assange had babies with his lawyer Stella Moris in the Ecuadorean Embassy

Lawyers for the Assange (pictured in a court sketch earlier this week) told the High Court he spoke to defence solicitor Gareth Peirce, 80, about identifying Ms Moris and the children

Edward Fitzgerald, QC, said: 'Ms Peirce indicated that she believed that such identification be temporarily postponed.' Pictured: Ms Moris yesterday

Assange must wait to discover whether senior judges will overturn a decision not to extradite him to the US following a two-day hearing at the High Court.

The 50-year-old is wanted in the US on allegations of a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks's publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

US authorities are challenging a January ruling by then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser that Assange should not be sent to the US, in which she cited a real and 'oppressive' risk of suicide.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, said lawyers had given them 'much to think about' and that they would 'take time to consider our decision' at the end of legal arguments on Thursday.

Supporters of Mr Assange, who only joined the hearing via video-link from Belmarsh prison on Wednesday, demonstrated outside the Royal Courts of Justice throughout the court proceedings.

The court was told that blocking Assange's removal to the US due to his mental health risks 'rewarding fugitives for their flight'.

Assange is pictured peeking out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in a photograph from 2016

Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday

James Lewis QC, for the US, said the district judge based her decision on Assange's 'intellectual ability to circumvent suicide preventative measures', which risked becoming a 'trump card' for anyone who wanted to oppose their extradition regardless of any resources the other state might have.

He told the court the district judge 'entirely based her decision' on the risk Assange would be submitted to special administrative measures (SAMs) and detained at the ADX Florence Supermax jail, if extradited.

However, he said four 'binding' diplomatic assurances had been made, including that it would consent to him being transferred to Australia to serve any prison sentence he may be given, which 'fundamentally change the factual basis' of her judgment.

Mr Lewis argued the assurances could not have been given in advance, saying they were a 'reactive' and 'responsible' step in response to the district judge's findings.

He said they were a 'solemn matter' and 'are not dished out like smarties'.

The US authorities have also argued Assange is well enough to be extradited, with Mr Lewis telling the court his mental illness 'does not even come close' to being severe enough to prevent being sent to the US.

But lawyers for Assange who opposed the US's bid to overturn the block to his extradition, argued that the assurances over the WikiLeaks founder's potential treatment were 'meaningless' and 'vague'.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves after a brief appearance outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday

Mr Fitzgerald QC said the 'qualified and conditional assurances' were produced 'too late to be properly tested' and 'do not undermine the principal findings' of the district judge who applied the law 'strictly and entirely properly'.

He said the district judge had produced a 'carefully considered and fully reasoned judgment', adding it was 'clear' she had 'scrupulously applied the test for oppression in cases of mental disorder'.

He told the court: 'It is perfectly reasonable to find it oppressive to extradite a mentally disordered person because his extradition is likely to result in his death', adding that a court must be able to use its power to 'protect people from extradition to a foreign state where we have no control over what will be done to them'.

He added the district judge's conclusion was 'justified' because Assange 'would be driven by his disorder to find a way to commit suicide whatever preventative steps were taken'.

Mr Fitzgerald dismissed the assurances as 'caveated, vague, or simply ineffective', adding that 'none offer any concession or assurance against the application of existing US practice'.

Stella Moris (right), partner of Assange, and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson (left) arrive at the court yesterday

He added that assurances not to impose special administrative measures (SAMs) on Assange or hold him at the ADX Florence Supermax jail pre-trial or post-conviction do not remove the risk of 'conditions of administrative isolation'.

The court also heard that Assange had faced a 'menacing, threatening and frightening' situation while under surveillance when he lived at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Fitzgerald argued in written submissions that claims of 'extreme measures of surveillance', alongside subsequent 'recent disclosures about CIA plans from the same period in time to seriously harm Julian Assange', justified earlier concerns for the safety and privacy of his partner Stella Moris.

Mark Summers QC, also representing Assange, said there needed to be an examination of the 'trustworthiness' of the US assurances, highlighting that there was 'credible evidence of US governmental plans developed at some length to do serious harm to Mr Assange'.

Assange has been held in Belmarsh Prison since 2019 after he was carried out of the Ecuadorian embassy by police before being arrested for breaching his bail conditions.

He had entered the building in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex offence allegations, which he has always denied and were eventually dropped.
Marcus Coates, 54, has a number of tattoos

A convicted killer who strangled a woman with a belt was re-arrested today after he absconded from an open prison.

Marcus Coates, 54, was serving a sentence for manslaughter at HMP Leyhill in Tortworth, Gloucestershire.

Coates, who killed Jennie Banner, 32, in August 2011 and left her body for five days, was last seen near Bristol's bus station on Thursday night.

He was convicted of manslaughter in 2012.

Following the court case, Detective Chief Inspector Jon Clayden described him as having a 'long history of violent offending', branding him a 'danger'.

During sentencing, Judge Philip Statman described Coates as 'dangerous', adding that he had shown no remorse - only self-pity.

At the time of his disappearance, Coates was captured on CCTV wearing a blue polo shirt, blue jacket, blue jeans and grey Puma trainers.

Avon and Somerset Police had warned the public to stay away from him and to call 999 immediately.

He was arrested by police on Friday.

Coates was last seen at Bristol bus station between 8.30-9.30am on Thursday

Avon and Somerset Police warned the public to stay away from him and to call 999 immediately. Pictured, HMP Leyhill

Ms Banner's furious father David told Mail Online his daughter's killer should be locked up for life.

The retired decorator, 71, said: 'He was on day release and is claiming he missed his bus. He had to sleep rough on the streets overnight and got soaking wet from the rain which serves him right.

'Apparently he will be back in closed full day prison and could be charged with absconding so might be inside for even longer after this.'

Mr Banner, who is divorced from Jennie's mother Vivienne, chooses to celebrate her birthday by releasing balloons with her sisters instead of remembering the anniversary of her death 10 years ago last August.

He said: 'It happened a decade ago but it hasn't got any easier. You just learn to live with it but you never get over it.

'I'm still bitter. It hurts. Some things, like this happening, spark it off and bring all the feelings back.

'The jury found him guilty of manslaughter so the judge, who ruled him a danger to society, could only give him a indeterminate sentence with a minimum of seven and a half years.

'I know some killers can be released eventually. But he should never be allowed to walk free again.'

Mr Banner said from his home in Rochester, Kent today that news of the escape had left him emotional.

'I was quite upset actually. I'm shaking. They tell me if he applies for parole but I didn't know he'd been allowed in an open prison. But thankfully our probation officer has now told us he is back in police custody. It's a relief.'
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The First Minister of Wales has talked up the potential of Covid passes and teased a return of stricter measures as Covid restrictions are set to tighten in the country following a surge in hospitalisations.

Labour's Mark Drakeford warned the harm from coronavirus in the Welsh community remains 'real' as he set out further measures that could be taken to bring numbers back down on Friday.

He said within the government there was in communication with hospitality venues about the potential for the use of Covid passes in that sector.

And he also discussed a return to enforced work from home rules for those capable in the coming weeks.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Drakeford said: 'We have to make a concerted effort over the next three weeks to bring those numbers down.'

It comes as Wales is set to tighten Covid restrictions to tackle a rising number of hospital admissions, with more than 680 people in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19 on October 27.

Positive case numbers have also been at their highest recorded total since the pandemic began this month, although numbers have dipped in recent days to fewer than 2,600.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford (above) talked up the potential of Covid passes and teased a return of lockdowns as Covid restrictions tighten in the country following a surge in hospitalisations

Mr Drakeford warned the harm from coronavirus in the Welsh community remains 'real' as he set out further measures that could be taken to bring numbers back down on Friday

Positive case numbers in Wales have also been at their highest recorded total since the pandemic began this month, although numbers have dipped in recent days to fewer than 2,600

It comes as Wales is set to tighten Covid restrictions to tackle a rising number of hospital admissions, with more than 680 people in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19 on October 27. Pictured: Ambulances parked outside University Hospital Wales, Cardiff

Official data showed England recorded 33,903 new infections, 2,153 cases were confirmed in Scotland, while 2,664 were spotted in Wales and 1,122 in Northern Ireland. Cases appear to be trending downwards in all four nations.

And the number of people going to hospital who were infected with Covid seems to be plateauing. Some 962 sought NHS care on Sunday  the most recent day the data is available for  a rise of 0.3 per cent on the 959 patients admitted last week.

Meanwhile, 165 people died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, a jump of 43.5 per cent on the 115 deaths recorded on the same day last week.D

Despite cases trending downwards and No10's modellers estimating there will be just 5,000 daily cases over the festive period, the Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the UK is still in a 'very uncertain phase' of the pandemic and warned Plan B should not be taken off the table.

Within Wales, adults who are fully vaccinated, and young people aged five to 17, will be asked to self-isolate until they have received a negative PCR test if someone in their household has symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19.

People who are not vaccinated will still have to self-isolate for 10 days following contact with someone who has tested positive, including close contacts outside of their household.

Asked what more could be done, Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We can certainly extend the Covid pass into other settings.

'We will be talking to hospitality over the next three weeks to help them to prepare, should that be necessary. We hope it won't be, of course.

'We will go back to the risk assessments we carry out in the workplace to see whether there is more we can do, more people working from home, back to social distancing in the workplace, looking at the way that schools are organised to try to prevent more young people from contracting the disease.

'The current level of restrictions in Wales are the lowest they have been since coronavirus began. I want it to stay that way, to keep Wales safe, to keep Wales open.

'What I'm saying to people today is unless we work together to bring the numbers down, if they're up again in three weeks' time, we'll all have to be thinking again.'

Headteachers will be given extra support to quickly put measures in place in their schools if case rates are high locally.

Staff and secondary school students will also be encouraged to take twice-weekly lateral flow tests to help keep coronavirus out of schools.

In August, Wales lifted almost all of its existing Covid restrictions Above: Wind Street, Swansea

Ambulances wait outside the Accident and Emergency centre at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant

Covid passes are set to be rolled out in theatres, cinemas and concert halls from November 15. [File image]

The Welsh Government also intends to extend the use of the Covid Pass to theatres, cinemas and concert halls from November 15.

However, the country will remain at alert level zero.

The First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said: 'Over the past three weeks, coronavirus cases have risen sharply to the highest rates we have seen since the pandemic began and more people are falling so seriously ill that they need hospital treatment.

'All this means that the pandemic is far from over. We need to take more action now to strengthen the measures we have in place at alert level zero to prevent coronavirus spreading even further and more people falling seriously ill.

'We hope this action will help to turn the tide of this delta.

'None of us wants to see a return to restrictions but, if rates continue to rise, the Cabinet will have no choice but to consider raising the alert level at the next review.

'Let's all work together as a team to reduce the spread of coronavirus and keep Wales open and keep Wales safe.'

The Welsh Government is also continuing to encourage everyone to work from home wherever possible and is still imposing a legal requirement to wear a face covering in indoor public places.
First Lady Jill Biden has her own packed schedule in Italy - including holding a solo event with French First Lady Brigitte Macron in Rome and visiting an American military high school in nearby Naples.

Biden and Macron will meet Friday afternoon, as their husbands hold their first bilateral meeting since France was blindsided by Australia pulling out of a submarine deal to join a security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom.

The first ladies previously spent time together at a spouses event at the G7 in Cornwall in June, which marked the Bidens' first overseas trip since the president was sworn-in in January.

First Lady Jill Biden (right), arriving in Rome early Friday morning alongside President Joe Biden (right), has her own packed schedule while in Italy through Monday

First Lady Jill Biden (center) speaks to children's theater performers at a G7 event alongside Carrie Johnson (left), the wife of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Brigitte Macron (right), who she'll meet with in Rome Friday afternoon

First Lady Jill Biden (second from right) and Brigitte Macron (right) stand side-by-side at a spouses event in June, which was part of the G7 in Cornwall

Also on Friday, Biden will accompany her husband to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis.

She'll then head to the Chigi Palace, the residence of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, where she'll have tea with Draghi's wife, Serena Cappello, as the president and prime minister hold their bilateral meeting.

After that, Biden will hold her solo event with Macron.

On Saturday, the first lady will join all the spouses who traveled to Rome for the G20 for an unspecified event.

That night, she'll be at the president's side for an event attended by all the leaders and their spouses.

And then on Sunday, Biden will attend a farewell luncheon for G20 spouses.

First Lady Jill Biden (center right) speaks with Uberto Vanni d'Archirafi (center left), the Senior Official of the Diplomatic Protocol of the Italian Republic, on the tarmac at Rome Fiumicino International Airport early Friday morning

First Lady Jill Biden (left) ushers President Joe Biden (right) toward the Beast as they arrive in Rome, Italy to participate in G20 events through Sunday

First Lady Jill Biden (center) hugs Sarb Edmund (second from left) the 89th Airlift Wing Senior/Training Protocol Specialist, as she and President Joe Biden depart for Rome from Joint Base Andrews Thursday

First Lady Jill Biden (right) and President Joe Biden left for Rome early Thursday afternoon. They will split up Monday with the president traveling to Scotland for COP26 and the first lady heading to Naples to visit a Defense Department-funded high school at a U.S. base

On Monday, while President Biden heads to Scotland to participate in the United Nations' COP26 climate summit, the first lady will do a solo trip to Naval Support Activity Naples, where about 8,500 U.S. troops work.

There, the first lady will visit Naples Middle High School, which is a school operated through the Department of Defense, meeting with high school students and teachers and then delivering a speech.

The event will marry Biden's 'Joining Forces' initiative, which she started with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2011 and restarted earlier this year, and her career as an English teacher.

Joining Forces provides support to military members, veterans and their families.

Biden continues to teach community college classes - making her the first, first lady to ever hold an outside job.

Biden had a similarly busy schedule on her first solo trip abroad - representing the United States at the opening of the Tokyo summer Olympics.

There, the first lady held court with then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife Mariko, watched the Olympics with French President Emmanuel Macron, attended an event with heads of delegations at Tokyo's Imperial Palace and hosted an Olympics watch party for American diplomats at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo.

She stopped in Alaska and Hawaii to do COVID-19 vaccine advocacy.

In Honolulu, FLOTUS also attended a barbecue for military members and their families as part of Joining Forces.
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England's Covid vaccine drive for children is going even slower than thought, according to official data that has prompted calls for the NHS to speed up the roll out over fears it could leave No10 with no option but to resort to Plan B.

Just 19.3 per cent of 12 to 15 year olds have come forward for their first jab, figures on the Government dashboard show, despite the whole group being eligible since September 20.

The children's roll out has been beset by delays and cancellations, while critics complained the decision to only let youngsters get jabbed in schools hampered the drive. Uptake rates were always expected to be lower in children  who face a tiny risk from Covid and a higher risk of complications from the jab.

NHS England insisted today all children had already been invited for their first jab and repeated that they can now book online, after leaked Whitehall documents claimed half the age group is still yet to get a jab offer.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday urged ministers to 'turbo-charge' the roll out to avoid another rebound in Covid cases which could force ministers to impose Plan B  bringing back face masks and work from home guidance.

It comes after the US moved a step closer to jabbing children as young as five this week, which prompted experts to immediately urge Britain not to 'blindly' follow suit.

England's Covid vaccine drive for children is going even more slowly than first thought. An update to official figures on the dashboard revised down the proportion of 12 to 15-year-olds (purple line) that had been inocualted from 22 to 19 per cent

It came as internal Whitehall polling conducted by YouGov suggested only half of 12 to 15-year-olds had been invited for a Covid vaccine, according to their parents. NHS England said it had already invited everyone in the age group for their jab and was now sending out follow up letters

The above graph shows the proportion of 12 to 15-year-olds who have got the Covid vaccine in England and Scotland. Scotland's drive has likely surged ahead because children have been able to get their jabs in clinics when the drive began. In England children were only able to get jabs at centres from this week

Wales warns of restrictions in weeks... despite cases falling Wales today warned it could introduce more restrictions in weeks despite Covid cases falling. First Minister Mark Drakeford is already planning to introduce Covid passes for pubs, bars and restaurants from next month. But he warned further measures may be needed if cases rebound. Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We can certainly extend the Covid pass into other settings. 'We will be talking to hospitality over the next three weeks to help them to prepare, should that be necessary. I hope it won't be, of course.' He added: 'The current level of restrictions in Wales are the lowest they have been since Covid began. 'I want it to stay that way, to keep Wales safe, to keep Wales open. 'What I'm saying to people today is unless we work together to bring the numbers down, if they're up again in three weeks' time, we'll all have to be thinking again.' Wales is currently recording 2,400 Covid cases a day on average, according to the latest data up to October 25. This was a fall from 3,300 infections a day the previous week, in line with drops seen in the rest of the UK. Advertisement

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)  which has taken over from now-defunct Public Health England yesterday downgraded its estimates for vaccine uptake among 12 to 15-year-olds.

Earlier this week its data showed 22 per cent of the age group had already received their first dose of the jab.

But in yesterday's update this was dropped to 19.3 per cent after the dates were adjusted.

Officials said they were now counting age groups from August 31 in a particular year, rather than from March 31 as previously done.

This means more older teenagers were excluded from the 12 to 15-year-old age bracket, while more younger individuals were included reducing the proportion that had been vaccinated.

The proportion of 16 to 17-year-olds that had been jabbed also fell from 58.7 to 55.9 per cent because of the update.

Health chiefs said the new dates gave a 'more accurate reflection of what is happening'.

Meanwhile, a report claimed today that only half of 12 to 15-year-olds in England have been invited for their Covid vaccine.

Internal polling conducted by YouGov for ministers found just half of parents said their son or daughter had been told to get their first dose.

But two-thirds said they were keen to get their child vaccinated once they were invited. Only 16 per cent said their offspring would not get the jab.

An NHS England spokeswoman today insisted all eligible children had been invited for their vaccine, saying: 'Actually, the NHS has issued 2.6million invites to 12 to 15-year-olds for their vaccine this week since the national booking system opened to this age group last week.

'Families can head to the national booking system to book their children's vaccine online or get their jab through the school programme.'

The internal figures  seen by PoliticsHome  were circulated among ministers to show how the roll out is progressing.

It is not clear how many parents were questioned in the polling, nor when it was carried out.

The publication reported that NHS England had aimed to offer all 12 to 15-year-olds a Covid vaccine by October half-term, a target which appears to have been missed.

A Whitehall source told PoliticsHome: 'There are worries that young pupils could bring the virus home to loved ones because lots have been exposed to coronavirus. How can young kids understand the risks?'

Vaccines for children must be 'turbocharged' to prevent the need for more restrictions, Jeremy Hunt (Pictured left) said yesterday. He warned if cases rebound England may have to enact Plan B restrictions (right)

Pupils urged to test themselves for Covid before half term ends Pupils were today urged to test themselves for Covid before they return from half term. The UK Health Security Agency  which took over from the now-defunct Public Health England  said the tests would ensure infected children did not pass the virus on. They also called on over-12s to ensure they gettheir first dose of the vaccine, amid figurs showing only 19 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds have got their jabs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it was 'vital' that children tested themselves before returning to school. He said: 'As students prepare to go back to school and college after half term, it is vital that they are taking free and easy rapid tests that will help detect Covid infections from those who are not showing symptoms to keep the virus at bay.' Dr Jenny Harries, who heads up the UKHSA, said: 'Today I am calling on all children to help themselves and each other by getting tested before going back to the classroom. '(This is) so that we can stop the infection in its tracks and keep as many children in the classroom as possible, continuing their education and developing their futures.' Children are currently asked to test themselves twice a week for the virus during term time using a lateral flow test. Those that have the virus are asked to stay home for ten days. Latest testing data suggests cases are falling among under-18s. But the infection rates are still more than ten times higher than among the over-80s. Some schools have already brought back face masks in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. Advertisement

Mr Hunt, who is now chairman of the Commons health committee, said yesterday that the UK's slow roll out had left it exposed to higher case rates among children than other nations.

At a Royal Society of Medicine webinar, he said: 'Essentially we need to turbocharge the vaccine rollout  particularly the booster jabs and the children's vaccine programme. That is at the heart of what's driving the increased case rates.'

He added that ministers must not be afraid of switching to Plan B if the Covid situation starts to get out of hand.

Mr Hunt said: 'The growth in cases that we're currently experiencing has principally happened in teenage schoolchildren.

'The delay in the booster programme and the schoolchildren vaccination programme is at the heart of why we're seeing a mini-surge at the moment.

'That's where I think we need to focus our efforts to turn things around.'

He said the failure to vaccinate children before they returned to school has left the UK 'more exposed' than other nations.

Mr Hunt also criticised the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for the delay before giving the green light to jabbing children.

They only advised the group should receive one dose of the Covid jab in late September, after the school term had already started.

NHS England started offering jabs to the age group the following week, mostly through schools.

It has now opened an online booking system for parents to book their child in for a vaccine, with 80,000 appointments made in the four days after it was launched.

But uptake in the age group remains low, with less than 20 per cent having got their first dose in England.

The NHS says online all children will be offered the Covid vaccine this autumn.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS vaccine programme, said: 'As we head in to October half term, the NHS Covid vaccination programme is opening up vaccine centres to young people aged 12 to 15 as another way to get their vaccine  if they have already received their vaccine or been invited through their school then they do not need to do anything.

'The decision to get vaccinated has always been a private choice between a child and their parent or guardian  my 13-year-old son received his vaccine at school on the same day I had my booster dose in a local pharmacy.

'I would urge families to look at the information together and then book in to give children and their loved ones crucial protection ahead of winter.'

The above graph shows Covid cases in England by age group. It reveals that infections are now falling among 10 to 19-year-olds (green line, top circle), 5 to 9-year-olds (blue line, second circle) and 0 to 4-year-olds (black line). Cases rose in all other age groups, but the drop in children is a positive sign because it will stop them spreading it to other groups

The above graph shows Covid infection rates per 100,000 people in England divided by age group. It reveals that cases in 5 to 19-year-olds may have peaked and have now begun to fall. But in all other age groups they were still rising

The seven-day rolling rate for Covid cases among 10 to 14-year-olds stood at 1,765 cases per 100,000 people on October 23, the latest date available. This was down from a peak of almost 2,000 on Tuesday last week.

A similar downturn has been recorded among 15 to 19-year-olds, from 860-odd to 810 per 10,000, and 5 to 9-year-olds, from 760 to 700.

Experts said the downturn before half-term began was likely genuine and thanks to surging immunity levels in the age groups sparked by the back-to-school wave.

But some have warned it could be down to a drop in Covid testing, suggesting children were more lax about testing themselves in the run up to half-term. Children are required to test themselves for the virus twice a week and report the results to Test and Trace.

Testing figures are not broken down by age group, but figures from the Department of Health suggest the number of swabs carried out barely changed in the two weeks before half-term began.

Separate figures from the UK Health Security Agency  which took over from Public Health England  suggested the number of lateral flow tests carried out fell by ten per cent in the week before the holidays.

But the test positivity rate also fell, suggesting that the drop in cases is genuine.
The leader of the world's Catholics said both climate change and the pandemic have exposed the world's "deep vulnerability

Pope Francis issued an urgent appeal Friday to world leaders ahead of Boris Johnson's COP26 climate summit to take 'radical decisions' to protect the environment and prioritize the common good.

The leader of the world's Catholics said both climate change and the pandemic have exposed the world's "deep vulnerability, raised numerous doubts and concerns about our economic systems and the way we organise our societies".

Francis is set to meet several world leaders as they attend a G20 summit in Rome before heading to COP26 in Glasgow.

The Pope will hold audiences with US President Joe Biden, who is a practising Catholic, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. The next day he is due to meet Indian President Narendra Modi for the first time.

In a special Thought for the Day message for BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Pope said: "We have lost our sense of security and are experiencing a sense of powerlessness and loss of control over our lives."

He said the crises being faced 'forecast a perfect storm' but also provide opportunities.

Francis added: 'These crises present us with the need to take decisions, radical decisions that are not always easy.

'At the same time, moments of difficulty like these also present opportunities. Opportunities that we must not waste.'

The Pope warned against countries taking an isolationist approach, and called for a "renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world".

'We can confront these crises by retreating into isolationism, protectionism and exploitation, or we can see in them a real chance for change, a genuine moment of conversion and not simply in a spiritual sense.

Francis is set to meet several world leaders as they attend a G20 summit in Rome before heading to COP26 in Glasgow. Joe Biden is pictured arriving in Rome

'This last approach alone can guide us towards a brighter horizon, yet it can only be pursued through a renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world, and an effective solidarity based on justice, a sense of our common destiny and the recognition of the unity of our human family in God's plan for the world.'

'It means giving priority to the common good, and it calls for a change in perspective, a new outlook, in which the dignity of every human being, now and in the future, will guide our ways of thinking and acting'.

'The most important lesson we can take from these crises is our need to build together, so that there will no longer be any borders, barriers or political walls for us to hide behind.'

Francis has made caring for Gods Creation one of the hallmarks of his papacy.

In 2015, ahead of the last U.N. climate conference in Paris, he penned the first-ever ecological encyclical, "Praised Be," in which he denounced how the 'perverse' profit-at-all-costs global economic model had exploited the poorest, ravaged Earth's natural resources and turned the planet into an 'immense pile of filth'.
A serving prison nurse who had a relationship with an inmate has been barred from the profession for life.

Ashleigh Naylor was working at Holme House jail in Stockton when she began a 'genuine relationship' with a Kirkham Prison inmate after chaperoning him to a doctor's appointment.

The then 30-year-old was given a suspended prison sentence in November 2018 after pleading guilty to a charge relating to aiding or abetting an unauthorised device in prison.

At the time Teesside Crown Court was told Naylor, who had previously known Paul Lane, began to write to him frequently before buying him credit so he could call her from inside on an illicit mobile phone.

They split up and he attempted to get her prosecuted for stalking, but the charges were thrown out. He had been inside for a brutal attack on a Gulf war veteran.

Now a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) disciplinary panel has ruled that Naylor should be 'struck off' in light of her conviction - as well as a series of medicine mismanagement incidents.

A report of the NMC hearing said the offence happened between April 2016 and October 2017, when 'Miss Naylor aided a prisoner with whom she was in a personal relationship at HMP Kirkham, to have in his possession inside that prison, without authorisation, a mobile telephone'.

Asleigh Naylor was given a suspended prison sentence in November 2018 over the fling

Their relationship was uncovered after a colleague saw them posing happily on Facebook

It added: 'The panel considered that Miss Naylor's conviction was outside her clinical practice and did not put patients at risk of harm.

'However, it was of the view that Miss Naylor's conduct brought the profession into disrepute and breached one of the fundamental tenets of the profession namely to promote professionalism and trust.'

The panel also found a series of alleged 'medication administration errors' proved against Naylor at HMP Holme House between February and June 2017.

These included that on February 10 and June 15, Naylor 'potted up' medicine - putting each prisoner's medications into individual pots before going to each cell, carrying all the pots in her hands, and handing out the pots to each prisoner.

The report said 'preparation in advance of more than one patient's medication is not acceptable as it introduces an unnecessary risk into the administration process' and 'could result in the wrong individual receiving medication intended for another person'.

The panel also found that on May 8, Naylor dispensed methadone (a controlled drug) without having had sight of a valid prescription from a GP.

Ashleigh Naylor was working at Holme House jail in Stockton when she began the relationship

The report said: 'The methadone was not signed for by two people in accordance with policy, and it was then transported by Miss Naylor through the prison, to the in-patient unit and back.

'Miss Naylor also gave the keys to the controlled drug cupboard to an unqualified member of staff to return to the secure key cupboard prior to completing the process of administering the medication and obtaining a signature.'

The panel heard that since leaving HMP Holme House, Naylor has worked as a registered nurse at a care home before leaving to set up her own cleaning business.

Ruling that Naylor should be struck off, the panel said: 'The misconduct in this case involved a series of medication mismanagement incidents which occurred after Miss Naylor had been given relevant training'.

The report added: 'The panel was of the view that this, along with Miss Naylor's disregard to the anti-corruption training she had received, demonstrated deep-seated attitudinal concerns with regard to how she viewed rules and procedures.

'Miss Naylor was a prison nurse who decided to wilfully disregarded the anti-corruption training, policy, procedures and law to aid and abet an inmate, albeit in a personal and non-work related capacity.'

Teesside Crown Court heard in 2018 that Naylor was caught after drunkenly confessing to a prison officer at her house that she 'had a boyfriend who was in fact a serving prisoner'.

Prosecutor Harry Hatfield said: 'The officer asked her if the inmate had a phone inside and she said 'yes' but that he was due to be released and they were going to live together.'

The prison officer then looked on Naylor's Facebook page and saw two pictures of her and the inmate together.

She was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
A Facebook rebranding has sent the internet into a spin after it unveiled its new logo and name for parent company Meta this week - with Australians holding a particular grudge.

Since the announcement on Thursday the logo has already been mercilessly made into memes and targeted as the butt of many jokes.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the rebrand was an effort to distance the social media giant from mounting scandals with Meta 'to reflect who we are and what we hope to build'.

Accompanying the name is the company's new logo similar to a distorted, blue infinity symbol.

But Australians also pointed out its striking resemblance to the ABC logo - the nation's much-loved public service broadcaster.

Facebook changes its name to Meta on Thursday in an effort to distance the social media giant from mounting scandals

The unveiling of the new logo has caused Australian Twitter users to point out its striking similarity to the nation's much-loved public broadcaster (pictured, ABC studios)

'Ok, the new Meta logo and the ABC logo. Compare the pair. Law suit time?' Asked one Twitter user, accompanied with side by side images of both logo's.

'Meta - the rebranding of Facebook has got some inspiration from our beloved ABC logo...they are just one loop away,' Tweeted another.

'At first I thought what has happened to the ABC logo after last night's wind,' joked a third.

'Is ABC going to sue for copying the logo,' asked another.

One Twitter user was more blunt, uploading an image of the national broadcaster's iconic logo writing:

'ABC logo for about the last 50 years.'

While Australians blasted Meta's new logo, Twitter users from the rest of the world were quick to poke fun at the company's name.

A Twitter user pointed out the name suggests that the company is looking to steal 'literally all' of its users' metadata while another made light of a bleak future where society is even more addicted to devices and social media thanks to an all-consuming 'metaverse'.

Even Twitter's safety account posted that the only Meta its going to acknowledge is its META team - Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency and Accountability.

Yet Meta reportedly refers to 'metaverse' - Zuckerberg's vision for the company's transition into shared augmented reality where uses work and play in virtual world environments.

The rename is already being mercilessly made into memes and users on Twitter were quick to quip that the name suggests the company is looking to steal 'literally all' of its users' metadata

'This all happened because Zuckerberg never meta girl until college,' one user humorously tweeted while another suggested Meta was actually an acronym

One meme made light of a bleak future where society is even more addicted to devices and social media thanks to the all-consuming 'metaverse'

Twitter's safety account posted that the only Meta its going to acknowledge is its META team, which stands for Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency and Accountability

The 37-year-old billionaire has said he believes the metaverse to be the future of the internet and so the move is to presumably solidify Zuckerberg's top position in the shift.

Plus, as CEO and chairman of Meta, Zuckerberg has officially stepped into a new job title for the first time in 17 years, according to The Verge.

Instead of being congratulated on the position Zuckerberg was the main character of a slew of memes that made fun of the name change.

'Feta seems like an odd name,' one user tweeted alongside a screenshot of the CEO announcing the name change at the virtual conference. Thanks to Zuckerberg's hand gestures the user was also so fittingly able to photoshop a container of the cheese into his hands.

The rebrand meant that Zuckerberg, as CEO and chairman of Meta, officially stepped into a new job title for the first time in 17 years but instead of being congratulated on the position Zuckerberg was the main character of a slew of memes that made fun of the new name (above)

In another the letters of Meta were rearranged to read 'meat' as Zuckerberg seemingly held onto a raw steak while a different meme cited the fiber supplement Metamucil.

Yet another meme-maker added an 'L' to the company's new name and superimposed a long-haired wig and logo onto Zuckerberg's shirt to so fittingly transform him into a heavy metal-esque character.

But not all memes featured the social media mogul. One pictured a man beside a leaking water tank symbolic of Facebook's waterfall of scandals in recent months, which stemmed from internal documents leaked by whistleblower Francis Haugen, who made bombshell claims that Facebook 'puts profits over people' by knowingly harming teenagers with its content and stoking anger among users.

The photo was captioned 'mental health issues, data protection, Cambridge Analytica [a data firm that was embattled with the social media site for years, starting in 2014] and consumer exploitation'.

The man was then pictured placing a singular piece of tape over the leak and the caption read: 'Renaming to 'Meta,' suggesting that the rebrand is a shoddy attempt at cleaning the slate.

Other memes suggested that the rebrand is a shoddy attempt at Facebook clearing itself of recent scandals after whistleblower and former Facebook product manager Francis Haugen leaked the company's internal documents

Even the global supermarket chain Aldi chimed in and jokingly tweeted that it was changing its name to 'Betta' because 'we betta than all the rest'

The attempt to escape reality couldn't come at a better time for the embattled brand, which will retain the social media site as Facebook but rename Facebook Inc - the parent company that also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. It will begin trading under MVRS on December 1.

Haugen, a Facebook former product manager, left the company with tens of thousands of confidential documents that she copied in secret and released to roughly two dozen news outlets.

She testified before Congress on October 5 and British Parliament on Monday, presenting findings on the harm social media caused young users. One revealed that 13.5 percent of British teenagers and six percent of American teenagers experiencing suicidal thoughts said that they traced them to Instagram.

But the rebrand has not been marketed as a type of new beginning or cover-up of any scandals for that matter. Instead, it described itself as 'the next chapter of social connection' and in a tweet announcing the name change Meta wrote: 'Meta is helping build the metaverse, a place where we'll play and connect in 3D.'

Even the global supermarket chain Aldi chimed in and jokingly tweeted that it was changing its name to 'Betta' because 'we betta than all the rest'.

Twitter itself joined in on the fun and playfully tweeted: 'Big news lol jk still Twitter.'

Twitter itself joined in on the fun and sent out a playful tweet

Many Twitter users accused the tech firm of using the name change as a way to distract from its recent scandals

'This all happened because Zuckerberg never meta girl until college,' one user humorously tweeted while another suggested Meta was actually an acronym for 'Misinformation Exemplified To All'.

A Twitter user even pointed to the fact that Zuckerberg didn't coin the term 'metaverse' but instead swiped it from Neal Stephenson's 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash. However, the book does little to define the term beyond referring to it as an alternate reality.

All jokes aside, core findings in the documents Haugen leaked were that Facebook staff have reported for years that they are concerned about the company's failure to police hate speech - not to mention its algorithms flooded users with extremist content and conspiracy theories based on their political beliefs.

Internal messages from staff at the social media giant show that they blamed themselves for the January 6 Capitol riot after giving extremist content a platform on the site.

'One of the darkest days in the history of democracy and self-governance. History will not judge us kindly,' one worker said while another added: 'We've been fueling this fire for a long time and we shouldn't be surprised it's now out of control.'

One user pointed to the fact that Zuckerberg didn't coin the term 'metaverse' but instead swiped it from Neal Stephenson's 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash. However, the book does little to define the term beyond referring to it as an alternate reality

More tweets even joked about the company's new logo and one quipped that Apple should also rebrand to a different fruit - the horned melon

Employees pulled down a curtain draped over its iconic 'Like' sign outside the company's Silicon Valley headquarters to reveal the new branding

Whistleblower and former Facebook employee Haugen (pictured in court on Monday) left the company with tens of thousands of confidential documents that she copied in secret and released to roughly two dozen news outlets. She testified before Congress on October 5 and British Parliament on Monday and presented findings on the harm social media has caused young users

The documents, which came to be known as the Facebook Papers, also reveal that the site potentially mislead the US Securities and Exchange Commission by failing to disclose that its popularity among young users is slumping.

It's said to have failed to explain that many of its overall users are people with more than one account on its sites, meaning the actual number of users could be up to 11 percent fewer than its figures would suggest.

One trend showed that the time spent on Facebook by US teenagers was down 16 percent from 2020 to 2021 and that young adults - between 18 and 29 - were spending five percent less time on the app.

Oddly enough, Meta reported soaring profits for the latest quarter.

The company said that its net income grew 17 percent in the July-to-September period to $9.19billion, which was reportedly buoyed by strong advertising revenue. That figure means profits are up from $7.85billion a year earlier.

Meta stock rose more than one percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and rose by more than three percent on Thursday afternoon before dropping to about 1.5 percent by 5pm.

Meta is set to trade under MVRS from December 1. The company's stock rose more than one percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and rose by more than three percent on Thursday

Additionally third quarter revenue supposedly grew 35 percent to $29.01billion, exceeding analyst expectations.

The company's name change comes along with a new logo depicting a blue infinity symbol referring to the 'metaverse' - Zuckerberg's new focus to expand the company beyond its social media apps.

What is the metaverse? The 'metaverse' is a set of virtual spaces where you can game, work and communicate with other people who aren't in the same physical space as you. Facebook explained: 'You'll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. 'It's not necessarily about spending more time online  it's about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.' While Facebook is leading the charge with the metaverse, it explained that it isn't a single product one company can build alone. 'Just like the internet, the metaverse exists whether Facebook is there or not,' it added. 'And it won't be built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realized in the next 10-15 years.' Advertisement

The term 'metaverse' can refer to digital spaces, which are made more lifelike by the use of virtual reality or augmented reality.

'Our mission remains the same, it's still about bringing people together,' the CEO said, adding: 'Now we have a new North Star to help bring the metaverse to life.'

He noted that the word also means 'beyond' in Greek and symbolizes that there is 'always more to build' and 'always a next chapter in the story'.

The buzzy word - first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier - has also grown popular in Silicon Valley, where Facebook-turned-Meta is headquartered, and has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

Zuckerberg said: 'I believe the metaverse is the next chapter of the Internet and it's the next chapter of our company too. While most etch companies focus on how people could connect to technology, we focus on building technology so people could connect with each other.'

He has previously suggested the metaverse to be the future of the company and has been talking up the concept since July.

The company has invested heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on AR glasses and wristband technologies.

In addition to its name change, Meta also announced an upcoming virtual reality headset called Project Cambria, a high-end product available to be released next year at a higher price point than the $299 Quest 2 headset, the company said in a blog post.

Meta also revealed the code name of its first fully AR-capable smart glasses: Project Nazare. The glasses are 'still a few years out,' the company said in a blog post as Zuckerberg noted: 'We still have a ways to go with Nazare but we're making good progress.'

The move to Meta is reminiscent of when Google abruptly renamed itself Alphabet in 2015, making Google a subsidiary and allowing it to become a technology conglomerate.

Meta reportedly refers to 'metaverse,' which Zuckerberg said he believes to be the future of the Internet in a Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference, which is also when he revealed the rebrand
Marlys Davidson (pictured), the president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, was picked up by a microphone cursing and saying 'Oh God, here we go' during the meeting

The president of a California board of education who was caught on a microphone swearing at a parent has allegedly been caught in a second slip-up during the same meeting on mask mandates.

Marlys Davidson, who is the president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, appeared to say 'Oh God, here we go' after introducing two speakers at the meeting.

It was during the same session that Davidson was picked up by the microphone saying 'f**k you' after parent Lauren Roupoli raised concerns about mask-wearing mandates and vaccines for children.

During the meeting, Davidson had introduced two speakers she referred to as Claire C. and Leah R.

But during the applause for the speakers, Davidson appeared to say 'Oh God, here we go', according to a video posted on YouTube by Los Al Recall.

It is not clear in the footage which speaker Davidson was referring to or that Davidson had made the comment as all of the board members were wearing face masks during the meeting.

The first speaker, who said she was called Claire Chu, said she was happy everyone had the 'freedom to speak' and said she is concerned about critical race theory, claiming it teaches children to 'hate each other because of their race, because of their skin color and make them identify different from others'.

She added: 'No, we are all American. We are all one nation, one race. Don't let them divide by the critical race theory.'

Marlys Davidson, who is the president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, appeared to say 'Oh God, here we go' after introducing two speakers at the meeting. It is not clear in the footage which speaker Davidson was referring to or that Davidson had made the comment as all of the board members were wearing face masks during the meeting

The first speaker, who said she was called Claire Chu, said she was happy everyone had the 'freedom to speak' and said she is concerned about critical race theory, claiming it teaches children to 'hate each other because of their race, because of their skin color and make them identify different from others'

During the meeting, Davidson was picked up on the microphone cursing after Lauren Roupoli raised concerns over mandates placed on students requiring them to wear masks in class.

She also questioned the decision to give the Covid vaccine to children, arguing her belief that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Roupoli also accused one member of the education board of criticizing parents as 'selfish' raising their concerns at the board meetings.

Before she had finished speaking, Davidson cut across Roupoli to tell her she had run out of time to speak to the board, but Roupoli calmly finished what she was saying anyway.

A round of applause from other parents followed Roupoli's conclusion, during which she said: 'We are vocal because we are our children's biggest advocates.'

It was after this applause that Davidson was then heard saying 'f**k you' through a microphone.

The incident is the latest in a string of recent clashes across America in the ongoing battle over the right to question administrators about COVID restrictions which recently led to the National School Boards Association issuing an apology for saying the clashes could amount to domestic terrorism.

Attorney General Merrick Garland applauded the letter of apology, while calling for the FBI to investigate such parents.

A parent named Lauren Roupoli (pictured) raised concerns over mandates placed on students requiring them to wear masks in class

KTLA reports that following the meeting, Davidson issued an apology for her remark in which she said: 'I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology.'

Davidson, who has two children, joined the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board in 2018, having taught students at both elementary and secondary school level for 25 years.

According to the education board's website, she grew up in the area and returned in 1980 after having married and started teaching.

Over the years, Davidson and her husband have been involved in a number of leadership positions, such as the PTA, School Site Council, sports, and Scouts.

It was during this applause that Davidson was heard saying 'f**k you' through a microphone

Who is Marlys Davidson? Davidson, who has two children, joined the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board in 2018, having taught students at both elementary and secondary school level for 25 years. According to the education board's website, she grew up in the area and returned in 1980 after having married and started teaching. In 2010, she was selected as the district's Teacher of the Year. While on special assignment for the district, she facilitated the creation of Common Core Language Arts units. She also worked as an education consultant in the district after having retired in 2016. Over the years, Davidson and her husband have been involved in a number of leadership positions, such as the PTA, School Site Council, sports, and Scouts. Advertisement

At present, California has imposed a state-wide mask mandate on around 6.7million students - a decision backed by the California Association of School Boards and teachers' unions.

MailOnline has approached the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education for comment.

Earlier this week, a Minnesota school board chairwoman stirred outrage after footage of her demanding parents announce their home address if they want to speak at public meetings was shared earlier this week.

Jodi Sapp, the chairwoman of the Mankato school board, opened the meeting on October 18 by telling parents they cannot ask any questions unless they revealed their home address, according to the now viral video.

'Each speaker is asked to state his or her name and home address for the record. Failure to do so will result in an individual not being allowed to speak,' Sapp read aloud.

'Each speaker is allowed three minutes to speak, and the board will alert the speaker when their time is up. Failure to stop speaking (in time) will result in the ability to participate in future open forums.'

One father, John Wicklund, voiced his objections, but eventually provided his home address after attempting to negate doing so by citing concerns that his home could be targeted for vandalism.

'My name is John Wicklund and I live in Mankato,' he began.

'Could I get your address please, John,' Sapp responded.

'I'd rather not, since I get so much property damage and eggs and everything else from... fun people and their friends.'

'John you need to give your address,' she repeated.

'I live on 5th Street,' he reluctantly said, before being allowed to ask questions.

'How many acts of violence (have occurred on school grounds)? How many sexual assaults have happened in this school district?'

'You can say the (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) are making you do this, but the government knows better.'

Pictured: Chairwoman of the Mankato school board Jodi Sapp, who told a parent that he could not speak unless he announced his home address during a meeting on October 18

Mankato resident John Wicklund (pictured center with cap) was forced to publicly state his home address in order to speak during the school district's open forum on October 18

Sapp did not answer the dad in the video, giving him a curt 'thank you, that's the end of the open forum'.

Elsewhere, a mother-of-six who led the charge to remove sexually explicit books from school libraries has claimed federal law enforcement officials flew helicopters and stationed cop cars outside a school board meeting in Virginia to intimidate parents - after AG Merrick Garland was accused of treating parents like 'terrorists'.

Stacy Langton appeared on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Wednesday and claimed that federal agents and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were seen outside a board meeting of the Fairfax County Public Schools last week.

Langton claimed that there was a heavy federal law enforcement presence just days after she and others protested outside the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.

Langton believes she and other parents are being targeted by the feds and says she has received death threats in response to the protests.

'I have threats against my children by name, I have been followed in my car with my children, they have my vehicle, they know where I live, and I don't know who's putting somebody up to this, but it's obviously meant to intimidate me,' said Langton.

Stacy Langton (left), a mother of six children from Fairfax County, Virginia who forced the local school system to remove sexually explicit books from school libraries, claims federal law enforcement officials are intimidating parents protesting school curriculum and treating them as 'domestic terrorists.' Attorney General Merrick Garland is seen right

'I'm not getting a lot of sleep right now, nobody's sleeping in my house because we can't be sure that we're safe,' she said.

'So, I understand Merrick Garland is actually testifying today at the Senate and he's gonna talk about mobilizing the FBI against parents.

'Maybe he should mobilize the FBI into who's threatening my family.'

Langton posted a tweet on Friday showing a marked Department of Homeland Security vehicle that was operated by the DHS's Federal Protective Service, the agency unit responsible for safeguarding federal properties.

Other internet users, however, claimed that the photo Langton posted was of Gallows Road, a busy intersection in Fairfax County, and that it was not of parked cars outside the school board meeting.

Social media users also noted that northern Virginia is home to several federal buildings, and it is not uncommon to see federal law enforcement personnel driving by.

Langton claimed that federal agents and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were seen outside a board meeting of the Fairfax County Public Schools last week. Langton said that there was a heavy federal law enforcement presence just days after she and others protested outside the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. But the image that she posted appears to show flowing traffic near where the school board meeting was held

The school board meetings are usually held in a location on Gallows Road, but the image Langton posted appears to be that of flowing traffic, and not a parking lot as she suggested.

'This is something that is incredible in America and it's ridiculously un-American,' Langton told Fox & Friends of the alleged law enforcement presence.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Langton, the Fairfax County Public Schools, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice seeking comment.

Langton made the allegation as Attorney General Merrick Garland was accused of targeting Fairfax County parents protesting aspects of the school curriculum as 'domestic terrorists.'

The Biden administration's top prosecutor has come under fire over a directive the Justice Department issued earlier this month promising more law enforcement resources for schools amid a rise in tensions and threats at school board meetings over matters like critical race theory, coronavirus precautions and transgender bathroom policies.

In his memo Garland said there had been 'a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nations public schools.'

Sen. Tom Cotton (left) questioned AG Merrick Garland (ight) over a DOJ memo promising to address a 'rise in crime' at school board meetings

While Garland never mentioned or referred to parents as terrorists, his memo came after the National School Boards Association sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for help.

The letter claimed that clashes between the school board and parents could amount to 'domestic terrorism'.

The NSBA has since apologized for comparing parents to domestic terrorists.

'As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members,' the NSBA wrote in a memo.

'We wanted to write to you directly to address this matter.'

'On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter,' the NSBA said, noting that 'there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter.'

The NSBA had called for the use of measures like the PATRIOT Act, which is typically used to address terrorism.

Sen. Tom Cotton tore into Garland during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, telling him to 'resign in disgrace.'

'Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court,' the Arkansas Republican said, bringing up the touchy subject of Garland's failed confirmation to the high court in 2016. President Obama appointed him and then-Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked his confirmation because it was an election year.

'You should resign in disgrace,' Cotton told Garland.

Cotton asked about a Loudoun County father who was dragged out of a school board meeting and arrested as he tried to tell the room his 15-year-old daughter had been raped by a boy dressed in a skirt at Stone Bridge High School in the girls' bathroom.

Scott Smith says Loudoun County schools went out of their way to protect the child - who he called 'a sexual predator'.

Scott Smith was arrested at a Loudoun County school board meeting on June 22 after his daughter, 15, was allegedly attacked by a boy in a dress

Smith accused the school of covering up the incident to protect its new policy allowing students to use the bathroom they identify with.

The incident reportedly took place on May 28 and Scott was arrested on June 22.

Two months after the incident, the boy - who has not been named because he is a juvenile - was arrested for forced sodomy.

And in October, he was arrested again on different charges for allegedly assaulting a different girl, at a different school. He is now in a juvenile detention center.

The boy was charged with two counts of forcible sodomy for the May 28 attack and sexual battery for the October 6 attack, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said on Oct. 13. The Sheriff's Office released the statement to clear up 'misinformation' regarding the case.

Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after the June 22 meeting. He said he was trying to contain himself after listening to school board staff say they'd never had a report of a sexual assault in a bathroom, when that is what his daughter reported weeks earlier

On Tuesday the boy was found guilty of forcible sodomy and forcible fellatio, and will return to court on November 15 for sentencing.

Scott and his wife Jessica Smith are now suing the county over the alleged attempted coverup.

'Do you apologize to Scott Smith and his 15-year-old daughter, judge?' Cotton asked Garland. Cotton said that controversy had prompted the DOJ's stepping in.

Garland went on to say rape is 'the most horrific crime I can imagine' and that Scott is 'entitled and protected by the First Amendment.'

'This is shameful. Your testimony, your directive is shameful. Your performance is shameful,' Cotton shot back.
Question Time panellist Nazir Afzal today backed Fiona Bruce, saying he had 'no criticism' of the host after accusing her during the show of asking him first about the cricket racism row because he is a 'brown person'. The BBC programme has become embroiled in an 'unconscious racism' row after Bruce asked Mr Afzal, the only non-white member of the panel, to be the first person to answer an audience member's query about racism. During the show, Mr Afzal agreed with Bruce that he thought she was 'wrong' to go to him first. But reacting this morning after the incident prompted huge debate online, Mr Afzal tweeted: 'I have no criticism of Fiona Bruce. I made point that racism is something which everyone should have a view on, not just minorities. If the subject was say child or domestic abuse, you wouldn't just ask the victim. It's everybody's business.' The question, which was partly about recent allegations of racist abuse made by cricketer Azeem Rafiq, was asked last night to a panel made up of former crown prosecutor Mr Afzal; white psychologist Jordan Peterson; and three white MPs - Mims Davies from the Conservatives, Stella Creasy of Labour and Stephen Flynn from the SNP. Bruce then immediately turned to Mr Afzal and asked him to answer, prompting him to say: 'The brown person will answer first'. As he made the comment he turned to the audience and laughed, which saw some chuckle with him. The presenter then asked him: 'Nazir, so do you think that was wrong of me to come to you first?' Mr Afzal replied: 'I think so' and attempted to continue answering the question while pointing towards the audience. But Bruce then added: 'Well let's not do it. I'm not being sarcastic at all. I mean if that's how you feel, I respect that.' Mr Afzal then stopped speaking and sat silently, while Bruce went to Mr Peterson to hear from him instead.
A serving Met Police detective has denied a string of child sex offences after allegedly being caught trying to meet a police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.

Detective Constable Francois Olwage, 51, is charged with trying to incite a teenage girl to have sex, grooming a youngster and arranging to meet a girl under 16.

The cop was arrested in Basingstoke allegedly trying to meet an undercover officer from Hampshire Constabulary posing as a 13-year-old girl called 'Catlin'.

He was arrested yesterday after driving around 75 miles from his home in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, to Basingstoke to meet the 'girl', a court heard.

The defendant is attached to the Met Police's Specialist Operations Command Unit and has now been suspended, the force said.

At Basingstoke Magistrates Court today, Olwage denied all four offences when he appeared in the dock.

The cop was arrested in Basingstoke allegedly trying to meet an undercover officer from Hampshire Constabulary posing as a 13-year-old girl called 'Catlin' (file image)

He was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.

In court Olwage was flanked by two uniformed dock officers, as he wore a black open shirt, dark green trousers and brown boots during the 40 minute hearing today.

The defendant was granted unconditional bail, but prosecutor David Fossler said this would be appealed at a later hearing at the crown court on Monday.

The Met Police's Directorate of Professional Standards has been told about the arrest and the detective has been suspended.

Olwage will appear at Winchester Crown Court for a plea hearing in December (stock image)

The matter has also been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith, of the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards, said today: "The arrest of DC Olwage follows a comprehensive investigation by detectives from Hertfordshire Police and we will continue to offer them every support as their enquiries continue.

"He was suspended following his arrest for this serious and concerning offence. He has been charged and will now face criminal proceedings."

Olwage will appear at Winchester Crown Court for a plea hearing in December.
President Joe Biden will host a kumbaya meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron on Friday as part of his make-up campaign following French fury over a U.S. submarine deal with Australia.

The two leaders will meet at the Villa Bonaparte, the French embassy to the Vatican situated in the heart of Rome. Their sit down comes ahead of their attendance at the G20 summit this weekend.

The Villa was originally the home of Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Pauline, who had a bathtub carved out of the marble installed so she could bath in donkey milk, which she believed would help keep her looking young. It became an embassy in 1945.

Biden held two phone calls with Macron in the lead up to Friday afternoon's meeting, which could be one of his more awkward sit downs in his five-day Europe trip. It is the two men's first in-person meeting since the submarine deal with Australia was announced.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally.

Jill Biden will separately host a sit down with French first lady Brigitte Macron on Friday evening while their husbands have their meet-and-greet.

President Joe Biden will host a kumbaya meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron on Friday, their first meeting since French anger at U.S.-Australia sub deal; above the two leaders at at NATO summit in Brussels in June

President Biden held two phone calls with Macron ahead of the sit down, including one in September as shown above

The United States has embarked on a wooing campaign of France after the French anger over AUKUS, a deal with the U.S., Australia and Britian that resulted in Australia buying American nuclear subs instead of diesel ones from the French.

White House officials said Biden has not formally apologized to Macron, according to press secretary Jen Psaki, but 'he acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation' ahead of the deal announcement, she noted.

The French recalled their ambassador to France in the fallout although Philippe Etienne eventually returned to his U.S. post.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made separate trips to Paris to smooth over strained relations. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Paris in mid-November.

'We feel very good about the intensive engagement that we've had with France over the course of the past few weeks,' Sullivan told reporters on Thursday.

He said he expects the two leaders to have a 'constructive and deeply substantive meeting; where they will discuss counterterrorism and the Indo-Pacific along with energy and technology issues.

The Indo-Pacific conversation is of particular importance to the French after the submarine deal, which saw a shift in political alliances in the region.

France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about that situation since it has major interests in the Indo-Pacific, where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops.

The French were outraged in September about the AUKUS deal with one diplomat claiming the US 'stabbed' France in the back. Paris lost a $90 billion submarine deal with Australia in the fallout of the new agreement.

The White House claimed they thought Australia was keeping the French in the loop about what was going on.

The AUKUS deal is part of American moves to counter China's growing power in the Pacific region.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally - above Macron and Biden at the G7 in June

Jill Biden will host a separate sit down with French first lady Brigitte Macron - above the two women at the G7 in Cornwall in June

As part of the deal, Britain and the U.S. agreed to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, largely-viewed as an effort to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea where it lays claim to several disputed islands.

Australia will get its hands on eight nuclear-powered submarines which will likely cost less than the $7.5billion-per vessel that France was offering for conventional diesel-electric submarines. While the exact design and costs of Australia's subs have yet to be revealed, US Virginia-class nuclear subs cost around $4.5bn each and UK Astute-class $2.6bn each.

At the time the deal was announced, the French foreign minister said the deal was something Donald Trump would do.

'This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr. Trump used to do,' Jean-Yves Le Drian told franceinfo radio. 'I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies.'
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Covid vaccines appear to work just as well against the more transmissible Delta variant offshoot as they do on its ancestor, health chiefs claimed today.

A report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which replaced the now-defunct Public Health England (PHE), showed jabs are around 81 per cent effective at stopping people infected with AY.4.2 getting symptoms.

For comparison, two doses are thought to block around 83 per cent of all people falling ill with the original strain.

The UKHSA said the preliminary results do 'not suggest a significant reduction in vaccine effectiveness for AY.4.2 compared to Delta' and admitted the slight drop may be down to chance.

Almost 24,000 cases of the strain have now been spotted in Britain. But the true count could be 10 times higher because laboratories are only sequencing a fraction of all confirmed samples.

Separate surveillance data shows the variant has now been found in all but a dozen parts of England and makes up one in ten new cases  with its proportion having doubled in the space of a month.

Despite statistics showing it's still outcompeting its ancestor, some experts are now questioning how much more transmissible than Delta the subtype really is. Scientists initially estimated the strain was around 10 to 15 per cent more infectious.

Figures show while cases of the mutant strain are continuing to increase, its curve is flattening off. It is increasing slower than its predecessor did at this point after it was first sequenced.

A report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which replaced the now-defunct Public Health England (PHE), showed jabs are around 81 per cent effective at stopping people infected with AY.4.2 getting symptoms. For comparison, two doses are thought to block around 83 per cent of all people falling ill with the original strain

Covid vaccines appear to be just as effective against the more transmissible Delta offshoot, early tests today showed. Graph shows: The cumulative cases for each Covid variant since the fifth case was reported including Delta (lilac) and AY.4.2 (red). While cases of the mutant strain are continuing to increase, its curve is flattening off. It is increasing more slowly than its predecessor did at this point after it was first sequenced

The variant was most prevalent in people aged 10 to 19 as of October 25, with 5,473 people in the age group having been infected with the strain. They were followed by 40- to 49-year-olds (2,433), 30- to 39-year-olds (2,015) and 20- to 29-year-olds (1,900)

Regionally, the South West had the highest number of AY.4.2 cases in the week ending October 18  reflecting overall infection numbers  with 426 sequenced during the week

The above chart showed AY.4.2 accounted for a slightly higher proportion of cases in the latest week  one in ten  compared to two weeks ago  one in 13. Scientists said the slow rise was still compatible with a 10 per cent transmission advantage over Delta

The above map shows the 12 areas AY.4.2 was not detected in (white) over the two weeks to October 16, the latest available. It has spread to almost every area of England

The new Covid variant AY.4.2 has been found in 42 countries, but has been most prevalent in the UK, US, Denmark, Poland and Germany. This graph shows the percentage of AY.4.2 cases as a proportion of the country's total Covid cases. The UK has led case growth since the variant was fist identified in July, but in recent weeks Poland has eclipsed this, and there are signs Germany is also catching up

AY.4.2: Everything you need to know Where did AY.4.2 come from? This sub-variant of Delta was first detected in the UK on June 26, according to UK-based tracking. Scientists say it is likely that AY.4.2 evolved here because the UK has much higher case numbers than other countries. But it is possible that the variant was imported from abroad and then started to spread in the country. Why is it only in a few countries? AY.4.2 has been spotted in more than 40 countries including the UK, Germany, Denmark and the US to date. It may not have been spotted in other places due to a lack of Covid surveillance, which would lead to new sub-variant not being spotted. But travel restrictions may also be behind the slow spread, which have made it less likely that the virus will be passed between countries. How infectious is the sub-variant? Experts estimate that AY.4.2 is around 10 per cent more infectious than the Delta variant. They say this may lead to a marginally higher number of cases, but that it will not trigger a spike similar to that seen when Delta arrived in the UK. Should I be concerned about AY.4.2? Scientists say there is no reason to be too concerned about AY.4.2. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines are less effective against the sub-variant, or that it increases the risk of hospitalisation and death. But laboratory tests are underway at labs in the UK and Denmark to assess this. Professor Lawrence Young from Warwick University said: 'There is no reason to suggest vaccines won't be as effective.' And Professor Anders Fomsgaard from Denmark's Covid surveillance centre said: 'We are not concerned by this. We see nothing in this point of time that indicates it is more contagious, resistant or pathogenic.' Advertisement

The UKHSA suggested there was little reason to worry that the variant was more effective at evading vaccines than Delta.

The agency said: 'After adjustment for the potential confounding variables there was no evidence AY4.2 differed significantly compared to non-AY4.2 Delta cases, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, across the three vaccines in circulation.'

Analysis suggested all the vaccines currently deployed in Britain were equally effective against the variant.

It comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) this week admitted it was now keeping tabs on the variant.

Experts have started to raise questions over whether the new strain is in fact more transmissible, as had previously been suggested by the data.

Northumbria University scientists involved in variant surveillance say it is still 'unclear' if AY.4.2 is actually more transmissible because too little is known about its mutations.

They pointed to the 'founder effect' as an alternative explanation, when a strain spreads rapidly because it is the only one in a specific cluster of cases, like a school.

But Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist and Covid commentator at University College London who was among the first to raise concerns about the variant last week, said the slower rise was 'still compatible' with a 10 per cent transmission advantage.

And Professor Jeffrey Barrett, head of Covid surveillance at the Sanger Institute, said the data was 'consistent with a small, but real, growth advantage vs other Delta'.

This sub-variant of Delta was first detected in the UK on June 26, according to UK-based tracking.

Scientists say it is likely AY.4.2 evolved here because the UK has much higher case numbers than other countries.

But it is possible that the variant was imported from abroad because other countries have worse variant surveillance than the UK.

It carries two key mutations, A222V and Y145H, which both slightly alter the shape of the spike protein which the virus uses to invade cells.

Scientists claim A222V was previously seen on another variant (B.1.177) first spotted in Spain before spreading to other countries.

But studies suggest it did not make the strain more transmissible, and that it was only spread by holidaymakers returning home.

There is more concern about the mutation Y145H, which slightly changes the shape of the site antibodies bind to making it harder for them to stop an infection from happening.

Scientists say this builds on mutations in Delta, and could make the subtype even more resistant to vaccines than its parent.

AY.4.2 has been recorded in about 40 countries to date, but the UK is the only one seeing a sustained outbreak of the subtype, other than Poland.

It did rise to around one in 50 Covid cases in Denmark in early September, but it has now fallen again to below one in 100. Experts in the country say they are not concerned about AY.4.2.

UK health officials labelled it a 'variant under investigation' last week. 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, but is a step below 'variant of concern' which includes Delta and Alpha.
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Emmanuel Macron is fond of comparing himself to Jupiter, the Roman sky god. And when it comes to directing thunder at the UK over the latest 'Fishing War', he can rely on two trusted lieutenants.

European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune is the president's chief attack dog on all things Brexit, which he calls an 'intellectual fraud'. He is pushing for a 'zero tolerance' policy towards Britain in the push for more fishing licences - no doubt with an eye to next year's elections - and yesterday warned retaliation was inevitable because Boris Johnson 'only understands the language of force'.

The fresh-faced 40-year-old is a high-flying product of the French establishment and one of Mr Macron's closest allies. Hailing from a middle class Parisian background, he was educated at the Sorbonne, before attending the College of Europe in Bruges - known as a finishing school for Eurocrats - and winning a place on France's elite training programme for civil servants.

His quiet, considered behaviour belies an aggressive public persona and a fondness for playground taunts. In a particularly inflammatory intervention earlier this month that saw him nicknamed 'Le Grinch', he accused Britain of being 'obsessed' with France and vowed to cut off supplies of Christmas turkeys if Downing Street did not agree to Mr Macron's demands.

Maritime Minister Annick Girardin, herself a fishermen's daughter, is the second key figure in the French camp, and has been similarly bellicose. In May, speaking with undisguised glee, she threatened to cut off Jersey's electricity supplies over the dispute, and this week told RTL radio: 'It is not a war, but it is a fight'.

The radical firebrand boasts of having a 'pirate's soul' and is lionised on the hard left as a straight-talking political street fighter. In a previous role led efforts to defend the French language over the growing global influence of English - an abiding obsession of the country's political class.

European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune is Emmanuel Macron's chief attack dog on all things Brexit, which he calls an 'intellectual fraud'

Maritime Minister Annick Girardin, herself a fishermen's daughter, is the second key figure in the French camp. She is seen at a meeting in Cambodia in 2015 while Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie

Clement Beaune is seen as being extremely close to President Macron, a head of state used to speaking through his lieutenants.

The pair have long been political allies, with Mr Beaune serving as his advisor on Europe for two years when he was a minister in the government of Francois Hollande.

When Mr Macron formed his own party, En Marche, which went on to achieve a surprise victory in the presidential election, Mr Beaune was quickly brought back into the fold to advise on EU issues.

He is believed to have been a key figure in pushing the president to keep up a 'bad cop' stance on Britain during the Brexit negotiations.

Taking up the post of Europe minister in July 2020, his Twitter trolling of the UK has been so constant that Boris Johnson once asked Mr Macron to reign him in, according to reports in France cited by the Telegraph.

Earlier this month, the fluent English speaker boasted that his government had 'pressure points' it would continue to press to gain leverage in the fishing row.

In an extraordinary outburst, he said: 'Stop telling us you do not need us anymore, stop being obsessed with us, stop believing that we will solve your problems.

'They made a mess of Brexit. It's their choice and their failure, not ours. It was a bad choice, we see that today.

'It's not by badmouthing our fishermen, threatening us every day, being bad players and creating red tape or problems for Europeans, the French, and our fishermen in particular, that you will solve turkey shortages at Christmas.

'We will hold firm. Britain needs us to sell their products, including from fishing, they need us for their energy, they need us for their financial services, they need us for their research centres. All this gives us pressure points.'

Ms Girardin shakes hands with Hor Namhong, the Cambodian foreign minister, during the meeting in Phnom Penh in 2015

Ms Girardin and Mr Beaune talk as they leave the weekly cabinet meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on October 13

In September, he used petrol shortages at British forecourts as an excuse for another provocation, suggesting the crisis proved Brexit was an 'intellectual fraud'.

Mr Beaune, who has come out as gay, has recently played a leading role attacking the increasingly intolerant Polish government for setting up 'LGBT free' zones in the country.

Annick Girardin is also a long-term ally of Mr Macron and one of the most aggressive advocates of his anti-Brexit message.

She has described herself as having a 'pirate soul', and her seafaring background made her the ideal candidate to become 'Minister of the Sea' - an office he resurrected to deal with post-Brexit fishing disputes.

Ms Girardin is known for her 'thick skin after all the trials in her life', according to Paris Match, and in 2018 had to be evacuated from the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion to avoid being lynched by Yellow Vest protesters.

The politician was born in Saint-Malo, Brittany, whose weather was built on state-sponsored piracy against English ships in the 17th and 18th century.

Her childhood was spent on the sparsely-isolated archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, which is heavily dependent on fishing due to its isolated location in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic.

Her father began his career as a fisherman before opening a bakery shop, which is now run by her younger brother, David.

The 56-year-old, (seen in 2020 on a visit to Lorient in western France) was once dubbed 'the Pirate of Hope' in a TV documentary

Ms Girardin grew up on Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, an isolated, weather-beaten French overseas territory off Newfoundland

Speaking to the Sunday Journal in 2015, she described having 'two mothers' while growing up - her mother and her grandmother - while her grandfather was a chief of public works.

She gave birth to a daughter, Anne-Claire, aged 15 and a half, forcing her to balance childcare with attending school.

'In final year, before going to class, I dropped my daughter off at the nursery', she said.

Anne-Claire went on to become a weather presenter and cookery show host, and now has two children of her own, Milo and Eliott, making Ms Girardin a proud grandmother.

The minister's partner is Jean-Francois Vigneau, a businessman on Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon who in 2019 attracted scrutiny for winning three public contracts worth 2.1million without competition.

Ms Girardin, the great niece of Henri Claireaux, a French senator, joined the Radical Left Party in 1999, and established herself as a key political figure on the island with her left-wing attacks on the local council.

She was elected a member of the national assembly in 2007 and held this position until 2014, when she was appointed as Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie.

This role involved defending the use of the French language domestically and abroad against the growing power of English.

Ms Girardin is now Maritime Minister, and is pictured with President Emmanuel Macron on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte in 2019

Following the election of President Emmanuel Macron in May 2017, she was appointed Minister of Overseas France. President Macron appointed her 'Minister of the Sea' in 2020 in a nod to the need to ensure Left-wing figures were represented in his administration.

In this role she has repeatedly railed against the impact of Brexit on French fishermen, including the Jersey fishing dispute.

The row began after Jersey implemented new requirements under the terms of the UK-EU trade deal for boats to submit evidence of their past fishing activities to receive a licence to carry on operating in Jersey waters.

Ms Girardin gave a tub-thumbing speech to the National Assembly on Tuesday saying she was 'disgusted' to learn that Jersey had issued 41 licences with unilaterally imposed conditions, including the time French fishing vessels could spend in its waters.

She said: 'In the (Brexit) deal there are retaliatory measures. Well, we're ready to use them.

'Regarding Jersey, I remind you of the delivery of electricity along underwater cables ... Even if it would be regrettable if we had to do it, we'll do it if we have to.'

Ms Girardin is popular in left-wing circles, and in March 2016 the Sylvie Koffi and Shaman Dolpi devoted a 52-minute documentary film to her called The Pirate of Hope.
The last surviving founding member of the SAS who once parachuted into Nazi-occupied France in one of the most daring missions of the Second World War has given a first-hand account of his role with the elite unit to the writers of a new BBC drama.

Mike Sadler, 101, one of the original soldiers to form the Special Air Service in 1941, has given his blessing to SAS: Rogue Heroes, and provided details to the creative team of his own experiences.

The new six-part series, set to air next year, has been based on the book by journalist Ben Macintyre and tells the story of how the SAS was formed during the Second World War.

The drama was written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and features actor Connor Swindells as David Sterling, who founded the SAS in Egypt in 1941 to undertake small-scale raids behind enemy lines.

Macintyre had access to a 500-page 'war diary' compiled by the regiment's archivists. It had a number of first-hand reports from those who took part in one clandestine operation after another, from the formation of the regiment in 1941 up until 1945.

Mr Sadler, who is over 100, will be played by Tom Glynn-Carney, who starred in Dunkirk and The King. The drama also stars the likes of Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen, Skins' actor Jack O'Connell and The Affair actor Dominic West.

Mike Sadler (pictured left and right) has been in touch with the show's creator and writer to tell some of his own stories about life in the SAS

Stars of the BBC's new drama SAS: Rogue Heroes, which was filmed between Morocco and the UK and tells the extraordinary story of how the SAS was formed

The drama also stars the likes of Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen, Skins' actor Jack O'Connell and The Affair actor Dominic West (pictured)

Pictured Paddy Mayne (Jack O'Donnell) and David Stirling (Connor Swindells)

L-R Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen), David Sterling (Alfie Allen) and Paddy Mayne (Jack O'Connell)

The drama stars a female character who is a French spy called Eve (pictured)

In 2018, Mr Sadler was made a Chevalier of the Legion dhonneur , 74 years after he parachuted into Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War.

In 1941, Mr Sadler joined the Long Range Desert Group, a reconnaissance unit based in the North African desert.

He was then brought into the arising Special Air Service - introduced by Lieutenant David Stirling to launch night-time raids against Axis airfields in Libya.

Mr Sadler quickly became the units top navigator as he was able to guide raiding groups across almost bare expanses of desert.

He fought with the SAS in Italy and France following his time in the desert war, before setting up the SAS intelligence unit.

In August 7, 1944, Mr Sadler was dropped by parachute into the Loire as part of Operation Houndsworth. The aim was to reach SAS squadrons behind the lines and help destroy fuel depots, encourage local resistance, and prevent Panzer divisions heading north.

Mr Sadler (left) was awarded a legion d'honneur in 2018 for his work parachuting into a Nazi-occupied France

The SAS are an elite group of soldiers who were founded in 1941

Paddy Mayne (Jack O'Connell) stars in the new drama

Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen) and Reg Seekings (Theo Barklem-Bigg)

By this time Hitler had given instructions for any captured parachutists to be executed. Germans struck the two-jeep convoy with Mr Sadler returning fire, allowing the other jeep to flee before escaping himself. He was later awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.

Those who formed L Detachment SAS named themselves the Originals, with Mr Sadler being considered an honorary one. He was given the role of lieutenant by Stirling but this was reportedly never told to the authorities so Mr Sadler finished the war as a major.

In December 1941, Mr Sadler was part of the first successful SAS raid - on Wadi Tamet airfield - where a team of six men ruined 24 aircraft and a fuel dump.

This was led by Lieutenant Blair Paddy Mayne, a former Irish international rugby star who would become one of Britains most decorated soldiers.

On the night of July 26, 1942, Mr Sadler, without headlights or a map, guided 18 jeeps filled with twin Vickers K machine guns along 70 miles of desert to within 200 feet of Sidi Haneish airfield.

It is not all true to the novel, with a fictional female character called Eve, played by Sofia Boutella (pictured) introduced. She is a French spy, introduced into the series by writer Steven Knight

The group then opened fire as they drove between planes, wrecking at least 37 aircraft. But one of the SAS jeep drivers was sadly shot through the head during the attack and buried in the sand.

Speaking in 2018, Mr Sadler said: I do remember the people who didnt survive, and who didnt have the chance to receive this great honour, Mr Sadler said.

Who is Mike Sadler? Founding member of the SAS who parachuted into Nazi-occupied France in one of WWII's most daring missions Mike Sadler, now 101, was the desert navigator of the SAS, able to guide them across featureless terrain so they could carry out their missions. Mr Sadler parachuted into Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. In 2018, he was made a Chevalier of the legion d'honneur, their highest honour. In 1941, Mr Sadler joined the Long Range Desert Group, a reconnaissance unit based in the North African desert. He was then brought into the arising Special Air Service - introduced by Lieutenant David Stirling to launch night-time raids against Axis airfields in Libya. Mr Sadler quickly became the units top navigator as he was able to guide raiding groups across almost bare expanses of desert. Mr Sadler fought with the SAS in Italy and France following his time in the desert war, before setting up the SAS intelligence unit. Advertisement

He was awarded the Military Medal for the Tamit and Sidi Haneish attacks.

Mr Sadler was also one of the officers to follow Stirling on the last SAS operation during the desert war in January 1943.

This involved trying to cross the Tunisian desert to meet the British-American 1st Army but they were ambushed by a German unit.

Stirling was captured and would spend the rest of the Second World War as a prisoner of war in Colditz.

Mr Sadler managed to escape along with another SAS soldier and an Arabic-speaking Frenchman.

He guided the group on a five-day, 100-mile trek, without a map, or any food provisions, to link up with the 1st Army.

American war correspondent A J Liebling witnessed Mr Sadler as he arrived from the desert, and wrote: The eyes of this fellow were round and sky blue and his hair and whiskers were very fair.

'His beard began well under his chin, giving him the air of an emaciated and slightly dotty Paul Verlaine.

Written by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, the new BBC drama is not all true to the book.

A fictional female character called Eve, played by Sofia Boutella, is introduced. She is a French spy and is believed to work with the SAS in the show.

Connor Swindells is to play the part of David Stirling, who started the SAS in 1941 in order to undertake raids on a smaller scale behind enemy lines.

SAS: Rogue Heroes, was filmed between Morocco and the UK and directed The Serpent's Tom Shankland.

It follows the story of young and zany officer Mr Stirling, who is bored in hospital.

Connor Swindells (pictured left) plays the part of David Stirling (pictured right) who started the SAS in 1941

Mr Stirling is convinced that units run 'traditionally' are ineffective and so creates a plan that goes against every accepted rule of modern warfare.

He fights to recruit the best, toughest, and strongest soldiers as the show goes on, to make a small undercover unit.

It is set to create pandemonium behind enemy lines and he creates a team who are both reckless and brave.

Mr Knight said working on SAS: Rogue Heroes was a privilege as it tells the story of a renegade band of soldiers who used wit and imagination as well as firepower to halt the march of fascism across North Africa.

He said: 'This is a war story like no other, told in a way that is at once inspired by the facts and true to the spirit of this legendary brigade of misfits and adventurers,'

Director of BBC Drama Piers Wenger said: 'Combining a fascinating, little-known story with all the intelligence and swagger that Steven Knight's writing is known for, SAS: Rogue Heroes will be like nothing we have ever seen before.'

SAS: Rogue Heroes will air next year on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Unimpressed punters were left to eat unseasoned pub lunches this week after JD Wetherspoon venues across the country ran out of salt.

Pub lovers across the UK bemoaned the lack of available sachets in the latest supply chain crisis to strike at the popular chain.

Last month, Wetherspoon bosses apologised after a handful of its 671 pubs ran out of Carling and Coors lager, owing to the national shortage of 100,000 hauliers.

The chain pointed the finger at 'supplier disruption', with new food providers being sought to alleviate the pressure on existing stock shortages.

This week, one person took the Twitter and joked: 'No sugar in Greggs, no salt in Wetherspoons. Country has gone to the dogs.'

Another person who ate at Wetherspoon Piccadilly, Manchester, complained of having to eat 'unseasoned' fish and chips.

Pub lovers across the UK bemoaned the lack of available sachets at JD Wetherspoon pubs in the latest supply chain crisis to strike at the popular chain. Pictured: A Wetherspoon venue in Littlehampton, West Sussex

Punters took to Twitter to complain of a salt shortage in JD Wetherspoon pubs across the UK

Punters across the country have complained of the impact the salt shortage was having on their favourite meals.

One pubgoer in Piccadilly, Manchester said they had to settle for vinegar when tucking into their weekly fish and chips.

They said: 'It just wasn't the same, my chips were ruined.'

Another Wetherspoon customer in Rochester, Kent was told salt sachets hadn't been on delivery lorries for a fortnight.

Teresa Curtis said her family had experienced the salt shortage, with signs being put up in certain pubs because of supply issues.

Nicky Ford tweeted: 'Apparently you now have to take your own salt to Wetherspoons now, haven't had any salt all week.'

The popular pub chain blamed 'supplier disruption' for its lack of salt, with new food providers being sought to alleviate the pressure on existing stock shortages

Earlier this month, Wetherspoon recorded its biggest loss on record after suffering heavily from Covid-19 restrictions - losing more than 150million last year

Dom Webb, co-owner of Wetherspoon-themed Instagram influencer account @webberspoons, shared his disappointment: 'I dont think this is good enough. It's disappointing from such a reputable high street pub chain.'

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: 'There is a supplier disruption for salt sachets and Wetherspoon pubs are currently running short of salt in some pubs and in others have no salt sachets at all.

'We are working with our supplier to resolve this as soon as possible.'

Earlier this month, Wetherspoon recorded its biggest loss on record after suffering heavily from Covid-19 restrictions - losing more than 150million last year.

The company has only seen losses in three of its 37 years - in 1984, 2020 and 2021  but the 12 months to July 25 were its worst to date.

The chain sunk to a pre-tax loss of 154.7million, up from 34.1million a year ago, while sales were down from 1.26billion to 772.6million.

Stock shortages have plagued high street retailers, hospitality venues and supermarkets in Britain all summer.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, warned of 'terrific supply chain squeezes' on the industry that are expected to last for the next six to nine months.

Experts have claimed the shortage is due to a combination of factors including EU employees returning home after Brexit and lockdown restrictions causing the cancellation of 40,000 HGV tests. They also cited poor wages and the closure of a tax loophole for some drivers.

The crisis is also hitting British tourism, as hoteliers and bar owners try to manage a surge in holidaymakers as people opt for vacations at home than abroad, and staff shortages caused by a rising number of Covid infections and a recruitment slump post-Brexit.

Even schools are being warned to stock up on food for hot meals, with Federation of Wholesale Distributors communications chief David Visick warning September is going to be 'incredibly challenging for food distributors who are struggling to find enough delivery drivers'.
An urgent recall has been issued for three different frozen pizza varieties sold at Coles supermarkets over allergy concerns.

The supermarket giant recalled the frozen pizza's from the Nature's Kitchen range on Friday which is sold online and in stores across Australia.

A notice was issued over an undeclared allergen - dairy - that was not listed on the product's label.

Recall issued for Coles Nature's Kitchen frozen pizza 250g range - Meat-free Hawaiian Style, Meat-free Meat Lovers and Supreme Veggie - All best before dates

Coles warned that customers with an allergy or intolerance to dairy, could have a reaction if the product is consumed.

The label also incorrectly advises shoppers the food product is 'suitable for vegans'.

Affected products from the Coles Nature's Kitchen frozen pizza range include; Meat-free Hawaiian Style, Meat-free Meat Lovers and Supreme Veggie.

The recall includes pizza's with all best before dates.

Coles issued an apology to customers on its website offering a full refund to shoppers who purchased the product.

Customers seeking further information are encouraged to contact Coles Customer Care on 1800 061 562.
Australia today vowed to deploy nuclear submarines to take on China by 2030 as a British nuclear submarine docked in Perth.

The UK nuclear-powered Astute class submarine arrived in HMAS Stirling on Friday evening six weeks after the AUKUS deal, which enraged Beijing and sparked warnings of a 'confrontation' in the Pacific, was unveiled.

Speaking after the submarine docked, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton vowed the country would receive nuclear submarines 'as quickly as possible' in response to speculation the vessels will not be delivered until the late 2040s.

'That is not going to be the case', he told reporters, stressing Australia's commitment to security in the Pacific region. 'There is just no hesitation from our partners about making sure we can get this capability as quickly as possible.'

It comes after China warned the UK last week to 'think twice' over the AUKUS pact which Beijing's foreign minister Wang Yi told British counterpart Liz Truss would lead to an arms race.

Australia is set to become only the third state globally with nuclear-capable submarines behind the US and UK under the AUKUS agreement.

Speaking after the submarine docked, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) vowed the country would receive nuclear submarines 'as quickly as possible' in response to speculation the vessels will not be delivered until the late 2040s

The UK nuclear-powered Astute class submarine (pictured) arrived in HMAS Stirling on Friday evening six weeks after the AUKUS deal, which enraged Beijing and sparked warnings of a 'confrontation' in the Pacific, was unveiled

China (pictured, President Xi Jinping) has warned the UK last week to 'think twice' over the AUKUS pact which, Beijing has claimed, could lead to an arms race

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he wants a boat in the water by the end of the next decade but defence officials before Senate estimates on Wednesday appeared to cast some doubt on that timeline.

Defence secretary Greg Moriarty said early 2040s 'was [not] a date we are putting particular weight on'.

Officials said it was their preference that a boat be operational earlier.

Mr Moriarty remained silent when asked whether the prime minister's timeline was informed by departmental advice or was a political statement.

The government has set aside $300 million for a nuclear-powered submarine task force to identify the best way to acquire at least eight of the submarines from either the US or UK.

The task force will spend the next 18 months reviewing options and will deliver its advice to cabinet in early 2023.

'Every discussion is targeted around how we can achieve the capability as soon as possible,' Mr Dutton said.

Meanwhile the Royal Navy Astute class submarine was greeted on Friday evening by Mr Dutton, UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadell, Australia Defence Advisor Brigadier Marcus Simson, and Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price.

Ms Treadell said: 'This visit, and the warm welcome our Royal Navy has received exemplifies our commitment to the region, and the spirit of mateship that underpins the bonds between our two great nations.'

Brigadier Simson chose to praise the UK's commitment to the region and said: 'As we look to support peace and stability across the region our partnerships, presence and capabilities matter.'

The submarine's arrival is part of the UK's carrier strike group 2021 deployment - an operation that has already angered Beijing with plans to sail near the Taiwan strait.

The Astute class submarine's (pictured at HMAS Stirling) arrival is part of the UK's carrier strike group 2021 deployment - an operation that has already angered Beijing with plans to sail near the Taiwan strait

UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadell said: 'This visit, and the warm welcome our Royal Navy has received exemplifies our commitment to the region, and the spirit of mateship that underpins the bonds between our two great nations'

The Royal Navy Astute class submarine was greeted on Friday evening by (left to right) Mr Dutton, Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price, UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadell, Australia Defence Advisor Brigadier Marcus Simson

It comes six weeks after Australia canceled a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and agreed to acquire American nuclear-powered vessels instead as part of a security pact with the United States and Britain.

The pact, known as AUKUS, infuriated France, which recalled its two of its ambassadors over the lost deal.

Speaking to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday for the first time since the snub French President Emmanuel Macron said he 'broken the trust' between the two countries.

China warned the UK over the AUKUS deal last week, telling Ms Truss in a phone call: 'The creation of a new military bloc in the region will trigger an arms race, provoke confrontation between major powers and undermine regional peace and stability.'

He urged 'the British side to safeguard the nuclear non-proliferation system, handle it cautiously, and think twice.'

The Prime Minister was joined for the AUKUS announcement by US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a historic joint video-link press conference in September.

None of the leaders mentioned China by name but the West is increasingly concerned about Beijing's growing assertiveness and huge military build-up.

Mr Morrison said Australia needed nuclear submarines because they can travel further and evade enemy detection better than conventional submarines.

Beijing reacted with fury at the announcement, with the Washington DC embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu accusing the three nations of adopting a 'Cold War mentality' towards China in reference to the stand-off between the US and the Soviet Union in the 20th century.

Countries 'should not build exclusionary blocs targeting or harming the interests of third parties,' he said. 'In particular, they should shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice.'

Likewise, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the submarine deal 'gravely undermines regional peace and stability, aggravates [the] arms race and hurst the international proliferation efforts'.

'Current difficulties in relations are caused entirely by the Australian side', he added at the time.

China has vastly built up its military in the past few years and now possesses six Shang-class nuclear powered attack submarines, equipped with torpedoes and cruise missiles. This graphic shows a comparison of the two militaries

Australia will receive higher-quality nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS deal (pictured, two Australian Collins class submarines in front of a UK Astute Class vessel)

US President Joe Biden is preparing for a face-to-face meeting with Macron, their first since the AUKUS deal was unveiled last month, ahead of the G20 summit in Rome in November.

With Paris still seething over the secret deal which supplanted a prior French deal to supply Australia with its own submarines, the Biden-Macron meeting with mark the latest American attempts to smooth things over.

The US argued that the move, which will arm the Pacific ally with higher-quality nuclear-powered boats, will better enable Australia to contain Chinese encroachment in the region.

But the French, who lost out on more than $60 billion from the deal, have argued that the Biden administration at the highest levels misled them about the talks with Australia and even levied criticism that Biden was adopting the tactics of his bombastic predecessor, Donald Trump.

France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about a major geopolitical shift, and having its interests in the Indo-Pacific - where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops - ignored.

White House officials said Biden has not formally apologised to the French leader, instead, according to press secretary Jen Psaki, 'He acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation' ahead of the deal announcement.

Macron is hoping to secure several commitments from Biden during the talks and wants Americans to be 'allies as loyal and as available for their European partners as always,' according to the top French official.

US President Joe Biden is preparing for a face-to-face meeting with Macron, (pictured together in June) their first since the AUKUS deal was unveiled last month, ahead of the G20 summit in Rome in November
Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday revealed he has reduced his meat-intake by three-quarters as he condemned leaders who claim fighting climate change harms the economy as 'stupid or liars.'

He said his record as governor of California showed that tackling carbon emissions can go hand in hand with creating jobs and wealth.

The 73-year-old said that he has proven that reducing meat intake does not have to mean sacrificing something, and added it has instead led him to be healthier.

With world leaders preparing to head to Scotland for Cop26 - a major climate summit - he told the BBC: 'They are liars, they are stupid.

'Or they don't know how to do it, because we figured how to do it and it's all about having the balls to do it.

Ive starred in a lot of science fiction movies and, let me tell you something, climate change is not science fiction, this is a battle in the real world,' he warned.

The actor has championed environmental causes since leaving office 10 years ago and has clashed frequently with fellow Republicans - including former President Trump - on the climate crisis.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was known for promoting green energy during his time as California governor and was spotted on a bicycle in Los Angeles recently

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger blasted leaders who say they cannot tackle climate change because it would harm the economy as 'stupid or liars'

The Austrian-born 'Terminator' star and former champion body builder also said that he has reduce the amount of meat he eats by about three-quarters over the last few years, but said he is still 'gaining' as a result.

'Since eating more vegetables and plant-based foods my heart doctor said my arteries have stopped narrowing,' he said. 'So how have I given up something? I gained my health, it gave me an extra two years.'

His intervention came a day after after House Republicans announced they were sending their first conservative-only delegation to the annual United Nations climate summit.

Although many of the Republican Party's loudest voices rail against efforts to tackle climate change as anti-business, they said part of their mission was to show that conservatives cared about the environment and wanted to be part of finding a solution to climate change.

But Schwarzenegger also sounded a note of caution on the COP26 summit, saying there was only so much that leaders could do.

He said: 'It's very important that we have a positive attitude, that we can see it and we all work together because not one person can deal with it themselves. It's a huge undertaking.'

And he urged shoppers to think about the carbon footprint of products in stores.

'Buy local products,' he said.

'Every time you buy something from overseas, that is evil for the environment - this is like the worst thing you can do.'

Schwarzenegger pushed renewable energy initiatives during his time as governor and championed the Global Warning Solutions Act to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

In the interview, the star also said he believes technology is delivering solutions to the climate crisis, citing his Hummer - a brand of huge military-style trucks and SUVs - and that he switched from diesel to battery power.

Of the two, the electric version goes faster and has more horsepower, he said.

Some 20,000 people will attend talks at the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, including government representatives, scientists and policy experts

World leaders are due to arrive in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday for the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties.

It is the 26th time it has been held, making this event COP26.

The aim is to agree measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Some 20,000 people will attend talks, including government representatives, scientists and policy experts.

The Republican delegation will include Rep. Dan Crenshaw.

'There's a false choice peddled by the left: choose between reducing emissions or affordable, reliable energy that powers our economy,' he said.

'Republicans have proposed solutions that represent rational environmentalism over radical environmentalism, solutions that will actually lower emissions without sacrificing jobs, reliable power, and our energy independence.

'We're going to COP26 to advocate for those solutions.'
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Wealthy residents on some of west London's most exclusive streets have done their best to impress trick or treaters this weekend by decorating their homes for Halloween.

Front gates have been covered in cobwebs, giant spiders and skeleton sit in bushes and others have lined their front steps with cobwebs in preparation for Sunday night.

One display has been made by the London Event Florist, the florist that has been used by celebrities including Simon Cowell.

They worked all day to create a display outside the The Richy Hair Salon in Chelsea with decorations including creepy skulls set alongside the Halloween themed flower arrangement.

Displays also include eerie gravestones in front gardens and a mummy coming up from the ground. One household even decorated the outside of their home with at least 15 pumpkins and an army of scarecrows.

Another has even covered six small trees outside in fake cobwebs as they seek to impress their neighbours and trick or treaters on the night.

Here MailOnline takes a look at some of the most spooktacular displays:

One household even decorated the outside of their home with at least 15 pumpkins and an army of scarecrows. People living in upmarket parts of London have gone all out to decorate their homes

People have decorated their front gates with cobwebs, put out giant spiders and have lined their front steps with pumpkins for Halloween

One display has been made by the London Event Florist, the florist that has been used by celebrities including Simon Cowell. They are pictured above outside The Richy Hair Salon in Chelsea

The decorations on The Richy Hair Salon in Chelsea are pictured above. This stunning flower design is seen from the outside

The display is seen close up including creepy skulls set alongside the Halloween themed flower arrangement. The firm worked all day to create the display

More cobwebs adorn this gated property in Chelsea in preparation for Halloween celebrations. A row of tiny pumpkins is seen above them cobwebs while a scary skull is seen staring at any would be trick or treaters who dare enter

Homeowners have put up spooky decorations outside too including an eerie gravestone and even a mummy coming up from the ground

A big tinsel cobweb has been placed outside this home in Chelsea while a lifesized skeleton is seen hiding behind a tree waiting by the front door

This household has gone all out with giant cobwebs covering the outside of their front gates and giant spiders to match the eerie scene

One household has even covered six entire small trees outside in fake cobwebs as they seek to impress their neighbours and trick or treaters on the night
A panel of world-leading body language experts have weighed in on the heartbreaking abduction of Cleo Smith who vanished from a remote campsite in Western Australia two weeks ago.

The experts examined a recent interview of the four-year-old's devastated parents highlighting some of their mannerisms that could be mistakenly seen as 'red flags'.

The Behaviour Panel concluded that mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon are 'telling the truth' and that investigations should be directed away from the couple.

Police have also come to the same conclusion, ruling out the pair as suspects in the mysterious disappearance of their daughter at the Blowholes campsite, near Carnarvon in the northwest WA on October 16.

'The parents have been nothing but helpful. We've worked very closely with them, they've let us into their home, they've let us into their cars, their phones, everything,' Acting Police Commissioner Col Blanch said on Friday.

Pre-schooler Cleo Smith (pictured) is still missing after vanishing from a camping ground in remote Western Australia almost two weeks ago

The Behaviour Panel (pictured) concluded that mother Ellie Smith and step father Jake Gliddon are 'telling the truth' and that investigations should be directed away from the couple

Former US military interrogator Greg Hartley noted that when Mr Gliddon was asked by Channel Seven's Flashpoint if there was anything he's holding back his 'blink rate increases' along with his 'respiration' when he replies 'no, nothing'.

He also points out that during the interview the stepfather 'breaks eye contact and looks down'.

But Mark Bowden, an expert in human behaviour and body language who has worked with G7 leaders, said the seemingly suspicious gestures can be explained.

'His mouth tightens and doesn't open very much. That's just the kind of accent you get in Australia,' the British expert said.

'There are parts of Australia where you have to keep your mouth very closed so dust doesn't get down there, so that is just his baseline.'

Mr Gliddon's blink rate, rapidness of breath and sheepish eye contact was simply due to the stress of the situation and the difficult question being asked on live TV, the expert said.

Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her

Pictured: A map showing the possible roads Cleo Smith travelled in the time between when she went missing and police arrived

'We have a ''No, nothing'' and a shake of the head at the same time (during his denial). This is a very clear sign of truthfulness.'

Asked the same question by the interviewer, Cleo's mother also made a strong denial of holding back any information, saying 'No way, we love our daughter and we want her home'.

Mr Hartley said 'her head says no way at the same time her body and her mouth are saying it' - a gesture which indicates someone is telling the truth.

The expert noted there is a 'confirmation glance' between the two parents during their denials.

Chase Hughes, who applies his body language expertise in US corporate sectors, said 'confirmation glances are less common if there is a made-up story'.

Mr Bowden said he believed Mr Gliddon's confirmation glance and hesitation was due to him being Cleo's stepfather, rather than biological father.

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith (pictured) urged the public to contact police if they have any information

Little Cleo Smith and her step father Jake Gliddon are pictured together

He added that some people may be falsely sceptical of the Mr Gliddon because of his 'submissive gestures' such as breaking eye contact.

'I think we are seeing a consistent level of submission that we do not want to see when a child is taken,' Mr Bowden said.

'I think what we want to see is a very, very strong male getting aggressive... and we're not getting that and that is going to upset us and we are going to transfer some feeling to that and make him bad.

'But that doesn't have anything to do with any complicity in this event. I think that is just him and his response.'

Cleo Smith (pictured dressed up as an astronaut) was snatch from her tent while camping

Another body language gesture usually associated with negativity is folded arms, which both parents have displayed at times during various interviews.

Scott Rouse, a body language expert who trains US law enforcement, said there was nothing suspicious about folded arms.

'Their arms are crossed and the first thing people are going to say is people are disinterested (when they have folded arms)... but most of the time it means absolutely nothing,' he said.

'I think they are just doing that because they are tired and a little freaked out.'

On Friday, police returned to the campground where Cleo went missing. They used two drones to undertake further mapping of the area.

Forensic police have also been visiting businesses in Carnarvon in the hope of finding clues and collecting further CCTV footage.

On Friday Det-Supt Rod Wilde said police were still tracking down the driver of van spotted near the campsite turning right out of Blowholes Road, heading south towards Carnarvon.

The vehicle was reported by two people driving north on North West Coastal Highway between 3am and 3.30am on October 16.

'It's a priority for us to identify who was in that vehicle,' Supt Wilde said.

'We haven't identified that vehicle yet and we'd like to do so.'

He said police were continuing to investigate other means, but had no leads on the car.
Boris Johnson tonight admitted Xi Jinping stonewalled him in a phone call when he pleaded for China to bring forward its 'peak' emissions date.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Chinese President on the phone after he confirmed he will not be attending the COP26 summit in person - although he will address his fellow world leaders via video link.

China has dashed hopes of significant progress being made at the summit in Glasgow after it recommitted to its old climate goals and failed to set out any additional ones.

China is the biggest emitter of CO2 in the world and its formal submission ahead of COP26 restated its goal of achieving 'carbon neutrality' by 2060 and emissions peaking by 2030.

Speaking to reporters en route to the G20 summit this evening, Mr Johnson said: 'I had a long talk with President Xi today and I reiterated my thanks to him for what he said about overseas coal, which is good.

'And I made a couple of other points. First of all the moment for peaking, and whether theyre going to get to that. He said 2030. I pushed a bit on that 2025 would be better than 2030.

'I wouldnt say he committed on that but the other point where I was evangelical was the potential to move away from coal.

'He said China depends on it for our domestic economy. I said so many times from the UK moving from 80 percent dependency on coal for electricity to one percent today.

'I said when I came to see you in Beijing in 2008 we were 40 percent dependent on coal and it shows how fast you can make the transition.'

A Downing Street summary of the phone call with President Xi said Mr Johnson had 'acknowledged' China's plans to tackle climate change.

A Number 10 spokesman added: 'He emphasised the importance of all countries stepping up their ambition on climate change at COP26 and taking concrete action to cut emissions and expedite the transition to renewable energy, including phasing out coal.'

Downing Street also said the leaders 'recognised that there were areas of disagreement and difficulty in the bilateral relationship' between the two countries.

Mr Johnson 'raised the United Kingdoms concerns about the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and human rights in Xinjiang' but the pair also 'agreed to cooperate on areas of shared interest'.

While China industrialised decades later than western nations, its growth in recent years - largely fuelled by coal - has been so ferocious that it has eclipsed almost all other nations. It is now the world's largest emitter by a wide margin (above)

Boris Johnson today urged Xi Jinping to 'step up' China's ambitions on tackling climate change

China confirmed President Xi will not be attending the COP26 summit in person but will address his counterparts via video link

Downing Street prepared for the summit, due to get underway in Glasgow on Sunday, by lighting up a green arch over the famous Number 10 door

The phone call came after George Eustice warned it will be 'difficult to get progress' at the crunch summit amid growing fears the gathering of world leaders will fail to deliver a major breakthrough.

The Environment Secretary said he is 'nervous' about whether the summit will 'get things over the line' when it starts on Sunday.

The main aim of the summit, which will run from October 31 to November 12, is to persuade countries to agree to take action to restrict global warming to nothing more than 1.5 degrees.

Mr Johnson previously hailed COP26 as a major moment, saying in September that 'this is the most important period I think now in the history of the planet - because COP simply must succeed'.

However, expectations appear to have now been dampened, with the Prime Minister saying earlier this week that it will be 'touch and go' on whether progress will be made.

Mr Eustice told Sky News that it is always difficult to agree big changes at large-scale events attended by many nations.

He said: 'These events, because they are big, multi-lateral events with many countries, it is often difficult to get progress.

'We have been working incredibly hard though on our agenda which is getting more countries to commit to net zero by the middle of the century, getting commitments on decarbonising transport, particularly electrification of cars.

'And in my case working quite hard on a package around forests, mobilising finance and getting agreement on reducing and halting the net loss of forests around the world.

'So I am optimistic about these agendas. But always, obviously, when we are in the final days in the build up to it you do get nervous about whether you will get things over the line, certain agreements over the line.

'There is more to be done at the actual summit itself. I am optimistic but it is, as the Prime Minister said, touch and go.

Mr Johnson said on Monday that he was 'worried' the COP26 summit could end in failure.

The Prime Minister said a deal between world leaders on reducing harmful emissions 'can be done' but it is going to be 'very, very tough'.

Mr Johnson said he is concerned the UN summit could 'go wrong' and it will be 'touch and go' whether an agreement can be hammered out.

The UK has set out a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and is urging other countries to follow suit.

The PM's comments came after reports last week that Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, was angry with Mr Johnson for talking up the summit as a make or break moment for the planet.

It was claimed that Mr Sharma was 'raging' at the PM for building up expectations amid Cabinet fears it could be a 'damp squib'.

Some ministers believed the Government's messaging ahead of the summit has been too bullish and was 'completely out of control'. Allies of Mr Sharma denied that he was angry with the PM.
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Part of President Biden's huge entourage arrived at Glasgow Airport today in advance of COP26 - only to be welcomed by brutally wet weather which has seen two road bridges 'washed away' by torrential rain.

A C17 military jet kicked up clouds of vapour as it touched down on the runway before disgorging the president's Marine One helicopter and scores of security personnel, who were thankfully treated to a break in the downpours.

A third jet with 'United States of America' on its fuselage was seen landing at the airport before taking off again, alongside planes from other nations including France.

Today's scenes were all the more impressive given that it was just a fraction of the overall US team. Mr Biden and his wife Jill are in Rome today to meet the Pope to discuss a range of issues including climate change.

The President, a devout Roman Catholic, was pictured at in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace and shaking hands with the 'Pope's gentlemen' before being led to the papal library where the talks will be held.

A C17 military jet kicked up clouds of vapour as it touched down on the runway before disgorging the president's Marine One helicopter

A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Orange County, New York, with number 60005 at Glasgow Airport this week. The aircraft was carrying a helicopter which will be called Marine One when used by the President

Scores of security personnel were also seen leaving the military plane. They were thankfully treated to a break in the downpours

A USA Boeing C-40B aircraft number 10041 carrying members of President Joe Biden's team at Glasgow Airport this week

A United States of America Boeing C-40B aircraft number 10041 is pictured on the runway at Glasgow Airport this week

A helicopter which will become Marine One when President Joe Biden is on board is seen at Glasgow Airport this week

Today's scenes were all the more impressive given that it was just a fraction of the overall US team. Mr Biden and his wife Jill are in Rome today to meet the Pope to discuss a range of issues including climate change

Leaders' schedules: G20 summit and COP26 G20 Sat 30 10am: Arrival/meet-and-greet 11.30am: Family photo 11.45am: Roundtable discussions, Session 1: 'Global Economy and Global Health' 3pm: Side-event on 'Supporting small and medium enterprises, and women-owned businesses to build forward better'. Guest speaker: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands 7pm: Cultural event Sun 31 10.30am: Side-event on the role of the private sector in the fight against climate change. Guest speaker: HRH Charles, Prince of Wales 11.05am: Roundtable Session 2: 'Climate Change and Environment' 1.50pm: Roundtable Session 3: 'Sustainable Development' 3.40pm: Closing session 4.15pm: Concluding press conferences COP26 Mon 1 Opening ceremony: Boris Johnson to welcome world leaders with a ceremony featuring 'creative and cultural moments' and a speech by Prince Charles, after the Queen pulled out for health reasons National statements: Throughout the two-day leaders' summit, heads of state and government will set out their plans to tackle climate change and curb emissions 2.30pm-4.30pm: Event - Action and Solidarity, the Critical Decade, during which leaders will hear the latest scientific reporting, get an update on progress, and hear what action must now be taken Nov 2 9.15am - 12.45pm: Event - Action on Forests and Land-Use, at which leaders will hear how policies to protect forests and use land better can fight climate change 2.15pm-4.30pm: Event - Accelerating Clearn Technology and Deployment, at which leaders will be shown a 'positive vision' for how technology can be used to combat climate change including creating new jobs and economic growth Advertisement

It is unclear whether abortion rights - which have been championed by Biden in the US and has seen senior bishops call for him to be refused Communion - will feature as part of their talks.

Biden has fled tanking approval ratings at home and partisan in-fighting over his $1.75trillon spending bill to travel to Rome, where he is set to meet with leaders from the G20 group of wealthy nations for a two-day summit.

It is the first face-to-face summit of the G20 since Covid struck, and Biden will be hoping to use it to repair his international reputation following his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan that frustrated his allies and drew unfavourable comparisons with predecessor Donald Trump.

It also comes just two days ahead of the start of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow that will be hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Flooding caused major delays for world leaders heading to the summit today - with one train firm urging passengers 'not to travel' across the border due to disruption after two road bridges were 'washed away' amid torrential rain.

Avanti West Coast - which runs services between London Euston and Glasgow, where the climate conference begins on Sunday - said Network Rail had imposed a series of speed restrictions for safety at several locations.

National Rail said disruption to services was expected to last until at least 1pm this afternoon, when services will be 'gradually reintroduced'. It told passengers: 'Customers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL north of Preston today.'

Just two days before Cop26 starts, Network Rail said it had been 'working hard throughout the night to deal with flooding' on the West Coast main line, with Avanti and TransPennine Express services facing speed restrictions.

In the Dumfries and Galloway town of Annan, two footbridges  the Cuthbertson Bridge and Diamond Jubilee Bridge  were swept away as the River Annan rose. Network Rail Scotland said the bridges destroyed were north of the railway with trains unable to pass over a viaduct, closing the Glasgow Central - Carlisle via Dumfries line.

It added that the line will remain closed until workers can inspect the Annan Viaduct. A Network Rail spokesman said: 'This requires divers to go into the water. So, until the river flow slows, we're unable to do this.'

Travellers making their way to the Cop26 conference from London would ordinarily use the West Coast service to reach Glasgow, with many instead forced to travel on LNER services from King's Cross to Edinburgh.

But other trains were disrupted by the weather, including the Edinburgh to Glasgow Central via Shotts, Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High and Glasgow Queen Street to Alloa/Aberdeen/Inverness services.

This week, major road routes into Glasgow have been submerged by major rain, with the city's Great Western Road, in the West End, was left underwater - with drivers forced to leave their cars when the flooding hit.

Overnight, emergency services evacuated people from houses from Hawick in the Scottish Borders after declaring 500 properties could be inundated amid a flood risk and heavy downpours that also hit the Lake District.

A Royal Air Force Puma helicopter is one of of four based at Glasgow Airport this week which is carrying people around

A Royal Air Force Puma helicopter is one of of four based at Glasgow Airport this week which is carrying people around

Joe Biden has arrived at the Vatican for a closed-door meeting with Pope Francis during which the pair are expected to discuss climate change and social injustice ahead of G20 summit tomorrow

Joe and Jill Biden were pictured meeting with the 'Pope's gentlemen' at the Apostolic Palace before being led to the papal library where his talks with Francis will take place

Biden has been facing criticism in the US over his support for abortion rights which has seen bishops call for him to be refused Communion. It is not known whether the issue will form part of his talks with Francis

Delegates travelling to the Cop26 climate change summit wait on the concourse at London Euston station this morning

Officers in Hawick, which is 15 miles north of the border with England, called in the Borders Water Rescue Team, mountain rescue and fire crews to help evacuate properties, and schools and health centres were closed.

Despite the rain, forecasters highlighted how temperatures were very mild for the time of year, with highs of 17.3C (63.1F) in Suffolk. They added that the unsettled weather was likely to continue into the weekend, with another wet front arriving from the West today amid a further series of weather warnings for up to 80mm (3.1in) more rain.

The greatest rainfall today was expected in Cumbria and South West England, where Dartmoor was facing up to 80mm (3.1in) - more than a week's worth, when compared to the October average for the region of 215mm (8.4in). In other areas, the Met Office anticipated up to 40mm (1.57in) in South West Scotland and 60mm (2.4in) in Wales.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued 14 flood warnings and seven alerts today, while in England 47 alerts and 23 warnings were in place from the Environment Agency. Natural Resources Wales had 33 alerts out.

In Peebles, the River Tweed burst its banks and there were fears in Hawick that the Teviot would be next. A rest centre was set up at the town's Teviotdale Leisure Centre to provide shelter to residents of at-risk areas. A local pub, The Bourtree, offered free tea and coffee and said it would stay open overnight to accommodation.

Police and security personnel outside the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow today, where the Cop26 summit will be held

Pedestrians shelter under umbrellas in Glasgow today as they walk past a digital display near the SEC venue in the city
Prince Andrew is facing a deadline today to file a response to a lawsuit filed against him in New York by his sex abuse accuser Virginia Roberts.

The Duke of York was last month served with court papers by Roberts who claims Andrew sexually abused her on multiple occasions in 2001 when she was 17.

Roberts alleges she was told by notorious financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew at Epstein's mansion in New York and other locations. The prince has always denied the allegations.

The clock is ticking for Andrew, who must respond to the claims in her lawsuit by today or he will face a default judgment. There is a further hearing at a court in Manhattan due to be held on November 3.

The prince's California-based lawyer Andrew Brettler is intending to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, according to a letter filed earlier this week.

During a hearing of the case last month, Brettler said the lawsuit was 'baseless, non-viable and potentially unlawful'.

Yesterday, Andrew broke cover at Windsor in the UK as a judge backed Brettler's request for a 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and Roberts to remain secret.

New York US District Judge Lewis A Kaplan made the ruling on Wednesday in a brief order after Brettler asked that the document remain sealed as the legal team fight to get Roberts's lawsuit thrown out.

Prince Andrew (pictured yesterday at Windsor castle) is facing a deadline today to file a response to a lawsuit filed against him in New York by his sex abuse accuser Virginia Roberts

The Duke of York was last month served with court papers by Virginia Roberts (pictured) who claims Andrew sexually abused her on multiple occasions in 2001 when she was 17

Roberts alleges she was told by notorious financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew at Epstein's mansion in New York and other locations. The prince has always denied the allegations

The royal's attorney, Andrew Brettler believes a legal agreement reached between Epstein and Giuffre in 2009 absolves Andrew of all responsibility in the lawsuit he described as 'baseless'

In her lawsuit, Roberts claimed she was trafficked to London as a 17-year-old by Epstein and forced to have sex with the Prince at Ghislaine Maxwell's house.

She also alleged that Andrew knew she was a victim of sex trafficking by Epstein, and also knew she was a minor under US law.

Brettler said neither the prince nor Roberts contend that the release agreement must remain sealed, but they requested that it stay secret because it is subject to a protective order from another judge presiding over a federal civil action in New York.

The settlement agreement was reached between Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead at age 66 in his cell in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial at a New York federal jail. His death was ruled a suicide.

Brettler said the agreement 'releases Prince Andrew and others from any purported liability arising from the claims Ms. Giuffre asserted against Prince Andrew here', and officially made the request to keep the agreement sealed to the Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.

But Roberts's attorneys argue that the Andrew's attempt to rely on the previous settlement agreement with Epstein to get the case dismissed will fail.

Miss Roberts's lawyers have indicated they will fight the move by the prince's team, saying there is 'no evidence' he was ever intended to be covered by the previous legal agreement.

'There is no evidence from any of the parties to the release, or Prince Andrew, that the release was ever intended to include Prince Andrew, and we believe the evidence will be that it wasn't,' wrote Roberts's lawyer, David Boies, in a court filing.

This picture, dated 2001, shows Andrew (left) with his arm around the bare midriff of a 17-year-old Giuffre (center), while Ghislaine Maxwell (right) grins in the background

It comes after Roberts's lawyers said last month the Prince had officially been served with the lawsuit, but his legal team disputed this.

The issue of whether or not Andrew had been notified about the case  known as service of proceedings  was contested during the first pre-trial hearing of the civil case last month in New York.

But after it was confirmed the papers were served on 21 September, Andrew has until today to provide a response.

Ms Giuffre has accused Andrew of abusing her at Epstein's Manhattan mansion as well as his private Caribbean island, and at the London home of his madam Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in a New York jail awaiting sex abuse and grooming charges.

Roberts is suing the price for the alleged sexual abuse and is seeking unspecified damages.

This comes after British police announced earlier this month that they have dropped their probe into the prince after conducting a review prompted by Giuffre's claims.

Andrew has repeatedly denied that he has sex with Roberts or ever met her despite a photo of the two together: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'

The Metropolitan Police had previously examined the allegations made by Giuffre against Andrew but did not open a full investigation, saying the case was a matter for the US authorities.

The police also said no action would result from allegations that Epstein's alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked, groomed and abused women and girls in the UK.

Maxwell, a British socialite and Epstein's onetime girlfriend, goes to trial in November in New York on sex trafficking charges. She has pleaded not guilty.

In a Newsnight interview with the BBC's Emily Maitlis in November 2019, Andrew denied claims that he slept with Ms Giuffre on three separate occasions and said: 'I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened.

'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.'

The duke also said he has no memory of a well-known photograph of him with his arm around Roberts's waist and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.

The fallout from the interview saw the royal criticized for showing a lack of empathy towards Epstein's victims and a lack of remorse over his friendship with disgraced financier.

A hearing in the Prince Andrew lawsuit is scheduled for next week.

Judge Kaplan has ruled, with the agreement of both parties, that all disclosures and depositions should be completed before July next year.

The commemorations will last throughout the year and will see senior royals  except Andrew  travel around the country and overseas.

Judge Kaplan intends to draw a line under any amendments to the New York proceedings by December 15.

All disclosures relating to expert witnesses should be made by June 13 with the disclosure process complete a month later.

One US legal expert described the scheduling order as 'brisk'.
A handyman who handed himself into police custody in Australia 30 years after escaping prison is facing a period in legal limbo after being told he will be deported at the end of his sentence.

Darko Desic, 64, broke out of Grafton jail, New South Wales, Australia, using a hacksaw and boltcutters to avoid being returned to war-torn Yugoslavia.

He then went on the run for 30 years before handing himself into the police during the coronavirus pandemic, after which he received a letter informing him he would be deported at the end of his prison sentence.

However, with Yugoslavia formally ceasing to exist as a country in 1992, it remains unclear where he would be sent.

Desic spent the next 30 years on the run living a double life working as a cash-in-hand handyman for wealthy Sydney residents and called himself 'Dougie'.

Desic managed to remain under the radar for decades by never going to a doctor or dentist and even pulling out his own teeth.

But the coronavirus pandemic ended of his double life, and when his work dried up, he was left homeless and sleeping on the beach.

Beloved Sydney handyman Darko 'Dougie' Desic (pictured) went on the run for almost 30 years to dodge deportation until Covid left him homeless but is still set to be kicked out the country

As winter closed in and torrential rain lashed Sydney in August, he gave up and turned himself in to police just to get a roof back over his head.

On Thursday, Desic pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and was sentenced to two more months in jail.

But his defence solicitor Paul McGirr revealed Australian Border Force sent Desic a letter notifying him will be deported at the end of his sentence.

His legal team vowed to stop the deportation if they possibly can.

'Certainly I and a number of other people are going to fight for him because I just think it's unAustralian to kick someone when they're down,' Mr McGirr told the ABC.

'Bearing in mind he doesn't have the same country left to go back to, being Yugoslavia.

'He's a loved member of the community and he's one of us and we're going to continue to fight for him.

'Hopefully someone with a bit of common sense looks at that and says that. I just think this letter might have been generated automatically.'

Avalon locals rallied to his cause when they found out his amazing back story and funded a defence campaign to keep him in Australia and get him back on his feet.

Darko Desic, 64, (pictured in 1992) broke out of Grafton jail almost 30 years ago using a hacksaw and boltcutters to avoid being returned to war-torn Yugoslavia

Desic pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and was returned to prison where he is serving the rest of his original jail term on a drugs charge.

Desic had served 19 months of a 33-month minimum term until his escape, and if clemency is unsuccessful he will remain behind bars until at least December 2022.

A plea for leniency to serve a community order instead has been sought from the attorney-general and governor-general, Mr McGirr said.

In the Central Local Court on Thursday, Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson acknowledged Desic had been a battler but said her hands were tied.

'He chose to take tools and break out of the custodial centre,' she said. 'I accept he had real fears what might happen to him.'

Mr McGirr told the court that Desic feared he would be returned to Yugoslavia in 1992 'as a deserter, or put on their frontlines it was almost a genocide.

'This is a man who has had 30 years blemish-free. He's had no Medicare, he's had to remove his own teeth, never seen a doctor,' he said.

'He's had this hanging over his head for all this time, not knowing when someone will knock on the door... someone coming across the sand dunes to arrest him

'In some sense, the sentence has been served.'

Defence solicitor Paul McGirr (pictured) revealed Australian Border Force had now sent Desic a letter notifying him will be deported at the end of his sentence

His coastal community had grown to 'love and respect' him so much a crowdfunding campaign has raised $30,000 for his legal bills and housing needs, Mr McGirr said.

Prosecutor Scott Williams said the case evoked a 'romantic idea' of Australian larrikinism' and escape from custody, and needed a full-time custodial sentence.

This was necessary to ensure other inmates contemplating breaking out knew they would be punished 'no matter how long after escape when captured, he said.

Under laws from 1992 when he escaped, Desic had faced a maximum term of 10 years in prison for the offence.

Sentencing him to the two extra months in jail, Magistrate Atkinson added: 'You have had a very tough time over the years but I have a job to do.'
Adults who try to persuade children to change gender identity will be breaking the law under new legislation set to come in.

Liz Truss, the equalities minister, has announced a six-week consultation on how to legislate against the practice of trying to change someone's sexual preferences through counselling.

It will also further outlaw gay conversion therapy, which is already covered under other offences.

Some have interpreted that the new law could cause difficulties for transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse advocacy groups.

But they have welcomed the new proposals and say they would welcome Miss Truss taking the initiative on it.

Susie Green, CEO of Mermaids said: 'Conversion therapy affects the whole LGBTQIA+ community, with evidence suggesting that transgender people are more likely to be impacted by this deeply concerning practice.

'It's vital that the Government brings in a comprehensive legal ban, which protects the whole of the LGBTQIA+ community, children and adults alike.'

Lui Asquith, Director of Legal and Policy at Mermaids said: 'The Government has made it clear they intend to protect all LGB and T individuals from conversion therapies  this is welcome and right.'

Liz Truss said the announcement sets out plans on how the Government will 'ban an archaic practice'

Ministers said safeguarding under-18s is a priority and pledged that future laws will place a strong emphasis on preventing children undergoing any practices considered to be conversion therapies.

Miss Truss said: 'There should be no place for the abhorrent practice of coercive conversion therapy in our society.

'Today we are publishing detailed proposals that will stop appalling conversion therapies and make sure LGBT people can live their lives free from the threat of harm or abuse.

'I want everyone to be able to love who they want and be themselves.

'Today's announcement sets out how we will ban an archaic practice that has no place in modern life.'

But critics said the plans should have gone further and outlawed all conversion therapy.

Ministers will legislate to ensure that, when existing violent offences are motivated by conversion therapy, this is considered as a potential aggravating factor when the perpetrator is sentenced.

They also propose to create a new offence for talking therapies that seek to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity, to be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years.

The six-week public consultation on on how to legislate against the practice of trying to change someone's sexual preferences through counselling will end on December 10

This would apply to under-18s under any circumstance and to adults who have not freely consented and been fully informed about the potential impacts.

The GEO said consent requirements would be 'robust and stringent'.

It acknowledged some believe that an adult cannot consent even when fully aware of the potential for being harmed, but said it is the Government's view that 'the freedom for an adult to enter such an arrangement should be protected'.

The Government has launched a six-week public consultation which will close on December 10, after which it will prepare and introduce legislation by spring 2022.

It said any future laws would place a particularly strong emphasis on protecting children, given their inherent vulnerability.

Keira Bell, 24, took legal action against the Tavistock and Portman Trust, which runs the UK's only gender identity development service for children, arguing that children cannot properly consent to taking hormone drugs.

The legal challenge was also brought by Mrs A, the mother of a 15-year-old autistic girl who is currently on the waiting list for treatment.

In December last year, the High Court had said it was 'highly unlikely' that a child under 13 would be able to consent to the treatment, and that it was 'doubtful' that a child of 14 or 15 would understand the consequences.

Though Ms Bell declared the ruling a victory for 'common sense', campaigners from Stonewall and Mermaids called the judgment an 'absolutely devastating blow for trans young people across the country'.

In a surprise judgment last month, appeal judges found doctors should use their clinical judgment rather than needing a court's approval to provide treatment - overruling the High Court's assessment on the issue.

Writing on CrowdJustice earlier this month, Ms Bell announced that she is now seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

She said she was 'obviously disappointed with the ruling of the Court and especially that it did not grapple with the significant risk of harm that children are exposed to by being given powerful experimental drugs'
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The 24-year-old armorer in charge of guns on the set of Alec Baldwin's movie Rust has denied being to blame for Halyna Hutchins' death in a strongly worded statement where she claims she's been 'slandered' by the media but admits she couldn't focus on her weapons job because she was given two roles on-set.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed released a statement through her attorneys insisting she is not to blame for the death of Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography who was accidentally killed by Baldwin while they rehearsed a shooting scene.

'Safety is Hannah's number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from,' the statement said in part.

Her attorneys told DailyMail.com on Friday that she was also a 'key assistant' in the props department which made it 'difficult to focus' on the weapons.

'Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer.

'Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that.

'She fought for training, days to maintain weapons and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department.

'The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. Not the fault of Hannah.'

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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is pictured last week (left). She has released a statement denying blame for the fatal accident last week and says she was overstretched on the set of Rust, working two jobs and unable to focus on gun safety. Baldwin, right, is in Vermont, bunkering down with his family while the investigation into the shooting continues

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was rushed to the hospital by air ambulance but could not be saved. Many on set have set assistant director Dave Halls ran unsafe productions. He has not spoken

Circled is Baldwin, left, standing next to Halyna on the film set. Gutierrez-Reed is shown far right. She claims in her statement that she has 'no idea' how live rounds found their way to the set

ARMORER'S STATEMENT First Hannah would like to extend her deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Halyna. She was an inspirational woman in film who Hannah looked up to. She also offers her thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery to Joel. Hannah is devastated and completely beside herself over the events that have transpired. She would like to address some untruths that have been told to the media, which have falsely portrayed her and slandered her. Safety is Hannahs number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that. They were locked up every night and at lunch and theres no way a single one of them was unaccounted for or being shot by crew members. Hannah still, to this day, has never had an accidental discharge. The first one on this set was the prop master and the second was a stunt man after Hannah informed him his gun was hot with blanks. Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. Not the fault of Hannah. Hannah and her legal team will address more of these rumors and the whole incident in an upcoming statement next week. Advertisement

'The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings,' the statement said.

Her claims echo those of other crew members who say the production was unsafe. Most of them have blamed assistant director Dave Halls, who they said has been accused of running unsafe sets in the past.

Halls told sheriff's deputies after the shooting that he asked Gutierrez-Reed to show him the gun before he handed it to Baldwin last Thursday.

Halls said that he can remember seeing three chambers in the gun that contained dummy bullets, recognizable by a small hole in the side that sets them apart from real bullets.

He looked at them, declared the gun 'a cold' weapon then handed it to Baldwin.

It was only after the shooting that he asked Gutierrez-Reed to look again inside the chamber. That is when they saw there were five rounds, four of which were dummies and one of which contained the spent casing of a real bullet.

Halls admitted to the sheriff that he 'should have checked' all of the rounds but 'didn't.'

Others on set described Gutierrez-Reed as having a slap-dash approach to firearms training.

Actor Jenson Ackles told how she let him pick his own gun, weeks before the fatal accident involving Hutchins.

Baldwin, 63, is bunkering down with his family on the east coast while the investigation in Santa Fe continues.

He is cooperating with the authorities and has spoken to Hutchins' widower, Matthew.

No one has been charged over the fatal accident but on Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said 'no one' had been ruled out.

'All options are on the table,' added Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.

A search warrant released on Wednesday reveals how the gun made its way into Baldwin's hands, but it remains unclear how the live round made its way into the gun.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwes said on Wednesday that 'all options are on the table' when it comes to charging people responsible for the accident

A portion of the interview between Halls and sheriff's deputies that was released on Wednesday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department

Alec Baldwin is pictured with Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. The production started shooting on October 6. Hutchins died on October 21

'David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds.

'He advised he should have checked them all but didn't and couldn't recall if she spun the drum,' the search warrant says.

Baldwin was handed the gun and it fired in the direction of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza. Hutchins died and Souza was hospitalized.

Afterwards, Halls brought the gun back to Gutierrez-Reed and told her to open it for him.

The warrant also describes how Hannah Gutierrez-Reed described there never being 'any live rounds' on set.

'Hannah advised that she checked the 'dummies' and ensured "they were not hot rounds".

'She said as the crew broke for lunch, the firearms were taken back and secured inside a safe on a prop truck on set.

'During lunch, she said the ammo was left on a cart on the set and not secured.

'After lunch, [property manager] Sarah Zachary pulled the firearms out of the safe inside the truck and handed them to her.

'She advised there are only a few people that have access and the combination to the safe.

'Hannah advised that she handed the gun to Alec Baldwin a couple of times, and also handed it to David Halls. Hannah said no live ammo is ever kept on set.'
A California teen killed his 16-year-old lover and her parents after he was caught by the pair in the underage girl's bed, prosecutors said.

Mauricio Johnson pleaded guilty to the three murders in Humboldt County Superior Court Tuesday after making a deal with prosecutors, which saw the 19-year-old dealt a 150-year prison sentence.

Johnson told the court Tuesday that he killed Nikki Metcalf and Margarett Moon, both aged 40, after Metcalf found him in bed with their underage daughter, Shelly Autumn May Moon, in February.

The grisly triple murder took place at the couple's home in Northern California, in the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, a reservation situated in the small town of Loleta.

Mauricio Johnson pleaded guilty to the three murders in Humboldt County Superior Court Tuesday after making a deal with prosecutors, which saw the 19-year-old receive a 150-year prison sentence. The California teen killed the 16-year-old and her parents after he was caught by the pair in the underage girl's bed, prosecutors said

The age of consent in California is 18 years old. The daughter was referred to as 'Jane Doe' in a statement from the Humboldt County District Attorney's office Tuesday after the hearing's conclusion.

During the Tuesday trial, prosecutors recounted how Johnson was invited into the family's home the night of February 9, 'with the permission of several minors' who lived at the home.

Then, later that night, after most of the house had gone to bed, Metcalf, the girl's stepfather, walked into her bedroom to check on the youth, and found Johnson in her bed getting 'intimate' with the girl, a search warrant affidavit issued by the Utah State Bureau of Investigations revealed.

Metcalf proceeded to attack teen, punching him once, according to a warrant who ran from the room with his pants down.

'The male subject [Johnson] was on top of [Shelly]. Nikki Metcalf hit the male,' the warrant reportedly states.

Sixteen-year-old Shelly Autumn May Moon was getting 'intimate' with Johnson in her bed when her stepfather walked into her bedroom and tried to kick the 19-year-old out of the house. Johnson proceeded to shoot the stepfather, as well as Shelly's mother, before turning his gun on the high school student

Johnson then 'exited the room,' the warrant stated, and 'walked into the living room pulling up his pants.'

Metcalf then followed the teen out into the house's living area, where, according to prosecutors, Johnson brandished a handgun from his bag, and shot Metcalf at point-blank range in the head, killing him.

Johnson's brother, Damon Johnson, a witness in the case, reportedly spoke to Johnson after the shooting, and told Humboldt County police that 'when the girl's stepdad walked in, the stepfather started "getting tough" with Mauricio,' which spurred the teen to shoot him, the affidavit states.

The girl's biological mother, Moon, was then woken by the sound of gunfire, and walked into the living room to investigate.

Couple Nikki Metcalf and Margarett Moon, both aged 40, were killed in cold blood by Johnson in February after allowing the teen into their house to socialize with their 16-year-old daughter

She was shot by Johnson as well, as taken to a local hospital and later pronounced braindead. She died soon after.

Johnson then shot the girl 'because he did not want to have any witnesses,' the warrant chillingly reveals.

After the murders, Johnson rushed home and fled the state, traveling with his mother, Melissa Sanchez Johnson, and her then boyfriend friend, Von Keener, in a white Toyota Highlander across state lines.

After arriving to the home the morning after the murders, Humboldt County police quickly recognized the gravity of the situation, and mobilized the major crimes task force and several senior detectives, who subsequently 'swarmed to the scene,' said Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal.

After arriving to the home the morning after the murders, Humboldt County police mobilized the major crimes task force and several senior detectives. Johnson fled the scene and was ferried across state lines by his mother and her boyfriend, but was apprehended by Utah Highway Patrolmen

Officers then began searching for Johnson, enlisting officers from California, Nevada and Utah to look for the suspect and the suspected vehicle.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers were notified of the ongoing effort to locate the Highlander the afternoon of February 11, nearly two days after the killings.

Approximately an hour and a 15 minutes later, troopers spotted the vehicle.

The troopers then enacted 'put a plan in place to safely stop' it and take its occupants into custody, once it became clear that the vehicle was not stopping, as it sped across a Utah highway.

Johnson was aided in his attempted escape by his mother's then boyfriend Von Keener, who was cuffed on a separate, unrelated charge after police forcibly stopped a car that the three were travelling in

'A traffic stop was initiated and the vehicle refused to stop,' the press release states.

'The vehicles tires were spiked shortly thereafter.'

When the vehicle was finally forced to a halt, Johnson and Keener were both cuffed and taken into police custody, Johnson for the murders and Keener on an unrelated warrant in Humboldt County.

The teen's mother was detained for questioning, the release states.

According to investigators, the trio attested that they were heading to a friend or family members residence in Indiana.

It is still not clear if Autumn May Moon was the one to invite the teen into the house - but according to Honsal, the teen was was a 'friend' of the family and was a welcomed 'guest.'

Honsal further stated that teen had been given permission to be inside the house by 'at least one of the residents' and specified that the teen had a relationship with Shelly, but said the context of their 'exact relationship' was not entirely known.

The teen, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to avoid life in prison without the chance of parole, is scheduled to receive sentencing on January 21.
Tonga today recorded its first ever Covid case after a plane passenger from New Zealand tested positive for virus upon arrival.

The Pacific Ocean island was one of the few nations to have escaped the impact of the pandemic, partly due to it closing its borders to almost all travellers.

There have been fears that if the virus ever took hold in Tonga the country's under-resourced health system would be unable to cope.

Tonga's neighbour Fiji managed to avoid significant Covid outbreaks until April this year.

Tonga is located almost 1,500 miles from New Zealand, the island nation is home to about 106,000 and has now recorded it first ever Covid case, after a passenger on a flight from New Zealand tested positive for the virus

Tonga has a vaccination rate far below Australia, New Zealand and the UK, meaning most of the population is unprotected from a potential Covid outbreak.

Tonga, a former British protected state, closed its borders for foreigners as part of a state of emergency declared in march last year in an attempt to stop Covid from reaching the island

The Delta variant ripped through the island chain, infecting more than 50,000 people and killing nearly 700.

Now there are fears the same could happen to Tonga, with officials now deciding what action to take to halt any potential spread.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa today revealed the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday.

The traveller was isolating at a quarantine hotel. No other details about the infected person have yet come to light.

Health officials are planning to make an announcement on Monday about any future lockdowns, according to news website Matangi Tonga.

New Zealand relaxes quarantine rules as 'hermit nation' moves to reconnect with world Jacinda Ardern has begun reopening New Zealand to travellers by halving the nation's quarantine requirements and removing them entirely for a select few countries. Ms Ardern, 41, is taking baby steps towards reconnecting NZ with the world - cutting down quarantine from 14 days to seven - but is giving no guarantees to trans-Tasman families hoping to reunite for Christmas. On Thursday, Ms Ardern's COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said the shortened hotel quarantine period for those double-vaccinated will start from November 14, though arrivals will have to isolate at home for another three days. NZ will also allow travellers from low-risk countries - Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Tokelau - to bypass hotel quarantine altogether from November 8. Australia is not on the quarantine-free list, despite those from low-risk states able to visit NZ freely for several months earlier this year under the trans-Tasman bubble. Advertisement

Christchurch was Covid free for months until this week, when four community cases were reported after a returning resident caught the virus in Auckland, where an outbreak has been growing since August.

Officials in New Zealand said the traveller to Tonga was fully vaccinated prior to their departure, having received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on 15 October.

They had returned a negative Covid test before leaving for Tonga but a routine Day 0 arrival test in the pacific nation had come back positive.

New Zealand officials said they would be working with their Tongan counterparts to confirm the case and provide more details in the coming days.

Tongan Health Ministry chief executive Dr Siale Akauola said it was unfortunate the plane had already left Christchurch before the news came of the community cases there, Matangi Tonga reported.

Dr Akauola said all frontline workers including health staff, police officers and airport staff who were on duty when the plane arrived had also gone into quarantine after the positive case was confirmed.

He added that all those working near the flight had been vaccinated.

The outbreak came one day after New Zealand announced it would be expanding one way quarantine free travel to Tonga, allowing Kiwis and double-jabbed travellers skip quarantine restrictions from 8 November.

Tonga currently only allows nationals back into the country on a weekly flight from New Zealand.

New Zealand has mirrored Australia in adopting an expensive hermit policy for most of the Covid pandemic, restricting flights to returning nationals who must obey strict quarantine procedures.

Earlier this year it did make an agreement with Australia to allow travel between the two nations but they still must follow quarantine procedures. The 14-day quarantine is set to be reduced to just a week by 14 November.

Located almost 1,500 miles north east of New Zealand, Tonga is home to about 106,000 people.

Only about 31 per cent of Tongans are fully vaccinated with 41 per cent have had at least one dose, according to research group Our World in Data.

This is far behind both New Zealand and the UK with the countries having fully vaccinated 63 and 67 per cent of their eligible population respectively.
Britain will donate another 20million doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to poorer countries, No10 announced today.

Half of the surplus supply has already been shipped, while the remaining batch will be sent in the next few weeks.

The UK's entire supply of Johnson and Johnson's one-dose jab will also be handed over to the COVAX scheme  the UN's vaccine sharing programme.

The pledge comes ahead of Boris Johnson meeting other world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome today.

The Prime Minister will urge fellow premiers to follow the UK's example and support vaccine programmes in third-world countries.

He will say: 'Like a waking giant, the world economy is stirring back to life. But the pace of recovery will depend on how quickly we can overcome Covid.

'Our first priority as the G20 must be to press ahead with the rapid, equitable and global distribution of vaccines.'

Britain has today said it will donate its entire supply of Johnson and Johnson vaccines, or Janssen, to poorer countries. The one-shot jab had been heralded as possibly helping encourage vaccine-sceptics to take the plunge and get inoculated

The Prime Minister is expected to urge his peers to follow the UK's example and support vaccine programmes in less well off countries (stock image)

Experts call for Johnson and Johnson jab to be offered to vaccine-sceptic Britons Britain is set to donate all 20million doses of its one-shot Covid vaccine to poorer countries. But experts had already called on the NHS to ensure they were dished out to vaccine-sceptic Britons. Dr Al Edwards, an associate professor in biomedical technology at Reading University, said they could help boost uptake. He told MailOnline this week: 'Offering convenient services can be incredibly effective.' 'Having one dose, instead of having one, and then having to book another one, that could help definitely.' Professor Anna Whittaker, an expert in vaccines and behavioural medicine from the University of Stirling, said offering the single jab to the unvaccinated over 50s could offer them quicker protection as the country heads into winter. 'Generally if a vaccine has proven efficacy and safety in the age group concerned then it would be worth offering,' she said. 'Another advantage of a single dose (beyond reduced needles) is that full protection happens faster than a two-dose schedule.' NHS England figures suggest some 2million over-50s are still yet to get the Covid vaccine. Advertisement

The donation comes after former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on rich countries to donate their jabs and 'get the unused vaccines out'.

He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'Theyre the people who control these vaccines. Make a decision, get the unused vaccines out.

'Nobodys really safe until everyones vaccinated everywhere.

'The disease is spreading in the poorer countries, its going to mutate, were going to have new variants like Delta, theyre going to come back to haunt even the fully vaccinated here.

'Its in all our interests to get the vaccines all around the world to everyone.

'Now the good news is we have the vaccines, we just need to get them out to people.'

Mr Brown was among a group including former UN general secretary Ban Ki-Moon and ex-New Zealand premier Helen Clark who this week called on world leaders to send unused vaccines from the global north to the global south.

Britain bought more than 500million doses at the start of the campaign, in a calculated gamble to secure early access to vaccines.

It meant the UK had enough doses to give everyone nine jabs.

It has so far only used doses from three suppliers: Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna.

It is now using mostly the Pfizer jab for its booster campaign, which will see up to 32million over-50s, NHS workers and at-risk adults offered a top up dose.

But there are still millions of adults  including 2million over-50s  who are still yet to get a jab at all.

Johnson and Johnson's one-shot jab was heralded as a way to encourage vaccine-sceptics to take the plunge because they would only need to get one appointment.

Britain initially ordered 20million doses of the US giant's vaccine.

It also ordered 100million doses of the AstraZeneca shot, although half of those are now set to be donated to other countries.

No10 has committed to donating 100million doses of vaccines to COVAX by the middle of next year.

This includes 30.6million of AstraZeneca this year and an extra 20m next year, as well as the 20m J&J.

But it has yet to reveal who will supply the other 30m jabs.

The UN-backed scheme has already handed vaccines to more than 100 countries including Ghana, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Experts had called for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to be offered to jab-sceptic Brits to boost uptake.

Dr Al Edwards, an expert in biomedical technology at the University of Reading, told MailOnline this week: 'Offering convenient services can be incredibly effective.'

'Having one dose, instead of having one, and then having to book another one, that could help definitely.'

Professor Anna Whittaker, an expert in vaccines and behavioural medicine from the University of Stirling, said offering the single jab to the unvaccinated over 50s could offer them quicker protection as the country heads into winter.

'Generally if a vaccine has proven efficacy and safety in the age group concerned then it would be worth offering,' she said.

'Another advantage of a single dose (beyond reduced needles) is that full protection happens faster than a two-dose schedule.'

The Johnson and Johnson jab was approved for use in the UK in May, although at the time officials did not say whether it would be used in the country.

Both trials and real world data for the Johnson and Johnson jab has shown it is 85 per cent effective in preventing severe disease or hospitalisation.

But there have been some reports of a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome, where the body's immune system attacks the nervous system, and some cases of blood clots associated with the vaccine.

This is similar to the risks associated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which works using similar technology.
Trans activists have today taken to social media to celebrate the resignation of a feminist Sussex university professor who quit amid a storm over her views on gender.

University of Sussex professor Kathleen Stock announced yesterday she was stepping down from her job after facing a campaign of 'bullying and harassment'.

The philosophy professor was at the centre of a blazing row - and a student-led protest - at the university after saying she believes gender identity does not outweigh biological sex 'when it comes to law and policy'.

She also said that people cannot change their biological sex, sparking anger from protesters who accused her of 'transphobia'.

Now those behind the protests, which have included spraying graffiti with the phrase 'Stock Out', have taken to social media to celebrate the professor's departure.

In one post on Instagram the group shared an image of the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz with the phrase 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' - a song from the same film.

University of Sussex professor Kathleen Stock announced yesterday she was stepping down from her job after facing a campaign of 'bullying and harrasment'

In one post on Instagram the group shared an image of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz with the phrase 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' - a phrase from the film

Instagram page Antitfersussex, who describe themselves as an unaffiliated network of queer and trans students at the university, also posted a statement in response to Ms Stock's departure, in which they said 'good f*****g riddance'.

In the statement, the group said: 'This is a monumental victory for trans and non-binary students, who have protested the ways that this university has enabled transphobia, abuse and discrimination.

In her own words: What does Kathleen Stock believe about gender and trans issues? Kathleen Stock explained her views on trans issues in written evidence to Parliament in November 2020 here: Womanhood and manhood reflect biological sex, not gender or gender identity;

The claim 'transwomen are women' is a fiction, not literally true

Sexual orientation (being gay, being lesbian) is determined by same-sex attraction, not attraction to gender identity

Spaces where women undress and sleep should remain genuinely single-sex, in order to protect them;

Children with gender identity disorders should not be given puberty blockers as minors. Advertisement

'The full weight of a colonial institution, the national media circuit and government ministers, were no match for the unity and solidarity of the queer and trans communities at Sussex University.'

Professor Stock, 48, an expert in gender and sexual orientation, had been branded a 'transphobe' by some outraged students who called for her to be fired in wake of her comments on gender.

Posters put up in the tunnel from Falmer station to the university's campus earlier this month said she 'makes trans students unsafe' and 'we're not paying 9,250 a year for transphobia'.

Banners saying 'Stock Out' had also been held alongside burning flares and scores of people were criticising her online under the Twitter hashtag #ShameOnSussexUni.

The University's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell had strongly defended her 'untrammelled' right to 'say what she thinks', whilst more than 200 academics from other universities signed a letter calling out alleged abuse from 'trans activist bullies'.

But yesterday, Professor Stock announced on Twitter that she was 'sad to announce' she is leaving her position, and added that she hoped 'other institutions can learn from this'.

In a letter to staff, Sussex's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell said that the university had 'vigorously' defended her right to 'exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind.'

But he added: 'We had hoped that Professor Stock would feel able to return to work, and we would have supported her to do so.

'She has decided that recent events have meant that this will not be possible, and we respect and understand that decision.

In a letter to staff, Sussex's Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell said in a statement that they had 'vigorously' defended her right to 'exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind'

Posters put up in the tunnel from Falmer station to the university's campus earlier this month said she 'makes trans students unsafe' and 'we're not paying 9,250 a year for transphobia'

'We will miss her many contributions, from which the University has benefited during her time here.'

He also said that Professor Stock had made 'vital' contributions to the field of philosophy and that the 'intolerance' directed at her would 'always' be 'in direct opposition to even the most basic principles of academia'.

'I would like to make it very clear that it is unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds of sex and of philosophical belief. Her departure is a loss to us all,' he added.

'We will of course reflect on Professor Stock's experiences and it will form part of how the University learns from this and moves forwards - together.'

Professor Stock said in her tweet that she was 'sad to announce' she is leaving.

'This has been a very difficult few years, but the leadership's approach more recently has been admirable and decent.

'I hope that other institutions in similar situations can learn from this.

'Am particularly glad to see University emphasising that bullying and harassment anyone for their legally held beliefs is unacceptable in their workplace.'

She added: 'This has been an absolutely horrible time for me and my family. I'm putting it behind me now. On to brighter things soon, I hope.'

Professor Stock has previously said she is 'at odds' with a large section of academics because she believes gender identity is not more important than facts about biological sex, 'particularly when it comes to law and policy'.

Banners saying 'Stock Out' had also been held alongside burning flares and scores of people were criticising her online under the Twitter hashtag #ShameOnSussexUni

Universities minister Michelle Donelan said on Twitter: 'It is a sad day for freedom of speech - given the toxic environment at @sussexuni has made it untenable for @docstockk to maintain her position there.

'No academic should ever have to fear for their personal safety.

'This only reinforces the need for our Free Speech Bill.'

Earlier this month, Prof Stock accused a union branch of 'effectively' ending her career after it called on her employer to take a 'strong stance' against transphobia.

In a statement, the Sussex branch of the University and College Union (UCU) said all trans and non-binary members 'now more than ever should receive the unequivocal support' of the University of Sussex.

Ms Stock has repeatedly insisted in the past that she is not a transphobe, but attention on her views has intensified since her book Material Girls came out in May.

She has written and spoken extensively about sex and gender identity - arguing that womanhood and manhood reflect biological sex, not gender or gender identity.

Ms Stock also claims trans women are not women; and sexual orientation is determined by same-sex attraction, not attraction to gender identity.

And she wants a ban on transgender women in women's changing rooms, saying in 2018 that 'many trans women are still males with male genitalia'.

But she has been blasted on Twitter as a 'Terf' amid a huge amount of criticism.

After the posters were put up calling for her to be sacked, Sussex Police launched an investigation into whether Professor Stock was a victim of harassment.

Kishwer Falkner, the head of the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission, was among those who slammed the attacks on the academic.

She wrote to The Times to denounce the bullying behaviour of a minority of students who 'disagree with someone's entirely lawful expert views'.

In her public letter, the equality watchdog chief agreed that 'trans rights must be protected', but reiterated the importance of academic integrity and freedom of expression on university campuses across the UK.

Ms Stock had also spoken out, telling her 46,000 Twitter followers: 'If you work where I do, and you know what's happening to me at the moment (which I'll discuss at later date), this is the time to say something about it.

'Not for me, but for you. What kind of future does a university have where intimidation determines what is said or taught?'

The group which led the protests against her was an anonymous collective called 'Anti Terf Sussex', which described itself as an 'unaffiliated network of queer and trans students'. 'Terf' means a 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist'.

It was the term levelled at JK Rowling over her response to an article about 'people who menstruate'.

The author had tweeted last year: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people', suggesting that word was 'women'.

Attention on her views has intensified since her book Material Girls came out in May

In his earlier defence of Professor Stock, Professor Tickell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's absolutely clear that all of our staff have an untrammelled right to say and believe what they think. So we take it very seriously if people try to prevent that right from being exercised.

'I have to say I am really concerned that we have masked protesters, putting up posters, calling for the sacking of somebody for exercising her rights to articulate her views, and it is a matter of real concern.'

More than 200 of her fellow academics also backed Professor Stock in a letter to the Sunday Times.

It was signed by figures including Cambridge economist Sir Partha Dasgupta and physicist Sir Michael Pepper.

Under the heading 'We will not bow to trans activist bullies on campus', the letter stated: 'This is not just an issue of freedom of expression. It is also an issue of harassment and discrimination.

'Universities are creating an intimidating and hostile environment for staff and students who recognise that sex matters.

'Most of the victims are female, and many are gay, lesbian or bisexual.'

A University of Sussex spokesman said after Professor Stock announced her resignation: 'Over the past several weeks, the University of Sussex has vigorously and unequivocally defended Professor Kathleen Stock's right to exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind.

'These freedoms and protections apply to and benefit us all, and we will defend them today and in the future.'

He added: 'There were no substantive allegations of wrongdoing made against her.

'Professor Stock leaves the University of Sussex with our gratitude for her significant contributions as a teacher and academic.'
Greta Thunberg said she 'appears angry but is silly really' ahead of a protest through London today as she lobbied against the use of fossil fuels.

The teenage activist hit the streets of the Capital before she is expected to catch a train to Glasgow to join striking binmen on a march through Glasgow during Cop26.

The 18-year-old, who left Stockholm on Wednesday and arrived in London by train on Thursday, joined a Youth Strike to Defund Climate Chaos (YSDCC) protest against the funding of fossil fuels outside the Standard Chartered Bank in London.

Earlier this week Ms Thunberg described herself as 'silly', adding that people 'would not recognise her' in private.

She told the BBC: 'I'm not very serious in private. I appear very angry in the media but I'm not, I'm too silly. I'm too much maybe. I don't see myself as a kind of celebrity, I see myself as an activist.

'I don't think my own life, my own future is that interesting'.

In recent weeks the eco-warrior has been filmed dancing on stage and feeding a mystery man chips after a march in Italy.

Ms Thunberg may taken up to four trains from her home in Stockholm to reach the UK, before travelling to Glasgow over the weekend.

She is one of thousands protesting across 26 countries and every continent in the world to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels.

Ms Thunberg was mobbed by protesters in London at a Youth Strike to Defund Climate Chaos protest against the funding of fossil fuels outside the Standard Chartered Bank in London

The environmental activist arrives ahead of a protest outside the Standard Chartered financial headquarters on Friday

Earlier this week Greta Thunberg described herself as 'silly' in private, adding that people would not recognise her

In the BBC interview Ms Thunberg said she hoped Cop26 would lead to politicians realising 'we are in an existential crisis'.

She added: 'We are going to need big changes, we need to uproot the system because that's where the change is going to come. It's not going to come from these conferences.'

Ms Thunberg visited the Natural History Museum this morning to celebrate a beetle that was named Nelloptodes gretae in her honour.

The protests come just days before global leaders are set to join for the Cop26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow on Monday.

Leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson will discuss how best the world can work together against climate change.

The Prime Minister previously said he fears the summit could fail to make the change needed for the environment.

He added: 'We need as many people as possible to go to net zero so that they are not producing too much carbon dioxide by the middle of the century. Now, I think it can be done. It's going to be very, very tough, this summit.

'I'm very worried because it might go wrong and we might not get the agreements that we need.'

Ms Thunberg with an enlarged image of the minuscule beetle that was named in her honour Nelloptodes gretae at the Natural History Museum on October 29

Flowers outside Lloyds of London in protest to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels

Ms Thunberg led today's protest with chants of 'We are unstoppable, another world is possible' and 'What do we want? Climate justice. When do we want it? Now'.

She then left the area, while activists continued the campaign.

She is expected to attend the Cop26 summit taking place in Glasgow from Monday, although says she has not officially been invited.

Andrew Marr, in a preview for his BBC One show on Sunday, asked her if she had been invited, and she responded: 'I don't know. It's very unclear. Not officially.

'I think that many people might be scared that if they invite too many radical young people, then that might make them look bad.'

She added that more countries affected by climate change should be at the conference. Ms Thunberg said: 'We need more representation from the so-called global south, from the most affected people and areas.

'It's not fair when, for example, one country send lots and lots of delegates, and then another country is very under-represented. That already creates an imbalance, and climate justice is at the very heart of this crisis.

'As long as we keep ignoring the historical responsibility of the countries of the global north and as long as we continue to ignore it, the negotiations will not have a successful outcome.'

Protesters had already lobbied outside Lloyd's of London and Macquarie Capital on Friday before being joined by Ms Thunberg.

Later they will be protesting outside the Bank of England and Barclays. As campaigners walked through the streets of London, they were joined by a band playing Power To The People and five women dressed as banshees affected by pollution.

A candlelight vigil is expected to take place at Barclays at 5.30pm to remember the victims of the climate crisis, organisers said.

The Day of Action protest could be one of the largest climate finance protests in history and will take place at financial centres in London, New York, San Francisco and Nairobi.

Activists will campaign outside branches of Barclays, Standard Chartered, Lloyds of London and the Bank of England, with Ms Thunberg set to join them.

The protests come after campaigners revealed banks have paid 2,754,145,000,000 into fossil fuel extraction since the 2015 Paris agreement where world leaders committed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

A protester holds a sign reading 'Lloyd's insuring the death of our world' outside Lloyds of London on Friday

Flowers are left outside Lloyd's of London as protesters urge the company to stop funding use of fossil fuels

Ms Thunberg examines the minuscule beetle that was named in her honour

The International Energy Authority says there can be no further exploration of oil and gas after 2021.

Joseph Sikulu, from Pacific Climate Warriors, said: 'Financial institutions that continue to invest in dirty fossil fuel projects are also investing in the destruction of our islands and our homes.

'It's time for the corporations who have caused this crisis to be held accountable.

'The science is clear. We need to do everything we can to limit global warming to 1.5C, the survival of our islands depends on that. To get there we need to defund the climate chaos.'
McDonald's has left customers fuming after removing the popular Chicken Legend burger from its menu due to ongoing supply chain issues.

The fast food giant was branded 'psycho' and 'out of order' by customers online, while one vowed to riot after they were unable to order the fried chicken burger, which is typically served in a ciabatta bun with lettuce and mayonnaise.

McDonald's initially said supply chain woes were 'impacting the availability' of the Chicken Legend and that it was working hard to return the item as soon as possible.

In a later statement to Mail Online it said the item should still be available inside restaurant chains, just not for delivery orders.

It comes as a severe lack of HGV drivers, congestion at global trading ports and new post-Brexit trading and immigration rules are continuing to hamper the UK's economic recovery as it exits the Covid pandemic.

Industry leaders said today that they fear the issues - which include stock and staff shortages - could continue for the next six to nine months.

The comments, made by Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, came as diners across the country reported a shortage of salt sachets, complaining of having to 'bring their own salt' to the likes of Wetherspoon.

A McDonald's spokesperson said: 'Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues.

Angry fast food fans have hit out at McDonald's after it removed Chicken Legends (pictured) from its menu due to 'supply chain' issues

The haulage sector has also been badly affected by the crisis, with the government pledging to recruit thousands more lorry drivers for the Christmas period (stock image)

Fast food lovers have bemoaned the lack of Chicken Legends on Twitter. One wrote on Twitter: 'Why the hell would you get rid of chicken legends you absolute psychos what is wrong with you? I will riot I swear.'

'This is impacting the availability of the Chicken Legend, so we have made the decision to remove this product from our delivery menu across the UK and Ireland in the short term.

'The product is still available to purchase in restaurants.

'We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank our customers for their continued patience.

'We are working hard to return the item to our delivery menu as soon as possible.'

It comes after a slew of complaints from Chicken Legend fans on social media.

One customer blasted on Twitter: 'Why the hell would you get rid of chicken legends you absolute psychos what is wrong with you? I will riot I swear.'

McDonald's replied to the tweet, citing supply chain issues, adding: 'This is impacting the availability of the Chicken Legend, so we have made the decision to remove this product in the short term.

'We are working hard to return the item to our menu as soon as possible.'

The company later said it will still be available in stores.

Social media users expressed their disappointment that chicken legends had been taken off the McDonald's menu

Another tweet asked: 'Why have Chester Road, Stretford McDonald's not had chicken legends in for weeks? It's out of order.'

While another customer wrote: 'Since when did McDonald's stop doing the Chicken Legend I'm going to commit war crimes.'

One added: 'McDonalds have taken the Chicken Legend off the menu and that is my villain origin story.'

It is not the first time McDonald's has had shortages and supply chain issues.

In June, customers were disappointed when there was a UK-wide shortage of Chicken Selects.

The supply chain crisis has caused chaos, with shortages on supermarket shelves across the country as well as delayed deliveries and increased prices.

Alongside McDonalds, other companies such as Nandos, Ikea and BP have also reported supply chain issues.

It is partially caused by supply being unable to keep up with the rapidly increasing demand as the UK economy reopens.

Staff shortages, Brexit, Covid and wider economic conditions are also contributing factors.

Across the UK food supply chain there are currently about half a million job vacancies, which represents 12.5 per cent of the total workforce required.

The haulage sector has also been badly affected by the crisis, with the government pledging to recruit thousands more lorry drivers for the Christmas period.

A shortage of drivers previously delayed fuel deliveries, which sparked panic buying and a weeks-long fuel crisis.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, warned of 'terrific supply chain squeezes' on the food and drink industry that are expected to last for the next six to nine months.

Experts have claimed the shortage is due to a combination of factors including EU employees returning home after Brexit and lockdown restrictions causing the cancellation of 40,000 HGV tests.

They also cited poor wages and the closure of a tax loophole for some drivers.

Pub lovers across the UK bemoaned the lack of available sachets at JD Wetherspoon pubs in the latest supply chain crisis to strike at the popular chain. Pictured: A Wetherspoon venue in Littlehampton, West Sussex

Earlier this month, Wetherspoon recorded its biggest loss on record after suffering heavily from Covid-19 restrictions - losing more than 150million last year

Punters took to Twitter to complain of a salt shortage in JD Wetherspoon pubs across the UK

The crisis is also hitting British tourism, as hoteliers and bar owners try to manage a surge in holidaymakers as people opt for vacations at home than abroad, and staff shortages caused by a rising number of Covid infections and a recruitment slump post-Brexit.

Even schools are being warned to stock up on food for hot meals, with Federation of Wholesale Distributors communications chief David Visick warning September is going to be 'incredibly challenging for food distributors who are struggling to find enough delivery drivers'.

Meanwhile, pub lovers across the UK bemoaned the lack of available sachets in the latest supply chain crisis to strike at the popular Wetherspoon chain this week.

Last month, Wetherspoon bosses apologised after a handful of its 671 pubs ran out of Carling and Coors lager, owing to the national shortage of 100,000 hauliers.

The chain pointed the finger at 'supplier disruption', with new food providers being sought to alleviate the pressure on existing stock shortages.

This week, one person took the Twitter and joked: 'No sugar in Greggs, no salt in Wetherspoons. Country has gone to the dogs.'

Another person who ate at Wetherspoon Piccadilly, Manchester, complained of having to eat 'unseasoned' fish and chips.

Punters across the country have complained of the impact the salt shortage was having on their favourite meals.

One pubgoer in Piccadilly, Manchester said they had to settle for vinegar when tucking into their weekly fish and chips.

They said: 'It just wasn't the same, my chips were ruined.'

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: 'There is a supplier disruption for salt sachets and Wetherspoon pubs are currently running short of salt in some pubs and in others have no salt sachets at all.

'We are working with our supplier to resolve this as soon as possible.'

Earlier this month, Wetherspoon recorded its biggest loss on record after suffering heavily from Covid-19 restrictions - losing more than 150million last year.

The company has only seen losses in three of its 37 years - in 1984, 2020 and 2021  but the 12 months to July 25 were its worst to date.

The chain sunk to a pre-tax loss of 154.7million, up from 34.1million a year ago, while sales were down from 1.26billion to 772.6million.
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NHS bosses need to start offering taxpayers value for their hard-earned money, critics pleaded today in the face of damning data showing the system is performing worse for patients than it was a decade ago.

Yesterday it was revealed the Government's spending on health has risen by nearly 40 per cent since 2010, despite other crucial parts of the country's infrastructure getting as little as 3 per cent extra over the same time-frame.

One Conservative thinktank fears the NHS will 'swallow' up even more billions from the public purse and 'be back shortly demanding more' unless ministers fix the holes in the system.

The comments came after MailOnline's analysis showed England's health service now has 20,000 fewer beds than it did in 2010, which critics say gave it less room to cope with the Covid crisis and left the Government floundering to protect the NHS  which will get 38.7 billion in 2021/22.

Statistics also revealed the NHS waiting list for routine procedures such as hip and knee replacements has more than doubled in size to the brink of 6million, with no increase in the number of treatments being carried out over the past decade.

And the number of patients having to wait at least 12 hours to be cared for in A&E has consistently increased every year.

At the same time, it now has 180,000 more staff than it did a decade ago  including nearly 350,000 nurses.

HM Treasury data shows the NHS received 100.4billion in 2010/11 and its budget had grown steadily until 2019. In 2020, the NHS was given 129.7billion of core funding for its usual services, which was topped up with an extra 18billion to help with the pressures from the pandemic. For 2021/22 the Treasury said the health service is set to receive 136.1billion pounds of core funding, as well as 3billion to help with the Covid recovery

In January 2010, the NHS employed 1.2million people and it now employs 1.3million  a 15.4 per cent rise. This includes around 30,000 more nurses and health visitors, 2,500 more midwives and 770 more ambulance staff. Meanwhile, the number of salaried GPs has increased by 65 per cent to 11,000, but the number of contractor GPs has dropped by 27 per cent to 19,250

The average NHS employee now makes 35,000  20 per cent more than they did 10 years ago. Nurses and health visitors receive an average salary of 34,730 in England, compared to 29,600 in 2010. Meanwhile, midwives make 34,540 (up 13 per cent) and ambulance staff make 43,429 (up 21 per cent). And in general practices, contractor GPs make an average of 121,800 per year  up 11 per cent in a decade  while salaried GPs make 63,600  nine per cent more than they did in 2010.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance told MailOnline: 'Given the new health and social care levy, taxpayers expect a certain standard of care and will not accept funds being wasted.

'Health professionals must ensure the NHS is offering value for money in every pound it is spending.'

Professor Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow at IEA, told MailOnline: 'On past experience, increases in NHS funding could be throwing good money after bad.

'Without a clear plan for reform, we can expect the NHS to swallow extra money and be back shortly demanding more.

'Many better-off people are taking out private medical insurance or paying outright for specific procedures to avoid long waiting lists.

CHARITIES AND NHS ARGUE HEALTH SERVICE NEEDS MORE CASH MailOnline's analysis showed England's health service now has 20,000 fewer beds than it did in 2010. Statistics also revealed the NHS waiting list for routine procedures such as hip and knee replacements has more than doubled in size to the brink of 6million, with no increase in the number of treatments being carried out over the past decade. And the number of patients having to wait at least 12 hours to be cared for in A&E has consistently increased every year. At the same time, it now has 180,000 more staff than it did a decade ago  including nearly 350,000 nurses. Yesterday it was revealed the Government's spending on health has risen by nearly 40 per cent since 2010, despite other crucial parts of the country's infrastructure getting as little as 3 per cent extra over the same time-frame. One Conservative thinktank fears the NHS will 'swallow' up even more billions from the public purse and 'be back shortly demanding more' unless ministers fix the holes in the system. But a charity representing patients said the NHS needs more cash than it has required in previous years to support the changing needs of patients. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, told MailOnline: 'In the last decade, a huge number of people have entered old age and this has increased patient need. This was known and predicted. 'Planning should have happened years ago to adequately resource the NHS to enable it to care for these people, as should have planning and investment in communities, facilities and adult social care, among other things, that would have kept this group well. Neither happened. 'So, yes, giving the NHS increasing amounts of money to solve the problems is the best solution for the situation we are in. Adult social care needs more money too. 'It would have been better, and cheaper, to have invested earlier to reduce the scale at which patient need has grown. But that wasn't done, and the NHS needs resources to deal with the high levels of patient need.' And NHS leaders have consistently called for more cash, even after the Prime Minister announced an extra 12billion a year would be invested in the health service and social care over the next three years. At the time, the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and health organisations, claimed it would still leave a funding gap of around 3.5billion a year for frontline services in England. They had wanted 10billion a year just to clear the patient backlog and additional costs arising from the pandemic. They also warned that hospitals would be forced into 'impossible choices' about which patients will receive treatment. Ministers had vowed the billions in extra NHS funding would clear the Covid backlog by 2025. The bodies said: 'NHS leaders have unfortunately become accustomed to having less money than the service needs. 'But the size of the funding gap remains daunting and will significantly impact the kind of care that the NHS can provide to the public in the months and years ahead.' Advertisement

'Less well-off patients are faced with GPs who work part-time, who only deal personally with the most pressing symptoms, and rarely seem to have time to talk properly with those worried about their health.

'Continuity of care is a thing of the past. The overall performance of the NHS in relation to mortality rates from cancers and heart disease is way below what we should expect in a rich country.

'Sajid Javid should insist that extra funding is matched by improved performance on key indicators such as face-to-face consultations, waiting lists and patient after-care.'

The Adam Smith Institute's head of research Matthew Lesh said: 'The NHS is a blackhole of taxpayer money.

'Almost every day we hear about millions more pounds being ploughed into the health system. Yet there are fewer beds than before, static staffing levels, and record high waiting lists.

'It takes weeks to get a GP appointment and desperate patients are waiting hours and hours to be seen at A&E. Patient outcomes for common cancers and avoidable deaths are among the worst in western Europe  resulting in thousands more people dying.

'Just during Covid, we witnessed the NHS fail to provide staff with personal protective equipment while sending untested Covid patients back to care homes. We are not getting good value out of an extortionate amount of spending. The system is broken.

'The NHS doesn't need more money. It needs fundamental reform that boosts patient outcomes. The UK is not unique in providing citizens with universal healthcare. It is unique in expecting a state-run bureaucracy to do all the heavy lifting.

'It's time to look to Scandinavian countries, or perhaps France or Germany, that use social insurance models and have larger private sectors. Other countries deliver care to everyone at a much higher quality. It's time to learn from more successful approaches elsewhere rather than stick our heads in sand. If we really cared about the NHS, we would not blind ourselves to reform.'

Here, MailOnline compares how the NHS in England is performing in treating patients now against 2010.

Health spending increases nearly 40 per cent in a decade

The NHS budget has increased nearly 40 per cent  whopping 38.7 billion  in the last 10 years.

The Government allocated the health service 100.4billion in 2010 and dished out a record-high 147.7billion in 2020, 18billion of which was for the pandemic response.

For 2021/2022, the health service will be given 136.1billion for core funding, which will be supplemented by an additional 3billion for Covid.

Think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies questioned how the funding given to the Department of Health  and fed into the NHS  is 'consistent' with the Government's 'levelling up' agenda, because education budgets have increased by just three per cent in the same time frame.

But the Government has defended how it divides up taxpayers' cash, arguing that the funds are needed to respond to the pandemic and an aging population who are living for longer.

The Prime Minister also last month announced an extra 12billion a year would be invested in the NHS and social care through a 1.25 per cent national insurance hike  which Britons will start paying in April. Almost all of the extra cash will go to the NHS over the next three years.

But Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, told MailOnline the NHS should have received more money 'years ago' to ensure it had the resources to care for the country's ageing population.

So giving the NHS 'increasing amounts of money to solve the problems is the best solution for the situation we are in', she added.

Staff numbers grow by 15 per cent

In January 2010, the NHS employed 1.2million people and it now employs 1.3million  a 15.4 per cent rise.

This includes around 30,000 more nurses and health visitors, 2,500 more midwives and 770 more ambulance staff.

Meanwhile, the number of salaried GPs has increased by 65 per cent to 11,000, but the number of contractor GPs has dropped by 27 per cent to 19,250.

But nearly every part of the health service has called for more staff to cope with demand.

While the NHS budget and its workforce has been growing, the number of hospital beds available across England has fallen 14 per cent in the last decade. In the first quarter of the year, there were 123,707 beds to treat patients, down from 144,455 at the beginning of 2010. NHS England said the Department of Health is responsible for the drop in beds. The UK has fewer beds than other European nations and the vast majority (96,998) are kept for general and acute care, such as treating illnesses and injuries or performing surgery

A total of 5.7million people were waiting for elective surgery at the end of August 2021, including almost 10,000 patients who have been in the queue for two years, according to the latest figures from NHS England. This is the highest number since official records began in August 2007 and the tenth time the milestone has been broken during the pandemic. Prior to the Covid crisis, the backlog stood at around 4.45million. It includes people waiting for operations like knee, hip and joint replacements, as well as cataracts surgery

More than 5,000 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E before being seen by a doctor in September, a record high

Emergency admissions to A&E departments at hospitals in England stood at 506,916 in September 2021, up from around 430,000 recorded every month in 2010. And a record 5,025 people had to wait more than 12 hours at A&Es in England last month from a decision to admit to actually being admitted  the worst performance on record. For comparison, just one person had to wait that long to be admitted in the last three months of 2010

NHS salaries creep up

Meanwhile, the average NHS employee now makes 35,000  20 per cent more than they did 10 years ago.

Nurses and health visitors receive an average salary of 34,730 in England, compared to 29,600 in 2010. Meanwhile, midwives make 34,540 (up 13 per cent) and ambulance staff make 43,429 (up 21 per cent).

And in general practices, contractor GPs make an average of 121,800 per year  up 11 per cent in a decade  while salaried GPs make 63,600  nine per cent more than they did in 2010.

Fury erupted earlier this month over the rise of the 'part-time' GP, with campaigners demanding family doctors work a minimum number of hours a week in return for their taxpayer-funded training.

Data from a Government-backed study shows the average GP was working just 6.6 sessions each week before Covid, down from 7.5 sessions a decade ago.

One in 10 hospital beds have disappeared

While the NHS budget and its workforce has been growing, the number of hospital beds available across England has fallen 14 per cent in the last decade.

In the first quarter of the year, there were 123,707 beds to treat patients, down from 144,455 at the beginning of 2010. NHS England said the Department of Health is responsible for the drop in beds.

The UK has fewer beds than other European nations and the vast majority (96,998) are kept for general and acute care, such as treating illnesses and injuries or performing surgery.

A further 7,590 beds are in maternity wards, while 19,119 are for people with mental illness and learning disabilities.

Bed capacity dropped during the pandemic, as hospitals were forced to keep patients further apart in an attempt to stop the virus spreading. But hospital chiefs lifted social distancing requirements in wards last month.

NHS bed capacity was boosted during the crisis through Nightingale hospitals and the use of private wards.

Waiting list for hospital treatment hits record high for tenth time

A total of 5.7million people were waiting for elective surgery at the end of August 2021, including almost 10,000 patients who have been in the queue for two years, according to the latest figures from NHS England.

This is the highest number since official records began in August 2007 and the tenth time the milestone has been broken during the pandemic.

Prior to the Covid crisis, the backlog stood at around 4.45million. It includes people waiting for operations like knee, hip and joint replacements, as well as cataracts surgery.

The figures also show 5,000 people waited 12 or more hours in A&E before being seen by a doctor in September, which was also the highest number on record.

Waiting lists spiralled after coronavirus forced hospitals to cancel routine operations and turn over entire wards to patients suffering from the disease at the start of the crisis last spring. Social distancing and other Covid precautions have made it more difficult to chip away at the backlog.

More people waiting longer for cancer treatment

A smaller proportion of cancer patients are beginning cancer treatment within a month of being referred, official figures show.

In 2010, an average of 19,780 people were referred for cancer treatment every month and 98.4 per cent began treatment within a month.

In the year up to August, a growing number of people are being referred for cancer care  an average of 25,300 per month  but now just 94.8 per cent began treatment within a month.

The pandemic will have impacted the decline, with top doctors warning this week that cancer treatment and surgery almost ground to a halt when the pandemic hit and expressing concern the same thing could happen this winter.

But the decline means one in 19 people are waiting longer than a month for their treatment to begin, compared to 1 in 63 a decade ago.

Despite having its busiest ever month in September, forcing staff to work around the clock, the NHS said cancer checks and treatments are at pre-pandemic levels.

A&E waits reach record high

Emergency admissions to A&E departments at hospitals in England stood at 506,916 in September 2021, up from around 430,000 recorded every month in 2010.

And a record 5,025 people had to wait more than 12 hours at A&Es in England last month from a decision to admit to actually being admitted  the worst performance on record.

For comparison, just one person had to wait that long to be admitted in the last three months of 2010.

Nuffield Trust deputy director of research Sarah Scobie said: 'The unfolding situation in urgent and emergency care services is troubling, and the deterioration of performance does not seem to be slowing.

She blamed 'severe bottlenecks' in the system, ongoing demand from Covid and an increase in colds and respiratory illnesses.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The pandemic has put enormous pressures on the NHS and has caused waiting lists to grow, but we are committed to ensuring people get the treatment they need.

'Our record investment is helping to tackle the backlog and recover NHS services with an extra 2billion this year, plus 8billion more over the next three years to deliver an extra 9million checks, scans, and operations for patients across the country.

'The NHS is deploying more efficient, innovative ways of working and the latest technology to reform care and deliver more appointments and treatments including dedicated surgical hubs as well as community diagnostic centres to ramp up routine surgery.'
Brian Coulter, 31, is seen in a booking photo after his November 23, 2020, arrest on a gun possession charge in Luling, Texas

Just days after the boyfriend in the Houston House of Horrors case allegedly beat an eight-year-old boy to death last November, he was arrested at a convenience store 140 miles away, where police say he was found drunk, possibly high and armed with a gun.

Brian Coulter, 31, is being held on $1million bond in Houston, having been charged with felony murder for the killing of eight-year-old Kendrick Lee, whose skeletal remains were found in an apartment alongside the boy's three starving brothers last weekend.

Gloria Williams, 35, Coulter's girlfriend and the boys' mother, is charged with injury to a child by omission, injury to a child with serious bodily harm and tampering with evidence.

In a recent jailhouse interview, Williams claimed she did not know her son Kendrick was dead, and defended abandoning her other children for more than six months by saying that she would 'check on them every two weeks.'

Law enforcement authorities in Harris County have said that Coulter allegedly killed Kendrick sometime around Thanksgiving Day 2020, but the revelation concerning his previously arrest suggests that the fatal beating took place between November 20-23.

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Just days after Coulter allegedly beat 8-year-old Kendrick Lee to death in Houston, he was found drunk at this Buc'ee's convenience store in Luling, located 140 miles away

Just a day or two after Coulter allegedly punched and kicked the autistic, non-verbal eight-year-old, killing him and leaving his body to rot in the CityParc II apartment with his brothers, the man was found drunk at a Buc'ee's convenience store in Luling - a town of 5,800 located 140 miles away from Houston.

Luling Chief of Police Bill Sala told ABC13 the manager of the store called 911 at around 7am and requested a welfare check on Coulter, whom he suspected of being armed with a gun.

An officer who responded to the scene encountered Coulter and Williams, who was a passenger in his car.

Sala said that Coulter allegedly told the officer he was tired because he and Williams had driven from Houston to San Antonio and were returning back to Houston.

Coulter was cited for marijuana possession and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, a .45-caliber handgun. He was booked into the county jail on November 23 and bonded out on November 29.

Williams was also cited for marijuana possession but was let go.

Two weeks before the couple's arrest in connection with Kendrick's killing, Sala said Coulter called the Luling Police Department demanding that his gun, which had been confiscated last year, be returned to him.

'In a highly intoxicated state, he did cuss out my administrative assistant, and she told him I would call him back, which I have not,' Sala said.

Coulter made his initial court appearance in the murder case on Thursday.

Coulter made his initial court appearance in Houston on Thursday to face a charge a felony murder for the killing of his girlfriend's 8-year-old son

Coulter acknowledged that he understood the felony murder charge, and signed documents barring him from contacting the victim's siblings

If he is able to pay his $1million bond, Coulter will be required to wear a GPS monitor and remain under house arrest

Coulter (left) is accused of beating to death girlfriend Gloria Williams' (right) son in November 2020 and leaving his body to rot in a Houston apartment with his siblings

Kendrick Lee, 8 (pictured in white) was said to have been punched and kicked all over his body until he stopped moving

TIMELINE IN HOUSTON HOUSE OF HORRORS CASE REVEALED: November 20-23, 2020: Brian Coulter allegedly beats eight-year-old Kendrick Lee to death inside apartment at CityParc II complex in Houston November 23: Coulter is arrested in Luling, Texas, and spends six days in jail after being discovered drunk and in possession of a gun at a convenience store November 29: Coulter is released on bail; weapons possession case against him is still pending March 2021: Coulter and Gloria Williams, Kendrick's mother, move out of CityParc II apartment, leaving her three sons to live alone with Kendrick's skeletal remains October 2020: Coulter allegedly attacks Williams' 10-year-old son, breaking his jaw; the boy receives no medical attention October 24: Williams' 15-year-old son texts his mother that he cannot do this anymore and calls 911 to report his brother's death; police arrive to discover the corpse in filthy apartment October 24, Evening: Deputies question Coulter and Williams, but let them go without charges October 26: Harris County Medical Examiner's Office rules Kendrick Lee's death a homicide, leading to arrests of Coulter and Williams; boyfriend is charged with murder, while girlfriend is accused of injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence October 27: Judge sets Coulter's bond at $1million and Williams' at $900,000 October 28: Coulter makes first court appearance and agrees to bond conditions November 1: Williams appears in court and has attorney assigned to her November 5: Judge raises Williams' bond to $1.5million as prosecutors reveal she was getting $2,000 towards child care Advertisement

A judge read the charge against Coulter aloud and asked the defendant if he understood it. Coulter repeated the charge he is facing back to the judge.

On Wednesday, the judge set Coulter's bond at $1million, although he did not attended that earlier hearing because he was on a mental health hold.

During his first appearance, Coulter signed documents barring him from making any contact with his girlfriend Gloria Williams' three surviving sons.

If he makes bond, Coulter will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, remain under house arrest and avoid contacting Williams, reported KPRC.

Prosecutor Andrea Beall, who only handles child fatalities as part of her job, told KPRC this case stands out.

'This is the only type of case I deal with, and I will say this particular case is such a gross deviation from what we expect human beings to behave like that it has been very emotional and taxing on the investigators, the DAs office,,' she said, 'and the priority should be making sure that all the surviving children get the help they need.'

Williams, 35, has been charged with injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence - a human corpse. A judge set her bond at $900,000 on Wednesday. She was due back in court on Friday, but her next appearance will likely be rescheduled for next week.

Kendrick's skeletal remains were discovered by the police on Sunday inside an unfurnished Houston apartment with soiled carpet, flies and roaches, where his three starving brothers, ages 15, 10 and 7, had been living alone with no blankets and surviving on junk food deliveries from mom and handouts from neighbors for months.

Authorities on Wednesday alleged that Coulter punched and kicked Kendrick to death around Thanksgiving Day last year, and Williams refused to report him to the police, claiming she was afraid her children would be taken away and she would end up in jail.

When Houston authorities went to arrest a local mother and her boyfriend for the killing of her eight-year-old son, they found the pair reading news stories about their own case at a library.

Officials with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said Brian Coulter and Gloria Williams were surfing the internet on Tuesday in search of articles about their alleged crimes.

The pair have been together for a couple of years and lived in an apartment in Westchase, located about 6 miles from the filthy apartment where deputies on Sunday discovered the skeletal remains of Williams' 8-year-old son.

Williams appeared in Houston court on Wednesday and was ordered held on $900,000 bond

Law enforcement officials found William's three surviving sons, ages 15, 10 and 7, living alone with the corpse of their brother at the CityParc II apartment complex in Houston

Grandmother says Houston House of Horrors mom was 'very unstable' and 'not a mother' and took custody of the woman's TWO daughters The grandmother of one of Gloria Williams' daughters has described the woman at the center of Houston's shocking child abuse case as being 'very unstable,' and accused her of failing to protect her six children, including the eight-year-old autistic boy who was beaten to death and left to rot in an apartment with his siblings for a year. Melody Robinson, the paternal grandmother of Williams' 13-year-old daughter, who has had custody of the girl from age two, told KTRK the mom-of-six is 'not a mother' after allegedly turning a blind eye to her son's murder and her other children's abuse. Robinson also revealed she is now caring for Williams' 17-year-old daughter, who allegedly had been kicked out of the house by her mother at age 15 and forced to live on the streets after trying to protect her brothers from abuse. Melody Robinson, the grandmother of Gloria Williams' 13-year-old daughter, who's been in her care from age 2, said the mom in the Houston House of Horrors case is 'very unstable' 'For you, as a mother, to watch somebody do that to your child, that's not a mother. A mother doesn't do that,' said Robinson. Robinson said when Williams' youngest daughter turned 2 years old, the woman, who was pregnant at the time with her fourth child, contacted her, asking if she could take in her granddaughter. Williams later gave up her parental rights to her daughter, allowing Robinson to take full custody of the girl. Robinson revealed that she has recently received conservatorship of Williams' 17-year-old daughter, who she said had been ejected from her mother's home aged 15 after trying to prevent Coulter from abusing her younger brothers. Robinson said the teen was forced to live on the streets for more than a year. When she ended up at the hospital, Childrens Protective Services contacted Robinson. Even though Robinson was not the girl's biological grandmother, she took her in so she could live together with her younger half-sister. 'The 17-year-old wanted to be with me and so the mom didnt want her and told me just take her and didnt want her back,' the grandmother said. This photos from four years ago shows Williams (left) and her mother (center), along with her six children. The boy in the colorful T-shirt is Kendrick Lee, who was beaten to death in November 2020 The grandmother said the two sisters would talk to their brothers on FaceTime. Williams' 15-year-old son never mentioned that their younger had died. Williams' relatives revealed to KPRC that two of her sons were likely autistic, including Kendrick, who was described as mostly non-verbal. Family members said that Williams kept them at an arm's left and would only reach out to ask for money. Whenever they would ask about their children's well-being, she would assure them they were fine. Advertisement

Recent social media posts show that Williams has been referring to Coulter as her husband, and the two even got matching 'warrior' tattoos.

Coulter's significant collection of body art also includes the words 'loyalty' and 'family over everything,' along with face tattoos depicting a cross and a dollar sign.

His Instagram page, which was last updated in August, shows the murder suspect posing up in his over-the-top jewelry, listening to hip hop and making unintelligible comments.

The arrests were made two days after law enforcement officials found Williams' three children abandoned inside a Houston apartment. Investigators also found a rotting corpse of Williams' eight-year-old son who had been dead for more than a year

Coulter's Instagram page includes videos showing him posing up in jewelry, listening to music and making garbled comments

The phrase 'family over everything' is seen etched into Coulter's body

Williams also bragged about the baubles she had received from her 'husband,' stressing that all the items were real.

Court records show that neither suspect had a significant criminal history.

Coulter had been charged in 2011 with displaying a counterfeit inspection certificate, a misdemeanor, which was later dismissed.

Williams had been picked up in 2006 on a count of forgery, but it was ultimately dropped.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com indicate that the mom-of-six more recently had been charged for failing to enroll her children in school.

Alief Independent School District told KTRK that in 2019 and 2020, the school district filed truancy papers against the siblings' mother because two of them, Ja'Veon Kirklin and his older sister, were not attending school. The children were last enrolled in May 2020.

Both charges were later dismissed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mother at the center of the Houston House of Horrors case tried to defend her actions by claiming that she would check on her three surviving sons living alone with the decomposing corpse of their brother every two weeks - and she also denied knowing that her autistic eight-year-old boy was dead after a beating.

Gloria Williams, 35, spoke exclusively with KHOU11 on Thursday while being held in the Harris county Jail on $900,000 bond in connection with the November 2020 death of her son Kendrick Lee and the neglect of his siblings.

During the jailhouse interview, Williams was quoted as saying: 'I'm sorry.'

The mother-of-six has been charged with injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence - a human corpse.

Williams' boyfriend, Brian Coulter, 31, is charged with felony murder for allegedly punching and kicking the autistic eight-year-old to death, and then leave his body to rot in a Houston apartment alongside his brothers, ages 15, 10 and 7.

When asked whether she knew Kendrick was dead, Williams said 'no,' even though according to a probable cause statement that was read in court this week, the mother allegedly admitted to investigators that she was aware the child had died, but she was afraid to report it to the police.

Kendrick's body was left to rot under a blanket in a bedroom, in full view of his brothers, for nearly a year while Williams and Coulter moved to another apartment, leaving the children to fend for themselves, according to law enforcement.

Just one or two days after Kendrick's killing, Coulter and Williams were confronted by police in Luling, Texas, located more than 140 away from Houston, where the boyfriend was cited over marijuana and charged with illegal gun possession.

Gloria Williams, (left), pictured in her booking photo, told a report from jail that she did not know her eight-year-old son was dead, and that she checked on his abandoned brothers 'every two weeks.' Williams' boyfriend, Brian Coulter (right), is charged with beating Kendrick Lee to death

This photo from four years ago shows Williams (left) and her mother (center), along with her six children. The boy in the colorful T-shirt is Kendrick Lee, who was beaten to death in November 2020

When asked why she left her sons - one of whom was seriously injured after being allegedly punched in the face by Coulter - Williams replied: 'I checked on them every two weeks.'

The children were rescued by sheriff's deputies on Sunday, after Williams' 15-year-old son called 911. All three boys were described as malnourished, having been forced to subsist for months on snacks supplied by their mother and food donations from concerned neighbors.

Earlier, the grandmother of one of Williams' daughters has described the woman as being 'very unstable,' and accused her of failing to protect her children.

Melody Robinson, the paternal grandmother of Williams' 13-year-old daughter, who has had custody of the girl from age two, told KTRK the mom-of-six is 'not a mother' after allegedly turning a blind eye to her son's murder and her other children's abuse.

Robinson also revealed she is now caring for Williams' 17-year-old daughter, who allegedly had been kicked out of the house by her mother at age 15 and forced to live on the streets after trying to protect her brothers from abuse.

Melody Robinson, the grandmother of Gloria Williams' 13-year-old daughter, who's been in her care from age 2, said the mom in the Houston House of Horrors case is 'very unstable'

Williams appeared in Houston court on Wednesday and was ordered held on $900,000 bond

TIMELINE IN HOUSTON HOUSE OF HORRORS CASE REVEALED: November 20-23, 2020: Brian Coulter allegedly beats eight-year-old Kendrick Lee to death inside apartment at CityParc II complex in Houston November 23: Coulter is arrested in Luling, Texas, and spends six days in jail after being discovered drunk and in possession of a gun at a convenience store November 29: Coulter is released on bail; weapons possession case against him is still pending March 2021: Coulter and Gloria Williams, Kendrick's mother, move out of CityParc II apartment, leaving her three sons to live alone with Kendrick's skeletal remains October 2020: Coulter allegedly attacks Williams' 10-year-old son, breaking his jaw; the boy receives no medical attention October 24: Williams' 15-year-old son texts his mother that he cannot do this anymore and calls 911 to report his brother's death; police arrive to discover the corpse in filthy apartment October 24, Evening: Deputies question Coulter and Williams, but let them go without charges October 26: Harris County Medical Examiner's Office rules Kendrick Lee's death a homicide, leading to arrests of Coulter and Williams; boyfriend is charged with murder, while girlfriend is accused of injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence October 27: Judge sets Coulter's bond at $1million and Williams' at $900,000 October 28: Coulter makes first court appearance and agrees to bond conditions November 1: Williams appears in court and has attorney assigned to her November 5: Judge raises Williams' bond to $1.5million as prosecutors reveal she was getting $2,000 towards child care Advertisement

Authorities on Wednesday alleged that Coulter punched and kicked Kendrick to death around Thanksgiving Day last year, and Williams refused to report him to the police, claiming she was afraid her children would be taken away and she would end up in jail.

'For you, as a mother, to watch somebody do that to your child, that's not a mother. A mother doesn't do that,' said Robinson.

The grandmother said her son previously dated Williams for about three years, and at one point the whole family stayed with her, including Williams' two daughters and four sons, at least two of whom are autistic.

In separate interviews with Fox 26, KTRK and KPRC, Robinson said Williams did not have her life together and had refused repeated offers of help from relatives.

'Our job, as a mother, is to protect our children,' Robinson said. 'She failed that baby. She failed her kids in that area. She did not protect her children.'

Robinson said when Williams' youngest daughter turned 2 years old, the woman, who was pregnant at the time with her fourth child, contacted her, asking if she could take in her granddaughter.

Williams later gave up her parental rights to her daughter, allowing Robinson to take full custody of the girl.

Robinson revealed that she has recently received conservatorship of Williams' 17-year-old daughter, who she said had been ejected from her mother's home aged 15 after trying to prevent Coulter from abusing her younger brothers.

Robinson said the teen was forced to live on the streets for more than a year. When she ended up at the hospital, Childrens Protective Services contacted Robinson. Even though Robinson was not the girl's biological grandmother, she took her in so she could live together with her younger half-sister.

'The 17-year old-wanted to be with me and so the mom didnt want her and told me just take her and didnt want her back,' the grandmother said.

The grandmother said the two sisters would talk to their brothers on FaceTime. Williams' 15-year-old son never mentioned that their younger had died.

Williams' relatives revealed to KPRC that two of her sons were likely autistic, including Kendrick, who was described as mostly non-verbal.

'When he would come around our family, all he did was smile and be playful and laugh with you,' Williams' cousin Yasmin Creag said.

Family members of Gloria Williams say Kendrick Lee was autistic and mostly non-verbal

When Kendrick was born, Creag's mother pleaded with Williams to let her raise him, but she refused to give him up.

'We knew that with all of these kids, eventually, she was not going to be able to be the best parent she could be,' Creag said.

Relatives said that Williams kept them at an arm's left and would only reach out to ask for money. Whenever they would ask about their children's well-being, she would assure them they were fine.

'She kept saying theyre ok, theyre in school,' Creag said. 'We never had an apartment number. ...We didnt think anything of it.'

Law enforcement officials found William's three surviving sons, ages 15, 10 and 7, living alone with the corpse of their brother at the CityParc II apartment complex in Houston

Harris County Sheriff's Department officers are seen above at a Houston apartment complex on Sunday afternoon, after Williams' eldest son called 911

Kendrick Lee, the 8-year-old boy whose body was found decomposing next to his siblings, is pictured with his siblings in an undated photo

Linda Smith, the grandmother of one of Williams' young sons, told DailyMail.com in an interview on Wednesday that had she known what was going on, she would have adopted her grandson, Ja'Veon Kirklin, 7, along with his brothers.

Meanwhile, Coulter's family have released a statement, seeking to distance themselves from the accused child killer.

'We are deeply saddened by the events that have unfolded. This is not who we raised our son to be,' the Vasconcellos family said. 'Our hearts and prayers go out to those brave children....Our relationship with Brian has been distant for years.'

Coulter and Williams were arrested on Tuesday at a public library, where they were said to have been looking up news stories online about their own case.

During Williams' court appearance, a prosecutor read aloud a statement of probable cause, which revealed that three of the mother's surviving children witnessed their brother's fatal beating.

The children claimed Coulter struck the eight-year-old with closed fists and kicked him in his face, feet, back, testicles and buttocks.

Williams' 7-year-old son told deputies Coulter continued kicking Kendrick, who was lying on the floor and not moving, while staring at the younger brother who was in the room.

After Kendrick's eyes turned black and he stopped blinking, Coulter covered him with a blue blanket, the prosecutor stated.

When Williams entered the bedroom to check on her son and saw that he was dead, she began crying and fighting with Coulter.

Her 15-year-old son told investigators he believed his mother would call the police on Coulter, but 'she never did.' She then moved out of the apartment, leaving her surviving children with their brother's rotting corpse and without any adult supervision.

William's 10-year-old son told investigators that when Williams came by the apartment at a later date and lifted the blanket off of Kendrick, she found that 'his body, feet and teeth had turned into a skeleton,' and that 'his hair was off.' His decomposing corpse was said to have been covered with cockroaches.

The 10-year-old also claimed that Coulter would beat him as well, hitting him on the face, stomach, buttocks and legs, and broke his jaw three weeks ago.

When police arrived at the apartment on Sunday, they found the child with a swollen jaw. At the hospital the following day, the boy said that his mother 'was aware of the injury but did not seek or obtain medical aid for him,' the prosecutor said.

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Heartbroken grandmother reveals she would have adopted the four children had she known of horrific abuse

Linda Smith, 71, is the grandmother of one of Gloria Williams' five children who were abandoned in Texas House of Horrors

The grandmother of one of the young children who were abandoned and neglected by their mother exclusively tells DailyMail.com, 'I wish I would have known how bad of a situation those kids were in; I would have adopted all of the kids.'

Linda Smith, 71, said she is sickened by what Gloria Williams and her boyfriend, Brian Coulter are accused of doing to her children.

Smith sat down with DailyMail.com and shared pictures of Gloria's children, Jordan Lee, 15, Trevon Lee, 10, Ja'Veon Kirklin, 7, and deceased Kendrick Lee, 8. Smith revealed Williams has another child, 17-year-old Jasmine Rene Whitaker, who was not in the house.

Smith's son, Jonathan Kirklin, is the father of 7-year old Ja'Veon Kirklin. He has been in and out of jail for the last several years and hasn't been a part of his son's life.

'All of Gloria's kids lived with me for a short time in 2014, my son went to jail for about 6 months,' she said.

'I soon found out when my son was in jail and I was at work, Gloria would have different men come over to my house. I don't know what she was doing with them. As soon as I found out I confronted Gloria with it, of course she denied it. But I told her she and her kids had to leave.'

Kendrick, pictured in a much younger photo, is pictured with his mother Gloria

Smith said Gloria and her kids left the house and it was years before she saw Ja'Veon again, 'Gloria just disappeared.'

A few years ago, Smith said Williams called her and asked her to meet at a McDonald's and she brought Ja'Veon along for Smith to see. 'Looking back on it now, I think if I would have asked her, she would have let me adopt Ja'Veon. It was just a feeling I got.'

Smith said she found out about what happened to her grandson and Gloria's other children from the media. 'I'll adopt all of them. I'm heartbroken to hear what happened to them and especially Kendrick.'

'I regret kicking her out, I should have never done that. I've asked myself, What else have this kids gone through with all of the guys that have been in and out of her life? Were the kids molested, abused?'

At one point, Smith had to sit down in a chair because she said she was light headed and overcome with emotion over the situation.

After several years of not communicating, Smith said out of the blue Williams texted her on August 31st. Asking Smith if she had seen her son, Jonathan.

Smith replied back on September 9, 'Not lately. What's wrong.' Williams replied back, 'Nothing I just want to see how he doing.'

Smith then asked Williams how her grandson, Ja'Veon doing, which Williams replied, 'he doing good.'

Williams then told Smith that, her mother Hazel, was in the hospital, 'U know my mom in the hospital she had a stroke so she can't breath on ur own she been in the hospital for two weeks so I am going threw a hard time right now.

As Smith read the text aloud, she teared up, 'knowing what we all know now, she had the guts to say that? That she was going through a hard time, when her kids were being starved, one was dead and they were left to fend for themselves.'

'The Gloria I knew never would have done this to her kids, but it looks like she did, I guess you never know someone.'

Smith said that even though she hasn't spoken with any law enforcement, she confirmed the 8-year old son who was murdered is Kendrick Lee. The children are pictured with Hazel Williams, Gloria's mother

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Authorities said that the 10-year-old will require surgery to treat his facial fracture.

When questioned by detectives, Williams claimed that when she entered the bedroom around Thanksgiving 2020 and found Coulter beating her son Kendrick, she stopped the attack.

After discovering the next day that Kendrick had died, Williams claimed that she confronted her boyfriend, who 'stated he was sorry, that he lost it and punched him, and continued punching him until he went to sleep.'

Williams allegedly told investigators that she knew her son was dead a year ago, but she did not go to the police because Coulter had told her not to, and also because she was afraid that her children would be taken away and she would go to jail.'

During a press conference held by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Wednesday morning, investigators said that Williams' the younger children had been subjected to 'consistent' beatings at Coulter's hands and were never allowed out of the apartment.

Williams and Coulter were arrested on Tuesday at a library, where they were said to have been reading news stories online about their own case

The children lived in deplorable conditions for months as they waited for their mother to call authorities to report that their brother had been beaten to death and left to rot. Investigators say the mother never made that call and the oldest surviving son, a 15-year-old, finally overcame his 'absolute fear' and called authorities on Sunday.

Just before he contacted the authorities, he was said to have texted his mother, telling her he could not take it anymore.

'For many agency veterans it was the most disturbing scene they worked in their entire law enforcement career. It seemed too horrific to be real,' Gonzalez said.

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Houston House of Horrors mom and her gangster-wannabe boyfriend with Family Over Everything tattoo were arrested by cops in a library while reading about their 'crimes' online

When Houston authorities went to arrest a local mother and her boyfriend for the killing of her eight-year-old son, they found the pair reading news stories about their own case at a library.

Officials with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said Brian Coulter and Gloria Williams were surfing the internet on Tuesday in search of articles about their alleged crimes.

The pair have been together for a couple of years and lived in an apartment in Westchase, located about 6 miles from the filthy apartment where deputies on Sunday discovered the skeletal remains of Williams' 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee, alongside his three surviving brothers, ages 15, 10 and 7.

The arrests were made two days after law enforcement officials found Williams' three children abandoned inside a Houston apartment. Investigators also found a rotting corpse of Williams' eight-year-old son who had been dead for more than a year

Williams and Coulter have been together for a couple of years, and the woman called him her 'husband'

Recent social media posts show that Williams has been referring to Coulter as her husband, and the two even got matching 'warrior' tattoos.

Coulter's significant collection of body art also includes the words 'loyalty' and 'family over everything,' along with face tattoos depicting a cross and a dollar sign.

His Instagram page, which was last updated in August, shows the murder suspect posing up in his over-the-top jewelry, listening to hip hop and making unintelligible comments.

Williams also bragged about the baubles she had received from her 'husband,' stressing that all the items were real.

Coulter's Instagram page includes videos showing him posing up in jewelry, listening to music and making garbled comments

The phrase 'family over everything' is seen etched into Coulter's body

Court records show that neither suspect has a significant criminal history.

Coulter had been charged in 2011 with displaying a counterfeit inspection certificate, a misdemeanor, which was later dismissed.

Williams had been picked up in 2006 on a count of forgery, but it was ultimately dropped.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com indicate that the mom-of-six more recently had been charged for failing to enroll her children in school.

Alief Independent School District told KTRK that in 2019 and 2020, the school district filed truancy papers against the siblings' mother because two of them, Ja'Veon Kirklin and his older sister, were not attending school. The children were last enrolled in May 2020.

Both charges were later dismissed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Harris County Sgt Dennis Wolfford, who heads the Harris County's homicide unit, described Williams as 'an abuser by omission.'

The sergeant said that there is no evidence that the mom-of-six was a victim of domestic violence herself, and that she had a year to report her son Kendrick's murder and her other children's abuse, but she chose not to do it.

Instead, she and Coulter had moved out of the apartment in March and went to live at another apartment a few miles minutes away, leaving the three surviving siblings to fend for themselves.

'They were distancing themselves from their child,' Wolfford said of the couple. 'They know the entire time there is a dead body inside that apartment.'

The children last attended school in May 2020, according to the Alief school district.

Gonzalez said that Williams provided the children with some food, either by a delivery service or by dropping it off. But it was mostly junk food like noodles, chips and soft drinks, he said.

The image above shows a notice of removal of children left by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. According to the notice, state officials took custody of the three children on Sunday evening after police conducted a welfare check

Williams told cops she had not reported her son's death for a year because Coulter told her no to, and she feared her kids would be taken away

Authorities said it was not enough food for the children and some neighbors also fed them and charged a cellphone for them. But neighbors were unaware of the conditions the children were living in.

'One of the first things I asked them, are they hungry. They said they were ... They wanted doughnuts,' Wolfford said of his conversation with the children after authorities found them.

'They were very sweet children, very nice, very well-spoken,' Wolfford said, noting, however, that they had 'blankness in the eyes.'

He added: 'it was very sad. They are good kids.'

According to investigators, there had been no previous calls to service associated with the apartment where Williams' children lived alone with their brother's body.

Williams and Coulter were initially picked up by deputies on Sunday. They were questioned and released, leaving many people to wonder why they had been let go.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Gonzalez and Sgt Wolfford explained that they did not have sufficient evidence to arrest them in the immediate aftermath of the gruesome discovery.

The Harris County Medical Examiners Office on Tuesday ruled that Kendrick Lee, suffered multiple blunt force injuries, resulting in his death by homicide.
A man reportedly died by suicide after driving his car over the western rim of the Grand Canyon, officials said.

An unidentified man drove his car into the canyon on Wednesday, Grand Canyon West, best known for having the Skywalk attraction that overlooks the Colorado River, confirmed. Police have not released information on the victim's identity.

Lea Cooper, the marketing director for the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, said the incident involved a male who appeared to intentionally drive over the rim.

No one else was in the vehicle, Cooper said.

'Details are still unfolding, [but] based on the nature of the course of action of the individual, we do believe that it was an intentional event,' Cooper told People on Thursday.

An unidentified man drove his car off western rim of the Grand Canyon on Wednesday, Grand Canyon West confirmed

'This is still an active investigation and we will provide updates as they become available,' Cooper said.

'These are certainly challenging times,' Cooper told People. 'The entire Hualapai community sends thoughts of peace and healing for the individual's family and friends.'

The corporation oversees Grand Canyon West, a popular tourist attraction on the Hualapai Reservation outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park.

'The Hualapai people consider the canyon a place of sacred beauty and healing, and we are devastated by this tragedy,' Ruby Steele, the corporation's interim chief executive and a Hualapai member, said in a statement.

Grand Canyon West is known for its skywalk attraction (pictured) that juts out 70 feet from the canyon walls to allow visitors to view the Colorado River. Located on the Hualapai Reservation, the Hualapai Police Department is investigating the matter and recovering the man's body and vehicle

Officials with Grand Canyon West said they are fully cooperating with the Hualapai Police Department, which is investigating the incident, and on the recovery of the man's body and his vehicle.

The attraction is best known for the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts out 70 feet from the canyon walls and gives visitors a view of the Colorado River 4,000 feet below.

The Canyon and the river have deep threads in the Hualapai tribe's history. The lower 108 miles of the Canyon and parts of the Colorado River are situated on the Hualapai Reservation.

The tribe owned seven million acres of land until 1883, where they agreed to downsize to one million, including the 108 miles of the Canyon. Their ancestral land started at the Little Colorado River and downstream through the entire Grand Canyon, according to Grand Canyon West.

There has been several deaths in the Grand Canyon. In 2008, the park led the country's national parks in suicides, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Many suicides are from people jumping off the ledge, but there have been several who drove the cars off.

Roughly 12 people a year die in the Grand Canyon for various reasons, including falling, drowning and suicide.

DailyMail.com contacted the Hualapai Police Department.

If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
A car belonging to a 20 year-old pregnant mother who vanished alongside her toddler daughter in 1998 has been pulled from a lake with human remains inside.

The Pope County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas received a call on Tuesday from cold case hunters who claimed they found the car belonging to Samantha Hopper, 20, and her daughter, Courtney Holt, 1, at a lake in Russellville.

It was dragged from the lake shortly afterwards, with the Ford Tempo matching the description of the car Hopper was last seen driving. Human remains have been found inside, but cops have yet to identify them, or offer a possible cause of death.

Hopper and Courtney had been reported missing in September 1998 when Hopper, who was pregnant at the time, was reportedly traveling to drop off her daughter in her blue Ford with plans to attend a concert in Little Rock with a friend.

The Pope County Sheriff's Office pulled a Ford Tempo an Arkansas lake. The car belonged to Samantha Hopper, 20, who went missing in 1998 with her 22-month-old daughter

Samantha Hopper was nine-months pregnant when she went out on a drive with her youngest daughter, Courtney Holt. Hopper was trying to drop her daughter off in order to attend a concert in Little Rock when they both disappeared

Hopper disappeared with her toddler in 1998, leaving behind her oldest daughter, Dez Carpenter. Carpenter said she was grateful her family had finally been found after 23 years

Dez Carpenter, Hopper's oldest daughter, said she was grateful to Pope County officials and the Adventures with Purpose group, a nonprofit organization that deals with cold cases, which delivered the tip on the car's location.

'After being missing for over 23 years, with the assistance of AWP and Chaos dive teams we were able to find my mother...and my 22 month old sister.' Carpenter wrote in a memorial fund set up for her family.

'This has been such a relief to have found her and we want to provide them with a proper burial.'

AWP arrived at the lake on Tuesday and worked with Chaos Divers to search for the car, which the group believed could be in the body of water after speaking with Hopper's family about her habits and schedule.

Using sonar technology, the group was able to locate a car, whose license plate appeared to match that of Hopper's Ford.

The Pope County Sherriff's Office contracted the help of Elmo's Crane Service to pull the car

Pictured, Dez Carpenter, left, with her younger sister, Courtney Holt in a Christmas photo

Samantha Hopper had disappeared in September 1998 with her toddler, Courtney Holt

The Pope County Sherriff's office arrived at the Russellville lake later that day and contracted the help of Elmo's Crane Service and Battlecross Towing to pull the car out of the 8-foot deep lake. The car was about 25-yards from the river bank.

Once the car was removed from the lake, police found the human remains inside and sent them off to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, in Little Rock, for DNA testing.

The samples will be matched with DNA samples taken years earlier from Carpenter at the behest of Sherriff's Office Detective Erick Riggs, who was assigned to the cold case in 2013.

Riggs had believed a tragedy beheld Hopper and Holt on their drive all those years ago and wanted to test Carpenter's DNA with a national database of unidentified bodies, ABC 7 reported.

It is unclear if Hopper's disappearance was the result of an accident or foul play, with the likely discovery of her car and possible remains potentially giving investigators the break in the case they need.

Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said, 'The Pope County Sheriff's Office would like to send our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt. We are thankful to have been a small part of helping bring this 23-year-old case to closure.'
A drug-fuelled father-of-two who filmed himself raping a woman after she turned him down has been jailed for 11 years.

Bartosz Sokolowski, 37, slapped and strangled the woman as he filmed himself raping her.

The victim reported him to police and also claimed he had sexually assaulted her with a perfume bottle.

He also bombarded her with text messages where he boasted about recording the terrifying ordeal on his phone.

The father-of-two denied rape, but a jury took just 90 minutes to return a unanimous guilty verdict following a trial at Warwick Crown Court.

Bartosz Sokolowski, 37, a father-of-two from Poland and living in Birmingham, has been jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of rape after attacking a woman in her home in Rugby, Warwickshire, in 2019

Sokolowski, a Polish-national of Birmingham, was jailed for 11 years on Thursday 28 October. He was cleared of sexual assault using the perfume bottle.

Judge Andrew Lockhart told him he behaved in an 'appalling way towards her' as he forced her to perform a sex act on him.

He said: 'On that night you behaved in a very dangerous manner.

'There was degradation and humiliation. I find you recorded the events, just as you said you did in the texts.

'In those texts we see what you now can't admit, because you don't have the guts to admit it, that you were sorry because you had raped her.'

The court heard Sokolowski had drank alcohol and taken drugs when he attacked the woman in her home in Rugby, Warwickshire, in 2019.

Prosecutor Talbir Singh said he strangled the victim and slapped her when she refused to perform a sex act on him in the living room.

Sokolowski slapped her twice as she continued to refuse his demands, then pulling her back onto the sofa and forcing her to kneel as he took off his trousers and underwear.

Sokolowski tried to force himself onto the victim when she still refused to comply, but then 'did as she was asked until he fell asleep'.

The woman fled and told a friend what had happened and when they returned to her home, they called the police.

Sokolowski was arrested at the scene but denied raping her and claimed bruises on her face was from dental treatment.

Ian Windridge, defending, said Sokolowski had no previous convictions and was 'a man who is capable of hard work,' with two children in Poland.

He said: 'There is no evidence that he recorded the incident, but he told her he had, so one has to assume there was a recording.'

Following the guilty verdict, Mr Singh said the woman had made a statement in which she said it took her six months before she could begin her life again.

He said that the case was about Sokolowski 'imposing his violent and sexual will in an unwanted fashion'.

Judge Andrew Lockhart at Warwick Crown Court, at the Warwickshire Justice Centre, told Sokolowski he behaved in an 'appalling way' towards the victim as he forced her to perform a sex act on him when she continued to refuse his advances

Sokolowski told Warwick Crown Court that the rape allegation from the victim had been fabricated, by both the woman and her friend, after he says he rejected her advances towards him.

Judge Lockhart said to Sokolowski as he jailed him: 'We start, as we must, with the victim of your offending. She speaks of it being difficult to come to terms with what you did to her.

'She had to come here and have it put to her by counsel instructed by you that she had told lies and that she and her friend had fabricated the account, and even that she had been injured by her friend.'

Sokolowski was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and have to serve two-thirds of the 11-year sentence before he can be released.
Anthony Albanese plans to scoop up the next election by getting tough on China and raising military spending.

The Labor leader up until now has opted to take a more nuanced approach to Australia's largest trading partner, compared to the sledgehammer tactics of the federal Liberal government.

Diplomatic relations between Beijing and Canberra have unravelled dramatically in the past 18 months after Scott Morrison's government called for an independent international inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020.

The call for transparency outraged the totalitarian state who swiftly imposed billions of dollars worth of arbitrary bans and tariffs on key Australian exports as punishment for speaking out.

The opposition leader has been critical of the Prime Minister's handling of the situation but now says China is to blame for the political tensions.

Anthony Albanese (pictured) plans to scoop up the next election by getting tough on China and raising military spending

The opposition leader has been critical of the Prime Minister's handling of the situation but now says China is to blame for the political tensions. Pictured: Chinese medium-range ballistic missiles

'China needs to change  China is responsible for the breakdown in the relationship and, as I've said, the relationship is a difficult one because the relationship in the region is difficult,' Mr Albanese told the Weekend Australian.

To combat the increasingly belligerent one-party state, Labor will 'leave the door open' to spending more than two per cent of GDP on defence a market outlined in the recent AUKUS deal which secures Australia nuclear-powered submarines in the decades to come.

Mr Albanese says if he becomes Prime Minister he will not hesitate to shell out extra cash on military hardware under the security pact with the US and UK if it 'keeps Australia safe'.

For over a year, Chinese ministers have refused to answer the phone calls of Australia's elected officials.

'I support the Biden administration's position effectively, on competition without catastrophe. That means strong diplomacy as well as engagement,' he said.

The federal election is not likely until March next year but Mr Albanese is already wrangling his troops to get prepared for a shock December vote.

Mr Albanese says if he becomes Prime Minister he will not hesitate to shell out extra cash on military hardware under the security pact with the US and UK if it 'keeps Australia safe'. Pictured: An Australian Collins class submarine

Along with his new hard line stance on China, the Labor Party will adopt three core components for its campaign - 'a better life for working families, more secure work and a future made in Australia'.

At the disastrous 2019 election, Bill Shorten was smashed in the polls despite pundits considering him a shoo in to take the top job.

Mr Albanese admits there was a perception that some of Labor's policies were 'not aspirational enough'.

He is now determined to change that perception and wants to make Aussies lives better by offering more opportunities in the wake of the Covid crisis.

'I want to be about creating wealth, not just about economic redistribution. We want small businesses to be successful,' he said.

To combat the increasingly belligerent one-party state, Labor will 'leave the door open' to spending more than two per cent of GDP on defence a market outlined in the recent AUKUS deal. Pictured: Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region

As part of that agenda childcare, aged care and social housing would see an overhaul.

While trains, trams, buses, renewables technologies and electrical vehicle components would all be built Down Under in a 'buy Australia' policy.

Labor has also ruled out re-introducing a price on carbon after the tax on heavy polluters led to Julia Gillard's downfall in 2013.

Mr Albanese says it's not necessary to introduce a price mechanism because renewables are now the cheapest form of energy.

He insists however that Labor is committed to legislating a net-zero emissions policy by 2050.
At least five people have been killed and at least seven others injured after shooting broke out at a nightclub in Panama.

Video footage recorded by someone attending the Espacio Panama restaurant in Panama City last night captured the shocking moment shots were fired.

Recorded from the crowd and looking at the stage at the venue, the footage showed people in the club enjoying themselves and listening to music.

Shortly after, a series of gunshots can be heard in the video being fired and everyone in the club starts to duck and attempt to make their way outside.

Video footage recorded by someone attending the Espacio Panama restaurant in Panama City last night captured the shocking moment shots were fired last night

Shortly after, a series of gunshots can be heard in the video being fired and everyone in the club starts to duck and attempt to make their way outside

Police are now investigating the incident, which occurred in the Santa Ana district of the city.

Local media reports claim that the shooting is the result of gang violence in the area.

And immediately after the incident, Radio Panama reported that: 'Preliminary reports indicate that there are several deaths and injuries.'

Taking to Twitter earlier today, the country's Ministry of Public Security said that: 'Two people allegedly linked to an event registered in the town of Santa Ana, were captured by police units in the Las Acacias sector.

'A firearm was recovered from the vehicle in which they were being transported.'

Panama's security ministry took to Twitter today, saying that two men allegedly linked to the shooting had been arrested
House Democrats are rushing to defend Speaker Nancy Pelosi after a report emerged that she was kicked out of a meeting of progressive lawmakers on Thursday.

Pelosi, 81, reportedly entered the meeting and left after about 10 minutes. The Uprising, which reported the claim she was booted out by Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, stated she was there to urge the lawmakers there to support President Joe Biden's Senate-approved bipartisan infrastructure bill.

A video of the speaker after the meeting shows her briskly walking out of the room without stopping for questions from reporters.

The report was panned by Democrats within hours of being published. It was a rare and much-needed show of public unity for a party that's grappled with a series of public divides over Biden's agenda.

Staffers for Pelosi and Jayapal, 56, both disputed the account.

'This is false. The Speaker dropped by the [Congressional Progressive Caucus] to listen but had to leave for an event honoring former Rep. Nita Lowey at the Library of Congress. She was in the room for approx 12 minutes,' Pelosi's Chief of Staff Drew Hammill wrote on Twitter.

Hammill, who claims to have been there for the meeting, also claimed The Uprising never contacted Pelosi for the story.

Democrats are denying reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was kicked out of a meeting by Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Pelosi was reportedly trying to get the left wing of her party to support Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure plan

'You didnt contact anyone in our comms office. I checked. Also, I was in this meeting. She wasnt kicked out. She left to honor her friend. Update your story,' he wrote directly to the reporter.

Jayapal spokesman Chris Evans said there was 'zero truth to' the story, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

DailyMail.com has reached out to both Pelosi and Jayapal's offices for comment.

Rep. Jared Huffman of California, a Progressive Caucus member, backed Hammill's claim that Pelosi just stopped by to listen.

'Confirming Drew is correct here. Wish everyone in the media would practice basic factual hygiene before posting stuff like this,' Huffman wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, also part of the caucus, simply wrote: 'This is not true at all. I was there.'

'I remember when the goal of journalism was to get it right not just fast,' said progressive Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

Nancy Pelosi's chief of staff Drew Hammill disputed the report in multiple tweets and said the Speaker's office was never asked for comment. Jayapal's spokesman also denied it

No comment from Pelosi as she leaves @USProgressives meeting pic.twitter.com/SO7cE91APU  Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) October 28, 2021

According to reports from The Hill Pelosi didn't speak during her brief appearance at the meeting. There was allegedly confusion over whether she was meant to or not.

Pocan told the outlet that Pelosi didn't in fact request to speak. He said she was simply in 'listening mode.'

The Thursday report cited 'multiple sources' who said Pelosi, arguably the most powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, was 'kicked out' of the meeting.

An unnamed Democratic staffer reportedly said, 'She got kicked out and said she was leaving anyway.'

Another journalist claimed the reporter, who also wrote Rolling Stone's bombshell report detailing allegations by two January 6 Trump rally organizers, only sourced 'a progressive aide' and that 'there was only one non-Pelosi staffer in the room for this meeting' who disputed the claim.

A number of progressive lawmakers put on a public show of party unity in standing with Pelosi

Pelosi and Biden were working to convince members of their own party on Capitol Hill to back the newly watered-down Build Back Better plan and vote for a smaller, bipartisan infrastructure compromise.

They were hoping to secure a vote for the bipartisan measure, which already passed the Senate and contains about $550 billion in new spending, to deliver Biden a legislative win ahead of his trip to the United Nations climate summit in Europe.

But progressives are reportedly waiting for assurances that the larger measure will win the votes of moderate Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who have chipped away at its original $3.5 trillion price tag.

Yesterday Biden unveiled an overhauled version of the progressive-backed bill, now costing roughly $1.75 trillion.

Paid family leave and tuition-free community college were two parts floated in the original bill that weren't mentioned in Biden's thinned-out update.

Jayapal said on CNN Thursday night that her Progressive Caucus are backing the $1.75 trillion legislation. It's unclear yet if Manchin and Sinema will do the same.

'I really think it's going to be quick here for us to pass both these bills through the House,' Jayapal had said.
A female American Airlines flight attendant was punched twice in the face and suffered multiple broken bones after being attacked by a male first class passenger she bumped into.

The unnamed attendant in the galley of an Airbus jet traveling from New York JFK Airport to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, when the attack happened, forcing the flight to divert to Denver International Airport.

She apologized to the passenger after knocking into him, but he followed her down the aisle and struck moments later, refuting earlier claims that the fight had erupted over a face mask.

A man believed to be the attacker was filmed duct-taped on a seat after, although he hasn't been named, with charges against him now pending. His alleged victim is being treated in hospital, with American banning her attacker from flying with them again, and pushing for the harshest charges possible.

Afterwards, the head of American Airlines, Doug Parker, called Wednesday's incident 'one of the worst displays of unruly behavior we've ever witnessed,' in an Instagram post and video posted on Thursday.

'Last night, American Airlines had one of the worst displays weve seen, when a passenger violently assaulted one of our flight attendants. Thankfully, our flight attendant is recovering and we are making sure she and her fellow crew members have the support they need.'

Police met the plane at the gate and immediately apprehended the individual, who was snapped sitting in Denver International Airport in handcuffs by fellow passenger Mackenzie Rose.

'The passenger, however, will never be allowed to fly American again and we are doing everything we can to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. But at the end of the day, while these interactions are not the norm, even one is too many, and they must stop.'

The flight attendant was attacked after she bumped into the passenger while walking up the aisle of the jet. She apologized, only for the man to get up and assault her in the plane's gallery.

He is then said to have returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. Video shared online showed passengers booing as cops boarded the jet when it landed at Denver Airport.

Mackenzie Rose, a passenger on the flight, said she saw the flight attendant walk by after the incident 'with blood on her mask', and speculated that the attacker might have been drunk or high.

Meanwhile, a photo posted on Twitter appeared to show crew members and passengers duct-taping the man to his seat.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, pictured, condemned the attack on the flight attendant

The flight took off from JFK Airport just before 5 pm ET and landed in Colorado at 6:43 pm Denver time according to flight tracking website Flightview.

Police met the plane at the gate and immediately apprehended the individual, who was snapped sitting in the airport in handcuffs by Rose.

Denver Airport Police confirmed the subject was taken into custody and said the FBI is investigating the incident.

Paul Hartshorn Jr. of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants confirmed that the flight attendant has since been released from a Denver hospital and is on her way back home, according to KTLA.

'After a flight attendant who was working in a different cabin bumped this passenger, were told, she then walked into one of the flight galleys and this passenger approached her and punched her in the face at least twice. Thats what we know right now and she sustained broken bones in her nose and her face,' Hartshorn said.

An image snapped by a passenger and circulated on Twitter appeared to show crew members and other passengers on American Airlines flight 976 rallying to secure the man to an airplane seat using duct tape following the assault

The assault was initially believed to have occurred after the male passenger was asked to put on a mask by a flight attendant, but the exact cause of the attack was clarified by airline officials Thursday.

The female flight attendant had inadvertently bumped into the male passenger before apologizing, causing the man to swing a pair of punches at her, according to witnesses, hitting her in the face.

'I understand that he actually punched her twice. I saw her walk back down the aisle afterwards and she had blood splattered on the outside of her mask.

'In terms of men hitting women, it's absolutely absurd and ridiculous.'

Were you on the flight? Contact: newsUS@dailymail.com Advertisement

Rose went on to say that she had 'an impression that there might be a substance or alcohol involved' in the incident.

An image snapped by a passenger and circulated on Twitter appeared to show crew members and other passengers rallying to secure the man to an airplane seat using duct tape following the assault.

The flight eventually left Denver for Orange County about 9:30 pm Denver time following the incident, according to American Airlines.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced earlier this year that it would begin to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers after a rise in reports of aggressive behavior on flights.

The agency said in August it had issued more than $1 million in fines to unruly passengers in 2021, and revealed there have already been 4,941 unruly passenger reports this year alone.

Assaulting a flight attendant is a felony and could land an offender years in prison.

American Airlines flight 976 diverted from its original destination of John Wayne Airport to Denver International after a male passenger, thought to be traveling in first class, allegedly punched a female flight attendant twice in the face in a dispute over masks according to witnesses (flight 976 pictured at Denver International airport)

Mackenzie Rose (pictured), a passenger aboard American Airlines flight 976, said: 'I understand that he actually punched her twice. I saw her walk back down the aisle afterwards and she had blood splattered on the outside of her mask.'

The airline confirmed it intends to prosecute the individual, who it says was apprehended by law enforcement at the gate following the safe landing at Denver International Airport.

'We are outraged by the reports of what took place on board. Acts of violence against our team members are not tolerated by American Airlines,' it said in a statement.

'We have engaged local law enforcement and the FBI and we are working with them to ensure they have all the information they need. The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied until he has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law.'

The flight attendant who suffered the assault was transported to a local hospital following the landing according to the airline, which said it could not comment any further on her condition for privacy reasons.

There are conflicting reports from passengers about whether her nose was broken by the punches, with no confirmation of her condition from the airline or airport authorities.

'We thank our crew for their quick action and professionalism to ensure the safety of their fellow team members and customers on board,' the airline said.

'Our thoughts are with our injured flight attendant and ensuring that she and her fellow crew members have the support they need at this time.'

Were you on the flight? Contact newsUS@dailymail.com
Jonathan Kirklin, 36, said he's distraught and feels guilt-ridden over what his young son Ja' Veon Kirklin has endured

The father of one of the young boys who was abandoned and neglected by their mother and her boyfriend, exclusively tells DailyMail.com. 'I didn't do my part as a father.'

Jonathan Kirklin, 36, said he's distraught and feels guilt-ridden over what his ex, Gloria Williams and her boyfriend Brian Coulter did to his son, Ja' Veon Kirklin and his other brothers.

Kirklin invited the DailyMail.com into his apartment in south Houston where he is attempting to get his life 'back on track.'

'I haven't seen my son for five years,' said a teary eyed Kirklin, 'and I mostly have myself to blame.'

Kirklin for the better part of the last decade has been in and out of jail. He's been convicted of felony domestic violence, DWI, felon in possession of a weapon and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Kirklin admits that he's been an absent father, for the past several years. Just one month ago he was released from a 3-month stint in the county jail for a DWI.

Kendrick Lee, the 8-year-old boy whose body was found decomposing next to his siblings, is pictured with his siblings in an undated photo

'I am Ja' Veon's father. I want him back. I am ready to step up as a father,' he said.

Kirklin and Williams were never married, they went to high school together and reconnected several years after they left. By this time Williams had five other kids with three different fathers.

Soon after they reconnected Williams became pregnant Right before she gave birth to Ja'Veon, Kirklin was arrested for domestic violence.

Kirklin said Williams hit him in the mouth and caused him to have a bloody lip, she then called 911 and dropped the phone. They continued to fight all the while their phone call was being recorded. Kirklin said he was later arrested by Houston PD.

He ended up serving two years in jail after a few probation violations for the felony domestic violence conviction.

Williams and her other children were living at Kirklin's mothers house while he was incarcerated. But soon after, Kirklin's mother Linda Smith told Williams to move out of her house because she was bringing strange men around when Smith was at work.

Kirklin says when he got out of jail, he couldn't find Williams or her children.

He then located her on social media and in 2016 Gloria's boyfriend at the time Darryl Towner brought Ja' Veon to Kirklin for a visit and that was the last time he saw him.

But Kirklin said he never really followed up with his son after that visit.

Pictured: Jonathan Kirklin (father of Ja'veon) and ex Gloria Williams

He said Williams, 'put him on the backburner. She didn't want anyone to know what or who she was doing,' he also added, 'I didn't want to bother her. I'm not the type that keeps bothering someone.'

Then he claimed, 'she kept changing her number and blocking me on social media.'

Finally admitting to being selfish, 'I was doing me at the time. I didn't do my part as a dad. I feel partially guilty for what happened. I should have been there for my son and the other kids. I cared not only for my son but the other ones as well.'

Kirklin said he's now attempting to straighten out his life. He's spoken with children protective services (CPS) and is working on getting his son back.

He says he still hasn't spoken to his son and doesn't know when he he's going to be able to see or talk to him.

'It's going to be a process, to get my son,' he said. 'It's not going to happen overnight; my son needs me. I need to step up as a man, as a father.

'CPS told me that they were going to get back with me, I'm just waiting for their call.

'I really need to prove myself; my previous incarcerations aren't going to help my situation.'

For the longest time Kirklin says he was selfish, 'doing his thing in the streets, doing me. I was freelancing in life and selfish.' He says he's matured and now looking for work as a warehouse worker or a short-order cook.

Kirklin says when he thinks back on how he's son and the other kids lived in the filthy conditions and subjected to the abuse and mental anguish, 'it really hurts me to think how they were treated.'

'You would never think a woman would allow another man to do that to your own kids, your own creation, but she did.'

He then went on to ask, 'what women would allow a man to disrespect her children?'

When he found out it was Kendrick who died, Kirklin said it was like a punch in the gut, 'Kendrick was autistic, he didn't have a harmful bone in his body. He would smile all day long. He didn't say much, but he had a way to communicate with you. Everyone who knew him loved him.'

He still can't wrap his head around Williams' involvement in the abuse saying, 'She was a good mother. She must have changed.' Kirklin does say Williams suffered at time from depression, had anxiety and often changed her mood. 'Sometimes when she would get overwhelmed, she would just shut down.'

But he says that Williams deserves her punishment, 'at least 10 years in prison for what she allowed to happen to her children, Gloria has to do some real time. She has to sit in her cell and figure out where her priorities were at.'

As for Brian Coulter, he says at the minimum he deserves is life in prison if not he death penalty.

Kirklin who has spent time incarcerated, says they are both going to have targets on their backs.

Child killers and molesters are the lowest of the low in prison. He has no doubt someone 'is going to get to Brian. He's going to be life flighted out of there,' meaning he's going to be beaten up so bad that they are going to have to life-flight him to the nearest hospital.

'People in jail and prison have nothing to do all day except watch TV, there are people in jail who never watched TV before they were incarcerated. So they are going to see these two on TV and when they come walking through the doors everyone is going to know all of their business and it's not going to be good for them.'

For now, Kirklin says he needs to remain strong, 'I can't break now, I've got to be strong of my son,' though admitting, 'one day I know I'll break over this.'

'They both disrespected God's children, they'll both end up paying for it one way or another. Everything that happens to them now, they deserve.'
Former President Donald Trump will dial-in for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin on Monday in the final day of campaigning before the election for governor  after hinting he would play in the race.

Trump teased a possible appearance after protesters briefly interrupted a rally by Youngkin's opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, with President Joe Biden last week.

'Chanting. "We Love Trump" in Arlington, Va. Thank you, Arlington, see you soon!' Trump wrote.

But supporters won't be seeing him in the flesh.

Youngkin has praised Trump repeatedly, but also accused McAuliffe of seeking to 'nationalize' the race by trying to tie him to Trump, in a state Biden won by 10 percentage points in 2020.

Youngkin is campaigning Monday in a bus tour with four stops in Roanoke, Richmond, Virginia Beach and at Loudoun County Fairgrounds, in Leesburg.

Former President Donald Trump will call in to a rally with Virginia candidate for governor Glenn Youngkin Monday

Biden had ridiculed wealthy investor Youngkin as a Trump 'acolyte,' and tried to goad Trump into coming into the state by asking whether Youngkin was 'embarrassed' to host him.

'He wont stand next to Donald Trump now that the campaigns on. Whats he trying to hide?' Biden asked. 'Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed' he wondered.

Trump Save America PAC spokesman Taylor Budowich hyped the event without providing any specific confirmation.

Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign again with McAuliffe Friday, after stumping for him earlier this month

President Joe Biden (R) campaigns for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (L) in Arlington, Virginia

Former President Donald Trump will not appear on stage with Youngkin, but will call in to a rally. Trump's spokesman teased the event without providing details

'President Trump looks forward to being back in Virginia! Details will be released when appropriate,' tweeted Budowich.

After hosting Biden and former President Barack Obama, McAuliffe will campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday in Norfolk. She stumped for him previously.

The assist comes after a Fox News poll Thursday had Youngkin leading McAuliffe 53 to 45 among likely voters.

It was enough to give Youngkin an edge in the RealClearPolitics average, where prior polls have showed the two tied or McAuliffe holding a slight lead.

Trump early this month called into a rally his former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon held for Youngkin.

McAuliffe cut an add using it to try to link it to Youngkin, who wasn't there. Youngkin criticized the decision of a rally speaker who announced participants were doing the Pledge of Allegiance in front of a flag that flew "at the peaceful rally with Donald J. Trump on Jan. 6.,' in reference to the Capitol riot. Youngkin called it 'weird and wrong.'

Indeed, last time Trump waded into the race - calling into a rally organized by conservative allies - McAuliffes campaign seized on the appearance, quickly cutting ads featuring Trumps praise of the Republican, even though Youngkin called elements of the rally 'weird and wrong,' after an emcee at the event said a flag used for the Pledge of Allegiance flew at the 'peaceful rally with Donald J. Trump on Jan. 6,' the day of the Capitol riot.

Former Vice President Mike Pence this week visited Patrick Henry College, Christian school in Northern Virginia, but didn't mention Youngkin by name even as he spoke about culture clashes in education that Youngkin has highlighted in his campaign.

Youngkin is a former private equity investor who briefly ran the Caryle Group. His net worth has been estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite his early praise for Trump, he has campaigned with a focus on local issues, including social issue flashpoints at Virginia schools. He has called for the resignation of the Loudoun County school board over an incident where a male student allegedly assaulted a female student inside a girl's bathroom.

McAuliffe is both a former governor and a former head of the Democratic National Committee. He has been a longtime friend and advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton, and helped raise campaign funds for both of them.
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There is 'no reason to assume' that Delta will be the most contagious Covid variant, Government scientific advisers have warned.

Both Alpha and Delta sparked an explosion in infections when they emerged in the UK, forcing ministers to impose restrictions or delay plans to lift controls.

But No10's panel of top scientists, which includes Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, have been told it is still possible the scenario could be repeated through an even more infectious strain.

This is despite other virologists warning we've very close to the maximum threshold, in terms of transmissibility of Covid and its variants.

Writing in papers published by SAGE today but handed to policymakers in mid-October, experts said: 'There is no reason to assumer the SARS-CoV-2 virus has reached its theoretical limit  other variants could arise with even higher basic reproductive ratios.'

The R0  the basic reproduction rate which shows just how contagious every disease is  of the ancestral form of the virus which first emerged in Wuhan was thought to be around 2.4 to 2.6. But Delta's is thought to be as high as eight, meaning everyone infected would pass it to eight others in theory.

The actual R rate  which reflects how quickly an outbreak is growing or shrinking  is always much lower than R0 because it takes into account real-world data such as population immunity.

It comes amid growing concern over an offshoot of the Delta variant called AY.4.2, which is behind almost one in ten new infections in the UK. Scientists believe it is up to 15 per cent more infectious than its ancestor.

But figures show while the proportion of cases of the mutant strain are still increasing, its curve is flattening off.

Some have pinned AY.4.2s spread on the 'founder effect', when a strain spreads more rapidly because it is the only one in a specific cluster of cases, like a school.

This graph shows how many people someone infected with the above diseases is likely to transfer them on to. For people who catch chickenpox, scientists estimate they will pass on the infection to between 10 and 12 others. And for those who catch measles, they are thought to pass it on to 12 to 18 others. Scientists at the CDC have estimated every person who catches the Delta variant of Covid could pass it on to eight other people, far higher than the 2.5 estimate for the Wuhan ancestral version

Covid vaccines appear to be just as effective against the more transmissible Delta offshoot, early tests today showed. Graph shows: The cumulative cases for each Covid variant since the fifth case was reported including Delta (lilac) and AY.4.2 (red). While cases of the mutant strain are continuing to increase, its curve is flattening off. It is increasing more slowly than its predecessor did at this point after it was first sequenced

The variant was most prevalent in people aged 10 to 19 as of October 25, with 5,473 people in the age group having been infected with the strain. They were followed by 40- to 49-year-olds (2,433), 30- to 39-year-olds (2,015) and 20- to 29-year-olds (1,900)

The above chart showed AY.4.2 accounted for a slightly higher proportion of cases in the latest week  one in ten  compared to two weeks ago  one in 13. Scientists said the slow rise was still compatible with a 10 per cent transmission advantage over Delta

The above map shows the 12 areas AY.4.2 was not detected in (white) over the two weeks to October 16, the latest available. It has spread to almost every area of England

The document the warning comes from was titled 'Control Options for Mitigating a Rapid Rise in Infections'. It was written by Juniper, a group of experts from universities including Oxford, Warwick and Exeter.

It ruled the 'worst case' scenario for the UK would likely be if a variant emerged that could avoid vaccine-triggered immunity, undoing the UK's progress with its inoculation drive.

Experts have repeatedly warned allowing the virus to 'run hot' increases the risk of variants emerging, by giving it more opportunity to evolve naturally and find a way to evade the immune system.

But some have said in order for the virus to become more vaccine-resistant it may have to compromise its ability to spread between humans.

AY.4.2: Everything you need to know Where did AY.4.2 come from? This sub-variant of Delta was first detected in the UK on June 26, according to UK-based tracking. Scientists say it is likely that AY.4.2 evolved here because the UK has much higher case numbers than other countries. But it is possible that the variant was imported from abroad and then started to spread in the country. Why is it only in a few countries? AY.4.2 has been spotted in more than 40 countries including the UK, Germany, Denmark and the US to date. It may not have been spotted in other places due to a lack of Covid surveillance, which would lead to new sub-variant not being spotted. But travel restrictions may also be behind the slow spread, which have made it less likely that the virus will be passed between countries. How infectious is the sub-variant? Experts estimate that AY.4.2 is around 10 per cent more infectious than the Delta variant. They say this may lead to a marginally higher number of cases, but that it will not trigger a spike similar to that seen when Delta arrived in the UK. Should I be concerned about AY.4.2? Scientists say there is no reason to be too concerned about AY.4.2. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines are less effective against the sub-variant, or that it increases the risk of hospitalisation and death. But laboratory tests are underway at labs in the UK and Denmark to assess this. Professor Lawrence Young from Warwick University said: 'There is no reason to suggest vaccines won't be as effective.' And Professor Anders Fomsgaard from Denmark's Covid surveillance centre said: 'We are not concerned by this. We see nothing in this point of time that indicates it is more contagious, resistant or pathogenic.' Advertisement

Professor Wendy Barclay told the BBC in June  when the Delta variant was dominant  that there was 'still space for it to move higher'.

She pointed to the R0 number for mumps (12) and measles (18) to show that it may still be able to become even more infectious.

Dr Aris Katzourakis, a virologist at Oxford University, said the virus had shown a 'phenomenal' ability to change after two new Covid variants emerged in just 18 months.

But, he added: 'Ultimately there are limits and there isn't a super-ultimate virus that has every bad combination of mutations.

'It is quite possible that changes in the virus that make it better at avoiding vaccines could end up compromising its ability to transmit in an absolute sense.'

But Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, says it is unlikely that a more transmissible Covid variant than Delta will emerge.

He told MailOnline last month: 'We may have reached peak infectiousness with the Delta variant but what we have not reached, of course, is peak immune avoidance.'

When the Mu Covid variant was named by the World Health Organization, the virologist said he would be 'very, very surprised' if it was more transmissible than Delta.

Dr Cath Green, who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine at Oxford University, has also said the virus will never be able to completely avoid vaccine-triggered immunity.

She wrote in the book Vaxxed, published in July: 'The good news is that we also think it is unlikely that the virus can mutate in a way that keeps it functioning but makes our vaccine completely ineffective.

'That's because a change in the spike protein  which allows the coronavirus to enter and infect human cells  that is radical enough to make our vaccine completely ineffective would also, almost certainly, be so extreme as to make the virus non-functional.

'So although it feels like Groundhog Day, and although we are all exhausted and wondering when it will ever end, we are tackling the new variant situation with our teeth gritted and the fortifying knowledge that we know more about what we are doing and where we are headed.'

It came as a report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which replaced Public Health England, published today showed that vaccine work just as well against AY.4.2 as they do on its ancestor.

It suggested that jabs were around 81 per cent effective at stopping people infected with AY.4.2 from developing symptoms of the virus. For comparison, two doses are thought to block around 83 per cent of all people falling ill with the original strain.

The UKHSA said the preliminary results do 'not suggest a significant reduction in vaccine effectiveness for AY.4.2 compared to Delta' and admitted the slight drop may be down to chance.

The agency said: 'After adjustment for the potential confounding variables there was no evidence AY4.2 differed significantly compared to non-AY4.2 Delta cases, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, across the three vaccines in circulation.'

It comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) this week admitted it was now keeping tabs on the variant.

Experts have started to raise questions over whether the new strain is in fact more transmissible, as had previously been suggested by the data.

Northumbria University scientists involved in variant surveillance say it is still 'unclear' if AY.4.2 is actually more transmissible because too little is known about its mutations.

They pointed to the 'founder effect' as an alternative explanation, when a strain spreads rapidly because it is the only one in a specific cluster of cases, like a school.

But Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist and Covid commentator at University College London who was among the first to raise concerns about the variant last week, said the slower rise was 'still compatible' with a 10 per cent transmission advantage.

And Professor Jeffrey Barrett, head of Covid surveillance at the Sanger Institute, said the data was 'consistent with a small, but real, growth advantage vs other Delta'.

This sub-variant of Delta was first detected in the UK on June 26, according to UK-based tracking.

Scientists say it is likely AY.4.2 evolved here because the UK has much higher case numbers than other countries.

But it is possible that the variant was imported from abroad because other countries have worse variant surveillance than the UK.

It carries two key mutations, A222V and Y145H, which both slightly alter the shape of the spike protein which the virus uses to invade cells.

Scientists claim A222V was previously seen on another variant (B.1.177) first spotted in Spain before spreading to other countries.

But studies suggest it did not make the strain more transmissible, and that it was only spread by holidaymakers returning home.

Regionally, the South West had the highest number of AY.4.2 cases in the week ending October 18  reflecting overall infection numbers  with 426 sequenced during the week

The new Covid variant AY.4.2 has been found in 42 countries, but has been most prevalent in the UK, US, Denmark, Poland and Germany. This graph shows the percentage of AY.4.2 cases as a proportion of the country's total Covid cases. The UK has led case growth since the variant was fist identified in July, but in recent weeks Poland has eclipsed this, and there are signs Germany is also catching up

There is more concern about the mutation Y145H, which slightly changes the shape of the site antibodies bind to making it harder for them to stop an infection from happening.

Scientists say this builds on mutations in Delta, and could make the subtype even more resistant to vaccines than its parent.

AY.4.2 has been recorded in about 40 countries to date, but the UK is the only one seeing a sustained outbreak of the subtype, other than Poland.

It did rise to around one in 50 Covid cases in Denmark in early September, but it has now fallen again to below one in 100. Experts in the country say they are not concerned about AY.4.2.

UK health officials labelled it a 'variant under investigation' last week. 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, but is a step below 'variant of concern' which includes Delta and Alpha.
Boris Johnson today brushed off Nicola Sturgeon's claims that he has a 'disinclination' to meet with her and has a 'fragile male ego'.

The Scottish First Minister said the Prime Minister delegates dealing with devolved matters to Communities Secretary Michael Gove while posing for an interview with Vogue magazine ahead of the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow which gets underway on Sunday.

Asked about her working relationship with Mr Johnson, Ms Sturgeon: said: 'He tends to delegate most of his interactions with the devolved governments to Michael Gove.

'That's fine, Michael Gove and I work together well, but it's a different approach to his predecessors.'

Asked why she thought this was the case, she said: 'Maybe it's just a bit of a fragile male ego. He seems to have a disinclination to be, metaphorically speaking, in the same room as me. It's odd.'

When asked to respond to Ms Sturgeon's comments today, Mr Johnson insisted: 'I'm always delighted to work with Nicola.

Nicola Sturgeon today claimed Boris Johnson does not want to meet with her because he has a 'fragile male ego', in an interview with Vogue magazine ahead of the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow

The Scottish First Minister said the Prime Minister delegates dealing with devolved matters to Communities Secretary Michael Gove

'I had a good conversation with her last week and she's being very helpful in the run-up to COP and I'm sure she will play a very useful role as part of the pan-UK effort.'

'I'm always happy to see Nicola, and... it's a new attack. I think all I would say on that is I had a good conversation with Nicola, I think last week, and she has been deployed to help us in all sorts of ways at COP26, that's very important as this is a whole UK effort.'

Asked why he thought she said he has a 'fragile male ego', the Prime Minister added: 'Search me, I don't know.'

The comments are likely to further strain relations between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Johnson after they clashed repeatedly during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon also used the interview to again set out her stall on Scottish independence.

The Scottish First Minister said the Prime Minister delegates dealing with devolved matters to Communities Secretary Michael Gove

The SNP leader said: 'There's no status quo: the UK that people wanted to stay a part of in 2014 arguably does not exist any longer.'

She also spoke about the importance of the COP26 summit's attempt to limit global warming to 1.5C.

She said: 'It probably is the last chance the world has to reach an agreement that is specific enough to meet the Paris 1.5 degrees target.

'It's a massive opportunity, but I think there will be a real difficulty if that opportunity is not taken.'

Discussing the future of the oil and gas industry, she said: 'This has not been an easy thing for somebody in my position and in the political tradition I come from to say, but we have to ask ourselves whether new exploration for oil and gas is consistent with meeting the climate change imperatives.'
A Tik-Toker and his girlfriend have been jailed for 10 months for simulating a sex act in front of a cathedral in Moscow's Red Square.

Ruslan Murodzhonzoda, a Tajik national, and Russian Anastasia Chistova were found guilty by Moscow's Tverskoi district court today for 'offending religious sentiment' after they imitated oral sex in front of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

It was the latest crackdown on a minor transgression in Russia, where leader Vladimir Putin has pushed an increasingly conservative agenda.

They were detained in late September after he posted the picture showing Chistova kneeling in front of him near the cathedral in Moscow's Red Square.

In the picture, captioned 'The Labor Code is not the Criminal [Code], you can break it', the blonde woman was seen wearing a Russian police jacket.

Russian Tik-Toker Ruslan Murodzhonzoda and his girlfriend Anastasia Chistova have been jailed for 10 months for simulating oral sex in front of St Basil's cathedral in Moscow's Red Square

The couple were found guilty by Moscow's Tverskoi district court of 'offending religious sentiment' (pictured, a side view of the picture posted to Instagram)

The pair were detained for 10 days after posting the photo for defying police, and the blogger apologised for the picture and paid a $71 fine.

Announcing the new sentence today, the court said: 'Anastasia Chistova and Ruslani Murodzhonzoda committed public actions expressing clear disrespect for society.'

Murodzhonzoda posts mostly pranks on his social media, while Chistova was described by media as an Instagram model.

It is understood Murodzhonzoda will be deported to Tajikistan after serving the new sentence.

It was the latest crackdown on a minor transgression in Russia, where leader Vladimir Putin has pushed an increasingly conservative agenda

Since returning to the Kremlin for a third term in 2012, Putin has sought to defend traditional values and promote Russia as the antithesis of the West.

That year, two Pussy Riot members were sentenced to two years in a penal colony for hooliganism after their performance in a cathedral protesting against close ties between Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The past year has seen an unprecedented crackdown on all forms of dissent and independent media, with authorities imprisoning top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for two-and-a-half years in prison on old embezzlement charges.

In 2012, two Pussy Riot members (left and right) were sentenced to two years in a penal colony for hooliganism after their performance in a cathedral protesting against close ties between Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church

'Madness, just madness,' Navalny's close associate Leoniod Volkov said of the blogger's case on Twitter.

'They DID nothing,' he added, 'It's just a picture.'

Kevin Rothrock, managing editor of the English-language edition of Meduza, said: 'This prank, a simulated act of oral sex with St. Basils Cathedral in the background, has just resulted in 10-month prison sentences for its two young participants.

'Nearly a year behind bars  for a joke.'

Top rights group Memorial said this week that the number of political prisoners in Russia had risen to 420 from 362 last year, part of a trend that recalls late Soviet-era repression.
New York Attorney General Letitia James avoided bumping into NY Governor Kathy Hochul at a power breakfast - after it was leaked that she's planning her own gubernatorial run, amid claims she charged Andrew Cuomo with groping to avoid him mounting a comeback challenge.

James arrived after Hochul had left Friday's event in Brooklyn, according to reporters. It is unclear if she had deliberately avoided the woman she plans to challenge, and who ascended to the most powerful job in NY state politics thanks to James' probe into Cuomo. He has dismissed her investigation as biased and motivated by self-ambition.

The two powerful New York politicians were joined by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Democratic candidate for mayor and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams at district leader Steve Cohn's annual cheesecake breakfast.

The breakfast, which dates back to 1993, is considered a must-attend event for New York-area politicians. James has been seen at it in the past, while the likes of Cuomo, former president Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Congressional Representatives Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler have also been seen at it in the past.

James, who delivered the report that led to the resignation of Hochul's predecessor in Albany, Andrew Cuomo, is set to announce a decision on running for the November 2022 election 'in the coming days,' a senior campaign advisor told DailyMail.com Thursday.

Meanwhile, Hochul showed zero intent to back away from the office, saying in her remarks that 'When I'm done with my terms, no one will ever question the ability of a woman to hold the highest office in the state.'

Both New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James appeared at a Brooklyn political event Friday, but James did not arrive until Hochul had left

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, himself a prior attendee of district leader Steve Cohn's cheesecake breakfast, was a topic of discussion after being charged with a sex crime Thursday

Cuomo's name was up for discussion at the event after he was charged with forcible touching, two months after being pushed out of office by James, the woman now likely campaigning for his job.

His campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi released a statement blasting the criminal allegations as politically-motivated Thursday night, saying James' decision 'reeks of Albany politics and perhaps worse.'

His statement added: 'The fact that the AG - as predicted - is about to announce a run for governor is lost on no-one. The truth about what happened with this cowboy sheriff will soon come out.'

Both Hochul and James were asked about the sex crime charge against the deposed governor.

'I'm not going to get involved,' said Hochul, who added that she continues to stand by and believe women. She also promised that no harassment will take place in her administration, and that her staff have taken steps to ensure that.

James refused to comment any further on the charge, referring reporters to her statement from Thursday night.

'From the moment my office received the referral to investigate allegations that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, we proceeded without fear or favor,' said James in that statement. 'The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report.'

Hochul remained in Brooklyn to make an announcement regarding a bill that would reduce noise pollution.

James refused to comment further on the charge against Cuomo

Hochul said she was staying out of it but that she believed the women that came forward about her predecessor and running mate

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is also exploring a run for governor

The two are scheduled to be at the same event again on Sunday at a Get Out the Vote rally on Long Island.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, accused those involved with the charge of timing it around James' campaign launch in a statement Thursday.

''Accidentally' filing a criminal charge without notification and consent of the prosecuting body doesn't pass the laugh test and this process reeks of Albany politics and perhaps worse,' Azzopardi said. 'The fact that the AG  as predicted  is about to announce a run for governor is lost on no one. The truth about what happened with this cowboy sheriff will come out.'

In addition to James, fellow Brooklynite and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is also exploring a run. A spokesperson for Williams told DailyMail.com Thursday that they plan to make an announcement 'very soon.'

Williams did not attend the event as he was en route to Buffalo to campaign for Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate India Walton.

The charges were filed on Thursday in Albany City Court. They relate to the allegation of Brittany Commisso, a former aide who claimed Cuomo groped her breast in the office of the Executive Mansion in Albany in December 2020, when he was at the height of his pandemic popularity.

Cuomo has always denied it.

Commisso's claim was the most serious of all of the allegations listed in James' report, which Cuomo has always maintained was a hit-job by James to get him out of her way. She is running for governor in November 2022.

'From the moment my office received the referral to investigate allegations that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, we proceeded without fear or favor,' James' office said in a statement.

'The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report.'

Scroll down for video

Cuomo is pictured with Brittany Commisso, the former aide who claims he groped her breast in the Executive Mansion in November 2020. The picture was taken in 2019 and she says he'd touched her behind shortly before it was taken

Commisso claimed that she felt violated and that Cuomo wouldn't 'touch his mother' the way he did her. He has always denied her claims

The complaint, which was signed by an investigator from the Albany County Sheriff's Office, alleges that the former governor 'intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part'

If convicted, Cuomo - who has not yet commented - could face up to one year in prison.

The complaint, which was signed by an investigator from the Albany County Sheriff's Office, alleges that the former governor 'intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part.'

Cuomo is alleged to have touched Commisso's left breast 'for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires, all contrary to the provisions of the statute.'

The incident is alleged to have taken place on the second floor of the governor's Executive Mansion in Albany on December 7, 2020, sometime between 3:51pm and 4:07pm.

The complaint was signed by an investigator on Monday.

Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin has said that Commisso's 'story changed over time.'

The complaint filed by the sheriff's department investigator said evidence in the case included police BlackBerry messages, cell phone records, building security records and a text message from Cuomo's mobile phone.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties also had said they asked for investigative materials from the attorney generals inquiry to see if any of the allegations could result in criminal charges.

The announcement of the charge was chaotic on Thursday; the criminal summons was filed hastily, before sheriff's deputies had received the permission of Commisso.

It was then leaked to a local reporter in Albany, who tweeted about it and published a brief report on New York Focus.

Spokespeople for the Albany County Sheriff's Department then refused to confirm or deny whether or not their office had filed charges.

Eventually Lucien Chalfen, a spokesman for the court system, confirmed it to The Washington Post.

'A Misdemeanor Complaint against former Governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court.

'As this is a sex crime, a redacted complaint will be available shortly,' he said.

The Times Union - another local Albany paper - reports that the charges had been filed too early in a clerical error.

Albany's top prosecutor released a statement on Thursday indicating that he was 'surprised' by the court filing.

Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriffs Office against Andrew Cuomo, read a statement from the office of Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares.

The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public.

Our office will not be coming further on this case.

Commisso was one of multiple women who gave evidence against Cuomo as part of the AG's investigation.

She also spoke on TV about the alleged incident in November 2020.

'I said, "Governor, you're going to get us in trouble." Then I thought to myself, that probably wasn't the best thing to say.

'That's when he put his hand up my blouse and cupped my breast over my bra.

'I remember seeing his hand, which is a large hand, and thinking "oh my God, this is happening."

'He didn't say anything,' she said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is to announce that she is running for governor, according to three people directly familiar with her plans

Cuomo has been laying low since his resignation, occasionally sharing photos on Instagram of himself fishing with his dog, Captain

Andrew Cuomo told the doctor who carried out his COVID-19 test last spring that she 'made the gown look good'. AG James said that amounted to sexual harassment, and she included it in the report

PANDEMIC HERO TO ZERO - TIMELINE OF CUOMO'S RISE AND FALL 2006: Cuomo is elected AG of New York 2010: Cuomo is elected Governor of New York 2014: Re-elected, with Kathy Hochul as Lt. Gov 2018: Re-elected, defeating actress Cynthia Nixon March 2020: Cuomo becomes a pandemic hero with his daily press briefings on how New York, under his guidance, was responding to the crisis. He routinely sparred with then President Donald Trump and he basked in people calling him the people's real president in the time of crisis March 25: At the height of New York's COVID crisis, Cuomo signs a directive telling nursing homes they have to accept COVID-19 patients May 10: Cuomo rescinds the nursing home directive amid intense criticism of it as COVID deaths climb October 2020: Cuomo releases his book, Lessons in Leadership, about the pandemic November 2020: Cuomo is awarded an Emmy for his daily COVID briefings December 2020: Lindsey Boylan tweets that Cuomo abused her when she worked for him February 2021: The AP releases a damning report into how Cuomo's administration counted nursing home deaths as hospital deaths which made the numbers smaller March 2021: Letitia James launches sexual harassment investigation into Cuomo Assembly Judiciary Committee opens impeachment investigation August 3: AG releases her report finding Cuomo did sexually harass 11 women Cuomo issues statement insisting he is innocent but refuses to stand down August 10: Cuomo resigns, citing the good of the people as his reason for it October 28: Cuomo is charged with forcible touching Advertisement

The majority of the allegations that James said amounted to serial sexual harassment were non-physical.

One of them applied to a nurse who gave the governor his first on-camera COVID-19 test.

He told her she made the 'gown look good', which James considered sexual harassment.

Others said Cuomo asked them about their boyfriends - which he admits - and that he 'clearly' insinuated wanting to sleep with them, but never did.

Cuomo fight the claims, resisting an Albany impeachment proceeding and pushing on with the COVID governance he was revered for at the start of the year, before eventually bowing out.

Since resigning, he has made few public statements aside from to bash James and her report, which he says is all politically motivated.

The allegations of sexual misconduct peppered the final year of his ten year governorship.

He got the job after his predecessor, Elliot Spitzer, resigned in shame having been caught patronizing a prostitution service.

Cuomo always denied that he was a sex pest and said at worst, he made inappropriate comments and jokes as an affectionate Italian man, like his father was.

The sexual misconduct allegations came at the same time as claims of gross negligence stemming from Cuomo's order to send thousands of COVID-19 positive elderly people back into New York nursing homes, a decision which many say proved fatal.

Not only did those infected patients infect others and lead to more deaths, critics say Cuomo's administration also tried to cover it up by deliberately skewing COVID deaths numbers.

For months, his administration reported the deaths of people who contracted COVID in nursing homes as 'hospital deaths' because they had died in hospitals.

He was only reporting nursing home deaths for people who contracted COVID in the nursing home and died in the nursing home.

His administration says it was an innocent error in numbers reporting.

Cuomo's political enemies seized on that scandal and the sexual misconduct claims, both of which were made even more irresistible when he released a smug memoir last October in the height of the second wave, titled Lessons in Leadership.

Cuomo was panned for writing the self-congratulatory book at a time when dozens of people were still dying every day in the state.
The EU is now at war with itself after the European parliament sued the European Commission in a dispute over the rule of law.

The lawsuit was submitted today against the Commission for its 'failure to apply the Conditionality Regulation to the Court of Justice'.

The regulation, adopted last year, allows the EU to suspend payments to countries where the rule of law is under threat, which is currently taking place in Poland.

The Commission has not used the regulation despite Poland sparking a crisis with the bloc, and fears of a 'Polexit', after the country's Supreme Court ruled their laws had legal primacy over EU diktats.

EU Parliament president Sassoli said after submitting the lawsuit: 'As requested in parliamentary resolutions, our legal service has brought an action against the European Commission for failure to apply the Conditionality Regulation to the Court of Justice today.

The EU is now at war with itself after the European parliament sued the European Commission in a dispute over the rule of law. Pictured: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

'We expect the European Commission to act in a consistent manner and live up to what President von der Leyen stated during our last plenary discussion on this subject. Words have to be turned into deeds.'

The Commission and Poland remain locked in a struggle over Warsaw's adherence to EU legal and democratic norms.

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU executive will use 'all instruments at our disposal' to force Poland to backtrack on decisions seen as rolling back democratic standards, particularly Warsaw's moves seen as undermining judicial independence.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week accused the Commission of 'blackmail' and trampling member states' sovereignty

Which EU laws is Poland disputing? Article 1 What is it? This sets out the founding principle of the EU, which is to create a Union and develop 'an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.' In dispute: Poland argues the way the law is being applied blocks the country from applying its own constitution and could force it to apply unconstitutional laws laid down by EU courts What Poland's court said: The EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law should take precedence Article 4 What is it? This establishes the principle of 'sincere cooperation' between states which must 'work together to implement' EU laws. In dispute: Poland again argues that the way the law is being interpreted will stop it from applying its own laws or compel it to apply unconstitutional laws if they are laid down by EU courts Court ruling: Judges again found the EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law must take precedence Article 19 What is it? This establishes the authority of the European Court of Justice which 'shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of... the law is observed.' In dispute: Poland says the article, as applied, grants the EU the power to oversee the appointment of judges made by the Polish President Court ruling: Judges found that, by interfering in the process of appointing judges, the EU is preventing Poland from acting as a sovereign nation and that the President's decision-making must take precedence Advertisement

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week addressed the European Parliament to defend his government's stance, accusing the Commission of 'blackmail' and trampling member states' sovereignty.

The issue dominated an EU summit at the end of last week during which Germany and France tried to ease tensions by essentially kicking the issue down the road to the next summit in December.

The Commission meanwhile is holding back 36 billion euros ($42 billion) in coronavirus recovery grants and loans to Poland until it bends on the judicial row.

It is also gathering evidence for further possible future action against Poland, including activating the 'conditionality' mechanism referred to by Sassoli.

While MEPs are vocal in wanting that mechanism triggered earlier, von der Leyen's Commission says it has to move painstakingly to ensure it would prevail against a certain challenge before the European Court of Justice.

Sassoli indicated the parliament would keep holding the Commission's feet to the fire.

'We expect the European Commission to act in a consistent manner and live up to what President von der Leyen stated during our last plenary discussion on this subject,' he said.

'Words have to be turned into deeds.'

Earlier this week, Poland was ordered to pay a penalty of 1 million euros (845,000) per day until it complies with the European Union's top court's order to scrap disciplinary rules for judges.

The Court of Justice of the European Union delivered the decision on Wednesday to prevent what it called 'serious and irreparable harm' to the EU's legal order and values amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law.

The row heated up in July when the EU's top court ordered Poland to suspend the disciplinary chamber of its Supreme Court, which is seen by critics as a way to pressure judges to rule on favour of Poland's ruling populist party.

Poland has said it will abolish the chamber as part of broader reforms, but has not yet presented detailed plans.

'In the ruling issued today, the Vice-President of the Tribunal obliged Poland to pay...a penalty payment of EUR 1 million per day, counting from the date on which this ruling was delivered to Poland,' the Luxembourg-based court said in a statement.

Poland has been ordered to pay a penalty of 1 million euros (845,000) per day until it complies with the European Union's top court's order to scrap disciplinary rules for judges. Pictured: Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Angela Merkel on October 22 at the EU Summit

The European Court of Justice imposed the penalty after a weeklong war of words in which Poland told the EU to stay out of its judicial affairs while other EU member states insisted that Warsaw could not continue to hog subsidies while disregarding the bloc's democratic and rule of law principles at will.

'You cannot pocket all the money but refuse the values,' Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said, warning Poland not to treat the EU like 'a cash machine.'

The Court of Justice decided to siphon off some of those subsidy funds, saying the daily fine was 'necessary in order to avoid serious and irreparable harm to the legal order of the European Union and to the values on which that Union is founded, in particular that of the rule of law.'

The EU's executive commission had requested the penalty until the Polish government acts to improve the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends new laws deemed to undermine judicial independence.

The point of contention is the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, a body that the ruling party gave the power to discipline judges. Many Polish judges view the chamber as a tool to pressure judges to rule in favor of the governing authorities.

In July, the European Court of Justice ordered the suspension of the disciplinary chamber, but it is still functioning.

Morawiecki told the European Parliament last week that the chamber will be abolished, but he gave no precise timeframe.

Deputy Justice Minister Sebastian Kaleta said the demand for 1 million euros was 'usurpation and blackmail' in comments posted on Twitter.

The move towards fines comes after Morawiecki accused the EU of 'starving' and 'punishing' his country by withholding 48billion in Covid relief money after Warsaw ruled that its constitution took precedence over European law.

Belgium's Prime Minister said on Wednesday his Polish counterpart was 'playing with fire when waging war with your European colleagues for internal political reasons.'

After the EU threatened sanctions against Poland, Morawiecki responded earlier on Monday with comments that the bloc is starting World War III and 'putting a gun to our head'.

When asked if Poland could use its veto power to block legislation in retaliation, Morawiecki told the Financial Times: 'If they start the third world war, we are going to defend our rights with any weapons which are at our disposal.'

The Court of Justice of the European Union delivered the decision on Wednesday to prevent what it called 'serious and irreparable harm' to the EU's legal order and values amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law

The row between Poland and the EU Relations between Poland and the EU have been rocky for years and reached a new low earlier this month after the tribunal ruled that Polish laws take precedence over those of the 27-nation bloc, which Poland joined in 2004. The ruling escalated lingering tensions over democratic standards between Poland's right-wing nationalist government and EU institutions in Brussels. The dispute is largely over changes to the Polish judicial system which give the ruling party more power over the courts. Polish authorities say they seek to reform a corrupt and inefficient justice system. The European Commission believes the changes erode the country's democratic system of checks and balances. Ultimately, at the heart of the row is the question of who should have the most power within the bloc - each individual nation over its citizens or the EU institutions over the member nations. It was the prime mover behind the exit of Britain from the EU, and it has stirred passions in several Eastern and Central European nations like Poland and Hungary. The whole idea behind the EU is that a united front will make the 27 nations a formidable power in the world, while they would be bystanders just as individual countries. But even if member states are happy to see that power used in international relations, some abhor it when it affects them. Morawiecki described Poland as a nation that is being intimidated and attacked by an EU whose top court issues rulings that aim to take more and more power away from its nations. He insisted that the EU must remain a union of sovereign states until all its members agree by treaty to give up more of their own national powers. 'We are now seeing a creeping revolution taking place by way of verdicts of the European Court of Justice,' he said. Morawiecki defended his country's stance that the highest law in Poland is the country's constitution. He insisted that Poland abides by EU treaties and brushed off comment from opponents of his government who fear that the court's ruling has put the country on a path to a possible exit from the EU. Morawiecki also said he sees double standards in the EU rulings on Poland's changes to its judiciary, noting that each country has its own judicial system, with politicians electing judges in some cases. The Polish tribunal majority ruling - in response to a case brought by Morawiecki - said Poland's EU membership did not give the European Court of Justice supreme legal authority and did not mean that Poland had shifted its legal sovereignty to the EU. Morawiecki asked for the review after the European Court of Justice ruled in March that Poland's new regulations for appointing judges to the Supreme Court could violate EU law. The ruling obliged Poland's government to discontinue the rules that gave politicians influence over judicial appointments. To date, Poland has not complied. Last month, the European Commission asked the European Court of Justice to impose daily fines on Poland until it improves the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends the laws that were deemed to undermine judicial independence. Morawiecki told EU lawmakers during the debate that a disputed disciplinary chamber of Poland's Supreme Court will be closed, because it did not meet expectations, without offering a clear timeline. Advertisement

EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer took issue with the violent imagery, saying: 'The EU is a project that very successfully contributed to establishing a lasting peace among its member states.

'There is no place for rhetoric referring to war.'

'You are playing a dangerous game,' De Croo said.

'This is about the overwhelming majority of member states - from the Baltics to Portugal - who agree our Union is a union of values, not a cash machine,' De Croo said, alluding to the fact that Poland has long been a major net recipient of EU funds.

The comments follow years of disputes over changes Poland's government has made to the country's courts.

The EU believes the changes erode democratic checks and balances, and the European Commission is holding up billions of euros to Poland earmarked in a pandemic recovery plan.

Morawiecki faced less sanguine criticism from his Polish political opponents, many of whom are deeply worried about Poland's increasing isolation within the EU.

'I have the impression that Mr Morawiecki has recently had some problems with English or that he has lost his mind,' tweeted Marek Belka, a former left-wing Polish prime minister who is now a member of the European Parliament.

Donald Tusk, the head of the leading opposition party in Poland, reacted to the 'war' comment by saying: 'In politics, stupidity is the cause of most serious misfortunes.'

The government spokesman, Piotr Muller, told Polish media that the prime minister's comment amounted to hyperbole and should not be taken literally.

The nationalist ruling party in Poland, Law and Justice, has been in conflict with Brussels since winning power in 2015 over a number of matters, including migration and LGBT rights.

The longest running dispute, however, has centred on the Polish governments attempts to take political control of the judiciary.

The ruling by Poland's Constitutional court, which is filled with ruling party's loyalists, was made after Morawiecki asked it to rule on whether EU or national law has primacy.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said last week that it was the first time ever that a national court found 'that the EU treaties are incompatible with the national constitution.'

'This ruling calls into question the foundations of the European Union,' von der Leyen said. 'It is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.'

Poland's decision has cast the Eastern European nation's future in the EU into doubt, six years after the UK voted to leave the bloc in 2016 and kickstarted a continent-wide debate about the role of the 27-nation bloc.

Warsaw has long been at odds with Brussels over democratic standards and the independence of its judiciary.

Opinion polls show Poles are overwhelmingly EU-enthusiastic, with over 80 percent backing membership of the bloc that has given their country billions of euros in subsidies, turbo-charging its development.

But relations have become increasingly strained since the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power.

The fine imposed Wednesday comes on top of a 500,000-euro daily fine the Court of Justice ordered Poland last month to pay for having ignored its injunction to close the Turow brown coal mine. The ruling came in a dispute between Poland and the Czech Republic.

Poland argues it cannot do without some 7% of its energy that the Turow power plant is generating. Morawiecki has indicated Poland is prepared to pay, and can afford it.

These additional burdens on the state budget come as there is a possibility Poland will not be getting some 36 billion euros in EU funds earmarked for recovery from the pandemic because of the rule of law despite with Brussels.

Morawiecki earlier this year had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the primacy of EU law following a series of rulings from the bloc's top court against Poland's disputed judicial reforms.

The Constitutional Court itself underwent controversial reforms in 2016 designed by the PiS government, leading critics both in Poland and abroad to argue it is stacked with PiS allies.

Poland and Hungary are bitterly opposed to agreements negotiated last year as the EU's 1.5trillion Covid recovery budget was agreed, which linked the funding to enforcing laws such as equality and human rights legislation.

Both countries are led by right-wing populist parties who have been involved in long-running spats with the EU over the independence of courts, freedom of the press, and LGBT rights.
Serial killer Stephen Port planted a fake suicide note on his third victim, framing him for the 'drug-related death' of his second victim, an inquest today heard.

The drug-sex predator sought to distance himself from the death of Gabriel Kovari, his second victim, by scribbling an apologetic note and placing it on the dead body of Daniel Whitworth.

Port had hoped that by placing the note, police would suspect Daniel, 21 to have been involved in a manslaughter-suicide, the inquest heard.

The murders happened three weeks apart in near-identical circumstances, a short distance from Port's ground-floor flat in Barking, east London.

Rather than a murder-suicide, it was Pornography-obsessed Port, now 46, who had killed the two men.

He also killed Anthony Walgate, 23, and Jack Taylor, 25, during a 16-month murder spree in 2014 and 2015, before being brought to a halt.

Inquests into the deaths are examining whether police could have stopped Port sooner by acting differently.

The note, read to the inquest jury on Friday, said: 'I am sorry to everyone, mainly my family, but I can't go on anymore. I took the life of my friend Gabriel Kline (Mr Kovari).

Serial killer Stephen Port (pictured) planted a fake suicide note on his third victim, framing him for the drug-related death of his second victim, an inquest today heard

The drug-sex predator sought to distance himself from the death of Gabriel Kovari, his second victim, by scribbling an apologetic note and placing it on the dead body of Daniel Whitworth. Port had hoped that by placing the note police would suspect Daniel, 21 to have been involved in a manslaughter-suicide, the inquest heard.

'We was (sic) just having some fun at a mate's place and I got carried away and I gave him another shot of G (drug GHB).

'I didn't notice while we was having sex that he had stopped breathing. I tried everything to get him to breath (sic) again but it was too late.

'It was an accident but I blame myself for what happened and I didn't tell my family I went out.'

Timeline of Stephen Port's crimes June 4, 2014: Police find Stephen Port at Barking station in East London with a young man he had drugged who has collapsed. Port admits they had taken illegal drugs but is not arrested. June 19: Anthony Walgate, 23, given drug overdose and raped by Port who dumps body outside his flat and calls 999, claiming he has found an unconscious man. June 26: Port suspected of lying to police and charged with perverting the course of justice. Released on bail. He is not accused of murdering Mr Walgate. August 28: Gabriel Kovari, 22, given an overdose and raped by Port who dumps the body against a graveyard wall. September 20: Daniel Whitworth, 21, given a drug overdose and raped. Port dumps his body against the same graveyard wall. Mr Whitworth is wearing Mr Kovari's top and is in a bed-sheet which has Port's DNA on it. October 1: Detective Chief Inspector Tony Kirk tells local paper the three deaths within a mile of each other are not being treated as suspicious. March 23, 2015: Port jailed for perverting the course of justice by lying over Mr Walgate's death. Released on licence in June with an electronic tag. June 2015: Inquests into the deaths of Mr Kovari and Mr Whitworth were held, which were later set aside at the High Court in the wake of the murder trial. September 13: Jack Taylor, 25, given a drug overdose and raped by Port. Body found next to the same graveyard. October 15: Port arrested on suspicion of four murders and charged. Later charged with attacks on eight other men. November 23, 2016: Port is convicted of 22 offences against 11 men, including four murders, four rapes, four assaults by penetration and 10 of administering a substance. He was cleared on three counts of rape. November 25: Port is handed a whole-life sentence for the four murders. Advertisement

The handwritten note was on a sheet of A4 paper and wrapped in a protective plastic sheet found on Mr Whitworth's body.

The note added: 'I know I would go to prison if I go to the police and I cannot do that to my family and at least this way I can at least be with Gabriel again.

'I hope he will forgive me. BTW (by the way). Please do not blame the guy I was with last night.

'We only had sex then I left. He knows nothing of what I have done. I have taken what G (and) I had left with sleeping pills, so if (it) does kill me it is what I deserve.

'Feeling dizzy now as (I) took 10 minutes ago, so hoping you understand my writing.

'I dropped my phone on way here, so should be in the grass somewhere. Sorry to everyone. Love always. Daniel PW.'

It was not until much later that it became clear Port was responsible for the note.

Inquest jurors previously heard Port, a bus depot chef who was said to have 'a revolving door of boys coming and going', had told a neighbour that 22-year-old Mr Kovari has 'died in Spain' in mysterious circumstances in order to cover his murderous tracks.

Port was jailed for life in 2016 after being convicted of murdering Anthony Walgate, 23, Mr Kovari, Mr Whitworth, and Jack Taylor, 25, by plying them with fatal doses of GHB, as well as a number of rapes.

Previously the inquest heard how Port had a 'voracious appetite' for meeting 'very young' men and spent time with 'vulnerable' boys to such an extent that his neighbour considered he might have 'paedophile tendencies'.

Neighbour Ryan Edwards said while he had concerns about Port he was reassured by the killer that his interest in young men was legal and that the drugs he was using were for personal use only.

He also described how Port, who also sexually assaulted several men, had a 'strange' obsession with children's toys and tried to cover his murderous tracks by telling him his second victim Gabriel Kovari died in mysterious circumstances abroad.

Mr Edwards told inquest jurors he struck up a friendship with Port due to them being neighbours and members of Barking's LGBT community.

He said their friendship was strictly platonic, and that Port would frequently invite him over to meet his new partner, something which occasionally gave Mr Edwards cause for concern.

He told the inquest jury: 'My slight concern with Stephen Port was sometimes the guys he would introduce me to were very young - 16, 17 sometimes, very close to the age of consent.

'Often there were difficult circumstances, broken homes, needing somewhere to stay, vulnerable.

'I was wondering if he was bordering on paedophile tendencies, but I didn't have any evidence.'

Mr Edwards added: 'He had a voracious appetite for meeting guys and I was always astonished at how he was able to meet so many, he wasn't exactly ''Mr Personality''.

'That was slightly strange.'

Mr Edwards also described being invited to Port's flat one evening to meet his 'new guy', only to find the male seemingly unable to speak and drugs paraphernalia on the coffee table.

Gabriel Kovari, 22, (left) and Anthony Walgate, 23, (right) were found dead near Stephen Port's flat

Two of Port's four victims were Jack Taylor (left), 25, and Daniel Whitworth (right), 21

He said: 'I did ask Stephen about it and he reassured me it was for his own personal use and reassured me not to worry.

'Rightly or wrongly, drugs are very prevalent on the gay scene, I don't see it as my place to police that.'

Mr Edwards said he would have reported concerns about Port's young companions and about drug use if there was any evidence of criminal activity, as he had done with a previous friend.

He also described how Port loved playing with Transformers toys, specifically the ones designed for children.

'(It was) strange for a grown man,' Mr Edwards said, 'but I took Stephen for his quirks, and there were many.'

The inquests continue.
The family of Alex Murdaugh's late housekeeper say they realized something 'fishy' was going on when a $4 million payout he'd promised to arrange for them at her funeral failed to materialize.

Gloria Satterfield's brother Eric Harriott Jr. told TODAY that three years on from the 57 year-old 2018 death in early 2021, he said to himself: 'Something's fishy about this.'

Explaining his fears at the time over the missing payout to Satterfield's two sons Tony and Brian, Harriott added: 'I just don't think these boys are gonna... get what they deserve... what's due to them.'

'It ain't about the money. It's like she was a nobody, as much as she's done for him.'

Gloria Satterfield, 57, died mysteriously in February 2018 after allegedly tripping over the Murdaughs' dog at their South Carolina home.

Murdaugh, an attorney who is part of a powerful legal family, is said to have sidled up to Satterfield's sons Tony and Brian at her funeral, and promised them a payout.

Recalling that encounter, Satterfield's sister Ginger Harriott Haldwin said: 'He said, "I wanna make sure the boys are taken care of", because he loved Gloria that much.'

But the legal heir has since been mired in scandal, tragedy and disgrace, including claims he pocketed the huge payout himself without giving Satterfield's sons a dime.

Ginger Harriott Hadwin (top left) said in the Dateline interview that Alex Murdaugh said he would 'take care of' his housekeeper Gloria's Satterfield's sons Brian Harriott (bottom left) and Tony Satterfield (bottom right) after she died after 'falling' in the Murdaugh home. After years went by without the promised insurance payout, Gloria's brother Eric Harriott Jr. (center) said, he began to suspect that there was 'something fishy about this thing. The Satterfield family attorney Eric Bland (top right) said the family hasn't received 'a dime' of the promised payout

Murdaugh's life beginning to unravel when his wife Maggy and son Paul were shot dead at the family's Hampton County hunting lodge in June.

Paul had been linked to the deaths of two local teenagers. After the double-murder of his wife and son, Alex Murdaugh was accused of stealing from his law firm PMPED - and taking out on a hit on himself, with the alleged Satterfield fraud also emerging.

He has been charged over the fraud and hit, with cops continuing to investigate the deaths of his wife and son.

Murdaugh had Satterfield's family file a wrongful death lawsuit against him with the goal of having his insurance company pay out a settlement, but he never gave her sons the money.

'He said "I wanna make sure the boys are taken care of," because he loved Gloria that much,' Harriot Hadwin said.

At the time, Tony said he believed Murdaugh intended to follow through: 'Why wouldn't I?' he told TODAY anchor Craig Melvin.

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When Gloria Satterfield (pictured) was hospitalized in February of 2018, her family was told that she 'was tripped by the dogs' and that the Murdaughs 'thought she had a head injury, because they saw blood and that was about it until we got to the hospital.' Before she died, Gloria fought for her life in the hospital for 21 days

Gloria Satterfield's family told TODAY's Craig Melvin (right) that their family 'thought of [the Murdaughs] as extended family also, because Gloria did.'

The Satterfield family's attorney, Eric Bland, said that Gloria's family has gotten 'zero' money - 'not a dime' - since the 57-year-old's death in 2018.

'We're still tracing where the money actually landed,' he said during the television appearance. 'But it is impossible to burn that kind of money in Hampton, South Carolina.'

Now, Murdaugh is in jail for that theft but he is also a person of interest in the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, who died in June at the family's home.

When Gloria was hospitalized in February of 2018, her family was told that she 'was tripped by the dogs' and that the Murdaughs 'thought she had a head injury, because they saw blood and that was about it until we got to the hospital.'

Before she died, Gloria fought for her life in the hospital for 21 days.

'I had just said, "Gloria, I'll be back tomorrow, and I love you,' Ginger tearfully said of the last words she exchanged with her sister. 'She told me "I love you, too." And that's the last words I heard her say.'

'It ain't about the money... he treated her like she was nothing' said Gloria's brother

Gloria Satterfield died in the home of legal heir Alex Murdaugh (left) in February 2018 after working for the family for 20 years. He told her sons that she died of a fall. Now, they say they still don't know if that's what really happened

Gloria's sister, Ginger Harriott Hadwin, added: 'Did he have that going through his mind that day when we buried Gloria, and thinking, "oh, how much money am I gonna get? How can I get this?"'

Neither of Gloria's sons have spoken publicly but in lawsuits against Murdaugh, they lay bare how he took advantage of them as they grieved their mother.

To this day, the two sons say they still don't know how the fall caused her such horrific injuries that she died.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating her death now in light of a slew of other allegations against Murdaugh.

Murdaugh was arrested for theft and is in custody. He was denied bond yesterday

In an interview on Tuesday, after Murdaugh was denied bond, the sons' attorney Ronnie Richter cast doubt on the claim that Gloria died by falling down the stairs in the family's home.

'Death was first classified a natural death... there is nothing natural about a 57-year old-woman falling down a flight of steps and dying from a head trauma,' he told CBS in South Carolina.

After Gloria's death, Murdaugh promised to 'take care of' the boys financially.

The two sons, in a lawsuit filed last month, tell how they trusted Murdaugh as a respected South Carolina attorney whose family had been in law offices across the state for more than 100 years.

'Prior to her untimely death on February 26, 2018, Gloria had worked for Alex Murdaugh and his family as a housekeeper and nanny for over two decades.

'Gloria was told she was part of the Murdaugh family, and she believed it to be true. The Murdaughs are prominent and wealthy family based in Hampton County that for generations controlled the prosecutors office in Hampton County and were the prominent legal family in the area,' the sons' lawyer said in their suit.

It was before the murders of Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul, before Murdaugh admitted to having an 'opioid addiction', before he stole money from his own law firm and unsuccessfully tried to have himself killed in a suicide-by-hitman plot to benefit his remaining son Buster.

'Soon after' their mother's funeral, he introduced them to attorney Cory Fleming and encouraged them to hire him.

'Tony and Brian trusted Alex Murdaugh and because of their trust in him, Tony and Brian retained Fleming and MKF to represent them,' the lawsuit states.

Neither son was aware that Fleming was Murdaugh's college roommate and 'best friend'.

Unsovled: The murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh (main) remain unsolved. Far left is the only surviving Murdaugh son, Buster

People watch during a bond hearing for Alex Murdaugh in the Richland Judicial Center in Columbia, South Carolina on October 19. He is currently in court on two felony charges of obtaining property by false pretenses after siphoning money meant for an insurance payout to Gloria Satterfield's family after her death for himself

Fleming then appointed a banker, Chad Westendorf, to act as a representative on behalf of the sons.

They didn't know him and were also unaware that they could have acted as their own representatives, they said.

Westendorf was also the Vice President of Palmetto State Bank at the time and, according to the sons' lawsuit, he had used the bank in business dealings with Murdaugh and Fleming in the past.

Murdaugh paid Edward Smith to kill him in September but it was a botched job and he survived

The sons were unaware of the professional history between any of them.

Together, they concocted a plan for Fleming and Westendorf to file claims against Murdaugh for Gloria's death. Murdaugh agreed and said his insurance company, Lloyds of London, would pay out the claim.

They - without the sons' knowledge or consent - agreed to $505,000, according to the lawsuit.

On Janaury 7, 2019, Fleming received a check from Lloyd's for $505,000. That day, he wrote a check to Forge for $403,500.

Over the next two years, Fleming and Westendorf negotiated payouts of over $4million from the two insurers Murdaugh used - Lloyd's and Nautilus. None of those papers were filed in court, and the sons were never away of them.

'Tony and Brian first learned that money had been recovered from the death of their mother when it was reported in the press.

'To date, Tony and Brian have not received any monies from any claims or settlements with Murdaugh and his insurance carriers.

'Not one dime,' their attorney says.

The investigation into Gloria's death remains ongoing.

'SLEDs criminal investigation into the death of Gloria Satterfield and the handling of her estate is ongoing.

'No additional information is available at this time while the investigation is ongoing,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com on Wednesday morning.

Murdaugh, 53, has so far only been charged with stealing settlement money from the Satterfield boys but he is a person of interest in the investigation into his wife and son's murders.
Britain must be punished for Brexit to show other EU states that 'leaving is more damaging than remaining', France's prime minister has said in a furious letter.

In what is a further escalation of Britain's ongoing row with it's Channel neighbour over fishing rights, Jean Castex wrote to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an attempt to get backing for a new hard line stance against the UK.

Paris has so far threatened to increase checks on British boats, to initiate a 'go-slow' strategy with Calais customs arrangements, stop UK fishing vessels from landing in French ports and to increase tariffs on energy bills in Jersey.

They are demanding that Britain grants more licenses to French fishermen to access British waters.

The fishing row stepped up a gear on Friday after a UK trawler was detained by France amid fears the friction could spark a full-blown trade war. The Cornelis Gert Jan was ordered to divert to Le Havre after French authorities said it did not have a licence.

The trawler's boss claimed his vessel was being used as a 'pawn' in the fishing dispute and blasted the 'politically motivated' French.

On Friday Mr Johnson stressed that the Government will do 'whatever is necessary' to ensure that British fishing fleets can go about their 'lawful' business.

In his letter, which was reported by the Telegraph, Mr Castex said: 'It ... seems necessary for the European Union to show its full determination to obtain full compliance with the agreement by the United Kingdom and assert its rights by using the levers at its disposal in a firm, united and proportionate manner.

'It is essential to make clear to European public opinion that compliance with the commitments entered into is non-negotiable and that leaving the Union is more damaging than remaining in it.'

News of it came as Mr Macron appeared to suggest the UK has not kept its Brexit pledges.

Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, he said Britain's 'credibility' was at stake over the dispute in what will be seen as a reference to the handling of post-Brexit fishing licences.

He told the newspaper: 'When you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility.'

Britain must be punished for Brexit to show other EU states that 'leaving is more damaging than remaining', France's prime minister has said in a furious letter. In what is a further escalation of Britain's ongoing row with it's Channel neighbour over fishing rights, Jean Castex (pictured) wrote to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday in an attempt to get backing for a new hard line stance against the UK

On Friday Mr Johnson stressed that the Government will do 'whatever is necessary' to ensure that British fishing fleets can go about their 'lawful' business. Above: The PM and his wife Carrie arriving in Rome for the G20 summit

British Embassy staff from Paris leave the Cornelis-Gert Jan trawler following a meeting with its crew

Earlier on Friday, Mr Johnson demanded that French president Emmanuel Macron rein in his ministers stoking tensions over fishing rights  and warned that the UK 'stands ready' to respond if Paris escalates the situation.

The PM fired a shot across Mr Macron's bows ahead of a meeting between the pair on Sunday - despite insisting that the cross-Channel relationship is one of the UK's 'best and oldest'.

The French ambassador to London has been summoned to explain a series of threats in the row over rights to fish in British waters.

France's fleet has been incensed that it has been refused permits, even though the UK authorities insist boats are granted access if they can prove they have historically been using them  in line with the post-Brexit trade deal.

A Scottish registered scallop dredger was also detained in Le Havre in an apparent ramping up on Thursday.

British embassy staff boarded the highjacked fishing boat on Friday evening to discuss the diplomatic row with the captain and his crew.

The two officials arrived in a Mercedes limousine from Paris, as one confirmed: 'We are here to see the British nationals.'

It comes as France's Europe minister Clement Beaune has been posturing about tough action by insisting the only language Britain understands is 'the language of force'.

Photographs showed the crew of the high-jacked fishing boat still remained in good spirits in Le Harve on Friday despite facing a 70,000 fine for allegedly poaching in French waters

Speaking to reporters en route to the G20 summit in Rome tonight, Boris Johnson (pictured) stressed that he did not believe French President Emmanuel Macron himself  who is facing a presidential election battle next spring - was making threats

Asked about claims France is ready to disrupt trade over Christmas in the dispute, Mr Johnson said: 'We will do whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests. But I haven't heard that from our French friends. I would be surprised if they adopted that approach.' (Pictured: Macron)

Mr Johnson also said that 'France is one of our best oldest closest allies, friends and partners' (pictured with Macron)

Boris and Carrie Johnson were pictured arriving in Italy Friday night for the G20 summit in Rome, donning black face masks featuring a Union Jack

Officials of the British Embassy were pictured arriving today at the British trawler detained in Le Havre's harbour, northern France

British Embassy Staff boarded the Cornelis Gert Jan to meet with the British crew, who were advised to stay onboard for their own safety as the row with France continues

The British boat's detention comes amid a flare-up of the ongoing dispute over fishing rights. This was sparked by licensing rules for EU fishing boats wanting to operate in waters around Britain and the Channel Islands

Lord Frost today warned Brussels that Britain will carry out 'rigorous checks' on all EU fishing boats in UK waters if France goes through with threats to block British vessels from French ports (Pictured: British Embassy staff meet with crew of seized British trawler)

British Embassy staff from Paris with the fishermen and French lawyer onboard the scallop trawler Cornelis-Gert Jan

The detaining of the ship comes as France's Europe minister Clement Beaune has been posturing about tough action by insisting the only language Britain understands is 'the language of force' (Pictured: British Embassy staff with the crew of the trawler)

Man believed to be the captain of the scallop trawler Cornelis-Gert Jan which has been impounded by the French Gendarmerie Maritime for 'illegally fishing' in the Bay of the Seine in french waters

The crew of the trawler (pictured) were warned to stay onboard for their safety as the fishing fallout between Britain and France continues

The man believed to be the captain of the British trawler was pictured being approached by media in northern France

The reported captain was seen walking with his lawyer after his crew were threatened with a 70,000 fine

British Embassy staff had arrived in a Mercedes limousine from Paris, as one confirmed: 'We are here to see the British nationals'

Speaking to reporters en route to the G20 summit in Rome tonight, Mr Johnson stressed that he did not believe Mr Macron himself  who is facing a presidential election battle next spring - was making threats.

Mr Johnson said: 'France is one of our best oldest closest allies, friends and partners.

'The ties that unite us and bind us together are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exists in the relationship.

'That is what I will say to Emmanuel who is a friend I have known for many years.'

But in an apparent dig at Mr Beaune and other allies of the French president, he said: 'There may be people on both sides of the Channel who may think they have an interest in promoting disharmony between the UK and France, promoting the impression of disharmony between the UK and France.

'I don't think Emmanuel shares that perspective personally at all.'

Mr Johnson said: 'On the particular issues that we have, we are puzzled about what is going on. We fear that there may be a breach of the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement implicit on what is happening and some of the things that are being said. We stand by to take the appropriate action.'

Sailors aboard the Cornelis Gert Jan trawler vowed to toast the Queen with Scotch Whisky from their Union Jack mugs

The Cornelis Gert Jan (pictured on Friday) was ordered to divert to Le Havre after French authorities said it did not have a licence

It comes after Environment Secretary George Eustice today urged France to drop its 'unacceptable' fishing row threats. Pictured: The crew appeared to be in high spirits onboard the scallop trawler this afternoon

Asked about claims France is ready to disrupt trade over Christmas in the dispute, Mr Johnson said: 'We will do whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests. But I haven't heard that from our French friends. I would be surprised if they adopted that approach.'

It comes after Lord Frost today warned Brussels that Britain will carry out 'rigorous checks' on all EU fishing boats in UK waters if France goes through with threats to block British vessels from French ports.

A rumbling row over post-Brexit fishing licences escalated this week as Paris threatened action if the UK does not grant permission to more French boats to work in British waters.

French ministers have said they could block British boats from ports and tighten checks on vessels if the UK does not give in by Tuesday next week.

Lord Frost, the Government's Brexit chief, met with his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in London today for talks on improving the Northern Ireland Protocol.

But the fishing row was also brought up as Lord Frost set out his 'concerns about the unjustified measures' threatened by France.

Lord Frost today warned Brussels that Britain will carry out 'rigorous checks' on all EU fishing boats in UK waters if France goes through with threats to block British vessels from French ports

Lord Frost, the Government's Brexit chief, met with his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in London today for talks on improving the Northern Ireland Protocol

Britain was last night preparing to retaliate after a UK trawler - the Cornelis Gert Jan (pictured right in in Le Havre, France, October 29, 2021) - was detained by France amid fears the fishing row could spark a full-blown trade war

The minister said if France goes ahead with its plans then the EU would be in breach of the Brexit deal and the UK would retaliate by rolling out tougher enforcement action in British waters.

The UK would also look to trigger formal 'dispute settlement proceedings' against the bloc.

A UK Government spokesman said after Friday's meeting: 'Lord Frost also set out to the Vice President our concerns about the unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week to disrupt UK fisheries and wider trade, to threaten energy supplies, and to block further cooperation between the UK and the EU, for example on the Horizon research programme.

'Lord Frost made clear that, if these actions were implemented as planned on 2 November, they would put the European Union in breach of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

'The Government is accordingly considering the possibility, in those circumstances, of launching dispute settlement proceedings under the TCA, and of other practical responses, including implementing rigorous enforcement processes and checks on EU fishing activity in UK territorial waters, within the terms of the TCA.'

Crew members of the scallop trawler Cornelis Gert Jan are pictured this morning in Le Havre shortening the mooring line

A European Commission spokesman said after the meeting: 'The Vice President encouraged the UK to intensify discussions with the European Commission and France in order to swiftly resolve the issue of pending fishing licences. All French vessels entitled to a licence should receive one.'

The focus of today's meeting was on negotiations relating to improving post-Brexit border rules in Northern Ireland.

The UK said this week's talks on the protocol had been 'conducted in a constructive spirit' but the 'gaps between us remain substantial' and more talks will take place in Brussels next week.
One-time financial world wunderkind Alexander Chatfield, whose insurance empire collapsed after he checked into a mental health facility, has died of suspected suicide.

Chatfield, 34, whose last known address was in Charleston, South Carolina, was found inside an unspecified residence in the city earlier this week.

Charleston County Coroner Brittney W. Martin said the office had not ruled out suicide as a possible manner of death, according to the Wall Street Journal, saying the investigation into Chatfield's death is still ongoing but that there doesn't appear to be foul play.

Chatfield was once a gifted financier, who gained control of several insurers and a brokerage firm nearly a decade ago through his fancy Madison Avenue firm Southport Lane Management in New York City where he enjoyed lavish parties and members-only cigar clubs.

Chatfield attended many lavish parties in New York, where his company Southport Lane Management was based. He was known to have many pretty- women on his arms at parties, including Andrea Johnson (pictured). He texted Johnson in 2014 to tell her he had checked himself into a mental health facility after a 'nervous breakdown'

Financier Alexander Chatfield, 34, was allegedly found dead inside a South Carolina residence earlier this week. The Charleston County Coroner's Office said suicide could be a possibility

He started the insurance company at 23 in 2010 with several others, but Chatfield took the majority of ownership.

He wanted to be a superrich guy,' Jeffrey Leach, a former Southport president, told the WSJ. 'His goal was to build this into a multibillion-dollar insurance operation.'

His company allegedly first purchased Dallas National Insurance and renamed it Freestone, and moved it to Delaware, according to the WSJ. Later on, the company purchased a Louisiana company and alleged used $50million of Freestone's money to buy it.

The financier checked himself into Bellevue Hospital's mental health facility in New York City in 2014, allegedly leaving behind an affidavit indicating strange asset transfers.

The affidavit, reviewed by the Wall Street Journal in 2015, said Chatfield took sole responsibility for the asset swaps in Delaware and Louisiana.

He messaged Andrea Johnson, who attended several high-profile events with him, that he had a 'nervous breakdown' and that was the reason he was in the hospital.

'I'm at the hospital. I had a nervous breakdown. Everything's fine,' he allegedly messaged Johnson in 2014.

It is unknown how long he stayed at the facility and some called it a 'ruse' to keep himself out of jail.

Regulators would overtake two of the main insurers - located in Delaware and Louisiana - soon after and Chatfield's empire fell after it was discovered he had siphoned millions off mainstream insurance holdings.

His company Southport allegedly purchased Dallas National Insurance and renamed it Freestone. It later took $50million of Freestone's money to purchase a business in Louisiana. Chatfield admitted to the strange asset transfers in an affidavit he left behind before entering the hospital (pictured: Southport's NYC Office)

Chatfield took those holding and replaced them with assets that were 'illiquid, grossly over-valued or hard to value, worthless, and in some cases non-existent,' the Delaware Chancery Court said.

One of the strange assets found on one of the insurance company's books was a Caravaggio master.

Chatfield's company South alleged in a Delaware Superior Court in 2015 that Chatfield had moved $35million from regulated insurers to his personal accounts. Although it later redrew its complaint over jurisdictional concerns.

'At no time did I ever, nor will I ever, receive any personal financial benefit from any Southport transaction,' Chatfield said in 2015.

At the time of his death, Chatfield was also involved in a civil lawsuit brought by a Danish customs and tax authority.

Danish authorities claimed it was defrauded into issuing tax returns worth more than $2billion to pension plans that didn't deserve it. One of the pension plans was established by Raubritter, which was controlled by Chatfield and meant 'robber baron' in German.

Chatfield allegedly tried to get a federal judge to dismiss him as a defendant after he argued that the country should have discovered it fraud earlier because of the word's true meaning.

A New York federal judge called his argument 'completely frivolous' and denied taking him off as a defendant.

After he left the mental health facility in New York in 2014, Chatfield moved to South Carolina.

He grew up in Connecticut and was known to be socially awkward.

His background is largely disputed as Chatfield to have gone to Yale and worked for Twenty-First Securities, both which do not have records of his enrollment or employment.

Chatfield attended fancy parties and members-only cigar clubs, had an Andy Warhol painting in his Greenwich apartment, and was often photographed with pretty, young woman on his arms at events, such as Johnson, who attended several functions with him.

DailyMail.com contacted the Charleston County Coroner's Office and the Charleston Police Department.
Police in Texas have arrested a man for allegedly shooting dead a young single mother who had recently shared a chilling video on Instagram, claiming that someone had attached a tracking device to her car.

Stanley Szeliga, 54, of Irving, was apprehended by the Fort Worth Police on Thursday following a standoff with a SWAT team during which he slashed himself, and was later booked into the Tarrant County Jail for the killing of 22-year-old Abigail Saldana.

Saldana's family said the mom-of-one had complained before her death that someone was following her, and the Fort Worth Police on Friday confirmed that Szeliga had been stalking and harassing her.

Police have not revealed a motive, or said whether the suspect and victim knew each other prior to the killing.

Stanley Szeliga, 54 (left), has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting and killing Abigail Saldana, 22 (right), in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday

Two weeks ago, Saldana posted this video on her Instagram page, showing a tracking device that had been attached to her car

The investigation began unfolding at 8.30pm on Tuesday night, when police responded to a car crash on Amon Carter Boulevard south of Highway 183 and found Saldana dead from gunshot wounds.

The woman worked two jobs - as a brow stylist and a server at a bar - to provide for her five-year-old son.

Two weeks before her death, Saldana uploaded a video onto her Instagram page, showing what she claimed was a tracking device that had been planted under her car, NBC DFW reported.

'This was literally on my car like this,' Saldana says in the video. 'This is why you have to be careful. I don't know what to do moving forward with this, but this is definitely looks like a tracker to me.'

She then goes on to say: 'this is so crazy, you guys. So crazy. Like who would do this?'

Police later confirmed that what Saldana had found under her car was, in fact, a tracker, and said that investigators were looking into it.

Around that time, Saldana reportedly told her mother, Jessica Contreras, that she thought she was being followed by a stalker, reported Fox 4 News.

'This was literally on my car like this,' Saldana says in the video. 'This is why you have to be careful'

Saldana says in the video: 'this is so crazy, you guys. So crazy. Like who would do this?'

Contreras said that Saldana on one occasion even managed to photograph her suspected stalker's license plate number and send the image to a friend.

In a statement to DailyMail.com on Friday, a Fort Worth police spokesperson said investigators have determined that Saldana 'had been having issues recently with the suspect.'

Detectives found evidence to indicate that Szeliga had recently been stalking and harassing Saldana, and that he had been following her just before the fatal shooting, said prior to the shooting, according to Officer Brad Perez.

On Thursday, police tracked Szeliga down to a home in Irving and ordered him to come out, but he refused, prompting a standoff.

Police said Szeliga had been stalking and harassing Saldana, including just before her killing. The single mom worked as a brow stylist and as a server at a bar

SWAT team members eventually gained entry into the apartment and found Szeliga on a balcony, suffering from several self-inflicted cuts all over his body.

Szeliga was taken to a hospital to be treated for his mostly superficial cuts and then transported to jail, where he was booked on $250,000 bond.

Saldana's mother said when she heard of Szeliga's arrest on Thursday, she felt a sense of peace amid the pain of her loss.

'He can't hurt anyone and he's going to have to answer to me why he took my daughter,' Contreras said. 'And I'm not going to stop. I will fight and I will fight. He took my pride. He took my joy.'

Szeliga reportedly has a prior criminal record in California, which includes charges related to domestic violence.
Dr. Brittney Cooper, a tenured Rutgers professor, alluded during a televised interview with MSNBC last year that American conservatives were trying to kill black people by reopening society during the COVID pandemic

The Rutgers professor who made shocking comments last month about white people alluded during an interview with MSNBC last year that American conservatives were trying to kill black people by reopening society during the COVID pandemic.

What's more, Dr. Brittney Cooper also wrote in a 2012 blog post that then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was 'white rage personified' after a photo surfaced of the Republican pointing a finger in the face of then-President Barack Obama when they met at a Phoenix airport.

She has also tweeted a series of controversial statements on Twitter, saying that white conservatives dont care about the lives of Black people.

Cooper, 41, who is a tenured women's, gender and Africana studies professor at the New Jersey university, made headlines earlier this month after she proudly proclaimed 'we got to take white people out' in an online discussion with The Root's Michael Harriot in September.

Rutgers University has not returned DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Now, the professor's past remarks and blog posts are under scrutiny, after a host of controversial comments regarding race, such as her saying whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything.'

'Not only do white conservatives not care about Black life, but my most cynical negative read of the white supremacists among them is that they welcome this massive winnowing of Black folks in order to slow demographic shifts and shore up political power,' Cooper tweeted back in April 2020.

'Not only do white conservatives not care about Black life, but my most cynical negative read of the white supremacists among them is that they welcome this massive winnowing of Black folks in order to slow demographic shifts and shore up political power,' Cooper tweeted last year

During a May 2020 interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid, Brewer claimed that white conservatives were secretly plotting to kill low-income black Americans by pushing to alleviate travel restrictions months after the coronavirus first surfaced in the U.S.

The pair was joined by white politician Seth Harris, the former deputy secretary of labor.

The professor has also extensively chronicled her hatred for white conservatives on a blog site she cofounded, called Crunk Feminist Collective, where she writes under the name 'Crunktastic.'

In one post from 2012, Cooper criticized politician Jan Brewer after the then-governor of Arizona was pictured pointing her finger at then-President Obama when the two exchanged met on the tarmac of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

She called the conservative politico the epitome of 'white rage' in a post published the day after the highly publicized encounter, titled, White Womens Rage: 5 Thoughts on Why Jan Brewer Should Keep Her Fingers to Herself.

'Newt Gingrich is white rage personified. And for it, he gets loads of applause. So is Jan Brewer, but usually we think of white rage in masculine terms,' Cooper wrote.

Brewer, a white woman, later said she was only chiding the then-president after she sought to speak to him about jobs and the economy and he changed the subject, saying: 'I was not hostile.'

Cooper wrote in a 2012 blog post that then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was 'white rage personified' after this photo surfaced of the Republican pointing a finger in the face of then-President Barack Obama when they met at a Phoenix airport

The educator writes under the pseudonym 'Crunktastic' for a blog she co-founded called the Crunk Feminist Collective

During the discussion with Harriot, however, the educator took a contentious stance concerning the relationship between race and politics, in an online segment titled Unpacking The Attacks On Critical Race Theory on September 21.

She started by saying on the topic: 'Kids actually can grasp Critical Race Theory because the issue that the right has, is that Critical Race Theory is just the proper teaching of American history.'

She said the accurate portrayal of history was the white people 'didn't discover America' because there were already indigenous people and that they had 'committed acts of violence in order to make yourselves seem superior.'

Cooper added: 'It's not that white people don't know what they have done,' presumably referencing slavery, which was abolished in 1865 after a nearly 300-year-long stint of being legal.

'They fear that there is no other way to be human than the way in which they are human' noting that whenever she speaks to a white person they write off 'all of this power' as merely a part of 'human nature'.

New Jersey professor Brittney Cooper (pictured) said: 'We got to take these motherf*****s out' when discussing white people and Critical Race Theory (CRT) during an online conference with The Root Institute on September 21

Host Michael Harriot (left) nodded in agreement throughout the conversation as Cooper (right) said that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything,' adding that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'

Cooper continued: 'They do this thing where they say that how white people have done humanity - how they have acted as human beings - is the way all of us act. So they think black people are going to get them back.

'And I wouldn't be mad at the black people who want to get them back but what I believe about black people is that we have seen what a sh** show this iteration of treatment of other human beings means. And my hope is that we would do it differently in the moments when we have some power.'

During Cooper's response Harriot was seen nodding his head in agreement before asking the Rutgers professor what she thinks the other options are.

He provided the options as 'they' - presumably lumping all white people together - 'coming around to the majority of human beings on the planet's way of thinking' or 'they say f*** that' because they don't want to relinquish said 'power'.

Cooper called whiteness an 'inconvenient interruption' in history and referenced a 2016 TED Talk where she 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'

Cooper candidly responded: 'The thing I want to say to you is, "We got to take these motherf*****s out," but like we can't say that,' before noting that she 'doesn't believe in a project of violence'.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The fight over critical race theory in schools has escalated in the United States over the last year. The theory has sparked a fierce nationwide debate in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country over the last year and the introduction of the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project, which was published by the New York Times in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived on American shores, reframes American history by 'placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the center of the US narrative'. The debate surrounding critical race theory regards concerns that some children are being indoctrinated into thinking that white people are inherently racist or sexist. Those against critical race theory have argued it reduces people to the categories of 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on their skin color. Supporters, however, say the theory is vital to eliminating racism because it examines the ways in which race influence American politics, culture and the law. Advertisement

She shared that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'.

She added that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything' and cited a TED Talk she did on the topic back in 2016 titled The Racial Politics Of Time. According to a synopsis the speech 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'.

Cooper - a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC - went on to elaborate on 'white colonialism' and said it is her job to help 'get to the other side of this very inconvenient apoca(lyptic)-interruption of black and indigenous world-making'.

She then asked: 'Does that give people comfort on the day-to-day when you're just having to deal with white folks and the travesties that they create in the sense that they want to destroy the planet?'

'Nah,' Cooper said in response to her own question.

'Despite what white people think of themselves they do not define the laws of eternity,' she added when theorizing about when whiteness, which she called an 'inconvenient interruption' in history, will end.

'Their projects are not so sophisticated' she added, noting that she 'showed up' in this point of history 'precisely so that we could help to figure out an end and a way to the other side of this gargantuan historical tragedy that is white supremacy'.

The Root Institute's description of the conversation called it 'a healthy dose of reality'.

The New Jersey professor teaches classes on women's and genders studies and authored three books 'expressing her frustrations, desires and expectations of society as an African American feminist woman,' according to Cooper's website.

Cooper is a professor who teaches classes on women's and genders studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey

Rutgers University has yet to comment on Cooper's statements.

After a look at her social media it is evident that Cooper keeps her personal life out of the public eye. It is unclear if she is in a relationship or has children.

But she did carve out time in the segment to discuss white people having children. She said: 'White people's birth rates are going down...because they literally cannot afford to put newer generations into the middle class.'

'They kind of deserve it,' she added with a smile.

Cooper ended the segment circling back to CRT, saying that it helps black people 'reclaim our own heritage, our own power, our own sense of the ways that our life-giving strategies'.

'That's why white people are afraid of us,' she said, adding: 'Until they need us.'
A serving Met Police constable appeared in court today to deny inappropriately communicating with two teenage girls while on duty.

Adnan Arib allegedly told a 15-year-old girl to lie about a theft during her police interview without her mother present on July 4, 2019.

The 44-year-old is then accused on arranging to meet her alone without an adult present, Southwark Crown Court heard.

A serving Met Police (pictured: Library image of Scotland) constable appeared in court today to deny inappropriately communicating with two teenage girls while on duty

He is also accused of messaging a 16-year-old girl and asking her out for non-police purposes between March 31 and May 22, 2019.

Arib spoke only to confirm his name and deny the charges when he appeared in court today.

He was dressed in a back puffa jacket, pinstripe trousers, a white shirt, and a black tie.

Adnan Arib is then accused on arranging to meet her alone without an adult present, Southwark Crown Court (pictured) heard

Judge Sally Cahill released Arib on bail ahead of his trial on February 10 next year.

Arib, of Harts Lane, Barking, denied two counts of misconduct in a public office.

The Metropolitan Police said that Arib was currently suspended from duty.
A Florida mom has been banned from volunteering at her sons' elementary school for having an X-rated OnlyFans account - and is now suing the district for $1 million.

Victoria Triece, 30, was axed from Orange County Public Schools ADDition volunteer program after her presence on the adult subscription site was revealed by a poison pen letter.

Photos and videos of Triece show her in underwear, and embracing another scantily-clad woman on a bed, although she insists she never behaved inappropriately while working at the school.

She is no longer welcome to volunteer at Sand Lake Elementary School in Orlando, which her sons aged five and 10 attend.

The sex worker had assisted in organizing class parties and helped with lab assignments for her older son's class, something she said she wanted to do ever since she became a mother, and is outraged by the ban.

As of October 13, Victoria Triece, pictured, is no longer a part of the Orange County Public Schools volunteer program at Sand Lake Elementary, where her two children attend school

Triece, 30, was banned from the classroom after an anonymous letter sent to school officials revealed her OnlyFans page, and now she's vowing to sue the school district for $1 million

'It affected a parent who went and paid to see my content, but then they had to go send in these photos of me to the school and make me not be allowed to be around children anymore, which I've done and dedicated my life to for pretty much five years' Triece told reporters Thursday at the office of NeJame Law, where she's being represented in a looming lawsuit.

'I don't know who was told what I do. And now I'm supposed to walk into the building and I don't know what was said to my sons teacher... I don't know what's been said about me to anyone at that school.'

Triece created her OnlyFans page over two years before the news came to light, and had even promoted the page on her public Twitter account, which was created back in 2016.

Speaking of why she wanted to volunteer, Triece told NBC6: 'I always wanted to be involved in that aspect of life.

'My mother did it for me and having her there was the best joy growing up.'

Triece was officially kicked off campus after a parent anonymously tipped off school officials of her OnlyFans account, which is a subscriber-based adult-only website

Triece created her OnlyFans page over two years before the news came to light, and had even promoted the page on her public Twitter account, which was created back in 2016

Triece said that she never dressed inappropriately while volunteering at the school, with a handful of parents having reached out since her dismissal to her show their support

While a letter sent to the OCPS on Wednesday said Triece was no longer welcomed at the elementary school as a classroom volunteer, her attorneys Mark NeJame and John Zielinski claim she never received any formal documentation informing her of the district's decision.

'She understands that theres going to be a percentage of parents who are going to be get up into their moral arms and wag their discriminating finger at her and say, We don't want you around our children,' NeJame said.

'Well, they wouldn't have known about it because she kept it away from the children. You can't access her unless you're an adult.'

Meanwhile, Michael Ollendorff, a spokesman for Orange County Public Schools, refused to comment on the matter over 'potential, pending or ongoing litigation,' while citing several guideline documents for ADDition volunteers.

However, none of the documents Ollendorff cited state what volunteers can do off-campus.

Triece, who has been banned from volunteering at her children's elementary school in Orlando, at a news conference Thursday, announcing a $1 million lawsuit she has filed

Attorney Mark NeJame, left, speaks as, Victoria Triece, right, listens during news conference Thursday in Orlando

Triece is one of several recent online adult entertainers to have been publicly shamed for their work

Triece said that she never dressed inappropriately while volunteering at the elementary school, with a handful of parents having reached out since her dismissal to her show their support.

One supportive parent even referred Triece to the NeJame Law firm, which is now seeking $1 million in damages from the Orange County school district.

Triece will still be allowed to chaperone field trips, according to her lawyers, but will not be allowed to work on-campus as a volunteer.

'One minute of my job a day is not my whole life, it's not my life of being a mom or being a parent,' she added.

'I think everybodys just floored because they're like, We know you, we know who you are.'

Triece is one of several recent online adult entertainers to have been publicly shamed for their work, with a Sacramento mother telling the press in February that her kids were expelled from an area Catholic school after a 'mean mom' discovered her OnlyFans page.
President Joe Biden on Friday admitted the handling of the submarine deal with Australia was 'clumsy' and 'without grace' as he held his first sit-down with President Emmanuel Macron since France's fury over the AUKUS pact.

The two men waved for the cameras when Biden arrived at the French Embassy in Rome. They smiled, wrapped their arms around each other and grasped hands as they showed their relationship is being repaired after France accused the U.S. of stabbing them in the back for agreeing to sell nuclear subs to Australia, resulting in Paris losing out on $90 billion deal of its own.

'I want to be clear: France is an extremely valuable partner,' Biden said.

He shrugged off a question if he needed to apologize to Macron, saying they 'already talked' but he did offer concessions to his French counterpart.

'I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not coming through,' he says of thwarted submarine deal that caused so much French fury that Paris recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia.

'I think what happened was to use an English phrase, what we did was clumsy, not done with a lot of grace. I was under the impression that certain things had happened that hadn't happened,' Biden conceded.

'I honest to God did not know you had not been [informed],' he told Macron.

Macron said the two were on the path to repairing Franco-American relations.

'This is very much the beginning of a process of trust, of confidence which we're building together,' he said.

'We clarified together what we had to clarify' Macron said. 'Now what's important is to be sure that such a situation will not be possible for our future.'

'This is an extremely important clarification,' he added. 'What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years.'

President Joe Biden admitted the submarine deal with Australia was handled 'clumsy' and 'without grace' as he held his first sit down with President Emmanuel Macron since French fury over the AUKUS pact.

Biden and Macron shook hands and appeared to be on the path of repairing U.S.-Franco relations

President Biden went to meet with President Macron at the French Embassy

The two men waved for the cameras, smiled, wrapped their arms around each other and grasped hands

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes US President Joe Biden (L) before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican

Biden and Macron walk into their meeting with their arms around each other

The kumbaya meeting with Macron was part of Biden's make-up campaign to the French.

The two leaders met at the Villa Bonaparte, the French embassy to the Vatican situated in the heart of Rome. Their sit down comes ahead of their attendance at the G20 summit this weekend.

The Villa was originally the home of Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Pauline, who had a bathtub carved out of the marble installed so she could bath in donkey milk, which she believed would help keep her looking young. It became an embassy in 1945.

Biden held two phone calls with Macron in the lead up to Friday afternoon's meeting, which could be one of his more awkward sit downs in his five-day Europe trip.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally.

Jill Biden separately hosted a sit down with French first lady Brigitte Macron on Friday evening at a cafe in Rome while their husbands had their meet-and-greet.

'It was wonderful,' Biden said of the meeting with her French counterpart. 'It's nice, two friends together, just like sisters.'

First lady Jill Biden waves as she arrives for a meeting with French first lady Brigitte Macron at a cafe in Rome

French first lady Brigitte Macron arrives to meet Jill Biden

First lady Jill Biden and French first lady Brigitte Macron after their sit down in Rome

President Biden held two phone calls with Macron ahead of the sit down, including one in September as shown above

The United States has embarked on a wooing campaign of France after the French anger over AUKUS, a deal with the U.S., Australia and Britain that resulted in Australia buying American nuclear subs instead of diesel ones from the French.

White House officials said Biden has not formally apologized to Macron, according to press secretary Jen Psaki, but 'he acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation' ahead of the deal announcement, she noted.

The French recalled their ambassador to the United States in the fallout although Philippe Etienne eventually returned to his U.S. post.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made separate trips to Paris to smooth over strained relations. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Paris in mid-November.

'We feel very good about the intensive engagement that we've had with France over the course of the past few weeks,' Sullivan told reporters on Thursday.

He said he expects the two leaders to have a 'constructive and deeply substantive meeting; where they will discuss counterterrorism and the Indo-Pacific along with energy and technology issues.

The Indo-Pacific conversation is of particular importance to the French after the submarine deal, which saw a shift in political alliances in the region.

France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about that situation since it has major interests in the Indo-Pacific, where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops.

The French were outraged in September about the AUKUS deal with one diplomat claiming the US 'stabbed' France in the back. Paris lost a $90 billion submarine deal with Australia in the fallout of the new agreement.

The White House claimed they thought Australia was keeping the French in the loop about what was going on.

The AUKUS deal is part of American moves to counter China's growing power in the Pacific region.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally - above Macron and Biden at the G7 in June

As part of the deal, Britain and the U.S. agreed to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, largely-viewed as an effort to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea where it lays claim to several disputed islands.

Australia will get its hands on eight nuclear-powered submarines which will likely cost less than the $7.5billion-per vessel that France was offering for conventional diesel-electric submarines. While the exact design and costs of Australia's subs have yet to be revealed, US Virginia-class nuclear subs cost around $4.5bn each and UK Astute-class $2.6bn each.

At the time the deal was announced, the French foreign minister said the deal was something Donald Trump would do.

'This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr. Trump used to do,' Jean-Yves Le Drian told franceinfo radio. 'I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies.'
A judge is overseeing another stage of divorce court litigation featuring businessman Sir Frederick Barclay and his ex-wife.

Sir Jonathan Cohen had ruled in May that Lady Hiroko Barclay should receive lump sums totalling 100 million following the breakdown of a 34-year marriage.

Lady Barclay on Friday returned to court to make an application for enforcement of that award.

The judge, who is based in London, oversaw the latest stage of the litigation at a private online hearing in the Family Division of the High Court.

He placed limits on what could be reported about the case.

But he said the parties could be named and it could be reported that Lady Barclay was making an application for enforcement of the award.

A judge is overseeing another stage of divorce court litigation featuring businessman Sir Frederick Barclay and his ex-wife. Sir Jonathan Cohen had ruled in May that Lady Hiroko Barclay (pictured leaving the High Court in London this week) should receive lump sums totalling 100 million following the breakdown of a 34-year marriage

Sir Jonathan criticised Sir Frederick, 87, in his ruling on the pair's fight over money in May.

He said Sir Frederick had behaved in a 'reprehensible' fashion during the dispute.

The judge said Sir Frederick had sold a luxury yacht and 'applied the equity for his own use' in breach of orders.

Sir Frederick and Lady Barclay had fought at a private trial in the Family Division of the High Court earlier in the year.

The judge ruled Lady Barclay should get 100 million.

He said she had wanted 120 million and Sir Frederick had made an offer which might have led to getting nothing.

The judge had published a detailed ruling, given to Sir Frederick, Lady Barclay and their lawyers, following the private trial.

Sir Frederick and Lady Barclay had disagreed over whether that ruling should be made public - he said the ruling should stay private, she said it should be published.

Mr Justice Cohen, who had allowed journalists to attend the trial but placed wide limits on what could be reported, said he had decided to publish a shortened version giving some detail.

'The principal criticism that I made of (Sir Frederick) related to his treatment of orders made for the production of documents and answers to questions,' he had said, in the shortened version of the ruling.

Sir Jonathan criticised Sir Frederick (pictured leaving the High Court earlier this week), 87, in his ruling on the pair's fight over money in May. He said Sir Frederick had behaved in a 'reprehensible' fashion during the dispute

'Those orders were made specifically in the context of (him) seeking to argue that loan notes to which he was entitled and which constituted the vast bulk of his wealth were not likely to be honoured, in full or in part, by reason of an alleged absence of liquidity in the underlying family businesses.'

The judge said Sir Frederick 'repeatedly' ignored orders to produce documents or answer questions.

He added: 'Part of (Sir Frederick's) available assets included a luxury yacht which was on the market for sale.

'I made orders intended to control the sale and the use of the proceeds.

'He completely ignored those orders, sold the yacht, and applied the equity for his own use.

'I regarded that behaviour as reprehensible.'

Sir Frederick had said, in a statement, after the May ruling: 'I am saddened that after 34 years my marriage has come to an end.

Sir Frederick and his twin brother Sir David (left) were among the UK's most high-profile businessmen. Sir David died aged 86 in January. Their interests included the Telegraph Newspaper Group and The Ritz hotel in London

'This was not something I wanted.'

He said he hoped Lady Barclay could find happiness and wished her well.

Sir Frederick and Lady Barclay had been estranged but still married when the trial was staged.

The judge earlier this year signalled an end to the Barclays' marriage at a separate hearing, by issuing a divorce decree.

Lady Barclay had petitioned for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, he was told.

Sir Frederick and his twin brother Sir David were among the UK's most high-profile businessmen.

Sir David died aged 86 in January.

Their interests included the Telegraph Newspaper Group and The Ritz hotel in London.

The family also has links to the Channel Islands and Monaco.
Early indications show the 2024 presidential election cycle could see a dramatic face-off between former President Donald Trump and his ex-deputy Mike Pence.

The former vice president fueled speculation that he's launching a White House bid in 2024 on Thursday when he delivered a speech championing 'educational freedom' at a small conservative college in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Trump remains a polarizing but dominant figure in Republican politics. A recent Morning Consult poll shows that a majority of GOP voters - 67 percent - want him to run for a second term.

But among those who rejected the ex-president, Pence is a leading favorite, followed closely by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Trump has publicly toyed with the idea of running but hasn't made a formal announcement. But his ex-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows dropped a new hint when he said on SiriusXM's The Wilkow Majority: 'If I were a betting, man  I would tell you to loan me all your money. I would put all my money in, and I would bet that he's running again.

'He's in, and we will count on him running.'

Meadows, who was considered one of Trump's closest allies in office, said he is talking to the businessman multiple times a week

The former president has repeatedly claimed at rallies of late that he has to wait until after the 2022 midterm election to announce due to 'campaign finance laws.'

Donald Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows says he is willing to put 'all his money' on the former president making another bid for the White House

He is now investing his energy into his new social media venture Truth Social which has got off to a rocky start after shares tumbled.

Pence has largely ramped up his own public appearances, but has stayed away from criticizing his former boss.

During his 25-minute campaign-style remarks at Patrick Henry College, Pence lambasted critical race theory and education officials who he claimed 'put political interests ahead of the interests of our kids' and railed against 'radical left-wing ideologies.'

He also touted the Trump administration's educational policies including the 1776 commission, which was shut down by the Biden administration.

'Critical race theory is founded on the slander that America is a racist nation,' he said. 'America is the most just, righteous, and inclusive nation the world has ever known.'

Pence also said, 'children as young as kindergarten are being taught to be ashamed of their skin color' and science, history and even math are increasingly be taught through the lens of racial grievance.'

Mike Pence's appearance at Patrick Henry College is one of many he's been making across the country that have fueled 2024 rumors

He criticized Virginia's majority-Democrat leaders for making school remote during the coronavirus pandemic but added a 'silver lining' was that parents were able to 'peek into their child's virtual classroom.'

'As a result, millions of parents - just like you all here in Loudoun County - are rightly concerned that in many of our schools, the primary mission of public schools is no longer to educate America's youth,' Pence said. 'But in many cases to indoctrinate our youth into radical left-wing ideology.

Pence said a 'patriotic education is essential to the survival of liberty' but didn't elaborate on what that was.

He was welcomed by a warm crowd of roughly 300 people, according to Insider.

To mark his arrival the school's paper, The Herald, printed its cover to feature a Trump campaign button with the ex-president's name scribbled out and replaced with 'Pence 2024?'

Pence's visit to the private Christian school came less than a week before Virginia voters head to the polls to put an end to a tight governor's race that's widely being seen as a referendum on Joe Biden's administration.

Youngkin has largely shunned national Republican figures during his campaign but is accepting some last-minute help from Trump. The ex-president is calling in to a pro-Youngkin telerally on Monday, the day before Election Day.

While Pence's event wasn't linked to Youngkin, his speech focused on educational issues that have become a lightning rod across the US, particularly in Virginia's Loudoun County.

Biden's Justice Department brought down right-wing ire when it released a memo directing the FBI to work with local law enforcement and investigate a 'disturbing trend' of violent incidents at school settings.

Patrick Henry College's newspaper The Herald printed this cover in time for the Pence event

It was spurred by a letter from the National School Boards Association that appeared to compare the angry parents to 'domestic terrorists,' though the group has since walked that back.

The normally apolitical stage of education has become an ideological battleground with parents angered over critical race theory and mask mandates.

Critical race theory is a decades-old academic concept, more commonly explored in law school rather than grades K-12, that states the US justice system, health care and other institutions are inherently racist.

But Republicans have claimed the term teaches students to hate each other based on skin color.

On Thursday Pence called it 'nothing more than state-sponsored racism' that should 'be opposed by every American of every race, color or creed in every school in the land.'

He also went after the Biden DOJ over its memo and called for education reform to be debated at the local level.

Pence got a warm reception from his crowd of approximately 300 people on Thursday

His remarks were permeated by applause and enthusiastic reactions, and the crowd was all smiles when he spoke with people after the address

'Let me be clear on this point: The federal government has no business investigating parents who speak out at school board meetings. Attorney General Garland should tear up his memo,' Pence said.

The former vice president also went after Barack Obama for dismissing 'fake outrage' and 'phony trumped-up culture wars' when he was campaigning for former Virginia Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe's re-election bid.

'Outrage isn't fake, it's real,' Pence said. 'And it's grounded in love for this country and their kids.'

The public school ideological fight has been especially divisive in Loudoun County.

A father was arrested at a June school board event there when he grew upset at the county superintendent claiming 'we dont have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms.'

A recent Morning Consult poll found that Trump was still widely favored to run in 2024, but Pence ranks high among Republican alternatives

He said later he was trying to tell them that his teenage daughter had been raped by a 'boy in a skirt' in a girls' high school bathroom. A 15-year-old Virginia boy was found guilty of sexual assault in a case stemming from that incident.

But Pence positioned himself loud and clear on what's likely to be a hot-button issue in the upcoming 2022 midterm cycle.

He marketed his appearance at Patrick Henry College as a series of speaking engagements that are fueling 2024 rumors.

On Monday Pence will return to Iowa, a must-stop location for any presidential hopefuls, to speak at the University of Iowa.

He's also been attending fundraising dinners for the Republican Party, including a June event in New Hampshire - another popular state if one is gearing up a White House bid.
The White House on Friday touted a 'huge amount of momentum' toward enacting the president's economic agenda  but would not say whether Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin would back the plan.

But with Congress at home and President Biden abroad, a key progressive leader is predicting votes on both parts of the president's economic agenda totaling nearly $3 trillion coming up son.

'Within a few days, we will be able to pass both bills through the House, and that will be an enormous accomplishment,' said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).

She told CNN she had an 'incredibly productive' conversation with Sinema Thursday, adding: 'I believe she is really operating in good faith.' She said she would 'circle back' with Manchin.

Manchin and Sinema's posture was the most dramatic and difficult to decipher element of an action-packed Thursday, when the White House released its new 'framework' of a $1.75 trillion deal.

Both made or issued statements touting progress but declined to say they actually supported it.

Asked in a televised interview Friday whether they did, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield didn't answer directly, instead acknowledging there is 'work to do.'

'Obviously there is still a bit of work to do' to complete work on President Biden's 'Build Back Better' plan

The White House stopped short of saying Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was behind the new $1.75 trillion framework. 'I've worked in good faith,' Manchin said Thursday

.@WHCommsDir kicks off her birthday joining @Morning_Joe  tune in and dont forget to wish her a happy birthday!  pic.twitter.com/GgubrIsfZT  marielsaez46 (@marielsaez46) October 29, 2021

She said the framework was 'the product of months and months of consultations, certainly with Senators Manchin and Sinema.

'What he put forward is what he believes a package is going to pass the House and pass the Senate. Obviously there is still a bit of work to do,' she said.

Amid the ongoing chaos, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to pull back from holding a House vote on a separate bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Progressives were holding back support for it.

That denied President Biden having something in hand as he began his trip to Rome and Scotland.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema (C), D-AZ, departs from the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 28, 2021. She issued a statement citing progress in negotiations

Progressive Rep. Jayapal says Biden did not call for a vote on infrastructure during a closed meeting before he left town Thursday

But the White House could point to one significantly positive development: the House Progressive Caucus voted to back the framework, rather than blasting the slimmed-down product culled from a $3.5 trillion version.

Left out of the framework was a plan for paid leave, along with new dental and vision benefits for Medicare.

On CNN Thursday night, House Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal pointed to the 'overwhelming endorsement' her caucus gave to Biden's slimmed-back framework. She called it 'really significant' because 'there are many things in there that we did not get.'

Bedingfield referenced that interview in her own interview on MSBNC's 'Morning Joe.'

'Congresswoman Jayapal was really great yesterday talking about how impactful this is going to be. So there was a huge amount of momentum behind this process,' she said.

And she told CNN: Biden 'believes we need votes on both as soon as possible. We're seeing tremendous momentum and we're moving toward a vote. The president believes they should vote as soon as possible,' she reinforced.

Even as Biden came to the Hill Thursday to pitch the framework and his infrastructure bill, he did not explicitly call for a vote, which left some lawmakers scratching their heads.

It could be an indication he didn't want to lean on progressives, who are facing pressure from leaders and centrists to go along with the package. Instead, they are holding out for assurances the new framework can make it through the Senate.

'He did not actually ask for a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill,' Jayapal said, the Hill reported. 'I know that is something the Speaker wanted. I have signaled for days that we simply did not have the votes for the bipartisan bill without the [...] Build Back Better act,' she said.

She noted that progressives have been saying for months 'that these two bills need to go together,' but pointed to the 'overwhelming endorsement of the Biden framework' that the progressives voted to back in a resolution.

Biden also wouldn't say directly that Manchin and Sinema were on board.

''I'll see you in Italy and in Scotland. Thank you,' Biden said at the end of remarks Thursday as reporters shouted questions asking about it.

Sinema released a statement saying negotiators had made 'significant progress' and that she 'looks forward' to getting things done  but did not say she would vote for it or mention the specifics of the deal.

Manchin told reporters who hounded him for a direct answer that 'this is all in the hands of the House right now. I've worked in good faith and I look forward to continuing to work in good faith and that is all I have to say today.'
Amber Heard is being investigated for perjury in an FBI-backed probe into claims she lied to Australian officials after smuggling her dogs into the country in 2015, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

The 35-year-old actress avoided biosecurity charges after she publicly apologized and blamed a lack of sleep for jetting into the country without the required paperwork for Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo.

But Aussie authorities are revisiting the smuggling spat as a perjury investigation after fresh details dredged up at last year's UK libel trial between Heard's ex, Johnny Depp, and The Sun newspaper, called her explanation into question.

Depp's former estate manager Kevin Murphy raised eyebrows Down Under when he told the London court that Heard had ordered him to lie on oath after she flew the pets into Queensland in a private jet without declaring them.

Amber Heard was charged with illegally smuggling Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into the country on a private jet in 2015 with ex Johnny Depp. but was let off the hook after issuing a public apology and blaming a lack of sleep. The two are pictured leaving the Southport Magistrates' Court in the Gold Coast in April 2016

DailyMail.com can reveal Australian officials have quietly reopened the case over fresh claims of perjury after Depp's former estate manager accused Heard of ordering him to lie under oath. Pictured: Pistol and Boo

DailyMail.com can reveal that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment responded by quietly reopening a criminal probe and enlisting the help of the FBI to track down witnesses in the US.

One of those, Murphy, has now been interviewed at length by Australian investigators and has provided a lengthy witness statement and a trove of emails allegedly implicating Heard.

Sources close to the investigation believe she could be weeks away from being hit with charges of perjury or subornation of perjury, which involves inducing someone to provide false testimony.

Perjury carries a maximum jail term of 14 years while the latter offence can result in a seven-year stretch under the Queensland penal code.

It's unlikely the Australian government would try to have Heard extradited, but she could nonetheless face arrest if she tried to enter the country again.

'She could just ignore the whole thing and never go back but a huge number of movies are shot in Australia, including Aquaman, the movie for which she's most well-known,' dished an insider.

'Alternatively, Amber could go back there and face her detractors. That's often her style. It's pretty evident by now that she's not one for backing down in the face of legal threats.'

Heard's version of events went unchallenged until July last year when Depp's estate manager told the court in a written statement that he had repeatedly warned the actress about Australia's strict animal entry rules. She is pictured holding her Yorkie pup at LAX in 2014

Heard's Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo

In a joint video apology to the court with ex Johnny Depp, Heard said she was 'truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared' and that 'protecting Australia is important'

Heard was originally facing two charges of illegal importation of an animal and a possible ten-year prison sentence after she flew the two pooches into Australia in April 2015 to meet Depp, who was filming Pirates of the Caribbean.

Pistol and Boo should have been declared to customs and placed in 10-day quarantine but their arrival went undetected for several weeks until a grooming salon posted snaps of the cuddly pair to Facebook.

The spat was dubbed the 'The War on Terrier' by Australian media and Depp and Heard were given 72-hours to send them home or face having the dogs seized and euthanized.

Heard eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of falsifying an immigration document and accepted a fine of 10,000 Australian dollars ($7,650) after her lawyer, Jeremy Kirk, insisted the paperwork had 'slipped through the cracks' and that there was 'no attempt to deceive'.

Kirk said Heard thought that her then-husband's staff had completed the paperwork and was exhausted and suffering from sleep deprivation when she ticked the wrong box on her arrival card.

'Australia is free of many pests and diseases that are commonplace around the world. That is why Australia has to have such strong biosecurity laws,' Heard said in a groveling video apology to the court, recorded jointly with Depp.

'I'm truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared. Protecting Australia is important.'

In dropping the more serious charges, magistrate Bernadette Callaghan accepted that Heard 'did not set out to deceive the Australian authorities', adding that the benefits of her public support for quarantine laws would outweigh the damage done by her mistake.

The 35-year-old actress later mocked the incident in a 2018 Instagram post of herself wrapping her dog in her coat, captioned: 'What dog?'

Pistol and Boo should have been declared to customs and placed in 10-day quarantine but their arrival went undetected for several weeks

Heard's version of events went unchallenged until July last year when Murphy told London's High Court in a written statement that he had repeatedly warned the actress about Australia's strict animal entry rules.

'I also explained to Ms. Heard several times the fact that trying to take the dogs into Australia without completing the mandatory process was illegal and could result in very harsh penalties including euthanizing the dogs,' said Murphy, 59.

He went on to allege that, when the smuggling controversy erupted, Heard demanded he provide a 'false statement' to the Australian court saying she didn't know anything about the requirements.

'When I expressed that I was extremely uncomfortable with this, Ms. Heard said to me 'Well I want your help on this  I wouldn't want you to have a problem with your job.'

'It became very apparent that Ms. Heard was threatening my job stability unless I cooperated with providing a declaration that supported her false account for the Australian proceedings.

'Because of this I felt extreme pressure to cooperate, despite knowing this would involve being untruthful,' added Murphy, who worked for Depp for eight years.

The declaration was subsequently prepared for Heard by an attorney and 'contained statements that were not entirely truthful', his statement went on.

Murphy said that when Depp and Heard split in May 2016 he sought legal advice on attempting to voluntarily retract his statement about Pistol and Boo but he abandoned it because of the cost.

The Sun's lawyers pushed back against his account during cross-examination, accusing him of lying and attempting to discredit Heard, who appeared as a key witness for the UK-based tabloid.

Depp's former estate manager Kevin Murphy told the London court last year that Heard allegedly demanded he provide a 'false statement' to the Australian court saying she didn't know anything about the requirements for bringing pets into the country. Heard and Depp are seen leaving court last July

Murphy confirmed to DailyMail.com this week that he had been contacted by the FBI and had agreed to provide Australian authorities with a witness statement. He declined to comment further.

Heard's lawyer in the US, Elaine Bredehoft, dismissed suggestions that her client was facing a fresh investigation.

'I am absolutely confident that neither the Australian Government, nor the FBI, would consider 'reopening' an already fully adjudicated matter years later, especially after the UK Court had fully reviewed the evidence,' she told DailyMail.com.

However a spokesperson for the Australian government confirmed: 'The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (department) is investigating allegations of perjury by Ms Heard during court proceedings for the 2015 illegal importation of (her) two dogs into Australia.

'The department is seeking to obtain witness statements and once obtained, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions will consider whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant pursuance of the matter. As the matter is ongoing, the department cannot make any further comment.'

The probe comes as Depp and Heard are preparing to square off next year in Fairfax County, Virginia, where the actor is suing his ex-wife for $50 million over a Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a domestic violence survivor.

The December 2018 article did not mention him by name but Depp, 58, claims he was axed from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise after the 'hoax' account led to speculation he was the abuser.

He is fighting an uphill battle to salvage his reputation after Britain's High Court sided with The Sun at last year's defamation trial, sparked by a different 2018 article that labeled him a 'wife beater'.

Mr Justice Nicol ruled that The Sun's depiction was 'substantially true' and that father-of-two Depp had attacked Heard a dozen times, causing her to fear for her life on three occasions before their divorce.

Heard, who had a baby girl in July via a surrogate, is counter-suing for $100 million, claiming she has been falsely labeled a liar and that her accounts of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Depp are true.
A politician who was a victim of 'multiple' domestic rapes is waiting for a High Court judge's ruling on the latest round of a family court dispute with an ex-partner.

The woman is embroiled in a court case with her former partner relating to his contact with their child.

The woman lives with the child and has challenged decisions made by the family court judge that the man should have contact and that she should share costs of meeting arrangements.

A judge overseeing the dispute concluded some months ago that the woman was raped by the man when they were living together.

The judge concluded the man began to rape her when she was asleep, and subjected her to domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

A politician who was a victim of 'multiple' domestic rapes is waiting for a High Court judge's ruling on the latest round of a family court dispute with an ex-partner

Findings had been made on the balance of probabilities and the man disputed allegations made against him.

Detail of the case emerged on Wednesday after the woman appealed against another decision, relating to the child, made by the family court judge.

A High Court judge oversaw a public appeal hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot ruled that the woman could not be identified in media reports, but said she could be referred to as a 'politician'.

She said the man could be referred to as the woman's 'ex-partner'.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot heard that an order had been made allowing the man to have contact with the child in a 'supervised contact centre'.

She was also told that the family court judge had ruled that the woman should share the costs of the contact arrangements with her ex-partner.

The woman is waiting to hear whether Mrs Justice Arbuthnot will allow her appeal and 'set aside' the order for contact and the order that the costs should be shared.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot is expected to produce a ruling on the woman's appeal in the near future.

A lawyer representing the woman described the man's 'abusive' behaviour as 'prolonged and insidious'.

Barrister Charlotte Proudman told Mrs Justice Arbuthnot: 'A fact-finding hearing... culminated in serious findings against the father of multiple rapes which commenced whilst the mother was sleeping, domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.'
Jay-Z's got 99 problems, and a multimillion-dollar breach of contract lawsuit filed by a perfume company is one of them.

The music mogul, born Shawn Carter, on Friday repeatedly clashed in Manhattan Supreme Court with a plaintiff's attorney representing the company Parlux Fragrances, which has sued the performer for allegedly failing to meet his contractual obligations as part of a product launch.

According to the complaint filed in 2016, Carter, 51, cost Parlux $18million by refusing to make promotional appearances to help sell his Gold Jay Z cologne and related products.

The Empire State of Mind artist then counter-sued Parlux, accusing the company of failing to pay him $2.7million in royalties.

Familiar face: Shawn Carter, aka, Jay-Z, is seen entering the courtroom at 60 Centre Street in Manhattan on Friday. Carter's testimony began this morning in a breach of contract trial

Carter, 51, was sued in 2016 by Parlux Fragrances, which accused him of failing to meet his contractual obligations as part of the launch of his Gold Jay Z cologne

The Empire State of Mind artist has counter-sued Parlux, accusing the company of failing to pay him $2.7million in royalties

Carter repeatedly clashed with the plaintiff's attorney, ultimately prompting the judge to intervene

Carter left court Friday after his testimony this morning in a breach of contract trial

He also accused the company of not handing over accounting reports or business plans for the originally planned follow-up fragrances.

On Friday, the award-winning Brooklyn rapper strode into the courtroom dressed in a black blazer, a white shirt and a black face mask, and took the witness stand, setting the stage for a series of hostile exchanges with the plaintiff's lawyer, which ultimately prompted the presiding judge to intervene, reported Rolling Stone.

Carter signed a contract with Parlux in 2012, agreeing to lend his name to a fragrance line

Attorney Anthony Viola, representing Parlux, grilled Beyonce's famous husband on his familiarity with his contract and his obligations to his business partners, which included appearing on Good Morning America to promote his cologne.

'Im not a lawyer,' Carter said, admitting that he did not personally read the contract, but added that his legal team likely explained its contents to him.

Carter proclaimed his innocence, declaring from the stand: 'You have me on trial from something I didnt do.'

Viola pressed Carter on whether he had made any promotional appearances, as specified in the contract.

'I did a lot for the Gold Jay-Z launch,' Carter replied, before going on the offensive and asking whether or not it was true that he was given a year to complete his obligations to Parlux.

When Viola ignored his question and tried to move on with the cross-examination, Carter called him out on it, saying: 'I dont know if you answered my question. I had a year to complete these right?'

The lawyer shot back: 'Actually, you need to answer my questions.'

Viola sought to demonstrate that the rapper was not familiar with at least some of his contractual requirements, which he had admitted during a deposition, while Carter did his best to dodge the lawyer's line of questioning by saying over and over, 'I'm not lawyer.'

'Its fair to say when you signed this contract you didnt know anything about the celebrity fragrance market?' Viola asked.

'Im not a lawyer,' Carter (pictured leaving court Friday) said, admitting that he did not personally read the contract, but added that his legal team likely explained its contents to him

The company expected to make $100million off sales of the $72-a-bottle Gold Jay Z colognes within five years, but instead lost money, according to the lawsuit

Carter snapped back: 'I mean, Im a celebrity.'

The two continued sparring about Carter's familiarity, or lack thereof, with the specifics of his fragrance line, including the price of each unit and how many of them were sold.

The verbal clash reached a fever pitch when Viola suggested that it made no sense to launch Gold Jay Z at Braclays Center, because it was not a store, to which the rapper retorted: 'you can't speak to what makes sense.'

Following that tense exchange, the judge had to step in to diffuse the situation, telling Viola and Carter: 'I think you guys are speaking past each other.'

The civil trial got under way earlier this month and is expected to continue next week.

Gold Jay Z cologne was launched in 2013, retailing for $72 at Macy's, a year after Parlux signed a licensing deal with Carter.

Parlux said in its complaint that the Brooklyn rapper was supposed to post on social media and make promotional appearances, but he declined when the company tried to book him on Good Morning America and at Womens Wear Daily.

The company said Jay Z not only agreed to help launch the fragrance, but he was also supposed to develop a line of follow-up colognes.

The company expected to make $100million off sales of the colognes within five years, but instead lost money. Sales for the cologne dropped from $15million in the first year to $6million in the second year.

Carter is pictured on October 15 with wife Beyonce on board water taxi in Venice

Parlux filed a lawsuit demanding at least $18million in damages from the rapper.

But Jay Z has filed a countersuit, accusing Parlux of not paying him royalties from fragrance sales in violation of the contract, and causing damage to his reputation.

Carter claimed that the deal required Parlux to pay him a minimum of $750,000 for the first year and up to $1.75million in the fifth year of sales.

Further, he said the company failed to spend the minimum amount agreed upon - $5million - for advertising of the cologne.

Due to the company breaching the agreement by not paying him, Carter said he exercised his right to void the contract.
Citi will require all 65,000 of its US staff to be vaccinated by January and is giving any worker who provides proof of vaccination by December 8 a $200 'thank you' bonus.

The announcement came on Thursday in a LinkedIn post by the head of HR. Officials from the bank later confirmed it was part of a move to get everyone back into the office.

Citi had been one of the more relaxed Wall Street firms in its approach to at-home working, citing families and childcare as one of the reasons why it was harder for people to go back.

Now, it seems the bank is instructing everyone to return to the office next year, and that the vaccine mandate is folded into it.

In August, HR boss Sarah Wechter announced that all New York office employees must be vaccinated, and that some employees in other office locations would also have to be vaccinated.

HR boss Sarah Wechter announced the mandate in a LinkedIn post on Thursday

Citi CEO Jane Fraser has not yet commented on the decision

The new order extends to all employees, regardless of whether they work in an office or a bank.

It's unclear how staff are reacting; the company's HQ is in New York but it has bank locations around the country.

Citigroup's HQ in Tribeca

HR boss Sarah Wechter wrote in a LinkedIn post: 'Our leadership at Citigroup has thought long and hard about how we navigate the latest stages of the pandemic.

'We have made the decision to require U.S.-based colleagues to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.'

Wechter said religious and medical exemptions would be considered and that while Biden's mandate was one of the reasons for the decision, the bank also believes that 'having a vaccinated workforce enables us to ensure the health and safety of our colleagues as we return to the office in the U.S.'

'Understanding that there are a range of views about vaccine mandates, this decision was made with careful consideration and analysis, but it came down to two key factors: First, as the U.S. government is a large and important client of Citi, we have an obligation to comply with the Executive Order issued by the White House mandating that individuals supporting government contracts be fully vaccinated  an order that would impact the vast majority of our U.S. colleagues.

'Second, having a vaccinated workforce enables us to ensure the health and safety of our colleagues as we return to the office in the U.S.

'Our people are our most important asset, and we will do all we can to help our colleagues comply with this new requirement. Weve been through a lot, and we are proud of how weve all come together to support each other,' she said.

CEO Jane Fraser is yet to comment on the decision.

She strayed from other Wall Street bosses in her approach to allowing staff to work from home, citing families and the facts that childcare was more difficult for staff to return full-time.

Morgan Stanley announced in August that all US employees would have prove they have been vaccinated before they can return to the office, and the firm was one of the first to tell New York staff, specifically, that they had to come back to HQ.

JP Morgan is not mandating vaccines but it will ban unvaccinated staff from business travel, and will deduct the cost of COVID-19 tests from the pay of those who are unvaccinated and require them.
Poland's lawmakers voted Friday to continue work on legislation dubbed 'Stop LGBT,' which would ban pride parades and other public gatherings or actions deemed to 'promote' same-sex relationships.

Dominated by the right-wing ruling coalition, the lower house of parliament voted to send the proposed legislation to the interior affairs commission.

Opposition wanted to reject it the move, which is a citizen's legislative initiative submitted to parliament by conservative activists who collected some 140,000 signatures of support.

Poland's lawmakers voted Friday to continue work on legislation dubbed 'Stop LGBT,' which would ban pride parades and other public gatherings or actions deemed to 'promote' same-sex relationships. Pictured: People take part in the Equality March in support of LGBT rights, in Lublin, eastern Poland, 23 October 2021

Dominated by the right-wing ruling coalition, the lower house of Poland's parliament (pictured) voted to send the proposed legislation to the interior affairs commission

A small group of protesters gathered outside parliament at the time of the decision. At its initial reading Thursday, the proposal drew strong condemnation from opposition lawmakers.

If adopted, the legislation would outlaw annual LGBT parades in Warsaw and many other Polish cities. Participants in such parades in some smaller cities have in the past faced physical and verbal attacks from far-right and nationalist groups.

In a statement Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International said that if adopted as law, the proposal would place the rights of LGBT people in Poland 'at greater risk than ever.'

It was not clear when the proposal would return for more debate by the full chamber of parliament.

It would also need approval from the Senate, where the opposition has a small minority capable of altering drafts, and from conservative President Andrzej Duda.

In recent years Polish right-wing ruling politicians and the president have lashed out at what they call 'LGBT ideology,' presenting it as a set of harmful ideas that prematurely sexualize young people and threaten the country's traditional Roman Catholic and family values.

Polish lawmakers held an emotional debate Thursday on the proposed legislation.

One of the activists who presented the bill, Krzysztof Kasprzak, opened his speech to lawmakers by describing the LGBT rights movement as a form of totalitarianism. He compared it to Nazism, and accused it of seeking 'to overthrow the natural order and introduce terror.'

Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, a left-wing deputy speaker of parliament, called it the 'most disgusting speech' he had heard in his time in parliament.

Pictured: Several dozen people gather at the Royal Castle Square in Warsaw on 27 October, 2021 to protest against a law proposal that would ban LGBT marches

The bill will need approval from the Senate, where the opposition has a small minority capable of altering drafts, and from conservative President Andrzej Duda (pictured right with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in Paris)

A string of opposition lawmakers - on the left, center and even from a conservative group - denounced the proposed legislation as inhumane, homophobic or a violation of the right to assembly guaranteed in Poland's constitution.

It got the praise of lawmakers on the far right, while Piotr Kaleta, a lawmaker with the ruling right-wing conservative party, Law and Justice, held up photos allegedly showing scenes from pride parades that he described as shocking.

'We want normality in Poland,' Kaleta said. 'If you accuse us of being in the Middle Ages, then we want to be in these Middle Ages.'

Poland's right-wing nationalist government is already involved in a bitter dispute with the European Union over judicial independence and law primacy.

So Warsaw might not want to open another front with its EU partners, most of whom strongly oppose any discrimination against lesbians, gay men and bisexual and transgender people.

Under Polish law, citizens can submit legislative proposals to parliament if they get the signatures of at least 100,000 eligible voters. The Life and Family Foundation, which lobbied successfully for a recent restriction on abortion rights, gathered 140,000 signatures for its 'Stop LGBT' proposal.

In a statement Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International said that if adopted as law, the proposal would place the rights of LGBT people in Poland 'at greater risk than ever.'

'We call on Polish (lawmakers) to recognize that love is love, and reject this hateful proposal which is discriminatory to its core,' said Amnesty's Nils Muiznieks.

'This initiative may not have originated with the Polish government, but let us be clear: the government's normalization of hateful rhetoric has created an environment in which people feel empowered to spew bigotry,' Muiznieks added.

Participants march during the Warsaw Gay Pride parade in central Warsaw on June 19, 2021

In recent years Polish lawmakers, including the president, have lashed out at what they call 'LGBT ideology,' presenting it as something that prematurely sexualizes young people and threatens the country's traditional Roman Catholic values.

Most of the anti-LGBT rhetoric has come during election campaigns, though two years ago dozens of Polish communities passed resolutions declaring themselves to be free of 'LGBT ideology' or adopted family charters stressing that families are based on unions of men and women.

But recently, facing the threat of a loss of EU funding, some Polish regions have revoked the anti-LGBT resolutions.

The vote came after the European parliament sued the European Commission in a dispute over the rule of law, centred on Poland.

The lawsuit was submitted today against the Commission for its 'failure to apply the Conditionality Regulation to the Court of Justice'.

The regulation, adopted last year, allows the EU to suspend payments to countries where the rule of law is under threat, which is currently taking place in Poland.

The Commission has not used the regulation despite Poland sparking a crisis with the bloc, and fears of a 'Polexit', after the country's Supreme Court ruled their laws had legal primacy over EU diktats.

EU Parliament president Sassoli said after submitting the lawsuit: 'As requested in parliamentary resolutions, our legal service has brought an action against the European Commission for failure to apply the Conditionality Regulation to the Court of Justice today.

The EU is now at war with itself after the European parliament sued the European Commission in a dispute over the rule of law. Pictured: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

'We expect the European Commission to act in a consistent manner and live up to what President von der Leyen stated during our last plenary discussion on this subject. Words have to be turned into deeds.'

The Commission and Poland remain locked in a struggle over Warsaw's adherence to EU legal and democratic norms.

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU executive will use 'all instruments at our disposal' to force Poland to backtrack on decisions seen as rolling back democratic standards, particularly Warsaw's moves seen as undermining judicial independence.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week accused the Commission of 'blackmail' and trampling member states' sovereignty

Which EU laws is Poland disputing? Article 1 What is it? This sets out the founding principle of the EU, which is to create a Union and develop 'an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.' In dispute: Poland argues the way the law is being applied blocks the country from applying its own constitution and could force it to apply unconstitutional laws laid down by EU courts What Poland's court said: The EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law should take precedence Article 4 What is it? This establishes the principle of 'sincere cooperation' between states which must 'work together to implement' EU laws. In dispute: Poland again argues that the way the law is being interpreted will stop it from applying its own laws or compel it to apply unconstitutional laws if they are laid down by EU courts Court ruling: Judges again found the EU is acting outside of its remit by preventing the country from acting as a sovereign state, and that Polish law must take precedence Article 19 What is it? This establishes the authority of the European Court of Justice which 'shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of... the law is observed.' In dispute: Poland says the article, as applied, grants the EU the power to oversee the appointment of judges made by the Polish President Court ruling: Judges found that, by interfering in the process of appointing judges, the EU is preventing Poland from acting as a sovereign nation and that the President's decision-making must take precedence Advertisement

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week addressed the European Parliament to defend his government's stance, accusing the Commission of 'blackmail' and trampling member states' sovereignty.

The issue dominated an EU summit at the end of last week during which Germany and France tried to ease tensions by essentially kicking the issue down the road to the next summit in December.

The Commission meanwhile is holding back 36 billion euros ($42 billion) in coronavirus recovery grants and loans to Poland until it bends on the judicial row.

It is also gathering evidence for further possible future action against Poland, including activating the 'conditionality' mechanism referred to by Sassoli.

While MEPs are vocal in wanting that mechanism triggered earlier, von der Leyen's Commission says it has to move painstakingly to ensure it would prevail against a certain challenge before the European Court of Justice.

Sassoli indicated the parliament would keep holding the Commission's feet to the fire.

'We expect the European Commission to act in a consistent manner and live up to what President von der Leyen stated during our last plenary discussion on this subject,' he said.

'Words have to be turned into deeds.'

Earlier this week, Poland was ordered to pay a penalty of 1 million euros (845,000) per day until it complies with the European Union's top court's order to scrap disciplinary rules for judges.

The Court of Justice of the European Union delivered the decision on Wednesday to prevent what it called 'serious and irreparable harm' to the EU's legal order and values amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law.

The row heated up in July when the EU's top court ordered Poland to suspend the disciplinary chamber of its Supreme Court, which is seen by critics as a way to pressure judges to rule on favour of Poland's ruling populist party.

Poland has said it will abolish the chamber as part of broader reforms, but has not yet presented detailed plans.

'In the ruling issued today, the Vice-President of the Tribunal obliged Poland to pay...a penalty payment of EUR 1 million per day, counting from the date on which this ruling was delivered to Poland,' the Luxembourg-based court said in a statement.

Poland has been ordered to pay a penalty of 1 million euros (845,000) per day until it complies with the European Union's top court's order to scrap disciplinary rules for judges. Pictured: Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Angela Merkel on October 22 at the EU Summit

The European Court of Justice imposed the penalty after a weeklong war of words in which Poland told the EU to stay out of its judicial affairs while other EU member states insisted that Warsaw could not continue to hog subsidies while disregarding the bloc's democratic and rule of law principles at will.

'You cannot pocket all the money but refuse the values,' Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said, warning Poland not to treat the EU like 'a cash machine.'

The Court of Justice decided to siphon off some of those subsidy funds, saying the daily fine was 'necessary in order to avoid serious and irreparable harm to the legal order of the European Union and to the values on which that Union is founded, in particular that of the rule of law.'

The EU's executive commission had requested the penalty until the Polish government acts to improve the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends new laws deemed to undermine judicial independence.

The point of contention is the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, a body that the ruling party gave the power to discipline judges. Many Polish judges view the chamber as a tool to pressure judges to rule in favor of the governing authorities.

In July, the European Court of Justice ordered the suspension of the disciplinary chamber, but it is still functioning.

Morawiecki told the European Parliament last week that the chamber will be abolished, but he gave no precise timeframe.

Deputy Justice Minister Sebastian Kaleta said the demand for 1 million euros was 'usurpation and blackmail' in comments posted on Twitter.

The move towards fines comes after Morawiecki accused the EU of 'starving' and 'punishing' his country by withholding 48billion in Covid relief money after Warsaw ruled that its constitution took precedence over European law.

Belgium's Prime Minister said on Wednesday his Polish counterpart was 'playing with fire when waging war with your European colleagues for internal political reasons.'

After the EU threatened sanctions against Poland, Morawiecki responded earlier on Monday with comments that the bloc is starting World War III and 'putting a gun to our head'.

When asked if Poland could use its veto power to block legislation in retaliation, Morawiecki told the Financial Times: 'If they start the third world war, we are going to defend our rights with any weapons which are at our disposal.'

The Court of Justice of the European Union delivered the decision on Wednesday to prevent what it called 'serious and irreparable harm' to the EU's legal order and values amid an increasingly bitter row over the rule of law

The row between Poland and the EU Relations between Poland and the EU have been rocky for years and reached a new low earlier this month after the tribunal ruled that Polish laws take precedence over those of the 27-nation bloc, which Poland joined in 2004. The ruling escalated lingering tensions over democratic standards between Poland's right-wing nationalist government and EU institutions in Brussels. The dispute is largely over changes to the Polish judicial system which give the ruling party more power over the courts. Polish authorities say they seek to reform a corrupt and inefficient justice system. The European Commission believes the changes erode the country's democratic system of checks and balances. Ultimately, at the heart of the row is the question of who should have the most power within the bloc - each individual nation over its citizens or the EU institutions over the member nations. It was the prime mover behind the exit of Britain from the EU, and it has stirred passions in several Eastern and Central European nations like Poland and Hungary. The whole idea behind the EU is that a united front will make the 27 nations a formidable power in the world, while they would be bystanders just as individual countries. But even if member states are happy to see that power used in international relations, some abhor it when it affects them. Morawiecki described Poland as a nation that is being intimidated and attacked by an EU whose top court issues rulings that aim to take more and more power away from its nations. He insisted that the EU must remain a union of sovereign states until all its members agree by treaty to give up more of their own national powers. 'We are now seeing a creeping revolution taking place by way of verdicts of the European Court of Justice,' he said. Morawiecki defended his country's stance that the highest law in Poland is the country's constitution. He insisted that Poland abides by EU treaties and brushed off comment from opponents of his government who fear that the court's ruling has put the country on a path to a possible exit from the EU. Morawiecki also said he sees double standards in the EU rulings on Poland's changes to its judiciary, noting that each country has its own judicial system, with politicians electing judges in some cases. The Polish tribunal majority ruling - in response to a case brought by Morawiecki - said Poland's EU membership did not give the European Court of Justice supreme legal authority and did not mean that Poland had shifted its legal sovereignty to the EU. Morawiecki asked for the review after the European Court of Justice ruled in March that Poland's new regulations for appointing judges to the Supreme Court could violate EU law. The ruling obliged Poland's government to discontinue the rules that gave politicians influence over judicial appointments. To date, Poland has not complied. Last month, the European Commission asked the European Court of Justice to impose daily fines on Poland until it improves the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends the laws that were deemed to undermine judicial independence. Morawiecki told EU lawmakers during the debate that a disputed disciplinary chamber of Poland's Supreme Court will be closed, because it did not meet expectations, without offering a clear timeline. Advertisement

EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer took issue with the violent imagery, saying: 'The EU is a project that very successfully contributed to establishing a lasting peace among its member states.

'There is no place for rhetoric referring to war.'

'You are playing a dangerous game,' De Croo said.

'This is about the overwhelming majority of member states - from the Baltics to Portugal - who agree our Union is a union of values, not a cash machine,' De Croo said, alluding to the fact that Poland has long been a major net recipient of EU funds.

The comments follow years of disputes over changes Poland's government has made to the country's courts.

The EU believes the changes erode democratic checks and balances, and the European Commission is holding up billions of euros to Poland earmarked in a pandemic recovery plan.

Morawiecki faced less sanguine criticism from his Polish political opponents, many of whom are deeply worried about Poland's increasing isolation within the EU.

'I have the impression that Mr Morawiecki has recently had some problems with English or that he has lost his mind,' tweeted Marek Belka, a former left-wing Polish prime minister who is now a member of the European Parliament.

Donald Tusk, the head of the leading opposition party in Poland, reacted to the 'war' comment by saying: 'In politics, stupidity is the cause of most serious misfortunes.'

The government spokesman, Piotr Muller, told Polish media that the prime minister's comment amounted to hyperbole and should not be taken literally.

The nationalist ruling party in Poland, Law and Justice, has been in conflict with Brussels since winning power in 2015 over a number of matters, including migration and LGBT rights.

The longest running dispute, however, has centred on the Polish governments attempts to take political control of the judiciary.

The ruling by Poland's Constitutional court, which is filled with ruling party's loyalists, was made after Morawiecki asked it to rule on whether EU or national law has primacy.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said last week that it was the first time ever that a national court found 'that the EU treaties are incompatible with the national constitution.'

'This ruling calls into question the foundations of the European Union,' von der Leyen said. 'It is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order.'

Poland's decision has cast the Eastern European nation's future in the EU into doubt, six years after the UK voted to leave the bloc in 2016 and kickstarted a continent-wide debate about the role of the 27-nation bloc.

Warsaw has long been at odds with Brussels over democratic standards and the independence of its judiciary.

Opinion polls show Poles are overwhelmingly EU-enthusiastic, with over 80 percent backing membership of the bloc that has given their country billions of euros in subsidies, turbo-charging its development.

But relations have become increasingly strained since the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power.

The fine imposed Wednesday comes on top of a 500,000-euro daily fine the Court of Justice ordered Poland last month to pay for having ignored its injunction to close the Turow brown coal mine. The ruling came in a dispute between Poland and the Czech Republic.

Poland argues it cannot do without some 7% of its energy that the Turow power plant is generating. Morawiecki has indicated Poland is prepared to pay, and can afford it.

These additional burdens on the state budget come as there is a possibility Poland will not be getting some 36 billion euros in EU funds earmarked for recovery from the pandemic because of the rule of law despite with Brussels.

Morawiecki earlier this year had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the primacy of EU law following a series of rulings from the bloc's top court against Poland's disputed judicial reforms.

The Constitutional Court itself underwent controversial reforms in 2016 designed by the PiS government, leading critics both in Poland and abroad to argue it is stacked with PiS allies.

Poland and Hungary are bitterly opposed to agreements negotiated last year as the EU's 1.5trillion Covid recovery budget was agreed, which linked the funding to enforcing laws such as equality and human rights legislation.

Both countries are led by right-wing populist parties who have been involved in long-running spats with the EU over the independence of courts, freedom of the press, and LGBT rights.
A Connecticut woman was arrested after she was accused of convincing her husband he had Alzheimer's and stealing nearly $600,000 from his over the course of two decades.

Donna Marino, 63, was arrested Wednesday after her husband John, 73, approached the East haven Police Department in March 2020 to report a 'large scale fraud,' Capt. Joseph Murgo told the New Haven Register.

Following an investigation police discovered that Marino allegedly forged her husband John's signature on a wide array of legal documents.

They included his pension checks, social security checks and worker's compensation settlements, before depositing the funds in a secret bank account - all without him knowing.

Donna Marino, 63, (pictured) was arrested Wednesday after her husband John, 73, approached police in March 2020 to report a 'large scale fraud'

Donna convinced John (pictured) he had Alzheimer's Disease like his mother before him in an effort to keep him from going to the bank and noticing the low balances

Police say Marino was able to obtain Power of Attorney rights over her husband by having a friend who is a Notary Public fraudulently sign legal documents without John present.

She was able to use her status as his Power of Attorney to file taxes in his name and pawn his belongings without him being aware, the New Haven Register reported.

Over the course of 20 years Donna defrauded her husband of a total of $600,000, police said.

Police said the stolen money went towards helping her other family members with things such as rent, groceries and car payments behind her husband's back.

John told police he did not become aware of the the alleged theft until March 2019, which was 10 years into their marriage.

John's daughter Elena (pictured right) moved him to Florida but he is still dealing with the betrayal

John told police he did not become aware of the the alleged theft until March 2019, which was 10 years into their marriage

Donna was able to get away with her scheme for so long by taking advantage of John's fear he would suffer from Alzheimer's Disease like his mother before him in an effort to keep him from going to the bank and noticing the low balances.

John's daughter Elena told WFSB.com that Donna was able to convince her father that he was diagnosed with the disorder by telling him that he simply did not remember going to the appointment where he was diagnosed.

'She was making up stories in the morning telling him that he was running around the house chasing her. He was chasing her saying get out of my house I don't know you,' she said.

John's granddaughter said that Donna used his family's past history with the disease to gaslight him.

'My great grandmother used to rip up mail, so she has said to my grandfather he was ripping up mail, so she went and got a PO box. So that's why he never saw a bill,' she told WFSB.com

John's daughter moved him to Florida but he is still dealing with the betrayal.

'He thinks about it just every so often he just can't believe the trauma. He really has major.. he suffers,' she said.

Donna was charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery.

She was held in custody on $25,000 bond and was arraigned on Thursday.
Hundreds of people attended an emotional vigil for a father-of-one who died after being arrested by Derbyshire Police.

Dozens of floral tributes and balloons were placed at the end of Morewood Drive on the evening of Thursday, October 28.

Several fireworks were let off as friends and family raised a drink to the 23-year-old man who died, who has been named online as father-of-one Chad Allford.

Police are yet to formally confirm the name of the man who died in the incident in Alfreton, Derbyshire, which took place at around 5pm on Wednesday, October 27.

Several tributes have been left on social media and a post saying 'JUSTICE4CHAD' has been shared over 100 times.

Father-of-one Chad Allford, 23, has been named locally as the man who died in police custody

Hundreds of people attended an emotional vigil for Mr Allford who died after being arrested by Derbyshire Police

Dozens of floral tributes and balloons were placed at the end of Morewood Drive on the evening of Thursday, October 28

Emotions ran high at the vigil, with some visibly upset and angry over his death, including Ashley, a friend of Mr Allfords for 15 years.

He said: 'I was a very good friend of Chads. Im distraught, heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken.

'Chad was such a kind guy, full of life, full of energy. Every time he walked into the room he lit the room up.

'Its very nice to see all of the support and I appreciate everyone coming out today.'

Tributes left at the vigil included emotional messages from those who knew Mr Allford.

One said: 'This is surreal. I cant believe youre gone. You will never be forgotten, we promise justice will be served. Until we meet again, angel.'

Another read: 'I was always very fond of you Chad. You were a decent lad with a good heart. Much love.'

A police cordon remained in place overnight - one person who attended the vigil was seen hitting an empty police van which was parked outside.

No officers appeared to be present at the vigil which was streamed live on social media.

The words 'RIP Chad' were sprayed onto the pavement and on an electrical substation at the end of the road.

A police cordon remained in place overnight - one person who attended the vigil was seen hitting an empty police van which was parked outside

The words 'RIP Chad' were sprayed onto the pavement and on an electrical substation at the end of the road

Jo Armstrong, who lived nearby and is the mother of one of Mr Allfords friends, said that people were left wanting to know the truth behind what had happened.

She said: 'He was funny, loveable, he used to wind me up, but he was a typical kid. He was a decent, decent bloke, he really was.

'The past 24 hours have been a nightmare. Its all up in arms at the moment.

'There are no words. No words can explain anyones emotions for this, at all.

'We want to see justice. I want them to get to the bottom of what has happened.'

Derbyshire police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct - the police watchdog - over the incident and has not released details about why it attended the house where it took place.

A statement released on Thursday said: 'Just before 5pm last night, Wednesday, October 27, officers attended an address on Morewood Drive in Alfreton.

'A 23-year-old man was detained who became unwell, he was taken to hospital by ambulance where he later sadly died.

'The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

'Any further media enquiries are to be directed to them.'
The COP26 climate summit poses an inevitable risk of increasing the transmission of Covid-19, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.

Scotland's First Minister, 51, urged those visiting Glasgow for the conference, including delegates and activists, to follow measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

Up to 30,000 delegates, 10,000 police and as many as 200,000 protesters, are set to descend on the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) on the banks of the Clyde for the COP26 conference - standing for 'Conference of the Parties'.

Speaking during a media briefing on Friday ahead of the start of the UN conference, Ms Sturgeon said that she understands people's unease about the increased risk of Covid transmission caused by the conference.

She said: 'This event which is bringing people from all around the world together to meet indoors in large numbers while the world is still in the midst of a pandemic inevitably poses a risk of increased Covid transmission. And I understand why that makes some people weary.

Scotland's First Minister, 51, urged those visiting Glasgow for the conference, including delegates and activists, to follow measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus

'However I want to give an assurance again today that we are doing everything possible to mitigate these risks as far as is possible.'

She said efforts have been made to ensure delegates are fully vaccinated, such as those entering the restricted blue zone will need to take a lateral flow test and mask wearing and one-metre social distancing will be in place.

Ms Sturgeon said she expects both pre-planned and spontaneous protests to take place during the two-week conference, which begins on Sunday and will look to build on agreements made at the Paris climate summit in 2015.

'I want to thank the organisers of these demonstrations - as well as a number of other activist groups - for the engagement they have had with the city and with the police to ensure that their demonstrations take place safely and securely,' she said.

She said that regardless of views on the summit, 'progress will not be made if discussions are disrupted'.

Ms Sturgeon continued: 'More generally - and this of course applies to all protests - I would ask that people demonstrating show consideration for the city and people who live here.

'The people of Glasgow are opening their city up to the world at what is a difficult time for everybody around the world.

'I hope those who are travelling into the city, welcome though they are, recognise that.'

Speaking during a media briefing on Friday, Ms Sturgeon said that she understands people's unease about the increased risk of Covid transmission caused by the conference

Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone told the briefing that those intent on causing violent disorder during the Cop26 summit will be responded to 'swiftly and robustly'.

He said policing the international conference will be one of the largest operations to have taken place anywhere in the UK.

'We will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest at Cop26, balanced against the rights of the wider community,' he said.

'But to those intent on violent disorder and damage, to those who seek to disrupt the climate conference actually taking place, I have a clear message: We will respond swiftly and we will respond robustly.'

It comes after the UN's top climate official warned the planet could descend into 'conflict and chaos' if world leaders fail to tackle climate change at the Cop26 summit.

Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, insisted global security and stability could break down if countries fail to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

In an interview with The Observer, she described a bleak future of general anarchy caused by climate catastrophe, warning of migration crises, food shortages and an increase in terrorism and violent crime.

'We're really talking about preserving the stability of countries, preserving the institutions that we have built over so many years, preserving the best goals that our countries have put together. The catastrophic scenario would indicate that we would have massive flows of displaced people,' she warned.

'It would mean less food, so probably a crisis in food security. It would leave a lot more people vulnerable to terrible situations, terrorist groups and violent groups. It would mean a lot of sources of instability.

'We know what migration crises have provoked in the past. If we were to see that in even higher numbers - not only international migration, but also internal migration - [it would] provoke very serious problems.'

Boris Johnson prepares to welcome global leaders to Scotland for the Cop26 climate summit, where he wants countries to commit to slashing carbon emissions.

COP26 begins in Glasgow on Sunday and will look to build on agreements made at the Paris climate summit in 2015 where nations agreed to try to keep global heating to below 1.5C

Mr Johnson unveiled his Net Zero strategy to turn Britain green by 2050 - but was warned by the Treasury that taxes and consumer costs could rise to cover the estimated 1trillion bill.

In typically bullish style, Mr Johnson insisted that he is not afraid to 'lead the charge' - saying 'history has never been made by those who sit at the back of the class'.

He claimed that Russia and China are 'following our lead' - even though both President Xi and President Putin are expected to snub the Cop26 summit.

China has also announced plans to build more coal-fired power plants and increase oil and gas exploration in recent weeks, raising questions about how serious it is about green issues.

The Government says that switching from fossil fuels to clean energy, including wind, new nuclear and emerging hydrogen technology, can ease the reliance on imports and protect families from price spikes.

It says 440,000 'well-paid' jobs can be created over the next decade.

As well as clean flights, a shift to electric cars by 2035, and gas boilers out by 2030, there will be a focus on encouraging homeowners to be more environmentally-conscious. That could include incentivising mortgage lenders to prioritise properties with better energy ratings.

However, there are growing concerns from the Tory backbenches at the consequences of the push - which economists say is likely to cost 1trillion over 30 years, although the bill for dealing with climate change would almost certainly be higher.

Rishi Sunak's Treasury delivered a stark warning about the burden in a separate document, saying the transition will have 'material fiscal consequences'.

It acknowledged that the costs of global inaction on climate were greater than those of action, but the assessment said that the government must take into account 'wider long-run pressures to the public finances'.

The analysis pointed out that government subsidies such as those for electric cars tend to favour the wealthy, while piling on costs for poorer families.

They said the bill for improving insulation varies massively between properties, from a few hundred pounds to nearly 8,500 for 'non-standard dwellings'.

One chart flagged the huge range of possible outcomes from the Net Zero process - suggesting that heating, power and transport costs could rise from around 2,400 a year now to around 2,600 in 2050. However, they could also fall to 1,800 at the optimistic end of the spectrum.

More than 120 world leaders will attend the event, which takes place at the Scottish Event Campus from October 31 to November 12.

Road users are being warned to expect disruption as many routes around the venue will be closed for up to three weeks, with diversions in place.

Transport Scotland said that 'severe congestion' is expected on certain days due to a combination of road closures, security measures, an influx of delegates, poor weather, and likely protests.

Boris Johnson unveiled his Net Zero strategy to turn Britain green by 2050 - but was warned by the Treasury that taxes and consumer costs could rise to cover the estimated 1trillion bill

A section of the Clydeside Expressway, which runs near the SEC, shut at 9pm on Saturday and will not reopen until 6am on Monday November 15.

Other roads closing from this weekend include Finnieston Street, Lancefield Quay and the Clyde Arc bridge.

Information about road, footpath and cycle way closures can be found on the www.getreadyglasgow.com website which also has details of all the alternative routes and will have day-by-day 'heat' maps showing where congestion is expected because of specific Cop26 events.

The impact of the conference is also expected to be felt outside the city, with the transport network in Glasgow and the Central Belt predicted to be extremely busy.

Meanwhile the RMT union has confirmed that ScotRail workers will strike from November 1-12 amid a dispute over pay and conditions.

A major security operation will be under way in Glasgow throughout the conference.

About 10,000 police officers will be deployed each day during the gathering of global leaders, with Scotland's forces being bolstered by police from other parts of the UK.

Firearms officers, dog handlers, mounted branch, search teams and the marine unit will all be used in what will be the largest police operation ever undertaken in Scotland.

Police divers have been searching the River Clyde as part of the security operation in the run up to the conference.

During Cop26 itself, Ministry of Defence Police will monitor the waterway providing a '24/7, armed policing presence' on the river, with assistance when required from Police Scotland divers.

Temporary airspace restrictions will be in place across east and central Scotland from 11.59pm on October 30 to 11:59pm on November 13.
Tucker Carlson has announced a new multi-part docuseries, Patriot Purge, that includes a suggestion the January 6 riot was a false flag intended to demonize conservatives and amp up the 'war on terror' against white supremacists.

Carlson released the trailer for the docuseries on his Twitter account earlier this week. It is the first project by Tucker Carlson Originals.

In a voiceover, the FOX host says: 'What exactly happened on January 6? How much of what we were told about that day is a lie?

'The helicopters have left Afghanistan and now they have landed here at home. They have begun to fight a new enemy in a new war on terror.'

Carlson has previously claimed that government agents were in charge of orchestrating the riot to make it look like the work of Trump supporters.

Carlson, who announced the series on his Twitter account, asks: 'What exactly happened on January 6? How much of what we were told about that day is a lie?

Carlson's new docuseries will appear on FOX Nation from November 1

The trailer includes an interview with Emily Rainey, a former army captain, who says: 'If that was an insurrection, it was the most poorly conducted insurrection ever.

'False flags have happened in this country. One of which may have been January 6.'

The documentary trailer also shows clips of President Biden talking about white supremacists as terrorist akin to al Qaeda.

Others interviewed talked about the 'domestic war on terror' which they said is 'here and coming half the country.'

Another says: 'The left is hunting the right.'

An African American man is interviewed and tells how he has been dubbed a white supremacist by the left, despite being black.

The trailer also says: 'Tucker Carlson Originals present 1/6: The War on Terror 2.0 and the plot against the people.'

Former Army Captain Emily Rainer says in the trailer: 'If that was an insurrection, it was the most poorly conducted insurrection ever. 'False flags have happened in this country. One of which may have been January 6.'

In one section of the trailer, a black man holds up his hands and says even he had been called a white supremacist by the left

Rainey, the former Army captain, said of January 6: 'If that was an insurrection, it was the most poorly conducted insurrection ever'

The trailer describes the 'new war on terror' against 'white supremacists' and includes archive footage of the KKK

Carlson previously claimed the FBI may have been involved in orchestrating the riot to demonize Trump supporters.

Journalists and politicians quickly slammed Carlson for the suggestion that January 6 was a 'false flag.'

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger tweeted: 'Anyone working for FOX News must speak out.

'This is disgusting. It appears FOX isnt even pretending anymore.'

Geraldo Rivera, Tucker's colleague at FOX, called the false flag claim 'bulls**t'.

Liz Cheney tweeted: 'It appears that @FoxNews is giving @TuckerCarlson a platform to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence on January 6.

Journalists and politicians quickly slammed Carlson for the suggestion that January 6 was a 'false flag.' Others praised him for broaching the topic.

'As @FoxNews knows, the election wasnt stolen and January 6 was not a false flag operation.'

Others praised him for broaching the topic.

FOX Nation host Lara Logan tweeted: 'Wow. Finally someone with the courage to get to the truth - and a voice respected by millions.

'They know theres only one truth and its definitely not on their side. Stay safe Tucker - weve got your back.'

News Max host Steve Cortes tweeted: 'Such an important topic, there's so much we don't know about Jan 6. Release all tapes, unedited, right now. We paid for those cameras and we own that building.'

The docuseries will be aired on FOX Nation on November 1.
The 100million policing operation at COP26 represents the biggest deployment of officers on record in the UK  larger than the London Olympics and the recent G7 summit in Cornwall.

An average of 10,000 officers from Police Scotland and forces around Britain will be on duty every day for three weeks, with the UK Government picking up the bill.

A ring of steel is being erected around the conference site on the north bank of the River Clyde as security forces brace for threats to the heads of state in attendance and potential disruption from climate change protesters.

And police will even deploy specially trained officers equipped with high-tech devices that can bring down rogue drones using electromagnetic pulses.

Police expect to make 300 arrests a day but sources warned if the number gets much higher, custody suites will be overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, a report revealed last week almost half of Scotlands police officers have experienced high levels of fatigue in the previous fortnight, which does not bode well for a three-week conference during which many will have to work 12-hour shifts.

Scotlands lawyers have also vowed to boycott weekend custody courts amid an ongoing row over legal aid cuts. This means the justice system could be plunged into chaos by the sheer number of people arrested at the event.

American President Joe Biden is among more than 100 world leaders expected to attend the event.

The summit will also feature a climate rally in Glasgow that could be attended by more than 150,000 people.

Tens of thousands of delegates from 193 member states and four observer states will attend the summit, with the SEC conference venue designated a blue zone  meaning it will be policed by the UN, with Scottish police only allowed to enter if there is a threat to life.

A convoy of police motorbikes and vehicles was seen leaving the Scottish Event Campus - which will host the Cop26 summit in Glasgow - via a security gate

The summit will also feature a climate rally in Glasgow that could be attended by more than 150,000 people (Pictured: Previous climate rally in London in 2019)

Police officers in high-vis jackets and black face coverings were seen patrolling the streets around the venue

Security will be of the utmost concern as leaders from around the world - including US President Joe Biden and German president Angela Merkel - are set to descend on the city (Pictured: Police patrol streets around venue)

Security forces have a huge operation on their hands as more than 30,000 delegates and world leaders are set to attend the summit (Pictured: Convoy leaving venue)

Several police motorbikes exit the Cop26 summit venue in Glasgow amid typically rainy weather on Friday

Police are already on patrol ahead of the start of the summit on Sunday

Leaders' schedules: G20 summit and COP26 G20 Sat 30 10am: Arrival/meet-and-greet 11.30am: Family photo 11.45am: Roundtable discussions, Session 1: 'Global Economy and Global Health' 3pm: Side-event on 'Supporting small and medium enterprises, and women-owned businesses to build forward better'. Guest speaker: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands 7pm: Cultural event Sun 31 10.30am: Side-event on the role of the private sector in the fight against climate change. Guest speaker: HRH Charles, Prince of Wales 11.05am: Roundtable Session 2: 'Climate Change and Environment' 1.50pm: Roundtable Session 3: 'Sustainable Development' 3.40pm: Closing session 4.15pm: Concluding press conferences COP26 Mon 1 Opening ceremony: Boris Johnson to welcome world leaders with a ceremony featuring 'creative and cultural moments' and a speech by Prince Charles, after the Queen pulled out for health reasons National statements: Throughout the two-day leaders' summit, heads of state and government will set out their plans to tackle climate change and curb emissions 2.30pm-4.30pm: Event - Action and Solidarity, the Critical Decade, during which leaders will hear the latest scientific reporting, get an update on progress, and hear what action must now be taken Nov 2 9.15am - 12.45pm: Event - Action on Forests and Land-Use, at which leaders will hear how policies to protect forests and use land better can fight climate change 2.15pm-4.30pm: Event - Accelerating Clearn Technology and Deployment, at which leaders will be shown a 'positive vision' for how technology can be used to combat climate change including creating new jobs and economic growth Advertisement

Police were pictured ramping up security in Glasgow on Friday.

A convoy of police motorbikes and vehicles was seen leaving the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) - which will host the summit - via a security gate.

Elsewhere, police officers in high-vis jackets and black face coverings were pictured patrolling the streets around the venue.

Security will be of the utmost concern as leaders from around the world - including US President Joe Biden and German president Angela Merkel - are set to descend on the city.

They will also bring their entourages and delegates, with more than 30,000 people expected to pass through the SEC between October 31 and November 12.

Part of President Biden's huge team arrived at Glasgow Airport today - only to be welcomed by brutally wet weather which has seen two road bridges 'washed away' by torrential rain.

A C17 military jet kicked up clouds of vapour as it touched down on the runway before disgorging the president's Marine One helicopter and scores of security personnel, who were thankfully treated to a break in the downpours.

A third jet with 'United States of America' on its fuselage was seen landing at the airport before taking off again, alongside planes from other nations including France.

The main aim of the summit is to persuade countries to agree to take action to restrict global warming to nothing more than 1.5 degrees.

Boris Johnson - who is hosting the event - previously hailed COP26 as a major moment, saying in September that 'this is the most important period I think now in the history of the planet - because COP simply must succeed'.

The UK has set out a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and is urging other countries to follow suit.

However, expectations appear to have now been dampened, with the Prime Minister saying earlier this week that it will be 'touch and go' on whether progress will be made.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News that it is always difficult to agree big changes at large-scale events attended by many nations.

He said: 'These events, because they are big, multi-lateral events with many countries, it is often difficult to get progress.

'We have been working incredibly hard though on our agenda which is getting more countries to commit to net zero by the middle of the century, getting commitments on decarbonising transport, particularly electrification of cars.

'And in my case working quite hard on a package around forests, mobilising finance and getting agreement on reducing and halting the net loss of forests around the world.

'So I am optimistic about these agendas. But always, obviously, when we are in the final days in the build up to it you do get nervous about whether you will get things over the line, certain agreements over the line.

'There is more to be done at the actual summit itself. I am optimistic but it is, as the Prime Minister said, touch and go.

Mr Johnson said on Monday that he was 'worried' the COP26 summit could end in failure.

The Prime Minister said a deal between world leaders on reducing harmful emissions 'can be done' but it is going to be 'very, very tough'.

It comes after it was revealed that China, the world's biggest polluter, would not be attending.

The PM spoke to the Chinese President on the phone on Friday morning after Beijing confirmed he will not be attending the COP26 summit in person but will address his fellow world leaders via video link.

Police and security personnel outside the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow today, where the Cop26 summit will be held

Pedestrians shelter under umbrellas in Glasgow today as they walk past a digital display near the SEC venue in the city

Grey skies over the SEC in Glasgow this morning ahead of the Cop26 climate change conference beginning this Sunday

A C17 military jet kicked up clouds of vapour as it touched down on the runway before disgorging the president's Marine One helicopter

A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Orange County, New York, with number 60005 at Glasgow Airport this week. The aircraft was carrying a helicopter which will be called Marine One when used by the President

Scores of security personnel were also seen leaving the military plane. They were thankfully treated to a break in the downpours

China has dashed hopes of significant progress being made at the summit in Glasgow after it recommitted to its old climate goals and failed to set out any additional ones.

China is the biggest emitter of CO2 in the world and its formal submission ahead of COP26 restated its goal of achieving 'carbon neutrality' by 2060 despite other nations urging Beijing to go further.

A Downing Street summary of the phone call with President Xi said Mr Johnson had 'acknowledged' China's plans to tackle climate change.

A Number 10 spokesman added: 'He emphasised the importance of all countries stepping up their ambition on climate change at COP26 and taking concrete action to cut emissions and expedite the transition to renewable energy, including phasing out coal.'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have demanded G20 leaders end Covid-19 pandemic 'once and for all' while accusing 'wealthy' nations failing to give poorer countries access to vaccines.

The couple have penned an open letter, co-signed by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, demanding leaders of the 'wealthiest' nations at the G20 summit end the Covid crisis by working to vaccinate the world's population.

U.S. President Joe Biden this week ignored a previous open letter from Meghan in which she called for couples in America to be given paid parental leave.

The lobbying attempt was revealed to have failed on Thursday when the President announced he had dropped the policy from his $1.75 trillion infrastructure plan.

The new document comes just one day before the G20 leaders' summit is due to get underway in Rome. It is the first face-to-face G20 summit since Covid struck.

Last month, Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, announced they had partnered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to host a 'dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity'.

The open document, published on WHO's website, called for G20 leaders to end the Covid-19 pandemic 'once and for all' and do everything in their power to reach the goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of the world's population by the end of the year.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry accused G20 leaders of failing to ensure poorer countries are given access to Covid-19 vaccines in an open letter published on WHO's website

It read: 'Today, we join with others to urge global leaders to end this devastating inequity and end this pandemic once and for all.'

The couple spoke about G7 leaders pledging in June to provide one billion vaccine doses over the next year, but asked where the doses are, claiming some nations still do not have doses for their own health workers.

They slammed G20 and G7 leaders by claiming that the promises that have been made are not leading to people around the world getting much-needed vaccines.

The letter added: 'Of the almost 7 billion doses that have been administered globally, just 3 percent of people in low-income countries have had a jab so far. Where are the rest?

'COVAX, the initiative designed to help achieve fair global access to COVID vaccines, has been promised 1.3 billion doses to be donated for the low-income countries it supports, yet it has been able to ship only 150 million - 11.5 percent  to date. Where are the rest?

'Promises aren't translating into vaccines reaching the people that need them.'

The couple said some G20 nations have 'surplus vaccines that are destined to be wasted once they expire', arguing that everyone should be outraged by any wasted doses.

The letter continued: 'Every discarded dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, when there are the mechanisms to donate them, should outrage us all.

The couple slammed G20 and G7 leaders as they claimed that people around the world are not getting much-needed vaccines. Pictured: Student gets a vaccine in Oxford on September 17

'Each dose represents a real persona mother, father, daughter, or sonwho could have been protected.

'Each of us come from very different places, backgrounds, and life experiences, but we share a common goal: to tackle global inequity.'

Meghan and Harry went on to demand that everyone must do 'everything' in their power to get vaccine doses to as many people across the globe 'in the right order'.

They added: 'G20 leaders have the power to accelerate long-promised donations and to commit to breaking the hold that manufacturing countries and pharmaceutical companies currently have over access to the vaccines and how they're made.'

The letter claimed many obstacles in distributing Covid vaccines are 'avoidable', including the 'inability or unwillingness of vaccine producing countries and pharmaceutical firms to share' their vaccines.

The document added: 'We understand that the pandemic recovery is nuanced and deeply complex, but we have a window of opportunity to come together as a global community and meet our humanitarian promises.'

The couple called on G20 leaders to help nations manufacture their own vaccines and prioritise giving doses to those most in need, saying this will help to reach the goal of vaccinating 40 percent of all countries by the end of this year.

They concluded: 'There are many crises that you  the stewards of our planet  must grapple with this weekend: the climate emergency, the state of our global economy, a recommitment to multilateralism.

'Yet, in many ways, making headway on these priorities depends on whether we can beat this pandemic.'

The letter has been supported by: Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, Dr Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS; Chelsea Clinton, DPhil, MPH, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation; Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen; Tom Hart, Acting CEO, The ONE Campaign; Carolyn Reynolds, Co-founder Pandemic Action Network; Anil Soni, CEO, WHO Foundation.

Last month, Meghan and Harry spoke out about how the wealthiest nations are hoarding vaccine doses from poor countries during 'Wokestock' event in New York City

Their latest call for vaccine equity comes after Meghan spoke out about how the wealthiest nations are hoarding vaccine doses from poor countries during 'Wokestock' in New York City.

Both Meghan and Harry spoke about getting the Covid vaccine to everyone around the world at the event at Central Park last month.

The pair took to the stage for Global Citizen Live, a concert aimed at raising awareness for a variety of issues, including global poverty and climate change. It has been dubbed 'Wokestock'.

During Meghan and Harry's joint, coordinated speech, Meghan said: 'Every single person on this planet has a fundamental right to get this vaccine. That's the point, but that's not happening.

'And while in this country and many others, you can go almost anywhere and get vaccinated, billions of people around the world cannot,' she said.

'This year, the world is expected to produce enough doses to meet the target of vaccinating 70 percent of people in every single country, but it is wrong that so much of the vaccine supply has only gone to 10 wealthy nations so far and not everyone else. It's just not ok.'

The couple also hosted a meeting on vaccine equity with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) offices in the United Nations (UN) building in New York last month.

The couple released a statement on Friday on the Instagram account for their non-profit Archewell saying they had partnered with the WHO to host a 'dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity.'

They were joined by some of the 'foremost leaders' on public health, they said, adding that they are 'eager to do our part' to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sussexes had been spotted emerging from the WHO offices at 885 Second Avenue in Manhattan, carrying both WHO documents and documents featuring Archewell branding.

Last month, Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, announced they had partnered with the WHO to host a 'dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity'

'In this room, we had a number of the foremost leaders on public health, pandemic preparedness, scientific progress, and community building,' the couple said in a joint statement.

'Today's meeting was a much-appreciated opportunity to learn from some of the most-respected experts who are working tirelessly to end this pandemic.

'Building on ongoing conversations we've had with global leaders over the past 18 months, today further reinforced our commitment to vaccine equity.

'We're so encouraged by the spirit of collaboration we heard throughout our conversation and are eager to do our part.'

Meghan and Harry were joined at the meeting by Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation.

Other attendees included: WHO assistant director-general Stewart Simonson, Director of Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services Loyce Pace, WHO Foundation CEO Anil Soni, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the UN's Under-Secretary General Winnie Byanyima.

WHO director-general Ghebreyesus, who joined the meeting remotely, said he was 'grateful' to Meghan and Harry for their work on the 'critical conversation' on the vaccine.

'We're grateful to The Duke of Duchess of Sussex for working with us to bring together this critical conversation,' he said, reported Vanity Fair.

'We are at an important crossroads for vaccinating the world.

'It is only with collaboration, coordination, transparency, and creative thinking that we can make it through this pandemic together.'
A declassified US intelligence report has concluded COVID wasn't developed as a biological weapon - but conceded that coronavirus may well have emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The paper issued by the Director of National Intelligence on Friday elaborates on findings released in August of a 90-day review ordered by President Joe Biden.

That review said that U.S. intelligence agencies were divided on the origins of the virus, but that analysts do not believe the virus was developed as a bioweapon, and that most agencies believe the virus was not genetically engineered.

Four agencies within the US intelligence community said with low confidence that the virus was initially transmitted from an animal to a human.

An unclassified intelligence report on the origins of COVID-19 was released by the Director of National Intelligence on findings released in August of a 90-day review ordered by President Joe Biden

This graphic sums up the key findings of the report - and reveals that intelligence officials have been unable to definitively say how COVID emerged

A fifth intelligence agency believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab.

The so-called 'lab leak theory' has been a source of controversy, and was initially dismissed after being touted by Donald Trump during his time as president.

But intelligence officials now consider a possible spill at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and infection caused by a host animal as the two most likely sources of the outbreak, with both given equal weighting by investigators.

They added that China's continued obfuscation over COVID - including allegations that the United States itself is responsible for the outbreak - mean it is unlikely US investigators will ever find out exactly where the virus came from.

Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, intelligence agencies wont be able to conclude whether COVID-19 spread by animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab, officials said Friday in releasing a fuller version of their review into the origins of the pandemic

That review said that U.S. intelligence agencies were divided on the origins of the virus but that analysts do not believe the virus was developed as a bioweapon and that most agencies believe the virus was not genetically engineered

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, who spearheaded the report into the origins of COVID

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, pictured, is a source of much of the debate regarding the origins of the deadly virus, amid claims COVID could have leaked from it

Biden launched the review amid growing momentum for the theory - initially broadly dismissed by experts - that the virus leaked from the Wuhan lab.

China remains an exceedingly difficult place for intelligence operations and has fought back against allegations that it mishandled the emergence of the pandemic, which has infected more than 245 million people and killed close to 5 million people.

Senior officials involved in the full reports drafting said they hoped it would better inform the public about the challenges of determining the virus's origins.

'We don't think we're one or two reports away from being able to understand it,' said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

The full report notes that the Wuhan Institute of Virology 'previously created chimeras, or combinations, of SARS-like coronaviruses, but this information does not provide insight into whether SARS Cov-2 was genetically engineered by the WIV.'

Information that lab researchers sought medical treatment for a respiratory illness in November 2019 'is not diagnostic of the pandemics origins,' the report said.

It also poured cold water on speculation that the outbreak may have begun even earlier than November, after satellite photos showed hospital parking lots in Wuhan far busier than normal during the summer of 2019.

And allegations that China launched the virus as a bioweapon were dismissed because their proponents 'do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,' are making scientifically invalid claims or are accused of spreading disinformation, the report said.

The so-called 'lab leak theory' has been a source of controversy as former President Donald Trump and his supporters long argued that a lab leak was possible

NIH Director Dr. Anthony Fauci has been in the crossfires of his agency's dealings with the Wuhan lab

President Joe Biden ordered the review of the origins of the COVID-19 virus

Prior to writing the report, analysts conducted what the report describes as a 'Team A/Team B' debate to try to strengthen or weaken each hypothesis.

Confirming with 100% certainty the origin of a virus is often not fast, easy or always even possible.

In the case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS - a disease caused by a beta coronavirus, like the current coronavirus - researchers first identified the virus in February 2003.

Later that year, scientists discovered the likely intermediary hosts: Himalayan palm civets found at live-animal markets in Guangdong, China. But it wasnt until 2017 that researchers traced the likely original source of the virus to bat caves in Chinas Yunnan province.

The lab leak theory - which was once rejected by medical experts as a conspiracy - has gained traction in recent months, prompting President Joe Biden to dispatch intelligence agencies in May to find answers and report back in 90 days.

At the halfway point, no concrete evidence has emerged that supports one hypothesis over the other, but multiple sources overseeing the review told CNN on Friday that the intelligence community is firmly divided over the two theories.

A person familiar with the probe told CNN barring a smoking gun evidence, which doesn't exist right now, the 90-review will end with pros and cons to the two major theories.

As it stands now, two intelligence agencies seem to be leaning to the natural-occurring origin theory; while one agency is leaning towards the lab leak, CNN reported.

The news outlet didn't mention the agencies but said all three are lukewarm about either theory.

The theory that the coronavirus escaped from a lab in Wuhan is considered at least as credible as a natural origin, senior Biden administration officials told CNN

Sources told CNN the intelligence community is split at the halfway point of Biden's 90-day push for answers, but no evidence has emerged to push the needle

Biden ordered intelligence agencies to investigate the possibility that the coronavirus escaped from a lab in China in May and report back in 90 days

A day earlier, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted there was a 'premature push' to rule out a potential link between the coronavirus pandemic and a lab leak.

WHO director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they're pushing China to be more transparent as the international community searches for answers.

Ghebreyesus's comments come just weeks after he suggested that Beijing had not cooperated fully with investigations and called on China to help solve the origin of the virus out of 'respect' for the dead.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson hit back with scathing statement about the US and said the country has been open and transparent all along.

'For quite some time, a handful of countries, led by the US, have been stigmatizing the epidemic, putting a geographical label on the virus and politicizing the origins study,' the statement reads.

'They blatantly disregard the achievements scientists made together and turn a blind eye to science and truth for their own selfish interests. They publicly clamor for investigations conducted by intelligence agencies and falsely accuse China of not being transparent and cooperative by all means regardless of the facts.

'These actions have seriously disrupted and undermined international cooperation in global origins study, created great difficulties and obstacles for countries to fight the epidemic and save lives, and aroused wide dissatisfaction and opposition in the international community.'

WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was premature to rule of the theory that the virus might have escaped from a Chinese government laboratory in Wuhan

The White House has hit back with public threats over the last month.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Beijing of potential consequences last month, telling Fox News that China will face 'isolation in the international community' if it does not cooperate.

He also told CNN that 'if it turns out that China refuses to live up to its international obligations, we will have to consider our responses at that point.'

With tensions escalating, the US-China relationship has become something akin to a high-wire tightrope act, which is why officials are not expecting a definitive answer to where and how the coronavirus came to be.

The Huanan wet market, where scientists say the first cluster of infections were officially reported, is just a few hundred yards from the Wuhan Centres for Disease Prevention and Control and only a few miles from the the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab, where scientists were reportedly conducting experiments on bats before the pandemic began.

The lab is one of only a handful in the world that is cleared to handle Class 4 pathogens  dangerous viruses that pose a high risk of person-to-person transmission.

Three researchers from the institute sought medical care in November 2019, before the virus began to spread, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.

There are scientists who have claimed for more than a year that the genomic sequence of the virus is such that it must have been engineered by humans.

This follows revelations that a government laboratory in California concluded last May 2020 that COVID-19 may have escaped from a facility in Wuhan.

Scientists at the the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, near Berkeley, analyzed the genetic makeup of the virus to try to understand how it evolved.

They passed their May 27, 2020 findings on to the State Department in October. The five-month delay was not explained.

On January 15 the State Department published a fact sheet about COVID-19, which said that 'circumstantial' evidence suggested a lab leak theory was possible.

The secret document the California lab produced was not known about until Monday, when The Wall Street Journal reported on its existence.

People familiar with the Lawrence Livermore study said that it was prepared by their 'Z Division,' which is its intelligence arm.

The California lab has not confirmed the contents of their report, which remains secret.

And last month an explosive new study obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com suggested the scientists created Covid-19 and then tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering versions of the virus to make it look like it evolved naturally from bats.

The paper's authors, British Professor Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian scientist Dr. Birger Srensen, wrote that they have had 'prima facie evidence of retro-engineering in China' for a year - but were ignored by academics and major journals.

Dalgleish is a professor of oncology at St George's University, London, and is best known for his breakthrough creating the first working 'HIV vaccine', to treat diagnosed patients and allow them to go off medication for months.

Srensen, a virologist, is chair of pharmaceutical company, Immunor, which developed a coronavirus vaccine candidate called Biovacc-19. Dalgleish also has share options in the firm.

The shocking allegations in the study include accusations of 'deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data' at Chinese labs, and it notes the silencing and disappearance of scientists in the communist country who spoke out.

The journal article, which has been submitted for publication, is set to make waves among the scientific community, as the majority of experts have until recently staunchly denied the origins of COVID-19 were anything other than a natural infection leaping from animals to humans.

Some experts still believe the virus was transmitted from a bat to some other species of animal, then to humans. However, its origins remain unproven.

The Wuhan lab was famed for conducting tests on bat coronaviruses, with experts who support the leak theory saying the same city being ground zero for the outbreak is too great a coincidence to ignore.

Senator Rand Paul and NIH director Dr. Anthony Fauci have gone at it in hearings, which are publicly broadcasted  in fact, the duo have frequently clashed publicly both in the Senate and out over NIH funds.

Senator Rand Paul got in a heated exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci at a hearing when he again pushed the nation's top immunologist on whether the U.S. funded gain of function research in Wuhan. Fauci responded with, 'You do not know what you are talking about'

He defended allocating $600,000 to a group called EcoHealth Alliance, which then paid the Wuhan Institute of Virology to study the risk that bat coronaviruses could infect humans.

Paul grilled Fauci in May about the $600,000 in funding allocated for EcoHealth Alliance, which turned around and paid the Wuhan Institute of Virology to study how bat coronavirus could infect humans.

Fauci defended that allocation during a hearing before a congressional budget committee

The $600,000 in funding was reinstated in August after a different earlier grant was blocked in April 2020 amid concern over safety at the Wuhan lab.

Paul insisted during the terse exchange that the money was being used for gain of function research. Fauci, however, insisted the money was not used for this purpose.

'You are entirely and completely incorrect,' Fauci told Paul at the hearing. 'The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute.'

Gain of function research looks at both transmitting disease between animals and humans and is a way for scientists to alter organisms and diseases to study how they could become deadlier or more transmissible.

The NIH definition of gain of function includes 'scientific research that increases the transmissibility among animals is gain-of-function.'

The Kentucky senator repeatedly questioned Fauci on gain of function  and the U.S. indirectly funding that research in China  on a few occasions. The theory has emerged in conservative circles as a potential answer to the origins of COVID-19.

Last month, Paul also accused Fauci of lying and demanded he be fired after a slew of his emails were made public.

Paul claimed to Fox News early in June that thousands of emails revealed by Buzzfeed News and the Washington Post proved Fauci may have been in-part responsible for the development of COVID-19.

The emails reveal that Fauci was warned privately of the possibility that the origins of COVID were due to a lab leak in Wuhan  even though he publicly dismissed the ideas and allowed Democrats to call it a conspiracy.

The email revelation did not show Faucis personal take on the theory.

Paul gave Fauci the opportunity to retract his May 11 statement claiming the U.S. did not fund gain of function research with it's $600,000 grant, saying 'Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement?'

Fauci got quite animated during the exchange, as he pointed his fingers at Paul for being a 'liar'

Paul pointed back his pencil, and insisted the evidence shows National Institute of Health funding went to the Wuhan lab, who he claims then used that money to do research on how to make a bat coronavirus transmittable to humans and more infectious and deadly
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple insisted the sexual assault charge against former Governor Cuomo was not a political ploy and said Cuomo will have to get a mugshot

The Albany County Sheriff insisted Friday that former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sexual assault charge is not a political ploy by Attorney General Letitia James, despite it being released on the same day as she announced her own run for governor.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple called it 'ridiculous' to insinuate that the police department was doing a 'political hit job' and ensured the public they had 'overwhelming evidence,' as he announced Cuomo will have to get a mug shot.

'How is the Albany County Sheriff doing a political hit job? That is ridiculous,' Apple said during a press conference on Friday.

'We have an overwhelming amount of evidence, we have a victim who has been cooperating fully every day, every step of the way. As far as conviction, that's going to be down to the jury, the judge I feel very confident that the DA is going to prosecute this. We met our burden as far as probable cause and we have filed.'

James, 62, announced her run for governor in 2022 earlier on Friday.

'New Yorkers need a governor who isn't afraid to stand up to powerful interests on behalf of the vulnerable,' she said.

'Throughout my career, I've taken on big forces and New Yorkers know I will never back down when it comes to fighting for them. Today, I am proud to announce my candidacy for governor of New York so we can bring transformational change that uplifts all New Yorkers.'

Andrew Cuomo, 63, has been with charged with sexual assault by the Albany County Sheriff's Office. He denies the claims and his lawyer Rita Glavin said 'timing of the charge' is 'highly suspect' as it was announced on the same day New York Attorney General Letitia James announced she was running for Governor

James, 62, announced she will be running for governor in 2022. She said 'New Yorkers need a governor who isn't afraid to stand up to powerful interests on behalf of the vulnerable'

Apple defended his decision to file a criminal complaint against Cuomo, 63, without consulting prosecutors or informing the accuser, a woman who says she was groped by the Democrat last year.

'We didn't want everybody to know exactly what we were doing because we didn't want all this, the circus,' Craig said in an interview with radio host Paul Vandenburgh of Albany's Talk 1300.

Apple also said he did not intend for the criminal charges to become public so soon, but he said the case should go forward.

A spokesman for the former governor said Thursday's surprise developments were evidence that the case is politically motivated.

'In an unprecedented move, Craig Apple 'erroneously' filed misdemeanor charges against former Governor Cuomo without notification or authorization of the district attorney or the complainant,' Rich Azzopardi said.

'It seemed the only person who was notified, and had a statement ready to go, was Tish James,' he said, referring to the state's attorney general, who oversaw a civil investigation into Cuomo's conduct with women, but was not involved in the sheriff's criminal probe.

The Albany County District Attorney's office said after the charge was filed that it had not been informed ahead of time. It has been conducting its own investigation and was expected to take the lead on a decision about whether to prosecute.

Rita Glavin, Cuomo's attorney, said in a statement: 'The timing of this charge, on the eve of Tish James announcing her run for Governor, is highly suspect and should give all of us pause that the heavy hand of politics is behind this decision.

'We expect clar-headed people will make better decisions going forward, but should this case move forward we are prepared to vigorously defend the Governor and challenge every aspect of the specious, inconsistent and uncorroborated allegations made against him.'

Cuomo continues to deny the claims that he assaulted Brittany Commisso, 33.

James (left) and Cuomo (right in black) with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (behind) in 2014

'The Governor did not assault Ms. Commisso,' Glavin's statement opened.

Apple said that Cuomo will be expected to appear in court on November 17. He will be arrested sometime before then.

'This is a solid casewe are moving forward,' Apple said. 'He will be arraigned, he will be fingerprinted. He will be photographed.'

'I don't have a goal,' he said at the press conference. 'My goal isn't to throw Andrew Cuomo in jail.

'Again, we investigated the complaint, we have a victim, and, and the goal is for her to seek justice. That's exactly what she's doing. She's been with us every step of the way.

'At the end of the day, we have a victim, and our job is to take the complaint investigated and move forward. And that's what we've done.'

He made clear, though, that if Cuomo fails to appear in court, he will have a 'criminal arrest warrant issued.'

The sheriff also admitted that his office did consult AG James' report into Cuomo as part of their investigation, but said he had not spoken to her directly about the charge.

'We have the facts of the investigation and the criminal summons was issued. So on November 17th, that individual will have to answer to that charge,' said Craig, referring to Cuomo and the date he has been ordered to appear in court.

The one-page complaint, filed in Albany City Court, accuses Cuomo of committing the crime of forcible touching by putting his hand under a woman's shirt on December 7, 2020.

The complaint did not name the woman, but she has identified herself as Brittany Commisso, who worked as one of Cuomo's executive assistants before his resignation amid sexual harassment allegations in August.

Cuomo will have to appear in court on November 17 and will be arrested sometime prior to that, Apple said at a press conference on Friday. If he fails to appear in court, he will have a criminal arrest warrant issued for him

Commisso's lawyer, Brian Premo, said he had also expected the district attorney's office to handle the case.

'I have no doubt that the sheriff's investigators did a thorough job,' Premo told Talk 1300. 'I have no doubt that they believe in their case. I have no issue with any of that. It's just that this is a politically charged matter, right? So I think it's only prudent to allow the prosecutorial authority to have a say in how the investigation is conducted and whether there's a prosecution, right?'

Craig said it was 'disheartening' that the court system made the criminal complaint public immediately, something he described as a 'leak,' although such court filings are public in New York and are routinely made available to reporters.

As for the district attorney's office, Craig said they did 'separate investigations.'

'I'm not sure what the district attorney's investigation has as of this point,' he said.

Commisso accused Cuomo of groping her when they were alone in an office at the governor's mansion in Albany. Cuomo has denied the allegations.

Forcible touching is a misdemeanor in New York, punishable by up to a year in jail, though many cases for first-time offenders are resolved with probation or a shorter jail sentence.

Cuomo could be facing up to a year in prison if convicted.
Alex Murdaugh is being sued for money owed to his own brother as well as the president of his former law firm in two newly filed suits that allege debts totaling more than half a million dollars, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Randolph 'Randy' Murdaugh IV filed his suit against his disgraced brother in Hampton County court Thursday, claiming that he owed him tens of thousands of dollars.

John E Parker, President of Peters Murdaugh Parker Elztroth & Dettrick (PMPED) filed his suit Friday. Parker alleges that Murdaugh personally owes him $477,000  money given across three separate loans between March and July of this year.

Parker's complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com states that he loaned Murdaugh $150,000 on March 5, $77,000 on May 19 and $250,000 on July 15 and that none of the money has been repaid.

Randy Murdaugh's suit, also obtained by DailyMail.com, reveals that just days before he attempted to stage his own murder in a bizarre roadside shooting on September 4, Murdaugh came to his brother Randy and asked for a loan of $75,000.

Alex Murdaugh's (left) brother Randolph 'Randy' Murdaugh IV (right) filed a suit against him Thursday for tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid loans

According to the filing Murdaugh, 53, told Randy, 'In the days leading up to September 2 Defendant represented to Randolph Murdaugh IV that he needed a loan to cover an overdrawn bank account and that [he] had already written other checks including checks to workers which will make the bank account more overdrawn.'

John E Parker, President of Peters Murdaugh Parker Elztroth & Dettrick (PMPED), also filed a suit against Alex Murdaugh on Friday

Murdaugh asked for money to be deposited into his checking account. He did not reveal his 'poor financial condition' but promised that he would repay the money within 30 days.

Within days of that loan being made Murdaugh attempted to have himself shot so that his surviving son, Buster, could claim his $10million life insurance policy.

The attempt was a fiasco and his story quickly imploded as it transpired that he was suspected of embezzling millions from Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, the family law firm of which he was a partner. He issued an apology of sorts in which he confessed to years of opioid addiction and said that he had checked himself into rehab.

Murdaugh's attorney Dick Harpootlian has always claimed that his client is broke and could only afford his treatment because it was covered by insurance.

But today's court papers reveal that Randy footed the bill, covering Murdaugh's initial treatment to the tune of $15,000.

And in a further blow to the beleaguered a second suit was filed Friday in which PMPED Presdient John E Parker alleges that Murdaugh owes him close to half a million dollars  funds distributed across three loans between March and July of this year.

According to Parker he lent Murdaugh $150,000 on March 5, $77,000 on May 19 and $250,000 on July 15 and none of those loans have been repaid.

Parker and Randy Murdaugh made their moves as lawyers in three separate civil suits appeared in Chesterfield County Courthouse Friday afternoon to ask that control of Murdaugh's assets be handed to independent representatives to prevent him from engaging in further fraud.

The complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com, reveals that days before Alex attempted to stage his own murder he asked Randy for a loan of $75,000

Murdaugh is currently in prison after Richland County Judge Clifton Newman last week denied bond when he appeared in court charged on two criminal counts in connection with his misappropriation of close to $3million in insurance settlement money in the death of Gloria Satterfield.

Murdaugh syphoned off money that should have gone to Satterfield's sons who stated that they never saw a dime of the settlement that was ultimately negotiated up to more than $4million.

Judge Newman was not convinced by Murdaugh's attorneys' efforts to persuade him that their client should be granted bail and allowed to return to the Florida rehab center from which he was arrested.

Instead, he ruled that Murdaugh be held in custody pending a psychiatric evaluation. DailyMail.com has learned that that evaluation has been completed but the results remain sealed and no further hearing has been scheduled yet.

Parker alleges that Murdaugh personally owes him $477,000  money given across three separate loans between March and July of this year

Meanwhile, according to motions filed by attorneys for Mallory Beach's mother, Renee, Connor Cook who was on board the boat the night it crashed, and Satterfield's sons, Murdaugh's claims to be broke don't ring true.

Alex Murdaugh is seen in this police mugshot photo in Orlando, Florida on October 14, 2021

In three identical motions they argue that Murdaugh and Buster must be prevented from 'hiding, concealing, misappropriating, selling, encumbering, transferring, impairing the value of or otherwise disposing of any of the Alex Murdaugh Assets and any of the Buster Murdaugh Assets, in whole or in part.'

According to the filings Murdaugh cannot be trusted  nor can his son  given the older man's 'extraordinary pattern and practice of deceit and fraud in the handling of his assets and by his actions to misappropriate assets belonging to others.'

They argue that 'there is good reason' to believe Murdaugh has already disposed of assets improperly in a bid to put them beyond the reach of the civil suits brought against him.

Intriguingly the motions also site 'inheritance' from the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh among Murdaugh's assets.

Murdaugh's lawyers have denied the existence of any life insurance policies on either Maggie, 52, or Paul, 22, who were gunned down and whose bodies were found more than four months ago by dog kennels on the family's remoted Hampton County hunting lodge of Moselle.

Alex Murdagh is pictured, main, with his wife Maggie and son Paul (far left) who were shot dead in an unsolved double murder in June

Crime scene tape is visible on the stretch of Old Salkehatchie Road where Alex Murdaugh reported having been the victim of a drive by shooting. Within days of that loan being made Alex attempted to have himself shot so that his surviving son, Buster, could claim his $10million life insurance policy

Murdaugh is suspected of embezzling millions from Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, the family law firm of which he was a partner

DailyMail.com has been told that there were policies on both  totally $10million. Now attorneys for all three civil suits have asked that control of any money inherited by Alex on their death as well as the assets inherited from his late father's trust be wrested from him and his surviving son.

The double homicide remains unsolved and while Murdaugh has been confirmed as a person of interest South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has remained tightlipped and given no hint of suspects or working theories.

Murdaugh is now linked to six criminal investigations. SLED has reopened the criminal investigation into the death of local teen Stephen Smith whose name has been linked to the Murdaugh family.

An investigation into Gloria Satterfield's death has been opened on the request of Hampton County Coroner Angela Topper. Murdaugh has been charged criminally for misappropriating funds in her wrongful death settlement.

He is facing charges on the botched attempt to 'outsource' his own suicide, and the FBI has now become involved in the investigation into his 'financial crimes' including the misappropriation of millions from PMPED.
The police watchdog has launched an investigation after an officer was accused of forcibly removing the religious head covering of a Sikh man while he was in custody.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced the probe after a complaint was made against West Midlands Police.

The IOPC said the complaint claims officers' actions towards the Sikh man were 'racially motivated'.

On Wednesday the incident drew protesters from the Sikh community outside Perry Barr station and videos on social media show police officers (not the ones who were accused of the incident) being questioned about it

It follows an incident at Perry Barr custody suite, just outside of Birmingham city centre, on Monday afternoon.

In a statement, West Midlands Police said a video compilation was published on social media which 'infers that one of the stills included shows a man having his turban forcibly removed and stamped on' while in custody.

Both the force and the IOPC have said the footage is inaccurate.

Expanding further, a statement from West Midlands Police said: 'The author has used an image from elsewhere giving an entirely misleading version of the events.

An officer spoke to protesting crowds outside Perry Barr station as they demanded answers about the alleged incident and the PC involved

'The CCTV featured in this video is not connected to this incident.

'We can confirm that a man in custody was asked to remove his patka to be searched.

'It was removed by an officer in a private room to search for anything that could be harmful to the man or our custody officers.

'The head covering fell to the floor at one point, but was immediately retrieved and at no point was it stamped on.'

It added all CCTV footage of the officer's interactions with the man is being examined further and that it understands the religious significance of head coverings in the Sikh faith.

IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: 'This incident has caused understandable unrest within the local community and I want to reassure everyone that this will be thoroughly and independently investigated.

'We are now in possession of all the CCTV footage from the custody suite, which I have viewed myself.

'Our investigation will look at the actions of police during the incident to determine the facts.

'What I can say with absolute certainty at this stage, in direct response to questions I have received from members of the local community, is that the head covering was not stamped on at any stage.

'A false video shared on social media has caused significant concern for many and I am appealing for calm while this is investigated.

'Rest assured we will be working hard to ensure the facts of what happened are brought to light and this matter is dealt with appropriately.'

Protests outside Perry Barr station on Wednesday drew in members of the Sikh community who demanded answers about the alleged incident and the officer

On Wednesday the incident drew protesters from the Sikh community outside Perry Barr station and videos on social media show police officers being questioned about it and the PC involved.

The man who says this happened to him can be seen asking an officer to watch the footage and saying 'If the CCTV doesn't bring a tear to your eye I'll be shocked.

'They stripped me naked (of my dignity).'

The National Sikh Police Association put a statement out on Twitter on Wednesday, saying: 'To our members and wider community, we are aware of the social media post in circulation about an incident which occurred in a West Midlands Police custody station.

Many of those gathered outside on Wednesday evening were concerned that the alleged incident was 'racially motivated'

'At this current time we can not make comment about its content.

'However we can reassure you that we are in contact with the West Midlands Police and have made senior officials aware.

'The matter has been referred and is now with the Professional Standards Department, it will be formally investigated.

'As members of the Sikh community, we understand the sentiments and feel the hurt such incidents create.

'We will continue to liaise with the Sikh community and thank those who reached out to bring this matter to our attention.'

According to The Independent, the man who experienced the alleged removal of his head covering was charged with obstructing a police officer and two counts of driving a vehicle where the vehicle registration failed to conform with regulations.

He is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court next month and has been released on bail.
The Biden administration has refused a Washington, DC district court judge's request to halt disciplinary actions against federal employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

The employees in question are suing the administration because they argue not allowing for religious exemptions to the vaccine rule would cause 'irreparable harm' to 'hundreds of thousands' of people.

'If Defendants are not enjoined from enforcing the Vaccine Mandates, hundreds of thousands of federal workers and military personnel will be forcibly removed from our government and Armed Forces, thrusting our nation into a state more vulnerable than the United States has experienced in a quarter of a millennium,' the lawsuit, obtained by Fox, read.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued an order on Thursday asking the White House to commit to not firing or taking action against the 20 plaintiffs named in the suit.

She asked Biden officials to agree that 'none of the civilian employee plaintiffs will be subject to discipline while his or her request for a religious exception is pending' and also that 'active duty military plaintiffs, whose religious exception requests have been denied, will not be disciplined or separated during the pendency of their appeals.'

The Biden administration signaled it wont compromise the president's sweeping vaccine order over a district judge's request

She also directed all of Biden's Cabinet secretaries to send a memo to confirm they won't fire employees with pending religious exemptions.

Kollar-Kotelly asked them to respond by noon on Friday, and so earlier today the administration responded by saying there was no evidence the claims were being denied in the first place.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is pictured before the start of a ceremony at the federal courthouse in Washington in 2008. On Thursday she asked the White House to halt discipinary action against employees of the government suing over the vaccine mandate until the case can be resolved

'It is Plaintiffs burden to demonstrate impending irreparable harm,' White House lawyers said.

'But Plaintiffs offer nothing beyond speculation to suggest that their religious exception requests will be denied and that they will be disciplined at all, much less on the first day that such discipline is theoretically possible.'

The White House has not immediately returned a request for comment.

The plaintiffs' attorney Michael Yoder accused the Biden administration of shrugging off the Constitution.

'The Biden administration has shown an unprecedented, cavalier attitude toward the rule of law and an utter ineptitude at basic constitutional contours,' Yoder told Fox after the judge's order but before the White House's refusal.

He called it a 'dangerous' combination for 'American liberty.'

'Thankfully, our Constitution protects and secures the right to remain free from religious persecution and coercion,' the lawyer said.

'With this order, we are one step closer to putting the Biden administration back in its place by limiting government to its enumerated powers. Its time citizens and courts said no to tyranny. The Constitution does not need to be rewritten, it needs to be reread.'

COVID vaccinations in the US have increased slightly after the president cracked down on unvaccinated Americans, who were bearing the brunt of the summer virus wave

Since the start of the pandemic the US has seen nearly 46 million confirmed coronavirus cases

In early September President Biden announced that federal workers and contractors would no longer have the option of weekly COVID testing or a vaccine. He also required hospitals and other health care centers receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid also get staff vaccinated.

Biden also directed the Labor Department to draw up new guidelines requiring all private companies with 100 or more employees to either implement a vaccine mandate or a weekly testing system.

'We have been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us. So please, do the right thing,' Biden said in a televised address after the summer months saw COVID once again spiraling out of control, largely in states with low vaccination rates.

The sweeping order affects more than 100 million people, or roughly a third of the US workforce.

Kollar-Kotelly's order came the same day as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched his own legal challenge against Biden's vaccine mandate, specifically targeting federal contractors.

In a lawsuit, a copy of which was given to DailyMail.com, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody allege Biden's sweeping vaccine order will cause 'imminent irreparable harm' to Florida.

A spokesperson for DeSantis' office told DailyMail.com that DeSantis believes 'no one should have to choose between a jab and a job.'

Biden, Nelson, NASA, the Defense Department and several other White House officials from the Office of Management and Budget are all named as defendants in the suit.

DeSantis argues that NASA, whose principal launch base is the Kennedy Space Center on Florida's central Atlantic coast, 'is and will continue to seek to impose the Biden administration's unlawful requirements to Florida.'

'Because Floridas employees are generally not required to be vaccinated, the challenged actions threaten Florida with the loss of millions of dollars in future contracting opportunities and put undue pressure on Florida to create new policies and change existing ones, each of which threatens Florida with imminent irreparable harm,' the lawsuit reads.

The suit, first obtained by Fox, cites the 'frequent contracts' and 'current contractual relationships' the federal science agency has with DeSantis' state.

'Because the governments unlawful vaccine requirement seeks to interfere with Floridas employment policies and threaten Florida with economic harm and the loss of federal contracts, the State seeks relief from this Court,' it reads.

Filed in a US district court in Tampa, the move is the latest blow against the Biden administration in a series of escalating tensions between the Democratic president and Republican governors who accuse him of overstepping his authority.

DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw told DailyMail.com, 'Governor DeSantis is committed to protecting Floridians jobs, including those who work for federal contractors. No one should have to choose between a jab and a job, or give up their bodily autonomy due to unlawful and unscientific edicts.'
President Joe Biden did his best to rekindle the bromance with Emmanuel Macron on Friday but the French president offered a cool response as he suggested the U.S. might have to do more to repair wounded relations.

'We are building the trust again,' he told French reporters after the meeting, according to the Associated Press.

'Trust is like love, declarations are good, but proof is better.'

A rather more poetic version of 'trust but verify.'

In public they had smiled, wrapped their arms around each other and showed the world things were on the mend after France's fury at the AUKUS pact and losing a submarine deal.

But Macron's rather Gallic response - sounding for all the world like a jilted French lover wondering if he can ever trust again - may mean Biden will have to deliver actions and not just warm words.

And at one point in their meeting, Macron looked down stiffly at Biden as the U.S. president reached across to touch his arm in a show of bonhomie.

After their meeting at the French embassy in Rome, Biden admitted that Washington had handled things in a 'clumsy' way.

'I want to be clear: France is an extremely valuable partner,' Biden said.

He shrugged off a question about whether he needed to apologize to Macron, saying they 'already talked' but he did offer concessions to his French counterpart.

President Emanuel Macron said: 'Trust is like love, declarations are good, but proof is better,' after meeting with President Joe Biden in Rome

'I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not coming through,' he says of thwarted submarine deal that caused so much French fury that Paris recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia.

'I think what happened was - to use an English phrase - what we did was clumsy, not done with a lot of grace. I was under the impression that certain things had happened that hadn't happened,' Biden conceded.

'I honest to God did not know you had not been [informed],' he told Macron.

A senior administration official later characterized the U.S. French relationship as 'moving forward'

'I dont worry at all about instability or drift in the us-France relationship,' said the official.

The two also issued a lengthy joint statement outlining areas of cooperation such as the Indo-Pacific and technical assistance.

'The United States and France intend to intensify cooperation on space issues, which will be further discussed during Vice President Harris upcoming visit to Paris,' it said.

Macron said they were on the path to repairing Franco-American relations.

'This is very much the beginning of a process of trust, of confidence which we're building together,' he said.

'We clarified together what we had to clarify' Macron said. 'Now what's important is to be sure that such a situation will not be possible for our future.'

'This is an extremely important clarification,' he added. 'What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years.'

Biden and Macron shook hands and appeared to be on the path of repairing U.S.-Franco relations

President Biden went to meet with President Macron at the French Embassy

The two men waved for the cameras, smiled, wrapped their arms around each other and grasped hands

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes US President Joe Biden (L) before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican

Biden and Macron walk into their meeting with their arms around each other

The kumbaya meeting with Macron was part of Biden's make-up campaign to the French.

The two leaders met at the Villa Bonaparte, the French embassy to the Vatican situated in the heart of Rome. Their sit down comes ahead of their attendance at the G20 summit this weekend.

The Villa was originally the home of Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Pauline, who had a bathtub carved out of the marble installed so she could bath in donkey milk, which she believed would help keep her looking young. It became an embassy in 1945.

Biden held two phone calls with Macron in the lead up to Friday afternoon's meeting, which could be one of his more awkward sit downs in his five-day Europe trip.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally.

Jill Biden separately hosted a sit down with French first lady Brigitte Macron on Friday evening at a cafe in Rome while their husbands had their meet-and-greet.

'It was wonderful,' Biden said of the meeting with her French counterpart. 'It's nice, two friends together, just like sisters.'

First lady Jill Biden waves as she arrives for a meeting with French first lady Brigitte Macron at a cafe in Rome

French first lady Brigitte Macron arrives to meet Jill Biden

First lady Jill Biden and French first lady Brigitte Macron after their sit down in Rome

President Biden held two phone calls with Macron ahead of the sit down, including one in September as shown above

The United States has embarked on a wooing campaign of France after the French anger over AUKUS, a deal with the U.S., Australia and Britain that resulted in Australia buying American nuclear subs instead of diesel ones from the French.

White House officials said Biden has not formally apologized to Macron, according to press secretary Jen Psaki, but 'he acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation' ahead of the deal announcement, she noted.

The French recalled their ambassador to the United States in the fallout although Philippe Etienne eventually returned to his U.S. post.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made separate trips to Paris to smooth over strained relations. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Paris in mid-November.

'We feel very good about the intensive engagement that we've had with France over the course of the past few weeks,' Sullivan told reporters on Thursday.

He said he expects the two leaders to have a 'constructive and deeply substantive meeting; where they will discuss counterterrorism and the Indo-Pacific along with energy and technology issues.

The Indo-Pacific conversation is of particular importance to the French after the submarine deal, which saw a shift in political alliances in the region.

France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about that situation since it has major interests in the Indo-Pacific, where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops.

The French were outraged in September about the AUKUS deal with one diplomat claiming the US 'stabbed' France in the back. Paris lost a $90 billion submarine deal with Australia in the fallout of the new agreement.

The White House claimed they thought Australia was keeping the French in the loop about what was going on.

The AUKUS deal is part of American moves to counter China's growing power in the Pacific region.

The White House is making an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally - above Macron and Biden at the G7 in June

As part of the deal, Britain and the U.S. agreed to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, largely-viewed as an effort to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea where it lays claim to several disputed islands.

Australia will get its hands on eight nuclear-powered submarines which will likely cost less than the $7.5billion-per vessel that France was offering for conventional diesel-electric submarines. While the exact design and costs of Australia's subs have yet to be revealed, US Virginia-class nuclear subs cost around $4.5bn each and UK Astute-class $2.6bn each.

At the time the deal was announced, the French foreign minister said the deal was something Donald Trump would do.

'This brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me a lot of what Mr. Trump used to do,' Jean-Yves Le Drian told franceinfo radio. 'I am angry and bitter. This isn't done between allies.'
Prosecutors in New York have released astonishing video showing a former NYPD police officer reacting with fury after a hit man she hired to murder her ex-husband and her new boyfriend's 13-year-old daughter sent incriminating text messages confirming the hit.

Valerie Cincinelli, 37, pleaded guilty in April to a single count of obstruction of justice as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors.

She was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison in connection with the botched plot, which fell apart when the boyfriend, John DiRubba, was arrested for a different crime and then began cooperating.

He told the intended target of the plot, Isaiah Carvalho, and worked with him to stage the photos to show Cincinelli.

Cincinelli reacts with fury to the hit man sending her a message confirming the murder

DiRubba, Cincinelli's boyfriend, cooperated with police and he and Carvalho agreed to stage the picture (above) showing Carvalho's 'murder'

Cincinelli is seen in a video clip, played to the court, being told that the hit man has texted confirmation that the murder has been carried out - sending a request for a further $3,000 payment, and a photo of the 'dead' man. The photo had been staged

Ex-cop Valerie Cincinelli, 37 (left), was sentenced on Friday to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with a plot to have her estranged husband, Isaiah Carvalho, killed. He is pictured on Friday arriving at Federal Court in Central Islip

Cincinelli, pictured with Carvalho and her daughter from a previous relationship, could be out of prison in five months after receiving credit for time served and good behavior

In the clip, played to the court, DiRubba and Cincinelli are inside a house and DiRubba tells her that the hit man has sent him a text message, seemingly confirming that the murder of Carvalho has been carried out.

An angry Cincinelli, an NYPD officer for 12 years, serving at the 106th Precinct in Queens, tells DiRubba that the hit man was 'a f****** retard' for sending the text.

'He just texted me,' says DiRubba.

'Are you kidding me?' says Cincinelli, leaping up from the sofa to come closer to DiRubba and see the message.

'Three thousand all done,' DiRubba replies, reading the message.

'Why would he f****** text you that?' she asks. 'Is he f****** stupid?'

The text appears to be accompanied by the photo that DiRubba arranged for the ex-husband to stage, with him lying prostrate in a car, his face obscured.

Cincinelli is seen being led into court. On Friday she was sentenced to four years for her role in planning the botched murder of her ex-husband, and her new boyfriend's 13-year-old daughter

Video released by FBI shows Cincinneli's reaction after being told her husband was killed

Cincinelli was accused of crying crocodile tears after finding out her ex-husband was killed

'Oh my God,' says DiRubba. 'Look at the f****** glass.'

Cincinelli is less interested in the photo of her 'dead' ex-husband that in her own risk of being caught.

DiRubba says he is going to 'erase it quick', but Cincinelli says it is not enough, and both their phones will automatically be subpoenaed and searched as part of the investigation into the killing.

'It doesn't matter,' Cincinelli tells DiRubba. 'Are you f****** dumb?'

She continues: 'They are going to get these f****** texts, you dumbass. They can subpoena these photos.'

He says he will throw the phone away, but Cincinelli, incredulously, says that they will still be traceable.

'Is this guy a f****** retard?' she asks DiRubba.

John DiRubba, Cincinelli's boyfriend, turned on her after she plotted to have his teenage daughter killed. He is pictured in court in June 2019

DiRubba is seen in court, having worn a wire on FBI orders that ultimately led to Cincinelli's conviction

DiRubba can be heard in the tapes expressing doubt about the killings, but Cincinelli pressed him to forge ahead

The court was also played audio of Cincinelli and DiRubba coldly discussing the plans for the double murder.

'It's going to happen this weekend,' DiRubba can be heard telling Cincinelli, in audio played to the court and released by prosecutors.

'I hope so,' Cincinelli replies.

DiRubba then says that he is concerned about the planned double murder, saying that having her ex-husband and his daughter die on the same weekend might look suspicious.

'I'm really stressed out about it and you think it's like a f****** joke,' DiRubba says.

'Why are you stressed out about it?' Cincinelli asks.

DiRubba replies: 'I think Isaiah and Tori, it's very suspicious on one f****** weekend they are both dead.'

Cincinelli calmly replies: 'OK, so take care of yours, and then wait a month.'

DiRubba says: 'Take care of my daughter this weekend, kill her this weekend and f****** then wait a month for him?'

'Yeah,' Cincinelli replies.

DiRubba continues to express concern, and Cincinelli, exasperated, says: 'You say that every weekend for the past month.'

On Friday, a judge sentenced Cincinelli to 48 months in federal prison, but with credit for time served and good behavior, she could be released to house arrest in five months.

Cincinelli's ex-husband and the target of the thwarted plot, Isaiah Carvalho, was present during sentencing.

It is unclear at this time whether he spoke in court.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop two murder-for-hire charges against Cincinelli.

Had the case gone to trial and resulted in a conviction, the ex-cop could have faced up to 40 years in prison.

Prosecutors said they would have introduced evidence that included audio and video recordings in which Cincinelli was heard discussing the murderous plot with her then-boyfriend, John DiRubba. The prosecutors instead released the audio and video after the sentencing.

Carvalho attends sentencing hearing Friday for the ex-wife who tried to have him killed

Ahead of Friday's hearing in Central Islip, the US Justice Department released a sentencing memo, which called for 60 months in prison for Cincinelli because of the 'violent nature of her crimes' and her position as a police officer, Newsday first reported.

'Cincinelli was, at all relevant times, an active and willing participant in the murder-for-hire scheme,' the memo stated.

'And despite her numerous and repeated protestations to the contrary, responsibility for Cincinelli's words and actions cannot lie with DiRubba, his daughter, or Carvalho.'

In 2019, Cincinelli and Carvalho were in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle when the NYPD cop asked DiRubba, whom she called a 'sugar daddy,' to hire a hitman to kill the husband.

She said she'd pay $7,000.

She also wanted DiRubba's 13-year-old daughter dead because, according to prosecutors, the teenager complained that she was spending too much of her father's money.

DiRubba told police about the plot after being arrested for an unrelated crime. He then cooperated with them to snare Cincinelli.

Cincinelli was initially charged with murder-for-hire and obstruction, but as part of the plea deal the two most serious charges were dismissed.

During her plea hearing in April, Cincinelli told a judge: 'I deleted images on an iPhone with the attempt to obstruct a grand jury investigation into charges of murder for hire.

'I know that what I did was wrong and I'm truly sorry, your honor.'

The images she was referring to are believed to be faked photos of her ex dead that her boyfriend sent her.

Cincinelli then sobbed that she hadn't seen her son for two years, since she was taken into custody.
A tenured Rutgers University professor is facing backlash on social media after making a slew of disparaging comments against white people over the course of several years - but the college that employs her hasn't said a word.

In her most recent tirade, Dr. Brittney Cooper, 41, a tenured professor at Rutgers University, told The Root's Michael Harriot in an online segment for the publication last month that white people are 'villains' - and even celebrated a statistic depicting a decline in white birth rates.

What's more, when primed by Harriot as to what her solution for addressing white supremacy would be, the educator vehemently replied that she would 'take them out.'

A slew of social media users expressed their outrage over the educator's contentious comments after her latest tirade went viral.

'I am DISGUSTED and EMBARRASSED to be a @rutgersalumni if this is the type of person you have as faculty now,' one Twitter user wrote Friday.

'You have let all of your Alumni down & degraded our school. Thank you for making our country even worse.'

Another user called on Rutgers to take punitive measures against the professor, whose Twitter handle is @ProfessorCrunk.

'When are you going to fire @ProfessorCrunk #BrittneyCooper,' an irate user wrote.

'I cant understand how you can employ someone who can say the kind of things she said,' they added, capping the fervent post with a #firebrittneycooper hashtag.

Dr. Brittney Cooper, 41, a tenured professor at Rutgers University, has faced intense backlash over a series of comments disparaging white people that many have deemed racist

A Twitter user who claimed to be an alum wrote Friday: 'You have let all of your Alumni down & degraded our school. Thank you for making our country even worse'

Many users, including this one, are calling on Rutgers to take action

Another peeved observer expressed a similar sentiment on Wednesday, clamoring for Cooper's dismissal from the New Jersey university

Another observer, on Wednesday, expressed a similar sentiment.

'I'd like to know what @RutgersU is going to do about Brittney Cooper. How is this hate speech acceptable?'

The following day, a fellow commentator wrote: 'Brittney Cooper can f**k all the way off with her racist ass!' the user blasted Thursday night on Twitter, posting a graphic that highlighted a quote from the professor.

Another added: 'Brittney Cooper, a professor of womens and gender studies and Africana studies,' before discerning, 'At least now we know which departments to abolish.'

Someone else commented, 'I don't know much, but I know Professor Brittney Cooper of the public university Rutgers is one nasty racist motherf***er. We pay that evil b***h to f***ing hate us and our country. What the hell happened to our country?'

'I think its poetic Justice that Brittney Cooper hates white people while having quite possibly THE whitest name possible,' someone wrote.

Another sarcastically congratulated Cooper on what they deemed to be examples of clear-cut racism.

One commentator added his take to the flood of criticisms

Another added, 'Brittney Cooper, a professor of women's and gender studies and Africana studies,' before discerning, 'At least now we know which departments to abolish'

Someone else commented, 'What the hell happened to our country?'

'I think its poetic Justice that Brittney Cooper hates white people while having quite possibly THE whitest name possible,' a user quipped

Another user sarcastically congratulated Cooper on what they deemed to be examples of clear-cut racism

Rutgers University execs and staff have elected to stay silent despite their employee's highly publicized hate speeches

The Rutgers professor who made shocking comments last month about white people alluded during an interview with MSNBC last year that American conservatives were trying to kill black people by reopening society during the COVID pandemic.

What's more, Cooper also wrote in a 2012 blog post that then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was 'white rage personified' after a photo surfaced of the Republican pointing a finger in the face of then-President Barack Obama when they met at a Phoenix airport.

She has also tweeted a series of controversial statements during an alarming Twitter tirade last year, saying that white conservatives dont care about the lives of Black people.

Many have called on the professor's employer to comment on Cooper's highly publicized verbal attacks - but as of Friday, the university has failed to do so.

Members of the faculty have also seemed to elect to stay silent over the matter.

When asked by DailyMail.com for comment Friday morning, the university did not immediately reply.

Dr. Brittney Cooper, a tenured Rutgers professor, alluded during a televised interview with MSNBC last year that American conservatives were trying to kill black people by reopening society during the COVID pandemic

Cooper, who is a tenured women's, gender and Africana studies professor at the New Jersey university, made headlines earlier this month after she proudly proclaimed 'we got to take white people out' in an online discussion with Harriot in September.

Now, the professor's past remarks and blog posts are under scrutiny, after a host of controversial comments regarding race, such as her saying whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything.'

'Not only do white conservatives not care about Black life, but my most cynical negative read of the white supremacists among them is that they welcome this massive winnowing of Black folks in order to slow demographic shifts and shore up political power,' Cooper tweeted back in April 2020, under the Twitter handle ProfessorCrunk.

'Not only do white conservatives not care about Black life, but my most cynical negative read of the white supremacists among them is that they welcome this massive winnowing of Black folks in order to slow demographic shifts and shore up political power,' Cooper tweeted last year

During a May 2020 interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid, Brewer claimed that white conservatives were secretly plotting to kill low-income black Americans by pushing to alleviate travel restrictions months after the coronavirus first surfaced in the U.S.

The pair was joined by white politician Seth Harris, the former deputy secretary of labor.

The professor has also extensively chronicled her hatred for white conservatives on a blog site she cofounded, called Crunk Feminist Collective, where she writes under the name 'Crunktastic.'

In one post from 2012, Cooper criticized politician Jan Brewer after the then-governor of Arizona was pictured pointing her finger at then-President Obama when the two exchanged met on the tarmac of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

She called the conservative politico the epitome of 'white rage' in a post published the day after the highly publicized encounter, titled, White Womens Rage: 5 Thoughts on Why Jan Brewer Should Keep Her Fingers to Herself.

'Newt Gingrich is white rage personified. And for it, he gets loads of applause. So is Jan Brewer, but usually we think of white rage in masculine terms,' Cooper wrote.

Brewer, a white woman, later said she was only chiding the then-president after she sought to speak to him about jobs and the economy and he changed the subject, saying: 'I was not hostile.'

Cooper wrote in a 2012 blog post that then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was 'white rage personified' after this photo surfaced of the Republican pointing a finger in the face of then-President Barack Obama when they met at a Phoenix airport

The educator writes under the pseudonym 'Crunktastic' for a blog she co-founded called the Crunk Feminist Collective

During the discussion with Harriot, however, the educator took a contentious stance concerning the relationship between race and politics, in an online segment titled Unpacking The Attacks On Critical Race Theory on September 21.

She started by saying on the topic: 'Kids actually can grasp Critical Race Theory because the issue that the right has, is that Critical Race Theory is just the proper teaching of American history.'

She said the accurate portrayal of history was the white people 'didn't discover America' because there were already indigenous people and that they had 'committed acts of violence in order to make yourselves seem superior.'

Cooper added: 'It's not that white people don't know what they have done,' presumably referencing slavery, which was abolished in 1865 after a nearly 300-year-long stint of being legal.

'They fear that there is no other way to be human than the way in which they are human' noting that whenever she speaks to a white person they write off 'all of this power' as merely a part of 'human nature'.

New Jersey professor Brittney Cooper (pictured) said: 'We got to take these motherf*****s out' when discussing white people and Critical Race Theory (CRT) during an online conference with The Root Institute on September 21

Host Michael Harriot (left) nodded in agreement throughout the conversation as Cooper (right) said that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything,' adding that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'

Cooper continued: 'They do this thing where they say that how white people have done humanity - how they have acted as human beings - is the way all of us act. So they think black people are going to get them back.

'And I wouldn't be mad at the black people who want to get them back but what I believe about black people is that we have seen what a sh** show this iteration of treatment of other human beings means. And my hope is that we would do it differently in the moments when we have some power.'

During Cooper's response Harriot was seen nodding his head in agreement before asking the Rutgers professor what she thinks the other options are.

He provided the options as 'they' - presumably lumping all white people together - 'coming around to the majority of human beings on the planet's way of thinking' or 'they say f*** that' because they don't want to relinquish said 'power'.

Cooper called whiteness an 'inconvenient interruption' in history and referenced a 2016 TED Talk where she 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'

Cooper candidly responded: 'The thing I want to say to you is, "We got to take these motherf*****s out," but like we can't say that,' before noting that she 'doesn't believe in a project of violence'.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The fight over critical race theory in schools has escalated in the United States over the last year. The theory has sparked a fierce nationwide debate in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country over the last year and the introduction of the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project, which was published by the New York Times in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived on American shores, reframes American history by 'placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the center of the US narrative'. The debate surrounding critical race theory regards concerns that some children are being indoctrinated into thinking that white people are inherently racist or sexist. Those against critical race theory have argued it reduces people to the categories of 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on their skin color. Supporters, however, say the theory is vital to eliminating racism because it examines the ways in which race influence American politics, culture and the law. Advertisement

She shared that she also 'thinks that white people are committed to being villains in the aggregate'.

She added that whiteness 'totally skews our view of everything' and cited a TED Talk she did on the topic back in 2016 titled The Racial Politics Of Time. According to a synopsis the speech 'broke down the subject of racism and its passage through the history of America'.

Cooper - a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC - went on to elaborate on 'white colonialism' and said it is her job to help 'get to the other side of this very inconvenient apoca(lyptic)-interruption of black and indigenous world-making'.

She then asked: 'Does that give people comfort on the day-to-day when you're just having to deal with white folks and the travesties that they create in the sense that they want to destroy the planet?'

'Nah,' Cooper said in response to her own question.

'Despite what white people think of themselves they do not define the laws of eternity,' she added when theorizing about when whiteness, which she called an 'inconvenient interruption' in history, will end.

'Their projects are not so sophisticated' she added, noting that she 'showed up' in this point of history 'precisely so that we could help to figure out an end and a way to the other side of this gargantuan historical tragedy that is white supremacy'.

The Root Institute's description of the conversation called it 'a healthy dose of reality'.

The New Jersey professor teaches classes on women's and genders studies and authored three books 'expressing her frustrations, desires and expectations of society as an African American feminist woman,' according to Cooper's website.

Cooper is a professor who teaches classes on women's and genders studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey

Rutgers University has yet to comment on Cooper's statements.

After a look at her social media it is evident that Cooper keeps her personal life out of the public eye. It is unclear if she is in a relationship or has children.

But she did carve out time in the segment to discuss white people having children. She said: 'White people's birth rates are going down...because they literally cannot afford to put newer generations into the middle class.'

'They kind of deserve it,' she added with a smile.

Cooper ended the segment circling back to CRT, saying that it helps black people 'reclaim our own heritage, our own power, our own sense of the ways that our life-giving strategies'.

'That's why white people are afraid of us,' she said, adding: 'Until they need us.'
A New Jersey pharmacy executive was murdered in his home after a robber who witnessed him win $10,000 at a Philadelphia casino trailed him 50 miles to his home to rob him.

Sree Aravapalli, 54, was shot multiple times inside his Plainsboro, New Jersey home in the early hours of Tuesday during an attempted robbery after he was spotted winning $10,000 at Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia and cashing in the windfall.

Police say 27-year-old Jekai Reid-John, who did not know Aravapalli, then followed him for 50 miles to his residence in a quiet, upper class New Jersey suburb in the dead of night.

Sree Aravapalli, 54, (pictured) was shot multiple times inside his Plainsboro, New Jersey home in the early hours of Tuesday during an attempted robbery

Police said that Jekai Reid-John, 27, (pictured) followed Aravapalli for 50 miles to his home after he spotted him winning $10,000 at Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia

Security footage from a nearby farm stand captured Reid-John's car trailing Aravapalli's, NBC New York reported.

When the pharmaceutical executive arrived home shortly after 3 am, the 27-year-old was close behind and broke in through a back sliding door.

Aravapalli was still downstairs when Reid-John shot and killed him while his daughter and wife were asleep upstairs, police said.

Security footage captured just one car make its way back towards Philadelphia following the shooting.

Two days later police arrested Reid-John in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and charged him with first-degree murder, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The brutal killing of Aravapalli, who was a popular member of his community, has left neighbors in shock

Reid-John trailed Aravapalli to his home after witnessing him winning $10,000 at Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia

Aravapalli was killed inside his residence in a quiet, upper class New Jersey suburb in the dead of night (pictured)

He is set to be extradited to New Jersey.

The brutal killing of Aravapalli, who was a popular member of his local community, has left neighbors in shock.

'No one wins in something like this. How can the person that did this think they could get away with it? Why would they kill him?' Aravapalli's neighbor Abhikanit Kar told ABC6.com.

'You never expect this. We were shocked when we came to know what happened,' he added.

The CEO of the casino from which Aravapalli was followed offered his condolences and said the casino was cooperating with investigators.

'We are deeply saddened by the report that earlier this week a customer of Parx Casino was the victim of a homicide at his home after returning from a visit to the casino,' Parx Casino CEO Eric Hausler said in a statement.

'Parx Casino has been cooperating fully with local and state law enforcement agencies in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and will continue to do so. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim at this incredibly difficult time.'
Eco warriors are plotting to exploit gaps in Scottish law to wreak havoc at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, The Daily Mail can reveal.

Around 400 climate activists sized up potential loopholes during a meeting promoted by Extinction Rebellion (XR) earlier this week.

Conspirators noted a recent High Court Injunction banning road blockades does not apply in Scotland  and that officers will be 'overwhelmed' by the scale of the protests.

It was also hinted protesters with charges against their name in England may get a blank canvas across the border as forces 'don't always communicate to each other'.

Around 400 climate activists sized up potential loopholes during a meeting promoted by Extinction Rebellion (XR) earlier this week

It comes amid alarm about the potential for chaos as police brace for the 'most complex policing operation ever seen in Britain'. Pictured: Police at the entrance to Cop26 summit

It comes amid growing alarm within rank-and-file officers about the potential for chaos as police brace for the 'most complex and complicated policing operation ever seen in Britain'.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters from around the world are expected to descend on the two-week summit starting on Sunday.

XR's Scottish spokesman Myke Hall has said ministers should be 'very worried' about their plans to disrupt the event.

Top brass in Scotland have warned Cop26 could prove a magnet for anarchists and believe some extremists could use children as human shields during violent standoffs, a tactic seen during the storming of the Capitol in the US in January.

At the start of the two-hour protest meeting on Tuesday night, attendees were asked 'not to say anything specific about actions that you have been involved with, or are planning', due to fears of infiltration within the group.

But during an extensive Q&A session, rebels probed potential weaknesses in the police and criminal justice system that hinted at plots to blockade roads and outwit officers.

Know Your Rights Training was provided by the Scottish Community and Activist Legal Project, which is providing legal support to XR during Cop26.

Representatives fielded a series of searching questions including whether an injunction against road blockades aimed at curbing Insulate Britain protests in England applied in Scotland and if protest-related charges in England would be passed onto Police Scotland.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters from around the world are expected to descend on the two-week summit starting on Sunday. Pictured: Climate activists in London in April 2019

A spokesman said the injunction did not apply in Scotland, while it was also suggested police will only make arrests 'if they need to' for fear of being 'overwhelmed'.

John Scott QC, an advisor to Police Scotland on Cop26, told the Mail 'there is a very different tone and style' to policing in Scotland, 'with an emphasis on encouraging peaceful protest'.

But there are fears protesters who break the law could go free as a shortage of cells could force police to let some off with warnings.

One demonstration on November 6 is expected to attract more than 150,000 protesters and smaller groups such as Insulate Britain are expected to take part in acts of disorder, which could result in a significant number of arrests.

It is estimated that as many as 45,000 protesters could be heading to Glasgow from overseas, likely filled with anti-police ACAB (All Cops Are B*******) activists.

In March, ACAB rioters threw bottles, cans and placards at officers after besieging a police station in Bristol as part of 'Kill The Bill' demonstrations.

One activist at the meeting this week asked if it was acceptable to shout 'F*** the police' in Glasgow.

Police Scotland said it plans to 'facilitate' protest during the summit even when it is 'unlawful'.

Cop26 Gold Commander Bernie Higgins said officers' approach would be 'fair, friendly and accommodating'. But he said if a protest started to endanger others or impinge on conference, arrests would be made.

Mr Higgins added the police would take 'pretty prompt action' if there were 'similar events to what we've seen on the M25', a reference to Insulate Britain blockades that started last month.
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Alec and Hilaria Baldwin were seen in Vermont on Thursday night stocking up on clothes at Ralph Lauren then filling up on gas before retreating to the private home where they are riding out the storm surrounding his accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The couple were without their six kids on Thursday when they stepped out in the afternoon. Baldwin, 63, was seen leaving the Ralph Lauren store with a small bag in hand.

He visited the store on Wednesday and returned, likely to make an exchange. Later, his 37-year-old wife was seen pumping gas on their SUV.

The pair are laying low in New England while sheriff's deputies in Santa Fe continue to investigate the shooting that happened on set last Thursday.

A now unshaven Baldwin, who is a producer and actor on the movie Rust, was rehearsing a scene inside a church set when the gun he was holding fired a live round, killing Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza.

It remains unclear how the live bullet made its way onto the set; armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed broke her silence on Thursday night to insist it was not her fault. She blames the movie producers - of which Baldwin is one - for creating an 'unsafe' set where there were no safety briefings.

The couple were without their six kids on Thursday when they stepped out in the afternoon. Baldwin, 63, was seen leaving the Ralph Lauren store with a small bag in hand

Baldwin is cooperating with the authorities in the ongoing investigation into Halyna Hutchins' death. He has been interviewed by sheriffs but has not been charged or arrested

Baldwin said last week that his heart was 'broken' by the accident and that he had spoken to Halyna's widower

Hilaria, who released a statement last week saying her heart was with 'her Alec', cut a low profile

Baldwin looked down at his phone as he left the gas station in the passenger seat of the car

The 24-year-old armorer in charge of guns on the set of Alec Baldwin's movie Rust has denied being to blame for Halyna Hutchins' death in a strongly worded statement where she claims she's been 'slandered' by the media but admits she couldn't focus on her weapons job because she was given two roles on-set.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed released a statement through her attorneys insisting she is not to blame for the death of Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography who was accidentally killed by Baldwin while they rehearsed a shooting scene.

'Safety is Hannah's number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from,' the statement said in part.

Her attorneys told DailyMail.com on Friday that she was also a 'key assistant' in the props department which made it 'difficult to focus' on the weapons.

Hilaria Baldwin was filmed heading to a local store in Manchester, Vermont. The wife of Alec Baldwin appears to be feeling the pressure

Hilaria Baldwin could be seen strolling through the streets of Manchester, Vermont on Friday afternoon

Hilaria was seen walking down Main Street in Manchester, Vermont close to the Christos' Pizza and Pasta restaurant

The wife of Alec Baldwin filmed the photographers who were legally taking pics of her on Main Street in Manchester

'Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer.

'Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that.

'She fought for training, days to maintain weapons and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department.

'The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. Not the fault of Hannah.'

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is pictured last week (left). She has released a statement denying blame for the fatal accident last week and says she was overstretched on the set of Rust, working two jobs and unable to focus on gun safety. Baldwin, right, is in Vermont, bunkering down with his family while the investigation into the shooting continues

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was rushed to the hospital by air ambulance but could not be saved. Many on set have set assistant director Dave Halls ran unsafe productions. He has not spoken

Circled is Baldwin, left, standing next to Halyna on the film set. Gutierrez-Reed is shown far right. She claims in her statement that she has 'no idea' how live rounds found their way to the set

ARMORER'S STATEMENT First Hannah would like to extend her deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Halyna. She was an inspirational woman in film who Hannah looked up to. She also offers her thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery to Joel. Hannah is devastated and completely beside herself over the events that have transpired. She would like to address some untruths that have been told to the media, which have falsely portrayed her and slandered her. Safety is Hannahs number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that. They were locked up every night and at lunch and theres no way a single one of them was unaccounted for or being shot by crew members. Hannah still, to this day, has never had an accidental discharge. The first one on this set was the prop master and the second was a stunt man after Hannah informed him his gun was hot with blanks. Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. Not the fault of Hannah. Hannah and her legal team will address more of these rumors and the whole incident in an upcoming statement next week. Advertisement

'The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings,' the statement said.

Her claims echo those of other crew members who say the production was unsafe. Most of them have blamed assistant director Dave Halls, who they said has been accused of running unsafe sets in the past.

Halls told sheriff's deputies after the shooting that he asked Gutierrez-Reed to show him the gun before he handed it to Baldwin last Thursday.

Halls said that he can remember seeing three chambers in the gun that contained dummy bullets, recognizable by a small hole in the side that sets them apart from real bullets.

He looked at them, declared the gun 'a cold' weapon then handed it to Baldwin.

It was only after the shooting that he asked Gutierrez-Reed to look again inside the chamber. That is when they saw there were five rounds, four of which were dummies and one of which contained the spent casing of a real bullet.

Halls admitted to the sheriff that he 'should have checked' all of the rounds but 'didn't.'

Others on set described Gutierrez-Reed as having a slap-dash approach to firearms training.

Actor Jenson Ackles told how she let him pick his own gun, weeks before the fatal accident involving Hutchins.

Baldwin, 63, is bunkering down with his family on the east coast while the investigation in Santa Fe continues.

He is cooperating with the authorities and has spoken to Hutchins' widower, Matthew.

No one has been charged over the fatal accident but on Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said 'no one' had been ruled out.

'All options are on the table,' added Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.

A search warrant released on Wednesday reveals how the gun made its way into Baldwin's hands, but it remains unclear how the live round made its way into the gun.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwes said on Wednesday that 'all options are on the table' when it comes to charging people responsible for the accident

A portion of the interview between Halls and sheriff's deputies that was released on Wednesday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department

Alec Baldwin is pictured with Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. The production started shooting on October 6. Hutchins died on October 21

'David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds.

'He advised he should have checked them all but didn't and couldn't recall if she spun the drum,' the search warrant says.

Baldwin was handed the gun and it fired in the direction of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza. Hutchins died and Souza was hospitalized.

Afterwards, Halls brought the gun back to Gutierrez-Reed and told her to open it for him.

The warrant also describes how Hannah Gutierrez-Reed described there never being 'any live rounds' on set.

'Hannah advised that she checked the 'dummies' and ensured "they were not hot rounds".

'She said as the crew broke for lunch, the firearms were taken back and secured inside a safe on a prop truck on set.

'During lunch, she said the ammo was left on a cart on the set and not secured.

'After lunch, [property manager] Sarah Zachary pulled the firearms out of the safe inside the truck and handed them to her.

'She advised there are only a few people that have access and the combination to the safe.

'Hannah advised that she handed the gun to Alec Baldwin a couple of times, and also handed it to David Halls. Hannah said no live ammo is ever kept on set.'
The public strongly supports Boris Johnsons bid to curb climate change  but they are not prepared to pay more than 5 extra a week in tax to fund his trillion-pound green energy plans.

They fear the proposals are not well thought-out and may lead to power cuts.

They are among the key findings of a Daily Mail poll on the eve of the COP26 summit in Glasgow aimed at reversing global warming.

An extra 260 a year represents just over a tenth of the estimated annual 2,500 cost per voter for reaching the Governments 2050 zero carbon target

The survey by JL Partners illustrates the scale of Mr Johnsons task as he hosts Cop26 with the aim of winning international support for tough action to make the world carbon neutral.

The good news for him is that voters back his 2050 zero carbon emissions target for Britain, including banning gas boilers and new petrol and diesel cars in the coming years.

And they urge him to press ahead with them even if big polluters such as China, whose president Xi Jinping is boycotting Cop26, refuse to act.

The bad news for the Prime Minister is that the poll highlights the enormous political gamble he is taking.

The public strongly supports Boris Johnsons bid to curb climate change  but they are not prepared to pay more than 5 extra a week in tax to fund his trillion-pound green energy plans

It reveals deep public skepticism over whether his measures will work  and Conservative supporters are the biggest doubters.

A total of 36 per cent of all voters worry his green energy policies will lead to the lights going out. However, 31 per cent are not worried about this.

People are not prepared to see living standards plummet to meet the eye-watering cost of his plans, estimated by some at a trillion pounds.

Six in ten are unwilling to spend an extra penny on domestic fuel to pay for green energy.

But two out of three (66 per cent) say they are ready to pay a maximum 5 rise in their weekly tax bill  260 a year  to reach Mr Johnsons 2050 zero carbon target.

However, only one in 25 (4 per cent) are prepared to pay 25 more per week in tax (1,300 per year) for this purpose.

An extra 260 a year represents just over a tenth of the estimated annual 2,500 cost per voter for reaching the Governments 2050 zero carbon target.

Mr Johnsons wife, environmental campaigner Carrie, is credited by voters for influencing her husbands views on climate change.

Moreover, 43 per cent say she has been a good influence; 33 per cent disagree.

The conflict between the desire to curb climate change and alarm about the cost and effectiveness of doing so is reflected in the response to the Governments plan to ban gas boilers by 2035 and replace them with heat pumps.

Nearly one in two (48 per cent) back the proposal while 25 per cent do not support it. But reports that heat pumps can cost up to 20,000 and dont work have clearly had an impact.

Only in 20 say they will definitely take up the Governments offer of a 5,000 grant towards a heat pump; a further 14 per cent say they will probably do so.

But two in three (67 per cent) say they either definitely or probably wont take up the offer.

Voters urge Mr Johnson to press ahead with emissions targets even if big polluters such as China, whose president Xi Jinping is boycotting Cop26, refuse to act

A majority  51 per cent  support plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, although Conservative voters are less keen, with 44 per cent in favour and 37 per cent against.

Only 3 per cent of all voters already own an electric car, while 39 per cent say they will probably buy one.

An overwhelming 53 per cent blame China for the climate change crisis; America is second on 14 per cent with the UK and India on 4 per cent each.

But 68 per cent say that Mr Johnson should press ahead with radical action to tackle the problem even if nations such as China do nothing.

Barely one in four think Cop26 will be a success  four in ten say it will fail. Asked what they will do personally to tackle climate change the most popular is put on an extra jumper to keep warm in winter, fewer foreign holidays is well down the list and buy a heat pump is bottom.

James Johnson, of JL Partners, said: On the one hand, Boris Johnson has an easier task ahead of him than countries that are more polarised on the environment  like the US, Canada and Australia.

An overwhelming number of Britons  nearly 90 per cent  say that they believe climate change is happening, and want to see action to address it.

Mr Johnsons wife, environmental campaigner Carrie, is credited by voters for influencing her husbands views on climate change

'But there is a gap between the idea of tackling climate change  and the reality of the costs of it.

Though there is enthusiasm for climate change action in principle, and people feel it will help the economy in the long-run, they are not willing to part with their cash.

He added: The public is not confident that Cop26 will change their minds and the failure of attendance by president Xi and Vladimir Putin has clearly harmed the summit in its eyes.

'But there is a glimmer of hope for the Government. Voters think we should still lead the world by example and back a binding climate agreement even without China and other big polluters.

It is that patriotic case for net zero  the show the rest of the world how it is done spirit  that may yet make the summit a success in the publics eyes.

JL Partners interviewed 1,043 adults online on Tuesday.
Viral, a gripping new book by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley, probes at the heart of the investigation into the origins of Covid-19 and the question preoccupying scientists around the world.

Was this a natural disaster, as we first believed, a naturally occurring virus that jumped from animals to humans...or the laboratory leak of a possibly engineered coronavirus  and a cover-up of epic proportions?

Here, in an exclusive essay for the Mail, MATT RIDLEY reveals how the authors reached their explosive conclusions.

In the city of Bhubaneswar, India, a man known as 'The Seeker' was rifling through a Chinese website.

It was May 18, 2020, and he was responding to a tweet by an American scientist speculating about the origin of the virus ripping its way across the planet.

And, using login details he'd found online, he was searching through a digital anthology of academic work called cnki.net.

Then, suddenly, he stumbled on a medical thesis which reported how, in 2012, six men fell ill after clearing out piles of bat guano from an old copper mine in Yunnan, in south-western China. Three of the men had died.

The doctors suspected the men had caught a virus that originated in bats, and the case had been investigated by virologists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), more than 1,000 miles away.

The Seeker, a slim 30-year-old with shoulder-length hair, has been accused variously of working for the CIA or Indian intelligence services. But the truth is rather less dramatic.

'I learned how to make search engines work for me,' he told us. 'It was more madness than method.'

Motivated by an interest in finding out how the pandemic began and skilled at trawling the internet for clues, he began communicating on Twitter with a group of other internet 'sleuths' from around the world  all pursuing the same question: where did the virus that causes Covid-19 originate?

Soon, some of the sleuths had coalesced into a loose confederation known as DRASTIC (Decentralised Radical Autonomous Search Team Investigating Covid-19). And more key findings were quick to follow.

On July 8, 2020, in response to another query on Twitter  this time from a technology consultant in Madrid, called Francisco de Ribera  The Seeker drew his attention to another database: the Chinese National Genomics Data Centre, known as BigD.

This intervention would prove essential to Ribera's search for details of the work of Chinese scientists. He knew that an old trick used by company auditors is to pay particular attention to serial numbers on invoices: a missing number likely indicates a missing document.

And so he started to assemble a huge spreadsheet of every virus sample ever referred to by WIV scientists in papers, seminars or their genetic databases. No small feat.

Aerial view shows the P4 laboratory, left, on the campus of the now infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology in China's central Hubei province

But by August 2020, with information from the BigD database, Ribera had discovered there were eight other viruses closely related to the one that causes Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, that, he ascertained, must have been collected by Wuhan scientists in 2015 from that copper mine in Yunnan where those three men had died in 2012.

A rather important fact. And yet the corresponding documentation was missing. It was not until November 2020 that WIV scientists confirmed that Ribera was right.

Could it be that, from their separate isolation, the Seeker, Ribera and their fellow sleuths had just done more than the Chinese government, the Western scientific establishment and the World Health Organisation (WHO) combined to shed light on the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic?

In researching our new book, my co-author  Alina Chan, the U.S. scientist whose tweet attracted the crucial attention of The Seeker  and I think that how the pandemic started may well be the keenest mystery of our lifetime.

The saga will forever punctuate the history of humanity. It has led to the deaths of millions of people, sickened hundreds of millions and dramatically changed the lives of almost every person on the planet.

But perhaps most concerning: if we do not find out how it began, we are ill-equipped to prevent it happening again.

Until May 2021  with rare exceptions such as the Mail's Ian Birrell  scientists, government officials, broadcasters and journalists all largely assumed as fact that a natural 'spillover' event from a wild animal was by far the most likely way the virus first infected a human.

In fact, members of the scientific establishment repeatedly insisted to journalists that any alternative theory of a laboratory leak was 'conspiracy theory', even while  we now know  in private they shared strong doubts.

The WHO took a year even to begin to investigate other theories  and when it did, their conclusions echoed a narrative favoured by Chinese authorities, that the virus may even have reached Wuhan on frozen food from a source outside China, and that a lab leak was 'extremely unlikely'.

A conclusion they reached without investigating that possibility.

Yet now, partly as a result of the ingenious work by the sleuths and after months of research, we have come to the conclusion that a laboratory leak may well have been the source of the pandemic.

WHO scientists believe farms and caves might have played a role with bats spreading COVID-19. A now-cancelled grant from the National Institutes of Health allowed researchers associated with the EcoHealth Alliance to gather samples from bats, which can carry viruses that jump to other animals and humans (Pictured: Scientists from the Ecohealth Alliance study a bat)

We acknowledge that a natural origin theory still remains plausible and deserving of proper investigation.

We cannot know until China's government allows a full and credible investigation. However, thankfully, many routes of inquiry exist outside China's protectionist borders.

There is scientific consensus on one fact: that, in the beginning, an ancestor of Covid-19 must have existed in bats.

Close relatives of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been located in the wild and they are almost all found in horseshoe bats.

The SARS virus  which caused the 2003 epidemic  is a close cousin and also originated in horseshoe bats. With SARS, it quickly became clear that food handlers were among the first to be infected.

Palm civets, small cat-like animals that are farmed for the table in southern China, were found to be infecting people  though how they acquired a bat virus still remains unclear.

At first, it was assumed the same thing had happened this time, at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan where a majority of the early cases were reported among people who had been shopping or working there.

Yet, despite testing markets, farms and no fewer than 80,000 animal samples spanning dozens of species across China, no evidence has emerged for a similar chain of early 'zoonotic' infections  transmitted from animals to humans  in SARS-CoV-2. Hundreds of samples taken from animal carcasses at the market have all tested negative for any trace of the virus.

And while the Chinese authorities have not revealed the professions of those who were earliest infected, we know that several of them, including the first known cases, had no exposure to the market whatsoever.

It was in May 2020 when Alina discovered that, compared with the 2003 SARS virus which evolved rapidly in the early months as it adapted to human beings, the virus causing Covid-19 seemed  rather unusually  to be already well adapted to infecting human bodies from first detection in Wuhan.

So where did the virus first hone its acute ability to infect and transmit among people? Could it have been in a laboratory?

According to U.S. intelligence sources, three of the early Covid-19 cases were workers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

We must ask, is it a coincidence that a bat-derived, SARS-like coronavirus showed up in the very city with the largest laboratory collection of bat-derived SARS-like coronaviruses in the world and the most active research programme studying such viruses? And a city that is well over a thousand miles from the region in China where viruses like this are naturally found.

A team of researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the EcoHealth Alliance trap bats in Guangdong, China, in January 2020

Indeed, Wuhan, in Hubei province, was not chosen as the site for this research because such viruses are found there naturally.

Thousands of bats sampled there have never turned up a related virus and, fortuitously, a survey before the pandemic had shown zero antibodies to SARS-like viruses in the general public of Wuhan.

In reality, WIV scientists led by Dr Shi Zhengli (now known in the media as 'Bat Woman'), regularly made the long trip to Yunnan and collected thousands of samples from both wild animals and humans for study back in Wuhan.

They did not always wear full protective gear as they handled thousands of bats, swabbing the animals' anuses and noses, and generally getting far closer to them than humans ever normally would.

Thanks to the sleuths, we now know (as we did not in February 2020), that Dr Shi's lab at the WIV was in possession of a batch of viruses very closely related to SARS-CoV-2 collected from that abandoned copper mine in Mojiang county, Yunnan, where those three workers had died with a SARS-like illness in 2012 after shovelling bat guano.

This mine is 1,171 miles (1,885 kilometres) from Wuhan by road, or as far as London is from Rome. The Wuhan scientists went there at least seven times between 2012 and 2015 to collect samples from bats.

There has long been suspicion that the virus may have accidentally leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (pictured)

And while we do not know if the visits continued beyond 2015, most of the viruses recorded by Dr Shi's lab pre-date 2016. We do not know what viruses they might have found between 2016 and 2019.

A cordon of secrecy also surrounds the mine itself. To this day Dr Shi and her colleagues have refused to confirm its exact location, though  again thanks to DRASTIC  it is no longer a secret.

It remains strictly off limits to foreigners and is heavily guarded. Journalists who have since tried to visit have been tailed, obstructed by supposedly broken-down vehicles, and even detained by Chinese police.

Hardly an approach that instils confidence in the innocence and irrelevance of the site.

WIV have also not been forthcoming with vital information about the viruses they collected while there, including what had been done with them back at the laboratory.

They actually changed the name of one virus, failed to disclose the existence of eight others for 11 months post-pandemic and implied that they had only worked on sequencing their genomes from 2020, when databases reveal they had been doing so since at least 2017.

By 2019 the WIV had a database with more than 22,000 wild animal samples collected in the search for never-seen-before pathogens mainly from southern China.

Strangely, that data became inaccessible to users outside the WIV on September 12, 2019, shortly before the pandemic, a fact discovered by another key sleuth, Britain's Charles Small.

To dispel rumours that SARS-CoV-2 was derived from one of their specimens, the WIV could have easily shared their data with other scientists. And their excuse that there had been 'hacking attempts' does not make much sense either.

Besides, what's the point of collecting viruses with pandemic potential if you hide the data when a pandemic actually occurs?

There is, however, a detailed record of the research conducted in Wuhan that hasn't been obscured. In paper after paper, the scientists laid bare a record of experiments on coronaviruses that were ingenious, comprehensive and largely successful.

In reality, WIV scientists led by Dr Shi Zhengli (now known in the media as 'Bat Woman'), regularly made the long trip to Yunnan and collected thousands of samples from both wild animals and humans for study back in Wuhan (Pictured: Shi Zhengli is seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province, on February 23, 2017)

They did not just bring viruses to the laboratory for storage; they sequenced their genomes, made 'infectious clones' of them, grew live viruses in cells and 'passaged' them through a range of laboratory-made 'cell lines' of different animal species and cell types.

They also synthesised and altered their DNA to insert specific sequences, then 'hybridised' (combined) some of them and used these hybrid 'chimera' viruses to infect human respiratory tract cells and mice genetically engineered to have human versions of genes.

The aim of these experiments was to understand the risk that each newly discovered virus posed and perhaps one day to devise a vaccine against all SARS-like viruses. But the work carried a risk of unintentionally generating a more virulent or infectious version of a virus.

Scientists have found bats carrying viruses related to SARS-CoV-2 in Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Laos and eastern China but in all except one case these were more distantly related to the pandemic virus than the ones from the Mojiang mine.

Then, last month, and possibly bolstering the theory of natural origin, one virus from Laos called 'BANAL-52' was identified which has been shown to have the most similar 'spike' protein (the key that unlocks the door into cells) yet to that in SARS-CoV-2.

But  and this is key  even this virus cannot be the direct ancestor of SARS-CoV-2: it lacks a crucial genetic sequence and one that some people think might even be a smoking gun.

We're talking about a genetic feature called the 'furin cleavage site'. It is this feature which enables the virus to make a crucial change in shape and so slip into different kinds of cells more easily: it is the very thing that makes Covid-19 so highly infectious.

Crucially, a furin cleavage site has never been seen in a SARS-like virus before.

So it is, at the very least, intriguing to discover that the practice of deliberately inserting furin cleavage sites into viruses has become a bit of a hobby in recent years among virologists  including those in Wuhan.

The purpose of such manipulation was to make it easier to grow the viruses in different animal cells in the lab.

And, in a collaboration between Dr Shi's WIV group and scientists in America, a furin cleavage site was engineered into a MERS-like coronavirus from a bat in 2015.

Yet, most oddly, when Dr Shi first described SARS-CoV-2's genome in January 2020, she diligently noted other minor features of the gene sequence but failed to mention this show-stopping, unique furin cleavage site.

A rather shocking omission by someone who had identified the importance of such a feature, and used it in her own genetic manipulation research.

It was left to other scientists in China, Canada and France to point out that this was the first SARS-like virus with a furin cleavage site, which makes it so highly infectious.

Then, in September this year, DRASTIC made perhaps their biggest scoop yet  and it concerned this very feature of the virus.

They uncovered a grant proposal by Dr Shi's close friend and collaborator, Dr Peter Daszak, a British-born scientist who runs the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance, which funnels government funds into research on viruses in bats and other animals in Wuhan and elsewhere.

The proposal requested $14.2 million (10.4 million) in March 2018 from the U.S. Department of Defense. The subcontractors included Dr Shi Zhengli.

Researchers work in a lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan back in February 2017

The application was turned down, but it contained the first written statements by the EcoHealth Alliance that it and its collaborators had plans to genetically engineer novel cleavage sites into SARS-like viruses.

And yet Dr Daszak did not reveal this essential piece of information while orchestrating a letter to The Lancet in February 2020 insisting (without declaring his competing research interests) that scientists could already 'overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife'.

Dr Daszak was later named as part of the WHO's joint study panel in Wuhan.

Working with viruses in laboratories requires scientists to take precautions. At biosecurity 'level 4', researchers wear

pressurised suits; at 'level 3' they work through fixed gloves to reach inside sealed cabinets; at 'level 2' they sometimes only wear latex gloves.

Worryingly, Dr Shi has said that her experiments growing bat-borne viruses in human cells were carried out at biosecurity level 2, which is entirely inappropriate for protecting laboratory workers against an airborne virus as virulent as SARS-CoV-2.

And that is because research accidents do happen. In fact, they happen often, in some of the many laboratories worldwide.

MATT RIDLEY: It is not surprising that the scientific establishment is uneasy with the fact that the world now faces the strong possibility that scientific research intended to avert a pandemic instead started one; that all WIV's collecting of viruses from bats, experimenting on them, altering them and then hiding the results, put humanity in harm's way. Pictured: The Wuhan Institute of Virology, whose scientists were involved in a grant proposal for the research

Multiple accidental releases of influenza, SARS, anthrax, smallpox, foot-and-mouth, Marburg virus and other pathogens have occurred and continue to occur in even the most secure and well-run laboratories. It is an occupational hazard of such research.

There were at least four known laboratory leaks of SARS in 2003 and 2004, in Singapore, Taiwan and Beijing. In one of the Beijing cases, the laboratory-acquired infection was only discovered a month after the fact.

Close to 1,000 people had to be quarantined, 11 fell ill and one, the researcher's mother, died.

SARS-CoV-2 is far more infectious than SARS and can spread among pre- or mildly symptomatic individuals, so it is a prime candidate for lab escape.

It is not surprising that the scientific establishment is uneasy with the fact that the world now faces the strong possibility that scientific research intended to avert a pandemic instead started one; that all WIV's collecting of viruses from bats, experimenting on them, altering them and then hiding the results, put humanity in harm's way.

And yet it seems the Chinese government, the western scientific establishment and the WHO show little urgency in seeking to find the truth that may help to avert future crises.

Still, with political will  and as the independent sleuths have shown  routes of investigation exist that would find out conclusively how this pandemic started.

We can but hope the truth will  one day  come out.

VIRAL: The Search For The Origin Of Covid-19 by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley is published by Fourth Estate on November 16 at 20.  Alina Chan and Matt Ridley 2021. To order a copy for 18 (offer valid to 13/11/21; UK P&P free on orders over 20), visit www.mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
Floating offshore wind ports and factories could be stationed in Scotland and Wales, Boris Johnson said yesterday.

Manufacturers will be able to bid for a share of up to 160million in new funding to start the projects.

The money will support a target in the Prime Minister's ten point plan to deliver 1GW of energy from floating offshore wind by 2030  nearly nine times more than current global volumes.

Floating offshore wind ports and factories could be stationed in Scotland and Wales, Boris Johnson said yesterday (file photo of wind turbines)

The news comes as Mr Johnson attends the G20 summit in Italy ahead of Cop26 next week, where he will urge major economies to transition to clean technology

The investment will allow wind farms to be built in deeper waters where winds are strongest.

It is hoped the move will create thousands of jobs in UK industrial heartlands.

The news comes as Mr Johnson attends the G20 summit in Italy ahead of Cop26 next week, where he will urge major economies to phase out coal and transition to clean technology.
A few days after the UK entered its third national lockdown, Penny Jackson logged on to Facebook to show her support for the restrictions.

'Stay at home. Save lives', proclaims the frame she added to her profile on January 17 this year. How painfully ironic that gesture now seems, given the horrors which took place at her own home less than a month later.

Cooped up with her retired Army officer husband David in their Somerset bungalow, tensions within their 24-year marriage soon reached boiling point.

At the end of a furious row following a gourmet dinner to celebrate her 66th birthday, Jackson stabbed 78-year-old David three times with a kitchen knife; the final, fatal blow delivered after he had dialled 999, with the emergency services still on the line. When police arrived, they found Jackson's handwritten confession.

The former Ministry of Defence accountant told Bristol Crown Court that she lost control after decades of verbal and physical abuse. Retired Lieutenant Colonel David Jackson, she claimed, was a bully who pushed her to her limits until she could take no more.

No remorse: At the end of a furious row following a gourmet dinner to celebrate her 66th birthday, Jackson stabbed 78-year-old David three times with a kitchen knife (pictured, Jackson in her pyjamas before being taken away by police)

She hoped her testimony would persuade the jury to find her guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter, but their verdict was clear; Penny Jackson murdered her husband in cold blood and must now expect a lengthy prison sentence for her crime.

And yet troubling questions about this extraordinary case remain. For how on earth is it possible that petty rows about a remote control  not to mention an Aga-baked bubble and squeak side dish served on the night Mr Jackson died  escalated so rapidly into murder just weeks before their silver wedding anniversary?

Or that Jackson could be so ruthless about attacking her husband with her new 8in ProCook filleting knife that she casually told the operator who took David's 999 call, 'his abdomen is buggered' before adding: 'I might go and stab him again'?

On the surface, the pair appeared to be the epitome of respectability; a retired Army officer and his bubbly civil servant wife who had lived and worked abroad in both Germany, France and Sierra Leone.

To their friends they appeared to be enjoying a blissfully happy retirement, spending weeks at a time in their second home in the village of Queyssac just outside Bergerac in south-west France, or on Caribbean cruises, or throwing dinner parties in their bungalow in Berrow, Somerset.

Jackson even joked when police arrested her, in her nightwear, asking them: 'Do you usually have murderers where they're wearing Marks & Spencer pyjamas?'

But, as the Mail has discovered, the Jacksons' turbulent marriage was founded on a legacy of infidelity, tragedy, and lies, all of which poisoned their relationship.

The final, fatal blow was delivered after he had dialled 999, with the emergency services still on the line. When police arrived, they found Jackson's handwritten confession (pictured)

Both were opinionated, stubborn and heavy drinkers. Their rows, say friends and family members who have spoken exclusively to this newspaper, were fuelled by alcohol and sparked by the slightest thing.

And despite mother-of-three Jackson's attempt to paint herself as a victim, she had left three marriages before she ended up with Mr Jackson, whom she married in 1996.

As one of her former brothers-in-law puts it: 'I can't honestly see Penny, especially the way she's disposed of three other husbands, being someone who would take abuse for all those years.'

Stewart Warrender, whose brother Alan, Penny's third husband, killed himself in 1993 after Penny left him, adds: 'Narcissistic is probably the best word for the way she is. No empathy. For somebody to be like that there's got to be something wrong with them.'

Indeed, it became clear throughout Jackson's three-week trial that the marriage had been volatile to the point of explosive for decades. There were warning signs on both sides. In court, David's daughter from his first marriage, Jane Calverley, described Penny as more than her husband's equal, saying she would 'bait him'.

'He would squirm and look embarrassed, especially if we were out in company,' she said.

Jackson's friend, Veronica Statham, said of Penny: 'She could become quite overwhelming after a few drinks.'

On the surface, the pair (pictured together) appeared to be the epitome of respectability, but, as the Mail has discovered, the Jacksons' turbulent marriage was founded on a legacy of infidelity, tragedy, and lies, all of which poisoned their relationship

David's own brother, Alan Jackson, told the Mail this week that he was an 'arrogant bully' and that 'Penny learned not to answer back when there was an argument brewing and they'd been drinking.'

Jackson's own daughter said that her mother 'could get carried away and get a bit loud'.

Given the fractious state of their marriage, perhaps the most pertinent question of all, then, is why neither of them walked out?

But Birmingham-born David was Penny's fourth husband. She, his third wife. Aside from their occasional furious rows, she placed a high value on her life as an army officer's wife, enjoying all the middle-class trappings that came with it: Private school for her daughter, holidays abroad, coffee mornings and pilates classes with friends, as well as considerable savings and three pensions.

Further clues can be traced to her troubled early life. Her mother was married, but not to her father, when she was born in Woolwich, South London, in February 1955.

Placed in foster care when she was ten days old, she didn't see her parents again until she was 12. It wasn't until 1974 that her birth was correctly re-registered after her mother and her real father finally married in 1973.

By then they were living in Somerset and Penny was already a wife, having married builder Melvyn Porter in Weston-super-Mare in November 1972, aged 17. Their first daughter, Rebecca, was born a year later; their second, Victoria, in 1977. When the youngest was two, Jackson walked out.

In court, she described her first husband as 'violent' and unfaithful and said 'I decided I wanted more from the relationship'. While Melvyn Porter is unwell, his second wife Janet denied her claims. 'That woman is utterly shameless,' she said from her home in Highbridge, Somerset. 'You can't believe a single word that comes out of her mouth.

But despite the mother-of-three's attempt to paint herself as a victim, the jury's verdict was clear; Penny Jackson murdered her husband in cold blood. Pictured: Their daughter Isabelle Potterton (centre) on her wedding day with parents Penelope Jackson (left) and David (right)

'She will say whatever suits her at the time. She took everything from my husband. Everything.

'He went off to work one morning and when he came home that evening, she had vanished with their two daughters and she had completely stripped the house of everything including the carpets.

'She told the girls that their father had died. It took Melvyn years to track them down again.'

Penny's daughter, 44-year-old Victoria Mullins, added: 'I don't believe dad abused my mother and I know he did not have an affair. So many lies have been told by so many people.'

In April 1981, 26-year-old Jackson married husband number two, fellow Ministry of Defence civil servant Tony Rothwell. In court she claimed that their 'loving friendship' 'fizzled out' and they divorced. Mr Rothwell, who is now living abroad, declined to comment when contacted by the Mail.

Jackson was 32 when she married her third husband, 39-year-old Alan Warrender, an RAF chief technician, in January 1988. His first wife had died 18 months earlier from cancer and while Penny's own two daughters were not living with her, she became stepmother to Alan's two daughters.

She gave birth to her third daughter, Isabelle, in October 1990 by which time the family were living in Grantham in Lincolnshire.

But two years later, this marriage was also over. While 43-year-old Alan was working in Saudi Arabia, Penny began an affair with the man who would become her ill-fated fourth husband. After Alan took his own life in April 1993, his inquest, which found he died by carbon monoxide poisoning, was reported beneath the headline: 'Man took his life after marital stress'.

'He was found in the garage. He was drunk apparently, emotional, because she'd been having an affair,' says his brother, Stewart Warrender. 'I was never fully satisfied with the inquest verdict. I was sceptical of a suicide. It could be more coercion. I feel strongly it wasn't properly investigated. I've always thought that.'

He added that there was ill-feeling in the family because Penny 'benefited enormously' from Alan's death. 'Alan's kids from his first marriage didn't get a bean. Penny inherited everything and was entitled to his pension too.'

Mr Jackson was married to his second wife, Sheila, when he met Penny in the early 1990s. Having left school at 16, he joined the Royal Transport Corps aged 17 and worked his way up the ranks before working for the MoD. He married his first wife, Patricia, in 1964 and they had two daughters and a son. In the aftermath of Alan's suicide, Penny changed her name by deed poll to Jackson.

Crime scene: The Somerset bungalow owned by Penny and David Jackson, as seen on February 13 with officers outside

She and David married in 1996, by which time they were living near an army base in Hampshire and raising Penny's youngest daughter, Isabelle, to believe that David was her real father. She didn't discover the truth until, as a teenager, she was contacted by one of her half-sisters from Alan Warrender's first marriage.

Further tragedy followed. Two years after Penny and David's wedding, David's 28-year-old son Gavin, from his first marriage, took his own life, leaving a suicide note in which he is said to have written that he didn't want to end up like his father.

In court, Penny alleged that David became aggressive in the wake of Gavin's suicide. Her daughter Isabelle backed up her claims, recalling how, when she was eight, David held a knife to her mother's throat. On another occasion, he pinned her mother against the wall. On yet another occasion, David smashed the mug Isabelle had bought for Mother's Day. David's own brother, Alan Jackson, told the Mail that he could be an 'arrogant bully'.

'No-one deserves to die the way he did but I can believe that Penny would have been pushed to her limits,' he said. 'I don't think anyone will ever really know what kind of a life she had with David.'

This was the argument made by Jackson's defence barrister Clare Wade, the same QC who represented Sally Challen, who served nine years in prison for murdering her husband Richard with a hammer before a ground-breaking appeal in 2019 saw her conviction reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But while Challen was isolated, controlled and humiliated by her husband, Jackson was more than a match for hers. As she said in court: 'I could have left quietly.'

In December 2020, she summoned police to the couple's house after a row about the TV remote control ended up with Jackson locking her husband in the conservatory. He smashed his way out using a poker from the wood-burning stove.

He had just returned from hospital after an operation to replace the battery in an implant in his brain for tremors in his arms and hands. He had also undergone chemotherapy for prostate and bowel cancer and had a knee replacement. When asked if she wanted to take the matter further, Jackson told officers: 'Part of me wants to make him pay for it, but that's spite.'

Military man: Birmingham-born David was Penny's fourth husband. She, his third wife. Aside from their occasional furious rows, she placed a high value on her life as an army officer's wife, enjoying all the middle-class trappings that came with it

She added: 'It's either we get through it or we get divorced.' Divorce would have been the best thing but tragically they limped on. Christmas lay around the corner and then the nation was plunged back into lockdown and the pair hunkered down again at home.

Snippets of their life in lockdown emerged in court. David enjoyed long phone calls with his daughters while Penny listened to The Archers omnibus on Radio 4 or worked out in the home gym she'd set up in the garage.

But she hinted at her feelings towards her husband during the UK's first lockdown in April 2020 when she posted a joke photograph of a woman knitting a noose for her husband.

On February 13, three days before Penny's 66th birthday, the couple ate a Michelin-starred meal of crab, lobster and steak, bought by Penny's daughter Isabelle who cooked the same at her own house with her husband, sharing the occasion via Zoom.

Their fateful row appears to have stemmed from David's confusion about potatoes, believing they should have been served with the steak and not the lobster.

Penny said she'd prepare some bubble and squeak to have with the steak but when she took it from the Aga, David accused her of making it look as if he thought the gifted meal wasn't good enough.

Towards the end of the four-and-a-half hour meal, they rowed again, this time over who had forgotten to charge the iPad they were using for the Zoom call.

In court, Isabelle's husband, Tom Potterton recalled: 'He said to Penny: 'You can't admit when you're wrong'. He was relatively calm. 'Penny was upset. You could see she had been crying. My wife thought it best to leave it there so we ended the call.'

Jackson murdered her husband just an hour later.
Crew members who worked on the set of Alec Baldwin's Western film Rust have claimed they expressed concern about the assistant director's cavalier attitude towards safety when he worked on a previous film.

Dave Halls, who had worked on films such as The Matrix Reloaded and Fargo, was the person who handed Baldwin the gun on October 21.

He told Baldwin the gun was 'cold' - not loaded with live ammunition - and Baldwin pulled the trigger, fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42.

The film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, immediately blamed Halls, saying on the 911 call that he was responsible.

'This f****** AD that yelled at me at lunch asking about revisions, this motherf*****,' Mitchell appears to be saying to someone else.

'He's supposed to check the guns. He's responsible for what happened.'

Halls has since admitted to investigators that he did not check every bullet in the chamber. Questions are also being asked about the actions of the inexperienced armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24.

Dave Halls (pictured) was working on the set of Rust as the assistant director, and handed Alec Baldwin the gun that then killed camerawoman Halyna Hutchins

Halls, an experienced assistant director, is pictured on the set of Rust, outside Santa Fe in New Mexico

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot with a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin on the movie set in New Mexico on October 21

An aerial view of the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, where the movie was being filmed

Now people who worked with Halls on previous projects have claimed that he had a lax attitude towards safety.

A search warrant released Friday said that armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (pictured) laid out three prop guns on a cart outside the filming location

Baldwin is seen in Vermont on Thursday, having escaped to the New England countryside with his wife Hilaria and their children following the tragedy on set

One crew member who worked with Halls on the set of One Way, which was filmed in Georgia in February, starring Machine Gun Kelly, said that Halls had sparked alarm during a scene involving cars.

The cars were being driven, in a field, by local people who were not stunt drivers.

Baldwin is seen in costume, covered with fake blood, in an image posted to Instagram

The crew member told Variety that the move was risky and unprofessional.

'That man is a liability,' the crew member recalled saying.

'He's going to f****** kill someone someday, and you're going to be responsible.'

A second crew member on the film also said there were safety problems involving Halls and vehicles on set.

This person said there was a scene with a 'car hit' that had inadequate crew, and that background actors were driving cars, instead of stunt drivers.

'They put me in a position of danger,' the second crew member told Variety.

'They're getting the bottom-of-the-barrel people.'

A third crew member confirmed that he had heard about safety issues involving Halls and vehicles from a fourth person on set.

Machine Gun Kelly is seen on the set of One Way, which filmed in February with Halls as the assistant director

The One Way cast and crew are seen beside parked cars. People who worked on the set of the film have complained about Halls using local people to drive, rather than trained stunt men

Hutchins, 42, was pronounced dead in hospital in New Mexico following the October 21 accident

One Way, starring Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Fimmel and Kevin Bacon, is expected to be released next year. The film was shot in Georgia in February, with Halls as assistant director

This crew member also said he witnessed Halls losing his temper on set.

But Molly Mayeux, the line producer on One Way, denied there were safety issues on the set.

'I can attest with 100 per cent certainty that One Way was extremely safety-conscious, and all safety protocols were followed during the shoot,' Mayeux said.

'I am sickened by these 'sources' trying to capitalize on such a horrific accident.'

Mayeux also denied that the crew member issued the warning about Halls being a 'liability'.

Yet another crew member, Lisa Long, who worked with Halls as first assistant camera on One Way, told The New York Times that she complained to her superiors several times about safety concerns.

'Normally I'd go to the first A.D. with safety concerns,' Long said.

'But the safety concerns were about the first A.D.'

Long said that the crew shot a scene on an active highway without the proper preparation, and two of the vehicles narrowly avoided a crash.

'I don't ever recall having a proper safety meeting,' she said.

Halls was fired from another film, Freedom's Path, after a gun discharged accidentally, injuring a woman.

The assistant camera operator, Quinton Rodriguez, told Rolling Stone that said that the scene involved Civil War-era firearms loaded with enough gunpowder to make a visible blast when fired, and that it was Halls' responsibility to ensure that the guns were completely empty when filming closeup scenes.

Freedom's Path tells the story of the Underground Railroad, and a friendship forged between a soldier and runaway slave. Halls was the assistant director, but was fired after a firearm accident

Carol Sutton (above), who died in December aged 76, is one of the stars of Freedom's Path

'We started out in a wide shot, and we ended up doing it a couple times, and then we had to cut in the middle of the take, before the gun would have been fired in the shot,' he said.

'Then we moved into the close-up on the shot, and the gun obviously had not been cleared to become a 'cold' weapon.

'We went in for the take, and to literally everybody's surprise, all eight people within a 10-foot range, the gun ended up firing right in our boom operator's face.'

The boom operator was not seriously injured, but Rodriguez said he 'threw his headphones off to the ground, dropped the boom mic and essentially ran from the set.'

Halls was fired from the production that day.

'A lot of his mentality was just, 'Get the shot. And get the shot on time.'' Rodriguez said.

'He seemed willing to cut whatever corners were necessary to make that happen.'

Halls has not commented publicly either on the October 21 tragedy, or on the previous incidents.

No charges have been filed, and investigators in New Mexico - where Rust was filmed - are continuing their inquiries.
Doctors are pressing ahead with plans for industrial action as the furious row over face-to-face appointments intensifies.

The British Medical Association last night said it will ballot practices to see if they support taking action to reduce their 'unmanageable workload'.

And it accused the Government and NHS England of 'adding fuel to the fire' by failing to back down on plans to improve patient access.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid unveiled a nine-point package of measures to tackle the difficulties of seeing a GP in person.

It followed a Daily Mail campaign to improve the number of appointments held in-person. Currently just 61 per cent are face-to-face, down from 80 per cent before the pandemic.

The British Medical Association said it will ballot practices to see if they support taking action to reduce an 'unmanageable workload' amid row over face-to-face appointments (stock image)

The 250million plan would mean doctors cannot deny a face-to-face appointment unless there is a good clinical reason  and surgeries which don't deliver enough in-person consultations would be named and shamed.

But this sparked a row with the BMA who urged GPs to refuse to comply with the plan which they called a 'bully's charter'.

Despite hopes it would back down over the threat of strike action, the Left-wing doctors' union said it will now hold an 'indicative ballot' of GP practices in England.

They will be asked if they support taking industrial action in four key areas, including the naming and shaming of practices which fail to improve face-to-face access.

They will also be asked if they will comply with rules on 'pay transparency', which would mean that GPs earning over 150,000 are named.

And they will be asked whether they should refuse to oversee medical exemptions for people who cannot get vaccinated, which has added to their workload.

Currently just 61 per cent of appointments are face-to-face, down from 80 per cent before the Covid-19 pandemic

The results will be known by next month and could pave the way for the first industrial action taken by doctors since the junior doctors' strike five years ago.

Patient groups, MPs and moderate doctors have all urged the BMA to back down and reach a compromise with ministers for the sake of millions of patients.

But the row has only intensified in recent days and the BMA last night said that 'recent comments from the Department of Health have only added to the anger and desperation felt by GPs'.

This refers to a statement from the department on Thursday that said it will not back down on measures to publish surgery-level data on face-to-face appointments.

A spokesman said: 'There are no plans to change the set of measures outlined earlier this month to support our phenomenal GPs.

'Transparency of data is vitally important as we level up healthcare across the country.'

Defending the plans for industrial action Dr Richard Vautrey, of the BMA, said the workload facing GPs was 'unmanageable' and patient care was suffering as a result.

He added: 'These actions are not directed at patients but absolutely at the Government and NHS England. In the interests of patient safety, they must act now to stop the abuse, reverse the unsustainable workload and address the burnout felt by so many GPs and their teams.

'The Government's plan has added fuel to the fire in creating further bureaucracy and punitive measures for practices and demoralised the whole workforce.'
The fourth husband of Ivana Trump, Italian actor and model Rossano Rubicondi, has died at age 49 after suffering from 'an illness'.

Rubicondi's death was announced on Twitter by Italian television presenter, Simona Ventura, on Friday evening.

'Rossano  Thanks for the journey we made together, for the good times and the bad, and also the tears and laughter, so many, and everything that we did together. Farewell. RiP,' she tweeted.

Although the cause of his death has not been revealed, one Italian publication suggested Rubicondi had been ill for the past year and had been suffering from melanoma,a type of skin cancer.

Ivana, the ex-wife of former President Donald Trump, has not commented on Rubicondi's death.

Rossano Rubicondi and Ivana Trump, pictured in 2007, dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2008. They divorced just months later in 2009

Ivana Trump's wedding to Rossano Rubicondi took place at Donald Trump's beach club in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida in April 2008

The pair dated for six years before they married in April 2008 - when he was 36 and she was 59.

The couple's $3 million wedding was attended by 400 guests at her famous ex-husband's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach and set to the theme of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream, with daughter Ivanka as her maid of honor.

Although Ivana and Rubicondi divorced less than a year later in 2009 with their on-again, off-again relationship continuing officially until 2019 when Ivana announced they had once again they had 'called it quits'.

Up until four years ago, Rubicondi would post pictures of himself on social media wining, dining and and jetting around in private planes.

He and Ivana were often seen together out and about in New York City and were last photographed walking arm in arm in July, just months before his death.

In fact, throughout 2021, the pair were seen enjoying one another's company on at least five occasions.

Following the couple's divorce in 2009, Rubicondi married Milu Vimo in 2011 and according to Italian news outlets have never divorced. Either way, he remained friends with Ivana for the rest of his life.

The fourth husband of Ivana Trump, Italian actor and model Rossano Rubicondi, has died at 49

News of the 49-year-olds death was first announced on Twitter by Italian television presenter, Simona Ventura (right), on Friday evening

Ivana and her on-again-off-again partner Rossano Rubicondi were pictured taking a walk together on July 23

The duo take the dog for a walk and grab some food for Fourth of July dinner this year

The pair are pictured in 2018 during the Italian version of Dancing With The Stars

Born in Rome on March 14, 1972, Rubicondi moved to London at a young age where he began working as a model.

After discovering his passion for the world of cinema, he managed to secure small roles in films.

In recent years, he had some small parts in films including the Golden Bowl starring alongside Uma Thurman and Kate Beckinsale.

He also appeared on Italian reality TV shows, including Dancing with the Stars and Italy's I'm a Celebrity.

Rubicondi had been Ivana's love interest since 2002 when they began dating but even after their divorce in 2009, and his subsequent marriage to Vimo, the pair were never truly apart.

Rossano Rubicondi is pictured with Milu Vimo in Rome in April 2009 whom he later married in 2011. It is believed that the couple were still married at the time of his death

Rossano Rubicondi in the Italian reality show 'Isola Dei Famosi 6' in Honduras in 2008 - the Italian version of 'I'm A Celebrity'

Rossano Rubicondi is pictured together with Ivana a year before their marriage in 2007. They had already been dating for five years

The pair had always maintained that they are just very close friends, though Rubicondi had said previously that a romantic reunion is always possible.

This past summer appears to have been relatively low-key for Ivana - who would usually travel to Europe during the warmer months, but she appeared to have opted out of any far-flung trips, perhaps because of the COVID pandemic.

Instead, the businesswoman was spotted out and about in New York on a handful of occasions - including enjoying a several fun-filled dinners with Rubicondi as recently as August.

Ivana announced their 'official' split back in June 2019 before escaping to Saint-Tropez for the summer, admitting that the time she spends on the French Riviera was part of the reason why she and her longtime beau couldn't make their relationship work.

'The relationship just ran its course,' she told Page Six at the time. 'Rossano spends a lot of time in Italy and I spent a lot of time in New York, Miami, and Saint-Tropez, and he has to work.'

'The long-distance relationship really doesnt work,' she added. 'We had a good time and are friends. The split was amicable.'

Rubicondi, meanwhile, asserted that he always had 'good respect' for the businesswoman following their breakup, but he later made it clear that her children were a source of ire in their romance.

He emphasized that he wasn't after the matriarch's fortune and suggested that money was often something he quarreled with her children about.

The couple got divorced just eight months after their Midsummer Night's Dream-themed nuptials.

Ivana said she had actually filed for separation three months prior and blamed the split on her and Rubicondi's different preferences for the cities where they chose to live.

The couple had also faced rumors that Rubicondi had been unfaithful to her while filming the TV show Survivor in Honduras, which Ivana denied it in her Page Six column.

Who was Rossano Rubicondi? Rossano Rubicondi is pictured in a publicity photograph from 2008, the year he wed Ivana Born in Rome on March 14, 1972, Rubicondi moved to London at a young age where he began working as a model. After discovering his passion for the world of cinema, he managed to secure small roles in films. In recent years, he had some small parts in films including the Golden Bowl starring alongside Uma Thurman and Kate Beckinsale. He also appeared on Italian reality TV shows, including Dancing with the Stars and Italy's I'm a Celebrity. Rubicondi had been Ivana's love interest since 2002 when they began dating but even after their divorce in 2009, and his subsequent marriage to Vimo, the pair were never truly apart. Advertisement

Ivana and Rossano Rubicondi are pictured heading out for dinner in November 2019

Rubicondi was Ivana's fourth husband after she married Alfred Winklmayr, Donald Trump, and Riccardo Mazzucchelli.

Ivana has been living in New York City since the mid-1970s, after relocating to the US from Canada, following her move from her native Czechoslovakia, and she has spent much of that time residing on the Upper East Side, where she currently lives in a sprawling apartment.

It was in Manhattan where the former model met Trump, with whom she tied the knot in 1977. The couple were married for 13 years before divorcing in 1990 after Trump had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife.

Ivana Trump flashed a peace sign as she and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Rossano Rubicondi enjoyed a walk on the Upper East Side of Manhattan last November

However relations between Trump and Ivana - who have three children together, Don Jr, Eric, and Ivanka - have remained cordial over the years, and she recently revealed that she had spoken to her ex-husband to wish him a happy birthday last June.

'Donald hates his birthdays,' Ivana said at the time. 'So I did speak to him and wished him happy birthday and told him, "Don't worry about your age. Age is just a number..."'

Many of Ivana's children have chosen to move away from New York in the past year however, with both Ivanka and Don Jr opting to follow in their father's footsteps by relocating to Florida after Trump's presidency ended in January.

Eric is currently the only one of Ivana and Donald's children still living in the city, where he is based with his wife Lara and their kids.
Today, 120 world leaders and 30,000 delegates will start arriving in Glasgow for the Cop26 climate change conference.

Watching from afar will be Bjorn Lomborg, the former Greenpeace activist who, in his acclaimed 2001 book The Skeptical Environmentalist, concluded that the costly measures being dreamed up by politicians, scientists and businessmen have proved next to useless.

Here, he explains why little has changed.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have said that the definition of insanity is 'doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results'.

To me, that perfectly sums up the spirit of Cop26, which kicks off in Glasgow tomorrow.

The city is expecting some 30,000 delegates  and 120 world leaders  to attend earnest debates on cutting carbon emissions at this 26th session of the Conference of the Parties.

Your Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is hoping to broker a new agreement to limit global warming to 1.5c, effectively a promise of net zero emissions for the entire world before 2050  which is highly ambitious.

I've been watching such grandiose declarations about transforming the global economy and our way of life for more than 20 years  yet emissions continue to increase.

I have no doubt about the reality of climate change, but as I lay out in my latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts The Poor And Fails To Fix The Planet, many of the very costly measures that dominate our climate conversation have proved next to useless.

Glasgow is expecting some 30,000 delegates  and 120 world leaders  to attend the Cop26 climate change summit. Renewable wind turbines have one problem - they require a breeze

As director of a think-tank, Copenhagen Consensus, I work with the world's top economists and Nobel Laureates to find out where our limited finances can be put to the best possible use.

Our researchers routinely find some of the best financial investments have been in the fields of nutrition, infectious diseases and family planning.

Yet we rarely see global summits on these 'boring' topics, and Glasgow is no different. Instead, politicians in rich countries prefer to almost exclusively focus on iconic policies for climate change and forget all other problems.

Unfortunately, our research also shows that most popular climate policies offer comparatively poor returns on investment to society.

In contrast, our work found a six-fold increase in 'green' research and development would be the most effective way to tackle climate change.

We need to change course  and Cop26 should be the event to start the ball rolling. We need to invest in improving green technologies instead of trying to force ineffective renewable energy, such as electric cars or heat pumps, on people.

Because the truth is that now, even though there is more political focus on climate change than ever before, we are not achieving anything.

In a surprisingly honest review, the UN recently revealed the past decade of climate policies was a 'lost' decade that had, to all intents and purposes, achieved nothing.

The UN found that, despite all the summits and promises, when it came to emissions, it is impossible to tell the difference between the world we're in and a hypothetical world where nothing has been done about climate since 2005.

Paradoxically, this failure has not made politicians more determined to find better solutions. If anything, they have doubled down on their sound-bite promises, even ones that have no chance of happening.

We have seen this repeatedly in the run-up to Glasgow, when leaders of rich nations including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson have made big, expensive promises that future governments will likely have to backtrack on once citizens protest about rising energy bills.

Since the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and commitments to rein back climate change  and despite global agreements in Kyoto and Paris  carbon dioxide emissions have mostly kept increasing. This year is likely to set a new record.

In a rebuke to the UK Government calling on all countries to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, 24 emerging economies (which will be responsible for the majority of this century's emissions as they power their climb out of poverty), including China and India, have retorted that the demand is unjust because it stops poor countries from developing their economies.

The Ugandan president put it bluntly: 'Africans have a right to use reliable, cheap energy.'

need to invest in improving green technologies instead of trying to force ineffective renewable energy, such as electric cars (pictured) or heat pumps, on people

The renewable energy sources favoured by the vast majority of environmental activists in wealthier nations have two big problems.

First, they take up a vast amount of space, often displacing nature: for example, replacing 1 sq m of gas-fired power plant requires 73 sq m of solar panels, 239 sq m of on-shore wind turbines, or an astonishing 6,000 sq m of biomass (renewable organic material produced by plants and animals, including wood, energy crops such as short-rotation forestry and farm waste).

Recent analysis found that to fulfil Biden's promise of a carbon-free economy by 2050, the U.S. could require a land mass equivalent to more than four times that of the UK to develop enough clean power.

Second, and of even greater importance, the two most common renewable energy technologies are intermittent or unreliable. Solar energy isn't produced when it is overcast or at night-time. Wind energy requires a breeze.

So it is deeply misleading to compare energy costs of wind or solar, only when it is windy or sunny, to fossil fuels.

Modern society requires 24 hours of non-stop power, when there's no sun or wind, so fossil fuels are still needed.

This means you have to pay for both the solar panel and the gas turbine. As for batteries, they are nowhere near ready to help in this situation. Globally, we probably have battery storage for less than one minute of the world's electricity use.

This highlights the huge problems we face with moving electricity generation away from fossil fuel. When Boris Johnson promises that all of Britain's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2035, that's the easy part of the climate challenge.

Electricity constitutes just 19 per cent of global emissions. We're even further behind finding greener solutions for agriculture, manufacturing, transport and buildings.

Of these, transport is the second-most focused-on sector. Although we are told electric cars are the solution, only 1 per cent of cars globally are electric, despite huge subsidies.

The International Energy Agency estimates that if the world achieves all of its ambitious stated electric vehicle targets, the saved CO2 emissions over this decade will be 235 million tons.

According to the UN Climate Panel, this will reduce global temperatures by about one ten-thousandth of a degree celsius (that's 0.0001c) by the end of the century.

Because tackling climate change with current technology is almost impossible, climate policy mostly tinkers at the margins, focusing more on bombastic promises and feel-good rhetoric and less on actions that cut emissions.

Politicians have been doing this for decades  the same thing over and over without succeeding  and making ever-bigger promises.

The promises made in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and Kyoto in 1997 have been mostly disregarded. A 2019 LSE study found that of the 157 countries promising emissions cuts in the 2015 Paris Agreement, only 17 had passed laws to do so.

In other words, only one in ten had been taking the necessary steps to get on track to achieve what they promised.

Those nations are: Algeria, Canada, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Samoa, Singapore, and Tonga.

Though admirable, I think we can agree that the world will not be saved by emissions cuts in North Macedonia (population 2 million) and certainly not by the most drastic actions that could be taken by Tonga (population 108,000).

Even if every country did everything promised in the Paris agreement, the emission cuts by 2030 would add up to just 1 per cent of what would be needed to keep temperature rises under 2c.

Achieving the end vision of zero emissions would be so expensive that protests by the Gilets Jaunes in France could erupt everywhere long before the goal is reached [The Gilets Jaunes took to the streets in 2018 after President Macron announced plans for an eco-tax on petrol and diesel, which were quickly rescinded].

A new study in the journal Nature shows the cost of 95 per cent reduction by 2050, almost Biden's promise of net zero, would cost 11.9 per cent of GDP or more than $11,000 (8,000) for each U.S. citizen, every year.

No wonder, then, that politicians elsewhere show little interest in establishing the costs of their own extravagant promises. But pretending the technological answer exists and we just lack willpower to transform our economies is reckless.

It stops us from pursuing the real solutions. If we care about fixing this challenge, we need to change course.

Continuing to do what the EU has done, cutting carbon with a mixture of market and planning diktats, has avoided just 3 pence worth of global damage for each pound spent so far.

That's partly because trying to effect change in the EU is expensive, and many EU climate policies are more inefficient than necessary (it favours using wind and solar to cut a ton of CO2 over the much cheaper option of switching from coal to gas).

What our Copenhagen Consensus experts found was that investing in green innovation is the best long-term investment.

Because the truth is that now, even though there is more political focus on climate change than ever before, we are not achieving anything. Pictured: Heat pumps

Consider how the world in the 1960s and 70s worried about starvation. Applying today's approach would mean asking the rich to eat less and send leftovers to the poor. That could never have worked.

What did work was the Green Revolution, innovating higher-yielding crops. It is likely this saved a billion people from starvation.

In India, calories per person had been declining but started climbing by 1970. By 1980, India had seen a 47 per cent rise in grain production, and today India produces 328 per cent as much grain as it did in 1967. Innovation tackled the problem head-on.

Instead of asking people to make do with less, innovation meant producing more with less. Would-be catastrophes have regularly been pushed aside through history because of innovation and technological development.

Innovation is what drives growth in the world's largest economies. In general, investment in long-term innovation is under-funded as it is hard for private investors to capture benefits. Therefore, as in areas such as medicine and therapeutics, public investment and support are warranted.

The best example of game-changing climate innovation is the ten-year $10 billion U.S. public investment in shale gas set up under President George W. Bush. It led the way for a production surge of cheap gas, out-competing a significant part of coal in the U.S. energy mix.

This was a major part of why the U.S. has the single biggest emission reduction of the past decade. Yet while everyone agrees we should spend much more on R&D, the fraction of rich countries' GDP going into R&D has halved since the 1980s.

Why? Because putting up inefficient solar panels makes for good photo ops. It feels like we're doing something, whereas funding eggheads is harder to visualise. Leaders at Cop26 should focus much more on innovation.

Copenhagen Consensus experts have concluded we should increase spending on research and development to $100 billion per year. Which doesn't mean we would have to spend more, just spend it smarter.

Right now the world is spending $600 billion in annual climate finance. We could take a sixth of that and use it on the smartest ways to help fix the climate.

In 2015, leaders including President Obama, most of the G20 and the EU joined philanthropist Bill Gates in Mission Innovation, promising to double green energy R&D in five years.

Yet spending as a percentage of GDP has hardly budged since then. We should improve today's technologies rather than erecting inefficient turbines and solar panels. We should explore energy generation by fusion, fission, water-splitting, and more.

The geneticist who led the first draft sequence of the human genome argues for research into algae that produces oil, grown on the ocean surface. Because the algae converts sunlight and CO2 to oil, burning it will be CO2-free.

Oil algae is far from cost-effective, yet researching this and other solutions is not only cheap but offers our best opportunity to find breakthrough technologies.

If we innovate to the point where the price of efficient green energy drops below fossil fuels, everyone will switch.

Copenhagen Consensus calculated returns from green energy R&D as 11 for every 1 invested  hundreds of times more effective than current policies.

We don't know how long it will take to find the breakthroughs that will power the rest of the century, but this is the path that will solve climate change.

And what we do know is that leaders at Cop26, just like those at the previous 25 climate summits, and the next up, Cop27, won't solve climate change with more empty promises and implausibly extravagant policies.

Bjorn Lomborg is President of the Copenhagen Consensus and Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
The irony is that Kirat Assi used to feel safe falling asleep to the sound of her lover's breathing.

For three-and-a-half years, they would end every day like this; their lives synchronised in the most intimate way.

Yes, it was unfortunate that she could not physically be in the arms of Bobby, the man she planned to spend her life with, but long-distance relationships are a modern reality, and couples overcome myriad hurdles to make them work.

Kirat and Bobby did so with a set of Skype headphones each, her in London; him in New York.

'I went through two or three sets,' she admits. Some nights there was a sexual element to their intimacy.

Sometimes it was more chaste. They would chat. Play (online) Scrabble.

Over time, she read him an entire Harry Potter book. Afterwards, they would snuggle down for the night and drift off to sleep, apart but together.

Hopelessly romantic? Well, no. It's the part of their 'relationship'  yes, we need the inverted commas  that now causes Kirat, 42, the most distress.

Not because Bobby's insistence that they be joined like this nightly became controlling, which it did (to the point where Kirat actually contemplated suicide).

But because the Bobby she thought was in love with her did not exist.

This is a romance that never was. In 2018, Kirat discovered that she had been the victim of a decade-long 'catfishing' deception that was so shocking she collapsed when she found out the truth.

Catfishing is the phenomenon of luring someone into a relationship by creating a fictional online persona.

Kirat, a former radio presenter and events organiser (sensible and media-savvy, she thought; certainly not gullible), got well and truly lured.

In 2018, Kirat Assi (pictured), 42, discovered that she had been the victim of a decade-long 'catfishing' deception that was so shocking she collapsed when she found out the truth

There was added agony, too. For the person who created the alternative horror world into which Kirat, unwittingly, stepped, was not only a woman  with a high-flying career, incidentally  but also a distant cousin and someone who had become a friend.

'She only confessed when the police got involved,' Kirat says. 'She came to my house. She stood there and said: "It was all me."

'I didn't know what she meant, at first. She said she was Bobby. I still didn't get it.'

Gradually, as the terrible truth dawned, Kirat asked: 'So who have I been sleeping with on the phone for these past three-and-a- half years?' She said 'me'.

'I collapsed. I was physically sick. She never said why. She just said "I was in a dark place" and "I've ruined my own life, too".'

Some of the story you are about to read is extraordinary to the point of being unbelievable.

I thought so, too, before I meet Kirat, knowing only the bare bones of what happened. How can a seemingly intelligent woman think she is in a relationship (an intimate one, too) with a man who does not exist?

The story is  there is no other way to put this  quite nuts. It contains (spoiler alert) people dying and mysteriously coming back to life, for starters.

After speaking to a sometimes tearful Kirat for several hours, however, and having spent much longer wading through the documents she produces (one runs to 145 pages), it becomes clear that something truly terrifying has happened to her.

The fact that there is a paper trail (or, more accurately, an online footprint) of the thousands of messages, conversations and emails she had with 'Bobby' and his friends is important, too.

Kirat's full story will be told in an astonishing series of podcasts produced by Tortoise Media, a reputable news website founded by a former editor of The Times.

Investigators there worked, over months, not only with Kirat but with witnesses, legal experts and other victims in this fascinating saga (including the real-life Bobby).

They believe it is the longest-running and most complex case of catfishing to have come to light.

The deception involved creating not just one person, but an entire community.

Kirat, who lives in West London, has since discovered 50 members of the supporting 'cast'  members of Bobby's family, and online friends  were fabricated, too.

Kirat names the woman behind this epic deception as Simran Bhogal, a relative some 13 years her junior, who, at the start, Kirat knew only vaguely from family functions.

They had more contact, however, when a work project took Kirat to Simran's school, where she was head girl and a straight A* student.

Kirat took the younger girl under her wing, giving Simran her mobile number. In time, she became a confidante, which makes this betrayal all the more devastating. 'She has taken ten years of my life from me, years I will not get back,' says Kirat.

'In that time I could have met someone real, had a baby. I lost my friends, my job, my savings.

'I opened up to him  her!  telling him things about my hopes, dreams, my childhood, that I'd never tell anyone. I feel violated.'

The story really begins in September 2009 when Kirat, a prominent member of London's Sikh community, was working as an arts and events assistant for Hounslow Community Services as well as presenting a show on Radio Desi, a station for the Punjabi community.

She was in a relationship at the time and 'certainly not looking for love'.

But, out of the blue, she received a Facebook message seemingly from Simran's ex-boyfriend, JJ, asking for guidance.

They had split up and he wanted her advice on getting her back. Kirat didn't know JJ personally, but obviously she knew of him, and she could see from his online profile that they had mutual friends (she'd never accept a friend request from a complete stranger, she says), so she accepted.

She found 'JJ' endearing, and over the next five months they communicated. Then she received the shocking news, from Simran, that JJ had died suddenly in Kenya.

Simran passed on the email address of JJ's brother, Bobby, so that Kirat could send him her condolences. So far, so plausible.

Kirat names the woman behind this epic deception as Simran Bhogal (pictured far right), a relative some 13 years her junior, who, at the start, Kirat knew only vaguely from family functions

But what Kirat didn't know was that while JJ and Bobby existed in real life, the versions of them with whom she communicated were a works of fiction.

In the case of the latter, the real Bobby's photos and some biographical details had been used to help create the deception.

In November 2010, Kirat had her first Facebook encounter with (fake) Bobby.

They discovered they shared the same birthday and he told her he was married, with a child on the way.

There was nothing flirtatious or 'deep' about their contact, but a very loose friendship had begun. (Fake) Bobby was a cardiologist. His Facebook page had pictures of him in hospital scrubs, so no alarm bells rang.

Over the coming months they got to know each other, online, sharing details about their respective relationships, including the collapse of Bobby's marriage.

'We weren't close, but I saw him as a friend, a little brother,' she says.

There was an incident in a Brighton nightclub in 2011 when, quite by chance, Kirat actually met the real Bobby.

The whole deception could have been discovered before any damage was done, but it was not to be.

'It was a hen night, and I was not expecting him to be there, but I recognised him from his Facebook picture,' she says.

'I went up and introduced myself. He seemed really vague. I thought he might have had a few drinks. The music was quite loud . . . maybe he couldn't really hear me. It was weird.'

Obviously now Kirat wishes she had pressed the matter, demanded to know why Bobby was acting so coolly, when he had been warm and chatty during their online conversations.

Back they went to a remote friendship, she thought. Off and on they continued to message each other, with (fake) Bobby updating her when he moved to Australia and remarried.

In November 2013, she was at work when she received a Facebook message saying Bobby had been shot and was in a coma, suffering memory loss. And then in January 2014, she learned that he had died.

'I was invited to join a Facebook group of his friends. There were 39 people in it. I have since learned that none of them was real.'

It gets more and more bizarre. From here, events unfold over four years, spanning continents, and sound like a particularly implausible film plot.

The first twist? Bobby (the fake one) came back to life. Kirat received an email out of the blue informing her that he was not only alive but in a witness protection programme.

'Ridiculous,' she acknowledges. 'But at every step, these mad happenings were being backed up by other people.'

She still would not have said she was close to Bobby, but reports reached her that he was drinking heavily, his second marriage was in trouble and he was suicidal.

In 2015, he would apparently suffer a brain tumour, followed by a stroke.

In the middle of all this, another cousin (also part of this fabricated cast) asked Kirat to speak directly to Bobby on the phone.

She became  and again, she says it seemed perfectly sane because this madness was being corroborated  a confidante, muse, almost a remote nurse. Little be little, she was being reeled in.

'Bobby' declared his love for her some weeks before they actually 'got together'. This happened on Valentine's Day 2015.

'I was not expecting him to live. His consultant [yes there were also constant messages from his fake medical team, which Kirat accepted at face value] did not expect him to live beyond July.'

Her feelings about this 'dying man' were confused. 'I am not a mushy sort of person. When he said 'I love you', I didn't know what to make of it, but I did love him . . . as a friend, then.

'I also thought 'Where's the harm?' It's not as if I was ever going to be in a physical relationship with this person. But he kept putting the idea in my head. And everyone else kept saying: 'Oh, he's so in love with you'.'

Flowers arrived at her house  from fake Bobby. 'It was a case of 'he may have had a stroke, but even so, he has been thinking of me'. He bought me a pendant and earrings. I'd never had that much attention shown to me.'

Kirat feels like a fool now, but insists: 'I am not a stupid person.'

As she documents this insanity, you get sucked in. I start to forget myself that the Bobby we are discussing is not real. Because the emotional connection was real.

Their relationship turned sexual. She will not share the details, but points out that she never sent him pictures of herself naked.

It seems that the fake Bobby instigated the acts, and Kirat confesses she felt 'intimidated' by his greater sexual experience. She finds this part repellent, now.

Much of their relationship in the early days was via online messaging forums, but they did also talk in person. How? Surely, if Bobby was actually her cousin Simran, she would have been able to tell she was talking to a woman?

'No, because he'd lost his voice after his stroke. He was having speech therapy. At one point someone else was with me and heard his voice and laughed at how squeaky it was. Then his consultant got in touch to say Bobby was hurt. I ended up apologising.'

There are thousands of text messages, recorded calls and emails which document all these exchanges. It seems creepy now.

During 2014 and 2015, Kirat and (fake) Bobby built a life together. 'Bobby' said he did not know if he could have children, but he encouraged her to take folic acid, in preparation. Cruel.

'Simran knew how much I wanted children. She took details she knew from my life and used them.'

Fast forward to 2017, and there had been more soap opera-level lurches. 'Bobby' was becoming controlling. He had forced Kirat to pay for a private mammogram at a London hospital, when she complained of chest pains, then flew into a rage when she told him the consultant had been male.

She was working in events management by now, but had been signed off her job sick, with stress. She eventually lost her job. 'I tried to find another one, but Bobby did not want me to work.'

Kirat was desperate to meet Bobby in person, but every time an arrangement was made, something would happen.

Once he said he'd had a heart attack while on the phone to her.

Things started derailing quickly, but when Kirat pressed him too hard on anything, he would threaten to commit suicide.

Those around him  including the (fake) consultant who was treating him, who contacted Kirat, too  would tell her she was vital to his recovery.

Then she found a photo online of him (not looking remotely hospital-bound) with another woman. This was a picture of the real Bobby, who  all the while  had been living in blissful ignorance of the sinister exploitation of his identity.

Had the deception been blown open? No. Fake Bobby confessed to an affair (another ruse, but a successful diversion) and Kirat was left so devastated that she was in no state to question this. She even contemplated suicide.

'I used to go for drives. Driving calms you down, takes your hands off the phone,' she says.

'I stopped on a bridge over a motorway and got out of the car just stood looking down, thinking: 'What if I fell right now?' '

By 2018, Bobby was seemingly well enough to come to London from his home in New York.

They agreed to meet, but he kept stalling. Then he told her he was staying at a hotel in London and she turned up to find that he wasn't there.

The final unravelling came because, in desperation, Kirat had consulted a private investigator.

She doesn't seem to know what she was investigating (it certainly wasn't 'Does Bobby exist?'), but she acquired an address for him, in Brighton, and, one Saturday in June of that year, simply drove there.

'It was the first thing that I hadn't told Simran about,' she says. Of course, she was now back in the real world. The address she had was for the real Bobby. Showdown time.

When Bobby  the real one, completely clueless about the whole crazy thing  came out of the front door, looking at her as if she was a stranger, she was stunned.

'I said 'Hi, it's me' and he looked at me, confused. He said: 'I don't know who you are.' At one point I mentioned his brother, and he said: 'Oh, you must have me confused with my brother.' I kept saying: 'No, no.'

'I showed him pictures on my phone. The confusion continued, because of course the pictures Kirat had were of the real Bobby, appropriated by Simran to create his fake online profile.

Then a woman appeared. His supposedly ex-wife, with his son. 'I was dumbstruck. Obviously this was evidence that he had been unfaithful again. I'd caught him red-handed.'

By now things were getting hysterical. The real Bobby (who genuinely had no idea what Kirat was talking about) was threatening to call the police.

Her mind was a blur. Was Bobby under duress?

Was his former wife involved? Kirat called her trusted cousin and kept her on the line, so she could hear the entire conversation.

At one point she let Simran speak to the real Bobby, the man she had been impersonating for so long.

'She told me to just go home, but I was reeling. I remember just dropping the phone and going and sitting on a nearby grass verge,' Kirat says.

Suddenly, she was aware that she had been the victim of a huge deception. But by whom? And for what reason?

Back home, still her ever-faithful cousin Simran was there, holding her hand. 'We went for a drive. I asked her to drive because I wasn't in a fit state,' Kirat says.

'I was concerned for her, saying that she had been duped as well  everyone had.'

On the Monday after Kirat's traumatic trip to Brighton, Simran said she would come and work at home with her.

Kirat saw her cousin sitting outside in the car, with her brother, 'having an argument'.

Then they came in and Simran said she had something to tell her. 'She said: 'It was all me.' Those haunting words.'

Kirat can barely tell this story, so upset is she even now.

'I'm having a meltdown just thinking about it. I didn't know what she meant. Then I didn't believe her. I fell back.

'I remember knowing my friend [a real-life friend] was across the road and I was screaming for her: 'Come now. I need you now!' Then she was holding me, and I was sick.

'Simran just shrugged. She said: 'I was in a dark place. I've ruined my life, too.' But she never said sorry. I remember telling her: 'You could have stopped this at any time. Ten years! You could have stopped it  you sicko!' Then I passed out.'

It must have been a very distraught Kirat who went to the police in London, and she was devastated at what happened next.

'The officer behind the desk took aside the relative who had gone with me and said: 'Are you sure she's OK in the head?' I had a meltdown. They didn't see me as the victim.

'At first they said the victim was the person who had been impersonated. A lot of this has been about me going 'Help me!'

Legally, this is tricky. Kirat was clearly a victim, but of what crime, if any?

It does not seem to have been a ruse designed with the intention of extorting money (although Kirat claims to have lost 'hundreds of thousands of pounds', mostly from lost earnings).

Legal experts involved with the Tortoise investigation believe that existing laws covering 'coercive and controlling' relationships should be adequate to bring a prosecution (even though the coercive control was being exerted by a person who wasn't real).

But while Brighton police did investigate Kirat's initial complaint, the case was later transferred to her home borough of Hounslow.

The authorities there decided to take no further action, and Simran has never been interviewed.

Last year, Kirat brought a civil action against Simran, who still lives with her parents and works in financial services.

It was settled out of court. Some of the details are not public, but we can report that the settlement included an 'apology letter' from Simran.

In a statement issued via her lawyers, she said: 'This matter concerns a family dispute over events that began more than a decade ago, when I was a schoolgirl.

'I no longer have any of the communications between myself and Ms Assi, and have not had any contact with her for a number of years.'

Kirat has much to lose by speaking out. There are members of her wider family who think the matter should just be 'swept under the carpet', but she argues that the authorities need to take catfishing more seriously and hopes that by talking about her experience, she will raise awareness of the dangers.

One leading barrister, Dr Charlotte Proudman, cites Kirat's story as evidence that catfishing should be a standalone crime.

As Kirat says: 'If this has happened to me, on this scale, it can happen to anyone. No one is taking it seriously, which is wrong.

'We live our lives online now  banking, shopping . . . everything  and we have to be safe. I was not safe. This is dangerous.'

Kirat's lawyer Yair Cohen, who specialises in social media and the internet, says she has been 'let down by the criminal justice system, which for some time now, has been too ill-equipped and too poorly trained to handle extreme cases of anti-social behaviour crimes that are occurring online'.

He says the Goverment needs to 'start developing a modern, up-to-date online policing strategy that will finally reflect the needs of online abuse victims.'

Tortoise Media's six-part podcast, Sweet Bobby, is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.
Prince Charles will fly to Rome today to warn leaders at the G20 summit that the time for talking about the climate crisis is over and action is needed now.

He has received an unprecedented invitation to speak at the international forum from the president of Italy in recognition of his lifetime of work to protect the environment.

And in a highly significant plea ahead of the Cop26 summit, the Daily Mail can reveal he will tell participants  including President Joe Biden of the US and, via video-link, president Vladimir Putin of Russia and president Xi Jinping of China  that while he feels positive after devoting the last five decades of his life to the cause, immediate action is now crucial.

Prince Charles will fly to Rome today to warn leaders at the G20 summit that the time for talking about the climate crisis is over and action is needed now

And in a highly significant plea ahead of the Cop26 summit, the Daily Mail can reveal he will tell participants immediate action is now crucial

Never before has a member of any royal family been invited to speak to world leaders on such a prominent stage and the invitation is being seen as a great honour.

Charles, 72, will say: We must, now, translate fine words into still finer action.

His words echo those of his mother who two weeks ago criticised world leaders inaction on addressing the climate change crisis at a reception following the opening of the Welsh parliament.

The Queen was overheard saying: Ive been hearing all about Cop... still dont know who is coming. No idea. Its really irritating when they talk but they dont do.

The Mail understands that both Charles and the Duke of Cambridge want to do the Queen proud and lead from the front in Glasgow next week.

The 95-year-old monarchs reluctant decision not to attend for health reasons has been a huge blow to the Royal Family, as well as the British Government.

Instead, she will be filming a special video message at Windsor Castle this weekend to be played to delegates on Monday night.

She has also made clear that she wants the summit to be a success and see meaningful action emerge as a result of it.

And the Royal Family will be rolling out the big guns  with Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attending.

And informed royal sources said their shared determination to tackle the climate crisis has brought the father and son closer than ever.

Their passion for environmental issues [has] given them a new shared sense of purpose, a royal source revealed.

And they are determined to seize the unrivalled opportunities for consensus provided by Cop26 and make the Queen proud.

The 95-year-old monarchs reluctant decision not to attend for health reasons has been a huge blow to the Royal Family, as well as the British Government

Prince William, 39, hasnt always had the easiest of relationships with his workaholic father, spending much of his 20s and 30s at loggerheads with him.

But the pair have recently realised that they have more in common than they thought, especially after Williams first Earthshot Prize this month.

The awards find and support solutions to the greatest environment challenges facing the world.

And one insider said: The dukes Earthshot awards, his growing admiration for his fathers clear-sighted thinking on this issue for more than half a century and the long run-up to Cop26 has been quite seismic for them.

The Prince of Wales is very proud of what his son has achieved and William, at long last, gets his father a lot better.

On Monday, Charles and William, along with Kate, are due to co-host a joint reception for two of their personal environmental projects  the Earthshot Prize and the Sustainable Markets Initiative.

Never before has a member of any royal family been invited to speak to world leaders on such a prominent stage and the invitation is being seen as a great honour

The latter brings together business leaders to identify solutions that will help the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Along with Camilla, they will also attend an evening reception to mark the opening day of Cop26, at which the Queens recorded message will be played.

Charles and William are also undertaking several separate engagements in Glasgow during the rest of the week.

Before that, however, the Prince of Wales will speak to G20 leaders in Rome.

His role is even being likened to that of King Edward VII, who in 1903 was credited with helping to push the Entente Cordiale peace treaty between Britain and France over the line.

Similarly, Prince Charles is being seen as a unifying figure between disparate countries and interests on an issue with far reaching effects for so many others.

The future king will today attend a reception and dinner hosted by president Sergio Mattarella at The Quirinale Palace, where he will also join leaders for an official photograph.

On Sunday, he will attend the G20 Summit at the La Nuvola conference centre to deliver his key note speech.

The Prince intends to discuss his many years of often visionary  but sometimes ridiculed  work highlighting the environmental crisis.

He gave his first speech on the perils of plastic at the age of just 19.

Charles will also discuss his shared ambitions around sustainability and advancements in the fashion industry.
An evil slaver has continued to brand her elderly victim a liar in a wicked attempt to spare her even longer behind bars.

Kumuthini Kannan was found guilty in April of holding the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, captive as a slave for eight years inside their Glen Waverley home, east of Melbourne.

She was sentenced in July over the 'repugnant crime' to eight years behind bars, with a non-parole period of just four years.

The callous slaver now faces up to 25 years imprisonment over claims she attempted to pervert the course of justice in that trial by intimidating her victim to drop the case.

Kumuthini Kannan during her last day of freedom in July. She had remained a remorseless slaver up until sentence

Kumuthini Kannan was found guilty of being a slave driver. She would slash her servant with a knife if she was not satisfied with her work, a jury heard

Kandasamy Kannan had enjoyed months of additional freedom even after being found guilty. He had used his children repeatedly to obtain release. He remains behind bars

Kumuthini appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday from prison where she live-streamed into a link with her former captive.

The elderly woman had not been required to give her evidence in-person during the previous trial.

The court heard her cruel jailer allegedly made two calls to her while free on bail last year in a brazen attempt to avoid justice.

Identifying herself as 'the interpreter', police claim Kumuthini told the woman she worked within the court and would be watching her every move.

In one call, police allege Kumuthini told the 67-year old, who was living in an aged care facility, that police and lawyers were not to be trusted.

'You may think you will leave here with money, but you won't. You will never see your daughter. These people will not do anything for you,' the woman was told.

'If you listen to police, you will never leave Australia. You will stay here until you die.'

Police allege Kumuthini told her former slave her evidence was incorrect and tried to persuade her to remain silent about her years of torment.

During her Supreme Court of Victoria trial, which dragged on for weeks, the court heard Kannan had been the mastermind behind the evil plot to keep the woman as a slave.

Her husband Kandasamy was jailed for six years for his part in the shocking crime.

The couple were found guilty of intentionally possessing and using the woman as a slave between July 2007 and July 2015.

Their identities had been hidden for years after they successfully argued for a court-imposed gag order.

They had wanted to protect their young children from the shame of being the spawn of devilish slavers.

Kumuthini had been painted as the cruel slave keeper, who dominated over her pathetic husband and their slave.

Police believed Kumuthini Kannan (pictured) had held her captive like 'Harry Potter'

Kumuthini Kannan had been accused of throwing things when unhappy with her slave

Kumuthini Kannan and her husband Kandasamy will leave their children orphans after being found guilty of slavery

On Friday, the court heard she spoke to her victim on the phone for more than an hour on one occasion.

CCTV footage captured from a shopping centre where police traced the phone call back to captured images of a woman they claim beared 'a striking resemblance to the accused'.

The woman, who claimed she had been tortured by Kumuthini while in captivity, said she did not know how to hang up the phone.

'I was screaming,' she later told police. 'I was overwhelmed.'

Kumuthini allegedly told the woman she was doomed to fail should she enter the witness box to testify against her.

'None of your evidence is good. It's not going to work ... If you go to court you will not give any evidence,' she allegedly said.

The court heard Kumuthini told the woman she would never return to her homeland in India should she proceed with the trial.

Speaking through an interpreter, the woman said only her former captor would say the vile things the person on the other end of the phone said about her family in India.

'It was Kumuthini,' she said time and time again.

Inside the bGlen Waverley house where Kandasamy and Kumuthini Kannan enslaved a woman

The elderly victim claimed she was unable to leave the home unless it was with one of her slavers

The woman was found close to death in a pool of her own urine inside the Glen Waverley home

The slave had been the couple's 'dirty secret' - a vulnerable one they exploited.

She had only been discovered after she collapsed inside the couple's home in 2015 in a pool of her own urine and weighing just 40kg.

Kumuthini - who was previously branded a compulsive liar - had left her on the bathroom floor to take her children to a concert before finally calling triple zero on her return.

Doctors described her victim as 'fading away'.

Traumatised and with serious medical conditions, she spent more than two months in hospital recovering - and for much of that time nobody knew her real identity due to a 'litany of lies' told by the couple.

The jury heard Kumunthini had beaten her slave with a frozen chicken, tossed boiling water on her legs, splashed hot tea in her face and poured curries over her head.

The couple had been accused of working their slave near to death and allowed her just an hour of sleep for years at a time.

Kumunthini Kannan pleaded not guilty to her latest charges on Friday and will now face a County Court of Victoria trial.
Endangered California condors can have 'virgin births', according to a new study released Thursday that confirmed two male chicks hatched in 2001 and 2009 from unfertilized eggs.

The chicks, dubbed SB260 and SB517, had DNA that was 100 percent of their mothers, which means the two adult condors fertilized the eggs themselves.

The phenomenon is known as parthenogenesis, but researchers were unaware that the chicks were born through asexual reproduction until they died due to health complications - one passed away in 2003 at age two and the other in 2017 at eight.

However, 'the team plans on continuing future genotyping efforts in the hopes of identifying other parthenogenetic cases,' the San Diego Zoo shared in a press release.

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Endangered California condors can have 'virgin births', according to a new study that confirmed two male chicks hatched in 2001 and 2009 from unfertilized eggs

Oliver Ryder, the study's co-author and director of conservation genetics for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said in a statement: 'These findings now raise questions about whether this might occur undetected in other species.'

California condors are the largest land animal in North America, with a 9.5-foot wingspan and weighing up to 31 pounds.

The bird once flourished across the US from California to Florida and even in Western Canada and Northern Mexico.

However, these massive creatures have been on the decline from when European settlers first spread across North America, National Geographic reports.

The chicks, dubbed SB260 and SB517, had DNA that was 100 percent of their mothers, which means the two adult condors fertilized the eggs themselves. Pictured is inside one of the eggs

What is parthenogenesis? Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by sperm. In animals, parthenogenesis means development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell. The process has been observed in honey bees, ants and birds. In plants parthenogenesis is a component process of apomixis. Advertisement

And they have been on the US endangered species list since 1967 and were on the brink of extinction shortly after.

Breeding programs, like the one at the San Diego Zoo, have since been working to revive the population.

The team at the California zoo welcome the chicks with open arms, but did not realize the pair were produced through a virgin birth because the others had produced multiple offspring with mates one had 11 chicks, while the other was paired with a male for over 20 years and had 23 chicks.

This is truly an amazing discovery,' said Ryder.

'We were not exactly looking for evidence of parthenogenesis, it just hit us in the face.

'We only confirmed it because of the normal genetic studies we do to prove parentage.

'Our results showed that both eggs possessed the expected male ZZ sex chromosomes, but all markers were only inherited from their dams, verifying our findings.'

Both chicks experienced health issues that led to their deaths.

SB260, born 2001, died two years later after being released into the wild.

California condors are the largest land animal in North America, with a 9.5-foot wingspan and weighing up to 31 pounds A California condor takes flight in the Ventana Wilderness east of Big Sur

Researches note the chick was smaller than the average and had difficulty mixing in with the wild condors.

SB517, born in 2009 and died in 2017, had a curved spine and trouble walking, but was never released into the wild.

The researchers cannot say if the health issues are due to how the chicks were born, but such issues have been found among other animals that have virgin births.
A zoo has become the first in the UK to turn animal excrement into renewable energy - and is burning 'briquettes' of dung to power a new exhibit.

Marwell Zoo will use 600 tonnes of animal poo to power its new tropical house as part of the eco-friendly new scheme.

Dung from endangered species such as Grevy's zebra, Scimitar Horned oryx and the Somali wild ass will generate heat using biomass technology.

It is all part of plans for the zoo near Winchester to become carbon neutral in 2022.

Marwell Zoo will use 600 tonnes of animal poo to power its new tropical house as part of the eco-friendly new scheme

Turning animal excrement into renewable energy Zookeepers sweep up the dung in the animals' paddocks and enclosures every morning before the mixture of manure and bedding is shredded, mixed, dried and pressed into 'briquettes', which are used as fuel to be fed into a biomass boiler. The boiler produces hot water, which is fed into a 15,000-litre thermal store, before flowing underground to heat the zoo's latest exhibit, its 'Energy for Life: Tropical House'. Advertisement

The 'world-first' Energy for Life initiative will save 220 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year - with one tonne of CO2 equalling a passenger's return flight from Paris to New York.

Zookeepers sweep up the dung in the animals' paddocks and enclosures every morning before the mixture of manure and bedding is shredded, mixed, dried and pressed into 'briquettes', which are used as fuel to be fed into a biomass boiler.

The boiler produces hot water, which is fed into a 15,000-litre thermal store, before flowing underground to heat the zoo's latest exhibit, its 'Energy for Life: Tropical House'.

The new exhibit will combine tropical animals like a Linne's two-toed sloth, free-flying tropical birds and crocodile monitor lizards with educational exhibits on energy flow, climate change and powering modern lifestyles.

The next phase of the biomass system is to provide heat to other buildings across the zoo and will benefit animals such as the zebra-like okapi and a variety of apes and monkeys in the 'Life Among the Trees' exhibit.

The renewable energy could also be used to power the Grade 1 Listed Marwell Hall.

Zookeepers sweep up the dung in the animals' paddocks and enclosures every morning (pictured)

Dr Duncan East, Head of Sustainability, said: 'Using heat in this way from our own animals is unique in the UK and as far as we know across the world.

'The urgent need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels and leave these high carbon sources in the ground means we can't act soon enough to replace the oil-fired heating systems in these buildings.

'Previously 600 tonnes of animal waste was taken off-site to be composted, and this came with a significant carbon transport cost.

The mixture of manure and bedding is shredded, mixed, dried and pressed into 'briquettes', which are used as fuel to be fed into a biomass boiler

The zoo will burn 'briquettes' of dung to power a new exhibit combining tropical animals like a Linne's two-toed sloth, free-flying tropical birds and crocodile monitor lizards with educational exhibits on energy flow, climate change and powering modern lifestyles

'We came up with the idea of biomass heat generation to reduce our carbon footprint and turn a previous waste stream into a valuable resource, achieving cost savings in the process.'

The zoo, which 'champions' renewable schemes in the local community, has reduced its carbon output by 77 per cent since 2008.

Dr East added: 'Replacing oil fired heating system with heat generated from waste from our own animals will hugely reduce our carbon footprint, and what better way than to make use of a material which is in abundant and continuous supply.'
Dogs are able to pick up on individual words in sentences spoken to them using similar computations and brain regions as human babies, a study has found.

When we are infants, we learn to spot new words in a stream of speech first, before we actually learn what each individual word means.

To tell where each word ends and another begins, babies use complex calculations that keep track of which syllables appear together  and thus likely form words.

By using a combination of brain imaging techniques, experts led from Hungary's Eotvos Lorand University have shown that dogs are capable of similar feats.

This is the first time that the capacity to apply so-called statistical learning has been shown to be demonstrated in a non-human mammal.

The findings come in the same week that a study revealed that dogs tilt their heads when listening because it helps them to hear and process information more easily.

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Dogs are able to pick up on individual words in sentences spoken to them using similar computations and brain regions as human babies, a study has found

HOW AN EEG WORKS An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a recording of brain activity which was originally developed for clinical use. During the test, small sensors are attached to the scalp to pick up the electrical signals produced when brain cells send messages to each other. In the medical field, EEGs are typically carried out by a highly trained specialist known as a clinical neurophysiologist. These signals are recorded by a machine and are analysed by a medical professional to determine whether they're unusual. An EEG can be used to help diagnose and monitor a number of conditions that affect the brain. It may help identify the cause of certain symptoms, such as seizures or memory problems. More recently, technology companies have used the technique to create brain-computer interfaces, sometimes referred to as 'mind-reading' devices. This has led to the creation and design of a number of futuristic sounding gadgets. These have ranged from a machine that can decipher words from brainwaves without them being spoken to a headband design that would let computer users open apps using the power of thought. Advertisement

'Keeping track of patterns is not unique to humans  many animals learn from such regularities in the surrounding world, this is called statistical learning,' explains paper author and ethologist Marianna Boros of the Eotvos Lorand University.

'What makes speech special is that its efficient processing requires complex computations. To learn new words from continuous speech, it is not enough to count how often certain syllables occur together.

'It is much more efficient to calculate how probably those syllables occur together.

'This is exactly how humans, even 8-month-old infants, solve the seemingly difficult task of word segmentation  they calculate complex statistics about the probability of one syllable following the other.

'Until now we did not know if any other mammal can also use such complex computations to extract words from speech. We decided to test family dogs' brain capacities for statistical learning from speech.

'Dogs are the earliest domesticated animal species and probably the one we speak most often to. Still, we know very little about the neural processes underlying their word learning capacities.'

In the study, the researchers measured dogs' electric brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG).

The scans revealed key differences in dogs' brain waves for frequent and rare words.

Lilla Magyari, an author of the study, explained: 'We saw differences in dogs' brain waves for frequent compared to rare words.

'But even more surprisingly, we also saw brain wave differences for syllables that always occurred together compared to syllables that only occasionally did, even if total frequencies were the same.

'So it turns out that dogs keep track not only of simple statistics (the number of times a word occurs) but also of complex statistics (the probability that a word's syllables occur together).

'This has never been seen in other non-human mammals before. It is exactly the kind of complex statistics human infants use to extract words from continuous speech.'

Next, the researchers used functional MRI scanning to explore how similar the brain regions responsible for this complex computational capacity in dogs are to those in the human brain.

In the study, the researchers measured dogs' electric brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG)

As with the EEG scans, the tests were performed on awake, cooperating, unrestrained animals, although the dogs involved in the fMRI experiments were previously trained to lie motionless for the duration of the scans.

'We know that, in humans, both general learning-related and language-related brain regions participate in this process. And we found the same duality in dogs,' explained Dr Boros.

'Both a generalist and a specialist brain region [the basal ganglia and auditory cortex, respectively] seemed to be involved in statistical learning from speech, but the activation patterns were different in the two.

The researchers used functional MRI scanning to explore how similar the brain regions responsible for this complex computational capacity in dogs are to those in the human brain

As with the EEG scans, the tests were performed on awake, cooperating, unrestrained animals, although the dogs involved in the fMRI experiments were previously trained to lie motionless for the duration if the scans

'The generalist brain region responded stronger to a random speech stream (where no words could be spotted using syllable statistics) than to a structured speech stream (where words were easy to spot just by computing syllable statistics).

'The specialist brain region showed a different pattern: here we saw brain activity increase over time for the structured but not for the random speech stream.

'We believe that this activity increase is the trace word learning leaves on the auditory cortex.'

When we are infants, we learn to spot new words in a stream of speech first, before we actually learn what each individual word in fact means. To tell where each word ends and another begins, babies use complex calculations that keep track of which syllables appear together  and thus likely form words

Overall, the findings suggest that the neural processes known to be key for human language acquisition may not be unique to humans after all, according to the researchers.

Attila Andics, an author of the study, added: 'But we still don't know how these human-analogue brain mechanisms for word learning emerged in dogs.

'Do they reflect skills that developed by living in a language-rich environment, or during the thousands of years of domestication, or do they represent an ancient mammalian capacity?

'By studying speech processing in dogs, even better dog breeds with different communication abilities and other species living close to humans, we can trace back the origins of human specializations for speech perception.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Current Biology.
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The effigy of the Black Prince in Canterbury Cathedral wasnt ordered by his son Richard II until as much as a decade after his death in 1376, a study claims.

The Black Prince, who lived between 1330 and 1376, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne.

But he died before his father, at the age of 45, so the prince's son, Richard II, succeeded to the English throne instead, in 1377.

The Black Prince  officially Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales  left his mark on history as one of the greatest knights of his age.

It was previously thought his tomb and effigy, which can be seen in Trinity Chapel at Canterbury Cathedral, had been made shortly after his death, because the design of the tomb closely follows the instructions in his will.

But following a new analysis of the the effigy  involving the insertion of tiny camera for the first time  researchers now claim it wasn't made up to 10 years after the Black Prince's death, possibly as part of a pair.

The Black Prince, who lived between 1330 and 1376, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. Pictured is his tomb and effigy in Canterbury Cathedral. Researchers claim the

It was previously thought his tomb and effigy had been made shortly after his death, because the design of the tomb closely follows the instructions in his will, but this new research challenges this

The results suggest the figure is one of a pair because of the striking similarities with the effigy of Edward III  the Black Prince's father, who died a year after his son  at Westminster Abbey.

The team believe the Black Princes son, Richard II, commissioned both the effigies of his father and grandfather at the same time.

This is based on the fact the sole surviving document concerning the making of Edward's III's resting place, dated 1386, reveals that materials for the tomb chest were being sourced almost a decade after his death.

The new study was led by Dr Jessica Barker, a senior lecturer in Medieval Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art and published in the latest edition of The Burlington Magazine.

Today, the Black Prince effigy (pictured here inside Canterbury Cathedral) is one of only six large-scale cast metal sculptures to survive from medieval England

Close-up of exquisite enamels on the effigy of the Black Prince. The Black Prince  officially Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales  left his mark on history as one of the greatest knights of his age

'We have tended to assume that the tomb and effigy were made shortly after the Black Prince died, on the instructions in his will,' she said.

'It now seems very likely that the Black Princes son, Richard II, ordered the tomb and effigy and we are able to re-date the work to a decade after the Black Princes death.

'It is very likely that Richard II was seeking to promote the enduring and immutable character of the Crown through the making of precious metal effigies of his father and grandfather, similar to those he would later order for himself and his wife, Queen Anne of Bohemia.'

WHO WAS THE BLACK PRINCE? In this historical tableau of 1390, Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) is granted Aquitaine by his father King Edward III Edward of Woodstock (1330 to 1376), described throughout history as the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He was the heir apparent to the English throne, but he died before his father, at the age of 45, so the prince's son, Richard II, succeeded to the English throne instead, in 1377. The Black Prince is thought to take his nickname either from his black armour or his brutal reputation  he is thought to have led a massacre of more than 3,000 soldiers at the Siege of Limoges in France in 1370. He is mentioned in Shakespeare's plays Richard II and Henry V. His key role in the Hundred Years' War, among other events, has defined him as a contentious yet major historical figure of the Middle Ages. The Black Prince is still vilified in some quarters in France to this day, as he ordered the massacre of 3,000 innocent people in the French town of Limoges during the Hundred Years War, according to a French chronicler. His reputation was tarnished by the account of a French chronicler who said he ordered the massacre of 3,000 innocent people in the French town of Limoges during the Hundred Years War  although this has recently been contested. On the Black Prince's deathbed, the day before he died aged 45 of dysentery, he set down extraordinarily detailed directions for his tomb, asking to be shown 'fully armed' as if for war. He demanded that his tomb was placed where everyone could see so that they would be moved to pray for 'his rotting corpse'. Advertisement

For the study, the team of researchers used the latest scientific techniques and medical imaging technology to discover how the effigy was made.

The researchers conducted two studies using non-destructive methods. First, they used a handheld device that emits high-energy beams (known as a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer) to analyse the metal composition of the gilt effigy that lies on top of the tomb.

Next, they inserted a videoprobe (a long tube with a light and camera, more commonly used in medical procedures) inside the hollow figure through small existing openings. This provided the first glimpse inside this sculpture for more than 600 years.

Researchers inserted a videoprobe (a long tube with a light and camera, more commonly used in medical procedures) inside the hollow effigy through small existing openings. Pictured, an unmarked endoscopy image of the interior

'It was thrilling to be able to see the inside of the sculpture with the endoscope  we found bolts and pins holding the figure together which show it put together like puzzle pieces, revealing evidence of the stages of its making which no one had seen since the 1380s,' said study co-author Emily Pegues, a PhD student at the Courtauld.

The analysis also showed the effigy is one of the most sophisticated castings from the Middle Ages, 'cleverly constructed' with the collaboration of an armourer, who both ensured the armour's accurate detail, and helped to disguise the ways the effigy's pieces were assembled.

'There is something deeply affecting about the way his armour is depicted on the tomb,' Dr Barker said. 'This isn't just any armour  it is his armour, the same armour that hangs empty above the tomb, replicated with complete fidelity even down to tiny details like the position of rivets.

'Until now though, a lack of documents about the Black Prince's tomb and effigy has limited our understanding of their construction, chronology and patronage so our scientific study of them offers a long-overdue opportunity to reassess the effigy as one of the country's most precious medieval sculptures.

'By using the latest scientific technology and closely examining the effigy, we have discovered so much more about how it was cast, assembled and finished.'

Close-up of the gauntlets on the effigy. The team of researchers used the latest scientific techniques and medical imaging technology to discover how the effigy was made

The analysis also reveals that the effigy was made by a team that unusually included an armourer and was based in part on the Black Prince's own battle armour, which famously hangs above the tomb

The analysis also reveals that the effigy was made by a team that unusually included an armourer and was based in part on the Black Prince's own battle armour, which famously hangs above the tomb.

'Although the names of the artists are lost to history, by looking very closely at how the sculpture was made, we have reconstructed the artistic processes, background and training of the artists, and even the order in which the sculpture's many pieces were assembled,' said Pegues.

'This is a completely unique and innovative figure, and shows, contrary to widespread popular belief, how extremely technologically sophisticated the medieval period was.'

The new study has been published in the latest edition of The Burlington Magazine.
Scientists have created a mysterious phase of water  called 'superionic ice'  by beaming X-rays through a diamond in the lab.

Extreme conditions are necessary to produce superionic ice, sometimes referred to as 'hot ice', which adds to the other well-known phases of water  solid ice, liquid water and vapour gas.

Superionic ice is a special crystalline form, half solid, half liquid  and it's electrically conductive.

It's formed at extremely high temperatures and pressures at the centre of planets like Neptune and Uranus in the outer solar system.

Knowing more about the different phases of H2O  of which there are several  could help find life on other planets, the scientists believe.

Scientists used diamonds and a beam of brilliant X-rays to recreate the conditions deep inside planets, and created a phase of water called 'superionic ice', at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). They squeezed their ice samples between two pieces of diamond - the hardest substance on Earth - to simulate the intense pressures, and then shot lasers through the diamonds to heat the sample up (apparatus at APS is pictured)

WHAT IS SUPERIONIC ICE? Superionic ice, also called superionic water, is a phase of water that exists at extremely high temperatures and pressures. Superionic ice is a special crystalline form, half solid, half liquid - and it's electrically conductive. It is simultaneously a solid and a liquid because it is composed of oxygen atoms in a solid crystalline lattice and liquid-like hydrogen. Advertisement

The successful experiments to create superionic ice were conducted at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), the US government's high-energy X-ray light source facility in Lemont, Illinois.

It had been thought superionic ice would not appear until the water was compressed to more than 50 gigapascals of pressure  about the same as the conditions inside rocket fuel as it detonates for liftoff  but these experiments were only at 20 gigapascals.

'It was a surprise  everyone thought this phase wouldn't appear until you are at much higher pressures than where we first find it,' said study co-author Vitali Prakapenka, a University of Chicago professor and beamline scientist at APS.

'But we were able to very accurately map the properties of this new ice, which constitutes a new phase of matter, thanks to several powerful tools.'

The solid form of water (H2O) actually comes in more than a dozen different structures, depending on the conditions of pressure and temperature in the environment.

'Superionic'  which shouldn't be confused with 'supersonic'  refers to water that has both solid and liquid properties, which happens when water is placed under extreme pressure and heat.

In superionic ice, the oxygen atoms are closely packed and locked in place, while protons can move through the lattice, similar to atoms and electrons in a metal.

The experiments were conducted at the Advanced Photon Source (APS, pictured), the US government's high-energy X-ray light source facility in Lemont, Illinois

Its existence has been predicted on the basis of various models and has already been observed under very extreme laboratory conditions.

First theorised in 1988, researchers in the US provided the first direct evidence for superionic ice in 2018.

However, superionic ice had only previously been glimpsed in a brief instant after the researchers sent a shockwave through a droplet of water.

Now, using APS, this team of scientists have found a way to reliably create, sustain and examine the ice.

APS is a massive accelerator that drives electrons to extremely high speeds close to the speed of light to generate brilliant beams of X-rays.

Prakapenka and colleagues squeezed their ice samples between two pieces of diamond  the hardest substance on Earth  to simulate the intense pressures, and then shot lasers through the diamonds to heat the sample up.

Finally, they sent a beam of X-rays through the sample, and pieced together the arrangement of the atoms inside based on how the X-rays scatter off the sample.

Superionic ice is a special crystalline form, half solid, half liquid. An artistic rendering is pictured

Looking at the structure of the ice, the team realised it had a new phase on its hands, and were able to precisely map its structure and properties.

'Imagine a cube, a lattice with oxygen atoms at the corners connected by hydrogen,' Prakapenka said. 

'When it transforms into this new superionic phase, the lattice expands, allowing the hydrogen atoms to migrate around while the oxygen atoms remain steady in their positions.

'It's kind of like a solid oxygen lattice sitting in an ocean of floating hydrogen atoms.'

This has consequences for how the ice behaves  it becomes less dense, but significantly darker because it interacts differently with light.

According to Prakapenka, the full range of the chemical and physical properties of superionic ice have yet to be explored.

Superionic ice is formed at extremely high temperatures and pressures at the centre of planets like Neptune and Uranus in the outer solar system. Pictured is a cutaway of Uranus

Mapping the exact conditions where different phases of ice occur is important for, among other things, understanding planet formation and even where to look for life on other planets.

Scientists think similar conditions exist at the interiors of Neptune and Uranus, and other cold, rocky planets in other solar systems  known as 'exoplanets'.

The properties of these ices play a role in a planet's magnetic fields, which have a huge impact on its ability to host life.

Earth's powerful magnetic fields protect us from harmful incoming radiation and cosmic rays, whereas the surfaces of barren planets Mars and Mercury are exposed.

Knowing the conditions that affect magnetic field formation can guide scientists as they search for alien life.

The new achievement has been published in the journal Nature Physics.
Solar activity could mean the Northern Lights will be seen from the UK on Saturday evening and even into Sunday to accompany Halloween, experts say.

The Sun emitted a 'significant' solar flare  a powerful burst of radiation  on Thursday, October 28, according to NASA.

Now, the Met Office says the flare and an accompanying coronal mass ejection (CME)  a massive expulsion of plasma from the Sun's corona (its outermost layer)  will be responsible for Saturday evening's display.

The Northern Lights are created by disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere caused by these events, usually concentrated around the Earth's magnetic poles.

The Northern Lights  also known as the aurora borealis  is predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic), so any glimpse in the UK is a rare treat for stargazers.

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The Sun emitted a significant solar flare peaking at 11:35am EDT on October 28. NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured this image of the event

SOLAR FLARES AND CMEs A solar flare is a tremendous explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in 'twisted' magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays. Solar flares are different to 'coronal mass ejections' (CMEs), which were once thought to be initiated by solar flares. CMEs are huge bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours. Advertisement

'Geomagnetic activity is expected to be quiet until Saturday afternoon [October 30],' the Met Office says on its website. 'Any aurora until then is unlikely.

'A significant Earth-directed CME is expected to arrive at Earth later on the 30th lasting into Sunday 31st, with an enhanced auroral oval highly likely.

'Sightings of aurora seem likely along the northern horizon (cloud permitting) across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England.

'There is a slight chance of aurora visible as far south as North Wales, Midlands and Norfolk if looking at the extreme northern horizon low down.'

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots (areas that appear dark on the Sun's surface).

Solar flares are different to CMEs, which were once thought to be initiated by solar flares. Both are types of solar storms.

NASA explains: 'We typically see a solar flare by the photons (or light) it releases, at most every wavelength of the spectrum.

'The primary ways we monitor flares are in x-rays and optical light. Flares are also sites where particles (electrons, protons, and heavier particles) are accelerated.

'Flares are our solar systems largest explosive events. They are seen as bright areas on the sun and they can last from minutes to hours.'

In the Earth's north, the Northern Lights is officially known as the aurora borealis and in the south it is called the aurora australis.

In the Southern Hemisphere, 'enhanced auroral oval [is] highly likely' over Antarctica, the Met Office adds.

'There is a slight chance of sightings in the extreme southern horizon (cloud permitting) for New Zealand, South Chile/Argentina and Tazmania,' it says.

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The Northern Lights has fascinated Earthlings for centuries, but the science behind it has not always been understood.

Earth has an invisible forcefield, the magnetosphere, that protects us from dangerous charged particles from the Sun.

The magnetosphere is the area around Earth controlled by the planet's magnetic field.

Science expert Marty Jopson explains: 'Whilst it shelters us, it also creates one of the most impressive phenomena on Earth  the Northern Lights.'

The Northern Lights seen over the Zapolyarnaya-2 mine of Vorkutaugol in the city of Vorkuta, northwestern Russia in April 2021

Pictured: photographer Jeanine Holowatuik posted this shot of the Northern Lights seen earlier in October 2021 over Saskatchewan, Canada

'When the deadly solar winds meet Earth's magnetosphere, some of the charged particles get trapped, and are propelled down the Earth's magnetic field lines straight towards the poles.

'And when they reach Earth, they strike atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of light.'

The problem is disruption to our magnetic field creates solar storms that can affect satellites in orbit, navigation systems, terrestrial power grids and data and communication networks.

'Harmful space weather has affected Earth before, but as we become increasingly reliant on systems and technologies vulnerable to the Sun's outbursts, future solar impacts could be even more disruptive,' says the European Space Agency (ESA).
The co-founders of a wine shop in London have put a remarkable prize up for grabs  their business.

Brodie Meah and Max Venning are co-founders of renowned Shop Cuvee, and are willing to hand over the keys to the customer that correctly guesses the code to either of the safes they've put in each of the brand's two stores.

The stunt  billed as a 'modern-day sword in the stone' - was dreamt up by Brodie in a bid to generate publicity around this year's stock of Beaujolais Nouveau wine. Shop Cuvee's samples for this year, which arrived four days ago, are inside the safes and are part of the prize.

Brodie Meah and Max Venning are co-founders of Shop Cuvee, and are willing to hand over the keys to the customer that correctly guesses the code to either of the safes they've put in each of the brand's two stores (the safe at the Bethnal Green outlet is above)

Shop Cuvee's Beaujolais Nouveau samples are in the safes. Retailers are forbidden from selling each year's batch before the third Thursday of November

There is a very strict embargo surrounding the selling of Beaujolais Nouveau, with retailers forbidden to sell each year's batch to customers before the third Thursday of November.

Brodie, 33, said the logic behind the stunt was that by letting a customer get their hands on Beaujolais Nouveau early would mean they're no longer fit to run their business.

And so it would only be right to give it all up.

But are the pair being serious? Would they really hand over the keys?

Brodie told MailOnline Travel: 'We've done the maths. There's a one in ten million chance that someone's going to guess it. I'm a gambling man We would give up the business. I'm a man of my word. We're hoping that we don't have to. We're nervous. But we will.'

Brodie, 33, said the logic behind the stunt was that by letting a customer get their hands on Beaujolais Nouveau early would mean they're no longer fit to run their business. And so it would only be right to give it all up

And how have customers reacted?

Brodie said: 'For such a stupid idea, it's been pretty well received. But some of them think we're crazy.'

Beaujolais red wine comes from the Beaujolais region in France and is made from the Gamay grape.

'The Beaujolais Nouveau wines we're serving are delicious. So absolutely worth the wait,' said Brodie

Beaujolais Nouveau is the very first wine released from the newest vintage and is normally bursting with fruit.

Publicity around its release was first generated in the 1950s when producers 'raced' to get it to the shops in Paris. The fervour and anticipation has been ramped up over the decades and the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau is now a major calendar event for wine-lovers.

Its reputation taste-wise in past decades, however, was not great. Brodie said that it was seen as cheap plonk back in the 80s, for instance  'but there's been a renaissance'.

'The Beaujolais Nouveau wines we're serving are delicious. So absolutely worth the wait,' he said.

Max is also the co-founder of legendary London bar Three Sheets, currently ranked the world's 34th best bar.

Shop Cuvees Beaujolais Nouveau this year costs 19 a bottle. Its two stores, which also sell cocktails and craft beer, are at 177B Blackstock Road, N5, and 250A Bethnal Green Rd, E2.
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If youre in the market for a novel place to live  this fascinating property could be just the job.

Twenty-five Craven Street, a six-storey house in Westminster, London, is now available to rent for 19,500 a month  and its where Herman Melville was inspired to write Moby Dick.

The American novelist moved into the property in 1849, two years before he published Moby Dick. A blue plaque outside the Georgian townhouse commemorates the spell he spent in the building, which was a boarding house at the time.

Pictured is end-of-terrace 25 Craven Street in Westminster, which is now available to rent for 19,500 a month

A blue plaque (left) outside the Georgian townhouse commemorates Melville's residence in the building. Picture courtesy of Creative Commons. Herman Melville, pictured on the right, moved into the property two years before he published Moby Dick

Melville, who was born in New York, was already a successful writer before he lived in the UK. His first book, Typee, was published in early 1846, becoming an overnight bestseller in England.

Months before his move to London, his wife Lizzie gave birth to their first child, a son named Malcolm.

According to English Heritage, Melville travelled to London in the autumn to secure a publishing deal for his new novel White-Jacket and to gather material for another book - an account of the American revolutionary Israel Potter.

English Heritage says Melville only stayed at the Craven Street address for a few weeks, residing in the cheap lodgings in November and December.

Dexters estate agents, which is renting the property, says: It is believed that he thought up Moby Dick while living at Craven Street.

There are mentions in his diary of "turning flukes" [to go under a whale] down Oxford Street as though being chased by a great whale as well as descriptions of imaginary "blubber rooms" in the butcheries of Fleet Market.

English Heritage says Melville only stayed at the Craven Street address for a few weeks at the end of 1849

The six-storey townhouse was a boarding house in 1849. English Heritage notes that Melville stayed there in November and December of that year

Melville reportedly travelled to London to secure a publishing deal for his new novel White-Jacket and to gather material for another book

Dexters estate agents, who are renting the property, says: It is believed that he thought up Moby Dick while living at Craven Street'

'It was also in London that the author saw J M W Turner's whaling pictures for the first time, which provided visual inspiration for his new book.

English Heritage adds: Melville was an indefatigable partygoer and sightseer. In his diary, he recorded seeing the Lord Mayors Show, a public hanging, the British Museum, the National Gallery and London Zoo.

When he left London, he returned to America, and the following year, he purchased what would become known as the Herman Melville House in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

He lived in the farmhouse from 1850 until 1863, and it was while living there that the novels Moby Dick, Pierre, and The Confidence-Man were published.

The blue plaque was mounted outside Craven Street in Melvilles honour in 2005. He isnt the only famous figure to have resided on the street - the Charing Cross address also counts Benjamin Franklin among its past residents.

The home boasts panelled walls, period fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows', according to the estate agents

Prospective renters will enter the 4,400 square ft (409 m sq) property through a grand hallway, which leads to a reception room

Number 25 is a recently renovated building with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two kitchens

Melville isnt the only famous figure to have resided on Craven Street - the street also counts Benjamin Franklin among its past residents

According to the estate agent, the propertys winning feature is an immense square roof terrace that provides unobstructed views of the London Eye and the river

Dexters says of the property: 'This beautiful Georgian townhouse in Westminster has it all: heritage, character and incredible views of Londons landmarks.' Pictured on the right is a floor plan of 25 Craven Street, which is a Grade-II listed building

'Newly renovated with high ceilings and light on three aspects, it offers the perfect contemporary family home in one of Londons most exclusive locations,' Dexters adds

Number 25 is a recently renovated Grade II-listed building, with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two kitchens.

Prospective renters will enter the 4,400 square ft (409 m sq) property through a grand hallway, which leads to a reception room with panelled walls, period fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows'. The first-floor reception features a fireplace that dates back to 1792.

According to the estate agent, the propertys winning feature - aside from its literary history - is an immense square roof terrace that provides unobstructed views of the London Eye and the river.

Lazarus Demetriou, Director of Dexters Fitzrovia, says: This beautiful Georgian townhouse in Westminster has it all: heritage, character and incredible views of Londons landmarks.

'Newly renovated with high ceilings and light on three aspects, it offers the perfect contemporary family home in one of Londons most exclusive locations.

For more information visit dexters.co.uk.
He was dumped from Love Island Australia on Wednesday night after a shock double elimination alongside Ari Kumar.

And less than 24 hours after his eviction, Ronni Krongold was spotted arriving at Sydney Airport.

The 21-year-old personal trainer cut a casual figure dressed in a grey T-shirt which he teamed up with a pair of ripped denim shorts and white sneakers.

Homebound: He was dumped from Love Island Australia on Wednesday night, and less than 24 hours after his eviction, Ronni Krongold was spotted arriving at Sydney Airport

Ronnie was seen catching up on text messages and social media as he patiently waited for his luggage after spending 16 days in the villa.

The handsome reality star appeared in good spirits as he pushed his suitcase while making his way to an awaiting hire car.

The sighting comes just hours after Ronnie revealed some of the secrets behind life in the villa - including one thing that islanders are banned from doing once inside.

It's over! Ronni (left) was dumped from the villa after a shock double elimination alongside Ari Kumar (right)

Relaxed: The Sydney-based personal trainer cut a casual figure dressed in a grey T-shirt which he teamed up with a pair of ripped denim shorts and white sneakers

Catching up: Ronnie was seen catching up on text messages and social media as he patiently waited for his luggage, after spending 16 days in the villa

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ronnie confirmed: 'There's no smoking allowed, there's no vaping allowed.

Ronni admitted he regularly vaped prior to coming on the show, before adding: 'I'd see some of the producers with vapes.

'I'd go up [to them] when we were having lunch - when we eat lunch, we're not being filmed and they'd take our microphones off to change the batteries.

Homebound: The handsome reality star appeared in good spirits as he pushed his suitcase while making his way to an awaiting hire car

Fancy! The star rolled his fancy light blue luggage to an awaiting car

'During that time I'd go up and be like, "Please, can I have a puff? Please, I'm stressing!"'

He added that his request was swiftly denied.

While there has been a lot of steamy make-out sessions on this season of Love Island Australia, Ronni also claims that many raunchy scenes have been left out.

Speaking out: The sighting comes just hours after Ronnie revealed some of the secrets behind life in the villa - including one thing that islanders are banned from doing once inside

'There's a lot more stuff that went on inside that villa that just doesn't go on TV,' he said. 'It's not that anyone was having sex from day number one.

'But especially in the first week when there was no proper connections - everyone was kissing each other.

'Everyone was doing sexual movements on each other, like licking certain areas, [there were] challenges and games and lap dances and that sort of stuff.

Man with a plan: Tina Provis was left furious after Ronni (pictured) told her about his controversial plan to stay in the villa on Wednesday's episode

Faking it: After being asked what he was doing on the show after failing to form a connection with anyone, Ronni said he was going to make a play for Emily Ward (pictured)

'It was a very fun group to hang around with, I won't lie. What I liked a lot about it is that - especially when it came to the challenges in the first week - no one was getting upset when their partner was kissing anyone else.'

Ronni was voted out by the ladies on Wednesday's episode, hours after he ruffled feathers by telling Tina Provis his controversial plan to stay in the villa.

After being asked what he was doing on the show after failing to form a connection with anyone, Ronni said he was going to make a play for Emily Ward.

Love Island Australia continues Monday at 8:40pm on Channel Nine
Television journalist Abby Huntsman is opening up about the 'unhealthy' environment behind the scenes at The View which ultimately forced her to quit the show in 2020, in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV.

The 35-year-old former host got emotional recalling how executives at the show 'rewarded' staffers for behavior 'that should never have happened in a work environment' and made her 'feel threatened at times if I didn't do what they wanted.'

Abby took a short hiatus from the limelight to help her father Jon Huntsman Jr. with his gubernatorial campaign and she's now back with a new Dear Media podcast, I Wish Somebody Told Me, alongside friend and colleague Lauren Leeds.

Her side: Television journalist Abby Huntsman is opening up about the 'unhealthy' environment behind the scenes at The View which ultimately forced her to quit the show in 2020, in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV

When Huntsman first announced her departure from The View, she said it was to work as a senior advisor for her father, however, she is revealing now that that wasn't the whole story.

The mother of three was on the brink of tears as she recalled to DailyMailTV how executives at The View made working there so difficult at times that she felt 'threatened' and 'isolated.'

'I remember looking at my daughter, Isabel, and I thought to myself: One day, if she comes to me and says "I am in a situation that is unhealthy for me and I have to get out", I want to tell her that I did that too and that I will be there holding her hand,' Abby said, choking back tears.

'I did it for my own kids and I was so proud that I had the strength to walk away because they told me when I left, "You will never find anything better than this",' she continued.

Negative: The 35-year-old former host got emotional recalling how executives at the show 'rewarded' staffers for behavior 'that should never have happened in a work environment' and made her 'feel threatened at times if I didn't do what they wanted'

'I said, "I hope this is a big enough sign for you that things need to change around here because I care about these people,"' she recollected of the conversation.

When Abby tendered her resignation after two years because of the toxic workplace, instead of it being an 'aha moment' for ABC to improve the culture, they flippantly told her 'you're going to wake up tomorrow [and] tell us, you changed your mind.'

She didn't.

'I'm happy now,' Abby quipped and recalled at the time thinking: 'Why didn't I do this sooner? Who cares? It's trending on Twitter for 24 hours and then people move on.'

'I felt like I was living for the very first time in two years. It was the best decision I could have made,' she added with a smile.

After taking a much needed mental health break, Abby is now ready to dig into the trauma of her time at The View and she's painting a grim picture what it's really like.

'I remember looking at my daughter, Isabel, and I thought to myself: One day, if she comes to me and says "I am in a situation that is unhealthy for me and I have to get out", I want to tell her that I did that too and that I will be there holding her hand,' Abby said, choking back tears. (Abby pictured with her three children L-R: Ruby, Will and Isabel)

'When it came down to it, it wasn't an environment that I was ultimately proud of and it didn't match my priorities in my life,' Abby said, speaking on Zoom from her home. 'If I'm going to leave my children and go do something, I want to make it worth it.'

Despite initially being thrilled at scoring the dream role as co-host, Abby quickly realized the dark side of working on the show which, surprisingly, had little to do with the fiery showdowns between the hosts on air and stemmed more from the executives.

'When the execs hired me, I said, "I am not coming in to be a talking head for any organization, any political party, I'm coming in as Abby",' she explained. 'But very quickly you realize that's not how it goes there.'

'I learned very quickly getting there that no one was going to pick me up if I fell,' Abby continued. 'So when there was stuff being gossiped about [and] it was leaked from within - and you knew that - you feel isolated, you feel alone and you don't feel like there's anyone there to help you out.'

'I learned very quickly getting there that no one was going to pick me up if I fell,' Abby continued. 'So when there was stuff being gossiped about [and] it was leaked from within - and you knew that - you feel isolated, you feel alone and you don't feel like there's anyone there to help you out.'

Abby's podcast co-host, Lauren, chimed in to add that if the show had stayed true to itself from what it was supposed to be back when it premiered, it would have been an ideal place for Huntsman. However, between the cattiness in the show and producers trying to force the talent to take extreme positions, it ended up being the opposite.

'The show was positioned in 1998 as a place that was all about different women from varied backgrounds and views, and it's their true selves giving their perspective on news of the day,' Lauren said. 'I think that was really great and I think Abby would have thrived back in 1998.'

Unfortunately the show seems to have lost itself in the intervening years and Huntsman recalled the office gossip and negative headlines from anonymous sources left her feeling beat down, making it particularly hard to plaster on a smile during the show.

'I was pregnant with twins during a lot of that time and you get home and you just feel like, "Am I am I proud of this? I'm so lucky to have this opportunity, but at what cost?",' she said. 'I just I felt a bit trapped.'

Huntsman felt that the executives seemed to make it a point to create tension on and off camera as a means of controlling the talent and the narrative.

'It was almost like they wanted there to be that tension. It was part of their game which made it really hard,' Huntsman told DailyMailTV. 'It didn't always make people their very best self and so you're always paranoid. It's not a healthy or normal way for any human being to live their life. (Abby pictured left with DailyMailTV's Caitlyn Becker and her podcast co-host Lauren Leeds)

'It was almost like they wanted there to be that tension. It was part of their game which made it really hard,' the former Fox News host said. 'It didn't always make people their very best self and so you're always paranoid. It's not a healthy or normal way for any human being to live their life.

Abby raised her concerns about the negative workplace environment to the executives multiple times before leaving the show but said her complaints fell on deaf ears.

'There was behavior that should never have happened in a work environment - that people [were] rewarded for,' she said. 'I mean, there would be times where people would treat others in ways that was just unacceptable.'

Abby was reluctant to name names or get too into specifics as to not put individuals on blast and noted that she was only speaking from her own experience, not for any of the other hosts on the show.

'A lot of those executives have since left or been fired,' Abby explained. 'But, yeah, I did feel threatened at times if I didn't do what they wanted.'

'There was behavior that should never have happened in a work environment - that people [were] rewarded for,' she said. 'I mean there would be times where people would treat others in ways that was just unacceptable.'

When contacted about Abby's side of things, a spokesperson from The View said: 'Twenty-two incredible women have had a seat on the panel and have worked in collaboration with the dedicated group of professionals on our staff. Abby will always remain a part of The View family and we look forward to continuing the conversation with her when she visits next month.'

In the first episode of her new podcast, I Wish Somebody Told Me, Abby looks back at her final days on the show, which included that ABC execs trying to script her exit in order to paint them in a positive light.

The podcast will see Huntsman and her producer/co-host/best friend, Lauren Leeds, chat with guests at the top of their respective fields about what they wish they'd known early on in their careers, before the inevitable mistakes were made.

'This is something we have talked about, we've dreamed about for years now,' Abby said. 'So many times [Lauren] Leeds and I've been on the phone going through chapters in life - some difficult ones, some exciting ones - and every time we're saying, 'why didn't somebody tell us this?' That's exactly what this podcast is.'

Guests will range from celebrities like Real Housewives and Mario Lopez to people like Ursula Burns, the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

New beginnings: Abby's new podcast, I Wish Somebody Told Me, will see Huntsman and her co-host/best friend, Lauren Leeds, chat with guests at the top of their respective fields getting candid about what they wish they'd known early on in their careers

As Abby and Lauren - who previously worked together at HuffPost Live - embark on this next chapter of their careers, Abby said she is at a whole new place in her life.

'I'm not going to be walked over ever again,' she stated, adding that any negative feelings she has regarding her time on The View are reserved for the executives, not the hosts. And, overall, she's very grateful for having been a part of the show.

As for her former co-hosts, Abby has nothing but good things to say about them. '[Joy] is perfect for that show. You may not agree with her politically, but she's really quick and she was hilarious, too. I sat next to her every day,' she recalled fondly.

'There's not one person [from the show] that I couldn't reach out to,' Abby continued, before adding with a laugh. 'Well, maybe some of the executives. But, yeah, I'll have friends there for the rest of my life.'

The first episode of I Wish Somebody Told Me is out now! Abby Huntsman's interview with DailyMailTV airs Friday. Check local listings!
Sarah Jessica Parker shared a sweet tribute to her son James on his 19th birthday on Thursday, October 28.

The Sex And The City star also posted a closeup photo of her boy, whom she shares with husband Matthew Broderick, which is a rare thing for her, considering she typically keeps her family life close to the vest.

'He is 19. Today. He doesn't wake with us,' she wrote in the caption with a poetic touch.

'He is in his life. Away. In his studies. Among new friends. Sending home details. There is so much to tell. New adults making lasting impressions. Opening his still young eyes. New thoughts. New books. New and different mornings.'

Proud mama: Sarah Jessica Parker shared a sweet birthday tribute to her son James on his 19th birthday on Thursday, October 28

Parker, who has been hard at work shooting the Sex And The City series reboot since June, then opened up about not being able to spend James' birthday with him.

'On this one, it's bittersweet. Not to be with him. To wish him the most happiest of birthdays. Our Scorpio. Our Oct baby. Our JW. Happy Birthday,' the proud mother wrote.

She concluded the post: 'Balloons. Candles. Hoping every birthday wish to come true. Xxx, Mama.'

Motherly love: Parker, 55, said James' birthday was 'bittersweet' because she wasn't able to spend his actual birthday with him

Along with James, Parker and Broderick are also parents to 12-year-old twin daughters Tabitha and Marion, who were born in June 2009, via surrogacy.

The protective mother often shields her kids's faces in social media posts; as was the case when she seemingly hinted at the beginnings of empty nest syndrome, in her last post of them, individually, on Instagram on September 9.

'In the span of 7 days. One crosses the threshold into his freshman year of college. The other 2 into 7th grade,' she confessed in the caption of the snaps, which all show her children from behind, before adding an update on their more recent life changes.

'The house is different. We are different. They need us more. And far less. So many know. Gutted at the time passed. Passing. Exhilarated by the possibilities that await them. The love. The love. The love. X, SJ.

Protective mother: The actress often shields her kids's faces in social media posts; as was the case when she seemingly hinted at the beginnings of empty nest syndrome, in her last post of them, individually, on Instagram on September 9

Like most social media posts, Parker did not show her twin daughter's faces in the September 9 post on Instagram

Touch of class: When sharing about her children on social media, Parker has given her 7.3 million Instagram fans and followers a glimpse into her thoughts and feelings by writing in a refreshing poetic style in the captions

Parker and showrunner Michael Patrick King got the idea of a new chapter of Sex And The City in a sequel series titled, And Just Like That... while discussing the idea of a podcast about the original show during the first couple months of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in mid-March 2020.

It didn't take long before the two old colleagues were both enticed at the prospect of telling the story of how the coronavirus crisis, and all of the political and social strife, would have affected the ladies of Sex And The City.

Like the original series, New York City will still be the focal point of the storyline, only this time through the lens of the pandemic and the subsequent fallout.

They're back: Parker reunited with her Sex And The City co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis for the sequel series titled And Just Like That...; the three ladies are pictured with co-star Nicole Ari Parker while out shooting in New York City

Production ongoing: Production on the 10-episode series, which does not include longtime star Kim Catrall, began back in June 2021

Sequel series teasers: Parker has been teasing fans about the sequel series on social media, which included a snap of her character, Carrie Bradshaw, sharing a moment with longtime love John James 'Mr. Big' Preston, played by Chris Noth

Parker's Carrie Bradshaw will reunite with old gal pals Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York, played by co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, respectively. Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, is not returning.

The three ladies will also executive produce, along with King, and earn $1 million for each of the 10 half-hour episodes for their duel roles, according to Variety.

Production is still ongoing, oftentimes on the streets of New York City.

And Just Like That... is set to premiere on HBO Max in December 2021.

The original series, based on Candace Bushnell's 1997 book, ran for six seasons from 1998-2004 and was followed up by two feature films: Sex And The City: The Movie (2008) and Sex And The City 2 (2010).

Coming soon: And Just Like That... is set to premiere on HBO Max in December 2021
Tina Louise appears to have gone the extra mile to demonstrate her love for her beau Brett Oppenheim of Selling Sunset fame.

The onetime Maxim model has spent at least eight months with Brett, who along with his twin brother Jason founded the brokerage firm Selling Sunset is about.

In an show of how serious she is Tina, 40, has the name: 'Brett,' tattooed along the side of her left hand ring finger.

Dynamic duo: Tina Louise appears to have gone the extra mile to demonstrate her love for her beau Brett Oppenheim of Selling Sunset fame

Tina put an upscale spin on California casual, throwing on a Saint Laurent t-shirt and tucking into a pair of high-waisted slacks.

Slinging a Balenciaga bag from one forearm, the Australian blonde warded off the Los Angeles rays with a pair of purple shades.

Meanwhile her silver fox looked dashing as ever in a grey Prada sweater that complemented his fashionably faded jeans.

Wow: In an show of how serious she is Tina, 40, has the name: 'Brett,' tattooed along the side of her left hand ring finger

Brett, who left the Oppenheim Group last year to form his own brokerage, first went Instagram official with Tina this April.

For a couple of months last year Tina was hitting the headlines for her smoldering romance with TV heartthrob Brian Austin Green.

Brian and Tina became a public item in May 2020 - the same month that he officially announced his split from his much younger wife Megan Fox.

What a team: The onetime Maxim model has spent at least eight months with Brett, who along with his twin brother Jason founded the brokerage firm Selling Sunset is about

However Tina and Brian broke up over the pandemic summer and in October she was snapped locking lips with Sean 'Diddy' Combs on a beach in Malibu.

Meanwhile Jason is carrying on a high-profile relationship with his subordinate Chrishell Stause who is also one of the stars of Selling Sunset.

Prior to her involvement with Jason she was married to This Is Us beefcake Justin Hartley who split from her during the run of Selling Sunset.
Jeff Lewis announced that his future surrogate was currently undergoing 'medical clearances' during Wednesday's episode of his SiriusXM show, Jeff Lewis Live.

During the program, the 51-year-old Flipping Out star expressed that the individual with whom he is working had begun the process of starting her pregnancy and discussed various other topics regarding his personal life.

The reality television personality currently co-parents his five-year-old daughter, Monroe Christine, with his former partner Gage Edward.

Looking to the future: Jeff Lewis announced that his future surrogate was currently undergoing 'medical clearances' during Wednesday's episode of his SiriusXM show, Jeff Lewis Live

Lewis began the conversation by offering an update about the individual's arrival in California and told his co-hosts that she was undergoing various procedures to ensure that she would have a healthy pregnancy.

'It's been confirmed: My future surrogate flew from Phoenix last night to Orange County and she's at the fertility clinic today. She's getting all of her medical clearances.'

The Bravo star could not hold in his excitement, as he remarked: 'this is really happening.'

He then alluded to his previous fallout with his estranged friend, Jenni Pulos, whom he had previously asked to keep an eye out for his daughter.

Inside information: Lewis began the conversation by offering an update about the individual's arrival in California and told his co-hosts that she was undergoing various procedures to ensure that she would have a healthy pregnancy

'I'm going to be a little bit more discerning, though, when I choose the godparents,' he said.

The real estate speculator then spoke about how he would be much more selective with potential figures in his child's life and expressed: 'I don't know what I'm going to do, because I may not be friends with them 12 months later.'

When one of his co-hosts asked if he would consider having family members become more involved with his baby, he noted that he 'may not be speaking to them either.'

Lewis went on to give a timeframe for the surrogate's pregnancy schedule and stated that he expected the process to begin later in the year.

Drama: When one of his co-hosts asked if he would consider having family members become more involved with his baby, he noted that he 'may not be speaking to them either'

'I think they would do the actual implantation, which would be, I think in December or January if everything goes well,' he said.

The reality television personality went on to express that if a potential 'mix-up' occurred during the process, he was uninterested in entering into a legal battle regarding the surrogate's child.

'I don't think I should be raising someone else's baby for four months to then get sued...that's all I need, another custody fight,' he stated.

Lewis previously announced that he had been put in contact with a new surrogate last month and that they had been negotiating each other's role in the future pregnancy.

In the past: Lewis previously announced that he had been put in contact with a new surrogate last month and that they had been negotiating each other's role in the future pregnancy

The media figure previously welcomed Monroe Christine, who was born in 2016, into his life via surrogacy.

The Bravo star and his former partner split up in 2019, and they went on to enter into a protracted custody battle over their daughter, although they eventually agreed to co-parent their child.

He went on to begin a relationship with Scott Anderson that eventually came to an end last year.

Lewis and Edward subsequently attempted to rekindle their romance, although they went their separate ways earlier this year.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp called out Dana Wilkey on Instagram Thursday for what she said was a social media post that endangered Dorit Kemsley and her family prior to an incident Wednesday in which Kemsley was the victim of a home invasion.

On Thursday, Mellencamp, 40, took to the site to post under a previous post Wilkey, 46, had put up of a legal document that revealed the name of Kemsley's LLC, which is named after the street she lives on, but did not show Kemsley's specific home address.

'I hope you sleep really well tonight,' Mellencamp wrote in the social media post. 'You put her and her kids in danger by posting this. Disgusting.'

The latest: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp, 40, called out Dana Wilkey, 46, on Instagram Thursday for what she said was a social media post that endangered Dorit Kemsley, 45, and her family prior to an incident Wednesday in which Kemsley was the victim of a home invasion. She was snapped in Hollywood earlier this month

Wilkey's initial post had the caption, 'Guess why I'm posting this?' to which Kemsley's husband Paul 'PK' Kemsley, 54, said in an Instagram post that Wilkey had done so because she was seeking attention, Page Six reported.

PK said Wilkey was 'thirsty and wants more followers' in response to the post, calling the post an attempt 'to hurt [his] family's reputation in a sad attempt to garner more attention.'

As DailyMail.com was first to report, Kemsley, 45, was robbed at gunpoint late Wednesday at her home in Encino Hills, California when three men broke into the home.

An insider close to Kemsley told DailyMail.com that Kemsley's kids, son Jagger, seven, and daughter, Phoenix, five, were at home during the horrifying incident, which occurred prior to 11 p.m. PT while Kemsley was sleeping.

On Thursday, Mellencamp, 40, took to the site to post under a previous post Wilkey had put up of a legal document that revealed the name of Kemsley's LLC, which is named after the street she lives on, but did not show Kemsley's specific home address

Wilkey was seen at an event in Los Angeles in 2012

Kemsley, snapped earlier this year, has been 'traumatized' by the incident, an insider said

Kemsley has been 'traumatized' by the incident, the insider told DailyMail.com, as her sole focus amid the horrifying incident was to make sure that her kids were unharmed.

Mellencamp on Thursday visited Kemsley along with RHOBH co-stars Erika Jayne, Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards in the wake of the incident.

Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department told Page Six that no arrests have been made in connection with the home invasion-robbery.
Free Guy action star Ryan Reynolds admitted his workaholic tendencies keep him from 'fixating' on things and letting his mental health get the better of him.

'I tend to bite off way more than I could or should chew. I think maybe it's just that Canadian sensibility: "Well, I said I was going to, so I have to deliver this,"' the Canadian 45-year-old said in his WSJ. magazine cover story, which hits newsstands November 13.

'I will do that at the cost of my own well-being sometimes. I fixate on things. That's sort of the engine of anxiety. I lay awake at night, wrapping and unwrapping every possible scenario. I slept at a perfect right angle for so many years.'

'I tend to bite off way more than I could or should chew': Free Guy action star Ryan Reynolds admitted his workaholic tendencies keep him from 'fixating' on things and letting his mental health get the better of him

But Ryan is trying to change his behavior, and is even planning on taking a break from Hollywood so that he can slow down and work on living life in the moment.

'I tend to pave over anxiety with work and, to a lesser extent, achievement,' Reynolds explained.

'You want to tick boxes sometimes. So these days, my goal is to be as present as I can and not just tick a box just to do it. I'm fully embracing and living that right now. It's been amazing. Heartfelt personal-growth quote: check.'

The Grammy nominee previously opened up about his mental health when he said he had felt 'twitchy' with anxiety ever since he was a child.

The Canadian 45-year-old said in his WSJ. magazine cover story: 'I think maybe it's just that Canadian sensibility: "Well, I said I was going to, so I have to deliver this." I will do that at the cost of my own well-being sometimes'

Ryan continued: 'I fixate on things. That's sort of the engine of anxiety. I lay awake at night, wrapping and unwrapping every possible scenario. I slept at a perfect right angle for so many years'

Hollywood hiatus? But Reynolds is trying to change his behavior, and is even planning on taking a break from Hollywood so that he can slow down and work on living life in the moment

Ryan said his battle with anxiety was partly due to the 'complicated' and 'fractured' relationship he had with his late father James, whom he described as 'a former cop, former boxer, full-time landmine.'

'My dad was a tough guy. He was good in many ways as well, but he was tough on us,' Reynolds said.

'This is not meant to be some sob story - everyone carries their own bag of rocks around and I am no different in that regard - but growing up in my house, it was never relaxing or easy and I know that, throughout my life, I've dealt with anxiety in different ways.'

James Chester Reynolds passed away, age 74, in 2015 after battling Parkinson's Disease.

The Grammy nominee explained, 'My goal is to be as present as I can and not just tick a box just to do it. I'm fully embracing and living that right now. It's been amazing. Heartfelt personal-growth quote: check'

'It was never relaxing or easy': Ryan said his battle with anxiety was partly due to the 'complicated' and 'fractured' relationship he had with his late father James (pictured), whom he described as 'a former cop, former boxer, full-time landmine'

Another one for the mantel! Reynolds will next be honored, along with seven other cultural groundbreakers, at WSJ. Magazine's virtual Innovator Awards on Monday at 8pm EST

The Deadpool alum will next be honored, along with seven other cultural groundbreakers, at WSJ. Magazine's virtual Innovator Awards, which streams Monday at 8pm EST.

Ryan reportedly earned $20M to play art thief Nolan Booth in Rawson Marshall Thurber's action-packed buddy comedy Red Notice, which premieres November 12 on Netflix.

The $200M-budget movie - shot in Georgia and Italy - also stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Gal Gadot.
Molly-Mae Hague stepped back into the spotlight on Thursday evening following an 800k burglary at her Manchester home.

PrettyLittleThing's creative director, 22, seemed keen to put the ordeal to the back of her mind as she arrived at Tattu, Manchester, for the fashion retailer's Halloween dinner.

Donning fake blood and a gorgeous black dress, Molly-Mae, hailed as Miss Halloween 2021, was keen to show off her efforts for the big night.

Pose: Molly-Mae Hague seemed keen to put the 800k burglary to the back of her mind as she arrived at Tattu, Manchester, for PrettyLittleThing's Halloween dinner on Thursday

The former Love Island star also documented her meticulous getting-ready process in the form of a TikTok.

The montage cleverly showed the blonde beauty in three different stages of her routine: the beginning, the middle, whereby her hair and makeup was in the midst of being done, and the end - the final look.

It was captioned: 'The outcome' accompanied by skull emojis.

Work it: Donning fake blood and a gorgeous black dress, Molly-Mae, hailed as Miss Halloween 2021, was keen to show off her efforts for the big night

Influencer: The former Love Island star also documented her meticulous getting-ready process in the form of a TikTok

TikTok: The montage cleverly showed the blonde beauty in different stages of her routine

The influencer has been left living in fear after 'an experienced gang' broke into the home she shared with her boyfriend Tommy Fury, also 22, in Hale, Manchester and 'took everything' including jewellery and designer goods.

A source told MailOnline: 'Molly's taking no chances - she's hired 24/7 Confidentiality Protection as well as her other security. She has completely moved out of her apartment now and will never return...'

The source continued to explain that she wanted to up security before returning to the spotlight on Thursday night at the Halloween event.

Frightening: The influencer has been left living in fear after 'an experienced gang' broke into the home she shared with her boyfriend Tommy Fury, also 22

At around 10pm on Thursday 21 October, while the influencer and boxer were in London at her Beauty Works Christmas launch, an 'experienced gang' targeted their flat and stole the vast quantity of goods.

Sources revealed to MailOnline that the couple will 'never return' to the property after being left 'extremely shaken up' and terrified by the crime.

The insider said: 'They will never return back to their apartment again unfortunately they feel they have been targeted and don't feel safe there any more. They really loved living there its a shame they have been forced out of their home.'

Ordeal: While the influencer and boxer were in London at her Beauty Works Christmas launch last Thursday,an 'experienced gang' 'took everything' including jewellery and designer goods (the pair pictured at the event)

While Molly-Mae and Tommy partied in London, the gang descended on their block of flats, in which there are five other properties.

An insider detailed: 'It seems to be an experienced gang who know what theyre doing as they have had machinery and waited for Molly and Tommy to be away...

'They have approached the property from the rear and smashed through their balcony windows and doors to gain access to their apartment. There is five apartments in the block but other neighbours were out too...

'They have stolen approx 800k worth of belongings leaving them with nothing left other than what they had on them in their suitcases in London on the night of event..

'Molly was pictured that night when the robbery happened at her Beauty Works x Molly Mae event in London. They seemed to have got scared off and departed quickly possible across the park at the back. Its called Halecroft Park.'

In the wake of the incident, a representative for Molly told MailOnline: 'Molly is doing well considering the circumstances. It has been a very distressing time but she is trying to be as positive as possible'.

A representative for Greater Manchester Police told MailOnline: 'On Friday 22 October 2021 police received a report of a burglary at a property in the Hale Barns area...

During the burglary a number of items were taken, including jewellery. Enquiries are ongoing and no arrests have been made.'
Caitlyn Jenner has come out swinging after Omarosa Manigault Newman labelled her a 'Karen' and said she was 'very, very nasty' ahead of their upcoming appearance on Big Brother VIP.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Caitlyn, 72, branded Omarosa 'a bully' and said she was 'even more despicable' than she'd expected.

'I wasn't a fan of Omarosa before the show because she's a bully. After the show, she proved me wrong. She turned out to be an even more despicable human being than I could have ever imagined,' she said.

Hitting back: Caitlyn Jenner (pictured) has come out swinging after Omarosa Manigault Newman labelled her a 'Karen' ahead of their upcoming appearance on Big Brother VIP

'Hopefully she'll still send me pictures of her wedding party that she had in the White House - the one where Secret Service kicked her out just like when she was fired.'

Omarosa, 47 - a former advisor to ousted US President Donald Trump - famously took members of her 39-person bridal party to the White House for a photo shoot ahead of her wedding to John Allen Newman in April 2017.

According to a report by Politico in November 2017, many White House staffers, including security, were caught off-guard by the photo shoot.

Fighting words: In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Caitlyn branded Omarosa Manigault Newman (pictured) 'a bully' and said she was 'even more despicable' than she'd expected

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, Omarosa claimed Caitlyn was trying to take photos of her in the Big Brother house and said the former Keeping Up With the Kardashians star gave off '"Single White Female" vibes'.

'By her own admission, she's been obsessed with me even before I moved into the Big Brother House. It's not surprising that Caitlyn wants pictures of me,' she added.

Omarosa said she was 'shocked' Caitlyn left her political campaign for governor of California to appear on reality TV in Australia, and labelled it 'a publicity stunt'.

Accusations: Omarosa claimed Caitlyn was trying to take photos of her in the Big Brother house and said the former Keeping Up With the Kardashians star gave off '"Single White Female" vibes'

'By her own admission, she's been obsessed with me even before I moved into the Big Brother House,' Omarosa said of Caitlyn

'Caitlyn bragged about how her campaign was nothing more than a publicity stunt and that her team was working to secure a lucrative TV and book deal from it. It was a massive grift,' she added.

Speaking on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Wednesday, Omarosa claimed Caitlyn was 'nasty' to her in the Big Brother VIP house, and even branded her as a 'Karen' to hosts Jackie 'O' Henderson and Kyle Sandilands.

'Honestly, she didn't talk to me very much. She was very, very nasty to me,' Omarosa scathed.

Not happy: According to Omarosa, she and Caitlyn didn't exactly see eye-to-eye when starring together on the Channel Seven series

'I thought I was going to get to know Caitlyn, but instead I got to know a "Karen".'

A 'Karen' is a colloquial term used to describe a self-righteous woman, usually middle-aged, who tells people how to do their jobs, asserts their rights and complains to the manager.

When asked if she connected with anyone else on the show, Omarosa cited AFL star Dayne Beams and NRL superstar Matt Cooper - who she described as her 'bestie'.

'Honestly, she didn't talk to me very much. She was very, very nasty to me,' Omarosa scathed about Caitlyn

Indeed, emotions are always heightened in the Big Brother house as celebrities are forced to spend every day together in close proximity.

However, earlier this year Caitlyn confirmed she was actually on the show for around a week in total, after revealing on Twitter she was 'glad to be back' in California for her campaign trail days after filming began in Sydney.

'Great time abroad for fun and glad to be back in #California on the campaign trail!' she wrote.

'Good time': Earlier this year, Caitlyn confirmed she was actually on the show for around week in total, after revealing on Twitter she was 'glad to be back' in California - days after filming began in Sydney

Missed: The former Olympian, who is rumoured to have been paid $500,000 to appear on Big Brother VIP, then shared a picture of her dog and captioned it: 'Happy to be back in California!'

The former Olympian, who is rumoured to have been paid $500,000 to appear on Big Brother VIP, then shared a picture of her dog Bertha and captioned it: 'So happy to be back in California!'

Filming for the new season began in Sydney on July 30, after Caitlyn had completed her mandatory two weeks of hotel quarantine.

Her swift return to America all but confirmed she would be one of the first contestants to leave Big Brother VIP when it airs on Channel Seven next month.

Big Brother VIP premieres Monday, November 1, on Channel Seven and 7plus
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik have reportedly broken up after the model's mother Yolanda alleged the musician 'struck' her during a recent argument.

'They are not together right now. They are both good parents though,' a source revealed to People on Thursday, adding that the former couple 'co-parent' their one-year-old daughter Khai.

Zayn and Gigi, who have dated on/off since 2015, welcomed their only child in September 2020. Hadid had confirmed her pregnancy in the spring of that year.

It's over: Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik have reportedly broken up after the model's mother Yolanda alleged the musician 'struck' her during a recent argument; Gigi and Zayn seen in 2016

'They co-parent. Yolanda is of course very protective of Gigi. She wants the best for her daughter and grandchild.'

Malik seemingly hinted about his and Gigi's split when he took to Twitter on Thursday to address the serious claims made against him by Yolanda.

In his statement, Zayn said that the 'private matter' being made public has jeopardized the 'safe space' in which he and the 26-year-old model 'co-parent' their infant - seemingly suggesting they are no longer together.

According to TMZ, Yolanda alleges she was 'struck' by Zayn during an altercation that occurred 'some point last week,' whereas Zayn claims the incident involved nothing more than an exchange of 'harsh words' and had taken place 'several weeks ago' at Gigi's home.

The outlet also said that Yolanda is considering filing a police report. As of Thursday, October 28, no police reports were seen on file.

No further details have been provided in regards to what may have triggered the alleged scuffle between the two.

Co-parenting: 'They are not together right now. They are both good parents though,' a source revealed to People on Thursday, adding that the former couple 'co-parent' their one-year-old daughter Khai

He said, she said: According to TMZ , Yolanda alleged she was 'struck' by Zayn during an altercation that occurred 'some point last week,' whereas Zayn claimed on Twitter that the incident involved nothing more than an exchange of 'harsh words' and had taken place 'several weeks ago' at Gigi's home; Zayn and Yolanda seen in 2017

Appearing to not take sides, a representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time.'

Malik refrained from naming Yolanda in his lengthy Twitter post and, instead, referred to her as 'a family member of my partner's' as he expressed concern for how the public allegations may affect Khai and her environment going forward.

He would later go on to directly address the allegations in a statement to TMZ.

'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private,' the statement read.

Indirect: Malik refrained from naming Yolanda in his lengthy Twitter post and, instead, referred to her as 'a family member of my partner's' as he expressed concern for how the public allegations will affect Khai and her environment

Denied: 'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private,' said Zayn in a statement to TMZ, which was published shortly after his Twitter post

Focusing on Khai: Appearing to not take sides, a representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time'

In his lengthy Twitter post, Zayn described himself as a 'private person' and expressed obvious dismay over 'private family matters' being 'thrown on the world stage.'

He wrote: 'As you all know I am a private person and I very much want to create a safe and private safe for my daughter to grow up in. A place where private family matters aren't thrown on the world stage for all to poke and pick apart.

'In an effort to protect that space for her I agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner's who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago.

'This was and still should be a private matter but it seems for now there is divisiveness and despite my efforts to restore us to a peaceful family environment that will allow for me to co-parent my daughter in a manner in which she deserves, this has been 'leaked' to the press.

On/off: Zayn and Gigi, who have dated on/off since 2015, welcomed their only child in September 2020. Hadid had confirmed her pregnancy in the spring of that year

Parenthood: Zayn had purchased a house in bucolic Pennsylvania not far from where Yolanda resides where he and Gigi raise Khai half of the time

He added: 'I am hopeful though for healing for all involved with the harsh words shared and more importantly I remain vigilant to protect Khai and give her the privacy she needs.'

Zayn had purchased a house in bucolic Pennsylvania not far from where Yolanda resides where he and Gigi raise Khai half of the time.

The British born singer has had a string of violent outbursts in the past, but none involving Hadid family members until this alleged incident.

In June, he got into a shirtless confrontation outside of a bar in the East Village neighborhood of New York City.

A rowdy bar patron tried to pick a fight with him and hurled profanity at Zayn as he smoked a cigarette outside near the Amsterdam Billiards Club.

'Who the f**k said anything to you?' Zayn fired back as the man lunged at him, but the confrontation reportedly never turned physical, and police were not involved.
Matthew Perry was spotted indulging in a cigarette as he stepped out of his car in Los Angeles this Wednesday.

The 52-year-old, who became a global superstar on Friends decades ago, cut a casual figure in an open flannel top over a t-shirt.

His latest sighting comes after it emerged Matthew will tell the story of his life and career in an upcoming autobiography.

Out and about: Matthew Perry was spotted indulging in a cigarette as he stepped out of his car in Los Angeles this Wednesday

The actor secured a reported seven-figure deal to give the exclusive worldwide rights to Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan, according to Deadline.

Perry rose to fame in the 90s as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but during his time in the spotlight he's struggled with substance abuse and addiction.

It will be the first memoir written by any of the Friends, who include Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow.

According to Deadline: 'It is set to be a candid and self-aware book told with his trademark humor, with Perry vividly detailing his lifelong battle with the disease [of addiction] and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.'

The look: The 52-year-old, who became a global superstar on Friends decades ago, cut a casual figure in an open flannel top over a t-shirt

Showbiz history: Perry rose to fame in the 90s as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but during his time in the spotlight he's struggled with substance abuse and addiction

The yet-to-be-titled tome plans for a fall 2022 publication.

Megan Lynch, publisher of Flatiron Books, will edit.

Speaking of the project with Deadline, she said: 'We need humor, we need catharsis, and we need to agree on somethingand Matthew's extraordinary story, told in his inimitable voice, is that thing.

The look: The 52-year-old, who became a global superstar on Friends decades ago, cut a casual figure in an open flannel top over a t-shirt

Life: According to Deadline 'It is set to be a candid and self-aware book told with his trademark humor, with Perry vividly detailing his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all'

Big money: From 2002 to 2003, the star earned and eye-popping $24M to portray Chandler Bing on Friends, which ran for 10 seasons spanning 1994 to 2004

Perry has had his highs and lows throughout his three-plus decades in the limelight.

The Fools Rush In star has had his highs and lows throughout his three-plus decades in the limelight.

From 2002 to 2003, the star earned and eye-popping $24M to portray Chandler Bing on Friends, which ran for 10 seasons spanning 1994 to 2004.

Matthew has battled addictions to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines and alcohol through the years, and also had two stints in rehab.

Most recently, he caused concern after appearing to be out of sorts during his appearance on the Friends reunion special for HBO Max back in May, making headlines for bringing a 'palpable unease' to the long-hyped special.

Worse for wear: Matthew has battled addictions to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines and alcohol through the years, and also had two stints in rehab. He's seen in 2015 above

'The One Where They Get Back Together': Perry last made headlines for bringing a 'palpable unease' to the long-hyped Friends: The Reunion, which aired May 27 on HBO Max

Perry admitted he doesn't hear 'from anyone' in the cast and used to feel 'like I was going to die if the [audience] didn't laugh' while acting on the NBC sitcom.

'It's not healthy, for sure, but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out,' he confessed.

Matthew has been single since ending his engagement to literary manager Molly Hurwitz back in June and little has been known of his romances since.

It was revealed last year that Matthew had contacted a 19-year-old through exclusive celebrity dating app Raya. His previous romances include dalliances with Julia Roberts, Neve Campbell, Lauren Graham, and Lizzy Caplan.
She is known for her sensational sense of style and show-stopping ensembles.

And Ashley Roberts sent pulses racing in a slinky fancy-dress outfit as she attended Halloween at the Nest at London's Treehouse Hotel on Thursday night.

The Pussycat Doll, 40, showed off her ample assets in a cream bralet, which she paired with a figure-hugging latex mini skirt.

Stunning: Ashley Roberts sent pulses racing in a slinky fancy-dress outfit as she attended Halloween at the Nest at London's Treehouse Hotel on Thursday night

Slinky: The Pussycat Doll, 40, showed off her ample assets in a cream bralet, which she paired with a figure-hugging latex mini skirt

She bizarrely accessorised her spooky look with fingerless gloves and toeless thigh-high socks, which she wore with strapped silver heels.

The Heart radio presenter sported a smokey eyed make-up look and a bold red lipstick.

Meanwhile, her face and chest were splattered with red fake blood and scratch marks at the event, sponsored by Casamigos Tequila.

Spooky: She bizarrely accessorised her look with fingerless gloves and toeless thigh-high socks, which she wore with strapped silver heels

She styled her sleek golden tresses into a tight low ponytail as she struck a series of playful poses while arriving at the Halloween event.

She was joined by English rugby union player Chris Robshaw at the party, who cut a dapper figure in a white shirt and black trousers, which he teamed with a buttoned-up beige jacket.

The star-studded Halloween event, which saw celebrities come dressed in kooky and inventive outfits, was hosted by Jaime Winstone, Luke Day, Glyn Fussell and Michael Hennegan.

Halloween: The Heart radio presenter sported a smokey eyed make-up look and a bold red lipstick, while her face and chest were splattered with red fake blood and scratch marks

Fancy dress: She was joined by English rugby union player Chris Robshaw at the party, who cut a dapper figure in a white shirt and black trousers

Smitten: Pixie Lott and her partner Oliver Cheshire put on a cosy display as they wrapped their arms around each other while flashing toothy grins at the cameras

Stylish: The Cry Me Out hitmaker flaunted her toned physique in a slinky maxi skirt with a matching crop trop, while Oliver donned an understated black suit

Pixie Lott and her partner Oliver Cheshire put on a cosy display as they wrapped their arms around each other while flashing toothy grins at the cameras.

The Cry Me Out hitmaker flaunted her toned physique in a slinky maxi skirt with a matching crop trop, which she paired with a pair of strapped black heels.

She added a touch of colour to her dark attire with a vibrant green handbag, while she styled her golden locks in tight curls.

Her model partner Oliver cut a sophisticated figure in an understated black patterned suit, while he slicked his brunette tresses back away from his face.

Elsewhere, Roger Taylor's daughter Tiger Lilly, 27, showed off her sensational figure as she arrived in an unbuttoned orange jumpsuit with a black bralet underneath.

Loved up: Pixie added a touch of colour to her dark attire with a vibrant green handbag, while she styled her golden locks in tight curls

Scary: Roger Taylor's daughter Tiger Lilly, 27, showed off her sensational figure as she arrived in an unbuttoned orange jumpsuit with a black bralet underneath

Party: The daughter of the Queen drummer and Debbie Leng appeared in excellent spirits as she flashed a toothy grin, showing off her natural beauty with a light dusting of nude make-up

The daughter of the Queen drummer and Debbie Leng appeared in excellent spirits as she flashed a toothy grin, showing off her natural beauty with a light dusting of nude make-up.

She gave her fancy-dress a sinister touch by putting splashes of fake blood across her chest and dripping from one of her eyes, ahead of Halloween on Sunday.

Model Clara Paget dressed in a cute pastel pink ensemble which resembled a fairy or a princess, as she posed for photographs.

She sported a pink dress with a ruffled skirt, which she paired with a pair of chunky heels and a ring of blue flowers around her waist.

Meanwhile, actress Jaime Winstone turned heads in a figure-hugging fuchsia dress as she posed in a makeshift jail cell at the spooky event.

Deadly: She gave her fancy-dress a sinister touch by putting splashes of fake blood across her chest and dripping from one of her eyes, ahead of Halloween on Sunday

Pretty in pink: Model Clara Paget dressed in a cute pastel pink ensemble which resembled a fairy or a princess, as she posed for photographs with Jaime Winstone

Fairy: She sported a pink dress with a ruffled skirt, which she paired with a pair of chunky heels and a ring of blue flowers around her waist

Unique: Jaime Winstone, 36, known for playing Becky in the film Kidulthood, teamed her inventive ensemble with a pastel blue scarf draped across her shoulders and knee-high boots

Bold: Jaime Winstone (pictured with DJ Fat Tony) turned heads in a figure-hugging fuchsia dress as she posed in a makeshift jail cell at the spooky event

Vibrant: Jamie wore a vibrant palette of fuchsia make-up and styled her brunette tresses in a voluminous curly style, while Glyn Fussell caught attention in a vibrant orange attire

Jaime 36, known for playing Becky in the film Kidulthood, teamed her inventive ensemble with a pastel blue scarf draped across her shoulders and knee-high boots.

She wore a vibrant palette of fuchsia make-up and styled her brunette tresses in a voluminous curly style, while she sported a bloodied necklace.

Melanie Blatt, who rose to fame as a member of All Saints, looked sensational in a pink satin ensemble decorated with blue birds, while she accentuated her stunning features with a smokey make-up palette.

Artist Fae Williams showed off her edgy sense of style in a black leather one-shouldered top and wide leg trousers, while Joel Palmer stunned in a black gown with a thigh-high split.

Scottish DJ Arielle Free kept things casual as she arrived at the Halloween event dressed in a black tracksuit co-ord set, adding a touch of colour to her attire with her vibrant orange tresses.

Comedian Jayde Adams channelled her inner joker as she sported a bright pink suit with a striped shirt, which she paired with spooky white and black make-up.

Joker: Comedian Jayde Adams channelled her inner joker as she sported a bright pink suit with a striped shirt, which she paired with spooky white and black make-up

Drinks: Prudence Ivey and Jayde Adams attend Halloween at the Nest at the Treehouse Hotel London hosted by Jaime Winstone, Luke Day, Glyn Fussell and Michael Hennegan

Hosting: Michael Hennegan, who hosted the Halloween at the Nest event, put in the effort as he arrived at the party dressed as a police officer covered in fake blood

Glyn Fussell, the co-founder of Sink The Pink and the Mighty Hoopla festival, sported a vibrant orange wig and a matching patterned jumpsuit, which he paired with chunky star boots.

Ashley Robert's Halloween outing comes after Ashley addressed her single status earlier this year and revealed she is still looking for love.

The star split from Strictly Come Dancing dancer Giovanni Pernice back in 2020.

At the time the couple, who met on the show when Ashley was a contestant, kept their romance a secret and only revealed they were an item when the show ended.

The couple dated for over a year and Giovanni went on to date former Love Islander Maura Higgins - who he split from earlier this month.

Comfort: Melanie Blatt, who rose to fame as a member of All Saints, looked sensational in a pink satin ensemble decorated with blue birds

Understated: Scottish DJ Arielle Free kept things casual in a black tracksuit, while artist Fae Williams showed off her edgy style in a black leather one-shouldered top and wide leg trousers

Now that lockdown restrictions have been lifted, Ashley has admitted that she was eager to get out and about.

Ashley spoke to Fabulous Magazine, where she outlined the kind of partner she is hoping to meet.

She said: 'I've been really good at being driven and taking care of myself, and I would like for someone to come in and support me.'

'Not financially, and not that I need a man to take care of me, but I would like to share my life with someone whose company I enjoy and who supports me.

'But, then again, I'm really good on my own. So this is the thing, it's finding someone to go on adventures with. I want to experience the world with someone that makes me laugh, but who also has the emotional intelligence to have an interesting conversation.'
Channel Nine reality show Married At First Sight did not breach the Commercial Television Code of Practice, an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found.

Three episodes that aired in March 2021, two classified PG and one classified M, were assessed and ACMA 'found no breach' had taken place.

A spokesperson said 'the content could be accommodated within the respective classifications' and that the adult theme in the M-rated broadcast was 'handled with care, extensively critiqued and adequately contextualised'.

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Channel Nine reality show Married At First Sight did not breach the Commercial Television Code of Practice, an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found. The investigation was prompted by complaints about the relationship between participants Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, which some claimed was abusive

The investigation was prompted by complaints about the relationship between participants Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, which some claimed was abusive.

Ruthven and Rawson, who are still together a year after filming the show and recently welcomed twins, maintain their relationship is not abusive.

The media watchdog was not tasked with ruling whether or not the couple's relationship was abusive, nor was it asked to evaluate whether Nine or production company Endemol Shine had failed in their duty of care towards certain participants.

It was only asked to assess whether the episodes complied with the requirements of the Commercial Television Code of Practice.

An ACMA spokesperson said: 'Following viewer complaints, the ACMA assessed whether three episodes of MAFS that aired in March 2021 complied with the requirements of the Commercial Television Code of Practice. The ACMA assessed two episodes classified PG and one classified M. The investigation found no breach and that the content could be accommodated within the respective classifications.

Three episodes that aired in March 2021, two classified PG and one classified M, were assessed and ACMA 'found no breach' had taken place. The watchdog said 'the content could be accommodated within the respective classifications' and that the adult theme in the M-rated broadcast was 'handled with care, extensively critiqued and adequately contextualised'

'In the case of the PG-classified episodes, the ACMA found that themes within the programs, including social conflict, were carefully handled, and included extensive critiquing and positive aspects of the relationships. This resulted in the overall impact of the content not exceeding mild impact.

'In the case of the M-classified episode, which is intended for mature audiences, the ACMA found that an intense adult theme explored in the program was handled with care, extensively critiqued and adequately contextualised.

'The ACMA acknowledges the classification provisions in the code are not specifically designed to deal with some of the concerns raised by complainants.

'Classification provisions deal with the way in which certain themes are treated and the impact of that treatment on the program audience. The code does not deal with matters relating to the licensee's treatment of contestants, which was the focus of some viewer complaints.'

Ruthven (left) and Rawson (right), who are still together a year after filming the show and recently welcomed twins, maintain their relationship is not abusive

Back in April, Channel Nine apologised to viewers who made complaints, but insisted the episodes did not breach any broadcast standards.

While the network said it was sorry for how the show made some viewers feel, it noted 'we do not consider the material broadcast [to be] of such a level as to have breached the M guidelines'.

The eighth season of Married At First Sight Australia, which is currently airing on E4 in Britain, was the most complained-about season in the show's history.

ACMA received more than 50 complaints - a record number for the watchdog.

'A significant proportion of the complaints alleged the program included personally abusive interchanges between participants through gaslighting, social, verbal and mental abuse and that the program perpetuated and promoted the theme of domestic abuse,' an ACMA spokesperson previously said.

Back in April, Channel Nine apologised to viewers who made complaints, but insisted the episodes did not breach any broadcast standards. Pictured: a copy of Nine's letter

Many viewers took offence to scenes involving Rawson and Ruthven.

Additionally, a Change.org petition demanded Nine issue an apology for airing 'triggering' scenes involving the 'gaslighting' groom and his long-suffering wife.

The petition, which received 2,500 signatures in under 24 hours, also called for Nine to acknowledge its alleged 'failure of duty of care' towards Rawson.

'This season of Married at First Sight Australia features a couple, Melissa and Bryce, who portray an excessive amount of DV signs which are not being handled by the network appropriately,' the petition stated.

'There is a clear failure of duty of care to Melissa during filming of the show, allowing her to remain in a toxic and dangerous environment with her partner for the "benefit" of the network.'

'She is being subject to gaslighting, emotional manipulation, isolation, and countless other textbook signs of a controlling and/or abusive relationship,' the petition further claimed, adding that the scenes were 'incredibly triggering and stressful to watch'.

It continued: 'This petition is for the Nine Network to acknowledge and apologise for letting Melissa go through this and also airing such a horrible relationship on TV without doing anything to showcase that the relationship is clearly not healthy.'

Despite the backlash, Rawson and Ruthven have remained together since the series went off air. They are now parents to twins and engaged to be married.
Tammy Hembrow made her debut on the AFR's Young Rich List this year.

And she shared her love and appreciation for the team who helped get her there in a heartfelt Instagram post on Thursday.

The 27-year-old, who owns the activewear label Saski Collection, shared photos of herself in a black mini dress with an oversized blazer and Prada shoulder bag.

Gratitude: Tammy Hembrow debuted on the AFR's Young Rich List this year. She shared her appreciation for the team who helped get her there in a heartfelt Instagram post on Thursday

The Gold Coast businesswoman wrote in the caption: 'Appreciate the feature on the AFR Young Rich List. I LOVE MY JOB!!'

She added: 'Saski Collection and Tammy Hembrow Fitness have been such passions of mine from the start and I am so grateful to be able to do what I love every day.

The mother of two thanked her team and employees for their support.

Success story: 'Saski Collection and Tammy Hembrow Fitness have been such passions of mine from the start and I am so grateful to be able to do what I love every day,' she said

'And of course nothing would be possible without any of you!' the influencer said, thanking her millions followers.

She concluded: 'We've had a whirlwind few years but I promise you the best is yet to come!'

The Australian Financial Review's Young Rich List ranks the wealthiest Australians aged 40 and under.

Recognition: The Australian Financial Review's Young Rich List ranks the wealthiest Australians aged 40 and under

Achievement: The fitness influencer is ranked 96th with an estimated net worth of $38million

The fitness influencer is ranked 96th with an estimated net worth of $38million.

In addition to her two fitness-related companies, Saski Collection and Tammy Fit, she boasts 13.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.31 million subscribers on YouTube.

She juggles her business empire with raising two children, son Wolf, six, and daughter Saskia, five, whom she shares with ex-partner Reece Hawkins.
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Kaia Gerber was one of many industry stunners who attended the DKMS 30th anniversary gala in New York City on Thursday evening.

Held Cipriani Wall Street, the 20-year-old model led the charge in a glitzy black gown while joined by the likes of Vera Wang, Jaime King and model Coco Rocha.

The daughter of Cindy Crawford had touched down in NYC from Los Angeles just hours prior, and ahead of the event was seen on the arm of dad Rande Gerber as they grabbed dinner.

Star-studded: For the DKMS 30th gala held at Cipriani Wall Street, the 20-year-old model led the charge in a glitzy black gown while joined by the likes of Vera Wang, Jaime King and model Coco Rocha

DKMS is an international non-profit dedicated to the fight against blood cancer, and the glamorous charity gala drew a handful of stars.

Kaia looked her usually stunning self in a form-fitting sleeveless garment adorned with sequins.

The floor-length dress was simple yet elegant and featured a belt detailing which cinched her tiny waist.

She put her natural good looks on display, opting for a no-fuss glam look that included light mascara while her choppy brown locks were left down.

Effortless: Kaia put her natural good looks on display, opting for a no-fuss glam look that included light mascara while her choppy brown locks were left down

Night out: Kaia (left) was seen in a black garment alongside Coco Rocha (right) who followed suit in the classic hue

Muse: The longtime muse of Christian Siriano stunned in a haute couture black gown with feather-like tulle details coming from the arms

Red carpet ready: While Rocha (left) rocked a glamorous monochromatic look, Jaime King (right) opted for a color blocked dress with a bow

Supermodel Coco Rocha, 33, followed suit in a haute couture black gown with feather-like tulle details coming from the arms.

While she and Kaia opted for the city's classic hue, Jaime King, 42, wore a strapless garment in shades of red and black, that featured a dramatic bow in the front and white glove-like sleeves.

And Vera Wang, 72, opted for a racy look that featured silky black shorts and a bralette with a pink chiffon garment over the top, which she paired with leather heeled boots.

Closeup: King accessorized her edgier red carpet look with dangling diamond earrings

Miss America: The costume-like garment was made more dramatic as the Hart Of Dixie star opted for a center twist in her platinum locks

Big night: King (left) and Wang (right) were pictured with DKMS United States branch's co-founder Katharina Harf (center)

For a good cause: Harf (right) founded the American branch in 2004 and 2021 marks its 30th anniversary worldwide where she invited

Charity gala: Kaia also posed with Harf in public support of she and the organization

Also present was veteran supermodel Niki Taylor and many of the attendees including Kaia, Vera and Jaime were seen posing with DKMS US co-founder Katharina Harf.

DKMS was founded in Germany in 1991 by Katharina's father Peter in an effort to find a larger pool of unrelated stem cell donors to save his wife who was fighting leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant.

The organization now has donor centers in India, Poland, Chile, the UK, and Africa, and has become the world's largest stem cell donor register, fighting to give patients with blood cancer or life-threatening blood disorders a chance at life.

Inside: Once inside the event, attendees gathered in a giant ballroom and took their seats at one of the many gold tables available

Photo ops: Jaime King posed for a snapshot in front of her table of choice, with Coco Rocha turned the event stage into her own personal catwalk

Once inside the event, attendees gathered in a giant ballroom and took their seats at one of the many gold tables available.

Jaime King posed for a snapshot in front of her table of choice, with Coco Rocha turned the event stage into her own personal catwalk.

Some stars were captured rolling up to the 30th anniversary gala, including Kaia Gerber who graciously stopped to sign autographs for fans.

Earlier: Kaia was pictured prior to the event leaving the Crosby Street Hotel

Daddy's girl: Ahead of the event was seen on the arm of dad Rande Gerber as they left their Soho hotel

Dinner date: The Casamigos founder and his model daughter grabbed a bite to eat before she went to the gala on Thursday evening

Sweet: Kaia stopped to sign a few autographs before heading inside

Right on time: Coco was captured rocking her couture outside as she swiftly made her way into the event venue
Bertie Carvel, one of this country's most acclaimed actors  his roles have ranged from Nick Clegg to Rupert Murdoch to the philandering former husband of TV's Doctor Foster  is to portray Tony Blair in The Crown.

In its fifth season, due out in November next year, the Netflix drama will tackle two of the biggest events in recent UK history  the death of the Princess of Wales; and how Britain went to war in Iraq, following 9/11.

It is a giant role for 44-year-old Carvel, who possesses an uncanny, chameleon-esque ability to disappear into his characters.

The Crown's creative team have a draft script written by Peter Morgan that explores Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, three months after Blair was elected to No 10 following a landslide victory.

Bertie Carvel (left) one of this country's most acclaimed actors, is to portray Tony Blair in The Crown. Pictured right: Prime Minister Blair speaking after death of Princess Diana in 1997

Morgan has been very clear that the episode will not show the actual crash. Intriguingly, though, it will explore a different angle from the one depicted in the 2006 film The Queen, which starred Helen Mirren as the monarch and Michael Sheen as Blair.

It is a giant role for 44-year-old Carvel (pictured as Nick Clegg in Coalition), who possesses an uncanny, chameleon-esque ability to disappear into his characters

In that film, also written by Morgan, and directed by Stephen Frears, Blair is seen to be at odds with the Palace over how to handle the death of the princess.

Blair famously hailed Diana as 'The People's Princess', while the Queen deemed her death a private matter and was not prepared for the national outpouring of emotion from the public.

The Crown wants to examine more of the constitutional crisis behind the scenes; and how the Queen was said to have felt bullied by her Prime Minister into making a public declaration about Diana.

'We don't want to go the same route as the film,' an executive on the production confided.

'There are aspects of the clash between the Queen and Blair that haven't really been aired yet. It's being so sensitively handled because of Diana's sons  and the Queen . . . and Charles. Just making it is seen as controversial. And then we have to show it.'

The executive pointed to the calibre of the A-list cast. Imelda Staunton as the Queen. Dominic West as Charles. Elizabeth Debicki as Diana. Jonathan Pryce as the Duke of Edinburgh. And now Carvel as Blair (his deal is close to completion).

The Crown's creative team have a draft script written by Peter Morgan that explores Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales in the fifth season of The Crown

Other members of the A-list cast include Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Dominic West (pictured) as Charles

'These are huge actors who can convey as much with one look as a page of dialogue. They know how to do this sensitively.'

As for Carvel, I believe he can do anything. He won an Olivier for his hammer-tossing headmistress in the musical Matilda, a triumph for the Royal Shakespeare Company (and the late, much-loved executive producer Andre Ptaszynski) that is still running at the Cambridge Theatre.

(Though I did notice Netflix insisted on casting 'a real woman' for the film version. Emma Thompson got that part, and not Ralph Fiennes, who'd been offered it earlier.)

No fairytale ending for Old Vic and Python Gilliam

Stephen Sondheim, the much garlanded composer, is fuming over a decision by the Old Vic to pull out of a production of his dark fairy tale Into The Woods after executives at the theatre refused to work with the show's director, Monty Python legend Terry Gilliam.

A faction at the theatre refused to engage with Gilliam, saying they didn't want to work with 'old white men like him'. They were referring to comments he made in an interview about former movie boss Harvey Weinstein and the women who accused him of sexual assault.

In the interview, published early in 2020 in the Independent, Gilliam stated: 'There are many victims in Harvey's life and I feel sympathy for them, but then Hollywood is full of very ambitious people who are adults and they make choices.'

Stephen Sondheim (pictured), the much garlanded composer, is fuming over a decision by the Old Vic to pull out of a production of his dark fairy tale Into The Woods after executives at the theatre refused to work with the show's director, Monty Python legend Terry Gilliam

More than a year later, in March 2021, this column revealed that Gilliam would direct the musical, by Sondheim and James Lapine, at the Old Vic.

The reaction from the theatre when I asked for details was hostile. It seems they never wanted to do the show in the first place. And certainly not with Gilliam.

On Wednesday evening, cast members who had signed contracts to begin rehearsals in January  the show was due to open in April, and had already sold roughly 500,000 worth of tickets  were told the Old Vic and co-producers Scenario Two (the theatre company that has the London first-class rights to Into The Woods) had 'mutually' agreed not to continue with the production.

Scenario is now scrambling to find a theatre for the musical, which is still going to be directed by Gilliam, with Leah Hausman co-directing and choreographing.

'My view is straightforward,' said John Berry, former leader of the English National Opera and a Scenario partner. 'I've got to put efforts into looking for a new theatre.' He repeated the mantra that the decision to pull Into The Woods from the Old Vic was 'mutually' agreed.

A faction at the theatre refused to engage with Gilliam (pictured in 2021), saying they didn't want to work with 'old white men like him' after comments he made in an interview about former movie boss Harvey Weinstein

Who's the big bad wolf here, I wondered? Were executives and board members at the Old Vic uneasy and uncomfortable about Gilliam and his views? 'You'll have to ask Matthew Warchus that,' Berry responded, referring to the theatre's award-winning artistic director.

However, Warchus, Gilliam, Old Vic executives and PR people did not respond to messages for a comment. I did speak to one Old Vic trustee who said everyone at the South Bank theatre had been emailed and told to keep quiet on the subject. When I inquired about the mood at the venue, I was told: 'Well, we've got A Christmas Carol coming. People love that.'

Sondheim, however, has let his displeasure be known. The 91-year-old musical theatre legend is said to be angry and upset.

Ticket-holders were sent an email at 1pm yesterday telling them the news. The Old Vic, meanwhile, appears to be lost in the woods.

A music gem, if you get my Drift!

The train from King's Cross dropped me at Newcastle station. A few hours later, sitting in the centre stalls of the magnificent Frank Matcham-designed auditorium of the city's Theatre Royal, I'm in a Saturday Night At The Movies kind of mood.

That's because I've been watching The Drifters Girl, starring an incandescent Beverley Knight and her four extraordinary leading men  Adam J. Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud. Five of the juiciest roles this year.

Top five: I've been watching The Drifters Girl, starring an incandescent Beverley Knight and her four extraordinary leading men. Pictured: Bernard, Wanogho-Maud, Knight, Henry and Callender

By the end, the entire audience was on its feet,and I knew I'd just watched a musical of the calibre I'd normally rave about from Broadway, but here I was way  howay!  north of Watford.

Knight portrays Faye Treadwell, the 'passionate, fearless' woman who took control of the organisation that owned the Drifters, and their earworm hits. Sitting backstage, sandwiched between her cast mates, she added: 'She galvanises these guys to be the best they can be.'

The four men perform countless roles in the show  the many Drifters replacements over the years, showgirls (with feather boas); racist white cops. At one point, Matt Henry plays Bruce Forsyth. He really does. 'We're always being told there isn't enough black talent, so they have to come from America,' said Wanogho-Maud. 'But it's right here.'

I predict The Drifters Girl will reawaken that Saturday Night vibe every day of the week.

Previews at London's Garrick Theatre from next Thursday.

Andrew Garfield is giving one of the year's best film performances in Lin-Manuel Miranda's superb film adaptation of Jonathan Larson's autobiographical work, tick, tick . . . BOOM!

Andrew Garfield is giving one of the year's best film performances in Lin-Manuel Miranda's superb film adaptation of Jonathan Larson's autobiographical work, tick, tick . . . BOOM!

Larson is best known as the composer of musical Rent. And Miranda has, essentially, made an engrossing biography of his determination to create a hit show before he was 30.

He died aged 35, before either Rent or tick, tick opened.

This great movie will show in cinemas on November 12, and will stream on Netflix from November 19.
The Magician's Elephant (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon)

Verdict: Plot goes on safari

Rating:

There are two elephants in the Royal Shakespeare Company's big new autumn musical starring Summer Strallen and Forbes Masson.

One is the elephant on the stage; the other is the elephant in the room.

The former is a terrific life-sized puppet, right up there with Joey in War Horse. The metaphorical one 'in the room' is the plot, which seems to have gone on safari.

Based on Kate DiCamillo's 2009 fantasy novel, the story does pick up after the interval but, for the first half at least, Nancy Harris and Marc Teitler's adaptation is all dressed up with no place to go.

The lumbering elephant made with armoured plates, with its cloth ears and doleful eyes

The Magician's Elephant is on show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon

There is an excess of angst and paradox as our young hero, Peter, struggles to make sense of life in the gloomy, dystopian town of Baltese in the aftermath of a war.

He is promised that 'profound and difficult questions' will be answered inside a circus tent, and his tormented opening number runs: 'If this is true, then everything's a lie.'

Manning up, he pins his hopes on a memory of being separated at birth from a sister; and he is advised by a fortune-teller that to find her, he needs to follow an elephant that has been accidentally conjured up by an over-eager magician.

As a set-up, it's somewhat strained; and little else happens in the first hour  apart from townsfolk singing about the elephant and a petulant Countess (Strallen) feeling threatened by the animal's growing celebrity.

Mercifully, things start to shift in the second half, thanks to the introduction of the missing sister, Adele: a big-hearted, frustrated adventurer shut away in a convent orphanage.

Peter also finally gets to meet the elephant he has been dreaming of and, realising it's sick, embarks on a mission to find the magician and return it to Africa.

Sarah Tipple's production packs spectacle and it's acted and sung with verve and commitment.

Really, though, it needs a love story, or a more potent point of emotional connection.

Sarah Tipple's production packs spectacle and it's acted and sung with verve and commitment

Steeped in yellow lighting, the set's stained ironwork has the look of a Victorian underground station.

And although clearly inspired by the work of tortured post-World War I German expressionist painter Otto Dix, the monochrome suits, thickly buttoned greatcoats and elephant prostheses worn by the excited townsfolk are also reminiscent of a Tim Burton film.

The best feature by far is the lumbering elephant made with armoured plates, with its cloth ears and doleful eyes.

But Teitler's music never really settles. It works through styles from Kurt Weill dissonance to Sondheim-ish rumination, with touches of comic jazz.

In the end, it tries to salvage some Disney-style redemption with the string-drenched Anything Could Happen.

Jack Wolfe, as Peter, looks a great prospect, bringing vulnerability and resolve to the oddly isolated role of the ragged-trousered waif.

The Magician's Elephant is adapted from Kate DiCamillo's prize-winning novel and is directed by Sarah Tipple

And as his sister Adele, Miriam Nyarko brings much-needed vitality to the sometimes morose music.

There are broad comic turns, too, from Strallen as the shrill, spoilt brat Countess; and Sam Harrison as her downtrodden husband, The Count Who Doesn't Count.

Masson lays it on thick as a pink-faced, twitching, Herbert Lom-style police chief whose truncheon doubles as a hip flask.

But none of these comic grotesques, or the sincerity of our leads, are a substitute for a good yarn.

What we really want is not triumph through hardship  we've been there and got the jab  but a burst of winter sunshine.

Drowning in motherhood

Mum (Soho Theatre, London)

Verdict: Mother of all battles

Rating:

A Woman serenely strokes her baby bump on the seashore, dipping her toes into gently lapping waves.

Seconds later, limbs flailing, Nina is overwhelmed by the tsunami (she calls it a poo-nami) of childbirth and the 'soft torture' that is motherhood. She is not waving but drowning.

Having left baby Ben in the charge of his father, David, for the first time ever, a frazzled, febrile, frantic Nina offloads to her best friend, Jackie.

'I didn't know I could both love and hate so fully, with my whole body,' she says, confessing that she now realises why people shake their sleepless babies.

Mum is on show at the Soho Theatre in London, with the team behind the play best known for Fleabag

The play has a fearless, unflinching approach with an intensity and darkness

Such is the intensity and darkness of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play that it must surely be added to the list of things to avoid during pregnancy.

Sophie Melville's almost unbearably raw performance as the tortured Nina suggests a gaping wound, seeping with tears, simultaneously tender and toxic.

Occasionally  and brilliantly  Nina slips out of control, in what appears to be an out-of-body experience, as she hurls herself around the stage.

It is this that makes it impossible to know if she might, unintentionally, be responsible for Ben's bruises and fractures.

Nina is quite literally in court here, wholly unsupported because Jackie, a health worker, is wearing her professional, objective hat.

The team behind this is Francesca Moody Productions, best known for Fleabag, which perhaps accounts for its fearless, unflinching approach. Brace yourself.

GEORGINA BROWN

The Lemon Table (Crucible, Sheffield, and touring)

Verdict: Refreshingly tart

Rating:

Snowy-topped Ian McDiarmid, best known as Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine, has adapted two rueful Julian Barnes short stories about late life agonies.

One is about a grumpy old concert goer; the other about the Finnish composer Sibelius, in his twilight years. Both are directed by Michael Grandage.

The first piece, Vigilance, is reminiscent of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads. Our concert goer is a fusspot, obsessed with people spoiling his pleasure in Mozart with their coughing, rustling and scratching.

He glares, he hands out cough sweets, he prods  he even challenges people in the interval. He also dreams of turning a spotlight on malefactors, and even electrocuting their chairs.

(In a classic case of life imitating art, I found myself distracted by a woman nearby who, clearly not getting the message, was enthusiastically crinkling her crisp packet while flicking through her phone.)

Ian McDiarmid, best known as Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine, stars in The Lemon Table

The play is on show at the Crucible in Sheffield and is touring elsewhere

In the Sibelius story, The Silence, we find the composer in epic self-pitying mode, struggling with his Eighth Symphony.

He looks back on a life he claims to have sacrificed to his art.

But is his neurosis the cause or effect of this sacrifice? Will his love of whisky get the better of his work, as it has of his marriage? Will cranes ever fly past his home again?

As Sibelius, McDiarmid deploys a less nasally, more resonant voice than his first, more fastidious character.

Grandage and co-director Titas Halder see to it that the actor's movement is tightly orchestrated, too.

At first, he steps carefully about the stage like a haughty pigeon, before mounting an antique table to pose like a statue and orate before a sweeping grey curtain.

It's impeccably and tastefully done, but this is very bespoke salon theatre, dealing (wryly) with very specialist hand wringing.

For tour details visit michaelgrandagecompany.com
The Melbourne Cup is going ahead next week following Victoria's hard lockdown.

And the celebrations kicked off early on Friday.

Model Montana Cox got the party started at the G.H Mumm Melbourne Cup Media call.

Let's get this party started! Model Montana Cox stunned in a scarlet dress as she celebrated celebrate the upcoming Melbourne Cup on Friday at the G.H Mumm Melbourne Cup Media call

The beauty beamed as she opened a bottle of expensive champagne with a sabre at the event.

For the occasion, the 28-year-old looked stunning in a red one-shoulder dress teamed with a wide-brimmed hat.

Montana wore a slick of red lipstick to match her frock and glowed in a bronze makeup palette.

Despite Victoria's hard lockdowns earlier this year, Melbourne Cup celebrations are due to go ahead as scheduled.

Stunning: For the occasion, the 28-year-old looked stunning in a red one-shoulder dress teamed with a wide-brimmed hat

Fun times ahead: The Melbourne Cup is still going ahead next week following Victoria's hard lockdown and the celebrations kicked off early on Friday

Victorian Racing Carnival chairman Neil Wilson said the club was ready to welcome crowds back to Flemington and play its role in reigniting major events in Victoria.

'The VRC is incredibly proud that this year's Melbourne Cup Carnival is playing a role to revive major events in Victoria,' Mr Wilson said.

'We're delighted to be able to host patrons on all four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and in turn create more than 4,000 jobs in the process.'

Meanwhile. model turned actress Montana recently revealed her jet-setter lifestyle led her to contracting Covid-19 twice last year.

Beaming beauty: Montana wore a slick of red lipstick to match her frock and glowed in a bronze makeup palette

She said that after her ordeal she was so eager to return home that she left her belongings overseas and fled Down Under.

'I have half of my apartment in New York, half of my stuff still back in London. I came back [to Australia] quickly,' she told Stellar Magazine on Friday.

'I was in London when Covid happened and I still had my New York apartment. I got rid of the lease and got someone to pack all of my stuff.

Glowing: Montana wore a slick of red lipstick to match her frock and glowed in bronzed makeup

'My whole apartment is sitting in New York storage right now. I don't even know what's there anymore. I'm happy at home now,' she added.

In February, Montana first admitted that she'd contracted coronavirus twice while living in London last year.

At the time, the glamazon told the Herald Sun that she'd she tested positive after travelling from New York to the UK for a job.

'I had it early on and then got it again in October,' she said.

Since returning to Australia, Montana has used her time in lockdown to fine-tune her acting skills.

In June, Channel Ten announced Montana was joining Neighbours.

It has since been revealed that Montana will make her acting debut on Ramsay Street as Brittany Barnes.

Montana first rose to fame on the 2011 season of Australia's Next Top Model.
Jennifer Garner appears to have been spending more one-on-one quality with her nine-year-old son Samuel in recent months.

And on Thursday the mother-son duo got in some more time together when the Peppermint star walked her boy to and from school, and afterwards went on an errand run around the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

With her day full of stops out and about, the Once Upon A Farm baby food company co-founder decided to keep it casual in the fashion department dark blue leggings that she paired with burgundy leg warmers, a black t-shirt and sneakers.

Quality time; Jennifer Garner spent more one-on-one time with her nine-year-old son Samuel, which included a walk to school and an errand run around town

In keeping with her casual theme, the Texas native pulled her long brown tresses back into a loose ponytail.

It appears as though Garner, 49, has been personally sending her boy off to school of late as a means to spend time with Samuel.

On this day, he opted to wear light blue shorts with a grey t-shirt and black running sneakers.

And with COVID-19 still a danger, the pair made sure to wear a protective mask over their mouths and noses while out around people in public.

Sporty: The actress got in some fast-walking dressed in skin-tight blue leggings that she paired with burgundy leg warmers, a black t-shirt and sneakers

Along with Sam, Garner also has two daughters: Violet, 15, and Seraphina, 12, that she co-parents with ex-husband Ben Affleck.

In between tending to her three kids, Garner also spends time making decisions as One Upon A Farms' chief brand officer, as well as her latest acting projects.

Her new film, the science fiction film The Adam Project, is currently in the post-production phase. Directed by Shawn Levy, the Netflix production also stars Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Alex Mallari Jr. and Walker Scobell.

The Adam Project is slated to premiere on Netflix on early 2022.

Busy lady: In between tending to her three kids, Garner also spends time making decisions as One Upon A Farms' chief brand officer, as well as her latest acting projects

Taking care of business: Garner also took care of some business at hand by herself

Garner is also keeping tabs on the construction of her new house in the Brentwood Park area, near where Affleck lives.

According to the New York Post, the 13 Going On 30 actress bought the property in 2019 for nearly $7.9 million and then had the original four-bedroom abode, built back in 1930, torn down in order to build a brand new one from the ground up.

Construction has been ongoing on her dream house for well over a year.
Bella Hadid looked concerned as she arrived back at her New York City apartment after lunch with her mother Yolanda Hadid on Thursday.

Just hours earlier reports emerged claiming Yolanda had been 'struck' by Zayn Malik, her daughter Gigi's on-off partner and co-parent, and was considering pressing criminal charges, per TMZ.

And it appeared lots was weighing on Bella's mind as she headed home.

Heavy: Bella Hadid looked concerned as she arrived home to her New York apartment on Thursday night after a long lunch with mother Yolanda. Earlier that day reports claiming Zayn Malik had 'struck' Yolanda emerged via TMZ

The IMG-repped model, 25, was dressed down for the outing, teaming a black turtleneck and crisp white shirt with a quilted vest, smart slacks and a belt.

She slicked her brunette tresses out of her face neatly and wore eyeglasses while leather loafers and a designer handbag tied the look together.

It appears to be a tense time for Bella and family.

According to TMZ, Yolanda alleges she was 'struck' by Zayn during an altercation that occurred 'some point last week,' whereas Zayn claims the incident involved nothing more than an exchange of 'harsh words' and had taken place 'several weeks ago' at Gigi's home.

Simple: The IMG-repped model was dressed down for the outing, teaming a black turtleneck and crisp white shirt with a quilted vest, smart slacks and a belt

Co-parenting: 'They are not together right now. They are both good parents though,' a source revealed to People on Thursday, adding that the former couple 'co-parent' their one-year-old daughter Khai

The outlet also said that Yolanda is considering filing a police report. As of Thursday, October 28, no police reports were seen on file.

No further details have been provided in regards to what may have triggered the alleged scuffle between the two.

Appearing to not take sides, a representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time.'

This comes after People magazine reported: 'They are not together right now. They are both good parents though.'

He said, she said: According to TMZ , Yolanda alleged she was 'struck' by Zayn during an altercation that occurred 'some point last week,' whereas Zayn claimed on Twitter that the incident involved nothing more than an exchange of 'harsh words' and had taken place 'several weeks ago' at Gigi's home; Zayn and Yolanda seen in 2017

Indirect: Malik refrained from naming Yolanda in his lengthy Twitter post and, instead, referred to her as 'a family member of my partner's' as he expressed concern for how the public allegations will affect Khai and her environment

Zayn and Gigi, who have dated on/off since 2015, welcomed their only child in September 2020. Hadid had confirmed her pregnancy in the spring of that year.

Malik denied striking Yolanda in a statement to TMZ, saying: 'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private.'

Prior to the publication of TMZ's story, Malik alluded to the allegations on social media.

Denied: 'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private,' said Zayn in a statement to TMZ, which was published shortly after his Twitter post

Focusing on Khai: Appearing to not take sides, a representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time'

In his lengthy Twitter post, Zayn described himself as a 'private person' and expressed obvious dismay over 'private family matters' being 'thrown on the world stage.'

He wrote: 'As you all know I am a private person and I very much want to create a safe and private safe for my daughter to grow up in. A place where private family matters aren't thrown on the world stage for all to poke and pick apart.

'In an effort to protect that space for her I agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner's who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago.

'This was and still should be a private matter but it seems for now there is divisiveness and despite my efforts to restore us to a peaceful family environment that will allow for me to co-parent my daughter in a manner in which she deserves, this has been 'leaked' to the press.

He added: 'I am hopeful though for healing for all involved with the harsh words shared and more importantly I remain vigilant to protect Khai and give her the privacy she needs.'

On/off: Zayn and Gigi, who have dated on/off since 2015, welcomed their only child in September 2020. Hadid had confirmed her pregnancy in the spring of that year
Brad Pitt has had an appeal in his ongoing custody case with Angelina Jolie denied by the California Supreme Court.

Pitt's legal team last month asked the court to give the case another look following the disqualification of Judge John Ouderkirk, People reported, citing court docs.

With Ouderkirk's removal from the case, a ruling giving him more time with his five minor children - Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and Vivienne and Knox, 13 - was voided, reverting back to a legal agreement previously established in November of 2018.

The latest: Brad Pitt, 57, has had an appeal in his ongoing custody case with Angelina Jolie, 46, denied by the California Supreme Court

The California Supreme Court ruled, 'Petition and stay denied,' upholding the disqualification from the appellate court in the case, according to the outlet.

Pitt's rep told the publication that the prior decision made by the appeals court 'was based on a technical procedural issue and the Supreme Court's decision not to review that procedural issue does not change the extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the trial judge - and the many experts who testified - to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children's best interests.'

Pitt's legal team 'will continue to do everything that's legally necessary based on the detailed findings of the independent experts,' the rep said.

Lawyers for Jolie told People in a statement Wednesday that the court's recent decision was sound.

Out and about: Pitt was snapped watching the US Open in NYC last month

Pitt and Jolie were snapped in November of 2015, less than a year before their split

'Ms. Jolie is focused on her family and pleased that her children's wellbeing will not be guided by unethical behavior,' Jolie's legal team told the outlet. 'As reinforced by California's appellate courts, our judiciary prioritizes ethics and children's best interests, and won't tolerate judicial misconduct to reward the interests of a party. Ms. Jolie is glad for the family to now move forward cooperatively.'

The court said that Ouderkirk's disqualification this past summer was linked to 'failure to make mandatory disclosures' about other interactions he's had with Pitt's lawyers that 'might cause an objective person, aware of all of the facts' to question his impartiality.

Pitt's legal team said in their petition that the disqualification of the judge 'effectively upended the constitutionally authorized temporary judging system in California' as well as leaving 'the door [open] to disqualification challenges at any point during a case, even if the party raising the motion has long been on notice about the alleged grounds for disqualification.'

They continued: 'In so doing, the opinion is guaranteed to fuel disqualification gamesmanship and raises serious questions as to whether the temporary judging system is a viable option in California's severely backlogged judicial system.'

Ouderkirk was initially hired for the case in 2016 and twice extended, leading both parties to state any potential business dealings with the judge. The Appellate Court took issue with cases he was later hired for, which were not immediately shared with Jolie's legal team.

Pitt's legal team said Jolie's lawyer were 'made aware of Judge Ouderkirk's significant professional history with Pitt's counsel from the very start' but deliberately took years to ask he be removed from the case.
A Bachelorette contestant who was torn to shreds by Angie Kent for his sleazy behaviour on the dating show in 2019 has reacted to her drink-driving offence.

Former Noosa councillor Jess Glasgow said he had 'no sympathy' for Angie, who pleaded guilty on Wednesday to mid-range drink driving, and said her illegal actions were 'almost as bad as what I did'.

Angie, 31, had infamously made an example of Jess two years ago after he acted inappropriately towards her and female crew members on The Bachelorette, calling him out for his sexism and sending him home in disgrace.

No sympathy: Jess Glasgow, the Bachelorette contestant who was torn to shreds by Angie Kent for his sleazy behaviour on the show in 2019, has reacted to her drink-driving offence

Jess told Daily Mail Australia on Friday: 'Look at what she's doing, it's almost as bad as what I did; however, I don't pretend to be someone I'm not like she does.'

'We all make mistakes [and] I hope she learns from it, but she doesn't get any sympathy from me,' he added.

Angie, 31, appeared at Sydney's Downing Centre Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving charge.

She'd been caught over the limit with a blood-alcohol level of 0.081 during a random breath test in Pyrmont on October 3.

Angie had claimed she'd only had two drinks on an empty stomach while getting ready for a fully-vaccinated picnic.

She received a four-month driving ban and was fined $1,200, as well as ordered to participate in an interlock program for 12 months.

Having his say: Jess told Daily Mail Australia on Friday: 'Look at what she's doing, it's almost as bad as what I did; however, I don't pretend to be someone I'm not like she does. We all make mistakes [and] I hope she learns from it, but she doesn't get any sympathy from me'

Court matter: Angie, 31, appeared at Sydney's Downing Centre Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving charge. She'd been caught over the limit with a blood-alcohol level of 0.081 during a random breath test in Pyrmont on October 3

A remorseful Angie told The Daily Telegraph on Thursday: 'Let me be the lesson.

'If you think you can have two drinks and drive, think again, because it is totally not worth the lapse of judgment.

'I am so grateful that I didn't hurt anybody and I will never have two drinks and drive again.'

Regrets: A remorseful Angie said on Thursday: 'Let me be the lesson. If you think you can have two drinks and drive, think again, because it is totally not worth the lapse of judgment. I am so grateful that I didn't hurt anybody and I will never have two drinks and drive again'

Jess was one of the 20 men vying for Angie's heart during season five of The Bachelorette in 2019.

But he was booted out after his sexist behaviour was brought to her attention.

During a photo shoot group date, Jess was dressed as a horse and Angie was instructed to sit on his back.

Lewd: Jess was one of the 20 men vying for Angie's heart on season five of The Bachelorette in 2019. He was booted out after his sexist behaviour was brought to her attention

'Don't mind if I get some wandering fingers, alright?' he told her, before joking he'd be 'the first person she gets to ride'.

He then pretended to bite and lick her bottom as she stood beside him, completely oblivious to what he was doing.

Angie asked Jess to leave in episode two, after he made inappropriate remarks towards her and female crew members.

Marching orders: Angie asked Jess to leave in episode two, after he made inappropriate remarks towards her and female crew members

Jess told 2DayFM earlier this year his portrayal as a 'creep' on the Channel 10 dating show resulted in death threats against his family.

When asked if he was considering legal options, he said he had engaged 'a law team, don't worry'.

In March 2021, Jess was fined $4,000 following an investigation by the Councillor Conduct Tribunal into his behaviour on the program.
Sharon Stone cut a radiant figure as she hit the red carpet for the ELLE Style Awards gala in Seville, Spain this Thursday.

The 63-year-old Basic Instinct legend made her presence felt in a black trouser suit that dripped with glittering sequined fringe.

Putting her cleavage on display in a plunging top she sharpened her unmistakable screen siren features with makeup for the big event.

There she is: Sharon Stone cut a radiant figure as she hit the red carpet for the ELLE Style Awards gala in Seville, Spain this Thursday

Wearing her signature blonde hair in a short elegant coiff, she added an extra touch of glitz to the look with gleaming hoops.

Sharon slung a handbag over one shoulder and flashed her megawatt smile for the shutterbugs as she made her way across the red carpet.

Pop star Rita Ora also went for a black ensemble for the evening's festivities, showing off from multiple angles as she twirled in front of the cameras.

Rita slipped into a plunging little black dress that was covered in sequins and featured sheer mesh straps.

Looking fab: The 63-year-old Basic Instinct legend made her presence felt in a black trouser suit that dripped with glittering sequined fringe

Aglow: Wearing her signature blonde hair in a short elegant coiff, she added an extra touch of glitz to the look with gleaming hoops

Terrific: Sharon slung a handbag over one shoulder and flashed her megawatt smile for the shutterbugs as she made her way across the red carpet

The Pristina-born songstress, who was named after Rita Hayworth, balanced expertly on a pair of platform heels while striding the red carpet.

She clasped on a glittering necklace with a blue stone that along with her scarlet lipstick contributed to a bit of color to her look.

Rita, who swept her hair into a high updo, let the cameras capture the rear of her outfit including its sheer mesh back.

Pop star: Rita Ora also went for a black ensemble for the evening's festivities, showing off from multiple angles as she twirled in front of the cameras

Swanking about: The Pristina-born songstress, who was named after Rita Hayworth, balanced expertly on a pair of platform heels while striding the red carpet

The last detail: She clasped on a glittering necklace with a blue stone that along with her scarlet lipstick contributed to a bit of color to her look

Hungarian model Barbara Palvin slid her enviably trim frame into a strapless floor-length blue gown with red floral accents.

Her backless frock shimmered under the lights as she showed this angle and that to the photographers that evening.

The Budapest native, who is currently involved with Dylan Sprouse, had a large black tulle bow at her neckline with sashes that fell past the waist.

Place to be: Hungarian model Barbara Palvin slid her enviably trim frame into a strapless floor-length blue gown with red floral accents
Anwar Hadid and girlfriend Dua Lipa tried to keep a low-profile while out to dinner in London on Thursday amid reports of family drama.

The model, 22, and songstress, 26, appeared in a hurry as they snuck into Iranian restaurant Berenjak in London's Soho.

Earlier that day reports emerged claiming that Anwar's mother Yolanda Hadid, 57, was 'struck' by Zayn Malik - the on/off boyfriend of her daughter Gigi - and was considering filing charges against the former boybander, per TMZ.

Low profile: Anwar Hadid and girlfriend Dua Lipa tried to keep a low profile while out in London on Thursday, following reports his mother Yolanda had been 'struck' by Zayn Malik, Gigi Hadid's now said-to-be ex boyfriend

Anwar was dressed down in a vintage tee shirt with black jeans, a black jacket and a matching beanie.

He looked like a gentleman as he ushered Dua into the restaurant with an arm extended.

The Hallucinate songstress was sporty and chic for the trip, where she teased her pop star abs wearing a blue and purple patterned halter neck co-ord set with a baggy black jacket and chunky silver sneakers.

She carried her essentials in a small fuchsia padded bag and accessorized her ensemble with chunky dangly earrings and an array of statement silver rings.

Hurry: The model, 22, and songstress, 26, appeared in a hurry as they snuck into Iranian restaurant Berenjak in London's Soho

Fun: The Hallucinate songstress was sporty and chic for the trip, where she teased her pop star abs wearing a blue and purple patterned halter neck co-ord set

By her side: He looked like a gentleman as he ushered Dua into the restaurant

That same day reports emerged claiming Yolanda had been 'struck' by Zayn Malik, her daughter Gigi's on-off partner and co-parent, and was considering pressing criminal charges, per TMZ.

And it appeared lots was weighing on Bella's mind as she headed home.

The IMG-repped model, 25, was dressed down for the outing, teaming a black turtleneck and crisp white shirt with a quilted vest, smart slacks and a belt.

She slicked her brunette tresses out of her face neatly and wore eyeglasses while leather loafers and a designer handbag tied the look together.

It appears to be a tense time for Bella and family.

According to TMZ, Yolanda alleges she was 'struck' by Zayn during an altercation that occurred 'some point last week,' whereas Zayn claims the incident involved nothing more than an exchange of 'harsh words' and had taken place 'several weeks ago' at Gigi's home.

Not good: That same day reports emerged claiming Yolanda had been 'struck' by Zayn Malik , her daughter Gigi's on-off partner and co-parent, and was considering pressing criminal charges, per TMZ

Baby: Zayn and Gigi 'are not together right now. They are both good parents though' according to People

The outlet also said that Yolanda is considering filing a police report. As of Thursday, October 28, no police reports were seen on file.

No further details have been provided in regards to what may have triggered the alleged scuffle between the two.

A representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time.'

This comes after People magazine reported that Zayn and Gigi 'are not together right now. They are both good parents though.'

Indirect: Malik refrained from naming Yolanda in his lengthy Twitter post and, instead, referred to her as 'a family member of my partner's' as he expressed concern for how the public allegations will affect Khai and her environment

Denied: 'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private,' said Zayn in a statement to TMZ, which was published shortly after his Twitter post

Zayn and Gigi, who have dated on/off since 2015, welcomed their only child in September 2020. Hadid had confirmed her pregnancy in the spring of that year.

Malik denied striking Yolanda in a statement to TMZ, saying: 'I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details and I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private.'

Prior to the publication of TMZ's story, Malik alluded to the allegations on social media.

Focusing on Khai: Appearing to not take sides, a representative for Gigi told E! News that the runway star 'is solely focused on the best for Khai' and that 'she asks for privacy during this time'

In his lengthy Twitter post, Zayn described himself as a 'private person' and expressed obvious dismay over 'private family matters' being 'thrown on the world stage.'

He wrote: 'As you all know I am a private person and I very much want to create a safe and private safe for my daughter to grow up in. A place where private family matters aren't thrown on the world stage for all to poke and pick apart.

'In an effort to protect that space for her I agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner's who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago.

'This was and still should be a private matter but it seems for now there is divisiveness and despite my efforts to restore us to a peaceful family environment that will allow for me to co-parent my daughter in a manner in which she deserves, this has been 'leaked' to the press.

He added: 'I am hopeful though for healing for all involved with the harsh words shared and more importantly I remain vigilant to protect Khai and give her the privacy she needs.'
Emily Ward was evicted from the Love Island Australia villa on Thursday.

And speaking to Daily Mail Australia the day after her exit, the 24-year-old revealed she was hoping to reconnect with co-star Taku Chimwaza after he leaves the show.

The content creator said she had a 'genuine' connection with Taku, also 24, and admitted her 'heart aches' for him now they're apart.

Smitten: Dumped Love Island star Emily Ward (left) has revealed her 'heart aches' for Taku Chimwaza (right) and admits she wants to reconnect with him outside the villa

'I can't wait to see him again. He's the one my heart aches for the most because I was really mourning what could have been when I left. It got cut short... five minutes later, I go home,' she said.

'He deserves the absolute world and I'm sad I couldn't give that to him out there, but we'll see what happens on the outside.'

Emily said they'd promised each other dates in their home cities once the show is over. She is based in Melbourne and Taku lives in Wollongong.

Missing him: 'I can't wait to see him again. He's the one my heart aches for the most because I was really mourning what could have been when I left. It got cut short... five minutes later, I go home,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Friday

Tears: Emily was evicted from the Channel Nine dating show on Thursday

'He told me he will give me a tour [of Wollongong] and I'll give him the extreme Melbourne tour,' she said.

'Even if he does walk out of the villa with someone else, we will still have a great connection.'

For now, she will be reconnecting with her family and friends who have spent the past few months living under lockdown.

Interstate love story: Emily said they'd promised each other dates in their home cities once the show is over. She is based in Melbourne and Taku lives in Wollongong

Looking back on her time in the villa, Emily said she was 'grateful' for the experience and 'had so much fun'.

'I'm super grateful for it,' she said, adding: 'The only regret I have is not getting to spend more time with Taku in there.'

Love Island Australia continues Monday at 8:45pm. on Channel Nine
DaBaby returned to the Rolling Loud festival at Citi Field in New York on Thursday with support from his friend and colleague 50 Cent.

The appearance from the rap artist, 29, marked his first time at the festival after he was dropped for using homophobic slurs onstage during a July 25 concert in Miami.

DaBaby, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, emerged onstage alongside 50 Cent as the rapper's special guest at the show, which show organizers approved, TMZ reported.

The latest: DaBaby, 29, returned to the Rolling Loud festival at Citi Field in New York on Thursday with support from his friend and colleague 50 Cent. He was seen after a stage dive at the show

The Suge artist was dropped by the tour after making inflammatory remarks toward the LGBTQ+ community, as well as people with HIV and AIDS.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native asked the audience to raise their hands 'if you didn't show up today with HIV/AIDS or other STDs that'll make you die in two to three weeks,' among other offensive remarks.

The Grammy-nominee was subsequently dropped from events including Lollapalooza, the Day N Vegas in Las Vegas and New York Citys Governors Ball in connection with the remarks.

His remarks were also condemned by artists including Questlove, Madonna, Elton John and his one-time collaborator Dua Lipa, who said on Instagram she was 'surprised and horrified' by the remarks he made in Miami.

50 Cent shared a clip of the artist running into the crowd in the Big Apple

The musical artist was seen last month at an event in Atlanta

Lipa added, 'I really don't recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100 percent with the LGTBQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.'

DaBaby took to Instagram Stories July 26 with an attempt at defending himself that fell flat that he subsequently deleted; and apologized again in August for the comments, which he called 'hurtful and triggering' to others.

'Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate and learn from your mistakes,' DaBaby said.

He continued: 'As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I know publicly working against me - knowing that what I needed was education on these topics and guidance - has been challenging.'
Former MasterChef star Callum Hann has some exciting news on the personal front: he's going to be a dad again.

The chef, 31, announced on Friday he and wife Crystal Jagger are expecting their second child, due in March 2022.

'We're excited to announce our family of three is becoming a family of four!' he wrote on Instagram next to a photo of the couple with their daughter Elle, two.

Another bun in the oven! MasterChef's Callum Hann announced on Friday he and wife Crystal Jagger are expecting their second child, due in March 2022. Pictured with their daughter Elle

Callum held a sonogram photo of his unborn baby while Crystal carried little Elle on her hip.

The couple welcomed their first child in October 2019.

At the time, the new parents shared a gallery of heart-melting photos to Instagram, which were taken in hospital.

Growing family: The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Elle, in October 2019

'We're enjoying every precious moment': At the time, the new parents shared a gallery of heart-melting photos to Instagram, which were taken in hospital

'Crystal and I are excited to become parents,' Callum told The Sunday Telegraph soon after the birth.

'Right now we are enjoying every precious moment. I'm a little biased, but I think she's pretty damn cute!' he added.

Callum appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2010, placing runner-up to Adam Liaw.

He went on to open his own cooking school in Adelaide.

Star power: Callum appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2010, placing runner-up to Adam Liaw. He went on to open his own cooking school in Adelaide

He has cooked at The Press Club, Maha, Hellenic Republic and PM24, and toured universities teaching students how to cook and eat well.

The young chef has also released three cookbooks.

He won the MasterChef: All-Stars season in 2012 and returned to franchise for MasterChef: Back to Win last year.
Jaime King was among the high-profile people to attend the DKMS 30th Anniversary Gala in New York City Thursday night.

An international non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer, DKMS held its black-tie gala at New York's Cipriani Wall Street.

Money generated, and a live auction hosted by Sothebys Michael Macaulay, will help raise funds that will support the organizations global work in life-saving stem cell transplants for patients, according to a statement issued through Shore Fire Media.

The hope is that the gala will also expand DKMS' stem cell donor database  currently at 11 million  to include a more diverse donor pool worldwide, and thus, creating more second chances at life for patients in need.

Charity gala: Jaime King, 42, attended the DKMS 30th Anniversary Gala at New York's Cipriani Wall Street on Thursday night

King, 42, stepped out on to the red carpet in a black, red, and white gown with an off-the-shoulder design.

A major portion of the elegant number, from the waist on down, was done in black, while the upper body section was styled like a red bow tie.

For more color contrast, the sleeves and gloves were made with a white fabric.

The Nebraska native rounded out the look by slicking her dyed blonde tresses back, much like a pompadour, with parts on both sides.

Stylin': A major portion of the elegant number, from the waist on down, was done in black, while the upper body section was styled like a red bow tie

Retro: The Nebraska native rounded out the look by slicking her dyed blonde tresses back, much like a pompadour, with parts on both sides

King had a meteoric rise as a model, and by 16, she had graced the pages of Vogue, Mademoiselle, Allure, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and Seventeen.

She would eventually be on the short list of models who shined on the catwalk and then successfully transitioned from modeling to acting when she was a teenager.

The musical performers for the DKMS 30th Anniversary Gaga was the multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning artists, Black Eyed Peas.

The event also included an emotional and magical moment when a patient met her lifesaving donor for the very first time.

Model turned actress: King had a meteoric rise as a model, and by 16, she had graced the pages of Vogue, Mademoiselle, Allure, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and Seventeen

DKMS is currently the global leader in providing blood stem cell transplants to patients. With 10 million potential donors registered, the non-profit has successfully facilitated nearly 90,000 transplants for patients in more than 57 countries. However, with thousands of patients still waiting for their lifesaving matches, the organization's work is still not done.

'My father, Peter Harf, founded DKMS after my mother lost her battle to leukemia,' Vice Chairman of Global Board, DKMS, Katharina Harf began in a statement, before adding, 'My mother continues to inspire me to fight for other patients and their families, so they don't have to feel the same pain we had to.'

All of the proceeds from the annual US Gala will fund the DKMS mission to grant every blood cancer patient with a second chance at life.
Rege-Jean Page supported fellow screen heartthrob Jamie Dornan on Thursday by attending a star-studded screening of his film Belfast.

The Bridgerton star, 31, cut a casual figure as he posed with the actor and his co-star Caitriona Balfe, 42, at the event, which was hosted by Eddie Redmayne, 39, at The Londoner.

While Eddie himself was also in attendance, he was joined by Tom Hiddleston and Belfast's director Kenneth Branagh, who based the film on his own experience growing up in Northern Ireland in the early 1960s.

Event: Rege-Jean Page supported fellow screen heartthrob Jamie Dornan on Thursday by attending a star-studded screening of his film Belfast

Rege opted for a casual all-black look as he posed with stars Jamie and Caitriona at the film's screening.

Caitriona dazzled in an eye-catching silver mini dress with a layered skirt, teamed with black pointed-toe heels.

Elsewhere a dapper Tom beamed as he reunited with director Kenneth, who helmed his debut as Loki in the 2011 film Thor.

Smart: The Bridgerton star was joined by Tom Hiddleston (far left) and Eddie Redmayne (right), who hosted the screening at The Londoner

Standing out: Rege opted for a casual all-black look as he posed with stars Jamie and Caitriona Balfe at the film's screening

Suave: Tom cut a dapper figure in a navy blue suit as he posed at the screening for the film, which was directed by Kenneth Branagh

Cosy: Eddie (right) was also in good spirits as he posed at the screening, opting for jeans and a grey wool coat

Eddie was also in good spirits as he posed at the screening, opting for jeans and a grey wool coat.

Belfast is Kenneth's semi-autobiographical story of growing up in Northern Ireland in the late 60s.

It is billed as 'chronicling the life of a working class family and their young son's childhood during The Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.'

Happy: Tom was also reunited with director Kenneth Branagh, who has helmed the film based on his childgood growing up in Northern Ireland

Dynamic duo: The pair worked together on the 2011 film Thor, which saw Tom's debut as the mischevious anti-hero Loki

Say cheese: The pair posed alongside Top Boy star Michael Ward at the screening

The film is not a straightforward biography of Kenneth's childhood, and sees Jude Hill take on the lead role under the name of Buddy.

Jamie Dornan, 39, plays Buddy's father in the new film, with Outlander star Caitriona Balfe, 42, taking on the role of mother.

Hollywood heavyweight Dame Judi Dench, 86, portrays his grandmother, with Ciaran Hinds, 68, starring as Kenneth's grandfather.

Pretty: Actress Gala Gordon, 30, cut a sophisticated figure in a flowing pale pink gown as she posed at the screening

Beaming: She was seen alongside Star Wars' Aki Omoshaybi and Michael at the screening

Dynamic cast: At the screening, director Kenneth posed alongside his film's stars, including young Jude Hill (front) who plays the boy based on his own childhood

Belfast's official logline reads: 'Belfast is a personal and joyful story about the power of memory, set in late 1960s Northern Ireland.

'At the center of the film is Buddy, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance.'

It adds: 'Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.'

Belfast will be released in the United States on November 21 and in the UK on February 25.
Lily Collins is getting ready for Season 2 of her hit Netflix series Emily in Paris to debut, and opening up about her character's personality.

The 32-year-old actress plays Emily Cooper, an American hired by a marketing firm in Paris to give them an American perspective.

The actress opened up about her character in a wide-ranging interview with Nylon, revealing that she admires Emily Cooper... even though some may find her 'annoying.'

Opening up: Lily Collins is getting ready for Season 2 of her hit Netflix series Emily in Paris to debut, and opening up about her character's personality

Annoying: The actress opened up about her character in a wide-ranging interview with Nylon , revealing that she admires Emily Cooper... even though some may find her 'annoying'

'A lot of the qualities that Emily has, if you put them on paper, would seem so annoying,' Collins admitted.

Still, the actress admired her character's personality traits, adding, 'To have someone be optimistic, bright and bubbly  it's sad to think that people would look and go, "That's a lot."'

'They're such beautiful qualities, and the fact that she can partner that with being vulnerable and asking for help and making mistakes  she's not infallible,' Collins continued.

On paper: 'A lot of the qualities that Emily has, if you put them on paper, would seem so annoying,' Collins admitted

Beautiful qualities: 'They're such beautiful qualities, and the fact that she can partner that with being vulnerable and asking for help and making mistakes  she's not infallible,' Collins continued

The second season follows the fallout of Emily hooking up with her French chef neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), who is still possibly dating Emily's friend Camille (Camille Razat) which some compared to Sex and the City's Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) hooking up with the married Mr. Big, particularly since both shows were created by Darren Star.

Still, Collins added, 'She's in no way mimicking Carrie's life,' though she admitted, 'Emily probably grew up having Carrie Bradshaw posters on her wall.'

While some have criticized the show's concept, Collins thinks the 'over-the-top' nature of the premise reflects how the character perceives this new reality.

Fallout: The second season follows the fallout of Emily hooking up with her French chef neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), who is still possibly dating Emily's friend Camille (Camille Razat) which some compared to Sex and the City's Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) hooking up with the married Mr. Big, particularly since both shows were created by Darren Star

Reality: While some have criticized the show's concept, Collins thinks the 'over-the-top' nature of the premise reflects how the character perceives this new reality

'I think that this is a heightened reality for Emily, to be moving to Paris, and what she experiences and what she sees,' Collins said.

Among the newcomers to the cast in Season 2 is Jeremy O. Harris, who plays a fashion designer on the show, with Collins revealing he was a big fan of the first season.

'He had spoken out about the fact that he was a big fan, which was so lovely, and I was so surprised,' she said of the beloved playwright.

Heightened: 'I think that this is a heightened reality for Emily, to be moving to Paris, and what she experiences and what she sees,' Collins said

Big fan: Among the newcomers to the cast in Season 2 is Jeremy O. Harris, who plays a fashion designer on the show, with Collins revealing he was a big fan of the first season

Joy: Harris (left) himself added, 'I like joy  I think thats surprising to people given the work that I write  but the work I consume often has so much lightness to it'

Harris himself added, 'I like joy  I think thats surprising to people given the work that I write  but the work I consume often has so much lightness to it.'

'When I was watching (Emily in Paris) I was like, "This is so fun. Why is everyone so upset?"'

Other newcomers to the second season include, 'Lucien Laviscount joins as a Brit who gets under Emilys skin before she starts to like sarcastic charm, and Arnaud Binard guest stars as the party boy owner of a popular Saint Tropez nightclub.'
Olivia Munn is currently expecting her first child with comedian John Mulaney.

And on Thursday, the 41-year-old actress revealed to E! News that being pregnant has 'brought up' her past body image issues - something she's struggled with since she 'first got into the public eye.'

Munn said she was criticized for her appearance early in her career. And although she'd try to 'own' her critics by laughing them off, the remarks have stayed with her.

'Being pregnant has brought up all those feelings because there is so much of like, 'How am I supposed to do it right?' explained the Newsroom star.

Old wounds: Olivia Munn revealed to E! News that being pregnant has 'brought up' her past body image issues - something she's struggled with since she 'first got into the public eye'; seen in May 2021

'And I know there is no right, I understand that but it's really hard, especially to have so many images in your face all the time of what truly looks like perfection.'

With unrealistic depictions of pregnancy and motherhood in the media, Olivia has found herself comparing her body to those of other moms-to-be.

'It's just so hard, because I will Google search street wear maternity, and a lot of it comes up with these gorgeous women who are super skinny, and have this little bump, and everything is effortless,' she described.

Olivia went on to recall a recent experience she had with a stylist pal, who 'always has the best sense of style' and 'reached out' to her once she learned of her pregnancy.

Intrusive thoughts: 'Being pregnant has brought up all those feelings because there is so much of like, 'How am I supposed to do it right?' explained the Newsroom star

Expecting: Olivia Munn is currently expecting her first child with comedian John Mulaney; seen together in June

'I've been wanting to talk to you specifically because you have such great style, like I need help with this,'' she recalled of the conversation.

Olivia then claimed her friend encouraged her to reach out to supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for maternity wear suggestions.

Whitley, 34, is currently expecting her second child with husband Jason Statham, 54.

'As if that's what I need,' said Munn of her friend's referral. 'Rosie is great and I love Rosie, but that's what I mean. I don't have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's body at all.'

She continued: 'And that's kind of... the first step in feeling like, "Oh if I am not handling maternity well, if I'm not looking chic and cool and effortless, and if my body is changing like this that means that I'm failing. That means that I'm already not doing things right."'

Need advice? Olivia then claimed a stylist friend encouraged her to reach out to supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for maternity wear suggestions, after struggling to find things that work for her; Rosie seen in September

Different struggles: 'As if that's what I need,' said Munn of her friend's referral. 'Rosie is great and I love Rosie, but that's what I mean. I don't have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's body at all'; seen in September

Olivia elaborated on the rampant self-doubt she's experienced in 'this chapter of my life,' telling host Jessica Shaw: 'It's already hard enough to feel like you are not good enough, and that you can't forgive yourself for things and the world doesn't let you forgive yourself for things.'

Although she's been plagued by insecurities, the Predator actress was filled with joy as she talked about welcoming her son or daughter into the world during a recent interview with ET Online.

'I am excited about meeting whoever it is, and bringing a little person into this world,' she gushed.

Despite this, there have also been reports that she and her baby daddy Mulaney having been facing 'uncertainty' in their relationship.

Excited to be a mom: Although she's been plagued by insecurities, the Predator actress was filled with joy as she talked about welcoming her son or daughter into the world during a recent interview with ET Online; seen in 2020

Us Weekly's source said earlier this week that Olivia and John's relationship faces much 'uncertainty' and they could just be good co-parents, and nothing more as 'nobody knows yet if they're going to do that [parenting] together or apart.'

'This has been an imperfect relationship from the start,' the outlet's insider said.

'Even though Olivia's going to be a wonderful mother and has great support behind her, Olivia's friends just don't see these two being a couple in a year's time,' the source said.

Olivia and John were last seen publicly on September 12, 2021 while out and about in New York City.

Their romance was first reported on May 13, 2021 by People, four months before John announced their baby news.

Future unknown: Us Weekly 's source said earlier this week that Olivia and John's relationship face much 'uncertainty' and they could just be good co-parents, and nothing more as 'nobody knows yet if they're going to do that together or apart'; the duo were last pictured together on September 12 in New York City

Olivia and John's relationship came just three days after his rep announced his divorce from wife of six years Anna Marie Tendler.

His rep confirmed the end of their marriage on May 10, 2021.

At the time, Anna Marie made a statement wishing him the best amid his recovery, adding that she is 'heartbroken that John decided to end our marriage.'

John, a Saturday Night Live writer, stand-up comedian and actor, officially filed for divorce in July 2021.

John, 39, announced he and Olivia's pregnancy on September 7, 2021 while he appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

He had said to host Seth: 'I packed a lot into this [year]. I went to rehab in September, I got out in October, I moved out in October, I moved out of my home from my ex-wife. Then in the spring I went to Los Angeles and met and started to date a wonderful woman named Olivia.... And we're having a baby together. I was nervous when I was about to say the news! Olive and this baby have helped save me from myself in this early journey out of recovery.'

End of their marriage: Olivia and John's relationship came just three days after his rep announced his divorce from wife of six years Anna Marie Tendler. His rep confirmed the end of their marriage on May 10, 2021; Anna Mari and John seen February 24, 2019 at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood

Dad-to-be: John announced the pregnancy news to Meyers on September 7

In December 2020, John sought treatment at a 60 day rehab program for treatment for cocaine and alcohol addictions after he fell off the wagon during COVID - after he had been sober since 2005.

While at rehab, Olivia sent him a tweet of support on December 20, 2020, writing: 'Sending SO MUCH love and support to John Mulaney. You got this.'

Olivia and John first met in 2013 while attending Seth Meyers' wedding, when she was a guest of fellow SNL star Will Forte, whom she was dating at the time.

Fated: Olivia and John first met in 2013 while attending Seth Meyers' wedding, when she was a guest of fellow SNL star Will Forte, whom she was dating at the time

Two years later, Olivia and John met again at another wedding, confessing in a later interview to HuffPost Live that she was following John and Anna Marie around at the wedding: 'I was just so obsessed with hanging out with and talking with him.

She added that she sent him an email but never heard back: 'I might've got the wrong email - probably. That's what I tell myself.'

For Jon Stewart's HBO special Night of Too Many Stars in November 2017, Olivia said a very flirty 'Hi John' at the event on camera.

During her Tuesday interview with ET Online, Olivia explained that she was talking about kids with Violet director Justine Bateman, who has two children herself; Olivia plays the title character in the movie.

'Justin and I had a long conversation about this the other day, honestly, I'm just excited about meeting whoever it is, and brining a little person into this world.'

In character: The star explained that she was talking about kids with Violet director Justine Bateman, who has two children herself; Olivia plays the title character in the movie

On the project Violet, Olivia could see a lot of her own struggles in the character, explaining: 'I think we've all dealt with it but it's really difficult when anything from the outside world starts to get into your subconscious and you start to make all these fear-based decisions,' she told the outlet.

Adding that just like her character Violet, Olivia says 'you present well, you appear well, but it's tearing you up inside and in the process of pretending that things don't bother you, you make these decisions to try to combat those things that aren't true to who you are.'

She says she used to use sarcasm or humor to laugh things off 'or to keep going forward or not try to fall into those traps too much.'

Olivia felt 'something really powerful' in the script that she felt in her own life.
Millie Bobby Brown was pictured during production of Enola Holmes 2 as filming moved to London on Thursday, following a stint in Hull.

The actress, 17, certainly looked the part as she sported a double breasted blue jacket featuring gold buttons and a maxi skirt in a lighter shade.

She wore her luscious walnut locks in a neat middle parting and donned a pair of dark brown leather boots as she strolled across a beach.

Beauty: Millie Bobby Brown was pictured during production of Enola Holmes 2 as filming moved to London on Thursday, following a stint in Hull

Chatting up a storm with the behind-the-scenes crew during her break, the Stranger Things star went make-up free to showcase her natural beauty.

Millie tied a navy padded coat around her waist amid the autumnal weather and was flanked by a pair of minders.

Upon her return, she put her acting skills to good use as she sat on the stony seashore with a pair of new co-stars.

A plethora of camera operators huddled together, while others struck up a conversation further away.

Centre of attention: The actress, 17, certainly looked the part as she sported a double breasted blue jacket featuring gold buttons and a maxi skirt in a lighter shade

Action! Upon her return, she put her acting skills to good use as she sat on the stony seashore with a pair of co-stars

The Godzilla star was pictured on set for the first time earlier in October while filming scenes for the upcoming film in Hull.

Reprising her role as the titular character, the Stranger Things star will grace the small screen alongside the likes of Helena Bonham-Carter, 55, Sam Claflin, 35, and Henry Cavill, 38

Only the previous day, Henry was spotted looking dapper in a black wool coat while wearing his chocolate tresses in their natural curls.

The Sherlock Holmes actor shot a serious expression while chatting to members of the movie's production crew, who appeared to be busy at work on the famous Land of Green Ginger street.

A newcomer to the franchise donned a charcoal tailcoat and wore his blonde tresses in a sleek side parting.

Team: The Stranger Things star (centre) will grace the small screen alongside the likes of Sam Claflin, 35, (right) and Henry Cavill, 38 (left) [pictured in-character]

Meanwhile, the costume department had gone to town on one brunette actress who had been styled into a red-and-black 19th century dress featuring orange prints.

The long-sleeved number featured a black ruffled collar, which coordinated with the feather on her grey hat.

An imposing horse-drawn carriage featuring advertisements for Sunlight Soap and Jones & Jackson Sole Prop'rs rolled along the narrow street.

Confirming the scene was set in the capital, its frame featured signage for London hotspots Charing Cross, Tottenham Court Road, Baker Street, Edgware Road and Kilburn.

It's thought that Harry Bradbeer will be back to direct the second installment, with Jack Thorne also returning to pen the script.

Tough: Millie previously revealed that she 'found it really challenging being British' in the role after five years in the American Netflix series Stranger Things

Speaking about the sequel in a statement for Deadline, leading lady Millie said: 'I can't wait to collaborate again with my Enola Holmes family!

'Enola holds a special place in my heart  she's strong, fearless, intelligent and brave. I look forward to fans seeing how her journey continues!'

In the movie, the youngest member of the Holmes family goes off in search of her missing mother, even as her more famous brothers try to thwart her investigation.

The film was originally planned for a theatrical release by Warner Bros., but it was picked up by Netflix in April amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Millie previously revealed that she 'found it really challenging being British' in the role after five years in the American Netflix series Stranger Things.

Millie, who grew up in Dorset, England, and settled in Florida with her family to pursue her acting career aged eight, said she 'had to learn how to speak again'.

Speaking to Radio Times, she said: 'For the last five years Ive been playing an American character in Stranger Things and I found it really challenging being British in this, even though I am a Brit.

'I had to learn how to speak again because Im so used to speaking in an American accent.'
Sam Frost will not be able to return to work on Home and Away unless she is vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Director of Production at Seven West Media, Andrew Backwell, sent an email to staff on Friday informing them the network 'will only engage fully vaccinated presenters, cast and crew'.

Staff at Seven Productions, which includes Home and Away, will need to be double vaccinated from January 10 to continue work.

Time to go? Sam Frost (pictured) will not be able to return to work on Home and Away unless she is vaccinated against Covid-19. Channel Seven sent an email to staff on Friday informing them the network 'will only engage fully vaccinated presenters, cast and crew'

A Seven spokesperson told the Herald Sun on Friday: 'To provide the safest possible work environment for cast, crew and presenters, Seven Productions have made the decision to only engage those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, taking effect in January next year.

'Seven strongly encourages vaccination to protect our people, their colleagues and their families.'

While the network would not comment on individuals, the mandate is likely to affect Sam, 32, who recently stated she was not vaccinated.

Mandate: Staff at Seven Productions, which includes Home and Away, will need to be double vaccinated from January 10 to continue work. Sam is pictured on the soap

A Seven representative told Daily Mail Australia it would 'not comment or speculate on the vaccination status of individuals'.

The former Bachelorette star had deactivated her Instagram account on October 9, shortly after revealing in an emotional video that she was unvaccinated and her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her.

The actress, who has played nurse Jasmine Delaney on Home and Away since 2017, called for less judgement towards unvaccinated Australians.

'I was really hesitant about doing a video or even speaking up about this sort of thing, but I feel like it's getting to a point now in the world where there's a lot of segregation,' she said in the video.

Statement: A Seven spokesperson told the Herald Sun: 'To provide the safest possible work environment for cast, crew and presenters, Seven Productions have made the decision to only engage those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, taking effect in January next year'

'There's a lot of harsh judgement and opinions being thrown around a lot and it's taking its toll on my mental health for sure, and I know people around me are struggling - particularly if they're on the side of they don't want to get vaccinated, for whatever reason.

'There are lots of different reasons why people are not getting vaccinated and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns, they might have family history, it could be religious reasons.'

Sam then said she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her medical doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision; however, it's understood she does not have a valid medical exemption.

She added tearfully: 'It's a really hard time to be in society right now and you feel like you are less of a human and you feel like people judge you.

Comments: The former Bachelorette star had deactivated her Instagram account on October 9, shortly after revealing in an emotional video that she was unvaccinated and her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her

'And you're too scared to talk about your opinion or your feelings and part of you wants to go, "Well, it's none of your damn business why I'm not! And there's good reasons why I'm not and I don't want you to judge me".'

She explained it was important for the unvaccinated to look after their mental health, especially as freedoms return for fully vaccinated Australians.

'I'm struggling a lot with my mental health and I like to think that I'm pretty on to it. I see a psychologist regularly. So I can't imagine what it's like for people who don't have a support network around them,' she said.

She also added she could 'get in trouble' for coming out publicly as unvaccinated, before urging people to treat each other with more kindness and compassion.

Judgement: The actress, who has played nurse Jasmine Delaney on Home and Away since 2017, called for less judgement towards unvaccinated Australians

Her video caused a great deal of controversy, mainly because of her use of the word 'segregation' when referring to the way society 'judges' unvaccinated people.

'Segregation' is typically used to describe societies that are divided due to race, religion or sexual orientation.

A Seven spokesperson said shortly afterwards: 'Seven strongly encourages vaccination for all our people and all Seven productions strictly adhere to the public health Covid-19 safe protocols.

'All Home and Away cast and crew also undertake Covid-19 testing three times a week in addition to other preventative measures.

Controversy: Her video caused a great deal of controversy, mainly because of her use of the word 'segregation' when referring to the way society 'judges' unvaccinated people

'Sam Frost continues to work on Home and Away and follows the safety protocols in place.'

Sam returned to Instagram on Wednesday, and thanked her loved ones including her colleagues, and said she'd been inundated with 'support and love'.

Support: Sam returned to Instagram on Wednesday, after deactivating her account earlier in the wake of backlash for her since-deleted anti-vax video rant. The actress thanked her loved ones, including her colleagues, and said she'd been inundated with 'support and love'

'Thank you for the enormous amount of support and love over the past few weeks,' she began in a post on Instagram Stories.

'I received thousands and thousands of beautiful messages and emails. I appreciate it, more than you'll ever know.

'Incredibly grateful for my friends, family and work colleagues who held my hand through the storm, and loved me unconditionally. Kindness always wins. With all of my heart, thank you.'
Danniella Westbrook revealed she was rushed to hospital on Thursday.

The former EastEnders star, 47, took to Instagram to share an image of ambulances outside a hospital in Liverpool yet gave no further health update.

Her hospitalisation comes after she vowed to turn her life around after years of drug abuse and after relapsing onto 'cocaine and champagne' earlier this year.

Back: Danniella Westbrook revealed she was rushed to hospital on Thursday

Danniella kept things cryptic when she revealed the news to her followers, as she shared the same image twice showing the hospital front.

In her second post of the same shot, she added the word 'Liverpool' over the top.

The actress' battle with drugs has been well-publicised, and she famously had her nose reconstructed after her septum collapsed from excessive cocaine use in 2002.

At the height of her use it was reported she would take up to five grams of cocaine a day, blowing close to 250,000 on the drug.

New beginnings: The former EastEnders star, 47, took to Instagram to share an image of ambulances outside a hospital in Liverpool yet gave no further health update

The star has since embarked on multiple rehab stints in order to battle her demons - and revealed she was finally clean in June last year, after attending a clinic in Mijas, Spain.

Danniella first appeared in EastEnders in 1990 at the age of 16 and acted on the soap for three years.

She returned in 1996 but her time was cut short when her off-screen behaviour got her sacked.

New look: Her hospitalisation comes after she vowed to turn her life around after years of drug abuse and after relapsing onto 'cocaine and champagne' earlier this year

She returned again shortly after, but was axed again in 2000 after further disruptive behaviour, admitting she blew 100k on cocaine at the time.

The part was recast between 2002 and 2005, and played by Kim Medcalf, but Danniella returned to the role once more in 2009 until 2010.

She was back once more in 2016 for the storyline surrounding on-screen mother Peggy Mitchell's death, which is to date her final appearance.
Margot Robbie looked effortlessly stylish in a semi-sheer red striped co-ord as she enjoyed a night out with pals in London on Thursday.

The actress, 31, was sure to turn heads in her red and black patterned shirt and matching trousers which showed a glimpse of her black underwear beneath during her night out at The Windmill in Soho.

The Birds of Prey star added a black leather jacket to her look, while she took precautions amid the ongoing pandemic by donning a black face mask.

Looking good: Margot Robbie looked effortlessly stylish in a semi-sheer red striped co-ord as she enjoyed a night out with pals in London on Thursday

Margot boosted her height with chunky black heels, with the star looking stunning as she strutted through the capital.

The Australian beauty kept her blonde locks loose and kept her head down as she exited the venue alongside her companions.

She was also in good company on the night as Kingsman actress Sofia Boutella was also seen enjoying an evening out.

Margot's outing comes after she and British husband Tom Ackerley visited several baby boutiques in London's Notting Hill on Tuesday.

Chic: The actress, 31, was sure to turn heads in her red and black patterned shirt and matching trousers which showed a glimpse of her black underwear beneath during her night out at The Windmill in Soho

The couple - who married in 2016 - were out shopping for baby clothes, and could be seen admiring a white onesie as they held it up and inspected it before stopping to share a kiss inside the store.

The loved-up pair, both 31, have not said that they are expecting a baby so were most likely shopping for friends.

Margot and Tom visited several upmarket baby boutiques, before buying a cream-coloured teddy bear and some clothes, leaving with a bundle of shopping bags.

Just the two of us: Margot's outing comes after she and British husband Tom Ackerley visited several baby boutiques in London 's Notting Hill on Tuesday

Suicide Squad star Margot wrapped up for the trip, concealing her frame in a shaggy white coat that she paired with mom jeans and patent black loafers.

By her side was Tom, who paired a denim jacket with rolled up jeans and a yellow jumper.

Following their retail therapy session, the couple then made their way to Australian restaurant Granger and Co. in Notting Hill, where they grabbed a bite to eat.

Their outing came just days after the couple enjoyed a romantic holiday in Tuscany in Italy, where they were spotted enjoying several romantic moments together.

Shopping: The couple - who married in 2016 - were out shopping for baby clothes, and could be seen admiring a white onesie as they held it up and inspected it before stopping to share a kiss inside the store

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Margot's representatives for comment.

In a January 2019 interview with Radio Times, Margot said she was fed up with everyone asking when she was going to start a family.

'It made me really angry. How dare some old guy dictate what I can and can't do when it comes to motherhood or my own body?' she said at the time.

'I got married, and the first question in almost every interview is "Babies? When are you having one?"

'I'm so angry that there's this social contract. You're married, now have a baby. Don't presume. I'll do what I'm going to do.'
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Jason Momoa has chosen an extremely lavish base for his quarantine while he reportedly battles coronavirus.

The actor, 42, is currently in London filming the eagerly-anticipated Aquaman sequel however earlier this week it was revealed that he has contracted the virus - and is now residing in the extremely lavish pad in the capital.

Ensuring he will not get bored during his homebound stint, Jason is currently recovering in an eight bedroom, 11 bathroom, 20million mansion in north London - complete with all the trappings for a superstar.

Recover: Jason Momoa has chosen an extremely lavish base for his quarantine period while he battles coronavirus

Jason will be living the superstar life despite being away from home as new images show his rented pad complete with a sprawling pool and rolling greenery surrounding the property.

The neo-classical home is set on 11.5 acres of land and features a three car garage, a security lodge, a cinema, a bowling alley and a tailor-made climbing wall at the front of the property.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Jason had contracted Covid-19 while filming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the UK, a new report has claimed. Insiders revealed to The Sun that the star is now isolating after testing positive, with movie bosses hoping to stop any further outbreaks on set.

The insider said: 'Jason is fine luckily and is now isolating after getting a positive test. But it's a real headache for the film's bosses, who are now worrying about having to delay their tight filming schedule'.

On the up! The actor, 42, is currently in London filming the eagerly-anticipated Aquaman sequel however earlier this week it was revealed that he has contracted the virus - and is now residing in the extremely lavish pad in the capital

Stunning: Ensuring he will not get bored during his homebound stint, Jason is currently recovering in an eight bedroom, 11 bathroom, 20million mansion in north London - complete with all the trappings for a superstar

Amazing: Jason will be living the superstar life despite being away from home as new images show his rented pad complete with a sprawling pool and rolling greenery surrounding the property

The source went on to say that they're 'hoping this is a one-off and that they can work around Jason and continue filming on the production'. It's also been claimed that everyone on set is getting tested for Covid-19 regularly.

As of October 27, there were 43,922 new people confirmed with a positive test result for Covid-19 in the UK. The UK is not yet 'on top' of the coronavirus pandemic but the Covid-19 vaccines are 'winning the battle', an expert has said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the UK is making 'really good progress' but urged people 'not to throw it all away' and to get a booster jab when invited to do so.

Locked up: It was revealed on Wednesday that Jason had contracted Covid-19 while filming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the UK, a new report has claimed. Insiders revealed to The Sun that the star is now isolating after testing positive, with movie bosses hoping to stop any further outbreaks on set

Lavish: His exquisite surroundings are perfect for recovery

Amazing: The grounds were fit for a superstar

Hunky: The original Aquaman movie was released in December 2018, and was one of the biggest hits in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Aquaman took in $1.148b worldwide, the only DCEU movie to surpass the billion-dollar mark

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie is being filmed at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, and is slated for release in December 2022. Jason and many others from the 2018 film are returning, including Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren.

The original Aquaman movie was released in December 2018, and was one of the biggest hits in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Aquaman took in $1.148b worldwide, the only DCEU movie to surpass the billion-dollar mark.

Earlier this month, Jason said he took a beating while filming the Aquaman sequel.

Swanky: He had a swanky car on his front drive
She is a busy actress with four upcoming films in pre-production, so it's no wonder Lucy Hale needs a little boost of energy to get through her day.

The star, 32, recently stopped by an Alfred Coffee location in Los Angeles to satisfy her caffeine fix with an afternoon cup of joe.

Hale wore a black denim jacket over a white shirt and a pair of high-rise jeans to match.

Coffee break: Lucy Hale stopped by Alfred Coffee in Los Angeles for an afternoon energy boost

She donned a pair of dark sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun, and she wore her mask around her chin.

The Pretty Little Liars actress held her coffee and phone precariously in her left hand.

It's not surprising that the star stopped off for coffee given how busy she's been in recent weeks.

Denim on denim: The actress wore a denim jacket and blue jeans while out on the town

A much-needed boost: It's not surprising that the star needed some caffeine given how had she's been working in recent days

The star looked nothing short of sensational as she posed in underwear from Dutch fashion brand Hunkemoller recently.

She was sure to show off her stunning frame as she sizzled in a lace lingerie set with a suspender belt and stockings and later a black bralet with high-waisted shorts alongside a delicate body chain which drew attention to her lithe frame.

On top of her fashion collaboration, Lucy will next be seen in AMC's upcoming crime series Ragdoll which will premiere on November 11.

In August, she appeared in the network's TCA panel and discussed her new role. She explained that she was already a big fan of the genre, saying: 'I'm the first girl to listen any true crime podcast or to watch any of the crime shows.'

Showing off her curves: The star looked nothing short of sensational as she posed in underwear from Dutch fashion brand Hunkemoller

Taking on a dark roll: Hale will play a gritty role in the upcoming AMC series Ragdoll

The show, executive produced by Sid Films, follows an investigative team in London as they pursue a serial killer who has gruesomely murdered six people and sewn them into one body nicknamed the 'Ragdoll.'

The team is led by the recently-reinstated DS Nathan Rose (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), who along with his best friend and boss DI Emily Baxter (Thalissa Teixeira) and DC Lake Edmunds (Hale) must find the murderer before he kills his next six victims.

Hale explained the change was a totally different role for her and one that she anticipates will send her into the next part of her career.

'Not even a new chapter, but a new book for sure. A darker, new book,' the Truth or Dare actress said.

'A darker, new book': Hale likened her career path to not just moving on to a new chapter, but even going a step further and moving on to a whole new book

'
Ethan Hawke and Sophie Okonedo filmed at a spooky location for their new movie Raymond And Ray: a cemetery.

The pair made their way slowly through the graveyard, located in Richmond, Virginia, as their characters chatted.

Raymond and Ray will center around two half-brothers who see each other again at their father's funeral.

Spending a day in the cemetery: Sophie Okonedo and Ethan Hawke filmed at a cemetery in Richmond Virginia

Hawke and Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor will play the aforementioned half-brothers in the Apple Studios film.

Hawke, 50, wore a gray button down shirt over a white tank-top. He finished off the ensemble with a pair of gray jeans.

And he added a dark-colored necklace with a cross pendant.

Casual clothes: Hawke, 50, wore a gray button down shirt over a white tank-top. He finished off the ensemble with a pair of gray jeans

Family drama: Raymond and Ray will follow two half-brothers who reunite at their father's funeral

Okonedo, 53, donned a white shirt and blue pants.

She held a pink coat over her left arm and wore a brown leather bag over her right arm.

Raymond And Ray is being directed by Rodrigo Garcia.

Hawke will voice Batman in the upcoming animated series Batwheels which is currently filming.

Brotherly love: Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke will play the aforementioned half-brothers

The Dead Poets Society actor also recently finished up filming his role in Marvel's Moon Knight series alongside Dune actor Oscar Isaac.

Okonedo has a starring role in Death on the Nile. She will play Salome, the Biblical character who demanded, and received, the head of John the Baptist.

She will also have a role in the survival movie Infinite Storm alongside King Kong star Naomi Watts.
Shirley Ballas looked in good spirits on Friday as she stepped out for the first time since revealing she is having more medical tests done after Strictly viewers spotted a lump in her armpit.

The judge, 61, recently underwent 'full blood work' to determine the cause of a lump under her arm, after it was noticed by eagle-eyed viewers last Saturday, and will now have further tests.

She put on a brave face as she stepped out in London and beamed while rocking a typically stylish ensemble.

Happy: Shirley Ballas looked in good spirits on Friday as she stepped out for the first time since revealing she is having more medical tests done after Strictly viewers spotted a lump in her armpit

Seeking help: The judge, 61, recently underwent 'full blood work' to determine the cause of a lump under her arm, after it was noticed by eagle-eyed viewers last Saturday, and will now have further tests

Shirley showed off her trim pins in a pair of tight black jeans which she teamed with a bright orange shirt and leather jacket.

The former Latin champion accessorised with a red handbag and pearl earrings and wore her brunette tresses in a perfectly blow-dried style.

It comes after earlier this week Shirley shared an update on her health and admitted the results of her recent blood test, and in particular her hormone levels, were 'a little concerning'.

Out and about: She put on a brave face as she stepped out in London and beamed while rocking a typically stylish ensemble

Style: Shirley showed off her trim pins in a pair of tight black jeans which she teamed with a bright orange shirt and leather jacket

Beauty: The former Latin champion accessorised with a red handbag and pearl earrings and wore her brunette tresses in a perfectly blow-dried style

Revealing how her oestrogen levels are 'extremely low' and her adrenal glands and ovaries are in need of 'a scan', Shirley said she'd booked in for an appointment at King's College Hospital in London.

Addressing her fans directly in the video, Shirley said that her doctor determined her hormone levels 'were not right' and would need to undergo 'a lot of blood work'.

'I went and had a lot of blood work done and now the testosterone's coming back ultra high, the adrenal glands need a scan and my ovaries need a scan. My oestrogen levels are extremely low. All in all a little concerning for my doctor,' she revealed.

Shirley said the next step is to attend an appointment at the King's College Hospital, and is incredibly grateful that 'several concerned people bothered' to let her know what was going on, in reference to Strictly viewers noticing the lump under her arm.

Oh no: It comes after earlier this week Shirley shared an update on her health and admitted the results of her recent blood test, and in particular her hormone levels, were 'a little concerning'

All black: She later stepped out in a black ensemble as she left It Take Two

Duo: Strictly contestant Sara Davies and her partner Aljaz Skorjanec also left the studios

Love: Aljaz was also seen with his wife Janette

Health: Revealing how her oestrogen levels are 'extremely low' and her adrenal glands and ovaries are in need of 'a scan', Shirley said she'd booked in for an appointment at King's College Hospital in London

'I love you all. I appreciate you, and thank you,' she concluded her clip.

Shirley reiterated these sentiments in the post's caption, which read: 'To each and every one of you who started me on this road, thank you so much. I'll keep you all updated each and every one of you.

'Remember health is wealth so I'll be on top of these issues for the time being. With gratitude to you all,' she wrote, alongside the hashtags 'health' and 'gratitude'.

Last week, Shirley visited her doctor to have the legion checked over after feeling what appeared to be a 'tiny little node' in her armpit.

In an Instagram post, the dance professional revealed to fans that she was having 'full blood work' done at the hospital to find out more.

She wrote at the time: 'Dear All thank you so much for making me aware of a lump you all saw under my arm. I am so grateful to have so many beautiful kind caring humans looking out for me.

Awareness: The former Latin champion had a lump under her right arm checked out by her doctor last week

Keeping her fans updated: Shirley reiterated these sentiments in the post's caption, which read: 'To each and every one of you who started me on this road, thank you so much. I'll keep you all updated each and every one of you'

Getting checked: Last week, Shirley visited her doctor to have the legion checked over after feeling what appeared to be a 'tiny little node' in her armpit

'I will be popping to the hospital Friday for full blood work. Hormones could be the reason for exhaustion, sleepless nights and a few more things going on.

'I'm so happy I went for a check up today. Ladies let me know how your hormones are? Do you self check? Hugs to all,' she said, alongside the hashtags 'breast check' and 'hormones'.

In a video, Shirley added that a doctor did an underarm and breast test but didn't feel anything.

But she said the doctor did think she saw something when the dancer lifted her arm.

She said: 'I popped to the doctor, she did an underarm test and breast test. She couldn't feel anything although she also thought that she saw something when I lifted my arm up so... maybe it was cameras, lighting, not sure.'

Shirley took to Instagram on Saturday to reveal she was inundated with messages of concern by fans of the show.

Shirley captioned the video shared to the site: 'So many messages over the last three weeks about suspected lump under my right arm.

'I have done a self-check and will go to my Dr on Tuesday. Thank you to those who reached out with their concerns.

'To all be vigilant and do self checks regularly,' she continued, alongside hashtags including 'self check', 'nodes' and 'breast cancer awareness'.

Shirley also shared the messages of concern she had received.

One person wrote: 'I don't want to alarm you but you have lump in your right arm pit, please get it checked out.'

Another person wrote: 'I know you must get a lot of messages but can I just say you looked really beautiful tonight. As I've just went through cancer can I ask if you could get your lymph nodes checked under your arm as I noticed a lump under your arm tonight watching. Sorry, just worried.'

Voice of concern: The head judge on the BBC One celebrity dance contest took to Instagram to reveal she was inundated with messages of concern by fans

'Lymph node R armpit,' wrote another person. 'Dear Shirley you are wonderful. I noticed tonight you had a visible raised lymph node in your R armpit.

'You may already be aware but I just wanted you to consider getting it checked. It could be due to something very minor like a virus or infection, but please get it checked.'

While another person wrote: 'I genuinely don't want to upset or alarm you, but I noticed while watching the show tonight that it looks like you've got a lump in your right armpit. Please check it.

'I would hate for it to be something and I hadn't said anything. Thanks for being wonderful on the show.'

Speaking out: Shirley captioned a clip on Instagram: 'So many messages over the last three weeks about suspected lump under my right arm'

In 2019, the choreographer underwent a four-hour operation to have her breast implants removed due to cancer fears.

WHY DO WE GET LUMPS? Most people get lumps and growths on their skin at some point. They can be caused by many things. See a GP if: Your lump gets bigger Your lump is painful, red or hot Your lump is hard and doesn't move A lump grows back after it's been removed You have a lump in the breast or testicles You have a swelling on the side of the neck, armpit or groin that doesn't go down Source: NHS Advertisement

She said at the time that she hopes young women will learn to love their own bodies, rather than get 'all these procedures'.

She said: 'Don't think you need to have these procedures to make you look more attractive.

'For young women, if someone is making you feel bad about yourself, talk to someone. But don't do what I did.

'You can't make somebody love you, no matter what you do to yourself. You can get implants, you can get all these procedures, thinking you will be more of a woman for that person. But it does not make a difference.

'If they don't love you, they won't no matter what you do to your appearance. It's learning to love yourself.'

Shirley made the decision to remove her DD breast implants and embrace her natural A cup after she discovered a potentially dangerous capsule that had grown unexpectedly.

And for those still considering implants, the TV star urged them to 'do their research' into the possible risks.

She added: 'Do your research about the implants. I did not do mine. I thought if I put them in I'd look better and my husband would think of me as more desirable.

'I made this choice many years ago not understanding what I was really doing, except telling myself I didn't look good enough.'

In June this year, Shirley suffered another cancer scare after finding a lump in her shoulder.

Speaking on GB News, Shirley explained she's had two other cancer scares in the past, and is anxiously awaiting the results of her tests.

Eagle-eyed: Shirley was sent messages by concerned Strictly Come Dancing fans after they noticed the lump under her arm while watching the show

She said: 'I got the Covid virus and then they found a ganglion cyst or a tumour in my shoulder.

'I am going backwards and forwards to the hospital all the time. I feel I seem to be getting sicker by the minute. I can't seem to get up and out. It's something between two bones and they are not really sure what it is yet.

'They have done the dye and the MRIs plus this and that. I get the results in a few weeks. The gentleman seems to think it will be fine but, still, it is worrying.'

Shirley has a history of cancer in her family, with her mum Audrey diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019, while grandmother and aunt have both battled the disease.
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Somebody sent me a photograph of my husband of 14 years, the actor Ioan Gruffudd this week.

I didn't really look at it very closely at first  he was eating an ice cream on a bench in the South of France, where he's shooting at the moment. He looked happy. I felt glad he was happy, even though we haven't spoken to each other by phone or in person in almost 11 months.

I was about to move on, but then I noticed the caption. It was from his own Instagram, which was odd because he hardly ever posts. And his comment was: 'Thank you for making me smile again.'

Huh? My mind went blank for a second. Then I realised he was sitting next to a young girl I'd never seen before. She was tagged in the post @iambiancawallace. Then I got that feeling. The feeling nobody in a relationship  even one that's seen better days wants to feel: My God. They are a couple. He has a girlfriend! But, he's my husband...

Devastated: Alice Evans and her husband Ioan Gruffudd split this year after 20 years together and here, the actress, 50, gives a first-hand account of breakdown of her marriage

Who was this girl?! I'd never seen her face. Never heard her name. I did what any normal(ish) person would do  I went straight to Google.

Apparently the aspiring actress Bianca Wallace had worked on Ioan's Australian show, Harrow, as an extra. For at least the last two seasons. My mouth went dry and I felt like I was going to throw up as I suddenly realised where she was: the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where my husband was staying for his six-month French shoot.

I tapped her Instagram link and there she was in a tiny bikini which revealed a body not unlike Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Suddenly, an awful lot of things began to fall into place in a very short time

I flipped open my laptop and opened Twitter.

'So it turns out that my husband, after two years of telling me I'm a bad person and I'm not exciting and he no longer wants to have sex with me and he just wants to be on set abroad has been in a relationship for three years behind all our backs,' I wrote, adding: 'Good luck, Bianca.'

Why did I do this? Well, the catastrophic meltdown of our marriage over the past 12 months is no secret. And that's basically because I haven't kept it one. By about month five of me asking him 'what's wrong?' and him responding 'nothing', I'd started to think I was losing my mind.

My friends had started to lose theirs, too, after the 58th time I'd call them begging 'what should I do? What did they think was wrong? Should I confront him?'

They didn't have answers any more than I did. Something was wrong, clearly. And we were in a pandemic. I was stuck at home while my daughters Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, were (ostensibly) doing online schooling.

And one day in August 2020, after another fight that was seemingly about nothing, I was once again crying, bawling on the bed, feeling I was worthless, that I was nothing, that he was definitely going to leave me soon because he could not stand it any more.

I realised he was sitting next to a young girl I'd never seen before. She was tagged in the post @iambiancawallace. Then I got that feeling. The feeling nobody in a relationship - even one that's seen better days -wants to feel: My God. They are a couple. Pictured: Ioan and Bianca together in an Instagram post

I tapped her Instagram link and there she was in a tiny bikini which revealed a body not unlike Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Suddenly, an awful lot of things began to fall into place in a very short time Pictured: Ioan's new girlfriend Bianca Wallace

Why did I do this? Well, the catastrophic meltdown of our marriage over the past 12 months is no secret. And that's basically because I haven't kept it one. Pictured: Alice's tweets came just minutes after Ioan made his romance with Bianca Instagram official

I just lost the plot. I tweeted this: 'Help. He's told us he's leaving us. I don't know what to do.'

His reaction was instant. (He read all my tweets, because he said he 'needed to keep an eye on me'). He grabbed my computer and deleted my tweet.

He was raging at me. Screaming at the top of his voice. 'How dare you?' His eyes were wide and white  it was terrifying.

I looked back at him. I said 'give me the laptop back'. 'No!' he said. 'Not until you've calmed down and learned to control yourself.' Again, I said: 'It's my laptop. Please give it back.' He walked out of the room, with the laptop.

Something seemed to break inside of me. I ran up to him and grabbed the laptop out of his hands. 'It's my f***ing laptop,' I said. 'And it's my life.'

I went back onto Twitter and re-posted what I'd written, explaining that he had deleted it but that it wasn't a mistake. It was a great big bloody scream for help.

Then the strangest thing happened. He stared me out, watching me retweet my cry for help.

And then he picked up the phone, called his parents and began to cry. I had no idea what he was saying as he communicates in Welsh with his parents but, well, obviously, it was bad. A line had been crossed.

The Daily Mail had picked the story up. I knew it wasn't entirely the right thing to do, but as people started texting and the word got round, all I could feel was a huge gush of relief.

The next day he lawyered up. Suddenly, I was on Zoom meetings with five or six legal eagles fearing I might lose custody of my children. The advice was clear. I had to keep quiet. Stop airing my laundry in public.

It might seem odd, but the more I was pushed, prodded, told to get in line, the more the lawyers told me not to talk, the more I felt like doing it.

Talking to Twitter helped me get perspective. Women from all over the world would message me to say they'd had similar experiences. Without this outlet, I might truly have lost my mind.

People may accuse me of washing my dirty linen in public but the sad truth is that the internet has been my friend and salvation through these awful months. But, it can be torture, too. And there was no greater torture for me than the day I saw him with his new girlfriend on his Instagram feed earlier this week

To recap. I'd been on my own in Los Angeles throughout most of the pandemic lockdown, looking after our daughters. I don't have any family here and not many friends. I'd had this sense for months that something wasn't quite right. But whenever I brought it up with Ioan he would tell me I was imagining things.

Then something rather strange happened. When the pandemic panic kicked in properly, Ioan was in Australia shooting his show, Harrow, and people all over the world were frantically trying to get back to their families from abroad.

I kept bringing up him returning from Australia before planes stopped flying, but the panic I expected to see in him was not apparent. This is a man who panics about everything  but he kept saying: 'At the end of the day what's it going to be? Two months? Three months? And it is paradise down here!

I was gobsmacked! He hadn't seen me or his children for seven months (minus a week at Christmas) and now he was all gung-ho about extending that to a year.

Eventually, with the help of various agents, the production, our manager and calls to a handful of random agencies, we got him on the last plane home from Sydney in April 2020.

I was so happy to see him and it was a joyous reunion with the children. But once home, he sat in the bath for several hours drinking bourbon, strangely morose.

I kept asking what was wrong, but that only made him angry. At one point he stood up in the bath, stark naked, and shouted: 'Do you realise we were only one episode away from the series finale and now it will never be finished?' I felt like he blamed me for this, for wanting him home. I told him that, of course, the series would get finished and, of course, it did.

Then, funnily enough, things began to settle down and we managed to have a really lovely summer together, from April to mid-July 2020 when he returned to Australia. We laughed, we had more sex than usual, he kept telling me over and over how much he loved me. I thought we were in love and happy again and that everything was all right.

How wrong could I have been! When he came back home at the end of August 2020, something had changed. I was grinning like an idiot when his car pulled up from the airport, the tears of joy were rolling down my face.

He got out, picked up the girls then it was my turn. I ran up and threw my arms around him but he remained rigid. I kissed him, he kissed me back limply then moved away. I was stunned.

So in love: Our wedding took place in September 2007 on a beach in Mexico. I wrote a poem and recited it at the wedding meal. We started trying to have children immediately on honeymoon in the Maldives Pictured: Alice and Ioan on their wedding day

For the first few days, he was tired and uncommunicative to the point of ignoring me. I became so upset it developed into a flaming row. 'Why can't you just acknowledge I've said something?' I said. And then it came. 'Because sometimes I can't stand you. You're so annoying,' he shouted.

I had that burning lump in the middle of my throat and I just stared at him, trying not to cry. In my folly, I used the 'baby' voice we'd used for years and years when we first met (oh God) and said something like: 'I know I can be annoying sometimes but you still wuv me though, don't you?'

There was a ten-second silence, that seemed to go on for ever. Then another ten seconds. And then my world changed for ever.

'I'm sorry, Alice, but I'm afraid I don't. I don't love you any more.'

We had always said we'd be together for ever, I reminded him, but his eyes remained cold.

He slept on the sofa, saying he needed space. His manner was chilly and then one day he simply said he had found an apartment and was moving out.

He still denied he was seeing someone else, and sugar-coated it for the children by saying that maybe we wouldn't get divorced. Had he been honest, had he said: 'I have fallen in love with someone else,' then perhaps I wouldn't have been so tormented.

He moved out in January this year and I only found out he'd filed for divorce a few weeks later when I read it on a gossip website.

What a gullible fool I'd been! I felt like I was in a windowless room and couldn't breathe.

So, after eight months of torment and confusion, I went back online, because I felt nobody understood my pain. I had to let it out somewhere. My husband became remote and unfriendly and blamed me for being boring and irritating.

Fat shaming: Alice also alleged in a Tweet that Ioan told her that he couldn't abide 'fatties' would leave her if she 'gained weight'

My Twitter posts caused an eruption around the world. For me, it was quite an epiphany. Critics hollered that I should keep things private. But I felt I was being treated badly by the man I had married and I needed somebody  heck, everybody!  to know.

Some commentators even branded my exposure of our problems as very 'unfeminine'. They said it was un-British to do what I did. Where on earth was my stiff upper lip? Someone from a psychology magazine even wrote a ridiculous open letter to me wondering what, 15 years from now, our daughters would think about my divorce!

Fifteen years from now, do you really think that's what they will be worried about?

So, you're worried about my girls? But you're not worried that their father left them? Can you imagine what people would think if I had walked out and left them? It would have been an outrage.

I'd have been the scarlet woman, their terrible mother. Yet men like Ioan can just glide away into a lovely new life, walk out on their families and responsibilities, while I am left to pick up the pieces and try to glue our family life back together again, and somehow I am the bad one?

I have also been criticised for telling my daughters about their father's lies, but what am I supposed to do? Continue his lies for him?

People may accuse me of washing my dirty linen in public but the sad truth is that the internet has been my friend and salvation through these awful months. But, it can be torture, too. And there was no greater torture for me than the day I saw him with his new girlfriend on his Instagram feed earlier this week.

Someone mentioned online that Ioan liked slim girls and I agreed. He had, after all, told me several times over the years that he couldn't abide fatties and that he would leave if I gained weight. 'I guess he was true to his word this time,' I tweeted.

It would almost be funny, were it not so terrible. So, how did it end up like this? I still can't work out how a love as strong as ours ended up going so badly wrong.

I first met Ioan in 1999 on the set of 102 Dalmatians. He was a bit cocky then, but by the end of the film we were besotted. It was love. We lived together in London and moved to America in 2003  for both our careers.

He got the part of Sir Lancelot in King Arthur alongside Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. He lived in Dublin for eight months and I remained in LA working as well.

Now I am heartbroken. I feel dead. He's broken my heart twice. The first time when he told me he no longer loved me and the second time this week when I found out he had another woman

But, despite the distance, we made it work and we loved so hard. I had lost my mum to a heart attack the day before I met him and my father had cut me off when he re-married, so Ioan was my rock and my friend and my lover.

We talked about spending the rest of our lives together and, in 2005, we went to Havana and he put a diamond engagement ring in my drink.

Our wedding took place in September 2007 on a beach in Mexico. I wrote a poem and recited it at the wedding meal. We started trying to have children immediately on honeymoon in the Maldives, but after several failed attempts of conception we went on to try IVF. Married life was great and we were overjoyed when I fell pregnant in 2009.

I was happy to stay at home and be a mum while he carried on acting and becoming a big star in shows including British period drama Hornblower, The Fantastic Four, Liar and Harrow.

Being a mother is the most important thing to me and I knew it would never work with two actors working in a marriage.

How do you work when you've got small children? Acting is an 18-hours-a-day job and most of it on shoots far away. I took ten years off at the worst point in my career. I honestly thought he'd be there for all of us for ever.

Now I am heartbroken. I feel dead. He's broken my heart twice. The first time when he told me he no longer loved me and the second time this week when I found out he had another woman. I have not heard a word from him since news of his relationship broke.

All of a sudden I'm on my own, but I'm pretty resilient. I just wish he had told me the truth much sooner. I'm a problem solver, a realist and a pragmatist.

Of course, if he had done that, I would have been upset. But I would think, 'OK, let's sort this out', and then we would have discussed, you know, how much he thought he was in love with this woman. How much?

I might have been able to persuade him to salvage us. Let's somehow be a two-parent family until our children were at least teenagers.

All I can do now is focus on the girls, on giving them the happiest upbringing I can in the circumstances.

I'm certainly not interested in finding another man even though I do joke about it on Twitter.

I'm terrified of the future, but with time I hope to be able to reframe things. I'm desperately worried about money  can I be an actress again at my age?

I think I could. I love to write  maybe I'll write a book? Whatever happens, I'll get through this. I'm a tough old girl. I'm brave.

You know when they say, feel the fear and do it anyway? That's what I do.

I won't be growing old with Ioan  he loves someone else. I just wish he'd been a bit more honest about it.

It wouldn't have saved our marriage, but it might have saved me an awful lot of pain.
Ice Cube has lost out on a $9million payday as he departed comedy film Oh Hell No after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 52-year-old West Coast hip-hop legend - real name O'Shea Jackson Sr. - exited Sony's comedy after declining a request from producers to get vaccinated according to a Friday report from The Hollywood Reporter.

The Friday actor would have starred opposite comedy legend Jack Black in the project which was announced back in June.

Big loss: Ice Cube (seen in December 2018) has lost out on a $9million payday as he departed comedy film Oh Hell No after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine according to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday

Sony, Cube's rep, and his agency WME all declined comment to the publication.

The film - which is being produced by Matt Tolmach - was looking to shoot this winter in Hawaii with director Kitao Sakurai who is best known for his work on Netflix comedy Bad Trip.

Hawaii recently became the first state in the US to administer COVID-19 vaccines to 90percent of its residents 12 and older and producers had requested that all cast be vaccinated to work on the project.

Taking a stand: The 52-year-old West Coast hip-hop legend - real name O'Shea Jackson Sr. - exited Sony's comedy after declining a request from producers to get vaccinated

Hilarious: The Friday actor would have starred opposite comedy legend Jack Black (seen in December 2019) in the project which was announced back in June

Keeping mum: Sony, Cube's rep, and his agency WME all declined comment to the publication

The Hollywood Reporter has been told that Sony is in the process of finding a replacement for Cube.

Production on the film has also been pushed back as Black had injured himself back in June while filming a bit for the last episode of Conan but still work on the project.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Cube has promoted mask wearing and even donated 2,000 protective face masks to Bacone College in Oklahoma back in August.

In April 2020, he even unveiled a 'Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self' range of clothing which featured the rapper in a mask with proceeds benefiting frontline healthcare workers.

Quite the gesture: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Cube (seen in February 2020) has promoted mask wearing and even donated 2,000 protective face masks to Bacone College in Oklahoma back in August

Sweet: In April 2020, he even unveiled a 'Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self' range of clothing which featured the rapper in a mask with proceeds benefiting frontline healthcare workers

Vaccinations on set among cast and crew has become an issue on multiple film and television projects in Hollywood.

Back in June, it a statement was release that the the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the industrys top guilds - which include SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, The DGA, and Teamsters - had agreed to ease protocols for fully vaccinated cast and crew.

The agreement stated that producers will have the option 'to implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A'  where cast and crew work in close proximity  'on a production-by-production basis.'
She spent a night out with Scott Disick last week as he got back into the dating game after splitting from Amelia Hamlin in September.

But Elizabeth Grace Lindley was flying solo on Friday as she stepped out in West Hollywood for a refreshing green smoothie.

The 20-year-old model went bra-free while showcasing her toned midriff in a cropped white tank top that left little to the imagination.

Taking it easy: Elizabeth Grace Lindley, 20, an influencer who was spotted hanging out with Scott Disick last week, was seen cooling down with a juice from Kreation in West Hollywood on Friday

No fuss: She paired it with high-waisted jeans and green-and-white sneakers

Elizabeth kept her look casual with a set of high-waisted acid wash jeans, which she contrasted with green-and-white sneakers with bright orange laces.

She completed the low-key ensemble with a small black handbag that was tucked under her arm.

The influencer wore her pin-straight blond locks with a middle part as they fluttered about in the breeze.

She stopped by a Kreation location in West Hollywood to get a green juice before heading on her way.

Woman in white: Elizabeth went bra-free and showed off her toned and tanned midriff in a white cropped tank top

Last week, Elizabeth was seen spending a night out with Scott Disick, marking the first time he's been seen in public since his ex Kourtney Kardashian announced her engagement to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

She and the 38-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star were together outside Offsunset, a new nightclub on the Sunset Strip that has cultivate a reputation for discretion and exclusivity because cellphones and cameras are banned within the establishment.

The two stayed out together into the early morning hours of Friday, before witnesses said they 'left together in a chauffeured car.'

The blond beauty was previously linked to Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton earlier in 2021, though they never confirmed their relationship and didn't announce a parting of ways.

On the town: She and Scott were seen with friends at the exclusive club Offsunset, which bans people from bringing in phones and cameras

Under the radar: Scott has been keeping a low profile since his ex Kourtney Kardashian got engaged to Blink-182 drummer Travis Scott

Scott was most recently dating another 20-year-old, the model Amelia Hamlin, who ended things with him in September after his petty DMs complaining about his ex Kourtney and her relationship with Travis Barker were made public.

He sent a private message to another one of her exes, Younes Bendjima, where he criticized her for showing off too much PDA with the drummer during a trip.

'Yo is this chick ok!??? Broo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' Scott complained of a photo showing Kourtney straddling and kissing Travis on a boat.

Younes, 28, shot back: 'Doesn't matter to me as long as shes happy. PS: i aint your bro.'

Scott and Amelia were first linked in October of 2020 after they were seen arriving at Kendall Jenner's star-studded Halloween party together.

The way they were: Scott was most recently dating another 20-year-old, the model Amelia Hamlin, who ended things with him in September after his petty DMs complaining about his ex and her PDA with Travis Barker went public

It's official: Kourtney Kardashian said 'yes' to Travis after he got down on one knee while surrounded by roses and candles on a beach in Montecito, California

Last week, insiders close to Scott told Page Six that he hasn't been doing well since learning of his ex's engagement to Travis Barker, despite splitting from Kourtney more than five years ago.

'Scott is going crazy,' an insider told the publication. 'He's going to go off the deep end. It's really bad. It's about to get dark.'

A source also told Us Weekly that the model and socialite feels out of touch with the Kardashians as his ex continues to move on.

'The Kardashians adore Scott and tell him hes part of the family no matter what, but he feels very distant and feels like an outcast more than ever,' the source said.

On Thursday, Scott shared a photo of his sons Reign, six, and Mason, 11, as they cuddled up with blankets on a sofa at home.

'Boyz night,' he captioned the sweet photo.

He and Kourtney also share nine-year-old Penelope, who wasn't pictured.
Robert Redford and his wife Sibylle Szaggars looked in good spirits as they attended the annual awards hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco on Friday.

The pair looked very glamorous for the affair, with Robert, 85, wearing a white blazer, with a matching shirt and trousers while Sibylle, 64, wore a long sleeved patterned white gown.

The awards celebrate those who have shown commitment to preserving the environment and planetary health.

Happy: Robert Redford, 85, and his wife Sibylle Szaggars, 64, looked in good spirits as they attended the annual awards hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco on Friday

The Hollywood acting legend looked deep in conversation with the Monegasque prince as they chatted on the red carpet.

Sibylle looked very happy to be there as she smiled adoringly at her husband at the event.

The German artist opted for a coral coloured lip and black eye makeup while her pixie hair cut was in a chic style.

Past honouree: The awards celebrate those who have shown commitment to preserving the environment and planetary health

Looking good: The pair looked very glamorous for the affair, with Robert wearing a white blazer, with a matching shirt and trousers while Sibylle wore a long sleeved patterned gown

Robert won the Special Award back in 2019, while Sting won it in 2020 and Orlando Bloom in 2018.

Last year, the awards took place virtually while other locations in previous years have taken place in Madrid and Montreal.

Earlier this year, Robert revealed he would be selling his 30-acre Utah horse ranch named after his 1998 movie 'The Horse Whisperer' for $4.9 million, so he can concentrate on expanding his other nearby equine facility.

Rubbing shoulders: The Hollywood acting legend looked deep in conversation with the Monegasque prince as they chatted on the red carpet

Love: Sibylle looked very happy to be there as she smiled adoringly at her husband at the event

His ranch is located in Wasatch County, about 16 miles north of Sundance, the ski and resort community he founded in 1969.

The ranch sits on the northern edge of Deer Creek Reservoir and the Provo River and offers views of the 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos.

Redford bought the property in 1996 as a place for his horses to exercise during the winter, Compass real estate agent Steve Mavromihalis told the Wall Street Journal.

Wow: The German artist opted for a coral coloured lip and black eye makeup while her pixie hair cut was in a chic style

Star-studded: Robert won the Special Award back in 2019, while Sting won it in 2020 and Orlando Bloom in 2018

Redford's acting career began in the 1950s working as a relative unknown on the stage and television.

He made his film debut in 1960 in a minor role in the movie Tall Story, starring Jane Fonda.

He became a huge star after starring in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid alongside Paul Newman and has since won two Academy Awards and has gone on to direct multiple films.
Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has, once again, voiced his dissatisfaction with the lower than usual streams that his new music has been receiving on YouTube. Tommy Lee Sparta, a former affiliate of Kartels now-defunct Portmore empire, was quick to add his two cents about what they believe is a conspiracy to suppress their music by persons unknown.

In an Instagram post today, the Dancehall artistswho are both currently incarceratedmade their suspicions known when the Worl Boss shared a screenshot of his last five releases with their respective streams: Temptation (779k views), 3 Little Birds (1 M views) Daddy Was A Pilot (394k views), Like Semper Fi  Official Audio (182k views) and Like Semper Fi  Official Video (49k views).

In the caption, he claimed that some form of tampering may have been involved to cause such disappointing and unsteady numbers. GAZA unuh notice Anytime a bagga song start drop, someone or a group a person start do somn to VYBZKARTELVEVO? Kartel said.

Putting the focus on his latest release, the music video for Like Semper Fi that dropped on October 25 and which featured an enticing display from a sexy video vixen, Kartel further expressed his confusion with the low streams that the visuals received: 2.2 MIL Loyal Subscribers but 40k inna 2 day pon a bad song wid a sexy video?

Dancehall deejay Tommy Lee Sparta responded to not only agree with the Teachas suspicions but also revealed he had experienced the same thing.

Happen to me all the time me g till me a wanda if corona a dead off e people dem are some artist a buy out the views dem, Sparta wrote in the comments.

Others like Dancehall deejay Cham, whose recently released Condensed Milk with Spice stands at 500k views, also chimed in on the discussion to say, Dem a try hurt di music!!!

However, music consultant and producer of the World Music Views chart show on TVJ Donovan Watkis, insists that YouTube is ahead of other streaming platforms, and is a huge vehicle for Dancehall music.

YouTube is very important to Jamaican artists, especially because thats where artists from the region register the most streams. I dont think there is any conspiracy to suppress Dancehall music by YouTube, Watkis told DancehallMag.

If anything YouTube has helped the genre and the country more than any other streaming platform. The algorithms are constantly changing and prioritizing what gets seen based on popularity. In the last year more artist from Jamaica stream more than one million times than any previous time in history, he continued.

Watkis even directed Jamaican musicians, who were in doubt to check his platform to get accurate streaming data or if they felt obliged, to contact YouTube directly.

Also if artists want to see their real numbers then tune in to World Music Views where we have a chart that reflects only the organic streams as per YouTubes policy for chart data. If an artist notices a drop in their views they can reach out to YouTube directly and they are usually helpful.

They also changed the trending tab recently to the explore tab to include gamers and other content makers in the top trending conversation, Watkis added.

While, according to YouTubes Music Charts & Insights, Vybz Kartel was the most streamed Dancehall artist on YouTube in Jamaica for 2020 and appears set to repeat that title in 2021, this is not the first time that he has raised concerns about the streaming platform.

In fact, last year April he blatantly accused other Dancehall acts of buying YouTube views when his big release that month did not perform as expected.
MIDDLETOWN U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Gov. Ned Lamont, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Alphabet/Google Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat met with educational leaders and students at Middlesex Community College Friday to announce the full integration of Google Career Certificates for community college students.

Connecticut is now the first state in the nation to offer the full suite of Google certificates across its state colleges and universities system. The program is also available to all career and technical education high schools.

After a tour of campus, Cardona, Lamont, Blumenthal, Murphy and Porat joined Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Terrence Cheng and three local students for a panel discussion about what the announcement means for the state.

This is about Connecticut residents having access to education to build a nice life for their families, Cardona said.

The setting of the event was special for the education secretary. He said the first college course he ever took was at MxCC, and that these new programs should provide even more opportunities for those entering college.

It opened the doors of college for the Cardona family, he said. This is so students like me can see that they can succeed in college.

He added that the countrys education system needs to evolve quicker to prepare students for the evolving workforce, and that, as the first state to offer all of Googles certificate courses, Connecticut is leading the way in that evolution.

Porat touched on that as well, saying that digital skills training is extremely important today. We saw that very clearly during the pandemic, he said.

She said that upwards of 10 million jobs are available to people with digital skills training, and these Google courses offer that training. Course subjects include data analytics, IT support, project management, and UX design.

Thats what were excited about, Porat said. Its a door-opener.

Cheng said that he and the rest of the CSCU community are really proud to be the first university system to offer the full suite of Google certificate programs, and that preparing students for such jobs is a primary reason for choosing to offer them.

That allows us to immediately meet the needs of the workforce, Cheng said.

He credited Lamont for making it happen. For his part, the governor said it was necessary to make sure Connecticut does not fall behind in the tech-dominant future.

Were doing everything we can to compete in the 21st century, Lamont said.

Offering these courses to community college and high school students helps to level the playing field when it comes to education and career opportunities, the governor added.

Some students are already taking advantage of these courses. Ahmad Salaam, of Cromwell, is studying computer and information technology at MxCC. He said he was already interested in technology, and these programs are a great way for him learn all aspects of his chosen field.

Its a really, really great course, Salaam said. Im interested in IT, but this program allows me to explore.

The full suite will be available to students in the spring, Cheng said. Registration is not yet open, but will be in the near future. For information, visit ct.edu/google.

Outside of Chapman Hall, where the panel discussion was held, dozens of members of the 4Cs, SEIU 1973, which represents higher education employees in the state, and individuals from other supporting unions, gathered to continue the protest against the consolidation of community colleges.

Following the event, Murphy met with the protesters to hear their concerns. The group said it hopes to meet with Lamont as well in the near future.
CHESTERFIELD, S.C. (AP)  A South Carolina lawyer involved in a half-dozen state police investigations has been cagey about his assets and should have to hand over control of his money to independent representatives so that he does not engage in further fraud, an attorney told a judge Friday.

Attorneys in three different civil cases have said they fear Alex Murdaugh is trying to hide millions of dollars they could possibly collect in their lawsuits. They said he could shift money between unknown accounts and potentially sell off property and a boat after he turned all his affairs over to his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh.

Murdaugh's lawyer said he hasn't been found responsible in any of the civil suits and has insurance to cover if he is required to pay damages. Attorney John Tiller added that if Murdaugh loses control of his assets, that would open the door for similar things to happen in countless other cases if the person who sues thinks the defendant doesn't have enough insurance.

They are long in facts and innuendo but they are short on the law, Tiller said during a hearing in a Chesterfield County courthouse.

Circuit Judge Daniel Hall said he would rule sometime around the middle of next week. Alex Murdaugh remains in the Richland County jail without bond, and Buster Murdaugh was not in the courtroom.

The lawyers said Alex Murdaugh could be hiding inheritance from the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in an unsolved shooting at the familys home in June or from his fathers death from natural causes a few days later.

They also said because Murdaugh has been part of a legal empire in tiny Hampton County, South Carolina, he could have other money coming in from any number of sources.

Murdaughs father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all elected prosecutors in the area. The familys law firm has won multimillion-dollar verdicts over the past century.

Since the June shootings of his wife and son, state police have opened six investigations into Murdaugh and his family ranging from stolen money to insurance fraud for trying to arrange his own death.

Hall was hearing just one case Friday  a lawsuit by the family of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old woman killed in a 2019 boat crash. Prosecutors said Paul Murdaugh was drunk and driving the boat. The lawsuit said his father knew he was drinking without being 21 and his brother let him borrow his license to buy the alcohol.

The Murdaugh family refused to comply with legal requirements like revealing the value of their assets even before things started to unravel in June, said Mark Tinsley, a lawyer for the Beach family.

If they dont have any money, what would be the harm of enjoining him from spending it? Tinsley said. Hes living pretty well for someone with no assets. He has a crisis manager."

Lawyers in the other two lawsuits said they expect similar rulings in their cases. A man on the boat who said the Murdaugh family tried to falsely pin him as the boat's driver has also sued along with the family of Murdaugh's late housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. The Murdaughs said she died after a fall in the family's home in 2018.

Murdaugh has been charged with pocketing nearly $3 million worth of insurance settlements that was supposed to go to Satterfields estate.

Prosecutors have accused Murdaugh of illegally diverting the money to his accounts. They said he then paid off a $100,000 credit card bill, transferred more than $300,000 to his father and $735,000 to himself.

The lawsuits noted well over half the settlement money remained unaccounted for in the prosecution's presentation.

Lawyers in the other two cases said the Murdaugh family is also fighting hard against them. What does your common sense tell you? If you had nothing to hide, you would turn it over, said Eric Bland, a lawyer for the Satterfield family.

Murdaugh, 53, was first arrested Sept. 16 and was accused of trying to arrange his own death so Buster Murdaugh could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. That same day, the father signed a power of attorney for all his affairs over to his son, according to court records.

The motions in the three lawsuits include several documents: a photo of Buster Murdaugh that lawyers said was taken in October at a Las Vegas casino; a nearly $1 million mortgage that a property owner paid off to Alex Murdaugh; an online listing asking $114,000 for Murdaughs boat; and a nearly two-year-old unpaid tax bill that could lead to the auction of Murdaughs beach home on Edisto Island.

In addition to the investigations into the stolen insurance money and the insurance fraud, state police continue to investigate the shooting deaths, millions of dollars missing from Murdaugh's former law firm that was founded by his great-grandfather, a 2015 hit-and-run death and whether Murdaugh and his family obstructed the investigation into the boat crash.

Murdaugh insists he had nothing to do with the June deaths of his wife, Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22. Murdaugh said he returned to their rural Colleton County home to find them shot to death. Tight-lipped state police have neither named any suspects nor ruled anyone out.

Murdaugh remains in jail without bond on the charges he stole money from his late housekeeper's estate. A judge handling the Murdaugh criminal cases last week asked for a report on his mental state before considering whether to set bond.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.
NEW YORK (AP)  U.S. authorities returned about 250 antiquities to India on Thursday in a long-running investigation of a stolen art scheme.

The items, worth an estimated $15 million, were handed over during a ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York City. The centerpiece is a bronze Shiva Nataraja valued at $4 million, authorities said.

The ceremony stems from a sprawling probe by the Manhattan district attorneys office and the Homeland Security Investigations arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The investigation has focused on tens of thousands of antiquities allegedly smuggled into the United States by dealer Subhash Kapoor, who has denied the allegations.

The case "serves as a potent reminder that individuals who maraud sacred temples in pursuit of individual profit are committing crimes not only against a countrys heritage but also its present and future, District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement.

Authorities say Kapoor  jailed in India and facing charges there pending a U.S. extradition request  used his Arts of the Past gallery in New York to traffic looted treasures from India and various countries in Southeast Asia. The investigation has resulted in the recovery of 2,500 artifacts valued at $143 million and convictions of six Kapoor co-conspirators, Vance said.

The Shiva Nataraja bronze was sold by the mother of Nancy Wiener, a gallery operator who pleaded guilty in the case this month to charges of conspiracy and possession of stolen property, authorities said. Nancy Wiener sold looted items to major museums in Australia and Singapore, they said.

In June, the district attorneys office returned more than two dozen artifacts worth $3.8 million to Cambodia as part of the investigation. Another 33 objects were sent back to Afghanistan in April.

Court papers filed in New York says Kapoor went to extraordinary lengths to acquire the artifacts, many of them statues of Hindu deities, and then falsified their provenance with forged documents. They say Kapoor traveled the world seeking out antiquities that had been looted from temples, homes and archaeological sites. Some of the artifacts were recovered from Kapoors storage units in New York.

Kapoor had the items cleansed and repaired to remove any damage from illegal excavation, and then illegally exported them to the United States from their countries of origin, according to U.S. prosecutors.
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Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan fans celebrate outside 'Mannat' residence after his son Aryan Khan was granted bail by Bombay High Court, in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: Even as the Bombay High Court has granted bail to actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, who was arrested in drugs-on-cruise case, his lawyers will have to wait till they get the high court's operative order for taking further steps towards securing his release from jail.

Once the high court gives the order copy on Aryan Khan's bail, his lawyers will have to take it to a special court hearing the NDPS cases along with other necessary documents, like sureties. The special court will then issue the release papers, which will have to be submitted to the jail superintendent by 6 pm to secure his release this evening.

In case of any delay in the procedure, Aryan Khan will have to spend one more night at the Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, where he is currently lodged, and could be released on Saturday.

A single bench of Justice N W Sambre on Thursday granted bail to Aryan Khan, 25 days after he was arrested during a drug raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. The HC also granted bail to his co-accused and his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha.

The high court had said it would provide a copy of its order on Friday.

Aryan Khan's advocate Satish Maneshinde on Friday said they are ready with all the requisite documents, including the sureties, and are waiting for the order copy from the high court.

"We are prepared with our sureties. We are hoping to get the order copy from HC today. Once we receive it, we will submit the same along with all the necessary documents to the special NDPS court, Maneshinde told PTI.

The NDPS court once satisfied with the sureties and other papers shall issue release papers which shall then be submitted to the jail, he added.

"We hope to do it by this evening itself so that we can get Aryan Khan out of jail," Maneshinde said.

As per procedure laid down, if the formalities, which include submission of sureties, are complete and the release papers are submitted to the jail Superintendent by 6 pm, then the accused would be released on that day.

Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 and were booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs and conspiracy and abetment to commit an offence.

Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison since October 8 after they were sent to judicial custody. Dhamecha has been lodged at the Byculla women's prison since October 8.
Idukki: The shutters of the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala, operated by Tamil Nadu, were raised on Friday morning as the water level in the reservoir has crossed 138 ft, Kerala government officials said here.

Tamil Nadu government officials raised by 0.30 metres the spillway shutters 3 and 4 of the 126-year old dam at around 7.30 AM, they said.

According to them, 538.16 cusecs of water has been flowing out of these two shutters of the dam since morning.

The water level at Mullaperiyar dam stands at 138.80 ft at 9 AM, Kerala government officials said here.

Besides officials from the two states, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan and Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine were present during the opening of the shutters of the dam.

Talking to reporters, Rajan said there was no need for any panic as the government has taken measures to ensure safety of the people.

He, however, urged the people to maintain vigil.

The government has also warned against the social media scare mongers.

In view of the opening of Mullaperiyar dam and predictions of more rains in the catchment areas, the government has also sounded a red alert in Idukki reservoir.

Augustine said the Idukki reservoir has enough storage capacity to hold the water being released from Mullaperiyar dam.

The minister has said that there was nothing to be concerned about and people need not panic as the storage capacity of Idukki was 70.5 TMC as compared to 12.758 TMC of Mullaperiyar and therefore, the water released from the latter would only raise the former's level by a quarter of a foot.

People living downstream of Mullaperiyar dam were evacuated as a measure of abundant caution ahead of raising of the shutters.

According to officials a total of 1,079 people from 350 families who would be affected by the two-foot-high flood have been evacuated.

Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895 on Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala, is operated by the Tamil Nadu government for its irrigation and power generation needs. Kerala is insisting on building a new dam, citing safety concerns, but Tamil Nadu is against it, saying the present structure was strong.
Mr Wankhede moved the Bombay high court on Thursday requesting a probe by CBI or the NIA into the allegations of corruption levelled against him. (DC File Image)

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday gave an assurance in the Bombay high court that it will serve at least three days prior notice before taking any coercive action against NCB officer Sameer Wankhede.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S.V. Kotwal disposed of a petition by Mr Wankhede after public prosecutor Aruna Pai informed the court that three days prior notice will be given to the petitioner before taking any action.

Following this, the bench passed the order saying: It is not necessary to go deeper in the controversy in view of the statement made by the public prosecutor, on instructions, that before taking any coercive steps against the petitioner (Mr Wankhede) such as arrest, three working days notice will be given to the petitioner.

The bench noted Mr Wankhedes counsel Atul Nanda submitted before the court that the statement by the public prosecutor will suffice for the purpose of the petitioner for this petition.

While disposing of the petition, the court clarified it hadnt said anything on the merits of the case. Mr Wankhede moved the Bombay high court on Thursday requesting a probe by CBI or the NIA into the allegations of corruption levelled against him.

In his plea, Mr Wankede said in case any probe into extortion allegations must be carried out, it must be done by either the CBI or NIA. He had also sought relief from any coercive action against him over the cases of extortion and corruption levelled against him.

The petition said the reason for seeking such relief was the malice, mala fides and ulterior motives of the party in power in Maharashtra. His plea read: The petitioner apprehends that the actions of the respondent state and its office-bearers are nothing but a means to mount personal and political pressure on him, by false implication in criminal cases to render him incapable of proceeding with a free and fair investigation. He also told the court that being a public servant of the Centre, the state needed prior approval to initiate any inquiry or investigation against him.

However, after the statement by the state government, that he will be served three days notice in advance in case of any action against him, the court disposed of his petition without passing any order.
Pune: Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane on Friday said as the National Defence Academy (NDA) opens its doors for women cadets, it is expected that they are welcomed with the same sense of fair play and professionalism.

He was addressing the cadets after reviewing the passing out parade of the 141st course of the NDA here.

"As we open the portals of the NDA for women cadets, we expect you to welcome them with the same sense of fair play and professionalism as Indian armed forces are known world over," General Naravane said.

Last month, the Defence Ministry had informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women candidates to appear for the entrance exam to the NDA will be out by May next year. But observing that induction of women to the NDA cannot be postponed by one year, the apex court had allowed female candidates to take the exam in November this year and not wait till May 2022 as requested by the government.

In his speech, the army chief also appealed the cadets to keep abreast with new technology to counter the contemporary challenges.

He said he was greatly honoured to review the parade.

"A little over 42 years back, when I stood as a cadet at the same drill square as you stand today, little I could have imagined that I would be reviewing this parade," he said.

"From here on, you will step into the respective career service academies for more focused military training. You will don different uniforms, but always remember that no single service by itself can fight and win modern wars, he added.
KAKINADA: The West Godavari district collector Karthikeya Misra fumed at banks, especially private banks, who have not extended any financial support to tenant farmers and the agriculture sector.

He aired his opinions at a district consultative committee meeting he had with bankers at Eluru on Friday. He expressed discontent at the poor performance of private banks when it came to lending to those into the agriculture sector.

He wanted the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to shut down branches that shy away from extending loans to tenant farmers. He said that the district targetted to give Rs 880 crore loans to tenant farmers, of which bankers could provide Rs 190.17 crore to 41,385 individuals. He appealed to the bankers to complete their targetted loans within 10 days.

Misra said that if banks release Rs 13,640 crore to the agriculture sector, it could give only Rs 8,222.64 crore. He said that Rs 11,129.56 crore worth loans have been given to the priority sector and Rs 6,529 crore for short term loans. He also said that some banks have not given passbooks to self-help groups (SHGs).

RBI assistant general manager Sarat Chandra instructed the all bank coordinators to attend district-level bankers meeting and complete appointment of banking correspondents.

Joint collectors Himanshu Sukla, Dr B.R.Ambedkar, Suraj Ganore, DCC convener and Union Bank of India regional head I. Satyanarayana Murthy, NABARD DDM Anil Kanth, lead bank district manager S.S.A. Venkateswara Rao and others were present.
The AP government had impleaded in a petition filed by a resident of Mahbubnagar district in the NGT in August this year against the project, alleging environmental violations. (Photo:Twitter)

Hyderabad: In a jolt to the Telangana state government, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday ordered a stay on the construction of Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project scheme (PRLIS) until environmental clearances were obtained from the Centre.

According to D. Madhuri Reddy, counsel for the Andhra Pradesh government in the NGT, the southern bench of the tribunal in Chennai issued orders to this effect on Friday. The AP government had impleaded in a petition filed by a resident of Mahbubnagar district in the NGT in August this year against the project, alleging environmental violations.

However, TS irrigation officials said that NGT has only issued 'interim orders' and allowed the TS government to raise its objections on this issue. They said NGT has posted the case for hearing on November 24 to raise objections on the report of joint committee which inspected the PRLIS. They said it's not final disposal of the case by the NGT.

In July, the NGT had ordered the constitution of the joint committee to inspect project works following the petition filed by D. Chandramouleswara Reddy, a farmer from Kadapa, along with others from Rayalaseema and Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts against the project.

In the petition, the AP government alleged that the TS government dubiously and artificially divided the PRLIS into two phases  irrigation (83.9 tmc ft) and drinking water with evaporation losses (6.1 tmc ft)  to evade legal scrutiny. It complained that the TS government was taking up irrigation project works under the guise of drinking water project works.

The NGT's joint committee inspected project works in September and submitted a report in October first week stating that the TS government had taken up irrigation works in the PLRIS, instead of permitted drinking water component works. The NGT said it was a violation of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2016. The joint committee suggested imposition of an environmental compensation of Rs 3,70,87,500 on Telangana state.

Following this, the NGT Chennai bench ordered a stay on PRLRIS works. "We are satisfied that there is prima facie case and balance of convenience in favour of the applicant and if the relief is not granted, then there will be irreparable and irreversible injury will be caused to the environment and as such in order to protect the environment, the Telangana state government has to be restrained by an interim order of injunction from proceeding with the project without completing the process of obtaining environmental clearance as required under EIA notification, 2016. So, the Telangana state government is restrained from proceeding with the PLRIS as it stands now pending before the MoEF&CC for environment clearance as a combined project as required under EIA Notification, 2016," the bench comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and Dr K. Satyagopal noted.

The bench stated, "The preliminary objection raised by the Telangana state government is not sustainable and the same is rejected and hold that the application is maintainable and not barred by limitation.
Kolkata: Achieving a milestone, Indian defence PSU, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has delivered the 200th gun bay door for Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. HAL GM (Aircraft) S Manicka Vasagam handed over the delivery documents to Boeing India Director-Supplier Development Ashwani Bhargava. HAL has been supplying the aero-structure to Boeing for the last 10 years.

HAL chairman and managing director R. Madhavan said on Friday, HAL has a long-standing partnership with Boeing and we look forward to strengthening our association on military and civil programmes. We are prepared to collaborate with Boeing to boost manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India programmes.

Boeing India president Salil Gupte said, Our partnership with HAL is an example of our commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and to the growth of Indias aerospace and defence ecosystem. We see tremendous potential for India to contribute to the global aerospace industry as an industrial and technology partner. This partnership is a testimony to the world class capability of our industrial partners in the country.

HALs aircraft division has been a trusted supplier to Boeing for the last three decades. It has supplied various aero-structures for Boeings military and civil programmes such as the B757 Over-wing Exit Doors, 777 Up-lock Box, F/A-18 Wire Harness and F/A-18 Gun Bay Door.
VIJAYAWADA: Members from the Tollywood called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at the CM Camp Office at Tadepalli on Thursday to discuss various issues facing the Telugu film industry.

Superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna, film producers Preetham Reddy and Niranjan Reddy were part of the delegation that met the Chief Minister. Nagarjuna and others arrived in a special flight to meet the Chief Minister. A lunch with the Chief Minister without other eminent personalities became a talking point.

According to sources, Nagarjuna discussed issues related to the film industry with Jagan Mohan Reddy including crucial developments in the industry such as online ticketing system. The Tollywood team is reported to have thanked the Chief Minister for giving permission to screen four-film shows daily in AP and for allowing 100 per cent occupancy in theatres. The meeting went on for over two hours. Sources in the Telugu film industry believe that Nagarjuna had always been optimistic about ongoing issues like online ticketing and theatres, and hence these things were discussed during the meeting.
New Delhi/Dharwad: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh began a three-day all-India executive committee meeting in Dharwad, Karnataka, on Thursday, where it is likely to brainstorm on the strategy ahead and may also pass a resolution over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh during Durga Puja earlier this month. Among other issues of national importance, the RSS top brass is likely to discuss the coming Assembly polls and coordination between the BJP and the RSS cadre for the elections.

The session began amid the chanting of Vedic hymns, with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale attending, along with over 350 organising secretaries from across the country. Some senior BJP central leaders are also expected to attend the meeting.

Today, the executive committee meeting of the RSS started here. We will deliberate on the current status of the Sanghs work, our future plans and the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, RSS Sah Prachar Pramukh Narendra Thakur said. He said a resolution will be passed on the attacks.

Later, the RSS issued a statement saying that the participants led by Mr Bhagwat paid tributes to important figures who passed away this year, including two centenarians and Gandhians from Karnataka, Prof G. Venkatasubbaiah and H.S. Doreswamy, Dr H. Siddalingaiah, Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, seers Adhyatmanand Ji, Swami Omkaranand Ji, author Narendra Kohli and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh.

According to another RSS functionary, the meeting also discussed the restructuring and reorganisation of the Sangh. He noted that the RSS national executive committee meets every year at the end of October.

However, last year for the first time, the meeting took place virtually due to the Covid-19 related restrictions. This year, the quorum is complete. More than 350 people have gathered here, said an RSS leader.

RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar had earlier said the Sangh would discuss its centenary celebrations plans for 2025. As part of its centenary celebrations, the Sangh has formulated a three-year action plan for its expansion starting from 2021 to 2024. The Sangh executive committee will discuss its plans to deal with the possible third wave of Covid-19 and to train its volunteers.
Hyderabad: The TRS-led state governments plans to discourage farmers from cultivating paddy in the upcoming rabi season has snowballed into a political slugfest between the ruling party in the state and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Huzurabad bypoll on October 30.

While BJP state president Bandi Sanjay sat on one-day Rythu Deeksha against the state government's plans on Thursday, agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy released a copy of a letter written by the BJP-led Central government to the state government stating that it will not purchase boiled rice stocks produced in Telangana state in future.

The letter, dated September 30, 2021, was written by Jai Prakash, under-secretary, Union ministry of food and public distribution and was addressed to the commissioner of civil supplies, Telangana. In his letter, Jai Prakash had stated: "No parboiled rice to be delivered by the state government of Telangana to Food Corporation of India in future."

Holding the Centre responsible for the state governments plans to regulate paddy cultivation in Telangana in the Rabi season, the state agriculture minister demanded the Telangana BJP leaders continue their deekshas until the Central government resumes the procurement of boiled rice from Telangana.

"Telangana government has been repeatedly requesting the Centre since February this year to procure boiled rice from Telangana. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao personally met Union civil supplies minister Piyush Goyal twice in Delhi in September and submitted a representation in this regard. But there is no response so far. But the BJP leaders in Telangana are now enacting dramas in the name of Rythu Deekshas to gain political mileage in the Huzurabad bypoll, the minister claimed.

People know who is forcing the Telangana government to regulate paddy cultivation. Since the BJP government at the Centre has decided against boiled rice procurement from Telangana, we are forced to regulate paddy farming," Niranjan Reddy stated.
ANANTAPUR: At least 7,000 raincoats and 1,000 umbrellas were distributed to the polling staff for Badvel bypolls following heavy rains since Thursday night. Polling materials were distributed at the Balayogi Girls Residential School in Badvel even as heavy downpour continued to create inconvenience to the staff who came to collect the material.

Tents erected for the distribution of material were totally wet and the premises were totally drenched. Election authorities initiated measures to avoid damage for the material including EVMs and procured 7,000 raincoats and 1,000 umbrellas for the polling staff. Special care was taken to avoid technical problems during heavy rains and vehicles were arranged from the school to polling stations in the segment. Medical teams are positioned at all polling stations to provide necessary emergency medical aid for the staff and also voters, according to returning officer Kethan Gorge.

Covid positive patients can cast their votes after 6 pm. The voters who are suffering from other ailments should produce a negative certificate at the polling stations before casting their votes.

The bypoll was necessitated in Badvel constituency due to the demise of sitting MLA Gunthoti Venkata Subbaiah of YSRC. The YSRC fielded D. Sudha, widow of Venkata Subbaiah in the fray while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has not fielded a candidate following the tradition of supporting family members of deceased MLA. While BJP fielded Suresh, youth leader from Kadapa district who had contested from Railway Kodur in last general elections and tasted defeat. The Congress fielded former MLA M. Kamalamma who was the first MLA of Badvel SC reserved segment. The CPI is extending support to the Congress alleging that the YSRC and the BJP have an understanding.

APCC chief S. Sailajanath hoped that the voters in Badvel realised the worse governance of YSRC and chose the Congress as the only alternative.

Though Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy did not come to Badvel for campaign on reasons of covid norms, a group of ministers and MLAs led by minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy led the campaign. MLAs and other leaders from Rayalaseema region campaigned for the candidate. "We are confident to get more than 45,000 majority and even more as people are happy with the welfare schemes of the government," whip G. Srikanth Reddy observed.

The BJP has taken the bypoll seriously to prove its existence while the TD and Janasena are keeping away from polls. BJP state unit president Somu Veerraju led the campaign while several leaders including national leaders participated in the campaign for BJP candidate. Veerraju said people of Kadapa district were vexed with decades-long domination of the YSR family and would teach a lesson to it in the bypoll.

The YSRC leaders unleashed a scathing attack on the BJP for approaching TD leaders and cadres in the villages to be election agents as BJP had no cadres in the villages. Further, they also blamed TD leaders who were sold out to the BJP.

The YSRC high command set a target of a majority of more than 45,000 votes in the triangle fight. In addition, 13 more candidates of various parties including independents are in the fray.

In view of the bypoll, the Kadapa police diverted traffic from Badvel and directed lorries and other vehicles towards Vijayawada and other places to take diversion on Saturday on the day of polling.

At least 3,000 cops including three companies of CISF and CRPF forces are deputed for the polling bandobust. SP Anburajan said at least 10 police would be kept at each polling station to avoid untoward incidents.
The feature works over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections of LTE or greater, although somewhat confusingly, you turn it off by disabling the 'Wi-Fi calling' option in the Google Fi app. (ANI Photo)

Washington: In the coming weeks, tech conglomerate Google would be rolling out end-to-end encrypted phone calls on its Google Fi MVNO, the search giant announced on Thursday.

According to The Verge, when enabled, the feature means that no one, not even Google, can listen in on the contents of a call.

Although currently, it's possible to have end-to-end encrypted audio calls through services like FaceTime and WhatsApp, Google Fi's new feature makes it the default for regular phone calls.

The feature is a little limited in its current form. Google's end-to-end encryption will only kick in for calls between two Android phones, where both users are Google Fi subscribers. So, for now, at least, iPhone Google Fi subscribers won't benefit.

Google has said you'll know when a call is end-to-end encrypted because it'll play a "unique dial tone" before it connects. There'll also be a lock icon shown on screen if you're making a call using Google's Phone app.

A couple of other things to note are that calls made via the Messages by Google app won't be end-to-end encrypted, and it only works on one-on-one calls (so no conference calls). Leaving a voicemail is also not covered.

The feature works over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections of LTE or greater, although somewhat confusingly, you turn it off by disabling the 'Wi-Fi calling' option in the Google Fi app.

Over the years, Google has made privacy and security a core part of its pitch for Google Fi. In addition to the encrypted phone calls being announced today, the company also offered a built-in VPN for Fi users and attempts to block spam calls, as per The Verge.

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Following the death of Sandalwood actor Puneeth Rajkumar, the city police commissioner, Kamal Pant on Friday issued an order banning the sale of liquor across the city with immediate effect till October 31, midnight.

According to the order, the ban is on all liquor outlets, including bars and restaurants, wine stores to maintain law and order.

Read More | Puneeth Rajkumar passes away: Rare, unseen photos of Kannada superstar

The order also stated that a large number of people were gathering at Puneeth's house in Sadashivanagar, at Kantheerava stadium, and elsehwere. There are possibilities of some mischievous people spreading false news on social media.

There are possibilities of a few people misusing the situation under the influence of alcohol and disturbing the law and order situation in the city. Liquor sales have been imposed as a precautionary measure to avoid untoward incidents.
Bengalurus fertility rate is dropping, shows data, which also reveals a similar trend across urban areas in several states.

In 1980, the citys fertility rate was 3.6. Now, according to experts who have analysed the latest National Family Health Survey data (NFHS), it is 1.7, and continuing to drop.

As per an analysis of NFHS-5, experts believe the reproduction rate should be at least 2.1 for the population to remain stable. It is estimated that by 2030, Bengaluru will reach a stage where the fertility rate will be 1.5, which does not augur well for the future of the country at large, said Kiran Gadela, co-founder and managing director of Oasis Fertility, an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) firm.

NFHS data shows staunch declines in several states. For instance, the survey determined that urban areas in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh have a fertility rate of 1.5 compared to 1.7 in 2015-16. Urban Gujarat has a rate of 1.7, down from 1.9 five years ago.

When it comes to Bengaluru, experts say the city will eventually face the challenge of caring for a large-sized ageing population  a challenge on par with Japan whose 38% of the population is above the age of 60.

The result is a slashing of Japans potential labour force to just above 59 per cent, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

However, one government official noted that it is not yet time to panic. At the moment, the states overall fertility rate is between 1.6 and 1.7. We need to worry when it falls between 1.3 and 1.4. At the same time, the total fertility rate (TFR) is a crude indicator of births. We would do better to look at live births per year, the officer said.

According to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the state witnessed roughly about 10 lakh births in the last few years, although the department conceded that there has been a decline of between 10,000-16,000 births every subsequent year.

Nevertheless, the decline rate is not an issue because we are soon set to overtake China as the most populous country on the planet, following which our national population will only stabilise around the year 2050. If we still see a decline in fertility rates once this stabilisation happens, then there is cause for worry, the officer said.

Ongoing family planning surveys by the state have found that there are district-to-district imbalances. The officer pointed out that while there is almost no concept of family planning in northern Karnataka districts, in more affluent Mandya, for example, families are preferring to have just one child.

Bengalurus situation is the same where the more educated a family is, the fewer children they have. But it is not clear-cut. For example, almost 30% of urban families (as per our studies) are not following any of the two concepts of family planning, the officer said.

But what is causing the decline? According to Dr Sanjeev Kulkarni, a noted gynaecologist in private service in Dharwad, it boils down to adverse lifestyle choices. Air and water pollution is also a factor.

Lifestyles are beset by poor health trends, such as smoking, lack of physical activity and even recreational drug use, added Dr Durga Rao, medical director of Oasis Fertility, whose firm has been noting an increase in the number of couples seeking IVF treatments in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave.

D Randeep, Health Commissioner, said, Smoking and drug abuse have been around in previous decades with no commensurate decrease in fertility rates. Many people are now choosing not to have children for whatever reason, he said, adding that the stress of urban life could also be an issue.

Dr Rao said, One out of six couples are those unable to make time for procreation as they are unable to align their home times due to work.
Sandalwood 'Power Star' Puneeth Rajkumar's health condition is serious, according to the latest statement by Vikram Hospital.

Puneeth was admitted to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru at 11:30 am today after he complained of chest pain.

"We are trying our best to treat him. His condition is serious. We can't say anything as of now. His condition was bad when he was brought to the hospital. His treatment on in ICU," Dr Ranganath Nayak said, Consultant Cardiologist at Vikram Hospital.

More to follow...

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Facebook will face intense scrutiny over its future at next week's Web Summit, with its "Meta" rebrand and a damaging whistleblower scandal set to dominate discussions at one of the world's biggest tech conferences.

The gathering of the global tech elite in Portugal's capital Lisbon is set to welcome some 40,000 people from Monday evening through Thursday.

That's down from 70,000 in a non-pandemic year -- but Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave said there was nonetheless a "strange euphoria" around the preparations after Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

"Everybody's been cooped up for so long. A big conference equates to a bit of a party," he told AFP.

Read | Facebook changes company name to 'Meta'

"Plus, there's so many people who've built businesses that didn't exist two years ago, and they're now fully-fledged unicorns."

Executives from around 70 so-called unicorns -- start-ups valued at over $1 billion -- will be present at this year's Web Summit.

But the troubles at Facebook, and its attempts to move on, are likely to garner the most attention.

Frances Haugen, the former Facebook engineer who leaked a trove of internal documents to international media, is due to speak on the opening night.

The "Facebook Papers" show executives knew of their sites' potential for harm on numerous fronts, including Instagram's impact on teens' mental health and deepening alarm over misinformation in the developing world.

Adding to the sense of crisis, Facebook has had to grapple in recent weeks with mass outages and rising calls for regulation to curb its vast influence.

Explained | The algorithm that runs News Feed on Facebook

Its finances, however, remain solid, with the company reporting quarterly profits of over $9 billion on Monday, a 17 per cent increase.

Haugen has testified before US and UK lawmakers warning that Facebook has repeatedly ignored its own employees' concerns in the pursuit of profit, but the Web Summit marks her first appearance in front of a wider public.

Facebook will have a chance to respond to the barrage of criticism, with vice president Nick Clegg addressing the conference on Tuesday and chief product officer Chris Cox on Wednesday.

Both will be keen to steer the conversation towards Facebook's planned pivot developing the "metaverse", a virtual reality version of the internet that would make online experiences -- like chatting to a friend, or attending a concert -- feel face-to-face.

Thursday's announcement that Facebook's parent company is being renamed "Meta" met with a torrent of wisecracks on social media, with cynics regarding the move as an attempt to distract attention away from the social platform's problems.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has nonetheless signalled he is deeply serious about building an internet that blurs the digital world with the physical one.

The tech giant announced last week that it will hire 10,000 staff in the European Union to work on building the metaverse over the next five years.

Silicon Valley has been buzzing with debate over what the metaverse could and should look like, and there are several events on the Web Summit line-up devoted to the question.

"I think some of the discussion will be, 'how much of it is hype and how much of it is real?'" Cosgrave said.

Beyond the metaverse, major themes of the Web Summit include the extent to which technology can help to mitigate climate change -- a timely issue given that the conference coincides with the COP26 global climate negotiations in Scotland.

Cosgrave has hailed the fact that Portugal, the Web Summit's host for the past five years, has one of the world's highest vaccination rates, with most remaining restrictions lifted on October 1.

Organisers have nonetheless taken various precautions for the return of the conference, with all attendees obliged to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test, and masks required throughout a venue that is bigger than usual to allow for greater social distancing.

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Petrol stations in many parts of China have begun rationing diesel amid rising costs and falling supplies, BBC reported.

Some truck drivers are having to wait for days to refuel, according to posts on social media site Weibo, the report said.

China is currently in the midst of a massive power crunch, as coal and natural gas shortages have closed factories and left homes without power.

And this latest issue is only likely to contribute to an ongoing global supply chain crisis, say analysts, the report added.

"The current diesel shortages seem to be affecting long-distance transportation businesses which could include goods meant for markets outside of China," said Mattie Bekink, China Director at the Economist Intelligence Unit, the report said.

"Depending on the duration and intensity of this crunch, we could well see this contribute to the global supply chain challenges."

The global supply chain crisis has been largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, with demand surging as economies re-open.

In China, trucks are only being allowed to fill up 100 litres each - about 10 per cent of their capacity, a truck dealer from Shijiazhuang city in Hebei province told Chinese business news service Caixin.

In other parts of the country, reports suggest rations are even tighter with drivers only allowed to buy up to 25 litres, the report said.

Meanwhile, in the city of Fuyang, about a seven-hour drive south of the key transportation hub of Shijiazhuang, Caixin reports petrol stations are limiting purchases or charging drivers surcharges of up to 300 yuan ($47) to fill up their tanks, the report added.

"After going to a few [petrol] stations, there is no more diesel, and prices will continue to rise, and large trucks running logistics will not be able to refuel," one Weibo user wrote.

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More than one world leader says humanity's future, even survival, hangs in the balance when international officials meet in Scotland to try to accelerate efforts to curb climate change.

Temperatures, tempers and hyperbole have all ratcheted up ahead of the United Nations summit.

And the risk of failure looms large for all participants at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26.

Six years ago, nearly 200 countries agreed to individualised plans to fight global warming in the historic 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Now leaders will converge in Glasgow for two weeks starting Sunday to take the next step dictated by that pact: Do more and do it faster.

It's not easy.

Except for a slight drop because of the pandemic, carbon pollution from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is increasing, not falling.

Read | COP26 ministers say $100 bn target can be reached in 2023

Between now and 2030, the world will spew up to 28 billion metric tons (31 billion US tonnes) of greenhouse gases beyond the amount that would keep the planet at or below the most stringent limit set in Paris, the United Nations calculated this week.

Everything is at stake if the leaders do not take climate action, young Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate said.

We cannot eat coal. We cannot drink oil, and we cannot breathe so-called natural gas.

Her words were echoed by a man tasked with steering one of the world's richest economic blocs through the climate transition.

We are fighting for the survival of humanity, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said.

Climate change and the threatening ecocide are the biggest threats humanity faces.

Climate change is fuelling heat waves, flooding, drought and nastier tropical cyclones.

Extreme weather also costs the globe about $320 billion a year in economic losses, according to risk modelling firm AIR Worldwide. And people die.

The unhealthy choices that are killing our planet are killing our people as well, said Dr. Maria Neira, director of public health and environment at the World Health Organization.

Humanity and the Earth won't quite go off a cliff because of global warming, scientists say.

But what happens in Glasgow will either steer the world away from the most catastrophic scenarios or send it careening down a dirt road with tight curves and peril at every turn.

It's a situation where degrees, even tenths of a degree, translate into added risk.

We are still on track for climate catastrophe, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday, even after some countries' recent emission pledges.

For months, United Nations officials have touted three concrete goals for these negotiations to succeed:

 Countries must promise to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared with 2010.

 Rich countries should contribute $100 billion a year in aid to poor countries.

 Half of that amount must be aimed at adapting to climate change's worst effects.

World leaders have recently softened those targets a bit, and they say the goals may not quite be finished by mid-November, when negotiations end. US Climate Envoy John Kerry told The Associated Press: There will be a gap on emission targets.

Under the Paris pact, nations must revisit their previous pledges to curb carbon pollution every five years and then announce plans to cut even more and do it faster.

Delayed a year by the pandemic, this year's meeting is the first to include the required ratcheting up of ambitions.

The hope is that world leaders will cajole each other into doing more, while ensuring that poorer nations struggling to tackle climate change get the financial support they need.

The headline goal set in Paris was to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times. The world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this month that the 1.5-degree mark is the threshold for our survival, humanity, our planet Earth.

But every analysis of current climate-change pledges shows that they are not nearly enough to stop warming at that point but will instead lead to at least another degree or a degree and a half Celsius of warming (about 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit).

All five emissions scenarios studied in a massive UN scientific assessment in August suggest that the world will cross that 1.5-degree-Celsius threshold in the 2030s, though several researchers told the AP that it is still technically possible to stay within that limit or at least temporarily go over it and come back down.

Small island nations and other poor, vulnerable communities said in 2015 that 2 degrees would wipe them out, and insisted on the 1.5-degree threshold.

Our way of life is at stake, said Tina Stege, the climate envoy for the Marshall Islands.

Our ability to provide our children with a safe and secure future is at stake. Atoll nations like the Marshall Islands do not have higher ground to retreat to.

In Glasgow, divisions between nations are big, and trust is a problem, say several United Nations officials and outside analysts.

Rich countries like the United States and European nations developed carbon-belching energy and caused most of the problem historically, but now they ask poor nations to cut or eliminate the use of fossil fuels. In return, they've promised $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries switch to clean energy.

So far, the funding has fallen far short of that amount.

Failure to fulfill this pledge is a major source of the erosion of trust between developed and developing nations, Guterres said.

The key to success may lie in the middle, with major emerging economies.

Three days before the meeting starts, China, the world's largest carbon emitter, submitted a new national target that is only marginally stronger than what was previously proposed.

China is so important that if every other nation cuts back in line with the 45% global emission reduction and China doesn't, the world's total will drop only by 30%, according to Claire Fyson, a top analyst at Climate Action Tracker, a group of scientists that monitor and analyse emission pledges.

In the end, every country, will be asked to do more in Glasgow, said United Nations Environment Programme Director Inger Andersen. But much of the effort, she said, comes back to China and the US.

We need these two powers to put aside whatever else and to show true climate leadership because this is what it will take, Andersen told the AP.

But realistically, she added, leaders in Glasgow, will take anything "in terms of real, meaningful commitments that are backed by action  action that starts in 2022.

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A key suspect and his accomplice accused of fanning communal hatred on social media and instigating the recent violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh have confessed to their crime in a pre-trial hearing, a court official has said.

Shaikat Mandal confessed before a magistrate on Sunday that it was his Facebook post that led to the violence in Rangpur, Pirganj sub-district on October 17 during Durga Puja festivities in the country.

Mandals accomplice Rabiul Islam is a 36-year-old cleric, who has been accused of arson and looting.

Also Read | Certain quarters with vested interests tarnishing Bangladesh's image: Sheikh Hasina

Shaikat Mandal and his accomplice Rabiul Isam have admitted their role before a senior judicial magistrate Delwar Hossain in (north-western) Rangpur, the court official told newsmen.

They were arrested from Gazipur on Friday in a police raid and booked under the Digital Security Act.

Mandal is a philosophy department student of Rangpurs Carmichael College and was expelled from the ruling Awami Leagues student wing Chhatra League after his arrest.

Also Read | Time to reframe the 'Hindu vs Muslim' problem

He had uploaded objectionable content on Facebook to boost his follower count, a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) official was quoted as saying in a bdnews24.com report.

Islam helped Mandal instigate Muslims in the village through announcements on the loudspeaker on Friday, the official added.

Police officials claimed that the violence was instigated after a rumour began doing the rounds in Pirganj that a Hindu man had posted religiously offensive content on Facebook, the report said.

Also Read | Periphery in peril: How has PM Modi's much-hyped 'Neighbourhood First' policy fared so far?

According to the police, around 70 Hindu homes were torched during the mayhem that ensued on October 17.

At least seven people have confessed to their crime under the pre-trial legal proceedings so far, with 683 arrests and more than 70 cases being filed accusing 24,000 suspects, most of whom were anonymous, media reports said.

Attacks on Hindus have been reported in Bangladesh during the Durga Puja festivities after an alleged blasphemous post on social media went viral on October 13.

Apart from Mandal and Islam, police also have under custody, Iqbal Hossain, who had allegedly placed the Quran at a Durga Puja venue in Cumilla, and Fayez Ahmed, who had posted a video of the Quran at the Puja venue, RAB officials said.

Also Read | Second key suspect behind violence against Hindus arrested by Bangladesh police

On Saturday, members of minority religious communities staged a mass hunger and sit-in demonstration at central Dhakas Shabagh area and other parts of the country under the banner of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council.

The attacks on the Hindus in Bangladesh have been widely condemned by the United Nations.

Last week, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed her Home Minister to initiate immediate action against those who incited violence using religion as she asked people not to trust anything on social media without fact-checking.

Hindus constitute around 10 per cent of Muslim-majority Bangladesh's 169 million population.

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US President Joe Biden arrived early Friday in Rome, where he will take part in the G20 summit -- the first in-person gathering since the pandemic began -- before heading to Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit.

Biden will begin his foreign trip Friday with an audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City. The veteran Democrat is only the second Catholic US president, after John F Kennedy. He will also meet on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan and two others in drugs on cruise case. He will be released from jailed tomorrow morning.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan, who spent another night in jail, is expected to be released today.

On Friday, the 23-year-old Aryan was expected to be released from the Arthur Road prison. But it was a sort of cliffhanger situation of sorts for SRK, his wife Gauri Khan, and their battery of lawyers.

It took time for completing the formalities and the bail, and release order could not reach the prison before the stipulated time of 5:30 pm.

Also Read | HC orders Aryan Khan to furnish Rs 1 lakh personal bond, asks him to surrender passport

The junior Khan is now expected to be released by Saturday noon.

In fact, SRK or King Khan, as he is popularly known, had left Mannat, his palatial Bandra bungalow to receive his son in the jail, however, he returned back.

SRKs family friend and actor-activist Juhi Chawla stood surety for Aryan.

We are happy that Aryan has got bailwe expect the boy to be home soon, said Juhi.

Also Read | HC orders Aryan Khan to furnish Rs 1 lakh personal bond, asks him to surrender passport

After Judge Nitin Sambre finalised the bail order, Aryans advocate-on-record Satish Maneshinde received it and rushed to the Mumbai Sessions Court, where it was presented before the Special NDPS Court.

"My papers are complete, I am producing the surety of Juhi Chawla, who has known Aryan Khan since childhood. They are professionally associatedthe court has accepted surety, he Manshinde.

Once the order was received, the legal team from the Sessions Court in Fort rushed to the jail in Chinchpokli, however, were caught up in traffic jams and could not reach in time.

Also Read | Picture not over yet: Malik targets Wankhede after Aryan Khan's bail

Apart from conditions like Aryan will have to surrender his passport and will have to report to the NCB office every Friday, the three were asked to submit a surety of Rs 1 lakh each, according to the operative order.

In the five-page order, signed by Justice Sambre, the high court said that the trio will have to surrender their passports before the NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court.

Also, they will have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence, the HC said. The judge will give a detailed bail order with reasons next week. The HC said if the trio violates any of the conditions imposed then the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is probing the cruise drugs case, shall "straightaway apply to the special judge/court for cancellation of their bail."

Also Read | DH Toon | Aryan Khan case: 'May you get over the hangover soon!'

"Each of the applicants/accused shall execute a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one or more sureties in the like amount," the order said.

The HC said that the accused shall not personally or through anyone make any attempt to influence witnesses or tamper with the evidence. The high court directed the trio to surrender their passports before the special NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court. T

The accused should give prior intimation to the NCB before leaving Mumbai and shall provide their itinerary. It added that Aryan Khan, his friend Merchant and Dhamecha, a fashion model, shall not indulge in any activity similar to the activities on the basis of which the present case stands registered against them for offences under the NDPS Act.

The HC further said that the trio shall not establish any contact with any of the co-accused in the case or anyone involved in similar activities, and join the investigation as and when called by the NCB.

(With PTI inputs)

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government has alerted all the district administrations to be extra vigilant and ensure that no attack on religious minorities takes place in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said that all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been asked to take extra vigil on the backdrop of the violence in Bangladesh.

The reaction to the "torture on Hindus in Bangladesh" should not take place in Assam and for that, adequate steps to maintain law and order have been taken, he added.

Also Read | Assam relaxes Covid curbs, allows more people in weddings, funerals

When pointed to the violence that took place in neighbouring Tripura in the aftermath of the alleged attack on Hindus during Durga Puja in Bangladesh, Sarma said, "I will not react to another state. I am concerned with Assam and I am happy to say that Assam has witnessed no such incident and we have alerted our district administration to take extra care."

He also lauded the efforts of the Bangladesh government in controlling the violence and said India should believe in the steps taken by them as "they are our friendly country".

"I think whatever has been told (by Bangladesh), it should get wide publicity so that any counter-sentiment erupted in this country (India) can be cooled down. I am sure the Ministry of External Affairs will do that part of the narrative so that if there is any wrong information in this country, that is corrected," he said.

"But, the bottom line is that whatever may have happened in Bangladesh or may not have happened, we must ensure that in Assam there is no attack on any religious minorities or vice versa," Sarma asserted.

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With four assembly constituencies in West Bengal going to bypolls on Saturday amid tight security and maintenance of Covid protocols, all eyes will be on Dinhata as TMC heavyweight Udayan Guha is looking to reclaim the seat, which the BJP had snatched from him by a whisker in the April elections.

Guha, a two-time MLA, had bagged the seat for forwarding Bloc in 2011 and the TMC in 2016. He is up against BJP's Ashok Mandal, who had defeated him in 2006 as a TMC candidate. Bypoll to Dinhata was necessitated following the resignation of Nisith Pramanik, now Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, as he chose to retain his Lok Sabha membership.

Also Read | West Bengal's Purulia only city still not open-defecation free, says Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry

Pramanik had defeated Guha by a narrow margin of 57 votes in the assembly elections. The other three seats, where by-elections will be held on October 30 are Santipur in Nadia district, Khardah in North 24 Parganas and Gosaba in South 24 Parganas. In Santipur, too, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar resigned from the assembly, thus calling for a bypoll. The saffron party has now fielded Brajakishore Goswami from the seat.

Goswami has crossed swords with TMC nominee Niranjan Biswas. Bypolls to Dinhata and Santipur are prestige battles for the saffron party, which is currently grappling with the exodus of MLAs and senior leaders. The other two seats, however, fell vacant following the death of the winning candidates.

Also Read | Posters with Mamata's pics defaced ahead of her Goa visit; TMC condemns act, blames BJP

State minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who resigned from Bhabanipur to facilitate Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's election to the Assembly, is fighting from Khardah, where TMC's Kajal Sinha died due to Covid-19, just days after polls to the seat were held. Chattopadhyay has locked horns with BJP candidate Joy Saha in Khardah. TMC's Gosaba seat winner Jayanta Naskar, too, succumbed to the viral infection.

The ruling party in Bengal has fielded Subrata Mondal from the seat to take on BJP's Palash Raha. The Election Commission has ordered strict maintenance of Covid-19 guidelines during the by-elections to the four seats, where extensive security arrangements have also been made for peaceful polling. It has deployed 27 companies of central armed forces in Dinhata, 22 in Santipur, 20 in Khardah and 23 in Gosaba, an official said.

Also Read | TMC's Abhishek Banerjee hits out at Oppn, says Mamata only 'vaccine' against 'virus' BJP

The poll panel had earlier disallowed big rallies as part of political campaigns, in view of the Covid-19 situation, and the parties concentrated on door-to-door visits and street-corner meetings. Apart from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, veteran MP Sougata Ray and transport minister Firhad Hakim had campaigned for their party candidates.

They highlighted the TMC government's achievements over the past decade while criticising the alleged communal agenda of the saffron party and the relentless rise in fuel prices.

Similarly, BJP leaders, including the party's state president Sukanta Majumdar, leader of opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and national vice president Dilip Ghosh, accused the TMC of practising vote bank politics by choosing to maintain "silence" over the attack on Hindus in Bangladesh.
The Government is carefully following up on the process to secure the World Health Organizations recognition for the Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, developed by the Bharat Biotech of India, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said on Thursday.

The WHOs Technical Advisory Group recently sought additional clarifications from Bharat Biotech about Covaxin for a final risk-benefit assessment to put the vaccine on its Emergency Use List (EUL) of the Covid-19 jabs.

It is a technical and regulatory group. The emergency authorisation by the WHO is based on technical considerations and we are carefully following up the discussions at the WHO. We are hopeful that Covaxin will get approval soon," Shringla told journalists, while briefing media-persons about Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Rome and Glasgow for the G-20 summit and the United Nations climate change summit, COP-26.

Also Read | We trust Indian industry, Bharat Biotech has been submitting data regularly: WHO official on Covaxin EUL

The Prime Minister is likely to call upon the G-20 leaders during the summit in Rome to develop a mechanism for mutual recognition of vaccination certificates issued by the governments to its citizens inoculated with the Covid-19 jabs.

He is likely to drive home the point that mutual recognition of vaccination certificates would ease travel and support G-20s endeavour of boosting recovery from the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The business travellers, tourists, which contribute to the recovery of economies will be greatly benefited from this simplified international travel regime that we are proposing and we have taken it up with the G-20, we have taken it up bilaterally, we have taken it up in plurilateral forums," Foreign Secretary said.

India has proposed to its partner countries, primarily countries that Indian citizens normally travel to, that we should have a mutual (arrangement) that you recognise our vaccine certification and we will mutually recognise your countrys vaccine certification, Shringla told journalists on Thursday.

He said that once the arrangement of mutual recognition of vaccination certificates would be in place, India would not have to approach other nations every time it adds new vaccines to its stock of nationally approved vaccines. You recognise the certification that we issue, you recognise its integrity and we will give you mutual treatment. I am happy to say that a number of countries have already agreed to that, said the Foreign Secretary.
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen

India has deployed recently acquired US-made weaponry along its border with China, part of a new offensive force to bolster its capabilities as the countries remain deadlocked over disputed territory in the Himalayas.

The buildup in Indias northeast is centered on the Tawang Plateau adjoining Bhutan and Tibet, a piece of land claimed by China but controlled by India. It holds historical political and military significance: In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India across nearby mountain passes to escape a Chinese military operation. Three years later, both sides fought a war in the area.

Now US-manufactured Chinook helicopters, ultra-light towed howitzers and rifles as well as domestically-made supersonic cruise missiles and a new-age surveillance system will back Indian troops in areas bordering eastern Tibet. The weapons have all been acquired in the past few years as defense ties between the US and India have strengthened due to rising concerns about Chinese assertiveness.

Read | New land border law will not affect existing border treaties: China

Indian military personnel escorted a group of reporters through the region last week to highlight the countrys new offensive capabilities. Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande said that boots, armor, artillery and air support were being combined to make the force agile, lean and mean so that we can employ faster.

The Mountain Strike Corps is fully operationalised, he said. All units including combat and combat support units are fully raised and equipped.

India has moved to bolster its defenses along the border with China after the worst fighting in decades last year led to the deaths of at least 20 Indian army personnel and four Chinese soldiers. While the two sides have engaged in talks to disengage, they have yet to agree on pulling back from a key flashpoint in another border area near the disputed area of Kashmir.

Indias deployments show a frustration with the lack of progress on talks with China, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. That we are looking at a second winter engaged at the border explains why India needs to work on building its capabilities and infrastructure at the border and source more equipment from partners like the US, she said.

Adding to the friction is a new Chinese boundary law that Beijing said was a unified standard for strengthening border management. India warned that the new law, passed last week, could affect ongoing border tensions, which Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said was undue speculation.

The bulk of Indias fresh forces have gone to the east, where a formation of least 30,000 troops have been deployed over the past year. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has been concerned about a repeat of a bitter 1962 battle in the Himalayas, when the Peoples Liberation Army took Tawang as the under-prepared and poorly led Indian Army withdrew. Unused bunkers and war memorials still dot the lone road that connects Tawang to the plains below.



Credit: Bloomberg



India now wants to use the area to punch China if necessary, according to a senior military commander familiar with the situation. The area is crucial to Indias defenses, as the borders stretching east to Myanmar are poorly held and the narrow corridor passing by Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh -- which holds gas pipelines and railroads connecting central India to the northeast -- is of critical concern, the commander said.

Read | India ready for long haul if China continues build-up

The Indian armys offensive option along the Tawang Plateau, which is in the middle of those areas, would allow India to counter China as it steps up military activity in the area. General Pande said there was a marginal increase in Chinese patrols in the eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control, a disputed but de facto boundary between the two countries that runs along the Himalayas.

The LAC is patrolled by India and China, although General Pande said the scale and duration of PLA troop exercises on their side have increased since the stand-off in the eastern area of Ladakh last year. India has adequate number of troops available, the general said, without giving numbers.

`Game Changer

A newly raised Indian Army aviation brigade, based about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Tawang, forms a critical component of the new offensive plan. This was the same base that US aviators took off from to fight the Japanese Imperial Army in China and assist the nationalist forces there in World War II.

The Indian aviation brigade is now equipped with Chinook helicopters, which can ferry US-made light howitzers and troops quickly across mountains. It also has Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles that relay real-time pictures of the adversary round the clock.

The Chinook are a game changer, said Major Kartik, a pilot in the newly-formed brigade. They offer mobility and maneuverability like never before -- troops and artillery guns can be carried from one mountain ridge to other quickly.

The preparations go beyond just boots and new equipment. Engineers in India are digging the worlds longest two-lane tunnel, which is 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) above sea level and runs underneath a critical mountain pass currently accessible by a 317-kilometer meandering road to the disputed border.

Strategic Tunnel

Construction is ahead of schedule and the structure will be operational by next June, said Colonel Prakshit Mehra, a project director of the tunnel. Currently snow clearance of the pass requires massive effort, and even then only certain kind of vehicles can cross, he said. The tunnel will reduce travel time by hours, allowing faster and unhindered movement of troops round the year.

The tunnel, once operationalised, ensures that India can move its troops without detection from China, according to a senior military commander who asked not to be identified.

A new road has been constructed close to the disputed border to move troops and supplies. A second one running along the eastern borders of Bhutan connecting the disputed border to the plains below is nearly complete, throwing up more possibilities for military commanders.

We are more comfortable than what we were a few years ago, said Major General Zubin A. Minwalla, commander of the 5-Mountain Division of the Indian Army.

--With assistance from Philip Glamann, Archana Chaudhary and Reinie Booysen.

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The Union Health Ministry on Friday expanded the use of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the universal immunisation programme for the entire nation with the hope of reducing death among children by 60%.

The nationwide rollout comes a few years after the vaccine was introduced in five states  Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh  that account for nearly 70% of India's pneumonia burden.

"Pneumonia is a leading cause of death among children under-5 years old, globally and in India. The nationwide rollout of PCV will reduce child mortality by around 60%, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said flagging off the expansion.

Also Read | Serum Institute of India launches Indias first indigenous pneumococcal vaccine

As per a 2019 UNICEF analysis quoted by the Union Health Ministry in the Parliament, India stands second in the world in regard to deaths of children caused by pneumonia with nearly 127,000 child pneumonia deaths recorded in 2018. Surprisingly, the ministry doesn't have any updated information on its own on India's pneumonia burden.

A January 2021 report by the ministry on PCV cites statistics from 2010 with officials admitting that the pneumonia data wasn't updated since the last decade when 105,000 pneumonia deaths had occurred in Indian children younger than 5 years.

In 2010, 3.6 million cases of severe pneumonia were reported in kids younger than 5 years in India. The estimated incidence of severe pneumonia was 30.7 per 1000 children per year in those less than 5 years of age, and 87.3 in children aged less than 1 year.

Also Read | Seven in UP held for selling pneumonia injections as remdesivir

The three-dose vaccine was administered to children at 1.5 months, 3.5 months and 9 months in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh since 2017 with support from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, benefitting more than 20 lakh kids. Subsequently, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were brought into the programme.

India's infant mortality rate has come down to 30 per thousand live births in 2019 from 47 in 2010 and 129 in 1971. Despite the decline in IMR over the last decades, one in every 33 infants dies within the first year of their life at the national level, according to the latest bulletin released by the Registrar General of India.

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A criminal was killed in an encounter with the Delhi Police in Rohini's Begumpur area, police said on Friday.

Two police personnel have also received injuries during the exchange of fire, they said.

The criminal has been identified as Deepak alias Tiger, they said.

Further details are awaited.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived here in Italy to participate in the G20 Summit where he will join other leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from Covid-19, sustainable development and climate change.

Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome, Modi said on Twitter soon after landing here.

Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome. pic.twitter.com/e4UuIIfl7f  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2021

The Ministry of external Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that Prime Minister Modi arrived here for his visit to attend the 16th G-20 Summit.

Prime Minister was received by senior officials of the Government of Italy and Ambassador of India in Italy, it said.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter that Modi arrived to a warm welcome.

Arrivo a Roma! PM @narendramodi arrives to a warm welcome in the Eternal City. Looking forward to extensive engagements in bilateral and multilateral formats, Bagchi said in a tweet.

In his departure statement on Thursday, Modi said he will be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31 at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, following which he will travel to Glasgow, the UK, from November 1-2 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"In Rome, I will attend the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit, where I will join other G20 leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, sustainable development, and climate change," Modi said, noting this will be the first in-person summit of the G20 since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Modi said the meeting will allow the G20 to take stock of the current global situation and exchange ideas on how the grouping can be an engine for strengthening economic resilience and building back inclusively and sustainably from the pandemic.

"During my visit to Italy, I will also visit the Vatican City, to call on His Holiness Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin," Modi said on Thursday.

The prime minister said on the sidelines of the G20 Summit he will also meet with leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them.

There would also be various bilateral and community-related programmes during this visit, he said.

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Amid tensions with China on the boundary issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday referred to Indias growing military prowess, particularly the test firing of 5,000 km range Agni missile.

Singh was delivering the valedictory address at the three-day National Conference on Delivering Democracy: Two Decades of Narendra Modi as head of Government organised by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini.

You know what is Agni missile I will not say anything more about it, Singh said referring to the testing of a nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni 5 on Wednesday night.

In the same breath, Singh said Indias growing strength was not aimed at attacking any country.

We believe on the policy that only a strong person respects another strong person. This is the reason why we are increasing our strength, the defence minister said, adding, that Indias long history showed that it had never occupied an inch of foreign land, nor has it attacked any country.

Earlier, Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modis ability to take tough decisions has brought about a paradigm shift in the approach to matters of national security.

The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with Indias stated policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to No First Use, the Defence Ministry had said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Pakistan, the defence minister said India had sent a clear message that there will be action against terrorism on this side of the border, and if required, across the border.

After the 2017, incident in Uri and the 2019, incident in Pulwama, surgical strikes and air strikes were carried out as it was felt necessary.

We achieved what we had decided to do. It is not like we think of a certain thing and were unable to implement it, he said and credited Modis leadership for the strong position on national security.

Singh said the BJPs paradigm approach to national security was evident since the days of the Jana Sangh.

The Jana Sangh had passed a resolution favouring nuclear tests in the 1960s. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the prime minister, nuclear tests were carried out, the defence minister said.

Similarly, BJP was mocked for promising repeal of Article 370 in every election manifesto, with critics saying that the party only raked up the issue during elections, but had no plans to deliver it.

But, Modi did it swiftly after renewing the mandate in 2019, Singh said, adding that the move had broken the resolve of militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

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In what could be considered as a tit for tat move in Kerala politics, a former Congress local leader who quit the party two decades back returned to the Congress from the left-front on Friday close to the heels of several Congress local leaders leaving the party and joining the CPM.

Cheriyan Philip formally announced his return to Congress after a meeting with senior AICC leader A K Antony at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram.

Philip, who was once considered as a loyalist of Antony as well as former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, left the Congress in 2001 after he was denied a seat for contesting the Assembly polls. Now his return to Congress is also due to displeasure over the left-front denying seats in the elections.

Addressing the media after announcing his return to Congress, Philip said that the CPM did not allow him to grow and hence he decided to return to Congress. When pointed out reports that more from Congress were planning to join the CPM, he said that let them go and suffer.

Cheriyan later made serious allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office. He said that many members in the Chief Minister's personal staff, including those who faced probe in connection with nexus with gold smuggling racket, were misleading Vijayan and were posing themselves as super CMs.

It was following the announcement of district Congress committee presidents last month that the Congress in Kerala witnessed at least five local leaders quitting the party and joining the CPM. The new leadership of Congress in the state, Kerala PCC president and Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran and opposition leader V D Satheesan, even came under criticism from within the party for not initiating any steps to address the concerns of the disgruntled leaders. Hence the return of Philip to Congress camps from the left-front could be a relief for the Congress leadership.

Philip, who did not take the CPM membership, was given posts of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation chairman and coordinator of various missions by the left-front governments. But Philip's request for seats in the election was declined by the left-front.

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Spillway shutters of Mullaperiyar dam at Idukki district in Kerala were opened by Tamil Nadu authorities on Friday morning as the water level in the reservoir crossed 138 feet.

People living along the banks of Periyar river in Kerala were shifted as a measure of abundant caution before the two spillway shutters were opened.

Tamil Nadu government officials raised by 0.30 metres the spillway shutters 3 and 4 of the 126-year-old dam at around 7.30 am. According to PTI, 538.16 cusecs of water has been flowing out of these two shutters of the dam since morning.

In view of the opening of Mullaperiyar dam and predictions of more rains in the catchment areas, the government has also sounded a red alert in Idukki reservoir.

The shutters of the dam were last opened during 2018 floods.

Kerala has been demanding decommissioning of the dam citing safety concerns and mooting constructing a new one but Tamil Nadu, which is managing the dam, has been opposing it.

The Supreme Court on Thursday maintained that the water level should be maintained at 139.5 feet till November 10 as per the rule curve.

Meanwhile, many parts of south and central Kerala received heavy rains and suffered minor landslide on Thursday night. No casualty was reported.

Besides officials from the two states, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan and Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine were present during the opening of the shutters of the dam. Talking to reporters, Rajan said there was no need for any panic as the government has taken measures to ensure safety of the people. He, however, urged the people to maintain vigil.

According to officials a total of 1,079 people from 350 families who would be affected by the two-foot-high flood have been evacuated. Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895 on Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala, is operated by the Tamil Nadu government for its irrigation and power generation needs. Kerala is insisting on building a new dam, citing safety concerns, but Tamil Nadu is against it, saying the present structure was strong.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane on Friday said as the National Defence Academy (NDA) opens its doors for women cadets, it is expected that they are welcomed with the same sense of fair play and professionalism.

He was addressing the cadets after reviewing the passing out parade of the 141st course of the NDA here. "As we open the portals of the NDA for women cadets, we expect you to welcome them with the same sense of fair play and professionalism as Indian armed forces are known world over," General Naravane said.

Last month, the Defence Ministry had informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women candidates to appear for the entrance exam to the NDA will be out by May next year.

Read | 'Can't delay women's entry to defence services via NDA'

But observing that induction of women to the NDA cannot be postponed by one year, the apex court had allowed female candidates to take the exam in November this year and not wait till May 2022 as requested by the government.

In his speech, the army chief also appealed the cadets to keep abreast with new technology to counter the contemporary challenges.

He said he was greatly honoured to review the parade. "A little over 42 years back, when I stood as a cadet at the same drill square as you stand today, little I could have imagined that I would be reviewing this parade," he said.

"From here on, you will step into the respective career service academies for more focused military training. You will don different uniforms, but always remember that no single service by itself can fight and win modern wars, he added.

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Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Friday trained guns on the BJP, alleging that there is a conspiracy to defame the Maharashtra government and people via Wankhede.

"I've been saying conspiracy to defame Maharashtra's government and people is being executed via Wankhede. It's BJP conspiracy. Yogi Maharaj wants a Film City in Noida. It's their misconception if they think 'UPwood' will come up by defaming Bollywood."

Also Read  Aryan Khan's lawyers await HC order copy on his bail to secure his release from jail

#WATCH | Maharashtra min N Malik says, "I've been saying conspiracy to defame Maharashtra's govt&people is being executed via Wankhede. It's BJP conspiracy.Yogi Maharaj wants a Film City in Noida. It's their misconception if they think 'UPwood' will come up by defaming Bollywood" pic.twitter.com/WI3UdkdaMH  ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2021

Meanhwile, Malik continued to attack NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede by releasing a video of the 'real drug dealer' Kashif Khan, who was present on the cruise that was raided by the NCB team.

Video of Kashif khan dancing on the Cruise ship pic.twitter.com/JoSsYF9Ux1  Nawab Malik     (@nawabmalikncp) October 29, 2021

Taking a dig at Wankhede and another witness Kiran Gosavi, Malik said, "You can see that situation has completely changed. The man who was dragging Aryan Khan to NCB office, is now behind bars. The man who was doing everything to ensure that Aryan Khan and others are not given bail, was knocking the court's door yesterday."

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The much-awaited Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting is over. There was speculation that it would be a stormy affair with the reformists openly criticising the leadership for the sorry state of affairs in the organisation and demanding a discussion on the report of the committee which went into the partys dismal performance in the recent assembly elections.

Going by the media reports, no such thing happened at the meeting. On the contrary, the meet turned out to be a show of loyalty to party chief Sonia Gandhis leadership and a chorus demand for her son Rahul Gandhi to accept the party presidentship again. There are no reports about what did Ghulab Nabi Azad, one of the first in the `G-23 to speak up, say at the meeting. Has he bought peace with the Gandhis? A scrutiny of the deliberations at the CWC meeting is timely.

It is well known that Sonia Gandhi has watched the working of the party from very close quarters as Rajiv Gandhis wife when he was the prime minister and as party president since 1998. She knows the present lot of senior members quite well, having assessed their strengths and weaknesses, their utility and liability to the party. No wonder, she asserted in her speech that she is the full-time and hands-on president'.

She had an unfair dig at former minister Kapil Sibal and others that they don't have to talk to her through the media, when it is a known fact that even for the seniors it is difficult to meet her, leave alone discuss party affairs. They have to talk to her through her close confidants. As such, some of them going to the press was inevitable in the interests of the party. About her being a hands-on president, it is pretty well-known that due to health reasons, she has in effect been a hands-off president, having delegated powers of decision making to Rahul and Priyanka Vadra (the family constitutes the troika in the party) as is known from the abrasive manner in which Capt Amarinder Singh was removed as Punjab Chief Minister.

The CWC decided the scheduled elections to the party positions, ranging from block level to the post of president, between August-September 2022. While the decision is welcome, the message is out that Rahul Gandhi would be formally elected as party chief as he assured that he would look into the chorus demand for him to ascend the post again.

Inner-party democracy

It remains to be seen whether the G-23 would participate in the election. If it is serious about strengthening the inner-party democracy, it should put up a credible candidate, not necessarily from within the group, but by persuading a capable person from outside it. The group should expand itself and win over deserving and potential younger leaders like Sachin Pilot, who is knowledgeable about the problems facing the party and the country. He is a good communicator in Hindi and English, which will make him acceptable to partymen and the larger electorate from the non-Hindi belt. His talent is simply being wasted.

Further, if the G-23 is really interested in challenging the hold of the Gandhi family and is toying with the idea of splitting the party, it should expand itself by bringing into its fold members at the regional level to give the group a pragmatic ideological orientation to resonate with the voters expectations. Powerful regional satraps may have to be roped in if the G-23s project of challenging the existing leadership is to fructify. Are they willing and ready for it is not clear. Alternatively, as an expanded pressure group within the party, it should carry forward its demand for greater transparency in intra-party decision making.

As Rahul Gandhi has acceded to take on the mantle of party leadership again, he should use the period from now to September next to make the party stronger by ensuring that only deserving and capable people get elected at the district and state level to party positions and not allow wheeler-dealers to control the organisation. The dynasty has to demonstrate that the party is not their fiefdom.

As for ideology, the party must realise that the Preamble of the Indian Constitution is the only viable ideological template to protect the plural character of our democracy and society as well as to serve the poor, the underprivileged and the educated middle class, who constitute the bulk of Indias electorate. A radical leftist posture alone will not endear it to the voters. It must strive for the right mix by pushing for a left of the centre position to be in the electoral race in 2024.

(The writer is former Professor of Political Science, Bangalore University, and former Senior Fellow, ICSSR, New Delhi)
Surely the time has come to change the name of the word Democracy to Demo crazy. Children who are taught the topic in their Civics class in school can be provided with more and more examples of why this should be so. With the pace at which things are happening, the next generation of kids may see the creation of words like 'Democrazier' or 'Democraziest' entering into the English lexicon.

Is it democracy when Uttar Pradesh becomes the Republic of UP, where no politician from an opposing party is allowed to enter to condole with the families of the farmers mowed down by a vehicle driven by the son of a sitting Union minister? Either the brakes must have failed, or the driver must have been crazy to drive at a speed of 70 kms, at a conservative estimate, when there are a bunch of protesting farmers ahead of the car. That it took more than 24 hours to file a case will surely have you thinking: Whither Democracy?

A new criterion seems to have been put in place for opposition politicians to step into states like UP. They must do time at a detention centre and if they can sweep the place clean, all the better. With due credit to Priyanka Gandhi, she does seem to wield the broom rather well and could indeed offer good competition to AAP, whose party symbol it is. The only thing is, we wish she could sweep the Congress party clear of all the cobwebs. In all that spidery haze, its hard to tell between the G23, the Sidhu in Punjab queering the pitch and giving ideas to Siddu in Karnataka, not to mention all the other siddhis, who are busy searching for their own brand of fulfilment, the party be damned.

Frankly, the public doesnt care whether it will be the G23 who will lead or the G3 (the Gandhi family) who will show the way. A tough call, with other new parties yapping at the heels, to get a bite of the electorate.

Lets start with AAP and its spokesperson referring to the crisis of anarchy in Congress party. Hey guys, just to remind you that being able to express dissent is a part of inner-party democracy. It turns into Democrazy when you ease out two very valuable founding members, possibly seeing them as a threat to your Numero Uno position. Also, going and sitting in protest in front of Rajghat to pray for world peace, whilst your backyard is on fire is plain crazy. No amount of excuses about the police not being in your charge can absolve you.

Let's shift the attention to Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek testing the waters in Tripura and Goa. Nothing wrong with that, except to remember that Mamata did have an alliance with the BJP once and served as a railway minister under the UPA government. Also to remind her that the turncoats that she is welcoming back could well be opportunists and happy to play, in the pond, on the bank. The same goes for the AAP, which is ever ready to open its doors to all defectors who are unhappy with the parties that they are presently in.

Thankfully, the South can still lay claim to the original term democracy, with the exception of Karnataka, of course. Here, the JDS of the Hindu Undivided Family can really drive the electorate crazy. Sometimes, they are seen to take a stand against communalism; at others, they are either playing footsie with the BJP or the Congress, to get the best share of the pie. One can only go back to an old Hindi film called Padosan and suggest to them, Ek pe rahne. In other words, please make up your mind, one way or the other.

And what about the crazy electorate  rejoicing when defectors join the party of your choice. This is just to remind them that people who keep switching parties know no ideology, except that of power. Its why people get into politics, but still, it would be good to remember that when you go to the polling booth, you have the power too and the right to tell every aspiring leader not to turn your Democracy into a Democrazy. In case they do, our own reply at the hustings will be to say to all on the list  NOTA. No way, TATA TATA!

(The writer is an Independent Journalist.)
India's Ministry of External Affairs finds itself walking the diplomatic tightrope as it works to keep ties with Bangladesh on an even keel, even as right-wing elements mount pressure on the Indian government to take Dhaka to task for the recent spate of violent attacks against members of the Hindu community during the Durga Puja celebrations.

New Delhi knows it has a lot at stake and can ill-afford to allow the communal violence to affect the relationship with Dhaka. After all, under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, the Bangladesh government has been one of India's few steadfast friends in the neighbourhood.

What has queered the pitch for South Block is that the domestic protests against the violence and vandalism perpetrated against Hindus in Bangladesh are being spearheaded by outfits such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is an important member of the Sangh Parivar.

Even as South Block works to prevent the attacks from impacting the New Delhi-Dhaka relationship, voices from within the Sangh Parivar such as the VHP, Hindu Jagran Manch and even the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are keeping the pot simmering.

The MEA is keen to ensure that communal elements on both sides of the border do not succeed in driving a wedge in the bilateral relationship. New Delhi's response to the acts of violence has been careful and calibrated.

The MEA, for one, has desisted from using the words "Hindu community" in its remarks. It simply said it has "seen" the "disturbing reports of untoward incidents involving attacks on religious gatherings in Bangladesh."

It was also quick to acknowledge Dhaka's "prompt" and "immediate" action against the perpetrators of the violence. There was even acknowledgement of the support that members of the general public in Bangladesh lent to the Hindu community.

If any stronger concerns about the attacks were needed to be conveyed to Dhaka, New Delhi, in all likelihood, has done so behind closed doors in view of the robust ties with Bangladesh under the Sheikh Hasina government.

How vital the bilateral relationship is for New Delhi can be gauged from the recent remarks by Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla while speaking on the 1971 war that liberated Bangladesh. Shringla, who has earlier served as India's envoy to Bangladesh, said relations between the two nations "are deeper than any other strategic partnership."

While the attacks on Hindu-owned homes, businesses as well as temples that rapidly spread across several cities in Bangladesh can by no means be condoned, Sheikh Hasina has sought to address Indian concerns with large-scale arrests and promises of bringing the perpetrators to justice.

But a lot will depend on the commitment shown by Bangladesh to ensure the requisite punishment for the guilty, especially amid reports that grassroots cadres of the ruling Awami League too were involved in the anti-Hindu violence. The Awami League, in turn, is blaming the hardline Pakistan-leaning Jamaat-e-Islami for the violence.

The Sheikh Hasina government will also need to address concerns that those behind violence against the Hindu community were eventually allowed to go scot-free in the past. This, even as Sheikh Hasina has been credited with coming down hard on Islamic fundamentalists in a nation witnessing growing radicalisation in recent years.

The communal flare-up in Bangladesh and the protests against it in India have already had a diplomatic fallout. Visits by Bangladesh minister for information Dr Hasan Mahmud and his deputy Murad Hassan to Guwahati and Agartala, capitals of the BJP-ruled states of Assam and Tripura, to inaugurate film festivals showcasing Bangladeshi movies have been "rescheduled".

Tripura has been rocked by violence and vandalism, with shops and homes belonging to Muslims being attacked and a mosque burnt by persons said to belong to the VHP.

Also "postponed" is an exhibition of the works of Bangladeshi artist Rokeya Sultana at the New Delhi-based Lalit Kala Akademi, which had been organised jointly by the ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) and the Bengal Foundation.

Clearly, diplomacy and party politics in India are not on the same page in their approach, even though the BJP-led government has had significant engagement with the Sheikh Hasina government. She has reciprocated in equal measure, even though the Teesta waters agreement has not been delivered to her and both the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, both seen as anti-Muslim measures, have caused her government considerable discomfiture.

The recent action taken to evict Bengali Muslims encroaching on government land in Assam that saw police excesses too has only reinforced the belief that Muslims are being targeted in India.

This, in turn, has helped Islamist elements in Bangladesh push ahead with their narrative of the community's persecution in India. Sheikh Hasina indicated as much when she said that India needs to be aware that incidents that impact Bangladesh and lead to attacks on Hindus should not happen.

For sure, the increasing attacks on the minority community in Bangladesh is a cause for concern. But it is an undeniable fact that what happens in India has a fallout in its neighbourhood too. And India would do well to keep this in mind if it seeks to maintain friendly relations with its neighbours.

(The writer is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
Officers of Mangaluru Customs at Mangalore International Airport seized gold worth Rs 32,55,660 from the possession of a passenger.

According to officials, the passenger from Mangaluru had arrived in at the airport from Dubai by Air India Express flight.

The officials have seized 663 grams of gold that was in paste form and was concealed in the body. A case has been registered and investigation is in progress.
Sandalwood star Puneeth Rajkumar was a sought-after celebrity for the government to promote various social causes. However, the actor consciously resisted attempts to get him into politics.

Over the years, Puneeth endorsed the Right to Education (RTE), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Nandini milk, election franchise (right to vote) among other social initiatives.

In March 2020, Puneeth was roped in by the government as the development ambassador for the backward Chamarajanagar district.

Read | Why Appu was more than just a hero

In June this year, the government got Puneeth to create awareness on Covid-19 precautions and vaccination.

He was always available for all government initiatives and awareness campaigns for which he never charged a single penny, IPS officer Isha Pant, deputy commissioner of police (command centre), said in a tweet. For the Bengaluru City Police Twitter handle, too, he did so many awareness videos with his charismatic smile always on his face.

For the 2014 Lok Sabha and the 2018 Assembly elections, Puneeth was featured by the Election Commission, with the actor urging citizens to vote. That was the closest he would get to politics.

Also Read | Remembering Puneeth Rajkumar: 5 movies that prove he was a terrific performer

We tried much to bring him into politics. But, Puneeth would not let his mind be changed on this, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar said, remembering Puneeth as his childhood friend and neighbour in Sadashivanagar. We spent 8-10 years in the Affinity gym in the locality.

Like his siblings Shivarajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar - also actors - Puneeth maintained distance from politics while having cordial relations with leaders from all political parties.

Puneeths sister-in-law Geetha (Shivarajkumars wife) is, perhaps, the only member of the Rajkumar household to have an active political life. Geetha, former chief minister S Bangarappas daughter, had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Shimoga as the JD(S) candidate. Puneeth did not campaign for her.

In fact, Puneeth issued a public statement in March 2019 asking people to keep him away from politics. I have nothing to do with politics...As an actor, I identify myself with the arts and not politics, Puneeth had said, in response to speculation that he would campaign for Sumalatha Ambareesh in the 2019 Mandya Lok Sabha poll.
Foyle MLA, Sinead McLaughlin, has voiced her support for a Student Renters bill to be passed at Stormont.



The bill would ensure all student accommodation is safe, affordable, good quality and guaranteed.'



McLaughlin tweeted: If the housing horror stories being shared by NUS-USI don't convince you of the need for a Student Renters Bill, nothing will.



This was followed by the hashtag NoKeysNoDegrees- a hashtag used by students protesting for their right to safe and affordable accommodation.



McLaughlin said: It is about building more accommodation but its also about protecting the accommodation that already exists within the supply.



Thats where a Student Renters bill actually comes into play, because you put in legislation in and around the supply of student accommodation to ensure that it is affordable and flexible for the students.



Grian Ni Dhaimhin, a representative from NUS-USI, said Across Ireland, students are deferring courses because they have nowhere to live while they study.



Theyre sofa surfing, paying for hotels, hostels and Airbnb's, or commuting for a total of three to five hours to get to their classes.



People Before Profit Councillor Maeve ONeill also supports the Student Renters Bill and will bring a motion to Derry and Strabane Council this week calling for support.



Councillor ONeill said: The National Union of Students  Union of Students in Ireland, alongside other student and housing campaigners descended on Stormont on October 18 protesting the growing housing crisis, rising rent costs and the fact that hundreds of students have been left without accommodation.



They are calling for a Student Renters Bill which ensures all student accommodation is Safe, Affordable, Good Quality and Guaranteed.



People Before Profit is giving our full backing to the campaign. The Stormont Executive says it wants to invest in students, however, the conditions by which students need to live and thrive are often an afterthought  unless it's about exploiting profits from the student population.
A row on social media site Twitter broke out between two councillors during last night's monthly meeting of Derry City & Strabane District Council.

Cllr Emmet Doyle (Aontu) posted on his Twitter account his frustration that other parties voted down a motion put forward by Cllr Paul Gallagher (Independent) earlier in the evening.

The session, held virtually online due to current Covid measures, had councillors debating and voting via an internet link.

Cllr Gallagher's motion was in response to the Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University, Paul Bartholomew saying that the 10,000 students to Magee College by 2030 target  as set out by the New Decade New Approach deal of 2020 that restored the Stormont Government  was not attainable and that 6000 was the more likely figure.

His motion called to bring in the assistance of the Galway-based National University of Ireland (NUI) to help Ulster University reach the figure of 10,000 Magee students.

Cllr Gallagher's motion read: We must immediately begin a dialogue with the National University of Ireland, as this island's biggest Higher Education provider to ensure the guarantee to have 10,000 university students in the north west by 2030, as agreed in the New Decade New Approach, is finally realised.

The motion was defeated with only eight councillors voting for it, 24 against and two abstaining.

Hours later, Cllr Doyle tweeted: The SDLP, DUP, UUP and SF all voted against having a conversation with NUI about Magees future at Council tonight. What exactly is their policy?

Council was still in session at the time Cllr Doyle posted this and he had missed a handful of votes on other motions.

This prompted Cllr Sandra Duffy (Sinn Fein) to tweet back: Council meeting still on, youre missing votes, do you not care about legacy, emergency services or workers rights?

Cllr Doyle replied: Bit of a dodgy deflection there Sandra given (Cllr) Conor (Heaney) just replied to a few tweets.

Cllr Duffy retorted: He still managed to vote on the debates, do you have an opinion now on student renters? We are now discussing that.

In reply, Cllr Doyle said: And were discussing your votes on Magee. Never you worry about what Im doing, I had something on and I can still type.

And the exchange closed with the following dialogue.

Cllr Duffy: But you cant vote, missed three so far.

Cllr Doyle: You worry about your votes, Ill worry about mine.

Sinn Fein's Cllr Conor Heaney had indeed tweeted back to Cllr Doyle on the University motion from earlier but he had been present and voted on other motions that were discussed by Council.

In a Twitter reply on the University motion to Cllr Doyle, Cllr Heaney said: You seem to have misunderstood me, I have issue with engaging with NUI but they have no remit to deliver 10,000 students in Derry. My point was I do not trust the DUP and FF (Fianna Fail)/FG (Fine Gael) to deliver, I am saying give us the mandate in both parts of Ireland and we can deliver.

Earlier, in the debate on the motion itself, Cllr Heaney outlined why Sinn Fein couldn't support Cllr Gallagher's proposal.

He said: Our position is that we want to see 10,000 students delivered at Magee (College) and it is achievable if the Ulster University and governments north and south collaborate to develop a new model of funding.

There's an Assembly election next year. If our party is given a mandate and is the biggest party in the Assembly, that gives us first pick of the departments and I'm confident, that in that scenario, we would choose the Department of Economy that the DUP has jealously guarded since 2007.

However, our party can't support this proposal. To abandon the Magee project and all that has been done to date and head off for a pipedream with an organisation (NUI) that is unable to legally deliver the target that this city needs.

We would never have secured a medical school (for Magee) had we given up at the first hurdle and the same medical school is now over-subscribed. This reflects the potential for further growth.

Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) argued in response that the failure to deliver on the figure of 10,000 was yet another example of both Stormont and Ulster University letting down Derry and the north west.

He said: The Vice-Chancellor said we would not be able to achieve 10,000 students and I think this is alarming.

We're hearing from Sinn Fein, 'elect us in the next election and we'll sort it out' and the SDLP say 'we shouldn't be too worried by this and we should work with people'.

But here's the issue. Between Stormont and Ulster University over the last sixty years, both have ensured that expansion has not happened for Derry and the north west.

And here we are again now with a commitment written into a government document which was used to bring Stormont back that says 10,000 students for Magee. Yet the Vice-Chancellor says, 'that is not happening'.

So who is directing who? Who is in charge? Is it the Stormont Executive or is it Ulster University bosses making decisions by themselves? Are those bosses ignoring the Executive as well as the will of the people in the north west?

My fear is that in ten years time we will still be talking about why we don't have a rejuvenated and restructured university that our city deserves.

However, Ald Hilary McClintock (DUP) admitted she thought 10,000 to be an unrealistic target and thanked the university's Vice-Chancellor for being candid with his revised figure of 6000.

She said: We are committed to seeing the expansion of the university. To be honest, I don't think (the figure) was ever going to be 10,000.

It's good that Paul Bartholomew has come out straight and told us this because it gives us a way to move on now.

I don't think the proposal before us is the way to go. That proposal says to me, 'throw the baby out with the bath water'. We have to be looking at problem-solving rather than just jumping ship and trying to do something else.

This is a multi-faceted problem. We can't just solve it by rushing off to the National University of Ireland and invite them in. We have to look at all the issues involved but unfortunately, we will not be supporting this motion.

With the motion having been defeated, Cllr Doyle said: The establishment parties have now found themselves in a position where the public have no idea where they stand on Magees future. In the last few weeks the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Ulster University clearly said 6000 students was the most we could hope for in Magee, well short of the 10,000 we require.

In order to not only put pressure on Ulster University but also to seek alternatives, a motion was put forward at Council last night to just have discussions with the National University of Ireland about Magees future and all the establishment parties opposed it.

So now we are in a position where Ulster University have said they cant deliver 10,000 students, the Economy Minister refuses to come to talk to us and we now cant speak to other Higher Education providers.

Sinn Fein councillors also had the nerve to say that should they become the largest party in the Assembly they will deliver for Magee. This is the same party that put posters outside Magee years ago claiming they had delivered, now the question must be asked - if they were waiting to become the largest party, which is far from resolved, have they sat back and watched this essential part of Derry's economy linger?

People deserve to know all those parties stance on Magee. Aontu has been up front. We want to see an independent university but well explore every option for delivery for Derry.
SDLP councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr has urged Executive action to deal with Derrys housing crisis.

She was speaking after Derry City & Strabane District Council backed her motion calling for council to write to the Joint First Ministers calling on them to publish a programme for government, which includes a housing strategy.

Mrs Seenoi-Barr also called on council to reconvene its Civic Forum on Alcohol, Drugs, Mental Health, Emotional Wellbeing, Suicide Prevention and Homelessness to discuss the housing crisis and make recommendations to the Department of Communities and Housing Executive.

She said: Issues around accessing housing in Derry and Strabane stretch back decades and the whole of Northern Ireland is currently in the midst of a severe housing crisis.

People are currently struggling to access social housing, prices in the rental market are spiralling out of control and many young people are unable to save a deposit to get themselves on the housing ladder.

These problems are acutely felt in Derry and Strabane which has high numbers of people presenting as homeless, on social housing waiting lists and experiencing housing stress. We simply dont have the housing required to meet demand.

Im glad my fellow councillors backed my motion on this important issue. We need to see a programme for government from our Joint First Ministers which prioritises housing.

Everyone has a right to a home they can be proud of and they are currently being let down by those responsible for our housing crisis.

In other Council business, a motion tabled by Cllr Emma McGinley (Sinn Fein) recognising the importance of promoting positive mental health and supporting those with mental ill-health was passed unanimously.

Councillors noted Councils responsibility as an employer and potential influencer of other businesses and voted to commit to working with organisations to provide basic mental health training to line management.

Members also voted to encourage local businesses to seek support from mental health organisations for training and to invite mental health and wellbeing training providers to a special council meeting.

Cllr Maeve O'Neill's (People Before Profit) motion on the poor condition of student housing was debated by Council who voted in favour of a notice of motion calling for Council to write to the NI Executive to express its support the joint-campaign by the National Union of Students and the Union of Students in Ireland for a student renters bill.

A motion tabled by Cllr Patricia Logue (Sinn Fein) was passed to examine through the Council's capital working group how it can provide a management role to plan and deliver a plan to regenerate & develop the Foyle Valley from the Craigavon Bridge to the border & work in partnership with Donegal County Council.

A motion from Ald Hilary McClintock (DUP) was passed that Council actively explores the provision of enclosed dog parks, similar to those in Antrim and Newtownabbey, to allow all park users the opportunity to fully enjoy the facilities.

Councillors voted in favour of a motion tabled by Ald Darren Guy (UUP) that Council acknowledge the genetic defect 22q11.2 deletion syndrome  a condition that has children who have it suffering from heart defects and learning difficulties  by lighting up Council buildings in the colour Red for 22q11 Awareness Day on November 22, 2021. Mayor Graham Warke (DUP) also offered his support.
Ulster Unionist councillor, Ryan McCready, spoke of his experience of reaching out to the city's ethnic minorities so that they can no longer feel that unionism is a cold house to them.

Cllr McCready's comments came when Derry City & Strabane District Council debated  and unanimously passed  Cllr Martin Reilly's (SDLP) motion committing the Council to ending racism.

The motion read: Derry City and Strabane District Council is committed to eradicating and ending racial injustice and anti-Black racism. The Council recognises the work already undertaken by our staff and elected representatives to promote good relations and tackle prejudice.

In pursuit of these twin aims, Council resolves to formally recognise and mark the United Nations International Decade for peoples of African Descent, running from 2015 to 2024.

In proclaiming this Decade, the international community is recognising that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. Around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas, while many more live in other parts of the world (including this council area), outside of the African continent.

In marking the International Decade, Council will bring forward a paper to advise how it will: Work with schools and community organisations to ensure that the educational histories and narratives of Black people are properly taught and celebrated in schools across the Council area all year round; and ensure that the end of the decade is marked in 2024, celebrating progress made in moving towards racial justice.

The Council will also write to the Department of Education calling on it to work with local, black- led organisations, the Black Curriculum organisation, and local historians/academics to provide relevant education resources; and to review the Northern Ireland Curriculum in order to develop an anti-racism policy for schools.

When the motion was put to the floor for discussion, Ald McCready said: At a forum I attended, a young child stood up and said something that was aimed at the perception at how unionism seemed to be a cold place for him.

I thought about it for a couple of minutes and it was my turn to stand up and address the forum at that point. I took it to heart and said that I needed to do something about that  which I have.

It's not just by agreeing or supporting motions or by words  it's actions. I followed up with this group and I invited them to open our new office in Waterside.

We had politics and pizza and discussed racism, different cultures and unionism as well.

Irrespective of what your skin colour or what culture or where you originated from be it three generations ago or if you landed here last week, Northern Ireland is open to you  this is your country.

And if you're for the union, it is much your union as it is my union and you're very welcome in this city and this country.

Hopefully they will feel able to come back to us and say, ' do you know what  I do feel welcome in this city by unionists', and I'm taking an active role with my team here in Londonderry to do that.

While supporting the motion, Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) highlighted that hypocrisy surrounding racism was an issue and cited the recent police action taken against Derry's Black Lives Matter (BLM) group.

He said: I want to say something about hypocrisy  namely that of the Executive parties when we talk about taking on anti-black prejudice.

I'm sure other people read about and watched the programme this week about people who had organised the Black Lives Matter protest in Derry, they were criminalised by the PSNI turning up at their door late in the evening to tell them that a Black Lives Matter protest would be a criminal activity.

I think we do have to look at the fact that there was a crackdown in Derry on that protest. There was more arrests and fines given out in Derry than there was in Belfast (when another BLM protest was held) and we have to ask why did that happen.

It happened because the Executive parties here (in Derry) gave the green light to the PSNI. Not only did they do that, at the opportunity to overturn it in Stormont, they rubber-stamped it and said what happened in Derry and Belfast was fine.

It says here (in the motion) that elected representatives have done a lot to promote good relations. What they did around Black Lives Matter was not good relations  it was promoting prejudice against black people organising for basic rights.
Cllr Gary Donnelly's motion at last night's meeting of Derry City & Strabane District Council to promote the availability of the Irish Language as a subject for A-level pupils was passed, but not without an interruption from the SDLP.

The Independent councillor tabled his motion to highlight the limited options open for school pupils to take their study of Irish on to A-level.

As an Irish Language Act edges closer to being implemented across the north of Ireland, Cllr Donnelly cited the potential career pathways that could be opened up for A-level students once this comes into place.

His motion read: This Council acknowledges the proud history of Irish language learning in Derry and Strabane, particularly the rich learning experience afforded to generations of post-primary pupils, instilling a love for Irish language and culture in many of our citizens, and widening career opportunities.

This Council recognises the continuous growth in demand for Irish-medium education in this Council area and beyond as reflected in the thriving communities in our local Irish-medium pre-schools and primary schools.

Council welcomes the creation of new jobs, career opportunities and pathways in and around the Irish language, particularly in the context of forthcoming legislation.

Council notes with concern that local Year 13 pupils have been denied access to A-Level Irish. Council recognises the detrimental impact this may have on those affected in terms of their education and general wellbeing, pathways to third-level education and career choices.

Council calls for Department of Education to engage with local schools, the Foyle Learning Community and others to explore solutions to ensure that students in local mainstream post-primary schools will not face barriers to learning and gaining qualifications in Irish. Council welcomes platforms for public discussion around the proper promotion of Irish in schools.

Council will write to the Education Minister, Foyle Learning Community and post-primary school principals accordingly.

However, Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr (SDLP), while supporting the motion, wanted to broaden its outlook and tabled an amendment to it.

Mrs Seenoi-Barr's amendment included the following: Council calls for the continued support and development of Irish language and Irish medium learning at primary school level such as that currently in place at Culturlann Ui Channain.

Council calls for the development of an awareness campaign within careers departments in post-primary schools to highlight the ever-growing jobs-market in Irish.

Council calls for increased funding for students to attend Summer Colleges in the Donegal Gaeltacht, in particular for students from disadvantaged areas.

However, this amendment came on top of other amendments put in by SDLP councillors to motions put forward by Cllr Emma McGinley (Mental Health) and Cllr Shaun Harkin (Festive holiday for retail workers) respectively.

Both motions were passed but not without some irritation to the original proposers. Cllr Donnelly felt the same was happening to his submission.

He said: There seems to be a pattern developing here tonight for the SDLP. For me, this amendment has too many 'asks'.

My motion was specifically about post-primary Irish provision. I'm not taking away from the issues that's there (on the amendment), but where mine was specific, this opens it up all over the place.

I'm not saying that they're not valid points but it does take away from the specific target that I was aiming at.

Unlike the other two motions that the SDLP tabled amendments to, this one did not pass with only 10 councillors voting for it with 23 against.

The original motion was put back onto the floor with Cllr Patricia Logue (Sinn Fein) backing up Cllr Donnelly in saying A-level would open up new career doors upon the arrival of an Irish Language Act.

She said: The Irish language has gone from strength to strength in this city and beyond. My own children were part of the city's first Irish school and four of my grandchildren are Irish school pupils.

I know at first hand how children benefit in many ways culturally and linguistically. It is right and proper with the imminent installation of an Irish Language Act that schools and businesses recognise how important it will be to have resources that fully ensure opportunities and benefits that will arise are met.

It is imperative that partnerships such as the Foyle Learning Community have plans in place to equip local pupils and the public with skills they need to be able to avail themselves of these opportunities.

Every effort should be made to ensure that every pupil that wants to do A-level Irish should be able to do it.

However, opposition came from Ald Derek Hussey (UUP) who said that not only does the desire to take Irish at A-level diminish, but pushing it as an academic subject at that grade raised concerns of 'social engineering'.

He said: I think back to the formation of the Republic of Ireland or the Irish Free State or whatever you want to call it, and the enforcement of the Irish language within the civil service. It was almost 'jobs for the boys'.

There's been no denial of the Irish language being taught. The problem arises when you come to A-level. There, the desire from students to move on to A-level Irish seems to diminish.

Students are beginning to consider their career choices. You're in a situation at A-level where you're down to three or four subjects and therein lies the issue.

This issue existed in Omagh a couple of years ago where similarly, there were not the number of pupils applying for or seeking to do Irish as one of their A-levels.

I'm concerned that we're almost looking at social engineering in a way, rather than looking at the practical solution if there is a genuine desire to follow an A-level course.

People would complain about colonial social engineering but I suppose this is a sort of reciprocal colonial social engineering that some people are attempting to impose.

Despite the unionist bloc voting as a whole against the motion, the Council passed it as other councillors voted for it in a 24 to seven result.
Puneeth Rajkumar death: Karnataka announces state honours for funeral, CM Basavaraj Bommai calls it a 'huge personal loss'

Power Star Puneeth Rajkumars funeral will be held with state honours announced Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai following the actors sudden demise after suffering a heart attack. Condolences and tributes are pouring in from all corners as the star fondly called Appu arrived home one last time.

Huge security is stationed outside the late actors home where fans have gathered in huge numbers to pay their last respects. Preparations are underway for the funeral and relatives and well wishers of the star also arrived at his residence.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who had earlier arrived at the hospital to visit the actor this morning after he was brought in, called Puneeth Rajkummars death a huge personal loss on Twitter. He wrote, "Shocked and deeply saddened as Karnataka's most loved superstar #PuneetRajkumar is no longer with us. A huge personal loss and one that's difficult to come to terms with. Praying the almighty gives the Rajkumar family and fans the strength to bear this loss. #OmShanti.

Shocked and deeply saddened as Karnataka's most loved superstar #PuneetRajkumar is no longer with us.

A huge personal loss and one that's difficult to come to terms with.

Praying the almighty gives the Rajkumar family and fans the strength to bear this loss.#OmShantipic.twitter.com/QpF63vKvIO  Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) October 29, 2021

The actor who was 46 years old also received a tribute from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wrote on Twitter, A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.

A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/ofcNpnMmW3  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2021

Former PM H D Devegowda also issued a statement and said, "The news of the death of film actor, Yuvaratna Puneet Rajkumar is shocking. I watched Appu starring Prithviraj and rajakumara along with him. Today Karnataka lost yuvaratna. May the Lord grant peace to His soul. May God bring peace to his family and his fans."

The colleagues of the star also mourned this tragic loss on social media expressing shock and sending prayers to his family.
Shah Rukh Khan's first picture out after son Aryan's bail, fans go ecstatic

Thursday has proven to be a big relief day for superstar Shah Rukh Khan as his son Aryan was granted bail almost a month after being arrested in the Mumbai cruise drugs seizure case. In the pictures obtained, the 'Baazigar' actor could be seen posing all smiles with Satish Maneshinde and the legal team of Aryan. SRK's manager Pooja Dadlani could also be seen posing along with them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Pap (@bollywoodpap)

Thursday evening seems no less than a celebration for all the SRK fans who are expressing their joy after the superstar's son was granted bail in connection with a drug seizure on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. Several members from the Bollywood fraternity including Sonam Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Mika Singh and Malaika Arora among others expressed joy on social media after the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan in the Mumbai cruise drugs seizure case. The Bombay High Court also granted bail to Arbaz Merchant and Munmum Dhamecha in the case.

At present, Aryan is lodged at the Arthur Road Jail along with another accused Arbaaz Merchant. Whereas, Munmun Dhamecha is at Byculla women prison.Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3. 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 two Nigerian nationals, have been arrested so far in the case.
Suhana Khan celebrates brother Aryan Khan's bail with an adorable throwback picture with Shah Rukh Khan

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana posted a throwback picture with her brother Aryan, hours after he was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in the case of seizure of banned drugs aboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

Suhana Khan posted a childhood picture with her brother where the two are seen goofing around with their superstar father.

"I love you," she wrote in the caption alongside the photo on Instagram.

Suhana Khan, 21, restricted the comments section on the post--with only those who she is following on the app able to reply.

Several film personalities and close friends of the Khan family showered love on her post, including filmmaker Zoya Akhtra, actor Sanjay Kapoor and his daughter Shanaya Kapoor.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Suhana Khan (@suhanakhan2)

Filmmaker Karan Johar, one of the closest friends of Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, also shared a picture with the superstar to express his happiness.

On late Thursday evening, Johar shared a picture with Shah Rukh along with a heart emoticon.

Actor Raveena Tandon took to Twitter and shared a note, saying, "As a parent, I can relate to the sleepless nights. As a friend, I wish them all the strength, may all good and positivity shine now."

She also sent best wishes for the festival of Diwali.

"Hope it's a Happy Diwali for all of you and May This world see love and peace always," Tandon wrote.

A single bench of Justice N W Sambre also granted bail to Aryan's co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.

They were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs, conspiracy and abetment.

The legal team of the 23-year-old, who is presently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, will now try to complete the formalities for his release by Friday.

Soon after the order--which came more than 20 days after Aryan's arrest - Shah Rukh Khan found support on social media with film personalities, including actors Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker, R Madhavan, filmmakers Hansal Mehta and Rahul Dholakia, celebrating Aryan Khan's bail.

The superstar's fans also gathered outside his bungalow, Mannat, holding banners which read, "Welcome home prince Aryan" and burst firecrackers to celebrate the occasion.
Vicky Kaushal on Sardar Udham not making it to Oscars nomination: "Everybody has the right to their opinion, we have to respect that"

Vicky Kaushal has been making it to the news almost every day now, and that's not just for his personal life. While the rumours around his wedding with Katrina Kaif are growing louder, he is being discussed even more for his recent release Sardar Udham. Vicky's performance has won hearts and one can't rave enough about how good he, and the film overall were. That might also be the reason why a lot of people were disappointed when Sardar Udham didn't become the official Indian selection for the Oscars. Now, Vicky Kaushal has opened up about it.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Talking to Mid Day, Vicky said, Everybody has the right to their opinion. We have a jury [comprising] experts in cinema. They made a selection, and we have to respect that selection. I haven't seen the Tamil film, but Shoojitda has seen it and is gung-ho about it. I am sure it's the best decision taken for Indian cinema to be on a global platform. We should now root for the film that is selected, and hope that it brings us glory.

Sardar Udham was dismissed by one of the jury members who thought the film depicted our hatred towards the British. However, other jury members clarified that it was the opinion of just one person and not what the jury, together, thought.
Ambassador McGauran visited the Depaul Slovensko shelter in Bratislava on 26 October

News

Depaul Slovensko is a non-profit organisation established in 2006 to care for the homeless. It is part of the wider Depaul international family which has branches in the UK, Ireland, Ukraine and USA. The Centres Director, Jozef Kakos, greeted the Ambassador and took him on a tour of the facility which can accommodate up to 300 men and women. The dedicated staff at Depaul Slovensko do amazing work for the homeless and most vulnerable in society, providing accommodation for the night, hot meals and basic medical care. They also work to help their clients reintegrate into society. The dedication and commitment on display was both inspiring and humbling. The Embassy of Ireland has a longstanding relationship with Depaul, one which we are committed to maintaining. The Ambassador donated some posters of Ireland to the Director who will use them to decorate an Irish room at the shelter.

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Joint statement at UNGA 67 Plenary Session with President of the Human Rights Council

Statement

Chair, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and my own country the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

President Khan, The human rights situation in Yemen is dire. The fourth report by the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen outlines a litany of human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict including those involving indiscriminate and disproportionate airstrikes and shelling, attacks on medical facilities and schools, failing to abide by international humanitarian law principles, humanitarian restrictions such as obstacles to access to food and healthcare, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, gender-based violence, including sexual violence, torture, denial of fair trial rights, persecution of and violations and abuses against journalists, human rights defenders, persons belonging to minorities, migrants, internally displaced persons and shocking violations and abuses of children's rights in the period July 2020 to June 2021.

In 2017, the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen was mandated to examine alleged violations and abuses of international human rights. We deeply regret that this mandate was not extended in the last session of the Human Rights Council.

As the conflict in Yemen enters its seventh year, there continues to be an urgent need for independent and impartial monitoring and investigations into all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and human rights abuses, by parties to the conflict.

It remains vitally important to identify and use all opportunities within the UN-system to assess facts on the ground in an impartial manner, and work towards accountability and a just and inclusive peace for the people of Yemen. It is imperative that the international community comes together to actively explore further alternative mechanisms to monitor the human rights situation in Yemen and ensure accountability. Together we must end impunity.

President Khan, What role do you see for the Human Rights Council to ensure human rights monitoring and accountability on behalf of the people of Yemen, now that the mandate of the Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts has ended? Thank you.

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SEATTLE  After a number of fires in the White Center area this summer, the U.S. Small Business Administration has declared an Economic Injury Disaster, opening the door for businesses to apply for loans to help rebuild.

Businesses and organizations impacted by the July 5 fire can now apply for low-interest loans of up to $2 million, after showing they have suffered substantial economic injury. The government defines substantial economic injury based on whether a business is unable to meet its obligations and pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses.





. . .
Crime-law-enforcement

Man set to be executed wants attorneys to stop appealing to save his life

David Neal Cox

JACKSON  A Pontotoc County man set to be executed next month said his former attorneys are acting without his permission, and he wants them sanctioned.

Last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court set the execution of David Neal Cox, 50, for Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. In the same order, the high court allowed Cox to waive all future appeals but dismissed his request to fire his attorneys.

Cox said the next day the state-appointed Capital Post-Conviction Counsels (CPCC) Humphreys McGee, Treasure Tyson and Krissy Noble contacted him and said they were continuing his appeals.

In a handwritten letter, Cox said the three attorneys were going to appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court against his will and try to reverse the Mississippi Supreme Court's Oct. 21 order.

"If post-conviction files anything, I want them all disbarred from ever again practicing law in any state or country  foreign or domestic," Cox wrote.

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According to Cox, the attorneys also told him they planned to file suit against the method of execution, lethal injection, in a bid to stop the execution.

"I told all of post-conviction counsels that if they try and file any further filings on my behalf, I'll do my damnest to have them all disbarred," Cox wrote. "They told me they do not have to do what I say."

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Randolph does not agree with that assessment. In the Oct. 21 order, Randolph allowed the CPCC to remain but with limited authority and powers.

"CPCC shall remain in an advisory role," Randolph wrote. "CPCC lacks standing to proceed on Cox's behalf and pursue further hearing in contravention of Cox's decision."

The state has not executed anyone in almost a decade. Gary Carl Simmons Jr. died by lethal injection June 20, 2012 for the murder and dismemberment of Jeffery Wolfe over a drug debt.

Cox, who has been on Mississippi's death row for the last nine years, petitioned the state earlier this year to waive all future appeals and ask the state to execute him.

In April, Third Circuit Court Judge Kent Smith ruled that Cox was "competent to terminate litigation and waive all appeals" and that his request was "knowingly and voluntarily given." The supreme court affirmed the decision last week and set the execution date.

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In 2012, Cox pleaded guilty to capital murder for the May 2010 fatal shooting of his wife, Kim Kirk Cox, and was sentenced to death. Cox also received another 185 years for seven other felonies, ranging from kidnapping to sexual assault to shooting into an occupied dwelling.
For more than 90 years, The Eagle-Tribune Santa Fund has assisted those in need in the Merrimack Valley through generous contributions from businesses, organizations and individuals. This year the need is as great as ever.

Contribute
Though cancer has left him blind, 9-year-old Christian Lopez isnt letting the disease define him.
CORK city councillor and local historian Kieran McCarthy has called on the council to enhance their signage in city cemeteries to help locate burial plots.

The Independent councillor put forward a motion in which he stated that although many of the city's cemeteries are well maintained, in some of the older cemeteries it is difficult to locate faded inscribed numerical markers.

In addition, Mr McCarthy asked that there would be an "increased effort by the city council to put burial records online so they can be located, either on their own website or on Cork City and County Archives website and especially through the use of volunteers".

In response, Cork City Council said a review of parks and cemeteries signage is presently underway and that new signage will be erected during 2022 as resources allow.

"Signage at cemeteries will include plans to assist visitors locate burial plots.

"Cork City and County Archives have been uploading cemetery burial records for the past number of years and these are available on their website.

"Uploading the records is labour intensive and it will take several years before all records are uploaded," the council's response continued.

Speaking at Tuesday night's full council meeting, Mr McCarthy welcomed the response but said in relation to burial records being put online he felt the use of volunteers could help speed up the process.

"Theres such a body of work there to transcribe, Im still going to push for the use of volunteers for the transcription of records," he said.


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Microsoft's new Cloud PC with Windows 10/11 service potentially offers a way for some Linux users to sidestep what could be the last barrier for businesses to adopt the Linux desktop without leaving behind must-have Windows applications.

But if you lack a company's backing, for the time being you can expect Microsoft's new platform to consider you unsuitable. So personal use of Windows 365 is not a real option for all Linux users.

Windows 365 launched Aug. 2, 2021 as software-as-a-service offering that initially targets business and enterprise users.

Microsoft so far is silent about expanding that target user base to non-business users. Linux and Chromebook users looking to pay the monthly subscription price -- especially if they run a home office-based gig -- might be able to sign up for the Windows 365 streaming service.

Microsoft's announcement said Windows PC "is a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when available) through the power of the cloud across all your devices. We believe this will give organizations of all sizes the power, simplicity, and security you need to address the changing needs of your workforce as you embrace hybrid work."

Microsoft just blew into the smithereens the only reason why we could not use the Linux operating system, offered Alina Clark, co-founder and marketing director at CocoDoc.

"It feels like independence. If anything, a large number of Linux users will now get to enjoy Word and other Microsoft Office tools, which provide the highest amount of consistency in that regard, while still basking in the lightweight, super-efficient glow of the Linux operating system," the tech expert and growth manager told LinuxInsider.

Windows Cloud PC could lead to an increase of Linux users, she reasoned, since all those who were stopped from using it due to the Microsoft Office compatibility issues may just consider shifting.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T





What's the Difference?

Windows 365 is not the same product as the still-existing free and subscription services of Microsoft Office and Office.com. The new service is a cloud computing product that costs users a monthly fee. With it you get a fully functional Windows operating system accessed by streaming the Windows OS from your Cloud PC setup to your local devices.

The difference is you do not have to install the cloud-delivered Windows software on every Windows computer you use. Instead, you can access a fully functional Windows OS with full access to whatever Windows applications you use over the internet instead of installing it on your local hardware. You can stream the same access to all your desktop and mobile devices, including smartphone, Chromebook, and Linux-based desktop and laptop computers.

Microsoft's other Office suite is a web-based platform that only provides the Office apps. You cannot use it to run other the Microsoft OS and Microsoft Windows applications. That is a critical difference that Linux and Chromebook users (and for that matter, macOS users) need to understand.

This new "Windows as a service" is an option for people and businesses who prefer running Linux on their local computers without configuring a virtual machine to access Microsoft Windows and installed Windows applications within Linux.

That VM option is not even fully available on Chromebooks. But just as Chromebook users can run Linux apps -- just like Android apps -- on a Linux partition within the Chrome OS, that capability is coming to Chromebooks via a similar Windows partition.

Windows 365 is going to give Microsoft the ability to compete for market share on a huge variety of new devices, according to Devon Fata, CEO of web design firm Pixoul. It also positions Windows 365 as a complement to those who primarily run Linux or macOS.

"I see this cutting both ways. On the one hand, it will be easier to run Linux and supplement with Windows 365 when necessary. But on the other hand, Windows can now compete with Linux on more platforms," he told LinuxInsider.

Quick 'n' Easy Sign Up (Maybe)

Signing up to subscribe to the Windows 365 cloud service is similar to the process Microsoft uses for its Office.com and Microsoft.com offerings. If you have a Microsoft business account already, you should be able to use your same email address to get started. I have an Outlook.com address registered for my web-based access to other Microsoft products.

My initial efforts were an exercise in futility. ECT News Network (the parent company of LinuxInsider) has a Microsoft business account, at least that is what the sign-up page confirmed as I cobbled together my user credentials to set up a Windows 365 account.

When I entered my outlook.com address, the Windows 365 sign up page balked and said I needed to create a new Microsoft account. The automated process had me enter my suggested business company account name, and after several tries approved an available user name.

The next step automatically affixed the required domain name of ".onmicrosoft.com." That is required for the Windows 365 license. Then Microsoft approved my suggested password. I needed to provide a secondary email address to prove my identity with a provided one-time passcode.

Following that, I was required to give my credit card information for the monthly billing. An initial free trial period was no longer available. But subscribers can cancel at any time by notifying Microsoft using the administrator account manager page.

Clicking the 'Next' button at this point loaded the Microsoft 365 page. The cloud-based delivery then provided options for adding other Microsoft applications and business tools.

Microsoft Happens!

Subsequent sign in attempts start to display the Windows desktop before jumping to the failed page load display.

Over the course of several days, two other Windows screens of death appeared. Despite sending copies of several screenshots requesting tech support, email replies suggested logging on to file help requests. I would if I could, Microsoft!

Overall, Microsoft's newest Windows 365 offering seems to have an identity crisis. Some sign in attempts brought me to my Office.com page or a Microsoft.com page. Some of the emails I received after contacting Microsoft directed me to respond to https://support.office.com/home/contact.

Another reply suggested that I go to https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home to scan the list of problems and solutions. That only added to my frustration. Nearly every entry there referenced other Microsoft products. I did not see any tagged with Windows 365.

Adding insult to injury, I searched other Microsoft databases for troubleshooting and general internet searches as well. That got similar results of no solutions. Again, almost no mention of Windows 365 turned up.

Finally, as I was finishing this article on Windows 365 as a non-option for most Linux users, I received an email response from a Microsoft media representative offering a suggestion but not a real solution.

"Since your initial access to Windows 365 is through a separate paid trial/subscription, we're unable to check the status of your Windows 365 environment. We recommend checking out this Tech Community blog post, which provides detailed guidance on how to set up Windows 365," wrote Nick Heinz for Microsoft.

Well, I did not sign up via a trial subscription. That option was no longer available for Windows 365. Clicking the link to the Tech Community blog post that Heinz provided just added more insult to injury, as shown by yet another Microsoft webpage failure.

"We'd also like to remind you that Windows 365 is built for organizations, so you will need an existing Windows license and Microsoft 365 Business or Microsoft 365 Enterprise account for Windows 365 to work, as you would for a physical Windows 10 device in your organization. Provisioning can be done in the Microsoft 365 admin center," he concluded.

Wrapping Up

Therein lies the rub, perhaps! My initial sign up for Windows 365 brought me beyond the admin center page. I have a licensed Windows 10 purchase. I previously signed up for a Microsoft 365 Business account, which I had no trouble accessing but will now not be renewing.

Microsoft's limitation of Windows 365 to only qualified business accounts is a big disappointment for potential Linux users. Being able to migrate to Linux for personal use without leaving must-have Windows 10/11 applications is still an unfulfilled dream.

Why does Microsoft not want to reap more subscription fees from interested Linux users without business affiliations? Or for that matter, from non-business users of other computing and mobile platforms?

That is just plain bad business, Microsoft.

From a Linux user's perspective, Windows 365 can be a convenient -- but costly -- option to stream the Windows OS to any of your non-Microsoft devices using the web browser of your choice. But Windows 365 is not an option for personal use for Linux or any other platform without any business ties.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.


Mabel Emmaline Kibler age 92, passed away Saturday, November 13, 2021 at her home in rural Newton. Mabel was born on April 19, 1929 in Champaign County, Illinois the daughter of Rual and Chlora Mae (Chapman) Warfel. On October 5, 1947, Mabel married Orville R. Kibler. He survives. Mabel spen
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Catalan president in exile Carles Puigdemont has sent a letter to all his fellow MEPs explaining yesterday's Valtonyc ruling, which has forced a change in Belgium's lese majeste law dating from 1847 and has put the brakes on the Spanish extradition demand. Puigdemont's communication recalled that the Mallorcan rapper called Spanish king Juan Carlos I a "thief" - and time has proven him right.

In the letter, which is also signed by fellow exiled MEPs Clara Ponsati and Toni Comin, Puigdemont states: "In one of the songs that landed Valtonyc a conviction, he called the former Spanish king a thief. In time, however, several corruption cases affecting the king have indeed come to light, as revealed by several major media outlets, which means that Valtonyc not only deserves to be a free man, but was also right all along, he adds.

Criticisms of the ineffectiveness of Pedro Sanchez

The letter explains the consequences of the Valtonyc ruling, and regrets the ineffectiveness of the Spanish PSOE-Podemos coalition government on these issues. "The ruling is a landmark decision for freedom of expression and civil liberties in Europe and new proof that there is a problem in Spain as regards freedom of expression: in its Criminal Code and in the lack of democratic culture of its judicial system." "Further, the Spanish government has yet to react at all. After three and a half years in power, prime minister Pedro Sanchez has done nothing to change the Criminal Code and make it more respectful of the right to freedom of expression, as repeatedly demanded by international organizations such as Amnesty International, Article 19 and Freemuse," he said.

The letter underlined that yesterday Thursday was an "historic day" for freedom of expression in Europe, due to the decision of the Belgian Constitutional Court to eliminate the crime of lese majeste, which penalized insults to the crown with imprisonment and fines.

Valtonyc: "I'm going to Amsterdam"

After his historic victory yesterday in Belgium, the Mallorcan rapper said today that the state "no longer has any argument" to extradite him. "I was tried for terrorism and insults and a year ago, the European Court of Justice already said that there can be no terrorism in a song, so only the insults to the crown were left and now that offence has been removed from the Criminal Code. They cannot extradite me either for that reason," said the rapper in an interview with radio station RAC 1.

Valtonyc explained why, during his three years in exile in Belgium, together with Puigdemont and the exiled councilors, he has never left the country. As he said, this was the "only condition" imposed on him by the Belgian judge in this case. In addition, the rapper mentioned that a European Arrest Warrant is in force. However, Valtonyc is already thinking about the first place he will go after this decision by the Belgian Constitutional Court: probably to Amsterdam.
Police appeal after fail to stop collision

Police in the west of Island are appealing for information after a fail to stop collision.

It happened last Saturday at around 8:45am.

A British Racing HGV hit the wing mirror of a Skoda Octavia on the TT Course heading from Cronk Y Voddy towards Kirk Michael.

The driver of the HGV subsequently failed to stop or report the incident.

It is believed that this British Racing Green HGV had red detailing upon it and was possibly a vehicle transporter type vehicle or similar.

Anyone with information can contact Peel Police Station on 842208 quoting reference 97/47739/21.
Sandra Ellen Dunn Locke of Elkmont, Alabama, passed away at Cape Canaveral Hospital on October 31, 2021. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Sandra is survived by her husband, Anthony Locke and their daughter, Ashley Norman; her son, Andrew Tybergh
The last time we saw Spot dance, it was with the entire Boston Dynamics family at the end of last year. That was mostly a showcase of how much Atlas, the companys bipedal robot, had come from the days when it could barely walk . In a new solo display, we get to see it move to Start Me Up from The Rolling Stones in honor of the 40th anniversary of their 1981 album Tattoo You. And if you thought Spot dancing was too close to the uncanny valley, wait until you see it lip-sync. It is truly the stuff of nightmare fuel.

Boston Dynamics releases these types of videos at a regular cadence almost as if to remind those watching, Yes, we still exist. Earlier in the year, Hyundai completed its acquisition of the company, making it the third owner of the firm in the span of a decade. More recently, the automaker detailed how it would put Spot to work at its assembly plants in South Korea. Bet Spot isn't doing too much dancing there.
COP26 , the UNs climate change conference billed as  the worlds last best chance  to prevent the most disastrous effects of global warming, kicks off in Glasgow on Sunday. Delegates from around the world will convene to hammer out another round of emission reduction targets with a goal of achieving  net zero  greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and keeping our rapidly heating planet temperature rise to a more manageable 1.5 degrees Celsius, rather than the calamitous 2.7 degree bump currently predicted .

With the eyes of the world firmly focused upon humanitys disastrous planetary stewardship to date and wondering what might be done to rectify our past pollution, leading tech companies in recent weeks have become increasingly vocal in their pledges to reform business operations to help save the planet.

Apple, for example, announced the launch of 10 new environmental projects as part of its Power for Impact initiative as well as that 175 of its suppliers will switch to using renewable energy, the company said in a statement Tuesday, and that, by 2030, every device the company sells will have a net-zero climate impact. The company also noted that it has already reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past five years.

Google, on the other hand, pointed to its goal of achieving net zero emissions across all of our operations and value chain by 2030, according to a blog post published on Monday. The company also called out its efforts to assist its partners with reducing their own emissions, such as through the Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) program which helps cities map their pollution data, air quality and solar power potential. Google also made sure to mention just how sustainable its products actually are for consumers.

Microsoft

Microsoft made even loftier claims on Tuesday : to be carbon negative by 2030 and by 2050 remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted, either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975, before expounding on the rapidly increasing efficiencies of its massive data centers.

Amazon, for its part, announced that its $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund investment program has selected three low-carbon startups: Resilient Power, which produces transformer-based EV charging technology; CMC Machinery, an order-specific-sized shipping box manufacturer; and Infinium, which devised ultra-low carbon fuels that can be used in air transport, marine freight, and heavy truck fleets, per the companys blog post .

But do these protestations of environmental progress signify a legitimate effort by Big Tech to clean up its collective act or are they simply more PR spin seeking to offset their bad behavior? Because weve seen this sort of behavior before. Its called greenwashing.

What is Greenwashing?

Merriam-Webster defines greenwashing as expressions of environmentalist concerns especially as a cover for products, policies, or activities. The term was first coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westerveld in an essay examining the hotel industrys practice of leaving placards in guest rooms admonishing them to reuse their towels to help save the environment. Back then, people got their news from three places : newspapers, television and radio  the same sources for virtually all advertising at the time. This information availability imbalance created a system wherein corporations could promote themselves in any flattering shade they wished, regardless of their actual actions, with little fear of the public actually realizing that a deception had even occurred.

The practice of greenwashing in America goes as far back as 1953  though it wasnt called as such at the time  when beverage manufacturers launched the Keep America Beautiful campaign, reminding the public to be good environmental stewards and not litter, in what was actually an effort to forestall incoming regulations on the use of disposable containers. Greenwashing metastasized in the 1980s as Big Oil companies ladled out their own laudations while they sought to minimize their own liability and culpability in environmental pollution scandals and global warming. These companies went so far as to work to actively prevent the government from passing clean energy laws . But you wouldnt know it from their television ads.

The spot above is from Chevrons People Do campaign. It should be noted that many of the programs promoted in that campaign were actually government-mandated actions and that while this campaign was running, Chevron was repeatedly found in violation of the Clean Air and Water Acts , and was caught dumping oil in wildlife refuges .

Exxons actions through the 90s were equally abhorrent. The company continually muddied the waters around humanitys role in climate change, knowing full well how the burning of fossil fuels inflamed the growing crisis.

In 2017, a Harvard study of ExxonMobils climate change communications (both internal memos and public-facing advertorial newspaper content) produced between 1977 and 2014 found that while more than 80 percent of internal documents acknowledged that human activity was largely responsible for global warming, just 12 percent of the companys advertorials did the same.

"Within hours of publishing our study, ExxonMobil responded with ad hominem attacks," Harvard Research Associate Geoffrey Supran, told Client Earth last year. "I was invited by the European Parliament to testify about ExxonMobil's history of climate denial. The day before, they sent a private memo (which has now been leaked) to Members of Parliament to try to discredit me. If these experiences tell us anything, it's that the Exxon tiger hasn't changed its stripes."

Greenwashing in the modern era

Greenwashing remains a widely-used marketing tactic even today  and not just the mealy-mouthed word salads regurgitated by oil executives during a House Oversight Committee hearing this Thursday .

Take bottled water, for instance. Nestle alone has spent millions of ad dollars over recent years in an effort to convince the public that, as it claimed in 2008, bottled water is the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world. This despite the fact that barely 31 percent of plastic water bottles actually get recycled and the rest end up cluttering landfills and the ocean  scientists estimate that around 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean annually .

And they are far from alone. Coca-Cola came under fire in 2015 in Australia when it rolled out Coke Life, a supposedly light sugar variant packaged in a bright green can. Sure it made consumers feel like they were making a health conscious purchasing decision but that was despite health advocates pointing out that the reduction to 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 600ml bottle made little difference in terms of health impacts. More recently the company launched its World Without Waste campaign which, at its essence, pushed consumers to simply recycle more, rather than actually adjust the way the company conducts its business.

The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate-and ecological emergency, not to mention its impact on the countless workers and communities who are being exploited around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposables. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/pZirCE1uci  Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 8, 2021

In 2013, Tyson Meats was taken to task over the fawning self-framing of how it cares for its animals and their relative well-being, not two years before five Tyson supplier employees were charged with 33 counts of criminal animal cruelty for repeatedly kicking and punching pigs. And who can forget Volkswagen, which launched a Clean Diesel marketing campaign amid the Dieselgate emissions scandal ?

Why Greenwashing works so well

So why do companies insist on greenwashing their operations rather than actually reform themselves? Because it is far more profitable to simply adjust public perception than it is to make meaningful reforms. A 2015 Nielsen poll found that 66 percent of respondents would be willing to pay a premium for environmentally sustainable products and among those willing to pay more more than 50 percent were influenced by sustainability factors such as a company being environmentally friendly (58 percent), and company being known for its commitment to social value (56 percent.)

Its also because we, collectively, keep falling for it. Consumers desires to help address the climate crisis, especially in the face of barely tepid responses from world governments, primes us to view virtually any action on that account as a positive one. SDGs [ Sustainable Development Goals ] and net zero have kind of created an opportunity for a lot more greenwashing, because it allows you to describe yourself as a green company when youre doing a thing thats fundamentally not green, Dave Powell, co-presenter of the Sustainababble podcast and the former Head of Environment at the New Economics Foundation, told Client Earth . You effectively buy your way out of trouble, for example, by promising to plant large numbers of trees .

"As part of their climate strategies, many companies are relying on voluntary carbon offsetting. However, if not done well, offsetting can result in greenwashing, Dr. Aoife Brophy Haney, Research Lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, added. To mitigate this risk, government and society at large should support the use of best practice guidelines, such as the recently released  Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting , to help ensure offsetting is done in a rigorous and credible way that ultimately contributes to net zero goals."

And, most importantly, companies continue to engage in greenwashing because there is very little downside to doing so, at least from a regulatory perspective. In the US, the FTC guidelines for environmental marketing claims are only voluntary , though the FTC does retain the right to prosecute outright false or misleading advertisements .

However, cracks in the greenwashing facade may be beginning to show, starting in the financial sector, as regulators interest in ESG fund (environmental, social and governance) oversight grows. As Financial News London reported Monday, German asset manager DWS has recently been investigated by both US and German regulatory agencies after a former employee accused the company of fudging the environmental credentials in its 2020 annual report.

You have to be careful, as there is a big reputational risk, an unnamed senior executive at a European asset manager, told FN London. Were not saying we were bulls***ing before, but theres a recognition now that its more complicated.

Most have probably been a bit too pushy in marketing their alleged ESG expertise and they are now applying more caution, Philip Kalus, managing partner at consultancy Accelerando Associates, added. Some would even say there is panic in the house. Nobody wants to be the next one being accused, but it is an important and overdue wake-up call for the industry.

Thats not to say that environmental pledges made by Apple, Google, Microsoft or Amazon are meant to intentionally gaslight the public (though Exxon, Shell and Chevron absolutely did). These companies have a vested financial interest in at least appearing as positively as possible to their customers because, frankly, nobodys going to have time to talk about the slick new features of the Pixel 8 or iOS 15 when were in the midst of a global climate meltdown-slash- water war .
This past April, Toyota teased the bZ4X , the first of seven Beyond Zero fully electric vehicles the automaker said it would debut by 2025. Other than to reveal it was working with Subaru to develop the SUV and that it would include its upcoming e-TNGA powertrain, the company didnt share many details about the bZ4X. On Friday, it changed that by unveiling the production version of the vehicle.

Toyota will offer the bZ4X in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants. The former will feature a single 150 kW capable of accelerating the car from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 8.4 seconds. Per the WLTC standard, the automaker claims the FWD models 71.4 kWh battery will allow it to travel approximately 500 kilometers or 310 miles on a single charge. Expect that estimate to decrease once the EPA tests the car. Its also worth noting these measurements come from the Japanese model, which may end up featuring different specifications to whatever model(s) Toyota releases in the US.

Toyota

The battery will support 150 kW DC fast charging, allowing it to go from dead to 80 percent after about 30 minutes of charging. As for the AWD model, it will feature two 80kW motors, one built into each axle, for a total power output of 160 kW. It can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.7 seconds. Toyota estimates the ranges of the AWD model at 460 kilometers or 285 miles on a single charge. In both variants, the battery is integrated into the chassis, a design choice the automaker helps lower the SUVs center of gravity and improve the rigidity of the chassis.

Toyota also plans to equip the bZ4X with some nifty extra features. One of those is a solar roof the automaker says will generate about 1120 miles worth of free power generation. It will also offer a steer-by-wire system that removes the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and front wheels. Both features will be available in select models.

The bZ4X will debut in the US and other markets in mid-2022.
This week, the federal government awarded a team that includes Boeing a contract to build a prototype 300-kilowatt laser weapon for the US Army. The military will demonstrate the design sometime next year. The prototype will produce a lethal output greater than anything fielded to date, said General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, the other company working on the project. This technology represents a leap-ahead capability for air and missile defense that is necessary to support the Armys modernization efforts and defeat next-generation threats in a multi-domain battlespace.

Even if its only a demonstration, the system represents a significant step up from the lasers the military has had access to in the past. Back in 2014, the US Navy deployed the experimental Laser Weapon System (LaWS) on the USS Ponce. That system could reportedly output a 30-kilowatt beam, making it mostly useful for shooting down drones and other small craft. Per the New Scientist , a 300-kilowatt laser could potentially take down missiles, in addition drones, helicopters and even airplanes. The announcement comes as the global weapons race intensifies following Chinas successful trial of a hypersonic missile .
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, 
If you're a fan of rom-com now, look no further than Love Life.

Love Life, the captivating anthology series on HBO just premiered its second season YESTERDAY. Believe me, you are going to want to jump onto this train now. William Harper Jackson plays a book editor named Marcus Watkins who, through his romantic and professional endeavors, confronts issues of romance, race, and reality. In a time that has been lacking in high quality romantic comedy content (in my personal opinion), this one answers the call for something poignant and personal. If you haven't watched the first three episodes yet, go check them out now! I'll still be here. If you're caught up, let's talk about why these three episodes set this show on the promising path to be the most revolutionary new member of the romantic comedy genre we've seen in a while.

Episode One: Mia Hines

Marcus is married. Like fully, one hundred percent, no questions about it, married. That's a unique way to establish the main character in a series which we know will follow a man on his quest to find love. He and his wife are at the wedding of Darby, played by Anna Kendrick, who was the lead of the last season. Marcus, outside of the party, meets Mia Hines, played by Jessica Williams, and sparks are clearly firing (but someone should grab an extinguisher because, as we have previously stated, Marcus is MARRIED.)

Love Life does a phenomenal job making sure we have no idea how to feel in the first scene of the show. Marcus doesn't cheat on his wife, but he may as well have. He should not have started emailing Mia, but technically nothing has happened between them. Should Marcus stay with his wife because that's what commitment in marriage means, or would they both be happier if they fought to find something more powerful. The show raises a lot of questions that I want answered. Is Marcus a bad guy or a good guy? At this point, I honestly could not tell. I think he might be a good guy that is not doing the right thing.

Marcus's wife, Emily, who is played by Erica Pappas, ends up finding the text messages to Mia. It does not help that in these text messages, Marcus is venting about his wife.

The episode ends here, but, I mean, we know this can't be good. Also, right at the beginning we have a subversion of the typical rom-com trope. Normally our main character is wronged in the first moments, spurned in some way that catalyzes their movement forward. This time our lead DID the wronging...interesting.

Episode 2: Paloma

As literally ANYONE WITH EYES would be able to predict, Emily leaves Marcus. Honestly, good for Emily. While I still don't know what to make of Marcus, Emily seemed like an AWESOME wife: nice, funny, smart, faithful, not texting random men that she met at weddings. Wherever she is off to, I hope she's happy! (WOAH...are they already setting us up for a season three?)

After a brief interlude at his sister Ida's, played by Punkie Johnson, house and being coaxed to go out by friends, Marcus finds himself on adderall at a bar with his sister, his sister's girlfriend, and Mia. The moment this show creates is simultaneously so real and awkward at the same time. The scene is not inherently awkward, but it does a beautiful job capturing the energy of, huh, weird group. BUT, much like the way social people operate in the confines of weird groups, everyone starts having a great time. Showing this approval of Mia is SO IMPORTANT. She seems perfect...but she also has a boyfriend... I think we need to just have a quick conversation about fidelity with this cast.

Marcus and Mia find themselves walking back from the bar together. Marcus, in a moment that AGAIN leads us to ask the question Is Marcus a good person?, Marcus blames Mia for his divorce. Honestly, I don't know what I think. It's not her fault, but is she blameless? She thinks she is. I think I'm on Mia's side. I mean, if the roles were reversed I would be on Marcus's. Yes, so far women he's encountered: 2, Marcus: 0. Unsurprisingly, Mia then walks away, not to be heard of again (at least, not yet).

Marcus then has a one night stand with a 22 year old named Paloma, played by Aline Mayagoitia. In a dorm room. This moment, and the entire show, point out a truth we know but often forget: love is INSANELY complicated.

Episode 3: Destiny Mathis

Marcus moves into his post divorce apartment. His friend Yogi, played by Chris "Comedian CP" Powell says that the apartment feels very "divorcey"...I mean, he's not wrong.

Shortly after this scene, Marcus is heading up to Michigan for his parent's 35th anniversary party. In light of his divorce, Marcus is particularly wary about going to visit his parents, specifically citing that they never liked Emily. This touches on such a REAL issue. It is as true in real life as it is in this show: if your partner doesn't get along with your family, it probably isn't meant to be. There are exceptions to every rule, but the trope of we-love-each-other-and-it-works-but-your-family-hates-me is INCREDIBLY unrealistic. The fact that the family never liked Emily, but so far everyone seems to like Mia (even though she may be gone forever, who knows) is very promising. Love Life is the perfect balance of rom-com romance with realistic deep feels, and I am HERE FOR IT!

Upon visiting home, Marcus again starts texting a girl he used to tutor in High School math, Destiny Mathis who is played by Yasha Jackson. He meets up with her at a bar. They seem to have a nice rapport and - oop, they're hooking up in a car! Very high school.

After she leaves, the voiceover comments that Marcus felt bad that he presented himself to Destiny as the same smart, good humored person he used to be, and not the, "demoralized hot mess he actually was." When we reconnect with people from our past, there is the desperate inclination to present ourselves exactly how the other person knew us. We ultimately want the same from them. However, having these moments where acting like your past self feels more performative than honest, is one of the most human experiences. Love Life picks up on these elements of the human condition beautifully. It makes this love story all the more real.

Speaking of more real, sometimes things become too real. For example, if your mom were to invite the person you casually hooked up with one night to a family party. This forces Marcus to sit in the midst of the awkward disparity he created for himself: coping simultaneously with the version of himself he is with his family and the version of himself he presented to Destiny. Neither of them are whole. Neither of them are comfortable. Being dishonest to yourself about yourself only breeds more awkward situations later.

Destiny feels the discomfort in the situation, and Marcus drives her home. There they are both confronted by Destiny's boyfriend (FIDELITY, PEOPLE!). Marcus gets trapped there, sitting in his car in the middle of this awkward fight, missing his father's speech entirely. When he finally gets home, his mother, played by Janet Hubert, tries to confront him about missing the speech. Marcus gets angry because the reason he MISSED the speech was because he was taking care of a situation that she created.

One thing leads to another, and Marcus and his mother end up having a really open conversation about how proud his mother is of him. He is surrounded by familial support. Love is not just romantic. Love is in family. Love is in friends. That love is just as important as the romantic kind. The show isn't called Love Person. It's called Love Life, and it does an excellent job of making it about just that: life.

This show is absolutely phenomenal. I cannot wait for the next three episodes to be released on November 4th. I'll be watching! Will you?
Islas Baleares

Detienen a una mujer por un delito de hurto a la senora que cuidaba en Palma
President Joe Biden on Friday called U.S. government actions "clumsy" during his first meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron since a diplomatic crisis erupted last month over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia.
Charles Charlie Cheever Jr., an amiable banker who presided over San Antonios Broadway Bank as president for more than two decades, died Friday. He was 93.

Broadway Bank has been a part of San Antonios fabric since its founding in 1941 as a storefront bank by Cheevers parents, Col. Charles E. Cheever Sr. and Elizabeth Cheever.

Cheever Jr. joined the bank in 1957 to work alongside his father. Four years later, at 32, he took over as president.

Under his watch, Broadway grew into one of the largest independently-owned financial institutions in Texas. The banks assets rose from $13 million to $1.7 billion while Cheever was at the helm. Today, it has roughly $5.1 billion in assets, more than 600 employees, and is the second largest family-owned bank in the state.

He is a member of one of San Antonios most contributing families, former Mayor Henry Cisneros said. He, of course, was a leader in the community, as has been his daughters and the rest of the family. Charlie set the example.

He was a legendary leader in the business community, and among Texas bankers he had few peers, Frost Bank Chairman and CEO Phil Green said in a statement. Charlie also had an unforgettable personality, and I always looked forward to meeting with him.

On ExpressNews.com: Cheevers put their stamp on San Antonio

Cheever was a 1949 West Point graduate and a graduate of the University of Texas Law School.

Armed with a law degree and contemplating his future, Cheever was unimpressed with the opportunities in the legal field. So he followed his fathers wish and joined Broadway Bank as a vice president in its real estate department.

Under Cheevers leadership as president, Broadway Bank was the first in San Antonio to offer mortgage lending, on-site discount brokerage services, extended drive-thru hours and off-site ATMs.

James Goudge, Broadway Banks former president, said he had the pleasure of both working with Cheever and being his son-in-law. Goudge is married to Cheevers daughter Suzanne.

He was great as a mentor for me in business and wonderful as a father-in-law, Goudge said. He was a very straightforward person. You always knew where you stood with him, but in a very nice way.

He did a lot of innovative things, and he was always looking and trying to do things that he thought that our customers were wanting, Goudge said. He was always customer-focused.

During a corporate reorganization in 1982, Cheever became chairman of the board while his father became senior chairman.

Upon the death of Cheever Sr. at 87 in 1985, Cheever was elected to fill the post of senior chairman. He later served as the banks chairman emeritus.

He was the driving force behind much of Broadway Banks growth over the years and his legacy of innovation continues to push Broadway Bank forward, Chairman David Ladensohn said in a statement. He loved to be with customers and encouraged them in their pursuits. Charlie was a truly warm and friendly human being.

SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

Cheever was involved in numerous community organizations. In 1989, he and Cisneros founded the San Antonio Education Partnership, a nonprofit that provides financial help to public high school students to get into college.

Cisneros got the idea while on a trip to Baltimore as mayor. Upon returning to San Antonio, Cisnersos said, he told Cheever  the then-chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce  about it.

He enthusiastically agreed to help me organize that in San Antonio, Cisneros said. It all started with Charlie Cheevers enthusiasm for doing this and for his willingness then to call the business leaders and say, This is a chamber-backed project. We need your help.

The program changed a lot of lives, Cisneros added.

In 2004, Charlie was elected to the the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame. He was also elected to the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame and the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2016.

Cheever is survived by wife Nancy; his six children, Suzanne, Cece, Jean, Joan, Charlie and Chris; and his sister, Jane Cheever Powell. He is predeceased by his first wife, Sally.

Suzanne Goudge and Jean Cheever currently serve as Broadway Bank directors. Chris Cheever is senior vice president of its the Private Bank Business Development senior.

pdanner@express-news.net
Maybe Elizabeth McLaughlin thought she was on mute.

She wasnt.

Now the San Antonio family law attorney is in hot water for lashing out at state District Judge Mary Lou Alvarez during a court session held via Zoom videoconferencing Thursday.

When Alvarez denied McLaughlins objection to having one of her cases assigned to a visiting judge, the attorney didnt hide her displeasure.

What a b----, McLaughlin uttered, with more than 100 Zoom participants listening in.

The remark got McLaughlin banned from presiding court  albeit temporarily  and marked the latest in a series of cyberblunders during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many civil court proceedings to take place online.

McLaughlin, 69, issued a no comment via email Friday when asked about the incident.

Reached Thursday evening, Alvarez, 46, said McLaughlins comment was disturbing and hurtful. She also called it disrespectful and possibly racist, ageist and discriminatory.

Im trying to think about it from a place of grace and humanity, but she wouldnt do it to a male, white judge, Alvarez said.

She said procedure, respect and proper decorum are crucial because courts perform important work that affects peoples lives.

I have never been sworn at, said the civil court judge, who was elected to the bench in 2018 and is seeking re-election. I dont know very many attorneys who would use profanity and vulgarity toward the bench.

On ExpressNews.com: Zoom bombings temporarily stop court hearings in Bexar County

McLaughlin immediately apologized to the judge on Zoom. Alvarez nevertheless excused the attorney from presiding court on Thursday and Friday.

However, McLaughlin later asked to attend Fridays docket call, a request the judge granted.

Past disciplinary actions

McLaughlin graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1976 and has been practicing in San Antonio for more than 30 years, according to her website.

The State Bar of Texas has disciplined McLaughlin several times, most recently prohibiting her from practicing law from August 1994 to July 1999. It found that she had failed to inform a client that she had withdrawn from a divorce case, resulting in the case being dismissed for want of prosecution, records show.

McLaughlin received a fully probated suspension for six months in 1993 but was allowed to continue practicing. The reasons for that suspension were unclear because the investigation results werent properly documented. Pages were missing from the bar grievance committees report.

The committee also publicly reprimanded McLaughlin for professional misconduct in 1990 and 1992.

Whether the bar will initiate a complaint over Thursdays incident remains to be seen.

Alvarez, though, has the authority to punish McLaughlin  such as holding her in contempt of court.

Im still thinking about that, the judge said. I may not be the one to decide. That may be for another court.

The range of punishments for contempt of court is a fine of up to $500, confinement in the county jail for up to six months or both.

A Zoom proceeding is equivalent to being in the courtroom, and so the judge has the ability to control the decorum to make sure all the rules within the courtroom are followed, state District Judge Ron Rangel said Friday. He is the administrative judge over the civil and criminal district judges.

If she feels that somebody is being disruptive within the courtroom, then she has the right to act accordingly, he added.

The dispute, then the slur

During Thursdays presiding court proceeding, Alvarez had assigned McLaughlins case to Visiting Judge Larry Noll.

McLaughlin opposed the assignment, but Alvarez overruled her objection, saying she had already objected to being assigned another visiting judge.

McLaughlin responded that opposing counsel had raised the objection to the first assignment, not her. The attorney added she was allowed her own objection  Texas code indicates each party to a case is entitled to one objection  but the judge still sent her case to Noll.

Thats when McLaughlin used the slur.

I cant, in my wildest dreams, believe that someone of her experience would do that, Alvarez said. As a member of the judiciary, I have higher expectations for people before the court.

Its not unprecedented for judges to be cussed at in court, however.

In July, an attorney in St. Louis County, Mo., was held in criminal contempt and sentenced to a week in jail for saying f--- you to the judge during a hearing, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Massachusetts highest court ruled in April that a 16-year-old Black girl was wrongly jailed after calling a judge a dumb white b---- and other things, WCVB-TV reported.

Before Fridays Presiding Court docket, Alvarez instructed participants to maintain courtroom decorum.

Courtroom decorum is expected of everyone, but especially those who are licensed to practice law in our state, in our courts, she said.

pdanner@express-news.net

ezavala@express-news.net
Over the summer, economic development officials did a final accounting of what taxpayers got for one of the city of San Antonios most unhinged, extravagant deals with a single private company.

In 2010, under City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Mayor Julian Castro, the city agreed to invest $6 million in InCube Labs, a San Jose, Calif.-based biotechnology incubator.

City leaders also coaxed Bexar County, UT Health, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Texas Research and Technology Foundation into kicking in another $4 million, for a grand total of $10 million.

Politicians and bureaucrats, almost as a rule, talk about investing taxpayers money when what theyre really doing is spending it. Investing sounds more purposeful and business-minded, implying that eventually there will be a tangible return on investment.

As in, we will invest in filling the potholes on your street. Your ROI will be not getting a flat tire.

In the case of InCube, city officials made an actual investment  in a high-risk industry about which they were nearly clueless.

In return for $10 million, the San Antonio Economic Development Corp.  a city-created nonprofit set up to oversee the 2010 contract with InCube  received a fistful of founders shares in startups the company committed to operate here.

The untrained eye

Under the agreement, the city received 5 percent of each companys first batch of stock.

On ExpressNews.com: Biomed pioneer expanding to S.A.

The big idea behind the deal with InCube, founded and led by the highly regarded inventor Mir Imran, was that the company would bring the spark of innovation and entrepreneurship to San Antonios biotech industry. InCube would show us how it was done through collaborations with local universities, research institutes and other companies.

In other words, the city made a wobbly investment decision, mashing together fuzzy, hard-to-measure policy goals with an eagerness to invest in a deal that looked  to the untrained eye  like a reasonably safe bet.

The agreement reflected that muddle of public-minded and profit-seeking motives.

Just imagine a venture capitalist saying to InCube: Ill invest in you, but you must commit to two things: creating 50 jobs that pay at least $50,000 and relocating or launching eight of your startups in my hometown. Would never happen. That would be a violation of the VC rule of keeping startups as lean and cost-contained as possible before scaling up.

Yet those two requirements were in the contract that expired last year. And those are the ones InCube failed to meet.

The last time I wrote about this agreement, in late July, the citys economic development department and SAEDC were conducting a post mortem. They recently completed the performance review.

On ExpressNews.com: Jefferson: A day of reckoning for one of San Antonio's worst 'economic development' deals?

InCube generated 44 jobs in 10 years and set up five startups in San Antonio, three short of what the company had agreed to, according to Assistant City Manager Alex Lopez, who oversees the citys economic development department.

InCube relocated three of its portfolio companies  Corhythm, Neurolink and Fe3 Medical  to San Antonio in 2010. By mid-2013, it had launched two others here, Theracle and iBridge Medical.

The original agreement required only five InCube startups to call San Antonio home. It was supposed to expire in 2015. But as InCube struggled to meet its jobs goal, the city cut the company a break; City Council approved a five-year contract extension in 2015, giving it more time to make jobs.

It wasnt an out-and-out gift to InCube. The city tacked on another three startups the company had to operate in San Antonio, for a new total of eight.

On ExpressNews.com: Council gives InCube Labs a five-year extension to meet jobs goal

So, whats the price the company will pay for failing to make good on those two commitments?

On the jobs front, InCube has to pay a penalty of $300,000, or $50,000 for each of the six jobs it fell short of its target, as spelled out in the contract.

For coming up short on the number of startups, InCube will hand over more stock, increasing the SAEDCs ownership of InCubes existing San Antonio startups, according to Lopez. That penalty was also defined in the contract.

The bitter end

The only way the city  and the four other public and nonprofit investors brought along for the ride, including the county and UTSA  will recoup its investment is if any of the InCube companies are acquired or go public.

In 2020, 78 biotech firms underwent initial public offerings in the U.S., the most ever in a given year and a 77 percent increase from 2019, reported BDO, an international auditing and tax advisory firm. If that sounds impressive and promising, consider that the estimated overall number of U.S. biotechs is about 7,000.

The number of success stories in this industry is small. Most companies dont celebrate IPOs. Most struggle to survive, and many just fail.

Maybe one or two of the InCube companies SAEDC owns shares in will be winners. But the odds are against it.

Lopez, the assistant city manager, told me this week that some good came from the contract. InCubes San Antonio startups have collaborated with local industry partners and brought in interns to teach them how the private sector does research and development.

All in all, InCube met most of its obligations under the contract, including the requirement that Imran spend a chunk of his time in San Antonio every month.

I think the idea of creating this biotech incubator in San Antonio was novel, and we did receive benefits from it, Lopez said.

Nevertheless, she added: Any future projects of this kind we would have to look at further  theres definitely lessons learned from this experience.

In my view, the only lesson that matters is this: Never do another wasteful deal like this again. Never, ever.

greg.jefferson@express-news.net
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  The family of a interpreter who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan are among the first Afghan evacuees heading to Rhode Island.

The family of six are scheduled to arrive in the state next week, WJAR-TV reported Thursday.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Republican Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday called a fall special session to deal with a limited agenda that includes legislative redistricting and the approval of a spending plan for federal coronavirus relief aid.

The Nov. 8 special session approved by the governor through an executive order has no time restriction and may last indefinitely, though legislative leaders said they hoped it would only last five days.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner and GOP House Majority Leader Chet Pollert have been meeting with Burgum in recent weeks to discuss the possibility of a special session. They joined the governor at the Capitol in announcing the special session Friday.

The North Dakota Constitution limits the Legislature to 80 days of meetings every two years, and last springs regular session used 76 days. That means if the GOP-led Legislature had called itself back into session, lawmakers would have had to shoehorn the redistricting job, coronavirus spending and other proposed legislation 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.

The GOP leaders said all of the Legislatures pending business could have been accomplished during a reconvened session though they preferred the special session.

Were thankful for a special session and not reconvened, Wardner said.

Pollert said the special session would be efficient but expedited.

Had the Legislature called itself into session, a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate would be required for the new redistricting plan and other legislation to take effect quickly. Any legislation during a special session could take effect immediately upon being approved by a majority vote.

More than two dozen bills have been submitted ahead of the session, though details of the legislation, and sponsors, wont be revealed until the bills are approved for introduction, which would happen shortly ahead of the special session.

Legislative leaders and other lawmakers have signaled that some of the bills are aimed at preventing vaccine mandates and banning the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism, known as critical race theory.

Legislative leaders said none of the bills reflected Burgums plan to use some of the state treasurys surpluses to offset income taxes, despite the governor continuing the pitch on Friday.

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.

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 session costs taxpayers about $64,000.
MOSS POINT, Miss. (AP)  Authorities say a woman died in a car accident on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after a possible tornado swept through the area.

WLOX-TV reports a woman was driving down Highway 63 at around 9 p.m. Wednesday when her vehicle flipped multiple times. She was thrown from the car and died, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency Director Earl Etheridge said.
DETROIT (AP)  Residents who suspect official corruption can now report that information directly to the Detroit FBI office via a new email address, in an expansion of the federal agency's public outreach.

The launch of MichiganCorruption@fbi.gov follows years of investigations into corruption in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs, including bribery, kickbacks, the rigging of bids for municipal contracts, and intentional non-enforcement of local regulations.

Public corruption can be difficult to detect making information from the public critical to the FBIs efforts, the agency said Wednesday in a news release.

Two Detroit police officers recently were charged in federal court with taking bribes to break the rules and steer cars to a favored towing company. The charges were the latest in a federal investigation of Detroits towing procedures.

Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey pleaded guilty in September to accepting $36,000 in bribes related to oversight of towing policy. Spivey has resigned.

FBI agents in August searched offices at Detroit City Hall and the homes of two other City Council members. Agents were seen leaving City Hall with boxes.

Most public officials are committed to serving their communities with integrity, FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters said in a release. Unfortunately, we continue to see elected and appointed officials across the state of Michigan who use their positions for personal gain.

One of Detroits most notorious public corruption cases involved former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick served more than seven years of a 28-year sentence following his 2013 federal conviction for racketeering conspiracy, fraud, extortion and tax crimes. At the time, the government called it the Kilpatrick enterprise, a scheme to shake down contractors and reward allies.

Kilpatrick was released from prison in January after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence.
WATERBURY, Vt. (AP)  The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with the Vermont Department of Corrections to improve conditions in the state's prisons for inmates with disabilities, the department said.

As part of the agreement, which was made public Thursday, the Corrections Department will pay $80,000 to compensate current and former inmates who were harmed and it requires the department to make a number of structural changes to the states prisons to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The agreement resolves an investigation into complaints that the Vermont Corrections Department didnt provide accessible facilities for inmates with mobility disabilities and it did not ensure effective communication for inmates with hearing disabilities.

People with disabilities in Vermont deserve equal access, and that does not change when they are incarcerated, Acting Vermont U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt said in a statement. The Vermont Department of Corrections has now committed to removing barriers to participation for inmates with disabilities in (Vermont prison) facilities, including inmates who have physical and communication disabilities."

Vermont Corrections Commissioner Jim Baker said in an email that the department acknowledged the system's shortcomings and that the department is always looking for ways to improve.

DOC was a willing partner in this, has always been at the table, and has already implemented a number of the items outlined  many of which were in place before Thursdays agreement finalization," Baker said Friday.

Vermont Defender General Matt Valerio, who oversees the state Prisoners' Rights Office, said there have been accommodation issues in the prisons for years. He said the U.S. attorney's office got involved several years ago after it became aware of a number of separate cases.

"They struggle with the fact that our prisons are old and our ability to accommodate these things on a technical level are difficult given the infrastructure that really needs to be updated," Valerio said. And thats one of the really important parts of the settlement is that the department will pursue funding to improve the infrastructure."

The Department of Justice says the agreement protects the rights of inmates to equal access to educational, counseling and recreation programs. It also ensures inmate access to prison facilities such as visitation areas, libraries, medical facilities, intake processing, accessible cells, and routes to and through prison buildings.

It also requires that Vermont provide inmates with hearing disabilities the appropriate assistance such as sign language interpreters, hearing aids and video telephones.

The agreement requires the Vermont Corrections Department to pay $80,000 to current and former inmates who were harmed. Vermont officials did not say how many inmates would be receiving a portion of the settlement.

Valerio said he thought around five inmates would be sharing the money.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Attorney General Merrick Garland defended a Justice Department memo aimed at combating threats and violence against teachers, administrators and other school officials while Republicans insisted that he rescind the directive. He signaled no plans to do so despite their criticism

The memo took center stage as Garland appeared on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee  his second congressional appearance in a week  and said it was meant to respond to violence and threats of violence directed against local school board officials.

The memo came out Oct. 4, less than a week after the National School Boards Association wrote the Biden administration about the threats to school officials and asked for help. Some school board meetings have devolved into shouting contests over issues such as how racial issues are taught, masks in schools and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements. And teachers have been attacked in schools, with some having masks ripped from their faces and being assaulted by parents.

Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement. In his memo Garland said there had been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nations public schools.

An accompanying news release mentioned the FBI, the departments criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other parts.

The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials, Garland said.

Republicans on the Senate committee also seized on a memo from Leif Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Montana, to the state attorney general, county attorneys, sheriffs and school officials in the state. The memo spells out federal crimes that could be used in prosecutions for violence, harassment or intimidation of school board officials.

The Montana memo, obtained by The Associated Press, cites about a dozen federal statues from conspiracy to deprive someone of civil rights to stalking and anonymous telephone harassment. It instructs the recipients to contact the FBI if you believe that a person has violated one of these statutes.

Garland told senators he was never sent the U.S. attorney's memo and did not know specifics about it. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Montana did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson had consulted senior Justice Department officials before issuing the memo.

Ive never seen that memo, Garland said. No one has sent me that memo, so I havent seen it.

The National School Boards Association has since said we regret and apologize for its letter, which asked for federal assistance to combat harassment and violence against school officials and said some of the acts could be domestic terrorism.

The original letter asked for the federal government to investigate cases in which threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. The association asked for the Justice Department, the FBI, Homeland Security and the Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.

The letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.

Garland has said parents have the right to express their concerns to school boards but his primary concern is if that devolves into violence or when threats emerge. During questioning Wednesday, Garland said that making a Nazi salute would be protected under the First Amendment. He also acknowledged that he did not have an accounting of the number of incidents.

At least two Republican senators  Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri  called for Garland to resign over his handling of the memo.

This is shameful, Cotton exclaimed. You should resign in disgrace.
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP)  A Webster County jury on Wednesday convicted an Eagle Grove man in the 2020 shooting deaths of two men during a celebration of life gathering.

The jury found Michael J. Shivers, 56, guilty in the June 16, 2020, deaths of Jamael Cox, 25, and Tyrone Cunningham, 47, both of Fort Dodge, according to the Fort Dodge Messenger.
ATLANTA (AP)  Longtime Atlanta news anchor Jovita Moore has died after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. She was 54.

WSB-TV, where Moore had worked since 1998, announced Friday that Moore died Thursday night from glioblastoma.

After a nearly 7-month battle with an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer, our colleague and friend Jovita Moore has passed away, Moore's co-anchor Justin Farmer said in a video posted on the station's website. She passed last night, as she wanted, with her family by her side. She passed peacefully.

Moore had gone to the doctor in mid-April after feeling like she was going to pass out while walking through a grocery store parking lot.

I was really concerned about why all of a sudden I was forgetful, disoriented and just not feeling myself. Feeling like I was in a fog and really wanting to get out of that fog, Moore said at the time.

An MRI revealed two small masses in her brain and she underwent surgery to remove the tumors just days later. In July, she asked WSB to share with viewers that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma. Treatment can slow the cancer's progression and reduce signs and symptoms, but a cure is often not possible, according to the Mayo Clinic's website.

A native New Yorker, Moore worked at WMC-TV in Memphis and KFSM in Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas, before arriving at WSB in Atlanta. Her death was met with an outpouring of condolences in her adopted city.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called her a wonderful mother, daughter, and dear friend to many.

Even those who did not know her personally felt a deep and personal connection to Jovita, Bottoms said in a statement posted on the city's website. "She loved Atlanta dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with her children Lauren, Shelby and Joshua, her mother, and all who loved her. May her beautiful spirit soar. Jovita will be truly missed.

The Rev. Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, posted photos of herself with Moore on Twitter.

I will miss you, Jovita. Rest, sister, King tweeted.

Many in the journalism world also mourned Moore's passing. The National Association of Black Journalists, or NABJ, said Moore was a longtime member and called her legendary.

Moore battled with brain cancer & inspired many on her journey, NABJ said in a tweet. Her legacy of kindness, commitment to her craft, and reaching back to help the next generation will live on.

___

An earlier version of this report incorrectly gave Moore's age as 53, instead of 54.
A San Antonio man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to solicit an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl, an arrest affidavit said.

Patrick Ramirez, 46, was charged Thursday with online solicitation of a minor with the intent to meet for sexual conduct.

Police said the undercover officer started messaging with Ramirez on Sept. 10 on a website known for prostitution and online child-related sexual offenses. When the two began messaging, the undercover officer told Ramirez she was a 16-year-old living in San Antonio, according to the affidavit.

On ExpressNews.com: Antisemitic protests continue in San Antonio and Austin as leaders condemn hate messages

Ramirez asked if they could meet up so they could "go somewhere private and do it in my truck or rent a room" the court documents said. He continued to send sexually explicit messages through October, the affidavit continued.

On Oct. 28, the two arranged to meet but Ramirez canceled because he had to work late, according to the affidavit. Police were able to locate Ramirez at his job site and take him into custody.

When questioned by police, Ramirez said he thought the girl he was messaging was fake and that he was just role playing, the affidavit said.

Police also discovered that Ramirez had multiple out-of-state felony warrants related to obscene communication, according to the affidavit.

Ramirez is being held on a $40,000 bail.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.com
FARGO, N.D. (AP)  The North Dakota Board of Higher Education said Thursday that university presidents and system leaders should have the flexibility to decide what to do about President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The board voted to support the idea after a 90-minute discussion that included pleas from presidents of the state's two research institutions who said they could lose tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts if they didn't comply with Biden's requirements. A couple of board members wanted to table the resolution because they thought it was too broad.

The vaccine mandate covers people who work with federal contractors and their subcontractors, as well as support staff in areas such as billing, human resources and custodial services, according to board attorney Eric Olson, who issued an 11-page memorandum on the potential impact of the mandate.

Biden's order has convinced colleges across the country to announce vaccine requirements. Some have interpreted the directive as a campus-wide mandate, while Olson said the new rules apply to some student employees but not students in general.

Most people who participated in the virtual board meeting, including Olson, agreed there are a lot of unanswered questions about the federal mandate. However, campus leaders said the resolution was urgent in order to meet Biden's Dec. 8 deadline, in part because of the time it takes for people to become fully vaccinated.

Then there's the money. University of North Dakota President Andrew Armacost said the Grand Forks college is at risk of losing from $11 to $20 million. The dean of UND's medical school, Dr. Joshua Wynne, said the prospect of losing funds is very real. Olson added that UND has already received an inquiry from a federal contractor.

Nick Hacker and fellow board member Danita Bye voted against the resolution. Hacker said with the goalposts so far apart and so much uncertainty he believed it was a good idea to await further developments, including legal action by North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, whose spokeswoman had no comment Thursday.

I think it could have been written in a much more narrower scope with more of a minimalist approach than a broad blanket approach that this resolution takes, Hacker said.

Wynne said the resolution was intentionally ambiguous to allow presidents flexibility to be as surgical as need be, depending upon their circumstances. He said it doesn't command them to do anything.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  A top Norwegian health official said the Scandinavian country must be prepared for a bigger wave of COVID-19 infections this winter as the country is already seeing an increase in cases.

Based on an overall assessment, we believe it is likely that we will get a wave (of infections) during the winter, said Camilla Stoltenberg, head of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

But, with more than 86.6% of those 18 and over vaccinated in Norway, she said she did not expect a large surge of hospitalizations.

The city of Tromsoe in northern Norway said Thursday it had seen 62 new cases in the last day, a local record. Gunnar Wilhelmsen, mayor of the city of 77,000, said authorities were recommending using face masks, social distancing and working from home.

On Wednesday, Norway reported 1,144 new COVID-19 cases, close to double the amount from a week ago. Norwegian health officials said technical issues meant no figures for Thursday were available.

In Sweden, the country's chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell noted an increase in infections in Eastern Europe and added, we also have a serious situation in the western parts of Europe.

There are some signs that this will also be a winter with extensive spread of COVID-19, he told a press conference.

Across the Baltic Sea, Estonia decided Thursday to extend the use of face masks in public places for both unvaccinated as well as vaccinated people. People who fail to do so could face fines.

The Estonian government decided not to issue new drastic measures on top of the ones that took effect Monday. The northernmost Baltic nation wants to avoid a general lockdown like the one imposed by neighboring Latvia, where nearly 90% of those who died of COVID-19 last month were not vaccinated.

Latvia has entered a monthlong lockdown due to its worsening coronavirus situation. It has a vaccination rate that is among the lowest in the 27-nation European Union, with only slightly over half of residents fully vaccinated.

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Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
A man was shot and killed late Thursday night after a gunman fired a single shot into a West Side motel room, San Antonio police said.

The 37-year-old man was in a room at the Washington Courts motel, located at 3515 W. Commerce Street, with two other people at around 10:40 p.m. when he heard a knock at the door.

On ExpressNews.com: City of San Antonio's top earner: Ex-cop fired 7 times in 2 decades, accused of shooting at Tennessee deputy in July

Police said the door was chained, but when he cracked it open, another man stuck the gun through the crack and fired a shot into the room.

The 37-year-old was hit in the chest. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Police said the suspect fled east from the motel on foot. Officials are still searching for the suspect and no arrest has been made as of 11 a.m. Friday.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Police took a 17-year-old male into custody near a Vermont high school after investigating a report of a threat that resulted in a brief lockdown Thursday.

The teen was overheard making a comment involving the safety of students at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington on Thursday morning, police said in a news release. He and two other males appeared to be students and he displayed an object in his waistband that was reported to be a firearm or an edged weapon," police said.
ROME (AP)  The Latest on the Group of 20 summit taking place in Rome:

ROME  French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to boost ties in the Indo-Pacific region during a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit.

Macron's office said France and India will open a strategic dialogue next week in Paris to set a common agenda. The talks will address bilateral, regional and international issues.

France has said India is its main partner in the Indo-Pacific area after the announcement in September of a secretly negotiated submarine deal between Australia, the U.S. and Britain.

Macrons office listed trust and independence amid principles which must guide France and Indias actions in the region shaken by concerns over the growing influence of China.

Macron also met Saturday with Presidents Joko Widodo of Indonesia and Moon Jae-in of South Korea about similar issues.

___

ROME Leaders have expressed broad support for a landmark deal to establish a 15% global minimum corporate tax that aims at deterring multinational countries from using clever accounting to elude taxes by using low-rate havens.

Leaders spoke on the proposal during the opening session Saturday of the summit, said officials from host country Italy. Following formal approval to be reflected in Sundays closing statement, countries would enact the minimum tax on their own. The idea is that headquarters countries would top up a companys tax to 15% if the firms profits went undertaxed in another country.

In todays digital and global economy profits can come from intangibles such as copyrights and trademarks, and can thus be easily shifted to countries offering near-zero taxes in hopes of attracting revenue they otherwise wouldnt have.

A key question is whether the U.S. Congress will pass legislation to comply, since the U.S. is home to 28% of the worlds 2,000 largest multinationals.

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ROME  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he unsuccessfully pressed President Xi Jinping to increase Chinas carbon-cutting goals ahead of a key United Nations climate change summit.

China released an updated version of its climate targets this week, promising to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and to have carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2030.

Johnson told reporters that he pushed Xi to move the peak to 2025 when the two men spoke by phone on Friday.

I wouldnt say he committed on that, Johnson said as he flew to Rome for a G-20 summit. On Sunday Johnson will host world leaders, though not Xi, at the two-week climate conference in Scotland.

Johnson said Xi explained about Chinas heavy dependence on coal power, and Johnson said that he replied that the U.K. had cut its own coal reliance from 40% of energy in 2008 to 1% today. Johnson said China should embrace technology to speed the transition to green energy.

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ROME  U.S. first lady Jill Biden says she and Brigitte Macron, her French counterpart, sipped wine together as if they were sisters.

The women spent about an hour Friday getting better acquainted at an Italian restaurant in Rome.

Their husbands, President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, were meeting elsewhere in the city to ease tensions that flared after France felt blindsided by a U.S.-U.K.-Australia military deal.

The leaders are in Rome to attend the Group of 20 nations summit.

Upon leaving the restaurant, Jill Biden said the meeting with Brigitte Macron was wonderful.

She added: Its nice, two friends together, just like sisters.

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ROME  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in Italy for a Group of 20 summit with a stark message: modern civilization may crumble like Ancient Rome if world leaders dont act to curb climate change.

Johnson told reporters on his plane that Romes ruins are a fantastic reminder, a memento mori for us today  that humanity, civilization, society can go backwards as well as forwards, and when things start to go wrong they can go wrong with extraordinary speed.

After the two-day G-20 meeting, Johnson is set to host a two-week U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Johnson will urge G-20 leaders to act more quickly, saying the worlds rich countries, which grew wealthy from using the fossil fuels that promote global warming, must bear the brunt of fighting climate change.

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ROME  France has donated 67 million vaccine doses to the worlds poorest countries, making it the second country after the United States to have given the most to the UN-backed COVAX vaccine initiative.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France has met its commitments regarding vaccine donations, which have benefited over 45 countries, including around 30 in Africa. France has pledged to donate another 60 million doses by mid-2022.

The announcement comes as health and finance officials who gathered ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Rome warned of a two-track pandemic recovery, with COVID-19 vaccine shortages and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back after the pandemic.

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ROME  Health and finance officials who gathered ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Rome warned of a two-track pandemic recovery, with COVID-19 vaccine and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back.

Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, said Friday that efforts to speed vaccinations were short $20 billion needed to pursue a goal of 40% of the world vaccinated by years end and 70% by the middle of next year.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the increasing divergence between developing and developed countries would be a major strategic risk for the rest of the world.

The ministers decided to create a G-20 joint task force to ensure efforts to combat the pandemic and prevent future ones are adequately funded.

The G-20 has supported the UN-backed COVAX initiative, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Summit negotiators have been focusing on efforts to strengthen local health resources, vaccine supply chains and vaccine production in less prosperous countries.

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ROME  Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to calm stormy waters over fishing with France as he flew to Rome for a G-20 summit, where he is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

France is one of our best, oldest, closest, allies, friends and partners, he told reporters. The ties that unite us, that bind us together are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exist in the relationship.

Calling Macron a friend, he said that people on either side of the Channel may be trying to stir up disharmony between the U.K. and France, but I dont think Emmanuel shares that perspective.

Im puzzled about whats going on, Johnson said. He said there appeared to be an implicit breach of the legally binding Brexit divorce treaty in Frances threats  and reiterated Britains willingness to respond to any French sanctions.

We will stand by to take the appropriate action, he said. Any infraction of that agreement, by France or any other partner, is something we would obviously need to respond to.

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ROME  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow may not provide the boost for global efforts to fight climate change that many are hoping for.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a G-20 summit in Rome, Guterres said there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver.

He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, we are still careening towards climate catastrophe.

Guterres said there are serious questions about some of those pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, the target set in U.N. talks on fighting climate change.

He said G-20 leaders in Rome, whose countries are responsible for most of the worlds global greenhouse gas emissions, have an opportunity to put things on track for the Glasgow talks, which will begin as the Rome summit ends.

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VATICAN CITY  U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived at the Vatican for a private meeting with Pope Francis.

The worlds two most notable Roman Catholics plan to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty.

Biden and his wife Jill arrived at the Vatican in an unusually long motorcade of more than 80 vehicles, owing in part to Italian COVID-19 restrictions on the number of people sharing a car. A dozen Swiss Guards stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace to greet them.

Biden is in Rome for the Group of 20 summit.

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VATICAN CITY  South Korean President Moon Jae-in has given Pope Francis a statue of a cross made with barbed wire from the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

Moon, a Catholic, called on Francis on Friday before the start of the Group of 20 summit in Rome.

The Vatican, which didnt allow independent media in the audience, said Francis gave Moon a medallion replicating Berninis original plan for St. Peters Square. The design envisages the two main colonnades of the piazza embracing humanity in the church.

South Korean presidential officials had said they expected Moon and the pope to discuss a possible papal visit to North Korea since Francis had previously expressed a desire to do so if it becomes possible. Moon first floated the idea of a papal visit to the North in 2018 when he revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had said the pope would be enthusiastically welcomed in the officially atheist North.

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ROME  Italy is deploying 5,300 extra troops and police officers, curbing public transport and sealing off a whole neighborhood of Rome to keep the peace during this weekends Group of 20 summit.

Police were out in force already Friday as leaders began arriving, and schools in the Italian capital canceled afternoon activities so students could get home before most roadblocks were set up. Protests and demonstrations were planned throughout the weekend.

The main security zone was around the Nuvola cloud-like convention center in Romes Fascist-era EUR neighborhood. But other areas were being cordoned off at different times depending on where the leaders were, including around the presidential palace and even the Trevi Fountain.

COVID-19 economic recovery and climate change are the two main issues being discussed by the leaders of the worlds 20 biggest economies, who are gathering in Rome before heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the U.N. climate conference.
ROME (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Italy for a Group of 20 meeting on Friday with a stark warning: modern civilization could soon lie in ruins like ancient Rome if world leaders dont act to curb climate change.

Johnson has one big goal at the G-20 gathering: to persuade the leaders of the worlds biggest economies to put their money where their mouth is at the U.N. climate summit in Scotland that starts Sunday.

Johnson will deploy his ebullience and his  admittedly divisive  charm to try to extract cash and carbon-cutting commitments from the G-20, which contains some of the worlds biggest carbon emitters, including China, the United States, India and Russia.

Johnson told reporters aboard his plane to Rome that the Eternal City's ruins are a fantastic reminder, a memento mori to us today  that humanity, civilization, society can go backwards as well as forwards and when things start to go wrong they can go wrong with extraordinary speed.

Still, hee has expressed doubts that the COP26 climate summit will achieve its aim of extracting enough carbon-cutting commitments to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Johnson will urge G-20 leaders to act more quickly, saying the worlds rich countries, which grew wealthy from using the fossil fuels that warm up the Earth, must bear the brunt of fighting climate change.

He said unless we get this right in tackling climate change, we could see our world our civilization go backwards and consign future generations to a life far less agreeable than our own, with mass migrations, water shortages and conflicts because of climate change.

Accounting for 75% of the worlds trade and 60% of its population, the G-20 has often been accused of being too big and diffuse to take strong collective action. And Johnsons Brexit-tinged global image means his arm-twisting power may be limited.

The G-20 is meeting as the European Union and ex-member Britain wrangle over trade rules, and amid a simmering U.K.-France spat over fishing rights in the English Channel. France is also incensed over a U.S.-U.K.-Australia nuclear submarine deal that saw Australia cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy French subs.

Those disputes are clouding Johnsons hopes of a G-20 bounce to build momentum for the 12-day COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Hes hoping to leave Rome bearing a sheaf of global carbon-cutting pledges, a plan to curb coal use and a long-promised, never-delivered $100 billion a year in aid to help developing countries tackle the impacts of climate change.

Major G-20 polluters, including Russia and Australia, have failed to improve on the carbon-cutting pledges made after the Paris conference. Neither Chinese President Xi Jinping nor Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders of two of the biggest carbon emitters, plan to attend the G-20 or COP26 in person.

China released an updated version of its climate targets this week, promising to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and to have its emissions peak by 2030.

Johnson said he pushed Xi to move the peak to 2025 when the two men spoke by phone on Friday.

I wouldnt say he committed on that, Johnson admitted.

The world is currently far adrift of the goal set in Paris of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, considered a threshold between manageable and disastrous climate change. Keeping 1.5 alive is the focus of the Glasgow meeting. To do it, Britain has honed in on a mantra of coal, cars, cash and trees  eliminating fossil fuels, switching to clean vehicles, spending money and stopping deforestation.

Johnson faces some big obstacles to winning over the world. Britains leader is mistrusted by many European leaders for his role in Britains 2016 decision to leave the EU and the years of rancorous divorce negotiations that have followed. U.S. President Joe Biden has also been wary, seeing echoes in Johnsons crowd-pleasing antics of Donald Trumps populism.

Johnson insists that Brexit does not mean a U.K. retreat from the world, and has championed his vision of an outward-looking Global Britain during the countrys presidency of the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations this year.

As well as casting himself as a climate champion, hes urging G-20 nations to commit to vaccinating the world against the coronavirus by the end of 2022.

Johnson makes a more credible green messenger than some rich nations leaders. The U.K. has promised to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and has published a detailed plan for getting there. Unlike Australia, it is on course to eliminate coal from its energy mix within a few years. And unlike the United States, theres limited political opposition in the U.K. to tougher climate rules.

But the U.K.s annual budget, announced Wednesday, made scant mention of climate change while slashing passenger taxes on domestic flights and freezing taxes on automobile fuel.

Pessimists might wonder  if G-20 cant agree how to fight climate change, what hope is there for the almost 200 nations who will gather at COP26 in Glasgow?

Yet Jared Finnegan, a public policy expert at University College London, sees progress in the fact that a Conservative British government wants to be seen as a green leader, and in the way the global conversation on climate has shifted.

Even the fact that were talking about net zero by 2050 -- that is something that just wasnt on the table even five years ago, he said.

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Follow APs climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
HAMILTON, Mont. (AP)  A teenager from the western Montana town of Victor was killed in an accidental shooting when a firearm being handled by a friend discharged, Ravalli County officials said Thursday.

The two teenagers had been hunting together over the weekend. On Monday they were at a residence near Pinedale when one of the teens was handling a pistol that fired, Sheriff Steve Holton said.
HUNTSVILLE  Hundreds of thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats streamed out of the abandoned brick building on a recent weeknight, leaving behind the burned-out structure where theyve stayed for many summers  and which state prison officials for years sought to tear down.

The bats flew right past eight large bat houses, marked with bat logos, where officials had hoped the creatures would relocate several years ago. They didnt. Some say the Texas Department of Criminal Justice bungled the effort.

What to do about these free-tailed bats, which draw extra attention around Halloween, is again up for debate. TDCJ and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in coming weeks will renew talks about how to get them out.

More from Emily Foxhall: Advocates cheer Gulf wind proposal but say we shouldn't forget the birds and whales

Knocking down the building with bats inside could kill them. But if the building is torn down when they leave for winter, the bats will search for new homes when they return. That scenario would make for bat mayhem of sorts in Huntsville, about an hours drive north of Houston, where TDCJ is headquartered.

Bats can wriggle into a hole the size of ones pinky finger, explained Fran Hutchins, of Bat Conservation International, or BCI. So bats could end up in attics and under porches of nearby homes  anywhere with a small opening. Theres also the nearby Sam Houston State University dormitories.

And it would be a lot of bats searching for where to go. Some 750,000 of them may call the warehouse home.

Said Hutchins: Theyve got to sleep somewhere.

What might happen to the flying mammals is sensitive and wrapped in a bit of mystery: TDCJ declined to comment for this story; its unclear what the state would do with the land. A member of the Huntsville Audubon Society and a Sam Houston State University professor punted on talking about it, as well.

Bats have lived in the former cotton warehouse since 1997, according to a statement from TPWD. They play an important part in the ecosystem, eating lots of bugs. For at least a decade, stakeholders puzzled over what to do with them. The long, narrow building stretches the length of a block. Plants grow from the roof. Its windows are busted and boarded up.

Dan Jones, a wildlife biologist who worked in Huntsville for the agency and recently retired, explained in an email to a concerned citizen how the stakeholders, including BCI, drew up a plan for the new bat houses. They were built in 2018, but TDCJ did not follow the specifications, according to Jones.

This effort requires specific actions and criteria at certain time periods to be successful and, sadly, cooperation by TDCJ with our group has been less than desired, Jones wrote.

A story in the Huntsville Item then describes a local school superintendent working with inmates to build the structures. His 11-year-old son then had been reading about a project to move bats into houses in Florida. What resulted were structures that lacked the correct specifications and materials, Hutchins said.

Windham School District spokeswoman Amanda Coleman declined to connect a reporter with the superintendent, who retired in 2019.

At city hall, staffers joke that the bat houses arent up to bat code, said City Manager Aron Kulhavy. The city opposes the agency knocking the warehouse down with the bats inside. It also doesnt want to see the bats seeking shelter in the surrounding community.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Why nearly 100 bats are hanging along a Houston office building

So the bat houses still sit on their stilts, and every evening at sundown bats pour from the warehouse, like a scene from a scary movie. The structures have drawn attention, including from 18-year-old Laila Diaz, who asked for an explanation from a TDCJ worker who comes regularly to the restaurant where she works to order fried chicken.

Diaz was amazed to learn about the bats, and then to see them putting on a show.

Like the free-tailed bats under the Waugh bridge in Houston and the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin, the Huntsville bats certainly have fans. For Regina and Ron Douglas, 57 and 56, seeing them was on their bucket list since moving about a year ago to Huntsville. The couple watched in fascination Wednesday night as the nocturnal creatures headed out for food.

Wow, look, said Regina, stepping back as it seemed like one might dart toward her. Oh my gosh!

Others pulled up in cars and trucks to watch. A Texas A&M biology professor was catching bats in a net for his lab. One family made a tradition of coming for Halloween, delighting the grandkids. Across the street was what people call TDCJs Walls Unit, where inmates are executed.

Kenneth Agapito, an 18-year-old freshman at Sam Houston, had seen the bats in the sky Wednesday while leaving the cafeteria with friends. Its the bats! hed told them, and they followed the trail above to see where they came from.

The bats squeaked quietly and flew erratically. A stench wafted from the building.

It was dark.

The last of the colony were flying out.

emily.foxhall@chron.com
WASHINGTON  A group of more than two dozen House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Gov. Greg Abbotts move to have the state arrest migrants, which they say is wreaking havoc on Texas judicial system as hundreds of migrants sit in jails for weeks or months on end, mostly on minor trespassing charges.

The Democrats argue Abbotts Operation Lone Star program is unconstitutional and they want the DOJ to investigate treatment of migrants arrested in the program, which has sent thousands of Department of Public Safety troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers to the border amid a record surge in migration.

A judge last month ordered the release of more than 240 migrants after local prosecutors, overwhelmed by an influx of detained migrants, failed to bring charges as they sat in cells for weeks, an apparent violation of state law.

IN-DEPTH: Chaotic rollout of Gov. Abbotts migrant arrest plan fuels confusion, claims of violated rights

These operations have continued to militarize Texas border communities and interfered with the federal immigration system, likely violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, the Democrats wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday. Even more egregiously, these programs have directly led to a violation of state laws and constitutional due process rights.

Texas has passed multiple state statute deadlines to file charges against migrants theyve arrested, leaving nearly 1,000 of them sitting in prisons for weeks and sometimes over a month, the Democrats wrote. They also say there have been delays in appointing attorneys for migrants, and instances of migrants unknowingly filling out documents they could not read to waive their right to counsel.

A spokeswoman for Abbott said in a statement that until President Biden and his administration do their job to enforce the laws of our nation and protect Americans, the State of Texas will continue stepping up to secure our border and protect our communities.

Texans deserve to have the rule of law enforced on the Texas border, and that is exactly what Governor Abbott is doing, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said.

Abbotts unprecedented step of jailing migrants who cross the border on state charges has further cemented Texas as a flashpoint in the national immigration debate. Republicans from across the nation have supported the move, sending token numbers of troops to help as public polls show President Joe Bidens response to the problem could be a major liability in the 2022 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, a growing caravan with as many as 4,000 migrants is now moving through Mexico toward Texas.

The Democrats letter follows remarks from U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz earlier this month called Abbotts initiative a tremendous concern and said in an interview with Texas Monthly that it has slowed the process of returning migrants to their home countries.

SHUT DOWN TRADE?: Gov. Abbotts GOP rivals float their own border security ideas in debate

Biden says he is rebuilding an immigration system left in tatters by the Trump administration. Nevertheless, Biden has continued to expel many migrants immediately under a public health order Trump issued last year. Biden has worked to ramp up the asylum system and says he is focused on addressing root causes of migration, including asking Congress for $4 billion in aid for Central American countries the migrants are fleeing. He has also urged Congress to revamp the nations immigration laws, which is unlikely at best given the narrowly divided House and Senate.

In addition to an investigation by the Justice Department, the Democrats want the Department of Homeland Security to provide clarity on the immigration process for individuals subjected to the Operation Lone Star program. And they want DHS to provide migrants who enter federal custody after release from state custody with timely and regular telephone access so that they can inform their loved ones and attorneys of their location.

The operation has led to the arrest of at least 1,285 migrants on trespassing charges, out of more than 6,500 total arrests for smuggling, human trafficking and a handful of other state crimes since March, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said recently. Those arrest have been almost entirely in Kinney and Val Verde counties. The misdemeanor prosecutor in Val Verde County has already dismissed dozens of cases after deciding the detained migrants are likely candidates for asylum, or that there was no probable cause to believe a crime had been committed.

Texas Democrats who signed the letter include U.S. Reps. Colin Allred of Dallas, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Veronica Escobar of El Paso, Sylvia Garcia of Houston and Filemon Vela of Brownsville.

ben.wermund@chron.com
The oldest sibling of an 11-month-old boy killed in 2017 testified Thursday at the murder trial of her babysitter, Miguel Gutierrez, that he had a history of punching and slapping the child very hard, and did it a lot of times.

She and her three siblings often stayed in the care of Gutierrez, whom she knew as Gruesome, at his mothers house, the girl said.

Gutierrez, 27, is accused of killing Xzavier Cortez on Nov. 3, 2017. He was unresponsive by the time adults at the house called 911, could not be revived by first responders and was pronounced dead at Childrens Hospital San Antonio. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled his cause of death as blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

The 10-year-old girl, who is not being named by the Express-News to protect her privacy, sobbed as she told jurors in the 379th District Court that she and her siblings had lived with grandparents and stayed at different places. When asked about staying with Gutierrez, she said she did not like it because they did not treat us right.

She cried when prosecutor Lauren Scott asked her to point out Gutierrez in the courtroom.

He would hit me, and he left me on the floor when I had cuts and bruises, the girl said through tears, which prompted Gutierrez to shake his head in disagreement.

Her tears intensified when Scott asked her how Gutierrez treated Xzavier.

He would punch him, slap him, and he would punch him very hard on the ground, she said. He did it a lot of times.

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

On ExpressNews.com: An epidemic': Bexar County's domestic violence deaths are at unprecedented levels, advocates warn

But the girls testimony about the night Xzavier died did not describe an assault by Gutierrez. The girl told the court that she and her siblings were sleeping in Gutierrezs bedroom and that Xzavier fell off the bed four or five times. She picked him up each time and put him on the bed, she said, and Gutierrez was not in the room.

At one point she was awakened by a banging noise.

I saw Xzavier on the floor. I picked him up again and he started to cry a little bit. I went to give him a bottle and he wasnt taking it. I tried to call someone but his (Gutierrezs) car was outside, and we were not allowed to go outside, she said.

The girl was 6. It is unclear if other adults were in the home at the time. Other adults spoke to first responders later.

The girl said she saw Gutierrez outside, holding a bag from Jack in the Box. The defendant told police interrogators he had gone to the fast food restaurant and denied assaulting the boy at any time.

Questioned by defense attorney David Woodard, the girl confirmed that Xzavier fell off of the bed numerous times, and that her little brother had to help her pick him up because he felt heavier each time.

The last time she picked him up, he was limp and did not cry, she said.

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

Woodard asked the girl what Xzaviers eyes looked like, and the child said her brother had one eye kind of shut, one eye kind of open, his mouth was open but he was not sucking on the bottle when Gutierrez finally entered the room and began to perform CPR.

He picked him up and tried to help him breathe because he wasnt breathing, she said, adding that she was right beside Gutierrez.

Gutierrez initially was charged with capital murder but was indicted on a murder charge. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Testimony continues Friday morning.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Were pretty sure you knew the city of San Antonio employed lifeguards, police officers and firefighters. But there may be some jobs you've never heard of.

San Antonio employed more than 13,000 people in fiscal year 2020. The Express-News analyzed data from the citys finance department to identify job titles and then reviewed job descriptions and postings on the citys website.

Below are some of the more obscure city jobs we found:

On ExpressNews.com: 10 highest paid city of San Antonio employees

Immigration Liaison: Tino Gallegos became the citys first community liaison on immigration in 2018. An immigration attorney, Gallegos works with stakeholder groups, nonprofits and interfaith organizations to connect the citys immigrant community with services.

Gallegos, who received $118,424 in compensation last fiscal year, is also responsible for creating an infrastructure that improves access to city and community services for San Antonios immigrant and refugee community.

On ExpressNews.com: Database: San Antonio city employee compensation

He also compiles a host of reports that dig into the makeup of San Antonios vast immigrant community. One recent report detailed how 30 percent of San Antonios business owners were immigrants.

Gallegos had his work cut out for him in 2019 when San Antonio briefly opened a migrant resource center at 400 N. St. Marys St. to provide services for Central America asylum seekers traveling through San Antonio after they were released by Border Patrol. The city served more than 32,000 migrants during the seven-month program.

City archeologist: San Antonio has two archeologists under the citys office of historic preservation. Matthew Elverson and Shawn Marceaux are part of a team thats responsible for discovering, documenting and preserving the citys robust history.

Over 2,300 archaeological sites have been recorded in San Antonio and Bexar County, according to the citys website. Previous excavations have included San Pedro Springs Park, Main Plaza, Hemisfair, Brackenridge Park and Plaza de Armas.

Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

The office of historic preservation also sponsors scores of education and outreach events throughout the year, including the Texas Archeology Month and National Archaeology Day in October.

Last year, Elverson earned $98,168 in compensation while Marceaux earned $58,058.

City chauffeur: The city of San Antonio employs 23 chauffeurs within its human resources department. Prior to the pandemic, they drove seniors to senior centers. This is a major need for older adults who are no longer able to drive and at risk of being socially isolated.

Roxanne Olivarri, the city's customer service and communications manager, said when the pandemic hit, the situation for older residents was difficult because senior centers closed.

"Our Chauffeurs began delivery of daily meals and food commodities, as well as activity booklets, bingo cards and many other items to help the members stay engaged while our centers were closed," Olivarri said. "These daily deliveries also serve as wellness checks to ensure members were doing well and were not in need of help or other services."

She said the daily deliveries will continue until January, when the city will return to transporting members to the senior centers.

Nearly all of the chauffeurs employed by the city were compensated over $50,000 last year, records show.

Dangerous premises officer: There are 13 dangerous premises officers in San Antonio. These men and women are responsible for investigating and endorsing code regulations on dangerous buildings and distressed properties throughout the city, according to a job listing on the citys website. Their mission is to protect public health and safety and involves investigating vacant or dilapidated structures and digging into who owns them.

On ExpressNews.com: City of San Antonio's top earner: Ex-cop fired 7 times in 2 decades, accused of shooting at Tennessee deputy in July

The most compensated dangerous premises officer earned over $79,000 last year. To qualify for the job, you need a high school diploma or GED, three years of structural investigative experience and either hold or earn a code enforcement officer certification and state license.

BILLY CALZADA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Senior municipal integrity investigator: For nearly 20 years, Richard Hernandez has led the citys Office of Municipal Integrity. And hes compensated generously for it. Last year he earned $155,401, city records show. Hernandez works with Stephen Harrison, the citys senior integrity investigator. Harrison earned $119,456 last year.

San Antonios Office of Municipal Integrity governs the conduct of all city employees, vendors, consultants and anyone doing business with the city of San Antonio. They ensure compliance but they also make sure people are being professional.

According to Hernandezs job description, hes charged with investigating suspected fraud, government waste and unethical conduct of city employees and officials.

San Antonio created the Office of Municipal Integrity in direct response to a 1985 scandal that involved investigators taking kickbacks in exchange for approved building permits which overlooked faulty wiring and various other structural defects.

Graffiti program coordinator: The city of San Antonios graffiti abatement program spends over $1 million a year painting over, pressure washing and educating residents about the negative impacts of graffiti.

Graffiti hurts property values, drives away business and sends a negative message about the community, according to a recent blog post on the citys website. San Antonio is our home, we need your help to keep it clean.

Lisa McKenzie-Villanueva heads the citys graffiti efforts and was compensated $108,919 last year. McKenzie-Villanueva falls under the citys development services department, which has 454 employees.

Matthew Busch/For The San Antonio Express-News

According to her job description, shes responsible for managing and coordinating activities with neighborhood associations, community groups and other special projects.

Most of the education for the citys abatement program appears to take place through its website. There are also monthly meetings with local law enforcement to discuss hotspots, solutions and whats referred to as current cases.

McKenzie-Villanueva also recruits and coordinates volunteer groups and organizations to help clean up graffiti. With the help of volunteers, the city said it paints or pressure washes over 4 million square feet of graffiti annually. Thats enough to cover the Alamodome three times.

Senior Horticulturist: Youve likely admired some of the landscaping across the city of San Antonio. If youve ever wanted to thank someone, thank Juan Guerra and Tony Poncik. The pair of senior horticulturists are responsible for directing the installation, care, maintenance and improvement of plant collections, plantings and park areas.

Guerra earned $85,399 last year. Poncik earned $69,120.

Armorer: Blanca Hull is responsible for the custody and maintenance of standard and special weapons and equipment for the San Antonio Police Department Armory, according to her job description. Hull also serves as the instructor at the police academy for cadet training and in-service training in the use of all firearms used by the department.

Last year Hull was compensated $64,005 for her work, which also involves repairing weapons, cleaning shotguns, rifles and gas equipment.

Express-News staff writers Nick Shepherd, Chris Quinn, Abigail Im, Randi Stevenson, Angela Alcala-Bach and Dennis Rudner contributed to this report.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
Bexar Countys chief medical examiner testified Friday that 11-month-old Xzavier Cortezs internal injuries were so severe, he bled to death, with the equivalent of 1 cup of blood leaking into his abdomen.

Dr. Kimberley Molina told the jury at the murder trial of Miguel Gutierrez, who is accused of killing Xzavier, that the blood loss was about 25 percent of the total volume in the 23-pound boy.

Xzavier died Nov. 3, 2017, after his mother, Selena Moya, left him and her three other children at Gutierrezs parents West Side home in the 200 block of North San Ignacio.

Prosecutors allege Gutierrez, now 27, squeezed or beat the child to death, while defense attorneys blame Moya for leaving her children in Gutierrezs care.

Video testimony this week established that after denying he hurt the child, Gutierrez admitted he squeezed the boy too hard.

The boys oldest sister, who was 6 at the time and is now 10, testified that he fell off a bed four or five times the night he died, while Gutierrez was out. She said Gutierrez routinely beat Xzavier during previous stays at his parents house but did not describe him assaulting the boy that night.

The autopsy was conducted by Dr. Jennifer Rulon, who has since retired. As her supervisor, Molina led the jurors through diagrams, pictures and written summaries of the multiple injuries it documented.

Defense attorney John Economidy objected to Molinas testimony and the use of her own diagrams to show work done by Rulon, but state District Judge Ron Rangel allowed the jury to view them for demonstrative purposes, and said the panel would not see Molinas diagrams as part of the evidence when it came time to deliberate whether Gutierrez is guilty.

On ExpressNews.com: I did not hurt that little boy: Defendants words to police aired at San Antonio murder trial

Molina, questioned by prosecutor Lauren Scott, told jurors that Xzavier was a normally developed, well-nourished infant male who had multiple bruises and scratches all over his body. She counted up to 18 external traumatic injuries in his abdominal area, down to his testicles, which she said had hemorrhaged.

Molina detailed six rib injuries, some of which had become callused and had begun to heal. She found those injuries could have been one to three weeks old.

Blood found in the abdomen was dark maroon, demonstrating an acute injury, and likely was the cause of death, she said.

Pointing to her diagram, Molina told the jury the boys pancreas, behind the abdomen and in front of the spine, also suffered a laceration.

This is a blunt-force injury, a bruise, to the central abdomen, she said.

Molina was the states last witness. Prosecutors entered medical records of prior injuries into evidence, and Scott called the jurys attention to a paragraph that indicated when the boys 5-year-old brother was asked who had hurt Xzavier, the boy replied, Mommys friend, Gruesome, which testimony established was a nickname for Gutierrez.

Economidy began the defense case with Holly Willson, of ChildSafe San Antonio, a trauma focused care center for child victims and child survivors of abuse. The forensic interviewer told the court she asked Xzaviers 5-year-old brother what happens when he gets in trouble with his mother.

Mommy hurts my wee wee, Willson said was his response.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Russell called to the stand Monica Castillo, a second cousin of Gutierrez who lives at his parents home and was one of the adults who attempted CPR on Xzavier the night he died. She told the court it was Moya, the childrens mother, and not Gutierrez, who abused the children.

She would hit them in the back of their heads really hard, she said of all four children.

Castillo recalled a time when Moya was angry at Xzavier for crying.

She would hit him, put him in the baby carrier and carry the carrier to the truck and toss him in there and let him cry, Castillo said.

The defense rested. Closing arguments are expected to begin Monday.

If convicted, Gutierrez faces up to life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
City negotiators and the San Antonio Police Officers Association met again this week to narrow down the definitions that guide disciplinary action against officers.

And both sides agreed to a 14th extension of the talks, which now may continue through Nov. 23. They are scheduled to meet again Nov. 12.

Wednesday, the union proposed adding language to the process outlining when an arbitrator may step in to overturn an indefinite suspension handed down by the chief. Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez said the sentences included were repetitive.

We dont want the language to be confusing for anybody, Villagomez said.

On ExpressNews.com: Troubled former lieutenant is citys top earner

The sides also discussed the 180-day rule, which dictates the amount of time an officer can be disciplined for misconduct.

The new proposal added language to major misconduct stating that actions have to rise to a level of significant variance, some of which is not defined in the police handbook or civil service guidelines, said Christopher Lutton, chairman of the police union.

One of the key words in policing these days is, Youre stopping me because youre harassing me, Lutton said. We want to make sure a key word without substance doesnt trigger the investigation.

This led to more discussion of misconduct and how each side defines abuse of city property.

Finally, the city and union revisited keeping victim or witness statements from an officer who is under investigation by internal affairs.

A moment of contention arose when the union proposed language that would allow an officer to see a victim or witness statement  but with the names of the people involved redacted. The unions reasoning: to make sure the officer is reasonably apprised of an allegation.

Ron DeLord, chief negotiator for the union, said an internal affairs investigator would decide what to redact.

But Liz Provencio, first assistant city attorney, said that identities could be gleamed simply from key facts in a statement.

On ExpressNews.com: City, police union still seek agreement on misconduct arbitration

But Rachel Barnes, an attorney with the unions negotiating team, was concerned that if an officer cant see the records to jog his or her memory about events that lead to a complaint, allegations of untruthfulness will arise during questioning from internal affairs.

City negotiators said that the officer simply would have to speak honestly and say he or she could not remember.

DeLord, however, said the elephant in the room is the fear that an officer will change his or her statement after reviewing a witness statement.

But that shouldnt happen, he said, because officers who have done so in the past have found themselves in worse legal trouble.

I see more problems when you take the narrow view of keeping material away from someone, DeLord said.

Villagomez ultimately said the sole purpose of their changes is to protect the victim, and that the city might propose new language at the next meeting.

JBeltran@express-news.net
JOHANNES EISELE, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

A man was shot and killed Thursday afternoon after he kicked in the backdoor of a home on the South Side and exchanged gunfire with another man inside, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 200 block of Pleasanton Circle around 1 p.m. When they arrived, an unidentified man in his 20s told them that another unidentified man kicked in the backdoor of his home and pulled a gun from his waistband, authorities said.
The Texas Historical Commission has given its blessing for preservation experts to stabilize the Alamo Church, which was damaged in the February freeze. They also will be allowed to assess the structure of the 56-foot-Cenotaph at the mission and battle site.

But for Alamo visitors, perhaps the biggest change approved at a Friday meeting is a temporary exhibit that resembles the 1836 palisade, a fence-like fortification composed of cedar posts and a cannon station that once stood next to the mission-era church. Commissioners supported the exhibit as a way to display history in an urban downtown setting.

This is a fabulous idea, said Norman Alston, a member of the commissions Antiquities Advisory Board.

Along with a cannon, the fortification running from the church to the Low Barracks on the southeast corner of the Alamo compound is believed to have been defended by David Crockett and other Tennessee volunteers firing rifles during the siege and battle.

The commission also approved permits at the Alamo for:

installation of a low barrier composed of metal poles and a chain around the Cenotaph

electrical upgrades on the north end of Alamo Plaza

William Luther /Staff

changes to a permit to allow for a glass-enclosed archaeological exhibit by the north wall of the Alamo Long Barrack, which officially re-opened Friday to the public. It had been closed since early 2019 for archaeological research and repairs.

On ExpressNews.com: Alamo called the most successful mission in Texas

Alston opposed the barrier around the Cenotaph, saying a landscaping treatment would be more attractive. Other commissioners countered that landscaping might add moisture that could damage the monument. Diagrams submitted with the Alamos application for the installation showed a chain about 30 inches high and eight inches from the monument to discourage people from climbing on or vandalizing the memorial to the fallen Alamo defenders.

Alamo officials said the barrier and the palisade exhibit will be temporary and may be removed or replaced by 2025, the targeted completion for a museum and visitor center on the west side of the plaza.

The most pressing request was to repair the northern half of the mission-era Alamo Churchs famous facade. Commissioners agreed with staff that work to stabilize and repair portions of the cracked, crumbling embellishments on the ornate facade was critical and needed to be done before another major freeze.

Renowned stone conservator Ivan Myjer sounded an alarm in the summer in a letter to the Alamos preservation team about damage that had occurred to the sites most prominent architectural feature, particularly on ledges and columns that had been covered with ice and snow in February.

Networks of cracks, as well as some delamination on the faces of the units, were observed in about a dozen locations on the carved elements that date from the original construction of the Alamo Church, Myjer wrote in June. The damage may be the result of water freezing within the saturated stone, or clays contained in the stone swelling when the stone was saturated.

Fridays presentation on the 81-year-old Cenotaph was the first major public discussion of the monument since the commission voted 12-2 in September 2020 against a proposal to move it about 500 feet south. The city and Alamo Trust had asked for a permit to deconstruct, repair and reassemble the marble-exterior Cenotaph and then rebuild it on a new frame near the Menger Hotel. Proponents of the move said it would provide needed open space in the plaza for programming and create a period neutral area in the mission-forts geographic footprint.

But a large number of Texans opposed moving the memorial, featuring the work of Pompeo Coppini titled The Spirit of Sacrifice. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke against moving it during last years meeting. After listening to about 120 citizen comments on both sides and deliberating during a 10-hour virtual meeting, the commission ruled against relocating the memorial.

Commissioners said they werent convinced there was a compelling need to move the massive monument. They felt its longtime placement in the plaza, where much of the fighting had occurred in the battle, was logical and consistent with artistic expression of the 1936 Texas centennial.

On ExpressNews.com: Alamo Cenotaph to stay put, historical commission rules

The commissions action last year almost brought the Alamo project to a halt, as some of its key fundraisers resigned.

But under new leadership and a reset announced in March by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, the project has regained momentum. A 24,000-square-foot exhibit hall and collections building is under construction on the Alamo grounds, set for completion in fall 2022. The 100,000-square-foot museum and visitor center also is planned on the west side of the plaza, incorporating the 1882 Crockett Building and 1921 Woolworth Building into its design.

Officials of the historical commission praised the Alamo Trust for improving communications with the agencys staff and bringing more focus and inclusion to the project. The nonprofit oversees the Alamo and is partnering with the city and General Land Office on the nearly $400 million project.

John Nau, commission chairman, said changes in the past year have made the project light years better.

Professionally, I think we have really turned the corner on this whole Alamo project, Nau said.

The updated Alamo plan will repair the Cenotaph and honor its history but does not move it. Engineers have said the monument has experienced cracking and shifting and is at risk of breaking apart as rainwater has penetrated its exterior, corroding aluminum anchor rods and possibly steel reinforcement in its concrete frame.

With the commissions consent, preservation experts will remove some of the Cenotaphs stone panels to observe and document the type and condition of anchors used to secure the marble, assess the structural concrete and condition of brick infill, and determine if any water has been trapped inside the structure, according to an agency document.

shuddleston@express-news.net
Following up on a welfare check about chained animals, Animal Care Services officer Brittany Barnes stopped her city truck at a South Side home to investigate the complaint.

When she looked over the backyard fence, she saw two litters of puppies and five adult dogs. Two were tethered  one had a thin-thread leash, and the other had a heavy chain around its neck. Another dog on the side of the house also was tethered with a chain.

Barnes cited the homeowner for having more than five dogs on the property and using chains as restraints. According to Chapter 5 of the city ordinance, only humane tethers, including zip lines or trolley systems, may be used if affixed to a properly fitted harness or collar.

The citation wasnt the only thing Barnes left with the resident. She handed him two coated-steel cable tethers, made for dogs weighing up to 250 pounds and appropriate collars for his pets that did not have them.

During her three years in the field, Barnes has twice come across dogs leashed with metal chains and some secured with a padlock.

Some of the officers have resorted to carrying bolt cutters for situations like that, she said. An animal that has to be tethered has to have a nylon or leather collar around its neck. (With chains), thats how you get embedded collars. Its painful  its where the skin grows over the collar.

On ExpressNews.com: Its now illegal in Texas to chain your dog outside. Heres what you need to know

San Antonios laws were in place long before Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill last month that bans using a chain to tether a dog and makes inadequate outside shelter unlawful. The new Safe Outdoor Dog Act adds state support to the existing city ordinance, passed in 2017, that forbids chaining and decrees humane care for dogs kept outside.

The new state law is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 18, 2022.

Abbott vetoed a similar bill over the summer. He said the proposal, supported by members of both parties, was over-criminalization and micromanaging. After outcries from the public, Abbott added the bill to the third special session in September.

Violating the law is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500. Repeat offenders now can face a Class B misdemeanor that comes with a fine of up to $2,000 and or up to 180 days in jail.

Lisa Norwood, ACS spokeswoman, said the newly signed law is a statute eight years in the making and a law the shelter has championed getting passed at the state level.

The new law further supports what ACS promotes daily, Norwood said, that our outdoor pets must be treated humanely.

Shannon Sims, ACS director, said the bills passage was a much needed and overdue step for Texas.

In 2017, Sims testified at a Texas Senate hearing about how chains affect the dogs that are inhumanely tethered. He held up a 10-foot, 20-pound rusted chain to show the legislators an example of a restraint he had seen attached to dogs many times.

On ExpressNews.com: Chaining dogs outside will finally be illegal in Texas as Abbott signs animal cruelty bill into law

While San Antonio and other jurisdictions have ordinances in place to ensure animals dont live their life on the end of a heavy chain without proper shelter, he said most smaller municipal or county jurisdictions do not have the ability to stop this behavior legally.

Sims said the issue was very evident during last years snow event when his counterparts in smaller jurisdictions asked what they could do to ensure tethered animals didnt freeze in the harsh conditions.

The safe animals act gives animal control and law enforcement the legal recourse they need to help get rid of chaining and ensure that animals have the appropriate shelter in inclement weather, Sims said. This is a good day for dogs in Texas.

vtdavis@express-news.net
Eight years ago, I was at a city park when I passed a woman handing out flyers in opposition to a nondiscrimination ordinance then being considered by City Council.

The proposed ordinance shouldnt have been controversial. It simply mandated that when it came to employees of the city and city contractors, housing and places of public accommodation, people receive equal treatment; that the basic civil-rights protections already included in the City Code be extended to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran status.

As the woman handed flyers to people at the park, some of them asked her what her cause was all about.

Its about keeping men from going into restrooms with little girls, she said.

Thats where we were eight years ago; thats the skewed playing field on which San Antonios vitriolic NDO debate took place. Ultimately, the ordinance passed on Sept. 5, 2013, by an 8-3 vote. But it felt like the issue split the city in half.

Undeniably, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that our state  or at least its powerful political leadership  has learned nothing in the intervening years.

In 2017, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tried and failed to pass a much reviled bathroom bill targeting transgender individuals. This year, he succeeded in enacting a law which marginalizes transgender kids by keeping them from competing in school sports.

At the same time, its impossible to overlook the strides weve made. Eight years after angry opponents of the NDO flooded the municipal complex, most of that opposition has faded away.

On a national level, for years we heard all kinds of doomsday predictions about how the legalization of same-sex marriage would destroy the institution of matrimony.

About 15 years ago, I sat in a church pew while a pastor in my hometown of Edinburg told his congregation that if this society sanctioned same-sex marriage, it would create an anything-goes environment in which some men would try to exchange I dos with monkeys.

Six years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, however, heterosexual marriage somehow seems to have survived its brush with death, and much of the hysteria on this issue has receded.

Theres also the fact that eight months ago, council members in Mesa, Ariz., widely regarded as the most politically conservative big city in the nation, passed a nondiscrimination ordinance protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Thats where we stand, in this messy moment of hope and fear.

This complicated climate served as the backdrop Thursday as East Side Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez  flanked by City Council colleagues Phyllis Viagran, Melissa Cabello Havrda and Ana Sandoval  stood on the steps of City Hall to propose an expansion of San Antonios NDO.

In introducing his newly filed Council Consideration Request, McKee-Rodriguez, the first openly gay man ever elected to the San Antonio City Council, fulfilled a campaign promise.

During his campaign, McKee-Rodriguez talked about his brief 2019 stint as a council aide for Jada Andrews-Sullivan, the incumbent he successfully challenged this year. He said Andrews-Sullivans chief of staff, Lou Miller, had subjected him to homophobic harassment.

It (the NDO) needs to apply to all businesses in the city. It needs to apply to contract employees as well and I believe that we (can) implement fines and fees for those businesses that do not adhere, McKee-Rodriguez told me during the campaign.

Educators in Texas can still be fired for being gay, he told the Texas Observer last month. Opposite-sex couples dont get in trouble when they talk about their partners at work, but that still happens to same-sex couples in this state.

McKee-Rodriguezs proposal would apply to private businesses with 15 or more employees. He also wants to bolster the NDO complaint process, strengthen penalties for violations and improve public awareness of the ordinances protections.

He has the enthusiastic backing of two veterans of the 2013 NDO battle.

I applaud Councilman McKee-Rodriguez for introducing a new ordinance to build on our citys nondiscrimination policy, former Mayor Julian Castro said in a statement.

Former Councilman Rey Saldana pointed out that the fight for equality is always a work in progress.

I am delighted to see this council will make the necessary improvement that build(s) on the original intent of the 2013 nondiscrimination ordinance, Saldana said.

Given that five council members already have expressed support for McKee-Rodriguezs proposal, its prospects look promising.

There will certainly be some haggling over the precise language of the proposed ordinance. But the ground has shifted on this issue. Were moving toward equality and theres no turning back now.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
Profound grief and mourning are now part of life for so many of us  at least 1 in 3 Americans have close family or friends who died of COVID-19.

Of course, all the other ways of dying  heart disease, cancer, accidents  never stopped. A gut-wrenching article in the Washington Post described prolonged grief disorder. A condition of chronic mourning newly recognized as an official mental health diagnosis, it is now in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5.

Death is something we all must come to terms with. Many faiths and cultures believe that as difficult as it is to lose loved ones, death  and the transition to the afterlife  is to be honored and celebrated.

That belief was magnificently manifested last weekend at San Antonios Muertos Fest, the largest in Texas and one of Americas top seven fall festivals. In its ninth year, the festival celebrates Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a Latin American, Indigenous tradition on full display at Hemisfair.

The sound of Tejano music and poetry, the smell of Mexican food and incense, and the intense feelings of sorrow and hope thickened the humid air when I attended with my husband last Sunday afternoon. Last year, the event was virtual, but this years crowd  reaching a record high of 125,000 people  looked like Fiesta.

Except this celebration was no Fiesta. No, this was a solemn, spiritual tradition of people paying their respects at more than 50 ofrendas, or altars, built by the community to remember their deceased loved ones. Their stories brought tears to my eyes, yet I marveled at the love and strength of the living.

The tradition of Day of the Dead heals the living. Many community members who built altars said it helped them grieve and seeing their deceased loved ones honored by thousands brought peace.

Astrella Tanguma built an intricate altar out of recycled materials in honor of her father, Juan Tanguma Sr., as well as her brother, Jose Angel Tanguma Sr., a Tejano musician who died in May. She said she hopes this will bring closure.

Maybe I will finally be able to accept his death when this is over, she said.

Juan and Crystal Marquez, there with their three young daughters, were emotional as they spoke of the loved ones theyve lost. They say they treasure this tradition.

Seemingly everyone stopped to take in the grand community altar that includes 656 photos of the deceased. Mariana Vasquez, who lives in New York and works with the citys COVID-19 contact tracing unit, built the altar.

Vasquez, whos built four of San Antonios community altars, knows grief. She built her first miniature altar 14 years ago, after her grandmother, mother and boyfriend died in the span of seven months.

She stood in the altars shadow, burning copal, a resin from Mexico, while some shared their gratitude and sadness.

The depths where grief will take you  if you let it, Vasquez said.

Some of those honored by their families with altars have been in the news.

Seeing the altar for Erin Rios Castro, a 19-year-old domestic violence victim brutally killed in 2018, a tragedy I have written about, hit me  hard. I instantly recognized her young, beautiful face.

Diana Cristina Rubio, a 26-year-old who died along with her friend Daniela Lute in an August head-on collision with an alleged drunken, wrong-way driver on I-35, was another young, beautiful face.

Amanda Gonzalez, one of Rubios best friends, took weeks to build Rubios intricate altar.

I just felt like she was more than a news story, Gonzalez said through tears that moved me to tears. She was such a beautiful person. Everyone should know about her and care about what happened to her.

May we all be so blessed to be remembered in such a sacred way.

Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net
In the classic novel, Fahrenheit 451, firemen turn books into ashes. Genius goes up in flames, the books disappearing into the ether, never to enlighten minds young and old.

The firemen incinerate the books because, benighted though they are, they know one thing: Words are more powerful than any weapon in their arsenals.

It was a pleasure to burn, one of the characters says.

Fahrenheit 451 is science fiction, but sometimes literature mimics reality, and sometimes reality mimics literature.

Welcome to Texas in 2021.

State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, is not a fireman, just a little-known politician running in a crowded attorney general primary, but he is veering perilously close to a strategy totalitarian governments employ; he has opened an investigation into the books that school districts offer in their libraries, including novels about race and explorations of sexuality.

Krause, chairman of the Texas House Committee on General Investigating, provided superintendents with a 16-page list of books deemed inappropriate, including modern classics such as The Handmaids Tale, The Confessions of Nat Turner and Between the World and Me.

Several school districts, waiting for details, removed some of the books, according to reports.

What will Rep. Krause propose next? Ovidia Molina, president of the Texas State Teachers Association, asked rhetorically. Burning books he and a handful of parents find objectionable?

Molina called the tactic political overreach, but it is worse than that. It is a political stunt and a chilling attempt to straitjacket young minds, limiting what they digest and comprehend. Wall off a library, even a small part of it, and you wall off the world.

In his letter, Krause asked superintendents to identify content that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress. Think about that. Krause may not realize it, but literature is the closest thing we have to real life.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced, wrote James Baldwin, whose books have been challenged.

The investigation follows recent legislation that restricts how teachers can discuss racism and other controversial subjects in the classroom  House Bill 3979, the so-called critical race theory bill.

That bill has swung the door open to larger challenges to books from diverse writers and thinkers.

Weve been observing a growing number of challenges to books about racial injustice, Black American history, and the lived experience of Black, Indigenous and persons of color, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom with the American Library Association, told reporters.

From Homer to Ta-Nehisi Coates, great writers have striven to prick our conscience, upset our notions of how the world works. This is what education should be all about. We do not learn by living in a world free of strife and worries; we learn by studying the world, both good and bad  and by embracing the good and rejecting the bad. We learn by reading and digesting ideas and perspectives, not always for agreement.

Even the Winnie the Pooh tales can cause discomfort and distress. Guilt and anguish are not emotions we should shun, especially in the context of literature. Who could read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, a book branded since its publication in 1947, without experiencing heartache?

Krause requested a response to his letter by Nov. 12, but it remains unclear how the investigation will proceed  or what will result from its findings. This battle may be fierce and protracted.

We dont think the request merits a response other than rejection.
The Austin school district, one of the largest in the state, will not comply with a request from the Republican leader of the Texas House General Investigating Committee to confirm whether it carries certain books in its libraries.

After doing more legal research, we've decided that a response is not necessary, especially since anyone can search our library catalogs, said district spokesman Jason Stanford.

It marked the first report of a district disregarding the letter sent by the committees chair, state Rep. Matt Krause, who is running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOP primary. Democratic members of the committee, including its vice chair, have said they were not consulted before the letter went out and do not endorse its contents.

Late Friday, Dallas ISD said it had not received the committees request, but it would not comply if it did because the letter is unofficial.

Krause did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but his office has said its the committees policy not to comment on pending investigations.

By the numbers 17 school districts confirmed they have received the committee's request for information Aldine, Austin, Conroe, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw, El Paso, Fort Bend, Frisco, Houston, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Katy, Lake Travis, Leander, North East and Northside in Bexar County, Northwest in Denton, Plano and Spring Branch Districts that have said they will comply: 2 North East in Bexar County and Northwest in Denton County Districts that have said they will not comply: 1 Austin See More Collapse

In the Oct. 25 letter, Krause had asked a select number of districts to provide information on how many books on a list of more than 850 that he provided to them they carried in school and classroom libraries and how much they cost to acquire.

He also asked districts to come up with their own lists of any other books that touch on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases or any material that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.

Democrats and education groups have denounced the effort as a precursor to censorship.

Censorship in any form is not only a threat to individual knowledge and growth, but to the foundation of our democracy, Texas Library Association Executive Director Shirley Robinson said in a statement. Limiting education does a tremendous disservice to Texas students and their communities, which need engaged and informed citizens that can address future challenges.

IN-DEPTH: Texas lawmaker launches probe of school libraries books on race, sexuality

In the letter, Krause, a founding member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, described the impetus for the inquiry as a series of controversies at Texas school districts  Carroll, Spring Branch, Lake Travis, Leander and Katy  involving books that parents wanted pulled from shelves.

Krause has said his goal was to ensure compliance with House Bill 3979, the controversial legislation Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June that limits what teachers can talk about when it comes to race and history in America and prohibits the teaching of critical race theory.

Out of 17 districts that confirmed to Hearst Newspapers that they received the letter, Austin and Dallas are the only so far to say they will not respond.

Most districts said they are still reviewing the request with attorneys and other staff. Northwest ISD in Denton County and North East ISD in Bexar County were the only districts to say definitively that they would respond.

The request so far came in the form of a letter to superintendents, but the committee has subpoena power and could exercise it. Disobeying a subpoena could lead a district to be prosecuted for being in contempt, which is punishable by up to a year in prison.

Since the House committees request for information was an informal one that was neither a subpoena nor a public records request, it is open to substantial interpretation, said Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards.

As such, some districts may treat the letter as a public information request  which could take more time than the Nov. 12 deadline it sets and may not guarantee Krause the right to certain information, she said.

The cost of an individual book, for example, is not something districts tend to track in the budget process, and another part of Krauses request asks districts to look for books that meet certain criteria. Texas open records law does not require governmental bodies to prepare answers to questions or compile statistics from already public data.

I would say that most districts are likely to consider that a request for the district to conduct an investigation, and if you really think about it, it would theoretically require the district to review all books, Baskin said, adding that for large districts, that could mean inventorying hundreds of thousands of books at multiple campuses.

Given the scope of the request, even if it had been served as a subpoena, I dont think a district could easily comply because it still requires a fair amount of interpretation.

Twelve of the states 20 largest districts with student populations over 50,000 confirmed to Hearst Newspapers that they received the letter, including El Paso, Frisco, Houston, Katy, North East and Northside.

Its still unclear which districts received copies of the letter  as Krauses office and the Texas Education Agency have declined to say  as well as how Krause came up with the list of books in question, which include Pulitzer Prize winners and other best-sellers by diverse authors.

THE CENTER OF THE CULTURE WARS: Trump-era rancor spills into Texas school board politics

In an interview with Dallas radio talk show host Mark Davis on Friday, Krause suggested the list was meant to cover books that could possibly be in violation of bills passed by lawmakers this year, including one that limited what Texas teachers can talk about when it comes to race and history in America.

That book list isnt exhaustive. Its not exclusive, he said. The mere presence of a book on that list does not mean it is problematic. It just means that it has some content in it that may be touched by new provisions that were passed by the Texas Legislature.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com
WASHINGTON  A group of two dozen House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Gov. Greg Abbotts move to have the state arrest migrants, which they say is wreaking havoc on Texas judicial system as hundreds of migrants sit in jails for weeks or months on end, mostly on minor trespassing charges.

The Democrats argue Abbotts Operation Lone Star program is unconstitutional and they want the DOJ to investigate treatment of migrants arrested in the program, which has sent thousands of Department of Public Safety troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers to the border amid a record surge in migration.

A judge last month ordered the release of more than 240 migrants after local prosecutors, overwhelmed by an influx of detained migrants, failed to bring charges as they sat in cells for weeks, an apparent violation of state law.

IN-DEPTH: Chaotic rollout of Gov. Abbotts migrant arrest plan fuels confusion, claims of violated rights

These operations have continued to militarize Texas border communities and interfered with the federal immigration system, likely violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, the Democrats wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday. Even more egregiously, these programs have directly led to a violation of state laws and constitutional due process rights.

Texas has passed multiple state statute deadlines to file charges against migrants theyve arrested, leaving nearly 1,000 of them sitting in prisons for weeks and sometimes over a month, the Democrats wrote. They also say there have been delays in appointing attorneys for migrants, and instances of migrants unknowingly filling out documents they could not read to waive their right to counsel.

A spokeswoman for Abbott said in a statement that until President Biden and his administration do their job to enforce the laws of our nation and protect Americans, the State of Texas will continue stepping up to secure our border and protect our communities.

Texans deserve to have the rule of law enforced on the Texas border, and that is exactly what Governor Abbott is doing, spokeswoman Renae Eze said.

John Moore, Staff / Getty Images

Abbotts unprecedented step of jailing migrants who cross the border on state charges has further cemented Texas as a flashpoint in the national immigration debate. Republicans from across the nation have supported the move, sending token numbers of troops to help as public polls show President Joe Bidens response to the problem could be a major liability in the 2022 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, a growing caravan with as many as 4,000 migrants is moving through Mexico toward Texas.

The Democrats letter follows remarks from U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz earlier this month calling Abbotts initiative a tremendous concern. He said in an interview with Texas Monthly that it has slowed the process of returning migrants to their home countries.

SHUT DOWN TRADE?: Gov. Abbotts GOP rivals float their own border security ideas in debate

Biden says he is rebuilding an immigration system left in tatters by the Trump administration. Nevertheless, Biden has continued to expel many migrants immediately under a public health order then-President Donald Trump issued last year. Biden has worked to ramp up the asylum system and says he is focused on addressing root causes of migration, including asking Congress for $4 billion in aid for the Central American countries the migrants are fleeing. He has also urged Congress to revamp the nations immigration laws, which is unlikely at best given the narrowly divided House and Senate.

In addition to an investigation by the Justice Department, the Democrats want the Department of Homeland Security to provide clarity on the immigration process for individuals subjected to the Operation Lone Star program. And they want DHS to provide migrants who enter federal custody after release from state custody with timely and regular telephone access so that they can inform their loved ones and attorneys of their location.

The operation has led to the arrest of at least 1,285 migrants on trespassing charges, out of more than 6,500 total arrests for smuggling, human trafficking and a handful of other state crimes since March, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said recently. Those arrest have been almost entirely in Kinney and Val Verde counties. The misdemeanor prosecutor in Val Verde County has already dismissed dozens of cases after deciding the detained migrants are likely candidates for asylum, or that there was no probable cause to believe a crime had been committed.

Texas Democrats who signed the letter include U.S. Reps. Colin Allred of Dallas, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Veronica Escobar of El Paso, Sylvia Garcia of Houston and Filemon Vela of Brownsville.

ben.wermund@chron.com
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed into law a bill that allows Iowa workers to seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and guarantees that those who are fired for refusing a vaccine will qualify for unemployment benefits.

Reynolds signed the bill a day after the Iowa Legislature passed it in a one-day special session convened to pass the state's redistricting maps. The law becomes effective immediately.

Reynolds has opposed government requirements for masks and vaccines, even though COVID-19 has killed nearly 7,000 people in Iowa and medical science has shown both tools to be effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

She said in a statement that no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reynolds said she believes the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19 but has often voiced opposition to mandates.

Iowa remains 23rd in the nation for percentage of its population fully vaccinated at 55.4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About a third of the state's population still has not received at least one dose of vaccine and most of the state continues to experience a high level of community spread of the virus.

Reynolds said she plans to sue the federal government to challenge its proposed vaccine mandates once President Joe Biden's administration releases the rules.

More than 100 people opposing vaccination requirements rallied at the Iowa Capitol Thursday to push for stronger language. Lobbyists for the business community said the bill puts business owners in conflict between complying with federal directives or state law. Businesses also are concerned about increased unemployment insurance costs.

Other Republican-led states also have pushed back against efforts to require employee vaccinations including Montana, Arkansas, Texas and West Virginia.
TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina man is jailed on a $5 million bond on multiple child sex crime charges, and a sheriff's office says a woman he lived with is facing similar charges.

The Alexander County Sheriffs Office said in a news release that Colan Lewis Swink, 44, of Newton, is charged with 109 felony counts of sex acts by a substitute parent or custodian and 25 felony counts each of statutory rape and sex offenses. He was jailed on a $5 million secured bond, the sheriff's office said.
Low tail posture in pigs is a good indicator of a range of welfare problems, according to new research which adds weight to the case for installing 3D camera monitors on pig farms.

The innovative camera monitoring systems, developed by Innovate-UK funded R&D TailTech, help producers detect and address health and welfare issues more quickly.

In an earlier project, the team developed 3D camera technology to monitor pigs tail positions and proved that low tail posture  as opposed to tails being up and curly - is an indicator of imminent tail biting outbreaks.

The TailTech project followed this initial research with the aim of developing and evaluating 3D camera monitoring systems on a variety of commercial UK pig farms, visiting regularly to ground truth pig health and welfare.

Researchers unexpectedly found that in addition to giving early warning of tail biting - a serious and costly health and welfare issue - low tail posture can be a more general indicator of additional welfare problems, such as injuries due to social aggression, lameness and ear biting.

Dr Rick DEath, Reader in Animal Behaviou at Scotlands Rural College (SRUC), said: Our results show, in addition to tail biting, changes to pigs tail posture are also associated with other signs of adverse health and welfare, which adds even more incentive for investment in 3D monitoring systems.

Globally, pig farming, like other livestock sectors, has become more integrated with an increasing number of very large farms operating without a parallel increase in farm staff.

"We set out to find viable means of installing commercial 3D camera monitoring systems in pig farms which varied in lots of ways including different group sizes, floor/enrichment types, and the use of tail docking or not.

Scottish agri-tech company Innovent Technology worked to develop a commercially viable warning system based on the project findings.

David Barclay, Business Development Manager at Innovent said: An early warning system for health and welfare alerts through a dashboard is the future.

"These systems will be widespread in the future, increasing profitability of our customers through targeted care.

Dr Kevin Stickney, Interim Head of Technical with project partner Harbro Limited added: "With difficulties of recruitment of high calibre stock-people to work on pig farms these days, automatic systems can link together farm owners, staff and the farms technical advisors such as the vet or nutritionist.

"Early warnings of changes in normal growth or behaviour can be picked up and responded to quickly, minimising the impact on welfare and performance.
The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme will reopen for funding in 2022 as part of Scottish government plans to double the amount of land under organic management.

While details and funding must be clarified, the new announcement looks to secure the future of the important scheme for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Farmers will be able to apply for support for conversion to and maintenance of organic land, alongside other measures aimed at promoting low carbon farming.

The Scottish government has already invested 213 million in the scheme, as part of a wider campaign to prioritise local and organic produce in public sector menus.

The scheme has huge buy in from the sector  evidenced by the participation of more than 3000 farms, crofts and estates.

Scotland's Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: AECS provides important funding to the sector to help achieve this commitment.

"I have visited many farms, including the organic Peelham Farm recently, which have benefited from AECS and are playing their part in helping to restore and enhance nature.

"This will help to deliver increased biodiversity, improved soils and contribute to mitigating climate change at the same time as providing high quality, locally produced food."

NFU Scotland said it 'welcomed' the announcement by Scottish government on the future of agri-environment management in Scotland.

The union's vice president Andrew Connon said: We will seek further clarity on the Cabinet Secretarys statement, especially for those with existing agreements that are about to expire.

A fully-funded AECS is vital in supporting farmers to deliver essential environmental benefits including peatland management, conserving and enhancing vulnerable species, and providing habitats for pollinators on farm.

We urged Scottish government in June to make decisions on the schemes future as a priority and todays announcement puts down a clear marker on future agri-environment support.

The funding of new rounds of the AECS until 2024 is still subject to future budgetary decisions, the Scottish government said.
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Its hard to keep up with Max Kaniger.

The 31-year-old founder and CEO of Kanbes Markets, a five-year-old nonprofit dedicated to eliminating food waste and food insecurity, talks quickly. As he provides a tour of the companys new 27,000-square-foot warehouse located in Kansas Citys Coleman Highlands neighborhood, he tosses out facts and anecdotes as casually as he greets Edgar Contreras, the driver who has just ended his shift for the day, and the assembly line of volunteers sorting fruit.

At its core, Kanbes is a food delivery service. There are several branches of the business model, but when it launched, its focus was the Healthy Corner Store program, which to this day continues to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to participating convenience stores and gas stations located in neighborhoods that the USDA had deemed food deserts. The mission was to provide access to fresh, healthy and affordable food to populations that dont have convenient access to it, for whom a trip to the nearest grocery store requires transportation that might not be readily available.

The average time to get to the grocery store is 45 minutes, and if Ive worked all day  maybe at more than one job  I couldnt spend an extra 45 minutes getting to the grocery store, let alone cooking, Kaniger says. I would much rather walk to the corner store, grab a frozen pizza and throw it in the oven. Over time, that repeated behavior becomes an issue and has significant health repercussions. Rather than vilifying people for making those choices or the suppliers for not getting to those stores, we can create a solution thats more equitable.

Shops participating in the Healthy Corner Store program receive a refrigerated cooler and standing basket rack at no cost. There is also no upfront cost for the produce, which includes an assortment of 20 to 30 whole, uncut fruits and vegetables (you can regularly find apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, corn, a rotation of lettuce and leafy greens).

The Fav Trip on West 23rd Street in Independence, Missouri, was among the first to sign up for the Healthy Corner Store program, largely because Babir Sultan, the companys president and CEO, recognized that without a grocery store in the area, his customers were going without access to healthy food.

Its about empowering people to make better choices, and we hear that from customers all the time, Sultan says. If the healthy alternative is there, it makes the decision-making process easier, and it goes on from there. A ton of stores dont even have that healthy alternative.

Kanbes delivers daily, taking back any inventory that has passed its prime (it becomes feed for livestock or compost), and the shops keep 30 percent of the sales profit (the rest is routed back to Kanbes to cover operating costs). The goal of the stores in the program is to report an annual profit margin increase upwards of $10,000.

They bring a variety, and they switch it up seasonally, so were offering fresh produce that changes, and people get excited to see that, Sultan says. They come in every day to stock us up, and the things that we dont sell, they take back  thats big for us. Normally, if fresh produce goes bad, you eat the cost.

Kanbes manages the inventory, too. Each year, up to 40 percent of the nations food supply is wasted, and most of that is fruits and vegetables. Rather than sending their imperfect produce  the stuff they cant sell to retailers  to a landfill, wholesalers make a tax-deductible donation to Kanbes, which can load up to 10 pallets (approximately 800 pounds each) into a refrigerated truck. Kanigers staff then triages the food as it comes in.

The wholesalers we work with move a lot of food really, really quickly, and if they are looking at a pallet [of produce] and see one apple on top that doesnt meet their standards, they dont have the time or the manpower to go through the entire thing, Kaniger says. Its OK for them to move that food out if there is an organization like us to receive it. We can have volunteers sort through it and say, This is grocery store-quality food, and we can send it to our corner stores. If its something I could still eat but not sell  something like bruised apples, brown bananas, cucumbers or mushrooms  we send it to After the Harvest.

Kansas City-based nonprofit After the Harvest accepts fruits and vegetables that arent suitable for retail but are still edible and distributes them to agencies that serve hungry people, including Harvesters. If the produce isnt suitable for human consumption, Kanbes sends it to area farmers, such as Josh Anderson, owner and operator at Boss Farm Industries, who turn it into feed for livestock. Everything else is composted and distributed to local grower partners, such as Anderson, who is also the farm manager at BoysGrow, who transform what would have been waste into nutrient-dense soil.

We track everything, Kaniger says, gesturing to a whiteboard behind the assembly line. We weigh the produce so that we can send donation receipts to the wholesalers, and we track where the produce is going  whether were sending it to stores or farmers, if its being composted, everything. This information is tallied each month in a Google spreadsheet that surpasses 700,000 rows of data.

Kanbes doesnt rely solely on food donations: They also purchase  sometimes discounted, sometimes at full price  from wholesalers and local farms, taking whatever the growers couldnt sell to restaurants or at farmers markets. This summer, the Kanbes coolers were stocked with vibrant jalapeno, cayenne and habanero peppers from BoysGrow and microgreens from City Bitty Farm in southeast Kansas City.

There are people who are food- and health-rich, and there are people who struggle every day with health and food resources. And there are people like Max and [organizations like] Kanbe's, working to bring food resources to people who need them, says City Bitty owner Greg Garbos. The last 18 months have taught us so much about food, water, shelter and health. The future of food needs agents of change  its that simple. And Max is an agent of change.

In 2021, Kanbes will spend more than a quarter million dollars on food, the majority of which goes back into the local community. Kanigers dream, he says, is to offer a safety net to farmers and community growers  to provide a reliable way for them to get top dollar for what theyre selling. Hes got a plan for that, too, and much more. Today, there are 43 participating locations in the Healthy Corner Store program, giving more than 200,000 people access to fresh produce within a half mile of their residence  and thats just the beginning.

Theres that connection to a place that, when youre from there, you can see it differently than someone else ever could, Kaniger says. Its the same here in the east side of Kansas City. People who live there, who were born there, can remake their own neighborhoods. The privilege Ive been given allows me to create a system that helps them thrive  or at least isnt stopping them. The people were helping dont need our help  they need a fair playing field so they can help themselves.

Of course, the pandemic changed everything.

All the issues that COVID brought already existed  they just became harder for us to ignore, Kaniger says. My phone was blowing up from all different places wanting and needing help. People were supposed to be in lockdown, so there was more of a need for us to have corner stores with healthy food options, and there was a need for us to grow that program quickly.

Pull Quote The last 18 months have taught us so much about food, water, shelter and health. The future of food needs agents of change  its that simple. And Max is an agent of change. Greg Garbos, owner, City Bitty

To meet demand, Kanbes Healthy Corner Store program jumped from 12 participating stores to 40 in 2020. That meant hiring more staff: Between March and April last year, Kanbes went from five employees to 15. And there was plenty of work.

We took 10 pallets worth of food to [an east Kansas City] church, and it was gone in 15 minutes. You couldnt move fast enough, and when it was gone, there was still a line of hungry people, Kaniger recalls. Knowing that were part of the solution is great, but seeing how much help is still needed is hard. Were a small team. No matter how much we did, more help was needed.

When the USDA introduced the Farmers to Family Food Box Program  where wholesalers receive funding for every box donated to a nonprofit  Kanbes went from processing 20,000 pounds of produce a month to sometimes processing that much in a single day on days when volunteers were plenty.

The nonprofits that they were trying to donate to didnt have the ability to receive the same amounts as big-box stores, so we started working with them as a drop point, as the middle man, Kaniger explains. Instead of worrying about getting one pallet of food to a place, wholesalers could come here and drop 26 pallets. That meant we were partnering with more organizations.

One such organization was Chef Collective KC, a COVID-19 effect that converted local restaurants into community kitchens. Those kitchens received produce from Kanbes and created nutritious, affordable boxed meals that were then distributed to local nonprofit agencies. Michael Foust, the former chef and co-owner of The Farmhouse and Black Sheep + Market in Kansas City, parked Ethel  the vintage airstream that he converted into a food truck  in the Kanbes lot, and during the pandemic, hed make upwards of 500 meals a day and donate them to local organizations.

And Chef Collective was just one of almost 60 organizations that were on Kanbes delivery list. Kaniger was also approached by the Mid-America Regional Council to assist with distribution of their frozen meals, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.

A home delivery meal program is Kanigers next idea. The Kanbes warehouse space has the bones  and plenty equipment  for a commercial kitchen; Kaniger is exploring what it will take to make it functional again. Hed like to hire a chef, train a staff and see if Kanbes could create up to 100,000 nutritious, high-quality meals a month. Gesturing toward the empty spaces, walls and storage piles, Kaniger outlines a prep room, a dishwashing area, a space for repackaging.

In the meantime, he has Ethel, on loan from Foust, who has since relocated to Pittsburgh. When shes not in use, Ethel is parked in an area of the warehouse that Kaniger has temporarily sublet to another company, surrounded by filing cabinets and boxes. For now, it helps keep the lights on, Kaniger says.

By 2026, Kaniger believes that Kansas City could be the first city in the country to eliminate food deserts, and hes well on track to see that goal through. He has a growth expansion model in mind, and at the moment, hes thinking through what a partnership with Kansas City Public Schools or other regional agencies could look like. Why not serve meals at bus stops?

Over the years, weve built this centralized  but fragile  food system that has made some things affordable for some people, Kaniger says. I think people are ready to build a more robust and resilient food system, and I think were the missing piece. Were the thing wholesalers can donate to in volume, which is what theyre looking for, and we can then get that produce to the neighborhood mom-and-pop shops that cant afford to purchase in bulk. We dont need to build new stores or a customer base  the food is there, the infrastructure is there. At the end of the day, the people we are trying to serve are the solution. All the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

And Kaniger loves puzzles.

Kanbe's Markets, kanbesmarkets.org

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Pictured here is an exterior photo of the Granger Center for Construction and HVACR. Pictured here is an exterior photo of the Granger Center for Construction and HVACR.

A team of Ferris State University Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration students can celebrate its win in the International HVAC System Selection Competition sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers.

The six students from Michigan, Ontario and the Central American nation of Belize were tasked with designing a 50,000-square-foot building on a higher education campus in Prince George, British Columbia. This facility was a fictitious two-story cafeteria with office space, a commercial kitchen and capable of sanitary storage of food sufficient to serve up to 720 students at one time and 3,000 customers in a day.

The Ferris HVACR team invited to the 2022 ASHRAE Winter meeting from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada, includes:

Evan Eldred, Flint

Nicholas Schramski, Kinde

Cole Weber, St. Johns

Cole Quinlan, Orangeville, Ontario

Brian Van Schepen, Owen Sound, Ontario

Jordanny Williams, Ladyville, Belize

The lead advisor for the ASHRAE team is Ferris Associate Professor of HVACR Joseph Pacella.

It has been nearly 14 years since a team from our program has earned a first-place result in this type of competition, Pacella said. The team did an amazing job and should be commended for the considerable work and out-of-the-box solutions they developed in this competition. It was quite the journey leading to this success, as the ASHRAE equipment selection competition has steadily increased in its challenges since 1997. Although our team has earned their degrees and are gainfully employed, this first-place award is a significant achievement for these young professionals and speaks to their efforts and excellence as students.

The purpose of the competition is to recognize outstanding student design projects, encourage undergraduate students to become involved in the profession, apply their learning in practical design, and promote teamwork.

Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is an international organization of 55,000 people. The organizations aim is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the science of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, serving the evolving needs of the public.
Republic Day, or Cumhuriyet Bayram, commemorates the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on 29 October, 1923 and is one of the most important official public holidays and national festivals in Turkey.

History of Turkish Republic Day

On October 29, 1923, the newly recognized Turkish parliament proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, formally marking the end of the Ottoman Empire. On the same day, Mustafa Kemal, who led the Turkish National War of Liberation and was later named Ataturk (father of Turks), was unanimously elected as the first president of the Republic.

Gentlemen! We shall declare the republic tomorrow Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Gentlemen! We shall declare the republic tomorrow is what modern Turkeys founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk said on the night of October 28, 1923 as he addressed lawmakers and his close brothers-in-arms. One day later, the Turkish Parliament adopted the new regime type and elected Ataturk as the first president, as lawmakers were heard shouting, Long live the Republic! Long live Mustafa Kemal Pasha!

Turkey had effectively been a republic from April 23, 1920 when the Grand National Assembly was inaugurated in Ankara. When the Turkish parliament held its first session in 1920, virtually every corner of the crumbling Ottoman Empire was under the occupation of Allied powers. Exasperated by the Ottoman governments inability to fight the occupation, the nationwide resistance movement gained momentum. With the Allied occupation of Istanbul, and the dissolution of the Ottoman Parliament, Mustafa Kemals justification for opening the resistance movements new legislative body was created.

Following the founding of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk embarked on a wide-ranging set of reforms in the political, economic and cultural aspects of Turkish society. These reforms have left a lasting legacy of which the peoples of Turkish heritage are proud: the conversion of the newly founded Republic into todays modern, democratic and secular Turkish state.

You can read more about the creator of modern Turkey in this article.

How is Turkish Republic Day Celebrated?

The holiday lasts 35 hours, starting at 1:00 pm on October 28th.

Many people go to local stadiums on October 29 to watch performances dedicated to Republic Day. Such performances usually consist of theater sketches, poetry readings and traditional Turkish dances. Many school children participate in school performances for parents and teachers. Parades may take place in some cities and politicians may give public speeches on this day.

People lay wreaths at the many statues of Ataturk across the country or visit Ataturks mausoleum in the countrys capital, Ankara.

In the evening of October 29, many cities have traditional processions with flags and musical bands to commemorate Republic Day in Turkey. The processions usually end with fireworks, which begin after dark.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laying a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the countrys founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in the capital Ankara, 29 Oct, 2020. (Photo AA)

Republic Day Commemoration, Istanbul.

The common symbols of Republic Day in Turkey are the Turkish flag and pictures of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Flags some with pictures of Ataturk, are on sale everywhere.

Republic Day is an official national holiday in Turkey. Public administration buildings, schools, post offices and many small businesses are usually closed on this day. Public transport schedules may vary. Public transport routes may change in the event of street performances and processions. The afternoon of the previous day, October 28, is also an official holiday.

The Republic is due to celebrate its centenary in 2023. What a celebration that will be!

29 Ekim Cumhuriyet Bayramnz Kutlu Olsun

Sources: Wikipedia/TCA/Office Holidays
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Whenever something happens to Thalaiva aka Rajinikanth, the entire nation gets concerned and his fans are left shaken. Reports in E Times suggest that the megastar has been admitted to a hospital in Chennai last evening.



According to reports the actor has been admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. Rajinikanth, who often visits the hospital for routine check-ups, went on Thursday evening for the same. However, post the check up he was admitted to the hospital. No reports or further official details are revealed yet. His fans have got concerned on social media and have already started praying for his recovery.





Last year too in December the actor was admitted in the hospital for fluctuating blood pressure and exhaustion. Rajinikanth was in Delhi earlier this week. The actor was in the capital to receive the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to cinema. His son-in-law Dhanush was also at the event, where he gathered his National Award for Best Actor.

Rajinikanth will be soon seen in his most awaited flick Annaatthe where he will be seen sharing the screen with Nayanthara and Keerthy Suresh.


Gully Boy star Siddhant Chaturvedi and debutant Sharvari Wagh are a refreshingly new Bollywood on-screen jodi that audience will see in Yash Raj Films Bunty Aur Babli 2. They two young actors are set to host a Diwali party together for the media fraternity, the first one that the industry will have after two years due to the pandemic!

Siddhant says, Bollywood films are synonymous to Indian celebrations. The film industry hasnt been able to celebrate these big moments with people for the past two years, given the pandemic. Im thrilled that films are making a comeback in theatres and Im confident that audiences will come back to watch entertaining cinema.



He added, Given the fact that we are promoting our film in a festive period, we have decided that we will celebrate this special moment in all our lives by hosting a Diwali get-together for our media fraternity. We havent had the chance to meet and connect with them in person for a while. So, we want to celebrate with them and tell each other that movies are back, celebrations are back!



Sharvari says, I have been looking forward to promoting my big-screen debut with media people because I have heard how warm and fun such events are. Im glad that my first media outing is a cool Diwali get-together that we intend to host for them.

She added, These are big moments for our film fraternity as we have not been able to do such gatherings due to the pandemic. We cant wait to celebrate again and for our industry to bring in the smiles and the cheers that movies are known to deliver in abundance for people.

Bunty Aur Babli 2 also features Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji as the original Bunty and Babli. The film is set to release worldwide on November 19, 2021 and has been directed by Varun V. Sharma.




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2021) - Bayhorse Silver Inc (TSXV: BHS) ("Bayhorse" or the "Company") has received from APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Apex) a National Instrument NI-43-101 Technical Report (the "Report") on its Brandywine precious metals-rich, volcanogenic massive sulphide property located near Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.

The Brandywine Property comprising 15 contiguous mineral claims, covering a total area of 1,679.8 ha, has undergone several historical exploration phases including bulk tonnage shipments to smelters, extensive drilling, and extensive geochemical and geophysical studies.

The Brandywine property conceptually falls within a class of high gold-silver volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits that include the Eskay Creek deposit of northern British Columbia; the Green's Creek deposit on Admiralty Island near Juneau, Alaska. This family of deposits is particularly silver and lead rich with important gold, zinc, copper and other metal values.

The Report recommends an initial two stage exploration program costing $1,080,000, with the first stage consisting of a 315 line km VTEM survey, and 1,200 meters of drilling at the Dave's Pond (DP) zone. The second stage will consist of a further 2,000 meters of drilling, LIDAR and ground geophysical survey for drill targeting, and geochemical soil sampling program.

In 2019, the Company conducted a resampling program of Auramex Resources Corp. drill core from a short 175 m drilling program to confirm prior drilling results by La Rock Mining Corp. (La Rock). La Rock completed 116 diamond drillholes, totaling at least 8,194 m, in several drill campaigns at Brandywine from 1992 to 1996.

The re-sampling program of the 2010 drilling program confirmed the presence of significant coarse grained grade gold mineralization in a mineralized vein system situated adjacent to the historical underground targets. Drillhole BRW10-05 returned 3.1 meters (m) core length of 11.42 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 26.5 m depth, including 1.6 m of 20.2 g/t Au and drillhole BRW10-06 returned 3.1 m core length of 3.35 g/t Au from 32.6 m depth, including 1.6 m of 4.10 g/t Au. The metallic screen (MeT) assay results from a suite of eleven samples taken from mineralized sections are compared with the 2010 results in Table 10.1. In general, good correlation was observed between Bayhorse's 2019 samples and the original 2010 core. In addition, the FA-MeT results showed the suitability of using analytical methods to account for coarse Au mineralization at the Brandywine Property.

Drillhole From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Au AVG Metallics

FA 2019 (g/t) Au AVG 30g Pulps

FA 2010 (g/t) BRW10-05 11.3 12.8 1.5 1.43 2.20 BRW10-05 20.4 21.9 1.5 0.47 1.40 BRW10-05 26.5 29.6 3.1 11.42 3.73 BRW10-05 Including 1.6 20.20 6.23 BRW10-05 34.1 35.7 1.6 1.86 1.02 BRW10-06 23.5 25.0 1.5 1.31 0.02 BRW10-06 25.0 26.5 1.5 0.57 1.07 BRW10-06 32.6 35.7 3.1 3.35 2.89 BRW10-06 Including 1.6 4.10 3.29 BRW10-07 41.8 43.3 1.5 1.20 1.52 BRW10-07 57.0 58.5 1.5 1.83 1.64

*The true width of mineralized intercepts is not known





Visible Gold in Brandywine Core

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The microscopic analysis suggested that the "highest gold assays obtained in holes BRW10-05 and BRW10-06 are substantiated by the presence of native gold with minor galena (less than 1%). Other sections, showing high Pb content from ICP analyses, show larger proportion of silver mineralization in relation to gold (Hole BRW10-06 at 32.6 m depth). Microscopic study shows that silver here is carried by Ag-bearing tetrahedrite in addition to galena, while gold occurs as electrum (Baldys, 2020)".

Table Metallic screen assay results of Bayhorse's 2019 re-sampling program compared to Auramex's 2010 results (from Bayhorse Silver, 2019).

Additionally, the reports identify the presence of Pyrargyrite (Ruby Silver), as well as the rare silver specimen minerals, diasphorite, fizelyite, (rare silver-lead-antimony Sulfosalt) semseyeyite, miargyrite,(silver, antimony sulphide) and prostilpnite (Ag, Sb, S), all indicative of the presence of high grade silver, as well as the rare mineral hubnerite on the property.

In 1977, Van Silver Mines Ltd. built a 136.1 tonne (150 ton) per day mill to treat mineralization mined from the Silver Tunnel Showing, Main Showing and Tedi Pits. A total of 3,583.4 tonnes (3,950 tons) were mined and averaged 15.43 g/t (0.45 troy ounce per short ton (opt)) Au, 2,420.91 g/t (70.61 opt) Ag, 6.08% Pb and 8.90% Zn (Lee, 1996).

The Company advises that the information and resources are historical in nature. Historic production estimates and grades reported have not been verified. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify the historical estimates nor classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.

While the various historical tonnage calculations have not been verified by a Qualified Person, the detailed drill data available from extensive work by several exploration groups is preserved, and will serve as a basis for confirmation drilling of the known sulphide mineralization target areas.

Bayhorse CEO Graeme O'Neill comments, "Brandywine is an excellent high grade silver and gold prospect that complements our high grade Bayhorse Silver Mine."

This News Release has been prepared on behalf of the Bayhorse Silver Inc. Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its contents. Dr. Stewart Jackson, P.Geo., a Qualified Person and Consultant to the Company has prepared, supervised the preparation of, and approved the technical content of this press release.

On Behalf of the Board.

Graeme O'Neill, CEO

604-684-3394

About Bayhorse Silver Inc.

Bayhorse Silver Inc. is an exploration and production company with a 100% interest in the historic Bayhorse Silver Mine located in Oregon, USA. With state of the art Steinert Ore-Sorting technology reducing waste rock entering the processing stream by up to 85%, we have created a minimum environmental impact facility capable of mining 200 tons of mineralization per day and the ability to process and supply 3,600 tons per year of silver/copper concentrate ranging between 7,500 to 15,000 g/t using standard flotation processing at its milling facility in nearby Payette County, Idaho, USA, with an offtake agreement in place with Ocean Partners UK Limited. The Company also has an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Brandywine high grade silver/gold property located in B.C. Canada. The Company has an experienced management and technical team with extensive mining expertise in both exploration and building mines.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101248
Strategic transformation to a uniquely positioned health and wellness company that provides top selling brands to the global marketplace

Improved net revenue by 2.2% growth year over year despite aggressive COVID travel restrictions

Improved gross profit, 24% in fiscal 2021 vs. 9% in fiscal 2020

Lowered selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses by 28% year over year

Improved adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")(1) by 33% year over year

Improved financial position with the reduction of current liabilities by 62%

LivRelief TM infused topical is the top selling cannabis-infused topical in the Ontario market

Innovation excellence with the launch of Dream Water TM sleep aid gummies in the U.S.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2021) - Harvest One Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: HVT) (OTCQB: HRVOF) ("Harvest One" or the "Company"), a uniquely positioned cannabis-infused health and wellness consumer packaged goods ("CPG") leader, with brands LivRelief TM and Dream Water TM, is pleased to announce its fiscal Q4 financial and operating results for the three and twelve months ended June 30, 2021.

Management Commentary

"Our year-end financial results clearly illustrate that the Company is continuing to increase its revenues and significantly reduce operating and overhead expenditures to achieve profitability," said Gord Davey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harvest One. "This past year has been challenging to say the least. We have focussed on reducing our costs and overheads to improve our financial position. In parallel, we have been relentless in a very restricted COVID and travel environment in attaining new customers, distribution partners, products, and channels that are expected to increase our revenues and set the Company up for future sustainable success. Management's efforts to uniquely position Harvest One as a hybrid cannabis-infused and non-infused CPG leader that develops and distributes innovative health, wellness, and selfcare products are resonating with consumers and generating improved profit margins. During our next fiscal year, we expect to continue to increase our revenues from recently negotiated distribution agreements and the introduction of new products in international markets."

Key Highlights

Equity financing and improved financial position and liquidity

On March 17, 2021, the Company successfully closed a $5.75 million bought-deal public offering (the "Bought-Deal Financing") with Mackie Research Capital Corporation, as sole bookrunner, and ATB Capital Markets Inc., as the co-lead underwriters. The recent closing of this upsized Bought-Deal Financing significantly improved the working capital position of the Company and its ability to invest in branding and marketing activities.

Completion of the Strategic Review

On March 29, 2021, the Company announced the conclusion of its strategic review process (the "Strategic Review"). Key achievements of the Strategic Review include:

Asset light and streamlined business model: The Company has been repositioned from a cultivation and processing entity to a lean, non-capital-intensive cannabis-infused and non-infused CPG operation focusing on innovation, sales, marketing, and distribution channels.

Improved financial position and liquidity: The recent closing of an upsized Bought-Deal Financing significantly improved the working capital position of the Company and its ability to invest in branding and marketing activities.

Improved cost structure: A significant reduction in operating and overhead costs, created a leaner, more efficient organization.

Corporate Structure: Significant changes to the Company's management team and leadership model created a flatter corporate structure with a strong CPG-focused management team.

Expanded distribution and supply agreements that will drive future growth

International Expansion for Dream Water TM Products: On June 10, 2021, the Company announced that agreements were reached with five major national key account partners in Virginia, Arizona, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Montana for expansion in the U.S. market, further contributing to Harvest One's growth and brand expansion initiatives strategy for 2021. b)Distribution in the Caribbean, Central America, and Cruise/Travel Retail

On July 20, 2021, the Company announced that it had signed a three-year renewable marketing and distribution agreement for international market expansion with WB Canna Co. & Wellness, a leading CBD and wellness products distributor in the Caribbean, Central America, and the travel retail/cruise channel. This partnership aligns the Company's growth strategies for its core brands, and further contributes to the Company's growth and brand expansion initiatives for 2022.

Product development and licensing

Launch of LivRelief extra strength transdermal CBD cream

On May 13, 2021, the Company announced its new LivRelief product SKU, Extra Strength Transdermal CBD Cream, which launched on the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers platform in June 2021 as part of its strategic growth and brand expansion initiatives. Licence agreement with The Valens Company

On July 28, 2021, the Company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Delivra Inc., had granted Valens Agritech Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Valens Company, a leading manufacturer of cannabis products, an exclusive two-year licence to manufacture, distribute and sell infused LivRelief branded topicals in Canada. The partnership with The Valens Company is expected to accelerate national and global growth opportunities and advance the manufacturing of LivRelief branded topicals and its future extensions. Launch of Dream Water TM Sleep Gummies

On August 25, 2021, the Company announced that its Dream Water TM brand launched a new line for sleep gummies in the American market. The launch of Dream Water TM sleep gummies is expected to increase growth in the Company's traditional distribution and retail channels and improve overall channel penetration by leveraging the Company's expertise in branding, marketing, and distribution.

Financial Highlights

Net revenue: The Company reported total net revenue of $7.96 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $7.78 million in fiscal 2020 from continued operations. This year over year 2.2% increase in net revenue is driven by the Company's best selling LivRelief TM infused topical during the year.

Gross profit: The Company reported gross profit of $1.91 million or 24% compared to $0.72 million or 9% from continued operations. This increase is attributed to operational improvements, cost alignment projects, and reduction in financial inventory write-downs.

Expenses including SG&A and excluding non-cash items: The Company reported expenses of $8.97 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $12.47 million in fiscal 2020, representing a 28% reduction for the year from continued operations. This decrease is driven by the management's efforts to reduce costs and overhead to achieve profitability in light of the Strategic Review.

Adjusted EBITDA(1): The Company reported Adjusted EBITDA $(6.06) million in fiscal 2021 compared to $(9.06) million in fiscal 2020, representing a $3 million or 33% year over year improvement from continued operations. This increase is driven by margin improvements and reductions in SG&A and overheads.

Subsequent to Quarter End

On July 26, 2021, the Company announced that it engaged an arm's length service provider, Jonathan Carroll (the "Consultant") to provide strategic advisory and consulting services to the Company (the "Consulting Services") for a 24-month period. As partial consideration for the Consulting Services, the Company will grant an aggregate of 1,500,000 warrants (the "Warrants") to purchase common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") to the Consultant in accordance with the provisions of the consulting agreement. On September 27, 2021, the Company issued 300,000 Warrants of the total grant of 1,500,000 Warrants.

In September 2021, the Company received payment in Common Shares for all amounts due from the Cann Group Limited ("Cann Group") in relation to the closing of the transaction announced by the Company on March 10, 2021, whereby the Company sold its wholly-owned subsidiaries Satipharm Limited, Satipharm AG and Phytotech Therapeutics Ltd. to the Cann Group.

Summary of Key Financial Results





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Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP measures)





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Expenses excluding non-cash items





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Outlook

Management anticipates sales volumes, net revenues, and Adjusted EBITDA(1) to improve throughout the next fiscal year due to a full year of infused topical sales, expanded distribution coverage, launch initiatives, branding initiatives, improvements in gross profit, and a continued focus on reducing overhead costs.

About Harvest One

Harvest One is a global cannabis-infused and non-infused CPG leader that develops and distributes premium health, wellness and selfcare products with a market focus on solutions for sleeplessness and pain, resulting in the reduction of fatigue and anxiety. Harvest One is a uniquely positioned company in the cannabis space which is commercializing both cannabis-infused and non-infused products. Harvest One has established an impressive track record in product innovation, branding, marketing and distribution through its portfolio of CPG brands. Harvest One owns and operates two subsidiaries; Dream Water TM Global and LivRelief TM. For more information, please visit www.harvestone.com.

Non-IFRS Measures, Reconciliation and Discussion

This press release contains references to "Adjusted EBITDA" which is a non-IFRS financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is a measure of the Company's loss from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization and adjusted for share-based compensation, common shares issued for services, fair value effects of accounting for biological assets and inventories, asset impairment and write-downs, and other non-cash items, and is a non-IFRS measure.

This measure can be used to analyze and compare profitability among companies and industries, as it eliminates the effects of financing and capital expenditures. It is often used in valuation ratios and can be compared to enterprise value and revenue. This measure does not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

There are no comparable IFRS financial measures presented in Harvest One's financial statements. Reconciliations of the supplemental non-IFRS measure are presented in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for June 30, 2021. This non-IFRS financial measure is presented because management has evaluated the financial results both including and excluding the adjusted items and believes that the non-IFRS financial measure presented provides additional perspective and insights when analyzing the core operating performance of the business. The Company believes that the supplemental measure provides information which is useful to shareholders and investors in understanding the Company's performance and may assist in the evaluation of the Company's business relative to that of its peers.

The non-IFRS financial measure should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for, or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with the IFRS financial measures presented in the Company's financial statements. For more information, please see "Adjusted EBITDA (non-IFRS measure)" and "Non-IFRS Measures" in the Company's management discussion and analysis for June 30, 2021, which is available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

Notes:

This is a non-IFRS reporting measure. For a reconciliation of this measure to the nearest IFRS measure, see "Adjusted EBITDA (non-IFRS measure)" and "Non-IFRS Measures" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for June 30, 2021.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements with respect to future increased revenues and sustainable success of the Company, future expansion plans, initiatives and strategies of the Company, and the Company's performance, growth initiatives, profitability, production capacity and gain in market share.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the cannabis markets where the Company operates; changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; employee relations and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-related products in the markets where the Company operates. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Additional information regarding this and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's AIF, and under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis dated October 28, 2021, for the year ended June 30, 2021, filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Investor Relations:

Jack Tasse

Investor Relations

IR@harvestone.com

1-877-915-7934

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101257
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2021 / Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (TSXV:CMC)(OTCQB:CWSFF) ("Cielo" or the "Company") announces the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held virtually by telephone conference (the "Meeting") on October 21, 2021. Shareholders voted in favour of all items put forward by the board of directors and management of Cielo.

The following five (5) director nominees were elected at the Meeting: Don Allan (Chair), Jasdeep K. Dhaliwal, Hon. Peter MacKay, Ryan Jackson, and Larry Schafran. Shareholders also appointed KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year.

In addition, shareholders voted in favour of the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan") and the Company's fixed non-option incentive plan (the "Non-Option Plan", together with the Stock Option Plan, collectively the "Incentive Plans"). The TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") had previously approved the Incentive Plans, subject to the approval of the disinterested shareholders of the Company (insiders or associates of insiders eligible to participate in the Incentive Plans). Under the Stock Option Plan, a maximum of 65,212,991 stock options (representing 10% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares as at the date of the Meeting) may be granted (excluding any outstanding options). Under the Non-Option Plan, a maximum of 25,807,096 incentive awards other than stock options (representing 4% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares as at the date of approval of the Non-Option Plan by the TSXV) may be granted. The Incentive Plans replace all prior incentive plans of the Company.

Trading Activity

The Company also confirms that its management is not aware of any other corporate development or undisclosed material change to the Company or its operations at this time that would account for recent market activity.

Operational Update

The Company anticipates a subsequent press release prior to November 15, 2021, in which the Company will provide an update on the timeline associated with the activities at its facility in Aldersyde, Alberta and at its proposed research and development facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Gregg Gegunde"

Gregg Gegunde, CEO and COO









Company Contact:

Chris Sabat

Email: csabat@cielows.com

Telephone: 1-(403)-348-2972

Website: www.cielows.com For further information please contact:



Cielo Investor Relations

Email: investors@cielows.com

Telephone: 1-(403)-348-2972

Website: www.cielows.com



RB Milestone Group LLC (USA):

Trevor Brucato, Managing Director

Email: cielo@rbmilestone.com

New York, NY & Stamford, CT

About Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.

Cielo is a publicly traded company with a proprietary technology that transforms certain types of landfill garbage into high-grade diesel, kerosene (aviation jet and marine fuel) and naphtha. Cielo's proven and patented technology is currently being deployed in the Company's Aldersyde, Alberta facility, where wood waste is currently being converted into renewable fuels. Cielo's experienced management team is well positioned with strategic partners in place to expand aggressively across Canada, into the US and then globally. The waste/feedstock that will be used in the Company's green facilities is the world's widely available and inexpensive feedstock, including household, commercial, construction garbage, used tires, railway ties, telephone poles, as well as all types of plastic, some of which currently cannot be recycled or deposited into landfills. Cielo's goal is to manufacture waste to fuel while ridding the world of unwanted and problematic garbage.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This News Release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. CIELO is making forward looking statements, with respect to, but not limited to: operational updates to be provided by the Company in the future with respect to its facilities in Aldersyde, Alberta and Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the timing and content thereof. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, neither the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor OTCQB nor WKN, have reviewed, and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of, the content of this Press Release.

SOURCE: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670295/Cielo-Announces-Annual-General-and-Special-Meeting-Results
DGAP-News: NIMIQ / Key word(s): Product Launch/Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

SuperSimpleSwap.com - The easiest way to get into crypto! (news with additional features)



29.10.2021 / 07:49

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



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29.10.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


STOCKHOLM, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand for Lindab's products remained high during the third quarter and sales increased significantly compared to the same quarter previous year. Business areas Ventilation Systems and Profile Systems reported high organic sales growth and improved profitability. During the quarter, Lindab signed an agreement to divest business area Building Systems, in line with Lindab's strategy to increase focus on the core business.

Third quarter 2021

Lindab has signed an agreement to divest business area Astron Building Systems. The divestment is mainly subject to anti-trust approval in Russia . In this interim report Building Systems is recognised as "asset held for sale/discontinued operations."

. In this interim report Building Systems is recognised as "asset held for sale/discontinued operations." In September, Lindab's Board of Directors decided to update the financial targets.

Continuing operations

Net sales increased by 21 percent to SEK 2,488 m (2,059). Organic growth was 19 percent.

(2,059). Organic growth was 19 percent. Adjusted 1) operating profit increased to SEK 403 m (246).

operating profit increased to (246). Operating profit increased to SEK 403 m (250).

(250). Adjusted 1) operating margin increased to 16.2 percent (11.9).

operating margin increased to 16.2 percent (11.9). Operating margin increased to 16.2 percent (12.1).

Total operations

Profit/Loss for the period amounted to SEK -102 m (198) and was affected by one-off items and restructuring costs of SEK -432 m (4) related to Building Systems.

(198) and was affected by one-off items and restructuring costs of (4) related to Building Systems. Earnings per share before dilution amounted to SEK -1.33 (2.59) and after dilution to SEK -1.34 (2.59).

(2.59) and after dilution to (2.59). Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 202 m (452).

January - September 2021

Continuing operations

Net sales increased by 15 percent to SEK 7,088 m (6,138). Organic growth was 16 percent.

(6,138). Organic growth was 16 percent. Adjusted 1) operating profit increased to SEK 955 m (635).

operating profit increased to (635). Operating profit increased to SEK 955 m (565).

(565). Adjusted 1) operating margin increased to 13.5 percent (10.3).

operating margin increased to 13.5 percent (10.3). Operating margin increased to 13.5 percent (9.2).

Total operations

Profit for the period amounted to SEK 316 m (410) and was affected by one-off items and restructuring costs of SEK -432 m (-66) related to Building Systems.

(410) and was affected by one-off items and restructuring costs of (-66) related to Building Systems. Earnings per share before dilution amounted to SEK 4.14 (5.37) and after dilution to SEK 4.13 (5.37).

(5.37) and after dilution to (5.37). Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 489 m (773).

1) Adjusted operating profit/operating margin does not include significant one-off items and restructuring costs.

Lindab's President and CEO, Ola Ringdahl, comments:

"Lindab continued its strong development during the third quarter. Sales reached a new highest level, both for the Group and for the two business areas Ventilation Systems and Profile Systems. With an adjusted operating margin of 16.2 percent, Lindab has also continued to strengthen the profitability.

During the third quarter, Lindab experienced a very high demand for its products for both Ventilation Systems and Profile Systems. We were also early in adjusting prices to compensate for higher steel prices, which had a positive effect on sales. Lindab has a robust supply chain and reliable access to raw materials. Customers have appreciated the high delivery performance, which is a great competitive advantage, especially in times when there is a shortage of steel and other materials.

Increased focus after the divestment of business area Building Systems

In September, an agreement was signed to divest Astron Building Systems to Groupe Briand. The divestment is part of our efforts to refine the business and increase focus. Lindab's strength is to provide high-quality products with high availability. Astron has a distinct project business with a high degree of customer-unique solutions. With the divestment, we can focus on the core business and continue to develop Lindab with full force.

New financial targets

Increased focus on the remaining business and a stability in our earnings capacity have improved the conditions for profitable growth. The financial targets have been raised to reflect Lindab's ambition to grow sales through acquisitions. The annual growth should now amount to at least 10 percent as a combination of organic and acquired growth, compared with the previous target of 5-8 percent. One third of the growth is expected to be organic and two thirds through acquisitions.

During the quarter, Kami, a Swedish roof specialist, was acquired. Shortly after the end of the quarter, the Swiss ventilation company Tecnovent was acquired. We are now gradually increasing the pace and aim for more acquisitions in the future.

Our long-term profitability target was changed so that the adjusted operating margin should exceed 10 percent per year. During the third quarter, the operating margin target was exceeded by far, mainly due to strong sales. The effects of the investment program are becoming increasingly noticeable and contributed to increased earnings during the quarter, even though most of the efficiency gains are still ahead of us.

Well positioned for the future

In recent quarters, Lindab has proven that we have an organisation that can manage high steel prices and shortage of raw materials. Through our close cooperation with the largest players in the steel industry, we have good visibility of the expected market development. Our assessment is that the shortage of steel, and thus high steel prices, will persist at least for some time into next year. We plan the business and our pricing accordingly.

The long-term demand for Lindab's ventilation products benefits from an increased interest in solutions that create healthy indoor environments and reduce energy consumption. With an estimated 65-70 percent of our sales in line with EU's taxonomy, we have a product portfolio that is well positioned. We have a strong and motivated organization and good cost control. With our presence throughout Europe and a robust supply chain, we are well positioned to continue to develop the business in a positive direction in both the short and long term."

Press and analyst meeting:

A live audiocast will be held at 1:00 pm (CEST) on October 29, 2021. The Interim Report will be presented by Ola Ringdahl, President and CEO, and Jonas Arkestad CFO.

To access the audiocast, please call:

Phone +46 (0) 8 566 426 93

Alternatively phone +44 333 300 9262

The audiocast can be followed live at https://tv.streamfabriken.com/lindab-q3-2021.

This disclosure contains information that Lindab is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 29-10-202107:40 CET.

Contacts:

Ola Ringdahl

President and CEO

E-mail: ola.ringdahl@lindab.com

Phone: +46 (0) 431 850 00

Jonas Arkestad

CFO

E-mail: jonas.arkestad@lindab.com

Phone: +46 (0) 431 850 00

Catharina Paulcen

Head of Corporate Communications

E-mail: catharina.paulcen@lindab.com

Mobile: +46 (0) 701 48 99 65

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/lindab/r/lindab-s-interim-report--january---september-2021--high-organic-growth-and-continued-improved-profit,c3442975

The following files are available for download:
This document in English is a translation of the original in Swedish. In case of any discrepancy, the Swedish original will prevail.

Continued focus on Swedish market, Systematic investment in sales and marketing continues

January - September 2021

Net sales were KSEK 17,543 (17,784)

Profit/loss after financial items was KSEK -11,368 (-10,518)

Earnings per share were SEK -0.4 (-0.7)

The project that Aino has had with the municipality of Botkyrka since 2018 ended, in accordance with the contract, during the third quarter of this year, and the project results are now being evaluated by the governmental research institute RISE. From Aino's perspective, it has been clear during the project period that the project has been very positive and has led to decreased sick leave within the municipality.



Aino will also evaluate the project from its perspective, to see how lessons learned can be applied to other public organizations, to contribute toward decreased sick leave and healthier employees.

During the quarter, Aino has become a member of the sustainability platform CSR Sweden.

This gives Aino continued possibilities to conduct its CSR work together with other Swedish companies and creates increased opportunities to influence and create sustainability in Swedish professional life.

SaaS subscriptions

As of September 30, Aino Health has around 52,000 subscribers. The main part of the net change in the number of subscribers is because the three-year contract with the municipality of Botkyrka ended, in accordance with the agreement. At the end of september, the number of licenses is around 52,000, as Aino has managed to sign around 8,000 new licenses during the month.

The information contained herein is such as shall be made public by Aino Health AB (publ), in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was made public, through the agency of Jyrki Eklund, CEO and President of Aino Health AB, at 08.30 AM CET on October 29, 2021.

For more information:

Jyrki Eklund,

CEO Aino Health,

Phone: +358 40 042 4221

Certified adviser

Erik Penser Bank

+46 8 463 83 00

certifiedadviser@penser.se

About Aino Health (publ)

Aino Health is the leading supplier of Software as a Service solutions in Corporate Health Management. The company's complete system of SaaS platforms and services reduces sick leave, lowers related costs, and improves business results through increased productivity and employee engagement by making health, wellbeing, and safety an integrated part of everyday work. For more information visit ainohealth.com. Aino Health AB.

Attachments
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Eastern Platinum Limited (TSX: ELR) (JSE: EPS) ("Eastplats" or the "Company") is pleased to report the successful commissioning of the PGM main plant circuit B ("PGM Main Circuit B") following completion of the refurbishment and upgrade work commenced since May of this year (See news release of March 24, 2021). Construction and pre-commissioning were completed in September and commercial production of PGM concentrates started from October 18 with planned dispatches to the Company's offtake partner scheduled from October 26.

The Company completed the commissioning to enable processing of the full feed from chrome tails to consistently produce platinum group metal concentrates ("PGM concentrates"). The Company estimates an additional 600 tons of PGM concentrates per month will be added on top of the current production of 200 tons per month once production build-ups are achieved, which is projected to be around Q1 2022.

Diana Hu, Chief Executive Officer and Director commented, "The commissioning of the PGM Main Circuit B represents a significant milestone in our revenue growth plans. Our global team continues to deliver on schedule under challenging circumstances. This circuit will also expand the Company's future development potential, including the possibility to restart underground operations at the Crocodile River Mine to provide economic, social, and labour benefits to the community and benefit our stakeholders. We expect the PGM market to remain robust for the remainder of 2021 and years beyond."

Further to the above, the Company completed a life of mine ("LOM") study and underground mine design for Zandfontein, the core section of the Crocodile River Mine. The study and design include the following evaluations:

Mining method trade-off study with quantity and quality reports on the LOM scenarios.

Design and scheduling of the required underground infrastructure, the ventilation plan, the underground support systems and logistics plan, layouts and configurations.

Capital expenditure and operating expenditure, including equipment fleet required.

Based on the results of the study, the Eastplats' Board of Directors support carrying out the Zandfontein Underground restart business plan, subject to final evaluation and funding arrangements.

About Eastern Platinum Limited

Eastplats owns directly and indirectly a number of Platinum Group Metals ("PGM") and chrome assets in the Republic of South Africa. All of the Company's properties are situated on the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex, the geological environment that hosts approximately 80% of the world's PGM-bearing ore.

Operations at the Crocodile River Mine currently include re-mining and processing its tailings resource to produce chrome and PGM concentrates from the Barplats Zandfontein UG2 tailings facility.

COVID-19

There were no changes to the alert levels in South Africa, and they remain at alert level 1 regarding COVID-19. The Company continues to follow the health guidelines of the Government of South Africa. The chrome and PGM production and delivery remains in full operation. The effects of COVID-19 are evolving and changing and the consequences of a further increase in the alert level in South Africa, temporary shutdown of any operations or other related issues cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, but could potentially have material adverse effects on the Company's business, operations, liquidity and cashflows.

As a company, we support COVID-19 vaccines and organised the vaccination of our workforce on site.

For further information, please contact:

EASTERN PLATINUM LIMITED

Wylie Hui, Chief Financial Officer

whui@eastplats.com (email)

(604) 800-8200 (phone)

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "plan", "intends", "may", "could", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. Further disclosure of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and other forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

In particular, this press release contains, without limitation, forward-looking statements pertaining to: estimated operations and production of PGM Circuit D and PGM Main Circuit B; estimated ramp up or upgrades to the PGM Circuit D and PGM Main Circuit B; potential additional revenue from the PGM Circuit D and PGM Main Circuit B; potential effects of COVID-19 such as any future measures taken by the Government of South Africa and their impact on the Company, and its business, operations, liquidity and cashflows. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems that may arise in our production processes, commodity prices, lower than expected grades and quantities of resources, need for additional funding and availability of such additional funding on acceptable terms, economic conditions, currency fluctuations, competition and regulations, legal proceedings and risks related to operations in foreign countries.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, the "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information" section contained in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, and does not undertake, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101241
Mainstream Renewable Power-led consortium has been awarded 50% of the total allocation in the latest round of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)

Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) The win makes Mainstream Renewable Power the leading renewable energy company in South Africa , with over 2.1 GW awarded under the REIPPPP to date

, with over 2.1 GW awarded under the REIPPPP to date The twelve projects, across onshore wind and solar, will generate enough clean energy to power a third of the annual electricity demand of the City of Cape Town

DUBLIN and CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Global wind and solar company, Mainstream Renewable Power ("Mainstream"), today announces that twelve of its projects have won preferred bidder status in Round 5 of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The wind and solar projects, which have a total capacity of 1.27 GW, represent half of the total allocation in the Round, which was the most competitive to date, being almost 4 times oversubscribed.

The win makes Mainstream the most successful company in the history of the South African renewable energy procurement programme, with over 2.1 GW awarded to date. This includes 850 MW of wind and solar generation assets that Mainstream has already delivered into commercial operation across Rounds 1, 3 and 4 of the REIPPPP. Mainstream has achieved a number of firsts in the REIPPP including constructing South Africa's first self-build substation as well as bringing the first projects to financial close and to complete construction in Rounds 1, 3 and 4.

The Mainstream-led consortium, named "Ikamva" which means "the future" in Xhosa, will deliver six onshore wind projects and six solar PV projects, including the first REIPPPP project in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The consortium brings together a range of expertise, led by Mainstream's 100% African team of over a hundred professionals, and comprises Globeleq, Africa Rainbow Energy & Power, H1 Holdings and local community trusts.

As a result of this award Mainstream will double the size of its South African team and will be actively recruiting another 100 South Africans to support the engineering and construction of the 12 projects. This will make Mainstream the largest pure-play renewables employer in Africa.

The projects will produce approximately 4,500 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of green electricity each year, helping to avoid nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 per annum, once fully operational. They will provide South Africa with critical, low-cost, indigenous power and help deliver a just transition towards its clean energy and climate goals.

The win underpins Mainstream's strategy of building true scale across its global platforms, with the company's global portfolio now at 16.2 GW. It is the latest demonstration of Mainstream's accelerated growth trajectory following the 75% acquisition by Aker Horizons earlier in 2021, as well as the announcement of the new 1 GW Nazca Renovables platform in Chile in July.

Hein Reyneke, Mainstream's General Manager for Africa said:

"We are delighted to be chosen to contribute further to the decarbonisation of South Africa. It is a demonstration of faith in Mainstream's track record of efficient and reliable delivery not only here in South Africa but also internationally, where we are currently building ten wind and solar PV projects simultaneously, totalling 1.35 GW in Chile. Our latest win will deliver enormous social, economic and environmental benefits for South Africa."

Contact:

Emmet Curley, Head of Communications & Positioning

Phone: +353 86 2411 690

Email: emmet.curley@mainstreamrp.com

Note to editors:

Project information:

Project Name Technology MW Province Municipality District Dwarsrug Wind 124 Northern Cape Hantam Namakwa Beaufort West Wind 140 Western Cape Prince Alfred Central Karoo Trakas Wind 140 Western Cape Prince Alfred Central Karoo Waaihoek Wind 140 KKwazulu-Natal Madlangeni Amajuba Sutherland Wind 140 Northern Cape Karoo Hoogland and Laingsburg Namakwa and Central Karoo Rietrug Wind 140 Northern Cape Karoo Hoogland Namakwa Kentani Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Leliehoek Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Klipfontein Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Klipfontein 2 Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Braklaagte Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Sonoblomo Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Total

1,274







Mainstream owns 100% of the projects awarded. At financial close, ownership will transfer to the equity consortium: Mainstream (25%), Globeleq (26%), Africa Rainbow Energy & Power (23.25%), H1 Holdings (23.25%) and Community Trusts (2.5%).

About Mainstream Renewable Power

?Mainstream Renewable Power is a leading pure-play renewable energy company with a global footprint. The company is focused on expanding its high-quality pipeline of more than 16.2 Gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar assets across Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific as well as the global offshore wind sector. In May 2021, it closed an agreement for Aker Horizons to take a 75% equity stake in the company, enabling Mainstream to accelerate its global expansion plan.

?Mainstream has delivered more than 6.5 GW of wind and solar assets to financial close-ready, and currently has over 1.4 GW (net) in construction across Latin America and Africa. In Chile, Mainstream's wholly-owned 1.35 GW "Andes Renovables Platform" of fully contracted wind and solar assets are on track to complete construction from later this year. In Africa, the company has delivered 850 MW of wind and solar assets into commercial operation in South Africa, and further, through its Lekela Power joint venture has 410 MW of wind assets in construction in Senegal and Egypt.

?Mainstream is one of the most successful pure-play developers of offshore wind at scale globally.?It has successfully consented Hornsea One (1.2 GW), the largest operational offshore wind plant in the world today; and developed the Hornsea 2 project (1.4 GW) before selling these projects and the entire Zone in 2015. Overall, it has developed and consented 20% of the UK's offshore wind capacity either in operation or under construction.? Mainstream fully consented the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind project in Scotland, 450 MW, currently under construction.? The company's Soc Trang 1.4 GW offshore wind development in Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's largest renewable energy developments.

?Mainstream has raised more than EUR3.0bn in project finance to date and employs more than 420 staff across five continents.

www.mainstreamrp.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/686512/Mainstream_Renewable_Power_Logo.jpg
LONDON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been an explosion in the sales of NFTs in the past year. One digital artist called Beeple sold his NFT artwork called Opus for $69 million at Christies. Another artist called Pak created a collection of NFT Cubes which sold out at Sothebys for $17m, and last week UK based artist Doctor Troller's first drop of Crocs League NFTs netted over $500,000 in a couple of hours.

But what exactly is an NFT?

OK, let's start with the basics. NFT stands for non-fungible token.

OK, I'm sure you get the token bit, but non-fungible?

Non-fungible means it's unique, one of a kind, and cannot be replaced with something else.

You've heard of Bitcoin, right?

Well Bitcoin is fungible. One Bitcoin is exactly the same as another, you could trade any Bitcoin for another, they won't be any different. An NFT however, is a one-of-a-kind trading card. If you swap or sell it for another NFT you will have something completely different.

So how exactly do NFTs work?

Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain. Most purchases and trades of NFTs are done in ETH. Ethereum is a cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, but the ETH blockchain also supports these NFTs, and stores extra information which is why most NFT transactions are done in Etherium.

So what is worth buying in NFTs?

NFTs can be pretty much anything collectable that can be digitised. It could be music, videos, the world's first Tweet (it sold for $2.9m), but a lot of the current NFT excitement is around digital art.

The reason for this excitement is that NFTs are designed to give you something that can't be copied: ownership of the artwork. To explain this in terms of physical art collecting, anyone can buy a Van Gogh print, but only one person can own the original. And with blockchain technology, you can easily see that the artwork is the genuine version and not a fake.

OK, how does that work?

All transactions of the artwork are recorded and stored on the blockchain, this gives the NFT artwork, what art dealers call "provenance", you can see exactly who has owned the artwork right the way back to the original minting by the artist.

Right, I'm interested, but which NFTs are worth collecting?

Well, that's the $69m question, literally. So rarity of NFTs is important. If an artist releases an edition of a million NFTs they're not exactly rare, and so therefore this should be reflected in the price.

Have a look on community sites to see what prices these NFTs are going for, do your research. Discord is a good site to check on prices and sales for NFTs. Look and see what prices those NFTs have sold for today, not last week. This is a fast moving market, fortunes can be made quicklyand lost quickly. You've got to know the right time to get in, and get out.

What about security, I've heard about people being robbed online?

It's really important to have strong security. Have a good secure wallet, something like Metamask, but also it's good to double down with a physical wallet as well, so that if your computer is hacked you're not going to lose everything when you're asleep.

Please do ask us any questions that you think we should cover and we'll get back to you with some answers soon.

You can contact us across social media, including Twitter , Discord , Instagram and Crocs League website https://crocsleague.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1673093/UK_NFT_Art.jpg
October 29, 2021

U.S. Oil & Gas Plc.

("US Oil" or the "Company")

Update

U.S. Oil & Gas Plc, ("USOIL" or the "Company"), the oil and gas exploration company with assets in Nevada, makes the following announcement:

Permit application

As previously reported, three drill permit applications are currently in process with the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, no indication has yet been received concerning a time-scale for permits to be finalised. The Board continues to believe that if permits were to be awarded without undue delay, sufficient time remains to drill a funded well or wells before the leases concerned expire. The Company is also exploring the possibility of seeking lease extensions on multiple material grounds.

Funding

Currently, the Company is actively engaged in fundraising. Whether or not sufficient funding can be raised to drill within the required time frame is as yet uncertain. The Board believes that the award of a permit or permits, if that should occur within the required timeframe, would materially increase the chances of successful fundraising.

Strategy

The Board has carefully considered the Company's options in the event that funds are not raised soon enough to allow sufficient lead-in time for a drill on the leases set to expire in the near term. Although certain leases will expire if drilling does not take place, other prospective leases will still be held by the Company. Leases held include 52,046 acres impacted by a court-ordered suspension of operations on federal leases in Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, as previously reported. This suspension may in time be lifted and allow operations to continue. The Board intends that the Company remain positioned for as long as possible to take advantage of that situation should it arise. In addition, the Company holds two leases totalling 1,223 acres, considered highly prospective, that are not constrained by the court order and that do not expire until 2030. Given the required funding, the Company would engage in exploring those leases to appraise prospects for drilling.

The Board's overriding strategy will be to position the Company so it can take advantage of any positive developments and opportunities that may arise over the longer term. To that end, a contingency plan has been developed that includes curtailing the Company's operations by reducing equipment holdings, storage facilities and other overheads, including personnel costs. Core corporate activities, including audit, regulatory and legal functions will continue.

Brian McDonnell, US Oil CEO, said:

"US Oil has discovered an active oil system in Hot Creek Valley, and the Board believes that a major oilfield is there and waiting to be proved up. While we still await permits to proceed with drilling on our West Play leases, the Company has been actively engaging with potential investors. As we have said, sufficient lead-in time remains to drill a well or wells before the relevant leases expire.

"If it should happen that funding cannot be raised in time to drill the wells for which permits have been sought, the Company will continue to seek investment in order to explore its remaining leases. The Board has carefully considered the Company's options and has decided that priority should be given to keeping the Company positioned to take advantage of any positive developments. Changes in the funding situation, lease conditions or the wider regulatory environment could materially improve the Company's prospects. To that end, a contingency plan for reducing Company activities and overheads has been drawn up and approved by the Board and will be implemented at the appropriate time and as circumstances dictate.

"In an environment in which oil prices are rising and predicted to rise further, I believe it is in the interests of shareholders that the Company continues to explore Hot Creek Valley over the longer term. Data from our three wells fully support the view that US Oil has discovered an active oil system in the valley. All indications are that a major oilfield is there to be proved and developed. Right now, excellent targets are waiting for the drill bit."

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The statements in this communication reflect the current thinking of the Board and the Company's present plans. The Company reserves the right to alter plans in the light of developing knowledge and circumstances. Shareholders' attention is drawn to the note below concerning Forward-looking Statements.

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information". Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: business plans and strategies of US Oil and Gas; operating or technical difficulties in connection with drilling or development activities; availability and costs associated with inputs and labour; drilling and exploration costs; the speculative nature of oil exploration and development; diminishing quantities or quality of reserves; synergies and financial impact of completed acquisitions; the benefits of the acquisitions and the development potential of properties of US Oil and Gas; the future price of oil; supply and demand for oil; the estimation of reserves; the realization of reserve estimates; costs of production and projections of costs; success of exploration activities; capital expenditure programs and the timing and method of financing thereof; the ability of US Oil and Gas to achieve drilling success consistent with management's expectations; net present values of future net revenues from reserves; expected levels of royalty rates, operating costs, general and administrative costs, costs of services and other costs and expenses; expectations regarding the ability to raise capital and to add to reserves through acquisitions, assessments of the value of acquisitions and exploration and development programs; geological, technical, drilling and processing problems; treatment under governmental regulatory regimes and tax laws.

All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements

THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein constitutes an offer or solicitation by U.S. Oil and Gas Plc for the purchase or sale of any securities nor does it constitute a solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction where solicitation would be unlawful.

For further information contact:

Brian McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer +353 (1) 631 9022

About U.S. Oil & Gas:

U.S. Oil & Gas plc is an oil and gas exploration company with a strategy to identify and acquire oil and gas assets in the early phase of the upstream life-cycle and mature them. The Company's

main asset is in Nye County, Nevada where it holds the entire share capital of US-based company, Major Oil International LLC ("Major Oil"). Major Oil has acquired rights to exploration and development acreage in Hot Creek Valley, Nye County, adjacent to the oil and gas rich Railroad Valley area of Nevada, both of which are part of the Sevier Thrust of central Nevada and western Utah, USA.

For further information please refer to our website at: www.usoilandgas.us
COPENHAGEN (dpa-AFX) - Denmark's jobless rate declined in September, figures from Statistics Denmark showed on Friday. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the gross unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent in September from 3.5 percent in August. The gross unemployment fell by 5,400 to 94,600 in September from 100,000 in the preceding month. The youth jobless rate, which is applicable to the 16 to 24 age group, decreased to 1.3 percent in September from 1.4 percent in the previous month. Based on the LFS data, the number of unemployed persons was 140,000 in September. 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.
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 (dpa-AFX) - At 4.30 am ET Friday, the Bank of England releases mortgage approvals data for September. The number of mortgages approved in September is seen at 70,950 versus 74,500 in August. Ahead of the data, the pound traded mixed against its major counterparts. While it held steady against the greenback and the yen, it fell against the franc. Against the euro, it rose. The pound was worth 156.71 against the yen, 1.2568 against the franc, 1.3785 against the greenback and 0.8460 against the euro as of 4:25 am ET. 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.
The meeting of the Board of Directors of NEO Finance, AB (code 303225546, address A. Vivulskio st. 7, Vilnius, hereinafter - the Company) held on 29 October 2021 made following decisions: 1. Pursuant to paragraph 37.3 of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Companies and paragraph 104 of Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, to remove Aleksejus Loskutovas from the position of the Head of Administration as of 29 October 2021. 2. To temporarily appoint Aiva Remeikiene, who is currently member of the Board of Directors, to the position of the Head of administration from 30 October 2021. 3. Pursuant to Republic of Lithuania Law on Electronic Money and Electronic Money Institutions and Resolution of the Bank of Lithuania No. 03-181 "On The Approval Of The Guidelines For The Assessment Of Members Of The Management Body And Key Function Holders Of Financial Market Participants Supervised By The Bank Of Lithuania", to provide the Bank of Lithuania with the necessary documents and information about Paulius Tarbunas in order to obtain the approval of Bank of Lithuania for his candidacy. After the Bank of Lithuania confirms that Paulius Tarbunas may hold the position of the Head of Administration of the Company, the Board of Directors will make a decision to appoint Paulius Tarbunas as the Head of the Administration as of the date established in that decision. Aleksejus Loskutovas joined NEO Finance in 2018, developing the payment initiation service Neopay. After the Bank of Lithuania approved his candidacy, A. Loskutovas in 2021 February 19 was appointed the official head of the Company's administration and has so far successfully grown and represented NEO Finance. "Aleksejus competence and hard work in achieving the Company's strategic goals and business development have made a significant contribution to the Company's growing results. His previous achievements in the field of open banking department did not call into question his ambition and mature management experience. So the decision to appoint Aleksejus as the Head of the administration of the Company undoubtedly brought only positive changes for the NEO Finance. On behalf of the whole Company, we are grateful to Aleksejus for his significant contribution, consistent pursuit of goals, smooth teamwork, and most importantly, his belief in the future of the company and the team's inspiration to resolutely strive to become market leaders. We sincerely wish Aleksejus the greatest success in pursuance his future plans," comments Evaldas Remeikis, Chairman of the Board of NEO Finance. P. Tarbunas has been working in the fields of banking and finance for more than 25 years. He led the Fintech Lithuania Group, which is part of the information and communication technology association Infobalt. Prior to that, P. Tarbunas managed and led a project to establish the joint central credit union Kreda, and for 20 years he held various management positions at SEB Bank in the Baltic States and Ukraine. It is expected that after the approval of P. Tarbunas' candidacy by the Bank of Lithuania and his appointment as the Head of Administration by the Board of the Company, P. Tarbunas' international and long-term experience will ensure the successful development and growth of the Company. Evaldas Remeikis Chair of the Board of Directors Email: e.remeikis@neofinance.com
Introducing the CS ONE: super smart, super safe and super simple to use

VIKMANSHYTTAN, Sweden, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CTEK AB, a leading global brand in vehicle charging solutions, has today launched in stores and online the CS ONE, a revolutionary and powerful new battery charger and maintainer with APTO (Adaptive Charging) technology, now available to purchase throughout Europe. The CS ONE is the smartest battery charger that CTEK has ever made - cutting-edge APTO technology does all the thinking for you, no need to worry about battery type, size or even positive and negative clamps, so it's also extremely safe and easy to use.

The CS ONE is super smart, automatically delivering charging and conditioning programmes for any 12V lead-acid or lithium battery, without the need to select modes or press any buttons. For complete safety and peace of mind, the CS ONE features spark and polarity free clamps that will automatically recognise positive and negative terminals so you will never make a wrong connection again, and spark free so that you do not have to worry about them touching together whilst connecting. An easy to follow countdown indicator shows clearly how long to go before the battery is fully charged and even when you can restart a flat battery.

CTEK's specially developed APTO technology will revolutionise battery charging, first communicating with the battery to understand size, chemistry and health before automatically delivering a customised charging programme (2-8 Amps), to maximise battery performance. An in-built temperature sensor will automatically adjust the output voltage in both cold and hot conditions for the fastest and safest charging times.

The free to download CTEK App unlocks additional features such as 'RECOND' to restore battery health, 'WAKE UP' for lithium batteries with under voltage protection (UVP) or to bring deeply discharged lead-acid batteries back to life and 'SUPPLY' to turn CS ONE into a 12V supply.

Jon Lind, CEO from CTEK said "We are really excited to be launching the CTEK CS ONE product, that takes a whole new, revolutionary approach to battery care. We were the first to market with smart charging and now, thanks to our revolutionary APTO technology, we have launched the first fully adaptive charger. And it's down to this technology that smart just got easy and easy just got smart! The CS ONE goes beyond traditional multi-step charging - it's the world's smartest, fully adaptive charger that really does do all the thinking for you. And with the introduction of polarity free clamps it's so safe and easy to use."

Suitable for use on cars, motorcycles, leisure vehicles, vans, and boats, the CS ONE is easy to use, there are no modes to select - just connect and the CS ONE will do the rest. It's the ultimate battery charger, conditioner and maintainer, that can be left attached to the battery indefinitely to ensure your vehicle is always ready to go when you are.

Key features:

Super Smart and Super Simple: no buttons to press or modes to select - simply connect CS ONE to any 12V lead-acid or lithium (LiFePO4) battery and just leave it to do its work.

no buttons to press or modes to select - simply connect CS ONE to any 12V lead-acid or lithium (LiFePO4) battery and just leave it to do its work. Adaptive Charging Technology (APTO): automatically works out what type and size of battery you've got and what it needs, then delivers a customised charging program with the most appropriate charge for your battery.

automatically works out what type and size of battery you've got and what it needs, then delivers a customised charging program with the most appropriate charge for your battery. Polarity Free Clamps: just put one clamp on each charging point and the CS ONE will automatically work out which is the positive and which is the negative terminal.

just put one clamp on each charging point and the CS ONE will automatically work out which is the positive and which is the negative terminal. Bad cell detection: The CS ONE can tell if your battery can't be charged - and will notify you.

The CS ONE can tell if your battery can't be charged - and will notify you. Easy to understand display: countdown indicator shows when you can restart your battery and how long to go till fully charged

countdown indicator shows when you can restart your battery and how long to go till fully charged Additional functions: unlock additioanal programs / functions via the free to download CTEK App:

unlock additioanal programs / functions via the free to download CTEK App: RECOND mode restores battery life and reconditions flat or deeply discharged batteries



WAKE UP lithium batteries with under voltage protection (UVP) or to bring deeply discharged lead-acid batteries (as low as 0V) back to life



SUPPLY' mode turns CS ONE into a 12V power supply to keep vehicle settings safe if you need to remove the battery



Advanced settings to monitor volts and amps being delivered by the charger



Adjust charger LED brightness

Accessories: new-look u-terminal connector for easier access to the battery, protective rubber bumper, wall-mount and adaptor for compatibility with all existing CTEK accessories

new-look u-terminal connector for easier access to the battery, protective rubber bumper, wall-mount and adaptor for compatibility with all existing CTEK accessories The CS FREE comes with a 5-year warranty

For more information about the CS ONE, please visit www.ctek.com

PRESS ENQUIRIES

Katharine Parker

PR Manager

E-mail: Katharine.parker@ctek.com

+44 7974141266

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MADRID, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Listed technology services company Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTCQX: LLEIF) improved its pre-tax profit by 90 percent in the first half of 2021.

In these first six months of the year, the company posted a half-year pre-tax result of 659,000, up from the 346,000 it saw in H1 2020, and well above the 232,000 recorded in H1 2019.

It recorded an EBITDA of 1.19 million.

Today, the company reported its consolidated half-year financial results to the market, showing virtually no change compared to the interim results announced in July.

"These results prove once again that the information Lleida.net provides to the market is always reliable and truthful regarding the company's day-to-day business," explained Sisco Sapena, its CEO and founder.

The data presented show the company's financial strength, which has sufficient working capital to ensure the continuity of its operations in the medium and long term.

In the first half of 2021, Lleida.net's three business lines recorded significant sales increases. The SaaS line, mainly, saw sales 33% higher than in the previous period, amounting to 3.1 million euros in the half-year.

Last Wednesday, Lleida.net announced the purchase of 100% of inDenova for 7.1 million euros.

On November 29th, the General Shareholders' Meeting will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss and, if necessary, approve the acquisition transaction.

With this transaction and the aggregate data for 2020, the company's EBITDA would grow to over 3.96 million euros. The combined turnover of both companies amounts to 19.7 million.

Lleida.net has achieved, thanks to its continuous investment in R+D+i, to position itself as a reference supplier in the certification and e-procurement markets; capturing large accounts, not only in Spain but also internationally, consolidating its presence in Latin America with a focus on Colombia and expanding its activity in Africa and Europe.

Lleida.net is the European leader in the registered electronic notification, signature, and contracting industry and is listed in Spain, France, and the United States. Its market cap on the stock market exceeds 80 million euros.

It has 205 patents granted by more than 60 countries, and its intellectual property portfolio is one of the strongest in the industry worldwide.
LONDON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Latest report from leading IoT industry analysts, Transforma Insights, highlights the need for Communications Service Providers that are serious about addressing the Internet of Things to pivot to being Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Providers. Vodafone ranks as the top global IoT CSP.

Transforma Insights today published its 'Communications Service Provider IoT Peer Benchmarking Report 2021' which analyses the relative strengths of 12 leading providers of global IoT connectivity in areas such as networks, platforms, vertical solutions, and commercial strategy.

The market for cellular IoT connectivity has become increasingly complex and competitive recently. In these circumstances, Communications Service Providers (CSPs) have to take a long hard look at their strategies and approaches to the market. There are effectively two options: find additional revenue streams or put in place systems and processes to cope with the pressures.

This report focuses on the core role of the CSP, i.e. the provision of connectivity. To succeed in that endeavour requires a CSP to evolve in order to become a 'Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Provider.' The assessment focuses on whether the CSP has put in place (or is in the process of putting in place) the necessary capabilities to deliver scalable connectivity to support at least ten times the number of devices at low cost points. The report rates each CSP based on their aptitude as Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Providers, across seven key areas (in declining order of importance) as indicated the chart below.

Based on the assessment against those seven criteria, the top scorer in terms of having the capabilities necessary to be a Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Provider is Vodafone, followed by Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Telenor, KORE and Telia.

The opportunity associated with IoT for CSPs is not limited to the provision of connectivity. Many differentiate in other significant ways. Offering vertical solutions is one option. Many CSPs have very strong, in some cases market-leading, solutions in particular vertical markets. However, for most vertical markets the barriers to entry are high and simply pursuing a 'me too' approach to launching vertical solutions in every appealing segment is doomed to failure. Again, Vodafone scores highest for the strength of its vertical solution portfolio, followed by Verizon, Telefonica and Orange.

There are further opportunities in IoT associated with horizontal advisory, consulting and systems integration services. The challenge with this part of the market is that it is hard to scale. Nevertheless, it is a valuable part of the market. Those CSPs with strong consulting and systems integration capabilities include Deutsche Telekom and Orange.

The chart below summarises the Transforma Insights ranking. On the vertical axis is Hyperscale IoT Connectivity capabilities. The horizontal axis provides an aggregate score for delivering client-specific solutions, across both vertical solutions and horizontal advisory/consulting/systems integration.

It should be noted that even the highest scoring CSP still has some way to go to meet the requirements of what we consider to be an optimum Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Provider, as highlighted by author Matt Hatton: "CSPs must continue to evolve towards the goal of being a Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Provider, supporting the necessary suite of scalable technologies and capabilities necessary to profitably address the growing cellular IoT market opportunity."

About the report

Transforma Insights' Communications Service Provider (CSP) IoT Peer Benchmarking 2021 report analyses the strategies and capabilities of twelve leading providers of global IoT connectivity: Aeris Communications, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, KORE, KPN, Orange, Tele2, Telefonica, Telenor, Telia, Verizon, and Vodafone. The twelve operators have been chosen based on an analysis of dozens of operators in terms of scale and globalisation of offering.

The 82-page report leads with analysis of how the dozen operators are positioned to thrive as CSPs in IoT. Most specifically it looks at how able they are to pursue a strategy of being a Hyperscale IoT Connectivity Provider, including the seven elements of a successful hyperscale approach. It also examines other strategic approaches including moving 'up-the-stack to address vertical solutions, layering on horizontal capabilities particularly around data analytics and management, and horizontal consulting/systems integration/support functions.

The majority of the report consists of profiles of each of the companies, featuring sections covering each of the following:

Background section provides information on the history of the organisation, its structure, size of the team, statistics such as numbers and types of connections, and other salient information.

Networks section look at capabilities to support connected devices using both public broadband (e.g. LTE and 5G) and narrowband (e.g. NB-IoT or LoRa) networks as well as private networks installed at the customer premises. This includes consideration of how able the CSP is to support connectivity around the world including via partners and alliances.

Middleware section focuses on a diverse set of platforms and the CSP strategies related to them, most prominently connectivity management, device management, and application enablement.

Data Management, including hosting, analytics and capabilities associated with post-event data management such as exchanges and trading platforms.

Solutions and Services covering the approach to addressing vertical sectors either through packaged propositions or through consulting and systems integration.

Other section which looks at competitive differentiators and capabilities not otherwise considered in the other sections. This includes security and devices.

The report is available to 'Corporate' level subscribers to Transforma Insights Advisory Service. It forms part of a stream of research on IoT connectivity including recent and forthcoming reports on price erosion, the IoT MVNO landscape, and the LEO satellite market.

About Transforma Insights

Transforma Insights is a leading research firm focused on the world of Digital Transformation (DX). Led by seasoned technology industry analysts we provide advice, recommendations and decision support tools for organisations seeking to understand how new technologies will change the markets in which they operate.

For more information about Transforma Insights, please see our website transformainsights.com or contact us at enquiries@transformainsights.com. Follow us on Twitter: @transformatweet.

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BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks fell notably on Friday, with a rise in Eurozone government bond yields keeping investors nervous. Meanwhile, the German economy expanded 1.8 percent sequentially in the third quarter of 2021 when compared to the expectations of 2.2 percent and 1.6 percent booked in the second quarter, preliminary data published by Destatis showed. The benchmark DAX dropped 119 points, or 0.8 percent, to 15,577 after ending flat with a negative bias the previous day. Daimler added 1.7 percent after the carmaker posted a higher quarterly profit despite a 30 percent drop in Mercedes-Benz sales due to the chip crisis. Wacker Neuson was down 0.6 percent despite lifting its FY outlook. Aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines gained 1 percent. The company reported that its third-quarter net income was 87 million euros, significantly higher than last year's 16 million euros. 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.
DUSSELDORF, Germany, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At HUAWEI ECO-CONNECT EUROPE 2021 - taking place online as well as onsite in Dusseldorf, Paris, Rome, Madrid and DenHaag - Huawei introduced its next generation of data protection products: the OceanProtect X8000 and X9000 Backup Storage and the OceanProtect A8000 Appliance.

Huawei - rated as a leader in the 2021 Magic Quadrant for Primary Storage by Gartner, the world's leading research and consulting company - placed a focus on data protection in its keynote speech at the event. With the world's data demands growing and diversifying rapidly, Huawei Germany's IT Solution Sales Director, Sascha Oehl, emphasized that we need a new infrastructure to support the needs of enterprises - zero service disruption, zero data loss, and long-term information retention - as their data use expands to exabyte-level.

OceanProtect is designed to be a core part of this infrastructure: a comprehensive solution for disaster recovery, backup and archiving, covering every data scenario at a larger scale and with better performance and reliability than previous generations.

Huawei also used the event to showcase OceanStor Pacific, the distributed storage designed for Mass Data.

OceanProtect: Comprehensive protection for diversified data

The OceanProtect Data Protection Solution a wide range of use cases throughout the data lifecycle: full disaster recovery of hot data, quick backup and restore of warm data, and warm archiving of cold data.

It is available as two separate systems: OceanProtect X8000 and X9000 Backup Storage, for centralized backup systems, and OceanProtect A8000 Backup Appliance, for all-in-one backups incorporating software, servers and storage.

Recognizing that enterprises need to back up more data in the same time frames, Huawei optimized the OceanProtect for efficient storage and high backup speed. Using a distributed parallel architecture, it can reach a bandwidth of 155TB per hour - three times higher than the industry benchmark - with data reduction ratios of up to 72:1.

In addition, with its unified storage architecture, OceanProtect can store data in the same format for every use case, enabling faster cross-system copying and ultimately improving configuration efficiency by 50%.

In a single solution, it enables fast-expanding and data-driven enterprises to enjoy guaranteed service continuity, universal protection, and instant data access.

"We're seeing a rapid move in primary storage - from mechanical hard drives to flash drives," said Sascha Oehl. "However, the whole storage infrastructure, especially the protection solution, fails to meet the demands that come with rapid business growth. We need to accelerate our backup systems.

"The OceanProtect solution solves problems such as low data backup efficiency, high TCO, and difficult data reuse. It ensures zero data loss and efficient service operation."

Unlocking the true value of data

Huawei also presented its high-density, high-performance storage system, OceanStor Pacific 9950. With high-density hardware and high-ratio EC, OceanStor Pacific can increase space utilization to 93% while reducing footprint by 40% and TCO by 30%.

Both OceanProtect and OceanStor Pacific are built on the principle of delivering more value from data. As enterprises' data ownership grows, they will look to get more out of it, combining it into data lakes that can power new innovations and generate returns for the business.

Key to supporting this is a robust data platform that provides the necessary infrastructure for 24/7 services, multiple data categories, and fast and flexible access at large scale. This is what Huawei's new generation of data protection products is designed for: future-proofing data protection, eliminating problems such as low backup efficiency and high TCO, and make data more easily usable.

For more information about Huawei's Storage Products, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/uk/products/storage

Contact person:

Beatriz Cebro Trenco

beatriz.cebro@huawei.com

+49 (0)1639679600

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Partnership to Help Address Affordable Housing Shortage with Commitment to Cap Rents at a Material Discount to Current Market Rents

Ares to Partner with AEDAS Homes and Grupo SANJOSE on Project

Builds on Ares' Investment Thesis to Supply Affordable Housing Across Europe

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) announced today that funds managed by the Ares Real Estate Group ("Ares") were awarded an innovative public-private partnership with the Community of Madrid to develop more than 3,600 affordable rental residential units in Madrid. As part of its Plan VIVE, the Community of Madrid has awarded Ares a 50-year concession to invest 400 million in developing housing across 13 municipalities in Madrid. Ares has committed to developing this portfolio within three years and to cap the rent per unit at a material discount to current market rent, providing important affordable housing for lower- and middle-income residents. Avalon Properties, an asset manager majority-owned by Ares, will oversee the assets as part of Ares' Madrid rental residential strategy, which will now total more than 5,600 units across the Madrid region, over 80% of which will consist of new builds and the majority of which will have rents under 700 per month.

As part of the investment, Ares has partnered with Madrid-based companies AEDAS Homes, a leading residential developer in Spain, and Grupo SANJOSE, a global construction company, to act as the project manager and developer, and constructor, respectively. All project plans have been developed with what we believe is a strong focus on environmentally conscious design, construction and operations, including Grade A energy efficiency certification, materials specifically selected and sourced to minimize environmental impact and efficient design for waste management and water usage.The homes themselves will feature a modern fit-out and residents will benefit from a wide range of amenities such as a gym, swimming pool and indoor and outdoor communal spaces.

Plan VIVE establishes a novel partnership between the Community of Madrid, Ares, AEDAS Homes and Grupo SANJOSE intended to help address the affordable housing shortage for lower- and middle-income communities. Through its management of flexible private capital funds, Ares is seeking to fill an important financing gap for public bodies while ensuring affordable rent levels in assets built under high institutional standards. Notably, these projects provide exposure to some of the fastest growing municipalities of Madrid, with strong employment creation, favorable demographic trends and exposure to logistic and technology industry expansion.

"We are excited to have been selected by the Community of Madrid for this public-private partnership that we believe will bring much needed affordable housing to the region's residents with a focus on environmentally sustainable living," said Kevin Cahill, Partner in the Ares Real Estate Group. "Plan VIVE highlights the growing opportunity for introducing private capital to address critical public issues, like Europe's affordable housing shortage, and we believe that this creative partnership structure provides a template for other municipalities across Europe. We look forward to working closely with the Community of Madrid, AEDAS and SANJOSE in realizing the important benefits for all stakeholders."

The Ares Real Estate Group has been investing in European rental residential since 2013 and this strategy seeks to lever the power of the Ares platform to source and manage investments in middle market housing development and ownership across a growing number of regions. The investments are tailored to the dynamics of each market in an effort to address immediate and long-term needs of its stakeholders, particularly in light of the impact of COVID-19 on low- and middle-income residents. The Ares Real Estate Group's investments include homebuilders, social and workforce housing and rental residential platforms.

"We believe the Madrid residential projects exemplify Ares' broader focus on meeting the significant demand for affordable housing across the European market, which benefits our local communities and our fund investors," said John Ruane, Partner and Co-Head of European Real Estate Equity at Ares. "Over the last several years, we have built our thesis by making creative local investments related to the need for affordable housing in multiple regions across Europe, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain. Through our demonstrated experience and ability to provide flexible capital solutions, we are seeking to advance Ares' commitment to corporate responsibility by investing in projects with a focus on positive social and environmental impact, and we believe there is significant market opportunity to further expand these efforts."

About Ares Management Corporation

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2021, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately $282 billion of assets under management, with approximately 2,000 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com. Follow Ares on Twitter @Ares_Management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005043/en/

Contacts:

Spain Media:

Tinkle

Sarah Estebanez, +34636628041

sestebanez@tinkle.es

U.S. Media

Mendel Communications

Bill Mendel, 212-397-1030

bill@mendelcommunications.com

Ares Management Corporation

Carl Drake, 888-818-5298

cdrake@aresmgmt.com

or

Jacob Silber, 212-301-0376

jsilber@aresmgmt.com


BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Shares of Daimler AG were gaining around 2 percent in the morning trading in Germany after the automaker Friday reported said it continues to expect significantly higher EBIT and revenue for fiscal 2021 after reporting increased profit in its third quarter. Revenues were nearly flat in the quarter despite considerably lower production and sales due to the semiconductor shortage.



For fiscal 2021, the company, which is spinning off Daimler Trucks & Buses division, continues to expect Group EBIT will be significantly above the level of 2020, which was adversely affected in particular by the covid-19 pandemic. The company noted that demand for all products remains strong in all markets.



In the year 2021, unit sales of industrial business are expected to be at prior-year level assuming that commercial vehicle business remains within the company, while unit sales would be slightly lower taking into account the spin-off of Daimler's commercial vehicle business.



For the third quarter, Group net profit was 2.57 billion euros, 19 percent higher than last year's 2.16 billion euros. Earnings per share were 2.31 euros, up 21 percent from 1.91 euros last year. The share from discontinued operations was 549 million euros, up 58 percent from last year, related to the planned spin off of former Daimler Trucks & Buses division.



Group EBIT was 3.58 billion euros, a growth of 17 percent from the prior year thanks to improved product mix, revenue quality and a tight grip on fixed costs. Adjusted EBIT increased 4 percent to 3.61 billion euros.



Group revenue was 40.08 billion euros, nearly same as last year's 40.28 billion euros. Revenue from discontinued operations declined 3 percent to 8.44 billion euros.



Total unit sales decreased 25 percent to 577,800 passenger cars and commercial vehicles from 772,700 units a year ago mainly due to the global supply constraints.



Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans revenue edged down 1 percent from last year to 25.60 billion euros, and unit sales declined 30 percent to 471,404 units. Daimler Trucks & Buses revenues fell 4 percent, while unit sales grew 7 percent. Daimler Mobility's revenue remained flat.



In Germany, Daimler shares were trading at 85.38 euros, up 1.82 percent.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

DAIMLER-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
HEZE, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 25, the Information Office of Heze Municipal People's Government held a news conference to announce the official start of the 2022 Award Selection Campaign for the Outstanding Contribution Award and Blooming World Peony Awards of the Peony Capital of China (Heze). The campaign is now calling for entries from China and abroad.

The award selection process will commence in early 2022. In accordance with the Award Selection Rules of the Outstanding Contribution Award of the Peony Capital of China (Heze), the campaign organizer will declare two categories - Peony Cultural Art and Peony Industrial Development - and select one individual or group winner for each. The after-tax prize will be CNY 300,000 for each winner. The award candidates are those individuals or teams from China and abroad having made outstanding achievements in the cultivation and breeding, scientific research and development, and business model innovation of peony flowers as well as peony cultural art creation and production; having made outstanding contributions to the development of Heze's peony industry and peony cultural art; and having significant social influence.

The award selection campaign of the Blooming World Peony Awards includes acknowledgement of achievement in seven areas that can be divided into two categories: peony industry development and peony cultural art. These seven areas include: National Peony Competition, Peony Scientific Innovation Award, Peony Industry Business Model Innovation Award, Peony Artwork Competition, Peony Calligraphy Competition, Peony Photography Competition, and Peony Cultural Creative Design Competition. Each separate distinction has a Golden Peony Award, the pinnacle, for which the prize is CNY 100,000 each.

According to Liu Furong, Executive Vice Secretary of the Publicity Department of the CPC Heze Municipal Committee and Director of the Municipal Civilization Office, in April 2022 when the peony is in full bloom, the 2022 Blooming World National Peony Competition and the Peony Cultural Art Exhibition will be held in Heze to showcase the creations of the finalists in the various competitions in peony art, calligraphy, photography, and creative design. In mid-May 2022, Heze will hold the Award Ceremony of the Peony Capital of China (Heze). During this time, some outstanding award-winning works in the Peony Cultural Art category will be displayed in public places, such as the airport and the high-speed railway station, exhibiting the distinctive, vibrant and inclusive nature of the Peony Capital of China.

As an important growth driver of the peony industry and the development of peony cultural art, these awards were initiated in 2020 and will henceforth be an annual fixture in the Heze calendar. The official website of the campaign (http://heze.dzwww.com/hkss/) will be kept up to date.

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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Modern business is all about speed, so challenges like slow transaction processing, trust deficit, high transaction fee, and the high startup cost is affecting the growth potential of the dropshipping industry. Reddocoin promises to solve all these peripheral challenges by fully automating the whole dropshipping process, allowing players to focus more on core business, i.e., sales and marketing.

Reddocoin

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Reddocoin does this by revolutionizing the global e-commerce landscape by automating dropshipping. It is fact the entry cost of dropshipping is very high, so the core idea is to simplify the process by eliminating unnecessary barriers.

Dropshiping offers immense opportunity, as the global dropshipping market size is expected to reach US$591 billion from the current level of US$162.44 billion. Reddocoin, the brainchild of co-founders Beka Natmeladze and Anzor Nishnianidze, has developed a Blockchain-powered fully automated ecosystem to solve several challenges the industry is facing.

Since the core focus of Reddocoin is the simplification of the dropshipping process, the company offers a highly customizable ready-to-use e-commerce website and helps retailers pool best performing and profitable products from a centralized Reddo system and import them to a user's online store from anywhere in the globe. Most importantly, it makes dropshipping borderless, middleman-free, with highly smooth payment procedures, with the option to use Reddo token as means of exchange.

Native token holders have the advantage of easy payment verification in selected cryptocurrencies, the efficacy of transaction time, and the cost-effectiveness of payment made on Blockchain. Reddocoin offers attractive discounts, promotions, and other great deals to make dropshipping more profitable.

Reddocoin ecosystem is fully secure, as it passed the TechRate smart contract audit test. The simplification of the dropshipping process is already getting good responses from retailers globally.

Retail e-commerce sales reached US$4.28 trillion in 2020 and are projected to cross the US$5.5 trillion mark in 2022. Reddocoin is rightly positioned to revolutionize the industry by integrating several elements and eliminating barriers. The acceptance of cryptocurrencies is at an all-time high, and the industry is looking for an alternative that offers simplicity, speed, and scale.

Following smart contract audit approval, Reddocoin successfully raised $500,000 seed funds. Going by the buzz in the dropshipping industry, it could be easily said that Reddo is here to redefine the way this industry works.

Since transactions are executed using smart contracts, it eliminates the chance of fraudulent and unauthorized transactions. Most importantly, it simplifies the communication challenge by offering the Reddo chat tool.

Reddo eliminates the need for credit cards to make global payments as the user can pay to any seller anywhere from their Reddo e-wallet and get goods delivered to their doorstep. It is truly eliminating the barriers of retail trade with the efficacy of zero downtime, scam-proof, and no transaction failure.

Reddo is available for the public at $0.42, and the first round will remain open till November 10. Currently, Reddocoin is accepting ETH and BNB.

For more information about Reddocoin, visit their website with this link.

Media Contact



Company: Reddocoin

Email: info@reddocoin.com

Website: https://reddocoin.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101273
JINAN, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 28th, Dialogue with Shandong 2021- Germany-Shandong Industry Cooperation and Exchange Seminar got underway in Jinan. People from a wide range of sectors from Germany and Shandong gathered to promote inter-government dialogue, industry linking and project cooperation, and to write a new chapter in a history of friendly cooperation.

Li Ganjie, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, attended the Seminar and took the opportunity to meet with Martin Wansleben, CEO of DIHK, and Ansgar Kriwet, Member of the Management Board Sales of Festo. A number of people delivered speeches at the Seminar, and these included: Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor; Gao Yan, Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT); Stephan Weil, Minister President of Lower Saxony of Germany; Melanie Huml, Deputy Minister President and Minister of State for European and International Affairs of Bavaria of Germany; Frank Ruckert, Charge d'Affaires of Embassy of the Germany in China; and Shi Mingde, President of the China-Germany Friendship Association. In addition to introducing the major development strategies of Jinan, Qingdao and Shandong to attendees in the context of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Seminar included expert discussion groups and cooperative experience-sharing sessions.

Dialogue with Shandong 2021- Germany-Shandong Industry Cooperation and Exchange Seminar was co-hosted by the People's Government of Shandong Province, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and DIHK. With the theme 'Strengthening Cooperation in Innovation and Seeking Industrial Development', the event included thematic workshops, a series of industry linking meetings, and on-the-spot discussion meetings. The seminar was conducted both online and offline.

More than 50 German institutes and enterprises came to Shandong to attend the event. Among them were more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, among them Siemens, Volkswagen, and Festo, as well as many lower-profile industry leaders. The industry exchange and linking meetings included four sessions: Sino-German Scientific and Technological Innovation, High-end Equipment Manufacturing, Building Energy Conservation, and Environmental Protection Technologies.

Several industries in Shandong Province and Germany are complementary and as such, there are close economic and trade exchanges. Germany is Shandong Province's largest trading partner in the European Union. From January to September 2021, Shandong Province's total amount of import and export trade with Germany amounted to CNY49.93 billion, up 18.3% YoY.

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Caption: The site of the themed seminar

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices steadied on Friday, but were on course for their first weekly drop in months as supply concerns ease. Brent crude futures for January delivery rose 0.1 percent to $83.72 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures for December settlement were little changed at $82.83. Both benchmarks were on track to fall about 1 percent for the week - the first weekly drop in 10 weeks for WTI and the first in eight weeks for Brent - after U.S. crude stockpiles rose more than expected last week and Iran said talks with world powers on its nuclear program would resume by the end of November. Attention now turns to next Thursday's meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, a group called OPEC+. Analysts expect the top producers to stick to their plan to add 400,000 barrels per day of supply each month until April 2022. Concerns about erratic demand growth persist, with China submitting a renewed emissions cutting plan that promised to peak carbon pollution before 2030. Saudi Arabia has cautioned that, with an unclear demand picture, there could be a 'huge uplift' in global oil stocks in 2022. 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Branded food company Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) announced Friday that Jim Sheehan plans to retire as executive vice president and chief financial officer after 43 years with the company. Jacinth Smiley, group vice president of corporate strategy, has been named his successor and will become the company's next executive vice president and chief financial officer, reporting to Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer. Sheehan has been the CFO for the company's global operations for the past five years. Sheehan plans to retire at the end of the calendar year. Smiley, who will succeed Sheehan upon his retirement, joined Hormel Foods in 2021 as group vice president of corporate strategy after two decades in financial and accounting leadership at LyondellBasell, General Electric and others. Since joining Hormel Foods, Smiley has been leading the company's overall corporate strategy while serving as a member of the senior leadership team. As CFO, she will lead all aspects of the Hormel Foods financial strategy, performance, reporting and long-range business planning, as well as investor relations, treasury, tax, accounting and internal controls. Smiley will also oversee the company's information technology area. 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.
29 October 2021

Acron Announces Extraordinary General Meeting

Acron Board of Directors resolved to convene an extraordinary general meeting as an absentee vote on 3 December 2021.

In accordance with the approved agenda, the general meeting is to consider the following matters:

Paying (distributing) dividends for 9M 2021 Making amendments to Acron Charter Approving the Regulation on Acron Board of Directors as amended.

The Board of Directors' recommendations on the dividend amount and record date will be considered and disclosed on or before 12 November 2021.

The record date for attending the general meeting is 9 November 2021 (close of business).

MediaContacts

Sergey Dorofeev

Anastasiya Gromova

Tatiana Smirnova

Public Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 777-08-65 (ext. 5196)

Investor Contacts

Ilya Popov

Sergey Smirnov

Strategy and Investor Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 745-77-45 (ext. 5252)

Background Information

Acron Group is a leading vertically integrated mineral fertiliser producer in Russia and globally, with chemical production facilities in Veliky Novgorod (Acron) and Smolensk region (Dorogobuzh). The Group owns and operates a phosphate mine in Murmansk region (North-Western Phosphorous Company, NWPC) and is implementing a potash development project in Perm Krai (Verkhnekamsk Potash Company, VPC). It owns transportation and logistics infrastructure, including three Baltic seaport terminals and distribution networks in Russia and China. Acron subsidiary North Atlantic Potash Inc. (NAP) holds mining leases and an exploration permit for ten parcels of the potassium salt deposit at Prairie Evaporite, Saskatchewan, Canada. Acron also holds a minority stake (19.8%) in Polish Grupa Azoty S.A., one of the largest chemical producers in Europe.

In 2020, the Group sold 7.8 million tonnes of its main products to 74 countries, with Russia, Brazil, Europe, and the United States as key markets.

In 2020, the Group posted consolidated IFRS revenue of RUB 119,864 million (USD 1,661 million), with EBITDA of RUB 35,311 million (USD 489 million). Acron's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and its global depositary receipts are traded at the London Stock Exchange (ticker AKRN). Acron employs over 11,000 people.

For more information about Acron Group, please visit www.acron.ru/en.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Fabled Silver Gold Corp. ("Fabled" or the "Company") (TSXV:FCO)(OTCQB: FBSGF), and (FSE:7NQ) announces that all proposed resolutions were approved at the Company's Annual General and Special meeting of Shareholders held on October 28, 2021 (the "AGSM").

AGSM Results

Shareholders voted in favour of all the resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors and management of the Company. A total of 59,256,648 common shares were voted, representing 28.51% of total shares issued and outstanding as of the record date.

The number of directors of the Company was set at four (4) and shareholders approved the re-election of David W. Smalley, Peter J. Hawley, and Luc Pelchat. In addition, Roger Scammell was appointed as a director in place of Michael Harrison who did not stand for re-election.

Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, were re-appointed as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and the directors have been authorized to fix their remuneration.

The Company's New Stock Option Plan which is a 10% "rolling" plan was approved.

Shareholders passed a special resolution approving the Company's previously announced, proposed spin-out transaction pursuant to which the Company proposes to spin out its interests in the Muskwa copper project in northern British Columbia by distributing the shares the Company holds in its wholly owned subsidiary Fabled Copper Corp. (" Fabled Copper ") to the shareholders of the Company through a statutory plan of arrangement on the basis of one Fabled Copper share for every five shares of Fabled held (the " Arrangement "), as more particularly described in the Company's management information circular dated September 27, 2021 (the " Circular ") and news releases dated May 19, 2021, June 16, 2021, August 19, 2021, and September 21, 2021, each available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

") to the shareholders of the Company through a statutory plan of arrangement on the basis of one Fabled Copper share for every five shares of Fabled held (the " "), as more particularly described in the Company's management information circular dated September 27, 2021 (the " ") and news releases dated May 19, 2021, June 16, 2021, August 19, 2021, and September 21, 2021, each available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at . Shareholders also approved of a stock option plan for Fabled Copper.

The Arrangement

Following the approval of the shareholders of the Company at the AGSM, completion of the Arrangement is subject to a number of customary conditions, including the following:

(a) the final approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia which the Company expects to seek at a hearing to be held on or around November 10, 2021, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Details of the final hearing are contained in the Circular mailed to shareholders in connection with the AGSM. (b) Final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") of the Arrangement; (c) the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") for the listing of the Fabled Copper shares upon completion of the Arrangement;

The Company wishes to clarify that it has not yet set an Effective Date for closing of the Arrangement or a Share Distribution Record Date for the purposes of determining the Company's shareholders who are entitled to receive Fabled Copper shares pursuant to the Arrangement.

The Company will confirm the Effective Date and Share Distribution Record Date, and will provide general updates on the Arrangement, by further news releases in due course.

New Director

The Company would like to extend a welcome to Mr. Roger Scammell who has joined the board of the Company.

Mr. Scammell is a non practicing PGO (Ontario) who holds a BSc (Geology). He has 50 years experience in the mining and exploration industry in North America, Mexico and Guatemala, principally with epithermal gold/silver, polymetallic base metal, and nickel and coal deposits.

He was the Country Manger (Mexico) for Teck Corporation and its Mexican subsidiary, Minera Teck S.A. de C.V. from 1992 to 2002. Under his direction, Minera Teck discovered the 72 million tonne San Nicolas volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit in Zacatecas, Mexico and the El Limon gold skarn in Guerrero, Mexico.

From 2004 until December 2010, he was initially the Vice President of Exploration and later President of Scorpio Mining Corporation and its Mexican subsidiary Minera Cosala, which were founded by President and CEO of Fabled, Peter J. Hawley. During this time, he was involved in the administration and execution of the exploration, development and initial production of the Nuestra Senora polymetallic silver mine in Sinaloa, Mexico and the construction of the 1,400 tonne per day flotation mill.

In 2011, he joined Tamaka Gold Corporation as Vice President of Exploration primarily to oversee the exploration of the Goldland gold deposit located near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Over the next four years, Tamaka delineated a multi million ounce deposit that was subsequently acquired by First Mining Corporation in 2016.

Currently he is retired but remains a director Southern Silver Exploration Corporation which is listed on the TSXV.

Fabled President and CEO, Mr. Peter Hawley stated, "We are very glad to welcome Roger to the board and to be personally once again working with him on a project in Mexico. He provides the Company with significant experience in the mining sector both in Mexico and generally and his advice and input will be invaluable as we move forward and execute our future plans."

Mr. Hawley continued "On behalf of the Company and the Board, we also wish to thank Michael Harrison for his contributions to the Company and wish him all the best in all his future endeavors."

The appointment of Mr. Scammell is subject to TSXV approval.

Stock Option Grants

The Company further announces that pursuant to the New Stock Option Plan it has granted an aggregate of 6,300,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants, each exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.10 per common share until October 28, 2031.

400,000 of the incentive stock options vest on the date of grant and the remainder vest as to 25% on the date of grant, and as to 25% every 6 months until fully vested.

About Fabled Silver Gold Corp.

Fabled is focused on acquiring, exploring and operating properties that yield near-term metal production. The Company has an experienced management team with multiple years of involvement in mining and exploration in Mexico. The Company's mandate is to focus on acquiring precious metal properties in Mexico with blue-sky exploration potential.

The Company has entered into an agreement with Golden Minerals Company (AUMN) to acquire the Santa Maria Property, a high-grade silver-gold property situated in the center of the Mexican epithermal silver-gold belt. The belt has been recognized as a significant metallogenic province, which has reportedly produced more silver than any other equivalent area in the world.

About Fabled Copper Corp.

Fabled Copper is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company whose primary interest is in exploring the Muskwa copper Project located in Northern British Columbia.

The Company is in the process of spinning out Fabled Copper by distributing the shares it holds in Fabled Copper to the shareholders of the Company through a statutory plan of arrangement. Concurrently Fabled Copper is applying to list its common shares on the CSE following completion of the Arrangement.

Mr. Peter J. Hawley, President and C.E.O.

Fabled Silver Gold Corp.

Phone: (819) 316-0919

peter@fabledfco.com

For further information please contact:

info@fabledfco.com

The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Peter J. Hawley, P.Geo. President and C.E.O. of Fabled, who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) does accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Certain statements contained in this news release 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 any required regulatory approvals.

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. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: impacts from the coronavirus or other epidemics, general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and globally; industry conditions, including fluctuations in commodity prices; governmental regulation of the mining industry, including environmental regulation; geological, technical and drilling problems; unanticipated operating events; competition for and/or inability to retain drilling rigs and other services; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; volatility in market prices for commodities; liabilities inherent in mining operations; changes in tax laws and incentive programs relating to the mining industry; 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.

SOURCE: Fabled Silver Gold Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670284/Fabled-Silver-Gold-Announces-Results-from-Annual-General-and-Special-Meeting-and-Grants-Incentive-Stock-Options
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - ScreenPro Security Inc. (CSE: SCRN) ("ScreenPro" or the "Company") wishes to update shareholders on inquiries that the Company has received on consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares").

As voted on at the last Annual General and Special Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders, a special resolution was approved on a consolidation of the Company's Common Shares up to one (1) new share for fifteen (15) old shares. At this point in time, the Company does not intend to proceed with the share consolidation of the Company.

The Company also wishes announce that it has decided not to proceed on any further bidding with the UK's National Health Service (NHS) with Enoura Medical in the United Kingdom (UK). ScreenPro will be focusing on its operations in Canada as a deep and narrow strategy.

Lena Kozovski, CEO of ScreenPro Security, commented, "As CEO of the Company, I am committed to create shareholder value and earn the support of our customers, our valued shareholders, and employees in the regions in which we operate. ScreenPro is a young company with excellent prospects ahead, and you have my commitment to provide responsible management, our obligation to our shareholders, and our responsibility to build a strong, valuable and sustainable business."

About ScreenPro

ScreenPro is a Screening and Medical Technology company that provides turnkey screening solutions with its proprietary medical alerting software. ScreenPro's unique access to multiple manufacturers of high-quality test kits and its strategic partnership with labs in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec allowing ScreenPro to be a full-service nationwide provider of COVID testing solutions across Canada. In addition, ScreenPro has its own medical doctor and nursing professionals along with on the ground support staff and transportation, as access to high quality PPEs to ensure that its clients are protected in all aspects of their testing needs. ScreenPro provides alerting software through its secure GoStop application that enables individuals to use the app for test screening results as well as provides automated identification codes for our laboratories and analytics to our clients on their testing cadence. For additional information on ScreenPro and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.screenprosecurity.com.

For more information about the Company, please refer to the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information please contact:

Jamie Hyland, Director

Email: info@screenprosecurity.com

P. (604) 442-2425

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements relating to expectations regarding the future development of ScreenPro's business. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The actual results of ScreenPro could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which ScreenPro operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to ScreenPro's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ScreenPro. Management of ScreenPro believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents ScreenPro's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. ScreenPro disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101200
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) on Friday said Jacinth Smiley has been named as the company's next executive vice president and chief financial officer, succeeding Jim Sheehan, who plans to retire. Jim Sheehan will retire at the end of the calendar year after 43 years of service, Hormel Foods stated. Apart from the financial role, Smiley will also oversee the company's information technology area, the company noted. Since joining Hormel Foods in 2021, Smiley has been leading the company's overall corporate strategy while serving as a member of the senior leadership team. Smiley joined Hormel Foods in 2021 as group vice president of corporate strategy with more than 20 years experience in financial and accounting leadership positions at LyondellBasell, General Electric among others. 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.
The Concerned Shareholders, together with other shareholders who are supportive of change at FAR, have already received expressions of support from shareholders holding over 45% of the shares entitled to be voted at the Meeting.

The Concerned Shareholders demand that Mr. John Gammack and Mr. Robert Dinning resign from the board of FAR immediately.

The Concerned Shareholders highlight that the entrenched Management and Board are responsible for share underperformance and significant value destruction.

The incumbent Board have no coherent strategy and have been in their current roles for approximately 18 months. In that time, they have mismanaged assets and failed to adopt basic corporate governance practices.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Scott Taylor, who, together with joint actors Christina Barnard, Jason Barnard and affiliates (collectively, with Mr. Taylor, "we" or the "Concerned Shareholders"), hold directly and indirectly approximately 7.7%% of the issued and outstanding common shares of FAR Resources Ltd. (CSE: FAT) (FSE: F0R) (OTC Pink: FRRSF) ("FAR" or the "Company") that are entitled to be voted at the Meeting. As a result of discussions with other shareholders who are supportive of change at FAR, the Concerned Shareholders have already received expressions of support from shareholders (themselves included) holding over 45% of the shares entitled to be voted at the Meeting. It should be noted that the Concerned Shareholders have filed a notice (the "Notice") with FAR for the nomination of three highly qualified and experienced directors to be elected to the board of the Company at the annual meeting of the Company that was to be held on November 12, 2021 (the "Meeting"), prior to FAR unjustifiably postponing the meeting to December 7, 2021.

The Concerned Shareholders believe the Company's current Board and Management lack relevant experience and more importantly have failed to show any progress in developing the Company's promising assets since taking the reigns of the company 18 months ago.

Ultimately, the entrenched management and Board bear responsibility for share value, or unfortunately in this instance, share value destruction. In their 18 months at the helm, the incumbent directors can point to virtually no accomplishments and in fact, as outlined below, their tenure has been defined with questionable decisions. Equally important is a total lack of shareholder engagement and we believe the current share price is representative of the apathy demonstrated by this incumbent management and Board. It is a sad situation that FAR's share price has languished and declined under the poor stewardship of the entrenched Management and Board while comparative companies in FAR's peer group, with lithium assets, have seen significant increases in shareholder wealth. WHY NOT US?

The incumbent Board have no coherent strategy notwithstanding they have been in their current roles for approximately 18 months. In that time, they have mismanaged assets and failed to adopt basic corporate governance practices as evidenced by the following:

Since their appointment to the Board, some 18 months ago, they have failed to hold an Annual Shareholders Meeting and thereby seek shareholder approval for their performance via an election of Directors.

The Board's response upon learning that shareholders were going to nominate an alternate slate of Directors was to immediately delay a long overdue meeting by a month.

The Company has only two (2) named Officers: Mr. John Gammack, as President & Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Mr. Robert G. Dinning, CPA as Chief Financial Officer who was appointed by Mr. Gammack himself.

The Company has only two (2) Directors: Mr. John Gammack and Mr. Robert Dinning. A key fiduciary role for Directors is to provide oversight of management. Clearly, Mr. Gammack and Dinning are in an inescapable conflict situation as the only Directors in that they can hardly provide effective oversight of themselves in their dual roles as Officers.

Neither Mr. Gammack nor Mr. Dinning were elected by shareholders. These individuals were appointed by previous board members via personal and business relationships which makes their failure to hold a timely election all the more outrageous.

Proper disclosure of corporate events has been an abysmal failure under the current Board. Retractions and corrections or late disclosure have been commonplace over the past 18 months.

The Concerned Shareholders question Mr. Gammack's experience overseeing a public exploration company, as there doesn't appear to be any discernable evidence to suggest Mr. Gammack is qualified to steward your investment. Additionally, we raise questions about Mr. Dinning and Mr. Gammack's relationship as they have had a decades long friendship and there is no independence or oversight whatsoever from the current Board of Directors, demonstrating them to be clearly interlocked. As such this raises serious questions of conflicts of interest, with only two board members, all decisions are self-directed and self-approved by the same two board members who simply cannot be believed to be acting independently in their decisions on such issues as asset development, compensation, risk taking, negotiations on M&A activity, and use of proceeds.

It has been abundantly clear for quite some time that the Board of FAR Resources is dysfunctional and as a result your investment in FAR, under current leadership, is at serious risk. Immediate change is needed to the entrenched Board of Directors and Management of the Company in order to change from the current path of value destruction and to move to creating sustainable shareholder value. The Concerned Shareholders are proposing a new Board and Management team that's committed to FAR's success by aggressively developing valuable Lithium assets, engaging with shareholders and attracting new investors and capital.

FAR cannot move forward until the festering issue of the boards lack of accountability to shareholders is settled.

Shareholders are urged to stop the Board and Management from further entrenching themselves and destroying shareholder value, by supporting the Concerned Shareholders efforts to restore responsible stewardship of your Company and in turn increase shareholder wealth to all, once our circular is filed.

The Concerned Shareholders would like to thank the true owners of FAR for their tremendous support to date. This support comes from independent shareholders that want the Company to know that they are not fooled but are instead increasingly frustrated and totally disgusted by the unethical and frantic entrenchment tactics employed for personal benefits over the interests of the Company.

The Concerned Shareholders anticipate filing a comprehensive proxy circular, setting out their plans for the company, together with their proxy in short order. In addition, we will be launching our website detailing our value creation plans for FAR and allowing for optimal communication with shareholders.

Advisors

The Concerned Shareholders have engaged Gryphon Advisors Inc, who are acting as strategic shareholder communications and proxy advisor. Gryphon's responsibility will include providing strategic advice and advising the Concerned Shareholders with respect to the annual general meeting and proxy protocol.

Farris LLP have also been hired and are acting as legal advisors to a Concerned Shareholder.

For more information regarding the Concerned Shareholders' position please contact:

Gryphon Advisors Inc.

Tel: 1.833.292.5847

Email: inquiries@gryphonadvisors.ca

Information in Support of Public Broadcast Solicitation

The information contained in this press release does not and is not meant to constitute a solicitation of a proxy within the meaning of applicable securities laws. As disclosed in the Concerned Shareholders' news release and Notice of Nominations dated October 7, 2021 (as confirmed October 12, 2021) the Concerned Shareholders have submitted nominees for election to the Company's board of directors at the Meeting of shareholders scheduled for December 7, 2021 (the "Meeting"), shareholders are not being asked at this time to execute a proxy in favour of any matter. In connection with the Meeting, the Concerned Shareholders will file a dissident information circular in due course in compliance with applicable securities laws. In the meantime, for information regarding the Concerned Shareholders Nominees, please refer to the Concerned Shareholder's news release dated October 7, 2021. Any right for revocation of a proxy submitted in connection with the election of the Nominees will be set out in the dissident information circular or a document referred to therein.

The information contained herein, and any solicitation made by the Concerned Shareholders in advance of the Meeting, is or will be, as applicable, made by the Concerned Shareholders and not by or on behalf of the management of FAR. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by the Concerned Shareholders, provided that, subject to applicable law, the Concerned Shareholders may seek reimbursement from FAR of the Concerned Shareholders' out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with a successful reconstitution of the Company's board of directors. The Concerned Shareholders are not soliciting proxies in connection with a general meeting of shareholders of the Company at this time.

The Concerned Shareholders may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist in soliciting proxies on behalf of the Concerned Shareholders. Any proxies solicited by or on behalf of the Concerned Shareholders, including by any other agent retained by the Concerned Shareholders, may be solicited pursuant to a dissident information circular or by way of public broadcast, including through press releases, speeches or publications and by any other manner permitted under Canadian corporate and securities laws. Any such proxies may be revoked by instrument in writing executed by a shareholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a body corporate, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized or by any other manner permitted by law.

The registered address of FAR is located at Suite 400 - 725 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1G5, Canada and its head office is located at #510 - 580 Hornby St., Vancouver, BC, V6C 3B6, Canada. A copy of this press release may be obtained on FAR's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Mr. Taylor is a resident of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA, and the other Concerned Shareholders are each of resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101264


ROME (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden kicked off his five day tour of Europe with an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican Friday. He is accompanied by first lady Jill Biden.



The details of the meeting are not known, but National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan earlier told reporters, 'The President will have some private time with him, and then there'll be an expanded delegation meeting as well to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, from climate to an equitable global economic recovery.'



Today's meeting was the fourth between Biden and the head of the Catholic church.



Earlier, Biden arrived at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport for his second major foreign trip since assuming US presidency in January.



Biden has busy engagements for the day, with meetings scheduled with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron.



Biden's meeting with Macron will be their first face-to-face since a US-Australia deal to provide the latter with nuclear-powered submarines irritated France.



The two leaders will discuss issues facing the U.S.-France alliance - from counterterrorism in the Middle East; to great power competition; to economic, trade, and technology issues, Sullivan said at a briefing ahead of Biden's departure on Thursday.



Saturday, Biden will join leaders from the world's leading economies in Rome for their first in-person G20 summit since the pandemic.



Biden will participate in the first session of the G20, which is an economics and health session. He will also meet with the E3 - the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK. They will seek ways to resume negotiations for Iran to return to the JCPOA and the European and American shared concerns about the state of play with Iran's nuclear program.



Sunday, President Biden will attend two sessions of the G20 - on climate and sustainable development. He will also host a supply chain meeting, where a group of like-minded countries will talk about how to coordinate better to deal with both the short-term supply chain disruptions and challenges and long-term supply chain resilience.



Biden will then head off to Glasgow on Monday for COP26, where he will deliver a major statement on behalf of the United States. He will also host a meeting on Build Back Better World, B3W, with both the G7 and with recipient countries.



'And I think you'll see the U.S. and Europe front and center at this G20 as we deal with the fact that neither the leaders of Russia nor China will be present in the room in Rome,' Sullivan said at a White House briefing.



'And then, finally, we are trying to work through some remaining climate-related deliverables at the G20, language in the communique, as well as ensuring that we're not just dealing with the current pandemic. But one of the things the G20 is focused on is how we prepare the global community better for future pandemics to prevent, detect, and respond to them going forward,' he told reporters.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (the "Company" or "Aires") today announced a new field study aimed at observing the effectiveness of their Lifetune technology as a solution for reducing the harmful effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields ("EMF") on honey bees. This study will be open to small-scale commercial and hobbyist beekeepers in the US and Canada.

Existing research indicates that long term exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) may cause harmful biological effects in honey bees1. Exposure to EMFs creates environmental stressors for honey bees, impacting cognitive and motor abilities, reducing the ability to learn, altering flight dynamics, as well as reducing the success of foraging flights, feeding and reproduction. The aim of this study is to observe the reduction or elimination of the aforementioned negative effects in the presence of Aires Lifetune technology.

"Beekeepers are in an ideal position to provide valuable, first-hand observations about the health of their colonies and the effect of this environmental stressor. The data that beekeepers will contribute is expected to be an immensely useful addition to our research. Moreover, their findings could lead to further product innovation and additional improvements in EMF protection for affected species such as honey bees," commented Josh Bruni, Chief Revenue Officer at Aires. "We are thrilled to build on our previous work with honey bees where we will be able to positively contribute to an industry that is experiencing an increasing number of environmental challenges. This move also hints at the multitude of non-consumer applications that our technology has, and is the start of that expansion into these new and innovative channels of business."

This research will complement Aires' earlier laboratory studies that also showed the effectiveness of Lifetune technology in reducing the negative effects of EMF exposure on honey bees.

About American Aires Inc.

American Aires Inc. is Canadian-based nanotechnology company which has developed proprietary silicon-based microprocessors that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The technology was developed by a team of highly accredited scientists and confirmed by independent third-party validation including peer reviewed studies and publications in scientific journals. Aires' Lifetune products specifically target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, Wi-Fi radiation, including the rapidly expanding next-generation high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under ticker 'WIFI'. Learn more at www.airestech.com .

On behalf of the board of directors

Company Contact:

Dimitry Serov, CEO

Email: dimitry@airestech.com

Telephone: (905) 482-4667

Website: www.airestech.com

For further information please contact:

5 Quarters Investor Relations, Inc.

Cindy Gray, CEO & Managing Director

Email: wifi@airestech.com

Telephone: (403) 705.5076

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Not intended for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States Securities laws.

1 Previous research on this area of study is available online in the following reports: Report 1, Report 2, Report 3, and Report 4.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101189
NORTH YORK, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / ZTEST Electronics Inc. ("ZTEST" or the "Company") (CSE:ZTE)(OTC PINK:ZTSTF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a new agreement to acquire a further 25,000 Class A Common Shares of Conversance Inc., ("Conversance") representing a 2.1% interest, and has been granted an extension of time during which the Company may exercise its option to acquire a further 75,000 Class A Common Shares of Conversance. Conversance is a Waterloo Ont. based private company in which ZTEST currently owns a 25.29 % equity interest.

The Company will acquire the 25,000 Class A Common Sharesfrom Joseph Chen, the founder and controlling shareholder of Conversance, in consideration for the issuance of 1,250,000 Convertible First Preferred Shares Series 2 (the "Preferred Shares"). The Preferred Shares are automatically convertible into 1,250,000 common shares of ZTEST if on or before June 30, 2022, an arm's length investor or a group of arm's length investors acting together, at one time or in installments, purchases from the treasury of Conversance an aggregate of at least 130,139 Class A Common Shares (including, without limitation, by way of conversion of convertible debentures into Class A Common Shares), being 10% of the issued and outstanding capital of Conversance after giving effect to the purchase of the Class A Common Shares, at a price of at least $10.00 per Class A Common Share (the "Triggering Event"). If the Triggering Event has not occurred by June 30, 2022, subject to further agreement of the parties, the agreement will be terminated and the Preferred Shares will be redeemed for $1.00. The transaction was negotiated at arm's length and was not based upon a current appraisal or valuation of Conversance. The conversion of the Preferred Shares into Common Shares of the Company is conditional upon a third-party investment in Conversance and will only occur if the Triggering Event occurs on or before June 30, 2022.

The Company was also granted an extension of time during which it may exercise its option from Conversance to acquire 75,000 Class A Common Shares of Conversance on or before June 30, 2023 for the payment of $1 million. The transactions are subject to the Company making the required filings with the CSE.

The preferred shares issued pursuant to the agreement announced in the Press Release dated September 11, 2020 have been redeemed as the triggering event as defined therein did not occur by June 30, 2021.

About ZTEST Electronics Inc.

ZTEST Electronics Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Permatech Electronics Corp. ("Permatech"), offers Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) to a wide range of customers. Permatech's offering includes Materials Management, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Assembly, Testing and Design services. Permatech operates from a 20,000 square foot, ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in North York, Ontario, Canada. The company serves customers in the Medical, Power, Computer, Telecommunications, Wireless, Industrial and Consumer Electronics markets requiring high quality, quick-turnaround, small and medium size production runs.

About Conversance Inc.

Conversance, a private company based in Waterloo, Ont., founded by Mr. Chen, is focused on developing and marketing proprietary artificial-intelligence supported distributed ledger technologies. Mr. Chen is an electrical engineer with a strong background in radio frequency, digital signal processing, VLSI (very-large-scale integration), complex systems, chemistry and physics. Mr. Chen joined Research in Motion (now BlackBerry) in 1999, becoming a senior member of the office of the chief technology officer, where he was instrumental in many of Blackberry's key telephony innovations and patents. Mr. Chen's interest in blockchains began in 2009.

For more information contact:

Steve Smith, CEO

(604) 837-3751

email: stevesmith15@shaw.ca

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).

SOURCE: ZTEST Electronics Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670293/ZTEST-Agrees-to-Increase-Equity-Ownership-in-Conversance-Inc
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) (OTCQB: WCUFF) ("World Copper" or the "Company") reports that, pursuant to their news releases dated September 7, 2021, September 30, 2021, October 6, 2021 and October 20, 2021, the Company has closed the third and final tranche of the Placement. On October 28, 2021 the Company issued an additional 10,468,921 Units for gross proceeds of $4,187,568.50. The Company has issued total aggregate of 16,223,921 Units for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,489,568.50 as part of the Placement.

Each unit consisted of one common share (a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share of the Company for a period of two years from the date of issuance at a price of $0.60 per share. The expiry of the Warrants may be accelerated if the closing price of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") is equal to or greater than $1.00 for a minimum of twenty consecutive trading days and a notice of acceleration is provided in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.

Pursuant to the final tranche closing, additional finder's fees were paid to Canaccord Genuity Corp. ($19,600.00 and 49,000 warrants), Richardson Wealth ($10,500.00 and 26,250 warrants), Red Cloud Securities Inc. ($70,000 and 175,000 warrants), Research Capital Corporation ($10,500.00 and 26,250 warrants) and, MJP Justus Inc. ($5,600.00 and 14,000 warrants). All warrants issued pursuant to finder's fees are non-transferable.

All securities issued in the Offering have a four-month hold period, during which time the securities may not be traded. Closing of the Offering is subject to the approval of the TSXV.

The net proceeds from the Offering are intended for exploration of the Escalones and Cristal properties in Chile and, general working capital.

This press release does not constitute an offer of sale of any of the foregoing securities in the United States. None of the foregoing securities have been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor will there be any sale of the foregoing securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD.

World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused the exploration and development of its copper porphyry projects: Escalones and Cristal in Chile, and Zonia in Arizona. Two of these projects have estimated resources with significant soluble copper mineralization, and there are at least two other copper porphyry targets with exciting potential to expand the resource base. The Zonia project is being acquired as part of the previously announced merger transaction with Cardero Resource Corp. Please refer to news releases dated June 9th, 2021 and April 20th, 2021 for more details and for the current status of the transaction.

About Escalones

The Escalones porphyry-skarn copper-gold project has estimated inferred resources of 426 million tonnes of 0.367% total copper within the oxidized zone, based on nearly 25,000m of drill core from 53 holes. The 3.45 billion pounds of copper should be amenable to heap leaching with an average recovery of 71%. The Company is focused on exploring the Mancha Amarilla target immediately to the south of the existing resource. In addition, three significant hydrothermal alteration zones, each measuring between 2,000m and 3,000m in diameter, lie 8-10km to the north of the main discovery.

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. Inferred resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. It is reasonably expected that the inferred resources could be upgraded to indicated resources with continued exploration.

About Zonia

The Zonia project is in Yavapai County, Arizona, and consists of 261 mineral claims and additional surface rights, all totaling 4,279.55 acres. It is a near-surface, copper-oxide resource and a brownfields site having already been mined in the late 1960s and '70s. The Project is at the PEA level and has been significantly de-risked with over 50,000 metres of drilling completed to date and with substantial amounts of detailed engineering completed. Further details can be found here.

The World Copper team has a unique skill in navigating the mining sector within Chile, with some members having worked in the country for more than 40 years and with discovery success.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

WORLD COPPER LTD.

"Nolan Peterson"

NolanPeterson

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Henk van Alphen or Michael Pound

Phone: 604-638-3665

E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com

Media inquiries:

Nancy Thompson, Vorticom, Inc.

Phone: 212-532-2208 or 917-371-4053

Investor relations inquiries:

John Liviakis,

Liviakis Financial Communications Inc.

415-389-4670

Follow Us:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldCopperLtd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldCopperLtd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldcopperltd

Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, the Company's expectation that it and Cardero will be able to complete the Proposed Transaction, including entering into a Definitive Agreement, the closing and amount of the Private Placement, that Zonia can be advanced utilizing low-cost open pit mining and heap leach, the results of the PEA, including, without limitation the NPV6%, IRR, estimated costs, average rate of production, the anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the timing for the closing of the Proposed Transaction, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that it will be able to negotiate and enter into a Definitive Agreement, and that it will obtain TSXV acceptance and the required corporate approvals of the Proposed Transaction and the Consolidation, that there will be investor interest in the Private Placement, market fundamentals will result in sustained copper and precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Company's projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of such projects and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, requirements for additional capital, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the PEA for the Zonia Project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in the Private Placement, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals (including acceptance of the Proposed Transaction, the Private Placement and the Consolidation by the TSXV), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as the risk factors described in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and in other filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

**NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES**

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101246
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - AECOM (ACM), an American infrastructure consulting firm, on Friday said it signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Royal Commission for AlUla or RCU, a royal commission formed to protect, safeguard, and rebuild AlUla, a historical city located in northwest Saudi Arabia. The agreement sets out a comprehensive development timeline based around three phases that lead up to 2035 with AECOM's program management team implementing the $15-billion first phase development in AlUla's core 20 kilometer historical area. This incorporates social, economic and sustainability projects in five hubs that will focus on infrastructure, hospitality, arts and culture, and social and community development. 'AlUla is one of the world's largest and most complex development programs, home to more than 30,000 sites of historical significance, and we are proud to help realize the city's vision for the future,' said Lara Poloni, AECOM's president. With RCU, AECOM aims to leverage its global program management and technical expertise to deliver a sustainable legacy that transforms AlUla for generations to come. The value of AECOM's contract is expected to be included in its reported backlog in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. 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.
New Schneider Electric report outlines "Back to 2050" decarbonization scenarios

Schneider experts on the ground in Glasgow to advance decarbonization insights and solutions with business partners, climate experts and influencers

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is actively supporting global climate change efforts at the upcoming COP26 meeting, with experts on the ground and the release of a flagship report that offers fresh perspectives on our planet's pathway to decarbonization.

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) taking place in Glasgow on 31 October 12 November is widely considered critical to accelerating global action to tackle the climate emergency.

Many climate experts, campaigners, and corporates including Schneider Electric are urgently calling on governments, businesses and societies do much more and act much faster to ramp up the adoption of clean-energy, electrification, energy-efficiency and other climate-positive technologies.

"We welcome the commitments already made by numerous governments around the world, and hope that COP26 will deliver more concrete actions in support of an accelerated transition to net zero," says Olivier Blum, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at Schneider Electric. "The private sector is key in this race to a greener and fairer economy. That's why we continue to lead the charge, as a practitioner and an enabler, to meet the goal of keeping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5C, in line with the Paris Agreement."

Ranked the world's most sustainable corporation by media and research company Corporate Knights earlier this year, Schneider Electric helps customers reduce their carbon footprints via products and software tools that optimize energy management and industrial processes. The company has a decades-long track-record of spearheading and advocating action on environmental, social and governance issues, and recently announced it is also expanding its sustainability consulting practice.

To coincide with COP26, the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute is releasing a major new report on how we could achieve net-zero by 2050 and limit global warming to the critical 1.5C threshold.

Entitled "Back to 2050" and conducted with energy intelligence company Enerdata, it assesses the long-term impact on energy usage and associated CO2 emissions of changing social expectations and up-and-coming, disruptive technologies such as autonomous driving, decentralized clean-energy generation, smart EV charging stations in buildings and the use of more digital tools in infrastructure construction, among others.

"Our key finding is that changing consumption patterns, driven by an appetite for the progress that new technologies herald, will help bring about a less carbon-intensive economy. In other words, keeping global warming to 1.5C may be more feasible than we think, because as the economy modernizes and provides increased benefits to people, it also decarbonizes," says Vincent Petit, Head of the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute and SVP of Global Strategy Prospective and External Affairs at Schneider Electric. "What we need, however, is to accelerate this trend by shifting the policy focus from being purely infrastructure-centric to being more consumer-centric."

While in Glasgow, Schneider experts will meet customers and business partners to help them better understand the tools that already exist to help decarbonize infrastructure, buildings, data centers, industries, and cities.

They will also participate in panels and roundtables with artists, campaigners, climate scientists, policy makers, influencers, entrepreneurs, and innovators such as Bertrand Piccard, Founder and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, which is supported by the Schneider Electric Foundation.

The Schneider Electric Foundation, under the aegis of Fondation de France, will also work with Art of Change 21 to highlight the important role that artists play in the ecological transition by mobilizing youth and creating a dialogue between art, technology, innovation and climate.

Note to Editors:

The Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute is the internal strategy think tank of Schneider Electric. Its team of analysts conduct scenario modeling to enrich our understanding of current and future sustainability landscapes, highlighting obstacles and opportunities to accelerate global and local transitions to a climate positive future.

Related resources:

"Back to 2050" executive summary report can be read here.

The Open Letter on Sustainability Reporting to the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament can be found here.

The Open Letter "CEO Climate Alliance to world leaders: We support you in taking decisive climate steps at COP26" can be found here.

Schneider Electric's latest sustainability commitments can be viewed here.

For more on the numerous sustainability-related (and other) awards and rankings obtained by Schneider, go here.

Schneider's top thought leadership content, including reports by the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute, can be found on the newly-launched Schneider Electric Insights website.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com

Discover Life Is On Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Blog

Hashtags: LifeIsOn SustainabilityForAll

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005117/en/

Contacts:

Schneider Electric Media Relations Thomas Eck, Email: Global.pr@se.com
This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated February 17, 2021 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated July 17, 2020.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK)(OTCQB:PKLBF)(FRA:PKLB) ("Perk Labs" or the "Company") the parent company of Perk Hero, a digital franchiser with an omnichannel commerce platform featuring exclusive perks on curated lifestyle products, digital gift cards and dining, today announced financial results for the third quarter ended August 31, 2021.

Overview

Perk Hero spent the third quarter of fiscal 2021 developing its franchise program and accompanying digital tools. The Company recognized a growing demand for capital-light digital franchises that do not need the significant investments typically required from traditional brick-and-mortar franchises. Its unique solution provides local businesses access to a powerful mobile ordering, payment and digital loyalty platform that allow businesses to accept both web and mobile app orders and run effective promotions. The Company believes that its web-based ordering will be particularly attractive for franchisees to offer to restaurants as it provides a solution for restaurants dealing with a labour shortage crisis and removes the customer friction of having to download an app.

"One of the most attractive things about our new franchise model is that it allows Perk Hero to expand more quickly with community-minded entrepreneurs who have the local knowledge needed to succeed in new territories," said Norman Tan, CFO, Perk Labs. "Our franchise partners get the flexibility and freedom they desire building their own business while we can focus on investing in our technology platform. What's more, this expands our revenue streams and improves our gross margins."

Perk Hero is offering prospective franchisees the opportunity to purchase the rights to an exclusive territory through a five-year franchise agreement, with the initial fee ranging from $25,000 for a small territory, to $35,000 for a larger territory. In turn, franchisees will have the right to register local businesses to Perk Hero's all-in-one ordering, payments, and digital rewards solution at a standard monthly subscription price of $99/month. Franchisees will earn 70% of software-as-a-service (SaaS) revenue from the business they sign up, with the Company receiving a 30% royalty fee.

For the remainder of the year and early 2022, the Company will be focused on signing new franchisees to its digital franchise program. The digital franchise program will feature robust franchisee reporting and management tools along with a completely revamped user interface for both the Perk Hero app and website. These tools in conjunction with cryptorewards offer truly unique features in the franchise world.

As at August 31, 2021, Perk Hero had 108 restaurants and 149 third-party sellers on its platform with a total of 8,464 products and 98 gift card brands for sale.

2021 Q3 Financial Highlights:

Working capital of $2.5M in Q3 2021 compared to $1.1M in Q3 2020 and $792k in Q4 2020.

Net loss of $1.1M in Q3 2021 compared to a net loss of $0.7M in Q3 2020.

Revenue of $6,447 in Q3 2021 compared to revenue of $10,053 in Q3 2020.

General and administration expenses increased to $310k in Q3 2021 compared to $111k in Q3 2020.

Research and development expenses decreased to $205k in Q3 2021 compared to $210k in Q3 2020.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased to $115k in Q3 2021 compared to $168k in Q3 2020.

2021 Q3 Operational Highlights

Completed phase 1 of its web-based administration portal : The Company completed development of a new web-based internal portal that provides advanced reporting, data analytics and platform management that allows Perk Hero to customize the end-user experience. This tool is the foundation on which Perk Hero's franchisees, restaurants and third-party sellers will be able to manage their business profiles with Perk Hero including catalogue management, promotions, data analytics, reporting and third-party integrations.

: The Company completed development of a new web-based internal portal that provides advanced reporting, data analytics and platform management that allows Perk Hero to customize the end-user experience. This tool is the foundation on which Perk Hero's franchisees, restaurants and third-party sellers will be able to manage their business profiles with Perk Hero including catalogue management, promotions, data analytics, reporting and third-party integrations. New platform upgrades to improve performance: The Company completed a comprehensive technology upgrade that includes a new merchant payout system, universal shopping cart and single sign-on. The Company also optimized performance of its website which helps with loading times and ultimately, customer conversions.

Highlights Subsequent to 2021 Q3

Launched a National Franchise Program : On October 12, 2021, the Company announced the launch of its mobile-first digital franchise system. With this offering, Perk Hero becomes one of a select few franchise systems that offer franchisees the ability to earn recurring SaaS revenue. Coinciding with this launch, Perk Hero showcased its franchise offering at the Canadian Franchise Association's virtual show in October.

: On October 12, 2021, the Company announced the launch of its mobile-first digital franchise system. With this offering, Perk Hero becomes one of a select few franchise systems that offer franchisees the ability to earn recurring SaaS revenue. Coinciding with this launch, Perk Hero showcased its franchise offering at the Canadian Franchise Association's virtual show in October. Completed phase 1 of its cryptocurrency project with the Jonah Group : The Company completed its project with the Jonah Group that was announced on August 17, 2021. Building upon the Company's previous research and development, Perk Hero executed a rigorous process to evaluate the market and determine the appropriate blockchain technology on which to build-out its cryptocurrency. The next steps will be to develop the technology while working with securities regulators to ensure full compliance with the appropriate regulatory frameworks. With the development of this technology, Perk Hero will, to the best of its knowledge, be the first franchise system that enables franchisees to leverage the power of blockchain technology.

: The Company completed its project with the Jonah Group that was announced on August 17, 2021. Building upon the Company's previous research and development, Perk Hero executed a rigorous process to evaluate the market and determine the appropriate blockchain technology on which to build-out its cryptocurrency. The next steps will be to develop the technology while working with securities regulators to ensure full compliance with the appropriate regulatory frameworks. With the development of this technology, Perk Hero will, to the best of its knowledge, be the first franchise system that enables franchisees to leverage the power of blockchain technology. Engaged Fintory to redesign its mobile app: Perk Hero engaged Fintory, a leading design and development agency specializing in user interfaces for startups and world-leading companies, to redesign the Perk Hero mobile app. This redesign will incorporate a revised rewards system and gamification elements coupled with usability and performance improvements.

Outlook

The Company's strategic priorities for the remainder of 2021 include:

Signing new franchisees to its digital franchise program.

Continued development of the Perk Hero product including implementing a new user interface of its app and website to add new promotional, loyalty and cryptocurrency capabilities.

Investor relations initiatives including video updates for investors, hosting investor webinars, taking part in roadshows to meet new investors, and attending industry events.

Continuing to add useful spending tools that build upon Perk's existing platform, including enabling customers to make purchases using digital wallets and cryptocurrency.

Developing Perk Coin as a blockchain-based digital loyalty-reward currency and exploring the conditions and requirements to distribute Perk Coin as a cryptoreward.

The Company's complete financial results are available in its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended August 31, 2021, each filed with Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com .

IFRS

The operational and financial information in this release is based on the consolidated figures in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS).

About Perk Labs

Perk Labs Inc. is the owner of Perk Hero, a digital loyalty management platform that enables merchants to provide their customers with digital rewards and a more engaging and convenient customer experience.

For more information about Perk Labs, please visit www.perklabs.io . Visit Perk Hero at www.perkhero.com .

For more information, please contact:

Norman Tan

Chief Financial Officer

norman@perkhero.com

833-338-0299

investors@perklabs.io

CHF Capital Markets

Jordan Shafi, Account Manager

416-868-1079 x 233

jordan@chfir.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "may", "believe", "thinks", "expect", "exploring", "expand", "could", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "pursue", "potentially", "projected", "should", "will" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of Perk Labs' business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations, that the Company will provide consumers with a convenient and highly incentivized way to earn cryptorewards by simply making purchases through its platform, the prospects of new revenue opportunities such as the licensing agreement with Century Services, and that it can provide a model to be replicated in other cities to expand the Company's business across North America, that the new merchant referral program paired with Perk Hero's streamlined onboarding process, will enable the Company to add additional merchants to its platform more quickly, that the new web-based portal will be used to configure promotions and the way products and brands are displayed on the app, that the internal web-based tool will also form the foundation for a new web-based merchant tool that will provide third-party sellers and restaurants on Perk's platform with data analytics, catalogue management, and other promotional and sales features, that the Company's new web-based restaurant ordering tool is expected to be in high demand from restaurants, the Company's planned marketing and investor relations initiatives, the continued development of the Perk Hero product through a series of build-measure-learn iterations, that the Company will build an exceptional and world-class brand, that the Company will increase the number of users and merchants using the Perk Hero platform, that the Company will ramp up sales and revenue generation, and the development of Perk Coin as a blockchain-based digital loyalty reward currency and that the Company will explore the conditions and requirements to distribute Perk Coin as a cryptoreward. Although Perk Labs considers these forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this press release, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the most recent Annual Information Form and Prospectus of Perk Labs, which may be accessed through Perk Labs' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Perk Labs cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Perk Labs is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

SOURCE: Perk Labs Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670292/Perk-Labs-Reports-Third-Quarter-2021-Results
Pickering, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Ayurcann Holdings Corp. (CSE: AYUR) (FSE: 3ZQ0) (the "Corporation" or "Ayurcann"), a Canadian cannabis extraction company specializing in the processing of cannabis and hemp for the production of oils and various derivative products, is pleased to announce that further to its press releases dated April 28, 2021 and May 18, 2021, Ayurcann has completed their Phase 2 expansion on their Pickering facility (the "Build-Out"), providing increased production and manufacturing capabilities. The completion of the Build-Out was done on time and on budget and provides for the immediate commencement of additional production capacity.

The cannabis industry in Canada is growing, in light of this, the Company is focusing on national and international partnership opportunities. With products such as the Fuego Vapes and Vida Tinctures available in the Canadian recreational markets and topicals such as Glow Day and Night, Green Bee Topicals, Her Highness Intimates, and Innocan Wellness CBD being manufactured for future entry into those markets, Ayurcann has distinguished itself as an established and reliable partner, who has the capacity to formulate, test and manufacture products at the highest standards for current and future requirements.

The aim of the Build-Out was to provide flexibility in manufacturing. Ayurcann designed multiple production rooms geared towards increased capacity for "Cannabis 2.0 and 3.0" products. With the Build-Out complete, Ayurcann is able to enhance its processing capacity up to 300,000 kg of biomass per year, and its manufacturing capacity for up to 3,000,000 product fills, making Ayurcann one of the largest processor and co-manufacturer in the country.

"We are thrilled to announce our increased capacity to service the growing needs in the market and we are optimistic about our market penetration and potential for growth. As an industry leading processor and manufacturer, we have been working alongside our partners to support them when it comes to quality, reliability and value," stated Igal Sudman, Chief Executive Officer of Ayurcann.

Earn-Out Payment

In connection with the completion of the Build-Out and further to the Corporation's press release dated November 25, 2020, the Corporation has provided Health Canada with notice that the Build-Out has been completed, triggering the second and final earn-out entitlement (the "Earn-Out") to original Ayurcann Inc. shareholders of an aggregate of 5,159,958 common shares of the Corporation ("Common Shares"). The Earn-Out payment was equal to the quotient of $1,000,000 divided by the current market price. The market price, as originally agreed to, was determined as the greater of (i) $0.05 and (ii) the ten (10) day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") prior to the date of the Earn-Out being met, which equates to $0.1938.

About Ayurcann Holdings Corp.:

Ayurcann is a leading post-harvest solution provider with a focus on providing and creating custom processes and pharma grade products for the adult use and medical cannabis industry in Canada. Ayurcann is focused on becoming the partner of choice for leading Canadian cannabis brands by providing best-in-class, proprietary services including ethanol extraction, formulation, product development and custom manufacturing.

For further information, please contact:

Igal Sudman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 905-492-3322

Email: info@ayurcann.com

Investor Relations:

Ryan Bilodeau Tel: 416-910-440

Email: ir@ayurcann.com

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the ability of the Corporation to become the partner of choice for leading Canadian cannabis brands and increase its production and manufacturing capabilities; the Company's focus on national and international partnership opportunities; future product offerings of the Company; and the Company becoming one of the largest processor and co-manufacturers in the country.

Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Corporation will expand and be able to maintain production capacity; the Corporation's ability to continue as a going concern; continued approval of the Corporation's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Corporation; the Company becoming one of the largest processor and co-manufacturers in the country; the Company's product offering expanding; and the Company establishing national and international partnership opportunities.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Corporation's inability to expand and/or maintain production capacity; the potential inability of the Corporation to continue as a going concern; the risks associated with the cannabis industry in general; increased competition in the cannabis extraction market; the continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions; the potential future unviability of the cannabis market; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to the cannabis industry; the inability of the Corporation to become the partner of choice for leading Canadian cannabis brands; the Company not becoming one of the largest processor and co-manufacturers in the country; the Company not establishing national and/or international partnerships; and the Company not expanding its product offering.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. Public health crises, including the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, could have significant economic and geopolitical impacts that may adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and/or results of operations.

Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Corporation's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101279
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While reporting third-quarter results on Friday, Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) said, by the end of the current year, the Group expects that 50 out of 61 ships will have returned to service across its five brands, representing almost 100% of its core itineraries and approximately 80% of worldwide capacity. As of Friday, 40 ships from the company's five brands, or approximately 65% of its capacity, have resumed sailing. Royal Caribbean Group expects to be cash flow positive by spring and profitable for the full year 2022. Royal Caribbean said its booking volumes have improved significantly since the slowdown this summer. The company received more bookings in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. Sailings for 2022 are booked within historical ranges and at higher prices than 2019, even when including future cruise credits, the company noted. Third quarter adjusted net loss was $1.2 billion or $4.91 per share compared to adjusted loss of $1.2 billion or $5.62 per share in the prior year. On average, 11 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a loss per share of $4.40, for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. GAAP net loss was $1.4 billion or $5.59 per share compared to a loss of $1.3 billion or $6.29 per share. Passenger ticket revenues increased to $280.15 million from $3.20 million, last year. Total revenues were $456.96 million, for the quarter. Analysts on average had estimated $567.03 million in revenue. 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.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Citigroup has mandated vaccination against Covid-19 for its workers in the United States.



In a LinkedIn post, Sara Wechter, the company's head of human resources, said the Bank has made the decision to require U.S.-based colleagues to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.



The Bank will consider all requests for religious, medical or any other accommodation required by state or local law on a case by case basis.



Wechter said, '..it has become crystal clear that COVID-19 will not be going away any time soon,' and that the policy change was made with careful consideration and analysis, mainly two key factors.



According to the bank, the U.S. government is a large and important client of Citi, due to which it has an obligation to comply with the Executive Order issued by the White House mandating that individuals supporting government contracts be fully vaccinated. The order would impact the vast majority of its U.S. Colleagues.



The second key factor is that a fully vaccinated workforce would help the firm ensure the health and safety of colleagues as the employees return to the office in the U.S.



Citigroup claims to be the first major bank to mandate vaccination for its employees.



Many companies have started urging its employees to take vaccination against coronavirus.



United Airlines was the first major airline to issue compulsory vaccine mandate for all its 67,000 US employees, or to apply for a medical or religious exemption. All its unvaccinated employees without exemptions faced termination on the grounds of violating a company safety policy.



Meanwhile, tech giant Apple Inc., which has not yet made it mandatory for the employees to get vaccinated, reportedly will make it mandatory for the unvaccinated employees to get tested every day before starting their work at the office.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrzej Kowalski to its Board of Directors. The appointment was made and approved by shareholders at the Company's 2021 Annual General Meeting held on October 27, 2021.

"I am delighted to join the Board of TransCanna and look forward to adding value, oversight and insight to the talented and hard-working CEO and leadership team, " said Mr. Kowalski upon his appointment.

In his role as an Independent Director for TransCanna, Mr, Kowalski will provide leadership and strategic advice to the Company and protect and help direct the delivery of long-term shareholder value. In addition to his appointment as Director, Mr. Kowalski will also serve as the Chair of the Company's audit committee, overseeing the financial reporting process, audit process, and the Company's internal controls and compliance with all relative laws and regulations.

Mr. Kowalski has extensive experience as a board member for private, public, and non-profit entities. He is a long-time entrepreneur and founder of multiple companies, with specialized expertise in real estate development, cannabis and fast-growing technology companies. Prior to building and advising startups, he practiced commercial law and litigation.

"We are delighted to have a Director of Mr. Kowalski's caliber join our Board of Directors," said Bob Blink, CEO of TransCanna. "His experience in strategic planning, business management, and leadership of all aspects of startups and growth companies will be extremely valuable to us as we move forward on our vision to be the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in California."

About TransCanna

TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a California-based, Canadian-listed company building cannabis-focused brands for the California lifestyle, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries.

TransCanna's wholly owned subsidiary Lyfted Farms is California's authentic cannabis brand whose pioneering spirit has been continuously providing the finest cannabis flower genetics and cultivation methods since 1984. The Lyfted Farms brand of exclusive cannabis flower is sold at premium retailers throughout the state. With its new cultivation facility in Daly, California, the company is now poised to become one of the largest and most efficient vertically integrated cannabis companies in the California market. Visit the TransCanna website today at transcanna.com.

For updated information with respect to our company, please see our filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE at www.thecse.com, or visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com. To contact the Company, please email info@transcanna.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Bob Blink, CEO

Corporate Communications:

info@transcanna.com

604-200-8853

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

Certain information in this release may contain forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this release are made as of the date of this release and are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101254
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (TSXV: NBM) (OTCQB: NBMFF) ("NEO" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Dr. Mohini Sain and Dr. Ning Yan of the University of Toronto to the Scientific Advisory Board.

About Dr. Mohini Sain

Dr. Mohini Sain is an expert in the field of bionanotechnology, low carbon functional materials and next-generation low carbon transportation. Dr. Sain's reputation for research and development excellence in the automotive industry has awarded him the Endowed Ford Motor Canada PERDC Chair in Sustainable Materials. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Director of the Center for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing and former Dean of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Sain is the author of more than 750 peer-reviewed papers with more than 450 peer-reviewed journal articles. With an extensive patent portfolio, he is world-renowned for his expertise in transforming research ideas into commercialization, establishing more than 50 technology transfers to industries, and patenting new technologies in collaboration with multiple top-tier industry partners such as Ford Motors, Hutchinson Canada, and TOTAL North America.

He is currently a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (U.K.) and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Most recently, Dr. Sain has been elected a 2021 fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the highest Scientific and Technological honour that a Canadian scholar can achieve. Starting with his transformative research on and scale-up of the wood-plastic composite (WPC), his pioneering work in materials engineering for low carbon materials has led to awards including the North American Entrepreneurship Award, the Plastic Innovation Award, and the Kalev Pugi Award for innovation and contribution to the industry.

Dr. Mohini Sain commented, "I am pleased to have joined NEO's Scientific Advisory Board and to push the Company into the next stage of commercialization through research and testing of the silicon anode materials. NEO's drive for sustainable battery materials, coating, and electrode engineering for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is currently supported by leading-edge research and innovation by top battery scientists in South Korea and Canada for a fast-track into automotive applications."

About Dr. Ning Yan

Dr. Ning Yan specializes in the field of Biobased Chemicals and Products from Renewable Biomass. Dr. Yan is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Bioproducts and the Director of the Low Carbon Renewable Materials Center. She holds a University of Toronto Distinguished Professorship in Forest Biomaterials Engineering at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry with a cross appointment to John. H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Dr. Yan has disseminated more than 300 publications, including more than 185 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals. She is an international expert on forest biomaterial science, bio-based products and polymer adhesives and has won numerous prestigious awards for her teach and research excellence, including the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplements Award.

She is currently a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada. Dr. Yan's research is directed towards renewable carbon and biochemicals with potential applications for a wide range of industries including energy storage and automotive. This includes the conversion of biomass to chemical precursors and the development of smart and functional materials for application in energy storage devices such as nanocomposites with superior strength, flexibility and toughness, electrically conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and conductive polymers.

Dr. Ning Yan commented, "I am greatly pleased and excited to join NEO to implement our research and sustainable technology on energy storage devices for automotive applications. Time is of the essence for the industry, and we will be helping the Company with high-performance functional materials for both coating and electrode fabrication. Through this partnership, we are also seeking to establish a footprint for the battery material supply chain in Canada."

Mr. Spencer Huh, President and CEO of NEO, expressed, "We are excited to have Dr. Mohini Sain and Dr. Ning Yan of the University of Toronto to be partnered and working with NEO Battery Materials. With sustainability throughout NEO's production and supply chain being a core value, the Company will cooperate with Dr. Sain and Dr. Yan to optimize renewable materials that can be implemented as low-cost nanocoating materials, binders, and conductive additives to NEO's silicon anode materials. We are ultimately targeting improved chemistries and cell performance for commercialization."

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

NEO Battery Materials Ltd. is a Vancouver-based company focused on battery metals and materials. NEO has a focus on producing silicon anodes materials through its proprietary single-step nanocoating process, which provides improvements in capacity and efficiency over lithium-ion batteries using graphite in their anode materials. The Company intends to become a silicon anode active materials supplier to the electric vehicle industry. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Spencer Huh

President and CEO

604-697-2408

shuh@neobatterymaterials.com

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Forward looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend" and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, the effectiveness and feasibility of technologies which have not yet been tested or proven on a commercial scale, competitive risks and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and we caution against placing undue reliance thereon. We assume no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101259
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. (CSE: SXTY) (FSE: 2F4) (OTC Pink: SXNTF) (the "Company" or "Sixty North Gold"):

Sixty North Gold is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the first phase of opening the high-grade Mon Gold Mine, located 45 km north of Yellowknife in the prolific Yellowknife Gold Belt.

The Company opened the North Portal and rehabilitated 125 meters (m), of ramp, exposing three sections of the high-grade A-Zone vein. One exposure is 17 m below the West Stope, and the other exposures are 30 to 57 m north of the West Stope (see attached maps).

The vein exposed at elevation 212 mAMSL, is 17 m below the West Stope (from which former operators extracted an estimated 12,000 tonnes at 30 gpt from elevation 228 m to 241 mAMSL) A 0.2 and 0.5 m wide quartz vein is exposed at the ends of an open stope. Visible gold, together with the favourable suite of pathfinder sulphides have been observed in samples collected for assay and metallurgical testing. Substantial potassic and hematite alteration (pink rock) was exposed peripheral to the vein at its south-end.

A second vein exposure is located 30 meters north of the first exposure where a 1.5 m quartz vein is exposed for 8 m in a subdrift at elevation 229 mAMSL (sill elevation of West Stope). It had substantial pink rock alteration peripheral to it, in the exposed hanging wall rocks. The vein contains the favourable suite of pathfinder sulphides that have been observed in samples collected for assay.

The third vein exposure is 20 meters north of the previously described exposure in 2 (above); a one m wide banded quartz vein with pinch and swell features was encountered in a short cross cut at elevation 232 mAMSL and was sampled for assays.

Dr. Dave Webb, President and CEO, comments that, "The Company has completed the program designed to confirm the vein location, and its extension to depth below the old stopes. The deeper stope (North Stope) had not been documented, but an estimated 1,100 tonnes of material was extracted by previous operators leaving a seven metre crown pillar, confirming the thesis of the Company that economically recoverable gold mineralization can be found beneath the historic stopes. Also undocumented is that the previous operators had driven a ramp for a further 30 m to the south prior to halting activities in the 1990's.

Approximately two tonnes of vein were extracted by the Company, samples have been collected and are being submitted for assays and further metallurgical testing, with results expected in six to eight weeks. There were no lost-time accidents. Additional environmental samples have been collected to provide supporting characterization of the waste rock."

The Company would like to thank the team at New Discovery Mines Ltd. for completing this work in a challenging logistical and health-safety environment. The dedicated team of miners, mechanics, and support workers prevailed as the supply chain was definitely stretched. Support from nearby operators also assisted us, and suppliers worked overtime to get equipment to our site. We gratefully acknowledge their efforts to make our constrained season a success.

The Company has shut down operations on site for 2021 and plans to construct a winter road to mobilize supplies to the property in March 2022 to enable continued development of the A-Zone, with the next phase including further ramp extension, additional crosscuts into the mineralization, raises and stope development.

About the Company

The Company is focused on bringing its Mon Mine back into production. The Mon Mine produced 15,000 ounces of gold from 15,000 tonnes of ore between 1989 and 1997, operating on a seasonal basis to a depth of 15 m below surface, with gold prices generally averaging between US$350 and US$400 per ounce. Permits to mine and mill at 100 tpd are in place, making the Mon Mine the only gold project permitted for production in the NWT. The Company is currently working to develop the second level below the historic stopes to commence mining. Management believes the similarity to the Discovery Mine, located to the north of the Mon Property where 1 million ounces were mined from 1 million tons of ore, indicates the potential for the Mon Mine.

Other targets on the property include recently discovered silver- and gold-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) targets (NR October 17, 2019), as well as shear zone-hosted gold mineralization. The shear zones are similar in nature to, and hosted in the same rocks as, the world-class deposits at the Con and Giant Mines in Yellowknife which produced 14 million oz. gold.

The Company also has an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the highly prospective and contiguous 2,394 hectare Hangstone Property adjoining the Mon Property to the East and South from an independent prospector. The Mon Property shear zone and VMS targets can be projected onto the Hangstone Property.

For more information, please refer to the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or visit the Company's website at www.sixtynorthgold.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

s/ "David Webb"

David Webb,

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact David Webb 604-818-1400

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements". Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any projected future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Further details about the risks applicable to the Company are contained in the Company's Prospectus dated January 19, 2018 available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), under the Company's profile.

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.









Figure 1



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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / ForestAu Green LLC has listed its Tupan token on the P2PB2B Exchange. The P2PB2B Exchange provides businesses and individuals with low commissions, multiple support, strong security, and an open API. The goal in using the exchange is to raise even more funds for the project through an Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) following the completion of the ICO earlier. This is particularly important given the distrust that many now have for ICOs due to the multiplicity of scams. The IEO commenced in September.

TUPAN is a security token touted as the currency needed for Environmental Conservation, the evolution of ESG and Regeneration. This token is issued by ForestAu Green, an American fund of digital environmental assets, which is regulated and authorized by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Related link: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1790226/000179022619000002/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

Speaking on the company's decision to register with the SEC, the CEO and Founder, Oderli Feriani stated, "The crypto market is a market that is used by institutional investors who want the safety of a regulated market. We have launched in the U.S market to be able to guarantee that security."

The token was developed on the Waves Blockchain algorithm allowing for facility, speed and security of transactions on the Waves platform. The use of the Waves Algorithm in the creation of digital tokens is tested in many ICOs. The platform boasts two distinct advantages; that transactions on the platform attract a fixed fee of 0.001 Waves, regardless of value, and that transactions are completed in under 5 seconds regardless of the number of users.

Tupan solves environmental, economic and social problems. It is expected that the different use cases of the token combined with high demand will cause the market valuation to rise.

As to the drive behind the Tupan project, Oderli said, "I don't believe in environmental conscientization. I believe in generating wealth, employment, and income through social development with shared knowledge and applied to the environment in a regenerative way."

With ForestAu in the custody of tokenized NFTs of 3,690,000,000 cubic meters of the Amazonian Forest and 3,690,000,000 TUPAN tokens to be distributed, each token is the equivalent of a cubic meter of preserved forest.

The tokens are available for purchase on the P2PB2B platform. Available trading pairs include the TUPAN/USDT, TUPAN/BTC, and TUPAN/ETH. Once purchased, Tupan holders will have their money in equivalents of Brazilian areas, and they will be engaged in a real forestry business conducted and managed by the ForestAu Green team.

In addition to buying the tokens on the P2PB2B, the platform allows you to put any coins you're holding into four different trading pools. This allows you to earn while waiting for the market valuation to rise. This will continue till the 30th of October.

Already, the bioeconomy market is greater than the cryptocurrency market. According to a World Economic Forum report titled 'The Future of Nature and Business', forestry businesses have the potential to generate up to $10.11 trillion annually, and 395 million jobs by 2030. An investment in the Tupan token could well become an investment in an expanding ecosystem - one in which Tupan idealizes active and direct participation.

Additionally, according to the business plan, other actions still to follow from the company are

- The preservation and regeneration of over 3.69 billion m of Amazonia rainforest

- Development of innovative products for the bioeconomy sector where Tupan already holds some patents that will become participating companies of the group!

- Companies that acquire Tupan currency will be able to use it for payment of environmental compensation (environmental fines, legal compliance)

- Investments in social projects such as the Moises project to support needy families

- Training of entrepreneurs in the Amazonia, among other actions.

About ForestAu Green

ForestAu Green LLC is an Environmental Digital Asset Investment Fund. The core team is made up of Brazilians with backgrounds in the corporate and financial universe, and interest in the regenerative circular economy in the Amazonian region. The company was established in United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ForestAu Green develops the Amazonia region by promoting the economic and social integration of the environment and active governance through the acquisition of Environmental NFTs.

The american ForestAu Green Investment Fund is the issuer of the Tupan token, whose name is inspired by the supreme God of creation of nature and all of humanity. The token was engaged in the acquisition, ownership, operation, management, and sale of environmental agricultural digital assets located in the Amazonia region of Brazil. It intends to promote economic and social-environmental integration by promoting the qualified management of these digital assets.

For more information, visit

Website: https://www.tupan.io/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/tupanofficial

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/cryptoTupan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tupan_io

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/tupan-token

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tupan.io

Facebook: https://facebook.com/tupan.io

Media Queries

Oderli Feriani, Tupan Media Office

Email: contact@tupan.io

SOURCE: Tupan

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670340/Green-ESG-Token-Has-Been-Listed-on-the-P2PB2B-Exchange
Publication Announcement: Annual Report and Accounts 2021 and Notice of Annual General Meeting 2021

WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Ferguson PLC (LSE:FERG)(NYSE:FERG) Further to the release of the Company's full year results announcement on September 28, 2021, the Company announces that it has today published its Annual Report and Accounts 2021 ("Annual Report 2021"). The Company also announces that it is today posting to shareholders the Notice of Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, December 2, 2021 (the "Notice"). These documents can be downloaded from the Investors and Media section of the Company's website at www.fergusonplc.com.

In accordance with LR 9.6.1 and DTR 6.3.5(3) copies of the documents listed below have been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

Annual Report and Accounts 2021; and

Notice of Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, December 2, 2021.

The Annual General Meeting will take place at 12:30pm on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, 100 Bishopsgate, London, EC2P 2SR, United Kingdom.

The expected timetable for the Dividend and Annual General Meeting is set out below:

DIVIDEND TIMETABLE 2021 Ordinary Shares marked ex-entitlement to the Dividend October 28 Record date for entitlement to the Dividend October 29 (8:00pm ET) Latest time and date to submit pound sterling elections for the Dividend November 12 Pound sterling Dividend value announced November 22 Payment of the Dividend to shareholders December 10 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TIMETABLE 2021 Record date for DTC beneficial owners to be eligible to vote November 18 Latest time and date for receipt of Proxy Forms (DI holders) November 29 (12:30pm UK time) Record date for Depositary Interest holders to be eligible to vote November 29 (6:00pm UK time) Latest time and date for receipt of Proxy Forms (registered shareholders) November 30 (12:30pm UK time) Record date for registered shareholders to attend and vote at the AGM November 30 (6:30pm ET) Annual General Meeting December 2 (12:30pm UK time)

If any of the above Annual General Meeting times and/or dates change, or if there are any changes to the arrangements for holding the Annual General Meeting in response to applicable regulations or public health guidance in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the revised times, dates and/or arrangements will be notified to shareholders through the Company's website at www.fergusonplc.com by an announcement to a Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"). All definitions used in the Notice have the same meaning when used in this announcement.

Annual Report 2021

A condensed set of Ferguson plc financial statements and information on important events that have occurred during the year and their impact on the financial statements were included in the Company's final results announcement on September 28, 2021. That information together with the information set out below which is extracted from the Annual Report 2021 constitute the requirements of DTR 6.3.5 which is to be communicated via an RIS in unedited full text. This announcement is not a substitute for reading the full Annual Report 2021. Page and note references in the text below refer to page numbers in the Annual Report 2021. To view the final results announcement, visit the Company website: www.fergusonplc.com.

Extract from Annual Report 2021

Principal risks and their management

Principal risks:

A. New competitors and technology

B. Market conditions

C. Pressure on margins

D. Information technology

E. Health and safety

F. Regulations

G. Talent management and retention

The materialization of these risks could have an adverse effect on the Group's results or financial condition. If more than one of these risks occur, the combined overall effect of such events may be compounded. The chart shows management's assessment of material risks. Various strategies are employed to reduce these inherent risks to an acceptable level. These are summarized in the tables on the following pages. The effectiveness of these mitigation strategies can change over time, for example with the acquisition or disposal of businesses. Some of these risks remain beyond the direct control of management. The risk management program, including risk assessments, can therefore only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that risks are managed to an acceptable level. As part of the ongoing risk management process, emerging risks were identified and assessed by the Group's management and key stakeholders to determine the impact of such risks to the business. These emerging risks were reviewed with the Board throughout the year. Although none of these risks are deemed to be significant and are consequently not listed as one of the Group's principal risks, they are tracked in case they evolve to become more significant. One such emerging risk is ensuring we meet new regulatory requirements and shareholder expectations on disclosure of ESG matters, including anticipated Securities & Exchange Commission rulemaking related to climate change. We also continue to closely monitor physical, transition and regulatory risks related to climate change, which are considered in our risk management process. Based on these processes and the actions being taken to manage climate risk, our review and impact assessments have concluded that this remains an emerging rather than a principal risk. Subject matter experts from the business reviewed the SASB Climate Risk Technical Bulletin issued in 2021. We have developed mitigation to better prepare the business for any relevant physical, transition or regulatory risks related to climate change, as well as a roadmap to reduce carbon emissions for internal operations and integrate climate considerations into business strategies. As more climate change research becomes available, we will continue to monitor the risks and opportunities relevant to our business. Other key emerging risks identified are geo-political uncertainty that could impact our competitiveness, maintaining our Company culture during transition of key roles to the USA, and potential share price and shareholder base volatility related to our intended relocation of our primary listing to the USA. The Group faces many other risks which, although important and subject to regular review, have been assessed as less significant and are not listed here. These include, for example, natural catastrophe and business interruption risks, labor related risks and certain financial risks. A summary of financial risks and their management is provided on page 37.

Risks to the execution of our operational strategies

A. New competitors and technology Inherent risk level: High

Trend: No change Definition and impact Wholesale and distribution businesses in other industry sectors have been disrupted by the arrival of new competitors with lower-cost non-value added transactional business models or new technologies to aggregate demand away from incumbents. Competitor consolidation could cause the industries in which we operate to become more competitive based on business models, technology or strategy. The Board is attuned to both the risks and opportunities presented by these changes and is actively engaged as the Group takes action to respond. Changes during the year Ferguson Ventures continued to extend its network in the start-up community, increasing early visibility to new competitors and potential disruption. Partnerships and investments were made in a range of technologies and companies to improve our customers' business processes. We also continue to invest in industry-focused venture capital funds. In addition, Ferguson continues delivery of its omnichannel strategy to meet constantly changing customer demands and emerging digital needs as the rate of customer adoption of e-commerce tools continues to increase. Mitigation The Group develops and invests in new business models, including e-commerce, to respond to changing customer and consumer needs. This will allow the Group to accelerate the time to market for new revenue streams and gain insight on new disruptive technologies and trends. The Group remains vigilant to the threats and opportunities in this space. Competitor consolidation and development of new business models in our marketplace is closely evaluated. B. Market conditions Inherent risk level: High

Trend: No change Definition and impact This risk relates to the Group's exposure to short-term macroeconomic conditions and market cycles in our sector (i.e. deflation / inflation, periodic market downturns). Some of the factors driving market changes are beyond the Group's control and are difficult to forecast. Further information on the market trends can be found on pages 22, 23, 38, 39 and 46. The Group is closely monitoring for general market change impacts in the short and medium term that may result from changes in customer behavior, product availability constraints and supply disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for current geo-political risks. Changes during the year This risk is unchanged during the year notwithstanding certain unique dynamics driven by the COVID-19 operating environment and reopening of the US economy as the market experienced reduced product availability, supply chain disruption and price increases resulting from longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Group has maintained a strong balance sheet throughout the year and other measures have been taken to manage the cost base in line with forecast growth. The Group has again tested its financial forecasts, including cash flow projections, against the impact of a severe market downturn, see pages 53 and 54. We have also maintained higher inventory during the year utilizing our strong balance sheet to protect our customers and provide higher availability. Mitigation The Group cannot control market conditions but believes it has effective measures in place to respond to changes. Ferguson continues to reinforce existing measures in place, including: - the evolution of our business model; - cost control, pricing and gross margin management initiatives, including a focus on customer service and productivity improvement; - resource allocation processes; and - capital expenditure controls and procedures. The Group is monitoring for any business disruption due to a resurgence of COVID-19 and remains prepared to implement appropriate mitigation strategies. C. Pressure on margins Inherent risk level: High Trend: No change Definition and impact The Group's ability to maintain attractive profit margins can be affected by a range of factors, including some that are beyond the Group's control. These include levels of demand and competition in our markets, the arrival of new competitors with new business models, the flexibility of the Group's cost base, changes in the cost and availability of commodities or goods purchased, inflationary pressures, product mix, customer or supplier consolidation or manufacturers shipping directly to customers. There is a risk that the Group may not identify or respond effectively to changes in these factors. If it fails to do so, the amount of profit generated by the Group could be significantly reduced. Changes during the year Pressure on margins is unchanged during the year notwithstanding certain unique dynamics driven by the COVID-19 operating environment and reopening of the US economy. Product price inflation and cost increases arising from supply and transportation challenges were more than offset by strong market growth, an ability to pass through price inflation and cost controls. While we have benefited from price inflation in the short term we continue to monitor for signs of moderation or deflation, which would present risk that we may not be able to totally mitigate. In response, the Group has continued to manage its cost base in line with changes in expected growth rates. Customer Group performance, including margins achieved, were monitored on a monthly basis throughout the year. Ongoing gross margin was 60 basis points ahead of last year with growth driven principally by strong demand and our ability to manage price inflation. Mitigation The Group's strategy for tackling this issue remains unchanged. This includes: continuous improvements in customer service, product availability and inventory management; strict pricing controls managed with proper data and insight; and effective maintenance and management of vendor rebate programs. Revenues from e-commerce, own brand, and other growth sectors continue to increase. The Group has made acquisitions to drive further growth and expanded capabilities in 2020/21 - refer to pages 18, 160 and 161 for more information on acquisitions during the year. The performance of each customer group is closely monitored, and corrective action taken when appropriate. Resource allocation processes invest capital in those businesses capable of generating the best returns. D. Information Technology ("IT") Inherent risk level: High Trend: Higher Definition and impact The Group has a clearly defined global technology strategy and roadmap. Technology systems and data are fundamental to the future growth and success of the Group. IT risks are categorized as strategic and operational. Strategic risks are threats that could prevent execution of the IT strategic plan such as inadequate leadership, poor allocation/management of resources and/or poor execution of the organizational change of management necessary to adopt and apply new business processes. Operational risks include business disruption resulting from system failures, fraud, criminal activity, or potential cybersecurity incidents. This includes security threats and/or failures in the ability of the organization to operate, recover and restore operations after such disruptions. While cybersecurity incidents encountered to date have resulted in minimal impact, notwithstanding increased reliance on hybrid and distributed work arrangements for many of our associates that have the flexibility to work remotely or in the office, this risk continues to persist and evolve. Changes during the year Under the leadership of the Chief Information Officer, the Group has continued to make progress in implementing the technology strategy and roadmap, including progressing significant upgrades to its enterprise-wide resource planning systems and other enterprise-wide IT resources. IT strategic risks are higher due to the breadth of the roadmap and are being closely monitored as we implement the global technology strategy and roadmap (see page 31). Those risks include the potential for schedule delays, cost overruns, functionality deferrals and change management disruptions to business operations. Operational risk to IT also remains high, particularly as it relates to system failures, fraud, criminal activity, or potential cybersecurity incidents. IT General Controls continue to be independently tested by Internal Audit and findings are reported to the Audit Committee. In addition, a team was established to provide an independent review on the status and risk to delivery of the strategic roadmap. Briefings on the status of the Group's IT strategic plan, and its implementation have been regularly provided to the Board, the Audit Committee and the Executive Committee throughout the year. Regular Board, Audit Committee and Executive Committee updates on the status and execution of operational IT functions, including, but not limited to cybersecurity, are in place and delivered regularly throughout the year. Mitigation Business leadership continues to execute a comprehensive change management program designed to transition current business practices and norms to adopt new business capabilities. Business Technology and Omnichannel Centers of Excellence are in place to drive organizational discipline around the prioritization of business projects to foster alignment with Ferguson's strategic framework. Management continues to execute an annually refined roadmap of investments in process, resource and technical defense necessary to continuously address and strengthen enterprise defenses against emerging cybersecurity threats; extending such enhancements to the overall control environment to all critical Group systems (see page 81). Group-level compliance processes and insurance coverage, including data protection and cybersecurity liability, are in place. Disaster recovery systems, secondary data centers, cloud redundancy and resiliency platforms, resources and processes have been implemented to support the recovery of business critical systems in the event of a major disaster or cybersecurity event. Testing of critical infrastructure and application systems is in place and has been consistently executed across the Group. E. Health and safety Inherent risk level: Medium Trend: No change Definition and impact The nature of Ferguson's operations can expose its associates, contractors, customers, suppliers and other individuals to health and safety risks. Certain products that we sell could pose health and safety risks. Health and safety incidents can lead to loss of life or severe injuries. The Group continues to take prudent steps to mitigate the risk and reduce any potential impact to health and safety. Changes during the year The Group's strategic plan remains focused on the following: elimination and control of risks causing injuries and incidents; improving our safety culture; continuous education for our associates on safety, health and environmental risks and best practices. We took appropriate steps to monitor and mitigate the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our associates and customers. The hiring and deploying of health and safety professionals in the field provides businesses with technical resources to more effectively mitigate risk. Our efforts in these areas continue to improve the overall performance of the Group - see page 48 for more information. Mitigation Safety is a core value driver in everything we do. Our leaders have specific roles to play and are required to actively engage with our associates in creating a healthier and safer workplace. Our performance is reported and discussed at both the Executive Committee and Board meetings. The Group maintains a health and safety policy, with detailed minimum standards, and standard operating procedures which sets out requirements for all businesses. We have strengthened our training programs that include vehicle and driver safety to reinforce our commitment to continual improvement. Branches are audited against these standards and businesses continue to implement fundamental changes to transform our culture. For more detail see page 48. We continue to implement protocols to protect the health and safety of our associates and customers related to the COVID-19 pandemic and have introduced an incentive program to encourage the vaccination of our associates. F. Regulations Inherent risk level: Medium Trend: Higher Definition and impact The Group's operations are affected by various statutes, regulations and standards in the countries and markets in which it operates. The amount of such regulation and the penalties can vary. While the Group is not engaged in a highly regulated industry, it is subject to the laws governing businesses generally, including laws relating to competition, product safety, privacy and data protection of user data, labor and employment practices, accounting and tax standards, international trade, fraud, bribery and corruption, land usage, the environment, health and safety, transportation and other matters. Violations of certain laws and regulations may result in significant fines and penalties and damage to the Group's reputation. Changes during the year As a result of the recent registration of the Group's shares in the United States, we are subject to additional reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Following the adoption of the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), the procedures and controls implemented by the relevant businesses within the Group to comply with the CCPA were reviewed and improvement measures put in place. As additional privacy laws are enacted we continue to implement procedures and controls across the business to comply with all applicable laws. Mitigation The Group monitors the law across its markets to minimize the effects of changes and maintain compliance with all applicable laws. The Group aligns Company-wide policies and procedures with its key compliance requirements and monitors their implementation. Mandatory training on the Group's Code of Conduct was deployed to all associates during the year. The Code of Conduct sets out the Group's values and commitment to strict compliance with the various laws and regulations that apply wherever the Group operates. Briefings and awareness training on key compliance topics and requirements, trade compliance and anti-bribery / anti-corruption were also undertaken. Further information on the Group's ethics and compliance program can be found on pages 29 and 51. G. Talent management and retention Inherent risk level: Medium

Trend: No change Definition and impact As the Group develops new business models and new ways of working, it needs to develop suitable skillsets within the organization. Furthermore, as the Group continues to execute a number of strategic change programs including corporate migration, it is important that existing skillsets and talent are retained and that associates remain engaged through recognition, training, and communication. Failure to do so could delay the execution of strategic change programs, result in a loss of "corporate memory" and reduce the Group's supply of future leaders. Changes during the year There has been no material change in the level of associate turnover during the year, however, due to the tight labor market time to backfill positions could be extended. Bill Brundage was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in November 2020 and Victoria Morrissey was appointed as Chief Marketing Officer in May 2021. Talent management procedures were reviewed, our global engagement survey was relaunched, and an inclusion and diversity framework was launched during the year (see pages 28 and 29 for further information). Associate meetings with our Employee Engagement Director of the Board were held and feedback was reported back to the Board. Mitigation All of the Group's businesses have established performance management and succession planning procedures. Reward packages for associates are designed to be market competitive and to attract and retain the best talent. A robust individual development planning process for high-potential successors from the talent review process is aligned with our organizational strategy. The Group continues to invest in associate development, engagement, and inclusion and diversity programs.

Related Party Transactions

The Group purchases goods and services from companies which are indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of companies which are controlled or significantly influenced by persons who are also Ferguson Non Executive Directors. In the year ended July 31, 2021, the Group purchased goods and services totaling $24 million (2020: $18 million) from and owed $nil (2020: $nil) to these companies. The goods and services are purchased on an arm's-length basis.

The Group made a donation of $2 million (2020: $nil) to a charity which has a Board member who is a related party of the Group. As at July 31, 2021, the Group has committed to donate a further $1 million (2020: $nil) to this charity.

There are no other related party transactions requiring disclosure under IAS 24 "Related Party Disclosures" in the years ended July 31, 2021 and July 31, 2020 other than the compensation of key management personnel which is set out in note 11.

Key management personnel compensation (including Directors) 2021 $m 2020 $m Salaries, bonuses and other short-term employee benefits 16 16 Post-employment benefits 2 1 Share-based payments 18 8 Total compensation 36 25

Further details of Directors' remuneration and share options are set out in the Remuneration Report on pages 82 to 112.

Directors' Responsibilities Statement

This statement is repeated here solely for the purpose of complying with DTR 6.3.5. This statement relates to and is extracted from the Annual Report 2021. It is not connected to the extracted information presented in this announcement or the preliminary results announcement released on September 28, 2021.

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Accounts and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors are required to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRSs") as adopted by the European Union and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and have elected to prepare the parent company financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), including FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland". Under company law the Directors must not approve the accounts unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that period.

In preparing the parent company financial statements, the Directors are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;



make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;



state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and



prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.

In preparing the Group financial statements, International Accounting Standard 1 requires that Directors:

properly select and apply accounting policies;



present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information;



provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs is insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity's financial position and financial performance; and



make an assessment of the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company's website. Legislation in Jersey governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The Directors of Ferguson plc as at the date of this Annual Report and Accounts are as follows:

Geoff Drabble, Chairman Kevin Murphy, Group Chief Executive Bill Brundage, Group Chief Financial Officer Alan Murray, Senior Independent Director and Non Executive Director Kelly Baker, Non Executive Director Tessa Bamford, Non Executive Director Cathy Halligan, Non Executive Director Brian May, Non Executive Director Tom Schmitt, Non Executive Director Nadia Shouraboura, Non Executive Director Jacky Simmonds, Non Executive Director Suzanne Wood, Non Executive Director

Each Director confirms that, to the best of their knowledge:

 the financial statements, prepared in accordance with the relevant financial reporting framework, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole;

 the management report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face; and

 the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and understandable and provide the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group's position and performance, business model and strategy.

For further information please contact

Graham Middlemiss

Group Company Secretary Tel: 0118 927 3800

About Ferguson plc

Ferguson plc is a leading value added distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors operating in North America. Revenue for the year ended July 31, 2021 was $22.8 billion and trading profit was $2.2 billion. Ferguson plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FERG) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FERG) and the company is in the FTSE 100 index of listed companies. For more information, please visit www.fergusonplc.com or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/Ferguson_plc .

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Ferguson PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670339/Ferguson-PLC-Announces-Annual-Financial-Report
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Commander Resources Ltd. (TSXV: CMD) ("Commander") is pleased to announce that six directors have been elected at the Company's annual general meeting held October 28, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Board includes returning directors Robert Cameron, Brandon Macdonald, Eric Norton and David Watkins and two new directors, Kelly Bateman and Vanessa Pickering. The meeting also approved the re-appointment of Davidson & Company, Chartered Accountants, as auditors for the ensuing year. Shareholders also approved the adoption of a 10% rolling stock option plan at the meeting. Brandon Macdonald was appointed Chairman of the Board by the directors.

New Directors

Ms. Bateman has over ten years of experience in the junior exploration and mining consulting industries. Her role as a Financial Analyst for JDS Energy & Mining has provided her with a broad view of projects at various stages and an understanding of the factors that are integral to their development. Ms. Bateman completed her professional credentials as a P.Geo. with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia in 2017.

Ms. Pickering has over 17 years of experience in the exploration and mining industry working closely with a number of Canadian public companies in various investor relations roles. Currently, Ms. Pickering is the Manager of Investor Relations for Orezone Gold Corporation and prior to Orezone was the Manager, Corporate Communications and Development at IDM Mining Ltd. until its acquisition in March 2019. Ms. Pickering also worked with ATAC Resources Ltd., Laurentian Securities (now Pure Gold Mining) and StrataGold Corporation. Ms. Pickering is currently on the Board of the Society of Investor Relations Executives in Mining (SIREM). Ms. Pickering is a dynamic communicator and relationship builder who is well-versed in the changing landscape of marketing and how it pertains to the exploration and mining industry.

Bernie Kahlert Retirement from the Board

The company also wishes to note the retirement from the board of Mr. Bernie Kahlert. Mr. Kahlert will continue to be very active with the company as a Technical Advisor where his extensive knowledge and expertise will be valuable contribution to the Company's exploration activities.

Robert Cameron, President and CEO states, "Bernie has been a long-term valuable contributor to the Company having first joined our predecessor company, Major General Resources, in 1990 and then becoming a director in 1998. Of his many contributions to the company his direct involvement in advancing the Hammerdown Mine asset and the establishment of a significant diamond portfolio which was subsequently spun out as Diamonds North (now Adamera Minerals Corp.) are particular standouts. Bernie remains involved with Commander as a Technical Advisor where he will contribute to our ongoing exploration and development projects.

I also welcome our two new directors Kelly Bateman and Vanessa Pickering who will bring a valuable new perspective to our Company, and I look forward to working with them as we continue to advance the Company and our many exciting projects."

Stock Option Grants

The board of directors accepted the recommendations of the Compensation Committee and reports the grant of 1,460,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers and contractors of the Company under its stock option plan, in accordance with the Company's compensation policy. The options are exercisable for five years at a price of $0.17 per share and are subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Commander Resources:

Commander Resources is a Canadian focused exploration company that has leveraged its success in exploration through partnerships and sale of properties, while retaining equity and royalty interests. Commander has a portfolio of base and precious metal projects across Canada. Commander also retains royalties from properties that have been partnered, optioned or sold.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Robert Cameron, P. Geo.

President and CEO

For further information, please call:

Robert Cameron, President and CEO

Toll Free: 1-800-667-7866

info@commanderresources.com

Twitter: @CommanderCMD

www.commanderresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101247
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Trading crypto coins is one of the ways people are making profits in the market. But finding a perfect wallet that Shiba Inu can address all trading needs for can be tricky. Only a few wallets that are compatible with Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, Safemoon, and thousands of other tokens can offer features such as these. Here is the BitRise dApp Wallet:





Bitrise

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8372/101287_d3d11815640fba60_001full.jpg.

This is a new crypto wallet that is causing ripples in the DeFi. The dApp wallet is one of the products of Bitrise, a hyper-deflation payment network token that is also doing very well in the market. Though the Bitrise token has been around for about 3 months, it ranks among the fastest-growing coins in the market today.

With an increase of over +3,558% in value, it is, without doubt, one of the tokens to pay close attention to. Such bullish growth is the reason crypto experts are referring to it as the next "Safemoon" and "Shiba Inu."

BitRise dApp Wallet is a decentralized mobile wallet that allows users to buy, store, send and swap Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain tokens. The wallet is already running, with the Beta 2 version recently launched to upgrade the previous Beta 1 version.

Bitrise dApp wallet is designed to provide a simple, quick, safe cryptocurrency trading option with zero risk. It offers zero fees for all P2P payments in local currency transactions in local currency and at a very high speed. Whether one wants to transact Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, or Safemoon, it will take less than 5 minutes.

But the most exciting feature of Bitrise wallet is the ability to support thousands of tokens. Users can transact both BEP20 and ERC20 tokens. Well, this is true because the wallet can support multiple blockchain platforms. Users do not need to Pancakeswap or Uniswap to sell or buy tokens with this wallet.

Among the tokens that users can trade on the Bitrise Wallet, also includes Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, and Safemoon. These are among the fastest-growing tokens in the market today. If a user wants to trade or swap another token with Shiba Inu, he can do it on the Bitrise Wallet in just one go.

This is the same case with trading the Safemoon, which is also one of the hottest coins. Users can swap all or some Safemoon tokens with hundreds of other tokens using the Bitrise Wallet. Millions of crypto traders are also looking forward to trading Dogecoin, another hot coin in the market. With this wallet, users can trade any amount of Dogecoin tokens, including swapping it with hundreds of coins.

Whether users have invested in Shiba Inu, Dogecoin or Safemoon, they are some of the most sought-after tokens. That's the reason Bitrise teams have built one of the safest crypto wallets in the market today.

The safety and security features of the wallet are some of the best one can find in the market today. The dApp Wallet uses mnemonic phrases, passwords, and authentication, making it one of the most secure wallets. It is very difficult for unauthorized persons to transfer or access tokens. Therefore, Shiba Inu or any other tokens will be safe from prying eyes on the internet.

To know how Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, Safemoon, or any other token is performing in the market, there is no need to visit a website. Bitrise dApp Wallet allows users to check prices and surf token charts using the wallet's in-built chart feature. Users will be able to get instant information on the current market trends to help make the right trading decision.

Bitrise dApp Wallet is a game-changer in the DeFi. The fact that it can support multiple tokens, all BEP20 and ERC20 tokens in one go, makes it one of the most powerful tools in the market today.

Download the Bitrise dApp Wallet from the Play Store or App Store and start trading Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, Safemoon, and thousands of other tokens right away. With this dApp wallet, token trading will never be the same.

Media Contact

Gert Sanem

Email - contact@bitrisetoken.com

Website: https://bitrisetoken.com

Telegram: https://t.me/bitrisetoken

PR - Cryptoshib.com

Email - info@cryptoshib.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101287


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With 99384 new cases reporting on Thursday, the total number of Covid infections in the country rose to 45,826,252, as per the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.



An additional 1788 Covid deaths on the same day took the total number of people who died due to the pandemic to 743,362.



California reported the most number of cases - 13,079 - while Florida - 562 - reported most COVID-related deaths.



Covid-related hospitalizations in the United States have consistently been decreasing from September. The number of people admitted in hospitals in the country with coronavirus infection has come down by 18 percent to 51,816 within the last two weeks, as per data compiled by New York Times.



As per the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 191,242,432 people in the United States, or 57.6 percent of the population, have been fully vaccinated against the deadly virus. This includes 84.9 percent of people above 65.



221,348,530 people, or 66.7 percent of the population, have received at least one dose.



15,417,340 people, or more than 8 percent of the population, have so far received booster dose.



417,795,537 vaccine doses have been administered so far nationally.



36,565,948 people have so far recovered from the disease in the country.



Meanwhile, in his audience with Pope Francis in Vatican Friday, U.S. President Biden lauded the Pontiff for his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.



Later, Biden and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin discussed efforts to rally global support for vaccinating the developing world against COVID-19.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - Antioquia Gold Inc. (TSXV: AGD) (OTC Pink: AGDXF) ("Antioquia Gold" or the "Company") reports the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held on October 27, 2021. All the motions presented to the shareholders were approved. Each of the six nominees proposed as Directors and listed in the Company's Management Information Circular dated September 21, 2021 were elected as Directors.

Antioquia welcomes Jose de la Borda to its Board of Directors. He has been a Director of Druk Mining Company; Businessman dedicated to identifying and developing exploration projects on the central coast of Peru.

Votes representing 864,297,640 shares were cast, representing 91.04% of the issued and outstanding shares at the record date.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ANTIOQUIA GOLD INC.

Gonzalo de Losada President and CEO Antioquia Gold Inc.

For further information contact:

Antioquia Gold Inc.

Email: info@antioquiagold.com

www.antioquiagoldinc.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 press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101295
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Alphinat Inc. (TSXV:NPA) announces being chosen by it's a second Canadian province to develop a Greenhouse Gas Registry specific to a province's requirements to reports, track and monitor greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are pleased that this additional province has entrusted us to help in the fight against the harmful effects of greenhiouse gas" says Denis Michaud, Chief Solutions and Security Officer at Alphinat "and we look forward to delivering the solution within their tight deadlines." he added.

"Our solutions are designed to leverage common components and, existing base solutions in orderand to help to greatly dieminish delivery risks to our clients" said Curtis Page. CEO at Alphinat.

Alphinat has focused on four main areas of solution development

and is now branching out in other common soluition processes with our SmartGuide technology:

1) SmartGuide  Portal Edition for Dynamics 365 [1] , has optimized the way that clients can now create and deploy online services on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM solutions including:

a) Grants & Contributions solutions for several federal departments and agencies.

b) Class Actions Settlements for automation, evaluation and disbursments of court ordered settlements.

c) Claims Settlements for automation, evaluation and disbursments of financial claims;.

2) SmartGuide Greenhouse Gas Registry is a green fintech solution allowing governments and industry to work together in reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gases;

3) SmartGuide  Municipal Cloud aims at offering unparalleled productivity to municipalities. Municipalities will be able to choose from a catalogue of pre-built applications. SmartGuide further accelerates the speed at which they can deploy citizen-centric services. These services include service requests, applications for permits and licenses as well as numerous other citizen-facing digital services and internal applications; and

4) SmartGuide  CIVIC Portal for Amanda [2] is a derivative of the Municipal Cloud solution front ending a partner solution for an improved user experience for both the client cities and their citizens.

All of the above solutions are available in SaaS mode as well as on-premises.

The Company also recently sold additional "SmartGuide SaaS" licenses and created the solution with a partner to assist in automating the application processs, evaluation and disbursenent of a class action settlement ordered by the courts of a provincial justice ministry. The Company also delivered of an enterprise portal solution for a city in the province of Ontario.

About Alphinat

At Alphinat, we are driven by the passion to make application development easy for everyone. We empower people with the knowledge and the vision of how a finished application should look and behave to be involved from start to end of the development of the process. After all, what better way to ensure a favourable outcome than to provide those closest to an application's end-users with a vested interest in its success throughout its development?

Enabeling the right people at the right time in the application development process. At the same time, we're constantly working to reduce the need to code in order to make application development and maintenance simpler and less error prone.

So, whether you choose to develop your applications with the help of SmartGuide low-code platform, kickstart your project using one of our pre-built apps or contact us or one of our partners to do the work for you, we're here to help you deploy better applications in record time. Visit https://www.alphinat.com for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regards to the Company's future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause significant differences between actual results and those described in forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, the Company's capacity to increase acceptance of its products on the market, and to penetrate new markets; the potential existence of defects or undetected problems in the Company's products; the Company's ability to manage its growth; the Company's ability to compete with others; potential commitments; maintaining the Company's intellectual property rights and defending against litigation putting those rights in question; the Company's reliance on the knowledge of its key personnel; and the Company's access to sufficient capital to finance its future needs. This is a partial and non-exhaustive list of factors that could bear on any of our forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to Alphinat or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. The Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. Risks and uncertainties that bear on the Company are described in greater detail in the Company's Annual Report.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

[1] Dynamics 365 is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

[2] Amanda is a registered trademark of Granicus

For further information please contact:

Mr. Curtis Page

Chief Executive Officer

Alphinat Inc.

(514) 398-9799 ext 225

SOURCE: Alphinat Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670353/Alphinat-Announces-Being-Chosen-by-a-Second-Canadian-Province-to-Deliver-a-Greenhouse-Gas-Registry-Solution
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

29 October 2021

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 93,456 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 877.32p 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 501,975; 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 224,489,328.

The figure of 224,489,328 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
ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Thousands of manufacturing executives and buyers, facing a variety of new challenges from supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages to raw material cost increases took the opportunity to see the newest equipment, technology, and solutions at The 9th Annual ASSEMBLY Show, held earlier this week in Rosemont, IL. The trade show and conference, produced by BNP Media, publishers of ASSEMBLY Magazine, offered a dynamic educational program, vibrant exhibit hall offering hundreds of new products and several exciting networking events with the focus on the future of manufacturing. (Editor's Note - High Resolution Photos of the event are available here.)

"It was wonderful to bring the industry back together safely in person and receive very positive feedback from the exhibitors and attendees who truly appreciate the focus of this event exclusively on assembly manufacturing," said Bill DeYoe, Publisher, ASSEMBLY Magazine. "We look forward to welcoming back an even larger domestic and international audience to our assembly community next year when we return to Rosemont for our 10th anniversary event from October 25-27, 2022."

"It's been amazing to see all the innovative manufacturing technology on display at the Assembly Show this year and even more amazing to meet the minds behind it. We're excited by the amount of interest at the show in our projection-based LightGuide augmented reality technology. We're excited to come back next year even bigger and better!" said Paul Ryznar, Founder and CEO, LightGuide, Inc.

"What a great show, it was wonderful to be back in person and see so many colleagues," said Floyd Dickson, Vice President, Tutelar Technologies. "The Assembly Show delivered a high quality audience and the number of leads we generated were even larger than in previous years. The attendees really enjoyed what they saw."

Highlights of the event, included:

Manufacturing engineers and executives attended the 9 th Annual ASSEMBLY Show representing leading companies including 3M, Baxter Healthcare, Honda, Honeywell, John Deere, Kawasaki Motors, Kohler, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Tesla, Yamaha, and hundreds of others.

the 9 Annual ASSEMBLY Show representing leading companies including 3M, Baxter Healthcare, Honda, Honeywell, John Deere, Kawasaki Motors, Kohler, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Tesla, Yamaha, and hundreds of others. The exhibit hall floor had 210 exhibitors, including Gold Sponsor PROMESS; Silver Sponsors ASG, SCHUNK, and Universal Robots; and Bronze Sponsors Bostik and Schmidt Technology, as well as dozens of charter exhibitors who have been part of the show since its inception in 2013. Over 70% of the 2021 show exhibitors renewed their booth space on-site for the 2022 Show scheduled for October 25-27, 2022 back at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

floor had 210 exhibitors, including Gold Sponsor PROMESS; Silver Sponsors ASG, SCHUNK, and Universal Robots; and Bronze Sponsors Bostik and Schmidt Technology, as well as dozens of charter exhibitors who have been part of the show since its inception in 2013. Over 70% of the 2021 show exhibitors renewed their booth space on-site for the 2022 Show scheduled for October 25-27, 2022 back at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Twenty finalists in the New Products Awards Program displayed their latest cutting-edge technology and equipment. Attendees voted during the event and during the Morning Mingle Breakfast on the show floor the following companies were announced the winners in each of five categories: Assembly Machines & System - The winner was LANCO Integration for their Automated Line Assembles Micron-Sized Parts. www.lancointegrated.com. Adhesives. Dispensing & Curing - The winner was Henkel for their Environmentally Friendly Pretreatment for Automotive Metals. www.henkel-adhesives.com. Fastening Tools - The winner was Wera Tools for their Self-Adjusting Ratcheting Wrenches. www.weratools.com. Robotics - The winner was Schunk for the Gripper Inspired by Geckos. www.schunk.com. Factory of the Future - The winner was Tulip for their Library of Configurable Apps for Frontline Operations. www.tulip.co.

Program displayed their latest cutting-edge technology and equipment. Attendees voted during the event and during the Morning Mingle Breakfast on the show floor the following companies were announced the winners in each of five categories: Sudhanshu Gaur, Chief Architect for Smart Manufacturing at Hitachi Astemo, presented a thought provoking and engaging keynote address on how the industry is moving toward Industry 4.0 while dealing with the pain points pre- and post- pandemic. Prior to the keynote address GKN Automotive received the ASSEMBLY Magazine Plant of the Year Award for their two-year-long continuous improvement initiative in Newton, NC.

on how the industry is moving toward Industry 4.0 while dealing with the pain points pre- and post- pandemic. Prior to the keynote address GKN Automotive received the Plant of the Year Award for their two-year-long continuous improvement initiative in Newton, NC. The event kicked off with three workshops that attracted hundreds of attendees. Industry experts led panel discussions on the Challenges and Opportunities in Electric Vehicle Assembly, New and Alternative Methods in Fastening and Joining, and Beyond the Basics of Robotics Assembly.

that attracted hundreds of attendees. Industry experts led panel discussions on the Challenges and Opportunities in Electric Vehicle Assembly, New and Alternative Methods in Fastening and Joining, and Beyond the Basics of Robotics Assembly. Editors from ASSEMBLY Magazine led dozens of attendees on six guided exhibit hall tours . Austin Weber, Senior Editor led the Autonomous & Electric Mobility and Industry 4.0 tours; John Sprovieri, Editor in Chief led the Robotics and Fastening Tools Tours; and Jim Camillo, Senior Editor led the Pressing & Riveting and Automated Assembly Tours.

Magazine led dozens of attendees on . Austin Weber, Senior Editor led the Autonomous & Electric Mobility and Industry 4.0 tours; John Sprovieri, Editor in Chief led the Robotics and Fastening Tools Tours; and Jim Camillo, Senior Editor led the Pressing & Riveting and Automated Assembly Tours. A new feature was the Autonomous & Electric Mobility (AEM) display featuring Zimmer Group's gripper used to help build the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The display was presented by Autonomous and Electric Mobility , a supplement of ASSEMBLY which features news and products for mobility industry professionals focused on automated, connected, electrified, and share vehicle technologies.

(AEM) display featuring Zimmer Group's gripper used to help build the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The display was presented by , a supplement of ASSEMBLY which features news and products for mobility industry professionals focused on automated, connected, electrified, and share vehicle technologies. Over a dozen exhibitors demonstrated their company's expertise related to the latest technological advances in assembly in the Learning Theaters in the Exhibit Hall. Subject matter experts shared their knowledge on such topics as automation in today's new normal, wireless error-proofing, the benefits of AGV, linear robot design considerations, cobots in assembly, robotic leak testing, motion control simplified and more.

in the Exhibit Hall. Subject matter experts shared their knowledge on such topics as automation in today's new normal, wireless error-proofing, the benefits of AGV, linear robot design considerations, cobots in assembly, robotic leak testing, motion control simplified and more. Attendees and exhibitors enjoyed two networking receptions including the Opening Night Welcome Reception where local restaurants offered food and drink for The Taste of Rosemont Event. On Wednesday evening The ASSEMBLY Show attendees joined the Quality Show attendees to network in the Pub Night Reception sponsored by ASG.

including the Opening Night Welcome Reception where local restaurants offered food and drink for The Taste of Rosemont Event. On Wednesday evening The ASSEMBLY Show attendees joined the Quality Show attendees to network in the Pub Night Reception sponsored by ASG. During the Opening Night Reception high school students from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Illinois Robotics programs demonstrated the robots they have built which use technology that is applicable for assembly manufacturing.

The ASSEMBLY Show is sponsored by ASSEMBLY (www.assemblymag.com) the leading brand covering the processes, technologies, and strategies for assembling discrete parts into finished products. ASSEMBLY offers an integrated portfolio of products including the industry's leading trade show. The trade show and conference are produced by BNP Media, one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 60+ industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, webinars, events, and market research. For more information, visit www.bnpmedia.com.

# # #

For further information, contact:

Amy Riemer, Media Relations

978-475-4441(office) or 978-502-4895 (cell)

amy@riemercommunications.com

SOURCE: The ASSEMBLY Show

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670301/The-ASSEMBLY-Show-The-Largest-Trade-Show-Dedicated-Exclusively-to-Assembly-Technology-Attracts-Thousands-of-Engineers-and-Manufacturing-Executives
EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Beaconsmind AG / Key word(s): Annual Results

Beaconsmind AG releases its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, with 56% growth in revenue



29-Oct-2021 / 20:30 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS Group - a company of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



beaconsmind AG (ISIN: CH0451123589, EURONEXT: MLBMD, VIENNA: BMD) releases its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, with 56% growth in revenue



Zurich, Switzerland - October 29, 2021, 6:00pm CEST - beaconsmind (ISIN: CH0451123589 - Ticker: MLBMD), a SaaS provider in Location-Based Marketing (LBM) for retail chains unveils today its full-year results for the period July 2020 to June 2021, which corresponds to its 2020/2021 financial year. Results are below guidance given during its listing in February 2021 with revenue growth of 56% to CHF780K and negative EBITDA of CHF2.0M. The core driver for underperformance in revenue growth is the COVID19 pandemic's impact on beaconsmind's clients, which led to the postponing of roll-outs of the beaconsmind solution in stores. For the next twelve months, the number of stores expected to be rolled out by beaconsmind's key clients amounts to several thousands, compared to a currently installed store base in the hundreds. The company is ready to fulfil global project orders in a record time, with an installing capacity of at least 100 stores per week, compared to under 30 at the time of listing in February. This capacity build-up and related increase in operating fixed costs are the main drivers for the increased loss, in addition to the costs of the listing of the company shares on EURONEXT ACCESS market in Paris in February 2021 and the listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange in March 2021. The company's salesforce was strengthened during the period and resulted in a record number of new client acquisitions. The company first won the DEPOT account, one of the largest home furniture specialists in the German-speaking countries with over 500 stores across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Then, beaconsmind won the Roberto Cavalli account, the haute couture fashion house, and Maison-B-More, an established UAE fashion retail group. The company now has a specialised salesforce in place across several retail verticals, with a very strong momentum in the pipeline of potential accounts. This investment in sales was an absolute priority for beaconsmind, as the company aims to move away from a high dependency on one large anchor client and strives to diversify its expected revenue base by expanding in new verticals like department stores, supermarkets/hypermarkets, logistics, culture, and Hotels/Restaurants/Cafes. Finally, the company expanded its geographical reach by opening an outpost in Dubai, UAE, where it partnered with the Seed Group, a company of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, to bring location-based marketing software and solutions for retail chains to the Middle East region. Thanks to this partnership, beaconsmind now has direct access to the companies of the royal family of Dubai, such as Emirates airlines, and the Jumeirah Group, which alone opens potential implementation of beaconsmind's solution across a significant portfolio of hotels, dining, retail and wellness locations across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The Seed Group is supporting beaconsmind with market entry facilitation as well as office headquarters and acts as a local sponsor. Max Weiland, CEO of beaconsmind AG, said "Throughout the period, the number of project orders held-up has been constantly growing. Although I am disappointed that the orders were delayed by our clients because of operational reasons and COVID19, I am delighted by the work performed by our team to prepare their imminent fulfilment. Furthermore, our diversification, both in terms of geographies and client verticals, is already bearing fruit, with a record number of accounts wins in the period in Europe and the Middle East. We are extremely excited about our pipeline and prospects, and look forward to winning some ground-breaking accounts in the coming months."



About beaconsmind

Founded in 2015 in Switzerland, beaconsmind is a pioneer in the field of location-based marketing (LBM) software for retail chains. beaconsmind helps retailers run successful location-based marketing campaigns. By fitting stores with bluetooth beacons that precisely locate and identify customers, and by integrating its Software Suite, beaconsmind opens a brand-new channel for retailers to interact with their customers, fundamentally transforming the shopping experience. Thanks to its solution, retailers can converge digital and physical shopping and address the convenience gaps of each. For more information, please visit www.beaconsmind.com beaconsmind

Max Weiland, Founder & CEO

maxweiland@beaconsmind.com

Tel.: +41 44 380 73-73 Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

NewCap

nmerigeau@newcap.fr Investor Relations / Strategic Communication

Louis-Victor Delouvrier

NewCap

lvdelouvrier@newcap.fr 29-Oct-2021 CET/CEST News transmitted by EQS Group AG. www.eqs.com




Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - October 29, 2021) - The Serve Network has announced the launch of its cryptocurrency token, SERVE with aim at bring the much needed comfort for the people.







SERVE is the Metavice Network's native token that is designed to generate Universal Basic Income (UBI) for people from all walks of life by developing a financial platform and decentralized services without an intermediary.

The Metavice Network

The Metavice Network, fueled by the native token SERVE, and built on the basis of smart contract platform secured and operated by everyday people, targets at developing decentralized serves (dSVs) and generating UBI."

In a sharp contrast to cryptocurrency that raises awareness, Metavice is an experimental financial system for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, which is designed to adopt digital currency in line with the global trend.

Since 2020, the decentralized finance industry has witnessed massive growth. However, since most of them operate in a closed system, SERVE decided to develop a sustainable ecosystem, creating the foundation for an open system.

The decentralized solution offered by SERVE is classified into two.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platform

The DeFi platform offers two opportunities: liquidity farming and staking. The team explained that users can deposit their liquidity on the Metavice Network and receive the SERVE token as a reward. Liquidity farming encourages liquidity provides to store their assets in the network.

Through staking, users can earn some extra SERVE rewards if they stake their assets on the Metavice Network.

Decentralized Services (dSVs)

One of the most important benefits of cryptocurrency is decentralization - the elimination of third parties or intermediaries during transactions. The Metavice Network also focuses on developing decentralized services and allowing users to earn UBI while taking parts in the services it created.

Through decentralized advertising, the Network has continued to introduce functionalities that allow advertisers to engage in direct advertising without engaging intermediaries. When an advertising project is completed, the advertiser will pay the protocol directly.

The Network also supports the creation of specific tasks for an individual and reviews the task when it is completed. Users who complete their tasks receive SERVE as a reward.

Universal Basic Income

The Network has will also reveal further opportunities and services that will allow people around the globe to receive their Universal Basic Income.

The maximum token supply is 100,000,000 SERVE. 65% of the total supply will be vested in liquidity mining and pool staking while ecosystem funds such as liquidity and investment funds take 15%.

Community Operation takes 2.5% while 6.5% goes to partners & Advisor & Private Investor. Team & Development and Public Sale take 10% and 1% respectively.

The goals ahead

While intimating the cryptocurrency community with its plans, the team rolled out its roadmap which includes:

Concept Development:

The beginning of project research and planning.

Conceptualization of the SERVE.

Code development.

SERVE Launch:

Main contract deployment.

DEX launch.

Whitepaper VI release.

Website and social media profiles.

ServeSwap:

Launching of the trading platform.

And much more, in order to make Serve Network, the finest creation EVER.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetaServeX

Telegram Group: https://t.me/MetaServeX

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/MetaServeXNews

Medium: https://metaservex.medium.com/

Github: https://github.com/MetaServeX

Media contact

Company: The Metavice Network

Contact Name: Metavice

E-mail: contact@serve.network

Website: https://serve.network/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/101324
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures settled higher on Friday as hopes that OPEC and allies will decide to keep supply levels tight outweighed recent data showing a surge in U.S. crude inventories and likelihood of Iranian oil entering the market. West Texas International Crude oil futures for December ended up by $0.76 or about 0.9% at $83.57 a barrel, recovering strongly after hitting a low of $81.41. WTI Crude futures gained more than 11% in October. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, a group called OPEC+, will meet on November 4 to decide on crude output. The group is widely expected to stick to its plan to add 400,000 barrels per day of supply each month until April 2022. A report from Baker Hughes said the number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. rose by one in the latest week to 444. The oil-rig count is up by 221 from a year earlier. Gas rig count increased by one to 100 this week, and compared to the count in the same week last year, it is up by 29. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of a new interview with Ion Energy discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Couloir Capital updates the research coverage and target price on Ion Energy (TSXV:ION)

Couloir Capital Ltd. updates the research coverage and target price on Ion Energy Ltd. Ion Energy is Mongolia's first lithium brine explorer and developer, with licences spanning a combined landmass of over 100,000 hectares. Ali Haji, CEO and Director of Ion Energy sat down with Caroline Egan to discuss the company's maiden drill program on its flagship Baavhai Uul lithium brine project.

For the full interview with Ali Haji and to learn more about Ion Energy, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

Contact Information:

The Market Herald

Brianna Anthony

brianna.anthony@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE: The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670408/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-a-New-Interview-with-Ion-Energy-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Alliance Mining Corp. (TSXV:ALM) ("Alliance" or the "Company") announces the results of voting at its annual general meeting of shareholders held on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of all items put forward by the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") and Management. 2,791,917 common shares of the Company representing approximately 44.43% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares as at the record date were voted, with 100% of such shares voting in favour of all the matters before the meeting.

Shareholders voted in favour of setting the number of Directors at 4 and elected the following individuals as directors of the Company: Christopher Anderson, Scott Kent, Ben Catalano and Allan Beaton.

At the Annual General shareholders also voted in favor of the appointment of WDM Chartered Accountants as the Company's auditor for the ensuring year and the adoption of its stock option plan as set forth in the Company's management information circular dated August 4, 2021 (the "Information Circular").

The Company is also pleased to announce that further to the Company's news release of June 4, 2021, the Company has entered into an amended purchase agreement with 1911 Gold Corp, For the sale 1911 Gold's prospective interest in 27 mining claims, totalling 410 hectares, collectively referred to as the Greenbelt property located in the Rice Lake melt, near Bissett, Manitoba. 1911 Gold Corporation has exercised their option to return the shares issued under the agreement to Alliance Mining's treasury and has instead opted to accept the cash payment. The cash payment terms have been amended as follows, 5 monthly payments of $100,000 over the preceding five months. The first payment of $100,000 was made by Alliance on October 25, 2021.

The Greenbelt Property is located within five kilometres of 1911 Gold's True North Complex at Bissett, Manitoba, comprising a fully permitted and operational 1,300 tonnes per day mill and tailings facility, currently reprocessing historical tailings.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Chris Anderson

CEO, Director

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Alliance Mining Corp.

(604) 488-3900

Investor Relations: 604-488-3900

E-mail: ir@alliancemining.com

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable based on current circumstances, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, and by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the possibility the Company may not be successful in its legal action to enforce the performance of the Option Agreement.

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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Company's complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.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) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Alliance Mining Corp.

888 Dunsmuir Street - Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4

SOURCE: Alliance Mining Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670410/Alliance-Mining-Corp-Update
Scemblix provides much-needed and long-awaited new option for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who suffer with intolerance or inadequate response after at least two previous tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatments 1





In the pivotal Phase III ASCEMBL trial, Scemblix demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful superiority in major molecular response (MMR) rate vs. Bosulif * (bosutinib) (25% vs. 13%) at 24 weeks, and more -than -three times lower discontinuation rates due to side effects (7% vs. 25%) 2,3





* (bosutinib) (25% vs. 13%) at 24 weeks, and more -than -three times lower discontinuation rates due to side effects (7% vs. 25%) Additional Phase I data in patients with CML with the T315I mutation supported the FDA approval for a second indication in this patient population 4





With a new mechanism of action known in scientific literature as a STAMP inhibitor and clinical trials across treatment lines - including in the first-line setting -, Scemblix reinforces Novartis' two-decade commitment to bring transformative therapies to people living with CML2-18

Basel, October 29, 2021 - Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Scemblix (asciminib) for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in two distinct indications. The FDA granted Scemblix accelerated approval for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) previously treated with two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), based on major molecular response (MMR) rate at 24 weeks; and full approval for adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation1. In accordance with the Accelerated Approval Program, continued approval for the first indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence1. Scemblix is the first FDA-approved CML treatment that works by binding to the ABL myristoyl pocket, and represents an important development for patients who experience resistance and/or intolerance to currently available TKI therapies1-3. Also known as a STAMP inhibitor in scientific literature, Scemblix is being studied across multiple treatment lines for CML-CP, including the ASC4FIRST Phase III study evaluating Scemblix as a first-line treatment2-18.

"The introduction of TKIs twenty years ago revolutionized treatment for CML; however, there remain many patients who do not respond adequately to at least two available treatments and often experience challenging side effects that add a burden to their daily lives," said Lee Greenberger, Chief Scientific Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "The approval of Scemblix may offer hope to patients by addressing gaps in CML care."

For many patients, current treatment for CML may be limited by intolerance or resistance, and sequential use of available TKIs is associated with increased failure rates19-26. In an analysis of patients with CML treated with two prior TKIs, approximately 55% reported intolerance to previous treatment27. Additionally, a pooled analysis in the second-line setting showed that up to 70% of patients are unable to achieve major molecular response (MMR) within two years of follow-up28-30. Moreover, patients who develop the T315I mutation are resistant to most available TKIs, leaving them at an increased risk of disease progression4.

"CML can be difficult to treat when currently available treatments fail patients, when treatment side effects cannot be tolerated, or sometimes both," expressed Dr. Michael J. Mauro**, Hematologist and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Program Leader at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). "The addition of Scemblix into the CML treatment landscape gives us a novel approach to combat this blood cancer, helping address clinical challenges in patients struggling after switching to a second treatment, as well as in patients who develop the T315I mutation and face significantly worse outcomes."

The FDA approval of Scemblix is based on results from the Phase III ASCEMBL trial and a Phase I (NCT02081378) study that included patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation.

In patients with Ph+ CML-CP who had experienced resistance or intolerance to at least two TKIs, the ASCEMBL trial showed that1-3:

Scemblix nearly doubled the MMR rate vs. Bosulif (bosutinib)* at 24 weeks (25% vs. 13% [P=0.029])

(bosutinib)* at 24 weeks (25% vs. 13% [P=0.029]) The proportion of patients who discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions was more than three times lower in the Scemblix arm (n = 156) vs. patients in the Bosulif arm (n = 76) (7% vs. 25%)

The most common (incidence = 20%) adverse reactions and laboratory abnormalities in the Scemblix arm were, respectively: upper respiratory tract infections and musculoskeletal pain; decrease in platelet and neutrophil counts, decrease in hemoglobin; increase in triglycerides, creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)

"After more than two decades of reimagining CML care, we continue to boldly push the boundaries of innovation to transform the standard-of-care and help even more patients living with this disease," said Susanne Schaffert, PhD, President, Novartis Oncology. "We would like to thank all those who have been involved in helping to advance this new and important breakthrough."

Scemblix is currently available for physicians to prescribe to appropriate patients in the US.

Additional efficacy and safety details for Scemblix, including data on patients with the T315I mutation, and full Prescribing Information can be found at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf (https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf).

About Scemblix (asciminib)

Scemblix (asciminib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP pre-treated with two or more TKIs, as well as adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation1. The first indication is approved under the US FDA Accelerated Approval Program based on MMR rate at 24 weeks; continued approval for the first indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence.

Scemblix is the first FDA-approved CML treatment that binds to the ABL myristoyl pocket1. This novel mechanism of action, also known in scientific literature as a STAMP inhibitor, may help address resistance in patients with CML previously treated with two or more TKIs and overcome mutations at the defective BCR-ABL1 gene, which is associated with the over-production of leukemic cells2-11. Scemblix has also been shown to limit off-target activity in pre-clinical studies31.

Novartis has initiated regulatory filings for Scemblix in multiple countries and regions across the globe.

Scemblix represents an important development for patients who experience resistance and/or intolerance to currently available TKI therapies, and it is being studied across multiple treatment lines for CML-CP 2-18. Specifically, the ASC4FIRST Phase III study (NCT04971226) evaluates Scemblix as a first-line treatment and is in the recruitment phase13.

About Novartis Commitment to CML

Novartis has a long-standing scientific commitment to patients living with CML. For more than 20 years, our bold science has helped transform CML into a chronic disease for many patients. Despite these advancements, we're not standing still. We continue to research ways to target the disease, seeking to address the challenges with treatment resistance and/or intolerance that many patients face. Novartis also continues to reimagine CML care through its commitment to sustainable access for patients and collaboration with the global CML community.

Indication

SCEMBLIX (asciminib) tablets is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP), previously treated with 2 or more tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) medicines. The effectiveness of SCEMBLIX in these patients is based on a study that measured major molecular response (MMR) rates. No clinical information is available to show if these patients treated with SCEMBLIX live longer or if their symptoms improve. Ongoing studies exist to find out how SCEMBLIX works over a longer period of time.

SCEMBLIX is also approved for use in adults with Ph+ CML in CP with the T315I mutation.

It is not known if SCEMBLIX is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

SCEMBLIX (asciminib) tablets may cause low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), low white blood cell counts (neutropenia), and low red blood cell counts (anemia). Patients should tell their doctor right away if they have unexpected bleeding or easy bruising; blood in their urine or stools; fever; or any signs of an infection. SCEMBLIX may increase enzymes in the patient's blood called amylase and lipase, which may be a sign of inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Patients should tell their doctor right away if they have sudden stomach-area pain or discomfort, nausea, or vomiting. During treatment with SCEMBLIX, doctors may check their patients' blood pressure and treat any high blood pressure as needed. Patients should tell their doctor if they develop elevated blood pressure or symptoms of high blood pressure including confusion, headaches, dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

If a patient has an allergic reaction while on SCEMBLIX, they should stop taking SCEMBLIX and get medical help right away. Signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction include trouble breathing or swallowing; feeling dizzy or faint; swelling of the face, lips, or tongue; fever; skin rash or flushing; or a fast heartbeat. SCEMBLIX may cause heart and blood vessel problems, including heart attack; stroke; blood clots or blockage of patient's arteries; heart failure; and abnormal heartbeat which can be serious and may sometimes lead to death. These heart and blood vessel problems can happen in people with risk factors or a history of these problems and/or previously treated with multiple TKI medicines. Patients should tell their doctor right away if they get shortness of breath; chest pain or pressure; a feeling like their heart is beating too fast or they feel abnormal heartbeats; swelling in their ankles or feet; dizziness; weight gain; numbness or weakness on one side of their body; decreased vision or loss of vision; trouble talking; pain in their arms, legs, back, neck, or jaw; headache; or severe stomach-area pain.

Before taking SCEMBLIX, patients should tell their doctor about all of their medical conditions, including if they have a history of pancreatitis; a history of heart problems; or blood clots in their arteries and veins (types of blood vessels). SCEMBLIX can harm an unborn baby. Women should tell their doctor right away if they become pregnant or think they may be pregnant during treatment with SCEMBLIX. Women who are able to become pregnant should have a pregnancy test before they start SCEMBLIX and should use effective birth control during treatment and for 1 week after the last dose of SCEMBLIX. Women should not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 week after their last dose of SCEMBLIX.

Patients should tell their doctor about all the medicines they take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. SCEMBLIX and other medicines may affect each other, causing side effects. The most common side effects of SCEMBLIX include nose, throat, or sinus (upper respiratory tract) infections; muscle, bone, or joint pain; rash; tiredness; nausea; and diarrhea. The most common blood test abnormalities include decreased blood counts of platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells; and increased blood levels of triglycerides, creatine kinase, liver enzymes, or pancreas enzymes (amylase and lipase).

Please see full Prescribing Information for SCEMBLIX, available at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf (https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf).

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "seek," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com (https://www.novartis.com).

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews (https://twitter.com/novartisnews)

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library (https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library)

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com)

* Bosulif is a registered trademark of Pfizer.

** Disclosure: Dr. Mauro has provided consulting services to Novartis.

References

Scemblix [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; 2021. Rea D, et al. A Phase 3, Open-Label, Randomized Study of Asciminib, a STAMP Inhibitor, vs Bosutinib in CML After= 2 Prior TKIs. Blood. 2021. DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020009984. PMID: 34407542.

Novartis Data on File, 2021. Cortes JE, et al. Asciminib, a First-in-Class STAMP Inhibitor, Provides Durable Molecular Response in Patients (pts) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Harboring the T315I Mutation: Primary Efficacy and Safety Results from a Phase 1 Trial. Oral presentation at: ASH Annual Meeting; Dec. 7, 2020 Wylie AA, et al. The allosteric inhibitor ABL001 enables dual targeting of BCR-ABL1. Nature. 2017;543(7647):733-737. Schoepfer J, et al. Discovery of Asciminib (ABL001), an Allosteric Inhibitor of the Tyrosine Kinase Activity of BCR-ABL1. J Med Chem. 2018;61(18):8120-8135. Hughes TP, et al. Asciminib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia after ABL Kinase Inhibitor Failure. N Engl J Med. 2019; 381(24):2315-2326. Hughes TP, et al. Expanded Phase 1 Study of ABL001, a Potent, Allosteric Inhibitor of BCR-ABL, Reveals Significant and Durable Responses in Patients with CML-Chronic Phase with Failure of Prior TKI Therapy. Poster presented at: ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition; Dec. 5, 2016. Ottmann OG, et al. ABL001, a Potent, Allosteric Inhibitor of BCR-ABL, Exhibits Safety and Promising Single- Agent Activity in a Phase I Study of Patients with CML with Failure of Prior TKI Therapy. Blood. 2015;126(23):138. Mauro MJ, et al. Combination of Asciminib Plus Nilotinib (NIL) or Dasatinib (DAS) in Patients (PTS) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 Study. Poster presented at: EHA Annual Meeting; June 15, 2019. Cortes JE, et al. Combination Therapy Using Asciminib Plus Imatinib (IMA) in Patients (PTS) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 Study. Poster presented at: EHA Annual Meeting; June 15, 2019. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2017. Study of Efficacy of CML-CP Patients Treated with ABL001 Versus Bosutinib, Previously Treated With 2 or More TKIs. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03106779 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03106779). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. A Study of Oral Asciminib Versus Other TKIs in Adult Patients With Newly Diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04971226 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04971226). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2020. Asciminib in Monotherapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP) With and WithoutT315I Mutation (AIM4CML). [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04666259. (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04666259.) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2018. Study of Efficacy And Safety Of Asciminib In Combination With Imatinib In Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia In Chronic Phase (CML-CP). [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03578367 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03578367). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Study of Efficacy and Safety of CML-CP Patients Treated With Asciminib Versus Best Available Therapy, Previously Treated With 2 or More Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04795427. (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04795427.) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2014. A Phase I Study of Oral ABL001 in Patients With CML or Ph+ ALL. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02081378 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02081378). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021 Asciminib Treatment Optimization in = 3rd Line CML-CP. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04948333 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04948333) Flis S, et al. Chronic myelogenous leukemia, a still unsolved problem: pitfalls and new therapeutic possibilities. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2019;13:825-843. Akard LP, et al. The "Hit Hard and Hit Early" Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Implications of the Updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines for RoutinePractice. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2013;11(7):421-432. Cortes JE, et al. Long-term bosutinib for chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia after failure of imatinib plus dasatinib and/or nilotinib. Am J Hematol. 2016;91(12):1206-1214. Cortes JE, et al. Ponatinib efficacy and safety in Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia: Final 5-yearresults of the phase 2 PACE trial. Blood. 2018;132(4):393-404. Garg RJ, et al. The use of nilotinib or dasatinib after failure to 2 prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors: long-term follow-up. Blood. 2009;114(20):4361-4368 Hochhaus A, et al. European LeukemiaNet 2020 recommendations for treating chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia. 2020;34:966-984 Cortes JE., et al. Final 5-Year Study Results of DASISION: The Dasatinib Versus Imatinib Study in Treatment-Naive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34:2333-2340. Steegmann JL., et al. European LeukemiaNet recommendations for the management and avoidance of adverse events of treatment in chronic myeloid leukaemia. Leukemia. 2016;30:1648-1671. Giles FJ, et al. Nilotinib is active in chronic and accelerated phase chronic myeloid leukemia following failure of imatinib and dasatinib therapy. Leukemia. 2010; 24(7):1299-1301. Kantarjian HM, et al. Nilotinib is effective in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase after imatinib resistance or intolerance: 24-month follow-up results. Blood. 2011;117(4):1141-1145. Shah NP, et al. Potent, transient inhibition of BCR-ABL with dasatinib 100 mg daily achieves rapid and durable cytogenetic responses and high transformation-free survival rates in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients with resistance, suboptimal response or intolerance to imatinib. Haematologica. 2010;95:232-240 Gambacorti-Passerini C., et al. Bosutinib efficacy and safety in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia after imatinib resistance or intolerance: Minimum 24-month follow-up. Am J Hematol. 2014;89:732-742. Manley P., et al. The specificity of asciminib, a potential treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, as a myristate-pocket binding ABL inhibitor and analysis of its interactions with mutant forms of BCR-ABL1 kinase. Leukemia Research. 2020;98

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E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com (mailto:investor.relations@novartis.com)
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / Citizen Stash Cannabis Corp. (Formally Experion Holdings Ltd.) (the "Company" or "Citizen Stash") (TSXV:CSC)(OTCQB:EXPFF)(FRANKFURT:MB31) Canada's solution to craft cannabis and premium products is pleased to report its third quarter financial results for the period ended August 31, 2021.

Key Financial and Corporate Highlights:

In the third quarter ending August 31, 2021, Citizen Stash continued to execute on its corporate strategy and advance its 'aggregation and distribution' model driving business growth as illustrated by the following milestones and initiatives:

Gross revenue increased 59% in Q3 2021 to $3.4 million compared to $2.1 million in Q3 2020.

Year-to-date sales for the first nine months of 2021 represent a more than 131% increase over the first nine months of the previous year.

New listings of 3.5-gram flower jars for Alberta and British Columbia with newly launched strains "Jungle Breath" and "Cookie Puss".

The Company processed and sold 398,702 grams of premium dried flower through retail distribution in Q3 2021 compared to 240,017 in Q3 2020, a 66% increase.

Citizen Stash's average price per gram realized of $7.98 in Q3 2021 continues to be strong and reflect premium pricing in the Canadian market.

Citizen Stash partnered with Burb, a cannabis retailer, to license their trademark, and distributed over 15,000 units of 3.5-gram "BC Zaza" flower jars of Burb branded products through the Ontario Cannabis Store, and was the fastest selling premium flower over $40 in Ontario for August.

The Ontario Cannabis Store has recently approved a new flower strain that will be distributed in 3.5-gram jars called "Rockstar", under the Burb brand via this Burb/Citizen Stash partnership.

Citizen Stash has been accepted with Cannabis New Brunswick and in Nova Scotia ("NSLC") opening the Maritime provinces beginning in Q4 2021.

To ensure better alignment of the consumer brand Citizen Stash and the corporate brand identity, the Company changed its name from Experion Holdings Ltd. to Citizen Stash Cannabis Corp.

Well positioned balance sheet with a total of $12.3 million in assets and a net working capital balance (current assets less current liabilities) of $4.8 million.

Signed an arrangement agreement with The Valens Company Inc. ("Valens") pursuant to which Valens will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Citizen Stash. Citizen Stash securityholders will vote on the transaction at a special securityholders meeting on November 1, 2021.

"Our year-to-date sales for the first nine months of 2021 represent a more than 131% increase over the first nine months of the previous year. This accomplishment further validates the production and distribution model we have established over the year and coupled with the retail success of our Citizen Stash premium brand, positions the Company for continued expansion. Notwithstanding the increased demand for Citizen Stash products, the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic did hamper some growth opportunities in the quarter with many provincial exchanges mandating inventory caps, smaller orders, price reductions, and receiving delays. However, with our new pack size, innovative strain launch and new pricing model launched during the quarter, we remain convinced that the investments we've made in building one of the top premium brands in the country positions us for strong growth going forward," commented Mr. Jarrett Malnarich, CEO of Citizen Stash.

"Despite ongoing challenges across the industry our unique 'aggregation and distribution' model gives us a distinct advantage as we can quickly ramp our production to meet demand as it escalates. In addition, our business strategy continues to demonstrate its effectiveness as we gained significant market penetration compared to last year, adding a number of SKU's while expanding our presence on the retail shelf. Citizen Stash continues to gain recognition as a leading brand in the premium space across the country and is well positioned for future growth."

Citizen Stash Cannabis Corp. Q3 2021 Financial Summary:

Three Month Ended Year Ended (000's of Cad dollars, except per gram metrics) August 31,

2021 May 31,

2021 Feb 28,

2021 Aug 31,

2020 Nov 30,

2020 Grams Sold 398,702 409,335 481,632 240,017 848,008 Average Realized Price (Revenue) per Gram 7.98 8.12 8.35 8.74 8.44 Gross Revenue 3,386 3,296 4,060 2,124 7,297 Net Revenue*1 2,749 2,754 3,419 1,781 6,130 Gross Profit before Fair Value Adjustments 193 383 911 448 1,065 Selling, General and Administration Expense 915 1,595 1,018 598 3,398 Net Income / (Loss) (1,171 ) (1,415 ) (89 ) (188 ) (5,942 ) Adjusted EBITDA *2 (1,102 ) (634 ) 36 (149 ) (1,416 ) Shares Outstanding (000's) 101,315 100,887 100,762 100,762 100,762

*1 - Net of excise tax.

*2 - Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management defines adjusted EBITDA as comprehensive loss for the period, as reported, before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and adjusted by removing share-based payments, and other one- time and non-cash items, including impairment losses and inventory write-downs. See reconciliation of "Adjusted EBITDA" in the Company's Management's Discussion & Analysis for the period ended August 31, 2021.

Gross revenue increased 59% in Q3 2021 to $3.4 million compared to $2.1 million in Q3 2020.

Gross revenue increased 3% in Q3 2021 compared to Q2 2021.

In Q3 2021, the Company sold 398,702 grams of flower, which on its own represents 47% of the total grams sold for the entire fiscal year ending November 30, 2020.

Gross profit before fair value adjustments was $0.193 million or 7% of net revenue in Q3 2021, compared to $0.448 million or 25% of net revenue in Q3 2020, and was impacted by sales mix weighted to lower margin manual pre rolls vs 3.5g jars and by a number of one-time items, including inventory write-downs. Subsequent to quarter end, Citizen Stash has been leveraging Valen's automated pre roll manufacturing.

Business update

Citizen Stash continues to remain focused on executing against its strategic priorities. In the third quarter of 2021, the Company made significant progress in expanding its premium supply chains, developing innovative strains and expanding its customer network, generating shareholder value and accelerating its path to profit including:

Innovative Genetics and Strain development

Citizen Stash continues to launch first to market genetics and strains and expand its premium dry flower cultivar offering with the addition of new flower listings of "Jungle Breath" and "Cookie Puss" in British Columbia and Alberta, and the addition of a new Burb branded flower strain called "Rockstar" in Ontario, increasing its listings by 18% in Q3 2021 versus Q2 2021.

Distribution Network

Citizen Stash started Q3 2021 serving seven provinces and territories but has recently been awarded distribution into both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, bringing the total to nine provinces and territories. The Company continues to push for access into the Quebec market.

Premium Brands

Citizen Stash is one of the leading brands in the industry, known for producing top-shelf craft cannabis flower. The Company's focus on providing new, innovative and consistent flower offerings allows the Company to maintain above average prices for its products with a net selling price of $7.98 per gram for the three months ending August 31, 2021.

About Citizen Stash Cannabis Corp.

Citizen Stash is the parent company of Experion Biotechnologies Inc., a Health Canada licensed cultivator and processor of Cannabis, based in Mission, B.C.

Citizen Stash is best known as a rapidly growing adult-use premium cannabis brand offered nationally in 9 provinces and territories. Citizen Stash has invested and developed a portfolio of premium cannabis genetics, strains and products with a unique growth strategy incorporating a highly scalable aggregation and distribution business model to drive revenues across its national sales network.

Citizen Stash trades on the TSX Venture Exchange as a Tier 1 issuer under the symbol "CSC" on the OTCQB Venture under the symbol "EXPFF" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "MB31".

For further information, please visit the Company's website www.experionwellness.com or contact Investor Relations, Email: IR@experionwellness.com.

Disclosure

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of material factors, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.

Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "continue", "intends", "estimates", "continues", "future", "forecasts", "forward", "potential", "outlook" and similar expressions, or are events or conditions that "will", "would", "may", "likely", "could", "should", "can", "typically", "traditionally" or "tends to" occur or be achieved. This news release contains forward-looking statements, pertaining to, among other things, the following: the proposed transaction with Valens; the Company's growth, production capability, business strategy, product offerings and brand recognition; and the Company's outlook, activity levels, supply chains and sales channels.

Although the Company believes that the material factors, expectations and assumptions expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date such statements are made, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward- looking statements because the Company can give no assurances that such statements and information will prove to be correct and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties.

Actual performance and results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to: known and unknown risks, including those set forth in the filing statement dated September 25, 2017, the Company's management information circular dated September 28, 2021 and/or the most recent annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") (copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com); a significant expansion of COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts thereof; the Company's ability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategy; integration of acquisitions, competition, and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to acquisitions, development projects or capital expenditures and changes in legislation; stock market volatility and the inability to access sufficient capital from external and internal sources; general economic, market or business conditions including those in the event of an epidemic, natural disaster or other event; global economic events; changes to the Company's financial position and cash flow; the availability of qualified personnel, management or other key inputs; currency exchange fluctuations; changes in political and security stability; potential industry developments; and other unforeseen conditions which could impact the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue importance or reliance on the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and should refer to "Risk Factors" set out in the MD&A.

Statements, including forward-looking statements, contained in this news release are made as of the date they are given and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

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.

SOURCE: Citizen Stash Cannabis Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670390/Citizen-Stash-Reports-Financial-Results-for-The-Third-Quarter-of-Fiscal-2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / The above-noted Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc. U.S. Closed-End Funds (the "Funds" or individually the "Fund"), today announced that the Funds paid the distributions noted in the table below on October 29, 2021, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of October 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date October 21, 2021).

Ticker Exchange Fund Amount ASGI NYSE Aberdeen Standard Global Infrastructure Income Fund $ 0.1083 FAX NYSE American Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.0275

Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions paid this month as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

Each Fund's estimated sources of the current distribution paid this month and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows:

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains ** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1083 $0.0000 0% - - - - $0.1083 100% FAX $0.0275 $0.0146 53% - - - - $0.0129 47%

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year* to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains ** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1083 $0.0000 0% - - - - $0.1083 100% FAX $0.3300 $0.1749 53% - - - - $0.1551 47%

* ASGI has a 9/30 fiscal year end; FAX has a 10/31 fiscal year end.

**includes currency gains.

Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Funds' total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds' annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 09/30/2021  Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV  Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV  ASGI  15.87%3 5.84% 22.39% 5.84% FAX  3.21% 7.38% 3.09% 6.77%

1 Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of September 30, 2021.

3 The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through September 30, 2021.

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., abrdn Australia Limited, abrdn Asia Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter/fund-centre/closed-end-funds

###

For More Information Contact:

Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc.

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

SOURCE: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670421/Aberdeen-Standard-Investments-Inc-US-Closed-End-Funds-Announce-Distribution-Payment-Details
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 29, 2021 / JM Capital II Corp. (TSXV:JCI.H) ("JM Capital"), a capital pool company (a "CPC"), announces the resignation of Michael Kraft for personal reasons from the board of directors. The board of directors would like to thank Mr. Kraft for his past service and contributions.

For further information, contact:

JM Capital II Corp.

Jay Freeman, President

Mobile: 416.457.1611

Email: jay@jjrcapital.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

SOURCE: JM Capital II Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/670426/JM-Capital-II-Corp-Announces-Director-Resignation
Rad Power Bikes, a Seattle, WA-based ebike company, raised $154m in funding.

The round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, with investments from funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Counterpoint Global (Morgan Stanley), Vulcan Capital, Durable Capital Partners LP, and The Rise Fund, TPGs multi-sector global impact investing strategy.

The company intends to use the funds to:

expand its global efforts to get more people out of cars and onto electric bikes,

boost investments in product and technology innovation,

accelerate its omni-channel sales and support channels, and

diversify manufacturing and supply chains, including investments in North American and European production.

Led by Mike Radenbaugh, CEO and Founder, Rad Power Bikes is an ebike brand with a community of more than 350,000 riders in more than 30 countries and thousands of business customers. The company designs all of its products in-house at its Seattle headquarters and operates international offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, Utrecht, the Netherlands, and has teams in Shanghai, China and Taipei, Taiwan.

Rad Power Bikes has more than 20 Rad Mobile Service locations and 5 Rad Retail Stores and is expanding to serve riders across the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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28/10/2021
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The state of Mississippi has pre-ordered almost 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in anticipation of the shots being approved for 5 to 11-year-olds early next week, State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said Thursday.

Earlier this week, an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration endorsed the kid-size doses. The FDA is expected to authorize the shots within days, followed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next week.

More than 300 providers, including pediatricians offices, family physicians and county health departments, have signed up to assist in the effort of vaccinating Mississippis children, officials said.

I think that theres gonna be broad availability for these vaccines for the parents that are interested in going ahead and get their kids vaccinated right out of the gate, Byers said.

Around 272,000 children ages 5 to 11 live in Mississippi, according to U.S. census data.

Senior Deputy for the Mississippi Department of Health and Director of Health Protection Jim Craig said he's received inquiries from many parents who are interested in getting the shots for their kids.

I've long worried that, while we had vaccine opportunities for many of the adults so they could help protect themselves, what we lacked was the opportunity to help protect some of these younger children, Craig said.

Since the start of the pandemic in Mississippi, nine children have died of COVID-19 in the state.
The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County is reminding residents and visitors to use caution when on the beach or in waters with high concentrations of red tide.

Low levels of red tide have been detected in sampling conducted from Navarre Beach Pier, the department says in a news release.

Protect your family and pets by staying away from affected areas until the blooms move further offshore or they go away. Red tide is a naturally occurring algae that has been documented along Floridas Gulf Coast since 1840s and occurs nearly every year.

Because the blooms are patchy, other local beaches may be OK to visit, health officials advise.

The department encourages everyone to review these tips to stay safe while enjoying Floridas beaches:

 In Florida, red tide is caused by a naturally occurring microscopic alga called Karenia brevis.

 Red tide algal blooms can change rapidly, staying in one place for months or just a few days or weeks.

 Symptoms from breathing red tide usually include coughing, sneezing and watery eyes. For most people, symptoms are temporary and typically go away when the person leaves the area. Wearing a particle filter mask may lessen the effects, and over the counter antihistamines decrease symptoms.

 Pet owners are advised that red tide poses a risk to animals brought to the beach. Red tide can affect animals if they drink affected water, lick their wet paws or fur, or breath marine aerosols.

 Residents sensitive to red tide and living in beach areas affected by blooms are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (making sure that the AC filter is maintained according to the manufacturers specifications).

 Seafood, including shellfish, in restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, and markets is safe to eat. Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly to prevent exposure to Vibrio vulnificus. Shellfish should not be harvested or eaten from areas with active red tide. Beachgoers are encouraged to check conditions before they got to the beach as conditions change daily.

For the latest Red Tide Status Reports: Visit the FWC Red Tide Current Status website.

Red tide questions/ health concerns? Call the Florida Poison Control Centers 24/7 Hotline for reporting of illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-800-222-1222.
Some Austal employees were protesting outside company headquarters on Friday.

They are upset about a vaccine mandate they say is keeping them from the job they love.

Time ran out Thursday for about 200 Austal employees who weren't vaccinated.

According to employees, it hasn't officially been made clear if they've been fired or not. They've only been told they aren't allowed inside, and had their badges taken away.

But that wasn't the only thing that was taken away.

Many of them feel like the personal choice of whether to get the vaccine was stripped from them.

Rusty Dyson a former Austal employee says hes been with the company for the last decade and was one of the protesters.

I feel like I'm being forced to take this vaccine because Austal is worried about their future," Dyson said.

Austal is mandating employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 to continue working, but not everyone agrees with it.

Dyson feels he was left with an ultimatum to choose.

"I think its sad that we live in a country where you have to choose between taking care of your family, and your convictions, your freedom," Dyson explained.

Employees werent out protesting alone.

Many were joined by their families who say they support their decision not to get the shot.

Niki Crenshaw, the wife to a former Austal employee, feels the message they want to relay about the vaccine is being misconstrued.

"We support both sides. We respect that both sides have a choice," Crenshaw emphasized. "But we want it to remain that, a personal choice, and not a forced decision.

Regarding their employment, employees say they haven't formally been told if they've been let go or not.

In fact, Crenshaw says her husband's name is still in the system.

"If you check workday he is, and all through next week, and even on after that," Crenshaw said.

Although Austal is allowing those employees to come back to work if they choose to get the shot, for some it won't make a difference.

I still stand firm on no vaccine," Dyson emphasized. "I don't think your job or anybody else should cater to that.

The people who were out protesting Friday afternoon say they will be back out on Monday.

Many of them say they are still waiting to hear back from the company regarding their employment.
Photos of the suspect at a teller on April 30, left, and leaving the store on May 6, right. (Source: FBI)
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.
Rosendo Mateu N 7 Patchouli, Oud, Vanilla Just Launched in Cannes

Niche Perfumery





We all can admire the beautiful collection of Master perfumer Rosendo Mateu. His signature in every creation reflects his refined style while playing with notes and contrasts, achieving true harmony in each scent. He started his own brand, Rosendo Mateu Olfactive Expressions, in 2015, offering two lines: one in transparent flacons marked by numbers, all focussing on three key ingredients, and the other the Black Collection of three fragrances, launched last year.

To find more about Rosendo's visions, inspirations, and decisions to launch his own brand, you can read in the interview with him here.

The new fragrance Mr. Rosendo Mateu exclusively presented in Cannes celebrates a patchouli note of the highest quality, blended with rich ouds from Laos and Thailand, and embraced by subtle vanilla.



As the brand states, "Rosendo Mateu 7 has a very delicate floral top note of rose petals that blend quickly with the middle notes of the fragrance. The protagonist of this creation is the patchouli extracted in the fields of Indonesia, where its leaves are left to dry and later irrigated with water to ferment and distill for long hours in iron stills. The patchouli that we use in our fragrance is obtained by a molecular distillation process where we can achieve the highest possible quality of this raw material. The middle notes are made up of spicy and floral notes such as jasmine that take on great prominence, with animalic touches. The background elements are a blend of high-quality Laos and Thai ouds combined with vanilla absolute from Madagascar and benzoin from Siam. Rosendo Mateu and his son Joan have worked for more than two years on this creation that we hope will please our friends and loyal customers. It is a very addictive, original, and unique project."

ROSENDO MATEU N 7 Patchouli, Oud, Vanilla

Edition 2021 Top notes: rose petals, fresh floral notes, jasmine

Middle notes: spices, gourmand notes, patchouli

Base notes: Laotian oud, Thailand oud, Madagascar vanilla absolute, Siam benzoin

ROSENDO MATEU N 7 PATCHOULI, OUD, VANILLA is available as a 100ml Eau de Parfum Natural Spray.
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The idea that the city would keep a list of Albany businesses for internal purposes only turned out to be more controversial than it may sound on the surface.

Albany City Council members shared opposing viewpoints on a business registry during the Monday, Oct. 25, remote work session. The city doesnt currently keep a comprehensive list of local companies, and it doesn't require licenses to operate in the city.

The business registry concept has been discussed by the City Council in the past, but its been a while. An internal memo to the council from Seth Sherry, city of Albany economic development manager, cited a July 2020 work session discussion in which questions arose about the potential for a registry.

Im not here to pitch a business registration program to you per se, Sherry told the council on Monday. But rather to talk about a need that exists in our community, and some best practices that could be adopted to help meet those needs and promote a more vibrant, resilient economy.

Sherry noted that the composition of the council has changed since the previous discussion, and several of the members have requested to revisit the topic. He said the economic development team is not big on creating regulative barriers for the business community, preferring to work towards a pathway to yes.

The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the potential usefulness of a registry. Despite the best efforts of economic development organizations, some struggling businesses missed out when state and federal assistance was on the table. Social media posts, emails, livestreams  nothing had the desired reach into the local business community.

We could not, at some times, give money away, Sherry said. We were inefficient in reaching that community because we had no good way to do it.

Sherry said at one point, Linn County paid $75,000 for one person to spend six months knocking on the doors of individual businesses throughout the county, spreading awareness about available business support resources.

Business registry benefits include connecting new and expanding businesses with economic development resources, including technical assistance and funding, avoiding unnecessary new business expenses for startups, a clear path to the community development department, and improved public safety as law enforcement and fire agencies are better informed to respond, according to Sherry.

If the council chooses to create a registry there is a business registration module the city can get free through its community development software vendor, Accella. Implementing the module would cost around $30,000 with annual maintenance of $12,000. Sherry said a $10,000 grant for implementation has been received as well.

Sherry said the Accella module isnt the only option. Theres a spectrum of solutions, from a voluntary registry with details input by business owners on one end, to a business license program run by the city on the other end. Sherry made it clear he was not advocating for business licenses.

Business licenses are not required in Albany except for temporary or transient merchants and solicitors. Corvallis also has no license requirement and neither do Linn or Benton counties. A few organizations maintain member or contact lists, but theres no definitive business registry kept for the cities or counties.

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Councilor Bessie Johnson suggested using the Oregon Secretary of States business database to create a local listing, but Sherry pointed out that those entries are missing a crucial asset: email addresses of business owners. The individual contact information may also be unclear, and the Secretary of State does not provide phone numbers.

Sherry said the state also does not gather demographic information. He suggested if the council proceeds with a business registry, collecting voluntary demographic information would be helpful for understanding and assisting the business community.

I can think of three times in the last couple of years where theres been specific business support, development and grant opportunities from the state or other organizations targeted at women-owned businesses, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses, Sherry said. There is nobody who is collecting any of that demographic information right now.

Councilor Marilyn Smith supports a registry. She echoed its value for public safety agencies responding to commercial locations as well as for informing customers. Councilor Ray Kopczynski also supports the idea, saying he would be among the first in line for such a service if he still owned his computer store.

But Councilor Matilda Novak said her constituents are opposed to a business registry. As a business owner herself, she cant support such a program, and she cited opposition from the Chamber of Commerce and its Governmental Affairs Committee. Novak said a strictly voluntary program would be acceptable.

I dont see that this is a boon to small businesses in any way, Novak said. I see it as just the opposite of that.

Councilor Stacey Bartholomew inquired what information would be collected and how it would be stored and disseminated. Sherry said that would be at the councils discretion.

Councilor Dick Olsen said it might be a good idea, though the cost seems high. He recounted a recent struggle of his own to find contact information for local organizations.

It seems to me that it might be handy to have a list of the businesses here in town, so if you wanted to contact them youd have a way of doing it, Olsen said. Novak responded that the internet comes in handy for that sort of thing.

While it would be up to the council who could access a business registry, Sherry said at this time it would be for internal use only, though its ultimately for the council to determine.

The council discussed having more public input at a later date when in-person hearings can be held on the matter. Kopczynski pointed out that the remote council meetings are in fact open to the public.

I dont like dragging things out, Mayor Alex Johnson II said. Tabling something for another three months is counterproductive to the flow of business in this city. We should be more efficient with the way we conduct city business and also more efficient with our staffs time.

Johnson asked Sherry to return to the council in November or December with more on the topic. He added that remote meetings are how public business will be done for the foreseeable future and disagreed with delaying for in-person meetings.

Cody Mann covers the cities of Albany and Lebanon. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net.

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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.
Ethan Beachy, Bermudian Springs Football: Ethan rushed for 3 touchdowns and rushed for 2 more TDs in a 33-21 win over Littlestown.

Honey Strosnider, Fairfield Cross Country: Honey posted the fastest time among Times Area girls' runners in the YAIAA Championships after placing 16th in 21:07.3

Landon McGee, Gettysburg Football: Landon rushed for an area-high 235 yards and a touchdown in a 27-10 win over New Oxford

Denae Bello, Delone Catholic Girls' Volleyball: Denae combined for 20 kills, 23 digs and 45 serve-receive point in 3 matches for the Squirettes

Drew Cole, Gettysburg Cross Country: Drew was the fastest among Times Area runners at the YAIAA Championships, placing 19th in 17:25.0

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OSLO, Norway (14 September 2021) - TGS is commencing a new seismic survey in the MSGBC Basin, offshore Mauritania, adding to the successes of the North-West Africa Atlantic Margin (NWAAM) 2D campaign. The survey, NWAAM 2021, will comprise 7,500 kilometers of seismic data, with a modern broadband acquisition set-up. The project is being undertaken using the vessel BGP Pioneer  and has the full support of the Mauritanian Ministry of Hydrocarbons.

The survey is designed to illuminate the regional plays in the ultra-deep and deepwater areas with a new azimuth and to provide prospectivity insights of an oil-prone area in relation to recent key wells and the shallow water geology. This additional insight will enable explorers to build upon the success the basin has experienced with the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim complex and surrounding discoveries. The project has a 60-day acquisition timeline, with fast-track data available three months after acquisition. The full dataset will be available by Q2 2022.

Kristian Johansen, CEO at TGS, commented, "Our latest seismic survey offshore Mauritania will provide explorers with the subsurface intelligence needed to assess the hydrocarbon potential of the deep and ultra-deepwater. We see this project as the natural continuation of our successful NWAAM campaign, one of our flagship projects in Africa. The MSGBC Basin remains an important region for our clients, and TGS is well positioned with its unique combination of multibeam, seafloor sampling, seismic, interpretation, and imaging products to deliver the best subsurface knowledge in the industry."

This project is supported by industry funding.

About TGS

TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions.

Forward Looking Statement

All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove accurate. These factors include TGS' reliance on a cyclical industry and principal customers, TGS' ability to continue to expand markets for licensing of data, and TGS' ability to acquire and process data product at costs commensurate with profitability, as well as volatile market conditions, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe drop in oil prices. Actual results may differ materially from those expected or projected in the forward-looking statements. TGS undertakes no responsibility or obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements for any reason.

For more information, visit TGS.com or contact:

Sven Brre Larsen

Chief Financial Officer

investor@tgs.com

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SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research reveals that coal mining giant Glencore may avoid hundreds of millions in tax payments to the Australian Government, leaving the Australian community short changed.

Today, the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability & Research (CICTAR) and Tax Justice Network and Publish What You Pay affiliates in Australia launched a report exposing Glencores complex multinational corporate structure that sends billions of dollars to off-shore tax havens like Switzerland and Bermuda.

Dr Claire Parfitt, lead researcher for the project said: "We estimate that between 2016-18 Glencore avoided paying more than half a billion dollars in taxes to the Australian Government. Glencore makes billions of dollars every year digging out Australian coal but pinches pennies when it comes to contributing to the tax base. Not only is Australias biggest coal miner Glencore profiting off Australian coal and dodging taxes, it also leaves Australian communities to foot the bill after coal fuels climate impacts such as bushfires, storms, droughts and floods."

Mark Zirnsak, TJN-Australia said: "Australia is at the core of Glencores tax avoidance operations. The Australian government must ensure that giant mining corporations like Glencore pay tax where they make profits."

Clancy Moore, Publish What You Pay  Australia said: "Glencore appears to be cheating communities of much needed funding for healthcare, education and dealing with the climate crisis. The Australian government must enforce greater transparency to keep corporations like Glencore accountable."

Glencore, the US$42 billion commodities giant, is the worlds largest thermal coal exporter and Australia is its largest source of coal. According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) corporate tax transparency data, Glencore made over AU$28 billion in revenues in Australia from 2013-2016 but paid $0 in corporate income tax.

During a 2015 Senate Inquiry into corporate tax avoidance, Glencore promised to stop using Singapore as a marketing hub for its coal. Through this scheme, Glencore, like other mining giants, shifted profits from Australia to Singapore where the negotiated tax rate was much closer to zero than Australias 30%.

Since that time, Glencores Australian business is channelled into Switzerland, where according to its own corporate reports, Glencore pays zero income tax. Glencores Swiss entity, GIAG, is the largest trading partner of the Australian business. GIAG accounts for US$4.6 bn in sales from the Australian companies or 45% of total sales in 2020. The Australian companies paid GIAG US$998 million for goods and services and issued US$1.4 bn in loans to the Swiss parent.

Complex related party transactions present a high risk of tax avoidance and make it very difficult for external auditors and tax authorities to assess compliance with tax rules. The failure of the ATOs recent legal challenge of Glencores discounted copper sales from Australia to the same Swiss entity provides a clear indication that further reforms are desperately needed.

Media Contact: Claire Parfitt 0414 766 476 or claire.parfitt@cictar.org
SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ibanera, a global digital banking platform and financial services provider, announced that it will offer fintech services to customers in Singapore with a focus on domestic and cross-border money transfer services.

The company offers a robust suite of compliance programs for transaction monitoring and has partnered with Jumio, Refinitiv and Comply Advantage to assist with KYC/AML management, and transaction monitoring. Ibanera conducts multiple tiers of investigation and cross-checking through advanced document analysis, address validation via Proof of Address together with Geolocation check, forensic analysis, AML/OFAC/PEP and other database screening.

"Growing our presence in Singapore allows us to expand our network in the Southeast Asia region," said Bjorn Snorrason, General Manager of Ibanera. "Our tailored fintech solutions combined with robust compliance procedures ensure a seamless customer experience."

Ibanera is a licensed financial institution in the United States, Canada, Europe and Singapore. Ibanera holds a Major Payment Institution license regulated by the Monetary Authority Service under the 2019 Payment Services Act.

About Ibanera

Ibanera is a global digital banking platform and financial services provider. We develop tailored fintech solutions for banks, corporations and entrepreneurs worldwide. We specialize in cross-border payments, currency conversion, mobile banking, and merchant services. Ibanera has leveraged strategic partnerships with ComplyAdvantage and Refinitiv to expand Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance programs. Regulated in the United States, Canada, Europe and Singapore, Ibanera positions itself as a competitive fintech leader with a credible global footprint. For more information, visit ibanera.com.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
Dublin, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Digital Identity Solutions Market Growth Opportunities to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The focus of the report is on the digital identification documents issued by governments and private sectors to uniquely identify people and efficiently run public and private welfare programs and other facilities. The study aims to provide public security & identity businesses with national-digital-identity-related market intelligence. It identifies the growth opportunities in the digital identity market and underlines the future outlook on opportunities across regions and segments.

This study discusses the key aspects of digital identity programs and identifies potential use cases, trends, current applications, and future opportunities across the critical national infrastructure, public safety & security, and banking & finance sectors. It also details the drivers, restraints, and trends and examines their impact on applications across the regions and segments covered.

All security industry participants and the rest of the industry verticals will benefit from this study as it investigates the big picture perspectives of the digital identity market and provides insight into how the technology is set to evolve and influence the security market's growth. Technology companies looking to feed into the digital transformation Mega Trends across the industries will also benefit from this study as it examines their potential role in the future of this market.

The study will assess the global digital identity programs by identifying the following:

Market trends

Drivers and restraints

Key technologies and suppliers

Key developments by country and region

Known contracts and suppliers in digital identity market globally

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

Digital Identity Programs - Research Scope

Market Overview - Digital Identity Market

Requirement Overview - Digital Identity Market

Core Needs for Digital ID Systems

The Need for Unified National Identification Systems

Evolving Identity Crisis

Terrorism Driving Need for Robust Identity Management Solutions

Governments Adopting Digital Strategies

Evolution of Identity Authentication Techniques

Taxonomy of Biometrics Applications in Digital Identity Management

Authentication Approaches for Digital ID Programs

Digital Identity Process Breakdown

World Bank ID4D Initiative and Approach

Key Trends Across Sectors

Growth Drivers - Digital Identity Market

Growth Restraints - Digital Identity Market

2. Evolving Business Models - Identity-as-a-Service in the Private Sector

Digital-Identity-as-a-Service - Identification Everywhere

CLEAR - Airport Security Process Optimization

Onfido - Identity-Management-as-a-Service

Airport Security - Known Traveller Digital Identity System Powered by Blockchain

3. Regional Analysis

Major Digital Identity Initiatives and Investments

Market Analysis by Region - Digital Identity Market

Major National Digital Identity Programs

4. Competitive Environment

Competitive Environment - Digital Identity Market

Key Contracts for Digital Identity Management

5. Global Regulations for Digital Data Protection and Privacy

Data Protection and Privacy Regulations for Digital Identity Management

Legislative Trends - Mandates for Enhanced Security

Global Standards for Biometric Applications in Digital Identity Management

6. Growth Opportunity Universe - Digital Identity Market

Growth Opportunity 1: Advanced Cyber Security for Digital Identity, 2023

Growth Opportunity 2: Block Chain Powered Digital Identity Solutions, 2025

Growth Opportunity 3: Portable Biometric Readers/Kiosks for Digital Identity Management, 2023

Growth Opportunities and Way Forward

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ajmpmw

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.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glatfelter Corporation (NYSE: GLT), a leading global supplier of engineered materials, today announced it has completed the previously disclosed acquisition of Jacob Holm for aggregate consideration of approximately $302 million including the extinguishment of Jacob Holms existing debt and other adjustments. This transaction was funded through a new $500 million senior unsecured notes issuance.



The addition of Jacob Holm will meaningfully increase Glatfelters scale and diversification into attractive and complementary product categories with high-performing and innovative spunlace nonwoven technologies and advanced plant-based sustainable solutions serving the growing wipes, critical cleaning, healthcare and hygiene categories. Glatfelter has acquired four additional manufacturing sites, one converting operation, and six sales offices located in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and approximately 760 employees worldwide.

We are very pleased to be closing on the acquisition and adding Jacob Holms premium quality spunlace and advanced fiber products to Glatfelters portfolio of industry-leading airlaid and composite fibers products. Jacob Holms broad product offerings, including the Sontara brand, and blue-chip customer base will expand Glatfelters portfolio to include surgical drapes and gowns, wound care, critical cleaning materials, face masks, facial wipes and cosmetic masks, to provide a best-in-class suite of nonwovens technologies, applications and expertise. We look forward to leveraging the combined talents of the Jacob Holm and Glatfelter employees to better serve customers, accelerate the innovation of sustainable engineered materials, and achieve significant value-creation. In addition, we will be well positioned to achieve meaningful economies of scale and synergies in the areas of sourcing, operational excellence, capital deployment, and general and administrative costs, said Dante C. Parrini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Glatfelter.

Jacob Holm generated $401 million of net sales and $42.5 million of adjusted EBITDA for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2021. Glatfelter believes these results included a benefit from COVID-related demand estimated to be between $10 million and $15 million of adjusted EBITDA. This acquisition is expected to yield approximately $20 million of annual synergies within 24 months.

Credit Suisse acted as Glatfelters financial advisor in connection with the transaction, and Shearman & Sterling LLP as its legal advisor. Financing of this transaction for Glatfelter was led by HSBC Securities (USA).

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements included in this press release that pertain to future financial and business matters are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company uses words such as anticipates, believes, expects, future, intends, plans, targets, and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements are based on the Companys current expectations and are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable or uncontrollable factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable or uncontrollable factors are described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Risk Factors section and under the heading Forward-Looking Statements in the Companys most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which are available on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. In light of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, the forward-looking matters discussed in this press release may not occur and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation, and does not intend, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

About Glatfelter

Glatfelter is a leading global supplier of engineered materials with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. The Companys high quality, technology-driven, innovative, and customizable nonwovens solutions can be found in products that are Enhancing Everyday Life. These include personal care and hygiene products, food and beverage filtration, critical cleaning products, medical and personal protection, packaging products, as well as home improvement and industrial applications. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the Companys annualized net sales approximate $1.4 billion with over 3,300 employees worldwide. Glatfelters operations utilize a variety of manufacturing technologies including airlaid, wetlaid and spunlace with sixteen manufacturing sites located in the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the Philippines. The Company has sales offices in all major geographies serving customers under the Glatfelter and Sontara brands. Additional information about Glatfelter may be found at www.glatfelter.com .
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- De Beers Group is proud to announce the winners of the 2020-2021 De Beers Group Designers Initiative Shining Light Awards, creating opportunities for the next generation of jewellery designers from our diamond producing countries.

Originally launched in 1995, the Shining Light Awards (SLA) has grown to include submissions from new graduates of jewellery design programs in Botswana, Canada, Namibia, and South Africa. For the 2020-2021 awards, twelve finalists, three from each country, were chosen from a record 123 total entries.

Each entry included designs for a full jewellery collection, including a ring, necklace, earrings, and bangle/bracelet. The design was to include a single 1 carat hero diamond and all pave or embellishment was to be 0.05 points or below. The theme for this years competition was The Evolution of Love & Life.

Mpumi Zikalala, Managing Director of De Beers Group Managed Operations, said: The Shining Light Award recipients are very much like the rough diamonds we recover that get turned into beautiful gemstones. Through the program we are able to help the winners polish their talent and gain world-class skills to get a foothold in the jewellery design industry.

We are proud of the fact that some of our previous winners have gone to establish their own businesses, while others are working in jewellery design houses. Critical to the success of the Awards have been the partnerships we continue to have with institution of higher learning, industry organisations, and the Poli.Design and Polytecnico di Milano, in Italy

The SLA is a tangible representation of De Beers youth beneficiation strategy, designed to create an environment for growth, skills transfer, entrepreneurship, global experiences, and mentorship in the jewellery design sector. To be eligible, applicants must be between the age of 18-25.

An international panel of judges representing the four countries was led by Professor Alba Cappillieri, Faculty Head of Poli.Design.

Prof. Cappillieri said the entries received this year demonstrated a solid understanding of jewellery design: What we are looking for is first and foremost logic, the ability to solve a problem in a reasonable, innovative way, and above all commitment, which then translates into a desire to do and learn. The technical tools can be learned over time, while the rest, that kind of attitude mentioned above, is more difficult.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards were live streamed from Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 28 October to simultaneous events held in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The 2020-2021 winners are:

First Place (Awarded a 12 month post graduate scholarship at Poly.Design - Polytechnico di Milano, in Milan, Italy)

Laone Kaelo Rahele (Botswana)

Valerie Lamiel (Canada)

Juliana Bonita Fredericks (Namibia)

Tebogo Shaun Ledwaba (South Africa)

Second Place (12 month Artisan hands-on jewellery manufacturing training)

Yozikee Juliet Kariambahe (Botswana)

Virginia Muralt (Canada)

Gilliem Gurirab (Namibia)

Kgaugelo Pinyana Mphela (South Africa)

Third Place (Three-month internship in their home country)

Boitshoko Kebakile (Botswana)

Emily Vander Vlugt (Canada)

Delmeine Delicia Einbeck (Namibia)

Roelien Geldenhuys (South Africa)

The 2022-2023 Shining Light Awards gala will be hosted in South Africa, where the De Beers Group Designers Initiative was born 26 years ago.

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English French

Highlights include Poppy anniversary pins, cutting-edge Poppy art, Tap to Give boxes



OTTAWA, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One hundred years after the Poppy became the nations symbol of Remembrance, The Royal Canadian Legion has launched its 2021 National Poppy Campaign. Close to 20 million poppies are expected to be distributed this year.

We are always thankful to see how Canadians step up to support our Veterans during this period, says Bruce Julian, Dominion President of The Royal Canadian Legion. Were in the second year of a pandemic yet we know we can count on generous donors and volunteers to support the campaign strongly, once again.

New and traditional ways to donate

Over 34,000 traditional donation boxes filled with Poppies will be found in the usual spots across the country. One thousand touchless Pay Tribute Tap and Give donation boxes offered in partnership with HSBC Bank Canada will also be distributed among all HSBC Bank branches, many Legion Branches, and select retail locations. There are 2, 5, and 10, dollar tap to give options this year, and donors can receive a lapel Poppy right from the electronic box. More information can be found here.

The 2021 Digital Poppy presented in partnership with HomeEquity Bank, provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, is available again this year at www.mypoppy.ca. People can dedicate a Digital Poppy and share it on their social media channels. It is a project of The Legion National Foundation  and donations go to this charity, which is also dedicated to supporting Veterans and promoting Remembrance.

Donors can also choose to give online via Legion.ca.

Commemorating the Poppys 100th

In commemoration of the Poppys 100th anniversary in 2021, a special lapel pin that replicates the original 1921 cloth pin is available through the Poppy Store at www.poppystore.ca. The Royal Canadian Mint also produced a commemorative Poppy coin and Canada Post created commemorative Poppy stamp.

The Legion is proud to introduce The Immortal Poppy this year, a way to mark the Poppy anniversary and preserve the memory of Fallen Canadians. It was created using a genuine red Poppy from Flanders Fields in Belgium, then captured digitally. The names of fallen Canadian Veterans are encrypted on its petals. One hundred copies of the striking art are being offered on the digital marketplace. Proceeds will go directly to the National Poppy Trust Fund, as will 10% of any subsequent sales.

Remembrance through Light

Thousands of Poppies representing Fallen Canadian Veterans will once again cascade virtually upon the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill this year. On the first night of the 2021 Poppy Drop, Dominion Carillonneur Dr. Andrea McCrady will also play The Last Post on the Peace Tower bells before the first Poppy falls. Those unable to watch in person can tune in to Facebook Live on the Legions Facebook page. The Poppy Drop will take place from October 29 to November 11, from 6:309:30 pm ET. Virtual Poppies will also cascade down the Senate building at the same times, and on the National Art Centres Kipnes Lantern on November 11, from 7:00 am ET to midnight.

Beautiful Canadian landmarks and community locations will also be lit in support of the campaign.

The CN Tower will project the Poppy image on either side of the Tower on Oct. 29 and again from Nov. 6-11 and will glow red on Remembrance Day.

will project the Poppy image on either side of the Tower on Oct. 29 and again from Nov. 6-11 and will glow red on Remembrance Day. The City of Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit red on Nov. 11, and the city will announce other related commemorative plans on Nov. 3

sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit red on Nov. 11, and the city will announce other related commemorative plans on Nov. 3 The Niagara Falls will be lit in red on Oct. 29 and Nov. 11.

will be lit in red on Oct. 29 and Nov. 11. The City of Ottawa sign in the Byward Market will be lit red on Nov. 10 and 11.

sign in the Byward Market will be lit red on Nov. 10 and 11. Canada Post Head Office in Ottawa will be lit in red from Nov. 8-11.

in Ottawa will be lit in red from Nov. 8-11. The Calgary Tower will light up in red on Nov. 11.

will light up in red on Nov. 11. BC Place Stadium will display a Poppy design on Nov. 11.

will display a Poppy design on Nov. 11. The Vancouver Convention Centre Olympic Cauldron will be lit in red on Nov. 11.

will be lit in red on Nov. 11. The Canada Place Sails of Light will be illuminated red on Nov. 11.

will be illuminated red on Nov. 11. The Science World Vancouver dome will light up in red on Oct. 29 and Nov. 11.

dome will light up in red on Oct. 29 and Nov. 11. The Clock Tower in Mississauga will be lit on Nov. 11, pulsating in red.

will be lit on Nov. 11, pulsating in red. Starting on Oct. 29 and running each night, two large screens on Parliament Hill will also show the Virtual Wall of Honour, a silent video sharing the faces of Canadian Veterans who have passed, their photos submitted by people from across the country.

The ceremonial start of the 2021 National Poppy Campaign took place on October 25, with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor-General of Canada, accepting the First Poppy from Dominion President Bruce Julian.

Funds donated across the country during the National Poppy Campaign support Veterans and their families. Funds donated locally stay local.

About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canadas largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With close to 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Public Relations / Media Inquiries: PublicRelations@Legion.ca; Nujma Bond 343-540-7604

Legion.ca

Facebook.com/CanadianLegion

Twitter.com/RoyalCdnLegion

Instagram.com/royalcanadianlegion

youtube.com/user/RCLDominionCommand

vimeo.com/royalcanadianlegion

Linkedin.com/company/royalcanadianlegion

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72359a29-809e-431b-9275-e6117914097f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d116a194-4888-406b-9b64-f205f7f90a70
Dallas, Texas, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Priority Aviation, Inc. (OTC Pink: PJET) (PJET) is set to launch its Student Housing Application in early December. In addition to introducing an App intended to be the Airbnb of student housing, the App is architected to optimize advertising to the university student demographic.

21 million U.S. college students are estimated to have over $376 billion in spending power. In 2020, students spent $39 billion on food alone. Annual student spending on clothes and accessories is estimated at $67 billion. Universities themselves spend approximately $1 billion annually advertising to the university student demographic.

See College Student Spending Habits For 2021 to learn more.

With student housing is in short supply and only an estimated 22% of students living on campus, PJET anticipates its Student Housing App to resonate with the resource constrained student housing market.

While the transaction revenue from the Student Housing App is anticipated to be substantial, PJET expects the primary profit generator to come from advertising to the university student demographic through high margin advertising revenue.

PJETs Student Housing App design includes an artificial intelligence engine intended to optimize the Apps value to businesses looking to attract the university student demographic.

PJET redirected its operations earlier this year toward the student housing market. Look for much more to be coming soon on the companys new business direction.

Visit the companys new website periodically to look for the latest updates

Company Website  www.pjet-info.com
IRVING, Texas, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wounded Warriors Family Support presented U.S. Army veterans Scott Adams and Maggie Bilyeu of San Antonio with 2021 Ford F-150 trucks as part of the Microsoft Employee Giving #DrivetheJourney Campaign.

For the fourth year, Wounded Warriors Family Support has teamed with Microsoft employees to provide vehicles to combat-wounded veterans. Across the U.S., there are 350 veterans who need modified vehicles as a result of their combat-related injuries.

Our collaboration with Microsoft Employee Giving is focused on giving back to our wounded veterans who have sacrificed so much, Wounded Warriors Family Support CEO and President Kate McCauley said. We are honored to present Scott and Maggie with vehicles to help enhance their quality of life and provide freedom and independence in their everyday lives.

Adams joined the Army in 1986 at age 17 right out of high school. He served in six deployments to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adams was injured Jan. 26, 2007, by an improvised explosive device that blew up under a vehicle. He recovered for 18 months at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Adams and his wife recently moved to San Antonio from Minnesota. During the trip, Adams truck blew its engine. Then, his wife became paralyzed shortly after the move.

Were so thankful and blessed to be a part of this, Adams said.

Bilyeu, who joined the U.S. Army in 2015, was deployed to Afghanistan soon after she completed training. Bilyeu and several soldiers were injured by a suicide bomber on Nov. 12, 2016  2 months into her deployment.

Bilyeu was airlifted to a military hospital in Germany, then spend more than one month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Bilyeu was treated for life threatening injuries that included the loss of her left leg, left breast and spleen, a shattered femur, a split abdomen and diaphragm, seven broken ribs and partial loss of her colon, large intestine and small intestine.

My heart and thanks go out to Wounded Warriors Family Support, Microsoft Employee Giving and everyone who had a hand in this opportunity, Bilyeu said.

In addition to the vehicles, the Wounded Warriors Family Support partnership with Microsoft Employee Giving also will award 10 $4,000 scholarships to high school student Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps candidates.



About Wounded Warriors Family Support

Wounded Warriors Family Support is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured, or killed during combat operations. This organization is run by combat veterans for combat veterans. Rated a four-star nonprofit by Charity Navigator, Wounded Warriors Family Support aids veterans and their families in healing the wounds that medicine cannot. For more information about Wounded Warriors Family Support, visit www.wwfs.org .

Media Contacts: Kevin Schuster, PR Counsel Kate McCauley, WWFS Cell: 402.917.6001 402.660.5785 Email: kschuster@lukaspartners.com kate@wwfs.org

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03462d6e-2b64-444a-a239-3fc732f87ea6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cb574234-01ab-4dfc-9cee-c41468355f11
PETALUMA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A private investigation firm retained by a resident of Sonoma County who belongs to SOSN, a coalition of neighborhood residents advocating common sense cultivation of commercial marijuana in Sonoma County, found that during this unprecedented drought, cannabis farmers are allegedly trucking vast quantities of municipal water to their cultivation sites. California is facing the driest year in the last century, and County officials have told residents to reduce their water use by 20% this summer and avoid growing vegetables, avoiding washing vehicles, and taking fewer showers. Based on its observations, the PI firm's report alleges that cannabis growers have taken advantage of these sacrifices by sourcing city water reserved for residents and instead irrigating their own crops.

All cities in Sonoma County forbid using water from hydrants for cannabis operations and the State of California specifically only allows cannabis operators to receive water from pre-approved and registered sources. The California Water Board can shut down cultivators for unauthorized use of water. Sonoma County's cannabis ordinance requires sufficient on-site water to cultivate on a sustainable basis. Any cultivation site that requires the use of trucked municipal water does not have a sustainable water source.

The PI report gathered evidence during a two-day stakeout at city fire hydrants which allegedly had unusually high activity of water tankers filling and returning repeatedly, as many as 7-8 times per day. This report provides abundant evidence and photographs of municipal water being allegedly hauled to cannabis grow on Purvine Road in the dairy belt. The operation on Purvine Rd requires 2 million gallons of water per harvest, an unsustainable quantity there due to the low availability of groundwater in that area. The PI report also provides abundant evidence and photographs of municipal water allegedly being hauled to several locations that collectively have 19 cultivation permits from Sonoma County.

Allegedly, similar water violations have been reported elsewhere based on abundant eyewitness information. The permitting authorities in Sonoma County have declined to investigate or refer the matter to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office or the Sonoma County District Attorney's office.

SOSN is a coalition of neighborhood residents advocating common sense cultivation of commercial marijuana in Sonoma County.

Learn more at www.sosneighborhoods.com and facebook.com/SaveOurSonomaNeighborhoods.

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: sanjay.bagai@gmail.com 510 599 5272

Source: Save Our Sonoma Neighborhoods

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Image 1: Water hauler allegedly filling Cannabis cultivator's tanks with city water from SR

















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Image 3: Hauler allegedly filling cannabis cultivator's tanks city water from SR

















Image 4: Hauler allegedly connecting his water tanker to the hydrant at Dutton Rd SR

















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Image 6: Hauler allegedly filling cannabis cultivator's tanks with city water from SR

















Image 7: Hauler allegedly filling cannabis cultivator's tanks with city water from SR









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Washington, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Former U.S. Representative and Chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations Nita Lowey was presented with the 2020 Anne Frank Award for Human Dignity and Tolerance for her lifetime of work combating antisemitism. The Anne Frank Award, created by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, honors an American who has demonstrated a commitment to fighting intolerance, antisemitism, racism, or discrimination.

Incidents of antisemitism continue to take place in the United States. In 2020, despite the pandemic, according to the Anti-Defamation League, 2,024 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism were recorded in the United States.

Chairwoman Lowey, who represented New York congressional districts in the House of Representatives from 1989-2021, dedicated her career to fighting antisemitism. Her legacy as a public servant includes helping relaunch the House Bipartisan Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, as well as introducing or supporting legislation related to the Holocaust to ensure that it never happens again.

On receiving the Anne Frank Award, Chairwoman Lowey said, I admit by the time I retired from the Congress after 32 years, I really had hoped that fighting the scourge of antisemitism would be a thing of the past. The challenges we face today are as pressing and virulent as ever before. The Chairwoman added, I do believe that the fight for truth and a shared belief in our collective humanity are the single most important challenges we face today. When we deny the humanity of any group of people, we threaten the humanity and safety of all. That principle is at the core of how I have tried to live my life and has guided me during my 32 years in Congress.

The ceremony took place in the Members Room of the Library of Congress, and featured several members of Congress including: Representative Kay Granger (TX-12th District), Republican leader of the House Committee on Appropriations, who introduced the Anne Frank Award; Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22nd District), member of the Dutch Caucus, who gave the welcome message; and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23rd District), member of the Anne Frank Advisory Committee, who provided closing remarks.

In a surprise moment, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined the event to honor Chairwoman Lowey. Nita Lowey has devoted her life to building a world free from fear of violence, discrimination and persecution  and she is deeply deserving of the esteemed Anne Frank Award, said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Today, it was an honor to celebrate her legendary career in Congress, where, as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, she ensured federal spending aligned with our national values. She was also an important voice in the fight against antisemitism as a Co-Chair of the Houses Bipartisan Task Force on Combating Antisemitism. And, in one of her last acts in Congress, she lived up to the spirit of this award by advancing dignity and confronting intolerance with her Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, which became law in 2020. With the alarming rise of bigotry, antisemitism and hate here at home and around the world, Congress and the country are grateful to leaders like Nita and the diplomats of the world, led by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as we all strive to keep alive Anne Franks spirit and build a more peaceful future.

On the occasion of the awards ceremony, Dutch Ambassador Andre Haspels said, We must remember the atrocities of the past so we can prevent similar horrors in the future. We must honor the people and organizations who continue to fight discrimination and antisemitism today. We must continue to listen to the words of Anne Frank and learn from the lessons she teaches us.

Violins of Hope

The nonprofit organization, Violins of Hope (of Tel Aviv) was presented with the 2020 Anne Frank Special Recognition Award for its mission to call attention to the victims of the Holocaust and the resiliency of survivors. Each note played on a Violins of Hope instrument tells the story of a life taken during the Holocaust, as well as those who survived against all odds. All instruments in the collection were donated by or bought from Jewish survivors of World War II. Violin makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, father and son, lovingly restore each instrument, so they can be played by professional musicians in concerts around the world. Avshalom Weinstein accepted the Special Recognition Award on behalf of his father.

The Special Recognition Award was presented by Rachelle Blaine, the daughter of Holocaust survivor Joyce Vanderveen. Miss Vanderveen, a neighbor of Anne Frank, was a teenage violinist when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands. Mrs. Blaine donated her mothers violin to Violins of Hope during the event.

As part of the ceremony, Michael Shaham, a protege of Itzhak Perlman, played the Theme from Schindlers List on the newly donated violin.

The Anne Frank Award ceremony is a collaboration among the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Congressional Caucus on the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect USA, the Anne Frank House Amsterdam, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, and Freedom House.

Previous Anne Frank Award recipients include:

In 2019, Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials

In 2017, Father Leo ODonovan of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

In 2015, Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist

In 2014, Rabbi David Nathan Saperstein

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Cary, N.C., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INE, the leading global provider of IT training, is partnering with the non-profit organization, VetSec, to help open new doors for active duty, transitioning, and veteran members of the military who are seeking a future in technology. INE instructors and veterans, Jack Reedy and Josh Mason will join a cadre of leading experts from across the information security industry to address topics of particular relevance to veterans. Topics include career guidance for transitioning military members, both entry-level and highly specialized skills workshops, and educational discussions on how infosec professionals can make a difference beyond the technical realm.

Jack and Josh will speak about the importance of lowering the barriers to cyber education Friday, October 29th at 1:00 pm EDT. You can access the free virtual event here.

Jack Reedy is Director of Cyber Security Content at INE. He spent nine years in the Marines, exiting as a Staff Sergeant in 2018. His tour of duty included two Afghanistan deployments with 1st Battalion 8th Marines and a focus on helping to stand up cyber protection teams 650 and 652 as a unit plank holder for each. He credits his leadership skills to his four years of experience serving with the infantry, and his management capacity to his time with the Marine Forces Cyber Warfare Group. Jack is passionate about sharing the challenges he experienced during his transition to civilian life with other veterans and offering guidance and resources to make the path easier.

Josh Mason is a Red Team Instructor at INE. He spent 10 years in the military as an Air Force pilot and cyberwarfare officer. Joshs work at the 1 Special Operations Communications Squadron ensured mission continuity on the busiest Air Force Special Operations Command base and at deployed locations around the world. In addition, he worked as a cyber security instructor for Jacobs at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and trained hundreds of U.S. DoD cyber security operators and special agents in Cyber Threat Emulation, Digital Forensics and Incident Response, and Threat Hunting. Through his work as a cyber security evangelist, Josh helps point prospective and active cyber professionals toward valuable training and resources with a focus on free and highly-accessible content.

VetSecCon 21 is helping to continue our mission of creating a world where no veteran pursuing a career in cyber security goes unemployed, said Tom Marsland, VetSecs Board Chairman. Featuring 32 speakers across three tracks, the conference covers technical topics as well as the soft skills necessary to help our military service members find meaningful employment. We are proud to be continuing our work with INE, whose commitment will lower the barrier to cyber education for our members via certifications and training discounts.

Given the increase of nation-state attacks against commercial organizations, relying on the expertise of our veterans and their ability to operate in wartime scenarios makes them a critical asset for future cyberwarfare battles, said Neal Bridges, INEs Chief Content Officer, and Air Force veteran.

INE is a Gold sponsor of VetSecCon 2021.

About INE:

INE is the premier provider of Technical Training for the IT industry and is revolutionizing the digital learning industry through the implementation of all technologies and a proven method of hands-on training experiences. INEs portfolio of training is built for all levels of technical learning specializing in advanced networking technologies, next-generation security, and infrastructure programming and development.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evolving Gold Corp. (the Company) (CSE: EVG) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent (the Letter), dated effective October 26, 2021, pursuant to which it proposes to acquire (the Transaction) all of the outstanding share capital of Elephant Capital Corp. (Elephant Capital).



Elephant Capital is an arms-length resource exploration company, established under the laws of the Province of British Columbia. Elephant Capital holds the rights to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of Cibola Resources LLC., which itself controls the rights to a lease of a mineral property comprising approximately 6,700 acres of mineral rights and 5,700 acres of surface rights located in west-central New Mexico and commonly referred to as the Cebolleta Uranium Project (the Project or Cebolleta). Cebolleta is an advanced exploration uranium project located within the Grants Mineral Belt of New Mexico; an area that is host to one of the largest concentrations of sandstone-hosted uranium in the world. Cebolleta has an historical in-situ Inferred Mineral Resource of ~ 19,000,000 lbs U 3 O 8 .1

The Cebolleta mineral resource estimate presented herein use the appropriate mineral resource categories and modern statistical techniques as per CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources & Reserves (2014), however, a Qualified Person (QP) does not have enough information to verify the resource estimate as a current mineral resource, as per the CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves Best Practices Guidelines (2019), therefore the estimate is considered historical in nature. The historical resource estimation discussed is relevant in that it was prepared and calculated by reputable companies that were intimately familiar with, and knowledgeable about, the property and the geology and resource potential of the Property. The historical resource does provide an indication of the extent of mineralization identified by previous operators at the project. A QP has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource, therefore, the historical estimate is not being treated as a current resource.

In accordance with the terms of the Transaction, all existing common shares of Elephant Capital will be exchanged for an equivalent number of common shares of the Company. Elephant currently has 43,733,000 common shares outstanding. Prior to completion of the Transaction, Elephant Capital is required to issue a further 11,308,250 common shares to enCore Energy Corp. (TSXV: EU) to complete the acquisition of the Project and a further 1,500,000 common shares to certain arms-length finders in consideration for introducing the Project to Elephant Capital. No cash consideration is payable by the Company to Elephant Capital in connection with completion of the Transaction.

In connection with completion of the Transaction, the Company intends to undertake a non-brokered private placement (the Concurrent Financing) of no less than 6,000,000 subscription receipts (each, a Receipt) at a price of $0.50 per Receipt to raise no less than $3,000,000. All proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be held in escrow pending completion of the Transaction and will be returned to subscribers in the event the Transaction is not completed. Upon completion of the Transaction, each subscription receipt will automatically convert into one common share of the Company. All securities issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing, will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period.

No finders fees or commissions are payable in connection with the Transaction, although finders fees may be paid in connection with the Concurrent Financing. On closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that the Company will change its name to Future Fuel Corporation and will reconstitute its board and management to consist of nominees of Elephant Capital. Further information regarding the board and management of the Company following completion of the Transaction will be provided as soon as available.

Completion of the Transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including the completion of satisfactory due diligence, the negotiation and finalization of definitive documentation, completion of the Concurrent Financing, receipt of any required regulatory and third-party consents, approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

The Transaction cannot close until the required approvals are obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Trading in the Companys common shares is currently halted, and it is anticipated that trading will remain halted until completion of the Transaction.

Further information regarding the Transaction, including financial information of Elephant Capital, and details regarding the proposed board and management of the Company following completion of the Transaction, will be made available in due course. Elephant Capital has commissioned a geological report on the Project, in accordance with National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects. Readers are encouraged to review the listing statement which will be prepared by the Company in connection with the Transaction along with a copy of the geological report on the Project, both of which will be made available under the Companys profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

DISCLOSURE OF HISTORICAL TECHNICAL DATA

Data disclosed in this release relating to in-situ Inferred Mineral Resource at Cebolleta is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. Should the transaction be completed the Companys future exploration work would need to include verification of the data.

QUALIFIED PERSON UNDER NI-43-101

The technical information disclosed in this release has been reviewed by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol, P.Geo, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Dufresne has not yet verified the historical data disclosed for the Cebolleta property, including sampling, analytical, test data and resource estimates underlying the information or opinions contained in the release.

For further information, contact info@evolvinggold.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

EVOLVING GOLD CORP.

Charles Jenkins

Acting Chief Executive Officer

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

This news 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 terms and conditions of the proposed Transaction. 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, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will proceed on the terms contemplated above or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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, except as required by law.

______________________________________

1 NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources Cebolleta Uranium Project, Cibola County, New Mexico, USA  effective Date: March 24, 2014
RADNOR, Pa., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is currently investigating potential violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of investors of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) (Lockheed Martin).



Lockheed Martin, headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland, is an aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation that predominantly focuses on the industries of aeronautics, missiles and fire control, rotary and mission systems, and space.

On October 26, 2021, Lockheed Martin announced its third quarter 2021 financial results. In its report, Lockheed Martin indicated that it would incur a $1.7 billion non-cash pension settlement charge, which would decrease the companys net income by $4.72 per share. Following this news, Lockheed Martins stock fell $44.42 per share (11.8%) and closed at $331.91 per share that same day.

If you are a Lockheed Martin investor and would like to learn more about our investigation, please CLICK HERE to fill out our online form or contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453; toll free at (844) 887-9500; E-mail at info@ktmc.com.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:
London, ON, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revera, a leading owner, operator, developer and investor in the senior living sector, officially opened its newly redeveloped Elmwood Place Long Term Care home in London, Ontario at a Grand Opening Celebration this morning.

This marks the companys first long term care redevelopment project to open in Ontario. The new Elmwood Place hosted residents, employees and local dignitaries for a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour to celebrate.

The opening of Elmwood Place marks a significant milestone on Reveras journey to redevelop all of our aging long term care homes. Investing in the redevelopment of older infrastructure is the right thing to do, said Thomas G. Wellner, President and CEO of Revera. The new design standards employed here enhance the safety, comfort and care of residents, create a better working environment for staff, and help meet the increasingly complex needs of current and future generations of seniors.

With 50 additional bed licenses allocated by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, the new home will now accommodate 128 residents, providing increased access to much needed long term care capacity for older adults in the London area.

Our government is fixing Ontarios long-term care system so that every resident can experience the best possible quality of life, supported by safe, high-quality care, said the Hon. Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. Building modern homes like the new Elmwood Place is a key part of our plan. The home is providing 128 much-needed beds to seniors in the London area.

Features of the redeveloped Elmwood Place

The new Elmwood Place, which is located at 3400 Morgan Avenue, welcomed its first residents on September 27. The beautiful new home is built to the latest design standards and incorporates many evidence-based features designed to improve the resident experience, including:

A new layout with greater privacy for residents - 60 per cent of the rooms are singles with their own washrooms, and the remaining 40 per cent share are dual accommodation with a shared entrance vestibule and washroom but private bedroom areas.

Oversized windows which allow more natural light, a calming colour palette, more expansive hallways and more space for amenities.

Better airflow and temperature control in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Energy-efficient and equipped with the latest digital technology to help families and residents stay connected, the latest mobile medical charting and visitor wi-fi.

Specialized lighting which adjusts to outdoor lighting levels, pathway lighting to the suite door and bathroom space to prevent falls.

Touchless faucets in all resident washrooms, enhancing infection prevention and control (IPAC).

Dementia-friendly secured resident home area and beautifully landscaped outdoor space.

Elmwood Place is organized into four, 32-resident neighbourhoods, each with its own balcony and dining room, so each area feels like a smaller community within the larger home, said Wendy Gilmour, Senior Vice President, Long Term Care, Revera. The residents and staff were engaged throughout the process, even choosing the names of the four neighbourhoods  Springbank Park and East Park on the first floor, and Gibbons Park and Victoria Park on the second floor  to help them feel even more at home.

For more information on the new Elmwood Place, including photos of the Grand Opening event, the first residents moving in, and a drone video flyover, see this webpage.

About Revera

Revera is a leading Canadian-owned and -headquartered, owner, investor, developer and operator in the senior living sector. Through its portfolio of partnerships, Revera owns or operates more than 500 properties across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom serving more than 55,000 seniors.

The company offers seniors apartments, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and long term care. With approximately 50,000 employees dedicated to providing exceptional care and service, Revera is helping seniors live life to the fullest. Through Age is More, Revera is committed to challenging ageism, the companys social cause of choice. In Canada, Revera is proud to operate retirement residences and long term care homes from coast to coast. You can find Revera in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador. Find out more at ReveraLiving.com, Facebook.com/ReveraInc or on Twitter @Revera_Inc.

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Staffordshire, United Kingdom, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One Sure Insurance, the one-stop-shop for home, commercial, auto and special insurance is pleased to share that they are now offering free insurance quotes. Motor trade, car, van, motorbike, HGV & lorry, home, scooter, caravan, commercial, liability, buy to let, travel, convicted car, convicted van, taxi and special types of insurance products are featured here. This insurance marketplace carries the largest selection of commercial insurance and aims to offer great choice, great prices and great service. One Sure Insurance takes pride in announcing that they carry an exceptional range of products from over 40 top insurance providers in the UK alone.



One Sure Insurance

While offering a wider product range is always the top priority, it is also important to make them available at affordable prices. The expert insurance advisors look at each and every request, ascertain the risk factors, and generate the best discounts from the insurer partners. Most of the times, they are successful in offering the best rates much reasonable than those provided by other online companies or insurance comparison sites. This is because One Sure Insurance does not follow a one size fits all trend. They treat every case as a unique and assess the risk, and the individuals circumstances and merits.

The company is known for their exceptional customer service. They provide expert advice and guide clients especially those who need assistance looking for the best policy and an insurer that can offer a product that best suits their needs and budget. There is a dedicated customer service team assisting with queries and claims 24/7 365 days a year. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, One Sure Insurance is one of the fastest-growing and one of the largest privately-owned insurance brokers in the UK. One of the major reasons for their success is that they constantly upgrade in terms of embracing latest technology in order to deliver faster and efficient services.

There are several other insurance comparisons sites claiming to offer better products and better prices. However, not all can provide customers any advice as they are not regulated to do so. They merely provide the price and it is up to the insurance seekers to do the research on the small print and be aware of the charges applicable, exclusions if any and the terms applicable. The prices may seem competitive but there are so many other finer details that are easy to miss. At One Sure Insurance, all the advisors are authorized by FCA to provide advice on all aspects of the policy including price and other details. Customers can now call the numbers below for a free quote.

To learn more visit https://www.onesureinsurance.co.uk/

About One Sure Insurance

One Sure Insurance started in 2005, is one of the fastest-growing privately-owned insurance intermediaries in the United Kingdom. The website allows individuals to find the best insurance policy at the best price. Insurance seekers can shop for home insurance, motor trade insurance, car, van, and bike insurance, and many other insurance products.

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Contact

One Sure Insurance

Address: Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, U.K.

Phone: 0800-107-0905, 0330-100-4485

Website: https://www.onesureinsurance.co.uk/





There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation.
Scemblix provides much-needed and long-awaited new option for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who suffer with intolerance or inadequate response after at least two previous tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatments 1





In the pivotal Phase III ASCEMBL trial, Scemblix demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful superiority in major molecular response (MMR) rate vs. Bosulif  * (bosutinib) (25% vs. 13%) at 24 weeks, and more -than -three times lower discontinuation rates due to side effects (7% vs. 25%) 2,3





* (bosutinib) (25% vs. 13%) at 24 weeks, and more -than -three times lower discontinuation rates due to side effects (7% vs. 25%) Additional Phase I data in patients with CML with the T315I mutation supported the FDA approval for a second indication in this patient population 4





With a new mechanism of action known in scientific literature as a STAMP inhibitor and clinical trials across treatment lines  including in the first-line setting , Scemblix reinforces Novartis two-decade commitment to bring transformative therapies to people living with CML2-18

Basel, October 29, 2021  Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Scemblix (asciminib) for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in two distinct indications. The FDA granted Scemblix accelerated approval for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) previously treated with two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), based on major molecular response (MMR) rate at 24 weeks; and full approval for adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation1. In accordance with the Accelerated Approval Program, continued approval for the first indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence1. Scemblix is the first FDA-approved CML treatment that works by binding to the ABL myristoyl pocket, and represents an important development for patients who experience resistance and/or intolerance to currently available TKI therapies1-3. Also known as a STAMP inhibitor in scientific literature, Scemblix is being studied across multiple treatment lines for CML-CP, including the ASC4FIRST Phase III study evaluating Scemblix as a first-line treatment2-18.

The introduction of TKIs twenty years ago revolutionized treatment for CML; however, there remain many patients who do not respond adequately to at least two available treatments and often experience challenging side effects that add a burden to their daily lives, said Lee Greenberger, Chief Scientific Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The approval of Scemblix may offer hope to patients by addressing gaps in CML care.

For many patients, current treatment for CML may be limited by intolerance or resistance, and sequential use of available TKIs is associated with increased failure rates19-26. In an analysis of patients with CML treated with two prior TKIs, approximately 55% reported intolerance to previous treatment27. Additionally, a pooled analysis in the second-line setting showed that up to 70% of patients are unable to achieve major molecular response (MMR) within two years of follow-up28-30. Moreover, patients who develop the T315I mutation are resistant to most available TKIs, leaving them at an increased risk of disease progression4.

CML can be difficult to treat when currently available treatments fail patients, when treatment side effects cannot be tolerated, or sometimes both, expressed Dr. Michael J. Mauro**, Hematologist and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Program Leader at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The addition of Scemblix into the CML treatment landscape gives us a novel approach to combat this blood cancer, helping address clinical challenges in patients struggling after switching to a second treatment, as well as in patients who develop the T315I mutation and face significantly worse outcomes.

The FDA approval of Scemblix is based on results from the Phase III ASCEMBL trial and a Phase I (NCT02081378) study that included patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation.

In patients with Ph+ CML-CP who had experienced resistance or intolerance to at least two TKIs, the ASCEMBL trial showed that1-3:

Scemblix nearly doubled the MMR rate vs. Bosulif  (bosutinib)* at 24 weeks (25% vs. 13% [P=0.029])

(bosutinib)* at 24 weeks (25% vs. 13% [P=0.029]) The proportion of patients who discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions was more than three times lower in the Scemblix arm (n = 156) vs. patients in the Bosulif arm (n = 76) (7% vs. 25%)

The most common (incidence  20%) adverse reactions and laboratory abnormalities in the Scemblix arm were, respectively: upper respiratory tract infections and musculoskeletal pain; decrease in platelet and neutrophil counts, decrease in hemoglobin; increase in triglycerides, creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)

After more than two decades of reimagining CML care, we continue to boldly push the boundaries of innovation to transform the standard-of-care and help even more patients living with this disease, said Susanne Schaffert, PhD, President, Novartis Oncology. We would like to thank all those who have been involved in helping to advance this new and important breakthrough.

Scemblix is currently available for physicians to prescribe to appropriate patients in the US.

Additional efficacy and safety details for Scemblix, including data on patients with the T315I mutation, and full Prescribing Information can be found at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf.

About Scemblix (asciminib)

Scemblix (asciminib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP pre-treated with two or more TKIs, as well as adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation1. The first indication is approved under the US FDA Accelerated Approval Program based on MMR rate at 24 weeks; continued approval for the first indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence.

Scemblix is the first FDA-approved CML treatment that binds to the ABL myristoyl pocket1. This novel mechanism of action, also known in scientific literature as a STAMP inhibitor, may help address resistance in patients with CML previously treated with two or more TKIs and overcome mutations at the defective BCR-ABL1 gene, which is associated with the over-production of leukemic cells2-11. Scemblix has also been shown to limit off-target activity in pre-clinical studies31.

Novartis has initiated regulatory filings for Scemblix in multiple countries and regions across the globe.

Scemblix represents an important development for patients who experience resistance and/or intolerance to currently available TKI therapies, and it is being studied across multiple treatment lines for CML-CP 2-18. Specifically, the ASC4FIRST Phase III study (NCT04971226) evaluates Scemblix as a first-line treatment and is in the recruitment phase13.

About Novartis Commitment to CML

Novartis has a long-standing scientific commitment to patients living with CML. For more than 20 years, our bold science has helped transform CML into a chronic disease for many patients. Despite these advancements, were not standing still. We continue to research ways to target the disease, seeking to address the challenges with treatment resistance and/or intolerance that many patients face. Novartis also continues to reimagine CML care through its commitment to sustainable access for patients and collaboration with the global CML community.

Indication

SCEMBLIX (asciminib) tablets is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP), previously treated with 2 or more tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) medicines. The effectiveness of SCEMBLIX in these patients is based on a study that measured major molecular response (MMR) rates. No clinical information is available to show if these patients treated with SCEMBLIX live longer or if their symptoms improve. Ongoing studies exist to find out how SCEMBLIX works over a longer period of time.

SCEMBLIX is also approved for use in adults with Ph+ CML in CP with the T315I mutation.

It is not known if SCEMBLIX is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

SCEMBLIX (asciminib) tablets may cause low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), low white blood cell counts (neutropenia), and low red blood cell counts (anemia). Patients should tell their doctor right away if they have unexpected bleeding or easy bruising; blood in their urine or stools; fever; or any signs of an infection. SCEMBLIX may increase enzymes in the patients blood called amylase and lipase, which may be a sign of inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Patients should tell their doctor right away if they have sudden stomach-area pain or discomfort, nausea, or vomiting. During treatment with SCEMBLIX, doctors may check their patients blood pressure and treat any high blood pressure as needed. Patients should tell their doctor if they develop elevated blood pressure or symptoms of high blood pressure including confusion, headaches, dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

If a patient has an allergic reaction while on SCEMBLIX, they should stop taking SCEMBLIX and get medical help right away. Signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction include trouble breathing or swallowing; feeling dizzy or faint; swelling of the face, lips, or tongue; fever; skin rash or flushing; or a fast heartbeat. SCEMBLIX may cause heart and blood vessel problems, including heart attack; stroke; blood clots or blockage of patients arteries; heart failure; and abnormal heartbeat which can be serious and may sometimes lead to death. These heart and blood vessel problems can happen in people with risk factors or a history of these problems and/or previously treated with multiple TKI medicines. Patients should tell their doctor right away if they get shortness of breath; chest pain or pressure; a feeling like their heart is beating too fast or they feel abnormal heartbeats; swelling in their ankles or feet; dizziness; weight gain; numbness or weakness on one side of their body; decreased vision or loss of vision; trouble talking; pain in their arms, legs, back, neck, or jaw; headache; or severe stomach-area pain.

Before taking SCEMBLIX, patients should tell their doctor about all of their medical conditions, including if they have a history of pancreatitis; a history of heart problems; or blood clots in their arteries and veins (types of blood vessels). SCEMBLIX can harm an unborn baby. Women should tell their doctor right away if they become pregnant or think they may be pregnant during treatment with SCEMBLIX. Women who are able to become pregnant should have a pregnancy test before they start SCEMBLIX and should use effective birth control during treatment and for 1 week after the last dose of SCEMBLIX. Women should not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 week after their last dose of SCEMBLIX.

Patients should tell their doctor about all the medicines they take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. SCEMBLIX and other medicines may affect each other, causing side effects. The most common side effects of SCEMBLIX include nose, throat, or sinus (upper respiratory tract) infections; muscle, bone, or joint pain; rash; tiredness; nausea; and diarrhea. The most common blood test abnormalities include decreased blood counts of platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells; and increased blood levels of triglycerides, creatine kinase, liver enzymes, or pancreas enzymes (amylase and lipase).

Please see full Prescribing Information for SCEMBLIX, available at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/scemblix.pdf.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as potential, can, will, plan, may, could, would, expect, anticipate, seek, look forward, believe, committed, investigational, pipeline, launch, or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AGs current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

* Bosulif is a registered trademark of Pfizer.

** Disclosure: Dr. Mauro has provided consulting services to Novartis.

References

Scemblix [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; 2021. Rea D, et al. A Phase 3, Open-Label, Randomized Study of Asciminib, a STAMP Inhibitor, vs Bosutinib in CML After 2 Prior TKIs. Blood. 2021. DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020009984. PMID: 34407542.

Novartis Data on File, 2021. Cortes JE, et al. Asciminib, a First-in-Class STAMP Inhibitor, Provides Durable Molecular Response in Patients (pts) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Harboring the T315I Mutation: Primary Efficacy and Safety Results from a Phase 1 Trial. Oral presentation at: ASH Annual Meeting; Dec. 7, 2020 Wylie AA, et al. The allosteric inhibitor ABL001 enables dual targeting of BCRABL1. Nature. 2017;543(7647):733-737. Schoepfer J, et al. Discovery of Asciminib (ABL001), an Allosteric Inhibitor of the Tyrosine Kinase Activity of BCR-ABL1. J Med Chem. 2018;61(18):8120-8135. Hughes TP, et al. Asciminib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia after ABL Kinase Inhibitor Failure. N Engl J Med. 2019; 381(24):2315-2326. Hughes TP, et al. Expanded Phase 1 Study of ABL001, a Potent, Allosteric Inhibitor of BCR-ABL, Reveals Significant and Durable Responses in Patients with CML-Chronic Phase with Failure of Prior TKI Therapy. Poster presented at: ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition; Dec. 5, 2016. Ottmann OG, et al. ABL001, a Potent, Allosteric Inhibitor of BCR-ABL, Exhibits Safety and Promising Single- Agent Activity in a Phase I Study of Patients with CML with Failure of Prior TKI Therapy. Blood. 2015;126(23):138. Mauro MJ, et al. Combination of Asciminib Plus Nilotinib (NIL) or Dasatinib (DAS) in Patients (PTS) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 Study. Poster presented at: EHA Annual Meeting; June 15, 2019. Cortes JE, et al. Combination Therapy Using Asciminib Plus Imatinib (IMA) in Patients (PTS) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 Study. Poster presented at: EHA Annual Meeting; June 15, 2019. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2017. Study of Efficacy of CML-CP Patients Treated with ABL001 Versus Bosutinib, Previously Treated With 2 or More TKIs. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03106779. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. A Study of Oral Asciminib Versus Other TKIs in Adult Patients With Newly Diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04971226. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2020. Asciminib in Monotherapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP) With and WithoutT315I Mutation (AIM4CML). [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04666259. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2018. Study of Efficacy And Safety Of Asciminib In Combination With Imatinib In Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia In Chronic Phase (CML-CP). [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03578367. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Study of Efficacy and Safety of CML-CP Patients Treated With Asciminib Versus Best Available Therapy, Previously Treated With 2 or More Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04795427. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2014. A Phase I Study of Oral ABL001 in Patients With CML or Ph+ ALL. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02081378. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021 Asciminib Treatment Optimization in  3rd Line CML-CP. [online] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04948333 Flis S, et al. Chronic myelogenous leukemia, a still unsolved problem: pitfalls and new therapeutic possibilities. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2019;13:825-843. Akard LP, et al. The Hit Hard and Hit Early Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Implications of the Updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines for RoutinePractice. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2013;11(7):421-432. Cortes JE, et al. Long-term bosutinib for chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia after failure of imatinib plus dasatinib and/or nilotinib. Am J Hematol. 2016;91(12):1206-1214. Cortes JE, et al. Ponatinib efficacy and safety in Philadelphia chromosomepositive leukemia: Final 5-yearresults of the phase 2 PACE trial. Blood. 2018;132(4):393-404. Garg RJ, et al. The use of nilotinib or dasatinib after failure to 2 prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors: long-term follow-up. Blood. 2009;114(20):4361-4368 Hochhaus A, et al. European LeukemiaNet 2020 recommendations for treating chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia. 2020;34:966-984 Cortes JE., et al. Final 5-Year Study Results of DASISION: The Dasatinib Versus Imatinib Study in Treatment-Naive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34:2333-2340. Steegmann JL., et al. European LeukemiaNet recommendations for the management and avoidance of adverse events of treatment in chronic myeloid leukaemia. Leukemia. 2016;30:1648-1671. Giles FJ, et al. Nilotinib is active in chronic and accelerated phase chronic myeloid leukemia following failure of imatinib and dasatinib therapy. Leukemia. 2010; 24(7):12991301. Kantarjian HM, et al. Nilotinib is effective in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase after imatinib resistance or intolerance: 24-month follow-up results. Blood. 2011;117(4):1141-1145. Shah NP, et al. Potent, transient inhibition of BCR-ABL with dasatinib 100 mg daily achieves rapid and durable cytogenetic responses and high transformation-free survival rates in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients with resistance, suboptimal response or intolerance to imatinib. Haematologica. 2010;95:232-240 Gambacorti-Passerini C., et al. Bosutinib efficacy and safety in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia after imatinib resistance or intolerance: Minimum 24-month follow-up. Am J Hematol. 2014;89:732-742. Manley P., et al. The specificity of asciminib, a potential treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, as a myristate-pocket binding ABL inhibitor and analysis of its interactions with mutant forms of BCR-ABL1 kinase. Leukemia Research. 2020;98

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATP Flight School's newest training center is now open at the San Luis County Regional Airport (SBP) in San Luis Obispo, CA. As the nation's largest flight school, this new facility marks ATP's 69th training center and brings airline-oriented pilot training to the San Luis community.

Situated between ATP's existing operations in Northern California and Southern California, the San Luis Obispo training center offers aspiring pilots in the Golden State access to ATP's proven Airline Career Pilot Program. This airline career path is the fastest track to becoming an airline pilot. Students start with either zero experience or a private pilot certificate and graduate in just seven months with their commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates, allowing them to quickly establish their careers and capitalize on the post-pandemic pilot shortage.

ATP is the leading supplier of airline pilots to the nation's airlines and students at SBP now have the opportunity to take advantage of ATP's hiring alliances. Over 30 airline partnerships provide graduates with a fast track to all major airlines as well as access to financial incentives, including airline-sponsored tuition reimbursement. Most recently, ATP announced a new partnership and accelerated pathway for ATP graduates to advance their career directly to Sun Country Airlines as Boeing 737 First Officers.

"As the industry faces a post-pandemic pilot shortage, San Luis Obispo will be integral in the development of airline pilots to meet this demand," said Michael Arnold, Director of Marketing, ATP Flight School. "We're proud to join the San Luis community and provide career-focused students with the most efficient path to a successful airline pilot career."

ATP is now scheduling Airline Career Pilot Program class dates at the San Luis Obispo training center. Introductory flights can be scheduled by calling 904-595-7950. Visit ATPFlightSchool.com for more information.

Media Contact

Michael Arnold

Director of Marketing

ATP Flight School

904-595-7950

pr@atpflightschool.com

Related Images











Image 1: ATP's San Luis Obispo training center offers aspiring pilots the fastest track to airline pilot.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are advised by Innovaccer that journalists and other readers should disregard the news release, "Innovaccer Helps Providers Improve Value-Based Care Performance with Enhanced Population Health Analytics" issued Oct. 26, 2021 over GlobeNewswire.


The following is an open letter from "Neighborhood Coalition Sonoma County', The Cannabis industry wants to open up Sonoma County to industrial size Cannabis Cultivation on an unprecedented scale. If successful, their efforts would forever alter our neighborhoods, environment, and quality of life. NCSC represents a coalition of neighborhood advocates organizing to stop this and protect Sonoma County.



PETALUMA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neighborhood Coalition Sonoma County (NCSC) is calling for a moratorium for all future multi-tenant projects, and immediate cancellation of all previously issued permits to mitigate the destruction that is wreaking havoc on the environment of Sonoma County. The multi-tenant permitting process called 'Ministerial Permits' by the Department of Agriculture is more accurately described by the California Environmental Quality Act as 'piecemealing' and must be discontinued.

The CEQA Guidelines define a project under CEQA as "the whole of the action" that may result either directly or indirectly in physical changes to the environment. This broad definition is intended to provide the maximum protection of the environment. Piecemealing or segmenting means dividing a project into two or more pieces and evaluating each piece in a separate environmental document, rather than evaluating the whole of the project in one environmental document. This is explicitly forbidden by CEQA because dividing a project into a number of pieces would allow a Lead Agency to minimize the apparent environmental impacts of a project by evaluating individual pieces separately, each of which may have a less-than-significant impact on the environment, but which together may result in a significant impact. Segmenting a project may also hinder developing comprehensive mitigation strategies. [AEP CEQA Portal Topic Paper 02-10-20]

NCSC maintains that corporate cannabis is gaming Sonoma County and violating state and local laws, while supervisors rig permitting to avoid protecting Sonoma County's environment. Sonoma County has succeeded in rapidly accelerating cannabis permitting by issuing ministerial Zoning Permits (ZP), cannabis permits that violate Sonoma County's cannabis ordinance. Instead of benefiting "small family farmers," purportedly the group Sonoma County Supervisors want to encourage, the County's actions have in its place benefitted large cannabis operators such as CannaCraft and SPARC, as can be seen in the Related Files section of this release.

These ministerial permits avoid consideration of the environmental impacts of the cannabis operations, including cumulative impacts, required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and remove the public from the process entirely. The Rules:

 To grow cannabis in Sonoma County, an operator must obtain both a state and a local license/permit.

 Sonoma County's 2018 Cannabis Ordinance established a ministerial path for outdoor cannabis cultivation of 10,000 square feet or less on parcels of 10 acres or larger, in LEA and DA zoned areas. All other cannabis operations (other than the very smallest- cottage") require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP).

 The CUP process is expensive in time and money - takes approximately 2-3 years and $30,000, but a ministerial process takes only approximately 3-4 months and costs less than $5,000. The CUP process requires specific environmental review, is a public process, with public notification and hearings; the ministerial process has no project-specific environmental review and is "over the counter" with no public notification or public process.

 Sonoma County regulations prohibit a cannabis operator from growing more than one acre total of cannabis within the County. (Sec. 26-88-254. -Cannabis cultivationCommercial (e))

 Sonoma County regulations allow "multi-tenant" operations on a single parcel (10 acres or larger), as long as the aggregate cultivation area is no larger than is allowed by the ordinance. (Sec. 26-88-254. -Cannabis cultivationCommercial (f)(2)) If multiple applicants apply for ministerial permits on a single parcel, Sonoma County's ordinance allows only a maximum outdoor cultivation area of 10,000 square feet for any single parcel. (Tables 1 A-C and ORD 18-0003, Summary of Allowed Land Uses and Permit Requirements for Cannabis Uses)

The Problem:

Obviously, it is far cheaper and quicker to obtain a ministerial permit to grow cannabis outdoors than it is to enter the CUP process, which requires project-specific environmental review and a full public process. Starting in 2019, and accelerating in 2020 and 2021, cannabis operators figured out how they could game Sonoma County's cannabis permitting structure. Ministerial cannabis permits went from being a minority of cannabis applications to the vast majority in 2021 - 143 ministerial applications and only 3 CUP applications. See this graph for a comparison of the number of ministerial applications to CUP applications over years.

Even though County cannabis regulations limit outdoor cannabis cultivation with a ministerial permit to a maximum of 10,000 square feet on any single parcel, many of these applications were each for 10,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation on the exact same parcel. It strains credulity that the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture didn't "notice" this detail. CannaCraft related businesses, in fact, submitted 17 applications, each for 10,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation, and the permits were issued in sequential order: APC21-0111 through APC21- 0127. It's difficult to understand how the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture could have missed that these permit renewals would result in 5 parcels each having 40,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation, all controlled by one entity. These Sonoma County Department of Agriculture actions took place with at least the Board of Supervisors' tacit approval.

By this behavior, NCSC believes the County has evaded compliance with CEQA, as these piecemeal approvals clearly violate CEQA (among other CEQA violations). The County can't claim ignorance of how their actions violated state and local laws, as they have been notified of this problem for over a year by both concerned members of the public and their attorneys. Although at least one Supervisor has suggested the County hire a "forensic accountant" to determine just how this happened, there's no need for that expenditure of money. Anyone with little time, access to the internet, and the County's data on cannabis permits applied for and issued can easily prove that the County has been issuing these large-scale cultivation permits what NCSC believes has been a violation of the law have obtained multiple large-scale permits under different LLCs and corporate names, which all are directly connected to their businesses. Details of these issued permits can be found here .

The Solution:

All the permits the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture or Permit Sonoma has issued that are in violation of Sonoma County's regulations should immediately be voided, and all pending applications that, if issued, would be in violation of Sonoma County's regulations should be terminated. When those applications, if issued, would not violate Sonoma County's prohibition of more than one acre of cannabis cultivation per person total in the County, or other Sonoma County or state regulations, the permit holders and applicants should be encouraged to reapply under the CUP process, as is required by law. To do otherwise would be in violation of CEQA, state law, and Sonoma County's regulations. Instead, the staff is recommending that the Board of Supervisors on October 26th extend all of the permits issued in violation of CEQA and Sonoma County's regulations for 5 years. That proposed 5-year extension would itself be an additional violation of CEQA, as well as of both Sonoma County's regulations and state law.

To be clear, there is no basis to extend these permits for 5 years, or for any period. They must be voided immediately.

Neighborhood Coalition Sonoma

Sanjay.bagai@gmail.com

(510) 599 5272

Related Files

CEQA Project Description 2020 Update.pdf

one_acre_and_multitenant_violations_w_attachments_final_2 (1).pdf

Related Images

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Scale of multi-tenant farms that are avoiding CEQA

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Scale of multi-tenant farms that are avoiding CEQA

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Scale of multi-tenant farms that are avoiding CEQA

scale-of-multi-tenant-farms-that.jpg

Scale of multi-tenant farms that are avoiding CEQA

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Scale of multi-tenant farms that are avoiding CEQA

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81b59942-544d-4c35-ac50-ed567f9c92e5
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Gold Corp. (TSXV: SGO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP) (Sonoro or the Company) is pleased to announce the filing of a technical report titled Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Cerro Caliche Project, Sonora, Mexico (the PEA) with an effective date of September 15, 2021.



The PEA has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 by D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. of Burlington, Ontario (D.E.N.M.) with David Salari. P.Eng. as the lead author. William Lewis, P.Geo., of Micon International Limited of Toronto, Ontario (Micon) was the Qualified Person responsible for the updated mineral resources estimate. The PEA can be found under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com and on Sonoros website at www.sonorogold.com.

The results of the PEA were previously announced in the Companys news releases dated September 15 and 16, 2021 and are summarized as follows:

Pre-Tax NPV (5% discount rate) of US$68.7 million and an IRR of 52.7% with a price of US$1,750 per ounce of gold and US$22.00 per ounce of silver.

After-Tax NPV (5% discount rate) of US$41.5 million with an IRR of 32.4% with a price of US$1,750 per ounce of gold and US$22.00 per ounce of silver.

7 years Life of Mine (LOM) producing 323,500 ounces (oz) of gold equivalent (AuEq)

Gold recovery of 74% and silver recovery of 27% produced from a 3-stage crushing circuit, crushing the ore to p80 of .

LOM annual average production of 45,700 oz AuEq.

Years 1 to 3 annual production of 56,500 oz AuEq with average grade of 0.51 g/t AuEq.

Initial CAPEX costs of US$32.2 million, including US$3.8 million in contingency.

Sustaining capital costs of US$4.8 million.

OPEX costs of US$1,227/oz AuEq.

All-In Sustaining Cost ("AISC") of US$1,351/oz AuEq.

Payback period of 2.2 years.



Updated Mineral Resource Estimate Highlights at 0.207 g/t Au Cut-off:

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 349,000 ounces of gold at a 0.41 g/t Au grade.

Updated Inferred Mineral Resources of 71,000 ounces of gold at 0.40 g/t Au grade.

Also noted in Micons report, a range of the potential mineralization that may conceptually exist outside of the resource pit shells has been included in the report. Utilizing the same 0.207 g/t Au cut-off grade as the current resource estimate, the range of the potential mineralization is believed to be from 19,250,000 to 34,370,000 tonnes containing:

204,000 to 365,000 ounces of gold.

1,683,000 to 3,005,000 ounces of silver.

The reader is cautioned that the potential mineralization ranges are conceptual in nature and that despite being based on a limited amount of exploration drilling and sampling outside the current resource pit shells, it is uncertain that further exploration will result in the mineralization targets being delineated as a mineral resource.

PEA Summary

The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty the estimates presented in the PEA will be realized.

Qualified Person Statement

David Salari, P.Eng., of D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. and William Lewis, P.Geo., of Micon International Limited, both of whom are independent of the Company, have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information herein regarding the Companys Cerro Caliche Project. William Lewis, P.Geo., was responsible for the updated Cerro Caliche Mineral Resource Estimate and, along with David Salari, P.Eng., has approved the information pertaining to the Cerro Caliche Project in this news release. Each of David Salari, P.Eng. and William Lewis, P.Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

Stephen Kenwood, P.Geo., a Director of Sonoro Gold, is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and has read and approved this news release.

About D.E.N.M. Engineering Limited

D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. is a niche engineering company servicing the mining / mineral processing sector that specializes in Engineering & Design, Equipment Supply, Project & Construction Management, Commissioning and Operations Support. D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. has proven success while championing projects for over fifteen years in Canada, USA, Mexico and Central America.

In addition, D.E.N.M. Engineering, with its principal and independent specialists, performs NI 43-101 compliant assessments and studies in the sections of mineral processing metallurgical design, process design, capital and operating costing and cash flow analysis.

About Micon International Limited

Micon International Limited (Micon) has provided consulting services to the worldwide mining industry since 1988 from its offices in Canada and the UK. Micon comprises a multi-disciplinary group of highly qualified and experienced professionals who are guided by the Company principles of Integrity, Competence and Independence.

Micons experience in Mexico ranges from exploration programs and resource estimation to technical studies on operating mines as well as due diligence for precious metals and base metals projects. Micon has worked in most of the major mining districts throughout Mexico, as well as some lesser-known historical districts. In northern Mexico, assignments have been undertaken in the gold and silver districts of Sonora, Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Baja California.

About Sonoro Gold Corp.

Sonoro Gold Corp. is a publicly listed exploration and development company holding the near development stage Cerro Caliche project and the exploration stage San Marcial properties in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company has highly experienced operational and management teams with proven track records for the discovery and development of natural resource deposits.

On behalf of the Board of Sonoro Gold Corp.

Per: Kenneth MacLeod

Kenneth MacLeod

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Sonoro Gold Corp. - Tel: (604) 632-1764

Email: info@sonorogold.com

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Cerro Caliche project, and future plans and objectives of the Company, including the NPV, IRR, initial and sustaining capital costs, operating costs, and LOM production of Cerro Caliche, constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions in connection with the continuance of the Company and its subsidiaries as a going concern, general economic and market conditions, mineral prices, the accuracy of Mineral Resource Estimates. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include exploration and development risks associated with the Companys projects, the failure to establish estimated Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves, volatility of commodity prices, variations of recovery rates, and global economic conditions. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date of this release. 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, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Companys complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.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) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
DALLAS, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) (NHF) today announced the extension of the offering period for its previously announced offer to purchase any and all Shares of Beneficial Interest (the Shares) of United Development Funding IV (UDFI or the Company) 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 is now scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, at the end of the day on November 29, 2021, unless the Offer is extended or earlier terminated. 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. NHF 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. THE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, EASTERN TIME, AT THE END OF THE DAY ON NOVEMBER 29, 2021, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED.

About the NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NHF)

The NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) is a closed-end fund 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 the Companys fundamental investment policies and restrictions to permit the Company to pursue its new business. The Company has since realigned its portfolio so that it is no longer an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). On March 31, 2021, the Company filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for an order under the 1940 Act declaring that the Company no longer operate as an investment company (the Deregistration Order). During the SECs review process, the Company will continue to be structured as a closed-end investment fund. The Company has also completed the repositioning of 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.

For more information visit www.nexpoint.com/nexpoint-strategic-opportunities-fund

About NexPoint Advisors, L.P.

NexPoint Advisors, L.P. (the Investment Adviser) is an SEC-registered adviser on the NexPoint alternative investment platform. It serves as the 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

lbannon@nexpoint.com
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION, RELEASE, OR PUBLICATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candelaria Mining Corp. (TSX-V: CAND, OTC PINK: CDELF) (the Company) is pleased to announce that, further to its press release of September 22, 2021, it has closed its second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for a gross proceeds of $511,648 through the issuance of 1,136,997 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of $0.45 per Unit (the Final Offering). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one-half of a common share purchase warrant (the Warrants), with each full Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company at a price $0.65 for a period of 36 months following the closing of the Offering.



Gross proceeds raised from the Final Offering will be used for general corporate purposes.

Combining with first tranche, which closed on September 22, 2021, the total proceeds raised was $8,441,770, with a total issuance of 18,759,491 Units.

Armando Alexandri (COO) and Mike Struthers (CEO), subscribed for 622,222 Units ($280,000) and 91,111 Units ($41,000), respectively, under the second and final tranche of the Offering (the Insider Subscriptions). The Insider Subscriptions constitute related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company has relied on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101 in respect of the Insider Subscriptions.

The Final Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The original regulatory deadline for closing of the Final Offering was October 7, 2021, in which the Company had obtained regulatory approval to extend it to October 29, 2021.

The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Mike Struthers

CEO

+1 604 349 5992

For further information, please contact:

Candelaria Mining Corp.

Investor Relations

+1 604 349 5992 | info@candelariamining.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the terms, the use of proceeds and the timing of closing of the Offering. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates as at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include changes in market conditions or metals prices, unanticipated developments on the Companys properties, and other risks described in the Companys public disclosure documents available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com.

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.
Palm City - Margaret Jan Crandall passed away at home on November 14. Her daughter Martha and her husband Robert were at her side. Jan Crandall, nee Schmults, was born on June 2, 1935, in Barrington, Rhode Island. During WWII, the family lived in Newport where her father, Ernest, worked at t
Goshen, IN (46526)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
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Grand Haven

Smant, Naser retire from BLP board

Both Jack Smant and John Naser have turned the lights out on their careers as trustees of the Grand Haven Board of Light & Power (BLP).

Jack Smant, left; John Naser, right

The two men have chosen to not run for re-election this November.

Smant has been on the five-member BLP board for more than 21 years. Naser has been with the municipal utility board for 12 years following nine years on the Grand Haven City Council.

Now that he is retired, Smant said he will be spending his winters in Surprise, Arizona. Naser said he plans to remain involved in local politics, noting his concerns with both the BLP and the City Council.

The final meeting for both of them as board members was Oct. 21, when a presentation was made by the BLPs auditors, and discussions about the employee retirement plan and the snowmelt system in downtown Grand Haven. It was mostly civil during their last meeting.

However, on the topic of appointing representatives to meet with the city to discuss the snowmelt system, tempers once again flared.

I would like the minutes to show that I voted no because I feel strongly that a committee should not be formed until the new board members are here, Naser said. We are making a real mistake here.

At a work session earlier in the month, the utility board took the position that the BLP should not operate the snowmelt system. Naser took an opposing viewpoint, believing that it added value to downtown Grand Haven, which results in businesses using more energy.

There is more to it, as I said at the last meeting, than just the question of who it belongs to, Naser said. This system will have to operate for years into the future. It is important that we work out who is going to pay for it.

A brief debate followed between Naser and fellow board member Gerry Witherell.

You have continued to criticize me over and over again, and Im tired of it, Naser told Witherell. Frankly, I dont really care what you think of me. This group really needs to allow the new members to share in this.

But in the end, Witherell and fellow Trustee Todd Crum were selected as representatives to discuss the future of snowmelt with the city.

Upon reflection, both Naser and Smant cited the closing of the J.B. Sims power plant as being significant during their careers as BLP trustees. Smant said the hiring of Dave Walters as the utilitys general manager was also a watershed moment in his career.

I imagine the biggest thing was tearing down the coal plant, Smant said. Thats been an icon for a long time. Some people who talked to me were worried about the future capability of supplying the electricity.

I would say the second one was the hiring of Dave Walters because he had just the right skill set for the kind of era we were kind of going into, Smant added. That was a great help in giving us directions and leadership.

Naser was more pessimistic, citing his issues with the BLP and Walters pushing for a natural gas-powered peaking plant that he felt wasnt wanted by the community.

The public didnt like it, and I didnt like it, Naser said. First of all, natural gas is a pollutant, about half of the pollutant that coal is, but it is still a pollutant and puts CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere. We really have not determined whether the public wants local generation or not. Our general manager  he assumed the public doesnt support local generation. Actually, them being opposed to the plan didnt mean they were opposed to local generation, but they were opposed to that particular plan.

Naser went on to say, Im really concerned what happens here. It was a miracle that the City Council blocked the approval of the bond issues. Because if those three members of the board and the BLP had their way, we would be in the process of installing that project on the island right now  not a good idea.

Running for the utility boards two six-year terms on the Nov. 2 city of Grand Haven ballot are Andy Cawthon, Andrea Hendrick, Geri McCaleb and Michael Westbrook.

Smant said he didnt have any advice for his and Nasers successors, but he did encourage them to utilize the BLP staff as much as possible.

I do think we have an excellent staff and employees, Smant said. They can be a big help to whoever takes my place, and the so-called learning the ropes, and I encourage them to do that.

Nasers advice was to listen to what the people wanted.

Both men gave some parting words at the end of their final BLP meeting.

I would just like to say, it might be unbelievable, but it has been a pleasure to serve on this board, Smant said. Ive enjoyed every minute of it, and Ive considered it an honor to serve on this board for many years. We can hold our head high with the board that weve had. Sometimes it has been a little hectic, but I think that is part of the process.

Naser was apologetic in his farewell speech to the board.

Sims is now retired, which I consider that an accomplishment, because of the contamination it was putting into the atmosphere, he said. I know that the last three years have been hard, and Ive been a thorn in the side of the board and management. I apologize for being a pain in the ass to you.
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The Eclipse Foundation, one of the worlds largest open source foundations, along with multiple industry leaders, including Bosch, Microsoft and others, announced an open invitation for technology leaders to help define a new working group focused specifically on the Software-Defined Vehicle.

The ultimate goal will be the creation of a vendor-agnostic, open-source ecosystem with a vivid, contributing community focused on building the foundation for a new era in automotive software development. This announcement serves as a call to action for all interested parties to join this initiative and help shape the future of mobility.

Next-generation vehicle developers are turning to software-based solutions for new designs. The Eclipse Foundation believes this will lead to an open-source revolution that results in software-defined vehicles. Software-defined vehicles will enable vehicle manufacturers as well as automotive suppliers to put software at the very center of vehicle development, with hardware considerations to follow.

To achieve this significant change in the design process, this new working group will build the foundation of an open ecosystem for deploying, configuring, and monitoring vehicle software in a secure and safe way.

The approach will consider high performance computers as well as legacy ECUs and will stretch from quality managed to safety-relevant functions across all vehicle domains under adherence of the highest safety and security standards.

Vehicle manufactures around the world may use this foundation to focus on differentiating customer features, such as mobility services and end-user experience improvements, while saving time and cost on the non-differentiating elements, such as operating systems, middleware or communication protocols.

To support the transformation to software-defined vehicles, major players from the technology industry as well as the automotive industry are encouraged to collaboratively develop an open source in-vehicle application runtime stack, cloud-based vehicle operations as well as highly integrated development toolchains. The ultimate goal of the open source software-defined vehicle initiative is to scale in-vehicle software across vehicle models, product lines, brands, organizations, and time.

The Eclipse Foundation and its decades of experience managing the governance of complex technology initiatives and multi-vendor organizations make it the ideal organization to help manage such an endeavor. Its commitment to transparency, vendor-neutrality, and a shared voice will ensure that all participants have the opportunity to shape the future of the working group.
Green River Police Department reports for Oct. 16

At 2:27 a.m., officers responded to a report of threats or harassment. Officers met with an individual who reported a verbal altercation with an individual. Officers completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 4:29 p.m., officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision at Smiths. It was reported the first vehicle was traveling east in the parking area and left the lane of travel to cross through open parking spaces. The second vehicle was parked, facing east in a parking space, unoccupied. As the first vehicle passed the second vehicle, the front passenger side mirror of the vehicle struck the drivers side mirror of the second vehicle. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 6:03 p.m., officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision at Smiths. It was reported a vehicle was traveling north in the parking area and turned left into a parking space adjacent to a second vehicle, which was parked facing west in a parking spot. As the first vehicle pulled into the parking spot the front passenger side of the vehicle struck the drivers side of the second vehicle. Officers issued a citation to the driver of the first vehicle, a juvenile, 16, of Green River, for alleged inattentive driving with a crash. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 6:31 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with an individual who reported a verbal dispute with another individual. The parties had previously separated and officers made contact with the other involved individual and completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

Oct. 17

At 12:57 a.m., officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle collision at Maverik. It was reported the vehicle was pulling into a parking space and the vehicle lurched forward and went up over the curb and struck a metal container. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 3:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of a hit and run on East 3rd North Street. Officers met with an individual who reported finding damage to their vehicle and completed a report of the incident.

At 8:26 p.m., officers responded to a report of vandalism on North 1st East Street. Officers met with an individual who reported finding damage to their vehicle. Officers completed a report of the incident.

Oct. 18

At 12:40 a.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers arrived on scene and could hear a commotion inside the residence and made contact with the involved parties. Officers subsequently placed Christopher Larson, 30, of Green River, under arrest for alleged domestic assault - first offense. Officers transported Larson to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 8:58 a.m., officers responded to a report of vandalism at Expedition Island. Officers met with a city employee who reported graffiti on several metal signs and one of the monuments. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 11:53 a.m., officers responded to a report of an individual with an active warrant. Officers met with the individual, confirmed the warrant, and placed Carrie Hood, 39, of Green River, under arrest for alleged unlawful possession - plant form less than 3 ounces - first offense per the active warrant. Officers transported Hood to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 12:39 p.m., officers responded to a report of an emergency school safety drill at Lincoln Middle School. The drill was completed successfully.

At 3:05 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was speeding on Bridger Drive and Citadel Street and issued the driver, a juvenile, 17, of Green River, a citation for alleged seat belt: driver violation.

At 7:11 p.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance on Uinta Drive. It was reported an individual hit one of the gaming machines and kicked a chair, then left the establishment. Officers met with the manager of the establishment who requested to have the individual trespassed from the property. Officers attempted to contact the individual and completed a report of the incident.

At 7:37 p.m., officers responded to a report of a domestic battery that had occurred earlier in the day. Officers met with an individual who reported a physical altercation. Officers attempted to locate the suspected individual and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

From 6

Oct. 19

At 8:01 a.m., officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported a vehicle was traveling northbound on East Teton Boulevard and had stopped to make a left-hand turn, when another vehicle, that had just completed a left-hand turn on to East Teton Boulevard from Bridger Drive and was now traveling northbound, struck the rear of the first vehicle. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 8:09 a.m., officers responded to a report of fraud at Club 86. Officers met with an individual who reported unauthorized charges to their credit card. Officers made contact with the individual who had made the charges and completed a report of the incident.

At 8:13 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop at Shoshone Avenue and Indian Hills Drive and issued the driver Nathan Campos, 19, of Green River, a citation for alleged seat belt: driver violation.

At 1:35 p.m., officers responded to a report of vandalism at the Green River Chamber of Commerce. Officers met with an employee who reported finding one of the metal signs had been spray painted. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 5 p.m., officers responded to a report of disorderly conduct at Taco Time. It was reported a customer had exposed their private parts to an employee while at the drive up. Officers were able to identify the individual but were unable to make contact with the individual. Officers completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

Oct. 20

At 12:59 p.m., officers responded to a report of an individual with an active warrant. Officers met with the individual, confirmed the warrant, and placed Braxton Smith, 25, of Green River, under arrest per the active warrant for alleged stalking - any type of communication. Officers transported Smith to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and completed a report of the incident.

At 5:09 p.m., officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported a vehicle was traveling west on East Teton Boulevard and was passing a truck and trailer that was parked on the north side of the roadway when another vehicle, which was backing out of a driveway on the north side of the roadway, entered the roadway traveling south and the rear of the backing vehicle struck the passenger side of the other vehicle. Officers issued the driver of the vehicle, a juvenile, 17, of Green River, a citation for alleged improper backing. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 5:48 p.m., officers responded to a report of a larceny at Ace Hardware. Officers met with the store manager who reported an individual for shoplifting. Officers attempted to locate the suspected individual and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

At 6:08 p.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious circumstance on East Teton Boulevard. Officers met with an individual who reported finding a magnet taped to their garage door. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 9:17 p.m., officers responded to a report of a barking dog on Wyoming Drive. Officers located the residence and attempted to make contact. Officers posted a notice and left a voicemail for an owner to contact an officer. Officers were later contacted by the owner and advised of the complaint, issued a verbal warning, and completed a report of the incident.

Oct. 21

At 1:18 p.m., officers responded to Probation and Parole for a warrant arrest. Frances M. Kale, 49, of Rock Springs, was arrested on a bench warrant and transported to the Sweetwater County Detention Center without incident. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 4:42 p.m., officers responded to Bridger Drive in reference to a vandalism. The reporting person noted a shoe impression on the dirt of the vehicle, and a dent in the vehicle where the shoe impression was left. No suspects have been identified at this time. Officers completed a report of the incident.

Oct. 22

At 4:24 a.m., officers responded to Schultz Street in reference to a shed that was burning in a residence. Officers first on scene immediately began extinguishing the flames until the Green River Fire Department arrived. Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 10:29 a.m., officers responded to a report of threats or harassment. Officers met with an individual who reported receiving a threatening phone call. Officers completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 11:24 a.m., officers responded to a report of possible drug use on Bridger Drive. Officers located suspected drug paraphernalia and completed a report of the incident.

Oct. 23

At 2:34 a.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with the individuals involved in an altercation. The parties were separated and officers completed a report of the incident. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 9:33 a.m., officers responded to a report of a citizen assist on Knotty Pine Street. Officers met with an individual regarding a trespass warning and completed a report of the incident.

Oct. 24

At 12:01 a.m., officers responded to a report of an individual being locked out of their residence by another individual on Idaho Street. Officers met with the individual and completed a report of the incident.

At 10:48 a.m., officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported one vehicle was traveling southbound on Uinta Drive in the east lane passing through the intersection of Uinta and Barnhart. A second vehicle was traveling southbound on Uinta Drive in the west lane approaching the intersection. As the second vehicle merged into the east lane to initiate a right-hand turn, the front drivers side of the second vehicle struck the front passenger side of the first vehicle. Officers issued the driver of the second vehicle, Bryson Beisner, 31, of Rock Springs, a citation for alleged inattentive driving with a crash.

Officers completed a report of the incident.

At 11:21 a.m., officers responded to a report of shots fired on Wilson Street.

Officers canvassed the area but did not locate any individuals involved and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

At 2:56 p.m., officers responded to a report of vandalism on Bridger Drive. Officers met with an individual who reported the tire on their vehicle had been slashed. Officers observed the damage to the tire and completed a report of the incident.

At 6:55 p.m., officers responded to a report of a hit and run collision on Cumorah Way. It was reported one vehicle had backed into another vehicle, which was parked and unoccupied, then left the area. Officers completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

Oct. 25

At 1:21 a.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious person messing with vehicles on North Riverbend Drive. Officers met with the owner of the vehicle who reported the vehicle had been rummaged through and items were missing. Officers canvassed the area and located a possible suspect. Officers made contact with the individual but did not locate any of the missing items. Officers completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

At 8:54 a.m., officers responded to a report of an emergency school safety drill at Washington Elementary. The drill was completed successfully.

At 1:29 p.m., officers responded to a report of an emergency school safety drill at Truman Elementary. The drill was completed successfully.

At 1:35 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with an individual who reported a physical altercation with a known individual. Officers were unable to locate the individual at the time the incident was reported and completed a report. The GRPD did not release the address officers responded to.

At 7 p.m., officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle on Expedition Island. Officers met with an individual who reported their vehicle missing. The vehicle was later located in Uinta County by a Trooper and the driver was arrested. Officers completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.
Responding to an article by Wyoming Rep. Marshall Burt, there is a need for A Word from the more rational side of the COVID-19 debate. Burt is opposed to the Biden Administrations efforts to battle COVID-19, citing that it is an unconstitutional overreach of power.

Meanwhile, we should remember that this virus, like past ones, laughs at our political arguments. COVID-19 never gets tired, and it might be just beginning. Children are increasingly dying. All COVID-19 requires is an unvaccinated population, and Wyoming freely offers this to the virus. Because COVID-19 wants to live, it wants the exact response Wyoming is providing; Three Percenter tattoos, such as Burt sports, notwithstanding.

Ending a pandemic, now as in the past, takes a cooperative and total societal effort. In this case, with this enemy, what individuals want is irrelevant; COVID-19 couldnt care less about anybodys Freedom or Liberty. How we as responsible, intelligent, and loyal citizens-of-the-nation fight together is what counts.

What President Joe Biden is attempting, like the former president (in his peculiar way), is a defense of the wellbeing of the nations people. This is exclusive of any political agenda. Inexplicably, twenty-four states, mainly rural and conservative, including Wyoming, are suing the administration. What a waste of money. Even the former president encourages taking the totally awesome Donald J. Trump anti-COVID -19 vaccination.

Let us keep in mind that viruses have never cared a jot about our hallowed political documents. On the other hand, our foremost founding father, George Washington himself, during the siege of Boston in 1775 and 76, mandated that his troops be vaccinated against smallpox. The British did not vaccinate. They eventually evacuated 11,000 soldiers and British loyalists, leaving behind a sick and shattered city.

The nations founding documents are, these days, often misinterpreted for sensationalistic and partisan purposes. The Bill of Rights could have more accurately, and more constructively, been called The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. Sometimes the people of a country have got to behave as Citizens of the Nation, and put their partisan differences aside.

We are just the pull of a hair-trigger from civil war. Flags have become rags of anger and threats. On a recent drive from Wyoming to New England, especially along the non-Interstate routes that I prefer, there were flags reading, for example, F--- Biden. Make no mistake about it, violence is in the air.

As of right now, in Sweetwater County, during this pandemic, 79 people have so far died of COVID-19. The real number is probably much higher, but in this region, deaths of shame are often announced as caused by something else.

In Sweetwater County, some 7,393 people have had COVID-19, and many will suffer sever medical issues for the rest of their lives. Memorial Hospital is bursting at the seams. Perhaps if you need to go there, you can be treated in the parking lot, because of unvaccinated sick and selfish people who are worried about their Liberty and Freedom, and putting their Rights ahead of an enemy that doesnt care about such things.

Representative Burt ought to put aside his weird politics and get behind the solution, because, COVID-19 doesnt care.
Dear Editor,

The upcoming tax initiative is a Trojan horse with no accountability.

1. It is a general use tax. The explanation from the county commissioners: up to 75% MAY be used for emergency services; 25% for other projects. Since there is no specific amount or percentage of the collected tax, the commissioners can spent as low as 10% on emergency services. The rest of the tax collected is not adequately defined. What will our hard earned money be spent for? Will it be used to increase the county commissioners salaries? Or what?

2. The need to fund the ambulance and medical emergency services would cost Sweetwater citizens about 1/2 cent tax, not a 1 cent tax. Will the county commissioners please tell us, the voters, what their specific plans are for the extra tax monies?

3 .Green River residents already pay a mill levy on their property taxes to fund Castle Rock Hospital District. If this initiative passes, we Green River residents will be double taxed for the same service.

4. This current 1 cent tax is an open ended tax. The county commissions can vote the tax in permanently at the end of four years. This tax does not need to be voted on by the people of Sweetwater County to become permanent. We might not have any say about the county commissioners voting keep this tax to fund pet projects in the future.

5. Family budgets are stretched thin due to the increase in food, gasoline, heating, electricity, property taxes, school clothes and supplies. Families and retired people do not have extra money to pay in more taxes that could become permanent.

6. The distribution of the tax revenue will be by which city collects the most sales tax. Green River Residents who shop in Rock Springs will enable Rock Springs to collect the lions share of the tax revenue. The outlying towns (i.e. Farson, Granger, Point of Rocks, Wamsutter, and McKinnon) will be locked out of most of the revenues coming from this new sales tax.

7. In the election in November 2022, The County commissioners are planning to ask for another 1 cent tax for roads and bridges. This will be a specific use tax and will be sunsetted. If both taxes pass, we will be paying 7 cent sales tax in our county.

I moved to Sweetwater County in 1975 and voted in favor of the specific use taxes with a sunset clause. I am opposed to this general use tax proposed that is not time limited. Will we be fooled like the people of Troy by this Greek Trojan horse of a tax initiative?

Roseanna March

Green River
The Womans Club of Rock Springs, General Federation of Womans Clubs Wyoming hosted its general meeting Oct. 19 at White Mountain Library in Rock Springs.

The speaker for the meeting was Taneesa Congdon with the Center For Children and Families. She spoke about her organization and the ways they can help individuals who are victims of Domestic Violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the club was appreciative of her timely visit.

The club discussed the Holiday House Raffle that will take place on the Rally Up site again this year. The club has many nice items that have been donated including a mirror, a wine basket, a cabin basket, a Wyoming Cowboys basket, a basket from 307 Hair owner Wendy Kannigater, and a coupon from Ts Barking Boutique, a local dog groomer to name a few. Tickets will be available for purchase online or by purchase from members. The club will also have a bake sale and a craft sale Dec. 4 at the Episcopal Church in Rock Springs, where the winners of the raffle may pick up their items. With COVID-19 continuing to spread, the club did not feel that it could ask someone to sponsor the traditional holiday house in their home.

The club will also host a cleanup on its adopted section of the highway at Exit 107 Nov. 6 at 10 a.m., weather permitting.

Sue Ann McGuire passed out the books to be read at Head Start in Green River and Rock Springs to members who will be reading to the children there. The books will then be donated to the respective Head Start locations. The books include one on feelings and emotions titled In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Christine Rousy, and four books titled Dinos Dont Yell, Dinos Dont Hit, Dinos Dont Bite, and Dinos Dont Push, all by Michael Dahl. Members read the books during Advocates for Children Week, Oct. 24-30.

McGuire has also asked the mayors in both Green River and Rock Springs read a proclamation for Advocates for Children week at the respective council meetings.

Two new members were initiated at this meeting. The club welcomed Wanda Garcia and Susan Arguello. Both members have already stepped up and are assets to the club.

Susan Arguello will be chairman for the Lending Closet as Mary Lou Henderson steps down from this position after many years of dedicated service.

Our Busy Hands Section Nov. 23 at 1 p.m., at 333 Broadway in the upstairs meeting room. They will be working on signing Christmas cards for the military. The club hopes to surpass its record of more than 600 cards from last year.

Literature will meet Nov. 9 at 1 p.m., also at 333 Broadway. Residents are invited to attend and share their love of reading.

The Meeting in October was hosted by Edna Larsen and Sue Arguello. They arranged for Dickies Barbeque to cater a delicious meal and provided banana cream and pecan pies for dessert, as well as Halloween treats. There were a wide variety of giveaways for the drawing including Halloween decorations, a gift card to Walmart and several items brought back by members who attended an international convention in Atlanta.

Other members in attendance included April Dittman, Karla Roich, Brandy Potter, Leslie Jo Gatti, Betty Jean Carter, Marcia Volner, Cindy Moore, Maggie Choate, Vi Gessner, Sue McGuire and Kimberly Kellum.

The November General Meeting will be Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m., at White Mountain Library in the small meeting room. The speaker will be from the soup kitchen and members will be donating needed items to the kitchen.

Contact the club on its website or Facebook page to become a member or just visit to see what it does. The website is gfwcrocksprings.org and the club email is gfwcrocksprins@gamil.com.

The club hopes residents from Green River and Rock Springs take an interest in its activities and joins it.
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GREENWICH  With preparations underway to soon roll-out COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11, the number of new cases reported in the Greenwich Public Schools remains low.

As of Friday, two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the district, which followed five cases reported on Tuesday and four cases reported last Friday, according to the latest update on the districts online tracker. A total of 87 cases have been reported since classes began on Sept. 1.

There are currently eight active cases of COVID-19 in the district, impacting eight schools. There are three actives cases at Parkway, two at North Street and one case each at Central Middle, Eastern Middle and New Lebanon, according to the tracker.

Of the eight active cases, six were attributed to family or outside activity and two were of undetermined origin, according to the district. Those cases affect six students, one service provider and one non-teaching staff member.

The vast majority of the 87 cases reported this school year  71 were among students. A total of 13 families in the school district have seen multiple cases of COVID-19, with 31 cases reported among those families.

The school district updates its online tracker every Tuesday and Friday morning to alert the GPS community about updates on COVID-19. For the 2020-21 school year, a total of 697 cases of COVID-19 were reported districtwide.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration gave approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech to be administered to children ages 5 to 11. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to grant the same go-ahead next week.

In anticipation of the lowering of the age for COVID-19 vaccines, the state said it was planning to order 150,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children. Clinics and doctors office will be preparing to vaccinate the 5- to 11-year-olds.

In the months of September and October, we had 10 total vaccine clinics at GHS and the three middle schools that were done in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, district Director of Communications Jonathan Supranowitz said.

We have told our families that Greenwich Hospital alerted us they will hold vaccination clinics for children ages 5 to 11 in the month of November at the hospital and other locations across their health system, Supranowitz said. The schedule and appointments will be available on their website once the announcement of official approval is made.

Yale New Haven Health System, of which Greenwich Hospital is a part, also said it will soon release a plan for providing the vaccines to children ages 5 to 11. An official there said Greenwich Hospital will be ready as soon as they say Go.

Dana Marnane, vice president of public relations, said the hospital would work with pediatricians to get the vaccines to children when full approval came.

It would make a difference to be able to safely vaccinate the children, Greenwich Hospital President Diane Kelly said Wednesday.

Once more children are vaccinated, they can have a little bit more confidence as they assimilate themselves back into schools and other functions, she said. Having them have the same kind of protection that we all have, I think, is really something to celebrate. And Im very pleased both as a registered nurse and health care executive and as a mother.

Statewide as of Oct. 28, Connecticuts school submission summary of COVID-19 reported 483 cases of COVID-19 among students, teachers and staff in public and private schools during the week of Oct. 21 through Oct. 27.

That is down slightly from the 550 cases reported during the week of Oct. 14 through Oct. 20. The state updates its schools COVID-19 data every Thursday.

Staff Writers Ken Borsuk and Nicholas Rondinone contributed to this story.
GREENWICH  The kids who attend after-school programs at Community Centers Inc. in Greenwich enjoyed a Halloween party, thanks to a group of students from Greenwich High School.

High schoolers from Students Give Back club and the CCI Club helped the younger kids decorate pumpkins and played seasonal games. The older students also hid candy around the rooms for them to find and did facepainting, among the many fun Halloween activities.
Juvenile justice reform has swung to the forefront of the states political stage.

After the death of a 14-year-old Hamden teen this week, Gov. Ned Lamont vowed Thursday to implement support, resources and more stringent consequences for youth crime.

Lamont, James Rovella, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and other officials were joined at a Hartford press conference by the mother and grandmother of William Vasquez, 14, who died this week after he was shot in the head.

While the family members did not speak during the press conference, Lamont said the teens mother told him she wished the system wouldve been just a little bit stricter on her child, including a GPS ankle monitor and harsher probation conditions.

Lamont stressed the importance of wraparound and support services for families in need.

That wouldve given this kid a better chance to be alive today, Lamont said. Were going to do everything we can to keep young men like this alive.

State police on Thursday announced they are assisting with the investigation, but have not released any information about the circumstances of Vazquezs death, including the location where he was shot aside from saying it occurred in their jurisdiction.

In 2020, police arrested 3,829 people under the age of 18 in Connecticut. Some 74 juveniles were charged with carrying or possessing weapons, 94 were accused of aggravated assault, 10 were charged with murder or nonnegotiable manslaughter, 762 were arrested for other types of assaults and 245 were accused of motor vehicle theft, according to crime data from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

Andrew Woods, executive director of Hartford Communities that Care, and Jacquelyn Santiago, CEO of Compass Youth Collaborative, pleaded for the governor to make necessary investments.

It's about exposing them to what's right, Santiago said. It's about teaching them the right path, giving them resources, giving them mentors that help them to make the right choices. And we have to make those investments.

There's no coincidence that this is happening in our poorest communities, affecting our Black and brown men of color, Santiago continued. We need to do better because our lives depend on it.

Republican state lawmakers proposed a criminal justice reform package earlier this year that included efforts to reduce recidivism and increase social-service spending.

The proposals also included more rules that allow juvenile cases to be transferred to adult court, mandatory GPS monitoring for juveniles arrested for violent crimes if they are awaiting trial on previous charges and next-day arraignments for juveniles.

Republicans in the state Senate proposed the package earlier this month, while the states House of Representatives failed to persuade majority Democrats to convene a special session.

"The governor can no longer turn a blind eye to the rise in violent crime and the outcry from communities across our state for both justice reforms and support for our kids, said Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford.

We encourage him to read our plan for a safer Connecticut and call a special session so that we can immediately work together to implement a real, multi-pronged approach to stop and prevent crime.

Waterbury Mayor Neil OLeary said the town has seen an inordinate amount of juvenile crime since 2018 that has escalated during the pandemic. The amount of stolen cars has been alarming, and about 20 Waterbury juveniles are responsible for most of the crime in the city, OLeary said.

The juvenile justice system needs tweaking, OLeary said. For most juvenile offenders, the system works well, but the other 10 percent are considered high-risk and are involved in stolen cars, shootings and robberies.

Its the high risk 10 percent that were having such a difficult time with, he said.

Rovella said there are about 100 to 200 youth in the state who need be slowed down in life.

Some of these kids become crime waves to municipalities to different areas around the state, Rovella said. We need to save their lives. ... We need to make sure they have the wraparound services, they need to know that we do not want to put them in jail, but we need to slow them down.

The state has seen a recent reduction of auto thefts, but we still need to do more, Rovella said.

Multiple agencies and community organizations also developed a school-based, anti-gun violence program called Fed-Up: Working Together for a Safer Community.

The program launched in September in Bridgeport and has reached more than 500 students. The program involves a presentation to sixth through 10th-grade students that includes gun violence statistics, information from hospital representatives on the trauma room and victims experiences, as well as anecdotes from a parent or relative of someone who has died from gun violence and a formerly incarcerated person.

So far in 2021, 87 people have been reported shot in Bridgeport, data shows. Bridgeport has seen double the amount of shots-fired incidents so far this year compared to all of 2020. As of Oct. 7, there were 10,355 shots-fired incidents in Bridgeport, while there were 5,094 recorded in all of 2020, according to information from the Fed-Up presentation.

Additional presentations are scheduled in Bridgeport the rest of the school year. The program will soon be available to schools in Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury.

liz.hardaway@hearst.com
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP)  A judge had denied a defense request to move away from Maui the trial of a man charged with murder in the disappearance of his girlfriend.

Jury selection for Bernard Brown's trial is now set to begin next month, The Maui News reported.

Brown, 50, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder of Moreira Mo Monsalve, who was last seen the night of Jan. 12, 2014, at his apartment at Iao Parkside in Wailuku.

In asking for the trial to be moved, defense attorney Gerald Johnson cited the need to prevent jury contamination, given publicity generated during the search for Monsalve on Maui.

Were very concerned, Johnson said Wednesday. Although the publicity has not been terrible lately, when it comes to trial, we expect publicity will be extensive. And we dont believe Mr. Brown could get a fair trial here on Maui.

Second Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill said there was no basis to move the trial at this point.

He said there has been some pretrial publicity and the motion to move the trial also would generate some. But he said such issues could be addressed through questioning of potential jurors and by issuing "continuous cautionary instructions to jurors.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  About 70 soldiers from a Nevada Army Guard cavalry unit will deploy in November for a nine-month assignment supporting the U.S. military security presence in Kuwait, Guard officials said Thursday.

A deployment ceremony was being planned Tuesday at the Clark County Armory in northeast Las Vegas to mark the departure in coming weeks of Delta Company, 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry.
LONDON (AP)  Protesters took to the streets Friday in London's historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

The protests in London, which were joined by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as well as many other young campaigners from around the world, are part of a global day of action before leaders head to Glasgow for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Many environmentalists are calling the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 gathering the worlds last best chance to turn the tide in the battle against climate change.

The protesters included Friday for Future activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, who called out the banks for financing activities such as deforestation, mining and polluting industries, which they blame for the destruction of their homes and their futures.

As much as we are passionate to be here, we shouldnt have to be here," said Brianna Fruean from Samoa. "Our pain, our suffering, our tears and our sorrows shouldnt be what it takes to take action. We already know what we need to do: we need to phase out of the fossil fuel era, we need to divest from these industries that are causing this harm and despair.

The mood music ahead of the climate talks appears fairly downbeat, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the summits host, saying its touch and go whether there will be a positive outcome.

On Friday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned at the Group of 20 summit of leading industrial and developing nations that there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver. He said that despite updated climate targets by many countries, the world is still careening towards climate catastrophe.

The protest in London began at the Climate Justice Memorial outside the insurance marketplace of Lloyd's of London, where red flowers spelling out Rise Remember Resist were laid.

The focus later centered on the headquarters of international bank Standard Chartered, where the few dozen protesters, including Thunberg, chanted Keep it, Keep it, Keep it in the ground! and Ensure our future, not pollution!" A vigil outside the Bank of England will round out the day's protests.

We have companies like Standard Chartered who are funding our death, said Collette Levy-Brown, a climate activist from Botswana. People are slowly dying. In Africa, we are seeing the climate crisis already.

Across the world, demonstrators have been taking to the streets to urge action now, including in coal-reliant Poland, where city sirens sounded at noon in Warsaw and other major cities. Poland's conservative government has been slow to embrace new climate goals, arguing that the country needs more time to phase out its heavy dependence on coal.

The summit in Glasgow is taking place a year late because of the coronavirus pandemic. Six years ago in Paris, nearly 200 countries agreed to individual plans to fight global warming. Under the Paris pact, nations must revisit their previous pledges to curb carbon pollution every five years and then announce plans to cut even more and do it faster.

The headline goal set in Paris was to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times, yet the world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

The hope is that world leaders will cajole each other in Glasgow into doing more, while ensuring that poorer nations struggling to tackle climate change get the financial support they need to adapt.

The U.N.'s Guterres said, however, there are serious questions about some of those emissions pledges and noted that collectively they wont be enough to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.

___

David Keyton in London, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw and Karl Ritter in Rome contributed to this story.

___

Read more of APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate
LONDON (AP)  Britain said Thursday it would summon the French ambassador for a dressing-down, the latest move in a worsening dispute over fishing licenses that has stoked tensions following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

After French authorities fined two British fishing vessels and kept one in port overnight, Britain warned it would it retaliate if French officials followed through on threats to block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on U.K. vessels unless French vessels get more permits to fish in U.K. waters. France also suggested it might restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands, British Crown dependencies that lie off the coast of France.

We believe these are disappointing and disproportionate, and not what wed expect from a close ally and partner, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told lawmakers, as Britain accused France of raising tensions.

Eustice said the threatened measures do not appear to be compatible with the Brexit divorce deal agreed by Britain and the EU or wider international law, and if carried through will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response.

The reference to international law is sure to irk French officials, since EU nations have accused the U.K. of threatening to break the legally binding Brexit agreement it signed with the bloc setting out the conditions of its departure.

The U.K. government said Frances ambassador, Catherine Colonna, would be summoned to the Foreign Office, in an official sign of displeasure.

We regret the confrontational language that has been consistently used by the French government on this issue, which makes this situation no easier to resolve, the British government said in a statement.

Since the U.K. left the economic orbit of the EU in January, relations between London and Paris have become increasingly frayed as the nations on either side of the English Channel sort out a post-Brexit path.

France vehemently protested the decision last month by the U.K. and the Channel Island of Jersey to refuse dozens of French fishing boats licenses to operate in their territorial waters. Dozens of other licenses were granted. France says the restrictions are contrary to the post-Brexit agreement that Britain signed when it left the EU.

After weeks of negotiations, British authorities have issued more fishing licenses, but the number still only accounts for 50% of what France believes it is entitled to, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Wednesday.

We have worked with the British, we gave them all the requested data, documents, information to back these (license) requests, Attal said. Our patience has reached its limits.

Britain disputes that. The government says it has granted 98% of fishing license applications from European vessels, but there is a dispute over 31 boats that the U.K. says did not supply evidence to support their applications.

It was against this backdrop that French authorities fined the two British boats, one for failing to comply with checks by police and the other for not holding a proper license. The French Sea Ministry said the fines resulted from bolstered boating and license checks.

"We have been extremely patient ... our fishermen have been extremely responsible, Frances Europe minister, Clement Beaune, told French TV news channel CNews. And so, from Nov. 2, its over. We will engage in dialogue if the British want to, but we are taking retaliatory measures.

As part of the retaliatory measures, France doesnt exclude actions that would target energy supplies to Britain, Beaune and French Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin said in a joint statement. Attal said the threat applied to the Channel Islands, which rely heavily on French electricity.

To be very frank, Im not happy about these measures, Beaune later said at an event organized by the European Policy Center think tank. We have to defend a very clear specific interest  fisheries  because its important and there is no reason why we should sacrifice it.

Either we increase (the retaliation) if the situation deteriorates, or we withdraw if the situation improves, its as simple as that, he added.

Jersey, which is only 14 miles (22 kilometers) off the French coast, is a British Crown dependency outside of the U.K and can decide who is allowed to fish in its territorial waters. It has granted licenses based on its interpretation of the U.K.-EU trade deal and has accused France of acting disproportionately.

Barrie Deas, from the U.K.'s National Federation of Fishermens Organizations, called the tit-for-tat actions unhelpful.

It may be normal enforcement action, but against the background of the threatening noises coming from the French government, its very concerning, Deas told the BBC. France seems determined to escalate this issue about licenses, and I suppose we have to wonder why.

___

Adamson reported from Paris. Samuel Petrequin contributed to this story from Brussels.

___

Follow AP's coverage of Brexit at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit
Honor is now a Top 3 smartphone manufacturer in China, Canalys revealed in its latest report. According to the research agency's data for Q3, the newly independent company brought over Huawei users, and managed to ship 25% more phones than it did before it was separated. The top two spots remain occupied by vivo and Oppo, but the former Huawei sidekick is now closer than ever to their spots.

Q3 '21 shipments

(in million) Q3 '21

Market share Q3 '20 shipments

(in million) Q3 '20

Market share Annual change vivo 18.3 23% 15.3 18% 19% Oppo 16.5 21% 13.9 17% 19% Honor 14.2 18% 11.3 14% 25% Xiaomi 10.9 14% 10.5 13% 4% Apple 8.3 11% 5.1 6% 62% Others 10.7 14% 26.9 32% -60% Total 78.8 100% 83.0 100% -5%

Apple was the biggest gainer in Q3 compared to last year with the relatively unchanged prices of the iPhone 13 series boosting both its net shipments and its marker share. One of every nine phones, sold between June and September, is an iPhone.

The market as a whole declined though with makers outside the big 5 losing more than half of their shipments compared to the same period of last year. The total sales amounted to 78.8 million, down 5% YoY.

Expectations for the Chinese market going forward are not great, Canalys says. Companies are plagued by chipset shortages, as well as other supply chain issues, so it would be really hard to carve out additional volume and revenue from an already saturated market.

Source
South Korean owners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are now able to sign up for the One UI 4 Beta program. Just two days after announcing its plans, Samsung has now opened registrations for its One UI 4 beta to owners of its latest foldables. Those willing to try out the beta will have to sign up via the Samsung Members app with their corresponding Samsung account.

Entering the One UI 4 beta should happen when the user selects the banner in the Samsung Members app. Both carrier locked and unlocked versions of the two foldables are eligible though for some reason it appears that Thom Browne versions are not yet supported. Its expected that Samsung will expand the One UI 4 beta to Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 owners in other regions in the coming weeks.

Source (in Korean) | Via
Sony's latest earning report is out for Fiscal Q2 2021 for three months ending on September 30 and the balance sheet shows a significant boost in sales revenue in its Mobile Communications division(includes smartphones and internet-related service business) for the quarter.

This is a 25% increase over the same quarter last year. Sony's Mobile division earned JPY 99.1 billion (~$872.6 million) in Q2 2021 compared to JPY 79.1 billion (~$ 696.8 million). Sony reports that the increase in this division is due to "Increase in unit sales".

Sony Xperia Pro-I and Xperia Pro

Sony's Music and Film divisions have seen increases as well, with Sony's Music division seeing an overall increase of 29.4% from JPY 402.2 billion (~$3.5 billion) in Q2 2020 to JPY 520.8 billion (~$4.6 billion) in the latest fiscal quarter. Sony's overall film and TV division saw 28.9% increase YoY from JPY 360.6 billion (~$3.2 billion) in 2020 to JPY 464.9 billion (~$4.1 billion) in the same quarter in 2021.

Sony's smartphone strategy has changed over the last couple of years, with more emphasis on premium midrange and higher-end premium smartphone offerings. The latest "prosumer" release of the Sony Xperia Pro-I is evidence of this and it looks like Sony's relevance in the smartphone industry is bouncing back with its advances in computational photography.

Source
Ho ho ho, its cookie time! Yes, I know its October, but no time like the now time to start thinking about holiday baking.

The next few months are my favorite time of year because of the happy, wonderful memories of Christmas on Guahan. Its also when the world slows down to my islanders pace.

I always start my Christmas planning early because of all the boxes that need to be packed and shipped. Homemade gifts from my kitchen have ranged from cookies to jam to a candy reminiscent of Almond Roca.

Ive found some of the best cookies to make and ship are our very own roskette, guyuria, and CHamoru cookies because they hold up well when boxes take forever to get across the ocean.

Chuckle all you want, but I do send these cookies home to Guahan too  they are just so good.

Roskette

or do you spell it rosketti, roskete, rosketi, rosquette, or rosquete? This crumbly cookie made with corn starch is one of many examples of how our food heritage ties us to the world.

The Spanish root word is rosca or rosco, meaning ring or round, and there is also rosquilla, rosquillo and rosquito.

Why did CHamorus settle on the sound ros-ke-tee? If we follow the language conversion of replacing the letter q with the letter k, we can see that roskette probably originated from the word rosquette or rosquete.

Indeed, an old Guahan cookbook from 1954 does have a recipe for rosquette while subsequent Guahan cookbooks use a spelling variation of roskette noted above.

For CHamorus, roskette is a very specific corn starch-texture cookie while in many Spanish-speaking countries rosquete can refer to ringed cookies, doughnuts, biscuits, and breads.

Interesting to note that there is an Iloilo Filipino rosquettes but its made with rice and is a round cookie as opposed to a ring cookie.

Though CHamorus have been shaping roskette in a variety of ways over the last several decades, one thing is for sure, there is a distinct characteristic to CHamoru roskette  that its crumbly, there is a subtle corn starch flavor, and it goes down thick.

Whether its shaped in a ring, pretzel, coil, round, log or cookie-cutter Guahan seal, be sure to have a large cup of kafe or a tall glass of water nearby because youll need it to prevent choking  for reals.

Corn starch in a box wasnt a thing until the mid-1800s, a couple hundred years into Spanish rule on Guahan.

Im guessing that maybe there were a few versions of Spanish ringed desserts on our island called rosquette by the Spaniards  then when the box of corn starch became available, there was a cookie recipe on the back of the box using corn starch? And CHamorus kinda stuck with calling the cookies roskette?

Roskette is my favorite Guahan cookie because it transports me back home  across time and space to the island during my childhood. Few foods can do that for me  bonelos aga, apigige.

What foods take you back? I remember making roskette with my bestie, Mel Quintanilla Treltas, and they were soooooo thick. Good thing we didnt choke on them while babysitting.

Guyuria

My gosh, I grew up as a kid helping my mom, Maureen A. C. Lujan, make guyuria or guw-dzu-ree-ya.

Wed fill brown paper bags with guyuria for school. Wed visit family in California and make guyuria.

It was my Grandma Nieves Oroso Lujan Cabes recipe, and the same recipe in my cookbook, A Taste of Guam.

Grandmas recipe was a much better recipe than the traditional flour and coconut milk version. Grandma added a bit of butter, which gave the guyuria its much needed crunchy texture as opposed to its jawbreaker-break-your-teeth hardness.

But where did guyuria come from? Or do you spell it guguria? Ive never heard it pronounced guw-guw-ree-ya.

I always thought we were special on Guahan with our guyuria because it was a cool cookie you know, shaped like a shell, made with coconut milk, fried but not oily. I mean, we were islanders with seashell cookies.

Imagine my surprise as an adult when I found the same shell-looking cookies in Indian cuisine  called different names like kulkuls and kidiyo.

I even discovered there is the Filipino golloria, gorgorya, and gurguria  except these cookies included eggs and baking powder.

Theres a place called Guyuria in Spain, and Gurguria in West Bengal, India. If we looked back at the migration of peoples through when our ancient CHamorus settled Guahan, its possible that they brought their knowledge out of India, into Southeast Asia, and across to Guahan.

But well never really know. I wish I did. Could I possibly go back in time and find out? Eh, only in a make-believe story.

Nan Chongs CHamoru Cookies

CHamoru cookies. Do you know? If its not roskette or guyuria, what is it?

I dont remember this from my 5-year-old days, but I remember as a young adult. It doesnt go down thick like roskette because CHamoru cookies arent made with corn starch.

Its generally baked as a large, round cookie, and has a firm, fatty texture  from the lard or shortening.

In the olden days, according to a CHamoru reader on Facebook, CHamoru cookies not shaped into a ring would have been called gayetas, or ga-dze-tas.

Have you ever heard any CHamoru cookie referred to as gayeta? Its the CHamoru version of the Spanish galleta, meaning cookie, cracker, or biscuit.

Though roskette is my fave for snacking, CHamoru cookies are the best for dipping into hot coffee. There is just something about the texture of the cookie and how it softens with kafe.

These are addictive. I mean, make sure the container isnt in front of you and your cup of joe, or youll end up eating them all.

To store and pack

All three of these cookies hold up well in air-tight freezer bags for months. When I send as gifts, I spend a few days baking or frying all the cookies.

Once they are done and cooled, I store them in two layers of Ziploc freezer bags and keep in a cool, dry place. After the last batch is finished, I spend another day bagging the cookies as described below.

Finally, I pack the boxes, label, and ship.

My roskette recipe is below. The recipes for guyuria and Nan Chongs Chamorro cookies are at PaulaQ.com under the tab A Taste of Guam.

Roskette

Ingredients

Set 1

2 cups all-purpose flour

16 ounces corn starch

1 teaspoon baking powder

Set 2

1  cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 large whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Set 3

1 cup heavy cream

Tools

medium bowl

large bowl

electric beater

non-stick baking paper

2 cookies sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with baking paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla then beat till well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and combine with one hand.

Pour  cup of cream into the mixture to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add remaining cream only if the dough is dry.

Shape into rings, coils, or pretzels. Place on cookie sheets.

If pressing with a fork, roll into 1-inch balls or smaller. Dip tines of fork into flour then press crisscross design on each ball of dough. Fill each cookie sheet with one design so the cookies bake evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes till edges are brown, or until the cookies are as dark as you want them to be. If they are browned all the way through, they are quite delish!
Guam could be extended full access to Supplemental Security Income benefits and permanently improved Medicaid rates, with new language added to the reconciliation bill in the U.S. Congress, Del. Mike San Nicolas said Friday.

Along with the programs, the island will also retain most of the funding outlined for it in the bill, including about $345 million for a new hospital, San Nicolas said, despite the price tag of the once $3.5 trillion social spending package being slashed in half.

While the bill still has to be passed by both the House and the Senate, and faces some political uncertainty, were pretty certain that the items that are in the package at this time are likely going to be retained, San Nicolas said.

Supplemental Security Income benefits provide up to $794 monthly for elderly, low-income and disabled residents, but are denied to Guam and some of the other territories.

Arguments over the denial of access are going all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a case will be argued Nov. 9.

San Nicolas Thursday said the island would get permanent access to the program, should the bill pass.

The cap on Medicaid funding provided to Guam, and unequal federal to local dollar matching rates on Medicaid compared to the states, have led to delays in payments for Guam Memorial Hospital and local health care providers, and can limit access to care for local Medicaid recipients.

Guam was granted a temporarily improved rate and higher cap in the previous two fiscal years, but that is set to expire on Dec. 1 in what some have called a Medicaid Cliff.

The package would make the improved rate and higher cap permanent.

A number of factors led to the additions, including the SSI Supreme Court case, advocacy from officials in Puerto Rico, and collaboration between territorial representatives and leadership in Congress, San Nicolas said.

But by the grace of God, all those pieces, somehow, someway came together to have ... that very critical piece of language for so many in our community, he said.

Guam will also retain access to one of the bigger projects in the reconciliation bill, which aims to provide increased access to childcare for families.

It will limit childcare costs for families to no more than 7% of income for families earning up to 250% of state median income, San Nicolas said, with a median income of around $40,000 for Guam.

Any spending for childcare beyond that 7% will be subsidized by federal funds.

The bill also expands universal preschool for all 3 and 4 year olds, will expand access to free high-quality preschool, he said, with funding provided to Guam for six years.

Local students who want to attend colleges stateside will have their tuition subsidized for all costs beyond the in-state tuition for the University of Guam and Guam Community College, as well.

As for the money for the hospital, the delegate hoped that it could free up more American Rescue Plan money.

Were hoping that by providing this $345 million federally, that $300 million that the governor has been setting aside (for the hospital) could then be reprogrammed into actually funding more COVID relief for our people, he said, especially workforce development and tourism recovery.

Heres what else Guam stands to gain if the reconciliation bill passes:

An estimated $150 million for school infrastructure.

A combined $55.8 million that will be eligible for low income housing projects.

Access to a $3.5 billion pool to fund housing for senior citizens and people with disabilities

$70 million in community development block grants.

Increased highway funding, from $17 million to $45 million.

The only casualty in the slashed reconciliation package was $20 million that was meant to be used for bus stops on island. However a pool of money to provide grants will still be available in President Joe Bidens infrastructure bill, and should be able to provide money for the 150 electric buses that the Guam Regional Transit Authority plans to apply for.

Voting on the final language in the Congressional Rules Committee will take place next week.
A former airport police officer filed a complaint with the Civil Service Commission early this year, after he allegedly saw a steep reduction in pay and a demotion when he developed a disability.

John V. Santiago, now a clerk with the Guam International Airport Authority, requested that an investigation be conducted. Santiago was hired by the Guam International Airport Authority in 1991, and was employed as an airport police officer II in the first quarter of 2020, airport staffing patterns show. When his position changed to a clerk III in the second quarter of 2020, his combined salary and benefits were reduced by nearly $40,000.

He developed a disability that left him unable to perform his duties and was reassigned, commission records state. Airport Authority Personnel Rules and Regulations state that where an employee is transferred to another position because of a disability unrelated to work, the employee shall be compensated at the lowest sub-step of the implementation range of the lower graded position, according to Civil Service Commission records.

At a hearing held on June 4, commission personnel analyst Maria Masnayon read the investigation report, and her recommendation concluded that the personnel action was correct and lawful. However, Civil Service Commission Chairman Juan K. Calvo stated that the airport rule violated the Americans with Disabilities Act because it discriminated against employees with disabilities.

On June 4, the commission voted 5 to 1 to issue a preliminary null and void of Santiagos demotion and ordered the airport to place him on the pay step closest to, but no higher than what Santiago had prior to the demotion. But at a follow-up hearing on July 8, commissioners came up one vote short of the four needed to null and void the demotion, and it was sustained in the commission judgment.

Santiago appeared before the Civil Service Commission again on Thursday to have them reconsider the judgment, and was without legal representation. The attorney representing him at previous hearings, John Bell, was arrested and charged with terrorizing three women in August.

Attorney William Brennan, who was representing the airport authority on Thursday, asked for more time to respond in writing. The airport authority was served the motion on Oct. 21, he said. The commission approved an extension until Nov. 9.
A year after he disappeared, Michael Castros remains were believed to have been found in Yigo this week, finally answering some of his mothers questions.

The past year has definitely been rough because nobody really knew where Michael was, said his mother, Melanie Guerrero.

I was so relieved when I got that call that there might be a break in the case, Guerrero said. I was sad but also I knew at this point, something had already happened to Michael.

After all this time to get that news, I just felt a big relief because for a mother to wonder where her son is and then knowing something bad did happen to him is the worst kind of feeling, Guerrero said. Its been the worst kind of nightmare and I would never wish any parent to go through such a horrifying experience.

Two remains

This past week, the Guam Police Department recovered what they believe to be the remains of Castro and Adam Messier, who was reported missing in 2017.

Guerrero said she was happy for the Messier family that they found him and they found who may be responsible.

She said the fact that police have been able to find the men makes the community feel more confident in their ability to solve crimes.

It sends a good message to the community, Guerrero said. The way its being described, Michaels death was a brutal killing and people should think twice about doing such a thing to another human being.
The COVID-19 death toll now stands at 238.

The Joint Information Center reported three more virus-related fatalities Oct. 29.

236th death: A 68-year-old unvaccinated woman with underlying health conditions died at Guam Regional Medical City Oct. 14. She tested positive Sept. 24.

237th death: A 64-year-old partially vaccinated man who tested positive on Oct. 10 died at GRMC Oct. 28.

238th death: A 57-year-old unvaccinated man who tested positive Oct. 10 died at GRMC Oct. 28.

This pandemic continues to test us, and losing more loved ones to this virus reminds us that we must continue to fight back and protect ourselves and our loved ones from infection, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a news release. Lets honor the lives and legacies of all those lost to this disease by staying our course, getting vaccinated and doing everything we can to reduce our risk of exposure.

The governor signed Executive Order No. 2021-17, extending the public health emergency due to COVID-19 to Nov. 29, 2021.

New cases

There were 111 new cases of COVID-19 out of 889 tests performed Oct. 28, the Department of Public Health and Social Services reported.

Of those, 40 cases were identified through contact tracing.

Guam has had 18,151 officially reported cases of the virus and 2,220 cases are in active isolation.

The CAR Score is 18.8.

Hospitalizations

There were 57 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Oct. 28.

Of those, 34 were at Guam Memorial Hospital, with five in the ICU and five on ventilators. There were 22 people hospitalized at Guam Regional Medical City. Naval Hospital Guam had one hospitalized. The patient was in the ICU and on a ventilator.

Of the 57 people hospitalized, 30 werent vaccinated.

Catholic schools

Catholic schools reported 10 new positive cases of COVID-19 Oct. 22-29: nine students and employee, according to a news release from the Archdiocese of Agana.

Saint Francis reported three students tested positive for the virus. Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School and Santa Barbara Catholic School each have two positive students. The Academy of Our Lady of Guam and Dominican Child Development Center each reported one.

The employee is from Mercy Heights Catholic Nursery and Kindergarten.

School administrators informed the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Archdiocese of Agana Liaison for COVID-19, the release stated, and are working with Public Health on contact tracing.

Parents and school communities have been informed. Individuals deemed close contacts are being identified and schools are helping coordinate testing.
The artwork of University of Guam Master of Science in Biology student Constance Sartor will be touring the country as part of the Artist at Sea Traveling Exhibit, according to a news release from the university.

Sartor spent 34 days onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institutes research vessel Falkor, with 39 researchers and crew members as part of the institutes Artist at Sea program.

She was aboard the vessel as it traveled to the Phoenix Islands archipelago, a group of coral atolls in Kiribati from June 5 to July 9.

The program puts artists side-by-side with marine scientists during a research expedition in an effort to allow their ideas to bridge the research being done with the rest of the world, according to the release.

Her collages and blog about her experience can be found on the Schmidt Ocean Institutes artists page.

Since all corals, deep and shallow, are vulnerable to human impacts, cruises like this are necessary to help understand and protect our deep-sea ecosystems, Sartor wrote in her blog.

During the expedition, the remote operated vehicle SuBastian descended as far as 2,000 meters to collect deep-sea organisms.

Sartor worked with the scientists to photograph and measure the samples collected by the vehicle.

When youre in a shallow reef, theres so much diversity like fish and corals, but when you get down where theres no light, everything is kind of like a desert, Sartor said. It takes a while to find a tiny coral. There are not many fish, so its like a treasure hunt. Its surprising when you find something cool.

In preparation for the voyage, Sartor brought more than 50 magazines with her to create upcycled collages based on the photos of the samples, according to the release.
Our View: When COVID-19 vaccine for children available, get your kids the shot




Haiti - FLASH : The office of investigating judge Garry Orelien burgled





On the night from October 27 to 28, 2021, the office of investigating magistrate Garry Orelien in charge of the file on the assassination of President Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34567-haiti-flash-new-investigating-judge-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html , the registry of his office and the office of the Chief Registrar of the Court of First Instance (TPI) of Port-au-Prince were robbed by unidentified individuals who broke into the premises.



Garry Orelien, who made an inventory of materials and documents, refrained from any comment. However, a forensic source informs that the unknowns tried to break into the Cabinet safe...



For his part, Me. Bernard Sainvil, the Dean of the TPI, affirms that according to a first rapid inventory, it seems that no sensitive file has disappeared. However, only a detailed inventory of all the documents in this case can confirm the absence or not of documents in the file.



Note that security had been reinforced after the burglary on the night of October 19 to 20, 2021 of the office of the examining magistrate in charge of the file of the assassination of Me Monferrier Dorval https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31661-icihaiti-pelerin-5-assassination-of-the-president-of-the-bar-of-port-au-prince.html where the thieves had taken several important documents of the investigation.



The Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) has opened an investigation.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34764-haiti-flash-resignation-of-the-examining-magistrate-in-charge-of-the-case-of-the-assassination-of-me-monferrier-dorval.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34567-haiti-flash-new-investigating-judge-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34477-haiti-flash-investigating-judge-mathieu-chanlatte-withdraws-from-the-file-on-the-assassination-of-president-jovenel-moise.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31661-icihaiti-pelerin-5-assassination-of-the-president-of-the-bar-of-port-au-prince.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Fuel : Address to the P.M. Nation

On Thursday, a.i. Prime Minister Ariel Henry yesterday in an address to the Nation said "I want everyone to know that the country has no shortage of fuels. The Government is making a lot of efforts to ensure that all the tanks have enough gasoline and as we know that the demand will increase, when the delivery starts again, several more orders have already been placed and there are boats waiting to be unloaded.".



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35110-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35103-haiti-flash-the-usa-will-intervene-in-the-delivery-of-fuel-in-haiti.html



La Providence hospital in Gonaives almost closed

Due to the fuel problem, the largest hospital in the Artibonite department, La Providence hospital in Gonaives, has closed certain important services. There remains only the emergency which functions in a very limited way. Oxygen is running out for lack of energy, as the hospital cannot operate its oxygen generator. The lives of several patients with Covid-19 are in great danger...



Over 782 kidnappings against ransom

According to the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) based in Port-au-Prince, gangs have committed more than 782 kidnappings for ransom since the start of 2021.



USA : Repatriations continue

The United States continues to repatriate to Haiti. The flight of Thursday, October 28, which carried 53 Haitians including 13 children in an irregular migratory situation, brings to 78 the number of deportation flights since September 19, 2021.



Cocoa from Haiti at the Salon du Chocolat (Paris)

The Cacao from Haiti is present at the 26th edition of the Salon du Chocolat which is held in Paris from October 28 to November 1, 2021. Stand C20. Pavilion 4 of Paris Expo (Porte de Versailles) located 1 Place de la Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris.



Consulate closures

The Consulates of Haiti in Miami and Guadeloupe inform the public in general and their respective Haitian community in particular that they will be closed on Monday November 1 and Tuesday November 2, 2021 on the occasion of "All Saints" and "Day of the Dead". These Consulates will reopen as usual to the public on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2021/10/29 | Source

Korean dramas starting today 2021/10/29 in Korea: "Moebius Project 2012: The Veil" and "Crime Puzzle"

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"Crime Puzzle" (2021)

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Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm round of applause as we officially welcome into the human species, and perhaps an election near you, the 80-some hippopotamuses affectionately known as the cocaine hippos, and if you are confused, just wait until the end, where I make none of this clear.

For those who havent heard or read in the news about these hippos and their legal case, the recap of the situation is that in the 1980s four hippos were illegally imported to Colombia by Pablo Escobar. Yes, that Pablo Escobar, the King of Cocaine who set the gold standard for drug cartels in the 80s by building what in todays dollars would be a $64 billion cocaine trafficking industry that very much included the United States.

After Escobar died not-peacefully in 1993, his property was seized by the Colombian authorities who, presumably, felt they had more pressing matters to worry about than five tons worth of hippos.

They thrived  thrived beyond all expectations.

With their numbers now upwards of 80, the people of the area who live in fear of the hippos, which can be aggressive and surprisingly fast and stealthy; the local ag producers, whose livelihood has been eaten or destroyed, and the government officials have had enough. They are working to curb this invasive species.

But the hippos have supporters. Entrepreneurs have capitalized on guided hippo-viewing tours and a handful of environmentalist say the hippos are good for the natural ecosystem because they reintroduce a type of omnivore that has been extinct from the area for 12,000 to 116,000 years.

Presumably, these people have not watched any movies from the Jurassic Park franchise, which advise a solid No on reintroduction of extinct species.

Anyhow, animal rights lawyers in Colombia have been working to save the hippos from elimination, especially after attempts to castrate the males in the hippo population proved to cost about $5,000 each. Folks from the Animal Legal Defense Fund in the U.S. got involved in the fight recommending that the hippos be allowed to live their 40- to 50-year life span in peace by curbing populations growth with hippo contraceptives.

However, and I dont quite understand this part, the hippos had to be officially recognized as people in order for ALDF to bring in their witnesses. Oct. 15, a federal judge finally waved his magic gavel and declared the hippos real people.

And just like that, the U.S. has what many are touting as the first non-humans to be legally declared people in the U.S.

On that very same day, the Colombian government issued a statement that said, Whatever. We gave up on the idea of killing the hippos a while back and have been administering the contraceptive GonaCon to the herd. To which ALDF replied, Oh, um. Well we recommended the contraceptive PZP, so were still going to keep an eye on you.

How the hippos can be both legally people and forced to take contraceptives must be an issue for another day in court.

For now, alls well that ends well for the cocaine hippos, but now that we officially have Hippo sapiens  or is it Homo amphibiens  I think the real thing to watch out for in our current political and cultural environment is whats going to happen in the U.S.

I see outrage from the folks who are troubled by otherness. If they think little Jimmy from next door growing up to wear dresses is an affront, just wait until the new neighbors start moving in with their four legs and gray skin. The first time neighborhood greenery goes missing, you know whos going to get blamed.

Next thing you know, these hippos are going to want equal pay, their own bathrooms and the right to vote. That right there is going to lead to their own political party. Taking a cue from the RINO Republican in Name Only folks, theyll call themselves HIPPOs  Human if Politically Practical Only.

Theyll start by taking over American politics beginning with the local town council. Then one day one of them will run for the highest office in the land, bite a reporter on Election Day eve and still get voted into office. The first thing itll do is sign an executive order declaring all waterways and swimming pools the sovereign nation of their hippopotami brethren.

Seriously, though, Ill bet a fiver that says some animal rights organization is going to be using this animals-are-humans defense in the near future. This column is constrained by its written-word format so youre all going to have to perform your own physical comedy by turning your head and coughing PETA into the crook of your elbow.

One day well be watching a reality TV series featuring the naturalization ceremony of the first porcine American.



Thanks to the cocaine hippos, we are just a stones throw away from giving our all-but human corporations the right to vote for the candidates they paid for at http://www.facebook.viewfromthenorth40 .
On Oct. 26, the Hazard-Perry County Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting and presented the 2021 Business Appreciation awards on behalf of themselves, the city of Hazard and Perry County. During the meeting, several local businesses and individuals were recognized.

Winners for the Hazard-Perry County Chamber awards (member category) included: Best Service Business Award for more than 10 employees (TVS Cable); Best Service Business Award for 10 employees or less (Suzanne Deaton Photography); Best Retail Member (McDonald's of Hazard); Best Non-Profit Award (Housing Development Alliance); Best Healthcare Service (Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky); Best Established Business (WSGS); and Best New Member (Hazard Coffee Company).

Winners for the Hazard-Perry County Chamber awards (non-member category) included: Best Retail Business (Envasion Gaming, and Oak and Willow Boutique); and Best Civic Organization/Non Profit (Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and the Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter).

Winners for the special awards included: Healthcare Warrior Award (Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare); Healthcare Warrior Award (Scott Lockard and the Kentucky River District Health Department); Business and Community Appreciation Award (911 and Perry County Ambulance Authority); Community Appreciation Award (Black Gold Festival Committee); and the Downtown Improvement Award (Jon Wilder and his Wilder Law Office Building).

Janet Smith, president of the Hazard-Perry County Chamber of Commerce, said each of the winners of the special awards were heroes to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These heroes have had to deal with the greatest challenges in our lifetime due to the pandemic, said Smith. We appreciate the services they've offered while at times dealing with limited staff and supplies. They quickly became proactive and innovative in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. ARH and the Kentucky River District Health Department have stepped up in heroic and unprecedented ways to meet the challenges of COVID-19.

Scott Lockard, public health director of the Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD), said he and his team are grateful for the Chamber and community support.

Anyone can pilot a ship in smooth waters, but when you encounter the biggest storm of the century, that's when you want to know who the captains of the community are, and we've seen who our pilots are, said Lockard. There is no better way to raise the health status of the community than to raise the socio-economic status, so our business community is essential and is key.

Local officials congratulated all the winners and expressed their gratitude for their services to the community.

I really appreciate the Chamber and our businesses. They've been a great community partner and they've really grown and there's a lot of things happening, said Perry County Judge-Executive Scott Alexander.

Hazard Mayor Donald Happy Mobelini agreed.

We're trying to grow the town. The town won't grow unless people have jobs. I really appreciate all the work you all do, said Mobelini.
Bounty of Bethlehem returns, moving to new location

After restrictions made it impossible for Bounty to serve its annual Christmas dinner in 2020, we are happy to say it has returned. This year brings many changes including a new location. Safety protocols are calling the event to be a take-out only event.

Immaculata Catholic School graciously hosted this ecumenical event for almost all of the 38 years. They have been awarded a grant to create a STEM Lab for the school. This grant will remove the schools commercial kitchen making it impossible to continue to serve as host.

"After searching for the right space, we were blessed to find the Salvation Army in Hendersonville, just a few blocks away to carry on our event," organizers said."

Captains Phillip and Sherrie Stokes along with the entire staff have welcomed the organizers and event with open arms.

It just makes sense for us to help in this way and Bounty of Bethlehem seems to be a natural extension of our Christmas Assistance programs already in place," Sherrie said.

While the event may look different with take-out only, the heart remains. The mission of Bounty of Bethlehem has always been to be a meal for the community by the community. In order to serve as safely as we can, the sit-down portion of the meal has been eliminated. However, pairing down the sit-down aspect of the day will change some of the volunteers needed. We still need volunteers, says Joanne Mummert, volunteer coordinator for over 15 years. The meal will still need to be prepared taking several days/hours and packaged for pick up. Volunteer signup is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Volunteers are needed Dec. 19-26.

Since the mid-1980s Henderson County volunteers and supporters have come together to host the Community Christmas Dinner by Bounty of Bethlehem. for anyone and everyone to enjoy, no matter who they are, how they worship, or from where they come. All are welcome. Meals will be available for pick up only beginning at 12:30 and will be available until 4 p.m. or until they run out. Salvation Army is located at 239 Grove Street. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 742 Horse Shoe, NC 28742
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Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers this afternoon. High 46F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 36F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
BENTON HARBOR  The city of Benton Harbor has been in the national spotlight for about a month over its lead service lines possibly poisoning hundreds, if not thousands, of residents for years.

The extent of the problem wont be known until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finishes testing the reliability of the free certified water filters the state has been giving residents for almost three years to filter out the lead.

Taylor Gillespie, strategic communications coordinator with the EPA, said via email that the agency will share updates on the study as soon as possible.

First, we want to make clear that certified filters that are properly installed and maintained are very effective in reducing lead concentrations in drinking water, according to the most recent science and studies, she said. Out of an abundance of caution, EPA is evaluating the state of the science and acting to further understand filter effectiveness in relation to Benton Harbors specific water chemistry.

City officials have repeatedly said the water coming from the citys water treatment plant and through the citys distribution system has no lead in it. Instead, they say the lead is coming from lead service lines that carry the water from the property line to the water meter for each residence, or from the homes interior plumbing and water fixtures.

The long-term solution has always been to replace the lead service lines, with water filters used until that can be done.

But whats the hold-up? City officials say its money.

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad said the city would have replaced all of the lead service lines immediately in October 2018 when the city was first put under a state advisory for having higher-than-acceptable amounts of lead in some of the citys tap water.

This is a $30 million plus project, Muhammad said. The city has been struggling financially for decades. We dont have the resources to replace all of the lines.

In 2018, eight of the 30 Benton Harbor homes tested for lead over the summer were above the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) for lead, and the 90th percentile of the samples was 22 ppb for lead. The city has been required to test homes for lead every six months since then.

The city has roughly 6,000 service lines of various materials, with half of them active, according to Scott Dean, strategic communications advisor with EGLE.

Chris Cook from Abonmarche, the citys engineering firm, said with no outside help, the citys 3,000 customers would have had to pay at least $300 per year to remove the lead on top of what they already pay. He said Benton Harbor residents, who have a median income of $18,000 per year, are already paying some of the highest water rates in the area.

20-year project

Muhammad said the city was doing the best it could as money became available. It was projected that it would take 20 years to replace all of the service lines.

Then, he said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stepped in. On Sept. 8, Whitmer proposed a plan to invest $20 million of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to help Benton Harbor remove the lead service lines in five years. But Muhammad said she needed state legislators to approve the investment.

The next day, a group of 20 organizations filed a petition with the EPA asking for emergency action under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Later in September, it was announced that the states 2022 budget included $10 million to replace the lead service lines in Benton Harbor.

Ultimately, on Oct. 6, state officials announced that they were urging Benton Harbor residents to use bottled water for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, rinsing foods and mixing powdered infant formula out of an abundance of caution while the EPA studies the effectiveness of the filters.

State acceleration

On Oct. 14, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II traveled to Benton Harbor to announce that Whitmer had signed an executive directive that state officials do whatever they can to get the citys lead service lines replaced within 18 months.

Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, also traveled to Benton Harbor.

Given some of the recent test results and the composition of the water, there has been a question about whether they are as effective as we previously thought, she said. And for that reason, until we feel like we can say that with certainty, we would rather have people use bottled water so we know we are completely mitigating any risk of exposure.

Until the lead service lines are replaced, Whitmer pledged to send 20 semis of bottled water to Benton Harbor every week to make sure residents had water to drink.

Meanwhile, the city has been working to replace the service lines as money became available.

Even before the city was placed under the lead advisory, it received a $284,000 grant in May 2018 from a pilot lead removal program offered by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now called the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy).

Cook said that money was used to replace 17 lead service lines and to study corrosion control options.

Another 151 lead service lines were replaced as part of the $15 million infrastructure project that is just being completed, he said.

The work was partially paid for by low-interest loans from two state programs  the Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund (DWRF) for the water projects and the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) for the sewer projects. Cook said the work included $1.4 million in loan forgiveness.

Another 100 lead service lines will start to be replaced using some of a $5.6 million grant from the EPA, which was announced in October 2020 but wasnt received until June. Cook said they initially asked the EPA for almost $20 million.

In all, the EPA grant is expected to replace 888 lead service lines in the city.

In September, the city found out it was awarded $6.5 million in grants and loans from the states Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for fiscal year 2022. This money includes $3 million in federal Booker funds, which were established by the DWSRF for 2022 to help disadvantaged communities replace lead service lines.

This money is expected to replace another 600 lead service lines.

Cook said these grants and loans were obtained due to hours of work behind the scenes done by his staff.

He said replacing the lead service lines wont solve all of the citys problems with its water system. Cook said many of the mains are almost 100 years old and are too small. He said many of them need to be replaced so the city has adequate pressure for fire protection.

National attention

The national, and even statewide, media has reported about the homes that have high levels of lead in their tap water.

What many havent reported on is that most of the citys homes have tested as having little if any lead in their tap water.

Muhammad said his homes tap water has tested as having no lead in it at all. Several businesses have also said their test results came back negative for lead.

Last week, Muhammad testified before the states House Oversight Committee in Lansing, where he asked for an additional $11.4 million so the city has all of the money it needs to replace the lead service lines.

Lining it up

During the hearing in Lansing, Liesl Clark, director of EGLE, said it is projected to cost $2 billion to remove all of the lead service lines in the state.

Michigan started requiring public water suppliers to maintain an inventory of what their service lines are made of in their distribution systems, with the first annual reports submitted in January 2020 and updated in December 2020.

According to documents received from the state, 51 percent (1.4 million) of the states service lines are not lead or galvanized pipe, with another 25 percent (649,000) unknown but not likely to be lead.

Another 12 percent (314,000) of service lines are unknown.

That leaves 12 percent (331,523) of the states service lines being made of lead or galvanized pipe. At an estimated $5,000 a piece, it will cost $1.6 billion to replace all of the known lead service lines.

If half of the unknown service lines are made of lead, it will cost another $785 million to replace those, thus putting the total replacement cost at $2.4 billion.

A sister city

Benton Harbor wasnt the only Berrien County city to receive money from the states pilot program in May 2018.

St. Joseph secured $272,000 to remove lead service lines in the city.

Of St. Josephs 3,875 water service lines, only 482 are known to not be made of lead or galvanized pipe. Another 106 are known to be made of lead. The majority, 2,457, are unknown but likely made of lead, according to the states documents.

St. Joseph City Manager John Hodgson said via email that lead service lines are mostly found in older communities like St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, which were mostly built out by 1960 and have older distribution systems.

Besides providing water to the citys 8,800 residents, the St. Joseph water treatment plant provides water to about 25,000 people in Lincoln, Royalton and St. Joseph townships through the Southwest Michigan Regional Sanitary Sewer and Water Authority.

Pullquote The city has been struggling financially for decades. We dont have the resources to replace all of the lines.  Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad

St. Joseph city engineer Tim Zebell said because the townships were built later than the city, very little if any lead is expected to be found in their lead service lines. As a result, the city started listing the townships separately from the city for lead and copper reporting in the 2018 City of St. Joseph Annual Water Quality Report.

In the 2020 water quality report, it was reported that St. Josephs tap water tested at 9 ppb for lead, with the townships testing at zero. This is well below the states action level of 15 ppb, but above the 5 ppb allowed in bottled water.

Earlier this month, St. Joseph commissioners approved a contract to replace lead service lines to 63 properties in 2022.

At the time, Zebell said the citys water system is in compliance with state water standards, but state regulations require that 5 percent of lead service lines be replaced annually, with all lead service lines to be replaced by Jan. 1, 2041.

The only other water systems in Berrien County to test higher than 5 ppb was Marys City of David (6 ppb) and Country View Manor Condos (7 ppb), according to state documents.

In Cass County, the only water systems to test higher than 5 ppb were Edwardsburg (14 ppb) and Cass County Water System (6 ppb).

The action level for the amount of lead in tap water will be lowered to 12 ppb on Jan. 1, 2025.
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Renovation

29 October 2021

The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection, a former Newport, R.I. mansion turned storied 33-room luxury resort, today debuts the property's highly anticipated transformation as a vibrant social hub for guests near and far. Delivering revived glamour to all public spaces, including the lobby area and all food and beverage outlets, The Vanderbilt's reimagination keenly propels the mansion into a new era, bringing an entirely unique and lively atmosphere to downtown Newport's legendary setting. Redefining the concept of residential richness, the renovated property was conceived by design collective, SWOON, and celebrates the mansion's illustrious history and charm as well as its downtown sensibility, while simultaneously incorporating a sense of warmth, wit, and approachable elegance.

With a new gastronomy and mixology program at the forefront, The Vanderbilt unveils a fully reconceptualized signature restaurant alongside new menus and eye-catching designs at the resort's three additional dining destinations. Renowned beverage executive Maxwell Britten has joined the team as Chief Cocktail Curator, while James Beard award-winning chef April Bloomfield has bestowed her culinary expertise on New England's most stylish getaway, curating a selection of elevated pub-inspired dishes. Together, the artful redesign and exclusive offerings and amenities create an inspired interpretation of modern splendor that sets a new standard for luxury in the destination.

A Newport Jewel Reborn

Positioned as an unconventional Georgian-style home in downtown Newport, The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection's transformation pays homage to its fascinating history and its original builder, owner and namesake, Alfred Vanderbilt. Expertly blending early American-era layers with a color-rich and witty spin, the revived aesthetic embraces the cinematic spirit of the mansion and creates a transportive destination with unexpected discovery at every turn. Elements of curiosity can be found throughout as a nod to Alfred's passion for exploration and travel. SWOON has reimagined the historic property with a commissioned series throughout the hotel by photographer and artist Maxine Helfman, while introducing new and vintage furnishings, a mix of woods, dramatic fabrics, custom hand-drawn wallpaper, and a rich, saturated color palette throughout - somewhere between a cinemascope movie set and a swanky private club. From the dramatic lobby area, which purposefully replicates a foyer of a private home, to the Library that showcases a spectacular gallery wall featuring antique portraits, travelers and Newport locals will be delighted by the resort's cool yet elegant sensibility.

"In crafting the interiors for the reimagined Vanderbilt, we hinted at the rich history of the mansion and the iconic characters who inhabited its walls through a witty, modern lens to create a property that's truly unique to Newport," said Samantha Sano, founder, SWOON. "The resulting vibe is one of overt style and a relaxed elegance, with The Vanderbilt serving as the destination's living room. "
Appointment

29 October 2021

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, a 347-room property located in Seattle's Southside, announced the appointment of Scott Lane as general manager. Located on the shores of Lake Washington, Hyatt Regency Lake Washington offers spacious rooms and suites with beautiful views, as well as three on-site dining options, a full-service spa, fitness center and more. With a demonstrated history of w orking in the hospitality industry, Lane will have the opportunity to showcase years of leadership and hospitality management, ensuring an unforgettable guest experience.

Lane brings over 20 years of Hyatt experience to his new role at Hyatt Regency Lake Washington. Throughout his time with Hyatt Lane has led teams at the local, area and regional levels with his most recent role of General Manager at the Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland.

Growing up in Texas, Lane graduated from the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Over the years Lane has used his extensive management experience as a way to give back by volunteering in his local communities. Some of which include Board Member of the San Antonio Public Library and on the Hospitality Industry Leadership Council at Metro State University. When not working, Lane and his family enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle and he is currently training for his first Sprint Triathlon.
Event

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Basque Culinary Center (BCC), VISITFLANDERS and the city of Bruges have announced new dates for the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism.

Held under the theme 'Gastronomy Tourism: Promoting Rural Tourism and Regional Development', the Forum will take place 31 October - 2 November 2021 in Bruges, Belgium.

The event will focus on the contribution of gastronomy tourism to social and economic integration. It will also highlight its untapped potential for job creation, regional cohesion and sustainable growth. Building on UNWTO's work on advancing innovation across the tourism sector, the Forum also represents a unique opportunity for experts from across the growing field of gastronomy tourism to share new ideas and best practices and place the two sectors at the center of plans for recovery.

In order to welcome and connect participants from around the world, the Forum will be held in a hybrid format. This way, delegates meeting in the Concertgebouw of Bruges will be joined virtually by participants from every global region via a special online platform.

Gastronomy Tourism: Promoting Rural Tourism and Regional Development is organized by UNWTO
Opinion Article

29 October 2021

The cold hard truth is arriving with the chillier weather: global hotel performance has a ways to go before it's back to its former self.

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In the U.S., there is, however, cause for optimism. First, COVID case count: According to The Washington Post, new coronavirus infections in the country have dropped nearly 60 percent since a September spike due to the Delta variant. The seven-day average is also down some 58% since a mid-September infection peak.

Coupled with a decreasing case count is the recent Biden administration decision to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors beginning November 8, a move that should boost travel. Restrictions on non-U.S. citizens were first imposed on travelers from China in January 2020 and then extended to other countries subsequently.

Glitzy marketing campaigns, billboards across London, and travel deals - heres a look at what NYC is doing to attract international travelers once US restrictions lift on Nov 8th. w/ @katiecnbc https://t.co/We2wQKMWMj @thenewsoncnbc  Seema Mody (@seemacnbc) October 27, 2021

The tandem of good news could not come at a better time for the U.S. hotel industry, which continues its slog back to pre-pandemic performance. In September, U.S. hotels achieved gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) of $51, which was 44% lower than in the same month in 2019, according to HotStats data. September was also a second consecutive month of flat profit growth, actually down over August, after a steady escalation throughout summer.

Part of the reason was the strong leisure travel demand that characterized the first three quarters of the year, something reiterated in Hiltons Q3 earnings report. And while much of travel demand has been associated with the leisure segment, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta noted that business travel continued to pick up during the quarter, propitious news for the hotel industry, which can not sustain profits through leisure demand alone. Business transient will continue to move up, he said. Youll continue to see great strength in small and medium enterprises, which arent fully back to pre-covid levels but are pretty close.

Photo: HotStats Limited

Meanwhile, expense creep is beginning to erode already fragile profit margins. Total labor on a per-available-room basis hit its highest level since the pandemics outset and, at $55, it was $34 higher than April 2020, a month that marked the U.S. hospitality industrys lowest performance point.

Europes fortunes also remained tied to curtailing the spread of COVID, which is now seeing an uptick in case load.

WHO: Europe had most COVID-19 cases, deaths over last week https://t.co/zLbBHxxb85  Winnipeg Free Press (@WinnipegNews) October 27, 2021

GOPPAR in Europe remains 45% down compared to September 2019, but within the same time frame, labor costs are now only down 27% to 38, which is 14 off the September 2019 level. At the same time, total other expenses, which are all hotel expenses minus labor and cost of sales, continue to rise and are now just 22% off the pre-pandemic number.

Photo: HotStats Limited

The Middle East is seeing both its revenue and profit deltas shrink, despite consecutive months of rate erosion. Both RevPAR and TRevPAR in the region are only a little more than 20% off pre-pandemic levels. On Hiltons Q3 earnings call, CFO Kevin Jacobs noted that the Middle East and Africa region saw RevPAR increase 110% year-over-year and was down 29% versus 2019, with performance benefitting from strong domestic leisure demand and international inbound travel from Europe.

Photo: HotStats Limited

Meanwhile, fresh lockdowns have hindered Chinas domestic hotel market. Still, the country is experiencing a sharp rise in labor costs, which are now just USD$5 off their pre-pandemic level at $32.

China has been militant in its attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19 and has gone through great lengths to keep it contained. One of its latest measures is a $260-million, 5,000-room quarantine facility for incoming travelers in the southern city of Guangzhou.

After a large drop in GOPPAR in August, due in part to country-wide lockdowns, profit shot back up in September and is now 32% percent down versus the same time in 2019.
WASHINGTON  Six years after the leaders of almost every nation in the world agreed to the historic Paris climate accord, progress in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere is fledgling.

Carbon emissions continue to rise with no sign of letting up this decade, and this week the United Nations released a report stating that nations climate pledges to date fall far short of what is necessary to avoid a rise of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius in global temperatures. Doing so, scientists say, is critical to avoiding deadly heat waves, flooded coastlines and other cataclysmic consequences of climate change.

With nations set to meet Sunday in the Scottish city of Glasgow for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, world leaders must decide not only whether or not to increase their emission reduction goals but move beyond promises to figuring out how the global economy might reduce its reliance on oil and coal - with huge implications for fossil fuel rich regions like Texas.

John Kerry, President Joe Bidens special envoy for climate, called the conference known as COP26 the last best hope for the world to get its act together in a recent interview with the BBC.

The truth is, emissions are going up around the world, not down in enough countries, and key countries are pursuing policies that border on being very dangerous for everybody.

On HoustonChronicle.com: These skeptics believe in climate change. Why is it so hard to convince them catastrophe is coming?

Without a steep decrease in emissions, Texas, like all regions of the world, faces a future of more powerful hurricanes, severe droughts and unusually heavy rains that push rivers over their banks. But the states economy is also centered around the oil and gas that is causing the planet to warm, leaving Texas leaders in a difficult position politically, with even most Democrats pushing back against efforts to shift off fossil fuels wholesale.

Top of the agenda at COP26 is the creation of an international carbon trading system that would create economic incentives for reducing emissions, along with a transparent, uniform reporting system to prevent nations from inflating their climate achievements.

Under such a scheme, nations could buy and sell emissions reductions to use toward meeting their own climate target  like China financing a reforestation effort in South America or the United States helping African nations switch from coal power to wind and solar.

It wouldnt go so far as to create an international carbon price, but it could encourage development of national carbon prices and could help pave over weaknesses in the Paris agreement that have given countries a lot of leeway in reducing emissions, said Kelley Hamrick, a policy adviser at the Nature Conservancy.

The thing about international negotiations, theres not a whole lot out there on what happens if you dont meet your goal, she said. Theres a difference between whats being negotiated, which is very technical, and the real world.

In order to get international agreement in Paris, the United Nations allowed countries to not only set their own targets and timelines but their own methodologies on what counts as climate success. Some countries use straight emissions reductions targets while others focus on their percentage of clean energy or peak emissions.

Six years on, its become increasingly difficult to tell how much progress the world is making in shifting to a low-carbon economy.

In the run up to COP26, nations have been increasing their climate targets, with China announcing plans to reach peak emissions before 2030 and Saudi Arabia planning to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060  meaning more carbon dioxide is captured or absorbed by nature than is emitted.

That follows on from Bidens pledge upon taking office in January that the United States will be at net zero emissions by 2050. But with fossil fuels still making up more than 80 percent of world energy use  about the same as it was in 2009  those pledges are drawing increasing skepticism from climate activists, who say actual real-world efforts have been lacking.

In a speech in Italy last month, Greta Thunberg, the 18-year-old Swedish activist, dismissed global efforts as, Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The case against Big Oil

On the flip side is a global economy that continues to grow as world leaders try to increase the role of wind turbines and solar panels in the global energy system. With more people on the planet, all wanting a better standard of living, doing away with older, dirty energy sources becomes that much more difficult.

In the United States, for instance, while Democrats and Republicans largely agree that emissions reductions are an important goal, they cant come to terms on how to go about doing so. Most Democrats push for strict clean energy regulations, and Republicans favor a moderate approach to protect against volatility and disruption during the energy transition.

There has been some political progress in international efforts, with climate scientists predicting that under current policies, temperatures in 2100 will be 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels  compared with 3.7 degrees before the Paris agreement. Still, theres a long way to go to actually stay below the 1.5 degree Celsius target, said Kaveh Guilanpour, vice president for international strategies at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a Washington think tank.

As we move from targets on paper to real-world action its going to be hard, he said. You can understand the frustration out there, but its important to understand Paris is a framework, and policymakers can only operate within those parameters.

Adding to the slow pace are myriad political tensions that have developed around climate change in recent years.

Former President Donald Trumps decision to pull the United States from the Paris agreement  which Biden reversed  continues to raise questions about nations long-term commitment to an agreement thats designed to stretch decades into the future.

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Developing nations remain at odds with the United States, Europe and other wealthy nations over funding to help them adapt to climate change for which they hold developed nations largely responsible.

And those pushing for the establishment of global carbon pricing, the building blocks of which will be under discussion in Glasgow, remain at odds with poorer nations who dont have the same resources to invest in clean energy. Also pushing back are environmentalists who argue that such a scheme would allow wealthy nations to continue to pollute at a relatively nominal cost.

I think we have modest expectations, said Aaron Padilla, manager of climate policy at the American Petroleum Institute, which supports the carbon trading scheme. There havent been indicators there will be a breakthrough this conference. The detractors of trading would rather it not be finalized, but slow and steady progress is still OK for us.

Even if an international carbon trading and reporting system were agreed to, getting countries to follow through would present another challenge.

The Paris agreement was not designed to penalize but to encourage. And for individual nations, reducing emissions that represent only a small portion of the overall picture could be a tough sell, as economies are stretched and other crises emerge.

Lately, there has been growing momentum around the worlds largest economies establishing carbon trading schemes on their own, outside the Paris agreement. Europe is considering a tariff on imports based on their carbon intensity, and Republicans in Washington, including Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska, were reportedly in discussions this summer about establishing a similar plan in the United States.

Countries around the world are setting up their own domestic approaches, and if the E.U. and the U.S. establish a carbon border adjustment mechanism that could be a way to smooth out the differences between regions and see everyone on a level playing field, said Hamrick, of the Nature Conservancy. (The Paris agreement) could get us to net zero but the accounting to accomplish that is going to be really difficult.

james.osborne@chron.com

Twitter.com/@osborneja
Cooper Neill, Bloomberg / Bloomberg

Chevron reported its third consecutive profitable quarter as recovering oil demand and prices lifted fortunes for many of the worlds largest oil companies.

The California oil major on Friday said it made $6.1 billion during the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $207 million during the same period a year earlier. Third-quarter revenue jumped by 82 percent to $44.7 billion, up from $24.5 billion a year earlier.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA cleared kid-size doses  just a third of the amount given to teens and adults  for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week.

One more regulatory hurdle remains: On Tuesday, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a final decision by the agencys director expected shortly afterwards.

Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting FDA commissioner, said in a statement. Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccines safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.

A few countries have begun using other COVID-19 vaccines in children under 12, including China, which just began vaccinations for 3-year-olds. But many that use the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are watching the U.S. decision, and European regulators just began considering the companies' kid-size doses.

With FDA's action, Pfizer plans to begin shipping millions of vials of the pediatric vaccine  in orange caps to avoid mix-ups with the purple-capped doses for everyone else  to doctors' offices, pharmacies and other vaccination sites. Once the CDC issues its ruling, eligible kids will get two shots, three weeks apart.

While children are at lower risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 than older people, 5- to 11-year-olds still have been seriously affected -- including over 8,300 hospitalizations, about a third requiring intensive care, and nearly 100 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the FDA.

And with the extra-contagious delta variant circulating, the government has counted more than 2,000 coronavirus-related school closings just since the start of the school year, affecting more than a million children.

With this vaccine kids can go back to something thats better than being locked at home on remote schooling, not being able to see their friends, said Dr. Kawsar Talaat of Johns Hopkins University. The vaccine will protect them and also protect our communities.

Earlier this week, FDA's independent scientific advisers voted that the pediatric vaccine's promised benefits outweigh any risks. But several panelists said not all youngsters will need to be vaccinated, and that they preferred the shots be targeted to those at higher risk from the virus.

Nearly 70% of 5- to 11-year-olds hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. have other serious medical conditions, including asthma and obesity, according to federal tracking. Additionally, more than two-thirds of youngsters hospitalized are Black or Hispanic, mirroring long-standing disparities in the disease's impact.

The question of how broadly Pfizer's vaccine should be used will be a key consideration for the CDC and its advisers, who set formal recommendations for pediatricians and other medical professionals.

A Pfizer study of 2,268 schoolchildren found the vaccine was nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections, based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got vaccinated.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary reactions  such as sore arms, fever or achiness  that teens experience.

THE LATEST NUMBERS: Interactive maps, charts show spread of COVID across Houston

But the study wasnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys. It's unclear if younger children getting a smaller dose also will face that rare risk.

Some parents are expected to vaccinate their children ahead of family holiday gatherings and the winter cold season.

But a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests most parents won't rush to get the shots. About 25% of parents polled earlier this month said they would get their children vaccinated right away. But the remaining majority of parents were roughly split between those who said they will to wait to see how the vaccine performs and those who said they definitely won't have their children vaccinated.

The similarly made Moderna vaccine also is being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna also are testing shots for babies and preschoolers.

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.
The noise level inside Turner's, an upscale dining room near Uptown Park, is near deafening most weekdays. It's a go-to watering hole for securing deals over martini lunches and for the upper-crust of Houston's ladies who luncheon.

On Oct. 28, National First Responder's Day, an unusually orderly scene unfolded as Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena, and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez slid into their respective booths  a full 10 minutes before seated event's designated start time. In lieu champagne, trays of iced tea were delivered to each table.

"These are fire fighters and police officers, so they're used to following directions," noted Elizabeth Stein, one of the few women in attendance.

Each restaurant under the Berg Hospitality umbrella  B&B Butchers, B.B. Lemon, The Annie Cafe & Bar and NoPo Cafe, Market & Bar  treated all on-duty first responders to a complimentary three-course meal during lunch and dinner service on Thursday, including Emergency Medical Technicians and paramedics. The one-day-only prix fixe menu was also available to guests of first responders for $25 per person.

"There's a line out the door at B&B (Butchers)," said Gabby Martinez, a Berg Hospitality representative, shortly before noon. "It's maybe 300 people deep."

Her team estimates they will feed more than 1,000 first responders before day's end. Most arrived dressed in uniform as squad cars and fire engine red SUVs filled the valet and parking lot behind Turner's and The Annie.

CAVIAR AND CHANEL: I.W. Marks and Tenenbaum serve up holiday-worthy fine jewelry with a side of Tony's fine dining

Since 2017, the restaurant group has hosted an extended First Responder's Appreciation Week. This year, for the festivities' fifth anniversary, they opted for something different.

"In 2017 during Hurricane Harvey my houses flooded with 5 feet of water for two weeks and I saw police, firefighters, and constables working 24 hours a day to get to everyone," said Berg Hospitality CEO and founder Ben Berg. "I needed to get the restaurants back open. It wasn't about making money, but getting back to regular life.

"Plus, you guys tip really well," he quipped to cheers and thunderous applause. "We serve to make people happy. You serve to protect. This is one day we can serve to make you happy."

At Turner's, some 45 of the city's "top brass" began their three-course feast with buttermilk fried quail, shrimp cocktail and oysters on the half shell. Next came wedge salads with Fourme d'Ambert blue cheese and a choice of entree: Wagyu skirt steak with fontina and huitlacoche enchilada; Turner's burger; open-faced ham and cheese; chicken salad; rigatoni bolognese; or Scottish salmon. Dessert carts circled just as executive chef Robert Del Grande entered the dining room.

Celebrations were short, but sweet. Police officers trickled in and ducked out of the full dining room. Some discussed protocol for rapper Travis Scott's upcoming Astroworld Festival. Marty Lancton, Houston Fire Union President, shared photos of a firefighter battling bone cancer attending a World Series home game, a dying wish granted the night prior.

"We need more cowbell," joked Pena as a pianist played in the background.

Lunch ended with bagpipe serenade instead. And a standing offer to enjoy dinner on the house, too.

amber.elliott@chron.com
The question of what to eat, day in and day out, has been political for decades.

Are you a vegan? How adorable, not to mention annoying and elitist. Also, your almond milk is killing the honeybees.

Pescatarian? The oceans are already over-fished. You are not helping.

Plain old chicken-fried meat eater? So maybe you know nothing about factory farms, meatpacking plants, exploitation of workers and, well, anything else.

But these days, what you eat isnt just a political choice but a spiritual one. Not just your body but your soul, the culture tells us, is shaped by what you eat.

You may think youre doing pretty well on that score: You eat animal protein, but not too much, and preferably humanely raised. (Think of the 2017 sketch from Portlandia about the earnest couple trying to decide whether they can ethically eat a chicken who had once been named Colin.) You have little pots of herbs on the windowsill and you get a box of veggies every week from a local farm that is, inexplicably, always 70 percent beets. You hate beets. Still, youre trying.

I have more bad news. A new report in the online magazine Psyche says that mushrooms  mushrooms!  possess a rudimentary form of consciousness: a body of remarkable experiments have shown that fungi operate as individuals, engage in decision-making, are capable of learning and possess short-term memory. These findings highlight the spectacular sensitivity of such simple organisms, and situate the human version of the mind within a spectrum of consciousness that might well span the entire natural world.

We already knew that plants can communicate danger to each other and that trees socially distance. So how are they different from you and me? Richard Mabey, who wrote the book Cabaret of Plants: Forty Thousand Years of Plant Life and the Human Imagination, offers a little clarity in a National Geographic interview: What the new botany is suggesting is that plants are sensitive and problem-solving but bypass the need for self-consciousness and brain activity that we assume is necessary for intelligence.

Still feeling smug, vegan?

Honestly, though, we should cut ourselves some slack. Trying to feed our souls is just more complicated than it was in the past, because 1. We know both too much and not enough, and 2. So many of us are spiritually unmoored.

Organized religions have addressed this fractious issue of what to eat and not to eat for thousands of years. Witness the complex rules of keeping kosher in Judaism, or the strictures of halal in Islam. Such codifying of food preparation and consumption integrated religious practice into the most basic of human activities. It incorporated a kind of mindfulness into daily life long before mindfulness went Hollywood.

OK, but what about those darned mushrooms? One religion addressed this complexity thousands of years ago.

The Jains of the Indian subcontinent (and their diaspora) number somewhere between 4 million and 12 million. They are fervently nonviolent and do not eat animals. (I apologize in advance for over-simplifying the religions complexities.)

But many of the Jains food ethics mirror what we think of as modern concerns. Living things are ranked according to their ability to sense and to feel pain, with the goal of eating in such a way as to inflict as little misery and violence as possible.

Jains are vegetarian, but they may consume some dairy products if the animals have been treated well. They eat no root vegetables because harvesting them may not only harm insects and micro-organisms but also kill the plant. Fermented foods are verboten, owing to the presence of tiny organisms. Honey is a hard nope because collecting it constitutes violence against the bees. No eggs either, and definitely no Colin.

You and I wont be able to follow the Jain lifestyle. Its too hard, and to adhere to it without the underpinning of the religious practice seems like just the kind of cultural appropriation Westerners are absolutely never beloved for.

But maybe the takeaway is this variant of the food writer Michael Pollans famous Eat food, not too much, mostly plants: Eat food respectfully. Cause as little pain as possible. Thank the bees.
A man in his 50s died after he was shot in the chest Thursday night after an altercation in Acres Homes, according to Houston Police.



Police were called around 10:15 p.m. to the 900 block of Green Meadow Lane, where they were told the suspect was in the home, according to Lt. Pavel of Houston Police.



On HoustonChronicle.com: Neighbors smelled odor for weeks before shocking discovery of child corpse in west Houston apartment



Officers talked to the man, who came outside, dropped his weapon and was brought into custody, Pavel said.



Police went into the home, finding a man who was shot in the chest. The man was dead, according to Pavel.



Investigators were talking to three female witnesses, Pavel said.



On HoustonChronicle.com: Police seeking two males in connection to shots fired at off-duty deputy, vehicle burglaries



The two men apparently knew each other and had an altercation, Pavel said. The dead man owned the home, where his son lived, Pavel said.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
Authorities are seeking two males in connection to an incident in which shots were fired at an off-duty Harris County Sheriffs Office deputy, as well as a slew of vehicle burglaries.

The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Oct. 19 in the 14400 block of Stone Park Road.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 19-year-old charged with murder in north Harris County fatal shooting

The off-duty deputy  who was not injured  met up with his neighbor after they texted him about two people walking in the area who they believed had broken into their vehicles before, according to Houston Police.

The two males fled to a vehicle in the 14400 block of Twin Twist Court when the deputy, who was wearing his service belt and a law enforcement hoodie, went up to them, according to police. They drove off, and the deputy drove his own vehicle and followed the pair, who fired at him several times, police said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Judge sets bond conditions for man charged with murder in abandoned children case

Investigators later linked the two to a vehicle theft in the 14000 block of Fondren Road and believe they are responsible for at least 24 motor vehicle burglaries that same night, according to a release from police.

Police, which released surveillance video Thursday, urge people with information to call the departments major offenders division, 713-308-3100, or Crime Stoppers, 713-222-TIPS.
SAN ANTONIO  A woman who was removed from a San Antonio school board meeting for refusing to keep her mask on is suing the district.

Jamie Nicole Marroquin filed the suit in early October in state district court in Bexar County, but Northside Independent School Districts lawyers asked a judge this week to move it to federal court.

Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas is out of control, overstepping their authority, and abusing their power, Marroquin wrote on a crowdfunding site, GiveSendGo, seeking contributions for her legal expenses.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Peter Hotez: COVID rates are declining, just like October 2020. Is a winter wave ahead?

Please help me squash the tyrannical, c-vid money hungry NISD of San Antonio Superinterndent (sic) and school boards (sic) overreach and abuse of power.

The school board and Superintendent Brian Woods opened my eyes to just how much power school boards should NOT have, she wrote. And how easy it is for them to prevent parents from fully participating in their children's education at their whim.

Marroquin was removed from an Aug. 24 meeting before it even started because she refused to wear a mask, district spokesman Barry Perez said at the time.

Perez said she arrived wearing a face mask but decided to take it off in the meeting room. District officials and police officers asked her to comply with the mask requirement but she did not and then refused to leave the building, he said.

Two officers lifted the chair she was sitting on and carried her out of the meeting, according to Perez.

The incident was shown in videos posted to Youtube, including one showing a man apparently attempting to block the officers from carrying Marroquin out.

The meeting occurred one week after the board, at the height of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations caused by the delta variant of the coronavirus, unanimously imposed a mask mandate for all school buildings and extracurricular events.

On HoustonChronicle.com: As delta wave fades, Texas Children's battles fatigue - and a troubling chain of infections

The board authorized Woods to modify the ban in response to improved case numbers, and he removed the requirement earlier this month as the pandemic surge eased.

The lawsuit was scheduled for a hearing in state court on Thursday to take up Marroquins request for a temporary restraining order before Northside ISD filed the motion to transfer it to federal court.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | malak.silmi@express-news.net
Texas Childrens Hospital is now scheduling appointments to administer a Pfizer COVID-19 shot for children ages 5 to 11 years old, in anticipation of federal health agencies giving emergency authorization next week.

Right now, appointments for Nov. 6 through Nov. 20 at campuses across the Houston area can be scheduled on the hospitals website.

Additional appointments also will be offered within 24 hours of emergency use authorization, which is expected to be finalized Tuesday, said Jermaine Monroe, co-chair of the Texas Childrens Hospital COVID vaccine task force. After the Food and Drug Administration issues the emergency use authorization, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel will meet to discuss any possible restrictions for the shot. The vaccine can be administered once CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signs off on the authorization.

On HoustonChronicle.com: As delta wave fades, Texas Children's battles fatigue - and a troubling chain of infections

How to book an appointment Appointments can be made online at https://www.texaschildrens.org/covid-19-information/covid-19-vaccination/covid-19-vaccine-scheduling See More Collapse

Im proudly sharing the excitement of other parents who have had to navigate the pandemic for them and their children, said Monroe, whose 11-year-old child was enrolled in the Pfizer vaccine trial.

The hospital will have 17,400 doses of the vaccine ready during the first week of authorization. The following week, Texas Childrens will partner with churches and school districts  including Fountain of Praise Church on Nov. 9  to offer pop-up vaccine clinics. Appointments will be prioritized at hospitals with limited walk-in capacity, Monroe said.

Other Houston health care providers are gearing up for approval. Childrens Memorial Hermann plans to offer the shots immediately upon authorization. Walk-ins are welcome, and no pre-scheduling will be necessary, according to a hospital spokesman. The system will release more information about hours and locations in the coming days.

The coming approval will provide the first chance for 28 million children between 5 and 11 years old to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.

Moderna announced in May that late-stage clinical trials showed strong efficacy for the 12-17 age group, with none of the roughly 3,700 study participants showing symptomatic infection after a two-dose series. The company in June applied for emergency authorization for that age group. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told Reuters on Wednesday that he believes the FDA will approve the shot for adolescents in the next few weeks.

The company also published positive data on Monday from clinical trials in the 6-11 age group. The data showed that children between the ages of 6 and 11, who were given half the dosage adults were administered, showed a similar antibody response as adults who received the Moderna shot. The CDC says Modernas vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing hospitalization in adults with COVID.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston region COVID hospitalizations dip below 1,000 for the first time since late July

The company plans to apply for regulatory clearance for the 6-11 age group very soon, Bancel told Reuters.

While the earliest waves of the pandemic affected children at low rates, the fourth wave, caused by the highly contagious delta variant, led to a crush of pediatric patients overwhelming Houstons childrens hospitals. In August, pediatric hospital admissions peaked at more than 100 a day in the Houston area. And even more children were treated with COVID-related complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.

julian.gill@chron.com
A mandatory 30-minute appointment with an immigration official has become an overnight ordeal for some migrants in Houston who have been camping outside a Greenspoint office to secure a meeting and comply with their required U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-ins.

After midnight on Thursday morning, about a dozen asylum seekers and other immigrants from Venezuela and Central America sat bundled in warm clothes outside ICE offices in camping chairs and sipping from travel mugs. Others slept in their cars parked in the street next to the large office building in Greenspoint.

The goal of the coldish sleepover in the elements? A guaranteed visit with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official the next day.

It surprised me because I thought (the check-in process) was something more quick, more organized, a Venezuelan asylum seeker said in Spanish. She asked not to use her name because of her pending immigration case.

She had shown up to the ICE office the morning prior for her appointment and, after waiting among dozens of others, was told there wasnt space for her. So, the woman decided to camp out starting at around 6 p.m. to make sure shed see an officer the next day.

One has to adapt, she said.

Immigration attorneys attribute long lines to COVID-19 precautions, which have limited the number of people ICE can see in one day at their offices. However, the burden of spending hours  in some cases staying overnight  to wait for a short appointment has frustrated some affected immigrants .

Its terrible, said Lurvin, an asylum seeker from Honduras, in Spanish. How they treat us is very very bad.

She also slept over outside ICE offices with her four-year-old son earlier in the week after first being denied entry on the date of her appointment because of the large number of people outside the ICE offices and their limited capacity. Lurvin asked to use her first name only because of her pending asylum case.

She also saw an expectant mother turned away and told to come back another day.

I know that were immigrants and were in a country that isnt ours, she said. But I believe that we do have rights as human beings.

Lurvin works in both construction and cleaning and said she lost at least $100 in wages while waiting.

Why cant they call me and tell me you have an appointment on this day? she said, instead of making her sleep outside.

By sunrise on Thursday, several dozens more people were in line on the sidewalk, immigration documents in hand.

Government staff check documents of each person in line, directing those at the front  those who decided to camp outside  towards the office building so they can wait for their appointment. Dozens of people remain outside and will have to return another day to make their appointments. ICE check-ins are part of what immigration officials do to keep tabs on immigrants with pending cases.

Employees who work at shops across the street told the Houston Chronicle these long lines have been forming for at least a month. One person said the lines started as early as June 2021.

ICE on June 21 restarted their practice of in-person check-ins in Houston , according to Houston immigration attorney Elizabeth Mendoza, who attributes the long lines as a symptom of ICEs pandemic precautions.

People are being turned away because the ICE field office is limiting how many people they let into their facility on a daily basis to report and they're doing that because of COVID, said Houston immigration attorney Elizabeth Mendoza.

She said the backlog is understandable.

We're a big city with a lot of people who are on the immigration court docket, she said.

Mendoza added that ICE is moving towards using an electronic system that would diminish the need for in-person check-ins.

ICE did not respond by press time to a request for comment.

Improving ICE: Report says there are better alternatives to detention

The large number of people encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border along with staffing issues may also be contributing to ICE officials troubles meeting demand for appointments, according to Randy Capps, research director at the Migration Policy Institute think-tank.

His research has made the case that government funds could be better spent on case managers for asylum seekers and other immigrants under ICE purview, rather than detention centers. This would create a system that would guide people through their immigration case, avoiding confusion like the delays in Houston that make it a difficult system to navigate.

This is a perfect example that makes it very hard for immigrants to comply with this monstrous bureaucracy that they have to deal with, said Capps. And part of the reason why it's so monstrous is because the rules are inflexible and the burden always falls on the immigrant when something goes wrong.

elizabeth.trovall@chron.com
Texas is at the center of a global energy crisis that is causing leaders around the world to warn of looming energy shortages. Texas relies on renewable energy backed by natural gas to fuel its growing electricity use, and is seeing both the benefits and challenges of being at the forefront of the global transition to cleaner energy sources. Texas is also at the heart of the increasingly global gas market, and countries around the world are counting on the states booming gas exports to back their own move to renewable energy.

Consumers in Asia, Europe and particularly Mexico need Texas natural gas to get them through the coming winter. Texas must demonstrate that it is a reliable source of gas in this energy crisis. If Texas and the United States hoard energy, they will not just endanger the economic future of its oil and gas industry, but also the rest of the worlds clean energy transition.

Each time we turn on the dishwasher, plug in the phone, or turn up the heat, the power grid must exactly balance the amount of power provided with the amount of power demanded . Natural gas power plays a crucial role in achieving this balance because, unlike other sources, it can easily be ramped up or down. This role has grown more important as countries around the world use more and more low-cost wind and solar power, a source of electricity generation that is intermittent by nature. When this renewable energy falters, gas must ramp up to meet electricity demand.

The worlds largest source of electricity is still coal but more and more countries are looking to transition to renewable power. Replacing steady sources such as coal with fluctuating renewable power has left Europe and Asia desperate for more natural gas to ensure reliable power. In renewables-heavy systems, natural gas prices increasingly determine electricity prices because gas is the source of on-demand power. And gas prices are rising as production, damaged by the pandemic, has not been able to keep pace with the economic recovery. In 2021 alone, retail gas prices have risen roughly 50 percent in the U.S. and Asia, and 500 percent in Europe.

Whether the world can keep the lights and heat on this winter, will depend on Texas natural gas exports. Growing pipeline exports to Mexico and an unprecedented boom in liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf Coast are already providing Texas gas to consumers on five continents. With Texas help, countries around the world can reduce their use of coal power and increase their use of renewables.

But when energy runs short, politicians are often tempted to hoard energy, regardless of the long-term consequences. In last winters freeze, Texas tried to limit natural gas exports, threatening to continue to leave nearly five million people in northern Mexico without electricity. The order  often advertised as a ban had little impact on continuing gas flows but permanently damaged Texas reputation as a reliable free-market provider of natural gas. Political forces south of the border are already using Texas rash order as an excuse for energy nationalism and a reason to cut ties with U.S. producers and companies investing in Mexico. Now the federal U.S. Department of Energy is suggesting it could ban oil exports and trade groups are calling for emergency limits on gas exports.

Short-sighted energy hoarding would endanger both long-term U.S. energy security and the global transition to cleaner energy. United States energy prices are a fraction of those in Europe and Asia because its free market system has built the worlds strongest and most flexible energy system. The U.S. is also the worlds biggest producer of oil and gas, with liquid markets and two-way trade. Sudden bans on exports put that at risk, telling investors not to trust our free markets and consumers that they should seek other providers. And these bans tell every country in the world to put the brakes on the clean transition  best to hold onto those coal plants if natural gas supplies could be cut off at any time.

Texas is the beating heart of the global gas markets that the world needs to bring us through the current energy crisis and the ongoing energy transition. Texas and the United States must show that the world can count on American energy in a crisis.

James Coleman is a professor at SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law, member, faculty advisory board of the Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center, and publishes the Energy Law Professor blog . Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez is an associate professor at Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth.
The critters in Texas are in trouble

Every day new threats to Texas wildlife emerge. Whether its continuing development, a changing climate or segmentation of habitat, the future of our beloved animal populations across the state hangs in the balance. That has meant that over the course of several decades, species such as the Texas horny toad and northern bobwhite quail have declined rapidly. Currently, the bipartisan infrastructureand Build Back Better bills moving through Congress contain provisions that would help Texas wildlife  but first they need to be passed.

As urban sprawl swells throughout our state, nature becomes increasingly fragmented by roads, fences and other development that creates hazards for wildlife. They may seem like innocuous barriers, but these impediments can destabilize entire ecosystems by preventing animals from roaming freely.

In addition, reduced mobility cuts off the genetic flow between disparate populations which leaves animals short of key resources and interrupts migration cycles. Vulnerable and endangered animals are especially sensitive to both organic and human-caused threats such as disease, climate change, destruction of habitat and collisions with cars and trucks.

Just take a drive down I-69 or any backcountry road and youll notice the shoulder littered with victims of highway segmentation. The Humane Society estimates that vehicle collisions kill more than one million large animals each year on U.S. roads  or roughly one large animal every 26 seconds, and thats not counting smaller mammals and birds who are struck. Endangered animals, such as the ocelot, are especially at risk. In fact, vehicular collisions are the leading cause of the ocelots death in Texas.

We cant undo all the development which currently splits habitats and isolates animals, but we can implement strategies to remedy the worst impacts of that growth. One answer is wildlife corridors. Also known as wildlife crossings, these spaces connect habitats separated by development by providing safe, unobtrusive pathways for animals.

Using corridors, we can mitigate the impact of development. These corridors can be easily implemented: They can be placed above or below highways or stretched between fences. Wildlife corridors remedy existing problems, but that should only be the start. Future development must incorporate forward-thinking solutions to segmentation and unnecessary harm to wildlife. Texas already boasts several successful examples of wildlife corridors, including the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, the tunnels at Laguna Atascosa and the Memorial Park Land Bridge currently under construction.

Research shows that wildlife crossing structures and fencing designed to facilitate the passage of animals over or under our highways are highly effective, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions by as much as 97 percent. To make these conduits more of a reality, there is currently legislation moving through Congress that would help protect and create new habitat for wildlife.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act contains $350 million to establish that program, and the Build Back Better Act will likely include hundreds of millions of additional dollars to protect wildlife habitat in our national forests and fund grants to help mitigate climate change.

Road building, logging, oil and gas drilling and other activities continue to fragment habitat in Texas beautiful wild spaces, including our Davy Crockett and Sam Houston national forests, and decrease our wildlife populations. Wildlife corridors help our critters cross the road  and actually make it to the other side.

Texans should call on their elected officials in Washington to pass these bills and support Texas wildlife. Until then, the animals we love so dearly will remain in tremendous danger.

Seth Billingsley is working to help save wildlife in Texas as the Conservation Associate with Environment Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @sethgab1 for updates on statewide conservation efforts.
Troops would be firing across the border and $250 billion of annual trade with Mexico would be completely shut down under plans outlined by two of Gov. Greg Abbotts primary opponents during a debate Wednesday night.

With immigration looming as the biggest issue for Texas Republican voters, the candidates hoping to defeat Abbott in 2022 took turns trying to outdo one another over who would be most aggressive in taking Mexico to task for the historic surge of border crossings that started in the spring.

At the core of both plans is the deployment of thousands more Texas National Guard troops on the Rio Grande.

Ive been in firefights before, said Allen West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. You will not see the Mexican cartels firing across the border into the state of Texas and we telling our National Guard that they cant fire back. They will know we will shoot at them even before they begin to fire at us.

Former state Sen. Don Huffines called for sending more of the 20,000 Texas Guard members to the border, adding that as governor he would shut down all 25 bridges between Texas and Mexico to block $250 billion worth of trade coming across the border.

This is strategic, he said. Until they secure their side of the river and take it back from the cartels, not one truck from Mexico is going to enter Texas.

Whether Huffines could do that is in serious doubt. Last month, Department of Homeland Security officials, responding to Abbotts threat to shut down some border crossings, said it would be a violation of federal law.

RELATED: As White House flies Haitians home, Gov. Abbott claims hes keeping them out of Texas

The debate, organized by a group called the Trinity Conservative Coalition and held in Decatur, was billed as the first debate in advance of the March 1 Republican primary. Abbott did not attend. Debate moderator Shelley Luther said Abbott was invited to debate but declined.

Besides West and Huffines, the debate included Chad Prather, a Fort Worth Republican who hosts a conservative podcast.

Prather, like the other two, said Texas has the right to defend itself and should be allowed to catch and deport migrants if the federal government isnt going to do the job.

I say its time to enforce the law, no matter how ugly it gets, Prather said.

Though the challengers are calling for more, Abbott has been ramping up border security for months. He is nearly doubling the number of National Guard troops at the border to about 2,500 and posted social media photos of heavy-duty military equipment being placed to deter border crossings.

Over the summer, the governor empowered state troopers and members of the National Guard to arrest migrants on state jail charges  with over 1,300 detained as of early this month, most of them for trespassing. Hes also announced plans to construct additional fencing along the border and has frequently visited communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

RELATED: Chaotic rollout of Gov. Abbotts migrant arrest plan fuels confusion, claims of violated rights

Huffines said Abbott has had two terms as governor and hasnt been able to halt illegal immigration.

If Abbott wanted to do it, he could have done it seven years ago, said Huffines, who lives in Dallas.

West said when he was in the Army, he was deployed to protect the border of Kuwait, but here I sit in my own state of the state of Texas and for whatever reason, we cannot protect and defend our own sovereignty, our own border.

West, a former Florida congressman who now lives in Garland, said hes talked to other retired Army members and he thinks they could secure the border with 5,000 to 7,000 troops.

While Huffines and West have honed in on border issues in their early campaign against Abbott, internal polling from Abbotts campaign this summer showed nearly 90 percent of GOP primary voters approved of how he was handling the border.

The field for the 2022 Republican primary is far from set. Candidates have until Dec. 13 to qualify to be on the ballot for the March 1 primary. That requires either paying a fee of $3,750 or submitting a petition with 5,000 signatures from voters.

Democrats are still uncertain who their candidates for governor will be. Former El Paso Congressman Beto ORourke has repeatedly said hes considering running but has yet to declare. Actor and Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey has also talked about running for governor but has not disclosed which party he aligns with, if any.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
QUICK HITS: Park Avenue + ICM Crescendo  Dre London + Vydia  Sony Publishing + Gregg Allman  Songtrust

ICM Asset Management has partnered with Park Avenue Artists, the NYC-based music management and production company, to identify strategic investment opportunities for its ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund.

The first investment to be under the new deal is the purchase of a set of royalties from Park Avenue client Grammy Award-winning classical violinist Joshua Bell.

ICM Crescendo leverages a proprietary data-driven machine learning model to value royalties, working with global rights owners to provide transparent valuations. The funds approach is distinguished by its flexibility in evaluating an artists revenue portfolio, the diversity of streams it incorporates in its analysis, and its prioritization of an artist-driven perspective.

 Music industry veteran Dre London has launched a new record label, London Music Group, in partnership with music tech platform Vydia. The tech company will provide London and his team the infrastructure and tools to power the label, complete with a full suite of services that include audio & video supply chain, global distribution, analytics, rights management and detailed revenue reporting.

 Sony Music Publishing has signed a global agreement with the estate of Gregg Allman to administer its catalog of songs. The deal covers many compositions from his time as a member of the Allman Brothers Band, as well as songs that were written throughout his solo career.

Some of Allmans most notable hits include Whipping Post, Melissa, and Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers Band, and his critically acclaimed solo albums such as 1973s Laid Back, 1987s Im No Angel, and his GRAMMY-nominated 2011 album Low Country Blues, produced by T-Bone Burnett.

 Songtrust, the worlds largest global publishing administration service, has unveiled a new logo and brand system to correspond with the companys tenth anniversary. The updated look and feel was revealed to attendees of the first Songtrust Summit, a one-day virtual conference event exclusive to Songtrust clients, which was held on October 15.

Along with the design update, Songtrust has launched a new, updated edition of their Modern Guide to Music Publishing, a free, soup-to-nuts guide about music rights, royalties, and the options available to creators when it comes to managing them.

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Colombias National Protection Unit (UNP) has been accused of unlawfully collecting highly sensitive data about the movements of Claudia Julieta Duque, an investigative journalist who has faced serious death threats and psychological torture at the hands of the Colombian authorities.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins growing calls for the UNP to explain how and why it collected thousands of records without her consent tracking her movements and for all the data to be returned to her

In a letter sent to the director of the UNP, the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) claims to have detected "over 25,000 records, collected by the UNP, taken between February and August 2021 by the GPS device installed in the protection vehicle assigned to the journalist".

According to the organisation, the monitoring is "permanent, detailed and sometimes carried out in 30-second intervals" and includes the "date, time, exact location addresses, direction in which the vehicle is being driven and a Google Maps location link".

Claudia Julieta Duque has complained that she was never informed that the GPS device could carry out such detailed tracking and would be used to track her every move.

"In the inventory they give you when they give you the vehicle, the GPS does not even appear. In other words, it is information that was never made official, that I was never asked for permission or anything," the journalist told LatAm Journalism Review.

Persecuted and harassed for doing her job

For almost a decade, the journalist and her family have suffered persecution and harassment by official and unofficial agents in the service of the now-disbanded Colombian Administrative Department of Security (DAS).

The reason for the hostility towards Duque, who has had to flee the country three times since 2001, was her investigation into the murder of Jaime Garzon, known for his activism and involvement in favour of peace in the South American country.

The persecution against Duque was so intense and involved so many methods of intimidation that in 2017, Prosecutor's Office 189 of the Specialised Directorate against Human Rights Violations, which handled the case, stated that the facts met the characteristics of a crime against humanity.

In August 2020, the judiciary issued a landmark ruling against the Colombian state as directly responsible for the psychological torture suffered by Duque and obliging it to compensate her.

The IFJ has long supported Duque, including through its Safety Fund.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "It is appalling to discover that the UNP, which should be the guarantor of Duque's safety, is collecting sensitive information with no consent that could seriously endanger her life. We deplore these practices by the UNP and demand explanations. Claudia deserves to be able to live in safety."
Free Assange: "Plots against Julian Assange make it impossible to know what would happen in the United States."

On October 28, Assange's lead counsel told the court that credible reports of CIA plots to assassinate or kidnap Julian Assange make it impossible to know what would happen were he were extradited to the United States, Tim Dawson, from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), reports for the IFJ.

Mr Assange has also faced menacing, threatening surveillance, and there have been attempts to steal DNA samples from his children. All render US assurances unbelievable, suggested Fitzgerald, Assanges lead counsel.

He was responding to James Lewis QC, who is putting the case for the extradition. Lewis painted US penal conditions in sunny terms: Mr Assange would have a cell mate, the average sentence for these crimes is only five years, and he would probably have his time in detention taken off his sentence.

The concluding day of the hearings of the US application to overturn its extradition request denial was devoted to the case for sparing Assange American justice. The US wishes to prosecute the Wikileaks founder for 18 offences relating to the leaking and publication of the Afghan and Iraq war logs. The respondent, who is still held in Londons Belmarsh prison, was reported to be too unwell to join proceedings even by video link.

Fitzgerald reiterated in disturbing detail the weight of psychiatric evidence that extradition would make suicide a grave risk. From the moment he arrived in the States, Mr Assange would be held in solitary confinement. This would create conditions in which suicide would be impossible to resist, he said.

Fitzgerald also praised the judge in the earlier hearing for correctly interpreting those sections of the Extradition Act that protect those with mental vulnerabilities. My learned friend (Mr Lewis) points out that no one extradited from the UK to the USA has ever committed suicide whilst in prison. That is precisely because Parliament created a protection so that those at risk are not extradited. That is the law that Judge Baraitser correctly applied in this case.

In the afternoon, Mark Summers QC, also representing Assange, told the court that US promises in respect of the likely treatment of Assange were not credible. He described them as: conditional, qualified and aspirational. Summers said that whatever the detention regime was called, Assange would be held in harsh isolation thereby significantly increasing the suicide risk.

This is the first time that the US has sought the assistance of a UK court after having contemplated kidnap, assassination and poisoning, Summers concluded.

The case is being heard by Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice, and Lord Justice Holroyd. Concluding the hearings, the Lord Chief Justice said: you have given us much to think about and it will take some time to make our decision.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice before yesterdays hearing, former Labour leader Jeremy Corby MP said: Julian Assange should be released immediately. A monstrous injustice has been done to this man whose only crime is telling us the truth.
According to IFJ statistics, more than 35 journalists have been killed this year in the course of their duty - some of whom were hit by bomb blasts, others were killed in cold blood.



On social media, journalists, especially women and those who represent ethnic or racial minorities or LGBTQIA+, are subject to destructive campaigns in an attempt to muzzle them. Death threats, rape threats, doxxing, racist abuse, impersonation have led many journalists to silence themselves, not to mention the psychological damage such attacks leave on the targeted reporter.



Across the globe journalists are regularly attacked while reporting in the field, their equipment is destroyed, their families are threatened. Investigative journalists usually pay the highest price for uncovering money laundering and large scale corruption.



Only 1 out of every 10 journalists' killing is subject to a proper investigation.



This year's IFJ campaign will focus in particular on Afghanistan, Kosovo, Mexico, Somalia and Yemen - countries which have shown a deplorable lack of will to investigate attacks on media workers.



In Afghanistan, 2021 has been the most devastating year for journalists in living memory. As the Talibans new regime consolidates power, journalists and media workers have been directly targeted, from the capital Kabul to the border regions, caught in the crossfire and deliberately assassinated. Between 2010 and 2021, 87 Afghan journalists have been killed in the course of their duties, and in 2021 alone, 13 journalists and media workers have lost their lives. Only 5 of these cases have been resolved, and, under Taliban rule, the remainder are unlikely to ever be given the justice they are owed despite the militant groups insincere assurances to uphold press freedom.



In Kosovo, 19 out of the 20 Serbian and Albanians journalists' who disappeared in the aftermath of the Balkan war remain unresolved. In addition 2021 has seen an escalation of attacks against media workers and the country has one of the highest rates of impunity in Europe.



Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Fifteen years after the countrys military joined the war on drugs, crimes against Mexican press workers and their disappearances are emblematic of the systemic violence which has flowed from it. The IFJ has already documented 7 killings in 2021 and the level of impunity in the country amounts to 95%.

Somalia continues to be one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in Africa. State officials and a corrupt judiciary system have been a serious obstacle to press freedom, while journalists were killed in crossfire, bombings, terrorist attacks or in targeted attacks. Since 2010, 58 journalists have been killed, with the deadliest year being 2012 with 18 killings. The level of impunity remains unacceptably high as only 4 killers have been punished to date. In 2021 alone, the IFJ has registered 20 serious cases of crimes against journalists, including the killing of a journalist in the Puntland region

In Yemen 44 journalists were killed between 2011 and September 2021. According to the IFJ affiliate the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS), none of the perpetrators has been brought to justice. The absence of an independent judiciary and inadequate security conditions have made the death toll and the conditions to report even more difficult and arbitrary detentions, injuries and threats continue to occur on a daily basis.

IFJ President Younes MJahed said: "It is time to put an end to judicial negligence, abusive legislation and governments' blindness. A society that leaves journalists' killers and harassers to walk free is not a democracy. In the name of our colleagues and friends who have been attacked, threatened or killed, of their loved ones who are powerless witnesses of the deliberate muzzling of journalists, in the name of media freedom and the public's right to know, we want justice now. And we want the truth."

To join the IFJ impunity campaign and help hold governments to account, click here
You already know Biden's Build Back Better social spending and climate agenda was in for a haircut, but the programs on the cutting room floor may be something of a surprise.

The now $1.85-trillion social spending and climate change plan -- which was cut nearly in half from an earlier $3.5-trillion proposal -- still contains many of the bill's original provisions, such as universal pre-K and clean energy upgrades. Yet some benefits that the White House formerly promoted as beneficial to small businesses in particular are gone or much diminished.

Employer subsidies for offering paid leave have disappeared from the plan. So too have efforts aimed at fortifying the lending programs offered by the Small Business Administration. The intent of the cuts is to reduce the size of the overall package to make it more appealing to some Senate Democrats -- including Joe Manchin (D-WV) -- who have tied their approval to a smaller price tag.

Earlier budget resolution proposals called for an extension of employer-subsidized paid leave -- with 12 weeks of paid leave by year 10 of the program -- and three days of bereavement leave per year starting in year one. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, first passed on March 18, 2020 and extended through September 30, 2021, by the Economic Aid Act, fully subsidized enhanced paid leave benefits for all employers.

The expanded child care tax credit, another program the White House previously painted as key for small businesses, would only get a one-year extension under the new plan. The new framework has the existing $3,000 credit for children 6- to 17-years-old or $3,600 credit for children under 6 extending through 2022, while an earlier proposal had the benefit lasting through 2025. Presumably, after 2022, the child tax credit would revert to $2,000 per child.

There's no mention of an earlier proposal to allow the SBA to engage in a direct lending program aimed at helping improve capital access among companies led by founders from underrepresented groups or those who may be located in economically disadvantaged communities. Nor is there any nod to Biden's formerly stated idea to inject "billions of dollars" into the SBA's flagship 7(a) loan program. Biden had also been expected to ask Congress to seed a new financing facility to allow the federal government to co-invest with private capital in small manufacturers, and he said he would call for an increase in federal contracting opportunities for small businesses.

It's unclear if the plan, in its current form, would net any support from Republicans. However, since Democrats maintain marginal control over both the House and the Senate, they do not need any GOP support for "reconciliation" or budget bills. They do, however, need Democrats to fall in line.

Smaller companies may be cheered by the fact that tax increases, in a traditional sense, seem to be off the table. Biden has long called for overturning much of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the sweeping $1.9 trillion tax reform law passed under then-President Donald Trump that cut the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 28 percent, among other things. Although that plan has largely failed to increase business investment levels, Senate lawmakers, including Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are digging in their heels against raising taxes at all.

That means a plan to phase out the Section 199A qualified business income deduction for taxpayers with incomes of more than $400,000 may not come to pass, which is a good thing for anyone making more than that amount. Qualified business income is defined as money generated through the normal course of running a company and does not include capital gains. Yet tied into this phase-out proposal was a measure aimed at increasing the fairness of the deduction, so professional services providers like lawyers, accountants, and dentists could also access the deduction, which they can't currently do.

Revenue raisers like this would be replaced by, among other things, a 15 percent minimum tax on book income -- that is, income before taxes and the amount most often disclosed to shareholders -- of "large, highly profitable" corporations. While it's not clear what "large" means in this respect, corporations with more than $1 billion in profits that report to shareholders would be expected to comply.

There's also a plan to levy a new surtax on the income of multi-millionaires and billionaires -- or the wealthiest 0.02 percent of Americans. The surtax, amounting to 5 percent, would kick in on incomes above $10 million, and there would be an additional 3 percent surtax on income above $25 million.

The plan would also prevent some wealthy taxpayers from utilizing a tax loophole allowing them to avoid paying the 3.8 percent Medicare tax on their earnings. As the tax mainly applies to compensation, pass-through businesses can elect to categorize more of their business income as profits rather than compensation -- thereby avoiding paying a portion of the tax. This change likely would only affect those with incomes of $400,000 or more, as Biden has vowed to not raise taxes on any Americans who earn less, suggests Garrett Watson, an analyst from the Tax Foundation. And the exemption, he adds, would likely remain for those with incomes below this amount.
Last week, Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of logistics company Flexport, took a boat tour of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to better understand the logjam there. What happened next is a lesson in creative thinking amidst the current shipping and logistics crunch.

After Petersen learned that the docks were too crowded to accept empty containers -- which in turn meant truckers couldn't collect their new shipments -- he tweeted a thread filled with suggestions. Among them: End restrictions on stacking empty containers more than two high.

The thread went viral, and thinkers from the worlds of logistics, tech, and government chimed in. California Governor Gavin Newsom called Petersen to discuss the issues, according to the Los Angeles Times. The mayor of Long Beach soon got involved as well, and by the end of the day, the city had temporarily changed its rules to allow empty containers to be stacked four high, thereby allowing more truckers to pick up and transport new shipments of goods.

U.S. consumers have experienced long shipping delays in recent months amidst worker shortages and rising e-commerce volume. Experts predict that will get worse as the holidays approach. As such, one Bloomberg columnist predicted Petersen's thread "could be the tweetstorm that saves Christmas."

Still, experts told the L.A. Times, the potential impact of the rule change is limited, since many yards don't have the equipment necessary to stack containers that high.

Flexport, No. 8 on the 2018 Inc. 5000, is on pace for $3.2 billion in revenue this year, more than double last year's revenue.

The story is a reminder that business owners will need to get extra creative when it comes to their shipping and logistics strategies this holiday season. According to Inc.com columnist Laura Behrens Wu, co-founder and CEO of enterprise shipping platform Shippo, it's wise to:
Picknik's software allows robots to work alongside humans and perform everyday tasks and more intelligently. Photographs by Ross Mantle

If a robot one day helps you make breakfast or change a diaper, there's a good chance PickNik Robotics had a hand in it.

The Boulder, Colorado-based company develops software that makes robots smarter, allowing them to make better decisions and perform tasks more intelligently.

Hardware is the easy part when it comes to robotics. "There are a lot of companies that have been providing decent robot arms for a couple of decades now," says PickNik founder and CEO Dave Coleman. "The real challenge is making them smarter."

Tackling this difficult problem has mined a huge business opportunity. PickNik earned $2.2 million in revenue in 2020, giving it a three-year growth rate of 966 percent and helping it land at No. 505 on this year's Inc. 5000 list. Coleman says the company's clients have included NASA, Google, Amazon, and robotics upstarts like Kindred and Plus One Robotics.

Coleman interned at robotics startup Willow Garage back in 2010. The young company employed many of the industry's brightest minds: Early staffers went on to found companies like Savioke, which makes bots for the hotel industry, and Zipline, a manufacturer of drones meant to deliver blood and other medical supplies to remote areas.

"That was really the starting point of my whole career," says Coleman, "being surrounded by all these amazing roboticists."

During his time at Willow Garage, Coleman worked on creating open-source software that powered robotic arms. After the company folded in 2014, he continued developing the platform, earning money by consulting for clients on how to use it in conjunction with their robots. Demand was so great that he decided to form a business based on the software the following year.

Picking up toys is less of a chore when you live with a PickNik-powered robot. Photographs by Ross Mantle

When combined with PickNik's platform, a robotic arm that previously used to, say, pick up and put down components in factories suddenly is able to better negotiate its environment. A bot can be trained to avoid humans or make decisions about which pieces of equipment to move and which to leave alone. For the company's various clients, PickNik's software helps machines efficiently and safely perform a variety of tasks like picking fruits and vegetables, prepping meals, assisting with surgeries, and working on underwater oil and gas rigs.

PickNik's platform is hardware agnostic, so it can be used with off-the-shelf arms as well as custom-built ones. That's proven beneficial to the company, helping ensure it can work with clients in a wide variety of industries from manufacturing to farming. The 30-employee startup still offers open-source software, but it also has a premium offering that includes additional functionality, more customization, and support from its employees.

"How can someone who doesn't have a computer science degree or an engineering degree successfully control a robot and do all sorts of cool stuff with it?" says Coleman. "That's what our product offering does."

PickNik hasn't taken any venture capital, though it has won grants from State of Colorado, NASA, and other grant-givers. The company is working with NASA on a robotic vehicle that could be used to unload cargo and perform other tasks in the new space station. Coleman says that not taking venture capital has allowed PickNik to test the waters in exciting markets -- like space -- without having to promise massive returns to investors.

"We're having fun," says Coleman. "As long as we make money, we're happy, even if this isn't a unicorn company."

The way things are going, though, it might become one anyway.

EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIES
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Revenue from operations grew by 33% YoY to Rs 2,398.16 crore during Q3 CY2021, primarily on account of robust volume growth over last year and higher realization on a consolidated basis.

Realization per case improved by 3.6% to Rs 156.4 per case in Q3 CY2021 driven by higher realizations in international territories.

Total sales volumes were up 28.4% YoY at 153.3 million cases in Q3 CY2021 as compared to 119.5 million cases in Q3 CY2020.

Gross margins declined by 278 bps YoY during Q3 CY2021 primarily because of increase in pet prices in India.

EBITDA increased by 29.9% to Rs. 494.66 crore in Q3 CY2021 from Rs 380.79 crore in Q3 CY2020. EBITDA margin was at 20.6% in Q3 CY2021, despite lower gross margins as higher volumes assisted the company achieve better operating leverage.

Finance cost in Q3 CY 2021 declined by 26.4% to Rs. 42.69 crore from Rs. 57.96 crore in Q3 CY2020. The company continues to reduce its debt and lower its average cost of borrowing, Varun Beverages said.

Ravi Jaipuria, chairman, Varun Beverages, said, ?The results were supported by strong volume growth of 28% driven by uptick in demand across markets. Even on a 2-year CAGR basis, our organic volumes were higher by 11%.

On the profitability front, we were able to maintain a healthy EBITDA margin of 21% during the quarter backed by higher operating leverage despite an increase in raw material prices. While the industry practice is that any input cost increase is passed on, we have also worked on our cost efficiencies. We are continuously monitoring the input prices to sustain our margin that will enable us to further strengthen our position in the beverage industry.

Following easing of lockdown restrictions and improving macro trends, we witnessed enhanced traction in the domestic demand environment which exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Out-of-home consumption registered an uptick driven by increase in travel and resumption in offices.

On the whole, we remain optimistic on the demand environment, given improving macros, onset of festive season and a growing sense of normalcy across domestic and international markets.?

The board of Varun Beverages today approved a proposal for setting up a new plant of the company for manufacturing of plastic preforms and plastic closures at Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir. It also approved a proposal for setting up a new plant of the Company for manufacturing of juice, carbonated soft drinks and packaged drinking water at Baruni, Begusarai, Bihar.

Varun Beverages is a key player in beverage industry and one of the largest franchisee of PepsiCo in the world (outside USA). The company produces and distributes a wide range of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), as well as a large selection of non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including packaged drinking water sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo. VBL has been granted franchises for various PepsiCo products across 27 States and 7 Union Territories in India along with franchise for territories of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The scrip shed 0.41% to currently trade at Rs 819.15 on the BSE.

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Popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumars sudden death at the age of 46 left many heartbroken. Reportedly, the actor complained of chest pain at his gym and was rushed to the hospital but couldnt survive. He took his last breath on Friday.



Twitter

Right from his fans, celebs across the industry and politicians mourned the untimely death of Puneeth.

His last rites will be done with state honours, declared Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai says that the last rites of actor Puneeth Rajkumar will be done with state honours. pic.twitter.com/Cy7D8kCDC1  ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2021

As per quoted by ANI, CM Basavaraj said, We will ensure that all arrangements are made. All will be able to pay their respects tomorrow. We will give him state honours. Last rites will be performed as per the familys wishes.

Twitter

Rest in peace, superstar. You will be dearly missed.
In a unique initiative, four college friends have launched a clothes bank for the poor and needy, where they can drop and pick any garment for Re 1 in Bengaluru.

The initiative called Imagine Clothes Bank was kickstarted on September 12 at an apartment in Lava Kusha Layout in the Electronic City area of Karnataka capital Bengaluru. The 'shop' is opened only on Sundays for the time being.

BCCL

The initiative was the brainchild of four friends-Melisha Noronha, Vinod Prem Lobo, Nitin Kumar and Vignesh. The four friends have been extensively involved in social work, according to a report in Times of India.



What is it about?

The idea is on the lines of community refrigerators to feed the hungry. It is aimed at ensuring the underprivileged are accorded dignity and respect besides the right to choose their own clothes, which generally doesn't happen when they wear borrowed or offered clothes.



A Community Clothes Bank for the Poor in #Bengaluru.. Clothes Bank for the underprivileged is unveiled in Electronics City. A 700-sq-ft boutique is open on Sundays where the needy can pick any piece of clothing for just  1.. pic.twitter.com/m6DyR68ty2  Madhu (@Sudhana2302) October 29, 2021





When did they think of it?

"It all goes back to our college days in 2002 at Mangaluru's St Aloysius. At that time we had started a clothes bank for the city's poor. We used to collect clothes through contributions by school students in the city. We carried out the clothes distribution successfully till the time we got into our jobs," the report quoted Lobo as saying, who is now a communication professional with an IT company.



But now, they are back together. In early 2021, especially after the Covid-19 crisis and lockdowns left thousands of daily wage labourers and migrant workers unemployed, they decided on opening a clothes bank for the poor in Karnatakas capital city.



BCCL

How do they use the money earned from it?

The clothing line includes shirts, pants, skirts, saris and jackets. Some of the stuff is new and some are as good as new. The clothes are displayed like any other clothing at a showroom. Two staff members ensure the pieces are segregated according to age, size and type. The sales money is used to fund educational or medical needs of families in need.

Twitter

According to the four friends, they are serving at least 150 families a week after getting an overwhelming response. Having received the kind of response from patrons for seven straight Sundays, the buddies now plan to open a toy bank for underprivileged children this Childrens Day (November 14).

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


"I'm an extreme introvert. I can't imagine why anyone would want public attention," the whistleblower currently locking horns with Facebook, one of world's largest tech companies, Sophie Zhang said as the mewing of one of her cats infiltrated our conversation.



The first ex-Facebook employee to make the company's inner workings public, Sophie Zhang called on the world to take notice when she spoke publicly about the company about half a year ago. "I came forward half a year ago, you just didn't pay attention earlier," Zhang proclaimed. With Facebook's motives under increasing spotlight, the world is finally paying attention to what Sophie Zhang has to say about the social media giant.

Associated Press

Sophie Zhang's duties at Facebook

During her time at Facebook, Zhang worked in the Site Integrity Fake Engagement Team as a data scientist. Her work focused on bot accounts used to manipulate the public mood, more often than not in authoritarian regimes.

While Facebook faces mistrust for amplifying hate speech and not doing enough to contain misinformation, Zhang believes that "most activity on Facebook is not political". In fact, Zhang claims the allure of social media's popularity lies in people's ambitions to be famous and recognisable.

Lisa Danz

Also read: New Whistleblower Alleges Facebook's Criminality, Says She Has 'Blood On Her Hands'

"Our team's purpose was not to report, but to clean up these kinds of activities," Zhang explained. She also alluded to the competition enmeshed into Facebook's existence, claiming that it pits people against each other, which in turn, may compel them to find other means to generate engagement on their platforms (i.e., buying likes or through fake accounts).

Why Sophie blew the lid on Facebook

"When I worked to protect Indian democracy; when I found fake accounts that were being used to manipulate Indian people, this was work I was doing in my spare time," Zhang told us.

In the beginning of this project, Zhang "naively" believed that she would find the right people at Facebook who would "take ownership" of such work. But that didn't happen. Instead, she was let go in September, 2020 for not keeping up with her allocated work. Before being officially terminated, Zhang was asked to stop working on her side project about manipulation in 2019.

Also read: Whistleblower Alleges Facebook's Dismal Response To Hate Speech In India



"What was probably the deciding moment for me [to come forward] was in 2019 when I was officially told to stop". Facebook claimed that Zhang's work about "protecting Indian democracy" was useless to the company. "As a result of it, I was considered to be a bad employee," Zhang told Indiatimes.

Contrary to popular belief, Zhang cleared the air and said that her takedown on Facebook was not a retaliation to her termination. In fact, it was the rationale behind her removal that shocked her. "Part of the arguments that they gave to me was that if this [work] was actually important, then I should not work on it." Facebook's "reactive" tendencies were stressed on by Zhang, who said that Facebook waited for things to get dire before taking any action.



What happened after blowing the lid

Zhang also told us how it would be a personal nightmare for her to be famous, even as a whistleblower caught in the Facebook-flavoured eye of the storm. "I'm very grateful that I can go out without being recognised," she gleefully said.

ABC

But fame naturally follows an unravelling of such proportions, along with a series of self-imposed restrictions for Zhang. Blowing the lid on Facebook meant that Zhang couldn't take on a new role at any company. "I think that it would be unfair to any company [for me] to be trying to manage the responsibility of doing interviews and press appearances at the same time I was trying to hold down a job," she told Indiatimes while adding that she is currently able to sustain herself from savings during her time at Facebook.

Also read: Hateful Ads On Facebook Are Cheaper Than Other Ads, Says Facebook Whistleblower



The challenges to speaking truth to power are multi-fold. Zhang believes that "standard criticisms" of Facebook whistleblowers are that they speak on "areas that they have no knowledge of, or that they're in it for profit and attention." But Zhang did it anyway, saying "Facebook was going to criticise me regardless."

For her, the driving force to come out publicly was partly owing to her conviction in "conclusively disproving that Facebook was a good actor who could be trusted."

Going to the press is not how Zhang envisioned the process would pan out when she set out to make Facebook's misdemeanours public. "It's important to work within the system at first - to give them every chance to function before you give it up in the press."

Why nothing changed after she spoke out

Zhang claims that ultimately, she can only "provide information". "It isn't up to [me] to personally fix a solution."

"I only have as much power as people give me and that's dependent on not myself, but the reactions of people, of reporters who choose to interview me, of politicians who choose to consider my words and everyday people who hear those words and consider approaching me for a solution," Zhang told us.

According to Sophie Zhang, she simply lacks the "specific set of skills required to be heard." Nevertheless, Zhang is glad to finally be taken seriously.

Facebook not very pleased

Fighting one of the world's largest social media, err, metaverse companies is a herculean task that comes with different shades of pressure. But Zhang doesn't let it get to her. "I've been staying home and petting my cats. They are usually very good cats," she said, as one of her cats "Midnight" took advantage of Zhang's busy moment to steal some food.



Lisa Danz

The claims put forward by Sophie Zhang and most recently, Frances Haugen, another former employee of Facebook were not received warmly by Mark Zuckerberg. On Monday, Zuckerberg hit out at whistleblowers for carrying out a "coordinated attack against Facebook".

Also read: Defying Whistleblowers, Zuckerberg Blames 'Coordinated' Attack On Facebook



At the same time, Zuckerberg absolved Facebook of most responsibility by saying that polarisation in society predates Facebook, and even him. His messaging was on-brand for Facebook. Through the allegations and confirmations through internal documents, Facebook has maintained that it does the most to protect protect users and democracies alike.

"This is a reaction that is very emblematic of Facebook," Zhang told Indiatimes. Comparing Facebook's modus operandi to modern day dictatorships like Russia and Belarus, Zhang shed light on how "domestic dissent is unthinkable" for such regimes.

"Any disagreement has to be false," Sophie Zhang said. Not much later, she compared Facebook to Soviet Union, which she rightly pointed out "claimed to be the vanguard of workers' rights" but cracked down on the same workers when they resisted Soviet rule in 1956.

"This is how autocracy functions," Zhang said in an attempt to explain why all critics and whistleblowers are labelled as "traitors" by authoritarian regimes and Facebook alike.

The Guardian/Indiatimes

For Zhang, there's not much differentiating the company from such regimes. In fact, many theorists have referred to Facebook and the likes of social media giants as "quasi-governments" - an apt terminology given the far-reaching effects of the social media on democracy and social harmony, which were revealed in detail in what have been dubbed as the "Facebook Papers" over the week.

Even though Zhang feels there's no point in sending across a message to Zuckerberg at this juncture in Facebook's development, she does hope that the man behind the world's most used social networking platform would "grow a conscience" and "fix his product" in a way that user integrity and democracy are both preserved in the long run.

What do you think about Sophie Zhang and her claims about Facebook's malpractices? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For the second series of Sophie Chronicles and the latest in tech and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
File photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressing the media during a protest march by Opposition leaders from Parliament to Vijay Chowk against issues like Pegasus, on Aug. 12, 2021 in New Delhi, India. (Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
 Chinese suppliers of seaborne battery-grade lithium hydroxide price succeed in translating higher offers into transactions in the Asian spot market.

 Lithium prices in Chinas domestic market rise on month-end restocking.

 Europe, US markets steady

Concerns over both a short-term tightness in the battery-grade lithium hydroxide spot market and a deficit market in 2022 led to prices for seaborne cargoes in Asia rising in the past week.

Fastmarkets weekly assessment of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea was $26-28 per kg on Thursday, up by $1 per kg from $25-27 per kg in the previous week.

Major suppliers in and out of China have struggled to allocate units outside their long-term commitments to the spot market, while some consumers in the region are finding it increasingly difficult to secure much material as they require when negotiating for next years term contracts, sources told Fastmarkets.

At least two distributor sources in Japan have told Fastmarkets they had received inquiries for term contracts from new local consumers.

"Many who are not our regular customers recently approached us," one of the sources said. "That might be because their usual suppliers could no longer meet their demand."

A trader in Asia noted the consumers from the traditional chemicals sector might have encountered even bigger challenges in securing lithium units.

"Lubricating grease and ceramics are probably suffering more," the trader said. "Major producers will focus more on the production of battery-grade units as opposed to technical-grade."

Prices for seaborne technical-grade lithium hydroxide in Asia have been at parity with those for battery-grade materials since mid-September, according to Fastmarkets data.

A few Chinese lithium hydroxide producers - major suppliers to South Korea and Japan - have been aggressive with their offers in light of rising prices for spodumene, the feedstock used to produce lithium salts.

At Australian miner Pilbara Minerals third auction via its Battery Material Exchange platform on Tuesday, bids for spodumene reached a high of $2,350 per dry metric tonne (dmt). This is $110 per dmt higher than that in the second auction in late September.

Spot trades for lithium hydroxide in Asias seaborne market were concluded at or close to $28 per kg in the past week, whereas some suppliers in China claimed that they would not consider selling anything unless East Asian buyers could pay the same level as those in Chinas domestic market.

Fastmarkets assessment of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate, 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price range, exw domestic China was 185,000-205,000 yuan ($28,915-32,040) per tonne on Thursday, narrowing upward by 8,000 yuan per tonne from 177,000-205,000 yuan per tonne a week earlier.

Offers from different producers in the spot market remained in a wide range with some of them having fewer available units. This led them to test the market with higher offers.

Some aggressive offers were at or above 210,000 yuan per tonne, according to market participants.

A consumer source in China noted that such high offers were mostly from producers whose output had been reduced by their using lower grades of spodumene concentrate or because they had less of the feedstock due to a shortage.

Carbonate prices up amid LFP strength

News of electric vehicle (EV) producer Teslas higher adoption of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, costlier feedstock and monthly restocking in China have all contributed to the strength of lithium carbonate prices across the board in Asia.

Fastmarkets assessment of the lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price range, ex-works domestic China was at 195,000-200,000 yuan per tonne on Thursday, up by 5,000 yuan per tonne on the low end from a week earlier.

Fastmarkets assessment of the lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea was $25.50-27.50 per kg on the same day, up by $0.50 per kg from $25.00-27.00 per kg last week.

Sentiment toward lithium carbonate improved after Tesla said it would adopt LFP batteries on all its standard-range models globally.

That said, some market participants have raised concerns over the rapidly rising prices for lithium carbonate, which will eat up the margins of LFP battery manufacturers and force them to slow the pace of their production ramp-up, which in turn might weigh on the market.

On the other hand, lithium carbonate producers raised their offers due to elevated purchasing costs for spodumene, while market participants acknowledged that the pressure on lithium carbonate producers might be higher compared with those on lithium hydroxide producers given that the former need to use more spodumene in the production process.

The first consumer source in China said that to produce one tonne of battery-grade lithium carbonate, approximately 7.8 tonnes of spodumene is needed. This compares with about 7 tonnes for lithium hydroxide.

Stable European, US markets

Spot lithium prices in Europe and the United States were unchanged in the past week after the gains of the previous week. But sources expect that price plateau to be short-lived.

They expect the strength from the more liquid Chinese market to filter through in the coming weeks.

Fastmarkets assessed the lithium carbonate 99% Li2CO3 min, technical and industrial grades, spot price ddp Europe and US at $24-25 per kg on Thursday, unchanged week on week. The price was at $21-22 per kg in mid-October.

The lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe and US was also flat, at $25-27 per kg. The price was at $21-22 per kg in mid-October.

Sources reported that the supply tightness in Europe and the US was mostly due to soaring prices in Asia, especially in China, with global producers allocating available stock to these more lucrative markets. This means the European and US markets will have to play catch up to secure units.
The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office is investigating "multiple incidents" at Harmony Middle School this week involving a male student touching other students inappropriately over their clothing.

At the end of the school day Wednesday, the school resource officer learned from school staff that earlier in the day a male student was inappropriately touched over his clothing by another male student in a hallway, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

"At this time detectives have determined there are additional male students who were inappropriately touched by the same juvenile," the release said. "Those incidents had not been previously reported to school officials or law enforcement."

The sheriff's office is currently conducting follow-ups with school officials, witnesses and parents, the release said. The sheriff's office did not say whether any charges have been placed.

The report comes days after a 14-year-old Loudoun County high school student charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a schoolmate in a bathroom was found guilty in juvenile court. That case has sparked outrage among parents after the teen was moved to a new school and charged in a second sexual assault case.
Virginians will elect the states first woman to serve as lieutenant governor on Nov. 2.

The question is, which one?

Democratic Del. Hala Ayala, who represents Prince William Countys 51st District, is facing Republican Winsome Sears to be second in line of succession in the Virginia government.

In Virginia, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the state Senate, presiding over sessions and casting the deciding vote in the case of a tie. That power has been frequently used in the past several years as Democrats hold just a two-seat majority through 2024. The Senate was evenly split between parties from 2012 to 2016, and Republicans held a two-seat majority for the next four years.

Unlike the states top office, lieutenant governors can serve consecutive four-year terms. However, current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax didnt seek re-election but instead unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor.

The position has overwhelmingly been held by Democrats since being established in 1851. Of the 41 people to serve as lieutenant governor, 29 have been Democrats, seven were Republicans, two served during the Confederacy and three didnt have a party.

Only three Republicans have held the post since 1886, the most recent being Bill Bolling from 2006 to 2014.

Although the race typically draws less attention than others, it has recently been used as a stepping stone to the governorship, with nine lieutenant governors later being elected to the top office in the state.

Whichever woman is elected will be not only the first woman to be the states lieutenant governor but also the first woman of color elected to any statewide office.

Ayala was elected to the House of Delegates from the Woodbridge-based 51st District in 2017 and re-elected in 2019. She is vice chair of the House Finance, Labor and Commerce and Communications, Technology and Innovation committees.

Sears served one term in the House of Delegates after surprisingly ousting 20-year incumbent Del. Billy Robinson in the 90th District, which covers the Norfolk area, in 2001.

She unsuccessfully challenged longtime U.S. Rep. Robert Scott for his congressional seat in 2004. Sears also ran a write-in campaign as an alternative to former Prince William Board Chair Corey Stewart in the 2018 U.S. Senate election.

If Ayala is successful, it appears she would be just the second person from Prince William elected to statewide office.

William Grayson, who was born in what is now the Woodbridge area, was elected as one of Virginias first two U.S. senators in 1789, according to the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union. Grayson died a year later, the first sitting member of Congress to die in office.

The latest poll from Christopher Newport University showed Ayala leading with 48% to Sears 44%, with 8% undecided. However, a poll this week from VCU showed Ayala with just a 1-point lead among likely voters.

In fundraising, Ayala is far ahead with more than $3.9 million in contributions collected through Sept. 30. Sears reported $1.95 million through the same period. As of Oct. 21, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, Ayala had $323,000 cash on hand, and Sears had just $84,000.

Ayala supports continued funding and expansion of Medicaid. She advocates for investment in workforce training, 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave and increases to the states minimum wage.

Ayalas campaign website calls for increased investment in public transportation and infrastructure, expanded broadband access and transitioning the state to solar and wind power. Ayala also supports womens right to an abortion and expanded access to birth control and contraception.

Sears, a businesswoman from Winchester, supports the states designation as a right-to-work state, which means membership in a union cannot be a condition of employment.

She calls for eliminating the state sales tax on food, providing a tax rebate of $600 for joint filers and $300 for individuals and requiring voter approval of local property tax increases. She supports investment in entrepreneurship for Black Virginians and a large investment in historically Black colleges and universities.

Sears also supports a pay raise for law enforcement, eliminating all taxes on the first $40,000 of military veteran retirement pay and expanding veterans care centers throughout the state.

Election Guide: House of Delegates 13th District Voters in Western Prince William County and Manassas Park will choose between political newc

Election Guide: House of Delegates 2nd District Voters in the 2nd District of the Virginia House of Delegates can award the incumbent with h
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The executive director of the Virginia Education Association told members of the Prince William chapter Thursday night that the statewide group was stepping in to support the local unit and that a memorandum of understanding agreed to on Monday was not a takeover.

In a virtual meeting, Brenda Pike, executive director of the VEA, addressed Prince William Education Association members for the first time since the memorandum was made public. She said that the agreement  which will install a trustee to oversee PWEA finances, bylaws and elections  would in no way hinder progress on collective bargaining for Prince Williams teachers.

Pike also said that the agreement itself was not up for a vote from the chapters membership or building representatives because the PWEAs board of directors voted 7-4 to enter into it.

After the address from Pike, PWEAs representative assembly (the group of voting members from each school building) approved a plan for training, organizing and voting on collective bargaining rights.

Pike said the trusteeship will do a very limited number of things to help the local and to help your leadership and your PWEA board thrive, be able to come together and do what unions do in building a high-functioning board with a high-functioning leadership.

Earlier in the week, PWEA President Maggie Hansford insisted that the memorandum was not legally approved under the associations bylaws until building representatives voted on it, but Pike refuted that and said the decision wasnt up to the assembly.

InsideNoVa was provided access to the Zoom call with Pike by a PWEA member. The VEA has not responded to InsideNoVas questions about the situation with the Prince William chapter.

PWEA held its regularly scheduled rep assembly after the address from Pike. Hansford said there was a vote on the memorandum of understanding with the VEA and that our rep assembly overwhelmingly voted  to direct the board to not enter into such an agreement because they do not hold that authority.

Pike listed a series of factors that led to the VEAs decision, including dysfunction on the board, disputes about procedural matters and concerns about certain expenses. She also said that a VEA staffer had been working with the board for six months to try to reconcile the divisions, but that the effort was unsuccessful.

Several PWEA board members and a former PWEA president have lodged a number of allegations about Hansfords tenure, including that she raised her own salary without proper approval and has overspent union funds on things like t-shirts. Hansfords backers have said that the salary issue was a legitimate mistake due to miscommunication among the PWEAs board and that she repaid the difference from two pay periods in which her salary was incorrectly inflated.

Pike said the locals finances were very healthy, saying the PWEA was probably one of the most healthy organizations financially in the VEA.

We want to make sure that all the finances are as they should be. There is no reason for you to believe that there is any funny business going on with your money, with your dues, Pike told members. But there have been accusations that some monies were not spent according to the right process for how we should determine how to spend your dues.

Speaking with InsideNoVa, Hansford said the locals healthy financial position proves theres no need for a trusteeship. Thats exactly why I am adamantly against this trusteeship. I continue to state that the board has no authority to sign into such an agreement.

Pike also tried to put to bed a rumor that members of the VEA board had been coordinating with members of the Prince William County School Board, which will ultimately have the say in whether the countys teachers get collective bargaining rights.

Hansford said the PWEA assembly also approved a plan of action for getting teachers in all county school buildings to vote on whether they want collective bargaining. If a majority votes yes, the results will be submitted to the School Board, which will then have 120 days to respond under a state law passed in 2020.

Several School Board members confirmed that they hadnt been contacted by anyone from the VEA, and Chair Babur Lateef issued a statement Thursday morning backing Hansford.

Potomac School Board member Justin Wilk also released a statement on Facebook, saying hed been working directly with President Hansford on collective bargaining since May and would continue the partnership moving forward.

Lateef told InsideNoVa that he was more focused on the school divisions pandemic response than any issues around collective bargaining in the future. But when asked whether the PWEAs trusteeship would affect collective bargaining discussions, he said wanted to work with Hansford and not the VEA.

I, personally, am very comfortable dealing with the duly-elected president of the PWEA. I have a hard time dealing with people who are not from this district, Lateef said. And I think its best for the VEA to retreat to Richmond and let us work with the current elected officials in the PWEA.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect who shot a man Oct. 20 at a Falls Church-area ATM, officials said Oct. 29.

The shooting occurred around 5:20 a.m. as the 73-year-old victim, who was on his way to work, accessed an ATM at the Wells Fargo bank branch at 2928 Annandale Road. The suspect, wearing what police say were a distinctive-looking backpack and white sneakers with thick black laces, approached the victim and startled him, causing him to drop his wallet and spill his credit cards.

The suspect shot the victim once with a revolver and departed the scene without making off with any of the victims money or credit cards, police said. No ATM transaction appears to have taken place during the incident, authorities said.

There was no struggle, there was no fight, there was no resistance, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said during an earlier press briefing. The gunman just shoots our victim in the chest. One shot.

A bicyclist discovered the victim, Nelson Alexander Sr., 73, of Falls Church, lying on the ground at 6:14 a.m. that day. Alexander underwent surgery at a local hospital, but died from his injuries three days later. There was a vigil for him at the crime scene Saturday night.

Charlie Patterson, special agent in charge of ATFs Washington field office, offered Alexanders family his deepest condolences and called the shooting an absolute tragedy and unacceptable.

Patterson pledged ATFs full assistance in trying to bring the suspect to justice and said county police would have access to all of the agencys investigative and analytical resources. He encouraged people with tips on the case to call 888-ATF-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.

County police ask anyone who has information about the suspect, recognizes him from the banks surveillance footage or may have witnessed the shooting to call the Major Crimes Bureau at (703) 246-7800, option 2. The public also may submit tips anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) and by texting FCCS plus tip to 847411.

Maj. Edward OCarroll, commander of the Fairfax County Police Departments Major Crimes/Cyber and Forensics Bureau, said the department has been inundated with tips from the community regarding this case.

OCarroll called the shooting a very tragic and senseless loss.

County police played a video showing what appears to be the suspect and two other young men boarding a Metrobus on Oct. 20 at 1:20 a.m. near the Seven Corners Shopping Center in the 6200 block of Arlington Boulevard. The video depicts the trio getting on the bus, chatting in the seats during the ride and departing in the city of Alexandria.

Another video shows a dark-colored 2009 Nissan Murano near the crime scene around the time of the shooting. Authorities said the vehicle had been stolen several hours earlier from the 5200 block of Dover Place in the city of Alexandria.

County police on Oct. 24 found the vehicle on Marshall Street about a half-mile from the bank branch and continue to process it for forensic evidence. Police think the vehicle was abandoned shortly after the shooting. Police are trying to identify all three people in the bus video and are asking area residents to review their home-surveillance video footage not only from Oct. 19 to 20 but also from days preceding the shooting.

Authorities think the three people in the video may have been engaged in other criminal activity that night. The encounter that ended with Alexanders shooting likely was a crime of opportunity, OCarroll said.

At least one of the young men in the video at times bared his face completely, so some members of the public likely can identify him, police said. Authorities are trying to identify all three of the men in the video, OCarroll said.

Justice is necessary before another person gets hurt or killed in our community, he said.

Falls Church man shot in ATM robbery dies of his injuries The case of the senior man who was shot during an ATM robbery in Falls Church has been upgra

Fairfax police use full-court press to find shooter of man at ATM Fairfax County police are seeking a suspect who shot a 73-year-old man Oct. 20 as he was accessing an ATM in the Falls Church area.
Today Voice of America released its documentary, Terror in Tigray: The Ethiopian Refugee Crisis, the newest in a series of films examining forced displacement due to war or conflict around the globe. In addition to English, the film is released in three other languages spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea: Afan Oromo, Amharic and Tigrigna. VOA broadcasts in these languages through its Horn of Africa service.

For the new film, VOA refugee correspondent Heather Murdock visited the Um Rakuba refugee camp in Sudan this year where tens of thousands of people who fled Ethiopias northern Tigray region sought refuge, amid multiple reports of human rights abuses, atrocities and serious food shortages. Murdock also visited the Tigray province itself where roads are often closed and communication with the rest of the country is extremely limited. Camp residents reported collecting dead bodies from the streets and seeing homes and businesses looted or destroyed.

The 25-minute documentary features animations by VOAs Brian Williamson that illustrate the plight of separated families, young children escaping bombardments and pregnant women walking through forests dodging wild animals to reach safety in a refugee camp. Executives with Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, describe the events in Tigray as possible crimes against humanity, while multiple human rights organizations warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.

The Voice of America has been reporting for years on the plight of refugees, featuring multiple personal and powerful accounts of atrocities and violence, said Acting VOA Director Yolanda Lpez. This documentary is another compelling VOA film that sheds light on the experiences of refugee camp populations in the midst of conflict zones.

VOAs Horn of Africa service broadcasts to Ethiopia and Eritrea in three languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna. Amharic programming is available to more than 100 million people living in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as within diaspora communities throughout the world. Afan Oromo programs are directed at an estimated 37 percent of Ethiopians living in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, while Tigrigna is available to more than 9 million people throughout the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia and in Eritrea, as well as in Libya.
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.
The son of a man who died in a snowblower accident in 2017 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both of Bangors hospitals and two medical professionals.

Herbert Pelletier, 86, died four years ago of complications of a ruptured spleen caused by the handle of his snowblower. The lawsuit alleged that Pelletier was not properly diagnosed and that delayed treatment led to his death, The Bangor Daily News reported.

His son, Gary Pelletier, 69, filed the lawsuit Oct. 15 and named St. Joseph Hospital and the parent company of Northern Light Health, EMMC, as the defendants.

Pelletier was injured Dec. 13, 2017, went to the emergency room at St. Joseph Hospital, and was told that his spleen was enlarged but not bleeding. His doctor recommended his release shortly afterward.

Two weeks later, Pelletier had trouble breathing and was again taken to St. Joseph. A scan showed that his spleen had burst and he was hemorrhaging, the complaint said.

He was transferred to EMMC, where his conditions worsened. He died Dec. 28, 2017, the complaint said.

The defendants attorneys denied responsibility for Pelletiers death, the newspaper said.

A spokesperson for EMMC said Tuesday that they provide high-quality care and stand behind our physicians who provide that care.

A spokesperson for St. Joseph did not respond to a request for comment.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
Officials on Wednesday were investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a large building that housed several businesses in southern New Jersey.

Flames broke out Tuesday night and quickly spread throughout the US Auto Auction building.

Small explosions could be heard coming from inside the building as flames shot into the sky.

The blaze was fueled by the number of vehicles inside the structure along with gasoline and tires, Fire Chief Joseph Palumbo said.

FIrefighters were still dousing hot spots in the morning, forcing officials to close several roads in the area. The shutdowns hampered commuters headed to nearby Philadelphia.

No injuries were reported.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics USA Auto New Jersey
McDonalds workers in 12 U.S. cities walked off the job Tuesday to protest what they say is an ongoing problem of sexual harassment and violence in the companys stores.

Several hundred workers were expected to participate in Chicago, Houston, Miami, Detroit and other cities, according to Fight for $15 and a Union, a labor group that organized the strikes.

This is the fifth time since 2018 that McDonalds workers have struck the company over what they say are inadequate efforts to stop sexual harassment in its stores. At least 50 workers have filed charges against McDonalds alleging verbal and physical harassment over the last five years.

In April, McDonalds announced it would require sexual harassment training, reporting procedures for complaints and annual employee surveys at its 40,000 stores worldwide starting in January 2022.

But some workers say thats not enough. They want McDonalds __ not its franchisees, who own nearly all of its U.S. stores __ to be held accountable for harassment in its restaurants.

Adriana Alvarez, who has been working at a McDonalds for the last decade, was part of a small group of protestors near the companys headquarters in Chicago Tuesday.

Im on strike today because we need McDonalds to realize that were not going to stop. What needs to stop is sexual harassment, she said. Its unfair to these workers, making close to poverty wages, and then on top of that to have to worry about being sexually harassed on the job.

No Impact

McDonalds said late Tuesday that the strikes had no impact on its operations.

The latest labor action was spurred by a lawsuit filed last month by a teenage McDonalds employee and her parents against McDonalds and one of its franchisees.

The employee was 14 when she was hired to work at a Pittsburgh-area McDonalds in October 2020. The employee said she received no training on sexual harassment or how to report it, even though McDonalds set up a harassment hotline and began offering that training to franchisees in 2019.

According to the lawsuit, the teenagers store hired a manager in January 2021 who had served time in prison for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and was listed in Pennsylvanias sex offender registry.

The manager abused and harassed the teenager and other underage employees, but there was no investigation by store leadership or McDonalds despite their complaints to the manager who hired them. In February, the manager followed the teen into a bathroom and raped her.

The manager, Walter Garner, was arrested in April after another McDonalds employee told administrators at her school about his behavior and the school contacted the police. Garner was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison last week.

The teenager is seeking damages from McDonalds as well as from the franchisee that ran her restaurant, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania-based Rice Enterprises LLC.

In addition to its harassment training requirement __ which was announced the same month Garner was arrested __ McDonalds said it expects franchisees to conduct thorough investigations when allegations arise.

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, the company said Tuesday in a statement.

In a statement provided by her attorney, Rice Enterprises CEO Michele Rice said the allegations made in the teens lawsuit are deeply disturbing and the employee was fired as soon as she heard about the complaints against him.

We have fully cooperated with the police and have offered our full support to the impacted employee, Rice said in the statement.

Photo:-Sign outside a McDonalds restaurant in Pittsburgh. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Civil Unrest
Smyrl Succeeds Fletcher a President of Admiral Insurance

W.R. Berkley Corp. as appointed Daniel Smyrl as president of excess and surplus lines insurer Admiral Insurance Group. He succeeds Curtis E. Fletcher, who has been named chairman of Admiral.

Smyrl joined Admiral in 2002 and most recently served as executive vice president of underwriting. He has nearly 40 years of commercial property/casualty insurance experience in underwriting and management.

Fletcher has been with Admiral for 23 years and was named president in 2018. He has helped advance Admiral as a leader in the excess and surplus lines commercial insurance market. As chairman, he will maintain an active role, providing insights and strategic guidance for the company.

Zurich North America Names Schulyz to Head Life Sciences

Zurich North America has appointed Linda Schultz as head of its Life Sciences for its new U.S. middle market business unit. Schultz joins the leadership team and reports to John Mizzi, head of Industry Practices, U.S. Middle Market.

Schultz joins Zurich from The Hartford, where she was head of Life Science U.S. Product Liability. In this role, she integrated the Navigators Life Sciences team that she previously led, with Hartfords Life Sciences division. The Hartford acquired Navigators in 2019. Prior to Navigators, Schultz held life sciences and other underwriting, producer and claims roles at OneBeacon, Hilb Rogal & Hobbs, Chubb and Travelers.

At Zurich, Schultz is responsible for building life sciences industry specialization and underwriting expertise for several subsegments, including medical device manufacturers and providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, research and development labs, and clinical trial administrators.

Life Sciences is a $4 billion insurance segment being targeted by Zurich, which will begin accepting submissions for life sciences business in early 2022.

AXA XL Adds Cyber Claims Leader, Launches Incident Response Team

AXA XL has promoted Danielle Roth as practice leader and head of Cyber Claims, North America. Roth is responsible for claims strategy and best practices including coverages analysis, claims investigations, reserving and resolution of claims, service standards and state regulations.

In addition to managing AXA XLs cyber claims professionals in the U.S., Canada and Bermuda, Roth will also oversee the newly-created Cyber Incident Response team, led by Gwenn E. Cujdik, claims manager, Cyber Incident Response.

Cujdik will manage a team dedicated to assisting clients navigate cyber incidents including ransomware and business email compromise. Cujdik will oversee AXA XLs breach response panel of law firms and vendors to assist in the incident response process and work with AXA XLs Cyber Underwriting team to strengthen these services.

Roth has 10 years of cyber claims experience, most recently serving as claims manager, Cyber, Media & Technology for the Americas.

Cujdik joins AXA XL from Mullen Coughlin law firm, where she most recently served as a partner focusing on data privacy and cybersecurity event responses. She began her career as an assistant district attorney, Homicide ,in Philadelphia, PA and has served as a guest lecturer at Temple University since 2017.

Hippo Hires Hiscoxs Hanson to Lead Claims

Digital home insurer Hippo hired a former Hiscox executive Grace Hanson to be its first chief claims officer, with a mission to expand claims operations for the now publicly-traded California-based insurtech as it grows nationally. Hanson will take on the new position as of January 2022.

Hanson will extend the companys use of technology and data to increase claims efficiency and ensure that customers are able to complete claims with limited effort.

Previously, Hanson was the chief claims officer for Hiscox. In her career, she also has experience with insurtech as chief claims officer of Homesite Insurance that offers a digital home insurance product.

Hippo, which went public in August through a special purpose acquisition company/reverse merger, lost $84.5 million in the 2021 second quarter, due largely to heavy storms in Texas. Hippo President Richard McCathron said the company plans more geographical and product diversification.

Topics Cyber Claims AXA XL
U.S. health regulators this week finalized stronger warnings for breast implants, including a new requirement that people receive detailed information about their potential risks and complications before getting them.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the new regulations mainly aimed at implant manufacturers, who are also being required to add a boxed warning message  the most serious type to their written patient materials.

The FDA requirements are the latest step in a decades-long effort to manage safety issues with the devices, which are primarily used for breast augmentation, the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in the U.S. Roughly 400,000 people get implants each year, 100,000 of them after cancer surgery.

The FDA had originally proposed the rules as voluntary measures in 2019, but Wednesdays action makes them legal requirements for breast implant makers, including leading manufacturers like Johnson & Johnsons Mentor unit and Allergan.

In the biggest shift, plastic surgeons and other health professionals who work with the implants must give their patients a checklist detailing possible side effects, such as scarring, pain, rupture and even a rare form of cancer. The checklist also explains that breast implants often require repeat surgeries and they should not be considered lifelong devices.

The doctors must sign the document and confirm that the recipient was given an opportunity to review it before surgery. Companies that sell implants to doctors who dont comply could face fines and other penalties from regulators. The rules begin to take effect in 30 days.

In recent years, the FDA and regulators worldwide have grappled with a link between a rare cancer and a type of textured implant. Thats on top of a separate issue involving tens of thousands of people who blame their implants for a host of other health problems including rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue and muscle pain.

The concerns led the FDA to convene a public advisory meeting in 2019 followed by the new proposals to give patients more information about safety problems.

The devices have a silicone outer shell and are filled with either saline or silicone. The FDAs regulations also provide updated recommendations for regular screening to catch potential implant ruptures.

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 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The state of Arkansas filed a consumer protection lawsuit Wednesday against a Virginia-based medical supplier for nearly $11 million for failing to deliver supplies during the coronavirus pandemic, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said.

Rutledge said Wednesday that Med-Care Healthlink LLC of Suffolk and its representatives failed to deliver gowns, ventilators and face shields ordered in March and April 2020 to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.

This had been a company the state had worked with previously, and so therefore there was no reason to believe at that point that we would have something this significant occur, Rutledge said.

A phone call to the company rang unanswered.

Deputy Attorney General Shannon Halijan said state officials were told at various times the supplies were bought by another entity, held in China or were in other states.

UAMS attorney Sherri Robinson said the company initially responded to questions about the supplies, then stopped after four to six months.

UAMS ordered 1.5 million medical gowns and 60 ventilators while the state ordered 2.5 million gowns, 500 ventilators and 1 million medical face shields, Rutledge said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits COVID-19
The Florida Supreme Court has disbarred an Orlando plaintiffs lawyer after the court said he intentionally deceived a trial court and his former wife about his income.

Karl Koepke, a practicing attorney since 1965, is known for wrongful death, injury and medical malpractice suits. He filed false statements with a trial court, failed to produce subpoenaed documents, then moved $400,000 to a trust so that his ex-wife could not reach it, the high court said in an opinion posted Thursday.

The opinion overrides a Florida Bar referee who had recommended a one-year suspension from law practice.

In reaching the conclusion that Mr. Koepke must be disbarred, we are mindful that divorce proceedings can bring out the worst in people, Justice John Couriel wrote for the court. Yet even at ones worst, we expect a lawyers oath to mean something. Indeed, we expect the oath to mean something then, especially.

I have no comment, but I will say that I have ultimate confidence in our American judicial system, Koepke said Thursday when reached by telephone.

Koepke, who was selected for recognition by the Super Lawyers website in 2009-2011, and his wife divorced in 1990. In 2014, Koepka fell substantially behind in alimony payments, and his ex-wife filed a motion for contempt, seeking $88,000 in arrearages, the court explained. While that was pending, Koepke settled a personal injury case that entitled him to $400,000 in attorney fees, the court explained.

When his former wifes attorney got wind of that, he requested documents about the settlement and fees. Koepke initially refused to produce them, the court said. After the trial court ordered him to do so, he filed a fee agreement but not the settlement agreement. Ten days later, Koepke filed a document stating flatly that there was no settlement.

After being ordered to appear in court, with the file on the personal injury case, he showed up  without the file, the high court said. After a recess, Koepke returned to the witness stand with the file and the judge found the settlement agreement.

Undeterred, Mr. Koepke made a series of still more consequential decisions, Justice Couriel wrote, referring to a $400,000 trust the lawyer set up for himself and his grandchildren.

A week later, Koepka offered his ex-wife a settlement of $100,000 if she would drop all pending court actions, including a contempt-of-court motion. She refused. The trial judge found Koepke guilty of criminal contempt and sentenced him to 30 days in jail.

The trial court found that he was untruthful and intentionally misleading in his discovery responses to the former wife to delay and obfuscate the former wifes discovery of the settlement agreement in the personal injury case, the Supreme Court opinion noted.

The trial judge referred Koepka to the Bar for disciplinary review. After the Bar recommended disbarment, Koepke filed his response to the Supreme Court four days late. He was directed to file again, but he again missed the deadline  by 61 days, the court said.

Disbarment is the appropriate sanction for Mr. Koepke under our case law and the standards, the Supreme Court said in its opinion. His conduct demonstrated a willful lack of candor with the court and abuse of the legal process. We focus on the intentionality of his actions, his selfish motive, and the serious, adverse impact that his actions had on the parties and underlying case.

Disbarment, rather than suspension, is appropriate when the attorney caused serious, rather than nonserious, interference with a legal proceeding or when the attorney knowingly violated a court order for his benefit.

The lawyer abused the legal process and cost more than 100 hours of attorney time and hours upon hours of court time to resolve the matter, the justices noted, quoting from the trial judges opinion.

The disbarment is effective in 30 days, giving Koepke time to close out his practice and protect the interest of existing clients.

The court has yet to issue a decision on another attorney that the Florida Bar has moved to disbar. Scot Strems, of Miami, has been accused of filing thousands of unnecessary lawsuits against insurers in property claims disputes, along with other violations.

The court on Thursday did post changes to its rules of civil procedure, available here.

Topics Florida
Despite recent signals that another round of significant property insurance reforms may be put on the back burner in the upcoming Florida legislative session, a leading committee chair said this week that more needs to be done.

Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, said he will file bills to address roof-replacement costs and solicitation of homeowners by roofers trying to game the system, according to Florida Politics news website.

The Florida Legislature last year barred some solicitation tactics by roofers, many of whom have advertised that homes can get new roofs at no cost, with everything billed to the insurer, even if only a few shingles are damaged. A court temporarily blocked that part of the law, Senate Bill 76, saying it violated roofers right to free speech.

I understand free speech, and I certainly support and appreciate that, Boyd said at the annual meeting of Florida TaxWatch, a think tank. But those that are out there causing the problems by doing things that arent right, theres a question as to how much they should be protected.

He added: I still think there ought to be a way to hold unscrupulous solicitations accountable.

Boyd also promised something that property insurers have asked for repeatedly: A bill that would limit roof-damage expenses. Florida law now requires that most policies cover the full replacement value of a roof if more than 25% of the shingles are damaged. Insurance advocates want to be allowed to offer some policies that pay only actual cash value of the roof. The changes did not make it into bills passed last year.

The changes would help reduce insurance loss costs, which have soared, insurers have said, as roof replacement prices have spiraled and denied claims have resulted in excessive litigation.

The Florida legislative session starts Jan. 11.

Topics Florida
The city of Alpharetta, Georgia, did not waive its sovereign immunity when it obtained an insurance policy, an appeals court said Thursday, two years after a man drowned in a city pool.

In Sharma vs. City of Alpharetta, the state appellate courts First Division upheld a trial courts dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the drowning victims spouse. The spouse argued that the city held premises liability and was negligent in lifeguard training and supervision when Amit Sharma drowned in May 2019.

The wife also argued that the city had waived its right to sovereign immunity, or protection from lawsuits, when it purchased a liability insurance policy with State National Insurance Co.

The policy contained this language: The issuance of this insurance shall not be deemed a waiver of any statutory immunities by or on behalf of any insured, nor of any statutory limits on the monetary amount of liability applicable to any insured were this policy not in effect; and as respects to any claim, we expressly reserve any and all rights to deny liability by reason of such immunity, and to assert the limitations as to the amount of liability as might be provided by law.

As in most states, the state Constitution and state laws decree that municipalities are protected from liability damages by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Waivers of sovereign immunity must come from the General Assembly, Appeals Court Judge Elizabeth Gobeil explained in the opinion.

The legislature has even declared that a municipality does not give up the immunity by purchasing liability insurance, although questions may arise if the insurance policy wording is ambiguous, the court said.

Sharmas attorneys argued that the policy was, in fact, ambiguous, because it referred to statutory immunities, and sovereign immunity is a constitutional creation. The trial court and the appellate court disagreed, noting that the immunity is embedded in the state constitution and statutes.

This court can discern no reasonable alternative meaning to this provision other than the express intention to preserve the citys sovereign immunity where permissible under the law, and to prevent the purchase of the policy from expanding the citys liability in any way, the appeals court noted.

Topics Georgia
A federal jury has awarded $17 million to the parents of a mentally ill man who was shot in a Costco store by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer.

The panel in Riverside ruled in a lawsuit filed against the city of LA and the former officer in the June 14, 2019, killing of 32-year-old Kenneth French.

I am pleased with the verdict and hoping it brings some justice to the family, Dale Galipo, an attorney for the family, told KNBC-TV.

The jurors in the lawsuit trial concluded that Salvador Sanchez, a seven-year LAPD veteran, was acting within the scope of his employment even though he was off duty. That means the city may be liable for much of the award.

The city will review its options, including an appeal, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the city attorneys office.

Sanchez was shopping at a sausage sample table in the Corona store, southeast of Los Angeles, when French struck or shoved him from behind without warning, authorities said.

Sanchez was holding his 1 1/2-year-old son in his arms when he was knocked to the ground.

Sanchez pulled a handgun and opened fire, killing French and seriously wounding his parents, Russell and Paola French.

Sanchez told investigators he believed French had a gun, that he had been shot and that his life and his sons life were in immediate danger. However, French was not armed and was moving away from Sanchez when he opened fire.

His parents said French had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The LAPD fired Sanchez last year after the citys civilian Board of Police Commissioners determined that Frenchs conduct did not present an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury  meaning that the use of lethal force was not objectively reasonable.

The Riverside County district attorney declined to charge Sanchez criminally when a grand jury didnt indictment him. However, the state attorney general charged him with voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

He is awaiting trial.

An email seeking comment from David Winslow, an attorney who is representing Sanchez in the criminal case, wasnt immediately returned.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California
One of the most frustrating facts of life is that women's fertility levels decline with age. We are born with a certain number of eggs that deplete over time, taking a nosedive in quantity and quality from our mid-30s onwards.

While the likes of Rod Stewart and Josh Brolin prove that men's sperm remains fertile well beyond the age of 50, the same is not true of women.

The decision to have a baby cannot be made in isolation. There's a range of issues a woman needs to address first. How will she manage to get an education, progress her career, meet the right partner, and settle down to have a family before it's too late?

In 1981, women aged under 30 accounted for 59% of all births here in Ireland. That figure now stands at 27.4%. Women delaying the age at which they start their families is one of the reasons why one in six couples in Ireland struggles to conceive. It's also the main reason why there has been an increase in the number of women investigating the option of freezing their eggs.

It appears to be an approach many women support. A 2017 study of 663 women aged between 18 and 44 by the Merrion Fertility Clinic in Dublin and the National Maternity Hospital found that 72% would consider freezing their eggs to preserve fertility.

Dr John Waterstone has witnessed this shift. His fertility clinics in Cork and Dublin started offering egg freezing three years ago and demand for the service has risen year on year.

"Demand has risen by 100% since the start of the pandemic, although that was admittedly from a low baseline," he says.

He attributes this to women in their mid to late 30s stopping to consider their lives and fertility over lockdown. "If they're single and want a family, many feel a sense of panic," he says. "Having their eggs frozen is one way in which they can be proactive about their situation."

It's something that is increasingly common in the celebrity world. Khloe (36) and Kourtney (39) Kardashian recently shared their stories of egg freezing in a YouTube video. Love Island's Amy Hart (28) told her followers on Instagram that a fertility check motivated her to get her eggs frozen. And actress Rebel Wilson (41) told American media she'd been through the process too, comparing it to a "back-up plan for career women".

But is she right? Does egg freezing press pause on women's biological clocks and give them a real chance at motherhood when they're finally in a position to start a family?

We're not able to answer this question yet, says Dr Waterstone. "Egg freezing offers a lot of promise, but there hasn't been much delivery because, while an increasing number of eggs are being frozen, very few have been thawed.

"At our clinic, we haven't taken any eggs out of the freezer yet. No one can tell how successful the process will be until we do."

A way to preserve fertility

Egg freezing was first offered as a medical treatment to women prior to cancer treatment in the 1980s. In cases where treatment required the removal of ovaries or potential damage to eggs, doctors were able to remove and freeze patients' eggs for possible future use.

In a process is similar to IVF, women are administered drugs that stimulate their ovaries to produce a surplus of healthy eggs. Those eggs are then collected in a surgical procedure that takes place under sedation and involves a fine needle being inserted into the ovaries via the vagina.

Where it differs from IVF is that those eggs are then frozen in liquid nitrogen until they are needed. There is currently no legislation here in Ireland stipulating how long they can be frozen.

When the woman decides to get pregnant, her eggs are thawed and those that survive the process are fertilised by IVF, with all of its attendant risks and variables.

The first baby conceived in this way was born in 1986 but success levels remained low until a new egg-freezing process called vitrification was introduced in 2010. Since then, egg freezing is no longer just offered to women who are about to start cancer treatment. Its become increasingly popular with women who see it as a way to preserve their fertility.

For them, its an insurance policy of sorts. However, Dr Waterstone warns that its one that may not payout.

"Even with improved freezing techniques, it's not easy to successfully freeze unfertilised eggs," he says. "An egg is one big cell versus an embryo which is a collection of up to 200 tiny cells. It's more prone to damage during the freezing and thawing processes."

In Britain, where egg freezing has been available since the 1990s, the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority reports that women using their own frozen eggs in IVF treatment currently have a success rate of 18%.

If freezing eggs is akin to having an insurance policy for fertility, it's one that comes with lots of terms and conditions. "A woman would want to have 20 eggs in the freezer to have good odds," says Dr Waterstone. But while some women produce 20 eggs in one treatment, others may only produce five and require a further treatment cycle."

So much depends on the womans age at the time of freezing her eggs. Dr John Kennedy, who has recently been appointed medical director of Therapie Fertility Clinic in Dublin, says this is because the number of eggs likely to be produced in each treatment cycle declines with age. Egg quality also deteriorates.

If a 31-year-old goes through the process, she is likely to end up freezing 20 eggs, and will have a 60% to 70% chance of having one child from those eggs, he says.

A 38-year-old woman is far less likely to get 20 eggs from one treatment cycle. She might get ten, which gives her a 20% chance of a baby. Women under 35 have the highest chance of success.

This is why all women who attend fertility clinics in Ireland seeking egg freezing services have their ovarian reserve tested before they undergo the process.

This shows the reproductive potential left in a womans two ovaries based on the number of eggs there, says Dr Kennedy. It allows us to make an educated guess as to how many eggs are likely to be produced in a single cycle and whether a woman has a decent shot at freezing enough eggs.

The biggest problem with egg freezing is that the typical client enquiring about the process is beyond peak fertility.

"The sad reality is that the average age of women turning up at fertility clinics in Ireland is aged 38 and a half," says Dr Kennedy. The odds are against them if they hope to freeze their eggs.

Cost of freezing your eggs

The average treatment cycle costs 3,000. Annual storage will set you back 300. Subsequent IVF treatment will amount to another 3,000 or so. That's an expensive insurance policy, unaffordable for many women.

Thats why there was such a media furore in recent years when companies such as Facebook, Apple, and Goldman Sachs started offering elective egg freezing as a benefit for their female employees. Were these women being encouraged to focus on work to the detriment of family life? Or were they being given options that simply arent available to those in less well-paid jobs?

Egg freezing is still a perk of the job in these companies. However, the small print reveals that even in the world of tech and high finance, a woman's age is still a defining factor in fertility. Most of these companies only offer this service to women under the age of 35.

"It highlights just how important a woman's age is," says Dr Waterstone. "As a woman gets older, her eggs only diminish in quantity and quality."

This is a difficult topic that fertility doctors are required to discuss with women. "If a woman comes into my clinic asking about egg freezing, I am ethically obliged to break down the physical, financial, and emotional cost of the process for them," says Dr Kennedy.

"I have to make sure I am clear, candid, and honest about their chances and then they can decide if it's worth the effort involved."

During that conversation, women will also be informed of their other options.

"A growing number decide that Mr Right may never come along and opt to use donor sperm to have babies by themselves," says Dr Waterstone.

Calling on the government to commit to improving egg freezing services in Ireland, Dr Waterstone says: "Women who freeze eggs for social reasons are one thing but there are also women who have to freeze their eggs for medical reasons. These may be the only eggs she's got. We have a responsibility to offer her the best chance of success."

As part of this process, he would like to be able to offer the option of freezing ovarian tissue. "Countries like Denmark and Belgium do this, and its advantage is that ovarian tissue contains thousands of eggs, which can be used in multiple fertility treatments increasing a woman's chances of success."

National fertility check

Both doctors would also like to see more fertility awareness in the general population.

"We need to move away from the traditional Irish model of desperately avoiding pregnancy until you desperately want to become pregnant," says Dr Kennedy.

Id like the goalposts to change for women, says Dr Waterstone. Their 20s should be for fun but come 30, Id advise them to start thinking about if they want children and who they might have them with. Once they get to 35, they should get their skates on.

A national fertility check could help with this. "In the same way that women take part in the national cervical screening programme from the age of 25, that same cohort of women should have a fertility check," says Dr Kennedy.

"That would identify those with a lower ovarian reserve of eggs, and they could then opt to have their eggs frozen in their 20s or early 30s, when time is still on their side."

He thinks it would also give women a sense of agency in their own fertility. Rather than anxiously noting the passing of time, they could stop the biological clock in its tracks.

"Basically, I'd like women to be able to make decisions for themselves and not have decisions foisted on them by age and biology," says Dr Kennedy.

Age and biology are defining factors in every womans life. Thats been true forever and remains true today. Egg freezing may give women more time, but only if they act early.

"I didn't realise how emotional the daily hormone injections would make me feel"

In 2019, journalist Dearbhail McDonald presented Fertility Shock, an RTE documentary that looked at fertility in Ireland. In the programme, the then 42-year-old revealed that she had frozen her eggs in her mid-30s. She described the process as painful yet pragmatic and empowering and said she wished she'd done it earlier.

Feelgood spoke to 40-year-old Anna* about her experience of the same fertility treatment.

Anna works in Dublin and by her mid-30s, her life had all the trappings of success. She had her own apartment and a job that earned her a good salary. She took several foreign holidays a year. All she lacked was a partner and a longed-for family.

"I always thought I'd have children one day and when I read those articles about Facebook offering egg freezing to women, I thought I should check it out for myself," she says.

Aged 37 at the time, the clinic she approached was very clear about her chances of success. "They told me that compared to regular IVF and other fertility treatments, not that many women have tried to get pregnant using frozen eggs. Most of those who have used donor eggs provided by women who are typically very young and healthy. So nobody could guarantee how well it might work for me. I still thought it was worth it though and went ahead to freeze 17 eggs."

She found the process itself gruelling. "I didn't realise how emotional the daily hormone injections would make me feel," she says. "Going through that all by myself was hard."

She is currently in a new relationship and while it's still too early for talk of children, she is glad to have frozen her eggs. "I know they are not a guarantee that I'll get pregnant and have a baby, but I feel my chances are higher than they would be without them," she says.

"I feel they bought me a bit more time and there's a sense of relief that comes with doing something rather than doing nothing and just letting time go by. If I'd stopped to think about it, I'd probably have frozen them earlier."

This is a sentiment that Dr Kennedy comes across time and again in his work as a fertility doctor. "It's the one thing that all women having fertility treatment agree upon," he says. "They wish they had done it earlier."
The first time Frank Mullanes sister Julia confided that her marriage was unhappy, that her husband of 23 years was controlling and abusive, and that she intended to ask for a divorce, Mullane responded in what he now calls a John Wayne kind of way.

I asked: When can I give him a thump? he recalls.

My life is completely different now, but at the time I didnt have a clue. I knew nothing about domestic abuse, but I felt 100% solidarity. I wanted to show I was on her side  the cavalry.

Mullane and Julia were two of eight siblings from a close Irish family. Their parents had moved from Cork to London, then Wiltshire, where their father built a house big enough for all of them. As adults, they stayed close.

We were a loving family, always in each others houses, says Mullane.

He was unmarried and had remained in Wiltshire as a business consultant for Nationwide. Julia had trained as a nurse before marrying Alan Pemberton, an accountant and businessman. She later retrained as a health visitor. They lived with their two teenage children 25 miles away, near Newbury, in a house they built  large, secluded, set in acres of woodland.

Three months after she told her brother she wanted to leave her husband, Julia called Mullane in a state of terror. It was a Saturday in September 2002. She had asked Pemberton for a divorce and for weeks he had veered between tears and remorse, then verbal aggression. That Friday night, he had calmly announced that he was going away for a few days, but that on his return they would live as man and wife for a specified amount of time, before he decided if it was working. If Julia did not agree to these terms, Pemberton said, I will take my life. I will take your life. Before leaving, he laid out their wills on his study desk with instructions for their children in the event of their deaths. Julia did not doubt that he meant it.

Will, Julia and Alan Pemberton

Mullane says: I drove straight over, camped in the house and slept by the front door, everything bolted. This was me trying to step up for my sister. There was a crazy surrealness. We were calling the police all weekend, begging them to come out, but they never did. They would not come.

For the next 14 months, Julia was terrorised by Pemberton. He texted, called and dropped notes through the letterbox of the house where she lived with the children. (They read: Its appalling. I will take my revenge, and: Youve ruined my life, you will have to face the consequences.) Julia sought police help multiple times and had contact with a domestic violence coordinator on six occasions. Pemberton was never interviewed or apprehended. For six months, Julia had an injunction against him, which was then downgraded by the court to an undertaking by Pemberton to stay away.

On the evening of November 18, 2003, Pemberton arrived on the false premise of taking their 17-year-old son, Will, a promising musician, for a driving lesson. (Their older child was not at home.) Julia, 47, had done her best to help the children maintain contact with Pemberton. On this day, as an exception due to bad weather, he was allowed on to the driveway.

Pemberton shot and killed Will outside the house, then broke inside, where he killed Julia and then himself.

Julias harrowing 999 call lasted 16 minutes, ending with: Ive got about one minute  Hes coming now, followed by a scream and silence.

Despite the call handlers advice to stay hidden because police officers were on their way and trying to approach carefully, in truth officers had not even been dispatched. When they were, they could not locate the house. When they did, there was a lengthy risk assessment. No one entered for another six hours.

Julia Pemberton

Eighteen years on, Mullanes life has changed immeasurably. Where once he knew little about patterns of abuse and domestic homicide, now you are unlikely to meet anyone who knows more. As the founder and CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), he has helped hundreds of bereaved families, guiding them through inquests, police complaints procedures and  his area of expertise  domestic homicide reviews (DHRs). These are exhaustive investigations into domestic homicides and suicides, conducted on a no-blame basis  an approach Mullane requested to help identify every missed opportunity, unheeded cry for help and lesson that could be learned to try to prevent such deaths.

DHRs became a legal requirement for every domestic homicide in Britain in 2011. AAFDA is a British centre of excellence, providing accredited training for DHR chairs and panel members. Julias case was the first DHR in England. This was down to Mullane and his dogged refusal to stop asking questions.

In November 2003, in the aftermath of the murders, he was as stunned and numb as any bereaved brother and uncle could be. He recalls standing in his mothers kitchen in the early hours of November 19 and his sister Siobhan asking: What do we do now? I looked at her and said: Breathe, says Mullane. There is no map for this  but one thing that happens is that we breathe.

In the following days  identifying the bodies, visiting the crime scene  the family began to get angry:

 Why was Pemberton never apprehended?

 Why was Julias address not in the police system when she had been assured it was?

 Why did it take so long for officers to enter the house?

We got some answers, but then they abruptly refused to give any more, so we got organised, says Mullane. Wed have meetings at Newbury police station. I remember once there were 20 of us there. I had 70 questions from friends and family.

Mullane became the family spokesperson. It was something to do with my nature, he says. My job was about studying systems and procedures. Id been trying to keep Julie alive and I was disgusted by the police response. I did not like being denied information. It riled me. I thought: Youre not a private police force  youre a public body, paid for out of taxation. Youve got to open the books. How dare you?

The inquest shed no light. The coroner exonerated the police, adding that any action might have escalated Pembertons plans by enraging him even further. He also referenced events from Pembertons perspective  the stress of the injunction, the impending divorce. Unsurprisingly, Mullane walked out of the court.

By now, the Mullanes had a lawyer and were on good terms with their MP, Julia Drown. She told them about plans to introduce DHRs in England. Why not push to make Julias case the pilot? It made sense immediately.

Julies story still hadnt been told, says Mullane. (She was known as Julie to her family. He chose Julia, her given name, for official documents.)

The inquest had allowed society to think there was nothing wrong with the police response. How outrageous. We wanted the facts that were still outstanding to us. We wanted the story of this horror told accurately  and we wanted to see change. The review took two years. The panel interviewed everyone involved  multiple members of Thames Valley police, the Pembertons GP, friends, colleagues, employers, expert witnesses. The Mullanes supplied Julias diaries and sourced telephone records. Mullane was integral  it took over his life. Before it was finished, he had left his job.

By now, Id begun to educate myself, he says. Id Googled domestic abuse  I still question why I didnt do that when Julie was alive. I was corresponding with people in the sector.

What really struck me was, first, its gendered nature and, second, its prevalence, he continues. The status of the crime isnt high enough. Its got nowhere near the status of terrorism, yet it kills more people and ruins many more lives.

I always say I had both taken Julie seriously and believed her, and yet somehow didnt understand the dangerousness of these men. People underestimate the danger of domestic abuse perpetrators, they really do. But Julie didnt. She predicted her own murder. In November 2008, the 300-page Pemberton homicide review was published. It pointed to a series of failings, individual and systematic, within Thames Valley police. There was no domestic abuse policy and no strategic understanding of domestic abuse or risk assessment. The firearms policy was overcautious. It included pages of recommendations and was followed by a written apology from the chief constable.

It was a great thing, says Mullane. It gave us enough information to feel like we were over the line. Something I say to bereaved families is to think about where the line is for you  otherwise, youll be there all your life.

But it did not mean that this was the end. For me, it meant a cup of tea and we start again. What were the police doing with the action plan? Mullane now has a strong relationship with Thames Valley police and has started an award for any professional in the region who has gone beyond the norm to tackle domestic abuse. The John Latham award is named after the lawyer who represented them, who died in 2010.

AAFDA was launched that year, 2008. I knew there would be lots of families out there that wouldnt have the knowledge my family had acquired, says Mullane. The support available was passive  tea and sympathy. What you need is advocacy. But dealing day in, day out, with murder? Well, injustice makes you anxious and I learned that that creates adrenaline  and with the help of my lovely family, it has sustained me ever since, he says.

You dont forget about murder and injustice. They keep filling your fuel tank to have a go at making things better.

Mullanes siblings and extended family are central to his life; some live only minutes away.

Mullane is acutely aware that there is so much more to be done  but he believes policies and awareness are improving. He has worked to make sure the professionals in DHRs are treated appropriately, too  he is not interested in attributing blame or scapegoating, but rather wants everyones insight and testimony.

Mullane wrote much of the DHR statutory guidance, including a seven-step model to make families integral to the process. The word used previously was involved. (Involved is a wedding invitation, he says. The guests have a limited role. Integral means much higher status  to a degree, its a joint review.) He is pleased that the man who, with others, started the review movement, Neil Websdale at Arizona State University, told him Englands DHRs are hugely influential. With an AAFDA staff of 16, his future aims include working to give more children a voice after fatal domestic abuse, as well as helping to educate family and friends on safe interventions when they fear a loved one is at risk. In 2019, Mullane was awarded an MBE for services to families bereaved by domestic homicide.

His life has more meaning now. It has given me incredible purpose, he says. Two people lost their lives and two women a week have been murdered ever since. I was rudely awakened and my life has changed totally.

Julia remains at the heart of it. I have her 999 call on a tape upstairs, says Mullane. Ive read the transcript, but never heard it. I started listening a year ago, but stopped it in one second. My sister and I have said well listen one day together.

Why would he, I wonder? Its about being a witness, he says.

When the house was no longer a crime scene, I went on my own one evening to stand in the room where my sister was murdered  it was a small storeroom. For over a year, Julie had thought every day when she went out that hed be waiting in the bushes to shoot her. She took temazepam to get some sleep and still only got two hours a night, because she thought he was coming for her.

On the night Julie died, she must have been thinking: Ive been telling them all along and none of them quite got it, so I wanted to experience it with her. I wanted to stand in the darkness and experience the fear  but I couldnt turn off the final light. I was too frightened. He sobs suddenly, then composes himself.

Its ridiculous, as I couldnt simulate it  Id have had to have got shot, wouldnt I? But it was me trying to say: Theres one witness to this, Julie and Will. Youre not alone'.

 The Guardian
As the clock ticks down to the start of Cop26, the challenges facing efforts to deliver action to avert dangerous climate change are coming into sharp focus.

The summit, taking place in Glasgow from Sunday, has no global treaty to agree - unlike the last major UN climate conference in Paris in 2015.

But it is being described as the conference that must deliver on the Paris Agreement and its key pledge to limit global warming to well below 2C or 1.5C to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

The talks come in the wake of "code red" scientific warnings on the climate crisis and the risk of going over 1.5C of warming, and severe climate-related weather extremes from heatwaves in the US to deadly flooding in Europe and China.

Earlier this week, UN scientists warned the build-up of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere had sped up and hit record levels in 2020.

The UN has also warned that the latest national action plans and pledges from countries to tackle emissions up to 2030 are far off what is needed to limit dangerous warming, and put the world on track for temperature rises of 2.7C.

Climate activists "set fire" to George Square, Glasgow, with an art installation of faux flames, smoke, and banners, and giant fire extinguishers, creating a field of climate fire to welcome world leaders to Glasgow for the Cop26 conference.

So a key factor in making Glasgow a "success" is keeping the pathway to 1.5C within reach by increasing climate action in this decade, with more national efforts from countries, progress on areas such as coal and saving forests, and a process to ensure countries take more action in the next few years.

It is a goal made arguably harder by the latest climate plan submitted by China on Thursday, which does not increase its ambition beyond existing announcements.

There is also the question of the long-promised $100 billion US dollars a year from 2020-2025 for poorer nations to develop cleanly and adapt to the changing climate, and negotiations to finalise the last bits of how the Paris Agreement will work.

It has emerged developed countries will not deliver on the $100 billion goal until 2023, although around 500 billion dollars of climate finance will be provided over five years to 2025.

Peter Betts, former lead negotiator for the EU, and the UK, at UN climate talks, said: "Defining success in Glasgow is harder than it was in Paris, where we had a treaty to wave at the end.

"Success in Glasgow is more about implementation and action."

He said that on efforts to curb warming "we need very substantial step-ups in countries' emission reduction plans, coupled with serious sectoral coalitions on issues like finance and coal, and a road map to more ambition raising in the coming years.

On finance it means the $100 billion goal being met, with better delivery for the most vulnerable including on adaptation," adding he expected developing countries to press for discussion on the delay to the delivery of the promised funding in Glasgow

Importantly, he said, the Paris Cop21 was successful - despite insufficient commitments - because people saw governments were serious and that drove action.

"We need the same boost to momentum from Glasgow".

Nick Mabey, chief executive and co-founder of E3G climate think tank, said the biggest hurdle to success would be whether enough had been put on the table  particularly from China given its disappointing new action plan - to give confidence there had been enough progress towards 1.5C.

And whatever is committed by countries and sectoral deals, it will not be enough, so a process is needed to come back sooner than expected to raise efforts in the face of starker scientific evidence on climate dangers, he said.

"It's about the pace of change. Yes, we are changing, that's very clear, but we have to go faster because the climate risks are worse," he said.

He added it was right of the UK to push for keeping the 1.5C goal within reach at the Glasgow talks, and it was up to countries to decide if they wanted to pursue it.

The challenges facing efforts to deliver action to avert dangerous climate change are coming into sharp focus

World leaders will kick start the summit by setting out the domestic action they are taking, although key players will be missing including China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

But a year's delay to the talks as a result of the pandemic has allowed for the election of a new US president, Joe Biden, who has announced a net zero goal, and a significant boost to climate finance - and will attend the summit.

Read More Net zero targets are not the answer to climate change problem, India says

All G7 leading industrialised nations have targets to hit net zero emissions - needed by mid-century globally to meet the 1.5C goal - along with major polluters such as China, and in the past few days from the likes of Saudi Arabia and Australia, though critics question how robust these targets are.

And they do not solve the problem of the need for far greater action in the 2020s - seen as the "decisive decade" for putting the world on the right track to 1.5C or even "well below" 2C - with the UK the only major economy judged as being close to having plans in line with what is needed.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has admitted it is "touch and go" whether key goals of the summit could be met.

Statements from blocs of countries ahead of the talks suggests fault lines that will be familiar to anyone who has attended UN climate conferences in the past  along questions over which countries should take what action and how it should be paid for.

G20 countries which have not brought forward new or updated plans  or ones that are insufficient  are under pressure from others to increase action.

Climate activists in George Square, Glasgow before the start of Cop26 summit.

But leading emerging economies including India and China have pushed back against efforts to get all countries to adopt net zero targets for 2050, saying developed countries should do more.

Meanwhile, countries most threatened by climate change want a "climate emergency pact" that includes finance and a process that sees countries  particularly big emitters  come forward every year with additional ambition.

Then there are the negotiations on the final - thorny - issues of carbon markets and transparency under the Paris Agreement, not to mention the logistical challenges of holding a global summit of 25,000 people while the pandemic still rages.

Incoming Cop26 President Alok Sharma has said that all countries he has spoken to want the conference to be a success, but what the outcome of the talks will be  and whether it can be considered successful  remains to be seen.
Children were among 10 people killed when an Ethiopian military airstrike hit the capital of the countrys Tigray region, a doctor said.

It was the deadliest of a new round of airstrikes that began last week as the year-long war intensifies.

International calls for a ceasefire have been in vain as Ethiopian and allied forces battle the Tigray forces who long dominated the national government before being sidelined by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Rubble from a destroyed building at the scene of an airstrike in Mekele (AP Photo)

Thousands of people have been killed in Africas second most populous country, and the worlds worst hunger crisis in a decade has begun.

Government spokesman Legesse Tulu told The Associated Press the new airstrike targeted a site in Mekele city used by Tigray forces to make and repair weapons.

He said the site forms part of a compound belonging to Mefsin Industrial Engineering, which was also hit last week.

Tigray spokesman Nahusenay Belay denied that the airstrike hit a military target and said it struck a civilian residence.

Three children were among the dead, he said. Hayelom Kebede, former director of Tigrays flagship Ayder Referral Hospital, said 10 people were killed and 21 injured, and he expected the toll to rise.

Photos from the scene appeared to show rescuers pulling bodies from debris.

Ethiopias government has asserted that the latest airstrikes have been confined to military targets, but Tigray forces have claimed that civilian facilities including factories and a clinic have been targeted instead, with at least three children among those killed.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Ethiopias neighbouring Amhara region after Mr Abiys government launched a ground offensive there earlier this month against the Tigray forces, who say they are trying to pressure the government to lift a blockade on the Tigray region.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in recent weeks amid the new fighting as the humanitarian crisis grows.
For years, Zebulon Simentov branded himself as the last Jew of Afghanistan. He charged reporters for interviews and held court in Kabuls only remaining synagogue. He left the country last month for Istanbul after the Taliban seized power.

Now it appears he was not the last one.

Simentovs distant cousin, Tova Moradi, was born and raised in Kabul and lived there until last week. Fearing for their safety, Moradi, her children and nearly two dozen grandchildren fled the country in recent weeks in an escape orchestrated by an Israeli aid group, activists and prominent Jewish philanthropists.

I loved my country, loved it very much, but had to leave because my children were in danger, Moradi told The Associated Press from her modest quarters in the Albanian town of Golem, whose beachside resorts have been converted to makeshift homes for some 2,000 Afghan refugees.

Yesterday, I saw my sisters, nieces and nephews after around 60 years through a video call. We spoke for hours. I was really happy, I saw their children and they met mine Tova Moradi

Moradi, 83, was one of 10 children born to a Jewish family in Kabul. At the age of 16, she ran away from home and married a Muslim man. She never converted to Islam, maintained some Jewish traditions, and it was no secret that she was Jewish.

She never denied her Judaism, she just got married in order to save her life as you cannot be safe as a young girl in Afghanistan, her daughter, Khorshid, told the AP from her home in Canada, where she and three of her siblings moved after the Taliban first seized power in Afghanistan in the 1990s.

Despite friction over her decision to marry outside the faith, Moradi stayed in touch with some of her family over the years. Her parents and siblings fled Afghanistan in the 1960s and 1980s. Her parents are buried at Jerusalems Har Menuhot cemetery, and many of her surviving siblings and their descendants live in Israel.

But until this week, she had not spoken to some of her sisters in over half a century.

Yesterday, I saw my sisters, nieces and nephews after around 60 years through a video call. We spoke for hours, Moradi said. I was really happy, I saw their children and they met mine.

They said its like she came back from the grave,' Khorshid said.

During the first period of Taliban rule, from 1996 until the 2001 US-led invasion, Moradi tried to maintain a low profile. But she risked her life by hiding Rabbi Isaak Levi, one of the few remaining Afghan Jews, from the Taliban.

Levi and Simentov lived together for years in the decrepit synagogue in Kabul but famously despised one another and fought often. The Taliban usually left them alone, but intervened during one such dispute, arresting them, beating them and confiscating the synagogues ancient Torah scroll.

IsraAid CEO Yotam Polizer said the organisation, which has provided relief after disasters such as the Japanese tsunami in 2011 and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, had already extracted the Afghan womens cycling team and dozens of other Afghans from the country when it heard about Moradi and her family.

He said Afghan diplomats overseas, Israeli President Isaac Herzogs office, and Jewish businessmen. worked together to get them out.

Now, Moradi and six of her relatives are in Albania, and another 25 relatives made it to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week. They hope to secure passage to Canada to reunite with her children who live there.
Burma Another 25 Myanmar Junta Soldiers Killed in Upcountry Clashes

A member of a combined civilian resistance force destroys a police station sign on Friday in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region. / Photo- Burmese Guerrilla Force

25 more junta soldiers were reported killed on Thursday in Sagaing Region, following clashes between civilian resistance groups and regime forces, raising the total number of junta troops killed in Sagaing in the last three days to 85.

Kawlin Revolution (KR), which shares news of the Kawlin Peoples Defense Force (KLPDF), had previously reported the killing 40 regime soldiers on Wednesday morning in clashes near Kyunbyintha Village, Kawlin Township in Sagaing. However, KR has since said that a further 20 soldiers were killed in those clashes.

Another 25 military regime troops were killed on Thursday in a follow-up firefight in the east of Kawlin, according to KR. Three civilian resistance fighters were killed in the clash.

A photo showing members of the KLPDF and local residents preparing to cremate several of the dead soldiers was released by KR on Thursday.

The group said that the body of army major Ye Htut Oo, which had been partially buried by retreating junta troops, was also found.

Six military vehicles carrying junta reinforcements arrived in Kawlin early Thursday morning.

On Friday, a local resident told The Irrawaddy that many areas of Kawlin are now under the control of Peoples Defense Forces (PDF). PDF checkpoints on roads are inspecting vehicles to stop the transport of illegally-harvested timber and goods destined for the Myanmar military or produced by army-owned companies.

Kawlin Township has been a hotbed of armed resistance to the military regime. In early July, 44 junta soldiers were killed and another 20 injured in clashes with the KLPDF. Three KLPDF fighters died in those battles.

Civilian fighters in Kawlin are now preparing for revenge raids by the regime. KR claimed on Friday that two columns of junta troops are planning to conduct clearance operations in the east and west of Kawlin, one of the columns having passed through neighboring Kyunhla Township.

On Thursday, regime jets conducted airstrikes against PDFs in Kyunhla, while around 100 soldiers were flown in by helicopter as reinforcements, according to local media.

Sharing photos of the helicopter reinforcement mission, Thalarshwemyay, a pro-military Facebook page, said that the troops were flown in as part of Operation Alongmintayar to combat PDFs.

Military helicopters opened fire on a rural area of Taze Township, which borders Kyunhla, on Thursday, according to local news sites and the National Unity Governments (NUG) Defense Ministry.

Myanmar military forces are now facing intense resistance across Sagaing Region.

On Friday morning, a combined force of eight civilian resistance groups destroyed an abandoned police outpost in Myaung Township, Sagaing. The outpost is often used by junta troops during their deployments in the township, a member of the resistance told The Irrawaddy.

Around 14 junta soldiers were also killed in ambushes in Ye-U and Budalin townships, Sagaing on Thursday, according to the NUGs Defense Ministry and media.

With the exception of Rakhine State, regime forces nationwide are being confronted with increasing attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed groups including the Kachin Independence Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the armed wings of the Karen National Union and the Karenni National Progressive Party.

Almost 200 junta soldiers were killed and 44 injured in 127 incidents from October 19 to 25, according to the NUGs Defense Ministry. They included 25 firefights with PDFs, 13 attacks by ethnic armed forces and 89 assassinations and bomb blasts targeting junta troops.

Regime forces have continued to commit atrocities including raiding and burning down villages, bombarding residential areas of towns and arbitrarily killing civilians, especially in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin and Kayah States.



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Burma Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Condemns Myanmar Junta Gag Orders on Her Lawyers

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in September 2020 in Naypyitaw. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars detained leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has condemned the juntas gag orders on her lawyers, which bar them from speaking publicly about the progress of her trials, urging them to file complaints.

The military regime has banned all five members of the State Counselors legal team from speaking to the media. The gag order was first imposed after the head of her defense team revealed details of President U Win Myints court testimony in mid-October, during which he said that the Myanmar military had threatened to force him to resign during the February 1 coup.

The ousted presidents testimony made headlines in local and international media, as it appeared to confirm the illegality of the military takeover.

In an attempt to justify the gag orders, the junta said that the lawyers could destabilize the country with their comments to the media. However, it is a principle of Myanmars legal system that court cases are not held in secret.

The junta-controlled General Administrative Department issued the most recent gag order on October 26, prior to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis court hearing earlier this week. The order caused an information blackout on all Myanmars most high profile legal cases.

A source said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was aware of the gagging orders on her lawyers.

She said that the lawyers have the legal right to make a complaint to the relevant organizations, he quoted Suu Kyi as saying.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint have been detained at undisclosed locations in Naypyitaw since their arrest following the coup.

Suu Kyi faces 11 charges including the alleged possession of imported walkie-talkies, sedition, alleged violation of COVID-19 restrictions and corruption. The potential prison sentence for all the cases is 102 years.

Lawyers and legal analysts have condemned the gagging orders as an illegal violation of the fundamental judicial right to an open trial.

U Khin Maung Myint, a legal adviser, recently told The Irrawaddy that, citizens have the right to see, know and hear that every stage of the trial is fair and legal. By prohibiting lawyers from informing the public about trials, the administrative branch is exerting influence over the judicial branch. It is a very disgraceful and ugly act.

Both U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are appearing weekly at a special court in Naypyitaw to answer the cases filed against them.



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Burma Myanmar Civilian Government Forms Military Command Structure

Combat training in an EAO-controlled border area.

Myanmars shadow National Unity Government said it has formed a command structure to coordinate between civilian resistance forces and allied ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to fight the regime.

U Naing Htoo Aung, permanent secretary of the NUGs Defense Ministry, told The Irrawaddy that the Central Command and Coordination Committee (C3C) included leaders from the NUG and EAOs to engage with civilian resistance groups, known as Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs), across the country.

The PDFs have been largely been formed by young people in retaliation to junta crackdowns in March on anti-regime protesters.

There are now hundreds of PDFs across the country engaging in guerrilla warfare and urban hit-and-run attacks on military targets. They received combat training from some allied EAOs. Some PDFs are not under the NUGs command.

The command strategy comes two months after the NUG declared a peoples war against the junta on September 7. Clashes between the PDFs and regime troops are reported most days in several states and regions.

U Naing Htoo Aung said the C3C would form an important, single chain of command against the junta.

We are reaching out to other PDFs who are not under our command to encourage them to follow the code of conduct of the NUGs defense ministry, he said.

The main aim is strong collaboration between the EAOs and PDFs under our command. The C3C is vital to resource management among our allies, the permanent secretary said.

He said plans are being developed with some unnamed EAOs to provide weapons and other equipment to the PDFs.

But he refused to name the EAOs involved and give details of the plans.

The NUG and EAOs have been working on a military command mechanism since September and some key EAOs are believed to be allied with the NUG.

In Sagaing Region and Chin State in Myanmars northwest, the regimes offensives against the PDFs and Chin National Front (CNF) are gaining momentum in response to heavy junta casualties.

The CNF has been cooperating with the NUG since May and the powerful Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is believed to be backing the resistance movement.

The KIA has refused to recognize the regime and told it not to harm Kachin protesters.

In March fighting between the KIA and junta troops in Kachin and northern Shan states broke out after junta forces killed two protesters in Kachin States capital, Myitkyina.

In Kayah State the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and Karenni Army are supporting the resistance and training civilian volunteers. Kayah State has been one of the flashpoints between junta troops and PDFs.

The KNLAs political wing, the Karen National Union, is Myanmars oldest ethnic armed group, which has been fighting for federalism since 1948.

It has attacked the regime bases along the Thai border in response to crackdowns on protesters and has called on the military to return to barracks.



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Myanmar Junta Forces Again Use Civilians as Human Shields
Burma Myanmar Junta Forces Again Use Civilians as Human Shields

Blindfolded and tied together with a rope, detained villagers are forced to march in front of a military column in Pekon Township, Kayah State on Wednesday.

Myanmar junta forces used 19 detained civilians as human shields during a raid on a village in Pekon Township, Shan State on Wednesday, according to local civilian armed forces.

After sustaining heavy casualties in ambushes and mine attacks by civilian resistance forces, the military regimes forces are using arrested civilians as human shields in their operations in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin and Kayah states.

Junta forces are also using civilian vehicles and ambulances while traveling and conducting operations against Peoples Defense Forces to deter ambushes and landmine attacks.

Previously, 30 people were used as human shields by junta troops while marching in

Demoso, Hpruso and Bawlakeh in Kayah State and Pekon Township in southern Shan State in late August.

On Friday, a leaked photo went viral online showing more than a dozen civilians, blindfolded and tied together with a rope, being forced to march in front of a military column in a village in Pekon Township, Shan State.

The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force of Pekon confirmed that all the arrested people are from Shwe Pyi Aye Village, which was bombarded by military regime forces early on Wednesday morning.

The KNDF-Pekon shared a list of the detainees names on Friday and said some of them had yet to be released.

Junta forces shelled a civilian area in Shwe Pyi Aye Village at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday. The shelling occurred after the regime forces, who were deployed on a hill, engaged in an intense firefight with a joint force of Pekon Peoples Defense Force fighters and other Karenni armed forces on Tuesday afternoon. After the clash, three civilians were also injured by random junta attacks on residential areas, according to the Pekon PDF.

Due to the junta bombardment, more than 500 residents of Shwe Pyi Aye Village had to flee into the forests.

An official of the Free Burma Rangers, an armed group assisting the fleeing villagers, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the 19 villagers including some aged between 50 and 60, were arrested by junta soldiers while returning to their homes.

KNDF-Pekon said that military regime forces destroyed property belonging to the fleeing villagers, as well as looting houses and stealing vehicles during the raid on the village on Wednesday.

Currently, around 3,500 residents from several villages and wards of Mobye and Pekon, Shan State have fled their homes due to junta raids and artillery strikes on civilian areas following the clashes with civilian resistance forces.

On Friday morning, two people including a woman were killed and three people including a 6-year-old-boy were injured when military regime forces attacked civilian areas of Mobye using artillery shells.

On Sunday, one civilian was also killed and five others including a 3-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy were injured when the junta shelled residential areas of Mobye.

In early October, junta soldiers also used 15 detained villagers as human shields while marching through the north of Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, where many dozens of junta troops had been killed in landmine attacks by local PDFs.

While marching to locations in Chin State recently, junta forces reportedly forced civilian vehicles including private buses and passenger buses to accompany their military convoy in order to deter ambushes by the Chinland Defense Force, according to the armed group.

Junta forces also used local civilians in Mindat as human shields while raiding the mountainous town in Chin State in mid-May.

Regime forces have continued to commit atrocities including raiding and burning down villages, bombarding residential areas of towns and arbitrarily killing civilians, especially in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin and Kayah states.

With the exception of Rakhine State, military regime forces nationwide are facing a growing number of attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed forces.



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Burma Myanmar Junta Jails NLD Patron for 20 Years for High Treason

National League for Democracy patron U Win Htein (center) with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on June 20, 2015. / The Irrawaddy

A junta-controlled court on Friday sentenced U Win Htein, the detained patron of the National League for Democracy, to 20 years in prison for high treason over a press conference where he condemned the Feb. 1 coup.

He was sentenced to 20 years under Article 124A of the Penal Code by the Dekkhinathiri special court in a Naypyitaw detention cell, said U Myint Thwin, the lawyer representing the NLD patron.

The Penal Codes high treason article defines the crime as attempting to excite disaffection towards the government or defense services personnel and carries up to 20 years imprisonment.

The lawyer said U Win Htein denied the charges, saying it was his responsibility as a party leader to inform the public.

The police were preparing to transfer the 80-year-old to an unspecified prison, said the lawyer.

It is the first most lengthy sentence for an NLD member.

The former military captain was arrested on Feb. 4 at his home in Yangon when he returned from Naypyitaw and taken back to Oketarathiri police station in the capital.

His daughter Chit Su Win Htein said the sentence is as we expected. Its not a surprise but its sad and outrageous to hear about the ridiculous sentence.

She urged Myanmars people to hold on and said the perpetrators of this injustice will be held accountable.

The lawyer said the charges relate to a short press briefing where he issued a letter to the public and criticized the coup.

He called it a result of Senior General Min Aung Hlaings lust for power.

The overthrow of the democratically elected government meant the commander-in-chief had no intention of returning power, U Win Htein told the press in Naypyitaw on Feb. 1.

He repeated detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis message to the public to fully oppose the military coup and urged the people to use civil disobedience.

U Win Htein said previous military regimes had left the country impoverished and the current junta would take the country back to zero.

Myanmar has descended into turmoil since the February coup and anti-regime violence increases.

By Thursday, junta troops had killed at least 1,219 civilians and arrested around 9,345 people.

U Win Htein spent years in prison after joining the NLD in 1988.

After the 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations, U Win Htein was held in Yangons Insein Prison from 1989 until 1995. In 1996 he was sentenced to 14 years on charges of providing misinformation to foreign journalists, eventually being released in 2010.

He won a Lower House seat for Meiktila in Mandalay Region in a 2012 by-election, representing the township until January 2016.



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Specials Grudges and Military Oppression: Key Themes in Modern Myanmars Legal History

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and Naypyitaw Council Chairman Dr. Myo Aung appear in court in Naypyitaw on May 24. / Commander in Chief of Defense Services Myanmar

Among high-profile legal prosecutions involving leading figures in Myanmar since the countrys independence struggle, five in particular have attracted national attention. Of the five, all except the trial of the assassin of Myanmars independence hero General Aung San have involved military dictators, and two of them were filed against detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Assassination of Gen. Aung San

Gen. Aung San, the father of detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was assassinated along with his colleagues during a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat Building in Yangon on July 19, 1947.

U Saw, who harbored grudges against Gen. Aung San as his political rival, and his accomplices were captured the same day. The assassination took place a few months before Myanmars independence, and the case drew the attention of the whole nation, as the general was a national figure leading Myanmars independence movement.

U Saw was tried before a special tribunal set up by Sir Hubert Rance, the British colonial governor, as Myanmar was still under colonial rule at the time. The Special Tribunal was comprised of High Court Justice U Kyaw Myint and Sessions Judges U Si Bu and U Aung Tha Gyaw. The prosecution was led by Advocate-General U Tun Byu.

The trial took place inside Insein Prison in Yangon, and reporters, law students, relatives of the accused and invited persons were allowed to watch the trial. The court hearings were continuously covered by local newspapers.

Normally, only lawyers registered in Myanmar are allowed to argue cases at special tribunals, but British barrister Derek Curtis-Bennette was allowed to act for U Saw. The tribunal delivered its verdict in December 1947 after 37 court hearings spanning three months. Six individuals, including U Saw, were given death sentences. He was hanged on May 8, 1948 in Insein Prison after the President and the High Court of independent Myanmar rejected his appeals.

Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint, would-be assassin

Myanmar came under military rule for the first time in 1962 when military strongman General Ne Win seized power in a coup.

In 1976, Captain Ohn Kyaw Myint, a staff officer serving under General Kyaw Htin, then commander-in-chief of the armed forces, plotted to assassinate Ne Win and some other state leaders. He and his fellow coup plotters were opposed to Ne Wins Burmese Way to Socialism, which they felt was leading the country to economic ruin.

They planned to hand over power to General Tin OoGen. Kyaw Htins predecessor and later one of the founders of the National League for Democracyif the assassination succeeded.

At a dinner to mark Resistance Day (now Armed Forces Day) on March 27, 1976, Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint and other army officers were waiting for their chance to assassinate state leaders including Ne Wins protege, General San Yu, and intelligence chief Colonel Tin Oo. Ne Win was however not at the dinner, as he was honeymooning in Indonesias Bali with his new wife, Daw Ni Ni Myint. Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint and his fellow plotters did not have a chance that day.

Before they could act, their plot was exposed; the captain sought asylum at the US Embassy, in vain. He was tried before a special tribunal in Insein Prison led by Colonel Ohn Maung, with hearings taking place almost daily.

Than Shwe, who was then a lieutenant colonel and would go on to become Myanmars military chief in 1992, was among those who testified at the trial. The courtroom was packed with reporters, veteran lawyers and apprentice law students including U Ko Ni, who would later become an expert on Myanmars constitution, law students and foreign diplomats. The trial was also widely covered in the media.

In early 1977, Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint was hanged and other military officers involved were jailed. U Tin Oo was given seven years. All of those detained were released under a general amnesty in 1980.

Another significant figure involved in the case was U Win Htein, who at the time of the plot was a military captain. Now a senior NLD member, he has been detained since the February coup and was on Friday sentenced to 20 years in prison. After the assassination plot against Ne Win came to light, U Win Htein was purged from the military for failing to report it. He wrote in his 2016 book Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint and High Treason that Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint was executed to make sure he could never walk free again, should there be an amnesty and pardon in the future.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyis unwanted guest

The case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her uninvited American visitor made local and international headlines.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was put under her third house arrest on May 2003. A few days before her scheduled release in May 2009, US citizen John William Yettaw arrived at her home after swimming across Inya Lake, leading to the regimes prosecution of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under Section 22 of the State Protection Act.

The NLD leader was detained in Insein Prison for sheltering Yettaw for two days on humanitarian grounds.

People believed the regime used the incident as an excuse to confine her until the 2010 general election was complete. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Yettaw and Daw Aung San Suu Kyis aide Daw Khin Khin Win and her daughter Ma Win Ma Ma stood trial at a special court in Insein Prison. Foreign diplomats and reporters were given access to the courtroom during the trial, which spanned 85 days.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her two caretakers were given three years in prison with labor, and Yettaw was given seven years in prison with labor.

However, regime leader Senior General Than Shwe instructed that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would only have to serve half of the jail term no matter how many years she was handed by the court. The remainder of the sentence would be suspended and she would be freed from having to serve it if she behaved well, with the sentence to be served at her house.

Yettaw was deported from Myanmar a few months later after US Senator Jim Webb intervened in the case.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyis appeal was rejected by the High Court. She was released on Nov. 13, 2010, five days after the general election, the first since the 1990 poll.

U Ko Nis Assassination: Death of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis legal adviser

U Ko Ni, who was an apprentice of prominent lawyer U Ko Yu around the time of the trial of Capt. Ohn Kyaw Myint, became legal adviser to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after she won the 2012 by-election and entered the Parliament then dominated by the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party and military appointees, who are allotted 25 percent of parliamentary seats under the Constitution.

Known for his strong criticism of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, U Ko Ni traveled extensively to advocate for constitutional reforms to reduce the militarys dominant political role. He was credited with being primarily responsible for the creation of the position of State Counselor for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is constitutionally barred from becoming the countrys President. Many believe he was targeted by the military for his bold attempt to amend the constitution.

The 63-year-old lawyer was shot dead in broad daylight on Jan. 29, 2017, outside Yangon International Airport, on his return from Indonesia with a Myanmar government delegation.

Gunman Kyi Lin was arrested at the scene thanks to a taxi driver who sacrificed his life to capture him. Three of the four main conspiratorsZeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Khaingwere identified as ex-military officers. Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun were arrested later, and Aung Win Khaing remains at large.

The case was heard at Yangon North District Court. After more than 100 court hearings over more than two years, Kyi Lin and Aung Win Zaw were sentenced to death while Zeya Phyo and Aung Win Tun were given five years with labor and three years with labor respectively, sentences that drew criticism.

Aung Win Khaing, an ex-colonel and graduate of the 36th intake of the Defense Services Academy who is believed to be the mastermind behind the assassination, was last seen in Naypyitaw and remains at large.

U Lin Zaw Tun, an academy classmate of Aung Win Khaing, served as the personal staff officer of coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing while he was in the army. He later joined the USDP and became a lawmaker in the Lower House.

President U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi: Trials in the dark

These ongoing cases have been hogging the headlines since the Feb. 1 coup. They are the most controversial and legally questionable cases in Myanmars modern history, with the junta imposing a total media blackout on their trials.

U Win Myint faces two charges, for incitement and breaching coronavirus regulations. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi faces 11 charges including inciting public unrest, illegally importing walkie-talkies, breaching coronavirus regulations and corruption. If convicted of all 11 charges against her, she could be sentenced to a maximum of 102 years in prison. The United Nations has described the charges against the former leader as politically motivated.

No one knows where the trials are taking place, except that the courtroom is in Naypyitaw and was built specially to hear the cases. Neither U Win Myint nor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi knows where they are being held. Their lawyers do not know, either.

No journalists, diplomats or members of the public have been allowed in court. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis lawyers have been the only source of information about the trial.

The junta has, however, barred all five of her lawyers from speaking to the media after a lawyer revealed details of President U Win Myints testimony in mid-October, when the President said that the Myanmar military tried to force him to resign by making threats against him during the Feb. 1 coup.

The gag order was issued not by judges but by the junta-controlled General Administration Department. Lawyers have criticized it as a move to influence the judicial process, saying it is against the legal principle that a fair trial should be held in an open court.

This week, for the first time, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her lawyers mounted her defense in a closed-door hearing.



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Shelton, CT  10/29/2021  TMC today announced the conference program for Future of Work Expo, part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW, being held February 8-11, 2022 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/ Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Through interactive sessions, quality keynotes, exciting networking experiences and a recently expanded exhibit floor, Future of Work Expo connects businesses with the solutions, partners and education they need to drive digital transformation.

As the workplace evolves, altered by remote work and return-to-workplace realities, employee experiences, workplace culture, work/life balance, team collaboration and other human factors will intersect with AI and other disruptive technologies to facilitate dramatic changes.

At Future of Work Expo, expert speakers who themselves are reimagining workplaces and processes provide practical strategies and tactics for leading your organization through this challenging era.

The Future of Work conference program focuses on all key elements of today's hybrid workplace, not just for improving productivity, but also providing a better customer experience. If you're responsible for reimagining your company's workplace transformation - including implementation of today's most powerful new technologies, we'll see you at Future of Work Expo 2022 in Fort Lauderdale.

As the workplace evolves, altered by remote work and return-to-workplace realities of 2021, its inevitable for companies to rethink their future. The Future of Work Expo 2022 conference program focuses on all key elements of todays hybrid workplace, said Rich Tehrani, TMC CEO. This is not just for improving productivity, but also providing a better customer experience.

The 2022 Future of Work Expo conference program places emphasis on the forever changing work place, said Erik Linask, TMCs Editorial Director. The sessions talk about real-world solutions to challenges enterprises and contact centers face right now.

For, Future of Work Expo 2022, TMC has partnered with Jon Arnold, Principal of J Arnold & Associates, to return as Chair of the Future of Work Expo. Jon will lead attendees through a series of sessions designed to reimagine both the workplace and the place of work. As a leading industry analyst, Jon will connect the dots across these sessions so attendees will understand not just what the future of work holds in store, but why it's happening and how it will unfold.Conference sessions in The Future of Work Conference Program Include:

Managing the Hybrid Workforce: The Factors that Really Matter

Solving Future of Work Challenges for Frontline Workers

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Edited by Luke Bellos
GUEST RESEARCH: Zscaler, the leader in cloud security, today announced the release of its annual State of Encrypted Attacks Report, which tracked and analysed over 20 billion threats blocked over HTTPS, a protocol originally designed for secure communication over networks. This year's study found an increase of more than 314% year-over-year across geographical areas that include APAC, Europe, and North America, underscoring the need for a zero trust security model and greater traffic inspection than most companies can achieve with legacy firewall-based security models.

Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange analyses more than 190 billion daily transactions, extracting over 300 trillion signals which provides unmatched visibility to enterprise data at scale. ThreatlabZ research team leveraged these large data sets to provide unique insights into security risks posed by encrypted channels across key industries. Seven of the industries in the study experienced higher attack rates from threats in SSL and TLS traffic, while last year's most-targeted industry, healthcare, saw a decrease of 27% since January 2021. Conversely, the technology industry was plagued by threats at a rate much higher than other types of businesses, accounting for 50% of attacks.

In today's enterprise, more than 80% of internet-bound traffic is encrypted, which means that enterprises face the unique challenge of enforcing consistent security for all of their remote users. Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, and they're using encrypted channels at various stages of malware and ransomware attacks.

"Most enterprise IT and security teams recognise this reality but often struggle to implement SSL/TLS inspection policies due to a lack of compute resources and/or privacy concerns," said Zscaler CISO and vice president of security research and operations Deepen Desai. "As a result, encrypted channels create a significant blind spot in their security postures. Zscaler's new report on the state of encrypted attacks demonstrates that the most effective way to prevent encrypted attacks is with a scalable, cloud-based proxy architecture to inspect all encrypted traffic, which is essential to a holistic zero trust security strategy."

Cybercrime at an all-time high

Between January 2021 and September 2021, Zscaler blocked more than 20 billion threats over HTTPS, increasing more than 314% from the previous year. Cybercriminals are getting increasingly savvy with their attacks and have benefited from affiliated networks and malware-as-a-service tools available on the dark web.

While cybercriminals can use various attack types to hide in encrypted traffic, malicious content represented a staggering 91% of attacks, a 212% increase over last year. In contrast, cryptomining malware is down 20%, reflecting a broader shift in the attack trends, with ransomware becoming a more lucrative option.

Tech industry under siege

The report found that attacks on tech, retail, and wholesale companies saw a significant increase in threats. Attacks on technology companies increased by a staggering 2300%, and retail and wholesale saw attacks increase by over 800%. As more retailers offer digital shopping options during the 2021 holiday shopping season, cybercriminals are expected to be targeting more ecommerce solutions and digital payment platforms with malware and ransomware attacks. This has been exacerbated by the sudden need to support remote workers with remote connectivity to teleconferencing, SaaS-based apps, and public cloud workloads.

Tech companies are also an attractive target due to their role in the supply chain. A successful supply-chain attack like Kaseya and SolarWinds can give attackers access to a trove of user information. Additionally, as the world begins its return to normal, and as businesses and public events are opening up around the globe, many employees are still working in relatively insecure environments. Getting access to critical point-of-sale systems is extremely attractive to cybercriminals as it opens the door to huge profits.

Critical services see a decline

After being a top target in 2020, attacks on healthcare organisations decreased by 27% in 2021. Similarly, attacks on government organisations decreased by 10%. Ransomware attacks that targeted critical services, including the Colonial Pipeline attack and the ransomware attack on the Health Services Executive of Ireland, have caught the attention of the highest levels of law enforcement, including the White House, which recently signed an Executive Order to improve the nation's cybersecurity.

"After being the two most frequently targeted sectors in 2020, healthcare and government organisations had an immense sense of urgency to revamp their security postures with modern architectures, which are largely based on zero trust. There was also increased government scrutiny and a law enforcement crackdown on cybercriminal groups in response to high-profile attacks against critical services such as Colonial Pipeline," said Desai. "As a result of these two factors, we have seen a decrease in attacks on healthcare and government organisations this year."

More countries targeted

Zscaler ThreatLabz observed attacks in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, including small countries that are not common targets such as islands across the Caribbean. In addition, an increase in work-from-anywhere has led to employees branching out from the usual giant tech hubs like, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, London, Paris, Sydney.

The five most-targeted countries of encrypted attacks include the U.K. (5,446,549,767), U.S. (2,674,879,625), India (2,169,135,553), Australia (1,806,003,182), and France (519,251,819).

As a whole, Europe led the way with 7,234,747,361 attacks, with APAC (4,924,732,36) and North America (2,778,360,051) rounding out the top three.

Protect your business

As organisations shift to support new, digitally enabled working models, it's increasingly important to ensure that their assets and traffic to those assets are secure. To lower the threat from encrypted attacks, Zscaler ThreatLabz recommends a zero trust security strategy that allows organisations to:

 Prevent compromise: Provide consistent security for all users and all locations to ensure everyone has the same level of security all the time, whether they are at home, at headquarters, or abroad. Use a cloud-native, proxy-based architecture to inspect all traffic for every user and decrypt, detect, and prevent threats that may be hiding in HTTPS traffic.

 Prevent lateral movement: Use zero trust architecture with deception to reduce your attack surface and prevent lateral movement by cybercriminals. This type of architecture makes applications invisible to attackers while allowing authorised users to directly access needed resources and not the entire network.

 Prevent data loss: Quarantine unknown attacks or compromised apps in an AI-driven sandbox to stop patient-zero malware and ransomware. Unlike with firewall-based passthrough approaches, this design holds all suspicious content for analysis, ensuring that breach attempts are stopped before they are able to access sensitive systems and steal business-critical information.

To download the full report, see the 2021 State of Encrypted Attacks.

Methodology

The ThreatLabz team evaluated data from the Zscaler security cloud, which monitors over 190 billion transactions daily across the globe. Zscaler blocked over 20.7 billion threats transmitted via encrypted channels over a nine-month window from January 2021 through September 2021.

About Zscaler

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 150 data centres globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world's largest in-line cloud security platform.

Additional Resources

Zscaler Security Research

Zscaler Security as a Service

Award-winning Web Security

World's First Next Generation Cloud Firewall

Sandboxing and Behavioral Analysis
Smartphone sales in China increased by 3% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2021 but this represented a drop of 9% year-on-year, the technology analyst firm Counterpoint Research says.

The company also provided third-quarter figures for shipments to India, which it listed at 52 million units, a drop of 2% year-on-year. This, however, differed markedly from the figures released by fellow analyst firm Canalys last week, which said shipments stood at 47.5 million units, a 5% fall year-on-year.

The drop in China sales was put down to weak consumer demand and component shortages, especially SoCs for 4G devices.

Analyst Mengmeng Zhang said, Although COVID-19 has been well contained in China due to Beijing's zero-tolerance approach, the economy has not come out unscathed, growing just 4.9% year-on-year in Q3 2021, compared to 7.9% year-on-year in Q2 2021.

"The countrys services sector also slowed sharply in August while showing a slight rebound in September. In the meantime, Chinas smartphone market remained stagnant with demand mainly coming from replacement needs. Lack of new smartphone features also kept many consumers away.

Commenting on the Indian figures, analyst Prachir Singh said, Smartphone shipments maintained a strong momentum after the second COVID-19 wave. The consumer demand outweighed the supply due to the high pent-up demand.

"Keeping in mind the global component shortage, most of the brands were aggressively working to secure enough stock for the festive season. The demand in the online channels remained strong and reached highest-ever shipments in 3Q 2021.

Analyst Monika Sharma said, regarding the competitive landscape and brand strategies, Chinese brands captured 74% share in the Indian smartphone market in 3Q 2021. Xiaomi led the market with a 22% share driven by the Redmi 9 series and Redmi Note 10 series. The Redmi 9A remained the top-selling smartphone model during 3Q 2021 as well.

"Samsung captured the second spot with a 19% share. The online-focused Galaxy M series and F series drove its shipments along with the newly launched Galaxy A series models which saw high demand in the offline channels.

"Samsung is focusing on providing maximum 5G bands in its 5G models to differentiate itself from the competition. Strong volumes of vivos Y-series and V-series smartphones led the brand to capture the third spot with a 15% share. realme captured the fourth spot with a 14% share driven by its budget segment C series. OPPO took the fifth spot with 10% share.

Looking at key vendors' performance in the Chinese market, senior analyst Ethan Qi said: "The overall smartphone market experienced further reshuffling in 3Q 2021, factoring in Honors comeback.

"vivo and OPPO continued to lead the market with 23% and 20% shares, respectively. Honors share rose quickly to the third spot, marginally surpassing that of Xiaomi. Xiaomis position is expected to be challenged the most by Honor as both OEMs have a higher sales contribution from online channels when compared to other major Chinese OEMs.

"Apples ranking stayed unchanged in 3Q 2021, but it is expected to rise in 4Q 2021 with the debut of the iPhone 13 series.
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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.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Sunny. High 72F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Sunny. High 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Oct. 28, 2021 (Nashville, Tennessee) ----- Breakout artist-songwriter, Rachael Nemiroff , to release her most personal family song with One Heart Two Homes, October 29th. The single was co-written by Nemiroff, Jonathan Gamble and Lauren Hungate at a writers retreat in Monteagle, Tennessee earlier this year. The artist has never shared a certain part of her life story through song, but she felt this was the time for complete healing, since so many people deal with broken homes.

Nemiroffs parents divorced when she was a young child, and instead of the separation becoming more normal, it became more difficult as she grew into an adult. With two households and two sets of parents, that can include new partners and siblings, leads to divisions for the holidays, birthdays and other special occasions that can become overwhelming. Whether the offspring are adults or children, there are so many emotions from guilt, anger, confusion and the uncertainty of the future. However, Nemiroffs faith has given her hope, and this support has given her the insight that the earth is broken, but Gods love is perfect.

I hope by sharing this song, which is a part of my own story, would lift the shame of divorce and help facilitate healing conversations, said Nemiroff. I felt so ashamed and thought that something was wrong with me because of my parents divorce. I would go to church looking at other families, whose parents were still together, and I wanted that so badly. Open discussions would be so helpful for the children of divorce, by processing different emotions and providing resources to help them feel heard and seen. They need to know its not their fault, as this happens with an adult decision.

Nemiroffs career is starting to gain serious support with the recent signing as a songwriter at Curb-Word Music Publishing. She has been invited to perform at several festivals in 2021, including Alive, One Fest and being invited by hip hop artist Tedashii to sing with him at Uprise Festival. At the same time, Nemiroff has garnered 136,000+ Spotify monthly listeners and being featured on multiple Spotify Editorial Playlists at New Music Friday Christian, Christian Mix, Top Christian Contemporary, Hits Up Christian Dance Party, Pop For Life, to name just a few.

About Rachael Nemiroff

Rachael Nemiroff was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and when she was a child she moved to Pennsylvania with her mother, following her parents divorce. She started singing around the house, so her mother got her involved in a local playhouse theatre. In 10th grade, Nemiroff enrolled at a performing arts school, began to attend church with a friend and joined a youth band that played in the main Church services. In her senior year, Nemiroff decided to attend a Christian university, which lead her to Trevecca Nazarene University and landed her in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nemiroff became active with the Christian music scene in Nashville, and before long she was getting established with writers and producers in the community that included Tony Wood, Michael Farren, Tedd T, Nick Schwarz, Beji Cowart and Matt Armstrong. Her music started making a commercial impact in 2018 with the song, Circles that generated 50,000 streams in one month. This was followed by several singles that include Belong in 2019, and Temporary in 2020, with both songs being featured on several Spotify

Editorial playlists. In 2021, Nemiroff has written several new tunes, with the release of her new single, One Heart Two Homes, this Friday.

Keep connected with Nemiroff and her music through social media with Instagram Twitter and Facebook .

###




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Johnson City leaders gathered at King Commons Park on Thursday afternoon to dedicate the city's Sesquicentennial Legacy Project, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the city's founding.

The project includes a history circle that lists key dates and information about the city's history, a "tri-star" area that pays tribute to the Tennessee state flag and the Niswonger Children's Hospital Natural Adventure Area, a spot in front of the Johnson City Public Library that includes an outdoor classroom, music play structures and play areas.

"We really are excited to see this project coming to fruition and being dedicated today," said Johnson City Mayor Joe Wise. "This is really part of an effort to make downtown a center of family activity that's inclusive for all people involved."

The total cost of the project was about $1.68 million. Part of that funding came from donations.

Donna Noland, a member of the city's sesquicentennial commission, said the mission of the legacy project was to recognize and appreciate Johnson City's rich history and connect it to the present and future. She expressed appreciation for the project's many donors.

The adventure playground and the history circle opened at a critical time, she said. When officials started fundraising in 2018, they thought they would be finished at the end of 2019.

Johnson City celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019, but the project rolled over into 2020, a year dominated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In saying all that, it couldn't have opened at a better time," Noland said about the project. "Our country, our region was at a critical time where we needed the ability to have a space where we could connect with our neighbors, where we could connect with the community, and we accomplished that with this goal."

Niswonger Children's Hospital CEO Lisa Carter said the project is a welcome addition to downtown Johnson City.

"I commend the commission and this amazing group of people for really setting a vision for families and children throughout this region," she said.

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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
In this July 13 photo, Gov. Mike Parson answers medias questions in Kansas City, Mo. On Thursday, Parson said his administration wont help enforce President Joe Bidens federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate in some limited instances. Parsons executive order bans his administration from enforcing the mandate or penalizing noncompliance when people refuse coronavirus vaccination for religious or medical reasons. The Kansas City Star via AP
HOARDING

 The American Psychiatric Association says hoarding must interrupt the ability to use a specific space. Its different than collecting, which is usually done in an organized, intentional, and targeted fashion, the association says on its website. Objects acquired by people with hoarding lack a consistent theme.  Disorganized clutter is a hallmark of hoarding disorder.

 Those with other psychiatric diagnoses, such as anxiety and depression, are more likely to hoard, in addition to those over 60 years old, the association says. Tendency to hoard usually begins early in life and gets worse as a person ages.
East Hartford candidates

Candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 2 election.

Mayor

Democrat

Michael P. Walsh

Republican

Matt Harper

Town Council

(vote for any six, nine elected)

Democrats

Angie Parkinson

Connor Martin

Donald Bell, Jr.

Sebrina Wilson

Richard Kehoe

Awet Tsegai

Republicans

Tom Rup

John Morrison

Dean Chamberland

Travis Simpson

Matthew Lauf

Jon W. Petoskey

treasurer

(vote for one, one elected)

Democrats

John P. Murphy, Jr.

Republicans

Samantha Spina

Board of education

(vote for up to three, five elected)

Democrats

Harry Amadasun, Jr.

Tyron Harris

Anabelle Diaz

Republicans

John P. Pereira

Valerie Scheer

Selectman

(vote for up to two, three elected)

Democrats

Charles Botts, III

Harrison A. Amadasun

Republicans

Gerald Poehler

Rob Rosa

Constables

(vote for up to four, five elected)

Democrats

Daron Ross

Tia L. Woods

Joshua F. Quintana

Susan J. Tukey

Republicans

Charles H. Clarke
MANCHESTER CANDIDATES

Candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 2 election.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(Vote for up to six; nine elected)

Democrats

Tim Bergin

Pamela Floyd-Cranford

Sarah L. Jones

Jay Moran

Jesse Muniz-Poland

Dennis Schain

Republicans

Brian Marois

Zachary Reichelt

Jeff Sullivan

Kelly Lierzer

Peter Conyers

Jacqueline Crespan

SELECTMEN

(vote for up to two; three elected)

Democrats

Kevin Zingler

Steve Cassano

Republicans

Mark Tweedie

Kristine Moulard

CONSTABLES

(Vote for up to four; seven elected)

Democrats

Colin ONeill

Ed Slegeski

Albert Gionet

Warren Packer

Republicans

Salvatore Mancini

Rusty Meek

Kevin Hood

TOWN CLERK

Democrat

Darryl E. Thames Sr.

Republican

Cheri Pelletier Eckbreth

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Term beginning 2021

(Vote for up to two; three elected)

Democrats

David M. Eisenthal

Melanie Stefanovicz

Republicans

Richard Kohls

Rich Rader

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Term beginning in 2022

(Vote for up to two; three elected)

Democrats

Tracy R. Patterson

Chris Pattacini

Republicans

Cathy Hopperstad

Michael Orsene

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One year term beginning 2021

Democrat

No candidate

Republican

Michael Orsene
Vernon candidates

Candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 2 election.

Mayor

Democrat

Jesse Schoolnik

Republican

Daniel A. Champagne

Town Council

(vote for up to eight, eight elected)

Democrats

Nicola Chambers-Holder

Ann Letendre

Jennifer C. Hirschberg-Wise

Dennis J. Plevyak

Teri Lynn Rogers

Maryann Levesque

Karen Colt

Ariana Nieves-Matias

Republicans

Brian R. Motola

Jim Tedford

Linda B. Gessay

Laura B. Bush

Bill Campbell

John B. OConnell

Julie Clay

Michael D. Wendus

Board of Education

Full Four Year Term

(Vote for up to two, three elected)

Democrats

Joshua Poloski

Kevin P. Brown

Republicans

E. Mason Thrall III

Patricia E. Buxton

board of education

Full Two Year Term

(Vote for up to two, three elected)

Democrats

Kristiana Wintress

Gregory Mark Buonome

Republicans

Deborah G. Rodriguez

Mark J. Kalina

board of education

To Fill Vacancy for the Remaining Two Years of Four Year Term

(Vote for one, one elected)

Democrats

Jennifer Buckler

Republicans

No candidate
On October 25, the Higher Regional Court of Munich sentenced Jennifer W. to a prison sentence of 10 years for her involvement in the enslavement, abuse and killing of a five-year-old Yazidi girl as well as enslavement and abuse of the childs mother in Iraq. The Office of the German Federal Public Prosecutor had asked for a life sentence.

Jennifer W.s was the first indictment and longest trial against a female IS member of German nationality on charges of international crimes committed against the Yazidi community. Hers is the fifth conviction of a female IS member tried in Germany for the atrocities committed against Yazidis.

While these trials denote a considerable evolution in the German jurisprudence on IS-affiliated women  with both crimes against humanity and war crimes playing an increasingly important role , stereotypes employed by all sides reflect and perpetuate binary, gendered ideas about the involvement, motives and intent of female IS members in mass atrocities. For (international) criminal justice to live up to its ideals of contributing to an accurate historical record and to deliver justice for victim communities, it is paramount for such gendered notions to be overcome.

Prosecution of female IS-returnees

When Sibel H. landed in Frankfurt am Main in early 2018, the German Federal Prosecutor sought to charge her with membership in a terrorist organization abroad. Yet, Germanys Federal Court held shortly afterwards that merely living in IS-territory and engaging in what can be considered normal household work was insufficient to indict her on terrorism charges. Then it took over a year until the first German woman returning from the so-called caliphate, Sabine S., was convicted in July 2019 by the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart. For inhabiting a seized property, i.e. pillaging, and promoting IS propaganda online, she received a prison sentence of five years. Since then, other women have been found guilty of a variety of international crimes  among them Sibel H., who ultimately received a sentence of three years. Carla-Josephine S., for instance, was convicted for the war crime of enlisting a child under 15, her son who was six years old at the time, into an armed group.

Moreover, Germany made international headlines as leading the way in prosecuting ISIS members for specific crimes committed against Yazidis. Besides the lawsuit against Jennifer W.s husband Tahal al J., who is charged with genocide, all of the defendants were female. Specifically, during the two and a half years that Jennifer W. stood trial, no less than four judgments were being passed  all on aiding and abetting enslavement as a crime against humanity.

Sarah O., a 23-year German and Algerian national who joined IS as a minor, was convicted in July 2021. In a first, she was found to have committed the crime of persecution on intersecting religious and gender grounds through rape and enslavement. The other concluded cases are connected to her case as both 30-year-old Omaima A. and 35-year-old Nurten J. were found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes against humanity because they had received Yazidi women owned as slaves by Sarah O. Nurten J. was sentenced to four years and three months in April 2021, while Omaima A., who had been found guilty of membership in a terrorist organization in a previous trial, received an accumulated sentence of four years.

When prosecutorial strategies reflect stereotypes

There is a multiplicity of fluid roles that these women occupied as IS members. Whereas the initial investigations and phases of the trials predominantly focused on the religious motives and intent of IS perpetrators, IS gender ideology was left unattended.

Upon examination of the language in the indictments against female IS perpetrators, it initially had been around religious ideology justifying their criminal conduct and involvement. While this is certainly true, it does not paint the entire picture, namely that it is both the religious and gender ideology of IS that has influenced and has a relationship to the criminal conduct of perpetrators. Respectively, this relationship vis-a-vis the involvement of all perpetrators (female and male) in said conduct needs to be adequately investigated, legally categorised and prosecuted.

A promising development in that regard is the verdict against Sarah O., who was, as stated above, convicted for the crime against humanity of persecution on intersecting religious and gender grounds through rape and enslavement. It however remains unclear as to what extent such a gender-competent analysis was employed from the beginning of the investigations. This is crucial because it brings to light not only gendered harms and dimensions in relation to international crimes but reveals information about power relations as well as exercise of supremacy and dominance among victim and perpetrator groups.

From the perspective of the prosecution, it is certainly common that new information and evidence comes to surface in the course of the proceedings, including additional victims and witnesses, which in turn leads to an expansion of the original charges. Yet, the information and evidence of intersecting gender and religious based persecution should have formed an inherent part of the structural investigations since the beginning in 2014, independently from the additional evidence gathered by civil society organizations, witnesses willing to testify and motions filed by victims counsel.

The instrumental role of women under IS

Intrinsic shortcomings following gendered, binary stereotypes include that exclusively females have been charged with crimes, international and national, with respect to their children and exclusively females have been charged with war crimes against property even when male members also inhabited the seized houses. Such a prosecutorial strategy affirms a gendered, narrow understanding of the role of women under IS limited to the private realm within the confines of motherhood, dutiful wife and caretaker. In reality the role of female members was and is in fact instrumental to the functioning of IS  in particular the system of enslavement. Moreover, as experts noted, the role of female IS members advanced and expanded with time. Crucially, it is the intent or motive that should be considered objectively in the context of international criminal investigations and prosecutions, not (solely) the agency of (female) perpetrators.

More broadly, there is a lack of cases reaching trial stage that demonstrate the full array of gendered violations of international criminal law against the Yazidi, including the crime of the slave trade and enslavement of Yazidi and various forms of sexual violence committed against women, girls, boys and LGBTQI persons. There is a lack of cases against high-level members of IS whose involvement and knowledge can reveal further information about the organizational and command structures of IS. Lastly, there is a lack of cases examining the genocidal intent of perpetrators beyond the Taha Al. J. case.

When defence strategies dont help

Besides the often narrow focus of the investigative and prosecutorial strategies, gender stereotypes drawn on by defence teams also undermine an accurate understanding of the complex involvement of women in IS and its criminal conduct. Specifically, defence attorneys systematically situate their respective clients in the private sphere to explain (away) their alleged crimes and involvement therein. While a unique, yet gendered story is offered in every case, broadly three general themes have been observed in negating any political motivations or ideological agency underlying these womens (in)actions.

First, their decision to travel towards the so-called caliphate is often clothed in stereotypes. Sibel H., for instance, argued that she had fallen head over heels for a man, who was already in Syria  leaving her with no choice but to follow her love. Similarly, Omaima A. depicted her journey to IS as an attempt to save her marriage with the father of her third child, who was already in IS-territory. Carla-Josephine S., in turn, hoped to become the perfect mother in the sense of her religion, by taking her children to a territory supposedly ruled by Islam. Coupled with the repeated assertion of innocence and naivety that they did not know what would await them in Syria, all these narratives suggest that these women did not join IS for any other reasons than their husband or children. This not only depoliticizes their decision to travel to the so-called caliphate but suggests that it is stereotypical feminine longings that ultimately brought them there.

Second, to account for their time in Syria, their behaviour is clothed in an equally high level of passivity, depicting them as mere wives and mothers. As wives, it is argued, they could not have taken the decisions that they are now being held accountable for. Throughout her trial, Jennifer W. argued that she could not have helped the five-year old Yazidi girl that her husband had chained to a window in the 50 degrees summer heat, for fear of being shoved or locked up by her husband. She and Omaima A. have also repeatedly accused the prosecution of putting them on trial for crimes committed by their husbands, or even IS more broadly. Early into Omaima A.s first trial, for instance, her lawyer declared the prosecution sought to misrepresent her motherly care as support for IS terrorism. Faced with the choice between taking care of her children and thereby exposing herself to prosecution for membership in a terrorist organisation or disregarding her maternal duties, it was clear what a mother would opt for, he contended.

Third, the notion most frequently referred to is that of the womens own victimisation. Already the first German woman convicted for her IS membership after returning, Sabine S., portrayed herself as a victim of her life circumstances. Similarly, Nurten J.s testimony centred predominantly on the hardships she had to endure both while living under IS and when escaping Syria. Here, too, the pain that the women had to go through as mothers to children in a war zone is often emphasis ed. Carla-Josephine S.s lawyers, for instance, argued that it was the suffering of her children, the fear for her son during his stays in an IS child soldier training camp as well as his ultimate death on their flight from Syria that were the greatest punishment on her. Finally, the separation from their children is also often described as an ongoing form of victimisation of these women  and a hardship, which ought to be considered as mitigating factors, regardless of the crimes they are charged with.

Such heteronormative depictions of women engaged in international crimes perpetuate binary ideas of the emotion vs rationality or victim vs perpetrator. It further encourages the continued focus on the private rather than the public sphere, i.e. in the house or towards their children. The distinction of such realms fails to recognise that the crimes committed in-house were part and parcel of an ideologically driven public campaign by IS against the Yazidi community. Ultimately, such narratives distort our view on the criminal conduct that took place under IS and undermine both our understanding of womens complex involvement therein and justice for survivor communities.

Gender perceptions continue since Nuremberg

These perceptions of women as committing crimes in the shadows and influence of men or merely facilitating them in their independent acts can be traced back to the Nuremberg trial of Ilse Koch, wife of an SS officer in charge of the Buchenwald concentration camp. 75 years ago, Koch also played to her gender, using the defence of being a completely normal and morally pure wife and a mother fulfilling her duties as an SS wife.

In 2001, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, in her trial for conspiracy to commit genocide before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, also downplayed her role as that of a social worker wanting to help the women of Rwanda and saying that women did not know how to massacre like the actual [male] genocidaires did. Finally, in the proceedings of the only woman indicted at the International Criminal Court to date, for electoral violence in Cote dIvoire, Simone Gbagbo also used the defence that she committed these acts under fear of her husband, then President Laurent Gbagbo, who would have physically hit her otherwise.

Additionally, a running similarity in both the historic case studies and German trial against female IS perpetrators is that these women perpetrators are piggybacked along a male criminal, be it Ilse Koch, Simone Gbabgo or Jennifer W. who are tried alongside their husbands or Pauline Nyiramasuhuko who was tried alongside her son. The role of women in commission of crimes is then often downplayed and excused as women donning a masculine identity to survive in a predominantly patriarchal society.

The increasing number of (repatriated) women returning from northeast Syria brings their role in IS mass violence to the forefront. This presents an opportunity to catapult the binary role of women as a bystander or victim towards recognising them as both direct and indirect agents as well as ideologically motivated supporters of criminal conduct  even and especially in the context of gender and religious ideologies that foresee defined roles, tasks and agencies of women. Concurrently, there are two joined cases before the European Court of Human Rights which will determine whether EU Member States have a duty to repatriate (at least) their female and minor nationals from the camps in northeast Syria. An affirmative judgment would likely result in an increase in repatriations, and, by extension, prosecutions of female IS returnees. The role and involvement of women perpetuating systems of violence therefore should be sufficiently analysed to capture in the most nuanced and accurate way possible the entirety of crime patterns.
OCN's newest crime thriller drama "Chimera" raises the potential viewers' anticipation as the drama's own director, as well as the cast, reveals the points to look out for in the new drama.

Park Hae Soo, Lee Hee Joon and Soo Hyun's new Saturday and Sunday drama "Chimera" follows the story of homicide detective Jae Hwa (Park Hae Soo), criminal profiler (Soo Hyun) and surgeon Jung Yeop (Lee Hee Joon) who are caught up figuring out the culprit behind an explosive murders which started again for the first time in 35 years.

'Chimera' Director Reveals Exciting Points to Anticipate in the New Drama

"Chimera" is a new crime thriller drama and it is expected to captivate the hearts of its viewers through a strong plot with rich stories, sensuous directing and great performances by outstanding actors.

The director and cast of the upcoming crime thriller revealed the three main points to look out for in "Chimera."

Interesting Crime Investigations and New Combination of Actors

"Chimera" differs from most dramas as it deals with criminal homicides and murders. Apart from it, there are various forms of crime investigations and profiling techniques that have not been seen before.

Various cases such as analyzing the personality of a certain suspect through his attire, identifying the crime scene and also, analyzing the sentence of a will to determine its authenticity.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Park Hae Soo, Soo Hyun and Lee Hee Jun Work Intensely Together to Find the Truth in 'Chimera'

In addition to that, "Chimera" director Kim Do Hoon arouses expectations by saying, "We filmed explosion scenes and crime investigations carefully and meticulously."

Characters' Camaraderie and Strong Synergy

Another thing to anticipate is the actors' synergy and teamwork. "Chimera" marks Park Hae Soo, Lee Hee Joon and Soo Hyun's first drama project together.

Park Hae Soo and Lee Hee Joon shared that the tension and atmosphere of the drama can be vividly recognized by anyone who will watch the new drama.

On the other hand, Soo Hyun described her co-actors with a happy heart, "Each character, Jae Hwan, Yu Jin and Jung Yeop, has their own reversal charms. But despite them all, they still show off great synergy and teamwork when brought together. It is honestly fun to see the strong chemistry that sparks up whenever the three characters meet."

The Real Identity of 'Chimera'

Park Hae Soo, Lee Hee Jun and Soo Hyun all agreed that the unknown identity of "Chimera" is the most important thing in the drama.

"The film didn't reveal the real culprit behind "Chimera" until the second half of the drama. As the story progresses, everyone will look like the culprit and the viewers will certainly be able to immerse themselves in it," the actors said, raising expectations.

Moreover, director Kim Do Hoon said, "It is a drama that tells how the characters bear the tragedy of the painful past until they are breathing."

He continued by encouraging everyone to watch the drama. "Don't miss out on how Park Hae Soo, Lee Hee Jun and Soo Hyun overcame the tragedy in "Chimera". Please give the drama a lot of love and support."

On the other hand, "Chimera" is slated to air for the first time on October 30 at 10:30 p.m. on OCN.

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KDramaStars owns this article.

Elijah Mully wrote this.
MBC's soon-to-release historical-romance drama "The Red Sleeve Cuff," starring 2PM's Junho and Lee Se Young, has been sold to over 20 countries.

Read on for all the details.

MBC's 'The Red Sleeve Cuff' to be Available in America, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan

This 2021, tvN's "Doom at Your Service," "Vincenzo," "The Veil," "Now We Are Breaking Up," and more were sold to different countries overseas.

Then, on October 29, MBC's forthcoming drama "The Red Sleeve Cuff," which stars 2PM's Junho and Lee Se Young, is reported to have been sold to more than 20 countries before ahead of its premiere.

As "The Red Sleeve Cuff" is a highly-anticipated series, the romance drama achieved a victory of signing exclusive contracts to leading overseas channels, including major online streaming platforms in each region.

"The Red Sleeve Cuff" was sold to some of the largest regions, specifically in America, Japan, Europe, and Taiwan. Other countries that bought the drama are yet to be confirmed.

It is expected that the drama will properly showcase the beauty and authenticity of K-historical dramas to global home channels amid the global success of Korean content.

On the other hand, a representative from the production of "The Red Sleeve Cuff" expressed that the team was happy about the news. They were surprised by the massive interest of the viewers both in domestic and abroad.

In return, the representative added that the production team will do their best to release more compelling dramas soon.

'The Red Sleeve Cuff' Premiere Moved to November 12

MBC's "The Red Sleeve Cuff" will center on the romance between a crown prince and a court lady, two Individuals who live in different worlds but will do everything for the sake of love.

Watch "The Red Sleeve Cuff" trailer here!

"The Red Sleeve Cuff" will introduce new onscreen partners Lee Junho and Lee Se Young, and viewers are now anticipating their chemistry.

Originally, the series was scheduled to air on November 5, but was moved to November 12. Nevertheless, the MBC series will still occupy the Friday and Saturday slot.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 2PM's Junho and Lee Se Young Embrace the Ups and Downs of Their Romance Journey in New 'The Red Sleeve Cuff' Teaser

Can't wait to see 2PM's Junho's and Lee Se Young's chemistry in "The Red Sleeve Cuff"? Share your thoughts with us!

For more K-Drama and celebrity updates, keep your tabs open at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins reported this.
Lee Kyu Hyung will grace the small screen for the sixth time with his appearance in the upcoming apocalyptic thriller drama "Happiness," which stars Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik.

The TVING series is set in a fictional version of South Korea which is sealed off with an apocalypse of an infectious disease which envelops the citizens with fear and psychological warfare.

Lee Kyu Hyung Transforms Into a Special Operation Unit in Han Hyo Joo's New Drama

The TVING drama series starring Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Sik and Jo Woo Jin draws nearer and nearer, and "Prison Playbook" star Lee Kyu Hyung joins in on the disastrous fun.

In the drama, Han Hyo Joo plays the role of the tactical Special Operations Unit agent Yoon Sae Bom. Park Hyung Sik will play as Jung Yi Hyun, her former schoolmate who's now a police detective in the violent crimes division.

Finally, Jo Woo Jin will play the role of Han Tae Seok, the man in charge of the Armed Forces Medical Command who will find the source and cure for the diseases.

Lee Kyu Hyung will join as Yoon Sae Bom's colleague, Lee Seung Young. In the drama, the two have worked together for a long time ever since their rookie years until the time that they are acknowledged by everyone as top agents.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Happiness' Teaser: Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Sik and Jo Woo Jin Struggle to Keep Themselves Safe From Unknown Enemies

The newly released stills depict Lee Seung Young's competent and dependable nature, almost charismatic.

Yoon Sae Bom and Lee Seung Young both take part in an anti-terrorism training, and the two now experience a crisis they have never experienced before.

Attention is focused on what kind of friendship the two share, and how Lee Kyu Hyung's appearance affects Yoon Sae Bom's relationship with Jung Yi Hyun.

The "Happiness" production unit said, "Lee Kyu Hyung's amazing performance will interestingly open the beginning of the infectious disease crisis. Please look forward to the chemistry he will show together with Han Hyo Joo."

On the other hand, "Happiness" is slated to air for the first time on Friday, November 5 at 10:40 p.m. KST on TVING. It will also be available for worldwide streaming on Viki.

'Happiness,' 'Prison Playbook' and Other Lee Kyu Hyung Dramas

Lee Kyu Hyung appeared in many popular dramas like "Hwarang" and "Goblin," but he received his major breakthrough role in 2017 tvN drama "Prison Playbook."

In 2021, he made several cameo appearances in dramas "Hospital Playlist 2," "Racket Boys," "The Witch's Diner" and "Shall We Have A Cup of Coffee?".

Lee Kyu Hyung is also an amazing musical actor, appearing in many South Korean productions such as "Cyrano," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," to name a few.

ICYMI, watch the teaser of the spine-chilling apocalyptic drama here:

Follow KDramaStars for more KDrama and celebrity updates!



KDramaStars owns this article.

Elijah Mully reported this.
SALEM, Ore.  Oregon employers will pay a lower payroll tax rate for 2022 than they did this year due to recent legislation. The Oregon Employment Department announced the new rate on Friday.

Oregon employers contributing to unemployment insurance will pay an average rate of 1.97% for 2022, down from 2.26% this year. OED said that House Bill 3389 allowed state officials to lower tax rates when other states are increasing unemployment tax rates and continuing to borrow funds.

HB 3389 was signed into law in July, and OED says that it's projected to save Oregon employers a combined $2.2 billion over the next 10 years.

"In Oregon, the state deposits money collected from state payroll taxes into a trust fund that is used to pay UI benefits to unemployed Oregon workers," OED said. "Oregons trust fund, which is on track to remain solvent through the next recession, is one of the healthiest in the nation. This is due to the 'self-balancing' tax structure used to fund it."

That self-balancing structure involves two major points  movement between eight tax schedules meant to lower rates when the economy is poor and raise them when it is recovering, and individual tax rates for employers based on the number of employees laid off during a given year.

HB 3389 changed how the tax schedule is calculated by bypassing most of the temporary pandemic impacts, the recession and mass layoffs.

"In addition, HB 3389 allows eligible employers to defer up to one-third of their 2021 UI tax liability until June 30, 2022, without accruing interest or penalties on deferred amounts," OED said. "It also allows some employers to receive full or partial forgiveness of their deferrable liability based on how much their UI tax rate increased from 2020 to 2021."

OED plans to mail individual 2022 tax rate notices to employers on Monday, November 15. Any employer that does not receive a notice by November 22 should contact OED's Tax Section.
SALEM, Ore.  Time is running out to renew expired vehicle registration, driver licenses, and ID cards in Oregon before a year-end rush and the looming possibility of citation, the Oregon Department of Transportation reminded on Thursday.

Oregon has had a moratorium in place, started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, that kept law enforcement from citing for expired documentation. That moratorium ends December 31, and ODOT warns that it's best to take care of any issues as soon as possible, before the rush sets in.

Starting in November, the DMV will mail about 300,000 Oregon residents who have expired vehicle registrations, urging them to renew before the end of the year. This mailing is in addition to the usual reminder that the DMV sends a few weeks before your vehicles tags expire.

There will not be a second reminder for expired licenses, permits and ID cards.

You might receive a reminder in the mail even if it doesnt seem to apply to you, DMV Administrator Amy Joyce said. Did you sell your car? If you didnt notify DMV, we might still show you as the owner. Protect yourself from parking tickets and towing charges: go on-line and notify us of the sale.

The current moratorium was passed by the legislature this year, but it is the last in a series of grace periods granted to give Oregonians more time to renew at the DMV while COVID-19 restrictions impact availability.

Oregon has added more online feature through the DMV to cut down on the in-person visits required. Before you go to a DMV office, visit DMV2U to see if you can get your service online  or make sure you have what you need to bring to an office.

To help Oregonians get DMV services during the pandemic, weve added many new online options, Joyce said. We have caught up with the COVID-19 backlog enough that about half our visits to field offices are by appointment, and the other half are standby.

Going forward, customers will continue to have the option of making an appointment online through DMV2U or dropping by, as well as more choices online, Joyce continued. Anytime you need a DMV service, check DMV2U first and see if you can save yourself time and a trip.

Also, starting in May of 2023, you will need a federally recognized form of identification to fly. This includes passports, but will otherwise require a Real ID-compliant identification card. This needs to be done in-person at a DMV location.
Heritage Canada says the national flag will remain at half-mast leading up to Remembrance Day instead of hoisting it up to be lowered again. The Canadian flag flies at half-mast on the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill on Canada Day in recognition of the discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at residential schools. Thursday, July 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Children play in the water filled ditches in the northern Ontario First Nations reserve in Attawapiskat, Ont., on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The Liberal government is expected to reveal today whether it will continue fighting an order directing it to compensate First Nations children removed from their homes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
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An excerpt from Blueprint for a Gold Medal Health Care System.

We do not currently have a Gold Medal Health Care System. There may be more than one way to build one, but this book is about my vision of a Gold Medal system, and I will henceforth refer to my version as the Gold Medal System, or simply the System. The fundamental features of the system I have in mind will be a full and unwavering embrace of rigorous standards of scientific inquiry, a full and unwavering commitment to compassionate care, and a full and unwavering commitment to cost-effectiveness. Certain additional features of the system, crucial to its success, will follow logically from these fundamental features. What follows is a shortlist of some of those features.

1. The Gold Medal System will be fully integrated on a national level utilizing a fully integrated electronic medical record and a comprehensive, centralized database. EMR systems are still not standardized, and frequently, they do not interface with one another. As a result, doctors often have to go through the old, very inefficient process of requesting outside recordsa process that may require one or more of the following: paper authorization forms, signatures, fax machines, the U.S. mail, or the patient serving as courier. One of the biggest barriers to implementing such a fully integrated electronic medical record system is Americans concern over a compromise of confidentiality. The biggest cause of the confidentiality anxiety is the fear of being denied health care coverage or employment opportunities because of pre-existing health conditions. To overcome this concern, the second feature necessarily follows.

2. American citizens will receive universal, government-sponsored, undeniable health care coverage. One huge problem with employer-based health care coverage is that individuals are always at risk of abruptly losing their health care coverage. This risk creates unnecessary, often unrecognized anxieties that undermine the well-being of individuals and of the society as a whole. In addition, it encourages companies to avoid providing health care coverage by contracting for part-time labor rather than employing full-time labor, so that even people who are working do not have health benefits. One way or another, we all pay for health care. We pay for it in the form of taxes, in the form of premiums, and in the form of reduced wages and salaries. Our current way of paying for it is unnecessarily complex, and causes all sorts of injustices and inefficiencies.

3. The System will be based on the capitation payment model of reimbursement. In this case, a budget will be created to cover the average cost of care per citizen, and the government, acting as an agent on behalf of its citizens, will fund that budget. The capitation model will help minimize wasteful, inefficient, and unnecessary care. However, to ensure excellent, cost-effective care, the System must include an element of competition among the providers of that care. The concept of competing provider groups in a government-sponsored health care system will be explored below. The point here is that the proper blending of capitation, government sponsorship, and competition is the key to success. Consider the VA system; it has a budget, in keeping with the capitation payment model, and it is government-sponsored. No doubt, veterans generally receive excellent care, but the reports of long waiting lists for appointments suggest understaffing due either to insufficient funding or to inefficient use of its funding, or both. It is a government bureaucracy, and government bureaucracies can be inefficient because they have no competition. Without some aspect of competition, one cannot create a culture of innovation and efficiency.

4. Providers will experience much greater job satisfaction because they work in a system that is far more effective, far more supportive, and far more efficient. What the general public does not realize is that providers often find themselves alone in a contentious relationship, not only with insurance companies but also with patients themselves. Patients request and sometimes demand services and treatments that are not science-based. Instead, their requests are based on misconceptions and unrealistic expectations, which in turn have been created by the media and by the medical-industrial for-profit complex.

Moreover, doctors incomes are often determined by customer satisfaction surveys and by how fast they can see patients. The rationale for customer satisfaction surveys was originally based on some data that higher customer satisfaction encouraged patients to comply with treatment and therefore led to better outcomes. However, subsequent data has shown that the effort to achieve customer satisfaction can lead to treatment and services that are not science-based, which in turn can lead to worse outcomes. A doctor needs to be able to speak truthfully to patients, as a trusted advisor, without concern that their opinion might be unwelcome. Once the inherent features of the current system that promote these contentious or conflicted relationships have been eliminated, providers will have the time and emotional energy to communicate with patients more effectively and with greater empathy.

Because the Gold Medal System will be fully integrated and will fully embrace science, and because revenue generation no longer enters into medical decision-making, consciously or subconsciously, doctors will be empowered to provide treatment according to the best, most up-to-date guidelines, and these universal standardized guidelines will be embedded in the EMR to assist and support the physicians decision-making. Wherever there are gaps in the guidelines because adequate scientific data has not yet been gathered, there will still be recommendations that reflect the collective wisdom of experts. Moreover, the knowledge base of those physicians who are experts in their field will be open source, and not proprietary. The sense of practicing on an island will no longer be a daily experience for providers.

Instead, they will feel fully supported by a system where the goals of all stakeholders are in alignment, and where the competitive forces present in our current fee-for-service model have largely been replaced by cooperation and coordination of care.

Jeffrey Fraser is a neurologist and the author of Blueprint for a Gold Medal Health Care System.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
EUGENE, Ore. -- Many Oregon restaurant owners who applied for federal relief during the pandemic say they're still waiting.

The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association (ORLA) is pleading with the federal government to get this money to them.

Chief Executive Officer Jason Brandt said a $28.6 billion fund was created to help local restaurants across the country stay afloat during the pandemic. He said more than 2,600 restaurants that applied for relief from the federal government did not receive any funding from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

But on the other hand, about 2,300 restaurants did get that check in the mail, Brandt said. Those who did are now reportedly in a much better situation and can head into this winter season strong.

Brandt said the money ran out and added that the reasons are simple: politics and disagreements.

"Gosh, I think it's an American staple to make sure you equitably take care of the industries that were most impacted across the board as opposed to leaving local restaurants hanging as a part of any bailout fund," Brandt said.

He said they don't have a timeline or any idea right now when they'll hear back from the federal government. But he hopes to get an answer soon.

Brandt also said any restaurant owner could apply, but more than half were denied, including NorthWest Burger co-owner Garrett Kirsch.

Kirsch told KEZI he immediately applied for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund but was rejected.

"They saw our numbers didn't decrease as much as they would like, but they aren't understanding they are paying way more in a larger location," Kirsch said.

He said right before the pandemic hit, they moved to a space three times as large as their previous location, which meant bills tripled. The pandemic certainly didn't help with that.

"It was really disappointing for us, so we're hoping that there's going to be something else, you know, out there," Kirsch said. "Even though stuff has been better, a lot better, when we have numbers of the delta increase, our numbers decrease. So, we just got through two to three really rough months."

But Brandt said he sees the light at the end of the tunnel and will keep chugging along.

"If you have made it this far, you must be really connecting with your local residents who care about your restaurant, care about you personally and your teams," Brandt said. "Just hang in there a little bit longer."

He estimates they'll need another 50 to 60 billion dollars to cover the 177,000 applicants nationally who have not received a cent.
PORTLAND, Ore.  The Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday that 80% of Oregonians 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for more than 2.68 million people.

OHA said that the achievement was measured through CDC data, which is slightly higher than numbers reported by the state itself. The CDC's data includes vaccinations done through federal facilities, such as the Veteran's Administration.

By total population, Oregon has now delivered at least one dose of a COVID-19 to 68% of all residents. Currently, children under the age of 12 remain ineligible for a vaccine.

The state ranks 20th in the nation for the percentage of residents who have received at least one shot. Fully vaccinated individuals make up 63% of all Oregon residents, and the state ranks 12th in the nation by this metric.

State officials said that they are encouraged that Oregon has reached the threshold of 80% of adults who have received at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, but health experts believe that Oregon and other similarly situated states are still below the level of "herd immunity" needed to halt viral transmission. The OHA continues to urge those who are unvaccinated to get a shot.

Reaching 80 percent is an important milestone because it loosens COVID-19s grip on our state. Vaccines work and we know they save lives. We strongly encourage everyone who has not yet been vaccinated to do so at their earliest opportunity. Getting vaccinated is  quite simply  our states best way out of this pandemic, said Rachael Banks, OHAs Public Health Director.

Banks said that while the state has made significant progress in closing the vaccination gap among people of color and rural communities, Oregon is still below the 80% threshold of those vaccinated  suggesting that vaccinations in Oregon have not been administered as equitably as they should be.

The OHA says it has prioritized outreach across the state through its Community Partner Outreach Program and Community Engagement Team to engage more than 170 community-based organizations, producing outreach materials in 11 languages and dozens of community-specific vaccine events.

We are working with leaders in communities of color and faith communities to redress the lack of fair access to vaccines, Banks added. We are committed to making sure our health care system and our vaccination efforts do a better job at eliminating long held health injustices. We also are working with organizers to incorporate child-friendly services wherever possible, knowing that very soon children ages 5-11 will be authorized to receive the vaccine as well.

While we celebrate this milestone, our hope is that the 80% vaccination rate only continues to rise to include every Oregonian.
NORTH BEND, Ore. - Coos County Sheriff's Deputies were able to arrest an attempted murder suspect Thursday thanks to tips from the public.

Robert Danford, 46, is accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend on Wednesday night, beating her, and leaving her with severe injuries.

Capt. Gabriel Fabrizio said deputies searched the South Slough National Research Reserve with a K-9 unit and found some evidence, but did not locate Danford.

RELATED: MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING EX-GIRLFRIEND FOUND AFTER MANHUNT

According to Fabrizio, Danford was spotted about 7 miles away from the South Slough National Research Reserve in North Bend.

Fabrizio said getting the public involved isn't always their first choice, since it can put more people in danger.

However, he said Danford was a potentially dangerous suspect on the loose, so they wanted to do whatever they could to get him into custody.

Within minutes of getting a tip, they were able to call in the units that were close by and arrest Danford.

"There were a few people like I said who corroborated with each other and the last one was, 'I'm looking at him right now'," said Fabrizio.

Fabrizio does want to remind everyone that if you ever find yourself in this situation, to be careful.

Keep your distance, be a good witness for us. Try to get a clothing description, height, weight. All the stuff that will help us really because we keep a list of descriptors of suspects, Fabrizio said, So it's really that description that we need but please don't engage because we don't want to see anyone else hurt.

As for the victim, she was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
TANGENT, Ore. -- Fifth graders in Tangent got a hands-on lesson in salmon and their place in Oregons ecosystem Thursday.

The students at Tangent Elementary School learned about salmon dissection and healthy watersheds through various hands-on activities.

In non-COVID times, the students would normally go on a field trip with Linn Benton Salmon Watch to local rivers to learn about the fish, but this time the field trip had to come to them.

Fifth grade teacher Michael Bucks said it makes a huge difference in how kids learn.

The kids are having a ball right now. They get to put on gloves. They actually get to touch the salmon and put their hands in the salmon mouth and feel how slimy it is. There's kids that are actually testing the pH of water. They actually get to be instructed on how to do it," Bucks said.

Kristen Daly, education program manager with Calapooia Watershed Council, led the demonstrations and said theres no replacement for the hands-on lesson.

"The kids love that. It's such an important part because they hear about salmon, they read about them, and now they're touching them and feeling them and seeing their eggs and touching the eyeball. It's just something that stays with them much more, Daly said.

Pacific Power, which contributed funding to the program through its nonprofit arm, said it's important to give back to the community.

"Our foundation really believes that it's important to invest in our in our community and specifically in our students," said Adam Kohler, a regional business manager for Pacific Power.

Pacific Power is donating $630,000 in new grant funding across the six states it serves to support education and STEAM learning projects.

The Salmon Watch program usually serves about 1,600 students in Linn and Benton counties. Similar programs happen across the Pacific Northwest. Read more about the Salmon Watch here.
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To coincide with Science Week, Calmast, the STEM engagement centre in Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) with Kilkenny Library Service, have announced a programme of events for Kilkenny Science Festival.

The festival is part of national Science Week 2021, coordinated by Science Foundation Ireland. This programme is set to give the public inspiration by providing an opportunity to explore how science is important in everything we do and how science can contribute to a better future.

Due to ongoing will Covid restrictions, this years festival will be mostly be online. Details can be found at www.stemkilkenny.ie.

On behalf of the festival Nollaig Healy of Calmast at WIT said Science is all around us, it impacts on everything we do and how we work and live  it really is fascinating. Science Week allows us the opportunity to examine areas of science that we dont normal stop and think about. It takes science out of the classroom and lets us explore and interrogate how we can shape our future. 

We are delighted to be working with partners Kilkenny Castle, Castlecomer Discovery Park, National Reptile Zoo, Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Childcare committee, she added.

ABOVE: Learn how to build a giant catapult as part of Kilkenny Science Festival, in Castlecomer Discovery Park

Schools have always played an important part in Science Week and this year is no different. There are a multitude of stimulating events including National Reptile Zoo Zoom Zoo which will allow participants to interact with a Zoo-keeper; get a close-up introduction to creatures and learn all about their habits, habitats and superpowers; discover the scientific principles behind skilful circus tricks and dangerous stunts with Dr Ken; South African Global Teacher award winner and two times TEDx speaker Steve Sherman will run workshops for pre-schoolers; Chief Mathematical Entertainer at Bubbly Maths Caroline Ainslie will run workshops for Special Schools and ASD Units; Scientific Sue explores how food can be a very explosive source of energy and career talks with speakers from industry across Kilkenny hosted by Dr Niamh Shaw.

In addition of the programme of events for primary and secondary schools, we have a raft of events lined up for adults including a Cook Along with TV Chef from Ireland AM, KCLR96fm 'Saturday Show Presenter' with Edward Hayden; the Use Less Project will deliver a talk on fast fashion vs sustainable fashion and a talk The Bitter Truth from Beer sommelier Judith Boyle and independent drinks consultant Susan Boyle on why some people crave these bitter drinks yet others are repulsed.

A highlight of the week will be our Science Family Fun Day which takes place on Sunday, 14 November with events such Junior Einsteins Forensic Crime Scene in Kilkenny Castle (online), How to build a giant Catapult in Castlecomer Discovery Park, Family Scavenger Hunt and Super Science with Mark Langtry (RTE). Details of the festival, and booking can be found at: www.stemkilkenny.ie

For Science Week 2021, Science Foundation Ireland are encouraging people to engage with the Creating our Future national conversation on research in Ireland and have their say in what are the most important aspects of their lives they would like science and research to improve.

The Creating our Future campaign is an initiative of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and is taking place across 2021. If you would like to get involved with Science Week and #CreatingOurFuture in some way  submit questions through the #CreatingOurFuture platform, in the conversation on social media. The public can submit ideas and questions that could be addressed through the online platform - www.creatingourfuture.ie.

Science Week 2021 will be taking place all across Ireland from the 7th  14th November with events for all ages. Visit www.stemkilkenny.ie for more information. Supported by Science Foundation Ireland, Kilkenny councils, the festival brings World renowned scientists and science presenters to Kilkenny.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Thursday Southeast Service Cooperative held its 11th Annual Young Authors, Young Artists Conference for middle schoolers across Southeast Minnesota. At Woodland Lake Meeting Center, students in grades 6th through 8th were able to attend four different presentations and learn from authors, poets, illustrators, and more.

Students learned new writing techniques, painting skills, and even origami art.

The conference started because after elementary-age students were still wanting to come back and participate.

Organizers say many students love the arts, and this is a way for students to get more exposure and seek more artistic opportunities.

The hope is that students who have a passion for the arts are able to excel in that passion or discover a new passion.

6th grader, Gwen, tells KIMT, It gave me a different point of view at how different people do drawing and arts that they do because a lot of people have different methods, and they're all good methods in a way. She adds, Im really happy and honored that I got to come because I know how to draw, but Im not the best - and I'm really happy I get to have this experience because it doesn't come around all the time.

145 middle schoolers had the chance to participate in today's Young Artists, Young Authors.

The next Young Artists, Young Authors Conference will be in May for elementary students.
ELDORA, Iowa - An Arkansas man accused of beating an Iowa man to death is pleading not guilty.

Osborn Eugene Gavel, 22 of Mountain Home, AR, is charged with first-degree murder for the death of Steven Reece, 74 of Union.

The Hardin County Sheriff's Office says Gavel and others had stayed with Reece the evening of October 12 at his home in the 300 block of Commercial Street and Reece's body was found the next morning. Investigators say Gavel took a crowbar from the garage and struck Reece four times in the head. Deputies responded to a 911 call around 5:33 am about an unresponsive male and say they found Reece's body in the bedroom.

The start of Gavel's trial is tentatively set for February 15, 2022.
AUSTIN, Minn.  A man accused of shooting a woman to death over playing with a Taser has entered a not guilty plea.

MeDarian Ledale McGruder, 27 of Austin, is charged with second-degree murder and being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities say McGruder shot 20-year-old Tyesha Tahne Gills on July 31 in Austin. Austin police say Gills was found wounded in the 100 block of 10th Street NW and later died at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin.

A warrant was issued for McGruders arrest on August 2 but he remained at large for several more weeks before finally being caught.

A trial is now scheduled to begin on May 9, 2022. McGruder remains in the Mower County Jail on $2 million bond.

Court documents state McGruder was at a residence while two females were "having a good time" and playing around with a Taser. A witness told authorities that McGruder was in the living room when he said, "Stop playing with me before I shoot you." The witness thought McGruder was joking, but says shortly after she heard the Taser activate following by a gunshot.
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa - A North Iowa man facing several charges after a 120-mile per hour chase is pleading not guilty.

Braden Alan Johnson, 34, of Garner, is facing charges of eluding, child endangerment, unlawful possession of a prescription drug, second-degree criminal mischief, and assault on persons in certain occupations.

Authorities say Johnson refused to pull over for a traffic stop in Hamilton County around 12:30 am September 20 on Interstate 35. He's accused of leading law enforcement on a 120-mph chase and that Johnson had a three-year-old child in his vehicle, with loaded guns within the childs reach. After finally being stopped and taken into custody, law enforcement says an OxyContin pill was found in Johnsons pants pocket.

Court documents state that while Johnson was in the Hamilton County Jail, he damaged two security cameras and hit a jailer in the head with a camera Johnson ripped off the wall. Authorities say the jailer suffered a concussion.

Johnson has pleaded not guilty to eluding, child endangerment, and unlawful possession of a prescription drug. His trial is set to begin on January 13, 2022. A plea has not been entered on the other charges.
MASON CITY, Iowa - On October 3, a Mason City police officer shot a Chicago man who killed a Garner man just outside Southbridge Mall, with the officer's use of force justified according to officials.

Now, a recent press release from the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was ordered to be removed from online and social media platforms by District Court Judge Rustin Davenport. The release includes a letter from Winnebago County Attorney Kelsey Beenken concluding Noah Friese was justified in shooting 25 year-old Jelani Faulk. Officer Friese was in the area at the time of the shooting and identified two males who were running at him following 35 year-old Christopher Tucker being shot by Faulk. The attorney's office said Friese "had no alternative option other than to shoot Faulk to avoid potential injuries to himself or innocent bystanders. Had Faulk complied with officer Friese's commands to get on the ground, officer Friese would not have had to shoot. Instead, Faulk chose to ignore the commands and point a firearm at officer Friese." The court also ordered the Mason City Police Department, and both the Cerro Gordo County and Winnebago County Attorney's Offices to remove the press release/letter from their websites and social media platforms.

Court documents say that the DCI's report includes alleged facts and opinions of prosecutors that are not public.

Judge Ravenport also issued a temporary protective order and continuance for Faulk.

Attorney Richard Tompkins, Jr. believes Judge Davenport made the right call to ensure an impartial jury and the ability for a fair trial.

"I don't think anybody, that is on either side, the prosecution or defense, wants to have a problem with a fair and impartial jury and a fair trial. It's difficult to establish a fair and impartial jury particularly in this area, and in this district, if it's spread out throughout the state even. There are people that read the DCI reports and website."

Faulk, who has been charged with first-degree murder and interference with official acts, is scheduled to be arraigned on November 9.
MASON CITY, Iowa - Changes in staffing are impacting a North Iowa hospice care facility.

In a statement to KIMT, MercyOne North Iowa President Rod Schlader said MercyOne's in-patient hospice unit has temporarily paused accepting new patients. Home care will still be provided when appropriate.

The decision comes as MercyOne North Iowa is trying to balance the increase of patient volumes, and the inability to transfer patients to long-term care facilities. The move allows MercyOne to transtion hospital nurses and caregiving team members to other units within the hospital to ensure they continue to meet the needs of COVID-19 patients.

As of Monday, MercyOne North Iowa is reporting 22 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with 18 of them being unvaccinated. Out of the 7 patients in the ICU, none were vaccinated.
RED WING, Minn. - Wednesday, Minnesota State College Southeast held its first of three online workforce summits to give people a chance to share ideas to help the institution with a new three-year strategic plan.

Today from 8 to 10 a.m., Southeast will hold its second summit with a focus on the health sciences fields of employment.

The overarching mission of the three-summit series is to hear directly from the community's employers about what knowledge and abilities they require for graduating students entering the workforce.

Concluding Wednesday's summit, Southeast President Marsha Danielson said an emphasis is being placed on ensuring the technology the school has is equipped for the advanced software more and more employers are using.

While the Internet holds great potential, some students seem to be losing some face-to-face skills along the way.

"It wasn't surprising, but a lot of the employability skills were emphasized with the new hires," said Danielson. "That could be anything from accountability to communications. Because students have been working on phones and mobile devices so long, they are not really taught and maybe don't learn the business communications skills like writing a business letter."

Danielson said one challenge the college is facing is student retention rates. Staff and faculty are already scheduled to hold a workshop to discuss solutions next week.

"The fact that the demographics are changing really nationally but locally, as well," said Danielson. "There will be fewer graduates coming out of high school. This means that we really need to pivot because of the economy and technology changing. We really need to pivot and be able to serve both the high school students and working learners."

The final summit will be next Nov. 1 with a focus on advanced manufacturing.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Tomorrow the Rochester Elks Lodge, Catholic Charities, and the Rochester Community Warming Center will host their second annual coat drive, "Share the Warmth," at Charlie's Eatery & Pub North.

The coat drive is to collect donations of winter clothing items for people experiencing homelessness, military veterans, and any children's items donated will be given to the school district.

"Share the Warmth" will be a drive-by collection from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Charlie's parking lot. Volunteers will be on-site to take any donations from cars.

The Rochester Community Warming Center provides a warm place to sleep for individuals experiencing homelessness, and this coat drive allows them to provide clothing items to keep this community warm both inside and outside their walls during Minnesota winters.

As of the last count, there are over 200 people experiencing homelessness in the Med City.

Warming Center Coordinator Rudy Naul said there has been an increase in the need for basic supplies since the pandemic but has seen the community go above and beyond with generosity.

"I think this community does really well when it comes to supporting organizations and individuals that are in need," said Naul. "It was amazing. Last year, there were actually people that went out to the stores and bought things to donate. Little kids were coming in and making donations, as well. And so it was really cool to see the community pull together and to really just help those that are less fortunate."

The first 100 people to donate will receive a choice of a free cup of coffee from Charlie's or a drink voucher to Cork & Kale.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - It's often said the United States is a nation of immigrants.

Next year the federal government will admit up to 125,000 refugees to the United States, the largest amount since 1993. Those given the opportunity to make it stateside risk everything in pursuit of The American Dream, and some go on to find incredible success.

Here in Southeast Minnesota, a shining example of America's promise sits on Austin's city council.

Council Member Oballa Oballa came to the United States from a refugee camp in Kenya just seven years ago. At the time, the 20-year-old Oballa spoke very little English, but hit the ground running, earning his GED and college degrees before serving as the first refugee on the Austin City Council.

Oballa tells KIMT after surviving life in a refugee camp where he sometimes went days without eating, he was determined to make the most of his opportunity in America.

"When I moved here, I didn't have a single dollar, I only have one pants and one shirt," Oballa said. "If I can make it, there's nowhere else I will not make it in.' You know, if I can make it in that refugee camp, I can make it in America."

KIMT News 3's Anthony Monzon spoke with Oballa about his inspiring journey during a special report, sharing words of wisdom he has for new arrivals, and how a little kindness can go a long way for our newest of neighbors. You can catch the full report above, which includes the story of how Anthony's own family crossed the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba.

Resources for Refugees, Volunteers, and Donors:

Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota Refugee Resettlement Program

Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota

International Institute of Minnesota

Immigration Law Center of Minnesota

Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association

Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services

Arrive Ministries
WORTH COUNTY, Iowa - A man with a history of eluding authorities is back in jail after a vehicle pursuit and a search on foot early Friday morning.

James Rogers, 48, is being held in the Worth County Jail on felony eluding charges along with numerous traffic violations.

Court documents state Rogers left the area near the Diamond Jo Casino at a high rate of speed and passed a vehicle in a no-passing zone at around 75 miles per hour. The vehicle reached speeds of 105 miles per hour.

The vehicle pulled into a residence at 4955 Wheelerwood Ave. and was found vacant a short time later.

Footprints in the mud helped deputies find Rogers, who was hiding, in a tree-lined area.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 56F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 33F. Winds light and variable.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 56F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable.
ALTON, Ill. (KMOV.com/AP)  The Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Friday that Paula Sims would be let out of prison before the end of the day. Sims admitted to killing her two infant daughters in the late 1980s.

Sims was held at the Logan Correctional Center in northeast Springfield. She walked free Friday afternoon after spending more than 30 years behind bars.

Sims 6-week-old daughter Heathers body was found in a trash can in May 1989 in West Alton. Sims was convicted at the time and sentenced to life without parole. She later admitted to also murdering her 13-day-old daughter Loralei three years earlier.

Stone argued Sims committed the crimes while suffering from postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness that causes some new mothers to experience delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Recent changes in Illinois law allow postpartum psychosis and depression to be considered as mitigating factors in sentencing.

Sims was granted a commutation by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in March of 2021 which made her eligible for parole. On Thursday, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board granted her parole in a 12-1 vote after an hour of testimony and discussion. About 25 people attended the hearing in support of Sims. No one attended in opposition.

Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine sent a five-page letter to the review board strenuously opposing Sims release. He argued that Sims lied about her crimes for years to avoid punishment and confessed only after she was found guilty of murder and wanted to avoid the death penalty.

According to her attorney Jed Stone, two clinical psychologist have been working with Sims for the last 15 or 20 years and argue her postpartum psychosis wore off and she is no longer a danger to society.

Following the commutation, State Senator Rachelle Crowe said she was horrified by the decision. Sims was charged with first-degree murder and imprisoned because she poses a significant threat to our community. That she may soon be released to walk among us is not only insulting to those whose lives were destroyed by her actions, but also endangers the integrity of our criminal justice system as a whole," she said.
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Columns by Madison County Historian Stephen T. Jackson are published monthly in The Herald Bulletin. Coming in October: In July 1863, for many of these men from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan fighting their way through the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, it would be their last fight, including Alonzo.
MISSOURI  Attorney General Eric Schmitt and nine other states filed suit Friday against the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for federal contractors and employees.

Schmitt, along with Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, co-led the suit with Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Biden announced the vaccine mandate for federal contractors and employees on Sept. 9. Schmitt said on Wednesday he would file the suit by the end of the week.

The lawsuit involves 12 counts and asks the court to declare the mandate unlawful. It also asks the court to enjoin defendants from enforcing the mandate.

It argues that the mandate violates the Procurement Act, the Procurement Policy Act, the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine, Administrative Procedures Act and the Tenth Amendment and federalism.

It also claims the mandate is a violation of the APA as an agency action and separation of powers, and is an "unconstitutional exercise of the spending power."

The vaccine mandate for federal contractors and employers with 100 plus workers could apply to as many as 100 million Americans  close to two-thirds of the American workforce, according to CNN.
Cellist Han Jae-min / Courtesy of Pie Plans

By Park Ji-won



Cellist Han Jae-min, 15, has won third prize at the 75th Geneva International Music Competition, Switzerland, Thursday (CET). It was the first time for a Korean cellist to win an award in the competition in about 50 years, since cellist Chung Myung-wha won first prize in 1971, the Kumho Cultural Foundation said.



Founded in 1939, the international competition has been held for musicians under the age of 29 for various instruments including cello, oboe, piano, flute, and voice. Also a string quartet category and a composers' category have been categories of the competition. This year, the competition for the categories of cello and oboe were held. The competition for the same category is held every four years. In addition to the third prize, Han was also awarded the special Rose-Marie Huguenin prize.



Japanese cellist Michiaki Ueno, 25, and Canadian Bryan Cheng, 24, won the first and second prizes, respectively.



Han played Elgar's "Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85," accompanied by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Georg Fritzsch for the final round.



In addition to the prize money of 8,000 Swiss francs ($8,771), the winners are given the chance to develop their musical careers, such as via concert tours for the next two years, recordings, a two-year management contract with Geneva Promusica  a management company for Geneva International Music Competition winners  and workshops.



Earlier this year, the talented cellist also won the top prize in the George Enescu International Cello Competition in Bucharest, Romania, becoming the youngest ever winner of the competition.



Han currently attends Korea National University of Arts, studying under Professor Lee Kang-ho. He also trained under Chung, who was a jury member for the competition's cello section.



Korea's past winners of the Geneva International Music Competition include: cellist Chung, first prize in 1971; flautist Kim Chang-kook, second prize in 1969; pianist Kim Da-sol, third prize in 2008; pianist Mun Ji-Yeong, first prize in 2014; composer Choi Jae-hyuck, first prize in 2017 and percussionist Bak Hye-ji, first prize in 2019.


Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 43F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. Winds light and variable.
Travis McAdam scours local newspapers and extremist social media content, along with receiving personal reports from community members about the threats.

Some reports detail protests swarming outside of a public health officer's home. Others describe the hostile voicemail messages or emails sent to health officers.

McAdam, an expert on extremism and white nationalism at the Montana Human Rights Network, has been monitoring threats of violence targeted toward public health officers in Montana, and sometimes northern Idaho.

Throughout the pandemic, such threats have become a nationwide issue in the United States.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has spoken openly about receiving death threats. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County's public health director, also has opened up about receiving hate mail and threats dating back to March last year. In Washington state, Okanogan County community health director Lauri Jones has said that she installed a new security system and asked for police patrols around her home following repeated online threats.

Researchers have also found that some of the threats targeting public health officers come from people with known ties to far-right extremist groups.

Now, there's renewed worry that such harassment may increase nationwide with upcoming efforts to vaccinate young children against Covid-19.

"There's the potential that that could end up being one of these flash points where threats and harassment spike again," McAdam told CNN. "Every time during the pandemic when there's a new development, it brings the potential for that harassment to increase."

'I can only imagine this will increase'

The US Food and Drug Administration is now considering authorizing the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. With sign off by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shots could be administered by next week.

Pending that authorization, public health officers plan to help get shots into those young arms -- but their efforts could come with more threats and harassment from the small minority of Americans who are anti-vaccine or Covid-19 skeptics.

"Unfortunately, I anticipate that this will be the case," Brooke Torton, a senior staff attorney at the Network for Public Health Law, wrote in an email to CNN. "I can only imagine this will increase once younger children begin getting vaccinated."

Public health officials continue to face threats for simply administering the vaccine due to widespread misinformation, Torton noted, and the idea of vaccine requirements has the potential to cause outrage among some parents.

Certain managers of vaccination programs already have experienced intimidating posts online during the pandemic, Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, told CNN.

The association even discussed plans with some of its members to organize giving awards to doctors and community leaders for being "champions" of vaccines -- but some members voiced concern that such an award might invite threats and harassment against those being honored, Hannan said.

"Those who are speaking out against vaccines and doing that type of harassment are still in the very small minority, and I think it will stay that way," she said. "But anytime there's a new initiative, or in this case, a new vaccine coming for kids, then it's something that we'd have to consider that there's going to be that backlash from the anti-vaccine side."

'The very professionals that are trying to protect us, are unfairly being targeted'

Even though public health officers have feared for their safety throughout the pandemic, harassment seems to ramp up whenever new Covid-19 mitigation efforts or policies are introduced, Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN.

"At this point, things are so divisive politically that I think any new initiative associated with this disease -- any new effort to mitigate, whether it's vaccine or further masking in schools, et cetera -- is going to be hyper politicized," Freeman said.

"It just seems like the environment that we're in right now is ripe for people to really express their politics through ignoring health advice, which is just unfortunate," Freeman added. "The very professionals that are trying to protect us, are unfairly being targeted, and that is a threat really to all of us."

Last week, NACCHO sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting "you include the protection of public health department officials and staff in your directive to federal authorities to meet with local, state, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement to address the increased risk in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school-related personnel," says the letter, signed by Freeman.

Freeman has not received a response yet from Garland's office -- but she said that she wrote the letter because, "we don't want to wait until a tragedy occurs to raise this to the highest levels that we can."

The letter noted that some health officials have had to start driving unmarked cars or installing at-home security cameras, others have had to rely on police escorts and round-the-clock security, while others worried their children would be targeted.

"These threats have taken a toll: at least 300 public health department leaders have left their posts since the pandemic began, impacting 20% of Americans. In many cases, they have been verbally abused and physically threatened," according to the letter. "Of note, many of these threats have included misogynistic and racist undertones, further violating these officials."

Torton, the senior public health attorney, wrote in her email to CNN that the discussions she has had with public health officials nationwide "certainly reveal a pattern of abuse aimed at public health officials who are also women, and racial, sexual, and gender minorities," and "it seems they have been more likely to be targeted."

Torton was not involved in NACCHO's letter to the Attorney General.

The growing danger of vocal extremists

There is emerging evidence that members of extremist groups could be behind some of the harassment aimed at public health officers, according to the civil rights nonprofit group Southern Poverty Law Center.

"In tracking political violence in recent months and the anti-government militia movement for decades, we find this trend of increased threats and intimidation directed at local public health officials, as well as other local officials, very concerning," Rachel Carroll Rivas, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center, wrote in an email to CNN.

"Our research indicated that some of the threats have come from individuals with known affiliation with far-right organizations that have been advocating and participating in violence."

McAdam in Montana told CNN that he has seen similar trends in his own research.

In Montana specifically, McAdam also has noticed that members of anti-government militia groups have started to partner with the people protesting and harassing public health officers.

For some extremist organizations, the same people angry about Covid-19 mitigation measures and threatening public health officers are ripe for recruitment, McAdam said.

"Remember the anti-lockdown rallies that were happening in state capitols or outside county courthouses or other public buildings? It wasn't necessarily that the anti-government crowds and the militia crowds were the ones organizing all of those -- but they were showing up in those spaces," McAdam said.

"For them, they were prime recruiting grounds, because you have generally conservative-leaning people who are really angry at the government right now," he said. "They started to tap into some of that anger."

Carroll Rivas noted in her email that attacks and harassment against local public health officers provide extremist organizations with an opportunity to "channel their anti-government talking points" into the mainstream.

"Covid-19 conspiracies and disinformation organizing includes a mix of extreme far-right actors and organizations, as well as mainstream politicians and everyday folks. The recruitment pool is unfortunately big," she wrote. "Focusing attacks at the local level is a bread-and-butter tactic of the anti-government militia movement and far-right."

Push to support public health

Passing and enforcing effective laws with stringent penalties for people who threaten and harass public health officials, launching public health educational campaigns and investing more in public health all could help curb the frequent harassment, Torton, the senior public health attorney, wrote in her email to CNN

"Public health needs its image bolstered," Torton said. "It's been damaged and politicized during this pandemic."

To combat the growing danger of extremist recruitment and threats to public health officers' safety, McAdam said that community members who support public health need to be more vocal in their backing of science and denounce the hate.

"What's happening in many of these public meeting spaces is you have these extremists and bullies who are dominating those spaces where these topics are being discussed and decisions are being made," McAdam said.

"Right now, it just feels kind of like there's a vacuum in some communities where it's really only those bullies who are being heard," he said. "The rest of us -- the majority of us that want to take the pandemic seriously and want to take these steps -- we need to make sure that our voices are being heard as well."

The-CNN-Wire

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BILLINGS, Mont. - Yellowstone County has reported four additional COVID-19 deaths, bringing the county's total COVID-19 death toll to 407.

In a release from RiverStone Health, the following are the four most recent COVID-19 deaths reported:

A man in his 50s, who was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions, passed away in a Billings hospital Thursday, Oct. 28

A man in his 70s, who was fully vaccinated and underlying health conditions, passed away at a local senior care facility Thursday, Oct. 28.

A woman in her 80s, who was fully vaccinated and had underlying health conditions, died at a Billings hospital Thursday, Oct. 28.

A man in his 60s, who was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions, passed away at a Billings hospital Friday, Oct. 29.

RiverStone Health said there have been at least 50 COVID deaths in Oct. 2021 so far compared to 38 in October 2020, adding Yellowstone County has one death due to COVID-19 every 14 hours.

Furthermore, RiverStone Health said Billings Clinic and St, Vincent Healthcare are collectively treating 43 COVID-19 patients in the ICU as of Friday--35 of those patients were on ventilators. Both facilities combined are treating a total of 128 patients for COVID-19, and 103 of those patients were not fully vaccinated.

RiverStone Health is hosting a free walk-in vaccination clinic Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their main site located at 123 Twenty-seventh Street. Local pharmacies also have vaccine doses available.

Riverstone Health has a limited amount of vaccine doses available by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 406-247-3382.

Additionally, RiverStone Health and St. Vincent Health are hosting free drive-through COVID-19 tests from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at St. Vincent Healthcare parking lot M, at North Twenty-eighth Street and Eleventh Avenue North.

Anyone 5-year-old and older with symptoms or has been in close contact with someone COVID-19 positive can get tested at the drive-through clinic, and results should come out within 48 hours after the test.

The testing site closes from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. every day.

The drive-through testing site is open weather dependent.
HELENA, Mont. - The Workforce Training Grant Program has been launched for eligible Montana non-profit and for-profit businesses to get grants for skill-based training of new and existing employees.

The Montana Department of Commerce along with Governor Greg Gianforte launched the program.

Businesses may apply directly to the program and can receive up to $3,000 per eligible employee, with a maximum allocation of $210,000.

Each eligible employee must make a wage that meets or exceeds 170 percent of Montanas current minimum wage, which today is $14.88 per hour according to a release.

For businesses expanding their workforce, the program will provide a $500 incentive for each net new position that meets one or more of the following hiring criteria:

A qualified disabled person; and/or

Disabled veteran; and/or

Native American (must provide tribal identification); and/or

Post-correctional facility release/pre-release center participant; and/or

Creates a new job that pays at least $51,000 per year or $24.52 per hour.

The incentive would be above training funding for an eligible activity and paid out at the end of the contract period. The business must be able to prove that the new hire qualified under the above criteria and has received training.

For more information on the program and applications, you can visit the American Rescue Plan Act site for the State of Montana here.
DEER LODGE, Mont. - When its supply of aluminum ran out this week, Montana Correctional Enterprises (MCE) had to change its production process for Montana license plates.

This is all due to an aluminum shortage affecting businesses throughout the U.S.

We knew this might be a possibility because its been an issue at other license plate factories throughout the nation, MCE Administrator Gayle Butler said. To head off the problem, we have been searching for other sources of aluminum non-stop. Unfortunately, everyone is either in the same situation as us, or understandably, they dont want to find themselves in the same position, so they dont want to sell their materials.

MCE, located in Deer Lodge, is a subsidiary of the Montana Department of Corrections. As stated in a release, its factory produces about 750,000 license plates per year for Montana motorists in all 56 counties.

Butler says she and her team have been in contact with the Montana Department of Justices Motor Vehicle Division on this subject for months. They even suggested solutions, should the aluminum shipment not arrive before supply ran out.

We considered multiple options and the Motor Vehicle Division decided the best short-term solution was to have MCE print the license plates on the same reflective sheeting we use in our regular process, Butler said. The only difference the consumer will see is the sheeting will not be backed by aluminum. The bottom line is, MCE will continue to fill orders using this temporary solution until the factory receives the materials necessary to resume normal operations.

Once regular production resumes, the DOJs Motor Vehicle Division will work with counties and MCE to ensure everyone who receives a temporary plate will get an aluminum replacement plate, according to Administrator of the DOJs Motor Vehicle Division Laurie Bakri.
BILLINGS - Demand for childcare services are skyrocketing as the pandemic has forced several to cut their numbers or even close permanently. President Biden says his new plan will help to transform childcare.

The proposed plan includes $40 billion for childcare and preschool services without raising taxes for anyone making less than $400,000 a year..

President Biden says the plan would be funded by the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations paying their fair share.

President Biden's Build Back Better Act includes free preschool for all three- and four-year-olds.

Montana is one of several states who doesn't have state funded preschool.

The plan also includes limiting childcare costs for families to no more than 7% of their income for those earning up to $137,000. If approved, this would be in effect for the next six years.

Local Daycare Owner Debby Rickey says the focus should be on finding employees to staff the childcare centers.

"Well, I'm wondering if you're going to pay parents to put their kids in childcare, so to speak. What if you paid providers to be able to offer benefits? Or is there a motivation for someone to want to work in childcare?" she said.

One Billings mother says it isn't so much about the cost of childcare, but about finding a place with availability.

She says her twins are on every afterschool program waiting list.

Rickey says she's noticed the increase in demand as well.

"There's lots of different careers for lots of different types of people, and I'm hoping there's still people out there who have a passion for kids and that's what they want to do. But I don't know how we find that or how the government fixes that," she said.

Like many other businesses, Rickey says, without the right amount of staff, it's difficult to offer services for families.

"You know, I put a thing out on the Facebook jobsite asking why people don't want to work in childcare anymore. And a lot of them feel it's a dead-end job, it doesn't pay enough, there's no benefits," Rickey said. "We're making this work, and I do have really great parents, but it's not what I've been used to for the last 10 years. I don't know if government involvement is going to fix the love and passion for caring for children."

She says she's hopeful there are still some people out there with a passion for working with and teaching kids.
MONTANA - Aiming to make testing easier for local school districts, state superintendent Elsie Arntzen announced a new student testing pilot project, the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST).

The idea is to assess students' growth with tests throughout the year that are selected locally rather than from the federal level.

The superintendent said 12 hours of federally mandated tests at the end of the year doesn't accurately reflect student learning.

Instead, MAST will test third through eighth grade students in reading and math three times a year.

Thirty different school districts across the state are participating in the pilot. Tests will be proctored to 1,500 students per grade level.

"It still has to go through peer review at the federal level and we still have some work to do, but we're so appreciative that our Montana school districts are also looking to see if there's something different to assess learning," Arntzen said.

The pilot is funded by federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund dollars.

Right now, the project is in its first phase of data collection. That will last the entire year. Next, it'll be reviewed at the federal level and then it could be implemented as soon as the 2023-2024 school year.

Missoula County Public Schools communications specialist Tyler Christensen said MCPS is not one of the districts participating, yet, but the district is interested and discussing it with OPI.
"Even before the movie starts, the armorer will get up gather the people at the saloon and show them examples of how strong the shot is from even a blank bullet."
Mike Pence speaking with supporters at a campaign rally and church service at the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona.

Courtesy: Gage Skidmore.
Body found in state park confirmed to be that of New Hampshire boy who went missing over a month ago
Have you seen the proposed redistricting maps for New Hampshire? What do you think of the plans?
August was a tough month for Charles Mullenger, a former U.S. Army captain and St. Louis native. The news that Kabul fell to Taliban forces in Afghanistan triggered feelings of defeat and grief  feelings he knows many U.S. military veterans who served in Afghanistan have felt lately.

We spent 20 years attempting to build up the Afghan national army and Afghan national/local police, and other security forces, so that they could maintain a solid nation-state moving forward, and it appears now that all [of the evidence] of that hard work vanished when you see the Taliban come in and take over that quickly, Mullenger says.

Mullenger entered active military duty in 2010 and spent about a year in 2012 and 2013 serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2015, he was honorably discharged and has since become president and CEO of Ethos Preparedness, an emergency equipment designer and manufacturer based in the metro area.

Although its been a couple of months since U.S. troops officially pulled out of Afghanistan and the devastating takeover that followed, Mullenger explains that bleak emotions still weigh heavily on former and current service members and have spurred some individuals, like him, to take action domestically by pivoting their attentions toward Afghan refugees. And as thousands of Afghans are planned to arrive in the U.S. this fall, the long journey of resettling has just begun.

This summer, the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, authorized 8,000 additional Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Old Newsboys Day returns to street corners on Thursday, Nov.18 to raise money for local childrens charities.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  Missouri Governor Mike Parson has issued an executive order pushing back against President Joe Biden's broad Covid-19 vaccine mandate.

In Executive Order 20-21, issued on Oct. 28, 2021, Parson referenced the constitutional principle of states rights, in which powers not expressly delegated to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution are to be reserved to the states and the people of those states. This principle is codified in the 10th amendment.

"The Constitution and its historical interpretations clearly leave public health decisions to the states," Parson said.

State rejection of federal overreach has historically been referred to as "nullification," and was discussed at length by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. In more modern times, states such as California have practiced the principle of nullification by legalizing recreational marijuana (banned by federal law) and opening "sanctuary cities" to illegal immigrants, shielding them from federal action.

Biden's vaccine mandates have three major components. The first requires all federal employees to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. The second requires all businesses contracting with the federal government to require their employees to be vaccinated. The third requires businesses with 100 employees or more to ensure their employees are vaccinated or to require a weekly Covid-19 test of unvaccinated employees. That final rule has been delegated to OSHA to implement.

Lawsuits are already being filed against Biden's mandates, from Florida to some groups of federal employees. Missouri has not at this point sued the Biden administration, but Missouri Governor Mike Parson's executive order requires three things:

1) That all state executive agencies and officers cooperate with Missouri's Attorney General in litigation on the state's behalf, against Biden's mandate

2) That no state executive agencies or officers enforce Biden's vaccine mandate, and

3) That no state executive agencies or officers penalize any individual or business who chooses not to comply with the vaccine mandate for religious or medical reasons

---PRESS RELEASE---

JEFFERSON CITY  Today, Governor Mike Parson announced that he has issued Executive Order 21-10 to protect the individual rights of Missourians against overreaching federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Governor Parson released the following statement regarding the Order:

"As the Governor of the State of Missouri, I stand with concerned Missourians and will do all I can to stop federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates."

"When President Biden announced his initial plans to force unconstitutional vaccine mandates, we immediately began aligning state resources for legal action. While we hoped the Biden Administration would recognize these mandates as the abuse of authority that they are, they have not, and we must now use every tool we have available to fight this federal intrusion."

"The Constitution and its historical interpretations clearly leave public health decisions to the states. The federal government has no authority to issue COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The Biden Administration acting alone to dictate and mandate health requirements represents the kind of federal power grab the founding fathers warned us against."

"In the State of Missouri, public health decisions are left to the people to either make their own personal decisions or speak through their elected representatives in the General Assembly. The Biden Administration's vaccine mandates undermine and deny Missourians their right to make personal health decisions and to speak through their elected representatives."

"More than three million Missourians are fully vaccinated. Nearly 70 percent of Missourians 18 and older and nearly 90 percent of Missourians 65 and older have initiated vaccination. Missouri's weekly positivity rate has decreased to 6.4 percent and the number of COVID-19 patients in Missouri hospitals has dramatically declined. Missourians are using common sense and our numbers have improved without federal mandates."

"Let me be clear, we continue to encourage all Missourians to get vaccinated. We can support vaccination without supporting mandates. We are issuing this order to protect our system of government and the individual rights of Missourians to make their own health care decisions."

"Never before since our nation's founding has a president unilaterally forced vaccinations onto the American people. Due process is a foundational principle of our democracy, and this unprecedented and dangerous action threatens our system of government and the individual freedoms we enjoy."

Executive Order 21-10 orders and directs the following actions to oppose the Biden Administration's overreaching federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates:

 All agencies, boards, commissions, and other entities within the executive branch of state government are directed to cooperate fully and timely with the Attorney General of the State of Missouri in litigation on behalf of the State of Missouri against any federally imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate or requirement.

 No agency, board, commission, or other entity within the executive branch of state government shall compel any individual to receive the COVID-19 vaccine according to federal vaccine mandates if the individual objects for religious or medical reasons.

 No agency, board, commission, or other entity within the executive branch of state government shall penalize individuals or businesses for non-compliance with federally imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates if the individual objects for religious or medical reasons.

To view Executive Order 21-10, click here.
An assistant professor at UW-Whitewater features in the final fall concert of the Music Mosaics series Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Jazz Originals with Michael Hackett & Special Guests will be in the Light Recital Hall, which is in the Greenhill Center of the Arts, 950 W. Main St., Whitewater.

Performing are Dr. Hackett, assistant professor of jazz and commercial music at UW-Whitewater, on trumpet and flugelhorn.

Also featured are Matthew Sintchak, saxophone; Chris Rottmayer, piano; Bradley Townsend, bass; and Devin Drobka, drums.

Hackett has performed in some of the most important musical venues in the world, including New York Citys Birdland, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater; and Washington D.C.s Kennedy Center and Blues Alley. He has appeared on numerous commercially available recordings and released his own work on Summit Records.

The Nov. 2 performance will include original compositions by Hackett and the special guest artists, as well as works by Wayne Shorter, Kenny Dorham and Sam Rivers.

Ticket prices are $14 for the general public, $12 for ages 65 and older, $7 for those younger than 18 and free for UW-Whitewater students.

Proceeds from Music Mosaics series concerts go directly to scholarships for Department of Music students.

Purchase tickets online at tickets.uww.edu or call 262-472-2222.
Both residents and non-residents will be paying more to rent a boat slip, buoy or kayak rack in the City of Lake Geneva next year.

Members of the Lake Geneva City Council approved, Oct. 25, rental rate increases for boat slips, buoys and kayak racks by 5% for residents and 10% for non-residents and non-resident property owners in 2022.

The rate increases were approved by a 5-2 vote, with aldermen John Halverson and Mary Jo Fesenmaier voting no.

The city councils finance, licensing & regulation committee approved the rate increases, Oct. 19, by a 4-1 vote with Fesenmaier voting no.

As part of the rate increases, for example, the cost to rent a 24-foot boat slip on the west end pier will increase from $1,882 to $1,976 for residents, and from $3,763 to $4,139 for non-residents.

The west end pier has 50 slips, which are rented by 42 residents and eight non-residents.

The cost for residents to rent a buoy will increase from $811 to $852, and the cost for non-residents to rent a buoy will increase from $1,882 to $2,070.

The cost to rent a kayak rack will increase from $140 to $147 for residents and from $203 to $213 for nonresidents.

The revenue from the rental rates are set to be used to help pay for boat pier repairs and maintenance, city infrastructure improvement projects and the citys increased health insurance and labor costs.

According to city information, slip and buoy rentals are one of the limited avenues of the city to generate revenue.

Several residents who attended the council meeting said their slip and buoy rental rates should not be used to help pay for the citys health insurance and labor costs.

Fesenmaier proposed a 0% increase for residents, which failed by a 2-5 vote. She said revenue from the slip and buoy rentals should be used to maintain and replace the city piers, not to pay for labor costs and health insurance.

We are having our residents subsidize other portions of the budget, and it should not be that way, Fesenmaier said. The fund was created to maintain and replace.

Alderman Ken Howell proposed a 3% increase for residents, but that motion failed by a 3-4 vote.

Halverson said he was in favor of the 3% increase.

I think 3% is a good compromise, Halverson said.

Alderman Tim Dunn said he feels the 5% increase for residents is fair to help pay for the citys increased expenses.

If were not going to make enough money from the boat rentals, why have them?, Dunn said. If theyre not going to cover our expenses, why even bother to put the piers in the lake? Theres a lot of people like me who would much rather go down by the lake and not see piers and boats in the water. Its very beautiful.

Alderman Richard Hedlund said people who can afford to rent a boat slip or buoy should be able to help pay for the citys infrastructural costs and increased labor and health insurance costs.

I really dont understand why the 42 people who are privilege enough to have a boat and be able to afford to have a slip should think their fees shouldnt go up, because that just puts the onus on the other 7,500 people in the City of Lake Geneva who cant afford a boat or a slip, Hedlund said. I dont think the people who have boats and slips contribute as much as they should.

Fesenmaier said just because someone can afford a boat and a slip or buoy rental does not mean they are wealthy.

I think thats a mischaracterization of the people who save, Fesenmaier said. They spend their money on that rather than on other things and to characterize them other than that is insulting.

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Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling wants a statewide investigation into alleged election fraud in nursing homes, including at Ridgewood Care Center in Mount Pleasant.

Its unclear if that will happen, but there certainly is statewide attention on the topic now.

GOP leaders join calls

A number of Republicans have called for either the removal of Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe or the entirety of the six people who serve as WEC commissioners  or both  including the commissioners appointed by Republicans.

Gov. Tony Evers has criticized the Republican calls for resignations. Evers specifically called out Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for Vos having called for Wolfe to resign  which she refused to do.

Vos had stated: Clearly there is a severe mismanagement of WEC, and a new administrator is needed. I am calling for the resignation of Meagan Wolfe as Elections Commission Administrator. Cover-ups and complacency with law-breaking are red flags Wisconsinites cannot ignore.

Evers responded, writing: Speaker Vos comments are unbecoming of his office and the people we serve. Its my expectation  and one Wisconsinites share  that elected officials in this state treat others with civility and respect. The speakers behavior today fell woefully short of those expectations.

State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, called for all six WEC commissioners  all volunteers, three appointed by Republicans and three appointed by Democrats  to be removed from their positions following the Sheriffs Offices news conference Thursday detailing its allegations of election laws being ignored amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vos office did not reply to a request for comment Thursday on why he called for Wolfe, who is a paid state employee, to step down but not the others.

Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, called for mass resignations at WEC  WECs reputation is damaged beyond repair.

WEC responds

Primarily, the allegations detailed by Schmaling and Sgt. Michael Luell, the lead investigator on the case, focus on how Wisconsin law requires, with some exceptions, Special Voting Deputies to be sent into nursing homes to conduct absentee voting. That law was waived amid the pandemic by a vote of the WEC commissioners.

After an emergency teleconference meeting Thursday night, most of which was closed to the public, five of the six commissioners issued a lengthy statement in which they stated strenuous disagreement with the allegations made Thursday in a press conference orchestrated by the Racine County Sheriffs Department.

To put it simply, we did not break the law, Commission Chair Ann Jacobs, a Milwaukee attorney, wrote. In fact, without action from the Commission, many residents in Wisconsin care facilities could have and would have been disenfranchised and not able to vote in the 2020 elections.

The letter continued: Statutes call for two attempted visits by SVDs to a facility after a 5-day notice period. If the SVDs are not allowed access, then absentee ballots are sent to those residents. Residents complete those ballots in the same manner as other absentee ballot voters. The timeline for these visits, and the sending and return of absentee ballots, all must occur in the 22 days immediately before an election. In 2020, the U.S. Postal Service advised that clerks should plan for 13 days to send a ballot and have it mailed back to them in time to be counted on Election Day.

In a thoughtful, public, and hours-long discussion at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioners acted in a bipartisan fashion to preserve the right to vote by ensuring ballots were sent to care facility voters in time for the ballots to be mailed and returned.

The Journal Times asked Mount Pleasants village clerk, Stephanie Kohlhagen, who requested the absentee ballots at the home, about this. In an email, she replied: The ballots you reference were mailed to the electors in a response to the applications they submitted.

Commissioner Julie Glancey, a Democrat and a former clerk, stated in the letter: We knew that for the protection of residents, only essential workers  which did not include SVDs  were being allowed into facilities across the state. As such, we knew it was essential to preserve the right to vote for those residents, so rather than require the absurdity of sending SVDs to knock on a locked door, we pivoted to the absentee voting process.

Added Commissioner Mark Thomsen, a Democrat who also is an attorney: If we had waited for two unsuccessful attempts by SVDs to enter nursing homes, we would have been in danger of missing the deadline to get their votes collected and counted. Our goal was to allow as many eligible voters as possible to participate in the election.

Commissioner Robert Spindell, a Republican appointee, did not sign Thursdays letter.

Spindell repeatedly voted against waiving the SVD rules throughout last year after initially voting in favor. After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Spindell had given voice to unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that Trump actually won when he attended and spoke at a Stop the Steal rally on Dec. 7 in Madison.

Family members testimony

Luells investigation was based primarily on family members of eight residents, one of whom is now deceased, of Ridgewood Care Center. According to Luell, those family members attested that their loved ones did not have the mental capacity to vote due to dementia and/or similar afflictions.

In the hours following the detailing of the investigation, some legal questions arose regarding whether all eight of these residents were actually unable to vote.

According to the WEC: Under the law, if someone hasnt been adjudicated as incompetent by a court, they cant be refused the right to vote for things like dementia or other brain-related diseases.

According to the Sheriffs Office, only one of the eight had been adjudicated by a court. The commissioners statement noted that, if this is true, then a prosecution may be in order in only that case.

For the other seven, the Sheriffs Office relied on the accounts of family members of those at the nursing home.

A loved one of a Ridgewood resident was adamant that (redacted name) would not have requested an absentee ballot. (Redacted name) was usually unable to remember what she ate for breakfast that day.

The commissioners letter stated that it must be stressed that an individuals voting right can be restricted only by an incompetency order from a judge, not a friend, family member or even a doctor.

Its not fraud if your family thinks that you arent competent enough to vote and you still vote. Family members dont have that power, Rachel Rodriguez, the elections management specialist for Dane County, tweeted Thursday evening.

Questions of legality

Luell, who also serves as the RCSOs public information officer, did not respond to a request for comment responding to the claims that family members cannot declare whether their loved ones can vote.

However, if someone  such as an employee of a nursing home  were to fill out a ballot on behalf of someone else and the voter truly did not have any knowledge of voting, that would be illegal.

According to the sheriffs investigation, the truth may land somewhere between the two. According to one of Luells reports, a former staff member of Ridgewood said that the director of the facility instructed her to push residents to vote even if they initially declined.

According to a report written by Luell: I asked (name of former Ridgewood employee redacted) if she was influencing (redacted name of Ridgewood resident)s vote given that (redacted) had reservations and confusion about voting. The director of the facility then told the employee to ask the resident Democrat or Republican to just jog her memory of what the words are.

When Luell asked: So you think some of these people that you were instructed to have vote, probably did not have the mental capacity to vote? The former employee, according to the report, answered: Probably not.

The Sheriffs Office also pointed out that state law prohibits staff members of nursing homes to serve as SVDs, but that appears to be among the laws waived/ignored by the WEC due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Rodriguez said in a Friday interview that nursing home staff are allowed to help residents fill out ballots in typical years after SVDs have already visited the home twice; the WEC advised that those two typically required visits were being waived due to COVID-19 and nursing homes should proceed as if those two visits had been attempted and failed.

Helping someone who has a disability, regardless of the pandemic, is legal under most circumstances. Someone who cannot use their hands or is blind and thus is unable to write or read the ballot itself, for example, can have a family member or friend or coworker fill out a ballot at their instruction.

You can have someone read the ballot to you and have someone mark that ballot for you, that would totally be legal, Rodriguez said. She did, however, note that certain people are not allowed to help. Those include employers and union representatives. Nursing home staff are allowed to help after the two typically required SVD visits have occurred.

Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson, while he did on several occasions still vote to waive the SVD rules, did express concern about the sweeping actions of the WEC amid the COVID-19 emergency.

I have had some discomfort ... We will be telling the clerks to break the law ... Is there some other way we can accomplish this same thing? he said during one meeting.

On March 2, 2021, according to Luells reports, WEC staff attorney Jim Witecha had advised commissioners that their actions had not been wrong in part because of the legal principle of force majeure, which is defined as unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.

Witecha noted that the pandemic could serve as such an act of God that would stop Special Voting Deputies from being able to fulfill their legal duties.
Sohanur Rahman

We used to drink water from this river, and now not a single fish can be seen, sighed an exasperated boatman of Narayanganj, a Bengali port in the Bangladesh Ganges delta. Once a haven for wildlife and subsistence farming, the land has been ravaged by industry. High unemployment, reduced demand for traditional products, and increased government support of manufacturing are responsible for the sudden transformation of this region southeast of Dhaka. Massive industrialization of a rural area may indicate economic growth, but the long-term impacts on the environment are yet to be realized.

The raw materials of industry come from Mother Nature. To ensure the maximum amount of manufacturing, farmers use artificial fertilizers and pesticides recklessly. The rain washes away most of the chemical fertilizers from the land, and pollutes the rivers and sea, and endangers wildlife. The regions textile and leather-based factories discharge poisonous industrial colors and materials. A single flood pollutes once-safe drinking water with poisonous industrial wastage.

The smoke that emits from mills causes air pollution and increases the chances of lung disease. Moreover, industrial waste leaks into the soil and harms the fertility of the land. Eventually, industrialization scars the balance of the whole eco-system and advances climate change.

However, many unaware local residents often confuse the extreme weather with the signs of Qiyamah  the end of days.

The resources are limited in both developing and developed countries. However, the maximum share of scarce resources, such as water, electricity and natural gas, remains confined in the industrial sector. In addition, Bangladeshs government makes big investments through tax support to accommodate the giant industrial infrastructures. As a result, the general people and the microlevel business entrepreneurs experience discrimination in the distribution of national resources, and the industrializers establish their influential autonomy over the federal economic decisions.

With the status of elite business citizenship, industrial investors tend to please the political administration to get unfair benefits, and in return do not hesitate to politicize the needy workers. Such unfair tendencies disrupt the freedom of exercising political rights.

Interestingly, growing employment opportunity is often cited as an advantage of industrial growth. The reality is that the recruitment procedure of industrial employment is not fair. Recruiters tend to select young male workers. This results in employment discrimination for older and female candidates. On the other side, due to growing employment opportunities, people from different parts of the country start moving in the industrial areas. Consequently, the rise in population density leads a pressure on limited resources, such as road and transport congestion, and loss of the environment.

The old adage, Everything has its own pros and cons is a cliche which becomes unjustifiable for validating hasty industrial growth. In this particular scenario, when the pros are very visible, the slow progression of the cons will inevitably lead to natural disasters in the upcoming decades.

A sustainable eco-friendly development model is required to ensure the welfare of the next generation of Bangladeshis, and a better, more sustainable environment.
Are you confused when you spot a piece of silver that looks Japanese, Egyptian or Islamic, but is signed by such American silversmiths as Tiffany or Gorham? Back in the 1870s and 1880s, the designs, techniques and influences from Japan, the Middle East and archeological Egypt were in fashion with furniture and decorative arts.
The Autumn Gettysburg Civil War & Militaria Show is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31
Advocate Satish Maneshinde, who is representing Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case, on Friday, said that he will be out of jail by today evening. Speaking to ANI, Maneshinde said, "We are expecting to receive orders of High Court from HC registry by today evening. As soon as we get the orders we will produce it under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for completing other formalities and get release orders for Aryan Khan." Aryan Khan Bail Granted: Actress Juhi Chawla Signs Bail Surety of Rs 1 Lakh in Mumbai Sessions Court for SRKs Son.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha after hearing of their bail pleas. While Arbaaz Merchant is also lodged at Arthur Road jail, Munmun Dhamecha is at Byculla women prison. Aryan Khans Bail Order by Bombay HC States Shah Rukh Khans Son Needs To Surrender Passport, To Appear Before NCB Every Friday.

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3. An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa on October 2. A total of 20 people were arrested in the case.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) The Delhi Metro has bagged the award for 'Metro Rail with the Best Passenger Services and Satisfaction' at the Urban Mobility India Conference hosted by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

Surat has been awarded for the best public transport system while Kochi got an award for the most sustainable transport system.

Also Read | Shirur Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra: Sitting MLA, Candidates For Assembly Elections 2019, Results And Winners.

According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, Delhi was awarded the best non-motorised transport system for the redevelopment project of Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation.

The awards were given away by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Also Read | Odisha BSE 10th Result 2019 Not Today: Class 10 Board Exam Scores to Be Declared Soon Online at bseodisha.ac.in; Here's List of Website to Check Marks.

"We are delighted to inform you that Delhi Metro is conferred with the 'Award for Excellence in Urban Transport' by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the category 'Metro Rail with the Best Passenger Services and Satisfaction'

Mangu Singh, MD, DMRC today received the award from Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, at the 14th Urban Mobility India Conference 2021 in Delhi," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said in a tweet.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, October 29: Underling the importance of Uttar Pradesh in national politics, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called on the electorate in the state that if they wanted to see Narendra Modi as Prime Minister again in 2024, then they have to ensure that Yogi Adityanath is elected as the Chief Minister again in 2022.

While addressing the launch of 'Mera Parivaar-BJP Parivaar' membership drive, Shah said, "If you want to make Modi PM again in 2024, make Yogi the CM again in 2022. We will make UP the number one state. Without UP there cannot be a government at the Centre and the credit of the Narendra Modi governments in 2014 and 2019 goes completely to people of Uttar Pradesh."

Also Read | Shirur Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra: Sitting MLA, Candidates For Assembly Elections 2019, Results And Winners.

The Union Home Minister said that the BJP government had fulfilled 90 per cent of promises made in the 2017 manifesto and the remaining 10 per cent would also be completed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the next two months.

"Today I can proudly say that Yogi ji and his team have fulfilled 90 per cent of the promises that we made in our 2017 manifesto. I want to say to Yogi ji to march towards 100 per cent target in upcoming months so that people can believe that BJP fulfils whatever it says," said the home minister.

Also Read | Odisha BSE 10th Result 2019 Not Today: Class 10 Board Exam Scores to Be Declared Soon Online at bseodisha.ac.in; Here's List of Website to Check Marks.

Shah further expressed confidence that the BJP would cross the mark of 300 seats in 2022 and Adityanath would return to power.

Speaking about Ayodhya's Ram Janmbhoomi Temple, Shah pointed out, "Did anyone even imagine there will be a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and reminded Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav of his jibe, 'Mandir wahin baneyenge, tithi nahi batayenge'."

Further slamming the Opposition parties, he said that for many years the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) game happened which resulted in the destruction of Uttar Pradesh. "Seeing the law and order situation of UP, my blood used to boil. From west UP people were migrating.

But now, no one can dare to make anyone migrate. Today, there are no Bahubalis. This change is because of the BJP government," he said.

He further said that unlike the opposition we have proved that Bharatiya Janata Party governments work for the poorest of the poor. Uttar Pradesh is set to go to the polls next year.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide of 312 Assembly seats and secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress bagged seven seats.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 29 (ANI): The Karnataka Government has referred 'drugs and bitcoin scam' to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) because of the international nature of transactions.

While speaking to ANI on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said, "Officials have conducted an enquiry. Karnataka government had filed the case in 2020 and we've completed the investigation in 3 cases and they have been charge-sheeted."

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Bommai further stated that his government has launched a crackdown on drugs, bitcoin and online gaming in the state.

"The case further referred to ED, CBI because of international nature of transactions. So there is nothing to hide. I have raised a war on drugs, bitcoin and all these online gaming," said Karnataka CM.

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Earlier on Thursday, former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah alleged that politicians and officials were involved in a Bitcoin scam in the state and that the investigation agencies are trying to safeguard them.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar claimed that it took place on a large scale and said that it is shocking to hear the names of police officers, political leaders and businessmen in the scam.

"The bitcoin scandal has taken place on a large scale, with big names being heard in the scam in Karnataka. I have been trying to collect information. It is shocking to hear the names of police officers, political leaders and businessmen," he told reporters here on Thursday.

Notably, these allegations come ahead of by-polls scheduled in Karnataka in two constituencies. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, October 29: Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Thursday said that the privacy of citizens is of utmost importance and the police have no intention of intruding into it.

"As far as privacy of common law-abiding citizens is concerned, it is most important and sacred. No police officer anywhere in the country has any intention of intruding into that. But as far as rowdies, criminals are concerned, if we find anything in their possession, we have to check what is that and it is our prime responsibility," Anjani Kumar said at a press conference here. This statement comes after a video showing police constables checking people's phones went viral in the city.

"In few cases of grave and sensational crime, when the accused is likely to run away, police checks all the items found at the scene of the crime or available with the offenders caught. At that time, we do not know who are the gang members and who are accomplishers. Thus, whatever is found at the scene of evidence is examined immediately," he said adding that the items can include anything ranging from laptops, hard disks, pen drives etc. Hyderabad Police Randomly Checking People's Mobile Phone, WhatsApp Chats in Crackdown Against 'Ganja': Reports.

Reiterating the responsibility of the police, he said that examination of not only the witness but also the items in their possession is important. Kumar further stressed that it is important to check all items in possession of the offenders to catch those who are partners to the criminals.

Watch Press Conference of Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar:

"Similarly, sometimes frisking is also very important. When a suspected person is there lurking at night, whose identity is not known to the police, then it is the responsibility of the police to establish the identity. It is mandatory by Indian law and in the process if he finds it suspicious he can also do frisking," said Kumar.

Backing his statement with a real-life incident, he said that in an incident in north-zone, an accused, who was being questioned, stabbed a constable with a knife as he was not frisked before.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) on Friday reported an over 60 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 41 crore in the quarter ended September 2021, mainly due to provisions made against restructured accounts.

The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 103 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.

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PAT (profit after tax) affected due to provisions made on restructured accounts. The bank carries a provision of Rs 196 crore towards the restructured book of Rs 1,401 crore, the bank said in a release.

Total income was at Rs 991.40 crore in Q2 of 2021-22, up from Rs 852.08 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

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Net interest income for Q2FY22 was higher at Rs 484 crore, as against Rs 461 crore in the same period of FY21, Equitas SFB said.

The bank said total advances restructured for the year at Rs 1,401 crore forms around 7 per cent of the gross advances. It excludes the Rs 140.40 crore of restructuring in RSL 1.0 (restructured loans), which also forms part of RSL 2.0, it added.

Upgradations and recoveries have improved sharply, it said, adding strong revival of credit demand witnessed across products with highest quarterly disbursement of Rs 3,145 crore during Q2FY22.

Advances during the quarter grew by 13 per cent year-on-year at Rs 18,978 crore, and 81.44 per cent of the advances ars secured loans, Equitas SFB said.

However, there was a rise in bank's bad loans proportion with the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) moving up to 4.64 per cent in Q2FY22 as compared to 2.39 per cent in Q2FY21 and 4.58 per cent in Q1FY22.

Net NPAs were at 2.37 per cent, up from 1.09 per cent in year ago period.

Provisions for bad loans and contingencies for the quarter were higher at Rs 137.81 crore from Rs 75 crore in year ago period. Provision coverage ratio stood at 50.09 per cent.

"With no lockdowns and spread of virus under control largely, the bank saw an improved performance all around. While the overall GNPA (gross NPA) remained steady compared to 1st quarter, there was improved collection efficiency leading to reduction in overdue cases between 1 to 90 days," P N Vasudevan, Managing Director and CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank said.

Shares of the bank closed at Rs 64.30 apiece on the BSE, down 1.08 per cent.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): As Jio and Google's much-awaited JioPhone Next is slated to hit stores from Diwali, let's have a look at the standout features of the 'made-for-India' smartphone.

As per a media release, the JioPhone Next is a first-of-its-kind smartphone featuring Pragati OS, an optimised version of Android made for the JioPhone Next, which is tailored to deliver a simplified and delightful experience for users in India.

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The smartphone comes with 'Voice first capabilities' that helps users to operate the device (Open App, manage settings etc) by just speaking to it through Google Assistant. The 'Read Aloud' functionality in the phone enables the user to have any content on their screen read out to them by the device. This allows users to consume content easily by simply listening in their preferred language.

Further, the 'Translate Now' functionality enables the user to have any screen translated to the 10 popularly spoken Indian languages. This allows users to read any content in their language of preference.

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The phone is equipped with a smart and powerful camera that supports various photographymodes such as portrait mode, allowing users to capture great photos with an automatically blurred background.

Night Mode allows users to capture great photos even under low light conditions. The camera also features custom India-themed lenses to enhance their selfies with emotions and festivities. The phone comes with a 13 MP rear camera and 8 MP front camera.

The device supports all the available Android apps that users can download and use in the device via Google Play, thus giving them the freedom to choose from millions of apps available on the Play Store. It also comes preloaded with a host of Jio and Google apps.

JioPhone Next comes with over the air updates support for new features, customisation, security updates and more, which will continue to enhance the phone experience over time.The 'Nearby Share' feature allows the users to quickly share apps, files, photos, videos, music and more with family and friends, even without the internet.

JioPhone Next comes with a 5.45 inches multi touch screen HD+ resolution of 720 X 144 and corning gorilla glass 3 with Anti-fingerprint coating. Equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon (QM-215, Quad-Core upto 1.3 GHz) processor, the phone comes with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB inbuilt internal storage.

Packed with a 3500 mAH battery, the phone has three sensors- accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor.

Earlier in the day, Jio and Google announced that the much-anticipated JioPhone Next, the made-for-India smartphone jointly designed by the two companies, will be available in stores from Diwali, that is November 4, adding to the festive cheer in the country.

The companies claimed that the JioPhone Next will be the most affordable smartphone anywhere in the world with an entry price of only Rs 1,999 and the rest paid via easy EMI over 18 or 24 months. JioPhone Next can also be purchased upfront without financing for only Rs 6499.

JioPhone Next will be available across the country at Reliance Retail's extensive network of JioMart Digital retail locations. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington [US], October 29 (ANI): After an initial launch to mostly new PCs earlier this month, American tech conglomerate Microsoft is gradually making the free Windows 11 upgrade available to more existing and eligible devices this week.

According to The Verge, the company has said, "The availability of Windows 11 has been increased and we are leveraging our latest generation machine learning model to offer the upgrade to an expanded set of eligible devices. We will continue to train our machine learning model throughout the phased rollout to deliver a smooth upgrade experience."

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For those who have been waiting for the Windows 11 upgrade to appear in Windows Update, they might find the above prompt this week.

Microsoft hasn't provided a list of devices that are now being offered the Windows 11 upgrade, but users will only be able to obtain the update through Windows Update if their PC meets the minimum system requirements.

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If you still don't see the prompt and want to skip the waiting line, Microsoft offers an easy way to upgrade early.

As per The Verge, there are also ways to install Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs, too. Microsoft doesn't recommend it and you might not receive security updates in the future, but the workaround is very easy without having to reinstall Windows. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing, Oct 29 (AP) More than 2,000 tourists visiting China's Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine following the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in the area.

The move follows reports of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the vast, lightly populated region that attracts visitors with its mountains, lakes and grasslands.

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An announcement from the regional government on Friday said 2,428 visitors had been placed under observation at hotels in the cities of Baotou and Ordos.

That came after successive reports of new cases of local infection in the region, with Inner Mongolia accounting for 19 of the 48 new cases of domestic transmission announced Friday.

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The quarantines are typical of the strict measures China has taken to control the pandemic, which also include mask wearing, electronic case tracing, mass testing, lockdowns and vaccinations.

In the city of Lanzhou, in Gansu province bordering Inner Mongolia, millions of people have been largely confined to their homes over the past week after cases were detected there. Ten new cases were reported in the city on Friday.

China has reported 4,636 deaths among 91,665 cases of COVID-19 recorded in the country since the first infections were detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. (AP) VM

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ankara [Turkey], October 29 (ANI/Sputnik): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to make his country one of the world's 10 largest economies as it celebrates the 98th anniversary of the republic's creation on Friday.

"We are aspiring to make Turkey one of the world's top 10 leading economies," he wrote in the guest book during his visit to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

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Erdogan said Turkey had been making steady progress in foreign trade, employment, manufacturing and investment in the face of pandemic headwinds.

Turkey remains the 19th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal gross domestic product despite a severe economic slowdown and the slumping national currency, which lost over 20% of its value so far this year. (ANI/Sputnik)

Also Read | 1.5 Million Penguins Supercolony Earlier Detected From Space, Discovered on Antarcticas Danger Islands.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rome, October 29: India is playing a huge role in vaccination plan and the role it is playing or proposed to play to help the world in COVID-19 vaccination has been widely welcomed by all the G20 nations, India's G20 Sherpa and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

Addressing G20 Sherpa's special briefing from Rome, Piyush Goyal said that the country is working towards an acceptable language to bring that within the G20 framework.

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"India is playing a huge role both in vaccination plan in India & the role we're playing/proposed to play in coming months and years to help the world in vaccination has been widely welcomed by all the G20 nations. We're working towards an acceptable language to bring that within the G20 framework," he said today.

Speaking on the terrorism issue, India's G20 Sherpa said: "The world speaks of one voice against terrorism. PM Modi had spoken about this in G20 at the international level a few years back, and all the nations have accepted this. Since then all the countries are with India to deal with terrorism."

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Asking on the economic defaulter, he said: "India has been a strong proponent of global action in this regard. There are laws of the land of different countries which have to be respected. But we are trying to build up the coalition, and that is the role India played as co-chair of the working group also to try to build in the broader consciences for faster action on economic defaulters looking for a safe haven."

Goyal was addressing the media after the three-day 6th G20 Sherpas' meeting. The agenda of the meeting was to finalise the Rome Declaration, which will be adopted by the Leaders at the G20 Summit.

Meanwhile, the G20 nations have acknowledged India's leadership on global concerns and support views of the country on a wide array of issues including on mutual recognition of travel documents, relating to COVID-19 testing and vaccine certificates, said Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati, October 29: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government has alerted all the district administrations to be extra vigilant and ensure that no attack on religious minorities takes place in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said that all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been asked to take extra vigil on the backdrop of the violence in Bangladesh. The reaction to the "torture on Hindus in Bangladesh" should not take place in Assam and for that, adequate steps to maintain law and order have been taken, he added.

When pointed to the violence that took place in neighbouring Tripura in the aftermath of the alleged attack on Hindus during Durga Puja in Bangladesh, Sarma said, "I will not react to another state. I am concerned with Assam and I am happy to say that Assam has witnessed no such incident and we have alerted our district administration to take extra care." He also lauded the efforts of the Bangladesh government in controlling the violence and said India should believe in the steps taken by them as "they are our friendly country". Durga Puja Violence: ISKCON Devotees to Take Part in Protest on October 23 to Demand Protection for Bangladesh's Hindus.

"I think whatever has been told (by Bangladesh), it should get wide publicity so that any counter-sentiment erupted in this country (India) can be cooled down. I am sure the Ministry of External Affairs will do that part of the narrative so that if there is any wrong information in this country, that is corrected," he said.

"But, the bottom line is that whatever may have happened in Bangladesh or may not have happened, we must ensure that in Assam there is no attack on any religious minorities or vice versa," Sarma asserted.
New Delhi, Oct 29: Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) need to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) before admission to engineering and technology courses in Pakistan, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has said.

The technical education regulator has said aspiring students should apply for clearance in the format specified by the council.

"An Indian National/Overseas Citizen of India who intends to take admission in higher education in Engineering and Technology Programme in Pakistan shall require to obtain No Objection Certificate from AICTE. The student should apply for such clearance in prescribed proforma available on the AICTE website," the AICTE said in a notice. Bihar: 33% Reservation Should Be Given to Girl Students in Engineering And Medical Colleges, Says Nitish Kumar.

The council has also cautioned students to ensure validity of the degree before applying to foreign universities.

The warning comes after the AICTE noticed degrees obtained from foreign countries are sometimes not recognised and students face issues in getting opportunities in India.

"The instances have been noticed where students going to foreign countries for obtaining UG and PG degrees in technical courses which are not recognised and students run from pillar to post for their authentication and equivalence. The validity and equivalence of such foreign degrees awarded are at times not at par with the degrees awarded to students passed from Indian institutions, the council said.

"Such students after obtaining degrees from foreign universities are facing issues in getting the opportunities in Indian jobs or higher education even after spending huge amount of fee to obtain such non-equivalent technical degree.

"In order to avoid financial burden on parents of such students, (the council) is issuing warning that students must carefully ensure the validity of the degree, AICTE added.
The Delhi Assembly's Committee on Peace and Harmony on Friday summoned representatives from Facebook India to testify on November 2 over the February 2020 riots in the national capital.
#Cambodia on Thursday allowed all museums, cinemas and arts performing facilities in capital Phnom Penh to reopen after a long hiatus due to the #Covid-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/RGl1egY9F1 IANS Tweets (@ians_india) October 28, 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 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the result of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2021. The exams were held on October 10, 2021. The UPSC prelims results are available on the official website at upsc.gov.in. For the direct link to check the results, candidates can click here- UPSC Prelims Results 2021 Direct Link.

Union Public Service Commission has declared the result of Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021 pic.twitter.com/vVRfSs0ga4  ANI (@ANI) October 29, 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.)
SEATTLE  For years, it has proved an irresistible lure for intrepid travelers around the world: the battered, weed-grown bus where hiker Chris McCandless died after trying, and failing, to survive in the great Alaskan wilderness.

McCandless demise out in the big lonely was chronicled in the book and movie, Into the Wild. This week three German travelers were rescued by helicopter after attempting to repeat the young dreamers triprunning afoul of the same raging river that kept McCandless from hiking to safety.

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They decided they were just worn out and exhausted. Theyd already had one mishap and they werent going to have another, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

A hiker whod met the three men on the trail alerted troopers that the three had set out for the famous bus, about 20 miles from the end of Stampede Road near the town of Healy. But as of Monday, three days later, they had not returned.

A helicopter crew launched a search and found them within about 10 minutes, all in fair condition, but hungry and wet, according to the troopers dispatch.

Peters said the trio had apparently reached the bus. But on the way back, one of them fell and lost a lot of his gear while crossing the swollen Teklanika Riverthe same river that lay between McCandless and safety in 1992.

The hikers continued on to the second crossing on the Savage River, but with that waterway running high, too, they just decided it was not a good idea to cross it, Peters said.

The three hikers, Florian Gerner, 21, Roger Karl, 20, and Eric Schlegel, 19, were examined and cleared by medics in Healy.

The story of Into the Wild has become a touchstone for people around the world, both those who yearn to repeat a young urban mans dangerous foray into some of the nations last true wilderness, and those who have dismissed McCandless as a clueless adventurer who went into hazardous territory dangerously unprepared.

He was not a hero, he was a spoiled brat who didnt even bother to learn about the land he was going into. His hubris killed him, one commenter wrote after the Alaska Dispatch posted the story about the German hikers.

But Erik Halfacre, an Anchorage designer and videographer who operates a website and video with advice for adventurers inclined to make their way out to the bus, said more than 100 people a year successfully make the journey. Others, however, must be rescued in places all over Alaska after attempting much more dangerous travels.

Its interesting to me that people get that upset about the idea that anybody might want to go see the bus where Chris lived, he said.

The hike is really not that dangerous and the number of rescues on the trail are not that disproportionate compared to other areas of the state. But people get upset because they dont like Chris, he said. They think he went out totally unprepared, and he didnt have enough respect, which may be partially true. But theres been a lot of other people thats happened to that they havent raked over the coals quite so hard. But those people didnt get a movie made about them.

The bus, an old International Harvester left as a wilderness shelter by a construction company in the 1960s, rests south of Denali National Park. McCandless, 24, a native of El Segundo, was a devotee of Henry David Thoreau and Jack London and had hoped to embark on a period of solitary contemplation.

He took little food with him, though, was unskilled in finding sustenance in the wilderness and may have fallen ill. He was found in the bus four months after he set out, weighing only 67 pounds, likely dead of starvation.

S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out, said a note he left on the bus, found by a hunter. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless.

The lure of the bus had previously claimed another victim: 29-year-old Claire Jane Ackermann of Switzerland, drowned in 2010 while trying to cross the Teklanika River near the bus.

There have been frequent calls to remove the bus and end the need for further rescues. Those appeals started up again this week.

Some would say that bus needs to be hauled off with lots of publicity so no one else ventures there and dies, one woman commented to the Dispatch. I, however, say it should be left there. It is just another device through which the Universe culls the herd.

Peters said there are no plans to remove it.

Its a matter of who it belongs to, whos going to pay for it to be moved. Its just there, she said. Weve got mountains that people get lost and hurt on and we dont move them.

Another idea gaining support is to construct a safe crossing over the Teklanika. McCandless sister, Carine McCandless, and members of Ackermanns family are looking into rebuilding a cable crossing, disabled by vandals, that once traversed the river on the trail to the bus.

Theyd like to either construct a road bridge or a cable trolley or some means for walkers to cross the river again, Halfacre said. It probably costs a few thousand dollars every time somebody goes out there and gets rescued. But at the same time, the number of people who fly to Alaska going out to that bus, they need lodging, they need food, that brings much more money in.

And if they were to construct a bridge or reconstruct this cable car, youd never have to do these rescues again.

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Separated migrants on the border may be compensated as the Biden administration weighs paying separated migrant parents and children under a Trump policy.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that thousands of dollars could be compensated to separated migrants due to Trump's zero-tolerance policy, as several agencies work to resolve the lawsuits presented by lawyers on behalf of parents and children.

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Biden Admin May Pay Separated Migrant Families on Border

According to the sources, around $450,000 payment could be issued per immigrant who was separated from their family by Trump's zero-tolerance policy, Fox News reported. This means that if a migrant parent and child were separated, they would be eligible for a combined payment of $900,000.

Moreover, the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are "considering" payments that could reach up to $1 million per family. However, final payouts may still change, as some of the migrant families would likely get smaller amounts depending on their circumstances.

Although sources said that the three agencies weigh on paying around $1 million per family, they also emphasized that the total amount of the payments is still unclear as the negotiations continue.

However, a source highlighted that if enough migrant parents and children were located, the Biden administration may pay "hundreds of millions of dollars" to compensate them for what they went through.

In 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) mentioned that at least 2,654 immigrant children were separated from their guardians or parents. But according to sources on Thursday, at least 940 claims have been filed by migrant families who were separated by the Trump policy on the border.

"These families, particularly young children, were deliberately traumatized by our government and deserve not only adequate compensation but the chance to remain here so they can begin to heal," said attorney Lee Gelernt from ACLU. Gelernt is representing separated families in a federal lawsuit.

Trump's Zero Tolerance Policy

In April 2018, the Trump Administration announced the effectiveness of the zero-tolerance policy, although it had a pilot program in 2017. Under this policy, every immigrant who attempted to cross the U.S. borders other than the official port of entry was detained and criminally prosecuted.

The move resulted in the separation of adult migrants from children whom they accompanied to traverse the U.S. without authorization. More than 5,600 children were separated from their parents after they attempted to cross the borders illegally together.

To date, the White House estimated that over 1,000 migrant families are still separated from each other, as parents were deported back to their home country while their children were left in the United States most of the time. Furthermore, more than 300 parents are still not located by the federal authorities and separated from their children.

To address the issue, the Biden administration established a task force that would reunite separated migrant families. However, the said task force has reunited over 50 families so far.

READ NEXT: Over 1.7 Million Migrants Arrested at U.S.-Mexico Border in Fiscal Year 2021 | Ex-DHS, CBP Officials Slam Pres. Joe Biden

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Inside a Young Migrant's Family Separation Nightmare - From The New York Times
Chicago and Los Angeles are launching a universal basic income program, with the two being the largest basic-income pilots in the United States.

Los Angeles' universal basic income program will give $1,000 a month for a year to about 3,000 families living below the poverty threshold. This amount is the biggest in the U.S. so far, according to a Business Insider report.

There are no rules for how the families should spend the money under the program called the Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot. Eligibility can be applied if you live in Los Angeles; 18-year-old; and have an income at or below the federal poverty level.

Applicants should also have at least one dependent minor or pregnant and have been faced with either financial or medical hardships amid the COVID pandemic.

Poverty affects two out of every ten residents in Los Angeles, with most of them being people of color.

The federal poverty level depends on the size of a household. A family of a four-person household earning less than $26,500 would fall under the federal poverty threshold.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden to End Enhanced Weekly $300 Unemployment Benefits for 7.5 Million Americans

Chicago Universal Basic Income Program

Meanwhile, Chicago will give 5,000 low-income households $500 per month for one year. Recipients will be chosen randomly. However, individuals must earn less than $35,000 per year to qualify, according to another Business Insider report.

The program's funding comes from the $2 million in COVID relief dollars allotted to Chicago through the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan.

Around 18 percent of Chicago residents live below the poverty line, with hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents losing their jobs during the first six months of the pandemic.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Twitter that she knows what it felt like to live check to check growing up.

Labor Shortage

Critics have opposed the programs, saying that it is an example of policies that disincentivize work amid a labor shortage.

Michael Faulkender, the Trump administration's assistance treasury secretary for economic policy, said that there are still millions of low-skilled jobs out there. Faulkender also cited small business owners who can't find workers to join their companies, according to a Fox Business report.

However, several studies noted that cash benefits do not keep people from entering the workforce.

Some members of the Chicago City Council were hesitant to support the program, with members of the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus arguing that the money could be better spent on violence prevention or reparations programs.

Meanwhile, Finland's basic-income trial also found that employment rates between stipend recipients and those in the control group were about even.

More economists and lawmakers have been calling for the introduction of Universal Basic Income schemes as the pandemic worsened and exposed huge income inequalities.

Other cities across the United States have also trialed UBI programs.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti earlier noted in his annual state of the city address that the city was looking at launching a $24 million UBI program to support the city's poor residents.

Mayors Eric Garcetti and Lori Lightfoot have hailed the programs as necessary steps to lift people out of poverty.

READ MORE: Pres. Biden Agrees To Limit Eligibility for $1,400 Stimulus Checks

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WATCH: LA to give $1,000 no-strings-attached monthly payments to families in new guaranteed-income program - from FOX 11 Los Angeles






After the months-long search of authorities, the San Bernardino, California county coroner confirmed Thursday that the human remains that they have recovered in an open desert close to Yucca Valley were those of Lauren Cho, a 30-year-old New Jersey woman who went missing since June.

California Authorities Found Lauren Cho

According to CBS News, based on the initial statement of the investigators on October 9, authorities have discovered unidentified human remains in the rugged terrain of the open desert of Yucca Valley. Officials at the time were transported to the coroner's division of the sheriff's office for identification. The coroner confirmed Thursday that the remains were those of Lauren Cho.

Authorities did not provide more specific detail regarding the exact location or condition where they have found the body.

The department said the cause of death has yet to be released, adding that they are still finalizing the examination and waiting for the result of the pending toxicology test.

Based on the report of USA Today, the 30-year-old New Jersey woman was last seen on June 28, walking away from a residence where she stayed in the Yucca Valley. The disappearance of Cho triggered a months-long search headed by the Sheriff's Department of San Bernardino County.

Lauren Cho disappeared during their cross-country trip to California. She was reportedly under mental distress when she walked away from a Yucca Valley resort where she had been staying with her friends and boyfriend.

The friends and boyfriend of Cho told the police that when they last saw her, she was headed into the desert with no food, water, or cellphone with her.

The Sheriff's Department confirmed that Cho's friends said the victim was upset and presumably walked away from the resort, leaving behind her personal belongings.

READ MORE: Missing Florida Teen Killed by 3 High School Classmates Over Sexual Relationship With Suspect's Ex-Girlfriend

Months-Long Search for Lauren Cho

Search and rescue teams combed the unincorporated areas close to the high desert town for the missing woman. Deputies also executed a search warrant on the home where she stayed. Also, similar searches were conducted in September, as the department urged anyone with leads to the whereabouts of the New Jersey woman to come forward.

Moreover, police conducted an aerial search almost a month after the initial missing report. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department also shared to NBC Asian America that the investigation and search for the missing 30-year-old Cho never stopped.

After the local police said they had exhausted their investigation, the Specialized Investigations Division of the Sheriff's Department became involved last month.

Cho's family has pleaded for help on social media since they learned she was gone.

Days after the disappearance of Cho, her family ran a page on the internet called "Missing Person: Lauren 'El' Cho." The family said that they established the page to raise awareness while they were waiting for updates from authorities about Cho.

READ NEXT: Long Beach School Safety Officer Who Shot California Teen Mom in the Head Charged With Murder

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WATCH: Human Remains Found In Yucca Valley ID'd As Missing New Jersey Woman Lauren Cho -CBS Los Angeles


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have a new title, as the tech giant rebrands into "Meta," changing its name as it dives into the metaverse.

Zuckerberg announced the move on Thursday during their company's annual "Connect" conference, as he became the CEO and chairman of Meta, which will be the new name of Facebook's mother company, The Verge reported.

In a press release, Meta also announced that their company plans to begin trading under the stock ticker "MVRS" on December 1, according to a CNN report.

READ NEXT: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Wife Priscilla Chan Face Lawsuit From Ex-Household Staffers for Allowing 'Sexism and Racial Discrimination'

Facebook Name Change to Meta

The move to change the name of the mother company effectively demoted Facebook's namesake service as one of the company's subsidiaries, such as Instagram and WhatsApp.

The said rebranding is a secret affair since he formally kicked off the said project in the previous six months. According to reports, the small handful of employees involved were asked to sign separate non-disclosure agreements.

Explaining about changing the name of the mother company, Zuckerberg highlighted that he felt that the previous name of their company did not encompass everything that they were doing.

"So we wanted to shift that to have something more evocative of the vision that we're moving towards," the Meta CEO said, pointing out that they are more than a social media company, arguing that they build "technology to connect people."

Zuckerberg then explained the rebranding "on a more functional and technical basis," saying that there were confusions and awkwardness about "having the company brand be also the brand of one of the social media apps."

"When people wanted to sign into their Quest, we wanted them to sign in with their Facebook account because we wanted to have a single identity or account system for the company," Zuckerberg pointed out, contending that Apple and Google have the same thing.

The CEO also shared the inspiration of the new name of his mother company was the Greek word "meta," which means "beyond."

"For me, it symbolizes that there is always more to build," Mark Zuckerberg shared.

Zuckerberg also pointed out that changing the names of his enterprise has nothing to do with the recent allegations they were involved in.

The CEO said that it was "ridiculous" that some people would think and connect the issues to his company's rebranding.

"I think that this is not the environment that you would want to introduce a new brand in," the former Facebook CEO said.

What is Metaverse?

The rebranding of the company is also because it slowly transitions into the metaverse.

According to The Guardian, metaverse, which was derived from an American Novel "Snow Crash," is where physical and world collide and a space where digital representations of individuals - avatars - interact.

Metaverse focuses on virtual reality, which is a digital world that one can enter through Facebook's Oculus VR Headsets.

Facebook also has a professional version of metaverse underway, known as Horizon workrooms. The said app allows Oculus-sporting employees to enter virtual offices and hold meetings.

Zuckerberg also believes that aside from work-related concerns, metaverse will also play a role in crypto technology such as NFTs and smart contracts.

The company has been investing billions of dollars - with at least $10 billion this year - on metaverse.

"I think we're basically moving from being Facebook first as a company to being metaverse first," Mark Zuckerberg said.

READ NEXT: Mark Zuckerberg Hits Back at Facebook Whistleblower, Says Claims 'Don't Make Any Sense'

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Facebook Changed its Name to Meta, but You Still Shouldn't Trust it - From CNET
A passenger attacked an American Airlines flight attendant on Wednesday, resulting in a broken nose and being hospitalized.

The company's chief executive said the incident was "one of the worst displays of unruly behavior" they've ever witnessed.

Washington Post reported that the flight attendant bumped the passenger while moving through the first-class cabin. The flight attendant reportedly apologized, but the passenger left his seat, confronted her, and then punched her in the face.

Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants that represents those who fly for American Airlines, said the flight attendant was taken to a hospital to treat broken bones in her face and was eventually released.

The incident prompted the pilots to divert Flight 976 to Denver, where the passenger was detained. The original flight route was from New York to California.

American Airlines to Ban the Unruly Passenger

A witness tweeted a photo of the restrained passenger. The witness said the person "didn't want to wear a mask," NPR reported. However, American Airlines said it was not mask-related.

The airline noted that it was "outraged" by the incident, and the individual involved in the altercation would never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future.

The company said they would not be satisfied until the person "has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law." In an emailed statement sent to NPR, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they would investigate the matter.

Passengers said the man had to be duct-taped to his seat, adding that alcohol was involved before things turned violent. One passenger noted that luckily there was a doctor on the flight, ABC 7 NY reported.

READ NEXT: FAA to Fine a JetBlue Unruly Passenger $45,000 for Putting His Head up a Flight Attendant's Skirt

Unruly Behavior on Flights

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker described the incident as the worst display of unruly behavior.

Parker said American Airlines would not tolerate airport or in-flight misconduct of any conduct, especially on their crew members and airport team, USA Today reported.

American Airlines had offered help to the involved flight attendant, as well as to other crew members. The company also expressed gratitude to the team for keeping everyone safe on board.

The unruly behavior of passengers on planes continued to rise since travel resumed after the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The FAA has already received almost 5,000 reports of such behavior this year.

Of those reported cases, 72 percent involved face masks, and some 206 cases led to penalties. The FAA announced $531,545 in civil penalties as of August 19.

Proposed fines ranged from $7,500 against a passenger who reportedly threatened to kill another passenger seated near him to $45,000 against a passenger who reportedly threw objects, including his carry-on luggage, at other passengers and put his head up a flight attendant's skirt.

The FAA noted that about 906 investigations had been initiated this year. Offenders who assault a flight attendant can face a prison sentence of up to 20 years, as an assault against flight attendants is considered a felony.

READ MORE: Southwest Airlines Pilot Caught Ranting About Bay Area's 'Liberal F---s'

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WATCH: American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Assaults Attendant - From NBC News






The instant cancelation of the planned live broadcast of United States President Joe Biden greeting Pope Francis by the Vatican sparked complaints from White House reporters and Vatican-based journalists.

Vatican Cancels Full Coverage of Biden-Pope Meeting Due to COVID-19 Protocol

Based on the report ABC News, the live broadcast of Biden's Vatican visit on Friday was trimmed, covering just the arrival of the motorcade of the U.S. President in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.

According to Associated Press, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said there was a revision on the planned meeting because they followed the "normal procedure." Bruni noted that the procedure was established during the coronavirus pandemic, which was implemented for all visiting heads of state or government.

Aside from the limitations set on the visiting leaders, the Vatican also said that the protocol meant an 18-month ban on any independent media being in the room from the starting part to the finishing portion of the visit. The protocol would be the new normal in the case of a visiting head of state.

The canceled portion of the planned coverage was the supposed live coverage of Biden personally greeting Pope Francis in the Palace Throne Room.

Also, the media will miss having live footage of the two influential men sitting down, a signal that the two would start their private talks inside the library of the Pope. The cameras inside the library of Pope Francis would also stop running once the private talk would start.

READ MORE: Pres. Joe Biden Mocked on Social Media For Hand Gestures Similar to Beavis of Animated Series 'Beavis and Butt-Head'

Limited Coverage on Biden-Pope Meeting

The head of the White House Correspondents' Association, Steven Portnoy of CBS News Radio, expressed his disappointment at the lack of live coverage in the visit, especially with the absence of independent media access.

In his social media account, Portnoy noted that the White House traveling pool was fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Vatican said that despite the cancelation, they would provide accredited media with edited footage of the encounter.

Bruni did not clarify why the Vatican initially stated that they would give the audience a fuller live coverage and only dialed it back on the eve of the visit.

Biden is considered the second Catholic U.S. president that has met Pope Francis. Biden met Pope Francis three previous times, but the latest meeting would be his first as the U.S. president.

The audience was being closely monitored since U.S. bishops were due to meet in a few weeks for their annual fall convention. One of the items in their agenda was inspired by conservatives who contend Biden's support for abortion rights. Conservatives said that the support should disqualify Biden from receiving Communion.

Though any document that would emerge from the bishops' conference was not expected to mention the name of Biden, it would still be possible there could be a clear message of rebuke.

Furthermore, asked to comment on Vatican access during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, said that the Biden administration was "actively engaged" in the issue and they would see what the visit would bring.

Sullivan emphasized that the U.S. would always advocate for access and free press, especially for their good friends in the American press who traveled with them on these long flights just to capture the president's engagements abroad.

READ NEXT: First Lady Jill Biden, Teen Vogue's Versha Sharma, Activists Amanda Nguyen and Helen Zia Headline Changemakers Summit 2021 for Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: President Joe Biden Heads Off to Italy to Meet with Pope Francis & Attend G20 | EWTN News Nightly


Argentina's former President Mauricio Macri testified in federal court over allegations of espionage against him for having spied on the relatives of the dead crew members of the submarine ship that sank four years ago.

Federal Judge Martin Bava had subpoenaed the former president for his role in the alleged spying on the families of the 44 crew members, Aljazeera reported.

The Director of the Federal Intelligence Agency filed a criminal complaint in 2020, claiming to have uncovered evidence showing relatives of the late crew were being spied on during Macri's times as the nation's president.

The relatives claimed that they were followed, recorded, and filmed to be intimidated enough to not file suit in the submarine deaths.

Luis Tagliapietra, a father of one of the deceased crew members, said that a significant number of documents were found addressed to Macri, describing the things that they had said. Tagliapietra said that it was also a transcription of entire sentences that they had said in private.

Macri's defense lawyer, Pablo Lanusse, said outside the court proceedings that the hearing is politically motivated. Lanusse furthered that they just attended a shameful court session that "makes a sham" out of the justice system, as it was absolutely clear from the judge's animosity towards Macri's intention to try him before the elections.

However, the current government of Argentina has denied the accusations that the subpoena was politically motivated. Justice Minister Marin Soria said that it is apparent that Macri is trying to put on a kind of show with his entourage.

Meanwhile, Macri has denied ordering surveillance on the families and relatives, according to a News 24 report.

READ NEXT: Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo Seen in Video Dropping His Pants During Strip Search in Mexico Prison

Argentina Submarine Ship Wreck

In 2019, an Argentine legislative commission released its findings on the cause of the sinking submarine in the Atlantic Ocean in 2017.

Its findings noted that the water entered the submarine ship's ventilation system and caused a fire in one of its battery tanks, according to an Andolu Agency report.

The captain noted that he was ready to descend 40 meters to assess the damage and reconnect the batteries the next day. However, nothing more was heard from the submarine.

The wreckage was found almost a year later at a depth of Patagonia's Valdes Peninsula.

The legislators had questioned the handling of the crisis by Defense Minister Oscar Aguad and Macri, who showed a "low level of involvement with everything" that was connected to the incident.

The Argentine government has also acknowledged that it lacked the proper technology to salvage that disappeared submarine. Aguad said at the time that the navy does not have submersibles with "modern technology" capable of verifying seabed to extract the ARA San Juan, according to a 2018 The Guardian report.

Macri, at the time, promised a full investigation after the submarine was lost.

ARA San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata when contact was lost after it reported an electrical fault.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report

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WATCH: Fmr pres Macri comes to testify over alleged spying on relatives of ARA San Juan disaster victims - from Ruptly


The attorney for the family of Brian Laundrie on Tuesday said mistakes made by the Florida police in their probe into the whereabouts and death of Gabby Petito's fiance had caused a lot of false allegations against his clients.

Steven Bertolino was responding to reports from North Port Police that investigators confused Laundrie's mom with her son while they were monitoring the family's home after Petito was reported missing, ABC7 reported.

READ NEXT: No Funeral Service for Brian Laundrie After His Remains Are Cremated, Family Lawyer Says

Attorney Says Brian Laundrie and Mom Not 'Built' the Same

North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor earlier told WINK News that the surveillance operation has been flawed. At one point, Taylor noted that investigators believed that Brian Laundrie had left the house in his Ford Mustang.

This has led them to believe that they knew Laundrie's whereabouts in the weeks following Petito's disappearance and death. But Taylor said they now believe the person who left the home was Laundrie's mom, Roberta Laundrie.

The North Port police said the officers responsible for watching out for Laundrie claimed they mistakenly got the two mixed up since Gabby Petito's fiance looks very much like his mom.

"They're kind of built similarly," said Taylor. According to the police, they had watched Laundrie leave in his Mustang on September 13, and they thought he returned on September 15.

"But we now know that that wasn't true... No case is perfect," Taylor noted.

Reacting to this report, Bertolino told ABC7 that "everyone makes mistakes," but "Brian and Roberta are not 'built' the same."

"Moreover, it was (North Port police) that put the ticket on the Mustang at the park (Carlton Reserve), and if they saw Brian leave on Monday in the Mustang, which is news to me, then they should have been watching the Mustang and the park starting on Monday and they would have known it was Chris (Brian's dad) and Roberta that retrieved the Mustang from the park," the lawyer noted.

Bertolino then said, "none of this may have made a difference with respect to Brian's life but it certainly would have prevented all of the false accusations leveled by so many against Chris and Roberta with respect to 'hiding' Brian or otherwise financing an 'escape'."

Bertolino further noted that he concurred with Taylor that Laundrie may have already been dead when the police realized they "lost track" of him.

"However, you can't blame the family because the police did not know enough to follow someone they were obviously surveilling," the lawyer added.

Results of Anthropological Examinations on Brian Laundrie's Remains Expected in November

Bertolino told Fox News that the results of a forensic anthropologist's examination of Brian Laundrie's skeletal remains are expected in November.

The lawyer said he believed the forensic anthropologist's examination would conclude in two to three weeks. Forensic anthropologists analyze human remains, conduct DNA tests and look for signs of weapon evidence to help determine how an individual died, whether accidental, suicide, homicide, or natural.

Laundrie's remains were discovered in a swampy area of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20. Bertolino earlier said the initial autopsy of Laundrie's remains did not uncover a cause or manner of his death.

He noted that the autopsy by the Sarasota County medical examiner did not produce concrete results on Laundrie's death, so the skeletal remains of Gabby Petito's fiance were sent to a forensic anthropologist for further examination.

The medical examiner said the remains found at the park were confirmed to belong to Laundrie based on "comparison to known dental records."

Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family.

Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

Gabby Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.

A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.

READ MORE: Brian Laundrie Found: Human Remains Discovered in Florida Park Confirmed to be Gabby Petito's Fiance

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Brian Laundrie's 'Bones' Found in Previously Underwater Area of Florida Preserve: FBI - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Four months after she was last seen leaving in a car, the remains of a missing Alabama woman had been found outside an abandoned home in Birmingham.

Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates said the skeletal remains of Angela Michelle Roberts, 27, were found on October 23 outside a vacant residence at 309 64th Street South in Birmingham's South Woodlawn neighborhood.

Remains of Missing Alabama Woman Found in Birmingham

Angela Michelle Roberts of Hoover was reported missing last July 10. She was last seen getting into a taxi or rideshare vehicle on Old Tyler Road on either June 25 or June 26 and may have been heading to the Woodlawn area in Birmingham.

Crime Online reported that Yates said the skeletal remains were identified as Roberts after comparing her dental records to what was found.

Yates noted that the Alabama woman's cause of death may never be known and may never be fully answered.

"When you're left with bone, there's not much that can be seen," Yates told WIAT.

Yates said it would be better if the tissue condition were also better to determine the cause of death.

READ NEXT: Human Remains of Missing New Jersey Woman Lauren Cho Recovered in California Desert; Discovery Confirmed by Coroner, Ending Months-Long Search

Missing Alabama Woman Could Already Be Dead for Several Weeks or Months

According to Yates, apart from the Alabama woman's near-complete skeletal remains, the only other items found at the scene were clothing and jewelry. However, he noted that those items did not offer any insight into how Angela Michelle Roberts may have died.

Yates added that it's likely that the Alabama woman had died several weeks or months ago since the skeletal remains were mostly dry. He said this does not represent a recent death.

In August, the mother of Roberts, Ginger Jones, told WIAT about the Alabama woman's past struggles. The mother of the victim said her daughter was struggling with addiction, and they knew it.

She noted that the Alabama woman had just left addiction treatment. However, she said it's simply not like her to not be in touch with somebody.

The victim's mother said Roberts has groups of friends in that area that say her daughter always pops up like for a shower, food, or something.

"And she's not even contacting them. And those are her safe places," the victim's mother noted.

Jones said she was sharing her daughter's story to find her daughter and let other families know they are not alone in this kind of heartbreak.

According to Yates, the case remains under investigation despite the uncertainty of what can be determined from the crime scene.

"I can't predict anything, but I don't know of anything right now that will give us a cause of death," Yates noted.

READ MORE: Missing Florida Teen Killed by 3 High School Classmates Over Sexual Relationship With Suspect's Ex-Girlfriend

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WATCH: Missing Woman Found Dead - From NBC4 Columbus
Some new stores have opened their doors at the new 14.5m Kildare Village extension.

Adidas, Johnsons of Elgin, and Anastasia Beverly Hills are open for business. Lindt, which was a pop up shop, has moved to a new permanent home in the new wing.

Shoppers will be excited to see signs up for further boutiques and stores such as Livy, which opens on December 13, Crew Clothing Company, 7 For All Mankind and Sweaty Betty.

Existing resident Calvin Klein will move to its new store today, October 29 while Boss will be relocating in time to open up on November 5.

Another addition to the Kildare Village offering will be restaurant, Sprout Kitchen.

The project, on 2.5 hectares adjoining the current site, was originally due to be completed by June 2021 but building work had to be halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The official opening has yet to take place.

Johnstons of Elgin, the luxury Scottish Cashmere and fine Woollens manufacturer, will employ 10 staff and span across 1,377 sq ft, stocking recent collections from the labels flagship stores on Multrees Walk in Edinburgh and New Bond Street in London.

It said items featured in the boutique include timeless womenswear and menswear ranges, alongside luxurious textile accessories and woven home furnishings.

Established in 1797, Johnstons of Elgin is one of the last few remaining vertical mills in the UK still carrying out all the processes from raw Cashmere and fine Woollen fibres right through to the finished product.

George McNeil, Managing Director Retail at Johnstons of Elgin, said: As our brand evolves, we have developed our retail presence and decided that Kildare Village was the ideal location for our first official retail outlet site. We are delighted to be working with Kildare Village, one of the most exclusive outlet villages in Europe, and look forward to taking our brand offering to Ireland.

Our products are made with the upmost care by a team of talented craftspeople at our mills in Elgin and Hawick and the store will stock a range of our luxury Cashmere and fine woolen items. I'm pleased that visitors to Kildare Village will now be able to discover our brand and the story of our rich Scottish heritage.

Rene Frion, Business Director of Kildare Village, commented: Kildare Village offers a unique and evolving mix of brands, and we are thrilled to welcome Johnstons of Elgin. Our luxury shopping destination is delivering market-leading growth in the post COVID-19 environment, and we are confident the addition of the Johnstons of Elgin boutique will see this momentum continue.

Meanwhile, the new Adidas store was also recently launched by Joey Carberry and Sene Naoupu.
Murder accused Stephen Penrose told gardai that he heard his missing friend, whose body was later found in a shallow grave, was sitting in Jamaica eating a Big Mac, a jury has heard.

The accused also told gardai that he heard the victim had been "chopped up" in the Dublin mountains.

In later interviews, the defendant insisted that he would not be going on trial for "any Finnegans.

"Put me in custody. I'll be swinging on a rope. I don't know anything," he said.

Mr Penrose (38), of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan (24) 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.

Now-retired garda Mick O'Brien told prosecution counsel, Mr Brendan Grehan SC, that he was involved in the investigation of Mr Finnegan, who was reported missing at Kevin Street Garda Station on August 11. The witness said he arrested Mr Penrose at an apartment in Malahide on August 31 for withholding information in relation to a serious assault on Mr Finnegan.

In his first of 10 interviews with gardai on August 31 at Kilmainham Garda Station, Mr Penrose began by saying that he knew nothing about what happened to his friend Mr Finnegan. "I want nothing more than for his mother to know I had nothing to do with what happened," he said.

The accused told detectives that Mr Finnegan informed him that he had previously got hit with a lump hammer and certain individuals had broken into his house and pepper sprayed his mother, Angela Finnegan.

The accused said that Mr Finnegan was with him all day on August 10 and was wearing a white bulletproof vest. Mr Penrose went on to say there were "rumours all over the place saying I murdered him".

Referring to Mr Finnegan's mother, Angela Finnegan, the accused continued: "She is saying I abducted him, she knows I've fuck all to do with it. I'd like to see it cleared up for her."

Describing an alleged incident in Kilcock on August 10 to gardai, Mr Penrose said he had taken the turn off for Kilcock and "they were just right there, pulled in on the right". He said Mr Finnegan ran over to the other car to meet someone. "Then a fella walked over towards me, I can't remember if I opened my door. The minute he came over he swung a knife towards me. I think I went to block it. I just drove, as I was driving I saw two people scuffling with Phillip. I just kept driving. I pulled into a petrol station to get petrol and my arm just started pulsing blood. [sic]"

The accused told gardai in his second interview that he had post-traumatic stress and could not remember anything else. "I was stabbed in the arm, it hit an artery, I panicked. I've told the truth, it was a hectic few days... I got stabbed and the whole day is a blur," he said.

At one stage, Mr Penrose said he "had enough" of questioning and would be found "swinging from a rope".

When asked by detectives about the fight, Mr Penrose said he had heard that Mr Finnegan was "chopped up" in the Dublin mountains. "I didn't go near Phillip, I didn't touch Phillip," he added.

Gardai put it to the accused that he was the last person to see Mr Finnegan being attacked but was telling them that he heard that the deceased was chopped up in the Dublin mountains. "I've heard bullshit, I've heard ten different things. I don't know if they are true. Some people say black, some say white, I don't fucking know. I heard all sorts of things, people on James Street are saying it is me. I heard he is sitting in Jamaica eating a Big Mac," he replied.

The accused went on to tell gardai that he did not know where Mr Finnegan was, that there were "cameras everywhere" and he had already accounted for where he was.

When asked what he felt had happened to Mr Finnegan, Mr Penrose said: "I don't know. I knew he was involved with feuds. I looked for a split second and saw two people scuffling with him then someone came over and stabbed me. I saw someone with a bat or an arm."

In his third interview, the accused said that Mr Finnegan had done more to help him than anyone else and he was intending to "set him up with a few jobs".

"I didn't think he was under threat, I thought it was a load of rubbish," he added.

When asked by gardai if he felt responsible for what had happened to Mr Finnegan, he replied: "Yes a bit, look I didn't know what was going to happen."

Detectives asked the accused if he had ever pointed out the scene where Mr Finnegan had been "ambushed" to gardai. "I told them where it was. I told them to go off down the motorway and take the slipway for Kilcock, there was a car pulled in there," he replied.

When asked if he was tempted to call gardai that day, the accused said that Mr Finnegan was not his priority, that he was in a panic and did not want to cooperate with police. "I thought he [Philip] might have just got a beating, it was in the middle of the road, a busy one, I got stabbed," he continued.

In the fourth interview, Mr Penrose insisted that he did not know anything. "I won't be going on trial for any Finnegans. Put me in custody. I'll be swinging on a rope. I don't know anything," he said.

At the beginning of the fifth interview, gardai asked the accused if he could tell them the truth about where he had last seen Mr Finnegan on August 10. "The last place I seen him was up in my old house in Broadford [Co Kildare], we had arranged to meet people to collect a gun off him. He arranged to meet some of his old friends at my house. He was going to meet some of them there to get a shotgun, he was involved in a few feuds, fighting with them [sic]," he said.

Mr Grehan put it to Garda Laura O'Brien, who had conducted the interview with the accused, that this was the first mention by Mr Penrose of a different location to Kilcock. "That's correct," she replied.

Mr Penrose told officers that he met the "lads" on a laneway that led up to the house and a black car had pulled up behind them. Mr Finnegan got out of the car, "trotted" down to them and three people got out of the other car, he explained.

"The fella at my car door stabbed me once into my arm. I saw the fella that stabbed me through my window run down to the other two who had a hold of Philip. Philip didn't willingly get into the car, he was pushed and bundled into the car, they got on top of him," he continued.

When gardai asked the accused if anyone had asked him to set Mr Finnegan up, he replied: "No and if they did, I wouldn't have as he was my friend".

He said he tried to ring Mr Finnegan two or three times when he was in hospital but his phone was off.

"It just looks worser and worser cause its at my own house, that's why I didn't say it at the start,[sic]" he continued.

When asked why he had changed his shoes, Mr Penrose said he did not know why, "maybe they were uncomfortable, maybe they were hurting me". He said he could not remember if he had thrown away his shoes before or after Mr Finnegan was taken.

Gardai put it to him that he had given two different versions of events and neither were true. Mr Penrose denied he was telling lies to gardai, said he could not remember where the alleged incident had happened and that he was afraid for his life. "I hope you find him. I've nothing to do with this," he said.

"First Kilcock, then Broadford and now you are refusing to remember," asked gardai. "It is all a blur," he replied.

The trial continues on Monday 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.

Evidence has been given that Mr Penrose's phone connected to a cell site close to the area where the victims body was found.
The President of the Irish National Teacher's Organisation (INTO) has demanded that the government reinstate contact tracing in schools.

Mr Joe McKeown made the comments as he expressed his concerns over the rise in COVID-19 cases among primary school children.

Previously, automatic contact tracing of asymptomatic children was concluded at the end of September.

He told RTEs Morning Ireland: "the facts are clear and it is really important that principals have access to rapid risk assessment, contact tracing and testing of pupils, the largest groups of unvaccinated people in the country."

Mr McKeown also said there is "no doubt" that antigen testing could have a role to play in identifying potential cases of COVID-19 in schools.

He elaborated that INTO would have more faith in decisions if they were based on evidence from schools and "the safety and wellbeing of pupils in our schools trumps everything else."

Mr McKeown said: "The best thing to do is to be cautious and [ensure] a principal has access to immediate quality public health advice and are not left waiting for [cases to rise]."

However, INTO's calls appear to have been ignored by the govt, who has since said it will not restore the contact-tracing system for schoolchildren amid a spike in cases among those aged between 5 and 12.

Despite this, the govt added that schoolchildren will be sent rapid antigen tests if they are deemed a close contact of a Covid-19 case.
The announcement of the first Covid lockdown in March last year may have put pressure on the jury in the case of a "true predator" who was later jailed for grooming and sexually abusing teenage girls, the Court of Appeal has heard.

The Central Criminal Court heard last year that from May 1994 up to February 2001 the now 60-year-old male carried out sexual assaults on a total of 14 children.

He pleaded guilty in 2002 to attacks on ten of these victims and received a prison sentence of nine years with two suspended. While being interviewed by gardai, he denied sexually assaulting other girls.

He continued to deny these offences during his trial at the Central Criminal Court in March 2020 but a jury convicted him of 30 counts of sexual assaults of four girls, who were aged between 11 and 17. Ms Justice Tara Burns jailed him for seven years on those offences.

The Dublin man cannot be named to protect the identities of the victims.

Today at the Court of Appeal, his barrister, Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, submitted 11 grounds of appeal, one of which was whether or not Covid 19 had put pressure on the jury to deliver a verdict at the time of the first lockdown in March 2020.

Regarding Covid, Mr O Lideadha said that on March 12, 2020, when the jury was being charged, the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made an "absolutely unprecedented" statement regarding the closing of schools, childcare services and colleges, which were to shut the next day.

Mr O Lideadha said that while the Taoiseach did not say for people "not to spend hours on end in a room sitting with eleven other people" it was a "logical conclusion for anyone to come to".

Counsel said that the trial judge could have told the jury to "pause the process of deliberations to ameliorate circumstances" in order to provide time to implement social distancing.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy asked if it was Mr O Lideadha's view that jurors could not be trusted to carry out their duty when under pressure.

Mr O Lideadha said: "Lots of people were worried and there was an incentive there to get out as soon as possible. There was a real risk that the jurors would feel under pressure to return a verdict."

The barrister said that the jury took just two hours to deliberate before delivering their verdict and that the case had four different complainants with multiple legal and factual issues.

Mr O Lideadha said that his client had also been "grossly" prejudiced by the introduction of evidence in front of the jury by a witness who mentioned that the male had been "locked up" in England.

Mr O Lideadha also submitted that his client's trial was dealing with complaints that were "decades" after the event, which was "inherently unfair".

Counsel said that there may have been "demands" made between complainants to make statements, which could have led to a "possible collusion or contamination of evidence" from the said complainants.

Mr O Lideadha also said that Facebook messages between complainants had been deleted that could have shown if pressure had been put on one of the complainants to make a statement, which, if so, could have helped the defence.

Counsel said the missing material was "highly likely" to be relevant and that it could have been of assistance to the defence.

Mr O Lideadha also said that there was an obligation on gardai to take careful notes regarding their communications with "disparate" complainants in the case, which had not been fully done.

Counsel said that it would have been "important and helpful" for gardai to take notes, records and audio records of the taking of statements to provide a "very significant safeguard" in the case.

He added that the trial judge's charge to the jury in the case regarding identification of the male was "inadequate" and that there was only a "fleeting" view from one of the complainants of his client, at a time when another male also resided at the same apartment.

Mr O Lideadha said one of the complainants, a 12-year-old who had been drinking, had been facing away from a male who abused her and he submitted that this male could have been another man who was in the apartment on the night.

Counsel said this complainant had no recollection of before or after the event and only had a glimpse of the male as he left the bedroom from the light in the corridor.

Mr O Lideadha said that the trial judge also did not go far enough when charging the jury in regard to the "substantial delays" in the prosecution.

Responding barrister Paul Murray SC said that the defence had chosen to introduce the male's previous conviction when cross-examining one of the complainants.

Mr Murray said that there were six passages in the transcript of the trial regarding a guilty plea on other charges from the male relating to a previous investigation of him.

Mr Murray said that the trial judge, Ms Justice Tara Burns, had told the jury that previous convictions for burglary of the male were "probative of nothing" and that the male was "entitled to the presumption of innocence" regarding the sex assault allegations.

He said that the judge could "not have been clearer or more emphatic" in her charge to the jury regarding previous convictions.

Regarding delays in the case, Mr Murray said that the courts no longer have to establish a reason for any delay and that each complainant gave evidence in the trial, though they may have been "cowed" at the time of the offences.

On the subject of missing Facebook messages, counsel said that one complainant had contacted another saying that they had named them in a statement to gardai.

Mr Murray said both women had given evidence in the case at trial to this effect and that one complainant had deleted an older version of Facebook's messaging service.

Mr Murray said that the 12-year-old had been drinking around that time of her life but she had a "full memory of the incident".

Regarding the jury's deliberations when the lockdown was announced, Mr Murray said that the jury were told by the judge that it was "completely a matter for yourselves" on how much time they could take in coming to a verdict.

He said that Ms Justice Burns told the jury that there were "no time constraints on you whatsoever, and we are here as long as you need". Mr Murray added that the jury had already made inquiries of the court and that they were "well able to ask a question" if they had concerns.

Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh, adjourned matters for finalisation of submissions in the appeal.

*****

At trial, Ms Justice Burns described the man as a true predator. She said he offered the victims an easy-going place of refuge and bribed them with money, cigarettes and jewellery.

Ms Justice Burns said he then pounced and subjected them to his insidious sexual activity. She said he was careful not to go too far and cause them to abandon his lair.

She said the case was aggravated by the age of the victims, the length of time over which the abuse occurred, the grooming of the girls, his lack of remorse, his previous convictions for sexual offending and his exploitation of the situations and vulnerabilities of the victims.

Ms Justice Burns said that in light of the fact that the case dealt with four separate victims, she had decided to impose consecutive sentences, which came to a total of seven years.
A Senator from Kildare has welcomed the announcement from Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue that that 3,000 additional work permits have recently been delivered in the agri-food sector.

Speaking on the news on her official Facebook page, Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin said: "I recently questioned the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English on the governments plans to solve the skills gap being experienced, especially in the hospitality and food production industries, and I called for additional permits to be granted to fill the clear skill gaps in the industry, so I am delighted that my calls have been acted upon."

"Minister McConalogue is delivering 3,000 additional and crucial work permits for our sector. 1,500 permits for meat processing workers 1,000 permits for horticulture workers 500 meat deboners 100 permits for on-farm staff, and this will be crucial for many local agri-businesses in South Kildare."

She added that while the announcement is a very welcome one, and will have a positive impact on many food production businesses, she emphasised that she still calls for similar action in the hospitality industry, a call the Newbridge politician made earlier this month.

"Many local hospitality businesses will continue to struggle to find appropriate staff if Minister English and the Tanaiste refuse to follow Minister McConalogue's lead, and approve additional permits," she explained.

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin also made headlines this week after she called for the extension of the half price transport programme for 19-23 year old students.
There have been renewed calls from action group, Treasure Leitrim, for Minister Eamon Ryan not to issue a prospecting license for parts of County Leitrim to the mining company Flintridge Resources.

The calls come after the broadcast of an investigation by the BBC programme Spotlight this week which documented the experiences of communities in Co Tyrone impacted by the gold mining industry.

In a statement issued to www.leitrimobserver.ie Treasure Leitrim have noted that, since Minister Eamon Ryan made public his intention to issue a prospecting license to the mining industry, the local community has being building opposition to the proposal with an online objection system while many hundreds of other hand written objections are being gathered in local businesses, active age groups, and marts.

The Treasure Leitrim group will also be gathering objections at the Manorhamilton Farmers market today, Friday, October 29 and on Saturday, October 30 at the towns Samhain parade.

The group are also calling on people to gather outside the meeting of Leitrim County Council at the Bush Hotel on Monday, November 1 in Carrick-on-Shannon where it is hoped that opposition to Minister Eamon Ryans proposal will also be ratified by all councillors.

One of the spokespersons for Treasure Leitrim, Jamie Murphy, said We have been overwhelmed by the response of the community so far but we need to maintain pressure on Minister Ryan and the government as a whole. The deadline for lodging objections is November 7 and we are encouraging as many people as possible to make one, whether you are in Leitrim or further afield.

"We also need all of our local and National elected representatives to speak out strongly on the issue and ask Eamon Ryan not to grant this license. It was great to see our Manorhamilton councillors oppose the project. The best way to ensure that this carbon heavy, energy intensive energy does not get a foothold in the community is not to issue the prospecting license in the first place. We have to learn from the experiences of the communities in Tyrone that was powerfully represented in the Spotlight documentary. We need to stop the industry before it starts."

A take action page with a form to object to the licence has been set up by Friends of the Earth. It can be accessed here: /www.foe.ie/takeaction/object-to-mininglicences-in-leitrim/
The President of the Irish National Teacher's Organisation (INTO) has demanded that the government reinstate contact tracing in schools.

Mr Joe McKeown made the comments as he expressed his concerns over the rise in COVID-19 cases among primary school children.

Previously, automatic contact tracing of asymptomatic children was concluded at the end of September.

He told RTEs Morning Ireland: "The facts are clear and it is really important that principals have access to rapid risk assessment, contact tracing and testing of pupils, the largest groups of unvaccinated people in the country."

Mr McKeown also said there is "no doubt" that antigen testing could have a role to play in identifying potential cases of COVID-19 in schools.

He elaborated that INTO would have more faith in decisions if they were based on evidence from schools and "the safety and wellbeing of pupils in our schools trumps everything else."

Mr McKeown said: "The best thing to do is to be cautious and [ensure] a principal has access to immediate quality public health advice and are not left waiting for [cases to rise]."

However, INTO's calls appear to have been ignored by the government, who has since said it will not restore the contact-tracing system for schoolchildren amid a spike in cases among those aged between 5 and 12.

Despite this, the govt added that schoolchildren will be sent rapid antigen tests if they are deemed a close contact of a Covid-19 case.
The Chairperson of the Irish Policing Authority (PA) has admitted that he is "perplexed in the extreme" by the response of gardai regarding the cancelled emergency calls controversy.

Mr Bob Collins made the comments while discussing a controversial internal Garda review which came to light a number of months ago.

It found that, on 23,000 calls made between January 1 2019 and October 31 2020, that 2,689 calls to the emergency helpline were invalid cancellations.

The review also identified 114 calls, 5 per cent of the invalid cancelled calls, were described as "crime incidents."

An Garda Siochana has since said the "key problem" regarding those calls was that they were not properly recorded on their Pulse system.

Following this, Deputy Garda Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon told the PA tha a categorical assurance that no individual had come to any physical harm as a result of cancelled calls.

According to a report by BreakingNews.ie, Ms McMahon told a meeting on Thursday: "114 calls have now been transferred onto Pulse, and based on our victim engagement, and our subsequent call backs arising from this review, we are satisfied that no harm was caused by lack of initial engagement."

"No calls cancelled; every call was answered," she added.

Despite this, Mr Collins has claimed that Ms McMahon's response was inaccurate: "This is not what An Garda Siochana said, this is not was said to me when I was in the command and control centre in Galway for the north-western region."

"I listened to calls; more of them than I did... other colleagues listened to calls."

He added that the calls did not represent the provision of a service "that would allow one to say that there were no issues."

Mr Collins further said that 114 "is not a tiny number" for the amount of calls to be allegedly ignored by gardai.
Macra na Feirme will be part of the Irish delegation attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) next week in Glasgow.

COP26 is considered the last-chance to secure agreement on making the necessary changes to emissions in order to limit climate change to a 1.5 degree increase.

The Conference begins this weekend with world leaders gathering to negotiate and make commitments to deliver on the needs to address the climate change challenge.

Macra na feirme maintains young people across Ireland are acutely aware of the need for action in relation to climate change, the message from Irish young farmers and rural youth is clear, they need policies to deliver real change alongside practical workable solutions that are beneficial for the environment while supporting a just transition for those in rural communities.

Macra president John Keane giving a young farmer view of current issues from climate change, sustainability, CAP, and sustainable food production on @IrelandAMVMTV pic.twitter.com/H0XNcZvTo4 October 27, 2021

National President John Keane said:

We are pleased to engage constructively in working to reduce the impacts of climate change while representing the interests of Irish young farmers and rural youth.

The climate crisis urgently needs addressing, every part of society has a role to play, right from small changes in all our daily lives up to ensuring that the 100 large companies who are responsible for some 70% of global emissions make the necessary changes in daily practice to reduce their impact added Keane.

Irish young rural people are standing ready and waiting to meet the challenge head on as it is our generation who will be unduly affected. We look forward to engaging proactively to ensure the commitments are ambitious and just concluded Keane.

Attending on behalf of Macra na Feirme are National President John Keane from 3 November and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Officer Gillian Richardson from 31 October.
PEOPLE wouldnt steal things without willing customers, said a judge.

Daniel McNamara, aged 42, of Windmill Street, Limerick city pleaded guilty at Kilmallock Court to possession of stolen property.

Inspector Pat Brennan said gardai received a report that a cement mixer was taken from a site in Tipperary last December.

Insp Brennan outlined to the court that Mr McNamara was arrested for an alleged driving offence at Ballycampion, Bruff on December 16, 2020. Mr McNamara is contesting this charge and through his solicitor Tom Kiely has sought a hearing date.

The van Mr McNamara was driving was seized and taken to Bob Sweeneys yard. The cement mixer was in the van at the time. The owner was contacted and he confirmed it was his, said Insp Brennan, who added that Mr McNamara has 27 previous convictions. The majority are for road traffic with one for theft.

Judge Patricia Harney said a cement mixer was a nasty thing to steal. At the end of the case the judge said: People wouldnt steal things without willing customers.

Mr Kiely said his client acquired the cement mixer by paying a certain amount of money for it.

He knew it wasnt a legitimate transaction. He did it to get some work. He had an alcohol addiction which took hold of him. He has since been in Bruree House for five months and with the help of his family he is doing very well. He is going to five sessions a week and is back at home, said Mr Kiely.

Judge Harney noted that Mr McNamara has an unenviable record with regard to road traffic offences but has only secured one for dishonesty.

She imposed a two month suspended sentence.

Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.
A software company has announced an expansion into Ireland and plans to hire forty new people over the next three years.

Yomali Limited, who has chosen Ireland as its headquarters, plans to house software development, customer support, HR and accounting staff in the country.

Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar, said he was "really happy" about the announcement.

He said, "Yomali can look forward to accessing a rich pool of talent to fill these roles. I wish the team the very best with this new chapter and I hope they continue to build on their excellent relationship with Ireland in the period ahead."

According to IDA Ireland, the company is looking to tap into Ireland's "immense pool of talent" in the technology and BPO sectors.

CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan, welcomed the news of the forthcoming jobs and said, "It underscores Ireland as an emerging hub for leading software companies looking to establish a foothold in the EU market, namely due to the scope of talent available in that sector."
Facebook Inc. said Thursday it would change its name to Meta, in an effort to rebrand and reflect its expansion into the metaverse, a concept rooted in science-fiction novels that refers to an extensive online world.

Facebook, which already has built on its original namesake product with platforms including Instagram and WhatsApp, views the concept as a major component of its future. It plans to invest $50 million into building the virtual space in coming years.

The tech giant has lately been the subject of scrutiny, including its pursuit of younger users and how it responds to the misuse of products. The attention follows The Wall Street Journals Facebook Files series, based in large part on documents gathered by former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen, who testified in Congress earlier this month.

You tend to see brands change their names when theres a merger, when there is some significant new strategic direction, or when the current name isnt working," said Patti Williams, a professor in the marketing department of University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School.

Facebook has a brand name that isnt working," Dr. Williams said. Both at the product level and at the umbrella-brand, parent-brand level, theres a lot of negative feeling about that at the moment. And they clearly want to launch this new strategic direction to say theyre more than just Facebook."

A name change can be a signal to the market, competitors and advertisers of the broader shift in a companys focus and portfolio, even when its namesake product keeps the same title.

In that respect, Facebooks rebranding may be most analogous to Googles move to create parent company Alphabet Inc. in 2015, said Jay Jurisich, chief executive and co-creative director of naming agency Zinzin. Google became a subsidiary of the new parent, which also encompasses its moonshot" initiatives.

They realized that strategically, it made business sense to separate all the businesses they had gotten intofrom their core brand that everybody knew, which was Google," Mr. Jurisich said.

The tactic isnt unusual in the business world. Dunkin dropped the Donuts from its name in 2018 to signal an increased focus on coffee and other areas. Apple Inc. dropped the Computer from its name in 2007 to reflect its moves into home devices and phones.

This transition from an initial product or service offering to a broader identity is fairly typical for large companies as they scaleand sometimes that does necessitate a name change," said Phil Davis, president at naming agency Tungsten Branding. Theyre saying: Were not that anymore. Were more this. "

But a new name alone cant do that job. Mr. Davis cited Radio Shacks attempt to rebrand as The Shack in 2009 as the electronics retailer tried to stem a long decline that would eventually end in bankruptcy six years later.

Radio Shack needed to become a different kind of business, not just change their name," he said. If youre doing [a name change] just to change the conversation, that very rarely works. If you say were shifting the direction, there has to be an actual shift in direction."

Philip Morriss 2003 rebranding as Altria was equally panned by critics and branding consultants. At the time, the company said the name change would better reflect the diversity of its portfolio, beyond the companys association with tobacco and its cigarette brand, Marlboro. To spread the word, it announced an eight-week ad campaign that spanned the web, TV, print and even direct mail. Critics said the move was designed to play down the companys association with tobacco.

Other renamings meant to signal a shift in strategy also havent gone smoothly.

Tribune Publishing Co. reverted back to its original, 150-year-old name in 2018, just two years after switching to the widely disparaged Tronc. Short for Tribune Online Content, Tronc became a punchline in the media industry and beyond. Comedian John Oliver said the name sounded like a stack of print newspapers being thrown into a dumpster."

When Kraft Foods Inc. decided to split in two in 2012, it chose Mondelez International Inc. as the name for its global snack-food business, which includes brands such as Oreo, Cadbury and Wheat Thins. Monde" comes from the Latin word for world," and delez" is a fanciful expression of delicious, " Kraft executives said. But many branding experts were left baffled. Zinzins Mr. Jurisich, in a blog post at the time, called the name weak, unmemorable and unpronounceable."

Still, some branding tricks can pay off. If Facebooks new brand is able to solidify the companys standing in the metaverse space, that might help its success there, marketing experts say.

If [Facebook] can somehow become synonymous with the metaverse, thats a potentially large head start," Mr. Davis said.

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Ana de Armas is in talks for the lead role in the upcoming John Wick spinoff film Ballerina, Variety has confirmed.

Ballerina, which has been in the works for several years, follows a young female assassin as she seeks revenge against those who killed her family. The action-thriller will be helmed by Underworld director Len Wiseman from a screenplay by Shay Hatten, who has also penned John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum and is attached to write Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of the franchise as well.

Golden Globe-nominated de Armas most recently appeared in the latest James Bond installment No Time to Die as Paloma, a CIA agent who helps Bond (Daniel Craig) in his mission. She is also the star of the highly-anticipated Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde, which is set for release in 2022. De Armas other credits include Knives Out and Blade Runner 2049. Films Deep Water and The Gray Man are also on de Armas slate of upcoming projects.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release on May 27, 2022. The fourth installment in the action franchise stars Keanu Reeves as the titular character, as well as Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Rina Sawayama. Production on the film began in the summer, with Chad Stahelski directing.

Ballerina will be produced by Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. Brady Fujikawa and Chelsea Kujawa are overseeing the project for Lionsgate. De Armas is represented by CAA and Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks.

Deadline Hollywood was the first to report the news of the negotiations with de Armas.

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The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century

By Amia Srinivasan

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 304 pp. $28

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The title of Amia Srinivasan's "The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century" has a triumphant ring. When I picked it up, I thought of Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity," in which the character Marie, asserting her freedom, says she doesn't let heartbreak interfere with her "basic human rights" to jump into bed with someone. But because I read Srinivasan's title essay when it appeared in the London Review of Books three years ago, I already knew that she doesn't share Marie's view. She emphasizes, on the contrary, that "there is no right to sex."

Of course there isn't. To claim otherwise is "to think like a rapist" - or like Elliot Rodger, the essay's subject, who murdered six people in 2014 out of rage at the injustice of his involuntary celibacy. This is a standard operating procedure for Srinivasan, a professor of social and political theory at the University of Oxford: In each of her collection's six essays on sexual desire, politics and morality, she takes ideas that sound like good feminist goals and asks whether that's what they actually are.

In "The Conspiracy Against Men," another essay named after something it disclaims, the dubious notion is the imperative to "believe women." Her point isn't that we shouldn't. Rape and sexual assault are, after all, far more frequent than false accusations of the same. She thinks, however, that our belief should be "proportionate to the evidence."

Take Harvey Weinstein: There is "strong statistical evidence" that men like him "tend to abuse their power," not to mention the "compelling testimonial evidence of the women who accused him of doing so." Conversely, at Colgate University, half of the sexual violation complaints during a recent school year named Black students, who made up 4.2 percent of the student population. Especially given White women's history of falsely accusing Black men, Srinivasan suggests, "believe women" might not be the best blanket policy there.

But say we thought we knew a man was guilty. What should happen then? In "Sex, Carceralism, Capitalism," Srinivasan argues that feminists, especially White and wealthy ones, have been too quick to advocate for arrest and imprisonment. (This argument draws heavily on the work of police and prison abolitionists, articulating a position that seems increasingly common, and rightly so, among feminists on the left.)

Focusing on punishment ignores, and may worsen, the poverty and racism to which many women are subject. Stiffening the legal consequences for domestic violence can, for example, put poor Black and Latina women at risk of increased suffering. They might avoid seeking help for fear of losing a partner's support or causing his incarceration. And those who do seek help might experience more retaliatory violence, which correlates with poverty and unemployment. Feminists would help more women, then, by advocating not for harsher punishment but for better housing, education, child care and jobs.

Better material conditions, though, are not enough. If sex isn't a basic human right, it's at least, for some humans, a basic desire. And for those who are "sexually marginalized or excluded," that desire is unjustly difficult to fulfill. In "The Right to Sex" (and "The Politics of Desire," the title essay's 30-page coda), Srinivasan worries that reigning feminist ideas could compound this difficulty. "Since the 1980s," she writes, "the wind has been behind a feminism which does not moralize about women's sexual desires, and which insists that acting on those desires is morally constrained only by the boundaries of consent." She thinks that, as a result, we have blown past the moral and political stakes of what and whom we want.

While "grandiosity and homicidal rage" were probably the stronger repellents in his case, research has confirmed Elliot Rodger's suspicion that U.S. women are more prone to reject men of Asian descent (like him). He himself preferred blondes, a propensity he shared with many non-homicidal peers. In sex, dating and desire, racism and rigid gender norms flourish unchecked, "protected by the logic of 'personal preference.' " And while "no one is obliged to desire anyone else," some of our moral and political goals (an end to racism, transphobia, ableism) cannot be achieved without our desires changing. Might we then have a duty to try to change them? The answer depends on whether it is possible to do so. Srinivasan convincingly argues that it sometimes is. But how?

Some of her suggestions are more promising than others. In "The Right to Sex," she approvingly cites the tactics of body positivity movements among Black, fat and disabled women. The writer Lindy West, for example, has studied photos of fat women in the hope of "coaxing a gestalt shift from revulsion to admiration." While such a shift is far from happening on a large scale, small increases in body diversity across advertising and other media make it hazily imaginable. The same cannot be said of the idea Srinivasan proposes in "Talking to My Students About Porn." This essay suggests that Internet porn has done grievous harm to young people's sex lives by training them in its patriarchal, heteronormative ways. In contrast to her approval of West, Srinivasan argues that "better and more diverse representations of sex" would not be enough to counteract the damage. "Rather than more speech or more images, it is their onslaught that would have to be arrested," she concludes, the passive voice seeming to concede that no existing person or entity would be capable of such a feat absent the kind of legal restrictions she disagrees with.

However one goes about it, urging others to change their desires risks accusations of moralizing. Srinivasan's willingness to take this and other risks is admirable, an enactment of her insistence that feminist politics are necessarily uncomfortable. "Feminism cannot indulge the fantasy that interests always converge," she writes. Thinking your particular feminist goals are good for everyone might be a sign that you should think a little more.

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Megan Marz is a writer in Chicago.
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict

By Elbridge A. Colby

Yale University Press

384 pp. $32.50

- - -

In terms of its potential for triggering a major conflict, the most dangerous place in the world today is undoubtedly Taiwan.

Recent books such as Josh Rogin's "Chaos Under Heaven," Rush Doshi's "The Long Game" and my own "The World Turned Upside Down" have argued that, contrary to the assumptions and practices of most U.S. and free-world China policy for the past 40 years, communist China is pursuing a long-term strategy to displace, if not replace, the U.S.-led global democratic order by a Beijing-led global authoritarian order. Those of us who hold this view foresee increasingly open competition and conflict, potentially including nuclear war, between Communist China and the free world.

Others, such as former U.S. Army colonel Andrew Bacevich, chief interpreter for President Richard Nixon and former U.S. ambassador Chas Freeman, and Australian scholar Hugh White note that in recent Pentagon war games focused on Taiwan, the U.S. team consistently loses to the Chinese team. Since such an event would have the potential to expand into a major U.S.-China nuclear exchange, these voices have called for the United States simply to declare that it will not defend Taiwan from an invasion by Beijing. They argue that since Washington long ago agreed that "there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it," any mainland invasion would simply be a civil war in which America has no right to intervene. Because of this, they say, a Beijing occupation of Taiwan would have no broader impact on the U.S. ties with its treaty allies including Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand and would in no way weaken their security.

In "The Strategy of Denial," former deputy assistant secretary of defense Elbridge A. Colby agrees that any hot conflict between China and America is most likely to arise in Taiwan. But unlike Bacevich, Freeman and White, he maintains not only that the United States must defend Taiwan but also that, together with its allies, it can both win and prevent the conflict from escalating beyond the South China Sea.

He begins by acknowledging that while the United States is militarily far superior to China on a global basis, it certainly is not so in the South China Sea, where Taiwan is located. Nevertheless, says Colby, if America and its allies play their cards properly, they can not only prevent a takeover of Taiwan but even perhaps trigger the downfall of Beijing's communist regime, despite America's relative weakness in the region.

He emphasizes that although it has no formal mutual defense treaty with Taiwan, Washington must defend it for two key reasons. First, whether they know it or not, the United States and its allies are locked in a global struggle with China over the future of the global order. Second, whether Washington has a formal defense treaty with Taiwan or not, failing to defend it would signal that the United States cannot be relied on. Countries such as Japan, with whom the United States does have formal mutual defense treaties, would then move to make whatever deals they could with Beijing, shifting the global balance of power in ways that would dramatically disadvantage America without a fight. Far from being an unimportant bye that Washington could easily take, not defending Taiwan would, according to Colby, lead to the worst kind of disaster.

While this argument might suggest that mutual defense treaties aren't meaningful, in this case it has credibility, because in the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. Congress stressed American opposition to any effort at changing conditions in Taiwan by force. Thus, if the United States made no effort to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, it would be seen not to be upholding its own long prevailing law.

Leading analysts such as Harvard's Graham Allison argue that the vast majority of historical struggles among states for global hegemony have ended in devastating wars. In reply, Colby notes that all those conflicts arose before the nuclear age and points out that the Soviet Union and America conducted a largely peaceful struggle for global hegemony precisely because they knew all-out war would destroy them both. In this context, says Colby, far from being a minor conflict that can easily be avoided, the fight for Taiwan would be the decisive battle.

Because of China's relative military superiority in the region, Colby thinks, Beijing's strategy will likely be to attempt a large invasion of the island but without striking others in the region whom it won't want to antagonize. To counter this, Washington must obtain the assistance of its formal treaty allies Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia. But even they, together with U.S. forces, would be insufficient. In addition, India, which has been fighting its own battles with China, must also play a role. That still is not enough. Further support from some among the likes of Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand will be necessary. This support does not have to come in the form of direct military involvement. It could consist, for example, of opening airfields and harbors to the U.S.-led coalition while denying the same to China. That combination of power, says Colby, would be greater and reach farther than China's.

The strategy that Colby outlines doesn't aim to take anything away from China, only to deny it a takeover of Taiwan by force. Hence the title of the book. The first priority would be to stop Chinese forces from occupying any part of Taiwan. However, if they did manage to gain a foothold, then it would be necessary to push them back into the sea at all costs. In Colby's telling, timing would be crucial. The allied forces must always let China make the first move. Indeed, they should do everything possible to ensure that the onus of starting and continuing a war falls on Beijing, which would serve to strengthen the binding between the allies. Colby cites Abraham Lincoln's genius in maneuvering the South Carolina rebels into firing the first shots at Fort Sumter that started the Civil War. This put the onus of war and destruction on the Confederacy and vastly strengthened support for the war in the Northern states. As Napoleon enjoined, "in war, the moral is to the material as three to one." Just so, China must be put in the position of first to fire and invade. Such aggressive behavior would bind the allies more tightly together and thereby widen and deepen the front Beijing must conquer.

Of course, the potential of a nuclear exchange always exists between nuclear powers, but since such a step could very well mean the end of Xi Jinping's reign and even that of the Chinese Communist Party, the probability is quite low. By the same token, a failure to successfully invade and hold Taiwan could well mean the end for Xi and the party. For this reason, Colby believes the very adoption of his "deny and bind" strategy will be sufficient to keep the People's Liberation Army at home in its barracks and Taiwan safe and prosperous.

Colby's argument proceeds logically and convincingly despite some awkward prose. It does not, however, address the emotional and philosophical differences between and environments of the key players. Should Xi Jinping succeed in returning Taiwan to the fold of the motherland, his status would top that of Mao Zedong himself in the Chinese Communist hierarchy. Would this fact tempt Xi to take risks he might otherwise shun? In the wake of humiliation in Afghanistan, would Washington be overanxious to demonstrate America's continuing strength? Are both sides convinced of their own propaganda? Do Washington and Beijing even have a common language by which they can meaningfully communicate? Colby leaves these unknown unknowns as they are - unknown.

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Clyde Prestowitz was a lead trade official in the Reagan and Clinton administrations. His books on globalization include, most recently, "The World Turned Upside Down: America, China, and the Struggle for Global Leadership."
By Matthew Pearl

Harper. 272 pp. $27.99

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The carrying away of women has been a staple of storytelling from Homer to Hollywood. The abduction of Helen by Prince Paris triggered the Trojan War in "The Iliad" and in numerous remakes down to Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 film "Troy." James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" and the Michael Mann 1992 movie of the same name pivoted their plot on the kidnapping of two daughters of a British officer during the French and Indian War. The seizure of Cynthia Ann Parker by Comanches in 1830s Texas inspired the John Ford epic "The Searchers," based on the Alan Le May novel.

The connection of war to the taking of women is no accident. When the woman is a powerful man's wife - Helen was married to King Menelaus of Sparta - the effort to retrieve her can hardly help escalating to armed conflict. When the women are the daughters of a soldier already engaged in war, they inject a personal element into the broader story. Sometimes a woman - or girl, in the case of 9-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker - is a prize of war, her capture having the aim of making her a mother in a tribe with a declining population.

For Matthew Pearl, the kidnapping of Jemima Boone, daughter of Daniel Boone, serves as entree to his new history of the war on the western frontier in the American Revolution. Fighting on the frontier was not simply a consequence of the American break from Britain in 1776, but one of its principal causes. The British government, to trim expenditures in America, in 1763 suspended western settlement, which regularly provoked conflict with Indians of the Ohio Valley. Americans, including actual settlers such as Boone and speculators like George Washington, resented the suspension and interpreted it as an infringement of their rights.

Not all Americans thought British infringements warranted a severing of ties with the mother country, and after the Continental Congress declared independence, the struggle against Britain became a civil war among Americans, pitting Patriots against Loyalists. The Indians on the frontier found themselves swept into the contest, often against their will. In "The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap That Shaped America," Pearl concentrates on the Cherokees and the Shawnees, the dominant tribes in the vicinity of Boonesboro, the outpost established by Boone and kin in what would become Kentucky.

The news of the independence declaration hadn't reached Boonesboro when 13-year-old Jemima and two other girls ventured out to pick flowers and escape the gaze of their parents. They went too far, and were captured by Indians, who quickly spirited them away.

Whether the kidnapping was planned or opportunistic was hard to know at the time, and is no easier now. Pearl, like everyone else who has written on the subject, is limited by his sources, most of which come in the form of recollections recorded years or decades later. And although his story is as much about Indians as about Whites, essentially nothing survives about the former that hasn't been filtered through the latter.

Such constraints are what drive some historically minded writers to fiction. This group has included Pearl, the author of several novels set in 19th-century America. The novelist employs imagination to fill in the blanks left by historical sources; the historian is compelled to leave many of the blanks unfilled.

Yet Pearl does what he can, and deftly re-creates a fraught moment in the confusing struggle among American Patriots, American Loyalists, British and Indians. The experience of Jemima Boone reflected the larger confusion. Neither she nor her father knew what her taking portended. Would she be killed, as reprisal for settlers' killing of Indians? Would she be adopted into the tribe of her captors, or perhaps sold to another tribe? Would she be bartered to the British?

Pearl draws out the drama, which won't be spoiled here. Along the way, he brings in numerous additional characters to broaden the story. Daniel Boone's is the largest role, larger even than Jemima's, but many others have supporting parts.

At times those parts obscure the central thread of the narrative. Pearl's care to get the history just right may put off readers who find the repeated entrances and exits distracting. On occasion, his apparent desire not to offend obscures the meaning of events he describes. "Symbolically 'adopting' settlers, especially women and children, helped tribes rebuild their communities and families," he writes. Forcibly would be a more accurate term than symbolically; rebuilding families meant treating the female captives as breeding stock.

Certain of Pearl's conclusions are appealing but wishful. He asserts that Blackfish, a Shawnee leader, had a "truly groundbreaking" vision of comity among Whites and Indians. "Rather than absorbing a settler here and there . . . an entire community of settlers could be welcomed and integrated. Instead of a map divided up by disputed treaty boundaries that inevitably led to conflict, they could combine the tribal and settler communities with benefit for all." This would have been groundbreaking indeed, but it was utterly unrealistic in that time and place - or pretty much any time and place, as history has shown. Nor does Pearl present evidence that Blackfish actually entertained such a vision.

The strength of Pearl's book lies in the narrative, not the conclusions. He has identified a gripping story and told it well. That's accomplishment enough.

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H.W. Brands is the author of various works on American history, including his newest, "Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution."
By Wes Ely

Scribner. 332 pp. $27

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As if the thought of spending even one night in an intensive care unit weren't frightening enough, here's a complication you might not have heard about: post-intensive care syndrome, or PICS, a debilitating condition that survivors of critical illness often experience after a stay in the ICU.

Those jubilant images from early in the pandemic, of post-ICU patients being rolled through hospital lobbies, balloons tied to their wheelchair and flanked by applauding hospital staff, made us think these covid-19 survivors would go home and continue to recover. But for many, a different nightmare awaited them.

Pandemic or no, most Americans will, in their lifetime, be a patient in an intensive care unit, which makes Wes Ely's "Every Deep-Drawn Breath: A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU" a timely book, its message an urgent one.

Ely is a longtime critical care physician and professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. He depicts in brushstrokes broad and fine the horror that trails after many people once they leave the ICU.

Ely reports that in the United States and Europe alone, tens of millions of people are admitted annually to ICUs. But what doctors might point to as a good outcome - i.e. the patient lived - becomes a protracted nightmare of impaired cognition, depression and assorted other problems wholly unrelated to what landed them in the ICU in the first place.

As Ely puts it in his author's note, medicine must be more than benevolent. "The target principle of medicine must be a higher standard: beneficence," he writes. "Doing good."

Ely recounts the torture he has witnessed, as patients choke on air, panicked, fighting the ventilator. "It's only possible to endure this treatment when deeply sedated and paralyzed," he writes.

His central argument is this: the classic "sedate and immobilize" standard of care for ICU patients on ventilators should be discarded, and a patient-centered, comprehensive, evidence-based approach should be taken when treating all critically ill patients.

Much of the book tells the stories of individual patients with PICS, each more wrenching than the last. Sarah Beth Miller, an engineer at AT&T whose life was humming along until 2002 when she suddenly became critically ill. She was raced to the ICU and placed on life support, attached to a ventilator and sedated. She spent more than five weeks in the ICU, where she fluctuated between coma, delirium, hallucination, fear and confusion. When she finally returned to work, she turned on her computer and although she was recognized as an expert in complicated engineering concepts, she could barely remember what her job was. A brain scan showed such deterioration that the neuroradiologist said it looked like the MRI of a demented 85-year-old. Sarah Beth was 52.

Richard, a minister with a full life, developed a serious lung infection after routine knee surgery in 2008, and was in the ICU, on a ventilator and intubated, for four weeks. After he was discharged, his cognitive abilities diminished to the point he was forced to retire at age 53, and he remains so chronically fatigued it can take him hours to muster the energy to shower.

Ely goes well beyond the anecdotes, to findings of his own research and that of others: 80 percent of patients suffered delirium while in the ICU and 10 percent suffered it afterward. One in five ICU survivors developed PICS, and one in three develops depression and anxiety. More than half of patients with PICS still haven't returned to work a year after their ICU discharge. So severe can the symptoms be that people have wondered if they'd rather not have survived.

When it comes to ordering heavy sedation, Ely writes, he is as guilty as any of his peers. Still worse, he writes, is the role sedation plays in decisions surrounding life support. He cites a study out of Canada of 851 patients on ventilators. Only 1 in 10 had a do not resuscitate (DNR) order on admission to the ICU. "I knew that a heavily sedated patient deep in a coma looked dead, and this absolutely had to play a part in a doctor's thoughts," he acknowledges. Physicians' predictions about a patient's outcome then influences decisions about resuscitation. By the time of death, 9 out of 10 had been designated DNR. "I thought about how many patients I may have inadvertently committed to an early death due to my use, or overuse, of sedation," Ely writes.

Ely's contrition is real. "As doctors, we thought we were doing our jobs," he writes. "Our only goal was to help our patients, yet now we see the harm that happened, too."

Ventilation, sedation and pain medications are necessary, but Ely argues for a new set of best practices, which include taking patients off ventilators for a few minutes a day, acknowledging delirium as a medical complication to treat rather than accepting it as inevitable, and establishing support groups for ICU survivors.

Ely's hope is that ICUs can become more humane, with physicians treating the patient, not just the disease. Perhaps one lesson to draw from the pandemic, with help from books like this one, is that the ICU experience can be changed for the better, and when survivors are discharged, the celebration that accompanies their passage through the hospital lobby indeed marks the resumption of life as they knew it.

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Katie Hafner is a journalist and author and the host and executive producer of the podcasts "Our Mothers Ourselves" and "Lost Women of Science." Her first novel will be published next year.
Perilous Medicine: The Struggle to Protect Health Care from the Violence of War

By Leonard Rubenstein

Columbia. 392 pp. $35

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Walt Whitman lamented the American Civil War's "unending universal mourning-wail" and saw the conflict's "Untold and Unwritten History" in hospitals where "the marrow of the tragedy [was] concentrated." Leonard Rubenstein quotes these words as an epigraph for his "Perilous Medicine: The Struggle to Protect Health Care from the Violence of War," and he concisely describes both the principles meant to safeguard medical practice in wartime and the repeated failure to live up to them. It is a sad and necessary read. Sad, because the brutal targeting of doctors and nurses has become a familiar fact of modern warfare, and necessary, because our civilization depends on a willingness to bear witness to our moral failures. Recognizing our failures is our only hope, however slim, of not repeating them.

Rubenstein, a lawyer and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, begins with a history of international efforts to promote standards of conduct for the treatment of medical personnel in conflict zones. In the 1860s, Francis Lieber and Henri Dunant represented two contrasting approaches. Lieber argued that doctors and nurses should be able to offer treatment to combatants and civilians alike regardless of affiliation. But at the same time, he recognized that "military necessity" would occasionally lead commanders to weaken their enemies by denying them access to doctors, and so he allowed soldiers to use discretion in deciding how to deal with care for the enemy. Dunant, on the other hand, held that military consequences should never mitigate the "principle of humanity" on which the protection of medical personnel was based. The doctor's duty was to care for the wounded, to ameliorate suffering, and the soldier must stand down in the face of that moral duty. Rubenstein writes in Dunant's tradition but admits that Lieber may have had the deeper legacy. In conflicts around the world, when a nurse is prevented from treating the wounded or when a hospital is bombed, the phrase "military necessity" is a ready excuse. As a health-care official in Afghanistan put it, "Anyone in power doesn't like that you serve their enemies."

Rubenstein provides a sobering tour d'horizon of gross violations of the principle of humanity that is supposed to provide a foundation for the rights of health-care workers. Again and again leaders will say they are all for guaranteeing the safety of those who tend to the wounded on all sides of a conflict, but then they add something like: But not when it comes to terrorists! Indeed, the "war on terror" provides the background for grotesque human rights violations. New laws criminalized any medical assistance given to those who might be engaged in what were labeled terrorist activities. Whole communities were declared medically off-limits. In recent years, the United States has joined Turkey and Serbia in turning some humanitarian efforts into crimes, such as convicting a doctor for offering material support to terrorists because he had offered to treat wounded mujahideen. Under the war on terror, "the idea that terrorists - actually, suspected terrorists - deserved the same respect as any other human being evaporated," Rubenstein writes.

Reading about the Syrian government's war on doctors is particularly disturbing, despite the heroism of many doctors and nurses there. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, targeted hospitals as a way of demoralizing any opposition. Other nations were quick with rhetorical condemnation but little else. The Saudis also engaged in the brutal bombing of health-care facilities in their war against the Houthis in Yemen. At the very least, democracies such as the United Kingdom and the United States might have stopped supplying the weapons being used in clear violation of international law. But there was money to be made and relationships to be protected. The weapons continued to be sold.

In other contexts, states that proudly claim their allegiance to codes of humanitarian conduct erect bureaucratic obstacles (and worse) justified by national security - another way of claiming "military necessity." Israeli Defense Forces, for example, are routinely criticized at home and abroad by human rights groups. Rubenstein details the obstruction that medical personnel regularly face in the occupied territories and tells us that in times of crisis the IDF has frequently fired upon ambulance drivers. For him, the fact that ambulances have been used to transport explosives is no excuse for not assuring their safe passage. But moral exhortation does not persuade soldiers to put down their guns when facing undercover combatants willing to use medicine as a shield for their own military objectives. The various armed groups challenging state authorities today use whatever weapons they can find, including medical care. The problem is how to hold to Dunant's "principle of humanity" when medicine itself becomes a tool in violent struggle? In a world of people carrying big sticks, humanitarians only have carrots, the author observes.

Rubenstein expresses some hope that armed insurgents, like large national armies, may be restrained by a need for moral legitimacy. Will the Taliban, for instance, moderate its hard-line fundamentalism, especially in regard to women's rights, in order to curry favor with the court of world opinion? The economic situation in Afghanistan and the near-collapse of the country's health-care system might increase the regime's appetite for international recognition and the aid that could follow. Alternatively, the Taliban might conclude from the hypocrisy of the great powers that there is nothing to be gained by aligning its actions with the rhetoric of human rights. The author observes that insurgent groups "often want to be seen as legitimate, which amounts to a point of leverage for human rights monitors and others." But reading his account of gross violations around the world undermines the notion that this leverage would be very powerful.

It is to be hoped that the mourning-wail of "Perilous Medicine" provokes outrage and helps secure more protection for health-care workers. We don't want to live in a world where basic humanity is ignored, and we don't have to. In many countries, those in power can be held accountable by citizens. We don't have to accept moral impunity. We can bear witness to these inexcusable crimes and act to stop their recurrence. Rubenstein's book is sad and necessary work. If only we take heed, we can make medicine less perilous and reaffirm our own humanity.

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Michael S. Roth is president of Wesleyan University. His "Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech and Political Correctness on College Campuses" will be published in paperback this fall.
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Over a month after her shock Culture Secretary appointment amid a dramatic cabinet reshuffle, Nadine Dorries (pictured, right) has at last met with the CEO of the U.K.s Its a Sin broadcaster Channel 4, which Boris Johnsons government has threatened to put on the sales block.

Variety can reveal that Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon (pictured, left) met this week with Dorries in what was the pairs first meeting since the latter MP took over from Oliver Dowden as Culture Secretary. Sources say the meeting was amicable, with one senior figure saying it inspired some confidence that the government would consider all options before moving ahead with potential privatization.

Channel 4, which declined to comment on the Mahon-Dorries meeting, could be fully or partially sold off as per a proposal by the government, with interested parties like ITV and media company Miroma already appointing bankers to oversee a sale. Davis Zaslavs Discovery is also understood to be a potential bidder.

The public-service broadcaster was set up by Margaret Thatchers administration in 1982 and is commercially funded but publicly owned. In recent years, the government has deemed the model as no longer fit-for-purpose, and has made clear that its preferred option is for a change in ownership that could give the channel greater access to new strategic and investment opportunities.

An industry-wide consultation opened in July seeded a groundswell of support for Channel 4 across the film and TV sector, with high-profile actors and producers chiming in on how essential the broadcaster is to the wider cultural landscape. The process closed on Sept. 14, and the next step is a government-issued white paper outlining its findings from the consultation.

This document had been expected to come down in November, but Variety understands that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is still sifting through submissions made during the process, and that the white paper may be delayed.

A DCMS spokesperson told Variety: We are now analyzing the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course. No decisions have yet been made.

When the white paper materializes, the privatization of Channel 4 will then be debated by government ministers.

While Dorries  who is something of a reality star herself, having appeared on ITV and Channel 4 shows as an MP  was initially believed to be more focused on the ongoing firestorm surrounding the BBC license fee model, which largely funds Britains public broadcaster, initial public comments about Channel 4 suggest she may be pro-privatization.

Speaking on a recent podcast by newspaper The Telegraph, Dorries said: Channel 4 is in a good place at the moment, but if it wants to grow and be successful, then it needs to change. One of the one of the obvious ways of doing that is for C4 to be privatized.

However, Culture Minister Julia Lopez  who is also part of the DCMS  suggested a more muted approach in a Lords Communications and Digital committee last week, pointing out that, were the government to proceed with a sale, it would look not just at money [on offer] but at the broader question of value, and what is offered by any potential buyer in terms of the public service remit. Wed consider that alongside the price proposed.

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On Friday, Chinas Korean War epic The Battle at Lake Changjin became the highest-grossing film in the world for 2021, surpassing the Chinese New Year breakout comedy hit Hi, Mom.

The gritty war film co-directed by Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam has grossed $845 million (RMB5.41 billion) in 29 days, marching past Hi, Mom, which earned $821 million at the beginning of the year over a 90-day period. Films are typically given a month-long release window in China, but they can be extended to a two-month run for successful titles. Decisions to allow an even longer run are rarer, and often due to political concerns or a dearth of other strong content.

Lake Changjin is currently Chinas second highest-grossing film in history behind local title Wolf Warrior 2 ($854 million), which also features star Wu Jing and a jingoistic military theme.

The former has more or less dominated the China market since its Sept. 30 National Day release. On Friday, it was unseated from its top spot by the debut of James Bond film No Time to Die, which opened to $8 million.

Unlike its foreign competitors, however, Lake Changjin has been given a boost by measures such as local governments requiring cadres of employees to go on group outings to see the film in theaters as a patriotic education measure.

A sequel entitled Water Gate Bridge is already in the works. Stars Wu Jing, Jackson Yee and other main players will return to continue the story of the Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army during a different maneuver of the same campaign at North Koreas Lake Changjin, also known as the Chosin Reservoir, in the lead-up to the U.N. troops complete withdrawal from the North.

Specifically, it will center on a maneuver to blow up the Water Gate Bridge that was the only path of retreat for a U.S. troop division. According to Chinese state media reports, the Chinese forces had to bomb the bridge three times after the U.S. side rebuilt it after each attempt, succeeding at last only when soldiers strapped explosives to their bodies and embarked on a suicide attack.

Like its predecessor, Water Gate Bridge will also be co-produced by Bona Film Group and August First Film Studio, with Chen, Hark and Lam returning to co-direct. Lan Xiaolong and Huang Xin will remain on as screenwriters as well.

Reuniting the original team will be little trouble since most of the footage will actually be cut from material shot at the beginning of this year for Lake Changjin and re-edited to form the sequel, said Bona Film head and Water Gate Bridge producer Yu Dong. Some additional winter weather shoots will also take place in the coming months.

This next battle will be even fiercer and the mission even more arduous, he said. The film will present all of this and let viewers see whatis the great spirit of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. The latter term is Chinas name for the Korean War.

Huang Jianxin, executive producer of both Lake Changjin and Water Gate Bridge, said, The entire company made a huge sacrifice just to win a few seconds in which to bomb the bridge. These are the realities of war, and the films story is very touching.

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SPOILER WARNING: This story vaguely discusses a single scene in Marvel Studios Eternals that has been released by Disney, as well as a hypothetical future for Dane Whitman, Kit Haringtons character in the MCU.

After spending eight seasons as one of the leads on HBOs Game of Thrones, Kit Harington decided to trade one massively popular cultural juggernaut for another, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in director Chloe Zhaos Eternals.

Moving on from Jon Snow  the taciturn medieval warrior and erstwhile king of the North  Haringtons role in Eternals is Dane Whitman, a modern London bloke who happens to be dating Sersi (Gemma Chan), one of the titular Eternals, at the start of the film.

In the Marvel comics, however, Dane has more in common with Jon Snow  or, at least, a world of swords and sorcery  than Haringtons performance in Eternals would suggest. Danes family lineage stretches back to the medieval legend of King Arthur and the persona of the Black Knight, a warrior connected to the cursed Ebony Blade that bestows whoever wields it with terrific power  but at the cost of their sanity.

In the comics, Dane fights alongside the Avengers, and wrestles between heroism and villainy thanks to the cursed Ebony Blade. Its no spoiler to note that none of that happens in Eternals, which casts Haringtons Dane as, in the actors words, a good guy  one of the only normal humans in a film otherwise concerned with ageless superheroes who first arrived on Earth roughly 7,000 years ago.

Future appearances by Dane in the MCU are a different matter entirely. While it doesnt take a rocket scientist to surmise Marvel has bigger plans for Harington, the actor, no stranger to spoiler culture, professes to, ahem, know nothing about what could happen with his character. He was happy to talk about why he decided to join the MCU, what it was like reuniting with his Game of Thrones costar Richard Madden (who plays Ikaris, an Eternal  and Sersis ex), and why the legacy of Thrones has left the 34-year-old with a profound feeling of freedom.

This is your first big project post-Game of Thrones, and youre jumping from one giant production to another giant franchise. What was the decision making process for you?

I dont think you get to choose when these things come along. Like, if Marvel calls up, and they say, weve got this interesting character for you, would you be interested in being in this movie? I mean, my process was itd been about a year and a half since Id filmed Thrones. It seemed like an interesting character and an amazing universe, and that seemed like a no brainer to me. Ive got nothing against possibly long-running franchises and being in them. Theyve done very well for me! Ive really enjoyed it. So it wasnt a very difficult decision to make. Once I saw what they were planning with this  the director, its Marvel, the characters cool  it was pretty easy decision.

So they came to you and said, Wed like you to play Dane Whitman? There wasnt any kind of testing or audition process?

No. I spoke to [producer] Nate Moore. Id had a meeting with Kevin [Feige] a year or so prior. I went into meet them at Marvel. It was a kind of general meeting. But it was Nate who rang me up and spoke to me about the possibilities for the character and what they wanted to do with the Eternals. And then I met with Chloe. And, you know, theyd said, Look, its not a major part size-wise in this movie, but its a really interesting character that could go somewhere cool. I did some reading up on it. And then I said, Yes.

So you were not familiar with Black Knight or the Ebony Blade or any of the accoutrements that come with Dane?

No. If Im totally honest, I hadnt heard of the character. I had to sort of read up on him and try not to fall down too many black holes on the internet and just see what the basics were. But the the essence of the character and his powers seem to me very interesting. God knows where its gonna go. So I dont know, I cant predict whether, where, if anywhere, theyll take the character. But the basics of him having something that seems to be cursed, I thought, had a lot of meat to get into.

You had to at least have known that there was a very good possibility, if not certainty, that you would be doing this role beyond Eternals?

Nothing is certain. Thats the first thing you learn in this industry. There is no certainty. To go in with any kind of feeling that somethings certain is setting yourself up for failure. I genuinely do go by the rule that this is the project, this is what Im doing. I take it with the information that theres a theres a path and a future that could happen. But I dont assume that that future is going to happen, because I think thats foolish.

The scene where Dane and Ikaris meet in Eternals, was that the first scene that you and Richard Madden had shared together since, I think, Episode 2 of Game of Thrones?

Yeah, if you add up all the scenes that me and Richard have shot in anything, Thrones and this, I think it comes in at about four scenes. Isnt that weird? But theres so much focus, from my part anyway, on me and Richards interaction in this. And it just goes to show that people create longer stories and histories for these characters than is actually there. I find that fascinating.

It must have been nice to actually be able to work together again in this way. What was it like to share that moment?

We had a big hug. Weve been close friends for a long time. We had a shared experience of Thrones in the first three seasons  the three seasons that Richard was in  where it sort of blew up and became this Goliath of a show. And, you know, we were both 23. Wed kind of came up together and that creates quite a special bond. So actually, we have a very close friendship, but screen time doesnt reflect that.

Your character, however, stays out of the action in Eternals. Hes very much a civilian. Was that nice for you to have everybody else do the heavy lifting of the action scenes and you could just enjoy watching it all unfold?

Yeah. (Smiles.) I filmed in the last few weeks of filming. I turn up at the read through at the start, saw them all fresh faced. Then I came in at the end, saw them all haggard and knackered, and did my bit. So it was a pleasurable experience for me. It shot in London, on location about half an hour drive from my house, if that. I could literally go from home. It was a wonderful experience all around. And I really loved my role, just being the person who reflects the humans in the movie. Genuinely, my job [was] to come across as a good guy, a stand-up guy, a nice guy. It seemed a pretty pleasurable experience for this job.

Game of Thrones, I dont know if theres ever been anything bigger on TV in terms of production than that show. How did that compare to being in the MCU, the biggest ever movie franchise?

Nothing really, majorly surprises me after going through those eight seasons of Thrones. It was as big as anything gets by the end, as far as scale goes. But moving into Marvel, it is a different beast, in more subtle ways than youd imagine. What I like about the differences for me about these two things is I get to have lightness of touch in this, which I think is really important. Its what I really loved about the Marvel movies  those little moments of kind of lightness, comedy, in amongst everything. And I saw a few opportunities for that with this character. Having played a majorly central part of a different show who was not comedic or light in any way whatsoever, not being the center of attention in this show and playing something thats a little lighter was kind of fun.

So other than working with Marvel, do you have a sense of where youd like to take your career? It feels like you could go anywhere youd want.

I saw [Game of Thrones co-showrunner] Dan Weiss the other day. We had coffee, and I was saying to him, and he said to me  well, I wont say what he said to me, but he felt similarly. But what Thrones enables you to feel is a sort of freedom. I did the thing, you know? Its cool, Ive got that. I have freedom now that Im going to enjoy whatever it is I do. Its not that I dont have ambition, but I have a kind of happiness that if things go well, great. If they dont, I did that thing. So thats where Im at. And I feel that what something like being part of the Marvel Universe enables you to do, like Thrones did for me, is that you have this thing that you hopefully return to and can develop. And on the side, you can do all sorts of things that are the polar opposite. A little movie with no budget. Or the next thing Im doing: Im going off and playing Henry V in London in one of my favorite theaters. And this allows me to do that.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees urged film and TV workers on Thursday to stay united and to support a new three-year agreement with the major studios when it comes up for a ratification vote.

IATSE leaders reached the deal on Oct. 16, averting a nationwide strike that would have been the first in the unions 128-year history. But many members have reacted with anger and disappointment, saying the deal does not go far enough to restore work-life balance and curtail brutally long hours on set.

In a memo to members of the 13 West Coast locals, the IATSE leadership acknowledged the dissenting voices, but also thanked the thousands of members who are supporting this agreement.

To those of you opposed  we hear you, we see you, and we recognize we collectively still have work to do to change the culture of our industry, the leadership wrote. We ask you to stand with us as we move forward.

Some members have complained that the union has not done more to spell out the full terms of the deal. The union locals have been holding town hall meetings over Zoom in an effort to answer members questions.

The contract will go to a ratification vote sometime in the next few weeks, though a precise date has not been set. Members will vote electronically. To be ratified, the deal must win a majority of delegates from the 13 locals, with each locals delegates determined by a majority vote of the local membership.

In the memo, the leadership warned that rejecting the deal would weaken the union, which would serve the employers interests.

Our future success will depend on our ability to stay united rather than being divided, the union leadership wrote. That only serves our employers. Lets move forward together and take ownership in advocating for the long overdue cultural change needed in this industry. It doesnt stop here, and in fact, it has just begun. We are committed to doing this work together. This contract is only one of the tools we have at our disposal. Ultimately our solidarity is more powerful than any words on paper could ever be.

The union membership voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a satisfactory agreement could not be reached. It is not entirely clear what would happen if the membership rejects the agreement, though leaders have said that the bargaining would go back to square one with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Many members have expressed frustration that the bargaining committee did not go into the talks with more aggressive demands, especially with regard to turnarounds. The tentative agreement provides 10 hours off between shifts for all workers, and 54-hour weekends, with some exceptions. Many of the members rallied around a call for 12 on, 12 off, and were disappointed that the agreement still allows employers to schedule 14-hour days.

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Acclaimed screenwriter and producer Terence Winter has signed with LBI Entertainment for management.

Winter joins rep and partner Scott Greenberg at the Rick Yorn-run firm. Greenberg departed his longtime post at CAA last summer.

A mainstay in prestige dramas, Winters television career includes seven years as an executive producer on the HBO flagship The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire, for which he served as creator and showrunner. An Emmy winner, Winter co-wrote the fan favorite Sopranos episode Pine Barrens, for which he also nabbed one of several WGA Awards.

Hell next serve as writer and executive producer on the anticipated STX film The Godmother, in which Jennifer Lopez will portray infamous Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco for director Reed Morano (The Handmaids Tale, The Rhythm Section).

In 2013, Winter received a best adapted screenplay Academy Award nomination for Martin Scorseses The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Additional film credits include rapper Curtis 50 Cent Jacksons breakout film, Get Rich or Die Tryin, and the 2007 mob indie Brooklyn Rules.

He continues to be repped by CAA and attorneys at Jackoway Tyerman.

In 2014, Winter told Variety that he walked away from a 9-to-5 gig to pursue his Hollywood dreams

I had finally admitted to myself that I wanted to be a writer, he said. I had given up a career as a lawyer. Finally I found the real version of who I was. This was the vindication of this. I was right. I thought I could do it, and tried to do it and someone agreed with me enough to give me a job.

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Local, state and federal agencies combined efforts to shut down three stash houses and apprehend more than 50 migrants.

The first case unfolded on Oct. 27, when U.S. Border Patrol Laredo South Station agents received information about a stash house in Rio Bravo. Authorities responded and discovered seven migrants from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala inside the home.
WASHINGTON - The chief judge presiding over the federal court in Washington on Thursday unleashed a blistering critique of the Justice Department's prosecution of Capitol rioters, saying fiery rhetoric about the event's horror did not match plea offers to minor charges.

"No wonder parts of the public in the U.S. are confused about whether what happened on Jan 6 at the Capitol was simply a petty offense of trespassing with some disorderliness, or shocking criminal conduct that represented a grave threat to our democratic norms," Judge Beryl Howell said in court Thursday. "Let me make my view clear: the rioters were not mere protesters."

While she and other judges have expressed similar concerns before, this was Howell's first time sentencing a rioter and her first chance to fully air her views and demand answers from prosecutors. She took the opportunity, spending over an hour interrogating prosecutors on the decision to let a Tennessee video game developer named Jack Jesse Griffith plead guilty to the misdemeanor of parading inside the Capitol.

Howell, who was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2010, also oversaw portions of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Before taking the bench, she served as a prosecutor and worked on cybersecurity law in the public and private sector.

Why, she asked, when prosecutors called the riot an "attack on democracy . . . unparalleled in American history," were Griffith and other participants facing the same charge as nonviolent protesters who routinely disrupt congressional hearings?

"It seems like a bit of a disconnect," Howell said - "muddled" and "almost schizophrenic."

The parading charge carries a sentence of at most six months, with no supervised release.

"Is it the government's view that the members of the mob that engaged in the Capitol attack on January 6 were simply trespassers?" Howell asked incredulously. "Is general deterrence is going to be served by letting rioters who broke into the Capitol, overran the police . . . broke into the building through windows and doors . . . resolve their criminal liability through petty offense pleas?"

After asking for probationary sentences in several cases, the government sought a three-month jail sentence for Griffith. Howell questioned what distinguished those cases from this one. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitra Jafary-Hariri said prosecutors gave some defendants credit for early acceptance of responsibility. Griffith, she added, displayed a lack of remorse after the attack and continued to spread false election claims.

"Probation should not be the norm," Howell said, but added that Griffith should not be punished more than others who have engaged in similar conduct. Instead, she put him on probation for 36 months.

Other federal judges in the District of Columbia have ignored probationary recommendations from prosecutors and imposed jail time in riot cases.

On Thursday, Griffith told the judge his behavior was "truly disgraceful."

"I am ashamed of the way I acted," he said. At the time of the break-in, he said, he thought it was a "minor inconvenience" for police but now he understand they were "crippled by fear and wildly outnumbered."

Prosecutors also agreed that Griffith, like other misdemeanor defendants, would pay only $500 in restitution. Howell calculated that if everyone charged paid that fine, it would amount to $300,000, while taxpayers are paying $500 million to improve Capitol security in the wake of the attack.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pearce said the government was in "somewhat uncharted territory." The $500 number, he said, came from dividing the cost of repairs to the Capitol -$1.5 million - by the number of people believed to have entered the building - 2,000 to 2,500. Those charged with felonies are asked to pay more, and those charged with misdemeanors less.

The goal he said is "to make the victims whole." Howell shot back that "it doesn't even come close."

She said it was also unusual that prosecutors were not asking for defendants to be under court supervision until they paid their fines. "This is the first time I've ever had the government ask for a restitution payment and not ask for a term of probation," she said. "Is it because the government thinks these defendants are more trustworthy?"

It is unclear legally whether a judge can impose a sentence of jail time followed by probation for a petty offense such as parading. Prosecutors argued Howell could, while Griffith's attorney maintained she had to choose one or the other.

The law is clear that a person can serve a mix of probation and intermittent jail time, prosecutors said. But Howell said it did not seem wise to have defendants going in and out of the prison system during an ongoing pandemic.

"My hands are tied," Howell said in frustration. "In all my years on the bench, I've never been in this position before, and it's all due to the government, despite calling this the crime of the century, resolving it with a . . . petty offense."
WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a critic of Donald Trump's who is on the panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack by the former president's supporters, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection next year.

The military veteran, who has represented his northern Illinois congressional district since 2013, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol. Kinzinger joins GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio as one of the 10 who have decided to bow out of Congress.

The Illinois Republican announced his decision in a video, saying the time is now to move on. My disappointment in the leaders that don't lead is huge, he said.

Kinzinger, 43, hinted at other political plans, saying: I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide. I want to make it clear  this isnt the end of my political future, but the beginning. He also noted that he got married recently and that he and his wife are expecting a baby boy in January.

The announcement came hours after Democrats in Illinois approved new congressional district maps that put Kinzinger in the same district as GOP Rep. Darin LaHood, a strong supporter of Trump's who said Friday he plans to seek reelection. The former presidents influence remains strong on GOP voters, and Kinzingers criticisms of Trump would have been difficult to overcome in a primary for a district drawn to be heavily Republican.

Trump crowed in response: "2 down, 8 to go!

Kinzinger has been increasingly critical of his own party since Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop Joe Biden from becoming president. Kinzinger, at the invitation of Democrats, defied his leadership to join Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as a member of the House committee investigating the attack.

He said that the country is poisoned and that we must unplug from the mistruths weve been fed.

Republicans are well positioned to pick up the House majority in next years midterm elections, but the departure of Kinzinger and other more traditional conservatives casts a shadow over the party now led by Trump.

Kinzinger formed a political organization, Country First, to support candidates who oppose Trump and see him as a threat to democracy. He said in the video released Friday that I know I'm not alone  there are many Americans desperately searching for a better way.

They want solutions, not more problems. They want action, not extremism. They want light, not darkness. And the sooner we do it, the better it will be for the land that we love, he said. "Now is the time to put country first.

Former Illinois Republican Party Chair Pat Brady, a Trump critic, called Kinzinger's departure from Congress a huge loss for the party and voters in Illinois. He said Kinzinger is the kind of Republican we need more of.

He also decried a redistricting process that is creating more partisan districts across the country, making primary elections the main battleground for a seat in Congress and resulting in the politicians sent to Washington holding more extreme positions and having less incentive to work with the opposing party.

Among the other moderate members of Congress who could be squeezed out of a seat during redistricting ahead of the 2022 elections include Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia, Republican Rep. John Katko of New York, Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Republican Rep. David Valadao of California and Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas.

There's just not enough people in the middle anymore, Brady said. It's not working, and it's contributing to the rancor we need to stop.

___

Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
Rep. Henry Cuellar announced on Thursday morning during his Conversations with Cuellar event that Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza has been honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, an award bestowed by the United States Congress.

This medal is Congress highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions.

Espinoza was killed on Aug. 26 at around 9:44 am by the ISIS-K terrorist group that sent suicide bombers to kill Afghanistan citizens and American service members, Cuellar said.

I co-sponsored the Congressional Gold Medal Resolution to honor our fallen servicemembers in Afghanistan by presenting them with the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously, Cuellar said. I spoke on the floor the United State House of Representatives to honor Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza.

David was from Rio Bravo, Texas. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school because he wanted to defend his country. Our community was heartbroken with the news of his death, and we continue to mourn him. May the Congressional Gold Medal  the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions  honor these heroes.

Espinoza gave his life for the protection and betterment of his country, his servicemen and women, as well as those he was sworn to protect and defend on Aug. 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Espinoza graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in the summer of 2019. Immediately after graduating, he went off to MCRD in San Diego, California for basic training. He then went to the school of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, and most recently, received his orders to Afghanistan for the withdrawal of the US forces after a 20 year-long conflict.

Espinoza went to school in Laredo, the LBJ school, and after that he joined the Marines to protect our nation, Cuellar said. We will have a ceremony where we will present this Gold Medal, not only to Cpl. Espinoza, but also to the other 12 soldiers who lost their lives.

The congressman added that he hopes to be joined by Espinozas family in Washington for the ceremony.

And his mother said previously that her son was meant to be a Marine.

He always had that in him, as he would always play with pencils and stuff like that as pretending them to be guns and soldiers. But I really think that it hit him the greatest in his senior year, Espinozas mother Elizabeth Holguin said in September.

Holguin said she supported Espinoza in everything he did. However, she was worried like any mother would be about her son leaving to join the military.

She said Espinoza was always a reserved man that mainly kept to himself and a close circle of friends, he liked to be around family, he was smart and he was always looking out for ways to help the most vulnerable in his community.

He was a very quiet kid. He was a very good kid, but he always did what he wanted, Holguin said. He was just my son, my brave son, my everything. He was just perfect.

cecilia.trevino@lmtonline.com
Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of weapons on the movie set where Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, say she doesn't know where the live rounds found there came from, and blamed producers for unsafe working conditions.

Gutierrez Reed was the armorer on the set of Rust. The 24-year-old, who had worked on one previous feature film, hasn't spoken publicly about the accident.

Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced, said attorneys Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence in a statement. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that.

During a news conference Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there was some complacency in how weapons were handled on the set of Rust.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appeared to be live rounds. Industry experts have said live rounds should never be on set.

Additional ammunition, a dozen revolvers and a rifle were more recently seized in the search of a white truck used for storing props including firearms, according to an inventory list filed Friday in court.

Investigators with the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office declined to provide further information about the newly seized weapons and ammunition. It was unclear whether live rounds were encountered.

Attorneys for Gutierrez Reed said she is devastated and completely beside herself over the death of Hutchins. They argued that producers on the film were cutting corners that sacrificed safety.

Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer, they said. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. This was not the fault of Hannah."

Veteran prop master Neal W. Zoromski earlier told The Los Angeles Times that he declined an offer to work on Rust because producers insisted that one person could serve as both assistant prop master and armorer. Zoromski said those are two really big jobs that couldn't be combined. He called the production an accident waiting to happen.

A spokesperson for the producers of Rust didn't immediately respond to emails Friday. They have previously said that they are cooperating with the police investigation.

Others have raised questions about the production. The film's gaffer, Serge Svetnoy, earlier faulted the movies producers for negligence.

To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, Svetnoy said in a Facebook post.

On the morning of the shooting, Gutierrez Reed told detectives that she checked the dummy bullets  bullets that appear real, save for a small hole in the side of the casing that identifies them as inoperable  to ensure none were hot, according to a search warrant affidavit made public Wednesday.

When the crew broke for lunch, the guns used for filming were locked in a safe inside the props storage truck, Gutierrez Reed said. The ammunition, however, was left unsecured on a cart. There was additional ammo inside the prop truck.

After lunch, the films prop master, Sarah Zachry, removed the guns from the safe and handed them to Gutierrez Reed  Gutierrez Reed told investigators.

According to a search warrant affidavit released last Friday, Gutierrez Reed set three guns on a cart outside the church, and assistant director Dave Halls took one from the cart and handed it to Baldwin. The document released Wednesday said the armorer sometimes handed the gun to Baldwin, and sometimes to Halls.

Halls told investigators that he failed to fully check the revolver. Normally, he told detectives, he would examine the barrel for obstructions and have Gutierrez Reed open the hatch and spin the drum where the bullets go, confirming none of the rounds is live.

This time, he reported, he could only remember seeing three of the rounds, and he didnt remember if the armorer had spun the drum. He then yelled out cold gun to indicate that it was safe to use.

Messages left with Halls haven't been returned.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 30F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 30F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Longford County Council is delighted to be able to confirm that 119 local musicians were supported back on-stage by the Longford Live and Local summer outdoor performance programme.

The programme was developed by project coordinator Shane Crossan of Republic of Culture and directed by the Arts Office of Longford County Council.

It could not have been delivered without the enormous support of the team in Longford County Council and individual community groups.

Its success can be measured by the number of artists, musicians, crews and other staff members employed, entertaining over 5,890 people during its run from 9 July to 18 September 2021.

The initiative was funded through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Medias Local Live Performance Programming Scheme and here in Longford, it also saw the employment of six sound engineers, three equipment hire companies, three videographers, three photographers and four event production staff.

Events were held in almost every town and village across the county. In the end, there were 49 live music shows, with just four weather related cancellations.

While a festival of this scale would seem unachievable in the most normal of times, this line-up was delivered in compliance with COVID-19 public health guidelines after a pre-production period of just three weeks, and the programme was delivered safely with no injuries or incidents reported throughout.

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Peggy Nolan paid tribute to all the organisers, communities, volunteers, venues and Longford County Council employees involved.

To think that Longford County Council hosted more live music events outside of Dublin in July and August, than any other county in Ireland is fantastic. The talent we have here, and the quality was second to none. I cant wait to see what happens next year, she said.

Chief Executive Paddy Mahon praised the safe management of the programme of events and thanked all of those who came out to support the shows; Its been a difficult time as people readjust to attending events and performances in person and we are delighted to have been able to provide this opportunity here in county Longford.

Showcasing talent of all ages and genres, fans enjoyed country and western music, trad, RnB, indie, rock n roll, classical, jazz, blues and folk all performed by local musicians. The summer saw Longfordians bask in beautiful sunshine and brave biblical rain as they revelled in the opportunity to blow off some steam to the likes of Mick Flavin, Declan Nerney, Ravens Edge, AudioPilot, Aoife Mulligan, Revs, Ril Og, Purify, Gipsy Boii-G and more incredible homegrown talent.

Longford Live and Local also safely introduced the use of venues not commonly recognised as performance spaces and it brought live music back into the heart of local communities again, making it available to people right on their doorsteps.

The programme provided an opportunity for local bands to reform with some rekindling their love of live performance in the process and going on to book nationwide tours following their involvement in the summer outdoor performance scheme.

A visual art project celebrating the musical heritage of county Longford was also commissioned as part of the line-up and displayed at many of the events. The 3 x 1.5 metre panels are now also available for re-use in future.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has thrown his weight behind calls for local authority chiefs to snap up Bank of Irelands former headquarters in Granard.

The Fine Gael leader said moves to give council bosses the green light to acquire the building were very much on Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys agenda.

Mr Varadkars comments come after the Leader told last week of how the three storey building was being viewed as a possible and significant addition to the councils property portfolio.

The Minister for Enterprise was in Longford yesterday to speak to local businesses and interest groups over ongoing challenges posed by Covid-19 and how counties like Longford were attempting to readjust economically.

Its definitely something we are considering, said Mr Varadkar, when asked by the Leader if government bosses were supportive of those calls.

We have seen a lot of bank closures in the last year or so, both Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland and some of those buildings are a heritage building in the middle of a town.

It would be a shame to see them fall into disuse or to be used for something inappropriate and one of the things Minister Humphreys is doing as Minister for Community and Rural Development is examining those properties and seeing if there is a possibility to take them into public ownership.

Mr Varadkars comments would appear to override those of a senior council official who approached the Leader during the Fine Gael leaders visit yesterday to insist the local authority were not looking at the former bank offices.

Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy welcomed those remarks, saying the vacancy left by Bank of Irelands departure earlier this month had provided an ideal opportunity to address some of the north Longford towns longest standing problems.

We have had serious parking issues in the town that we have been looking at for a long number of years and I think that and the adjacent site of the old Houricans Hotel is an opportunity for the local authority to maybe take them into ownership and solve that traffic problem but also making office space available in the town, he said.
Westlife have announced UK & Ireland concert dates as part of an upcoming world tour set to take place in 2022.

The Wild Dreams tour sees a date at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on July 8, 2022.

The upcoming tour will include 2 dates in Cork that were rescheduled in 2020.

The Irish boyband will take to the stage and perform some of their biggest hits throughout the years.

Westlife originally split in 2012 and announced their sensational comeback in 2018 when the band reunited for the first time in 6 years.

Their new music included hit songs Hello My Love and Better Man which contributed to their continued success.

Nicky Byrne described today's announcement as a 'momentous occassion'.

Mark Fehily said it was 'scary' thinking about when concerts could return and it was 'joyous' to make the announcement today.

The upcoming tour will take place more than 3 years after their Reunion Tour in 2019.

Their latest album will be released in November and the lead single Starlight was released in October.

Westlife has had major success throughout the years, and are the only band apart from U2 to ever sell out Wembley Stadium in London and have sold a combined total of 5 million tickets during their career.

Tickets for the Aviva concert date go on sale on Ticketmaster, Friday, November 5.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Ls Cohen Published: October 29 2021

Rode his bike 20 miles to honor 20 years since 9/11.

On September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, with 60 pounds of firefighting gear strapped to his back toward the Twin Towers, where he ultimately made the greatest sacrifice - giving his life to save others on one of the most horrific days in American history. Since then, Sillers heroic effort has been honored by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit that supports first responders, veterans, and their families by providing the families they leave behind with mortgage-free homes.

Last month, a young Long Islander added his name to the list of people who have gone above and beyond to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundations mission. Seven-year-old Ricky Taylor raised over $4,000 for the charity riding his bike for 20 miles, one mile for each year in honor of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

During his ride Ricky actually took a spill, crashing into a chain link fence covered in thorn bushes at the 14.5-mile mark. Ricky finished the ride with a bloody leg. He said that those firemen didnt give up, so neither will I and persevered.

We can all learn a lot from young Ricky Taylor, said Brookehaven Town Councilman Dan Panico, in a ceremony honoring Rickys fundraising efforts. His patriotism and drive to make a difference are positive qualities for people, whether you are 7 or 97 years old. Good for you Ricky and keep up the good work.

Visit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation website for more information.

{Pictured in the back row (left to right) are Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Councilman Kevin LaValle; Supervisor Ed Romaine; Councilman Dan Panico; Councilman Neil Foley, Councilman Michael Loguercio and Town Clerk Donna Lent. Pictured in the front row (left to right) are Rickys father, Nick Taylor; Ricky Taylor; his brother, Nicholas Taylor, Jr. and mother, Deserie Taylor.
Local News, Business & Finance, Health & Wellness, Politics

By Chris Boyle Published: October 29 2021

New federally-funded workforce development program targets hard hit communities and aims to strengthen retail, hospitality and healthcare sectors.

Furthering her commitment to strengthen Nassaus economy and support residents hard hit by the pandemic, County Executive Laura Curran announced a $10 million investment of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for a new workforce development initiative. With this funding opportunity, the County aims to bolster new and existing programs that bridge the gap between those struggling to secure employment or advance their careers and available local jobs and training opportunities. Eligible organizations include higher education institutions, BOCES, building trades, municipal community development agencies and other nonprofit entities. The proposed investment is part of the Countys robust $62.9 million commitment of ARP funding for a slate of economic recovery initiatives.

With this investment we are accelerating hiring for local employers while building a career pipeline for struggling residents, allowing them to secure quality local job opportunities  in turn, strengthening our economy, said County Executive Laura Curran. With many hard-hit residents unable to afford childcare or transportation or even internet access, removing these financial barriers will be key to our effort and getting people back to work.

COVID has further increased the gap between available jobs and workers trained to fill them, and these federal dollars will help bridge that gap  and help train workers to learn new skills to advance their careers, said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. I fought hard to secure COVID relief dollars for Nassau County and County Executive Curran is putting them to great use by investing in a workforce development initiative that will strengthen the local economy, match workers to jobs, and support residents.

I am excited to work with County Executive Laura Curran in this new endeavor addressing Workforce Development that provides the necessary assistance for our great Village, said Village of Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs. The funds from the American Rescue Plan will greatly benefit many of the residents of the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. As Mayor, it is important to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to work. The Workforce Development Program is unique in that it provides not only job training but also job placement. This is also an opportunity that will bring greater service to our community.

The initiative, announced in the Village of Hempstead, which suffered the highest percentage of store closures in Nassau County, will prioritize programs that reach residents in communities facing higher rates of unemployment. The County will also target efforts that strengthen industries hit hardest by the pandemic including hospitality, retail and healthcare  as well as fields still struggling with staffing shortages, like commercially licensed drivers and paramedics.

A key focus of this funding initiative will be addressing financial and logistical barriers to accessing available employment opportunities  targeting programs that provide scholarships or stipends to help cover unmet costs for childcare, coursework, transportation.

New York Senator Kevin Thomas said, The Workforce Development Program will not only jump-start Nassau Countys economic recovery  it will help our hardest hit communities build back better and stronger. I thank County Executive Curran for her leadership and look forward to working alongside her to initiate a new era of opportunity for all Nassau County residents.

Every day we hear from industry leaders who need trained and qualified staff to fill vital roles, said Dr. Robert R. Dillon, District Superintendent of Nassau BOCES, which provides career and technical education to thousands of high school students and adults every year. This grant will be lifechanging for so many people who are unemployed or underemployed and ready to learn a new skills or trade. It will also help to grow the Long Island economy as industries are able to fill necessary positions.

"At SUNY Nassau, we transform lives. Our students represent our communities and the diverse and multi-faceted society where we live, work, play, and learn. Many of our students work so that they can pursue their education, approximately one third of our students are the first in their family to attend college, and nearly half of our students have experienced food and housing insecurity within the past year, said Dr. Jermaine Williams President of Nassau Community College. We look forward to working with the County and the Workforce Education and Resource Center (WERC) to ensure all students leave the College with a solid foundation for success and a credential of economic value that helps them become civically engaged, contributing, and critically thinking members of their communities."

Workforce development is crucial to the success of our citizens and our economy. At Hofstra, through Continuing Education and our institutes, we work with our friends and neighbors in Hempstead, Uniondale, and the surrounding community to provide education and opportunity, said Melissa Connelly, Vice President, Hofstra University Relations. By using this COVID grant funding, and partnering with the county, Hempstead Village, labor and other organizations, we will be able to develop and host more workforce development and career services for the community and help our neighbors and students succeed and advance.

This Pre-Apprentice initiative demonstrates the value of the critical 3 tier partnership between, community, government and the skilled construction craft union workers on Long Island, said Matthew Aracich, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties. As Hempstead Village looks to recover from the human and economic losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction industry  and the skilled union craft workers that work on industry jobsites will lead in developing a path to recovery. The model of Earn While you Learn is the foundation for success in our Apprentice Programs. Our members are proud of the work they provided to help bring an end to the pandemic and poverty. Here in Nassau County, developers and contractors alike rely heavily on high quality training, skills and support the safety concerns of our members in both building and retrofitting complex facilities.

Workforce development programs have the ability to change lives  providing access and opportunity to those most in need. Funding for these programs is key to their success and I thank County Executive Curran for making this important investment that will help strengthen our local economy and help hard hit industries and residents recover from the pandemic, said John Durso, President Long Island Federation of Labor.

Programs eligible for the funding may include pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for manufacturing, retail, construction and building trades and other industries; job training and placement programs that prepare, educate and connect residents to promising career pathways  mainly through Nassaus local colleges and universities, BOCES and other institutional and not-for-profit partners

The County Executive will be filing the proposal with the Nassau County Legislature and urges the members to act quickly to accelerate funding for these programs. Once approved by the Legislature, applications can be submitted on the Countys Boost Nassau portal: www.nassaucountyny.gov/boostnassau

Over the summer, the County opened the Boost Nassau Resource Center, a brick-and-mortar location in Eisenhower Park, and a website, both of which serve as a one-stop-shop for residents, nonprofits, and business to determine eligibility for federal, state, and County programs.
Hot Spots & Night Life, Seasonal & Current Events

By Ls Cohen Published: October 29 2021

Get in the spooky spirit this weekend at these five events.

Looking for a ghoulishly good time this weekend to celebrate Halloween? (OK no more Halloween puns, we promise.) Look no further than our list of six great parties to have a spooktacularly good time. (We couldnt resist!)

Halloween Costume Party

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company will be hosting a Halloween Costume Party with music by DJ Biggie. Contests for best single, duo, group costumes. Winners receive $100 gift cards.

Location: Greenport Harbor Brewery, 42155 Main Road, Peconic.

Drop Dead Sexy 80s Halloween Party

The Warehouse will be presenting an evening of live music with Drop Dead Sexy. Prizes for 80s sexiest dressed and best 80s costume.

Location: The Warehouse, 203 Broadway, Amityville.

SKAlloween at Mr. Beery's

Music and madness on Halloween night.

Location: Mr. Beery's, 4019 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage.

Barnum Ballroom's Halloween Extravaganza

Come see Welcome To My Nightmare! (Alice Cooper Tribute full theatrical performance) with special guests Category 3 and The Long Beach Ukulele Orchestra. Contest! Prizes! Gore Galore!

Location: Barnum Ballroom, 4060 Austin Blvd, Island Park.

Napper Tandy's Annual Halloween Costume Party

Come for the boos, stay for the booze. Come in costume and enjoy the cocktails. Dinner, drinks and delights for all! Plus there are costume prizes with Dizzy After Midnight playing October 30 from 9pm to midnight.

Location: Napper Tandy's Northport, 229 Laurel Ave., Northport.

Long Ireland's 7th Annual Halloween Costume Party

Entry fee is $25.00 per person and includes admission and two beer tickets. Where Stars Collide is back again - a 7 piece band ready to keep you dancing all night, so have a wicked time. They will also have The Big Black food truck on hand again with some awesome eats- so come hungry. Costumes are required! Grab your friends and get creative. Its the one time a year you can dress up without people thinking youre a weirdo plus 1st, 2nd + 3rd place prizes awarded for best costume and don't forget the Best Group Costume category.

Location: Long Ireland Beer Company, 817 Pulaski Street, Riverhead.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of London-listed company director and manager changes announced on Thursday and Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







TP Group PLC - Wincanton, England-based consulting, software and engineering company - Philip Holland resigns as chair, effective immediately, having served for four years. Holland "made this decision in the best interests of the TP Group's employees and shareholders in order to enable the company to move forward with a new strategy", TP says. Science Group PLC, a 27% shareholder of TP, on Tuesday had requisitioned a general meeting to remove Holland, who had stepped up to chair in late September to replace Andrew McCree. Earlier this month, Martyn Ratcliffe and Peter Bertram joined the TP board to represent Science Group, which had failed in a hostile takeover offer for TP Group back in August.







Futura Medical PLC - Guildford, Surrey-based pharmaceutical products for sexual health and pain - Hires Andrew Unitt as non-executive director, starting January 1. Unitt replaces Jonathan Freeman, who steps down as senior independent non-executive director on December 31. Unitt was with pharmacy chain Boots PLC for 11 years, including four as finance director of Boots Healthcare International, its over-the-counter medicines business. He currently is a non-executive director of AIM-listed diagnostics firm Oncimmune Holdings PLC.







Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon PLC - invests for capital growth from small Japanese companies - Hires Claire Finn and Abigail Rotheroe as non-executive directors, with Finn starting on November 1 and Rotheroe on March 1 next year. Finn, a former executive at BlackRock Inc, is a director of London-listings Law Debenture Corp PLC and Octopus Apollo VCT PLC. Rotheroe is investment director for Snowball Impact Management, an asset manager focused on socially responsible investment. Rotheroe previously worked for Threadneedle Investments, managing Asia- and Japan-focused funds.







Resolute Mining Ltd - Perth, Australia-based gold miner with projects in Mali, Senegal and Guinea - Hires Simon Jackson as non-executive director, starting Friday. Jackson replaces Yasmin Broughton, who resigned on Thursday, having served since 2017. Jackson has over 25 years experience managing mining companies, Resolute said, currently serving on several boards, including two as chair.







Capital Metals PLC - mineral sands project in Sri Lanka - Hires James Mahony as chief financial officer, effective immediately, while Anthony Samaha steps down as finance director. Mahony is a partner in Westend Corporate LLP, which provides financial consulting and corporate management services. Additionally, Westend will take over as company secretary, replacing Sam Quinn.







By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Britain on Friday warned it may implement more checks on EU fishing boats if France carries out its threat to take retaliatory measures in a deepening row over post-Brexit access rights. A

Britain would consider "launching dispute settlement proceedings" and "other practical responses, including implementing rigorous enforcement processes and checks on EU fishing activity in UK territorial waters", a government spokesman said.

London on Thursday summoned the French ambassador to explain "threats" made over post-Brexit fishing rights, hours after France's Prime Minister Jean Castex offered to open talks to resolve the increasingly bitter row.

The two sides are at loggerheads over licensing rules for EU boats wanting to operate in waters around Britain and the Channel Islands.

France has been incensed by the rejection of some of its vessels by Britain and the self-governing islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which depend on London for defence and foreign affairs.

Paris has warned of retaliatory measures as soon as next week if the licences are not issued, including time-consuming checks on all products and a ban on UK vessels landing seafood at French ports.

French authorities also fined two British boats fishing for scallops during checks on Wednesday, with one detained at Le Havre.A

British minister David Frost on Friday raised London's concerns with EU Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic during talks over the implementation in Northern Ireland of the Brexit deal agreed last year.

Frost "set out to the vice president our concerns about the unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week to disrupt UK fisheries and wider trade, to threaten energy supplies," the government said.

If the actions were implemented as planned on November 2, Britain said the EU would be in breach of the wide-ranging Brexit deal.

"The government is accordingly considering the possibility, in those circumstances, of launching dispute settlement proceedings," it added.

French Maritime Minister Annick Girardin dismissed British claims that 98% of access applications by EU vessels had been approved, saying the true figure was 90%.

"And all the ones without licences are French, except for one or two Belgians," she said.

Meanwhile, France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said his country had to use "the language of force" because "that's the only language this British government understands".

He said a second round of retaliation could follow if no progress is made, including electricity price hikes for Jersey and other Channel Islands that take power from France.

source: AFP

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Britain on Friday warned it may implement new checks on EU fishing boats if France carries out its threats of retaliatory measures in a deepening row over post-Brexit access to waters. A

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Britain's "credibility" was on the line in the dispute, accusing London of ignoring the Brexit deal agreed after years of tortuous negotiations.

"When you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility," he told the Financial Times.

But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will hold brief face-to-face talks with Macron at the G20 summit in Rome this weekend, vowed to defend UK interests.

"We will do whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests," he told reporters on board his plane as he flew to the G20 summit in Rome.

However, he added that "the ties that unite us, that bind us together are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exists in the relationship."

France is incensed that Britain and the self-governing islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which depend on London for defence and foreign affairs, have not issued some French boats licences to fish in their waters post-Brexit.

France's ambassador was summoned to London's Foreign OfficeA over the row, and spent around 20 minutes with minister Wendy Morton, who "expressed concern over the unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week," according to the British government.

British minister David Frost on Friday raised the issue with EU Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic during talks over the implementation in Northern Ireland of the Brexit deal agreed last year.

Frost "set out to the vice president our concerns about the unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week to disrupt UK fisheries and wider trade, to threaten energy supplies," the UK government said.

If the French actions were implemented as planned on November 2, Britain said the EU would be in breach of their Brexit deal.

"The government is accordingly considering the possibility, in those circumstances, of launching dispute settlement proceedings... and other practical responses," it added.

French prosecutors on Friday ordered a trial for the captain of a British trawler detained on charges of operating without a licence.

French authorities seized the vessel at the northern port of Le Havre on Wednesday, accusing it of scooping up more than two tons of scallops in France's waters without a proper permit.

Andrew Brown of Scotland-based Macduff Shellfish, which owns the trawler, said he believed it had the proper licence and suggested there may have been an "administrative misunderstanding".

France has warnedA that unless licences are approved it will ban UK boats from unloading their catches at French ports from next week and impose checks on all products brought to France from Britain.

Officials have also suggested that France could hike electricity prices for Jersey, which relies on mainland France for its power supplies.

Asked about the claim by France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune that the only language Britain understood was "the language of force," UK Environment Minister George Eustice told the BBC: "That is completely inflammatory and is the wrong way to go about things."

French fleets accuse officials in Britain and its dependency of Jersey of using Brexit as an excuse to stop them securing licences for waters they say they have plied for years.

London has denied the claims. But the threatened French measures could quickly have an impact since the British fishing industry depends on French ports as a gateway to Europe, its main export market.

Tensions over the licence requests had already spiralled into a brief naval standoff in May, when dozens of French trawlers massed in front of the Saint Helier harbour in Jersey.

Fears of a blockade prompted Boris Johnson to send two Royal Navy gunboats to the area, with France then sending two of its own coastal patrol vessels before the French trawlers retreated.

The EU has said talks will continue with both sides on resolving the dispute, with France seeking support from fellow members of the 27-member club.

source: AFP

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
29 October 2021

Power Metal Resources plc

("Power Metal" or the "Company")

FDR Australia - Wallal Project Final Licence Granted

Final Wallal Exploration Licence Granted in the Paterson Region of Western Australia - Entire Wallal Project now Granted

Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW), the London listed exploration company seeking large-scale metal discoveries across its global project portfolio, announces an update from the Wallal Project (the "Project") located in the prolific Paterson region of Western Australia where the Company is targeting major gold-copper discoveries.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Power Metal now confirms that the final licence application at the Wallal project E45/5853 (Wallal West 1) has now been granted. The granted licences are:

E45/5853 - Wallal West 1E45/5816 - Wallal MainE45/5880 - Wallal West 2

- The Wallal West 1 licence fully encompasses the Western magnetic anomaly, which measures 5km by 5km, and is cross-cut by a northwest-southeast trending inversely magnetised dyke.

- The granting of Wallal West 1 means that the entire Wallal Project land package has successfully been granted, which covers the Western, Eastern and Border anomalies.

- The Company now turns its focus to advancing exploration on the fully granted Project, progressing it to a drill-ready stage - which includes the Phase I passive seismic and 2D seismic reprocessing work programme currently underway with results expected shortly.

- In addition, with the successful award of AU$165,000 in co-funding monies from the Western Australia government for a drilling programme targetting the Eastern and Border anomalies, the initial administrative preparations have begun for the planned 2022 Q1 drilling campaign.

- Power Metal is progressing with the acquisition of the holding vehicle of the Wallal Project as outlined in the "Background" section below. A further announcement will be made in this regard shortly.

Paul Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Power Metal Resources plc commented:

"With the grant of the final licence announced today, this exciting project takes another great leap forward. This news means Power Metal shareholders now have exposure to the complete Wallal Project as a granted package.

In our view the Wallal Project is a major strategic gold-copper exploration opportunity with the potential to host the large scale discoveries Power Metal is seeking within its portfolio.

Our Exploration Update on 13.09.21 outlined the important geological and geophysical similarities of the Wallal Project to Greatland Gold's Havieron project, within the Paterson region.

Therefore we are to now turning our full attention towards advancing exploration and specifically towards the initial preparations for a deep-drilling campaign which is planned for early 2022. This will represent the first drill programme ever completed targeting these substantial geophysical anomalies."

BACKGROUND

The Paterson projects are held by First Development Resources Pty Ltd (FDR Australia) and include Wallal Project (Wallal Main-E45/5816, Wallal West 1-E45/5853 and Wallal West 2 - E45/5880, all granted), Braeside West Project (one licence application) and the Ripon Hills Project (one granted licence).

On 28 April 2021 Power Metal announced a conditional acquisition of FDR Australia and this may be viewed through the following link:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/POW/conditional-australia-copper-gold-acquisition/14955517

On 30 September 2021 Power Metal announced the granting of the Wallal Main and Wallal West 2 licences and this may be viewed through the following link:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/POW/fdr-australia-grant-of-wallal-licences/15156169

The latest exploration update released by the Company on 13 September 2021 may be viewed through the following link:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/POW/fdr-australia-paterson-region-exploration-update/15132674

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

For further information please visit https://www.powermetalresources.com/ or contact:

Power Metal Resources plc Paul Johnson (Chief Executive Officer) +44 (0) 7766 465 617 SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nomad and Joint Broker) Ewan Leggat/Charlie Bouverat +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 SI Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Nick Emerson +44 (0) 1483 413 500 First Equity Limited (Joint Broker) David Cockbill/Jason Robertson +44 (0) 20 7330 1883

Notes to Editors:

Power Metal Resources plc - Background

Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW) is an AIM listed metals exploration company which finances and manages global resource projects and is seeking large scale metal discoveries.

The Company has a principal focus on opportunities offering district scale potential across a global portfolio including precious, base and strategic metal exploration in North America, Africa and Australia.

Project interests range from early-stage greenfield exploration to later-stage prospects currently subject to drill programmes.

Power Metal will develop projects internally or through strategic joint ventures until a project becomes ready for disposal through outright sale or separate listing on a recognised stock exchange thereby crystallising the value generated from our internal exploration and development work.

Value generated through disposals will be deployed internally to drive the Company's growth or may be returned to shareholders through share buy backs, dividends or in-specie distributions of assets.

Power Metal Exploration Programmes Underway/Results Awaited

Power Metal now has the following exploration completed with results awaited or exploration underway:

- Silver Peak Project (Canada) - diamond drill programme completed targeting high-grade silver (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Authier North Lithium Project (Canada) - soil & rock sampling completed (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Athabasca Uranium (Canada) - Phase I exploration commenced and field results, together with laboratory assay testing of samples collected, awaited.

- Tati Gold/Nickel Project (Botswana) - reverse circulation drilling completed (field results, together laboratory assay results awaited)

- Molopo Farms Complex (Botswana) - further samples being tested for nickel sulphide and platinum group elements ("PGEs") from diamond drill programme completed (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Ditau Project (Botswana) - preparatory exploration work underway on target I10 leading to planned accelerated drilling targeting rare earth elements and base metals

- Kalahari Copper Belt (Botswana) - results from ongoing exploration across the South Ghanzi Project and further exploration at the more recently acquired South Ghanzi Extension and Mamuno licence areas

- Wallal Gold/Copper Project (Australia) - geophysics results from 2D seismic processing and passive seismic awaited

- Victoria Goldfields (Australia) - results from ongoing exploration across 848km2 of granted exploration licences
29 October 2021

Power Metal Resources plc

("Power Metal" or the "Company")

Power Metal Acquires 100% of FDR Australia

Power Metal Signs Revised Agreement to Acquire 100% Ownership of First Development Resources Australia with Exploration Interests in the Paterson Region of Western Australia

Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW), the London listed exploration company seeking large-scale metal discoveries across its global project portfolio, announces it has today signed a revised agreement ("Agreement") for the 100% acquisition of First Development Resources Pty Ltd (FDR Australia). This Agreement is unconditional and binding.

HIGHLIGHTS

About FDR Australia

- FDR Australia holds exploration interests in the prolific Paterson region of Western Australia and is targeting major gold-copper discoveries.

- The exploration work completed in 2021 to date has identified three magnetic bullseye targets hosted within the Wallal Project held by FDR Australia.

- In Power Metal's view the Wallal Project offers potential for large scale gold-copper discoveries, supported by the geological and geophysical similarities to Greatland Gold's Havieron project, also located within the Paterson province.

- 2D seismic reprocessing work and a passive seismic survey are underway, the results from which will further assist preparations for a planned drill programme for which co-funding has been secured of up to A$165,000 as part of the Western Australia Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS). The Company would like to formally acknowledge and thank the State government for their support.

The Key Agreement Terms

- With this acquisition Power Metal secures a 100% interest in FDR Australia. (Note: Power Metal previously announced a conditional acquisition agreement on 28.04.21 which on completion would have led to Power Metal holding a 75% effective interest in FDR Australia. This agreement has been superceded and Power Metal has now signed a revised agreement to acquire a 100% interest in FDR Australia, subject to the revised consideration terms outlined below.)

- FDR Australia will be acquired outright by First Development Resources Limited, a UK company and wholly owned subsidiary of Power Metal (FDR UK).

- Power Metal will fund the transaction on behalf of FDR UK by paying two main batches of consideration as follows:

Initial Consideration for the 100% acquisition of FDR Australia and the Wallal Main licence currently held within FDR Australia of: 13,333,333 Power Metal new ordinary shares of 0.1p each ("Ordinary Shares") at an issue price of 2.75p and 13,333,333 warrants to acquire new Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of 4.5p.

Additional Consideration for the 100% acquisition of all other FDR Australia interests (granted licences and a licence application currently held by third parties to be transferred into FDR Australia under the Agreement) of: 10,000,000 Power Metal shares at an issue price of 3.2p and 10,000,000 warrants to acquire new Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of 5.0p.

- Full acquisition terms are outlined below.

Next Steps

- FDR UK is planning to list on the London capital markets in Q1 2022.

- FDR UK is in late stage discussions to expand its project portfolio in preparation for listing, including new uranium and rare-earth element project interests as well as additional precious, base and strategic metal opportunities.

Paul Johnson Chief Executive Officer of Power Metal Resources plc commented:

"Today marks an important day for Power Metal as we have completed an unconditional agreement to acquire FDR Australia with its unique portfolio of projects in the Paterson region of Western Australia.

We have undertaken important work in 2021 which focused mainly on the Wallal project where three magnetic bulleyes anomalies have been identified which we consider to be prospective for large scale gold-copper discoveries. That work has increasingly strengthened our belief in the Wallal project's potential which has led to our decision to acquire FDR Australia outright.

Power Metal has now begun preparations for a planned drill programme at Wallal targeting the Eastern and Border anomalies. Alongside this we are undertaking corporate work to secure a listing of the ultimate holding company FDR UK on the London capital markets.

There will be further announcements as we move FDR UK forward from both exploration and corporate perspectives."

FDR AUSTRALIA REVISED 100% ACQUISITION TERMS

FDR UK will acquire the entire share capital of FDR Australia and all FDR Australia interests. The vendors of FDR Australia are the existing shareholders (the "Vendors").

Initial Consideration

For the acquisition of the entire share capital of FDR Australia and its current sole granted licence E45/5816 (Wallal Main) Power Metal will pay initial consideration of A$66,000 in cash and 366,667 payable through issue to the Vendors of 13,333,333 new Power Metal Ordinary Shares of 0.1p ("new Ordinary Shares") at an issue price of 2.75 pence per share ("Initial Consideration Shares").

(Note: The A$66,000 cash will be used to eliminate all shareholder loans in FDR Australia leaving no liabilities as at the Agreement date. For the quarter ended 30.9.21 the FDR Australia Unaudited Profit and Loss Statement shows a loss of A$3,664 and as at 30.9.21 Accumulated Losses of A$29,229. The Accumulated Losses and any subsequent costs to the Agreement date will be eliminated as described above).

In addition, Power Metal will issue the Vendors 13,333,333 Power Metal warrants with an exercise price of 4.5p per new Ordinary Share and life to expiry of 3 years from the date of issue ("Initial Consideration Warrants"). Should the volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of Power Metal shares meet or exceed 7.0 (seven) pence for a 5 consecutive trading days Power Metal may serve notice on the Vendors providing 10 trading days to exercise and pay for the Initial Consideration Warrants or the Initial Consideration Warrants will be cancelled.

Additional Consideration

For the acquisition of all other FDR interests (with the exception of Ripon Hills Project - E45/5088 - an option over which is outlined below) Power Metal will pay additional consideration of 320,000 through the issue of 10,000,000 new Ordinary Shares at an issue price of 3.2p each ("Additional Consideration Shares").

In addition Power Metal will issue the Vendors 10,000,000 warrants with an exercise price of 5p per new Ordinary Share and life to expiry of 3 years from the date of issue ("Additional Consideration Warrants"). Should the VWAP of Power Metal shares meet or exceed 10.0 (ten) pence for a 5 consecutive trading days Power Metal may serve notice on the Vendors providing 10 trading days to exercise and pay for the Additional Consideration Warrants or the Additional Consideration Warrants will be cancelled.

Ripon Hills E45/5088 Option

FDR UK may, at any time within 12 months of the date of signing of this Agreement, acquire E45/5088 (the Ripon Hills project) with consideration comprising a payment of A$20,000 (to be paid as 398,036 Power Metal Ordinary Shares at an issue price of 2.75p and 398,036 Power Metal warrants at an exercise price of 4.5p and on the same basis as the Initial Consideration Warrants above) to Great Sandy Pty Limited ("Great Sandy"), current holder of the licence. Upon witten notice of exercise and payment, Great Sandy will transfer E45/5088 to RH Resources Pty Ltd (which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of FDR Australia).

Royalty

The Vendors will retain a 2% net smelter royalty ("NSR") over all licences included in this transaction and FDR UK will have the right to purchase 1% of this NSR for A$1,000,000.

PATERSON REGION PROJECTS - BACKGROUND

FDR Australia holds the following project interests:

Wallal Project (Wallal Main-E45/5816 (390km2 - granted), Wallal West 1-E45/5853 (96km2 - granted) and Wallal West 2 - E45/5880 (86km2 - granted)

A comprehensive historic desktop study completed by the Company over the Wallal Project identified three prospective bullseye magnetic targets. These include the Western, Eastern and Border anomalies which have estimated dimensions of 5km x 5km, 2.5km x 2.5km and 1km x 1km respectively.

Further analysis determined that the Eastern and Border anomalies are located at depths more similar to Greatland Gold's Havieron discovery, which was discovered by blind drilling a magetic bullseye anomaly through ~420m of post-mineral sedimentary cover. The latest exploration update focused on the Wallal Project and released by the Company on 13 September 2021 may be viewed through the following link:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/POW/fdr-australia-paterson-region-exploration-update/15132674

Braeside West Project (137km2 - one licence application)

In-depth historic desktop analysis is currently underway on the Braeside West Project. A recent base-metal discovery was made by neighbouring company Rumble Resources, which enhances the overall prospectively within the Braeside West Project as it is hosted within a similar geological environment to that of Rumble Resources discovery.

Ripon Hills Project (42km2 - one granted licence).

The Ripon Hills Project is prospective for base metal and gold mineralisation associated with deep-seated north-south oriented fault structures which run through the Ripon Hills Project. In-depth historic desktop analysis is currently underway over the Project.

ADMISSION AND TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS

Application will be made for the 23,333,333 Initial and Additional Consideration Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM which is expected to occur on or around 8 November 2021 ("Admission"). The Initial and Additional Shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the ordinary shares of the Company currently traded on AIM.

Following Admission, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 1,293,721,067 ordinary shares of 0.1p each. This number will represent the total voting rights in the Company and may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculation by which they can determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

For further information please visit https://www.powermetalresources.com/ or contact:

Power Metal Resources plc Paul Johnson (Chief Executive Officer) +44 (0) 7766 465 617 SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nomad and Joint Broker) Ewan Leggat/Charlie Bouverat +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 SI Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Nick Emerson +44 (0) 1483 413 500 First Equity Limited (Joint Broker) David Cockbill/Jason Robertson +44 (0) 20 7330 1883

NOTES TO EDITORS

Power Metal Resources plc - Background

Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW) is an AIM listed metals exploration company which finances and manages global resource projects and is seeking large scale metal discoveries.

The Company has a principal focus on opportunities offering district scale potential across a global portfolio including precious, base and strategic metal exploration in North America, Africa and Australia.

Project interests range from early-stage greenfield exploration to later-stage prospects currently subject to drill programmes.

Power Metal will develop projects internally or through strategic joint ventures until a project becomes ready for disposal through outright sale or separate listing on a recognised stock exchange thereby crystallising the value generated from our internal exploration and development work.

Value generated through disposals will be deployed internally to drive the Company's growth or may be returned to shareholders through share buy backs, dividends or in-specie distributions of assets.

Power Metal Exploration Programmes Underway/Results Awaited

Power Metal now has the following exploration completed with results awaited or exploration underway:

- Silver Peak Project (Canada) - diamond drill programme completed targeting high-grade silver (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Authier North Lithium Project (Canada) - soil & rock sampling completed (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Athabasca Uranium (Canada) - Phase I exploration commenced and field results, together with laboratory assay testing of samples collected, awaited.

- Tati Gold/Nickel Project (Botswana) - reverse circulation drilling completed (field results, together laboratory assay results awaited)

- Molopo Farms Complex (Botswana) - further samples being tested for nickel sulphide and platinum group elements ("PGEs") from diamond drill programme completed (laboratory assay results awaited)

- Ditau Project (Botswana) - preparatory exploration work underway on target I10 leading to planned accelerated drilling targeting rare earth elements and base metals

- Kalahari Copper Belt (Botswana) - results from ongoing exploration across the South Ghanzi Project and further exploration at the more recently acquired South Ghanzi Extension and Mamuno licence areas

- Wallal Gold/Copper Project (Australia) - geophysics results from 2D seismic processing and passive seismic awaited

- Victoria Goldfields (Australia) - results from ongoing exploration across 848km2 of granted exploration licences
Asa Chapman spoke on the merits of HealthStar Clinic at the Chamber Breakfast on last Thurs.
Courtesy of Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network

The Saginaw Bay region has seen massive increases in the sturgeon population due to partnered efforts since 2017.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Michigan State University and others, have stocked 4,055 fish in the Cass, Tittabawassee, Flint and Shiawassee rivers since 2017 as well as 728 this fall alone.
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 44F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 44F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 29F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Paris Saint-Germain will head into their meeting with defending Ligue 1 champions Lille without Kylian Mbappe, after the French forward was officially ruled out due to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) infection.

Mbappe is undergoing treatment for the ailment currently and his return to training isn't scheduled until Monday, as was made clear in a statement released by PSG's medical department.

"Kylian Mbappe is still undergoing treatment for his ENT infection and will resume training at the beginning of next week," the statement read.

This infection not only puts Mbappe out of the domestic clash with Lille, but there is a chance that he doesn't make the squad for the Champions League match against RB Leipzig which immediately follows.

Sergio Ramos is nearing a return

PSG have still yet to hand Sergio Ramos his club debut, with the Spanish defender still struggling with an injury that has kept him out since April.

In the club's weekly medical report, Ramos is said to be improving well and that he may return to full training within a week.

Ramos could be eyeing a playing return in early November, although the Champions League clash with the Bundesliga club will likely come too soon.

Mauricio Pochettino has further concerns

Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes will both be absent for the Lille fixture due to different long-term injuries.

The Italian midfielder is set to sit on the sidelines for four weeks with a hip injury picked up in the recent fixture against Marseille and could even miss the Champions League match with Manchester City on November 24.

Paredes, on the other hand, has a right quadriceps injury which he suffered during the last international break and it is unlikely he'll be back in training until after the November break which is due to begin on November 8.
Funds from the United States' federal government have been sent out with the idea that states would use this money to help their citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet this message seems to have not reached Alabama, as they are using this money to build new prisons.

Late in September, there was a special legislative session held which saw state lawmakers go against calls from their own communities and push through a measure that allows the use of 400 million dollars of federal relief funds to build new prisons and to renovate others, with the overall cost coming in at 1.3 billion dollars.

The state of Alabama has a Black population that makes up 28 percent of the total amount of residents, yet they constitute 43 percent of people in jail and 54 percent of people in prison, according to the Vera Institute of Justice.

Outcry against this idea

A few months ago, a group of investors, business leaders and social justice advocates were able to successfully pressure Barclays, KeyBanc and others to pull out of financing a 630 million dollar taxable municipal bond that would have seen two new prison facilities build via the private prison firm CoreCivic.

The state of Alabama is also currently facing a US Department of Justice lawsuit due to the violent nature of their prisons, with many Black and Brown people allegedly being subjected to unconstitutional use of force.

Government and lawmakers ignoring criticism

Despite this, Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama lawmakers are determined to build more prisons and are now willing to use COVID-19 funds to do so, despite only having recently got into a situation where ICU beds are now available after they were full with largely (79 percent) unvaccinated adults.

"While our prison infrastructure is broken, our ability to govern is not," claimed Ivey.

Rather than using the money to give a much-needed pay rise to health workers or improving hospital facilities given the pandemic we were and are still going through, more importance has been placed on projects not related to what the funding was meant for.

Other careless examples

In Galveston County, Texas, county commissioners have decided to spend 6.6 million dollars of the relief funds for security on the US-Mexico border wall.

In Wyoming, meanwhile, one lawmaker suggested using the funds to push back against President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses.
Julia A. Johnston, 68, of Wilburton, OK passed away at her home in Wilburton on Sunday, November 14, 2021. Services will be on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Waldrop Funeral Home Chapel in Wilburton, OK with the burial to follow in the Peachland Cemetery in Bengal, Oklahoma. O
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 28F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 28F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
It must have been really traumatizing for Shah Rukh Khan to see his son suffering in jail. But he must have breathed a sigh of relief, as after spending almost 26 days in jail, Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court.

The former attorney general of India, Mukul Rohatgi, had stepped in to represent Aryan Khan in the Bombay High Court and made sure that he was granted bail. Aryan Khan has ultimately been released on bail by Bombay HC. "No possession, no evidence, no consumption, no conspiracy, right from the first moment when he was detained on Oct 2! Satyameva Jayate! the legal team said.

After the bail hearing, SRK met Mukul Rohatgi, Amit Desai, advocate Satish Maneshinde and the entire legal team. This is the first photograph of Shah Rukh Khan after his son Aryan Khan's bail following over three weeks in jail. SRK wasnt available for any comments and stayed lowkey while his son was in jail. In the photos, you can see the sense of relief on his face. And he is all smiles when posing for the pictures.

Here are the pictures:

But people are so insensitive that they trolled SRK after this picture started doing rounds of the internet. People were mean enough to say that he is smiling as if Aryan has got an Olympic medal back home. They went on to ask how much money did SRK give for his sons bail.

Here are the reactions:

 Instagram/Viral Bhayani

 Instagram/Viral Bhayani

 Instagram/Viral Bhayani

We feel this is way too demeaning to troll a father who is happy for his son because any man would have felt relieved in such a case.



Aryan along with Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Damecha had been in custody since October 2, when they were detained ahead of an alleged rave party on a cruise ship. All of them had approached the High Court after the special NDPS court rejected their bail pleas last Wednesday.
Finally, the long ongoing saga met another turn, thankfully in favor of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan after his eldest son Aryan Khan was finally granted bail by the Bombay High Court. It truly had been a very testing month for Shah Rukh, Gauri Khan, and the rest of the family after Aryan was detained by the NCB in a drug bust on a Goa-bound cruise ship just off Mumbai's coast.

 Instagram

However, having stayed in Arthur Road jail for almost a month and being denied bail repeatedly, Aryan was released to his family, who had been fighting for his freedom and innocence through tears and blood.



Bollywood Superstars Congratulate Shah Rukh

Now, with Aryan finally free to go back to his family, Bollywood superstars, Shah Rukh's friends from the industry, and others wasted no time in reaching out to the Badshah of Bollywood in order to congratulate him. Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, and Suniel Shetty were among the few actors who called up SRK.

 Twitter

While Salman was already reported and seen to have visited Shah Rukh's Mannat residence at the start of the whole saga, it was clearly nice for SRK to have support from other Bollywood stars.



According to Shah Rukh's lawyer, the actor had been visibly emotional after Aryan's bail with Gauri reacting in a similar manner as per a close friend of the family.

A close friend of the Khan family, while speaking to India Today, revealed, "SRK got calls from everyone from Salman Khan, Suniel Shetty, Akshay Kumar. Gauri was heard crying on the phone to her friends Maheep Kapoor and Seema Khan, who have been with her daily on the phone giving support. Gauri broke down as soon as the text came in regarding the bail. She was in tears and was seen falling on her knees and praying. Suhana Khan spoke to Aryan's friends in the US and UK and thanked them for their support in the last few weeks."

Hugs To Shah Rukh

On the other hand, Karan Johar, who's believed to be Shah Rukh's closest friend, showed his delight at the news of Aryan's release. The filmmaker actually went on a trip down memory lane by posting a throwback picture of him with Shah Rukh as a means to congratulate him on his Instagram Story.

 Instagram

Karan was one of the first few people to have rushed to SRK's home after Aryan's bail plea had been rejected by the court.



A Warning To Shah Rukh

Although SRK is getting messages from across the industry, there was a time there was a never ending silence with actor and anchor Shekhar Suman highlighting how Shah Rukh should be wary of fair-weather friends.

 Twitter

"It is shocking and disgusting just how everyone from the film industry, barring a few exceptions, did not utter a word in support of Shah Rukh Khan. This should be an eye-opener for him. He must realize they are all opportunistic and fair-weather friends here. Now all those ppl from the film industry who went underground and did not support Shahrukh will come out of their holes like rats and will rush to his house with bouquets and show false sympathy now that Aryan has been granted bail. Shahrukh and Gauri must be relieved parents. They went through a lot without any fault of theirs. Congrats on your son being granted bail. I'm sure he has learned the bitterest lesson of his life and will prove himself worthy," he posted on Twitter.



Well, considering how intelligent Shah Rukh himself is, we are sure he has taken cognizance of the events that have taken place over the month. For now, we wish him a well-spent reunion with his son.
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Ambassador of Belarus V.Bril meets the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria

On October 28, 2021, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Federal Republic of Nigeria Vyacheslav Bril met with Minister of State of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria Mustapha Baba Shekhuri.

The parties discussed the implementation of joint projects in the field of agriculture, including the supply of Belarusian agricultural equipment to Nigeria.

In order to get acquainted with the export potential of the agro-industrial complex V.Bril conveyed to M.B.Shekhuri an invitation to visit Belarus.

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AG Nessel Joins Coalition Supporting Florida's Firearm Age Regulations

AG Nessel Joins Coalition Supporting Florida's Firearm Age Regulations

Attorney General

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746

Public inquiries: 517-335-7622



October 28, 2021

LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in defending a Florida law limiting the sale of firearms to people ages 21 and up. In an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, the coalition argues that states have the right to enact reasonable, age-based firearm regulations that protect public safety and reduce the prevalence of gun violence.

The coalition filed the brief in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The lawsuit challenges a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that generally prohibits the purchase of firearms by individuals under the age of 21. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that the law infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of young people. A lower court in this case rejected that argument, holding that laws regulating the sale of firearms to young people are longstanding and constitutional.

"States have a responsibility to protect residents against harm, and with common sense gun regulation, we can do just that," Nessel said. "Across the country we have seen the carnage inflicted by gun violence. Preventing people under the age of 21 from legally obtaining firearms can help reduce this violence."

In the brief, the coalition argues that the Second Amendment gives states the ability to enact sensible regulations designed to protect the public, including age-based restrictions that limit the ability of people younger than 21 to purchase firearms. Although regulations differ based on each state's needs, virtually every state and the District of Columbia has imposed some age-based restrictions on the sale or use of firearms, and at least 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted a minimum age requirement of 21 for the sale or possession of certain categories of firearms. Similarly, courts across the country have consistently upheld age-based regulations, noting that the goal of these regulations is to deter crime and promote public safety.

Joining Attorney General Nessel in filing this brief are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
You are here

MDHHS, Food Bank continue Flint mobile pantries during November

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 29, 2021

CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will continue to provide nutritious food by the truckload to Flint residents throughout November.

MDHHS has provided the Flint mobile food pantries since February 2016 in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint.

November's mobile food pantry distribution will have plenty of delicious, vitamin-rich produce and proteins, including ground turkey, cheese, hard squash, carrots, onions and cabbage.

November dates for distributions are:

Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 Ballenger Hwy. Monday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29, at 10 a.m.

End Times, 4002 S. Dort Hwy. Monday, Nov. 1, at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29, at 11 a.m.

Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road. Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 10 a.m.

Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Hwy. Thursday, Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m.

American Muslim Community Services, 4800 S. Saginaw St. Saturday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m.



Flint residents can also pick up free nutritional food at the three Flint Help Center locations:

Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N. Ballenger Highway, open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays; Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road, open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Highway, open Thursdays except for on Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Information about additional food distributions will be announced as they are scheduled. To check food distribution schedules, visit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan website at FBEM.org and find the updated schedule on the Mobile Pantry Distribution page, or call 810-239-4441.

# # #
Michigan Green Schools program transitions to EGLE stewardship

Michigan Green Schools program transitions to EGLE stewardship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2021

EGLE Media Office, EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov, 517-284-9278

High-quality environmental education support grows to 400 schools

The Michigan Green Schools program has transitioned from a nonprofit to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Educators and students will continue receiving the same high-quality support for environmental stewardship education for Michigan teachers and students.

More than 400 public and private schools participate in Michigan Green Schools, which provides stewardship-themed activities and information to support environmental education in grades pre-K through 12. The program joins annual Earth Day activities and EGLE Classroom in supporting environmental education.

Schools may qualify for various levels of stewardship by earning points for activities:

Green School | 10 total activities with at least two activities from each of the four categories

| 10 total activities with at least two activities from each of the four categories Emerald School | 15 total activities with at least two activities from each of the four categories

| 15 total activities with at least two activities from each of the four categories Evergreen School | 20 total activities with at least two activities from each of the four categories

The four categories of activities for official Green School qualification are:

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

Energy

Environmental Protection

Miscellaneous

The former Michigan Green Schools webpage has transitioned to a webpage within EGLE; however, the information and look will remain consistent.

The current 2021-22 application form and current information can be found on that webpage. The contact information for county coordinators has also been updated and is available.

The process for 2021-22 will remain the same. As a reminder, the Michigan Green Schools application deadline is March 1, 2022, and forms must be returned to county coordinators by that date.

Questions about the program can be directed to Chrissie Pearce at PearceC@Michigan.gov

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Announces Three Communities Chosen for Select Level of the Michigan Main Street Program

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Announces Three Communities Chosen for Select Level of the Michigan Main Street Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCT. 28, 2021

Contact: Achtenbergk@michigan.org

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Announces Three Communities Chosen for Select Level of the Michigan Main Street Program

Adrian, Coldwater and Rogers City join 24 other Michigan communities taking a strategic approach to revitalizing their downtowns and commercial districts

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation today to announce that the cities of Adrian, Coldwater and Rogers City have been selected by the MEDC to take part in the Select Level of the Michigan Main Street program.

As part of the Select Level of Michigan Main Street, these three communities will receive five years of intensive technical assistance from MEDC with a focus on revitalization strategies designed to attract new residents, business investments, economic growth and job creation to their central business districts.

"Now more than ever, it is vital that our communities take a common-sense approach toward strengthening their core commercial districts and driving growth in the community as Michigan's economic recovery continues," said Gov. Whitmer. "With the support of the Main Street program and the MEDC, I believe we can positively transform the downtowns and commercial districts in communities to ensure their place on Michigan's path toward our future."

The Michigan Main Street Program aims to create communities distinguished by a "sense of place." The rationale is based on a range of studies that show investing in creating a "sense of place" is an integral part of developing vibrant downtowns and commercial districts, thereby making the state economically stronger and culturally diverse.

Adrian, Coldwater and Rogers City join 24 other communities already benefitting from participation in the Main Street program. To view a map of the current Michigan Main Street communities, visit here.

"Developing downtowns and commercial districts is essential in creating jobs and growing vibrant, unique places where people want to live, work, visit and play," said MEDC Senior Vice President Michele Wildman. "Programs like Michigan Main Street provide communities with the tools needed to create jobs, provide desirable places to live and build a sense of place for Michigan residents. I look forward to seeing how these three communities will grow within the next five years."

Downtown Adrian

The city of Adrian and the Downtown Development Authority are positioned well for the Select Level. The board has shown increased engagement and commitment to the Main Street Approach through transitioning the way it functions under the Four Points. The downtown district has seen large amounts of investment and there are many opportunities for continued investment that will drive their revitalization in the future.

"I am very pleased to have our passionate volunteers and supportive stakeholders achieve MMS Select Level," said Harry "Dusty" Steele, DDA Board Chair. "We are eager to work alongside Michigan Main Street staff, as we continue implementing the Main Street Approach, to achieve our vision of attracting residents, business owners and developers by preserving and promoting our rich history and our vibrant arts and culture."

Downtown Coldwater

The city of Coldwater and the Downtown Development Authority are also well-positioned for the Select Level. The board has been engaged in the process and ready to move to the next level of Michigan Main Street. The city, board and stakeholders are ready to use the framework of Main Street to guide their comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts. They were able to demonstrate broad-based community support in a short amount of time.

"The city of Coldwater is thrilled to be chosen as a Select Level community. The Downtown Development Authority board and city staff have engaged with community stakeholders, volunteers, and donors to build support for the Main Street 4-Point Approach," said Economic Development Coordinator Audrey Tappenden. "We can't wait to start working with Michigan Main Street program specialists to develop transformation strategies for our downtown."

Downtown Rogers City

The city of Rogers City and the Downtown Development Authority are positioned well for the Select Level of the Main Street program due to the overwhelming community and business support and buy-in for comprehensive downtown revitalization. A group from the community attended the online training series and created a communication and fund development plan that allowed them to grow broad-based community support.

"The designation as Michigan's 25th Main Street Community is truly a game changer for the city of Rogers City, as it has been for all of the other MMS locations across the state," said Rogers City Mayor Scott McLennan. "The strong support received from citizens and local businesses led to this outstanding achievement. Now, looking to the future and with the backing of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, our city will be working to further enhance its assets, building a stronger economy and a more vibrant community for all."

Over the past year, Michigan Main Street communities generated more than $26 million in private investment, 127 new businesses and 143 facade improvements and building rehabilitations. Since its inception in 2003, Michigan Main Street has been a catalyst for job growth, private investment and community engagement. From 2003 through 2019, 1,622 businesses have been launched, with a total public investment of more than $128 million and total private investment of $346 million. In addition, 37,197 volunteer hours were recorded in 2021 in the task of revitalizing downtowns across the state.

To learn more about the Michigan Main Street program, visit here. To learn more about MEDC's community development programs, visit here.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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LANSING  The Teddy Bear Day Care and Learning Center in Traverse City has three facilities but its wait list still numbers over 200 children.

The access to child care is absolutely atrocious, said Teddy Bears coordinator, Anna Fryer, Weve been a child care desert.

One way lawmakers are considering to create more child care oases is to remove state prohibitions on facilities in multiuse buildings.

In Traverse City, for example, one new center that could help meet demand had been hampered by a prohibition on licensing facilities in spaces shared with hazardous operations.

This wording was an issue for a new child care facility coming to Traverse City, which will share space with a restaurant that serves alcohol. The multiuse building will house various occupants and is being built by a real estate developer, Commongrounds.

Under the current regulations, the restaurant was considered a hazardous operation. Commongrounds went through a variance process with the state licensing department, so its facility is approved regardless, said Kate Redman, the project director at Commongrounds.

But legislation sponsored by Rep. John Roth, R-Traverse City, could remove this sometimes long and expensive process for future applicants.

A lot of child cares are working hard, focused on taking care of kids, Redman said. So, adding extra layers of administrative work can be prohibitive for folks.

The bill would remove restrictive wording and provide more specific rules for the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. It would allow more case-by-case consideration by requiring inspection and allowing applicants to describe the nature of other building occupants.

This legislation recently passed the House and was referred to a Senate committee.

The issue is not unique to Traverse City, said Warren Call, the president of Traverse Connect. Traverse Connect is an advocacy group that supports local businesses like Commongrounds.

Theres multi-occupancy buildings across the state that would benefit from having child care providers collected with other types of businesses, Call said.

While some of the most acute needs are in Traverse City, it isnt just an up north or rural issue, said Call, so, it will benefit developers, businesses and communities statewide.

Call says that is especially true in urban areas, where multiuse buildings are common.

Thats why West Michigan businesses have been asking how this bill will impact them, said Alexa Kramer, the director of government affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

Before this legislation, the immediate business reaction was concern of liability and of red flags and regulations, Kramer said.

The well-intentioned regulations on multiuse buildings do not help the shortage of child care options, said Redman.

Compared to the high demand, there arent many licensed child care options in the city itself, said Anna Fryer, who runs Teddy Bear with her mother-in-law, Beth Fryer.

Its harder to make a living now in child care, Beth Fryer said. With stringent rules for in-home facilities, many left the field, which reduced options in Traverse City.

Meanwhile parents in Traverse City and elsewhere pay as much as $200 to reserve a child care slot, often before their child is born, said stay-at-home mom Jill Achard. That is especially true of infant care, which has limited spots and a high demand.

Achard, who runs a Facebook group of Traverse City moms, said it should be examined on a case-by-case basis.

If its next to a bar, that can sometimes get a little rough, Achard said. But if its next to just a restaurant that serves alcohol, like Applebees or Chilis does, I think that would be OK.

This opens doors for new locations for businesses, Kramer said.

The legislation is part of a larger package focused on expanding child care in Michigan. The package included eight bills passed by the House Oct. 6 with bipartisan support.

This is one bill that would be really helpful for our business community as another tool to explore, Kramer said.

The bills are a good step for expanding child care options, Anna Fryer said. However, people need to understand and appreciate the importance of those working in the field.

Were not babysitters, we are educators setting the tone for the future generations, she said. If they want it to grow they have to support it.
BEIJING (AP)  More than 2,000 tourists visiting Chinas Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine following the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in the area.

The move follows reports of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the vast, lightly populated region that attracts visitors with its mountains, lakes and grasslands.
Courtney Page has returned to her home state of Michigan from Arizona to accept the position of assistant airport director at MBS International Airport.

James Canders is certainly happy to have the native of the Battle Creek-Marshall area on board. He had been fulfilling the duties of both the assistant director and director since taking over the MBS leadership position in June 2020 following the retirement of Jeff Nagel.

The position was filled since things are getting back to normal and I cannot fulfill all the duties of assistant director and airport director simultaneously any longer, Canders said. Courtney started working at MBS in September and has already proved herself to be a valuable part of our organization.

Page comes to MBS after working in the economic development office in Payson, Arizona, where she also worked on the planning and development of the local airport.

Its nice to be back home, Page said. It has been great. The staff is wonderful. What they are able to do here with the number of employees they have is impressive.

Page, who holds a bachelors degree in aviation management from Western Michigan University, has also worked for American Airlines in Ft. Worth, Texas, in network planning. Her responsibilities at MBS include overseeing the maintenance and aircraft rescue fire fighters operations departments. Eventually, her duties will expand to airport security, where she will work closely with the Transportation Security Administration, better known as TSA.

I am excited to have Courtney at MBS and know she will do extremely well here, Canders said.

Ive been working on getting back home where my family is, she said.

Page caught the aviation bug early. At age 6, she remember watching her grandfather, a mechanic with the Air National Guard, work on aircraft. Her husband is an American Airlines pilot in Pennsylvania.

I got to see what its all about, Page said. I jumped in at 6 years old and never left (aviation).

Have you ever seen an A-10 Warthawk? Its the coolest plane out there.
* Griffin Health, of Derby recently honored Caitlyn Gaetani, RN, of Waterbury, and Elise Powell, RN, of Monroe, with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. Each was nominated by a patient or fellow caregivers for their exemplary care.

* Lisa Burns of East Haven, a professor of media studies at Quinnipiac University, recently received a national award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Burns was honored with the associations Exceptional Service to the History Division at the AEJMCs 104th annual conference, which was held virtually Aug. 4-7. She was recognized for behind-the-scenes, invisible commitment to strengthening and promoting the History Division. She was chosen for her mentorship of the divisions leadership and members, her recent work as the book awards chair and her previous service as head of the division, according to the association.
EL PASO, Texas (AP)  Four people were killed and 11 others were hurt Friday when a sport utility vehicle carrying 15 migrants rolled over on a West Texas highway, officials said.

The crash was reported about 5:30 a.m. Friday on Texas 54 near the Blue Origin rocket launch site, about 24 miles north of Van Horn and 100 miles east of El Paso, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. No other vehicles were involved, Lt. Elizabeth Carter said.
A bird's-eye view of Connecticut's foliage

Take some time to relax and enjoy the whimsical wonder of Connecticut's fall foliage with this visual experience of Fairfield County.
ROME (AP)  Working to patch things up with an old ally, President Joe Biden told French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday the U.S. had been clumsy in its handling of a secret U.S.-British submarine deal with Australia, an arrangement that left France in the lurch and rattled Europes faith in American loyalty.

Biden and Macron greeted each other with handshakes and shoulder grabs before their first face-to-face meeting since the deal was publicly announced in September, marking the latest American effort to try to smooth hurt French sensibilities. Biden didn't formally apologize to Macron, but conceded the U.S. should not have caught its oldest ally by surprise.

I think what happened was  to use an English phrase  what we did was clumsy," Biden said, adding the submarine deal was not done with a lot of grace.

I was under the impression that France had been informed long before," he added.

The U.S.-led submarine contract supplanted a prior French deal to supply Australia with its own diesel-powered submarines. The U.S. argued that the move, which will arm the Pacific ally with higher-quality nuclear-powered boats, will better enable Australia to contain Chinese encroachment in the region.

Macron told reporters after the meeting: We are building the trust again. Trust is like love. Declaration is good, but proof is better.

The French leader said he believed Biden was sincere when he said he thought France had been informed about the submarine deal by Britain and Australia.

Seated beside Biden earlier, Macron said of the American president: We clarified together what we had to clarify" when asked if U.S.-France relations had been repaired. What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years."

To that end, Macron's goal for the meeting was securing greater U.S. intelligence and military cooperation supporting French anti-terrorist operations in the Sahel region of Africa.

Macron praised Bidens very operational, very concrete decisions in recent weeks that helped the French military fighting Islamic extremists in the Sahel. He said the U.S. had strengthened its support by providing more intelligence and helicopters.

Biden and Macron also discussed new ways to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific, also an effort to soothe French tempers over being left out of the U.S.-U.K.-Australia partnership that accompanied the submarine deal. Other topics on the agenda included China, Afghanistan and Iran, as well as climate change, before next week's U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

The French, who lost out on more than $60 billion from the submarine deal, have argued that the Biden administration at the highest levels misled them about the talks with Australia  and even suggested Biden was adopting the tactics of his predecessor, Donald Trump. France is especially angry over being kept in the dark about a major geopolitical shift, and having its interests ignored in the Indo-Pacific where France has territories with 2 million people and 7,000 troops.

The row challenged Bidens carefully honed image of working to stabilize and strengthen the trans-Atlantic alliance after Trumps presidency, when France for the first time in some 250 years of diplomatic relations pulled its ambassador to the U.S. in protest.

U.S. officials, from Biden on down, have worked for weeks to try to soothe tensions, though not to the extent of having Biden visit France himself to try to reset relations. Instead, hes dispatching Vice President Kamala Harris for a visit in early Novembe r.

In a concession by the White House, the Biden-Macron meeting in Rome was organized and hosted by France at Villa Bonaparte, the French Embassy to the Holy See, which Macrons office called politically important. Meanwhile, first lady Jill Biden was hosting Brigitte Macron for a "bilateral engagement' Friday afternoon.

Biden also praised France as an extremely valued partner and a power in and of itself.

There is too much that we have done together, suffered together, celebrated together and valued together for anything to ... break this up, Biden said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the two leaders would literally cover the waterfront of issues facing the U.S.-France alliance, including counterterrorism in the Middle East, China and trade and economic issues.

We feel very good about the intensive engagement that we've had with France over the course of the past few weeks," he added.

Following their meeting, Biden and Macron were issuing a joint statement outlining areas of mutual cooperation, including the Indo-Pacific and economic and technological cooperation.

While the U.S. focuses on Asia, Macron was seeking to bolster Europes independent defense capabilities, with more military equipment and operations abroad.

France is also determined to put muscle into Europes geopolitical strategy toward an increasingly assertive China, Frances ambassador to Australia, Jean-Pierre Thebault, told The Associated Press earlier this month.

France wants Western allies to divide up roles instead of competing against one another, and for the Americans to be allies as loyal and as available for their European partners as always, according to the top French official.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Bus drivers for North Carolinas largest school system called in sick on Friday to protest working conditions, prompting administrators to urge parents to arrange their own transportation and warn of similar problems next week.

Officials with the Wake County Public School System said 400 of the 600 buses operated by the system were running, news outlets reported. Bus drivers have said concerns about being overworked and underpaid haven't been addressed.
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MERIDEN  The eight dogs seized from a local property when authorities say they busted a multi-state dog fighting ring are now owned by the state Department of Agriculture, a judge has ruled.

Hartford Superior Court Judge Stuart D. Rosen issued a memorandum of decision on Oct. 21 that granted the state custody of the eight pit bulls.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA cleared kid-size doses  just a third of the amount given to teens and adults  for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week.

One more regulatory hurdle remains: On Tuesday, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a final decision by the agencys director expected shortly afterwards.

The rationale here is protect your children so that they can get back towards normal life, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks. The tremendous cost of this pandemic has not just been in physical illness, its been in the psychological, the social development of children too.

A few countries have begun using other COVID-19 vaccines in children under 12, including China, which just began vaccinations for 3-year-olds. But many that use the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are watching the U.S. decision, and European regulators just began considering the companies' kid-size doses.

With FDA's action, Pfizer plans to begin shipping millions of vials of the pediatric vaccine  in orange caps to avoid mix-ups with the purple-capped doses for everyone else  to doctors' offices, pharmacies and other vaccination sites. Once the CDC issues its ruling, eligible kids will get two shots, three weeks apart.

While children are at lower risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 than older people, 5- to 11-year-olds still have been seriously affected -- including over 8,300 hospitalizations, about a third requiring intensive care. The FDA said 146 deaths have been reported in that age group.

And with the extra-contagious delta variant circulating, the government has counted more than 2,000 coronavirus-related school closings just since the start of the school year, affecting more than a million children.

With this vaccine kids can go back to something thats better than being locked at home on remote schooling, not being able to see their friends, said Dr. Kawsar Talaat of Johns Hopkins University. The vaccine will protect them and also protect our communities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also applauded FDAs decision, and said pediatricians were standing by to talk with parents.

Vaccinating this age group is an important step in keeping them healthy and providing their families with peace of mind, said Dr. Lee Savio Beers, the academys president.

Earlier this week, FDA's independent scientific advisers voted that the pediatric vaccine's promised benefits outweigh any risks. But several panelists said not all youngsters will need to be vaccinated, and that they preferred the shots be targeted to those at higher risk from the virus.

Nearly 70% of 5- to 11-year-olds hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. have other serious medical conditions, including asthma and obesity, according to federal tracking. Additionally, more than two-thirds of youngsters hospitalized are Black or Hispanic, mirroring long-standing disparities in the disease's impact.

The question of how broadly Pfizer's vaccine should be used will be a key consideration for the CDC and its advisers, who set formal recommendations for pediatricians and other medical professionals.

A Pfizer study of 2,268 schoolchildren found the vaccine was nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections, based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got vaccinated.

The FDA ultimately assessed more children  3,100  who received the kid dosage to conclude it was safe. Youngsters experienced similar or fewer temporary reactions  such as sore arms, fever or achiness  that teens experience.

But the study wasnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys. It's unclear if younger children getting a smaller dose also will face that rare risk. FDA pledged Friday to keep a close watch.

Some parents are expected to vaccinate their children ahead of family holiday gatherings and the winter cold season.

Laura Cushman of Salt Lake City plans to get her three children  ages 7, 9 and 11  vaccinated as soon as possible.

We just want them to get to resume their pre-COVID life a little bit more. And feel safe about it, she said.

But a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests most parents won't rush to get the shots. About 25% of parents polled earlier this month said they would get their children vaccinated right away. But the remaining majority of parents were roughly split between those who said they will wait to see how the vaccine performs and those who said they definitely won't have their children vaccinated.

The similarly made Moderna vaccine also is being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna also are testing shots for babies and preschoolers.

___

AP reporter Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City contributed.

___

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.
RATHRDRUM, Idaho (AP)  Two people were injured after a northern Idaho home exploded following a natural gas leak.

Tyler Drechsel, fire marshal with the Northern Lakes Fire Protection District, said crews responded to a natural gas leak at the home in Rathdrum about 10:15 a.m. Thursday after a contractor reportedly bored through a natural gas line in the front yard. The fire crews were joined by crews from the electric and natural gas utility Avista.

Drechsel said Avista secured the natural gas leak and gave the fire crews the all clear, so the firefighters responded to additional calls in the area.

More than two hours after the initial call, they responded to an explosion at the same house. Drechsel said he was told after he left that an Avista representative inspected the house and reported there were no readings of natural gas.

Drechsel said the power was turned back on to the house and within five minutes, there was an explosion that knocked out windows and walls and a fire spread quickly through the home.

Two homeowners and an Avista Utilities worker were in the house at the time. The male homeowner suffered burns to his arm, and the utility worker received first-degree burns on his neck. The female homeowner escaped from the second floor of the home by climbing down a ladder with the help of a neighbor.

The home that exploded is considered a total loss, and a nearby home received heat damage.

Drechsel said he was told that at one point, someone threw dirt on the leak to try and stop it, which may have caused the natural gas to migrate into the ground rather than dissipate in the air.

About 12 nearby homes were evacuated while crews worked to ensure there were no pockets of natural gas remaining in the ground.

Avista issued a statement Thursday evening saying it was working through the incident in Rathdrum involving Avistas natural gas infrastructure following a third-party natural gas dig in.

Avista crews are onsite and working alongside first responders to secure and investigate the situation, it said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Advocacy groups and voters sued on Friday to block the North Carolina General Assembly's timetable to pass new boundaries for legislative seats next week, saying Republicans are breaking rules designed to ensure Black voters can elect their favored candidates.

The North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and four individuals filed a lawsuit i n Wake County court challenging the legislators' refusal to consider racial data or evaluate the presence of racially polarized voting in the state before considering map proposals. Avoiding such activity means it's impossible to follow the state constitution and the legal recipe set by the state Supreme Court in the 2000s to make sure House and Senate districts comply with the U.S. Voting Rights Act, according to the lawsuit.

The result of this fatally flawed process is one that will be harmful to voters of color, Allison Riggs with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the plaintiffs lead attorney, told reporters. Even with plain instructions set out by the state Supreme Court, she added, Republicans got it wrong and have stubbornly refused to look at race-based data and analyze parts of the state where voting patterns divided by race have worsened.

The plaintiffs want a judge to immediately stop the current process, demand that the recipe be followed and delay the General Assembly primary set for March 8 until at least May to give legislators and voters more time.

The litigation came about as General Assembly members have been drawing maps over the past three weeks and held public hearings this week. Lawmakers were expected to begin debating and voting on specific plans starting Monday. They want to enact boundaries based on 2020 census figures for the two legislative chambers and for the U.S. House delegation by the end of next week. Candidate filing is currently set to begin Dec. 6.

Republicans filed additional plan proposals Friday that if approved likely would heavily favor the GOP to extend their current legislative majorities in each chamber and have a good chance to win at least 10 of the 14 U.S. House seats the state will have starting with the 2022 elections.

The GOP-controlled House and Senate redistricting committees voted in August to prohibit racial data  such as the percentage of minorities on voter registration rolls and within the voting-age population of a certain county or proposed district. They argue that maps drawn in the late 2010s that courts signed off on didn't use such data, and that judges have found there isn't enough voting polarization by race to be necessary to review.

We did not look at race, and the courts did not criticize us for that, said Sen. Paul Newton, a Cabarrus County Republican and co-chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, in a recent interview. So as we walk now into 2021, why would we do anything different?

But without successful litigation, the plaintiffs lawyers wrote, the votes of Black residents will be diluted and their power weakened.

Lawmakers supposed race-blind redistricting process is rigged to reduce the strength of our votes, silence our voices, and negate decades of struggle and sacrifice for fairer maps, state NAACP President Deborah Dicks Maxwell said in a news release. The lawsuit doesn't challenge the congressional map process, which isn't covered by the state Supreme Court rulings from the early 2000s identified in the litigation.

House Redistricting Committee Chairman Destin Hall of Caldwell County, a lawsuit defendant along with Speaker Tim Moore, Senate leader Phil Berger and others, called the litigation in a tweet another iteration of the Democrats' strategy to sue to win more seats. The Democratic Party or a party official isn't listed among the plaintiffs, however.

I stand firmly behind our process and look forward to fighting against this ludicrous lawsuit, Hall said in a news release.

___

Associated Press/Report for America writer Bryan Anderson contributed to this report.
WILLINGTON  State police are asking for the publics help to identify two people they say broke into Willington Town Hall last weekend.

Connecticut State Police said Troop C responded to the Town Hall around 12:20 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a non-active burglary.
Sailing club seeks new members

OLD SAYBROOK  The Shoreline Sailing Club will meet on Nov. 4 and 18 at 7 p.m. at the Clark Memorial Field bar/lounge, at 210 Elm St. The nonprofit group is welcoming new members.

No prior sailing experience is needed. Boating is the primary focus, but the clubs calendar includes many social activities throughout the year, according to an announcement. Members and first-time guests are admitted free and others are charged $10.

For information, visit shorelinesailingclub.com or the clubs Facebook page.

Chamber to honor veterans

MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerces 20th annual Support the Troops and Honor the Veterans member breakfast meeting will take place on Nov. 1. The event, sponsored by Middlesex Health, will be held on Zoom beginning at 8 a.m.

The keynote speaker will be Bob Cassidy, a retired U.S. Army colonel. Cassidy is the Andersen Fellow in Defense and Foreign Policy at Wesleyan University, and teaches courses on strategy and war. He serves as a faculty mentor to Posse scholars, and advises the Wesleyan student veterans organization.

Two awards will be presented. The William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award recipient is William F. Skip Petras III of Portland. The AT&T Veteran Support Champion of the Year Award recipient is Eversource.

All veterans are invited to attend as guests. Registration is online at middlesexchamber.com.

Medical assistant training

MIDDLETOWN  Middlesex Health, which will have a hand in training future medical assistants, is partnering with the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement as part of the effort.

In spring, according to the announcement, Middlesex Health Primary Care offices in Westbrook, Cromwell and Portland will serve as externship sites for the training program. Middlesex Health hopes to hire graduates of the program for open medical assistant positions, the announcement said.

NIMAA offers a 29-week program that incorporates hands-on training and online educational resources, and is now accepting applications. The cost, which includes tuition and fees, is under $7,000.

Photo contest, exhibit opens

MADISON  The Shoreline Arts Alliances 41st annual IMAGES Photography Competition and Exhibition will go up at the Sill House Gallery at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts at 84 Lyme Street on Nov. 1.

The show, which will be back in a physical gallery space for the first time since 2019, an announcement said, will run through Dec. 11. It features works by Connecticut-based photographers that were selected by three professional judges.

The exhibit can be seen on the Shoreline Arts Alliance website, shorelinearts.org/images. Those interested can vote for their favorite photos in the Peoples Choice Award contest before Nov. 9, when the virtual awards ceremony is scheduled.

The alliance will host live, in-person talks with photographer Terrence Falk on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. at the gallery, and a virtual discussion with this years jurors, Stella Kramer, Archy LaSalle and Joseph Jurson, on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

These events are open to the public, but require advanced registration through the groups website or via email by contacting communications@shorelinearts.org. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place.

River conservation group to meet

MIDDLETOWN  The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation Districts 74th annual meeting will take place at Cold Spring Farm at 46 Town Road in Colchester on Nov. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The nonprofit organization, with a Middletown office at 27 Washington St., will review the past years accomplishments; honor conservation award winners; and present a talk and tour about cooperative projects with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, sustainability initiatives, impacts of climate change, and farming through the pandemic, a press release said.

To RSVP, contact Sandy Weiss at 860-346-3282 or sweiss@conservect.org. This free event is open to the public. For information, including award recipients, visit conservect.org/ctrivercoastal.

Clinic for flu shot and more

DURHAM  A seasonal vaccine clinic will take place on the second floor of the Durham Activity Center at 350 Main St. Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon. Flu, shingles, pneumonia, Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines will be available. For information, visit townofdurhamct.org/Health-Department or call 860-349-8253.

Conserving biodiversity program

LYME  Conserving Connecticuts biological diversity will be the topic of the Lyme Pollinator Pathway groups online program on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., with Peter Picone, a state wildlife biologist.

Those who watch can learn how to make a difference for pollinators and wildlife by planting native species and managing invasive plants on a small and large scale from backyards to open space properties, according to a press release.

This program is co-sponsored with the Lyme Land Trust and the Lyme Public Library. To register and obtain the Zoom kink, contact sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org.

Chamber to honor past chairmen

MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce will give recognition to two past chairmen at the chambers 125th annual awards dinner on Nov. 3 at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Past Chairman Award will be presented to Don DeVivo, president of DATTCO, who was chairman from June 2019 to June 2020, and Tom Byrne, president of Connecticut Rental Centers, who served from June 2020 to June 2021.

Addiction program for women

WATERBURY  The Wheeler Family Health & Wellness Center is reinstating and expanding its program, Parents Recovering from Opioid Use Disorders, to the greater Middletown region and other parts of the state.

The program serves women who are pregnant or parenting young children with substance use disorders or substance use history, including opioid use, or a related disorder. It has received a three-year, $2.7 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

For information, visit wheelerhealth.org and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services website at ct.gov/dmhas.

Contests, referendum go to voters

DURHAM  Voters face decisions on candidates vying for contested seats on the Board of Education, the Board of Finance and the Planning and Zoning Commission and for Zoning Board of Appeals alternate in the Nov. 2 municipal election.

There is also a Regional School District 13 referendum as to whether the districts regionalization plan ought to be amended to authorize the board to close John Lyman Elementary School. A seat on this board is also among the contests.

Voting by machine will take place at Coginchaug Regional High School from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information, go to townofdurhamct.org/Election-information.
STAMFORD  A 37-year-old man is accused of robbing a local Barnes & Noble earlier this month, according to police.

A man later identified as Michael Larocco walked into the store in the Stamford Town Mall on Oct. 9 and allegedly slipped a note to the cashier asking for money, according to Capt. Richard Conklin.

Conklin said the robber told the cashier he had a gun and demanded $100 from the cash register.

Larocco, who police say is homeless, was arrested by Stamford police a day later after an unrelated incident where he allegedly threatened to hurt a woman on Bedford Street when she wouldnt give him any money. He was charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace in that incident.

Using surveillance footage of the book store robbery, investigators also determined Larocco, who was still in custody at the Bridgeport Correctional Center for the unrelated incident, was involved in the Oct. 9 robbery.

Larocco was served an arrest warrant on charges of first-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny while attending a hearing at Stamford Superior Court Wednesday.

A $75,000 court-set bond was placed on him, in addition to the $2,500 bond tied to the unrelated incident on Oct. 10.

Larocco is next scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 9.
GENEVA (AP)  The World Health Organization said Friday that its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is running unopposed for a second five-year term.

Tedros, the first African to head the U.N. health agency, has overseen its complex response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has overshadowed his tenure. Trained in biology and infectious diseases with a doctorate in community health, he is also the first WHO chief who is not a medical doctor.

The U.N. health agency made the announcement after the deadline for candidacies for the next term expired last month and Tedros name was proposed by 28 countries: more than half of them European, and three African: Botswana, Kenya and Rwanda. The formal selection of the next director-general takes place at the WHOs next assembly in May.

A former health and foreign minister from Ethiopia, Tedros  who goes by his first name  received a strong endorsement when France and Germany announced their support for him shortly after the nomination period closed.

Tedros has repeatedly aired concerns about the deadly Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian government shunned his candidacy over his criticism and positions in the former Tigrayan-dominated national government. It has accused him of supporting the rival Tigray forces.

Tedros has been a leading voice urging wealthy countries with large COVID-19 vaccine stockpiles and the big pharmaceutical companies that make them to do more to improve access to the jabs in the developing world  a call that has largely gone unheeded. He has also called for a moratorium on booster shots so that more doses could be made available quicker to poorer countries, which has also mostly fallen on deaf ears.

WHO says more than 60 countries are now administering about 1 million booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines each day  about three times the number of first-time vaccine doses being administered daily in lower-income countries.

In recent weeks, WHO has faced mounting pressure over revelations in September from two independent experts who found that 21 WHO workers were accused of sexually abusing people during the agency's response to an Ebola outbreak in Congo between 2018 and 2010, out of a total of 83 alleged perpetrators connected to the mission.

The Code Blue Campaign, which campaigns to end sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N. peacekeepers and other staffers, called that the largest finding ever of sexual abuse in a single U.N. initiative in a single country or time period.

On Thursday, the European Union's executive Commission said it temporarily suspended payments that fund WHO humanitarian operations in Congo in the wake of the revelations  a move that could affect millions of euros used for programs like emergency response, polio eradication and pandemic response in the African country.

The reported facts are shocking, a Commission statement said. Our thoughts are with the victims and survivors of these misdeeds and the priority is to ensure that they are fully supported.

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Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
Beijing keeps demanding answers about a mysterious US submarine incident that happened in the South China Sea earlier this month, accusing the US of being "cagey" and of trying to cover it up. The US insists that is not the case.

The Seawolf-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Connecticut collided with an object in early October, and Chinese officials have asked about it repeatedly since then.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said Tuesday that China has "grave concerns" and accused the US of being "irresponsible" and "cagey" by not providing details about the incident. He said the lack of details gives "every reason to question the truth and the intention of the US."

"What was USS Connecticut up to do secretively in the South China Sea this time? What did it collide with? Why did that collision happen?" Zhao asked. "Was there a nuclear leak that creates nuclear contamination in the marine environment?"

Zhao's statements Tuesday echo some he made on October 11, when he accused the US of "stonewalling" and engaging in a cover-up. His latest remarks also echo comments made by Ministry of National Defense spokesman Tan Kefei last week accusing the US of covering up the submarine incident with a "lack of transparency."

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby addressed Chinese allegations of a cover-up on October 12, saying that "it's an odd way of covering something up when you put a press release out about it."

US Pacific Fleet released a press statement on the submarine incident five days after the collision occurred on October 2, delaying its release because of operational security concerns. China has capitalized on that delay, suggesting it is suspicious.

The Navy said the submarine struck an object while submerged in international waters, writing that there were no life threatening injuries, that the sub was in stable condition, and that the nuclear-propulsion systems were not damaged.

The sea service did not say where the incident occurred, though Navy officials speaking on the condition of anonymity provided that information to some reporters following the release of the statement.

China's line of questioning could be aimed at pressuring the US to disclose information about US submarine activities in the South China Sea, especially given China's submarine base in the strategic waterway and speculation that Connecticut may have been conducting surveillance.

But there's another angle to the remarks by Chinese government officials.

The US frequently accuses China of militarizing the South China Sea, bullying and coercing other countries in the region, and aggressively advancing its extensive claims the US argues are not supported by international law. In turn, China has worked to cast the US as the destabilizing military presence in the South China Sea. The incident involving the Connecticut appears to be playing into those efforts.

In his comments at Tuesday's briefing, Zhao criticized the US military presence in the region and argued that the US is "the biggest force for militarization of the South China Sea"  a frequent criticism by China's Foreign Ministry.

The US has repeatedly accused China, which has built military outposts in the South China Sea and used its growing military might to advance its geopolitical interests, of engaging in behavior that contrasts sharply with the US vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The Connecticut is docked in Guam, according to The War Zone, which published the first satellite images of the wounded submarine on Friday. The satellite images offered a limited view of the submarine but did not appear to show any major damage.

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Onlookers stood shoulder to shoulder on the bridge over Pack Creek on Mill Creek Drive on Sunday evening, watching ash-blackened flash flood w
I had been bumped a grade higher and posted as the operations manager in a large branch in Bombay.

Almost immediately the monsoon arrived.

Sitting in my cabin I heard a rattling noise, a bit like the sound of a machine gun firing. I went out to investigate.

I found that rain water was leaking profusely through the roof of the staircase or lift-shaft and falling on the wooden staircase, creating the sound that I had heard. The staff told me that this happened every year.

The lift had to be shut down and the staircase was awash with water. Everyone was feeling the pinch. Something had to be done.

I consulted the banks architect. He told me that leaky roofs were common in old buildings such as ours, constructed before the first World War.

What is the solution? I asked.

Wellwe will have to demolish the entire staircase and re-construct.

This did not quite seem to be a quick fix, I thought.

And once we demolish, we cannot re-construct, because the building is way in excess of the permissible floor space index (FSI).

That put the lid on it. I had to find some other solution.

When the rain stopped, I went to the terrace above the staircase and looked around. Suddenly I had an idea!

Why not put up a tarpaulin shamiana, with a slope, on the terrace? The rainwater would slide off into the adjoining lane and nothing would fall on to the roof and seep through to the staircase.

Feeling quite proud of myself I went to meet my boss, the branch manager, to tell him about my brilliant solution.

He nodded sagely and asked me how the shamiana would be put up.

I summoned up my knowledge of struts and supports from my IIT days and made a detailed drawing, complete with dimensions.

My boss looked at it and said What will it be made of?

Either steel angles or bamboos, I replied.

Pata karo kitna kharcha hoga (find out how much it will cost) said the boss.

I got one quotation each for the steel and bamboo structures.

The boss chose bamboo, but he wanted three quotations.

I got the three quotations.

The boss wanted to know what kind of tarpaulin I would use.

I identified three types and got hold of samples.

Boss chose one, but againthree quotations.

Ten days passed in going through this process. Every time I returned with the reply to his query, he had one more query yeh bhi pata karo (Find out this also).

In the meantime, water continued to stream down the staircase, the lift remained shut, and everyone in the branch was miserable.

The last straw was, the boss wanted to know where I would store the tarpaulin after the monsoon.

At this point I decided  to hell with it!

I put up the shamiana at a princely cost of Rs2,744.

Dry staircase, lift running  general happiness in the branch.

Next morning the boss summoned me.

He waved at me the expense voucher for Rs2,744.

What is this? he yelled.

The cost of the shamiana, I replied.

But I have not approved it! How could you spend this money?

I kept quiet.

The boss fumed for some more minutes. He fished out a red pen from his drawer and wrote on the voucher, in bold letters: NOT approved by me.

Despite all his tantrums, the boss was actually happy.

He hadnt made the decision  I had. If anything went wrong, I would be blamed, not he.

Nothing could touch him  he could continue to be the Teflon manager.

The subterfuge-seeker Boss

Getting credit proposals to move through the assistant manager (AM) continued to be a struggle.

He would keep papers with him for weeks on end. The files piled up on his table. When the table filled up, they went on the floor.

Soon one did not go to the filing cabinets to look for a customer file  one went to the AMs cabin.

Matters came to a head when an important customer complained to the manager about a long delay in getting an answer to a request.

The manager summoned me and asked me the reason for the delay.

I retrieved the file from the floor of the AMs cabin. The proposal I had prepared three months ago was still sitting inside the file. I showed it to the manager.

Where has this been all this time? asked the manager.

With the AM, Sir I replied.

The manager turned to the last page of the proposal where the secretary, who had typed the proposal, had put her initials ar.

This has been typed by Anita Rodrigues the manager said. She left us over two months ago. Correct?

I nodded.

The manager pursed his lips and said All right, carry on.

He charged into the AMs cabin with the file in hand.

The next thing I knew was that the secretaries were pulling out all the files and re-typing the last page of every pending proposal which had ar written on it.
When it comes to womens empowerment, there is precious little the Right to Information Act (RTI) seems to have contributed to, thanks to a dismal 9% women using it as against 91% men. And the strength of women information commissioners across the country stands at an even worse, at 4.5%.

The first of these dismal facts comes from research undertaken jointly by Satark Nagarik Sanghatan and the Centre for Equity Studies, while the second one constitutes research findings of Transparency International.

RTI activist Anjali Bharadwaj, who spoke at a Moneylife Foundations event early this week, stated that Act is more directly relevant and vital to women at large because if they do not get their ration cards, their children will go hungry, if there is some mismanagement in schools, their children will not get educated, or else, they would suffer from lack of sanitation if they do not get their rightful public toilets. Yet, women score very low in the use of RTI.

Ms Bharadwaj analyses that this is due to the patriarchal system wherein women traditionally play second fiddle. Even if she wants to raise an issue under RTI, the male member of the family applies, she observes.

She says the other reason is the intimidation by the public information officers (PIOs) and appellate authorities (AAs) who treat women RTI applicants rudely. This has led to the inhibition to use this powerful tool of citizen empowerment.

However, thanks to several non-government organisations (NGOs) across the country, working in transparency and government accountability, who are hand-holding women to use RTI, there is a glimmer of hope.

Two instances come to my mind as to how women have effectively and courageously used the RTI Act. Kamla Moirangthiem from a village in Manipur ensured proper implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The other Asha Namdeo Sable, whose husband died as an undertrial in the Beed prison, received compensation as she proved through RTI documents that he died of injuries.

Here are their stories:

Kamla Moirangthiem is a resident of Uchekontakhok village of Manipur. Her village pradhan had taken her details for the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). But only three applications were passed and she did not get any response. Finally, when her friend filed an RTI application asking for the list of beneficiaries under the IAY scheme, she realised that she was one of them. Kamla Moirangthiem is a resident of Uchekontakhok village of Manipur. Her village pradhan had taken her details for the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). But only three applications were passed and she did not get any response. Finally, when her friend filed an RTI application asking for the list of beneficiaries under the IAY scheme, she realised that she was one of them.

When she approached the pradhan of her gram sabha with her request for a home, he coolly asked her to submit two photographs along with her signature on a blank sheet. I asked him what he was planning to write in the paper but there was no answer. Then I asked him how much money he will give me. He thought for a moment and then told me that after deducting a percentage for the underground groups, I would get Rs18,000 to build a house. I knew that I was entitled to Rs35,000. So I refused to sign the paper.

She then filed a complaint with the district collectorate about this issue. There was no action taken upon my complaint at all.

She then filed a writ petition with the Gauhati High Court Imphal bench. The High Court subsequently directed the administration to take appropriate action on her complaint.

Finally, the district collector responded and directed the block development officer (BDO) to release the payment. Her retaliation, however, infuriated the pradhan.

She says, I started getting threats from the underground organisations. But all my friends supported me. Every night they would all gather at my house to protect me.

However, after the death threats, she directly went to the pradhan and confronted him openly. I have no enemy in this community except for you. If anything happens to me, it will be your responsibility.

The presence of non-state actors complicates the picture in Manipur.

Kamla received a phone call from an underworld organisation. They told me that I should give them 4% of the money I received. My friends spoke to them. We asked them to come and check my place to see if I can pay up the 4% they are asking for.

Fortunately, the underworld organisations did not pressurise much. She finally got her money in instalments of Rs27,000 and Rs7,000. Her four-year-old struggle ensured that she was the first person to get the entire amount in her village and in nearby areas.

People look up to me. They tell me that they also will not accept less money for building a house under Indira Awas Yojana, says Kamla beaming with pride.

Kamla and her friends are a part of a group who have been trained in the use of the RTI Act by Macha Leima, a womens organisation. Macha Leima is one of the oldest womens organisations in Manipur. After the implementation of RTI Act, Macha Leima formed groups in villages of Manipur and trained them to use the RTI Act.

YASHADA published Kamlas story in a book dedicated to common citizens across the country, using RTI for their personal issues, reflecting the more significant social malaise.

In the other instance, in a rare example of the effective use of RTI, Asha, the wife of an undertrial who had died in the Beed Central Jail under suspicious circumstances, sought legal intervention based on the documents procured through RTI, and then forced the Maharashtra government to cough up the compensation of Rs5 lakh with 9% interest through the High Court. She did receive the compensation from the state government!

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court ordered, Information was collected under the RTI Act and death due to head injury was confirmed.

Asha was helped by RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar to procure documents under the RTI Act. Her story was earlier published in Moneylife
Last night, Amazon messaged me to say that my Prime membership was up for renewal in about a week. I was told that there would be no auto-renewal (which I had not wanted in the first place) since bank currently is unable to process new automatic/recurring payments on credit/debit cards. Okay. No issue. It took me exactly a minute to renew the Prime membership, with two-factor authentication. And Amazon also benefits by getting my payment a week ahead.

If you read and believed the orchestrated outrage on social media since 1st October over the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) decision to, finally, enforce the ban on auto-debits, you have probably decided that I do not deserve to benefit from the ease of online payments. Guess what? A majority of Indiansin fact, 83% of themseem to think like me. They would rather take that minute for renewal of memberships and subscription payments than have their money auto-debited from their bank or credit card without a choice, even if the amounts involve small sums of money.

A survey by LocalCircles (read: https://www.localcircles.com/a/press/page/rbi-auto-debit-survey ) shows that 83% of Indians, who paid for apps on Google Playstore, Apple App Store and Windows Store, support RBIs decision to mandate one-time password (OTP)-based authentication for all app purchases and renewals for transaction up to Rs5,000 as well. The survey has 40,000 responses from 302 Indian districts. But we live in times when the noise on social media may not reflect the views or worries of ordinary people.

LocalCircles says, consumers have been complaining of being locked into auto-debit, leading to unauthorised charges over a long time, since 2017. The complaints were escalated to RBI right then. Yet, mandatory auto-debits kept rising and the survey shows that only 23% of customers were given the OTP option while subscribing to apps in the past 12 months. As many as 46% said they had been wrongly charged or over-charged on auto-renewals in this period.

The rules preventing auto-debit have been on the cards for two years. RBI had responded to public demand and asked the industry to implement verification through OTP in 2019 and the rules were to apply from March 2021.The deadline was extended to 30 September 2021 since banks claimed that they were unprepared and predicted chaos in the marketplace. A few did see the writing on the wall and encouraged subscribers to use alternatives such as Razorpay, Instamojo, etc.

Isnt it ironic how any relaxation permitting faster on-boarding of customers or payments gets activated with extraordinary speed, while a consumer-safety feature was ignored to the point that millions of transactions allegedly failed on 1st October? Perhaps, banks and multinationals were mistakenly confident about lobbying to push the deadline once again.

Now consider how the outrage factory worked. A simple and effective way of fuelling outrage was to call customers between 2am and 5am (in the dead of the night) to verify the renewal of payments. People were startled out of deep slumber and sent scrambling for their payment details out of fear that they were hacked or scammed. They were told this was in compliance with RBI rules and this was enough to get them to go ballistic on social media, without bothering about details. Influencers went into hyper mode to amplify the outrage. A political journalist even wanted to start a campaign against RBIs attempt to protect us. Nobody paused to ask why the same companies that spam us relentlessly everyday could not send a simple email seeking renewal of the subscription.

Those who oppose RBIs action ask: Why force OTP verification on low-impact transactions, i.e., payments below Rs5,000? The feedback was that a large number of people, many of who are lower-income earners, were affected. Let us not ignore the fact that industry is super-efficient in collecting payments, but deliberately lethargic about everything else. Let me outline some issues.

The Problem

Apps that quickly store your credit cards without permission, make it extremely cumbersome, if not impossible, to cancel subscriptions, or even access/delete the stored cards. Maybe techies figure their way around things, but the art and science of designing a great user interface is to ensure that ordinary, non-tech peopleyour customersought to have a friction-free experience, not used against them. The biggest and most tech-savvy companies in the world are guilty of stealth and coercion when it comes to storing credit cards without explicit permission.

Despite repeated attempts, I have not been able to delete my husbands card stored by Jio after making one payment on the Jio app! Big Basket (now a Tata company) had a sneaky auto-tick in fine print to save the card for my convenience. The process of deleting it is tedious and an escalated complaint made no difference. Why do we need an RBI order to protect us from such practices (failing to see a little pre-ticked sentence in tiny font seeking permission to store our card)? Fortunately, RBI has barred business from storing customer card data from 1 January 2022. Hopefully, they will take this deadline more seriously and work at alternatives.

The friction and harassment is greater when it comes to lodging complaints or dealing with increasingly sophisticated scams. A customer who is scammed is immediately back to struggling with archaic systems and processes. The industry does not care to use its financial muscle and lobbying powers to change that part of the business. Moneylife Foundation has handled hundreds of horror stories and we know that redress is extremely poor. Here are a few things that need collaborative action.

Practical Complaint Mechanism: A couple of weeks ago, senior journalist Prosenjit Datta, tweeted about his experience of being scammed by a fake Goibibo app ( A couple of weeks ago, senior journalist Prosenjit Datta, tweeted about his experience of being scammed by a fake Goibibo app ( https://twitter.com/prosaicview/status/1450489304145301510?s=21 ). At the end of his narrative, he makes an important point. A complaint to the cyber cell requires the complainant to provide transaction details like exact time, merchant name, etc. None of these is available to a customer if her account or debit card is blocked.

Then there is Rajesh Aerat who had his wallet stolen from his car and his card misused. Since he and his friends on a trek were victims, they had to file a first information report (FIR) at a police station. This took several hours, which is a lifetime for a digital scamster. His mistake was not to block his cards before lodging an FIR. When he attempted it, he discovered his ATM PIN had been changed and he could no longer auto-block his card using that facility. The scammer appears to have changed the transaction limits on his card to withdraw Rs9.09 lakh through 71 different transactions. He also transferred money from one account to another to enable payments.

ICICI Bank, despite repeated and continuous follow-ups, refuses to explain how and why its systems did not flag his card or raise a red alert at 71 transactions in a few hours or why the cash withdrawal cap of Rs1 lakh failed. The scamster clearly knew ICICI Banks systems well; but the victim is also a tech-savvy engineer from BITS Pilani. Our complaint systems are in the Stone Age, but ever hear industry lobbying to transform complaint mechanisms? This is the grim reality of grievance redress in India, do we still want to protest RBIs rare attempt to make things slightly safer for us?

Sophisticated Scams: Mr Dattas case raises another important issue. First, who should be responsible for tracking and warning customers about highly sophisticated fakes? Just as he was fooled by a fake Goibibo app, a Twitter handle masquerading as the official account of ICICI Bank fooled many of us. The use of digital media teams to redress customer grievances, which is a part of corporate image management, was a very welcome move. Even public sector undertakings respond well to complaints on social media. But what happens when fake handles lure people to part with information? It is easy to blame the customer in these situations, but the industry has far better resources to track and shut down such fakes as well as the clout to ensure that social media giants respond quickly to them.

While I support RBIs decision on the OTP verification, the banking and payments regulator, although far more receptive under governor Shaktikanta Das, has a long way to go before it begins to understand, hear and act on issues faced by ordinary people.
Weather Alert

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Visibility less than 0.25 miles at times in dense fog. * WHERE...Mainly in the Bitterroot Valley especially along Highway 93 between Darby and Missoula. * WHEN...Until 11 AM MST this morning. * IMPACTS...Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. &&
HELENA, Mont. - Following the announcement of OSHAs COVID mandate, the Montana Chamber of Commerce says they are evaluating the impact of the
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RENO, Nev. (AP)  A Nevada rancher suing to block construction of the largest lithium mine in the U.S. says the governments environmental assessment of the project relies on a baseline set by a consultant for the mining company with a conflict of interest that trivializes potential harm to water resources and wildlife near the Oregon line.

Bartell Ranch LLC wants a U.S. judge to order the Bureau of Land Management to provide documents, contracts and internal communications with all third-party consultants the agency used to reach its conclusion that Lithium Nevada Corp.s mine wont affect threatened species or significant scientific, cultural or historic resources.

The ranch filed a lawsuit in February challenging plans for the Thacker Pass mine it says would rob the ranch of its precious water rights.

The case has been consolidated with lawsuits subsequently filed in U.S. District Court in Reno by conservation groups and tribes alleging the mine would destroy critical sage grouse habitat and damage sacred tribal lands that were the site of a massacre in the 1860s.

The bureau hired its own independent consultant, ICF International Inc., to prepare the scientific foundation for a 2,700-page environmental impact statement required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

But it includes 1,300 pages of studies on groundwater pumping that established the models and baseline created by Tyler Cluff, a hydrogeologist in Reno for Canada-based Piteau Associates, according to the motion the ranchs lawyers filed last week.

They say Cluff currently is serving as an expert for Lithium Nevada in a separate water right protest proceeding in which hes relying on much of the same data and work he did for the mines final environmental impact statement.

This unusual relationship between a third-party contractor for the NEPA analysis, Piteau, and LNC suggests that Piteau was not working for BLM on the FEIS in a neutral and independent capacity, but rather, was working directly for LNC, the motion states.

Piteau didnt respond to emails and phone messages seeking comment.

The ranchs lawyers say theyre seeking an order to obtain the documents because the bureau and Piteau have refused their requests to collect data at Piteaus test wells and monitoring locations or turn over field data. They say its created a shroud of secrecy over the basis for the mines approval.

The entirety of the water resources analysis appears to have been entrusted to Piteau Associates, who appears to have worked mostly, if not exclusively, at the direction of LNC, the motion said. It said the bureau didnt verify Piteaus field work and simply assumed it was reliable.

Bartells own hydrogeologist strongly disputes the baseline water quantity and quality, and forage conditions.

Piteau could have inputted faulty data into the models to generate a particular baseline and model outcomes to benefit their employer LNC, it said. BLMs decision to trust the NEPA process to parties like Piteau who may have a financial stake in the approval of the (mine) raises the specter of bad faith.

The new filing seeks to add the field studies and samples to the courts administrative record, which currently contains Piteaus final reports and analysis but excludes nearly all drafts and communications from Piteau.

The environmental baseline is so insufficient that actual baseline conditions are hidden.

The bureau has until Nov. 5 to respond to the latest filing.

A Justice Department lawyer representing the agency said in an email to the ranchs lawyer last month the bureau wasnt provided any field reports and relied on those contractors baseline reports, which are included in the EIS.

BLM has the expectation that contractors with appropriately credentialed staff will provide accurate data and conclusions in a professional manner, Leilani Doktor wrote in the email attached as an exhibit to the ranchs motion.

Lithium Nevada said in its latest filing last week that BLM fully analyzed and ensured compliance with water quality standards and appropriately adopted adaptive management. It said earlier that the bureau conducted a comprehensive review based on its experience and expertise, public comment and extensive data collected ... over years in coordination with state and federal environmental agencies.

Doktor said the bureau considers the documents sought by the ranch internal and deliberative material exempt from the administrative record. Third-party contracts are exempt because they are not materials considered during the decision-making process.
Dr. Ben Carson was the keynote speaker at The Life Centers fall fundraiser Tuesday night at the Horseshoe.

Center officials reported 1,500 people were on hand to hear the former presidential candidate and former secretary of Housing and Urban Development talk to common sense people.

Dr. Carson reminded the audience that we cannot be the land of the free without being the home of the brave, said Judy Rouse, executive director of The Life Center.

Carson told stories from his days as pediatric surgeon, including taking part in unusual surgical procedures performed on twins in the womb. The surgeries saved the lives of both babies whom Carson met as adults, according to Rouse.

Carson follows in the footsteps of those like Mike Huckabee, Allen West, Jay Sekulow, Trey Gowdy and Jason Chaffetz, who have traveled to Midland to speak at The Life Center event.

Rouse also stated Carson reminded those in attendance that life begins in the womb, that there is a spiritual battle taking place and to save this country means all Americans pulling together  to be brave and do the right thing as God directs.

The Life Center is a non-profit, faith-based, alternative-to-abortion organization, advocating sexual wellness through three areas of outreach: teaching about sexual risks, helping through pregnancy and healing through restoration, according to the centers website.

Its offices in Midland, Andrews, Big Spring and Odessa uphold and promote the value of human life at every stage of existence and development, The website states. The Life Center supports mothers and fathers experiencing a pregnancy and promotes sexual wellness in the West Texas community. We offer practical educational tools, spiritual support and mentoring to women and men helping equip them to choose, enjoy and nurture healthy relationships.

Online: https://thelifecentertx.org/
HOUSTON (AP)  The three abandoned brothers were thin, malnourished and hungry, living alone for months with no blankets to keep them warm inside an unfurnished Houston area apartment with soiled carpet, flies and roaches. The trio were barely surviving, abandoned and set adrift alongside the decomposing body of their 8-year-old brother.

Authorities on Wednesday alleged these were the deplorable conditions the children lived in for months as they waited for their mother to call authorities to report that their brother had been beaten to death by her boyfriend. Investigators say the mother never made that call and the oldest surviving sibling, a 15-year-old, finally overcame his fear and called authorities on Sunday.

For many agency veterans it was the most disturbing scene they worked in their entire law enforcement career. It seemed too horrific to be real, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a news conference on Wednesday, a day after charges were filed in the case.

The childrens mother, Gloria Y. Williams, 35, was charged on Tuesday with felony injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence (human corpse). Her boyfriend, Brian W. Coulter, 31, was charged with murder. Both remained jailed. Court records did not list attorneys for them who could speak on their behalf. Authorities say they could face additional charges.

Deputies found the 15-year-old and two other siblings, ages 10 and 7, living alone in the apartment, Gonzalez said. Authorities also found the skeletal remains of 8-year-old Kendrick Lee underneath a blanket in a bedroom.

The 15-year-old told authorities his parents had moved out of the apartment in March, according to court records.

Williams and Coulter had been together for a couple of years and Coulter at some point allegedly began to consistently beat the younger children, said Harris County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Dennis Wolfford.

Authorities allege that sometime around Thanksgiving last year, Coulter fatally beat Kendrick, later covering his body with a blanket.

The 7-and 10-year-old siblings told investigators they witnessed Coulter use his fists and feet to hit Kendrick on his face, feet, buttocks, back, legs and testicles, according to court records.

Brian Coulter continued to stare at (Kendrick) as he kicked him. (The 7-year-old) said (Kendricks) eyes were black and he stopped blinking during the assault. (The 7-year-old) said they pulled back the covers and saw (Kendrick) was really dead and saw roaches everywhere on him, according to court records.

Wolfford said a few months after the fatal beating, Williams and Coulter moved out and went to live at another apartment about 25 minutes away, leaving the three surviving siblings to fend for themselves. The children last attended school in May 2020, according to the Alief school district.

Gonzalez said that Williams provided the children with some food, either by a delivery service or by dropping it off. But it was mostly junk food like noodles, chips and soft drinks, he said. Authorities say it was not enough food for the children and some neighbors also fed them and charged a cellphone for them. But neighbors were unaware of the conditions the children were living in.

One of the first things I asked them, are they hungry. They said they were ... They wanted doughnuts, Wolfford said of his conversation with the children after authorities found them.

Wolfford said investigators believe the younger children were not allowed to leave the apartment and they continued to live in constant fear of beatings from Coulter. Authorities allege Coulter punched the 10-year-old child in the jaw a few weeks before the body was discovered and that neither he nor Williams got the child any sort of medical care. The childs injured jaw will require surgery, Wolfford said.

Throughout this, the children continued to live by themselves in an apartment where they saw their brothers decomposing remains, which were in plain view, Gonzalez said.

Before her arrest, Williams told investigators she didnt tell authorities what had happened to Kendrick because Coulter told her not to and she was afraid she would go to jail and her children would be taken away by Child Protective Services, according to court records.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has been given temporary custody of the three children.

Two of the children might be on the autism spectrum, Gonzalez said.

Wolfford described the surviving siblings as sweet children, but that they have been traumatized and have a blankness in the eyes.

My prayer is that the remaining children find the love, support and protection that they so desperately need and deserve and that they have been missing for so long. And I hope that their future is better than their past, Gonzalez said.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
age 95, a long time resident of Beggs, OK, transitioned in her grandsons home in Tulsa, OK with family at bedside. Arrangements are pending with House of Winn Funeral Home-Okmulgee.
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
School districts across west-central Illinois have started evaluating what role they will have in efforts to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 against the coronavirus once approval is given.

A decision could come as early as Tuesday whether to authorize emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine for the age group. One vaccine, developed by Pfizer-BioTech, is already allowed for children age 12 or older.

Although school administrators dont yet know if the coronavirus vaccine will at some point join the list of those students are required to have  a requirement schools are responsible for enforcing  most believe there will be some responsibility for schools.

Triopia schools Superintendent Adam Dean said the district likely would have a voluntary vaccination clinic for parents to get their children vaccinated.

Dean said if the vaccine is approved for the age group, the school district probably would have some role in helping with distribution.

We would likely plan to have a clinic working with the Morgan County Health Department, Dean said. Obviously we dont have anything set up or established.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has outlined a plan that would rely on schools, pediatricians and county health departments to vaccinate the age group  roughly 1.1 million people in the state. The state says 756 elementary school districts already have agreed to provide parent-approved vaccinations in school and 2,200 providers statewide have signed up to provide the vaccination if approved.

Dean said because the topic is a touchy one in general, he expects the vaccine for younger students to be even more controversial.

He said the district will not be forcing students to get the vaccine or taking a stance on the vaccine, but will help facilitate distribution for those who would like to get it.

We will work with the health department if they want to provide a clinic during the day or after school, Dean said. I just want to stress it is parents choice.

Jacksonville District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek said so far he hasnt been told what role the district will be expected to play if an approval is made.

There hasnt been any mandate discussions and I cant say what well do once it is approved, Ptacek said.

Jacksonville has held vaccination clinics for staff and students 12 or older to help aid distribution of the vaccine.

Parents were able to get their students vaccinated at the school through the Morgan County Health Department on a voluntary basis.

Ptacek said while there is the possibility of doing something like that again, he doesnt know if the district will host another clinic.

We didnt have a lot of turnout, so I dont know if wed interrupt our school day for something that would have such a little turnout, Ptacek said. Our staff turnout was huge, but the student one wasnt. It would be up to the health department if they would want to provide it.

Right now, Ptacek said its unknown what sort of requirements will be made if the vaccine is approved.

Its a wait and see game right now, he said. Anything that will be done will start with the health department and then well discuss if we need to do something at school.
According to the latest data released by the United States Air Force, as of Oct. 25, up to 12,000 Air Force personnel have rejected orders to get fully vaccinated against the coronavirus despite the Pentagon's mandate. Officials have said it is too late for them to do so by the Tuesday deadline, as the mandate from military leaders has been met with defiance among some in the force.

According to the data, 94.6% of active-duty airmen have been fully vaccinated and another 1.8% are partially vaccinated. Barring an approved medical or religious exemption, those who defy lawful orders to be fully immunized are subject to punishment, including possible dismissal from the service, or could be charged in the military justice system.

The Air Force has the largest military presence in the Metro East thanks to Scott Air Force base, located near Belleville and O'Fallon in St. Clair County, established after the U.S. entered World War I. According to Scott Air Force base, the 375th Medical Group, located at Scott Air Force base, currently offers Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and those seeking Johnson & Johnson vaccines must do so in the local community.

Service members must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 2 and Department of Defense civilians and contractors are required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22. Those eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine from the 375th Medical Group include service members including Active, Guard and Reserve groups, beneficiaries including dependents and retirees, as well as DoD employees, namely civilians and contractors employed on Scott AFB or at another DoD entity.

Other military services have staggered compliance deadlines from the end of November to the middle of summer 2022 and some have experienced greater resistance to the mandate, according to the Washington Post.

This resistance to the vaccines comes during a national wave of protests as the death toll due to COVID-19 has climbed to more than 740,000 people. There have been anti-vaccine marches, mass resignations and demonstrations outside of government buildings, according to USA Today. Several Republican governors, including Missouri's Mike Parson, have issued executive orders attempting to weaken local, federal and employee-issued vaccine mandates.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Thursday Parson issued an executive order targeting federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, although some, including some Republican officials, pointed out that the order would have little effect in the state since many vaccine mandates already grant exceptions due to medical and religious reasons.

The wave of dismissals that could arrive for the Air Force due to vaccine hesitancy could jolt the Air Force personnel system and cause significant challenges within units that must be ready to respond to crises at a moments notice, especially if some vital jobs  like pilots or aircraft maintainers  are overrepresented among those who could face expulsion, said Katherine L. Kuzminski, a military policy expert at the Washington think tank Center for a New American Security.

"The fact that its a choice leading to potential loss to readiness is striking," she told the Post.

The Air Force is the third-largest military service, just behind the Navy, with 324,000 active-duty airmen, making even 3% of its ranks a substantial number.

The Air Force declined to say how many airmen appear to be outright refusing vaccination versus how many are seeking exemptions or have opted out because they are nearing their scheduled exit from the military. The Air Force will release some of those details after next weeks deadline passes, per the Post.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said this week that, generally, the number of religious exemptions for any vaccine is "very, very small." The Army, which is the largest military service, has granted just one permanent medical exemption and no religious exemptions for the coronavirus vaccine, officials said. The Navy hasnt granted any religious exemptions for any vaccine  for the coronavirus or otherwise  in the past seven years.

Vaccination rates in the Air Force have slowed in recent weeks, and it is too late to begin a regimen now and be in by compliance by the Tuesday deadline, indicating the Air Force has mostly immunized all troops who want the vaccine, officials said.

Airmen receive counseling from leaders and medical providers when filing a medical exemption. For a religious exemption request, service members must meet with a chaplain to determine if their request was generated by a "sincerely held belief."

Overall, the military vaccination rate has climbed since August, when Defense Department leaders informed the nations 2.1 million troops that immunization would become mandatory.

Nearly 87% of active-duty troops are fully vaccinated, Kirby said, though hesitancy among military reservists and National Guard members drives down the rate for the entire military to about 68%. The numbers vary widely between service branches, fueled in part by the differing deadlines and cultural reasons, The Washington Post found.

The Air Force has said airmen who refuse can change their mind after speaking with their commanders or if their exemption request is denied, though further noncompliance will be met with an escalating set of punishments, including involuntary separation or possible referring of court-martial charges.

Airmen who decide to leave the military over the coronavirus vaccine mandate may face similar problems if they want to transition to federal government employment or jobs with government contractors, which are popular draws for veterans but now mandate the immunization as well.
ROME (AP)  Face to face at the Vatican, President Joe Biden held extended and highly personal talks with Pope Francis on Friday and came away saying the pontiff told him he was a good Catholic and should keep receiving Communion, although conservatives have called for him to be denied the sacrament because of his support for abortion rights.

The worlds two most prominent Roman Catholics ran overtime in their discussions on climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic, a warm conversation that also touched on the loss of presidents adult son and included jokes about aging well.

Biden said abortion did not come up in the meeting. We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion, Biden said.

The presidents support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion. American bishops are due to meet in their annual fall conference in mid-November, and will find themselves debating a possible rebuke of a U.S. president just weeks after their boss spent so much time with Biden that all their subsequent meetings were thrown off by an hour.

Video released by the Vatican showed several warm, relaxed moments between Francis and Biden as they repeatedly shook hands and smiled. Francis often sports a dour look, especially in official photos, but he seemed in good spirits Friday. The private meeting lasted about 75 minutes, according to the Vatican, more than double the normal length of an audience with the pontiff,

The pair sat across from each other at a desk in the papal library, accompanied by a translator. They then proceeded to an exchange of gifts and a broader meeting including the first lady and top officials.

Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the worlds poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution, the White House said. "He lauded Pope Francis leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.

Biden takes pride in his Catholic faith, using it as a moral guidepost to shape his social and economic policies. He wears a rosary and attends Mass weekly.

After leaving the Vatican, Biden said that he had a wonderful meeting and that the pope prayed for him and blessed his rosary beads. He said the prayer was about peace.

A dozen Swiss Guards in their blue and gold striped uniforms and red-plumed helmets stood at attention in the San Damaso courtyard as Biden and his wife, Jill, arrived. They were received by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, who runs the papal household, and then greeted one by one the papal ushers, or papal gentlemen, who lined up in the courtyard.

Its good to be back, Biden said as he shook the hand of one of them. Im Jills husband, he told another before he was ushered into the frescoed Apostolic Palace and taken upstairs to the popes private library.

According to the Vatican, Biden presented Francis with a woven chasuble, or liturgical vestment, made in 1930 by the famed papal tailor Gammarelli and used by the popes Jesuit order in the U.S., where it was held in the archives of Holy Trinity Church, Bidens regular parish in Washington. The White House said it would make a donation to charity in the popes name.

Biden also slipped what's known as a challenge coin into the pope's palm during a handshake, and hailed Francis as the most significant warrior for peace Ive ever met.

The personalized coin depicts Biden's home state of Delaware and a reference to his late son Beau's military unit, the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade. Biden told Francis that Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, would have wanted him to present the coin to the pope.

"The tradition is, and Im only kidding about this, but next time I see you, if you dont have it, you have to buy the drinks," Biden said, referring to the coin. He added: Im the only Irishman youve ever met who's never had a drink.

Francis laughed and responded: The Irish brought whiskey.

Biden, 78, also relayed the story of American baseball player Satchel Paige, a Black pitcher who played late into his fifties, in a parable about aging. 'How old would you be if you didnt know how old you were?" Biden quoted Paige as saying. "Youre 65, Im 60, Biden added, as Francis, 84, pointed to his head and laughed.

Francis presented Biden with a ceramic tile depicting the iconography of the pilgrim, as well as a collection of the popes main teaching documents, the Vatican said. In the Vatican video, he could be heard asking Jill Biden to pray for me.

The warm encounter stood in stark contrast to Donald Trumps 2017 meeting with Francis, with whom the former president had a prickly relationship. Photos from that 30-minute meeting showed a stone-faced Francis standing beside a grinning Trump. Biden's meeting also was longer than the 52 minutes Barack Obama spent with Francis in 2014.

Biden is visiting Rome and then Glasgow for back-to-back summits, first a gathering for leaders of the Group of 20 leading and developing nations and then a global climate conference.

Biden and Francis have previously met three times, but Friday's encounter was their first since Biden became president.

Biden also met separately Friday with G-20 summit hosts Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. He ended the day with French President Emmanuel Macron, trying anew to smooth relations after the U.S. and U.K. decided to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, scotching a lucrative French contract in the process.

Bidens meeting with Pope Francis generated some controversy in advance as the Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled plans to broadcast the meeting with Biden live and denied independent press access. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the revised television plan reflected the virus protocol for all heads of state audiences, though he didnt say why more robust live TV coverage had been initially scheduled and then canceled.

The Vatican instead provided edited footage of the encounter to accredited media.

The Vatican spokesman declined to comment on Bidens remarks about Communion, noting that the Vatican doesnt comment on the popes private conversations beyond what is written in the official communique, which made no mention of the issue.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement after the Vatican meeting that didn't address Bidens remark about Communion. Instead, the statement suggested that the president would not be singled out in any document emerging from the bishops meeting next month.

The document is intended to speak to the beauty of meeting Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and is addressed to all Catholics, the statement said.

There was no immediate response to queries sent by The Associated Press to seven bishops engaged in the debate.

Francis has stressed that he will not reject political leaders who support abortion rights, though Catholic policy allows individual bishops to choose whether to prevent people from taking Communion.

___

AP Religion Writer David Crary in New York contributed to this report.

___

This story was first published on Oct. 29, 2021. It was updated on Oct. 30, 2021, to correct that the Swiss Guards were wearing red-plumed helmets, not red-plumed halberds.
There will be free trick-or-treating and rides on the Big Eli Ferris wheel Sunday during the Rotary Club of Jacksonvilles Halloween celebration in Community Park.

The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m.
Andriy Onufriyenko | Getty Images

Jacksonville Public Library will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic from 3 to 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the library, 201 W. College Ave.

The Pfizer/BioTech vaccine will be available for those age 12 or older.
Provided

Lincoln Land Community College and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale have signed an agreement that will allow some Lincoln Land graduates to complete a bachelors degree online.

A program known as Saluki Step Ahead will offer students the opportunity to get a bachelors degree in accounting, business administration, criminology and criminal justice, health care management, psychology or radiologic sciences by spending the first two years at LLCC and completing required coursework. The third and fourth years will be done remotely through SIU Carbondale.
A perceived threat of violence that stemmed from Florida placed the police and school officials on alert before it determined the message was not directed toward Jacksonville.

A post that originated on Snapchat on Wednesday said there was going to be a shooting at a school with the initials JHS.

My supervisor on duty received the notification around 11 p.m. [Wednesday] from the Lincoln Police Department, Jacksonville Police Chief Adam Mefford said. The letters JHS were identified.

The Lincoln Police Department received the information from Savannah, Georgia.

Jacksonville school Superintendent Steve Ptacek was notified of the alert and was confident that the department was looking into how credible the threat was.

I knew the police department were looking into it, Ptacek said.

With the post having the letters JHS in it, law enforcement authorities nationwide stepped up patrols of schools with the same initials, and the FBI and Department of Homeland Security joined the investigation.

Understanding that every threat has to be considered credible, Ptacek said that there are other communities that have JHS and that his main goal was to work hand-in-hand with Jacksonville police to make sure all students, staff and faculty were out of harms way until the threat was contained.

With a name on the screen shot, Jacksonville police officers on duty researched the name to verify if there was a connection to Jacksonville High School.

It was not our school, Mefford said.

According to reports, the message resulted in the arrest of a Jupiter (Florida) High School student, who told police the post was made as a joke.

For Jacksonville, however, the police department wanted to make sure that parents and students didnt fall victim to social media posts that could cause more chaos.

We did put out extra patrols and our officers got on top of this pretty quickly, Mefford said, adding that they wanted to get the word out that it was a hoax before the morning commute.

For Ptacek, he would approach each threat with the same concern.

Its all based on a credible threat and individual basis, Ptacek said of approaching threats. The Jacksonville Police Department did an amazing job and we have an amazing relationship.
BEARDSTOWN  Authorities are trying to find three people who broke into a Beardstown residence Wednesday night or early Thursday and took what they could before residents woke up and the burglars ran away.

Beardstown Police and the Cass County Sheriffs Department are investigating. Crimestoppers of Morgan, Scott and Cass Counties is also accepting anonymous tips about it or other burglaries in the county.
ALBANY  A summons charging former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo with misdemeanor forcible touching was prematurely issued on Thursday after a sheriff's investigator filed paperwork with the court summarizing their investigation and seeking to begin the process of obtaining a criminal complaint.

No final decision had been made by the sheriff's department or the Albany County district attorney's office on whether to formally file charges, but the issuance of the summons was authorized by a judge based on the documents received by the court, according to sources familiar with the matter. A spokesman for the state Office of Court Administration confirmed that a misdemeanor complaint against Cuomo was filed Thursday in Albany City Court.

The summons, which has not been served on the former governor, directs Cuomo to appear in City Court on Nov. 17. A law enforcement source said the sheriff's department did not expect the summons to be issued on Thursday  or to be made public.

The summons was issued without the consent of the alleged victim, Brittany Commisso, or her attorney, Brian D. Premo, according to sources familiar with the matter. Commisso, an Executive Chamber employee, has been cooperating with investigators and was planning to move forward with the criminal complaint, according to law enforcement sources.

"It was my client's understanding that the district attorney's office was in agreement with the sheriff's department that it was going to conduct a thorough, impartial and apolitical evaluation of the case, and only after completion of the investigation, speak to my client to allow her to make an informed decision as to whether she would proceed as a victim in the case," Premo said. "Like the district attorney's office, she was informed about this recent filing through media."

In a follow-up statement hours later, Premo said his client "was surprised by the turn of events but she has been and will remain a resolute cooperating victim in pursuit of blind justice."

Read the summons:

Cuomo Criminal Complaint by cseiler8597 on Scribd

A sheriff's investigator who had been a lead investigator in the case, in which the governor was accused of groping Commisso at the Executive Mansion last year, had met with a City Court official on Thursday to receive "guidance" if the department were to move forward with filing a complaint  something that was supposed to happen next week at the earliest, according to a law enforcement source.

It's unclear what happened after that, but a person briefed on the matter and not authorized to comment publicly said that someone in City Court issued the summons after determining the paperwork submitted by the investigator was sufficient to do so. The investigator had apparently filed the paperwork in anticipation of obtaining a summons next week if the victim agreed to go forward with any charges, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The issuance of the summons was leaked almost immediately to a news organization, New York Focus.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple issued a statement late Thursday confirming that "sheriffs investigators presented Albany City Court with evidence for their review to determine the most appropriate legal pathway moving forward on the investigation. Sheriffs investigators ... have determined that there was enough probable cause to present evidence to the court."

Albany County District Attorney David Soares' office and the sheriff's department had been scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss whether to move forward with any criminal case against Cuomo. It's unclear whether that meeting will still take place.

The district attorney's office issued a statement late Thursday afternoon confirming they had not been aware the sheriff's department had filed a complaint with City Court until it was reported publicly.

"Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriff's Office against Andrew Cuomo," the statement says. "The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case."

Premo, Commisso's attorney, said he and his client also were caught off-guard.

The evidence gathered by sheriff's investigators in the case included text messages, Blackberry "PIN" messages between state troopers who staff the Executive Mansion, cell phone records, and Capitol swipe-card access records that confirmed Commisso's return to her Capitol office after visiting the mansion on Dec. 7, the day of the alleged incident.

The evidence also includes information confirming Cuomo held a news conference in downstate New York earlier that day  an event that Commisso had told investigators she remembered occurred before she was summoned to the governor's mansion that afternoon.

The complaint filed in Albany City Court was signed by Albany County sheriff's Investigator Amy Kowalski, who has been the lead investigator on the case. It states the incident took place between the hours of 3:51 and 4:07 p.m. at the governor's mansion, and that Cuomo "did knowingly, and intentionally commit the class A misdemeanor of Forcible Touching."

The complaint adds that Cuomo "did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part" for "the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires."

The sheriff's department has been investigating groping allegations against Cuomo since August. The criminal investigation followed an attorney general's report that led to Cuomo's resignation following a four-month investigation that included interviews with the women who accused him of conduct ranging from making sexually charged remarks to grooming and Commisso's groping allegation.

Despite the confusion over the filing of the complaint, state Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying her office had "proceeded without fear or favor" in its investigation.

"The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report," James said.

Rita Glavin, Cuomo's attorney, had previously filed a complaint with the district attorney's office about the sheriff's department's actions in the investigation. On Thursday, she seized on the confusion created by the issuance of the summons.

"Gov. Cuomo has never assaulted anyone, and Sheriff Apples motives here are patently improper. Sheriff Apple didnt even tell the district attorney what he was doing," Glavin said. "This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics."

Commisso's allegation is the most incendiary to be leveled against Cuomo, who has dismissed his workplace behavior as "playful" and an attempt to "make jokes that I think are funny."

The governor stated earlier this year that he "never inappropriately touched anybody and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to."

In the wake of the earliest allegations  before the groping account was first reported by the Times Union in March  Cuomo had authorized the attorney general's office to commence a "review" of the complaints. But that directive did not authorize the attorney general to conduct a criminal investigation or to subpoena witnesses before a grand jury. That authority would have needed to be given to James under a separate provision in Executive Law.

On Oct. 11, the Times Union reported that electronic records gathered by investigators for the state Assembly's Judiciary Committee, which is expected to issue a report on their investigation that began as an impeachment proceeding, showed Commisso was at the governor's mansion with Cuomo on Dec. 7.
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. High 41F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 29F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron told Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during their first conversation since Australia pulled out of a multibillion-dollar submarine deal that it is up to Morrisons government to repair the damaged relationship between their countries, Frances presidency said Thursday.

Australia last month canceled a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and agreed to acquire American nuclear-powered vessels instead as part of an Indo-Pacific security pact with the United States and Britain. The pact, known as AUKUS, infuriated France, which recalled its two of its ambassadors over the lost deal.

President Macron recalled that Australias unilateral decision to scale back the French-Australian strategic partnership by putting an end to the ocean-class submarine program in favor of another as-yet unspecified project broke the relationship of trust between our two countries, Macrons office said.

The presidential Elysee Palace added that Australia should now come up with tangible actions that embody the political will of Australias highest authorities to redefine the basis of our bilateral relationship and continue joint action in the Indo-Pacific.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said he had seen a read out of the conversation and it was a productive phone call.

Obviously the French are upset, there is no question about that, Dutton told Nine Network television.

So they have expressed that and we understand their frustration. But we made a decision that was in our national interest, Dutton added.

Morrison had been keen for the phone call to happen, Dutton said.

Dutton suggested the bilateral tensions were escalated by French elections next year.

Dont forget too that France has got an election in April of next year. So politicians and elections always make for an interesting mix, Dutton said.

So I think once we get through that next year, hopefully we can continue with steps to normalize the relationship. But thats the situation at the moment, he added.

Australia and Britain last week defended their nuclear submarine deal with the U.S. amid concerns that AUKUS could escalate tensions in the region and spark an arms race.

The pact is intended to provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines, although the subs are not supposed to be be nuclear-armed. The agreement drew mixed reactions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern it adds to the strain in hotspots such as the South China Sea. China, which claims most of the disputed sea, slammed the pact and warned it would threaten regional stability.

Others nations such as the Philippines, which claims part of the South China Sea, suggested AUKUS could help restore balance in the region, alluding to Chinas growing military might.

Ahead of a Group of 20 meeting in Rome this weekend and the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Macron also discussed climate issues with Morrison, according to the French presidents office.

The Elysee Palace said Macron urged the Australian prime minister to adopt ambitious measures to commensurate with the climate challenge, in particular the ratcheting up of the nationally determined contribution, the commitment to cease production and consumption of coal at the national level and abroad, and greater Australian support to the International Solar Alliance.

Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne expressed regret to an Australian Senate committee that key allies learned about the French contract cancellation through the media rather than through diplomatic channels.

Payne had been advised by her department that countries including France, Japan, Indonesia, India, South Korea, New Zealand and Canada should be notified before the public announcement of the nuclear-powered submarine deal.

But leaks to the media the night before derailed the timeline for a number of key players, Payne said. She did not name those countries.

Payne said she would prefer sensitive information about Australias security decisions was not canvassed in the media before they were officially announced.

I think that is regrettable, she said.
Belarus forces US to close public diplomacy, USAID offices View Photo

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Belarus has forced the closure of the U.S. Embassys Public Diplomacy and USAID offices in a move that comes amid the tensions with the U.S. and its allies over Belarusian authorities crackdown on protests.

Samantha Power, the U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, said Friday that the Belarusian authorities aim to severely disrupt U.S. development assistance and public diplomacy in Belarus by forcing the closure of facilities that house key U.S. Government operations, and by ending employment of all of USAIDs local staff and Department of State public diplomacy staff.

She added that the move, which is effective Nov. 20, demonstrates the authorities callous disregard of the interests of the Belarusian people.

U.S. Envoy for Belarus Julie Fisher described the Belarusian authorities decision as a reflection of their deep insecurities about the role of diplomacy, people-to-people ties and independent civil society.

She added that the U.S. will not be deterred from its commitment to helping advance democracy and human rights in Belarus and to supporting the aspirations of the Belarusian people to build a more promising future in a free and independent Belarus.

The ambassador noted that the U.S. governments development assistance implemented in Belarus by USAID since the 1990s has supported entrepreneurship and the expansion of small-to-medium private enterprises. More recently, it provided key COVID-19 relief while Belarusian authorities were dismissive of the pandemic.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate in the countrys disputed August 2020 presidential vote, was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure. She expressed gratitude Friday to the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy and USAID offices.

They will return to new Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter. I ask them to continue work for Belarusians  we see and value this consistent support.

Belarus relations with the U.S. and the European Union have become increasingly tense following the countrys authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko being handed a sixth term in the August 2020 vote that the opposition and the West have rejected as rigged. The election fueled massive protests, to which authorities responded with a fierce crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police.

Lukashenkos government has moved methodically to squelch any remaining resistance, shutting NGOs and independent media and arresting activists and journalists.

Viktor Babariko, the former head of a Russia-owned bank who aspired to challenge Lukashenko in the 2020 vote, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in July on the money-laundering charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

On Friday, Babarikos last remaining lawyer, Yauhen Pylchanka, was stripped of his license due to alleged legal violations during the trial. Pylchanka said the move was spearheaded by the countrys top state security agency, which still goes under its Soviet-era name KGB.

The Belarusian KGB initiated my expulsion from the collegium of lawyers under a sham pretext of violation of professional ethics, Pylchanka told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. Babariko has been left without lawyers and without any communications with the outside world, deprived of the possibility to properly defend himself.

Also Friday, the Belarusian Interior Ministry outlawed popular messaging app channels NEXTA, NEXTA-Live and LUXTA as extremist and blocked German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and the Current Time TV channel.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.

By YURAS KARMANAU

Associated Press
Photo from Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo

Tuolumne County Public Health reports 41 new COVID-19 cases since yesterdays report with 34 unvaccinated and 7 vaccinated. There are 39 more active cases today than yesterday, the 257 active cases include 17 who are hospitalized, one less than yesterday. One of the hospitalized cases is vaccinated. Californias Hospitalization Statistics reports one ICU bed available in Tuolumne county. They report six ICU beds total and four fewer ICU beds available from the prior day. Adventist Health Sonora has 152 beds total and sends patients to other hospitals in the region as necessary.

Todays newly reported cases had 12 cases age 17 or younger and 8 cases age 60 or older. New COVID-19 cases by gender and age: 7 girls age 0 to 11, 4 girls and 1 boy age 12 to 17, 2 women and 3 men age 18 to 29, 2 women and 3 men age 30 to 39, 2 women and 4 men age 40 to 49, 3 women and 1 man age 50-59, 2 women age 60 to 69, 3 women and 1 man age 70 to 79, 2 women age 80 to 89 and 1 woman age 90 or older.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County increased to 61.3 from 57.2 per 100,000 population yesterday. A total of two were released from isolation since today, in all 5,260 have been released from isolation. There have been 5,638 community cases and 1,620 inmate cases. Of Tuolumne Countys population eligible to be vaccinated 62% have been vaccinated. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports one active COVID-19 case at the Sierra Conservation Center. The SCC manages 3,285 inmates including all the southern fire conservation camps. There have been 121 community deaths due to COVID-19, four were vaccinated.

Calaveras County Public Health reports 19 new cases since yesterday and active cases increased by 5 to 102, the number of current Covid hospitalizations is not available. There are three new cases age 17 or younger and four new cases age 65 years old or older. Since the pandemic began Calaveras has had 656 Covid-19 positive children who are 17 and under and 680 Covid-19 positive people 65 and over. Calaveras has vaccinated 55.5% of their eligible population.

Calaveras Public Health and Dignity Health and Mark Twain Medical Center are collaborating for a Drive-Thru Flu Clinic at Calaveras High School in San Andreas on Saturday, November 6, as detailed here. Flu Shot Appointments can be scheduled through myturn.ca.gov/flu

Mariposa County Public Health reports 17 new cases and 48 active cases including 8 hospitalizations.

Health Officials in Mariposa state Its been a while since we shared information about VAERS and reports of death or severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines. They share the following facts to help you better understand and to share with your loved ones.

1. VAERS stands for Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and is used for all vaccines, however, its been more widely utilized with the COVID-19 vaccines.

2. VAERS data is self-reported (in most cases), meaning you can go in and enter the information yourself. Reports may also be made by healthcare systems. For example, healthcare professionals are required to submit a report of any death after an individual receives a vaccine. This doesnt mean the death was caused by the vaccine, which leads into our next point

3. The CDC & FDA are some of the agencies that investigate any severe event, including death, reported to the system. They look for correlations (a relationship or connection between two things) as well as causations (when one event  getting vaccinated  directly leads to another event). If the benefits of a vaccine no longer outweigh the risks, action is taken to stop vaccinations.

If you have questions, reach out to Mariposas team at 209-259-1332.

Last Weeks Overview (Oct. 15  22) Tuolumne reported a total of 172 new cases up from 145 last week and Calaveras has reported 82 cases up from 65 last week. This week there were five Covid deaths of residents reported in Tuolumne County and one in Calaveras. There were 66 new cases in Mariposa and one death of a resident due to Covid.

COVID-19 Testing The LHI testing site at the fairgrounds has moved to a self-swabbing process. If you are 12 or older and are able to do the swabbing yourself, you will be instructed to do so. Self-swabbing had previously been optional but is now part of the regular testing protocol. Public health recommends if you believe you have been exposed to Covid, schedule an appointment to get tested 5 days after exposure and if you are having any symptoms, please get tested right away. The Tuolumne County State testing site is open 7 days a week beginning from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Appointments can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123 the same website and phone number can be used to schedule tests in other counties. Testing is also available through some pharmacies, at Rapid Care, the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider.

COVID-19 Vaccine appointments and booster vaccine shots can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255. COVID-19 vaccine appointments are also available at local pharmacies more details are here. Appointments for COVID-19 boosters can be made at myturn.ca.gov. However, at this time, you are not able to schedule a booster appointment for a vaccine that is different from your initial vaccine series. If you would like to get a different booster from your initial vaccine series, please call Tuolumne Countys COVID-19 Information line to arrange an appointment (209) 533-7440. They state the ability to select which vaccine will be a function activated on MyTurn soon and will provide updates when it becomes available.

Regarding the recent expansion of the Pfizer vaccine Emergency Use Authorization to 5 to 11-year-olds, the recommendation by the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) is an important first step in the approval process. The vaccine has more steps before it will be available to the age group locally. Health officials state, We will relay updates as they become available.

Free flu shots every Tuesday at the Tuolumne Public Health Department from 8:30-11:30 a.m. by appointment only. Call 209-533-7401 to schedule your appointment. Their office is located at 20111 Cedar Road North, Sonora, CA 95370.

County/Date

Tier Color Active

Cases New Cases

Total Cases COVID

Deaths Amador 10/28 81 7 3,532 55 Calaveras 10/28 102 19 3,861 83 Mariposa 10/28 48 17 1,395 17 Mono 10/28 61 5 1,481 5 Stanislaus 10/28 1,604 163 77,954 1,350 Tuolumne 10/28 257 41 7,258 121
Blue Zones Project View Photo

Sonora, CA  This weekends Mother Lode Views will focus on the newly announced Blue Zones Project in Tuolumne County.

The goal is to help local residents live more fulfilling and longer lives. It is being launched in several Northern California communities served by Adventist Health.

President of Adventist Health Sonora, Michelle Fuentes, says, As we continue to address the societal challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision to introduce Blue Zones Project to Tuolumne County comes at an especially critical time. Adventist Health sees this initiative as an essential step in helping all community members move forward in environments that support their health and sense of connection while also promoting resiliency.

Ben Leedle, the CEO of Blue Zones, and co-founder of the Blue Zones project, says, We know that communities with greater well-being have lower healthcare costs, higher productivity levels, are more resilient, and are recognized among the best places to live, work and play. The Blue Zones model lifts well-being at the community level by making healthy choices easier, and we look forward to collaborating with local community leaders and stakeholders in empowering everyone in Tuolumne County to live better and longer lives.

This weekends Mother Lode Views will feature the Executive Director of the Tuolumne County Blue Zones Project, Tyler Summersett.

Summersett says Blue Zones is based on the research of National Geographic fellow and best-selling author Dan Buettner. Blue Zones is a first-of-its-kind population health initiative designed to help communities become healthier by optimizing public policy, social connections, and spaces where people spend the most time.

Summersett will explain the details on this weekends program.
NC voter ID debate clouded by call for justices recusal View Photo

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  One of several legal challenges to North Carolinas contentious voter ID law is on hold amid a dispute over whether two justices on the state Supreme Court  one the son of arguably the states most powerful Republican politician  should recuse themselves.

The state NAACPs request that Phil Berger Jr. and ex-Sen. Tamara Barringer be disqualified further clouds the future of photo voter ID requirements in one of the numerous Republican-dominated states where lawmakers have sought them, often successfully.

In some states, the laws have been blocked by voters and civil rights groups who have argued that they disproportionately harm Black voters. In addition to the Supreme Court case, two other lawsuits challenging North Carolinas current law are pending in state and federal courts. Federal judges already struck down a previous version of the law that Republicans approved in 2013 and implemented briefly.

The case now before the Supreme Court began in 2018 when the NAACP challenged two amendments to the state constitution put on ballots by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and later approved by voters: the photo ID mandate and a separate provision to reduce the cap on income tax rates.

A trial judge struck down the amendments in 2019, declaring that since many legislators were illegitimately elected from what were previously declared as racially biased districts, they lacked the power to put the questions on the ballot. But an appeals court overturned that decision in 2020, sending the case to the Supreme Court.

The high court was scheduled to hear arguments in the case in August but paused the proceedings after the NAACP requested that Berger and Barringer step down.

Bergers father is Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, who is a named defendant in the NAACPs lawsuit seeking to overturn the photo ID legislation. When Barringer was a lawmaker, she voted in favor of holding the referendum on the voter ID amendment. Both justices joined the court in January after winning statewide elections.

I would have no confidence that either Berger or Barringer would/could decide the issues in the case fairly, said James Coleman, a Duke University law school professor not involved in the litigation. My expectation is that they will vote their partys position on the issues, regardless of how persuasive the other side is.

But Republicans who oppose any recusal say removing the two justices from the decision  there is no one to replace them  would automatically sway the court in favor of voiding the voter ID law. Registered Democrats currently hold a 4-3 advantage on the court, with Barringer and Berger being two of the three Republicans.

The attempt to disqualify them from hearing cases the voters elected them to hear is a subversion of the will of the people and an insult to every informed voter, House Speaker Tim Moore, who is also named as a defendant in the NAACP lawsuit, wrote in a recent letter to the editor.

Martin Warf, an attorney representing Moore and the elder Berger, stressed that Berger is a defendant only in his official capacity  he must be named when a lawsuit challenges a laws constitutionality. And as far as Barringer is concerned, case law has established that being a former legislator who voted on a challenged law isnt by itself grounds for removal, Warf said.

The state judicial conduct code says judges should disqualify themselves, when asked by a legal party, if they have personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts or if the judges near-relative is a party to the proceeding.

The code requires disqualification even if they are in fact impartial and capable of presiding fairly over the matter before them, NAACP attorney Kym Hunter wrote in July.

Recusal requests arent uncommon when attorneys worry a justices family or financial connections could influence the outcome or leave that impression. The named justice usually decides on the request. Recusal denials for an individual justice have been issued by the full court on extremely rare occasions.

What was unusual in this case is that before either justice indicated publicly whether they would step down, the full state Supreme Court last month asked lawyers on both sides of the lawsuit to submit briefs on more than 20 questions related to the issue. Those briefs are due next week.

Its not uncommon for the court to ask for additional briefing on a legal question, said Bob Edmunds, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice for 16 years through 2016. But a request for so much information on recusals, he added, is something that I have not observed before.

The one that got the most attention: Does this court have the authority to require the involuntary recusal of a justice who does not believe that self-recusal is appropriate?

The inquiry raises the possibility that one or both of the justices indicated that they would not recuse themselves. Neither responded to a request for comment that The Associated Press asked a court spokesperson to pass along to them.

The briefing order makes the court seem dysfunctional and creates the appearance that justices arent working together in the normal collegial way, said Jon Guze, a legal expert for the right-leaning John Locke Foundation.

Some states including Michigan, Mississippi and Texas, empower fellow justices to disqualify a colleague who declines to step down, according to the National Council for State Courts. But Guze said he fears disqualifications will become retaliatory and commonplace in North Carolina should Berger or Barringer be removed against their will.

Three former North Carolina chief justices  two elected as Democrats and one as a Republican  wrote in an op-ed recently that recusal decisions during their tenures were made by the jurist identified because only the individual justice can examine her or his conscience.

Only the seven members of our Supreme Court can determine whether this should remain the policy on recusal and disqualification, ex-Chief Justices Jim Exum, Burley Mitchell and Mark Martin wrote. We trust our successors to resolve this difficult question in a way that promotes fundamental fairness, protects the integrity of our judiciary, and, above all else, preserves the rule of law.

By GARY D. ROBERTSON

Associated Press
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children?

Yes, U.S. regulators authorized Pfizers vaccine for younger children after millions of 12- to 17-year-olds already safely got the shot, the only one available for children in the country.

Those ages 5 to 11 will get just a third of the dose given to teens and adults. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the kid-size doses Friday, and next the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will recommend who should get them.

A study found kid-size doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The 5- to 11-year-olds developed virus-fighting antibodies as strong as teens and young adults who got regular doses, with similar or fewer annoying reactions such as sore arms, fever or achiness.

The FDA assessed the safety of the kid-size doses in 3,100 vaccinated youngsters. Regulators deemed that enough data, considering the trove of safety information from hundreds of millions of larger doses given to adults and teens worldwide.

Very rarely, teens and young adults given the Pfizer vaccine or a similar one made by Moderna experience a serious side effect, heart inflammation, or what doctors call myocarditis. Its mostly in young men or teen boys, and usually after the second dose. They tend to recover quickly, and after intense scrutiny U.S. health authorities concluded the vaccines benefits outweigh that small risk.

To put the risk in context, COVID-19 also causes heart inflammation, often a more severe kind, said Emory University pediatric cardiologist Dr. Matthew Oster. It also sometimes occurs in children who get a multisystem inflammatory syndrome after a coronavirus infection.

Before the pandemic, doctors regularly diagnosed heart inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infections or medications, again mostly in teen boys and young men. Oster said one theory is that testosterone and puberty play a role, which is partly why many experts expect any vaccine-related risk would be lower for younger kids getting a smaller dose.

______

The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Read more here:

Is it OK to go trick-or-treating during the pandemic?

Can I get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time?

Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging?
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polands justice minister said Thursday the European Union member should not pay any of the total $1.8 million daily fines the EUs top court imposed for Warsaws ignoring its injunctions on changes to the judiciary and operation of a lignite mine.

Zbigniew Ziobro called the European Court of Justice injunctions lawless. Poland insists the court has no authority over its justice system and has been ignoring its rulings.

On Wednesday, the court fined Poland $1.2 million a day to prevent what it called serious and irreparable harm to the EUs legal order, chiefly by having a politically-influenced Supreme Court body for disciplining judges and by undermining judicial independence.

In July, the EU court instructed Poland to close the Disciplinary Chamber. Poland has consented but has not done that yet.

Last month, the EU court fined Poland $600,000 per day for failing to heed an injunction to close the Turow lignite mine, in a drawn-out dispute with neighboring Czech Republic. Poland is not paying that fine. Warsaw argues it cannot close the mine, because it fuels the Turow power plant that generates some 7% of the nations energy.

The Polish state cannot bow to lawlessness, Ziobro told a news conference.

Whether the illegal penalties regarding Turow ... or the penalty for changes to the judiciary, Poland cannot and should not pay a single zloty, (local currency)," said Ziobro who is the author of the changes to Poland's justice system.

On Thursday, the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary expelled Polands council over serious concerns as to its independence. Some members of Polands council were appointed with political recommendation. The expelling vote took place at the European bodys General Assembly in Vilnius, Lithuania. The councils recommend judicial appointments and help regulate work of the judiciary.

The EU is warning it can suspend payment of pandemic recovery funds to Poland unless the disciplinary body is abolished, but Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday expressed hope for a compromise.

She said strict conditions for payment of the funds to Poland will include closing of the Disciplinary Chamber and changes to the way the judges are disciplined, as well as reinstalling some of the suspended judges.

I think it is doable, I hope that we will reach an agreement,  von der Leyen said. But the reform part is conditio sine qua non.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Thursday the government will work out a compromise, but said it will take months. He told the European Parliament last week the Disciplinary Chamber will be abolished, but gave no timeframe, and also indicated some other body will take its place. It was not clear whether the replacement would be more in line with the EU's values.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Convicted murderer Robert Durst has been transferred to state prison less than two weeks after being hospitalized on a ventilator with COVID-19 following his sentencing for the slaying of his best friend.

Durst, 78, the estranged heir of a New York real estate empire, was moved from the Los Angeles jail system Wednesday and taken to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, prison spokeswoman Terry Thornton said. The Northern California facility treats inmates with the most severe and long-term medical needs.

A mug shot showed a bearded Durst with a mask under his chin and his head on a pillow, Thornton said. She said said she cant discuss his condition.

Durst suffered from a variety of serious health problems before his hospitalization just after he was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Oct. 14 in the first-degree murder of Susan Berman.

Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin said Durst had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and was on a ventilator two days after sentencing. DeGuerin, who represented Durst over a period of about 20 years, said he had never seen him as sick as he had been in Los Angeles Superior Court at his final hearing.

Durst entered the courtroom with wide-eyed vacant stare. Near the end of the hearing after Bermans loved ones told the judge how her death upended their lives, Durst coughed hard and appeared to struggle to breathe. His chest heaved, and he pulled his mask down below his mouth and began to gulp for air.

Durst silenced Berman in December 2000 to keep her from telling authorities how she helped him cover up the killing of his wife, Kathie Durst, in New York in 1982, prosecutors said.

New York authorities charged Durst last week with second-degree murder in the killing of Kathie Durst. Her body has never been found.

Robert Durst was acquitted of killing a neighbor in Texas in 2003 after testifying he shot the man in self-defense during a struggle for a handgun.
A Plainview property owner was granted a 90-day extension before the city reassesses whether or not to demolish the house deemed to be an unsafe structure.

Felipe Jimenez of Lubbock stood before the Plainview City Council (serving as the Board of Minimum Housing) Tuesday night on behalf of the uncle of the property owner to ask the board to consider granting him as much time as allowable to secure funding and start making changes to the house at 812 Austin Street.

The homeowner has been trying to sell the property for more than a year, Jimenez said. Tuesday was the first time Jimenez had looked it over and learned of the hearing set to demolish it, he told the council/board during a public hearing.

The board had four houses on the nights agenda with recommendations from city staff to demolish each one. Each property has been inspected by the citys building inspection and code enforcement team led by Philip Mize, Plainviews former fire marshal.

He was present Tuesday night and gave presentations on each structure  a list which included 812 Austin St., 814 Austin St., 804 Denver St. and 806 Denver St.  noting code violations like wood rot, damages to roofing, fire damage in one, and general rubbish and debris.

Notices had been sent by certified mail to each property owner and violation notices had been posted on each property prior to Tuesdays hearings.

Following public hearings for each lot in which property owners and the general public were invited to speak, the council/board voted unanimously in three of the four cases to give the property owners 30 days to demolish the houses. If they havent by the end of the 30-day period, the city will demolish the structures at the expense of the owners.

Jimenez said forking over the cost for a total demolition is part of what he and the property owner want to avoid. He couldnt tell the board/council how long the property has been unoccupied. He did note early in the hearing that the team wanting to salvage the structure has already begun some minor repairs.

Board/council members questioned why he wanted to save the structure and how he plans to fund the project. Jimenez repeatedly said the house is a business project he and partners plan to renovate and turn into a rental home. Theyve got some of the money readily available and plan to apply for loans to cover the rest.

You say youre going to do the work yourselves, said Nelda VanHoose, council/board member. Thats going to mean your other job, youre going to have to devote all your money and time into this one project. Can you afford to do that? And I know thats a silly question but have you thought about all the ramifications of having so much money tied up into one project that the city has decided is not safe?

Jimenez said he understands and noted that his business team has rehabbed homes in Levelland and Lubbock.

OK, well if youve done it before, that certainly makes me feel better about you looking at this project in a clear manner even in a short amount of time youve had to look at it, VanHoose told Jimenez.

The board ultimately opted to grant Jimenez and his team 90 days to provide proof of funding and a timetable for renovations. If he fails to provide either, the city will move forward and demolish the structure. The motion passed with a vote of 5-2 with Larry Williams and Susan Blackerby voting against.

The Board of Minimum Housing agenda took up most of the time and conversation at Tuesdays Council meeting.

Other items discussed included the regular COVID-19 resolution (no action taken) and approval of a professional services agreement with Parkhill for air permit Tier II gas monitoring.

Tim Crosswhite, director of public works, explained the city regularly monitors methane levels around the landfill.

The city is required by the US Environmental Protection Agency to comply with a new federal plan to implement air permitting at landfills. Under the latest policy updates, the city is now required to conduct tier II monitoring, which simply means more samples must be taken and provided to an authorized laboratory to assure the landfill is within levels of compliance.

The council unanimously approved a professional service agreement with Parkhill to do so.

After two back-to-back closed sessions, the council ended the meeting with approval of appointments to the redistricting commission.
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Puneeth Rajkumar, one of the biggest stars of Indias Kannada-language film industry, died of a cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on Friday. He was 46.

Puneeth was born to Rajkumar, the biggest star of Kannada cinema during his lifetime, and producer Parvathamma Rajkumar.

Under his birth name Lohit, Puneeth appeared in several films as a child actor including Vasantha Geetha (1980), Bhagyavantha (1981), Chalisuva Modagalu (1982) and Eradu Nakshatragalu (1983). For Bettada Hoovu (1985), now christened Puneeth for the screen, he won Indias national film award for best child actor.

In 2002, Puneeth debuted as a lead actor with Appu, and went on to star in several successful films including Abhi (2003), Veera Kannadiga (2004), Mourya (2004), Aakash (2005), Ajay (2006), Arasu (2007), Milana (2007), Vamshi (2008), Raam (2009), Jackie (2010), Hudugaru (2011), Raajakumara (2017) and Anjani Putra (2017).

In 2012, he debuted as the host of Kannadada Kotyadhipati, the Kannada-language version of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format.

Puneeth was a crowd-pleasing star catering to mainstream audiences. He was also known by the sobriquets Appu and Power Star.

The actors last release was Yuvarathnaa, which bowed in April this year. He had several films in production including Pawan Kumars Dvitva, Nagendra Prasads Lucky Man and Chethan Kumars James.

Puneeths brother Shiva Rajkumar is also an A-list actor in the Kannada industry. Puneeth is survived by his wife Ashwini and two daughters.

India is in shock over Puneeths untimely death. Tributes are pouring in from the political class, from the film industry and from fans.

A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/ofcNpnMmW3  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2021

My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Gone too soon, posted leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi.

My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Gone too soon.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 29, 2021

Apart from the shocking tragedy that @PuneethRajkumars sudden death is, it is also a scary and terrifying eye opening truth that any of us can die anytime. So it is best to live life on a fast forward mode , while we are still alive, wrote prolific filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma.
While last-minute Halloween revelers scurry into the nearest Spirit store or scavenge through their closet junk to transform themselves into kitty cats, Natasha Gonzales' family is ready with head-turning costumes created for each member of the squad, from the tiniest Tinker Bell to mom and dad.

"Halloween is like our Christmas," the San Antonio mom says.

Pulling off detailed looks is a tradition that's more than a decade in the making. Gonzales says she started dressing up with her husband Albert Gonzales when they were dating. Soon, the kids got in on the action. They've been inspired by the Wizard of Oz, Forrest Gump, and more. Over the last two years, the family of five has dressed up as the cast from Beetlejuice and the Addam's Family. This year, they're Peter Pan characters.

The costume-building goes far beyond the realm of Party City. The couple and their kids, Jaiden Rangel, Dean Gonzales, and Elora Gonzales start planning a year in advance. Most of their costumes are DIY creations. If not, the family buys from Goodwill, thrift stores, or local costume shops to complete their looks. She estimates the totals for all five costumes to range from $200 to $300.

The fun doesn't stop there. The family taps Jessica Belin Photography to pull their finished look together with a photoshoot. Even that is a production. Last year, they used the Denman Estate as a spooky backdrop and rented a peacock chair as a throne for Morticia. The smoky effect isn't a post-production edit. Natasha Gonazales say they brought smoke bombs to set the scene.

The mom says her family works on their costumes up until the day of the shoot, which usually takes place in late September or early October.

Courtesy, Jessica Belin Photography

"We're always adding a little pieces or making sure we have the makeup right," she says. "It gets really chaotic in our house."

The family reupped their Beetlejuice costume this year on social media for a chance to win tickets to Beetlejuice on Broadway in New York City.

The Peter Pan-themed ensembles for 2021 corresponded with a surprise family trip to Disney World. Once the kids were all dressed up, mom and dad presented them with a Disney-esque script telling them they were heading to the Magic Kingdom.

Natasha Gonzales says the family wore their costumes to the park. Actually, they wore them to the airport, too.

"Honestly, we weren't going to, but my daughter is 4 and she's like, 'I want to dress like Tinker Bell to the airport,' and I was like, 'Well, you can't go alone like that, so let's just all do it.'"

Talk about squad ghouls.
Laredo Taco Company's six-part Texas taco tour series featuring taco journalist and TV personality Mando Rayo has a San Antonio stop.

Locals have the chance to watch San Antonio tacos shine in a screening of the series happening next week. An outdoor viewing party of the San Antonio episode of Made Right Here Road Trip will screen on Tuesday, November 2, from 7 p.m to 9 p.m., at Islla Street Brewing Company. The free showing is an outdoor event and family-friendly.

Rayo, from the show United Tacos of America, takes viewers on an in-depth detour through Texas' taco territory. In the series, he talks with locals about Latino cultural influence on cuisine and reveals his favorite Laredo Taco Company picks from across the Lone Star State.

It's a real honor to have your culture represented in the Made Right Here Road Trip series, says Rayo in a press statement. "We connect with Latinos across Texas and give them the opportunity to share their own stories in their own ways. We also highlight my personal favorites from Laredo Taco Company. Youre sure to be craving breakfast tacos or carnitas by the end of each episode.

In the San Antonio episode, you'll hear from small business owners, visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and learn more about the barbacoa taco.

Brothers JD and Joshua Pena from Islla Street Brewing make a cameo discussing the importance of their culture and upbringing and the impact it's had on their business. Local blogger and personality Stephanie Guerra, founder of Puro Pinche, also makes an appearance, assuming the role of Ambassador of San Antonio. All will be on hand to co-host the screening event.

San Antonio has this small town feel that allows you to feel like primos with everyone you meet. Through my work at Puro Pinche, Ive been able to connect with so many people that are moving our city forward while honoring our past. The Tex-Mex culture is super prevalent and special here, and we speak Spanglish, says Guerra in a press statement. We are a compassionate city that always keeps it puro. I am very proud that Laredo Taco Company chose to highlight San Antonio in its Made Right Here Road Trip series!

Laredo Taco Company, owned by 7-11, services Stripes and 7-11 convenience retailers with quick-service tacos made from scratch tortillas made on site daily. Attendees will receive free Laredo Taco Company tacos and door prizes.

Islla Street Brewing Company is located at 11911 Crosswinds Way.
New Broadway bar and marketplace spot Pink Hill is mixing things with its official opening this Friday, October 29.

Doors at Pink Hill, 2012 Broadway, open at 4 p.m. this Friday for libations and cocktail selection from its fully-realized menu featuring independent brands curated by beverage director, Campbell Dobbs.

Bronte Treat, one of the partners behind Pink Hill, says Dobbs has worked in the industry for six years at establishments like Cured, The Granary and High Street Wine.

Courtesy of AWOL

On top of numerous independent Texas beer, wine, and cider brands, the menu will feature cocktails like the "Amarillo By Mornin'," a sotol drink mixed with grapefruit cocchi Americano and yellow chartreuse; or the signature "Pink Hill," which has William Price vodka, creme de mure, lemon, mint and hibiscus agave syrup.

If frozen drinks are more your style, you can try the "Take Me To Tulum" made with uruapan charanda, dry curacao, falernum, pineapple, lime and mint syrup.

"The menu showcases fresh ingredients and highlights the quality of the spirits," Treat says. "Its a fun and approachable menu with something for everyone."

Pink Hill is an extension of the Broadway News food truck spot down the street conceptualized by Treat, Mario Guajardo and Paul Hunt. The space has been hosting food pop ups an local shops at the spot and testing its menu before opening officially this weekend, according to its Instagram. It has been in the works since this past summer.

Pink Hill will also feature health and wellness brand Relyt, as well as vintage clothing seller AWOL on the lot. Guests can also treat themselves to southern comfort food from Slaps Chicken, birria tacos from Grappin or fried rice from Pound It.

Maybe you want a 19th century photo taken of you for some real vintage nostalgia? Bob's Photo will be on site to take and develop photos using the wet plate collodion process.
Courtesy, Joshua and Martha Palacios

When El Remedio owner Joshua Palacios originally announced in August that he was rolling out a sushi extension of his food truck empire, he expected it to be another restaurant on wheels.

Now months down the road, Palacios along with wife and Remedio co-owner Martha Palacios, are officially opening their first brick-and-mortar restaurant. The couple launched the popular birria business as a delivery service in 2017.
South Dakota's labor secretary told lawmakers Thursday that officials had decided to give Gov. Kristi Noem's daughter another chance to win her state real estate appraiser license even before a meeting in the governor's mansion that has spurred conflict of interest questions.

The Associated Press reported last month that on July 27, just days after a state agency moved to deny Kassidy Peters' license, her mother, Noem, convened a meeting that included Secretary of Labor and Regulation Marcia Hultman, the then-director of the appraiser certification program, and Peters herself.

Testifying before the Legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee, which is looking into the agency at the center of the controversy, Hultman acknowledged it was unusual to have an applicant like the governors daughter in a meeting that she said mostly covered potential changes to the application process but included a discussion of Peters' application. However, Hultman defended her departments handling of Peters licensure as keeping with the normal course of business.

Hultman told lawmakers that before the meeting in the governors mansion, state regulators had worked out an agreement with Peters to seek further education and resubmit work samples to be reviewed for compliance with federal standards. Hultman did not give specifics on how or when that decision was made but said it was not unusual for applicants to enter into such an agreement.

We should not say never to an applicant who wants to take extra steps to learn the trade, Hultman said.

When asked by lawmakers why Peters was at the meeting, Hultman said, Someone who is going through the process, regardless of who they are, has insight.

But Kathleen Clark, a law professor who specializes in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis, told the AP the fact that Peters' application was discussed at the meeting was "evidence" the governor had used her power to aid her daughter because it brought pressure on the government employees.

Theres every reason to think this applicant was being treated differently to other applicants, she said.

The governor's spokesman, Jordan Overturf, insisted the committee testimony showed just the opposite, saying it confirms that Kassidy Peters never received special treatment.

After several hours of questioning, Republican lawmakers acknowledged the episode did not look good for the governor but said there was no evidence of direct pressure from the governor. Democrats, who hold just two seats on the 10-member committee, pressed for a deeper inquiry. As the committee concluded its meeting Thursday, it moved to submit a request for the training agreements between Peters and the Department of Labor and Regulation.

Part of the committee's investigation has dealt with another official who was in the meeting, Sherry Bren, the former director of the state's real estate certification program. About a week after Peters received her license in November 2020, Bren was pressured to retire by Hultman. She eventually did so this year but not before receiving a $200,000 payment from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

Republican Sen. David Wheeler said it looked, at the onset, like the governor created a conflict of interest by including her daughter in the meeting. But he was convinced by Hultman's explanation that the agreement was reached before the meeting. He also pointed out that Bren herself did not review Peters' work samples.

At no point, was there pressure placed on Sherry Bren to approve the license," he said.

Lawmakers also requested that Bren appear before the committee, but she declined. She and Hultman are both barred from disparaging each other as part of Bren's settlement.

In a statement to the AP, Bren said, I am at this time working with my attorney to achieve an opportunity to provide relevant facts to members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee and to correct any factual inaccuracies that were provided to them by Secretary Hultman in her testimony today.

Lawmakers learned Thursday the state had to pay an additional $19,000 in outside legal fees to negotiate the settlement agreement.

Noem, who has positioned herself as a prospect for the GOP presidential ticket in 2024, has defended her conduct by saying she was working to cut red tape to solve a shortage of appraisers. But the organization that represents appraisers in South Dakota told lawmakers they were worried about changes to the agency since Bren's departure.

Sandra Gresh, the president of the Professional Appraisers Association of South Dakota, told lawmakers there has been a breakdown in communication with state regulators since shortly before Bren left her position. She also reported that delays to license renewals had disrupted business for some appraisers and took issue with recent rule changes proposed by the agency.

Hultman said the agency would work to smooth the relationship with the appraiser's association.

The committee chair, Republican Sen. Kyle Schoenfish, said the committee could potentially take further action next month. A separate government ethics board is also expected to review the issue next week.

It still seems like there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, said Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba. And Ill just leave it at that.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, intelligence agencies wont be able to conclude whether COVID-19 spread by animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab, officials said Friday in releasing a fuller version of their review into the origins of the pandemic.

The paper issued by the Director of National Intelligence elaborates on findings released in August of a 90-day review ordered by President Joe Biden. That review said that U.S. intelligence agencies were divided on the origins of the virus but that analysts do not believe the virus was developed as a bioweapon and that most agencies believe the virus was not genetically engineered.

China has resisted global pressure to cooperate fully with investigations into the pandemic or provide access to genetic sequences of coronaviruses kept at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which remains a subject of speculation for its research and reported safety problems. Biden launched the review amid growing momentum for the theory  initially broadly dismissed by experts  that the virus leaked from the Wuhan lab. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters long argued that a lab leak was possible as they sought to deflect criticism of his handling of the pandemic.

China remains an exceedingly difficult place for intelligence operations and has fought back against allegations that it mishandled the emergence of the pandemic, which has killed 5 million people worldwide. Senior officials involved in the full reports drafting said they hoped it would better inform the public about the challenges of determining the virus's origins.

We don't think we're one or two reports away from being able to understand it, said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

The full report notes that the Wuhan Institute of Virology previously created chimeras, or combinations, of SARS-like coronaviruses, but this information does not provide insight into whether SARS Cov-2 was genetically engineered by the WIV.

Information that lab researchers sought medical treatment for a respiratory illness in November 2019 is not diagnostic of the pandemics origins, the report said.

And allegations that China launched the virus as a bioweapon were dismissed because their proponents do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology," are making scientifically invalid claims or are accused of spreading disinformation, the report said.

Four agencies within the intelligence community said with low confidence that the virus was initially transmitted from an animal to a human. A fifth intelligence agency believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab.

Prior to writing the report, analysts conducted what the report describes as a Team A/Team B debate to try to strengthen or weaken each hypothesis.

The report identifies types of data that investigators still want China to provide access to, including records and tissue samples from several markets in Wuhan, including the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, Qiyimen Live Animal Market, Dijiao Outdoor Pet Market and others. Scientists originally believed the virus emerged from animals sold at the Huanan market, which has since been ruled out by some as the origin site.

Confirming with 100% certainty the origin of a virus is often not fast, easy or always even possible.

In the case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS  a disease caused by a beta coronavirus, like the current coronavirus  researchers first identified the virus in February 2003. Later that year, scientists discovered the likely intermediary hosts: Himalayan palm civets found at live-animal markets in Guangdong, China. But it wasnt until 2017 that researchers traced the likely original source of the virus to bat caves in Chinas Yunnan province.

___

Associated Press writer Christina Larson in Washington contributed to this report.
Mike Sutter /Staff

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q recently sold more than 600 acres on the far Southside of Bexar County to a group affiliated with former Austin technology executive J.R. Carter.

The property, which the Miller family had owned for over 60 years, is across the Medina River near Toyota's plant, according to a report from Madison Iszler with the San Antonio Express-News. Deed records show the buyer, Medina Del Rey QOZB LLC, inked the deal in mid-October.
Good morning, San Antonio. District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez says San Antonio's non-discrimination ordinance needs to do more. Here's what you need to know.

McKee-Rodriguez called for City Council to consider proposed changes on Thursday. The proposed changes included covering private employers with 15 or more employees, an improved complaint process, additional City support for people who file a complaint, and increased penalties and fines.

The councilman has the vocal support of District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, and District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, the Express-News reports. He also has the backing of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, the ordinance protects residents from employment discrimination if the business has a contract with the City.

Here's what else you need to know today.

Here's the weather for Halloween weekend

Spooky season is almost over as Halloween approaches this weekend. Many families are gearing up, and dressing up, to head out for a long-awaited return to trick-or-treating.

But what's the weather going to be like that evening?

Find out here.

Alamo Candy Co. remains a sweet and sour San Antonio staple

Alamo Candy Co. has been around for 30 years. Even after it moved down the street from its original location, it has remained the same local staple for puro treats.

Our very own Camille Sauers visited the candy store to see what makes it so special.

Read more here.

'First of its kind' jaguar walk opens this weekend

The San Antonio Zoo project has been in the works for years, and will finally allow guests to have a bit more interaction with intimidating and beautiful big cats.

Read more here.

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q family sells massive Southside property

An Austin company purchased a massive, 600-acre Southside property in mid-October from the Bill Miller Bar-B-Q family.

Read more on the sale here.
Yves here. Monica Lewinsky is an American heroine who saved Social Security, at least for a while. The fact that she kept the blue dress and could therefore prove that Bill Clinton indeed had sex with that woman so preoccupied the White House that the Clinton Administration had to abandon its plan to reform Social Security. The story of why Obamas Catfood Commission managed not to mangle Social Security is more complex, but big elements are Obama overplaying his hand, concerted and more important noisy opposition from the left, and the 2010 midterm wipeout, described in the Guardian as one of the worst Democratic defeats in 70 years.

But the feckless Democrats never give up. A new scheme to gut Social Security is being rolled out. The fact that the Democrats with one side of their mouth can talk about taxing the rich and with the other, not once voice the idea of raising the salary cap on Social Security contributions tells you everything you need to know.

But there is a difference between fixing Social Security and fixing your cat. Even cats young enough to be spayed or neutered have worked out that going to the vet results in stuff they dont like happening, and they fight being stuffed in their carrier. The Democrats rely on Americans being too inattentive to notice that the people driving the Social Security car plan to put it on autopilot on pothole-filled road, make their exit, and lock the back doors.

By run75441. Originally published at Angry Bear

Commenter and Social Security Expert Dale Coberly assesses the latest plan coming out of Washington DC Congress has a new plan to fix Social Security. How it would change benefits, CNBC in the House. Dale was one of the creators of the Northwest Plan which was accepted as a solution by Congressman DeFazio and Social Securitys Karen P. Glenn, Deputy Chief Actuary, Office of the Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration in an email from DeFazios office.

Today, Dale explains why many of the points or changes proposed in the House plan may be bad ideas as depicted in the CNBC article.

___________________

The Democrats have been so successful lately demonstrating how to turn a winning position into a losing one, they thought theyd try it out with Social Security.

Leave Social Security Alone has been a winning position for Democrats since 1936, despite their occasional efforts in the past to join the latest Republican stampede to fix Social Security by cutting benefits.Now they may have found a way to boot their advantage and lose by winning. The following is taken from an article in CNBC Life Changes ( Congress has a new plan to fix Social Security. How it would change benefits ).

My comments follow each paragraph in indented type.

[THEM] House Democrats are reintroducing a Social Security reform bill popular with their party. This time, it features some changes aimed at attracting more support from Republicans.

[ME] note: attracting more support from Republicans. That should tell you something is up that wont turn out good for Social Security or the people who depend on it. [thats you, even if you dont know it yet.]

The bill, known as the Social Security 2100 Act, is being brought forward by Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., appeared with Larson on Tuesday to announce the reintroduction of the bill.

All good people as far as I know. Maybe not as smart as Roosevelt, but they mean well.

Neal urged lawmakers to offset the concentration of wealth, which has become more prevalent in the U.S., by embracing this Social Security proposal and extending the expanded child tax credit.

We have this rare moment to accomplish seismic achievements, and this is the time to do it, he said.

Beware of seismic achievements; this has been the Republican Dont miss this once in a lifetime opportunity sales pitch for their last eight attempts to kill Social Security by saving it. or (when the wind changed) to save Social Security by killing it: its socialism, youll never get a penny back, Its going broke, it is broke, flat bust, its going broke (again), The stock market will make everyone rich, Greedy old people are stealing from the young, etc.

The new version of the bill, called Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust, follows the Social Security Administrations latest estimates that the trust funds that support the program will be depleted in just 13 years. At that time, in 2034, only 78% of promised benefits will be payable.

The bill proposes extending that date to 2038 to give Congress more time to come up with a long-term solution to the programs solvency issues.

I think what this means is that Larsons bill will not solve the programs solvency issues but just push them back four years. In any case the Trust Fund was never intended to support the program. Social Security is supported by the payroll tax. The temporarily largeTrust Fund was created to enable the boomers to pay for their own retirement, just all previous generations have done, but because of the unusual size of the boomer generation could not be done by the normal pay as you go financing. There is no mention in this article that 100% of promised benefits could be paid for by raising the payoll tax 2% each for the worker and the employer. Even though polls have shown that workers would rather raise the tax than changeSocial Security. There is no solvency issue if we just pay for what we need, just as our parents and grandparents did.

The measure would also incorporate proposals made by President Joe Biden during his presidential campaign.

We have a person on Pennsylvania Avenue who knows and understands that Social Security is a sacred trust, Larson said of Biden.

This new bill combines Bidens proposals with House Ways and Means initiatives to expand and enhance Social Security benefits, he said.

Biden seems to be another good man. But he would not be the first Democratic President who advocated doing something that would hurt Social Security and the people who depend on it.

Its got a lot thats attractive, and nothing that I think should cause Democrats problems in an election year, said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group that promotes expanding benefits.

Unless making the rich and powerful mad at you would cause problems.

Like Bidens plan, the Social Security 2100 Act would set a higher minimum benefit for low-income workers. Benefits would be set at 125% above the poverty line and tied to current wage levels.

Theres also a benefit boost for both new and existing beneficiaries amounting to about 2% of the average benefit.

Annual cost-of-living adjustments would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E. The argument is that this experimental index may better reflect the costs seniors face. Biden also included this change in his Social Security proposals.

These may all be good things to do. But if they are to be done, the workers must pay for them. Not mentioned is that the proposal means paying benefits to people who never paid the payroll tax. We have programs to help people who did not work, or did not work long enough in occupations that paid into the Social Security system.

Notably, the Social Security 2100 Act proposed in 2019 had more than 200 co-sponsors, though all were Democrats. On Tuesday, lawmakers indicated that the new version of the bill has already drawn a similar level of support.

I am not sure whats notable about this. If 200 people say a stupid thing, its still a stupid thing.

To have that social safety net isnt just good for us individually for peace of mind, it helps us feel like we are part of a society that respects our elders and values our vulnerable. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democratic Congresswoman from New York

Ocasio-Cortez spoke about how Social Security benefits helped her family when her father died unexpectedly of cancer.

Social Security checks helped my family through, she said. Its why my brother and I were able to go to college.

Its why I felt confident while I was at college that my mom would be able to have something to eat, she added. To have that social safety net isnt just good for us individually for peace of mind, it helps us feel like we are part of a society that respects our elders and values our vulnerable.

Absolutely. But this is true of Social Security, not true of the Larson plan.

The plan also integrates a couple of elements that might help draw support from across the aisle.

The new version would repeal rules that reduce Social Security benefits for public workers and their spouses, widows or widowers who also have pension income. These are known as the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.

This issue came up at a recent House hearing on Social Security and has bipartisan support.

The elimination of one proposal  a higher payroll tax rate  may also help draw more support. The Social Security 2100 Act had previously called for gradually increasing contributions to the program from workers and employers to 7.4%, up from the current rate of 6.2%, over roughly 20 years.

The Windfall elimination program was intended to prevent relatively high paid workers who had a government pension from working a few years in Social Security covered employment in order to collect the enhanced benefits designed for people with very low lifetime earnings. It does not surprise me the relatively well-off bipartisan people would support having an opportunity to poach on a program designed for the very poor. And they offer as a good thing getting rid of the gradual payroll tax increase, the only provision having d chance of actually solving the insolvency problem. Of course people, even poor people, are going to be against a tax increase . . . until they understand it is the only way to pay for their future needs. Without selling Social Security to the rich to do with as they want.

However, the legislation does call for increasing Social Security taxes paid by higher-wage earners. In 2021, those taxes are capped at $142,800 in wages, and in 2022 that will rise to $147,000. This proposal reapplies taxes on wages at $400,000 and up, which is also in line with what Biden has proposed.

This is the killer. Roosevelt very carefully designed Social Security to be not the dole . . . so no damn politician can take it away from them. The Larsons and Altmans think that as long as they dont call it welfare they can make the rich pay for it. The rich will just say, okay. The rich will only say okay if they see this as the opportunity to replace Social Security with welfare that they have always wanted. Because they know how to get rid of welfare.

At the same time, the bill would also raise the thresholds above which income including Social Security is taxed. The plan calls for changing that to $35,000 for individuals and $50,000 for couples, up from $25,000 and $32,000, respectively.

The tax on benefits is a normal tax on retirement income. What is not normal, is that SS income is not taxed on people whose total income is below a certain threshold. Raising the threshold might be a good idea, but the payroll tax will then need to be increased to pay for needed benefits. This is a tax cut for the relatively well off, paid for by a tax on the less well off.

The bill would also prevent the reduction of benefits for certain beneficiaries if the National Average Wage Index declines due to unforeseen circumstances, such as events impacting the economy.

I assume this means that in the event of a recession and a loss of payroll tax income to Social Security, benefits will not be reduced. This is the normal function of the Trust Fund [when the baby boom is not a factor]. Should a recession be deep enough or long enough to exhaust the Trust Fund, the answer would be to raise the payroll tax enough on those still workingto tide everyone through, and then to reduce the tax when good times return. The temporary tax increase would not need to be large . . . less than about five dollars a week for a very deep and long recession. An amount the still working would be glad to pay knowing a time might come when they could be retired or disabled facing a cut in benefits.

It would also require the SSA to mail paper statements to all workers ages 25 and up, unless they request electronic delivery.

This is a good idea. The paper statements were cut to save moneyan insignificant amount of money . . . but really to keep ordinary people from seeing how much their future benefits are likely to be . . . something that seems to always make them less willing to see changes in Social Security.

Other changes in the bill include extending benefits for students up through age 25, increasing certain widows and widowers benefits, boosting beneficiaries benefits after 15 years, eliminating a five-month waiting period to receive disability benefits, and creating caregiver credits so that the retirement benefits of those who take time out of the workforce are not reduced.

Eliminating the waiting period for DI benefits is a good idea, but the other changes are just welfare for people who did not pay into Social Security. There are welfare programs to help those people. The whole point of Social Security is that it is NOT welfare. We paid for it ourselves.

It remains to be seen how much attention this bill will get amid Congress busy legislative agenda and whether it will be embraced by Republican lawmakers.

However, advocates such as Social Security Works are optimistic.

Were all hoping that after they finish, however they finish the reconciliation and the debt limit and all these other things, that they will bring up Social Security, Altman said.

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare was also among the groups to support the proposal.

There is good news for everyone in this bill, which is only fitting, since Social Security touches almost every Americans life, said Max Richtman, the organizations president and CEO.

It is time for the full House to pass Rep. Larsons bill and send it on to the Senate, he said.
The axolotl: critically threatened in Mexico, but a popular pet in China Dialogo Chino

[FREE] An Interview with Mark Zuckerberg about the Metaverse Stratechery

Metaphysics The Heisenberg Report

The Awesome Hypocrisy of the Facebook Papers Moral Panic (excerpt) Matt Taibbi, TK News. The headline is deceptive; hypocrisy as an analytical tool is useless, because hypocrisy is so pervasive. Here is Taibbis (paywalled) conclusion:

The goals arent hard to spot. From Democratic Party politicians like Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to blue-party proxies like Omidyar to the conga line of ratings-freefalling legacy media figures in perpetual sad clown face over the stubborn popularity of conservative digital media, Facebook represents a wilderness of insufficiently regulated communication that needs humiliation and taming, good and hard. As a giant corporation led by an unpopular, on-spectrum billionaire loathed for different reasons on both the left and the right, it can be safely battered without too many tears shed. Make no mistake, though, the endgame is getting government  maybe through Harvard professor Lawrence Lessigs creepy suggestion of a congressional blue ribbon commission  to bring the information the public sees on Facebook under more and more outside control, almost surely in the name of safety. The firm will be painted as a conspirator in the January 6th riots, a harmer of children, a promoter of hate speech, etc. Zuckerberg made the mistake of letting politicians in amid the last media panic of 2016-2017, helping kick off the online censorship era. He should tell these wannabe Stasi agents to take a hike this time. He might be surprised to find out how well that goes over.

As I keep saying, if disinformation online were regulated even as lightly as it is now, we would never have known about aerosols, or masking, either, since both were opposed by CDC and WHO. The safety at issue here is the class power of the individuals who run those institutions. It had and has nothing to do with public safety.

Rise of informal slums and the next global pandemic (PDF) Journal of Infectious Diseases. From the Abstract: Informal slums are growing exponentially in the developing world and these will serve as the breeding ground for a future global pandemic. Virtually every sustainable development goal is unmet in slums around the globe thus we must act now to divert a global humanitarian crisis. I imagine the tent cities of the homeless in the United States could be considered informal slums, more than worthy of the developing world. Its a miracle no new variants have emerged from them (assuming we would know if one had).

COP25/Climate Change

#COVID19

China?

Myanmar

For First Time in Public, a Detainee Describes Torture at C.I.A. Black Sites NYT. What a shame the United States looked forward and not back, and so has no moral standing or soft power on this issue. More on black sites at NC here.

India

Floating farms, salt-resistant rice: Bangladeshis adapt to survive Channel News Asia

The Koreas

Syraqistan

Riyadh Seeks Washingtons Help in Military Defense Al Mayadeen

UK/EU

All of a sudden, Conservatives want to be the workers best friend Globe and Mail

Biden Administration

Code of Silence Reveals How Courts Systems Protect Federal Judges Accused Of Misconduct Texas Observer

Democrats en Deshabille

Summons charges Cuomo with forcible touching Albany Times-Union. The New York Posts version. As a sidebar, one of the more subtle and vicious effects of Googles algo is to derank local sources, as opposed to global and generic fluff. Why on earth would I want to read about Cuomo at the BBC, when that newsroom doesnt know the story?

Donzinger

Assange

CIA plot shows US promises on Assange cant be trusted, court told Sydney Morning Herald. I dont know why the shudder quotes round plot. More: US: "Even if we lose, we can start again with Mr. Assange and issue another extradition request" -James Lewis QC today at the UK High Court on behalf of the US Government  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 28, 2021

LAffaire Joffrey Epstein

Imperial Collapse Watch

Class Warfare

Can we defeat death? FT. For a price, no doubt, and for some definition of death.

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. We have been frustrated with the frequency with which readers have taken up speculation supporting what is called the lab leak theory. The strong form version is that an engineered nasty got loose from the Wuhan Institute of Virology; the weak form is that the labs in Wuhan were collecting bat viruses and some got out. I have been frustrated with these discussions because they are entirely speculative, as in they lack a smoking gun, and are essentially based on correlation: Theres a bat virus lab in Wuhan. Covid-19 started in Wuhan. Ergo, Covid-19 came from the bat virus lab. Thats admittedly an oversimplification but not by much.

The reason I have been not at all keen about these arguments it that they assume humans have more control over their environment than we do, and/or a need to attribute Bad Stuff to bad or incompetent people. Since Dune is a hot topic, once you get outside the realm of largely human determined activity, like politics and finance, the character Liet-Kynes had it right:

Then, as his planet killed him, it occurred to Kynes that his father and all the other scientists were wrong, that the most persistent principles of the universe were accident and error.

The narrower reason is that both when HIV was found to be the cause of AIDS, and much later, when SARS was on the loose and looked primed to do considerable harm, a noisy cohort insisted that each had to be the result of human bio-intervention, they were just too nasty to have evolved naturally. In both cases, admittedly after a great deal of forensics (15 years in the case of SARS), the animal origins were found.

This article makes a very tidy and persuasive argument against the stronger forms of the lab leak theory: science isnt advanced enough to create a human-to-human transmissible virus. And if you want to fall back on the well a bat virus collected from the lab could have jumped to humans and become transmissible, thats a lot of mutating in an awfully short time. And thats before you get to the fact that the lab collected only a very small subset of the bat coronaviruses that exist in the wild.

A pet theory of Lamberts is that a Chinese tourist could have brought a bat virus back from, say, Indonesia to Wuhan. Consumption of bats was outlawed in China after SARS but its legal in Indonesia (they are even sold in markets, yeech). There are also bat caves that are tourist destinations in Indonesia; I visited one in Bali, for instance. The point is that SARS went from bat to pangolin to humans; there are places in Asia where bats are in closer proximity to other species as well as humans that evolution could have occurred there. Most

experts now believe HIV jumped to humans through bushmeat-eating in Africa, pointing to another issue: where a new pathogen first broke big may not be where it originated.

By Wendy Orent, who holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and been writing about biological weapons and the evolution of infectious disease for 25 years. Originally published at Undark

Where die the Covid-19 pandemic come from? Almost since the beginning of the outbreak, a bitter and explosive controversy has raged over the origins of the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. The rapid shut-down of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan immediately suggested to Western observers that the Chinese government itself thought that the market was the source, especially since 26 out of 47 of the original cases could be linked to it. An article published in Nature in March 2020 seemed to leave no doubt: The viruss genome showed every evidence of natural origins.

But the story did not stop there. Many writers and researchers suggested that the presence of a high-containment laboratory in Wuhan, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, could point to a laboratory origin for the pandemic: a bioweapons experiment; or gain-of-function research, in which genetic manipulation adds some new feature to an existing germ; or simply the laboratory escape of a lethal bat virus. Since many lab escapes have happened in the past, some argue, a lab leak is a plausible explanation for this devastating explosion of disease. While a team convened by the World Health Organization declared in March that a lab leak was extremely unlikely and suggested wildlife farms that supplied the market could be the culprit, a new group of scientists is now set to revisit the issue.

Still, there remains, as of this writing, no physical evidence linking the pandemics origins with a laboratory escape. And furthermore, from a logical and evolutionary viewpoint, there is something fundamentally wrong with all lab-leak arguments. SARS-CoV-2 is a human-adapted virus capable of effective, stealthy transmission from person to person. Lab escape theories cannot clearly account for the adaptation of the virus to its new host, or, in other words, for the evolution of human-to-human transmissibility.

In order for a virus to adapt to a new species, it needs to evolve to a point where it can easily and readily spread within that species. This is not the work of an instant, but rather the end result of a long chain of adaptation and transmission. Thats an evolutionary process. Human-to-human transmissibility has never been produced deliberately in laboratory experiments because no one knows exactly how to make a virus more transmissible among people. Its not something that can happen accidentally, because the genetics of transmission are so subtle and complex  the result of numerous specific tiny adaptations. And a virus thats readily transmissible among humans in the way that SARS-CoV-2 is has never been found in the wild, because animal viruses are adapted to their own host species. To make a human-to-human transmissible disease, you need human beings, a lot of human beings, to be exposed to a pathogen. And you need the repeated action of natural selection on the pathogen spreading among those human beings.

Transmission is key to a pathogens adaptation. In SARS-CoV-2, transmission is effective, silent, and relentless because the virus replicates at high levels in the upper respiratory tract, making it easy to spread through coughing, sneezing, talking, and breathing. According to coronavirus expert Susan Weiss of the University of Pennsylvania, SARS-CoV-2 replicates better at slightly lower temperatures than some other viruses, allowing it to populate nasal passages and the upper airways, where the temperature is lower than in the lungs. Though it has not been proven, Weiss said it would make logical sense that better replication at lower temperatures could permit the virus to shed early in the infection, before symptoms set in.

In contrast, highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu, for instance, never acquired the ability to transmit from person-to-person at all, despite a fair number of fatal human infections. This is, at least in part, because the virus attaches to receptors deep in the lungs, and not, unlike SARS-CoV-2, in the upper airways.

How would you design a virus to spread stealthily in the ways that SARS-CoV-2 does, either for general research or for nefarious purposes? You wouldnt. You wouldnt know how. Theres a vanishingly low likelihood that you could design a virus so that it spreads asymptomatically, says Weiss.

Transmission is a subtle thing, involving many genes and many functions. Only natural selection, in the context of repeated spread from host to host within a single species, can guide its evolution. The idea that all of these traits could be accidentally picked up in laboratory experiments and introduced into a bat virus seems no more likely than the idea that they were consciously designed by researchers. Huge mink farms in Denmark and the Netherlands, where, in several instances, infected workers introduced SARS-CoV-2 to the crowded animals, show us how this adaptive evolutionary process works: The human-adapted virus rapidly evolved, several times over, to be a mink-adapted disease which may be better at transmitting among minks than people.

No one really understands the genetics of transmissibility for any virus. The closest scientists have come is in a notorious series of experiments, the results of which were published in 2012. Two laboratories, one in the Netherlands, one in Wisconsin, separately showed that by changing one aspect of transmission, the receptor by which highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu attach to cells in the respiratory tract, they could, by repeatedly passing their altered strain through ferrets, ultimately infect ferrets via the airborne route. Many scientists insisted that this gain-of-function research was inherently dangerous, and the labs agreed to a voluntary year-long moratorium.

But as Columbia University virologist Vincent Racaniello points out, that work actually did not produce a more dangerous virus. By shifting receptors to those high in ferrets airways, the virus lost its virulence. None of the ferrets died. Weiss quips that sometimes gain-of-function research actually involves loss of function.

The closest anyone has come to creating an entirely novel virus is likely an experiment conducted by Ralph Baric and colleagues at the University of North Carolina, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the WIV, among other institutions, in which the researchers used the spike protein of an existing bat coronavirus and spliced it to the backbone of a mouse coronavirus. Baric, who was not available for comment, showed his chimera could infect and replicate in human airways cells in vitro and the lungs of living mice. Then the scientists tried to develop a full-length virus, but that proved significantly attenuated both in human airway cells and mice. It would need, according to the study, further adaptation to become an effective pathogen. And theres no evidence at all that that derived virus could spread.

Even less is known about the genetics of coronavirus transmissibility, which remains a black box, even as variant after variant has emerged and spread. Racaniello describes these new, spreading variants as simply more fit. But other virologists, including Stephen Goldstein, a researcher at the University of Utah School of Medicine, think that in this case fitness implies more effective transmission. The take-home is that that these new variants are worse because they spread more quickly and to more people, he says. It all adds up to greater transmissibility. Evolution towards increased transmissibility is, indeed, a likely scenario, as more transmissible strains should outcompete less transmissible ones, and that seems to have happened here.

But we still do not thoroughly understand the genetics of viral transmission for SARS-CoV-2, or, for that matter, for any other pathogen.

Some people propose that an accidental release of a natural virus, probably a bat virus, triggered the pandemic  but that scenario is no more likely. First, no one has found a bat virus close enough genetically to be the culprit. The bat virus until recently believed to be most closely related to SARS-CoV-2, RATG13, is 96 percent similar. That doesnt mean, according to coronavirus expert Weiss, that one small stretch (4 percent of the genome) is different and the rest is identical. It is different in small ways all across the genome.

Results posted on the preprint server Research Square in September, which have not yet been peer reviewed, suggest three new viruses identified in bats in Laos are even more closely related to SARS-CoV-2. But even assuming that scientists in Wuhan cultured such viruses in the lab  which they told investigators early this year was not the case  this doesnt mean that a bat-adapted virus escaped from the WIV could have seeded the Covid pandemic. A virus is never going to come out of a bat ready to go, says Racaniello. It never has.

Bat-borne viruses, including Hendra, Nipah, Marburg, and rabies, can kill people, but they dont easily spread from person to person. While, in theory, a bat virus that has the ability to infect people via the ACE-2 receptor might be able to spread from person to person, there is no known record of any bat virus (or any other wild animal virus) having done so. Six cases of SARS-like illnesses among miners cleaning bat feces from a bat cave in Yunnan province have been reported, but there is no indication that these cases (three of which were fatal) spread to anyone else. There are known instances of a bat-adapted disease transmitting among people, but always, as in the case of Nipah virus, through very close contact or exposure to bodily fluids, not via airborne transmission. Lab releases of a wild bat virus would necessarily mean that lab workers had to be infected  many of them, to allow transmissibility to evolve  but despite speculation, there have been no reported Covid infections among lab researchers at the WIV.

Proponents of the lab-release explanation also point to prior accidental releases as evidence that this could have happened in Wuhan. Proponents cite the six times SARS-CoV, a related virus that infected more than 8,000 people and killed 774 in 2002-2003, escaped from research laboratories by infecting scientists who passed it on. Or they bring up Janet Parker, who died of smallpox in 1978 when a British scientist, experimenting with smallpox virus, apparently allowed the virus to move through the ventilation system and infect Parker, who was working in a room just above the laboratory.

The difference between SARS-CoV-2 and these instances is that none of them involve new pathogens. Citing instances of the release of pathogens that have already established transmissibility among humans doesnt begin to address the question of Covids origins. And that remains the fundamental question.

But the actual key to Covids origins has been there all along. According to Weiss, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are more closely related to each other than either is to other human coronaviruses. But Weiss says both are also closer to related bat viruses than they are to each other. After more than a decade of research, its been established that the SARS-CoV originated in a bat and then moved, in the live-animal market of Guangdong in southern China, into intermediate hosts, civets, and likely raccoon dogs. Infecting other animals seems to disentangle, so to speak, a well-adapted bat virus from its original host, making it, for a time, something of a generalist, able to infect a range of species, including humans.

SARS-CoV-2 probably evolved in similar circumstances. It is likely that, again, civets, raccoon dogs, or other species acquired a bat-borne virus and spread it to other animals  and then to people: keepers, customers, passers-by in the 1,000-stall Huanan market, where wild animals of many different species were caged together in crowded, filthy conditions. These live animal markets are essentially disease factories, effective laboratories for the evolution of deadly pathogens. Huanan was soon shut down. No outsiders were permitted to examine it, or test workers for seroprevalence, which is, according to Goldstein, a critically important step.

According to the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as of 2016, the exotic food trade was a $19 billion industry in China, out of $76 billion for the overall wildlife industry. Countless live wild animals are sold for the luxury market each year. A lot of money is involved, and theres a lot of incentive to keep quiet. Though the Huanan market remains shuttered and the wildlife trade for food banned, other markets, selling live animals such as chickens, ducks, and pigs, apparently remain open, and in regions far from the main centers trade in wildlife may continue. Live wild animals are also sold in markets throughout Asia.

Obsession with the lab leak hypothesis, combined with the secrecy and lack of cooperation showed by the Chinese government in helping the world understand the origins of the virus, has taken energy and focus away from an important step that can be taken now to prevent future outbreaks of new viruses. We remain at risk for the evolution of new pathogens, of other pandemics, until all wet markets, worldwide, are shuttered for good.
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(Natural News) American adults who have not yet received the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine say that they will probably not, or definitely will not, get them. Around 64 percent of unvaccinated Americans have little to no confidence that COVID shots are effective against new variants, including the delta variant that officials say is responsible for the majority of cases in the United States.

Some say that if the vaccine rollouts were really a benevolent program that followed science, then there would be no need to force the public to get shots using propaganda  things would naturally take care of themselves and the Americans who have already taken the shots would no longer present a threat to the rest of society.

However, that is not the case. The more resistance the government encounters, the more aggressive it becomes in presenting facts and evidence about COVID-19. President Joe Biden recently said that the only pandemic happening right now is the pandemic of the unvaccinated, despite data showing that vaccinated individuals make up the bulk of infections and hospitalizations.

The government also said that vaccines offer more reliable protections compared to natural immunity, but medical studies from around the world showed that natural immunity offers up to 27 times more protection than vaccines.

The government also said that vaccines are safe and effective despite having no long-term data to prove these claims. Multiple studies have also shown that vaccine effectiveness is questionable at best.

Vaccinated individuals represent the majority of new infections and hospitalizations in Israel, which is one of the most vaccinated nations in the world. Study shows that new infections in Israel have surged a few months after the COVID-19 vaccines were introduced.

In the U.S., the outbreaks in 2020 ended before the vaccine rollout. This means the vaccines had nothing to do with the decrease in infection rates  they dropped on their own. The infection rates went up again as the delta variant emerged in the midst of the mass vaccination campaign.

Health expert: vaccine mandate not supported by science

The public has grown weary of the forced vaccinations set up by the government, which is evident in mass walkouts and sickouts, as well as other protests against mandates for companies with over 100 employees.

There are also refusals from armed forces across all branches, as well as city police forces. Most employers and government offices can barely function as it is. There is little chance that they can cope with the loss of the workforce. (Related: Survey: Most Americans oppose vaccination mandates.)

Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said that mandating vaccines for everyone is not well-supported by science. He also has concerns about the two-dose regimen for younger people.

Makary pointed out that the government does not see a similar health fervor for people who smoke, drink alcohol or refuse to wear a helmet when riding a bike. Around 85,000 Americans die from alcohol every year, but there are few compulsory requirements to cut these deaths.

The notion that the government has to vaccinate every American, up to every newborn to control the pandemic is based on the false assumption that the risk of dying from COVID is equally distributed in the population. But the young and healthy are rarely affected by the virus.

Requiring the vaccine in people who already have natural immunity also has no scientific basis. A Cleveland Clinic study found that vaccinating people with natural immunity did not add to their level of protection.

The goal of the pandemic response should be to reduce death, illnesses and disability. But Makary noted that the governments pandemic response has morphed into something that people see as tyranny.

Get more updates about COVID-19 mandates at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

USNews.com
(Natural News) Texas chiropractor Dr. Bryan Ardis warned about the medical establishments lies about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). He issued this warning during the Oct. 25 edition of America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV. Ardis also told program host and theologian John Diamond how more effective COVID-19 cures have been discredited in favor of the vaccines.

Ardis noted how public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue to propagate fear. He said: They lie to you regarding statistics around infections, and they exaggerate them and inflate them. Theyve been selling you the idea that you need a vaccine to inject in your body to save you.

The host of The Dr. Ardis Show on Brighteon.TV added that the risks have always outweighed the purported benefits of the vaccines, contrary to what the authorities insist. They try to coerce, they try to bully and they have been attempting to shame everyone in America into getting these COVID-19 shots, Ardis said.

He also mentioned the FDAs plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11 years old. According to a Guardian report, advisers for the regulatory body have recommended the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for the said age group based on data submitted by the companies. During the Oct. 26 meeting by the FDAs advisory panel, 17 voted yes and only one abstained.

The FDA is deciding to vote on and mandate COVID-19 vaccines [on] all children in America  and its horrific. You should not be okay with them actually pumping these vaccines and mandating [them for] children, Ardis said.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson [vaccine] fact sheets  [state] that these shots do not prevent you from getting COVID-19, nor [do they] stop you from transmitting [SARS-CoV-2] to another person. Whats incredible about [this is that] they keep telling you in the media: In order to stop the pandemic or the spread of this virus, you need to get vaccinated.'

Ardis denounces the continued use of remdesivir against COVID-19

Ive been in the media, non-stop, warning the American public to stay away from hospitals because [Dr.] Anthony Fauci has set up a protocol that will maim, disease and kill a lot of Americans, Ardis told Diamond. I knew that he was using this protocol of a deadly drug called remdesivir in all hospitals in America.

According to Ardis, the countrys top infectious disease expert has a sinister purpose for promoting the remdesivir protocol. Fauci is setting this up to kill a bunch of Americans, so he could sell the idea that the COVID-19 infection was deadly and that he had a savior vaccine that everyone needed to get, the chiropractor said.

Ardis remarks against remdesivir came more than a month after he appeared on another Brighteon.TV program, The Matrixxx Grooove Show. He denounced the remdesivir protocol on the shows Sept. 2 episode.

He explained that remdesivir causes acute kidney failure in 35 percent of patients who used it within five to ten days. When combined with the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and the antibiotic vancomycin, it causes acute kidney failure in up to 45 percent of patients in a span of five days. (Related: Dr. Ardis reveals hospitals COVID death protocol to Jeff and Shady  Brighteon.TV.)

Diamond asked Ardis if the campaign to discredit hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin (IVM) was part of the FDAs plan to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for the COVID-19 shots. Is that why they tried to suppress all of the HCQ and IVM, because they wanted to push these vaccines?

Ardis answered in the affirmative. They wanted to have an EUA given to a vaccine maker. By law, there cannot be any other medication or treatment already proven to actually be safe and effective against the virus in order for a vaccine to be given an EUA. That is why they had to destroy how good HCQ behaved with COVID-infected patients around the world, Ardis said. (Related: Hospitalizations drop by 84% in patients treated with HCQ, study shows.)

They also had to lie to us  that IVM wasnt safe or effective. Its actually been proven in 63 studies from 18 countries to stop COVID-19 infection [and] transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in 48 hours or less.

Watch the full Oct. 25 episode of America Unhinged below. Tune in to America Unhinged with John Diamond from Monday to Friday at 9-10 a.m. on Brighteon.TV.

DangerousMedicine.com has more stories about the continued use of remdesivir and vaccines against COVID-19.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com 1

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com 2
(Natural News) Alberta pastor Artur Pawlowski is standing strong against Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) persecution in Canada, even though he could end up in prison for it.

As we reported, Pawlowski was recently ordered by Judge Adam Germain to start preaching Chinese Virus propaganda to his congregation as punishment for previous lockdown violations. Pawlowski was also fined $23,000 and told he would have to serve 18 months of probation for his Fauci Flu crimes.

Being a principled man of faith, Pawlowski of course rejected the courts order that he lie to his flock. Sarah Miller, his lawyer, is already planning an appeal against the compelled speech order and the unconstitutional sentencing her client was given.

In Germains 12-page ruling, Pawlowski was ordered to preach the following script from his pulpit:

I am also aware that the views I am expressing to you on this occasion may not be views held by the majority of medical experts in Alberta. While I may disagree with them, I am obliged to inform you that the majority of medical experts favour social distancing, mask wearing, and avoiding large crowds to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Most medical experts also support participation in a vaccination program unless for a valid religious or medical reason you cannot be vaccinated. Vaccinations have been shown statistically to save lives and to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.

Pawlowski has already publicly condemned this compelled speech, comparing it to something that would happen in a place like China or North Korea. He added that he will never comply and is fully prepared to go to prison for his faith.

Be sure to watch the following episode of the Health Ranger Report to hear Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, interview Pawlowski about Canadas anti-Christian tyranny:

Who could have predicted that coronavirus would become the catalyst for antichrist persecution of Christians?

For an astounding 40 minutes, Germain ranted in front of the court about how for the next year-and-a-half, Pawlowski needs to indoctrinate his congregation with Chinese Virus lies. Germain also demanded that Pawlowski present the script anytime he says anything anywhere, including on Twitter or during media interviews.

According to Canadian lawyer and Rebel Media chief Ezra Levant, Pawlowski has basically been told that he must immediately repudiate himself and give the official government view condemning himself or else go back to jail.

He must argue against himself, Levant added. He must condemn himself.

Such an order is unheard of in Canadian law, Levant went on to explain, suggesting that this kind of tyranny is part and parcel of the new normal in Canada.

Germain, meanwhile, feels as though his obscure ruling is necessary and reasonable, as it will be more beneficial in repairing the harm Pastor Pawlowski and his brother did to society.

In Germains opinion, Pawlowski and his brother harmed society by talking about the governments plandemic overreach. Ironically, Germain is now punishing Pawlowski using the very same government overreach that Pawlowski warned his congregation about.

Justice Germain stated four times in his ruling that he did not send the pastor back to prison because he did not want to make him a martyr for his cause and that he didnt want to add a little more gasoline to the anti-mask, anti-vaccination fire,' reported LifeSiteNews.

In a twist of fate, Pawlowski is now positioned to be a martyr for the cause of free speech in Canada as the strong-willed pastor is not backing down. It remains to be seen what will happen to him, but any public speaking or traveling outside the province could mean that he ends up back in prison.

More of the latest news about Chinese Virus fascism can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Biden administration insists that everything is fine in America despite clear proof of shortages. People visiting groceries are seeing empty shelves although some supermarkets are devising ways to hide the problem.

As many supermarkets find their stocks slowly being cleared out, some are trying to conceal the shortage in more ways than one.

Ashe Short, senior editor at Daily Wire, posted a picture of a shelf with products evenly spread out in single file. She wrote: Our Safeway [grocery] appears to be trying to hide the supply shortage by using single lines of products to fill shelves.

Another photo shared by conservative news website ZeroHedge shows individual boxes of macaroni and cheese lining multiple shelves. The boxes, arranged in single file, appear to give the impression of the grocery being packed.

Theres also a video showing folding lawn chairs arranged neatly on empty shelves at a U.S. department store. We are at the edge of the precipice, the user who captured the footage wrote as its caption.

One photo on Twitter shows purportedly well-stocked grocery shelves at a Kroger location  complete with prices. But a closer look at the photo will reveal that the well-stocked shelves are actually covers, concealing empty shelves.

Another photo, this time from the U.K., shows one location of British supermarket chain Tesco putting print-outs of fake asparagus bundles in the vegetable section. (Related: Supply chain issues plaguing U.K., food shortages worsening.)

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki interpreted the shortages and skyrocketing prices as positive signs. She also defended White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who has concurred with the idea that the countrys current economic problems are high-class problems  a remark originally from economist Jason Furman.

The fact is that the unemployment rate is half of what it was about a year ago. More people have jobs, more people are buying goods, thats increasing demand. Thats a good thing. maAt the same time, we know supply is low because were coming out of the pandemic, Psaki said.

Hoarders are being blamed for the food shortages

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also insisting that there are no food shortages and there is sufficient food supply for Americans. According to the USDAs COVID-19 information page, there are currently no nationwide shortages of food and there are currently no widespread disruptions reported in the supply chain.

The USDA added that it is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in closely monitoring the food supply chain for any shortages, in collaboration with industry and our federal and state partners. Both agencies are in regular contact with food manufactures and grocery stores, it adds.

Instead of actually solving the problem, the Biden administration pointed their fingers at hoarders. Writing for The Organic Prepper, author Daisy Luther pointed out: Hoarders are a handy scapegoat and a great way to turn people against those who are prepared. The author of Preppers Pantry added: It isnt hoarding to supply food for your family when you see things going downhill fast. (Related: Is the American food supply chain collapsing?)

The Health Ranger Mike Adams shared the same sentiment.

In the Oct. 25 edition of his Health Ranger Report program on Brighteon.TV, Adams told his guest The Patriot Nurse: The media is now already starting to shame people away from acquiring supplies, using terms like hoarding or panic buying. Meal planning by purchasing food? Thats not a panic buy; thats a strategic safety net.

The Patriot Nurse agreed and called the move prescient buying. She said: Its not panic if you recognize that you, as a human being, have basic needs that have to be sustained and met  regardless of surrounding circumstances and political expediencies.

Collapse.news has more articles about the food supply shortages hitting different supermarkets.

Sources include:

TheOrganicPrepper.com

Twitter.com 1

ZeroHedge.com 1

Twitter.com 2

Twitter.com 3

Twitter.com 4

ZeroHedge.com 2

USDA.gov

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) More Americans are now refusing COVID-19 vaccinations not because they oppose the shoulder jab but because they oppose a mandate from a president they do not trust. Ironically, using vaccine mandates in a futile effort to boost his sagging poll numbers, this feckless president has only hardened opposition to the vaccine.

(Article by Oliver L. North & David Goetsch republished from WND.com)

I had COVID-19 in May. My doctor tells me Im better protected than any vaccine. What law gives this president the authority to tell my employer (an airline) to fire me next month if I dont get vaccinated? That question was posed this weekend while we waited for a delayed flight.

There is no law. President Joe Bidens mendacious mandate is merely an unprecedented executive power grab. This is the kind of government coercion and socialist tyranny we explain in our book, We Didnt Fight for Socialism: Americas Veterans Speak Up.

In it, we warn how government control over the lives of citizens is the ultimate goal of socialist regimes. The freedoms in our Bill of Rights and the individual liberty that is the cornerstone of our Constitution are anathema to socialists. Freedom and liberty are the antithesis of government coercion and control. When the elected officials and bureaucrats who run the government work for the people, socialist tyranny is impossible.

We also describe how socialists use emergency situations to take control over the lives of citizens. In 2008, President Barack Obamas chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is (its) an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before. His use of the word you was wrong. He meant we.

Apparently, then-Vice President Biden understood. He and the leftist ideologues now pulling his strings took Emanuels advice. COVID-19 gave them the serious crisis they craved.

Once government gains control over any aspect of individual citizens lives, it does not easily surrender such power. Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institution, in an interview with Dinesh DSouza on Oct. 17, stated the left has declared war on the very idea of citizenship.

According to our Constitution, elected officials serve at the pleasure of our citizens. But to Biden and his progressive minions, individual citizens are but mindless chess pieces to be manipulated by government.

Emanuel admitted a crisis allows government to do things it otherwise could not do. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a president might well have been impeached for insisting employers fire pilots, flight attendants, police officers, firemen, truck drivers and heroic first responders, et al., for violating an unconstitutional mandate.

But, like all his socialist predecessors, Biden unleashed a powerful propaganda campaign to deceive, distort, divide and destroy opponents with fear. His pliant allies in the so-called mainstream media aided this strategy. Thats why he used an executive order instead of congressional legislation to impose his fire them rule.

Sadly, its not over yet. Our book also warns about the terrible history of socialist tyrants unrelenting pursuit of government control even when results are disastrous. This is most likely the case with Bidens vaccine mandate. Today, businesses are shutting down because they cannot attract or keep a sufficient number of employees while Bidens mandate is wreaking havoc on our already faltering economy by causing irreplaceable personnel to quit or be fired.

This is unconscionable. Americans cannot be fired for their religion, skin color, age, medical condition or sexual orientation, but Biden orders them fired for refusing the so-called COVID inoculation. This is socialist tyranny.

Read more at: WND.com
(Natural News) Thousands of dead sea creatures have been washing up on British beaches and collecting in waist-high piles in a phenomenon that has scientists scrambling to find answers.

At several beaches in Teesside, piles of dead crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters can be found lying across the shore. Other sea creatures, such as fish and porpoises, have also been found among the dead.

Area fishermen have reported to the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (NEIFCA) that they have not been fishing near the shore there because there is nothing to catch. NEIFCA Senior Environmental and Scientific Officer Tim Smith said that divers have seen dead crabs on the sea bed, while fishermen report that their lobster pots are coming up mostly empty.

Some of the affected beaches include Redcar, Seaton Carew and Seaham.

One woman who walks one of these beaches every day described her shock at finding huge piles of crabs and lobsters, both dead and alive, littered across the beach while out photographing the sunrise.

She told the media: I have been along my usual walk from Marske to Saltburn and was utterly shocked and saddened to see, in some parts, waist-deep seaweed full of thousands of dead and alive crabs and lobsters, all kinds and species.

She added that she and her husband tried to return the ones that were still living back to the sea. She said that the issue has been building up over several weeks along the coast and that no one appears to be doing anything about it.

On social media, locals expressed concerns that whatever is killing the wildlife there could kill humans as well, and many residents have said they will no longer let their dogs walk along the shores.

What is causing these mass sea creature die-offs?

Several theories are circulating about what could be causing the problem. A sea life pathologist for Teesside University, Dr. Jamie Bojko, said that he believes a singular event is behind the die-off, particularly in light of the fact that so many different species are being impacted.

He stated: There are a range of things which could explain it, one could be an extreme weather event or another possibility is disease, but it would be odd for it to have an effect on such a range of species, with everything from crabs and lobsters to fish species like dogfish and sharks and sole, he said.

Last month, hundreds of seabirds were found dead nearby on the shores of Northumberland, although it is unclear if there is any connection.

The Environment Agency is investigating, with a spokesman telling TeessideLive that the governments marine and freshwater science arm, CEFAS, was conducting tests: Samples of water, sediment, mussel and crab have been collected and are being sent to our lab for analysis, to consider whether a pollution incident could have contributed to the deaths of the animals. We have also shared samples with CEFAS labs for disease analysis.

They have also released a phone number people can call to report incidents of pollution they witness.

In addition to disease and pollution, they are also analyzing samples for the presence of certain metals. It is possible that a catastrophic event may have taken place up to a month ago and the effects are just now becoming apparent.

The deaths of the sea creatures are expected to have a knock-on effect on the ecosystem at large given the fact that many other species depend on crustaceans for food.

Sources for this article include:

DailyStar.co.uk

ITV.com

BBC.com
(Natural News) Farmers all over the world are concerned that the ongoing supply chain crisis will have a disastrous effect on their 2022 crop outputs.

Input prices  or all the costs that go into a harvest  are already making it difficult for farmers in the United States to operate normally. According to financial services company StoneX Group, wholesale prices for fertilizer in the Midwest have risen by approximately $434 since Sept. 10. This represents a 65 percent increase in a month, or $72 a week.

Fertilizer is not the only essential item whose price has increased. Virtually every part of the agriculture sector has been hit by similar price increases. The situation has been exacerbated by an ongoing labor shortage.

According to a survey conducted by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, 77 percent of agricultural cooperatives had issues retaining skilled laborers during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Other factors are forcing farmers to spend more, such as the increased cost of shipping farm outputs and the lack of availability of equipment and parts.

Freak weather incidents have also made it difficult for farmers to operate. An estimated 75 percent of the Western U.S. and the Dakotas have recently experienced a severe drought, forcing ranchers to liquidate larger portions of their herds and farmers to pay more for irrigation.

After many years of low farm prices, recent price increases were poised to help elevate market net returns. Given these supply chain issues, that optimism has faded into a desire to simply not do worse than those lean years, read a statement released by the Agriculture CEO Council, an association of CEOs from the leading businesses in the agriculture sector.

The supply chains that are critical for inputs and sales of goods face multiple and simultaneous challenges. This has led to higher prices for inputs, lower prices for outputs and, in some cases, the inability to purchase goods or services regardless of price.

Brazilian farmers also suffering from supply chain crisis

Farmers in South America, particularly in Brazil, are dealing with a similarly dire outlook for their future harvests.

Michael Langemeier, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, believes the situation farmers in Brazil are experiencing may be worse than what farmers in the U.S. are going through.

Langemeier points out that one of the biggest concerns Brazilian farmers are dealing with is a steep shortage in fertilizer. My understanding is that Brazil imports most of their fertilizer needs  even more than we do, he said. (Related: China places additional restrictions on fertilizer exports to safeguard own fertilizer stocks as supplies dwindle.)

Jim Mintert, another agriculture economist from Purdue, believes Brazils production for the 2022 harvest season is a wild card. South American production plays a vital role in the overall demand for agricultural products.

On the demand side, I think thats really the bigger issue is when do we see a recovery and demand for exports, particularly to China, said Mintert. He believes Brazil will partially control future demand for many of the largest crops grown in the U.S., such as corn and soybeans.

But [there is] a tremendous amount of uncertainty in terms of what this rise in input prices is going to do to production next year, continued Mintert.

Farmers in Brazil are concerned that the fertilizer shortage may last well into 2022. Fertilizer supplies for the year have been adequate so far, but the countrys stocks are dwindling fast. Many farmers are already thinking about reducing the amount of fertilizer they use, which will affect overall crop yields.

One other factor that might affect future Brazilian production is something that no farmer in the country can control: weather.

Last harvest season, Brazils corn output suffered due to extreme weather conditions. Drought devastated nearly half of all production in some locations in the country. With 67 percent of the energy supply in Brazil coming from hydroelectric power plants, the drought affected how much farmers had to pay for power.

Learn more about how the supply chain crisis is affecting farmers around the world by reading the latest articles at Harvest.news.

Sources include:

AgWeb.com

NationalHogFarmer.com

FarmProgress.com
(Natural News) In a unanimous vote of 17-0, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) vaccine advisory panel has recommended that the agency officially authorize the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTechs Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine in children ages five through 11.

The FDA does not have to abide by this recommendation, but chances are that it will because there really has never been a chemical injection that the agency has not wanted to stab into peoples arms, no matter how dangerous.

In fact, the FDA works over time to get dangerous and ineffective vaccines approved. When they injure and kill children, the FDA covers it all up and pretends as though nothing is wrong.

If or when the FDA approves the Pfizer-BioNTech injection for children as young as five, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will then issue an opinion of its own about the matter.

According to reports, children between five and 11 years of age would receive a modified injection that contains only one-third the amount of vaccine per dose. Children 12 years of age and older will continue to receive the full doses.

FDA voting member says he had to vote in favor of covid vaccination for little kids in order to find out what it does to them

When asked why he voted in favor of the recommendation, one of the FDA advisory members revealed that were never going to learn about how safe the vaccine is until we start giving it.

In other words, nobody really knows what these things are going to do to societys youngest members, and the only way to find out is to start experimentally injecting them with mRNA spike protein vials.

This is a similar rationale to the one once given by political dinosaur Nancy Pelosi when asked why she voted in favor of passing Obamacare. Since nobody actually read the legislation, Pelosi infamously stated that Congress had to pass it in order to find out what was in it.

By recommending that young children get jabbed with experimental Big Pharma chemicals that will permanently alter their DNA and leave them with damaged immunity, the FDA vaccine advisory panel is waging biological war against our nations youth.

It would seem as though this could be the American governments last abominable move before God Almighty himself intervenes to protect his innocent creation from being genetically butchered by Tony Fauci and his fellow death worshippers who would love for nothing more than to inject every last human soul with their chemical poisons.

This whole thing really does seem like some kind of ritual child sacrifice to the Branch Covidian god, who appears to demand the blood of innocents in order to quell his fury. The more children whose parents agree to get them jabbed, the happier their god is, which means fewer other covid restrictions such as lockdowns and mask mandates.

All 17 board members who voted to approve this need to hang, wrote one commenter at Zero Hedge, noting that the study they used to justify their yes votes was only two months long and proved absolutely nothing based on how it was constructed.

This is meaningless statistical noise, also known as lying with statistics, this same commenter added.

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 and teen boys, the study itself further revealed about its major shortcomings.

The government wants Chinese Virus injections to be repeatedly stabbed into everyones arms probably until the end of time. To keep up with the latest, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Because Republicans are the only major party that still respects our countrys institutions and the rule of law, a dozen of them are demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland put an end to an initiative he launched earlier this month targeting parents who show up at school board meetings demanding changes to offensive, racist and divisive curriculum and materials.

The GOP effort comes following a letter sent to the Biden regime late last month from the National School Boards Association requesting that federal agencies be permitted to investigate parental conduct that allegedly rises to the level of domestic terrorism.

The NSBA eventually issued an apology but not before causing a major stir among parents, education reform groups and lawmakers.

The NSBA expressed regret about and formally apologized for its letter to President Biden, the GOP members of Congress, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), said in the letter. Because the NSBA letter was the basis for your memorandum and given that your memorandum has been and will continue to be read as threatening parents and chilling their protected First Amendment rights, the only responsible course of action is for you to fully and unequivocally withdraw your memorandum immediately.

They went on to say that Garlands testimony before the House last week was troubling.

Yo?u ?acknowledged that you issued the unusual directive soon after reading about the thinly sourced letter sent by the ?[?NSBA?]? to President Biden and not? ?because of any specific request from state or local law enforcement?, they said in the letter.

During your testimony, you sidestepped the obvious effect of your ill-conceived memorandum and the chilling effect that invoking the full weight of the federal law enforcement apparatus would have on parents protected First Amendment speech, noting further that parents have an undisputed right to take part in their childrens education.

The late September letter from Garcia and NSBA interim Executive Director and CEO Chip Slaven addressed to President Joe Biden sought immediate assistance for school board members, teachers and even students.

Americas public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) respectfully asks 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, the letter from NSBA President Viola Garcia and NSBA interim Executive Director and CEO Chip Slaven stated.

They added, 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. However, there also must be safeguards in place to protect public schools and dedicated education leaders as they do their jobs, the letter continued, adding: 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.

One critic responded by accusing Garland of prosecutorial abuse for tasking U.S. attorneys and the FBI with investigating parents.

Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Roger Severino told the DCNF that such behavior is prosecutorial abuse.

To unleash the DOJ on concerned parents and pro-lifers without cause is prosecutorial abuse in the name of politics, said Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Roger Severino, the former director of the Office of Civil Rights under President Donald Trumps administration.

If Garland truly cares about threats in education, he should investigate woke college mobs who routinely physically intimidate and threaten speakers who dare to present a conservative point of view on campus, Severino added.

Sources include:

USAFeatures.news

TheEpochTimes.com
(Natural News) Pfizer has used its position as a producer of one of the leading Covid-19 vaccines to silence governments, throttle supply, shift risk, and maximize profits through secret contracts with countries around the world, according to a Public Citizen report published Tuesday.

(Article by Jessica Corbett republished from CommonDreams.org)

Behind closed doors, Pfizer wields its power to extract a series of concerning concessions from governments, report author Zain Rizvi, law and policy researcher at Public Citizens Access to Medicines program, said in a statement. The global community cannot allow pharmaceutical corporations to keep calling the shots.

The new report begins by noting February reporting about accusations of Pfizeran American pharmaceutical giant that developed its mRNA vaccine with the German firm BioNTechbullying Latin American governments during contract negotiations for doses.

Public Citizen obtained unredacted term sheets, drafts, or final agreements between Pfizer and Albania, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, the European Commission, and Peru. The consumer rights advocacy group also examined redacted contracts with Chile, the U.S., and the U.K.

You can read our first story on Pfizers vaccine contracts in Latin America here. We found Pfizer had asked some countries to put up sovereign assets as a guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases. (Published February.)https://t.co/c0Y8qDIW4z  Rosa Furneaux (@rosafurneaux) October 19, 2021

Based on those contracts, the report identifies six tactics Pfizer is using to serve the company rather than public health in the midst of a deadly pandemic:

1. Pfizer Reserves the Right to Silence Governments

The Brazilian government complained earlier this year that the company insisted on unfair and abusive terms but ultimately accepted a contract that waived sovereign immunity; imposed no penalties on Pfizer for late deliveries; agreed to resolve disputes under a secret private arbitration under the laws of New York; and broadly indemnified Pfizer for civil claims.

Brazil also agreed to a nondisclosure provision similar to those found in contracts with the European Commission and the U.S. government.

2. Pfizer Controls Donations

Again using Brazil as an example, the report points out that the South American nation must first get a go-ahead from Pfizer to accept donations or buy its vaccines from others. The country is also barred from donating, distributing, exporting, or otherwise transporting the vaccine outside Brazil without Pfizers permission.

3. Pfizer Secured an IP Waiver for Itself

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has emerged as a strident defender of intellectual property in the pandemic, the report says, noting his opposition to a proposal that members of the World Trade Organization who signed on to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waive IP protections for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments during the crisis.

But, in several contracts, Pfizer seems to recognize the risk posed by intellectual property to vaccine development, manufacturing, and sale, Public Citizen explains. The contracts shift responsibility for any intellectual property infringement that Pfizer might commit to the government purchasers. As a result, under the contract, Pfizer can use anyones intellectual property it pleaseslargely without consequence.

4. Private Arbitrators, Not Public Courts, Decide Disputes in Secret

While the U.K. contract requires that disputes are settled by secret panel of three private arbitrators under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, the report says, the Albania draft contract and Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Peru agreements require the governments to go further, with contractual disputes subject to ICC arbitration applying New York law.

5. Pfizer Can Go After State Assets

Pfizer required Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru to waive sovereign immunity, the report highlights, detailing that the doctrine can sometimes protect states from companies trying to enforce decisions reached by the previously noted secret arbitral panels. Some of the contracts enable the company to request that courts use state assets as a guarantee that Pfizer will be paid an arbitral award and/or use the assets to compensate Pfizer if the government does not pay, according to Public Citizen.

6. Pfizer Calls the Shots on Key Decisions

What happens if there are vaccine supply shortages? In the Albania draft contract and the Brazil and Colombia agreement, Pfizer will decide adjustments to the delivery schedule based on principles the corporation will decide the report notes, concluding that under the vast majority of contracts, Pfizers interests come first.

Public Citizen calls on world leaders, especially U.S. President Joe Biden, to push back against Pfizers negotiating tactics and rein in its monopoly power.

According to the group, the Biden administration can call on Pfizer to renegotiate existing commitments and pursue a fairer approach in the future as well as further rectify the power imbalance by sharing the vaccine recipe, under the Defense Production Act, to allow multiple producers to expand vaccine supplies.

The U.S. administration can also work to rapidly secure a broad waiver of intellectual property rules, the report adds, declaring that a wartime response against the virus demands nothing less.

Pfizer has used its monopoly on a lifesaving vaccine to extract concessions from desperate governments. As I told @mradamtaylor, the contracts consistently place Pfizers interests before public health imperatives.https://t.co/sH3odhZRFG  Zain Rizvi (@zainrizvi) October 19, 2021

In response to Public Citizens report, Sharon Castillo, a spokesperson for Pfizer, told The Washington Post that confidentiality clauses were standard in commercial contracts and intended to help build trust between the parties, as well as protect the confidential commercial information exchanged during negotiations and included in final contracts.

Castillo also said that Pfizer has not interfered and has absolutely no intention of interfering with any countrys diplomatic, military, or culturally significant assets, adding that to suggest anything to the contrary is irresponsible and misleading.

Meanwhile, Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizens Access to Medicines program, accused Pfizer of taking advantage of countries desperation with the far-reaching contracts.

Most of us have sacrificed during the pandemic; staying distant to protect family and friends, Maybarduk said Tuesday. Pfizer went the other way, using its control of scarce vaccines to win special privileges, from people that have little choice.

Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org
(Natural News) (Article by Martin Armstrong republished from ArmstrongEconomics.com)

The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) was designed for medical providers to report any complications with the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, which would seem to be a valuable tool considering the effects are widely unknown. However, there is no mandate for medical care providers to report side effects to the system.

Whistleblower and Physician Assistant Deborah Conrad, who has practiced medicine for 17 years, came out and said that medical workers are being dissuaded from reporting vaccination side effects. While working at United Medical Center in New York, Conrad reported 50 adverse events, including four deaths, within a four-week period. Her hospitals chief quality officer reprimanded her for reporting to VAERS as this level of reporting [has not been found] anywhere else and [they] didnt hear of similar reports. Conrad questioned the system. She questioned why an emergency use vaccination was launched to the public without safety gauges and without any notice to medical providers on what side effects they may see or need to treat.

Less than 50% of the community that United Medical Center services have the vaccine, but around 90% of sick patients were vaccinated, according to Conrad. Worse, their ailments went beyond a new strain or reinfection of COVID-19. The PA saw patients experience:

A new stroke

Bleed

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Sudden Bilateral Pneumonia or COVID19 infection,

Syncope with head injury

STEMI,

New arrhythmias

New seizure disorders,

New chorea movement disorder, and more.

At least five of her patients developed unprovoked deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms within six weeks of receiving the job. She treated four patients who experienced sudden bilateral pneumonia within just one week of receiving the vaccine. The system would not permit her to report patients who developed COVID despite the vaccine.

The VAERS website states:

Healthcare providers are required to report to VAERS the following adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination [under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)], and other adverse events if later revised by CDC:

Vaccine administration errors, whether or not associated with an adverse event (AE)

Serious AEs regardless of causality. Serious AEs per FDA are defined as:

Death;

A life-threatening AE;

Inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization;

A persistent or significant incapacity or substantial disruption of the ability to conduct normal life functions;

A congenital anomaly/birth defect;

An important medical event that based on appropriate medical judgement may jeopardize the individual and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of the outcomes listed above.

Cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

Cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalization or death

Healthcare providers are encouraged to report to VAERS any additional clinically significant AEs following vaccination, even if they are not sure if vaccination caused the event.

There is certainly a grey area between required and encouraged reporting, as medical providers can use their discretion to claim what caused the patient to experience an illness. For example, if someone is born with a birth defect, it would be difficult for providers to trace that back to the vaccination. The website encourages medical providers to report any adverse event, even if they are not sure if it is tied to the vaccine, but some hospitals are actively encouraging their workers not to do so. VAERS should track any ailments within the vaccinated population to see what illnesses theyre more susceptible to contracting. The only reason not to collect such data would be to downplay the dangers of the vaccine. How can individuals and health care providers make an informed decision when the risk is unknown? This raises questions on Faucis safe and effective vaccine claims.

Read more at: ArmstrongEconomics.com
(Natural News) There are multiple aspects to the failure of the global supply chain and each one of them is hitting America hard because for decades we allowed our political leaders to offshore U.S. manufacturing to countries like China who dont simply want to dominate us, they want to destroy us  but not before extracting every last dollar they can from our citizens.

We have reported the fact that there are hundreds of container ships anchored off of major ports along the East and West coastlines, and we have noted that a shortage of dockworkers, longshoremen and truck drivers is adding to a growing bottleneck that is leading to increasingly barren store shelves.

Now, there is a new problem associated with the supply chain breakdown that will actually hasten the collapse: A dearth of spare parts not only for ordinary vehicles but for over-the-road trucks that are vital to our countrys transport system, as noted by Zero Hedge:

A global semiconductor shortage has reduced new car production and boosted used car demand. The average used car age on U.S. highways hit 12.1 this year, a record high, and has unleashed a repair boom. But with snarled supply chains, auto repair shops have had difficulty sourcing parts and told customers their cars could take weeks to fix, according to Bloomberg.

Paul McCarthy, chief executive of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association, said that auto parts and repair industry is getting slammed like everyone else  delays stretching from weeks due to port congestion have produced hefty backlogs [sic].

This is the most difficult supply-chain environment that I have ever seen, AutoZone Inc. CEO William Rhodes noted in an earnings call last month. He went on to say that the parts franchise is currently operating at the lowest level of in-stock that I can ever remember.

The owner of Valley Automotive Repair and Electric in Covington, Wash., Bryan Kelley, said he had to wait months for auto parts for his suburban Seattle shop. He noted in one instance a crankshaft sensor took between two and three months to arrive, adding that in pre-COVID times, it took less than a day to get the part.

One customer, he said, was close to giving up on having his Dodge Ram 1500 because the censor backlog has gone from ridiculous to the absurd.

He went as far as to say, Im going to tow it and buy another truck,' said Kelley, who is also the chairman of the Automotive Service Association Northwest trade group. It got compounded when he found he couldnt just go down and buy one.

Tractor-trailers and other transport vehicles are also suffering from parts shortages, making the supply chain crisis even worse.

Fleets are desperate for new dry vans to compensate for the shortage of new trucks and drivers in the current tight capacity environment. There is a growing amount of freight to be moved and the industry continues to struggle to deliver it on time, Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles, noted in a statement way back in August.

Most of the unproduced orders will roll into the first quarter of 2022. If those months are already booked solid, it creates even more headaches for the industry. Things wont approach any degree of normalcy for months, Ake added in a statement.

With the microchips being the tip of the iceberg, it shows that the supply chain is pretty weak and its too complex, steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Chief Executive Lourenco Goncalves told The Wall Street Journal.

The chip backlog is also preventing auto manufacturers from finishing new tractor rigs, pickup trucks and other vehicles used to transport goods (as well as tractors for producing food).

If only our political leaders hadnt sold out our manufacturing capability years ago.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

TransportDive.com

ZeroHedge.com
(Natural News) Noam Chomsky was once regarded as the father of modern linguistics. As the author of more than one hundred books, Chomsky has greatly influenced cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, computer science, mathematics, childhood education and anthropology. Today however, Chomsky has succumbed to left-wing hysteria and is currently in a state of cognitive decline. He now wants to strip people of consent, due process and starve them into submission with totalitarian mandates and bodily subjugation.

In a recent interview, Chomsky revealed his darkest intentions toward people who do not line up obediently for the current vaccine mandates. He not only wants to see people lose their jobs and future career prospects, but he also wants to charge people with crimes, round them up in internment camps, and control their food supply. In this one interview, Chomsky deconstructed his entire legacy, marking himself as a collaborator in some of the darkest, most heinous crimes against humanity.

Noam Chomsky desires incarceration, starvation for the unvaccinated

Consumed by hysteria and driven by evil, Chomsky is now claiming that individuals are dangerous and deadly if they do not go along with covid-19 experiments. Chomsky is now accusing people of manslaughter if they go out in public unvaccinated and unmasked. He wishes to punish these unvaccinated murderers by taking away their food and restricting their access to society. Its as if Chomsky thinks he has reached the rank of Game-Maker, and has the power to pit people against one another in a modern-day Hunger Games. Desiring absolute control over humanity, Chomsky has yet to show he has even the slightest control over his own faculties.

Chomskys public health subjugation strategy is to segregate people and starve them into submission. He says the right response to the unvaccinated is to insist that they be isolated from society. This is the next step in the war against humanity. After taking away peoples livelihoods and opportunities to provide for their family, left-wing fascists and dictators will try to round innocent people up and take away all their due process rights  falsely accusing them all of murder. According to this diabolical plan, once the food supply is restricted, the unvaccinated will be more willing to accept internment, re-education and inoculation requirements to assimilate into the new totalitarian hellscape.

Such people have to be they should have the decency to remove themselves from the community. If they refuse to do that, then measures have to be taken to safeguard the community from them, Chomsky said in a recent interview with Primo Radical. Then comes the practical question that you asked: How can we get food to them? Well, thats actually their problem.

Of course, if they really become destitute then yes you have to move in with some measure to secure their survival, just as you do with people in jail, Chomsky said.

A modern-day Soviet-style Holodomor is at our doorstep

This plan is reminiscent of the Holodomor or terror-famine that occurred in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. The Holodomor means to kill by starvation. Many scholars believe that this terror-famine was planned by Joseph Stalin to eliminate a Ukrainian independence movement. The Holodomor led to the genocide of millions of Ukrainian men, women and children.

Today, an independence movement is gaining steam, as more people come to realize what is happening before them: unprecedented coercion, violations of Nuremberg Code and crimes against humanity. If these void, soulless entities like Noam Chomsky are willing to carry out their diabolical plans for humanity and threaten human rights further, then a modern-day Holodomor could be ahead in the coming phase of the war. Noam Chomsky revealed which side of history hes willing to die for, a side from which tyrants have been strangled and bludgeoned, time and time again.

Sources include:

InformationLiberation.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Major cities across the United States are in danger of losing a big chunk of their police forces due to resistance to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates.

In Chicago, more than 4,500 employees of the citys police department refused to disclose their vaccine status. This resulted to a standoff between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the citys Fraternal Order of Police.

Its safe to say that the city of Chicago will have a police force at 50 percent or less for this weekend coming up, said Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. This poses a problem considering the rising crime rates. (Related: Chaos coming to Chicago over COVID vaccine mandate as head of police union tells members to defy mayors order.)

LAPD employees file lawsuit against Los Angeles vaccine mandate

Employees of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) filed a federal lawsuit opposing the citys vaccine mandate. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told the Associated Press earlier this month: I dont want to be in a position to lose 5 percent, 10 percent of my workforce overnight.

Villanueva added that he wont enforce the county-level mandate.

Jason Johnson, former deputy commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department and now president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, told the Daily Signal: Are cities going to enforce this mandate? There is greater risk to public safety by enforcing the mandate than not enforcing the mandate.

Two-thirds of Baltimore Police Department employees got at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, below the Maryland state average of 85 percent, Baltimores WJZ-TV reported. Those numbers are similar to Chicagos.

Baltimore Police union leader, Sgt. Mike Mancuso, wrote to members: Until the city responds to our right to bargain these issues, or the courts intervene, I suggest you do nothing in regard to revealing your vaccination status, as it is outlined in the citys policy.

More than 230 police officers across the country have died from COVID-19 so far in 2021, according to non-profit media organization NPR. COVID-19 killed nearly 250 officers nationwide last year.

NPR reported that at least 150 Massachusetts State Police officers resigned ahead of the states vaccine mandate. Around 85 percent of police officers in the state are vaccinated.

The Seattle Times reported that the Washington State Patrol is also against the state vaccine mandate. On Monday, Oct. 25, it lost 53 civil servants and 74 commissioned officers  67 troopers, six sergeants and one captain. That came after a viral final signoff last week from one Washington state trooper, who told Washington Gov. Jay Inslee what he thought of the mandate in no uncertain terms.

USA Today reported that the Seattle Police Department lost more than 300 officers. The Seattle municipal government employees were told to comply with the mandate by Tuesday, Oct. 26. Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan said he is expecting another mass exodus.

In Oregon, state police troopers sued to stop or delay the mandate  but lost in state court on Oct. 7. This is more than just police officers, said Johnson, the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund president. We are seeing this among firefighters and teachers. These mandates were not well thought through. (Related: Oregon firefighters, police officers sue Gov. Brown over covid vaccine mandate.)

Milwaukee police employees reach deal with city

Meanwhile, police employees reached a deal with the city of Milwaukee last week.

Police unions are likely open to negotiating a face-saving measure for mayors who dont want to be seen as admitting to a poor policy, Johnson said.

This should provide more incentives to get vaccinated, not impose mandates, Johnson noted. There can be adjustments to make for officers hesitant to get vaccinated. If they have natural immunity, they can be exempt. If they dont have natural immunity, they could have the option of wearing a mask. They could be put on limited duty.

Mayors and other municipal officials will have to reconsider a policy that leads to a massive loss of police officers, said John Malcolm, director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

I would be more worried about murderers, rapists, and drug dealers acting with impunity than I would about a couple of police officers transmitting the virus, Malcolm said. I dont know why these officers are refusing to get the vaccine. Presumably, they have a good reason. But any policy that leads to mass firings of police has to be fixed.

Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to vaccine mandates and coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

Alphanews.org

NPR.org

JSOnline.com
(Natural News) A federal judge in Texas has rejected a bid by Southwest Airlines pilots to block the companys COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn denied the pilot unions request to issue a temporary restraining order against the mandate, saying that the airline can legally require vaccines to maintain its operations and improve safety.

The mandate was instituted by the airline as part of President Joe Bidens COVID-19 vaccine mandate aimed at all government contractors. Southwest, like many airlines, has contracts with the government and flies U.S. mail and federal employees, in addition to providing other services to the government.

The airline said that all employees must be fully vaccinated or have received approval for a medical, disability or religious exemption by December 8 to continue their employment with Southwest.

Although Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently issued an edict banning vaccine mandates for private businesses operating in the state, Southwest insisted it would continue with the requirement in accordance with the federal decree.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) sought exemptions for the mandate on the grounds that the vaccine could cause medical side effects that may bring a pilots career to an end. SWAPA, which represents around 9,000 pilots for Southwest Airlines, argued that the airline was violating the Railway Labor Act by changing the work and pay rules of the pilots without negotiating. After an unsuccessful plea for an exemption, the union filed an injunction at a federal court in Dallas to temporarily block the mandate.

In her ruling, Judge Lynn said: Requiring Southwest employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will likewise improve the safety of air transportation, the efficiency of Southwests operations, and further the [collective bargaining agreement]s goal of safe and reasonable working conditions for pilots. In addition, because Southwest is a federal contractor, the Vaccine Policy is required by law.

She added that the federal government is Southwests single biggest customer and that the union cannot demand that they end their relationship with the federal government to avoid the executive order.

The union said they were disappointed by the ruling and are considering their next steps.

The airline has openly encouraged its workers to request a religious or medical exemption from the vaccine if they object to getting the jab; they have until November 24 to request an exemption.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has said that no one will lose their job on the deadline, even if full compliance isnt reached. He said: Were not going to fire anybody who doesnt get vaccinated. How we work through the people that dont get vaccinated or dont seek an accommodation, were going to have to figure out and were working with the government on that.

Airlines softening their stance against those who dont wish to be vaccinated, but mandates remain in place

The comments represented a softening from the airlines earlier stance; Southwest had previously said employees whose requests hadnt been approved by the deadline would be placed on unpaid leave.

Employees and other individuals have been protesting the mandates at Southwests headquarters. The company cancelled more than 1,800 flights earlier this month, blaming staffing shortfalls and weather issues; many believed that the problem may have been due, at least in part, to employees not showing up for work in protest of the mandate, although the airline has denied this played a role.

American Airlines is in a similar position, with CEO Doug Parker recently stating that we will continue to work with the employees who do not get a religious or medical exemption by the deadline.

Although it is encouraging to see these CEOs say they dont plan to fire people, it remains to be seen what will happen to those employees who choose not to expose themselves to the risks of the vaccine.

Sources for this article include:

Bloomberg.com

FoxBusiness.com
(Natural News) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) turned down vaccine exemption requests by staff members of the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Under President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate, FSA staff and county committee members are required to get Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) shots.

The National Association of FSA County Office Employees, which represents 6,700 FSA employees, filed the vaccine exemption request and asked the department to allow county offices to choose regular COVID-19 testing instead of vaccines.

A Sept. 22 letter from FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux outlined a vaccination timeline for state and county committee members and advisors. It stated that all employees must be fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shots before Nov. 22.

A Sept. 20 statement from USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack reiterating Bidens executive order came with Ducheneauxs letter. To promote the health and safety of our workforce and their families and children, it is necessary to require COVID-19 vaccinations, Vilsack wrote.

The secretary noted that USDA federal and non-federal employees must be fully vaccinated regardless of whether they work on-site, are on mandatory telework or are remote employees. (Related: Bidens federal vaccine mandate doesnt really apply to everyone: Members of Congress, staff, postal workers are EXEMPT.)

The vaccine mandates by Biden only serve to worsen the current staff shortages the USDA is facing.

When we came into this situation, we faced a USDA where we had [significantly] fewer people than we had last time. I think there were 3,000 to 4,000 fewer people working in USDA. Were trying to get these resources out the door and do all of this work thats important to people, were also trying to step up and were trying to deal with the pandemic, Vilsack said in August.

FSA staffers subject to the vaccine mandate speak out

Bidens order applies to FSA county committee members, who are mostly farmers. Many of them have spoken out against the required COVID-19 injection.

Central Illinois farmer Rory Rincker, who currently chairs the FSA county committee in his area, has not yet arrived at a decision with regard to getting injected. He already has natural immunity after recovering from COVID-19. Rincker fears that the agency will lose valuable office staff because of the vaccine mandate.

I have spoken to a couple of full-time employees, and theyve voiced their concerns about it in our general conversations. A couple of these individuals have said they are simply not going to get the vaccination; they are choosing to step away, he said.

I also spoke to FSA staff who werent vaccinated, but went ahead and got vaccinated just because they want to keep their job. My fear is that the FSA is going to lose good people, because the vaccine mandate is forcing them to walk away.

Jeremy Maher, an FSA committee member in North Dakota, has the same sentiments.

I feel that Ill be terminated from my job, which is hard to fill. Im not sure about two [county committee] members  I do know one was vaccinated, and I assume the other [one was] also, he said. As far as handling it, out of respect for other FSA employees  I will not get the shot. The government is putting [its] employees in a tough spot and if one more person being terminated helps, Im glad to be that person.

Other anonymous FSA employees have openly disagreed with the mandate.

One employee told Tri-State Livestock News (TSLN): From what Im seeing, local offices dont like the idea of the mandate. Even the vaccinated arent on board with forcing the unvaccinated. In our office, everyone is on board to not get it. [We] are going to hold out as long as we can, but we are looking for other [employment] opportunities. Maybe a lawsuit or an injunction from a judge might help. (Related: US soldiers sue federal agencies over militarys COVID-19 vaccine requirements.)

TSLN also talked to a long-time FSA employee with more than three decades of experience. She said that if her religious exemption for the COVID-19 is denied, she is willing to walk away.

If I dont get it, Im gone. Thirty-four years and a whole lot of knowledge will go with me, she said. This vaccine mandate will be a detriment to local FSA offices, even if it tries to hire replacements. When we hired part-time employees  it took three months for the background check, training and their cards. And even now, the overworked employees are expected to train the new hires.

MedicalTyranny.com has more articles about how the Biden administrations vaccine mandate affects the USDA and other government agencies.

Sources include:

AgWeb.com

CDN.FarmJournal.com [PDF]

TSLN.com
(Natural News) Poll after poll, survey after survey, shows that one of the main issues troubling Americans is illegal immigration, and yet under the current regime, the problem has become a full-blown crisis thanks to insane open border policies.

But if that isnt bad enough, the Biden White House is about to really outrage tens of millions of American taxpayers: According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration is in talks to pay $450,000 each to hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed illegally into the U.S. and were separated during the Trump administration, when that president was enforcing immigration laws.

The paper reported exclusively:

The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation, according to people familiar with the matter, as several agencies work to resolve lawsuits filed on behalf of parents and children who say the government subjected them to lasting psychological trauma.

The U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments that could amount to close to $1 million a family, though the final numbers could shift, the people familiar with the matter said. Most of the families that crossed the border illegally from Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. included one parent and one child, the people said. Many families would likely get smaller payouts, depending on their circumstances, the people said.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents families in one of the lawsuits, has identified about 5,500 children separated at the border over the course of the Trump administration, citing figures provided to it by the government, the paper continued. The number of families eligible under the potential settlement is expected to be smaller, the people said, as government officials arent sure how many will come forward. Around 940 claims have so far been filed by the families, the people said.

In all, the payouts could amount to more than $1 billion  which is lunacy considering that a) these people are not citizens of our country and therefore should have no right to file any lawsuits; and b) they literally broke into the country to begin with, in direct violation of U.S. laws, so American taxpayers do not owe these people anything, period.

And yet, given the insanity of the current regimes open border policies, which have not only led to more than 1.7 million encounters with illegal aliens this year alone but have allowed Mexican cartels using Chinese ingredients to flood our country with deadly fentanyl, now comes the insult of paying people off who gave every U.S. citizen the bird.

But lets not kid ourselves: This is the regime and the deep state Marxists running it giving Donald Trump the middle finger as well.

As part of a so-called zero-tolerance enforcement policy, immigration agents separated thousands of children, ranging from infants to teenagers, from their parents at the southern border in 2018 after they had crossed illegally from Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S., the paper reported.

In some cases families were forcefully broken up with no provisions to track and later reunite them, government investigations found. The lawsuits allege some of the children suffered from a range of ailments, including heat exhaustion and malnutrition, and were kept in freezing cold rooms and provided little medical attention, it added.

The solution was simple: Dont try to enter America illegally. Period.

But they came anyway.

Trumps separation policy, by the way, was also used by Barack Obama. His policies were famously exposed by CNN, of all outlets, in 2014, when the network aired photos of migrant children literally sleeping in cages.

But its Trump these lunatics seek to punish, and they dont care if they scarf up a billion dollars in taxpayer money to do it.

Either we have borders or we dont have a country. Tell us again how these Biden sycophants are so loyal to America when they obviously hate America.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

OpenBorders.news
(Natural News) Dr. Meryl Nass, a member of the Childrens Health Defense (CHD) Scientific Advisory Panel, is warning that Pfizer lied about the safety and efficacy data for its Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine trial involving young children.

To make the case to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that children aged 5-11 need to get injected with spike protein poison, Pfizer excluded some of the children who participated in it from the final results.

Three thousand children received Pfizers covid vaccine, but only 750 children were selectively included in the companys safety analysis, Nass revealed.

Studies in the 5-11 age group are essentially the same as the 12-15 group  in other words, equally brief and unsatisfying, with inadequate safety data and efficacy data, with no strong support for why this type of immuno-bridging analysis is sufficient. All serious adverse events were considered unrelated to the vaccine.

While meeting with the FDA, Pfizer argued that children as young as five need to get injected for the Deep State Virus, even though no attempt was made to even assess so-called asymptomatic transmission, which has long been used as an excuse to keep the tyranny going forever.

One of the advisory committees members, Dr. Ofer Levy, petitioned Pfizer for evidence showing that its injection prevents actual transmission of Chinese Germs. Pfizer was unable to present such evidence because it does not exist.

Dr. William Gruber, Pfizers senior vice president of clinical research and development, indicated that his company did not assess this at all. When pressed further about the issue, Gruber basically admitted that Pfizer is just making a baseless claim about this issue without evidence.

How did the FDA conduct a proper risk-benefit analysis of the Pfizer injection if it never even looked at the VAERS under-reporting factor?

Another thing that Steve Kirsch, founder of the COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund, wants to know is how the FDA advisory panel that recommended the Pfizer injection was able to do so when said panel never even conducted a proper risk-benefit analysis?

In order to do so, the FDA panel would have had to take a look at the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Systems (VAERS) under-reporting factor (URF), which it did not do.

How can you do a risk-benefit of analysis of COVID vaccines if you dont know the URF? Kirsch asked poignantly.

This is extremely, extremely important. You have been assuming it has been one. It is not one. Using a URF of 41, which is calculated using CDC methodology, we find over 300,000 excess deaths in VAERS. If the vaccine didnt kill these people, what did?

Kirsch also wants to know how many more Americans have to die before the FDA and other deep state players pull the plug on this mass deception operation? Or was that the point of it all along: to kill as many people as possible with these injections?

There is no emergency and Covid-19 is exceedingly treatable, Dr. Jessica Rose, a viral immunologist and biologist, stated plainly to the panel.

Rose co-authored a peer-reviewed study which found that myocarditis rates were significantly higher in people aged 13 to 23 within the eight weeks after the injections were first rolled out.

In an act of censorship, this paper has been temporarily removed and it has now been killed without criticism of the work, Rose further explained.

She added that tens of thousands of reports have been submitted to VAERS, even for newborn children. At least 60 children died from the jabs, and 23 of them were less than two years old.

The latest news coverage about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) China has started to vaccinate children as young as three against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to address more frequent outbreaks and the return of the delta variant.

According to local media, many areas throughout China are rolling out vaccines to children aged between three and 11. The vaccines come from two companies  Sinovac Biotech Ltd and Sinopharm.

Under Chinas zero-tolerance COVID policy, borders are strictly monitored and citizens have given up their freedom as the government attempts to control outbreaks.

The policy entails shutting down borders to minimize imported cases. There are exceptions for residents, who can come and go if they are willing to endure a 21-day quarantine after returning to China. The policy also includes the complete lockdown of any location with confirmed signs of coronavirus cases.

The strict measures require participation from all citizens for it to work, with employees taking round-the-clock shifts to allow for constant testing of the whole population.

Social workers and medical staff in China help regulate individual lockdowns by patrolling the streets and regularly checking in on people undergoing quarantine. They also assist with food and grocery deliveries.

Citizens are also expected to stay at home and give up their freedom to ensure that the zero-COVID policy is effective. (Related: COVID-19 vaccine controversies continue amidst mandates and inoculation of children  Attorney Thomas Renz on Brighteon.TV.)

Back in June, China approved the use of coronavirus vaccines in children aged 12 and older. As of writing, the country has one of the highest vaccination rates among major economies.

To date, 75 percent of Chinas 1.4 billion population are fully vaccinated. The country has also started implementing booster shots, with adults who already received their first dose of the vaccine now eligible.

Booster shots and vaccines for children are enforced as China tries to deal with the latest outbreak. Flareups of the coronavirus are more frequent now compared to before the spread of the delta variant.

But despite the setbacks, Beijing is committed to its zero-tolerance strategy. Chinas capital kept borders closed and enforced quarantines even though other nations already started easing restrictions to gradually reopen economies and learn how to live with the virus.

Cases continue to spread in China

The latest delta outbreak quickly spread from the initial cluster in Chinas northwest to at least one dozen provinces. China reported 35 locally-acquired coronavirus infections on Tuesday, Oct. 26, with four cases documented in Beijing.

Back in September, a cluster spread in southwestern Fujian province. The more contagious strain spread among elementary school students who were unvaccinated. Thankfully, many of the young patients only experienced mild symptoms.

Children are the last group to be targeted for vaccination, with approval for vaccines reconsidered amid the global spread of the delta variant. The variant prompted health authorities to either clear or consider rolling out shots.

According to a study, Pfizer-BioNTechs mRNA vaccine is 91 percent effective at protecting children aged five to 11 from coronavirus. The U.S. plans to make vaccines available for the same age group, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, vaccines given to children in China use more traditional inactivated vaccine technology. The United Arab Emirates cleared Sinopharms vaccines for children as young as three back in August. In Argentina, children aged three to 12 are lining up for the Sinopharm vaccine.

Chile, which used Sinovac for a wider rollout, is now administering the same vaccine to kids aged six and older.

Despite the rollout of vaccines for younger children, public data on Sinovacs efficacy in children is minimal. The company is planning a clinical trial for children in South Africa.

Sinovac started an efficacy trial with 14,000 children in several countries last September. However, Sinovacs approval in China was only based on smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials. Sinopharms Beijing vaccine was also approved based on smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials, with findings eventually published in peer-reviewed journals.

But not all authorities are as lax on approving vaccines for children. Back in August, Brazils drug regulator rejected an application for the Sinovac vaccine to be used in minors because of the lack of recent data on the performance of the vaccine.

Visit Pandemic.news to learn how other countries are handling coronavirus infections among children.

Sources include:

Bloomberg.com

En.As.com

NYPost.com
(Natural News) On the last day possible, Chinese real estate giant Evergrande made a required past-due interest payment - or at least that is what the mainstream media is reporting, providing no actual evidence of any alleged payment.

It is believed by some that Evergrande is already bankrupt but that the complicit western media is attempting to pull a fast one in order to keep exposed entities here in the United States from facing the music with their bad bets.

An English press release out of Berlin that was published by DMSA (Deutsche Markt Screening Agentur GmbH) reveals that international investors alone have put around $23.67 billion USD into 23 bonds and three large loans of the failing Chinese property developer, which is Chinas second largest.

Among the already known institutional investors are such well-known addresses as Fidelity, Blackrock, UBS, Ashmore Group, Prudential, HSBC, Pictet, Vontobel, BNP and Allianz, the report explains.

At the same time, added Dr. Marco Metzler, a former Fitch analyst, we are far from aware of all international investors, but only 148 investors with increased reporting obligations, such as fund companies, who have invested a total of $3.44 billion, are known. There could still be some negative surprises here.

Evergrande is more than likely already bankrupt, experts say

According to Stan Szymanski from the Encouraging Angels blog, there are likely many more banks and non-banks that have exposure to Evergrande, hence the medias deceptive reporting about the corporations.

The list provided by Dr. Metzler is only just the beginning, he says  it is not exhaustive. Many more names will appear, he warns, with possibly many more liabilities that will soon come to light.

 we reported yesterday that Fantasia Holdings had $150 million in bonds that do not appear to have been reported in its financial statements, Szymanski writes. Will Evergrande also be found to have securities that it has not disclosed to the markets?

While Evergrande claims it made that recent $83.5 million interest payment just in the nick of time with one day left, the reality is that the company is more than likely already bankrupt and not telling the truth.

The bankruptcy of Evergrande itself  has probably already occurred, Metzler et al. are quoted as saying in the press release.

As of Monday morning German time, no confirmation had been received  neither from Evergrande itself, nor from rating agencies on the ground, affected bond investors or banks involved  that overdue interest of $83.5 million had been paid at the end of last week  the last possible date of the 30-day grace period. So far, there are only unconfirmed press reports that the interest has been paid into escrow accounts.

Creditors, the release adds, have not yet received this alleged payment, which suggests that the company may already be bankrupt. Even if interest has been paid, this would only represent a postponement of insolvency, they warn.

Because from now on, they add, it will be one blow after the other: The next but [sic] one (also already in arrears) must be paid by November 10.

If the theory that Evergrande is already under water turns out to be true, then the inevitable revelation of this has the potential to cause extreme disruption of the global financial system  with bankruptcies of players that are still considered rock solid today.

A tsunami is coming from the East, Szymanski warns. You must get to high ground, so to say. This tsunami has the potential (not a guarantee  this is not financial advice  consult your advisor) to destroy life as we have known it.

The latest news about the ongoing collapse of the corrupt global economy can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

EncouragingAngels.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In 1913, when enough states ratified the 16th Amendment, the federal government began collecting an income tax on the countrys wealthiest Americans as a means of financing, moving away from the primary source of revenue at the time, tariffs.

The very first income tax was levied in 1861 in order to finance the Civil War, with the federal Congress passing legislation the following year creating the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the precursor to todays Internal Revenue Service. The new agency put excise taxes on many products but the income tax was not popular and it was repealed in 1872, only to return again after the turn of the century.

However, the new tax rates had a very minimal effect on the lowest earners and was sold as a means of collecting the most money from the highest earners.

The Revenue Act of 1916 began the practice of adjusting tax rates and income scales, says this historical explainer.

The original income tax was 1% for the bottom bracket, which was comprised of income up to $20,000, and 7% for the top bracket, which was comprised of income over $500,000. The Revenue Act raised the top bracket to $2,000,000 and raised the tax rates to 2% for the bottom bracket and to 25% for the top bracket rate, it added.

Fast-forward decades and the next thing you know, income taxes consume a greater portion of our income than ever imagined, including from lower earners. And now, because whats past is prologue, the Marxists running our government today are using a century-old playbook to reimpose new taxes on all Americans.

In recent interviews, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is trying to sell a major new tax measure introduced by the Biden regime and championed by his Democrat minions in Congress. It is ostensibly designed as a tax on the wealthy, and where have we heard that before?

Democrats are scrambling to finance their spending bill after Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema shot down their plans to raise corporate and individual income-tax rates. Thank you, Senator. But now Democrats are reaching deep into their grab-bag of revenue tricks and may pull out a wealth tax on billionaires,' a Wall Street Journal editorial noted this week, adding:

Nancy Pelosi confirmed on CNNs State of the Union Sunday that the Democrats spending bill will probably have a wealth tax. Give the Speaker credit for candor. The Biden Administration is pretending that Oregon Sen. Ron Wydens plan to tax unrealized capital gains of billionaires is something else.

Its not a wealth tax, but a tax on unrealized capital gains of exceptionally wealthy individuals, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tried to explain, and painfully so, in recent days.

.@SecYellen on the proposed tax which would pay for the Build Back Better act: "It's not a wealth tax, but a tax on unrealized capital gains of exceptionally wealthy individuals." pic.twitter.com/7JXAysPkxI  The Hill (@thehill) October 24, 2021

The Treasury gig hasnt been good for her reputation. But she certainly knows that a tax on unrealized capital gains is a de facto wealth tax, which would be levied on property rather than income, the WSJ editorial noted further.

The editorial cited an example  multi-billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Under the plan, if his Beverly Hills estate manages to appreciate in value by 10 percent next year, hell pay a tax on the increased value, and likewise for his holdings in the company he founded. At present, assets are only taxed in that manner when they are sold  when income is actually earned.

Democrats claim the tax will only hit some 700 uber-rich Americans with more than $1 billion in assets or who have more than $100 million in income for three consecutive years. Thats what they always say, the WSJs editorial board noted further.

In fact, these taxes are going to be much broader than Democrats will ever admit, because they cant admit it: Their plan would go down in flames. So they have to lie about it.

Whats more, raising these kinds of taxes led some European countries to repeal them when they saw the uber-wealthy flee, leaving those governments with less overall tax revenue, not more. That would happen in America, too.

Finally, the paper says, such a tax might even be illegal: The Constitution says Congress can only impose direct taxes that are apportioned among the several states according to population. While the Sixteenth Amendment authorized Congress to tax incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment, unrealized capital gains arent income, the paper said.

Democrats lie about taxes  they always have, and they always will.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

EFile.com
(Natural News) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to reward unvaccinated police officers who will relocate to the Sunshine State in defiance of vaccine mandates.

DeSantis told Maria Bartiromo of the Sunday Morning Features on Fox News that he is working on legislation to help police officers who defied the vaccine mandates. DeSantis added that he is now actively working to recruit out-of-state police officers who have been fired or placed on unpaid leave for refusing to receive the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

Were actually actively working to recruit out-of-state law enforcement, because we do have needs in our police and our sheriffs departments. So, in the next legislative session, Im going to hopefully sign legislation that gives a $5,000 bonus to any out-of-state law enforcement that relocates in Florida, DeSantis said.

So, NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if youre not being treated well, we will treat you better here. You can fill important needs for us, and we will compensate you as a result. (Related: 65% of San Diegos police force might quit due to covid vaccine mandate.)

Bidens vaccine mandates unconstitutional

The Republican governor described President Joe Bidens vaccine mandates as unconstitutional.

Bidens mandates will wreak havoc in the economy, because even if a small percentage of these folks end up losing their jobs or voluntarily walking away, youre going to have huge disruptions in medical, in logistics, in law enforcement, DeSantis said.

During a recent CNN town hall, Biden said that law enforcement and emergency personnel should be fired if they do not comply with vaccine mandates.

Should police officers, emergency responders be mandated to get vaccines? And if not, should they be stay at home or let go? CNNs political commentator Anderson Cooper asked the president.

Yes and yes. By the way, by the way, I waited until July to talk about mandating because I tried everything else possible, responded Biden. The mandates are working.

He added: All this stuff about people leaving and people getting it, you have everyone from United Airlines to Spirit, all these airlines, 96 to 97 percent of the people have gotten the vaccine. All the talk about all these folks who are going to leave the military if theyre mandated. Not true. You got about a 90-plus percent vaccination rate.

Federal employees sue Biden, top agency officials

The Washington-based Federal Practice Group filed a complaint against Biden and top agency officials in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Oct. 19, on behalf of more than 50 federal employees who are against the vaccine mandates.

The Department of Homeland Security has 20 employees listed in the lawsuit, more than any other federal department or independent agency.

All federal workers face a Nov. 22 deadline to be fully vaccinated, which is considered complete two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot.

In rushing to force COVID-19 vaccinations on the federal workforce, the presidents edicts violate longstanding statutory prohibitions against inoculations with unlicensed vaccines, as well as the individual rights of government employees and contractors under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the complaint stated. Accordingly, plaintiffs who are representative of nearly every Federal Agency respectfully request relief from this Court in the form of injunctive relief stopping this illegal and unnecessarily broad and wide-ranging program.

Feds for Medical Freedom, a coalition organizing the federal workers behind the lawsuit, asked the court to block Bidens policy from taking effect next month.

On the basis that the mandates, as written and being implemented, are unlawful, federal employees are asking the judicial system to issue an order that prevents the mass firings of dedicated public servants, Feds for Medical Freedom wrote on its website.

According to the lawsuit, the Biden administration violated three levels of federal workers rights. (Related: US soldiers sue federal agencies over militarys COVID-19 vaccine requirements.)

First, Bidens order that employees receive full doses of the vaccine or face termination does not allow for a case-by-case review and employer accommodations, and requires the government to unlawfully inquire about each persons medical history; second, the firing employees on a perceived disability is illegal; and third, Bidens action goes against the informed consent principles of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which states that all U.S. citizens have the right to accept or refuse medicines authorized under emergency use without having to worry about losing their job.

The complaint also cited the natural immunity that unvaccinated federal employees may have gotten through infection.

The internet is replete with multiple studies confirming the lasting immunity to COVID-19 experienced by individuals who have previously contracted COVID-19. One notable study is from the Cleveland Clinic, which found that individuals previously infected with COVID-19 did not suffer reinfection, and that ultimately, individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination, the complaint noted.

Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to vaccine mandates and coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

Brietbart.com

Yahoo.news
(Natural News) In the latest episode of the Moderna pump-and-dump show, company chairman Noubar Afeyan has announced that everyone will need to get endless booster shots of Modernas mRNA vaccine in order to stay protected.

Speaking to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Afeyan revealed that the fully vaccinated may end up needing an annual booster of spike proteins, potentially varying on a year-to-year or every few years basis as the virus varies.

We just dont know how this virus is going to travel from being a pandemic all the way to potentially an endemic virus we have to get used to living with, Afeyan further added.

I think if we end up there, there will be a continuous need for boosting.

Afeyans announcement coincides with another one from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, who said the government is considering changing its definition of fully vaccinated to include Biden Booster shots.

Should people who are eligible for a booster now get one by a certain time frame to maintain their fully vaccinated status? Walensky was asked by the Associated Press (AP).

We have not yet changed the definition of fully vaccinated,' Walensky responded. We will continue to look at this. We may need to update our definition of fully vaccinated in the future.

Pharmaceutical cartels want you permanently enslaved so their profit stream never ends

If things move in the direction of Afeyans desires, then eventually all Americans will be told they must take as many boosters as needed to enrich the financial holdings of Big Pharma and the corrupt politicians that hold its stock.

As the global economy edges closer towards a financial freefall, Moderna and other drug cartel kingpins are aggressively lobbying the government to issue mandates that ensure a continuous profit stream at the expense of public health.

A few weeks back, Moderna announced that it has no plans to ever share the recipe for its Chinese Virus injection. Instead, the company will just keep scaling up its own production to meet the artificial demand that governments around the world are creating for the shots with their mandates.

Were it not for said mandates, drug cartel kingpins like Moderna would not have the profit streams that currently feed their coffers. This is fascism in action, in other words, as the pharmaceutical industry basically merges with the governments of the world to privatize its own profits while socializing the costs and devastation brought about by Operation Warp Speed.

Hilariously, Modernas Afeyan claims that he and his corporations are only helping the world by getting governments to mandate the primary shots and follow-up boosters.

We didnt have to do that, Afeyan bragged. We think that was the right, responsible thing to do.

The United Nations wants Modernas recipe, but the company refuses to share it. Moderna, meanwhile, says that it and only it is capable of producing high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way.

We think we are doing everything we can to help this pandemic, Afeyan further said using an interesting choice of words to suggest that Moderna is helping to fuel the plandemic.

Just how much money does this booster cost? asked one commenter at The Gateway Pundit. Who is going to pay for it and who is collecting on it?

Why is acquired immunity no longer the desired outcome? Werent we told we needed herd immunity to put down the virus? Question the government that questions your loyalty!

Another commenter pointed out that Afeyan is grossly obese and should not be giving health advice, especially the kind that fills his bank account with more zeros.

The latest news coverage about the push for Biden Boosters can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com

APNews.com
(Natural News) Scientist Dr. Richard Fleming joined the Health Ranger Report to discuss the negative effects of Pfizers Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. He told Health Ranger Mike Adams during the programs Oct. 26 edition on Brighteon.TV that the vaccine heavily affects red blood cells and their oxygen-carrying capacity.

Fleming said: Theres been all sorts of information floating around social media as people have looked at the different [COVID-19] vaccines to see what they think theyre seeing under the microscope.

We looked at the vaccines themselves. Normal saline looks like it should: Its clean, its crisp, its a good product. But when we looked at the Pfizer vaccine, what we saw was crystals, hair, fiber and garbage. You have garbage in there that would never pass quality control.

Fleming said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is adamant that everything is fine with the vaccine.

[The COVID-19 vaccines are] pristine, theyre exactly what they need to be. Not exactly a finding thats acceptable, because Im somebody who likes to go check [things] out, Fleming said.

Fleming pointed out the contrast between his findings and what the FDA espouses. Theyve been looking at these vaccines, saying that these vaccines pass all the tests and that theyre qualified to be put into a human being. Well, nobody in their right mind would put this garbage into a human being.

A Vision Times article elaborated on this discovery by Fleming. He and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology researcher Kevin McCairn compared the vaccine to a standard saline solution. While the saline solution shows no particles whatsoever under a microscope, the vaccine contains foreign particles.

The garbage the two found in the Pfizer vaccine appears to be a result of a sloppy and substandard manufacturing and quality control process.

Fleming said: This demonstrates a complete failure on the FDAs part. If theyre happy with the product thats out there, it either means they havent looked at the product, or theyve decided that theres a new standard of garbage thats allowed in vaccines that isnt allowed in anything else.

Fleming: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine ruins red blood cells

The scientist also outlined how the Pfizer vaccine affects red blood cells. He and McCairn have taken blood samples from an individual, adding normal saline solution to one sample and the Pfizer vaccine solution to another. They then observed both under a microscope.

What we unfortunately discovered was that when the Pfizer vaccine is added, the red blood cells lose their red color. This means either the oxygen is being pulled out of the cells, or the hemoglobin itself is being broken down in the cells, Fleming said.

Where the blood interacts with the Pfizer vaccine, the color of the red blood cells changes, it becomes pale. The red color of blood is a combination of oxygen and the hemoglobin thats carrying [it]. So one of those two things, if not both, were altered by the Pfizer vaccine. And then, the cells actually start to clot right in front of your eyes. You can see the movement of the cells in the Pfizer vaccine solution. The first time that I did it, my response was this is very disconcerting.' (Related: Israeli study links Pfizer vaccine to deadly blood disease that causes blood clots.)

The Health Ranger then asked if Fleming and McCairn used special techniques such as dark field microscopy and other procedures during their examination. Fleming said no.

It was just a straight venipuncture, [a] blood draw, that was then put on the slide so that we could begin the process. Saline solution and the vaccine were simply dropped on to the blood samples and left alone  nothing else, Fleming said.

Vaccines lead to a slow death through oxygen deprivation

Adams asked a follow-up question: Are you saying, then, that the Pfizer vaccine appears to alter the morphology of the hemoglobin molecules inside the red blood cells? Is that a fair estimate? Fleming answers in the affirmative, adding: Its either removing the oxygen directly, altering the hemoglobin or both. You shouldnt have that effect on the blood with any amount of Pfizer vaccine, period.

The researcher continued: [The] reality is that blood simply being exposed to the air will oxygenate. It didnt re-oxygenate, so something happened that produced an irreversible change inside the red blood cells. [One] would have to presume that in the process, it had to affect the hemoglobin because it was unable to re-uptake oxygen.

The red blood cells of the human body are the only cells that dont have nuclei. They come from the bone marrow and so once theyre out in the bloodstream, theyre going to live for about 90 to 120 days, depending upon a variety of factors. The damaged red blood cells are going to continue to float around and provide no benefit to the human body.

Since [the damaged red blood cells are] not being taken out of the human body, [it] wont recognize [them] as a deficiency. This explains an awful lot of the neurological manifestations that were seeing in vaccinated people. (Related: From shots to clots: considerable medical evidence of COVID vaccine-induced blood clots.)

Watch the full Oct. 26 episode of the Health Ranger Report below. Health Ranger Report with Mike Adams airs from Monday to Friday at 3-3:30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

VaccineDamage.news has more articles about the negative effects of the Pfizer vaccine on the body.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

VisionTimes.com
(Natural News) Dr. Matthew Wynia, a medical ethics professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, described doctors who promote cheaper, more effective drugs and natural supplements as treatments for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) as a cult of quacks.

In some ways, todays COVID quacks are just like the quacks of yore. They often carry medical credentials of some sort, and they often claim to have uncovered secrets their mainstream colleagues are either too dumb or too corrupt to see. Some are certainly scammers, seeking to make a buck. Almost all display the quintessential mark of a quack  offering patients a false level of certainty and the promise of miracle cures, Wynia said.

The purpose of professional self-regulation is to protect public safety  thats it, Wynia continued. When significant harms are arising due to a doctors persistent and demonstrably false beliefs, good intentions and sincerity in holding the false beliefs no longer matter. The medical profession must sanction the COVID quacks.

Wynia seemed oblivious to the fact that the public isnt safe because of people like him. Millions have died from COVID-19 because of government leaders and public health officials who think and act like him.

Modern medicine has failed to be revered as a hard science, with its long legacy of biases and questionable motives to keep conventional medicine far from being counted in the same league as authentic and more transparent sciences. Since the late 19th century, there have been debates as to whether medicine should be understood as an art or science.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that conventional medicine is a mockery of its original foundations. Risk versus benefit ratios to drive health policies have become more like theatric displays for the media to reenact to a passive public.

Vaccine trial reports were claiming high effectivity rates, but real-world evidence shows the contrary. Israel, a country with high vaccination rate, only showed a 39 percent prevention rate  with the numbers expected to dwindle further as the vaccine loses effectiveness. (Related: Doctors can now prescribe ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 in Nebraska.)

Favoring vaccine regimen and surveillance controls to track movements, leading to blatant neglect of pandemic policies is a sign of moral frailty.

Ineffective lockdowns, masks, social isolation, critical care interventions and approval of ineffective drugs at the exclusion of cheaper medications that can treat infections brought nightmares to millions of people. Drugs such as ivermectin could have been prescribed early in the pandemic and saved countless lives.

Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Australia has released a study that showed the effectiveness of ivermectin as early as April 2020, but nobody paid attention.

Ivermectin proven safe and effective

Ivermectin was first developed and marketed by Merck & Co. William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discovering and developing avermectin, which Merck modified to create ivermectin.

Ivermectin is on the World Health Organizations (WHO) list of essential medicines, and Merck has donated four billion doses of the human-grade version of the drug to prevent river blindness and other diseases in Africa and other places where parasites are common.

Moreover, the drug can help prevent COVID-19. In a 2020 study, the drug was given to family members of confirmed COVID-19 patients. Less than eight percent became infected, compared to the 58.4 percent of those who were untreated.

Despite the governments claims to the contrary, ivermectin is safe at approved doses. in fact, out of four billion doses administered since 1998, there had only been 28 cases of serious adverse events. The same study also found that ivermectin can be used safely in pregnant women, children and infants.

If the FDA were driven by science and evidence, it should give an emergency use authorization for COVID-19, but this is not the case. Instead, it asserts without real evidence that ivermectin is a drug for animals, and is dangerous for humans.

At the bottom of the FDAs ivermectin warning is the statement: Meanwhile, effective ways to limit the spread of COVID-19 continue to be to wear your mask, stay at least six feet from others who dont live with you, wash hands frequently and avoid crowds.

With proprietary pursuits and conflicts of interest on the line, medicine has become a commercial enterprise instead of an honest quest for impartial discovery to uncover facts and truth.

The ancient ethic of what is supposed to be medicine was a healing art, upheld by high moral standards and practiced out of deep compassion and empathy to relieve human suffering. Today, it has been buried by institutional bureaucrats, medical school administrators and pharmaceutical executives.

Get more information about COVID-19 at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

GlobalResearch.ca

WSJ.com
(Natural News) Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tennessee) and 10 other members of the House of Representatives recently introduced the Natural Immunity is Real Act, a companion to a Senate bill from Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Mike Braun (R-Indiana) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

It would require federal agencies to acknowledge, accept and agree to truthfully present natural immunity pertaining to COVID-19 pursuant to promulgating certain regulations.

Harshbarger told NTDs Capitol Report that there is plenty of evidence that people who have recovered from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have protection against reinfection.

Multiple studies have indicated that natural immunity among past COVID-19 patients is strong and similar or superior to the protection from COVID-19 vaccines. Some experts have pushed for federal health officials to take natural immunity into account when issuing recommendations and rules.

However, federal authorities insist that everybody should get a vaccine  including those who have recovered from the disease  arguing that protection gets even better when those people have a jab.

Harshbarger said a number of Americans object to getting a vaccine while pointing out that natural immunity to other diseases is accepted as an alternative to vaccination.

The members of the Congress are presenting the bill as President Joe Bidens administration works to finalize a regulation that would force private companies with over 100 employees to mandate presenting proof of COVID-19 vaccination or have staff members be tested weekly for the disease.

The mandates that are already in place on the federal, state and local levels have led to some Americans losing their jobs. (Related: Seattle cops organizing against COVID-19 vaccine mandate could lead to 200 officers losing their jobs.)

Ive read some of the studies that show that natural immunity, in a lot of ways, can be more effective. And I know theres one study that shows that the percentage of protection is even better than two doses of the vaccine, in some cases. There is ample scientific data out there that show that. Think about it. We have immunity against measles, and smallpox, and they accept that. Why wont they do it for COVID? said Harshbarger, a licensed pharmacist since 1987.

Too many medical leaders are refusing to publicly recognize what overwhelming data has already shown  protection afforded to individuals with natural immunity is real, robust and durable, Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a written statement. Denying science only contributes to existing confusion, misinformation, and mistrust among the American people. This bill helps restore trust and faith in the Public Health system, while maintaining our fight against COVID-19.

The other co-sponsors of the bill are Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Bill Posey (R-Florida.), Mary Miller (R-Indiana), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Dan Bishop (R-North Carolina), Mo Brooks (R-Alabama), Madison Cawthorn (R-North Carolina) and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

Evidence suggests COVID-19 vaccines do not work

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed that COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission of the virus.

What they cant do anymore is prevent transmission, said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during a press conference. She tried to distract from this fact by claiming that the vaccines are working exceptionally well at preventing people from experiencing severe illness.

This claim by the CDC goes to show that even the so-called medical experts are finding it difficult to continue justifying the governments vaccination campaign. (Related: The vaccine mandate is a hoax and no entity or person in America is obliged to follow it.)

Fully vaccinated people all over the country are succumbing to the coronavirus. This situation has gotten so severe that not even the CDC was able to deny it. Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield recently admitted that more than 40 percent people in Maryland who died due to COVID-19 were fully vaccinated.

A lot of times people may feel it s a rare event that fully vaccinated people die, said Redfield. I happen to be the senior advisor to Gov. Larry Hogan in the state of Maryland. In the last six to eight weeks, more than 40 percent of people who died in Maryland were fully vaccinated.

Redfield made this comment while responding to questions regarding the recent passing of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. He died of complications from COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.

All this data gathered from health departments and so-called public health experts all over the country disproved the claim that there is currently a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

Learn more about how experimental and deadly COVID-19 vaccines fail to protect people against the coronavirus at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochtimes.com

NationalFile.com

WWSG.com
(Natural News) We have seen and discussed the headlines warning of the upcoming second American civil war, and other similarly themed headlines, but what those ignore completely is that blood has already spilled, and some city streets often look like warzones with the rebels (terminology when we see the same thing in other countries) controlling the streets without interference from the law enforcement.

(Article by Susan Duclos republished from AllNewsPipeLine.com)

Brother against brother, family against family, cutting ties with friends and family because they have a different political ideology, riots in the streets, verbal and physical attacks against strangers because they are on the other side of an issue.

Those are just a few of the stories and in many cases the images and videos we have seeing with increasing frequency, as we watch the war between opposing groups of Americans.

Literally, the definition of civil war.

Merriam Webster  Civil War: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country.

IT IS A WAR

For years, many warned that the growing hostility between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, was leading to a second civil war in America,.

Many, living in denial, still claim civil war is coming, yet looking around the country today, it seems as if that ship sailed long ago.

The media treats the BLM and Antifa riots, far more sympathetically than they do conservative protests, without the arson, looting, destruction of businesses, injuries and attacks against law enforcement.

(ANP FUNDRAISER: Due to renewed censorship by big tech upon ANP articles, well be running a fundraising drive until we catch up on expenses. We also want to thank everybody who has donated to ANP over the years. With donations and ad revenue all that keep ANP online, if youre able, please consider donating to ANP to help keep us in this fight for Americas future at this absolutely critical time in US history. During a time of systematic, big tech censorship and widespread institutional corruption, truth-seeking media and alternative views are crucial, and EVERY little bit helps more than you could know!)

The weapons are different, the uniforms are different, but the cultures and ideological and political beliefs of one group as opposed to the other, is causing violence, knife and fist fights, shootings, and complete lawlessness in certain cities and states. How can anyone look around at what is happening from one coast to the other and not see it is a war already?

It isnt coming, we are not on the verge or the brink of civil war in America, we are in the midst of it, fighting it on multiple fronts, political, culturally, ideologically and with increasing frequency, physically. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND CIVIL WARI had this whole category practically written in my head, but a piece with the dreaded Headed to a second civil war headline, actually describes the differences between the first and the second civil war, in the perfect manner, so despite the headline, we will use their succinct and spot on assessment from July 2021.

This new Civil War is not about the Southern states secession from the Republic. Rather this new Civil War is about those who want to fundamentally transform America. Its between those who embrace liberty against those who are hell bent on imposing a tyrannical government upon American citizens.

It is in essence a battle between patriots and tyrants.

One group of Americans, the patriots, believe that the United States is a Constitutional Republic where the power lies in the hands of each legal citizen not government. Patriots put their trust in God, not government, for their redemption. This group embraces free and fair elections, the imperative that only legal citizens of the U.S. have a right to vote and want voter IDs to identify themselves, and others, as legal voters.

The second group, the tyrants, believe that the United States is a democracy where 51% of the voters can dictate to the other 49% how to live, work and play. This group is willing to allow illegal non-citizens and dead people to vote. This group calls any voter ID laws racist. This group has no problem allowing elections to be stolen. This group believes that God is the opiate of the people and that government, not God, is in control.

Liberals and conservatives can argue all day long on who is the tyrant and who is the patriot, but a look at some of the positions of one group compared to the other, says more than any assertion could.

Read more at: AllNewsPipeLine.com
Remains of a young woman who lived approximately 50,000 years ago were unearthed by experts. Examination of her remains proved that she was a 'hybrid' ancestor to modern humans that experts never saw before.

Not until lately when academics discovered proof that the young woman was not alone.

In the year 2019 a project work that explored the tangled disaster of humankind's prehistoric times, investigators utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to find an unidentified human progenitor life form that people today experienced and that has liaisons with on the lengthy journey out of Africa thousands of years ago.

"The so-called Out of Africa emerged roughly 80,000 years back, since component of the living organism inhabitants which more or less comprised of homo sapiens, decided to abandon the African territory and transitioned towards other regions giving a boost to all existing population," clarified by Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, Jaume Bertranpetit also known to be a evolutionary biologist.

Scientists Amazed by the New Hybrid Genome

As human beings carved their way into the continent of Eurasia, they carved out another direction into which resulted to mating with old and extinct early humans from the other races.

Prior to the recent time wherein such sporadic potential participants were supposed to include Neanderthals and Denisovans, although of which being unidentified till the year of 2010.

However, owing to depth understanding techniques combing through some kind of complicated array of historical and present human genetic sequence, a third ex from such an antiquity was found in Eurasian DNA in this investigation.

Employing a scientific approach known as Bayesian inference, the investigators discovered indications of a 'third introgression' or also called a 'ghost' ancient community through which homo sapiens mated amid the African migration.

Under the perspective of pattern recognition, it was a type of hypothetical confirmation of forms of the young lady's 'composite' discovered in 2018. Nevertheless, there is plenty more work that can be done, and the study initiatives actually are really not specifically linked.

"Our idea agrees with the hybridized specimens identified lately in Denisova, although we cannot rule out certain theories at this moment," stated by genomicist Mayukh Mondal from the University of Tartu in Estonia in a news release at the time of discovery. Mayukh also happens to be one of the team's members.

Also read: Geologist's Disneyland: Iran's Hormuz Island Made of Edible Soil and Enchanting Salt Caves

Discovery of Third Interbreeding Event

A further group of experts discovered traces of a 'definite third interbreeding event' alongside Denisovans and Neanderthals in the year 2018, and other studies outline the history for how these fossils intersected and mated in more precision than it has ever been.

And although there is still a lot of study to be performed in this area, such type of AI evaluation is a very novel approach in the context of human lineage, and the existing fossil data is incredibly limited.

However, the researcher's discovery reveals not simply a long-forgotten phase of gene flow but a dalliance that, illuminates background of the study.

"We assumed we'd attempt to discover these wide convergence points in the genomic, check which seem to be Neanderthal and which are Denisovan, and see if they represent the complete context," Bertranpetit informed Smithsonian.

"Since it occurs, even when the Neanderthal and Denisovan sections are removed, and there is something in the DNA that is quite different."

Also read: World's Oldest Prehistoric Crab Perfectly Preserved in Amber for 100 Million Years
Seismic activity from an underground volcano near Tokyo has resurfaced "ghost ships" from the Pacific Ocean's depths, sunk after one of World War II's most renowned engagements.

Bringing the Ships to Shore

The 24 ships came ashore on the western side of the island of Iwo Jima, which is about 760 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of Tokyo, after being forced up, along with the seafloor, by the undersea volcano Fukutoku-Okanoba, according to helicopter footage from Japan's All Nippon News (ANN).

WWII Ships

During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, US troops sunk the ships. The 36-day assault saw around 70,000 US Marines combat nearly 20,000 Japanese forces sheltering in bunkers inside the island's volcanic rocks, making it one of the deadliest battles in WWII.

Twenty thousand marines were injured, and almost 7,000 were dead by the end of the war. Except for 216 Japanese troops taken alive, nearly all Japanese soldiers were killed in the fighting.

The shattered, sea-bleached wreckage remains cargo ships captured by the US Navy and destroyed after the conflict According to the US National Archives, the ships were sunk parallel to the shoreline to form a breakwater, shielding both weapons and troops from oncoming waves as they were unloaded onto the island.

Because Iwo Jima had no port, the ships were sunk parallel to the shoreline to form a breakwater, shielding both weapons and troops from oncoming waves as they were unloaded onto the island.

Related Article: Tourists Flocked as Remnants of Ancient 'Ghost Ship' Washed Ashore in Latvia



Active Seismic Activity

Since August, Fukutoku-Okanoba has been erupting underwater. In addition to bringing the ships and the seabed they are resting on into view, the volcano's seismic activity has resulted in the emergence of a small crescent moon-shaped island from the water. However, according to Setsuya Nakada, head of the Japanese government's Center for Integrated Volcano Research, the island formed from pumice and volcanic ash is anticipated to vanish shortly due to erosion.

Iwo Jima is part of the Bonin Islands, a Pacific Ocean series of around 30 subtropical islands. The island chain, which was formed by the subduction of the Pacific tectonic plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and has seen an increase in seismic activity in recent weeks, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency. For example, on Oct. 7, a magnitude-5.9 earthquake rattled Tokyo and eastern Japan's structures. In addition, since 2013, Nishinoshima, another volcanic island in the group, has been releasing gas and lava.

Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima is the dormant vent of a still-active volcano, and according to one astrophysicist's ranking, it is one of the world's top ten most hazardous volcanoes. Moreover, there's every reason to believe that the present flurry of seismic activity is leading to an eruption.

"The discolored sea region has spread to nearby locations," Nakada told the All Nippon News station. "A large eruption on Iwo Jima is a possibility."

Resurfaced Monolith

The formerly sunken monoliths will likely remain on the island for some time until Mount Suribachi erupts again or the seafloor on where the ghost ships are lying sinks.

Because Iwo Jima is desolate and seldom visited by humans - partially due to the massive quantity of unexploded bombs and grenades left behind - it seems doubtful that the ships would be scrapped or evacuated by Japanese officials.

Also Read: Real Life Atlantis: 3 Underwater Cities that You Should Put in Your Travel List

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
According to a tweet published by Fincantieri on October 28, 2021, at the Muggiano shipyard, the Italian firm delivered the Doha-class corvette Al Zubarah for the Qatari Emiri Navy.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Doha-class corvette Al Zubarah (Picture source: Twitter account of A Deniz Engelhardt)

The corvette design selected by the Qatari Navy has a length of 107 meters, a maximum breadth of 14.70 meters, a draft of 4.20 meters for a full load displacement of 3250 tons.

Its maximum speed is set to be 28 knots, its range of 3500 nautical miles (at 15 knots). The propulsion system will be CODAD type. It will have an endurance of 21 days.

The crew complement will be 98 sailors with accommodations for a total of 112 persons. The flight deck and hangar are sized for one NH90 helicopter.

The corvettes will be fitted with a 76mm main gun by Leonardo, 16x VLS cells for ASTER 30 surface to air missiles (by MBDA), two Marlins 30mm remote weapon stations (Leonardo), 8x Exocet MM40 Block III (MBDA) and RAM launcher (21 missiles) by Raytheon for short-range air defense.

The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments.

The NH90 was developed and is manufactured by NHIndustries, a collaborative company owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) and Fokker Aerostructures.

The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1995; the type first entered operational service in 2007. As of November 2020, the NH90 has logged 265,372 flight hours in the armed forces of thirteen nations.
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BOSTON (AP)  He was one of the most infamous criminals ever to be killed behind bars. And investigators narrowed in on suspects immediately after his shocking slaying in a West Virginia prison.

Yet three years later, no one has been charged in the beating death of murderous Boston crime boss James Whitey Bulger. Questions such as why the well-known FBI informant was put in the troubled lockup's general population alongside other New England gangsters  instead of more protective housing  remain unanswered.

Federal officials will say only that his death remains under investigation. Meanwhile, the lack of answers has only fueled rumors and spurred claims by Bulger's family that the frail 89-year-old was deliberately sent to his death at the penitentiary nicknamed Misery Mountain.

This was really a dereliction of duty," said Joe Rojas, a union representative for the correctional staff at the Florida prison where Bulger was held before being transferred to USP Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. There's no way he should have been put in that institution.

Some of the families of Bulger's victims, however, feel differently.

Steven Davis said holding someone accountable in the killing of the man accused of strangling to death his 26-year-old sister, Debra Davis, in 1981 doesn't change anything for him and other families.

He had what was coming to him and it didn't come soon enough, the 64-year-old Boston-area resident said. Hes where he should have been a long time ago  in the dirt.

Bulger was found dead on Oct. 30, 2018, hours after arriving at Hazelton from the Coleman prison in Florida, where he was serving a life sentence for participating in 11 killings. The ruthless gangster who spent 16 years on the lam before being captured in 2011 was assaulted and died of blunt force injuries to the head, according to his death certificate.

Federal officials have never officially publicly identified any suspects and have said only that they are investigating his death as a homicide.

But shortly after the killing, a former federal investigator and a law enforcement official who insisted on anonymity because of the ongoing probe identified two Massachusetts organized crime figures as suspects: Fotios Freddy Geas and Paul J. DeCologero.

Geas, a Mafia hitman serving life behind bars for his role in the killing of a Genovese crime family boss and other violent crimes, has been in a restricted unit at the West Virginia prison since Bulgers killing even though no charges have been filed, said his lawyer, Daniel Kelly.

Kelly says Geas hasnt been provided regular reviews to see if he can be released from the unit but has petitioned to be returned to the general prison population, where hed enjoy more freedoms, including the ability to call his family more often.

Hes remaining positive and upbeat, but it's a punitive measure, Kelly said. It's a prison within a prison.

DeCologero, meanwhile, was moved earlier this year to another high-security penitentiary in Virginia. A member of a Massachusetts gang led by his uncle, DeCologero was convicted in 2006 of racketeering and witness tampering for a number of crimes and is scheduled to be released in 2026.

Brian Kelly, one of the federal prosecutors in Bulger's 2013 murder trial in Boston, said the delays may indicate prison officials dont have any witnesses or video evidence to support charges.

In a prison environment they are going to have a tough time finding any witnesses to testify as to who did it, said Kelly, now a defense attorney.

A spokesperson for the federal prosecutors office in West Virginia thats investigating Bulgers killing along with the FBI confirmed this month that the investigation remains open. The spokesperson, Stacy Bishop, refused to answer further questions, saying doing so could jeopardize the probe.

Bulger's transfer to Hazelton  where workers had already been sounding the alarm about violence and understaffing  and placement within the general population despite his notoriety was widely criticized by observers after his killing.

A federal law enforcement official told The Associated Press in 2018 that Bulger had been transferred to Hazelton because of disciplinary issues. Months before he was moved, Bulger threatened an assistant supervisor at Coleman, telling her your day of reckoning is coming, and received 30 days in disciplinary detention.

Some answers may come in a federal lawsuit filed in West Virginia by Bulger's family. A trial has been set for February in the case, where prison system officials are accused of failing to protect Bulger from other inmates.

The lawsuit  filed on the two-year anniversary of his killing against the former director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the former Hazelton warden and others  says prison system officials were well aware that Bulger had been labeled a snitch and that his life was at heightened risk behind bars. Bulger strongly denied ever being an informant.

USP Hazelton by all accounts was not an appropriate placement of James Bulger and was, in fact, recognized as so inappropriate, the appearance is that he was deliberately sent to his death by the defendants, the lawsuit says.

The family is seeking damages for Bulgers physical and emotional pain and suffering, as well as for wrongful death. Lawyers representing the family declined to comment and calls to William Bulger, a former Massachusetts Senate president and president of the University of Massachusetts who administers his late brother's estate, went unreturned this week.

Justice Department lawyers urged the judge in court documents filed this month to dismiss the claim, saying Bulger's family cannot allege that BOP skipped some mandatory, procedural directive in transferring him to Hazelton or putting him in the general population.

Attorneys for the individual defendants said in another legal filing that the lawsuit makes no mention of Bulger objecting to his transfer or ever requesting protective custody or expressing concern for his safety upon arriving at Hazelton.

Justice Department lawyers pointed to a declaration from an executive assistant at Hazelton that says staff interviewed Bulger the night of his arrival and reviewed other records to determine if there were non-medical reasons for keeping Bulger out of the general population.

An intake screening form signed by Bulger that was filed in court says that he was asked such questions as: Do you know of any reason that you should not be placed in general population? and have you assisted law enforcement agents in any way? Both questions were marked NO.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A California judge has declined to validate a contract granting permanent access to federally controlled water for the nation's largest agricultural water supplier, a move that means the U.S. government is not bound by terms of the deal.

Environmentalists had blasted the contract between the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Westlands Water District as a sweetheart arrangement designed to benefit corporate agricultural interests over environmental needs and taxpayers. It was crafted during the Trump administration under then-Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for Westlands, a public entity based in Fresno that supplies water to private farmers.

This was an effort to basically steal public resources and put them into private pockets, said Stephan Volker, an attorney for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, the North Coast Rivers Alliance and several other groups.

Westlands is evaluating the courts ruling and may appeal if the case is dismissed, spokesperson Shelley Cartwright said. The water district rejects claims it received special treatment, with Cartwright saying it has acted transparently and followed the steps required by law.

Fresno County Superior Court Judge D. Tyler Tharpe declined Wednesday to validate the contract between Westlands and the federal Bureau of Reclamation. The federal government is not bound by the terms of the contract until it is validated, though the two sides have already moved forward. Tharpe scheduled another hearing on Dec. 2 to weigh dismissing the case.

The water Westlands doles out to its agricultural customers comes from the Central Valley Project, a federally run network of dams, tunnels and canals that brings water from Californias wetter north to the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley and heavily populated Southern California.

The case raises questions about how much water major districts that serve corporate interests should be entitled to at the expense of tribes and environmental interests that rely on certain water flows, said Patricia Schifferle of Pacific Advocates, a natural resources consulting firm.

The argument really is: Are we going to allocate that much water to Westlands Water District without conditions? she said.

The contract gives Westlands permanent access to 1.15 million acre-feet of water for irrigation and other purposes, though it doesn't guarantee all of that water in drier years like the one California is now experiencing. Since 1988, Westlands has only received its full allocation from the Central Valley Project six times, according to the district's website.

An acre foot is 325,851 gallons (about 1.23 million liters). An average household uses one-half to one acre-foot of water a year, according to the Water Education Foundation, meaning the contract gave Westlands access to enough water to serve up to 2.3 million households.

Westlands has long operated on an interim contract basis, renewing its water deal with the federal government every two years. But a law passed at the end of the Obama administration allows contractors to convert those contracts into permanent ones, so long as they agree to pay back the federal government for the cost of the water infrastructure.

The permanent contracts have to be validated by a state court in order for the federal government to be bound by the terms. Tharpe is the second state judge who rejected its validation.

The first judge said Westlands brought forward an incomplete contract that lacked key details including how much money the district would pay the government and when. Westlands also failed to provide appropriate notice to the public and left the contract open ended, potentially allowing for later changes not subject to public scrutiny or court approval, the judge ruled.

Westlands moved forward anyway, finalizing the contract in early 2020. The district again sought approval. But Tharpe said the district's decision to move forward with a more detailed contract didn't change the fact that it initially sought approval for something incomplete. In his ruling, he again declined to validate the contract.

Meanwhile, environmental groups and other opponents charge Westlands isn't paying back all of what it owes the federal government for use of the water infrastructure. The Interior Department previously said Westlands owed the federal government $480 million. That was eventually brought down to about $210 million, which Cartwright said the district has fully repaid."

But opponents say Westlands owes significantly more money for projects designed to mitigate damage and restore habitats for fish and wildfire through the water system, including the chinook salmon. Under a 1992 law, Central Valley Project contractors owe a combined $400 million for environmental work, with much of that cost falling to Westlands as the largest contractor. Cartwright said that Westlands pays for restoration work.

Westlands says it is following the same process as other water districts for converting its contract and that it's received no special treatment. The suggestion that the permanent nature of the proposed Westlands repayment contract makes it an unusually good deal is simply false, the district wrote in a 2020 fact sheet about the contract.

Bureau of Reclamation spokesperson Mary Lee Knecht declined to comment because the issue still is being litigated.
NEW YORK (AP)  Staten Island, the least-populous and most Republican-leaning of New York City's five boroughs, is sometimes referred to as the city's forgotten borough." It's the only one not linked to the deep-blue metropolis by subway lines and is politically out-of-step enough that its residents have threatened secession.

The enclave sometimes known for a defiant stance against the city's liberal politics is also where a former Republican congressman  with the full-throated endorsement of former President Donald Trump  is trying to return to elected office more than a decade after a personal scandal derailed his political career.

Former U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella, who left Congress in 2009, is considered a favorite in Tuesday's competitive election for the largely ceremonial public office of Staten Island Borough President, which the GOP has held for four decades. But it's unclear to what extent Fossella's past will play a role.

Fossella faces a challenge from Mark. S. Murphy, a centrist Democrat businessman who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2012, and Conservative Party candidate Leticia Remauro, who could peel off some voters from Fossella on the right.

After a drunken driving arrest in 2008 led to revelations he had a secret, second family in Virginia, Fossella opted not to run for reelection. But the bad headlines from a dozen years ago may have a limited impact in the race, especially in a place where Trump's power is potent.

Fossella had a wife and three children living on Staten Island at the time of his 2008 arrest in Virginia. Fossella told officers he was going to see his sick daughter. The woman he had a secret relationship with, a former Air Force lieutenant colonel who worked for a time as a liaison to Congress, bailed him out of jail.

At the time, he was the only GOP member in Congress from New York City and was a social conservative who represented a largely Catholic district. When the revelations about his second family emerged, Fossella finished his term but opted not to seek another term.

Fossella has said he's worked to repair his personal relationships since he left office and that he felt compelled to mount a comeback after seeing rising crime, a shift in attitudes toward policing and the impact of the citys pandemic policies on small businesses and restaurants.

I saw this in the early '90s when we ran then, helped to turn the city around. And I see it happening again so I feel that the only way to really do it is to step back into the arena and try to make a positive difference for the people of Staten Island, Fossella told The Associated Press in an interview.

The ex-congressman is hoping to draw on the other parts of his reputation, such as his work as a city councilman to close Staten Island's Fresh Kills Landfill, the world's largest garbage dump, his work to get another bus depot on the island and his work with Democrats while in Congress as a prominent advocate for the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, including many Staten Island residents.

Id like to think people will see that record of achievement and say, We want to hire this guy,'" Fossella said.

He also points to endorsements he's earned from the borough's only daily newspaper and from Rudy Giuliani, the former Trump lawyer and New York City Republican mayor.

And then there's the backing from Trump himself, which helped power Fossella through a primary this summer. The former president, who won Staten Island during the 2016 and 2020 elections, issued a statement on Wednesday again expressing his "complete and total endorsement" of Fossella, declaring, He will not disappoint you!

Vito is the only true conservative Republican in the race who will stand up to the radical liberal mob. I have been a proud supporter of Vito Fossella because he is strong, tough, and loves the incredible people of Staten Island," Trump said in the statement.

Trump's backing may draw more Republicans out to vote in Tuesday's municipal election, where Democrat Eric Adams is expected to cruise to victory in the New York City mayoral election. It could also blunt the ability of Murphy and Remauro to pick off some voters from Fossella.

Trump's presence is also a reminder that personal scandals, like the kind that blunted Fossella's political rise, may not not be such a hindrance this time around.

Twice-divorced Trump, despite his allegations of extramarital affairs, remains wildly popular in the GOP and popular on Staten Island, where registered Democrats rank among his supporters, Flanagan said.

I think the way Trump has transformed the party, is hes taken off the table a lot of these morality questions for Republican voters," Flangan said. He really rechristened the party as a libertine party, and I dont I dont think any of that personal stuff registers anymore.

Murphy, the son of former U.S. Rep. John M. (Jack) Murphy, has not raised the issue of Fossella's past on the campaign trail and declined to comment on it in an interview with the AP.

He said the presence of a Republican candidate and a Conservative candidate in the race gives him a shot on Tuesday and voters in the borough will support the candidate that will work hardest for them, not someone who votes with their party. Murphy said he can instead draw on his relationships with Adams and other Democrats to tackle quality-of-life issues for Staten Islanders.

It's about having a seat at the table  and somebody who is aligned with negative national political figures or negative national political ideals, like my two opponents, they're not going to have the seat at the table," Murphy said. They're essentially going to be an outlier in the wilderness of Staten Island, and I want to make sure that we are not that.
When Kyle Rittenhouse goes on trial Monday for shooting three men during street protests in Wisconsin that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake last summer, he'll argue that he fired in self-defense.

Legal experts say under Wisconsin law he has a strong case. What's less clear is whether prosecutors will be able to persuade the jury that Rittenhouse created a deadly situation by showing up in Kenosha with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle  and that in doing so he forfeited his claim to self-defense.

Rittenhouse, 18, of Antioch, Illinois, faces six counts including homicide charges in the Aug. 25, 2020, deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and he could face life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.

Rittenhouse, then 17, was among people who traveled to Kenosha after calls went out on social media to come bearing weapons to protect the city from damaging protests that followed a white police officer shooting Blake, a Black man, in the back on Aug. 23. (A prosecutor later cleared the officer, ruling that Blake was turning toward the officer with a knife.)

Rittenhouse and all three men he shot are white.

Here's a look at the legal issues in the Rittenhouse case:

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Rittenhouse case isn't a whodunit. Bystander video captured most of the shootings.

It shows an unarmed Rosenbaum chasing Rittenhouse into the parking lot of a used car dealership. At one point, Rosenbaum throws a plastic bag at Rittenhouse before the two move off-camera and Rittenhouse fires the fatal shots at around 11:45 p.m.

Soon after, Rittenhouse is seen running down a street away from the scene with several protesters on his heels. He falls. Huber appears to strike him in the head and neck area with a skateboard; Rittenhouse shoots Huber, striking him in the heart.

Seconds later, Gaige Grosskreutz steps toward Rittenhouse holding a pistol. Rittenhouse shoots him, badly injuring Grosskreutz's arm. Rittenhouse then gets to his feet and leaves the scene.

WHAT DOES THE DEFENSE CLAIM?

Self-defense, pure and simple. Rittenhouse's attorneys say he came to Kenosha not to hurt anyone but to protect businesses from damage and looting. And they say the people he shot left him no choice.

They're expected to highlight Rosenbaum's pursuit of Rittenhouse, and Huber and Grosskreutz subsequently coming at him. The defense has said Rosenbaum and Huber tried to wrest Rittenhouse's rifle away, leading Rittenhouse to fear he would be shot with his own weapon.

The defense also wants to introduce evidence that police handed water to Rittenhouse and other rifle-carrying citizens, and said, We appreciate you guys, we really do." They argue that the friendly greeting contributed to Rittenhouse thinking there was nothing wrong with his presence on the streets that night  and that it undermines any argument that he acted recklessly.

WHAT DO PROSECUTORS SAY?

Rittenhouse's trip to Kenosha will be a key part of their case. They portray him as a wannabe cop who came looking for trouble and fame, and that by bringing a rifle to the late-night protest, he was the primary cause of the deadly encounters.

They also argue that Rittenhouse wasn't there to protect businesses but to join other armed counterprotesters with whom he sympathized. Rittenhouse was the aggressor, there with the intent to violently clash with those opposed to his beliefs, prosecutors have said.

Prosecutors had hoped to bolster their case by introducing as evidence a brief video taken 15 days before the protest shootings that shows Rittenhouse watching some men exit a CVS pharmacy and commenting that he wished he had his rifle so he could shoot them because prosecutors say he baselessly thought they were shoplifters. Thomas Binger, the lead prosecutor, said it showed Rittenhouse's mindset as a teenage vigilante, involving himself in things that don't concern him. But Judge Bruce Schroeder questioned the relevance of the video to the charges. He ruled it wouldn't be allowed, though he suggested he could reassess that ruling later.

Schroeder has also blocked prosecutors from connecting Rittenhouse to the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys. Rittenhouse was photographed in January in a Wisconsin bar with some Proud Boys members, but his attorneys say Rittenhouse had no affiliation or involvement with the group.

WHAT DOES WISCONSIN LAW SAY ABOUT SELF-DEFENSE?

It allows someone to use deadly force only if necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. And it sets a two-part test for jurors.

First, they have to decide if Rittenhouse really believed he was in peril. Hindsight may show he was wrong. But did he sincerely believe it at the time?

Next, they must determine if Rittenhouses belief was objectively reasonable. To make that call, jurors will be instructed to consider whether any reasonable person in Rittenhouses shoes would have also felt they had no choice but to shoot.

WHAT OTHER LEGAL FACTORS COME INTO PLAY?

Wisconsin law doesn't require someone whose life is in danger to flee before shooting. But jurors can consider whether someone tried to move away from danger as they assess the reasonableness of a self-defense claim. Self-defense can't be invoked by someone if they were an aggressor.

Wisconsin doesn't have a so-called stand-your-ground law that grants wide-ranging rights for a person to stay put and fend off an attack no matter where it occurs.

Rittenhouse faces two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety for firing his gun near people adjacent to those he shot. A successful self-defense argument would seem to apply to all five of counts.

Rittenhouse faces a sixth count, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, that the defense unsuccessfully tried to get dismissed. Andrew Branca, a Colorado lawyer who wrote the book The Law of Self Defense: Principles, said whether Rittenhouse was legally carrying the gun or not that night shouldn't factor into his right to self-defense.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF RITTENHOUSE TESTIFYING?

Defense lawyers normally oppose putting clients on the stand and typically only do so in last-resort bids for acquittals because the risks are too high. But some legal experts say defense calculations change when self-defense is claimed.

Paul Bucher, a Milwaukee-area lawyer and former Waukesha County district attorney, said once jurors hear from the defense that a client feared for his life, they expect to hear straight from the defendant about his or her mindset at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors would surely welcome the chance to try and rattle Rittenhouse on cross-examination in front of jurors.

HOW DO LEGAL EXPERTS SEE THE CASE?

Under self-defense law and precedent, Rittenhouse's motives for being in Kenosha are irrelevant to whether he had a legal right to shoot when threatened, some legal experts say. What matters is what happened in the minutes surrounding the shooting, Branca said.

If I had a 17-year-old-son, I would not encourage him to engage in this kind of behavior. But poor judgment is not a crime, said Branca, who thinks Rittenhouse has a strong case for self-defense.

Even if it isn't directly relevant to the self-defense claim, legal experts agreed that the question of why Rittenhouse was in Kenosha will loom over the trial.

Everybody in that courtroom is going to be thinking he deserved what he got because he put himself in a hostile situation.  What are you doing down there with a gun? said Bucher.

Branca said the law and facts should lead to Rittenhouse's acquittal, but said he's not sure that will happen.

Trials are dangerous and unpredictable  and innocent people get convicted all the time, he said. So its quite possible that Kyle Rittenhouse could be convicted in this case based on that kind of rhetoric, despite the legal merits of the charges.

___

Find APs full coverage of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse at: https://apnews.com/hub/kyle-rittenhouse



Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtarm
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New Canaan Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi, who heads the administrative, and faculty teams that place the towns public school district, among the top in Connecticut, will speak to the members of the New Canaan Mens Club at its regular meeting on Friday, Oct. 29, about the topic of education. Luizzi will also discuss developments at all levels of the towns public schools, and take questions from the members at the end of his comments.

The Mens Clubs regular meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at the St. Marks Episcopal Church in New Canaan, which is located at 111 Oenoke Ridge in the town. Luizzi is slated to begin his talk around 10:40 a.m., following the Mens Clubs business portion of the meeting at 10 a.m.
Charity seeks volunteer distributors of the Bible Charity seeks volunteer distributors of the Bible

Good News for Everyone, formerly the Gideons, is looking for new members to join in its Bible distribution in Norfolk. Mike Cadman reports.

It has been finalised. The new name for what you may know as the Gideons is to be Good News for Everyone. We are still the same people doing the same work with the vision to try and get Bibles and New Testaments where people will read them and to give them to every school child in the country.

There are three branches of Good News for Everyone around the Norwich Area. One is in North Norfolk; one is in Norwich and reaches out to cover, Attleborough, Wymondham and Dereham; and then there is the Lowestoft Branch, which also covers Great Yarmouth. New members are always welcome, and membership is open to Christian men and women who want to reach out by presenting Bibles and New Testaments to people. It is a great work to be involved with. The Norwich branch in particular is looking for new members to continue the important work there.



Locally we have been encouraged by our access to schools in spite of Covid 19. Among other things we have presented Bibles to the CEO of the James Paget hospital and the former Chief Constable in Norfolk. We have put a Bible on every boat in Richardsons hire fleet at Stalham. New Testaments are available for the Police, Fire Service, Doctors, Nurses, the Ambulance Service, Teachers and so on; there are so many opportunities, and we have a Personal Testament which we can present to anyone we talk to. All the New Testaments now include the Book of Proverbs as well as the Psalms. And, of course, Bibles are placed in hotels, which is how the work started.



In addition, there is the new HOPE magazine. It is glossy, a bit like Country Life, but with just Bible verses and many very beautiful colour pictures. It is a lovely thing to give to people, and they have been placed in lots of Residential Homes, the James Paget Hospital and Funeral Directors where those who read the Bible verses can find comfort and support and enjoy the beauty of nature.



All our Bibles and New Testaments are available in large print too and come with the unique Where to find help when section in the front. Testimonies share how much that section really helps people. Good News for Everyone works with Share Word Global into Europe and beyond with members going on mission trips to places like Nicaragua, Uganda, and India. There are no limits to the places where we seek to put Gods Word.



If you are interested, you can look on the website www.goodnewsuk.com and register your interest there. Or contact me, the Regional Secretary, Mike Cadman on 07885282465 or mcjpbds@btinternet.com



Pictured above is the Good News for Everyone Team distributing Bible to Richardson's hire fleet.









Eldred Willey, 29/10/2021
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  One of several legal challenges to North Carolinas contentious voter ID law is on hold amid a dispute over whether two justices on the state Supreme Court  one the son of arguably the state's most powerful Republican politician  should recuse themselves.

The state NAACP's request that Phil Berger Jr. and ex-Sen. Tamara Barringer be disqualified further clouds the future of photo voter ID requirements in one of the numerous Republican-dominated states where lawmakers have sought them, often successfully.

In some states, the laws have been blocked by voters and civil rights groups who have argued that they disproportionately harm Black voters. In addition to the Supreme Court case, two other lawsuits challenging North Carolinas current law are pending in state and federal courts. Federal judges already struck down a previous version of the law that Republicans approved in 2013 and implemented briefly.

The case now before the Supreme Court began in 2018 when the NAACP challenged two amendments to the state constitution put on ballots by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and later approved by voters: the photo ID mandate and a separate provision to reduce the cap on income tax rates.

A trial judge struck down the amendments in 2019, declaring that since many legislators were illegitimately elected from what were previously declared as racially biased districts, they lacked the power to put the questions on the ballot. But an appeals court overturned that decision in 2020, sending the case to the Supreme Court.

The high court was scheduled to hear arguments in the case in August but paused the proceedings after the NAACP requested that Berger and Barringer step down.

Bergers father is Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, who is a named defendant in the NAACP's lawsuit seeking to overturn the photo ID legislation. When Barringer was a lawmaker, she voted in favor of holding the referendum on the voter ID amendment. Both justices joined the court in January after winning statewide elections.

I would have no confidence that either Berger or Barringer would/could decide the issues in the case fairly, said James Coleman, a Duke University law school professor not involved in the litigation. My expectation is that they will vote their partys position on the issues, regardless of how persuasive the other side is."

But Republicans who oppose any recusal say removing the two justices from the decision  there is no one to replace them  would automatically sway the court in favor of voiding the voter ID law. Registered Democrats currently hold a 4-3 advantage on the court, with Barringer and Berger being two of the three Republicans.

The attempt to disqualify them from hearing cases the voters elected them to hear is a subversion of the will of the people and an insult to every informed voter, House Speaker Tim Moore, who is also named as a defendant in the NAACP lawsuit, wrote in a recent letter to the editor.

Martin Warf, an attorney representing Moore and the elder Berger, stressed that Berger is a defendant only in his official capacity  he must be named when a lawsuit challenges a laws constitutionality. And as far as Barringer is concerned, case law has established that being a former legislator who voted on a challenged law isnt by itself grounds for removal, Warf said.

The state judicial conduct code says judges should disqualify themselves, when asked by a legal party, if they have personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts or if the judges near-relative is a party to the proceeding.

The code requires disqualification even if they are in fact impartial and capable of presiding fairly over the matter before them, NAACP attorney Kym Hunter wrote in July.

Recusal requests arent uncommon when attorneys worry a justices family or financial connections could influence the outcome or leave that impression. The named justice usually decides on the request. Recusal denials for an individual justice have been issued by the full court on extremely rare occasions.

What was unusual in this case is that before either justice indicated publicly whether they would step down, the full state Supreme Court last month asked lawyers on both sides of the lawsuit to submit briefs on more than 20 questions related to the issue. Those briefs are due next week.

"Its not uncommon for the court to ask for additional briefing on a legal question, said Bob Edmunds, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice for 16 years through 2016. But a request for so much information on recusals, he added, is something that I have not observed before.

The one that got the most attention: Does this court have the authority to require the involuntary recusal of a justice who does not believe that self-recusal is appropriate?

The inquiry raises the possibility that one or both of the justices indicated that they would not recuse themselves. Neither responded to a request for comment that The Associated Press asked a court spokesperson to pass along to them.

The briefing order makes the court seem dysfunctional and creates the appearance that justices "arent working together in the normal collegial way, said Jon Guze, a legal expert for the right-leaning John Locke Foundation.

Some states including Michigan, Mississippi and Texas, empower fellow justices to disqualify a colleague who declines to step down, according to the National Council for State Courts. But Guze said he fears disqualifications will become retaliatory and commonplace in North Carolina should Berger or Barringer be removed against their will.

Three former North Carolina chief justices  two elected as Democrats and one as a Republican  wrote in an op-ed recently that recusal decisions during their tenures were made by the jurist identified because only the individual justice can examine her or his conscience.

Only the seven members of our Supreme Court can determine whether this should remain the policy on recusal and disqualification, ex-Chief Justices Jim Exum, Burley Mitchell and Mark Martin wrote. We trust our successors to resolve this difficult question in a way that promotes fundamental fairness, protects the integrity of our judiciary, and, above all else, preserves the rule of law.
PURCELLVILLE, Va. (AP)  Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday hailed activist parents who are decrying school curriculums as un-American, equating instruction on the effects of institutional racism with state-sponsored racism and warning that such efforts might indoctrinate children.

The fight over schools has become a flashpoint in the Virginia governor's race, where polls show a dead heat between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin ahead of Election Day on Tuesday. In his speech at Patrick Henry College, a Christian university about 50 miles outside Washington in Loudoun County, Pence echoed many of the criticisms Youngkin has made central to his campaign and praised activists in the surrounding suburbs for propelling a movement spreading all across the country."

The eyes of the nation are on Loudoun County," Pence told a crowd of hundreds in a gymnasium.

The former vice president has delivered speeches around the country on other policy matters and is widely thought to be preparing a 2024 presidential run. He did not appear with Youngkin or mention him by name on Thursday  but he didn't have to. The GOP nominee has made fighting for parental freedom a key part of his closing argument, highlighting his support for allowing parents to object to lessons on certain books and his opposition to critical race theory, a way of thinking about Americas history through the lens of racism.

Youngkin has tapped into the frustrations of parents' groups in northern Virginia  many of them headed by officials with ties to the Trump administration, the Republican Party, or both  who have decried school COVID safety precautions, transgender policies and curriculums.

In recent weeks, Youngkin has seized on allegations of sexual assault at two different Loudon County high schools allegedly committed by the same student. The cases were widely publicized by conservative media, after the father of the first victim was arrested in an altercation with another parent at a school board meeting discussing transgender policy.

That led some activists to allege that school officials were more interested in punishing parents than stopping a student who has been charged with sexual assaults in separate schools.

Although the details of the case are still emerging, Pence seized on it, saying he was angered to think those crimes happened because some adults cared more about politics than the well being of our kids.

Mike Pence peddling these divisive, hateful, right-wing lies shows that he and Glenn have more in common than their complete and total allegiance to Donald Trump, McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Freundlich said.

Pence repeatedly chided McAuliffe, who previously served as Virginias governor from 2014 to 2018, accusing him of supporting critical race theory. Although the academic theory is rarely taught, especially in elementary schools, Pence and other speakers at Thursdays event said they'd heard anecdotal stories about young kids being made to feel bad about being white.

Children as young as kindergarten are being taught to be ashamed of their skin color, Pence said, adding that critical race theory is nothing more than state-sponsored racism and calling it an attempt to indoctrinate our youth into radical, left-wing ideology.

In the final days of the campaign, McAuliffe has slammed Youngkin for using racist dog whistles to rally GOP base voters. Youngkins campaign released an ad this week featuring a mother who years ago sought to have the book Beloved banned from classrooms in suburban Washington.

The acclaimed 1987 novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is about an escaped slave who kills her infant daughter rather than allowing the girl to be returned to the plantation.

The Virginia mothers advocacy led to state legislation McAuliffe vetoed in 2016 and 2017 that would have let parents opt out of having their children study classroom materials with sexually explicit content.

McAuliffe has accused Youngkin of trying to silence one of America's most prominent Black authors.

But Youngkin counters that the measures McAuliffe vetoed had bipartisan support among state lawmakers, meaning McAuliffe is now accusing his own party of racism.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  The Senate approved on Thursday night a weakened and criticized plan to preserve ramifications for those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Democrats who control both houses of the General Assembly struggled through caustic debate all week in pushing a COVID carve-out of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act. The Senate endorsed the plan 31-24 on the last day of the Legislature's fall session.

Initially approved in the 1970s to protect physicians from repercussions for refusing, based on religious beliefs, to perform abortions, supporters argue the law was never intended to give similar protections to people who refuse to get a preventive shot in a worldwide pandemic.

Your right to exercise your religious belief is not always without consequence and the Health Care Right of Conscience is not a defense in certain circumstances..., Harmon said during floor debate. Youve asked where we draw the line. The line of my personal liberty ends at the beginning of your nose.

Lawsuits have sprung up  nine alone in which Gov. J.B. Pritzker or other public agencies are defendants  in which repercussions, such as losing a job, are being contested based on the right of conscience law.

Republicans have taunted their opponents, accusing Democrats of changing the rules midstream because Pritzker can't get sufficient buy-in to his virus mitigation plan, ridiculed by the GOP as a series of top-down demands without public input.

The proposal, which now goes to Pritzker, doesn't require anyone to be vaccinated. It targets the law's language prohibiting retribution, such as dismissal from a job, in the case of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This means we can keep kids in school, businesses open, neighbors safe, and continue on the path to bring this pandemic to an end, Pritzker said in a prepared statement.

Senate President Don Harmon, the Oak Park Democrat sponsoring the legislation, shot down provocative Republican suggestions that the change opens the door to a carnival of conscience claims.

Tamara Williams said she explicitly laid out her religious objections to being vaccinated or submitting to weekly COVID-19 testing to Indian Prairie School District 204, based in Aurora, where she was a teacher's aide. But the school district rejected her plea and she was dismissed last Friday.

She told the Senate Executive Committee Thursday that she's accepted other required inoculations, but this vaccine is different.

It only rolled out in less than a year. There is a lot of documentation on adverse reactions. And according to my religious beliefs, there is fetal cell line material in all of the vaccines that I am 100% against..., Williams said. We should have the right to decide what goes into our bodies.

Proponents contend the place to invoke religious exemptions from medical care is in federal law. Pritzkers office pointed to general religious protections and those prohibiting workplace discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act and age and genetic information discrimination laws.

But even if there's a Senate OK and Pritzker signs it without delay, it won't stop any lawsuits for months. To take effect immediately, it would have required approval by three-fifths majorities in both houses, more than Democrats could whip. As it stands now, the law wouldn't take effect until mid-next year.

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Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor
Ollie used data from Banfield Pet Hospitals price estimator tool to break down the costs of seeing a veterinarian for routine dog care in the 25 most populous U.S. cities. Click for more.
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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).
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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).
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Courtney Stern is a public safety reporter covering a wide range of topics. She grew up in Baltimore and later earned a journalism degree from the University of Miami. Stern moved to East Texas from Iowa with her husband and two dogs, Pebbles and Bam Bam.

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Japanese researchers identified chromosome aberrations as a new biomarker in predicting an esophageal cancer patient's risk of experiencing severe chemoradiotherapy side effects.

Chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for various types of cancer. However, while its usefulness is recognized, adverse events due to radiotherapy are of great concern." Nobuki Imano, study's lead author, assistant professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences

"These adverse events of chemoradiotherapy vary among patients and are thought to be due to differences in individual radiosensitivity. Therefore, it has been an important issue to establish an index for predicting individual radiosensitivity to predict the adverse events of radiotherapy."

Imano and his colleagues enrolled 18 esophageal cancer patients in a prospective study to evaluate individual radiosensitivity using DNA damage response and chromosome aberrations.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), a type of white blood cell used to assess immune function, were taken from patients just before and 15 minutes after each treatment. PBL samples were also taken at four weeks and six months after patients completed their prescribed chemoradiotherapy treatment.

The researchers counted the number of misshapen dicentric chromosomes, which formed two centromeres, and O-shaped ring chromosomes to evaluate the number of chromosomal aberrations. Meanwhile, they tallied the -H2AX foci  a marker for DNA damage  per cell to assess DNA double-strand breaks.

They found no significant increase in the number of -H2AX foci during chemoradiotherapy in the patients. However, they discovered that chromosome aberrations were higher in patients who showed severe side effects (overreactor group) than in those who experienced lower grade toxicities (non-overreactor group).

"We found that the number of chromosomal aberrations increased during chemoradiotherapy and reached 1.04 per metaphase by the commonly used chemoradiotherapy dose of 50-60 Gy for cancer treatment, and gradually decreased after chemoradiotherapy to approximately 60% in six months," the researchers said in their findings published in the March 2021 issue of the journal Radiation Research.

This study is the first they know of so far to report the relationship between acute toxicity and chromosomal aberrations in radiotherapy using in vivo data.

Imano said their study could lead to personalized radiotherapy treatments in the future.

"In this study, we showed that acute toxicities in esophageal cancer patients are associated with chromosomal aberrations in PBLs. We would like to continue to examine chromosomal aberrations in other cancers," he said.

"We would like to predict not only acute toxicities but also late toxicities and treatment outcomes to establish a personalized radiotherapy treatment for all cancer patients."
An estimated 7,000 students are already taking part each week in the University of Cambridge's Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme, but the team running the program are encouraging as many students as possible to join in, and help keep Cambridge safe.

The more students that participate, the less transmission and fewer cases we'll see, and the less likely students will be to have to self-isolate. It's a win-win situation Isobel Ramsay

This is particularly important as UK cases continue to rise, and evidence shows that even people who have been fully vaccinated or previously infected are at risk of infection.

At the start of Michaelmas term in October 2020, the University of Cambridge introduced a free weekly asymptomatic screening program for all students resident in its Colleges, later extended to include students living in private accommodation. It is complemented by a testing program for staff and students with symptoms of possible COVID-19. Both programs use PCR tests - still considered the gold standard. For asymptomatic screening, up to ten students pool their swabs in a single sample tube - making the available tests go further.

According to the latest report from the team, in the week 18-24 October 2021, around 5,200 students contributed swabs to pooled sample collection and registered their tests. However, the actual number of students taking part is thought to be higher - about 7,000 students each week - because a significant number of students contribute unregistered swabs. Those swabs are still tested, but it makes the task of contacting students in positive pools take more time.

In that same week, preliminary analysis suggests the Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme identified eight positive cases from across the student population. A further four were identified by the University's symptomatic testing program. These numbers are down from 16 asymptomatic and 13 symptomatic positive cases the previous week.

Dr Nicholas Matheson, from the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), designed the screening program. He said: "It's great that so many students are taking part every week, but we'd like to encourage even more to join in. The number of COVID-19 cases among our students is still, thankfully, relatively low - but across the UK, we're seeing numbers increase. None of us can afford to be complacent - even if you're fully vaccinated, it's still possible to get infected with the Delta variant, and pass it on to others.

"Young people are at risk of 'long COVID', with some people experiencing symptoms lasting weeks or months. We are also seeing a small number of young people with COVID-19 admitted to our hospital - even to intensive care. It's therefore incredibly important that we do everything we can to keep numbers low."

By identifying infected students early, before they develop symptoms, Dr Matheson and colleagues can help students avoid unwittingly infecting others. This breaks chains of transmission, reduces the risk of outbreaks, and limits disruption to University and College life. By participating in the program, students can therefore help keep their friends, colleagues, and the wider community safe - this is especially important for those people who remain vulnerable to COVID-19, despite being vaccinated themselves.

Dr Isobel Ramsay, Clinical Lead for the screening program, is keen to allay concerns about the risk of unnecessary self-isolation. "Because we use PCR tests and a two-step testing strategy, with individual confirmatory tests for positive pools, you're exceptionally unlikely to test positive unless you're genuinely infected. And if you do test positive, your friends and contacts won't be required to self-isolate if they've been fully vaccinated by the NHS.

"In short, the more students that participate, the less transmission and fewer cases we'll see, and the less likely students will be to have to self-isolate. It's a win-win situation."

The Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme is supported by Cambridge Students' Union (SU), whose Undergraduate and Postgraduate Presidents are part of the team running the program.

"The level of participation from Cambridge students is something that we're really proud of," said Anjum Nahar, Postgraduate President of Cambridge SU. "Everyone wants to have the best possible experience during their time at Cambridge, and that means keeping the number of cases as low as possible. We all need to do our bit. We're taking part not just because it protects us, but because it helps protect everyone around us."

Students who have not yet signed up to the program can do so on the University website. Further information about the program is available on the Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme pages.
At the earliest stages of human embryonic development, a small collection of cells known as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) orchestrates growth and differentiation, eventually giving rise to highly specialized human tissues. As pluripotent cells -; progenitors of every type of cell type in the body -; hESCs are of central interest to developmental and regenerative biologists. Many genes driving hESC functioning have previously been identified, but powerful tools that shed light on the interrelated activities of these genes have only emerged more recently.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School used genome-wide genetic screening to both over-express and inactivate ("knock out") tens of thousands of genes in hESCs. They uncovered key networks that simultaneously control pluripotency and readiness for cell death (apoptosis), helping to ensure optimal conditions for embryonic development. The study's findings, published in Genes and Development, offer new insights into cancer genetics and a novel approach for regenerative medicine research.

Our methods allowed us to create an 'atlas' of nearly every gene in the human genome and determine what its over-expression or loss does to the most fundamental first steps of human development. Instead of looking at genes one by one, we looked at thousands of genetic alterations at the same time to determine how they affect the proliferation of embryonic stem cells, and, subsequently, the development of the three germ layers that serve as the raw material for human tissues." Kamila Naxerova, PhD, lead author, former postdoctoral fellow in the Elledge lab, Brigham's Division of Genetics

"Elucidating how human embryonic stem cell function is controlled by genetics is essential for our understanding of developmental biology and regenerative medicine," said co-corresponding author Stephen Elledge, PhD, the Gregor Mendel Professor of Genetics and of Medicine at the Brigham and HMS. "Our study provides the most extensive examination of gene functionality in hESCs to date."

In conducting their experiment -; which involved knocking out roughly 18,000 genes and overexpressing 12,000 genes -; the researchers noticed a unique role played by hESC genes that control pluripotency, or differentiation capacities. When the researchers deleted these well-known genes, among them OCT4 and SOX2, the stem cells surprisingly increased their resistance to death, indicating that under normal circumstances pluripotency regulators also contribute to apoptosis pathways. The researchers hypothesized that the genetic link between pluripotency and tightly regimented cell death helps ensure that if a stem cell is damaged, it is destroyed early on in embryonic development before it can compromise the functioning of future cells and tissues.

These interrelated behaviors were especially evident in a pluripotency regulator known as the SAGA complex. The researchers demonstrated for the first time that hESCs died less readily in the absence of the SAGA complex. In addition, its absence inhibited the development of all three germ layers (the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm), testifying to the SAGA complex's central role in a range of hESC activities. Finally, the researchers observed that many of the genes that regulate the formation of the three germ layers also are known contributors to the growth of cancers when they are over- or under-expressed in somatic cells.

Beyond offering a new perspective on the genetic basis of cancers, the study's high-throughput genetic screening approach may inform future work in regenerative biology.

"Genetic screens present a wonderful opportunity to probe how genetic networks contribute to interrelated cellular behaviors like growth, differentiation and survival," said Naxerova who is now an assistant professor in the Center for Systems Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "This approach can help regenerative and developmental biologists systematically map out genetic networks that are involved in the formation of particular tissues and manipulate those genes to more efficiently grow different kinds of human tissues from stem cells."
Instead of an invasive nasal swab, researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are exploring the use of a unique breath test for the rapid screening of patients for COVID-19.

Results from the initial study in patients, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, found the breath test is highly accurate in identifying COVID-19 infections in critically ill patients.

The gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19 is a PCR test that requires an uncomfortable nasal swab and time in a lab to process the sample and obtain the results. The breathalyzer test used in our study can detect COVID-19 within seconds." Dr. Matthew Exline, lead researcher, director of critical care at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center University Hospital and professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine

COVID-19 infection produces a distinct breath print from the interaction of oxygen, nitric oxide and ammonia in the body. The breath detector device, developed by Pelagia-Irene Gouma, researcher and professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University and Milutin Stanacevic, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University, can detect the breath print of COVID-19 in exhaled breath within 15 seconds.

"This novel breathalyzer technology uses nanosensors to identify and measure specific biomarkers in the breath," said Gouma. "This is the first study to demonstrate the use of a nanosensor breathalyzer system to detect a viral infection from exhaled breath prints."

The study followed 46 patients in the intensive care unit with acute respiratory failure that required mechanical ventilation. Half of the patients had an active COVID-19 infection and the remaining half didn't have COVID-19. All patients had a PCR COVID-19 test when they were admitted to the unit.

Researchers collected exhaled breath bags from the patients on day 1, 3, 7 and 10 of their inpatient stay. The breath bag samples were tested within 4 hours of sample collection in a lab. The breath print was identified in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with 88% accuracy upon admission to the ICU.

"PCR tests often miss early COVID-19 infections and results can be positive after the infection has resolved," Exline said. "However, this noninvasive breath test technology can pick up early COVID-19 infection within 72 hours of the onset of respiratory failure, allowing us to rapidly screen patients in a single step and exclude those without COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation."

The use of breathalyzer technology to rapidly diagnose patients with respiratory infections has the potential to greatly improve the ability to rapidly screen both patients and asymptomatic people. Future studies will look at the use of this technology for less severe COVID-19 patients and will explore whether other diseases and infections could benefit from it. The research team has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of the breathalyzer technology.

Dr. Andrew S. Bowman, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, contributed to this study.
Inside the emergency department at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, staff members are struggling to care for patients showing up much sicker than theyve ever seen.

Tiffani Dusang, the ERs nursing director, practically vibrates with pent-up anxiety, looking at patients lying on a long line of stretchers pushed up against the beige walls of the hospital hallways. Its hard to watch, she said in a warm Texas twang.

But theres nothing she can do. The ERs 72 rooms are already filled.

I always feel very, very bad when I walk down the hallway and see that people are in pain, or needing to sleep, or needing quiet. But they have to be in the hallway with, as you can see, 10 or 15 people walking by every minute, Dusang said.

The scene is a stark contrast to where this emergency department  and thousands of others  were at the start of the pandemic. Except for initial hot spots like New York City, in spring 2020 many ERs across the country were often eerily empty. Terrified of contracting covid-19, people who were sick with other things did their best to stay away from hospitals. Visits to emergency rooms dropped to half their typical levels, according to the Epic Health Research Network, and didnt fully rebound until this summer.

But now, theyre too full. Even in parts of the country where covid isnt overwhelming the health system, patients are showing up to the ER sicker than before the pandemic, their diseases more advanced and in need of more complicated care.

Months of treatment delays have exacerbated chronic conditions and worsened symptoms. Doctors and nurses say the severity of illness ranges widely and includes abdominal pain, respiratory problems, blood clots, heart conditions and suicide attempts, among other conditions.

But they can hardly be accommodated. Emergency departments, ideally, are meant to be brief ports in a storm, with patients staying just long enough to be sent home with instructions to follow up with primary care physicians, or sufficiently stabilized to be transferred upstairs to inpatient or intensive care units.

Except now those long-term care floors are full too, with a mix of covid and non-covid patients. People coming to the ER get warehoused for hours, even days, forcing ER staffers to perform long-term care roles they werent trained to do.

At Sparrow, space is a valuable commodity in the ER: A separate section of the hospital was turned into an overflow unit. Stretchers stack up in halls. A row of brown reclining chairs lines a wall, intended for patients who arent sick enough for a stretcher but are too sick to stay in the main waiting room.

Forget privacy, Alejos Perrientoz learned when he arrived. He came to the ER because his arm had been tingling and painful for over a week. He couldn't hold a cup of coffee. A nurse gave him a full physical exam in a brown recliner, which made him self-conscious about having his shirt lifted in front of strangers. I felt a little uncomfortable, he whispered. But I have no choice, you know? Im in the hallway. Theres no rooms.

We could have done the physical in the parking lot, he added, managing a laugh.

Even patients who arrive by ambulance are not guaranteed a room: One nurse runs triage, screening those who absolutely need a bed, and those who can be put in the waiting area.

I hate that we even have to make that determination, Dusang said. Lately, staff members have been pulling out some patients already in the ERs rooms when others arrive who are more critically ill. No one likes to take someone out of the privacy of their room and say, Were going to put you in a hallway because we need to get care to someone else.'

ER patients have grown sicker

We are hearing from members in every part of the country, said Dr. Lisa Moreno, president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. The Midwest, the South, the Northeast, the West  they are seeing this exact same phenomenon.

Although the number of ER visits returned to pre-covid levels this summer, admission rates, from the ER to the hospitals inpatient floors, are still almost 20% higher. Thats according to the most recent analysis by the Epic Health Research Network, which pulls data from more than 120 million patients across the country.

Its an early indicator that whats happening in the ED is that were seeing more acute cases than we were pre-pandemic, said Caleb Cox, a data scientist at Epic.

Less acute cases, such as people with health issues like rashes or conjunctivitis, still arent going to the ER as much as they used to. Instead, they may be opting for an urgent care center or their primary care doctor, Cox explained. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in people coming to the ER with more serious conditions, like strokes and heart attacks.

So, even though the total number of patients coming to ERs is about the same as before the pandemic, thats absolutely going to feel like [if Im an ER doctor or nurse] Im seeing more patients and Im seeing more acute patients," Cox said.

Moreno, the AAEM president, works at an emergency department in New Orleans. She said the level of illness, and the inability to admit patients quickly and move them to beds upstairs, has created a level of chaos she described as not even humane.

At the beginning of a recent shift, she heard a patient crying nearby and went to investigate. It was a paraplegic man whod recently had surgery for colon cancer. His large post-operative wound was sealed with a device called a wound vac, which pulls fluid from the wound into a drainage tube attached to a portable vacuum pump.

But the wound vac had malfunctioned, which is why he had come to the ER. Staffers were so busy, however, that by the time Moreno came in, the fluid from his wound was leaking everywhere.

When I went in, the bed was covered, she recalled. I mean, he was lying in a puddle of secretions from this wound. And he was crying, because he said to me, Im paralyzed. I cant move to get away from all these secretions, and I know Im going to end up getting an infection. I know Im going to end up getting an ulcer. Ive been laying in this for, like, eight or nine hours.'

The nurse in charge of his care told Moreno she simply hadnt had time to help this patient yet. She said, Ive had so many patients to take care of, and so many critical patients. I started [an IV] drip on this person. This person is on a cardiac monitor. I just didnt have time to get in there.'

This is not humane care, Moreno said. This is horrible care.

But its what can happen when emergency department staffers dont have the resources they need to deal with the onslaught of competing demands.

All the nurses and doctors had the highest level of intent to do the right thing for the person, Moreno said. But because of the high acuity of  a large number of patients, the staffing ratio of nurse to patient, even the staffing ratio of doctor to patient, this guy did not get the care that he deserved to get, just as a human being.

The instance of unintended neglect that Moreno saw is extreme, and not the experience of most patients who arrive at ERs these days. But the problem is not new: Even before the pandemic, ER overcrowding had been a widespread problem and a source of patient harm, according to a recent commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine.

ED crowding is not an issue of inconvenience, the authors wrote. There is incontrovertible evidence that ED crowding leads to significant patient harm, including morbidity and mortality related to consequential delays of treatment for both high- and low-acuity patients.

And already-overwhelmed staffers are burning out.

Burnout feeds staffing shortages, and vice versa

Every morning, Tiffani Dusang wakes up and checks her Sparrow email with one singular hope: that she will not see yet another nurse resignation letter in her inbox.

I cannot tell you how many of them [the nurses] tell me they went home crying after their shifts, she said.

Despite Dusangs best efforts to support her staffers, theyre leaving too fast to be replaced, either to take higher-paying gigs as a travel nurse, to try a less-stressful type of nursing, or simply walking away from the profession entirely.

Kelly Spitz has been an emergency department nurse at Sparrow for 10 years. But, lately, she has also fantasized about leaving. It has crossed my mind several times, she said, and yet she continues to come back. Because I have a team here. And I love what I do. But then she started to cry. The issue is not the hard work, or even the stress. She struggles with not being able to give her patients the kind of care and attention she wants to give them, and that they need and deserve, she said.

She often thinks about a patient whose test results revealed terminal cancer, she said. Spitz spent all day working the phones, hustling case managers, trying to get hospice care set up in the mans home. He was going to die, and she just didnt want him to have to die in the hospital, where only one visitor was allowed. She wanted to get him home, and back with his family.

Finally, after many hours, they found an ambulance to take him home.

Three days later, the mans family members called Spitz: He had died surrounded by family. They were calling to thank her.

I felt like I did my job there, because I got him home, she said. But thats a rare feeling these days. I just hope it gets better. I hope it gets better soon.

Around 4 p.m. at Sparrow Hospital as one shift approached its end, Dusang faced a new crisis: The overnight shift was more short-staffed than usual.

Can we get two inpatient nurses? she asked, hoping to borrow two nurses from one of the hospital floors upstairs.

Already tried, replied nurse Troy Latunski.

Without more staff, its going to be hard to care for new patients who come in overnight  from car crashes to seizures or other emergencies.

But Latunski had a plan: He would go home, snatch a few hours of sleep and return at 11 p.m. to work the overnight shift in the ERs overflow unit. That meant he would be largely caring for eight patients, alone. On just a few short hours of sleep. But lately that seemed to be their only, and best, option.

Dusang considered for a moment, took a deep breath and nodded. OK, she said.

Go home. Get some sleep. Thank you, she added, shooting Latunski a grateful smile. And then she pivoted, because another nurse was approaching with an urgent question. On to the next crisis.

This story is part of a partnership that includes Michigan Radio, NPR and KHN.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This virus is extremely virulent with high transmissibility. To date, it has claimed more than 4.9 million lives worldwide. Several therapeutic and non-therapeutic measures have been implemented throughout the world to reduce the mortality rate.

Study: The impact of school opening model on SARS-CoV-2 community incidence and mortality. Image Credit: David Tadevosian/ Shutterstock

Infection transmission and policymaking

To control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, primary and secondary schools in the United States remained closed to in-person education. This strategy was guided by data obtained from influenza transmission models. These models showed that school closures could be an effective measure for reducing the basic reproductive number of respiratory viral infections. Previous studies showed that this strategy had positively controlled SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

The global modeling studies and time-series analyses reported differential assessment of the impact of reopening schools on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a community. Although elementary school children are at low risk of severe COVID-19 infection, their role in disease transmission is still controversial. If staff or children contract COVID-19 infection in school, they can easily transmit the infection to other family members and, therefore, school settings enhance the risk of community transmission.

Several conflicting findings have been observed in recently published studies from Indiana, Texas, and other states, based on the role of schools in community transmission. Some analyses indicated significant increases in COVID-19 cases associated with school openings, while others contradicted this result. The latter studies reported reopening of schools for in-person classes has no impact on a community with minimal hospitalization rates.

Therefore, the association between type of school reopening mode, i.e., virtual, hybrid, or in-person, and its impact on a community transmission continues to be a critical policy question. A new national, retrospective cohort study has been published in Nature Medicine that focuses on determining the impact of school reopening mode on subsequent changes in the rates of COVID-19 infection in a community.

A new study

The current national cohort study, published in Nature Medicine, comprised almost half of all public school student enrollments across the United States. Researchers reported regional variations on the impact of school reopening policy on the community rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In the southern USA, limited community-level mitigation measures were implemented, and schools were reopened when the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was high. In these regions, reopening schools for in-person learning played a significant role in community transmission. The western states followed a hybrid school mode method and experienced a sustained increase in community case rates. Regions that followed strict community public health measures and reopened schools when the COVID-19 cases were relatively low showed school reopening had minimal impact on the community.

The finding of this study is in line with previous studies that reported in-person learning had a significant effect on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community. The current study also indicated that although transmission rates of COVID-19 infection were correlated with the reopening of schools during the period when the number of cases was on the rise, this increase may not be lead to elevated mortality.

The present observational study failed to explain the exact reason behind the differential impacts of schooling mode and community transmission. However, scientists assumed the enhancement in the COVID-19 transmission rate in the South was due to limited infection control measures both inside and outside of school. In contrast, there was no increase in the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the Northeastern community. Interestingly, a decline in cases among children was reported after schools opened for in-person instruction.

Scientists have also indicated the possibility of the significant influence of different climatic conditions on the incidence of cases, i.e., independent of school mode policy. Therefore, several factors, such as different mitigation strategies in schools, varied weather conditions, and surrounding communities, may contribute to the differential effect of in-person schooling on community transmission. Further studies are required to uncover the impacts of these factors on COVID-19 incidence.

Conclusion

This study has several limitations. For instance, owing to its observational nature, it could not determine causality, only association. This study included data for the period between the 20202021 school year. Hence, two major factors were excluded, i.e., the emergence of more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and vaccination program for adults or adolescents. Therefore, it is not clear how the results of this study could be applied to the current situation.

The current study showed that the association between school opening mode and SARS-CoV-2 cases varied by region. The COVID-19 infection rate could also be correlated with preventive measures followed by the community and the time of school opening. Also, the introduction of in-school mitigation and community mitigation measures played a significant role in determining the rate of SARS-CoV-2 incidence.
The Supreme Court on Nov. 1 will hear oral arguments challenging the constitutionality of a new Texas abortion law  just days after agreeing to hear the case. That's just one of many unusual things about the Texas law, which halted almost all abortions in the nation's second-most populous state.

The court plans to hear another major abortion case this fall: Justices previously set Dec. 1 as the day for arguments in a case from Mississippi that directly challenges Roe v. Wade and other decisions that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion before a fetus is viable.

The high court does not need to weigh in on the constitutional right to abortion in the Texas case, which is actually two separate suits joined together  one brought by the Biden Justice Department and a second brought by abortion providers in Texas. The court instead has asked the lawyers to weigh in on the Texas law's unique enforcement mechanism. Designed to evade legal challenges, the law, S.B. 8, rests enforcement not with Texas officials, but with private citizens who can sue anyone who performs an abortion or "aids and abets" someone in obtaining an abortion. The law took effect Sept. 1 after the Supreme Court refused earlier requests to void it. It bans abortions after six weeks, well before the generally accepted standard for viability of 22 to 24 weeks.

Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog breaks down the issues before the court and what the court might do about Texas' abortion law in this conversation for KHN's "What the Health?" that aired Thursday. She notes this is the quickest turnaround for a case to be heard by the justices since the Bush v. Gore decision in the 2000 presidential election.

"Everything about this is so unusual," she said.

Related Stories Study reports on safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in pregnancy

Can't see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. And subscribe to KHN's What the Health? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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(Newser)  Update: Two military veteransAmerican Brian Mark Lemley and Canadian Patrik Jordan Mathewshave each been sentenced to nine years in prison on gun charges with a "terrorist enhancement." The men were arrested before a pro-gun rally in Virginia last year, the BBC reports. Both are members of a neo-Nazi group called "The Base," which translates to "al-Qaeda" in Arabic. A hidden camera installed at a Delaware apartment recorded the men talking about their hopes for a "civil war." US District Judge Theodore Chuang said Lemley and Mathews' discussions of destroying rail lines, poisoning water supplies, and breaking Dylann Roof out of prison captured the "virulence" of their desire to kill people and bring down the government, the AP reports. Our original story from Jan. 16, 2020, follows:

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FBI agents on Thursday arrested a former Canadian Armed Forces reservist and two other men who are linked to a violent white supremacist group and were believed to be heading to a pro-gun rally next week in Virginias capital, the AP reports. The three men are members of The Base and were arrested on federal charges in a criminal complaint unsealed in Maryland, according to a Justice Department news release. Tuesdays complaint charges Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, 27, and Brian Mark Lemley Jr., 33, of Elkton, Maryland, with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony.

William Garfield Bilbrough IV, 19, of Denton, Maryland, is charged with transporting and harboring aliens. Mathews illegally crossed the US border near Minnesota in August, according to court papers. Lemley and Bilbrough then drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews before the three headed to Maryland in late August, investigators said. The three men were believed to be planning to attend the pro-gun rally planned for Monday in Richmond, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an active investigation.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday declared a state of emergency and banned all types of weapons from the gun rally, citing reports that armed militia groups were planning to attend. The Virginia Citizens Defense League and Gunowners of America filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking an injunction specifically against the ban on firearms. In encrypted chat rooms, members of The Base have discussed committing acts of violence against blacks and Jews, ways to make improvised explosive devices, their military-style training camps and their desire to create a white "ethno-state," according to an FBI agent's affidavit. (More on the arrests here and the weapons ban here.)
(Newser)  For nearly five years, David Duvall served as a top marketing executive for a North Carolina health care systemuntil he says he was abruptly fired in the summer of 2018, over what he claims was a move to diversify top staff. Duvall sued, and on Tuesday, a federal jury in Charlotte awarded him $10 million in punitive damages in the case, ruling in favor of his wrongful termination suit and agreeing that the fact he was a white male was a "motivating factor" in his firing, reports CNN.

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Per his complaint, Duvall says he was hired in August 2013 as senior VP of marketing and communications for Novant Health, a North Carolina-based hospital system with 15 medical centers and more than 1,800 doctors spread across four states. Despite "performing at a high level and exceeding the performance expectations," Duvall says he was fired "without prior warning" on July 30, 2018, and made to immediately leave his work sitea divergence from the standard 30 days employees fired without cause were typically given at Novant, according to his suit.

Duvall notes in his complaint that a white woman and a Black woman took over his role at Novant in what he says was a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bars employment discrimination based on gender or race, notes the Winston-Salem Journal. His firing was "part of an intentional campaign to promote diversity in its management ranks," his suit notes, per NBC News. Novant, for its part, says Duvall's termination simply came about because he lacked the proper leadership skills, noting that Duvall himself conceded in a deposition that he didn't think discrimination was the reason he was fired, according to court papers.

Duvall's complaint wasn't "a statement against diversity and inclusion programs," his lawyer, Luke Largess says, noting that his client was part of an executive panel that supported such initiatives, per CNN. Instead, the $10 million payout was "a message" that Novant's move was "plainly unlawful and harmful," and that "an employer cannot terminate and replace employees simply based on their race or gender" for diversity's sake. Largess also notes that Duvall believes he was fired just ahead of his fifth anniversary with Novant, when he would have been entitled to a greater severance package. In a statement Tuesday, Novant says it's "extremely disappointed" in the ruling and that it will appeal. (Read more reverse discrimination stories.)
(Newser)  When the film the Blues Brothers was honored last year, Dan Aykroyd says, the renewed attention "made us realize there remains more to this story." So a docuseries about Jake and Elwood Blues, as played by Aykroyd and John Belushi, who died in 1982, is being assembled, per the Hollywood Reporter. Utopia Originals will take the production lead, working with Aykroyd and Belushis widow Judith Belushi-Pisano, and her son Lucas Pisano. Aykroyd expects a comprehensive project.

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"Judy and I are pleased to collaborate with Utopia Originals to produce the only authorized, optimized, socio-forensic examination of the Blues Brothers and the world that created and embraces them," he said. The docuseries will include material not publicly seen and cover the history and legacy of the characters and actors. That will include the real-life friendship of John Belushi and Aykroyd. The release also said "the sensitivities of race in the music industry" will be explored. "Much will be revealed that even I, as one of the originators, might not have been aware of," Aykroyd said.

The characters began in skits on Saturday Night Live. They hit the big time when the film was released in 1980, per the Collider. "The image of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, dressed in matching suits, donning sunglasses and fedoras, is globally iconic," a Utopia executive said. Then there was the music. The series, untitled so far, will celebrate the blues, rhythm and blues and gospel. And it will "continue Dan and Johns original mission to share their passion for this music and, foremost, to celebrate the artists who created it," Belushi-Pisano said. (Read more The Blues Brothers stories.)
(Newser)  In February 2020, Sen. Richard Burr was the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as a member of the chamber's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions panel. He also had staffers tasked with helping out with the emerging pandemic. Those ties, and the knowledge on the coronavirus he may have gleaned from them, are now front and center in a Securities and Exchange Commission probe into whether the North Carolina senator engaged in insider trading by dumping more than $1.6 million in stocks a week before last year's market crash, per the Hill.

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ProPublica first reported on an SEC court filing from last week noting how on Feb. 13, 2020, less than three hours after Burr talked to his broker and got rid of stock he and his wife held in an IRA, the senator made a 50-second phone call to brother-in-law Gerald Fauth. Within one minute Fauth placed a call to his own broker; that broker wasn't in the office so he immediately called a second one and dumped stock in six companies that same day. Now the SEC "among other things ... is investigating whether [Burr] sold stocks on the basis of material nonpublic information" regarding COVID and "its potential impact on the US and global economies," per the filing.

Burr was one of a number of senators who got rid of stocks after attending coronavirus briefings early last year, including GOP Sens. James Inhofe and Kelly Loefler and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The Justice Department closed probes of the latter three senators in May 2020, and also declined to charge Burr. Investor trading based on such nonpublic info that will likely change the price of the asset once it becomes public is banned by federal law. The STOCK Act similarly prohibits members of Congress "from using information gained through their office to enrich themselves in financial markets," per the Hill, which adds that Burr and his wife probably kept hundreds of thousands of dollars safe by getting rid of their stock.

Burr has said in the past that he made his stock decisions based on public info only. Shortly after the stock dump, his lawyer told ProPublica, "Sen. Burr ... did not coordinate his decision to trade on Feb. 13 with Mr. Fauth." Burr, the SEC, and an attorney for Fauth didn't comment on questions submitted to them by ProPublica, while Fauth himself hung up the phone when contacted by a ProPublica journalist. (Read more Richard Burr stories.)
(Newser)  Facebook has been accused of driving people apartbut commentators were near-unified in mocking the company after CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed its new virtual-reality focused name Thursday. There were countless jokes about the name Meta, as well as concerns about what Zuckerberg is planning for what he calls the "next chapter of social connection." The embattled CEO said Meta will be the name for the company behind Facebook and other apps including Instagram and WhatsApp, and the VR brand Oculus. More:

Late-night weighs in . "Thats right, 'Meta,' as in your Aunt Gloria saying, 'I Meta guy on Facebook who says the vaccine made his balls magnetic,'" joked Stephen Colbert, per the New York Times. Jimmy Fallon joked: "Yeah, Facebook changed their name. In response, Spectrum was like, 'We used to be Time Warner; people still hate us.'"

. "Thats right, 'Meta,' as in your Aunt Gloria saying, 'I Meta guy on Facebook who says the vaccine made his balls magnetic,'" joked Stephen Colbert, per the New York Times. Jimmy Fallon joked: "Yeah, Facebook changed their name. In response, Spectrum was like, 'We used to be Time Warner; people still hate us.'" Burned by Wendy's. "Changing name to Meat," the burger chain tweeted.

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"Like renaming torture." CNN reports that many of the jokes took a dark turn. "Renaming Facebook 'Meta' solves the same kinds of problems that renaming 'torture' 'enhanced interrogation' did," tweeted scientist Matt Blaze.

CNN reports that many of the jokes took a dark turn. "Renaming Facebook 'Meta' solves the same kinds of problems that renaming 'torture' 'enhanced interrogation' did," tweeted scientist Matt Blaze. "Nobody asked for this new feature." The Daily Show tweeted a video with footage of Zuckerberg praising VR's ability to provide an "incredibly inspiring view of whatever you find most beautiful" superimposed on footage of the Capital riot and the Charlottesville white nationalist march, which were both organized on Facebook, per the Guardian.

The Daily Show tweeted a video with footage of Zuckerberg praising VR's ability to provide an "incredibly inspiring view of whatever you find most beautiful" superimposed on footage of the Capital riot and the Charlottesville white nationalist march, which were both organized on Facebook, per the Guardian. "Thought this was satire." News.com.au rounds up more reactions, including a tweet from from sociology professor Tressie McMillan Cottom: "Honest to god thought this was satire. Honest to god. This is the kind of pseudonym they give tech companies in Hallmark movies because its so ridiculously fake."

A common corporate tactic . Phil Davis at Tungsten Branding tells the Wall Street Journal that changes in name are common when a large company scales up, as when Apple Inc. dropped "Computer" from its name in 2007, but the move doesn't always work. "If you say were shifting the direction, there has to be an actual shift in direction," he says, noting that Radio Shack's change to The Shack didn't turn the company around.

. Phil Davis at Tungsten Branding tells the Wall Street Journal that changes in name are common when a large company scales up, as when Apple Inc. dropped "Computer" from its name in 2007, but the move doesn't always work. "If you say were shifting the direction, there has to be an actual shift in direction," he says, noting that Radio Shack's change to The Shack didn't turn the company around. Shares in unrelated Meta company spike . CNBC reports that shares in Meta Materials, a Canadian tech company with no connection to Facebook, surged 25% in after-hours trading following Zuckerberg's announcement. CEO George Palikaras said he would like to "cordially welcome Facebook to the metaverse."

. CNBC reports that shares in Meta Materials, a Canadian tech company with no connection to Facebook, surged 25% in after-hours trading following Zuckerberg's announcement. CEO George Palikaras said he would like to "cordially welcome Facebook to the metaverse." Zuckerberg might not be the one to run the metaverse . Rizwan Virk at NBC looks at the metaversewhich he describes as a "connected set of immersive virtual experiences that you explore online via your three-dimensional avatar," and explains why Facebook's attempt to be the "on-ramp" might fail in the same way that Microsoft's attempts to dominate the Internet did.

. Rizwan Virk at NBC looks at the metaversewhich he describes as a "connected set of immersive virtual experiences that you explore online via your three-dimensional avatar," and explains why Facebook's attempt to be the "on-ramp" might fail in the same way that Microsoft's attempts to dominate the Internet did. AOC's take. "Meta as in 'we are a cancer to democracy metastasizing into a global surveillance and propaganda machine for boosting authoritarian regimes and destroying civil society for profit!'" tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

(Read more Facebook stories.)
(Newser)  Billionaire financier Leon Black is suing a Russian former model he had a yearslong affair with, claiming her accusation of rape is part of a conspiracy against him. The 70-year-old, who stepped down as CEO of Apollo Global Management earlier this year over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, is suing Guzel Ganieva, her law firm, and three unnamed defendants, Forbes reports. In a lawsuit filed in June, Ganieva, 38, said Black "forced sadistic sexual acts on her without her consent." In court documents filed in August, she alleged that Black once flew her to Florida, "without her consent, to satisfy the sex needs of Epstein, his 'best friend.'"

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Last month, the lawsuit was amended to include an allegation from another former model, identified only as Jane Doe, who said Black raped her at Epstein's townhouse in 2002. Sources tell Vanity Fair that the Manhattan District Attorneys Office has opened an investigation. Black, who is married, has admitted having what he calls a "regrettable" and "sporadic" consensual relationship with Ganieva from 2008 until 2014, reports Reuters. She says he forced her to sign an NDA in 2015. Her lawsuit accuses Black of defaming her by alleging that she tried to extort him for money after the relationship ended. In the lawsuit filed Thursday, Black accuses Ganieva and the other defendants of defamation and racketeering conspiracy.

The suit accuses them of trying to extort him with false allegations. It alleges that defendants identified as John Doe 1, 2, and 3 funded Ganieva's legal efforts and promoted them in the media. "Knowing that to him, and in his world, reputation matters, they set about to destroy him and make him pay anything to make them stop," the lawsuit states, per Reuters. Jeanne Christensen from Widgor LLP, the law firm representing Ganieva, described Black's lawsuit as an "obvious act of retaliation." Black, whose fortune is estimated at $11 billion, announced his retirement from Apollo after an independent review found that he had paid the convicted sex offender $158 million over five years, mostly for financial services. (Read more Leon Black stories.)
(Newser)  A Guantanamo Bay prisoner who went through the brutal US government interrogation program after the 9/11 attacks described it openly for the first time Thursday, saying he was left terrified and hallucinating from techniques that the CIA long sought to keep secret. Majid Khan, a former resident of the Baltimore suburbs who became an al-Qaeda courier, told jurors considering his sentence for war crimes how he was subjected to days of painful abuse in the clandestine CIA facilities known as "black sites," as interrogators pressed him for information. "I thought I was going to die," he said.

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Khan, 41, spoke of being suspended naked from a ceiling beam for long periods, doused repeatedly with ice water to keep him awake for days, the AP reports. He described having his head held under water to the point of near drowning, only to have water poured into his nose and mouth when the interrogators let him up. He said he was beaten, given forced enemas, sexually assaulted, and starved in overseas prisons whose locations were not disclosed. I would beg them to stop and swear to them that I didnt know anything," he said. "If I had intelligence to give I would have given it already but I didnt have anything to give." He spent about three years in CIA black sites before he was taken to Guantanamo in September 2006.

Khan spoke on the first day in what is expected to be a two-day sentencing hearing at the US base in Cuba. A panel of military officers selected by a Pentagon legal official can sentence Khan to between 25 and 40 years in prison, but he will serve far less because of his extensive cooperation with US authorities. Under a plea deal, which the jurors were not told about, Khan's sentence by the jury will be reduced to no more than 11 years by the convening authority, and he will get credit for his time in custody since his February 2012 guilty plea. That means he should be released early next year, resettled in a third, as yet unknown country because he can't return to Pakistan, where he has citizenship. Khan apologized for his actions and said he takes full responsibility. He said he has forgiven his captors, and his torturers.

(Read more Majid Khan stories.)
(Newser)  After an uproar over a letter to the editor from Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal's opinion desk has fired back against what it calls the "progressive parsons of the press," a group that apparently includes members of the paper's newsroom. An editorial published Thursday defended the decision to run the 600-word letter from Trump, which called the 2020 election "rigged" and repeated many of his debunked fraud claims, the Hill reports. "We think its news when an ex-President who may run in 2024 wrote what he did, even if (or perhaps especially if) his claims are bananas," the editorial board wrote, arguing that Trump's "2020 monomania is news, and it reflects on his fitness to 2024."

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The board, which was criticized for failing to fact-check Trump's letter about alleged election fraud in Pennsylvania, addressed a few of his claims Thursday, though the editorial stated: "Its difficult to respond to everything, and the asymmetry is part of the former President's strategy. He tosses off enough unsourced numbers in 30 seconds to keep a fact-checker busy for 30 days." It noted that his claims appear to come from "amateur spelunking into voter data," and the citation for one was a "stray remark" on TV from Sen. Lindsey Graham, who now says it was an allegation that can be "laid to rest."

The WSJ editorial, pointing to failed legal challenges and the "dud" election audit in Arizona, criticized "election truthers" and notes that according to the letter it published, Trump "apparently thinks his own Attorney General did an inside job." "Mr. Trump is making these claims elsewhere, so we hardly did him a special favor by letting him respond to our editorial. We offer the same courtesy to others we criticize, even when they make allegations we think are false," the board wrote, adding: "As for the media clerics, their attempts to censor Mr. Trump have done nothing to diminish his popularity. Our advice would be to examine their own standards after they fell so easily for false Russian collusion claims." (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  "Alex didn't think I could do it." That was Dierdre Wolownick yesterday, in a blog post describing her latest featclimbing El Capitan at the age of 70. As for Alex, who is he, and why does Wolownick care what he thinks? He's professional rock-climber Alex Honnold, who also happens to be Wolownick's sonand who apparently underestimated his determined mom. The Guardian reports that after last month's climb, she is once again the oldest woman to ever ascend the granite slab in California's Yosemite National Park.

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On her Sept. 23 climb, Wolownick broke her own record from 2017, when at 66 she became the oldest woman to climb the 3,000-foot rock formation via the Lurking Fear route, making it up El Capitan in 13 hours, then back down in another six. Her son is already an El Capitan legend himself: His record-breaking climb up the monolith that same year was the first to be achieved without ropes or safety equipment, a feat documented in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. For Wolownick, her latest climb was similarly harrowing, if not a bit safer than Honnold's.

The senior climber, who this time went up the rock via the easier Descent route, describes in a blog post a two-hour "gnarly" hike through the woods to kick things off, an arduous trek that involved "grabbing small trees and edges of boulders or whatever else helped." Then came hours of climbing granite, "[walking] steeply uphill, endlessly, grabbing whatever tiny edges you can find"all while contending with a foot injury from a surgery gone wrong and a deep fear of falling. She made it to the summit in 10 hours, where she enjoyed celebratory champagne and birthday cupcakes at sunset, per the Los Angeles Times.

Wolownick is no stranger to physical challenges: The New York Times notes she taught herself to swim in her 40s and started running in her 50s. It was more than a decade ago, as a sexagenarian, when she decided to take up climbing, partly to get closer to Honnold. "Climbing El Cap at 70 takes its toll, physically, mentally, emotionally," Wolownick writes in her blog post. "I'm not 'down' yet. Not sure I ever will be, completely." (Read more rock climbing stories.)
(Newser)  Hundreds of passengers at Los Angeles International Airport fled to the tarmac Thursday evening after reports of an active shooter caused chaos in Terminal 1. CBS Los Angeles reports that there was a "stampede of terrified travelers" around 7:30pm after a man breached security following an argument outside the terminal and shouted that somebody had a gun. Police say two people were detained, but no shots were fired and no weapon was recovered. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman says two people were injured in the panic near Gate 17A, KTLA reports. One person refused treatment and another was hospitalized.

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"Approximately 300 passengers self-evacuated from the terminal onto the airfield," LAX officials said in a tweet. "As a result of the security incident, the FAA initiated a ground stop for flights at LAX," the airport said. All runways were reopened within about two hours. Airport police spokeswoman Lt. Kayla Rodriguez tells the Los Angeles Times that while many details remain unconfirmed, it appears that one of the detained men was chasing the other, and that the person being chased may have thought the man had a gun.

A pilot who saw people flee the terminal alerted the control tower, ABC7 reports. "We believe there is an active shooter in the terminal. This is not a joke," the pilot said. Passenger Donald Grady tells the station that there was "a lot of chaos" inside the terminal. "We saw that there were a lot of people coming away from the TSA area and running in different directions," he says. "It seemed like no one knew what was going on." (Read more Los Angeles International Airport stories.)
(Newser)  The most important climate conference in years is about to begin. Delayed from 2020, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, or COP26, will run from Sunday to Nov. 12 in Glasgow, Scotland, and will see nations present their updated plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and lay out how those targets might be met. The stakes couldn't be higher, according to European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans. "We are fighting for the survival of humanity," he says, per CTV News. Here's what to expect:



The goals: As CTV puts it, "Do more and do it faster." Organizers hope to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, which will mean cutting greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 as compared with 2010 levels and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Global temperatures have already climbed 1.1 degrees (2 degrees F).

As CTV puts it, "Do more and do it faster." Organizers hope to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, which will mean cutting greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 as compared with 2010 levels and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Global temperatures have already climbed 1.1 degrees (2 degrees F). Bye, bye coal?: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the phasing out of coal power is "the single most important step to get in line with the 1.5-degree goal," per Time. He wants to see wealthy countries agree to drop coal power by 2030, with developing countries following a decade later.

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Help for developing nations: A tough sell for some will be a commitment from developed countries to supply $100 billion each year to support climate efforts in developing countries, "which have contributed far less to creating the current climate crisis," per Time. The total amount of funding now pledged for the 2020-2025 period is up to $75 billion short, according to Oxfam.

A tough sell for some will be a commitment from developed countries to supply $100 billion each year to support climate efforts in developing countries, "which have contributed far less to creating the current climate crisis," per Time. The total amount of funding now pledged for the 2020-2025 period is up to $75 billion short, according to Oxfam. Renewable energy: "Today's climate pledges would result in only 20% of the emissions reductions by 2030 that are necessary to put the world on a path towards net zero by 2050," notes International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol. The agency says renewable energy investment needs to more than triple over the next decade, with 70% of the spending occurring in the developing world.

Focus on China: China is the biggest investor in clean energy but also the world's largest polluter, responsible for more than a quarter of global emissions, per NBC News. According to the Climate Action Tracker, China's current policies toward reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2060 are "highly insufficient" and are projected to result in a 3-degree rise in temps.

China is the biggest investor in clean energy but also the world's largest polluter, responsible for more than a quarter of global emissions, per NBC News. According to the Climate Action Tracker, China's current policies toward reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2060 are "highly insufficient" and are projected to result in a 3-degree rise in temps. The urgency: A 3-degree increase presents a terrifying scenario of potential mass starvation, with up to 50% drops in crop yields, per the Sydney Morning Herald. The world is already seeing massive wildfires, unprecedented flooding, record-breaking heat, and increasingly frequent and severe weather events. And it will only get worse from here, meaning cities and regions need to address climate hazards now, per the paper.

The precursor: Leaders from G-20 nationswhich account for around 75% of the world's carbon emissionswill meet in Rome this weekend in an "attempt to forge a common position," the Wall Street Journal reports. But so far, officials say there isnt much consensus, with countries including China, India, Russia, and Australia opposing coal-reduction targets. The US, the world's second-largest polluter (we have cumulatively emitted more than any other country over the past 150 years), has committed to reduce emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030, per NPR.

(Read more global warming stories.)
(Newser)  Texas workers tasked with enforcing city code showed up at an Austin home Wednesday morning to carry out their latest directive: cut a Travis County residence's overgrown lawn, which had drawn multiple complaints. Instead, they were greeted with gunfire, which was returned by police who ended up fatally gunning down the apparent homeowner, per the Austin American-Statesman. The paper reports that things started becoming contentious between the city of Austin and a man IDed as Robert B. Richart over the summer, when on Aug. 12, the city informed Richart the weeds and grass in his front lawn were more than a foot high and therefore violated city code.

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The officials gave Richart, who police say was in his 50s, a week to take care of it, but a satisfactory cleanup never happened. Warrant in hand, enforcers of the city code and Austin PD personnel then showed up early Wednesday to mow the lawn themselves, and that's when the APD says they "took fire" from someone inside the home, per KVUE. Those in the vicinity scattered, and police called in the SWAT team. The suspect continued to shoot at police, until a fire that had started and engulfed the home drove him to exit out the garage door, holding weapons, per Joe Chacon, Austin's police chief.

The SWAT officer who opened fire on the man is an eight-year veteran of Austin's force, according to Chacon. Cops and emergency responders began life-saving measures on the man, but it wasn't enoughhe was whisked away to the hospital and later died there, per Chacon. A code inspector suffered a minor shoulder injury while trying to flee for cover during the incident, per Austin officials.

Police say the man was the only person inside the home, which had received two previous complaints in 2020 and three in 2021; there'd been a lawn-mowing stint done there by the Austin Code Department in March, without incident. Meanwhile, the officer who shot the homeowner has been placed on administrative leave while both internal and criminal probes are ongoing. "It's sad that it's somebody who was just in a really bad mental state, you know, where this whole thing could escalate like this," a neighbor tells CBS Austin. (Read more police shooting stories.)
(Newser)  For two decades, a Connecticut man says he let his wife handle virtually all of his finances for him, a move he apparently felt even more necessary once he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At least, he thought he'd been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. East Haven police say that's only what he was told by his wife, Donna Marino, so that she could swipe $600,000 or so from him over the long haul, per NBC Connecticut. Cops says Marino would forge her spouse's signature on all of his pension and Social Security checks, as well as on workers' comp settlements and other legal paperwork.

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Marino would then take any money she took out of those transactions and deposit it in a hidden bank account, police say. She's also alleged to have pawned some of his jewelry and rare coins, and to have become his power of attorney by having a notary public pal sign off on the paperwork when her husband wasn't there. To keep her spouse from going to the bank to check his balances, she started telling him he had Alzheimers, insisting he'd been diagnosed and forgotten about it, per WFSB. Marino is 63; police did not specify her husband's age.

"She was making up stories ... telling him that he was running around the house chasing her" and didn't remember doing it, says Elena, the man's daughter. It was Elena who noticed her dad's credit score start to drastically drop, and more red flags popped up when she found a tax lien on his house; when she tried to call her father, his number had been rerouted to his wife's phone. Elena notes that her dad likely believed he had Alzheimer's because his own mother had had it, and he feared getting diagnosed himself. She says telling her father he was broke at the hands of his own wife was terrible. "Imagine your father crying to you," she says. "It was awful."

Police say Marino's husband was made aware of the scheme by March 2019, and one year later, he showed up at the East Haven police station with an unnamed individual to "report a large-scale fraud," Capt. Joseph Murgo tells the New Haven Register. The husband told police that he'd wanted to think about his optionshence the year delay in reporting Marino after he'd discovered what she'd done. After an arrest warrant was issued, Marino, who's been hit with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery charges, turned herself in to police on Wednesday. She was held on a $25,000 bond and saw her first court hearing on Thursday. Elena, meanwhile, tells WFSB she's helped her dad move to Florida. (Read more Alzheimer's Disease stories.)
(Newser)  Meeting with President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since a weapons deal with Australia caused a US-France rift, President Biden said the situation was mishandled by his administration. "It was not done with a lot of grace," Biden said in an appearance with Macron on Friday. France has said it was blindsided by the agreement, which Biden said surprised him, the Washington Post. "I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not coming through," he said.

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The two, who are in Rome for a G20 summit, met at the French Embassy to the Vatican, making their stated effort at rebuilding trust more official. Not only was the announcement last month of the US-UK-Australia alliance "clumsy," as Biden said Friday, it cost France a $65 billion contract to provide submarines to Australia, per the Wall Street Journal. French officials said they learned about the deal from reports in Australian news media. Biden and Macron had talked twice about the issue on the phone before meeting Friday. France also is unhappy with the governments of Australia and the UK.

France's relationship with Australia is not on the mend. Macron spoke with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the phone on Thursday. A French statement issued afterward said the canceled submarine deal "broke the relationship of trust between our two countries." The next move is up to Australia, France's government said. Macron faces an election in six months, and his opponents have attacked him over the security alliance. His far-right opponent, Eric Zemmour, said last week France needs to stop being dominated by major powers such as the US.

Macron does have a plan to increase its military strength and count less on US, and he wants Biden's support. France's security is protected by alliances involving NATO and the EU, but they're also based on US support. A poll this summer found just 31% of French participants say the US takes countries like France into account when setting international policy. "We clarified together what we had to clarify," Macron said after meeting with Biden. "Now what's important is precisely to be sure that such a situation will not be possible for our future." (Read more President Biden stories.)
(Newser)  Ice Cube is leaving a film project, and a $9 million salary, rather than be vaccinated for the coronavirus. He had signed on in June to partner and co-star with Jack Black on Oh Hell No, a comedy that was to film in Hawaii over the winter, per the Hollywood Reporter. Producers of the Sony film had asked that the cast receive the vaccine. No one involved in the project, including the studio, would comment on the withdrawal. Shooting is being postponed.

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The star has promoted wearing face masks during the pandemic, even joining other donors in giving 2,000 of them to a college in Oklahoma in August. He and a manufacturing partner unveiled "Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self" T-shirts in April 2020, saying the proceeds would go to health care workers. Ice Cube pulled out of another film that was shut down after one day of shooting in March 2020, per the Reporter, but it's not clear why. There's no vaccine mandate covering Hollywood productions, per the Reporter.

But under an agreement announced this summer between the guilds and studios, producers may decide to "implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew" where cast and crew members are working in the same space. Outbreaks have stopped productions. George Clooney is among those critical of the chaotic situation, which he blamed on people refusing to get vaccinated. "Every generation in our country for more than a lifetime has been asked to sacrifice something for the safety of their fellow manget shot, fight Nazis," the star said. "All that anyones being asked here is to get a shot in the arm and put on a mask. Grow up." (Read more Ice Cube stories.)
(Newser)  New York City has pulled six firefighters battling the new coronavirus vaccine mandate who drove a ladder truck to a state senator's office and threatened his staff. The firefighters went to Sen. Zellnor Myrie's Brooklyn office on Friday, the first day the mandate has been in effect. Myrie wasn't there, and a fire spokesperson confirmed that they asked employees where the senator lives, WNBC reports. Witnesses said the firefighters told staff members they'll have "blood on their hands" come Monday, when workers have to vaccinated or go on unpaid leave.

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The Ladder 113 group also is accused of saying they wouldn't respond to any fire at the home of the legislator, per ABC. The firefighters were in uniform and on duty at the time, and their truck was in service. Being a state official, Myrie had no role in establishing the city rule. Hundreds of firefighters demonstrated against the mandate outside the mayor's official residence on Thursday, per the AP. The fire department expects to be shorthanded starting next week, and it's planning for as many as 20% of its fire companies to be shut and 20% of its ambulances to be out of service.

"I am outraged," Myrie said, that "on-duty officers who were supposed to be focused on keeping us safe and responding to emergencies would attempt to use their uniforms and their fire truck to intimidate my staff." He said he was satisfied with the suspensions. Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the six firefighters will face disciplinary action. "This is a highly inappropriate act by on duty members of this Department who should only be concerned with responding to emergencies and helping New Yorkers," he said in a statement. (A judge had passed on blocking the mandate.)
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Four council seats up for grabs in Kulpmont

KULPMONT  Three incumbents and two newcomers will be appear on the upcoming ballot for four, four-year terms on borough council.

Councilman Bob Chesney, Stephen Bielskie and Bob Fanella are seeking reelection while Mike Balitchik and William Mike Bradley are hoping to become new members.

The News-Item reached out Chesney, a Democrat, and Balitchik, a Republican, for comment, but no reply was received in time for inclusion in this article. The following is a capsule for the remaining candidates.

Bradley

William Michael Bradley, who will appear on the ballot as a Democrat and Republican, has lived in the borough for more than 20 years. He is currently the welding technology instructor at the Northumberland County Career and Technology Center in Coal Township.

Mike, as he is known by, believes the borough is moving in the right direction and would like to help keep it that way.

As a candidate for Kulpmont Borough Council, I plan to keep that motivation and progressive energy moving in the right direction. Theres a fantastic group of people currently serving on council and I believe that I can make a significant contribution, Bradley said. There are many issues affecting the borough residents that still need to be addressed.

In regard to the possibility of the police department either merging or combining with another department, he said the department is at the forefront of his agenda, and believes a regional force would be a cost-effective alternative that should be on councils agenda.

Public safety is essential to economic development and preserving the viability of attracting employment opportunities, he added. The health and safety of our residents is imperative and recreation is an important component of a healthy community.

Bradley said residents of Kulpmont deserve clean air, clean water and places where everyone can benefit from being outdoors, but acknowledged that the local tax base is limited and cannot bear the brunt of the environmental clean up. To resolve the issue, he would pursue grants and other funding.

From my own experience, Kulpmont is a great place to live and raise a family. As a member of borough council, I plan to continue the ongoing efforts that serve our residents in the most efficient and cost-effective ways, Bradley said. I look forward to working with all of the council members as well as the new mayor.

Fanella

Fanella, who will appear on the ballot as a Democrat and Republican, is a retired heavy equipment operator, having worked 15 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and also with HRI Highway Construction. He is married to Bernadette Hodrick Fanella, and both enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and children.

He has served on borough council and sewer authority, and has been actively involved with local fire companies and service organizations for 48 years.

Fanellas priorities if reelected are addressing blight, bringing new residents to the community, ensuring roads and drainage components are adequate, and supporting the police department with the necessary resources to be successful.

In todays world, these individuals need our support. They work excessive hours to ensure the safety of our communities, Fanella said of police officers. My priorities are to provide our community members with a safe and enjoyable place to work and live.

In regard to the possibility of the police department either merging or combining with another department, Fanella said he would explore means to further support law enforcement of the borough and neighboring communities.

We struggle to hire and retain certified police officers, so it is a time where all local communities need to come together to share resources, he said. Working with our surrounding communities is a must.

Fanella said Kulpmont is a strong-connected community that values its culture and heritage, describing it as one of the nicest towns that people take pride in. He hopes to foster this culture and invest in the people that council serves.

He added, I am running for a second term. I have experience and am extremely dedicated and determined to do what is right by the members of Kulpmont.

Bielskie

Bielskie is the vice president of council and is the administrator of Tri-County COG inspection Service, Bloomsburg, which covers about 30 municipalities throughout Columbia, Luzerne and Northumberland counties. He is a master code professional with duties that include residential and commercial inspections, and plan reviews.

In addition, he serves on the board of directors for Pennsylvania Building Officials Conference and the advisory board of the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. He is also a board member of the Kulpmont-Marion Heights Joint Municipal Authority.

He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, third and fourth degrees, previously being faithful navigator, and is a member of the Church of the Holy Angels. He is married to the former Rose Lutz and they have five children.

Bielskie said his main priorities if reelected are to keep taxes at a minimum, continue to clean up the community and to bring new industry to the former J.H. and C.J. Eagle Silk Mill, which he said could improve the tax base. He also believes the borough must locate funding to remedy drainage problems, pave streets and rebuild police protection.

I believe most municipalities are going through the same pains with their police departments. Merging is not a bad thing. Response time would be the biggest factor, Bielskie said of the possibility of the police department either merging or combining with another department. There are so many things necessary to keep any department happy: supervisors, hours and salary are the most common complaints. Our salaries, according to the latest survey of other local departments, is not really out of line. I believe you will see departments offering higher salaries to try to pull officers from other municipalities.

Bielskie said described the codes, street and fire departments as part of the backbone of the community. Council, he continued, consists of a variety of professionals to help carry the weight of their duties.

I am currently vice president of Kulpmont council and involved mainly with codes. In the past few years, the codes department has become more aggressive on rental units, garbage and weed control  all to make Kulpmont a nicer place to live, Bielskie remarked. In my position, I am on different committees and assist anyone who needs my voice. I am currently working with the new owner of the mill to develop the three buildings.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain yesterday condemned in strongest possible terms the launch of ballistic missiles towards Jazan in Saudi Arabia.

Denouncing the terrorist Houthi militias attack, Bahrains foreign ministry termed the attacks as sinful terrorist acts.

The attacks, Bahrain said, reflect the determination of the Iran-backed Houthi militias to deliberately and systematically target civilians and civilian objects
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains Civil Aviation Affairs yesterday announced updating its entry procedures starting this Sunday.

Accordingly, the Kingdom will start accepting travellers who had taken World Health Organisation approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Meaning, travellers arriving at Bahrain International Airport with vaccination certificates having QR codes for vaccines approved, either by the World Health Organisation or Bahrain, will receive an entry starting this Sunday.

The approval follows the recommendation of the National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and Coordinating Committee chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Deputy King.

Entry procedures through Bahrain International Airport

As per the new protocols, all passengers, aged 6 years and above, arriving from red list countries, who are allowed to enter should present a PCR certificate with a QR code taken 48 hours before boarding a plane.

Such travellers should conduct a PCR test upon arrival and quarantine for ten days at their residence or a centre licensed by the National Health Regulatory Authority or NHRA. Travellers from red list countries should also take a PCR test on the fifth day of arrival and an exit swab on the tenth day.

Non-red list countries

Passengers from non-red list countries should also conduct a PCR test upon arrival and on the fifth and the tenth day.

However, non-red list passengers are not required to present a PCR test before boarding nor quarantine after arriving in Bahrain.

This rule is applicable for vaccinated passengers, those recovered within eight months of catching the infection, those from GCC and countries with mutual recognition deals, passengers arriving from non-red list countries but having vaccination certificates recognised by the Kingdom, and passengers having vaccination certificates from countries eligible to obtain an on-arrival visa.

Non-vaccinated passengers

All non-vaccinated passengers from non-red list countries should present a PCR certificate, taken 72 hours before departure, with a QR code.

Such passengers should conduct a PCR test upon arrival, quarantine for ten days at their residence or at an authorised centre if aged 12 years and above. They should also take a PCR test on the fifth and tenth day of arrival.

Countries with which the Kingdom have signed a mutual vaccination recognition agreement include Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Seychelles, Jordan and Israel.

The current Red List countries are:

Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Philippines, Nepal, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Ukraine, the United Mexican States, and Romania.

All passengers arrivals from red list countries, including those under six, must quarantine for ten days.

Visa on arrival is limited to those arriving from countries eligible.

To see the list of countries, go to www. evisa.gov.bh

Tests on day five and day ten will cost BD 36 (approximately $96).

Payment should be before arrival through BeAware Bahrain App, the Bahrain eGovernment Portal on bh.bh/covidpay, or upon arrival at a designated airport kiosk, where card and cash payments are accepted

Passengers from Red List countries, including passengers who will enter Bahrain temporarily are prohibited from entry unless they are a citizen or hold valid residence visas of Bahrain.

Will accept all vaccination certificates containing a QR code for vaccines approved by the WHO or Bahrain or issued by countries whose citizens are eligible for a visa on arrival.

Fully vaccinated means completed 14 days after the second dose in a two-dose vaccination series (e.g. Pfiz- er, Moderna, AstraZeneca, etc.) or completed 14 days after a single dose for sin- gle-dose vaccination series (e.g. Johnson & Johnson).
Bahrain court orders five years in jail, hefty fines for financial fraud

Bahrain court orders five years in jail, hefty fines for financial fraud

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court yesterday awarded fiveyear jail terms each to two people for running an investment scam.

The court also ordered to confiscate BD1,162,000.30 and BD200.97 from the first accused. BD1,232,530 from the two companies, and BD365,352 and BD700.19 from the second defendant.

The court also slapped a BD1,000 fine on both the accused and ordered them to jointly pay the plaintiffs a total of BD6,600 as temporary civil compensations.

Court files say the two people - one of the suspects an Arab national - took funds from people to invest through two companies owned by one of them.

However, investigators found that the accused didnt have the necessary licences to offer that kind of service in the Kingdom.

The Public Prosecution opened an investigation following a report from the Financial Intelligence Department on several people losing money, exceeding BD1,100,000 in a financial scam.

The report said the suspects hoodwinked the people into investing in their unlicensed companies.

The money was then sent to locations outside Bahrain through several accounts to conceal its origin and make it legitimate.

The Public Prosecution, following an investigation, decided to seize the accounts operated by the suspects, their money and property belonging to the two companies.

Investigators also tracked the funds to the second accused outside Bahrain, who worked to conceal the source of the funds.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

An Anti-Terrorist Squad in the Indian state of Gujarat has busted an illegal Voice over Internet Protocol telephone exchange run by a Keralite from Bahrain, reports PTI.

ATS said the exchange was run by Najib PP, a native of Kerala, with the help of aides remotely from Bahrain.

Since video calls using applications such as WhatsApp are banned in Gulf countries, Indians living there have to pay as per IS rates to make international calls.

Najib and his men make money by selling calling cards and sending commissions to his aides Shaid, Amit and Sohail here, said Pinakin Parmar, Superintendent of Police, Gujarat ATS.

Shahid Saiyad was running the illegal call centre from a flat in Sakib Apartment in the Juhapura area.

The arrest followed a tip-off received.

Parmar said he was running the business using four SIM boxes that can hold multiple SIM cards, used as a VoIP gateway installation.

The call centre was started in the Juhapura area a year ago as directed by Najib and Sohail.

This call centre converted incoming international calls into normal voice calls using VoIP technology.

This is illegal and against the rules set by the Department of Telecommunication, Parmar said.

Parmar said they had arrested Saiyad on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The other two are absconding.

Najib, ATS found, was also running another call centre in the Mira Road area in Mumbai from Bahrain.

ATS and Mumbai police together raided a flat in ND Plaza No.3 on Tuesday and nabbed one Sajjad Saiyad with 115 SIM cards and other equipment.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has won the Presidency of the Executive Committee of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer for 2022.

The Montreal Protocol is a global agreement to protect the Earths ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it.

The deal includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.

The landmark agreement was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.

His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Personal Representative of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for the Environment, said Bahrain chairing the protocol is a first of its kind achievement at the Gulf level since the ratification of the protocol.

His Highness stressed the pivotal role of the Committee in supporting the international efforts to protect the environment.

The Committee is concerned with mapping out policies and taking financial decisions for the multilateral fund, which has contributed $ 4.25 billion to help 145 states protect the ozone layer in three decades.

Bahrain, Shaikh Abdullah said, implemented 38 projects worth US$3.84 million through the multilateral fund to help the switch to non-ozone-depleting alternatives for refrigeration and air-conditioning. A similar amount will be disbursed in the coming for the graduation reduction of the hydrofluorocarbons, said His Highness.

Shaikh Abdullah also expressed hope that Bahrains tenure would be full of achievements.

The Kingdom will hold discussions with GCC and Arab states to develop strategic plans for phasing out hydrofluorocarbons, said Shaikh Abdullah highlighting the importance of finding alternative technologies suitable for countries with hot ocean climates.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Defence Force yesterday concluded a joint exercise Kingdom Security 7 carried out with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force and the Coast Guard Command at the Ministry of Interior. The exercise was under the joint plans of the BDF and the Ministry of Interior to boost maritime security of Bahrains territorial waters.

It focused on procedures for information exchange between the Royal Bahrain Naval Force, the Bahrain Defence Force and the Coast Guard Command at the Ministry of Interior and other top tasks.

The Security 7 comes close on the heels of the first drone drill by the US and Bahrain navies.

US Navy spokesman Tim Hawkins had said Tuesdays drill with Bahrain -- dubbed New Horizon -- was part of efforts to help enhance maritime domain awareness, strengthen deterrence, and foster partnerships.

The exercise also marked the first time the US Navy was integrating unmanned surface vessels with manned ships at sea in the Middle East and the first time with a regional partner testing in Gulf water.

We are putting a couple of unmanned surface vessels called MANTAS T-12 in the water, he said.

This will help us understand how we can use these vessels to enhance maritime domain awareness, which is critically important to maintaining regional stability and security.


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Features Editor

Emma Segrest has been with The News Record since 2020 as a contributor, staff reporter and now as Features Editor. She has previously interned with Women of Cincy and is currently with VMSD magazine.
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BROOKFIELD  The health department has started offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to residents who meet eligibility criteria.

Those eligible include people who are 65 years or older, those with underlying medical conditions, and those at increased risk for viral exposure and transmission due to their job or living situation. The clinics will offer Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Pfizer will not be available.

Residents should receive their booster shot six months after their primary series, or two months after their first shot if they received Johnson & Johnson, the press release says.

Clinics will be held on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Town Hall in Room 129.

There will be no clinics held on Nov. 2, Nov. 11, and Nov. 24.

The clinics will accept walk-ins, but ask that those who arrive bring proof of primary vaccination to obtain their booster.
BRIDGEWATER  State police are investigating after a motor vehicle accident was reported Friday afternoon on Clapboard Road.

The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m., according to state police spokesperson Trooper First Class Sarah Salerno.

The Bridgewater resident troopers office said the driver of a vehicle failed to park properly and the car began to roll, dragging him with it.

The driver was taken to the hospital for evaluation with possible minor injuries, according to the resident troopers office.
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Dorian Llywelyn, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

(THE CONVERSATION) The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Nov. 9, 2021, in a case regarding a death row inmates plea that his Baptist pastor be allowed to lay hands on him in the execution chamber. The Supreme Court blocked John Henry Ramirezs execution in September, about three hours after he could have been executed. Ramirez was convicted and sentenced to death for a 2004 robbery and the killing of a convenience store clerk in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Texas policy allows an approved spiritual adviser to be present in the execution chamber, but there cannot be any physical contact or vocal prayers during the execution. Ramirez has pleaded that this represents an infringement upon his religious liberty.

As a Catholic priest, ministering to the dying is at the core of my job. I have ministered to well over 150 people, from children to centenarians, in their final moments. At these times, I administer a set of ancient prayers and rituals that includes laying my hands on the dying person, anointing them with oil, reciting prayers for the dying and those they are leaving behind, reading Scripture and, if the person is conscious, giving them Holy Communion, which Catholics believe is truly the body and blood of Christ.

But central to caring for the dying is touch.

Touch as a primal instinct

The laying of hands and, more specifically, physical touch at the end of life, holds special significance for many cultures because to touch is to reassure. In my ministry with the dying, I have often witnessed how, when death is looming, the warmth and contact of a held hand can communicate deeply where words fail.

Touch is a primal instinct  a gesture of love and comfort thats instilled in each of us since birth. Touch is a prime way in which mothers communicate with their babies. Universally, people greet others with words but also touch, including handshakes, hugs, kisses or high-fives.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have found opportunities for physical connection  tapping elbows or giving fist bumps. And a natural way to console is to not only say comforting words, but also to gently touch or hug.

The power of spiritual touch

Faith leaders often believe they have power that can be transferred to others through physical contact. The pioneering sociologist Emile Durkheim deployed the Polynesian term mana to describe a kind of spiritual energy that, for many cultures, can be transmitted to others.

Durkheim was describing a belief also found in other cultures, including the Chinese qi and Hindu prana.

When Catholic deacons and priests are ordained, the bishop places his hands on the top of their bowed heads. The laying of hands is a sacred and symbolic transfer of power that transmits the power to administer sacraments and celebrate the Eucharist, the ritual reenactment of Jesus Last Supper.

Physical contact is associated with not only communicating love and divinity, but also with healing  the practical expression of divine love. In the Bible, Jesus heals by touch on at least 18 separate occasions. He cures people of blindness, leprosy and other ailments. As a Catholic theologian, I know that in all cases where Jesus touched people, or people touched him, they were not only restored to physical wholeness but their rightful human dignity was also affirmed.

End of life and touch

In our final moments, I believe, all people want to feel safe and consoled. Some meet their moment of death with tremendous resistance and a struggle to stay alive. Others go calmly.

In my experience, a peaceful death happens when someone is surrounded by love  friends and family are there with them. In ways that are hard to describe well but are unmistakable, I have felt that love in the room. In these instances, death is not a violent conflict, but rather a peaceful, even joyful passage.

In the 1995 film Dead Man Walking, Sister Helen Prejean, a real-life Catholic nun played by Susan Sarandon, places her hands on the shoulder of convicted killer Matthew Poncelet, played by Sean Penn, as he walks to his execution.

I want the last thing you see in this world to be the face of love, Sr. Helen says to Poncelet. So you look at me. I will be the face of love for you.

Intentionally taking the life of another human being is a grave sin. Ramirez has been found to be guilty of murder. But Scripture also says that there is no value in vengeance. It is hard to find support for the death penalty in the teachings of Jesus, for whom peace lies in forgiveness and true salvation involves reconciliation. And according to Catholic teaching, capital punishment is no longer ethically acceptable.

The message this sends to Catholics and people of faith is that they must hold high ideals when it comes to the feelings of other human beings enduring pain and suffering  even those who have committed dreadful crimes.

This means praying for and consoling not only the victim and their loved ones  but also the person responsible for the offense. Consolation can and should include touching them  including holding their hand or even embracing them as they die.

I do not pretend to know the nuances of state policy and federal law, but as a former minister at Mens Central Jail in Los Angeles, Ive spent time with convicted murderers. Ive prayed with them and listened to their confessions. I did not see violent killers consumed by evil. Rather, I saw human beings.

And I know, regardless of the crimes they committed and decisions they made, they too have rights bestowed on them simply because they are human. High among those rights is to meet their end with dignity.

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Connecticuts COVID numbers continued to decline in the past week, but with colder months approaching and hundreds of breakthrough cases being recorded, health experts say there could still be some cause for concern.

In the past week, there were 804 new breakthrough cases in vaccinated people, according to the states latest data released Thursday.

There have been a total of 17,564 breakthrough cases and 157 breakthrough deaths recorded in Connecticut, the data shows. All of the deaths have involved people 35 and older and nearly 71 percent of them have been at least 75 years old, the data shows.

The seven-day rolling average of new COVID cases reported Thursday stands at less than half the number reported in mid-September, according to state figures. The number of patients hospitalized with the disease has fallen below 200 statewide, down from well over 350 in mid-September.

Connecticuts doing great right now, the numbers are definitely coming down, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist and system director of infectious diseases at Hartford HealthCare.

At the same time, he said the percentage of patients in intensive care units and on ventilators is relatively high. But overall, he said the number of intensive care and hospitalized COVID patients are declining.

Compared to last year and previous peaks, were doing way better, he added.

On Thursday, Connecticut recorded 443 new COVID cases in the previous 24 hours with a daily positivity rate of 1.77 percent. Hospitalizations dropped by a net of three patients, bringing the statewide census to 191. The state reported 30 more COVID-related deaths in the past week, increasing the statewide death toll to 8,751.

Of Connecticuts eight counties, only Windham County in the far northeast was marked in red as an area of high community transmission of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tolland and Fairfield counties are now below the threshold the agency recommends for people to wear masks indoors regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. The remaining five counties are areas of moderate spread where masking is still recommended.

Connecticuts heat map of cases by municipality, which uses a slightly different metric than the CDC, shows 34 communities are in the red alert zone, meaning they have experienced 15 or more cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks.

Overall, more than 90 percent of eligible Connecticut residents have received at least one dose, according to the CDC, while nearly 79 percent of the total population have started the vaccination process.

The weekly number of doses administered in Connecticut has remained high over the past month, a period that coincided with deadlines for state and many private employees to comply with vaccine mandates, but also when booster shots became available to millions of Americans.

CDC data shows Connecticut and some nearby states are lagging in booster uptake compared with others that have seen comparatively lower initial vaccination rates. About 8.6 percent of those who are fully vaccinated in Connecticut have received a booster, according to the CDC data, lower than the rates of South Carolina, Tennessee, Montana and others.

Some areas of Connecticut are also still lagging well below the state average vaccination rate. In the states eastern rural areas, many towns report less than 60 percent of residents have received at least one dose, according to the data. Hartford and New Britain also report less than 60 percent of their residents have started the vaccination process.

Vaccination falls along ideologic lines, Wu said. Communities tend to stick together, so if theres a community thats more likely not to be vaccinated, thats probably why youre seeing swaths of a region that are undervaccinated. Its not just Connecticut, thats the same for the whole entire United States.

Overall, the state is doing better than the rest of the country, Wu said, but its all relative because we shouldnt even be in this position in the first place.

Its rosy because its better, but compared to where we should be, its not so rosy, he added.
BRIDGEPORT  Like most parents, Shondell Vann wants the best for her child. She doesnt want her 2-month-old daughter, Maria Jackson, to grow up with limits or restrictions.

So the Bridgeport resident was excited about the CT Baby Bonds program, which started July 1, and creates a trust for babies whose births are covered by the states Medicaid program. When those children are between the ages of 18 and 30  and have completed a financial literacy course  they can submit a claim to access funds from the trust for specific expenses. These expenses include higher education costs, the purchase of a home in Connecticut, investment in a business in Connecticut or saving for retirement.

For parents like Vann, this means that, even if their child is born into poverty, they can still build a successful life. This a huge relief, Vann said. (Children) are the future, so we have to make sure theyre all right, she said.

Vann spoke Thursday during a press conference about the Baby Bonds program, which took place at the Alliance for Community Empowerment in Bridgeport. The event was part of state Treasurer Shawn T. Woodens statewide CT Baby Bonds education tour. Wooden said the program aims to narrow the wealth gap and lessen generational poverty in the state.

The purpose of the program is to focus on the whole child and aid them into growing into prosperous adults, Wooden said.

Others who spoke at Thursdays event included state Sen. Marilyn Moore, who represents Bridgeport, Monroe, and Trumbull. Like Vann, Moore said the Baby Bond program has the potential to turn things around for children in low-income homes.

Were looking at, from the moment a child is born into poverty, that the parent has something to look forward to for that child, Moore said.

Moore said about $50 million worth of general obligation bonds a year have been set aside for the program for the next 12 years. General obligation bonds are Connecticuts primary bonding program and are used to fund such programs as school construction grants, community care facilities, grants and loans for housing and other efforts.

Those on hand at the press conference also included Monette M. Ferguson, executive director of the Alliance for Community Empowerment. The alliance works to provide individuals, families, and communities with the appropriate tools, skills, and opportunities needed for economic stability and self-sufficiency.

The agency serves more than 35,000 individuals annually through their broad range of services in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Norwalk, Stratford, Trumbull, and Westport.

Ferguson said she was excited to host the Baby Bonds event, and hoped that programs such as this one would lessen poverty to the point that the Alliance and organizations like it were no longer necessary. We want to put ourselves out of business, she said. Thats why were here.
NEW YORK (AP)  New York Attorney General Letitia James formally announced Friday that she is running for governor, a widely anticipated move from the woman who oversaw an investigation into allegations that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed numerous women.

James announced her candidacy on Twitter, saying, Im running for Governor of New York because I have the experience, vision, and courage to take on the powerful on behalf of all New Yorkers.

A campaign video cited the multiple lawsuits she filed against former President Donald Trump's administration and an investigation into deaths in New York's nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

James, 62, is the first woman elected as New York's attorney general and the first Black person to serve in the role. She's expected to be a strong challenger against Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had been Cuomos lieutenant governor, for the Democratic nomination.

Hochul, who is from the Buffalo area, entered office with a reputation as centrist who is working to bolster her ties to New York City, where James' political support is based.

James was born and raised in Brooklyn and made her first run for City Council as a candidate of the liberal Working Families Party. Her path to the nomination will be the obverse of Hochuls, trying to win over upstate Democrats who might be less progressive.

Before her bombshell report was released, prompting Cuomo's resignation, James had been known nationally for her frequent legal tussles with Trump.

Since she became attorney general in 2019, her office has investigated Trump's business affairs and filed dozens of lawsuits against the Republican's administration over federal policies on immigration, the environment and other matters.

Ive sued the Trump administration 76 times. But whos counting?" James said in her kickoff video, making a playful shrug of her shoulders while looking into the camera.

James also filed a lawsuit accusing the National Rifle Association 's leaders of financial mismanagement, the latest in a string of regulatory actions that have delighted liberals but drawn complaints from Republicans that she has unfairly used her office to target political opponents.

While under public pressure in 2020, Cuomo authorized James to investigate allegations he had sexually harassed several women. The independent investigators she hired to conduct the inquiry released a report in August concluding that there were credible allegations from 11 women, including one aide who said the governor had groped her breast.

Cuomo has attacked James' report as inaccurate and biased, denied mistreating women and said he resigned in order to avoid subjecting the state to turmoil.

James has dismissed the charge that her investigation was politically motivated, saying Cuomo should take responsibility for his own conduct.

James made the announcement the day after a criminal complaint was filed against Cuomo in Albany, accusing the former governor of committing a misdemeanor sex crime of groping a woman in December 2020.

Cuomos lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that the Democrat never assaulted anyone. He's due in court Nov. 17 to respond to the charge.

Tish James abused her office to falsely accuse Governor Cuomo because she was afraid to confront him in an election and let the people decide," Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement Friday after James' announced her campaign.

Cuomo was once one of James strongest political allies.

As governor, he endorsed James for attorney general and headlined a fundraiser for her in 2018 as she ran in a four-way Democratic primary to replace Eric Schneiderman, who abruptly resigned amid allegations that he abused women.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have both said they are considering a run. Two other potential Democratic candidates come from Long Island: Suffolk County executive Steve Bellone and U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who lives in Nassau County.

On Friday morning, James and Hochul each made brief appearances at a downtown Brooklyn restaurant for a traditional preelection breakfast for Democratic power players.

Hochul thanked the crowd for supporting her as the state's first-ever female governor and implying in her remarks that she expected to win multiple terms as governor.

I feel the weight of history on my shoulders because it's my responsibility to demonstrate that a woman can govern with strength, with heart and passion and fight for the people of this state. And so when I'm done with my terms, no one will ever question the ability of a woman to hold the highest office in this state or in this land," Hochul said.

James, speaking about 20 minutes after Hochul at the restaurant in her home turf, drew loud applause and asked, Is Brooklyn in the house?

The attorney general did not make any campaign remarks but urged attendees to vote in the citys upcoming elections on Tuesday and think about the threats to our democracy, to our freedom including reproductive rights and threats to the environment.

Let everybody know that Brooklyn and New York State  were one, James said.

Her candidacy was quickly endorsed Friday by John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, which represents 150,000 workers in the airline, railroad, transit industry and more.
SEATTLE (AP)  Policing, public safety and accusations of racism dominated the last televised debate between the two people vying to be Seattle's next mayor.

Lorena Gonzalez and Bruce Harrell differed Thursday night over police staffing, with Harrell criticizing his opponent for supporting the defunding moment following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

She is on record saying she is going to defund by 50 percent," said Harrell, a former City Councilman, who has called for hiring more police officers to stem a rise in shootings.

Gonzalez, the City Council president, countered by saying the Seattle Police Department needs to be overhauled. The department is under federal supervision after the U.S. Justice Department found a pattern of excessive force and evidence of biased policing.

SPD is no longer just a department we need to reform, we must transform it," she said. Gonzalez says she wants to re-evaluate how the city can invest in non-law enforcement systems for public safety that can complement officers on the streets.

And she said Harrell was using the defunding police label to deflect from his own lack of public safety alternatives.

Its not just about hiring more guns and badges," she said.

Harrell said it was Gonzalez who was trying to change the subject away from her support of cutting the police budget, which he said is a mistake. He said he would appoint a cabinet-level position to address rising gun violence in the city.

Gonzalez said she would remove responsibility for traffic stops from the police department as one way to reduce biased policing. Harrell said he, too, was concerned about biased policing but said the current Council had not done enough to address the issue.

Once again, they dropped the ball," he said.

Tuesdays Seattle mayoral election will be closely watched nationally to see which candidate the city's liberal voters chose. The Northwests largest city is one of the municipalities where the debate over police funding and public safety are key issues. Democratic primary voters in New Yorks mayoral race earlier this year chose a former police officer who objected to calls to defund the police.

Harrell, whose father was Black and mothers family was Japanese and who grow up in a redlined neighborhood in the city, also slammed Gonzalez for running a very racist ad that she agreed to pull off the airwaves this week.

The ad tried to remind voters of Harrells statements during a sexual abuse scandal involving former Mayor Ed Murray in 2017. At the time Harrell expressed doubts about the allegations and did not join Gonzalez in calling for Murray to consider resigning.

Murray ultimately left office that year after several men accused him of sexually abusing them decades earlier. He denied the allegations.

Black political and civic leaders said the ad was racist because it used a white rape survivor  not a Murray accuser  who said she could not trust Harrell, a minority man.

Gonzalez said the fact she had agreed to pull the ad showed she had reflected on the criticism it provoked.

As a woman of color myself, I have also been subjected to discrimination, said Gonzalez, whose parents were migrant farmworkers in central Washington. I have apologized and will continue to apologize to members of our communities of color.

As council president, she has helped pass a payroll tax on big corporations, such as Amazon, to pay for city services, as well as worker protections such as a secure-scheduling law. She has been endorsed by many of the region's labor unions.

Harrell has the backing of the city's business community. He has said reforming Washington states regressive tax code that relies heavily on an income tax is key. He also said he wants to work with Amazon and other wealthy companies to help solve homelessness and other issues.

Incumbent Mayor Jenny Durkan is not running for re-election. The last three mayors elected by Seattle voters have not served more than one term.
As General Manager, Eric will be focused on further strengthening Biogen's position as a trusted leader and partner in neuroscience, that delivers innovative therapies for Canadians living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. With more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, operations, and general management, Eric is a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry in Canada. His success stems from his dedication to building strong company cultures that deliver outstanding results through innovation, collaboration, and diversity. His commitment to bringing solutions in disease areas with high unmet patient needs and passion to positively impact the course of a patient's journey align with Biogen's vision and purpose.

"I am excited to have joined Biogen Canada and look forward to building on the company's significant achievements that help deliver better health outcomes for Canadians through innovation in neuroscience," said Eric. "What's inspiring is having the opportunity to lead an organization with a well-established, positive cultural foundation that has placed it as one of the 'Top 50 Best Workplaces' in Canada and a top Workplace for Inclusion. Fostering a strong organizational culture is one of the things that drives me. I look forward to building on what has already been accomplished and to empowering a solutions-oriented team in a new office environment that was created with collaboration in mind."

Eric has held senior leadership positions with Allergan Aesthetics, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Bausch + Lomb and Novartis. He has broad experience across multiple therapeutic areas including neurosciences, rare diseases, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology, and has been part of more than 20 product launches in a variety of roles.

New head office for Biogen Canada

Biogen has relocated to a new, state-of-the-art Canadian head office to accommodate continued growth of its business. The diverse spaces within its two floors are designed to foster teamwork and innovation and provide employees with quality amenities that enhance the employee experience. The new environment also asserts Biogen's unique Canadian identity, its commitment to patients and environmental sustainability, and supports its local community.

The entire office has been designed with purpose and will enable Biogen Canada to serve as a model organization as it transitions to the future of work in a post-pandemic world. This move embraces a new global philosophy that introduces a hybrid working model, through which Biogen aims to maintain a work environment that supports its inclusive, collaborative culture, while embracing flexibility that empowers employees to do their best work in both physical and virtual work environments.

About Biogen

As pioneers in neuroscience, Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world's first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Sir Kenneth Murray, and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today, Biogen has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, is commercializing biosimilars, and is focusing on advancing the industry's most diversified pipeline in neuroscience that will transform the standard of care for patients in several areas of high unmet need, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

In 2020, Biogen launched a bold 20-year, $250 million initiative to address the deeply interrelated issues of climate, health, and equity. Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives aims to eliminate fossil fuels across the company's operations, build collaborations with renowned institutions to advance the science to improve human health outcomes, and support underserved communities.

To learn more, please visit www.biogen.ca.

NEW BIOGEN CANADA INC. ADDRESS 3250 Bloor Street West, East Tower Suite 1200, Toronto ON, M8X 2X9 General line: +1 416 234 7999

SOURCE Biogen Canada

For further information: MEDIA CONTACT: Marija Mandic, +1 416 234 7901, [email protected]

Related Links

www.biogen.ca


"Since the early days of the pandemic, we have been focused on maintaining the livelihoods of our teams and supporting our co-workers in the best possible way, aligned with our values and commitment to helping create a better everyday life for the many," says Tanja Fratangeli, Head of People & Culture, IKEA Canada. "From health and safety protocols to wellness days, this gift of appreciation is another demonstration of our commitment to our Canadian co-workers."

IKEA Canada co-workers have helped to accelerate omnichannel solutions from Virtual Planning Services to Curbside Click & Collect while radically adapting to the new operational needs and safety standards of retailing today.

Michael Ward, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Canada notes, "We could not have achieved the extraordinary changes we have during the past 18 months without the courage, dedication, and entrepreneurship of our co-workers working together to deliver our ambition of making life at home better for millions of Canadians, when they needed it most."

IKEA Canada co-workers from across all stores, distribution centres, customer support centres, Design Studios and service offices employed on August 31, 2021, and still employed at the pay-out date in January 2022, will be eligible for the appreciation gift recognizing extraordinary efforts during extraordinary times. Eligible co-workers will receive an amount based on their contracted hours.

One of 32 markets operated by Ingka Group, IKEA Canada received a share of the total Ingka Group gift based on their respective proportion of total sales and wages. The gift is a one-time expression of appreciation, in addition to the existing rewards packages IKEA Canada co-workers enjoy including an annual performance-based bonus as well as a one-time pension contribution through the company's "Tack" loyalty program for co-workers employed for a minimum of five years.

ABOUT IKEA CANADA

Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 389 IKEA stores in 32 countries, including 14 in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 31 million visitors to its stores and 117 million visitors to IKEA.ca. IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit IKEA.ca.

SOURCE IKEA Canada

For further information: Lisa Huie, PR Leader, IKEA Canada, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ikea.ca


TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2021 /CNW/ - Medtech Canada's Board of Directors announces that Nicole DeKort has been named as the association's next President and CEO, starting November 1, 2021.

Nicole DeKort, President and CEO of Medtech Canada (CNW Group/Medtech Canada)

"On behalf of Medtech Canada's Board of Directors, we are very pleased to have an individual of the calibre of Nicole DeKort as President and CEO of our association," says Dave O'Neil, Medtech Canada Board Chair and VP & Managing Director of Smith & Nephew Canada. "She is a tremendous advocate for the life-changing technology presented by our member companies to improve patient care, enhance our system sustainability, and transform Canada's health care systems. We are confident that our association will be well represented through her vision and strong leadership."

In her new role, Ms. DeKort will have oversight of the association's advocacy efforts in a variety of medical technology-focused areas, including enhancing the adoption of innovation in Canadian health care, transforming the procurement environment to provide greater focus on value, and working with Health Canada to continually improve the regulatory environment in Canada. She will also continue to grow the association's educational offerings for its members and stakeholders.

"Now  more than ever  there are immense opportunities for Canada, our provinces, and health systems across our country to ensure that the medical technologies that support our health system are included as a critical element while we work collectively to improve the health care of Canadians and address many of the challenges now facing our health systems," says Ms. DeKort. "I welcome this opportunity to play a leadership role in an industry that can drastically improve the lives of patients, while contributing to our economic growth by providing much-needed jobs to so many Canadians."

Prior to assuming the role of President and CEO, Ms. DeKort served as Medtech Canada's Vice President of Ontario and Marketing. She has also previously held leadership roles in the Office of the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Health, and has served as the Executive Director of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Ms. DeKort will be succeeding Brian Lewis in the role, following his retirement after eleven years of leading Medtech Canada. Mr. Lewis will act as an advisor to the association until early in 2022.

About Medtech Canada

Medtech Canada is the national association representing the medical technology industry in Canada. Our association advocates for achieving patient access to leading edge, innovative technology solutions that provide valuable outcomes. Our members are committed to providing safe and innovative medical technologies that enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient access to health care, and help enable the sustainability of our health care system. The medical technology industry in Canada employs over 35,000 Canadians in approximately 1,500 facilities across the country.

SOURCE Medtech Canada

For further information: Gerry Frenette, Vice President, Public and Member Relations, Medtech Canada, [email protected], 647-406-2053

Related Links

https://medtechcanada.org


At a meeting last week in Namibia, the leaders of the five key Traditional Authorities of Kavango East and Kavango West expressed confidence that ReconAfrica's ongoing exploration program, which has to date identified a conventional oil and gas system in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin, could provide Namibia with a new-found source of socio-economic opportunity if commercialized.

Hompa Eugene Siwombe, Chairperson of the Kavango Traditional Authority Committee, said ReconAfrica's exploration program in the Region is more than welcome by the communities and lauded the Company's efforts to support the economic and environmental aspirations of the country.

"Everyone is happy with the way ReconAfrica is doing the exploration. This is what we want  the liberation struggle is gone, it is now time for economic freedom. We want exploration, to know what is under the ground," he said.

Hompa Siwombe also recognized ReconAfrica's commitment to communities, which includes the drilling and donation of a planned 22 potable, solar-powered water wells, 14 of which have already been completed and turned over to communities.

"Let the people from the community see that ReconAfrica, while exploring, is considering the people in the Region. We are indeed very thankful for the water wells as they have made the lives of our people in the Kavango regions better."

Hompa Siwombe's comments were echoed by the King, Hambukushu Fumu Erwin Munika Mbambo, who indicated outside opposition to ReconAfrica's project is unwarranted.

"We are expressing our support because we, as Traditional Leaders, are the ones on the ground and see what is really happening, not people sitting in their distant offices trying to decide what should be done," he said.

At the meeting, it was decided that a leader of the Traditional Authorities would join ReconAfrica and other affected stakeholders on a committee to ensure collaboration and dialogue as the Company's oil-and-gas exploration project proceeds. The Governors of Kavango East, Hon. Bonifatius Wakudumo, and Kavango West, Hon. Sirkka Ausiku, also attended the meeting and reaffirmed their support for ReconAfrica's exploration program.

ReconAfrica, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Namibia, set out this year with a stratigraphic drilling program to prove there is an active conventional petroleum system in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin. To date, the Company has completed two stratigraphic drilling programs and a low-impact, 2D seismic project. While seismic analysis is still in progress, the released data analysis from the two stratigraphic wells confirms there is an active conventional petroleum system, with multiple potential reservoir zones within the basin.

Scot Evans, Chief Executive Officer of ReconAfrica, welcomed the support of the Traditional Authorities and noted that the Company is exploring in the region at the invitation of the national government of the Republic of Namibia and emphasized that the management and development of Namibia's resources will be "determined by the people of Namibia  through their traditional authorities, elected governments and regulatory agencies."

"ReconAfrica has been working collaboratively with governments, Traditional Authorities and communities of Namibia since 2019. We are grateful for the support and trust we have earned over this period and we are committed to retaining the confidence of Namibia as we move forward, together, to explore the vast potential of the Kavango Sedimentary Basin, which may ultimately lead to a new source of prosperity for the country," Evans said. "Our goal is to ensure ReconAfrica is a positive contributor to Namibia in all ways  environmentally, socially and economically."

About ReconAfrica

ReconAfrica is a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the opening of the newly discovered deep Kavango Sedimentary Basin, in the Kalahari Desert of northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana, where the Company holds petroleum licenses comprising approximately 8.5 million contiguous acres. In all aspects of its operations, ReconAfrica is committed to minimal disturbances to habitat in line with international best standards and will implement environmental and social best practices in all of its operating areas.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian, United States and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the data from the Company's two stratigraphic wells confirming an active petroleum system, with multiple potential reservoir zones within the basin, exploring the vast potential of the Kavango Sedimentary Basin, which may ultimately lead to a new source of prosperity for the country, and the Company's commitment to minimal disturbances to habitat in line with international best standards and its implementation of environmental and social best practices in all of its project areas. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on ReconAfrica's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's amended and restated annual information form dated May 19, 2021 available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to ReconAfrica. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and ReconAfrica undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

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For further information: RECONNAISSANCE ENERGY AFRICA LTD., Tel: 1-877-631-1160 | www.reconafrica.com; Scot Evans CEO | Tel: +1-877-631-1160, Grayson Andersen Manager, IR | Tel: +1-877-631-1160, Email: [email protected], IR Inquiries Email: [email protected], Media Inquiries Email: [email protected]

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Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the law-enforcing authorities are investigating the recent communal violence in the country which happened during the Durga puja celebrations. Contrary to all the ongoing propaganda, only 6 people died during recent violence of which 4 were Muslims, killed during the encounters with law enforcing authorities, and 2 were Hindus, one of whom had normal death and another when he jumped in a pond. None was raped and not a single Mandir was destroyed. However, deities or goddesses were vandalized, Bangladesh FM said in a statement. The law enforcing authorities are investigating into the matter. The government is committed to handing out justice to every wrongdoer and to save all its citizens irrespective of their faiths, he added.



While regretting the incidents of violence, the minister informed that the Sheikh Hasina government took immediate action against the perpetrators. The perpetrators have been arrested and now they are under police custody. About 20 houses were burned down. They have been rebuilt and everyone got compensation. More compensation is underway, he said. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister even said enthusiastic media and individuals are spreading cooked-up stories centring on the recent violence basically to embarrass the government that is committed to religious harmony.



Expressing the commitment to religious harmony, the minister noted that the number of Puja Mondops increased admirably in every place in Bangladesh. It may be mentioned that in recent years, the number of Puja Mondops increased admirably in every place in Bangladesh including individuals houses as government pays money for every Puja Mondop, he said.



Momen also informed that a probe is underway in the incident wherein a person left a copy of the Holy Quran near the foot of a deity which sparked outrage on social media. Reportedly a drug-addict person left a copy of the Holy Quran near the foot of a deity when there was no worshippers or organizer at the Puja Mondop and another person took a photo of it and put it up in the social media, Facebook, sparking outrage, he said.
Ahead of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a joint meeting with Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission in Rome. PM Narendra Modi arrived in Italy on Friday to participate in the two-day Summit. He is likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. Apart from attending the summit, which has its focus on the global economy, health, sustainable development, environment and climate change, there are likely to be meeting with heads of several states. Sources claimed that there are at least three such meets lined up on the sidelines on the first day of the Summit. PM Modi will use this opportunity to ensure greater cooperation from the nations participating in the G20 summit.



Upon his arrival, PM Modi said that he is also looking forward to other engagements during this visit. Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome, PM Modi tweeted. PM Modi is expected to be hosted at the residence of the Italian PM in the evening. On October 30, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican early morning and will attend the G20 summit that has Global Economy and Global Health as the first session.



The same day, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to have a meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron and a meeting with the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo. PM Modi is expected to have a meeting with Singapore PM Lee Hosein Loong as well. The next day, the Prime Minister is expected to have a meeting with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Kyle Rittenhouse, the aspiring police officer who gunned down three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a protest against racism and police brutality, is white. So were those he shot. But for many, his trial next week will be watched closely as the latest referendum on race and the American legal system.

Make the connection, said Justin Blake, a Black man whose nephew Jacob was a key part of the backstory of the case. "This is clearly Black and white.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he used an AR-style semiautomatic rifle to kill two people and wound a third during the summer of 2020. He had gone to Kenosha, he said, to protect property from protesters who took to the streets in anger days after Jacob Blake was shot in the back by a white Kenosha officer.

Rittenhouse faces the equivalent of murder and attempted murder charges and could get life in prison. He has said he fired in self-defense after being attacked by protesters.

After the shooting, he drew sizable support from opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and supporters of gun rights. Pro-gun conservatives helped raise $2 million for his bail and legal defense. After he got out of jail, he was photographed with apparent members of the far-right Proud Boys.

If Rittenhouse gets off, that would send an ominous message to Black America, Justin Blake said.

If our country shows that you can shoot Caucasians who support us, then this country can never stand up in any international or global hearing and talk about human rights, the uncle said. He said if Rittenhouse goes free, white people will be able to ride down every African American community and just have fun, like youre going hunting or something.

Rittenhouse's lawyers have said he is not a white supremacist, and his defense fund has said he was not part of a militia group.

Some activists also see a racial double standard in the way the Blake and Rittenhouse cases were handled.

Blake was shot seven times and paralyzed at the door of his SUV as his children sat in the back seat. Police say Rusten Sheskey and two other officers responding to a domestic disturbance had tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant and, during a scuffle, a pocketknife fell from Blakes pants.

Blake has said he picked the knife up and was prepared to surrender once he put it in the vehicle.

After he was rushed to a hospital, police briefly handcuffed him to his bed. State prosecutors declined to charge the officer, saying the knife justified Sheskey's claim of self-defense. Federal prosecutors also declined to file charges.

Rittenhouse experienced a seemingly different response from law enforcement.

He and others were armed and professed to be there protecting the citys businesses and homes after protesters set fires and vandalized property on two previous nights of unrest in Kenosha, and after weeks of sometimes-violent demonstrations around the U.S. over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Law enforcement officers saw Rittenhouse and other armed people on the streets that night despite a citywide curfew and passed them bottles of water. One officer was heard over a loudspeaker saying, We appreciate you guys.

Later that night, Rittenhouse was chased through a used car lot by Joseph Rosenbaum, a participant in the protests, before he fatally shot the man. Rittenhouse was then seen running onto a street with protesters after him.

A man named Anthony Huber struck Rittenhouse with a skateboard, and the teenager shot and killed him. Seconds later, Gaige Grosskreutz stepped toward Rittenhouse with a pistol, and Rittenhouse shot him in the arm.

Even as people on the street tried to flag Rittenhouse to police officers as the person responsible for the shootings, he was not stopped. With his weapon slung over his shoulder, he put his hands in the air and was waved past a police line.

Hours later, he turned himself in to police in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois.

What looms above this trial is this whole notion that we have two justice systems, one for Black America and another for white America, said Blake family attorney Ben Crump, the civil rights lawyer who has also represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery, both killed in what prosecutors portrayed as acts of vigilantism.

I just think that right now in America, there is this notion that certain people have the right to solve every disagreement with a gun, Crump said. And especially, when we see people protesting for justice for the killing of Black people, that we dont have to respect their rights to the First Amendment.

A week before trial, the judge in Rittenhouse's case ruled that prosecutors and the defense cannot refer to the men killed as victims, but can call them rioters or looters if the evidence supports that. The ruling outraged Black activists, who pointed to it as another racial double standard in the judicial system.

Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center and a leader of the Movement for Black Lives, said Rittenhouse left home with the intention of dispensing vigilante justice, for the sake of so-called protecting buildings and businesses, at the expense of human life.

To not call the people that are directly impacted by that victims is nothing but the tenets of white supremacy masked in unjust laws, Henderson said.

___

Video journalist Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin contributed. Morrison, who reported from New York City, is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison

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Find APs full coverage on the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse at: https://apnews.com/hub/kyle-rittenhouse
ANSONIA  Two men have been charged with the 2011 killing of 25-year-old Isaia Ike Hernandez in the parking lot of the XTra Mart at the corner of Wakelee Avenue and Church Street.

Ansonia cops say theyve obtained an arrest warrant for a third  but they cant charge him yet because hes serving time 5,000 miles away.

The men charged  Elijah Stanford, 30, and Luis Marquez, 29  have pleaded not guilty to charges of felony murder, first-degree robbery, and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.

Arrest warrants filed in their cases name a third suspect in the case, Andrew Spino, 33, who allegedly drove Stanford and Marquez to the scene before they robbed and shot Hernandez three times inside a car at the convenience store about 6 p.m. March 16, 2011.

Ansonia police spokesman Lt. Patrick Lynch confirmed police have an arrest warrant for the suspected wheelman, but said he is currently imprisoned in Hawaii.

Public records online indicate Spino could be behind bars there until 2025 on charges of theft and unlawful imprisonment.

Stanford and Marquez are free after posting $500,000 bonds.

Stanfords lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Marquezs attorney, Jerry Attanasio, declined to comment Friday, saying he was waiting on discovery evidence from prosecutors.

According to arrest warrants, written by Detective Stephen Adcox, people told police Stanford had bought cocaine from Hernandez in the past and set up another deal with the intention of robbing him.

Spino allegedly dropped the men off near the convenience store prior to the shooting, then picked them up about a half-mile away afterward on Lester Street before the suspects drove to Stanfords home in Naugatuck.

Cops reviewed surveillance footage from the area and also used cell phone data to track where the suspects had been.

According to the warrant, detectives had identified the three suspects the month after the shooting. They spoke to Stanford while he was behind bars at Manson Youth Institution on an unrelated case.

The warrant says that Stanford said he bought drugs from Hernandez but denied involvement in the shooting, and provided them with a cell phone number.

But when cops asked about another phone number Stanford allegedly used on the day of the shooting, the warrant says, Stanford stared back at us and sat quietly, before stating again that he did not know what we were talking about and that he needed to speak with an attorney.

Stanford is scheduled to return to court Dec. 8. Marquezs next court date is Jan. 12.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A Christian student group has sued the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, alleging that the school discriminated against the group's views when it denied a funding request to bring a Christian philosopher to campus as a guest speaker.

The federal lawsuit by the group Ratio Christi alleges that the university failed to distribute money to student groups in a fair, viewpoint-neutral manner, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

The lawsuit says Ratio Christi requested $1,500 in January from the university's Fund Allocation Committee, which it was entitled to do as a recognized student organization. The group wanted to bring in philosopher and former university professor Robert Audi, who is currently a philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame.

The students were represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization that supports conservative Christian causes.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has failed to ensure its student organizations are treated fairly and objectively; it turned down Ratio Christis reasonable request because of a blatant bias against its particular religious and ideological viewpoint, said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Michael Ross.

A university spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleges that the university's program council told Ratio Christi that it would need to invite another person from a different ideological perspective to the same event to receive funding. The university allegedly said it could not promote speakers of an ideological nature with its student organization funding, according to the lawsuit.

Alliance Defending Freedom argues that the university spends thousands of dollars each year on events that are political and ideological in nature without imposing the same requirement.

In a statement Friday, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts called on the university Chancellor Ronnie Green to intervene and define policies that encourage all viewpoints.

University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, a Republican candidate for governor, said the allegations, if true, were unacceptable, and a change must be made immediately.

The student group still held its speaking event in April with funding from the organization and its members, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Audi agreed to reduce his speaking fee from $1,500 to $750 after learning the university had denied funding. Total expenses for the event, including marketing, were just over $900.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to reimburse the students for the expenses. It also asks the university to return the students activity fees and pay their attorneys fees stemming from the lawsuit.
While medical experts say its unclear why an Oklahoma inmate began convulsing and vomiting after the first of three drugs used to execute him was administered, all agree the dosage was massive compared with what's standard in surgeries  with one doctor calling it insane.

The states prisons agency is now likely to face new litigation, which may focus on the states description of the execution of John Marion Grant for the 1998 slaying of a prison cafeteria worker as in accordance with protocols.

Grant, 60, convulsed and vomited after the sedative midazolam was administered. That drug was followed by two more: vecuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Thursday's lethal injection ended a six-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma that was brought on by concerns over its execution methods, including prior use of midazolam.

Oklahoma's protocols call for administering 500 milligrams of the sedative. Arkansas and Ohio are among other states that use that dose of midazolam in executions.

Its just an insane dose and theres probably no data on what that could cause, said Jonathan Groner, an Ohio State University medical school surgery professor and lethal injection expert.

He added that sedation does not increase as the dosage goes up.

Theres a reason these drugs are given by anesthesiologists and not prison guards, he said.

Grant was strapped to a gurney inside the execution chamber when the drugs were administered. After several minutes, two members of the execution team wiped the vomit from his face and neck. He was declared unconscious about 15 minutes after receiving the first drug and declared dead about six minutes after that, at 4:21 p.m.

In a statement released immediately after the execution, state prisons spokesman Justin Wolf said it was carried out in accordance with Oklahoma Department of Corrections protocols and without complication.

On Friday, prisons director Scott Crow said it was without complication because there was no interruption of the agencys process for putting someone to death. He said Grants vomiting was not pleasant to watch, but I do not believe it was inhumane.

Crow said the doctor monitoring the execution said Grant was unconscious when he was vomiting and that regurgitation is not a completely uncommon instance or occurrence with someone who is undergoing sedation.

Dr. Karen Sibert, an anesthesiologist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, disputed that, saying that type of nausea is not normally associated with the class of drugs that includes midazolam. A lack of oxygen could have brought on the convulsions, along with Grant's high levels of anxiety and distress, she said.

Midazolam does not usually cause it by itself, Sibert said.

Even before Grant's execution, more than than two dozen Oklahoma death row inmates were part of a federal lawsuit challenging the states lethal injection protocols, arguing that the three-drug method risks causing unconstitutional pain and suffering. A trial is set for early next year.

The state almost surely will face new lawsuits over its execution protocols, said Robert Denham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a capital punishment clearing house that opposes the death penalty. The Corrections Department's statement indicating that the execution wasn't botched could provide proof of the protocols' unconstitutionality, said Denham.

Either they lied to the public and they cant be trusted or they told the truth and the protocol can't be trusted, Denham said.

Grant was the first person in Oklahoma to be executed since a series of flawed lethal injections in 2014 and 2015. He was serving a 130-year prison sentence for several armed robberies when witnesses say he dragged prison cafeteria worker Gay Carter into a mop closet and stabbed her 16 times with a homemade shank.

States turned to midazolam over the past decade after supplies of more powerful barbiturates such sodium thiopental disappeared or companies made them unavailable following pressure from death penalty opponents. Even death penalty opponents agreed such a drug wouldnt cause pain.

Midazolam has been associated with other troublesome executions, with accounts of inmates snorting and gasping following its administration, or coughing loudly, or their stomachs inflating and deflating.

In April 2014, Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection during the state's first use of midazolam  and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.

Oklahoma halted executions in 2015 after other problematic lethal injections. While the moratorium was in place, Oklahoma moved ahead with plans to use nitrogen gas to execute inmates, but ultimately scrapped that idea and announced last year that it planned to resume executions using the same three-drug lethal injection protocol that was used during the flawed executions.

In 2015, a divided U.S. Supreme Court said Oklahoma's use of midazolam didn't violate the Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The court also said some risk of pain is inherent in any method of execution.

But Denham notes that the court said inmates challenging its use hadn't proved it was unconstitutional, not that the drug itself was constitutional.

Oklahoma has six more executions scheduled to take place through March, and prison officials say they have confirmed a source to supply all the drugs needed.

___

Welsh-Huggins reported from Columbus, Ohio. Associated Press writers Sean Murphy in McAlester, Okla., Jake Bleiberg in Dallas and Jill Zeman Bleed in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.
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Mathew Sandoval, Arizona State University

(THE CONVERSATION) As a Mexican-American who celebrates Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, at the end of October and beginning of November, Ive noted an increasing concern the past several years that the holiday is becoming more commercialized.

Indeed, for those who hold the holiday sacred, its jarring to see the extent to which its now mass-marketed. The evidence is everywhere. The holiday aisles of Target are stuffed with cheap Day of the Dead crafts during October. Halloween stores sell Day of the Dead costumes. Nike makes Day of the Dead shoes. California and Arizona sell Day of the Dead lottery tickets. Disney famously tried to trademark Dia de los Muertos before its 2017 film Coco. The examples go on and on.

The bottom line is that Dia de los Muertos and its associated imagery, skulls and skeletons have become trendy and a prime opportunity for companies to make a profit.

But as a researcher of culture and performance, I know only too well that the truth is Day of the Dead has always been commodified.

The roots of commercialization

Day of the Dead is what anthropologist Hugo Nutini calls a syncretic holiday, meaning its a cultural product of two different religious traditions that hybridized during the European colonization of the Americas.

Day of the Dead brings together the annual feasts for the dead celebrated by pre-Hispanic Indigenous cultures such as the Aztec, Maya, Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. During Mexicos 300-year-long colonial period, which started in 1521, these Indigenous rituals were merged with the Spanish Catholic holy days for the dead known as All Saints, celebrated on Nov. 1, and All Souls on Nov. 2.

Early Spanish chroniclers in Mesoamerica such as Diego Duran and Bernardino Sahagun documented the Aztec feasts for the dead known as Miccailhuitontli and Huey Miccailhuitl. Duran wrote in the 1570s that he was astounded to see how lavishly the Aztecs spent on supplies for their offerings to the dead.

Sahagun noted the overwhelming bustle and financial activity that took place at the market in the capital city of Tenochtitlan, modern-day Mexico City, during the Aztec ritual feasts.

All manner of foods and goods were sold to citizens to celebrate the Aztec feasts of the dead. In this respect, there wasnt much distinction between commercial and religious activity. The religious feasts supported the market and vice versa.

The Catholic religion also emphasized commercial activity in relation to All Saints and All Souls Day. According to 16th- and 17th-century Catholic belief, the majority of souls landed in purgatory after death, rather than heaven or hell. It was the responsibility of the living to help alleviate the suffering of souls in purgatory and assist them in getting to heaven. This could be done through prayer or by making offerings to the souls.

In Mexico that meant Spanish colonizers and newly converted Indigenous Catholics were tasked with purchasing directly from the church candles and other religious items that could be used in offerings to those souls in purgatory. Additionally, they could pay their local priest to say special prayers for the souls during Dia de los Muertos, a practice that remained in effect through the 20th century.

The colonial era

As Day of the Dead became a more popular and elaborate festival in Mexico, the associated commercial activity grew in size. According to anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz, in the 1700s Day of the Dead generated the largest annual market in Mexico City.

In fact, the plazas and streets were so overwhelmed during the holiday with vendors, carts, booths and makeshift markets that the local government deemed it a public disorder. Mexico Citys mayor and city council eventually had to control Day of the Deads economic frenzy by enacting laws and issuing vendor permits. In other words, the holiday had become so commodified in Mexico City that it required government regulation.

By and large the markets and vendors in Mexico sold items related to the holiday  food, candy, bread, alcohol, candles, toys and religious items. However, according to Lomnitz, by the 1800s, the Day of the Dead markets in Mexico City were also selling clothing, shoes, furniture, tools, home decor and many other things.

The swell of commercial activity on Day of the Dead also presented an opportunity for musicians, dancers and other entertainers to perform on the streets for money. In short, Day of the Dead in Mexico City and other urban areas carried both religious and economic significance.

Modern-day commercialization

Day of the Deads commercialization was also quite pronounced in rural Mexico. A number ofanthropologists in Mexico and the U.S. writing about Day of the Dead in the early and mid-20th century make special noteof the sizable holiday markets. They write that villages are transformed into commercial fairs where people gather from communities many miles away to buy and sell foods, goods and services during the festival.

The scholarship of anthropologists Stanley Brandes and Ruth Hellier-Tinoco has been influential for understanding how Mexico began selling Day of the Deadto the outside world in the mid-20th century. Mexicos tourism industry started promoting the holiday to U.S. and European travelers as an authentic Mexican experience.

Many guidebooks and travel brochures highlighted Day of the Dead as a cultural event for tourists to attend and buy folk art related to the holiday. Additionally, Mexicos tourism industry positioned certain regional celebrations as the most traditional Day of the Dead festivals for tourists to explore.

Hellier-Tinoco has shown how Mexicos selling of the Day of the Dead on the rustic island of Janitzio in the state of Michoacan transformed the small community ceremony into a spectacle attended by more than 100,000 tourists a year.

Given all this evidence, there doesnt appear to be an era when Day of the Dead wasnt intimately tied to financial activities and profiteering. But the holidays commercialization has also ensured its survival.

In 2019, I talked to a grandmother building a Day of the Dead ofrenda, an altar with offerings for her familys dearly departed that included candles, food, flowers, and festive decorations. For years shed tried to get her grandchildren to help her erect the altar for their ancestors, to no avail. It wasnt until they watched Disneys Coco and saw sugar skulls at Target that they took interest in the holiday. Now they eagerly help their grandmother build the altar.

Commercialization is and has been transforming Day of the Dead. But, from what Ive seen, its also giving a new generation a chance to be proud of their culture.

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SALAR, Afghanistan (AP)  Mina Ahmed smears a cement mixture to strengthen the walls of her war-ravaged home in rural Afghanistan. Her hands, worn by the labor, are bandaged with plastic scraps and elastic bands, but no matter, she welcomes the new era of peace under the Taliban.

She was once apprehensive of the groups severe style of rule in her village of Salar. But being caught in the crosshairs of a two-decade long war has granted her a new perspective.

Taliban control comes with limits, even for women, and that is alright, the 45-year-old said. With these restrictions we can live our lives at least.

But she draws the line on one point: Her daughters, ages 13, 12 and 6, must go to school.

From a birds eye view, the village of Salar is camouflaged against a towering mountain range in Wardak province. The community of several thousand, nearly 70 miles from the capital Kabul, serves as a microcosm of the latest chapter in Afghanistans history  the second round of rule by the Taliban  showing what has changed and what hasnt since their first time in power, in the late 1990s.

Residents of Salar, which has been under Taliban hold the past two years, are embracing the new stability now that the insurgents war with the U.S. military and its Afghan allies is over. Those displaced by fighting are returning home. Still, they fear a worsening economic crisis and a drought that is keenly felt in a province where life revolves around the harvest.

In Kabul and other cities, public discontent toward the Taliban is focused on threats to personal freedoms, including the rights of women.

In Salar, these barely resonate. The ideological gap between the Taliban leadership and the rural conservative community is not wide. Many villagers supported the insurgency and celebrated the Aug. 15 fall of Kabul which consolidated Taliban control across the country.

But even in Salar, changes are afoot, beginning with the villagers insistence on their local elementary school for girls.

That insistence helped push the Taliban to accept a new, small school, funded by international donors. But what the school will become  a formal public school paving the way to higher education, a religious madrasa, or something in between  is uncertain, like the future of the village and the country.

A VILLAGE DEMAND

By 8 a.m., 38 small faces framed by veils are seated on a carpeted floor looking up at their teacher, Qari Wali Khan. With a stick in hand and furrowed brow, he calls on the girls to recite from the Quran.

Rokia, 10, is the unlucky first. Merely three words of classical Arabic escape her lips when Wali Khan interrupts, correcting her pronunciation. When she repeats again, he exclaims, Afarin!  Excellent, in Pashtu.

In three hours, the students, ages 9-12, will cover Quranic memorization, mathematics, handwriting, and more Islamic study. Homework: What is 105 x 25?

The school opened two months ago, marking the first time in 20 years girls in the village have ever stepped foot in a classroom, or something like it. In the absence of a building, lessons are held in Wali Khans living room.

The classes are the product of U.N. negotiations with the Taliban.

In 2020, the U.N. began working on a program to set up girls learning centers in conservative and remote areas, including ones under Taliban control at the time, like Sayedabad district where Salar is located.

Taliban interlocutors were initially reluctant to embrace the idea, but an agreement was eventually reached in November 2020, said Jeanette Vogelaar, UNICEFs chief of education. International funding was secured, $35 million a year for three years to finance 10,000 such centers.

Launch was delayed by COVID-19. By the time centers were scheduled to open, the Taliban had taken over in Kabul. To everyones surprise, they allowed the project to go ahead, even using the previous governments curriculum  though they have introduced more Islamic learning and insisted on gender segregation and female teachers.

Wali Khan, a madrasa teacher by training, got the job in Wardak because most educated women had left for the capital.

The program enables girls without formal schooling to complete six grades in three years. When completed, they should be ready to enter Grade 7.

It remains unresolved whether they can continue after that. In most districts, the Taliban have prohibited girls ages 12-17 from going to public school.

Still, its a good start, Vogelaar said. Based on what we see now, somehow the Taliban doesnt seem to be the same as how they behaved before, she said.

Ten years ago, the Taliban were at the forefront of a deadly campaign targeting government officials in Wardak, with particular venom reserved for those campaigning for girls schools. Two village elders recounted the shooting death of Mirajuddin Ahmed, Sayedabads director of education and a vocal supporter for girls' access to education.

Several public girls schools were burned down in 2007 in the province. To this day, not a single one stands.

Times have changed.

If they dont allow girls to go to this school now, there will be an uprising, said village elder Abdul Hadi Khan.

The shifting attitudes may be part of a broader trend in support of education. In 2000, when the Taliban were last in power, there were just 100,000 girls in school, out of a total 1 million schoolchildren. Now they are 4 million out of 10 million schoolchildren, according to the U.N.

Salars villagers wanted no different. They convinced Wali Khan to teach.

They put their trust in me, they told me, this is a need in our society, he said.

That might be one reason why the Taliban decided to cooperate; with the economy in ruins, they could not risk alienating a constituency that supported them throughout the insurgency.

There are concerns of how much the Taliban will shape the schooling. The U.N. is aware the Taliban enter villages and insist on more Islamic study, said Vogelaar.

Most families are not against it, either. Sayedabad district is composed primarily of Afghanistans dominant Pashtun ethnic group, from which the Taliban are mostly drawn. Religion and conservatism are central to daily village life.

But a madrasa-type education was not the intention, said Vogelaar.

Wali Khan said he received specific orders from the Taliban-controlled education directorate in Sayedabad to include more religious study in the curriculum. He obeyed.

In late October, local Taliban officials came to visit Wali Khan. They wanted to know how the classes were going.

The girls have a hunger to learn, he told them.

A FATHERS PRIDE

After class, 12-year-old Sima runs home, whizzing past Salars mud-brick houses, a cloud of dust in her wake.

Her father, Nisar, is away picking tomatoes in the fields for 200 afghanis ($2.5) a day. He is their only breadwinner.

Her mother, Mina, is still mixing cement.

Mina expects it will be a long time before her home is in one piece again.

Shes rebuilding bit by bit, buying cement bags for the equivalent of $1 whenever she can. She has accumulated some 100,000 afghanis ($1,100) in debt to relatives and friends.

The family returned home just a month ago. Only one of the houses four rooms was usable. Walls are still riddled with bullet holes.

They had fled more than 11 years earlier, moving to the other side of the village where it was safer. Their home was too dangerous, located on a strategic incline overlooking Highway One, which connects Kabul to the south and was a hotbed of insurgent activity throughout the war.

She remembers standing out in the cold as American troops inspected their house for insurgents. By 2007, ambushes of army convoys on the highway became frequent. Many times, Mina saw army tanks burst into flames from her kitchen window. She has lost two brothers-in-law.

The ruins of an army checkpoint lie above Mina's home. The Afghan army held it for 18 years, until the Taliban took over the area decisively two years ago.

Mina has made slow progress with the house but fears what will happen as temperatures drop and market prices rise.

Afghanistan is grappling with an economic crisis after the U.S. froze Afghan assets in line with international sanctions against the Taliban. Foreign aid that once accounted for 75% of state expenditure has also paused.

Mina has six children and they all need to be fed, she said.

Everyone who has returned has a similar story.

You wont find one person in this village who is in a good situation, said Mahmad Rizak, 38, standing outside his home with a face flecked with cement.

Food shortages are taking a toll. The Mohammed Khan Hospital, the only one in the district, is struggling with a rising number of malnourished newborns wailing in the maternity ward.

In the surgical ward, an unusual museum of mementos hangs on the wall. It consists of bullets and kidney stones removed from patients  the first from the war, the second from poor water quality.

Tells you everything about this place, said Dr. Gul Makia.

Drought has decimated the harvest, leaving many whose lives revolve around tilling the earth and raising livestock with no means to make a living.

When October ends, so does tomato-picking season, and Nisar will be out of work.

He joins his wife in mixing cement.

He points to the room once occupied by Afghan soldiers, and then Taliban insurgents after them. My daughter will become a teacher one day, and we will make this into a school for her to educate other girls.

She will be our pride, he said.
BOSTON (AP)  An off-duty Massachusetts state trooper faces criminal charges and has been fired after he drove under the influence and lost control of his vehicle, which led to a fatal crash with a motorcyclist, state police said Friday.

Kristopher Carr, 25, of Monson, had been driving on Interstate 93 in Boston around 1:30 a.m. when he lost control of his SUV, hit the median and came to a stop perpendicular to the two left lanes.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP)  Council Bluffs police have announced the arrest of a man who was being sought as a person of interest in the shooting death of a woman in her home last week.

Vaughn White, 28, was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday on a warrant charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said. Police had been seeking White in the shooting death of 24-year-old McKayla Glover of Council Bluffs.
WEST HAVEN  The citys three fire departments will take part in the Centennial Fire Expo, highlighting aspects of the citys fire service and marking the West Haven centennial, according to a release.

The expo will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 in the parking lot of the Savin Rock Conference Center, 6 Rock St., and in front of Savin Rock. Rain date is Nov. 7.

The citys departments are the West Haven Fire Department from the 1st District, West Shore Fire Department in the 2nd District, and City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown in the 3rd District, the release said.

West Haven Chief James P. OBrien, West Shore Chief Stephen Scafariello and Allingtown Chief Michael R. Terenzio are organizing the public exhibition, the release said.

The event will feature engine and truck displays, including antique fire apparatus, and a fire service exhibit at the Savin Rock Museum. It will include Mack firetruck rides, a hazmat trailer, food trucks, the departments rescue boats and fire merchandise vendors, along with pop music by Acoustic Mafia and an appearance by Sparky the Fire Dog, the release said.

There will be educational demonstrations on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, drone technology, home sprinkler systems, first aid and fire code and investigation, it said. Firefighters will demonstrate the departments 35-foot smoke trailer and demonstrate fire safety for children, install car seats and inspect seats already installed, according to the release.

Also planned are resource tables with information on products and programs from fire apparatus dealers and members of the University of New Havens Fire Science and EMS/Paramedic clubs, the release said.

Members of the city Health Department will give doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those 18 and older and will have information on the coronavirus, food sanitation and the flu, officials said.

Representatives of Griffin Hospital will give doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those 18 and older, and members of the city Health Department will have information on the coronavirus, food sanitation and the flu.

For a complete list of centennial events, see the schedule at www.cityofwesthaven.com/343/Centennial-Events.
Recently, on Oct. 20, the congregation I served for 32 years celebrated a 60th anniversary.

Congregation Mishkan Israel is 181 years old, but in 1961 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King came to Hamden to fulfill a promise. A year earlier, he had intended to dedicate what was our new sanctuary. Unfortunately, he had been arrested in Atlanta and was unavailable. The following year, 1961, he came to pay tribute to my predecessor, Rabbi Robert E. Goldburg, who had marched with him in Albany, Ga., and supported the cause of civil rights. For Dr. King, the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities was an important one. The Old Testament prophets were at the heart of Kings faithful mission. The Exodus narrative was an inspiring vision of a people going from slavery, followed by a long but inevitable journey, to freedom and redemption. The bond between Dr. King and rabbis like Goldburg and Abraham Joshua Goldburg was fundamental. The songs they sang, the psalms they read, the words they preached were from a shared tradition.

While some saw the movement as political and moral, at its heart, it was religious.

For the Jews, there was another piece to this years observance. 1961 marked the 60th anniversary of the trial of Adolf Eichmann, considered the major perpetrator of the Holocaust. He had escaped the Allies after the war but was captured hiding in Argentina. Tried in Israel, televised all over the world for crimes against humanity, witness after witness told of his cruelty and responsibility for the deaths of millions of Jews. His defense was I was only following orders.

These two events were related.

The civil rights movement was a reaction to what happens when one group of people see another group of people as inferior. The Nazis taught that there were ubermenschen (superior men) and untermenschen (underlings) just as white supremacists taught that Blacks and Jews were less than human. And when the masses go along, when they do not stand up and only stand by, they all are guilty of an original sin.

The lesson that was brought home 60 years ago still needs to be shared. It is no accident that today there are those who deny the Holocaust. And, by-in-large they are the same ones that deny how much racism is part of our own U.S. history. They argue against teaching of the Holocaust  arguing that in Texas you must also present the other side.

The purpose of learning history is to ensure it will not happen again as Santayana taught, To forget the past condemns us to repeat it. Sixty years ago we had a reminder that must remain with us these days.

Rabbi Herbert Brockman is Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. Email cmirabbi@cmihamden.org.
A business brand and reputation are its heart and soul. They must be protected just as trade secrets must be protected.

One tool to help a business protect its brand and guard against unfair competition is to obtain trademark protection.

Right after World War II, Congress passed the Lanham Act, creating a national registry for trademarks and setting standards for relief of trademark infringement.

A trademark is not just a company logo. In addition to the logo, it can be any word, name, symbol or device or combination used  or intended to be used  in commerce, to identify and distinguish ones goods or services from others. When a business registers a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, this serves as evidence of the person or business exclusive right to use the registered mark.

Registration is not enough to protect the brand. It is important for a business to monitor use of its trademark by others in the marketplace, most commonly on the Internet. In this way, a business can be aware of whether another entity is infringing on its trademark, or whether it is unintentionally infringing upon anothers business mark.

When a business discovers infringement, it makes sense to first send a cease-and-desist letter asking that the infringer discontinue the use of the trademark. In some cases, such a letter can facilitate an amicable resolution. It may have been an unwitting infringement.

Nevertheless, sometimes the parties will not be able to agree on a resolution, either because they do not recognize the others claim to exclusive right to the mark, or even that an infringement exists in the first place. To establish a claim for trademark infringement, a plaintiff must show:

 It has a valid and legally protectable mark.

 It owns the mark.

 The defendants use of the mark in commerce to identify its goods or services likely causes confusion.

Whether confusion exists is the most commonly disputed issue in infringement cases. In assessing confusion, courts will consider a number of factors, including the similarity of the marks, the competitive proximity of the products in the marketplace and evidence of actual confusion.

A business defending against claims of trademark infringement may raise a number defenses, including:

 The mark is not subject to protection under federal law.

 There is no actionable confusion.

 Trademark registration was fraudulently obtained.

 Plaintiff abandoned the mark or otherwise gave the defendant permission to use it.

It is commonplace to seek injunctive relief prohibiting any further infringing use of a trademark.

The law also provides for recovery of several types of damages by a prevailing plaintiff: (1) actual damages, (2) disgorgement of the infringers profits and (3) attorneys fees and costs. Actual damages usually involve claims for lost profits that the plaintiff would have earned but for the defendants infringement, or a loss of good will that can be assessed by valuation of the trademark before and after the infringement. If the infringing business has benefited from use of a trademark, it can be ordered to pay back all profits it realized from the infringement.

As for attorneys fees, the Lanham Act provides for recovery only in exceptional cases, usually involving bad faith and/or willful infringement by the defendant. By including a claim under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, it becomes possible to recover attorneys fees without having to prove exceptional circumstances given that a trademark infringement will also constitute a violation of CUTPA, which provides attorneys fees to the prevailing party.

Whether protecting against a violation of its trademark, or defending against an attack to its brand, diligence by a business can ensure unencumbered use of its trademarks  the very essence of what makes its products and services valuable and desirable to the public.

Attorney David A. Slossberg leads the business litigation practice at Hurwitz, Sagarin, Slossberg & Knuff. He is an editor of the definitive treatise on unfair trade practices in Connecticut. He can be reached at dslossberg@hssklaw.com.
A Niagara County Court jury deliberated for just over 6 1/2 hours on Monday, but did not appear to be close to returning a verdict in the murd
India Walton beat Buffalo's mayor once. Can she do it again?

BUFFALO: She beat Mayor Byron Brown once. Can she do it again?
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 47F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low 38F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye has dismissed claims of returning to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Melaye, who defected ...

Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye has dismissed claims of returning to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Melaye, who defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2018, said he has no plans of returning to his vomit.

Featuring on Channels Televisions Politics Today, the former lawmaker described the APC as a disaster that has caused Nigerians pain since coming to power in 2015.

He said: No reasonable human being will go back to his vomit, the APC is a disaster. For every human being, there is a journey of life.

You will definitely pass through your Egypt to the land of Canaan. So I pass through Egypt, and that is APC, but I am in Canaan and I am comfortable and enjoying my stay.

Melaye also accused the APC of being responsible for the crisis in the PDP.
The Oyo State Government has warned parents, guardians, and school-age children to reject free rides from unknown persons. The state...

The Oyo State Government has warned parents, guardians, and school-age children to reject free rides from unknown persons.

The state government revealed that this is necessary in order to avoid being kidnapped.

The state government, in a circular on Friday, explained that kidnappers have developed another method by wearing school uniforms in order to abduct school children.

It added that kidnappers now perpetuate their criminal acts by wearing school uniforms to abduct school children, particularly in Ibadan, the state capital.

The government then admonished parents to sensitise and warn their children against falling victim.

It advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to be security conscious by rejecting free rides from strangers.

In a circular, Ref No: EDU 215 T18/166, from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and dated 27 October 2021, the state government explained that there is a need for all and sundry to be security conscious.

The circular addressed to the state chairmen of TESCOM, SUBEB, Executive Secretary (BOTAVED), zonal and local inspectors of education, all principals and headteachers of public and private schools, and all private school owners was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. A. B. Atere.

The circular was titled, Need To Be Security-conscious And Reject Free Rides Offered By Strangers.

Atere said, I am to inform you that the Special Services Department (Office of the Executive Governor) has reliably informed the ministry of the new strategy of kidnappers in Ibadan Metropolis.

According to the information, the kidnappers wear a similar uniform as the child(ren) in their car and offer to help unsuspecting school children to their school. Once the innocent children enter the vehicle, they zoom off to an unknown destination.

Consequent upon the above, all stakeholders are enjoined to sensitize/warn their wards or children under their care on the need to be security-conscious and reject free rides offered by strangers.
A 22-year-old NCE graduate, Idris Shuaib, has reportedly committed suicide in Kwara North Senatorial District over his inability to have s3....





A 22-year-old NCE graduate, Idris Shuaib, has reportedly committed suicide in Kwara North Senatorial District over his inability to have s3...x with women.

The incident occurred on Thursday in Gwanara community, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Reports reaching newsmen in Ilorin said the entire Ankara Wooro compound in Gwanara community was thrown into a mourning mood when the lifeless body of Idris was discovered dangling on a cashew tree.

An uncle of the deceased said Idris left home very early on Thursday, telling his father that he wanted to go to the farm as his usual routine not knowing he had another fatal motive this time around.

Spokesman of the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Babawale Zaid Afolabi, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Ilorin, said the deceased killed himself inside his fathers farm located at Gwanara-Munduro road, with the aid of rope and one jerry can.

On Thursday October 28th,2021, the NSCDC office in Gwanara, Baruten Local Government Area, got a report about one Idris Shuaib (22) who allegedly committed suicide in the farm citing his inability to copulate with women, he said.

According to the deceaseds father, Malam Muhammad Idris, the man, a graduate of Muyideen College of Education, Ilorin (Gwanara Campus) had made futile attempts in the past to end his life before this unfortunate incident.

The remains of the deceased has been brought down from the tree and taken to the hospital for autopsy, while investigation is ongoing, the spokesman added.
Two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were killed on Friday in Anambra. The officers were attacked as gunmen ambushed the...

Two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were killed on Friday in Anambra.

The officers were attacked as gunmen ambushed their convoy while on election campaign duty in Ekwulobia.

Videos showing the aftermath of the attack are circulating on social media.

The footages and photos show the extent of firepower against the security agents as bullets riddled windshields of vehicles.

Joint forces comprising the police and the military have taken over the area.

The bodies of the deceased were hurriedly taken away from the scene as several residents converged.

Attacks in Anambra are on the rise ahead of the November 6 governorship election.
Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has asserted that only harmonious living and peaceful coexistence among Muslim and ...





Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has asserted that only harmonious living and peaceful coexistence among Muslim and Christian faithful can help Nigeria to overcome its present problems militating against its development.

The governor made the assertion in Bauchi on Thursday at the funeral service of the late chairman of the state chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Reverend Emmanuel Ogbeba.

According to Governor Mohammed, it is only when there is peace in a society, which he said would be achieved when there was religious tolerance among the people, that government would be able to focus on developmental issues.

The governor, who was represented at the event by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Christian Religious Affairs, Rev Zakka Magaji, submitted that Bauchi State is enjoying peace as a result of the peoples resolve to not only tolerate one another but also allow peace to reign.

We in Bauchi State have enjoyed relative peace because the people decided to live together, share things in common because we are brothers and sisters who must tolerate one another. Those were the virtues late Emmanuel Ogbeba stood for, the governor said.

While eulogising the late General Superintendent of the Gospel Life Church, the governor declared that Ogbeba was more than a father to his family and church, saying that, when someone achieved what late Emmanuel Ogbeba achieved in life, he is no longer a father to his family and church alone, but, a father to all in the state.

On his part, the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Adamu Suleiman, described the deceased as a real bridge builder who built bridges of peace and peaceful co-existence between residents of Bauchi, irrespective of their tribes and religions.

Represented by the Wakilin Wajen Bauchi, Rev Baba Tala (rtd), the royal father declared that religious tolerance and understanding were the main ingredients of unity and progress.

He then called on Nigerians, particularly people of the state not only to imbibe but also promote those things the late Ogbeba stood for.

In his remarks, the PFN National President, Bishop Wale Oke, said that the body of Christ was one but that denomination was just a creation of convenience of assembly and association.

Oke, who was represented by the National Vice President, North  Central, Prophet El-Buba, assured that the Fellowship would continue to seek for the good of Nigeria and the unity of the people, especially the church.

It was reported that the highlight of the service was the formal introduction of the Ogbeba Foundation by the family of the deceased.

The Foundation, according to the family, would focus on catering to the problems of widows, orphans, and other vulnerable people across the country.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Scattered snow flurries and snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Scattered snow flurries and snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
During the decade that shes been a culinary arts instructor at Delgado Community College, Angela Wilson has identified a trend.

Ive seen students who had stars in their eyes wanting to become cake decorators, and its cost-prohibitive sometimes, she said. You need equipmentmixers, an oven. While you could manage it in a domestic kitchen, any little bit helps.

To that end, Wilson donated her collection of 50-60 professional-grade cake panseverything from character pans depicting Thomas the Tank Engine to five-tiered, flower-shaped setsto the New Orleans Public Library's Rosa F. Keller branch as part of its ready workforce and open doors strategic plans.

These plans aim increase public access and reimagine what a library is by circulating these unconventional materials, said librarian Heather Riley in a press statement.

Wilson got the idea to create a cake pan lending program via her Delgado students.

If a student said they needed a cake pan, Id say, Dont buy it. I have those,' said Wilson, a St. Charles Parish native whose grandmother was a cake decorator.

When Wilsons collection of cake pans became too cumbersome for her shed, she approached Delgados library about a lending program. But that would have meant only Delgado students could access the pans. Southern Food and Beverage Museum connected Wilson to the New Orleans Public Library, and after several years and many delays due to COVID-19 shutdowns, the cake pan collection is now available for checkouts.

Library cardholders can also check out cookbooks and access Creativebug video tutorials which feature recipes, baking and cake-decorating topics.

Wilson hopes both amateur and professional bakers will utilize the cake pan collection. Under Louisianas Cottage Food Laws, entrepreneurs can legally bake and sell cakes out of their homes without a health permit and with a sales cap of $20,000 per year.

Its a great way to start a small business and work from home, Wilson said. To be able to make $20,000, thats a second job for somebody, a mom or dad who can stay home with their kids and make decent extra money by doing this. Im really excited about the possibilities.
The 6t9 Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs Halloween-themed, foot parade will travel from Treme through the heart of French Quarter on Saturday night, tossing candy and hand-crafted throws to the crowd. The Northside Skull and Bone Gang, the Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi Mardi Gras Indian chief, Baby Dolls, and COVID 19-era social media sensation Flossin Possum will star in the costumed procession.

The 6t9 Pumpkin Parade has the distinction of being among the first processions to take to the streets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. The parade has taken place intermittently in the years since, last appearing in 2017. As the name of the social aid and pleasure club suggests, historically the parade meandered along back streets from the 6th Ward to the 9th.

But this year will be different. Saturdays parade will follow a 12-block route, not the customary 30- to 40-block trek. Parade co-founder L.J. Goldstein said that the club hopes to return to a longer route in the future.

The 2021 parade will begin its march at 7 p.m. in the 1000 block of Henriette Delille Street and proceed to St. Philip Street, where it will turn left. The parade will ramble to Royal Street in the French Quarter where it will turn right, disbanding in the 300 block at 9 p.m.

Its not too late to sign up to participate in the parade. The $69 fee to march can be paid up until parade time at the Little Peoples Place bar at 1226 Barracks St. or via the Eventbrite ticketing website (search for 6t9 Pumpkin Parade).

Adult paraders must be vaccinated and out of an abundance of caution we are requiring EVERYONE to be wearing a face covering during the event, Goldstein said. The sardonic theme of the Halloween parade is Get Stabbed! Get Jabbed! Get the Shot!

This story was revised on Oct. 29.

+9 Sylvester Francis, keeper of New Orleans Black culture at Backstreet Cultural Museum, dead at 73 Sylvester Hawk Francis, a chronicler of Black New Orleans life who as founder and curator of the Backstreet Cultural Museum became an import

+19 Swampus Returns, a Halloween stationary parade, will pop up in Gentilly Oct. 30 Last Decembers weird stationary Krampus parade in Gentilly was such a success that the krewe has decided to conduct something similar this ye
The New Orleans Public Library will host a storytime series that teaches children ages 5 and up about social justice issues. Readings take place on Zoom, starting at 4 p.m. Nov. 3 and continuing for the next five Wednesdays.

Families can read picture books together and start sharing social justice concepts like fairness, empathy and appreciation for diversity.

Two children's librarians will share books, songs and activities geared toward sharing and celebrating these important concepts with children and their caregivers. Siblings are also welcome.

Social Justice Storytime is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library and is presented in partnership with Conscious Root. Visit nolalibrary.org/events to register.

BOOKS, BREW AND BINGO: Have a beer and celebrate the freedom to read at Second Line Brewings Banned Books Bingo at 6 p.m. Nov. 8. It's in belated recognition of Banned Books Week  held every year in September.

Banned Book Week brings together the entire book community  librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types  in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

This year's theme was "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us."

Banned Book Bingo is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library. Second Line Brewing is located at 433 N Bernadotte St.

PUMPKIN SMASH: Bring your pumpkins to the librarys third annual Pumpkin Smash from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, 4300 S. Broad St.

This family-friendly outside event is sponsored by CompostNOW, whose members will harvest the seeds and send the pumpkins to the compost pile.

WHAT IF? The New Orleans Public Librarys monthly What If? speculative fiction short-story book club will meet at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 6 on Zoom. Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term covering a wide range of fiction, from sci-fi and fantasy to ghost stories and fairy tales.

Novembers titles are "Black, Their Regalia" by Darcie Little Badger and "The Monster" by Crystal Connor.

Contact Meliki at maddison@nolalibrary.org for more information about the club or for PDF copies of the stories. This program is sponsored by the Friends of New Orleans Public Library. Visit nolalibrary.org/events to register.

NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: Teens are invited to "Demystifying Louisiana Native Americans: A Tunica-Biloxi Perspective," at 2 p.m. Nov. 6 on Zoom. Participants will listen to Tunica-Biloxi language instructors Teyanna Pierite-Simon and Ryan Lopez share their tribal history, language, culture and what it is like growing up Native American in Louisiana. Visit nolalibrary.org/events to register.

Gabriel Morley is director of the New Orleans Public Library.
Ever walk past an empty French Quarter building and wonder what could be? One more of those questions has been answered at Bijou, a new restaurant and bar on an increasingly busy stretch of North Rampart Street.

Bijou officially opens Friday (Oct. 29), after a few trial runs.

This is a new restaurant and bar built in a historic Creole cottage, with an upscale/casual style and a chef with a long history in French Quarter dining.

Thats Eason Barksdale, who serves as chef and general manager here. He cooked with Susan Spicer for 14 years, both at her former Lakeview restaurant Mondo and at her flagship Bayona, where he was executive chef for the past five years.

Bijou is much different from Bayona. Its more casual and can easily double as a lounge (it has not one, but two bars, after all). But Barksdale is still bringing much from his Bayona experience to the menu.

One of his duties over the years was to oversee Bayonas Saturday lunch menu, with an ever-changing array of smaller dishes. Hes applying the global, subtly playful approach he used here on Bijous menu.

I like to say its like my Saturday lunch, but served all night, he said. After all those years at Bayona, some things are kind of hard to shake.

The opening menu at Bijou has dishes like tuna tartare with ponzu and shiso, squid ink spaghetti, tom yum chicken, fried crisp with a tart, Vietnamese-style ranch sauce, and curried cauliflower with raita. You can get a platter of steak frites with chimichurri, or a double-stacked smash burger, or just a plate of warm cookies for something sweet.

In the early days of the pandemic, with restaurants shut down, Barksdale started his own food delivery service. He thought hed return to his native Alabama for a time, but realized he couldnt leave New Orleans behind.

At Bijou, he found a new opportunity to direct a kitchen with elevated style and a laidback approach.

The design sets the tone. Walk in and you find an upscale lounge with a bar framed in copper with tall arched mirrors behind. A window-lined space in the back serves as more of a dining room, but here too the centerpiece is another bar, this one radiant with contemporary fixtures hanging from the high ceiling.

This opens to a courtyard, offering outdoor seating between the weathered bricks and paving stones.

We want it to be fun and rowdy, we want to feel like game day here every day, Barksdale said.

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Indeed, Bijou shows Saints games on a projector, and plans to show cult films and other screenings in the future.

At the bar (make that "bars"), the focus is on classic cocktails and food-friendly wines at accessible prices.

The historic contours of the building evoke old New Orleans. Through its history, it has been used as a grocery, a laundry and, most recently, part of the WWL-TV studios. It was transformed into Bijou through a long renovation.

The restaurant was developed by a partnership that includes builder David Fuselier, Jeff Bromberger, owner of Maison and other clubs, Mark Starring and Patrick Schoen.

This part of North Rampart Street has been seeing new life lately. Bijou shares the block with Effervescence, the restaurant and wine bar with a major champagne focus, which opened in 2017.

Just next door to Bijou, the tavern American Townhouse opened earlier this year transforming another historic building across its rooms and courtyard.

On the next block, the former home of Meauxbar is being re-developed as a new French style bistro called MaMou. Chef Tom Branighan and local sommelier Molly Wismeier expect to open MaMou early in 2022. See related story here.

Bijou

1014 N. Rampart St., (504) 603-0557

Dinner Wed.-Sat., from 4 p.m.,

Brunch and dinner Sun. from 11 a.m.

+2 Former Meauxbar in French Quarter is becoming a new bistro inspired by classics The French Quarter building at North Rampart and St. Philip streets that was long home to the restaurant Meauxbar will soon be coming back to 

+10 Former Longway Tavern becomes The Will & The Way, a different kind of French Quarter bar When the doors first opened at Longway Tavern a few years back, they revealed an evocative French Quarter cottage recast with modern flavors a
Halloween comes down to one word: candy. And making Halloween matter comes down to you.

This is a plea: on Halloween night, be at your door and have candy.

Candy makes Halloween matter. Candy, bought by you at the store, dispensed one bit at a time to the kids trick or treating. This is what makes Halloween a sacred social pact, and one we need more than ever now as we try to revive the vibrant social life that makes this community worth it.

Its about seeing a neighborhood come outside together to make it all happen. It doesnt hurt that Halloween coincides with our good weather, a time when just stepping outside can lift the spirits.

+11 Watch: Rolling Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters with the help of a ghoulish alien David Briggs has invented a way to deliver candy to trick-or-treaters this Halloween while practicing safe social distancing. The plan involve

But if no one stepped up with candy and stayed home to hand it out, there would be no Halloween. And if no one dressed up and came around trick-or-treating, Halloween wouldnt happen. That is the unregulated, universally understood beauty of it. Halloween is one kid, one house, one piece of candy, repeated again and again, a line of memories created, passed on and rekindled by one generation to the next. It is a ritual, and candy is the medium.

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

In the process, a hunk of nougat covered in chocolate becomes an act of generosity, hospitality and civic engagement - something New Orleans can always use more of, but especially now. Between the sticky fingers and crinkly wrappers, candy becomes a potent force for good. Just watch.

It's about seeing faces in your neighborhood, learning names, sharing a tradition and watching differences at least temporarily vanish in the shared social pursuit of making kids happy.

But you have to be there with the candy. Thats why, even if youre not dressed up in a costume on Halloween, you still have a role to play.

+6 Ian McNulty: A culinary program that changes lives is thriving as restaurants change too Many people know Libertys Kitchen as a place to get a burger, a salad or a coffee at its cafe, next to the Whole Foods Market on North Broad 

+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

+12 Oktoberfest food by the ton? No problem for this cooking team as New Orleans event returns With a hefeweizen in one hand, Mike Larkin took a seat by the bar at Deutsches Haus and flipped open a thick binder filled with typed and hand
With the start of early voting on Saturday, New Orleans stands at yet another crossroad. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered our city and our politics. Hurricane Ida caused significant damage across metro New Orleans  and in doing so it exposed serious problems with our electric power grid, how City Hall prepares for and responds to hurricanes, and even how it fails to provide basic services such as timely trash pickup.

Our decision matrix for endorsements has not changed since our first recommendations in the citywide elections of 1982: Who offers a clear vision for leading New Orleans into the future  and who is best suited to make their vision a reality? This year more than most, we looked for candidates who will end the This is how its done in New Orleans mentality that has led to decades of corruption, mismanagement and mediocrity.

Finally, our endorsements come with a caveat: We will be watching. In addition to shining a light on the workings of city government, we will hold the council, the mayor and other elected officials accountable  regardless of whether we endorsed them.

Mayor

No Endorsement

As we explained last week, Gambit is not endorsing for mayor this year. It was not an easy decision, but we felt it was the most honest way to tell our readers how we feel about where our city and our mayor are right now. Mayor LaToya Cantrell has done an admirable job handling the COVID-19 crisis, but on nearly every other issue  from infrastructure to her tone-deaf efforts to force City Hall into Congo Square  she has failed to live up to the promises of her campaign four years ago.

In lieu of an endorsement, we suggested in our previous Commentary that she refocus her post-Covid efforts to deliver on her initial promises  cleaning up the mess at the Sewerage & Water Board, and finding new and better ways to address crime, policing, blight, short-term rentals, economic disparity and the overall quality of life in New Orleans. How (and whether) she does those things will determine her legacy, and its entirely up to her to get it done.

+3 Commentary: LaToya Cantrells legacy is entirely in her hands It starts with Cantrell shaking herself and the city out of the malaise.

City Council

The next City Council will look markedly different than the current one. As has been the case historically, it will find itself more at odds with New Orleans second-term mayor. We hope this dynamic will bring out the best in both the council and the mayor by finding common ground on issues that will unite, not divide New Orleanians. Herewith our recommendations for the council.

At Large Division 1

Helena Moreno

Council President Helena Moreno has done an excellent job during her first term, helping lead the city through a particularly challenging period. She pressed Entergy New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Ida to make meaningful improvements to the utilitys distribution system, and that pressure already helped produce a major settlement on utility rates and grid improvements. The council and the city will benefit from her continued leadership.

At Large Division 2

JP Morrell

The contest for this council seat has been the mostly closely watched, and hotly contested, race this election cycle, and for good reason. Both leading candidates  former state Sen. JP Morrell and District C Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer  have significant experience and qualifications, but we give our nod to Morrell.

Morrells deep roots in the city give him a strong understanding of the issues facing all parts of New Orleans. Equally important, his groundbreaking work in the Legislature proves that he has the kind of state-level chops that could prove crucial in addressing our city's fiscal and structural challenges. He has rightly taken a hard stance in favor of tighter regulation of short-term rentals, which under the current administration and council have been allowed to wreak havoc in many neighborhoods. His vocal opposition to anti-trans legislation this year was a principled one, and his leading role in ending Jim Crow-era non-unanimous jury verdicts further established him as someone who can build game-changing coalitions. Finally, we believe Morrell will provide strong guard rails against executive branch excesses in Mayor Cantrells second term.

District A

Joe Giarrusso III

Giarrusso has one of the toughest jobs on the council as chair of both the Quality of Life and Public Works committees. Giarrusso has excelled in both roles. Those two chairmanships actually put him in the unenviable position of having to do constituent advocacy for the entire city  on issues that affect virtually every household. All the while, he has kept his eye squarely on District As needs. His early hearings on the failures of the citys trash contractors after Ida helped build momentum to end Metros contract. We are confident he will bring similar energy and focus to the councils work in his second term.

District B

Lesli Harris

Change is needed on the council, and for us it starts with District B. We believe Lesli Harris will be a strong, independent voice. As the chief of staff to Loyolas president, Harris was in charge of developing a pandemic management and response plan for what constitutes a small town of young adults  and she handled that task admirably. That and her professional experience as a public defender, legal aid attorney, and partner in one of New Orleans most respected law firms give her a solid foundation for joining a council that faces a long list of challenges.

District C

Freddie King III

One of the most critical aspects of a councilmembers job is constituent services, and in District C  which stretches from Algiers to the French Quarter, to parts of Treme and the 7th Ward as well as the Marigny and Bywater  that is no small task. King comes to the job with a head start on that front, thanks to time as the point person for constituent services under former Councilmember Nadine Ramsey. His roots on the West Bank will help bring City Halls attention to that critical but often overlooked part of the city, and we believe he will devote that same attention to all other parts of District C as well.

District D

Troy Glover or Timolynn Sams

District Ds crowded field has confounded political observers for months. In our view, two candidates have risen above the others  Troy Glover and Timolynn Sams. Both are young, up-and-coming leaders in our community, and we believe either would make an excellent choice for the council.

Raised in the Calliope, Glover is the CEO of the New Orleans Center for Employment Opportunities, which helps formerly incarcerated people get jobs and reenter society while providing wrap-around services critical to its clients long-term success. He also has served as president of the St. Roch Neighborhood Association, an experience that gives him a strong foundation in how city policy affects people where they live.

Sams has spent the better part of two decades working on behalf of underserved New Orleanians. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she led the Neighborhood Partnership Network, a grassroots organization that has had remarkable success in helping transform neighborhoods in District C and across the city. This, too, is the kind of experience the new council needs to develop policies that address our citys challenges in housing, public health and infrastructure.

District E

Cyndi Nguyen

District E is by far the citys largest and most challenging district to serve. For too long politicians have been content to act as if the East barely existed. In her first term on the council, Nguyen has made a name for herself as a champion of her constituents, something even some of her opponents have acknowledged. Her constituents love her because she never misses neighborhood association meetings and other community events, and she spends significant time personally handling constituent requests for help. In recent months, Nguyen has also demonstrated an increasing willingness to break with Mayor Cantrell, which we applaud. An independent voice rooted in her communitys needs is critical to helping both her district and the city at large. We believe Cyndi Nguyen deserves a second term on the council to continue the important work of rebuilding New Orleans East.

Sheriff

Susan Hutson

Incumbent Sheriff Marlin Gusman has been in office for 17 years  more than twice as long as a mayor gets to implement significant changes at City Hall. Although much has changed at the local jail during Gusmans tenure, most of the positive developments have come not because of Gusmans efforts but because of community pressures and a federal consent decree. We believe its time for a new sheriff in town, and we believe former NOPD Independent Monitor Susan Hutson is the clear choice for the job.

Hutson has served as NOPDs independent monitor for 11 years. During that time, she brought transparency to a traditionally secretive organization, held the department accountable for court-ordered reforms, and earned the trust and respect of officers as well as community leaders. That says a lot about her ability to implement change. Previously, Hutson worked as a law enforcement monitor in Los Angeles (where the Police Department also operates a jail facility), where she gained first-hand experience in how jails operate.

Crucially, unlike Gusman  who casually referred to incarcerated people as product during his meeting with the Gambit editorial board  Hutson understands that people caught up in the criminal justice system are still human beings who deserve respect, dignity and above all help to find a better life when they leave her custody.

In Orleans Parish Sheriff's race, Gusman facing real test for first time in years The contest for sheriff is shaping up as one of this years other marquis races, with incumbent Sheriff Marlin Gusman facing a real challenge 

Constitutional Amendments

Four proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution are on the ballot. Each must earn voter approval statewide to take effect. For the following reasons, we find only two of the amendments worthy of voter approval: Amendments 1 and 3. (Note that Louisiana presents ballot propositions as Yes or No questions, not For or Against.)

Amendment 1  YES

Amendment 1 is the most important and far-reaching proposition on the ballot. It aims to streamline and centralize the reporting and collection process for state and local sales taxes. It would create an eight-member sales tax commission split evenly between persons representing state and local taxing authorities. The commission would need a two-thirds majority to adopt or change policies and procedures, which is an important safeguard for local governments.

Amendment 1 has been a long time coming, and it represents a compromise between economic development advocates and local taxing authorities. Louisiana is one of only a handful of states with a decentralized sales tax reporting and collection system. Even small companies often fill out multiple sales tax forms every month, which has posed an impediment to growing small businesses.

With implementing legislation yet to come, Amendment 1 could be a sea change in making Louisiana more business friendly  without adversely impacting taxpayers. It would not change local sales tax rates, which will continue to be set by local governing bodies and voters. That said, the amendments efficacy depends on lawmakers providing procedural safeguards that ensure remittance of local taxes quickly and accurately, without external political meddling. We and others will follow the implementing legislation closely and hold lawmakers accountable for making Amendment 1 work as promised. We recommend our readers vote YES on Amendment 1.

Amendment 2  NO

Amendment 2 is a classic political bait and switch scheme. The ballot language reads as though voters are asked to approve a generous tax break by authorizing lawmakers to allow taxpayers to deduct federal income tax payments on their state income tax returns. That deduction is already enshrined in the constitution  and Louisiana is the only state that does so. The amendment actually would eliminate the deduction and lower Louisianas income tax rates for individuals and corporations  but let lawmakers reinstitute the deduction later, which would be disastrous for state finances. Weve seen this puppet show before. Its a fiscal train wreck in the making, and voters should not be fooled. We urge all our readers to vote NO on Amendment 2.

Amendment 3  YES

Amendment 3 does not apply directly to Orleans and Jefferson parishes, but it would significantly and positively benefit us indirectly if adopted. The amendment would allow levee districts created after Hurricane Katrina to raise up to 5 mills in property taxes without voter approval  as older levee districts (such as those in Orleans and Jefferson) already can do. Only eight levee districts in the state fall into this category. They include St. Tammany and Tangipahoa, both of which, like Orleans and Jefferson, form part of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Its important for all parishes in our region to be able to generate necessary funding to match federal flood protection dollars for levees and drainage improvements. The amendment must pass in those parishes and statewide to become effective. We urge our readers to vote YES on Amendment 3.

Amendment 4  NO

Amendment 4 is intended to give governors and lawmakers expended authority to balance the state budget during lean times. Unfortunately, it likely would create more problems than it solves. That makes it unacceptable. Currently, governors and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget can sweep up to 5% from certain dedicated state funds to address revenue shortfalls. Amendment 4 would allow them to transfer up to 10%  and it would not protect funds dedicated to coastal restoration and infrastructure. Allowing governors and lawmakers to sweep even more dollars from these critical funds makes no sense. We hope voters will say NO to Amendment 4.

Four constitutional amendments on Nov. 13 ballot The Nov. 13 ballot includes four proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Gambit makes no recommendations in the races for state representative in District 102 (in Algiers), assessor, and clerk of court for Criminal District Court.

Early voting will continue through Saturday, Nov. 6. Election Day is Saturday, Nov. 13. Regardless of whether you agree with our recommendations, we hope all our readers will vote in this important election. To learn more, find your polling place and see a sample ballot, visit geauxvote.com.

GAMBIT ENDORSEMENTS 2021

Mayor: No Endorsement

City Council

At Large Division One: Helena Moreno

At Large Division Two: JP Morrell

District A: Joe Giarrusso III

District B: Lesli Harris

District C: Freddie King III

District D: Troy Glover OR Timolynn Sams

District E: Cyndi Nguyuen

Sheriff

Susan Hutson

Constitutional Amendments

Amendment 1: Yes

Amendment 2: No

Amendment 3: Yes

Amendment 4: No

Originally published 10/29/2021
New Orleans has a host of Halloween events, horror movie screenings and Day of the Dead and Voodoo ceremonies in the next week (listed here). Here are a few more seasonal events coming up this weekend.

6t9 Social Aid & Pleasure Club The 6t'9 parade is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. The group traditionally parades from the 6th Ward to the 9th Ward. This year, due to changes caused by the pandemic, the route is from St. Philip Street in Treme to the 300 block of Royal Street. The procession will honor Ronald Lewis, creator of the House of Dance and Feathers, and Sylvester Francis, creator of the Backstreet Cultural Museum. They both died last year.

The procession will include the Northside Skull & Bone Gang, Fi Yi Yi, The Baby Dolls and The Doll Babies and others. Participants are welcome to register in person on the day of the parade and fees start at $69 for one adult and two children. Mask-wearing is requested of participants. Find information about the event on Eventbrite.

Trick or Treat at the Trailhead. There's Halloween festivities at the regular community market in Mandeville. More than 80 vendors will be at the market at the Tammany Trace from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. A list of vendors is here.

Voodoo Fest. Voodoo Authentica hosts its 23rd annual Voodoo Fest with speakers, music and an ancestral ritual beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at its space at 612 Dumaine St. Guests include Ghanaian priest and drummer Osofo Andrew, Mardi Gras Indian Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson, local Voodoo priests and priestesses and more. There's music by Bruce Barnes and Luther Gray. The ancestral ritual is at 7 p.m. Visit the Voodoo Authentica site for a full schedule. Admission is free.

Day of the Dead at the New Orleans Healing Center. The New Orleans Healing Center hosts a Day of the Dead celebration with an art market, a procession and an interfaith altar on Monday, Nov. 1. The art market opens at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony is at 7 p.m. and the procession is at 10 p.m. Admission is free, and attendees are welcome to bring an offering for the altar. Visit the Healing Center website for details.
This week, we remember New Orleans music legend and six-time Grammy winner Harold Battiste Jr. The prolific composer, arranger, producer, performer and educator was born on Oct. 28, 1931  90 years ago this week.

Battiste graduated from Gilbert Academy and Dillard University, where he formed his first band. After graduation, he embarked on a career as a public school music teacher.

After becoming a New Orleans-based talent scout for Specialty Records, he found success in California as a studio arranger. In 1961, Battiste formed AFO (All for One) Records, the first Black musician-owned record label. Within a few months he had produced a million-selling hit song, Barbara Georges I Know (You Dont Love Me No More). It reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 3 on the pop charts. The AFO label also released Ellis Marsalis Jr.s first album, The Monkey Puzzle.

Battiste served as musical director for TVs The Sonny and Cher Show and was the studio producer and arranger (and played saxophone) for the iconic duos 1965 hit I Got You Babe. He went on to earn six gold records for his work with the couple. Battiste was also an arranger for early hits for Sam Cooke, Joe Jones and Lee Dorsey.

In the mid-1960s, he helped fellow New Orleanian Mac Rebennack get work as a studio musician in L.A. and helped Rebennack create his Dr. John persona. He also produced Dr. Johns first album, Gris-Gris, in 1968.

After dividing his time between California and New Orleans for decades, Battiste returned home in 1989 and joined Marsalis as a professor of jazz studies at the University of New Orleans.

Battiste died in 2015.
A panel of three judges in Shreveport has issued a temporary restraining order preventing Ochsner Health from firing employees in north Louisiana who have not complied with a COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

The employees, 39 of which filed a lawsuit in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, would have been dismissed Friday under a policy Ochsner enacted for all 32,000 employees in August: get vaccinated or an exemption by Oct. 29 or lose your job. The ruling from the state court of appeals came Thursday, one day before the deadline.

Small groups of Ochsner employees  39 in Shreveport, 9 in Monroe and 48 in Lafayette  have taken the matter to separate courts, where they've argued that the mandate violates employees reasonable right to privacy to reject medical treatments.

A lower-court judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit from the Shreveport group. But in its ruling Thursday, the appeals court said the plaintiffs should be allowed a hearing and Ochsner may not fire or discipline employees over failing to comply with vaccine requirements in the meantime.

The ruling applies to employees at hospitals listed on the lawsuit, including Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport St. Mary. The plaintiffs are 20 registered nurses, four surgical technicians, a physician, a nurse practitioner, a respiratory therapist, a licensed practical nurse, a child life specialist and several others without listed medical credentials.

+5 Ochsner will make unvaccinated spouses of employees pay $200 per month to remain insured As the deadline nears for Ochsner Health employees to get vaccinated or lose their jobs, the health system is also increasing pressure for emp

Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, who was previously executive counsel to former Gov. Bobby Jindal, has filed several lawsuits on behalf of employees in Louisiana arguing that Louisiana law protects an individuals right to choose their health care.

Faircloth said the restraining order requiring Ochsner to halt firing unvaccinated employees in north Louisiana is encouraging because it suggests the judges think the case has merit.

To get a temporary restraining order, you must convince the court when you file something that you have a substantial likelihood of success, said Faircloth. This very important issue is a resounding wake-up call to all the employers in the state that have been hoodwinked into believing that you can do this.

But across the country and in the state, hundreds of hospital systems have enacted COVID-19 vaccine requirements, similar to requirements for the flu and hepatitis B vaccine. In September, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the single largest payer of health care in the United States, said it would require the vaccine for all employees of hospitals that accept payments from the program. That would include Ochsner and all other large hospitals operating in the state.

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Ochsner mandates vaccine for employees as Louisiana sees record-breaking COVID deaths Louisiana marked its single deadliest day in nearly 18 months of the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, another bleak statistic that arrived as 

The ruling for a hearing "just postpones the inevitable," said attorney Joel Friedman, a Tulane Law School professor who specializes in labor law.

According to Friedman and judges who have dismissed similar complaints, the governments interest in public health outweighs an individuals right to privacy, which guards against unreasonable government intrusion.

There's no violation of any right to privacy here because the government has a compelling interest to require vaccinations under the circumstances to promote public health, said Friedman.

Ochsner Health did not comment on the lawsuit or provide an update on how many employees were vaccinated on the day of the deadline. As of a month ago, 86% of employees had received at least one shot, according to CEO Warner Thomas. Among physicians and hospital leaders, the rate was 98%.

'Everybody knew somebody that died': Louisiana's small towns suffered most in fourth wave When coronavirus hit New Orleans in March 2020, the death rate was astronomical, outpacing early hotspots such as New York City and Seattle. B

The new ruling is not an indication that the employees claim that the hospital is violating their rights has merit, nor does it have legal implications for lawsuits filed outside of the 2nd circuit, said Friedman. It means that the panel agreed that there should be a hearing to decide whether a hospitals vaccine mandate is unconstitutional.

They want the judge to actually rule on the merits and give these people at least the hearings, said Friedman.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal rejected a request for a similar order against Ochsner Lafayette General Health, though Faircloth said it is still moving forward with an appeal.

A lawsuit against Ochsner LSU Monroe was found to have no legal basis, according to ruling Oct. 27 by the Fourth Judicial District Court.
One of the four men whom Jack Strain is accused of sexually abusing testified in a Covington courtroom Friday that the former St. Tammany Parish sheriff molested him from the time he was 6 years old until he was about 11, culminating in a rape that left him in pain and bleeding.

Mark Finn took the witness stand in shackles and a striped jail uniform, because hes currently in custody on a drug charge. He sometimes used the shirt to wipe tears from his face during testimony punctuated by sobbing and ragged breathing.

At age 52, he seemed riveted by pictures of himself as a child, projected by a prosecutor on the courtroom wall. But at times Finn looked straight at Strain, seated at a table nearby with his attorneys, and spoke directly to the former sheriff, prompting ad hoc Judge Bruce Simpson to caution him against addressing the defendant.

Finn has a lengthy criminal record, which he blames on Strain's sexual abuse.

"As soon as he lost as sheriff, I was going to let the world know," Finn said when Assistant District Attorney Collin Sims asked why he had not told anyone earlier about Strains deeds. "It's the most degrading thing in your life. To say this kills me. It should have been a female to take my virginity.

+9 As arguments begin in Jack Strain sex crime trial, sheriff painted as pedophile or government trophy Dueling portraits of former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain were presented to the jury in his sex crimes trial Wednesday: Hes either a

"You took my virginity," he told Strain.

At another point, Finn tearfully addressed his mother, Patricia Finn, who was sitting in the courtroom covering her face as her shoulders shook. "Mom, I'm sorry that you have to hear this."

The jury sat transfixed through Finn's testimony on the fifth day Stain's trial. The once-powerful politician, defeated in 2015 when he sought a sixth term as sheriff, faces four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest and one count each of sexual battery and indecent behavior with a juvenile. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of aggravated rape.

Finn is one of five people expected to testify that they were sexually abused by Strain, including a relative who does not figure in the criminal charges. Another man, Skip Keen, a former high-ranking Sheriffs Office commander and once part of Strain's inner circle, testified against the 58-year-old Strain on Thursday.

Both Finn and Keen knew Strain from their childhood, when the future sheriff was a young teenager a few years older than them. The Times-Picayune does not customarily identify victims in sex crime cases, but Finn has come forward publicly and Keen was described as a childhood victim of Strain in Keen's guilty plea in a federal corruption case in which Strain is also charged. Strain has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in that case and faces trial in U.S. District Court in New Orleans in December.

Finn testified that he has 20 convictions on his record. He told the jury in Louisianas 22nd Judicial District Court that he's viewed as a tough person who has "a real bad anger problem." He blamed Strain's abuse, and when Sims asked if he was familiar with the concept of self-medicating, he said he used substances to take away the pain of what had been done to him.

"You hurt me in so many ways," he told Strain, who has shown little emotion throughout the trial.

Families ties

Finn said he was a frequent visitor to the home of Strain's parents in Abita Springs, where his father and older brother helped tend to cattle owned by Strain's father. That left Finn under the supervision of Strain, who was six years older than he was.

In graphic testimony, Finn described Strain's attacks in a pond on the property, in a barn and in Strain's bedroom. He told of swimming in the pond and experiencing Strain pull down his shorts, go under the water and perform sex acts on him.

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Strain also initiated sex in the barn, Finn said, sometimes while milking the cow. He would think it was funny. He has a giggle, Finn said. I'll never forget how he laughed at the sick things he did."

But his most tormented testimony came as he described what happened when he was 11 in the bedroom, where Strain made Finn act as a lookout to while Strain aroused himself.

"He started getting rough with me, gagging me," Finn told the jury.

Finn testified Strain made him lie on the bed, his face in the mattress and his own hands over his mouth. Strain put baby oil or baby lotion on him and penetrated him by finger or penis, Finn said.

How could he tell the difference? Sims asked.

"Pain," Finn replied.

Later, Finn recounted, he ran the bath at his parent's home harder than he was supposed to, hoping the noise would cover up the sound of his crying. He testified he saw droplets of something in the water.

"At first, I didn't know what it was. It was blood," he said.

Changing accounts

Strains attorney, Billy Gibbens, challenged what he described as Finns changing accounts of what happened. Gibbens asked why Finn denied being penetrated by Strain when a forensic interviewer was brought in to speak with him and why he denied that he performed oral sex on Strain. Gibbens quoted from that interview, in which Finn said Strain had tried to penetrate him a bunch of times but had never done so.

In February of 2019, you went on WWL news and talked on the news about what you said Jack did to you, Gibbens said, referring to an interview with WWL-TV and The New Orleans Advocate, in which Finn said he had been raped.

How come you could tell WWL-TV but not the forensic interviewer, Gibbens asked.

Finn said he had been upset.

Youre very upset with how your life has turned out, arent you? Gibbens asked, noting that Finn has a tattoo saying Psycho on his neck.

Gibbens also presented a letter Finn had written asking one of the law enforcement agents working on the rape case if the time had expired for him to sue Strain.

You did end up suing Jack, Gibbens said.

He can have the money, Finn replied. I want him put away for what he did to me and the victims. ... Hes hurt enough people. Hes a monster and a predator.

The trial will resume on Tuesday.
A Lafayette woman is suing the state to prevent her teenage daughter from having an abortion, in an unusual case that takes new aim at the states judicial bypass law, which allows judges to grant the procedure for pregnant minors who lack a parents consent.

While Attorney General Jeff Landry is defending the state in the case, his solicitor general, Liz Murrill, largely supported the mothers cause in a legal brief this week.

Landrys office also submitted disciplinary records on abortion providers, orders by the state Board of Medical Examiners, health inspection reports and other records to the court, aimed at painting a grim picture of Louisiana abortion providers.

It was enough for 15th Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Frederick on Wednesday to grant a restraining order barring the state from approving any request by a minor for an abortion over the objection of the minors parent until a hearing scheduled for next week.

The reach of Fredericks broadly worded order wasnt immediately clear, though it appears at least to halt the plaintiffs daughter from seeking a judges order for now. Landrys office did not immediately respond with a request for comment on the order.

Advocates were scrambling Thursday to digest the order and the possible impact of the lawsuit. Attorney Laura Fine, founder of the Judicial Bypass Project, a legal-aid group that helped the plaintiffs daughter, called the position of Landrys office just a very bizarre situation. What concerns me is the state isnt going to properly defend this.

At issue in the mothers suit is a law that allows a judge to grant a pregnant minor permission to have an abortion after an in-chambers hearing, if the judge determines the minor is sufficiently mature and well enough informed to decide; or if its in her best interest.

The lawsuit involves a pregnant 17-year-old from Lafayette who asked her mother in February for her consent to an abortion. Her mother refused, and the youth contacted Fines group, which is based in New Orleans.

The mother alleges that the group encouraged (the minor) to apply for a judicial bypass in New Orleans, as judges there were more lenient.

The minor was 18 weeks pregnant when New Orleans Juvenile Court Judge Tammy Stewart granted her request, and she went with her boyfriend to a clinic in the city. The mother claims Stewart acted improperly, without any kind of meaningful evidentiary evaluation. She also claims her daughter sustained a perforated uterus.

At the time, pregnant minors could seek judicial bypass orders either in the parish where they live or in the one where they would have the procedure. The law changed this year, limiting the options to a judge in their home parish or in some cases nearby.

Last month, the teen told her mother that she was pregnant again, and again she asked for consent. Her mother refused and then sued the state, the New Orleans abortion clinic and others.

The Oct. 12 suit claims the law is vague or that judges arent applying it properly, failing to consider evidence other than whatever a minor chooses to provide.

The mother is seeking a restraining order barring a judicial bypass for her daughter, as well as an injunction against the state and an order to require juvenile courts to consider evidence other than the applicants own testimony. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3.

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The lawsuit alleges that some courts operate what amounts to a judicial bypass approval mill, rubber-stamping abortions without proper vetting, though it offers no other examples, nor data to support its claims.

The Louisiana Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for information on how many minors received a judicial bypass each year. Providers reported conducting 8,144 abortions in the state in 2019, including 752 for patients under age 20.

The law changed this year to add reporting requirements for physicians to note when abortions are the result of a judicial bypass order, and for the state to release annual data.

Todd Gaudin, the mothers Baton Rouge attorney, did not respond to messages this week.

Landry spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying in vain to defend the states anti-abortion law requiring physicians who perform the procedure to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Murrill unsuccessfully argued the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the Lafayette case, Murrill acknowledged that Louisianas judicial bypass law is in accord with Supreme Court precedent, though she argued that the high court acted with little thought to the risks of abortion in setting that precedent 45 years ago.

Murrill went further, arguing that the pregnant minor waived her confidentiality when she told her mother that she would seek a judges order for a second abortion. That means the mother has a right to present her own evidence to the judge about her daughter, Murrill argued.

The mother must be provided a forum to press her claim that the state deprived her of her rights, Murrill argued, just not through the preliminary injunction she is seeking. Murrill also argued that Frederick, as a district judge, should avoid ruling on the constitutional challenge to the law.

Fine said the lawsuit makes several baseless accusations, including that the group specifically steered the daughter to Stewart, the New Orleans judge. Fine also dismissed Murrills argument that the mother should now be allowed to lobby a judge over her daughters request for permission.

The whole purpose of the statute is for a minor to have a way to get authorization for an abortion without involving a parent, Fine said. If by discussing with a parent, theyre waiving their right, that just encourages minors to not talk to their parents.

The judicial bypass law says a judge may order the minor to counseling or mental health evaluation, but it doesnt say what a judge must do before granting an abortion after a closed-door hearing with the pregnant minor.

Fine said its unclear what the mother wants.

What is objective evidence of someones maturity? Do they want report cards? Do they want proof of employment? What is it theyre looking for? Fine asked. If they want to change the statute, they should work with the legislature and change the statute.

In many cases, Fine said, judicial bypasses are granted to minors raised by grandparents or other caregivers, where parents arent around to consent.

In other instances, pregnant minors are living at home in a pretty bad situation, she said. They usually have a very good reason theyre not involving a parent.
After a referral from the Orleans Parish School Board, prosecutors in New Orleans have launched an investigation into the beleaguered Dryades YMCA over the alleged misuse of public funds.

The YMCA has been unable to account for over $1 million owed to James Singleton Charter School, the Central City elementary it operates, according to a letter sent Monday from the district to Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and the state Legislative Auditor.

District officials said they havent received details on how the money was spent despite months of requests, and are concerned that money earmarked for the charter school may have been spent on YMCA operations like staffing. Williams announced his probe Thursday at his office on South White Street.

"We live in a city that desperately needs more resources flowing to support our young people, not... siphoned away," Williams said. "So it is critically important that we get to the bottom of these allegations."

New Orleans school district backs off yanking charter for James Singleton school The New Orleans school district has decided not to revoke the charter for troubled James M. Singleton charter school this month, officials con

An attorney for the Dryades YMCA didnt immediately comment.

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The non-profit Y and the school it operates have been mired in controversy for months. In May, the New Orleans Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for the YMCAs long-time chief financial officer, who was accused of fabricating criminal background checks for herself and employees of the school.

District officials said this summer that they planned to revoke the schools charter due to poor performance, prompting the Dryades YMCA to sue and obtain an injunction to allow the K-8 to open on time in August.

+2 Police report, audit suggest James Singleton School's background checks fabricated Details from a police investigation and a legislative audit report shine new light on possible financial improprieties and criminal violations

NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis and School Board President Ethan Ashley said Monday the board will decide next month whether to renew the school's expiring charter. If the board does not, the school will close at the end of the academic year.

The Dryades YMCA has close ties to the Black Organization for Leadership Development, or BOLD, a political group that endorsed one of Williams opponents during his election last year.

Williams said the probe will be led by his first assistant Bob White, who will coordinate with the state Legislative Auditor. The District Attorneys Office will send out subpoenas in the coming days, according to a statement from White.
A Metairie man and woman who were found with more than $199,000 in stolen checks and money orders have been arrested, accused of stealing them after they'd been mailed in Post Office collection boxes.

Jalen Valdery and A'leahia Barbarin, both 23, were found with more than 300 of the pilfered checks and money orders when local and federal investigators raided their apartment on Oct. 22, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, a spokesperson for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's office.

Algiers man arrested, accused of cashing checks stolen from Gretna Post Office boxes Gretna police have arrested an Algiers man accused of stealing mail from the large blue collection boxes in front of the Gretna Post Office an

Both were booked with 69 counts of forgery, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, access device fraud, possession of stolen property and other charges, Rivarde said. They were being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna Thursday.

Authorities suspect there may be hundreds of victims.

One of them, Angela Williams, 57, of New Orleans, said she is desperate to recover the $750 stolen from her when authorities say Valdery and Barbarin intercepted Williams' mailed September rent payment, made changes to the money order and then used it to pay their own rent.

"I was angry. I don't have any more money to pay rent," Williams said.

Williams bought the money order from a Walmart and mailed it using a blue collection box at the Lake Forest Post Office on Lake Forest Boulevard in New Orleans.

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She didn't realize it never reached its intended destination until Vincent Marziale, general manager of her apartment complex, told her on Oct. 6 that the company never received her September rent payment.

"Ms. Williams is one of our premiere tenants," Marziale said Thursday. "She's been there for quite some time."

With a little detective work, Williams discovered that her money order had been altered and submitted to pay rent at The Lanai Apartments in Metairie.

Williams reached out to the Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Investigators from the agency worked together and obtained a federal search warrant for Barbarain's apartment at The Lanai, authorities said. In addition to the stolen checks, officers found credit cards and two guns, Rivarde said.

Authorities didn't say how they suspect the mail was stolen from the collection boxes. Investigators are still working to identify other victims in the case.

Williams said she's happy that someone will be held responisble for the the theft, but the arrests won't pay her rent.

Williams said she was rebuffed when she tried to speak to some at the The Lanai Apartments, owned by 1st Lake Properties. The company declined to comment Thursday.

Williams aknowledged that it can be difficult to spot a forged money order. But said she would be grateful if she could get her $750 returned so that she can cover her own responsibillities.

"I need my money to pay my rent," she said. "This is crazy."
Five days after her brother jumped over a neighbors gate and was shot dead on the front lawn, Deatrice Coleman was still struggling to understand why he had to die.

She wants to know if the homeowner warned her brother, Kenneth Coleman, to leave the property before firing from the second-floor balcony. And she rejects the idea that the 36-year-old father of three posed a threat, given there is no indication he was armed or had the chance to touch anything.

We dont feel it was justified, she said Thursday. He watched my brother jump the fence and then just shot him from the second floor.

Those remarks were her familys first since Coleman was shot outside a home in the 2800 block of Paris Avenue on Oct. 23.

New Orleans police have said little about the case, other than to say the slain man was pronounced dead at the scene, the killing was not domestic and Coleman did not live at that address.

Investigators recovered a spent shell casing from the balcony and two guns from inside the house.

The homeowner, 69-year-old Philip Cooper, has since claimed that he shot Coleman. He said there was a recent burglary at his home, which has been undergoing a lengthy renovation, and he fired because he felt he had no other choice. Two relatives were with him at the time of the shooting. Results of gunshot residue tests on all three, which would determine whether more than one person fired at Coleman, have not been made available.

It was an unfortunate incident, Cooper said during a brief interview Monday. I really didnt want to shoot anybody  but this guy kind of forced me. He was a habitual offender  he kept coming back every night.

Cooper has not been booked with a crime.

Deatrice Coleman wants to know what proof the shooter had that her brother was responsible for the burglaries. She saw Kenneth at their family home, about three blocks from Coopers house, the night before his death.

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He didnt have anything on him, she said.

She said she didnt even know what had happened until Tuesday, when the Orleans Parish Coroners Office notified her family that investigators had used fingerprints to identify her brother, who cut grass and did other landscaping work to support his 1-year-old son and two daughters, ages 8 and 17.

Kenneth Colemans record wasnt spotless. He served six months probation beginning in 2018 following a simple battery conviction, Orleans Parish court records show. But authorities had never previously accused him of being a burglar, Deatrice Coleman said.

She wondered if her brother might still be alive if Cooper had barked out a warning or called the police and let them handle it.

You shot to kill him, Deatrice Coleman said. But you didnt have to kill my brother.

Whether Cooper is ever accused of a crime depends on if authorities determine the killing meets Louisianas definition of justifiable homicide.

People in Louisiana can kill without being prosecuted if they prove they did so because they reasonably feared they were in imminent danger of losing (their) lives or receiving great bodily harm.

The law empowers people who are lawfully inside a dwelling to use deadly force against someone that they know is breaking in, or had broken into the home. An attempt to retreat first is not required.

A key aspect of this case will likely be whether authorities decide that Coleman was killed within the curtilage of Coopers home. Generally, a curtilage is land which a dwelling and its yards occupy.
A department chair at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans is under investigation, a spokeswoman said Thursday after a report revealed allegations of double-dipping from federal grants.

The report from the Retraction Watch blog, which tracks academic misconduct among U.S. researchers, referred to an anonymous June 2020 complaint targeting Hari Koul, a urology researcher at LSU Health.

Koul received grant funding for the same project from separate federal agencies, according to anonymous allegations obtained by Retraction Watch through a public records request. The amounts awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institutes of Health each totaled around $300,000, the report said.

LSU Health in New Orleans spokeswoman Leslie Capo would not say Thursday if the organization is investigating the double-dipping allegations specifically, or other concerns raised around Koul.

All we can say at this time is that it is being actively investigated, Capo said.

Koul is the interim chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at LSU Health in New Orleans, according to the organizations website. He is paid a $318,164 salary, records obtained by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate show.

The complaint against him was signed by LSU Faculty at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, where Koul worked before he was demoted in 2016, according to Retraction Watch. Koul moved to Health Sciences Center in New Orleans last year, the report said.

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Its unclear when he submitted his grant applications.

Koul was also the subject of a 2014 investigation involving allegations that he misrepresented information in published papers when he worked at the University of Colorado, Retraction Watch reported.

After he was cleared of those allegations in 2016, Koul emailed Ghali Ghali, then chancellor of LSU Health in Shreveport, asking if he was going to be suspended, Retraction Watch reported. The report said Koul lost his chair position in Shreveport because of the investigation.

Ghali resigned as chancellor in June after allegations from physicians and staff that he had retaliated against them for raising sexual misconduct allegations against top administrators at the Shreveport medical school.

LSU Health in New Orleans also recently saw the departure of its chancellor, Larry Hollier. He resigned last month after a university audit said he helped arrange improper pay raises for those in his inner circle, and skirted policies while hiring and firing people.

Reached by phone Thursday, Hollier said he had no knowledge of complaints filed against Koul, suggesting those matters would have been referred to Steve Nelson, the dean of the School of Medicine. Nelson now serves as interim chancellor.

Capo did not respond to a question Thursday asking if Nelson was aware of the allegations against Koul.
A planned $24 per month Entergy New Orleans rate increase would be temporarily cut to about $10 under a new agreement between the power company and the City Council.

Council members hope to reduce it further by making use of $5 million in federal pandemic stimulus money.

The reduced effect of the rate increase, which is set to go into effect next week, marks a slight retreat for the council. Some members had pledged in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, as residents raged against the utility for lingering power outages, to delay the new rates indefinitely.

+2 Entergy New Orleans wants to increase customer bills by $24 starting in November; see why Thousands of New Orleans residents could see a $24 increase on their monthly power bills under a proposal Entergy New Orleans says is needed t

But council member Helena Moreno, who chairs the Utility Committee, said Wednesday such a move could have led to a lawsuit from Entergy, so the council instead focused on delaying the effect of the new rates.

While I wish we could have delayed a little bit further, that really wasnt the responsible path to prevent rate increases for our customers, Moreno said.

The latest plan involves multiple pieces that together could keep electricity rates at or below their current levels through March.

+3 City Council passes package of measures to probe Entergy New Orleans' Ida response A package of measures aimed at investigating Entergy New Orleans decisions before and during Hurricane Ida, and geared towards eventually stu

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First, the rates that Entergy proposed in July would be trimmed due to errors that the council's utility advisers found in the costs reported by the company. The effect is to cut the proposed $64 million increase to about $49.5 million, said Entergy, which added that it will not challenge the adjustment.

In addition, the council directed Entergy to use about $17.4 million, from a variety of settlement funds awarded to Entergy by federal regulators in recent years, to offset its proposed rate increase for electricity. All told, those would amount to about $9.15 in credit per bill for the next five months, Entergy said. The proposed electrical rate increase was estimated at $8.43 for customers on the east bank and $8.17 in Algiers.

Moreno said those measures amount to cutting the rates as low as possible while buying the council time to find even more mitigation measures.

That leaves an increase of about $10 for Entergy's natural gas customers. Customer advocates, including affordable housing groups, had been pushing the City Council to stop those increases as well.

New Orleans is set to receive $388 million in coronavirus stimulus money. To soften the gas rate increase, the council is considering putting $5 million into a fund that would aid customers in paying their bills. The exact details of that plan, which would have to be subject to approval by the council and a veto by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, are still being worked out.

Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said the package of measures are a positive step. But she warned that a volatile international market in natural gas could still leave residents vulnerable to higher bills, and she and pushed for New Orleans to eliminate its use of natural gas, a fossil fuel that, when burned, is blamed for making the world hotter, seas higher and storms more intense.

What is clear is that New Orleans needs to wind down our reliance on natural gas, Burke said.
Calling the proposal a naked power grab that will hurt New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has come out against a November referendum to grant a state board control over local tax dollars.

The proposal, which will appear on the Nov. 13 ballot as Constitutional Amendment No. 1, would grant an eight-member commission the right to collect and distribute sales taxes on behalf of parishes across Louisiana.

The new board would be funded with a portion of sales tax revenue. It would be asked to issue advice about tax collection and to create other tax rules.

Stephanie Grace: Sales tax amendment could hinge on New Orleans' strained relationship to state It makes perfect sense for all sales taxes collected in Louisiana to go through a central portal, rather than a different one depending on whe

Lawmakers and advocates for the change argue it will help businesses by creating a single statewide body to manage sales tax collections instead of the parish-based system currently in place. But Cantrell argued that it's really a bid to rob New Orleans of its rightful revenue. At present, City Hall collects sales and property taxes on behalf of itself and other local taxing authorities.

"We cannot afford to let politicians who have no ties to New Orleans make decisions that affect our future without our input or guidance," Cantrell said in an email to her supporters.

To underscore her concerns related to state control of local money, Cantrell pointed to the state Bond Commission's September approval of $30 million in New Orleans construction projects.

Though a vote on that matter had been scheduled for August, the commission held up the projects for a month after members expressed concern about Cantrell's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which were unrelated to the projects.

Four constitutional amendments on Nov. 13 ballot The Nov. 13 ballot includes four proposed amendments to the state constitution.

One of the amendment's leading advocates, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack, said municipal appointees will serve on the commission and the idea has gained broad support. Gov. John Bel Edwards has also backed it.

"The concerns that she is bringing up were brought up a year or two ago, but they have been addressed in a bipartisan way," Waguespack said. "I think the legislation has ample safeguards in there, and thats why it has so much support."

Still, Cantrell's dissent could have big political implications. Orleans is one of the only parishes in the state where high-profile municipal races will join constitutional amendments on the November ballot, which could mean strong turnout and strong local opposition.

At issue is a proposed solution for what critics say is a major problem in Louisiana: a decentralized sales-tax collection system.

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Replay: Breaking down the four Louisiana constitutional amendments on the Nov. 13 ballot On Nov. 13, voters across Louisiana will weigh in on four ballot questions, including two tax-related measures long sought by business groups 

For years, Louisiana retailers have had to remit their sales taxes to as many as 54 collectors in 64 parishes, instead of to one collections clearinghouse. Meanwhile, out-of-state companies have since last summer dealt with one body, the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers.

That discrepancy has resulted in a "two-tier system" that is hard on local businesses, particularly smaller shops with operations in multiple parishes, Waguespack said.

The state's lack of uniform sales tax collections was also slammed in a recent report by the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning tax think tank, he said.

To fix the problem, voters are being asked to back an eight-member collections board that would eventually replace the remote sellers board, and that would collect sales taxes from businesses within and outside of Louisiana.

Edwards, the Louisiana School Boards Association, the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the secretary of the Department of Revenue, state House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, and state Senate President Patrick Cortez, R-Lafayette, would appoint the eight members.

Letters: Small businesses desperately need a new system for sales tax collection Im proud to have owned and operated Abform Workwear out of Lafayette for 40 years. I love this city and the state of Louisiana  this is my home.

Two-thirds of board members must agree before tax rules are adopted or amended. Municipal Association Executive Director John Gallagher, whose organization worked to craft that clause, said he believes it will allow local governments to retain authority over their sales taxes.

"Of course, in our association, we have people for it, and people against it," Gallagher said. "We have no position on the legislation. We were just asked by (Schexnayder) to come and work something out that we could live with, and we feel we have fulfilled that obligation."

Another clause stipulates that two-thirds of state lawmakers must agree before any laws pertaining to the commission are changed, while a third holds that the money the commission collects will be sent to local tax authorities or to the state.

Cantrell said the proposal could spell out problems for New Orleans' finances, given some state boards' practice of stripping money from the city when they oppose its policies. More than 30% of the city's operating budget comes from sales tax revenues, including tourism dollars, she said.

"I urge you to vote no on Constitutional Amendment 1 on November 13," Cantrell said. "Lets keep New Orleans in control of her own destiny."
Politics Reporter

Reese Gorman covers politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Norman Transcript. He started as an intern in May of 2020 and transitioned into his current position as a staff writer in August of 2020.
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University Park, Pa.  Posters advertising an event with the tagline, "Pray the Gay Away," and featuring self-described "ex-gay global political sensation" Milo Yiannopolous sparked immediate backlash after they appeared on the campus of Pennsylvania State University (PSU) earlier this week.

The event, which is scheduled to take place on Nov. 3 on the University's campus, will discuss "free speech, faith, conversion therapy, and hair style," according to the event's page.

Yiannopolous has made a career by being controversial. From his role as an editor for far right news outlet, Breitbart, to his 2016 college speaking tour called "Dangerous Faggot," he often straddles  and often pushes  the fine line between free speech and hate speech.

His personal life is also fraught with controversy. In 2017, he was forced to resign from Breitbart and lost a major book deal after leaked comments suggested his support for pedophiliac relationships.

Most recently, Yiannpolous announced his plans to build a gay conversion therapy center in Florida. Conversion therapy, defined as any attempt to change a persons sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, is banned in 14 states, but Florida is one of three states which has made it illegal to enforce a conversion therapy ban.

The controversial topic of the "Pray the Gay Away" event, combined with the controversial speaker, have made it a hotbed of protest and anger among students and the surrounding community.

"The poster alone is enough to consider hate speech," reads a Change.org petition calling for the event's cancellation, which has already received nearly 10,000 signatures. The petition also explains that the event's funding "were partially funded by UPAC, with money directly from student tuition. LGBT students are having their own tuition money used to promote hate speech against themselves."

Other campus groups, including the University Park Undergraduate Association and campus LGBTQ+ groups, stated that the event can be "trauma-inducing" for "victims of conversion therapy" and highlighted how events featuring Yiannopolous have led to calls for cancellation and violent incidents on college campuses.

Uncensored America, the campus group responsible for organizing the event described Yiannopolous as "the ultimate free speech martyr" and said the calls for cancellation prove "we dont live in an environment where people can truly speak freely," in a statement to the Centre Daily Times.

Despite the calls for the event's cancellation, the University has said it "lacks the right to do anything to stop it."

"As offensive and hurtful as Yiannopouloss comments have been and are likely to be again, and despite our own abhorrence for such statements and the promotional tactics used, Uncensored America has the undeniable Constitutional right to sponsor this presentation on our campus," said the University in a statement on the website.

An alternative event, called "Love is Louder," has been planned on campus and will take place from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. on the same evening as the Yiannopolous event.




Cooper Township, Pa. -- State police are seeking information on a suspicious man who approached a child near a school bus stop Tuesday in Montour County.

According to Pennsylvania State Police at Milton, the man was sitting in a silver compact sedan vehicle shortly around 4 p.m. at Tower Drive and Bloom Road in Cooper Township.

A school bus in the area dropped a child off and the man then repeatedly asked the child if they needed a ride home.

The unidentified man is described as being approximately in his mid to late 50s, heavy set, with a bald head and ginger/gray speckle mustache, facial/neck discoloration scarring, and he wore thick framed square glasses, according to state police.

The child was not harmed during the incident.

Anyone with information on similar incidents or have any information to supply with helping identify the suspicious person involved in this encounter may contact PSP Milton at (570) 524-2662 and reference incident number PA21-1432214.
Recent legislation on fuel options in Pa. centers energy use as a consumer's choice or right. As some states move away from natural gas, Senate Bill 275 would maintain Pennsylvania's allegiance to any and all energy sources. The bill was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday.

The bill, referred to as Energy Choice legislation, specifically calls for limitations upon municipal entities: it restricts bans of a specific type of fuel source for appliances and heating homes or businesses. According to Sen. Yaw's release on the bill, "the language is fuel-neutral and is not specific to one energy source."

Senators backing the legislation have presented an argument in favor of consumer choice in the energy industry. According to Senator Yaw, Pa. offers a range of energy options, but should allow consumers the individual choice to heat their homes and businesses with any fuel source. Yaw added that other states are passing or have already passed similar measures.

Some industry leaders consider energy choice in terms of financial incentives  especially for natural gas.

Over the past decade, natural gas utilities in Pennsylvania have added many new customers, said Terrance J. Fitzpatrick, President and CEO, Energy Association of Pennsylvania. These residents and businesses chose natural gas because it was the best way to meet their needs and stay within their budgets. This legislation preserves the right of citizens to make those choices, and we hope legislators of both parties will support it.

Individual financial appeals to natural gas may extend to economic appeals, according to leaders in Pa's industry sector.

It is imperative Pennsylvanias businesses retain the option to have access to every energy choice in order to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging global market, said Gene Barr, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

We are fortunate to have a variety of energy choices which provide us some of the lowest energy rates in the nation, said Jeff Nobers, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Works Together, a nonpartisan alliance of labor unions, business, and civic leaders.

To allow local governments to restrict that choice would pit municipalities and counties against one another and create an unworkable impact on the energy, utility, and construction industries, and arguably lead to significant cost increases for energy especially hurting the elderly and low-income residents, continued Nobers.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.




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'Monstrous abuser': Judge sentences man to 35 years in prison after he pleads guilty to abusing multiple women

Eliot Ryan Rutledge

Exposing significant patterns of abuse spanning a decade, six women spoke out against their abuser in court Thursday and saw him sentenced to prison.

Their stories showed the methods that Eliot Ryan Rutledge used to manipulate his victims, and led to his April 2019 arrest while in a drug rehab facility.

Rutledge, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges of false imprisonment, aggravated assault, battery and criminal damage to property. Floyd County Superior Court Senior Judge Tami Colston sentenced him to 35 years in prison alongside another 58 years on probation once the prison sentence is completed.

Im grateful that this part of their journey is over, Floyd County Assistant District Attorney Natalee Staats said. Im so proud of them and so amazed by the strength they have developed.

Prior to the sentencing, that journey to hold their abuser accountable brought six women together to learn they werent alone and werent to blame for their, or each others, abuse.

That path began in early 2019, when Kaley Parker had enough. She recorded an episode of abuse and shared that recording on her social media page.

Up to that point, several of the women said Rutledge had been able to manipulate former girlfriends into silence through lies and shame. By that time, they were beginning to realize they had nothing to be ashamed of and needed to stop him.

Parker, Lillian Shaw, Cassandra Loh, Cynthia Casey, Kali Crocker and Kaleigh McMillan stepped forward to share their stories and stop the pattern of serial abuse.

Former Rome police investigator Corey Bowers began an investigation and Rutledge was arrested. Hes been in jail without bond since. While he was criminally charged with abusing three of the women, the statute of limitations had run out on the other incidents. But the three other women were also present to share their stories about the pattern of abuse.

They spoke of the manipulation, the physical, sexual, social and emotional abuse. They spoke of being sexually assaulted and his threats to harm himself in a ploy to gain forgiveness for his actions.

At the same time, he would spread falsehoods about the women so others would not take their claims seriously.

There will always be a next victim

For one woman the abuse began while she and Rutledge were both at Cedartown High School in the mid-2000s.

Casey told the court specific instances of how she was abused as a young teen and how Rutledge isolated her from her family and manipulated his position as an upperclassman at the school to convince a teacher to get them alone when she attempted to get away.

On the other end of the timeline, Parker wrote in a statement of how his violent outbursts began in 2019 with him breaking her possessions.

At least its only my picture frame subjected to his rage, not me, she wrote to the court. That rapidly changed.

She went to wake him up to turn off a television and he began punching the TV. He then pulled out all her clothes and wiped his bloody hands on them. He cornered her and choked her, forcing his fingers down her throat.

At the same time, he manipulated her to make her feel as if it was her fault. She bandaged his hands, the hands that had choked her earlier, and scrubbed bloodstains.

She wrote to the court that for days she slept in the same bed, under the same covers with the same man who tried to murder me.

Shaw recounted numerous incidents of physical abuse and manipulation including one time when Rutledge held her down and began hurting her.

I yelled for him to stop and he didnt. I begged for him to stop and he didnt. I told him this was rape and then he stopped and started crying, she told the judge. Then he wanted her, the victim, to console him and worked to convince her that it was her fault.

She was finally able to break away from Rutledge and went to take out a restraining order against him. He then lied to the court, harassed her and her family online and began spreading false rumors about her in the local theater community.

Rutledge was well known in the Rome theater community and took part in a number of productions as well as in a few locally filmed movies. Some people believed him, Shaw said, and as a result she lost people shed thought were her friends.

While this man has no power over me anymore, hell forever be a threat to my safety, to my well-being, Shaw told the judge. There will always be a next victim.

Prior to the sentencing Rutledges father, Dwain Rutledge  who alongside Rutledges mother, listened to the womens statements  said we needed to be here to hear this.

Our son has mental issues and abuse issues, he said, asking the court to consider substance abuse and counseling in his sons sentence. He said theyd known each of the women over the years and welcomed them into their home, but never saw the signs.

Maybe I failed as a parent, he said.

Rutledge will be subject to a $10,000 blanket fine as he serves probation and must provide the phone number of anyone he is dating to his probation officer, Colston ordered. He is also court ordered to have no contact with witnesses or victims in the case.

Colston also ordered that police seize and destroy any of Rutledges laptops, computers or phones, to eradicate any trace of videos containing abuse that he may have had stored on the devices.

Im proud of you all for standing up, Judge Colston told the women. Dont be ashamed of anything that was done or not done. ... Youve done what you need to do to take your life back.
According to a report, Microsoft is developing a new Surface Laptop aimed at students. The device will be smaller than the current Surface Laptop Go and another attempt by Microsoft to combat compact Chromebooks' popularity. The smaller Surface Laptop will run Windows 11 SE too, a slimmed-down version of its latest OS.

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The Surface Laptop Go is comparatively small as Windows laptops go. However, Windows Central alleges that Microsoft is developing an even smaller alternative. The size of the Surface Laptop Go was not a problem when we reviewed it, but the lack of keyboard backlighting and its low-resolution display was.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft has codenamed the device 'Tenjin' and has equipped it with an 11.6-inch display. Inexplicably, the website claims that the compact panel has a 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution, much lower than the 1,536 x 1,024 one found in the Surface Laptop Go. Reputedly, Microsoft has also included 8 GB of RAM, although we would not be surprised to see 4 GB as an entry-level option.

Worse still, Windows Central believes that the compact Surface runs on an Intel Celeron N4120, a Gemini Lake processor that we have reviewed in numerous mini-PCs. Supposedly, the device lacks a Surface Connect port, which begs the question of why it belongs under the Surface brand at all. Nonetheless, Windows Central asserts that the small Surface Laptop has a USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C, a headphone jack and a barrel-shaped power connector, too.
DBi maintenance crews work on one of the Interstate 81 Exit 264 signs in May.
Miller: Take action to apply for rental and utility assistance in Iowa
U.S. Steel's flat-rolled division made $1 billion in the third quarter, as compared to a loss of $159 million in the third quarter of last year.

It's not either investing in our business or returning capital directly to stockholders, it's both," Burritt said. "Our future now includes a $300 million stock repurchase program and 5% per share quarterly dividend to begin directly rewarding stockholders for the progress we have made so far.

"We are confident in the long-term value our new, highly capable mini mill will create as it further expands our competitive advantage to produce sustainable and differentiated steel.

U.S. Steel will pay a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share, a 400% increase over the previous quarter. The steelmaker plans to return more value to shareholders by buying back $300 million in stock.
Next, mix water and a mild dish soap in a spray bottle and spray the plant with a generous amount of mixture. (I recommend doing all this outside). Let the plant dry indoors in a sink or bath tub. This should eliminate the bug problem.  Heloise

Website

Dear Readers: Have you been to my website recently? There are recipes, animal news and other interesting topics to explore. Visit www.Heloise.com .  Heloise

Dear Readers: As we're turning the corner on COVID and the economy recovers, you may find yourself interviewing for a new job or promotion. You need to talk during the interview, of course, to sell yourself, but what are some things you should NOT say? Let's take a look:

-- Never say: "I'm the greatest in my department." Boastfulness can be off-putting. Instead, say, "I'm proud of what I've accomplished."

-- Never say bad things about a past supervisor. If you're talking bad about him or her, you'll talk bad about your new boss. You can say what you've learned, but keep it professional.

-- Don't let on that you like to work alone. Whether it's your thing or not, you'll probably have group projects at some point. You must be a team player.

-- Never state that you are desperate for a job. The employer wants to know what skills you can add to the position. Research the company and talk about that and what your contributions can be. Specific examples of how you grew your previous department would be helpful.

-- Always ask questions about the position and what the expectations and goals are. The one question NOT to ask: What is the salary? The employer wants to know what you can bring to the company before they offer you a compensation package.

Good luck in your job search. Let your confidence and your verbal skills shine, but just be careful not to say the wrong things. -- Heloise

TECH TALK TUESDAY

Dear Readers: We've probably all deposited a check remotely at this point by taking a picture of the check on the financial institution's app. But did you know you can pay bills the same way?

It's called Picture Pay, and it's easy. First, take a picture of the billing statement. Then, in your bank's app, confirm the amount to be paid and submit the payment. Your bank uses technology called optical character recognition (OCR). OCR reads the information from your bill and, with built-in analytics, the bill gets paid.

You don't have to enter your account number or the name of the company either. The computer software does all of that. Check it out. -- Heloise

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Dear Heloise: My friend lost her son tragically to distracted driving. He was shooting video with his phone while driving and took his eyes off the road for just five seconds. That was enough for him to lose control of the car, and he crashed.

My friend wants you to know: Distracted driving is, yes, fussing with your phone, but it is also putting on makeup, fiddling with the radio, eating while driving -- anything that takes your focus and eyes off the road. -- Marisol R. in Texas

Marisol, I'm so sorry about your friend's son. Readers: you must concentrate on driving when you are behind the wheel. -- Heloise

HAIR CARE

Dear Readers: Protecting your hair from chlorine in the pool is smart. Coat dry hair with a tiny glom of hair conditioner especially made for swimmers; it's a good barrier from chlorine. -- Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
VALPARAISO  Bond has been set at $5,000 cash and $25,000 surety for a 25-year-old man charged with molesting a girl as she slept at a Portage home, court records show.

Brian Wadas, who is listed with addresses in Valparaiso and Lake Station, made an initial court appearance before Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish on a Level 1 felony charge of child molesting, and lesser felony counts of child molesting and neglect of a dependent. A Level 1 felony carries a potential prison term of between 20 and 40 years.

Wadas was ordered by the judge to have no further contact with the alleged victim while his criminal case proceeds and if he bonds out jail, he will be placed on pretrial release supervision, court records show.

Wadas has hired defense attorneys Richard Busse and Amy Commean, according to court records.

Future court hearings were set for Dec. 20 and Jan. 24, the court said.

The alleged victim, who is only identified as being less than 14 years of age and is known to Wadas, told her mother that on March 23 Wadas had touched her inappropriately, police said.
"There was no evidence presented that Cheryl Pratt induced, caused, threatened or otherwise coerced (alleged victim) to sign the quit claim deeds," the motion reads. "Rather, the undisputed evidence presented showed that it was (alleged victim's) intent that the property be transferred to Cheryl Pratt."

Prosecutors said the homeowner created a trust in March 1997, and Pratt was not mentioned. An amendment was added in August 2012 spelling out that two appraisals were to be done before the home was sold, and again, Pratt was not mentioned.

Another amendment done in January 2017 states the home was to be appraised and the first right of refusal given to Pratt, police said. The selling price would reflect a deduction for a $25,000 loan made by Pratt a few years earlier and home improvements to be done by Pratt.

Pratt began improving a 500-square-foot section of the home, and police believe she fraudulently billed for labor not done because it would reduce the purchase price.

A further amendment done April 12, 2017  eight days before the homeowner's death  removed the trustee and health care representative, police said. The two-sentence amendment was peculiar in that it was handwritten on notebook paper, no witnesses were listed, and the homeowner's signature was not as clear as previous signatures by her.
Gov. Eric Holcomb finally has filled his three seats on the Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission after it was controversially reconstituted in April by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

The Republican chief executive on Thursday appointed to the commission: Heather Delgado, of Munster, a partner at the Barnes & Thornburg law firm; David Wickland, of Munster, an attorney in private practice; and Todd Williams, of St. John, vice president of lending at American Community Bank.

They join Alfredo Estrada, a partner at the Burke Costanza & Carberry law firm in Merrillville; Brandy Darling, Lake County deputy prosecutor; and Aimbrell Holmes, Gary city court administrator, who were appointed in June by the Lake County Board of Commissioners.

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush has picked Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa to serve as commission chairman.

Previously, Lake County lawyers and judges, instead of the governor, selected half the commissioners that evaluate applicants when there's a judicial vacancy on the Lake Superior Court and recommends finalists to the governor for his appointment.
Young's trial was delayed at one point because he attempted to offer up information about another case to strike a deal, but he was ultimately convicted of murder for his "cowardly" act, she said.

Beach's children loved him and will forever be affected by his death, she said.

"It was heart-wrenching for Miles' children to lose their dad in such a violent way," she said.

Tavitas said he represented Young in a previous case, so he's known Young for about 21 years.

"Victor has not had an easy life," he said.

In a short statement, Young apologized to Beach's family.

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Grindlay said Young's criminal history showed he's "defiant, lawless and violent."

"Miles Beach was unarmed, running away when he was shot in the back," Grindlay said. "It's difficult to conceive of a more egregious and cowardly act."

Young's criminal history began at age 13 and included three juvenile adjudications, three misdemeanor convictions and three felony convictions, he said.

Young was not successful on probation and was placed on lockdown at the Lake County Jail six times for his conduct, Grindlay said.
The SoToxa instrument is designed to report results within five minutes from the time the sample is entered into the device. SoToxa requires one oral fluid sample, taken by swabbing, usually under the tongue, for the instrument to screen for all six drugs.

The fluid swab is inserted into the handheld analyzer. Within a few minutes, the device lists drugs with a positive or negative rating. Officers can print out the results.

The SoToxa test is not admissible evidence in court, explained Hobart Police Lt. Ronald Russo, and Indiana drivers may refuse the test. It is a screening device, he said, but, similar to portable breath tests, SoToxa can further establish probable cause. The officer can use probable cause, Russo explained, to make an arrest, administer a certified breath test, take the suspect for medical treatment, and apply for a warrant to administer a blood draw.

Officials noted that driving under the influence of any substance, legal or illegal, is against the law in all 50 states. If drug presence is verified, Russo noted, the subject can also be charged with operating while under a controlled substance.
Security searched and located the baby in the vehicle parked in the emergency room parking lot, police said.

Carlson reportedly told police she, her boyfriend and child had moved from Sacramento, California, to Indiana five days prior. The group had stayed with a friend in La Crosse the first two days but had to move because the situation became dangerous.

She said her 41-year-old boyfriend had been admitted to Northwest Health Porter Hospital three days prior, and she and her baby had been living in the vehicle in the hospital parking lot, according to the incident report.

Carlson claimed to have left the baby alone for 10 minutes Thursday morning while going into the hospital to talk to nursing staff about her boyfriend, police said.

"Shanelle advised she felt (the child) would be safe inside the vehicle, as he was in his car seat and the vehicle's doors were all locked," according to the police report.

Video surveillance footage showed Carlson entered the hospital without the child at 9:10 a.m. and then was escorted out with security at 9:58 a.m., amounting to the child being left alone for 48 minutes, police said.

Carlson is a registered sex offender out of Los Angeles with a non-compliant registration status, according to police.
It's that time of year when kids run around in costume to load up on as much candy as they can.

Several communities around the Calumet Region are planning trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating events, including one in which more than 40 businesses are passing out or donating candy in downtown Michigan City.

Michigan City

Franciscan Health Michigan City will host a free trunk-or-treat from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Homer Street campus at 301 W. Homer St.

The Indiana Department of Child Services and Franciscan Health Michigan City invite the the public to the free event at the south side Barker Street parking lot. There will be free food and individually wrapped candy for the kids.

Masks are required.

Trick-Or-Treat On Franklin Street will take place between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Michigan City.
It should have been of great concern when campaigning for the presidency what Joe Biden was saying about his immigration plans. As we can see he's created a disaster on the Southern border that has allowed at least 1 million people to illegally enter our country.

Since Congressman Frank Mrvan was campaigning for the 1st congressional seat in Washington to represent Northwest Indiana he has neglected all my calls, emails, etc. requesting where he stood on any of the issues.

With the pandemic still raging why is our border as open as it is? Why are our tax dollars being used to transport to the interior of our country and house those illegally here? These are just some of the questions Congressman Mrvan won't answer.

Congressman you work for the people of your district and you need to answer to us and not bow down to Nancy Pelosi and her political agenda.

Greg Serbon, Crown Point

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Lockport Township High School senior Sophia Marcial has earned a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture exam.

Marcial was one of 77 students in the world to notch a top score of 5 on the test administered in May.

I was so impressed with Sophias brilliance in expressing herself in academic Spanish in the Spanish for Heritage Learners course, that I recommended that she advance to AP Spanish Language and Culture her sophomore year, a recommendation that I had never made before," Andrea Quintanar, one of Marcial's language teachers, said in a statement. "Her AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher, Kathy Pratt, was equally impressed, and as a result, she was recommended for AP Spanish Literature."

Quintar noted that, in this course, Murcial displayed her ability to connect global and historical context to the literary works through revealing analysis, as well as offering her insight to benefit her peers.

"Her linguistic talent is not limited to Spanish and English, as Ms. Marcial has been able to excel in Japanese as she continues her advanced studies in Spanish," Quintanar said.
PARIS  More than a century after French colonial troops ransacked a West African royal palace and took its treasures, President Emmanuel Macron of France on Wednesday began the formal transfer of 26 of those artifacts to Benin in the first large-scale act of restitution to Africa by a former European colonial power.

Mr. Macron spoke at a ceremony at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, where the objects are on display for the last time, through Oct. 31. The president will complete the transfer in a signing ceremony with President Patrice Talon of Benin at the Elysee Palace, after which the treasures will permanently leave France.

The restitution of the objects is a tangible and powerfully symbolic result of a confluence of events in Europe: a belated reckoning with its colonial past, fueled by a contemporary questioning of sexism, racism and other social inequalities.

That re-examination has been particularly fraught in France, which maintained strong ties to its former colonies in Africa decades after they became officially independent. The restitution is part of Mr. Macrons attempt to reset relations with them even as he has tried to deflect a conservative backlash domestically.
Citigroup told employees on Thursday that it would require vaccination against Covid-19 as a condition of employment in the United States, making it the first major bank to issue such a mandate.

It has become crystal clear that Covid-19 will not be going away anytime soon, Sara Wechter, the companys head of human resources, wrote in a LinkedIn post describing the new policy.

Ms. Wechter cited two catalysts for the decision. First, because the bank does business with the federal government, it has an obligation to comply with President Bidens executive order requiring vaccination for people working on government contracts. And mandating vaccinations will also allow the bank to ensure the health and safety of our colleagues as we return to the office, she wrote.

Citi will consider requests for medical and religious exemptions and will will do all we can to help our colleagues comply with this new requirement, Ms. Wechter wrote.
Yet running for one office while publicly eyeing a higher one can be precarious. Just as the race for governor is heating up, Mr. Williams has had to navigate criticism from his opponents that he is not focused on his job as an ombudsman for the public.

New Yorkers deserve someone who is focused on crime, the economy, the issues that are specific to New York City, Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil, the Republican nominee for public advocate, said in a debate with Mr. Williams earlier this month. If you are running for governor, theres also the fact that you would be distracted campaigning for governor.

The office of public advocate was created to help diversify the citys leadership and potentially serve as a launching pad to higher office. Both Ms. James, who became the first Black woman elected to citywide office when she became public advocate in 2014, and Mayor Bill de Blasio held the post.

Antonio Reynoso, a Democratic councilman from Brooklyn who is likely to win election as the borough president of Brooklyn, is on Mr. Williamss exploratory committee along with Mr. Lander, also a councilman from Brooklyn and the Democratic nominee for city comptroller.
But defiance of the mandate is running high among some workers. In a protest outside the mayors residence, Gracie Mansion, on Thursday, many demonstrators wore sweatshirts and shirts bearing Fire Department engine and ladder company numbers from across the city. Union leaders led chants of Hold the line! and took aim at Mr. de Blasio for ordering vaccinations on what they said was too short a timeline.

Andrew Ansbro, the president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, a firefighters union, said he had instructed all his members  vaccinated or not  to come to work on Monday in hopes of demonstrating that if any are turned away, the possible loss of life of life caused by understaffing would be on the mayors head.

Its his choice to put the lives hes entrusted with in jeopardy, Mr. Ansbro told the protesters.

With the mayoral election looming next Tuesday, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican contender and an opponent of the vaccine mandate, also attended Thursdays protest and said that there would soon be garbage everywhere if sanitation workers stay home.

The city is in bad shape now, and itll be in worse shape when you call 911, Mr. Sliwa said.

The Democratic mayoral nominee and overwhelming favorite, Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, supports the mandate, but he has said he would have worked more closely with unions than Mr. de Blasio did to implement it.

The mandate applies to roughly 160,000 city employees at some three dozen agencies, including some with very high vaccination rates among their staff, such as the Landmarks Preservation Commission, with a perfect 100 percent, and the Mayors Office at 96 percent. An additional 140,000 city workers, mainly hospital, public health and school employees, were already required to be vaccinated under earlier mandates.
Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. were among the great champions of progressive ideas in the 20th century. But they didnt exist within an insular, self-validating community whose values and assumptions were often at odds with those of the rest of society.

Increasingly, that cannot be said of modern progressivism.

Modern progressivism is in danger of becoming dominated by a relatively small group of people who went to the same colleges, live in the same neighborhoods and have trouble seeing beyond their subcultures point of view.

If you want a simple way to see the gap between this subculture and the rest of the country, look at Rotten Tomatoes. People who write critically about movies and shows often have different tastes than the audiences around them, especially when politics is involved.

Hillbilly Elegy was a movie in which the hero was widely known, in real life, to be a Republican. Audiences liked the movie fine. It has an 83 percent positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Culture writers frequently loathed it. It has a 25 percent positive critics score. Thats a 58-point gap.
Clearview AI scraped more than 10 billion photos from the public internet to build a facial-recognition tool that it marketed to law enforcement agencies for identifying unknown people. Critics have said the companys product is illegal, unethical and untested. Now, more than two years after law enforcement officers first started using the companys app, Clearviews algorithm  what allows it to match faces to photos  has been put to a third-party test for the first time. It performed surprisingly well.

In a field of over 300 algorithms from over 200 facial recognition vendors, Clearview ranked among the top 10 in terms of accuracy, alongside NTechLab of Russia, Sensetime of China and other more established outfits. But the test that Clearview took reveals how accurate its algorithm is at correctly matching two different photos of the same person, not how accurate it is at finding a match for an unknown face in a database of 10 billion of them.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, a unique federal agency that is also a scientific lab, administers its Face Recognition Vendor Tests every few months. There are two versions of the test, one for verification  which is the kind of facial recognition someone might use to open a smartphone  and another for what are called one-to-many, or 1: N searches, which are the kind used by law enforcement authorities to identify someone by looking through a big database. Oddly, Clearview submitted its algorithm for the former test, rather than the latter one, which is what its product is built to do.

Clearview AIs C.E.O., Hoan Ton-That, called the results an unmistakable validation of his companys product. He also said the company would be submitting shortly to the one-to-many test.
SAN FRANCISCO  Facebook rose to prominence over the past two decades with some of the worlds most recognizable branding: a big blue-and-white letter F.

No longer. On Thursday, the social networking giant took an unmistakable step toward an overhaul, de-emphasizing Facebooks name and rebranding itself as Meta. The change was accompanied by a new corporate logo designed like an infinity-shaped symbol that was slightly askew. Facebook and its other apps, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, will remain but under the Meta umbrella.

The move punctuates how Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive, plans to refocus his Silicon Valley company on what he sees as the next digital frontier, which is the unification of disparate digital worlds into something called the metaverse. At the same time, renaming Facebook may help distance the company from the social networking controversies it is facing, including how it is used to spread hate speech and misinformation.

Ive been thinking a lot about our identity with this new chapter, Mr. Zuckerberg said, speaking at a virtual event on Thursday to showcase Facebooks technological bets on the future. Over time, I hope were seen as a metaverse company.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  As a series of videos depicting a violent rally in Charlottesville, Va., were played in court on Thursday, Elizabeth Sines reached for a tissue to wipe away her tears. Racist chants could be heard in the footage of a torch-lit march, along with the chilling screams after one rallygoer drove his car into a stunned crowd of counterprotesters, killing a woman.

Ms. Sines, who took some of the videos, was among the nine plaintiffs who appeared in court for the first time as opening statements began in the civil case stemming from that far-right rally in August 2017. The plaintiffs, sitting behind their lawyers, faced two rows of defendants  white nationalists and neo-Nazis  and their lawyers across the courtroom.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages from the main organizers of the Charlottesville rally, accusing them of violating the civil rights of minorities by plotting violence against them beforehand, which is illegal under a law dating from the Civil War era.

Roberta Kaplan, one of two lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, said they had waited four long years for their moment in court. No matter what they do and no matter how far from Charlottesville they go, they continue to carry with them the pain and trauma that they experienced during those two days, she said. The defendants planned for violence, executed the violence and then celebrated the violence.
A test for Brazils president

We reported yesterday that Brazilian senators voted to recommend crimes against humanity charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for his handling of the pandemic, the first major legal challenge of its kind against a world leader.

After a six-month investigation, they concluded that Bolsonaro had essentially allowed the coronavirus to tear through Brazil on purpose to try to reach herd immunity, said our colleague Jack Nicas, a Times correspondent in Brazil.

Bolsonaro, a strident right-wing populist, has long downplayed the virus. He discouraged masks, encouraged large gatherings and vocally promoted unproven drugs like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.

A lot of the things that are being discussed in the report, he did openly, Jack said. This was not a secret plot, but something that has been part of his public pronouncements from the beginning of the pandemic.

The findings have split Brazil, which was already a deeply divided country. Some, following Bolsonaros lead, consider the panel to be a politically motivated sham. For many others, the televised hearings were cathartic in a country where more than 606,000 people have died from the coronavirus  the most recorded deaths in the world after the U.S.

His poll numbers have spiraled as the death count has risen, Jack added. A large part of the country sees the panel as one of the only institutions that is trying to hold the government responsible for its mishandling of the pandemic.
The lawsuit was only about the need to run such programs lawfully, he said. We believe the punitive damages award was a strong message that an employer cannot just fire employees based on their race or gender to create opportunities to achieve diversity targets. That is plainly unlawful and very harmful, and that is what the jury denounced here.

Novant Health said that it disagreed with the verdict.

We are extremely disappointed with the verdict, as we believe it is not supported by the evidence presented at trial, which includes our reason for Mr. Duvalls termination, Novant Health said in a statement. We will pursue all legal options, including appeal, over the next several weeks and months.

Novant Health, a nonprofit organization with more than 35,000 employees, said the verdict would have no effect on its efforts to diversify its work force.

Novant Health is one of thousands of organizations to put in place robust diversity and inclusion programs, which we believe can coexist alongside strong nondiscriminatory policies that extend to all races and genders, including white men, the organization said. Its important for all current and future team members to know that this verdict will not change Novant Healths steadfast commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity for all.

In his lawsuit, Mr. Duvall said that he had a successful career in marketing and public relations when Novant Health hired him as a senior vice president of marketing and communications on Aug. 5, 2013.

On July 30, 2018, Novant Health fired him without warning and ordered him off the premises immediately, the lawsuit states.

Mr. Duvall said that his superior had told him that his termination had nothing to do with his work performance and that he had done everything asked of him and more, according to the lawsuit. Mr. Duvalls job performance had been very highly rated, both internally and externally, the lawsuit states.
And even as party members have engaged in a fierce, ideological debate among themselves, the monthslong negotiation has thrown into stark relief the differences between Democrats and Republicans, almost all of whom have refused to back spending on child care, climate change, preschool, expanded Medicare services, free community college or higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

Mr. Biden and his aides gambled on Thursday, effectively calling for a final decision on his economic and environmental agenda and daring holdout Democrats not to back it. Senior administration officials said that the decision to go all-in was a product of the presidents belief that he had exhausted all avenues in the talks and secured the best possible package he could  and, crucially, that the package could command support from all corners of a fickle Democratic caucus.

But as he prepared to land in Rome, Mr. Bidens bet had not yet paid off. He had not ended months of intraparty squabbling that has dragged down his poll ratings, jeopardized Democratic candidates and raised deep doubts among Americans that his presidency can deliver on the promises of a vast social and economic agenda.

In the closed-door session on Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic lawmakers that when the president gets off that plane, we want him to have a vote of confidence from this Congress. She urged them to vote on Thursday on a separate, bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure measure that progressives have seen as their best leverage to ensure passage of the rest of Mr. Bidens agenda.

Instead, for the second time in a month, Ms. Pelosi pulled back from plans on that vote after progressive Democrats objected again. They ignored the presidents entreaties, signaling their continued mistrust of moderate Democratic senators, whom they fear will not back Mr. Bidens larger social spending bill when it finally comes to a vote.
As tens of millions of Americans remain unvaccinated, state and local governments have introduced mandates requiring public employees be fully inoculated against the coronavirus. And while orders in some localities have translated into a last minute surge in vaccination rates, they are also met with steadfast refusal, leading to legal challenges or concerns over staffing issues.

Washington States mandate, one of the strictest in the country, went into effect on Monday. The order requires more than 800,000 public workers to be fully inoculated against the coronavirus, save for a religious or medical exemption, or risk losing their jobs. Yet as the mandate kicked in, some resistance remained firm.

The Washington State Patrol announced that 127 employees left the agency, or just under 6 percent of its work force. In one high profile case, Washington State University fired its football coach, Nick Rolovich, and four of his assistants, for their failure to comply.

Similar issues are playing out elsewhere across the country. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio took one of his administration's most aggressive steps yet by requiring that all municipal workers get at least one shot by the end of the month or risk losing their paychecks. The order was met with mixed reactions from unions representing those workers, though many agree that the move could burden city agencies by leading to widespread resignations or early retirements.
Political yard signs are no longer just election-season events. Conservative counties are rife with signs expressing support for Trump, though he holds no office and is not currently running for anything. And the In This House sign has spawned many flattering imitations and absurdist parodies. There are versions for neoliberals, YIMBYs, conservatives, conspiracists, fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and people irked by the triteness of the original sign. In 2017, Garveys poster was acquired for the archives of the National Womans Party  an organization which had, a century earlier, led the most militant fringe of the American suffrage movement. Its a remarkable outcome for an artifact born from such a humble tradition: mom-related decor.

If you have visited a beach town bric-a-brac shop, browsed a farmhouse-style Pinterest board or stayed in a generic Airbnb rental, the In This House sign format may be familiar. In This House, the sign begins, followed by a list of aphoristic family rules, such as We Do Hugs, We Do Mistakes, We Do Loud Really Well or We Do Family. Often the messages are overtly sanctimonious (We Do Prayer). Sometimes they end with a saucy twist (We Cheer for Clemson). Like other incantations in the momcore canon, the sign is often printed on a purposefully distressed plank in a scramble of fonts  perhaps a gloopy typewriter style punctuated with bursts of spindly cursive. The whole decor category (see also: Thou Shalt Not Try Me and Mama Needs Her Wine) features a mother character who serves as the fun if beleaguered keeper of her familys moral compass. Though In This House, We is phrased like a disciplinary guide for children, the signs feel directed at the adults in the room, reminding them of their own mission amid the chaos of parenting.

When this genre of sign was translated into a symbol of the #resistance, it left the living room and entered the public sphere. The target audience expanded from the family unit to passing neighbors and total strangers. Now the sign suggested a culture-wide lesson plan, even as its framing (in this house) remained individualistic. It was attuned to meet a particular cultural moment for liberal white women, who were experiencing not just a political crisis but a reputational one.

The typical member of Pantsuit Nation may have felt personally attacked by Trumps win, but she was also made to feel responsible for it. One of the most memorable signs of the 2017 Womens March read, Dont forget: White women voted for Trump, punctuated by an ominous scrawl of red marker. Initial exit polls suggested that Trump won more than 50 percent of white women voters, and that figure formed a powerful narrative that implicated the whole demographic. Though it was the overwhelming support of white men that swept Trump into office, it was the ambivalent position of white women that became an object of public fascination. The allegation was that liberal white women had failed, metaphorically speaking, to clean their own house. In 2018, the Pew Research Center released a more solid analysis of the 2016 electorate which determined that 47 percent of white women voted for Trump, edging out the 45 percent for Clinton. However you sliced it, white women were split roughly down the middle, suggesting a tense battle for the soul of the demographic.
Mr. Gaston developed a compositional language, informed by his training in Western classical and contemporary music, that evoked but did not imitate Thai music, said Kit Young, an American pianist, composer and artistic adviser who is the co-founder of Gitameit Music Institute in Myanmar and who lived in Thailand for many years.

Bruce Gaston was born on March 11, 1946, in Los Angeles to Marcus and Evangelin Gaston. His mother was a schoolteacher, his father a pastor. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelors degree in philosophy and earned a masters degree in music in 1969. He received a draft deferment during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector and was assigned to alternative service as a teacher overseas.

Mr. Gaston traveled to Jamaica before moving to Thailand, where he became entranced by the Thai music that was played during cremation ceremonies at a temple near his home, his son said. In 1971 he developed a curriculum in music at Payap College, in the northern city of Chiangmai.

Mr. Gaston began experimenting with combining Thai and Western forms and wrote an opera on Buddhist themes called Chu Chok in 1976. It was performed at the Goethe Institute in Thailand and in Germany in 1977 and 1978. He studied in Bangkok with Boonyong Kaetkhong, a master of the ranat, an instrument that is similar to a xylophone.

Mr. Gaston and another musician, Jirapan Ansvananda, founded Fong Nam in 1981.

If you want to have influences from the West, great, Theodore Gaston said, but better to use it as a flavor and not the main thing. That is the Fong Nam way. If you listen, you can tell that its pretty much Thai.

Fong Nam recorded a series of CDs of traditional music for the Nimbus, Celestial Harmonies and Marco Polo labels, said John Clewley, a Bangkok-based British professor of music who writes a column called World Beat for The Bangkok Post.
Roshan Mishra recalls standing inside the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, staring into the eyes of a wooden goddess that he believed was the same artifact that had disappeared nearly 50 years earlier from a local temple in Nepals Kathmandu Valley, where he lives.

Mishra, director of the Taragaon Museum in Kathmandu, describes that encounter, in 2019, as the event that inspired him to create a digital archive of nearly 3,000 Nepalese artifacts that he believes are being held by museums outside the country.

Two years later, the archive that he operates with his wife is at the heart of a citizen-led effort to use the internet to find the missing gods and goddesses, Buddhas and bodhisattvas that have been looted from Nepal.

Emails now arrive daily from antiquities experts and hobbyists with tips and finds, a process that has helped a small, resource-strapped country persuade some of the worlds most prestigious museums to part with precious artifacts.
BURNING BOY

The Life and Work of Stephen Crane

By Paul Auster

Paul Auster and Stephen Crane were both born in Newark. Other than that, you wouldnt think they had a lot in common. Crane is among the least cerebral of writers. Hes interested not in ideas but in experience and sensation, which he describes in language thats vivid, direct and often metaphorical. Auster, on the other hand, is the dean of American postmodernists, one of those writers whose books are always chasing their own narrative tails. His sentences are long, allusive and sometimes deliberately flat. But, for all their differences, Auster loves Crane and cares so much about his reputation that in this enormous, impassioned book he has taken it upon himself to restore him to his rightful place in the American canon.

If youre of a certain age, you were probably assigned Cranes Red Badge of Courage in high school  partly in recognition of its genuine greatness and partly on the mistaken assumption that its antiwar. But as Auster points out, even that book has lately fallen off the reading lists and Crane is now read, if hes read at all, only by grad students and lit majors. Austers book is aimed, instead, at civilians, so-called general readers, and he must think they have a lot of stamina. Burning Boy is seldom dull  its often thrilling, in fact, to see a contemporary American writer engage so deeply with one of his forebears  but it can be exhausting.

Though you wouldnt know it from the length of this book, one of the challenges of writing Cranes life is that there was so little of it. He died in June 1900, when he was just 28, and left behind few of the clues biographers usually rely on: no diary or journal, few letters that reveal much. In 1923, Cranes first biographer, Thomas Beer, solved that problem by simply making things up, including people; when he needed a letter, he forged one. Crane scholars ever since have been trying to get the facts straight, and Auster, who has thoroughly mastered all this material, takes more time than he probably needs to lead his readers through the weeds of whats reliable and what isnt. He also devotes at least half the book to the work, not the life. On the assumption that his reader is unfamiliar with Crane, he summarizes and quotes extensively. Crane should be read while youre sitting bolt upright in your chair, Auster says, and he needs to be read slowly and deliberately, sentence by sentence, with brief pauses  to digest the full import of what they contain. For long stretches here, Auster does just that, unpacking Crane paragraph by paragraph, line by line, sometimes word by word. He is an excellent reader, it turns out, alert to all the nuances and surprises of Cranes style, but these lengthy passages of analysis inevitably slow the book down and can make you forget that Cranes was a life lived at a hectic, almost frantic pace.

[ Read an excerpt from Burning Boy. ]

The official cause of Cranes death was tuberculosis (not the only way he reminds you of Keats), but as Austers title suggests, a case could be made that he simply burned himself out. He was born in 1871, the ninth surviving child of old-school Methodists. His father was a minister of the sort who took a dim view of dancing, drinking and card playing. His mother wrote temperance tracts. Crane rebelled early: He was drinking and smoking by the age of 6, and he quickly developed a fondness for poker as well. He attended college for just two semesters: one at Lafayette and one at Syracuse, where he seldom went to class but was elected captain of the baseball team.
By way of a smoking gun, Goldstone remarks in her books closing lines that although the preserved heart of a child long believed to have been Louis-Charles was tested for DNA against Marie Antoinettes and found to be a match in 2000  Goldstone wrongly dates this event to 2004  in a curious omission, Louiss remains were never publicly tested for paternity. What Goldstone herself curiously omits to mention is that the test was for mitochondrial DNA, which carries genes from only the maternal line.

This fall, French researchers announced that they had used X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to decrypt Marie Antoinettes private letters to Fersen, the heavy redactions of which have thwarted would-be sleuths (including this reviewer) for generations. In a blow to gossips, The New York Times reported, the contents do not clarify whether they were having an affair. Nevertheless, Goldstone has persisted. In a video on her website, she elaborates on her thesis that Fersen slept with and impregnated the queen, clinching her case with the assertion that he must have done so because experts have determined that Louis XVI was autistic. By experts, Goldstone apparently means one Dr. Linda Gray, a noted developmental pediatrician in New Haven, Conn., whom, she writes in her book, she contacted  about Louiss behavior without identifying him. The child you describe, Goldstone quotes Gray as responding, checks every box for autism spectrum disorder. If correct, this hypothesis would perhaps explain much about the character of the shy and self-conscious French king. It would not, however, prove that he was unable or unwilling to procreate with his wife. In any case, Grays words cannot fairly be termed a diagnosis, given that Louis died in 1793; yet to Goldstone, they qualify as compelling historical evidence.

Such misleading statements are particularly troubling because they repeat the pattern of prurient fake news that destroyed Marie Antoinette in the first place. Like Maria Theresa (who had to fight a nearly eight-year war to uphold her right to succeed her sonless father as the ruler of the Hapsburg Empire) and Maria Carolina (whom Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have grudgingly praised as the only man in the Kingdom of Naples, only to oust her from her throne and send her into exile), Marie Antoinette lived in a misogynistic political culture that dealt harshly with powerful women. From the moment she arrived at Versailles from her native Austria in 1770, Louiss 14-year-old bride met with implacable hostility from many high-placed figures at court. Some of her antagonists opposed the Austrian diplomatic alliance that her marriage to Louis was meant to ratify; others, such as her husbands brother Provence (later Louis XVIII) and his cousin Chartres (later Philippe-Egalite), hoped that if their kinsmans marriage failed, they might become king themselves. To advance their agendas, these adversaries cast her as a blight on the honor of her husband and of France: an amoral, debauched and lascivious whore. They circulated pamphlets depicting her in orgiastic romps with her closest female friends, her stylist and her husbands younger brother, dArtois (later Charles X), among others. As it happens, these publications often called her children bastards, but typically named dArtois, not Fersen, as the father.

Once the revolution broke out in 1789, opponents of the crown adopted the same strategy, churning out still more pornographic leaflets portraying lAutrichienne  literally the Austrian woman, but also a play on the word for a female dog  in still more X-rated scenarios. This smear campaign reached its apogee, or its nadir, at the trial that condemned her to death in October 1793, when the prosecutor for the new republican government accused Marie Antoinette of committing incest with 8-year-old Louis-Charles. To explain these unusual charges, Goldstone notes that the prosecution had evidently decided that the queen had to stand in on a visceral level for the corruption and depravity of the monarchy in general.  This was done by building on the image presented of her in the pamphlets. This is correct. If only Goldstone had brought the same acumen to her own debatable suppositions about Marie Antoinettes sex life.
Richard Hammer, an award-winning author who in more than a dozen books explored crimes ranging from the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War to a securities fraud case involving the Vatican Bank, died on Oct. 17 in a hospice facility in the Bronx. He was 93.

The cause was heart failure, his son Joshua said.

Mr. Hammers account of the My Lai slaughter in 1968, One Morning in the War: The Tragedy of Son My (1970), was frequently reviewed alongside one by Seymour M. Hersh, who had broken the story  My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and Its Aftermath. (The village of Son My included the hamlet of My Lai.)

Richard Hammer  knowing perhaps that Hersh had the jump on him  tried to put the incident in perspective and thereby ended up writing the better book, the book critic Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in The New York Times.

He took the time, he added, to explain the gradual depersonalization of the Vietnamese in American soldiers eyes  to make us understand how even women and children begin to seem hated and dangerous.
The legislative process is rarely pretty. It highlights political divisions and can feel disconnected from peoples lives. When a big bill is making its way through Congress, voters are often turned off.

The central piece of President Bidens agenda has followed the pattern. It has caused squabbles among Democrats, and the plan has already shrunk nearly by half, disappointing progressives, amusing Republicans and providing grist for critical media coverage.

Eventually, though, the process behind a bills passage tends to fade into history. What matters far more is a bills substance. And if Congress passes anything resembling the legislative framework that Biden announced yesterday, it will be highly consequential.

That was the main message I heard from policy experts yesterday when I asked them to assess the framework. Compared with Bidens original proposal, it looks paltry. Compared with the status quo, it looks like a big deal.
Rebranding a company amid a crisis or as a way to signal a shift in focus has been a popular corporate strategy for decades. But does it really help companies shed their image issues, or do customers see a name change as window dressing?

According to one expert, rebranding is often used to update a companys name to reflect cultural changes in consumer behavior or values, as when Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC, dropping the fried as consumers increasingly looked for healthier choices. In other instances, brands rename themselves after mergers or acquisitions, to signal a new direction, or to distance themselves from negative publicity.

The success of a name change depends upon companies educating existing customers about the rationale for the name change in a way that is compelling, said Jill Avery, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School who focuses on brand management. If the name change appears illegitimate, inauthentic or done for the wrong reasons, firms risk injuring their relationships with consumers.

In the case of Facebook, which said on Thursday that it was changing its corporate name to Meta, the downside risk was minimal for the company, she said, since it changed its corporate brand and not its product brand.
NAXOS, Greece  On the windswept western tip of one of Greeces largest islands, an unassuming stone building above the Aegean Sea has become an unlikely outpost in this countrys fight against climate change.

Camouflaged inside is a new power station linked to an 180-mile undersea electricity cable that ties Naxos to a chain of other breezy vacation playgrounds, allowing the islands to ditch their oil-burning generators for renewable power from Greeces abundant wind and sun.

Nearby islands have become zero-carbon laboratories for companies like Volkswagen to fan out electric cars and wire communities for clean energy. Changes are underway on the mainland too, where dirty lignite coal mines that powered Greece for decades are being fast-tracked for closure.
The Levins are a family thick with political achievement. Mrs. Liebers first cousin, Carl Levin, was a Democratic senator from Michigan (he died in July), and his brother, Sandy, was a Democratic representative from the state; Sandys son Andy now holds the same seat. One of Mrs. Liebers sons, Janno, is the acting chairman and chief executive of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Mrs. Lieber studied social psychology at the University of Chicago, where she received a bachelors degree in 1949 and a masters in 1951. The university was at the forefront of sociological research and education, and she and many other students were among a vanguard that brought the universitys insights into the private sector.

After graduation she moved to New York, where she worked at the Bureau of Applied Social Research, an institute at Columbia run by the sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld. During World War II, Dr. Lazarsfeld and his colleagues had developed techniques for testing and tweaking government information, most notably through the use of what they called the focused interview.

Instead of asking people to complete a survey to see whether they liked a program, Dr. Lazarsfelds team would assemble people in a room and probe why  an approach he brought to corporate clients after the war ended.

Mrs. Lieber helped refine those methods, at Columbia and later at a research firm in Britain. Dr. Lazarsfelds first groups had gathered in dingy rooms, with his team watching from a corner. Now they were given snacks and sat in comfortable chairs in well-lit areas as they chatted informally with a facilitator. The rest of the researchers were hidden behind a one-way mirror.

Mrs. Lieber returned to the United States in 1955 and took a job in Chicago with Tatham-Laird, an advertising agency renowned for its understanding of the American middle-class consumer.

She was one of those people who was really in the nitty-gritty of figuring how to do focus groups, Liza Featherstone, the author of Divining Desire: Focus Groups and the Culture of Consultation (2017), said in an interview. She was one of the earliest people to bring the focus group into the advertising industry.
But the rules are opaque and sometimes arbitrarily enforced  or mistakenly enforced, in Novaras case. Policy experts say Novaras experience is indicative of the thorny free speech issues YouTube faces as the worlds largest online video service.

The gatekeeper role leads to criticism from multiple directions. Many on the right of the political spectrum in the United States and Europe claim that YouTube unfairly blocks them. Some civil society groups say YouTube should do more to stop the spread of illicit content and misinformation.

Sometimes that leaves organizations like Novara in the middle.

After an outcry online, YouTube restored Novaras channel in a few hours, saying that it had been removed in error. But other independent journalists, activists and creators on YouTube often dont have similar success, particularly in countries like Belarus, Russia and Turkey where YouTube is under pressure from authorities to remove opposition content and where the company does not have as much language or cultural expertise. Roughly 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute globally in different languages.

Its impossible to get our minds around what it means to try and govern that kind of volume of content, said Evelyn Douek, senior research fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. YouTube is a juggernaut, by some metrics as big or bigger than Facebook.

In its email on Tuesday morning, YouTube said Novara was guilty of repeated violations of YouTubes community guidelines, without elaborating. Novaras staff was left guessing what had caused the problem.
Spain, on the other hand, has pressed for a faster transition to renewable energy, precisely so that the continent isnt forever subjected to the ups and downs of the gas market. The present and the future belong to renewable energies and we cannot solve a crisis caused precisely by dependence on fossil fuels by looking to the past, Teresa Ribera, its deputy prime minister and a longtime climate advocate, said in an email. The Spanish government believes that the transition must be accelerated, not slowed down.

Tim Gore at the Brussels-based Institute for European Environmental Policy, a research group, called the price jumps for electricity a perfect storm. Global demand for gas rose sharply just as winds in Northern Europe (where there is significant wind power) dropped off and gas reserves ran low during a long, lockdown winter. Added to the mix was the closing of coal-burning power plants, largely in Western Europe.

The fact that the E.U. has succeeded in getting a lot of coal off the energy grid actually makes things worse, Mr. Gore pointed out. Thats a good thing, but its unfortunate that it happened to coincide with everything else.

The human consequences play out in the 7th floor apartment of Ascencion Garcia Lopez in a working class suburb of Madrid, where electricity prices have risen sharply, sparking some protests on the streets.

Ms. Lopezs power bills have nearly doubled since last year, forcing her to change habits. She keeps her blinds open until sundown, so the last rays of sun can light the rooms. She cooks her stews in a pressure cooker, instead of simmering for better flavor. She does the laundry in the middle of the afternoon, when the electricity rates are cheaper, but she fears her neighbors will complain because the middle of the afternoon in Madrid is siesta time.

5 Takeaways From the COP26 Climate Summit Card 1 of 5 1. Time for action is running out. The major agreement struck by diplomats established a clear consensus that all nations need to do much more, immediately, to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. 2. How much each nation needs to cut remains unresolved. Rich countries are disproportionately responsible for global warming, but some leaders have insisted that its the poorer nations who need to accelerate their shift away from fossil fuels. 3. The call for disaster aid increased. One of the biggest fights at the summit revolved around whether  and how  the worlds wealthiest nations should compensate poorer nations for the damage caused by rising temperatures. 4. A surprising emissions-cutting agreement. Among the other notable deals to come out of the summit was a U.S.-China agreement to do more to cut emissions this decade, and China committed for the first time to develop a plan to reduce methane. 5. There was a clear gender and generation gap. Those with the power to make decisions about how much the world warms were mostly old and male. Those who were most fiercely protesting the pace of action were mostly young and female.









Ms. Lopez, 56, who is currently unemployed and in charge of caring for two young grandchildren and her elderly mother, hasnt yet had to turn on the heater. Winter worries her. I will use it only on the coldest days, not every day, she said.
Scroll TikTok for even just a few minutes, and youre likely to encounter a video of gooey cheese being pulled into shiny, stretchy strands. Its a mesmerizing moment  scientifically proven to release brain chemicals similar to the ones involved in addiction.

The mozzarella stick is one of the most recognizable formats for this so-called cheese pull. Soft and springy in the middle, crispy and golden on the outside, it calls to mind bowling alleys and school cafeterias of yore.

Recently, the dish has had a cultural resurgence. It makes appearances on high-end restaurant menus and viral cooking videos  driven, perhaps, by Americans desire for nostalgic comfort food during a pandemic, or simply the pleasant aesthetics.

Last year, Tim Szuta introduced a baton-size mozzarella stick to increase sales at his pizzeria, Alphonsos the Original, in West Allis, Wis. In November 2020, a Facebook video of the mozzarella sticks by DNaya Rae went viral, receiving 24 million views and bringing an influx of customers.
Mr. Damirji had always hated wearing ties. They always represented someone breathing down my neck. Some teacher, he said. But at the same time I used to be fascinated by the beautiful prints.

It also has been more difficult than he expected to work with some ecclesiastical textiles dating from the 17th and 18th centuries that he acquired as they are shredded in most cases, he said. Case in point: the Ilana jacket now for sale on MatchesFashion.com (2,775 pounds, or $3,821), which was made by what Mr. Damirji called just trial and error.

While he has an established network of auction houses, dealers and small-lot vendors, Mr. Damirji said the combined effects of the pandemic and Britains departure from the European Union had increased the difficulty of finding fabrics  and cost him about 15 percent of his customer base.

I used to go everywhere, but since Covid, now everybody sends me messages and pictures, he said, adding that he chooses fabrics on instinct. Some of these old textiles, the dyeing technique is no longer possible and the vibrancy of the color that comes through you cannot produce anymore.

And as for Brexit, it has been such a disaster for us, he said. The dealers who used to come from France have now got to get a carnet and list each and every item to get in, he said, referring to the industry term for an international import-export document. Its a bit time-consuming and ridiculous. And its costly. And they are all a bit grumpy about it.

Patchwork is also the signature style of Rave Review, founded in 2017 in Stockholm by Livia Schuck, now 31, and her business partner, Josephine Rosenqvist, now 33. We work with really old fabrics, said Ms. Schuck, like duvets from the 1970s and 1980s and sleeping bags machine-stitched together to create an oversize coat with a matching scarf. For the first time they are using kilts this season because, you get a lot of fabric from one kilt, she said.
When you come from a background like mine, and you spend time in Morocco as I did, you get right away that objects are not just objects, she said. Quality is a necessity. Its not about trends. Every purchase is thought out and has to last a lifetime.

As an example, she described a tray in hammered copper, the kind you find everywhere in Morocco, that was passed down from her great-grandmother to her mother. Now it sits in her own Paris living room.

I finally came to understand that I am just steeped in two cultures, she said. I realized that I couldnt shape my personality by abstracting one or the other.

Though Ms. Ahmimou once dreamed of becoming an architect, she credits a favorite high school teacher with having the lucidity to make me understand the reality, the cost of that path and to think out of the box.

Instead, she attended a specialized school for applied crafts in Nice and earned a degree in furniture upholstery or, as she puts it, how to make beautiful things with a purpose. A cold call led to her first job in the leather-working ateliers at Louis Vuitton. Four years later, she moved to Hermes.
In the new horror film Antlers, Keri Russell plays a middle-school teacher in a struggling Oregon town who speculates that one of her students (Jeremy T. Thomas) is hiding a supernatural secret that has something to do with a string of brutal murders. (Shes right.)

Scott Cooper, the director of Antlers, which is currently in theaters, had no reservations about showing the film to his daughters, ages 15 and 18, even though theres gore galore in its depiction of a ravenous wendigo, a creature with roots in Native American folkloric traditions.

Rather, he showed it to them because he knew the horrors it depicted  like opioid addiction and the environmental effects of mining  would pale in comparison to what theyre already scared of: the downward spiral of the natural world outside their front door.

When you live in California, youre confronted with climate change and drought on a daily basis, he said. Theyre acutely aware of what its doing and what their future is. My girls understand that my film is a metaphor.
Their relationship grew bumpy: Between late 2017 and early 2018, court filings show, the two sought protective orders against each other. In 2017, Ms. Cincinelli was disciplined by the Police Department for sharing confidential information with Mr. DiRubba.

At the same time, Ms. Cincinelli was embroiled in protracted divorce proceedings with her estranged husband, Isaiah Carvalho, Jr. Their relationship itself had been tumultuous: Both parties had restraining orders against the other. In early 2019, she became fixated on Mr. Carvalhos possible claim to her pension, according to Mr. DiRubba and prosecutors filings.

Ms. Cincinelli also grew resentful of Mr. DiRubbas teenage daughter and the expensive gifts he bought her, prosecutors said. In conversations cited by prosecutors from around the time of the attempted hit, Ms. Cincinelli uses graphic language to describe Mr. DiRubbas daughter as sexually promiscuous; she also followed the teens social media pages.

Prosecutors said Ms. Cincinelli asked Mr. DiRubba to hire a hit man to kill them both. In February 2019, she withdrew $7,000 from a local bank and gave it to Mr. DiRubba, who converted the money into gold coins to pay the hit man. (Ms. Cincinellis lawyer said the money was not for a hit man, but a loan to him.)

Rather than go through with the scheme, Mr. DiRubba contacted the F.B.I., and became a confidential source. In the months that followed, he recorded his conversations with Ms. Cincinelli as she detailed her wish to have the two murdered and detailed ways to execute the plan and avoid scrutiny from law enforcement, court filings show.

In a recorded conversation from May 2019, played in court Friday, Mr. DiRubba and Ms. Cincinelli discussed his concerns about being questioned by law enforcement after the deaths. He said: Im just stressing about it, cause its going to happen. Ms. Cincinelli replied: You say that every weekend, for the past month.

The authorities went to lengths to make it appear that the scheme had worked, court filings show. On May 17, 2019, the Suffolk County Police Department contacted Ms. Cincinelli to say they were investigating Mr. Carvalhos death. An F.B.I. agent, posing as the hit man, sent Mr. DiRubba a photograph of the supposed crime scene, which he showed to Ms. Cincinelli, according to court filings.
Another conundrum: How much credit should countries get for emissions-reductions projects that were launched in the past, under the so-called Clean Development Mechanism, which is defunct?

Opinion Conversation The climate, and the world, are changing. What challenges will the future bring, and how should we respond to them? What should our leaders be doing?

Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, finds reasons for optimism in the Biden presidency.

Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, finds reasons for optimism in the Biden presidency. What are the worst climate risks in your country?

Select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces.

Select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces. Where are Americans suffering most?

Our maps, developed with experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths in the U.S.

Our maps, developed with experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths in the U.S. What does climate devastation look like?

In Sept. 2020, Michael Benson studied detailed satellite imagery. Here's the earth that he saw  and the one he wants to see.

No wonder expectations for a breakthrough in Scotland are low. Carsten Warnecke, a founding partner of the NewClimate Institute in Cologne, Germany, told me hes lost faith in global trading of emissions credits as a solution to climate change. He says rich countries should focus on reducing emissions at home while giving money to poor countries to help them achieve reductions. (Under the Paris Agreement, rich countries are supposed to give $100 billion a year, but they havent so far.)

Others share Warneckes pessimism. If there are large financial flows across borders, youre creating constituents in developing countries that depend on financial flows and will lie and cheat and do everything they can to maintain these flows, says Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at New York University. And he says rich countries would like to save money by claiming credit for cheap, low-quality credits abroad. Its in nobodys interest to enforce these rules, he says.

Some are more hopeful. There are clear benefits to having channels of climate finance to do things that otherwise wouldnt happen, says Roman Kramarchuk, head of future energy analytics for S&P Global Platts. Zack Parisa, a founder and the chief executive of Natural Capital Exchange, a forest carbon marketplace based in San Francisco, says his company has developed standards and technology to guarantee that forest protection credits are legitimate. But even Parisa says that protecting trees is only a partial fix. We shouldnt make the mistake of thinking forests are an infinite sponge, he says. Theyre the ambulance ride to the hospital.

Today there are two categories of emissions trading. Theres one mandated by governments, known as compliance markets, where countries or companies are given limits on emissions. Emitters can buy credits or allowances to cover their excess emissions and can sell credits or allowances to make some money if theyre comfortably below their ceilings. And theres a voluntary carbon market, which is the one where companies like Delta Air Lines and JPMorgan Chase buy credits to achieve their own emission-reduction targets. Under negotiation in Glasgow is how to account for emissions trading across borders and how these efforts can count toward national targets.

I interviewed Sonja Gibbs, the head of sustainable finance at the Institute of International Finance. She said that she and others have spent the past 18 months developing rules for the voluntary carbon market as part of an organization called the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets. Shes optimistic that when it comes to emission reduction credits, there will be a race to the top in quality, not a race to the bottom. Once you have a standard, there will be tremendous demand for it, she says. There wont be demand for credits that dont have that recognition.

Eventually, Gibbs says, there will be a single global carbon market that combines todays compliance and voluntary markets: What happens at COP26 will affect how the demand for credits will evolve. If countries set more ambitious targets, there will be more demand for credits.
To the Editor:

Re Only Full Decriminalization Will Help Sex Workers, by Cecilia Gentili (Opinion guest essay, Oct. 18):

Im a transgender woman and sex trade survivor who, like Ms. Gentili, was forced into prostitution because of economic coercion. However, I fundamentally disagree that expanding the rights of pimps, brothel owners and sex buyers will keep women like us safe.

When I began my gender transition, circumstances forced me into prostitution for survival. Sex buyers dehumanized and treated me like a fetish and commodity. Pimps threatened me. I wanted to leave prostitution but, like most in prostitution, couldnt.

Full decriminalization, or what we call the exploitation model, throws our fate into the hands of the free market and under the control of a multibillion-dollar industry placing profit over people. This untenable solution would only exacerbate the problem and offer no exit services.

Theres a better way. The equality model decriminalizes people exploited in prostitution and provides exit services. And it still holds pimps, brothel owners and sex buyers accountable. Expanding the rights of those who profit and benefit from our exploitation wont make us safer. Decriminalize people exploited in prostitution, not the people exploiting them.
It started with an innocuous question from a town hall audience: A student asked President Biden whether he would vow to protect Taiwan from China.

Mr. Bidens response  a quick yes, then yes again when pressed by a CNN anchor  was instant breaking news globally. The White House almost immediately moved to walk back the comments.

The foreign policy kerfuffle was brief but underscored the high stakes when it comes to Taiwan.

Relations between China and Taiwan are at their worst point in decades. Military provocations are rising: Record numbers of Chinese warplanes have crossed into Taiwans air defense zone in recent weeks, a stark reminder of Beijings desire to absorb Taiwan.

Some U.S. lawmakers  in both parties, echoed by former officials and commentators  have been calling for Washington to commit to a firm security guarantee toward Taipei and ditch the longstanding U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, or at least to seriously consider doing so, which leaves open the question of whether the United States would come to Taiwans aid in the event of an attack from China.
You remember her story, right?

Amanda Knox was the Seattle college student cemented in the public psyche as Foxy Knoxy  jailed for four years, along with her Italian boyfriend of a week, for the rape and murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, in 2007.

Ms. Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were ultimately acquitted of that crime, with Europes top human rights court ruling that she had been deprived of adequate legal aid during an interrogation, and that the DNA evidence used to convict her was flawed. It ordered Italy to pay her $21,000 in damages.

It has been 10 years now since she was released from prison and yet Ms. Knox, who is now an advocate for the wrongfully convicted, is still trying to square that caricature of herself  her murderous doppelganger, as she calls her  with who she really is.
The developers of the World Trade Center tower said in a statement that, to increase the number of below-market-rate apartments to 1,200 from 300, they would need at least an additional $500 million, which would likely come from a shared pool of government funding. With that money, they said, the state could subsidize approximately four times as many units  3,600, rather than 900  in a less expensive market, with less costly development.

The construction costs for 900-foot towers are exorbitant and only going up, said Alicia Glen, a former deputy mayor of housing and economic development, and a board member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which owns the site and supports the current project. This project already has very deep affordability in it, so I dont think thats on the table, she said about making the tower 100 percent affordable.

How exorbitant are those costs? Holly Leicht, the board chair of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, estimated that, as currently planned, each unit in the tower will cost about $1 million to build, or twice as much as a unit in a typical affordable project, an estimate that developers not involved with the project agreed was plausible.

Not all of that money is going to fancy finishes. Other reasons for the wide cost disparity have to do with the construction method: Most affordable buildings are no taller than 12 to 15 stories, the maximum height for block-and-plank construction, a simpler way to build that doesnt require tower cranes or more costly foundation work, said Mark Ginsberg, a partner at Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, which has designed several affordable residential buildings but is not involved in the project. A building this tall would also likely require a union work force, because of the specialized work and regulations at this site, and that could drive up overall construction costs by 20 to 40 percent, Mr. Ginsberg said.

There are also complicated stakeholder considerations. In 2004, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-controlled agency Empire State Development, bought the property, which includes the site of the former Deutsche Bank building damaged in the terror attacks; the building was demolished in 2011, four years after a massive fire there killed two firefighters. In 2006, the L.M.D.C. agreed to a land swap with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that made way for the construction of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and a performing arts center. Through a long-term lease that was part of that deal, proceeds from the development of the site will go to the Port Authority, which is counting on the funds for various projects.

What Comes Next?

There may be a mix of financing mechanisms that could shore up funding for a more affordable, if not fully below-market-rate tower, said Carol Lamberg, the former executive director of the nonprofit Settlement Housing Fund.
Strawberries are not always red. Fragaria nubicola, native to the Himalayas, can produce a vivid red fruit or a ghostly white one; another species, F. vesca, can produce a white fruit with brilliant scarlet seeds, as well as a conventional red type. What gives some strawberries such a ghostly pallor?

One answer has been uncovered by scientists curious about the humble strawberrys genetic material. There are numerous species of the fruit, and some sport five times as many chromosomes as others. Strawberry scientists think this means that as the plants evolved, they acquired extra genes that could provide a playground for unusual new traits.

While the core genes kept the day-to-day affairs of the plant running, the extras could be tweaked to yield a new shade of pink, a new hardiness to drought or particularly prickly leaves  whatever the strawberrys unique environment demanded.

In a paper published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, biologists reported that they have sequenced the genomes of a handful of strawberry species and identified a set of genes that are common across all of them, representing the core genome of the strawberry. Along the way, the researchers identified a set of mutations that turned strawberries white, while keeping the taste and aroma the same. The findings open the door to understanding how strawberries manage their bulky genetic inheritance, as well as suggesting the possibility of more targeted breeding.
Three months after they were introduced, Dr. Abby Brecher and Gregory Alan Marcus finally met in May 2020 for a walk in Riverside Park in Manhattan.

I never dated casually, said Dr. Brecher, 34, a pediatric dentist at Slim Dental Kids in Manhattan. I wanted to have a lifelong partner. I could have plenty of fun with my girlfriends.

Dr. Brecher, also a clinical assistant professor at Touro College of Dental Medicine in Hawthorne, N.Y., graduated cum laude from CUNY Hunter and received a dental degree from Columbia.

As far as one of her girlfriends, a periodontist, could tell, Mr. Marcus was also ready to settle down. So at the end of February 2020, with a little help from his father, her friend set them up. (She works with Mr. Marcuss father, an endodontist, who runs a dental practice in Huntington, N.Y.)
A white shark nudged closer, gliding just above the actress Cobie Smulders, like a fan asking for a selfie. Ms. Smulders welcomed the intrusion. This is cool, she said, rapt, as the shark slid past in the waters of the New York Aquarium.

Ms. Smulders, adored for her nine seasons on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, has loved aquariums for as long as she can remember. As a mermaid-obsessed child in British Columbia, she visited the Vancouver aquarium often and spent weekends on her fathers sailboat, wondering about the life below the waters surface. The University of Victoria accepted her to its marine biology program.

But a few months before school began, she fell in with some theater actors and deferred for a year. And then another year. And then another.

An avid scuba diver and an ambassador for Oceana, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the worlds oceans, Ms. Smulders never gave up on the water. She participates in beach cleanups near the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, the actor Taran Killam, and their two daughters. And she campaigns against the single-use plastics that clog waterways.
In making sense of the Great Resignation  the phrase coined for the record rate at which Americans have quit their jobs this year  its important not to lose sight of the fundamentals. Were living in a pandemic. Theres a child-care crisis. Workers across the board are worn out. Others are just over the grind.

It also helps to read some receipts.

For months, text exchanges between fed-up employees and their villainous bosses have been going viral. Many can be found on the Reddit forum r/antiwork, where popular examples tell a version of the same story. A manager texts an employee, often about a last-minute shift change. The employee gently rebuffs, and the boss becomes stern. Still, the employee holds ground while the managers tone becomes more menacing: Im not asking you to come in, Im telling you that you have to come in.

Then comes the payoff, the message most underlings have only dreamed of sending: And Im telling you that youll have no worker at all now. I quit, with a thumbs-up emoji for emphasis.

If youve ever been less than perfectly happy at a job, r/antiwork has something for you. Last week, my colleague Farhad Manjoo described the visceral thrill of reading the forum and seeing people wrest the reins of their lives from the soul-sucking, health-destroying maw of capitalism. Even people like him, who have very little to complain about, job-wise, can appreciate these text conversations, which frequently go viral and have become a kind of meme. (In one construction, an Oompa Loompa gives notice after Willy Wonka texts him, saying: A chubby Bavarian kid fell into the chocolate river and I need you to help get him out and clean the tubes.)
Over the last 45 years, while she was in and out of movies and television, in and out of Hollywood and New York, and in and out of two marriages, Ms. Dennison wrote portions of her autobiography. She finally published it herself in September. She called it Finding My Little Red Hat  because, as an itinerant child, she had worn a red felt hat for courage when she went to a new school and faced yet another classroom of strangers.

There was a definite Dickensian aspect to her story, her son said, but her life, even the hardscrabble early years, was absolutely crammed with wonderful characters.

Jo-Carroll Dennison was born on Dec. 16, 1923, in a mens state prison in Arizona.

At the time, her parents owned and ran a traveling medicine show in Texas. When her mother, Elizabeth (Brownd) Dennison, was about to give birth, her father, Harry Arthur Dennison, decided he wanted his child born in California, which he viewed as more glamorous than Texas. So they started driving west. By Arizona, her mother was in labor, and they stopped in the small town of Florence. The only help they could find was the prison doctor, who delivered Jo-Carroll in the prison infirmary.

They carried on to California in what Ms. Dennison called their house car, a Model T Ford with the flat bed of a truck. She quickly became part of the medicine show, in which her parents lured people in with entertainment and then sought to sell them elixirs. As a toddler, Jo-Carroll sang, tap-danced and performed in sketches.

When she was 7, her father left, which shattered her.

After Depression-era gigs with a circus and carnival  she rode trick ponies and roped steers  she and her mother moved back to Texas, first to the tiny town of Hale Center and then to Waco, where they signed on with another medicine show. In her autobiography, Ms. Dennison wrote that when she was 12, the snake-oil salesman who ran the show sexually assaulted her.

She and her mother moved back to Hale Center, where Jo-Carroll graduated from high school in 1940. She later moved in with an aunt in Tyler, in East Texas. She had enrolled in business school to become a secretary when the banker asked her to enter the beauty contest. She had no interest in parading before the public again, but he persisted  and offered her a free bathing suit.
A large storm pushing through the Mid-Atlantic to parts of the Northeast caused major flooding on Friday and was expected to bring more over the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

Heavy rain during high tides could lead to astronomical surges of ocean water, said Matt Doody, a National Weather Service forecaster in the agencys Eastern Regional Operations Center in Bohemia, N.Y.

Maryland, including Baltimore, could experience some of the biggest tidal flood events in almost two decades, the Weather Service said, adding that residents should be prepared for exceptional tidal inundation. Some regions could see more flooding than in 2003, when Hurricane Isabel inundated the Mid-Atlantic.

The storm system could also bring the highest water levels ever observed to the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, Mr. Doody said. What makes this storm so prone to flooding is how slow it is moving, he said.
I know to my core that we have problems, said Mr. Frey, who said his message of improving but not defunding the police had resonated with many Black voters, but not with white activists. I also know to my core that we need police officers.

Since Mr. Floyds killing, many large cities, Minneapolis included, have invested more money in mental health services and experimented with dispatching social workers instead of armed officers to some emergency calls. Some departments scaled back minor traffic stops and arrests. And several cities cut police budgets amid the national call to defund, though some have since restored funding in response to rising gun violence and shifting politics.

In the days after Mr. Floyds death, as protests erupted across the country, Minneapolis became the center of a push among progressive activists to defund or abolish the police. A veto-proof majority of the City Council quickly pledged to disband the Police Department. But that initial effort to get rid of the police force sputtered, and defund the police became a political attack line for Republicans.

If the ballot measure passes next week, there would soon be no Minneapolis Police Department. The agency that would replace it would focus on a public health response to safety, with more City Council oversight and a new reporting structure. And though almost everyone expects the city would continue employing armed police officers, there would no longer be a required minimum staffing level. The ballot language says the new Department of Public Safety could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary.

Supporters of the measure, which would amend the City Charter, have largely steered away from the defund language, and there is little agreement on what the amendment might mean in practice. Some see it is a first step toward the eventual abolition of the police, or a way to shrink the role of armed officers to a small subset of emergencies.

But other supporters of the amendment, including Kate Knuth, a mayoral candidate, say they would actually add more officers to a new Public Safety Department to make up for large numbers who have resigned or gone on leave since Mr. Floyds murder.
WASHINGTON  American intelligence agencies are unlikely to be able to draw a firm conclusion about the origin of the novel coronavirus without more information from China on the earliest cases or new scientific discoveries about the nature of the virus, said a newly declassified intelligence report released on Friday.

President Biden ordered the nations intelligence agencies in May to conduct a 90-day inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. When the key findings of that review were released in August, they failed to offer a single answer and instead reaffirmed the longstanding position of the agencies: The theory that the virus occurred naturally and the theory that it was accidentally created in a lab were both plausible.

But the report on Friday reiterated that the evidence to support either conclusion was thin, and that U.S. intelligence agencies know far too little about the origin of the virus. The intelligence community has concluded that the virus was not developed as a biological weapon.

Analysts assess that a natural origin and a laboratory associated incident are both plausible hypotheses for how SARS-CoV-2 first infected humans, the report said. Analysts, however, disagree on which is more likely, or whether an assessment can be made at all.
The Youngkin campaign did not respond to an interview request.

On paper at least, Mr. Youngkin, 54, is an odd fit for a party that has rejected the elitism he embodies. In fact, his life and career have had far more in common with Mitt Romneys than Mr. Trumps: a degree from Harvard Business School, a long and lucrative career in private equity, devout religious convictions and even a family love of horses. He owns a 31-acre horse farm in Fairfax County with his wife, Suzanne.

Before he entered the governors race  his first try at elected office  Mr. Youngkin donated extensively to Republican candidates who were aligned with the partys establishment wing: Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor; Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Rob Portman of Ohio; and former Representative Paul Ryan, according to federal campaign finance records. He gave Mr. Romneys campaign and its allied political groups $75,000 during the 2012 campaign, records show.

Those affiliations and his lack of a reputation in Virginia Republican politics made many conservatives skeptical of Mr. Youngkin. His background did, too. He worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company before joining the Carlyle Group, a Washington-based private equity firm with deep roots in the political establishment. He worked there for more than 25 years, climbing the ranks and eventually becoming a co-chief executive officer. He announced he was leaving the firm in the summer of 2020 and declared his candidacy for governor a few months later.

As the countrys culture wars reached a boiling point earlier this year, angry parents in Loudoun County denounced school administrators for implementing a curriculum that they said taught white students they were racist. Mr. Youngkin seized on the issue, surprising conservatives who assumed he was more in the mold of Republicans who have fallen out of favor with the activist base.

Where you have to give Glenn Youngkin credit is he leaned into it, said Terry Schilling, president of the Virginia-based American Principles Project, which has been running pro-Youngkin ads. I didnt see a willingness from him to take these issues on. I just assumed he was a Mitt Romney-type candidate.

One of the group's ads centers on the sexual assault of a girl in a high school bathroom, a case that conservatives have used to criticize transgender bathroom laws, although it was not clear the attacker in that case was transgender. In a speech last week, Mr. Youngkin linked the case to the campaign themes he has aimed at anxious suburban parents.
The program forces asylum-seeking migrants who left a third country and traveled through Mexico to wait there until the United States makes a decision about their case. It was put in place at the beginning of 2019 and was one of several measures taken during the Trump administration to limit who can seek asylum in the United States.

Human rights advocates have argued that the program forced people to stay in unsanitary tent encampments where they faced harsh weather as well as the danger of sexual assault, kidnapping and torture. On Friday, Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, called the policy one of the most destructive vestiges of Donald Trumps anti-immigrant legacy.

In a Thursday court filing, Missouri and Texas argued that the sharp increase in Haitian migrants who arrived in Del Rio last month could have been prevented if the program had been in place. The crisis at the border continues, in no small part because defendants are not complying in good faith with the courts order to restart the program, according to the Thursday filing. Without the program in place, the plaintiffs said, thousands of migrants have reason to think they can freely enter the United States.

In the new termination memo, Mr. Mayorkas acknowledged that data suggests there were fewer illegal border crossings while the program was in place, a point Republicans have been hammering as the country saw the highest number of illegal crossings over the past 12 months in at least 60 years.

But it did so by imposing substantial and unjustifiable human costs on the individuals who were exposed to harm while waiting in Mexico, he wrote, adding that correlation does not equal causation and, even here, the evidence is not conclusive.

Since August, the administration has been taking steps to restart the program, including issuing new contracts to set up tent courts on the Texas border, which was what was in place before the Biden administration ended the program. The administration said it would be prepared to restart the program in mid-November.

This prompted groups that provide legal services to asylum seekers waiting in Mexico to tell the Biden administration that they would not participate if the program were to be reinstated.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department on Friday revived an Obama-era office that was created to make legal aid accessible to citizens who cannot afford it, more than three years after it was essentially shuttered under the Trump administration.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the restoration of the Office for Access to Justice was part of the departments mission to deliver on its promise to ensure equal justice.

When it was created under the Obama administration in 2010, the offices stated mission was to deliver outcomes that are fair and accessible to all, irrespective of wealth and status. And it sought to increase access to counsel and legal assistance for people who could not afford legal representation.

There can be no equal justice without equal access to justice, Mr. Garland said in a statement. And because we do not yet have equal access to justice in America, the task before us is urgent.
A Fox News poll on Thursday was even grimmer for Democrats: It showed Mr. Youngkin with an 8-point lead among likely voters statewide ahead of Tuesdays election.

On the ground, it feels like our side has all the energy, said Mark Earley Jr., a Republican vying for a Democratic-held seat in the House of Delegates that straddles Richmond and suburban Chesterfield County.

Mr. Earley said a Youngkin television ad ripping Mr. McAuliffe for saying parents shouldnt tell schools what to teach had poured gasoline on the fire of some voters frustrations over public schools, first kindled last year by Covid-related school closures that set back students learning. I hear a lot of blowback from moms, especially working moms, he said.

Democrats accuse Mr. Youngkin of distortions and fear-mongering on schools, including calls for police officers in every school and a ban on critical race theory, which educators say plays no role in K-12 curriculums.

Still, Mr. Youngkins forward-looking closing message, emphasizing parents rights, seemed considerably more resonant with voters than Mr. McAuliffes retrospective final appeal  reminding Virginians, whose swing counties are doing quite well economically, of all the jobs he created and the money he spent on education as governor from 2014 to 2018.

If Youngkin is able to turn it around here, I think it will be because of his education gambit, said Richard Meagher, a politics professor at Randolph-Macon College near Richmond. Thats the one issue where you can still win back those suburban voters who have turned into the Democratic column lately.
A divided three-judge panel of the court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ruled that the Trump administrations plan, called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, was based on a fundamental misconstruction of the relevant law, prompted by a tortured series of misreadings.

The panel did not reinstate a 2015 Obama-era regulation, the Clean Power Plan, which would have forced utilities to move away from coal and toward renewable energy to reduce emissions. But it rejected the Trump administrations attempt to repeal and replace that rule with what critics said was a toothless one.

The Obama-era plan had aimed to cut emissions from the power sector by 32 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. To do so, it instructed every state to draft plans to eliminate carbon emissions from power plants by phasing out coal and increasing the generation of renewable energy.

The measure never came into effect. It was blocked in 2016 by the Supreme Court, which effectively ruled that states did not have to comply with it until a barrage of lawsuits from conservative states and the coal industry had been resolved. That ruling, followed by changes in the Supreme Courts membership that have moved it to the right, has made environmental groups wary of what the court might do in cases on climate change.

Shortly after Mr. Trumps election, his E.P.A. repealed the Clean Power Plan.

Professor Lazarus said the Supreme Courts decision to hear the case threatened to sharply cut back, if not eliminate altogether, the new administrations ability to use the Clean Air Act to significantly limit greenhouse gas emissions from the nations power plants.
Mr. LaPointe said that for him the DNA confirmation might bolster his campaign to exhume and rebury the leaders remains.

Were going to put him somewhere else, he said on Thursday. Where he will be respected.

Mr. LaPointe said his mother told him and his three sisters who their great-grandfather was when they were children. In 2007, that oral history was verified by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which concluded that Mr. LaPointe and his sisters were the only living relatives of Sitting Bull. The same year, the museum returned to the family a lock of hair and wool leggings that an Army doctor had taken from Sitting Bulls body after he was fatally shot by tribal police in 1890.

Sitting Bull was the leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota. For years, he fought the U.S. Army as the federal government encroached on tribal lands. One of his most famous battles was against Gen. George Armstrong Custers troops, who were defeated in 1876 in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. government in 1881 and was allowed to live in the Standing Rock Reservation.

He later toured briefly with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, but an agent in charge of the reservation feared he was planning another resistance campaign and moved to arrest him in 1890. Sitting Bull was shot during the botched arrest and buried at Fort Yates in North Dakota.

Whether his remains are still there has been disputed.

The town of Mobridge, S.D., said on its website that in 1953, a group of businessmen along with a descendant of both Sitting Bull and one of the Native American officers who arrested the chief moved his remains to the southern portion of the Standing Rock Reservation, overlooking the Missouri River.

Mr. LaPointe said he believed his great-grandfathers remains lie there.

Over the decades, the site has been neglected, Mr. LaPointe said. And whenever he went to visit, Mr. LaPointe said, the area reeked of urine and was littered with broken beer bottles and used condoms.
The city of Philadelphia has agreed to settle a wrongful-death suit filed by the family of a Black man whose fatal shooting by the police last year was recorded on video and prompted widespread protests.

The man, Walter Wallace Jr., 27, had mental health issues and was holding a knife when he was shot by two Philadelphia police officers on Oct. 26, 2020.

The settlement between the city and Mr. Wallaces family was finalized this week, according to Kevin Lessard, a city spokesman, who said the city was not releasing the figure without a Right to Know request due to a direct request from attorneys representing the family.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the city agreed to pay the family $2.5 million.

During a news conference on Thursday, Shaka Johnson, a lawyer representing the Wallace family, said the agreement included a demand from the family that the city provided all patrol officers with stun guns. Mr. Johnson could not immediately be reached on Friday.
NAIROBI, Kenya  For days, the American envoy navigated between Sudans army chief and prime minister, striving to head off the collapse of a tenuous democratic transition in the country that had been two years in the making.

In a frantic series of meetings in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum last weekend, Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa, sought to narrow the differences between the army chief, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, who had been sharing power since the 2019 ouster of the longtime autocrat Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

At a final meeting late Sunday afternoon, General al-Burhan argued that Sudans cabinet should be dismissed and replaced with technocrats, but gave no indication he was preparing to seize power.With that reassurance, the American diplomat wrapped things up and caught a flight to Qatar where, on landing, his phone lit up: A coup was underway in Sudan.

They lied to him, said Nureldin Satti, Sudans ambassador to the United States, referring to his countrys military leadership. This is very serious, because when you lie to the U.S., you have to pay the consequences.
MEXICO CITY  Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico, with roots dating back thousands of years, long before Spanish settlers arrived. It has become a blend of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism, commemorating death as another element of life and as a way to remember and honor loved ones.

In bustling markets, stalls sell decorated skulls made of sugar or chocolate and sheets of tissue paper, cut into delicate shapes, adorn stores and restaurants. In houses all over the country, families carefully place photographs of their ancestors on an altar beside candles and a traditional Mexican pastry as incense fills the air. In flower shops, freshly cut marigolds line the storefronts.

Although the tradition has long been part of Mexican culture, the holiday has of late become an important tourist draw, with travelers visiting towns and cities across the country to witness the colorful displays or ofrendas, altars to invite the spirits of the dead back into the world of the living.
Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on the same weekend that world leaders are gathering at the Group of 20 summit in Rome, and amid a backdrop of rising attacks against Indian Christians.

The countrys Christian leaders hope that Mr. Modi, who will meet the pontiff on Saturday for the first time, will use the opportunity to invite the pope to India, which is home to one of Asias oldest and largest Christian populations.

They say there is added urgency because Christians are increasingly being targeted by supporters of Mr. Modis Hindu nationalist political party. In recent months, mobs of Hindu extremists have attacked churches and beaten up worshipers.

The meeting of these two leaders must help in bringing peace and harmony, said Michael Williams, the president of the United Christian Forum, a nonprofit organization in New Delhi.
SYDNEY, Australia  When Australia made its trumpet-blast announcement that it would build nuclear-powered submarines with the help of the United States and Britain, the three allies said they would spend the next 18 months sorting out the details of a security collaboration that President Biden celebrated as historic.

Now, a month into their timetable, the partners are quietly coming to grips with the proposals immense complexities. Even supporters say the hurdles are formidable. Skeptics say they could be insurmountable.

Australias prime minister, Scott Morrison, has laid out an ambitious vision, saying that at least eight nuclear-propelled submarines using American or British technology will be built in Australia and enter the water starting in the late 2030s, replacing its squadron of six aging diesel-powered submarines.

To pull off the plan, Australia must make major advances. It has a limited industrial base and built its last submarine over 20 years ago. It produces a few graduates in nuclear engineering each year. Its spending on science research as a share of the economy has lagged the average for wealthy economies. Its past two plans to build submarines fell apart before any were made.
ROME  President Bidens first day of a four-day diplomatic tour through Italy and Scotland includes meetings with European leaders who are skeptical about the durability of American democracy and will cover thorny topics ranging from diplomatic spats to cooperating on counterterrorism measures.

But first came something he was visibly excited about.

At noon on the dot on Friday, the often-tardy Mr. Biden pulled up to the Vatican for his first meeting as president with Pope Francis, a fellow Roman Catholic and a pontiff with whom he shares a personal bond that was solidified when Francis visited Washington in 2015.

Thank you so much, said Mr. Biden, grinning from ear to ear, as he emerged from a limousine and shook hands with Vatican officials.

It was a diplomatic visit, but the personal resonance for the president was obvious. In his public appearances, Mr. Biden often briefly refers to an element of his upbringing in the church, pausing to relay the guidance of his Irish Catholic mother, pull a quote from a hymn or extol the importance of keeping faith in difficult moments.
It would be an overstatement to call Dune a Canadian film. But as has been the case with most of Mr. Villeneuves movies, many Canadians were involved in the production. Patrice Vermette, another Montrealer and longtime collaborator with Mr. Villeneuve, was the production designer responsible for creating the look of various planets as well as the vehicles, buildings, furnishings and gadgets used by their inhabitants.

Tanya Lapointe, an executive producer of Dune, is a former culture reporter for Radio-Canada and Mr. Villeneuves spouse. Other Canadians were involved in makeup and prosthetics, and two Canadian companies, one in Montreal and the other in Vancouver, were key contributors of digital special effects. (Their work is also responsible for the appearance of Quebecs film production tax credit system logo, a variation of the provinces flag seen during the films closing credits.)

In interviews with Helen Macdonald for a profile and article about the making of Dune that appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Mr. Villeneuve went into some detail about how growing up in the village of Gentilly, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, affected how he transformed a favorite novel of his childhood into film. His time in Canada making documentaries also influenced him, as did a school friend who later joined the film industry and, above all, his grandmothers.

One of them was an operatic character, the other one was a benevolent, warm grandmother, he told Helen, adding: I realize I receive so much from them, but there are so many  there are a lot of neuroses.
As world leaders prepare to meet for this weekends Group of 20 summit in Rome on some of the greatest challenges facing the global community, a dispute much closer to home for Britain and France is swirling in the background.

A growing disagreement between the two countries over post-Brexit fishing rights in the English Channel has become a focal point for the summit and is expected to be a topic of discussion for the nations leaders.

George Eustice, Britains environment secretary, told Sky News on Friday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was likely to raise the dispute with President Emmanuel Macron of France during the meetings. A spokesman for Mr. Johnson said the pair will meet briefly during the summit.

Tensions have flared in recent weeks over fishing licenses. On Wednesday, France detained a British trawler near the port of Le Havre and fined two vessels. The French authorities have threatened further action beginning on Tuesday unless Britain issues licenses to dozens of French boats to operate in British waters.
LONDON  The extradition case against Julian Assange, the embattled WikiLeaks founder, resumed in a London court this week as lawyers for the United States argued that concerns about his mental health should not prevent him from standing trial in an American court.

The hearing considered a U.S. appeal of a January decision by a British court not to extradite Mr. Assange, and the outcome is not expected to be known for weeks. It was the latest step in an attempt to send Mr. Assange to the United States to face espionage charges that has dragged on since he was arrested in London in 2019.

If he is extradited, Mr. Assange, 50, could face trial on charges that he played a role in obtaining and publishing secret military and diplomatic documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If he were found guilty on all counts, he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.

In January, a British court ruled that Mr. Assange could not be extradited, citing his diminished mental health and suicide risk, among other factors, in the decision. But American prosecutors appealed, prolonging an international legal battle that has already played out for nearly a decade.
ROME  After a six-week diplomatic spat that involved a scuttled nuclear-powered submarine deal and a recalled ambassador, President Biden began a one-on-one effort to mend fences with President Emmanuel Macron of France by saying U.S. handling of the matter had been clumsy.

What we did was clumsy, Mr. Biden told reporters, sitting beside Mr. Macron just before they began a private meeting. It was not done with a lot of grace.

He added, I had been under the impression long before that France had been informed.

France had an agreement to build conventionally powered submarines for Australias navy, but last month the United States and Britain announced their own deal with Australia for nuclear-powered subs, instead. Australia called off the deal with France, whose officials had not been told that a pact with the Americans and British was in the works, infuriating Mr. Macron and others in his government.

Washingtons European allies were already irritated by the handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which they said Mr. Biden ordered without consulting them. The treatment of the French submarine deal, they said, was further evidence of American dismissiveness.
Others felt they were duped by the authors or that the editors and publishers had peddled a deception, while some saw it simply as a debate over creative expression.

Image The award was given for the still unpublished The Beast, a historical thriller set during an epidemic of cholera in 1834.

The pseudonym is an age-old tradition in Europe, deployed by the likes of Voltaire, C.S. Lewis and Fernando Pessoa, the Portuguese writer who is thought to have worked under at least 70 fictitious names.

The Great Read Here are more fascinating tales you cant help but read all the way to the end. The Fight of This Old Boxers Life Was With His Own Family. A battle among Marvin Steins family over his fortune broke out, and he suddenly found himself powerless to fight for himself. Taylor Swifts All Too Well and the Weaponization of Memory. The new version of the bitter breakup song luxuriates in its details and its supersize length, correcting a power imbalance in the relationship it describes. The Crypto Capital of the World. Ukraine has an ambitious plan to both mainstream the nations thriving trade in crypto and to rebrand the entire country.



George Eliot was the pen name of a female writer who dismissed the plots of fiction written by many 19th-century women as trivial and ridiculous. And J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, said she abbreviated her name before she was famous to look more male and avoid sexism.

But in these cases, it was frequently a woman choosing a male name, fearing discrimination if she used her real identity. Which has raised the question in Spain: What does it mean for a group of male writers to take on the identity of a woman?

The Planeta Prize is one of the most lucrative literary awards in the world, with a cash value that now surpasses even the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is awarded by Spains Planeta publishing house for a yet unpublished manuscript to be printed by the company. This year it was given on Oct. 15 for an upcoming novel titled The Beast, scheduled for release on Nov. 4.

Antonio Mercero was one of the three real authors of The Beast and the other Carmen Mola novels  screenwriters-turned-novelists who had known each other for years. He said his critics might be missing the point.

At a cafe near his home in Madrid, Mr. Mercero said the decision to use a pen name was made at the outset, before anyone knew the novels would be a runaway success. He insisted that they wanted to focus readers on the novel at a time when social media leaves them searching for details on the author.
The change followed announcements earlier this month that eased testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers, reduced Englands three-tiered traffic light-inspired system to a single red list, and removed 47 countries from that list.

But it comes at a time of concern over the state of the pandemic within Britain. Reported cases have undergone a long surge, initially driven by infections among children  Britain moved relatively slowly to vaccinate children ages 12 to 15  but since spreading into older age groups.

Britains vaccination campaign among adults was early and rapid, and deaths and hospitalizations have not returned to the levels seen in earlier surges. They are now significantly higher than elsewhere in Western Europe, however, and hospitalizations are at their highest level since March, when the country was in the middle of a long national lockdown.

In Wales, Mark Drakeford, the first minister, has warned that restrictions could be reinstated in coming weeks to ensure a normal Christmas holiday. New measures, which could see coronavirus passes extended to theaters, cinemas, and concert halls, might also be introduced, according to the BBC.

Englands travel easing also comes with space for a reversal. The government said it would continue to review whether countries should be added to the red list every three weeks.
An announcement by the Vatican on Thursday evening that it had canceled the planned live broadcast of the beginning of the meeting between President Biden and Pope Francis  limiting it just to the arrival of Mr. Bidens motorcade  quickly became grist for partisan analysis.

The Biden Administration was hoping to have extensive media coverage of the President and the Pope during their meeting tomorrow, the deeply conservative Catholic League wrote on Twitter. But now the Vatican has thrown a monkey wrench into this opportunistic gambit.

Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesman, described the limited access as normal procedure during the pandemic, and the Vatican said it would supply news organizations with edited video clips after the meeting. But as of Friday morning, more access was still under discussion, and the White House said it was pushing for that.

The actual substance of audiences with the pope, especially with heads of state, are always restricted, but in the past reporters and sometimes independent news cameras were able to be present in the Apostolic Palace to witness the greetings and the exchange of gifts.
President Biden has met two previous popes: John Paul II and Benedict XVI. And he famously told Benedict to be easier on American nuns, the target of a Vatican crackdown for their activism on issues like poverty and health care.

But his fondness for Pope Francis is obvious.

When Francis visited the United States in September 2015, Mr. Biden along with President Barack Obama and their families met him at the airport. He and his wife, Jill Biden, were in the front row when Francis spoke at the White House. Mr. Biden sat behind the pope when he delivered his speech to Congress, and accompanied him through much of his six-day sojourn in the United States. Mr. Biden and his entire family then saw Francis off at Philadelphia International Airport.

It was a powerful meeting for Mr. Biden, still grieving over the loss of his son, Beau Biden, to cancer some five months before.

On a visit to Vatican City for the Third International Regenerative Medicine Conference in April 2016, Mr. Biden spoke about the urgent need to come up with new cures for cancer. (The conference was intended to highlight the extraordinary research advances being made with adult stem cells while largely sidestepping the issue of research using fetal tissue or embryonic stem cells.)
The nations Roman Catholic bishops in June advanced a conservative push to deny communion to President Biden, the nations second Catholic president, who regularly attends Mass and has spent a lifetime steeped in Christian rituals and practices.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to draft new guidance on the sacrament of the Eucharist, in a challenge to Mr. Biden for his support of abortion rights, which contradicts church teaching. The new statement will address the sacrament broadly. But ultimately, it could be used as theological justification to deny communion to Mr. Biden and Catholic politicians like him who support abortion rights.

The vote was a dramatic show of force by an ascendant conservative movement within Catholicism. Here is a look at some basic issues at the heart of the dispute.

What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist, also known as holy communion, is part of the Catholic Mass. It is a sacrament, a ritual the church believes channels divine grace, that takes inspiration from the Last Supper. Participants consume bread and wine, which Catholics believe are literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during the Mass.
Number of Legal Abortions Performed in Texas Source: Texas Policy Evaluation Project In September, after Texas enacted the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation, the number of legal abortions performed there dropped 50 percent from the same month in 2020, according to data released Friday by a group of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. The Texas law bans abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, which is generally when women are around six weeks pregnant. No prior Texas abortion restriction has been followed by a drop so steep. But it is also smaller than many experts predicted. Before the ban, 84 percent of people seeking abortions in Texas were more than six weeks pregnant at their appointment, according to previous research from the same group, the Texas Policy Evaluation Project. It evaluates the effect of Texas legislation on reproductive health and has been independently tallying abortions in the state since 2017.

Its one data point in a further downward slide, Kari White, the projects principal investigator, said of the September numbers, which cover roughly 93 percent of total abortions in the state. I would expect well see the number decrease in subsequent months.

The law, S.B. 8, gives individuals the right to sue anyone who assists in an abortion after about the six-week mark, a time when many woman do not yet realize they are pregnant. Though most legal experts say the law conflicts with the legal standard set by Roe v. Wade, the structure of the law has made it difficult for abortion providers to challenge it in court. On Monday, the Supreme Court will consider whether federal courts should evaluate the constitutionality of the ban.

The decline in the number of abortions performed in Texas in September was 12 percentage points steeper than the decline in spring 2020, when the governor effectively banned most abortions for a month by postponing all procedures deemed not medically necessary at the beginning of the pandemic. Clinic directors and outside scholars say they expect the number of abortions in Texas will keep falling as long as the law remains in effect.

The sharp decline is in keeping with the goals of the bills authors.

The last two months have been a phenomenal success for the pro-life movement, said John Seago, the legislative director of Texas Right to Life, which fought for the law. We are the first state to be able to enforce a heartbeat bill, and lives are being saved every day because of this work.

Yet it seemed a few factors led to more abortion care than expected.

Abortion providers have more availability to see patients quickly because they are not providing abortions to anyone past about six weeks of pregnancy. And doctors have been working longer hours to try to care for as many patients as possible. (Both dynamics could change if clinics cut staffing to stay afloat.) Also, women who were worried about being unable to get an abortion because of the law might have sought care earlier than they otherwise would have.

I think people are just high-tailing it as fast as they can into a clinic, because they are just so afraid they are not going to get an abortion, said Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Womans Health, which runs four clinics in the state. People are coming before they have a positive pregnancy test or before we can see something on an ultrasound, just because they are so afraid.

A flood of donations has also helped people get care sooner. There are many barriers to getting an abortion in Texas, especially for women without financial resources. Advocacy groups have tried to help, though they say that donations are already slowing.

Abortions can be $500 to $800, and many patients, especially those who are uninsured, wait until they can save the money. Many abortion clinics in Texas closed after a 2013 law restricting the procedure; about 20 clinics remain. Most are in big cities, so patients living in remote areas typically have to travel long distances. Texas also requires patients to have an informational visit and sonogram at least 24 hours before their procedure, so some patients need to get two days off work or in some cases find child care. Minors without parental consent must go to a judge to get permission.

What were seeing here is people are moving heaven and earth to ensure that abortion is accessible, said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that studies reproductive health and supports abortion rights. That may not be sustainable for the long term.

At Southwestern Womens Surgery Center in Dallas, about half of patients who thought they were early enough to receive an abortion have been ineligible because fetal cardiac activity was heard, said Dr. Allison Gilbert, a physician and the medical director there.

Ive not told a single patient at this point who has not cried, she said. Its just devastating; theres really no other word to describe it emotionally. Its always difficult to tell a patient that youre unable to provide them the care they need, but now its half of patients. As a provider, all you can do is choke back your tears.

The earliest Dr. Gilbert has detected cardiac activity since the law was enacted was at five weeks and four days. Another patient she saw had an IUD, a form of birth control, that had failed.

Abortions at the clinic have declined about 75 percent, though the staff expected a drop as large as 90 percent, she said.

Rough estimates based on previous research on abortion restrictions in Texas suggest that about half of the women who are unable to get abortions at clinics there end up getting one another way, usually by traveling to another state, according to Corey White and Stefanie Fischer, economists at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Clinics in Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and elsewhere reported increases in patients from Texas.

The people most affected by abortion restrictions, in part because they are least likely to be able to travel long distances, tend to be poor; Black or Hispanic; uninsured or on Medicaid; undocumented immigrants; or teenagers, research shows.

The burden of these restrictions dont fall equally on all women, Professor Fischer said. Economically disadvantaged women are going to have less means to travel. While some women will find a way, it wont be the case that they all find a way.

Some may also be turning to self-managed abortion, by taking medications that end early pregnancies. In Texas, a service called Aid Access connects patients with European doctors who write prescriptions that are mailed from India. Some women also cross the border to Mexico, where one of the pills that causes abortions is sold over the counter. These methods are not technically legal.

When Texas put in previous abortion restrictions, more women turned to self-managed abortion. Distance to an abortion clinic was one of the top reasons, so its likely that there was an increase in women doing so in September, said Abigail Aiken, the principal investigator of a University of Texas research group studying self-managed abortion.

Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, said recently, Texas is a national leader in protecting and fostering respect for human life, including unborn life." Another law in the state that goes into effect in December will impose criminal penalties on those who mail abortion pills to a patient in the state, but lawyers say it is unclear whether it would apply to providers outside the United States. Whole Womans Health is quickly starting a program that would mail pills to a clinic it operates just over the Texas border in New Mexico.

Elements of two court challenges to the law are being considered by the Supreme Court on a rushed schedule. But the longer the law remains in effect, the harder it may be for the Texas clinics to survive. Most of the states abortion providers are independent, financed primarily through fees for medical services, and they are currently relying on cash reserves and grants from outside groups.

Other conservative-leaning states may follow Texas lead. Another case before the Supreme Court this term will challenge the Roe standard of prohibiting states from banning the procedure before fetal viability (or before around 23 or 24 weeks). Should the Supreme Court weaken the standard, abortion would probably quickly become illegal in 22 states.
A phone belonging to a man who denies decapitating his friend connected to a cell site close to the area where the victims body was found, a murder trial jury has heard.

Evidence has been given that the accused Stephen Penrose's phone made a data connection at a cell site, which covered the area of Rahin in Edenderry, Co Offaly on the afternoon of August 10, 2016. The Central Criminal Court trial also heard that the last activity on the deceased's phone identified two cell sites in Edenderry on the same afternoon.

Mr Penrose (38), of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan (24) 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.

Giving evidence today, Michael Finnerty, who is a phone expert with Eircom, told prosecuting counsel John Berry BL that no calls "landed" on Mr Finnegan's phone after 4.02pm on August 10.

Phone engineer Conor O'Callaghan testified that Mr Finnegan made an outgoing call at 11.15am on August 10, which used a cell site at Liffey Valley fitness centre in Clondalkin.

The next cell site used by Mr Finnegan's phone was in Edenderry at 3.37pm on the same day. The last activity on Mr Finnegan's phone identified two cell sites at Edenderry and Edenderry water tower at 3.44pm and 3.46pm that day, said Mr Berry.

The trial has heard that Philip Finnegan's mother, Angela Finnegan, tried to call her son at 4.40pm on August 10 but his phone was off. In his opening address, prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC said the State considered this significant in terms of what the jury will have to consider on the potential time of death. "Gardai found out through the mobile phone operator that Mr Finnegan's phone was last used in Edenderry in Co Offaly, which is directly south of Rahin Woods," pointed out Mr Grehan.

Having analysed Mr Penrose's phone, Mr O'Callaghan said one of the phones attributed to the accused used a cell site at Liffey Valley fitness centre at 11.15am on August 10.

Another phone belonging to Mr Penrose made a connection with a cell site at Edenderry water tower on the east side of Edenderry at 3.48pm that day. A few minutes later at 3.54pm, the same phone communicated with a mast at Monasteroris in Edenderry, Co Offaly. A text message was sent from Mr Penrose's phone at 4.07pm on August 10, which also pinged off a mast in Monasteroris.

The court heard that a call was made by Mr Penrose's phone at 4.53pm and it connected with a cell site at ESB in Russellswood in Co Meath, which is north of the River Boyne and covers the Rahin Woods area.

At 5.19pm and 6.05pm, the cell sites used by the accused's phone was in Moyvalley in Co Kildare.

Mr Penrose's phone made a call at 6.09pm, Mr Berry said, and this made a further data connection at a cell site located at the centre of Enfield in Co Meath. This was the last outgoing call made on the accused's phone that day, the court heard.

Evidence has already been given from Inspector Aidan Hannon that he seized two phones from Mr Penrose on August 13.

Earlier, healthcare assistant Zonghang Li testified that he assisted a nurse with a male patient at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown on August 10. Mr Li said the patient he was attending to had "clothes that were cut in a bag" but he did not notice anything on the clothes. The witness said the man on the stretcher had asked him to put the clothes in the bin and he did what he was asked.

Under cross-examination, Mr Li agreed with Anthony Sammon SC, defending, that a nurse had also asked him to throw the man's clothes in the bin.

The trial continues tomorrow 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.
Murder accused Stephen Penrose told gardai that he heard his missing friend, whose body was later found in a shallow grave, was sitting in Jamaica eating a Big Mac, a jury has heard.

The accused also told gardai that he heard the victim had been "chopped up" in the Dublin mountains.

Mr Penrose (38), of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan (24) 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.

Evidence has been given that Mr Penrose's phone connected to a cell site close to the area where the victims body was found.

Now-retired garda Mr Mick O'Brien told prosecution counsel, Mr Brendan Grehan SC, that he was involved in the investigation of Mr Finnegan, who was reported missing at Kevin Street Garda Station on August 11. The witness said he arrested Mr Penrose at an apartment in Malahide on August 31 for withholding information in relation to a serious assault on Mr Finnegan.

In his first of ten interviews with gardai on August 31 at Kilmainham Garda Station, Mr Penrose began by saying that he knew nothing about what happened to his friend Mr Finnegan. "I want nothing more than for his mother to know I had nothing to do with what happened," he said.

The accused told detectives that Mr Finnegan informed him that he had previously got hit with a lump hammer and certain individuals had broken into his house and pepper-sprayed his mother, Angela Finnegan.

The accused said that Mr Finnegan was with him all day on August 10 and was wearing a white bulletproof vest. Mr Penrose went on to say there were "rumours all over the place saying I murdered him".

Referring to Mr Finnegan's mother, Angela Finnegan, the accused continued: "She is saying I abducted him, she knows I've fuck all to do with it. I'd like to see it cleared up for her."

Describing an alleged incident in Kilcock on August 10 to gardai, Mr Penrose said he had taken the turn off for Kilcock and "they were just right there, pulled in on the right". He said Mr Finnegan ran over to the other car to meet someone. "Then a fella walked over towards me, I can't remember if I opened my door. The minute he came over he swung a knife towards me. I think I went to block it. I just drove, as I was driving I saw two people scuffling with Phillip. I just kept driving. I pulled into a petrol station to get petrol and my arm just started pulsing blood. [sic]"

The accused told gardai in his second interview that he had post-traumatic stress and could not remember anything else. "I was stabbed in the arm, it hit an artery, I panicked. I've told the truth, it was a hectic few days....... I got stabbed and the whole day is a blur," he said.

At one stage, Mr Penrose said he "had enough" of questioning and would be found "swinging from a rope".

When asked by detectives about the fight, Mr Penrose said he had heard that Mr Finnegan was "chopped up" in the Dublin mountains. "I didn't go near Phillip, I didn't touch Phillip," he added.

Gardai put it to the accused that he was the last person to see Mr Finnegan being attacked but was telling them that he heard that the deceased was chopped up in the Dublin mountains. "I've heard bullshit, I've heard ten different things. I don't know if they are true. Some people say black, some say white, I don't fucking know. I heard all sorts of things, people on James Street are saying it is me. I heard he is sitting in Jamaica eating a Big Mac," he replied.

The accused went on to tell gardai that he did not know where Mr Finnegan was, that there were "cameras everywhere" and he had already accounted for where he was.

When asked what he felt had happened to Mr Finnegan, Mr Penrose said: "I don't know. I knew he was involved with feuds. I looked for a split second and saw two people scuffling with him then someone came over and stabbed me. I saw someone with a bat or an arm."

In his third interview, the accused said that Mr Finnegan had done more to help him than anyone else and he was intending to "set him up with a few jobs". "I didn't think he was under threat, I thought it was a load of rubbish," he added.

When asked by gardai if he felt responsible for what had happened to Mr Finnegan, he replied: "Yes a bit, look I didn't know what was going to happen."

Detectives asked the accused if he had ever pointed out the scene where Mr Finnegan had been "ambushed" to gardai. "I told them where it was. I told them to go off down the motorway and take the slipway for Kilcock, there was a car pulled in there," he replied.

When asked if he was tempted to call gardai that day, the accused said that Mr Finnegan was not his priority, that he was in a panic and did not want to cooperate with police. "I thought he [Philip] might have just got a beating, it was in the middle of the road, a busy one, I got stabbed," he continued.

In the fourth interview, Mr Penrose insisted that he did not know anything. "I won't be going on trial for any Finnegans. Put me in custody. I'll be swinging on a rope. I don't know anything," he said.

At the beginning of the fifth interview, gardai asked the accused if he could tell them the truth about where he had last seen Mr Finnegan on August 10. "The last place I seen him was up in my old house in Broadford [Co Kildare], we had arranged to meet people to collect a gun off him. He arranged to meet some of his old friends at my house. He was going to meet some of them there to get a shotgun, he was involved in a few feuds, fighting with them [sic]," he said.

Mr Grehan put it to Garda Laura O'Brien, who had conducted the interview with the accused, that this was the first mention by Mr Penrose of a different location to Kilcock. "That's correct," she replied.

Mr Penrose told officers that he met the "lads" on a laneway that led up to the house and a black car had pulled up behind them. Mr Finnegan got out of the car, "trotted" down to them and three people got out of the other car, he explained.

"The fella at my car door stabbed me once into my arm. I saw the fella that stabbed me through my window run down to the other two who had a hold of Philip. Philip didn't willingly get into the car, he was pushed and bundled into the car, they got on top of him," he continued.

When gardai asked the accused if anyone had asked him to set Mr Finnegan up, he replied: "No and if they did, I wouldn't have as he was my friend".

He said he tried to ring Mr Finnegan two or three times when he was in hospital but his phone was off.

"It just looks worser and worser cause its at my own house, that's why I didn't say it at the start,[sic]" he continued.

When asked why he had changed his shoes, Mr Penrose said he did not know why, "maybe they were uncomfortable, maybe they were hurting me". He said he could not remember if he had thrown away his shoes before or after Mr Finnegan was taken.

Gardai put it to him that he had given two different versions of events and neither were true. Mr Penrose denied he was telling lies to gardai, said he could not remember where the alleged incident had happened and that he was afraid for his life. "I hope you find him. I've nothing to do with this," he said.

"First Kilcock, then Broadford and now you are refusing to remember," asked gardai. "It is all a blur," he replied.

The trial continues 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.
Fuel poverty is a daily reality for many in Offaly and it's likely to get worse, a local councillor pointed out recently.

Cllr John Leahy told the Midland Tribune that in spite of all the governmental talk of retrofitting and decarbonisation, the vast majority of homes in the county haven't yet caught up with the government's vision of things.

By way of example, he said 104 houses in St Cormac's Park Kilcormac were built by Bord na Mona and 99% of them are still using solid fuel.

No one that I know of in the county is looking for a grant for a pellet stove or is using eco briquettes.

Pellet stoves can be installed as part of the retrofitting programme but they are expensive and the price is putting people off.

The councillor added that unfortunately people are being priced out of house fuel and are being priced out of fuel for their vehicles.

If this situation continues, he warned, the politicians will lose people and I wouldn't be surprised to see street protests. It's becoming ever more apparent that the new poverty is fuel poverty. The government will tell you they have to follow this decarbonisation road or else they will be fined hefty fines by the EU; which is all very well, but we shouldn't be leaving people behind.

I know people who are hoarding their fuel, not using it, and are sitting in houses which are cold. They are also rationing their food. These are people who are not on a low income but are on what would be perceived to be a reasonable income.

The recent price hike on briquettes was massive. This could result in a big reduction in the buying of briquettes. If this happens I think Derrinlough Briquette Factory won't remain open beyond next year.

The councillor said that when German briquettes first arrived in Ireland in the spring they were about a Euro and 20 cents cheaper than peat briquettes. German briquettes are coal-based and haven't proved popular with the public. Not many places sell them. One shop in the midlands sells them for 5.99 a bale, which isn't much cheaper than a bale of peat briquettes, which are anything from 6.30 to 6.70 at the moment.

Many councillors in the midlands are arguing that a significant part of carbon tax income should be reinvested in the midlands.

They are pointing out that the Just Transition funding is too low. When the initial Just Transition funding was announced it was 31m. However, 20m of that is going to retrofitting.
Seven exceptional films, which were all connected with Offaly in some way, were shown to a very appreciative audience in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre during the recent OFFline Film Festival.

After the screenings, OFFline festival Director Gary Hoctor summed up what many of us have recently been feeling: When you think back to this time last year, we were hopping in and out of lockdowns, slowly going stir crazy and wondering how long wed actually have to endure the P-word. Now that the light finally seems to be appearing at the end of this tunnel, it's events like this night of screenings that help remind us who we are.

"Back in 2019 we opened the Festival with a Made in the Midlands compilation - an amazing night that has definitely been repeated this year, as we have all seen this evening with the very high standard of filmmaking on show. As well as the live-action shorts made in Offaly and those made elsewhere by Offaly filmmakers, this evening we have seen two short animations made by filmmakers who had the pleasure of staying in Birr as part of the Animation Residency from September 2020 until March 2021. We were also delighted to screen a short from the English Midlands - a nod to filmmakers whove been coming here for about 10 years - from the region where us OFFliners went to study how to make a Festival way back in 2009.

The Passion, directed by Mia Mullarkey was the first film of the evening. It was partly shot in Lough Boora and tells a story of the aftermath of a tragic road accident. In the accident a young man (played by Frank Blake) accidentally kills the love of his life in the crash, and he subsequently finds escape, resolution and love with her mother (Olga Wehrly).

Neon meets Argon by James Doherty was a touching tale about an old hand taking a youngster under his wing. It's an ancient, often-told tale, but worth retelling over and over again, and it was done with skill here.

Neon (played by Lalor Roddy) makes imaginative looking neon lights for customers but it's obvious he's finding things tough as he gets older. Perhaps he is a bit depressed, perhaps his bones are a tad weary (it's not specified) but he needs help or else his business could go under. A helping hand comes from an unexpected direction in the form of a young man called Argon (played by Dane Whyte O'Hara). Initially we think Argon is a troublesome, cocky youth, but he proves himself to have a heart of gold. Neon sees that this is a young lad who was going astray and could have gone very wrong but he's able to give him purpose and direction.

Wormhole in the Washer by Paireac Keane is whacky, quirky and charming. Shot in Loughton House Moneygall, it focuses on an eccentric writer (excellently acted by Elliot James) who wears bow ties and woollen cardigans but who suffers from an exaggerated self-regard and an anger management problem. One day he notices a wormhole at the back of his clothes washing machine. He goes through it and enters a parallel dimension where he meets his doppelganger.

Nothing to Declare by Garret Daly tells the true life story of two young boys, Keith Byrne and Noel Murray, who undertook an unbelievable journey on their own without adult supervision. They made the headlines in 1985 when, without a penny to their name or without telling anyone, they took a dart to Dun Laoghaire, a ferry to Holyhead, a train to London, and a flight to New York from Heathrow. They got through security in Heathrow by saying to the officials that they were with their parents who were somewhere ahead of them in the airport. Their extraordinary journey was rumbled by an astute policeman in JFK airport. Keith (10) and Noel (13) from Darndale had run away before, travelling around Ireland on trains without paying, but evading the authorities in three countries was a first.

Their incredible adventure began on August 4th, 1985 when they left their Dublin homes and eventually ended up in New York having arrived there on an Air India flight from London. Their journey baffled security in three countries, caused a major terrorism alert and left their parents in the dark about their whereabouts for days.

Garret Daly has crafted a very entertaining film about the event which interviews Keith and Noel thirty six years later. The two men, for the first time on screen together, recount their adventure with much humour and also honesty. Their story had the Irish nation talking as they created international headlines. They also reveal the life that followed after the headlines faded. For those of us who lived in the '80s this is a nostalgic trip back into a very different world.

Raised by Canals by Lauren Hatchard is a charming true story of memories, love of one's parents, and holding onto memorabilia which reminds you of your parents.

Soft Tissue is an animation film by Cliona Noonan (who spent six months in Birr in 2020 doing the animation residency). Her images are striking and compelling. Her story is a reflection on mortality and coming to terms with grief.

Finally, Little Boy Litter by Jack McHugh & Conor McNally is a fantastic tale about the awful problem we have in Ireland with litterbugs. Little Boy Litter enthusiastically picks up rubbish from around the countryside and the town.
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On Wednesday 13 October, Professor Dr Stefan Stein, President of GISMA University of Applied Sciences, held welcome speeches for the new students on the new campus in Potsdam and online via Microsoft Teams. In his speech, the GISMA President quoted Chinese philosopher, Confucius, saying: When you walk along with two others, from at least one you will be able to learn," encouraging students to work collaboratively and prepare themselves for 
Buchs AG, Switzerland  25th October 2021 - Picturepark announced today the general availability of the Picturepark release Weisshorn, made available as of 23rd October 2021 to all its customers on the Picturepark Cloud. The new version provides efficiency improvements via a unique user experience (UX) such as, among others: a new search and content navigation experience, a reworked Tag Manager for more efficient metadata and product information management, new 
The life of the Spirit, expressed in the Sacraments, cannot be suffocated by a bureaucracy that prevents access to the grace of the Spirit, Pope Francis said at the General Audience on Wednesday morning, 27 October. The Holy Father continued his series of catecheses on Saint Pauls Letter to the Galatians, reflecting on the fruits of the actions of the Paraclete. The following is a translation of his words which he shared with the faithful gathered in the Vaticans Paul vi Hall.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good morning!

Saint Pauls preaching is completely centred on Jesus and his Paschal Mystery. In fact, the Apostle presents himself as a proclaimer of Christ, and Christ crucified (cf. 1 Cor 2:2). He reminds the Galatians, tempted to base their religiosity on the observance of precepts and traditions, that the centre of salvation and faith is the death and resurrection of the Lord. He does so by placing before them the reality of the cross of Jesus. He writes thus: Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Gal 3:1). Who has bewitched you so that you would move away from Christ Crucified? It is an awful moment for the Galatians.

Today, there are many who seek religious security rather than the living and true God, focusing on rituals and precepts instead of embracing the God of love with their whole being. And this is the temptation of the new fundamentalists, of those who seem to be afraid of the path to be taken and who do not move forward but backwards because they feel more secure: they seek the security of God and not the God of security. This is why Paul asks the Galatians to return to what is essential, to God who gives us life in Christ crucified. He testifies to this in the first person: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20). And towards the end of the Letter, he affirms: Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (6:14).

If we lose the thread of spiritual life, if a thousand problems and thoughts assail us, let us heed Pauls advice: let us place ourselves before Christ Crucified, let us begin again from Him. Let us take the Crucifix in our hands, holding it close to our heart. Or let us pause in adoration before the Eucharist, where Jesus is Bread broken for us, Crucified, Risen, the power of God who pours out his love into our hearts.

And now, still guided by Saint Paul, let us take a further step. Let us ask ourselves: what happens when we meet Jesus Crucified in prayer? The same thing that happened under the cross: Jesus gave up his Spirit (cf. Jn. 19:30), that is, he gave his own life. And the Spirit which flows forth from Jesus Passover is the origin of spiritual life. It is he who changes our hearts: not our works. It is he who changes our heart, not the things that we do, but the action of the Holy Spirit in us changes our heart! It is he who guides the Church and we are called to be obedient to his action, that blows where and how he wills. After all, it was precisely the awareness that the Holy Spirit had descended over everyone, and that his grace was at work without any exclusion, that convinced even the most reluctant of the Apostles that the Gospel was meant for everyone and not for a privileged few. And those who seek security, the small group, the things that were clear as they were back then, they distance themselves from the Spirit, they do not permit the freedom of the Spirit to enter into them. Thus, the life of the community is regenerated in the Holy Spirit; and it is always thanks to him that we nourish our Christian lives and continue to engage in our spiritual battle.

It is precisely the spiritual combat that is another important teaching in the Letter to the Galatians. The Apostle presents two opposing fronts: on the one side, the works of the flesh, and on the other, the fruit of the Spirit. What are the works of the flesh? They are behaviours that are contrary to the Spirit of God. The Apostle calls them works of the flesh not because there is something wrong or bad about our human bodies. Indeed, we have seen how much he insisted on the reality of the human flesh that Christ brought to the cross! Flesh is a word that indicates the persons earthly dimension, closed in on itself in a horizontal existence, where worldly instincts are followed and the door to the Spirit, who lifts us up and opens us up to God and others, is closed. But the flesh also reminds us that everything ages, that all things pass, wither, while the Spirit gives life. Thus, Paul lists the works of the flesh which refer to the selfish use of sexuality, to magical practices connected with idolatry and to all that undermines interpersonal relationships such as enmity, jealousy, dissension, divisions, factions, envy (cf. Gal 5:19-21). All of this is the fruit  lets say  of the flesh, of behaviour that is solely human, sickly human. Because humans have their values, but all this is sickly human.

The fruit of the Spirit, instead, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23), as Paul says. Christians, who in baptism have put on Christ (Gal 3:27), are called to live as such. It can be a good spiritual exercise, for example, to read Saint Pauls list and take a look at our own behaviour to see if it corresponds, if our life is truly in accordance with the Holy Spirit, if it bears these fruits. Does my life bear these fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? For example, the first three that are listed are love, peace and joy: a person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells can be recognized by these traits. A person who is at peace, who is joyful and who loves. With these three traits, the action of the Spirit can be seen.

The Apostles teaching poses quite a challenge for our communities too. Sometimes, those who approach the Church get the impression that they are dealing with a dense mass of rules and regulations: but no, this is not the Church! This can be any association. But, in reality, the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ cannot be grasped on the basis of so many commandments or of a moral vision developed in many layers which can make us forget the original fruitfulness of love nourished by prayer which brings peace and joyful witness. In the same way, the life of the Spirit, expressed in the Sacraments, cannot be suffocated by a bureaucracy that prevents access to the grace of the Spirit, the initiator of the conversion of heart. And how often, we ourselves, priests or bishops, follow so much bureaucracy to give a sacrament, to welcome people, so that people say: No, I do not like this, and they go away, and many times they do not see in us the power of the Spirit who regenerates, who makes us new. We therefore have the great responsibility of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen, enlivened by the breath of the Spirit of love. For it is this Love alone that possesses the power to attract and change the human heart.

Special Greetings

I greet the English-speaking visitors taking part in todays Audience, especially the young people from various countries preparing for the cop26 meeting in Glasgow, and the pilgrimage groups from the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord. God bless you!

Lastly as usual, my thoughts turn to the elderly, to the sick, to young people and to newlyweds  they are many! I encourage you to bear witness to the message of evangelical salvation that the Apostles Simon and Jude, whom we will celebrate tomorrow, witnessed with their life.

I offer my blessing to all of you.
The daily recital of Psalms in the few moments of freedom granted by her captors to take some steps in the desert. The certainty that many were praying for her well-being, together with the respect of the guards and the discrimination she experienced as a Catholic sister. All this was part of the four years and eight months of detention of Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, a Franciscan of the Mary Immaculate, kidnapped by jihadists in Mali on 7 February 2017 and released on 9 October, this year. Sister Gloria spoke to Vatican Media about her experience and what sustained her hope during captivity. How did you feel the closeness of people who prayed for you? In every moment, I was sustained by faith. I was not afraid about what would perhaps happen to me. I knew that God sustained me, that the entire Church, my co-sisters and the ...

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A palachee Correctional Institution, called aci , sits about 55 miles west of our home in Tallahassee. Deep in the Florida panhandle, it is right on the boundary of the Eastern and Central time zones. I accept the prison chaplains invitation and in January of 1990, I show up at the aci Chapel to be a prayer partner for men with terminal illness. Mostly aids and cancer. I am very clear in limiting my commitment to the terminally ill because I do not want to be swamped by healthy inmates who are anxious to meet a lawyer. I am here to pray with men who are dying. As I enter the prison chapel, there is a long line of over 50 prisoners snaking around the exterior of the church building as they wait for their individual appointments with me. The chapel clerk, who has been assigned to assist me, also requests a prayer appointment. My ...

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BIG RAPIDS  After a childhood of poverty, homelessness and domestic violence, Robin Marvel is on a mission to help those in need.

Marvel has initiated the Share the Warmth blanket drive and is teaming up with Mecosta County Habitat for Humanity and local businesses to collect new and gently used blankets to donate to Our Brothers Keeper now through Nov. 11.

Share the Warmth blanket drive is an original idea for me, and this is the first year, although I have done many other drives for those in need in our area, Marvel said. Blankets will be donated to anyone in need, and I will be contacting Starburst, Manna Pantry and St. Vincent DePauls to see if they have anyone in need, as well.

Blankets can be dropped off at these three local businesses:

 Levis TDIs Auto Repair Shop, 151 Gooch St., Hersey

 Mecosta County Habitat for Humanity Restore, 18387 Northland Dr., Big Rapids

 Qs Grocery, 660 N. Main St., Hersey

Marvel has a history of giving, spearheading several efforts to collect items for those in need.

For 10 years I have hosted a food drive every fall that brought in several pounds of food and nonperishable items for local food pantries and those in need in the area, Marvel said. I have also done a Gloves of Love/Hats for Heads drive every year for over 10 years, collecting hats, gloves, coats, and mittens for people in need.

Marvel said she is motivated to give back to her community because she grew up in poverty and spent many of her childhood years homeless and lacking the necessities of daily living.

I did not have many things that are taken for granted by so many, from socks to blankets, she said. I didnt have a choice as a child, but I have a choice now how my life is lived. I use the trauma I endured as a child to help others in need. It is the least I can do now that my life is where it is at.

Marvel told the Pioneer that during her childhood, her father was a drug addict and was often abusive. As a result, her family would often find themselves homeless.

In third grade we lived in a station wagon on a riverbank, she said. We lived in hotels, but not often, and also lived in tents many times throughout my life.

When Marvel was in seventh grade, her mom moved the family to Michigan for the second time, she said, where they lived with family members temporarily and ended up living in a tent in Paris Park for a summer.

I became a mother at 16 and decided that I did not want her (the child) to become a statistic, Marvel said. I started working, graduated from high school, worked two jobs and bought a house when she was 2. It was a big deal to me.

Once on her feet, Marvel started writing books on self-esteem, confidence and taking responsibility for your life.

I am now a multi-published author and speaker in the field of healing childhood trauma, she said. My latest book, Healing Childhood Trauma, has been on the top of the Amazon charts since it was released.

I continue working hard and showing others that you are not a product of your childhood and hard times, she continued. You can make choices to live your life fully.

When I share my story, people cant believe what I have endured, but I tell them I am grateful for all I have experienced because it made who I am today, she added.

In addition to her writing and speaking, Marvel is active in charitable organizations including working for the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Big Rapids.

I believe strongly in their mission, and appreciate being a part of it, she said.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  An Alabama tax preparer has pleaded guilty to filing false returns on behalf of his clients and himself.

Jamichael D. Whiteside, 37, of Gadsden, entered the guilty plea Thursday in federal court, according to Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and IRS Criminal Investigations Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  A magistrate judge says there is enough evidence for a rape case against a former state lawmaker to move forward in court.

Aaron von Ehlinger, 39, was a Republican state representative from Lewiston when a 19-year-old legislative intern reported that he brought her to his apartment under false pretenses and raped her. Von Ehlinger has denied all wrongdoing and maintained he had consensual sexual contact with the woman. The Associated Press doesn't name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be publicly named.

During a preliminary hearing on Friday, Ada County Magistrate Judge Kira Dale said that there was enough probable cause for von Ehlinger to face a felony trial on charges of rape and forcible penetration by use of a foreign object. She made the ruling after hearing testimony from a nurse who performed a sexual assault medical exam on the intern and a detective who testified that he collected a DNA sample from von Ehlinger during the course of the investigation.

The DNA sample was a match for body fluids collected from the intern during the rape exam, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Katelyn Farley told the court.

Anne Wardle, a sexual assault nurse examiner who examined the intern after she reported the assault, said the young woman was upset and tearful and reported having arm pain from where she said von Ehlinger had used his knees to hold her down during the assault.

Wardle also said the intern had a goose-egg-like lump on the back of her head. The intern told Wardle that the injury happened when she hit her head on a headboard while trying to jerk away from von Ehlinger, who had grabbed her by the hair.

Von Ehlinger's attorney, Jon Cox, conceded that there was enough evidence to move the criminal case to district court, but he noted that preliminary hearings rely only on probable cause, which he said was "the lowest standard of proof in criminal law.

Cox told the court that he expected the outcome would be different when he had an opportunity to fully question the state's witnesses, including the intern who made the rape report.

Von Ehlinger is scheduled to be arraigned in district court on Nov. 8. He has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea. Both rape and forcible penetration by use of a foreign object carry maximum penalties of life in prison.

Earlier this year during a legislative ethics committee hearing, von Ehlinger maintained he did nothing illegal during his encounter with the intern. The committee, however, found that von Ehlinger engaged in behavior unbecoming and said they would support a vote to remove him from the Idaho Statehouse. Von Ehlinger resigned from office before the vote was held.
Looking back, Karim Sadjadpour credits his upbringing in Midland with forming his interest in foreign policies. Sadjadpour, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is returning to his hometown to share his experiences over the past few years.

Sadjadpour was born and raised in Midland, graduating from Midland High in 1995. He developed an interest in international relations through a winding path. When he was 10 years old, Sadjadpour played travel soccer and would scan the sports section of the Midland Daily News to find mentions of when he scored or assisted in scoring a goal; Sadjadpour explained that getting your name mentioned in the paper was a source of pride. He eventually began reading the obituaries to the astonishment of his parents. Perusing the obituaries instilled a fascination for biographies, followed by politics.
In response to reporter inquiries, Huntington Bank emailed the Daily News a written statement this week regarding difficulties that some new customers have recently encountered as TCF Bank transitioned to Huntington Bank following the completion of their merger in June.

All TCF bank branches and systems have now been converted to Huntington, and the branches opened on schedule as Huntington on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

The Daily News has heard from multiple people who have had problems with activating debit cards, getting someone on the phone for help, and direct deposits while transitioning their accounts from TCF to Huntington.

"The debit card issue impacted less than 1% of TCF customers on Friday night, Oct. 8 and Saturday morning, Oct. 9 and was resolved that same afternoon. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience," Randi Berris, director of external communications at Huntington, wrote in an email.

Berris said new customers received welcome kits with step-by-step instructions to access their accounts online, and Huntington systems have remained running throughout the conversion.

"Some customers unfortunately did have difficulty, and many called our customer service centers for additional assistance," she wrote. "We understand some customers experienced longer than normal wait times. We know our customers' time is valuable, and we worked quickly to resolve any issues."

During the TCF/Huntington conversion, a small number of customers had issues with their direct deposits processing correctly, Berris wrote.

"This was mainly due to instances where a payroll company dropped a '0' on the account when setting up their new direct deposit," Berris added. "Our teams have been working with any customers impacted, and have quickly corrected their accounts.

"We also then send a Notification of Change (NOC) back to the payroll company to advise them to correct the account number. After the account has been corrected, customers are advised to speak with their employer to verify their account information if their direct deposits are still not reflected in their account," Berris continued.

In Midland -- which was home to the headquarters of TCF's recent predecessor, Chemical Bank -- Huntington has a main branch at 333 East Main Street, a remote drive-thru on Larkin Street, three other branches, and four ATMs.

As a part of the Huntington Bank merger with TCF Bank, Huntington Bank has divested 14 branches to Horizon Bank, including the Circle Branch at 2910 Jefferson Avenue in Midland's Center City.

Despite Huntington's divestiture with Horizon, Huntington officials said it will still have the largest branch share in Michigan.

"We will continue the commitment that TCF made to maintain a large presence in Midland," a Huntington media representative previously wrote in an email to the Daily News. "Huntington remains committed to serving our customers and communities across northeast Michigan and across the state."
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tess DeGayner.

Tuesday, Oct. 26

11:57 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 64-year old Greendale Township male who had questions regarding his tenants. The male advised that he was already undergoing the eviction process and understood his options.

8:30 p.m.  Officers responded to a report of an animal bite near 3410 Jefferson Avenue.

7:48 p.m.  A deputy located a large amount of wood on a Mills Township roadway that was causing a traffic hazard. A deputy cleared the roadway.

7:22 p.m.  A deputy answered a Gladwin County resident's questions about obtaining a personal protection order against the father of her child in the city of Midland.

7:21 p.m.  A deputy spoke to a 20-year-old Jasper Township male who received threats on social media from an acquaintance. The complainant requested extra patrol and wanted to make the sheriff's office aware just in case the acquaintance caused any additional issues.

4:08 p.m.  Officers responded to a report of obstructing justice near the 2300 block of Rockwell Drive.

2:55 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to Jerome Township regarding fraudulent checks being passed to a business. This incident is currently under investigation.

1:27 p.m.  Officers assisted a call regarding probation/parole near the 200 block of West Ellsworth Street.

12:57 p.m.  A deputy responded to a Lee Township report of a 14-year-old female being sexually assaulted by a 32-year-old male. The complaint is under investigation.

12:54 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 55-year-old Warren Township male who reported buying a cell phone online and never received it in the mail. The delivery company claims the package was delivered to his residence. The complainant needed a police report to attempt to get refunded for his losses.

12:25 p.m.  A deputy completed a vin inspection for an Ingersoll Township business.

12:12 p.m.  Deputies transported a 36-year-old female to the ER without incident, after they were dispatched to a Mount Haley Township residence for a mental health pickup order.

11:04 a.m.  An animal control deputy received a complaint regarding a dog in a Dollar General located on North Eastman Road. The owner could not be contacted and the dog was transported to the Midland County Humane Society.

9:00 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Porter Township adult foster care home after several residents got into verbal altercations with one another. Staff members handled the issue and requested the deputy cancel his response.

8:53 a.m.  Deputies responded to a vehicle versus deer crash in Ingersoll Township. A deer permit was issued.

12:57 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a verbal argument between a father and son. The deputies made contact with the caller a 73-year-old Lee Township male who was not cooperative and extremely intoxicated. Subsequently, the deputies spoke with a 63-year-old Lee Township female who witnessed that altercation and advised it was all verbal. The son left the scene prior to police arrival and the male on scene refused to give his name. This incident was closed.
The Alzheimers Association Michigan Chapter has been named a 2021 grant recipient by the Midland Area Community Foundation. The $35,300 grant will fund a part-time program coordinator position in Midland County.

We are grateful to the Midland Area Community Foundation for supporting the Alzheimers Association and funding this new position, stated Alzheimers Association Michigan Chapter President and CEO Jennifer Lepard. This grant will help us tremendously in serving Michiganders in Midland County as they navigate their dementia journey.
Midland County had 74 new COVID-19 cases reported from Oct. 27-28.

COVID-19 numbers reported from Oct. 26-27

Midland County: 74 cases were added; pandemic total is 9,573 cases, 885 probable cases, 129 deaths and seven probable deaths.

Bay County: 132 cases and two deaths were added; pandemic total stands at 13,953 cases, 1,091 probable cases, 376 deaths and 15 probable deaths.

Gladwin County: 25 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 2,769 cases, 543 probable cases, 69 deaths and four probable deaths.

Isabella County: 86 cases and four deaths were added; pandemic total stands at 7,731 cases, 1,437 probable cases, 118 deaths and six probable deaths.

Saginaw County: 183 cases and one death were added; pandemic total stands at 25,551 cases, 2,032 probable cases, 645 deaths and 24 probable deaths

The state added 8,078 cases and 122 deaths from Thursday through Friday. Overall, Michigan is at 1,128,435 cases and 22,182 deaths.

Recovered

According to the Midland County Health Department website, which was updated Oct. 18, 8,695 Midland County individuals have recovered from COVID. The state reported that as of Oct. 29, a total of 982,288 persons have recovered.

Testing

Midland Countys seven-day rolling positivity rate on Oct. 27 was listed at 13.9% and Gladwin Countys was listed at 16.2%. Our 12-county region was listed at 17.3% and Michigan was at 11.5%.

MidMichigan Health statistics

As of Oct. 29, MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland was listed as having an 77% bed occupancy, with 37 COVID patients and seven in the ICU. MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin was listed as having a 67% bed occupancy with four COVID patients and none in the ICU.

Both medical centers reported having at least 15-30 days worth of personal protection equipment (N95, surgical masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection) on hand.

Schools

As of Friday, Midland Public Schools reported 223 staff/students were in close contact to an individual who was confirmed COVID-19 positive, and 55 staff/students currently tested positive for the virus.

Schools with one or more staff/students confirmed positive for COVID-19 as of Friday include Dow High (19), Midland High (78), Jefferson Middle (11), Northeast Middle (27), Plymouth Elementary (6), Siebert Elementary (26) and Woodcrest Elementary (7).

Bullock Creek School District reported on Wednesday that one staff member and five students are current positive cases. There are also 14 students (but no staff members) currently in quarantine.

Schools with one or more confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday include Pine River Elementary (1), Bullock Creek Middle School (1) and Bullock Creek High School (3).

Midland County vaccinations

The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard lists Midlands completed vaccine rate is 69.1%.

As of Friday, the FDA has authorized the use of Pfizers COVID vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds. Currently, the other vaccines are not authorized to be given to those under age 12.

Midland County Health Department is hosting a weekly walk-in COVID vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday on the second floor of the Midland County Services Building, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland.

Future COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Midland County are listed at www.co.midland.mi.us/HealthDepartment/COVIDVaccineInformation.aspx. Those with questions may call 989-832-6380 or email MCDPH@co.midland.mi.us.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polands lawmakers on Friday approved the speedy construction of a $402 million barrier on the European Union members border with Belarus, seeking to stop the increasing flow of migrants.

Now the plan proposed by the right-wing government only needs the approval from President Andrzej Duda, a government ally. Construction of the wall with motion sensors is to start upon the approval.

Poland and other EU nations are accusing the Belarusian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging and aiding migrants from the Mideast and Africa to seek entry into the EU through their borders with Belarus. It says the government in Minsk is seeking to destabilize the whole bloc in retaliation for Western sanctions.

Some migrants, chiefly from Iraq and Syria, have died from exhaustion near Poland's border with Belarus, which runs over 400 kilometers (250 miles) through forest, bogs and along the Bug River.

Poland has built a razor-wire fence on the border and sent thousands of border guards, troops and police, but the measures have failed to stop the inflow of migrants. The border guards have also been pushing migrants back across the border, including some families with children, and a new Polish law makes that legal.

Poland is also in talks with the European Union's border agency Frontex regarding plans to fly the migrants back to their home countries.

Migrants who get into any EU country can ask for international protection, or asylum that will cover all of the EU, but in most cases the requests are denied.

___

Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraine's president on Friday pleaded with citizens to get vaccinated quickly as daily infections soared to another all-time high, fueled by a slow vaccine uptake.

The Health Ministry reported 26,870 new confirmed infections in 24 hours  the highest level since the start of the pandemic. It recorded 648 daily deaths to bring the pandemic death toll to 66,852.

Authorities blamed the surge in infections and deaths on a low level of vaccination. Just 16.4% percent of people in the nation of 41 million are fully vaccinated  the second-lowest rate in Europe after Armenias 7%.

The slow pace of vaccinations in Ukraine and other countries of Eastern Europe has been blamed on public distrust of authorities that has contributed to the broad spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines.

I'm strongly asking you to switch off social networks and switch on your brains, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians. The only way to prevent a collapse is to increase the share of vaccinated people. I'm asking regional authorities to wake up and go to bed with that thought.

In a bid to stem contagion, Ukrainian authorities have required teachers, government employees and other workers to get fully vaccinated by Nov. 8 or face having their salary payments suspended. In addition, proof of vaccination or a negative test is now required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses.

Starting Saturday, 15 of the country's 24 regions will be listed as part of the red zone of contagion, with most stores, restaurants and cafes shut and medical services unrelated to COVID-19 suspended. Such restrictions are currently in place in eight regions.

In the capital of Kyiv, restaurants, shopping centers and gyms will be closed beginning Monday and public transport will be limited to those who can show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.

The restrictions have helped raise the pace of vaccination, but they also have spawned a booming black market in counterfeit documents. Fake vaccination certificates sell for the equivalent of $100-$300 and theres even a phony version of the governments digital app, with bogus certificates already installed.

Eugene Enin, the first deputy interior minister, said Friday that police tracked down the man who created the phony app. He posted a picture of himself and the young suspect, saying that he was offered work at the ministry to redeem himself.
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.
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The Gambia on Thursday hosted the Africa Leadership Business Forum, which brought together key figures from the public and private sectors, to discuss way forward for intra-Africa Trade
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for close cooperation between the UN, African Union and regional economic blocs in handling the security challenges, peacekeeping, climate change and the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - US President Joe Biden has become the most powerful world leader to condemn last Monday's military coup in Sudan and demand the immediate release of all those detained
Photo: (Photo : PxFuel)

A Maryland mom got upset after seeing her daughter's retouched school picture, done by a professional photo studio for school picture day. Jennifer Greene, 42, made her displeasure known on social media and addressed the studio for the shock of seeing her daughter's completely photoshopped picture.

In a post on Twitter, Greene demanded that someone from Lifetouch studio explain why a school picture day retouch is necessary for kids. She and the other parents apparently paid an extra $12 for the retouching, including blemish removal, skin-tone evening, and teeth whitening.

However, when she took the photos out of the envelope, Greene said that she freaked out because she didn't want her 12-year-old daughter, Madeline, to feel any pressure about looking picture-perfect. Speaking with the New York Post, Green said that she disagrees with any retouching of a child's photo because they might feel that their flaws can be easily removed with "the click of a mouse."

Im going to need someone to explain to me why @Lifetouch offers PHOTO RETOUCH for KIDS school pics?! What the hell?! #parenting pic.twitter.com/x63hGFz4YS  Jenn Greene (@traveljenn) September 29, 2021

Read Also: Blake Lively Speaks Out Against Fan Who Violated the Privacy of Her Daughters

School Picture Day Retouch Horrors

Other moms have also chimed in about their children's school picture day retouch horrors. Whitney Rose, whose child is hearing impaired, recalled that the studio erased her son's hearing aid for school picture day. She presented the "evidence" of the retouched image on her TikTok account.

Rose said that removing the hearing aid sends out the wrong message when the device is part of her son because he suffers from hearing loss. The mom said that wearing a hearing aid is not something that people should be ashamed of.

Kristi Loerns, a mom from Florida, said that her son's school picture day memento showed him with flawless skin that she had to do a double-take. Keiran, 10, has adorable freckles that Loerns felt should not have been removed, especially when she was not asked about it. However, the studio made amends by sending her the unretouched image of her son. Greene, on the other hand, has yet to hear from Lifetouch.

Family Photographers Speak Out

Heidi Green, a mother who works as a professional portrait photographer, said that some parents also want perfection for their children's school pictures, and she feels bad if they ask to edit out these flaws. She recalled one client who wanted her daughter's facial birth defect removed, but the photographer smoothened out the scars so it wouldn't be too obvious. She didn't want the child to look very different in the photos versus in real life.

Christine Han, another professional photographer from New York City, agreed that retouching photos tells kids that they don't look "OK" the way they are.

"Life is not about image, and we have enough of that pressure going around without retouching little kids," Han told Romper.

Washington, D.C. family photographer Jamie Davis Smith said she prefers capturing portraits with imperfections. The most retouch she does is to correct bad lighting or remove shadows on the faces. She also doesn't go for altering images from their natural state.

The photographers are advising parents not to check the box where they need to pay extra for retouching, so the studio will leave the images as is.

Related Article: Facebook Knows Instagram Brings Negative Mental Health Impact to Teen Girls, Leaked Research Reveals
Photo: (Photo : Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for ELLE)

Gal Gadot will be back for the third "Wonder Woman" movie with director Patty Jenkins, and she said that she would love it if her three daughters could cameo again as they did in "Wonder Woman: 1984."

During a fan event organized by DC FanDome, Gadot was asked if "Wonder Woman" fans would get another glimpse of her children. The superstar teased that her daughters -- Alma, 10, Maya, 4, and new baby Daniella, four months -- might participate in another short scene.

"It's a nice souvenir in each movie they're going to be older and older," Gadot said.

Read Also: 'Loki' Star Thanks Marvel For Innovative Costumes That Make Breastfeeding Easier

Gal Gadot Daughters' First Cameos

In "Wonder Woman: 1984," Alma and Maya, then nine and three years old, were featured in the final scenes of the sequel with Gadot's real-life husband, Yaron Varsano. They were in a special Christmas segment of the movie after Gadot's character, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, had to let go of her true love, Steve Trevor.

Alma was the kid who threw a snowball at Diana as she was playing with a boy, who turned out to be Jenkins' son, Ace. Maya and her dad, on the other hand, were briefly shown in a shot at the merry-go-round.

Speaking with "GoodDay DC" host Kevin McCarthy, Gadot said those scenes with her daughters and husband meant a lot to her because the film has been a huge boost for her career. To have her family become part of a work, albeit briefly, is something that they will always cherish.

While none of her family members appeared in the first "Wonder Woman," Gadot was pregnant with Maya during the reshoots in 2017. So, her second child had an unintended cameo in the movie that changed her life.

Alma was also supposed to cameo in the first movie but backed out of the scene because she "did not want to be famous." While sitting down with Jimmy Fallon for the "Tonight Show," Gadot recounted how Alma, then about four or five years old, told her friends that she was in the studio in London to do her scenes as a poor girl who was struggling in the cold. She said she was not fond of the repeated takes and is largely not impressed that her mother is Wonder Woman.

Celebrating 13 Years of Marriage

Meanwhile, Gadot and Varsano celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in early October. In a post on Instagram, the actress said that "forever is not long enough" for them to be together. She thanked her husband for being her partner and rock.

In 2016, Gadot told Glamour that she met her husband, who is 10 years older than her, at a party in the middle of the Israeli desert in 2006. He confessed his undying love for her on their second date because he did not want to wait to propose and get married. Two years later, the couple exchanged vows, and they had their first baby in 2011.

Gadot said that they support each other's careers, which is why they make a good team. Varsano is a real estate developer and once operated a hotel in Tel Aviv. He sold the property to a Russian billionaire for a reported $26 million.

Related Article: 'Wonder Woman' Star Gal Gadot Shares Photo Of New Daughter
Smartphone brands compete in an interesting and complicated US marketplace. Despite the apparent dominance of iPhones, most brands compete within the Android operating system environment, in addition to competing with Apple in the overall smartphone market. CIRP analyzed this brand marketplace as of the September 2021 quarter.

Within this marketplace, over the past three years we have seen Apple maintain the largest overall share. It has kept this share as customers largely remain loyal to either the Apple iOS or Google Android operating system, and iOS is exclusive to Apple, of course.

Within the Android operating system, Samsung has a similarly strong position as Apple does within the overall smartphone market. Motorola has maintained a meaningful share, but has much lower loyalty rates compared to Samsung. Before it announced its exit from smartphones, over the last three years LG had a slightly larger share and similar loyalty and switching to Motorola.

Apple enjoyed the largest share of smartphone sales in the past three years, with 43% of US smartphone sales in the year ending with the September 2021 quarter.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Samsung had the next largest share, at 31% of US smartphone sales. This is also the dominant share among brands using the Android operating system, with Samsung accounting for 54% of all US Android smartphone sales. LG and Motorola are the only other Android brands with significant share. Note that the LG share of 9% reflects sales in the twelve months ending in the September 2021 quarter, and that in April 2021 LG announced it would discontinue smartphone sales, with a planned sunset during this September 2021 quarter.

Shares were roughly consistent over the past three years. Apple experienced a measurable increase in share in the twelve months ending September 2020, while Samsung saw its share move within a very narrow range during the entire three-year period shown.

Brand loyalty helps explain trends in overall shares. Apple has had the highest brand loyalty, measured as the percent of customers purchasing a new Apple iPhone whose previous smartphone was also an iPhone. Apple has seen loyalty rates exceed 90% for the past three years (Chart 2)

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Switching brands within the Android operating system is easier than switching between Android and iOS, and loyalty to each operating system has remained at about 90% for the past several years. Even so, within Android smartphones, Samsung has the highest loyalty, with around two-thirds of Samsung buyers having owned another Samsung immediately previously. As Samsung maintained its loyal users, Motorola and LG saw lower loyalty a somewhat downward trend since the year ending September 2019.

For more on this, review the full Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report.
In March, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Facebook reveals initial work on wrist-based input devices for future AR Glasses & plans to reveal their work on Haptic Gloves later this year." Then in June, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Facebook has leaked the news that their first Smartwatch is coming to market in 2022 that will reportedly launch with two cameras & more," that stemmed from a report by The Information news site.

Yesterday a new report by Bloomberg reported that Meta Platforms Inc., the company formerly known as Facebook Inc., is developing a smartwatch with a front-facing camera and rounded screen, according to an image of the device found inside one of the tech giants iPhone apps.

The photo shows a watch with a screen and casing thats slightly curved at the edges. The front-facing camera -- similar to what youd see on a smartphone -- appears at the bottom of the display, and theres a control button for the watch on the right side.

The watch has a detachable wrist strap and what appears to be a button at the top of the watch case. Its large display mimics the style of Apple Inc.s watch -- rather than the more basic fitness trackers sold by Googles Fitbit and Garmin Ltd. The camera suggests the product will likely be used for videoconferencing, a feature that would make Metas device stand out. Apples smartwatch doesnt have a camera, nor do rival products from companies such as Samsung Electronics Co.

Facebook has been planning to launch its first watch as early as 2022, but a final decision on timing hasnt been made yet and the debut could be later, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The company is working on three generations of the product aimed at different release time frames, the person said. The device in the image could ultimately represent a version that is never released, but its the first evidence of the companys work on the project.

The presence of the image in the glasses app, called Facebook View, could indicate the watch will be managed on iPhones and Android devices using that app too. Code inside the software indicates that the watch could be dubbed Milan. The code also suggests the camera will be capable of capturing both photos and videos and downloading them to a phone. For more, read the full Bloomberg report.

Below are two images from yesterday's Meta Keynote. The top image is Zuckerberg talking on his smartwatch which you can't see. The bottom image is Zuckerberg's Avatar answering a realworld phone call on his virtual watch  not a smartphone. Obviously Facebook would like to have a communications device where they could control their own user interface that's tied into their future Metaverse.

(Click on image to Enlarge)
A Steam sale is upon us, folks, and that means just one thing: sifting through literally thousands of deeply discounted games to figure out which ones in particular deserve your hard-earned cash. If youre short on time, take a gander at our recommendations below. Since its Halloween, theyre heavy on horror, but just about anyone should be able to find something they can enjoy. Note that most of these selections are decidedly adults-only: Let the kids get their spooks in Minecraft.

Normal price: $20

Sale price: $8

Half-Life is a genre-defining staple of both first-person shooters and horror games, but 23 years later, its not exactly looking like a spring chicken. If you want to see how one of gamings most celebrated franchises got its start, pick up this authorized, fan-published remake running on the latest version of the Source engine.

Normal price: $25

Sale price: $8.49

Blasphemous is what youd get if you threw Super Metroid and Dantes Inferno into a blender. This 2D platformer is heavy on both exploration and combat, with beautiful, haunting bosses that will make an encore appearance in your nightmares.

Normal price: $25

Sale price: $8.49

This game is on the other end of the spectrum from most Metroidvania titles, letting you take direct control of a Lovecraftian horror beast. Slither undulously through the corridors of the facility built to keep you inside, snacking on some juicy guards and powering up your abilities as you go.

Normal price: $60

Sale price: $15

Anime-inspired games are a dime a dozen on Steam, but this one is notable for its ambition. With combat and exploration aiming to take on Dark Souls, Code Vein distinguishes itself with full co-op gameplay available throughout the campaign.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $16

A conventional cover shooter that expands into something much more, Control is what youd get if you let David Lynch direct a Resident Evil game. Explore the secrets of a vast shadowy organization as you power up your own fledgling abilities, discovering the connections between this strange place and your own past.

Normal price: $25

Sale price: $5

If youre itching to get your old-fashioned turn-based combat on, but arent interested in 70 hours of pixelated drama, give Darkest Dungeon a try. Youll manage a party of gothic heroes delving into a creepy dungeon over and over again. But be careful: If one of your heroes goes down, they wont be coming back for the next run.

Normal price: $50

Sale price: $33.49

A banner release from a couple of years ago on the PS4, the PC port of Days Gone is not to be missed for fans of zombie survival. Youll explore a gorgeous and mostly deserted slice of the Pacific Northwest, completing missions Far Cry-style. But dont look at the scenery too long, or an equally gorgeous pack of hundreds of zombies will come by looking for a two-legged snack.

Normal price: $25

Sale price: $15

Dead Cells is Metroidvania for those who want non-stop, eye-searing combat. Its pixelated splendor plays out in a short succession of sprawling levels. You will die, over and over again, powering up your undead fighter and refining your tactics and loadouts with each run as you explore an island full of horrors.

Normal price: $60

Sale price: $24

A controversial hit, Deah Strandings cargo-hauling gameplay is as unique as its bleak landscapes are beautiful. To summarize its story would take longer than we have here, but if youve ever spent more than 10 minutes on a Metal Gear wiki entry, this game is for you.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $22

Disco Elysium is like no other game youve ever played. A love letter to both classic point-and-click adventure games and the kind of sprawling existential literature you pretended to read in college, its not a game for the faint of heart. (Or for anyone with a deadline to meet in the next month or so.)

Normal price: $15

Sale price: $5.09

This top-down survival game takes the simple but addictive nature of the original Dont Starve and then lets you invite friends. The charming woodcut art style and just-one-more-run game sessions have made it a hit, and its easy to see why.

Normal price: $20

Sale price: $10

Dusk is an intentional throwback to the days of late-90s shooters, skinned with gothic horror and a decidedly low amount of polygons. Relive memories of Duke Nukem as you blast through an entire slasher franchise worth of monsters.

Normal price: $15

Sale price: $3.74

Speaking of slasher franchises: This officially licensed take on the famous movies has you playing through the iconic landscapes of Camp Crystal Lake. Up to seven players play campers, carefully exploring and hiding, while one lucky player gets to slip behind the mask of Jason Voorhees and hunt them down one by one.

Normal price: $30

Sale price: $12

In a year with an infamous cyberpunk game, Ghostrunner is the one that might have slipped through the cracks. This intense action title mixes the first-person free-running of Mirrors Edge with the super-fast sword combat of any ninja game youd care to mention. Mix in a dash of sci-fi dystopia and youre all setjust make sure your PC can handle it at a high framerate.

Normal price: $20

Sale price: $5

A more somber take on the recent pixelated management genre, Graveyard Keeper mixes elements of Stardew Valley with dungeon crawlers and a healthy dose of cynicism. Youre a medieval crypt keeper tasked with managing the business of mortal remains. Dont let the cutesy graphics fool you: This one isnt for the squeamish.

Normal price: $25

Sale price: $17.49

A top-down hack-and-slash dungeon crawler with a mythical Greek setting, Hades picked up multiple Game of the Year awards for its incredible artistry and innovative structure. While it starts simple and seems a little short, youll come back again and again for the unfolding story and dialogue thats better than most shows on TV.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $20

Nietzsche warned about the dangers of hunting monsters. Hunt: Showdown is his abyssal sentiment distilled into FPS form, as players stalk through 19th-century Lousiana in search of both shambling horrors and other players. Collect the bounty on the maps boss monster, if you can get there before the other hunters finish you off.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $18

What if Dark Souls was set in the Star Wars universe? If it was, youd get this game exactly. While its a little short and the sprawling maps might be frustrating for some, the razor-sharp lightsaber combat and exploration of a galaxy far, far away will thrill fans of the movies. For other Star Wars discounts, check out Star Wars: Squadrons.

Normal price: $50

Sale price: $12.49

Get Over Here and check out the latest and goriest entry in the legendary 2D fighting series. While MK11 doesnt explore anything particularly new for a 2D fighter, its shamelessly visceral showmanship will thrill fans of the original while serving up surprisingly technical combat. Pick up some DLC if you want guest fighters like Terminator, Robocop, and Rambo.

Normal price: $60

Sale price: $19.79

It might be unfair to call The Outer Worlds Fallout in space, but its pretty clear thats what New Vegas developers Obsidian were going for. If you prefer your modern 3D shooter-RPGs with a dash of Gilded Age anti-capitalist commentary, youll be in role-playing heaven with this one.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $10

The 14th century wasnt a great time for continental Europe, but its the perfect setting for a horror game, especially if you get squeamish around rats. Guide protagonist Amicia through a series of stealth-based levels and puzzles as you explore a world ravaged by the Black Plague.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $16

If you loved Borderlands but wish it had a little more Dark Souls flavor, this games for you. Grab two buddies for a looter-shooter thats high on difficulty, tasking players to make it through a world ravaged by an interdimensional horror.

Normal price: $40

Sale price: $16

Capcoms classic survival-horror game has been given a gorgeous coat of paint. Relive the original PlayStation classic with full 3D environments and new voice acting and animation. If you get through RE2 and still crave more, Resident Evil 3 and its iconic Nemesis enemy have been given the same remake treatment.

Normal price: $30

Sale price: $7.49

Heres another game thats not for those who have musophobia (the fear of rats). But unlike A Plagues Tale, Vermintide 2 gives you an arsenal of weapons to take down an army of rat-men  this is the Warhammer universe, after all. Grab a few friends for co-op first-person slaying for the best results.

Normal price: $60

Sale price: $6

Building on the excellent 2012 reboot of the classic strategy franchise, XCOM 2 is the rare sequel that asks, What if you lost the first game? Take control of a rag-tag group of rebels on an alien-occupied Earth, building up equipment and combat prowess through turn-based battles. But beware: The enemy is getting stronger, too.
It was his dream to secure a prestigious job at one of the leading banks in Ghana and education from a top tier secondary school in the country  Achimota School, as well as further studies at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom was enough to put him on the right track to achieving greatness in the field of banking.



But 12 months into securing such a job and living his dream as a member of the white-collar family, John Nana Addo Francois quit.



His reason? A lack of satisfaction.



Sometimes life speaks to you and you sort of gain some clarityI wasnt satisfied. I didnt feel like there was enough of an impact from my daily activities so I looked elsewhere, the Chief Executive Officer of Asili Coffee Purveyors ltd said to Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on the business edition of 21 minutes with KKB.



A bold move, you would say of a gentleman willing to quit his childhood dream in pursuit of God knows what but the next stages of Francois life were even more interesting.



Days turned into weeks and John Francois was still not clear on what it is he truly wanted to do to fill the void that drove him out of the banking hall.

With roots in Akropong Akuapem, John would visit his family one day and discover that he had a strong connection to local farmers in the community.



Alas, the eureka moment  Farming!



With no knowledge whatsoever in farming, interest was enough to get the ball rolling for the 31-year-old Akora who now produces Africas finest premium coffee and is exporting to several countries on the continent and in the United States of America.



On journeys there (Akropong) I look at the area and I feel like okay look let me contribute my own quota to my community as well. When you look around youd see that there are vast fertile lands and so it clicks that agriculture is something this area can supportI drink a lot of coffee, most bankers do. So I was like maybe I can go into thisI chose coffee because my grandfather on my mothers side also planted coffee in an area called Ahabanten, Francois said.



Francois would spend weeks in Akropong, interacting with farmers, understanding their needs, and learning on the job in a build-up to becoming the Chief Executive Officer of a young Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) company.



Actually I was just a consumer, like everybody else. I had to learn on the job which is something that I encourage a lot of people to do. Just because you dont have a general background in something doesnt mean you cant actually teach yourself. There are a lot of resources nowadays  online, free courses, even some of our friends who have studied and are now tutoring others as well  self-learning



Having gained a fair amount of knowledge on the job, coupled with his genuine interest in farming, Francois was ready to get things into action, except, he didnt have the necessary funds.





For a vision as big as what he had  producing and processing premium coffee for export  the young man will need more than ideas and words.Like many young entrepreneurs, John Francois had to dip into his personal savings while relying on support from family members to start his business.You need to prove certain things to people. You need to engage in market research, layout a proper plan because nobody is going to give you free money like thatI had to put together a proper plan and I managed to get some seed capital from within our family ranks. From there, we introduced coffee to the Akuapem area. We leaned on some initiatives that are currently happening and we managed to get some seedlings to the Akuapem area but in order to get the seedlings to come to the Akuapem area we needed to put the factory up first.You have zero track record, I mean think about it, who are you? At the startup stage, theres always that issue which is why it is advisable to start something bootstrapped. I started in a garage  in one room with one grinder, Francois recounted in his interview on 21 minutes with KKB.Today, John Francois, through his company, Asili Coffee Purveyors ltd with support from The Kingdom of the Netherlands Orange Corners Initiative Fund and the Government of Ghanas Planting for Export and Rural Development is providing jobs for hundreds of people.From farmers who grow the coffee beans to people who work in his factory and the all-women sales team that place Asili as a continental contender in terms of impact and quality. John Nana Addo Francois is creating value for several families and he is satisfied, more satisfied than he was while living his childhood dream as a banker.

Source: Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng | 21 minutes with KKB









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
Some applicants of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) recruitment are being disqualified for imputing false data during the first stage of the exercise (online application).



According to the GIS In-charge of Intelligence, Chief Superintendent Alfred Fiifi Ocran, when it is detected that an applicant imputed false data, he/she is immediately disqualified from the recruitment process.



Speaking on the sidelines of the recruitment in Kumasi, Chief Superintendent Ocran said the physical characteristics of the applicants were being verified during the physical screening process.



How to apply for the Ghana Immigration Service

"That is why we are here to do the physical checking. So, those who have manipulated the system by imputing wrong information, when we check, we take you out," Chief Superintendent Ocran said in an interview with Joy News.



"The moment we disqualify you the system closes your page automatically".



He said male applicants who possess piercings, as well as females with multiple piercings, were also disqualified.



He added: "There should be no piercing for males, that one will automatically disqualify you because it is part of the standards that were set. For females, there should be one piercing, if it is more than one, you would be disqualified.



"With tattoos, visibly we will disqualify you, both male and female because it is part of the basic standards".



He also stated that excessive stretch marks, scars and surgical scars would also disqualify an applicant from the exercise.



The third stage of the screening exercise (aptitude test) has also been scheduled for Saturday.



Five reasons why the Immigration is disqualifying applicants



Height

Minimum 1m73cm for male

Minimum 1m63cm for female



Piercings

No piercings for male

1 piercing for female



No tattoos



No excessive stretch marks



No scars

No surgical scars







Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ugandas president has announced that schools will be reopened in January, almost two years after they were closed because of the Covid pandemic.



President Yoweri Museveni said this would happen regardless of how many people were vaccinated.



Well under 10% of Ugandas population have been jabbed, though Mr Museveni said there would be enough doses by the end of the year to quadruple numbers.



He said that if anything went wrong with the uptake, the public would bear moral responsibility.



Many teachers have left for other jobs to make ends meet, and some say they wont return.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A post shared by   (@utvghana)





The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, has directed the General Legal Council to admit all law students who obtained a pass mark of 50% in the Law School Entrance Examination into the Law School.The First Deputy Speaker gave the ruling today,Friday after Members of Parliament heavily criticised management of the Ghana Law School and the General Legal Council for the continuous frustration of students seeking admission into the Ghana School Law School to be trained as professional lawyers.499 law students who wrote the entrance examination for admission into the Law School were denied admission despite obtaining at least 50 percent in the entrance examination.The Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Efutu constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin who raised the issue on the floor of Parliament criticised the Ghana Law School and the General Legal Council of making the study of law in the country frustrating and unattractive through the questionable marking scheme set up for the Law School Entrance Exams.Hon. Afenyo-Markin therefore moved a motion for Parliament to compel the Ghana Law School and the General Legal Council to admit all students who passed the entrance exams.The Minority Whip and MP for Asawase, Mubarak Muntaka described the challenge of gaining admission into the Law school as a matter of public interest which is very worrying.He, therefore, called for a probe by Parliament into the matter.After the discussion by the House on the issue and the motion moved by Hon Afenyo-Markin, the First Deputy Speaker who chaired proceedings of the House put the question on the matter and subsequently gave the ruling that all the law students who passed the entrance exams should be admitted into the Ghana Law School for the 2021/2022 academic year.The 499 Law school students who had attained the 50 per cent threshold in the Ghana Legal Council (GLC) examinations yet had been denied admissions are unlikely to be admitted anytime soon.This is because theres no space at the Ghana School of Law to contain them, President Akufo-Addo said.He noted that the situation is rather unfortunate as the problem has been a persisting one.For the time being, theres no space in the Law School for them, and this is a problem. There are several others before them who unfortunately fell into the same pit. It may be that this group has decided to be more vocal than their predecessors, he said in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on'kokrokoo' programme.The President explained that it is not in the countrys best interest to keep the gates of the Ghana School of Law closed.I think its a decent, reasonable expectation; I will not run away from it. I think its a reasonable expectation to see that this is a good moment for these matters to be resolved, and all I can say is that God willing, by the time I come back here the next year, substantial progress will be made in trying to deal with this.Its unfortunate, I cant pretend that this is a happy coincidence for me at all, on the contrary, Im very disturbed by it, and Im hoping that soon the cooperation of the various stakeholders, the Ghana Legal Council, the Chief Justice himself, Attorney General and myself, well all find a solution to this situation, he said.

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.

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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei II, has warned encroachers, especially his sub chiefs, to desist from selling lands that belong to the Kwame University of Science and Technology (KNUST) or face his wrath.

"The lands are mine and you are just caretakers. There is no family land in Ashanti. Therefore, no Abusuapapin (head of family) has the right to give portions of the land for private development," Otumfuo warned.



The Asantehene gave the warning when he launched the 70th anniversary celebration of the university in Kumasi.



The year-long celebration is on the theme; "KNUST: 70 years of global impact; A new age for a renewed focus".



Activities



As part of the celebration, which ends next year, there will be a week of exhibition by the various colleges to showcase their wares, interviews with selected alumni, a book launch on KNUST, homecoming of alumni next year, a series of public lectures and the establishment of an endowment fund for past students to donate in multiple of 70 of all currencies to help the university's projects.



Otumfuo



The Asantehene challenged any aggrieved person to take him to court but was convinced that there were judges who were fully aware that there was no family lands in Ashanti, which the Constitution also recognised.



He said if for nothing at all, the current generation must appreciate the efforts of their forbears including his uncle, Prempeh Agyemang I, who doled out the land for the construction of the university.



Otumfuo said as the population of KNUST increased from an initial 200 to now over 80,000, "every piece of land will be needed towards the expansion of facilities to accommodate more students.



Graduate unemployment



The Asante king, who also doubles as the Chancellor of the KNUST, said with the rising effects of graduate unemployment, the university needed to churn out graduates who were fit for the industry so they did not become redundant.



He commended the government for the financial clearance to employ more lecturers but said more needed to be done to absorb more of them.



Otumfuo said with the consultation of the University Council, he would establish a chair at the departments of History and Political Science to deepen the relationship between the university and the Manhyia Palace.



VC



The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson, who tracked the trajectory of the university till date, seized the opportunity to commend President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for releasing funds towards the completion of the first phase of the KNUST Hospital, which had been stalled for years.



While also thanking the President for lifting the ban on lecturers employment, she said the current staff to student ratio which was 1-63 was not encouraging and that more needed to be done.



Prof. Dickson, who is the first female to be appointed to the high office of the university, expressed delight at the gradual enrolment of female students, which currently stood at 40 per cent, expressing the hope it could still be 50 per cent to equal that of their male counterparts.



STEM



She said plans were afoot to admit more females into its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programme to cure the notion that the sciences were the preserve of males.



"This is to ensure all inclusive education," she said.



Minister



The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said it was time for KNUST to think outside the African box.



He said being ranked 12 best university in Africa was not enough because its research was comparable to any of the universities across the world.



"Indeed, KNUST is a source of national pride," the minister, who is also an alumnus of the university, said.



Touting the free SHS as the best to have happened to Ghana, the minister said one of the critical matrix of measuring its progress or transformation was striking a correlation between its "gross tertiary enrolment ratio".



"Free SHS is indeed a stabiliser for Ghana," he said but admitted that the JHS was the weakest link in the education sector and needed to be changed.









Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has provided an update on the disappearance of Mrs Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, a staffer of the Lands Commission in the Ashanti region.

The Police in a statement said it had secured a court order to refer the husband of Rhodaline, Dr Wilberforce Aggrey for psychiatric examination due to some incoherent statements he had made on the matter.



It will be recalled that Mrs Amoah-Darko was reported missing on September 2, 2021, by her husband.



The Police statement also stressed that as of Wednesday, October 27, 2021, there was no evidence linking Dr Aggret to the disappearance of Rhodaline.



"As part of investigations into the disappearance of Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, a staff of the Lands Commission in the Ashanti Region, the Police on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, secured a court order to refer the husband of Rhodaline, Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey, for psychiatric examination due to some incoherent statements from him on the matter," the statement said.



"It must be placed on record, that as of today, Wednesday, October 27, 2021, the Police have no evidence linking Dr. Aggrey to the disappearance of Rhodaline.



"Investigations are still ongoing and at this point, we are unable to disclose any information to the public on the matter".



The Police statement further urged persons to desist from creating and circulating unconfirmed reports on the case since their actions can impede Police investigations.



"The public shall be fully updated on this issue once investigations are completed. Let us endeavour to respect the privacy of the families involved.



"As we continue to work tirelessly on this matter, we entreat anyone with information concerning this case or any other case under investigation to contact the Police on emergency numbers 18555 and 191".

Source: graphiconline.com









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The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has assured that loyal members would henceforth be rewarded when the party comes into office in 2025.



He also called for unity among members of the party, urging them to work hard and avoid divisive tendencies in the party.

Mr Ofosu Ampofo gave the advice whilst addressing Constituency and Branch Executives as well as the teeming grassroot supporters during an award ceremony organized by the Dome Kwabenya constituency on Sunday in Accra.



The ceremony was aimed at rewarding party members who put up a good performance during the 2020 general elections.

He said the goal of defeating the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2024 could not be realized in a divided house.



He also hailed the positive disposition of the constituency Chairman, Mr Nii Lante Lamptey, describing him as a team player, whose effort is helping the party return to power. Mr Ofosu Ampofo applauded the 2020 parliamentary candidate, Mrs Elikplim Akurugu, constituency executives and members for carrying out what he described as historic electoral performance in the 2020 elections.



He entreated the regional secretariat to be neutral in resolving grievances in order to ensure unity in the party. He pledged that the party will give the region the necessary support to wrestle power from the NPP.

He noted that the branch executives wont be handpicked in the next branch election next year but would be elected to enable them become effective ahead of the 2024 general polls.



The period of selection at the branches is over; we are now in a period of elections at the branches, Mr Ofosu Ampofo said.

He added, Right now, the NDC has a very credible and reliable database of its members, in every branch across the entire country. Our party is now a stronger and more united party as a result of the membership registration exercise.



He emphasised that the development was an indication that the party would achieve undisputable victory in an election that is free and fair.

Also speaking, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabic, Alhaji Said Sinare urged delegates against selling their votes.

He admonished them to vote for competent leaders who would wrestle the seat from the NPP come 2024.



He also called on the party to abide by internal democracy and transparency to move the party forward.



Alhaji Sinare also cautioned against creating needless tension in the party.



The Constituency Chairman, Nii Lante Lamptey urged the members to remain loyal to the party as more of such rewards would be coming frequently.



I want to assure you that your labour for the party would not be in vain, we will always come to appreciate your efforts because the party revolves in the grassroots, he stated.

Source: modernghana.com









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The General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Boadu, has entreated all flagbearer hopefuls of the party to stop campaigning ahead of time.



Speaking at the Ashanti regional branch of the partys delegates conference held on Wednesday, 27 October 2021 at Achaakrom in the Ejisu Municipality, Mr Boadu said campaigning early may affect and distract the work of President Nana Akufo-Addo.



Mr Boadu said although it is acceptable for the flagbearer hopefuls to splash their posters around, they should not start campaigning.



He called on the hopefuls to observe the rules and regulations regarding the internal elections of the party.



We see posters around and that is acceptable but no one should start campaigning, he warned.



If you start campaigning, youll distract the president from the mandate given to him, Mr Boadu added, explaining: He will be distracted by these campaigns by our own people, so, I urge you all to observe these rules and regulations.



Mr Boadu also noted that the party will hold its National Delegates Conference in the Ashanti Region on the 18th, 19th and 20th of December this year.



He advised members of the party to unite, as they prepare for the internal polls.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia will, on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, lead an interactive town hall meeting on the Government's digitisation programme at the Ashesi University College, Berekuso Campus, in the Eastern Region.



The meeting will allow the Vice President to explain the various digitisation initiatives undertaken by the Akufo-Addo-led administration since 2017 and those outlined to be rolled out in his second term.



The event will also allow the students of Ashesi University College and other stakeholders to ask questions and provide feedback on the impact of the digitisation programmes on public services and ease-of-doing-business.



The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, announced this at a media briefing in Accra.



The event will be televised on some television stations and online platforms across the country at 17:30 hours.





Source: GNA









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A member of the Concerned Citizens against the anti-LGBTQ Bill, Akoto Ampaw, says the memorandum submitted to Parliament against the passage of anti-LGBTQI Bill into law, is not to legalise same-sex marriage.



The legal practitioner, at a press conference, said, It is mischievous for everyone to say that our group is for legalisation of same sex marriage and we expect the media to challenge persons who deliberately or out of ignorance propagate such dis-information.



Mr Ampaw and 17 others, including Professor Emeritus Takyiwa Manu, Professor Kwame Karikari, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, had submitted a memorandum to Parliament describing the anti-LGBTQI Bill laid before Parliament as insignificant and unconstitutional and called for its rejection.



The anti-LGBTQI Bill, titled: The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, submitted to Parliament in June this year, seeks to push for LGBTQI community members and those who advocate their rights to be fined and jailed between three to five years and beyond for identifying with that sexual orientation.



Mr Ampaw said it was disingenuous to discredit opposition to the Bill as being informed by foreign interests, as it denied the legitimacy of domestic voices, which were dissenting to the bigotry upon, which the Bill is based and suggested that only those in favour of the Bill should qualify to be regarded as real Ghanaians.



We may do well to remember that some of the civil society voices calling for the protection of LGBTQI+ rights today have, in the past, championed other human rights that were not necessarily grounded in our culture or tradition, such as freedom of association and free media, he added.



Ms Selasi Tsegah of the Human Rights Advocacy Centre and a member of the group, disputed comments that homosexuality was a mental disorder that could be corrected by conversion therapy.



Speaking about protection of children from sexual abuse, she said there was no need to single out homosexuals and fan hatred and opprobrium against them as if they were the main predators and pedophiles when crime statistics from the Ghana Police Service proved otherwise.



Professor Emeritus Manu asked that both homosexuals and heterosexuals be dealt with if they sexually harassed children, adding that, it was unfair to place a high focus on homosexuals.



The truth is, homosexuals are not asking for marriage or anything from Parliament and they are not hurting anyone, so lets just leave them alone, she stressed.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, has cautioned Members of Parliament (MPs) who engage in acts of intimidation and brutalities to influence the election or approval of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to stop forthwith.



He said he had seen some MPs in such acts on television and described such acts of unbecoming of MPs, and warned that they would be hauled before the Privileges Committee of the House if they continued to misconduct themselves.



In an apparent angry tone, the Speaker reminded MPs that they held a privileged position that went with a code of conduct, ethics and rules that guided their behaviour, similar to when a commoner is elevated to kingship in a traditional setting.



If you are a commoner walking around, and traditionally they come and remove your slippers from under your feet, and they carry you to the village and make you a chief, everything changes. You can no longer behave like you used to behave, Speaker Bagbin said.



Welcoming the MPs back from recess to begin the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic in Accra, the Speaker told the House that the election approval of MMDCEs were not avenues for MPs to flaunt their physical prowess and intimidate people.



His warning comes against recent involvement of some MPs, who overtly or covertly were involved in acts of intimidation during the approval of MMDCEs nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to fill the Assemblies.



Speaker Bagbin said: The election of MMDCEs or their approval, lets not take the clock backwards. Its not a place to show how strong you are, but its a place to show how popular you are or the kind of support you have.



He cautioned MPs they could not in any way use force to compel people to vote for the endorsement of nominees.



Why are you behaving this way? Speaker Bagbin asked, and urged the legislators not to be part of those who would misconduct themselves.



The Speaker directed sector Ministers to have pre-budget meetings with their committees ahead of the presentation of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana on November 17, 2021.



We dont have much time when the budget is laid, Speaker Bagbin said, and cautioned that the House would not allow any Minister to come and show powers that they did not have.



He said the house would hold Ministers financially accountable and for their conduct and gave the assurance to move the House to better levels and sought the cooperation of members to achieve the level promised.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has observed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the most lawless president Ghana has ever had and do not believe in the rule of law.



The alleged undemocratic act of Nana Akufo-Addo, according to Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe in recent times has found its way into our local government system.



Speaking at a press conference on the recent confirmation of DCEs at the local level on Thursday, 28 October 2021, the suspended NPP stalwart reminded Ghanaians that voting for DCEs must be done in a free and fair manner.



He noted that the composition of our assemblies are made up of experts, elected assembly members from the various electoral areas within the district, chiefs and opinion leaders. These people are expected to be people of integrity, conviction, matured and above all with the development of their locality at heart.



These people per our constitution must at all-time be allowed to vote for or against any government appointee who is nominated by the president without any interference or compulsion but by their own conviction.



This is a sole right given to assembly members for which no one shall influence in any shape or form by threat, intimidation, assault or pressure that will interfere with the exercise of such right.



Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe bemoaned that although Ghana continues to grow, the countrys growth must be seen in its decentralisation system to aid peace and development in the localities but that is not what is happening.



In his opinion, this government led by Nana Akufo-Addo has taken our dear nation back.



Justifying his point, he said looking at happenings in the recent confirmation of chief executives at the various assemblies these acts cannot be gloss over because it is undermining the democracy that we have enjoyed for the past 28 years and still counting.



He explained further that the Local Government Act 2016 (Act 936) (section 21) mandates the assembly members to go through a democratic process in confirming the respective nominations made by government but what did we see in the various assemblies in the just ended District Chief executive confirmations,? He quizzed.



Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe alleged that the confirmation of DCEs witnessed the incidence of violence, deployment of NPP vigilantes clothed in military uniform to prevent assembly members from voting and in some cases prevented them from even entering the halls where the elections was to take place.



Citing examples, he said in the case of Kumawu, the Honourable member of parliament for that area who is part of the composition of the assembly was denied entry into the voting hall. This unfortunate incidence cannot be overlooked and the needed authourities must be called to book.



The issue of bribery in some assemblies including Cape Coast could not be labeled as democratic. In Assin South, 16 assembly members had to invoke curses on the regional minster and the Police commander and the DCE for preventing them from voting after they later realised the venue for voting had changed to another venue without informing them, he stated.



What sort of democracy are we practicing? Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe quizzed adding our party was based on democratic principles and some of us will make sure that we go back to our roots. Our roots have been democratic and it will continue to be so.



Citing some more examples, he said Ga Central in the Greater Accra region experienced some violence where the presiding member of the assembly was assaulted and the Achiase district was not exempted from this bloody act



Ghana as a country cannot continue like this under this NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo. This indicate how unpopular and disappointed the people of this country are against the undemocratic moves by this present government.



Many of these happenings Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said occurred in areas where the old chief executives were re-nominated for their second time and most reasons given by the assembly members for rejecting them are lack of development in their localities, lack of good human relation on the part of the chief executives and many other reasons. The chief executives are indeed suffering from the deeds of their appointer who has starved the assemblies of their common fund for four quarters and had reintroduced the capping system to take part of the monies



Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, has, thus, called on the government, the Ghana police service led by IGP Dr Dampare and the parliament of Ghana to as a matter of urgency investigate these happenings in the various assemblies in order to bring these perpetrators of this undemocratic acts to book.





Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has called on the opposition National Democratic Congress and the Electoral Commission to cease fire over the 2020 election results.



Mr. Pratt dreaded the altercation over the election results may cause mayhem in the nation if not stopped.



He was discussing former President John Mahama's election rigging allegations against the Electoral Commission (EC) on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme Friday.



The former President is said to have accused the EC of ballot stuffing in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



"2020 was Ghanas worst election. If I was marking her, I would have given her an F. She is marking her own paper after the examination so she can give herself any mark she likes.



Tell me which election in Ghana was ballot papers printed yet one million ballot papers were found elsewhere...We didnt witness this under Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan. She [Jean Mensa] knew there was ballot stuffing," Mr. Mahama said.



The EC, in response, has filed a complaint with the Police to investigate Mr. Mahama's allegations.



''The Former President has said the EC thumb printed 1million ballots in favour of the president. This is untrue. This is a grave matter that undermines the credibility of our electoral process and should not be ignored. We call on him to provide evidence to support his claim. This is not a matter to be ignored and we call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate this," the Commission said during its 'Let the Citizen Know' series in Accra.



To Mr. Pratt, the opposition party and the EC should let sleeping dogs lie because investigating the former President's claims could cause an even more disturbing situation in Ghana.



He feared the Police, through their investigations, might reveal something that may have legal consequences on the country.



"Let's be very careful . . . for me, let's go by the Supreme Court verdict and stop delving deep into this issue . . . Supreme Court has made the determination. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the President. NPP has 137 seats in Parliament; NDC has 137 seats in Parliament. Let's abide by this and move forward," he advised.





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.

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Former Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has bashed Ex-President John Dramani Mahama over his recent comments regarding the Electoral Commission.



Former President John Mahama has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of ballot stuffing and raised further concerns about the outcome of the 2020 Presidential elections.



Mr. Mahama, who has disavowed President Nana Akufo-Addo's legitimacy, is said to have alleged that there were attempts by the EC to pad votes for the President during the elections.



"2020 was Ghanas worst election. If I was marking her, I would have given her an F. She is marking her own paper after the examination so she can give herself any mark she likes.



Tell me which election in Ghana was ballot papers printed yet one million ballot papers were found elsewhere...We didnt witness this under Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan. She [Jean Mensa] knew there was ballot stuffing," Mr. Mahama is quoted on 3news.com.



But the EC has refuted the claims stressing "the Former President has said the EC thumb printed 1million ballots in favour of the president. This is untrue. This is a grave matter that undermines the credibility of our electoral process and should not be ignored. We call on him to provide evidence to support his claim. This is not a matter to be ignored and we call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate this".



Addressing the issue during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dr. Okoe Boye noted that Mr. Mahama's claims are an indictment on him and his National Democratic Congress (NDC).



According to him, if indeed the claims are true, then it goes to confirm the former President's incompetence.



"Why would you have information that 1 million ballot papers have been printed and you believe it can have an effect on an election, you sit down and don't talk about it till we're done with the elections?" he asked.



"If it comes out that it is true, then it speaks to incompetence on the side of the opposition . . .There was an opportunity to bring the things that went wrong during the elections at the Supreme Court election petition. Our constitution has made provisions for all these.



"You had this information before going to the court but didn't present it there. If today, we find out that it could have an outcome on an election, in fact, it speaks to an incompetence even in opposition . . . If the outcome is true, it indicts the opposition because there are arrangements to bring those things into force," he averred.





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.

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The pollster Ben Ephson has lashed out at the former president John Mahama over his failure to present allegations of ballot box stuffing in the 2020 elections during the 2021 Supreme Court election petition hearing.



Speaking in an interview on his thank you tour of the Western Region, Mahama said: The 2020 election is one of the worst elections organised since 1992.



Tell me which election in Ghana was ballot papers printed, yet one million ballot papers were found elsewhere  We didnt witness this under Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan. She [Jean Mensa] knew there was ballot stuffing.



Reacting to the claims after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) accepted a call by the Electoral Commission for the police to probe the allegation, Ephson said the largest opposition party must move on because the 2020 polls are over.



I think that John Mahama is being unfair to his party, the pollster told the sit-in host of The Asaase Breakfast Show Beatrice Adu on Friday (29 October).



You had the opportunity to challenge the results at the Supreme Court. And what is happening now, if he had added  that: My Lords, Ive this evidence of a million ballots, Im sure the Supreme Court would have ordered the police to investigate within two weeks. He did not do that.



Sealed and finished

Ephson said disputes relating to the presidential results in the 2020 general election are done and dusted.



He added: The court has ruled, [but] once you keep doing this, what are you doing to yourself? The 2020 results are sealed and finished.



I dont think youre energising your base with this. He [Mahama] should look ahead, because there is nothing they can do to reverse the results.



Mahama has been misguided in all this by some of his advisors. Hes not listening to the general views.



If the NDCs aim is to discredit the EC I believe its not going to wash. The nature of the NDC is a bit far remote from their grass roots.

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.

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The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October to 12 November 2021.This global moment will bring together leaders and innovators to accelerate climate action around the world.



Alongside Italy as COP26 co-host and partners, the UK is committed to preventing rising global temperatures, and protecting the planet and people from the intensifying impacts of climate change that threaten our health, food security and our environment.



Ahead of Ghanas COP26 Delegation leaving for Glasgow, the British High Commission organised a climate focused event on the 21st of October to showcase how Ghanaian companies and institutions are practically developing innovative solutions to help adapt and mitigate the impact of climate change.



Speaking at the event, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Honourable Dr Kwaku Afriyie expressed his thanks for the close partnership with the UK on climate issues. He noted the main threats to Ghanas economy and population from climate change, and repeated his key objectives - to secure climate finance for developing countries, and to increase the focus on countries that urgently need to adapt to climate change impacts that are already happening: a disaster already happening in slow motion.



Country Development Director for the British High Commission and Charge d'affaires Beth Cadman OBE, delivered a welcome speech at the event where she highlighted the UKs commitment to lead by example as seen last week through the production of its Net Zero Strategy  a road map for reducing our emissions to nothing by 2050 as well as encouraging developed partners towards the target of raising a $100billion a year in climate finance.



The event showcased five inspiring fashion brands that have sustainability at the core of their businesses: JACCD Design Institute Africa, Woven Worldwide, Larry Jay, Heel the World and Revival Upcycle Culture. Nine sustainable businesses and organizations also exhibited products during the event highlighting their work to find resilient solutions to climate change.





The event was supported by business leaders including Diageo, as well as youth organizations, SYND, GAYO, Wangara Green Ventures, Environment 360, Zaacoal, Mckingtorch Africa, Ghana Climate and innovation Centre, Government Energy Advisor - The Energy Commission, Okyeame Kwame and youth activist Nakeeyat, demonstrating a truly inclusive event.



Earlier in the day, Beth Cadman had joined the Honourable Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Kwaku Afriyie, at a press conference on COP 26, where the UK and Ghana were able to set out their key COP priorities for the Ghanaian public.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Ghanaian comedian, Funny Face has returned to social media a few days after the court ordered him to stay away from the platform. It can be recalled that Funny Face was arrested for threatening the lives of some individuals on social media after which he was ordered by the court to undergo psychiatric examination.



To aid his healing process, he was asked to stay away from social media where he usually attacks individuals and engages in a series of banters.



But Funny Face is back on social media as he has been captured lying down on his hospital bed and engaging his fans via an Instagram live video.



Watch the video below;































































































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Source: instagram/ghbase









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A 26 year old man identified as Aliyu Na Idris, a resident of Kaduna State Nigeria, has put himself out for sale due to economic hardships that is hitting the country.



According to information reaching us, this man has been walking around Kano with a placard which reads This man is for sale for 20,000,000 Naira. The placard contains his name and bank account number which will be use to receive the said amount.



He is said to be a tailor by profession. Aliyu first marketed himself in Kanu but he couldnt get a buyer, as a result, he moved to Kaduna in search of buyer six days today.



Aliyu revealed that, he lost most of his customers and his tailoring business failed gradually as a result of financial challenges. So he decided to sell himself for survival because it is the only option left for him.



Even though Aliyu got buyers who offered to pay N10m, N5m and N300,000 but he declined the offer because, it is less than his expectation.



Explaining his sale price to Daily trust, Aliyu said I will give N10m to my parents, N5m to the state where i will be bought, N2m to any person who assist in advertising me and the remaining N3m to the one who buys me so he use it for my maintenance.



Aliyu fully understands that he will loose his freedom when bought, but he is not worried about that. Adding that, he is ready to reap fruits off what he is sowing now.



He further said he will relocate to another state if he doesnt find any buyer in Kaduna.









Source: Daily trust









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Winnie-the-Pooh, a unicorn and Frankenstein were some of the pumpkin designs on display Thursday in the lobby of Aiken Regional Medical Centers.

The hospital held its annual Great Pumpkin Decorating Contest, where associates at ARMC had the chance to carve or decorate a pumpkin. Their creation is then pitted against others, and a panel of judges evaluate their creativity, artistry/construction and presentation to decide which is the best pumpkin.

There were 14 entries this year, and they ran the gamut from cute to spooky. One entry in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month was named "Mammogram Mary."

Sylvia Williams, with human resources at Aiken Regional, was the organizer for this year's event and she said it's always big for the hospital.

"There is serious competition when it comes to pumpkins," Williams said.

While she said the pumpkins were slightly delayed this year, that didn't stymie the effort put into the work and there's a "sense of pride" that goes into the process.

"Many of the associates didnt realize how creative their co-workers are," Williams said. "A lot of thought, a lot of time goes into it, and the departments really look forward to it."

The HR department won the carved pumpkin contest with their entry titled "Barnyard Buddies," and there was a tie for first in the decorated pumpkin contest: radiology, with "Mammogram Mary," and business and industry, with "Believe Something Wonderful."

The winners receive a certificate, as well as a large cookie tray for their department.
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The former boss of the National Nuclear Security Administrations nonproliferation program on Thursday applauded South Carolinas long history of work for the Department of Energy as well as a laundry list of efforts ongoing at the Savannah River Site.

You guys are simply amazing, Park said in a speech at the downtown Amentum Center for Performing Arts.

The ex-deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation also lauded Michael Budney, the Savannah River Site manager, and Dr. Vahid Majidi, the Savannah River National Laboratory boss, for their accomplishments, both as individuals and as a pair.

Thats a great partnership right there, Park said, pointing at the two.

Park delivered his remarks, and ran through a few slides of a presentation, at the 30th annual Teller Lecture and Banquet. The major get-together is put on by Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness.

The local nonprofit focuses on education and works to dispel rumors or misconceptions about the nuclear industry.

The faces, names and technology may have changed over 30 years, said Dr. Daren Timmons, the board chairman, but CNTA is steadfast in its commitment to be the voice of truth on nuclear matters.

CNTA honored distinguished scientists and star students during the celebration Thursday. Park cheered the education and outreach efforts.

We have to invest into our next-generation people, he said. Im so happy to have witnessed CNTA recognize all these early career people. Thats a great thing, right?

Park became the the National Nuclear Security Administrations nonproliferation lead in April 2018. In that position, he headed up efforts to secure or eliminate sensitive nuclear materials.

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, then the leader of the NNSA, said Park brings vast technical and policy experience to this position  an expertise that was on display Thursday. His understanding of the complex and multifaceted nonproliferation mission, both domestically and internationally, will be an asset to the department.

Park has a background in physics and worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, where he led and managed the science-to-application efforts for national security programs, CNTA said in an announcement.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has given South Carolina's Rickenbaker Gin permission to auction off trucks and other farm equipment to help pay down its debts, but the sale isn't likely to put make much of a dent.

Judge David Duncan on Oct. 28 approved the sale of 15 items owned by the Davis Station agribusiness for a combined minimum amount of $156,000. That's slightly less than 2 percent of the $8.1 million the cotton processor racked up since 2018.

The equipment that's up for grabs includes a pair of Freightliner trucks valued at a combined minimum of $52,000 and a Chevy truck that's expected to fetch at least $1,000. Also on the block will be a John Deere tractor, a Caterpillar loader, several vehicles and trailers.

J.R. Dixon Auction & Realty of Sumter will be in charge of the auction and will get 10 percent of the proceeds as commission. A sale date and location had not been set by the court as of Oct. 29.

Most of the debt listed on Rickenbaker's bankruptcy filing is owed to the S.C. Department of Agriculture. The state agency had to dip into a pair of reserve funds to cover $6.5 million the gin failed to pay farmers for their crops, even as the company was reporting almost $35 million in revenue and paying owner Burt Rickenbaker a $115,000 annual salary.

Another $916,425 is owed to James C. "J.C." Black, owner of an equipment rental company called Santee Leasing.

Rickenbaker Gin has assets of about $2.1 million, including the equipment to be auctioned, according to court documents.

It was Rickenbaker's dealings with Black that raised questions during a creditor's meeting earlier this month. The gin owner said under oath that he often borrowed money from Black to help with his companys cash flow, although there were no written agreements stating the purpose of the loans, which totaled $650,000.

Rickenbaker also pledged land that he and the gin owned as collateral for a separate $200,000 loan, also from Black.

The U.S. Trustee's office wants to hire an expert to look into the transactions with Black and other financial matters. If the judge approves the request, the examiner would be paid $50,000 to prepare a report that would be made public by Jan. 24, unless an extension is granted.

The examiner will determine whether any debts disclosed in the bankruptcy filings "or any other outstanding obligation of the debtor was caused by misappropriation, fraud or dishonesty" and whether any legal action can be taken.

The State Law Enforcement Division is also investigating Rickenbaker Gin's finances to see if criminal charges are warranted.

The 76-year-old gin was founded by Rickenbakers father upon his return to South Carolina after World War II. The S.C. Legislature recognized the company in a 2003 resolution for its "commitment to the cotton industry in Clarendon County."
MOUNT PLEASANT  Lucy Beckham High School leaders are working to address cultural issues in the school after a student flew a Confederate flag from a truck during a spirit week event.

The school kicked off its spirit week Oct. 18 with a 'Merica Monday theme during which students were encouraged to wear patriotic outfits. After the school day began, one of the students arrived with a Confederate flag flying from their truck, Principal Anna Dassing said in a statement to The Post and Courier.

When school officials discovered the flag, they disciplined the student in accordance with the district's contraband rules in the Student Code of Conduct, which prohibits students from possessing or viewing "items considered to be unsuitable for school or school related activities."

District spokesman Andrew Pruitt was unable to share specifics on the student's punishment, citing privacy concerns. It is considered a level one offense where the maximum punishment is an in-school suspension.

The school is also working to create a focus group composed of students, staff and parents that will discuss race, equity, inclusion, and other issues facing young adults.

The focus group comes after a number of parents sent emails and left messages with school officials expressing their concerns that the 'Merica themed spirit day and Confederate flag incident are signs of a worsening culture at the school.

Vanessa Hinson received a text from her son during the school day on Oct. 18 with a picture of the flag flying from the truck and the message "this is going on in our parking lot." After Hinson picked her son up from school, he told her that the flag had stayed up for most of the day and students were sharing videos of it on social media.

The flag was not the only divisive incident that occurred. Other parents heard about a number of students who arrived to the school that day wearing Confederate flag paraphernalia. They were disciplined for violating the school's dress code.

"These students were obviously sending social media messages out on this subject, but nobody went to administration and raised it with them, which means there's not a culture of safety that people know when they should or that they can securely or safely report an incident," Hinson said.

Hinson is not the only parent concerned about Lucy Beckham students feeling unsafe. Susan Carr, who has a son at the school, learned about the incident from a fellow parent who had reached out to her to discuss potentially taking action.

The incident left her feeling worried about what her son is experiencing at school and whether he feels comfortable advocating for himself.

"A culture at a school comes top down," Carr said.

Other parents were frustrated with the school's response to the incident. Although many members of the Lucy Beckham community knew about the flag by the end of the day on Oct. 18, the school has yet to officially address it in its messaging to parents.

In an Oct. 25 newsletter sent to parents, Dassing reiterated the school's dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion and mentioned that students will be participating in town halls and classes to reaffirm the school's expectations.

"In our Town Halls, our team will reiterate that, while we strive to provide a space where students can express themselves as they explore who they are, we will not tolerate acts of bullying, harassment, intimidation, hateful speech or displays, and/or apparel that has the potential of causing a disruption," she wrote.

Though the newsletter gave parents some reassurance, some wanted to hear the administration directly address the incident with them. Rebecca Byrd, whose two children are sophomores at Lucy Beckham, pointed out that when a child makes a mistake they are taught to admit to it, apologize, and say how they plan on correcting the harm done going forward.

"That's all I ask from the school, to do those things publicly," Byrd said.

Lucy Beckham has been around for two years.
Aromas of spicy lamb dumplings and butter-soaked snow crab garlic noodles wafting from a King Street kitchen stretch several blocks down Columbus Street.

Diners braved the rain to test out downtown Charlestons highly anticipated Vietnamese restaurant at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28.

I had the takeout a few months ago, and it was amazing, said Jim Leffew while waiting in line inside Pink Bellies, now open at 595 King St. Weve been checking Instagram, talking back and forth like, When are they going to be open? And now were here. First day, so were excited.

Pink Bellies opened to much fanfare due in part to its delayed debut. Chef and owner Thai Phi, who was born in a Thailand refugee camp during his parents immigration to the United States from Vietnam, introduced Pink Bellies as a food truck in 2013 before opening a Workshop stall in 2017. Fewer than two years later, Phi leased the restaurant space in the ground floor of the Hoffler Place student housing complex.

Weve kind of seen it grow to opening night, said Hoffler Place resident Tara Mokhtare after dining at Pink Bellies Oct. 28. Actually, this week I just had an interview to work here. Ill start working tomorrow, so a customer today, worker tomorrow.

Phi raised over $30,000 in funding from a Kickstarter campaign, and Pink Bellies was given the green light to open its doors Oct. 16, 2020. Phi held off due to the coronavirus pandemic and later because of supply chain issues, he said at the time.

It was amazing for us to have our first dinner services with people who support us so much, said Phi while discussing an Oct. 17 soft opening with Kickstarter backers.

At least some in the full restaurant likely came for garlic noodles, served two ways at Pink Bellies. The pulled pork OG egg noodles ($16) earned Phi a great deal of reverence during his food truck and pop-up days at exploratory food court Workshop, and later during a brief takeout stint in spring 2021.

Pink Bellies 2.0 version of the dish offers a glimpse of whats in store. Those who order the snow crab + garlic noodles ($24) receive two plates, one with the buttered garlic noodles Phi procures from a small company in Brooklyn and another with over a pound of snow crab clusters.

Thats kind of one of those dishes where I feel like Im back at home on Sundays, sitting on newspapers, Phi said. Using your hands, that makes that one feel nostalgic for me.

Pink Bellies exudes the cool factor that so many restaurants never find. A song by Drake echoes in the background of the clubby space, adorned with wavy wooden slates, LED techno panels and plants like Bird of Paradise sourced locally from Meeting Green.

To the right, bartenders mix big city-style drinks such as the Riff Raff, a tequila, orange juice and egg white concoction that arrives at the table with infused smoke spilling out of the glass.

Drake makes his way onto the cocktail menu, too  the Certified Lover Boy hits all the notes a good whiskey sour should.

The food menu, listed in black lettering on the wall above the cash register, has no shortage of garlic and spice. Those ever-present tastes serve as the backdrop for owner Thai Phis modern interpretations of his parents and grandparents Vietnamese cuisine. Spicy lamb pierogi dumplings and garlic chicken wings are a strong way to start a meal at Pink Bellies.

If theres one dish that best portrays Phis brand of cooking, it's the squid ink banh xeo. Take the griddled coconut milk crepe, stuffed with scallops, shrimps and flecks of pork belly, and place it inside a cradle of Vertical Roots greens. Dip the makeshift lettuce wrap in the accompanying acidic nuoc cham dipping sauce to experience banh xeo the way Phi did when he first had it in Vietnam.

The ones we eat at home, they get really soggy after five minutes, Phi said. He knew this wouldnt work in a restaurant churning out dish after dish in a small, open kitchen. So for us, we went through our process called quantifying grandma's taste buds.

Like in many homes around the world, Phis parents and grandparents cooked recipes passed down from the previous generation from memory. Recreating these flavors and recipes is hard; teaching another cook to craft these dishes is even harder.

Phi has found a formula.

During the process, we break everything down into the most manageable parts, and thats seconds, degrees and grams, Phi said.

This allows Phi's cooks to efficiently execute each dish. The formula comes in handy in another Pink Bellies menu item  one that didnt originate in his familys kitchen.

Pink Bellies Herring Under a Fur Coat is a traditional Russian dish that Phi first tried at Kachka, an Eastern European restaurant in Portland, Ore.

Sometimes when you eat food, theres a certain feeling about (a) dish, Phi said. Its a Russian dish, and to me as a cook, it tells me so much about their climate. I love how real that dish is. I love how it looks, and also how culturally rich it is.

The layered creation starts with boiled potatoes that are topped with pickled herring and dill. Next comes carrots, then boiled beets, then beet aioli made using Dukes Mayonnaise. Local Storey Farms egg whites and yolks (layered separately) and a sprinkle of dill round out Phis Herring Under a Fur Coat.

Two different Lift Raft Treats made locally by Cynthia Wong are available at the conclusion of your Pink Bellies meal.

The restaurant is open from 5-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, but Phi eventually plans to extend his hours to include lunch and late night services.
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Oct. 27 ruled in support of a decision by the state commission that regulates public utilities to only partially allow a request by Duke Energy to raise rates.

Between 2015 and 2018, two subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation spent around $5.4 billion on coal ash remediation for 16 coal-powered plants  two in South Carolina and 14 in North Carolina. Coal ash is a byproduct of energy production and has been deemed of concern to the environment.

Duke wanted its South Carolina customers to pay approximately $1.5 billion of the $5.4 billion for remediation expenses.

The South Carolina Public Service Commission partially rejected the request, only fully allowing the company to raise rates for construction costs related to the uncompleted Lee Nuclear Station in Cherokee County. Both Duke and South Carolina Energy Users Committee filed rehearing petitions but the commission didn't budge on its ruling, leading the two groups to file cross-appeals to the state Supreme Court.

The state Supreme Court supported the Public Service Commission and deemed the decision was backed by substantial evidence.

Coal ash regulations

In February 2014, 27 million gallons of coal ash wastewater and 39,000 tons of coal ash rushed into the Dan River in North Carolina and Virginia after a 64-year-old pipe went unchecked by Duke Energy. The company pleaded guilty to criminal negligence for the incident.

North Carolina's General Assembly enacted the Coal Ash Management Act in 2014 in response to the spill, which required coal-fired power plants in the state to not dispose of coal ash in water and also required the closure of all coal ash ponds in the state.

A year later, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed its baseline of regulations for disposing of coal ash but allowed states to maintain a higher standard. North Carolina's Coal Ash Management Act was more restrictive, especially because the EPA regulations did not close west ash ponds or prohibit the disposal of coal ash in water.

With Duke Energy spanning across the Carolinas, North Carolina's Coal Ash Management Act only applied in-state and technically could not apply to the two plants in South Carolina. Duke Energy approached the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, however, and the two entered into consent agreements that the plants in the state would move coal ash into lined landfills and that DHEC would not sue Duke for any issues in the future related to coal ash ponds.

Request to raise rates

When Duke's two entities in 2017 filed applications to change its rates to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the commission awarded the energy company the full amount requested for coal ash remediation expenses and the North Carolina Supreme Court supported the commission's decision.

When Duke's two entities approached South Carolina's Public Service Commission with a similar application in 2018, the commission granted a little less than half of the requested amount for expenditures related to coal ash remediation.

It denied costs related to litigation but allowed Duke to recover any money spent on operations and maintenance costs but could not profit from delaying recovery of those expenses by placing them into deferral accounts. The commission also allowed the costs associated with the Lee Nuclear Station, ruling that the repeal of the Base Load Review Act, which allowed utilities companies to charge its customers for projects it did not complete, did not prohibit Duke from recovering expenses.

Duke appealed the commissions decision to not allow Duke to charge for environmental compliance costs associated with North Carolina law, litigation costs the company incurred from lawsuits and carrying costs on specified deferred accounts.

A cross-appeal was filed by the South Carolina Energy Users Committee that said the commission was not correct in allowing one of Dukes subsidiaries, Duke Energy Carolinas, to recover costs associated the nuclear project because of the General Assemblys recent repeal of the Base Load Review Act.
GREENVILLE  If you're looking around these parts for a meaningful partisan fight at the polls on election day, there's only one  a Greenville City Council race.

The city of Greenville, at the heart of the Upstate growth explosion over the past decade, stands as the only municipality in the area that still holds elections with candidates running as Republicans or Democrats.

While City Council races traditionally have boiled down to which candidate could prove they are best suited to lobby for speed humps, vote down a controversial development or keep the Christmas Parade funded, this year a concerted effort introduced a partisan battle of red vs. blue for the at-large council seat currently held by first-term Democrat Russell Stall.

The machinations behind the effort stretch beyond hyperlocal city politics.

"Make Greenville Republican Again!" reads challenger Joe Farmer's campaign page, reminding that in November 2019 one seat flipped from Republican to Democrat to create a 4-3 majority.

In practice, the vast majority of council decisions  unlike the split-vote sparring of the partisan-elected Greenville County Council  are unanimous. The partisan line is defined thinly, if at all.

However, in the spring that followed former President Donald Trump's defeat and the outrage packaged with claims the election was stolen, the Greenville County Republican Party found itself in upheaval and turned toward a fight it could win.

This past summer, a vocal group of disgruntled Republicans seeking a purge of those viewed as not loyal enough to Trump were successful in a MAGA/Tea Party takeover of the local party. Sprinkled throughout rallies and organizational meetings was the notion that Greenville City Council must be taken back.

Mauldin. Simpsonville. Fountain Inn. Travelers Rest. Greer. All have elections on Nov. 2, and none are partisan. Without another partisan race to be had on Nov. 2, besides a two-way race for the Greenville Water Commission, the contest for Stall's seat has taken on a tone that resembles a run for president or governor.

Masks and vaccines. Confederate statues. Private property rights. And a familiar theme: Both sides blaming the other for stoking divisiveness.

Stall pointed to the local GOP apparatus that has taken on the cause of the council race and conflated it with wider-ranging partisan issues.

Im disappointed that this race is blue vs. red, instead of a matter of who is qualified and can serve the city best, Stall said in an interview with the Post and Courier. Its totally a Republican vs. Democrat race. I think the tone of divisiveness and confusion has been what's most disappointing to me."

However, Farmer told The Post and Courier in an interview that while his party wants to motivate voters to turn out, it's Stall and another Democratic council member  Lillian Brock Flemming, who is running unopposed for an 11th term  publicly raising alarms of a MAGA/Tea Party influence on the council.

"This is something the Democrats do," Farmer said. "They do one thing and blame Republicans for it. There is a motivation to get the base out. And it says turn the city red. You better motivate the people who support you. It's all about turnout."

In recent city elections, turnout of registered voters rarely tops 10 percent. A couple hundred votes can unseat even the most comfortable of incumbents, especially in an off-year election cycle.

***

It wasn't always this way  for a short time.

Six years ago, the city was embroiled in a public upheaval over a council vote to join other municipalities in the Upstate and across South Carolina in holding nonpartisan municipal elections.

It was one of the few protests that was widely bipartisan, when the council in a 4-3 vote overturned its decision from a year earlier rather than face a voter petition referendum. Two Republicans joined two Democrats in the majority. One Democrat and two Republicans made up the minority.

For the most part in the years that have followed, council races have been decided in June primaries.

That changed markedly in 2017, when Stall and Republican John DeWorken engaged in a high-profile race for the at-large seat, which represents the entirety of the city. Stall ultimately won. DeWorken won his current District 1 seat two years later. Still, that at-large race was mostly absent a partisan distinction.

Also that same year, Flemming faced a Republican challenger as her District 2, made up of largely Black and traditionally Democratic voters, shifted with increasing re-urbanization that has brought more White and increasingly Republican voters out.

In 2019, Democratic Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe defeated one-term Republican George Fletcher for the council's other at-large seat, which like Stall's represents the entirety of the city and not individual districts.

At the time, Dowe said her party affiliation wouldn't play into her decision-making.

This year, three council seats are up for election. But with Republican Councilman Wil Brasington facing no opposition in District 4 and Flemming the same, Stall's seat has taken center stage.

***

In the spring, the Greenville County GOP faced internal turmoil.

A slate of Republicans considered more tied to the established base of the state GOP won in a party convention vote  held virtually because of COVID-19  over what was called the "MAGA slate." The MAGA wing challenged the results, with familiar claims that the legitimacy of the vote was in doubt, and facing increasing pressure and claiming a hostile opposition, the elected slate resigned.

The calls for turning Greenville red echoed in the ensuing months.

On Oct. 11, the strategy for turning the council red was laid out at a business meeting of the Greenville County GOP. Jeff Davis, the county party's chairman, told members that Farmer could win the seat if the party would "overwhelm them with numbers." In particular, the strategy would involve no yard signs or mailers, he said. Instead, party operatives would divvy up voter lists to call and knock on doors.

"This is a different type of race," Davis said. "It's a strategic race. This is the only competitive race out there."

During the meeting, Farmer spoke to the crowd and described how he saw the filing deadline approach in March without a Republican to challenge Stall. Farmer, a retired Furman University professor and salesman who has never held public office, paid the $600 filing fee and submitted his name.

Stall's most-recent campaign disclosure shows a total of $5,300.

The county party got behind him, though in campaign disclosures filed with the state Ethics Commission, Farmer shows no donations or expenses beyond paying the filing fee.

Speaking to the crowd, Farmer raised concerns over mask mandates, calls to remove Confederate statues and infringement of private property rights.

The plea to turn out party bases hasn't been confined to the GOP. In campaign literature distributed on social media, Flemming's likeness is prominent with the plea to Democratic voters to turn out to repel a Republican takeover.

"Calling all Democrats!!!" the flier reads. "We took the White House!!! 2 years ago took City Council and turned it Blue! Republicans have made it their mission to turn it back. We have news for them  We are done with Extremism!"

In a Sept. 21 announcement of his campaign for re-election, Stall stood at a podium outside City Hall, backed by two fellow Democratic council members along with Republican Mayor Knox White, and said that because municipal election turnout is typically low, the race will be a matter of who can get 2,000 votes.

Throughout the summer, the two candidates have tapped into their respective bases. The Democrats worked through the county party apparatus with fireside chats and public information about widespread changes in polling places.

Farmer has mingled with protesters at so-called "medical freedom" rallies to protest mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

The city in June 2020 was the first in the state to mandate the wearing of masks. The vote was unanimous. Farmer said he would have opposed the mandate then as he does now along with requirements to wear them in City Council meetings, which all council members do.

Stall in a public meeting to rally support said, if not for Gov. Henry McMaster striking down local government requirements, he'd have staunchly supported mask mandates.

***

The two candidates differ in party but also on issues that are directly related to a city just shy of 72,000 residents.

Shielding established neighborhoods from booming commercial growth. The dwindling availability of affordable housing, particularly in the core of the city. Protecting tree canopy. The provocative "Wings of the City" sculpture exhibit that sparked protest and counter-support.

Both are longtime Greenville natives  Stall lives in the Augusta Road area in the southern sector of the city, Farmer lives in the Dellwood neighborhood to the north.

Stall is serving his first term in his first stint as an elected official. A descendant of the prominent Peace family who once owned The Greenville News and was the principal driver to create the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, the Greenville High graduate founded the advocacy group Greenville Forward.

He lived in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta before returning to Greenville in 1998. He is currently earning his master's degree in city planning at Clemson University.

Farmer, who said his family's presence in Greenville dates back to 1784, earned his master's degree at Furman University and later taught at the school before taking a job in sales. He said he opted to retire early in 2019 but felt called to public service.

Part of Farmer's pitch in his campaign is that he will donate all of the council position's $15,000 salary to children with special needs and will only seek one term.

Stall said that the League of Women Voters invited Farmer to debate him, but Farmer declined. Farmer said he was offered two dates but both conflicted with his schedule.

Farmer said that one concern city residents have is that Stall isn't engaged in protecting established neighborhoods.

"They don't really ask for a lot," Farmer said. "Quite frankly, we haven't had that kind of interaction with our current representative. We have a neighborhood meeting, we haven't seen him."

Stall disputed that claim, saying he would stack up his record for community involvement against anyone.

"I don't buy that," he said. "The input from neighborhoods is what drives our decisions."

Stall said that in his four years a key accomplishment has been adoption of a citywide tree ordinance earlier this year. The council chose to follow a standard adopted in Atlanta that is among the most-stringent and requires a tree be replaced or a fee paid in lieu for every tree cut down.

The regulation applies to commercial and multifamily properties. Single-family residents fall under the ordinance, but only when property changes hands.

"We had to do the tree ordinance," Stall said. "I actually don't think it's strong enough."

Farmer pointed to the tree ordinance as a sign of government overreach.

While he said some regulations should be in place to prevent a developer from massive clear-cutting of property, homeowners should not have to pay to cut down a tree in their yard.

"That's my personal property," Farmer said. "I don't think the city ought to be intervening."

The council hasn't levied a property tax increase since 2014 when it did so to pay for a new fire station in the Verdae area. Farmer said he would not raise taxes and pointed to a modest increase this year in the city's sewer fee as a tax masked as a fee.

The two also differed on cultural political issues, mainly the "Wings of the City" sculpture exhibit downtown hosted for six months of this year and calls for removal of the Confederate statue just outside downtown on North Main Street.

Stall supports moving the Confederate statue, a symbol he referred to as racist.

Farmer said, "I would not open the door to removing statues or renaming anything. Once that is started, it will not stop as you have seen in the national news."

The renowned "Wings of the City" exhibit, which featured provocative, beaked figures depicted with little clothing, prompted both protests and support during its six-month stay downtown. The County Council pulled funding after residents objected. In response, supporters flooded the charitable organization responsible for the exhibit with donations ten-fold the amount the county pulled.

Stall was instrumental in bringing the exhibit to Greenville, a move that received unanimous council support.

Farmer said he believes the council wasn't aware of what they were approving, an assertion that Stall said isn't true. A group of regular protesters spoke loudly about obscenity and cited religious objections.

"I don't know anybody that would want to sit back and take that much heat for that many weeks from their constituents," Farmer said.

However, Stall said most of the people who spoke in opposition didn't live within the city. He said the exhibit, moved to Raleigh in October, brought tourists from out of town.

"There is nothing obscene about those statutes," Stall said. "If the purpose of public art is to start conversation, we can check that box off. We listened to them. We didn't particularly hear them, but we listened to them and let them complain about it."

One of the crowning achievements throughout his four-year term, Stall said, is the city's effort to address an affordable housing crisis in the city, particularly downtown where service workers must travel on underfunded public transit to reach their jobs and longtime residents in neighborhoods once neglected are being priced out.

In his four years on the council, Stall said, the city has devoted $11 million to the cause, much of it targeted toward city-owned land along with pressure on developers to include affordable units in each project.

"Before, we didn't put a dime into it," he said. "There's still a lot of work to do. I want to continue the work with the seeds we've planted over the past four years."

Farmer said rather than pour public money into the effort, the city and other leaders should focus on turning renters into homeowners. Renters are most affected by the increase in property values as landlords can't afford not to cash in on rising property values, such as those surrounding the new, $61 million Unity Park west of downtown.

"Nobody's educated some of these renters that if they thought long-term, not only would it be less expensive long-term to purchase, but that they would also be building up equity they could have later in life," Farmer said. "We just need to teach them how to kind of flip that script."
MYRTLE BEACH  Grand Strand Humane Society kicked off a fundraising drive Oct. 27 in the hope of raising $6 million to build a new shelter after its current location was damaged by a pest infestation.

And according to Executive Director Jessica Wnuk, it was only a matter of time that a move was needed as Horry County's booming growth increased the shelter's intake by 23 percent in the last 10 years, putting a strain on an already old building.

The high intake problem is not just localized to Horry County  nearly every shelter in the state, including some of the largest, declared a state of emergency in August as they were experiencing high volumes.

Wnuk said their first hurdle is locating the right property to build a new shelter, one that would not only house the shelter's current 150 animals, but have additional space for more animals. Grand Strand currently has another 150 cats and dogs in foster care.

The plans for the new shelter include increased clinic abilities to spay and neuter animals, along with added vaccine clinics and a place to hold educational classes for children.

Wnuk not only wants to increase kennel and cage space, but create a more comfortable life for the animals by creating added yards and free-roaming areas for the cats.

"We want a very welcoming community focused shelter that we can all be proud of," Wnuk said "We want it to serve as a resource."

In August, Myrtle Beach officials attempted to treat the pest problem at Grand Strand Humane Society, 3241 Mr. Joe White Ave., temporarily relocating the shelter to Tanger Outlets along U.S. Route 501. But city officials stated in an Oct. 22 press release that the building is too damaged.

In the meantime, a section of the former shelter has been OK'd to house the dogs in their kennels until a new location is built. Wnuk added that officials hope to have a plan for the cats and office space in the next few days.

While Myrtle Beach officials are working with the shelter to find a new location, city spokesman Mark Kruea confirmed it's not clear the exact dollar amount the officials are willing to contribute to a new location.

"The need is urgent; we (and they) cannot wait a number of years until they have all of the money in the bank," Kruea said. "We need a sooner solution."

Grand Strand receives roughly $250,000 in annual funding from the city, plus an additional $50,000 from Myrtle Beach residents who donate money via their utility bills.

The shelter's doesn't need to met the $6 million goal  which is based on plans for the new faculty drawn up by LS3P, a Myrtle Beach-based architecture firm  to break ground on the project, Wnuk said. Wnuk couldn't comment on the exact amount they'd need to raise to start the project.

"This has obviously been a very stressful few months for our organization," Wnuk said. "But it is an exciting time for us because we know that building a new facility is what this community needs."

For more information or to make a donation, email the Grand Strand Humane Society board at gshsboard@grandstrandhumanesociety.com or contact Jessica Wnuk at 860-944-3940.
CONWAY  Horry-Georgetown Technical College now has the largest electric lineman training yard in South Carolina after a recent expansion to include transmission equipment with materials donated by Santee Cooper.

The training space after the update has 52 electrical poles ranging from 30 feet to 65 feet in height, an increase from 32 poles that were constructed in a prior 2019 expansion. The latest addition also includes hardware for overhead construction training and a new underground area, with help from fall semester students in the program, HGTC said.

It is the only college in South Carolina with the three disciplines: overhead distribution, underground distribution and transmission overhead, the college said.

This project opens up possibilities for those who would like to work on electric transmission infrastructure, Santee Cooper Chief Customer Officer Mike Poston said. Transmission line technicians work with higher voltages and larger equipment in more remote locations than the distribution system. It is a critical component to power delivery, and we thank Horry-Georgetown Technical College for partnering with us to make this program possible.

Santee Cooper selected the training location to place transmission equipment through its partnership with the college.

The expansion includes eight different structure designs that are used in transmission construction for overhead that will train both HGTC students and Santee Cooper employees, HGTC said.

We are pleased to add the electrical transmission training to the current HGTC Electrical Lineman program to help meet the needs of a properly trained electrical power grid workforce of tomorrow, HGTC President Dr. Marilyn Murphy Fore said.

The Electrical Lineman program started in January 2015 following the construction of the lineman yard in November 2014. The program is a one-semester course and offers six classes a year.

HGTC said the program has a 98 percent job placement rate, with many of its graduates working at local utility companies. According to Salary.com, the average lineman salary in the United States is $81,185 as of Sept. 27, but the range typically falls between $75,791 and $83,208.

Santee Cooper has and continues to have workforce attrition, and having a quality local training institution certainly enables us to hire first-rate employees, Santee Cooper Public relations specialist Tracy Vreeland said. We have long enjoyed our partnership with HGTC and look forward to working together for many years to come.
Charleston County detectives arrested two juveniles in connection with a July homicide in a West Ashley neighborhood.

The suspects were placed in juvenile detention following their Oct. 28 arrest, said Andrew Knapp, a Charleston County Sheriffs Office spokesman. Additional information about the suspects, including their names, ages, genders and any relationship to the victim, was not available.

The juveniles are suspects in a July 19 homicide. Sheriffs Office deputies arrived around 3:30 p.m. at a home on Corral Drive in West Ashley, north of Savannah Highway, in reference to a report of a drive-by shooting, according to an incident report.

Authorities located an unresponsive man lying face-down in the driveway, between two vehicles, with an apparent gunshot wound. They collected evidence and investigated multiple vehicles matching a reported description of the shooter's car, according to the report.

The victim died from his injuries, authorities said in July. No other information about the victim was available.

More arrests in the case are possible, Knapp added.
A new report from the Charleston People's Budget Coalition found that racial disparities persist in policing two years after the city completed its racial bias audit.

Charleston police officials countered that the report was deceptive in its use of statistics and did not provide sufficient context for understanding the problem.

The report, titled "Building a Safe and Just Charleston," states that between January 2020 and June 2021, African Americans made up a disproportionate number of arrests for various low-level offenses, such as open container violations, disorderly conduct, drug paraphernalia possession and marijuana possession.

African Americans were arrested in 318 of 446 marijuana possession cases, or 71 percent. In marijuana sales cases, the disparity was higher: African Americans were arrested in 76 cases out of a total of 93, or 82 percent.

The racial disparity was particularly high in juvenile arrests, the report states, with approximately 230 of the 297 juvenile arrests made from January 2020 to June 2021 involving Black youth, or 77.4 percent.

Black youths were arrested in 27 of the 28 disorderly conduct cases between January 2020 and June 2021, or 96 percent of cases.

Racial disparities in arrests were found across all 12 of Charleston's districts, the report states.

The report calls for city officials to reinvest part of the Charleston Police Department's almost $54 million budget to address social inequality, including the creation of civilian departments to enforce traffic laws and respond to calls involving substance abuse or other behavioral health issues.

The Charleston People's Budget Coalition is comprised of the ACLU of South Carolina, Charleston Area Justice Ministry, Charleston Black Lives Matter, Charleston Democratic Socialists of America, Lowcountry Action Committee, Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities, and We Are Family.

Members of the coalition held a news conference Oct. 27 in advance of the report's release asking elected officials, including City Council and Mayor John Tecklenburg, to hold police accountable.

Charleston police Chief Luther Reynolds said Oct. 28 that the numbers provided in the report were "out of context" and failed to reflect the work the department has done to address racial disparities in policing.

Police officials said the offenses the coalition chose to highlight in the report were "cherry picked" to show a high racial disparity.

For example, the report states African Americans made up 66.7 percent of public urination arrests, but police only made 27 arrests for the offense during the time period analyzed in the report.

Similarly, African Americans were arrested in 54 percent of drug paraphernalia cases, but there were only 13 arrests total for the offense.

David Crosby, data integration and analysis manager for the department, said those were not representative samples when there were more than 5,000 arrests made between January 2020 and June 2021.

He said the coalition also relied on faulty citation data in the report. The report states there were more than 20,000 citations issued from January 2020 to June 2021, but Crosby said the number is closer to 11,000.

He said an error in the Charleston Police Department's open data portal was causing citations issued in 2020 to be double counted. The department was told about the issue in late July and it was fixed by Aug. 4, Crosby said.

Frank Knaack, until recently the executive director of the state branch of the ACLU, said the department was ultimately at fault for providing incorrect citation data on its website. Knaack said the racial disparity was "absolutely enormous" in the overall arrest rates, even when not looking at individual offenses.

During the time period analyzed in the report, 2,646 African Americans were arrested out of 5,005 total arrests, or 53 percent. African Americans make up approximately 21.7 percent of Charleston's population.

Reynolds did not dispute there were racial disparities in the city's arrests, but he said the department has worked hard to implement the recommendations contained in the city's racial bias audit.

The 2019 audit, conducted by the Virginia-based firm CNA, found racial disparities in traffic stops and use of force, as well as issues with the department's leadership development, training and data analysis.

Capt. Tony Cretella said the department is in full compliance with 35 of the 72 recommendations made in the audit. Another 30 are in progress and six are under assessment, Cretella said.

Reynolds agreed the racial disparity in juvenile youths was concerning, but he pointed out the total number of juveniles arrested by Charleston police has shrunk significantly in the past five years.

In 2015, the department made 500 juvenile arrests. In 2020, that number had fallen to 206. He said the majority of those arrests were not "custodial" arrests, meaning the juvenile was not booked into the jail.

Black youth consistently comprised more than 70 percent of the arrests during that five-year period.

Reynolds said the department has made changes to its personnel and policies, but it will take time before those changes are reflected in the disparity rates for arrests.

"I would argue that we're doing more than just about anybody" to address racial disparities, Reynolds said. "So it's disingenuous to say, 'Wow, for this 18 month period, the City of Charleston is more racist and worse than any time in the history of the department.' Really, the facts don't support that."

Reynolds said the department alone would never be able to eliminate the racial disparity entirely.

Citing the Avery Report, a comprehensive study of racial disparities in Charleston County released in 2017, Reynolds said myriad social factors contribute to the disparities between White and Black residents, including income inequality, education, transportation, and housing opportunities.

The department can work to eliminate racial bias among its ranks, but those factors will continue to drive racial disparities in crime if they are not addressed, Reynolds said.

Knaack said that is exactly why the coalition is calling on the city to reinvest part of the department's budget to social services.
COLUMBIA  A state grand jury is expected to convene in November to investigate the drug pipeline that fed disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh's decadeslong addiction to opioids, a habit that was exposed after millions of dollars went missing from his former law firm and clients, multiple sources told The Post and Courier.

Subpoenas began going out this week calling people to testify about Murdaugh's use and purchase of opioid pills, according to sources familiar with the probe. They spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity due to the rules of secrecy surrounding the grand jury process.

State Law Enforcement Division agents are involved in the effort, sources said. SLED officials refused to confirm or deny the existence of the investigation.

Investigators have followed a trail of checks Murdaugh allegedly wrote to people to buy drugs, sources said. One of his attorneys, Dick Harpootlian, acknowledged in a Sept. 15 interview with NBCs Craig Melvin that Murdaugh wrote checks to drug dealers to support his opioid habit.

The State newspaper reported late Oct. 29 that the grand jury also is investigating whether this money trail led back through a courier system to a Walterboro-based gang known as the Cowboys.

Judge hears arguments on who should control Alex Murdaugh's money A South Carolina lawyer involved in a half-dozen state police investigations has been cagey about his assets and should have to hand over control of his money to independent representatives so that he does not engage in further fraud, an attorney told a judge Friday.

Murdaugh's drug use came to light in September after he was shot in the head in Hampton County during a bizarre incident over Labor Day weekend. He initially said he was shot by a stranger in a random encounter while changing a tire on the side of the road. He later acknowledged trying to stage his own murder to collect on a $10 million life insurance policy for his son, Buster. The incident occurred after his former law firm accused him of embezzling funds from the practice and forced him to resign.

Murdaugh quickly checked into a drug rehab facility, and his attorneys blamed the staged suicide plot on an opioid addiction that had festered for 20 years and had grown worse since the June 7 killings of his wife and son at a family hunting lodge in Colleton County. His lawyers, Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said he funneled vast sums into his drug habit.

The two lawyers declined to comment Oct. 29 when asked about the grand jury probe.

The lawyers have pointed to his co-defendant in the assisted suicide plot, 61-year-old Curtis "Fast Eddie" Smith, as Murdaugh's drug supplier, though Smith has denied that in multiple media interviews.

The grand jury probe is said to extend beyond Smith and into a larger network of suppliers who fed Murdaugh's growing and increasingly expensive pill habit.

Murdaugh, 53, had to leave drug rehab after a judge ordered him held without bail on Oct. 19 in connection with charges of stealing $3.4 million from a wrongful death settlement intended for the family of his late housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. She died in 2018 following a slip-and-fall accident at his home, and Murdaugh is accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to win a settlement for her sons and then funnel it into a bogus bank account that would benefit him personally.

The grand jury probe is one of more than a half-dozen separate state investigations involving the powerful Murdaugh family. Investigators also are probing:

Who shot and killed Murdaughs wife, Maggie, and son Paul outside their hunting lodge in June.

Whether Murdaugh and his family obstructed the investigation into the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.

The unsolved death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Smiths body was found with blunt-force head trauma on a Hampton County road in July 2015. SLED has previously acknowledged reopening that case because of information investigators gathered while investigating the death of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in June.

How Gloria Satterfield died and what became of the wrongful death settlement meant for her family. The Murdaugh familys housekeeper reportedly died after a fall at the Murdaugh home, but her death certificate states she succumbed to natural causes.

Accusations that Murdaugh also used a fraudulent bank account to steal millions of dollars owed to his former law clients and his former employer, the Hampton law office of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick.

The Labor Day weekend shooting that reportedly stemmed from an insurance fraud plot.

The FBI and U.S. Attorneys Office of South Carolina also have opened an investigation in the Murdaugh case. Federal investigators are digging into allegations the attorney used a fraudulent bank account to steal millions of dollars from his law firm, clients and the family of his late housekeeper, The Post and Courier reported this week.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
GREAT FALLS  Gov. Henry McMaster wants the Legislature to commit $500 million of federal COVID aid to upgrade rural water and sewer systems, calling it key to transforming communities across South Carolina.

Poor towns need help to pay for upgrading old and outdated infrastructure to attract business, provide clean drinking water and protect the environment, he contends.

"In rural South Carolina, water and sewer is key to life. Its key to good public health. Its key to economic health. And its key to a communitys health," McMaster said Oct. 28. "The right water and sewer assets in a county can transform a tax base. That means jobs, happiness and prosperity."

In rural South Carolina, water and sewer systems are owned and operated by hundreds of local governments that often struggle to afford patchwork repairs. Major upgrades or expansions are far too costly, he said.

"In some places, it barely functions," McMaster said.

His proposal calls for sending the money to the state Rural Infrastructure Authority, which the Legislature created in 2012 to help finance water, sewer and storm drainage projects. Since 2013, the agency has provided more than $174 million toward 419 infrastructure projects statewide for cities and towns of all sizes.

But the state aid requires local matches, putting assistance for major projects out of reach for many.

Legislators who will ultimately decide how to spend $2.5 billion from Congress' last COVID relief package have agreed water and sewer construction would be a good use of the federal money. But some have suggested requiring a local match, especially since local governments also received aid. The details won't be decided until the Legislature returns next year and approves their own plan.

"We'll never have enough money to match the funds," said state Sen. Penry Gustafson, a Republican from nearby Kershaw County.

McMaster said that's why he doesn't recommend a match requirement for a slice of the $500 million. Instead, McMaster said he believes the money should be prioritized for the state's poorest counties and the 161 systems already under enforcement orders by the state's public health agency for violating regulations. Decisions on which applications to fund could also incentivize the connection of tiny systems to those run by larger governments with more resources.

The poor communities "do not posses the resources or tax base to upgrade or replace their faltering water systems," McMaster said.

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Local legislators applauded the recommendation.

McMaster made the announcement in Great Falls, a former mill village of about 2,000 people in Chester County built along a lake formed by the damming of the Catawba River for hydroelectric power. Like other former mill towns, its infrastructure dates to the town's founding.

Asked about the town's system, Sen. Mike Fanning, who lives in Great Falls, jokingly said it dates to Moses in biblical times. In seriousness, he said, when Springs Industries packed up and left, it transferred the system to the town. Other than repairs, there's been no serious work on it since the 1970s, he said.

Chester County, located halfway between Columbia and Charlotte, with Interstate 77 running through it, should be booming. It's not because of a lack of water and sewer infrastructure, Fanning said.

Earlier this year, Gallo announced it was building its East Coast hub in nearby Fort Lawn. The deal almost fell through because of water and sewer issues, even after the state incentive deal was finalized, Fanning said.

Chester County's system is tapped out, he said.

McMaster's recommendation tops his own task force's suggestions for spending the federal aid by $100 million.

In August, his accelerateSC task force called for putting $400 million toward pairing with local governments on water and sewer construction, with maximum grants of up to $10 million each, as well as $72.5 million for cybersecurity on those systems.

Last month, McMaster proposed spending $360 million of the federal aid on widening Interstate 26 between Columbia and Charleston. And earlier this month, the Republican governor recommended putting $300 million toward the creation of Interstate 73 to Myrtle Beach, partly funded with the federal aid.

McMaster is expected to provide his full recommendations for the $2.5 billion in the coming weeks.
SPARTANBURG  Candidates for Spartanburg City Council's contested races continue to campaign just days before the Nov. 2 general election. Here's one more look at the candidates for each seat.

District 4

City Councilman Jamie Fulmer, 51, was elected in 2018 to represent District 4. Since announcing his re-election bid on July 23, Fulmer has been meeting with residents.

"I've been knocking on doors and talked to a lot of people in the campaign and got positive encouragement from folks throughout the district," Fulmer told The Post and Courier. "Folks are excited about the momentum we are experiencing in Spartanburg and know we got challenges we need to address. The things they are most concerned about are making sure roads are safe, trash gets picked up and the city provides high-caliber services to them."

Fulmer said the ongoing comprehensive planning process will be vital in determining the overall direction the city goes over the next 10 years. If re-elected, Fulmer said he would work to help the city remain fiscally responsible as it continues to experience new growth and development.

Fulmer is a graduate of Wofford College and a partner with Loop Recruiting. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Spartanburg Regional Foundation and previously served as a commissioner on the City Planning Commission.

He's being challenged by Christopher "CeeJ" Jefferson, 36, for the District 4 seat. Jefferson is a local realtor who believes change is needed. The campaign trail has allowed Jefferson to better understand the concerns of city residents.

"It's been a journey and experience for me that I have come to appreciate," Jefferson said. "I have met so many people and have the conversations necessary to move Spartanburg forward."

Jefferson was among the candidates who participated in three virtual forums held in October. The topics discussed included gun violence, affordable housing, economic development and diversity in leadership.

"The candidate forums gave people a chance to really hear from the candidates," Jefferson said. "It was a vital part of the process for people to hear from us. I know change is happening in this district and I think it can lead by example."

Jefferson said, if elected, he would work to provide more affordable housing, support small businesses and improve communication between the city and residents to ensure inclusiveness and diversity.

District 5

In District 5, four candidates are vying for the seat currently held by City Councilman Jerome Rice, who is a candidate for Spartanburg mayor. Rice opted not to run for re-election to City Council. He faces Cathy McCabe, former City Attorney, in the race for mayor on Nov. 2.

Among the candidates for District 5 is Chance Lebron, 30, who is a notary wedding officiant. If elected, LeBron plans to help bring more grocery stores to the area in which he believes is underserved. He's also hopeful more affordable housing can be built in the district.

During his campaign, residents have also addressed the need to reduce gun violence in neighborhoods and for the city to provide better public transportation. Homelessness is also a problem that needs to be addressed, LeBron said. He also noted his familiarity with the community.

"I am the only (candidate) that has lived in City Council District 5 the whole span of my life," LeBron said.

Several of the candidates running in District 5 agreed more grocery stores and better public transportation is needed to help improve residents' quality of life. Candidate Terrance Hawes, 30, said if elected to the District 5 seat, he would work to bring grocery stores and finds ways to close the wealth gap.

"There are huge disparities in Spartanburg," Hawes said. "We need to find ways to bring more people up because when more people are thriving the better our community is."

Hawes is the founder and owner of Hawes Installs, an appliance, electronics and recreation delivery and installation business. He formerly worked as the diversity, equity and inclusion manager at OneSpartanburg from 2018 to 2020.

With the city's unprecedented growth, Hawes said it s important to have growth that is sustainable and inclusive.

"We need to make sure that people from all walks of life benefit from growth," Hawes said. "Certainly, we don't want to have people left behind."

Candidate Sevi Alvarez, 38, is a certified public accountant, who wants to improve the public transportation system and eliminate food deserts in the area. He also believes extending the public transportation from the city into the county would provide residents who have limited transportation with more job opportunities.

A park-and-ride station for public transportation might also be beneficial, he said. Alvarez added that while overall growth has been beneficial for the city, it is important to not push residents out of neighborhoods because they are no longer affordable. Small businesses must also be supported, he said.

Alvarez said he will continue to listen to resident concerns during the final days of his campaign.

"I am optimistic," Alvarez said. "People have responded well to my message."

Homelessness is among the top issues that candidate Janie Salley, 68, plans to address if elected to District 5. Salley told The Post and Courier she has the skill set to address a number of issues in the district. She is a former employee of Bank of America working in a number of customer service positions. Salley later worked in the funeral home business for seven years.

"I am looking forward to the (voter) turnout," Salley said. "I think we have got citizens interested in this race more than other races we have had for local elections. I feel like a winner and hoping that I am the winner. I love my opponents but I think I am the one for the job."

Salley said she would also work to provide more affordable housing to the city and promote the city as an attractive viable place for new residents and business.
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China is developing a hypersonic missile designed to evade American nuclear defenses. This summer, it conducted two tests of that missile.

The U.S. knew about the tests, but our military officials were silent on the subject until last week. After the Financial Times reported the Chinese tests, presumably based on a leak, our government finally discussed this development.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley called it very close to a Sputnik moment for the United States. For our younger readers, Sputnik was the artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. The successful launch signaled that the Soviets were ahead of the U.S. in penetrating outer space, and helped trigger the space race.

Milley said the Chinese tests of the hypersonic missile surprised our experts. He added that the tests were a very significant technological event and that the event has our [full] attention.

Fareed Zakaria argues that the Chinese tests are nothing like Sputnik, that the technology in question is nothing new, and that Milley is feeding cold war paranoia. However, this discussion by the New York Times indicates otherwise:

[T]he advances suggest that China might one day be able to arm a hypersonic vehicle with a nuclear warhead, launch it into a low orbit, and release it from anyplace  including, perhaps, an evasive flight path over Antarctica. Existing defenses of the continental United States all point west and north over the Pacific, meaning they might fail in defeating an attack from the south. Even if there were antimissile bases pointed south, current antimissile technology is designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic warheads on predictable, parabolic paths in outer space  not hypersonic weapons that can zig and zag through the atmosphere. We just dont know how we can defend against that technology, neither does China, neither does Russia, said Ambassador Robert A. Wood, who is retiring in a few weeks as the U.S. representative at arms control sessions in Geneva.

The Asia Times discusses how what China is doing with hypersonic technology differs from what others, like the Soviet Union, have done. It also points out that because the Chinese missiles are launched from a spacecraft in orbit, China is violating the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.

If the hyepersonic technology is such a game-changer, you would think the U.S. is also working assiduously to develop it. However, its not clear that we are. Wood says that we have held back from pursuing its military uses to avoid stoking a new kind of arms race.

On the other hand, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby claims that the United States is competing with China on this technology. He stated that our own pursuit of hypersonic capabilities is real, its tangible, and we are absolutely working towards being able to develop that capability.

Maybe. But when Gen. Milley calls the Chinese tests a Sputnik moment it tells me that China is well ahead of us.

China has no desire to launch missiles at the U.S. Its plans for gaining world dominance dont include starting a war with America.

But China desires to conquer Taiwan. Developing a missile that can penetrate our defenses would likely deter the U.S. from coming to Taiwans defense or at least reduce Chinas fears that we will.

The signs of Chinas intentions towards Taiwan are unmistakable. The Times points to the Pentagons concern that China is flying sorties inside Taiwans air identification zone, digging hundreds of new silos for long-range nuclear missiles, building an arsenal of antisatellite weapons, and routinely firing more rockets into space than any other country.

I agree with the Asia Times that the U.S. will have to come up with an answer to Chinas new [technological] threat.
Yesterday morning the White House posted a summary of its so-called Framework of a Spendapalooza bill to be jammed through Congress by Democrats via the reconciliation process. The White House posted the summary just before President Biden went up to Capitol Hill to meet with the House Democratic caucus.

Biden followed up with one of those 20-minute White House speeches in which he stares vacantly into the teleprompter while he struggles to read the text served up to him. The White House has posted the text of his remarks here. I have posted the video below.

The falsity of the remarks lies somewhere between painful and outrageous. Listening to Biden recite the text is tortuous. If ordered by a court as punishment for a crime, it might violate the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Not a single congressional Republican supports the Spendapalooza in any form, yet this is Bidens line:

I want to thank my colleagues in the Congress for their leadership. Weve spent hours and hours and hours over months and months working on this. No one got everything they wanted, including me, but thats what compromise is. Thats consensus. And thats what I ran on. Ive long said compromise and consensus are the only way to get big things done in a democracy, important things for the country.

Thats consensus requires translation. It means Democrats agree. Otherwise, not so much. And this is at the top of the speech. It rolls downhill slowly from there. Every element of the big bang deserves close scrutiny  the kind of scrutiny Carrie Lukas gives to the proposed daycare/preschool gravy train in the Federalist column Inside Democrats Plan To Indoctrinate Your Toddlers In Preschool.

I bet you didnt know you were going to be paying for electric vehicles coming and going. You could feel the excitement coming through in his confusion:

Well build out the first-ever national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations all across the country. So, when you buy an electric vehicle, and you get credit for buying it  when you buy an electric vehicle, you can go all the way across America on a single tank of gas, figuratively speaking. Its not gas; you plug it in. Five hundred thousand of them  these stations along the way.

Is there any sentient voter who isnt tired of this:

I dont want to punish anyones success. Im a capitalist. I want everyone to be able to  if they want to be a millionaire or billionaire, to be able to seek their goal. But all Im asking is: Pay your fair share. Pay your fair share. Pay your fair share. And right now, many of them are paying virtually nothing.

Its getting old!

And I think Biden had trouble reading his script when he came to another golden oldie: For much too long, the working people of this nation and the middle class of this country have been dealt out of the American deal, and its time to deal them back in. The American deal? I think he meant dream, but deal me out!

You would never know that Biden was recently vice president of the United States for eight years. He sounds like a maverick outsider fighting against the man.

I would love to see the live time reaction of likely voters to Bidens recitation on the dials used by political consultants. In his remarks Biden invoked his popular vote in the 2020 election as indicative of support for his Spendapalooza. Something tells me that this is not to be taken at face value.

The proceedings yesterday had as their sole purpose pressuring Democrats to pass the infrastructure bill before Biden took off for Rome, yet it failed. The Democrats socialist contingent resisted. Nancy Pelosi called off the vote she had hoped to hold last night.

Reading the insider reports by Axios (President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi huffed and puffed Thursday, but it was progressives who threatened to blow the whole House down if their demands werent met), Politico (Biden already won), and Punchbowl News ([Biden] was unable to crack the progressives opposition), I am unclear whether this was a defeat for Biden. They seem to disagree.

However, the Biden/Pelosi deadline was an artifact of political theater. They will get it  whatever it is  done some time later. And what they will get done is going to be monumentally bad in ways that we will have to live with for a long time.
Loudoun County, Virginia seems to have become the epicenter of the school policy battle within our culture wars. Events from that county are also playing a role in the upcoming Virginia gubernatorial election  at least I hope they will. This post is about two developments from Loudoun County that have been reported elsewhere, but may have escaped widespread notice.

Item: The Daily Caller reports that Loudoun County is requiring parents to sign a non-disclosure agreement before it will let them view a curriculum provided to it by Second Step. Part of Second Steps curriculum addresses anti-racism, a term coined by radical race-mongering activist Ibram X. Kendi. It also provides a common language to create lasting systematic change. The curriculum borrows from Learning for Justice, the education arm of the radical left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center, as well.

As a condition of reviewing the curriculum  something that should be an unconditional parental right  parents must agree that the presentation of the material is not a public event and that copying, broadcasting or recording of any kind is prohibited. According to the Daily Caller, presentation of the curriculum must be in-person. The Daily Caller also reports that the agreement between the school district and Second Step purports to exempt the curriculum from Virginia Freedom of Information Act requests.

The Second Step curriculum is used in other jurisdictions throughout the country. A glimpse into its radicalism comes from a Utah teacher who resigned rather than subject his students to it. The teacher, Sam Crowly, said he could not in good conscience present material that teaches students that their parents are roadblocks to their goals, material which contains propaganda, and encourages students to become activists. (Emphasis added)

No wonder Second Step and Loudoun County want to limit parents ability to view the curriculum.

Item: Its not just Loudoun County parents who are upset about, and enraged by, whats going on in the public schools. Students in the county, an estimated 2,500 of them, walked out earlier this week. They were protesting the sexual assault of two female students in girls restrooms by a boy dressed as a girl, and the school systems attempt to cover up the crimes. After the first assault, the school system placed the offender in a second county school, where he committed the second assault.

The walkouts lasted ten minutes.

Footage from Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia, where one of the sexual assaults took place earlier this month, shows students shouting, Loudoun County protects rapists! and, Why didnt anybody tell us?

The answer to that question, Im pretty sure, is that the school system wanted to protect its policy that boys can use girls restrooms.
Dangote Cement Plc, Nigerias biggest company by market value, recorded sales of N1.022 trillion for the first nine months of the year, 34 per cent stronger than its figure for the same period last year, the companys income statement issued Friday shows.

A boom in construction activities after the economy reopened from pandemic shutdowns is driving demand in the cement market, leading Dangote Cement to state in April it planned to expand capacity by one-third.

Dangote Cement, in which Africas richest man Aliko Dangote holds the controlling interest of 85.9 per cent, accounts for three out of every five bags of cement produced in Africas largest economy, where the product now sells for N3,400 per 50kg bag.

The cement maker, according to the document seen by PREMIUM TIMES, sold 22.2 million tonnes of cement and clinker within the period.

Pre-tax profit was 49 per cent stronger, leaping to N405.5 billion from 2020 level. After-tax profit grew one third to N278.3 billion, but that would have been bigger without a significant increase in tax.

Dangote Cements income tax spending more than doubled to N127.2 billion, with current tax expense contributing the chunk of the figure.

Profit margin, which indicates the percentage of revenue that has been turned to profit, stood at 27.2 per cent.
After months of mounting tension, the most feared scenario for Sudan is playing out  a rejection by the military of democratic civilian rule. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, army chief and leader of the Sovereign Council, had assured Sudanese that he would protect the peoples revolution. This week he broke that promise when he overthrew the government.

On October 25, the army arrested Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and several civilian leaders. Mr Al-Burhan announced a state of emergency and dissolved the two transitional government bodies  the Sovereign Council and the cabinet  citing in-fighting. He said his decision would prevent a civil war and committed to appointing a technocratic government to run the country until elections in 2023. The coup ends Sudans two-year transition process, shatters progress towards a civilian-led democratic government and jeopardises the 2023 polls.

Thousands of Sudanese have protested in response to calls by the civilian leadership, the Forces for Freedom and Change and Sudanese Professionals Association to defend the revolution. In the coming days, the streets of Khartoum, Omdurman and other cities will likely swell with protesters, heightening tensions between the army and pro-democracy campaigners who want the constitutional charter restored.

The more ungovernable the situation becomes, the greater the likelihood that Sudan will enter a political and economic tailspin, which could splinter the army and lead to a counter-coup. In the first 24 hours of the ouster, eight people were killed and more than 100 injured. If the military and civilians adopt entrenched positions, human rights abuses will probably escalate.

The signs that a coup was imminent were there for months. After an attempted take-over in late September, divisions between the civilian and military leadership intensified, revealing the extent of political contestations over Sudans future.

The military blamed the conflict on the countrys economic hardships. But pronouncements after the foiled September coup point to several other fault lines. First, the committees work to retrieve public funds from Mr al-Bashirs loyalists and recent moves to send Mr al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court are seen as a witch-hunt and the targeting of pro-Bashir army stalwarts for prosecution.

Second, there is no indication that the army ever planned to hand over power to civilian leaders. This is evident from how the military negotiated itself into the transition process at the outset, rising tensions as the deadline for the military to hand control of the Sovereign Council to civilians approached, and the recent coup.

The civilian leadership is not however without blame. Due to deep-seated systemic problems and the slow onset of adequate international support, it has been slow to improve the economic situation. Several leaders have been sucked into self-defeating power struggles characteristic of the high-stakes nature of politics in Sudan.

None of these challenges are new and there are few choices left for either side beyond the existing framework of negotiations. The militarys decision to overthrow the constitutional charter could sink Sudan into further trouble. The army has gravely misread the political and security atmosphere in the country and the international community. Despite some pro-army protests and splits in the Forces for Freedom and Change, most Sudanese are opposed to any military involvement in their politics.

Sudan is also vulnerable economically and politically. The economy cannot survive without the technical expertise and support of development partners. This is a situation the army will struggle to change unless it can build the necessary external relationships. Sudans partners, notably the United States and European Union, have already hinted at withholding economic support. Given the current hardships facing the country, this would worsen the economic outlook with possible security consequences.

Before this weeks events, Sudans international partners made several attempts to mend relations after the failed September coup. Al-Burhans move shows that those attempts failed. International actors must push for restoring the constitutional charter and transitional institutions, and the transition process timelines. The constitutional charter must be maintained as the central framework to avoid going back to the negotiation table.

If the army rejects these calls, Sudans development partners will need to widen their interventions to withhold financial support and issue targeted sanctions against individuals and entities in the military whose actions are worsening the situation.

Given the inability of Sudans leaders to agree before the October 25 coup, all sides in a revived transitional arrangement would need to commit to a robust reconciliation process. This will help avoid internal fighting, which could lead to more military interference.

The occurrence of yet another coup in Africa shows that the AUs efforts to prevent overthrows arent working. The continental body was praised for overseeing a steep reduction in coups over the last decade, but the rising trend in 2021 puts that into question.

Sudans coup is another opportunity for the AU to redeem itself and revisit leaders growing tendency to use unconstitutional changes of government as a means to secure power. The AU Peace and Security Council should immediately revise practices and policies on the issue, including the use of sanctions.

The AUs October 27 decision to suspend Sudan from AU activities and the bodys insistence that the transition and timelines be restored are a good call. It needs to promote dialogue among Sudans political stakeholders and lead efforts to uphold human rights.

The AU must, however, brace itself to resist pressure from pro-army member states. Most important, it needs to back the will of the Sudanese people rather than the countrys leaders, as required by the declaration marking the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity/AU.

Andrews Atta-Asamoah, Head, Africa Peace and Security Governance, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa

This article is made possible with support from the government of the Netherlands.

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).
If you have been following the news in the past weeks, you would have come across at least one post or news item about #COP26.

This is an explainer to many who have come across COP but are not able to understand what it means.

The origin of COP26

In June 1992, representatives from 172 countries gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly called the Earth Summit. The Earth Summit was an unprecedented meeting of representatives, including 108 heads of state, 2,400 representatives from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and nearly 10,000 journalists. An additional 17,000 NGO representatives attended a parallel NGO forum that provided recommendations to the Earth Summit.

At the summit, the countries signed a treaty promising to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent dangerous changes to the climate. Almost every year since then, the parties to this agreement have met to talk about what still needs to be done. It is called a Conference of Parties, or COP. This is the 26th such meeting. So, COP26.

Why is COP important and what is the aim?

COP26 is the next annual UN climate change conference. It stands for Conference of the Parties, and the summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  a treaty that came into force in 1994.

At COP, Global leaders will lay out their plans on how to hit those 1.5 degrees Celsius targets in the Paris Agreement. COP26 is viewed as important because it will set the strategy for closing out the 2020-2030 decade. This year, there is only one basic goal  moblising efforts to deliver on pledges made at COP21 in Paris six years ago. Countries committed to cooperatively reducing greenhouse emissions to keep the earth from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels under the Paris Agreement. Poorer countries have also been offered huge sums of money to assist them cope with climate change and cut their own greenhouse gas emissions.

COP26 offers an opportunity for all countries to reflect on the journey so far and how well they have achieved their previous commitments and way forward on how to take forward their long-term goals.

Unfortunately, previous commitments laid out in Paris did not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees  meaning the years approaching 2030 will be crucial. It is expected that with COP26, countries will be more intentional in keeping the hope of holding temperature rises to 1.5 alive.

Which country will host COP26?

This year, the UN Climate Change Conference COP 26 will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom from October 31 to November 12, 2021.

With the UK now being president of COP, it meant that one of the countrys many cities would play host to the grand affair, which will see world leaders arrive in Scotland alongside tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses, and citizens for twelve days of talks. Though London is the capital of the UK, Glasgow has long been considered one of the foremost locations for cultural events. According to Glasgow City Council, Glasgow was chosen by the UK to host COP26 due to its experience in hosting world-class events, commitment to sustainability, and first-rate facilities.

Also, the Scottish city was recently awarded the status of Global Green City and has a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030  making it the best choice.

What are the important decisions to be made at COP26?

COP is the decision-making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

COP26 is a credibility test for global efforts to address climate change and it is where Parties must make considerable progress to reach a consensus on issues they have been discussing for several years. COP26 comes against the background of widespread, rapid, and intensifying climate change impacts, which are already impacting every region on Earth. Also, COP26 comes against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the urgent need to build back better for present future generations to ensure a safe future.

The meeting will comprise the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26), the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 16), and the third session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 3). Most countries will set out their plans to reduce emissions before the summit starts  that way, the world is able to review the seriousness of the parties.

Below are the four major things to be achieved at COP26

1. Secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach

Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century.

To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need to:

accelerate the phase-out of coal

curtail deforestation

speed up the switch to electric vehicles

encourage investment in renewables.

2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats

The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as we reduce emissions, with devastating effects.

At COP26, humanity needs to work together to enable and encourage countries affected by climate change to:

protect and restore ecosystems

build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives.

3. Mobilise finance

To deliver on the first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100 billion in climate finance per year by 2020.

International financial institutions must play their part and work towards unleashing the trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero.

4. Work together to deliver

COP26 is a collaborative effort and all parties must rise to the challenges of the climate crisis by working together.

At COP26, parties must:

finalise the Paris Rulebook (the detailed rules that make the Paris Agreement operational)

accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society.

As the day gets closer, the world is waiting to see how successful COP26 will be and this is largely dependent on the actions that will follow all statements to be made by world leaders in their commitment to net zero emissions by 2050  as well as big reductions by 2030. Specific pledges on ending coal, petrol cars, and protecting nature are also expected. A financial package to compensate developing countries who are at the receiving end of climate change disasters will also point to a successful COP amongst other things.
Despite the rampant killings across the country, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali, has said security has significantly stabilised.

He said the police force under his leadership is doing its best to sustain peaceful coexistence in the country.

Mr Alkali stated this in Abuja on Thursday during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team.

The declaration by the IGP comes against the backdrop of several killings in various parts of the country almost on a daily basis.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported several times how dozens of Nigerians were killed with little or no intervention by the security agencies.

At least 200 persons including security personnel were killed by non-state actors in the past four weeks across the country.

Every part of the country suffers one form of insecurity or the other while others are faced with spike in unresolved crimes.

Isolated cases

But the IGP, in his remarks, said the force is reviewing its public safety strategies in order to address what he described as isolated cases of crime in some parts of the country.

The security situation in the country has been significantly stabilised though we are still experiencing isolated cases of crime and threats to public safety, peace and security in some parts of the country.

The Nigeria Police Force is however unrelenting in rejigging its public safety strategies to adequately contain prevailing and emerging crime trends across the country.

He also noted that the strong collaboration between the police, armed forces and other security agencies led to the improved security situation in the country.

Let me state categorically that the new spirit of collaboration between the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Armed Forces, the Department of State Services and other security and intelligence agencies in the country has indeed spurred a common front in reducing crime and criminality nationwide, he said.

Mr Alakli said the force is deploying a well-coordinated intelligence operation to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity bedeviling the country.

We are expanding well-coordinated intelligence led operations to confront bandits, kidnappers and armed secessionist groups by enhancing intelligence gathering efforts and utilising capacity. Enhancing intelligence sharing through strengthening inter-agency collaboration with the military and other security agencies is also an aspect that is being pursued.

We are deepening community engagement to weaken recruitment drive by secessionist groups. We are also improving our public relations and regaining the trust of the citizens through improved community engagements and enhancing ethical policies in the fight against corruption, he stated.

The police boss said there is a strong collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and its foreign counterpart in a bid to tame crime across the countrys borders.

Mr Alkali said the use of technology is also being explored by the Police, to aid its fight against crime and criminality.

The Nigeria Police National Command and Control Centre, Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Data Base and the Nigeria Police Crime analysis Centre are technology driven outfits that are used to detect and tackle criminals and are also available for the public to use for what we call Rescue me and once you download the app and use it appropriately, wherever is your position, request or complain, it will directly hit our control room within minutes and we will respond to your request. I, the IGP said.
The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, on Friday, dismissed a suit by the suspended national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, aimed at stopping the partys convention scheduled to hold on Saturday and Sunday.

The court gave the PDP leave to proceed with the elective national convention as scheduled.

The panel of three judges led by Haruna Tsammani found no merit in Mr Secondus appeal, saying he voluntarily relinquished his office since he did not challenge his removal at ward and local government levels.

By the result of this decision, the 6th Respondent (PDP) is empowered on the authority of this courts decision to convene and to hold its National Convention without let or hindrance.

There shall be no order for costs, the enrolled order of the appellate court, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, read in part.

The appellants notice of motion re-filed on October 27, 2021 Court of Appeal fails and it is hereby dismissed.

Mr Secondus had filed the suit marked: CA/PH/339/2021 seeking, among others, to restrain the PDP from conducting its national convention which is scheduled to hold in Abuja on October 30 and 31.

Those sued as respondents to his Appeal are: Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, Emezurike Onouha,Godwin Manfred, PDP, Suleiman Nazif, Dan Orbih, Solomon Ogbonna, Uche Minikwu, and Samuel Anyanwu.

Suspension

Mr Secondus position has been under treath since the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt restrained him from further parading himself as the partys chair on August 25.

Judge O. Gbasam issued the order following an ex parte application filed by four applicants.

The case had the quartet of Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umezerike Onucha, as the plaintiffs.

Mr Secondus and the PDP were the defendants sued in the suit marked PHC/2183/CS/2021.

The court order indicated that the applicants lawyer, H.A Bello, argued his clients ex parte application after which the court granted the interim restraining orders sought against Mr Secondus.

The judge after listening to the applicants lawyer, restrained Mr Secondus from parading himself as a member or the national chairman of the PDP.

The court also barred him from performing the functions of the national chairman of the party or calling, attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant (PDP) or any committee of the 2nd defendant at the Ward, Local Government or State level.

It also stopped him from calling for any ward, local government or state congress of the PDP or setting up committees for such congresses or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever.

Counter-orders

Two days after the Rivers State High Court issued the order, Mr Secondus obtained a counter-order from the Kebbi State High Court in Birnin-Kebbi which restored him to office.

But another High Court of Cross River State in Calabar again issued another counter order suspending him from office.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, had described the spate of the counter-orders issued as ex parte orders as an embarrassment to the Nigerian judiciary.

Mr Muhammad, who chairs the National Judicial Council (NJC), had summoned the Chief Judges of the relevant courts which issued the orders in the cases and other ones.

Three judges are now facing NJC investigation over the matter.

Secondus abrupt ending

A lingering leadership crisis within the party had led to a gale of high-profile defections including governors from the party in the last few months.

Powerful blocs within the party blamed the crisis on Mr Secondus whom they insisted must go, even though his tenure still officially extends till December 9.

The court cases became the trigger for the last decisive moves to kick him out of office.

With the plan of the elective national convention to elect new National Working Committee (NWC) members underway, Mr Secondus recently wrote a letter to the different organs of the party intimating them of shelve any plan to replace him as his tenure woukd not end until December 9.
Ahead of the race for the 2023 presidential election, the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti, Felix Ajakaye, has urged Nigerians to elect a competent and healthy president that would transform the country.

The bishop noted that while the deafening zoning agitations might not be out of place, those who would emerge through such arrangement must be competent, healthy and sound intellectually.

The cleric spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while delivering a lecture titled: Ekiti Politics And The Search for Great Leadership, to mark the 2021 Annual Lecture/Award presentation of the Nigeria Union Journalists, Correspondent Chapel, Ekiti State Council held at the Prosperous Royal Hotels and Resort Centre.

The bishop advised that each state of the federation must elect responsible and committed individuals as governors that can bring about the needed growth and development in the area of economy and solve the increasing cases of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.

We need competent Nigerians to emerge as president and governors in Nigeria for us to be able to be where we ought to be, he said without making any direct reference to Nigerias past sickly presidents,

For those agitating for zoning, the best must emerge from that zone to be Nigerias president, not recycled, weak and incompetent person.

Whoever wants to be Nigerias president must be healthy, both in body and in mind.

We are tired of a weak president and strong presidency. We shouldnt allow mediocres to be leading us and if we allow that, then we are in serious trouble.

It will be recalled that Nigerias President Musa YarAdua, suffered ill-health at the time of his presidency and later died in office to pave the way for his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan.

President Muhammadu Buhari has also been reported to be battling with health challenges, having been on several foreign medical trips since his election in 2015.

Many Nigerians have alleged that many statements and actions taken on behalf of the Nigerian leader are without his knowledge and are rather done by those around him, often referred to as the presidency.

Although he has not officially declared his intention, the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Ahmed Tinubu, is seen as a strong contender to clinch the partys presidential ticket in 2023. His reported health issues for which he had stayed away in the UK for several weeks have, however, been a new call for concern.

On the 2022 governorship poll in Ekiti State, the bishop advised the electorate to vote wisely and elect a governor that can give the citizens enduring legacy and not the cosmetic and momentary one.

Mr Ajakaye stated that whoever emerges as a leader in the election must eschew the winner-takeall spirit, by accommodating members of the opposition and competent apolitical individuals in governance, for effective delivery.

Recalling the poor figures being recorded on election day in Ekiti due to voter apathy, the cleric specifically challenged the Ekiti elite to translate their writings, theories and talks into action, by participating effectively in electoral system.

Also speaking at the event, former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, expressed his support for the crave for effective leadership as the nation battles to elect new leaders in forthcoming elections.

He also commended the NUJ and the Correspondent Chapel for committing themselves to the issues of the time, urging them to continue the pursuit of being the watchdogs of the society and the voice of the voiceless.

Certain individuals including Mr Ajakaye; the senator representing Ekiti Central, Opeyemi Bamidele; a veteran journalist, Femi Ajayi; a member of the House of Representibes, Femi Bamisile; and the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Eddy Olanipekun, were honoured for their contributions to the growth and development of the society.
For the current peace to be sustained in the Niger Delta region, there is a need for better funding for the Niger Delta ministry, the Senate has said.

The Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs noted this during the ministrys 2022 budget defence session on Thursday.

The Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, had appeared before the panel to give details of the ministrys spendings for 2021 and also to defend the 2022 budget proposal.

A member of the committee, James Manager (PDP, Delta South), complained that the budget allocated to the ministry in 2021 and 2022 was too meagre to achieve anything meaningful in the region.

Anything humanly possible to sustain the current peace being enjoyed in the region must be encouraged, he said.

The senator made the plea despite a history of misappropriation of funds in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  a key agency under the ministry.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how top NDDC officials misused funds for the commission amounting to billions  which led to the dissolution of the board by President Muhammadu Buhari and an order for a forensic audit.

Mr manager was reacting to the ministers submission  who complained that the annual budgetary allocation for the ministry is hardly enough.

Mr Akpabio told the panel that a total budgetary proposal of N28.1 billion was allocated to the Ministry for 2022 comprising Personnel Cost of N1.7 billion, Overhead Cost of N877 million and Capital N25.5 billion.

He said the budget is, however, considered meagre and significantly inadequate in the face of the mandate and goals of the ministry to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people.

Mr Akpabio said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic further necessitated the intervention of the ministry to ameliorate the infrastructure and Human Capital Development of the people of the region.

The minister further explained that the ministry sought to allocate its scarce resources in accordance with government priorities.

Arising from the dwindling budgetary allocation and the increasing level of outstanding liabilities, we wish to solicit additional funding and your support to enable the ministry deliver on the president and the administrations mandate for the Niger Delta region, he said.

On his part, another member of the panel, George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers), wondered why some federal roads with no economic relevance were being constructed and prioritised over the East-West road which carries the economic burden of the nation.

Let us address the issue of the East-West road squarely, as we do to other roads. We are not being fair to the region.

We know you as a former governor and former Minority Leader of the Senate and we believe you are capable of handling this East-West road. We cannot blame you for the present state of that road, but we have to do something about the budget of the Ministry, Mr Sekibo said.
Four weeks after it abruptly shut down the institution over students protest, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has announced resumption details.

A statement issued on Friday and signed by the universitys public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, disclosed that students are to resume to their various halls of residence on November 5, while their aborted examinations will continue on Saturday, November 6, in tandem with what was previously on ground.

Mr Olarewaju noted that the decision was made at an emergency meeting of the Senate held on Friday.

The university was shut down on October 2 following a protest by the students over the death of a final year student of foreign languages department, Aisha Adesina.

The statement reads in part: Parents and guardians are hereby advised to inform their children and wards, particularly those who have already finished their examinations to stay at home so that none of them would use the excuse of the reopening of the University to do something untoward, the statement said.

It added that the vice chancellor of the university, Eyitope Ogunbodede, charged the students to be law abiding and not to engage in anything that could further elongate the session.

Background

The management of OAU ordered the indefinite shutdown of the university after the students staged a peaceful protest over the death of Miss Adesina.

The late Adesina was said to have died at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife, where she was referred to by the universitys health centre.

Following her death, the students blocked the universitys main gate in protest.

Sources among the protesting students accused the universitys health centre of poor management of Miss Adesinas case, and for allegedly delaying in its response when the deceased presented herself to the centre.

But in its reaction to the allegation, the university denied the accusations, and condemned the protest, describing as a wrong approach to resolving the problem.

The management noted in a statement that it understands the grief after the loss of the student, but will not tolerate the continuous and uncontrolled protest by the students.

It added that the university management has put in place the machinery to unravel the circumstances surrounding the cause(s) of the crisis, while the swearing-in of the newly elected students union officials has been put on hold, pending a review of the situation.
The President, African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, has said that social media should be used sensitively by governments as a tool for development, good governance and social change, rather than politicising it.

Mr Adesina said this while delivering his keynote address at the 21st NECCI PR roundtable with the theme Social Media, National Security and Social Change: Bridging the Gap for Development in Africa, held in Lagos on Thursday.

Mr Adesina, in what appears a reaction to the attitude of the Nigerian government to social media, especially the ban of Twitter, said social media and network society cannot be ignored by governments.

Twitter has remained suspended in Nigeria after the federal government accused the microblogging platform of undermining the countrys corporate existence.

Given the power and pervasive influence of social media, every level of government must recognise the power of homegrown, or global social media platforms as strategic instruments for direct communication with the public they serve, in a way that is more consistent with the day-to-day realities of citizens.

The rise of the network society, therefore, offers those in power a unique opportunity to engage in real-time meaningful dialogues with constituents, involve them in policymaking, and address genuine grievances, long before they become toxic.

When I look at the rapid uptake of social media by millions of mobile phone users in Nigeria, I cannot see why communication should not be at the heart of development policies and good governance. It is an excellent platform for policymakers and public officials to engage with the citizenry, he said.

Mr Adesina said before social media, bureaucracy and the hierarchical nature of societies made it easy for leaders to become far removed from those they were called to serve.

That is no longer the case with social media. Today, leaders have no choice. They must engage. Citizens now have social platforms to speak, vent and engage in the public sphere. Leaders, who are far from their people, no longer have a place to hide. The people are at their gates, daily, with inquiries, views, opinions, vitriol and sometimes sarcasm.

The AFDB president said for public officials to engage citizens on social media, information and communication must be fact-based, devoid of propaganda, short and straight to the point, informational, educational, and inspiring.

The effective use of social media platforms requires clear distinctions between political advertising and public service information and the temptation to blur the lines for political gain.

Communication for development and good governance requires innovation, creativity, and an astute understanding of the felt needs and grievances of citizens. Development and policy communication via social media also requires restraint and proactive responses, in order to avoid a firefighting approach, Mr Adesina said.

He added that in the social media era, vacuum cannot exist, and governments must be proactive and responsible users of the space to effectively fight for the hearts and minds of those they are called to serve.

As such, social media should be utilised sensitively by governments  and not politicised, he said.

Social media and national security

Mr Adesina said the social media, depending on how it is used and who is using it and for what purpose, has tremendous power for good or for bad.

From a national security perspective, the biggest promise of social media lies in the technological capabilities that could facilitate direct, constructive, creative, and mass political involvement.

Mr Adesina said as technology advances, so do the challenges to national security in the virtual space, coupled with the reality of living in a binary world of truth and misinformation.

Technology is neutral. It is the use that it is put that defines acceptable and unacceptable boundaries. Ultimately the vital question of who owns, controls and spreads information will arise. Today, the owners of social media platforms wield unprecedented power.

Concerns about social platforms stem from the powers of monopoly and the ability of the controllers of platforms to influence societies, or creators of content to use them to drive wedges in societies, cultures, and religion or create misinformation or give oxygen to fake news, he said.

Mr Adesina further said just as social media has clear benefits for development and democracy, it is also a vital tool for good governance and gives millions of people a voice.

Twitter has emerged as an important podium for us to disseminate information rapidly to a large global audience.

For individuals, businesses, and governments that depend on these platforms, vulnerability assessments and cyber security are necessary in order to protect data, privacy and information, for individuals, businesses and governments, he said.

He added that despite the many benefits of social media, it is very common for people to abuse it because they can easily hide their identities.

If rules are not well established, and norms of conduct well enforced, misuse of social media could cause discord, unravel societies due to susceptibility to foreign influence, social engineering and cyber-attacks, he said.

Twitter Ban

The roundtable also featured plenary sessions which had as panelists PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed; Olunifesi Suraj, Senior lecturer of Mass Communication, University of Lagos; Comfort Coleman, journalist; Dele Farotimi, a lawyer; and a host of others.

Speaking during a plenary session, Mr Mojeed said after suspending Twitter use in the country, the Nigerian government and its agencies left the platform, thereby limiting the publics access to information and creating more opportunities for fake news.

Government agencies are absent in conversations going on on Twitter. No one to challenge misinformation, disinformation or fake news.

Twitter is a platform that is so powerful and can be used to mobilise people for social good. Nigeria could have done better by continuing to engage people on Twitter rather than chase its officials and agencies from the platform, he said.

Mr Mojeed said despite the ban of the social media platform, young people in Nigeria have continued to tweet, communicate and all sorts of falsehoods are sometimes spread.

He said before Twitter suspension, Nigeria was getting to a situation where the government was beginning to label any news it found unpalatable as fake, which was a problem.

Fake news is a consequence of social media and we have to learn to live with it. Nigeria has a plethora of laws that can be used to deal with it, if we learn to enforce our laws.

The government has to be sincere, government does not need to undermine press freedom, press credibility by labelling what it does not like as fake news. The government must also learn to enforce its own laws against whoever creates fake news.

It is better for people to vent anger on social media than violent demonstrations to occur, he said.

Mr Mojeed said one of the ways to counter fake news is for Nigeria to continue to expand the opportunity for media and digital literacy of its people.

Mrs Coleman also harped on media literacy, which, she said, will allow the Nigerian populace to be critical in their thinking, and ask questions rather than become tools in the hands of unscrupulous persons.

You have people who have devices in their hands but are not educated enough and they become tools in the hands of people. If things are alright, government can use the social media for national orientation.

Social media can be used for good, government can educate its teeming masses and they will gain a sense of belonging and community. They are also able to use it to create wealth for themselves and not depend on the government, she said.

Mrs Coleman said rather than focusing on laws to regulate the social media, the Nigerian government can educate its people to the extent that they begin to self-regulate themselves.
FBN Holdings Plc responded to a query by the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), seeking clarification on the claim by Tunde Hassan-Odukale, the chairman of its flagship unit FirstBank, and his related parties to a 5.36 per cent stake in the holdco, a document published by the bourse on Wednesday showed.

The NGX authority had on Tuesday written the group, demanding explanations on why the shareholdings of Mr Hassan-Odukale and his related parties were in two parts of 4.16 per cent and 1.20 per cent respectively.

It also requested FBN Holdings to clarify the rationale behind factoring in an equity stake of 1.05 per cent belonging to Leadway Pensure PFA in the 1.20 per cent.

The parent company of Nigerias oldest bank has been embroiled in a tussle for top shareholder title after the incremental acquisition of shares summing up to 5.07 per cent of the groups issued share capital by billionaire mogul and the chairman of Geregu Energy Group, Femi Otedola, broke into the open.

Mr Otedola has notified the exchange of his holding regulation demands when an individual or a company acquires at least 5 per cent of a companys shares and said he is making plans to notify regulators including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

A notification from FBN Holdings to the registrar general of CAC, dated October 18 and seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday depicts the consolidated shares of Mr Hassan-Odukale and his related parties at 5.36 per cent, with Leadway Pensure PFA contributing 1.05 per cent of that lump figure.

It remains unclear how the shares of a pension fund administrator, which is often managed for investment from a pool of employees contributed fund, could be reckoned as part of a single persons investment.

Formed by a consortium of three (3) major financial service companies, Leadway Pensure is one of the most capitalized PFAs in Nigeria with an authorized share capital of N2.0 billion, the About section of the website of Leadway Pensure said on Tuesday.

Our shareholders fund is in excess of N7.0 billion, unimpaired by losses. Since inception we have positioned ourselves as one of Nigerias foremost Pension Fund Administrators, it further states.

A spokesperson of FBN Holdings did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The NGX also asked the financial services group to explain what it meant by cumulative equity stake and the use of that phrase in relation to Leadway Pensure PFAs holdings in its earlier notification to the exchange.

Shares are only known to be held directly or indirectly, with the term cumulative equity stake not known in stock market parlance.

In its reaction, FBN Holdings affirmed the 4.16 per cent interest are held directly or indirectly by Mr Hassan-Odukale, identifying the 1.20 per cent as shares ascribed to the holdcos chair by virtue of his influence and having significant control.

Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale has an indirect interest in Leadway Holdings Limited that holds 69% equity in Leadway Pensure PFA and as such exerts significant influence and control over Leadway Pensure. Consequently, the Company ascribed these shareholding to him, it said in the letter signed by Company Secretary Seye Kosoko.

FBN Holdings invoked Section 88(1) CAMA 2020 which defines a person with significant control as any person:

(a) directly or indirectly holding at least 5% of the shares or interest in a company or limited liability partnership;

(b) directly or indirectly holding at least 5% of the voting rights in a company or limited liability partnership;

(c) directly or indirectly holding the right to appoint or remove a majority of the directors or partners in a company or limited liability partnership;

(d) otherwise having the right to exercise or actually exercising significant influence or control over a company or limited liability partnership; or

(e) having the right to exercise, or actually exercising significant influence or control over the activities of a trust or firm whether or not it is a legal entity but would itself satisfy any of the first four conditions if it were an individual.

It was to the extent of the foregoing that we included the 1.05% of Leadway Pensure PFAs holdings as part of the indirect holding of Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale, for full disclosure and transparency, in line with the provisions of the extant rules and regulations.

FN Holdings described cumulative equity stake as the summation of all the direct, indirect and ascribed shareholding of Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale.
I swore by the Holy Quran that I will serve in accordance with the constitution and leave when my time is up. No Tazarce (tenure extension). I dont want anybody to start talking about and campaigning for unconstitutional extension. I will not accept that.

So declared President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting in Makkah with a select group of Nigerians resident in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he just ended a visit.

President Buhari also tacitly expressed support to efforts to increase the role of technology in the nations elections, arguing that the introduction of the card reader and electronic register was Gods answer to his prayers, having been cheated of his victory in three previous elections.

After the third so-called defeat, I said, God Dey. My opponents laughed at me but God answered my prayers by bringing in technology. At that point, nobody can steal their votes or buy them, the President added.

President Buhari, who ended his visit to the Kingdom with the Friday Prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah said he will continue to abide by the constitution in all its ramifications and he will at all times supervise and deal with his ministers on same basis.

He gave assurances at the meeting that in the balance of eighteen months or so of my time left, whatever I can do to improve the life of Nigerians, I will do it for the country.

The President commended diaspora Nigerians in the Kingdom for representing the country well and projecting its good image.

He also used the opportunity to urge citizens at home to be fair to his administration at all times, asking the critics to compare the security situations in the North East and South South in 2015 and how things have improved as at now.

My problem is the North West where people are killing and stealing from one another. I had to be very hard on them and I will continue to be very hard until we put them in line and bring back order, he said.

President Buhari urged Nigerians living in the country to respect the laws, remain law-abiding and do nothing to derogate from the many years of friendly and mutually beneficial relationships between the two countries.

A leader of the community, Abdulkadir Maikudi, who spoke on behalf of the group requested the President to assist the privately-run Nigerian International School in the Kingdom by equipping it to provide science and technical education.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yahaya Lawal and the Consul-General in Jeddah, Abdulkarim Mansur, attested to the good conduct of the nearly 1.5 million Nigerians there.

According to them, Nigerian professionals are doing well and projecting a good image of our country.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 29, 2021
Veteran journalist and publisher of the Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has announced his return to partisan politics after years of staying apolitical.

He also declared his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was a member of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and was its presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential election.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Momodu said he joined the main opposition in a bid to play an active role in retrieving the nation from derailing paths currently set upon by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

I have decided to stop my perpetual lamentations and join hands with other patriotic Nigerians to rescue our nation from the brink of a calamitous collapse, Mr Momodu said.

Therefore, in line with practicing what I have preached for a few years now, I believe that only by joining mainstream politics and becoming a member of one of the leading opposition parties can I hope to make such meaningful difference as I have been demanding of others.

I have consulted widely. And it is clear to me that given the dangerous and disastrous drift that our Nation has experienced in the past six years, the only party from which amends can be made to rectify our situation is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This accords with my vehement opposition to the policies and practices of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its leadership, which has denuded our country of everything we hold dear  National Unity, Cohesion, Security, Economic prosperity, Educational advancement, Social infrastructure, and above all, our cherished moral values.

The socialite apologised for his role in the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 elections.

Mr Momodu was among the countrys elites who strongly drummed support for the candidacy of Mr Buhari as a displeasure against the candidacy of former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the 16-year rule of the PDP.

Although the Ovation boss has vowed never to contest for Nigerias presidency seat again, his last outing in 2011 under the emblem of NCP after his resignation from Labour Party (LP) in December 2010, earned him 26,376 votes to secure the 11th position on the INEC election chart.
The tenure of the present National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will continue till 9 December, even as the national convention holds on Saturday, a party official has said.

The Chairman of the party National Convention Organising Committee, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, disclosed this on Friday, while briefing journalists on the party preparations for the convention in Abuja.

He said though the party wanted early convention holding on Saturday; it was not planning to truncate the tenure of the incumbent NWC members ending 9 December.

There will be no vacuum because we are not truncating anybodys tenure.

We only call for an early convention, which is also in the provision of the Constitution.

But that does not mean that because we are having an early convention we are terminating the tenure of the present NWC. They will still be asked to serve their term until 9 December.

If not for anything it will give a better chance for them to interface and have a smooth transition, he said.

Mr Fintiri said though the PDP expected vibrant new NWC members, it also appreciated the present national leaders of the party.

They were able to galvanise support, plan and work for this party in 2019 to move from about 10 governors to almost 18, with more House of Representatives members than the previous election, he said.

Speaking on the Saturdays convention, Mr Fintiri said the Screening Appeal Committee upheld the disqualification of the three aspirants.

He clarified that Okey Muo-Aroh, contesting National Secretary was disqualified for not respecting the zoning arrangement of the party.

He said that the position of national secretary was zoned to the South, which micro-zoned it to the South-east.

He added that the South East caucus met and zoned it to Abia and Imo States while the Office of the Auditor was zoned to Enugu and Anambra.

He said that instead of Mr Muo-Aroh from Anambra to contest the office of auditor zoned to his state, he went to purchase a form for a position zoned to Imo and Abia States.

I think every institution and organisation must have a way of disciplining its members.

With regards to petitions against some of the cleared candidates, Mr Fintiri said the appeal panel has found most of the petitions as baseless and frivolous and the petitions have been displaced.

The governor noted that the party had achieved consensus in almost all the positions that would be veiled except for three positions on which negotiations were still ongoing.

He listed three positions still having more than one contestant to be deputy national chairman (South), national auditor and national youth leaders, saying the party was already in discussion with the contestants.

At the moment, we are making efforts to reconcile most of our contestants so that we can streamline them to have a better convention, which will be hitch free and deepen our chances for 2023.

He expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations for the convention, saying all the subcommittees have been mobilised and they are fully prepared to deliver by Saturday.

Most of the activities have almost been completed and we are fully satisfied, he said.

He added that 3,600 delegates were being expected in the convention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the organising committee and party Leadership thereafter inspected the convention venue, Eagle Square, to inspect the level of preparedness.

Speaking with journalists, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobundu, said the preparations were ongoing and everything would be completed before midnight.

Mr Akobundu said that so far there was no envisaged challenge regarding the venue and the level of preparations.

We are ready for a party. This is what we do all the time. And there are lots of improvements because of the reforms our NWC has brought about in the party, especially in the area of accreditation.

We have introduced technology and integrity based accreditation, which perhaps the National Assembly is afraid of, which we will be using tomorrow in terms of voting as a party.

We have introduced it and it will become part of our activities from there.

NAN reports that there was already tight security arraignment in and around the venue of the convention, even as delegates from states have started arriving.

(NAN)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Dear brothers and sisters! No doubt, today, the Muslim world is going through a period of upheaval due to the division and disunity among them. Wherever Muslims gather, in majority countries and in minority communities, we all keep asking: Why cant we Muslims be united? Why is there so much disunity, so much hostility between some groups and sects towards others?

The Ummah today numbers about 2 billion followers, and Islam is considered to be the worlds fastest growing religion. Muslims are the majority in a swathe of countries from Morocco to Indonesia, and from Turkey to Sudan. Our Muslim lands cover a strategic area of the worlds oil and mineral resources, as well as its major trade routes. There are significant Muslim minorities in most countries, and there is hardly a place on this planet where Islam does not have a presence. We have no shortage of numbers. But for a variety of reasons we appear to be fragmented and disconnected from each other. The Noble Quran urges Muslims to be open-hearted and to respect minor differences of opinion. It also warns us of the grave dangers of disunity, and mutual hatred. Allah Almighty says:

And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allahs favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes his signs clear to you, that you may be guided.

We Muslims are reasonably well aware of our history. But how much have we learnt from it? This Quranic verse reminds us how our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) united the tribes of Arabia, whom the Romans and Persians considered so wild, warlike and backward, that they were unworthy of conquest. He moulded them into a nation of supermen. When we Muslims served Allah, when we tamed our egos and subdued our vanity, we became masters of the world. We swept over North Africa, across Spain and southern France, and eastwards to China. Then today, we became greedy and selfish. We began to love our wealth and power. When we forgot Allah, Allah abandoned us and we lost our power and authority. This happened over many centuries. Although our numbers increased, our influence on world affairs declined.

Today we are divided into sects, into different organizations, into dozens, into nation-states and within those divisions, we have further divisions of mutually hostile and exclusive groups. There are Sufis and Salafis, Sunni and Shia, etc. We have a rather fragmented and disunited Ummah, an Ummah that often seems to be at odds with itself. How can we start to put things right? Allah the Most High told us in the Quran:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

My great people! This Quranic verse doesnt say, O Muslims! It doesnt say, O you who believe! It says, O Mankind! This verse addresses every human being. This verse emphasises the essential unity of the human species. Islam is inclusive, not exclusive. Every human soul has Allahs sacred light within it. When we show respect to others, we also show courtesy to Allah, Almighty.

The principle of Tauhid, Islams essential doctrine of Unity, underpins the great diversity of all created things. Within every species, there is tremendous variety. In nature, differences are not a sign of weakness, but a celebration of Allahs creativity. This is something for us to admire and enjoy, with a sense of wonder and excitement. The variety and diversity we find in the ocean, on land and in the air, are also apparent in our human behaviour. We must not see our human differences as a curse. Rather, it is a blessing. Each and every one of us, has gathered a wealth of experience from different geographical, social and cultural influences. When we all share our experience freely, there is a collective enrichment for everyone.

We must therefore not be impatient with one another. We often hear the complaint that Muslims are not united. But what do we mean by unity? Do we mean that there should be no differences of opinion? Of course not.

Unity does not mean uniformity. We do not have to look the same, speak the same, dress the same, and share each and every opinion unanimously. This is not only unnatural, its humanly impossible. Can you imagine it? Life would be so boring!

There are two kinds of unity, which we must try to understand and distinguish clearly: There is a unity of purpose, and unity of opinion. As Muslims we should always be united in our purpose. That means, seeking to please Allah, and serving the advancement of Islam. But we must not be distressed by minor differences of opinion. It is humanly impossible to always have unity of opinion. As long as we keep our purpose clearly in view, there can be many opinions as to the best ways of achieving our goal.

By mutual consultation, sharing our knowledge and experience, we can move forward. If we must disagree on some matter, let us remember the right way to disagree. In a debate, a Muslims attitude should always be like this:

I think Im right, but I might be wrong; and I think youre wrong but you may be right!

If we kept this attitude of humility in all our dealings with one another, no one risks humiliation or hurt feelings in any disagreement. We can debate and disagree in a most agreeable manner, where we always maintain mutual respect and dignity. These are the building blocks of real, lasting Unity.

Dear brothers and sisters! There is a saying that:

The longest journey is from the head to the heart.

We know, of course that physically, only a few inches separate the head from the heart, but emotionally and psychologically, it could be many miles, or measured in time, trying to connect head and heart could take months, years, or even forever.

The journey from the head to the heart, is a long and difficult journey. Its a journey from what we think and say, to what we really believe and do; from the world of thought and speech, to the world of action and commitment. We must shorten that journey, if we want to develop the healthy, well-rounded personality of the ideal Muslim. There is a clear and unmistakable link between our inner world and the world outside. Look at any family or community, and you can read the contents of the head, heart and soul of its members.

Respected servants of Allah! Muslim Unity is not some miracle that, one-day will suddenly fall from the sky. Muslim Unity, the unity of the whole Ummah, will be the reward for much effort, and the culmination of a long process that begins with individual Muslims, and I mean you, and me. We must start that process. We must seek to unite our own mind, body and spirit. We must not say one thing, and do the opposite. Our goal must be, a Unity of thought and feeling, word and action, inwardly and outwardly. In short, we must cultivate integrity of character. Allah Almighty reminds us:

Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.

In other words, what is within their hearts and souls. Our illustrious Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the most perfect of examples. Even his enemies acknowledged that he was always honest, truthful and sincere. There was no contradiction between his head and his heart. His thoughts, feelings, words and actions were of the same substance. There was never even the slightest trace of arrogance, hypocrisy, vanity or conceit in his personality. This was the role model of personal character, on which the Unity of the first Muslim Ummah was based. We need it today as well. Allah the Most High says:

Verily this Ummah (Nation/brotherhood) of yours is a single Ummah (Nation/brotherhood) and I am your Lord and Cherisher, therefore serve Me (and no other).

This brotherhood of Muslims will only be as strong as we individual Muslims are strong. We are taught that the best Jihad is the Jihad against ones ego, Jihad al-Nafs. We need to tame this beast within our breast, our pride. We must learn to submit our will, our ego, our vanity, to the will of our creator, just like Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught us. When, and only when, we have made a start on this greatest of journeys, will we earn the pleasure of Allah. And when we earn Allahs pleasure, we find that we can easily tolerate differences of opinion without getting angry or abusive.

We will then, begin to see the unity of purpose that underpins the wide diversity of Allahs creation. We will see the good things that bind us together, without being distracted by the petty things that divide us. By keeping our ego under control, by cleansing our hearts of all vanity and false pride, we actually make room for Allahs divine wisdom, which must follow if we are sincere in our quest for knowledge and understanding. In Hadith Qudsi, Allah tells us directly that:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly even better than that. And if he takes one step towards me, I take ten steps towards him. And if he comes walking to Me, I go running towards him.

Dear brothers and sisters! What a beautiful and graphic description of Allahs love and affection towards us! And all He wants, is for us to take that crucial first step! Im sure that each and every one of us here, would like to be amongst those, towards whom Allah comes running at speed!

Respected brothers and sisters! You all must have heard about the phrase United we stand divided we fall, Since we have got independence we knew that how important unity is, people can easily break you, crush you and throw you if you are alone, but when you stand together then nobody can touch you. We all know that unity gives us courage, power and strength. We all have heard this phrase because its commonly used in different places. We can see unity even at the workplace, where team members together work in order to complete the target, even in local trains people create groups so that they can help each other. Unity always supports and help, if any team member works alone there can be chances that person get defeated, but if person works as a team chances of success increases.

Initially every business starts at a small level but as expansion happens team increases people in that company increases, because group of people together creates a big and huge company, hence if you want to go fast then go alone, but if you want to go far go together, because unity will give you that power and strength. Nowadays many people try to break this unity because they know if normal people come forward with a unity then no one can break them or not even they can try to touch them.

We people should always stand together because unity not only gives strength but it is also important for survival, not only humans but even animals work together, even in them we can see and notice unity. For example, whenever any dolphin gets hurt other dolphins help that wounded dolphin by bringing her out of water so that she can breathe, so that whenever anything bad happens to other dolphins they can help each other. If you help others only then others will help you, hence stay together so that survival becomes easy and smooth. NEVER ALLOW ANY NEGATIVE INFLUENCE TO BREAK YOUR UNITY, Because some people still try to break us to divide us because they understand the importance of United we stand divided we fall.

You all must be aware of a story where a father calls his four sons and gave one stick to all of them and ask them to break it, all the four easily broke that stick but when he asked them to break hundred sticks together they failed to do so, hence at that time he said this is what happens when you stay together, if you brothers fight with each other anyone can easily break you and can take advantage of you, but if you four stay together just like those hundred sticks, then no one can ever harm you and can never break you.

Hence always stay united, because when we stay united we stand and face the world with strength power and courage but if we get influenced by someone negative comments which people usually do for their own benefits, or for their own pockets then you will get divided and when we get divided we fall and anyone can break us and can destroy our peace. Hence always stand with unity, unity is very fragile it must be handled with care, we must always be kind to each other, should help each other, we should always learn and improve ourselves and the most important thing we must do in order to maintain unity is to have an open-minded attitude.

Dear brothers and sisters! Why is unity important?

1. Unity is needed for our survival

2. Unity helps us to grow

3. Unity works in wonders for us

4. Unity gives us courage

As we all know, unity protects us from all the evil doings, hence we people should help each other and together we should fight and face the evil and negative things, when we together stand only then we get freedom from all kind of negativity. For example, at the workplace you can easily survive when your team support you, your survival becomes easy, even in the case of animals survival needs unity. For example, bat helps each other by sharing their food (blood) so that when they dont have food they can get help from each other and can survive longer.

Nothing can grow alone, if you want to grow your business you want team members employees, if you want to grow your family you need your partner, if you want to achieve something huge in your life you need to walk together, as it says if you want to grow and want to go far then you need to move together.

Unity gives freedom, unity makes us win, we all can work, we all have the capability to start business but by working together we can win. Individually we are like one drop but together in unity we are like ocean. In this world you will meet different people, and every different people will know something that you dont, hence by understanding each other we people can learn through each other. As it says:

I CAN DO SOMETHING WHICH YOU CANNOT, AND YOU CAN DO SOMETHING WHICH I CANT, BUT TOGETHER WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS.

Whenever you see injustice, you feel like saying something, but at the same moment you get afraid, at the same moment when you get support you become brave and stand towards that injustice and face it. You get that courage because you knew that you have people who stand behind you and support you against that injustice, hence in order to deal with any injustice we people should fight together, only then we can see the real and true CHANGE!

In this world everyone wants change, but no one wants to become that change, no one wants to stand first. Everyone wants others to do something about it, but my friends, this is our country, this is our home and we all must take initiative to do something, hence instead of thinking about the change, be that change and help each other, support each other and be kind. We people should always stand together, because unity not only gives us power, strength and courage but it is also needed and very much important for our survival. Allah Almighty says:

And obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall not into disputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart from you; and be patient; surely Allah is with the patient. [Al-Anfal 8:46]

My dear brothers and sisters! Let us pray to Allah Almighty, to help us foster Unity and brotherhood.

O Allah, help us to acknowledge our own shortcomings with honesty and humility.

O Allah, please help us to improve ourselves and our behaviour. Help us to increase love and respect for one another.

O Allah, help us to see our differences as a blessing from You, not as a reason for mutual hatred.

O Allah, please strengthen our resolve, our faith (Iman), give us courage and patience to endure the hardship that Muslims face these days.

O Allah, help us to become exemplary Muslims. Let us become an inspiration to other people, just as Your last Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his Noble Companions are an inspiration for us today.

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Rabiul Awwal 22, 1443 A.H. (October 29, 2021).
Aljazirah Newspapers, an Abuja-based weekly newspaper, on Thursday, said it will start publishing daily as from Monday.

It said while it will maintain its online presence, its transition from weekly edition to a daily publication is to carve a niche in the media industry.

The daily edition will maintain the characteristics of its predecessor which gained fame both within and outside Nigeria for in-dept investigative reports in the last three and half years, its editor, Ibrahim Mohammed, said in a release sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The release is reproduced below:

In line with the vision of Aljazirah Newspapers Limited to continuously serve its teeming audience better and be an undisputable leader in the Nigerian media industry, Aljazirah Daily will make its debut on Monday, November 1, 2021.

This is a validation of the goal to transit our incisive and authoritative weekly edition to a daily publication.

The daily edition will maintain the characteristics of its predecessor which gained fame both within and outside Nigeria for in-depth investigative reports in the last three and half years.

As we pride ourselves high with the birth of Aljazirah Daily, the management of the newspaper equally appreciate our readers, advertisers among other partners for their support over the years.

However, the debut of our new title did not come easy but as a result of teamwork and painstaking pursuit for the growth of the company which also paid-off earlier when Aljazirahnews.com gave birth to weekly a newspaper.

Aljazirah Daily promises to be a national newspaper that serves readers timely information inline with the journalistic principles of truth, objectivity and fairness in a manner that will invariably contribute towards the onerous task of building a better Nigeria where free press and democracy thrive.

In this vein, we shall always hold our leaders in the private and private sectors accountable without fear or favour for the overall good of the nation.

A sister publication, Aljazirah Weekend shall also make its debut this week with all the captivating qualities of the Aljazirah newspapers family.

We thank our formidable team within and outside the corporate headquarters of the company as well as others too numerous to mention but have worked with dedication and sacrifices to make this transition a reality.
The Kano State Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) has sacked one of its officers, Jamilu Gambo, for bursting the tyres of a trailer with a knife.

The agencys spokesperson, Abubakar Nabilusi, in a statement on Thursday, said the Managing Director of the agency, Baffa Danagundi, has approved the sack of the officer for unprofessional conduct.

Mr Nabulisi said Mr Gambo destroyed the tyres following a quarrel with the driver of the truck.

The development ignited a protest by tanker drivers and led to the closure of the Kano-Hadejia road, and a gridlock in the area.

Mr Nabulisi said the agency took the decision to sack the officer with advice from the security agencies.

The Managing Director Kano Road and Traffic Agency, Hon. Baffa Babba Danagundi, appreciates the leadership of the NARTO Kano Branch for their quick intervention during the incident which prevented him from mob action which would have resulted in his death and also the police for their role and assured anyone found wanting at his duty post would not be spared.

On behalf of the Agency, Baffa apologises to the general public whose movements were delayed as a result of the incident.

The Agency also wishes to announce that the sacked officer has been handed over to the police for further investigation and made to pay for the damages caused on the drivers vehicle, the official statement said.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has presented a budget proposal of over N196 billion to the state House of Assembly for the 2022 fiscal year.

The governors spokesperson, Abba Anwar, in a statement on Thursday, said the proposal, tagged Budget for Consolidation and Prosperity, was presented before the lawmakers on Wednesday.

Quoted as speaking before the Speaker of the State Assembly, Hamisu Chidari, the governor said the total recurrent expenditure for the incoming fiscal year is estimated at N 88,473,614,717.03, representing 45 per cent of the total budget size.

Mr Ganduje said the capital expenditure of N107,879,853,788.07 will be dedicated to financing projects and programmes across the state.

Education has more than 26 per cent of the total budget, which is N51.6 billion. From there, the sum of N3.4 billion will be used for boarding schools feeding and N2.2 billion for capital projects and programmes in tertiary institutions, the governor said.

The statement added that the sum of N33.8 billion was earmarked for the development and construction of underpasses, flyovers, bridges and various roads construction.

According to the governor, the budget seeks to further consolidate his policies directed at stimulating economic growth and expansion as well as improving the wellbeing of the citizens.

The process of formulating the 2022 Budget was informed by the compelling need to continue consolidating the fiscal position in safeguarding the allocations on Education sector especially Girl Education, Health, Infrastructure, Social Protection, Nutrition issues and security among other core service delivery areas, the governor said.

The total Recurrent Revenue to be collected for the 2022 fiscal year is estimated to the tune of N146, 844,501,343.00 which consists of N 33,862,079,343.00 as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and N68,299,480,000.00 as revenue from the Statutory Allocation.

Value Added Tax (VAT) N37,556,575,000.00 as well as other receipts of N7,126,367,000.00 The total recurrent revenue is higher than that of the year 2021 by N39,006,141,043.22 representing 26.56% increase.

The Capital Receipts component of financing the 2022 budget consists of Grants general stood at N 11,717,616,875.00. the loan is estimated to be N22,368,333,461.00 while other Capital receipts for the year 2022 is N15,423,016,826.10.

Therefore, the total expected capital receipt for the year 2022 is 49,508,967,162.10 which is lower than the 2021 by N40,589,403,078.17 represent 45.05% decrease.

Part of the recurrent expenditure according to him, reveals that The sum of N 61,993,825,929.78 is dedicated for the payment of Monthly Salaries and Allowances to the Civil servants, Political office holders, State House of Assembly, judiciary and Office of the Auditor-General, both State and Local Government in the state.

While the sum of N26, 479,788,787.25 is earmarked to cater for the payment of running cost to State MDAs as Overhead cost, Mr Ganduje told the state lawmakers.
Larry Rock, 76, of Charles Way, passed away on November 17, 2021 at his home. He was born May 17, 1945 the son of Clarence and Rose (Rell) Rock. Services will be private and held at the convenience of the family. Larry will be laid to rest in St. Mary's Cemetery in Champlain. Arrangements ha
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds light and variable.
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 42F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Low near 35F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
OSLO, Norway, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A vision of what a new manufacturing base in Scotland would need to build for the floating offshore wind revolution has been unveiled by Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind that will be used to attract global investors to the country.

The immersive virtual reality design has been developed in conjunction with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland at the University of Strathclyde as part of the early investment process required to develop the major new industry that will create thousands of local jobs.

An engagement event was held last night at the university with a range of international fabricators with an active interest in Scottish developments which would consider setting up here.

The approach taken ensures that international representatives will have time to design and prepare the base in time for bidding for work.

With the first steps in the journey of setting up a facility in Scotland underway, Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind can move at speed to support the development of the Scottish supply chain because the companies have already identified which technology  the 'WindFloat'  they plan to use at floating offshore wind sites.

The companies are the majority owners of Principle Power Inc, which has developed the 'WindFloat' steel-based floating platforms - the world's most proven floating offshore wind technology - to harness this energy.

The model will be shared globally with fabricators looking to establish and choose the location of an internationally cost-competitive site in Scotland for the fabrication and assembly of floating platforms. And it will also be used locally with the Scottish and UK supply chain which stands to benefit from the creation of new jobs and opportunities.

As part of the current ScotWind leasing round, Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind have submitted floating offshore bids across several sites in the Outer Moray Firth that, combined, could generate 6GW of energy.

As detailed in the partners' supply chain manifesto published earlier this week, more than 5,000 jobs would be created through direct work and supply chain opportunities for each site, along with around 200 apprenticeships.

With an established ScotWind design and the expertise of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind can move earlier to start the floating offshore wind revolution.

This in turn enables early engagement with fabricators to help them get ready for the ScotWind roll-out and shape the design of the plant based on their fabrication delivery capability.

Around 80 per cent of the world's wind resources are in waters deeper than 60 metres and are unsuitable for fixed foundations. Floating offshore wind has become the latest advent in renewable energy technology and is set to deliver a green industrial revolution for Scotland with a 'just transition' from the oil and gas industry.

Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind have made a commitment to 40 per cent minimum supply chain content in Scotland as part of a 60 per cent commitment from the UK, with early enabling investment of tens of millions of pounds in building supply chain capability within the first four years of winning a site.

"We are in the business of turning vision into reality," said Dan Finch, managing director of Ocean Winds UK. "The first step is to identify the vision. In the Moray Firth our vision was high-volume, low cost, low carbon power in water depths of 50m and more. We made that vision a reality. Now we want to take our turbines out of the Firth into the deep waters of the North Sea.

"Our vision is Scotland leading the world in the commercial scale deployment of floating offshore wind generation. Today, we have brought that vision to life so we can share it with the global supply chain who will turn it into a reality at a site in Scotland."

"We want to capitalise on the extraordinary economic and environmental opportunity facing Scotland," said Sian Lloyd-Rees, Managing Director of Aker Offshore Wind UK. "We are committed to working with fabricators in Scotland and across the UK, supporting them with early investment and collaboration to get ready to deliver globally-competitive solutions for Scotwind."

"It is great to see the level of ambition from Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind in the Scotwind leasing round," said Cian Conroy, Director of Business development, Northern Europe, with Principle Power Inc. "The commitment to scale coupled with the early selection of technology are key enablers for the future of floating offshore wind.

"Early engagement with ports and fabricators is key to enabling the establishment of robust supply chains. This will crucially tailor the delivery plans for these largescale infrastructure projects which are essential to decarbonise our energy mix."

NOTES TO EDITORS

The jobs and investment figures in this press release relate to aggregate figures of a scenario of 6GW awarded capacity over several sites.

For further information, please contact:

Maria Lanza Knudsen, media contact, +47 48 44 24 26, maria.knudsen@akeroffshorewind.com

Christian Yggeseth, investor contact, +47 915 10 000, christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/aker-offshore-wind-as/r/vision-unveiled-to-attract-manufacturing-base-to-scotland-for-floating-offshore-wind-industry,c3443338

The following files are available for download:

https://news.cision.com/aker-offshore-wind-as/i/scotwind-fabrication-picture-2,c2974117 Scotwind fabrication picture 2 https://news.cision.com/aker-offshore-wind-as/i/scotwind-fabrication-picture-1,c2974118 Scotwind fabrication picture 1

SOURCE Aker Offshore Wind AS
HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Balaxi Pharmaceuticals Limited (Balaxi), a branded IPR-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Hyderabad, reported its results for the second quarter and half year ended 30th September, 2021.

Financial Highlights  Q2 FY22:

Particulars (INR mn) Q2FY22 Q2FY21 YoY Revenue 702 603 16% Gross Profit 192 148 30% EBITDA 142 107 32% EBITDA Margin % 20.2% 17.8% 240 bps PAT 121 101 19% PAT Margin % 17.2% 16.7% 42 bps

The Company recorded a revenue of INR 702 million in Q2 FY22, registering a 16% growth year-on-year, led by Pharma and Branded consumer goods segments.

Higher contribution from geographies such as Dominican Republic and Guatemala led Pharma segment to grow by 10% YoY

and led Pharma segment to grow by 10% YoY Backed by new launches and increasing customer acceptance, branded consumer segment Revenue increased by 319% YoY

EBITDA of INR 142 million for Q2 FY22; EBITDA margin stood at 20.2% higher by 240 bps due to favourable product mix. Higher Branded products in overall mix led to margin improvement in Q2FY22

Reported PAT of INR 121 million for Q2FY22, higher by 19% YoY

Revenue Mix:

Segment Q2FY22 Q2FY21 FY21 Pharmaceuticals 60% 64% 59% Ancillary 15% 29% 30% Branded Consumer Products 25% 7% 11%

Gross Profit Breakup

Segment Q2FY22 Q2FY21 FY21 Pharmaceuticals 75% 76% 73% Ancillary 11% 20% 18% Branded Consumer Products 14% 4% 9%

For Q2FY22, Pharmaceutical business segment contributed 60% of the consolidated revenues and 75% of the total gross profit.

Ancillary business contributed 15% to the revenue in Q2FY22

Share of YAP branded consumer products revenue grew significantly, from 4% in Q2FY21 to 25% in Q2FY22. Biscuits continues to dominate this segment, contributing close to 87% of Revenue from this segment. The Company has launched various new products such as tooth paste, ketchup, candy, mayonnaise to its existing portfolio which has been showing good traction.

Update on Pharmaceutical Product Registrations/Import Permits:

Particulars Angola Guatemala Dominican Republic Honduras El Salvador Central African Republic Nicaragua Total Existing Product Registrations 283 80 139 32 30 -

564 Submitted to MOH

57 24 37





118 Product Registrations in Pipeline - 53 19 36 76 133 90 407

Commenting on the performance, Mr. Ashish Maheshwari, Chairman and Managing Director said, "Balaxi sets its footprints into the newer geography steadily, with registration pipeline of 400+ products reflecting the company's 'Land and Expand' strategy. As on date, Balaxi has 564 pharmaceutical product registrations/import permits, spanning across 5 countries, and has a robust pipeline of product registrations including those submitted to MOH spanning across 8 countries.

Balaxi has strategized to further strengthen its value chain by establishing in-house capabilities for researching, developing and manufacturing differentiated formulations for frontier markets especially LATAM. In the past one year the company faced covid related supply disruptions which further strengthen its case of investing in these facilities. The Company has planned to acquire 3-5 acres of land to establish its first manufacturing location near Hyderabad, in the Pharma SEZ, Jadcherla, Telangana. It intends to establish a greenfield WHO-GMP/PICS certified manufacturing facility.

Balaxi saw an increase in the share of pharmaceutical business from Guatemala, Dominican Republic and newly contributing Honduras, showcasing that the newer geographies have started contributing to overall pharmaceutical segment. The Company continues with its endeavour of remaining debt free and maximise stakeholders value. The company remains confident about achieving its long-term growth aspiration and looks forward to expanding in additional geographies. Balaxi aims to expand in 20 frontier markets over the next 5 years."

Pharmaceutical Business Overview:

The Company generated 55% of the pharmaceutical revenue from Angola followed Dominican Republic and Guatemala in Q2FY22.

followed and in Q2FY22. The share of Guatemala and Dominican Republic increased during the quarter, which would help the company in further strengthening its geographical mix.

and increased during the quarter, which would help the company in further strengthening its geographical mix. The product split between Branded & Generics is at 28:72 in Q2FY22. Product mix at Angola remains highly attractive at 49:51.

Branded Consumer Business overview:

Branded consumer business saw strong revenue growth of 219% YoY and Operating profits growth of 335% YoY.

Increasing recognition of YAP brand across region has helped company to gain higher revenue during Q2FY22. New product launches has also helped company to gain more traction.

About Balaxi Pharmaceuticals Limited:

Balaxi Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a branded IPR-based pharmaceutical player focusing on frontier markets, with a vast and growing portfolio of prescription and OTC drugs, across multiple therapeutic segments. The Company is engaged in supplying branded and generic medicines through its well-built distribution network across Angola, Guatemala and Dominican Republic. These products are procured from WHO GMP certified contract manufacturers based in India, China and Portugal. Balaxi is present in Ancillary business and building a Branded Consumer Products business which complements pharmaceutical business and provides operating leverage on the back of well-established on-ground infrastructure and channel relationships.

Forward-Looking Statement:

Certain statements in this document may be forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like regulatory changes, local political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements. Balaxi Pharmaceuticals Limited will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Balaxi Pharmaceuticals Limited
The fund is the first QDLP fund under Qingdao's Qualified Domestic Limited Partnership (QDLP) scheme. QDLP is a pilot program developed by Chinese local authorities for the purpose of facilitating cross-border asset allocation. It allows global asset managers to raise Renminbi from investors in China to invest in overseas traditional and alternative assets such as hedge funds, private equity funds, and REITs. Qingdao has been assigned a quota of US$ 3 billion for piloting the QDLP scheme.
BILOXI, Miss., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The future of housing is here with the 2022 Biloxi Manufactured Housing Show. Registration and housing are now open for this one-of-a-kind industry event taking place March 28 - 31, 2022 at the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Members of the media are encouraged to secure their complimentary media credentials to learn more about manufactured homes and their role as a quality affordable housing solution.

The historic Biloxi, Mississippi is located in the southeastern region of the country and can be found nestled on the Gulf of Mexico between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. This city surprises visitors with year-round celebrations, extensive dining options, casinos, and more. The event's venue, IP Casino Resort Spa features exquisite water views, bustling restaurants, easy access to the main throughways, and close proximity to all the action. And most importantly, this new venue brings the exhibitors and home displays closer than ever before. Attendees will be able to easily and quickly explore between the expo hall and home display lot.

Manufactured housing professionals are encouraged to register and secure their hotel rooms today, so they can: CONNECT, LEARN, TOUR and PROGRESS in Biloxi. The following are highlights of the upcoming show:

NEW Welcome Reception has been added to the schedule to facilitate networking opportunities and the ability to connect with other attendees.

The latest in cutting-edge manufactured home models are brought together in an easily accessible way from the top manufacturers across the nation.

Expansive expo hall to maximize the showcasing of service suppliers in the industry

Educational workshops over two days curated with subject matter experts for community owners/operators and retailers.

Extensive face time with colleagues, industry partners, and MH professionals.

For full details, registration and information on exhibiting or sponsoring at the manufactured housing's premier event can be found at www.biloxihomeshow.com .

About Biloxi Manufactured Housing Show

Formerly known as the Tunica Show, this new city and venue will be the home to over a thousand professionals, the newest home models, educational workshops, and exhibitors in the MH industry for three days. The event is being hosted by the South Central Manufactured Housing Institute (SCHMI) and managed by the industry-centric digital marketing agency ManufacturedHomes.com .

CONTACT:

Kaitlyn Palatucci

Phone: 949-216-0521

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Biloxi Manufactured Housing Show

Related Links

http://www.biloxihomeshow.com


MEXICO CITY, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Aeromexico" or the "Company") (BMV: AEROMEX) informs that as part of the airline's strategy, starting December 11, 2021, it will extend its operations at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to Terminal 1 ("T1"). The Company will initially operate 20 daily departures from T1 and will continue to operate from Terminal 2. The Company will launch an extensive communication campaign through all its official channels to ensure that customers are duly informed about any changes to their original schedule and arrive for check-in at the correct terminal. Aeromexico will relocate operations of nine domestic routes to T1: Campeche, Durango, Los Mochis, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Tampico, Zacatecas and Zihuatanejo, and also will offer lounge access to eligible customers departing from T1.

Aaron Murray, Aeromexico's Chief Commercial Officer, commented: "Having operations in both terminals at Mexico City International Airport will allow us to offer our customers more flight options and cutting-edge service. This announcement is just the beginning of our expansion to further our strategy of enhancing our leading position in Mexico City. We want to thank the AICM for all their support and we will continue to work closely to secure a smooth expansion of our operations."

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of the Company and its management with respect to its performance, business and future events. We use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect,", "intend," "target," "estimate," "project," "predict," "forecast," "guideline," "should" and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but they are not the only way we identify such statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in this release. The Company is under no obligation and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Grupo Aeromexico: Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, has its main operations center in Mexico City International Airport. Its destination network has reach in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia and Europe. The Group's current operating fleet includes Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, as well as the latest generation Embraer 190. Aeromexico is a founding partner of SkyTeam, an alliance that celebrates 20 years and offers connectivity in more than 170 countries, through the 19 partner airlines. Aeromexico created and implemented a Health and Hygiene Management System (SGSH) to protect its clients and collaborators at all stages of its operation.

www.aeromexico.com www.skyteam.com

SOURCE Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V.
GLENSIDE, Pa., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcadia University, long renowned as a national leader in study abroad, has been named by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as among the top recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship over the past 20 years.

This year, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Gilman program is honoring the top-producing institutions of the past 20 years. Arcadia is among 20 institutions nationwide to be recognized in the "Small Institution, 20-year Gilman Top Producer" category. Honorees were announced at the Diversity Abroad Conference on Oct. 27.

"We are proud to celebrate 20 years of partnership between Arcadia University and the Gilman International Scholarship Program," said Scott Terry, Arcadia's director of Global Engagement. "The scholarship program helps make study abroad opportunities more accessible to Arcadia students with limited financial means who otherwise would not have the funding for an international academic experience."

Since 2001, 64 students from Arcadia have received Gilman awards . Gilman scholarships broaden the student population that participates in education abroad by supporting undergraduates who have been traditionally underrepresented and those who might not study or intern abroad due to financial constraints.

"Expanding access to education and to transformative global experiences is central to our mission at Arcadia University," said Dr. Jeff Rutenbeck, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Arcadia University. "The Gilman Program has helped Arcadia realize this with dozens of students over the past 20 years, and we thank them for their support in helping us in these efforts."

The Gilman program has helped to reshape study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students. Since the program's inception, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe.

About Arcadia University

Arcadia University is a top-ranked private University in Greater Philadelphia that provides a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion)- and values-based educational experience that keeps students at the center of all its efforts. The Institute of International Education has ranked Arcadia first nationally in study abroad for 10 of the last 11 years, and the University's Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant programs are nationally ranked in their respective categories by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks Arcadia among the top 25 percent in its category and cites Arcadia for being among the "most innovative" and "best value" colleges. Arcadia promises a distinctively global, integrative, and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and lead in a diverse and dynamic world. Visit www.arcadia.edu .

SOURCE Arcadia University

Related Links

http://www.arcadia.edu


After a year hiatus, Kidfest, Belk's largest event for children, returned on July 31 st for an interactive experience where kids could check out back-to-school trends and get reenergized to start a new school year. "Kindness" was the word of the day and, as part of the event, kids were encouraged to design t-shirts showing what the word "kindness" meant to them.

Hundreds of designs came rolling in from Belk's locations, and the winning artists now have their designs available for sale on belk.com. As if having bragging rights to designing a t-shirt for sale with a retailer wasn't enough, each winner also received a $500 Belk gift card along with a $2,500 donation to a school or non-profit organization of their choice.

The three KidFest t-shirt design contest winners are:

Ally Acker from Rainbow City, Alabama

from Kensie Farwell from Raleigh, North Carolina

from Alyssa Ottmo from Paris, Texas

The three entities who will be receiving a donation on behalf of the three winners are:

Southside High School (selected by Ally Acker )

) Trinity Academy (selected by Kensie Farwell )

) 4-H (selected by Alyssa Ottmo )

Over the last month, each winner had a special presentation at their local Belk store where they received the very first mock-ups of the t-shirt they designed, as well as a check presentation and photo opportunity with their selected school or non-profit.

For over 130 years, Belk has proudly put customers and our community at the center of what we do. Education is one of the main pillars of Belk's community focus, and we are thrilled to be able to make donations to each of the winners' organizations, because we believe in taking care of our neighbors together.

Visit belk.com to purchase the t-shirts from these talented young Belk customers with the direct links below:

Ally Acker's Design:

Girls shirt - https://on.belk.com/2ZBpBYO

Boys shirt - https://on.belk.com/3BbZXGY

Kensie Farwell's Design:

Girls shirt - https://on.belk.com/2XR3U6q

Boys shirt - https://on.belk.com/3bizw7O

Alyssa Ottmo's Design:

Girls shirt - https://on.belk.com/3bfJFCg

Boys shirt - https://on.belk.com/3pAdMNk

About Belk

Charlotte-based Belk, Inc., a privately-owned department store, opened its first store in 1888, beginning a legacy of selling great products at great prices, treating customers like family, and giving back to the community. Today, Belk serves customers at nearly 300 Belk stores in 16 Southeastern states, at belk.com and through the mobile app. For over 130 years, Belk has proudly put customers and community at the center of what they do, supporting local charities, organizations, and families when they need it most. For more information visit https://newsroom.belk.com/.

To shop, find your local store at https://www.belk.com/stores/ , visit belk.com or download the Belk app in Google Play or Apple Store.

SOURCE Belk, Inc.

Related Links

www.belk.com


NURSE: Amy O'Sullivan of Brooklyn, NY. Amy is an emergency room nurse who treated the very first COVID-19 patient in Brooklyn at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. She then became ill and was intubated, but in a matter of weeks, she was back at work taking care of other people afflicted with the deadly virus. Mattel recently paid tribute to her selfless service by creating a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll in her likeness.

911 DISPATCHER: Gladys Mitchell of The Bronx, NY. As a NYPD 911 dispatcher, Ms. Mitchell's voice provided a lifeline for the City for 26 years. On September 11, 2001, Gladys mobilized the entire World Trade Center area dispatching emergency personnel to those most desperately in need, and she helped save many lives.

POLICE OFFICER: Sergeant Robert Zoubek of City of Park Falls, WI. Sergeant Zoubek responded to a fire and saved three lives despite no personal protection gear. The lives were saved before firefighters arrived, and during the rescues he battled smoke inhalation but refused to leave the scene until all people made it safely out of the building.

FIREFIGHTER: Michael Mire of Houston, TX. Assistant Fire Chief Michael Mire has demonstrated exceptional heroism in his fire services career.

PARAMEDIC / EMT: Michael Liverzani of Mamaroneck, NY. Mr. Liverzani has been a leader in emergency medical services, advanced life support, and disaster coordination. He responded to 9/11 and developed Cancer as a result of his service.

MEDICAL PERSONNEL: Guy Soumah of Troy, NY. Mr. Soumah is a hospital security guard and Patient Care Technician who contracted COVID-19 at work. The virus spread among his family, and his father died. Guy now supports his family and is applying to be a police officer in Albany, NY.

A Celebration of First Responder Heroes featured music stars such as Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Southside Johnny, Blind Boys of Alabama, Chris Janson, Lauren Alaina and Maddie & Tae. The gala also featured an all-star band led by Martin Guigui and virtual performances by Josh Turner, George Strait and Big and Rich. Select performances from the event will broadcast nationally across all iHeartMedia country stations during a one-hour special for Veteran's Day on November 11.

First Responders Children's Foundation presented its 2021 Corporate Hero Award to Rick Isaacson, CEO of SERVPRO, and honored Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mattel as its Toy Express Corporate Hero.

About First Responders Children's Foundation

For 20 years, First Responders Children's Foundation has been providing college scholarships to the children of first responder parents who have been killed or injured in the line of duty. The Foundation also awards grants to families enduring significant financial hardship and supports, promotes, and facilitates educational activities and programs created and operated by first responder organizations to benefit children or the communities in which they live. The First Responders Children's Foundation Emergency Response Fund provides financial assistance, PPE, and hotel accommodations to first responders on the frontlines of the pandemic. The Foundation also pays for funerals of first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice. More information about First Responders Children's Foundation is available at www.1stRCF.org . Follow First Responders Children's Foundation on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram @1stRCF.

SOURCE First Responders Children's Foundation

Related Links

https://1strcf.org/


CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - CIBC today announced the completion of its latest affordable housing project, designed to supply much-needed affordable housing and storage for families and individuals, with a concentration of those with disabilities.

"We are committed to community restoration that helps transform the lives of others," says Cheryl Wilson, managing director and head of Community Development Lending at CIBC, US. "This project at 1212 Larkin Ave. in Elgin is a prime example of that dedication, and we look forward to the impact it'll make on so many in that community."

CIBC worked with Full Circle Communities to renovate 1212 Larkin LP, 48-unit project to include a mix of new and rehabilitated apartments and townhomes. Additionally, CIBC sponsored an Affordable Housing Program application for a $705,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, which was awarded to Full Circle.

The $10.6 million construction loan was for the acquisition and historical rehabilitation of the prior Larkin Building, as well as for the new construction of additional townhome units. The buildings serve vulnerable populations struggling with homelessness and disabilities, and provides on-site supportive services to tenants. With over 40% of the units targeted to individuals with special needs, Full Circle's mission is to assist tenants by providing supportive case management services and employment counseling on-site, in addition to safe, affordable housing.

"Affordable housing is one of the fundamental elements of creating stability within communities and for families," said Beth Witczak, head of CIBC US Community Development. "We are pleased to partner with organizations like Full Circle to provide the funding that brings quality and accessible housing to our communities."

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services in the United States, across Canada and around the world. In the US, CIBC Bank USA provides commercial banking, private and personal banking and small business banking solutions and CIBC Private Wealth offers investment management, wealth strategies and legacy planning. Visit us at cibc.com/US.

For further information:

Kristy L. Daube, Director, US Media Relations, 770-617-0591, [email protected].

The CIBC logo is a registered trademark of CIBC, used under license. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

SOURCE CIBC

Related Links

www.cibc.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has made available 1,000+ company profiles for the commercial fishing category on its B2B platform. Companies listed in this product category are primarily engaged in commercial fishing activities (such as cod, tuna, and prawn fishing).

Get Free Access to These 1,000+ Profiles

Snapshot of BizVibe's commercial fishing supplier profiles and categories.

Each profile is free to view and packed with high-quality insights, providing businesses with detailed company information. Users can take advantage of these insights to identify, target, and connect with the right commercial fishing companies. This company information includes employee insights, company competitors, the impact of emerging trends and challenges, the latest news, and more.

Free Insights Included for all Commercial Fishing Company Profiles:

List of product and service category offerings and primary operating industries

Risk of doing business score across four different metrics

List of key executives and their roles within the company

Company financials and general organizational information

Global, national, and regional competitors

List of key clients

Top trends and challenges within operating industry and expected influence on business impact

Latest company news with the ability to sign up for timely news alerts

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Commercial Fishing Companies on BizVibe

BizVibe's platform contains 30M+ company profiles, spanning across 200+ countries, categorized into 40,000+ products and services. There are 1,000+ company profiles related to commercial fishing on BizVibe, covering 10+ product and service categories. Each company profile contains detailed insights dedicated to helping procurement and sales teams find trusted suppliers and target sales prospects.

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BizVibe's modern B2B platform is designed to help both global buyers and sellers. Powered by the latest best-in-class solutions, BizVibe provides outstanding product features for both category managers and sales professionals.

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Learn how BizVibe helps sellers: 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 help 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

https://www.bizvibe.com/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=prn&utm_campaign=t5_bsh_week43_2021&utm_content=comfish


Exosystems is known for its digital care solution, consisting of a wearable medical device and connected user app, which enables patients undergoing neurorehabilitation or suffering from musculoskeletal disorders to monitor their health and receive appropriate treatment. The wearable sensor analyzes digital biomarkers related to musculoskeletal disorders and, through digital treatment software complete with behavioral intervention components, offers recommendations on exercise program or electrical stimulation therapy.

The technology of Exosystems has been verified through clinical research conducted in cooperation with the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and other prominent Korean medical institutions. The device and its technologies have also been approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the CE-MDD (Medical Devices Directive) in Europe.

Exosystems' technology and growth potential were recently recognized when it was selected by government-funded R&D project worth USD 5 million. The company's digital healthcare device is now covered by public health insurance of Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

With the latest investments, Exosystems plans to expand clinical & technical capabilities to further develop the company's technology and overseas business.

"Exosystems is a company with both AI software and hardware technology, and it makes products in the digital healthcare field that can be commercialized," said SBI Investment Team Lead Lee Joo-hyuk. He added, "Providing continuous monitoring and treatment outside the hospital is a critical factor in future medical care, and we expect Exosystems to bring about digital innovation not only to musculoskeletal healthcare but to all aspects of people's health and lives."

"Exosystems will be able to secure competitiveness in the overseas markets because of its unique technology that analyzes digital biomarkers and provides behavioral intervention protocol based on scientific evidence," said Exosystems CEO Lee Hoo-man.

For more detailed information on Exosystems, visit https://www.exosystems.io/.

Media contact

Exosystems: [email protected]

Born2Global Centre: [email protected]

SOURCE Born2Global Centre
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An increasing number of studies suggest a link between a neighborhood's built environment and the likelihood that its residents will develop chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and certain types of cancers. A new nationwide study led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine published online today in JAMA Network Open suggests that living in neighborhoods with higher availability of fast-food outlets across all regions of the United States is associated with higher subsequent risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Findings also indicated that the availability of more supermarkets could be protective against developing T2D, particularly in suburban and rural neighborhoods.

The studynotable for its large geographic breadthuses data from a cohort of more than 4 million veterans living in 98 percent of U.S. census tracts across the country. It counted fast-food restaurants and supermarkets relative to other food outlets, and is the first, according to the researchers, to examine this relationship in four distinct types of neighborhoods (high-density urban, low-density urban, suburban, and rural) at the hyperlocal level nationwide.

"Most studies that examine the built food environment and its relationship to chronic diseases have been much smaller or conducted in localized areas," said Rania Kanchi, MPH, a researcher in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone and lead author of the study. "Our study design is national in scope and allowed us to identify the types of communities that people are living in, characterize their food environment, and observe what happens to them over time. The size of our cohort allows for geographic generalizability in a way that other studies do not."

How the Study was Conducted

The research team used data from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (the largest single-payer healthcare system in the country) that captures more than 9 million veterans seen at more than 1,200 health facilities around the country. Using this data, the researchers then constructed a national cohort of more than 4 million veterans without diabetes from the VA electronic health records (EHR) between 2008 and 2016. Each veteran's health status was followed through 2018 or until the individual either developed diabetes, died, or had no appointments for more than two years.

Within each of four distinct neighborhood types, the proportion of restaurants that were fast food, and the proportion of food outlets that were supermarkets were tabulated within a one-mile walk in high- density urban neighborhoods, a two-mile drive in low-density urban neighborhoods, a six-mile drive in suburban communities, and a 10-mile drive in rural communities.

Veterans were followed for a median of five and a half years. During that time, 13.2 percent of the cohort were newly diagnosed with T2D. Males developed T2D more frequently than females (13.6 versus 8.2 percent). Non-Hispanic Black adults had the highest incidence (16.9 percent), compared to non-Hispanic Whites (12.9 percent), non-White Asian and Hispanics (12.8 percent), Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (15 percent), and Native American and Alaskan Indians (14.2 percent).

When stratifying by community types, 14.3 percent of veterans living in high density urban communities developed T2D, while the lowest incidence was among those living in suburban and small town communities (12.6 percent).

Overall, the team concluded that the effect of the food environment on T2D incidence varied by how urban the community was, but did not vary further by region of the country.

"The more we learn about the relationship between the food environment and chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, the more policymakers can act by improving the mix of healthy food options sold in restaurants and food outlets, or by creating better zoning laws that promote optimal food options for residents," said Lorna Thorpe, PhD, MPH, professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone and senior author of the study.

One limitation of the study, according to the authors, is that the study may not be fully generalizable to non-veteran populations, as U.S. veterans tend to be predominantly male and have substantially greater health burdens and financial instability than the civilian population. They are also at greater risk of disability, obesity, and other chronic conditions.

The next phase of the research, say Thorpe and Kanchi, will be to better understand the impacts of the built environment on diabetes risk by subgroups. They plan to examine whether or not the relationships between fast-food restaurants, supermarkets and community types vary by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Funding for the study was provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant U01 DP006299, and National Institutes of Health grants R01 DK124400 and R01 AG049970.

In addition to Thorpe and Kanchi, other NYU Langone researchers include Priscilla Lopez, MPH; Pasquale E. Rummo, PhD; David C. Lee, MD; Samrachana Adhikari, PhD; Mark D. Schwartz, MD, and Brian Elbel, PhD. Other research support was provided by Sanja Avramovich, PhD, Department of Health Administration and Policy, George Mason University; Karen R. Siegel, PhD; Deborah B. Rolka, MS and Giuseppina Imperatore from the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Media Inquiries:

Sasha Walek

646-501-3873

[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Health

Related Links

http://www.med.nyu.edu


BEIJING, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jianpu Technology Inc. ("Jianpu" or the "Company")(NYSE: JT), a leading independent open platform for discovery and recommendation of financial products in China, is pleased to announce that it recently won the prestigious 2021 Top 10 Fintech Innovation Award (the "Award"). The Award, bestowed by "The Chinese Banker" recognizes Jianpu's excellence in enabling the digitization of financial institutions.

As one of the most influential acknowledgements within China's financial industry, the Award (in its 14th edition) is widely respected by the fintech industry, regulators and financial institutions. Winning the Award alongside banks such as WeBank, Pingan Bank and China Everbright Bank is a validation of Jianpu's achievements and contributions in financial industry innovation. Jianpu remains committed to innovation-led growth, embracing artificial intelligence, data science, analytics, cloud computing, machine learning and other technologies to explore and seek breakthroughs across financial product categories and geographies.

As China's largest independent credit card application online platform, the Company has facilitated the cumulative issuance of over 20 million credit cards. In addition to traditional content-driven traffic, the Company leverages social media to promote its platform via an initiative called Social Media and Partner Program (the "Program"). Launched in 2018, the Program has been highly effective in user acquisition and engagement, resulting in approximately two thirds of credit card application volume via this channel. Jianpu will continue to leverage the Program to expand into other financial product categories and new business verticals.

In diversifying the financial products offered on its platform, Jianpu has also entered into the insurance brokerage sector. With the mission and vision of "Making Insurance More Accessible via Technology", the Company has developed a solution for individual brokers that enables intelligent deal management, insurance product matching and streamlined transaction processes.

Jianpu has also expanded its footprint into Southeast Asia markets by applying and adapting its successful formula and pioneering business models. Winning the trust and support from local regulators and partners, the Company has secured several important permits and registrations in the fintech sector, including financial product aggregator, credit scoring and transaction authentication. Going forward, Jianpu will continue to drive inclusive financial services overseas to benefit more populations around the world.

Mr. David Ye, Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jianpu, commented, "As a fintech pioneer, we have placed a high premium on technological innovation in the first decade since our founding. We strive to help financial institutions accelerate their digitalization, enhance accessibility of their products and services, and consequently better serve the real economy. Notably, we have helped small- and medium-sized enterprises to withstand the pandemic by making certain financial services and products more accessible."

"We appreciate the recognition of 'The Chinese Banker', as well as the industry participants. Down the road, we will continue to innovate in such realms as integrated digital capability, consumer education and protection, financial inclusion and accessibility, so as to better serve our users and financial institutions and fully tap into market opportunities in the new era of financial industry's digital transformation." Mr. Ye concluded.

About Jianpu Technology Inc.

Jianpu Technology Inc. is a leading independent open platform for discovery and recommendation of financial products in China. By leveraging its deep data insights and proprietary technology, Jianpu provides users with personalized search results and recommendations that are tailored to each user's particular financial needs and profile. The Company also enables financial service providers with sales and marketing solutions to reach and serve their target customers more effectively through online and mobile channels and enhance their competitiveness by providing them with tailored data, risk management and end-to-end solutions. The Company is committed to maintaining an independent open platform, which allows it to serve the needs of users and financial service providers impartially. For more information, please visit http://ir.jianpu.ai.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goal and strategies; the Company's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the Company's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its solutions and services; the Company's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with users, financial service providers and other parties it collaborate with; general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Jianpu Technology Inc.

(IR)Oscar Chen, E-mail: [email protected]

(PR)Amanda Hu, E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +86 (10) 6242-7068

SOURCE Jianpu Technology Inc.

Related Links

www.x9.cn


BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by both Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, and Wells Capital Management Incorporated, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.1380 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of October 12, 2021, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) with important information concerning the distribution declared on October 1, 2021, and payable on October 29, 2021. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period: October 2021



Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.1380

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable October 29, 2021, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.





For the period 10/1/2021-10/31/2021

For the fiscal year-to-date period

11/1/2020-10/31/2021 1 Source

Current

Distribution ($)

% Breakdown

of the Current

Distribution

Total Cumulative

Distributions ($)

% Breakdown

of the Total

Cumulative

Distributions Net Investment Income

0.0731

53%

1.3974

84% Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains

0.0000

0%

0.0000

0% Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains

0.0132

10%

0.2583

16% Return of Capital or Other Capital Source

0.0517

37%

0.0000

0% Total per common share

0.1380

100%

1.6557

100%

















Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on September 30, 2021

6.74%





Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2021

6.85%





Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through September 30, 2021

19.30%





Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2021

6.85%



_________________________ 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2020, and will end on October 31, 2021.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the October 2021 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.1380 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Effective October 1, 2021, copies of all notices informing shareholders of distributions made by the fund in excess of accumulated net investment income will be posted on John Hancock Investment Management's public website (jhinvestments.com) and on the Legal Notice System (LENS), a service offering of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) accessible by broker-dealer firms. To the extent required, notice may also be provided via press release. John Hancock Investment Management will continue to distribute paper copies of these notices by mail until March 30, 2022, after which date the notices will be delivered exclusively via the methods described above.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and as Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups, and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.3 trillion (US$1.1 trillion) as of June 30, 2021. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.

One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and education savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management
RESTON, Va., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per outstanding share of common stock of Leidos Holdings, Inc. The cash dividend is payable on December 30, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2021.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $12.30 billion for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Media contact:

Melissa Lee Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Stuart Davis

(571) 526-6124

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos

Related Links

http://www.leidos.com


HOLLISTON, Mass., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association (LFSA), dedicated to furthering research and worldwide awareness of the inherited cancer predisposition disorder, celebrates new findings published in the renowned JAMA Oncology journal with implications to better predict cancer risk. First presented at LFSA's 5th International Symposium last year, the concept of analyzing tumor patterns and genetic testing criteria can accelerate future research toward the development of more tailored approaches for cancer surveillance.

Dr. Christian Katz presented at the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association 5th International Symposium and is a member of LFSA Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Katz is a full professor in Pediatrics and Director of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School in Germany.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is an inherited cancer predisposition disorder often associated with early onset cancers affecting families, with particularly unique risks for children and women:

Females with LFS have approximately 90% risk of developing cancer in their lifetime due to their markedly increased risk of breast cancer

Approximately 40% of children with LFS will develop at least one cancer by the age of 18

Those with LFS have an approximately 50% chance of developing cancer by age 40, and up to a 90% by age 60

Each child born to a parent with LFS has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation

First recognized in 1969 by Dr. Frederick Li and Dr. Joseph Fraumeni through their study of childhood cancer and cancer-prone families, LFS was later found to be caused by inherited defects of the TP53 gene, which serves as a tumor suppressor and is among the most widely studied human genes. LFS research contributes strongly to cancer research as most cancers in the general population involve TP53 gene malfunctions.

"These new findings lead the way for LFS patients and providers to make more informed decisions about surveillance and treatment based on our personal risk factors, with potential to improve prognosis," said Jenn Perry, LFSA co-founder and president.

The findings published in JAMA Oncology resulted from a collaboration of an international team of researchers supported by LFSA and initiated by Professor Christian Peter Kratz, Hannover Medical School in Hannover, Germany.

"With the increasing use of TP53 sequencing over the last three decades, it became clear that the disease spectrum is broader than originally described. The new classification is an important step toward defining the factors that predict the unique cancer risk in individuals with LFS," said Kratz.

Using the International Agency for Research on Cancer database, the research team analyzed data from 3,034 patients with a hereditary TP53 variant and identified differences between variants in patients with severe disease compared to those with milder courses.

"This new classification recognizes that LFS represents a spectrum of clinical presentations rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' syndrome. We anticipate that, armed with this knowledge, the LFS research community will be able to work toward refining predictions of individual cancer risk and tumor surveillance protocols will be modified to the unique genetic and clinical features of the patient," said David Malkin, Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, and senior author.

Malkin and Kratz were joined by senior author Professor Pierre Hainaut, from the Institute for Advanced Biosciences in Grenoble, France, and researchers from Brazil, England and the United States on the project. It was first discussed in October 2020 at the most recent LFSA sponsored international symposium, where providers, researchers, medical students and people with LFS from around the world have a unique opportunity to collaborate.

The paper honors the memory of Professor Thierry Frebourg, a major contributor to cancer genetic research and LFS Association France chapter chair, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year.

For more information on the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association visit www.lfsassociation.org, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association

LFS Association (LFSA) was founded in 2010 to help promote Li-Fraumeni syndrome research and worldwide awareness, support patients and families and further cancer research funding. The Association is comprised of an all-volunteer board, Medical Advisory Board, Scientific Advisory Board and Genetic Counselor Advisory Group with international chapters consisting of medical professionals, patient family advocates and youth coordinators. Chapters include Australia/New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Latin America, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Africa and Singapore. LFSA is a member of the National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD) and their Rare Cancer Coalition and has been recognized and awarded by the Chan Zuckerberg Rare as One foundation.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Cowles

860-426-9991 ext 20

[email protected]

SOURCE Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Brands, the leading provider of software and payment solutions for associations, nonprofits, and K-12 schools, today announced its new Pathable Promise program, enabling event managers to easily reorient their plans when changes occur. Pathable is Community Brands' multi-solution event platform and mobile app for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.

This client-focused program, in conjunction with an expanded suite of solutions, gives corporations and associations the flexibility to pivot from in-person to virtual, virtual to in-person, or even design a hybrid approach for their event should their needs change  with no hidden fees or penalties. During the continuous upheavals of the past few years, many industry event planners have experienced challenges with technology and service partners that did not offer much-needed workability. The Pathable Promise program was developed to aid Community Brands clients by offering adaptable support, especially during times of uncertainty and evolving needs.

"We have supported clients as their needs have shifted throughout recent unexpected changes and are so proud to further our commitment through this formalized program," said Ryan Vasquez, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Community Brands. "The Pathable Promise is hyper-focused on helping ensure that even when the world brings unexpected challenges, our clients have the flexibility they need to host a successful event, whatever that may look like."

Community Brands' standard of flexibility is unmatched among event technology and service providers, and the company predicts it is a policy that industry professionals will expect going forward. According to the recent Community Brands research study, 2021 Association Trends: Building the Next Normal, associations saw an uptick in event attendance in the past 12 months, primarily driven by the increased number and accessibility of virtual events.

The comfort level of attendees returning to in-person events continues to shift and evolve, and as a result, nearly 40 percent of associations look to increase event tech investment to support their go-forward event strategy. And as organizations pivot plans or transition to a hybrid event environment, they need an all-encompassing range of advanced event management and production solutions. Organizers also look for assurance that even with the best-laid plans, they have the tools to adapt and restructure without the burden of extra fees or penalties.

As a new addition to the Community Brands portfolio of tech solutions, Pathable boasts many new enhancements including a state-of-the-art A/V services suite, expert-level features designed for hybrid event management, and end-to-end services. Pathable offers experiences for every kind of event  corporate conferences, trade shows, association meetings, educational workshops, and networking social events  with multi-screen solutions and limitless product capabilities including event registration, session and speaker management, CE Credit issuance, exhibitor management, lead retrieval, badge printing, event mobile app, and a virtual and hybrid event platform. The Pathable Promise is made possible by Community Brands' connected network of event technology solutions from brands Pathable, Expo Logic, Attendee Interactive, Core-apps, TripBuilder Media, and Configio.

Visit pathable.com to learn more about the Pathable Promise or for a virtual event live demo.

About Community Brands

Community Brands helps mission-driven organizations thrive. Our software, services, and payment solutions power nonprofits, associations, and K-12 schools to engage the people they serve through programs and events; raise funds to enable their mission; and manage their financials and operations. Our family of brands are bound by a common purpose to serve the organizations that make our communities a better place to live. Learn more about our Community Brands solutions for associations , nonprofits, K-12s , event tech, and faith-based organizations. Visit us at communitybrands.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media contact:

Jessi Cape

[email protected]

(512) 861-3012

SOURCE Community Brands

Related Links

http://communitybrands.com


DETROIT, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The automotive industry will gather in Detroit from November 9th to 10th this year to host the 22nd Rainbow PUSH Annual Global Automotive Summit at the Motor City Casino Hotel and Convention Center, which is an initiative of the Citizenship Education Fund. This year's Summit will attract over 400 automotive executives, entrepreneurs, suppliers, dealers, manufacturers, consumers, government, and elected officials

This year's theme, "Expanding the Minority Opportunities During Electrification," will address potential disparity gaps in the EV supply chain for African American and other minority suppliers, dealers and professionals.

The purpose of the Summit is to facilitate a poignant discussion with the OEMs and minority companies, while focusing on an inclusive strategy. Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project has been at the forefront in solidifying the addition of diverse dealerships throughout the country. In addition, Rainbow PUSH is also responsible for the emergence of several African American advertising agencies of record in the automotive field and has made significant gains in the C suite.

"Rainbow PUSH has worked with automakers to meet advertising, marketing, dealerships, personnel and supplier goals," said Reverend Jackson, founder and president, Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "We have accomplished so much together, but the best is yet to come, as we push each other to higher goals." Rainbow PUSH will also announce the results of its Automotive Diversity Scorecard, which will be released during the summit.

The agenda will feature robust discussions of industries' experts: Vice Presidents of Global Purchasing, Jonathan Jennings - VP, Global Commodity Purchasing and Supplier Technical Assistance, Ford Motor Company; Mark Willoughby - Procurement Business Unit Lead, North America Auto Development Center, Honda Development & Manufacturing of America and Robert Young - Group Vice President of Purchasing Supplier Development, Toyota Motor North America.

Other highlights and confirmed guest speakers: Dr. Benjamin Chavis - President & CEO, NNPA; Damon Lester, President, NAMAD; Maya K. Watson, JD, LLM  Loyola University Chicago Law Health Justice Project; Telva McGruder - Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, General Motors; Quincy Stephens - Head of Diversity and Talent, Volkswagen of America; Alison Nelson - Director DEI Strategies & Governance, Ford Motor Company; Marissa Hunter, Vice President of Marketing, Stellantis North America; Tarshena Armstrong Director of Diversity Marketing & Development, General Motors and others.

The community will celebrate Rev. Jackson's 80th birthday on November 9th 6:00 p.m. during a reception at Motor City Conference and Hotel Center.

About Rainbow PUSH: The Rainbow PUSH automotive project encourages and engenders the full and equitable participation of minorities in the development and well-being of the global automotive industry. By creating meaningful awareness, promoting functional partnerships and healthy cooperation, the automotive project enables minorities to fully participate in employment, procurement, marketing, advertising, dealer development, and board membership opportunities in the industry.

For more information, please visit http://automotiveproject.org

SOURCE Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Related Links

http://www.automotiveproject.org


CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this Russia data center market report.

Russia data center market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6.56% during the period 20202026. Russia data center market research report includes market size in terms of area, investment, power capacity, and colocation revenues. Get insights on 68 existing data centers and 13 upcoming facilities spread across Moscow and other cities (including Novosibirsk, Omsk, Udomlya, and Yekaterinburg).

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Russia is an emerging data center market globally, with the increase in the adoption of digital platforms, digital economy, cryptocurrency mining, and increased technology adoption under Industry 4.0 expecting to boost market investments in coming years. Locations such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have a high number of data centers, with 47 existing third party data centers in Moscow accounting for over 70% of the existing capacity in the country. Tier II and Tier III cities in Russia are expected to see an increase in modular data center development with a capacity of <3 MW. The Russian Federal Law on Personal Data is the data privacy law implemented in Russia , that states that data collection, storage, and retrieval of Russian citizens must be conducted in databases located within the Russian Federation itself, that will be a significant boost to the data center market. Skolkovo Technopark, IstraDigital, and Mordovia Republic's Technopark are some of the techno parks located in Russia , which provide multiple benefits to data center investors developing facilities in these techno parks. Russia is the sixth-largest sustainable energy producer, with hydroelectric power contributing a major part of the renewable energy. Around 260 MW of power capacity is to be added in Russia during 20212026.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Area, Power Capacity, Investment, and Colocation Revenue | 2020-2026

Impact of COVID-19 on Data Center Market

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party facilities in Russia

Facilities Covered (Existing): 68



Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 13



Coverage: 2+ cities



Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)



Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Russia

Market Revenue & Forecast (2020-2026)



Retail Colocation Pricing



Wholesale Colocation Pricing

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standard

Key Market Participants  List of 12 IT infrastructure providers, 6 construction service providers, 24 support infrastructure providers, and 6 data center investors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/russia-data-center-market-investment-analysis

Russia Data Center Market  Segmentation

In 2020, CROC Cloud Services expanded its cloud capabilities with installation of Dell Technologies infrastructure, - Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and Dell EMC ScaleIO software-defined solution. In Russia , Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) supports all HPE systems in the MegaFon infrastructure, which include servers, storage devices, SAN, LAN, OS, and applications support.

, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) supports all HPE systems in the MegaFon infrastructure, which include servers, storage devices, SAN, LAN, OS, and applications support. Majority of data centers adopt N+1 redundant diesel generators, with DRUPS systems gaining traction in the country. The trend expects to grow during the forecast period. For instance, Restelecom's (DataLine) NORD data centers site has installed FG Wilson diesel generators with N+1 redundancy.

In 2020, DataPro opened its Moscow II data center, which installed modular cooling design with N+1 redundancy and 125 kW capacity. Linxdatacenter's facilities are equipped with double circuits, chillers, precision air conditioners, and free cooling solutions with 2N and N+1 redundancies.

Market Segmentation by Infrastructure Type

IT Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

Market Segmentation by IT Infrastructure

Server

Storage Systems

Network Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches and Switchgears

PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Rack Cabinets

Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by Cooling Systems

CRAC & CRAH Units

Chillers

Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers

Economizers & Evaporative Coolers

Other Cooling Units

Market Segmentation by General Construction

Building Development

Installation and Commissioning Services

Building & Engineering Design

Physical Security

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Market Segmentation by Tier Segments

Tier I & Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV

Market Segmentation by Geography

Moscow

Other Cities

Russia Data Center Market  Dynamics

According to IDC, Russia's cloud market is currently growing twice than the global market, which makes the country as an attractive place for both domestic and global businesses, especially among start-ups and SMEs. Russia has the presence of global cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, along with its own cloud service providers - Yandex and Mail.ru. In July 2021, Huawei opened its arm-based data center in Moscow, which is the first facility in the country built by Huawei's Intelligent Computing Systems Department. In July 2021, Russian telecom firm, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), acquired GreenBush's data center in Moscow. The company plans to use the facility's additional capacity for offering cloud solutions, along with colocation services to customers.

In July 2021, MTS launched a new supercomputer "MTS GROM" and plans to offer its services to customers through the cloud platform. In June 2021, MTS signed an agreement with Microsoft and SAP to develop cloud technologies in Russia. In April 2021, a consortium, including the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), ER Telecom Holding, and Talos Fund I, acquired Svyaz VSD, idata centers operated by Linxdatacenter, as well as the LinxCloud platform, to create a leading autonomous cloud service platform in Russia. In December 2020, Rostelecom signed an agreement with VTB Bank for joint development of Rostelecom Data Centers that comprise the company's data centers and cloud business. VTB Bank acquired 44.8% stake in Rostelecom Data Centers.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

Big Data and IoT increasing Data Center Investments

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Data Centers

5G Deployment Leading Edge Data Center Investment

Increase in Digital Economy in Russia

Russia Data Center Market - Existing Vs. Upcoming Data Centers

Existing Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity)

(Area and Power Capacity) Moscow



Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the region(Area and Power Capacity)

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/russia-data-center-market-investment-analysis

Key Market Participants

IT Infrastructure Providers

Atos

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

NetApp

Oracle

Super Micro Computer

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

Arup Group

Aurora Group

Datadome

Free Technologies Engineering

GreenMDC

Haka Moscow

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Aksa Power Generation

Aermec

Carrier

Caterpillar

Climaveneta Climate Technologies (Mitsubishi Electric)

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Daikin Applied

Eaton

Emicon

HiRef

HITEC-Power Protection

Johnson Controls

KOHLER-SDMO

KyotoCooling

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Perkins Engines

Rittal

Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Vertiv Group

Data Center Investors

3data

DataPro

IXcellerate

MobileTeleSystems (MTS)

Rostelecom Data Centers (RTK-DC)

Yandex

Explore our data center knowledge base profile to know more about the industry.

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SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
"We are honored and humbled to have received this incredible honor from the Conde Nast Traveler readers," said Cornelia Samara, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia general manger. "Our goal is for all guests to feel cared for while being inspired. We are delighted for international travel to resume and welcome guests from every corner of the world to encounter our historic city, World-Class hotel and team."

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia earned the recognition among the top hotels in the world.

In 2021, the Hotel designed programming for locals and travelers alike to create a destination within a destination. These include:

Night Spa, an exclusive late-night couple's massage with private access to the 57th floor Spa and pool became the talk of the town. Non-hotel guests could access the infinity edge pool in a secluded oasis just for two.

Glamour Hour at JG SkyHigh, an opportunity for a sophisticated weekday evening above the clouds. Guests enjoyed curated offerings and captured the best selfie lighting at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.

Cultural partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, music residency with up-and-coming student-musicians from The School District of Philadelphia .

. Complimentary electric-bikes provided by local retailer Cadence Bicycles.

"Our team works diligently to create memorable experiences for guests and we are thrilled for their work to be recognized by this publication," said Charles Lasvigne hotel manager. "Philadelphia is an iconic American city with so much to see. Whether guests are visiting Philadelphia for the first time or enjoying a staycation, we want tourist and locals to stay with us, dine with us or spa with us."

The Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards survey was made available through a secure website at cntraveler.com/vote. This year's tabulation of results from hundreds of thousands of respondents who submitted ratings during the sweepstakes period of April 1 through May 31, 2021, was done by Conde Nast.

Stay with Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia to discover why the Hotel was named among the best. Visit the Press Room for more details on Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.

SOURCE Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center

Related Links

https://www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia/


WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 300 guests representing leaders in government, the arts, education, community and media attended the official Grand Opening of Swahili Village's "The Consulate" Washington DC location Tuesday night where they enjoyed the soon-to-be world famous nyama choma cooked specially for the event by Swahili Village's Founder, CEO and master chef Kevin Onyona.

Guests included over 40 diplomats from around the globe as well as ambassadors from African nations including the evening's chair, Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze, Ambassador of the African Union Mission representing 55 African countries; His Excellency Lazarus Amayo, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya; and Dr. Ky Dele, Founder and President of The Made Man Foundation (TMM) & Principal of BluePoint Group Global. Dr. Benjamin F Chavis, Jr, served as Master of Ceremonies.

"I am absolutely stunned by the number of people that came to show their support but especially by their enthusiasm for our endeavor," Onyona said later. "We want to be more than just another business but a real part of the community and I think this demonstrates we have become that."

At the event, Swahili Village COO Emad Shoeb, a son of an Egyptian diplomat and successful entrepreneur, announced plans to open dozens of more restaurants, with several locations already in the works including Newark, New York City, National Harbor Maryland and Tyson's Corner in Virginia, to name a few.

"Eventually, we have plans for 50 restaurants all over the country and then we plan on taking it abroad," Shoeb said. "This is with the expectation that the Swahili Village brand will stand for the most respected restaurant and hospitality brand globally."

A highlight for Swahili Village included the proclamation of "Swahili Village Day" as announced by Kimberly A. Bassett, Secretary of State for the District of Columbia.

Reading on behalf of Mayor Muriel Bowser, Bassett told the crowd "Whereas Swahili Village has created a prominent social venue for global learning through which the community can contribute to global education and obtain a better understanding of our interconnected world, I, the mayor of the District of Columbia, do hereby proclaim the 26th of October as "Swahili Village Day" in Washington, D.C., and call upon all our citizens to salute this important contribution to the city."

SOURCE Swahili Village
MONTREAL, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Turquoise Hill Resources will announce its Third Quarter Financial Results on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 after markets close in North America

The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss third quarter financial results on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 8:00 am EST / 5:00 am PDT. The conference call can be accessed through the following dial-in details:

North America: +1 888 390 0546

United Kingdom: + 0 800 652 2435

Australia: +1 800 076 068

The conference call will also be simultaneously webcast on Turquoise Hill's website at www.turquoisehill.com. An archived playback of the call will be available on the Company's website.

Follow us on Twitter @TurquoiseHillRe

SOURCE TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD
"Only 2% of venture capital leaders are Black...We want to change that." - Peter Harris, founding partner, UGF Tweet this

The Atlanta Expansion

A hub of higher education and top location for VC deals, Atlanta is a natural choice for UGF's expansion. The city is home to 57 colleges and universities, including four historically black colleges and universities. With dozens of funds and accelerators, Atlanta provides a rich environment for career exploration. The new UGF office opened recently in downtown Atlanta.

"The goal of our work with UGF is to open many more doors to high-earning opportunities for Black and Brown students," said Di Morais, president of consumer and commercial banking products, Ally Bank. "UGF has a strong track record of changing lives by providing students with the experience needed to join the world of high finance. Our team at Ally is excited to work beside them to offer that crucial experience to young talent in the Atlanta area."

The UGF Difference

UGF offers college students in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Atlanta the opportunity to manage a fund and garner real-world experience. Students receive comprehensive training over the course of the multi-year program, executing investment projects from start to finish. Participants gain invaluable access to professional mentors and networking in a prestigious field.

Ally's history with UGF

Ally, which has supported UGF from its inception, was the lead investor in the original Fund (2014) and second Fund (2020) with $25 million in total investment. Ally has also funded scholarships and other grants.

"Without Ally's staunch support, we wouldn't be where we are today," Harris continued. "It's more of a partnership than a funding relationship. Di Morais, Jan Bergeson and their team at Ally are involved and invested in our success. Committed partners like this make the work we do and the impact we have on these students' lives possible."

Supporting UGF's Atlanta expansion aligns with Ally's commitment to invest in Black futures, particularly in underrepresented yet high-paying career fields such as VC and private equity. Today's news builds on Ally's recent announcement of more than $1.3 million in scholarships and programs for Black students and candidates in a variety of professions, including legal, public policy, insurance and other roles within financial services.

1Founder Institute. (2020, February 22). Data Shows Black Entrepreneurship Growing Across the United States: Investors Should Take Note. https://fi.co/insight/black-entrepreneurship-is-growing-in-strength

About UGF

University Growth Fund is the largest education-based private equity fund in the country, with over $65 million in assets under management from several institutional investors. UGF gives university students the opportunity to gain real-world experience as they invest alongside top-tier investors in many of the best companies in the country. UGF typically has about 40 student associates from twelve universities in the program each semester. Learn more at www.ugrowthfund.com .

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to "Do It Right" for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

Contact:

Brenda Rios

Ally Financial

[email protected]

SOURCE Ally Financial

Related Links

http://www.ally.com


PHOENIX, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VEREIT, Inc. (NYSE: VER) ("VEREIT" or the "Company") announced today its operating results for the three months ending September 30, 2021. The Company anticipates closing its previously announced merger with Realty Income Corporation on November 1, 2021.

Third Quarter 2021 Financial and Operating Highlights

Net income of $61.6 million and net income per diluted share of $0.25

and net income per diluted share of Achieved $0.83 AFFO per diluted share, representing a 7.8% increase compared to the same quarter in 2020

AFFO per diluted share, representing a 7.8% increase compared to the same quarter in 2020 Rent collection of 99.1%

Compared to last quarter, Total debt - as reported increased from $5.6 billion to $5.7 billion ; Adjusted Principal Outstanding remained at $5.8 billion ; Net Debt increased from $5.5 billion to $5.8 billion ; and Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA increased from 5.46x to 5.75x. Debt metrics were impacted by the redemption of $373.0 million of the Company's 6.7% Series F Preferred Stock during the quarter

Year-To-Date Transaction Highlights as of October 27, 2021

Invested over $1 billion of capital, including $530.0 million in property acquisitions and build-to-suits placed into service, along with approximately $473 .0 million allocated toward the full redemption of the Company's 6.7% Series F Preferred Stock

of capital, including in property acquisitions and build-to-suits placed into service, along with approximately .0 million allocated toward the full redemption of the Company's 6.7% Series F Preferred Stock Office dispositions totaled $287.4 million reducing office exposure to 14.2% as of quarter-end

reducing office exposure to 14.2% as of quarter-end Strategic dispositions totaled $162.5 million

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Total Revenues

Total revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 decreased $5.1 million to $290.2 million as compared to total revenues of $295.3 million for the same quarter in 2020.

Net Income and Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders per Diluted Share

Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 decreased $37.3 million to $61.6 million as compared to net income of $98.9 million for the same quarter in 2020, and net income per diluted share decreased $0.16 to $0.25 for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as compared to net income per diluted share of $0.41 for the same quarter in 2020.

Normalized EBITDA

Normalized EBITDA for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 increased $0.7 million to $253.6 million as compared to Normalized EBITDA of $252.9 million for the same quarter in 2020.

Funds From Operations Attributable to Common Stockholders and Limited Partners ("FFO") and FFO per Diluted Share

FFO for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 increased $4.8 million to $176.0 million, as compared to $171.2 million for the same quarter in 2020, and FFO per diluted share decreased $0.03 to $0.76 for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as compared to FFO per diluted share of $0.79 for the same quarter in 2020.

Adjusted FFO Attributable to Common Stockholders and Limited Partners ("AFFO") and AFFO per Diluted Share

AFFO for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 increased $25.1 million to $191.6 million, as compared to $166.5 million for the same quarter in 2020, and AFFO per diluted share increased $0.06 to $0.83 for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as compared to $0.77 for the same quarter in 2020.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

As of the end of the third quarter, the Company had corporate liquidity of approximately $1.4 billion, predominantly comprised of $1.4 billion of availability under its credit facility. In addition, secured debt was reduced by $15.3 million.

Consolidated Financial Statistics

Financial Statistics as of the quarter ended September 30, 2021 are as follows: Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA of 5.75x, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of 4.2x, Unencumbered Asset Ratio of 86.8%, Net Debt to Gross Real Estate Investments of 40.0%, and Weighted Average Debt Term of 5.5 years.

Real Estate Portfolio

As of September 30, 2021, the Company's portfolio consisted of 3,882 properties with total portfolio occupancy of 97.6%, investment grade tenancy of 38.0% and a weighted-average remaining lease term of 8.4 years.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2021, same-store contract rental revenue (3,723 properties) increased 3.2% as compared to the same quarter in 2020. The weighted-average rent coverage for retail and restaurant properties was 2.70x.

Real Estate Leasing Activity

During the third quarter, the Company entered into 56 new and renewal leases on approximately 1.2 million square feet, or 1.4% of the portfolio, including 0.2 million square feet of early renewals. Year-to-date, the Company entered into 169 new and renewal leases on approximately 4.5 million square feet, or 5.1% of the portfolio, including 1.7 million square feet of early renewals. Rent recapture year-to-date approximated 98% of prior rents on an initial cash basis, including early renewals.

Acquisitions

During the quarter ended September 30, 2021, the Company invested in 28 properties for $100.5 million at an average cash cap rate of 6.8%.

Office Dispositions

During the quarter ended September 30, 2021, the Company disposed of one office property for an aggregate sales price of $16.6 million at a gain of $0.7 million.

Strategic Dispositions

During the quarter ended September 30, 2021, the Company disposed of 30 properties for an aggregate sales price of $46.6 million. Of this amount, $5.4 million was used in the total weighted average cash cap rate calculation of 8.0%. The gain on third quarter strategic dispositions was $2.6 million.

COVID-19 Company Update

As of October 20, 2021, VEREIT had received rent of approximately 99.1% for the third quarter of 2021, which is based on the terms of lease agreements in effect at January 1, 2021 and excludes tenants being accounted for on a cash basis. The property type breakdown for rent collection is as follows:

Property Type Q3 2021 Total Retail 99% Casual Dining 100% Quick Service 98% Total Restaurant 99% Total Office 99% Total Industrial 99%

As of October 20, 2021, we collected $16.8 million of deferred rent, representing approximately 100% of amounts due through September 30, 2021, or 88.3% of total executed deferrals.

Subsequent Events

Acquisitions

From October 1, 2021 through October 27, 2021, the Company acquired 16 properties for $81.4 million, bringing acquisitions and build-to-suits placed into service year-to-date through October 27, 2021, to $530.0 million.

Strategic Dispositions

From October 1, 2021 through October 27, 2021, the Company disposed of 4 properties for an aggregate sales price of $6.6 million, bringing strategic dispositions year-to-date through October 27, 2021, to approximately $162.5 million.

Audio Webcast and Call Details

In light of the Company's proposed merger with Realty Income, the Company will no longer be holding earnings conference calls.

About the Company

VEREIT is a full-service real estate operating company which owns and manages one of the largest portfolios of single-tenant commercial properties in the U.S. The Company has total real estate investments of $14.6 billion including approximately 3,900 properties and 88.7 million square feet. VEREIT's business model provides equity capital to creditworthy corporations in return for long-term leases on their properties. VEREIT is a publicly traded Maryland corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange. VEREIT uses, and until the merger closes intends to continue to use, its Investor Relations website, which can be found at www.VEREIT.com , as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Additional information about VEREIT can be found through social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Data

Prior period shares and per share amounts have been updated to reflect the reverse stock split, which took effect on December 17, 2020. As previously disclosed, the Company identified an overstatement in amounts recorded to depreciation expense. The Company revised the accompanying statement of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 to reduce depreciation and amortization expense by $0.9 million.

Rent collection percentages disclosed are based on contractual rent and recoveries paid by tenants to cover estimated tax, insurance and common area maintenance expenses, including the Company's pro rata share of such amounts related to properties owned by unconsolidated joint ventures. Percentages are based on the terms of the lease agreements in effect at January 1, 2021 and exclude rent due and cash received for leases being accounted for on a cash basis as of January 1, 2021. This change better reflects normalized collections and has a very modest impact of approximately 0.4%. Percentages also exclude any tenants in bankruptcy prior to the pandemic.

Descriptions of FFO and AFFO, EBITDA and Normalized EBITDA, Principal Outstanding and Adjusted Principal Outstanding, Net Debt, Interest Expense, Excluding Non-Cash Amortization, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized Ratio, Net Debt Leverage Ratio, Unencumbered Asset Ratio, Contract Rental Revenue, and Rent Coverage are provided below. Refer to the subsequent tables for reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and the calculations of these financial ratios.

Contract Rental Revenue

Includes minimum rent, percentage rent and other contingent consideration, and rental revenue from parking and storage space and the Company's pro rata share of such revenues from properties owned by Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Contract Rental Revenue excludes GAAP adjustments, such as straight-line rent and amortization of above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities. Contract Rental Revenue includes such revenues from properties subject to a direct financing lease. The Company believes that Contract Rental Revenue is a useful non-GAAP supplemental measure to investors and analysts for assessing performance. However, Contract Rental Revenue should not be considered as an alternative to revenue, as computed in accordance with GAAP, or as an indicator of the Company's financial performance. Contract Rental Revenue may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization for Real Estate ("EBITDAre") and Normalized EBITDA

Due to certain unique operating characteristics of real estate companies, as discussed below, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. ("Nareit"), an industry trade group, has promulgated a supplemental performance measure known as Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization for Real Estate. Nareit defines EBITDAre as net income or loss computed in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization, impairment write-downs on real estate, gains or losses from disposition of property and our pro rata share of EBITDAre adjustments related to unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We calculated EBITDAre in accordance with Nareit's definition described above.

In addition to EBITDAre, we use Normalized EBITDA as a non-GAAP supplemental performance measure to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. Normalized EBITDA, as defined by the Company, represents EBITDAre, modified to exclude non-routine items such as acquisition-related expenses, merger, litigation and non-routine costs, net and gains or losses on sale of investment securities or mortgage notes receivable. We also exclude certain non-cash items such as impairments of goodwill, intangible and right of use assets, gains or losses on derivatives, gains or losses on the extinguishment or forgiveness of debt and amortization of intangibles, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities. Management believes that excluding these costs from EBITDAre provides investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with the performance models and analysis used by management, and provides investors a view of the performance of our portfolio over time. Therefore, EBITDAre and Normalized EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income, as computed in accordance with GAAP. The Company uses Normalized EBITDA as one measure of its operating performance when formulating corporate goals and evaluating the effectiveness of the Company's strategies. EBITDAre and Normalized EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is the sum of (i) Interest Expense, excluding non-cash amortization, (ii) secured debt principal amortization on Adjusted Principal Outstanding and (iii) dividends attributable to preferred shares divided by Normalized EBITDA. Management believes that Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is a useful supplemental measure of our ability to satisfy fixed financing obligations.

Funds from Operations ("FFO") and Adjusted Funds from Operations ("AFFO")

Due to certain unique operating characteristics of real estate companies, as discussed below, Nareit has promulgated a supplemental performance measure known as FFO, which we believe to be an appropriate supplemental performance measure to reflect the operating performance of a REIT. FFO is not equivalent to our net income or loss as determined under U.S. GAAP.

Nareit defines FFO as net income or loss computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP adjusted for gains or losses from disposition of property, depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, impairment write-downs on real estate, and our pro rata share of FFO adjustments related to unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We calculate FFO in accordance with Nareit's definition described above.

In addition to FFO, we use AFFO as a non-GAAP supplemental financial performance measure to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. AFFO, as defined by the Company, excludes from FFO non-routine items such as acquisition-related expenses, merger, litigation and non-routine costs, net and gains or losses on sale of investment securities or mortgage notes receivable. We also exclude certain non-cash items such as impairments of goodwill, intangible and right of use assets, straight-line rent, net direct financing lease adjustments, gains or losses on derivatives, gains or losses on the extinguishment or forgiveness of debt, equity-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, deferred financing costs, premiums and discounts on debt and investments, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities. Management believes that excluding these items from FFO provides investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with the performance models and analysis used by management, and provides investors a view of the performance of our portfolio over time. AFFO allows for a comparison of the performance of our operations with other publicly-traded REITs, as AFFO, or an equivalent measure, is routinely reported by publicly-traded REITs, and we believe often used by analysts and investors for comparison purposes.

For all of these reasons, we believe FFO and AFFO, in addition to net income (loss), as defined by U.S. GAAP, are helpful supplemental performance measures and useful in understanding the various ways in which our management evaluates the performance of the Company over time. However, not all REITs calculate FFO and AFFO the same way, so comparisons with other REITs may not be meaningful. FFO and AFFO should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss) and are not intended to be used as a liquidity measure indicative of cash flow available to fund our cash needs. Neither the SEC, Nareit, nor any other regulatory body has evaluated the acceptability of the exclusions used to adjust FFO in order to calculate AFFO and its use as a non-GAAP financial performance measure.

Gross Real Estate Investments

Gross Real Estate Investments represent total gross real estate and related assets of Operating Properties, equity investments in the Cole REITs, investment in direct financing leases, investment securities backed by real estate and mortgage notes receivable, and the Company's pro rata share of such amounts related to properties owned by Unconsolidated Joint Ventures, net of gross intangible lease liabilities. We believe that the presentation of Gross Real Estate Investments, which shows our total investments in real estate and related assets, in connection with Net Debt, provides useful information to investors to assess our overall financial flexibility, capital structure and leverage. Gross Real Estate Investments should not be considered as an alternative to the Company's real estate investments balance as determined in accordance with GAAP or any other GAAP financial measures and should only be considered together with, and as a supplement to, the Company's financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Interest Expense, Excluding Non-Cash Amortization

Interest Expense, excluding non-cash amortization is a non-GAAP measure that represents interest expense incurred on the outstanding principal balance of our debt and the Company's pro rata share of the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures' outstanding principal balance. This measure excludes the amortization of deferred financing costs, premiums and discounts, which is included in interest expense in accordance with GAAP. We believe that the presentation of Interest Expense, excluding non-cash amortization, which shows the interest expense on our contractual debt obligations, provides useful information to investors to assess our overall solvency and financial flexibility. Interest Expense, excluding non-cash amortization should not be considered as an alternative to the Company's interest expense as determined in accordance with GAAP or any other GAAP financial measures and should only be considered together with and as a supplement to the Company's financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Net Debt Leverage Ratio

Net Debt Leverage Ratio equals Net Debt divided by Gross Real Estate Investments. We believe that the presentation of Net Debt Leverage Ratio provides useful information to investors because our management reviews Net Debt Leverage Ratio as part of its management of our overall liquidity, financial flexibility, capital structure and leverage.

Net Debt, Principal Outstanding and Adjusted Principal Outstanding

Principal Outstanding is a non-GAAP measure that represents the Company's outstanding principal debt balance, excluding certain GAAP adjustments, such as premiums and discounts, financing and issuance costs, and related accumulated amortization. Adjusted Principal Outstanding includes the Company's pro rata share of the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures' outstanding principal debt balance. We believe that the presentation of Principal Outstanding and Adjusted Principal Outstanding, which show our contractual debt obligations, provides useful information to investors to assess our overall financial flexibility, capital structure and leverage. Principal Outstanding and Adjusted Principal Outstanding should not be considered as alternatives to the Company's consolidated debt balance as determined in accordance with GAAP or any other GAAP financial measures and should only be considered together with, and as a supplement to, the Company's financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Net Debt is a non-GAAP measure used to show the Company's Adjusted Principal Outstanding, less all cash and cash equivalents and the Company's pro rata share of the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures' cash and cash equivalents. We believe that the presentation of Net Debt provides useful information to investors because our management reviews Net Debt as part of its management of our overall liquidity, financial flexibility, capital structure and leverage.

Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized Ratio

Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized ("Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA") equals Net Debt divided by the respective quarter Normalized EBITDA multiplied by four. We believe that the presentation of Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized provides useful information to investors because our management reviews Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized as part of its management of our overall liquidity, financial flexibility, capital structure and leverage.

Rent Coverage

Rent Coverage is calculated as our tenants' property level EBITDAR (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and rent), prior to the deduction of any corporate overhead expenses, for the most recently provided trailing twelve-month period, divided by annualized September 2021 rent per the lease terms.

Unencumbered Asset Ratio

Unencumbered Asset Ratio equals unencumbered Gross Real Estate Investments divided by Gross Real Estate Investments. Management believes that Unencumbered Asset Ratio is a useful supplemental measure of our overall liquidity and leverage.

Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

Unconsolidated Joint Ventures include the Company's investments in unconsolidated joint ventures formed to acquire and own real estate properties and exclude other investments in unconsolidated entities.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth herein contains "forward-looking statements" which reflect the Company's expectations and projections regarding future events and plans, the Company's future financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and business, including leasing and occupancy, acquisitions, dispositions, rent receipts, rent relief requests, rent relief granted, the payment of future dividends, the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Company's business, and the pending merger (the "Merger") with Realty Income Corporation. Generally, the words "anticipates," "assumes," "believes," "continues," "could," "estimates," "expects," "goals," "intends," "may," "plans," "projects," "seeks," "should," "targets," "will," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available and involve a number of known and unknown assumptions and risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual events and plans or could cause the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Further, information regarding historical rent collections should not serve as an indication of future rent collections.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the Company's ability to consummate the proposed Merger and the timing of the closing of the proposed Merger; the potential impact of the announcement of the proposed transactions or consummation of the proposed transactions on business relationships, including with tenants, clients, employees, customers and competitors; litigation associated with the Merger; costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the proposed transactions; risks as a result of the restrictions imposed by operating covenants contained in the Merger Agreement restricting the Company generally from issuing equity, incurring or pre-paying debt and limitations on the use of its revolving credit facility; the duration and extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our business and the businesses of our tenants (including their ability to timely make rental payments) and the economy generally; federal, state or local legislation or regulation that could impact the timely payment of rent by tenants in light of COVID-19; the Company's ability to renew leases, lease vacant space or re-lease space as leases expire on favorable terms or at all; risks associated with tenant, geographic and industry concentrations with respect to the Company's properties; risks accompanying the management of its industrial and office partnerships; the impact of impairment charges in respect of certain of the Company's properties; unexpected costs or liabilities that may arise from potential dispositions, including related to limited partnership, tenant-in-common and Delaware statutory trust real estate programs and the Company's management with respect to such programs; competition in the acquisition and disposition of properties and in the leasing of its properties including that the Company may be unable to acquire, dispose of, or lease properties on advantageous terms or at all; risks associated with bankruptcies or insolvencies of tenants, from tenant defaults generally or from the unpredictability of the business plans and financial condition of the Company's tenants, which are heightened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks associated with the Company's substantial indebtedness, including that such indebtedness may affect the Company's ability to pay dividends and that the terms and restrictions within the agreements governing the Company's indebtedness may restrict its borrowing and operating flexibility; the ability to retain or hire key personnel; and the continuation or deterioration of current market conditions. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

VEREIT, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except for share and per share data) (Unaudited)





September 30,

2021

June 30,

2021 ASSETS







Real estate investments, at cost:







Land

$ 2,724,709



$ 2,724,975

Buildings, fixtures and improvements

9,916,070



9,912,886

Intangible lease assets

1,917,251



1,908,178

Total real estate investments, at cost

14,558,030



14,546,039

Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

4,002,377



3,917,175

Total real estate investments, net

10,555,653



10,628,864

Operating lease right-of-use assets

185,443



188,628

Investment in unconsolidated entities

80,363



80,487

Cash and cash equivalents

5,874



275,496

Restricted cash

10,803



9,584

Rent and tenant receivables and other assets, net

371,911



365,186

Goodwill

1,337,773



1,337,773

Real estate assets held for sale, net

31,073



28,977

Total assets

$ 12,578,893



$ 12,914,995











LIABILITIES AND EQUITY







Mortgage notes payable, net

$ 987,704



$ 1,002,496

Corporate bonds, net

4,590,348



4,588,286

Credit facility

88,000





Below-market lease liabilities, net

111,140



115,831

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

137,626



117,445

Derivative, deferred rent and other liabilities

58,707



64,371

Distributions payable

105,958



106,999

Operating lease liabilities

196,671



199,561

Total liabilities

6,276,154



6,194,989

Series F preferred stock





149

Common stock

2,292



2,291

Additional paid-in capital

12,984,914



13,354,657

Accumulated other comprehensive income

831



732

Accumulated deficit

(6,692,338)



(6,644,896)

Total stockholders' equity

6,295,699



6,712,933

Non-controlling interests

7,040



7,073

Total equity

6,302,739



6,720,006

Total liabilities and equity

$ 12,578,893



$ 12,914,995



VEREIT, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except for share and per share data) (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended September 30,



2021

2020 Revenues:







Rental

$ 289,671



$ 293,692

Fees from managed partnerships

521



1,586

Total revenues

290,192



295,278

Operating expenses:







Acquisition-related

1,373



1,050

Merger, litigation and non-routine costs, net

9,445



105

Property operating

28,854



31,400

General and administrative

12,437



14,774

Depreciation and amortization

106,668



108,257

Impairments

13,272



16,397

Total operating expenses

172,049



171,983

Other income (expense):







Interest expense

(59,768)



(66,935)

(Loss) gain on extinguishment and forgiveness of debt, net

(5)



61

Other income, net

346



73

Equity in income of unconsolidated entities

463



663

Gain on disposition of real estate and real estate assets held for sale, net

3,369



42,814

Total other expenses, net

(55,595)



(23,324)

Income before taxes

62,548



99,971

Provision for income taxes

(935)



(1,054)

Net income

61,613



98,917

Net income attributable to non-controlling interests

(48)



(51)

Net income attributable to the General Partner

$ 61,565



$ 98,866











Basic and diluted net income per share attributable to common stockholders

$ 0.25



$ 0.41

Distributions declared per common share

$ 0.46



$ 0.39



VEREIT, INC. EBITDAre AND NORMALIZED EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended



September 30,

2021

June 30,

2021

September 30,

2020 Net income

$ 61,613



$ 77,903



$ 98,917

Adjustments:











Interest expense

59,768



59,291



66,935

Depreciation and amortization

106,668



105,839



108,257

Provision for income taxes

935



931



1,054

Proportionate share of adjustments for unconsolidated entities

2,330



2,267



2,451

Gain on disposition of real estate assets, net

(3,369)



(16,896)



(42,814)

Impairments of real estate

13,272



14,129



16,397

EBITDAre

$ 241,217



$ 243,464



$ 251,197

Acquisition-related expenses

1,373



1,428



1,050

Merger, litigation and non-routine costs, net

9,445



6,605



105

(Gain) loss on investments

(19)



22



(76)

Amortization of above-market lease assets and deferred lease incentives, net of amortization of below-market lease liabilities

1,164



1,830



393

Loss (gain) on extinguishment and forgiveness of debt, net

5



(35)



(61)

Net direct financing lease adjustments

384



374



381

Other adjustments, net

16



(2,050)



(8)

Proportionate share of adjustments for unconsolidated entities

(32)



(32)



(48)

Normalized EBITDA

$ 253,553



$ 251,606



$ 252,933

Normalized EBITDA annualized

$ 1,014,212



$ 1,006,424



$ 1,011,732



VEREIT, INC. FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS (In thousands, except for share and per share data) (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended September 30,



2021

2020 Net income

$ 61,613



$ 98,917

Dividends on non-convertible preferred stock

(3,124)



(10,771)

Gain on disposition of real estate assets, net

(3,369)



(42,814)

Depreciation and amortization of real estate assets

106,290



107,869

Impairment of real estate

13,272



16,397

Proportionate share of adjustments for unconsolidated entities

1,365



1,635

FFO attributable to common stockholders and limited partners

$ 176,047



$ 171,233











Weighted-average shares outstanding - basic

229,271,106



216,737,561

Effect of weighted-average Limited Partner OP Units and dilutive securities

908,334



290,114

Weighted-average shares outstanding - diluted

230,179,440



217,027,675











FFO attributable to common stockholders and limited partners per diluted share

$ 0.76



$ 0.79



VEREIT, INC. ADJUSTED FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS (In thousands, except for share and per share data) (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended September 30,



2021

2020 FFO attributable to common stockholders and limited partners

$ 176,047



$ 171,233











Acquisition-related expenses

1,373



1,050

Merger, litigation and non-routine costs, net

9,445



105

Gain on investments

(19)



(76)

Amortization of premiums and discounts on debt and investments, net

837



(201)

Amortization of above-market lease assets and deferred lease incentives, net of amortization of below-market lease liabilities

1,164



393

Net direct financing lease adjustments

384



381

Amortization and write-off of deferred financing costs

2,677



3,114

Loss (gain) on extinguishment and forgiveness of debt, net

5



(61)

Straight-line rent

(3,560)



(12,595)

Equity-based compensation

2,941



2,991

Other adjustments, net

415



379

Proportionate share of adjustments for unconsolidated entities

(155)



(166)

AFFO attributable to common stockholders and limited partners

$ 191,554



$ 166,547











Weighted-average shares outstanding - basic

229,271,106



216,737,561

Effect of weighted-average Limited Partner OP Units and dilutive securities

908,334



290,114

Weighted-average shares outstanding - diluted

230,179,440



217,027,675











AFFO attributable to common stockholders and limited partners per diluted share

$ 0.83



$ 0.77



VEREIT, INC. CONTRACT RENTAL REVENUE (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended September 30,



2021

2020 Rental revenue - as reported

$ 289,671



$ 293,692

Adjustments:







Costs reimbursed related to CAM, property operating expenses and ground leases

(22,694)



(25,341)

Straight-line rent

(3,560)



(12,595)

Amortization of above-market lease assets and deferred lease incentives, net of amortization of below-market lease liabilities

1,164



393

Net direct financing lease adjustments

384



381

Other non-contract rental revenue

(87)



(3,404)

Proportionate share of amounts for Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

2,696



3,014

Contract Rental Revenue

$ 267,574



$ 256,140



VEREIT, INC. FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS STATISTICS AND RATIOS (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)













Three Months Ended











September 30,

2021 Interest expense - as reported









$ 59,768

Adjustments:











Amortization of deferred financing costs and other non-cash charges









(2,789)

Amortization of net premiums









(738)

Proportionate share of amounts for Unconsolidated Joint Ventures









808

Interest Expense, Excluding Non-Cash Amortization









$ 57,049















Three Months Ended











September 30,

2021 Interest Expense, Excluding Non-Cash Amortization









$ 57,049

Secured debt principal amortization









453

Dividends attributable to preferred shares









3,124

Total fixed charges









60,626

Normalized EBITDA









253,553

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio









4.18x







September 30,

2021

June 30,

2021 Mortgage notes payable, net

$ 987,704



$ 1,002,496

Corporate bonds, net

4,590,348



4,588,286

Credit facility

88,000





Total debt - as reported

5,666,052



5,590,782

Deferred financing costs, net

38,855



40,693

Net discounts

24,896



25,634

Principal Outstanding

5,729,803



5,657,109

Proportionate share of amounts for Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

109,678



109,678

Adjusted Principal Outstanding

$ 5,839,481



$ 5,766,787

Cash and cash equivalents

(5,874)



(275,496)

Pro rata share of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures' cash and cash equivalents

(1,688)



(621)

Net Debt

$ 5,831,919



$ 5,490,670





September 30,

2021 Total real estate investments, at cost - as reported









$ 14,558,030

Adjustments:











Investment in Cole REITs









7,948

Gross assets held for sale









50,396

Investment in direct financing leases, net









5,422

Gross below market leases









(224,392)

Proportionate share of amounts for Unconsolidated Joint Ventures









171,078

Gross Real Estate Investments









$ 14,568,482







September 30,

2021

June 30,

2021 Net Debt

$ 5,831,919



$ 5,490,670

Normalized EBITDA Annualized

1,014,212



1,006,424

Net Debt to Normalized EBITDA Annualized Ratio

5.75x



5.46x















September 30,

2021 Net Debt









$ 5,831,919

Gross Real Estate Investments









14,568,482

Net Debt Leverage Ratio









40.0 %













Unencumbered Gross Real Estate Investments









$ 12,650,834

Gross Real Estate Investments









14,568,482

Unencumbered asset ratio









86.8 %

SOURCE VEREIT, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.vereit.com


DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "ID Technologies Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The ID technologies market was valued at US$61.211 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.48% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$130.981 billion by 2026.



ID technology or identification technology includes smart cards, voice recognition, face recognition, biometrics, and barcodes among other techniques used to identify objects and individuals. Growing concern about data security and safety is driving the demand for ID technologies across a variety of industries.



Travel and tourism industries are booming globally, so national security uses of biometric technologies are on the rise, positively impacting the market growth of ID technologies. Emerging economies such as India are increasingly deploying centralized electronic identification systems, increasing the market's growth. Increased cyber-attack sophistication, cloud adoption, BYOD (Bring your own device) policies adopted by various organizations, and government compliance are the factors driving the ID technology market to grow.



Innovative ID technology is a top priority for many large multinationals For instance, IBM Corporation partnered with Imprivata, an IT security company, to launch a cloud-based identity and access management solution designed to help their customers manage provisioning tracking and de-provisioning of their hybrid cloud and on-premise environments.



Further, governments worldwide focus on creating stringent regulations to curb identity theft and work to secure legal identity for a global population. ID4D is an initiative of the United Nations and the World Bank aiming to provide everyone on earth with a legal identity by 2030. (Source: United Nations)



Growth Trends:

Growing number of identity thefts and frauds:

Fraud on the internet has been an issue businesses have faced since the advent of e-commerce in the 1990s, and its threat only increases with each passing year. Out of the 3.2 million reports of identity theft and fraud that we received in 2019, 1.7 million were fraud-related, 9.0 million were complaints from other consumers, and 651,000 were identity theft complaints. 23% of the 1.7 million fraud cases reported financial losses. Over USD 1.9 billion has been lost to fraud by consumers. The FTC identified the top 10 fraud categories, with imposter scams ranking first among all fraud cases. USD 667 million was lost as a result. In 2019, identity theft accounted for 650,570 complaints, or 20% of all complaints. (Source: The Consumer Sentinel Network, maintained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)).



Adoption of Blockchain Technology:

In order to create a secure platform for preventing individuals' names from being stolen and defrauded, blockchain technology has begun to penetrate the identity management market area. Businesses are using blockchain technology to handle authentication and authorization issues. It provides a decentralized and reasonably secure way to store and verify the proof of identity. Blockchain-enabled Identification Management systems in organizations assist in reducing the operational risks and costs by eliminating the need for replicated identity repositories and data.



Magic, a blockchain-based identity authentication platform provider, announced it has raised $27 million to continue to commercialize the technology. As part of the round, which was led by Northzone, a host of prominent venture capital and angel investors participated, including Tiger Global, Reddit's Alexis Ohanian, and GitHub's Jason Warner.



Increase in use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning:

Identity technology continues to evolve across various critical functions, including authentication and data security, in order to meet privacy compliance requirements. Technical and non-technical employees have access to contextually relevant information, making their work more efficient. Security tactics have been improved through the use of behavioral data analysis in identity management. A machine learning system can, for instance, detect password guessing and analyze user login attempts.



The American software company Ping Identity utilizes Al-driven analysis to monitor an organization's application programming interface (API) activity. The security industry is being radically transformed by artificial intelligence and machine learning.



Restraints

Lack of identity standards and budgetary constraints:

Organizations across industry verticals are concerned about the increasing cyber threat landscape. Identification technology is stifled by a lack of identity standards and insufficient budget resources, as well as high installation costs. Due to the need to integrate robust security technologies, the initial investment and maintenance costs are high for this system. The insufficient budget continues to be a significant challenge to achieving ID security objectives. A number of major economies are experiencing tight budgets, such as some parts of the region, the Middle East, and Latin America, where companies are either self-funded or running with small capital.



COVID-19 Impact on ID Technologies Market

Numerous businesses have increased their identification verification efforts due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Since COVID-19 went into effect, 72% of online marketplaces have increased their adoption of ID verification technology. In addition, more than half of the financial services organizations have promoted the adoption. Consumers have been forced to use digital services for the first time due to lockdown restrictions, and the rapid adoption of identity verification shows how important it is to protect them.



Competitive Insights:

Digital identity verification is becoming increasingly important, as companies and governments take advantage of online services. In order to control financial crime, regulatory authorities are increasing their demands on businesses to comply with KYC and AML requirements. FATF (Financial Action Task Force) expanded the scope of reporting entities and recommended that member countries obligate legal professionals.

As part of the AML5 Directive (AML5), the European Union reduced the threshold for identity verification for prepaid cards from EUR 250 to EUR 150 . The directive was implemented by all member states in January 2020 . AML5 regulations aim at transforming KYC processes to comply with AML and eIDAS standards and procedures and establish guidelines for verifying customers at a high-security level.

to . The directive was implemented by all member states in . AML5 regulations aim at transforming KYC processes to comply with AML and eIDAS standards and procedures and establish guidelines for verifying customers at a high-security level. LoginID Inc. and Ipsidy Inc. created a partnership that provides new tools to fight fraud in online activities in September 2020 . As a result of the integration between Ipsidy's biometric identity verification platform and LoginID's FIDO as a Service platform, the companies will provide enhanced security and level of identity trust for users requiring FIDO2 authentication and login.

. As a result of the integration between Ipsidy's biometric identity verification platform and LoginID's FIDO as a Service platform, the companies will provide enhanced security and level of identity trust for users requiring FIDO2 authentication and login. In order to differentiate itself from its competitors, Metal Pay, a peer-to-peer payments company that allows users to buy, sell, trade, and send crypto using crypto trading pairs or fiat money, wanted to offer an account opening process that is both quick and seamless. Identity verification during account opening became a critical element of minimizing risk and eliminating fraud at the company since it had to meet strict AML and KYC practices.

Jumio released its video verification solution with face biometrics in October 2020 for businesses in regulated industries to onboard new customers. Jumio Video Verification was designed specifically for businesses within the financial sector, such as banking, fintech firms, cryptocurrency exchanges, and digital wallets.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. The Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Function

4.4. Function Value Chain Analysis



5. ID Technologies Market Analysis, By Technology

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Barcodes

5.3. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

5.4. Biometrics

5.5. Smart Cards

5.6. Others



6. ID Technologies Market Analysis, By Components

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Data encoder

6.3. Machine reader

6.4. Data decoder



7. ID Technologies Market Analysis, By Application

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Forensics

7.3. Security Checks

7.4. Others



8. ID Technologies Market Analysis, By End-User Industry

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Government

8.3. Security and Defense

8.4. BFSI

8.5. Others



9. ID Technologies Market Analysis, By Geography

9.1. Introduction

9.2. North America

9.2.1. United States

9.2.2. Canada

9.2.3. Mexico

9.3. South America

9.3.1. Brazil

9.3.2. Argentina

9.3.3. Others

9.4. Europe

9.4.1. UK

9.4.2. Germany

9.4.3. Italy

9.4.4. Spain

9.4.5. Others

9.5. Middle East and Africa

9.5.1. Israel

9.5.2. Saudi Arabia

9.5.3. Others

9.6. Asia Pacific

9.6.1. China

9.6.2. Japan

9.6.3. India

9.6.4. Australia

9.6.5. South Korea

9.6.6. Taiwan

9.6.7. Thailand

9.6.8. Indonesia

9.6.9. Others



10. Competitive Environment and Analysis

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

10.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



11. Company Profiles

11.1. Technologies Plus

11.2. ID Technology (Promach)

11.3. Datalogic

11.4. 3M

11.5. Thales Group

11.6. Fujitsu

11.7. Agilent Technologies

11.8. ImageWare Systems

11.9. Precise Biometrics

11.10. S.I.C. Biometrics



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h5jtq7

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


BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The development of new genomic technologies has enhanced the importance of genetics in reproductive medicine, which within medical specialties is perhaps where it stands out the most since we are talking about improving reproductive results and reducing the risks of diseases in offspring in the different reproductive stages.

Genomic Prediction is the first company to develop genomic predictors of the risk of polygenic disease in the prevention of diseases and achieve greater efficiency and safety in Assisted Reproduction treatments. Genomic Prediction collaborates with almost 200 laboratories in more than 35 countries offering Reproductive Genetics studies with its patented genetic testing technologies for the study of polygenic, monogenic and chromosomal diseases in embryos generated by Assisted Reproduction Techniques.

NovaGen is a laboratory consisting of a group of professionals with extensive experience in Reproductive and Prenatal Genetics whose objective is to be leaders in the detection, counseling and comprehensive treatment of various genetic diseases that impact people's lives. Their studies add value to the quality of medical care by offering patients the possibility of reducing the risk of genetic diseases in their offspring.

The treatments and therapies that are developed in the field of reproductive medicine are aimed at increasing pregnancy rates, reducing the incidence of miscarriages and obstetric complications, and increasing the rate of healthy live births. Currently, many of these preventive treatments are based on the results of preconception and prenatal genetic studies.

One of the currently existing techniques is the genetic study of embryos generated by in vitro fertilization. As aneuploidies are the main cause of implantation failures, miscarriages and congenital malformations, and since it is known that the rate of aneuploid embryos increases with maternal age, the application of the Preimplantation Genetic Test (PGT-A) increases implantation rates and pregnancy and decreases the rate of miscarriages. For this, it is necessary to perform a biopsy to the embryo on the 5th or 6th day of development in which 3-5 cells are extracted. After the result, only those embryos that do not have chromosomal alterations are transferred to the uterus of the future mother.

This procedure is beneficial for patients of advanced maternal age, patients with repetitive implantation failure, and patients with recurrent miscarriages.

The advances also allow us to understand one of the biggest obstacles that couples can face: miscarriage.

Research shows that a large number of couples with reproductive difficulties carry a genetic variant called M2, which significantly increases the likelihood of miscarriage. The risk of miscarriage due to M2 comes from both the mother and the father, and the M2 mutation is expressed in the embryo genome.

Thanks to the exclusive alliance between Genomic Prediction and Novagen the Abortion risk study, "M2" arrived in Argentina. The study is carried out by means of a simple DNA extraction and the results are obtained in 3 weeks.

The frequent introduction of new genetic tests into daily clinical practice, along with the complexity of genetic information and its potential psychological burden, make specialized genetic counseling essential.

The "reproductive autonomy of patients" is central today, where the role of the doctor is to inform objectively so that they decide which is the best alternative. Anyone who wishes to plan a pregnancy can benefit from several genetic tests that minimize the risk of having an affected child.

Future projection

Assisted reproduction has a limitless projection, since today it is part of the family planning tools, in addition to contraception and sex education. It is projected that between now and 2100, 1-3% of those born will be conceived by assisted reproductive techniques.

The current trend of postponing pregnancy based on the possibility of cryopreserving eggs or accessing alternatives for the treatment of advanced reproductive age, added to a greater demand for genetic studies in embryos and the application of techniques in a elective way for anyone who for reasons of sex or gender cannot do it naturally, they mark an exponential growth in Assisted Reproduction treatments and reproductive genetic studies.

These reproductive decisions are mobilized not only by scientific bases, but also by the autonomy of the patients and the reproductive rights achieved through social changes that occur throughout the world and particularly in Argentina with laws in this regard established some time ago.

Dr. Sergio Dario Papier (M.N.75952) - Medical Director of NovaGen, President of the Executive Committee of ALMER and Specialist in Reproductive Medicine.

Contact information: www.novagen.com.ar  Mail: [email protected]

Media contact: Elizabeth Carr

[email protected]

SOURCE Genomic Prediction

Related Links

http://www.novagen.com.ar


Akilan wrote a computer program that can calculate "highly divisible numbers", sometimes called antiprime numbers, that are over 1,000 digits long. He created a new class of functions  the smooth class  to measure a number's divisibility. Akilan's program has the potential capacity to speed up and optimize the performance of software and apps, such as Shazam. By analyzing and developing smooth highly divisible numbers, Akilan's goal was to make calculations run more quickly, in turn accelerating countless everyday processes and tasks.

The other top winners took on issues ranging from wildfires to obesity to water and light pollution.

The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of the Society for Science, inspires middle school students to follow their STEM passions through to exciting college and career paths. Thirty finalists, including Akilan, took home more than $100,000 in awards.

The competition took place virtually to keep the finalists, their families and the Society staff safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Each of the 30 finalists participated in online team challenges in addition to being judged on their science research projects. The challenges leveraged project-based learning and tested their mastery of 21st Century skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration in each of the STEM areas. The finalists analyzed biodiversity in their local communities, designed clinical trials, constructed gliders and developed functional programs using Raspberry Pis.

"Congratulations to all our Broadcom MASTERS winners," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and Publisher of Science News. "The young people we are celebrating today are working to solve the world's most intractable problems. The Broadcom MASTERS finalists serve as an inspiration to us all, and I know they will all go on to find immense success on their STEM journey."

"The finalists competing in the Broadcom MASTERS this year are exceptional. Many completed their research projects and engineered prototypes without access to hands-on resources, which were limited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, they persevered and did not allow these challenges to hinder their passion to explore scientific problems or create engineering solutions," said Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation. "The entire Broadcom family congratulates Akilan and the Broadcom MASTERS Class of 2021."

Akilan Sankaran, 14, Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, for his computer program that can calculate "highly divisible numbers", sometimes called antiprimes, more than 1,000 digits long as well as his leadership, collaboration and critical thinking skills. The prize is a gift of Dr. Henry Samueli, Chairman of the Board, Broadcom Inc., and Chair of the Broadcom Foundation and his wife, Dr. Susan Samueli, President of the Samueli Foundation.

Camellia Sharma, 14, Henrico, Virginia, won the $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award for demonstrating excellence in science, technology, engineering or math, along with the leadership and technical skills necessary to excel in the 21st Century STEM workforce and build a better community for tomorrow. Camellia built a 3D-printed aerial drone/boat that can fly to a spot, land on the water and take underwater photos. Her software can then count the fish living there.

Prisha Shroff, 14, Chandler, Arizona, won the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor who creates a promising solution to a real-world problem. Prisha developed an AI-based wildfire prevention system that uses satellite and meteorological data to identify fire-prone locations and deploy drones there.

Josephine E. Schultz, 14, San Antonio, Texas, won the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, an honor made possible by Samueli's generous donation of his 2012 Marconi Society Prize Award. The finalist demonstrates both vision and promise as an innovator, in the spirit of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi. Josephine studied painted lady butterflies and found that changes in light patterns can affect their emergence from their chrysalises by up to two weeks.

Ryka C. Chopra, 13, Fremont, California, won the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognizes the student whose work and performance shows the most promise in health-related fields and demonstrates an understanding of the many social factors that affect the health of communities. Ryka geocoded the locations of fast-food restaurants to see if they are built near populations of obese people, perhaps contributing to the obesity cycle.

Broadcom MASTERS winners were chosen from the 30 finalists selected from 1,841 applicants from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and three U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands). Winners were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, engineers and educators. Each finalist's school will receive $1,000 from the Broadcom MASTERS program to benefit their STEM initiatives.

In addition to the top prizes, the Broadcom Foundation and the Society also announced the winner of the $5,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award, first and second place winners in each of the STEM categories of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The organizations also named the two Rising Stars who will be the U.S. delegates at the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS International and official observers to Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the winners of the Team Award, sponsored by TIES.

Winners Include:

Samueli Foundation Prize: $25,000

Akilan Sankaran, On the Exploration and Analysis of Highly Divisible Numbers

DoD STEM Talent Award: $10,000

Camellia Sharma, FishPopAI: Counting Fish Population using Artificial Intelligence

Lemelson Award for Invention: $10,000

Prisha Shroff, AI-based Wildfire Prevention System

Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation: $10,000

Josephine E. Schultz, Effect of Light Pollution on Chrysalis Stage of Painted Lady Butterfly

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement: $10,000

Ryka C. Chopra, Does the Tail Wag the Dog, After All? Obesity Clusters & Their Influence on Predatory Location Choice of New Fast-Food Chain Franchisees

Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award: $5,000

Hailey Miya Van , Multi-stressor Analysis of Carbon Dioxide on Oceanic Ecosystems: Using Climate Change Modeling to Study Hypoxia and Acidification, won the Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award, which recognizes a finalist whose project and performance combines expert STEM knowledge and passion for helping or improving one's community through coding.

STEM Award Winners:

First and second place winners of STEM Awards demonstrated acumen and promise in science, technology, engineering and math. First place winners were awarded $3,500 and second place winners received $2,500 to be used toward a STEM summer camp experience, with top awards in math sponsored by Robert John Floe, President Floe Financial Partners.

Science Award:

First place: Atreya Manaswi , Finding the Best Novel, Safe, and Organic Treatment to Attract Small Hive Beetles and Improve Honey Bee Strength (Year 2 Study)

Second place: Elizabeth Reilly , The Role of Leech Saliva and Shisho in the Inflammation and Healing of Diabetic Wounds

Technology Award:

First place: Ansh Sehgal , Bike to Bike System for Visually Impaired

Second place: Praneel Anil Shah, Utilizing a Bioelectrochemical System with Phototrophic Bacteria to Generate Clean Water and Electricity

Engineering Award:

First place: Avi Patel , Bike to Bike System for Visually Impaired

Second place: Clara Choi , EEG Study of Virtual Learning Demonstrates Worsened Learning Outcomes and Higher Mirror Neuron Activation

Mathematics Award:

First place: Eamon Gordon , Assessing the Effect of Voice Onset Time on the Perception of English Consonants

Second place: Sohan Govindaraju , A Novel Mathematical Approach to Predict the Spread of a Wildfire Using the SIR based Model

Rising Star Awards:

In recognition of their promise as two of the youngest competitors, two Rising Stars win the opportunity to represent the U.S. as a delegate to Broadcom MASTERS International. Delegates will attend the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest international high school science fair competition.

Sebastian Rae Alexis , Quantifying the Effectiveness of Lockdown Measures Using Effective Reproduction Number (Rt) of SARS-CoV2

, Judy Eliana Bai , Computational Prediction of COVID-19 Risky Genes Associated with Lung Cancer

Team Award, sponsored by TIES: Each member of the team that best demonstrates their ability to work together and solve problems through shared decision making, communication and scientific and engineering collaboration will receive a gift card to a science supply company to support their interests in STEM. The team award is sponsored by TIES, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM.

White Team: Ryka C. Chopra, Atreya Manaswi, Avi Patel, Samhita Pokkunuri and Elizabeth Reilly

Broadcom Leadership Award:

The Broadcom Leadership Award is bestowed upon the Broadcom MASTERS finalist elected by their peers to speak on behalf of their class at the Awards Ceremony. The Class Speaker demonstrates the collegiality and spirited leadership that has earned the collective esteem of the class throughout the Broadcom MASTERS competition and united them around common goals.

Prisha Shroff , AI-based Wildfire Prevention System

Resources:

For more information on the Broadcom MASTERS, visit the Broadcom Foundation and Society websites . To keep up with the Broadcom MASTERS, use the hashtag #brcmMASTERS or follow Broadcom Foundation and the Society on Twitter or the Society on Instagram. To stay connected, visit the Broadcom MASTERS and Society Facebook pages.

Media Kit: https://www.societyforscience.org/broadcom-2021-media-kit/

About Broadcom Foundation

Founded in April 2009, the Broadcom Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation the mission of advancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity.

The foundation inspires young people to pursue careers in STEM and to develop 21st Century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. It is a founding member of the National STEM Funders Network and plays a leadership role in the STEM Education Ecosystem Initiative in the US and Israel.

The foundation's signature programs, the Broadcom MASTERS and the Broadcom MASTERS International, are the premier science and engineering competitions for middle school students around the United States and the world.

Learn more at http://broadcomfoundation.org/ and follow us on Twitter (@BroadcomSTEM).

About Society for Science

Society for Science is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazine, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).

Media Contact:

Gayle Kansagor

703-489-1131

[email protected]

SOURCE Society for Science

Related Links

www.sciencenews.org


IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AIVITA Biomedical, Inc., a biotech company specializing in innovative stem cell applications, today announced the publication of the peer-reviewed manuscript, "Co-grafts of Human Stem Cell Derived Retina Organoids and Retinal Pigment Epithelium for Retinal Reconstruction in Immunodeficient Retinal Degenerate Royal College of Surgeons Rats," in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. The study, led by researchers at AIVITA Biomedical and the Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, used retina organoids and polarized retinal pigment epithelium sheets generated from human stem cells developed by AIVITA to test their viability as a "total retina patch" for vision loss.

In this study, in vivo transplantation experiments were conducted in immunodeficient Royal College of Surgeons rats at advanced stages of retinal degeneration. Structural reconstruction of the severely damaged retina was observed in transplanted animals based on histological assessments and optical coherence tomography imaging. Visual function assessments were conducted by optokinetic behavioral testing and superior collicus electrophysiology. Long-term survival of the co-graft in the rat subretinal space and improvement in visual function were observed. Immunohistochemistry showed that the co-grafts grew, generated new photoreceptors and developed neuronal processes that were integrated into the host retinal.

"These findings demonstrate the potential of this approach in treating common retinal degenerative conditions such as end-stage age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and retinal damage due to injury," said Dr. Hans S. Keirstead, AIVITA Biomedical's chairman and CEO.

About AIVITA Biomedical

Founded in 2016 by pioneers in the cell therapy industry, AIVITA Biomedical, Inc. utilizes its expertise in stem cell growth and directed, high-purity differentiation to enable safe, efficient and economical manufacturing systems which support its therapeutic pipeline. Our cancer immunotherapy targets the seed of all cancers, tumor-initiating stem cells, with a unique pan-antigenic approach that targets all neoantigens specific to the patient's cancer. Our patient-specific cancer treatments have shown tremendous promise in eradicating tumors, without harmful side effects, in melanoma and glioblastoma clinical studies.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as applicable. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans, beliefs, expectations and assumptions, as well as other statements that are not necessarily historical facts. You are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date as of which it is made, and we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements. This communication also contains market data related to our business and industry which includes projections that are based on a number of assumptions we believe are reasonable and most significant to the projections as of the date of this communication. If any of our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may significantly differ from our projections based on these assumptions. This communication is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein.

SOURCE AIVITA Biomedical, Inc.
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee praised New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's decision to pull pension fund investments out of Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry's. The ice cream maker announced in July that it would cease selling its products in the West Bank.

"Comptroller DiNapoli has demonstrated that boycotting Israel has consequences," said Marc Stern, AJC Chief Legal Officer. "Unilever's failure to undo Ben & Jerry's misguided decision to stop selling its ice cream in the West Bank contravenes state government laws across the United States."

Ben & Jerry's decision violated a 2016 executive order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that bans doing state business with companies observing BDS and was extended to investment funds.

"After a thorough review, the New York State Common Retirement Fund will divest its equity holdings in Unilever PLC. Our review of the activities of the company, and its subsidiary Ben & Jerry's, found they engaged in BDS activities under our pension fund's policy," DiNapoli said in a statement to The New York Post.

New York is one of several states that put Unilever on notice. Florida earlier this week announced it would pull $139 million investments from Unilever and bar state agencies from doing business with the international company.

In September AJC praised New Jersey's announcement that its state pension funds would divest from Unilever if Ben & Jerry's decision was not reversed by mid-December.

AJC, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, has long fought BDS efforts as a simplistic, wrong-headed response to a complex situation which singles out Israel for condemnation.

AJC supported a letter signed by Ben & Jerry's franchisees in the United States in July calling on the company to "re-examine and withdraw" its decision.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) today issued a response to a recent arbitration decision on a dispute between Huntsman Corporation and Rockwood Holdings, Inc. related to Huntsman's acquisition of Rockwood's Pigments & Additives business.

The Huntsman-Rockwood dispute stems from a transaction between Huntsman Corporation and Rockwood Holdings, Inc. which was signed in 2013 and closed in 2014 before Albemarle owned Rockwood Holdings, Inc. This is a legacy dispute that Albemarle inherited when it purchased Rockwood Holdings, Inc. in 2015, acquiring the Rockwood lithium assets and other business lines unrelated to the Huntsman dispute. Albemarle never owned Rockwood's Pigments & Additives business.

Albemarle is shocked by the arbitration panel's decision. The company firmly believes the award is not supported by the evidence and is contrary to New York law. The company is currently assessing all its legal rights and options including seeking to have the award vacated.

Albemarle prides itself on always operating with full transparency and great integrity.

About Albemarle Corporation

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining 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 statements regarding our intentions with respect to any litigation or arbitration and pursuit of any remedies 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. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will," "intend," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "plan," "estimate," "potential," or similar expressions. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the numerous risk and uncertainties that affect our business and markets, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, including those detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described under "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and 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


HONOLULU, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Savings Bank, F.S.B. (American), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE - HE), today reported net income of $19.3 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $30.3 million in the second quarter of 2021 and $12.2 million in the third quarter of 2020.

"We're pleased with our financial results for the third quarter, which reflect continued solid performance and good credit quality, the latter of which drove an additional release of reserves. The governor's recent announcement encouraging visitors to return is a positive sign for our local economy and community," said Ann Teranishi, president and chief executive officer of American. "We continue to build our capabilities to provide even more value to our customers through digital banking services and customized financial solutions, while delivering the superior customer experience we're known for," said Teranishi.

Financial Highlights

Third quarter 2021 net interest income was $60.3 million compared to $60.8 million in the linked quarter and $57.3 million in the third quarter of 2020. The relatively flat net interest income versus the linked quarter reflected the impact of lower yields and lower recognition of fees associated with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portfolio, partially offset by higher earning assets driven by increased liquidity from continued deposit growth. The increase in net interest income versus the third quarter of 2020 was primarily due to growth in earning assets, lower cost of funds and higher fee income associated with the PPP loan portfolio. Net interest margin for the third quarter of 2021 was 2.90% compared to 2.98% in the linked quarter and 3.12% in the third quarter of 2020. Net interest margin for the first nine months of 2021 was 2.94% compared to 3.34% for the same period in 2020.

The results for the third quarter of 2021 included a negative provision for credit losses of $1.7 million, reflecting credit upgrades in the commercial and commercial real estate loan portfolios and consumer loan paydowns. This compares to a negative provision for credit losses of $12.2 million in the linked quarter and a provision for credit losses of $14.0 million in the third quarter of 2020. As of September 30, 2021, American's allowance for credit losses to outstanding loans was 1.48% compared to 1.51% as of June 30, 2021 and 1.67% as of September 30, 2020.

The net charge-off ratio for the third quarter of 2021 was 0.03%, compared to 0.04% in the linked quarter and 0.32% in the third quarter of 2020. Nonaccrual loans as a percent of total loans receivable held for investment were 0.97% in the third quarter of 2021, compared to 1.03% in the linked quarter and 0.77% in the prior year quarter.

Noninterest income was $14.8 million in the third quarter of 2021, compared to $15.2 million in the linked quarter and $19.0 million in the third quarter of 2020. The decrease in noninterest income from the linked quarter was primarily due to lower fee income from financial services and lower mortgage banking income, partially offset by higher bank-owned life insurance income and fee income on deposit liabilities. The decrease in noninterest income from the prior year quarter was primarily due to lower mortgage banking income.

Third quarter of 2021 noninterest expense was $51.5 million, compared to $48.2 million in the linked quarter and $47.3 million in the third quarter of 2020. The increase in noninterest expense compared to the linked and prior year quarters was primarily due to higher incentive compensation costs reflecting the bank's strong performance for the first nine months of the year. The third quarter of 2021 also included higher data processing expense as the bank upgrades its technology and data analytic capabilities, partially offset by lower occupancy costs as the bank continues to optimize its branch footprint in connection with its digital transformation.

Total earning assets as of September 30, 2021 were $8.4 billion, up 9.3% from December 31, 2020.

Total loans were $5.1 billion as of September 30, 2021, down 1.3% compared to June 30, 2021 and down 4.0% from December 31, 2020. The reduction in the loan portfolio during the quarter included approximately $111 million in forgiven PPP loans, as well as declines in the home equity line of credit and consumer portfolios. The decrease in these portfolios was partially offset by growth in the residential, commercial and commercial real estate loan portfolios. Excluding PPP loan forgiveness, the loan portfolio grew by $46 million or 0.9% compared to June 30, 2021.

The investment securities portfolio was $3.1 billion as of September 30, 2021, up 39.8% from December 31, 2020 as growth in deposits continued to outpace loan growth. The portfolio is primarily comprised of securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or U.S. government sponsored agencies.

Total deposits were $8.0 billion as of September 30, 2021, an increase of 1.3% compared to June 30, 2021 and an increase of 8.0% from December 31, 2020. For the third quarter of 2021, the average cost of funds was 0.06%, down one basis point versus the linked quarter and down seven basis points versus the prior year quarter.

For the third quarter of 2021 return on average equity was 10.3%, compared to 16.8% in the linked quarter and 6.8% in the third quarter of 2020. Return on average assets was 0.86% for the third quarter of 2021, compared to 1.38% in the linked quarter and 0.61% in the same quarter last year.

In the third quarter of 2021, American paid dividends of $12.0 million to HEI. American had a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 8.0% as of September 30, 2021.

HEI EARNINGS RELEASE, HEI WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS EARNINGS AND 2021 GUIDANCE

Concurrent with American's regulatory filing 30 days after the end of the quarter, American announced its third quarter 2021 financial results today. Please note that these reported results relate only to American and are not necessarily indicative of HEI's consolidated financial results for the third quarter of 2021.

HEI plans to announce its third quarter 2021 consolidated financial results on Friday, November 5, 2021 and will also conduct a webcast and conference call at 10:15 a.m. Hawaii time (4:15 p.m. Eastern time) that same day to discuss its consolidated earnings, including American's earnings, and 2021 guidance.

To listen to the conference call, dial 1-844-200-6205 (U.S.) or 1-929-526-1599 (international) and enter passcode 181692. Parties may also access presentation materials and/or listen to the conference call by visiting the conference call link on HEI's website at www.hei.com under the "Investor Relations," sub-heading "News and Events  Events and Presentations."

A replay will be available online and via phone. The online replay will be available on HEI's website about two hours after the event. An audio replay will also be available about two hours after the event through November 19, 2021. To access the audio replay, dial 1-866-813-9403 (U.S.) or 44-204-525-0658 (international) and enter passcode 965360.

HEI and Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (Hawaiian Electric) intend to continue to use HEI's website, www.hei.com , as a means of disclosing additional information; such disclosures will be included in the Investor Relations section of the website. Accordingly, investors should routinely monitor the Investor Relations section of HEI's website, in addition to following HEI's, Hawaiian Electric's and American's press releases, HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and HEI's public conference calls and webcasts. The information on HEI's website is not incorporated by reference into this document or into HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's SEC filings unless, and except to the extent, specifically incorporated by reference.

Investors may also wish to refer to the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Hawaii (PUC) website at dms.puc.hawaii.gov/dms to review documents filed with, and issued by, the PUC. No information on the PUC website is incorporated by reference into this document or into HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's SEC filings.

The HEI family of companies provides the energy and financial services that empower much of the economic and community activity of Hawaii. HEI's electric utility, Hawaiian Electric, supplies power to approximately 95% of Hawaii's population and is undertaking an ambitious effort to decarbonize its operations and the broader state economy. Its banking subsidiary, American Savings Bank, is one of Hawaii's largest financial institutions, providing a wide array of banking and other financial services and working to advance economic growth, affordability and financial fitness. HEI also helps advance Hawaii's sustainability goals through investments by its non-regulated subsidiary, Pacific Current. For more information, visit www.hei.com .

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release may contain "forward-looking statements," which include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and usually include words such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "predicts," "estimates" or similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance, ongoing business strategies or prospects or possible future actions are also forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and the accuracy of assumptions concerning HEI and its subsidiaries, the performance of the industries in which they do business and economic, political and market factors, among other things. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking statements in this release should be read in conjunction with the "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" discussions (which are incorporated by reference herein) set forth in HEI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and HEI's other periodic reports that discuss important factors that could cause HEI's results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the report, presentation or filing in which they are made. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, HEI, Hawaiian Electric, American and their subsidiaries undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

American Savings Bank, F.S.B.

STATEMENTS OF INCOME DATA

(Unaudited)





Three months ended

Nine months ended September 30 (in thousands)

September 30,

2021

June 30, 2021

September 30,

2020

2021

2020 Interest and dividend income



















Interest and fees on loans

$ 49,445



$ 51,026



$ 52,419



$ 150,418



$ 161,505

Interest and dividends on investment securities

11,996



11,040



7,221



31,709



22,939

Total interest and dividend income

61,441



62,066



59,640



182,127



184,444

Interest expense



















Interest on deposit liabilities

1,176



1,281



2,287



3,919



8,945

Interest on other borrowings

5



23



61



55



449

Total interest expense

1,181



1,304



2,348



3,974



9,394

Net interest income

60,260



60,762



57,292



178,153



175,050

Provision for credit losses

(1,725)



(12,207)



13,970



(22,367)



39,504

Net interest income after provision for credit losses

61,985



72,969



43,322



200,520



135,546

Noninterest income



















Fees from other financial services

4,800



5,464



4,233



15,337



11,906

Fee income on deposit liabilities

4,262



3,904



3,832



12,029



11,842

Fee income on other financial products

2,124



2,201



1,524



6,767



4,608

Bank-owned life insurance

2,026



1,624



1,965



6,211



4,432

Mortgage banking income

1,272



1,925



7,681



7,497



15,933

Gain on sale of investment securities, net













528



9,275

Other income, net

283



76



(231)



631



(69)

Total noninterest income

14,767



15,194



19,004



49,000



57,927

Noninterest expense



















Compensation and employee benefits

30,888



27,670



26,431



86,595



77,287

Occupancy

5,157



5,100



5,693



15,226



16,402

Data processing

4,278



4,533



3,366



13,162



11,052

Services

2,272



2,475



2,624



7,609



7,907

Equipment

2,373



2,394



2,001



6,989



6,630

Office supplies, printing and postage

1,072



978



1,187



3,094



3,577

Marketing

995



665



727



2,308



1,908

FDIC insurance

808



788



714



2,412



1,567

Other expense1

3,668



3,568



4,556



9,790



15,813

Total noninterest expense

51,511



48,171



47,299



147,185



142,143

Income before income taxes

25,241



39,992



15,027



102,335



51,330

Income taxes

5,976



9,708



2,877



23,230



9,405

Net income

$ 19,265



$ 30,284



$ 12,150



$ 79,105



$ 41,925

Comprehensive income (loss)

$ 7,581



$ 47,283



$ 13,543



$ 38,666



$ 62,885

OTHER BANK INFORMATION (annualized %, except as of period end)















Return on average assets

0.86



1.38



0.61



1.21



0.73

Return on average equity

10.26



16.76



6.75



14.31



7.95

Return on average tangible common equity

11.52



18.92



7.62



16.11



9.00

Net interest margin

2.90



2.98



3.12



2.94



3.34

Efficiency ratio

68.66



63.42



61.99



64.80



61.01

Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding

0.03



0.04



0.32



0.08



0.41

As of period end



















Nonaccrual loans to loans receivable held for investment

0.97



1.03



0.77









Allowance for credit losses to loans outstanding

1.48



1.51



1.67









Tangible common equity to tangible assets

7.3



7.5



8.0









Tier-1 leverage ratio

8.0



8.0



8.3









Dividend paid to HEI (via ASB Hawaii, Inc.) ($ in millions)

$ 12.0



$ 23.0



$ 



$ 40.0



$ 28.0







1 The three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2021 include approximately $0.1 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of certain direct and incremental COVID-19 related costs. The three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 include approximately $0.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, of certain significant direct and incremental COVID-19 related costs. These costs for the first nine months of 2020, which have been recorded in Other expense, include $2.4 million of compensation expense and $1.7 million of enhanced cleaning and sanitation costs.





This information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in HEI filings with the SEC. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for future interim periods or the full year.

American Savings Bank, F.S.B.

BALANCE SHEETS DATA

(Unaudited)

(in thousands) September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Assets







Cash and due from banks

$ 109,942



$ 178,422

Interest-bearing deposits

80,007



114,304

Cash and cash equivalents

189,949



292,726

Investment securities







Available-for-sale, at fair value

2,580,830



1,970,417

Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost

491,871



226,947

Stock in Federal Home Loan Bank, at cost

10,000



8,680

Loans held for investment

5,122,124



5,333,843

Allowance for credit losses

(75,944)



(101,201)

Net loans

5,046,180



5,232,642

Loans held for sale, at lower of cost or fair value

53,998



28,275

Other

555,401



554,656

Goodwill

82,190



82,190

Total assets

$ 9,010,419



$ 8,396,533

Liabilities and shareholder's equity







Deposit liabilitiesnoninterest-bearing

$ 2,931,394



$ 2,598,500

Deposit liabilitiesinterest-bearing

5,045,144



4,788,457

Other borrowings

129,305



89,670

Other

168,064



183,731

Total liabilities

8,273,907



7,660,358

Common stock

1



1

Additional paid-in capital

353,429



351,758

Retained earnings

408,575



369,470

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes







Net unrealized gains (losses) on securities $ (20,322)



$ 19,986



Retirement benefit plans (5,171)

(25,493)

(5,040)

14,946

Total shareholder's equity

736,512



736,175

Total liabilities and shareholder's equity

$ 9,010,419



$ 8,396,533





This information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in HEI filings with the SEC.

Contact: Julie R. Smolinski Telephone: (808) 543-7300

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Sustainability E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.hei.com


NORTHVILLE, Mich., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With over twenty years in the Manufacturing and Engineering industry, Andrea Jemison-Smith has a wide range of knowledge in the field.

Andrea Jemison-Smith

As the Senior Torque Manager at Stellantis/FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ms. Jemison-Smith sets torque integrity standards, and manages the procedural operations for fastening systems in the company's North American locations. Stellantis is a global vehicle company that provides sustainable solutions for customers, offering a full line of luxury, premium, and passenger vehicles. Beginning this role in 2014, she manages vehicle launches, and creates procedure guides to prepare for the global product launches. She works with FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Auburn Hills, MI, one of the many branches of Stellantis.

Ms. Jemison-Smith attributes her success to the strong work ethic she learned from her parents, as well as to a high school aptitude test that steered her in the direction of a career in Science and Math.

Ms. Jemison-Smith first attended Tennessee State University from 1987-1989. She continued her education at Lawrence Technological University, graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1993. Here she was involved with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which she still volunteers with today.

She got her start at the Ford Motor Company in 1993, where she worked for over two decades. Ms. Jemison-Smith excelled as a Manufacturing Engineer and Torque Senior Lead until she left the company in 2014.

Highly involved in her community, she is a Deacon at her church, a United Way Worldwide supporter, and is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Ms. Jemison-Smith is also a volunteer for the Detroit High School Stem Program and remains involved with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

She has been recognized as a Top Executive by Marquis Who's Who and as a Woman of Color in STEM at a STEM Conference, along with many other awards and honors throughout her career.

Looking to the future, Ms. Jemison-Smith plans to start her own business of procedural writing, accreditation, and ISO standards, and is researching procedural writing and testing methods for cannabis products.

For more information, visit https://www.stellantis.com/en

Media Contact: Katherine Green

516-825-5634

[email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who

Related Links

http://www.continentalwhoswho.com


BANGALORE, India, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market is Segmented by Type (Semiconductor Components, Sensors), Application (Pharmacy benefit management, Rehabilitation and Therapeutics, Patient Care Management, Surgical and Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Training, Fitness Management, Education, Others). The report covers global opportunity analysis and industry forecasts from 2021 to 2027. It is published in Valuates Reports under Engineering & Technology Category.

The global Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market size are projected to reach USD 4367 Million by 2027, from USD 962.6 Million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)of 23.6% during the forecast period 2021-2027.

Major Factors Driving The Growth Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Healthcare Market Are:

Some of the fundamental factors expected to boost the growth of Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Market include technological advancements and digitalization in healthcare, favorable government initiatives, rising healthcare expenditure, growing usage in surgical procedures, and medical training.

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Trends Influencing The Growth Of The Global Augmented And Virtual Reality In Healthcare Market

Surgical and diagnostic procedures are increasingly using augmented and virtual reality approaches. Virtual reality is used in systems like touch surgery to provide a view of the patient's anatomy and physiology, giving surgeons more options in the operating room. Thus the increasing use of AR & VR in surgical and diagnostics procedures are the primary reasons driving Augmented and virtual reality in healthcare market expansion.

Healthcare organizations use VR and AR technologies to improve their customers' experiences by effectively engaging them in healthcare activities. As a result, the application of AR and VR technologies to improve patient experience is likely to fuel the Augmented and virtual reality in healthcare market growth.

AR is being widely embraced for medical personnel education and training, which is projected to fuel the expansion of Augmented and virtual reality in the healthcare market. Because AR-based learning modules include anatomical imagery and simulation, they provide a more comprehensive learning experience for medical professionals. Furthermore, these learning modules are utilized to instruct patients and assist them in better understanding the therapy flow and care management. During difficult procedures, AR-based picture viewing aids surgeons and improves their accuracy and precision. Furthermore, VR technological solutions are widely used in telemedicine, anatomy visualization, and diagnostics.

Browse the Table of Contents and List of figures at: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-15R6136/global-augmented-reality-and-virtual-reality-in-healthcare

Augmented And Virtual Reality In Healthcare Market Share Analysis

Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative region during the forecast period. Higher adoption of these technologies, investment in R&D efforts, and favorable government measures are all driving growth in this region. The US government's National Institute of Health is providing funding for virtual reality research with a focus on healthcare applications.

Based on application, Patient Care Management is expected to be the most lucrative segment. The application of augmented reality and virtual reality in therapies and rehabilitation would improve the market for augmented reality in healthcare and virtual reality in healthcare. Among the uses for rehabilitation are brain damage, stroke, and physical therapy.

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Major Players in the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market

Philips Healthcare

Simulaids

GE Healthcare

Virtual realities

Intuitive Surgical

WorldViz

CAE Healthcare

TheraSim

Siemens Healthcare

Vital Images

Laerdal Medical

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SIMILAR REPORTS

- The augmented and virtual reality market size was valued at USD 14.84 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 454.73 Billion by 2030, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 40.7%.

- The U.S. augmented and virtual reality market size was valued at USD 4.39 Billion in 2020, and is projected to reach USD 134.76 Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 41.6% from 2021 to 2030

- The global Augmented Reality Market size is projected to reach USD 3664.5 Million by 2026, from USD 849 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 27.6% during 2020-2026

- The global Augmented Reality in Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 1815.2 Million by 2027, from USD 746.8 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 13.0% during 2021-2027.

- The global Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 31960 Million by 2027, from USD 2729.4 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 41.5% during 2021-2027.

- The global IoT Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 222260 Million by 2027, from USD 53340 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 22.1% during 2021-2027.

- The global Big Data Analytics in Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 20910 Million by 2026, from USD 8965.4 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 12.4% during 2021-2026.

- Mixed Reality in Healthcare Market contains segmentation By Type (AR Devices, VR Devices), By Application (Surgery, Patient Care Management, Pharmacy Management, Fitness Management, Medical Training & Education) and Regional

- Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market contains segmentation By Type (Virtual Reality Software, Virtual Reality Hardware), By Application (Hospitals, ASCs, Others) and Regional

- The U.S. Patient Monitoring Systems Market was valued at USD 12,200.96 Million in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 22,583.40 Million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 5.21% from 2020 to 2027.

- The global mHealth Apps market size is projected to reach USD 101,550 Million by 2026, from USD 30,160 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 18.4% during the forecast period 2021-2026.

- The global healthcare payer services market was valued at USD 19,409.52 Million in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 41,906.64 Million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 10.6% from 2020 to 2027.

- The global Healthcare Supply Chain Management market size is projected to reach USD 4225.6 Million by 2027, from USD 2267.5 Million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.3% during the forecast period 2021-2027

- The global Healthcare Business Intelligence market size is projected to reach USD 8379.9 Million by 2027, from USD 4205.7 Million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.9% during the forecast period 2021-2027.

- The global telemedicine market size was valued at USD 40,205.68 Million in 2020 and is estimated to reach USD 431,823.81 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 25.90% from 2021 to 2030.

- The global Hospital Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Systems market size is projected to reach USD 23650 Million by 2027, from USD 18880 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 2.8% during 2021-2027.

- Global Prescribed Health Apps Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027

- Healthcare Analytics Market Report, Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030

- Global Healthcare Consulting Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027

- Global Connected Healthcare Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027

To see the full list of related reports on the Healthcare

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TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The increased popularity and necessity of virtual medicine solutions has opened up the eyes of patients throughout the world. Collectively, they have come to learn that certain medical appointments do not require a visit to a clinic, and can instead be conducted in a video call setting.

As a result, it is up to healthcare professionals to recognize this and understand that if they don't yet have a virtual medicine solution available to patients, now's the time to get one.

(L to R): Scott Wilson & Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founders of Banty Inc.

According to findings shared by Kryuus, 75% of patients surveyed said they "expect virtual care to be a standard part of their care moving forward." Perhaps more interestingly, 50% of those surveyed indicated that they would switch doctors in order to regularly have virtual visits.

For Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc. , those statistics are not surprising. However, he believes that in order to keep patients coming back for online appointments, doctors need to know how to conduct great sessions online. They can do this by:

Choose the right solution: Banty Medical is an easy and secure virtual medicine solution designed by doctors and patients, for doctors and their patients. Each doctor gets to create a custom Banty room address (i.e., Banty.com/MyClinic ). This link can be used by the patient to access their virtual visit. What's more, Banty Medical is HIPAA/PHIPA compliant, and features end-to-end encryption to ensure all doctor-patient interactions remain private

Banty Medical is an easy and secure virtual medicine solution designed by doctors and patients, for doctors and their patients. Each doctor gets to create a custom Banty room address (i.e., ). This link can be used by the patient to access their virtual visit. What's more, Banty Medical is HIPAA/PHIPA compliant, and features end-to-end encryption to ensure all doctor-patient interactions remain private Educating patients in advance: After a clinic selects a virtual medicine solution, it should provide educational resources to patients who agree to partake in online doctor's appointments. This can include a detailed FAQ section on the clinic's official website, in-office brochures/flyers, as well as staff members able to provide excellent insight into how a patient can use the virtual medicine solution available to them

After a clinic selects a virtual medicine solution, it should provide educational resources to patients who agree to partake in online doctor's appointments. This can include a detailed FAQ section on the clinic's official website, in-office brochures/flyers, as well as staff members able to provide excellent insight into how a patient can use the virtual medicine solution available to them Act natural: The key to a great virtual visit with a patient is to act natural. Yes, being in front of a camera might be different, but a doctor needs to treat this appointment the same way they would an in-person one. By that it means maintaining a familiar bedside manner, delivering information in a clear and concise way, as well as being prepared to answer all incoming questions from a patient. If a patient feels like the virtual experience is similar to that of an in-person one, they'll remain interested in such an appointment option

The key to a great virtual visit with a patient is to act natural. Yes, being in front of a camera might be different, but a doctor needs to treat this appointment the same way they would an in-person one. By that it means maintaining a familiar bedside manner, delivering information in a clear and concise way, as well as being prepared to answer all incoming questions from a patient. If a patient feels like the virtual experience is similar to that of an in-person one, they'll remain interested in such an appointment option Have a great setup: For all patient video calls, doctors should have a great computer, tablet, or smartphone capable of handling such appointments. What's more, a peaceful room with great lighting will make it easy for the patient to see and hear their physician

"Simply put, having high quality virtual medicine appointments with patients will help them quickly accept and appreciate such a treatment option," adds Dr. Tytus. "While in-person appointments are still needed from time to time, doctors need to always ensure patients can see them virtually as well."

Banty.com's video call service offers all subscribers a custom, permanent URL (i.e., Banty.com/MyMeeting ); a secure, end-to-end encrypted meeting space; excellent video quality; unlimited meetings each month; and straightforward scheduling tools.

Banty has a number of solutions that are meant to make it easy to meet with those who matter most to you. (Watch the 'Banty Is Easy' video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhmVdwrR_w8&t=10s )

Today, everyone has a mobile number and an email address. In the near future, everyone will have a Banty video chat address: Banty.com/YourName

About Banty

Founded in 2020, Banty offers exceptional video conferencing solutions for Businesses , Medical Practices , Virtual Events , and Personal use . Banty video conferencing is easy to use and ultra-secure. The platform provides users with a dedicated Banty.com URL , accessible via any desktop browser or through iOS and Android mobile apps.

In order to receive government approval to become a verified medical platform, Banty was upgraded to meet new cyber security standards, making it one of the most secure platforms available. Each day, the Banty team goes above and beyond to ensure the platform remains one of the most secure and innovative virtual meeting solutions in the world.

For more information, please visit Banty.org/solutions , or follow Banty on social media to learn more about the latest platform innovations: LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube , Instagram .

Contact:

Scott Wilson

289-259-8059

[email protected]

SOURCE Banty Inc.

Related Links

https://www.banty.org/solutions


For locals who want to feel the Arctic, the store's Snow Room simulates a daily snowstorm with temperatures reaching as low as -10F. This innovative retail experience replicates various weather conditions, an invitation to put Canada Goose products to the ultimate test in functionality. The Snow Room's environment is inspired by the climate of Churchill, Manitoba, best known as the Polar Bear capital of the world, and home to longstanding Canada Goose partner, Polar Bears International (PBI), the non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy and the worldwide conservation of polar bears and their habitats.

Known around the world as a performance luxury essential, Canada Goose can be seen on city streets, mountain peaks and film sets, alike, with a variety of ideal products for the West Coast lifestyle. The brand's lightweight down jackets are made for every day, perfect for chasing sunsets in Malibu and hiking in Griffith Park. The newest line of lightweight down jackets, puffers and vests, called the Cypress and Crofton collections, are made with the brand's Recycled Feather-Light Ripstop Fabric, which is 100% Recycled Nylon and includes a water-repellent finish. The HyBridge collection provides lightweight warmth that is designed to move with you, perfect for active use, layering and on-the-go adventures. Packable and portable, these styles are also the perfect travel companion. The selection of knit sweaters, hoodies and zip-ups, made with Merino Wool and Organic Cotton, are fit for a casual, laid back look. Thermal Mapping technology is incorporated in the knit styles to maximize warmth and breathability with strategically placed down-filled panels and a more open knit construction in areas that are prone to overheating.

Canada Goose's HUMANATURE platform is the driving force of its purpose to keep the planet cold and the people on it warm. HUMANATURE unites the brand's sustainability and values-based initiatives, including its Sustainable Impact Strategy, philanthropic work and dedication to culture through the arts. HUMANATURE is brought to life in the South Coast Plaza store through the Northern Art Program, which celebrates Northern Canadian artists. For this location, the brand partnered with artist, Winnie Truong. Truong's artwork for the space, titled Zephyr, is a stop-motion animation work created entirely with cut paper that guests can experience in the Snow Room. Zephyr is inspired by the idea of the invisible made visible, with impressions of flora and landscapes of the Los Angeles area and beyond  across San Bernardino Forest, and towards Joshua Tree. Guests will be treated to an entrancing animation of beautiful scenes that rise and fall with the introduction of new environments. Additional illustrations and sculptures by Inuit artisans are showcased throughout the store, all embodying the symbiotic relationship between people and the planet.

On November 12, Canada Goose's brand-new Footwear collection will be available in-store. The collection complements and completes the Canada Goose lifestyle. The collection features two styles: the Snow Mantra Boots and Journey Boots. The Snow Mantra Boots are born from the brand's Snow Mantra Parka, renowned as the warmest coat on Earth and designed with functional intention. The Journey Boots are expertly crafted in Italy and built for the demands of the everyday. Designed with an iconic squared off-toe, The Journey was inspired by classic Hiker boots worn in the Alps.

This location will also carry the brand's highly sought-after collaborations and special collections, including Canada Goose's collection with Polar Bears International (PBI), comprised of men's, women's and children's lightweight down jackets, parkas, rainwear and accessories. With every purchase, Canada Goose donates a portion of the proceeds to PBI, to aid in environmental research and polar bear advocacy.

Canada Goose continues to transform the way it does business and ensures its commitments are embedded across its operations, including its ambitious goals of achieving net zero carbon emissions, going plastic-free and integrating recycled and organic fibres into all of its products which will be available for purchase at the South Coast Plaza store. In June 2021, Canada Goose also announced its commitment to end the use of all fur, a decision driven by HUMANATURE and relentless innovation.

About Canada Goose

Founded in 1957 in a small warehouse in Toronto, Canada, Canada Goose (NYSE: GOOS, TSX: GOOS) is a lifestyle brand and a leading manufacturer of performance luxury apparel. Every collection is informed by the rugged demands of the Arctic, ensuring a legacy of functionality is embedded in every product from parkas and rainwear to apparel and accessories. Canada Goose is inspired by relentless innovation and uncompromised craftsmanship, recognized as a leader for its Made in Canada commitment. In 2020, Canada Goose announced HUMANATURE, its purpose platform that unites its sustainability and values-based initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to keep the planet cold and the people on it warm. Canada Goose also owns Baffin, a Canadian designer and manufacturer of performance outdoor and industrial footwear. Visit www.canadagoose.com for more information.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Canada Goose

Related Links

http://www.canadagoose.com


"We are thrilled to be visiting Nassau with our flagship Mardi Gras and welcoming Prime Minister Davis and his leadership team aboard," said Duffy. "Carnival has a longstanding relationship with The Bahamas and we look forward to working closely with the Prime Minister and his cabinet as we continue to restart ships in our fleet, bring more guests to The Bahamas, and demonstrate our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit."

Carnival also announced today that it has reflagged two additional vessels, Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit, to Bahamian registry, bringing the total number of vessels registered in the country to six.

"We value our business relationships across The Bahamas whether our investments in destinations and facilities such as the Grand Bahamas Shipyard, the local tourism and excursion partners that employ many Bahamian citizens, or the Bahamas Maritime Administration that shares our commitment to safety and environmental protection. We're proud and honored to continue to expand the number of ships we have registered here," said Domenico Rognoni, senior vice president of compliance for Carnival Cruise Line. "The Bahamas' insight, cooperation and professionalism in all aspects of our business play a key role in our maritime operations."

Carnival Legend is scheduled to replace Carnival Pride in Baltimore resuming year-round operations Nov. 14, 2021, while Carnival Spirit, based in Australia, is on a pause in guest operations through February 2022. Mardi Gras, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Sensation and Carnival Sunshine are the other Carnival ships registered in The Bahamas.

Mardi Gras was christened during a "Universe of Fun" celebration on Oct. 23 in Port Canaveral, Fla. The celebration marked the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry's restart this summer.

Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas to be powered by eco-friendly Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and features BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea. Mardi Gras is sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, offering seven-day itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean, stopping in Nassau every other week.

For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.

ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

Carnival Cruise Line is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line with a total of 24 ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports and employing more than 40,000 team members from 120 nationalities. The line resumed cruise operations July 3, 2021 while its newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, featuring the first roller coaster at sea and the first in the Americas powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., July 31, 2021. As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival Celebration, sister ship to Mardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as a third as-yet-unnamed XL-class ship in 2023.

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line

Related Links

http://www.carnivalcorp.com


ST. LOUIS, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) will host its 2022 Financial Guidance and Investor Meeting on Friday, December 10, 2021. The event will be presented in a hybrid format, with sell-side analysts invited to attend in person in New York City, accompanied by a simultaneous webcast, streamed live on the Company's website at www.centene.com, under the Investors section.

Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Sarah London, Vice Chair; Brent Layton, President and Chief Operating Officer; and Drew Asher, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of Centene Corporation will host the meeting, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET. Centene plans to release its 2022 financial guidance earlier that morning; additional details will be provided.

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation, a Fortune 25 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach  with local brands and local teams  to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors.

SOURCE Centene Corporation

Related Links

http://www.centene.com


ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration), today announced that the results of the initial randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial of RGN-259 for the treatment of neurotrophic keratitis (SEER-1) will be presented at the 2021 American Ophthalmology Association meeting in New Orleans, LA on November 12-15. The results will be jointly presented by ReGenTree LLC, the Company's U.S. joint venture to develop RGN-259 for ophthalmic indications, and Ora Inc, the clinical trial's CRO.

Due to slow patient recruitment, the trial was closed after 18 of 46 patients completed treatment. Six out of 10 patients in the RGN-259-treated group and 1 out of 8 patients in the placebo-treated group achieved complete corneal healing in 4 weeks. In terms of the primary endpoint, the "ratio of corneal wound healed patients after four weeks' administration", the statistical difference was slightly over 0.05 (p = 0.0656, Fisher's exact test), due to the limited number of patients in each group. When another statistical analysis method was used to analyze the same primary endpoint (Chi square test), there was statistical significance, p = 0.0400.

In addition, in a pre-specified secondary endpoint evaluating corneal epithelial healing at day 43 (two weeks post-treatment) and the durability of RGN-259 treatment, there was a clear statistical difference using the Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0359. Several other efficacy parameters were either highly significant or strongly trending toward statistical significance in the RGN-259 group indicating the depth of patient response to RGN-259. The product candidate was deemed to be safe and well-tolerated.

Neurotrophic keratitis (NK) is a rare ophthalmic disease that can lead to corneal perforation within a short period of time due to urgent and rapid corneal damage in the event of an outbreak. ReGenTree has been developing a new ophthalmic eye drop for NK treatment using Thymosin Beta 4 (T4), the active pharmaceutical ingredient of RGN-259, the drug candidate under development. It was previously designated an orphan drug by the U.S. FDA.

About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (T4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair, and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac/neuro and dermal indications, four active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and the EU, and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to statements from us or within research published by third parties. There can be no assurance that positive results from any research or clinical trial by the Company, its collaborators, or independent parties in the U.S. or any other country will result in subsequent clinical confirmation or future value. There can also be no assurance that any of the Company's drug candidates will result in any approved products in the U.S. or any other country. Please view risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Compania General de Combustibles S.A.

Offer to Exchange up to U.S.$40,000,000 principal amount of its Outstanding 9.500% Notes due 2021 for 9.500% Senior Amortizing Notes due 2025

(CUSIP Nos. 20448Q AA8 and P3063D AA0; ISIN Nos. US20448QAA85 and USP3063DAA02)

On September 16, 2021, Compania General de Combustibles S.A. (" we ", " CGC " or the " Company ") announced the commencement of its offer to exchange (the " Exchange Offer ") up to U.S.$40,000,000 principal amount (the " Maximum Tender Amount ") of its outstanding 9.500% Notes due 2021 (the " 2021 Notes ") for its 9.500% Senior Amortizing Notes due 2025 (the " 2025 Notes ") upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the exchange offer memorandum (the " Exchange Offer Memorandum "), dated September 16, 2021, the related eligibility letter (the " Eligibility Letter ") and, where applicable, the related Letter of Transmittal, as defined below (together the " Offer Documents ") and the Press Release dated October 14, 2021 announcing the tender results and the extension of the expiration date of the Exchange Offer. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Offer Documents.

CGC hereby announces that, the Exchange Offer expired as of 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 28, 2021. As of the Expiration Date, US$8,179,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes, representing 8.76% of the aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes outstanding, have been tendered in the Exchange Offer.

Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, the Company has accepted for exchange all validly tendered 2021 Notes and intends to pay the Exchange Consideration (as defined in the Exchange Offer Memorandum) for 2021 Notes validly tendered on or prior to the Expiration Date, together with accrued and unpaid interest, and additional amounts, if any, to, but not including, September 8, 2021. On November 2, 2021 (the " Final Settlement Date "), the Company expects to issue US$163,000 aggregate principal amount of 2025 Notes and to pay US$5,204.68 in cash consideration corresponding to accrued and unpaid interest (subject to any tax withholdings applicable to Argentine Entity Offerees or to Non-Cooperating Jurisdictions Offerees), for the 2021 Notes validly tendered into the Exchange Offer.

The purpose of the Exchange Offer was to provide Eligible Holders with the opportunity to remain invested in the Company's notes by exchanging 2021 Notes for 2025 Notes and in turn increase the liquidity of the 2025 Notes. The 2021 Notes mature on November 7, 2021 at which time the Company fully expects to use cash on hand to repay any outstanding 2021 Notes not tendered in the Exchange Offer by accessing the Argentine Foreign Exchange Market.

If and when issued, the 2025 Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. Therefore, the 2025 Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws.

Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the Exchange and Information Agent for the Exchange Offer. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Exchange Offer or for additional copies of the Exchange Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (866) 470-3800 (toll free) or (212) 430-3774 (collect). You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer Documents are available for Eligible Holders at the following web address: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/cgc.

Eligible Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold 2021 Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from an Eligible Holder in order for that Eligible Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Exchange Offer before the deadlines specified in the Exchange Offer Documents. The deadlines set by any such intermediary for the submission of instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above.

Important Notice

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the 2025 Notes has been or will be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities law (other than Argentina, in which the public offering of the 2025 Notes was authorized by the Comision Nacional de Valores (" CNV ") in accordance with the Argentine Capital Markets Law No. 26,831 (as amended) and the regulation of the CNV. They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the 2025 Notes for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

None of the Company, the Exchange and Information Agent or their respective directors, employees and affiliates makes any recommendation whatsoever regarding the Exchange Offer or any recommendation as to whether Eligible Holders should tender or refrain from tendering their 2021 Notes for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offer. Accordingly, any person considering participating in the Exchange Offer or making an investment decision relating to the 2025 Notes must inform itself independently based solely on the Exchange Offer Memorandum (and, to the extent applicable, the local offering documents in Argentina) to be provided to Eligible Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer before taking any such investment decision.

This announcement is directed only to Eligible Holders. No offer of any kind is being made to any beneficial owner of 2021 Notes who does not meet the above criteria or any other beneficial owner located in a jurisdiction where the Exchange Offer is not permitted by law.

The distribution of materials relating to the Exchange Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Exchange Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Exchange Offer come into your possession, you are required by the Company to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Exchange Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Specifically, CGC cannot assure you that the proposed transactions described above will be consummated on the terms currently contemplated, if at all. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law.

Notice to Eligible Holders of 2021 Notes in the European Economic Area

In any Member State, the Exchange Offer Memorandum is only addressed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors, as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. The Exchange Offer Memorandum has been prepared on the basis that any offer of 2025 Notes in any member state of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of 2025 Notes. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in that Member State of 2025 Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation in relation to such offer. The Company has not authorized, nor does it authorizes, the making of any offer of 2025 Notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company to publish a prospectus for such offer. The Company has not authorized, nor it authorizes, the making of any offer of 2025 Notes through any financial intermediary. For the purpose of the above provisions, the expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

Notice to Eligible Holders of 2021 Notes in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the Exchange Offer Memorandum is only addressed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors, as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation. The Exchange Offer Memorandum has been prepared on the basis that any offer of 2025 Notes in the United Kingdom will be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of 2025 Notes. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in the United Kingdom of 2025 Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the UK Prospectus Regulation in relation to such offer. The Company has not authorized, nor it authorizes, the making of any offer of 2025 Notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company to publish a prospectus for such offer. The Company has not authorized, nor does it authorizes, the making of any offer of 2025 Notes through any financial intermediary. For the purpose of the above provisions, the expression "UK Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA").

The Exchange Offer shall be available online at https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/cgc until the consummation or termination of the Exchange Offer.

SOURCE Compania General de Combustibles S.A.

Related Links

http://www.gbsc-usa.com


YARDLEY, Pa., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) today announced that Ms. Christy L. Kalaus, the Company's Assistant Corporate Controller, was promoted to Vice President and Corporate Controller, effective January 1, 2022, in accordance with the Company's management succession plan.

Mr. David A. Beaver, the Company's current Corporate Controller, will serve as the Company's new Vice President & Treasurer, effective January 1, 2022.

"I would like to congratulate both Christy and Dave on their well-deserved promotions," said Mr. Timothy J. Donahue, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "I believe their considerable finance and accounting expertise and deep understanding of the Company's business will continue to play an integral part in Crown's growth and success."

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information, all other information in this press release consists of forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the statements made in this press release or the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ are discussed under the caption "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in subsequent filings made prior to or after the date hereof. The Company does not intend to review or revise any particular forward-looking statement in light of future events.

About Crown Holdings, Inc.

Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information visit www.crowncork.com.

For more information, contact:

Thomas A. Kelly, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (215) 698-5341, or

Thomas T. Fischer, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, (215) 552-3720

SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.crowncork.com


TSXV: CYP |OTCQB: CYDVF

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Cypress Development Corp. (TSXV: CYP) (OTCQB: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z1) ("Cypress" or "the Company") is pleased to report that all proposed resolutions were passed at its Annual General & Special Meeting (the "Meeting"), held on October 28, 2021, via virtual webcast.

A total of 15,827,720 common shares of the 125,964,396 common shares outstanding were voted, representing 12.57% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Cypress.

Shareholders voted in favour of setting the number of directors at 8, and re-elected/elected the following directors: Cassandra Joseph, William Willoughby, Donald Huston, James Pettit, Donald Myers, Bryan Disher, Amanda Chow and Ken Owen.

Shareholders also approved the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan, and the re-appointment of Davidson & Company, Chartered Accountants, as auditors.

The Company welcomes Ken Owen to the Board of Directors. Ken has over 40 years of experience in the mining industry, holding management positions at De Beers, and Anglo American, including Senior Vice President of Anglo American South Africa. He also held positions as associate consultant with SRK Consulting, Technical Director of Mwana Africa PLC and non-executive director of Firestone Diamonds Plc. He holds a M.Sc. in Minerals Production Management from Imperial College, London.

Bill Willoughby, President and CEO commented: "We welcome Ken to our Board. His extensive experience in developing and operating major projects will be invaluable at this stage in our Company's growth. His addition to the Board enhances our capability of moving our Clayton Valley Lithium Project forward to the next stage.

We would also like to sincerely thank the Company's shareholders for their continued strong support."

About Cypress Development Corp.

Cypress Development Corp. is a Canadian advanced-stage lithium exploration company, focused on developing its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, USA. Work completed by Cypress led to the discovery of a world-class resource of lithium-bearing claystone adjacent to the Albemarle Silver Peak mine, North America's only lithium brine operation. The results of a positive Pre-Feasibility Study for the Clayton Valley Lithium Project were announced by Cypress Development in August 2020. Cypress Development trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CYP, and on the OTCQB under the symbol CYDVF.

ON BEHALF OF CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY, PhD., PE

President & CEO

www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

SOURCE Cypress Development Corp.

Related Links

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com


PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dawn L. Farrell has been appointed to the Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) ("PGE" or the "Company") board of directors, effective January 1, 2022.

"We are pleased to welcome Dawn to the PGE Board," said Jack Davis, chair of the PGE's board of directors. "Dawn's considerable experience in the electric sector during a time of intense regulatory changes, increased competition and technological advances, as well as her leadership in the transformation of a carbon base company into a leading clean and renewable focused company will support our own transformation."

Farrell comes to PGE with more than 35 years of energy industry experience with TransAlta and BC Hydro. Farrell was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta) since 2012, before retiring in March of this year. Prior to serving as CEO, she held a variety of executive leadership positions at TransAlta and British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority (BC Hydro) including leading the commercial operations and development at TransAlta and generation and engineering at BC Hydro.

Farrell holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Arts in Economics, both from the University of Calgary. She attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

Farrell serves as the lead director of The Chemours Company and is a board member of Canadian Natural Resources, Limited. She also serves as a member of the Trilateral Commission and is the Chancellor of Mount Royal University. Ms. Farrell has held past board positions including the Business Council of Canada and the Alberta Business Council.

Farrell will serve on the Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee and Finance Committee.

About Portland General Electric Company

Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves approximately 900,000 customers with a service area population of 2 million Oregonians in 51 cities. PGE owns 16 generation plants across Oregon and other Northwestern states and maintains and operates 14 public parks and recreation areas. For over 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future, with goals of achieving at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and 100% reduction in GHG emissions by 2040. In 2021, PGE became the first U.S. utility to join The Climate Pledge. In 2020, PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated $5.6 million and volunteered 18,200 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For the eighth year in a row PGE achieved a perfect score on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. For more information visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/news.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the company's investments in projects that advance its decarbonization strategy and other sustainability goals as well as other statements containing words such as "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon," and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: demand for electricity; the sale of excess energy during periods of low demand or low wholesale market prices; operational risks relating to the Company's generation facilities, including hydro conditions, wind conditions, disruption of fuel supply, and unscheduled plant outages, which may result in unanticipated operating, maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement power costs; failure to complete capital projects on schedule or within budget, or the abandonment of capital projects, which could result in the Company's inability to recover project costs; the costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those that govern emissions from thermal power plants; changes in weather, hydroelectric and energy markets conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of purchased power and fuel; the development of alternative technologies; changes in capital and credit market conditions, which could affect the access to and availability of cost of capital and result in delay or cancellation of capital projects or execution of the Company's strategic plan as currently envisioned; the outcome of various legal and regulatory actions; general economic and financial market conditions; severe weather conditions, wildfires, and other natural phenomena and natural disasters that could result in operational disruptions, unanticipated restoration costs, or liability for third party property damage; cyber security breaches of the Company's customer information system or operating systems, data security breaches, or acts of terrorism, which could disrupt operations, require significant expenditures, or result in claims against the Company; PGE business activities are concentrated in one region and future performance may be affected by events and factors unique to Oregon; and widespread health emergencies or outbreaks of infectious diseases, which may affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Source: Portland General Company (POR)

Media Contact:

Mike Houlihan

Corporate Communications

Phone: 503-504-9706

Investor Contact:

Jardon Jaramillo

Investor Relations

Phone: 503-464-7051

SOURCE Portland General Company

Related Links

http://www.portlandgeneral.com


Li Ganjie, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, attended the Seminar and took the opportunity to meet with Martin Wansleben, CEO of DIHK, and Ansgar Kriwet, Member of the Management Board Sales of Festo. A number of people delivered speeches at the Seminar, and these included: Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor; Gao Yan, Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT); Stephan Weil, Minister President of Lower Saxony of Germany; Melanie Huml, Deputy Minister President and Minister of State for European and International Affairs of Bavaria of Germany; Frank Ruckert, Charge d'Affaires of Embassy of the Germany in China; and Shi Mingde, President of the China-Germany Friendship Association. In addition to introducing the major development strategies of Jinan, Qingdao and Shandong to attendees in the context of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Seminar included expert discussion groups and cooperative experience-sharing sessions.

Dialogue with Shandong 2021- Germany-Shandong Industry Cooperation and Exchange Seminar was co-hosted by the People's Government of Shandong Province, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and DIHK. With the theme 'Strengthening Cooperation in Innovation and Seeking Industrial Development', the event included thematic workshops, a series of industry linking meetings, and on-the-spot discussion meetings. The seminar was conducted both online and offline.

More than 50 German institutes and enterprises came to Shandong to attend the event. Among them were more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, among them Siemens, Volkswagen, and Festo, as well as many lower-profile industry leaders. The industry exchange and linking meetings included four sessions: Sino-German Scientific and Technological Innovation, High-end Equipment Manufacturing, Building Energy Conservation, and Environmental Protection Technologies.

Several industries in Shandong Province and Germany are complementary and as such, there are close economic and trade exchanges. Germany is Shandong Province's largest trading partner in the European Union. From January to September 2021, Shandong Province's total amount of import and export trade with Germany amounted to CNY49.93 billion, up 18.3% YoY.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=405773

Caption: The site of the themed seminar

SOURCE China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council
The COVID-19 pandemic has forcefully accelerated the digital economy over the last 1.5 years. As companies and organisations are undergoing rapid digital transformation and seeking skilled knowledge workers to meet the challenges brought by the rise of digital economy, it becomes apparent that there remains a huge gap in digital talents across the Asia Pacific region.

A Korn Ferry research finds that Asia Pacific is facing an imminent labor shortage of 47 million people by 2030 and an annual opportunity cost of US$4.238 trillion. According to PwC's 20th CEO Survey, more than 50% of APAC CEOs say it's difficult to hire digital talent with the right skills.

To solve the digital talent gap and seize the leapfrog opportunity in the digital era, governments across the region have been actively strengthening the policy and providing support. At the summit, governments' leaders from countries across the region, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka will share their practice, policy suggestions and vision in cultivating the digital talent ecosystem.

A sustainable digital talent ecosystem requires joint efforts from government, corporations, industrial organizations and educational institutions. Notable speakers from ASEAN, UNESCO, International Telecommunication Union, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Maxis Communications will be featured in the panel discussion on the topic of "Digital Talent as Key to Sustainable Recovery & Development" at the summit.

"The creation of a sustainable talent development ecosystem in Asia Pacific requires forward-thinking policymaking and strong public-private partnership. A conducive learning ecosystem will help to groom a generation of digital talents that will someday lead the region's digital future," said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

As the co-organizer of this summit, Huawei this July announced its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0, through which the tech company plans to invest $150 million in digital talent development over the next five years. The program is expected to benefit more than 3 million additional people globally.

In 2008, Huawei began to roll out talent development programs, and has since benefited more than 1.54 million people from over 150 countries through scholarships, technology competitions and digital skills training. For example, initiated in 2008 in Thailand, the Seeds for the Future Program is designed to inspire local talents and encourage seeds for the society to tackle digital challenges.

"The world ahead will be one dominated by devices: connecting, sensing, and reacting to everything around us. We hope our education programs not only reaffirms our commitment to social responsibility, but also prepares the next generation of experts to design and navigate this digital landscape. Our future depends on it," said Jay Chen, Vice President at Huawei Asia Pacific.

The summit can be viewed live at https://www.huawei.com/en/events/asia-pacific-innovation-day-2021 and ASEAN Foundation's official Facebook page on November 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (GMT+7).

SOURCE Huawei

Related Links

https://www.huawei.com/en/


"This product will revolutionize an industry that is still mostly relying on pen and paper to issue estimates, work orders or provide service records," said Jeremy Hermanns, co-founder and CEO of DockWorks. "This platform helps marine service businesses to grow their recurring revenue with integrated billing, quick estimate creation and fast change orders. The technician will be able to focus on servicing the vessel, and the vessel owner will have a better experience throughout the process. If your boat mechanic uses DockWorks, you're going to be very excited."

The platform is the first of its kind to offer mobile applications for technicians who are in the field or on the vessel. The technician can use the system to capture higher quality customer data, receive real time alerts when estimates are approved, automate payments and to capture photos and videos of the vessel to attach to work orders.

The platform also offers marine service businesses the ability to generate reliable recurring revenue by enabling them to create and track preventative maintenance contracts in much the same way a home service company offers these programs to its HVAC or plumbing customers.

"As younger generations get more interested in becoming marine technicians, they will want digital applications. It's what they grew up with," Hermanns said. "Right now, there just isn't a cloud-based platform that enables the mechanics or technicians who service them to do that. We want to bring digital innovation to this industry."

DockWorks will be on-boarding their client advisory board members beginning at the end of November to test the platform and provide feedback on its ease of use, reliability, and intuitive interactions.

About DockWorks

DockWorks has developed a full-service operations platform that enables marine service professionals to easily manage payments, scheduling, estimates, and maintenance records that assist the service technician while enhancing the vessel owner experience. The company has offices in San Diego, Calif. and in Wilmington, N.C. DockWorks' mission is to mobilize and modernize the marine services industry.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

865-977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE DockWorks
"Tune" in for the virtual announcement of the Dodge brand's two new performance initiatives on November 8 at Dodge.com.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America's fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry's most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dodge and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

SOURCE Stellantis

Related Links

http://www.stellantis.com


IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Hospice is a beautiful benefit that we are honored to provide to the residents of Eastern Idaho. Our Home Health Agency has had the pleasure of serving the area for many years now and we are beyond thrilled to add Hospice, Home Care and a robust Palliative Care program to our, now complete, continuum of care. As an accredited organization, we are held to a much higher quality standard and are proud to live up to that each and every day, treating patients as loved family members," said Jamie Brown, Vice President of Eden Health, part of the EmpRes Healthcare family of companies.

Eden Hospice offers caring companionship, advance directive planning, emotional and spiritual support, disease process education for patients and their families, pain and symptom management, respite care and family relief, assistance with community resources, assistance with funeral and memorial services, bereavement services and support groups. Over the next 12 months, Eden Health plans to invest in the growth of this Agency while maintaining a strong focus on timely and quality care. "Our goal is to 'keep healthcare local' to ensure that each community is represented and strategies are implemented specifically to meet the needs of the residents in the communities that we are so honored to serve, our Home Health Agency is one of the only 5-star rated Agencies in the area and while Hospice doesn't have a star rating, a quality-related focus is as equally important to us," noted Mrs. Brown.

About Eden Health

Eden Health is a subsidiary of EmpRes Healthcare, a 100% Employee Owned Family of Companies providing management and consulting services to rehabilitation and post-acute care centers, assisted and independent living communities and home health, home care, palliative care, and hospice agencies throughout Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.

To learn more about Eden Health, please visit www.eden-health.com.

SOURCE Eden Health

Related Links

empres.com


LUXEMBOURG and BRUSSELS, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The european primary placement facility S.A. ("eppf"), a securitisation vehicle established under Luxembourg law and supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), has joined SWIFT (S.W.I.F.T. SCRL), as an active member. SWIFT, which is headquartered in Belgium, is a global member owned cooperative and the world's leading provider of secure financial messaging services.

Following its successful onboarding, from 16 October 2021 onwards, eppf is connected to a global network comprising 11,000 banks and member institutions in 200 countries. eppf appears under its SWIFT/BIC identifier EPPFLULL.

The direct communication with SWIFT members will help eppf provide increased efficiency in financing transactions to its clients across the lifecycle. For example, SWIFT messages in the highly secure environment will be employed when sending payment instructions upon completion of a bond issuance or subsequent bond interest payments as means of communication with various eppf platform members. These include, for example, paying agents, central securities depositaries and custodian banks, client treasuries, investment and transaction banks depending on the specific transaction structure. eppf remains focused on large financing transactions in highly secure environments.

Over the course of the next months, eppf will expand its SWIFT connectivity to also allow for order routings into various marketplaces. Overall, this should improve the transaction finality and security for the entire market.

Saskia Devolder, Head of Europe North at SWIFT said: "We are delighted to welcome eppf to our community of 11,000 banking and securities organisations, market infrastructures and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories. Connecting to SWIFT will enable eppf and its members to benefit from robust, reliable and secure financial messaging. Together with our capital markets community we are on a journey to deliver future-proof solutions to some of today's most pressing post-trade challenges. These collaborative efforts will enable smarter securities processes that will help prevent fails, reduce costs and deliver enhanced customer experience."

Robert Koller, CEO of the eppf Group said: "We are extremely excited to count with our own address in the SWIFT system after having passed the rigorous joining process. Only regulated financial entities are able to join the SWIFT system. It is another sign of how the eppf Group is becoming more and more an integral part of the financial system and we are very much looking forward to communicating with our counterparts over SWIFT and to working with the SWIFT team, reducing settlement errors, easing reconciliation and completing the only true end-to-end digital solution in capital markets available today."

Fabian Vandenreydt, Special Advisor to the eppf Group added: "The further automation and simplification of the issuer to investor value chain is a must do for the industry globally. By being part of the SWIFT ecosystem eppf will bring its market leading smarter issuance technology to the 6,000 securities firms connected to the network allowing them to further reduce cost and improve time to market of the issuance process."

About eppf Group

eppf provides the first and only end-to-end digital solution, where the company offers established issuers with a digital transaction workflow, or, in the case of new entrants, with a CMaaS (Capital Markets as a Service) funding "subsidiary" using standardised documentation. Thereby, the eppf solution achieves relevance for both big and small, and provides for improved harmonisation of capital markets in a MiFID2 and CMU compliant environment without media breaks.

eppf Group consists of several entities, including eppf S.A. which is a securitisation vehicle established under Luxembourg law and supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier.

www.eppf.eu

Connect with eppf:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/eppfsa/

https://twitter.com/eppfeu

https://www.facebook.com/eppfeu

SOURCE eppf Group
The conflicts in both Sudan and Ethiopia are warning signs for U.S. leaders. Tweet this

"The conflicts in both Sudan and Ethiopia are warning signs for U.S. leaders as to what happens when the international community of nations does not fully support democratically-elected or civilian-appointed governments. The U.S., European Union, and other global partners must be mindful not to give implicit support or legitimate recognition to rogue militaries or armed insurrectionists whose intent is to undermine the will of the people and rule by fiat. We need to recognize that these governments are still fragile and need support from major nations including the United States. The U.S. foreign policy approach of recent months raises questions if America supports Africa's democratic evolution.

"In neighboring Ethiopia, U.S. policymakers including Congress, U.S. State Department, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have failed to fully hold the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) accountable for the unprovoked attack of the Ethiopian Defense Forces on November 4, 2020. This TPLF-led attack has catapulted Ethiopia into a tragic conflict. More so, the TPLF is a designated terrorist group. It is ineffable to ask the Ethiopian Government to engage in talks with the TPLF who is engaged in full scale armed insurrection in Ethiopia. Only under terms of surrender should the government agree to meet with the TPLF.

"Military takeovers of democratically-elected governments in Africa continue to be problematic for not only the political stability of the continent but also for Africa's hope of achieving its economic aspirations. The EACC calls on U.S. policymakers to reexamine its approach in dealing with democratically-elected governments by upholding the sovereignty of nations while pursuing mutual interest on equal footings. The EACC will continue to monitor the situation in both Sudan and Ethiopia."

--EACC Chairman and Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari

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
CINCINNATI, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RSW/US, the nation's leading outsourced business development firm for marketing agencies, just completed its annual RSW/US 2021 Agency New Business Report.

This year's survey and resulting report saw many small and mid-sized agencies growing or regaining lost growth from the previous year. For example, 38% of agencies said it was easier or a lot easier to obtain new business this year, versus 7% in 2020. And "business from existing clients," at 71%, was reported as the most effective method/tool for bringing in new business.

But with this rise of organic growth, firms should be aware of warning signs heading into 2022. The first is a multi-year decline in referrals, traditionally the predominant method for agencies to gain new business. There was a slight dip from 62% in 2019 to 60% in 2020. 2021 saw a deeper drop - to 53%.

Another sign: agencies are not investing in the development of "new" new business.

This plays out in the low percentages (all under 10%) attributed to phone calls, social media, inbound, and traditional mailings.

A few other key stats that exemplify the lack of a strategic plan around "new" new business:

Ad agencies said the predominant reason it was harder to obtain new business in 2021: "harder to break through to prospects" at 59%, up from 42% in 2020.

29% of agencies say they have a client that represents more than 50% of their business, versus 17% last year.

Hiring for the new business director position at an agency is at its lowest level since the survey started in 2010, with just 32% of agencies hiring a new business director in the past 3 years.

The growth for so many firms in 2021 should be celebrated, but change is a constant in our industry, and existing growth will not last at these levels. It's critical heading into 2022 that agencies have a manageable framework for "new" new business.

About RSW/US

RSW/US is the nation's leading outsourced business development group that helps marketing agencies find meaningful new business opportunities and get them closer to close. To learn more visit www.rswus.com or call Lee McKnight at 513-559-3111.

Contact: Lee McKnight Jr.

Phone: 513-559-3111

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE RSW/US

Related Links

http://www.rswus.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) today reported its third quarter 2021 financial results and filed its third quarter 2021 Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing provides condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. The following documents are now available on Fannie Mae's website at www.fanniemae.com.

Fannie Mae will host a conference call to discuss the company's results today at 8:00 a.m., ET. Participants may join the conference call in listen-only mode via the webcast link below.

Listen-only webcast:

https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1503925&tp_key=9a520016d8

Click on the link above to attend the presentation from your laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Audio will stream through your selected device. If you have difficulty accessing the webcast, please click the "Listen by Phone" button on the webcast player and dial the number provided.

About Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae helps make the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and affordable rental housing possible for millions of people in America. We partner with lenders to create housing opportunities for people across the country. We are driving positive changes in housing finance to make the home buying process easier, while reducing costs and risk.

To learn more, visit:

fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog

Fannie Mae Newsroom

https://www.fanniemae.com/news

Photo of Fannie Mae

https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif

Fannie Mae Resource Center

1-800-2FANNIE

###

SOURCE Fannie Mae

Related Links

www.fanniemae.com


SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children 5 through 11 years of age. The authorization was based on the FDA's thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group.

Key points for parents and caregivers:

Effectiveness: Immune responses of children 5 through 11 years of age were comparable to those of individuals 16 through 25 years of age. In that study, the vaccine was 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11.



Safety: The vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week to discuss further clinical recommendations.

"As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today's authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. "Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine's safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards."

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms).

In the U.S., COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age make up 39% of cases in individuals younger than 18 years of age. According to the CDC, approximately 8,300 COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age resulted in hospitalization. As of Oct. 17, 691 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 deaths in the 5 through 11 years age group.

"The FDA is committed to making decisions that are guided by science that the public and healthcare community can trust. We are confident in the safety, effectiveness and manufacturing data behind this authorization. As part of our commitment to transparency around our decision-making, which included our public advisory committee meeting earlier this week, we have posted documents today supporting our decision and additional information detailing our evaluation of the data will be posted soon. We hope this information helps build confidence of parents who are deciding whether to have their children vaccinated," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

The FDA has determined this Pfizer vaccine has met the criteria for emergency use authorization. Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, the known and potential benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in individuals down to 5 years of age outweigh the known and potential risks.

FDA Evaluation of Available Effectiveness Data

The effectiveness data to support the EUA in children down to 5 years of age is based on an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled study that has enrolled approximately 4,700 children 5 through 11 years of age. The study is being conducted in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain. Children in the vaccine group received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine containing 10 micrograms of messenger RNA per dose. The FDA analyzed data that compared the immune response of 264 participants from this study to 253 participants 16 through 25 years of age who had two higher doses of the vaccine in a previous study which determined the vaccine to be effective in preventing COVID-19. The immune responses of the younger age participants were comparable to the older participants.

The FDA also conducted a preliminary analysis of cases of COVID-19 occurring seven days after the second dose. In this analysis, among participants without evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2, 3 cases of COVID-19 occurred among 1,305 vaccine recipients and 16 cases of COVID-19 occurred among 663 placebo recipients; the vaccine was 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19.

FDA Evaluation of Available Safety Data

The available safety data to support the EUA include more than 4,600 participants (3,100 vaccine, 1,538 placebo) ages 5 through 11 years enrolled in the ongoing study. In this trial, a total of 1,444 vaccine recipients were followed for safety for at least 2 months after the second dose.

Commonly reported side effects in the clinical trial included injection site pain (sore arm), redness and swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and decreased appetite. More children reported side effects after the second dose than after the first dose. Side effects were generally mild to moderate in severity and occurred within two days after vaccination, and most went away within one to two days.

The FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems have previously identified increased risks of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart) following vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, particularly following the second dose, and with the observed risk highest in males 12 through 17 years of age. Therefore, the FDA conducted its own benefit-risk assessment using modelling to predict how many symptomatic COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths from COVID-19 the vaccine in children 5 through 11 years of age would prevent versus the number of potential myocarditis cases, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths that the vaccine might cause. The FDA's model predicts that overall, the benefits of the vaccine would outweigh its risks in children 5 through 11 years of age.

Ongoing Safety Monitoring

Pfizer Inc. has updated its safety monitoring plan to include evaluation of myocarditis, pericarditis and other events of interest in children 5 through 11 years of age. In addition, the FDA and the CDC have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety problems.

It is mandatory for Pfizer Inc. and vaccination providers to report to any serious adverse events, cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalization or death in vaccinated individuals. It is also mandatory for vaccination providers to report all vaccine administration errors to VAERS for which they become aware and for Pfizer Inc. to include a summary and analysis of all identified vaccine administration errors in monthly safety reports to the FDA.

Data Supports New Vaccine Formulation to Improve Stability and Storage Conditions

The FDA today also authorized a manufacturing change for the vaccine to include a formulation that uses a different buffer; buffers help maintain a vaccine's pH (a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is) and stability. This new formulation is more stable at refrigerated temperatures for longer periods of time, permitting greater flexibility for vaccination providers.

The new formulation of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. contains Tris buffer, a commonly used buffer in a variety of other FDA-approved vaccines and other biologics, including products for use in children. The FDA evaluated manufacturing data to support the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine containing Tris buffer and concluded it does not present safety or effectiveness concerns.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540

Consumer Inquiries: Email or 888-INFO-FDA (888-463-0332)

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Related Links

http://www.fda.gov


DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Coal Power Generation Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Pulverized, Cyclone Furnaces), By Application (Residential, Commercial & Industrial), By Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2020-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global coal power generation market demand to reach 2,228.32 GW by 2028 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.6% from 2020 to 2028

Strong energy demand is expected to drive the coal industry to generate electricity. Coal is a key material for electricity generation owing to its abundant availability and low cost. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in stagnated growth of industrial activities around the globe owing to lockdown measures imposed in most countries, which has reduced the demand for new coal-based plants for power generation in industrial sectors.



Its demand from prospective industrial customers is expected to be on the lower side on account of funds that were previously allotted for industrial development but were diverted to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Pulverized coal firing is traditionally the most widely used technology over cyclone furnaces or others due to higher thermal efficiency and lesser emissions.

The factors, such as high emission rate, are expected to cater to the growth of Cleaner Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) systems with 1.0% CAGR over the forecasted period in comparison with the traditional technologies.



Uniper SE plans to end the commercial production of electricity of its Heyden 4 hard coal power plant in Germany by January 2021 and close the plant completely by July 2021. In October 2019, NTPC announced that it installed two 660 MW units at the Tanda and Khargone super thermal power generation stations.

The availability of raw material is a key factor that affects any production process, controls its setup, and helps drive market growth. In the case of coal-fired power generation, coal is utilized as an energy source and is a major raw material used for power production.



Coal Power Generation Market Report Highlights

In terms of volume, the pulverized coal systems segment accounted for the maximum volume share in 2020 and is further expected to witness prominent growth over the forecast period.

The residential application segment dominated the market and accounted for more than 56% of the volume share in 2020.

In 2020, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest volume share of more than 74.5% and will retain the leading position throughout the forecast period.

accounted for the largest volume share of more than 74.5% and will retain the leading position throughout the forecast period. The presence of well-established players in India , Japan , China , and South Korea is anticipated to provide further impetus to the APAC regional market growth.

, , , and is anticipated to provide further impetus to the APAC regional market growth. On the other hand, Middle East & Africa is estimated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology & Scope



Chapter 2 Executive Summary



Chapter 3 Market Definitions



Chapter 4 Market Variables, Trends & Scope

4.1 Market Size and Growth Prospects

4.2 Industry value chain analysis

4.3 Coal power generation Market Dynamics

4.3.1 Market Driver

4.3.1.1 Availability of raw material in abundance

4.3.1.2 Presence of coal-based economies primarily in the Asia Pacific region

4.3.2 Market Restraint Analysis

4.3.2.1 Growing Demand For Electric Power Through Clean Energy Sources

4.3.3 Opportunity Assessment

4.4 Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping

4.5 Regulatory Framework

4.6 Business Environment Analysis: Coal Power Generation Market

4.6.1 Industry Analysis - Porter's

4.6.2 PESTEL analysis

4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Coal Power Generation

4.7.1 Challenges

4.7.2 Impact Verdict - Medium



Chapter 5 Coal Power Generation Market: Technology Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1 Coal Power Generation market share by technology, 2020 & 2028

5.1.1 Pulverized Coal Systems

5.1.2 Cyclone Furnaces

5.1.3 Others



Chapter 6 Coal Power Generation Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1 Coal Power Generation market share by application, 2020 & 2028

6.1.1 Residential

6.1.2 Commercial & Industrial



Chapter 7 Global Coal Power Generation Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis

7.1 Global Coal Power Generation Market: Regional Movement Analysis, 2020 & 2028



Chapter 8 Company Profiles

Uniper SE

CHINA SHENHUA

SHENHUA China Huadian Corporation LTD. (CHD)

China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd.

American Electric Power Company, Inc.

Dominion Energy

Jindal India Thermal Power ltd.

RWE

NTPC Ltd.

Southern Company

KEPCO Engineering & Construction Company. INC

Duke Energy Corporation

TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD

STEAG GMBH

YONDEN Shikoku Electric Power CO.,Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ab6qu6

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: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Health Network, comprised of over 350 scientists and public health leaders from around the world, announced its formation today in an article published by The Lancet. Led by renowned complex systems scientist and pandemic response expert Dr. Yaneer Bar Yam, the group will serve as an international coalition dedicated to the worldwide elimination of COVID-19.

Key members of the World Health Network include:

Dr. Yaneer Bar Yam , President of the New England Complex Systems Institute.

, President of the New England Complex Systems Institute. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding , Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, health economist

, Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, health economist Dr. Kim Prather , Director, NSF Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment University of California, San Diego

, Director, NSF Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment Dr. Michael Baker , Epidemiologist at the University of Otago and member of the New Zealand Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group

, Epidemiologist at the University of Otago and member of the New Zealand Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group Dr. Cecile Philippe , President, Institut economique Molinari, France

, President, Institut economique Molinari, Dr. Shu-Ti Chiou, Founding President, Health & Sustainable Development Foundation, Taiwan

Dr. Stephen Duckett , Health Program Director at the Grattan Institute, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy at La Trobe University, and Chairperson of South Australia's Health Performance Council

The task force's COVID-19 elimination strategy calls for governments to bring cases down to sufficiently low numbers so that no community transmission occurs for extended periods of time. It calls on governments of the world to adopt the goal of progressive elimination of COVID and to reject the idea that the global community must learn to "live with the virus."

"An effective global strategy is required with solidarity and collective action at the individual, local, national, and international levels," the group writes in the paper. "Many governments' responses have been shaped by false dichotomies, pitting public health against the economy and collective well-being against individual liberty."

"I am pleased to announce the formation of the World Health Network and our commitment to the elimination of the COVID-19 virus. Despite the manifest success of this approach, many governments rejected it outright, and after repeated lockdowns and substantial losses to life and economy, these governments now speak of learning to live with the virus. Our connected world is vulnerable to pandemics and we must learn how to stop them," said Dr. Yaneer Bar-Yam, Complex Systems Physicist and Founder of the World Health Network.

To help governments achieve elimination, WHN will produce rigorous scientific evidence and guidelines; coordinate international strategies; empower citizens to engage with the public health process; address issues of inequality and inequity; and combat misinformation, nationalism, and exceptionalism.

As part of its launch, WHN will host its Second "Summit to End Global Pandemics," which will feature lectures and collaborative engagement among members toward best practices to achieve COVID-19 elimination. The Summit will open with a State of the World address by Dr. Bar-Yam, other scientists, concerned parents and community members from around the world, and will feature dozens of breakout sessions on topics in science, communication and technology. RSVP and learn more here: https://www.worldhealthnetwork.global/summit-info.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, WHN members have guided successful elimination efforts in multiple countries. They have advised governments and institutions on best practices, built accessible data analytical platforms, advocated for airborne precautions and school safety, and engaged in public communication and community-based efforts to promote individual and public health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in nearly 5 million lives lost, left millions of people with persistent symptoms (Long COVID), and has devastated societies, with already disadvantaged communities being hit the hardest. WHN's efforts will be rooted in short- and long-term prevention, recognizing the importance of preparation and coordination in this increasingly globalized world.

Following a successful closed Global Summit to End Pandemics in July 2021, featuring over 70 cross-disciplinary and cross-country teams, as well 300 scientists and other advocates, the World Health network is growing and this is its first major public event.

"Available evidence suggests that COVID-19 is not like seasonal influenza or other winter respiratory infections. It is far worse than that. The burden of chronic disease following COVID-19 infection may be catastrophic. We need to challenge the assumption that it will become endemic across the globe and that we should just 'learn to live with it'. Elimination of COVID-19 is an aspirational goal. It is hard to achieve and sustain. But that was also the situation once with polio and measles. Public health and social measures combined with improved vaccines and antivirals are likely to make elimination increasingly feasible and efficient. We should not lose sight of this goal," said Michael Baker, a professor of public health from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

"Countries that have targeted elimination, making use of intentional strong preventive actions, have been the most successful in terms of fewer deaths, less economic impacts, and lower restrictions on freedom. They did this by reducing cases to very low numbers and opening up their economies and societies. It is time to realize that the best strategies affect all in the same direction," said Cecile Philippe, President, Institut economique Molinari.

ABOUT THE WORLD HEALTH NETWORK

The World Health Network (WHN) is a global community devoted to protecting health and minimizing harm to individuals and society. It was formed as a people's task force in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and includes independent scientific advisory and advocacy teams and citizens' action initiatives. The WHN is guided by compassion, scientific rigor, transparency, social responsibility, and value for life. The WHN advocates for an effective response to achieve progressive elimination of the disease globally.

World Health Network

www.worldhealthnetwork.global



SOURCE World Health Network

Related Links

http://www.worldhealthnetwork.global


Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a free sample report for more information

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Dairy Derivatives market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Dairy Derivatives pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/sodium-sulfate-market-procurement-research-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 3.5%-5.5%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Dairy Derivatives TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

SpendEdge presents a detailed picture of this procurement market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our Dairy Derivatives market procurement report covers the following areas:

Some of the top Dairy Derivatives suppliers listed in this report:

This Dairy Derivatives procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Nestle SA

Groupe Lactalis

Danone SA

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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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

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Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Military Robots Market by Application, Mode of Operation, and Platform: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Military robots are autonomous or remote-controlled machines designed specifically for military applications such as surveillance, search and rescue, as well as transportation. Robot deployments in modern battles are supported by the changing nature of warfare and the high costs and soldier casualties. High soldier casualties in the past wars have raised concerns and resulted in various governments investing in new robotic systems to maintain a fleet of UUVs, UAVs, and UGVs for critical mission operations.



The investment in military robots and related technologies has become quite important for the defense forces throughout the world. Since military robots systems would result in requirements for lesser warfighters, superior defense capabilities could be made available into previously inaccessible locations, and human losses would be reduced by removing military personnel from dangerous missions, military robots systems would prove to be a big military advantage.



For the purpose of analysis, the report segments the global military robots market based on application, mode of operation, platform, and region. The report outlines the details about major applications of military robots, which include combat support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and others. In addition, the study provides information about various modes of operation such as human-operated and autonomous. Furthermore, the platforms covered in the study include airborne robots, land robots, and marine robots. Moreover, it analyses the current market trends of military robots across different regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA and suggests future growth opportunities by analyzing the government regulations & policies.



Key Benefits

This study presents analytical depiction of the global military robots market analysis along with current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.

The overall military robots market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.

The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global military robots market with a detailed impact analysis.

The current military robots market is quantitatively analyzed from 2021 to 2030 to benchmark the financial competency.

Porter's five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.

Key Topics Covered:



CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION



CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top impacting factors

3.2.2. Top investment pockets

3.2.3. Top winning strategies

3.3. Porter's five forces analysis

3.4. Key player positioning, 2020

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.1.1. Increase in investments to develop autonomous systems throughout the world

3.5.1.2. Rise in demand for underwater drones for defense and security applications

3.5.2. Restraints

3.5.2.1. High cost of military drones

3.5.2.2. Communication problems associated with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.5.3.1. Increasing investment for robotics technologies in unmanned ground vehicles

3.5.3.2. Rise in defense spending globally

3.6. COVID-19 impact analysis

3.6.1. Evolution of outbreak

3.6.2. Micro economic impact analysis

3.6.2.1. Consumer trends

3.6.2.2. Technology trends

3.6.2.3. Regulatory trends

3.6.3. Macro-economic impact analysis

3.6.3.1. GDP

3.6.3.2. Import/export analysis

3.6.3.3. Employment index

3.6.4. Impact on the military robots industry



CHAPTER 4: MILITARY ROBOTS MARKET, BY APPLICATION

4.1. Overview

4.2. Combat support

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. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)

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

4.4. Mine clearance

4.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

4.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3. Market analysis, by country

4.5. Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)

4.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

4.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region

4.5.3. Market analysis, by country

4.6. Others

4.6.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

4.6.2. Market size and forecast, by region

4.6.3. Market analysis, by country



CHAPTER 5: MILITARY ROBOTS MARKET, BY MODE OF OPERATION

5.1. Overview

5.2. Human operated

5.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

5.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3. Market analysis, by country

5.3. Autonomous

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



CHAPTER 6: MILITARY ROBOTS MARKET, BY PLATFORM

6.1. Overview

6.2. Airborne robots

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. Land robots

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. Marine robots

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



CHAPTER 7: MILITARY ROBOTS MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 8: COMPANY PROFILES

8.1. BAE Systems plc

8.1.1. Company overview

8.1.2. Company snapshot

8.1.3. Operating business segments

8.1.4. Product portfolio

8.1.5. Business performance

8.1.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.2. Elbit Systems Ltd.

8.2.1. Company overview

8.2.2. Company snapshot

8.2.3. Operating business segments

8.2.4. Product portfolio

8.2.5. Business performance

8.2.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.3. GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

8.3.1. Company overview

8.3.2. Company snapshot

8.3.3. Operating business segments

8.3.4. Product portfolio

8.3.5. Business performance

8.3.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.4. ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES LTD. (IAI)

8.4.1. Company overview

8.4.2. Company snapshot

8.4.3. Operating business segments

8.4.4. Product portfolio

8.4.5. Business performance

8.4.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.5. LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION

8.5.1. Company overview

8.5.2. Company snapshot

8.5.3. Operating business segments

8.5.4. Product portfolio

8.5.5. Business performance

8.5.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.6. NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

8.6.1. Company overview

8.6.2. Company snapshot

8.6.3. Operating business segments

8.6.4. Product portfolio

8.6.5. Business performance

8.6.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.7. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

8.7.1. Company overview

8.7.2. Company snapshot

8.7.3. Product portfolio

8.7.4. Key strategic moves and developments

8.8. RHEINMETALL AG

8.8.1. Company overview

8.8.2. Company snapshot

8.8.3. Operating business segments

8.8.4. Product portfolio

8.8.5. Business performance

8.8.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.9. SAAB AB

8.9.1. Company overview

8.9.2. Company snapshot

8.9.3. Operating business segments

8.9.4. Product portfolio

8.9.5. Business performance

8.9.6. Key strategic moves and developments

8.10. THALES GROUP

8.10.1. Company overview

8.10.2. Company snapshot

8.10.3. Operating business segments

8.10.4. Product portfolio

8.10.5. Business performance

8.10.6. Key strategic moves and developments

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5mch4t

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

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DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Radar System Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global radar system market exhibited moderate growth during 2015-2020. Looking forward, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 4% during 2021-2026. Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) system refers to an electromagnetic system that detects the location and distance of objects through radio waves. It determines the spread, angle and speed of the object that is under its range or radius. Continuous wave and pulse-based radars are the two major types of radar systems. They consist of a transmitter to produce electromagnetic signals, which gets reflected and received through an antenna. These systems are used for various industrial applications, such as speed monitoring, object recognition, tracking, area and distance monitoring, collision avoidance, weather monitoring, air traffic control and speed enforcement.



Significant growth in the aviation, space and defense industries represents one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Furthermore, the widespread utilization of radar systems for continuous weather monitoring systems is also driving the market growth. Advanced weather monitoring systems use radars to gauge atmospheric conditions to improve aviation safety and provide agricultural alerts and flood warnings. In line with this, with the growing territorial conflicts and cross-border disputes, radar systems are deployed in ocean and space surveillance, remote sensing and missile guidance equipment. Additionally, various technological advancements, such as the development of cost-effective and miniaturized radars used in unmanned vehicles, are acting as other growth-inducing factors. They can operate in narrow spaces and are equipped with digital signal processing capabilities to extract information from high noise inputs. Other factors, including the utilization of radar in automobiles for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), along with extensive research and development (R&D) activities, are anticipated to drive the market further.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined with some of the key players being BAE Systems Plc, Dassault Aviation, General Dynamics Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., L3harris Technologies, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Company, Rockwell Collins Inc., SAAB AB and Thales Group.



Key Questions Answered in This Report

How has the global radar system market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What is the impact of COVID 19 on global radar system market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the component?

What is the breakup of the market based on the range?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What is the breakup of the market based on the frequency band?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the market?

What is the structure of the global radar system market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the market?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Radar System Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Pulse Radar

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Continuous Wave (CW) Radar

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Component

7.1 Antenna

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Transmitter

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Receiver

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Others

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Range

8.1 Short Range Radars

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Medium Range Radars

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Long Range Radars

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Application

9.1 Air Traffic Control

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Remote Sensing

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Ground Traffic Control

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Space Navigation and Control

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Others

9.5.1 Market Trends

9.5.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Frequency Band

10.1 X Band

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 S Band

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast

10.3 C Band

10.3.1 Market Trends

10.3.2 Market Forecast

10.4 Others

10.4.1 Market Trends

10.4.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region

12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 BAE Systems PLC

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.1.3 Financials

15.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.2 Dassault Aviation

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2.3 Financials

15.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.3 General Dynamics Corporation

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3.3 Financials

15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.4 Honeywell International Inc.

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4.3 Financials

15.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.5 L3harris Technologies, Inc.

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5.3 Financials

15.3.6 Lockheed Martin Corporation

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 Financials

15.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 Northrop Grumman Corporation

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7.3 Financials

15.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.8 Raytheon Company

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.9 Rockwell Collins Inc.

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10 SAAB AB

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.11 Thales Group

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.11.3 Financials

15.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dyv1xt

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

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VAL-D'OR, QC, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Abitibi Royalties Inc. (TSXV: RZZ) (OTCQX: ATBYF) ("Abitibi"), Golden Valley Mines and Royalties Ltd. (TSXV: GZZ) (OTCQX: GLVMF) ("Golden Valley") and Gold Royalty Corp. (NYSE American: GROY) ("Gold Royalty") are pleased to announce that, at special meetings of Golden Valley shareholders (the "Golden Valley Shareholders") and Abitibi shareholders (the "Abitibi Shareholders") held on October 29, 2021, the Golden Valley Shareholders and Abitibi Shareholders each overwhelmingly approved special resolutions authorizing the previously announced business combination between each of Golden Valley and Abitibi and Gold Royalty to be completed by way of statutory plans of arrangement (the "Arrangements") under the Canada Business Corporations Act and the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), respectively.

The Golden Valley arrangement resolution was approved by 99.803% of the votes cast by Golden Valley Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Golden Valley meeting. In addition, as required by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("MI 61-101"), the Golden Valley arrangement resolution was approved by 99.778% of the votes cast by Golden Valley Shareholders excluding votes cast by "interested parties" (as defined under MI 61-101). The total votes cast for the Golden Valley arrangement resolution represented approximately 64.44% of Golden Valley's total issued and outstanding common shares.

The Abitibi arrangement resolution was approved by 99.916% of the votes cast by Abitibi Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Abitibi meeting. In addition, as required by MI 61-101, the Abitibi arrangement resolution was approved by 99.767% of the votes cast by Abitibi Shareholders excluding votes cast by "interested parties" (as defined under MI 61-101). The total votes cast for the Abitibi arrangement resolution represented approximately 84.68% of Abitibi's total issued and outstanding common shares.

Each holder of the common shares of Golden Valley (each, a "Golden Valley Share") will receive 2.1417 Gold Royalty common shares (each, a "Gold Royalty Share") for each Golden Valley Share held.

Each holder of the common shares of Abitibi Royalties (each, an "Abitibi Royalties Share") will receive 4.6119 Gold Royalty Share for each Abitibi Royalties Share held.

The Gold Royalty Shares issued in connection with the Arrangements are expected to be listed on the NYSE American after closing.

Completion of the Arrangements remains subject to, among other things, the final approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the "Court"). Golden Valley and Abitibi expect to make the applications to the Court for final approval of the Arrangements on or about November 3, 2021. The Arrangements are currently expected to be completed on or about November 5, 2021, provided that all of the conditions to the Arrangements are satisfied or waived.

The Golden Valley Shares and Abitibi Shares are expected to be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange on the date of closing of the Arrangements. The Golden Valley Shares and Abitibi Shares will also be removed from quotation on the OTCQX. On completion of the Arrangements, Glenn J. Mullan will be joining the Gold Royalty board of directors.

Gold Royalty anticipates that the share certificates or Direct Registration Statements, as the case may be, representing the Gold Royalty Shares issued pursuant to the Arrangements will be sent to former registered Golden Valley Shareholders and Abitibi Shareholders shortly after completion of the Arrangements upon receipt of properly completed letters of transmittal by such shareholders. For more information regarding the new Gold Royalty share certificates please refer to Odyssey Trust Company by dialing 1- (587) 885-0960 (within and outside North America). Golden Valley Shareholders and Abitibi Shareholders that own their Golden Valley Shares or Abitibi Shares through a broker or other intermediary should contact such broker or other intermediary regarding their receipt of Gold Royalty Common Shares under the Arrangements.

Shareholders of each of Golden Valley and Abitibi should refer to the Management Information Circulars dated October 1, 2021 for further information regarding the Arrangements and underlying agreements, which are available on each of Golden Valley's and Abitibi's issuer profile at www.sedar.com.

About Golden Valley Mines and Royalties Ltd.

Golden Valley Mines and Royalties Ltd. is focused on project and royalty generation and continues to evaluate opportunities to enhance its mining exploration property portfolio. Golden Valley is able to grow its current assets by way of partner-funded option/joint ventures and through its shareholdings in related-entities.

About Abitibi Royalties Inc.

Abitibi Royalties Inc. owns various royalties at the Canadian Malartic Mine near Val-d'Or, Quebec. In addition, Abitibi Royalties is building a portfolio of royalties on early-stage properties near producing mines and generating mineral projects for option or sale.

About Gold Royalty Corp.

Gold Royalty Corp. is a gold-focused royalty company offering creative financing solutions to the metals and mining industry. Its mission is to acquire royalties, streams and similar interests at varying stages of the mine life cycle to build a balances portfolio offering near, medium and longer-term attractive returns for its investors. Gold Royalty's diversified portfolio currently consists primarily of net smelter return royalties on gold properties located in the Americas.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:

Certain of the information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements which are not historical facts, including, without limitation, statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Golden Valley and Abitibi by Gold Royalty and the expected timing of the application to the Court and completion date of the Arrangements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove accurate. Such statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Golden Valley's, Abitibi's and/or Gold Royalty's expectations are in the documents are detailed in Golden Valley's and Abitibi's Management Information Circulars dated October 1, 2021, regarding the Arrangements, which are available under Golden Valley's and Abitibi's issuer profiles at www.sedar.com. Other than as required by applicable securities legislation, Golden Valley and Abitibi disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Gold Royalty Corp.
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. ("Goodness Growth") (CSE: GDNS; OTCQX: GDNSF), a physician-led, science-focused cannabis company and IP developer, today announced that wholly-owned subsidiary, Vireo Health of New York ("Vireo" or the "Company") will launch whole flower cannabis products at three of its four New York dispensaries and via its home delivery service tomorrow, October 30. Vireo is one of ten companies licensed to grow and sell cannabis in New York.

Whole flower cannabis will be available for purchase starting tomorrow, October 30, at the Vireo dispensaries located in Queens, White Plains, Albany, and via the Company's home delivery service in the New York City metro area. Whole flower will be available for purchase at its Binghamton dispensary on Monday, November 1.

Grown exclusively at the Company's indoor cultivation and production facility in Johnstown, NY, Vireo will offer several high quality, iconic strains as whole flower, beginning with OG Kush. The Company expects to have up to five additional strains available by the end of 2021.

"We applaud the Cannabis Control Board & Office of Cannabis Management for their swift action to improve the medical cannabis program by allowing whole flower products," said Goodness Growth Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "We are excited to bring our premium whole flower products to market, and to help make cannabis more accessible and affordable for new and existing patients here in New York."

New York's Cannabis Control Board & Office of Cannabis Management announced in early October that cannabis dispensaries could begin selling whole flower marijuana products to qualified patients, effective immediately. The enhancements made also allow patients to purchase up to a 60-day supply at one time.

"Switching to whole flower products could potentially decrease costs by up to 50 percent per month, on average, for patients switching to whole flower from other formats," Dr. Kingsley added. "The reduced cost, combined with the increased variety of different strains, mean more options for patients. This is an important step in the evolution of New York's cannabis market."

Vireo's first whole flower strain, OG Kush, will be available starting tomorrow, with additional strains expected throughout November and December. Vireo whole flower products will be available in 3.5-gram and 7-gram containers. Like all other Vireo products in New York, the whole flower product lines will be Certified Kosher.

About Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.

Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc., is a physician-led, science-focused holding company whose mission is to bring the power of plants to the world. The Company's operations consist primarily of its multi-state cannabis company subsidiary, Vireo Health, Inc., and its science and intellectual property incubator, Resurgent Biosciences, Inc. The Company manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally friendly facilities and state-of-the-art cultivation sites and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods and other retail locations and third-party dispensaries. Its team of more than 500 employees are focused on the development of differentiated products, driving scientific innovation of plant-based medicines, and developing meaningful intellectual property. Today, the Company is licensed to grow, process, and/or distribute cannabis in eight markets and operates 18 dispensaries across the United States. For more information about Goodness Growth Holdings, please visit www.goodnessgrowth.com.

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries:

Sam Gibbons

Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

(612) 314-8995

Media Inquiries:

Albe Zakes

Vice President, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

(267) 221-4800

SOURCE Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.goodnessgrowth.com


TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagerty, an automotive lifestyle brand and leading specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market, announced today that it will webcast its 2021 Capital Markets Showcase on Wednesday, November 17th, from its Garage + Social location in Bedford Hills, New York, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The webcast will include a virtual Garage + Social tour led by Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty, presentations by McKeel and Hagerty CFO Fred Turcotte, and a Q+A session with analysts and investors by McKeel, Fred and Rob Kauffman, Chairman and CEO of Aldel Financial.

"As we gear up to complete our proposed merger with Aldel Financial and join the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker HGTY, we are excited to invite investors and analysts to experience Garage + Social while also learning more about our unique membership model, resilient financial performance, and growth prospects," said McKeel Hagerty, Hagerty CEO.

The webcast, presentation and Q+A session will be available on a live and replay basis on the 'Events & Presentations' page of Hagerty's investor relations site at http://investor.hagerty.com/.

About Hagerty

Hagerty is a leading specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market with a scalable, innovative membership model and immersive events, media content and valuation tools for car lovers everywhere. For more information, visit https://www.hagerty.com/.

About Hagerty Garage + Social

Hagerty Garage + Social is a collection of premium social and storage membership facilities for car lovers with locations in Chicago, New York, Miami, Toronto and Delray Beach, Florida.

SOURCE Hagerty
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanmi Science doesn't just want the world to know they are committed to vaccine equity, they want to prove it. Mr. Lim, CEO of Hanmi Science, echoes the concerns of Mr. Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As Mr. Gates stated in an April 25 Sky News interview, "There's only so many vaccine factories in the worldevery manufacturing process has to be looked at in a careful way." Mr. Lim is deeply concerned by the complex logistics required by high-efficacy vaccines, such as those used in the global fight against COVID-19. "These vaccines, and the raw materials they are made from, can be challenging to transport. This leads to shelf-life problems, wasted doses, unwanted side effects and economic loss". Mr. Lim is confident that Hanmi Science can help.

In July 2021, the Korea National Institute of Health (KNIH) validated Hanmi's ability to synthesize six types of mRNA core materials. As noted by Mr. Lim, "Hanmi is the only company in Korea that has the ability of producing and supplying materials for 300 million doses within 12 months and Hanmi can rapidly supply the core materials of mRNA which is now in short of supply worldwide." Hanmi also confirmed its participation in the World Health Organization's (WHO) plan to construct regional hubs for the worldwide supply of vaccines.

It is well understood that the lipid structure of mRNA, including the genome, is very fragile requiring careful handling and stringent logistics. Hanmi's approach enables the synthesis of mRNA at, or close to, any vaccine manufacturing site, thereby eliminating the need for long distance mRNA transport.

This is just one component of Hanmi's broader plans. On October 26, Mr. Lim signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Oxford University. This follows Hanmi's 2018 investment in Vacmedix, and Mr. Lim's recent appointment to the Vacmedix board.

In closing, Mr. Lim, states "I often think of the words of UNICEF Secretary-General Henrietta Faure, who said, 'This crisis is not over until it is over for all of us.' Hanmi is working hard to end this crisis for all."

About Hanmi Science Co Ltd

Hanmi Science Co., Ltd., is a Korean-based holding company. Its subsidiaries manufacture and sell pharmaceutical products in Korea and internationally. It develops drugs in the areas of diabetes and anti-cancer. The company also offers drug substances, general medicines, health functional foods, and nutrition and health products and services. In addition, it operates an online pharmacy; and offers pharmaceutical management automation systems. Hanmi Science Co., Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

SOURCE Hanmi Science
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States, has acquired twentytwenty Insurance Services located in Cypress, Calif. Sima Reid, Founder and CEO of twentytwenty Insurance Services, and her team members have joined Heffernan Insurance Brokers' new Cypress office, effective October 1, 2021.

Founded in 2001 by Sima and Jack Reid, twentytwenty focuses exclusively on employee benefits and managed care stop loss, specializing in the implementation and management of complex medical programs, integration of health and wellness plans, technology and employee education. Managing the insurance programs for businesses from Hawaii to the East Coast, twentytwenty maintains a diverse portfolio of clients including manufacturing companies, restaurants, healthcare organizations and non-profit organizations.

"We are excited that twentytwenty who's vision of bringing complex insurance issues into focus will be a part of the Heffernan family. We thank our clients for our success over the past 20 years. Our commitment to our clients and our twentytwenty team continues to be our focus." said Sima Reid, CEO of twentytwenty. "We look forward to an exciting future in bringing additional expertise in property casualty and workers' compensation to our clients".

"We're excited to bring Sima and her team on board to bring enhanced expertise to our benefits practice, grow our southern California presence, and enable them to continue to provide top notch service to their clients," said F. Michael Heffernan, President and CEO of Heffernan Insurance Brokers.

As part of the next phase of Heffernan's growth strategy, we are interested in collaborating with privately held independent brokers across the United States. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Matt McKenna, Director of Corporate Development, at 925-746-7962 or [email protected].

About Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Heffernan Insurance Brokers, formed in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Heffernan provides insurance and financial services products to a range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Truckee, Bakersfield, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles and Irvine, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Seattle and Olympia, WA; St. Louis, MO; and London UK.

Employee-owned, Heffernan Insurance Brokers was named the Top Mid-Sized Broker in the United States to work for in 2009 by Business Insurance Magazine. The firm has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003.

For more information, visit www.heffins.com. License #0564249

SOURCE Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Related Links

http://www.heffins.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunter Strategy today announced their recognition as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Tier Select Consulting Partner. The AWS Partner Network (APN) recognizes premier AWS Partners with cloud-based solutions and technical experience across government, space, education, and nonprofits around the world. The program certifies organizations who have successfully demonstrated working with customers at scale in architecting and deploying first-class solutions on AWS and requires demonstration of relevant knowledgebase, experience, and customer success. Attainment of this partnership level discerns Hunter Strategy as a leading technical provider of AWS services with established achievements in delivering cutting-edge cloud architecture.

Since 2015, Hunter Strategy has served at the forefront of DevOps to deliver solutions for their mission partners' most complex challenges in software engineering, cloud operations and cyber risk management. Distinguishment as an AWS Advanced Tier partner results from Hunter's accredited team and their pledge to design and deliver state-of-the-art Cloud services.

Hunter Strategy attributes its Advanced Tier Status to their continuous success of delivering AWS solutions to public and private customers. Achievement of this status enables Hunter to engage in one-on-one sessions with AWS Security Strategists and Solution Architects, accelerate security and compliance authorizations, deepen its knowledgebase, and gain AWS competencies.

Through its Advanced Tier Status, Hunter will extend their global AWS footprint, obtain access to exclusive marketing materials, and deliver innovation through AWS' valuable knowledgebase of technologies. "We are extremely pleased to earn Advanced Tier Status with AWS' Partner Program and expand the breadth of our DevOps delivery through Critical Cloud technology" said Matthew Triner, Founder of Hunter Strategy. "Joining this distinguished group of expert Cloud Partners complements our existing engineering credentials and presents an opportunity to further mature our cloud capabilities, and better serve our mission partners."

About Hunter Strategy

Headquartered in Washington DC's Cathedral Heights neighborhood, Hunter Strategy is a Small Business Administration (SBA) HUBZone certified small business that offers strategic DevSecOps, cyber risk management, and Agile software engineering solutions to federal agencies, Fortune 1000 companies, and emerging technology firms. For more information, please visit www.hunterstrategy.net or contact [email protected]

About Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services provides highly reliable cloud computing services to customers in a low-cost manner. The AWS infrastructure platform is reliable and scalable, which makes it no surprise AWS 'powers hundreds of thousands of businesses in 190 countries around the world.

SOURCE Hunter Strategy

Related Links

https://www.hunterstrategy.net


HONG KONG, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huobi Technology Holdings Limited (Huobi Tech, stock code: 1611), a leading virtual asset services platform, participated in the 2nd Annual Private Wealth Asia Forum in Hong Kong. Jenny Lau and Gillian Wu, representatives of Huobi Tech, spoke during a session and roundtable discussion about the role of virtual assets as an alternative asset class and how they are becoming important investment tools as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies enter the mainstream market.

The 2nd Annual Private Wealth Asia Forum in Hong Kong brought together hundreds of executives to discuss capital allocations into all sorts of investment vehicles. The program was developed to meet the needs of private wealth investors. Attendees were primarily C-level executives from Asia's private client and wealth management industry.

During the first session titled "How to Best Take Advantage of Opportunistic Alternative Investments", panelists discussed the current macro-environmental issues within the wealth management space, including regulation, technological development, changes in macroeconomic demographics, economic policies, and more amid the global market volatility caused by COVID-19. By 2025, the pandemic will have cost the world between USD16 trillion and USD35 trillion, according to a new report from McKinsey & Company.

When addressing the question of whether alternative asset investments, including virtual assets, add value to investors' portfolios, Gillian Wu, CEO of Huobi Asset Management, which is a subsidiary of Huobi Tech, discussed the risk-return aspects of assets and how investment portfolios consider the cumulative impact of assets to evaluate the risks and returns of the broader portfolio. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have almost no correlation to other asset classes, and therefore provide clear diversification benefits. According to RIA Digital Asset Council reports, one percent of Bitcoin exposure will not reduce the fixed return of the overall return on investment (ROI) but provide a higher risk-adjusted return. In other words, virtual assets are becoming important mainstream investment tools.

This message was also underscored during a roundtable discussion hosted by Huobi Tech titled "Virtual Assets as an Alternative Asset Class". During the roundtable, some investors voiced their optimism for virtual assets but also shared concerns about compliance and safety. Jenny Lau, Head of Hong Kong office, Huobi Trust Hong Kong which is another subsidiary of Huobi Tech, acknowledged the validity of these concerns and cited the importance of licensed virtual asset custodians. Virtual asset custodians can address risk via risk control measures and lower the threshold for investors to enter the virtual asset space. Furthermore, custodians can customize their custody solutions to meet the different needs of their investors.

To wrap up the discussion, Jenny Lau introduced Huobi Trust Hong Kong, a one-stop virtual asset service platform that aims to provide asset custody, wealth management, private customization, family trust services, and more to clients who need secure or risk-isolated asset storage. Since its incorporation as a registered trust company in Hong Kong in April 2021 , the assets under custody of Huobi Trust Hong Kong has exceeded more than USD2 billion as of the end of September 2021.

To find out more about Huobi Technology: https://huobitech.com

SOURCE Huobi Technology
DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Substation Automation Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global substation automation market is evaluated at US$46.173 billion for the year 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.27% to reach a market size of US$70.675 billion by the year 2026.



Substation automation is the technique of controlling and directing orders from distant users utilizing data or information from intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) within a substation. It connects power plants and grids to ensure that power is delivered consistently and dependably. Numerous reclosers, programmable logic controllers and capacitor banks, smart meters, transformers, switches, and digital relays are all part of it. This software-based substation automation system (SAS) is used to optimize assets while minimizing human involvement and operational expenses. As a result, it finds widespread use in a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, transportation, mining, and steel.



Rapid industrialization, along with a growing need for cost-effective energy management systems throughout the world, is propelling the market forward. Automated substations control voltage variations and are an important part of energy transmission and distribution (T&D) systems, helping to reduce outages and total operating costs. Various technical advances, as well as the integration of main equipment with contemporary sensors, protective relays, programmable logical controllers, and digital transducers, are also boosting market expansion. Furthermore, the growing trend of smart cities and the widespread use of smart grids, particularly in developing nations, is boosting the market's prospects. Other factors such as growing retrofitting and upgrade of old substation equipment, government efforts supporting substation automation, and significant research and development (R&D) activities are expected to propel the market even more.



The market for smart grids is growing due to the rising need for efficient energy transmission, cheaper utility operations, and administration expenses, and ultimately lower power bills for consumers. Smart grids in substation automation are also growing due to the increased integration of large-scale renewable energy systems and enhanced security, among other factors. Smart grid communication technology offers utilities, their suppliers, and their consumers' predictive data and advice on how to effectively manage electricity. Furthermore, smart grids are being implemented through the use of contemporary technology in substations and power networks. To get to the smart grid, you'll need comprehensive data from transmission network substations to evaluate and control it. The market is being driven by trends toward updating and retrofitting aging traditional substations as well as new contemporary substations.



Escalating investments in renewable energy projects to aid market expansion

Solar and wind energy are now the most popular power generation choices, with most nations generating more than 20% of their electricity from these sources. Renewable energy sources accounted for 25% of global electricity generation in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency. Renewable energy will be able to provide the majority of global power demand by 2050, which is expected to be about 86 percent. Companies all across the world are putting their money into renewable energy infrastructure rather than fossil fuels. Total investment in renewable energy sources was USD 259 billion in 2019 and USD 226 billion in 2020, according to the IEA's World Energy Investment 2020 report. The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic contributed significantly to the fall in 2020. Countries all around the world are attempting to develop new renewable energy projects for power generation. They are also investing in solar and wind projects to fulfill rising electricity demand while minimizing environmental consequences, as well as non-renewable energy generation.



Inclining new installations to augment market demand

The market for new substation automation installations is projected to expand as the need for new power plants and smart grids in various industries grows, as does the demand for automation, IEDs, sophisticated communication technologies, HMIs, and SCADA systems. In addition, new installations provide increased operating safety and dependability while requiring less maintenance. In the substation automation market, leading firms have developed numerous new installation projects to increase power flow, improve electric reliability, improve the quality of energy supply, and modernize the power infrastructure.



Increasing adoption in the utility sector is expected to contribute to escalating market size

The use of renewable energy by utilities as an end-user is expanding rapidly, owing to increased government initiatives to modernize power networks and growing investments in renewable energy generation. In the current environment, the wind sector has a higher demand for substation automation solutions; government organizations and power generating firms are collaborating to introduce automation to wind farm projects. General Electric (GE) and DTEK inked a deal in June 2019 to deliver high-voltage equipment for the 150 kV central power distribution station and two 150/35/10 kV substations, which would enable energy transmission from the Prymorska wind farm (Zaporizhia area) to the Ukrainian power grid. The wind farm will be home to the digital substation.



The wide range of services offered is leading to increasing market adoption

The fast increase in the number of projects including renewable energy sources such as solar and wind can be ascribed to the market's strong development potential. For example, Sun Tech Power Holdings (China), a solar module manufacturer, intends to increase its investment in solar energy projects to fulfill China's rising energy demand as a result of rapid urbanization. Several Chinese power firms, including State Grid Corporation of China, China Three Gorges Corporation, and State Power Investment Corporation, are working on 25 wind turbine contracts totaling about USD 586 billion to generate electricity.



High initial installation costs restrain the growth of the market

The first phase of substation automation is capital-intensive, which may limit the worldwide substation automation market's growth. The expanding necessity to incorporate multiple IEDs in substations, as well as the increasing usage of sophisticated technologies like microprocessors and service-oriented architecture (SOA), has raised the purchasing costs of these substations. Smart substation implementation also necessitates strong cooperation beyond traditional organizational boundaries, considerable process change, and strict governance. High expenditures in smart substation deployment might add to the government's financial burden.



Geographically, the substation automation market in 2019 was dominated by North America. North America's dominant position may be attributed to various financial initiatives for electricity grid upgrading established by the US and Canadian governments. Governments in North America are also contributing funding to the deployment of new energy and power technology, which will aid the region's transition to smarter, stronger, and more efficient electric grid networks. The expansion of the substation automation market in North America is fueled by aging grid infrastructure and rigorous government laws requiring the use of sustainable power technologies.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. The Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Function

4.4. Function Value Chain Analysis



5. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Module

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Communication Networks

5.3. SCADA Systems

5.4. Intelligent Electronic Devices



6. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Offering

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Hardware

6.2.1. Protective Relays

6.2.2. Recloser Controllers

6.2.3. Load Tap Changers

6.2.4. Others

6.3. Software

6.4. Services



7. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Installation Type

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Retrofit Installations

7.3. New Installations



8. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Industry

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Energy and Power

8.3. Mining

8.4. Travel and Transport

8.5. Steel

8.6. Oil and Gas



9. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Communication Channel

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Ethernet

9.3. Power line Communication

9.4. Copper wire Communication

9.5. Optical fiber Communication



10. Global Substation Automation Market Analysis, By Geography

11. Competitive Environment and Analysis

11.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

11.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

11.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

11.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



12. Company Profiles

12.1. ABB

12.2. General Electric

12.3. Siemens AG

12.4. NovaTech

12.5. Cisco

12.6. Toshiba Corporation

12.7. Eaton Corporation

12.8. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

12.9. NovaTech Automation

12.10. Cadillac Automation and Controls



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nixdaz

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

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United Recovery Project (URP) is a luxury drug and alcohol rehab center focused on offering new hope to addicts. URP's holistic, compassionate approach to rehab leans on maintenance drugs as little as possible throughout the recovery process. This has led company co-founder Bryan Alzate to come down hard on the ongoing prescription drug crisis.

United Recovery Project

Doctors used to hand out prescription opioids by the handful. Anyone could get a prescription for powerful drugs like oxycontin and Roxicodone  and for a reasonable price, too. The fact that Big Pharma companies sold these as "less harmful" and "less addictive" didn't do anyone any favors, either.

This dangerous combination led to a major backlash in recent years, with pharma company Purdue serving as the poster child of the entire affair. As recently as October of 2020, a multi-state lawsuit against the misleading drug company led Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen to say , "The abuse and diversion of prescription opioids has contributed to a national tragedy of addiction and deaths, in addition to those caused by illicit street opioids."

While justice is being at least partially served in the courtroom, though, that doesn't erase the enormous path of destruction left in the wake of the scandal. Countless lives were shattered by new, unforeseen opioid addictions. In addition, doctors, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies were hit with fines and blanketed with fresh regulations.

Of course, these regulations were absolutely necessary for the long-term betterment of society. However, they only made matters worse for those who were suddenly left to manage their ongoing addictions on their own.

Caught in the crossfire, many turned to the streets for an answer. However, drug dealers were also busy struggling with their own pandemic-induced supply shortages. Unable to come up with pure drugs, many began peddling synthetic options that used strong, cheap alternative ingredients like fentanyl.

The worst part is that many drugs were laced with fentanyl without the user being aware. This made dangers like overdosing easier than ever before. Bryan Alzate, CEO and co-founder of the luxury drug rehab center United Recovery Project, explains that drugs are constantly being laced with fentanyl, whether users know it or not. "The days of doing opiates for 20 years are over," says the CEO, who himself has already spent over 13 years in recovery, "There aren't any more old heroin addicts like there were in the 70s. People are trying opiates and now they are dead within three years unless they get clean. Fentanyl has shorted the life expectancy of an entire generation"

In other words, as individuals are cut off from prescription opioids, they are turning to street drugs. Rather than getting heroin, though, they have no idea what they're consuming. Dealers are pressing fake pills laced with fentanyl, and you can't even tell  and if the synthetic is present, well, it doesn't take much fentanyl to kill.

In fact, according to a recent public safety alert from the Drug Enforcement Administration, "DEA laboratory testing reveals a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing at least two milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a lethal dose. A deadly dose of fentanyl is small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil."

All of this equates to the drug version of Russian roulette. Every dose laced with fentanyl has the very real potential of being too much for the body to handle. This has naturally led to a massive spike in overdose rates.

Rubbing salt in the wound, many of the same pharma companies that helped to manufacture the ongoing tragedy are getting by very well as they create regulated opioid options such as Suboxone to "help" the addicts that they hurt in the first place. Alzate wonders if this is truly beneficial or we're just watching the entire crisis reboot itself from square one as consumers blindly trust their doctors who prescribe officially "sanctioned" opioids.

This is where United Recovery Project comes into the picture. The luxury drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in South Florida offers a better way to escape the chains of addiction. For URP, maintenance drugs are the absolute last resort and should only be associated with tapering addiction and managing withdrawal symptoms when necessary.

Instead, URP offers a safe environment to escape addiction entirely (rather than shift from one drug to another.) Its low client-to-staff ratio, hope-filled surroundings, and plethora of program options enables addicts to truly find the personalized help and encouragement that they need.

URP is aware of the cyclical destruction of prescription opioid drugs, and it's looking to rewrite the script. From its committed staff to its experienced CEO, the rehab center is offering a genuine way out for anyone struggling with substance abuse. The question that must be asked is when the pharmaceutical world will also wake up to the reality that replacing one drug with another never equates to long-term, sustainable recovery.

About United Recovery Project: URP was founded in 2016 in Hollywood, Florida. The addiction treatment program prides itself on offering an all-inclusive selection of programs that can be tailored to each client's needs. URP is in the process of expanding to other states as well, where it hopes to offer ongoing substance abuse help to those who need it as well as their loved ones. Learn more at unitedrecoveryproject.com.

Please direct inquiries to:

Lily Zupan

(954) 873-7255

[email protected]

SOURCE United Recovery Project
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamielynn M. Hanam-Jahr, DDS, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted Dentist for her exceptional work in the dental field.

Jamielynn M. Hanam-Jahr

Dr. Hanam-Jahr began her career working as a critical care nurse. After about four years, she switched career paths to a more detailed and artistic healthcare, pursuing dentistry instead. She has never regretted the switch, and takes pride in providing the best possible care for every patient in her practice. She is one of a select few dentists in the country who has advanced institute-level training in aesthetic dentistry. She loves seeing the incredible transformations people make when they feel confident about their new smile.

With twenty-six years in dental practice, Dr. Hanam-Jahr has helped patients with a wide range of issues. In her current capacity, she practices dentistry at her private practice, Beverly Hills Aesthetic Dentistry. She began practicing in 1995 and bought her first dental practice in 2001 and a second practice in 2017, both in Beverly Hills, California.

She believes in treating every patient with integrity and compassion, providing them with the comfort, function, and aesthetics they deserve. Services offered include teeth whitening, veneers, tooth-like fillings, orthodontic treatment, crowns, bridges, and implants. She sees patients of all ages, including children, and believes in providing extremely thorough, comfortable treatment.

She attended undergraduate school at Duquesne University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She then attended Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Dentistry, earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 1995. She is a graduate of the LSU Cosmetic Continuum and the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum live courses. She holds certifications in Standard Laser Proficiency from the Academy of Laser Dentistry, Invisalign, Six Month Smiles (Adult Cosmetic Orthodontics), Botox, dermal fillers for bruxism and orofacial pain/TMJ treatment from the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, Pinhole Surgical Technique, Lumineers, Snap-on Smile, and Dental Sleep Medicine.

She is an active member of the AACD, AAFE, ALD, AGD, ADA, CDA, LADS, AADSM, AAOSH, and Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity. She gives back to the community by donating dentistry to restore the smiles of domestic violence survivors in partnership with the Give Back A Smile Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry of which she has been a member since 1999.

In her time off, Dr. Hanam-Jahr enjoys cooking and listening to music. She plays 4 instruments and dedicates much of her free time to playing the piano. She is married and has two adult children and adopted pets.

For more information, please visit www.mybeverlyhillsdentist.com

Media Contact: Katherine Green

516-825-5634

[email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who

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SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to refinance its existing credit facility. The amended and restated credit agreement extends the maturity of its revolving credit facility to October 2026 from August 2024 and increases the facility's size to $2.0 billion from $1.75 billion. Lear initiated these financing actions to extend the maturity of its existing agreement, increase its financial flexibility and take advantage of attractive market conditions.

Lenders under the new credit agreement include JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., BofA Securities, Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, Citibank, N.A. and HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding anticipated financial results and liquidity. The words "will," "may," "designed to," "outlook," "believes," "should," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "forecasts" and similar expressions identify certain of these forward-looking statements. The Company also may provide forward-looking statements in oral statements or other written materials released to the public. All statements contained or incorporated in this press release or in any other public statements that address operating performance, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 2021, and its other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Future operating results will be based on various factors, including actual industry production volumes, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business and the global economy, supply chain disruptions, actual industry production volumes, commodity prices, the impact of restructuring actions and the Company's success in implementing its operating strategy.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update, amend or clarify them to reflect events, new information or circumstances occurring after the date hereof.

About Lear Corporation

Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 179 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation.

SOURCE Lear Corporation

Related Links

http://www.lear.com


Yoga and wellness expert Heidi Kristoffer has teamed up with California Almonds to show others how this small but mighty nut can easily be weaved into any wellness regimen. As a longtime fan of almonds herself, Kristoffer always carries one serving of almonds in her bag as they are her daily go-to snack for an extra pick-me-up. Almonds are a delicious, guilt-free daily snacking option with 7 essential vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that promotes skin health and supports immunity.

If you're looking for other ways to elevate your holistic wellness ritual, Kristoffer shares a few tips on how to infuse almonds and wellness into your life, whether you're heading into the office or enjoying a staycation:

Be flexible. Having a flexible mindset is key for a healthy lifestyle. Our lives are constantly being adjusted so being nimble and ready to pivot when needed is crucial. Give yourself permission to let go of control and learn how to adapt when curveballs are thrown your way. PLUS  as a mom to three kids, flexibility involves food too. When my schedule is extra busy and I don't have time for full meal, I keep almonds on-hand; they're the perfect on-the-go snack for me and my kids.



Having a flexible mindset is key for a healthy lifestyle. Our lives are constantly being adjusted so being nimble and ready to pivot when needed is crucial. Give yourself permission to let go of control and learn how to adapt when curveballs are thrown your way. PLUS  as a mom to three kids, flexibility involves food too. When my schedule is extra busy and I don't have time for full meal, I keep almonds on-hand; they're the perfect on-the-go snack for me and my kids. Self-care isn't selfish. In order to take care of others, we first must take care of ourselves. Never compromise your own mental or physical well-being for another's. If you have a breakdown, or break a part of you, how are you going to help the people that you so dearly want to help? Self-care isn't selfish; self-care actually helps you help more people (while helping yourself and reminding yourself that you too are worthy of your own love and affection). The airplane announcement got it right: put your oxygen mask on first.



In order to take care of others, we first must take care of ourselves. Never compromise your own mental or physical well-being for another's. If you have a breakdown, or break a part of you, how are you going to help the people that you so dearly want to help? Self-care isn't selfish; self-care actually helps you help more people (while helping yourself and reminding yourself that too are worthy of your own love and affection). The airplane announcement got it right: put oxygen mask on first. It's all about BALANCE. Wellness and health come down to being balanced. Some days you have time to make super healthy intricate recipes, and sometimes you don't. Be OK with simple meals and snacks on the go when you can't sit down for a multi-course meal made from scratch. I keep my almond tin with me at all times for just that reason. While almonds are beautiful in my humble opinion, not every meal and snack has to be Insta-worthy. B A L A N C E!

"We've all been trying to do our best this past year and a half. Between being a mom to three tiny humans, creating and releasing new content for my CrossFlow Yoga app every week, hosting my podcast, managing my other businesses, and practicing yoga regularly  my day-to-day can be quite a balancing act," said Heidi. "Considering this, I find it really helpful to have almonds within arm's reach to help satiate my hunger. Additionally, almonds are rich in magnesium, which aids in the production of energy in the body, to give me the stamina to take on the day," says Kristoffer.

The connection between daily movement and healthy eating is so vital to one's wellbeing. For Kristoffer, she loves to ground herself by staying active with yoga and allocating time for smart snacking on almonds as both empower her to feel phenomenal. She likes to remind others that choosing the right foods is essential as it plays a role in nourishing both the mind and body. A DIY trail mix with almonds or a smoothie with almond milk is an easy, delightful way to fuel up on protein and fiber to feel good throughout the day.

For more information and resources about California Almonds and Heidi Kristoffer's full list of tips to consider, please visit almonds.com.

About California Almonds

California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

About Heidi Kristoffer

Heidi Kristoffer is: mom to three tiny humans, her CrossFlow yoga app, and CrossFlowX, co-host of new hit "Off The Gram" podcast, Dr. Oz collaborator, creator and producer of Microsoft Bing Fitness Yoga & MSN Yoga, and wellness expert for, and contributor to, multiple publications and platforms. Her goal is to make yoga, inversions, health, strength, and whole, happy living accessible to everyone. Rated one of the: Hottest Trainers in America by Shape Magazine, most inspiring yoga teachers in the world by DoYouYoga, and most popular instructors in NYC by RateYourBurn and ClassPass, Heidi can often be seen featured as an expert on television and in magazines worldwide. A former award-winning actress of stage, film and television, and graduate of Cornell University, Heidi makes it her mission to bring happiness to everyone through every medium.

Contact:

Janie Le

[email protected]

SOURCE Almond Board of California
Mainstream Renewable Power-led consortium has been awarded 50% of the total allocation in the latest round of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)

Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) The win makes Mainstream Renewable Power the leading renewable energy company in South Africa , with over 2.1 GW awarded under the REIPPPP to date

, with over 2.1 GW awarded under the REIPPPP to date The twelve projects, across onshore wind and solar, will generate enough clean energy to power a third of the annual electricity demand of the City of Cape Town

DUBLIN and CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Global wind and solar company, Mainstream Renewable Power ("Mainstream"), today announces that twelve of its projects have won preferred bidder status in Round 5 of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The wind and solar projects, which have a total capacity of 1.27 GW, represent half of the total allocation in the Round, which was the most competitive to date, being almost 4 times oversubscribed.

The win makes Mainstream the most successful company in the history of the South African renewable energy procurement programme, with over 2.1 GW awarded to date. This includes 850 MW of wind and solar generation assets that Mainstream has already delivered into commercial operation across Rounds 1, 3 and 4 of the REIPPPP. Mainstream has achieved a number of firsts in the REIPPP including constructing South Africa's first self-build substation as well as bringing the first projects to financial close and to complete construction in Rounds 1, 3 and 4.

The Mainstream-led consortium, named "Ikamva" which means "the future" in Xhosa, will deliver six onshore wind projects and six solar PV projects, including the first REIPPPP project in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The consortium brings together a range of expertise, led by Mainstream's 100% African team of over a hundred professionals, and comprises Globeleq, Africa Rainbow Energy & Power, H1 Holdings and local community trusts.

As a result of this award Mainstream will double the size of its South African team and will be actively recruiting another 100 South Africans to support the engineering and construction of the 12 projects. This will make Mainstream the largest pure-play renewables employer in Africa.

The projects will produce approximately 4,500 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of green electricity each year, helping to avoid nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 per annum, once fully operational. They will provide South Africa with critical, low-cost, indigenous power and help deliver a just transition towards its clean energy and climate goals.

The win underpins Mainstream's strategy of building true scale across its global platforms, with the company's global portfolio now at 16.2 GW. It is the latest demonstration of Mainstream's accelerated growth trajectory following the 75% acquisition by Aker Horizons earlier in 2021, as well as the announcement of the new 1 GW Nazca Renovables platform in Chile in July.

Hein Reyneke, Mainstream's General Manager for Africa said:

"We are delighted to be chosen to contribute further to the decarbonisation of South Africa. It is a demonstration of faith in Mainstream's track record of efficient and reliable delivery not only here in South Africa but also internationally, where we are currently building ten wind and solar PV projects simultaneously, totalling 1.35 GW in Chile. Our latest win will deliver enormous social, economic and environmental benefits for South Africa."

Contact:

Emmet Curley, Head of Communications & Positioning

Phone: +353 86 2411 690

Email: [email protected]

Note to editors:

Project information:

Project Name Technology MW Province Municipality District Dwarsrug Wind 124 Northern Cape Hantam Namakwa Beaufort West Wind 140 Western Cape Prince Alfred Central Karoo Trakas Wind 140 Western Cape Prince Alfred Central Karoo Waaihoek Wind 140 KKwazulu-Natal Madlangeni Amajuba Sutherland Wind 140 Northern Cape Karoo Hoogland and Laingsburg Namakwa and Central Karoo Rietrug Wind 140 Northern Cape Karoo Hoogland Namakwa Kentani Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Leliehoek Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Klipfontein Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Klipfontein 2 Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Braklaagte Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Sonoblomo Solar PV 75 Free State Tokologo Lejweleputswa Total

1,274







Mainstream owns 100% of the projects awarded. At financial close, ownership will transfer to the equity consortium: Mainstream (25%), Globeleq (26%), Africa Rainbow Energy & Power (23.25%), H1 Holdings (23.25%) and Community Trusts (2.5%).

About Mainstream Renewable Power

Mainstream Renewable Power is a leading pure-play renewable energy company with a global footprint. The company is focused on expanding its high-quality pipeline of more than 16.2 Gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar assets across Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific as well as the global offshore wind sector. In May 2021, it closed an agreement for Aker Horizons to take a 75% equity stake in the company, enabling Mainstream to accelerate its global expansion plan.

Mainstream has delivered more than 6.5 GW of wind and solar assets to financial close-ready, and currently has over 1.4 GW (net) in construction across Latin America and Africa. In Chile, Mainstream's wholly-owned 1.35 GW "Andes Renovables Platform" of fully contracted wind and solar assets are on track to complete construction from later this year. In Africa, the company has delivered 850 MW of wind and solar assets into commercial operation in South Africa, and further, through its Lekela Power joint venture has 410 MW of wind assets in construction in Senegal and Egypt.

Mainstream is one of the most successful pure-play developers of offshore wind at scale globally. It has successfully consented Hornsea One (1.2 GW), the largest operational offshore wind plant in the world today; and developed the Hornsea 2 project (1.4 GW) before selling these projects and the entire Zone in 2015. Overall, it has developed and consented 20% of the UK's offshore wind capacity either in operation or under construction. Mainstream fully consented the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind project in Scotland, 450 MW, currently under construction. The company's Soc Trang 1.4 GW offshore wind development in Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's largest renewable energy developments.

Mainstream has raised more than EUR3.0bn in project finance to date and employs more than 420 staff across five continents.

www.mainstreamrp.com

SOURCE Mainstream Renewable Power
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Naikela Botanicals is a popular tea powder brand that is well-known for its natural, hand-picked, Hawaiian-grown products. Naikela's teas aren't simply a great tasting beverage, either. One of their biggest benefits comes from their adaptogenic herbal ingredients.

Adaptogens have been growing in popularity in health and wellness circles for a while now  and with good reason. The powerful concept refers to the ability of natural, herbal elements to calm bodily stress.

Adaptogens work to regulate the areas of the body that respond to stress. They do so by improving and prolonging the " phase of resistance " stage of stress while mitigating the "phase of exhaustion" period that typically follows. In other words, they work:

As a source to fight against fatigue;

As a neuroprotective agent that protects nerve cells;

As an antidepressant stimulant.

Ingesting adaptogens can be a great way to fight stress and improve the performance of the body and mind. They're also an important element in Naikela Botanical's five herbal tea powders.

The Hawaiian brand operates in North Shore, Kauai, where it grows all of its 100% natural herbs using its own one-of-a-kind permaculture style. The herbs are carefully handpicked and artisanally dried before the company's co-founder and chief herbal mixologist, Aaron Moeller, combines them into the brand's five unique tea powders.

Many of these herbs have distinctly adaptogenic qualities. Tulsi (also known as Holy Basil) is a known stress reliever, anxiety reducer, and anti-depressant. Turmeric enhances brain function and also helps ease depression. Ashwagandha is another excellent anxiety and stress reducer.

Each of Naikela's tea powders draws from a long list of proven herbal ingredients to deliver a pleasant beverage filled with water-soluble nutrients and packed with adaptogenic potency. These are as easy on the stomach as they are effective for the mind and body. This enables the products to deliver a delicious, health-infused punch to anything from a steaming cup of tea to its iced equivalent, a smoothie, or even an herbal or coffee latte.

Regardless of the medium, when mixed with a liquid, Naikela Botanical tea powders are able to deliver a potent dose of adaptogenic glory that has no equal, even in the well-saturated health and wellness industry.

About Naikela Botanicals: Naikela Botanicals is operated by Aaron Moeller. The herbal mixologist sustainably farms at Makanalani, a 131-acre agricultural property and nonprofit youth center on Kauai's North Shore. Learn more about both Naikela and Makanalani at naikela.com .

Please direct inquiries to:

Griffith Goad

(954) 673-7223

[email protected]

SOURCE Naikela Botanicals
KYOTO, Japan, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OMRON Corporation is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement for capital investment in Techman Robot, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Techman") based in Taoyuan, Taiwan, the world's second-largest producer of collaborative robots that work with people at manufacturing sites. OMRON will hold a stake of approximately 10% in Techman. The investment is expected to be completed by December 2021.

In recent years, the need for automation to mitigate labor shortages in the manufacturing sector has become a social issue. In addition, COVID-19 has posed new risks for workers working in close proximity. Under these circumstances, there is growing demand for collaborative robots that can safely work side by side with humans at manufacturing sites without safety barriers and can flexibly handle multiple tasks. At the same time, both safety and productivity must be assured to accelerate coexistence and coordination between humans and machines.

In 2018, OMRON entered into a strategic alliance with Techman to meet the increasing automation needs generated by labor shortages. Since then, Techman's "TM series" collaborative robots have been sold as a co-branded product globally through OMRON's distribution network. OMRON and Techman have also jointly developed the "Mobile Manipulator," a mobile work robot that combines OMRON's mobile robot and the "TM series," to realize manufacturing sites where humans and machines collaborate. Through the investment in Techman, OMRON aims to jointly develop innovative robot solutions that combine OMRON factory automation equipment with Techman's collaborative robots, ensuring both safety and productivity and offering a solution to the issue of labor shortages at manufacturing sites.

Junta Tsujinaga, Company President of Industrial Automation Business Company, commented on the investment intended to strengthen the OMRON-Techman alliance as follows. "The environment surrounding the manufacturing industry is changing significantly. Anticipating these changes, since 2016 OMRON has pursued advanced manufacturing with the unique value-generation concept 'innovative-Automation' to resolve issues that manufacturing sites face. We have focused on robot technology and market development since it acquired industrial robot maker Adept Technology Co., Ltd. in 2015. In 2018, we added Techman's collaborative robots to our product lineup. The strengthening our alliance with Techman at this time further pushes the evolution of collaboration between humans and machines in manufacturing. By strengthening collaborative robots, OMRON aims to create manufacturing sites where humans and machines collaborate and solve the issue of labor shortages. By utilizing automation technology cultivated at manufacturing sites, we will also actively pursue creating automation to address labor shortages beyond the manufacturing sector in the primary and tertiary sectors as well."

Dr. Shi-Chi Ho, the chairman of Techman Robot, said: "Techman Robot has penetrated the global market and successfully become the world's second-largest collaborative robot company since 2018. Under the alliance, Techman collaborative Robot has enhanced the reputation all over the world with OMRON, which helps achieve our company's mission of improving the lives of humans through innovation. We aim to close the gap for every business and create smart factory solutions for human-machine collaboration. We are delighted to deepen our longstanding relationship with OMRON through this collaboration, which is a significant opportunity for both companies, addressing the fast-growing gap in the market for the demanding need for smart manufacturing. We believe our partnership will open new innovative doors into the future. OMRON and Techman Robot will together deliver a highly flexible and scalable collaborative robot solution, assisting customers to easily and fully integrate collaborative robotics into smart manufacturing."

By strengthening its robotics business, OMRON aims to enable the creation of manufacturing sites that accelerate the realization of its "innovative-Automation" concept, benefiting its customers and enriching people's lives around the world.

About Collaborative Robots

https://industrial.omron.eu/en/products/collaborative-robots

About innovative-Automation:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202110262303-O1-M85It7W7.pdf

About OMRON Corporation:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202110262303-O2-55kMM1z9.pdf

About Techman Robot Inc.:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202110262303-O3-2CSdUTm9.pdf

SOURCE OMRON Corporation

Related Links

http://www.omron.com


GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Onion Global Limited (NYSE: OG) ("Onion Global" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into securities purchase agreements with certain institutional and accredited investors to raise in a private placement gross proceeds of approximately US$25 million. Under the terms of the private placement, the Company will sell and issue to the investors 472,583 Class A ordinary shares and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,725,830 American Depositary Shares of the Company (the "ADSs"), at a purchase price of US$5.30 per 0.1 of a Class A ordinary share and associated warrant. The warrants will have a term of three and one-half years, will be exercisable immediately upon issuance, and will have an exercise price of US$5.30 per ADS. Each Class A ordinary share represents ten ADSs.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the private placement for working capital and general corporate purposes. The closing of the private placement is expected to occur on or about November 2, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The offer and sale of the foregoing securities are being made in a transaction not involving a public offering and the securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws.

Under an agreement with the investors, the Company agreed to file an initial registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") covering the resale of the Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the investors (including the ADSs underlying the warrants) no later than 30 days and to use best efforts to have the registration statement declared effective as promptly as practical thereafter, and in any event no later than 90 days in the event of a "full review" by the SEC.



This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

About Onion Global

Onion Global Limited (NYSE: OG) is a next-generation lifestyle brand platform that incubates, markets and distributes the world's fresh, fashionable and future brands, which we refer to as "3F brands," to young people in China and across Asia. The Company's mission is to be the dream factory of lifestyle brands for young people. The Company's platform offers an integrated solution to develop, market and distribute new and inspiring branded products, thereby reshaping the lifestyle shopping and consumer culture in China. Onion Global Limited has been listed on New York Stock Exchange since May 2021.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the completion of the private placement, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the private placement, the intended use of net proceeds from the private placement, as well as the Company's beliefs and expectations, the Company's forecasts, general observation of the industry and business outlook, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including market and other conditions. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "anticipates," "target," "aim," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "potential," "estimates" "continue," "is/are likely to," or other similar statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Onion Global's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Onion Global does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact

In China:

Onion Global Ltd.

Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

Christensen

Mr. Eric Yuan

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +86-10-5900-1548

In United States:

Christensen

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +1-480-614-3004

SOURCE Onion Global Limited

Related Links

http://ir.msyc.com/


NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Elevation Gold Mining Corporation (TSX-V: ELVT;OTCQX: NHVCF), a Canadian based exploration and mining company focused on gold production from its Moss Mine in north western Arizona, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Elevation Gold Mining Corporation upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

Elevation Gold Mining Corporation begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "NHVCF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

"Elevation Gold is pleased to graduate to the OTCQX as it continues to produce gold from its Moss Mine in north western Arizona. The Moss Mine has been in continuous production since 2018," Michael Allen, President of Elevation Gold.

Nauth LPC acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor.

About Elevation Gold Mining Corporation

Northern Vertex Mining Corp. is a Canadian based exploration and mining company focused on the development of the Moss Gold-Silver Project in NW Arizona, USA. The Company comprises an experienced management team with a strong background in all aspects of acquisition, exploration, development, operations and financing of precious metal mining projects. The Moss Project is a low strip ratio, heap leach, open pit project and is being advanced under a three phase business plan, specifically designed to ensure that technical, economic and permitting requirements are met prior to each phase proceeding.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.otcmarkets.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The officers of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, President Rick Bloomingdale, and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder issued statements on Thursday in support of the Scranton Federation of Teachers Local 1147, who has announced its decision to strike next Wednesday, November 3, 2021.

"These educators are standing up for their students and their community. They have been fighting for a fair contract that values teachers and paraprofessionals and provides educational resources for Scranton's children for too long. The union members of the Scranton Federation of Teachers are standing up for their community, and the labor movement stands with them," stated President Bloomingdale.

"Teachers and educators are essential workers who put themselves on the line throughout this pandemic to serve our children. The school district's response is to cut funding for students and schools, deepening inequality and denying access to quality education. It's time to invest in education, not austerity cuts," remarked Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder.

SOURCE PA AFL-CIO

Related Links

www.paaflcio.org


MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As a CFO, COO and Executive Director of Kogan.com, David brings a wealth of experience to guide and advise the Pepperstone Group as it focuses on its next trajectory of growth. Prior to joining Kogan.com, David was a Senior Associate lawyer at Arnold Bloch Leibler. David holds a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Melbourne. David is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

"We are pleased to formally welcome David to Pepperstone. He will provide the board with invaluable advice on its future growth plans. David's experience in growing Kogan from its inception into a leading e-commerce brand in Australia and New Zealand, provides us with a fantastic pedigree in helping to advise us on our direction and focus. I have known David for a number of years and he is a highly intelligent and capable business leader. I look forward to working with him" said Tamas Szabo, Pepperstone's Group Chief Executive Officer.

"I am excited to join Pepperstone at its current stage of growth where it has transitioned from a very successful Melbourne headquartered start-up founded in 2010 into a large global brand that it is today. There are very exciting plans ahead for the business where I hope my advice and support will provide some help in its future direction," said David Shafer.

About Pepperstone

Established in 2010, Pepperstone has grown to become an award-winning online global forex and CFD broker known for delivering exceptional client service and award-winning funding and withdrawals to tens of thousands of clients around the world. Pepperstone has subsidiaries across the globe and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec), the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA).

Pepperstone Group - Learn More >>>

SOURCE Pepperstone Group

Related Links

https://pepperstone.com/en-au/


The proposed MPAs for East Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the Weddell Sea would protect 3.8 million square kilometers (1,467,188 square miles) of the Southern Ocean, making a significant contribution toward the goal of safeguarding 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 while protecting critical foraging and breeding grounds of species found nowhere else on the planet. They would also help ecosystems throughout the region build resilience to a changing climate.

CCAMLR members also agreed to extend the regulation that spreads out the amount of krill that is allowed to be caught across smaller management unitsreducing the impact of concentrated fishing on krill-dependent predators like penguins, seals, and whales. This is a temporary solution while CCAMLR continues to work on a new regulation that will protect against irreversible impacts on the ecosystem. These impacts are expected to increase as climate change affects the region and krill fishing expands in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Andrea Kavanagh, director of Antarctic and Southern Ocean work with The Pew Charitable Trusts, issued the following statement:

"In the 10 years since the East Antarctic MPA was proposed, we've watched the impacts of climate change in real time. The evidence is mounting that resilience in the region is needed now.

"The addition of India, South Korea, Ukraine, Norway, and Uruguay as co-sponsors of the East Antarctic and Weddell Sea MPA proposals prior to this year's annual meeting was a positive sign that progress was possible. CCAMLR must act as steward of the Southern Oceanand fulfill its commitment to establish a circumpolar network of MPAs.

"We're pleased that consensus was reached to extend a krill fishing regulation, which aims to protect krill predators from overly concentrated fishing. But we know from recent science that this measure alone isn't enough to keep the ecosystem healthy around the Antarctic Peninsula, which is warming faster than any other place on the planet. Given the warming and acidifying waters and the projected increase in fishing in coming years, we urge CCAMLR to work quickly to finalize a permanent solution that ensures enough krill is left in the ocean for animals like penguins, seals, and whales that depend on it."

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Learn more at pewtrusts.org.

Barb Cvrkel, 202-510-5670, [email protected]

SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts

Related Links

www.pewtrusts.org


DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Global Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF) 2021, MENARDO G. JIMENEZ, General Manager of PLDT's Home Broadband Services, shared his ideas about how E2E fiber digitalization promotes service growth.

Currently, the fixed communications industry is experiencing explosive growth, and broadband has become a necessity for people in the Philippines. The market competition is increasingly fierce, and more and more competitors are emerging. At the same time, PLDT is experiencing the transition period of using both new and old devices and platforms. As the No. 1 FBB company in the Philippines, PLDT has proposed three ambitious goals in this challenging era: 1. Stay ahead of the market via stronger and robust analytics and planning. 2. Outpace the competition through faster and more efficient rollout and operations. 3. Improve customer experience through automation, simplification, and intelligence.

MENARDO believes that the Golden City Project in cooperation with Huawei can promote the development of home services and help PLDT quickly achieve the goals. This project uses Huawei's E2E digital solution to ensure home broadband services in terms of precise planning, efficient construction, fast service provisioning, and customer experience management.

Digital planning enables reasonable coverage and accurate planning: The Agile Digital Operation solution is used for online planning, insight into competitors, precision marketing, and intelligent sales, helping PLDT develop a three-to five-year growth plan, avoid repeated construction, improve HC efficiency, shorten the HC distance, and maintain the leading position in the market.

Quick ODN easily merges into existing architecture to accelerate the FTTH rollout: Huawei's Quick ODN solution seamlessly integrates with the existing network architecture and does not require fiber splicing in the entire network construction process, greatly reducing labor costs. In addition, the LCP and NAP installation time is shortened from 40 minutes to 10 minutes, reducing CAPEX by 15%.

Digital ODN enables fast service provisioning and precise fault locating: In a traditional solution, tests show that 50% of NAP ports are wasted, and the average weak optical power is 3.53%. The comprehensive Digital ODN solution can accurately analyze the port loss and usage to guide service configuration. In addition, AI analysis can be used to remotely rectify faults in real time.

Service SLA increases home network value and ARPU: ONTs with the service acceleration function are used to intelligently identify and accelerate education, gaming, video, and home office services that have high requirements on home networks. In addition, Wi-Fi Sense makes Wi-Fi visible, manageable, and maintainable, reducing the home visit rate by 30% and improving customer experience.

At the end of his speed, MENARDO said, "Our ambition is to provide each home with the best quality broadband, Every Filipino family deserves. And our partnership with Huawei is definitely a step in that direction. We look forward to the outcome of our pilot test called the Golden City. And with the help of E2E fiber digitalization, we will be able to solve all the challenges of PLDT during this time of transition and during this time of escalating broadband requirements and escalating competition."

SOURCE UBBF
TAIPEI, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- World-leading solid-state battery (SSB) maker ProLogium Technology announced the completion of a US$326 million financing round.

The investment will strengthen and accelerate ProLogium's focus on supplying OEMs for high-performing, safe and affordable EV batteries and accelerate the provision of SSB solutions for ProLogium's EV strategic partners internationally.

dGav Capital managed fund New Epoch Capital LP, Primavera managed fund Carna Investments Holding Limited, and SBCVC managed fund SBCVC Navitas Limited all participated in the round. The funding raised will be invested in the development of mass production facilities for ProLogium SSBs and to implement the company's global plant expansion plans. The funds will be deployed to expand production capacity in Asia, Europe and the US between 2023 and 2025 to supply the local demands of the major OEMs with high-quality EV batteries. This will accelerate the provision of SSB solutions for ProLogium's EV strategic partners.

Vincent Yang, ProLogium Founder and CEO, said: "We thank our existing shareholders dGav Capital and SBCVC for their continued investment, and our latest investor Primavera Capital for their support to solidify our global market lead in the mass production and commercialization of SSBs. The battery is the heart of an EV and only ProLogium SSBs can guarantee their optimum safety and performance. Working with top OEMs worldwide, we will accelerate the time to market for SSB-powered EVs within 2-3 years."

ProLogium Technology has prioritized cutting-edge sustainability for more than 15 years in its product innovation and design. Its patented manufacturing processes consume around an eighth of the energy required to produce a regular sulfide SSB. The company's solid electrolyte is 100% recyclable and can be reused for creating new battery cell. As ProLogium Technology becomes the first to mass produce ceramic SSBs internationally, the expansion of its smart factory capacity will be the next step to ensure long-term sustainable growth while meeting a boom in market demand for ProLogium's high performance, low cost, recyclable battery technology.

Leo Chen, Managing Partner of dGav Capital, said: "We have witnessed the remarkable progress and innovation made by ProLogium in the area of SSBs for EVs, from research and development, the pilot line, and now all the way through to mass production. We are pleased to invest in ProLogium again, and we have tremendous confidence in ProLogium. With the rapid development of EVs and the lack of quality EV batteries in the market, we hope to see ProLogium and its strategic partners lead the growth of EV industry in the next decade. The commercialization of the highly safe, reliable and energy dense SSBs will help the automotive industry further its technological innovations and the electrification transition."

Alejandro Agag, an investor at the dGav Capital managed fund New Epoch Capital LP, said: "Finding the next battery technology will an industry breakthrough with the potential to change the world, just like the silicon semiconductor. Solid state will make that change and ProLogium will be at the front of that amazing revolution." Alejandro is also the Founder and Chairman of Formula E and Founder and CEO of Extreme E.

Fred Hu, Chairman of Primavera Capital, said: "We are pleased to invest in ProLogium's latest round of financing and to see the company grow. Carbon neutrality is central to Primavera Capital's long-term investment strategy and the SSB is a key element of these plans. With better safety and higher energy density, SSBs could be a main driver for the EV industry transition and large-scale commercialization. ProLogium is an industry innovator with world-leading technologies and a highly experienced management team. The future of mobility will be characterized by net zero; it will also be more intelligent and safer. We look forward to working with ProLogium in realizing this vision and meeting the challenges of global climate change."

Chauncey Shey, Managing Partner of SBCVC, said: "SBCVC has been investing in ProLogium Technology since 2012 and has seen ProLogium through its technical advances along the way. Based on its core technologies, ProLogium has made technological breakthroughs in multiple dimensions and reached maturity in its business model. More than ever, we are convinced the company will achieve great success in the EV battery space. ProLogium's innovative core technologies will ensure battery safety and lead the global battery industry revolution."

About ProLogium

ProLogium Technology (PLG) is a global leader in high-performing, safe and affordable battery technologies in vehicle, consumer and industry applications. Founded 15 years ago in Taiwan, ProLogium is the world's first company to successfully develop, mass produce, and commercialize the solid-state lithium ceramic battery (SSB)  an essential component in the global energy transition to Net Zero.

For further information about ProLogium, please visit the company website: https://prologium.com/

SOURCE ProLogium

Related Links

https://prologium.com/


TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 400 constituents of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) will convene in Tampa, Florida on October 31-November 3 for the Tenth Annual Conference of the NAI.

The theme of the meeting is "Look Back, Think Forward: Framing the Future of Innovation," and the program features presentations on topics such as Counterfeit Electronic Identification, AI Emerging Technologies, and Financing Inventions.

Moderna co-founder, Director, National Science Foundation, and NASA Astronaut and National Science Board Chair To Speak at NAI's Tenth Annual Meeting in Tampa

The conference will feature insights from Panchanathan Sethuraman, Director of the National Science Foundation; Robert Langer, Co-Founder of Moderna; George Smith, Nobel Laureate, Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri; Ellen Ochoa, Chair, National Science Board and former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center; Ming Hsieh, Founder Fulgent Genetics; James Howard, Executive Director Black Inventors Hall of Fame; Cato T. Laurencin, Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut and Paul R. Sanberg, NAI President. Presenters include NAI members and Fellows as well as university leaders, government officials, and industry innovators.

"The Annual Meeting of the NAI is a convergence of top inventors and leaders from around the world gathered to share their wealth of knowledge and invite new perspectives," said Paul R. Sanberg, President of the NAI. "This year we meet to explore many timely imperatives that are critical to our future. I look forward to three days of learning from and with our attendees and honoring the outstanding achievements of our members."

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the NAI will conclude with the induction of two classes of new Fellows on November 3, 2021. David Kappos, former USPTO Director, will deliver the keynote address.

The NAI has 1,403 NAI Fellows who represent over 275 institutions worldwide. Collectively, they hold more than 42,000 issued U.S. patents, which have generated more than 13,000 licensed technologies and created more than 19.5 million jobs. In addition, discoveries made by NAI Fellows have generated over $3 trillion in revenue.

The National Academy of Inventors was founded at the University of South Florida in 2010 at the USF Research Park. President Rhea Law will be presenting the conference welcome.

A detailed agenda is available here.

About the National Academy of Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org

Media Contact:

Jody Santoro, National Academy of Inventors

[email protected]

+1-813-974-0782

SOURCE National Academy of Inventors
HAINES CITY, Fla., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Florida, LP, a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), is pleased to announce that it recently purchased and closed on 82 homesites in Haines City.

The Fraser plan is one of six Richmond American floor plans that will be offered at the new Haines City community.

The land will become Seasons at Forest Creek, a new Polk County community the company plans to open for sales by the summer of 2022. Among other amenities, the neighborhood will offer two children's playgrounds, generous yards and six floor plans from our sought-after Seasons Collection, boasting the open, inviting layouts and designer details today's homebuyers are seeking.

Everyone who builds a brand-new Richmond American home from the ground up will have the opportunity to meet with a professional design consultant to choose colors, textures, finishes and fixtures for their new living spaces. This complimentary design consultation (RichmondAmerican.com/HomeDesignFlorida) takes place at the builder's Home Gallery, a one-of-a-kind showroom where buyers can select even the smallest details, like doorknobs and drawer pulls, to help ensure that their new abode is anything but cookie-cutter.

Call 407.287.6285 or visit RichmondAmerican.com for more information. View health and safety updates at RichmondAmerican.com/COVID-19.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 210,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

www.richmondamerican.com


DETROIT, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Mortgage , America's largest mortgage lender and a part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), today announced a partnership with Salesforce to make the company's mortgage origination technology available to banks, credit unions and other financial institutions nationwide through Salesforce Financial Services Cloud.

"Today's news displays what is possible with the Rocket platform and the technology that powers it. This will be the first time a home lender will provide an end-to-end 'mortgage-as-a-service' solution through Salesforce Financial Services Cloud  a platform that thousands of financial institutions already heavily rely on," said Jay Farner, Vice Chairman and CEO of Rocket Companies. "We recognize the important and personal role local banks and credit unions play with so many Americans  they have a trusted relationship with their customers. Financial institutions can now combine those relationships they've already established, while leveraging Rocket Mortgage's transformational platform powered by Rocket technology."

The market opportunity is significant, as there are nearly 5,000 FDIC-insured banks and more than 5,000 credit unions in the U.S. While some have highly specialized mortgage operations, most have disparate partners and technology vendors that handle home loans for them. Through this partnership, Rocket Mortgage plans to deploy its technology in Salesforce Financial Services Cloud regardless of how the financial institution chooses to offer mortgages, simplifying a potentially fragmented process.

This partnership builds on Rocket Companies' existing relationship as a Salesforce customer. Currently, the company leverages Salesforce Financial Services Cloud and Marketing Cloud to serve as a single source of truth for their customer data on an engagement platform, tailored to real estate and lending. Rocket Companies knows firsthand the value that integrating with Salesforce technology can provide and how it can improve the client experience.

If financial institutions have licensed mortgage loan officers they will be able to use Rocket Mortgage's technology, directly in Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, as their Point-Of-Sale (POS) and loan origination system (LOS), to provide a simple client experience to home buyers and those refinancing their mortgage. Even more importantly, financial institutions will, in many instances, be able to offer home loans without the need for underwriters, processors, compliance or closing teams since Rocket Mortgage will handle all the processing after the financial institution's loan officer advises the client on their mortgage options and helps them complete the application.

"We're incredibly proud to expand our partnership with Jay Farner and his team at Rocket Mortgage with new innovations for the financial services industry," said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce. "Together, we are reimagining the mortgage experience for a digital-first and trust-first world, transforming the home buying process for thousands of financial institutions and their customers."

Financial Services Cloud helps financial institutions deliver quality service through automation, integration, intelligence and pre-built processes. This technology helps financial institutions better understand how clients interact with branches, ATMs and digital properties  giving organizations a 360-degree view of their relationships to learn how they can better assist their customers. By integrating Rocket Mortgage with Financial Services Cloud, financial institutions will have the tools to help them curate personalized client experiences without the need to staff up through the entire home loan process, from application to closing.

"The value of Financial Services Cloud aligns with the mission of Rocket Companies  to use innovative technology to build and deepen relationships with customers to help them achieve their goals faster," said Eran Agrios, SVP and GM, Financial Services at Salesforce. "This new offering from Rocket Mortgage shows how Financial Services Cloud will help reimagine mortgage-as-a-service with an application, origination and loan services experience, tailored for our financial services customers."

This new offering will enable Rocket Mortgage to increase market share while giving financial institutions flexibility in the products they offer. Rocket Mortgage plans to help make the home buying experience better for all, throughout every community, by integrating with Salesforce.

Rocket Mortgage has ranked highest in client Satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination by J.D. Power for 11 straight years, 2010 through 2020. A driver of that award is the company's mortgage technology, with Rocket Mortgage leading in every category that makes up the total satisfaction score.

Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this document are 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. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements reflect our views with respect to future events as of the date of this document and are based on our management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, assumptions, beliefs and information. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this document. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risk factors that are described under the section titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document and in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Salesforce, Financial Services Cloud and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

About Rocket Mortgage

Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage, a part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT) and, the nation's largest home mortgage lender, enables the American Dream of homeownership and financial freedom through its obsession with innovating an industry-leading, digital-driven client experience. Rocket Mortgage closed $320 billion dollars of mortgage volume across all 50 states in 2020. In late 2015, it introduced the first fully digital, completely online mortgage experience. Currently, 99% of all home loans originated by the company utilize Rocket Mortgage technology.

Rocket Mortgage moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix and operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit. Rocket Mortgage ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for the past 11 consecutive years, 2010  2020, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past eight years, 2014  2021.

Rocket Companies, ranked #5 on Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2021 and has placed in the top third of the list for 18 consecutive years. The company employs 26,000 full-time team members nationwide.

For more information and company news visit RocketMortgage.com/PressRoom

SOURCE Rocket Mortgage

Related Links

http://www.rocketmortgage.com


NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SeriousFun Children's Network (SeriousFun), a non-profit which provides exceptional camp, in-hospital, and at-home programs for kids living with serious illness and their families, recently partnered with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct a first-of-its-kind study that examined the influence and lasting impact of residential camp participation for alumni campers of SeriousFun camps around the world. The study explored personal, social, and health-related outcomes that are influenced by SeriousFun camps; elements of the camp and camper's experiences that affect those outcomes; and whether outcomes were affected by frequency of attendance or demographic characteristics of attendees.

SeriousFun, founded by legendary actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, is made up of 30 camps and programs around the world that help children living with serious medical conditions and their families reach beyond illness to discover joy, confidence, and new possibilities. The only organization of its kind to serve children living with more than 50 medical conditions  including cancer, blood disorders, immunological conditions, neurological conditions, and more  SeriousFun offers children and families the opportunity to escape the everyday demands of hospital visits, doctor appointments, and treatments to experience an unparalleled opportunity for belonging and accomplishment.

Study data were gathered between January and March 2021 through online surveys administered to SeriousFun alumni, who reported their outcomes and the extent to which they attributed these outcomes to participation in SeriousFun camps. More than 2,200 SeriousFun alumni, ranging in ages from 17-30, from 16 camps and eight countries (France, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States) took part in the survey, the largest study ever carried out by SeriousFun Children's Network.

More than 80% of alumni reported that their SeriousFun camp experience played a major role in their development of lasting outcomes, which they used in their everyday adolescent and adult lives including:

Willingness to try new things (90% of respondents)

Appreciation of diversity (88%)

Self-identity (86%)

Empathy and compassion (86%)

Self-confidence (85%)

Perseverance (84%)

Friendship skills (82%)

"Since my dad opened the first camp in 1988, SeriousFun camps and programs have delivered more than 1.4 million experiences to kids living with serious illnesses and their families around the world, totally free of charge. At camp, kids get the opportunity to discover and enjoy aspects of their childhood and self-discovery that they often miss out on as a result of their medical condition," said Clea Newman, SeriousFun Ambassador and Paul Newman's youngest daughter. "The findings from our study with the American Institutes for Research reflect the positive impact that SeriousFun has had on its campers both in the United States and around the world for more than three decades. Camp can help shape our campers' self-identity, empathy, and perseverance so they can live the fullest lives imaginable."

According to the study, all types of campers, representing diverse demographic backgrounds, benefitted from their experience at SeriousFun. Demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, education, gender, employment status, and medical diagnosis, had little to no bearing on the perceptions of alumni about the influence of camp on outcomes.

SeriousFun's camps and programs around the world have continued to flourish, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Camp teams have continued to innovate and create opportunities for children and their families to engage  through increased virtual at-home offerings, or in-person sessions in smaller groups.

The study was supported by a Global CSR Program grant from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

About Serious Fun's Network

SeriousFun Children's Network is a global community of 30 camps and programs serving children with serious illnesses and their families, always free of charge. Following the founding of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp by Paul Newman in 1988, he and other like-hearted individuals opened similar camps around the world, ultimately joining together to form SeriousFun Children's Network. Thanks to a shared vision and collective contributions, the Network has evolved to become the leader in the field of medical specialty camps, delivering more than 1.4 million life-changing experiences to children and families from more than 50 countries. Each member camp is an independent, not-for-profit organization dependent upon private funding to serve all children at no cost to their families. To learn more about SeriousFun, visit www.seriousfun.org .

CONTACT:

FINN Partners

Jasmine Hampton

[email protected]

(212)-561-7486

SOURCE SeriousFun Childrens Network
MORRISVILLE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SilverSky, a cybersecurity innovator offering powerful managed detection and response (MDR) services, today announced that ITOCHU International, Inc., the North American flagship company of Tokyo-based ITOCHU Corporation, has signed an agreement to invest $31.5 million in SilverSky.

Significantly bolstering SilverSky's ability to scale its operations worldwide, the ITOCHU investment broadens the company's access to the Japanese market as well as all of APAC. Additionally, ITOCHU is set to leverage SilverSky's service capabilities to improve the cybersecurity programs of its around 290 subsidiary companies around the globe.

Founded in 1858, ITOCHU Corporation invests in a vast array of businesses and stands as one of Japan's largest "sogo shosha" (general trading companies). It's involved in information and communications technology as well as textiles, machinery, metals, minerals, energy, chemicals, food, realty and finance, among others. In 2020, Berkshire Hathaway announced a 5 percent stake in ITOCHU.

"ITOCHU International's investment in SilverSky underscores the power of our state-of the-art MDR services and arms us with notable channels and resources for significant growth," said Richard Dobrow, CEO at SilverSky. "We're looking forward to working with ITOCHU to vastly expand not only in Japan, but also throughout the Asia-Pacific market."

"For ITOCHU, SilverSky represents a great investment opportunity in the market, as its MDR solutions are well positioned to scale quickly around the world," said Mitsuru Claire Chino, President and CEO at ITOCHU International Inc. "This investment also allows ITOCHU subsidiary companies and customers access to an MDR solution that is simple, affordable and accessible  helping them combat an ever increasing cybersecurity threat landscape. We look forward to working closely with the SilverSky team to continue to grow the business and reinforce its stance as a go-to expert for easily improving an organization's security posture."

The agreement is subject to clearance by the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021.

About SilverSky

Medium-sized enterprises face the same cybersecurity threats, compliance mandates, and business risk as Fortune 500 companies. SilverSky is a leader in enabling these companies to meet regulatory requirements, proactively respond to threats, and rapidly reduce risk. State-of-the-art MDR services are delivered through their SOCs, which were developed based on military-grade security, and are powered by the latest integrated technology. SilverSky has more than 20 years of operational success defending thousands of customers in some of the most demanding industry sectors. Visit www.silversky.com.

SOURCE SilverSky

Related Links

silversky.com


A total of 3 exhibition areas, including the China-Korea Industrial Park Image Area, China-Korea Trade Exhibition Area and Investment Area, are set up on the site, with a scale of nearly 30,000 square meters, with 105 booths and 121 exhibiting companies, including Siemens, SK, DYK, Lafarge and other top 500 companies in the world, as well as South Korea's Haesung Semiconductor, IA and other industry top 10 companies.

Yancheng and South Korea are close neighbors, separated by a strip of water. Yancheng is the city where Jiangsu and South Korea have the closest cooperation and the most concentrated Korean-funded enterprises. The joint construction of a China-Korea Industrial Park is an important content of the initiative of the leaders of China and South Korea and China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. On June 1, 2015, the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement was signed, and Yancheng was identified as a local cooperation city.



To deepen the economic and trade exchanges between China and South Korea, Yancheng began bidding for the China-Korea Trade and Investment Expo at the end of 2018, and successfully held the 1st CKTIE in 2019, and the 2nd CKTIE in 2020, continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of exchanges and cooperation with South Korea. In the previous two expos, the total number of exhibitors and participants exceeded 50,000, the turnover of trade intentions was nearly 3.5 billion dollars, 167 industrial projects were signed, and the total investment exceeded 140 billion.



Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=405797

Caption: The opening ceremony

SOURCE The Organizing Committee of China-Korea Trade and Investment Expo
BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Snyk , the leader in developer security, today announced they have agreed to acquire CloudSkiff , creators of the leading open source tool for drift detection, driftctl .

One of today's greatest challenges in an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) managed infrastructure environment is the ability to effectively identify discrepancies as they happen. driftctl catches drift outside of a developer's infrastructure code, filling in a crucial missing element of a comprehensive DevSecOps toolbox. The acquisition to acquire CloudSkiff now enables the global Snyk team to accelerate adding these enhanced drift detection capabilities to Snyk IaC , while also continuing to encourage and facilitate the open source development of driftctl.

The Snyk Developer Security Platform empowers both development and security teams to innovate securely by leveraging cloud native technologies like containers and IaC. Snyk helps these developers create secure configurations, and with the addition of these new drift detection capabilities, coverage is now expanded to close the infrastructure drift blind spots that can creep in after deployment. Static IaC tests alone cannot detect these post-deployment changes and developers are unable to secure what they cannot detect.

Empowering developers to own and fix these issues is critical as over half of today's applications include some form of IaC1. driftctl effectively closes these gaps for IaC engineers and immediately extends Snyk IaC's capabilities in significant ways, including:

Scanning Cloud Environments: in order to detect differences between the intended configuration represented by IaC, and the actual state; and,

Identifying Unmanaged Resources: resources that are unmanaged in the IaC code base to determine what then needs to be managed or deleted.

Moreover, the CloudSkiff team brings to Snyk a wealth of domain expertise, having successfully built an open source tool with an engaged, continually growing community over the course of the last year. The team's deep expertise promises to further accelerate new Snyk IaC features beyond just drift in 2021 and beyond.

Snyk is fully committed to maintaining driftctl as an open source tool moving forward. The full transparency of the work on driftctl, including live coding and demonstration sessions as well as the community interaction on key issues in GitHub and on Discord will successfully continue as Snyk recognizes that the recent growth of IaC tools has largely been due to the contributions of the active IaC community.

"We recognize the team powering driftctl as the ultimate experts in the widely acknowledged issues associated with infrastructure drift," said Peter McKay, CEO, Snyk. "We're excited that millions of developers worldwide will now have access to an IaC product that combines these increased infrastructure drift capabilities with the power of the comprehensive Snyk platform. We're particularly thrilled to welcome the active driftctl community into the Snyk family, and will continue to actively develop driftctl as an open source tool."

"CloudSkiff's employees are thrilled to become Snykers, and we're confident that our founding mission  helping the world's developers gain control over their cloud deployments  remains intact, growing exponentially with the size of this new opportunity," said Stephane Jourdan, CTO & Founder, CloudSkiff. "We admire all that the Snyk team has accomplished to date, and look forward to playing an important role in this next phase of the company's journey. Together, we'll empower millions more of the world's developers to build securely."

The acquisition of CloudSkiff is Snyk's fourth since October 2020, following the successful purchases of FossID , Manifold and DeepCode . This latest corporate development comes on the heels of the company's September 2021 announcements of over $600 million in Series F investment .

Supporting Resources

About Snyk

Snyk is the leader in developer security. We empower the world's developers to build secure applications and equip security teams to meet the demands of the digital world. Our developer-first approach ensures organizations can secure all of the critical components of their applications from code to cloud, leading to increased developer productivity, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, cost savings and an overall improved security posture. Snyk's Developer Security Platform automatically integrates with a developer's workflow and is purpose-built for security teams to collaborate with their development teams. Snyk is used by 1,200 customers worldwide today, including industry leaders such as Asurion, Google, Intuit, MongoDB, New Relic, Revolut and Salesforce.

Snyk is recognized on the Forbes Cloud 100 2021 , the 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50 and was named a Visionary in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for AST .

###

____________________ 1 Snyk Report: State of Cloud Native Application Security 2021

SOURCE Snyk

Related Links

https://snyk.io/


GLASGOW, Scotland, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While the world's leaders gather in Glasgow to discuss the global effort to fight climate change, the Solar Impulse Foundation and Bertrand Piccard will be there presenting them new tools to enable them to adopt more ambitious environmental policies. These tools are the result of five years of searching, analyzing, and promoting more than 1300 products, processes, and services that protect the environment in a profitable way.

To search through all these solutions, the Foundation launches the Solutions Explorer. It offers a one-of-a-kind search engine that showcases climate solutions from all over the world which are part of an ever-growing, curated, and publicly accessible database. Businesses, public authorities, and individuals can navigate the Solutions Explorer to help them work towards their climate objectives in a cost-competitive and profitable manner. Its filtering tool enables Solutions to be selected based on sectors, clients, applications, environmental benefits, and technologies. It allows the user to discover new and efficient ways of producing, consuming, and valuing resources.

Bertrand Piccard, Chairman and Founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation, says, "Now that we have achieved the challenge of selecting 1000 solutions as announced at COP22 in Marrakech 5 years ago, I am coming to COP26 with a suitcase full of efficient, clean and profitable climate solutions and the tools to place them in the hands of decision-makers in government and business. With this, I want to convince them that raising ambitions does not represent an unmanageable risk but rather an economic opportunity to be taken with audacity. The good news is that the technologies exist and they are just waiting to be implemented."

To highlight the potential of the Solutions Explorer and to pay tribute to the hosting country of COP26, the Solar Impulse Foundation created a Solutions Guide addressed to the Scottish Government. The Solutions Guide looks at the Scottish context  its environmental and economic situation  and puts forward a selection of technologies from the Solution Explorer that could help the country reach its ambitious environmental objectives and to do so in a way that improves the quality of life of its citizens.

The Foundation offers Solutions Guides also to non-governmental decision-makers, such as industry representatives and corporations. As part of Solutions Guide for the Scottish Government, the Solar Impulse Foundation presents a case study on the local Scotch whisky industry as a key business in Scotland's economy. It focuses on The Glenmorangie Company , a brand within the LVMH Group , demonstrating how the Scotch whisky industry could successfully transition towards its declared objective to reach net-zero by 2040.

Going beyond the portfolio of 1000+ clean and profitable solutions, Bertrand Piccard and the Solar Impulse Foundation are ready to share their expertise, experience, and tools with governments and businesses that are ready to take immediate action on their respective paths to net-zero.

Access the Solutions Explorer here .

Join us at the Solutions Explorer Series at COP26 for a first-hand experience!

Register for a session on energy solutions (4 November 2021), solutions for cities and regions (08 November 2021) or transport solutions (10 November).

Find the Solutions Guide for Scotland & the Glenmorangie Company here .

About the Solar Impulse Foundation

The Solar Impulse Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by explorer and clean technology ambassador Bertrand Piccard. It identifies and promotes technological solutions that can protect the environment in a profitable way. In April 2021, the Foundation achieved its first goal of finding 1,000 such solutions to receive the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label. The labeling process is the only evaluation available today that assesses the economic profitability of products and processes that protect the environment in the fields of water, energy, mobility, infrastructure, industry and agriculture. It is awarded following a rigorous evaluation process carried out by a pool of independent Experts and based on verified standards covering the three main themes of feasibility, environmental impact and profitability. Bertrand Piccard brings these solutions to decision-makers to help them adopt more ambitious environmental targets and energy policies.

Press contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Solar Impulse Foundation
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prix Galien USA Committee last night honored excellence in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and digital health industry for research, development and innovation at its 15th annual Prix Galien Awards Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The ceremony commemorated the last 50 years of innovations that have improved the human condition and honored winners for "Best Biotechnology Product," "Best Pharmaceutical Agent," "Best Medical Technology," and "Best Digital Health Solution." Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for the life science industry.

Left to right: Alcon, Huma, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (PRNewsfoto/The Galien Foundation)

The 2021 Prix Galien USA Award Winners

Best Biotechnology Product Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) Oxbryta (voxelotor) tablets Best Pharmaceutical Agent Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) Best Medical Technology Alcon AcrySof IQ PanOptix Trifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL) Best Digital Health Solution Huma Huma Therapeutic's Remote Patient Monitoring Platform

"This year, it is particularly special to honor these extraordinary companies for their dedication to research, development and innovation throughout one of the most trying and uncertain times this industry has ever seen," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of The Galien Foundation. "Their commitment to furthering their work is admirable and we are thrilled to recognize that through the Prix Galien Awards."

Today, join us at 12pm ET for an exchange, moderated by Alexandra Von Plato, CEO of Publicis Health, with leaders from each of the 4 winning companies. Additionally, hear an update on Prix Galien Africa from Pr. Awa Mari Coll-Seck, Minister of State of Senegal, CN-EITI Chair, and President of the Scientific Committee of the 4th Galien Forum Africa and Prize, which will take place on December 11, 2021 in Dakar, Senegal.

Additionally, the Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity was presented to the six world-leading biopharmaceutical companies responsible for development of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Awards were presented to senior leaders from COVID-19 vaccine makers Pfizer/BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as top executives representing Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the investigational COVID-19 antibody cocktail REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab), and Eli Lilly & Company, which received EUA for bamlanivimab.

"On behalf of the Prix Galien USA Awards Committee, we want to thank all nominees and winners for their dedication to advancing human life," said Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Chair of the Prix Galien USA and Prix Galien International Award Committees and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Their tireless dedication to research, development and innovation has been critical in improving health and wellness of countless individuals around the world."

Prix Galien Awards Committee 2021

Sue DESMOND-HELLMANN, M.D., M.P.H.

Former Chief Executive Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Committee Chair

Richard AXEL, M.D.

Nobel Laureate, Co-director, The Kavli Institute for Brain Science; Professor, Columbia University Medical Center

Linda BUCK, Ph.D.

Nobel Laureate, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center member; Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington

Laurie GLIMCHER, M.D.

President and CEO, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Mary-Claire KING, Ph.D.

American Cancer Society Professor of Genome Sciences and Medical Genetics, University of Washington

Robert S. LANGER, M.D.

David H. Koch Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cato T. LAURENCIN, M.D., Ph.D.

University Professor, University of Connecticut

Steven J. LESTER, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Mayo Clinic-ASU MedTech Accelerator

Michael ROSENBLATT, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Flagship Pioneering

Bengt SAMUELSSON, M.D., Ph.D.

Nobel Laureate; Professor Karolinska Institutet; Former President, Karolinska institute; Former Chairman, Nobel Foundation

Marc TESSIER-LAVIGNE, Ph.D.

President, Stanford University

Tachi YAMADA, M.D.

Venture Partner, Frazier Healthcare Partners, In Memoriam

Elie WIESEL

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Boston University, Honorary Founding President, In Memoriam

Prix Galien Digital Health Award Committee 2021

Bernard POUSSOT

Director, Roche Holding, Former Chairman & CEO, Wyeth

Committee Chair

Roch DOLIVEUX

Honorary CEO, UCB

Mikael DOLSTEN, M.D., PH.D.

Global R&D President, Pfizer

Jean-Pierre GARNIER

Former CEO, GSK

Penny HEATON, M.D.

CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute

Franz HUMER, Ph.D.

Former CEO, Roche

Francois MAISONROUGE

Senior Managing Director, Evercore Partners

Sheri MCCOY

Former CEO, Avon Products, Former Vice-Chairman, Johnson & Johnson

Elias ZERHOUNI, M.D.

Former Global Head of R&D, Sanofi

About the Galien Foundation

The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. Our vision is to be the catalyst for the development of the next generation of innovative treatments and technologies that will impact the state of medical practice and save lives.

The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the US for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development, with chapters in 14 countries and Africa. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.

For more information, visit www.galienfoundation.org.

Follow the Foundation on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/GalienFoundation/

https://twitter.com/GalienFdn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-galien-foundation/

Media Contact:

Kara Bradley

Finn Partners

[email protected]

646-213-7243

SOURCE The Galien Foundation

Related Links

https://www.galienfoundation.org/


DUBLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Liquid Biopsy Market by Circulating Biomarker, Product, Application, End User, Clinical Application, Cancer Types, Sample Type, Regional & Country Wise Analysis - Impact of COVID-19, Initiatives, Funding, Major Deals, and Recent Developments - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global liquid biopsy market is predicted to reach US$ 9.53 Billion by 2028.

Liquid biopsy tests are executed to understand the molecular aspects of cancer across the healthcare and research settings, such as hospitals, physicians, pathological and research laboratories.

Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive technology that detects molecular biomarkers using liquid sample without the need for costly or invasive procedures. The abilities of liquid biopsy like, easy and minimal invasiveness, early cancer diagnosis & detection, characterization of new lesions, drug & therapeutic target identifications for cancer treatment are some advantages of liquid biopsies, which improve the safety and efficiency of cancer therapy for patients.



The advantages of liquid biopsy over solid tumor biopsy, rising prevalence of cancer, increasing preference for non-invasive procedures, growing public and private funding to support research activities in the field of liquid biopsy and favorable government initiatives, are some of the factors expected to propel the growth of liquid biopsy market in the coming years. Some of the key factors inhibiting the growth of liquid biopsy market includes, clinical utility challenges, lack of sensitivity and specificity of liquid biopsy tests and unclear reimbursement & regulation scenario.

Impact of COVID-19 on Global Liquid Biopsy Market

The COVID-19 outbreak has become a global stress test. As the number of people infected with the virus continues to rise around the world, uncertainties about global economic growth increases. The COVID-19 disease has infected around 243 Million people worldwide. Globally the death toll has reached 4,937,666 according to the latest statistics from the Worldometers (as of October 21, 2021). The number is still growing, and the duration of the pandemic is still difficult to predict. The reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on societies and economies around the world cannot be understated. The COVID-19 global pandemic has restricted the growth rate of the liquid biopsy market to some extent during 2020-2021. However, many countries have taken strict measures to combat the coronavirus, such as mass vaccination program, social distancing, use of masks, etc. Hence, we expect that the physicians/surgeons will see an increase in influx of patients, hence driving the liquid biopsy market growth.

Recent Developments

In July 2021 , Biocept, Inc. was awarded a South Korean Patent for its Primer-Switch technology, which detects rare mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using real-time PCR and associated analysis methods.

, Biocept, Inc. was awarded a South Korean Patent for its Primer-Switch technology, which detects rare mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using real-time PCR and associated analysis methods. In April 2021 , Bio-Techne Corporation completed the acquisition of Asuragen, Inc.

, Bio-Techne Corporation completed the acquisition of Asuragen, Inc. In March 2021 , Lucence announced a partnership with Waseda University in Japan to develop a novel high-speed liquid biopsy laser-based imaging platform for early cancer detection.

, Lucence announced a partnership with in to develop a novel high-speed liquid biopsy laser-based imaging platform for early cancer detection. In February 2021 , Guardant Health, Inc. announced the availability of Guardant Reveal, the first blood-only liquid biopsy test for the detection of residual and recurrent disease from a simple blood draw.

, Guardant Health, Inc. announced the availability of Guardant Reveal, the first blood-only liquid biopsy test for the detection of residual and recurrent disease from a simple blood draw. In August 2020 , Freenome announced an oversubscribed US$ 270 million Series C financing, bringing the company's total financing to over US$ 500 million since the company's launch.

, Freenome announced an oversubscribed Series C financing, bringing the company's total financing to over since the company's launch. On May 26, 2020 , NeoGenomics, Inc. announced that it has formed a strategic collaboration with Inivata to commercialize the InVisionFirst-Lung liquid biopsy test in the United States .

, NeoGenomics, Inc. announced that it has formed a strategic collaboration with Inivata to commercialize the InVisionFirst-Lung liquid biopsy test in . In November 2019 , Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd, a genomic medicine company based in Singapore , raised US$ 20 Million in Series A funding.

, Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd, a genomic medicine company based in , raised in Series A funding. In June 2019 , Saga Diagnostics, a Lund, Sweden based company raised US$ 4.1 Million in a financing round from Hadean Ventures.

Companies Mentioned

Personal Genome Diagnostics

Guardant Health, Inc.

Pathway Genomics (Now OME CARE)

RainDance Technologies (Acquired by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.)

Cardiff Oncology (Previously Trovagene, Inc.)

LungLife AI (Formerly Cynvenio Biosystems, Inc.)

Biocept, Inc.

ANGLE plc

MDxHealth

Biolidics Limited (Formerly Clearbridge Biomedics Pte Ltd)

Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. (Acquired by Bio-Techne Corporation)

Foundation Medicine, Inc

Roche Diagnostics (A Subsidiary of F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG)

Genomic Health (Now Part of Exact Sciences Corp)

Myriad Genetics, Inc

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc

QIAGEN NV

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc

Menarini-Silicon Biosystems

GRAIL

NeoGenomics, Inc.

DiaCarta, Inc.

OncoCell MDx (Now Immunis.AI)

C2i Genomics

Biodesix

Freenome

Inivata

CellMax Life

Rarecyte Inc.

Saga Diagnostics

Thrive Earlier Detection Corp. (Acquired by Exact Sciences Corp.)

Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd

Karius, Inc.

Clinical Genomics Technologies Pty Ltd (CG)

Elypta

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xxrvbf

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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GWANGJU, South Korea, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects around two out of every 1000 children born worldwide. Physical therapy is the foremost way of improving movement, balance, and posture in children with CP. Research has shown that hippotherapy, a form of physical therapy involving horse riding, is effective for treating CP. But how exactly does it help? In a recent study, researchers from GIST explore this question and provide insightful answers as well as a baseline for future research.

Recently, our researchers collaborated with Texas A&M University to optimize physical therapy programs for improving the quality of life for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a common disability among children, characterized by abnormal gait patterns and the inability to maintain posture and balance. While the condition is incurable, physical therapy treatments can go a long way in improving movement and balance. One such treatment approach is hippotherapy (HPOT), which uses horse riding to improve functional mobility in children with CP. Although supported by scientific studies as an effective treatment approach for (CP), there is, unfortunately, little data concerning how HPOT results in improvement.

Recently, a team of researchers from Korea and the United States addressed this question, investigating physical interaction metrics between horses and children with CP during HPOT. "My original research interests lie in the rehabilitation of people with neurological impairment, specifically gait and balance. However, I did not know about hippotherapy until rather recently in 2016. After realizing how effective it is in treating children with CP, I was motivated to explore it further," explains Dr. Pilwon Hur who headed the study from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in Korea. This paper was made available online on September 6, 2021, and was published in Volume 18 Issue 132 of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

The research team studied four children with CP over the course of eight physical therapy sessions. They placed sensors on the horses and children to record their movements and track their acceleration and angular velocity. They found that the data from the horses and children began to resemble each other as time progressed, indicating a synchronization between the horse and the rider. They also gave the children mobility tests after each session and observed improvement in their motor skills at the end of the experiment.

"We found that physical interaction between the children with CP and the horses, characterized by the children adapting to the horse's movement and vice versa, is extremely important for the rehabilitation to be effective," says Dr. Hur.

Excited by these findings, the team hopes their work will provide a baseline for further research on HPOT. "To the best of my knowledge, ours is the first study to quantify these interactions and relate them to effectiveness," says Dr. Hur. "Such an understanding would help us optimize physical therapy programs, improving the quality of life for children with CP."

We certainly hope his vision is realized soon!

Reference

Authors: Priscilla Lightsey, Yonghee Lee, Nancy Krenek & Pilwon Hur

Title of original paper: Physical therapy treatments incorporating equine movement: a pilot study exploring interactions between children with cerebral palsy and the horse

Journal: Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-021-00929-w

Corresponding author: Pilwon Hur

Corresponding author's email: [email protected]

About the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)

Website: http://www.gist.ac.kr/

Media Contact:

Seulhye Kim

82 62 715 6253

[email protected]

SOURCE Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea
On 26th, parallel forums were launched around the four directions--new technologies, new models, new business formats and new industries, concerning 5G, home appliances, identifier resolution, digital infrastructure, security system and audio-visual communications. In recent years, Qingdao has seized the development opportunity of the Industrial Internet, attracted AI teams and leading enterprises to invest, and formed the "Four New" ecology with Qingdao characteristics.

Top think tanks continue to make contributions

The conference further gathered the world's top intellectual resources. At the main forum, Liu Yunjie, academician of CAE, Yang Shanlin, academician of CAE, Zhou Yunjie, president of Haier, Xu Li, CEO of SenseTime, Fan Ji'an, chief scientist of China Unicom, Fan Yuan, president of DAS-security gave keynote speeches respectively. Robert Kahn, the "Father of the Internet", Dr. O. S. Ganiyusufoglu, academician of acatech, and Ronjon Nag, professor of Stanford University gave remote video speeches. The First Plenary Session of China Industrial Internet 100 were also held to give suggestions on building the Capital of World Industrial Internet in Qingdao.

Five national research institutes including National Research Center for Industrial Information Security Development, China Academy of Industrial Internet, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and China Electronics Standardization Institute participated in depth to build platforms, promote transformation, and continued to contribute to the wisdom of the Industrial Internet.

Leading enterprises participated actively

Many leading enterprises such as Haier, Tencent, China Mobile, Sensetime and Venustech also volunteered to present a series of "industrial banquets" around the fields of security, platform, ecology, digital economy and AI. Many national Industrial Internet competitions were also launched. A series of important achievements were released.

SOURCE Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Paley Center for Media announced today The President and the Press: Joe Biden's First Year and the Media's Relationship with a New Administration. This event will explore how the coverage of President Biden compares to that of others who have held the office. The YouTube Live event will premiere on Wednesday, November 3 at 8:00 pm ET on the Paley Center's YouTube channel. The discussion features S.E. Cupp, Political Commentator and Nationally Syndicated Columnist for the New York Daily News; Tim Graham, Director of Media Analysis, Media Research Council; Errin Haines, Editor at Large, The 19th; Mollie Hemingway, Senior Editor, The Federalist; Gerald F. Seib, Washington Executive Editor, Wall Street Journal; and Sean Spicer, Author, Radical Nation; Former White House Press Secretary. Mark J. Lodato, Dean of S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, will moderate this panel.

On the first anniversary of President Joe Biden's election, the Paley Center convenes journalists and scholars to evaluate how the press is covering his administration. The media's relationship to each President is unique, depending on the times, their policies, and how such administration engages with journalists. The event will also explore how the media fulfills its vital role of ensuring that the American public is given an objective look at the administration, and that all perspectives are considered.

"The Paley Center for Media is proud to convene this important and timely discussion that explores the dynamic relationship between the White House, the press, and the public," said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center's President & CEO. "I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to James P. Jimirro for his continued support of Paley, and our commitment to showcasing media's powerful shaping role in influencing general thought and behavior."

"Since this time last year, a lot of things have changed, which includes a new president," said James P. Jimirro. "It's important to reflect on the state of this administration, and it is once again an honor to partner with The Paley Center for Media to educate and inform the public on the state of the news and the new administration."

"I'm looking forward to coming together with other media executives to discuss the current administration and how the media's relationship with the White House has changed during President Biden's first year in office," said S.E. Cupp, Political Commentator and Nationally Syndicated Columnist for the New York Daily News. "PaleyImpact does a great job of highlighting social disparities, and I am thrilled to be a part of the series."

"The relationship between the press and the White House has a significant impact in the state of our democracy. Joe Biden has promised to be the most Progressive president this country has ever seen, and reporters are charged with showing the public how his actions reflect his words," said Sean Spicer, author, Radical Nation, former White House Press Secretary. "I look forward to an open and honest conversation about this impactful political shift and the media's role covering the new administration."

The Paley Center has a decades-long history of hosting programs that examine the media's vital role in educating, informing, and making an impact on journalism, politics, and public policy. The James P. Jimirro Media Impact Series casts light on the role of media in influencing general thought and behavior. Designed to reach media professionals, students, and the public at large, the series encourages careful consideration of the media's impact on society and, accordingly, fosters more critical viewing and reading. Previous events in The James P. Jimirro Media Impact Series have included high profile journalists and political strategists including James Carville, Michael Goodwin, Frank Luntz, Michael Steele, Michelle Malkin, Lesley Stahl, Brian Stelter, Ari Fleischer, Joe Lockhart, Rich Lowry, Amy Holmes, Rick Klein, and Seema Nanda.

About The Paley Center for Media

The Paley Center for Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms, drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the media community. The general public can participate in Paley programs in both New York and Los Angeles that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities, and the leaders who are shaping media. The public can also access the Paley Center's permanent media collection, which contains over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry.

For more information about the Paley Center and to learn about the Paley Center's acclaimed programming, please visit www.paleycenter.org.

SOURCE The Paley Center

Related Links

http://www.paleycenter.org


DENVER, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, The RE/MAX Collection luxury brand wrapped up its 9th Annual Luxury Forum at the JW Marriott Camelback Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. This signature event provided affiliated luxury real estate professionals an opportunity to hear from an impressive lineup of known industry speakers and network among top-producing luxury agents.

Attendees gained deeper insights into finding and serving new clients, using social media for amplification in local markets, and maximizing The Luxury Launchpad  an innovative new dashboard created by The RE/MAX Collection brand and finalist for the respected 2021 Inman Golden I Club awards in the Top Luxury Standout category.

In addition to powerful keynote addresses by Tamara Day and Alpana Singh, RE/MAX luxury affiliates from around the world addressed their peers, providing advice on actionable steps they can take to further build their businesses.

Baris Kilicarlsan, expert trainer, RE/MAX Turkey said, "Without passion you are lazy. With passion you can move mountains. We rise when our passion is stronger than our laziness."

Anthony Askowitz, Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Advanced Realty advised, "Go to luxury events. Go to art galleries. Learn everything there is about luxury. You need to have education so you can have a conversation with anyone. Learn granite, learn types of marble. The seller of the $20 million house knows what they have, and you need to know that too."

Darren Tackett, Co-Founder of RTT Home Group, RE/MAX Fine Properties concluded, "You're always competing in luxury. The reality is as soon as you can make a couple connections, it goes a long way to breaking the ice. Even with direct referrals, you may have not met them before. You have to be prepared and know everything you can. That's key in luxury."

Other featured speakers and topics included:

Nate Martinez , Sales Associate/Owner, RE/MAX Professionals  Martinez leads The Nate Martinez Team, a high-powered, top-producing group that lists and sells some of the most desirable homes in Greater Phoenix .

 Martinez leads The Nate Martinez Team, a high-powered, top-producing group that lists and sells some of the most desirable homes in . James Schwartz , RE/MAX Vice President, Marketing and Media StrategiesSchwartz leads the digital marketing, media, brand marketing and creative services departments for RE/MAX, LLC in a role that perfectly melds his original thinking and strategic perspective.

The RE/MAX Collection is available to RE/MAX agents throughout the U.S. and globally. The RE/MAX Collection provides RE/MAX agents with tools and services for working with high-end properties and clients. That includes The Luxury Launchpad, education, luxury listing syndication and networking with luxury agents.

About the RE/MAX Network

As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 140,000 agents in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about RE/MAX, please visit news.remax.com.

SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As two of the top commercial brokers in Memphis, Dustin Jones and Jonathan Aur have worked on notable projects such as Poplar Commons, Schilling Farms, Regalia, and Commons at Wolfcreek. After years of frustration watching brokerage fees drain from their city into places like LA and Atlanta, the native Memphians have partnered to offer local investors and businesses a more community-minded solution.

Jones Aur is a privately-owned commercial real estate brokerage focusing on sustainable growth for Memphis by placing the right concepts in the right places. They aim to build value for local, regional, and national clients across Memphis and the Mid-South by leveraging their relationships and expertise. This exciting partnership will match visionary tenants, landlords, developers, and investors with exceptional locations and high-traffic real estate.

Jones Aur is proud to put Memphis first by investing earnings back into the city's commercial infrastructure. The brokerage promotes thoughtful and intentional real estate transactions that create fresh opportunities for local investors and businesses while attracting some of the world's greatest brands to the city.

Jones Aur

Jonathan Aur

Dustin Jones

CONTACT:

Alex Rasmussen

901-481-5069

SOURCE Jones Aur
MIAMI, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Miniland, makers of educational classroom toys and games focused on social and emotional learning, has partnered up with boutique retailer Little Wonder & Co. to donate a percentage of revenue generated from their exclusive "Ruby Doll with Down Syndrome" to Ruby's Rainbow, a non-profit organization aimed at helping adult students with Down syndrome achieve their goals of higher education and independence.

Ruby Plachta with her Miniland Ruby Doll with Down syndrome, sold exclusively at Little Wonder & Co. with proceeds benefiting non-profit organization Ruby's Rainbow. The Miniland Ruby Doll with Down Syndrome is a 15" baby doll with Strawberry Blonde hair that features the sweet facial characteristics of babies with Down syndrome in a realistic and respectful way.

The organization was inspired by a little girl named Ruby who was born with an unexpected 21st chromosome and grants scholarships to students with Down syndrome who are seeking post-secondary education, including enrichment or vocational classes. These scholarships help them achieve their dreams while spreading awareness of their many capabilities.

In 2020, Miniland launched their collection of enormously popular Dolls with Down Syndrome comprised of various ethnicities and genders to respectfully represent children with the condition. The dolls have since been honored with the 2020 Best Toy Award by the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers and the 2021 Gold Winner for Empowerment (the top prize) by the Play for Change Awards organized by the Toy Industries of Europe.

Ruby was gifted one of Miniland's dolls with Down syndrome from Little Wonder & Co. which made a profound impact on her and her family. After hearing about Ruby's story and initiative, Little Wonder & Co.'s team partnered up with Miniland to design an exclusive Doll with DS in collaboration with Ruby's Rainbow to bring awareness to the non-profit and named the doll after Ruby.

The limited edition doll is now sold exclusively at Little Wonder & Co., a natural and sustainable baby's store that carries inclusive, diverse products personally selected by moms for parents.

"Nothing compares to the joy and wonder on a child's face when they recognize themselves in their doll," said Clara Roque, US Sales Manager for Miniland USA. "Miniland's sole mission has always been to inspire kindness and acceptance, regardless of a person's condition, race, gender or background. Being able to provide an opportunity to help other students like Ruby gain access to the many opportunities they deserve is something our company is extremely proud of."

Customers who purchase the Miniland Ruby Doll with Down Syndrome at Little Wonder & Co. will help contribute to the donation of 10% of sales generated. Miniland will then match the donation amount Little Wonder & Co. raises.

"Ever since we saw Ruby with her Miniland doll, we knew that the joy and self-acceptance that she felt was something every child with DS should experience," said Liz Plachta, who along with being Ruby's proud Mom is also Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ruby's Rainbow. "It is extremely important to us to support companies that see the significance of embracing the Down syndrome community, which is what Miniland and Little Wonder & Co. have done."

The Miniland Ruby Doll with Down Syndrome is a 15" baby doll with Strawberry Blonde hair that features the sweet facial characteristics of babies with Down syndrome in a realistic and respectful way.

For more information on Ruby's Rainbow, visit www.rubysrainbow.org. To help support the initiative with your very own Ruby doll, please visit https://littlewonderandco.com/collections/dolls/products/baby-doll-girl-with-down-syndrome-ruby and www.minilandgroup.com/educational/usa/miniland-dolls-usa.

CONTACT:

Liza Gresko

954.249.5730

[email protected]

SOURCE Miniland USA
TSX: VOYG

OTCQX: VYGVF

Borse Frankfurt: UCD2

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (TSX: VOYG) (OTCQX: VYGVF) (FRA: UCD2), one of the fastest-growing, publicly traded cryptocurrency platforms in the United States, today announced it has filed its full-year consolidated financials for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 and is pleased to provide shareholders with a business and operational update.

"Fiscal 2021 was a breakout year for Voyager, positioning our platform to be a leading player in the digital asset arena as crypto and related blockchain technologies are increasingly embraced by the mainstream," said Steve Ehrlich, Voyager's CEO and Co-founder. "Voyager continues to deliver noteworthy performance through verified user and funded account growth punctuated by providing users with a transparent, safe, secure and trusted personal cryptocurrency platform. We continued to see significant net new funded accounts and net new asset inflows on the platform and as we add more product extensions, we believe the ability to leverage our growing user base will accelerate our revenue growth and provide diversification to our revenue mix."

Fiscal Year 2021 Financial and Business Milestones:

Total revenue increased to $175 million , from $1 million in FY20

, from in FY20 Operating Income of $56 million , compared to an Operating Loss of $11 million in FY20

, compared to an Operating Loss of in FY20 Total Verified Users grew to 1.75 million, up from 86,000 at June 30, 2020

Total Funded Accounts grew to 665,000 from 23,000 at June 30, 2020

Total Assets Under Management grew to $2.6 billion from $35 million at June 30, 2020

from at Added to our leadership team in key areas

Increased our headcount to 141 at June 30, 2021 , from 36 at June 30, 2020

, from 36 at Invested in and developed a strategic partnership with Blockdaemon to deliver enhanced staking capabilities

"We are seeing industry volumes rebound off extreme midsummer weakness, and are excited about the prospects ahead," continued Ehrlich. "As we started to see lower than expected volumes in the summer months, we turned our attention to enhancing our rewards programs as a customer acquisition and retention tool. In the September quarter, we started focusing on account acquisition as our key performance metric. Voyager remains dedicated to growth in funded accounts and deposits and you can expect we will be more aggressive with both our marketing spend as well as our rewards offerings to accelerate growth. As we diversify our revenue streams to enhance the long-term value of each customer and expand our market opportunity internationally, we believe the best is yet to come for the Voyager platform."

Voyager will be announcing the results of its first quarter ending September 30th on or about November 15th, and will provide further commentary on its second quarter ending December 31st based on current trends and a very robust October which validates its strategy of total focus on account and deposit growth.

For more detailed information, the Company encourages investors to read its audited financial statements and related Management Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the three and twelve months ended June 30, 2021, which were filed with SEDAR yesterday.

The Company also wishes to provide an update on the US$75 million Private Placement of common shares with Alameda Research announced on October 28, 2021. The Company is issuing a total of 7,723,996 common shares to Alameda Research at a price of US$9.71 per common shares. The newly issued shares are subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months and one day from the date of closing and are subject to a lock-up agreement of one year from the closing date.

The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. The Private Placement with Alameda Research is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Conference Call Details

Voyager will discuss its fiscal 2021 results today, October 29, 2021, via a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the webcast, please register by clicking here. A live webcast and a replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's web-site at investvoyager.com/investorrelations/events.

About Voyager Digital Ltd.

Voyager Digital Ltd. (TSX: VOYG;OTCQX: VYGVF; FRA: UCD2) is a fast-growing, publicly traded cryptocurrency platform in the United States founded in 2018 to bring choice, transparency, and cost efficiency to the marketplace. Voyager offers a secure way to trade over 60 different crypto assets, with zero commissions, using its easy-to-use mobile application, and earn rewards up to 12 percent annually on more than 30 cryptocurrencies. Through its subsidiary Coinify ApS, Voyager provides crypto payment solutions for both consumers and merchants around the globe. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding future growth and performance of the business, momentum in the businesses, future adoption of digital assets, and the Company's anticipated results may constitute forward looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" (or the negatives) or other similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Voyager's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all 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 we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are subject to the risk that the global economy, industry, or the Company's businesses and investments do not perform as anticipated, that revenue or expenses estimates may not be met or may be materially less or more than those anticipated, that trading momentum does not continue or the demand for trading solutions declines, customer acquisition does not increase as planned, product and international expansion do not occur as planned, risks of compliance with laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to the business and those other risks contained in the Company's public filings, including in its Management Discussion and Analysis and its Annual Information Form (AIF). Factors that could cause actual results of the Company and its businesses to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; changes in laws or approaches to regulation, the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem by institutions; changes in the volatility of crypto currency, changes in demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum, changes in the status or classification of cryptocurrency assets, cybersecurity breaches, a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for the trading businesses or achieving mandates and gaining traction; failure to grow assets under management, an adverse development with respect to an issuer or party to the transaction or failure to obtain a required regulatory approval. In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made assumptions that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business and that current trends in respect of digital assets continue. Readers are cautioned that Assets Under Management and trading volumes fluctuate and may increase and decrease from time to time and that such fluctuations are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements, past and present performance and trends are not guarantees of future performance, accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, current or past performance, or current or past trends. Information identifying assumptions, risks, and uncertainties relating to the Company are contained in its filings with the Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are applicable only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the relevant forward-looking statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The Company assumes no obligation to provide operational updates, except as required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Readers are cautioned that past performance is not indicative of future performance and current trends in the business and demand for digital assets may not continue and readers should not put undue reliance on past performance and current trends. Refer to definition of certain Non-IFRS terms in Management's Discussion and Analysis including Assets Under Management, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Working Capital. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

Voyager Digital Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

(USD, in thousands)















June 30, 2021

June 30, 2020 Assets







Current assets







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 193,933

$ 3,629 Cash held for customers

162,852

1,495 Crypto assets held

2,286,399

13,107 Crypto assets loaned

393,561

19,104 Investments

31,359

- Other current assets

5,839

519 Total current assets

3,073,943

37,854 Intangible assets

559

757 Other non-current assets

2,860

160 Total assets

$ 3,077,362

$ 38,771 Liabilities







Current liabilities







Crypto assets and fiat payable to customers

$ 2,807,015

$ 33,616 Crypto assets borrowed

36,832

- Warrant liability

23,810

2,197 Other current liabilities

22,644

1,792 Total current liabilities

2,890,301

37,605 Other non-current liabilities

739

615 Total liabilities

2,891,040

38,220 Equity







Share capital

265,704

37,708 Share-based payments reserve

15,125

2,913 Warrant reserve

3,457

2,610 Treasury shares

(3,796)

- Retained deficit

(94,168)

(42,680) Total equity

186,322

551 Total liabilities and equity

$ 3,077,362

$ 38,771

Voyager Digital Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Loss

(USD, in thousands except for shares data)







Year Ended June 30,





2021

2020 Revenues









Transaction revenue



$ 154,047

$ 859 Fees from crypto assets loaned



21,009

291 Total revenues



175,056

1,150 Expenses









Rewards paid to customers



47,102

242 Marketing and sales



23,609

275 Share-based payments



12,864

1,399 Compensation and employee benefits



7,917

3,250 Total compensation and employee benefits



20,781

4,649 Trade expenses



7,985

346 Customer onboarding and service



7,390

196 Professional and consulting



4,495

1,332 General and administrative



7,847

5,295 Total expenses



119,209

12,335 Income (loss) before other income (loss)



55,847

(11,185) Other income (loss)









Change in fair value of crypto assets held



(318)

(476) Change in fair value of investments



8,289

- Change in fair value of crypto assets borrowed



(11,809)

- Change in fair value of warrant liability



(89,827)

1,419 Fees on crypto assets borrowed



(2,528)

- Loss on issuance of warrants



-

(1,157) Gain on acquisitions, net



-

1,229 Total other income (loss)



(96,193)

1,015 Net loss before provision for income tax



(40,346)

(10,170) Provision for incomes tax



11,142

- Net loss



$ (51,488)

$ (10,170)











Basic and diluted net loss per share



$ (0.39)

$ (0.13) Basic and diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding



131,588,580

79,356,838

SOURCE Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd.

Related Links

https://www.investvoyager.com/


Revenue Up 30.6% Year-Over-Year to RMB5,985 Million

Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company Up 36.2% Year-Over-Year to RMB887 Million

Diluted EPS Up 30.4% Year-Over-Year to RMB0.30

Adjusted Non-IFRS[1] Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company Up 37.8% Year-Over-Year to RMB1,358 Million

Adjusted Non-IFRS Diluted EPS Up 39.4% Year-Over-Year to RMB0.46[2]

SHANGHAI, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi AppTec (stock code: 603259.SH / 2359.HK), a global company that provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies worldwide in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients, is pleased to announce its financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2021 ("Reporting Period").

This document serves purely as a summary and is not intended to provide a complete representation of the relevant matters. For further information, please refer to the 2021 third quarter report and relevant announcements published on the websites of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (www.hkexnews.hk), and the designated media for dissemination of the relevant information. Investors are advised to exercise caution and be aware of the investment risks in dealing in the shares of the Company.

All financials disclosed in this press release are prepared based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in currency of RMB.

The 2021 Third-Quarter Report of the Company has not been audited.

[1] To better reflect the operation results and key performance, we adjusted the scope of Non-IFRS, and the comparative financial figures for the comparable periods have been adjusted to reflect this change. [2] Third quarter 2021 and 2020, we had a fully-diluted weighted average share count of 2,949,275,618 and 2,821,245,946 ordinary shares, respectively.

Third-Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

Revenue grew 30.6% year-over-year to RMB5,985 million. This strong revenue growth was mainly attributable to the Company's continued focus on leveraging its unique integrated end-to-end platform to achieve synergy and strong growth across our business segments:

WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 33.3% to RMB3,651 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 28.7% to RMB1,503 million , gross profit margin at 41.2%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 28.7% to , gross profit margin at 41.2%. WuXi Testing revenue grew 37.4% to RMB1,227 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 18.6% to RMB397 million , gross profit margin at 32.3%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 18.6% to , gross profit margin at 32.3%. WuXi Biology revenue grew 22.4% to RMB504 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 52.2% to RMB256 million , gross profit margin at 50.8%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 52.2% to , gross profit margin at 50.8%. WuXi ATU revenue grew 14.7% to RMB283 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 57.3% to RMB17 million , gross profit margin at 6.0%. ATU China revenue grew 223% YoY.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 57.3% to , gross profit margin at 6.0%. ATU China revenue grew 223% YoY. WuXi DDSU revenue grew 10.5% to RMB311 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 15.2% to RMB118 million , gross profit margin at 38.0%.

Segment Revenue YoY Adjusted

Non-IFRS

Gross Profit YoY Adjusted

Non-IFRS

Gross Profit

Margin WuXi

Chemistry 3,651.40 33.3% 1,503.32 28.7% 41.2% WuXi Testing 1,227.27 37.4% 396.68 18.6% 32.3% WuXi Biology 504.10 22.4% 256.15 52.2% 50.8% WuXi ATU 282.52 14.7% 17.07 -57.3% 6.0% WuXi DDSU 311.05 10.5% 118.33 -15.2% 38.0%

Unit: RMB million

Third-Quarter 2021 Key Financials

IFRS gross profit increased 24.7% year-over-year to RMB2,200 million . Gross profit margin was 36.8%.[3]

. Gross profit margin was 36.8%.[3] Adjusted Non-IFRS gross profit increased 23.5% year-over-year to RMB2,295 million . Adjusted Non-IFRS gross margin was 38.3%.

. Adjusted Non-IFRS gross margin was 38.3%. EBITDA increased 47.2% year-over-year to RMB1,523 million .

. Adjusted EBITDA increased 42.1% year-over-year to RMB2,012 million .

. Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 36.2% year-over-year to RMB887 million . The strong net profit growth is mainly attributable to robust revenue growth and continuous improvements to the Company's operating efficiencies.

. The strong net profit growth is mainly attributable to robust revenue growth and continuous improvements to the Company's operating efficiencies. Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 37.8% year-over-year to RMB1,358 million .

. Diluted EPS increased 30.4% year-over-year to RMB0.30 , while adjusted diluted non-IFRS EPS increased by 39.4% year-over-year to RMB0.46 .

[3] If prepared under Accounting Standard for Business Enterprises of PRC, the gross profit grew 24.9% year-over-year to RMB2,213 million. Gross profit margin was 37.0%.

Year-to-Date 2021 Financial Highlights

Revenue grew 39.8% year-over-year to RMB16,521 million. The strong revenue growth was mainly attributable to the Company's continued focus on leveraging its unique integrated end-to-end platform to achieve synergy and strong growth across our business segments:

WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 47.5% to RMB10,077 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 44.7% to RMB4,238 million , gross profit margin at 42.1%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 44.7% to , gross profit margin at 42.1%. WuXi Testing revenue grew 43.9% to RMB3,335 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 51.4% to RMB1,132 million , gross profit margin at 33.9%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 51.4% to , gross profit margin at 33.9%. WuXi Biology revenue grew 33.2% to RMB1,424 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.6% to RMB596 million , gross profit margin at 41.8%.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.6% to , gross profit margin at 41.8%. WuXi ATU revenue declined 5.2% to RMB736 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 89.7% to RMB14 million , gross profit margin at 1.9%. ATU China revenue grew 187% YoY.

, adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 89.7% to , gross profit margin at 1.9%. ATU China revenue grew 187% YoY. WuXi DDSU revenue grew 16.4% to RMB932 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 0.6% to RMB412 million , gross profit margin at 44.2%.

Segment Revenue YoY Adjusted

Non-IFRS

Gross Profit YoY Adjusted

Non-IFRS

Gross Profit

Margin WuXi

Chemistry 10,077.19 47.5% 4,237.64 44.7% 42.1% WuXi Testing 3,334.51 43.9% 1,131.53 51.4% 33.9% WuXi Biology 1,424.33 33.2% 596.05 26.6% 41.8% WuXi ATU 735.93 -5.2% 13.67 -89.7% 1.9% WuXi DDSU 931.80 16.4% 411.76 -0.6% 44.2%

Unit: RMB million

Year-to-Date 2021 Key Financials

IFRS gross profit increased 37.5% year-over-year to RMB6,084 million . Gross profit margin was 36.8%.[4]

. Gross profit margin was 36.8%.[4] Adjusted Non-IFRS gross profit increased 36.0% year-over-year to RMB6,397 million . Adjusted Non-IFRS gross margin was 38.7%.

. Adjusted Non-IFRS gross margin was 38.7%. EBITDA increased 50.3% year-over-year to RMB5,466 million .

. Adjusted EBITDA increased 49.2% year-over-year to RMB5,660 million .

. Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 50.4% year-over-year to RMB3,562 million . The strong net profit growth is mainly attributable to robust revenue growth and continuous improvements to the Company's operating efficiencies.

. The strong net profit growth is mainly attributable to robust revenue growth and continuous improvements to the Company's operating efficiencies. Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 55.7% year-over-year to RMB3,806 million .

. Diluted EPS increased 42.4% year-over-year to RMB1.21 , while adjusted diluted non-IFRS EPS increased by 49.4% year-over-year to RMB1.30 .

[4] If prepared under Accounting Standard for Business Enterprises of PRC, the gross profit grew 37.6% year-over-year to RMB6,111 million. Gross profit margin was 37.0%.

Year-to-Date 2021 Business Highlights

During the first nine months of 2021, demand for our services was strong and we continued to grow our customer base to more than 5,640 active accounts by adding over 1,300 new customers. We continued to optimize cross-platform synergies to better serve our customers worldwide, strengthening our unique competitive advantage as a fully integrated CRDMO (Contract Research Development and Manufacturing Organization) and a one-stop service provider for our clients' discovery, development and manufacturing service needs.

- Revenue from US grew 38% to RMB9,011 million , revenue from Europe grew 33% to RMB2,255 million , revenue from China grew 45% to RMB4,038 million , and revenue from others grew 53% to RMB1,216 million .

- We continued to expand our customer base and retain existing clients. During the Reporting Period, revenue from existing clients grew 30% to RMB15,337 million and new clients contributed RMB1,184 million in revenue.

- During the Reporting Period, revenue from top 20 global pharmaceutical companies grew 21%, up to RMB4,699 million in revenue; revenue attributable to all other customers grew 49% to RMB11,823 million .

- Our unique positioning across the pharmaceutical development value chain drove our "follow-the-customer", "follow-the-molecule" strategy and enhanced synergies across our business segments. Customers using services from more than one of our business units contributed RMB14,190 million in revenue, growing 40% year-over-year.

WuXi Chemistry: CRDMO integrated business model drives strong growth

- Revenue of WuXi Chemistry grew 47.5% to RMB10,077 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 44.7% to RMB4,238 million , with gross margin at 42.1%. During the Reporting Period:

- Revenue of small molecule discovery services grew 42.3% to RMB4,443 million .



i. We have a world-leading small molecule research team that delivered approximately 200,000 custom synthesized compounds to our clients from January to September 2021 . Through our small molecule discovery service, we enable our customers to accelerate their R&D while generating opportunities for our downstream business units. Executing our strategies of "follow the customer" and "follow the molecule," we establish trusted partnership with our customers, which supports continued clinical and commercial projects and opportunities for the company. The small molecule discovery service laid a solid foundation to support the rapid and sustainable growth of our CRDMO business.

ii. We continue executing our "long-tail" strategy and the "long-tail" customers demonstrated outperforming growth. During the Reporting Period, revenue from "long-tail" customers in our small molecule discovery service grew 68%, with its percentage of revenue contribution continuously rising.



- Revenue of our small molecule CDMO service grew 51.9% to RMB5,634 million .



i. During the Reporting Period, the Company added 526 new molecules to our project funnel, including 9 commercial projects and 31 projects from "win-the-molecule," with a total of 1,548 molecules, including 37 in commercial stage, 47 in phase III stage, 235 in phase II stage and 1,229 in phase I and pre-clinical stage.

ii. New modalities CDMO business is gaining strong momentum. During the reporting period, oligo & peptide clients and molecules grew 96% and 97% respectively versus the end of 2020.



- On August 3, 2021 , WuXi STA, a subsidiary of the Company, completed the acquisition of a drug product manufacturing facility in Couvet, Switzerland ("Couvet site") from Bristol Myers Squibb. The Company has consolidated its contribution starting from July. The Couvet site is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with commercial-scale production capacity for capsule and tablet dosage forms.



- On Sep 24, 2021 , WuXi STA announced its decision to build a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical clinical and commercial manufacturing complex in Middletown, Delaware . The new facility will feature space for testing laboratories, manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and manufacture and package solid dosage pharmaceutical products and sterile products. The site responds to the growing industry and local customer demand for manufacturing innovative new medicines.

WuXi Testing: strengthening synergies between preclinical and clinical testing services

- Revenue of WuXi Testing grew 43.9% to RMB3,335 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 51.4% to RMB1,132 million , with gross margin at 33.9%. During the Reporting Period:

- Revenue of lab testing services grew 41.9% year-over-year to RMB2,133 million . Lab testing services revenue excluding medical devices testing grew 58% YoY.



i. The Company provides a full range of laboratory testing services to our customers, including DMPK, toxicology, and bioanalysis for drug developing testing as well as medical device testing. We leveraged our integrated WuXi AppTec Investigational New Drug (IND) program (WIND) to generate preclinical data and prepare global regulatory submissions of IND packages, expediting the IND application process for many of our customers worldwide. 123 WIND service packages were signed during the Reporting Period and the average revenue per WIND package ranges from USD1.1 million to 1.5 million.

ii. Toxicology services achieved strong revenue growth of 72% year-over-year. We maintain and reinforce our industry leading position in China for drug safety evaluation services.

iii. The Company formed a cross-functional team between laboratory testing departments and clinical CRO department to approach our customers when their projects are close to IND stage. We believe this business realignment will further strengthen the funnel flow from pre-clinical testing to clinical testing, creating synergy across our integrated testing platform.



- Revenue of clinical CRO & SMO grew 47.4% year-over-year to RMB1,201 million .



i. For clinical CRO, the Company provided services to more than 200 projects for our clients, enabling our customers to obtain 14 IND approvals and file 5 BLA/NDA applications. During the Reporting Period, biometrics revenue grew quickly.

ii. For SMO (site management organization), the Company keeps expanding quickly. Our SMO maintained its leadership position in China with around 4,500 staff in 153 cities, providing services for hundreds of clinical trials across about 1,000 hospitals. Team size increased 42% year-over-year, implying continued strong market demand for our SMO services.

iii. In the first nine months of 2021, SMO supported 16 new drug approvals versus 17 drugs approvals in the full year of 2020.

WuXi Biology: leading innovation in new modalities

- Revenue of WuXi Biology grew 33.2% to RMB1,424 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.6% to RMB596 million , with gross margin at 41.8%. - The Company has the largest discovery biology enabling platform with over 2,000 experienced scientists. We provide comprehensive biology services and solutions, with a strong track record of enabling the delivery of hits, leads and PCCs (Preclinical Candidates).

- The Company has a leading DNA Encoded Library (DEL). As of September 30, 2021 , our DEL had more than 90 billion compounds, 6,000 proprietary scaffolds and 35,000 building blocks.

- Through comprehensive integration of our DEL, protein production, and structure-based drug design (SBDD) capabilities, we have established a competitive Target-to-Hit platform to enable our customers' innovative R&D of small molecule drugs.

- The Company continues to build new biology capabilities related to new modalities, including oligo, cancer vaccine, PROTAC, vector platform, novel drug delivery vehicles, etc. During the Reporting Period, revenue from new modalities and large molecules in WuXi Biology grew 56%, and its revenue contribution rose to 13.3% by the end of third quarter 2021, from 10.4% by end of 2020, implying that new modalities related biology service has become an increasingly important growth driver.

WuXi ATU: CTDMO integrated business model drives future growth

- Revenue of WuXi ATU declined 5.2% to RMB736 million . Driven by strong demand for plasmids and lenti-viral vectors manufacturing, ATU China saw strong performance with revenue growth of 223% in the third quarter and 187% in the first nine months of 2021, which partially offset the decline in ATU US .

- During the Reporting Period, the Company focused on improving our CTDMO integrated enabling platform and provided testing services for 326 projects, and provided development and manufacturing services for 45 pre-clinical and Phase I projects, 6 Phase II projects, and 10 Phase III projects.

- Our Shanghai Lin-gang site opened on October 18, 2021 . It is the fourth site for WuXi ATU globally providing testing, process development and manufacturing services to global clients.

WuXi DDSU: enabling domestic customer innovation

- Revenue of WuXi DDSU grew 16.4% to RMB932 million , adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 0.6% to RMB412 million , implying gross margin at 44.2%.

- During the Reporting Period, our success-based drug discovery service unit filed INDs for 16 drug candidates and obtained 12 CTAs for domestic customers. As of September 30, 2021 , we have cumulatively submitted 136 new chemical entity IND filings with the NMPA and obtained 103 CTAs, with 1 project in NDA pending stage, 1 project in Phase III clinical trial, 14 projects in Phase II clinical trials, and 73 projects in Phase I clinical trials. Upon the products' successful launch to the market by our customers, we will begin receiving royalty income.

- Among the 136 projects that IND were filed or currently in clinical stage, over 70% of them rank top 3 in China in terms of the drug development progress among same-class drug candidates.

Continuous Improvements in ESG Management and Performance

As a global corporate citizen, we are continuing to improve our ESG management and performance and the implementation of our sustainability strategy. We strictly comply with the highest ethical standards, while continuously refining our standards and sustainability policies across all business operations. In order to accomplish this, we conducted Business Code of Conduct trainings for all employees. We also carried out the annual Supplier Business Code of Conduct training and ESG audit trainings for all of our key suppliers to ensure the implementation of the high ESG requirements and standards across our supply chain management.

In September 2021, Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") upgraded our MSCI ESG Rating to AA. This new rating reflects our commitment to incorporating environmental and social responsibilities into the company's business strategies and operations.

We remain committed to "doing the right thing and doing it right," and will focus on delivering on our commitments to our customers, employees, investors, communities and the environment to operate in a sustainable way both today and in the future.

Management Comment

Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec, said, "As part of our commitment to serving our customers better, we have completed changes to the organization of our business segments in the third quarter 2021. We have integrated our capabilities to form three new business divisions  WuXi Chemistry, WuXi Biology, and WuXi Testing  which now possess the end-to-end capabilities needed to provide integrated services to customers. Along with WuXi ATU and WuXi DDSU, we now have five integrated platforms."

"Dr. Minzhang Chen leads the WuXi Chemistry segment, which now encompasses all chemistry services, including research, development and commercial manufacturing under one roof. This is our new business model that we have named CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization). Executing our strategy of 'follow-the-molecule,' we believe it will provide more integrated service offerings to our customers, spanning from discovery and process development to commercial manufacturing, which will in turn enhance funnel flow and realize synergies across our end-to-end platform. WuXi Chemistry performed very well in the first nine months of 2021, with revenue growth of 47.5% YoY."

"Dr. Steve Yang leads our WuXi Testing and WuXi Biology segments. WuXi Testing now integrates our drug development testing services (DMPK, Toxicology, Bioanalytical) and clinical trial services (clinical CRO and SMO) to provide customers with seamless experience to accelerate project and pipeline progression. WuXi Biology provides a full spectrum of discovery biology enabling service and collaborates with WuXi Chemistry to support integrated small molecule drug discovery. WuXi Testing and WuXi Biology both performed well in the first nine months of 2021, with revenue growth of 44.1% and 33.2% respectively."

Dr. Ge Li concluded, "In the third quarter of 2021, we began to experience apparent results of our business segment realignment come to bear in the form of enhanced synergies, increased cross-selling, and deeper customer penetration. The power of our unique and differentiated CRDMO and CTDMO end-to-end business models lay the foundation for reliable and continued long-term growth. Concurrently, the fundamentals of our business and its future outlook both remain very strong. Looking ahead, we will further increase investment in our R&D services in both capacity and capabilities, particularly in new modalities. We are confident that this will better enable our customers to bring innovative medicines to patients in need  realizing our vision that 'every drug can be made and every disease can be treated."

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss[5]























RMB Million Three Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Three Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Period- over-Period Change Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Year-over-

Year

Change Revenue 5,984.8 4,583.4 30.6% 16,521.4 11,814.8 39.8% Cost of services (3,784.7) (2,818.7) 34.3% (10,437.6) (7,391.6) 41.2% Gross profit 2,200.1 1,764.6 24.7% 6,083.8 4,423.2 37.5% Other income 80.6 62.6 28.6% 286.7 190.6 50.4% Other gains and losses (24.3) (156.3) -84.5% 716.3 565.5 26.7% Impairment losses under expected credit

losses ("ECL") model, net of reversal (1.5) (3.4) -55.8% (23.2) (11.5) 101.2% Selling and marketing expenses (141.9) (136.3) 4.1% (497.2) (410.8) 21.0% Administrative expenses (543.1) (495.8) 9.5% (1,538.3) (1,325.1) 16.1% Research and development expenses (239.8) (141.7) 69.2% (644.2) (475.2) 35.6% Operating Profit 1,330.1 893.7 48.8% 4,383.9 2,956.8 48.3% Share of profits/ (losses) of associates (201.7) (58.1) 247.2% 15.6 (76.0) (120.6)% Share of profits/ (losses) of joint ventures 3.0 (2.3) -233.1% (19.3) (14.7) 31.0% Finance costs (28.8) (47.2) -39.0% (97.6) (158.0) (38.2)% Profit before tax 1,102.7 786.1 40.3% 4,282.7 2,708.1 58.1% Income tax expense (206.7) (126.5) 63.4% (694.4) (321.0) 116.3% Profit for the period 896.1 659.6 35.8% 3,588.2 2,387.1 50.3% Profit for the period attributable to:











Owners of the Company 887.1 651.2 36.2% 3,562.2 2,368.4 50.4% Non-controlling interests 8.9 8.4 5.9% 26.0 18.7 38.8%

896.1 659.6 35.8% 3,588.2 2,387.1 50.3%

[5] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss (continued)[6]

























Three Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Three Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Period- over-Period Change Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Year-over-

Year Change Weighted average number of ordinary

shares for calculating EPS(express in

shares)











 Basic 2,929,033,317 2,797,833,578 4.7% 2,911,520,929 2,759,332,322 5.5%  Diluted 2,949,275,618 2,821,245,946 4.5% 2,931,763,230 2,782,744,690 5.4%













Earnings per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of

the Company (expressed in RMB per

share)[7]











 Basic 0.30 0.23 30.4% 1.22 0.86 41.9%  Diluted 0.30 0.23 30.4% 1.21 0.85 42.4%



[6] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding [7] In 2021, pursuant to the 2020 Profit Distribution Plan considered and approved by the shareholders' general meeting, the Company issued 2 shares for every 10 shares of the Company by way of capitalization of reserve. In accordance with the regulations of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Company has adjusted the basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share for the comparative period according to the 2020 Profit Distribution Plan.

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position[8]







RMB Million September 30, December 31,

2021 2020





Non-current Assets



Property, plant and equipment 14,183.1 10,137.1 Right of use assets 1,803.1 1,519.9 Biological assets 651.6 418.9 Goodwill 1,939.8 1,391.8 Other intangible assets 893.7 585.3 Interest in associates 763.8 712.3 Interest in joint ventures 38.6 52.5 Deferred tax assets 293.1 300.9 Financial assets at fair value through profit or

loss ("FVTPL") 8,905.5 6,717.2 Other non-current assets 2,156.8 1,395.6 Amount Due from Related Parties 1.6 0.4

31,630.7 23,231.8





Current Assets



Inventories 3,494.4 1,933.8 Biological assets 577.7 501.7 Contract costs 448.2 250.3 Amounts due from related parties 18.8 56.9 Trade and other receivables 5,493.9 4,337.9 Contract assets 761.7 542.0 Income tax recoverable 0.2 19.1 Financial assets at FVTPL 2,190.7 4,617.7 Derivative financial instruments 191.1 562.8 Pledged bank deposits 863.9 9.1 Bank Balances and Cash 7,502.6 10,228.1

21,543.3 23,059.3





Total Assets 53,173.9 46,291.2



[8] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding.

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (continued)[9]







RMB Million September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020





Current Liabilities



Trade and other payables 5,660.5 4,550.3 Amounts due to related parties 12.9 23.8 Derivative financial instruments 16.5 0.9 Contract liabilities 2,548.3 1,581.0 Borrowings 2,296.8 1,230.0 Income tax payables 431.6 340.4 Financial liabilities at FVTPL - 16.5 Lease liabilities 172.5 177.4

11,139.2 7,920.3





Non-current Liabilities



Convertible bonds-debt component 755.6 1,819.0 Convertible bonds-embedded derivative component 1,388.9 1,582.1 Deferred tax liabilities 293.7 283.0 Deferred income 681.1 682.0 Other long-term liabilities 181.9 219.1 Lease liabilities 1,094.2 1,067.1 Total Non-current liabilities 4,395.5 5,652.3





Total Liabilities 15,534.6 13,572.7





Net Assets 37,639.3 32,718.5





Capital and Reserves



Share capital 2,952.8 2,441.7 Reserves 34,428.7 30,052.1 Equity attributable to owners of the Company 37,381.5 32,493.7 Non-controlling interests 257.8 224.7 Total Equity 37,639.3 32,718.5



[9] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding.

Reconciliation of Non-IFRS and Adjusted Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to the Owners of the Company[10]









RMB Million Three Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Three Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Period- over-Period Change Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Year-

over-Year Change Profit Attributable to the owners of the

Company 887.1 651.2 36.2% 3,562.2 2,368.4 50.4% Add:











Share-based compensation expenses 108.4 137.9 -21.4% 419.1 413.2 1.4% Issuance expenses of convertible bonds 0.5 1.3 -60.3% 2.4 3.7 -35.9% Fair value (gains)/losses from derivative

component of convertible bonds (24.5) 189.6 -112.9% 1,468.9 676.4 117.2% Foreign exchange related losses 6.7 161.0 -95.8% 73.4 121.4 -39.5% Amortization of intangible assets

acquired in business combinations 14.9 8.8 69.7% 41.1 26.3 56.0% Non-IFRS Net Profit attributable to the

owners of the Company 993.2 1,149.7 -13.6% 5,567.1 3,609.4 54.2% Add:



Realized and unrealized losses/(gains)

from venture investments 368.2 (166.3) -321.5% (1,780.0) (1,179.4) 50.9% Realized and unrealized share of

(gains)/losses from joint ventures (3.0) 2.3 -231.6% 19.3 14.7 31.4% Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to

the owners of the Company 1,358.4 985.8 37.8% 3,806.4 2,444.6 55.7%



[10] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding.

EBITDA[11]

























RMB Million Three Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Three Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Period- over-Period Change Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2021 Nine Months

Ended September

30, 2020 Year-

over-Year Change Profit before tax 1,102.7 786.1 40.3% 4,282.7 2,708.1 58.1% Add:











Interest expense 28.8 47.2 -39.0% 97.6 158.0 -38.2% Depreciation and amortization 391.7 201.7 94.2% 1,085.3 769.3 41.1% EBITDA 1,523.2 1,035.0 47.2% 5,465.6 3,635.3 50.3% % EBITDA margin 25.5% 22.6%

33.1% 30.8%

Add:











Share-based compensation expenses 128.6 166.6 -22.8% 503.6 501.3 0.5% Issuance expenses of convertible

bonds 0.7 1.7 -56.9% 3.2 4.9 -35.9% Fair value (gains)/losses from

derivative component of convertible

bonds (24.5) 189.6 -112.9% 1,468.9 676.4 117.2% Foreign exchange related losses 7.9 186.8 -95.8% 86.9 141.2 -38.5% Realized and unrealized losses/(gains)

from venture investments 379.0 (166.3) -328.0% (1,887.0) (1,179.5) 60.0% Realized and unrealized share of

(gains)/losses from joint ventures (3.0) 2.3 -231.6% 19.3 14.7 31.7% Adjusted EBITDA 2,011.9 1,415.7 42.1% 5,660.4 3,794.3 49.2% % Adjusted EBITDA margin 33.6% 30.9%

34.3% 32.1%





[11] If the sum of the data below is inconsistent with the total, it is caused by rounding.

About WuXi AppTec

As a global company with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Through its unique business models, WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services include chemistry drug CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization), biology discovery, preclinical testing and clinical research services, cell and gene therapies CTDMO (Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization), helping customers improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. WuXi AppTec received an AA ESG rating from MSCI in 2021 and its open-access platform is enabling more than 5,600 collaborators from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need  and to realize the vision that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit: http://www.wuxiapptec.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our forward-looking statements may turn out to be incorrect. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to, among other things, the ability of our service offerings to compete effectively, our ability to meet timelines for the expansion of our service offerings, our ability to protect our clients' intellectual property, unforeseeable international tension, competition, the impact of emergencies and other force majeure. Our forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law or listing rules. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Use of Non-IFRS and Adjusted Non-IFRS Financial Measures

We provide non-IFRS gross profit, exclude the impact in revenue and cost from effective hedge accounting, share-based compensation expenses and amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, and non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, which exclude share-based compensation expenses, issuance expenses of convertible bonds, fair value gain or loss from derivative component of convertible bonds, foreign exchange-related gains or losses, amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations and goodwill impairment. We also provide adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company and earnings per share, which further exclude realized and unrealized gains or losses from our venture investments and joint ventures. Neither is required by, or presented in accordance with IFRS.

To better reflect the operation results and key performance, the Company has adjusted the scope of the foreign exchange related gains or losses by adjusting only the gains or losses that the management believes irrelevant to the core business. The comparative financial figures for the comparable periods have been adjusted to reflect the change of the scope.

We believe that the adjusted financial measures used in this press release are useful for understanding and assessing our core business performance and operating trends, and we believe that management and investors may benefit from referring to these adjusted financial measures in assessing our financial performance by eliminating the impact of certain unusual, non-recurring, non-cash and non-operating items that we do not consider indicative of the performance of our core business. Such adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, the management of the Company believes, is widely accepted and adopted in the industry the Company is operating in. However, the presentation of these adjusted non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. You should not view adjusted results on a stand-alone basis or as a substitute for results under IFRS, or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Kyler Lei (for investors)

IR Director

Email: [email protected]

Mr. Davy Wu (for media)

PR Director

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE WuXi AppTec

Related Links

www.wuxiapptec.com


London, Oct 29 : Britain will summon the French Ambassador on Friday to discuss the ongoing fishing rights dispute, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday evening.

"I have instructed Europe Minister Wendy Morton to summon the French Ambassador to the UK for talks tomorrow to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands," Truss tweeted.

Post-Brexit access to British waters has prompted tension between Britain and France. France seized a British trawler and gave a warning to another boat on Thursday morning, following threats of retaliatory measures against Britain's fishing industry and broader trade, Xinhua news agency reported.

France complained only half of the licenses needed were given to its fishing boats to operate in British territorial waters. Britain insisted it has granted 98 per cent of license applications from EU vessels to fish in its waters.

A British government spokesperson said in a statement that France's threats are "disappointing and disproportionate" and if carried through, will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response.

Post-Brexit fishing row between Britain and France started earlier this year after the British Channel island of Jersey's government introduced a new licensing system requiring French boats to show fishing history in Jersey's waters to obtain future permits. It prompted both sides to dispatch navy vessels to monitor the situation in Jersey's waters in May.
Belgrade, Oct 29 : Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi and Serbian Foreign Minister, Nikola Selakovic held talks here on Thursday, speaking highly of bilateral friendship and pledging efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations.

During the talks, Wang recalled his fruitful meeting with Selakovic in May in southwest China's Guiyang city, saying that two foreign ministers' exchange of visits in less than half a year fully reflected the great importance attached by both sides to China-Serbia relations and the high level of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, Xinhua news agency reported.

Traditional China-Serbia friendship has withstood the test of changes in the world and emerged from the trying times of blood and fire with new dynamism and vitality, he said.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership has grown to an unprecedented high level, he added.

Both sides have always supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, protecting their respective legitimate rights and interests and at the same time upholding international equity and justice, the Chinese Foreign Minister said.

Wang noted that in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, China and Serbia have supported each other in difficult times, opening a new chapter of friendship between the two countries.

China regards Serbia as its most reliable partner and firmly supports Serbia to speed up its national development and rejuvenation, said Wang, expressing China's readiness to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and to look at and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, so as to continue to consolidate their already indestructible friendship and push bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

Selakovic said the pandemic didn't block the exchanges and cooperation between Serbia and China, whose joint containment efforts have only brought the hearts of the two peoples even closer.

Serbia is proud of the steely Serbia-China friendship, and firmly believes that under the far-sighted leadership of the two heads of state, bilateral relations will continue to achieve new progress, said the Serbian Foreign Minister.

He stressed that Serbia is willing to work with China through in-depth communication in order to expand all-dimensional cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new height.

Serbia highly values and fully supports President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Development Initiative, which is of great significance, he said, expressing confidence in a bright future for bilateral relations and the two countries' just cause.

He reiterated Serbia's firm adherence to the one-China principle and support for China's positions on issues such as those related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.

During the talks, both sides agreed to support each other's efforts to protect their respective sovereignty, independence and national dignity, enhance communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, jointly and firmly safeguard the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides also agreed to enhance strategic alignment, forge high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, implement major cooperative projects and support the Serbian side's efforts to operate a research facility on Belt and Road.

The two sides also exchanged views on the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and China-Europe relations, agreeing that cooperation conforms to the interests of all parties and that it is necessary to enhance communication, deepen mutual trust and strive for new achievements.

Before their talks, the two foreign ministers jointly witnessed the signing of a document on the cooperation between the two foreign ministries.
Tunis, Oct 29 : Tunisian President Kais Saied called for solid cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and various regional organizations, particularly the African Union (AU), according to a statement released on Thuesday by the presidency.

"Developing such cooperation is a strategic priority and an effective tool to deal with key challenges facing peace and security throughout the African continent," Saied said.

Saied made the remark during a high-level virtual debate organised by the Security Council on cooperation between the UN, regional and subregional organizations and the African Union, on the topic "Renewing solidarity to successfully deliver peace and security in a changing conflict environment," Xinhua news agency reported.

He stressed the need to "provide adequate support for peacekeeping operations implemented by the AU under the auspices of the UN Security Council".

The priority is to double efforts to meet the common aspirations of all peoples for security, peace and well-being, Saied added.
Khartoum, Oct 29 : An official at Sudan's Foreign Ministry on Friday disclosed initiatives and mediations for the return of understanding between the transitional period partners.

"There are mediations for the return of the transitional period partners to understand," Ali Al-Sadiq, the official in charge of running the affairs of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing to the diplomatic missions in Sudan.

Al-Sadiq expressed welcome of any initiative aiming to narrow the differences between the rivals, Xinhua news agency reported.

He further stressed that the armed forces have no intention to seize power, pointing out that the power would be handed to an elected government by the end of the transitional period.

On October 25, the Sudanese Army adopted measures ending the partnership between the military and civilian coalition which was assuming the transitional period rule in Sudan.

Accordingly, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency across the country and dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and the government.

Demonstrations have taken to the street in Khartoum, rejecting the measures announced by Al-Burhan and demanding a civilian government.
Jerusalem, Oct 29 : The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will open a diplomatic and trade representative in Jerusalem.

Felix Tshisekedi, President of the DRC and the current African Union (AU) Chairperson, held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem on Thursday, said an announcement from Bennett's office.

Tshisekedi said his country would be opening a diplomatic and trade representative in Jerusalem, adding that he supports "Israel's accession as an observer to the AU and is working to this effect," according to the statement.

For his part, Bennett thanked Tshisekedi for "his deep friendship with Israel," Xinhua news agency reported.

The two leaders also discussed "strengthening bilateral co-operation in agriculture, communications and trade," the statement added.

During his visit to Israel, Tshisekedi also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and paid a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

Tshisekedi began his first official visit to Israel on Tuesday and he would stay for five days.
Lalitpur : , Oct 29 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur on Friday to meet the family of a farmer who died, allegedly due to distress over non-availability of fertilizer.

Fifty-five-year-old Bhogilal Pal of Nayagaon had died of a cardiac arrest while standing in queue outside a fertilizer shop.

He had reportedly been waiting for his turn to purchase fertilizer for two days.

Several states have reported an acute shortage of fertilizer in recent weeks. The shortage turning deadly in the Bundelkhand region of the state, where desperate farmers died while trying to get their hands on bags of fertilizers.

Priyanka Gandhi will meet the bereaved family as well as other farmers affected by the low stocks of fertilizer.

She travelled to Lalitpur on the Sabarmati Express on Thursday night.

Before her departure, she met railway porters at the Lucknow railway station and interacted with them.

The porters apprised Priyanka Gandhi of the challenges they are facing and the economic blow they suffered due to the government's negligence during the Covid-19 pandemic.
New York, Oct 29 : Ramping up cooperation in fighting terrorism, India and the US have announced that they will expand sharing information on terrorist threats and will consult on potential terror threats from Afghanistan where the Taliban has wrested control, according to the State Department.

The decision on increasing cooperation against terrorism was taken at a meeting of the US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and the US-India Designations Dialogue that were led by Mahaveer Singhvi, the External Affairs Ministry Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism, and John T. Godfrey, the State Department Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism, this week in Washington.

"Both sides pledged to further expand cooperation on law enforcement, information sharing, exchanging best practices, and increasing strategic convergence on counter-terrorism challenges," the State Department said on Thursday after the two-day meeting held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

They were "committed to continuing close consultations on developments in Afghanistan and potential terrorist threats emanating from there", the Department said.

They "called on the Taliban to ensure Afghan territory is never again used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks" in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution, it added.

Taliban, which is designated by the UN Security Council as a terrorist organisation and had supported international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, took over Afghanistan in August.

"They also jointly decided to further expand terrorist threat information sharing and exchanged information about priorities and procedures for designating terrorist groups and individuals," the Department said.

Terrorism funding, money laundering, use of the internet for terror activities, and law enforcement training at the Central Academy for Police Training in Hyderabad also figured in their discussions, the Department said.

"The US reiterated its commitment to standing together with the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism," the Department said, adding that "they also called for concerted action" against all terrorist groups, including those under sanctions by the UN Security Council like the Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

They also called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice, it said.

The US put a $10 million bounty on LeT leader Hafiz Saeed the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including at least six Americans.

After living free for almost a decade, he was convicted last year by Pakistani courts on charges of financing terrorism attacks within Pakistan, unrelated to the Mumbai massacre, and is in prison serving a 35-year sentence.

The State Department said that the two sides "also discussed mutual legal and extradition".

The US has refused to extradite to India an American citizen David Headley, although the LeT operative who helped plan the 26/11 attacks was tried in a federal court and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the terror strike.

However, the US has asked a federal court to allow the extradition to India of Pakistani Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana who is wanted by India for his role in the Mumbai attack and is in US custody.

(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
Chennai, Oct 29 : The Tamil Nadu government, which manages the Mullaperiyar dam although it is geographically in Kerala's Idukki district, opened two spillway shutters on Friday.

The two shutters were opened at 7.29 a.m., according to the state Water Resources Department officials.

Kerala Revenue Minister K. Rajan also confirmed that the two shutters of the dam were opened and that 300 families at Vallakadavu in Idukki district which is in downstream of the dam were evacuated to relief camps.

After incessant rains at the catchment area of the dam in Kerala, there have been calls to open the shutters and to release the excess water.

A Supreme Court-appointed supervisory committee has directed the two states to maintain the water level at 138 ft till October 30 and then at 139.5 ft until November 10.

A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Dhinesh Maheswari, and C.T. Ravikumar in a judgment on Thursday said that the two states would abide by the water level suggested by the supervisory committee and the committee would monitor the situation of water level in the dam on an hourly basis.

The case will next be heard on November 11.

The Supreme court granted the adjournment after Kerala sought time to file an affidavit and raised objections regarding the rule-curve criteria adopted by the Tamil Nadu side.

The upstream of the Mullaperiyar dam is in Tamil Nadu, while the downstream is in Kerala and hence the latter argued to maintain the water level at 139 ft and not the 142 ft as proposed by the former.

Mullaperiyar is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar river and operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu. It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by the British engineer John Pennycuick.

In a report released in January this year, the UN said that Mullaperiyar is one among the big dams in the world to be decommissioned as it is situated in a seismically active area.

The report also said that there were significant structural flaws and if the dam was to fail it would affect the lives of 3.5 million people in Kerala.
Lucknow, Oct 29 : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure that anyone coming to Uttar Pradesh from other states and abroad is to be tested for Covid-19.

This includes those coming, especially, from abroad and states like Kerala and Maharashtra.

He has also said that the government must focus on inoculating more people who are eligible for the second dose.

Even as Uttar Pradesh's own active cases continue to hover around the 100-mark, the chief minister has asked officials not to show any laxity.

While the state has now registered maximum number of people who are fully vaccinated -- the number has crossed the 3 crore mark -- there are still about one crore people who are yet to take their second dose.

According to the government spokesman, "The CM has said that the efforts to ensure that all persons take their second shot on time should be ramped up. The state has already earmarked Saturdays exclusively for those who have to take their second shots." Meanwhile, as Covid-19 cases are going up in other states and neighbouring countries, the surveillance committees have been asked to remain alert and focus on house visits once again.

"The surveillance committees were a useful tool in controlling the spread of the pandemic in the state as members would visit homes, identify possible patients, distribute medicines and pulse oximeters, etc.

"These were highly active till July or August but now that cases around UP are rising once again, they have been put on high alert and asked to restart their visits to identify anyone who is showing influenza-like illness," said the spokesperson.

The committees have also been asked to check and report the spread of vector-borne diseases.

The exercise will be stepped up in festival season when there may be a possibility of increasing cases.

Meanwhile, after several days of no Covid casualties in Uttar Pradesh, one patient from Bulandshahr district succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Los Angeles, Oct 29 : Actor Kit Harington thinks it will be "hard" to watch the 'Game of Thrones' prequel because he still feels so attached to the fantasy world.

The 34-year-old actor became a household name playing Jon Snow in the drama series and he still feels a huge "emotional connection" to the fantasy world, so he said he is expecting it to be emotional when he tunes in to watch 'House of the Dragon' when it hits screens next year, reports variety.com.

Asked how he's feeling about watching the prequel, he said: "Do you know what, probably quite a lot of emotions.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's my good friend Miguel (Sapochnik) who's show-running it, I've got a friend Matt (Smith) in it, so I'm looking forward to it but it's gonna be hard. I've got a huge emotional connection to that piece, to that story, to that world." Harrington will be seen next in 'Eternals', in which he has reunited with his 'Game of Thrones' on-screen brother, Richard Madden, and he quipped his pal was stunned to see him the first time he walked on set.

Speaking to Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Heart Breakfast, he said: "Yeah he can't get rid of me. He couldn't believe it when I turned up on set. He was like 'What the hell are you doing here?'" Meanwhile, Kit, who spent time in rehab after 'Game of Thrones' ended, welcomed a son with wife Rose Leslie in February and recently said he has never been happier.

He said: "I have a child and my relationship is brilliant, I'm a very, very happy, content, sober man." However, the British actor said he is exhausted as he has taken over parenting responsibilities while Rose is filming a new project in New York.

He said: "Like, honestly, my back is wrecked. I go to the gym quite a bit, but there's something about having a child that is the most physically draining thing. I don't know how (single parents) do it.

"Because it's more exhausting than everything I did on 'Game of Thrones'."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
United Nations, Oct 29 : The UN Security Council has demanded the release of detained leaders and the restoration of the civilian-led transitional government in Sudan following the military takeover of the North African country earlier this week.

In a statement on Thursday, the members of the Security Council expressed serious concerns about Monday's coup, the suspension of some transitional institutions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian members of the transitional government, reports Xinhua news agency.

They called for the immediate release of all those who have been detained by the military authorities, and in this regard, took note of the reported return of Prime Minister Hamdok to his residence.

They also called on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from the use of violence, and emphasized the importance of full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The Council members called on Sudan's military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the constitutional document and other foundational documents of the transition.

They urged all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without preconditions in order to enable the full implementation of the constitutional document and the Juba Peace Agreement, which underpin Sudan's democratic transition.

The Council members expressed their solidarity with the people of Sudan and affirmed their readiness to support efforts to realise the country's democratic transition, in a manner that achieves the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous future.

They underscored that any attempt to undermine the democratic transition process in Sudan puts at risk Sudan's security, stability and development.

They reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and national unity of Sudan.

The Council members expressed their strong support for regional and sub-regional efforts and underscored the importance of their continued engagement in Sudan.

They expressed their intention to continue to closely monitor the situation in Sudan.
Seoul, Oct 29 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in has reached Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis and a G20 Summit with other global leaders expected to focus on tackling the climate crisis and helping the world end the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting with the Pope on Friday at the Vatican, is expected to touch on efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolve pending global issues, such as the pandemic, poverty and climate change, Yonhap News Agency quoted presidential officials ass aying.

A possible papal visit to North Korea is expected to come up during the meeting as the pope has previously expressed a willingness to visit the North as part of efforts to promote peace on the divided peninsula, according to the officials.

On Saturday and Sunday, Moon is slated to attend the G20 Summit to discuss with other world leaders ways to tackle the climate crisis and the pandemic, as well as how to foster the global economic recovery.

The pandemic and climate crisis are expected to dominate the summit as Covid-19 is still undermining a fragile global economic recovery.

After Italy, Moon will visit Glasgow, Scotland, to attend the UN COP26 on November 1 and 2.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be high on the agenda at the talks, where Moon will deliver a keynote speech.

On the last leg of his trip, Moon will make a state visit to Hungary on November 2.

Hungary erected a monument in memory of the 25 South Koreans killed in the 2019 deadly boat sinking in Budapest. The memorial stone was set up near the accident site on the Danube River, where Korean tourists aboard a sightseeing boat went missing after the vessel collided with a larger cruise liner.

On November 2, Moon will visit the site and pay tribute to the victims, the presidential office said.

Moon will hold bilateral meetings with Hungarian President Janos Ader and Prime Minister Viktor Orban on November 3.

While in Budapest, Moon will hold a summit with the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia on November 4 in the second summit between South Korea and the Visegrad Group -- the country's second-largest trading partner and largest export market within the European Union.
Seoul, Oct 29 : The US is reviewing the possibility of declaring a formal end to the Korean War from various angles, a top American diplomat has said.

Mark Lambert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan, made the remark in a meeting with Lee Seok-hyun, vice chairman of South Korea's National Unification Advisory Council, Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.

The Council offers policy recommendations to the South Korean president.

Lambert's remark comes after White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted possible differences between South Korea and the US over when a declaration of the war's end could be or should be made.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 war as a catalyst to resume dialogue with the North.

Pyongyang has stayed away from denuclearization talks since 2019. It also remains unresponsive to numerous overtures for dialogue from US President Joe Biden's administration.

Lee said US outreach to the reclusive North so far included a dialogue proposal through email.

"The US continues to propose holding dialogue, even sending an email to North Korea in recent days, but North Korea is not responding," the South Korean official said , adding the North appears to be uninterested in talking directly with the US at least for now.

Meanwhile, a group of US lawmakers is expected to send a letter to President Biden next week to urge diplomatic engagement with North Korea and also support for the Seoul-proposed end of war declaration, an informed source said.
Kabul, Oct 29 : During a meeting with 14 foreign envoys, The Taliban's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has urged the international community's support for the removal of sanctions on the incumbent government of Afghanistan led by the group, the media reported.

The meeting took place in Doha on Wednesday, TOLO News reported.

During the meeting, "Minister Muttaqi elaborated on the new Islamic government, ensuring security, ties with the international community, economic situation, sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, and elimination of corruption", Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement.

"Afghanistan is witnessing a dominant government in 40 years, therefore the international community should call on the US to remove sanctions on the Afghan people's national wealth," the Minister was quoted as saying in the meeting.

The new Afghan government "as a responsible government" fulfilled all of the conditions and that it should be recognised, he added.

In the meeting, reportedly mediated by the Qatari government, the envoys urged the Taliban to abide by international rules, respect human rights, guarantee safe passage to Afghanistan and eradicate terrorism.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Acting Foreign Minister held talks with Markus Potzel, Germany's Ambassador-designate to Afghanistan.

Taking to Twitter, Potzel said: "Met de facto acting Taliban FM (Amir Khan) Muttaqi in Doha. We spoke about ongoing efforts to mitigate humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

"I reiterated importance of respect for human rights, especially women's rights, safe passage & freedom of movement and unrestricted humanitarian access."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Lalitpur : , Oct 29 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday met the family of a farmer who died allegedly due to distress over the non-availability of fertilizer.

Fifty-five-year-old Bhogilal Pal of Nayagaon died of a cardiac arrest while standing in queue outside a fertilizer shop. He had reportedly been waiting for his turn to purchase fertilizer for two days.

Priyanka Gandhi visited Pal's home and interacted with the family members.

The Congress General Secretary spent around 40 minutes and assured the family that she would not only raise the issue at appropriate forum but would also help in whichever way she could.

She also met other farmers who told her about their problems.

They said that they were facing a debt burden too.

The Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh has been facing an acute fertilizer crisis in recent weeks.

The shortage turning deadly after desperate farmers died while trying to get their hands on bags of fertilizers.

Earlier while leaving for Lalitpur, Priyanka Gandhi interacted with railway porters at the Lucknow railway station.

The porters apprised her of the challenges they are facing and the economic blow they suffered due to the state government's negligence during the Covid-19 pandemic.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
October 29 : Soon after the High Court granted bail to Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the cruise-drug case, Aryan's younger brother AbRam Khan was seen on the terrace of his home, Mannat, in Mumbai. AbRam was captured by the paparazzi waving at the fans who had gathered outside Mannat.

Soon after the courts verdict came, hundreds of Shah Rukh fans gathered outside his sea-facing bungalow in Bandra. They got an adorable glimpse of the little AbRam. An elated AbRam continued to wave at the fans outside Shah Rukhs house, who were celebrating Aryans bail by burning crackers on the street. After a little while, AbRam was taken away by his nanny.

Videos and pictures of Shah Rukh Khans fans celebrating outside Mannat flooded social media. They were seen burning crackers and shouting, We love Shah Rukh. They were also holding banners in support of the superstar.

On Thursday evening, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan and his co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha. The trio was arrested after a raid on a Goa-bound cruise earlier this month. Aryan was arrested on October 3 and since October 8, he was lodged in the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.

Last week, Shah Rukh had visited his son in the jail, and according to reports quoting a prison official, the meeting of the father-son duo lasted for 15-20 minutes in the presence of four guards. They spoke to each other on the intercom from across a glass wall between them.

Before the High Court granted bail to the 23-year-old, his bail was rejected twice by a Mumbai magistrate court and a special anti-drugs court. Aryans legal team then moved the Bombay High Court. The hearing in the High Court continued for three days.

Following Aryans bail, several Bollywood celebs such as Karan Johar, R Madhavan, Sonam Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Sanjay Kapoor, Swara Bhasker, Malaika Arora and many others took to social media and celebrated the verdict of the court.
Hyderabad, Oct 29 : Over 10 lakh land-related transactions were completed on Telangana's Dharani portal, which completed one year of its operations on Friday.

Dharani offers safe, secure, hassle-free, tamper-proof and discretion-free services in revenue administration.

The innovative, state-of-the-art online portal, the first-of-its-kind in the country, was launched by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on October 29, 2020.

Besides being a single source of truth for all land-related information, Dharani offers a one-stop solution for all agricultural land-related transactions.

According to officials, with the launch of Dharani, registration services have been taken closer to the doorstep of people. Earlier, registrations were being done only in 141 Sub-Registrar Offices. Now, registrations are taking place in every mandal at 574 Tahsildar offices across the state.

They claim that Dharani has set new benchmarks in land administration. In the last one year, the web portal has witnessed 5.17 crore hits and 10 lakh transactions have been completed. About 1,80,000 acres of land for which Pattadar passbooks were not issued earlier, have been brought on to Dharani during this year.

"The strength of Dharani has been its ability to adapt itself to meet the ever-increasing requirements. From time to time, depending on the feedback received from various stakeholders, new transaction modules have been added. Modules have also been added to redress various kinds of grievances. As of now, Dharani has 31 transaction modules and 10 information modules," said a revenue officer.

The statistics show 10,45,878 slots were booked on the portal. Out of 10,00,973 transactions completed, a total of 5,02,281 were related to sales, 1,58,215 gifts, 72,085 succession and 58,285 mortgaged.

The authorities also disposed of 5.17 lakh grievances using the online platform.

On the occasion of completion of one year of Dharani launch, the chief minister complimented the team of officers led by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and all district collectors who are successfully implementing Dharani services. The chief minister has expressed happiness that the citizens, particularly agriculturalists and peasants, have immensely benefited from the transparent, hassle-free services offered by Dharani.

He also expressed confidence that in the months ahead, Dharani will scale greater heights of success in the service of citizens.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar also thanked all officers, district collectors and tahsildars for successful implementation of Dharani.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Just hours ahead of the world's climate leaders gathering in Glasgow for the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), China has released the new national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, wherein it pledged to peak emissions before 2030, rather around 2030, and also to reach carbon neutrality before 2060.

Expressing no big surprise, rather disappointing, climate negotiators told IANS the new plan only epitomizes the lack of determination to step up climate action by an emitter that is responsible for 24 per cent of global emissions.

While most of the major economies have submitted an updated climate plans ahead of the key climate talks in Glasgow, India, responsible for seven per cent of global emissions, is yet to announce.

In the plan, China, whose President Xi is expected to give COP26 a miss, announced to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 per cent by 2030, increase the forest stock volume by 6 billion cubic metres from the 2005 level by 2030 and bring total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1,200 GW by 2030, a major initiative.

Its enhanced nationally determined contributions (NDCs) comprise lower carbon intensity by over 65 per cent from the 2005 level by 2030, up from 2016 commitments of 60 to 65 per cent by 2030.

The plan follows earlier commitments by China this year to strictly control domestic coal-fired power generation and stop building coal-fired power plants abroad.

Responding to the China's plan, Greenpeace China Policy Advisor Li Shuo said: "China's decision casts a shadow on the global climate effort. In light of the domestic economic uncertainties, the country appears hesitant to embrace stronger near term targets, and missed an opportunity to demonstrate ambition.

"The planet can't afford this being the last word. Beijing needs to come up with stronger implementation plans to ensure an emission peak before 2025.

"Six years after the Paris Agreement, China's choice epitomizes the lack of determination to step up climate action among some of the major economies. It also reflects Beijing's mistrust of the United States ability to fulfill its carbon reduction and climate finance targets. There's real fear that Washington's empty words will intensify an already unfair global climate order." Bernice Lee, Chatham House, an independent policy institute based in London, added that "we can't sugarcoat it: Beijing's new climate plan is disappointing and well off where the world's biggest emitter needs to be".

The new and updated climate commitments by nations fall far short of what is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, leaving the world on track for a global temperature rise of at least 2.7 degrees Celsius this century, warned the UN Emissions Gap report launched this week.

It finds that countries' updated NDCs. and other commitments made for 2030 but not yet submitted in an updated NDC. only take an additional 7.5 per cent off predicted annual greenhouse gas emissions in 2030, compared to the previous round of commitments.

Another report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) says vulnerable countries are stepping up amidst a slow response from some of the biggest emitters on the climate crisis.

It reveals that while 93 per cent of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) had submitted enhanced national climate pledges, or plan to do so, the G20 has been dragging its feet on adhering to the core principles of the Paris Agreement to "ratchet up" their climate ambition.

However, the China's new plan follows earlier commitments by it this year to strictly control domestic coal-fired power generation and stop building coal-fired power plants abroad.

On China's climate plan, World Resources Institute Vice President (Climate and Economics) Helen Mountford told IANS: "China's new climate commitment is a modest improvement over the country's previous plan under the Paris Agreement. For China to get on a pathway to reach its 2060 carbon neutrality goal it is critical for the country to further strengthen its new near-term targets and put in place measures to reach them.

"Our analysis shows that China can step up its efforts to reducing emission while also enjoying economic growth and a more sustainable environment." According to Mountford, it was very encouraging that China recently pledged to stop building coal plants abroad, but the country also needs to take more actions domestically to rein in greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

"This includes rapidly shifting its energy mix from coal to wind and solar, starting to shrink its carbon footprint by 2027 or sooner, and peaking its non-CO2 emissions which have the same warming impact as Russia's total greenhouse emissions." "China has stated in the updated NDC that it will stringently curb coal-powered projects, set strict limits on the increase in coal consumption during 2021-2025 and to phase it down during 2026-2030.

"And China emphasized again that it will effectively control non-CO2 GHG emissions. By following through on its a1+N' policy framework, China can implement a slate of domestic measures to mainstream China's climate goals across different industries and sectors." New analysis by World Resources Institute and Climate Analytics shows that China has the potential to fill 25 per cent of the global gap between countries' current climate commitments and the emission reductions necessary to keep the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit within reach.

"If the world is going to have any chance of coming to grips with the climate crisis, China, as well as all other major emitters, needs to graduate from taking small steps to giant leaps toward a cleaner and safer future," Mountford added.

In total, 178 countries representing 79.3 per cent of global GHG emissions, plan to submit enhanced NDCs before the COP26, up from just 75 countries in 2019. Of this group, 160 countries have strengthened their mitigation targets.

Now all eyes are on India's enhanced climate commitments to be announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Glasgow summit.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
October 29 : Ever since the arrest of Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan, the family received support from numerous celebs in the industry. Now, after Aryans bail was granted by the Bombay High Court on Thursday evening, Bollywood celebs celebrated it on social media.

R Madhavan took to Twitter and said that as a father he is relieved Thank god. As a father I am so relieved ..  May all good and positive things happen," he tweeted soon after Aryan was given bail after several rejections.

Thank god . As a father I am So relieved ..  May all good and positive things happen.  Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) October 28, 2021

Shah Rukhs Happy New Year co-star Sonu Sood also tweeted in Hindi.     ,       (When time does the justice, then there is no need for any witness)," he wrote.

    ,

       sonu sood (@SonuSood) October 28, 2021

Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 2 after a drug raid on luxury cruise off the coast of Mumbai. On October 8, the 23-year-old was shifter to Mumbais Authur Road jail. A few days back, Aryans legal team moved the Bombay High Court for his bail application after it was rejected twice before. After three days of hearing, the star kid was finally granted bail by the High Court.

Sonam Kapoor shared a photo of Shah Rukhs wife Gauri Khans picture with baby Aryan on her Instagram stories, and wrote. Finally. Soonam reposted the picture shared by Gauris friend and actor Sanjay Kapoors wife Maheep Kapoor on her Instagram story.

Image Source: Instagram/sonamkapoor Sonam Kapoor shared a photo of Gauri Khans picture with baby Aryan on her Instagram stories

Malaika Arora took to her Instagram stories and reacted to Aryan Khans bail, as she wrote Thank the Lord

Image Source: Instagram/malaikaaroraofficial Malaika Arora took to her Instagram stories and reacted to Aryan Khans bail

Malaikas sister Amrita Arora reacted to Aryans bail by sharing Shah Rukhs family picture, and wrote, only love.

Image Source: Instagram/amuaroraofficial Amrita Arora reacted to Aryans bail by sharing Shah Rukhs family picture

Swara Bhasker also tweeted, FINALLY!" with clap emojis.

Aryan Khan and his friends Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were arrested on October 2. The trio was among the eight people who were arrested after a raid at an alleged rave party on a Goa-bound cruise earlier this month. Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were also granted bail on Thursday evening.
Ankara, Oct 29 : Turkish and US Defence Ministers held a meeting here to resolve the conflict on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

According to the Defence Ministry in Ankara, the two sides on Thursday also discussed financial issues of the program, adding that the two NATO allies have agreed to continue their talks, reports Xinhua news agency.

The discussion came ahead of a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The most important subject of this meeting would be the F-35 issue, Erdogan said on Monday, adding Ankara seeks the return of the $1.4 billion payment made for the fighter jets.

There are signals from Washington to deliver the F-16 warplanes in return for Turkey's money paid for the F-35 program, he said.

Turkey's procurement of the Russian S-400 missile defence systems prompted the US to remove Ankara from the F-35 program in 2019.

Tensions between the US and Turkey have since escalated over the deal, as Washington claimed that the S-400 systems would be incompatible with the NATO system and may expose its confidential military information to Russia.

Last December, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey over the S-400s, targeting the Turkish defence procurement agency and its officials.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called on the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to stick to the promises it had made with the government, warning that "things will be out of my hands" if the group fails to do so, Dawn reported.

The Minister categorically stated that the government would stop the group from entering Islamabad.

He urged the protesters to turn back, otherwise the state would be left with no choice but to "establish its writ".

Rasheed said that while the government does not want violence, Prime Minister Imran Khan would not allow the country to become "hostage".

Addressing the TLP protesters, he said: "Your loss is our loss." The Interior Minister said he had spoken to the TLP leadership, including the group's chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, multiple times in recent days and would talk to them again on Friday and Saturday.

"However, the talks would only be held after (the TLP) returns." Ahmed said the TLP had committed to unblocking roads and the group should fulfil its promise.

"Otherwise, matters will go out of my hand," he warned.

He said he had been trying to convince the TLP to keep its promises, "but if you keep moving forward (towards Islamabad), you will have to be stopped at some point".
Film: 'Dybbuk: The Curse is Real' (Streaming on Amazon Prime)

Duration: 113 minutes

Director: Jay Krishnan

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Nikita Dutta, Manav Kaul, Imaad Shah, Bijay Anand, Denzil Smith, Gaurav Sharma, Anil George

IANS Rating: **1/2

Jewish-themed films are a rarity in the Indian film industry, and a horror one is a further far cry, despite there being a lot of terrifying entities in Judaic folklore. So, when director Jay Krishnan promised us a story of the malevolent ghosts called Dybbuks, expectations were high. But alas.

According to folklore, a clinging demon is called a Dybbuk. These demons attach themselves to a pious soul or to those whose body and soul are not aligned or, in other words, to those who had not been able to transmigrate successfully. The demon would then guide the renegade soul into the body of a living person. This would give the soul a refuge and the demon an opportunity to take control of the possessed person's body.

Exorcising a Dybbuk, removing the destructive forces from a pure soul, is not just an imperative to save a person who is possessed. It is a battle in a cosmic war. A dramatic, terrifying ritual is required to force the reluctant spirit out of the body in which it is squatting. A ceremony is conducted, in the synagogue, in the presence of 10 Jewish men who have purified themselves through fasting and ritual immersions.

Using these two elements (the origination and the exorcism) from the folklore the film is a straightforward tale of a mixed couple (Christian boy, Hindu girl) - Samuel Isaac (Emraan Hashmi) and Mahi Sood (Nikita Dutta), who land in Mauritius because of Samuel's posting.

While setting up their house in Mauritius, Mahi picks up an intricately designed box from an antique shop which turns out to be the Pandora's Box. They soon experience paranormal activities in their house, and to complicate matters the couple learns that Mahi is expecting a baby. How they identify the Dybbuk and exorcise it forms the crux of the narrative.

As a horror film, 'Dybbuk: The Curse is Real' falls qualitatively under par on all fronts. Despite the atmospheric setting, with all the tropes of the horror genre, the narrative is steeped with cliches and it is not smooth. The scenes with most of the dialogues and performances appear to be perfunctorily staccato. The pauses and the dramatic gazes, instead of building tension and suspense, make the scenes appear ridiculously forced and far from ominous, a case in point is when the Catholic priest (Denzil Smith) comes to Sam's house.

But visually, two good shots stand out. The first one is a low-angle shot capturing Markus (Manav Kaul), the Rabbi's son, and a swooping mass of thousands of birds whirling in the sky above. The murmuration is an amazing sight. And the second shot is when Ezra (Imaad Shah), the boy who is turned into a Dybbuk, is hit by a flaming rod.

Overall, the film set against the picturesque backdrop of Mauritius is a sort of paint-by-numbers horror narrative. It barely scratches the surface, and the telling is painfully slow.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Brazzaville, Oct 29 : Just five African countries, less than 10 per cent of the continent's 54 nations, are projected to hit the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40 per cent of their population, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Seychelles, Mauritius and Morocco have already met the goal that was set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-setting body, Xinhua news agency quoted the WHO's regional office for Africa, based in the Congolese capital Brazzaville, as saying on Thursday.

The office added that Tunisia and Cape Verde will also hit the target.

Limited access to crucial commodities such as syringes may slow the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa, warned the WHO, noting that some countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, have experienced delays in receiving syringes.

"The looming threat of a vaccine commodities crisis hangs over the continent. Early next year Covid-19 vaccines will start pouring into Africa, but a scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress," said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The COVAX Facility is working to address this threat by securing deals with syringe manufacturers, and through better planning to avoid deliveries outpacing the supply of syringes, Moeti said.

At the current pace, Africa still faces a 275 million shortfall of Covid-19 vaccines against the year-end target.

Africa has fully vaccinated 77 million people, just 6 per cent of its population, while over 70 per cent of high-income countries have already vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their people.

With nearly 8.5 million Covid-19 cases and more than 217,000 deaths recorded in Africa, 10 countries are still witnessing a resurgence, including Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Cameroon and Egypt with an upward trend or high plateau, according to the WHO.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, Oct 29 : In a shocking development, a private sector power major of Mumbai has accused a prominent state Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a sugar baron hailing from a well-known political clan, of allegedly violating a business agreement that has resulted in a loss of around Rs 170 crore to the company in the past over six years.

The company is Pravara Renewable Energy Lt. (PREL) -- part of the Mumbai-based Gammon India Ltd conglomerate -- which had set up a 32-MW power generation plant at the Padmashri Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, (PDVVPSSK/Karkhana) in Ahmednagar, helmed by senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

Incidentally, he is a grandson of the legendary Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil who founded Asia's first cooperative sugar mill; a son of former Union Minister the late Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil and the uncle of (Ms.) Nila Ashok Vikhe-Patil, who is the high-profile Political Advisor to Sweden Prime Minister's Office.

Last week, the PREL filed for Arbitration Proceedings before the Bombay High Court, and later plan to file a petition seeking justice and compensation for its huge losses -- estimated at around Rs 170 crore, besides approaching higher political authorities for redressal, officials said.

When contacted, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil declined to comment on the matter on grounds that it is before the consideration of the courts.

"Since the matter is already sub-judice, it's not proper for us to comment on it... Whatever allegations are made by them, we shall reply and present our stand before the court... Let the arbitrators decide on the issues raised," the Karkhana Chairman Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil told IANS.

The Ahmednagar plant was set up on a BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) basis with a 28-year period of concession, including three years for construction, according to Mineel Mali, Director, AJR Infra and Tolling Ltd., the PREL's promoter.

As per the agreement, the PREL set up a state-of-the-art power generation facility -- the biggest of its kind in the state -- which can use multiple fuels, including green fuels like bagasse, biogas, cane trash, rice bran, etc., or fossil fuels like coal.

As part of the understanding the Karkhana had agreed to supply a certain quantity of bagasse every year to enable the PREL generate electricity for the sugar factory's consumption and also for sale to the MSEB.

However, in the past over six years, the Karkhana has defaulted by its failure to provide the PREL with over 5.70-lakh tonnes bagasse, Mali contended.

This in turn, caused a massive reduction in the power plant's electricity generation and its production fell short of a whopping 2.56-lakh MW, worth around Rs 170-crore in the past six years, causing huge stress.

All efforts to convince the Karkhana top brass to provide the bagasse or other fuel to help the company recover its losses have failed to elicit response compelling them to go for Arbitration proceedings, claimed the company.

Hoping to settle the issue amicably, the PREL Director S.K. Vats in August 2021 shot off a strong letter to the Karkhana's then Managing Director, (the late) T.R. Dhone, demanding suitable "compensation" for its gross losses of over Rs 170-crore.

The PREL officials have charged the Karkhana of resorting to 'strong-arm tactics and intimidation' to drive away their staff and allegedly grab the full-fledged functional power plant set up at the company's expense, but Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil declined to comment on this too.

The company top brass explained that given the current power crisis scenario owing to coal shortages, if the Karkhana cooperates it can contribute to resolving the peoples' problems by using the green fuels in the PREL plant which has immense environmental benefits.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 : The Catholic community in Kerala is definitely in an upbeat mood, ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Pope Francis on Saturday at the Vatican.

Modi is travelling to Rome and Glasgow from Friday to November 2 to attend the G20 Summit and the World Leaders' Summit of COP26.

During his European visit, he will call on the Pope and the two are scheduled to meet for 30 minutes at 8.30 a.m.

Christians in Kerala constitute around 19 per cent of the state's 33 million population.

The three Catholic churches account for 50 per cent of the Christians in the state.

In Kerala, the Roman Catholic, Latin and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church owe their allegiance to the Pope.

Speaking to IANS, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, said he is extremely delighted about the meeting.

"It definitely is iconic, as one represents the Catholic community which is the biggest religious community in the world and the other who heads the world's biggest democracy, which has an ancient culture. This makes us all Indians proud. I'm very confident that the meeting will give the human community a lot to ponder on the much needed religious harmony besides a deep caring for the poor and downtrodden," said Cleemis.

"I wish all the God's blessings for the meeting and also about the subsequent outcome of this, which includes a wish of all, for a visit by the Pope to India." During their meeting in 2014 soon after Modi assumed office, Cleemis gave a memorandum stating that the Union Government should extend an invite to the Pope to visit India.

The last papal visit to India was a very brief one which took place in 1999 and the only time that a Pope visited Kerala was way back in 1986.

A Catholic on the condition of anonymity told IANS that a papal visit to Kerala is long delayed and Modi's meeting with Pope Francis could set the ground for a possible visit by the latter to the state.

"Pope John Paul II is the only Pope who had visited Kerala. He was in the state for two days on February 7 and 8, 1986 and the purpose of his visit was to beatify Sister Alphonsa and Kuriakose Elias Chavara popularly known as Chavara Achen." Those, who attended the public meeting then, recall the Pope beginning his prayers at Kottayam on February 8, 1986 in Malayalam "Thinungelil Dhaivethinu Stuthi" (glory to the God in the height) thrice.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Colombo, Oct 29 : The Sri Lankan government has approved five new airlines to operate into the country before the end of this year aimed at boosting tourist arrivals following the easing of Covid curbs, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said.

Accordingly, Sweden's Edelweiss Air will operate a weekly flight and Russia's Aeroflot twice a week from November 1, while Air France will fly three times a week from November 3, reports Xinhua news agency.

In addition, from the first week of December, Russia's AZUR Air and Italy's Neos Air will fly twice a week to Colombo, the Minister said.

The operations of these airlines into the country will be subject to strict health guidelines.

"The aim is to enhance foreign earnings through the revival of the tourism industry and contribute to the national economy," Ranatunga said.

With international travel having begun following the administration of the vaccine against Covid-19 globally, nearly 16,500 tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka between October 1 and 24, boosting hopes for the crisis-ridden industry.

"If the trend continues, October is likely to record the highest monthly arrivals for this year," Ranatunga said "With the easing of travel restrictions, there is a growing interest from global travellers to visit the country," the Minister added.

According to official figures, September saw the highest arrival of 13,547 tourists, thereby boosting the first nine months' figure to over 54,768.

The majority of these tourists were from India, the UK, Pakistan, Russia, Germany, Maldives, Canada, France, the US and Indonesia.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Climate change isn't just transforming our physical environment, it's permanently shifting the landscape of energy, farming, technology and business. It's eroding ancient ways of life, shaking up global finance and driving a historic new wave of mass migration.

In "Race For Tomorrow - Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis" (HarperCollins), an extraordinary journey across 26 countries, Simon Mundy meets the people embroiled in a race that is already reshaping the modern world.

For instance:

Why is a maverick scientist building a home for engineered mammoths in northeast Siberia?

How is China's green energy push driving a hazardous mining rush in Congo?

Could an Israeli fake meat startup make a fortune while helping to save Amazon?

How is Greenland's melting sea ice putting its people at the centre of a global power struggle?

* Who are the entrepreneurs chasing breakthroughs in fusion power, electric cars, and technology to suck carbon from the atmosphere?As the impact of climate change cascades through the planet and the global economy, who is battling to survive the worst impacts -- and who is chasing the most lucrative rewards?

With intimate insights into the people living in the most severe throes of climate change, the book is filled with richly reported human stories from every inhabited continent -- an account of disaster, of promise, of frantic adaptation and relentless innovation, of hope, of survival, and of the forces that will define our future.

Mundy spent weeks in each location while researching the book, from sleeping on the floor of herders' huts in Mongolia and travelling with members of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe in the Amazon, to talking to top level CEOs, national leaders and innovators about the decisions they are facing.

These are closely told and compelling human stories on a global scale, with chapters covering Siberia, Greenland, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Maldives, Solomon Islands, Italy, Germany, Cayman Islands, Philippines, India, Ethiopia, Chile, Mongolia, Brazil, the US, Israel, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Congo and provide much food for thought ahead of COP26 -- the UN Climate Change Conference beginning in Glasgow on Sunday.

Simon Mundy began his reporting career in Johannesburg, where he covered Southern Africa for the Financial Times. After a stint writing in the London financial sector he spent seven years in Asia, as FT bureau head in Seoul and then Mumbai. He was born in the UK.
New Delhi/Rome, Oct 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in Rome to attend the crucial 16th G20 Summit that will take place over the weekend, during which the leaders of the group will discuss the global economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, sustainable development and climate change.

This is the first in-person G20 Summit since the outbreak of the global pandemic in early 2020.

The first day of the Summit will see deliberations on 'Global Economy and Global Health', while the second day will witness an address by the Prince of Wales on the topic of the role of private finance in the fight against climate change.

Also on the second day, world leaders will also deliberate on climate change and environment, sustainable development among other issues.

Before his departure, Modi tweeted on Thursday: "Over the next few days, I would be in Rome, the Vatican City and Glasgow to attend important multilateral gatherings like the G20 and COP26. There would also be various bilateral and community related programmes during this visit." In a separate statement, he said that the Summit will "allow us to take stock of the current global situation and exchange ideas on how the G20 can be an engine for strengthening economic resilience and building back inclusively and sustainably from the pandemic".

Upon his arrival in the Italian capital on Friday, the Prime Minister said in a tweet: "Landed in Rome to take part in the G20 Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome." Modi was received by senior officials of the Italian government and Ambassador of India in Rome, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Modi's visit to Rome and the Vatican City till October 31 comes at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi will also be meeting with leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them.

In the Vatican, Modi will call on Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
San Francisco, Oct 29 : A former Facebook employee has told US authorities that the company's efforts to remove child abuse material from the platform were "inadequate" and "under-resourced".

The allegations are contained in documents seen by BBC News and submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) two weeks ago.

The anonymous whistleblower says moderators are "not sufficiently trained and are ill-prepared".

"We have no tolerance for this abhorrent abuse of children and use sophisticated technologies to combat it," the tech giant said in a statement.

"We've funded and helped build the tools used by industry to investigate this terrible crime, rescue children and bring justice to victims," it added.

It also added that it has shared its anti-abuse technologies with other companies, the BBC report said.

The revelations come after former insider Frances Haugen told the US Congress earlier this month that Facebook's platforms "harm children, stoke division and harm our democracy".

This week she also gave evidence to the UK parliamentary committee examining the proposed Online Safety Bill.

Senior executives from Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube and Tiktok are also due to give evidence.

The latest revelations come from an unnamed whistleblower, with inside knowledge of the teams within Facebook set up to intercept harmful material.
Kolkata, Oct 29 : West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, whose tenure is slated to end in the second week of November, is likely to be retained as the advisor with the status and power of a full-time minister.

He has been successfully handling the Finance department since the Mamata Banerjee government came to power in 2011.

Mitra, one of Mamata Banerjee's most trusted men in the state Cabinet, didn't contest the Assembly polls this year owing to his deteriorating health condition but was made the Finance Minister.

As per the Constitution, Mitra can hold the portfolio for six months but will have to get elected within that period if he wants to continue.

Despite repeated requests by the party, he decided to stay away from poll politics. He will end his tenure in the second week of November.

Though Mitra has decided to quit poll-politics, he has expressed his willingness to contribute to the state and the party if the Chief Minister wishes.

"The Chief Minister depends heavily on the Finance Minister and wants him to take the responsibility of state finance even if he does not stay as a minister. In that condition separate arrangements will be made so that he can continue taking financial decisions for the state," a senior cabinet minister said.

For the last 11 years, Mitra has been handling state finance successfully. The state has successfully implemented several social schemes under his financial guidance.

Though there has been an increase in debt, it is beyond doubt that the social projects launched so far have provided benefits to the majority of the people. Mamata's confidence in Mitra has been strengthened because of his ability to handle the state's financial crisis, debt repayment, huge allocations to social projects and the day-to-day running of the economy.

According to top level sources in the finance department, the Chief Minister wants Mitra to continue as an advisor to the finance department.

Sources also indicated Mitra has primarily consented to the proposal of continuing as an advisor to the finance department where he will enjoy the status and power of a full-time minister.

"So far it has been decided that the Chief Minister will keep the finance department with herself and Chandrima Bhattacharya, who is Minister-of-State for health, will handle the responsibility of the finance department as Minister-of-State," a senior official of the finance department said.

Chandrima had already been sent on behalf of the state instead of Mishra at the GST Council meeting. According to the officials, both Mamata Banerjee and Amit Mitra were happy with her performance.

An official of the finance department said, "Chandrima's relationship with Mitra is smooth even in terms of work. Before going to the GST meeting, she discussed the matter with the Finance Minister several times and did what the state had asked her to do".
Chennai, Oct 29 : Megastar Rajinikanth, who was admitted to Kauvery Hospital here on Thursday evening for a routine check-up, continues to be in hospital.

A senior hospital official told IANS that an update on Rajinikanth's health condition will be issued on Friday evening.

On Thursday, Rajinikanth was admitted to Kauvery Hospital for a routine check up.

The actor's wife Latha Rajinikanth also told a Tamil news channel that the 70-year-old thespian was admitted for a day for a routine checkup.

Rajinikanth who was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on Thursday had tweeted that he had watched his yet-to-be released movie 'Annatthe' with his grandson on Wednesday.

On Thursday, it was said Rajinikanth would be discharged from the hospital in a day.

The actor's family is also silent on his health condition on Friday.

Last year, Rajinikanth decided against taking a much-awaited political plunge citing his health condition.

At that time Rajinikanth said the doctors had advised him that fluctuating blood pressure would affect his transplanted kidney.
New Delhi, October 29: General Shavendra Silva, the Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff is in Moscow on a eight-day-long visit. He also paid his respects to fallen Russian soldiers at the war heroes memorial--the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He met with Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov to discuss matters related to enhancement of tri-service training for Sri Lankan personnel, holding of more joint exercises and exchange of knowledge on mechanical and engineering technologies.

The Sri Lankan army chief also discussed regional security issues with his Russian counterpart.

The two nations have increased cooperation in defence and military spheres over the past few years. General Salyukov had visited Colombo in 2020.

Just last week, the Russian Navy had sent a warship and two submarines, part of its Pacific Fleet, to the Colombo Port. These included vessels--Corvette Gremyashchiy and submarines B- 603 and B-274, which had arrived for replenishments.

A Sri Lankan defence delegation had visited Moscow in September to participate in military forums and had held talks with the Russian defence ministry. The delegation also discussed participation in international military exercises and promoting ties between Russian and Sri Lankan defence education establishments.

Reportedly, Sri Lanka plans to buy Su-30 fighter jets and armoured personnel carriers from Russia.

General Silva will also visit the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, the Military Artillery Academy, Military Medical Academy and several other places of military and tourist importance.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Seoul, Oct 29 : Airlines of South Korea and European Union (EU) member states will be allowed to operate without restrictions on their nationality requirements starting from next month under a new aviation accord, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

South Korea and 22 EU member states signed a horizontal aviation agreement in June 2020, which goes into effect on November 1, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The horizontal accord will ease nationality requirements for airlines to allow any EU member states to operate on the routes between the two sides, it noted.

Currently, air carriers are allowed to fly to South Korea from the countries to which they belong under bilateral aviation agreements.

For example, Deutsche Lufthansa AG is required to take off from Germany, not other countries, to reach South Korea.

The Ministry said it expects the new aviation accord to increase flights between South Korea and the EU, and give a wider range of options for passengers.
Panaji, Oct 29 : On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome to attend the G-20 summit ahead of his visit to the Vatican, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP-led Centre for not allowing her to visit the Vatican and meet Pope Francis last month.

"Ask BJP people why they did not allow me to go to Rome, Vatican? Why not? That day Congress did not say it was wrong. (It was) for an international peace conference," Banerjee said at a party function near Panaji.

"The Pope was there, the other important three four personalities were there and from Asia I was the only one to be invited. But the Central government did not give me the permission to go. The Italian government gave me special permission, but they (Indian government) did not give me permission," she also said, recalling the Central government's rejection of her permission for the global peace meet in Rome, where the Pope was in attendance.

Modi arrived in Rome on his five-day Europe visit, which includes the G-20 meet in Rome as well as a meeting with the Pope in Vatican city. Modi is also scheduled to meet heads of several European nations; the trip also includes a visit to the UK.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Hyderabad, Oct 29 : Telangana's delegation led by Industries and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao called on head honchos of several French business houses in Paris on Friday.

On the second day of its business tour to France, the delegation held a meeting with Geraldine Lemle, Deputy CEO, Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF). KTR stated that Telangana state offers excellent collaboration opportunities for French SMEs.

MEDEF is the largest employer federation in France. It is the leading network of entrepreneurs in France with over 95 per cent of the businesses belonging to the MEDEF are SMEs.

According to the Minister's office in Hyderabad, he highlighted Telangana's recent success in food grains, meat, milk and fish production. "This opened up several opportunities for food processing companies," he added.

Later, the minister toured Station F, the world's largest incubator campus located in Paris. He interacted with the Station F team and discussed about potential collaboration with Telangana's innovation ecosystem organisations like THub, WeHub and TWorks Station F is a unique campus and community in the heart of Paris, with 1,000 start-ups. Originally a railway depot, this facility has been remodeled to transform it into an incubator.

The delegation held a meeting with ADP Chairman and CEO Augustin de Romanet. ADP has recently invested in Hyderabad airport.

KTR stated that the aviation sector in India is in a rapid growth phase and the industry is poised to scale new heights as the pandemic-related restrictions are eased.

The minister also added that Hyderabad is home to several major global aerospace companies. He stressed that the need to train and supply quality manpower for the aerospace sector.

KTR also met Sanofi's Head of International Operations Fabrice Baschiera and Head of Global Vaccines Public Affairs Isabelle Deschamps. Sanofi would soon be launching production of its six-in-one vaccine from its Hyderabad facility.

The Telangana delegation includes Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Aerospace & Defence Director Praveen and Digital Media Director Dileep Konatham.
Bhopal, Oct 29 : A 45-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide on Friday as he could not purchase fertiliser for his crop in Madhya Pradesh, which is hit by DAP paucity.

The farmer consumed poision in Ashok Nagar district after failing to procure Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser for his crop.

Yadav's family told the police that he has been waiting to procure fertiliser for the last several days and fed up with unending wait, he (Yadav) consumed poison in the morning, a police official said.

Madhya Pradesh is facing an accute crisis of DAP fertiliser with all the 3,400 cooperative societies across the state running out of stock.

In fact, farmers in several districts in the state have launched protest and blocked roads in Bhind, Morena, Ashok Nagar, Satna, among others.

Farmers in several districts have been standing in long queues outside cooperative societies waiting to procure fertilisers.

The opposition Congress has attacked the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government alleging that the Chief Minister was busy in election campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls, while the farmers in the state need fertiliser.

Responding to the Congress' allegation, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Thursday said that the crisis of fertiliser would soon be over.

"DAP is brought from outside the country and the crisis occurred due to delay in its procurement. Farmers will be provided the fertiliser soon," Singh had said.
Budapest, Oct 29 : The government of Hungary has introduced three new restrictive measures in an attempt to curb the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Following a consultation with experts and having studied the available data on infections, the government decided on three anti-epidemic measures: companies can now mandate the vaccination of employees, the wearing of face masks will be mandatory in public transport from November 1, and a ban on visits has been imposed in healthcare institutions," Gergely Gulyas, head of the Prime Minister's Office, said at a press conference.

"The vaccine is the only tool that can offer effective protection," Xinhua news agency quoted Gulyas as saying.

"The government, as an employer, will require vaccination, and we also call on the local governments to decide whether they prescribe mandatory coronavirus vaccines for their own employees.

"Anyone who refuses to be vaccinated must be placed on unpaid leave, and if this emergency measure is maintained for one year, the person on leave can be dismissed. The deadline of the administration of the vaccine will be specified in a decree that will be issued in a day or two," he added.

In the past 24 hours, 45 people have died from the disease, taking the toll to 30,792 in the country, while 797,142 have recovered.

Currently, 1,970 patients are being treated in hospitals, including 204 on ventilators, the government's coronavirus information website said.

The overall infection tally stood at 863,419.

Till date, 5,947,085 people have received at least the first shot of a vaccine, while 5,728,025 were fully vaccinated, and more than 1,164,000 got their booster shot, according to the website.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear plea related to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) on November 18.

The matter was earlier scheduled for November 30.

A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh allowed early hearing of the petitions filed by Samyak Gangwal, who sought to declare the PM CARES Fund a "State" under the Constitution and to restrain it from using Prime Minister of India or Prime Minister including its abbreviations in its name, and on its website.

The petitioner also sought to prevent the PM CARES Fund from using the State Emblem of India on its website, Trust Deed other official/unofficial communications and advertisements.

In response to the petition, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) submitted before the court that the PM CARES Fund comprises of voluntary donations made by individuals and institutions and is not a part of business or function of the central government in any manner. Furthermore, it is not a part of any government scheme or business of the central government and being a public trust, it is also not subject to audit of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

According to the Centre's submissions, PM CARES Fund is not a "public authority" under the ambit of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, further clarifying that no government money is credited in the PM CARES Fund and only unconditional and voluntary contributions are accepted under PM CARES Fund.

"It is reiterated that the Trust's fund is not a fund of the Government of India and the amount does not go in the Consolidated Fund of India," said an affidavit filed by the PMO.

The affidavit added that to ensure transparency, the audited report is put on the official website of the Trust along with the details of utilisation of funds received by the Trust.

The Centre further said that the Trust functions on the principles of transparency and public good in larger public interest like any other charitable trust and, therefore, cannot have any objection in uploading all its resolutions on its website to ensure transparency. Such a prayer is not only unheard of but is legally not maintainable, it said while urging the Delhi High Court to dismiss the petition.

In another petition, Gangwal has challenged the decision of the Central Public Information Officer and PMO wherein the RTI application seeking documents related to the PM CARES Fund was denied.

Gangwal has filed its petition through advocates Debopriyo Moulik and Ayush Shrivastava.
Seoul, Oct 29 : North Korea appears to be making preparations to reopen its train routes with China after a period of Covid-19-induced border controls, Seoul officials said on Friday.

Cha Duck-chul, deputy spokesperson of the Unification Ministry, said that South Korea has detected signs indicating preparations for a trade resumption in the regions bordering China, such as the construction of a quarantine facility, reports Yonhap News Agency.

On Thursday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported to lawmakers that the North is in talks with China and Russia to resume train operations across the border, and that those connecting Sinuiju and Dandong, border cities of the North and China, respectively, could resume as early as in November.

"It's hard to predict the exact date of their resumption. We will continue closely monitoring related movements," Cha told a press briefing.

The North has recently reopened its sea routes to receive international organizations' medical supplies and other goods necessary for its citizens following a prolonged Covid-19 lockdown, which is thought to have taken a toll on its economy already hit by crippling sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry said the North appears to be continuing to elevate leader Kim Jong-un's political status as it's been 10 years since he took power in late 2011.

The NIS said the North has removed portraits of Kim's father and grandfather, former leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, respectively, from the backdrop of official meetings in an apparent move to depart from the shadow of his predecessors.

The North is also internally using the term Kimjongunism, like the former leaders' Kimilsungism and Kimjongilism, according to the spy agency.

"Kim has effectively secured a political status comparable to his predecessors," Cha said.
Mumbai, Oct 29 : Nationalist Congress Party Minister Nawab Malik on Friday demanded the arrest of Fashion TV India head Kashiff Khan, the 'bearded man' whom he identifies as the chief organiser of the cruiser party raided by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 2.

"I have spoken of the 'bearded man' aboard the Cordelia cruise ship, who was dancing with a girl... He is Kashiff Khan, the India chief of Fashion TV channel, who was present on the Mumbai-Goa cruise," Malik told mediapersons, continuing his exposure series on the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.

He alleged that Khan runs drugs, sex and porn rackets and is "a close friend of Wankhede", and sought to know why the NCB local chief let him (Khan) off the hook though he was the organiser of the alleged rave party.

"We have also come to know... rather, the NCB has said that they were planning the raids for around a month. During the course of this one month of planning and investigations, was the NCB unaware as to who has actually organised the (rave) party?," Malik asked.

Responding briefly. Wankhede trashed Malik's charges saying: "Its an absolute lie... the law will take its own course." Malik shared the videos of Khan dancing in that party which was raided by the NCB and among the persons arrested were Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

Aryan, along with his friends Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were granted bail on Thursday by Bombay High Court and are awaiting release from the jail anytime.

Two others secured bail from the Special NDPS Court earlier this week, and another 15 are still in custody in the same case in which Wankhede is under the scanner of the NCB and the Mumbai Police.
Chennai, Oct 29 : The Illam Thedi Kalvi (Education at doorstep) scheme of the Tamil Nadu government will ensure that one lakh students are enrolled in government schools in the current academic year.

The scheme is the brainchild of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

The scheme which is envisaged to set right the learning losses and psychological issues of the students during the pandemic will have volunteers of the state education department reaching the doorsteps of students.

According to the information available from the education department, already 86,550 people have registered to serve as volunteers to teach children under this scheme.

A total of 67,961 women, 18,557 men, and 32 trans people have enrolled for the scheme to act as volunteers and teach the children. These volunteers will be selected by the school management committees directly based on their educational qualification and their place of residence and experience.

There has been vehement criticism from certain social groups and some political parties that the Tamil Nadu government was trying to bring in the National Education Policy through the backdoor by announcing the Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme.

However, Stalin in a statement on Thursday allayed the fears of the critics and said that the state is evolving a state education policy after taking into consideration the recommendations from senior educationists. He said that the scheme would improve school education in the state and the volunteers will act as goodwill messengers of government schools.

The statement said that the scheme was designed based on inputs from educationists, UNESCO, and members of the Economic Advisory Council of the state government.
Lucknow, Oct 29 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Friday that the biggest achievement of the Yogi Adityanath government was the eradication of the mafia from Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing party workers at the launch of the BJP's membership campaign, Shah said that the state had shown remarkable improvement in all parameters.

"But we need another five years to make it the number one state. Besides, the result of 2022 will also lay the foundation for the return of Modi in 2024," he said.

The Union minister said the BJP had given a new and district identity to the state. "This is the land of Lord Ram, Mahadev, Krishna, Kabir, Buddha, Suheldev and Madan Mohan Malviya and it is now on the path of development. The development is not for one family or one caste but for all -- particularly, the poorest of the poor," he said.

Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said, "Those who sat at home for five years have now got new clothes stitched and are claiming to return to power. I want to ask Akhilesh Babu, how many days did he spend abroad in these years. Where was he when UP faced Covid and then the floods? These are the people who have run their government for their family and their caste. Yogi Adityanath's government was for all." Launching the membership campaign, Amit Shah said that the target for membership was four crore and the campaign "Mera Parivar-BJP Parivar" would continue from October 29 to December 31.

He said that party workers should fan out and reach every home.

"Our manifesto will be made as per the aspirations of the people and the workers. We have fulfilled 90 per cent of the promises made in our manifesto for 2017. SP and BSP had destroyed this state but Yogi Adityanath has done a great job in putting things back on rails," he stated.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Patna, Oct 29 : Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday charged the ministers of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with trying to woo electorate by distributing saris and money in the name of Chhath festival in poll-bound Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur Assembly constituencies, just a day before the polling.

Tekashwi claimed: "I have exact details about the Cabinet ministers staying in hotels and influencing government officials of civil and police administration. They are involved in monitoring the distribution of money and saris to every household in these two constituencies." "Nitish Kumar, who has banned liquor in the state, his ministers are monitoring the distribution of liquor. The officials of police stations and police posts are involved in liquor distribution in these two constituencies. They are openly violating the Model Code of Conduct, and the Election Commission should look into it," Tejashwi said.

Tejashwi said that he is keeping a helicopter and will reach turbulence areas where rigging or booth loot takes place in this by-election.

The campaigning for the by-election to two seats ended on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. The mock poll will start at 7 a.m. on Saturday followed by normal voting.
Khartoum, Oct 29 : General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who declared a coup in the North African nation earlier this week, has issued a decision relieving Ambassadors to six countries, an official media report on Friday.

The Ambassadors stationed in Belgium, Geneva, Washington, Paris, Beijing and Doha were relieved, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

On Monday, Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency across the country, dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and the government, and relieved the state governors.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was detained along with other civilian leaders, but was released.

However, the army chief denied the "arrest" of Hamdok, saying the Prime Minister was staying at Al-Burhan's house and was safe, until being released.

Demonstrators continued their protests in Khartoum, rejecting the measures announced by Al-Burhan and demanding a civilian government.
Washington, Oct 29 : US President Joe Biden will discuss the Iran nuclear issue with European leaders on Saturday on the sidelines of the 16th G20 Summit in Rome, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome that Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK "to touch base on where things stand right now with respect to trying to resume negotiations for a return to the JCPOA", referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, reports Xinhua news agency.

The discussion will be an opportunity to coordinate on a joint negotiating position and understand Iran's progress on its nuclear program, he said.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said on Wednesday that Tehran has agreed to resume negotiations over the nuclear deal before the end of November.

The US and Iranian officials began indirect talks in Vienna this April to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, but their disagreements remained significant after six rounds of negotiations, which have been interrupted due to Iran's government transition.

To pressure Tehran, the Biden administration has recently reiterated the window for negotiations on a return to the JCPOA will not be open forever and warned of turning to other options if diplomacy fails.

The US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 when Donald Trump was in office, and imposed sanctions on Iran.

In response, Iran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 : Cherian Phillip on Friday after two decades of being a fellow traveller with the CPI-M, announced that he is returning to his 'ancestral' home -- the Congress party.

"My roots are in the Congress and I have now realised that I can grow only in the Congress. While being in the CPI-M, I was never given a chance to join mainstream politics. I have been a political 'creature' starting from age 12 to 47 years while being in the Congress.

"After which I joined the CPI-M as a fellow traveller and for the past two decades, I was cut away from being an active political 'creature'. Since I have invested myself for the Congress, I felt it was time to return to my ancestral house -- Congress," said Phillip while speaking to the media.

"I was not ousted from the Congress party, instead I went out on my own. At that time I was upset with the Congress party as the same faces in the party were being fielded again and again. Now I feel that has changed and what I wanted then, has started to happen now," and added that he is not looking for any posts or positions in the Congress.

During his time with the CPI-M, he said he was treated with respect by all the leaders and he never asked for a Rajya Sabha seat, as he felt his domain was only state politics.

"Even though I was given an Assembly seat to contest at the 2001, '06 and '11 Assembly elections by the CPI-M, none of it was not a safe seat. The only thing I wished was for a safe seat, but it never happened. I have the highest regards for all the CPI-M leaders, who treated me well. Even though I know a lot of secrets, I will never ever reveal it," added Phillip.

Just before he announced his decision to return to the Congress, he called on his long time mentor former Defence Minister A.K. Antony at his house here.

"We all know that Cherian did not get his due share in the Congress party and when he announced his decision to leave, it was a big shock for me. For almost three years, we did not have any communication and after that we slowly renewed our old times and since then we have had the best of relations.

"One big thing about him is that even though for 2 decades he was a fellow traveller of the CPI-M, never ever did he take the CPI-M party membership. He has held only one flag and has been a member of only one political party and that's the Congress," said Antony.

The return of Phillip was on the cards, when early this month he openly criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who has been his biggest supporter since the former left the Congress and joined the CPI-M in 2001.

The homecoming of Phillip then became clear, early this week, when he was given an award by two-time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Incidentally, the first call for 67-year-old Phillip, a bachelor, came from none other than present Lok Sabha member K. Muraleedharan, son of K. Karunakaran, who defeated Phillip at the 2011 Assembly elections, when the two contested against each other.

Way back in 2001, Phillip revolted against the Congress party on being denied a ticket by Chandy.

Phillip was fielded in two more Assembly polls in 2006 and 2011 by the CPI-M, but he failed to win and he was also given plum posts, first as the chairman of the KTDC from 2006-11 and then a cabinet minister equivalent post in one of the pet projects of Vijayan from 2016 to 2021.

The relation between Vijayan and Phillip turned sour in April this year amid speculation that he will be nominated for the Rajya Sabha.

But for the first time, Vijayan failed to support him, instead he backed his closest aides John Brittas who headed the Kairali TV, and V. Sivadasan who was looking after the social media operations of the party from the state party headquarters and both went to the Upper House.

Since then Phillip started to maintain a distance from Vijayan and he denied to accept the post of the vice-chairman of the Kerala Khadi Board, which was offered to him and the other day took potshots at Vijayan for failing to rise to the occasion after the recent floods hit the state.

For the CPI-M, the return of Phillip is a shocker as last month two leaders of the Congress party, both general secretaries- K.P. Anilkumar and G. Rethikumar left the party and walked into the CPI-M party headquarters here.
Seoul, Oct 29 : Samsung is planning to launch its next premium flagship, the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and now a new report has claimed that the S22 Ultra will have the brightest screen ever seen in the smartphone market.

According to reliable tipster IceUniverse, the display of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the top model of the rumored upcoming flagship phone series, will be the brightest one Samsung has ever made. However, no actual numbers were quoted, reports GSMArena.

The current Galaxy S21 Ultra peaks at 1500 nits of peak brightness and one can expect the S22 Ultra to go beyond this mark.

The upcoming series will enter mass production next month.

The smartphones in the lineup will be available for purchase from January 2022 and all the models in the series are expected to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 chipset.

In terms of specifications, the upcoming series may feature a new 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom capabilities as opposed to a high-resolution sensor with poor optical zoom.

Samsung is planning to take a different approach on the Galaxy S22/S22+ models that will arrive early next year. The Galaxy S22 series smartphones will pack a 10MP telephoto lens that supports 3x optical zoom rather than the hybrid zoom of the Galaxy S20/S21 era.

Previous rumours suggested that the Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to continue the dual 10MP telephoto camera setup on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. One of the lenses will be a periscope lens that will offer 10x optical zoom.
Washington, Oct 29 : NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has captured "significant solar flare" erupting from the Sun, which can likely result in disruptions in GPS signals on Earth as well as supercharge Earth's northern lights.

The Sun on Thursday emitted an X1-class flare, the most intense so far at 11.35 a.m., NASA said in a statement on Friday.

"POW! The sun just served up a powerful flare," the US space agency said in a tweet.

The X1-class flare caused a temporary, yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of Earth centred on South America, according to the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), which tracks space weather events.

The flare originated from a sunspot called AR2887 currently positioned in the center of the sun and facing the Earth, based on its location, Spaceweather.com reported.

NASA said that the X1-flare is also likely to hit Earth's magnetic field on Saturday.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. While the harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however, when intense enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. It can also supercharge Earth's northern lights (auroras).

Further, NASA explained that the X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.

Flares that are classified X10 or stronger are considered unusually intense.

When these intense flares are aimed directly at Earth, it can also be accompanied by a massive eruption of solar particles, called a coronal mass ejection.

The impulsive X1-class flare on Thursday also "appeared to have coronal mass ejection related signatures," the SWPC said.

According to SpaceWeather.com, it "created a massive tsunami of plasma that rippled across the entire solar disk: The plasma wave was about 100,000 km tall and moved through the sun's atmosphere faster than 1.6 million mph".

NOAA forecasters estimate that it is expected to reach Earth with a "60 per cent chance of M-class flares and a 25 per cent chance of another X-flare in the next 24 hours".

M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's polar regions, while C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth.
San Francisco, Oct 29 : Facebook's Oculus Quest product line will be known as the Meta Quest, while the Oculus App will become the Meta Quest App starting in 2022.

According to The Verge, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is rebranding its hardware to match its new name.

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth announced that the company is phasing out its Oculus branding, including on the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset.

The Facebook Portal video device is also getting rebranded to "Meta Portal" sometime in the next few months.

"When people buy our products, we want them to clearly understand that all of these devices come from Meta and ladder up to our metaverse vision," Bosworth's post reads.

That means retiring the name Facebook took on when it acquired Oculus in 2014.

"We all have a strong attachment to the Oculus brand, and this was a very difficult decision to make. While we are retiring the name, I can assure you that the original Oculus vision remains deeply embedded in how Meta will continue to drive mass adoption for VR today," it added.

Some Oculus products will also be given Horizon branding that reflects the company's VR "meta verse" platform.

"We will also expand Meta Horizon as the brand that will encompass all of our first-party immersive social experiences," Bosworth notes.

In a tweet, Bosworth said that that "Oculus will continue to be a core part of our DNA and will live on as a brand in things like software and developer tools".

Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the Meta name during the annual Facebook Connect (formerly known as Oculus Connect, possibly henceforth known as Meta Connect) keynote, the report said.

Zuckerberg explained the change as a solution to "confusion and awkwardness" around the company's name also being the brand of a specific social app.
Mumbai, Oct 29 : Actor Kunal Kemmu has started shooting for the third season of the gritty cop thriller 'Abhay'.

Kunal said: "I'm so thrilled and grateful to be a part of a series which has become such a loved franchise and to be headlining this franchise is almost surreal. As I begin shooting for 'Abhay 3'." Kunal will return as the investigating officer Abhay Pratap Singh who has the mind of a criminal and can go to any extent to solve a case.

Asha Negi, Nidhi Singh, Rituraj Singh and Elnaaz Nourozi who were a part of the earlier season will return to their successful character portrayals in Season 3 as well." Ken Ghosh who directed the first two seasons is also directing the third season of this successful franchise.

Ghosh said: "This is for all the friends, fans and well-wishers who kept asking us when we started shooting for 'Abhay 3'? This is to officially announce that we have started rolling and will soon have your favourite detective back on your screens in 'Abhay 3'." There would be new additions however the details are kept under wraps.

Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said: "As the country's largest homegrown digital streaming platform, it is our constant endeavour to provide fresh and gripping content and with Abhay, we set a benchmark for the industry in the crime thriller genre." Nimisha Pandey, Head, Hindi Originals, ZEE5 said, "We are thrilled to bring the third season of Abhay which is sure to have our viewers' adrenaline rushing, with an interesting story that will only raise the stakes for Abhay personally".

Shariq Patel, Chief Business Officer, Zee Studios added: aceWe can only promise that it's going to be bigger, better and darker".

The premiere of 'Abhay 3' only on ZEE5.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Centre urged the Supreme Court to dismiss a plea challenging a notification for change in land use which would deprive residents of Delhi a vast chunk of green space in Central Vista area, saying the area in question is being used for government offices for 90 years and loss of greenery will be compensated.

The affidavit filed by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) said: "The area of Plot No.1 is currently being used as Government Offices i.e. by L&M Blocks/ Offices/ Hutments of the Ministry of Defence for almost 90 years now and no recreational activity (neighbourhood play area) exists as per actual ground conditions in Plot no. 1." However, CPWD said that it has been considering the overall public purpose of the Central Vista and the overall vision behind it, compensated and in fact, increased various public areas for the purpose of recreation".

The affidavit said: "Added numerous facilities in the overall Master Plan of Central Vista Project which shall be public amenities, over and above the existing ones, for the larger benefit of the public." The Centre said it is cognizant of the public nature of the projects and specifically seeks to add various public facilities to the larger vision plan and has suo moto created a lot of space for recreational purposes. For example, north and south blocks, which cover nearly 27 acres and are proposed to be converted into national museums showcasing 'India in making' prehistoric to present date.

The affidavit added: "In addition to the same, nearly 118 hectare of land on the Eastern and Western Bank of River Yamuna near Akshardham Temple ... and near IP Thermal Power Station on Western Bank is being developed as AMRUT Biodiversity Park to commemorate 75 years of India's Independence." The Centre added that after taking a holistic view and complying with MPD-2021 provisions, DDA had approved the change of land use without compromising with green area, built heritage, transport infrastructure and better utilization of the spaces. On October 25, the top court asked Centre to respond to the plea challenging the land use in Central Vista project.

The plea filed through advocate Shikhil Suri contended that the Centre malafidely issued notification dated October 28, 2020, notifying the change in land use, which will deprive residents of Delhi, a vast chunk of highly treasured open and green space in Central Vista area available for social and recreational activity.

The plea argued that this notification stands against Article 21, Right to Life, the right to enjoyment of wholesome life. "Since the subject plot no. 1 takes over spaces of a children's recreational park and bus terminal for public transport, heightened judicial scrutiny is required to cut through the well disguised illegalities and infirmities to reach the violations of statutory laws", said the plea.

The plea has been filed by social activist Rajeev Suri, the original petitioner, who had challenged the project earlier citing illegal change in land use and absence of environmental clearance.

In January, this year, the Supreme Court had cleared the decks for the Central Vista project by upholding the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Pilibhit : , Oct 29 (IANS) BJP MP Varun Gandhi has once again made it clear that he will not 'tolerate any injustice' done to farmers.

Varun has posted his video interacting with some officials and farmers. He can be heard warning the officials that if there is any corruption or irregularity in paddy procurement, he will not approach the government but will go to court directly.

He said that he will depute one representative at every procurement centre who will record the proceedings.

"At every procurement centre in the state, there is crippling corruption which is completely out in the open. Farmers' grains are forcibly rejected after which they sell their produce out of desperation to middlemen. The administration takes a cut," he said.

He alleged that the nexus between officials and middlemen is forcing farmers to sell their grains at a much lower price.

He said that farmers will continue to be exploited in mandis as long as there is no legal guarantee for MSP.

Varun Gandhi has been continuously supporting the farmers and their issues and has reportedly incurred the wrath of his party.
Gurugram, Oct 29 : The Gurugram police detained several members of Hindu outfits for disrupting Muslims offering 'namaz' (prayers) from the Sector-12 area in Gurugram on Friday.

The protesters were shouting slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' and carrying pamphlets against 'namaz'.

Around 500 police personnel were deployed at five spots where Muslims offer 'namaz' in the city on Friday as a precautionay measure following threats of disruption by right wing Hindu groups if prayers are offered in the open.

The five designated prayer sites include DLF Phase-3, Sector 12A, Sector 14, Sector 56 and Sector 47.

In 2018, the district administration designated 37 sites in the city for Muslims to offer Friday prayers following which there were protests by Hindu groups.

This was the fourth consecutive week when Hindu outfits again started staging protests against Friday prayers.

Earlier, the group had disrupted one of the sites in Sector 47.

Residents and locals had joined the protest, chanting Hindu prayers at the time of 'namaz' on consecutive Fridays over the past two weeks.

Apart from this, on October 26, Hindu groups, under the banner of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Gurugram stating that they would not tolerate Friday prayers in the open.

However, officials claimed that they are prepared to tackle any issue and no one will be allowed to disturb the law and order situation across the district.

A senior police official said that they have deployed several police personnel to maintain law and order at all sensitive spots.

"We have elaborate security arrangements and a senior police officer will patrol sensitive areas who will ensure safety and security of people offering 'namaz'," he said.

Haji Shehzad Khan, chairman of the Muslim Ekta Manch, said, "We are following all necessary directions given by the local administration. We don't want to disturb the law and order situation, but if they (Hindu groups) target us, we will not sit silent." A furniture shop owner Mehmood Khan filed a written complaint in Sector 14 police station that on last Friday, residents and some other people staged a protest against 'namaz' in an open area.
Seoul, Oct 29 : South Korea's military plans to ease its social distancing restrictions, including curbs on off-base trips, in phases and administer booster shots for all service members by early next year, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Defence Minister Suh Wook finalised the plan at a video-linked meeting with top military commanders, as the government plans to enforce eased anti-Covid rules starting next month for a gradual return to normal life, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Set to take effect from Monday, the military's plan includes allowing troops to travel outside their bases on weekdays and enabling group training and educational activities currently restricted under quarantine rules.

Troops will be allowed to meet visitors regardless of their vaccination status as long as the visitors are fully vaccinated or present proof of a negative Covid-19 test within the past 48 hours, while mask mandates remain intact.

The military also plans to first administer booster shots to some 3,000 medical workers at military hospitals next month and then to 500,000 other service members between January and February, the Ministry said.

"The Defence Ministry will make best efforts to maintain a firm, unwavering combat readiness posture by thoroughly managing the Covid-19 quarantine while guaranteeing soldiers' basic rights," it added.

The government plans to ease or lift a wide array of regulations starting next week under the "living with Covid-19" scheme, as more than 70 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.
Bengaluru, Oct 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have expressed their condolences to the untimely death of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar.

"A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers," Modi tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that, "My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Gone too soon," he said on social platform.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said on Twitter, "Condolences on the passing away of Puneeth Rajkumar. A bright star. He had a long promising career ahead. My condolences to his family. My condolences to his family, his innumerable fans and followers." Including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, film stars from Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu film industries have also expressed their condolences.
Chennai, Oct 29 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has condoled the death of popular Kannada movie star Puneeth Rajkumar who died following a massive heart attack on Friday at Bengaluru.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that he was deeply shocked and pained at the passing away of the popular actor of the Kannada film world. He said that the Kannada film world has lost one of its contemporary icons.

Stalin said that he and his family were close to Puneeth Rajkumar's family who was the son of famous Kannada actor, the late Rajkumar.

Stalin in his condolence message said, "Deeply shocked and appalled to hear about the sudden demise of 'Power Star' Puneeth Rajkumar who is also the son of late legendary Kannada star Rajkumar Avargal. Both our families share a cordial bond for many decades. Thus it is a personal loss for me." Stalin said, "Puneeth remained a humble human being despite his stardom. His kind act of visiting our Gopalapuram residence to offer his family's condolences for Thalaivar Kalaignar's death still lingers in my heart".

He said, "Kannada cine industry has lost one of its greatest contemporary icons. I offer my heartfelt condolences to Puneeth's family and people of Karnataka who are mourning this irreparable loss."
Mumbai, Oct 29 : Contrary to expectations, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan is expected to spend another night in the Arthur Road Central Jail as his bail orders could not reach the prison authorities by the stipulated time of 5.30 p.m. on Friday.

Though his legal team led by advocate Satish Maneshinde had rushed from the Bombay High Court to the jail, a mere 8 kms away, they were reportedly stuck in the massive evening and weekend traffic jams en route.

Even Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh who left from his Bandra bungalow in a small motorcade to pick up Aryan from jail, returned home mid-way, though close family friend and ex-actress Juhi Chawla managed to complete the formalities for standing surety.

The court has accepted Juhi - a co-star of SRK in many films - as the surety in Aryan's bail and she signed the relevant papers and executed the bail bond before the court officials, said Maneshinde earlier.

"I am happy that Aryan will return home very soon," Juhi, sporting a monogrammed black face-mask with a 'J' (Juhi), told media persons briefly outside the court.

However, since the bail papers failed to reach the jail authorities on time, now Aryan maybe released only on Saturday morning after all the formalities are completed.

Thousands of fans had lined up the roads from Bandra to Chinchpokli, hoping to catch a glimpse of both SRK and Aryan, but dispersed disappointed after it became clear that the latter would not step out of jail on Friday.

Bombay High Court Justice N.W. Sambre granted bail to Aryan and two others - Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha - on Thursday evening, but the bail order verdict was issued on Friday afternoon, after which their legal teams initiated the remaining formalities.

Soon after the bail verdict was pronounced Thursday, SRK reportedly shed tears of joy, and later met his entire legal defence team which had been fighting for Aryan's release for the past four weeks.

The happy-go-lucky Aryan - who left home on October 2 for a fun-filled Mumbai-Goa cruise voyage, totally oblivious of what was in store - was suddenly detained after the NCB swoop, formally arrested the following day and has been in custody since then.

On Thursday, the bail verdict was received with cheers and bursting of fire-crackers by fans near his 'Mannat' home, and today, the bungalow was being specially illuminated and decked with flowers to welcome him.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that 7,722 people turned Covid positive after 71,681 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, while the test positivity rate stood at 10.77 per cent.

He also said that 6,648 people turned negative, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 78,722, of which 8.5 per cent were in hospitals.

As many as 86 Covid deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 31,156.

On the vaccination front, 94.6 per cent (2.52 crore) of the above 18 years old population have been given one dose of vaccine, of which 50.4 per cent (1.34 crore) have got both doses.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : An unprecedented meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) is taking place in Rome to coincide with the G20 summit to expose China's human rights abuses before the international community.

"Hello from Rome! I'm here as Co-Chair of @ipacglobal, and today we're talking about #China and its disrespect of human rights and the rule of law. As the #G20summit kicks off, we're highlighting China's behaviour to the international community," Barry Ward said in a tweet.

"I'm in Rome today for the first in-person conference of @ipacglobal. As world leaders come together for the G20, they must confront the CCP's attacks on human rights and the rule of law," Garnett Genius, another participant of the meet, tweeted.

"'Every time I see a world leader shaking hands with Xi Jinping, I am reminded that the survival of my community is not important enough for them to take a stand'... An incredibly powerful statement from @MahmutRahima at the @ipacglobal #G20 counter-meeting this morning," Stop Uyghur Genocide said in a tweet.

India has joined IPAC as the 21st legislature represented. "India joins IPAC with co-chairs @SujeetKOfficial and @ninong_erring. As the world's largest democracy, India has an integral part to play in the upholding of the rules based international order. India is the 21st legislature represented in #IPAC," IPAC tweeted.

Chinese mouthpiece Global Times has attacked IPAC as conversion of secessionists. Global Times said that Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu's visit is a trip about the convergence of China's secessionist forces. Later this month, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of anti-China lawmakers from the West, will hold a meeting in Rome. The leading figures of many secessionist groups that aim to divide China will attend the meeting, and Wu was invited to it as well.

"Wu, a leading pro-Taiwan secession figure, has repeatedly attacked the Chinese mainland and advocated secessionist ideas through this anti-China coalition. With Wu's participation, a combination of secessionists of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong has formed. This is a serious provocation against the one-China principle by the anti-China forces, such as the IPAC," Global Times said.

The conference is to focus on leaders targeted by Beijing, with Tibet, Hong Kong and Uighur activists also invited, the inter-parliamentary alliance said, Taipei Times had reported earlier.

Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu has been invited by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international cross-party group of legislators, to its meeting in Rome on Friday.

"Representatives from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) - a body of some 200 global parliamentarians - will gather in Rome to stage a counter-meeting ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit to demand a tougher stance towards the Chinese government," the group said in a statement.

The conference "will see parliamentarians from five continents meet with prominent leaders of groups targeted by the Chinese government, including Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering, former Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law and Uyghur artist and activist Rahima Mahmut," it said.

Legislators from around the world have gathered on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rome to protest against the presence of the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, and urge leaders not to let China off the hook over human rights abuses in return for Beijing's cooperation on the climate crisis, The Guardian reported.

Many of those at the Rome counter-meeting have been banned from travelling to China as punishment for campaigning against Chinese repression in Xinjiang, the report said.

They are due to be addressed remotely by the Taiwanese foreign minister, Joseph Wu, as China steps up its threat to recapture Taiwan. Wu is on his first trip to Europe since 2019 and had been expected in Rome, but the Italian leg of his journey was cancelled with speculation that Rome was unwilling to give him a visa at such a sensitive time.

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, was not attending the G20 summit in person. He has recently reaffirmed the reunification of Taiwan as a Chinese goal and increased military activity close to the island. China has described the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) counter-meeting as a gathering of secessionists, the report added.

The gathering in Rome of IPAC - a body of about 200 global parliamentarians from different political perspectives - is the kind of event that will infuriate China. The group is due to hear from Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration, from the Hong Kong activist and former politician Nathan Law, and the Uyghur artist and activist Rahima Mahmut, the report added.

Dovile Sakaliene, a Lithuanian MP who was sanctioned by China in 2020, said: "We are here to ensure that the People's Republic of China does not get a free pass at this G20. The leaders of the summit must realise very clearly what is at risk when they treat the PRC as an equal member of the club and what is the cost of making Uyghur genocide, Hong Kong and Taiwan bargaining chips. Let us not fool ourselves into trusting the PRC as a reliable partner in fighting the climate crisis, a state that sanctions human rights defenders and is currently imposing draconian population control measures." The former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, also in Rome, described the IPAC bipartisan meeting as "utterly unprecedented". He said: "Our collective purpose is to demand of the G20 governments that they publicly recognise the enormous threat posed by the People's Republic of China.

"Whether it is debauching the financial system, disregarding global trading rules, committing genocide against the Uyghurs, trashing the international treaty on Hong Kong or threatening to invade Taiwan - the time has come to call the PRC out." (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at sanjeev.s@ians.in)
Bengaluru, Oct 29 : Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar, son of Kannada cinema legend Rajkumar, was known for his simplicity and humility.

'KGF' star Yash recently stated that, "one has special place for people who treat you well when you are nothing." The statement was made with reference to Puneeth Rajkumar. The directors who worked with him remember him as always simple and easily approachable with a warm personality.

Puneeth had also congratulated Yash for becoming an all-India star and gave him a warm hug.

Puneeth promptly wished his elder brother all the luck for his new movie 'Bhajarangi 2' in his last tweet on Friday morning. If one looks at his social media accounts they will see Puneeth's congratulatory messages for beginners and achievers.

He also pledged his eyes for donation. Dr Bhujanga Shetty, Director Narayana Nethralaya, who collected the eyes of Puneeth, remembers that he received a call from his elder brother Raghavendra Rajkumar to collect his eyes.

"Many people pledge their eyes and their family forget at the time of death. But, Puneeth's family is different. His father, legend of Kannada film industry Dr Rajkumar always reminded me to take his eyes when he passed away. Later, the family reminded me when his wife Parvathamma Rajkumar breathed her last. Today (Friday) again I got a call from his family to collect eyes within no time," he explained.

"Puneeth's is a family of commitment. His eyes will be transplanted to two persons by tomorrow," he says.

Pawan Wodeyar, one of the directors who worked with him, says more than an actor, producer and superstar, he appealed to him as a loveable person.

Puneeth had donated Rs 50 lakh to the Karnataka government during Covid crisis. Puneeth was supporting 16 old age homes and 19 'goshalas'. Thousands of girl students were supported through his 'Shakthidhama' organisation. But, never ever did Puneeth speak about his philanthropic activities.

Puneeth had completed his cine journey as an artiste for 45 years as he entered the film industry as a toddler. He has acted in 13 films as a child artiste. As a child artiste he won the National award for 'Bettada Hoovu' in 1985. He won best child artiste award for his acting in 'Chalisuva Modagalu' and 'Eradu Kanasu'.

He made his debut as a full-fledged hero with 'Appu' in 2002. Since then, he had acted in 29 movies. His latest release was 'Yuvaratnaa' which hit theatres in April earlier this year. His last movie was 'James'. His documentary made by filmmaker Amoghavarsha of 'Wild Karnataka' fame shot underwater was all set to release on November 1.

He won two state awards for best actor and won five FilmFare awards. He started his production house Puneeth Rajkumar Films in 2019 and produced movies of Danish Sait and others. He was a successful television presenter for Kannada version of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'.

Puneeth, fondly called 'Appu' was christened as 'Power star' by fans. Puneeth made it a point to spend one whole month with his family. He sang, shook a leg for them on their special occasions. The film industry which bounced back to life after Covid lockdown has suddenly come under a pall of gloom with the demise of one of its superstars.
New Delhi, Oct 29: As India sets its target on becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025, the seven-member Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) that has been reconstituted will have a far more critical role to play compared to the recently dissolved one. The PMEAC 2.0 comes to life amid extraordinary challenges not only thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic but also the rapidly changing world order.

When the previous PMEAC, formed in 2017, three years after the Narendra Modi government came into power, it was mandated to look into 10 demarcated areas. But this time the scope has been widened and the council can look into any issue - economic or otherwise and thereby advise the Prime Minister.

"This could be suo-motu or on reference from the prime minister or anyone else," the official notification said.

In 2017, the PMEAC - an independent body-- was given clear specifications and was mandated to focus on the following: economic growth; employment and job creation; informal sector and integration; fiscal framework; monetary policy; public expenditure; institutions of economic governance; agriculture and animal husbandry; patterns of consumption; and production and social sector.

"This is an interesting shift and also shows that given the unprecedented situation in the wake of the pandemic, the council will be able to pick up issues that it feels need immediate attention," Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Senior Adjunct Fellow at RIS (Research and Information System for Developing Countries) told India Narrative.

Sources said that the government is looking to aggressively press the pedal on reform measures while projecting India as the world's manufacturing hub. One of the biggest achievements this year has been the disinvestment of the bleeding Air India. That apart, the government has also repealed the controversial retrospective taxation policy and this is set to serve as a huge sentiment booster for foreign investors.

Earlier, Niti Aayog's CEO Amitabh Kant said that India, instead of copying China's growth model, must focus on its own areas of strength.

"India cannot become the next factory of the world by copying China... We have always got into sunset areas of growth, this is the time to get into sunrise areas of growth," Kant said.

Along with the new-look PMEAC, the Niti Aayog will continue to play an important role as the country's focus is back on economic growth after a brutal second wave of Covid-19 as the finance ministry starts work on the Union Budget for next year.

Besides Bibek Debroy who will continue to head the PMEAC, Chief India Economist of JP Morgan Sajjid Chinoy, India Strategist for Credit Suisse Neelkanth Mishra and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Managemet Co. Ltd Nilesh Shah will remain part-time members of the council. Former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India Rakesh Mohan, IIM Ahmedabad professor T.T. Ram Mohan and NCAER director general Poonam Gupta are the three new faces on the PMEAC.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Shimla, Oct 29 : After a month-long hectic political activity, the by-polls for the Mandi parliamentary constituency and three Assembly seats in BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh will be held on Saturday. The counting of ballots will take place on November 2.

The by-poll for Mandi was necessitated following the death of Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

The three Assembly seats -- Jubbal Kotkhai (Shimla district), Fatehpur (Kangra district) and Arki (Solan district) -- had fallen vacant after the demise of Narinder Bragta of the BJP, Sujan Singh Pathania of the Congress and former six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of the Congress, respectively.

Political experts say it is a battle between the past performance of Congress stalwart and six-time Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh and his legacy and BJP's Chief Minister Jairam Thakur's credibility during the parliamentary by-poll in Mandi, one of the country's toughest and sprawling constituency.

The saffron party has pitted Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retired), a decorated officer who played a crucial role in the 1999 Kargil war, against Congress' Pratibha Singh, a two-time MP from Mandi.

The seat -- a prestigious one for Chief Minister Thakur as it falls in his home district -- fell vacant with the death of two-time BJP MP Sharma, who defeated Congress candidate Ashray Sharma, the grandson of former Telecommunications Minister Sukh Ram in his electoral debut, with a record margin.

Eyeing sympathy votes, Pratibha Singh, who is banking largely on her first-time legislator son Vikramaditya Singh for campaigning, sought votes on development carried out by her husband during his three stints as an MP from Mandi and six terms as the Chief Minister.

Pratibha Singh, who lost the Mandi seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, missed no opportunity to remind the electorate that the victory in the Mandi by-election "will be a tribute to him (Virbhadra Singh)".

The Chief Minister sought votes on the valour and integrity of the Kargil war hero.

"Everybody knows about the valour of Brigadier Khushal Thakur. He fought the Kargil battle valiantly. It is saddening that Pratibha Singh described the battle with Pakistan a minor one," said the Chief Minister, who missed no opportunity to remind the voters that the credit for popularising Mandi as Chotti Kashi went to the late MP.

Even the Prime Minister's speeches had a mention of Chotti Kashi.

For the five-time legislator Thakur, development, welfare and no witch hunting have been the mantras of success. He says his government is working without any vendetta and vengeance towards political opponents.

The main contest in Mandi is between the BJP and the Congress.

The Mandi constituency, which includes Kullu, Mandi and some areas of Chamba and Shimla districts, besides the tribal-dominated Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, is one of the biggest in the country.

The Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly by-poll is set for a keen triangular contest. The presence of BJP rebel Chetan Bragta, son of former Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta, in the fray as an Independent candidate is bound to make a dent in the ruling party's vote bank.

Two-time former BJP legislator Govind Ram Sharma is another disgruntled BJP leader, who has not campaigned for his party candidate Rattan Pal.

The Fatehpur assembly is all set to witness a triangular fight between Congress candidate Bhawani Pathania, BJP nominee Baldev Thakur and Independent candidate Rajan Sushant.
New Delhi, Oct 29: Noting the formation of a new resistance front against the Taliban by some politicians and military leaders of the previous Afghan regime, Russia has called for abandonment of any plans of armed struggle which could further destablise the situation in the region.

Atta Mohammad Noor, an ethnic Tajik and a former governor of Balkh province, had announced the creation of a coalition named the 'Supreme Council of National Resistance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan' on his Facebook page, last Friday.

Its key initiators also included Abdul Rashid Dostum and Younus Qanooni, both former Vice-Presidents of the country.

While Dostum is a warlord who leads the Turkic-speaking ethnic Uzbeks in the country which form about 10 per cent of the Afghan population, Qanooni is an ethnic Tajik who was once a top aide to Ahmad Shah Massoud - the much-revered Tajik commander who is known as the 'Lion of Panjshir' for his heroics against the Soviets and the Taliban.

Vowing to free Afghanistan from the "oppressive situation", the group of "prominent, compassionate parties and public figures" - all of whom had fled the country after the return of Taliban in Kabul - had outlined its agenda in two parts.

The first is to resolve the issues through political means, including the resumption of negotiations. "Our preference is to achieve lasting peace through politics," said the statement calling for establishment of an elected system with the equitable participation of all ethnic groups.

The second talks about "inevitably resorting to military activities" if the "other side and their supporters" do not accept the political solution. "The Supreme Council is committed to appointing a fact-finding mission to investigate the causes of the sudden collapse of the Islamic Republic, identify those involved in this shameful deal, and introduce them as national traitors to the great nation of Afghanistan," the statement added.

Russia calls for restraint It is the second part of the resistance front's agenda which has got Moscow worried.

"We call on all the ethnopolitical forces of Afghanistan to abandon militant rhetoric and make every possible effort to complete the process of national reconciliation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

Stepping up diplimatic activism instead of military confrontations, Russia has through various regional and international forums intensified diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

After the failure of the US-led Doha peace negotiations, the Kremlin believes that there is no alternative to the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan in terms of its scope and productivity.

While making his remarks at the second meeting of the foreign ministers of the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan hosted by Tehran on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow plans to use all the international and regional instruments at its disposal - including the resources of the UN, SCO, CSTO and other multilateral structures - to support the creation of a truly inclusive Afghan government.

"The principle of holding conferences for the sake of conferences, familiar to Westerners, is, I hope, already in the past. The time has come for concrete deeds in this direction. I am convinced that the United Nations should play a coordinating role," said Lavrov.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has abruptly restricted the use of its navigation system, BeiDou along borders with India fearing their movement might be tracked.

Sources said the change in Chinese stance happened the moment India increased its surveillance mechanism along the Line of Actual Control. China, lately, has been making attempts of transgression in Indian territory.

Taking note of all these, the India Army enhanced surveillance both close to the LAC as well as in the depth areas by synergizing efforts of all surveillance equipment right from the strategic level till the tactical level where soldiers actually deployed.

As surveillance increased, Intelligence agencies stated, a decrease in activation of BeiDou terminals all along the Northern Borders in the last one month was observed.

Sources said that PLA is now using it only to send confirmations that they have reached their desired locations. "It may be a deliberate attempt by the PLA to hide its important activities or preparations across Northern Borders," the source said.

The system was launched on June 23, 2020 finally ending a project that went on for two decades.

BDS, stated to be rivalling US' GPS, is the fourth global satellite navigation system in the world.

Other systems are Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. India too is developing its own navigational system called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), with an operational name of NAVIC.

China wants to end the US-based GPS hegemony and push for its own developed navigation system first in the Asian region. To do so, China has established a monitoring station at its Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) for monitoring and assessing the BeiDou Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Now China is pushing the use of Beidou in many countries as part of their ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

Currently, Beidou covers nearly 30 countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah's wife Dr Bilquis Shah has been granted bail by a Delhi Court, in a money laundering case related to terror financing.

Bilquis, who was named in the supplementary charge sheet of Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Friday appeared before the bench of Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana.

While granting the bail, the Court directed her to furnish a bail bond with two surety of 50,000 Rs each. Shabir Shah is presently in Tihar Jail under judicial custody in connection with the case.

Earlier, the Court had issued summons against her while taking cognisance on a charge sheet in the case. Advocates M.S. Khan along with Qausar Khan and Ankit Karn appeared for Bilquis and Shabir Shah. Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, appeared on behalf of the ED and opposed the bail plea.

As per the supplementary charge sheet by ED, the couple had received an amount of Rs 2.08 crore from co-accused Mohd Aslam Wani, who is currently on bail. Wani, in his statements recorded under Section 50 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, had admitted that all the amounts were in cash and were handed over to Shabir Ahmad Shah and on three occasions to Dr Bilquis Shah, according to ED. "She received the said amount knowing fully well that her husband had no known sources of income and this money could not have been obtained through licit means," it said.

According to the charge sheet, Dr Bilquis Shah was an active accomplice of Shabir Ahmad Shah in his illicit criminal activities. She did not file Income Tax Returns during the period preceding the year 2013 as she had no other income except meagre income from private practice. The charge sheet contended that Shabir Ahmad Shah is the main accused and is the conspirator behind the money laundering from outside India for causing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shabir Ahmad Shah was in regular touch with Hafiz Saeed, a global terrorist, head of Jamat-ud-Dawa, an organisation banned under UNSC resolution number 1267, ED stated.

It further said that he was also in touch with Mohd Shafi Shayar, based in Pakistan, whose Pakistani phone number was provided by him to Mohd Aslam Wani for collecting the crime money in Delhi on his behalf. In his defence statement, it was contended that there is 'no evidence of any nature' connecting him with Aslam Wani. It said that the allegations leveled against him are motivated and based on falsehood, adding he is a 'respectable person' and is a 'known political leader' and chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).
Chennai, Oct 29 : Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan on Friday said that the Mullaperiyar dam was safe and that the state was operating it properly according to the directives of the supervisory committee set up by the Supreme Court.

In a statement, the senior DMK leader said that Tamil Nadu has been continuously monitoring the rainfall in the catchment area and the water level in the dam on the basis of the directive from the apex court for maintaining the maximum storage level at 142 ft and the maximum water level according to the rule curve approved by the Central Water Commission.

The minister said that the Supreme Court has directed to follow the rule curve till the next hearing on November 11, and said that this was after hearing the arguments of the Tamil Nadu government on a writ petition filed by an individual from Kerala.

Durai Murugan said that Tamil Nadu has been continuously drawing water through the Vaigai tunnel continuously to maintain the water level in the dam as per the rule curve. He said that the Water Resources Department has decided to draw maximum water through the Vaigai tunnel and to release 500 cusecs of water by opening the two spillway shutters on Friday evening.

He said that these measures were taken following the heavy and incessant rains at the catchment areas and that Tamil Nadu has opened the spillway shutters after properly informing the Kerala authorities to take the necessary precautions downstream.

Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and Revenue Minister, K. Rajan have been camping at the Idukki district - downstream of Mullaperiyar to monitor the progress of the arrival of water at Vattavada.

Kerala has already evacuated 300 families from the area following the opening of the spillway shutters.
Chennai, Oct 29 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday visited the Keelavadi excavation site, near Madurai, and interacted with officials including of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The state government is building a museum at Keeladi at a cost of Rs 12.21 crore in a two-acre campus to display the artefacts unearthed from the excavation. Brick structures, terracotta ring wells, fallen roofing with tiles, golden ornaments, terracotta chess pieces, ear ornaments, figurines, black and redware, and even beads made of glass, terracotta, and semi-precious stones were found at the site.

Excavations were undertaken at Keeladi after beta analysis in the US of articles found at the site showed that they date from the period between the 6th century BCE and 1st century CE.

ASI officials made a PowerPoint presentation to the Chief Minister on the volume of excavations done so far.

Stalin was accompanied by ministers K. R.Periakaruppan, Thangam Thenarasu, K.K.S.S.R Ramachandran, Raja Kannappan, and P. Moorthy.

The Chief Minister later paid homage to the CPI-M leader N. Nanmaran at the CPI-M office in Madurai city. The two-time former MLA had passed away at the Government Rajaji hospital on Thursday.

Stalin had earlier in the day arrived in Madurai in a scheduled airline and was accorded a rousing welcome at the airport. Several ministers including state Finance Minister P.T.R. Thiaga Rajan were present at the airport to welcome him.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea, which challenged the Karnataka government circular restricting entry of people from Kerala at Kasaragod-Mangaluru border at Thalappady and allowing entry to only those having negative RT-PCR test.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B. R. Gavai said: "There is no violation of any fundamental right of persons living in Kasaragod district to travel to Mangaluru or other parts of the state of Karnataka." "Circulars issued by the state of Karnataka cannot be interfered by this court in the interest of public health," it said, adding that conditions imposed are not unreasonable, as Covid is still around.

Advocate Haris Beeran, representing the petitioner, contended that people in Kasaragod depend on Mangaluru city for education, medicare, and other needs, but their travel to Mangaluru on a daily basis has been inhibited by circulars issued by Karnataka whereby visitors from Kerala are required to produce a negative RT-PCR report which is valid for 72 hours.

The bench pointed out that there is no restriction of movement of citizens from Kerala to Karnataka and pointed out that the circular insists on a negative RT-PCR certificate from people travelling to Karnataka from Kerala.

"The revised circular issued by the state of Karnataka on July 31, 2021 relaxed the earlier condition of undergoing a RT-PCR test within 3 days prior to the visit to 15 days for students and other members of the public visiting Karnataka daily for education, business and other reasons," it noted.

The counsel had cited Centre's guidelines to states and Union Territories, which asked not to place any restrictions on the intra-state movement of persons and goods by air, water, or road.

The bench said the petitioner is at liberty to make a representation to the Karnataka government for relaxation of the conditions imposed by the circulars for entry for people from Kerala, which shall be considered in accordance with law.

Beeran appeared for Kerala MLA A.K.M. Ashraf, who had moved the top court challenging the Kerala High Court order passed on September 28, where it dismissed the pleas challenging the Karnataka government's decision, mainly on the ground that the court has no territorial jurisdiction as no cause of action has arisen in the state.
New Delhi/Rome, Oct 29 : A day ahead of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kickstarted his official engagements in Rome with "a productive interaction" with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Modi reached Rome on Friday morning where he will join other G20 leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, sustainable development, and climate change in the first in-person summit of the G20 since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

His first official engagement was with the top leaders of the European Commission. Soon after the meeting was over, he tweeted: "We had wide ranging talks on deepening the India-EU friendship, particularly in areas such as trade, commerce, culture and environment." Stating that India has a key role to play in the green transition, Michel said: "We discussed global health and fighting the pandemic, the strong EU-India Strategic Partnership, the situation in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific." Leyen tweeted: "Our EU-India strategic agenda is on the right track. We agreed that our trade negotiators will start to work. We'll deepen our cooperation on climate, including on innovation and technology." Looking forward to cooperating in the Indo-Pacific EU Global Gateway, she said.

The PMO handle said: "The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet." Modi paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi and also met members of the Indian community that extended a warm welcome to him with sloganeering and placard displays.

Earlier in the morning here, the Prime Minister was received by senior Italian officials and the Indian Ambassador in Italy, a release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in New Delhi.

Modi is on a visit to Rome and the Vatican City from Friday till October 31 at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi will also be meeting with leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in bilateral relations.

The G20 began a consultation forum between Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the world's major economies. Following the 2008 economic crisis, it became a forum between heads of state and government, aimed at improving coordination on the main global issues.

During his visit to Italy, Modi will also visit the Vatican City, to call on Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Kochi, Oct 29 : The Kerala High Court on Friday gave a dressing down to the state police on the way it is conducting the probe in the fake antique dealer case.

Picking out issues point by point in the affidavit filed by the state police chief Anil Kant, it asked through whom did the top police officials get close to the "dealer" Monson Mavunkal.

When the case first surfaced last month, pictures of recently-retired state police chief Loknath Behra and present Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham visiting the "museum" of Mavunkal at Kochi went viral.

The court sought to know how come these top police officials never thought of how a museum like this can function as the rules are very clear and it also pointed that the police set up a daily beat box at Mavunkal's house and "museum".

It is known that the then state police chief wrote a letter for a probe and also gave directions for setting up the beat box, which looks contradictory, it said.

Noting that the report on the museum which the then state police chief asked for took eight months, the court wanted to know the reason for the delay.

The court asked for the production of the letters written by the SPC and posted the case for November 11.

The state counsel argued that the probe is going on in the right direction and by now the police have registered 10 cases which included even a case under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences.

Mavunkal was arrested by the Crime Branch from his home-cum-museum last month after victims approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, complaining that they were swindled of Rs 10 crore by this "master fraud", who managed to even take the top Kerala Police officials for a ride.

Mavunkal sought to impress his high-profile guests by showcasing antiques in his collection which he claimed included the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ".

Police said that he had showcased these "rare" items -- a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as a huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles (Old Testament and New Testament), and old handwritten copies of Bhagavad Gita.

Mavunkal used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into museum to house his 'precious' antiques.

He is presently in judicial custody.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday that G20 needs to help in increasing available funds to WHO, primarily funds which are not earmarked, besides supporting ongoing multi stakeholder mechanisms such as GAVI, CEPI, ACT-A with specific focus on equitable and affordable access.

Addressing the G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' Meeting through video conferencing, Mandaviya said that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of International Health Regulations and the need for strengthening global health governance.

The G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers' Meeting was held on 'Concrete proposals to strengthen global health financing governance'.

The Minister said, "Presently, several parallel proposals are being discussed in multiple forums including IPPPR's Global Health Threats Council, IHR review, need for a framework, convention or any other instrument on pandemic management and G20 proposal of Joint Health and Financing Task force to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response".

He added that India proposes that the centrality of WHO needs to be maintained in the health arena while supporting the proposal for a Joint Health and Financing Task force.

India also proposes that while multiple entities with overlapping mandates are delving into the issue of pandemic preparedness and response, a clearly defined complementarity of all such initiatives being seamlessly woven to create global health emergency management architecture is the need of the hour, said Mandaviya.

He underlined the need to synchronise these multilateral initiatives amongst member states as per their local context at the national level.

He said, "In a pandemic no one is safe until everyone is safe. In this context, I quote our Prime Minister Modi ji when he mentioned that everyone's support, everyone's development, everyone's trust and everyone's efforts are vital for success".
Hyderabad, Oct 29 : The stage is set for the by-elections to Huzurabad and Badvel Assembly constituencies in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, on Saturday.

The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements in both the constituencies to ensure free and fair polling. Balloting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m.

A little over 2.37 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district of Telangana.

Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said all arrangements were in place to ensure peaceful polling. Twenty companies of central paramilitary forces in addition to the personnel from state police have been deployed as part of the elaborate security arrangements.

Polling will be held at 306 polling centres spread over 106 gram panchayats.

The CEO said strict action would be taken on complaints about distribution of money, liquor or any other item to influence voters. He said Rs 3.50 crore was so far seized in the constituency.

A total of 30 candidates are in fray in the bye-election, caused by the resignation of E. Rajender after he was dropped from the state cabinet. He also quit the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to join to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fielded him.

Huzurabad is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the TRS, the BJP and the Congress. The TRS has fielded Gellu Srinivas Yadav while Congress has nominated B. Venkat Narsing Rao, chief of the state NSUI unit, as its candidate.

In Badvel constituency in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, 2.16 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes.

Poll authorities have set up 281 polling stations out of which 148 have been identified as critical. According to Kadapa Superintendent of Police, over 2,000 police personnel including central armed forces have been deployed.

A total of 16 candidates are testing their political fortunes in the bypoll, caused by the death of sitting MLA G. Venkatasubbaiah of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

Badvel, reserved for Scheduled Castes, is in Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy's home district of Kadapa.

The YSRCP has fielded Venkatasubbaiah's wife Dasari Sudha, who is locked in a three-cornered contest against Congress's M. Kamalamma and BJP's P. Suresh.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Delhi High Court on Friday told Twitter to respect the people's sentiments as it is doing business for the public at large while directing the microblogging site to remove certain objectionable material related to a Hindu Goddess from its platform.

Division Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing a plea seeking to delete objectionable tweets and content with regard to Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

"You are doing business for the public at large, their sentiments shall be given due importance," the court said, suggesting the tech giant remove the content as it did to an objectionable tweet by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Further hearing in the matter is listed for November 30.

The court was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Aditya Singh Deshwal against highly objectionable posts about Hindu Goddess Maa Kali put by a Twitter user @AtheistRepublic.

The petition filed through advocates Ashok Kashyap, Ridhima Gaur and Deepa Malik, said, "the said objectionable posts have shaken the collective conscience of the followers and practitioners of Hinduism." In order to expose the identity of culprits behind these objectionable posts, the plea sought direction to preserve all the electronic evidence associated with the Twitter user @AtheistRepublic and @cficvictoriabc. It also sought directions to Delhi Police to take cognisance of the complaint made by the petitioner with immediate effect.

The plea contended that Twitter user @AtheistRepulic has put filthy and degrading content about every religion.

The petitioner has sought direction to the Centre, being the appropriate government under Information Technology Act, 2000, to issue directions to Respondent Twitter Communication India Private Limited and Twitter Inc to immediately remove the objectionable content posted by Twitter user @AtheistRepublic and permanently suspend his Twitter account.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Supreme Court on Friday said it will wait for the WHO's decision on indigenous vaccine Covaxin's recognition, before taking up a plea seeking permission for voluntary re-vaccination with Covishield, for those fully vaccinated with Covaxin, so as to enable them to travel abroad.

A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed that it has been reported that Bharat Biotech, manufacturer of Covaxin, has submitted the latest data to the WHO. The bench added that the decision is expected to come and told the petitioner's counsel to wait for some time, as there will not be any difficulty when the WHO recognises Covaxin.

The petition filed by Kartik Seth urged the top court to issue direction to the Centre, Bharat Biotech, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Directorate General of Health Services, to not restrain those who voluntarily, at their own risk, want to get vaccinated by Covishield, after taking two shots of Covaxin.

The petitioners' counsel argued that students, who were willing to study abroad, were facing difficulties in the absence of Covaxin's recognition by the WHO.

To this, the bench said how could it say that people who have been administered by one vaccine, should be permitted to have another one. "We don't know what the complications will be. We can't play with people's lives," it said, insisting that the petitioner should wait, noting that it does not know what repercussions will originate from re-vaccination with a different vaccine.

After arguments, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing post Diwali vacation.

The petitioner's counsel pointed out that data in connection with Covishield was submitted to the WHO in December last year, after which it was recognised.

The plea also sought directions for the Centre to issue SOPs and guidelines, which would allow re-vaccination of fully vaccinated persons with another vaccine.
Guwahati, Oct 29 : The Assam government has set January 15 as the deadline to complete Covid-19 vaccination with both doses for all the estimated 2.1 crore eligible population in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.

Talking to media persons, he said that first dose to all the people above 18 years of age would be done by November 20.

Assam has around 2.1 crore eligible population for the vaccines, said Sarma, who was the Health and Family Welfare Minister in the previous government headed by Sarbananda Sonowal.

Assam's current estimated total population, according to government records is over 3.5 crore.

According to the latest report of the Health Department, as on Friday night, 2,79,96,544 people were administered one dose, with 78,96,412 of them administered both doses.

The Chief Minister said that around 95 per cent of the people above 18 years in Assam have received their first dose and vaccination of the remaining 10 lakh would be completed by November 20.

He said that these 10 lakh are a "vaccine resistant" population, many of them in three hill districts, who are either not keen to take the jab, or are aged citizens unwilling to go to the vaccination centres.

"The government has planned through an all out door-to-door vaccination drive, and these 10 lakh people would be vaccinated. The exercise would require a great deal of motivating and convincing the people," Sarma said.

He said that he was very optimistic that once all the eligible people of the state are vaccinated, the third wave of the pandemic would not have much impact.
Chennai, Oct 29 : Former Interim general secretary of AIADMK, V.K. Sasikala who was expelled from the party, reached Pasumpon, 50 km from Madurai to garland the statue of freedom fighter and spiritual leader of the powerful Thevar community, Muthuramalinga Thevar ahead of his birth anniversary on October 30.

The visit and garlanding the statue of the icon of Thevar community by Sasikala is seen as a political message that she would play her community card for re-entry to the AIADMK.

While former Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam had openly stated on October 25 that the re-entry of Sasikala would be decided by the party high command, K. Palaniswami had flatly denied it.

D. Jayakumar, former minister, and party senior leader has also said that Sasikala will not be taken back to the AIADMK fold.

Sasikala's public display in attending the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations is seen by political observers as a clear message that she would connect with the party cadre and ensure the support of the strong Thevar base of the AIADMK in South Tamil Nadu.

Interestingly, Sasikala reached the venue on Friday in the van which was used by late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa during her election campaign. The van was not used ever since Jayalalithaa passed away and this is again seen as a political message that she is in the reckoning and cannot be pushed aside.

R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said, "Sasikala is clearly sending a message to the party leadership that she has the clout and support of the powerful Thevar community which has a major say in South Tamil Nadu. By garlanding the statue of Muthuramalinga Thevar who is an icon for the Thevar community, she has gained the support of a large number of Thevars in South Tamil Nadu." Tamil Nadu police is on high alert as the 'Thevar Jayanthi' celebrations are underway in several parts of South Tamil Nadu. Districts of South Tamil Nadu like Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Madurai, and Theni had witnessed clashes between two sections of people in the past on caste lines and these areas are the strongholds of the powerful Thevar community.

The Thevar Jayanthi celebrations are held on October 30 as a commemoration of the birthday of Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar, considered an iconic figure in the Thevar caste. The celebrations are held at Pasumpon village, 50 km from Madurai, and several political leaders are expected to attend the celebrations.

Thevar Jayanthi celebrations are generally held for a week with the birthday on October 30 leading to the culmination of the celebrations and political parties including both DMK and AIADMK have tried to woo the powerful Thevar community. However, the community mainly backs the AIADMK.
Bhubaneswar, Oct 29 : Odisha's Minister of State (MoS) for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra, who is in the eye of a snowballing controversy over the Mamita Meher murder case, said he had nothing do with the 'offence'.

After receiving criticism from various quarters, Mishra for the first time broke silence and said, "I swear in the name of Maa Manikeswari on whom I as well as people of Kalahandi have deep faith in, that I have nothing to do with this offence." "As an MLA and ex-Air Force Officer, I have attended functions at many educational institutions. In fact, public representatives are supposed to attend functions in educational institutions. Therefore, a crime happening in any one of the institutions that I have visited as a guest for functions cannot be attributed to me," he said.

Denouncing the smear campaign against him, Mishra said the malicious campaign by a section of the media and opposition political parties marks a new low in the political discourse of Odisha, especially where they are being used for narrow political gains at the cost of truth, empathy and sensitivity in heinous offences.

The minister informed that his family has filed criminal and civil defamation cases against three regional media groups.

The Minister further said he has always believed that in sensitive heinous offences, law enforcement agencies should act in a free and fair manner so that the accused meets the end of justice.

He urged the opposition political parties and media, if they have an iota of evidence against him in this matter, then take it to the police or the court.

"I will not only resign from my position but will also retire from public life but don't indulge in smear campaign with personal political agenda," he stated.

Mishra said he is deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate death of Mamita Meher. "I am a father and I can understand the trauma the family must be going through. My deepest condolences to the family of Mamita. The guilty must be given strictest punishment as per law," he added.

Meanwhile, Opposition BJP and Congress continued their attack on the State government and Minister Mishra over the issue.

Earlier in the day, a three-member central BJP team led by Mahila Morcha National President Vanathi Srinivasan met Mamita's family at their native Jharni village of Bolangir district.

"The family is in shock. We have doubts about the process of investigation by the police department. How did Gobinda Sahu escape from police custody?" questioned Srinivasan. She demanded the resignation of Mishra.

BJP youth wing activists clashed with police when they were stopped from gheraoing the SP office in Berhampur on Friday demanding resignation of Mishra.

Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das has demanded the arrest of Mishra.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Federation of Motorsports Clubs of Indias (FMSCI) Women in Motorsport (WIM) commission on Friday reiterated that it is working towards increasing representation for women both behind the wheel and even behind the scenes in motorsport.

The governing body for motorsport in India - FMSCI , instituted the Women In Motorsport (WIM) commission in January 2017 and since then the body has been working towards encouraging, recognising, and supporting budding female racing talent in India.

According to the WIM commission, they aim to "engage, empower, educate and support all women who want to compete" in motorsport.

Sita Raina, a member of the WIM Commission said that "women enter motorsports through men". She added that women are often influenced towards the joys of motorsport by observing their fathers who are participating or are interested in motorsport.

Other members of the WIM Commission included Deepa Malik, president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), fellow motoring journalist and rally driver, Renuka Kirpalani, and Anita Nanjappa, who is has been an eight-time national champion on two wheels and will be heading the two-wheeler motorsport arm of the WIM Commission.

The inclusion of Deepa Malik will encourage WIM India to invite people with disabilities to train as Marshals and volunteers in motorsport.

When asked why she was taking the initiative to involve herself in promoting motorsports, Malik, President of Paralympic Committee of India, said, "I wanted to join this initiative to change this perception about women and particularly about women about disabilities. I hope this initiative will encourage more and more career options for women in motorsports." "There are a lot of people who think that women cannot take up such career in racing or rallies and this step is aimed at changing such perceptions," she added.

On this occasion, the WIM Commission announced the launch of their social media handles, as well as some of the initiatives that they plan to implement to ensure that women take an interest in motorsport.

Anita Nanjappa, who is heading the two-wheelers arm for the WIM Commission also mentioned that the FMSCI has added a safety inclusion policy for young women in motorsport. She also talked about the sustainability initiative of the FMSCI, which targets waste management - which has been spearheaded by the WIM Commission.

The Commission also mentioned that the roadmap and the timeline for these various initiatives will be declared soon and also that there will be plenty of learning material available digitally as well, in the form of webinars.

WIM also said that it would like to invite all girls and women who are passiona'e about cars, engineering, and speed to come and be a part of our community, starting as young eight years of age.
Paris, Oct 29 : Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu cruised into the semi-finals of the womens singles at the French Open 2021 after defeating Thailands Busanan Ongbamrungphan, here on Friday.

The two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will take on world No 15 Sayaka Takahashi of Japan for a place in the final on Saturday.

In the quarter-final against world No 13 Busanan Ongbamrungphan, the third-seeded Sindhu breezed through the first game in just 16 minutes. The Thai upped her challenge in the second game, but Sindhu replied strongly to wrap up the match by 21-14, 21-14 in 38 minutes.

However, the world's No 10 pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy lost their quarter-final contest against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia. The Indian duo put up a spirited performance against the fourth seeds and even won the first game but the Malaysians fought back in the next two to win the match 21-18, 18-21, 17-21.

Meanwhile, India's lone remaining representative in'the men's singles, Lak'hya Sen's campaign ended in the quarter-finals too after he lost 17-21, 15-21 to Heo Kwanghee of South Korea.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : An online webinar, organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Women's Studies, on Friday was immediately ordered stopped by the varsity administration for referring to Kashmir as "Indian Occupied Kashmir".

Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar said: "As soon as it came to our notice that an online webinar titled 'Gender Resistance and Fresh Challenges in Post-2019 Kashmir' was being organised by the Centre for Women's Studies, at 8.30 p.m. on Friday, we immediately instructed the faculty members to stop the event." Several JNU students and teachers lodged strong objection to the reference of Kashmir in the webinar. Student organisation ABVP said that the webinar webpage addressed Jammu and Kashmir as "Indian Occupied Kashmir", which is objectionable and unconstitutional.

The VC said the faculty members did not seek permission before planning such an event. "This is highly objectionable and provocative, as it raises questions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. JNU cannot be a platform for such highly questionable webinars. The matter is under investigation," he added.

Several teachers lodged strong protest at Kashmir, an integral part of India, being termed "Indian Occupied Kashmir" in the webinar, and said it was attempt to portray JNU as anti-national. They expressed satisfaction over the cancellation of the webinar.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is considering a proposal for development of globally recognised Centre Of Excellence on Water Reuse, it was announced on Friday.

"The project 'NMCG-TERI Centre Of Excellence (CoE) On Water Reuse' was discussed at the 38th Executive Committee meeting of the NMCG. In the recent past, NMCG has undertaken some projects and initiatives for wastewater reuse. But it has been observed that cost of treatment is comparatively higher for tertiary treatment. Hence there is a need to foster innovative and cost-effective technologies for tertiary treatment," a Jal Shakti Ministry statement said.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has already developed a new technology (TADOX) that can be integrated with the secondary treatment to achieve better water quality. "The proposed CoE will have interface between the policy makers, regulatory authorities, financial institutions, R&D, technology developers and providers and end-users including the industry and ULBs in the field of Wastewater Treatment and Reuse," the statement said.

Another project that was discussed was a proposal by IIT Roorkee for guidelines for constructed wetland (CW) systems for treatment of sewage in India.

"Due to the lack of such guidelines for CW systems, the applications of recently proven efficient CW technology for sewage treatment are limited. This project will help in standardisation of CW systems for efficient utilisation of their potential in sewage treatment under the ongoing efforts of the NMCG," the release said.

IIT Roorkee also presented a proposal on 'Identification of Critical Soil Erosion Prone Areas and Preparation of Catchment Area Treatment Plan'. In India, about 5,334 m-tonnes of soil is being detached annually due to various reasons.

The critical soil erosion prone areas will be identified in this project and recommendation of best management practices shall be carried out from soil and water conservation viewpoint.

"The catchment of the Upper Ganga River (Haridwar-Narora stretch) located in western Uttar Pradesh has been selected as the study area," the meeting decided.

Scores of other projects including STPs and ghats in Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal were discussed and sanctioned in the meeting, chaired by NMCG Director General Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, the release added.
Jakarta, Oct 30 : Indonesian President Joko Widodo left here on Friday for his visit to Italy, Britain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Widodo will attend the G20 summit in Italy's capital Rome on October 30-31, before taking part in the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Britain, on November 1-2, Xinhua news agency reported.

"At the two summits, I will also hold bilateral meetings with several countries," Widodo told a virtual press conference on Friday.

The G20 summit will end with the handover of the presidency from Italy to Indonesia which will officially take place on December 1, 2021.

The COP26 meeting to be chaired by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be attended by around 120 heads of state and government.

The issue of climate change is important for Indonesia, home to the world's largest tropical and mangrove forests.

The Indonesian President will also visit the UAE on November 3-4.
Lusaka, Oct 30 : Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Saturday will leave for the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the world leaders' summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a senior government official said on Friday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Stanley Kakubo said Hichilema will be attending the summit at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Xinhua news agency reported.

He told reporters during a press briefing that the Zambian President was expected to hold side meetings during the summit such as meeting members of the UK House of Commons and UK policymakers, potential investors and Eurobond holders.

The meetings, he said, were part of the strategic engagement of the Zambian leader aimed at making progress towards the government's vision of economic transformation.

The meetings are also critical for Zambia's economic recovery and sustainable economic development, he added.
Beirut, Oct 30 : Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Friday asked Russia to provide Lebanon with satellite images for the day of August 4, 2020, when two big explosions rocked Beirut's port, a statement by Lebanon's Presidency reported.

Aoun's request came during his meeting at Baabda Palace with Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov to discuss Lebanese-Russian ties and ways to develop them in all fields, Xinhua news agency reported.

Aoun said his request comes after an announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding his country's readiness to provide the images to Lebanon.

"This will help secure additional information that can help the investigation into the Beirut port blasts," Aoun added.

Two big explosions rocked the Beirut port on August 4, 2020, killing over 200 people and wounding more than 6,000 others while destroying a big part of the city.

Judicial investigation into the blasts has so far failed to identify people who stand behind the entrance of the ammonium nitrate which exploded and caused the devastating damage.
United Nations : , Oct 30 (IANS) A Chinese envoy called upon the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to play a unique role in safeguarding multilateralism and promoting international rule of law.

With 75 years of experience, the ICJ has been broadly recognized by the international community and has become the most authoritative and influential international judicial institution in the world, said Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Xinhua news agency reported.

"As the main judicial organ of the UN, the ICJ has a lofty mission in safeguarding multilateralism and promoting international rule of law. It should continue to perform its duties faithfully and play an important and unique role in this regard," he told the UN General Assembly, which heard the ICJ's annual report.

"Peace and development are our common cause; fairness and justice are our common ideals; and democracy and freedom are our common pursuit. The UN should hold high the banner of multilateralism, defend and carry forward the common values of mankind, promote unity among member states, advance international cooperation, and make positive efforts to the democratization of and rule of law in international relations," Geng Shuang said.

In the past 75 years, the ICJ has worked in accordance with the UN Charter and the ICJ Statute, accepted 154 cases and issued 28 advisory opinions on important areas of international law, including territorial sovereignty, maritime delimitation, unilateral sanctions, decolonization, non-use of force, diplomatic and consular relations. It has made great contributions to the interpretation and application of international law, and has played an active role in the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security, he added.

In recent years, the number of cases accepted by the ICJ has been on the rise, reflecting stronger trust of states in the court. The proceedings of the ICJ are not only about the interests of the countries concerned, but also about the understanding and application of the norms of international law, said China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN. For half a century, China has actively advocated the democratization of and rule of law in international relations and has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to world development and a defender of the international order, Geng Shuang added.

No matter how the world changes, China stands ready to work with other countries to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, firmly support the work of the UN and the ICJ, jointly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, with a view to promoting global governance and a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.
Abbaye Airport, Boghe, Mauritania [ BGH / GQNE ]

If you are planning to travel to Boghe or any other city in Mauritania, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Abbaye Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Abbaye Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Mauritania. Boghe Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Boghe Airport Info:

Boghe Airport IATA Code: BGH Boghe Airport ICAO Code: GQNE Latitude : 16.6333 Longitude : -14.2 City : Boghe Country : Mauritania World Area Code : 545 Airport Type : Small Boghe Airport Address / Contact Details :

Abbaye Airport (BGH), Mauritania Timezone : Africa/Nouakchott Abbaye Airport Timezone : GMT +00:00 hours Current time and date at Abbaye Airport is 19:18:44 PM (GMT) on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021

Looking for information on Abbaye Airport, Boghe, Mauritania? Know about Abbaye Airport in detail. Find out the location of Abbaye Airport on Mauritania map and also find out airports near to Boghe. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Abbaye Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Abbaye Airport, airlines operating to Abbaye Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Mauritania. Scroll down to know more about Abbaye Airport or Boghe Airport, Mauritania.

Abbaye Airport Map - Location of Abbaye Airport Load Map Mauritania - General Information Country Formal Name Islamic Republic of Mauritania Country Code MR Capital Nouakchott Currency Ouguiya (MRO)

 1 MRO = 0.003 USD

 1 USD = 357 MRO

 1 MRO = 0.002 EUR

 1 EUR = 402.949 MRO

 More MRO convertion rates Tel Code +222 Top Level Domain .mr

This page provides all the information you need to know about Abbaye Airport, Mauritania. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Mauritania or traveling to Boghe Airport. Details about Boghe Airport given here include Abbaye Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

Coordinates of Boghe Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Abbaye Airport

Location of Abbaye Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc...

Abbaye Airport Time Zone and Current time at Abbaye Airport

Address and contact details of Abbaye Airport along with website address of the airport

Clickable Location Map of Abbaye Airport on Google Map.

General information about Mauritania where Abbaye Airport is located in the city of Boghe. General information include capital of Mauritania, currency and conversion rate of Mauritania currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

BGH - Abbaye Airport IATA Code and GQNE - Abbaye Airport ICAO code
Fine Art Shippers, an NYC-based art shipping company, is an official sponsor of the 24th edition of Asian Art in London, one of the most famous European art events dedicated to Asian art. The annual show brings together the most influential art dealers, collectors, museums, and artists specializing in Oriental art. Fine Art Shippers has a representative office in London, which allows the art logistics company to provide professional art shipping and art handling services to clients both locally and internationally.

The history of Fine Art Shippers dates back to 1995. Over the years, a small family-owned business has grown into one of the leading art logistics service providers in the US. Even though the company is headquartered in New York City, it has many representative offices and partners all over the world, and London is one such place. Given Londons status as the center of the art world, cooperation with London museums, galleries, artists, and other professionals became an essential part of the business. Recently, Fine Art Shippers has made a step forward and become a sponsor of the new edition of Asian Art in London.

Asian Art in London (AAL) celebrates this year its 24th anniversary. The arts organization was founded in 1998 to transform London into one of the important global platforms for the promotion of Asian art. Every fall, AAL joins together a great variety of art dealers, specialists, auction houses, and museums to let people exchange art and experience with each other. This year, the celebration is held at three main locations in Central London: Kensington, Mayfair & St. Jamess.

Asian Art in London consists of two main stages: Indian & Islamic Art and East Asian Art. In the first part of the show, one can explore exotic Persian art, Indian paintings, arms and amour, sculptures, and jewels. By contrast, the second part features everything from Himalayan art to Vietnamese art, including Buddhist bronzes, Chinese porcelain and pottery, Japanese prints, lacquer, and Indonesian works of art. It takes time to take a look at all stages and venues at once, so it is recommended dividing a trip into smaller pieces.

International art transportation is one of the primary services provided by Fine Art Shippers. With an office in London, the company is able to provide art logistics support to anyone in the Big Smoke and beyond. Collaboration between Fine Art Shippers and Asian Art in London might well become an integral milestone in the development and growth of both parties.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Sharp Healthcare, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Diego employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Sharp Healthcare, alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Sharp Healthcare is currently pending in the San Diego County Superior Court, Case No. 37-2021-00041988-CU-OE-CTL. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Sharp Healthcare allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, and (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections  201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct.

The complaint further alleges Defendant retaliated against Plaintiff, which is in violation of public policy. Plaintiff alerted Defendant of a patient needing immediate assistance due to health concerns and Defendant allegedly failed to respond with proper medical care. Defendant allegedly acted in retaliation by eventually transferring Plaintiff to a different department, after Plaintiff was allegedly adversely treated by Defendant.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Sharp Healthcare, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
We are so excited about the grand opening of our new shop and all of the unique houseplants and succulents that we have available." - Lindsay Moe, co-owner, BUDS

BUDS Plant Boutique is a provider of pre-potted houseplants, succulents, cacti, and arrangements. BUDS will be hosting a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on October 30th at 10:00am at 22C West Main Street in New Market, Maryland.

The new retail store, located off Main Street in New Market will host a Ribbon Cutting by the Town of New Market, followed by regular retail hours until 5:00pm. Customers are encouraged to park on Main Street and follow signs to their shop, located on 7th Alley. There will be a raffle for a gift card and a unique plant, as well as a 15% off discount on all items in the shop throughout the entire day.

We are so excited about the grand opening of our new shop and all of the unique houseplants and succulents that we have available, said co-owner Lindsay Moe, emphasizing the value/impact of this event. Being included as a local business owner in the historical town of New Market is very important to us, and we couldnt be happier to share our living creations with our community, said co-owner Jessica Neumann.

About BUDS Plant Boutique

BUDS is a provider of houseplants, succulents, pre-potted plants, arrangements, and plant accessories. It also includes a repotting service, making it stand out as a small business that goes the extra mile for their customers. Additional services include business gifts, bridal/baby shower favors, and group DIY workshop events. BUDS has served the local community since March 2021 and has a retail shop and office in New Market, Maryland. For more information, visit http://www.budsplantboutique.com
Cense AI announces the General Availability of Conversational AI Virtual assistant for eCommerce business owners.

Provides SMBs with solutions to drive revenue to enhance buying journey, improve customer service, automate conversations and multiply customer interactions.

A number of eCommerce business owners struggle to focus on improving customer experience due to a lack of resources and bandwidth. They rather focus on critical business development activities while having a weak customer experience strategy to build loyalty and pleasure of shopping with them. Conversational AI virtual assistant powered by Cense AI addresses this core value proposition for business owners to simplify adoption and create an AI army to support business operations and improve customer experience.

With the latest release of Cense virtual assistant, the platform enables real-time customer communication through text messaging and various messenger applications for millions of online shoppers. Cense AI conversational AI virtual assistant can easily be installed, customized, and deployed without any coding, saving businesses a considerable amount of time and money. Virtual assistant can be easily configured matching the style and branding of the eCommerce business. Products with local/traditional names can be easily searched so that customers don't spend time going through the catalogs and products that they are not interested in. Products for up-sell & cross-sell can also be displayed to customers. Business owners can easily configure the way, list of products are displayed, be it random, latest or popular. Business owners can now configure the coupon or discount codes as part of their Conversational AI interactions with their Customers to drive sales. Vandana R, Founder at Brand Folkways said As a small business owner, we constantly look for improving our efficiency and customer experience, Cense AI integration on our eCommerce site has made a tremendous difference to manage and improve our customer interactions for a very low investment in the Conversational AI technology.

Our goal is to help business owners improve their customer experience and scale their business operations through simple, self-service, and affordable automation solutions. Our Virtual assistant do just that and much more without the overhead of deploying more resources. We encourage business owners to help us, to help them improve their customer experience journey. said Amit Gaonkar, CEO of Cense AI. On the technology front, the whole Cense platform (SaaS) is built on highly reliable cloud providers AWS using proprietary deep learning and natural language processing. While building the platform following key components are taken care of Security & Privacy, Scalability, Zero downtime and Service Level Agreements, Multi-tenancy. We are super happy to develop the strategy and deliver these experiences in collaboration with Product10x Accelerator (http://www.product10x.com)

The Cense conversational AI virtual assistant comes trained with 15+ flows/stories out of the box. Furthermore, business owners can add more flows/stories as required and train the Virtual assistant, specific to their business context. Virtual assistant learns with every customer interaction over time and becomes smarter to answer customers queries. The power of Cense conversational AI becomes amplified, stronger, smarter, and a knowledgeable virtual assistant to service customers 24x7 without any additional heavy lifting.

At Cense AI, we are passionate about addressing the pain points of eCommerce SMBs and empower them with tools that would result in scaling operations without the overhead of employing more resources.

Cense AI, is a San Ramon, California-based company that provides a Conversational AI platform that can help businesses to improve customer service, automate conversations and customer interactions to provide accurate round-the-clock support, and lot more.

Contact: hello@cense.ai

Website: https://www.cense.ai

Cense AI Inc

2603 Camino Ramon,

#200 San Ramon, CA 94583

India Office

Office No. 813,

Dhamji Shamji Business Galleria L.B.S. Marg, Kanjurmarg West

Mumbai - 400078

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cense-ai-inc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/censeai/
Coffee Shops that opened using the 7 Steps to Success I wrote this book because I found entrepreneurs needed a proven process for opening and running a coffeehouse in their local communities. I saw too many small business owners make critical errors in their businesses." - Greg Ubert

For National Authors Day on November 1, Greg Ubert, founder and president of award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, is sharing the passion and commitment that led him to write Steps to Success: a Common-Sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee.

I wrote this book because I found entrepreneurs needed a proven process for opening and running a coffeehouse in their local communities, Ubert said. I saw too many small business owners make critical errors in their businesses.

Now in its second printing, the book has inspired over 300 entrepreneurs to open independent coffee shops in their local communities.

The 7 Steps story began in 1991. A recent Harvard graduate, Ubert found he couldnt fall in love with computer software at his first job.

Meanwhile, he discovered a passion for coffee and saw a growing opportunity in the first wave of the specialty coffee movement.

So, he returned to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio and started a coffee roasting business with a tiny roaster in a one-room office. With little business experience  and none in the coffee industry  he learned coffee roasting from the grounds up.

Ubert decided his mission would be to blend and roast a better cup of coffee. I thought people could taste the difference, he said. And my customers did!

When it came to making a profit, however, some of his coffeehouse customers struggled.

As a small business owner, I truly dislike seeing small businesses fail, so I decided to help, he said.

He studied coffee shop operations, developing a service platform called 7 Steps to Success. This proven roadmap teaches entrepreneurs with little or no coffee experience how to run a profitable coffee shop based on exceptional quality, service and other factors.

The Seven Steps program offers a proven system for success in every area of the business: the store layout and design, the products, the equipment purchasing, the operations manuals, and the marketing materials, Ubert said.

The book also includes a coffee shop business plan, he added. We dont expect future business owners to be accountants, but we want them to know the numbers. Thats extremely important if you want to make a profit!

From concept through opening day, 7 Steps coffee shop startup consultants walk new coffee shop owners through every step.

As a coffee roaster, we want our coffee shop customers to be really successful, Ubert said. Our philosophy is that Crimson Cup succeeds only when our customers do.

As each new shop nears completion, a 7 Steps Trainer arrives on site to show owners and staff how to prepare drinks and run the coffee shop. After several days of hands-on training in the new shop, the trainer stays on to ensure that opening day goes well.

Some Crimson Cup customers have opened several coffee shops through the 7 Steps program.

Coffee Jerks, a growing Oklahoma chain of local, independent coffee shops, opened its first location in November 2018. Partners Kenny Wooldridge and Preston Moon and investor Chris Rutherford now own shops in Oklahoma City, Edmond and Yukon, Oklahoma.

Crimson Cup has given us the confidence to grow knowing we have our coffee supplies consistent and taken care of, Moon said. They offer an excellent product, training support and access to continuing education.

We wouldnt be in the position of growth or operate three locations without Crimson Cup in our corner.

Ubert said hes happy with all the businesses that have opened unique, independent coffee shops by following his book and program.

Our true joy at Crimson Cup comes from seeing independent business owners having fun while making sure their long, hard hours translate into profit, he said.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is celebrating 30 years of Coffee + Community. Since May 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced craft coffee for consumers and wholesale coffee customers. It is a 2020 Good Food Award winner, 2019 Golden Bear Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program, the company teaches entrepreneurs to run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop.

Crimson Cup also supports life-enriching projects through its Friend2Farmer initiatives, promoting the education, health, sustainability and economic growth of small-plot coffee farmers and their communities.

Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also operates several Crimson Cup Coffee Houses and a new Crimson retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.


We are pleased to be able to offer this important funding and support to these extraordinary grantees contributing so much to making Frederick such a vibrant place to live, work and visit, said Louise Kennelly, Executive Director of the Frederick Arts Council. 

The Frederick Arts Council announces that it has awarded Community Arts Development (CAD) grants to 17 arts organizations and arts programs throughout Frederick County.

The recipients include Endangered Species (Theatre) Project, Frederick Book Arts Center, Inc., Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, Frederick Symphony Orchestra, Inc., Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Maryland Wind Music, Inc., Other Voices Theatre, Spires Brass Band, The Clustered Spires Chorus, The Delaplaine Arts Center, Inc., The Frederick Childrens Chorus, The Frederick Chorale, The National String Symphonia, Weinberg Center for the Arts, Inc., Emmitsburg Community Chorus, Downtown Frederick Partnership, and Calvary United Methodist Church.

The purpose of the CAD grant program is to allow high-quality arts programming to be available to as many community members as possible. FACs CAD grant awards are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council and Frederick County.

We are pleased to be able to offer this important funding and support to these extraordinary grantees contributing so much to making Frederick such a vibrant place to live, work and visit, said Louise Kennelly, Executive Director of the Frederick Arts Council. 

CAD applications are evaluated by a dedicated CAD Committee, which includes representatives from the Frederick Arts Council staff and board as well as the local creative community. Serving as FY2022s CAD Committee Chair was Griff Garwood.

For more information about FACs CAD grants, including grant guidelines, please visit https://frederickartscouncil.org/what-we-do/grants-scholarships/community-arts-development-grants/

About the Frederick Arts Council

The Frederick Arts Council invests in a vibrant and cohesive arts community for the people of Frederick County. The organization fosters an environment where the arts flourish in the community through grants and scholarships, arts advocacy, and links to essential resources. FAC is responsible for large-scale programming such as the Frederick Festival of the Arts, Sky Stage, Frederick Public Art Initiative, Art in the Park, and Arts in Education grants. For more information about the Frederick Arts Council, visit http://www.frederickartscouncil.org


Handling a car insurance claim can be quite hard for persons who haven't done this before. Although filing a claim might look complicated at first, this process is quite easy., said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents several pieces of information drivers need to know when making a car insurance claim.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/car-insurance-claim-guide-how-and-when-you-should-file-a-claim/

For drivers who havent been through a claims process before it can be tricky to know what to do. Depending on what type of claim it is, the policyholder might need to talk to its own insurance companys claims department and the insurance claims department of the other person, if there was a car accident. Common car insurance claims include rear-end crashes, windshield damage, backup accident, damage to a parked vehicle, vandalism, hail damage, theft, animal collision, personal injury, and others. Many of the most common claims can cost a couple of thousand dollars. However, some can cost tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Being prepared for some of the most common car insurance claims can help drivers avoid a financial blow if they need to make a claim.

When dealing with a car insurance claim, drivers should know the following:



When drivers should and shouldnt file a claim. The insurance rates won't go up for drivers that make a claim for an accident they weren't responsible for. Policyholders that have a comprehensive claim are advised to pay out of their pockets if the damage doesn't exceed their comprehensive deductible. In case of a minor at-fault car accident, policyholders can work something out with the other party and pay out of their pockets to avoid dealing with the insurance company. By not reporting a small accident to the insurance company, policyholders can avoid having their car insurance rates increased.

How to file a claim. In most cases, at-fault drivers only need to contact their insurance company. However, drivers that werent at fault can either wait for the other party to contact their insurance provider, or they can contact the other company themselves. Either way, the other insurance company will contact the driver who wasnt at fault to get its side of the story and to arrange tor the car to be repaired. Drivers who were physically injured should immediately contact their insurance providers or ask for someone else to do so.

Be prepared before filing a claim. Before filing a claim, drivers will need to collect some information. Policyholders will need the policy number that can be found on the evidence of insurance card. Drivers who are calling about a car accident will also need to give their insurers the police report number if there is one. In case of a collision with another driver, the policyholder will need to handle the other persons information such as name, phone number, insurance company, and its policy number.

How to make a claim. Call the number found on the evidence of the insurance card. Policyholders will talk with a person who will collect information about the accident and their contact information. Eventually, policyholders will get a call back from a claims adjuster that will handle the claim. Recently, more and more insurance companies allow their customers to fill a claim using their websites.

When to get a police report. Small accidents dont need a police report. Policyholders can file a report about an accident by contacting the local police department where the accident took place. While most police departments require the drivers to come in person, some police departments allow the policyholders to file an online report. Drivers will need a police report depending on the state where the accident took place. Some states have a time limit to file a report. They also have a dollar amount that the accident needs to exceed in order to file a report. If the other driver fled the scene or there are injuries, the policyholder needs to file a report. For the police report, policyholders should gather info like the other drivers name, insurance information, names and contact information of any eyewitnesses, and pictures that highlight the damages done to the cars involved in the accident.

When to get a lawyer. In most cases, the involvement of a lawyer is not needed. Policyholders who have broken bones and a lengthy stay in the hospital are probably going to need a lawyer. Also, drivers who are going to stay out of work for an extended period or they are passing through a period of pain and suffering should contact an attorney. Furthermore, if someone dies, then the services of a lawyer are needed.

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.
Getting a speeding ticket can affect the price of car insurance. Taking a defensive driving course and increasing the deductibles are some the most common methods used by speeding drivers to decrease their insurance premiums, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents how speeding tickets can affect the price of car insurance premiums.

For more info and free car insurance quotes online, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/how-speeding-tickets-affect-car-insurance/

Drivers who recently received a speeding ticket might be wondering if they will be paying for it again with their car insurance providers. Whether the price of car insurance goes up after receiving a speeding ticket depends on many factors such as the severity of the violation, the place where the ticket was received, or if the speeding driver has recently received other tickets, among others. In most cases, a speeding ticket will affect the price of the premium. Moving violations are considered part of the driving record, and drivers who have one or more will be perceived as riskier to insure by their carriers. Having speeding tickets on the driving record could result in significantly higher rates. Just one speeding ticket for going 11-15 miles over the limit can hike a drivers car insurance rate by 20%, on average.

The way driving violations are handled by a car insurance provider differs by the violation, state, carrier, and the driver's driving and insurance histories. Based on these factors, a speeding ticket will affect the insurance cost in the following conditions:



What type of violation was it and where the driver lives. Usually, the points received on a driving license for moving violations like a minor speeding ticket fall off the motor vehicle report or driving record within two to three years. However, that period can be shorter or longer, depending on the severity of the violation and the states laws. The points received by a driver who was ticketed for reckless driving will stay longer on a driving record. Usually, insurance providers will look back at points occurring during the last three to five years when pricing an insurance policy. A premium increase due to receiving a speeding ticket will probably occur during renewal periods.

Was it the drivers first offense, or does he have more speeding tickets. Drivers who are older than 25 and have received their first speeding ticket, will probably not experience an increase in their premiums. Furthermore, drivers who didn't receive a speeding ticket in the past three years can also expect to not see a rise in their premiums after getting a ticket. However, getting a lot of speeding tickets in a three to five-year period will not only increase a drivers rates, but it will also increase the chances to lose the standard insurance coverage.

Where the driver was when he received the speeding ticket. If a driver gets a speeding ticket in a state where he doesnt live, the premium might or might not go up. Not all states share driving information. Some states, like Colorado, only share information for major violations such as DUIs or reckless driving.

Which car insurance provider does the speeding driver has. One of the most important factors in whether the driver will be charged more for the premium after getting a speeding ticket is the chosen insurance provider. The driving record is the primary factor in how most traditional car insurance companies calculate the insurance rates.

After getting a speeding ticket, most drivers will look at ways to make their premiums more affordable after the increase. Some of these ways include going to a traffic school or getting a defensive course, adjusting the insurance policy deductibles, looking for additional discounts, and driving more safely. Also, drivers who feel they were unfairly given a ticket, can try to contest it.

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.
Dr. Vladimir Misik, Business Development Director at LongTaal, will quantify the nature of industry investment and will also discuss the relative attractiveness and competitiveness of global CT markets.

In this webinar, the panelists will outline the top criteria and important factors for small-medium sized biopharmaceutical companies looking to expand their ROI and development outside of major clinical trial (CT) markets, including industry market trends and opportunities for growth, as well as any translation or localization requirements needed when entering new markets.

The webinar will also discuss how language service providers (LSPs) can help sponsors of biopharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials (BPCTs) leverage best practices to ensure all technical documentation, patient safety reports and data and other important aspects are translated and compliant with relevant regulatory bodies.

Dr. Vladimir Misik, Partner & Founder at LongTaal, will quantify the nature of industry investment and will also discuss the relative attractiveness and competitiveness of global CT markets.

Join Dr. Misik along with expert from CSOFT Health Sciences Joshua Maislin, Sr. Customer Success Manager, in the live webinar on Monday, November 22, 2021 at 11:30am EST (4:30pm GMT/UK) to learn more about clinical trial industry investment and market competitiveness.

For more information, or to register for this event, visit How to Successfully Conduct Overseas Clinical Trials as a Small-Medium Sized Biopharmaceutical Company.

About CSOFT Health Sciences

CSOFT Health Sciences, leaders in medical translations, provides end-to-end medical translation services for all phases of the product lifecycle, from pre-clinical to post-launch. We also specialize in market access consulting, medical writing, and CTD/eCTD submissions with the FDA, EMA, and NMPA. Our operations are compliant with ISO 17100 and certified in ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016, ensuring our customized solutions meet the rigorous regulatory requirements of global submissions. Learn more here.

Media Contacts:

Nikki Andrews (U.S./Europe)

Phone: +1 (617) 263-8950

Email: nikki.andrews@csoftintl.com

Tim Wang (Asia)

Phone: +86 21 3106 3376

Email: tim.wang@csoftintl.com

ABOUT XTALKS

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com

For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/
When visitors experience a Passive House, they get it.

The Passive House Network (PHN) is participating in a global building energy event, called the International Passive House Open Days. Over three days Passive House buildings will be open to the public, to experience first hand the qualities of Passive House building that sets them apart and delivers dramatic cuts in energy consumption and carbon emissions, while providing unsurpassed comfort, healthy indoor air quality and affordability.

People are understandably skeptical of the impressive performance claims made by Passive House practitioners, but too often supporting data leaves people unmoved, said Ken Levenson, Executive Director of PHN. Thats why this event is so important, so that everyone can see it and experience it for themselves, speak to building owners and get the unvarnished story, the personal story.

Across the US projects will open - in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, California and more.

The first Passive House office tower in the US, Winthrop Center, now under construction in downtown Boston, will have a hard-hat tour Friday morning, November 5th.

In Colorado, Saturday, November 6th, there is a regional tour consisting of five projects - ending with a social, hosted by Emu and 475 High Performance Building Supply, in Littleton.

The event in the US will also include an online live virtual tour hosted by the Passive House Accelerator, on Friday, November 5th at 2 PM ET - to help kick things off. The tour will feature Michael Ingui and Amy Failla of Baxt Ingui Architects, and Kevin Brennan of Brennan Brennan Air Sealing and Insulation, doing a walk-through of a New York City historic masonry retrofit in mid-construction.

Bronwyn Barry, Chair of PHN, principal of the firm PassiveHouseBB, and host of a project tour in Sebastopol California, added, Passive House is the one building strategy that delivers the emissions reductions that are desperately needed to help avoid climate catastrophe - and when visitors experience a Passive House, they get it.

More projects are being added each day across the country and around the world. Find out more: https://naphnetwork.org/events/international-passive-house-open-days-november-2021/

About PHN:

The Passive House Network (PHN) is an independent national non-profit educational organization affiliated with the International Passive House Association (iPHA) and the Passive House Institute (PHI), located in Darmstadt, Germany.

PHN has chapters based in New Jersey (http://www.njpassivehouse.com), Washington DC (http://www.naphnetwork.org), the Rocky Mountain Region (http://www.phrockymountains.com), Minnesota (http://www.passivehouseminnesota.org) and Pennsylvania (http://www.passivehousepa.org).

PHN supports the widespread adoption of the international Passive House design and construction standards, building science principles and protocols, as a critical response to our climate crisis - providing unparalleled effectiveness in mitigating climate disruptions and adapting to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

PHN is focused on the inflection point between policy and implementation. We partner with leading stakeholders across all building sectors, including governments, professional associations, manufacturers, owners, builders, labor organizations, and educational institutions  to make the transformation complete.

About Passive House:

Passive House is an international building standard and methodology, applicable to buildings of all kinds from office buildings to hospitals, new-build and renovations, that results in a dramatic drop in operational energy use, and more comfortable and healthy occupants - meant to aggressively mitigate our climate crisis while providing resilient adaptation.

The Passive House Standard was developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI), an independent scientific research organization, located in Darmstadt, Germany, and includes specific requirements for energy use and comfort of occupants. The Passive House Standard is being successfully applied to thousands of buildings and millions of square feet around the world, from Boston to Beijing.

The Passive House methodology starts with reducing cooling, dehumidification and heating loads by focusing, not on gadgets and active technology, but instead on fully integrated durable passive building components, such as proper continuous thermal-bridge-free insulation, continuous airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, and ventilation that includes a high-efficiency heat/energy recovery core, carefully calculated, and all integrated with the entire architectural process of design and construction. http://www.passivehouse.com http://www.passipedia.org

The International Passive House Association is a membership, communications and global community building arm of the Passive House Institute with over 30 affiliated regional Passive House organizations around the world. https://passivehouse-international.org/
Were excited to be able to increase our presence in the St. Louis area to better serve the great people and projects in the area.

Jviation, a Woolpert Company, has opened an office at 4625 Lindell Blvd. near Forest Park in St. Louis. Jviation is an airport planning, survey, architecture, engineering and construction management firm that now has three offices in Missouri and 10 across the country.

Woolpert Senior Vice President JD Ingram said this new St. Louis office will complement Woolperts office at 343 Fountains Parkway, Suite 100, in Fairview Heights, Ill. It will directly support the companys work for aviation clients in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

Jviation and Woolpert, both separately and together, have supported a wide range of architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) projects at airports and for aviation clients across the country, Ingram said. Were excited to be able to increase our presence in St. Louis to better serve the great people and projects in the area.

About Jviation, a Woolpert Company

Jviation, a Woolpert Company, is a planning, engineering, architecture, survey and construction administration firm that focuses on aviation-related projects. Jviation, which joined Woolpert in 2020, provides airport clients, from general aviation to commercial service facilities, with comprehensive consulting services in order to best serve the airport's unique needs. Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. With more than a century of experience, over 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents, Woolpert supports public, private, federal, and U.S. military clients nationally and around the globe. For more information, visit Jviation.com or Woolpert.com.
Santiago, Chile Demand for services from our Santiago location has grown rapidly since its deployment in 2020, said Mark Price, President for NetActuate. The additional service capacity will ensure we can meet our customers needs in the coming year.

NetActuate has just completed a round of upgrades to their Santiago data center, adding infrastructure and connectivity capacity. With these upgrades in place, NetActuate is ready to serve customers with high bandwidth needs, including those with large numbers of end users across Latin America markets.

Demand for services from our Santiago location has grown rapidly since its deployment in 2020, said Mark Price, President for NetActuate. The additional service capacity will ensure we can meet our customers needs in the coming year.

Santiago, the capital of Chile, offers one of the most vibrant and stable economies in Latin America. With ready access to North and Central America, as well as the Pacific, this facility offers customers a robust ecosystem for interconnection.

NetActuates data center in Chile enables customers to reach end users across the LATAM region with greater speed and reliability. NetActuates Santiago facility features redundant power and cooling and multi-factor security, as well as direct access to the PIT CHILE internet exchange.

Providers can easily deploy and expand their global presence on NetActuates anycast delivery platform, built on one of the largest peered IPv4 and IPv6 networks in the world. Purpose built to deliver low latency and high reliability across diverse global markets, NetActuates anycast platform is available in Santiago, as well as over 30 US and global locations, with simple, predictable monthly pricing.

As part of NetActuates global footprint, customers can deploy their hybrid environments into this and over 30 additional US and global locations, without having to manage multiple vendors for their infrastructure and low-latency network services.

To learn more about NetActuates services from Santiago, please schedule a call with a solution specialist by calling +1-919-381-5400 or visiting netactuate.com.

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About NetActuate

Operating one of the 10 largest IPv4 and IPv6 peered networks in the world, NetActuate helps providers get closer to their end users  no matter where in the world they are. Available from over 30 locations worldwide, our managed network and infrastructure services simplify and accelerate the global distribution of online applications and SaaS platforms. Learn more today at +1-919-381-5400 or at netactuate.com. To learn more about BGP anycast and how it can help reduce latency across diverse global markets, visit NetActuate's anycast information resource site at anycast.com.
PUR xo Nabela I hope that the PUR xo Nabela collection inspires you to celebrate yourself a little more - discover what makes you beautifully you and becomes a staple in your beauty routines, said Noor.

PUR recently announced a collaboration with Nabela Noor  an author, designer, and CEO with a combined following of over 10 million across social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Nabela is a proud first-generation Bangladeshi-American advocate and entrepreneur as the Founder of her own brands, Zeba and Saara & Begum as well as her non-profit scholarship program, Noor House. Motivated by her commitment to advocacy and representation, Nabela has become a voice for several powerful, yet marginalized communities including plus sized women, Muslims, and women of color around the world.

With this collection, PUR beauties and Nabela fans will have a chance to embrace and celebrate their individuality with the same good-for-your-skin products one can expect to see from PUR. Nabela has been a loyal fan of the brand for years and was heavily involved in the creative process from start to finish. Nabela wanted the collection to focus on inclusivity and multi-tasking products with shade names that are representative of her Bangladeshi heritage and packed with culturally rich ingredients such as Turmeric and Pomegranate. As a businesswoman, entrepreneur, lifestyle expert, mom-to-be and more, Nabela wanted this collection to speak to the modern woman who truly does it all!

I hope that the PUR xo Nabela collection inspires you to celebrate yourself a little more - discover what makes you beautifully you and becomes a staple in your beauty routines, said Noor. This collection was designed with your self-love journey in mind. I wanted every product to be a gentle reminder through the names, purposes, and functionality that you deserve the love and care you so generously give to others.

We love the vision Nabela brought to this collection, said Julie Campbell, Vice President of Marketing at Astral Brands. "PUR has had a close relationship with Nabela for years and our values on kindness, inclusivity, simplicity and wellness align perfectly. Nabelas aura and work ethic mirrors the ideal PUR consumer; one who is unapologetically herself, hardworking, strong, and confident. Nabela has truly made this collaboration an effortless process and we were thrilled to partner with her."

The four-piece collection features a turmeric-infused cleanser and face mask, as well as a lip chubby and multi-purpose face, eye and cheek palette featuring eight pressed pigments. All eight shades were named by Nabela, with each representing her Bangladeshi roots. The palette features a mix of rosy blushes, brown mattes, metallics and neutrals that are uniquely formulated to deliver unrivaled color payoff with highly blendable textures  perfect for creating that day-to-do look for the woman on the go.

Meet the Collection:



Embrace Your Face Eye & Cheek Palette: All-in-one face palette featuring two highlighters, two blushes, and four eyeshadow shades with skincare-infused formulas for a soft glam feel.

Refresh Brightening Cleanser with Turmeric: Cleanses, detoxifies, exfoliates, and brightens your skin. Formulated with natural exfoliants to remove dull, dry skin cells to reveal a healthy and smooth complexion

Reset Detoxifying Mask with Turmeric: Restores, detoxifies, and brightens your skin. Formulated with natural exfoliants to remove dull, dry skin cells to reveal a healthy and smooth complexion.

Celebrate You Creamy Lip Chubby: Delivers a wearable, cream finish with the application and ease of a jumbo pencil that never needs sharpening.

Consumers can shop the entire collection on PURCosmetics.com during the presale event from 10/29  11/3. The full launch will officially be live starting November 5th at 1pm ET at purcosmetics.com, ULTA.com, Macys.com.

About Nabela:

Nabela Noor is a first generation Bangladeshi-American designer, author and entrepreneur. As an advocate, Nabela utilizes her platforms to empower and inspire millions of people around the world to love the skin theyre in. Her work centers around her passion for representation and diversity with a commitment to promoting self-love through self-care. Nabela dedicates her platform to uplift Bangladeshi, Muslim and first-generation communities and helps millions in their self-love journeys. Through her globally recognized Pockets of Peace series, which has amassed over 1 billion views, her self-love brand Zeba, her debut childrens book Beautifully Me, and her award-winning non-profit Noor House, Nabela has empowered millions like her to dream bigger, embrace their unique stories and live their fullest, most confident life.

About PUR:

Since the brand's inception in 2002, we have redefined clean beauty with one mission in mindto offer PUR Beauties multitasking beauty solutions that supportnever compromisetheir lifestyle. Designed to accentuate your natural-born beauty, our complete product mix is backed by clinically proven technology to leave skin looking and feeling its bestlong after the makeup comes off!

PUR offers those of all ages, races and skin types high-performance beauty solutions and skin-loving products. By focusing as much on the ingredients left out of formulas as included, PUR sets the standard for a better kind of beauty. From efficacious complexion and color makeup to transformative skincare, our skin-enhancing formulas are clinically proven to deliver. PUR is proud to be cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free, talc free, petrolatum free, mineral oil free and SLS free.
Anatomy of Christian Faith: General Bible Study Topics: an engaging opportunity for Bible study enthusiasts. Anatomy of Christian Faith: General Bible Study Topics is the creation of published author Rev. Dr. John Akinyemi, a loving husband, father, and grandfather who is the senior Pastor of Christian Liberty International Ministries Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland.

Rev. Dr. Akinyemi shares, Anatomy of Christian Faith: General Bible Study Topics is designed for pastors and students of the Word of God and for all who want to go deeper in study of the Word of God.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Rev. Dr. John Akinyemis new book offers both students and spiritual leaders a helpful collection of study topics.

Rev. Dr. Akinyemis careful arrangement of related topics is certain to assist many in the pursuit of deeper understanding of the Word of God.

Consumers can purchase Anatomy of Christian Faith: General Bible Study Topics at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Anatomy of Christian Faith: General Bible Study Topics, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
I look forward to serving the state of Georgia and working alongside talented, like-minded legal professionals in the JNC to fill vacancies in the Georgia courts and improve our states judicial branch, Richard Valladares said.

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP Shareholder Richard J. Valladares was appointed by Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp to the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), which reviews applications and recommends candidates to fill judicial vacancies within the state, superior, and appellate courts in Georgia.

Valladares, one of 35 appointments to the JNC, will be sworn in by the Governor Nov. 22, 2021. "It is my honor to appoint this remarkable coalition of legal professionals to the Judicial Nominating Commission," Gov. Kemp said in a statement.

I look forward to serving the state of Georgia and working alongside talented, like-minded legal professionals in the JNC to fill vacancies in the Georgia courts and improve our states judicial branch, Valladares said.

Valladares, who is chair of the Atlanta Business Litigation Group, has experience in numerous areas of litigation, including complex commercial litigation, personal injury defense, class action, construction litigation, products liability, and insurance coverage litigation. His litigation and trial experience extends throughout all phases of a dispute, including pre-litigation negotiations, administrative investigations, trial, and appeal. In addition, he advises a wide array of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to the smallest entrepreneur, on commercial dispute resolution, and litigation avoidance techniques. Valladares also has broad experience advising clients on electronic discovery and electronic document retention and frequently writes and lectures on these topics.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 25 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Plus Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
The TASC Group was recently awarded three Big Apple Awards from the 2021 PRSA-NY in recognition of its work on behalf of United Way of New York City. The TASC Group won awards in the categories of Best Use of Research, Measurement & Evaluation, Multicultural Public Relations and Public Service.

The TASC Groups Kieren Weisert was also awarded the coveted 15 Under 35 Award from the PRSA-NY, naming him as one of the top 15 publicists under the age of 35 in New York.

The PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards gala, held this year at Manhattans Edison Ballroom, honored outstanding public relations campaigns and talented professionals across the country.

We are honored to be once again recognized by our colleagues at the Public Relations Society of America for the quality of our work and for the role we play in advancing the missions of our socially driven clients, said Larry Kopp, president and CEO of The TASC Group. We are also very proud of Kieren Weisert for being named one of the top publicists in the field. Kierens impact on his clients is remarkable. He inspires all of those that work with him at TASC.

Since 2014, The TASC Group has won 23 Big Apple Awards from PRSA-NY in the areas of crisis communications, best business outcomes, public service, diversity & inclusion, global communications and reputation & brand management.

Established in 1947, PRSA-NY is one of the founding chapters of the Public Relations Society of America, the worlds largest professional organization for public relations practitioners and the third largest PRSA local chapter in the U.S. PRSA-NY established the Big Apple Awards program in 1987 to encourage excellence in public relations. The program has evolved to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry and continues to celebrate the exciting and innovative successes of talented professionals working in the heart of the communications universe. Today, the Big Apple Award is recognized as one of the highest honors bestowed in public relations.

Numerous public relations trade and industry associations have previously recognized The TASC Group for nonprofit public relations, grassroots advocacy, public service, global communications and crisis communications campaigns. Recently, The TASC Group was selected to be included in the New York Observers PR Power 50, a list of the 50 most influential PR firms in the country, as well as ranked third in public affairs and public service category.

For media inquiries regarding The TASC Group, please contact Fay Diamantopoulos at 631-568-8635 or fay@thetascgroup.com.

ABOUT THE TASC GROUP

The TASC Group (TASC) is an independent, full-service communications and public relations firm. TASC was founded as a progressive-minded company dedicated to working with some of the worlds most dynamic and inspiring clients. The company is passionate about and committed to helping its clients achieve their goals. TASC represents mission-driven private and public companies, organizations, nonprofits, labor groups and community organizations. The companys services include media relations, crisis communications and issues management, corporate social responsibility campaigns, thought leadership development, cause-related marketing, red carpet and celebrity events, SEO and online reputation management and social media. For more information, visit http://www.thetascgroup.com.
Dr. Katie Joseph, DBA Alumnus, Trident University International The research suggests that the key to online student persistence, satisfaction, and engagement at University XYZ is driven by two key factors  support from key staff and faculty members and easy access to interactive courses. - Dr. Katie Joseph.

Dr. Katie Joseph, a 2021 graduate of Trident University Internationals (Trident) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program in the College of Business, presented research from her Doctoral Study Project (DSP) entitled, Trends in Online Higher Education Student Satisfaction: A Qualitative Thematic Approach to Student-Service Quality Improvement.

This presentation was part of the Tridents CORE webinar series and was hosted by Dr. Indira Guzman, Doctoral Studies Director in Tridents College of Business.

Dr. Joseph is a 2021 graduate of Tridents DBA program and currently works as a program mentor in online higher education. Her DSP committee was chaired by Dr. Trent Salvaggio and included valuable guidance from committee members Dr. Christopher Linski and Dr. John Magrane.

Tridents professional doctoral programs encourage students to perform applied research in their current place of employment. Dr. Joseph seized this opportunity as a means to understand what drives student retention and how these drivers can be used to improve student satisfaction and retention.

The research suggests that the key to online student persistence, satisfaction, and engagement at University XYZ is driven by two key factors  support from key staff and faculty members and easy access to interactive courses, explains Dr. Joseph.

Research-informed recommendations for application include professional development for mentors, social style learning opportunities, webinars, and applicable career development materials that are both current and simple to navigate.

This was a very informative and helpful webinar, states Jeff Davis, Doctoral Specialist, and current Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) student at Trident. Dr. Joseph is a good presenter and did a great job with a complicated topic.

Launched in May 2015, the CORE webinar series is designed to provide faculty, students, and alumni an opportunity to share their research and skills with the Trident community.

Coordinating this effort are Tridents Doctoral Studies Directors, Dr. Heidi Smith, Dean, College of Education , Dr. Indira Guzman, Glenn R. Jones College of Business, Dr. Ryan Dwight, College of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Wenling Li, College of Education. Each college takes turns hosting webinars throughout the year, covering subject matter relevant to Tridents six doctoral programs.

Over the course of more than 50 webinars the CORE series has served as a forum for development for doctoral students and alumni, covering the Ph.D. dissertation process, writing for doctoral research, publishing in academic journals, and more. Past presenters include Trident faculty members and doctoral alumni.

An archived version of the webinar can be accessed here.

About Trident University International

Founded in 1998, Trident University International is a member of the American InterContinental University System, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). Trident uses the EdActive learning approach, which employs case-based learning in an online setting to teach real-world relevant critical thinking skills designed to enhance the lives and education of students. Trident offers quality associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs and certificates, led by a qualified faculty team, over 80% of whom have doctoral degrees. Trident has over 32,000 alumni, of which more than 27,000 have a military affiliation, and has received acknowledgements from Washington Monthly, Military Times, and Military Advanced Education & Transition for their dedication to student success. Visit http://www.trident.edu or call at (855) 290-0290 to learn more about Trident's wide range of educational options.
While the company will continue to work with clients on their search engine optimization, this new focus will let the company help more clients with their digital advertising needs.

West Houston, TX-based company Actual SEO Media recently announced a new Pay Per Click drive, focusing its resources in a new direction. While the company will continue to work with clients on their search engine optimization needs, this new focus will let the company help more clients with their digital advertising needs. This new focus also allows the agency to shift its goals in a new direction. The company has always prided itself on proper web page optimization, but this takes time. For some clients, the rate at which SEO grows online traffic is not fast enough. PPC allows for faster entry into new markets. This shift in focus gives Actual SEO Media more flexibility in how it can assist its clients.

Founded in 2013, Actual SEO Media has always prided itself on producing websites that follow the expectations from search engines. The company has committed itself to doing optimization in the right way. While some other companies may produce websites that get quick results, the methods they will use are malicious. These black hat techniques manipulate search engines for easy results page placement. When the algorithm changes, those page rankings drop. Actual SEO Media does not exploit loopholes. They have remained focused on doing things the right way. With their new focus on PPC, the company will expand its brand into new horizons while maintaining its commitment to integrity.

There are numerous reasons why ASM is choosing to expand its presence in PPC. Mainly, PPC helps ASM better serve clients for less. PPC advertisements are very data driven. They allow companies to understand and control who is seeing the advertisement. This helps make the marketing strategy more effective as it becomes more targeted. In turn, this targeting gets more conversions into action.

PPC is also a very cost-effective option for businesses. Because the company only pays for the advertisement if someone clicks on it, the company is getting the greatest return on its investment. Rather than paying for the potential traffic, the advertiser is paying after the traffic has arrived. This means businesses are paying only for what works. For a budget-conscious business, PPC is a great choice.

Actual SEO Media has always prided itself on organic growth over time. This process might be too slow for some clients. For those who need quick returns, this new push into PPC will be just the thing they need. Those businesses can immediately enter markets and see the effects of their budget choices. This means they are not spending unnecessarily. Between the two methods for growing the business, every businesss needs can be covered by Actual SEO Media.

Actual SEO Media Inc. can be reached via phone at (713) 737-5529, or by email at: info@actualseomedia.com.
Disney Publishing Worldwide has some good news for fans of Ryan T. Higgins, creator of a cache of bestselling stories starring the long-suffering Mother Bruce, spunky Penelope Rex, and waggishly dramatic porcupine Norman. The publisher has announced a deal with the author-illustrator for six new picture books from Disney-Hyperion that will feature his popular menagerie of charactersand likely some new players.

The book deal, which covers world rights, was brokered by Disney-Hyperion editorial director Kieran Viola and executive editor Sylvie Frank with Higginss longtime agent, Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary. The books will be edited by senior editor Brittany Rubiano and Frank. First up is a release scheduled for fall 2022 tentatively titled Penelope Rex Is REALLY, REALLY Not Afraid of This Goldfish, in which the young heroine must face her one fearWalter, the class goldfish.

Frank, who joined Disney-Hyperion in June from Simon & Schusters Paula Wiseman Books, called working with Higgins straight away and making this acquisition a thrill.

The creativity and humor in Ryans storytelling embody all that makes modern picture books exciting, she said. They spotlight universal feelings and experiences of childrenlike fitting in and getting along with othersin a way that engages them, challenges them, and makes them laugh. He understands kids and knows how to connect with them.

Calling Higgins and his books a pillar of our plans to expand Disney-Hyperions picture book program, Frank added that the six-book deal is a way to commit to Ryan as a long-term creator. We want to be along for the Ryan ride and hope that this is a stepping stone toward all future projects. Ryan is such a deep well and has so many ideas for characters hes already created and for others that are percolating in his mind. Every time we talk, he manages to make me excited to see what is coming next.

Higgins, who received the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award and an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor for 2015s Mother Bruce, echoed Franks enthusiasm for his most recent contract and ongoing relationship with his publisher. I am thrilled to continue working with my Disney Publishing family, he noted. Theyve been by my side since the very first Bruce book and continue to offer me wonderful support and great opportunities. I have many more stories to tell about Bruce and the gang, and Penelope, and some new friends as well. I am amazed every day that I get to make up stories and draw cartoons for a living, and Im so thankful that Disney-Hyperion wants me to keep doing it!
During the recently concluded American Association of School Librarians National Conference ALA executive director Tracy Hall made a simple yet hopeful observation: This AASL conference is the first time that the American Library Association has met [in-person] in almost two years. Halls obversation, ALA officials note, was met with wild applause.

Indeed, more than 1,500 school librarians, administrators, authors, and exhibitors gathered in Salt Lake City from October 21-23 in Salt Lake City, Utah for the AASLs biennial national conference. And while that number is down from the more than 2,500 who attended the last AASL National Conference in 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, attendance exceeded ALAs expectations, which had estimated attendance in Utah would come it at around 1,200.

A division of ALA, AASL counts some 7,000 members.

In Salt Lake City, AASL members gathered at a crucial time, with schools back to in-person learning after a 2020 that saw many school buildings shuttered, and amid an increasingly contentious political environment that has included a sharp increase in attempts to ban books from schools and libraries, particularly books that deal with issues of race and sexuality.

Among the AASL conference highlights, Dr. Omekongo Dibinga, author of The UPstanders Guide to an Outstanding Life introduced the term agnotology, which he defined as the willful act of spreading deceit and confusionand he celebrated librarians and libraries are the antithesis of agnotology, and essential to our nation.

We must always make sure libraries are seen as the sacred spaces they are, Dibinga said. The two things I had growing up; I had my parents and family and I had a school library.

A general session on October 22 featured a conversation among four school superintendents and principals, who characterized the school library as the heart of the school building with an impact on every class, and librarians as problem-solvers, co-teachers, and co-researchers. Its bigger than kids just coming to the library to get books, said Sean Doherty, a retired superintendent from the school district of Clayton, Missouri, who described school librarians as powerful connectors who not only help kids learn to read for fun, but also develop critical information literacy skills. This is a need, Doherty said, not a want.

And on Oct. 23, Kekla Magoon, the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young readers, and a National Book Award finalist for young peoples literature, delivered the conferences author keynote. Magoon urged librarians to stand up to the growing wave of attempts underway in many states to ban books, especially that address issues of race and gender identity.

I challenge you to be brave, to stand up for the needs of your young patrons and not shy away from shelving books that feel important to you and to them, said Magoon, whose upcoming book Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Partys Promise to the People, is due out from Candlwick Press in November. The power of libraries comes from offering a multitude of voices. It comes from carrying a collection that speaks truth in a chorus of perspectives and a range of genres across diverse formats and media. We cannot allow that diversity and complexity to be taken from us by the powers that be.

Meanwhile, AASL wasnt the only in-person meeting for librarians this month. ARSL (The Association of Rural and Small Libraries) also held an in-person event for its 2021 National Conference in Sparks, Nevada. ARSL is independent, and not a division of ALA.

ARSL president Kathy Zappitello, executive director of the Conneaut (Ohio) Public Library, told PW that the show, dubbed "The Biggest Little Library Conference"which also drew another 500 virtual attendeeswas, in her opinion, the best ARSL national conference ever. "Arriving to the banquet hall for our kickoff keynote and meal, my emotions got the best of me," Zappitello told PW.

Zappitello said she was especially struck by ARSL's focus on issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. "Seeing that embraced by my library colleagues from across the country showed me that libraries in small and rural communities really are the heartbeat of our nation and deeply care about the folks they serve," Zappitello said.

The ARSL conference was keynoted by civil rights lawyer Qian Julie Wang, whose bestselling memoir, Beautiful Country, earned a starred review from PW, which called it a new classic.

The successful conclusion of the first in-person shows in nearly two years should bolster the ALAs hopes for an in-person return to its major conferenceswith two major in-person ALA conferences looming especially large on the calendar for 2022: the PLA national conference, set for March 23-25, in Portland, Oregon; and the ALA Annual Conference, set for Washington DC, June 23-28. Washington DC is historically among the best-attended ALA conference locations. The 2019 ALA Conference in Washington DC drew nearly 22,000 attendees.

Meanwhile, registration is now open for the ALA's first ever LibLearn X, the successor to the ALA's Midwinter Meeting, which this year will be held as an online-only event.

This week, ALA officials announced that comedian, and author Molly Shannon will appear at LibLearnX to talk about her forthcoming book Hello, Molly! A Memoir, (HarperCollins). In addition, bestselling YA author Kelly Yang will discuss her newest book, New from Here. More LibLearnX speakers are expected to be announced soon.

Correction: an earlier version of this story suggested that Kekla Magoon's upcoming book was due to be published by Penguin Random House. The book is being published by Candlewick Press, and is distributed by PRH.
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue University has been named one of Fast Companys Brands That Matter, a list honoring companies and organizations that give people compelling reasons to care about them, offer inspiration for others to buy in, and authentically communicate their mission and ideals, according to Fast Company editors, who judged each brand on relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity and business impact.

The only university named a Brand That Matters, Purdue joins 95 internationally recognized brands, including Nike, Zoom and Yeti, and other large multinational conglomerates, small-but-mighty companies and nonprofits.

This latest recognition belongs to the entire Purdue community, and were grateful that Fast Company has singled out Purdue as a university of high value, Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. You cant have a great brand without a great product, and our marketing team has worked hard to tell the world what this university stands for and how our faculty, staff and students impact lives.

In honoring Purdue, Fast Company cited the many innovations and the unique stories that engage prospective students and their families, alumni and friends, partners and peers:

Stories such as The Data Mine, which partners with more than 50 organizations  including Cummins and Sandia National Laboratories  to prepare students from all majors for the data-driven workforce of the 21st century.

Stories such as the Purdue Polytechnic High Schools, born of Purdues giant leap to revolutionize the high school experience, creating a pathway to Purdue, specifically for Indiana students who are often underserved by traditional high schools and underrepresented in higher education.

Stories of accessibility and affordability with a 10th straight year of frozen tuition, lowered student debt and increasing success rates for students and graduates.

And perhaps most pointedly, the story of an entire university living its brand when a global pandemic forced institutions and students alike to make big decisions about their futures. Understanding what it stands for and what truly mattered to its community, Purdue delivered tailored information grounded in the latest science and created collective confidence in functioning openly, safely and productively during the pandemics peaks and valleys together. Via the Protect Purdue campaign, the Boilermaker family united within a shared culture of commitment and protection.

Meanwhile, Purdue continued to recruit high-caliber students, exceeding undergraduate enrollment goals, while setting a standard for education, research and engagement during the pandemic.

Named The Next Giant Leap, Purdues brand platform emerged from more than 12 months of intensive research and sparked nearly two years of compelling and consistent storytelling efforts campuswide, sharing how Purdue and its students, faculty, staff and alumni are propelling the world forward through continued discovery and innovation, inclusive collaboration and a culture of persistence that leaves nothing undone.

Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company, says, Fast Company is excited to highlight companies and organizations that have built brands with deep meaning and connections to the customers they serve. At a time when consumers are holding companies to very high standards, businesses have much to learn from these brands that have garnered respect and trust.

Ethan Braden, Purdue senior vice president for marketing and communications, says, We know that students and their families trust Purdue to provide an extraordinary educational experience as demonstrated by record-setting numbers of applications and our highest-ever enrollments. By combining a clear sense of rigor and collaboration, transformative educational opportunities and innovative approaches to accessing and affording a valuable Purdue degree  marked by 10 straight years of frozen tuition  persistently delivering on that trust truly matters here.

The November issue of Fast Company magazine, including the complete list of Brands That Matter, is available online now and will be on newsstands beginning Nov. 2.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

Writer, media contact: Christy McCarter, mccarter@purdue.edu
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Oscar and Emmy award- winning actor Regina King said it was a "surreal moment" to have her handprints and footprints immortalized in front of Hollywood's iconic TCL Chinese Theatre on Thursday.

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The Jerry Maguire and The Harder They Fall star got her hands a little dirty as she joined the fellow Hollywood royalty Cicely Tyson John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe

"It's really hard to put into words," King told those in attendance. "It's kind of a surreal moment. I'm just filled with a lot of gratitude."

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who directed August 28th, a documentary short featuring King, spoke at the event.

"My heart is filled knowing that millions of people who visit this location every year will forever know your name among the Hollywood greats and they may feel compelled to pursue their passion as you have," DuVernay said.

King inscribed a quote on her slab of concrete -- "No place like home" -- a reference to the title of the first episode of the TV series 227, her first acting job on camera.

"This kind of hit me ... differently because ... it's the city that I'm born and bred in and I'm forever here," she said.

"This is home and I'm gonna be home forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and there's nothing anyone can do about it but smile and take a picture with it."

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!

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King won the 2019 Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk, and has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in American Crime, Seven Seconds and Watchmen. She won the BET Awards' Best Actress award four times for A Cinderella Story, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Ray and If Beale Street Could Talk.

In addition to her acting roles, King has directed several television episodes and produced and directed the Amazon movie One Night in Miami ... .
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/28/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Katie Thurston has broken her silence following her split from fiance Blake Moynes less than three months after their engagement aired on ABC.Season 17 star and Blake, who proposed marriage to Katie after she selected him as her final bachelor on the show's August finale , revealed in a mutual statement earlier this week they had decided to go their separate ways "with mutual love and respect" because they are "not compatible as life partners."On Wednesday, Katie, 30, broke her silence on the split by posting a photo of her cat resting on a chair.Set to "Superficial Love" by Ruth B., Katie wrote on her Instagram Story, "Thank you to everyone who has shown their love and support. You can either spend every day convincing yourself things are fine. Or you can accept what is and learn and grow from it.""And remember," she added. "You don't [owe] anyone anything. Life is too short. Surround your personal universe with joy."Just hours earlier, Katie suggested she's still trying to mend her broken heart by revealing a dog named Dexter had come to her rescue."Dexter forcing me out the house this morning," Katie shared.But Katie's spirits were apparently lifted when she discovered she's been nominated for a People's Choice Award.Katie is up for the award of "The Competition Contestant of 2021" for her stint on 's seventeenth season."Well this made me [cry]," Katie wrote on Instagram, along with a crying emoji and heart."Thank you so much for the nomination! If you feel like showing some love, feel free to vote now through 11/17! VotePCA.com."A source recently told Us Weekly that Katie " won't give up on love and still hopes to get married one day."According to another insider, Blake and Katie "just couldn't make the long-distance [relationship] work" and "[Katie] didn't want to put on a facade if they truly weren't on the best terms."Katie just moved into a new San Diego, CA, apartment in August, and Blake -- a wildlife manager who lives in Toronto, Canada -- often travels to Africa for his endangered-animal conservation efforts, most recently involving the rescuing of rhinos."Katie really missed Blake once he left and they would get into little arguments, but at the end of the day, Katie wished he would be with her more," the insider shared with Us.When Katie and Blake released their joint breakup statement on social media, they called themselves "grateful" for the moments they had shared but said it's "the most caring choice" "to move forward independently."The pair ended their brief statement asking for "kindness and privacy" as they navigate "this transition" from being an engaged couple to being single again.During a Wednesday appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen , co-host Tayshia Adams said the news of Blake and Katie's split made her "really sad."After all, Tayshia got to know Blake pretty well considering he had competed on her edition of last year, Season 16, which also starred Clare Crawley "I did not see it coming," Tayshia admitted, according to People. "I, truthfully, thought that they were meant for each other and thought they complimented each other quite well."Katie and Blake's breakup announcement came only days after Katie admitted she had been "totally winging" her relationship with Blake following their televised engagement."I'm, like, totally winging my life right now," Katie had told the magazine.During the interview, Katie -- who originally competed for Matt James ' heart on The Bachelor's 25th season -- had sounded somewhat indifferent about her relationship with Blake, who joined Katie's season several weeks into the process."We're figuring it out," Katie had said. "We don't know. This is very new to us still. I'm just focusing on myself, he's focusing on him, and if we work doing that, great."The couple's breakup may have shocked many fans because two weeks ago, Katie had taken to Twitter and clapped back at speculation she and Blake had called it quits.On October 15, Katie tweeted a screenshot of one of her recent Instagram comments that read, "You and Blake are not liking each other's posts. Is all OK?"The screenshot showed that Katie immediately responded to the fan, "Yes," with a tears-of-joy emoji.Katie tweeted alongside the image, "Imagine your fiance has been on his [Instagram] stories for weeks in Kenya working his ass off and yet this is what some people notice," in addition to another tears-of-joy emoji.But when Blake left for Africa to focus on saving animals, Katie reportedly wrote on Instagram earlier this month, "It can feel lonely moving to a new state... I've had trouble sleeping lately... I'm still trying to navigate this new life and city while seeking normalcy."Katie and Blake had said they were in no rush to wed and intended to travel together and learn more about each other's backgrounds, interests, hobbies and hometowns before deciding on an "anchor spot," or city in which to put down roots as a couple."I don't think people fully understand what it's like to date someone from another country and the rules behind that and the visas behind that," Katie said in a series of late-August videos posted to her Instagram Stories."I think right now Blake can only be here for 60 days before having to go back to Canada. So we really do have a lot we have to look into -- and we just haven't yet."Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
DETROIT  A civil liberties nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against Grand Traverse County, Sheriff Tom Bensley, Undersheriff Mike Shea and Jail Administrator Chris Barsheff in federal court on behalf of a Traverse City man over access to prescribed addiction treatment medication while he was incarcerated.

The Michigan office of the American Civil Liberties Union and attorneys with Goodwin Law, a private firm with offices in eight U.S. cities, on Thursday filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on behalf of Cyrus Patson, 20.

Grand Traverse County jail The Record-Eagle's past and continuing coverage of Grand Traverse County's jail:

Patson is on bond awaiting sentencing in 13th Circuit Court, for charges related to tampering with a monitoring device, records show. He previously confirmed to the Record-Eagle he takes Suboxone, a branded form of buprenorphine and naloxone, twice daily for treatment of an opioid use disorder.

During a previous incarceration in the jail, Patson said he was denied Suboxone, heard similar stories from others in the jail which an ACLU attorney confirmed.

This is a case where we heard multiple complaints happening at the same time, said Syeda Davidson, an attorney with the ACLU, of reports the organization received from people incarcerated in Grand Traverse Countys jail, who said they were not receiving physician-prescribed medications to treat addiction.

This is happening in other counties, but we are hoping that we will get a favorable result and that will tell other counties that what they are doing violates the ADA and the Eighth Amendment and that they will change their policies, Davidson said.

The suit asks the court to compel the jail to provide people who are incarcerated with medically assisted treatment for opioid use disorder if prescribed, Davidson said.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg said she was aware of the lawsuit, though had yet to receive the related legal paperwork.

Once she does, the case will be referred to the countys insurance carrier, Michigan Municipal Risk Management of Livonia, she said.

Bensley could not be reached for comment; Undersheriff Mike Shea and Jail Administrator Capt. Chris Barsheff both said they had not been served with legal documents related to the suit.

Records show the jail, which contracts with Wellpath, a Nashville-based corporate health care provider, does provide Vivitrol for those with opioid use disorder, but does not provide Suboxone.

Vivitrol is injected, Suboxone is taken orally and some clinical studies show Suboxone is more successful in preventing overdose deaths.

In July Elaine Kaiser, who is employed by Wellpath as a supervisor, testified during a motion hearing in 86th District Court, and initially stated there was no prescribed medication that Wellpath would refuse to administer in jails and that medical needs of incarcerated patients were addressed individually.

Later, however, she said stimulants, benzenoids and Suboxone were not provided in the jail.

Patson in July allowed his medical records to be discussed in open court, and they showed a series of directives from his physician, Dr. Kelly Clark, that Patson continue to receive Suboxone while incarcerated.

Clark reiterated these directives in an affidavit filed Sept. 16 on behalf of Patsons treatment plan, in 13th Circuit Court.

In my informed medical opinion, denying Mr. Patson his medically necessary buprenorphine during any incarceration or probation period is barbaric and inhumane, Clark said. It is no different than withholding necessary medication for other chronic genetically predisposed diseases like diabetes and coronary artery disease.

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law, passed in 1990, that prohibits discrimination based on disability. The Affordable Care Act classifies addiction as a disability when it substantially limits a major life activity, such as caring for oneself, working and communicating.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing unduly harsh punishment cruel and unusual punishment on criminal defendants.

Davidson credited Patson for sharing his medical records with the ACLU.

It takes a lot of courage to put your entire medical and mental health history out there in a public filing for the world to see, Davidson said. I know that Cyrus really cares about making sure that people who have opioid use disorder dont ever have to go through this again if they are incarcerated in Grand Traverse County.

Patson previously provided his medical file to the 86th District Court, when his attorney, Jesse Williams, filed emergency petitions, asking a judge to compel the jail to provide Patson with his prescribed Suboxone.

At that time Patson was incarcerated on bond violation issues, records show, was not provided Suboxone, as prescribed by his physician, and underwent an involuntary detox.

A hearing has yet to be scheduled in the federal lawsuit; Patsons sentencing hearing is Nov. 12, records show.

The ACLU states in court filings Patson expects to be sentenced to jail.

Mr. Patson anticipates being sentenced to detention at the Jail on November 12, 2021, court filings state. Without intervention by this Court, Defendants will strip Mr. Patson of his prescribed treatment, disregarding sound medicine, including the broad consensus in the scientific community and the express judgment of his treating physician.

Clinical studies show a correlation between addiction, mental health issues and deaths by suicide  a longtime concern among those who run the jail and those incarcerated there, records show.

In 2017 Alan Halloway, died by suicide inside the jail after his arrest following a shooting at Bay Hill Apartments where one man was wounded. Halloway was placed on suicide watch after stating hed taken 20 Valium pills, as previously reported. A civil suit settled out of court accused a Northern Lakes Community Mental Health psychologist of negligence in removing the watch, records show.

On Feb. 28, 2018, Marilyn Palmer died by suicide after she hanged herself in her Grand Traverse County jail cells shower. The 36-year-old was a mother of three, and just 19 days into a sentence for felony identity theft, as previously reported.

Patson previously said he suffered from anxiety and depression, though was being counseled regularly for both.

Im happy things are moving forward in the right direction, he said in a text message Thursday evening.
Traverse City, MI (49684)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
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
In the University of Georgia Fine Arts Theater, there is something in the air  people move throughout the theater buzzing with excitement as they prepare for their take on RENT, which is set to open tonight.
Olivia is a junior journalism major at the University of Georgia. Her love for writing and sharing stories from the community led her to The Red & Black. She loves being able to highlight the people who make up the Athens community.

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On Oct. 22, five young people launched a hunger strike outside of the White House to demand that President Joe Biden and Congress pass the fullest possible federal legislation to combat the climate crisis. These activists, members of the climate activism group Sunrise Movement, have committed to refusing food and drinking only water until their demands are met or their bodies cant go on.

One has already been sent to the hospital but has now returned to the White House to continue the strike. Wednesday marked a week that the activists have gone without food.

On Oct. 21, I chose to not eat in solidarity with these hunger strikers. Cal Jacobs, Noah Eller and Daniel Cryan, three other members of the Sunrise Athens Hub, joined me in observing a day of fasting. By the end of my time fasting, I felt delirious and weak, yet this was nothing compared to what would happen in a catastrophic climate scenario. The stakes of this moment are now greater than our own lives: the United States and the rest of the world are at a crossroads, and our leaders must choose between mass human suffering or human salvation.

For over a century, the fact that carbon dioxide and other chemicals called greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere has been well known to scientists. Since then, weve pumped billions more tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the Earth has warmed by almost two degrees Fahrenheit.

It is now 2021, and our chance to act to avoid climate catastrophe is almost gone. Wildfires in the West and flooding in the East supercharged by climate change have already left many people homeless, helpless or dead. If we dont change our path now, this will only get worse.

This is our last, best chance for humanity. Congress has an opportunity right now to pass a transformational spending package to invest in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and good green jobs. For me and my entire generation, this would mean a future where we can worry about what we want our future careers to be and our lives to look like, instead of worrying about if we will have a future at all. But Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has weekly meetings with Exxon Mobil lobbyists, has insisted on cutting the key emissions-reductions program from the bill  the Clean Energy Performance Program. This could have disastrous consequences for all of us.

If we dont drastically cut emissions now, global temperatures are likely to exceed the preferred warming limit set in the 2015 Paris Agreement by the early 2030s. Once we pass this threshold, the amount of devastation will be catastrophic. The Arctic will likely become ice-free, and sea levels will rise by over half a foot, drowning beaches and coastal cities across the world. Massive heat waves will make the hottest parts of the earth practically unlivable for humans.

Politicians now have a clear choice. Which is more important to them: the fossil fuel industry or the wellbeing of the young protestors currently risking their lives and the future of our planet?

We need bold climate action in the federal infrastructure bills. We need a fully-funded Civilian Climate Corps to create over a million good, green jobs and a permanent shift away from fossil fuels to avoid climate catastrophe. We need our politicians to live up to the promises that they made. Young people should never have to deny themselves food for days and weeks just to be listened to.

But with our worlds future hanging in the balance, were willing to do anything we can to save it. I stand with the five hunger strikers demanding our leaders deliver on their elected mandate and pass climate policy that matches the urgency and the scale of the climate emergency. I hope you will too.
Greenville, NC (27833)

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Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 59F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few clouds. Low 38F. Winds light and variable.
1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students from Windham Elementary School get a surprise visit from the plow truck they named as part of the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Name a Plow program on Wednesday, 11/17/21.
Marlboro Fire Department responded to a first-alarm fire at 614 Stratton Hill Road, in Marlboro around 2 p.m. on Thursday. This was one of six suspicious fires in the region.
EAST HAVEN  A West Haven woman was arrested Wednesday, accused of stealing approximately $600,000 from her husband over two decades, according to East Haven police.

Donna Marino, 63, is charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery, Capt. Joseph Murgo said in an email.

In March 2020, the husband and another individual came to the East Haven Police Department to report a large-scale fraud, Murgo said.

In investigating the matter, Sgt. Gregory Borer determined Marino allegedly forged her husbands signature on his pension checks, social security checks, workers compensation settlements, and other legal documents, before depositing the funds in a secret bank account without his knowledge, police said.

Marino also allegedly fraudulently obtained Power of Attorney for her husband by having a friend, who is a Notary Public, sign the legal document when her husband was not present, using that status to file taxes in her husbands name, and pawned some of his belongings without his knowledge, Murgo said.

Murgo said Marino spoke with investigators as part of the case, allegedly saying she was able to hide her fraudulent activities over the years by convincing her husband that he was suffering from Alzheimers Disease, a belief she fostered with the expectation it would prevent him from going to the bank, ultimately to discover the low balances on his accounts.

Ms. Marino advised investigators that the mismanaged money was often used to help her other family members with things like rent, groceries and car payments, without her husbands knowledge or consent, said Murgo.

The husband told police he did know know of Marinos alleged theft until March 2019, according to police, and he told them he decided to file a formal complaint after weighing the matter.

Marino was held in lieu of $25,000 court-set bond and scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, Murgo said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The reports of hateful and violent posts on Facebook started pouring in on the night of May 28 last year, soon after then-President Donald Trump sent a warning on social media that looters in Minneapolis would be shot.

It had been three days since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for more than eight minutes until the 46-year-old Black man lost consciousness, showing no signs of life. A video taken by a bystander had been viewed millions of times online. Protests had taken over Minnesotas largest city and would soon spread throughout cities across America.

But it wasn't until after Trump posted about Floyds death that the reports of violence and hate speech increased rapidly on Facebook across the country, an internal company analysis of the ex-presidents social media post reveals.

These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd and I wont let that happen, Trump tweeted at 9:53 p.m. on May 28, in comments he repeated on his Facebook account a few hours later. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts the shooting starts!

The former president has since been suspended from both Twitter and Facebook.

Leaked Facebook documents provide a first-hand look at how Trumps social media posts ignited more anger in an already deeply divided country that was eventually lit on fire with reports of hate speech and violence across the platform. Facebooks own internal, automated controls, meant to catch posts that violate rules, predicted with almost 90% certainty that Trump's message broke the tech company's rules against inciting violence.

Yet, the tech giant didnt take any action on Trump's message.

Offline, the next day, protests  some of which turned violent  engulfed nearly every U.S. city, big and small.

When people look back at the role Facebook played, they wont say Facebook caused it, but Facebook was certainly the megaphone," said Lanier Holt, a communications professor at Ohio State University. I dont think theres any way they can get out of saying that they exacerbated the situation."

Social media rival Twitter, meanwhile, responded quickly at the time by covering Trumps tweet with a warning and prohibiting users from sharing it any further.

Facebooks internal discussions were revealed in disclosures made to the Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to Congress in redacted form by former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugens legal counsel. The redacted versions received by Congress were obtained by a consortium of news organizations, including The Associated Press.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump was one of many high-profile users, including politicians and celebrities, exempted from some or all of the companys normal enforcement policies.

Hate speech and violence reports had been mostly limited to the Minneapolis region after Floyd's death, the documents reveal.

However, after Trumps post on May 28, situations really escalated across the country, according to the memo, published on June 5 of last year.

The internal analysis shows a five-fold increase in violence reports on Facebook, while complaints of hate speech tripled in the days following Trump's post. Reports of false news on the platform doubled. Reshares of Trump's message generated a substantial amount of hateful and violent comments," many of which Facebook worked to remove. Some of those comments included calls to start shooting these thugs and f- the white."

By June 2, we can see clearly that the entire country was basically on fire, a Facebook employee wrote of the increase in hate speech and violence reports in the June 5 memo.

Facebook says it's impossible to separate how many of the hate speech reports were driven by Trump's post itself or the controversy over Floyd's death.

This spike in user reports resulted from a critical moment in history for the racial justice movement  not from a single Donald Trump post about it," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. Facebook often reflects whats happening in society and the only way to prevent spikes in user reports during these moments is to not allow them to be discussed on our platform at all, which is something we would never do.

But the internal findings also raise questions about public statements Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made last year as he defended his decision to leave Trump's post untouched.

On May 29, for example, Zuckerberg said the company looked closely to see if Trump's words broke any of its policies and concluded that they did not. Zuckerberg also said he left the post up because it warned people of Trump's plan to deploy troops.

I know many people are upset that weve left the Presidents posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies, Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook account the night of May 29, as protests erupted around the country.

Yet, Facebook's own automated enforcement controls determined the post likely did break the rules.

Our violence and incitement classifier was almost 90% certain that this (Trump) post violated Facebook's ... policy, the June 5 analysis reads.

That contradicts conversations Zuckerberg had with civil rights leaders last year to quell concerns that Trump's post was a specific threat to Black people protesting Floyd's death, said Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, a civil rights advocacy group. The group also spearheaded a boycott of Facebook in the weeks following Trump's post.

To be clear, I had a direct argument with Zuckerberg days after that post where he gaslit me and he specifically pushed back on any notion that this violated their rules, Robinson said in an interview with the AP last week.

A Facebook spokesperson said that its internal controls do not always correctly predict when a post has violated rules and that human review, which was done in the case of Trump's post, is more accurate.

To curb the ex-president's ability to stoke hateful reactions on its platform, Facebook employees suggested last year that the company limit reshares on similar posts that may violate Facebook's rules in the future.

But Trump continued to use his Facebook account, which more than 32 million follow, to fire up his supporters throughout much of the remainder of his presidency. In the days leading up to a deadly siege in Washington on Jan. 6, Trump regularly promoted false claims that widespread voter fraud caused him to lose the White House, spurring hundreds of his fans to storm the U.S. Capitol and demand the results of a fair election be overturned.

It wasn't until after the Capitol riot, and as Trump was on his way out of the White House, that Facebook pulled him off the platform in January, announcing his account would be suspended until at least 2023.

There's a reason Facebook waited so long to take any action, said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University who closely studied the former president's rhetoric.

"Facebook really benefited from Trump and Trumps ability to draw attention and engagement through outrage," Mercieca said. "They wanted Trump to keep going on."

___

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the first name of the Ohio State University professor to Lanier; and to correct the times Trump sent posts about George Floyd to Twitter and Facebook.

___

See full coverage of the The Facebook Papers here: https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers
Union leaders across Connecticut want Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly to follow through on talks of providing so-called hero pay to more essential workers who stayed on the job during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the first day of the group's two-day biennial convention, the Connecticut AFL-CIO, an umbrella federation of unions, voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution. It calls on the Democratic governor and the Democratic controlled General Assembly to provide hazard pay for all public sector and private sector essential workers by allocating remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars for that purpose.

Union leaders expressed frustration that many of their workers who remained on the job and risked their health and the health of their families during the pandemic have not yet been rewarded financially.

The bus drivers, you know, were out there and didnt get hazard pay. We didnt get any of that, said Veronica Chavers, president and business agent for the union ATU, Local 443, in Stamford. We werent even recognized and our bravery and our health and all that was in jeopardy.

The Connecticut AFL-CIO previously asked state lawmakers to allocate federal COVID-19 relief funds during a special legislative session in June to those deemed essential workers during the pandemic.

"We want all essential workers to receive pandemic hazard pay. This would include nurses, childcare workers, bus drivers, grocery and retail workers, building cleaners, fire fighters, police officers, and many others who put their lives and health on the line to serve their communities throughout the pandemic," said David Dal Zin, a spokesman for the Connecticut AFL-CIO. He said Lamont's proposal, which sets aside roughly $20 million, would exclude thousands of workers.

Currently, there is roughly $218 million in unallocated federal COVID funds. But Lamont's chief of staff, Paul Mounds, said last month that money was being kept in reserve and the administration was still evaluating how it would be spent.

At Lamont's request, state lawmakers earlier this year reserved $22.5 million for hazard pay. Of that sum, about $10 million is supposed to go toward payments to essential state employees and $12.5 million to members of the Connecticut National Guard.

A spokesperson for the Office of Policy and Management said Thursday in an email that discussions are still on-going with the unions" about how that $10 million would be allocated.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chair of the General Assemblys Appropriations Committee, said she has not yet received an accounting of which state employees will receive a share of the $10 million. But given the large number of state employees and others who might qualify as an essential worker, she's uncertain how many will ultimately get a check.

I just don't think there's enough money to go around, she said.

Meanwhile, Osten said the state's remaining American Rescue Plan funds will likely be needed for other purposes, ranging from replenishing the state's unemployment trust fund to financially stabilizing struggling nonprofit social service agencies. Osten said she believes AFL-CIO members care about and will ultimately benefit from such targeted spending.

Osten noted how some private sector health care workers and others considered essential workers have received lump sum payments. For example, the state used some of its federal COVID-19 relief money to provide hazard pay to nursing home and home care workers who threatened to strike over stalled contract talks. Also, some private companies, such as Stop & Shop, have provided bonuses to their workers.

Lamont, who addressed the convention virtually on Thursday, appeared unaware of the resolution passed shortly before his appearance. He praised the many union members who came to work during the pandemic and noted one of the silver linings of the pandemic is how people better appreciate essential workers. Lamont made note of the extra pay provided to the nursing home workers in the new labor deal his administration reached with District 1199 New England, SEIU, and how it's something to build off of as we round the corner after this tragic year-and-a-half."
WEITCHPEC, Calif. (AP)  Elizabeth Azzuz stood in prayer on a Northern California mountainside, grasping a torch of wormwood branches, the fuel her Native American ancestors used to burn underbrush in thick forests.

Guide our hands as we bring fire back to the land, she intoned before igniting leaves and needles carpeting the slope above the Klamath River.

Over several days in October, about 80 acres (32.4 hectares) on the Yurok reservation were set aflame in a program that teaches ancient skills of treating land with fire.

It was among many cultural burns allowed in recent years by state and federal agencies that had long banned them  a sign of evolving attitudes toward wildfire prevention. Research increasingly confirms low-intensity burns can reduce the risk by consuming fire fuels.

Wildfires have blackened nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 square kilometers) in California the past two years. Dozens have died; thousands of homes have been lost.

But to the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa in the mid-Klamath region, cultural burning is about reclaiming a way of life suppressed with the arrival of white settlers.

The tribes' hunter-gatherer lifestyle was devastated by prohibitions on fire that tribes had used for thousands of years to spur growth of acorn-bearing trees, clear space for deer and spur hazel wood stems used for baskets.

Fire is a tool left by the Creator to restore our environment and the health of our people, said Azzuz, board secretary for the Cultural Fire Management Council, which promotes burning on ancestral Yurok lands. Fire is life for us.

Merv George, a former Hoopa Valley Tribe chairman who now supervises Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, said officials who once considered native burners arsonists realize a new approach is needed.

Two national forests  Six Rivers and Klamath  crafted a 2014 landscape restoration partnership with the Karuk tribe and nonprofits that endorsed intentional burns.

Yurok, Karuk and Hupa activists and The Nature Conservancy later created the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network, whose training burns that have drawn participants from across the U.S. and other countries.

Its really exciting and gives me a lot of hope that the tide is changing, said Margo Robbins, a basket weaver and director of the fire management council. We revived our language, our dances, and now, bringing back fire, well restore the land.

This month's burn involved 30-plus crew members who prepared extensively  scouting the area, positioning fire hoses and water tanks.

As Azzuz finished her ceremonial prayer, the wormwood that coaxed the first flames was replaced with modern drip torches  canisters of gasoline and diesel with spouts and wicks. Team members moved quickly along a dirt trail, flicking burning fuel droplets.

Smoke billowed. Flames crackled. Tangled foliage was reduced to ash, while bigger oaks, madrones and conifers were largely spared.

Jose Luis Dulce, a firefighter in his native Spain and Ecuador, hopes to help revive Indigenous techniques in Europe and South America. Stoney Timmons said his tribe  the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of California  wants to host its own training session next year.

Robert McConnell Jr. spent years with Forest Service wildfire crews, attacking from helicopters and driving bulldozers. Now a prescribed fire specialist with Six Rivers National Forest, he works with fire instead of against it.

Its encoded in my DNA," he said. "Its like theres a spark in my eye when I see fire get put on the ground.

When Yurok forestry director Dawn Blake helped light the hillside, she felt a connection with her grandmother, who wove baskets and set fires in the area long ago.

Weve been talking and begging about doing this for so long, just spinning our wheels, said Blake, 49. It feels like were finally being heard.

But tribes want to go beyond training exercises and family burns on small plots. Theyre pushing to operate throughout the vast territories their ancestors occupied.

My ultimate goal is to restore all this land back to a natural state, said Blaine McKinnon, battalion chief for the Yurok Fire Department.

Relations with federal and state authorities have improved. But cultural fire leaders say pledges of cooperation arent always carried out by local officials, who fear dismissal if fires get out of hand.

Craig Tolmie, chief deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the agency tries to balance the tribes desires for more fire with opposition from a jittery public.

People have really been traumatized and shocked by the last two fire seasons, Tolmie said.

Under new state laws, tribal burners and front-line regulators will work more closely, he said. One measure requires his department to appoint a cultural burning liaison. Another makes it easier to get liability insurance for prescribed fires.

Still, Tolmie argued that many areas first should be pre-treated with mechanical grinding and tree thinning to reduce decades of accumulated debris.

Chad Hanson, forest ecologist with the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute in California, contends regulators are trying to extort tribes by making cultural burns contingent on logging.

Tribes should be empowered to handle prescribed burns while Cal Fire and the Forest Service focus on suppressing wildfires, said Bill Tripp, the Karuk tribes natural resources director.

The mid-Klamath area is ideal for a teaching center where cultural burners could guide us into a new era of living with fire, Tripp said.

Tribes are uniquely positioned to train younger generations about stewardship-oriented fire management, said Scott Stephens, an environmental policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Wed need literally thousands of people doing this burning to ramp it up to a scale thats meaningful, he said.

Talon Davis, 27, a member of the Yurok crew, welcomed the opportunity to show the world what good fire is.

This is how were supposed to care for Mother Earth, he said. Put fire back on the ground, bring our home back into balance.

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Associated Press reporter Gillian Flaccus contributed to this story.

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Follow John Flesher on Twitter: @JohnFlesher

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

HAMDEN  Police are investigating after a victim reported that his car was stolen at gunpoint in a grocery store parking lot this week by two male teens who then crashed while fleeing through a red light.

Hamden police said officers were sent to the Save-A-Lot grocery store on Dixwell Avenue at about 10 a.m. Tuesday, where the 36-year-old said the two teens approached him at his car.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday applauded numbers showing that some 94% of state employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received exemptions from his mandate, and 3.1% are waiting to get a vaccine or exemption.

Inslee said another 2.9% of state employees have left their jobs, either by quitting or retiring.

They have understood this is not just about me, it's about we, Inslee said of state employees who are vaccinated.

Inslee spoke in Olympia after the Washington state education department said nearly nine out of 10 public school employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Washington state. The 89% vaccination rate announced by education officials is slightly lower than that of other state employees.

Inslee said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state has been declining for the past two months, but that decline has plateaued in the past two weeks.

This is worrying, he said.

Washington continues to average some 2,000 coronavirus cases a day, the Democrat said.

We still have an extremely dangerous pandemic on our hands, Inslee said, adding that residents must choose whether to fight the virus or accept it as an on-going fact of life. We should fight it.

Science is not clear on how many people must be vaccinated to beat the virus, Inslee said, and he could not predict what the end game of the pandemic will be.

I do not have a crystal ball to predict the course of this virus, he said, adding he hoped there would not be a sixth wave of COVID-19 this winter as people move indoors.

More than 1,800 Washington state workers have been fired, resigned or retired due to the states COVID-19 vaccination mandate, according to data released last week. Washingtons vaccine mandate is believed to be among the strictest in the nation.

Inslee was also asked if he would agree with requests from Republicans that Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican who is leaving to join the Biden administration in election security, should be replaced by another member of the GOP.

Republicans do not own the secretary of state's office, Inslee said, adding that he is early in the process of choosing Wyman's replacement.

But he said the successful candidate will understand that the nation's election integrity faces threats from numerous sources and that experience in cybersecurity is a must.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa employees could seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and those who are fired for refusing a vaccine would be guaranteed unemployment benefits under a bill approved Thursday by the Iowa Legislature.

The bill was released just minutes before lawmakers met for a special session convened to address redistricting.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has called for legislative action on vaccine mandates. She has opposed government requirements for masks and vaccines even as COVID-19 has killed nearly 7,000 people in Iowa and medical science has shown both tools to be effective in reducing the virus spread.

Reynolds said in a statement after the bill passed that she planned to sign it, calling it a major step forward in protecting Iowans freedoms and their abilities to make healthcare decisions based on whats best for themselves and their families.

More than 100 people opposing vaccination requirements rallied at the Capitol to push for stronger language and lobbyists for the business community said the bill as drafted puts business owners in conflict between complying with federal directives or state law.

Its a terrible position for businesses to be put in and it doesnt solve the problem youre trying to solve, said J.D. Davis, the vice president of public policy for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry during public comments in a committee hearing on the bill.

Businesses also were concerned about increased unemployment costs if thousands of workers become eligible due to refusing a vaccine and losing their jobs.

Democratic Rep. Mary Mascher noted the thousands killed by the coronavirus in Iowa, many in nursing homes and facilities where unvaccinated workers carried the virus inside.

Were not trying to hurt anybody. Were trying to save lives and the medical community has been helping us with those efforts, she said.

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann defended the bill, saying it will help people in his district and people wont get fired Monday because of the bill period, so for them I want this bill to pass.
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP)  A timeline of key events before and after Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year:

Aug. 23, 2020  An officer responding to a reported domestic disturbance shoots Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back as Blake was leaning into his vehicle. Bystander video captures the shooting, which left Blake partly paralyzed. Neighbors march to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, where they face officers in riot gear.

Aug. 24  Police fire tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at the courthouse. Crowds destroy dozens of buildings and set more than 30 fires. Gov. Tony Evers calls in the National Guard. The man who shot cellphone video of Blake's shooting says he saw Blake scuffling with officers and officers shouting Drop the knife!, but that said he didnt see a knife in Blakes hands.

Aug. 25  Blakes lawyer says Blake is paralyzed from the waist down. Blakes family calls for calm. Calls go out on social media, including on a page run by the Kenosha Guard, for people to take up arms and help defend the city from thugs. Demonstrations are held for a third night, with gunshots heard and people seen carrying long guns and other weapons. Shortly before midnight, two people  Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26  are shot dead and a third, Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, is wounded.

Aug. 26  Authorities say they are seeking a possible vigilante seen on cellphone video opening fire with a rifle. Police in Illinois announce the arrest of 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Kenosha.

Aug. 27  Rittenhouse is charged with multiple counts, including homicide and attempted homicide.

Aug. 31  At a news conference the day before he visited Kenosha, President Donald Trump is asked if he condemned Rittenhouses actions. He says: You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them, I guess; it looks like. And he fell, and then they very violently attacked him. And it was something that were looking at right now and its under investigation. But I guess he was in very big trouble. He would have been  I  he probably would have been killed.

Sept. 1  Trump visits Kenosha and blames domestic terror for the violence. He makes no mention of Blakes shooting by police and calls the violent protests anti-American.

Sept. 3  Joe Biden, the Democrat running against Trump, visits Kenosha. He meets with Blakes family members, speaks with Blake by phone and leads a community discussion.

Sept. 24  In a TV appearance and social media posts, Rittenhouses attorneys say his client acted in self-defense but was also a courageous defender of liberty and a patriot who exercised his right to bear arms amid rioting. They claim Rittenhouse is being sacrificed by politicians who want to strip citizens of the right to defend their communities.

Sept. 25  At a hearing in Illinois, Rittenhouse's attorneys ask for more time to fight his extradition to Wisconsin. They later say in documents that sending Rittenhouse to Wisconsin would turn him over to the mob.

Oct. 30  Rittenhouse is extradited.

Nov. 2  A Wisconsin court sets Rittenhouses bail at $2 million. Conservative groups have been raising funds for Rittenhouse, who easily amasses enough for bail.

Nov. 20  Rittenhouse posts bail and is released. Hours later, one of his attorneys tweets a picture of Rittenhouse with actor Ricky Schroder, who the attorney says donated to Rittenhouse.

Jan. 5, 2021  A Wisconsin prosecutor declines to charge Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey, who is white, in Blakes shooting, ruling that Blake had a knife and the officer had a reasonable self-defense claim. Subdued protests follow.

Feb. 3  Prosecutors ask for a new arrest warrant after Rittenhouse failed to tell the court of an address change. Rittenhouses attorney says death threats drove his client into an undisclosed Safe House. Judge Bruce Schroeder later denies the request.

Nov. 1  Jury selection begins in Rittenhouses trial.

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Find APs full coverage of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse at: https://apnews.com/hub/kyle-rittenhouse
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A. Linwood Holton Jr., Virginias first Republican governor since Reconstruction and a crusader against racial discrimination, died Thursday. He was 98.

Holton, who served from 1970 to 1974, declared an end to Massive Resistance, Virginias institutional defiance of federal orders to desegregate its schools. A moderate who raised taxes, he eventually fell out of favor with an increasingly conservative GOP he criticized as obsessed with cutting taxes at the expense of crucial services.

Holton died peacefully at his home in Kilmarnock, his children said in a statement shared by the office of Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, Holtons son-in-law. Kaine called Holton more than a father-in-law  he was my friend and my public service role model.

His courageous efforts to end racial discrimination in Virginia, born out of a deep religious conviction about the equality of all Gods children, made him a moral pillar for so many, Kaine said.

Holton was the first Republican to break the stronghold Democrats held on state government for nearly 100 years, defeating William C. Battle in 1969. He enrolled his own white children in predominantly Black schools rather than fight school busing. He also was the first Virginia governor to appoint Black officials to high-level government posts.

To the world, Governor Linwood Holton is known as a giant of civil rights and change. When others stood in the doorways of schools to block de-segregation, our Dad walked us (and bused us) to integrated schools to show the rest of the world the way of justice, his children's statement said.

Of raising taxes, Holton once said at a 1999 conference on his administration: Ill bet not three of 10 people in this room could tell you what tax I increased, but they all appreciate the swimmable rivers throughout Virginia which my 1 percent increase in the state income tax paid for.

Holton alienated Democrats who controlled Virginia's General Assembly when he insisted on a GOP opponent in 1970 for U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr.s bid for reelection as an independent.

By the time his term was over, Holton had also lost his own partys support. His choice as state GOP chairman lost to the preferred candidate of GOP conservatives.

Although he never officially left the GOP, the former governor increasingly sided with Democrats.

In 1985, when Democrat L. Douglas Wilder sought to become the states first black lieutenant governor, Holton warned Republican gubernatorial candidate Wyatt Durrette that he would openly oppose the GOP ticket if anyone attacked Wilder on racial grounds. Wilder won and would later go on to become governor.

Holton refused to support Jim Gilmores successful campaign for governor in 1997, saying the Republicans proposal to cut the personal property tax on cars would divert money from public schools. Three years later, he tacitly backed Democratic Sen. Chuck Robbs failed bid for a third term by criticizing Republican George Allen as too conservative on such issues as abortion rights and gun control.

At the University of Virginia conference on his administration, Holton said the GOPs attitudes about guns and federal interference in private decision-making were driving voters away. He also called on the party to renounce its segregationist appeal to Southerners.

In 2001, Holton actively backed a successful campaign for lieutenant governor by Kaine and later campaigned for Kaine in his successful bid for governor.

Hours after Kaine won the race for governor, Holton underwent surgery for bladder cancer. Holton had known of his ailment for some time but nevertheless campaigned with Kaine in the demanding final days of the campaign.

Holton was born Sept. 21, 1923, in Big Stone Gap in southwest Virginia. He went to Washington & Lee University in Lexington, receiving his degree after going into the Navy in World War II. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1949.

He set up practice in Roanoke and got involved in reviving GOP politics. His first run for public office was in 1965, as the GOP nominee for governor against Democrat Mills E. Godwin Jr.

He lost to Godwin, and later was succeeded by Godwin, who switched parties during Holtons term and won in 1973 as a Republican. Virginia is the only state that bars its governor from serving two consecutive terms.

Linwood Holton made history when Virginians elected him governor in 1969. His victory placed the Commonwealth at the leading edge of its southern neighbors, signaling the beginning of the two-party South, leaders of the Senate GOP caucus said in a statement Thursday.

After leaving office, Holton returned to practicing law and eventually settled in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C.

Current Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said Holton faced down Virginias demons and enabled this Commonwealth to look ahead.

He showed a wistful state how to embrace the future, inviting us all to be touched by the better angels of our nature,' in the words of President Lincoln who founded the reforming Republican Party that Linwood Holton revered," Northam said in a statement.

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Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin contributed to this report from Richmond.
NEWINGTON  Newington police arrested a man Thursday after he allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriends home and shot a man earlier this month.

On Oct. 10, Jason Haynes, 38, allegedly broke in his ex-girlfriends home and hit her and a male companion in the head with a firearm, according to an arrest warrant from the Newington Police Department.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who was elected in 1992 as a self described mom in tennis shoes, has been fighting for paid family and medical leave for decades. For much of this year she appeared to be winning.

But a proposal that had been championed by President Joe Biden  up to 12 paid weeks off to recover from major illness, childbirth or to take care of family members  was jettisoned this week from a far-reaching social spending package after a fellow Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, refused to support it.

Its a defeat, for now, that has stung for Murray and other veteran female lawmakers.

We are not going to allow one man tell all of the women in this country that they cant have paid leave, she told reporters on Wednesday, before heading to the Senate floor to continue lobbying the 74-year-old Manchin.

All Senate Republicans have signaled opposition to the larger package, but Democrats need every one of their members to support the $1.75 trillion package for it to pass the 50-50 Senate. When the White House released a framework of the legislation Thursday morning, paid leave was glaringly absent.

It is outrageous and shameful that the plan was taken out of the legislation, says Molly Day, the executive director of the advocacy group Paid Leave for the United States. Our view on this moment is that we have every ounce of momentum required to pass this.

Democrats are enthusiastic about many other elements of the package aimed at helping families, including universal preschool, money for child care and a one-year extension of a child tax credit.

But the loss of paid family and medical leave has cut deep for supporters who have pushed for years to bring the United States on the level with most of the worlds other wealthy countries  according to one study of the worlds most developed countries by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. was the only one of 35 countries not to provide any paid parental leave. And the advocates argue that the need is even more acute coming out of the coronavirus pandemic that has been devastating to many workers, especially women caregivers.

The proposals elimination came after a long series of negotiations to pare it back  first from 12 weeks to four weeks, with last-minute negotiations looking at leave just for new parents. The cost of the various proposals has ranged from roughly $100 billion to $500 billion, a major obstacle as Manchin and another moderate Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have demanded that the original $3.5 trillion package be brought down by around half.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, a negotiator on the paid leave proposal, said Thursday that she is still talking to Manchin about how a leave policy could be salvaged. Gillibrand said that Manchin has told her in private talks that he is concerned about the cost and its effect on Social Security and other programs, and that she has argued back that investing in paid leave increases the possibility that parents and other caregivers will return to work, boosting Social Security and the economy.

Still, she said Manchin is not focused on specifics of the proposal at this point. His office did not respond to a request for comment about the talks.

This is going to be a continuous conversation, Gillibrand said. And if we can get it in this deal, amazing. If we cannot, I will keep working on it until we pass paid leave.

Gillibrand said she would still vote for the overall bill, which includes the other priorities that she and other Democrats say will be transformative for families.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who has served in Congress more than 30 years, first worked on family and medical leave as a Senate staffer in the late 1980s. She championed President Bill Clintons signature of the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993, which granted time off but no pay, as a good first step.

She says she has been on this road ever since pushing for the time to be compensated by the government.

DeLauro calls the proposals elimination a tragedy but says it is still a victory that they got so close, and that many companies and states now have paid leave policies in place. A bill to provide pandemic aid last year also temporarily guaranteed paid sick leave for millions of workers.

It took us 28 years to get to this point, since the passage of FMLA, DeLauro said. Lord knows were not going to wait for another 28 years to get it paid.

Maya Rossin-Slater, an associate professor in health policy at Stanford University who studies paid leave, agrees, saying she is optimistic in terms of the conversation that has been going on and the level of national attention that the issue has received since Biden included it in his proposal.

Its not going to go away, and its now on peoples radar as an important issue, Rossin-Slater said.

As for Biden, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that he had fought for it to be included. But he wasnt going see the plan fall apart because of it, she said.

She said his preference would be for it to be 12 weeks and expansive, but there were not enough votes for that in Congress. That's a reality of legislating, she said.

For many female senators, the issue is personal. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat, was the first senator to give birth in office three years ago, and has argued that everyone should have the same paid leave she had as a senator.

Murray also spoke of her own pregnancy back in 1993, when she gave one of her first Senate floor speeches praising the FMLA. She talked about trying to take care of her parents after they had been sick and a friend who had struggled to take time off as a young son was dying of leukemia. Murray said then that the new law would mean that people will not be forced to choose between our job and our family when they go to work.

On Thursday, Murray said it was downright shameful that America is the only developed nation where working people are not guaranteed paid leave.

I think Ive made it abundantly clear Im going to keep fighting to get paid leave included, she said.

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Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP)  A Guantanamo Bay prisoner who went through the brutal U.S. government interrogation program after the 9/11 attacks described it openly for the first time Thursday, saying he was left terrified and hallucinating from techniques that the CIA long sought to keep secret.

Majid Khan, a former resident of the Baltimore suburbs who became an al-Qaida courier, told jurors considering his sentence for war crimes how he was subjected to days of painful abuse in the clandestine CIA facilities known as black sites, as interrogators pressed him for information.

It was the first time any of the so-called high value detainees held at the U.S. base in Cuba have been able to testify about what the U.S has euphemistically called enhanced interrogation" but has been widely condemned as torture.

I thought I was going to die, he said.

Khan spoke of being suspended naked from a ceiling beam for long periods, doused repeatedly with ice water to keep him awake for days. He described having his head held under water to the point of near drowning, only to have water poured into his nose and mouth when the interrogators let him up. He was beaten, given forced enemas, sexually assaulted and starved in overseas prisons whose locations were not disclosed.

I would beg them to stop and swear to them that I didnt know anything," he said. "If I had intelligence to give I would have given it already but I didnt have anything to give.

Khan, reading from a 39-page statement, spoke on the first day in what is expected to be a two-day sentencing hearing at the U.S. base in Cuba.

A panel of military officers selected by a Pentagon legal official known as a convening authority can sentence Khan to between 25 and 40 years in prison, but he will serve far less because of his extensive cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Under a plea deal, which the jurors were not told about, Khan's sentence by the jury will be reduced to no more than 11 years by the convening authority, and he will get credit for his time in custody since his February 2012 guilty plea.

That means he should be released early next year, resettled in a third, as yet unknown, country because he can't return to Pakistan, where he has citizenship.

Some of Khans treatment is detailed in a Senate Intelligence Committee report, released in 2014, that accused the CIA of inflicting pain and suffering on al-Qaida prisoners far beyond its legal boundaries and deceiving the nation with narratives of useful interrogations unsubstantiated by its own records.

Khan agreed with that assessment. The more I cooperated and told them, the more I was tortured," he said.

He spent about three years in CIA black sites before he was taken to Guantanamo in September 2006. He said he never saw the light of day in the black sites and had no contact with anyone other than guards and interrogators from his capture until his sixth year at the detention center on the base in Cuba.

Khan, 41, has admitted to being a courier for al-Qaida and taking part in the planning of several plots there were never carried out. He pleaded guilty in February 2012 to charges that include conspiracy, murder and providing material support to terrorism in a deal that capped his sentence in exchange for cooperating with authorities in other investigations, including the case against the five men held at Guantanamo who are charged with planning and providing logistical support for the Sept. 11 attack.

A citizen of Pakistan who was born in Saudi Arabia, Khan came to the U.S. with his family in the 1990s and they were granted asylum. He graduated from high school in the Baltimore suburbs and held a technology job in the D.C. area at an office where he could see the smoke billowing from the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

He says he turned to radical ideology following the death earlier that year of his mother, whom he described as the most important person in his life.

Khan apologized for his actions and said he takes full responsibility. He said he now just wants to reunite with his wife and the daughter who was born while he was in captivity. He said he has forgiven his captors, and his torturers.

I have also tried to make up for the bad things I have done, he said. "Thats why I pleaded guilty and cooperated with the USA government

Khan is the first of the high-value detainees, those who went through the interrogation program, to be convicted and sentenced at the military tribunals held on the base.

The five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks include Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who has portrayed himself as the architect of the plot. That case remains in the pretrial stage and a judge has said it will start no sooner than next year.

The U.S. holds 39 men at the detention center on Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.



Editor's note: The Associated Press viewed proceedings from a video feed at Fort Meade, Maryland.
CAIRO (AP)  U.S. President Joe Biden called Thursday for Sudan's people to be allowed to protest peacefully as the number of those killed in recent demonstrations against the military coup rose to nine.

Biden's statement was the latest from the international community urging the generals to restore the civilian-led transitional government and release those detained after their takeover earlier this week. But there were signs the military was not backing down.

The coup's leader, a top general, fired at least six ambassadors, including the envoys to the U.S., the European Union and France, after they condemned the militarys takeover of the country, a military official said Thursday.

Their dismissal came hours before the U.N. Security Council issued its first statement on recent events in Sudan, calling for the civilian transitional government to be restored to power and for those detained during the coup to be released.

The diplomats had pledged their support for the now-deposed government of Prime Minister Abddalla Hamdok. Also fired by Gen Abdel-Fattah Buran late Wednesday were the Sudanese ambassadors to Qatar, China and the U.N. mission in Geneva, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. The state-run Sudan TV also reported the dismissals.

The ambassadors were fired two days after Burhan dissolved the transitional government and detained the prime minister, many government officials and political leaders in a coup condemned by the U.S. and the West. The military allowed Hamdok to return home Tuesday after international pressure for his release.

The U.N. statement released Thursday was approved by all 15 members from the council but went through several revisions, diplomats said, mainly to address objections from Russia, which did not want to condemn the military takeover as originally proposed in the British-drafted text - or use the word coup.

Burhan has said the military forces were compelled to take over because of quarrels between political parties that he claimed could lead to civil war. However, the coup also comes just weeks before Burhan would have had to hand over the leadership of the Sovereign Council, the ultimate decision-maker in Sudan, to a civilian, in a step that would reduce the military's hold on the country. The council has military and civilian members. Hamdok's government ran Sudan's daily affairs.

The coup threatens to halt Sudans fitful transition to democracy, which began after the 2019 ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in a popular uprising.

The takeover came after weeks of mounting tensions between military and civilian leaders over the course and pace of that process.

Ali bin Yahia, Sudans former envoy in Geneva under the transitional government, was defiant after his dismissal.

I will spare no efforts to reverse the situation, explain facts and resist the blackout imposed by coup officials on what is happened my beloved country, he said in video comments posted online.

Nureldin Satti, the Sudanese envoy to the U.S., said Tuesday he was working with Sudanese diplomats in Brussels, Paris, Geneva and New York to resist the coup to achieve the aims of the uprising against al-Bashir.

Activists circulated videos on social media showing mostly empty streets in the capital, with many stores except for groceries and bakeries closed on Thursday. Earlier, protesters called for a national strike to pressure the military to relinquish power.

Earlier this week, a group of over 30 Sudanese diplomats in and outside Sudan condemned the militarys takeover in a joint statement, saying that the ambassadors in Belgium, Switzerland and France had pledged their continued allegiance to the Hamdok government.

In another development, Burhan fired Adlan Ibrahim, head of the countrys Civil Aviation Authority, according to the official. Adlans dismissal came after flights in and out of Khartoums international airport were supposed to resume Wednesday after they stopped amid the confusion.

The military has also reopened some bridges that were closed earlier by protesters.

Protesters, meanwhile, took to the streets of Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman late Wednesday in continued demonstrations against the coup amid heavy security across the capital. By Thursday morning, security forces had cleared several makeshift stone barricades that protesters had set up in a few residential neighborhoods.

Hundreds of people marched on in a funeral procession on Thursday in Khartoum for one of the protesters.

One man was killed and two were seriously injured in Thursday's protest gatherings, according to a statement by the Sudanese Doctors' Committee. Another young man died in a Khartoum hospital late Wednesday of wounds sustained in Mondays protests and two others who were shot in the head earlier this week died Thursday, activist Nazim Siraj said.

This raised to nine the number of protesters killed since Monday.

Al least 170 people have been wounded since the militarys takeover, according to a statement issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Most of the cases, including moderate and severe ones, are lying in Khartoum hospitals, which are battling a shortage in surgical and other medical supplies as the movement in the capital remains restricted by roadblocks, OCHA said.

Also on Thursday, the Friends of Sudan Group, which consists of several EU states as well as the U.S. and the U.N., issued a statement saying the country's future is at risk.

The actions of the security forces deeply jeopardize Sudans hard-won political, economic and legal gains made over the past two years and put Sudans security, stability and reintegration into the international community at risk, read the statement issued by the alliance formed after Bashirs ouster in 2019.

Biden also echoed the fears that the country's economy could fall victim to the military's designs on power.

We believe strongly in Sudans economic potential and the promise of its future  if the military and those who oppose change do not hold it back, he said in a statement.



Associated Press writers Noha el-Hennawy in Cairo and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump is stepping from afar back into the hotly contested Virginia governor's race with a tele-rally planned Monday for Republican Glenn Youngkin, according to a person familiar with his plans.

Trump will not be appearing with Youngkin. The call-in event will take place the day before an election in which Youngkin appears to be running neck-and-neck with Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who has tried throughout the race to tie his opponent to the former president.

Trump lost the state by 10 points in 2020. The person who discussed his plans spoke on condition of anonymity before the event was announced. Youngkins campaign declined to comment on the planned event.

Throughout the campaign, Youngkin has played a delicate dance, trying to win over Trumps loyal base, which he needs to win the election, while at the same time avoiding more extreme positions that might turn off more moderate voters, particularly those in suburban Washington and Richmond. Such moderates turned against Trump and helped deliver President Joe Bidens victory.

The last time time Trump waded into the race  calling into a rally organized by his conservative allies  McAuliffes campaign quickly made ads featuring Trumps praise of the Republican, even though Youngkin hadnt attended the event.

On Wednesday night, Trump issued a cryptic statement suggesting he might make a last-minute, first appearance in Virginia before the election, though officials in the state said nothing was planned.

Thank you, Arlington, see you soon! he wrote after supporters briefly interrupted a Biden rally for McAuliffe. Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich later said Trump looked forward to being back in Virginia! Details will be released when appropriate," but no event was announced.

Biden at that rally had goaded Trump over his absence from the state.

Think about it: He won't allow Donald Trump to campaign for him in this state," Biden said of Youngkin. "Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed?

Youngkin has largely campaigned without big Republican names while McAuliffe has appeared with the biggest names in Democratic politics, like Biden and former President Barack Obama, as well as celebrities such as musician Dave Matthews.

Democrats immediately criticized Youngkin for Trump's involvement.

Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, called on Youngkin to tell voters immediately whether he plans to take part in the event, which she said shows the two cant stay away from each other.

Donald Trump is on the ballot, make no mistake about it, she said. His name may not be on the ballot, but he is on the ballot.

McAuliffe also tweeted about the news, saying, Virginians, lets come together to REJECT Trump and send a powerful message to the nation: we are not going back.

Bloomberg News was first to report that the event had been confirmed. __ Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin contributed to this report from Richmond, Virginia.
NABEUL, Tunisia (AP)  A landmark case that helped galvanize Tunisias #MeToo movement reached court this week, involving a legislator charged with sexual harassment and public indecency.

Feminist activists held a small protest outside the courthouse, shouting chants and waving placards that read My body is not a public space. The activists sported T-shirts and badges bearing the hashtag of their movement #EnaZeda, #MeToo in Tunisian dialect.

In 2019, a schoolgirl posted photos on social media of parliament member Zouhair Makhlouf, of the Qalb Tounes party, allegedly performing a sexual act in his car outside her high school.

Makhloufs case was one of the flashpoints in 2019 that prompted thousands of Tunisians to to share their personal experiences of sexual assault and harassment online. The #EnaZeda Facebook page currently has over 90,000 likes, and is updated daily.

But no high-profile figures have faced prosecution for alleged sexual wrongdoing  until now.

Makhlouf avoided prosecution at the time due to his parliamentary immunity. In July, President Kais Saied froze the Tunisian parliament and lifted political immunity for MPs, as well as taking on sweeping executive and legislative powers.

With his immunity revoked, Makhlouf was summoned to face his first hearing on Thursday at the courthouse in Nabeul, south of the capital Tunis.

Makhlouf, who denies all charges, did not appear at the hearing. In an interview with The Associated Press at a local hospital, Makhlouf said that his mother had been taken ill and he could not attend because he was the only one in the family with a car who could take her to the clinic.

Activist Sara Medini told The Associated Press that feminist group Aswat Nissa had come to protest in solidarity with the victim, as well as to denounce the length of time it took for Makhloufs legal proceedings to begin. Aswat Nissa originally administrated and monitored the #EnaZeda social media groups.

Now its already more than two years and no decision was taken, there has been no step forward, she said. It is time to say no to impunity.

Aswat Nissas executive director Sarra Ben Said noted that Makhlouf had substantial power in the region where hes being put on trial. We wanted to tell women that whatever powers your aggressor uses against you or has on you, you can always seek justice and retribution.

Makhlouf insists he is innocent of sexual harassment and says that while the photo is real, it was a misunderstanding.

All that is happening is the worst accusation of my life. I was imprisoned under the (former President Zine El Abidine) Ben Ali dictatorship three times, but this is the worst injustice Ive suffered, its stupid and absurd, he says.

Makhlouf said it could be challenging for a judge to withstand what he called immense public and political pressure against him. Asked about #EnaZeda, he said its good to have an energetic civil society. But theyve done damage, they dont listen to both sides.

His accuser's lawyer, Naima Chabbouh, said that it was time for justice to decide on this protracted case. The hearing is set to resume Nov. 11.

The complainants close friend, Aya Aajmi, a 20-year-old law student, was sending photos of the demonstration outside to her while she sat in the courtroom. At the beginning of all this she was just exhausted. But today she feels very strong and shes happy that people are with her, said Aajmi. She's going to give a lot of energy and courage to other girls to not keep silent. I think we can change things in the country if we continue with acts like this.

In 2017, the Tunisian parliament passed a law outlawing all forms of violence against women and girls, in theory making it easier to prosecute domestic abuse and impose penalties on sexual harassment in public spaces.

According to a 2017 report by the Tunisian Center for Research, Studies, Documentation, and Information on Women, which operates under the countrys Ministry of Women and Families, in 97% of sexual harassment cases the victim does not file an official complaint.

___

Bouazza ben Bouazza in Tunis contributed to this report.
TORRINGTON  Candidates running for office in the city have spent the last three months campaigning for office, and say they are ready to face voters on Election Day.

The Republican slate includes incumbents Mayor Elinor Carbone, City Treasurer Dan Farley and City Clerk Carol Anderson. For the City Councils six seats, the slate includes school board member Armand Maniccia Jr., and incumbents Drake Waldron, Anne L. Ruwet and David L. Oliver. Frank Rubino is not running for reelection.

For the Board of Education, Republicans Susan DePretis, John Kissko and Jess Richardson are seeking reelection. Jim Steck and Tim Waldron are running for the Board of Selectmen; for constable, Rick Dalla Valle, Donna Isely, Ron Raymond Jr. and Bob Starr are on the ticket. For the Board of Public Safety, the candidates are Darlene Battle and Gregg Cogswell.

The Democrats slate includes Stephen Ivain for mayor; George Craig for treasurer; and Brian Arnold, Keri Hoehne and incumbents Paul Cavagnero and Sharon Waagner for City Council.

Edward Corey, Ellen Hoehne and Travis Tanuis are running for the Board of Education. Glenn McLeod and Alexa Keener are running for Board of Public Safety; Ruth Nadeau Dwyer, Rachel Hannon-Harrel, Paul Farley and Shante Reynolds for Constable; and Vincent Basquin and Marjorie Farley for the Board of Selectmen.

Ruwet, who is seeking her fifth term in office, said Im so excited about continuing to serve my community in this way, hopefully for another term.

Ruwet, a former state representative for the 65th District, was born and raised in Torrington and recently retired from her job in the nonprofit sector. She served the state for six years before losing her seat to Democrat Michelle Cook. But, she said, things happen for a reason.

Im happy with my life and my retirement and Im enjoying my children and my grandchildren, she said.

I love Torrington, and we have great momentum now with business coming in, and housing development, like Penrose (apartments under construction at Franklin Plaza) and Waters Way (proposed housing on Water Street), she said. Making a blighted area into something positive for downtown, after so many years, is exciting. Its just an interesting phase at this point.

The Water Street proposal, she said, could be a great project. Its an area that needs a lot of attention, and our economic growth is important, Ruwet said.

Democrat Sharon Waagner is also seeking reelection to the City Council, after serving her first term.

When I was asked to run again, I said I would, because we have too many things to confront and take care of, she said.

Waagner recently spoke out against a solar array project by the company Silicon Ranch, that has received Connecticut Siting Council approval and is placing thousands of panels on property in the Town Farm Road area of Litchfield and the Highland Avenue area of Torrington. Because the project is largely in Litchfield, Torrington was not part of the hearing process with the siting council, which Waagner said she believes was wrong.

The only people who knew about the project were the people involved, she said. You need to involve more town boards  inland wetlands, the Conservation Commission; you need to have reports. We missed an opportunity to be interveners, and that was a clue to me that were not privy to everything that goes on.

To curb this perceived problem, Waagner said, she is requesting city department heads to provide monthly reports. That way, we can thank them for their work, and ask questions, she said.

Waagner also wants to give taxpayers more feedback. I dont think we listen to them enough, she said. Were not doing good public relations for projects, so people know whats going on.

Weve done some good things, Waagner added. Franklin Plaza is gorgeous, and I was on the arts and culture commission when we brought in Five Points Gallery. We saw the KidsPlay Childrens Museum come in; there have been a lot of good things.

Kissko, a Republican who is running for a third term on the Board of Education, said he and his fellow board members feel very positive about the future.

There are some things going on that are starting to work, and were very optimistic, he said. We all like each other, and everyones getting along. People disagree, but its always respectful. We work well together.

The biggest job facing the school board is the $159 million middle-high school building project, which is overseen by the boards building committee. But other challenges, such as helping students improve their skills and test scores in math and reading, and working with the ever-increasing English as a Second Language population, are also in play.

If it hadnt been for COVID-19, wed be a lot further ahead, Kissko said. We expect the highest performance from the kids that we can get, and we have staff in place now that are making that happen, by working with the kids. I anticipate that this year, well move them forward. Im looking forward to that.

Kissko said there are probably 20 different languages spoken at home by students in the citys schools, making ESL education more challenging than ever.

They speak not just Spanish, but African languages, and Central American languages besides Spanish, he said. We need to help them become capable of success  they need tools. Were working very hard on that, and the school district has the staff to do it.

Personnel-wise, we have good people in the central office who are working incredibly hard, as well as people working in the buildings ... Were poised to keep moving forward, he said. Diversity is increasing. The old Torrington is still there, but the new Torrington is on top of it, in terms of demographics.

Board of Education candidates recently participated in a forum at CAFTA, giving people a chance to ask questions and discuss their concerns. I thought the forum was great, Kissko said. Five out of the six people running for the school board are incumbents, and we need that continuity. The learning curve for a new school board member is so steep; you cant keep retraining people. Its good to have that consistency.
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut woman has been charged with larceny after police say she stole nearly $600,000 from her husband and convinced him he had Alzheimer's disease in an attempt to hide her actions.

Police said the 63-year-old woman forged documents over nearly 20 years in order to steal her husband's pension checks, Social Security checks, workers compensation settlements, and other funds and put the money in a secret bank account.
Lebanon, IN (46052)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
In a massive crackdown on terror in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Friday, conducted raids in eight locations across Baramulla and Srinagar districts after examination of nine terror operatives in the valley earlier. Several suspected terror operatives have been detained and arrests are expected soon. The crackdown is being carried out in relation to the Jammu and Kashmir terrorism conspiracy case, which is an umbrella FIR under which all recent cases, including targeted civilian killings in J&K, are being probed.

On ground visuals accessed by Republic Media Network showed the presence of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K Police along with the NIA that was carrying out searches since 5 am.

Arrested Fayaz Ahmed's residence searched

Significant updates brought by Republic sources from outside NIA's raid mentioned that Fayaz Ahmed was arrested yesterday and his residence was searched today (October 29). The original case of the current NIA raids is registered in New Delhi and searches are being conducted on all terror outfits including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and TRF. Moreover, On Ground Workers' (OGW) documents like laptops and other electronics have also been recovered.

NIA raids on Jamaat-e-Islami over terror funding case

On Wednesday, the NIA had informed that the premises of seven districts in Jammu and Kashmir were searched in relation to the Jamaat-e-Islami terror funding case.

NIA conducts searches in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir in Jamaat-e-Islami ( JeI) terror funding case pic.twitter.com/Rk2nF5IKZU  NIA India (@NIA_India) October 27, 2021

NIA arrests 8 from J&K over terror links

NIA arrested eight people in connection with a terrorism conspiracy case after conducting raids in six districts of Jammu & Kashmir earlier on Friday. The raids were conducted over attacks carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Al Badr. The agency had also informed that the arrested ones are terror operatives of various proscribed terrorist organisations and have been instrumental in providing logistical and material support to terrorists.

First hybrid terrorist killed in J&K

Meanwhile, swift action by J&K forces helped in eliminating the first hybrid terrorist - Javed Ahmed Wani - who had assisted terrorist Gulzar in attacking two innocent non-Kashmiri labourers. However, after Gulzar was neutralised, Wani shifted his base to Baramulla from Kulgam. The hybrid terror system is an emerging challenge for forces in the valley and this operation is being deemed a big success.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Friday wrote a letter to Tripura Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya seeking his intervention in the law and order in the state alleging that the situation is extremely critical. Dev was referring to the incident of violence that broke out in Tripura during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally on Wednesday.

In her letter, the newly joined TMC leader said, "The extremely critical situation that is prevailing in the state of Tripura needs immediate attention. The law and order is at its worst. Many districts of Tripura have witnessed violence and vandalism against people and property."

"News about the burning of religious places and properties of people reek of communal targeting. Apparently, many shops and mosques have been attacked and damaged in North and West Tripura as well as in Gomati, Sipahijala and Unnakoti," she wrote.

My letter to @SatyadeoNArya Governor of Tripura for his intervention to ensure law & order in Tripura.

He declined to meet the delegation of @AITCofficial for health reasons. #TripuraViolence pic.twitter.com/JtS9zChutQ  Sushmita Dev   (@SushmitaDevAITC) October 29, 2021

Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set up a five-member committee to probe into the incidents of violence in Tripura, where a mosque was allegedly vandalised and shops were set on fire in the Panisagar sub-division on Tuesday. The BJP has reportedly formed a five-member team from the partys minority cell and asked them to see what led to violence in the state. The team has also been asked to assess the situation and submit a report in three days.

Tripura violence

On Tuesday, reports circulated that during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally in the state protesting recent attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh communal violence, a mosque was allegedly vandalised and several shops were set ablaze in the Chamtilla area in North Tripura.

The Tripura police, however, denied any such incident, maintaining that the law-and-order situation in the State is absolutely normal.

"During yesterday's protest rally in Panisagar, North Tripura, no masjid was burnt and the pictures being shared of burning or damaged masjid or collection of sticks etc are all fake and are not from Tripura. They may be of some countries," the police had said in a tweet.

After the incident, local authorities in BJP-ruled Tripura imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in Panisagar and Dharmatala sub-divisions so that the communal violence does not spread.

Image: ANI, Twitter
All four astronauts preparing for the NASA-SpaceX Crew-3 mission completed a full dress rehearsal ahead of the launch today on October 29. The team of four is scheduled to head for the International Space Station (ISS) on October 31 aboard a SpaceX rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Just recently, the Crew-3 astronauts came out of a mandatory quarantine as part of the launch preparations.

Crew-3 astronauts, SpaceX, and @NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities pic.twitter.com/6SxIhIkT8M  SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 29, 2021

Astronauts' full dress rehearsal concludes

The Crew-3 team of astronauts comprises- NASA astronauts Raja Chari, pilot Tom Marshburn, mission specialist Kayla Barron as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer and the trip to the ISS will be led by Chari. In the rehearsal conducted by Space and NASA, all four astronauts donned the sparkling white spacesuits designed by SpaceX and rode the Dragon spacecraft. Conducting such rehearsals is essential to confirm the proper functioning of the mission hardware as well as for making the astronauts familiar with spacecraft which has been named 'Endurance' for this flight.

Earlier, the astronauts completed the final leg of their training where they underwent checks regarding leakage in spacesuits if any and adjusted the spacecraft into launch position. Currently, at the launch site, the astronauts made it to the final stages of the mission after undergoing nearly two weeks of quarantine to ensure they remain healthy before meeting the astronauts already aboard the ISS.

Falcon rocket rolls out to launch pad with mounted 'Endurance'

SpaceX has concluded the final rehearsals while the Falcon 9 rocket is standing tall at the launch complex with the spacecraft 'Endurance' mounted over it. Yesterday, SpaceX also successfully conducted the static fire test of the rocket warming the engines for the launch. The agency shared the pictures of the magnificent-looking rocket on Twitter. Take a look.

Falcon 9 and Dragon vertical on Launch Complex 39A pic.twitter.com/niQOr2lpZQ  SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 27, 2021

'Endurance': A tribute to human tenacity

Astronaut Raja Chari, who is also the mission commander, revealed that they have named the spacecraft carrying them to the ISS, 'Endurance'. "Endurance is a tribute to the tenacity of the human spirit, as we push humans and machines farther than we ever have and is also a nod to the fact that the development teams, the production teams the training teams that got us here have endured through a pandemic", Chari had said in a video clip.

As for the mission, it is SpaceX's third and NASA's fourth crew mission with the Elon Musk-owned entity that will carry the aforementioned astronauts to space and bring back Crew-2 astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Japanese Space Agency's (JAXA) Akihiko Hoshide from the ISS.

Image: SpaceX
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently discussing the dilemma of whether or not they should attempt to repair a clogged solar wing or panel of the newly launched Lucy spacecraft, which is on the way to examining an unprecedented number of asteroids.

NASA revealed, on Wednesday, that one of Lucy's two massive, circular solar panels is stretched between the range of 75% to 95%. This issue was witnessed just after monitoring the electric current this week.

As per the Associated Press, NASA stated that the possibility of reopening the wing to its extent, which is nearly 24 feet or 7 metres in diameter, would not happen until November.

#LucyMission Update:



The spacecraft has successfully executed several small maneuvers

Analysis of electric currents show that the unfurled solar array is between 75% and 95% deployed

Next: The team will decide whether and how to re-deploy the arrayhttps://t.co/s6C6uIyu7V pic.twitter.com/fsHA7zvPrM  NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) October 27, 2021

NASA clarified the clogged solar wing issue

The officials further clarified that there is no urgency to decide on what to do next because the issue has not disrupted Lucy's outgoing travel yet. Further, they stated that all the other parts in the spaceship are appearing to be working well.

Lucy which launched on October 16, is already 3.7 million miles away from the earth's surface.

According to the mission's chief scientist, Hal Levison of Southwest Research Institute, the crew is optimistic about the fact that the collective power which Lucy is obtaining from both solar panels is sustaining the spaceship healthy and running.

Quoting Levison's statement from the main he wrote on Thursday, as reported by AP, It's too early to determine longer range implications to the entire mission, our team is working this very diligently and carefully to find a workable solution.

Furthermore, the Lucy project of NASA which is worth around $1 billion, aims to investigate seven Trojan asteroids that revolve around the sun in the same orbit as Jupiter. Lucy will also examine another space rock closer to Earth. Lucy is the very first mission of NASA to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, which launched into orbit on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from the Space Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral.

According to a NASA news release, Lucy will travel by one of the primary asteroids' belts as well as seven Trojan asteroids during the next 12 years, making it NASA's first single spacecraft trip to examine so many different asteroids. It is anticipated that Lucy would travel for encountering its first Trojan asteroid in the year 2027 before meeting Jupiter.

(Image: AP)
At least one protester was killed and two others injured in Sudan on Thursday, October 28, after sporadic clashes broke out between the Sudan military forces and the pro-democracy civilians in the capital Khartoum, Sudans Central Committee of Sudan Doctors announced in a Twitter update. The man, identified as Yasin Omar, was killed in the Bahri area of the city after a deadly attack was launched by the Sudanese security forces in the Sudanese tri-city capital of Khartoum against the demonstrators.

Two other protesters were critically wounded. One, who had been struck on the head by the security forces, was in a serious condition, Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said. Sudanese have been leading mass protests against the military's forceful seizure of power by launching roadblocks with bricks and barricades that they label a symbol of safety and defiance against the military coup within the north African nation.

Sudan Army fires live rounds of ammunition; scores injured

Several Sudanese were reported injured after the Sudan Army fired live rounds of ammunition after the angry protesters, demanding the technocratic rule, attempted to remove barricades set up to defy the militarys seizure of power earlier this week, an independent Egyptian online newspaper, Mada Masr reported on October 28. Since the military coup in Sudan, as many as 12 civilians have been killed while close to 100 have been injured in the violent confrontations between the Sudan Army and the civilians opposing the military regime, the US embassy in Sudan said in a statement. The Head of Sudan's ruling military council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, declared a nationwide emergency amid the civilian unrest. On Monday, this week, he had dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and government amid the backlash from the countries of the world.

At least eight Sudanese were reported killed and scores injured during the clashes on Wednesday night after the Sudanese Army tried to enter through the safety street barricades in Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri to detain the protesters. Security forces also opened fire on a crowd of mob demonstrating in central Khartoum. In footage that emerged on social media, many civilians could be seen searching for a cover with severe head injures. In a statement on Thursday General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said, Hamdok is the first choice to head the government despite his reservations, as he also accused an unnamed third party for causing obstructions in letting him form a new cabinet.

Image: AP
In a major announcement after the military coup in Sudan and ongoing demonstrations by civilians to protest against it, Commander-in-chief of Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has announced that a new Prime Minister and the Sovereign Council will appear in the African nation within a couple of days, "within a week at the latest". Speaking to Sputnik, al-Burhan informed that Sudans new PM will be a technocrat, however, he added that there are no candidates for the post yet. He went on to say that as there are no political forces currently, the Sudanese armed forces have a patriotic duty to lead the people of the nation and help them in the transition period until elections are held.

Further, al-Burhan assured that the cabinet will be appointed by a new Prime Minister and the military will not be interfering. He said that it will be up to different layers of the Sudanese society to reach a consensus on candidacy for prime minister. The Sudanese leader added that a new PM and the Sovereign Council will appear within a week at the latest.

"I hope this will be done in a couple of days or within a week at the latest," al-Burhan said.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, al-Burhan, announced in a televised address that general elections in the African country would be held in July 2023. The Sudanese leader added that before that time the nation would be ruled by an independent Cabinet of Ministers. "The functioning government will be handling all state affairs before the elections, which will take place in July of 2023," he said.

Aftermath of military takeover

The Sudanese military had detained deposed PM Abdalla Hamdok and several other members of the government on Monday. Al-Burhan then announced to the nation the introduction of a state of emergency and the dissolution of the countrys government. On Tuesday, it was reported that Hamdok and his wife had returned to their capital residence.

But since Monday, nine protesters have been killed in the demonstrations against the military coup. International pressure has mounted on the military in Sudan. Members of the UNSC have already denounced the coup, warning that it threatens to destabilise one of Africas unstable regions. The US has also condemned the military takeover of the transitional government. The African Union, on the other hand, suspended Sudan - a move typically taken in the wake of coups.

(With inputs from ANI)




As the supply of COVID-19 vaccine rises, African health officials and the UN have warned of a looming shortage of over two billion syringes for low and middle-income nations around the globe. According to Associated Press, the UN childrens agency said that the shortfall would affect around 2.2 billion auto-disposable syringes that lock automatically to prevent them from being used again. The agency clarified that it is not anticipating a significant supply shortage of the more standard syringes used in high-income countries, but it went on to blame significantly higher demand, supply chain disruptions and national bans on syringe exports for the shortage in the lower-income nations.

The scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress, the World Health Organization's Africa director, Matshidiso Moeti, told reporters on Thursday.

Already, some African countries including South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda have seen delays in receiving syringes," Moeti added.

Separately, Sibusiso Hlatjwako of the health organization PATH, said that routine childhood vaccinations are going to be impacted. Hlatjwako said that the problem of syringes could persist way into 2022. PATH even looked at data from manufacturers and said that more than 100 countries around the world use the auto-disposable syringes affected. Overall, the modelling shows a sizeable gap now, Hlatjwako said.

'No global stockpile for new auto-disposable syringe'

Health experts have said that the syringes shortage is already complicating COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Rwanda. Sabin Nsanzimana with the Rwanda Biomedical Center told reporters that the world has to get the syringes in a short timeline, otherwise, the vaccines will expire. Health officials have also said that another complication is that the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, which has been used widely in Africa, requires a new and different syringe.

There is no global stockpile for the new auto-disposable syringe, and the market for them is tight and extremely competitive, the WHO said, adding, The African continent has few syringe manufacturers and none that make the Pfizer one.

Meanwhile, according to AP, only about 5% of the African continent has been properly vaccinated, with African countries getting a total of 252.5 million doses. Despite these low statistics, high-income nations are taking steps to deliver third booster doses, as well as inoculating their younger citizens. In addition, countries are hoarding unneeded medications, with 100 million pills set to expire soon.

(With inputs from AP)
Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Greece on Thursday for a visit to the country whose financial crisis marked much of her tenure and relationship with Europe.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was hosting Merkel for dinner after her arrival, ahead of official meetings on Friday with him and with Greece's President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The German leader landed in Athens on the evening of a Greek national holiday marking the day in 1940 when the country rejected an ultimatum by Fascist Italy to allow Axis troops to enter Greece.

The decision led to Greece entering World War II, fighting a far stronger adversary and eventually suffering a brutal occupation by Nazi Germany.

IMAGE: AP

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In a major drug bust in the Asian continent, the Laos Police has seized a truck that was transporting 55 million methamphetamine tablets and over 1.5 tonnes of crystal meth. As per BBC, the United Nations has termed it as the "largest single drug seizure" ever recorded in Asia. The incident came into daylight when the police authorities stopped a vehicle containing beer crates near the Thai-Myanmar border in Bokeo.

The area from which the drugs have been seized is known as the Golden Triangle. This region has always been the hotspot of significant drug production. Before the record bust, police had recovered a total of 16 million amphetamine tablets in two different investigations in the same location over a one-week timeframe.

UNODC regional representative on surge in drug supply

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) regional representative for Southeast Asia, Jeremy Douglas said that it was "by far the largest seizure in the history of East and Southeast Asia," BBC reported. Douglas further revealed that the instability in the Shan state of Myanmar, which is bordering China, Laos, and Thailand, has resulted in a considerable rise in drug supply in recent months in the Golden Triangle area. He went on to say that the neighbouring area around Golden Triangle has been swamped with methamphetamine tablets, "and there is little doubt it is connected to the governance situation in Shan".

The UNODC regional representative informed that stringent COVID and security restrictions on China's Yunnan border with Myanmar "appear to be at least partly why trafficking has increased east into Laos and south into Thailand".

Furthermore, this massive number of drugs were said to be loaded into beer crates from the Lao Brewery company. However, in a statement, the Lao Brewery Company claimed that the company had no participation in this issue. The statement reads that the company is profoundly disappointed with the fact that their containers have been exploited to conceal unlawful operations. It added that the firm would not hesitate to take urgent criminal action against anyone exploiting their corporate assets.

It is to mention that methamphetamine tablets are basically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It functions by altering the concentrations of certain natural compounds in the brain. Methamphetamine represents a group of drugs called stimulants. As per WebMD, despite the fact that it benefits a large number of individuals, this medicine has the capability to develop an addiction.

(Image: Shutterstock/ Pixabay/ Representative Image)
Lonely Planet recently revealed that New Zealands biggest city, Auckland, sits at number one on its list of the top 10 cities to visit next year. Despite currently being in lockdown, the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak and off-limits to both the rest of the country and the world, Auckland has been named the number one city in Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2022. Following the announcement, Auckland mayor Phil Goff said that the ranking will not give a real boost to Aucklands tourism and hospitality sectors as they start to recover from the COVID-19 lockdowns and borders reopen.

Lonely Planets promotion of Auckland as the best city in the world to travel to in 2022 is a fantastic acknowledgement of what Tamaki Makaurau has to offer. It will give a real boost to Aucklands tourism and hospitality sectors as they start to recover from the COVID-19 lockdowns and borders reopen, Goff said as per a press release.

The mayor further went on to say that now Aucklanders and New Zealanders have the first chance to explore and rediscover everything the city has to offer. He noted that the pandemic and the COVID induced lockdowns have been tough, however, Goff added that now, with vaccination rates tracking well and the Governments COVID-19 Protection Framework outlining a pathway to reduced restrictions, lets take full advantage of enjoying our region when the opportunity comes.

Aucklands COVID-induced restrictions

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the timeframe for New Zealand and Auckland to relax their borders is still unclear. For now, any prospective visitors, even those from elsewhere within the nation, must be granted a legal exemption to cross the policed boundary to the city. Auckland is in a level 3 crackdown, with most restaurants and shops closed and a ban on indoor gatherings.

Only New Zealand citizens and permanent residents of those with essential worker visas are allowed to fly to Auckland. But, earlier this week, the government reportedly signalled that it would begin shortening quarantine stays for fully vaccinated travellers, and allowing some returnees to isolate at home at some point before March 2022. However, the officials also clarified that their priority was facilitating the return of overseas New Zealanders before allowing in tourists.

(Image: Unsplash)
People in Nicaragua are crossing the border into Honduras to be vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna, rather than the Cuban and Russian vaccines on offer in their own country.

Many are entering Honduras illegally, some crossing the border on horseback or on rafts.

Nicaraguans normally aren't restricted from entering Honduras, but due to the pandemic they are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result, something that can cost $150.

For Catalina Reyes from the town of Guasaule in the Honduran side of the border, vaccinating Nicaraguans is a fair deal.

"It's good, because when we need to, we go to Nicaragua to get medicines to the hospitals there as well," she said.

Honduras, one of the last countries in Central America to receive vaccine supplies, has designated a portion of its stockpile for citizens of neighboring Nicaragua as fewer Hondurans line up to be vaccinated.

Vice Minister of Health Fredy Guillen said Honduras had enough vaccines to be able to spare 500 doses a day for Nicaraguans and citizens of other countries.

Nicaraguan citizen Martha Rodriguez said she decided to make the trip to Guasaule to get vaccinated with vaccines approved by the World Healh Organization that will allow her to travel and work in Central America.

The Honduran government set aside 100,000 doses for Nicaraguans and set up various vaccination sites for them along the border.

But some experts have sounded a cautionary note.

"You can't have an open door without control," said Blanca Munguia, director of health at the nongovernmental organization Association for a More Just Society.

"This can generate greater expectations and then closing the door on Nicaraguans can generate discontent."

Honduras has more than 7 million people older than 12 who would be eligible for vaccination and 6.7 million doses have been applied according to the health ministry.

The vaccination campaign in Honduras will run until November 6, a day before Nicaragua's presidential elections, and the second dose to be administered 28 days later.

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The United States and Bahrain have agreed to work jointly in order to stop the illicit trade in cultural art. The US State Department has released a statement issued by the US government and the Bahrain government. In the statement, both sides have highlighted the rise in cases of "antiquities looting and trafficking". The United States and Bahrain government have committed to boosting "bilateral cooperation" to combat the illicit trade in cultural property.

"The United States of America and the Kingdom of Bahrain, as leaders in the arts and culture sector, recognize they have a unique role to play in combatting criminal misuse of the art and antiquities market, while strengthening responsible trade practices and cultural exchange," the US State Department said in a statement.

In the statement, the two countries have informed that they have been alerted due to the increase in antiquities looting, smuggling and "money laundering and terrorist financing in the wider market," the US State Department said in a statement. The US government and Bahrain government came together for a forum on enhancing "bilateral cooperation" in combatting the "illicit trade in cultural property" and related "transnational crimes".

"Both countries are alarmed by growing evidence of antiquities looting and trafficking, as well as money laundering and terrorist financing in the wider art market, and believe these activities are a severe threat to the cultural heritage of our nations and the world, as well as the integrity of our marketplaces and museums," the US State Department said in a statement.

The statement issued by the governments of the two nations revealed that the first meeting between the two sides was held in August 2021. They have now committed to working together in cultural heritage protection and preservation. Both the states expressed concern that these activities pose a threat to the cultural heritage of the two nations and around the world.

In the statement, both sides stated that they have agreed to share information to build networks, mainly in law enforcement, border enforcement, museums and other cultural institutions. They have committed to providing programs and technical assistance to exchange practices and expertise in "countering illicit trade, money laundering, and terrorist financing related to illicit trafficking in cultural properties." Both sides will be reviewing the laws and policies that need to be improved in order to address current needs. They agreed to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities facing the art and antiquities market.

Image: AP
The local election campaign in Venezuela officially got underway on Thursday.

The elections will renew all executive and legislative posts in the 23 federal entities.

Opposition candidate Tomas Guanina held a motorbike rally in Caracas, making his return to the political arena by running for mayor of Caracas.

Two years ago he went into exile after being accused of attempting to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro in 2019, but subsequently returned.

Now he hopes to have the opportunity to defeat the ruling party's candidate, Carmen Melendez, and become the capital's mayor.

The US-backed opposition will participate in the elections for the first time since it launched a boycott in 2017, claiming that elections under Maduro are illegitimate.

The vote, on 21 November, will be observed by the European Union, one of the conditions demanded by the opposition to ensure fair elections.

The head of the EU election monitoring mission in Venezuela, Isabel Santos, pledged that her team would be rigorous in their work.

"We are going to observe the entire electoral process, from the campaign, the election management, to the moment of voting", Santos said.

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The British government has decided to remove the remaining seven countries from England's COVID-19 "red list" from November 1, BBC reported. This means travellers from Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela and Ecuador will no longer require to undergo mandatory on-arrival hotel quarantine, similar to other travellers to England. However, the UK has not completely ruled out the UK travel list system and could opt for it in case a situation arises.

"We have been able to do this now because the variants of concern that we have been tracking are no longer of concern to the chief medical officers," the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps asserted on Thursday, as reported by BBC. He also said that the step will be a 'huge boost' for travellers as well as employees in the travel sector.

Shapps also announced that the UK has added eligible travellers from over 30 new countries, including Peru, Uganda, Argentina, Tanzania and Cambodia in the "inbound vax policy," bringing the total number of countries on this list to over 135. Meanwhile, the British government has decided to keep the "red list category in place as a precautionary measure to protect public health and are prepared to add countries and territories back if needed, as the UKs first line of defence," Shapps wrote on Twitter.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the UK Transport Secretary noted that government would keep "several hundred" rooms available as a prudent step adding, those are being kept as a standby without any "intention" of using them. "We'll review it again in the New Year...but we don't want to have to reset up a system from scratch or a particular concern was seen in a particular country and we wanted to be able to have quarantine as a mandatory facility," Sky News quoted Shapps as saying.

UPDATE: All seven remaining countries on the red list will be REMOVED from Mon 1 Nov at 4am   Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) October 28, 2021





We will keep the red list category  in place as a precautionary measure to protect public health and are prepared to add countries and territories back if needed, as the UKs first line of defence.  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) October 28, 2021

UK COVID restrictions

Travellers from these destinations will now no longer require to undergo mandatory 10 days paid quarantine on arrival. The rules were begun in February in response to new COVID-19 variants emerging in different parts of the world.

However, travellers will need to produce complete vaccination against COVID-19 certificates on arrival. Contrastingly, the debate over recognition of vaccine certificates is still pending as arrivals from a list of locations, not on the COVID-19 vaccine approved program, do not count as fully vaccinated at the UK border, Sky News reported.

(Image: AP/Representative)
Xu Yan, wife of attorney Yu Wensheng, says the loss of her husband's business will affect family finances.

Xu Yan, wife of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, holds a photo of her husband outside the Xuzhou Intermediate People's Court in Jiangsu province, Oct. 31, 2019.

Xu Yan, the wife of jailed human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, has set up a legal consultancy to help people struggling with China's justice system, she told RFA on Thursday.

Yu is currently serving a four-year jail term for "incitement to subvert state power," after being detained in a nationwide operation targeting rights lawyers under the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

While he is scheduled for release in March 2022, Yu said it is unclear whether he will be able to regain his license to practise law.

"Yu Wensheng will be allowed to return home in about four months' time ... but his license to practise law has been revoked, so his ability to work as a lawyer will be highly restricted," Xu told RFA.

"This will have a huge impact on his career, and on our family," said Xu, who said she set up the company in her name to get around the problem.

She said the court also sentenced Yu to three years' deprivation of political rights, which means he won't be able to form a company in his own right for the next five years.

"Some [lawyers] have suffered a massive financial blow, and some are even in difficulty," Xu said. "Legal consultancy services could be one way [to deal with that]."

Xu's new consultancy, Beijing Wenshun Legal Consulting Services, was formally approved and issued with a business license two weeks ago, with Xu Yan as the company's legal representative.

"The company was established successfully on Oct. 12, 2021," she said. "Yu Wensheng wanted it to be called Wensheng, but you can't use personal names for companies, so I chose Wenshun instead."

"Its meaning suggests that things will go smoothly for Wensheng, which is something I would wish for him, as his wife," she said. "Another special coincidence is that Oct. 12 also happens to be my birthday."

"I am worried that it will be more difficult for him to set up again [as a lawyer], after he comes home," Xu said. "So I set up the company before he comes home."

'I was so worried'

Xu said she was "pretty nervous" at every step of the process.

"Sometimes a police car would pass by while I was doing it, and I would worry whether or not they already knew about it, and whether they would interfere to stop the process, to stop me setting up the company," she said.

"I was so worried, but the the whole thing went off without any hitches," Xu said.

Fellow rights attorney Xie Yang, who knows Yu and Xu, said she had been very smart in handling the situation they way she did.

"Given that the company didn't bear Yu Wensheng's name, it got through easily, and the authorities didn't stop it," Xie said. "It would have been very hard for them to apply to set up a legal consultancy after Yu Wensheng got out."

Xie said some lawyers are managing to scrape a living doing legal consultancy work, even though they are barred from acting as someone's attorney, amid tight controls imposed on the profession by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

"The CCP is placing tighter and tighter restrictions on lawyers these days, barring them from speaking out or disclosing any details of cases they are working on," he said.

"Lawyers have been muzzled, and have no independent voice ... so this is one way to remedy the situation for the legal profession," Xie said.

Yu was held incommunicado for three years before being sentenced to jail for "incitement to subvert state power." He was granted the Martin Ennals Award 2021 earlier this year, for his work as a human rights defender.

The Martin Ennals Foundation called him "one of the best-known and most intrepid human rights activists" in China, acknowledging that Yu has been subjected to arbitrary detention, a secret trial, and the removal of his license to practice law.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The haul was Bokeo provinces third large drug seizure in a one-week period.

Lao police show off drugs and equipment seized in a major bust in Bokeo province on Oct. 27, 2021. Two suspects were arrested

Authorities in northeastern Laos have made the largest-ever drug bust in Asian history, seizing 55 million methamphetamine pills and 1.5 tons of crystal meth, and arrested two people suspected of smuggling the drugs, police announced Thursday.

Wednesdays seizure took place in Bokeo province, in the center of the Golden Triangle, a region of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand notorious for the production and distribution of narcotics.

A resident of Bokeos Hoeyxay district called police when he saw a suspicious vehicle, according a police report seen by RFA.

Officers then stopped the truck and found the drugs hidden inside beer crates.

They arrested the driver, 22-year-old Thong Xai Thor, who after a two-hour interrogation revealed that the drugs belonged to 40-year-old Xai Tong Thor, a resident of Hoeyxay. Police arrested him at his home.

Police confirmed to RFAs Lao Service Thursday that they were interrogating the suspects as part of an investigation.

Congratulations to the police for seizing the largest-ever quantity of drugs. I havent seen anything like that before, a resident of Bokeo Province told RFA.

The suspect must be a big drug lord in the region, the resident said.

He said that meth use in the area was on the rise, and addicts were contributing to a spike in thefts and robberies.

Lao police arrested two suspects in a major bust in Bokeo province on Oct. 27, 2021. Credit: Citizen journalist

Another Bokeo resident told RFA that the arrests were not a permanent solution to the areas drug problem.

The problem with the drug smugglers is that if two are arrested, three or four more will appear to replace them.

The record-breaking bust was the third major seizure in Bokeo in a week, following the seizure on Oct. 20 of 10 million meth pills from a truck headed for the capital Vientiane.

They seized six million more meth pills on Monday in the provinces Tompheung district but were unable to make any arrests.

The suspects might have fled across the Mekong River to the Myanmar side. They are residents of a small island on Mekong River on the Lao side, a police officer told RFA.

Authorities were not sure if Mondays seizure was related to Wednesdays haul of drugs.

They might be members of the same drug smuggling network, the officer said.

Lao police show off drugs and equipment seized in a major bust in Bokeo province on Oct. 27, 2021. Two suspects were arrested Credit: Citizen journalist

Authorities in nearby Luang Prabang province seized three million meth pills and arrested three alleged smugglers in August, while in September, police arrested four men for possession of large quantities of the drug as well as precursor chemicals, meth-manufacturing equipment, and weapons.

In April, the new Lao Prime Minister, Phankham Viphavanh, told the Lao National Assembly that cracking down on drugs is one of his priorities in the next five years.

The illegal trade in methamphetamines grew robustly in Southeast and East Asia last year despite cross-border and movement restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus outbreak, the United Nations counter-narcotics agency said in a report released in June.

Seizures of meth set a record in 2020, increasing by nearly 20 percent from the previous year, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported.

Nearly three-quarters of the drugs seized were confiscated in the Lower Mekong countries  Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam  according to the agency.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Not counted is the cost in damage to the country's environment and Lao citizens' loss of homes and livelihoods, experts say.

A Chinese worker carries materials for the first rail line linking China to Laos in a photo taken in Luang Prabang, Laos, Feb. 8, 2020.

Chinas investment in Laos has climbed since 1989 to a cumulative $16 billion, but little of this money has benefited ordinary citizens, while the negative impact from Chinese development projects isnt being counted accurately, Lao sources say.

Sonexay SiphandoneMinister of Investment and Planningtold a meeting with Chinese investors last month that Chinese investment takes top place on the list in Laos, with over 800 small, medium, and large-scale projects at a total value of $16 billion.

Foreign investment totals are added to calculations of the countrys GDP, which was $19 billion in 2020, but mega projects such as hydropower dams and other infrastructure schemes dont distribute their benefits equally to local people, a Lao researcher told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity for reasons of security.

Its unacceptable that we should talk about the value of investments when these arent shared to support the peoples interests.

For example, a high-speed Lao-China railway under construction in Laos at a projected cost of $6 billion has benefited more Chinese than Lao workers, the researcher said.

The majority of workers have been imported from China, while unskilled Lao workers have been recruited at much lower salaries, he said.

In the agricultural sector, the overuse of herbicides and pesticides by Chinese-invested banana plantations in northern Laos have harmed the environment and health of people living in surrounding areas, he added.

This is not sustainable development, because the impacted communities are not allowed full participation in the [management of the] farms. In theory, these are win-win arrangements, but in practice things are absolutely different, he said.

Chinese hydropower and mining projects, the Lao-China railway, and an expressway project in the Lao capital Vientiane have also displaced thousands of families, many of whom lost their farms, incomes, and ways of life in the process.

These were huge impacts, and it will take a long time now for things to be returned to their normal condition, the researcher said.

I travel in the north and I see banana plantations that have been abandoned. The Chinese owners went back to China, and the Lao workers have not been paid their salaries, he said.

'A huge gap'

Also speaking to RFA, a Lao legal advisor who asked not to be named said, Lao workers on Chinese projects are paid smaller salaries, while Chinese businessmen buy hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants in places that the Lao-China railway runs through.

There is a huge gap between the value of Chinese investments in Laos and the negative impacts they create, the legal advisor said, adding, No one can express concerns about these things in public out of fear for their safety.

It makes no sense to just tell people the high value of Chinese investments, agreed a Lao businessman, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

The impact of Chinese investment projects is that the environment is ruined and that local people lose their ways to make a living, and no one reports the estimated costs of this, he said.

Requests for comment by senior officials of Laos Ministry of Investment and Planning received no response.

A lower-level ministry official, however, said that Laos and China, countries with similar one-party political systems, are working to strengthen Laos economy by building a community of common destiny  a phrase from a 2017 speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Laos is now drowning in debt with at least $400 million due in loans this year that cant be repaid, with cash flows crippled in the country because of a shutdown of the economy due to COVID-19 and another $1 billion coming due each year from 2022-2025, experts said in earlier reports.

State officials and Lao researchers say they now see no way the one-party communist state can meet the debts it owes foreign lenders, mostly in China but also in Thailand and Vietnam, amid the global pandemic.

China is Laos largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner after Thailand.

Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
This photo taken Oct. 25, 2021 shows the smoldering remains houses in Tal village in Falam township, Chin state, Myanmar.

Myanmar junta troops have laid waste to more than 60 civilian homes and a church in months of scorched-earth operations in Chin state, a western region where fighting between the junta and ethnic armed organizations has raged on since the Feb. 1 coup, RFA statistics showed.

The military rampaged through Chins Thantlang township, on Sept. 18, destroying 19 houses. Between Oct. 13 and Oct. 25, junta soldiers torched 42 houses and one church in nearby Falam township, in parts of Talang Ron and Tal villages, and the entire village of Rialti.

Witnesses said they saw the military not only burning homes, but also looting them and killing farm animals. About 900 residents from seven villages fled to the deep forest to escape the onslaught.

It costs more than 10 million kyat (U.S. $5,572) to build a house. We put everything, all our savings, in building a house according to our Chin traditions, so it will be very difficult to rebuild when we are fleeing war, have no money, and not enough food to eat, a resident who fled Tal village told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Now we have no house in the village because of the fire. Do we have to just live in our forest hut? I dont know what to do anymore. Everyone is in tears, the Tal villager said.

Though the military has denied carrying out the arson attacks, sources told RFA that the junta soldiers were the only possible culprit.

They were the only ones in our village as everyone had already fled. If they didnt burn the houses, who did? a resident of Talang Rong village, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFAs Myanmar Service.

It is unforgivable that they set fire to the village and stayed in our houses and ate our food They did whatever they wanted. They killed our animals for the sake of killing them. There are so many cases like that, the Talang Rong resident said.

The October arson attacks happened just after major military reinforcements to the region on Oct. 9, as soldiers opened fire on every village along the Kalemyo-Falam-Hakha road, a highway that connects that part of Chin state with the southern part of the Sagaing region.

Both Chin and Sagaing have been hotbeds of armed resistance by local militias against the troops that overthrew Myanmars elected government nine months ago.

RFA attempted to contact military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for commen,t but calls went unanswered. On Oct. 14 he denied to RFA that the military burnt the 12 houses and church in Rialti village.

The military in Chin state has violated international law, Salai Za Op Lin, executive director the India-based Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), told RFA.

Almost the entire town of Thantlang was burned to the ground, said Salai Za Op Lin.

We are carefully recording and documenting what is going on. We will keep this information and will one day publish it, he said.

According to CHRO statistics, about 30,000 people have fled across the Myanmar-India border to Indias Mizoram state. Another 30,000 people are displaced within Chin state.

CHRO said about 30,000 people have fled to Mizoram, India, due to the ongoing fighting in Chin State, and another 30,000 people have been displaced in Chin State.

Since August, military troops set fire to 300 homes in the state, the CHRO said.

Myanmars military has been conducting combat operations against armed ethnic groups in areas close to its border for decades. Many of the groups who signed cease-fire agreements with the democratically elected government declared those agreements invalid after the coup.

As of Thursday, the junta has killed 1219 people since the Feb. 1 coup, according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Reported by Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Win Htain, a veteran political prisoner, will now likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A special court in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw on Friday jailed an 80-year-old senior opposition leader for two decades for criticizing the Feb. 1 military coup that ousted the countrys elected civilian government, his family said.

The sentence handed to National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Win Htain is the harshest given so far to detained members of the former government, and will likely keep the veteran political prisoner behind bars for the rest of his life.

Win Htain, who was charged with sedition under Article 124 (A) of Myanmars Criminal Code, had already been imprisoned twice before, serving more than 20 years for opposing previous military governments in the country.

Win Htains younger brother Kyaw Lin told RFA after the trial that the former NLD official had been charged and sentenced for disseminating a message given to him by former state counselor and de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the eve of the coup, and for statements he later made in a video interview with the media.

In that interview, he said he knew that he would be arrested for sure for sending out that message, and that he was ready to be taken into detention, Kyaw Lin said, adding that Win Htain was taken into custody on Feb. 4, three days after the coup was launched.

He is over 80 years old and is a respected chairman of the NLD, but the military council didnt spare him and gave him a lengthy prison sentence, he said, referring to the junta, which formally calls itself the State Administration Council.

I think that they gave him such a harsh sentence as retribution for sending out Aung San Suu Kyis message to the public and to the world, he added.

Aung San Suu Kyis message anticipating the armys Feb. 1 move against the NLD had urged Myanmar to protest against the coup by the military.

It was released after the army arrested her and dozens of ruling party officials and declared a one-year state of emergency to deal with unproven voting fraud allegations from elections in 2020 that returned the NLD to power.

We strongly condemn this sentence, said Aung Myo Min, minister for human rights in the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) set up to oppose the junta now ruling Myanmar.

Win Htain had been denied his legal rights at trial, including the right to a defense, the right to submit evidence to the court, and the right to appeal, he said.

Myanmars courts have collapsed and are now being controlled by the military regime."

Win Htain is a top leader of the NLD and is now very old, so sentencing him to a 20-year prison term is simply cruel and vindictive, an act of retribution, added former NLD lawmaker Win Aung. It is clear that he was convicted unjustly.

In a statement released after the trial, Phil RobertsonAsia division director for New York-based Human Rights Watchcalled Win Htains 20-year prison sentence outrageous and unacceptable.

He is an old man already, and they are going to put him away for the rest of his life, Robertson said, calling the verdict against the NLD leader an example of joke justice imposed by a court under full military control.

[Win Htain] has done nothing for which he should be in prison. He should be immediately and unconditionally released, Robertson said.

Reported by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Khin Maung Soe for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Richard Finney.
One group was moved to a UNHCR transit center while Muhib Ullah's family and others went to undisclosed locations.

Muhib Ullah, leader of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, speaks to refugees at the Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, April 7, 2019.

Local authorities have moved dozens of Rohingya to new locations over security concerns after their relatives were killed in two recent attacks at camps in southeastern Bangladesh, refugee leaders and police confirmed Friday.

Forty-two people representing the family of internationally known Rohingya activist Muhib Ullah, as well as 10 other families associated with the human rights organization that he led, were moved to an undisclosed location, officials told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

On Sept. 29, gunmen shot Ullah dead in his office at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, a district near the Myanmar border.

Were offering them overall protection there. A total of 42 members of 11 families were escorted away, responding to a request of the Muhib Ullah murder case investigator, Naimul Haque, commanding officer of the Armed Police Battalion Unit-14, told BenarNews.

Haque said the relatives of Ullah and the other families linked with his organization, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), were relocated on Oct. 13 and 14.

We are not willing to disclose the name of our relocated place. We are safer here than at the camp, Md. Rashid Ullah, ARSPH spokesman and Muhib Ullahs nephew, told BenarNews.

Meanwhile, authorities announced that they had moved 31 other refugees to a U.N. agencys transit center in the area after six of their relatives were killed last week in an attack on a madrassa at the Balukhali camp in Coxs Bazar.

Md. Kamran Hossain, deputy commander of the Armed Police Battalion 8, said the families of the six killed at the madrassa had been safe but were too afraid to remain at the Balukhali camp.

They were not in any danger at the camp, but when a family member was killed in this manner, they were all scared of a terrorist attack, Hossain told BenarNews. They requested the authorities transfer them away from the camp  thats why theyve been relocated to the transit center.

UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, began opening transit centers in the area in October 2017 to assist those arriving in Bangladesh as part of a mass exodus that began two months earlier when Myanmars military launched a brutal offensive against Rohingya in Rakhine, their home state that lies just across the border from Coxs Bazar.

Transit centers have been used as temporary shelters for Rohingya left homeless by fire or other disasters and as isolation centers for those infected with COVID-19.

On Friday, UNHCR officials did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.

The transit center housing the families is about four km (2.5 miles) from refugee camps and is protected by government troops and police.

Nurul Islam, whose son, Azizul Haque, was killed in the madrassa attack, said the move was good, but he demanded that more be done.

We are safer here than at the camp, but this safety will not bring back my son, he told BenarNews. I want punishment for the killers of my son.

The two attacks occurred weeks apart, and the second one was the deadliest incident of violence at the sprawling Rohingya camps in Coxs Bazar. About 1 million refugees live in the camps including more than 740,000 who fled Myanmar since the August 2017 offensive in Rakhine.

Police reported arresting 23 suspects  nine linked to Muhib Ullahs killing including two who confessed to their roles  and 14 linked to the killings at the madrassa.

Relatives of victims of both attacks have blamed a rebel group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, for carrying them out but local authorities have rejected allegations that ARSA has a foothold in the camps or on Bangladeshi territory.

Resettlement plans

Rashid Ullah said his family and the 10 other ARSPH families were willing to settle in a country other than Bangladesh or Myanmar.

We submitted an application to the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, UNHCR, and the U.S. government requesting we be able to settle in a third country, he said.

We mentioned the names of three countries in our application, and correspondence is ongoing, Rashid Ullah said without offering details.

Bangladeshs commissioner for refugee relief and repatriation said he was not aware of the request.

We have found no application in this regard and we have no such authority to arrange such a settlement, Shah Rezwan Hayat told BenarNews when asked about the matter. We will follow the instructions of the foreign ministry in this regard.

The foreign ministry, meanwhile, has no information about the families potential request, according to Miah Md. Mainul Kabir, deputy minister of the ministrys Myanmar wing.

Sometimes we have seen interest from some countries to relocate Rohingya, he told BenarNews. But in this case, we did not get any such application.

We will deal with the matter if any application will be submitted with the ministry, he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
KEMEROVO, Russia -- A court in Siberia has sentenced eight people to prison terms ranging from five years to 14 years in prison for negligence in a 2018 fire in the city of Kemerovo that killed 60 people, including 37 children.

The Zavodskoi district court in the city of Kemerovo on October 29 handed the longest sentence, 14 years in prison, to Yulia Bogdanova, the former director of a company that owned the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall ravaged by the March 2018 blaze, one of the deadliest in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

All of the defendants were found guilty of violating fire safety rules and negligence that led to human loss of life.

Former mall manager Nadezhda Suddenok was sentenced to 13 1/2 years, while the mall's former technical director, Georgy Sobolev, was given 11 years in prison.

The mall's former security officer, Sergei Antyushin, was handed 8-year prison term.

Igor Polozinenko, the chief of a company that installed a fire alarm system in the mall, and his assistant, Aleksandr Nikitin, were sentenced to 6 1/2 and 5 1/2 years in prison, respectively.

Andrei Bursin and Sergei Genin, the individuals who led firefighting operations at the blaze, were sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively.

The judge said he take into consideration time already spent in pretrail detention before November 8 when he will release the final amounts of prison time the convicted officials will have to spend behind bars.

Bogdanova, Suddenok, and Sobolev pleaded partially guilty to the charges, while the others entered not guilty pleas.

The fire was the one in a series of disasters caused by or exacerbated by the corrosively deadly effects of negligence, carelessness, corruption, corner-cutting, and crumbling infrastructure among officials.

Residents, relatives of the victims, and Russians nationwide blamed corruption and government negligence for the high number of casualties.

Days after the fire, investigators said that blocked fire exits, an alarm system that was turned off, and "glaring violations" of safety rules before the blaze started led to the high death toll.

A total of 16 people, including leaders of the regional Emergency Ministry and officials who had approved the mall's operations, have been charged with crimes that investigators say led to or aggravated the tragedy.
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- A Russian court has handed lengthy prison terms to four Crimean Tatars for being members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group and "plotting to seize power by force."

Defense lawyers said on October 29 that the Southern District Military Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Seytumer Seytumerov to 17 years in prison, Osman Seytumerov to 14 years, Rustem Seytmemetov to 13 years, and Amet Suleymanov to 12 years. The lawyers said they would appeal the sentences.

Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine more than seven years ago, and since then Moscow-imposed authorities have prosecuted dozens of Crimean Tatars for allegedly belonging to Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization but operates legally in Ukraine.

Ukraine's ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, protested against the court's "illegal" ruling and urged the international community to "force the Russian Federation to stop groundless detentions and rigged trials of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens."

"By illegally trying Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainian citizens, the occupier-country Russia violates the norms of international law, the European Convention on Human Rights, basic freedoms, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," Denisova wrote on Telegram.

Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the authorities installed in Crimea, who are targeting members of the Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar community and others who have spoken out against Moscow's takeover of the peninsula.

Memorial, Russias premier human rights group, considers the four Crimean Tatars sentenced on October 29 to be political prisoners.

We believe they were arrested in connection with their non-violent exercise of their rights to freedom of religion and association, Memorial said in May.

Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after sending in troops, seizing key facilities, and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. Moscow also backs separatists in a war against Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 13,200 people in eastern Ukraine.
Belarusian authorities have blocked access to Germany's state-backed international broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, amid an intensifying crackdown on the media and civil society following last years disputed presidential election.



The Information Ministry said on October 28 that the two news websites as well as that of Belarusian newspaper Novy Chas had been blocked for spreading material containing links considered extremist by Belarusian courts.



Internet users reported that the news sites did not open and later a message appeared indicating access was limited. However, the sites can still be accessed through virtual private networks (VPNs), which people can use to circumvent government restrictions on the web.



The Information Ministry, within its powers, will continue to monitor compliance with national regulations and intends to continue to make decisions aimed at protecting the country's information space, First Deputy Information Minister Andrey Kuncevic told state news agency BelTa.

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly condemned the move to block Current Time and vowed to continue providing information to the Belarusian people.



The Lukashenka regimes attempts to criminalize journalism know no bounds and are now depriving the Belarusian people of yet another independent source of news and information. Despite Lukashenkas continued assault, RFE/RL and Current Time will continue to provide objective reporting to the people of Belarus, he said.



Deutsche Welle Director-General Peter Limbourg said the blocking of the broadcaster for spreading extremist material was "absolutely ridiculous."



Mr. Lukashenka has shown that he will stop at nothing to maintain his hold on power in his struggle against his own people," Limbourg said.



Dozens of news websites have been blocked in Belarus and independent media shuttered as part of a sweeping crackdown on information in the wake of unprecedented protests triggered by the August 2020 presidential election that gave authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term. The opposition and the West say the vote was rigged to keep him in power.



Lukashenka's government has cracked down hard on the pro-democracy movement, arresting thousands of people and pushing most of the top opposition figures out of the country. The Vyasna human rights center says it considers 833 people to be political prisoners.



Authorities have also declared hundreds of opposition Telegram channels and social-media sites extremist, and anyone operating or using such sites can face jail time or fines.



In the latest move, the Belarusian Interior Ministry on October 29 classified three of the country's most popular opposition social media channels as extremist organizations.



The NEXTA news outlet, run from Poland, has three channels on Telegram, including NEXTA Live, which has 1.4 million subscribers in a country of 9.5 million.



1.4 million more extremists appeared in Belarus today, NEXTA wrote on Twitter. Ministry of Internal Affairs recognized telegram channels NEXTA, NEXTA Live and LUXTA as extremist formations. This means that criminal cases can be opened against creators, administrators, and subscribers in Belarus.



Previously, anyone who reposted material from NEXTA could face a fine or detention for 30 days. But the new classification means subscribers could be prosecuted for participating in an extremist organization and be jailed for up to seven years.

With reporting by Current Time, Deutsche Welle, and Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden on October 29 opened a dense five-day European trip at the Vatican, where he and Pope Francis had an unusually long meeting during which they were set to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and global poverty.

Biden's tour also includes attending the summit of the Group of 20 (G20) industrialized nations in Rome and talks with European allies on Iran's nuclear program and other bilateral issues.

Biden is also due to attend the COP26 world climate conference in Glasgow as the world struggles to deal with the effects of climate change and global warming.

The Vatican said the private meeting lasted one hour and 15 minutes and then about another 15 minutes were allotted to picture taking and the exchange of gifts.

Biden's predecessor Donald Trump's meeting with the Pontiff in 2017 lasted about 30 minutes and former President Barack Obama spent about 50 minutes with Francis in 2014.

Both the White House and the Vatican were due to issue statements on the meeting later in the day.

Its good to be back, Biden, a practicing Catholic, said earlier upon arrival at the Vatican.

It is unclear whether Biden's audience with the pope included the controversial issue of abortion. The Biden administration backs the right to abortion, which is at odds with the position of the Catholic Church.

Biden is the second Catholic to serve as U.S. president, following John F. Kennedy from 1961-63.

The two-day G20 summit is scheduled to begin on October 30 in the Italian capital.

Biden is set to meet for bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the meeting would "cover the waterfront" of issues as the two look to ease tensions following a rift over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia that saw France lose out on a major submarine deal.

U.S. officials stressed, however, that the main topic on October 30 at a meeting involving Biden, Macron, and leaders of Germany and Britain will be the status of the Iranian nuclear program.

Sullivan told reporters that Biden would be working for a "shared strategy and solidarity and unity in our approach" on Iran. He did not say if the leaders would discuss the resumption of talks with Tehran.

Tehran has said it expects to resume talks with world powers in November on reinvigorating the landmark 2015 nuclear pact, which then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of in 2018.

Biden is also expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sullivan said. Erdogan has said he wants to discuss a deal with Washington over F-16 fighter jets after a pact for more advanced F-35s was scrapped due to Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile system.

On November 1, Biden will travel to Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 world climate conference, where the U.S. leader is expected to give a major speech at the UN-sponsored event.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
Analysts say a cyberattack earlier this week that disrupted the sale of subsidized fuel in Iran appears to be the latest in a series of cyberstrikes between Tehran and its rivals.



The incident, which led to chaos and criticisms of Iran's preparedness for cyberthreats, is seen as a warning to the Islamic republic. It came ahead of the second anniversary of deadly protests over a sudden rise in the price of gasoline -- demonstrations that quickly turned into demonstrations against the clerical establishment.



Warning Shot?



"The message here is that we not only have the capabilities to breach your infrastructure system -- a system that will immediately affect Iran from border to border -- but also to cripple [it], said Tel-Aviv based Cyber security expert Tal Pavel told RFE/RL.



"Its not by mistake that the entity that did the attack chose gas stations, said Pavel, the director and founder of the Institute for Cyber Policy Studies in Israel.

The October 26 attack, which targeted the electronic transaction system used to distribute the subsidized fuel, paralyzed more than 4,000 gas stations across the country and resulted in long lines of angry motorists unable to use their government-issued smart cards.



Around the same time, digital billboards on highways in the capital, Tehran, and Isfahan reportedly displayed a message calling out Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticism of whom is a red line to the authorities of the Islamic republic.



"Khamenei, where is our gas?" the messages read.

The semiofficial ISNA news agency reported that those trying to buy fuel with their smart cards received a message saying "cyberattack 64411. " ISNA later removed the story and claimed it had been hacked. The number 64411 is a telephone number listed on the website of Khameneis office for womens religious questions.

Officials later acknowledged that the country had been hit by a cyberattack, saying it was likely carried out by a foreign country, which it did not name. Authorities have in the past commonly accused Israel and the United States of being behind hacking incidents in the country.



While a little-known hacktivist group calling itself Predatory Sparrow took responsibility for the attack, experts said the incident bore the hallmarks of a state-sponsored attack.



"I think the ability to penetrate, to breach critical information, a system, is something that may reflect nation-state capabilities rather than local opposition or hacktivists' capabilities," Pavel said. "Weve also never seen such a thing in the past by hacktivists."

'Many Weaknesses'



Amir Rashid, the New York-based director of Internet security and digital rights at the Miaan Group told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that it wasnt clear "if a foreign government conducted the attack or whether it [the foreign government might have] used some groups to perform the attack," adding that the attack exposed what he described as Iran's "many weaknesses" in the cybersecurity sphere.



"Instead of removing these weaknesses, Iranian officials have been concentrating on digital repression, censorship, and Internet shutdowns," he said, adding that the Iranian authorities are also considering a bill that would intensify Internet censorship and further restrict Internet access.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the attack was designed to make Iranians angry by creating "disorder and disruption," and warned that the attack wasn't "the first or the last."



"There should be serious readiness in the field of cyberwar and related bodies should not allow the enemy to follow their ominous aims to make problems a trend in peoples lives," Raisi was quoted as saying by state media on October 27 in a report in which the president was seen visiting a gas station.

Abolhassan Firouzabadi, the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, linked the attack to a July cyberattack on Iran's rail system in which hackers posted fake messages about train delays and cancellations on display boards at stations across the country.



A Telegram post attributed to Predatory Sparrow claiming responsibility for the cyberattacks on gas stations also alluded to the group's involvement in the earlier attack targeting Iran's rail system. The group did not indicate whether it was based inside or outside Iran.



Nevertheless, Firouzabadi said in an interview with state television on October 26 that "this attack was likely conducted by a foreign country." While adding that it was "too early to name the country, he alleged that the unidentified state's goal was "to disrupt services to the people.



"Unfortunately, we experienced such a widespread disruption in our train system as well, he said, referring to the July incident.



The daily Javan affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the timing of the incident -- which coincided with the anniversary of the 2019 November protests and the likely resumptions of nuclear talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal -- revealed the "Wests need" to see the situation in Iran as tense. The deal, which former U.S. President Donald Trump exited in 2018, significantly limited Irans nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Previous Attacks



Iran has faced a number of cyberattacks in past months and years while at the same time facing accusations of orchestrating cyberassaults on its rivals, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.



In April, Iran reported a blackout at its underground Natanz nuclear facility, which Israeli media said was caused by a cyberattack. In August, alleged hackers leaked videos of abuses of prisoners at the countrys most notorious prison.

Last year, Irans Shahid Rajaee port was targeted in a cyberattack that The Washington Post and The New York Times reported was conducted by Israeli operatives in retaliation for a failed Iranian cyberassault on a water-distribution system in Israel.



Iran was also targeted about a decade ago by the Stuxnet computer worm, which is widely believed to have been engineered by the United States and Israel to sabotage the countrys nuclear program.

RFE/RL Radio Farda broadcaster Elahe Ravanshad contributed to this report.
MINSK -- Western diplomats in Minsk have commemorated more than 130 Belarusian intellectuals, including 22 writers and poets, who were executed by the Soviet secret police 84 years ago.



The October 29 ceremony comes amid an ongoing crackdown on the opposition, civil society, and independent media following last years disputed presidential election that gave authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term.



Representatives of the diplomatic missions of the European Union, Britain, Switzerland, and the United States gathered in Kurapaty, a wooded area on the Belarusian capital's outskirts that was used as an execution site by the NKVD, the Soviet secret police in the 1930s and 1940s.

Some journalists of state media outlets tried to disrupt the ceremony, for instance by asking the diplomats to name at least one of the victims they were commemorating.



During the night of October 29-30 an event to commemorate the Belarusian victims of Soviet repressions will be held online. Activists have created a special website -- the Night of Poets -- for the occasion.



Similar commemoration events are being held in other parts of the former Soviet Union to mark an unofficial day of remembrance for the victims of Soviet leader Josef Stalin's Great Terror, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.



Many of those executed overnight in Belarus on October 29, 1937, were from the local intelligentsia.



Lukashenka's government has cracked down hard on the pro-democracy movement after unprecedented anti-government protests erupted across Belarus following the August 2020 election.



Thousands of people have been arrested, dozens of news websites blocked, and independent media shuttered as part of the sweeping clampdown, which has pushed most of the top opposition figures out of the country.

The Vyasna human rights center considers 833 people to be political prisoners.



The opposition and the West say the presidential vote was rigged to keep Lukashenka in power, and the European Union, the United States, and other countries have refused to recognize him as the winner of the election.
The Moldovan government and Russias state-controlled Gazprom say they have agreed to extend a contract for Russian natural gas supplies for a period of five years, after disagreements between the sides over the price triggered severe shortages in the former Soviet republic.

Gazprom said in a short statement on October 29 that talks between a Moldovan delegation and Gazprom ended in St. Petersburg with the sides reaching an agreement to extend the expired contract on "mutually beneficial terms while Moldovas Infrastructure Ministry called it an "agreement in principle" under which the previous deal will be extended "using the price formula proposed by the Moldovan side."

Neither Gazprom nor the Moldovan side revealed the price agreed.

Gas deliveries under the new contract are expected to start from November 1, 2021, the Ministry said in a post on Facebook.

Moldova declared a state of emergency last week and started buying gas from other countries after its contract with Gazprom, the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, expired at the end of September, and the two sides failed to agree on details and pricing of a new long-term deal.

Traditional supplier Russia had been threatening to cut off gas supplies to the impoverished country sandwiched between EU member Romania and Ukraine at the end of the year if the existing gas contract was not extended by then.

One of the key issues was Moldova's debt for previous gas supplies that Russia estimated at more than $700 million.

Gazprom and the government in Chisinau agreed to audit the debt and to negotiate a payment schedule, according to the Moldovan side.

The two-day talks in St. Petersburg, where Gazprom has its headquarters, involved Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu and the Russian firm's CEO Aleksei Miller.

Gazprom drastically raised the prices for gas deliveries to Moldova to $790 per cubic meter from $550 while slashing its gas supply by about one-third after their contract expired last month, prompting criticism from the European Union, which said that Russia was "weaponizing" gas supplies.



Some observers say Moscow has boosted prices as reprisals against Moldova for electing pro-Western President Maia Sandu last year and rejecting Russia-backed incumbent Igor Dodon. Russia rejects the accusations, saying the hike is purely commercial, reflecting global markets.

Moldova has also complained of received insufficient volumes of gas from Gazprom based on the one-month extension of the contract.

As the country faced a growing energy crisis, Chisinau signed a contract to buy a million cubic meters of natural gas from Poland, the government said on October 25, calling it "the first purchase of gas from alternative sources in the history of independent Moldova.

And earlier on October 29, Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said it had won a tender to supply 500,000 cubic meters of gas to Moldova.

The EU offered Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, 60 million euros ($70 million) in emergency aid on October 27 to help the country manage its natural gas crisis.

Russia has been criticized in the past for setting prices according to a country's political allegiance. Belarus, a close Moscow ally, has recently negotiated a significantly lower price for next year.
BISHKEK  Campaigning for a parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan kicked off on October 29, nearly a year after the Central Asian country was rocked by protests and political turmoil in a contested vote.

The campaign will last until November 27, one day before the elections.

Ninety members of parliament -- the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council) -- will be elected, of which 54 seats will be chosen through national party lists and the remaining 36 decided in district races. Twenty-one parties registered for the vote.

In August, President Sadyr Japarov signed into law a series of changes to the countrys electoral laws that included a reduction in the number of parliamentarians from 120 to 90.

The changes were included in a national referendum on constitutional amendments approved in April.

The April referendum came three months after Japarov was elected president following a tumultuous period that saw the ouster of the previous government amid protests over the October parliamentary vote and months of political wrangling over the country's future.

Japarov proposed drafting a new constitution in November 2020 as he emerged from the turmoil as acting president in the wake of the resignation of then-President Sooronbai Jeenbekov.

He easily won the presidential election in January, while another referendum held in tandem saw voters opt for a presidential system that was the centerpiece of the proposed constitutional amendments.

Some in the former Soviet republic have criticized Japarov, saying the new constitution was rushed through to create an authoritarian system that concentrates too much power into the hands of the president.

Japarov was among several prominent politicians freed from prison by protesters during the October unrest. He had been serving a 10-year prison sentence for hostage taking during a protest against a mining operation in northeast Kyrgyzstan in October 2013. He maintains the charges against him were politically motivated.
MOSCOW -- A Moscow court has sentenced a blogger and his girlfriend to 10 months in prison each over a photo imitating oral sex in front of the St. Basils Cathedral on Red Square.



The court on October 29 found Tajik citizen Ruslan Bobiev, also known as Ruslani Talabjon, and model Anastasia Chistova guilty of insulting believers' feelings and sentenced them the same day.



In late September, Bobiev placed a photo on Instagram of Chistova on her knees in front him, imitating oral sex with the cathedral in the background. Chistova was wearing a jacket that had "police" imprinted on the back.



Initially, the two were sentenced to 10 days in jail each on charges of disobeying police.



The court also ordered Bobiev to be deported to his native Tajikistan.



Later, the two were charged with insulting believers' feelings.



On September 30, the Interior Ministry issued a video in which Bobiev offers apologies for the photo and promises not to do anything like that in future.

With reporting by OVD-Info
WASHINGTON  An 18-member group of nations, including the United States and United Kingdom, has expressed deep concern over what it calls the Russian governments intensifying harassment of independent journalists and media outlets in the country.

The statement, issued on October 28 under the name of the Media Freedom Coalition, was also signed by Ukraine and North Macedonia, along with Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The statement said that media freedom is vital to the effective functioning of free and open societies and is essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Russian authorities have been accused of increasingly cracking down on independent media outlets, civil society groups, rights activists, and others, using legislations on undesirable individuals or groups, as well as the so-called foreign agents law.

The 18-nation statement said Russian authorities continue in 2021 to systematically detain journalists and subject them to harsh treatment while they reported on protests in support of imprisoned opposition figure Aleksei Navalny.

It also said the office of student journal Doxa was searched in April in relation to spurious charges, and four editors were then subjected to severe restrictions on their freedom.

Other cases cited by the group included a June 29 raid by Russian authorities on the apartments of staff members of investigative news website The Project (Proekt), a move made on the same day the site published an investigation into alleged corrupt practices by Russias interior minister.

The statement added that Russian occupation authorities in Crimea have held Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) freelance correspondent Vladyslav Yesypenko since March and have reportedly tortured him in detention.

On July 15, Yesypenko was indicted on specious charges and faces up to 18 years imprisonment, it said.

Yesypenko, a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who contributes to Crimea.Realities, was detained on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence. He 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 at the time described the case as the latest example of the Kremlin's campaign to target independent media outlets and called it a mockery of justice.

The statement by the 18-nation group also said that on October 8, Russian authorities applied the media foreign agent label to the international investigative journalism project Bellingcat, known for its investigation of the poisoning of Navalny.

In an unambiguous effort to suppress Russians access to independent reporting, the Russian government introduced onerous labeling requirements for so-called media foreign agents last year.

Since then, it has charged RFE/RL with more than 600 violations, resulting in fines totaling more than $4.4 million, the statement said.

It increasingly appears the Russian government intends to force RFE/RL to end its decades-long presence in Russia, just as it has already forced the closure of several other independent media outlets in recent years.

In addition, it said, authorities have applied the media foreign agent label to independent Russian outlets operating within or near Russias borders,

"While concerns related to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in Russia have intensified, they are not new. We stand in solidarity with independent Russian journalists who assume personal risk in carrying out their professional activities, and we honor the memory of those reporters whose intrepid work has cost them their lives...."



The statement urged Russia to comply with its international human rights commitments and obligations and to respect and ensure media freedom and safety of journalists.
The United States says Russia has approved U.S. airlines requests for more overflight permits after some passenger and cargo carriers sent a letter "urgently" asking for the State Department's help in dealing with Moscow.

The State Department late on October 28 confirmed it received the letter and said that "Russia approved U.S. carriers applications for overflights last week.

The Department of State continues to engage with the relevant Russian authorities to secure expanded air services opportunities for U.S. carriers," it said.

U.S.-Russian relations are at a post-Cold War low, with a variety of security, commercial, and diplomatic issues separating Moscow and Washington.

International airlines make hundreds of flights over eastern Russia each week, a short route to South Asia. Airlines are required to receive permission from a countrys civil aviation authority to travel through its airspace on passenger and cargo flights.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers, on October 14 asked the State Department to "act urgently" to address the needs of airlines to secure rights to overfly Russian airspace, Reuters reported.

The group -- which represents American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, FedEx Corp, United Parcel Service, and others -- asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to intervene, warning that without action they could be put at a competitive disadvantage.

"Many U.S. airlines urgently need additional rights to overfly Russian airspace to meet market demands," the letter said.

Without additional rights, it said, "U.S. airlines will be forced to operate on alternate, inefficient routes resulting in time penalties, technical stops, excess CO2 emissions, and loss of historic slot rights."

Nicholas Calio, chief of the airline association, wrote in the letter that "U.S. passenger airlines need additional Russian overflights to operate efficiently from the U.S. to destinations in Asia, India, and the Middle East."

He added that "U.S. all-cargo carriers need restoration of overflight rights on all-cargo routes between points in Europe and Asia that were mutually agreed upon but were unilaterally stripped away by the Russian government."

"U.S. carriers may need to consider mitigation measures, including schedule reductions. This outcome would make U.S. carriers far less competitive globally ... and will exacerbate the growing backlog of cargo and express shipments needed to reduce the pressure on the supply chain," Calio wrote.

The State Department did not say how many overflights had been approved.

United late on October 28 said it "has received the necessary overflight approvals from Russian authorities to continue operating our nonstop flights to India this winter without interruption."

The Russia's embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The airline group did not comment following the State Department statement.

With reporting by Reuters
A blogger from Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegally obtaining classified information.



A Moscow court found 37-year-old Andrei Pyzh guilty of accessing data on the construction designs and technical systems of sensitive facilities in the capital region.



According to Moscow prosecutors, Pyzh illegally received the classified information between December 2018 and August 2020.



Earlier reports said the dual Russian-Ukrainian national was suspected of passing information about the Moscow metro system to Ukraine.
The European Union's top diplomat has said that Russia is weaponizing its natural-gas supply to bully Moldova, one of Europe's poorest nations, as a gas dispute between Moscow and Chisinau continues.

Moldova declared a state of energetic emergency last week after its gas contract with Russias state-controlled Gazprom, the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, expired at the end of last month, and the two sides failed to agree on details of a new long-term deal.

Gazprom has extended the contract to the end of October, while raising the price to $790 per cubic meters from $550 last month.

"In global terms the price increases around the world are not a consequence of weaponization of the gas supply, but in the case of Moldova, yes it is," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference on October 27 alongside Moldova's Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita in Brussels.

Russia has been threatening to cut off the gas supply to the impoverished ex-Soviet republic, which borders EU member Romania, at the end of the year if the existing contract is not extended by then.

Some observers say Moscow has boosted prices as reprisals against Moldova for electing pro-Western President Maia Sandu last year.



"In the case of Moldova, political characteristics have to be taken into account ... In the case of Moldova, it's a sharp (price) increase which was related with political problems, which requires our support," Borrell said.

The EU had pledged 60 million euros ($70 million) in aid to Moldova on October 27.

Gavrilita highlighted the importance of EU support for Moldova.

"We believe that the next few weeks are crucial and we think that Moldova's friends should help us to get alternative supplies," Gavrilita said.

The statements came as a second day of negotiations in a row in St Petersburg ended without an agreement between state-controlled Russian gas giant Gazprom and Moldova.

Russia has repeatedly been criticized for setting prices according to a country's political allegiance. Belarus, a close Moscow ally, recently negotiated a significantly lower price for 2022.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
TBILISI  Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on a hunger strike for almost a month, has a right to commit suicide amid concerns about his deteriorating health.

The opposition, doctors, and Saakashvilis lawyers have been calling on the ruling Georgian Dream government to move the former leader to a private hospital to receive treatment, something Garibashvili ruled out.

The law says an individual has the right to commit suicide, Garibashvili said in a late-night televised interview on October 28.

If an individual decides to kill themselves, they canthe state cannot take responsibility for this, he added.

Garibashvili also said Saakashvili could be moved to a prison hospital but not transferred to a private hospital due to security concerns.

[Saakashvilis supporters] plan to mobilize thousands of people [near the private clinic.] We will have to bring police, use impact munitions, and be put into a permanent state chaos and disturbance, Garibashvili said.

Garibashvili said that his government will neither grant early release to Saakashvili nor hand him to Ukraine, where he is a citizen. Dozens of European lawmakers and other current and former politicians have called for his release.

Saakashvili was arrested on October 1 for what Georgian law enforcement agencies called illegally crossing the border. The arrest, which the 53-year-old politician says was politically motivated, came hours after he announced he had returned to the country following an eight-year absence.

He immediately went on a hunger strike to protest his arrest, which has triggered protests by tens of thousands of his supporters in the capital, Tbilisi.

Saakashvilis detention has deepened a protracted political crisis in Georgia ahead of a second round of municipal elections scheduled for October 30.

Ahead of the local elections, Saakashvili called on Georgians to vote for the opposition.

In a letter sent through his lawyer on October 29, Saakashvili said "the continuation of my life is entirely tied to your decision tomorrow and the victory of Georgia."

Every persons participation is extremely important. Also, I would like to ask you to gather again tomorrow evening at the polling stations to protect the votes... The fate of Georgia and my fate are in your hands now," the letter said.

Saakashvili served as the South Caucasus country's president from 2004 and 2013. He was sentenced in 2018 in absentia to a total of nine years in prison after being convicted of abuse of power in two separate cases. The ex-president has rejected all charges as politically motivated.

With reporting by Imedi TV and Civil.ge
PRAGUE -- For countries in Europe and around the world that find themselves increasingly tied to China economically and politically, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has a simple warning: They should think twice.



If you think that you are dependent on China, your foreign policy may become skewed, Wu told RFE/RL in an exclusive interview in Prague on October 27. If you think that you depend on China, your actions, or your policies, your behaviors need to be [cautious] because you don't want to jeopardize your business opportunities.



That call comes as Wu makes a landmark European tour -- a rare trip for representatives of the self-ruling island country that China regards as its territory. Part of Wus diplomatic pitch is to offer Taiwan as a small, open, and democratic alternative to Beijings authoritarian politics, wolf warrior tactics, and so-called debt-trap diplomacy that has become associated with Chinese investment across the world, from Africa to Central Asia.



Taiwan split from China during a civil war in 1949 and Wu feels the islands history and experiences dealing with Beijing give it unique insight for countries that have signed up to Chinese ventures like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and may be growing concerned about a more assertive China.



During a wide-ranging interview, Wu talked about Taiwan's risk of war with China, U.S. commitments to the island, his diplomatic outreach to Europe, and lessons that his country can offer other nations navigating complicated ties with Beijing.

Across Europe, countries like France and Germany have grown increasingly critical of China in recent years but are still cautious not to jeopardize their economic ties to Beijing and access to lucrative Chinese markets.



Further east, nations like Hungary, Montenegro, and Serbia have embraced Chinese investment and signed up to large projects under the guise of the BRI that have been mired in corruption allegations and reports of environmental damage.



Elsewhere, countries like Ukraine have faced their own controversy, with Beijing allegedly using its financial muscle to exert political influence over Kyiv to drop criticism of Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang in exchange for vaccine shipments.



[China] uses corrupt practices -- [they] put money in the pocket of corrupted politicians [and] they promise quite a lot, but what they actually deliver may be limited, Wu said. The projects they engage in are sometimes very shoddy. So if you put all this together, I think it's going to be a very good lesson for any country, for anyone who wants to do serious business with China.



Diplomatic Outreach



With Wu and a large trade delegation having already met with officials in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the Taiwanese foreign minister's trip was expanded to include stops in Poland and Brussels and an appearance on the sidelines of a summit of leaders from the G20 group of leading economies in Italy on October 29.



The Taiwanese trade delegation also made a trip to Lithuania without Wu in attendance.



The Taiwanese charm offensive, however, faces a steep uphill battle as Wu looks to boost Taipeis international profile.

Only 15 countries currently have official diplomatic relations with the island of nearly 24 million people, many having transferred their formal ties to Beijing from the 1970s onward. And apart from the Vatican City, none of them are in Europe.



Due to Chinese pressure, many governments are unwilling to host senior Taiwanese ministers and Beijing has already issued stern rebukes to the countries that welcomed Wu.



Taiwan has suffered the consequences of Chinas rise to the top of the world stage. As Beijings economic and political influence have expanded around the globe, many countries and international organizations have dropped their recognition of Taiwan, leaving it frozen out of bodies like the United Nations and World Health Organization and lacking formal ties to the vast majority of countries in the world.



Whenever Taiwan is gaining something, or having a new friendship, or being able to do something on the international stage, the Chinese would think that they are losing and they want to cut back on Taiwan's international participation, Wu said. So, in that sense, it's a very direct competition between Taiwan and China on the international stage.



Wu believes that more bellicose Chinese actions in recent years -- from the alleged internment camp system for Uyghur and Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang Province to concerns over its trade practices -- have opened the door for Taiwan to reclaim some of its lost status and, before departing Taipei, he heralded his trip as the start of a new era in relations with the European Union.



What China wants to do is to make sure that Taiwan is dangling out in the international community alone -- no friends, no support, Wu said. But, of course, as minister of foreign affairs my responsibility is to make sure that Taiwan has friends out there.



Tensions With China And U.S. Commitments



Beijing considers Taiwan to be a province of China that it must retake, by force if necessary.



Under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, reuniting with Taiwan has been made into a legacy issue and China has stepped up military, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Taipei.



This has led to near-daily sorties of Chinese jets in recent years, with some 150 Chinese military aircraft entering Taiwan's airspace in a matter of days in early October.



Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned recently that China could be capable of mounting a "full-scale" invasion of Taiwan by 2025.



That escalation prompted U.S. President Joe Biden to say during a televised town hall meeting on October 21 that Washington had a commitment to come to Taiwans defense if it were attacked by China, signaling a potential shift in U.S. policy.



Bidens comments have since been walked back by White House officials, but the exchange prompted a strong response from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying there was no room for compromise or concessions over Taiwan.



Wu said he saw no deviation from U.S. policy in Bidens remarks, adding that Taiwan is responsible for its own defense.

The United States cut formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in order to recognize Beijing. Washington does not openly contest Chinas claim to Taiwan but is committed by law under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure the country can defend itself and to treat all threats toward it as matters of grave concern.



Washington continues to sell arms to Taiwan and its president, Tsai Ing-wen, confirmed to CNN on October 28 that American troops have been training the Taiwanese military.



War is [not in the] interest of anyone at all, Wu said. But that is for rational leaders. And sometimes we are concerned that maybe the Beijing leaders are not rational, especially when they have domestic difficulties.



With tensions rising between China and the United States, Taiwan continues to be a central flashpoint.



As U.S. troops left Afghanistan in August amid a chaotic exit that led to the Taliban toppling the Western-backed government, many critics of Bidens decision -- as well as official Chinese state-media -- used the event to question U.S. commitments to Taiwan in the event of a crisis with Beijing.



According to Wu, the parallels to Afghanistan do not hold up.



The Chinese want to play up the issue that the United States is not trustworthy, [that] the United States is going to abandon Taiwan at a time when Taiwan needs the United States the most, Wu said. That is a Chinese disinformation campaign. They've been doing that for years.



Wu added that there are also fundamental differences between Taiwan and Afghanistan and that Taipei doesnt expect other countries to fight a war Taiwan is in.



Taiwan is very different. We are determined to defend ourselves. U.S. officials continue to say that we cannot help you more than you want to help yourself, Wu said.



In Afghanistan, we see a phenomenon that they don't seem to be willing to fight for themselves, but in Taiwan it is very different. We want to defend our way of life. We want to defend freedom and democracy and we want to defend our sovereignty.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has defended the use of a Turkish-supplied armed drone to strike Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, saying the military acted in self-defense and did not violate any agreements.



"When the Ukrainian army feels the need to defend its land, it does so. And it will further act under this principle, Zelenskiy said, according to comments published on the presidential website on October 29.



The Ukrainian military this week released footage of what it said was a Bayraktar T2B drone destroying a Russian-made howitzer in a separatist-controlled area.



The military said the drone was used for the first time to suppress artillery fire that killed a Ukrainian soldier and wounded another.

Moscow accused Ukraine of violating the Minsk agreements meant to put an end to a war that has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014, and said the use of drones could destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine.



Paris and Berlin -- both mediators of the conflict  also criticized the strike.



France said it was "concerned" by the use of the Bayraktar drone and by the "increasingly frequent use of heavy weaponry" that violate a cease-fire.



A German government spokesperson also criticized the use of the drone but noted that all sides are using drones, which according to the Minsk agreements is reserved for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Ukrinform news agency reported.



The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv called on both sides in the conflict to respect a cease-fire agreement, while saying that the separatists have also used drones.



We urge both sides in the Donbas (eastern Ukraine) conflict to abide by the terms of the cease-fire agreement, but lets be clear  The Russia-led side has repeatedly deployed howitzer artillery and drones against Ukrainian forces, in direct violation of the enhanced measures agreed last yearand recently killed a Ukrainian soldier, the embassy said in two Twitter posts.



Official Russian rhetoric suggesting Ukraine is aggravating the situation is not only misleading, it serves to escalate tensions, it added.



Turkey has sold Ukraine Bayraktar drones and Kyiv plans to buy dozens more to deploy to eastern Ukraine.



In September, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country plans to build a factory to produce the drones in cooperation with the Turkish drone maker, Baykar.



Defense Minister Andriy Taran earlier this month said a joint maintenance and training center for the drones would be established in Ukraine.



The growing defense ties between NATO member Turkey and Ukraine have been a source of tension between Ankara and Moscow, threatening to shift the balance of power on the eastern Ukrainian battlefield in Kyivs favor.



The Bayraktar has proven to be one of the best armed drones on the market, having been battle-tested in conflicts in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and against Kurdish militants.

With reporting by AFP and Ukrinform
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk said on October 29 that Belarusian authorities were forcing the closure of its humanitarian and outreach programs that have benefited thousands of people in the authoritarian country.

Strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenkas government has cracked down on civil society groups and the pro-democracy opposition since protests erupted against his disputed reelection last August, leading to several rounds of Western sanctions.

The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that authorities informed it of new measures designed to impede the functioning of the mission by forcing the closure of its Public Diplomacy and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) offices, as well as the American Center in Minsk.

The move also forces the Embassy to terminate the employment of more than 20 Belarusian staff members.



These actions reflect the Belarusian authorities deep insecurities about the role of diplomacy, people-to-people ties, and independent civil society, the Embassy said.

The U.S. governments development assistance and civil society programs have benefited the Belarusian people since the 1990s, the Embassy said.

U.S. funds have supported entrepreneurship, business development, civil society, independent media, families living in radiation-affected areas, and more than 36,000 orphans and vulnerable people, the embassy said.

Despite new limitations by the regime, we will not be deterred from our commitment to bolster fundamental freedoms in Belarus. Our efforts to support health, education, and economic improvement in Belarus will continue, Washington's special envoy for Belarus, Julie Fisher, said on Twitter.

Fisher, the first U.S. ambassador to Belarus since 2008, has been unable to take up her post in Minsk because the Belarusian government has denied her a visa.

Exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she was thankful for years of support developing the U.S.-Belarus relationship.

They will return to (a) new Belarus. I ask them to continue work for Belarusians  we see and value this consistent support, she wrote on Twitter.

The opposition and the West say Tsikhanouskaya was the true winner of a presidential election last year.
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.

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Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 23F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 23F. Winds light and variable.
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
U.S. Rep. Seth Moultons Groundfish Trawl Task Force has received a $500,000 federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The grant will assist the task force in conducting research that will lead to new data that NOAA scientists and fishermen hope will more accurately measure the fish population.
Even as their retirement party was being held in the parking lot, Estradas Mexican restaurant owners Guillermo and Lilly Estrada were busy doing what they have for decades  moving like furious blurs in the kitchen preparing meals for an overflow crowd.

After 54 years in business inside the same non-descript building on Quince Street just south of Second Avenue in Escondido, Estradas final day in business was Friday.

The couple is retiring, ending an era of serving the gold-standard Mexican food in the North County, said Escondido attorney and longtime customer Ken Lounsbery.

Estradas Mexican Restaurant on Quince Street in Escondido (J. Harry Jones /U-T )

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Dozens of longtime customers filled the place Friday for one last chance to eat what many said has been the best Mexican food in town for a half-century.

Weve been coming here for 54 years and theyre probably responsible for 40 pounds Im wearing, said Arlene Shuster, who along with her husband, Bob, own Shuster Oil right across the street.

I cant resist their chili rellenos, she said. They are the best anywhere. Weve been all over and whenever I go to another Mexican restaurant, even in other states, I always order chili rellenos to compare. Nothing has ever compared.

They have the best salsa in town, added Bob Shuster. Youve got to try it.

The business was purchased in 1953 by Guillermo Estradas father when it was a bakery. A couple years later, Avelino Estrada and his wife Maria took control and turned the business into a Mexican restaurant.

Guillermo Estrada, 64, Avenlinos brother, has been cooking in the restaurant for more than three decades and has been working there in some capacity since he was 10 years old. He took control of the restaurant after his brother died.

He said its time to rest.

Were retiring after all this time. Its been coming on. Were pretty beat, pretty tired. We spend 14 to 16 hours a day here. It takes its toll after 30 some years.

He said when the conversion from a bakery to a restaurant began, it started with tacos and gorditas (a pastry made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings). We introduced gorditas (to Escondido), which no one had ever heard of before. They were from our hometown of El Paso, Texas.

The retirement party was organized by Lounsbery and the Shusters and more than 100 people said they would be attending over the three hours it was scheduled in the middle of the day.

We still have customers who have been coming in since Day 1, Estrada said. Generations of families have been customers.

Several people Friday said they cant begin to estimate how many meals theyve eaten at Estradas. Hundreds, for sure, some said.

Jack Raymond agreed that you would never know the quality of food behind the doors of the small building.

If you come here, especially for dinner, youre going to see somebody you know, he said. All the old-timers come here.

This is an institution and the end of an era. It happens. its sad. We wish them well in retirement.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
The initial three-year, $160.7 million contract with Falling Colors was signed in August 2017. Since the contract was inked, it has been amended 27 times and ballooned to nearly $493 million. It has also been extended to June 2022.
This year, Americans are expected to spend around $10.14 billion on Halloween, with $3 billion of that going specifically to candy. That works out to about $30.40 per person. While many households are comfortable spending a lot during this particular holiday, others would prefer to keep their Halloween spending to a minimum. By figuring out what kind of Halloween candy is the cheapest, you could prevent the holiday from being a budget buster. If youre looking for low-cost options, heres what you need to know.

What Kind of Halloween Candy Is the Cheapest?

Generally speaking, generic candy is going to be cheaper than name-brand alternatives. Additionally, less popular name-brand options typically come in below seasonal favorites like Snickers and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

If youre looking at the cost per piece, bulk bags almost always result in a savings. As a result, your cheapest options are typically bulk bags of generic candy, while small packages of popular name-brand options come with the highest per-piece cost, on average.

Here is a quick list of Halloween candies that are usually the cheapest:

Anything generic

Bit-O-Honey

Boston Baked Beans

Candy cigarettes

Dots Candy

Candy Jewelry

Circus Peanuts

Dubble Bubble Gum

Good & Plenty

Jawbreakers

Licorice

Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses Candy

Necco Wafers

Now and Laters

Smarties

Tootsie Pops

Tootsie Rolls

Wax Bottles

However, you dont necessarily have to skip name-brand candy entirely. By shopping the right sales, you can potentially get family favorites for competitive prices. While they still may cost a bit more generics, it could be worth the small splurge.

Finding Cheap Name-Brand Candy for Halloween

By shopping sales, you can find name-brand candy options for less. Overall, as the list above suggests, name-brand options that arent chocolate-based tend to be lower cost. By focusing there, you can potentially get higher-quality sweets for less.

However, that doesnt mean you have to skip name-brand chocolate candy entirely. You just have to shop strategically. If youre looking for Halloween deals on candy, here are a few worth checking out:

Target Halloween Candy

Target is also running a buy 1, get 1 25% off with same-day order services deal on some candy. If you focus on options that are part of that sale, you can save even more.

Walmart Halloween Candy

While Walmart doesnt have a deal tied to it, using their pickup service could make shopping for Halloween candy easier. If you need convenience, choose items that are available in your local store and reach the minimum purchase threshold to enjoy a free pickup option.

Party City Halloween Candy

All of the options above are part of the Party City 3 for $12 deal, too. Its a great way to save a bit more while shopping while getting a nice variety of treats.

Amazon Halloween Candy

If youre an Amazon Prime member, you may also get the benefit of free shipping, including same-day, one-day, or two-day service, depending on where you live. Just make sure you choose Prime shipping eligible products if you need candy quickly.

Costco Halloween Candy

Its important to note that the prices above may be higher than what you find in the Costco warehouses. Some items have a price increase online, with a lower non-delivered price available in store. As a result, heading to your local Costco to pick up your candy could potentially help you pay less.

Are you a fan of any of the lower-cost Halloween candies above? Do you know of any other Halloween candy thats cheaper than alternatives? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. Check out these helpful tools to help you save more. For investing advice, visit The Motley Fool.


In 2016, NASA's Juno space mission arrived at Jupiter after a five-year journey, carrying Junocam, a two-megapixel camera with a Kodak image sensor. This camera reveals more secrets about the planet. The evidence that JunoCam has managed to unearth since the probe reached Jupiter's orbit is summarized in a short movie embedded below.

Every Juno flyby has revealed new information about the planet. NASA and the Southwest Research Institute have made much of this information available on the mission's dedicated webpage. Astronomers may download raw data here and then process the photos themselves, interpreting colors and stitching together different photographs to send back to NASA for inclusion on the website.

NASA Shares Juno's Photographs

NASA has posted Jupiter's photographs on its official website using data provided from millions of kilometers away. The satellite photographed the dense clouds of dust mixing into one another, as well as Jupiter's famed huge red spot, which has been a raging storm for years.

Clouds & storms swirl on Jupiter. NASA, Juno Spacecraft

More:https://t.co/LRcH6QnOuw pic.twitter.com/JSgWaX3LIm  Black Hole (@konstructivizm) October 20, 2021

Republic World said Juno, interestingly, carried two kinds of historical and educational things in addition to nine scientific instruments. The first is a plaque supplied by the Italian Space Agency, which has a photograph of Galileo and an inscription written in Galileo's own handwriting in January 1610. Three LEGO mini-figurines depicting the Roman deity Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Galileo with a telescope are also included to encourage youngsters to pursue a profession in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

ALSO READ: NASA's Lucy Mission Going to Space Soon to Probe Jupiter's Weird Trojan Asteroids

NASA To Explain Juno's Revelation Soon

The scientists team will disclose new results that give the first 3D view at how the planet's churning atmosphere behaves underneath the top layers of clouds, NASA said in a brief statement. The space agency will also describe how these discoveries might help scientists learn more about the atmospheres of other big planets in the cosmos.

The ceremony will be broadcast live at 3 p.m. EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, the NASA website, and the agency's social media platforms: including Twitter and YouTube. People associated with the Juno project, which is examining Jovian weather systems up close, will be present in large numbers.

About Juno Mission

Juno is currently on a quest to learn more about the giant planet, Space.com said. In August, the probe celebrated its tenth year in orbit, and it is still going strong throughout its extended mission, which NASA authorized in early 2021. However, due to Jupiter's harsh radiation environment, Juno may not make it to the end of its intended extension in 2025.

Juno's recent discoveries include the discovery of bizarre new auroras at Jupiter, fresh information about a generation-long atmospheric "hot spot" enigma, and unparalleled data about the planet's atmosphere and storms.

RELATED ARTICLE: NASA's Lucy Space Vessel Set to Obtain New Astronomical Records in Trojan Asteroid Investigation Near Jupiter

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Mark R Lambert, West Virginia University

(THE CONVERSATION) Too many people are losing their lives in fires.

Although the number of people killed in fires in the United States has been going down since the 1980s, the number is still high. In the year 2020, for example, 3,500 people were killed in fires in the U.S. The vast majority of those deaths  2,580, to be exact, or about three out of every four  took place at home. Another 11,500 people suffered fire-related injuries at home.

I know all of this too well. Before I became director of the West Virginia University Fire Service Extension, I spent 23 years as a fire and explosion investigator for the West Virginia State Fire Marshals Office. In that position, I investigated approximately 1,000 cases in which people were killed or injured in home fires. As any fire investigator will tell you, I know that a lot of fire deaths and injuries can be avoided by following a few simple steps.

1. Get some smoke detectors

Smoke detectors reduce your chances of dying in a fire by 50%.

They can be purchased at department stores, hardware stores or online for as little as US$10. The more expensive models, which may cost closer to $100, have extra features, such as flashing lights or audio files where a parent can add a voice message telling their child to Wake up, the fire alarm is going off! Some can also detect carbon monoxide.

If you or your family cannot afford a smoke detector, you might be able to get one from your local fire department or your local American Red Cross for free. Most departments will also teach you how to install one.

2. Put a smoke detector on every level of your home

You should have at least one smoke detector on every level of your home. Ideally, there should be one in every bedroom, another one just outside of every bedroom, one in the laundry and furnace area and one in the attic.

Change the batteries twice a year. Do this even if you dont hear the detector chirp to let you know the batteries are low. Replace the smoke detectors every 10 years.

Firefighters have been stressing the importance of smoke detectors since 1973. Even so, 41% of all U.S. home fire deaths took place on properties where there was no smoke detector, and 16% took place on properties where the smoke detector didnt work.

In several cases, I have investigated fatal fires only to find the detector on the kitchen counter with no batteries in it.

3. Close bedroom doors

Research indicates that you are more likely to survive a fire if your bedroom door is closed.

Thats the reason why firefighters say you should install a detector outside of every bedroom, not just inside. If a fire breaks out outside your bedroom, you want to be awakened by a smoke detector, not actual smoke. Keeping your door closed gives you extra time in a smoke-free environment to escape a house fire.

4. Set up an exit plan

All members of the house should decide on an exit plan for each of their bedrooms. If you can get up and get out the normal way, through a front or back door, then take that route. Remember: If the door handle is hot, do not open the door. If flames or smoke block your path, you need to exit through your window.

Everyone should practice the plan and be familiar with it. Write the plan down and practice it when you change smoke detector batteries.

Your family should have a meeting spot outside  such as across the street, a tree or mailbox  where everyone should go once they escape.

5. Purchase a fire ladder

If you live on the second floor of a building or higher, you may need to purchase a fire ladder to safely escape through your window. These ladders can be rope or chain ladders with steps made of plastic or metal. You can purchase these at most home repair stores and online. They are already put together and ready to use.

Look for an Underwriters Laboratories (which is a global safety certification company) listed brand to purchase. Read the instructions that come with the ladder and be familiar with how to use it.

6. Exit first, then call 911

The time to call 911 is after you have exited your house. Once you are out of your house, you call tell the 911 dispatcher the exact location and any other information they may ask you for. The dispatcher may also want you to stay on the line until the fire department arrives  something you cant do if youre in a burning home.

7. Never re-enter a burning home

If your house is on fire, never reenter it for any reason until the firefighters say it is safe to do so.

I once investigated a case where a mother went back into the burning house to find her other children, and her toddler followed her. While the mom made it back out, the toddler did not. Your life is important. Let the firefighters handle the rescues.

8. Never leave a burning candle in a room by itself

If you light a candle and forget about it, it may cause a fire. This happens more often than most realize. In 2018, there were 7,500 candle fires in the U.S. In 16% of the candle fires, the candles were unattended or abandoned.

Be especially careful with candles during the holidays, which are the peak time for candle fires. This is because candles are often too close to holiday decorations, which can easily catch fire.

9. Dont sleep with space heaters

One of the leading causes of fire death is home heating. A vast majority of home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters, a 2021 home heating fire report states. Over half (54%) of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.

While technology in space heaters has improved over the past 20 years, never leave a radiant space heater unattended and never fall asleep with one on. I once had to tell a 9-year-old boy, two days after Christmas, that he lost his mother, father and sister in a fire that started because of a radiant space heater. One of the childrens blankets came in contact with the heater and started the fire. When possible, you should rely on the normal heating system for the home. Use space heaters with caution.

10. Get a fire extinguisher

The ideal extinguisher for the home is the multipurpose type that can put out fires of all different types, like electrical and liquid. These extinguishers are small enough that they can be easily handled and can extinguish or stall the fire until firefighters arrive. Familiarize yourself with how it operates prior to needing it for an emergency.

[Over 115,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.]

Experts disagree on whether young children should be trained on how to operate a fire extinguisher. The National Fire Protection Association, for example, says children should just focus on getting out of the home because they may not be able to handle a fire extinguisher or know how to react if the fire still spreads. A Detroit power company, however, says children from age 6 to 13 can be trained to operate a fire extinguisher as long as they can lift it and hold it.

Just like smoke detectors, you also should check your fire extinguishers twice a year to see that they are pressurized and functional.

If practiced as a family, following these simple steps could make the difference between whether you escape a house fire or become the next statistic.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/10-fire-safety-tips-to-help-keep-you-and-your-kids-alive-and-safe-169994.
Eduardo Munoz/AP

NEW YORK (AP)  Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa was hit by a yellow cab in midtown Manhattan on Friday, ending up with a fractured left arm, his campaign said.

Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder who is on Tuesday's ballot for mayor of New York City, was hit by a taxi near Rockefeller Center shortly before noon, senior campaign adviser Rob Cole said.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was accused in a criminal complaint Thursday of committing a misdemeanor sex crime, two months after he resigned under pressure in a sexual harassment scandal.

But prosecutors said Thursday they didn't know the document had been filed, and the woman's attorney said she hadn't been given a chance to decide whether she wanted to go through with a case.

The one-page complaint, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff's Office, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under a woman's shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The document didn't name the woman but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, at the executive mansion in Albany last year around that date.

The office of the county's district attorney, David Soares, which would handle any prosecution and was involved in the investigation, issued a statement saying it had been caught off guard by the filing.

"Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriffs Office against Andrew Cuomo, it said. The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.

The Times Union newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the complaint had been issued prematurely" before a final decision had been made about whether Cuomo would face charges.

The office of Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple didn't directly address that report, but confirmed in a statement that Albany City Court had issued a criminal summons ordering Cuomo to appear at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17.

The statement suggested it was court officials, not prosecutors or a law enforcement agency, that made the decision to issue the summons. It said sheriff's investigators had determined there was probable cause to present evidence to the court for their review to determine the most appropriate legal pathway moving forward on the investigation."

Cuomo's lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that the Democrat never assaulted anyone and that the sheriff's "motives here are patently improper.

Sheriff Apple didnt even tell the District Attorney what he was doing. But Apples behavior is no surprise given (1) his August 7 press conference where he essentially pronounced the Governor guilty before doing an investigation, and (2) his Offices leaking of grand jury information. This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics.

The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by up to year in jail and up to three years probation, with discretion for the court to impose lesser penalties including no jail time.

Commisso, an executive assistant for Cuomo, says he groped her when they were alone in an office at the governors mansion in Albany.

She said Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she prepared to leave. When she told him, youre going to get us in trouble, Cuomo replied, I dont care, and slammed the door, according to her account. Commisso said Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying once, I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.

Commisso's lawyer, Brian Premo, said in a statement to the Times Union that she hadn't been consulted about the criminal complaint.

It was my clients understanding that the district attorneys office was in agreement with the sheriffs department that it was going to conduct a thorough, impartial and apolitical evaluation of the case, and only after completion of the investigation, speak to my client to allow her to make an informed decision as to whether she would proceed as a victim in the case, Premo said. Like the district attorneys office, she was informed about this recent filing through media.

The Associated Press doesnt identify alleged sexual assault victims unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in interviews.

Commisso filed a complaint with the sheriff in August in the same week a report from state Attorney General Letitia James concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Other accusations outlined in the report range from planting unwanted kisses to asking unwelcome personal questions about sex and dating.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after the release of the report, marking a dramatic downfall for the third-term governor who had been seen as a beacon of sturdy competence during his daily COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the attorney general's report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose office is not involved in the criminal investigation, issued a statement saying her civil probe had been conducted without fear or favor.

The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report, she said.

James is said to be close to announcing a run for governor, multiple people with knowledge of her plans have told The Associated Press.

The complaint filed by the sheriff's department investigator said evidence in the case included police BlackBerry messages, cell phone records, building security records, Cuomo's flight records and a text message from his mobile phone. The complaint was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court as received Thursday.

Cuomos attorney, Glavin, has claimed records show the two were unlikely to have spent time alone during the period in question. Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, ridiculed Thursday's turn of events.

"'Accidentally' filing a criminal charge without notification and consent of the prosecuting body doesnt pass the laugh test and this process reeks of Albany politics and perhaps worse. The fact that the AG  as predicted  is about to announce a run for governor is lost on no one. The truth about what happened with this cowboy sheriff will come out, he said.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties also had said they asked for investigative materials from the attorney generals inquiry to see if any of the allegations could result in criminal charges.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee is completing a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo that began before he resigned. The also were looking at the administrations handling of COVID-19 data and efforts to rush COVID-19 testing for Cuomos inner circle in spring 2020.
WEITCHPEC, Calif. (AP)  Elizabeth Azzuz stood in prayer on a Northern California mountainside, arms outstretched, grasping a handmade torch of dried wormwood branches, the fuel her Native American ancestors used for generations to burn underbrush in thick forest.

Guide our hands as we bring fire back to the land, she intoned before crouching and igniting dead leaves and needles carpeting the ground.

Others joined her. And soon dancing flames and pungent smoke rose from the slope high above the distant Klamath River.

Over several days in early October, about 80 acres (32.4 hectares) on the Yurok reservation would be set aflame. The burning was monitored by crews wearing protective helmets and clothing  firefighting gear and water trucks ready. They were part of a program that teaches Yurok and other tribes the ancient skills of treating land with fire.

Such an act could have meant jail a century ago. But state and federal agencies that long banned cultural burns in the U.S. West are coming to terms with them  and even collaborating  as the wildfire crisis worsens.

Wildfires have blackened nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 square kilometers) in California the past two years and more elsewhere amid prolonged drought and rising temperatures linked to climate change. Dozens have died; thousands of homes have been lost.

Scientific research increasingly confirms what tribes argued all along: Low-intensity burns on designated parcels, under the right conditions, reduce the risk by consuming dead wood and other fire fuels on forest floors.

To the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa in the mid-Klamath region, the resurgence of cultural burning is about reclaiming a way of life violently suppressed with the arrival of white settlers in the 1800s.

Indigenous people had their land seized, and many were killed or forced onto reservations. Children were sent to schools that forbade their languages and customs. And their hunter-gatherer lifestyle was devastated by prohibitions on fire that tribes had used for thousands of years to treat the landscape.

It enriched the land with berries, medicinal herbs and tan oak acorns while killing bugs. It opened browsing space for deer and elk. It let more rainwater reach streams, boosting salmon numbers. It spurred hazelnut stems and bear grass used for intricate baskets and ceremonial regalia.

Now, descendants of those who quietly kept the old ways alive are practicing them openly, creating good fire.

Fire is a tool left by the Creator to restore our environment and the health of our people," said Azzuz, board secretary for the Cultural Fire Management Council, which promotes burning on ancestral Yurok lands.

"Fire is life for us."

PERSECUTION AND PERSEVERANCE

Nine years ago, Margo Robbins got a facial tattoo  two dark stripes from the edges of her mouth to below her chin, and another midway between them. It once was a common mark for Yurok women, including her great-grandmother.

I got mine to represent my commitment to continuing the traditions of our ancestors, said Robbins, 59, whose jokes and cackling laugh mask a steely resolve.

She would become a leading voice in the struggle to return fire to her peoples historical territory, much under state and federal management. The more than 5,000-member tribes reservation courses along a 44-mile (70.8-kilometer) stretch of the Klamath.

Since 1910, when infernos consumed more than 3 million (1.2 million hectares) western acres, federal policy had considered fire an enemy. Only you can prevent forest fires, Smokey Bear later proclaimed in commercials.

They considered tribal people arsonists, didnt understand the relationship between fires and a healthy forest, said Merv George, 48, a former Hoopa Valley Tribe chairman who now supervises Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in Northern California. I heard stories of people getting thrown in jail if they were caught.

But when George joined the U.S. Forest Service as a tribal relations manager in 2008, western wildfires were growing bigger and more frequent; officials knew something needed to change.

Two national forests  Six Rivers and Klamath  joined a landscape restoration partnership with the Karuk tribe and nonprofit groups. It released a 2014 plan endorsing prescribed, or intentional, burns.

A year earlier, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, had approved a small cultural burn on Yurok land.

It was a victory for Robbins. As a young girl of Yurok, Hupa and Irish descent, she learned the basketry fundamental to her native identity. Tribes use baskets for gathering food and medicinal plants, trapping eels, ceremonial dancing, cradling babies, even prayer.

Weaving is really, really soothing. It's kind of like medicine for your soul," she said, displaying finely crafted baskets at a Yurok firehouse near the village of Weitchpec.

But weaving materials had become scarce, particularly hazel wood. Burns in bygone days helped the shoots grow straight and strong. Under no-fire management, hazel was stunted by shrubs, downed trees, matted leaves.

With grandchildren on the way, Robbins wanted them carried in traditional baby baskets. She needed tribal forests to produce high-quality hazel once more. That meant fire.

After the state-sanctioned Yurok small burn, Robbins and other community members established the Cultural Fire Management Council to push for more.

They allied with Karuk and Hupa activists and The Nature Conservancy to create the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network, which conducts training burns that have drawn hundreds of participants from across the U.S. and other countries. It has expanded into Oregon, Minnesota and New Mexico.

It's really exciting and gives me a lot of hope that the tide is changing, Robbins said. We revived our language, our dances, and now, bringing back fire, we'll restore the land.

FINALLY BEING HEARD

To prepare for the one this month in the Klamath region, Yurok leaders studied weather forecasts, scouted mountainous burn areas, positioned water tanks, uncoiled fire hoses, equipped and drilled 30-plus crew members.

As Azzuz finished her ceremonial prayer, the wormwood that coaxed the first flames was replaced with modern drip torches  canisters of gasoline and diesel with spouts and wicks. Team members moved quickly along a dirt trail, flicking droplets of burning fuel.

Smoke billowed. Flames crackled and hissed. Tangles of green and brown foliage were reduced to ash. Young Douglas firs that squeeze out other species were another target.

But larger trees  oaks, madrones, conifers  were largely unscathed, aside from patches of scorched bark.

Its beautiful and black, Azzuz exulted. By next spring, there will be a lot of hazel shoots.

Hour by hour, torch bearers moved down the slope, igniting swaths of forest floor. Co-workers in radio contact watched firebreaks, ready to douse or beat down stray flames.

There were young and middle-aged, native and non-native, novices and veterans  some from area tribes, others from far away.

Jose Luis Dulce, a firefighter in his native Spain and Ecuador, said he wanted to help revive Indigenous techniques in Europe and South America. Stoney Timmons said his tribe  the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of California  wants to host its own training session next year.

I'm getting some good lessons to take back, Timmons said.

The exercise was especially satisfying for Robert McConnell Jr., who spent years with Forest Service wildfire crews, attacking from helicopters and driving bulldozers. Now a prescribed fire specialist with Six Rivers National Forest, he works with fire instead of against it.

I get to feel like I'm Indian again when I get to burn," he said. It's encoded in my DNA. It's like there's a spark in my eye when I see fire get put on the ground.

As shadows lengthened, cheery yips gave way to shrieks: Log! Log! A chunk of flaming timber jounced down a sharply angled slope, smacked onto a two-lane road and hurtled into a thicket below, igniting brush along the way.

Although crew members quickly extinguished the flames, the runaway log was a reminder of the jobs hazards.

Nick Hillman, 18, his face glistening with grimy sweat, was unfazed. I know my ancestors want me to be doing this," he said.

When Yurok forestry director Dawn Blake helped light the hillside, she felt a connection with her grandmother, who wove baskets and set fires in the area long ago.

Weve been talking and begging about doing this for so long, just spinning our wheels, said Blake, 49. It feels like were finally being heard.

BIGGER AMBITIONS

But tribes want to go beyond training exercises and family burns on small plots. Theyre pushing to operate throughout the vast territories their ancestors occupied.

My ultimate goal is to restore all this land back to a natural state, said Blaine McKinnon, battalion chief for the Yurok Fire Department and a leader of the recent cultural burn.

Relations with federal and state authorities have improved, but complaints persist about permits denied, burns postponed and heavy-handed oversight.

Cultural fire leaders say pledges of cooperation from agency higher-ups arent always carried out by local officials, who fear dismissal if fires get out of hand.

Its a fair point, said Craig Tolmie, chief deputy director of Cal Fire, which struggles to balance the tribes desires for more fire with opposition from a jittery public.

People have really been traumatized and shocked by the last two fire seasons, Tolmie said.

Under state laws enacted this year, tribal burners and front-line regulators will work more closely, he said. One measure requires his department to appoint a cultural burning liaison and provide training and certification for prescribed fire burn bosses.

Another makes it easier to get liability insurance by raising the bar for requiring burn professionals to pay for extinguishing out-of-control fires  a rarity but always a risk. Lawmakers also budgeted $40 million for a prescribed fire insurance fund and tribal burn programs.

Still, prescribed burns alone cant rid forests of more than a centurys accumulation of woody debris, Tolmie said, arguing that many areas should be pre-treated with mechanical grinding and tree thinning before fires are set.

Ancient wisdom and scientific research show otherwise, said Chad Hanson, forest ecologist with the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute in California. Regulators are trying to extort tribes by making cultural burns contingent on logging, he said.

Bill Tripp, the Karuk tribes natural resources director, said the solution is empowering tribes to handle prescribed burns while Cal Fire and the Forest Service focus on suppressing wildfires.

The mid-Klamath area is ideal for a teaching center where cultural burners could guide us into a new era of living with fire, said Tripp, who learned from his great-grandmother and was setting small blazes in his remote village by age 8.

Tribes are uniquely positioned to train younger generations about stewardship-oriented fire management, said Scott Stephens, an environmental policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Wed need literally thousands of people doing this burning to ramp it up to a scale thats meaningful, he said.

Talon Davis, 27, a member of the Yurok crew, welcomed the opportunity to show the world what good fire is. He is Robbins son-in-law; his own toddler has been carried in her baskets, as she wished.

This is how were supposed to care for Mother Earth, he said. Put fire back on the ground, bring our home back into balance.

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Associated Press reporter Gillian Flaccus contributed to this story.

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Follow John Flesher on Twitter: @JohnFlesher

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NEW YORK (AP)  Gordon Wood has engaged in many debates during his long and celebrated career, but rarely had he been confronted so starkly as by fellow scholar Woody Holton last weekend at the Massachusetts Historical Society.

The two American Revolution historians had been billed to discuss their most recent books and their differing views of the country's origins. But midway through the 60-minute event the subject turned to The New York Times' 1619 Project, the Pulitzer Prize winning series from 2019 that placed slavery at the center of the American narrative. The mood soon resembled less a spirited, but academic gathering than a court of law, with Wood on the stand.

Holton's allegation: Wood's criticism of the 1619 project, which he and four other historians have condemned for saying the preservation of slavery was a primary reason the colonists sought independence, helped make credible the current backlash from such Republican politicians as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, along with school boards around the country.

You did an open letter putting that project beyond the pale, outside the wire, and making it vulnerable to the attack by these demagogues," Holton told Wood, who appeared startled but reiterated his criticism of the Times and 1619 project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones even as he acknowledged the language he objected to had since been modified to some of the colonists wanting independence over fears of slaves aligning with the British.

You are a founding father, Professor Wood, of a massive campaign of censorship. You're not the most responsible, but the five of you are responsible. And that's why, right now, I want to ask you to write another open letter to Sen. Cotton, and to Gov. DeSantis, and to all the other demagogues who are using your letter to ban the 1619 project, to say, I am Gordon Wood, and damnit, I am not in favor of censorship."

During a telephone interview a few days later, Wood called the debate a disaster," said he was blindsided by Holton's attack and that Holton was carrying out his role as the primary defender among historians of the 1619 project. Asked if he found any positive qualities in the series, which includes essays on politics, culture, criminal justice and religion among other subjects, he criticized it for encouraging a sense of victimhood" and feeling aggrieved that he called understandable but self-destructive" in the long run.

The letter Holton asked for will not be written.

"I had no idea of what DeSantis was doing," he said of the Florida governor, who has labeled the 1619 project critical race theory and backed the state's board of education's decision last summer to ban the book from classrooms. It's out of my hands. We can't do our historical research ... (worrying) that it might be misused by politicians.

Hannah-Jones declined comment through a spokesperson for the Penguin Random House imprint One World, which next month will publish a book-length edition of the project.

Wood and Holton already have books out this fall: Woods Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution is a brief summation of his views on the Revolution that centers on the country's political, economic and legal foundations. Holtons Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution is a 700-plus page account that, as its subtitle indicates, seeks to broaden the traditional story of the countrys founding beyond Washington, Jefferson and other leaders to include the contributions of women, Black and indigenous people among others.

Authors providing blurbs for Liberty is Sweet" include Hannah-Jones (His book rightly decenters the almost exclusively white revolutionary narratives that weve all been taught) and Pulitzer Prize winner Annette Gordon-Reed (A deeply researched and bracing retelling of the origins of the American Revolution). Wood, in his blurb, called it a spirited account of the Revolution that brings everybody and everything into the story.

Wood, 87, is likely the most honored living scholar of the American Revolution  Hes Muhammad Ali, the 62-year-old Holton says of him  and he has become a prime target for historians who see him as the embodiment of a traditional, top-down view of the countrys origins. During their debate at the historical society, Wood and Holton repeatedly disagreed on the role of slavery in the Revolution, especially the importance of a 1775 proclamation by the Virginia royal governor, the Earl of Dunsmore, offering freedom to any enslaved person who joined the British cause.

An act of sheer desperation, Wood called it.

It was a desperate measure, Holton agreed, but one that resonated. He backed his argument by handing Wood a printout of dozens of tweets he has sent in recent weeks (he plans 76 in all) that show evidence of ties between Blacks and the British and how it frightened white colonists.

I know you're not on Twitter, Holton said.

Wood does not see himself as a triumphalist or champion of any great white man and says he follows no agenda beyond where the scholarship leads him. He calls the Revolution both ironic and tragic. He has portrayed it, most famously in his Pulitzer Prize winning The Radicalism of the American Revolution, as having a profoundly democratizing effect on the new country, well beyond what Washington and other leaders had desired.

He said he objects to the 1619 Project and to some of Holtons book because he believes they apply contemporary standards to the past. During the debate, Wood praised Holton as a superb narrator of military battles, but said he was misguided in other ways. He cited Holton's emphasizing that the vast majority of Americans in the early years, notably women and those enslaved, were unable to vote, when the same was true virtually everywhere in the world.

He does see the past through modern eyes," Wood said. Woody's a good activist-historian who wants a usable past to solve problems in the present.

Wood and Holton dont just disagree about the 18th century, but about last weekend. Holton said that Wood had no reason to feel blindsided because they had discussed ground rules, raised the subject of the 1619 project and agreed only that it shouldn't be the primary focus of conversation. Holton's memory was backed by Massachusetts Historical Society President, Catherine Allgor, who moderated the event, and by Gavin Kleespies, the society's director of public programs.

Both showed the AP notes they took  showing references to the 1619 project  when Holton and Wood met prior to the debate.

I'm blindsided that he said he was blindsided, Allgor said.

Holton and Wood, who at the start of the debate greeted Holton as my old buddy, have met before. In 2013, they debated at the University of Carolina over the influence of capitalism on the framing of the Constitution. They had been on friendly terms. Holton told the AP during a recent interview that he had reached out to Wood in hopes of receiving a blurb from him for Liberty Is Sweet and called him a really decent person when not arguing his own historical viewpoints.

Wood said he found Holton very charming, but also a little underhanded.

I get along with the guy and I like him, he added, but now I'm not so happy.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greeces prime minister said Friday he is concerned that the Wests calm response toward Turkish actions is encouraging it to behave in an unacceptable manner.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the statements after a meeting with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Athens on a final official visit.

I fear that Western composure encourages Turkish arbitrary actions, and it is time for European principles to be turned into European policy and mainly into European practices against those who offend it, he said.

Neighbors and NATO allies Greece and Turkey are at odds over a series of issues, including territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea that divides them, and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Tension increased significantly in 2020 over energy exploration rights which led to warships from the two countries shadowing each other. Athens also denounced Turkey in March last year when it announced its borders to Europe were open and encouraged migrants to head to European Union-member Greece.

No one is seeking a definitive rupture in relations between the European Union and Turkey. It would not be something that would be beneficial to Europe or to Greece or, ultimately, to Turkey, Mitsotakis said.

Turkey has been an official candidate to join the bloc for more than two decades, but relations there have also occasionally been strained.

I believe that Turkey as a NATO member and Turkey as our neighbor should be treated in such a way that we make it clear that it is in our interest to have reasonable relations with Turkey, Merkel said. Even with disagreements that we have, for example, even on human rights issues.

Germany has stressed in the past that dialogue is key in improving relations with Turkey. Greece insists it is open to dialogue with its neighbor, but that a similar will must exist on both sides. Turkey has also said it is willing to talk, and the two are engaged in a series of low-level confidence-building discussions.

On the one hand, Greece extends a hand of friendship; on the other, Greece will be the first to defend its sovereignty and its sovereign rights if that feels that they are being violated in any way, Mitsotakis said.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Prime Minister Ariel Henry condemned gangs and kidnappings in a prerecorded address posted Friday in which he also reassured Haitians that the country was not running out of fuel despite severe shortages that have frustrated millions and sparked recent strikes.

Its the first time Henry has acknowledged those issues in a public address since the Oct. 16 kidnapping of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group.. The 16 Americans, one Canadian and their Haitian driver were abducted amid a spike in gang-related kidnappings that police are struggling to control.

If they do not stop their wrongdoing, the law will apply to them, Henry said in his message. The only option for bandits and all their sponsors is imprisonment or death if they do not want to change professions.

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that kidnapped the missionaries, including five children, has said he would kill them if his demands are not met. Haitian officials have said the gang is seeking $1 million per person, but that it wasnt clear if that included the children, the youngest of whom is 8 months old.

Henry did not mention the abduction of the missionaries, but denounced kidnappings in general, saying, All those who take the Haitian people hostage, terrorize the population, are the enemies of the people.

He also condemned those who are helping criminals by giving them weapons, ammunition and money, including all those who deal with them so that they can take power. They are all enemies of the Haitian people, and we are treating them as enemies.

Henry noted that he became prime minister roughly three months ago following the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and found a country torn, divided, with a state in tatters whose democratic institutions are dysfunctional.

"The nation lives under the thumb of bandits. Citizens cannot leave the capital to go to the south. The countrys economic situation is dire. Inflation and high cost of living keep their hold on national life. The budget deficit has reached an unprecedented level and the gourd (currency) continues to drop sharply against the US dollar.

The prime minister spoke days after a widespread strike led to schools, businesses and public transportation to shut down in the capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond to protest the lack of fuel and the countrys worsening situation. Gangs have been blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals, with at least one gang leader saying he would lift the blockade if Henry stepped down.

Henry said ships are waiting to unload fuel and that the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, would not run out of gas. He added that he has created a crisis unit with top officials from finance, justice, police, public works, trade and other departments to find a quick solution" to the fuel distribution problem.

He said the government has already placed additional fuel orders and said police have created a security corridor to the fuel supply center. He said the airports, Coast Guard boats and some hospitals and telephone companies have already received new fuel shipments and that police escorts are available for truck drivers who fear they will be kidnapped or killed.

He said he would not share further details to guarantee the operation's success.

The shortages have affected hospitals, ambulances, schools, public transportation and many other parts of daily life.

This is really catastrophic, said Solon Cledion, director of a private school in Port-au-Prince, in a telephone interview. The day-to-day is difficult. ... We wonder how long this is going to last.

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders said that its trauma hospital in Tabarre has been forced to limit patients and is only treating life-threatening emergencies. The aid group relies on generators due to ongoing power outages in Haiti.

Without fuel, we cant run our hospital, Dr. Kanoute Dialla, the hospitals manager, said in a statement. We are doing our best to maintain our activities by adapting them from day to day, but this situation is unsustainable.

Henry acknowledged the dire situation, noting that patients with COVID-19 who depend on respirators are among those who are at risk of dying if fuel is not available. In his speech, he congratulated one man who he said drove through dangerous communities to transport fuel and oxygen to a hospital and saved the lives of 60 patients.

The prime minister also announced that the office of the judge overseeing the investigation of the president's slaying had been attacked. He did not provide details but said authorities are searching for those responsible. The previous judge in the case stepped down for personal reasons a day after one of his assistants died under unclear circumstances.

Henry said he is aware of people's anger and that his administration is addressing the country's multiple problems.

To all those who have legitimate demands, who have declared they are fed up with inflation, poverty and insecurity, I guarantee that their voice is heard by the government, he said. Gangs are our enemies. No real solution to the countrys problems will emerge if we do not arm ourselves with the courage to fight and eliminate this scourge.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta said Thursday that Africa is at a crossroads, poised on one hand to reap the economic benefits of its youthful population and economic reforms but facing the spread of terrorism and insurgency on the other that are challenging almost all 54 nations on the continent.

Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo pointed to multiple threats to the territorial integrity of some African countries, many civilians facing serious threats, and instability in some nations complicated by the interests of different actors not only within conflict areas but also from outside the continent.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also cited worrying trends in Africa -- too many countries where the military has seized power and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has exacerbated poverty, inequalities and all the drivers of conflict.

Their briefings to a virtual meeting of the U.N. Security Council on cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union shone a spotlight on the challenges and conflicts facing the continent, where less than 5% of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kenyatta, whose country holds the council presidency this month and chaired the meeting, said the aftermath of the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and split the country between rival governments, the rise of al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist groups, and the emergence of domestic terror groups funded by international actors pose grave socio-economic challenges for Africa.

This has been exacerbated by a recent surge in coups which we thought we had left behind, and the pandemic which has reverse economic gains and plunged a large number of Africans back into poverty that they had escaped from following the last two decades of economic growth, he said. The effects of climate change are also increasing social and economic fragility, and escalating resource conflicts, he said.

Like the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, Kenyatta said the vacuums" created by these negative events have precipitated new external actors intervening, which has often further deepened the crisis and drawn in geopolitical rivals.

And these rivalries are unfortunately at the cost of African lives and our stability., the Kenyan president said.

Ghanas Akufo-Addo pointed to whats happening in the Sahel, the Lake Chad region, and parts of east, north and central Africa where ongoing conflicts, the destabilizing activities of terrorists and extremists, the profiteering activities of purveyors of conflict, and the devastating effects of climate change and COVID-19 have resulted in a deadly cocktail with dire consequences for our socio-economic, political and security situation.

In recent months, he said, some parts of Africa have seen further instability, citing the overthrow of constitutional governments in Mali, Chad, Guinea and now Sudan as notable culprits.

Guterres noted a host of worrying developments from coups, the continuing conflict in Ethiopias norther Tigray region, and the impact of COVID-19 to a proliferation of militias and the persistent threats of terrorism and violent extremism from al-Qaida, the Islamic State and Boko Haram.

Despite these negative trends, the U.N. chief pointed to a number of hopeful developments in Africa including a peaceful and inclusive election in Burkina Faso, and peaceful transfers of power in Niger and Zambia following presidential elections.

In his briefing, read by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Guterres praised the African people, saying they are determined to work relentlessly for a more prosperous, sustainable and peaceful continent.

He cited the U.N.s work with the African Union and others to support the cease-fire agreement in Libya and prepare for December elections and its support for AU-led negotiations on the contentious issue of the dam Ethiopia is building on the main tributary of the Nile River which Egypt and Sudan say will cut critical water supplies. He said U.N. missions and country teams in Africa also support peace initiatives and political transitions -- including in Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Kenyas Kenyatta and Ghanas Akufo-Addo both said the African Union has taken action aimed at preventing conflict, promoting peace and pushing back against terrorist groups. The AUs Silence The Guns campaign to end conflict on the continent has been extended from 2020 to 2030.

What has been lacking, however, is global solidarity and burden sharing, the Ghanaian president said.

He called for stepped up U.N.-AU consultations, including to address the root causes of conflicts singling out the lack of jobs for young people and the exclusion of women, and to promote the AUs use of preventive diplomacy.

Akufo-Addo noted that over 70% of conflict issues on the Security Councils agenda relate to Africa and while prevention is less celebrated, $1 spent in preventing a conflict is worth a little over 10 times its value in resolving a conflict once its broken out.

Kenyatta called for bold action by the U.N., AU, and regional groups to renew Africas security architecture.

Together, we can enable African states and regions to overcome insecurity in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, central Africa, and in countries dealing with dangerous insurgent and terrorist groups, he said.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Two sheriff's deputies accepted new cars and an ownership stake in an operation that illegally sold more than $13 million in pot grown for Maines medical marijuana program, federal prosecutors said.

Two other law enforcement officers and a prosecutor aided the operation by providing intelligence and tipping off participants, prosecutors said.

Federal documents unsealed Wednesday when one of the defendants pleaded guilty revealed an elaborate program in which marijuana that was grown in western Maine for registered caregivers was sold outside the program, with profits being laundered through a corporate structure.

Twelve people were charged in the 14-count complaint, including a Rangeley select board member, an assistant district attorney, two Franklin County sheriff's deputies, an Oxford County sheriff's deputy and a Wilton police officer.

The Franklin County deputies accepted ownership interests and cars in exchange for confidential information, according to the complaint. The prosecutor allegedly tipped off a corrupt police officer about the investigation, and two other officers allegedly warned the Franklin County deputies they were under surveillance, the complaint said.

The president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association said the alleged involvement of officers was very upsetting."

"The Maine Chiefs of Police Association has always stood for equal application of the laws to everyone in the state of Maine and we are confident in the next phase of the judicial system to adjudicate this case accordingly, said Augusta Police Chief Jared Mills.

Randal Cousineau, 69, of Farmington, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to illegally cultivate and sell more than a ton of marijuana and more than 1,000 marijuana plants, according to the documents.

While Cousineau had a 50% stake in the business, the leader of the operation was allegedly Lucas Sirois, 41, of Farmington, prosecutors said.

Sirois, who made his initial court appearance Thursday in Bangor, worked with his tax preparer to file false income tax returns to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, prosecutors said.

Timothy Parlatore, attorney for Sirois, said his client was engaged in a legal marijuana business and took great steps to ensure that he was acting in accordance with Maine law. The federal charges were based on the words of a disgruntled former employee, he said.

Parlatore said he'll seek to stop the prosecution based on the conflict between state and federal law. Maine has long had a medical marijuana program, and the sale of recreational marijuana began last fall. But marijuana continues to be illegal under federal law.

What hes doing is legal under state law. This is not something the feds should be involving themselves with, he said.

The attorney for Sirois' estranged wife, Alisa Sirois, who is charged with conspiracy and bank fraud, said federal law has failed to keep pace with changing times.

This case cries out for a less antiquated approach to drug enforcement, said attorney Ronald Bourget. The war on drugs may still be ongoing, but the white flag on marijuana was raised years ago.

As part of the scheme, a Rangeley select board member was paid tens of thousands of dollars to advance a marijuana ordinance that Sirois himself had drafted to a town referendum, prosecutors said.

Walt McKee, an attorney who represents Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Kayla Alves, said she is innocent and that it was disappointing to see her dragged into all of this. And an attorney for the accountant denied the allegations, as well.

An attorney representing one of the deputies said the defendant should not be prejudged based on the one-sided federal version of events.

Attorneys for the other defendants didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
LONDON (AP)  Queen Elizabeth II has been advised to rest for at least the next two weeks, accepting doctors recommendations to take on only light duties and not travel, Buckingham Palace said Friday.

The decision comes days after the 95-year-old sovereign underwent medical tests and spent the night at Londons King Edward VIIs Hospital, her first such stay in in eight years. Elizabeth has continued to work since then and will press on with desk-based duties, but will skip the Nov. 13 Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, an event meant to honor the British and Commonwealth men and women who have fought wars, disasters and pandemics to protect and defend the nation.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Talks to hammer out a new ruling Dutch coalition broke the record Friday for the longest post-election government formation negotiations  226 days and counting.

The previous Dutch record was held by the last government, which was made up of the same four parties currently trying to broker agreements on a policy blueprint for a new four-year term.

The drawn-out talks reflect the fractured Dutch political landscape that emerged from the March 17 general election in which 17 parties won at least one seat in the 150-seat lower house of parliament. Leaders also are seeking to bridge ideological differences ranging from how to tackle the climate crisis to euthanasia policy.

There are more talks next week and probably more after that, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Dutch broadcaster NOS as he headed into coalition talks Thursday. There's a lot of work to be done.

After months of stop-start negotiations involving parties from across the political spectrum, the talks have narrowed down to the same four parties, led by three-term prime minister Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, that formed the last coalition.

Rutte's previous administration resigned shortly before the election to take political responsibility for a scandal involving the country's tax department wrongly labelling as fraudsters thousands of parents claiming child benefits.

Despite his resignation, Rutte remains popular among Dutch voters and his conservative party again emerged victorious from the elections, winning just under 22% of the vote. That means he is in line for a fourth term as prime minister and set to become the country's longest-serving leader.

On Friday, he was holding talks with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in The Hague ahead of the G-20 meeting in Rome and the United Nations climate summit known as COP26, both of which Rutte is attending.

In September, Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag, who was part of the Cabinet that quit in January, resigned again from her caretaker role over the chaotic Dutch evacuations from Afghanistan following the Taliban's power grab.

But Kaag remains leader of the second biggest party in parliament, the centrist, pro-European D66, and is a key player in the ongoing coalition negotiations.

In the absence of a coalition, Rutte's last administration is governing in caretaker mode  meaning it can't make major policy decisions.

It does, however, continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and ministers were meeting Friday to discuss what measures are needed to rein in a recent surge in infections.

While it has taken a long time to form the government, the Dutch still have a way to go to beat the record of neighboring Belgium. In December 2011, Belgium cobbled together a government after 541 days of negotiations.
Photography by Yosef Kalinko

"I am inspired by the universitys long-standing Jesuit pedagogy and the dedication for social justice and progress. This tradition is emphasized within the curriculum and empowers students to become advocates for creating a just and humane world." -Daniel Tamayo

Daniel Tamayo is a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and serves as President and Executive Board Chair of the Seattle University Graduate Student Council. His passion for public service and advocacy has drawn him to participate in student and local government since he was an undergraduate. He took some time to discuss more in depth about how his passion for affecting change through public policy along with a keen interest in health care brought him to SU.

Q. What drew you to pursue your DNP?

After completing my Bachelor of Science in Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I was interested in pursuing a career in public policy, but I felt a strong attraction to the clinical health field. I decided to immerse myself in the environment by working as an emergency room medical scribe. During this experience, I was able to partner with a variety of providers, ranging from physicians (both MD and DO), physician associates, registered nurses and nurse practitioners. I was able to witness the genuine care and the resilience nurses and providers had, and it encouraged me to follow in their footsteps, so I began a search for a school that incorporated my passion for public health advocacy and the clinical aspect of health care.

I applied to many schools, but I was attracted to SU because of the innovative Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion to DNP program. It is a pathway for me to experience the compassion of bedside nursing care and incorporate that knowledge in my scholarship and as a provider. I am inspired by the universitys long-standing Jesuit pedagogy and the dedication for social justice and progress. This tradition is emphasized within the curriculum and empowers students to become advocates for creating a just and humane world.

Q. What do you look forward to most about your role as Graduate Student Council President?

I am fortunate to be serving as the Graduate Student Council (GSC) President and Board Chair. The mission of GSC is to improve the graduate student experience at SU through collaboration and to support the needs of our diverse graduate student population.

This past year has been filled with challenges and many adjustments. Despite these trials, we overcame these obstacles with fortitude and grace. My goal as President is to reaffirm our commitment to student advocacy by communicating the needs and ideas of the graduate student body to university administration.

Our council will be addressing the following topics:

Emphasizing equity, diversity and inclusion in the university curriculum and demographic population

Expanding post-pandemic services, including mental/physical health services, student support and financial aid

Community building and networking through collaboration with campus organizations and local businesses

Encourage campus engagement and active advocacy through frequent surveys and evaluations

Q. What are your plans and career goals after you graduate?

My plans after graduation are to work in a primary care clinical setting and leverage my role as a nurse practitioner to advocate for mental health resources in public policy. Mental health illnesses have been increasing in prevalence, especially after the struggles of the pandemic. I am grateful for the many students and faculty that I have had the privilege of meeting during my studies and I express my gratitude to SU for assisting me in solidifying my vocation.
State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, listens to a briefing from Lt. Rick Reeder, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Post 90, during a ride-along Oct. 5 in Milan.
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Black people in California are more than three times likelier than members of other racial groups to be seriously injured or killed in encounters with police, according to a review of data from a recent four-year period.

The report by the San Francisco-based Public Policy Institute of California found that African Americans, who comprised less than 6% of the states population during the study period, accounted for more than 18% of those seriously hurt or killed by police, based on records of the states 15 largest law enforcement agencies from 2016 through 2019.

During the same period, the report said, white people, who were 37% of the population, made up 31% to 34% of serious injuries and fatalities; Latinos were 39% of the population and the same percentage of those seriously hurt or killed, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders accounted for 15% of the population and just 2% to 3% of serious injuries and deaths.

Similarly, the study said, Black people who were stopped by police were more than 3.2 times as likely as white people to have an officer aim or fire a gun at them. The report found similar racial differences among those shot and wounded or killed by law enforcement officers during the four-year period.

The disparities lessened, however, when other factors were considered, such as whether officers were responding to calls for police assistance  more likely to result in injuries or deaths  and whether the person targeted by police was reasonably believed to be armed, as well as differences between police departments. Comparing those stopped or arrested by the same police agency in the same period, the report said, Black people were 64% more likely than white people to be injured or slain by police.

Officers may respond to riskier environments with greater force, the report noted. It reached no conclusions on whether the statistics reflected racial bias.

About 195 people each year were fatally wounded by police in California, most of them by gunfire, accounting for nearly 10% of all homicides in the state, the report said. It said 80% of those shot by officers during the four years were armed with a weapon, usually a gun or a knife.

Another finding was that more than 40% of those hospitalized for nonfatal gunshot wounds by police had been reported by the officers to be showing signs of mental illness or the effects of drug or alcohol. Those figures, the report said, support recent state legislation, AB118, funding local pilot programs for social and psychological workers to respond to mental health emergencies instead of police.

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.

California, which previously barred nearly all public disclosure of police records, has moved toward greater transparency with a 2018 law, SB1421, that unsealed records of police wrongdoing, the report said.

It said lawmakers took another step toward accountability with recent legislation, SB2, that allows a state commission to decertify officers for serious misconduct so that they cannot move from one police agency to another. Another law, AB392, which took effect last year, tightened standards for police use of deadly force, allowing it only when an officer reasonably believed it was necessary to prevent death or serious injury.

It will be important to understand how these shifts affect the racial disparities in use of force, the report said. Addressing stark racial disparities in police interactions and use of force, particularly for Black people, will be vital.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
UPDATE: COVID vaccines for kids are now at Walgreens and CVS. Here's how to schedule an appointment in the Bay Area.

Mark Aselstines two children, ages 6 and 10, have been back in school since late 2020, and while the family is grateful for the classroom experience, at times its been nerve-racking. A note of a possible exposure to COVID-19 arrived on just the third day.

My oldest son has moderate to severe asthma, said Aselstine, who lives in El Cerrito. Weve been dealing with modified quarantines and possible modified quarantines for almost a full school year now.

Adding to their COVID risk profile, his wife is a high school counselor who sees many more people on a daily basis than most adults do, Aselstine said.

So when a federal advisory panel recommended Tuesday that children ages 5 to 11 be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, the Aselstines were excited. The next day the childrens doctors office, Berkeley Pediatrics, released appointments for a vaccination clinic on Nov. 6. Aselstine hopped on the phone and after a half-hour wait was able to book appointments.

Its a relief, he said. Weve seen family and friends with kids over the age of 12 and have seen their lives kind of restart in a way that people who have been more COVID-cautious with kids younger than 12 havent been able to do yet.

An advisory panel for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that all children ages 5 to 11 be vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC was expected to adopt the guidance shortly, giving a formal green light to the Pfizer vaccine authorized by the Food and Drug Administration last week. The first shots could be administered in California Wednesday or Thursday, after a Western states advisory group weighs in.

Here is a rundown of how other Bay Area health providers are handling booking options for kids.

County health departments prepare to expand eligibility

Bay Area county officials encourage parents to reach out directly to their pediatricians first. But some counties are being particularly proactive.

At a news conference Wednesday, Santa Clara County officials announced the county will receive vaccine doses by Nov. 3 or 4, and parents would be able to book appointments at sccfreevax.org starting Oct. 28. The city of Milpitas announced on its Facebook page that it will host a vaccine clinic for kids 5 and older on Nov. 7, no appointment necessary.

San Francisco has four school-based sites that can administer up to 250 vaccines a day. The county tends to wait to open appointments until all relevant authorities have authorized the vaccines, but because of the huge demand for the 5-11 vaccines it might allow bookings before the full authorization process  which includes a sign-off by a Western states vaccine advisory group  has been completed.

Alameda Countys health department is partnering with the office of education to add clinics at school sites, prioritizing nine districts with low vaccination rates. By mid-November, the county-operated clinics will be able to accommodate vaccines for the younger age group with weekend hours.

Brittany Hosea-Small/Special to The Chronicle

In Sonoma County, the health department is working with the Sonoma County Office of Education on school-based clinics, targeting areas with high case rates, a high number of English learners and lower vaccination rates, according to a spokesperson. These school sites will be for drop-in residents.

Solano County says once the California Department of Public Health has released guidelines about vaccines for kids 5 to 11 years old, parents can walk in or make appointments at the countys vaccine clinics. The county will also host pop-up clinics at schools, churches and community centers.

Marin County said scheduling at its public health clinics will eventually be accessible through MyTurn, and the county plans to push out information through schools so parents know the best locations and times. A vaccine clinic at Northgate Mall in San Rafael will also handle pediatric doses.

San Mateo County will make pediatric vaccine appointments available at its county clinics once the federal and state authorization process resolves.

Major pharmacies and health care providers

Most major health care providers, pharmacies and county clinics are waiting for official approval from the CDC and do not yet have details of when parents can start scheduling COVID vaccine appointments. Spokespeople for CVS, Walgreens and Sutter Health said they will wait until receiving official guidance and approval before doses will be administered for the 5 to 11 age group. It is possible that not all pharmacy locations will offer vaccines for young children.

Kaiser Permanente said it expects to receive the first supplies of COVID-19 vaccine during the first week of November. Parents should be able to schedule appointments through the online portal starting early next month.

Pediatricians offices

Not all pediatricians have firmed up plans for vaccines, but some that got in early orders for doses may be ready to go next week.

At Berkeley Pediatrics, the outdoor flu clinic just wrapped up and will be converted for COVID vaccines, according to Dr. Olivia Lang, a pediatrician at the practice. Lang said the practice was able to place an order for 300 doses about two weeks ago. Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, a message went out to patients offering appointments.

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.

Every line lit up until ... the time we closed our doors, she said. This morning we had a line of families waiting outside of our door because they couldnt get through yesterday.

Lang said theyve started scheduling appointments for a second clinic on Nov. 20. She said Saturdays work well because it is convenient for parents and doses can be batched so there is no waste.

The staff at Golden Gate Pediatrics, which has locations in San Francisco and Mill Valley, is also preparing to host Saturday vaccination clinics even though they havent started booking appointments yet, CEO Mike Gangel said. The first one could be Nov. 6, and the practice has the capacity to vaccinate 1,000 to 1,200 patients in one clinic.

Were ready to get rolling with it, Gangel said. This will fill a big step as far as moving this pandemic along.

Brittany Hosea-Small/Special to The Chronicle

Lang noted that the pediatricians office isnt the only way to get vaccines, so parents should check with their school districts, public health departments and local pharmacies.

I tell my patients that I know they are very eager, and to be patient, she said. After the initial frenzy, it does become much, much easier to get a vaccine.

She also suggested not calling their pediatricians office over and over, since it can clog up the phone lines and disrupt regular care.

So what are Aselstines sons looking forward to when theyre fully vaccinated?

My kids really want to go to a Warriors game, he said, chuckling. It makes all the stuff feel more possible.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang
An Oakland oral surgeon was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in federal prison for attempted sex trafficking, possession and attempt to produce child pornography, and traveling to Cambodia with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children, authorities said.

Cassidy Migan Lavorini-Doyle, 38, entered into a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to the charges in May, according to officials with the U.S. Attorneys Office Northern District of California in San Francisco. His attorneys could not be reached for comment on Thursday afternoon.

Federal prosecutors said he admitted that in 2018 he met with an adult sex worker in Berkeley and asked her to arrange sex dates with underage girls. Authorities said he arranged with the sex worker the date, location and payment for the conduct with the girls, whom he thought to be 12 and 14 years old. Lavorini-Doyle videoed the encounters without them knowing, authorities said, and labeled the video file names as 14 yo and 12YO. Authorities said one of the two was later determined to be 18 years old.

Lavorini-Doyle also admitted in a plea agreement to asking a woman he saw in a Walnut Creek parking lot on the evening of Dec. 6, 2019, if she would accept $30,000 so he could buy her two daughters, aged 10 and 11, for the night, authorities said. The woman yelled, No, and called 911, officials said. He admitted in the plea agreement that he intended to engage in sex acts with the children, authorities said.

The day after the parking lot incident, Lavorini-Doyle admitted he traveled from San Francisco to Cambodia to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children. Before departing, authorities said, he withdrew $10,000 in cash from his bank account, and purchased zip ties and duct tape at Home Depot and a digital camera and memory card at Target.

While Lavorini-Doyle was still in Cambodia, law enforcement officials searched his Oakland home and seized a number of electronic devices. Law enforcement officials seized more devices when he landed at San Francisco International Airport on Dec. 12, 2019, authorities said. Officials recovered more than 100 child pornography videos that he downloaded, which showed sexual conduct and abuse involving toddlers and children younger than 12 years old, authorities said. A review of his cellphone showed that he made plans to engage in commercial sex acts with a minor while in Cambodia.

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.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Lavorini-Doyle to a lifelong term of supervised release when he is released from prison after serving his sentence.

Authorities said a restitution hearing is scheduled to be held in 90 days.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
San Francisco police said Thursday they believe two recent shootings in the Haight-Ashbury and Hayes Valley were connected to gang activity, although they are still investigating as the neighborhoods reel from an unusual succession of violent incidents in recent months.

In the latest shooting that occured Saturday evening, a suspect drove up and fired shots into the victims car, which was stopped at a red light near Buchanan and Haight streets in Hayes Valley, police said. The victim is still in critical condition in the hospital.

I dont think it was a random incident, San Francisco police Lt. Bassey Obot told residents during a virtual community meeting hosted Thursday by Supervisor Dean Preston. Obot said the citys Community Violence Reduction Team  formerly called the gang task force  seemed to know the players involved.

It was not just an act of random street violence that occured, Obot said. I know that sometimes doesnt make us feel any safer, but you can know it wasnt someone just showing up out of nowhere and shooting the first person that they see, it wasnt an attempted armed robbery.

Police havent arrested any suspects.

The day before, another shooting occurred on Central Avenue between Waller Street and Haight Street in the Haight-Ashbury. Bullets sprayed buildings on Friday afternoon and damaged a window at Ritual Coffee Roasters, which was closed at the time. One injured person showed up at San Francisco General Hospital later and remains in critical condition.

Police said they also believe there was some gang element involved in this.

It seems to be that it was two rival groups of folks that happened to see each other in that area and they decided they were going to go for each other and were all armed, said Captain Christopher Pedrini. Its unfortunate and it was tragic.

Police found a black SUV will bullet holes believed to have been used in the crime, but have not yet made any arrests.

The city says it is working to address the root causes of gang-related violence.

Arturo Carrillo, head of the citys Street Violence Intervention Program, said outreach workers canvas hotspot neighborhoods, schools and housing projects where young adults are at risk of violence. In Prestons district, that includes Hayes, Webster, Divisadero and Fillmore streets and Golden Gate Avenue. The group talk to young people and helps them with education, employment, a drivers license, substance use or mental health treatment.

Police said Carrillos group responded to the recent shootings, but didnt mention what, if any, follow-up action was taken.

The shootings followed two other violent incidents last month.

On Sept. 8, an unhoused 65-year-old man died after being stabbed multiple times at Haight and Shrader streets. Pedrini said the homicide unit is investigating that case, working on leads and processing evidence, but no arrests have been made.

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.

On Sept. 6, a 19-year-old man was shot and permanently blinded after an altercation on the 500 block of Haight Street, police said.

Police arrested suspect Ronald Melbourne in that shooting and the District Attorneys office charged him with eight felony counts, including six for violent felonies, according to a representative from the office Thursday. Melbourne remains in custody and his next court date is Nov. 17.

Such violence, including shootings, are rare in the district but still a cause for concern, Pedrini said.

Even one shooting is too many, he said.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench
GREENVILLE, Plumas County  Almost nothing recognizable remains of the three-bedroom house where Carey Russell once played with his two young children in this Sierra Nevada town.

The cinder block foundation is heaped with ash and twisted metal, its rectangular frame only a suggestion of the structure it once supported. The backyard, where Russell barbecued ribs and tri-tip, is a sea of rubble.

Russell had cherished living in his neighborhood right along Highway 89, which becomes Crescent Street as it passes through the tiny town of Greenville. His younger son and daughter, 7 and 9, lived down the street with their mother, his ex-wife. Their front doors were 150 steps apart.

Fighting back tears as he returned recently to Crescent Street for the first time since the behemoth Dixie Fire barreled through in August, Russell, 49, kicked over ashen piles in the ruins. He was hoping to find the American flag that flew over the Pentagon when he retired from the Navy in 2012, after more than 20 years of service. But after a few tense minutes, he gave up the search.

Despite living in the flame-prone Sierra for years, despite seeing worsening blazes flatten other Sierra communities, Russell thought his town could withstand the threat of wildfires.

You always want to think it could never happen to you, he said.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Even as the community looks toward rebuilding and recovery, Russell isnt sure if he can bear living in Greenville anymore.

And hes not alone.

As the Dixie Fire calmed down, The Chronicle visited Greenville and two other Sierra towns to witness how wildfires have changed life on the front lines of Californias evolving climate crisis. One town is rebuilding from a historic fire. One was just decimated. And the third has escaped catastrophe  at least for now.

Fueled by more than a century of poor forest management and the more recent effects of climate change, the big blazes of recent years are making life difficult even for those whose homes havent burned.

Smoke polluted the Sierra skies for extended periods this summer and last. Insurance for many homeowners has become harder to find and more expensive to retain. In some areas, the housing market is tighter and costlier than it was just a few years ago.

Communities throughout the Sierra fire zones are facing difficult decisions: Should they improve evacuation routes? Can they expedite forest thinning? How do they keep their economies healthy amid the frequent threats?

Few places have been as hard hit as a swath of Californias mountainous northeast region where wildfires have set records multiple times in recent years.

The 2018 Camp Fire was the states deadliest, killing 85 people, and most destructive, burning down about 18,800 buildings and nearly wiping Paradise off the map. The Dixie Fire, which started not far from the Camp Fires origin point, is now the second-largest in modern state history and 14th-most destructive. Last years North Complex, which leveled the town of Berry Creek southeast of Paradise, was the fifth-deadliest, fifth-most-destructive and seventh-largest wildfire.

Statistics, though, dont tell the full story. Thousands of people in places like Paradise, Greenville and the Plumas County town of Quincy are struggling, making hard choices about whether to attempt to forge a more resilient community or abandon the fire zone altogether.

PARADISE: A town recovering

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Jason Buzzards white-and-black house on the east side of Paradise, his hometown, looks as new as it is. The unblemished structure, completed last year, is surrounded by a yard with sparse greenery. Except for one corner, where hes built an oasis of lush trees, grass for his three dogs to play on and even a small pavilion with a hammock, the perfect spot to read a book on a warm summer afternoon.

Buzzard, 37, obtained the first permit to rebuild a home in Paradise after the town was destroyed by the Camp Fire. More than two years later, few of his neighbors have followed him. Standing in front of his porch around sunset late last month, Buzzard pointed at several properties around him.

Before the fire, there was a house. There was another one. And another.

Now, theyre mostly patches of dirt, with a few remaining trees.

Still, to Buzzard, its home.

I dont feel the need to move, he said. Were young enough to where we can wait for the town to rebuild.

Buzzard and his family are living in a community thats much smaller than it was before the Camp Fire, which destroyed about 14,000 homes, most of them in Paradise. About 1,300 single- and multi-family homes have been rebuilt and about 2,300 more are in the pipeline. The towns mayor estimates its population at about 6,200  nowhere near the 27,000 people who lived there previously.

Buzzard is a real estate agent whos seen the fire upend the local housing market. The average selling price of a house in Paradise has shot up more than 35% since the fire, as demand far outstrips supply, according to data he pulled.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Housing costs have soared even as insuring them has become increasingly difficult. Mayor Steve Crowder rebuilt his Paradise home about a year and a half ago, and he said he used to pay about $900 per year for insurance. Now he pays $1,500.

While Paradise rebuilds, the existential threat of extreme wildfires persists. Last year, the town was placed under an evacuation warning because of the nearby North Complex fire. This year, the Dixie Fire sent smoke over Paradise for weeks.

One of Buzzards clients, a woman who was supposed to relocate to town a few months ago, backed out while in escrow. She was spooked by the Dixie Fires long burn. Hes heard of others who sold their Paradise houses because they didnt want to deal with smoke anymore.

While he knows more people may make similar decisions  they cant bear the idea of living in a place frequently imperiled by flames or covered by smoke  Buzzard cant conceive of walking away from the town where he and his daughter were born and where his wife grew up.

Besides, he reasons, climate change is escalating extreme weather threats just about everywhere.

Where else am I gonna go? he said.

Around town, neighborhoods once filled with houses surrounded by ponderosa pines and other vegetation are now more open, with far fewer trees and many empty lots. But new dwellings punctuate the landscape, and more are being built.

The towns infrastructure is changing, too. Pacific Gas and Electric Co.  which caused the Camp Fire and pleaded guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter  is burying power lines.

The town is also installing a sewer system on some of its main roads to replace septic systems that constrained business growth. Several businesses that survived the fire, like Starbucks, are still up and running. Tractor Supply Co. opened a new location in Paradise. Grocery Outlet, which burned down, reopened in a former CVS site.

Most critically, town residents and officials say theyre all paying laser-sharp attention to wildfire issues. Theyre removing burned trees at risk of falling on new structures. Theyre trying to maintain more defensible space to give homes their best shot at withstanding the next fire.

We want to be known as a fire-safe town, Crowder said. We dont want to be known as the town that burned down.

GREENVILLE: A town destroyed

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

The house had been in Karen Morcombs family since 1912, when it was purchased by her great-great-grandfather, the gold miner Duncan McIntyre. He acquired three homes as Christmas presents for his daughters-in-law. Morcombs house on Main Street in Greenville, purchased with a $10 gold coin, was one of them.

It was a stately home, with six bedrooms and three bathrooms on 3 acres. Morcombs great-grandfather eventually added nine outbuildings, several of them part of his electric company, which PG&E bought decades ago.

Its all gone now.

Morcomb, 62, inherited the home when her grandmother died in 2008. She had been living there for two years when the Dixie Fire raced into town Aug. 4, destroying most of the buildings in Greenville.

Walking around her driveway on a recent afternoon, Morcomb didnt hesitate on whether she would rebuild.

Im 100% certain I will rebuild, she said. What Im gonna rebuild, I dont know. I dont need nine outbuildings anymore.

Morcombs family is rooted in Greenville. Her daughter lived down the street, and two of her cousins were nearby, too. All of them lost their homes in the Dixie Fire.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Greenville was among Plumas Countys poorest communities, said Margaret Garcia, a local fiction writer and reporter for the Plumas News website. Almost everyone who lived there worked somewhere else. Or they were retired.

Garcias mother lived just outside Greenville, and while her home survived the Dixie Fire, she couldnt bear being evacuated for several weeks. So Garcias mom has already relocated  to Missouri. Shes renting her house to people who lost their own in the fire.

Even though Plumas County is one of Californias most affordable areas, the region was already feeling squeezed by the states notorious housing crunch before the Dixie Fire. Affordable homes were getting harder to find, and when they did become available, they were scooped up almost immediately. Houses that used to sell in the $200,000 range a few years ago now go for closer to $350,000 or more.

Before the fire, the county was in the middle of a housing crisis, Garcia said. The fire just exacerbated it.

Those who choose to rebuild will confront problems common in Northern California communities devastated by wildfires. Once debris is cleared, residents could face steep construction and home insurance costs. Many people may end up on the California Fair Plan, the states insurer of last resort.

The Dixie Fire affected Garcia directly, incinerating the office she shared with another local writer in a historic central Greenville building. She and her husband had also recently purchased 8 acres on the edge of town and were preparing to move their tiny home to the land when the Dixie Fire burned everything on it.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

When the fire torched her property, Garcia thought she would sell the land. But surveying it after the fire, she isnt so sure anymore.

I have always thought Greenville had a lot of potential, Garcia said. I used to call it the poor mans Calistoga.

She has long believed that the town, with its historic buildings dating back to the Gold Rush and nearby hot springs, had untapped potential as a tourist destination.

Garcia is now leaning toward staying on her property, continuing to transform it into her ideal home, with enough space to host writers retreats. But she could change her mind.

For now, shes living in her tiny home parked at her mothers former house outside Greenville. She spends her days working in nearby Quincy, which has escaped destruction by major wildfires two years in a row.

Some local leaders fear that towns luck may not last much longer.

QUINCY: A town threatened

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

On a hillside overlooking Quincys high school on the east side of town is a large painted Q. Its been there for many years, a symbol of local pride for the schools students and the nearly 2,000 people who live in Quincy. But the Dixie Fire changed the landmark letter.

The Q is now painted orange and red, with a white stripe in between. Red is the color of Quincys local high school. Orange is for Greenvilles high school, in honor of students displaced by the fire who now go to school in Quincy.

Its just one of many ways Quincy has been visibly affected by recent wildfires, even though the town remains intact.

Other signs include the firefighter camp set up just outside town at the Plumas County Fairgrounds. There was also the seemingly relentless smoke the past two years. And there were the flames from both the North Complex and Dixie fires, their orange glow visible from Quincy at times.

Greg Hagwood, Quincys county supervisor and the former Plumas County sheriff, is acutely aware of how close to destruction his longtime home has come. Standing on his fathers red painted patio on a recent blue-sky day, Hagwood could point to the spot on the horizon where the Dixie Fire had burned toward town.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Then he turned around and pointed in the other direction. Thats where, on the other side of a hill, the North Complex had burned toward his dads house.

Everything around Quincy has burned, Hagwood said on an earlier phone call. I can look out of my backyard and see the burned trees on the crest of the hill behind my house. Its gotten very close to burning this town down three out of the last five years. Its really, really frightening.

Quincy, like Greenville, started as a Gold Rush town, built on land inhabited by the Maidu tribe. It has a quaint downtown sprinkled with coffee shops, an old-fashioned movie theater and the Plumas County Museum. There are only two stoplights in the area.

Even before the Dixie Fire displaced most of Greenvilles residents, Quincys housing market was stressed. Rentals were nearly impossible to find, Hagwood said, and housing costs have risen substantially.

Insurance companies have made life more difficult for some Quincy residents, too. Hagwoods parents, who have lived in Quincy for decades, received two insurance cancellation notices in two years, though the second was nullified by a state moratorium on such practices.

It has the potential to really create an inventory of houses that people cant afford to insure, Hagwood said.

Hagwood is also concerned about the economic pain the rainy season will bring. The Dixie Fire burned intensely along Highways 70 and 89, the two main routes connecting Quincy to the rest of California.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

The atmospheric river that soaked much of Northern California over the weekend triggered a slide that blocked Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon about 24 miles west of Quincy. Its not clear when the road will fully reopen.

Hagwoods 81-year old father, Joe, was ready to evacuate all summer. Inside his house, lonely hooks on the walls indicated where Joe had removed family photos, ready to put them in the car if he had to flee.

Though the town is safe for now, the family, like many others in Quincy, is still trying to process what happened to nearby Greenville.

The people here could not imagine Greenville being allowed to burn, Joe Hagwood said.

Now officials are concerned Quincy might one day follow in Greenvilles footsteps.

Quincy was pretty lucky this year, to be frank, said Ryan Bauer, forest fuels and prescribed fire program manager for the Plumas National Forest. The same thing could have happened in Quincy if the fire moved into the wrong place.

DECISION: Stay or go?

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Back in Greenville, Russell, the Navy veteran who lost his home on Crescent Street, grappled with what he would do next.

He had lived in his house only since April 2019. Two months after he moved in, he lost his oldest son, who passed away at age 28 from a rare kidney disease hed had since he was a teenager.

Russell never finished unpacking his boxes. But things were getting better before the Dixie Fire swept through town.

I was just starting to get through the grief process and feel like I could reconnect and stay here, Russell said.

The day he came back to Crescent Street for the first time after the fire, Russell pulled over for a while in a nearby town to think about what his future in Greenville would look like if he chose to stay.

He decided that his goal in returning to town was to get some semblance of, do I still feel connected?

Standing before the ruins of his house on a sunny September afternoon, Russells answer was clear.

I dont, he said. I dont think I can reconnect.

His younger son and daughter are in Susanville with their mother. Russell thinks hell probably end up in Reno, about an hour and a halfs drive away, so he can still see his children often. As much as he loved Greenville, the town he knew and loved is effectively gone now.

Its time, for him at least, to move on.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
Six years ago, an excavator punched a hole in an earthen levee, sending a torrent of San Pablo Bay water across 1,000 acres of ranchland. It was a dramatic first step toward turning the clock back 150 years, before the natural wetlands were diked and drained to be farmed for hay.

But bay waters have been chewing at the boundaries of this recovering tidal region, a critical buffer between rising waters and infrastructure like Highway 37, a main artery for roughly 40,000 North Bay motorists each day.

Now, excavators are back at Sears Point Ranch to build a new type of living shoreline levee designed to stave off erosion.

A crew of engineers and scientists working with the Sonoma Land Trust came up with a novel plan to create a series of wave shadows by forgoing traditional rock and concrete riprap and instead building a living shoreline levee with salvaged logs, recycled gravel and other mostly natural materials to allow essential native salt marsh plants to take root.

By the time these materials biodegrade, scientists hope that native tidal vegetation and sediment will have had time to build into a 6-foot-deep cushion between increasingly powerful tidal pressures and upland infrastructure, said Julian Meisler, baylands program manager at the Sonoma Land Trust.

This is not the first line of defense, this is the only line of defense for Highway 37, Meisler said.

Generations ago, tidal marshes lined San Pablo and San Francisco bays, absorbing the forces of storms surges and high tides. Most of those marshlands were diked and transformed for farming, salt ponds and other industries.

In 2005, the Sonoma Land Trust purchased the 2,327-acre Sears Point Ranch, once considered for a casino project, to begin creating a tidal preserve for native species, migratory birds and recreational trails.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Today, the former hay ranch is alive with abundant shorebirds. The land transitions from muddy carpet for tiptoeing egrets to a rippling watery habitat at high tide studded with mounds of native grasses and pickleweed.

But the tidal marsh is in its early stages, and waves started cutting deep benches into the slope of the marshlands near an innermost levee, Meisler said. At risk are railroad tracks, working farmlands, a recreational trail system and the highway itself.

The crew is now placing several hundred eucalyptus and Douglas fir logs into trenches dug into the muddy marsh floor. Workers are anchoring the logs with cables and pinning them into the mud with coyote brush branches. They are adding repurposed gravel to create a gentle slope on the eroded scarp behind the logs, creating a gravel beach for more native grasses to grow.

The hope is that these structures will absorb enough of the waters forces to allow native marsh grasses to establish and spread. The California Wildlife Conservation Board is funding the $900,000 project to build this 2.5-mile living levee.

Native plants like the Pacific cordgrass and pickleweed provide the muscle for sea level rise adaptation, said John Callaway, a wetlands restoration ecologist at the University of San Francisco. Thousands of blades and stems anchored with deep roots can absorb a profound amount of energy from tidal forces and storms.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

They do that by holding volumes of sediment that collect over time and are crucial for taking on pressures from storms and rising seas, Callaway said. Though naturally occurring sediment is in dwindling supply from the rivers and creeks feeding the bay, agencies are turning to mud dredged from the bays shipping channels to help build these tidal buffers.

The more those wetlands can grow and gain elevation with plant and sediment buildup, the more resilient the bays shorelines will become, Callaway said.

With fires and everything people have experienced over the last few years, people are much more aware that climate change isnt something to think about in 50 years, its happening now, Callaway said. And we need to prepare for it immediately.

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The log structures arent entirely natural, but they are made to mimic a kind of woody infrastructure that bolstered wetlands in the past. Generations ago, before the Sacramento River was diked and channeled and reconstructed, a Douglas fir could topple over into a rushing winter creek in the Sierra Nevada and eventually end up hundreds of miles away in San Pablo Bay.

Today it takes big machines to get those logs to the wetlands. Meisler said Caltrans and Pacific Gas and Electric donated logs removed from roadsides, utility line clearing or salvaged from burn zones, saving the land trust about $130,000 in materials and labor.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Theres no guarantee the living shoreline system will work, Meisler said. And it could take five or 10 years to see the results.

But a clue to the power of these grasses lies just over the levee to the west. Rolling grasses and rust-colored pickleweed cover 830 acres from reclaimed ranchlands flooded in 1996 by the land trust and the California State Coastal Conservancy.

The eye hardly detects water beneath the lush green, red and yellow vegetation with flitting red-winged blackbirds. Meisler said it could taken another 10 or 20 years to see the marsh rebound, but they have natural forces in their corner.

The more we try to stop these powerful forces, the more we get into trouble, Meisler said.

Julie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @juliejohnson
Famed San Diego-based craft beermaker Stone Brewing Co.s Napa taproom and brewery has closed after three years in downtowns historic Borreo Building. On Oct. 15, a Napa Superior Court judge ruled that the landlord, West Pueblo Partners, could evict the brewery known for its super-hopped IPAs for failing to make rent payments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Stone Brewing confirmed the ruling with The Chronicle.

The closure, which resulted in job loss for 40 employees, is a culmination of a months-long rent dispute between the brewery and its landlord. West Pueblo Partners moved to evict Stone in March, claiming that the brewery owed, at the time, roughly $211,000 in unpaid rent dating back to November 2020. Stone Brewing argued that a provision in its lease protected it from events outside of its control, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and filed a lawsuit in response.

In a statement to The Chronicle, a spokesperson for Stone Brewing said its planning to vigorously appeal the courts ruling. The brewery, the statement said, sent partial rent payments during periods of mandated shutdowns, in addition to the full amount of rent for the months after the orders were lifted, but ownership refused the payments. The company believes that its lease terms should have protected its payment deferrals during the pandemic.

Like many commercial tenants throughout Napa and California, we tried to work with West Pueblo Partners to mitigate the impacts of COVID, the statement said. They were unwilling to work with us.

Kevin Teague, a partner in West Pueblo Partners, said that he and his partners try to work with tenants but they believe that Stone Brewing chose to stop making its rent payments even though it had money. He pointed to the brewerys expansion plans over the last year. The partners plan to bring the Borreo building back to life, Teague added.

While they argued they should be able to continue to operate their business in the Borreo building while not paying us rent, we think it should be no surprise that a court would disagree, Teague said.

Stone Brewing is just one of many commercial businesses that have gone to battle with landlords this year over rent interruptions during the pandemic. Last year, Gap and Simon Property Group, the countrys biggest mall owner, settled a lawsuit over an alleged $107 million in unpaid rent for its Market Street location in San Francisco, while nearby Nordstom, H&M, and Saks were all sued over alleged miss rent payments.

It was a short run in Napa for the craft brewery, which is the ninth-largest craft brewery by volume in the United States, according to the Brewers Association 2021 report. It opened in May 2018 in the Borreo Building, a stone property built in 1877. While Wine Country might seem like an odd choice, the brewerys co-founder Greg Koch was a frequent visitor to Napa for three decades and had reportedly been eyeing the property for several years before finally signing the lease. Before Stone, Borreo had been vacant for 15 years.

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Stones presence in Napa Valley gave the regions small, local beer scene a boost in legitimacy and drew both locals and tourists.

Still, even before the pandemic, the brewery faced challenges. Napas beer scene struggled to compete with neighboring Sonoma, home to Russian River Brewing and more than two dozen craft breweries. And in 2019, Stone Brewing closed two locations, one in Berlin (the location filed for bankruptcy), and one in Shanghai, which shut down early in the pandemic last year. Stone Brewing currently has multiple locations in the San Diego area, in addition to one in Pasadena and Richmond, Virginia, respectively.

Jess Lander is a freelance wine, food, and travel writer based in Napa Valley and the author of The Essential Napa Valley Cookbook. Instagram: @willwrite4wine

This story has been updated to include a statement from West Pueblo Partners and to correct the date of the Napa Courts ruling. It was Oct. 15, not Oct. 27.
ROME (AP)  Leaders of the Group of 20 countries gathering for their first in-person summit since the pandemic took hold will confront a global recovery hampered by a series of stumbling blocks: an energy crunch spurring higher fuel and utility prices, new COVID-19 outbreaks, and logjams in the supply chains that keep the economy humming and goods headed to consumers.

The summit will allow leaders representing 80% of the global economy to talk  and apply peer pressure  on all those issues. Analysts question how much progress they can make to ease the burden right away on people facing rising prices on everything from food and furniture to higher heating bills heading into winter.

Health and finance officials sat down in Rome on Friday before presidents and prime ministers gather for the G-20 on Saturday and Sunday, but the leaders of major economic players China and Russia won't be there in person. That may not bode well for cooperation, especially on energy issues as climate change takes center stage just before the U.N. Climate Change Conference begins Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Here's a look at some of the economic issues facing G-20 leaders:

THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY

The International Monetary Fund says the top priority for the economic recovery is simple: speed up the vaccination of the world population. Yet big headlines on vaccine cooperation may not be forthcoming at the Rome summit.

Health and finance officials there warned of a two-track recovery, with vaccine and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back.

Efforts to speed vaccinations were short $20 billion (17 billion euros) needed to pursue a goal of 40% of the world vaccinated by years end and 70% by the middle of next year, said Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund.

The increasing divergence between developing and developed countries would be a major strategic risk for the rest of the world, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

The G-20 countries have supported vaccine-sharing through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Donated doses are coming in at a fraction of what is needed, and developed countries are focused on booster shots for their own populations.

For the developed world, rising consumer prices and government stimulus to help economies bounce back may be a topic at the G-20. But central banks, not presidents and prime ministers, tend to deal with inflation, and stimulus spending is decided at the national level.

GLOBAL TAXES

One major economic deal is already done: The G-20 will likely be a celebration of an agreement on a global minimum corporate tax, aimed at preventing multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes.

All G-20 governments signed on to the deal negotiated among more than 130 countries, and it now faces an ambitious timeline to get approved and enacted through 2023.

U.S. President Joe Biden has tied his domestic agenda to it  creating a global minimum tax can allow the United States to charge higher taxes without the risk of companies shifting their profits to tax havens. U.S. adoption is key because so many multinational companies are headquartered there.

The agreement also helps remove trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe. It allows nations including France, Italy and Spain to back off digital services taxes that targeted U.S. tech companies Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Biden goes to the G-20 with his tax and economic agenda still subject to congressional negotiations. That means he will be unable to show that the U.S. is leading on global corporate taxes, though his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said G-20 leaders understand the nature of congressional talks.

Theyll say, Is President Biden on track to deliver on what he said hes going to deliver?' And we believe one way or the other, he will be on track to do that, Sullivan said.

HIGH ENERGY PRICES

The summit offers an opportunity for dialogue on high oil and gas prices because it includes delegations from major energy producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, major consumers in Europe and China, and the U.S., which is both.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to participate remotely.

Perhaps the most important thing the G-20 could do is to tell those among them that are major energy suppliers that they should think about their future, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.

If energy prices are too high in the developed world, it will only speed up the move away from fossil fuels, which is ultimately, in the long run, bad for the suppliers, he said.

The White House says Biden intends to engage with other key leaders about energy prices, with oil recently hitting a seven-year high in the U.S. at over $84 per barrel and the international Brent crude benchmark reaching a three-year peak at over $86.

We are definitely in an energy crisis, there is no other way to put it, said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis at Rystad Energy and an expert in oil market demand.

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But he said its unlikely the G-20 can take any decision that has immediate impact."

So far, Saudi-led OPEC and allies including Russia, dubbed OPEC+, have ignored Biden's pleas to increase production faster than its pace of 400,000 barrels per day each month into next year.

In one bright spot, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state-controlled company Gazprom to pump more gas into storage facilities in Europe, where prices have quintupled this year and fears have spread about winter shortages.

But producing nations are in a powerful position, Galimberti said. There is no one who can put pressure on OPEC+.

SUPPLY CHAINS

Biden will press for countries to share more information about troubles with supply chains that have slowed growth in the developed world. Port and factory closures, shortages of shipping containers and rising demand have contributed to backlogs at ports and delays for deliveries of everything from bicycles to computer chips used in smartphones and cars.

Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, said the president would push for more transparency about identifying logjams with other governments: How do we know, at every level, where there may be bottlenecks or breaks in the supply chain so that we can quickly respond to them?

Trade expert Chad P. Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, agreed that sharing information can be helpful but said theres very little anyone can do" now about the backups over a lack of shipping containers.

Longer term, leaders can discuss efforts to diversify supply of key goods such as masks, other medical protective equipment and semiconductors.

There is a call to diversify some production of semiconductors geographically away from Asia, Bown said.

The U.S. and the European Union are talking about finding ways to incentivize chip production at home without starting a subsidy war  for instance, by agreeing on which sectors of the semiconductor industry each side would seek to attract.

___

Boak reported from Washington.
What does San Francisco need even more than dense, affordable housing near jobs and transit? It needs a Board of Supervisors that wont sabotage any and seemingly all earnest attempts to deal with this citys housing crisis.

On Tuesday, by an 8-3 vote, San Franciscos supes rejected the environmental review of a plan to build a new 495-unit mixed-income tower in the South of Market area, barely a block away from a BART stop  citing concerns over gentrification. Was the site for this proposed development  which would have included over 100 units of affordable housing  a single-room occupancy, low-income or senior housing complex?

Nope. It was a valet parking lot for a luxury department store.

In the memorable words of state Sen. Scott Wiener: When San Francisco does something like this, it puts the proverbial turd in the punch bowl.

In rejecting the plan, the board took the exceedingly rare step of overriding the wishes of the local supervisor, Matt Haney, who was supportive of the development. Political experts and reputable sources have suggested political hackery might be at play. Haney is running against former supervisor David Campos for the Assembly District 17 seat, which was vacated when David Chiu was named city attorney last month.

This is at least partly about punishing Matt Haney for running against Campos, San Francisco State University political science Professor Jason McDaniel told The Chronicle. They see it as a betrayal.

If true, that some supervisors were even partially motivated by payback in their decision, it is so outrageous as to be disqualifying from holding public office. The task of fighting Californias housing, homeless and climate crises (for all of which dense housing near transit is an essential solution) has no margin left for error, let alone time to indulge the petty political grievances of a provincial band of do-nothings.

California housing department Director Gustavo Velasquez told The Chronicle that his agencys attorneys will investigate the boards decision to see if any laws were broken. If so, the state could then use various levers to force the board to reverse its decision.

Good. State intervention is both welcome and necessary. San Francisco is clearly unable to govern itself when it comes to issues of housing. Mayor London Breed was rightfully outraged by the boards decision, declaring it is no way to run a city. Thankfully, she has the power to do something about it.

Not about this particular redevelopment, unfortunately. Any hope of expediting that process now lies with the state investigation. But the mayor does have a formidable tool for expanding the citys housing options at her disposal. Her planning department has responsibility for preparing the citys upcoming housing element  a state-required plan that forces cities like San Francisco to rezone to make room for new housing. If Breed had any intention of playing nice to try and earn support from housing-averse supervisors, she should throw that out the window. City planners should be as aggressive as they can in formulating the housing element, supervisor objections be damned.

They can look to Los Angeles for inspiration, which just developed a housing element that rises to the challenge of meeting that citys housing needs. It does so by encouraging rezoning based on actual development patterns, not just hitting paper targets that have no basis in reality. This is exactly the kind of bold action San Francisco needs.

Breed has the upper hand in this process. If supervisors fail to certify her housing element, the state can impose financial penalties. Beyond that, state controls will kick in that make it easier for affordable housing developers to sidestep local zoning codes and build what and where they please. Hello, apartment towers in the Sunset!

City supervisors are either unable, or, more likely, unwilling to rise to the challenge. Its up to Breed to deliver that leadership. We encourage her to do so.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
When San Francisco decided it wasn't going to hold buried people anymore, they moved them all to Colma, which is now known for having 17 cemeteries and about 1500 times more deceased people than living.



In the first Halloween episode for Total SF, hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub meet with Terry Hamburg, director of the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation, for a tour of some of the Colma-based memorial park's most memorable graves.

They visit Chronicle founders Charles and Michael de Young to get some of The Chronicle's gun-toting history, and talk about a decapitated cemetery resident and Hell's Angels funerals. Plus, they pay respects to Willie McCovey and Lefty O'Doul. (Who really needs to be in the Hall of Fame.)

Hamburg says people are welcome to stroll through the Cypress Lawn cemeteries, which encouraged visitors  including pets  to visit their open space during the pandemic.
SACRAMENTO  Democratic lawmakers cast doubts on the fairness of Californias recall process Thursday as they push to overhaul the system, but experts cautioned against some of the most popular proposals that have been suggested, particularly making it harder to qualify for the ballot.

You are pretty much putting the recall process out of business if you do those, warned Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution who served as chief speechwriter for former Gov. Pete Wilson.

The legislative hearing on potential changes, which took place at the State Capitol, was the first public step in what will almost certainly result in a measure on next years ballot asking voters to approve a new system. After Gov. Gavin Newsom handily defeated a recall effort last month, his Democratic allies immediately began talking about rewriting a law that they argue gives a vocal minority too much power to disrupt state government.

I am troubled by the fundamentally undemocratic nature of Californias current recall process, Assembly Member Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat who chairs the Assembly Elections Committee, said Thursday. He said an elected official who has been recalled should not be replaced by someone who receives far fewer votes, but did not endorse any specific changes.

State Sen. Steve Glazer, an Orinda Democrat who chairs the Senate committee on elections, noted that the final result of the recent recall was nearly identical to that of the 2018 gubernatorial race, when about 62% of voters chose Newsom.

The recall was not intended to be  and must not become  a back door for the losing side of an election to relitigate those results, Glazer said.

Though Newsom ultimately did not come close to losing, the subject has gained a renewed urgency with many elected officials as voters increasingly turn to Californias century-old recall law, which allows voters to remove state and local officials before the end of their terms.

While the hearing primarily focused on the process for recalling a statewide officer, Secretary of State Shirley Weber testified that her office has seen a proliferation of recall petitions at all levels, with 40 currently under way and four already qualified for 2022. San Francisco voters will be asked next year whether to remove three members of the school board and likely District Attorney Chesa Boudin as well.

This thing that was once very rare and unusual is becoming the norm, Weber said. Do we want it to become the norm? Because if we do, then were somehow or another attacking or invalidating elections that have occurred.

Experts said the easiest way to guarantee fewer recall elections would be to raise the qualification threshold, which is lower in California than in nearly every other state that has a recall system, or shorten the signature-gathering period, which is among the longest in the nation. To get a recall on the ballot for a statewide officer, such as the governor, proponents have 160 days to collect a number of signatures equal to 12% of the last vote for that office.

A poll last month by UC Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies found that a majority of voters would support raising that figure to 25% of votes cast in the previous election, a threshold used in many other states. But experts also said that would effectively place the recall process out of reach for all but the wealthiest backers.

California is four times larger than any other state with a recall law, said David Carrillo, executive director of the California Constitution Center at UC Berkeley, so in absolute number of signatures, the bar is far higher to qualify in California. That takes a lot of money. Carrillo pointed out that only 6% of petitions to recall a statewide officer have ever made it to the ballot here.

Even modestly increasing the difficulty could make recalls practically impossible in California, he said.

One challenge for Berman and Glazer as they proceed is a stated desire to advance potential changes to the recall law with bipartisan support. Though Democrats hold a three-quarters majority in both houses of the Legislature and could put a measure on the ballot without any Republican votes, they hope to avoid further politicizing their effort.

Former legislators from both parties testified at the hearing Thursday in support of ideas such as replacing a recalled governor with the elected lieutenant governor and creating a standard of malfeasance to remove an elected official, with a judge deciding whether the petition can move forward.

If we have adjudication as to whether cause exists, then it basically provides guardrails to the whole concept of recall, said Martha Escutia, a former Democratic lawmaker from Los Angeles who now lobbies for the University of Southern California.

But Republicans on the panel pushed back on the idea that the recall system, which they called a sacred opportunity for direct democracy, needed any changes at all. Assembly Member Kelly Seyarto of Murrieta (Riverside County) said the state should not place limits on the public to pursue a recall against a politician they feel is no longer serving their interests.

This is the last bastion of checks and balances that we offer for the voters, he said.

Before the hearing, a small group led by Orrin Heatlie, the proponent behind the Newsom recall, protested outside the Capitol against some of the changes that have been floated. The demonstration drew about two dozen people, including campaign volunteers and a candidate for attorney general, a disappointing turnout that Heatlie blamed on the topic being not as sexy.

Those who attended expressed concern that legislators were rushing to overhaul the process to benefit themselves and maintain Democratic dominance over state government. Lawmakers have not yet suggested rewriting the rules for recalling a legislator, which already carries a higher bar for qualifying than a statewide officer.

It seems strange to me that these elected officials would try to change the process for changing elected officials, said Andrea Hedstrom, 46, a goat farmer from Citrus Heights (Sacramento County), who said she dropped her Democratic registration and became an active opponent of Newsom because of his pandemic response. Where are the people in all this?

Heatlie said he is open to changes to the process of how a recall is conducted, such as holding a separate second election to determine a replacement candidate for an official who is removed, and he unsuccessfully sought to be included in the legislative hearing to share his views. But he staunchly opposes any proposal that would make it harder to qualify a recall for the ballot.

Thats just a blatant attempt to make it overly complicated, he said.

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday abruptly canceled his plans to travel to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland next week, an international stage where he was expected to tout California as a leader in reducing heat-trapping emissions.

Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for the governor, said Newsom could not attend in person due to unspecified family obligations.
For nearly three years, some of Californias biggest water users, including San Francisco, have been quietly meeting with the state to figure out how much water they should be taking from the San Joaquin River and its tributaries.

The talks were launched to prevent some of Californias mightiest rivers from drying up, and keep fish populations from disappearing, while still allowing cities and farms to draw the supplies they need. The vision was nothing short of a grand compromise on divvying up Californias water.

But late last week, the state conceded the negotiations had failed. In a letter to San Francisco and the other mostly agricultural water agencies involved in the discussions, state regulators told the parties they had made insufficient concessions on water use. The breakdown in talks means the state will begin directly regulating river draws, a move that could significantly squeeze the water users, and one theyre bound to fight.

San Francisco gets about 85% of its water from the Tuolumne River in and around Yosemite National Park, one of the most stressed of the rivers in the San Joaquin River basin.

We cant wait any longer, Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, told The Chronicle this week. Its literally been years and theres a need to improve environmental conditions in the rivers, not only for the fish but for the communities downstream that rely on the water.

The conflict stems from a 2018 plan put forward by the State Water Resources Control Board to rescue the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the rivers that feed it. The sprawling watershed at the center of the states water supply chronically runs short of fresh water, largely because of how much is being drawn out. The result is shallow, polluted waterways and ravaged wetlands and wildlife, including the collapse of the states prized salmon runs.

Under the plan, sometimes called the Bay Delta Plan, 40% of the natural flow of the Tuolumne, Merced and Stanislaus rivers would have to remain in these waterways during peak flows  not pumped out  to salvage the basin. This would leave 60% of the water for cities and farms, which compares to the 90% they currently draw at times.

With San Francisco and five big irrigation districts in the San Joaquin Valley opposed to these terms, state regulators, at the urging of former Gov. Jerry Brown and later Gov. Gavin Newsom, began working with the parties to come up with Voluntary Agreements in lieu of the plan.

The city and the water districts pitched alternative proposals, though their options involved only slight reductions in river draws. They wanted to revive the rivers by improving fish passage and restoring native habitat. The state, however, joined by environmental groups and fishermen, said the alternatives didnt go far enough to rescue the languishing delta watershed.

It was time to say this process wasnt working, said Peter Drekmeier, policy director for the Tuolumne River Trust, one of the groups pushing to keep more water in the rivers. For months we were hearing that there was going to be a breakthrough, but nothing materialized.

Officials at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which manages the water supply for San Francisco and several other Bay Area communities, said theyre not happy to see the state fall back on regulation.

The agency is already part of a lawsuit challenging the terms of the Bay Delta Plan. The litigation was put on hold while the parties were in talks. The SFPUC filed a separate suit in May against the state, challenging how much water the state wants the city to forfeit as part of a plan to relicense two dams on the Tuolumne River.

Were disappointed, SFPUC spokesperson Will Reisman said in a statement about the recent negotiations. We continue to believe we have a good proposal and are interested in pursuing early habitat restoration projects in cooperation with the state.

The Bay Delta Plan, which will take effect when the State Water Board officially approves an implementation policy, would have little impact on San Francisco and its agricultural counterparts during wet years.

However, when water is tight, as its increasingly become, residents and businesses in the Bay Area could be forced to make major sacrifices, according to agency projections. A severe drought like the one between 1987 and 1992 could prompt water cuts of up to 40%, SFPUC officials say. Water rates could go up 17%.

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.

Environmental and fishing groups have challenged the SFPUCs projections, saying the agency is inflating its numbers to generate opposition to the state plan. Critics say the city should be conserving more water and finding new supplies instead of taking so much from the river at the expense of fish and wildlife. Leaving just 10% of the water, they say, is unacceptable.

San Franciscos public utility commission needs to get onboard with the citys environmental values and develop recycled water and other water sources rather than wipe out the salmon that made Fishermans Wharf, John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, said in an email.

The diminished Tuolumne River once supported chinook salmon runs of tens of thousands of fish each year. The runs now average less than 2,000 fish.

The water agencies that had been working with San Francisco and the state on an alternative plan include the Modesto, Turlock, Merced, Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts.

We set out very clear parameters of what legal and scientific adequacy looked like, said Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, who helped lead the negotiations with the water agencies. We welcome them to reconsider.

State regulators continue to work on Voluntary Agreements with water users on the Sacramento River and its tributaries. That basin is similarly overdrawn, with waterways and wildlife bearing the brunt.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
The event that kicked off the hippie era, and whose cultural reverberations are still echoing today, took place in San Franciscos Longshoremens Hall on the evenings of Jan. 21-23, 1966. As recounted in the past Portals, in October that same unlikely venue had been the scene of the citys first rock dance concert, called a Tribute to Doctor Strange. That show was groundbreaking, but the Trips Festival, as the three-night event was called, was epochal: It was the first time that the hitherto hidden-away psychedelic scene came fully into the open. As Tom Wolfe wrote in his account of the festival in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, For the acidheads themselves, the Trips Festival was like the first national convention of an underground movement that had existed on a hush-hush cell-by-cell basis.

The secret sauce of the nascent hippie scene was the psychedelic drug LSD, especially when combined with rock music  much of it played by musicians who were themselves high on acid. The novelist Ken Keseys Acid Tests had drawn attention to LSD; the Grateful Dead sound man and underground chemist Augustus Owsley Stanley had begun making large quantities of the drug; and by late 1965, a small but growing number of young Americans had begun taking it.

A not-yet-formed subculture was bubbling below societys surface. The Trips Festival brought it to a boil.

The Trips Festival was inspired by acid and was all about acid. Although LSD was still legal at the time, the Festivals creators disingenuously billed it as an LSD experience without the LSD. That was less than truthful: Many of the attendees were not just figuratively but actually tripping.

The Trips Festival was the collective product of an eclectic group that included Kesey; Stewart Brand, a Kesey associate who would become famous as publisher of the Whole Earth Catalog; Ramon Sender, an electronic music composer and co-founder of the San Francisco Tape Music Center; and Ben (later Roland) Jacopetti, an experimental artist and co-founder of Berkeleys Open Theater.

The event was publicized by San Franciscos radical ad man, Jerry Mander, and managed by a young promoter named Bill Graham, who had made his name holding two benefits for the San Francisco Mime Troupe and agreed to do the Trips Festival for free.

When thousands of people poured into Longshoremens Hall that weekend, they found themselves part of an unclassifiable, participatory, drug-fueled, ecstatic, out-of-control 50-ring circus, party, art installation, light show and rock concert. The handbill advertising the Friday night program read: Slides, movies, sound tracks, flowers, food, rock n roll, eagle lone whistle, Indians and anthropologists, plus Revelations  nude projections, the God box. The endless explosion. The Congress of Wonders, the Jazz Mice, liquid projections, etc. & the unexpectable.

Friday nights program featured a multimedia installation called America Needs Indians, as well as Jacopettis experimental theater-art pieces. But as Jacopetti says in Eric Christensens documentary Trips Festival 1966: The Movie, We didnt go over as well because these people were out for rock n roll. For his part, Brand saw the Trips Festival as a passing of the torch from the older, high-art Beat aesthetic to the new, drugs-and-rock-driven one. There was a kind of Beatnik era of art that got to participate in a big public way  and then pass, Brand told Christensen. The Grateful Dead, and Kesey, and basically the audience, the people who came in costume and stoned and basically as performers themselves, were the show. Those of us who could accommodate that were part of the next era. The kind of thing that Burning Man is now, the idea that there are no spectators, its all art, was born that night.

Saturday night featured Keseys Acid Test, with music by Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Grateful Dead. As Wolfe wrote, Well, the kids are just having an LSD experience without the LSD, thats all, and this is what it looks like. A hulking crazed whirlpool. Thats nice. Lights and movies sweeping around the hall; five movie projectors and God knows how many light machines, interferrometrics, the intergalactic science-fiction seas all over the walls, loudspeakers studding the hall all the way around like flaming chandeliers, strobes exploding, black lights with Day-Glo objects under them and Day-Glo paint to play with, street lights at every entrance flashing red and yellow

Mr. Acid Test himself, Ken Kesey, was up in the balcony, wearing a space suit as a disguise because he had recently been busted for possession of marijuana in North Beach. Kesey had a projection machine and was using it to write messages on the wall, so that suddenly the thousands of people in the hall beheld the enormous words ANYBODY WHO KNOWS HE IS GOD GO UP ON STAGE. A tub of ice cream dosed with acid fueled the proceedings.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

The setting and atmosphere was Dionysian, unprecedented. But as Chronicle music critic Ralph J. Gleason noted, the heart and soul of the thing was the music. And it was when the Grateful Dead  who had had their minds blown at Keseys first Acid Test in November  took the stage that the Trips Festival really took off.

The Festivals final night featured the same bands and some of the same attractions from the first two nights, as well as an Olympic-caliber trampolinist who dove from the balcony onto a trampoline under a strobe light as the Grateful Dead played. In The Haight-Ashbury: A History, Charles Perry writes, The crowd was so psychedelicized nobody seemed to pay him any particular mind.

The Trips Festival was a box-office and financial success. Reports differ, but over its three nights, anywhere from 6,000 to 15,000 people attended, and it netted between $4,000 and $12,500. For the young Bill Graham and others, the Trips Festival proved that the emerging youth counterculture was not only real but could be profitable.

Trivia time Previous trivia question: What was a "crimp"? Answer: Someone who kidnapped or coerced people into serving as sailors. This week's trivia question: What major San Francisco street is named after a notorious embezzler? See More Collapse

The Trips Festival was a bugle call for the hippie movement, the start of the psychedelic revolution in American culture. For those who attended, the Trips Festival was a coming-out party, a gathering of the tribes. It announced that heads, freaks, hippies, whatever members of this countercultural vanguard called themselves, were not alone, that they could do their thing in public, with kindred spirits. As Jacopetti told Christensen, Im sure people went to the Trips Festival thinking, Nobodys gonna be as far out as I am, and they were very surprised to find that whoever you were, there was somebody farther out than you. Wolfe wrote, The heads were amazed at how big their own ranks had become  and euphoric over the fact that they could come out in the open, high as baboons, and the sky, and the law, wouldn't fall down on them. He concluded, The Haight-Ashbury era began that weekend.

Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco. His most recent book is Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. To read earlier Portals of the Past, go to sfchronicle.com/portals.
With last weeks atmospheric river and more rain expected this weekend, Bay Area residents may have hopes of a wet winter. But with this winters La Nina pattern, thats up in the air, meteorologists said Friday.

La Ninas usually bring storms in the Pacific Northwest, but drier conditions in Southern California. That puts the Bay Area on the periphery of the wetter region, David King, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service explained  meaning its hard to predict how much rain the region might see.

It depends whether we have a system that drops further south when it materializes, King said. It really comes down to the day-to-day forecast.

Last year, for example, we also saw a La Nina weather pattern, but we still had a very dry winter with between 40% and 50% of normal precipitation across the Bay Area, King said.

King predicted that the central and southern parts of the Bay Area, including the San Mateo coastline, will see average to less-than-average precipitation, while the North Bay is more likely to see more precipitation than usual.

He added that theres a chance the Bay Area could see another atmospheric river this winter  something that could help the still-parched area  but it depends on how the La Nina system shapes up, King explained.

The Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also predicted that Northern California would see an improvement in drought conditions  but still not enough to pull the region, especially further south toward the Bay Area, out of the drought.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

This weekends rains are expected to remain fairly light, according to the National Weather Service  totals are likely to be about 0.3 inches of rain in the North Bay and 0.1 to 0.2 inches in the East Bay and San Francisco, with little to no rain falling in the South Bay.

Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev
NEW YORK (AP)  The fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on a movie set has put a microscope on an often-unseen corner of the film industry where critics say the pursuit of profit can lead to unsafe working conditions.

With a budget around $7 million, the Western Rust was no micro-budget indie. The previous best-picture winner at the Academy Awards, Nomadland, was made for less. But the New Mexico set where Baldwin shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins had inexperienced crew members, apparent safety lapses and a serious labor dispute.

For some in the business, the failures reflect larger issues in a fast-evolving movie industry.

Production is exploding, corners are being cut even more and budgets are being crunched down even more, said Mynette Louie, a veteran independent film producer. Somethings got to give.

The shooting happened at a busy time: Production is ramping up following the easing of pandemic restrictions. Streaming services are increasing demand for content. And all the while, the industry is wrestling with standards for movie sets.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there was some complacency in how weapons were handled on the set. Investigators found 500 rounds of ammunition  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and suspected live rounds, even though the sets firearms specialist, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, said real ammo should never have been present.

Attention has focused on the 24-year-old Gutierrez Reed, who had worked on only one previous feature, and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin. According to a search warrant affidavit, Halls called out cold gun to indicate that it was safe to use but told detectives he did not check all of the weapons chambers.

Lawyers for Gutierrez Reed on Friday said she has no idea where the live rounds came from. They blamed unsafe conditions on the producers cutting corners.

Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer, said attorneys Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence in a statement. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings."

Veteran prop master Neal W. Zoromski earlier told The Los Angeles Times that he declined an offer to work on Rust because producers insisted that one person could serve as both assistant prop master and armorer.

Still, the apparent lack of proper weapons protocol has stunned veteran film workers.

This was incompetence, inexperience and  I hate to say this  lack of caring about your job. If theres a whole bunch of ammunition thrown together in a box, thats not how its done, said Mike Tristano, a longtime professional armorer.

Several Rust camera crew members walked off the set amid discord over working conditions, including safety procedures. A new crew was hired that morning, according to director Joel Souza, who spoke to detectives. He was standing near Hutchins and was wounded by the shot.

The New Mexico chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union called reports of nonunion workers being brought in inexcusable. The union will soon vote on a new standards agreement covering 60,000 film and TV crew members  a deal reached with major studios after IATSE prepared for the first strike in its 128-year existence.

In a statement, Rust executive producer Allen Cheney said the six producers on the film collectively had more than 35 years of experience in film and television. He called Rust a union-certified production.

James Gunn, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker, suggested a slipshod culture could be partly to blame.

Dozens have died or been grievously injured on movie sets because of irresponsibility, ignoring safety protocols, improper leadership and a set culture of mindless rushing, Gunn said on Twitter.

The gaffer on Rust, Serge Svetnoy, faulted the movies producers for negligence.

To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, Svetnoy said in a Facebook post.

Gary Tuers, property master of Tomorrow War and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, said the shooting was "an indictment of the modern production culture, which for the last 30 years has pursued tax credits and found every way imaginable (and several that werent) to sacrifice crew health and safety in the name of budget consciousness.

This tragedy was an apparent accident," he wrote on Instagram. "But it was also a predictable outcome of the incentive structure within the modern film industry.

Several companies came together to finance and produce Rust, including Baldwins El Dorado Pictures. The film, which is based on a story by Souza and Baldwin, was financed in part by Las Vegas-based Streamline Global, which describes its business model as acquiring films that offer certain tax benefits that may "reduce the owners federal income tax liability from income earned from other sources.

BondIt Media Capital, an independent film financier, also bankrolled Rust. The Santa Monica, California-based company has helped finance other male-fronted action thrillers like Liam Neesons Honest Thief, Mel Gibsons Force of Nature and Bruce Willis Hard Kill.

Even before the shooting, the most likely destination for Rust was probably video on demand. Baldwins agency, Creative Artists Agency, presold some distribution rights. Last year, Baldwin promoted the movie to buyers at the virtual Cannes film market. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that the script reminded him of "Unforgiven, a 1992 Western starring Clint Eastwood.

The movie was being made under a tax provision called Section 181, which applies to films costing $2.75 million to $7.5 million. It can allow investors to break even before a film reaches any screen, particularly in a state with generous tax credits like New Mexico. The state has been a popular place for productions in recent years. Some of its regulations, including for on-set weapons experts, are less stringent than in California.

In his 30-year career, the armorer Tristano hasn't often experienced producers or crew members who cut corners on safety. But when safety is in question, he has not hesitated to pull his team off a set.

Whenever I was on a set where there was a lot of panic going on, or the AD (assistant director) was rushing, I would say, OK, Im locking the guns back in the truck,  Tristano said. Id say, When you guys are ready to do it right, well do it. If you dont like that, fire me. 

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Malaysia's government on Friday proposed a record budget for 2022 to bolster an economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, with various industrial incentives and cash handouts for the poor and a one-time tax for high-income companies.

Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz introduced in Parliament the budget proposal of 332.1 billion ringgit ($80.2 billion), up from 320.6 billion ringgit ($77.4 billion) in the current year.

He said a virus lockdown in the third quarter has set back an economic recovery. With 95% of adults and more than 60% of teenagers fully vaccinated, he said the budget is designed to strengthen economic recovery, build resilience and drive reforms."

The budget is the first under the administration of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who took office in August after two changes of government since 2018 elections.

Ismail was the deputy prime minister under Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned after less than 18 months in office following infighting in his coalition. Ismail's appointment brought Muhyiddins alliance back to power.

It also returned the premiership to Ismails United Malays National Organization, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in the 2018 elections amid a multibillion-dollar financial scandal.

Zafrul said Malaysia's economy is expected to grow 5.5%-6.5% in 2022, up from 3%-4% projected this year after a contraction of 5.6% last year. Despite the increased spending, he said the government's budget deficit is expected to narrow to 6% from 6.5% this year.

With many livelihoods hit by the pandemic, he said the government will dish out 8.2 billion ringgit ($2 billion) in cash handouts that will benefit 9.6 million poor households and individuals. Nearly 5 billion ringgit has also been allocated to create 600,000 new jobs, he said. The budget also includes about 31 billion ringgit ($7.5 billion) for subsidies, assistance and other incentives to ease the public's burden, he said.

To boost state coffers, Zafrul said the government will impose a one-time special tax for high-income companies generating more than 100 million ringgit ($24.1 million) in profits. The first 100 million ringgit in taxable earnings will be taxed at 24% while the rest will be taxed at 33%, he said.

Opposition lawmakers asked how the government will raise enough money for the expanded budget and said it didn't focus enough on helping businesses out of the crisis.

They will borrow, borrow and borrow. With this budget, the national debt will cross 1 trillion ringgit ($241.4 billion) in 2022. The debt servicing costs for these debts will be 43 billion ringgit ($10.4 billion) in 2022," bigger than the 32 billion ringgit ($7.7 billion) allocated for health, opposition lawmaker Wong Chen tweeted.

The budget is seen in part as an effort by Ismail and his UMNO party to win back public support, especially that of rural ethnic Malays, and show that it can lead the country again. General elections are not due until 2023, but many expect polls could be called next year.

___

This story corrects the finance minister's name.
According to Times of Entrepreneurship, 81% of entrepreneurs start a company without funding. Starting a business without cash on hand means that most entrepreneurs operate from a place of scarcity  saving every dollar, tasking employees with multiple jobs and working long hours with little sleep. There is never enough: never enough time, money, staff, resources or sleep. We have been taught to believe this mindset is necessary for survival of the enterprise.

But is it?

What if entrepreneurs flipped the script and operated from abundance? An abundance script says, There is always enough.

Giving is the secret of abundance. When I started FlyteVu, my partner and I made the decision that we would operate with an abundance script. Rooted in our faith, we believed that there would always be enough, and if there is always enough, there is always something to share with others.

From the first day of business, we started by giving 10% of all revenue to charity, doubling that number in two years to 20%, and then creating the FlyteVu Fund, a donor-advised fund that collectively has now exceeded $1 million in donations to local and national nonprofits and charities.

In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we decided to focus our giving efforts on another important group: our clients.

Related: Power With Purpose: The Four Pillars of Leadership

In May of 2020, as one of my clients delivered the bad news that she would be terminating our agency retainer due to budget cuts as a result of Covid, she broke down in tears. We had done excellent work, but she had to choose between keeping her employees or ours. I didnt fault her for making the choice she did; I would have made the same one to protect my own team. It was one of eight calls she was going to make that day, terminating agencies, partners and contracts, and with that, she would carry the weight of what that meant for hundreds of jobs. She wasnt going to sleep well that night, and neither was I.

Covid-19 brought high levels of stress and burnout

Many leaders thrive on pressure and performance, but only when balanced with achievement and results. During Covid, leaders were thrust into crisis situations and stayed in crisis mode for more than a year, resulting in the highest levels of stress and burnout.

These leaders had spent a year bearing the weight of making tough decisions for their businesses, terminating top-performing staff without cause, furloughing employees, taking unexpected pay cuts themselves to cover for staff and carrying the emotional weight of the team who looked to them for stability. Good leaders were forced to take on the needs of everyone else, putting themselves and their needs last, or ignoring them altogether. Navigating the stresses of Covid in the workplace as well as at home, leaders did not have a safe community to offload pain. The normal isolation that comes with a leadership position, now amplified because of Covid and coupled with the prolonged crisis response, had led to one commonality: massive burnout and depression.

Although Covid had taken a toll on our own staff, we realized we had an opportunity to operate from abundance. We decided to lean in and talk to these executives about their hopes and dreams, what they'd do if they had 24 hours free of responsibilities  which seemed impossible when there wasnt enough time, energy or financial resources to go around. Circumstances from the pandemic had forced them to work from a scarcity script and even thinking about hopes and dreams felt impossible. Their tanks were empty and inspiration had flown out the sunroof on the highway to burnout.

So, we flipped the script.

Related: Mandatory Covid Vaccines? Employers Consider Their Options

Don't put a toe in the water; grab your knees and do a cannonball

We brought together a like-minded group of ten top executives from our list of clients including UPS, Cracker Barrel, Vistaprint, the American Red Cross and more for a virtual session under the guise of inspiration. To host the session, we invited Bob Goff, speaker and author of Dream Big. Goff had inspired me when I made the decision to become an entrepreneur. One of my favorite quotes of his is, Don't put a toe in the water; grab your knees and do a cannonball. Goff's words apply perfectly to the leap of faith required in entrepreneurship, but also the faith required to live with abundance. You cant just dip your toe in; you have to do a cannonball. And thats just what we did.

Together, we surprised each executive by revealing that we had made his or her bucket-list dream come true  a cruise to Alaska, a trip to meet a favorite musician, an opportunity to showcase photography with a famed photographer and more  all at our cost.

But there was one caveat. They had just minutes to accept as their dreams would be fulfilled in the next 24 hours.

I knew that if we didnt force these executives to make a quick decision, they would talk themselves out of it. The excuses would pile up: too many responsibilities, too many meetings, too many important family obligations. Indecision is the worst enemy of an entrepreneur. Being a leader means making decisions, taking risks and being accountable for the results.

And the results were fascinating:

Seven out of ten accepted the bucket-list dream on the spot.

Two out of the seven who accepted backed out after saying yes, claiming they didnt have the time (operating from a scarcity script).

Five followed through with the dreams.

The act of abundance was far more meaningful than the actual gift.

So how does one live an abundance script? Here are my top five tips:

Give. give. give. Everyone has something to give. Start by giving $1 for every $100 you make. Instead of missing that $1, you get used to operating with $99, and soon youll realize that the act of giving is better than having the $1 in hand. Celebrate all the wins, even if they arent yours. Abundance mentality says that there is enough for everyone, so someone elses gain is not your loss. When someone else succeeds, you know that you can still have your own success. So, celebrate all the wins. Be a rainbow. As Maya Angelou says, "Be a rainbow in someone elses cloud." Look for the clouds in someones life and show up as a rainbow. I keep a calendar of my clients and employees worst days  the death of a loved one, a divorce, the loss of a child. These are the days I make sure to show up, often overlooked by others, an opportunity to give and serve, and draw from the well of abundance. Choose joy. If youre not happy with what you have now, you wont be happy with more of it. Stop waiting for a goal to be achieved or a certain level of success or your bank account to reach a certain number. Choose joy in what you have today. Because all you may have is today. Choose your thoughts. When scarcity thoughts cross your mind, let them cross your mind, leave your mind and wish them well. Recognize them, but do not claim them as your own. When I recognize a thought as a "scarcity" thought, I write it and put it in my thought box, a little box that serves as the graveyard for all the thoughts and fears I dont want to pick up. This is a great experiential tool to help me control my thoughts and not let them control me.

"Abundance is the simple recognition of enough"

Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, is known for her abundance-based leadership. After announcing she had sold majority stake of her company to Blackstone, she rewarded each of her employees with $10,000 and two first-class tickets to any place in the world of their choosing. Other founders have led companies from startup to IPO, or sold to private equity, but Blakely will be admired and remembered most for her abundance script.

Building a business from abundance will feel uncertain, unstable and uncomfortable when you start. But the investment will pay off in dividends, transforming your culture, clients and everyone you encounter. It means anyone can be rich, with or without money or resources, because abundance is the simple recognition of enough. And there is always enough.

Related: Lead With Thoughts of Abundance, Not Scarcity

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On a recent stroll through the redwoods along the Elk River Trail within the Headwaters Forest Reserve, I spotted something strange out of the corner of my eye. Something white. Part of it was in shadow, but sunlight glinted off one side.

As I approached, the large objects oval shape came into view. Soon, I knew what I was looking at: a vintage bathtub, alone in the middle of the forest.

But was it actually alone? I glanced around, listening carefully for any rustling or footsteps. That random old tub gave me the eeriest feeling, and on this particular trail, thats a common sentiment.

About 250 miles north of San Francisco, the 7,472-acre reserve was established in 1999 to protect an old-growth redwood forest ecosystem, inhabited by threatened species such as coho salmon, northern spotted owls and marbled murrelet.

But something else used to exist here, too: An entire company logging town called Falk, population 400.

Ashley Harrell

From the late 1880s to 1937, the settlement thrived, but a downturn in the timber market left it a ghost town by the 1940s. Then, new landowners razed the town in the 1970s.

3 1 of 3 Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Certain items were left behind, though, scattered throughout the forest. And some of those things are, in a word, creepy.

It has a vibe, says Julie Clark, a Bureau of Land Management park ranger who works at the reserve and wrote an Arcadia Publishing history book about Falk. I think people pick up on it when they go out there and see these remnants of people who lived there before  They think, how did this get here? Whats the story behind it?

The town was named for one of its founders, Noah Falk, who headed west in 1854 for the California Gold Rush. Finding his fortune instead in redwood gold, Falk teamed up with two partners to form the Elk River Mill and Lumber Company.

Because the Elk River Mills location was so isolated, commuting was out of the question for the workers. Up went a town, complete with a cookhouse, a dance hall, a general store, a post office and a school. The work largely attracted immigrants from Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Nova Scotia.

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

Falk was one of many logging towns scattered throughout Humboldt County in the early 1900s, and profits initially soared, thanks to the high demand for redwood paired with innovations such as oxen to move logs, the Dolbeer steam donkey and band saws.

A few years after the Great Depression, though, the price of timber plummeted. Falk fell victim to the boom-and-bust nature of existence common to resource extraction industries around the globe, Clark wrote in her book.

Heres where things start to get unsettling.

Because there were still old-growth redwoods surrounding the town, Cheney Lumber purchased the land in the 1950s. A locomotive still perched on the rails and the structures were still intact, but Falk had become a ghost town, complete with forgotten mail in the slots, dishes still stacked in the cookhouse and old merchandise remaining on the shelves of the general store.

Over the years, the buildings began to deteriorate, with the floors bowing and rats taking over. Looters were also a problem, and for that reason, a Falk couple  Charlie and Loleta Webb  remained behind and served as caretakers up until the 1970s, when Charlie Webb died.

Without anyone to look after the ghost town, Cheney Lumber opted to burn and bulldoze it.

But some traces of Falk still remain, and according to local legend, Charlie Webbs ghost is one of them.

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

As I was reading about the Webbs on a placard where their cottage once stood, a hiker passing by  who identified himself as a trail goblin  filled me in.

Allegedly, if you come up here at night and you're up to no good, he told me, the caretakers ghost still supposedly wanders the forest with a shotgun and will chase you out.

The trail goblin sometimes visits the reserve after sunset in an effort to encounter Charlie Webbs ghost. No luck so far, though, he said.

Other remnants of the town that have surfaced along the trail over the years are equally spooky: old mill equipment, the tail of a windmill, a late-1800s porcelain doll head. That one was particularly thrilling for Clark, who once interviewed a woman named Dorothy Corvi who had lived in Falk as a child and played with dolls.

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management

Her mom had died when she was an infant  from the Spanish flu, Clark said. She was kind of a lonely kid, and Falk was very isolating." Corvi's dad built her a dollhouse in a huge redwood stump, she continued, but somebody set the stump on fire.

Corvi was in her 90s when Clark interviewed her, but the loss of the dollhouse still stung, Clark said. So when 10 years later a docent found a doll head in a stump, Clark said she thought, Ooooh, I wonder if that was Dorothy's.

Clark has been studying Falk since 1999. She is deeply fascinated by its history. A few years ago, she fulfilled a lifelong dream and organized a Halloween event in which actors dressed up as the townspeople of Falk and haunted the forest, educating  and terrifying  hikers.

Image left, courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management/image right, courtesy of Julie Clark

Courtesy of Julie Clark

Although the event isnt happening this year because of the pandemic, itll likely be back next year. And in the meantime, Clark encourages people to come see what they can find, and to leave any items alone so that others can stumble on them, too.

There are a lot of artifacts. When we do any type of work out there, like replacing culverts, artifacts will surface, she said. I tell people, even though the buildings are gone and of course, all the people are gone, Falk is still there. Its still underneath the soil.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom abruptly canceled an overseas trip last-minute, citing undisclosed "family obligations."

The governor was supposed to attend a climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, and deliver a presentation on California's various policy responses Monday.

"Due to family obligations, Governor Newsom will no longer be traveling to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26)," is office said in a statement, "and will instead be participating virtually, focusing on Californias landmark climate change policies."

Newsom's office's handling of the trip was already unusual, as the visit was not publicly announced until Oct. 25. As noted by Cal Matters' Emily Hoeven, by the time Newsom announced the trip, the event's press credential deadline had already passed, making it challenging for California reporters to cover the event.

Beyond Newsom, 15 other lawmakers were supposed to attend the climate conference, as was first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The governor's office did not immediately specify who from that delegation will still be attending, though the statement said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis would lead the delegation.

The climate change conference is slated to begin Oct. 31 and last nearly two weeks, ending Nov. 12. President Joe Biden is expected to attend the conference, as are other world leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP)  The parent company of one of Ohio's major amusement parks has reached a $100-million, 20-year public investment deal with the Lake Erie city of Sandusky.

The city's agreement with Cedar Point, which operates the Cedar Fair park, includes a new causeway, water taxi and other improvements that will be funded by an increase in city taxes on park admission and parking. Cedar Fair also agreed to maintain a corporate presence in Sandusky, although its unclear whether that presence includes company headquarters.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP)  A fourth suspect has pleaded guilty in connection with the stealing of nearly half a million dollars from a Georgia county clerks office.

Terry McBride entered his plea Tuesday on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. The 44-year-old was indicted in August alongside seven others, including former Muscogee County deputy court clerk Willie Demps.

Samuel Cole, George Cook and Lamarcus Palmer have also pleaded in the case. They are all scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 15.

Demps is accused of writing clerks office checks to accomplices, who cashed them at Columbus banks. Authorities say the group took at least $467,331 from January 2019 to November 2019.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin Hyde said McBride cashed checks for Demps 38 times between March and November that year. The amounts ranged from $2,438 to $9,725.

McBride initially told investigators he was a bail bondsman and was entitled to clerks office funds, according to Hyde. The attorney said McBride must pay $299,285 in restitution. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Authorities believe more government funds are missing in connection with the case. In August, an FBI agent testified that the clerks office received $5.9 million in cash between 2010 and 2019 but only $210 was deposited into court accounts during that timeframe.

Demps, of Phenix City, Alabama, worked for the clerks office in neighboring Georgia for about three decades. Hyde has said authorities suspect Demps took at least $1.5 million over the years.

The former deputy clerk and three others have yet to resolve their charges in the case. U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land said he expects pretrial hearings to be held in November and any trials to start in January.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  More than 97% of San Francisco municipal employees are vaccinated against the coronavirus, Mayor London Breed announced Friday as a deadline looms for workers to prove they've gotten the shot and return to the office after a year-and-a-half of being allowed to work from home.

Only about 1,000 of the citys nearly 35,000-person workforce havent gotten the shots or reported their vaccination status before the Nov. 1 deadline, Breed said in a statement. They include a total of 195 police officers, transit operators, firefighters and sheriff deputies  essential workers who work in high-risk settings  and they could eventually be terminated.
SALAR, Afghanistan (AP)  Mina Ahmed, 45, smears a cement mixture to strengthen the walls of her war-ravaged home in rural Afghanistan. Her hands, worn by the labor, are bandaged with plastic scraps and elastic bands, but no matter, she welcomes the new era of peace under the Taliban.

She was once apprehensive of the groups severe style of rule in her native village of Salar, where they have long held sway. But being caught in the cross-hairs of a two-decade long war has granted her a new perspective. Taliban rules come with limits, even for women, and that is alright, she says.

But she draws the line on one point: Her daughters, ages 13, 12 and 6 must go to school.

From a birds eye view, the village of Salar is camouflaged against a towering mountain range in Wardak province. The community of several thousand, nearly 70 miles from the capital Kabul, serves as a microcosm of the latest chapter in Afghanistans history  the second round of rule by the Taliban  showing what has changed and what hasnt since their first time in power, in the late 1990s.

As Salar residents embrace the new stability, they fear a worsening economic crisis. But changes are afoot, beginning with the villagers insistence on keeping an elementary school for girls open.

The small school, funded by international donors, has the reluctant support of the Taliban, but only time will tell what the school will become: A formal public school paving the way to higher education, a religious madrasa, or something in between.

By 8 a.m., 38 small faces framed by veils are seated on a carpeted floor looking up at Qari Wali Khan, a madrasa teacher by training. He calls on them to recite from the Quran.

In three hours, the students, ages 9-12 will cover Quranic memorization, mathematics, handwriting, and more Islamic study.

The school opened just two months ago, marking the first time in 20 years girls in the village have ever stepped foot in a classroom, or something like it. In the absence of a building, lessons are held in Wali Khans living room.

The classes are the product of U.N. negotiations with the Taliban.

In 2020, the U.N. began working on a program to set up girls learning centers in conservative and remote areas, including ones under Taliban control at the time, like Sayedabad district where Salar is located.

Taliban interlocutors were initially reluctant to embrace the idea, but an agreement was eventually reached in November 2020, said Jeanette Vogelaar, UNICEFs chief of education. International funding was secured, $35 million a year for three years to finance 10,000 such centers.

Launch was delayed by COVID-19. By the time centers were scheduled to open, the Taliban had taken over in Kabul. To everyones surprise, they allowed to project to go ahead, even committing to use the previous governments curriculum  though they have introduced more Islamic learning and insisted on gender segregation and female teachers.

Wali Khan, a madrasa teacher by training, got the job in Wardak because most educated women had left for the capital.

The program enables girls without formal schooling to complete six grades in three years. When completed, they should be ready to enter Grade 7.

The question of whether they can continue after that remains unresolved. In most districts, the Taliban have prohibited girls ages 12-17 from going to public school.

Still, its a good start, Vogelaar said. Based on what we see now, somehow the Taliban doesnt seem to be the same as how they behaved before, she said.

Ten years ago, the Taliban were at the forefront of a deadly campaign targeting government officials in Wardak, with particular venom reserved for those campaigning for girls schools. Two village elders recounted the shooting death of Mirajuddin Ahmed, Sayedabads director of education and a vocal supporter for girls access to education.

Several public girls schools were burned down in 2007 in the province. To this day, not a single one stands.

Times have changed.

If they dont allow girls to go to this school now, there will be an uprising, said village elder Abdul Hadi Khan.

There are concerns within the United Nations of what kind of schooling might go on behind closed doors, and if donors would condone them if it came to light. The U.N. is aware the Taliban enter villages and insist on more Islamic study, said Vogelaar.

After class, Sima, 12 runs home leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.

Her father, Nisar, is away picking tomatoes in the fields for 200 afghanis ($2.5) a day. He is their only breadwinner.

Her mother Mina is still mixing cement.

Mina expects it will be a long time before her home is in one piece again.

Shes rebuilding bit by bit, buying cement bags for the equivalent of $1 whenever she can. She has accumulated some 100,000 afghanis ($1,100) in debt to relatives and friends.

The family, who fled to a safer part of the village 11 years ago during the fighting, returned home just a month ago. Only one of the houses four rooms was usable. Walls are still riddled with bullet holes.

Mina fears what will happen as temperatures drop and market prices rise in Afghanistans economic crisis.

Food shortages are taking a toll. The Mohammed Khan Hospital, the only one in the district, is struggling with a rising number of malnourished newborns wailing in the maternity ward. Drought has decimated the harvest, wrecking livelihoods.

When October ends, so does tomato-picking season, and Nisar will be out of work.

He joins his wife in mixing cement.

He points to the room once occupied by Afghan soldiers, and then Taliban insurgents after them.

My daughter will become a teacher one day, and we will make this into a school for her to educate other girls.

She will be our pride, he said.
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Alert: Biden begins 5-day foreign trip in Rome for global meetings on pandemic, Iran, climate, as domestic agenda in limbo
WASHINGTON (AP)  Joe Biden set out to be a president who under-promised and over-delivered.

That worked, until it didnt.

As the White House tries to nail down a nearly $3 trillion domestic package that Biden frames as a historic investment in infrastructure and social spending, the moment is clouded by a sense among many on the left that the pared-back package falls far short of the lofty expectations set by the president himself.

I know its hard, Biden said Thursday, even as he sought to claim a victory for having crafted the framework of a social spending plan that he believes  or hopes  can pass Congress.

I know how deeply people feel about the things that they fight for," he added. "No one got everything they wanted, including me. But thats what compromise is.

It was not the triumphal moment the president had envisioned as he flew to Europe for economic and climate summits, landing in Rome early Friday. Instead, he and other Democratic leaders were left to almost plead for the support within their party to pass Biden's signature legislative proposal. He was buffeted both from the liberal wing of his party and from moderate holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Hes facing disgruntlement from some allies that the latest iteration of the proposed deal doesnt meet his campaign aims as the ambition  and price tag  of his domestic legislative agenda has been repeatedly whittled back to secure the votes of members of his own party.

Biden marketed himself to voters as a competent leader whose deep experience in the ways of Washington could yield meaningful change through legislation, a clear counterpoint to President Donald Trumps blunt-instrument approach to policy. Instead, Biden was left not to negotiate with Republicans, but with his fellow Democrats, and he did not appear to succeed yet in persuading them, at least not on his preferred timetable.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats behind closed doors that "when the president gets off that plane, we want him to have a vote of confidence from this Congress.

In order for us to have success, we must succeed today.

As the day dragged on, that appeared increasingly unlikely.

None of that kept the president from claiming to be on the cusp of historic achievements.

Biden and his allies stress that the proposed deal, though far smaller than first envisioned, would represent record spending and that new programs in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate legislation would boost American competitiveness, lift people out of poverty and ease the burdens of working families.

As he arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning to urge House Democrats to get behind the framework, he was greeted by environmental protesters who said he was giving up too much. Later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, grumbled that Bidens plan has some major gaps in it and that the bill does not provide relief on prescription drug costs.

When it became clear that holdout Democrats still werent on board, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said she felt bamboozled because this was not what I thought was coming today.

Biden administration officials and allies pushed back against the angst from the liberal wing of their party. They noted that the plan has the biggest spending ever for combating climate change $555 billion  and the greatest expansion of education, with free, universal childcare, since the establishment of free high school.

How can I say this is transformative? Because it is, said Pelosi. She argued that the framework would lead to millions more Americans gaining access to health care, add thousands of jobs and benefit the environment.

Biden's plan was first brought forward as a $7 trillion Build Back Better agenda in mid-2020 that also had much of what became the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March. His domestic proposals were offered as part of a plan to pull the nation from the depths of the pandemic and set it on a course toward an even more prosperous future.

Rebranded  for a time  as the American Families Plan, it formed the backbone of Bidens first address to a joint session of Congress in April.

It included long-sought Democratic priorities like measures to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and provide 12 weeks of paid family leave. Each of those provisions fell out of the bill during the months of negotiation.

Before departing for Europe, Biden spoke of the latest version as if he had achieved a consensus and compromise in the classically understood sense -- between the two political parties.

In fact, he was actually talking about bringing together legislators from his own party  many of whom didn't hide their frustration at Biden's dramatic scaling back of his ambitions for the bill. The moment showed that Biden, while he's found success in getting his party to unite in opposition to Trump, has had less luck getting a fractured rank-and-file to fall in line on policy fights.

Many of the cuts that are irking the liberal wing have also been painful for Biden. He's repeatedly talked about issues like paid family leave and drug costs in personal terms.

Biden also had to pull back on his hopes of making permanent a proposal to extend the child tax credit that was in his $1.9 trillion relief plan passed earlier this year. The credit, which has helped to cut child poverty by nearly half by some estimates, would be extended only by a year. That leaves a future Congress to decide whether to sustain it.

Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian, said it was unclear that many Americans would quickly feel the benefits of what was left in Biden's plan. That might make it difficult for Biden, whose approval rating has cratered in recent weeks, to benefit politically if the bills finally become law.

The parts of the plan that would have immediate impact, like family leave and the prescription drugs, have been stripped out, Zelizer said. Parts of the plan won't last forever. I am not certain that Americans are going to feel impact before some of this comes and goes.

From the beginning, Biden faced headwinds as he sought to craft a social services and environmental spending plan to rival FDRs New Deal, working with the backing of only slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. Manchin and Sinema's hesitance on various aspects of the package made Biden's big aspirations an uphill battle from the start.

Jim Kessler, executive vice president of policy at the center-left group Third Way, said lessons learned by President Barack Obama, who was criticized by many on the left for not pushing for more stimulus in the midst of the Great Recession more than a decade ago, fed into the president's decision to shoot for the moon.

While Biden fell short of his initial goals, Kessler said that lost in the noise is that the pared-down spending plan is still among the most significant domestic policy efforts of the last century.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan soon after he came to office was huge," Kessler said. "Now, if these two bills pass, those are big bumps. It feels like morning broke here as we go into November for the Biden presidency.

Obama himself chimed in to make the point that Biden was right to swing for the fences.

The Build Back Better framework doesnt contain everything that the President proposed and that some had hoped, Obama said in a statement. But thats the nature of progress in a democracy." Still, Obama called it a giant leap forward for the country.

___

Miller reported from Rome.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE  Zeke Miller has covered the White House since 2012. Aamer Madhani has covered the White House for the AP since 2019.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  The anti-Donald Trump group The Lincoln Project took credit Friday for five people appearing with tiki torches at a Charlottesville campaign stop by Virginia's GOP candidate for governor, a stunt recalling white supremacists who descended on that city amid violence in 2017.

Charlottesville TV station WVIR covered the campaign stop and reported candidate Glenn Youngkin was inside a restaurant when the group dressed in matching hats, khakis and white button-down shirts appeared beside his campaign bus. The former private equity executive and political newcomer is in a close race against former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe as Tuesday's Election Day nears.

Photos showed the group holding large tiki torches. Their appearance recalled two days of chaos in August 2017, when white supremacists gathered in the college town for a Unite the Right" rally ostensibly to protest the planned removal of a Confederate monument.

The night before the planned rally, a group carrying tiki torches marched across the University of Virginia campus, clashing with a small group of anti-racist protesters. The next day a car driven by a self-avowed white supremacist plowed into a crowd of peaceful counterprotesters, killing one and injuring dozens.

McAuliffe staffers promoted a reporter's tweet about the group's appearance, using it to attack Youngkin and suggesting that those holding the torches were his supporters.

Youngkin staffers accused the McAuliffe campaign or Virginia Democrats of being involved, drawing disavowals.

What happened today is disgusting and distasteful and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Those involved should immediately apologize," McAuliffe campaign manager Chris Bolling said in a statement.

The Democratic Party of Virginia issued a statement saying neither the party nor its coordinated partners and affiliates had anything to do with the events at the campaign bus stop.

The Lincoln Project then weighed in, saying it was behind what it called a demonstration.

The Youngkin campaign is enraged by our reminder of Charlottesville for one simple reason: Glenn Youngkin wants Virginians to forget that he is Donald Trumps candidate," the group said of the former president.

The incident comes at a sensitive time in the city. A civil trial opened Monday that will determine whether the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who organized the 2017 demonstrations should be held accountable for the violence.

Democratic Del. Sally Hudson, who represents Charlottesville in the General Assembly, condemned the torch-bearing incident as a stunt.

Charlottesville is not a prop. Our community is still reeling from years of trauma  especially this week. Dont come back, @ProjectLincoln. Your stunts arent welcome here," she tweeted.

The Youngkin campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SANAA, Yemen (AP)  At least 11 civilians, including women and children, were killed when a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck their house in Yemen's central province of Marib, security officials said Friday.

The casualties belonged to the family of a key tribal leader and lived in the residential neighborhood of Al-Aumd. At least another 11 houses were damaged and 16 civilians were wounded in Thursday's attack, according to the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to brief the media.
BOSTON (AP)  The largest fraternity at Boston University has been suspended amid student protests and allegations of sexual misconduct.

The university's Mu Psi Chapter of Kappa Sigma was suspended from official recognition by the school until further notice on Wednesday, The Boston Globe reports.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Unspecified family obligations" prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to suddenly cancel his trip to Scotland for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, a huge gathering of international leaders on a subject that is among his highest priorities.

Newsom, who has four children ages 5 to 12, will participate in the gathering virtually, spokesperson Erin Mellon said. Mellon declined to comment when asked to provide details about what prompted Newsom to change his plans.

Newsom asked Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a fellow Democrat, to lead California's delegation to Glasgow. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kounalakis said she spoke to Newsom on Thursday and had a sense she might be asked to go.

The governor has a young family and we should all be understanding, especially those of us who have been there," said Kounalakis, who has two grown sons.

Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who is attending the conference, said he suspects Newsom is very disappointed to not be going.

He loves this issue, he cares about it a lot," Hertzberg said. Its a big deal to him, and Im sure he desperately wanted to go.

Newsom has spoken passionately about the need to act decisively on climate change issues. Last month, while touring damage from one of the state's many recent major wildfires, he said: I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers," adding: that view is completely inconsistent ... with the reality on the ground."

California has long been a global leader on climate issues, dating back to the 1960s when the state first regulated emissions for cars and trucks. While President Donald Trump was in office, California filed more than 100 lawsuits against the federal government, mostly over environmental issues.

Newsom has sought to extend California's influence further through a series of ambitious executive orders that, should they survive a lengthy and contentious rule-making process, could fundamentally change how people live. So far, Newsom has proposed a ban on the sale of all new gas-powered cars in California by 2035, a ban on all oil drilling by 2045 and outlawing the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment by 2024 or whenever state regulators determine that is feasible.

Most recently, Newsom proposed a prohibition on new oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of schools, homes and hospitals in what would be the largest buffer zone in the country in a state that is the country's seventh-largest oil producer.

Newsom not attending the conference in person will impact the state's influence to an extent, said state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Los Angeles-area Democrat. But he said Newsom doesn't need to be in Scotland to be a leader on climate change.

Still, Rendon said he's been frustrated that the state isn't moving faster.

Our aggressive actions, I think, were cool when we thought the problem was progressing at a certain pace. Now, Im not sure that they are aggressive enough or immediate enough, said Rendon, who will attend the U.N. conference. Its an opportunity to kind of talk about what weve done but at the same time to kind of light a fire under the butts of some of our fellow legislators and have a sense of urgency about an issue that is not only existential but thats immediate.

Last month Newsom easily beat back a Republican-backed recall election that sought to remove him from office, solidifying his power in the nation's most populous state. The trip to Scotland would have been his most significant international trip as governor, providing him a global platform to highlight his agenda and urge others to follow California's lead.

Newsom is up for re-election in 2022 and is a heavy favorite to remain office for a second term. Under Californias law governors are limited to two terms.

Canceling the trip is unlikely to hurt him politically, said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a professor of public policy communication at the University of Southern California. In fact, Newsom might have been harmed politically as well as personally if he did attend, she said.

The optics of his leaving the country, assuming theres something happening that needs his attention at home, would be totally negative, she said.

He wont be able to hobnob and network, but he will be visible, she added. As long as there is Zoom, as long as there is a means of virtual face-to-face communication, I dont think hell be off the radar screen.

Top officials from his administration still plan to travel to Scotland, including natural resources secretary Wade Crowfoot, environmental protection secretary Jared Blumenfeld, California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph, agriculture secretary Karen Ross and senior climate adviser Lauren Sanchez.

While we have a lot to do still in California and really are going to learn from the international community about what more we can do that they're doing, we also have a lot to teach," said Blumenfeld, who will be in Scotland for a week starting Nov. 1.

Newsom had only recently decided to attend the conference, sending staff, media organizations and other lawmakers scrambling to prepare for the trip. His decision not to go was equally abrupt and more surprising.

Hertzberg credited Newsom for putting his children first.

At some point, as much as we want to be out there in politics, youre a human being. Youve got to take care of your family. And hes doing it, and I think thats a good thing, Hertzberg said.

___

Associated Press reporter Don Thompson contributed.
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The nightmare was so vivid that you woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing and certain that the creepy catastrophe was all too real.

Should you have skipped the haunted house and those terrifying Halloween movies? More importantly, was that nightmare bad for your health?

On both counts, sleep experts say, probably not. But repeated troubling nighttime episodes could lead to health problems during the day, which underscores the need for a good night's sleep.

"The good news is that nightmares aren't as serious as a heart attack," said Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, who studies sleep's effect on cardiovascular issues. "But they're also not nothing."

A study of 1,233 Japanese people with cardiovascular disease suggested people reporting frequent nightmares were more likely to have depression, anxiety and insomnia, which could worsen their heart conditions. The study, published last December in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, urged cardiologists to ask patients about nightmares as part of their assessments.

In another study, researchers surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. military veterans and found those reporting nightmares at least twice a week that were at least moderately distressing had more cases of high blood pressure, heart problems and heart attack, even after controlling for the impact of age, smoking status, posttraumatic stress disorder and other factors. The preliminary findings were presented last year at a virtual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

But the studies were observational, without examining cause and effect. It might not be the nightmares themselves causing physiological harm, but rather their impact on everyday life, said Dr. Reena Mehra, director of sleep disorders research at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute.

If bad dreams are frequent enough to cause stress and insomnia, she said, "one could argue that maybe over time that would contribute to cardiovascular risk."

Grandner agreed. "A lot of cardiovascular issues and mental health issues are intertwined," he said. "Extreme stress takes a toll on our heart and our metabolism."

During most dreams, he said, "your brain is very active, but your body is completely immobile. Otherwise, you'd be acting out your dreams."

But during a nightmare, Grandner said, "the dream breaks through those barriers, and you get a response strong enough to actually wake you up. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, and for most people they're harmless. But if you do experience them a lot, it can be very stressful."

Mehra said extreme cases, such as nightmares sparked by PTSD, may warrant psychological counseling and medication. But most people, she said, should focus on sleep hygiene, the formal term for a good bedtime routine.

That includes getting enough sleep  the National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours nightly for most adults  having consistent sleep and wake times, putting away electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day.

One more recommendation might be more difficult. "To the extent one can," Mehra said, "reduce any stressors in life that can trigger the nightmares."

So what about a good Halloween scare?

"When you're exposed to things that get a reaction out of you, you're going to start incorporating them into dreams," Grandner said. "For some people, it's traumatic. If you're the kind of person who has a hard time unseeing an image, and that can be very stressful to take to bed with you, maybe they should think twice.

"But for most people, it's like a roller coaster. It's fun, there's no emotional attachment except for the excitement, and it probably won't lead to nightmares. So go have fun."

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LEBANON, Tenn. (AP)  Cumberland University in Tennessee has announced the largest single donation ever given to the school, a $5 million gift from a graduate.

The Lebanon university said Thursday that Millard V. Oakley, 91, and his wife J.J. have committed to donating the money, which is being recognized as the single largest financial contribution in the 180-year history of the school.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched criticism at President Joe Biden on Friday as he called lawmakers into a special session Nov. 15 to take up legislation to prevent vaccine mandates enacted by businesses.

DeSantis and the Biden administration have a near constant back and forth about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with DeSantis saying the president is overstepping his authority by trying to force large businesses and government contractors to require vaccinations.

The Biden administration has undertaken, or threatened to undertake, extraordinary efforts to coerce injections of the COVID-19 vaccine into Americans who otherwise would be unwilling to receive the vaccine for reasons of health, pregnancy, religious belief (including sincerely held moral or ethical beliefs) and prior infection," the governor's proclamation said.

DeSantis, who is eyeing at 2024 presidential run, has lobbed heavy criticism at the White House and local governments in Florida over their vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

Forced vaccinations of Americans will sow further distrust in government and in corporate America, DeSantis said.

Democratic state Rep. Evan Jenne said it's sad to see DeSantis make the pandemic a political issue, especially by calling out Biden several times in the official call for a special session.

But I'm not surprised. That's who he's running against right now, Jenne said. If you're running to unseat the incumbent you talk about the incumbent and you critique their job performance.

DeSantis is up for re-election next year, but has largely aimed his political attacks on the Biden administration rather than the three major Democrats hoping to unseat him.

You can do that call without making it political," Jenne said. "But it's where we're at. This is what both sides want to get into all the time. It's just constant clashing."

On Thursday, DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the White House over its vaccine mandate for federal contractors. His administration has also fined local school boards who defied a state ban on mask mandates in classrooms and has withheld funding from districts that received federal grants meant to blunt the states fines.

The special session also asks lawmakers to clarify that local school districts must not mandate masks for students, but rather leave the choice to parents. The session will end by Nov. 19.

Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls issued a joint statement supporting DeSantis.

Over the last two years, Floridians have watched the freedoms of our friends and relatives in other states get stripped away one at a time. We will not stand by as the Biden Administration imposes an illegal and unconstitutional nationwide vaccine mandate that robs the American people of the dignity of work," they said.

Many other states are considering anti-mandate bills. GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently issued an executive order to prohibit any entity from requiring vaccines.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  A Dutch woman charged seven years ago with raising money for the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab has been extradited to the U.S. to face trial.

Farhia Hassan, 38, made an initial appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria after being brought to the U.S. on Thursday on charges of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization. She was ordered held pending her next hearing.

Prosecutors say Hassan helped raise money by telling donors it would fund schools and orphans when it was actually going to terrorists. The indictment alleges that al-Shabab cells in Nairobi, Kenya, and Hargeisa, Somalia received payments over a period from 2011 through 2014.

She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

While Hassan was in the Netherlands fighting extradition over the last seven years, her lawyers in the U.S. were working to get the charges against her tossed out. The defense lawyers argued that the U.S. lacked jurisdiction to charge a Dutch woman with giving money to a Somali terrorist group. And they said the long delays in bringing her to trial amounted to a denial of her speedy trial rights.

But Judge Anthony Trenga ruled last year that the case could move forward. He said that several of Hassan's co-conspirators were based in the U.S., and that the U.S. has a legitimate interest in prosecuting supporters of a group designated as a terrorist organization.

He also ruled that Hassan's own efforts to fight extradition were responsible for the trial delays. Hassan's lawyer Jessica Carmichael declined comment after Friday's hearing.

Two of Hassan's co-defendants, Muna Osman Jama of Reston, Virginia, and Hinda Osman Dhirane of Kent, Washington, were convicted back in 2016 and received prison sentences of 12 and 11 years, respectively.

At trial, defense lawyers argued that the amounts contributed by the women were negligible, amounting to a few thousand dollars in total from a group of about 15 women. They also said the money was intended to care for injured al-Shabab soldiers and that providing funds for medicine in an armed conflict cannot be considered a criminal act under international treaties.

The defense also raised First Amendment issues, saying their advocacy for al-Shabab should not be fodder for a criminal conviction.
ROME (AP)  The Group of 20 has morphed from its creation in the late 1990s as an international body to grapple with financial crises into a forum for addressing urgent problems like worldwide vaccine access and climate change. Whether the G-20's structure suits helping to respond to the evolving needs of our times will be put to a test when the leaders of the world's largest economies hold their first face-to-face summit of the COVID-19 in Rome this weekend.

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WHOS IN THE FOLD?

The Group of Seven industrialized nations - which was the Group of Eight for a few years before Russia's suspension over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula  is likely the better known G grouping. The Group of 20 folds in all seven: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Other members include a dozen other countries, established powerhouses as well ones with fast-growing economies: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey. The European Union is the 20th member, and since the EU consists of 27 nations  including three in the G-7 -- the G-20 actually represents the interests of considerably more than countries.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COUNT?

In terms of population and economic weight, the G-20 is impressive. The member nations account for 60% of the planets people and 80% of the worlds gross domestic product. Theres a lot of back-and-forth among members, too  the G-20 nations account for 75% of foreign trade.

HOW DID IT GET GOING?

The Group of 20 is regarded as the premier international forum for economic and financial cooperation. In wake of a 1997 Asian economic crisis and its repercussions, G-7 finance ministers created the larger grouping in 1999 so other countries could have a say. After the 2008 global financial crisis spawned by the subprime mortgage debacle in the United States, Washington pushed for the G-20 to be raised to the level of heads of state and government. The leaders, at their 2009 summit in Pittsburgh, declared they intended to turn the page on an era of irresponsibility and to adopt a set of policies, regulations and reforms to meet the needs of the 21st century global economy.

IS THE G-20 STILL RELEVANT?

Some suggest a membership update could be useful, especially in view of the urgency to address climate change. After the global crisis sparked by American subprime lending, the G-20s emergence as a forum for international policy coordination seemed like the only silver lining of that mess, says Rosario Forlenza, a professor of contemporary history and anthropology at Romes LUISS university. But he and others note that South Africa still is the only African G-20 country. When it comes to climate issues, Africa is crucial, Forlenza says. The absence of Nigeria, which has Africas biggest economy and largest population, thus appears as a glaring gap.

THE HEAVY LIFTING

Before presidents and prime ministers arrive in Rome for the summit, Sherpas have been long at work to hammer out an agreement for the G-20s final declaration. Referring in this context to diplomats or other government officials, the term Sherpa is used in recognition of the Himalayan people famed for their mountaineering expertise and who lead the way uphill to the summit.

As in a multi-act play, in the months leading up to a G-20 summit, ministerial-level meetings are held, ranging from the likes of foreign affairs, commerce, finance, education, health and environment. These thematic huddles yield pledges. In Venice this summer, example, G-20 finance ministers lent their support to a sweeping revision of international taxation that would include a 15% minimum corporate levy in a bid to deter mega-companies from finding refuge in low-rate tax havens. The Rome summit is an occasion to seal the deal before the curtain comes down.

THE ROAD TO ROME

Each year, the presidency of the G-20 rotates, and with it, the country that hosts the group's annual summit. Italy took the helm in December 2020. Going back year by year, previous summits were held in Saudi Arabia (in November 2020, a gathering that took place remotely due to pandemic precautions), Japan, Argentina, Germany, China, Turkey, Australia, Russia, Mexico, France, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Britain and the United States.

AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER

The G-20 summit gives host countries a chance to push for progress on issues they care about. Italian Premier Mario Draghi is keen on empowering women economically. An economist who formerly served as president of the European Central Bank, Draghi often stresses how the sidelining of women from the workforce  often due to child or elder care needs at home  drags down economic growth. The 2014 G-20 summit in Australia set a goal of slashing the gender employment lag by 25% by 2025.

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE

Italian security forces will be casting a wide and tight security perimeter around the summit site in EUR, a Rome neighborhood outside the city center notable for its Fascist-era architecture. Protesters are planning events near postcard backdrops in the historic heart of the Italian capital to draw attention to their causes despite being kilometers (miles) out of earshot of the G-20 leaders. Among them are Tibetan activists who have called a rally at the Colosseum for Friday afternoon, when most of the leaders arrive in Rome. The activists protesting human rights violations want a boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Thursday that it's going ahead with the lease of a nearly 200-square mile area off the North Carolina coast for offshore wind development.

On Monday, the department will publish a notice in the Federal Register proposing the lease sale of a large portion of the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area, starting a 60-day public comment period that lasts until Jan. 3, 2021, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.

When completed, the Wilmington East area could generate more than 1.5 gigawatts of electricity, enough for more than 500,000 homes, according to the department. By comparison, Duke Energys natural gas-powered Sutton Plant near Wilmington has a capacity of 625 megawatts, less than half the offshore wind areas potential.

President Joe Biden has set a national goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind built by 2030. Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper announced state targets of 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040.

Energy legislation passed by the General Assembly requires Duke Energy to reduce carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. But the bill also gives the N.C. Utilities Commission the ability to delay those targets if the company is pursuing offshore energy or a new nuclear plant.

If the project goes ahead, it would be the second area off North Carolinas coast leased for wind energy development, joining a site off Kitty Hawk that was leased by auction four years ago. The Kitty Hawk site has the potential for 2.5 gigawatts of power, according to Avangrid, which leased the area.

The Wilmington East project has been met with some opposition in Brunswick County, where local governments and the county commissioners have passed resolutions opposing the construction of any wind farms within 24 nautical miles of the coast in order to protect the view.
NEW YORK (AP)  Six New York City firefighters angry with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers that took effect Friday were pulled from duty and suspended after driving a fire truck to a state Senators office and threatening his staff over the requirement, which the state lawmaker had nothing to do with.

State Senator Zellnor Myrie said firefighters from Ladder 113 in Brooklyn parked a fire truck outside his office Friday morning and confronted one of his staff members about the mandate, suggesting the lawmaker and his staff would have blood on their hands because of resulting staffing shortages and longer response times.

The firefighters also pressed the staff member to divulge where Myrie lived, the 34-year-old Democrat told The Associated Press. He said several other members of his staff saw the fire truck with its lights flashing and were anxious there was an emergency nearby.

Myrie said he found the incident incredibly disturbing, highly inappropriate and not at all what firefighters should be focused on. He said he was encouraged that the fire department took swift action to pull them from duty. He said his staff was shaken up for hours.

If you are asking for my personal whereabouts and you follow it with blood being on the governments hands for a vaccine mandate, any objective observer is going to connect those two and receive them as a threat, Myrie said. I believe my staff did receive it as such and I think its highly inappropriate.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro swiftly condemned the firefighters' actions and suspended them for four weeks without pay.

This is a highly inappropriate act by on duty members of this Department who should only be concerned with responding to emergencies and helping New Yorkers and not harassing an elected official and his staff, Nigro said. The members in question have been immediately relieved of duty and will face disciplinary action.

A message seeking comment was left with the firefighters union. Myrie praised the fire department for its swift action in suspending the firefighters.

The alarming confrontation came as the nation's largest city braced for the possibility of closed firehouses, fewer police and ambulances, mounting trash and other disruptions come Monday as thousands of municipal workers remain unwilling to get the shots.

Police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and most other city workers faced a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to show proof theyve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The mandate is the result of action by the city government, not state lawmakers like Myrie.

Workers who dont comply will be put on unpaid leave starting Monday.

Nearly one-fifth of city employees covered by the impending mandate have yet to receive at least one vaccine dose as of Thursday, including 29% of firefighters and EMS workers.

The firefighter's actions at Myrie's office were a dramatic escalation of tensions between the citys unvaccinated rank-and-file and Mayor Bill de Blasios administration, which has held firm on the deadline amid protests and a legal challenge.

Hundreds of firefighters rallied Thursday outside the mayors official residence, sanitation workers appeared to be skipping garbage pick ups in protest and the citys largest police union went to an appeals court seeking a halt to the vaccine requirement.

Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, warned in recent days that longer response times will be a death sentence to some people.

The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while changing schedules, canceling vacations and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.

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Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Fraternity and sorority presidents at the University of Missouri were told this week that fraternity events were allowed to resume on Friday.

The email from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life said that events such as new member education and social functions may resume, The Columbia Missourian reported.
CLEVELAND (AP)  One of the four retail pharmacy companies on trial for their alleged roles in fostering an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties announced Friday it had settled lawsuits filed by 10 government entities in the state that have accused the companies of creating a public nuisance.

The settlement by Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle includes Lake and Trumbull counties, whose federal lawsuits are being heard in a bellwether trial in Cleveland that began in early October. The other defendants on trial are CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.

Settlement terms were not announced. Another pharmacy chain, Rite-Aid, settled with the two counties in August. Rite-Aid agreed to pay Trumbull County $1.5 million. The amount Lake County will receive has not been disclosed.

Giant Eagle in a joint statement with a committee representing plaintiffs in the national litigation denied causing the opioid crisis but said it recognizes the severity of the crisis, the impact on the public and the hard work of the public officials working to address the harms.

Giant Eagle intends to continue helping the communities in which it operates to address the opioid crisis in a productive way, the statement said.

In a separate statement, Lake and Trumbull County officials said they are focused on supporting our necessary action to combat the persistent negative impacts caused by the opioid epidemic.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is overseeing the current trial in Cleveland and supervises nearly 3,000 opioid lawsuits filed by government agencies and tribal entities from across the country.

More than 500,000 people in the U.S. have died from drug overdoses in the last two decades.

The Cleveland trial has been focused on how the companies contributed to the opioid crisis by filling millions of prescriptions for addictive pain killers. All four companies at various times also distributed those drugs to their retail pharmacies.

Around 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County between 2012 and 2016  400 for every county resident  while 61 million pills were dispensed in Lake County during that five-year period  265 pills for every resident.

The cost of abating the crisis in each county totals around $1 billion, one of the counties' attorneys has said.

We were hit with a tsunami and we were pulling bodies out of the water, April Caraway, executive director of the Trumbull County Mental Health & Recovery Board, testified earlier this week.

The counties are arguing that the companies' lax or nonexistent controls and systems for detecting suspicious orders and prescriptions contributed to the crisis. The companies have said their pharmacies filled prescriptions written by doctors for legitimate medical needs.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP)  A 3-year-old southwestern Indiana girl died after ingesting fentanyl and two other children in the same home were hospitalized with apparent opioid overdoses, authorities said.

Six people were arrested after emergency responders found Kamari Opperman dead Wednesday morning in a house in Evansville where police discovered thousands of fentanyl pills,

Kamari's grandmother told police that the children got hold of a bag containing fentanyl pills the night before, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.

No one took Kamari to the hospital, and two other children who showed signs of overdosing didnt get medical treatment until first responders rushed them to a hospital Wednesday and gave them a medication used to revive people suffering from opioid overdoses, a probable cause affidavit states.

Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann said Thursday that the two other children, ages 2 and 4, were in stable condition.

This tragedy needs to serve as a wakeup call to our entire community, he said, adding that one or both of the other children may have died without the medical treatment they received Wednesday.

Police believe another child, an infant, was also exposed" to fentanyl, and Hermann said detectives found more than 5,600 fentanyl pills inside the home in the city, located about 165 miles (266 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis.

Police arrested six people, including Kamaris mother and two of her grandparents, on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent causing death, according to jail records.

Evansville police spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray said the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Joint Drug Task Force is dealing with fentanyl constantly.

Its a growing issue for sure, she said.

The Associated Press left a message Friday seeking comment from the Vanderburgh County coroners office on the status of Kamari Oppermans autopsy results.
CHELSEA, Iowa (AP)  A man died after being shot by a Tama County Sheriffs deputy during what police described as a armed confrontation in east-central Iowa.

The shooting happened Thursday night in Chelsea, according to a news released from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The Tama County Sheriffs Office received calls around 7:30 p.m. of shots being fired in the town of about 230, and deputies along with law enforcement from several other agencies responded.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel said Friday its hope to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to demand action ahead of next week's U.N. summit on climate change.

As a small country, Israel contributes little to global warming, but officials say it has much to offer the world in terms of green technologies. Israel, which has already had to adapt to life in a parched region, is widely considered a world leader in areas such as solar energy storage, sustainable protein alternatives, agriculture technology and desalination.
TOKYO (AP)  In his first big test as Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida's ruling party is expected to lose seats in Sunday's national parliamentary elections, while still maintaining a majority.

Just how many parliament seats are lost will determine whether Kishida is destined to be a short-term leader or if he'll have enough allies to tackle a coronavirus-battered economy and worries over climate change, gender inequity, a fast-aging and dwindling population and Chinas aggressive moves in a region Japan has long dominated.

Kishida, 64, was elected prime minister on Oct. 4 after winning the governing Liberal Democratic Partys leadership race. The party's conservative leaders saw him as a safe status-quo successor to Yoshihide Suga, who left office after just a year in power.

Kishidas immediate task has been to rally support for a party weakened by Sugas perceived high-handed approach to pandemic measures and his insistence on holding the Tokyo Summer Olympics despite widespread opposition.

But Kishida's long-term grip on power will depend on how well he does in the election.

Kishida dissolved the lower house only 10 days after taking office, calling for this election and declaring that he wanted a mandate from voters for his new government before getting to work.

Kishida repeatedly stressed his determination to address criticism of the nine-year leadership of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Suga, who was handpicked by party heavyweights to replace Abe, the nation's longest-ever serving leader, after he abruptly resigned because of health problems.

The campaign has centered on COVID-19 response measures and revitalizing the economy, as well as diplomatic and security issues linked to Chinas growing influence and North Koreas missile and nuclear threat. Kishida, who inherits Sugas pledge of achieving 2050 carbon neutrality, plans to rush over to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland after the election.

At the start of the election campaign, Kishida had an unimpressive 40-45% support rating. Sugas initial support rating, by contrast, was about 70%.

His lackluster start is likely linked in part to the general public support of Kishida's rival in the party vote for prime minister, Taro Kono, who is seen as something of a maverick.

Kishida has set a modest goal for the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito. He wants to jointly keep their majority, which would be 233 seats in the 465-member lower house. Thats a low bar, considering that the LDP alone had 276 seats before the election. A big drop, even if the party keeps its majority, would be a bad start for Kishidas weeks-old administration.

Media polls suggest the LDP is likely to lose seats, in part because five opposition parties formed a united front in many small electoral constituencies and are expected to gain positions there.

If, as the Asahi newspaper and others predict, the ruling coalition wins around 261 seats, they could control all parliamentary committees and easily push through any divisive legislation.

Opposition leaders complain that recent LDP governments have widened the gap between rich and poor, didn't support the economy during the pandemic and stalled gender equality and diversity.

But the opposition has long struggled to win enough votes to form a government after a brief rule of the now-defunct center-left Democratic Party of Japan in 2009-2012. That government was toppled by Abe, who continuously pushed his party to the right, stepping up control over bureaucrats and muzzling opposing opinions.

Though many people are not actively supporting the LDP, there is little enthusiasm among voters toward a change over to an opposition-led leadership, says Yu Uchiyama, a University of Tokyo political science professor. The problem is that opposition parties have not been able to present their grand vision of a future society to become a viable leadership change option.

In a recent NHK television survey, over one-third of respondents chose Kishida's party as their top choice; another third said they don't support a particular party. A united opposition had about 13% support.

The upcoming election is about how to overcome the pandemic crisis and determine a future path for Japan, the conservative Yomiuri newspaper wrote in a recent editorial. Liberal-leaning Asahi said the focus is how to conclude the Abe-Suga leadership that deeply damaged Japanese democracy and regain trust to politics.

Kishida, a third-generation politician from Hiroshima, was once considered a moderate. But he now advocates a stronger military while backpedaling on gender equality, apparently to gain support from influential figures within his party.

Experts say Kishida must show loyalty to the party heavyweights who chose him.

Having borrowed support from these factions, Kishida will continue to be indebted to traditional LDP policy interests, Aurelia George Mulgan, a social sciences professor at the University of New South Wales, wrote in the East Asia Forum. Only a solid performance in the general election will strengthen Kishidas hand in making the political, personnel and policy choices that will shape the future direction of his government.

Kishida has called for cooperation with other democracies to counter Chinas increasingly assertive activity in the region.

Worried about North Koreas missile and nuclear technology advancement, Kishida has said Japan should consider acquiring the ability to strike an enemy base as a deterrence option. Pre-emptive strike options are controversial, and critics say they go beyond Japans war-renouncing constitution, which strictly limits the use of force to self-defense.

On the economy, Kishida has emphasized distribution and growth by income raises, while opposition groups focus more on distribution of wealth and call for cash payouts to pandemic-hit low-income households.

There are not huge differences between the ruling and opposition blocs on Japan's basic economic and security policies. But the LDP alone opposes legislation guaranteeing equality for sexual minorities and allowing separate surnames for married couples.

Of the 1,051 candidates, only 17% are women, despite a 2018 law promoting gender equality in elections, which is toothless because there is no penalty. Women account for about 10% of parliament.

Gender rights experts call Japans extremely low female presence in politics democracy without women, and say they have little hope of achieving further equality under the LDP rule.
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP)  A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for causing a crash earlier this year that killed a grandmother and injured her 6-month-old grandson.

Josiah Coleman, 23, of Leavenworth County, was sentenced Thursday to 77 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and methamphetamine possession, the Kansas City Star reported.
KIHEI, Hawaii (AP)  A new high school on Maui wont be welcoming students as planned next fall because the state Department of Education didn't build a pedestrian bridge to the campus.

The state Land Use Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to stick to its earlier decision to require the state to build the bridge over Piilani Highway to Kihei High School, Hawaii News Now reported. That means the school wont be able to open for the fall 2022 semester.
NEW YORK (AP)  Lawyers for Prince Andrew asked a New York judge Friday to throw out a lawsuit accusing the prince of sexually abusing an American when she was 17, saying the prince never sexually abused or assaulted the plaintiff.

In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, an attorney for Andrew said the plaintiff, Virginia Giuffre, may well be a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of financier Jeffrey Epstein.

However, and without diminishing the harm suffered as a result of Epsteins alleged misconduct, Prince Andrew never sexually abused or assaulted Giuffre. He unequivocally denies Giuffres false allegations against him, according to arguments signed by attorney Andrew Brettler.

Brettler asked that the lawsuit be thrown out or that lawyers for Giuffre be required to refile the lawsuit with a more definitive statement of her allegations.

Accusing a member of the worlds best known royal family of serious misconduct has helped Giuffre create a media frenzy online and in the traditional press. It is unfortunate, but undeniable, that sensationalism and innuendo have prevailed over the truth, the filing said.

Giuffre has initiated this baseless lawsuit against Prince Andrew to achieve another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him. Epsteins abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew, the written arguments said.

The submission also challenged a temporary New York state law that has since expired that let survivors of sex abuse incurred during childhood to sue their alleged abusers no matter how much time had passed.

Giuffre claimed in her August lawsuit that the prince abused her on multiple occasions in 2001. Andrew has said even before the court papers were filed Friday that he never had sex with her.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has.

An attorney for Giuffre, Sigrid McCawley, called Andrew's request to dismiss the lawsuit outrageous" and credited Giuffre for helping to reveal Epstein's alleged sex trafficking that they say Andrew participated in.

On the subject of money, McCawley said, "the only party to this litigation using money to his benefit is Prince Andrew."

Brettler, who has called the lawsuit baseless, had included in the arguments a copy of a 2009 settlement agreement that he believes protects his client from being sued.

According to the arguments on Andrews behalf, Giuffres 2009 settlement of sex trafficking and sexual abuse claims against Epstein included a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities.

To avoid being dragged into future legal disputes, Epstein negotiated for this broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of the merit -- or lack thereof -- to any such claims, the papers said.

The pages of the settlement reached between Giuffre and Epstein were blacked out when they were included in Fridays submission as Exhibit A. The financier was found dead at age 66 in his cell in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial at a New York federal jail. His death was ruled a suicide.

Earlier this week, Brettler said in a written submission to the judge that the agreement releases Prince Andrew and others from any purported liability arising from the claims Ms. Giuffre asserted against Prince Andrew here.

When he requested that the documents be filed under seal, Brettler said neither he nor lawyers for Giuffre believed that it was necessary to keep the 2009 settlement agreement secret except for the fact that it is under seal in another civil litigation in Manhattan federal court.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for next week.
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP)  A Maryland man was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for sex crimes against a minor, prosecutors said.

Timothy Ford, 40, of Columbia was sentenced to 25 years with all but nine years suspended for a 2019 incident in Columbia, the Howard County States Attorney Office announced in a news release. Ford pleaded guilty last year to human trafficking and filming a child engaged in a sex act.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  As promised, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday vetoed Republican-sponsored legislation that would toughen in-person voter identification rules and require people to include additional information such as their driver's license number on absentee ballot applications.

The governor said the bills would disproportionately hurt minority voters who are more likely to not have a photo ID on Election Day than white voters. They also would prohibit the secretary of state and clerks from mailing absentee ballot applications unless voters request them and ban private donations to help administer elections.

Voting restrictions that produce such a racially disparate impact must never become law in this state, Whitmer wrote to lawmakers.

A GOP-affiliated ballot committee, Secure MI Vote, is circulating petitions that would enable the Republican-controlled Legislature to still enact a similar initiative next year regardless of Whitmers opposition.

The governor may have vetoed this bill now, but once we finish this process, she will not be able to stop these changes, spokesman Jamie Roe said in a statement.

In Michigan, voters who go to a polling place without a photo ID can cast a regular ballot if they sign an affidavit. More than 11,400 did so in the 2020 presidential election. Under the legislation, they would get a provisional ballot and have to verify their identity with the local clerk within six days of an election for their vote to count.

The governor said the change would disenfranchise voters, and there is no evidence that affidavit ballots are related to voter fraud.

Republicans said the bills, which follow a wave of new laws in GOP-controlled states that tighten election rules, would secure voting after voters' approval of a 2018 constitutional amendment that expanded options. They cited polling that shows Americans, including majorities of both parties, support laws requiring voters to present photo ID.

This was an irresponsible and solely partisan response to common sense legislation that would protect our democratic system and is widely supported by Michiganders of all political stripes, said state GOP spokesman Gustavo Portela.

One measure would eliminate a $10 fee to obtain or renew a state ID card. The fee already is waived for certain people, including the elderly, those on welfare or disability assistance, homeless people and veterans.

Like in-person voters, absentee voters would be given a provisional ballot if they did not provide their drivers license number, state ID number or the final four digits of their Social Security number. They currently sign the application, and the signature is checked against what is on file.

Opponents said the legislation would make it harder to vote and perpetuate false claims that mass fraud enabled Democrat Joe Biden to win the presidential election.

Voter fraud is extremely rare. Michigan has charged just five people with attempted fraud in last Novembers election.

These bills are out of step with what we know Michigan voters want, a voting system that works for everyone, said Sharon Dolente, senior adviser for Promote the Vote, which includes groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. Michigan law already requires voters to verify their identity prior to voting. These bills would impose a radically restrictive identity verification scheme rejected by 42 states.

Republicans next need roughly 340,000 valid voter signatures to put the initiative before the Legislature, which would pass it rather than let the proposal go to the ballot. A committee opposing the measure, Protect MI Vote, has received $2.5 million from a liberal dark money nonprofit to persuade people to not sign the petitions.

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Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
VATICAN CITY (AP)  South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave Pope Francis a statue of a cross made with barbed wire from the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas and told him Friday that a papal visit to the North would help create momentum for peace" on the peninsula, officials said.

Moon, a Catholic, called on Francis before the start of the Group of 20 summit in Rome.

The Vatican, which didnt allow independent media in the audience, said the talks touched on the role of the Catholic Church in promoting dialogue and said hopes were shared that joint effort and good will may favor peace and development in the Korean Peninsula, supported by solidarity and by fraternity."

Ahead of the visit, South Korean presidential officials said they expected Moon and Francis would discuss a possible papal visit to the officially atheist North, since Francis had previously expressed a desire to visit if it becomes possible. The Vatican made no mention of a possible trip in its statement Friday and none is currently believed to be under consideration.

Moon first floated the idea of a papal visit to the North in 2018 when he revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had said during a summit between the Korean leaders that the pope would be enthusiastically welcomed.

Kim then was actively engaging in diplomacy with Seoul and the Trump administration in an effort to leverage his nuclear programs for an easing of U.S.-led economic sanctions. But the diplomacy derailed and the North also cut off cooperation with South Korea while expressing frustration over the Moon governments inability to wrest concessions on its behalf from Washington.

Moon told the pope on Friday that if he does get an opportunity to visit North Korea, it would create a momentum for peace in the Korean Peninsula and that South Koreans have huge expectations (for a papal visit to the North), said Moon spokesman Park Kyung-mee.

Park said Francis told Moon that he would gladly visit the North if he receives an official invitation, so that he could help the Korean people and contribute to peace. He described the people of the two Koreas as brothers who share the same language.

During the exchange of gifts, Francis gave Moon a medallion replicating Berninis original plan for St. Peters Square. The design envisages the two main colonnades of the Vatican piazza embracing humanity in the church. He also gave him copies of some of his main texts, including one outlining his vision for greater human fraternity.

Moons statue of a cross was made with barbed wire from the DMZ. An accompanying note, written in Spanish, said his hope was that the spikes and iron used to make the barbed wire could be used instead as a symbol of peace.

I pray devotedly that this cross sprouts deep roots and that peace may flourish, the note said.

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Tong-Hyung Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea.
BANGKOK (AP)  A court in Myanmar found a close colleague of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of treason and sentenced him Friday to 20 years in prison, a member of their political party said. Local media also reported the courts decision.

The sentence given 79-year-old Win Htein appeared to be the most severe so far for any of the top members of Suu Kyis government and party who were detained after the military seized power on Feb. 1. Suu Kyi is being tried on several criminal charges that her supporters say were fabricated to discredit her.

Win Htein is a longtime confidante of Suu Kyi and a patron of her National League for Democracy party. He publicly called for civil disobedience to oppose the militarys takeover and was arrested on Feb. 4. Suu Kyis party had won a landslide victory in a November 2020 general election.

The army's takeover was met with widespread peaceful protests but the resistance hardened after security forces used deadly force to put down the demonstrations, and there is now an incipient insurgency in many parts of the country.

Kyaw Thiha, a member of the partys Central Committee and one of its elected members of parliament, said he learned from a court source about the sentence and the judge's order that Win Htein be sent immediately to a prison in the central city of Mandalay.

Myanmar media, which are mostly operating online without permission under military rule, also reported the courts action. A text message from the Information Ministry to journalists confirmed that Win Htein had received a 20-year prison sentence but gave no other details.

Win Htein was apparently arrested for remarks he made just after the takeover.

The curse of the coup is rooted in our country and this is the reason why our country still remains poor. I feel sad and upset for our fellow citizens and for their future, Win Htein, who had been a political prisoner under a former military government, said on Feb. 2.

All the voters who gave their backing to us in the 2020 general election should follow Aung San Suu Kyis instructions to carry out civil disobedience, he said, referring to a note posted on Facebook attributed to her. There has been some dispute about whether Suu Kyi was its actual author.

Win Htein was able to inform the Myanmar-language service of Britains BBC radio about his arrest before his contact with the outside was cut off.

They dont like what Ive been talking about. They are afraid of what Im saying, he told the BBC in a phone call.

Win Htein was charged under Section 124(A) of the Penal Code, a statute that falls under the general heading of treason, though it is sometimes referred to as sedition.

The law, which had a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment, was changed shortly after his arrest by the newly installed military government.

It had originally criminalized attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite or attempt to excite disaffection towards the government, but was amended to also cover Defense Services or Defense Services Personnel, and the penalty was increased to seven to 20 years imprisonment.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Conservative Christians gathered on Friday cheered North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who pledged to fight on for their principles and remain on the job despite recent calls by LGBTQ advocates and others for him to resign.

Speaking at a large Stand Up for America rally behind the Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh, Robinson referred repeatedly to his Christian faith and used military themes while calling on the crowd to remain courageous in expressing their beliefs.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  An off-duty suburban St. Louis police office shot and critically injured a man who fired into a crowd of people outside a St. Louis bar, police said.

The shootout happened late Thursday night outside The Other Place II bar, when a 25-year-old man reportedly approached the crowd with a handgun, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  An Ohio man is facing federal charges after suspected destructive devices were found on Ohio River tugboats, authorities said.

Nathaniel Blayn Becker, 42, of Marietta, Ohio, was charged Thursday in a federal criminal complaint with possession of one or more unregistered destructive devices. Federal prosecutors said Becker was arrested Wednesday in Marietta.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  Nevada health officials are expecting to receive 95,000 kid-sized coronavirus vaccines as soon as next week, ahead of the expected final federal approval of the shots for 5- to 11-year-olds.

They are coordinating with pediatricians, family practice clinics and other health care providers to distribute the approved doses produced by Pfizer. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel endorsed the vaccines for children on Tuesday and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is expected to issue its formal recommendation next week.

Vaccinating school age children is vital and will help them to have more days in the classroom and fewer interruptions to in-person learning, state epidemiologist Melissa Peek-Bullock said.

In Nevada, 56% of the population 12 and older is vaccinated against COVID-19. When the state accounts for children  including 276,000 ages 5-11  the figure drops to 48%. Officials said Thursday that they hope expanded eligibility will help them increase the share of the population that's been vaccinated.

The coronavirus has slightly subsided among children ages 5-11. In early October, about 122 per 100,000 were testing positive weekly. School cases have declined, but children have still had to miss class, setting off a domino effect of consequences including their parents staying home from work.

Officials said they hoped expanding vaccine eligibility to children would help prevent the virus from spreading to other age groups and prevent community spread. At this stage, they do not plan on considering any school vaccine mandates until full FDA approval of the vaccines for children.

Nevada has historically struggled with some of the country's lowest influenza vaccination rates, including among children ages 5-12, according to the CDC.

This year, the state will encourage newly eligible children to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, based on recommendations from the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics.

Candice McDaniel, deputy director for the Department of Health and Human Services, said she hopes the focus on coronavirus vaccines will help the state buoy its influenza vaccination rates.

Public health as a whole has been highlighted through this response, she said. My personal hope, being a public health servant, is that our families across Nevada really value the tools that we have to fight things like like flu.

Karissa Loper, a Health Bureau Chief in the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, said the health care provider shortages that have made inoculating the population against the flu difficult in the past aren't as much of an issue with the coronavirus because a lot more are engaged with the state's highly publicized vaccination efforts.

Based on lessons from efforts to vaccinate against the flu, the state is working to engage pediatricians and family practices to administer doses in their offices and also answer questions at large vaccination events, Loper said.

Health officials are ensuring certain kinds of doctors like pediatricians will be present at the large vaccination sites and events based on lessons from efforts to vaccinate against the flu, she added.

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Metz 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.
COTABATO, Philippines (AP)  Philippine forces on Friday killed one of the countrys most-wanted Muslim militant leaders and his wife who were aligned with the Islamic State group and were blamed for deadly bombings, killings and extortion in the south for more than a decade, the military said.

Army and police forces raided a hideout of the militant group Daulah Islamiya in a remote area of Talayan town in Maguindanao province and killed its leader, Salahuddin Hassan, and his wife in a 30-minute gunbattle before dawn. More than two dozen other gunmen managed to escape, regional military commander Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy said.

Assault rifles, ammunition and rebel documents were seized by troops at the scene of the battle, Uy said.

Hassan and his group were allegedly involved in a number of bombings aimed at extorting money from businesses and transport companies. One of the most prominent attacks was the 2016 bombing of a night market that left 15 people dead and scores wounded in Davao city, President Rodrigo Dutertes hometown, the military said.

Hassans group was also blamed for the 2014 bombing of a bus in the south that killed 11 people and wounded 15 others. In June, his men burned a bus in Mlang town in southern Cotabato province in an attack that killed four people and injured several others, the military said.

Hassan founded the extortion group Al-Khobar, which was blamed for bombings, extortion and other attacks from 2007 to 2015. He was trained by a rebel commander, Basit Usman, a notorious bomb-maker, and a Malaysian militant, Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, military officials said. They were among Southeast Asias most-wanted militant suspects before being killed by government forces, they said.

Daulah Islamiya is one of a number of small but violent groups which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and rejected a 2014 autonomy deal between the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Philippine government under a peace pact brokered by Malaysia.

The Moro rebels are now among the administrators of a Muslim autonomous region in the south, homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

Hassan also allegedly provided bomb-making training to militants belonging to the Abu Sayyaf group, according to a former Abu Sayyaf militant who has been captured by government forces. The group has been blamed for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings and is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the Philippines,
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Authorities say a man found fatally wounded in a Des Moines house this week was stabbed to death during a home invasion, and police have arrested three other men in the killing.

Officers and medics found Cory Elifritz, 19, of Norwalk, with traumatic injuries around 2 a.m. Thursday inside the home in a neighborhood between Interstate 235 and Easttown Park. Elifritz was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died.
DORAL, Fla. (AP)  A man fatally shot a woman outside a home in a gated South Florida community before shooting a handyman who was working inside, police said.

The woman and the man were arguing outside the two-story, lakeside home in the Miami suburb of Doral just before 9 p.m. Thursday.
JERICHO, West Bank (AP)  Tourists are being offered a new glimpse at one of the largest ancient mosaics in the Middle East after renovations undertaken by the Palestinian Authority were unveiled this week.

The 930-square-meter (10,000-square foot) stone mosaic, with intricate geometric patterns, is part of what's known as Hisham's Palace. It was built during the reign of the Umayyads, the first hereditary Muslim dynasty, which ruled from Damascus. The palace was the winter resort of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who ruled from A.D. 724 to 743.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has ordered state agencies under his direct control not to follow any federal coronavirus vaccine mandate.

Ricketts announced the order Friday, casting the federal mandate as a violation of personal freedom and government overreach. The mandate generally applies to private-sector employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors, but many employers are still waiting for more specific details from the federal government.
SALEM, Va. (AP)  A Roanoke College alumnus is donating $15 million to the Virginia school  its largest-ever cash donation.

The gift from Massachusetts-based cybersecurity expert Shaun McConnon will go toward a new science center, the college said in a news release Friday.

Every student takes at least three classes from the programs that will be housed in the center, according to the release. A third of all courses on campus will be taught there.

The 150,000-square-foot (13,935-square-meter) project will combine new construction and renovation of existing spaces, The Roanoke Times reports. Its features  including a 140-seat auditorium, 35 research labs and 12 classrooms  will increase the square footage of classroom and study space by 300%.

College spokesperson Teresa Gereaux told the newspaper that 1,865 students are currently enrolled at the private liberal arts school. It was founded in 1842 as Virginia Institute near Staunton, later moving to Salem.

The total cost and timeline for the center are currently unknown, according to Gereaux. The school has received $35 million for it, including McConnons donation.

The 1966 graduate majored in biology with a minor in chemistry and was on the track team. He has served on the schools board of trustees and said he previously gave the school $1.7 million.

McConnon worked at Honeywell and Data General and Sun Microsystems before creating and selling high-tech security companies.

Im hoping that my donation and my story will help other alumni think about how Roanoke College may have helped and inspired their lives and careers, he said in the release. I felt that at this point in my life, after a rewarding career, I would give back.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Sanford Health, a dominant provider of health care in the Upper Midwest, said that 97% of its workforce has complied with a mandate to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday or potentially lose their job.

Sanford announced in July it was mandating COVID vaccinations for all its employees, citing the spread of more contagious variants.

The health care provider has 46 hospitals, 1,500 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and 10 countries. It is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and has major medical centers in Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bemidji, Minnesota.

The company, which bills itself as one of the largest rural health care systems in the country, has a total of about 48,000 employees. Based on its estimates, fewer than 1,500 employees system-wide remained unvaccinated.

More than 90% of clinicians and 70% of nurses in the organization were already fully vaccinated when the mandate was announced this summer, system officials said. Sanford officials on Friday would only provide the overall vaccination rate among all employees.

The vaccine mandate has worked, Dr. Doug Griffin, Sanford's vice president and medical officer in Fargo, said in a statement. As a result of our high employee vaccination rate, we have also seen a decline in Covid-19 infections and sick leave among staff.

Employees who are not fully vaccinated or dont have an approved exemption by Nov. 1 will be suspended for up to 60 days without pay and removed from the work schedule, Griffin said.

Continued failure to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine requirements within 60 days will result in the employee being considered to have voluntarily resigned from their employment, he said. We anticipate during this time that employees will make an effort to comply with the policy and overall we expect the number of staff departures tied to the mandate will be minimal, Griffin said.

Critics of mandatory vaccination argue it takes away peoples right to make their own medical decisions. The Biden administration, public health officials and many business leaders agree that vaccine requirements are legal and prudent actions necessary to help the world emerge from a pandemic that has killed more than 700,000 Americans and nearly 5 million people worldwide.

The defiant workers make up a small fraction of the overall workforce, with many cities, states and businesses reporting that more than 9 out of 10 of their workers are complying with mandates.

The American Hospital Association earlier announced its support of hospitals and health systems that implement mandatory COVID vaccination policies for health care workers.

Tessa Johnson, who heads the North Dakota Nurses Association, said the group, which is a member of the hospital association, also supports hospitals and health systems with mandatory vaccination policies.

Johnson said she knows of no widespread resignations at Sanford or other health systems due to the mandatory policy. Sanford employees are already required to have several other vaccines, including annual flu shots that also need to be completed by Nov. 1. As with all vaccines, the hospital will allow certain exemptions for medical or religious reasons when it comes to the coronavirus shot.

Ive heard stories of nurses walking out in waves but that is not the case, Johnson said. Its not the first time weve been mandated to do something and it probably wont be the last time, she said.

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Associated Press writer Dave Kolpack contributed from Fargo, North Dakota.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A search committee has been created to help find the next chancellor of River Parishes Community College in south Louisiana.

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors on Friday announced the formation of the panel which is charged with conducting a national search for the school's next chancellor.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  The Legislature's special counsel has given Montana's attorney general a Nov. 5 deadline to turn over information related to his office's investigation into a complaint over the way a COVID-19 patient was being treated at the hospital in Helena.

Special counsel Abra Belke wrote to Attorney General Austin Knudsen on Thursday asking to examine all documents, records or electronically stored information related to the complaint made by the patient's family and his offices investigation. Belke requested memos, emails, dispatch records and notes taken by Department of Justice employees, the Montana State News Bureau reported.

Kyler Nerison, a spokesperson for Knudsen, said Friday he did not foresee a problem meeting the deadline.

The legislative investigation comes after St. Peter's Health reported three public officials contacted hospital providers who were threatened and had their clinical judgement called into question, spokesperson Andrea Groom told the Montana State News Bureau on Oct. 18.

The hospital did not name the officials, but Knudsen and his office acknowledged he had a Montana Highway Patrol trooper investigate a report from the family of a patient. The family said the patient was not being given prescribed medications and the hospital was not delivering legal documents or allowing the patient to see their relatives.

Nerison said the patrol investigation had nothing to do with the womans medical treatment, but was about allegations that the hospital violated her rights and her familys rights. The county attorney reviewed the trooper's report and found no reason to file charges against the hospital, the Montana State News Bureau has reported.

The patient in the case, a woman in her 80s, had wanted to be treated with ivermectin, according to a post on the Montana Federation of Republican Womens Facebook page. Ivermectin is a drug used to treat parasites that is not federally approved to treat COVID-19. The patient died on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Knudsen said that Chief Deputy Attorney General Kristen Hansen was also involved in the issue.

My understanding is that somebody in the family reached out to her, Knudsen told the Montana State News Bureau on Wednesday. Hansen is "the one who reached out to me.

Democratic legislative leaders asked the House speaker and Senate president to approve a special counsel investigation into whether Knudsen overstepped his authority in sending a trooper to the hospital. Helena police typically handle security issues at the hospital. The investigation was approved Monday.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Governor Ned Lamont has called a special election to be held in December to fill the vacancy in the General Assembly left by the resignation of Michael DiMassa, who faces federal wire fraud charges.

Voters in the 116th Assembly District, which includes portions of New Haven and West Haven, will go to the polls on December 14, the governor said Friday.
SYDNEY (AP)  The U.S. State Department expressed outrage and demanded an investigation on Friday after The Associated Press reported that Myanmars military has been torturing detainees in a systemic way across the country.

The United Nations top expert on human rights in Myanmar also called for strong international pressure on the military. And lawmakers in Washington urged Congress to act in the wake of APs investigation, which was based on interviews with 28 people, including women and children, imprisoned and released since the military took control of the government in February.

We are outraged and disturbed by ongoing reports of the Burmese military regimes use of systematic torture across the country, the State Department said, using Myanmars other name, Burma. Reports of torture in Burma must be credibly investigated and those responsible for such abuses must be held accountable.

APs report, which included photographic evidence, sketches and letters from prisoners, along with testimony from three recently defected military officials, provides the most comprehensive look since the takeover into a highly secretive detention system that has held more than 9,000 people. The AP identified a dozen interrogation centers in use across Myanmar, in addition to prisons and police lockups, based on interviews and satellite imagery.

Security forces have killed more than 1,200 people since February, including at least 131 detainees tortured to death.

The AP found that the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has taken steps to hide evidence of its torture. An aide to a high-ranking commander told the AP that he watched security forces torture two prisoners to death. Afterwards, he said, soldiers attached glucose drip lines to their corpses to make it look like the men were still alive, then forced a military doctor to falsify their autopsy reports.

The APs investigation sheds important light on the scope and systemic nature of the juntas criminal torture campaign, U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said in a statement. The confession of military personnel who directly witnessed detainees being tortured to death will be important for accountability efforts, as well as the APs uncovering of torture and interrogation center locations.

Given the militarys efforts to hide its abuses, Andrews said the accounts in APs report are very likely just the tip of the iceberg.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the House to hold a vote on the BURMA Act in light of the findings. The legislation would authorize additional targeted sanctions against the military.

While the U.S., United Kingdom and European Union have already placed sanctions on high-ranking Myanmar military members and state-owned enterprises, they have yet to sanction American and French oil and gas companies working in Myanmar. That has allowed the military to maintain its single-largest source of foreign currency revenue, which the Tatmadaw uses, in part, to purchase weapons.

The disturbing reporting by the Associated Press on the sadistic torture and horrific violence committed by the Burmese military junta are sadly the latest in a long string of their atrocities, including genocide against the Rohingya, McCaul said in a statement, referring to the militarys mass slaughter and rape of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in 2017.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also urged Congress to pass the legislation.

I condemn the Burmese militarys unconscionable treatment of detainees, allegedly including victims as young as 16 years old, in the strongest possible terms, Meeks said in a statement.

The administration is considering sanctions that could impact Myanmars oil and gas industry but has yet to make a decision, according to officials familiar with the process. These officials say privately that there is great internal debate among the National Security Council, the State Department and Treasury about how best to ensure that any sanctions imposed do not negatively affect the people of Myanmar.

Human rights groups also urged an immediate international response.

The APs searing and expansive investigation sheds light into the black-box of the Myanmar militarys detention facilities. The Tatmadaws methodical torture regime  and attempts to hide it from public view  demand immediate global acknowledgement and action, said Susannah Sirkin, director of policy at Physicians for Human Rights. The group concluded that the wounds seen in photographs sent by the AP of three torture victims were consistent with deliberate beatings by sticks or rods.

The military did not respond to a request for comment on APs report. Earlier this week, it dismissed questions from the AP about its findings as nonsense.

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Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
CAIRO (AP)  The Sudanese general who seized power in a coup this week said the military he heads will appoint a technocrat prime minister to rule alongside it within days.

In an interview with Russias state-owned Sputnik news agency published Friday, Abdel-Fattah Burhan said the new premier will form a cabinet that will share leadership of the country with the armed forces.

We have a patriotic duty to lead the people and help them in the transition period until elections are held," Burhan said in the interview. He said that as long as expected protests are peaceful, security forces will not intervene.

On Monday, Burhan dissolved the transitional government and detained Prime Minister Abddalla Hamdok, many government officials and political leaders in a coup condemned by the United States and the West. The military allowed Hamdok to return home under guard the following day after international pressure. At least nine people have been killed in anti-coup protests since then.

The generals have not yet produced a list of candidates for the premiership, Burhan said. The decision to appoint a a premier is in line with earlier promises by the generals that they would install a new nonpartisan technocrat cabinet. It remains unclear what degree of power the new government will have.

The military takeover came after weeks of mounting tensions between military and civilian leaders over the course and pace of Sudans transition to democracy. It threatened to derail that process, which has progressed in fits and starts since the overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising two years ago.

Burhan has said military was compelled to take over because of quarrels between political parties that he claimed could lead to civil war. However, the coup also comes just weeks before Burhan would have had to hand over the leadership of the Sovereign Council, the ultimate decision-maker in Sudan, to a civilian. That would have markedly reduced the armed forces' influence in the country.

The coup has elicited a storm of street protests demanding the restoration of a civilian government. At least nine people have been killed by security forces' gunfire, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee and activists. At least 170 others injured, according to the U.N. Pro-democracy activist groups have called for million-person marches on Saturday to bring the coup to a halt.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Sudan's military forces to show restraint and refrain from actions that would claim more lives. Speaking to reporters in Rome on Friday on the eve of a G-20 summit, Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation of the coup and stressed the need to restore the transitional process to democratic rule in the east African country.

Meanwhile, Washington continued to call for Burhan to re-instate the country's deposed government. A senior U.S. official also told reporters Friday that Saturday's mass protests would be a test for the country and that the military has hijacked and betrayed the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

Burhan said earlier this week that he had installed himself as head of a military council that will rule Sudan until elections in July 2023.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Associated Press writer Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court has rejected an emergency appeal from health care workers in Maine to block a vaccine mandate that went into effect Friday.

Three conservative justices noted their dissents. The state is not offering a religious exemption to hospital and nursing home workers who risk losing their jobs if they are not vaccinated.

Only New York and Rhode Island also have vaccine mandates for health care workers that lack religious exemptions. Both are the subject of court fights. On Friday, a federal appeals court panel upheld New York states vaccine mandate for health care workers, rejecting arguments by lawyers for doctors, nurses and other professionals that it did not adequately protect those with religious objections.

As is typical in emergency appeals, the Supreme Court did not explain its action. But Justice Neil Gorsuch said in a dissent for himself and two fellow conservatives that he would have agreed to the health care workers' request.

Where many other States have adopted religious exemptions, Maine has charted a different course," Gorsuch wrote. There, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered. All for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs. Their plight is worthy of our attention.

He was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted in a short statement agreeing with the courts decision not to intervene that the justices were being asked to grant extraordinary relief in a case that is the first of its kind. She was joined by a fellow conservative, Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The legal team that sued to stop the mandate vowed to return to the Supreme Court to press for a full review on the merits. This case is far from over," said Mat Staver, founder and chair of the Liberty Counsel.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said she was gratified that the mandate was upheld, saying it's imperative for hospitals to take every precaution to protect their workers and patients against this deadly virus.

This rule protects health care workers, their patients, and the stability of our health care system in the face of this dangerous virus," she said in a statement. Just as vaccination defeated smallpox and vaccination defeated polio, vaccination is the way to defeat COVID-19.

The high court has previously turned away students at Indiana University and teachers in New York City who objected to being vaccinated. Both the university and city allow people to seek religious exemptions. All of the justices have been vaccinated.

Maines requirement was put in place by the governor. A federal judge in Maine declined to stop the mandate, concluding that the lawsuit was unlikely to succeed. The Oct. 13 decision prompted a flurry of appeals that landed, for a second time, in the Supreme Court.

The Liberty Counsel, which filed the lawsuit, claimed to be representing more than 2,000 health care workers who dont want to be forced to be vaccinated.

Dozens of health care workers have opted to quit, and a hospital in Maines second-largest city already curtailed some admissions because of an acute shortage of nurses.

But most health workers have complied, and Maine residents in general have been supportive of the vaccine. The Maine Hospital Association and other health care groups support the requirement.

Enforcement of the mandate began on the same day the governor announced 80% of eligible Mainers were vaccinated.

Mills said she applauds those who "rolled up their sleeves to do whats right for themselves, their neighbors, and their communities.

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Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
GAUHATI, India (AP)  Tensions were high in parts of Indias northeastern Tripura state on Friday after a string of attacks against minority Muslims, seen as retaliation for the violence against Hindus in neighboring Bangladesh earlier this month.

State authorities deployed police and paramilitary troops and banned the assembly of more than five people in areas where attacks were reported. Police said at least one mosque, several shops and homes belonging to Muslims in the northern part of the state had been vandalized since Tuesday. No deaths have been reported.

Some troublemakers are hellbent on disturbing peace and communal harmony in Tripura, said Senior Police Officer Bhanupada Chakraborty, adding that the situation was under control.

Muslim leaders said that Hindu mobs attacked mosques and torched their properties following a protest rally Tuesday by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or VHP, a hard-line Hindu nationalist group with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. It is not known if the attackers were members of the VHP.

Vinod Bansal, the VHPs national spokesperson, denied that its members were involved in the attacks.

We did not attack anyone. We were peacefully protesting against anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh, he said.

In Bangladesh, at least six Hindus were killed and hundreds of houses and businesses torched on Oct. 13 after an image posted on social media was perceived as insulting to the countrys Muslim majority. The violence also led to demonstrations in India.

The Bangladeshi government was swift in its response after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to hunt down the attackers. It has so far arrested around 300 people.

Chakraborty said police in Tripura have registered cases following the attacks but did not specify against whom. No arrests have been made so far.

Vinod Sonkar, a lawmaker from Modis party that rules Tripura state, said the government has set up a committee to investigate the violence.

Tripura borders Bangladesh and Muslims make up less than 9% of the states nearly 4 million population.

Mohammad Salam, a Muslim cleric in Panisagar town in northern Tripura, said hundreds of VHP members chanting anti-Muslim slogans stormed a mosque on Tuesday and ransacked it. He said they also burnt several Muslim properties.

We are living in fear since then," Salam said.

The fresh attacks are a jarring reminder of the rising religious tensions in India.

There is a fear psychosis among the Muslims in Tripura after the incidents, said Islamuddin, a Muslim opposition lawmaker from Tripura who goes by one name. The state authorities could have reacted a little more faster to control the situation.

On Thursday, the countrys main opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the attacks.

Those who indulge in hatred and violence in the name of Hinduism are not Hindus but hypocrites. For how long will the government pretend to be blind and deaf? he wrote on Twitter.



Saaliq reported from New Delhi.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga's isolation has helped keep it safe but it faces big challenges should the virus take hold due to its under-resourced health system.

The nearby nation of Fiji avoided significant outbreaks until April, when the delta variant ripped through the island chain, infecting more than 50,000 people and killing at least 673.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said in a radio address that the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday and had been isolating at a quarantine hotel.

The prime minister planned on Monday to make an announcement about any future lockdowns, according to news website Matangi Tonga.

Christchurch had been free from the virus for months until this week, when four community cases were reported after a returning resident caught the virus while in Auckland, where an outbreak has been growing since August.

New Zealand health officials said the traveler to Tonga was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and had returned a negative test before leaving for Tonga. The officials said they would be working with their Tongan counterparts to confirm the case and provide more details in the coming days.

Tongan Health Ministry chief executive Dr. Siale Akauola said it was unfortunate the plane had already left Christchurch before the news came of the community cases there, Matangi Tonga reported.

Akauola said all frontline workers including health staff, police officers and airport staff who were on duty when the plane arrived had also been put into quarantine after the positive case was confirmed. He added that all those working near the flight had been vaccinated.

Located northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is home to about 106,000 people. About 31% of Tongans are fully vaccinated and 48% have had at least one dose, according to research group Our World in Data.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP)  A trial date has been set for a woman accused of intentionally running down another woman with her car in a road rage incident on a Springfield street three years ago.

A judge has ordered Elizabeth McKeown, 49, to stand trial on June 6 for first-degree murder in the death of 57-year-old Barbara Foster, television station KYTV reported. The new trial date follows years of delays concerning McKeowns mental fitness to stand trial.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Tyson Foods is moving ahead with plans for a $355 million manufacturing operation that will create 450 full-time jobs in Bowling Green, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.

The company will build the facility in the Kentucky Transpark for production of Jimmy Dean and Wright Brand bacon, the governor said Thursday.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. humanitarian chief had a dire message for leaders of the worlds 20 largest economies meeting this weekend: Worry about Afghanistan because its economy is collapsing and half the population risks not having enough food to eat as the snows have already started to fall.

Martin Griffiths said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press that the needs in Afghanistan are skyrocketing."

Half the Afghan children under age five are at risk of acute malnutrition and there is an outbreak of measles in every single province which is a red light and the canary in the mine for whats happening in society, he said.

Griffiths warned that food insecurity leads to malnutrition, then disease and death, and absent corrective action the world will be seeing deaths in Afghanistan.

He said the World Food Program is feeding 4 million people in Afghanistan now, but the U.N. predicts that because of the dire winter conditions and the economic collapse it is going to have to provide food to triple that number -- 12 million Afghans -- and thats massive.

WFP appealed this week for $200 million to finance its operations until the end of the year, and Griffiths urged countries that suspended development assistance for Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15, including the United States and European countries, to transfer that money for desperately needed humanitarian aid. He noted that the European Union already shifted about 100 million euros to humanitarian work, and the U.S. announced more than $144 million in humanitarian aid on Thursday, raising its total aid to Afghans in the country and refugees in the region to nearly $474 million in 2021.

Griffiths said the current crisis is the result of two large droughts in the past few years, the disruption of services during the conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan government and the collapse of the economy.

So, the message that I would give to the leaders of the G 20 is worry about economic collapse in Afghanistan, because economic collapse in Afghanistan will, of course, have an exponential effect on the region, he said. And the specific issue that I would ask them to focus on first, is the issue of getting cash into the economy in Afghanistan -- not into the hands of the Taliban -- into the hands of the people whose access to their own bank accounts is not frozen.

Griffiths said its also critical that frontline health workers, teachers and others get their salaries paid.

He said many ideas are being discussed with increasing urgency to get liquidity into the market and his message is that an urgent response is needed this year, not next spring.

Among the ideas are physically taking cash into Afghanistan, which Griffiths said has lots of difficulties, and using the local Afghani currency. But the issue is how to get traders to safely provide Afghanis for use by humanitarian organizations, he said, and they will probably only do that if they think that they can get external currency for those Afghanis.

The G20 summit on Saturday and Sunday is taking place in Rome.

Griffiths warned of exponential effects of an economic collapse, saying the first worry is that if people dont get services, food, schooling for their children and health care they will move, either inside the country or flee Afghanistan to survive.

The second worry, he said, is the growing problem of terrorism, and that is something which usually breeds in times of uncertainty and in times of suffering.

And that would be a terrible legacy to visit all the people of Afghanistan, Griffiths said. So far, I think were just holding our breath about the stability of the country and talking daily to the Taliban about what they need to do, for example, to make sure that women and girls have their rights.

The undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs said the Taliban need to ensure the rights of women and girls because thats part of stabilizing Afghanistan.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council extended the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara for a year on Friday, expressing concern at the breakdown of the 1991 cease-fire between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front and calling for a revival of U.N.-led negotiations.

The vote was 13-0 with Russia and Tunisia abstaining.

The U.S.-drafted resolution makes no mention of U.S. backing for Moroccos claim to the mineral-rich territory in the waning days of the Trump administration as part of efforts to get Morocco to recognize Israel. And it did not mention the low-intensity hostilities -- as a recent United Nations report describes the violent exchanges between the two sides -- that have raged for the past year.

Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony believed to have considerable offshore oil deposits and mineral resources, in 1975, sparking a conflict with the Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered the 1991 cease-fire and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territorys future that has never taken place because of disagreements on who is eligible to vote.

The Front ended the 29-year cease-fire with Morocco last November and resumed its armed struggle following a border confrontation with Morocco which continues today. The Moroccan military had launched an operation that month in the U.N.-patrolled Guerguerat border zone to clear a key road it said had been blockaded for weeks by Polisario supporters.

Morocco has proposed wide-ranging autonomy for Western Sahara. But the Polisario Front insists the local population, which it estimates at 350,000 to 500,000, has the right to a referendum.

The resolution extends the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission charged with carrying out the referendum, known as MINURSO, until Oct. 31, 2022.

The resolution calls on the parties to resume U.N.-led negotiations without preconditions, taking into account the efforts made since 2006 and subsequent developments with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It says this should be done in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and noting the role and the responsibilities of the parties in this respect.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills called on the parties after the vote to engage in talks and take steps to de-escalate tensions and cease hostilities.

He said the U.S. will continue to consult privately on how best to achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict, adding: We continue to view Moroccos autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic and one potential approach to satisfy these aspirations.

Russias Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Russia abstained because the resolution didnt reflect what has happened in Western Sahara after the military escalation in November 2020. He said the general language in the resolution calling for realistic approaches and the need to make compromises also leads to ambiguity, undermines trust and makes it more difficult to resume dialogue.

Polyansky reiterated Russias balanced stance on a Western Sahara settlement, saying it must result from direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, satisfy both sides, and provide for self-determination of the Western Sahara people.

The Security Council stressed the importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the Tindouf camps in Algeria, where Western Sahara refugees have lived for decades.

But U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, called this language toothless," saying it amounts to nothing more than giving Morocco a free pass to continue to illegally detain and torture activists."

At a time when Morocco is growing increasingly aggressive towards the Sahrawi people and journalists, it is unacceptable to me that the annual MINURSO resolution failed to include meaningful language protecting the rights of Western Saharans," said Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I am going to continue advocating for the rights of Western Sahara as we work to an enduring solution to resolve the more than 30-year effort towards achieving self-determination for the Sahrawi people.

Two roundtable meetings of Morocco and the Polisario Front, along with the neighboring countries of Algeria and Mauritania, in December 2018 and March 2019 failed to make any headway on the key issue of how to provide for self-determination.

The resolution welcomes the appointment of Staffan de Mistura as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres new personal envoy for Western Sahara.

Moroccos U.N. Ambassador Omar Hilale reiterated his countrys support for autonomy and pointed to economic developments in Western Sahara including plans for the biggest deep-water port in Africa.

For Morocco there is this tango between the political process and the development of the Sahara which is a human right, he said, adding that his nation is promoting the economy, health and education of the people in Western Sahara.

The Polisario Fronts U.N. representative, Sidi Omar, accused Morocco of violating the cease-fire, strongly criticized the Security' Council's inaction, and defended the Front's right to self defense to confront the Moroccan new act of aggression and defend the sovereignty of our country.

He called the resolution adopted Friday very discouraging for failing to respond to the unprecedented" situation on the ground, and said the Russian and Tunisian abstentions indicate serious reservations about the letter and spirit of the measure and send a very strong message to all those who seek to deviate (from) the U.N. peace process in Western Sahara.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP)  The United States representative to the United Nations stressed the importance of Malis return to civilian rule through democratic elections in February after she visited the West African nation as part of a U.N. Security Council mission.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke to reporters online Friday from Libreville, Gabon, after visiting Mali and Niger.

We reiterated that the United States continues to stand firmly with the people of Mali in their aspirations for democracy, peace, development and respect for human rights, she said of her meetings with Malis transitional government and civil society groups.

A military junta staged a coup in August 2020, overthrowing Malis democratically elected president. Col. Assimi Goita led the coup and is now president of the transitional government. He has pledged to keep the country on track to return to civilian rule with an election in February 2022.

We were very clear as the Security Council in Mali, that they needed to put in place immediately plans to move forward on the election, Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that the February date was actually set by the transitional government themselves.

She said she is hopeful that Goita and other transitional officials listened to the 15-member Security Council mission and will put in place a timeline to the February elections.

However, after the meetings with the U.N. Security Council mission, Malian authorities said they want to organize days of consultations in December amongst Malian groups to determine a path toward elections. Some fear this may delay the elections.

The ambassador affirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is interested in Africa.

We are committed to this continent. We are engaging with the continent, noting bright spots such as Niger, which experienced its first peaceful transfer of power to an elected president, and Ghana which has had ongoing democratic transitions of power.

While in Gabon, Thomas-Greenfield is meeting with President Ali Bongo Ondimba to discuss climate issues and congratulated him on the countrys recent election to a term on the Security Council.

Bongo will be attending the U.N conference on climate change, known as COP26, in Glasgow as a representative of the African, she said.

During her trips to the West African countries, Thomas-Greenfield also viewed the deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. to Mali and Gabon. The U.S. has also donated vaccines to Niger.

This has been a very productive trip, one of a series of recent senior-level engagements in Africa, and I was proud to reaffirm our commitments with our partners in Mali, Niger and Gabon, she said.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The U.S. Justice Department is in talks to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to each child and parent who was separated under a Trump-era practice of splitting families at the border, a person familiar with discussions to settle lawsuits said Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that the government was considering payments around $450,000 to each person affected. A person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that figure was under consideration but changed, though not dramatically. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.

The discussions continue, and there is no guarantee the two sides will strike agreement.

About 5,500 children were split from their parents under President Donald Trump's zero tolerance policy, under which parents were separated from their children to face criminal prosecution for crossing the border illegally, according to court filings in a federal case in San Diego. Inadequate tracking systems caused many to be apart for an extended time. The payments are intended to compensate for the psychological trauma.

Attorneys for the families are also seeking permanent legal status in the United States for those separated under the practice, which a judge halted in June 2018, six days after Trump stopped it amid an international backlash.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.

The settlement talks involve several law firms. The American Civil Liberties Union is representing parents in the San Diego case.

The National Immigration Litigation Alliance represents five mothers and their children who were separated for more than two months, including four children who were sent to holding facilities in New York. A federal judge in Arizona denied the governments bid to dismiss the case last year.

No amount of money can compensate for the amount of pain and suffering these parents and children endured under this unconscionable and unprecedented policy, said Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance.

A Justice Department inspector general's report in January said a single-minded focus on increasing immigration prosecutions came at the expense of careful and appropriate consideration of the impact of family unit prosecutions and child separations.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  The U.S. wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that has become a major point of conflict in the strained U.S.-China relationship, and will work to counter Beijing's malign influence, a U.S. diplomat said Friday.

In her first public news conference, Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy, reiterated that the U.S. remains deeply committed to Taiwan and is actively working on new areas of cooperation such as in cybersecurity and supply chains.

The value of our partnership and our support for Taiwan is rock solid," Oudkirk said. We are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan.

The U.S. support for Taiwan comes as tensions between China and the island are now at the highest in decades, with Beijing stepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets toward Taiwan. China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan, which split from the mainland during a civil war in 1949.

The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition of China from the ruling Nationalist Party government in Taipei to the Communist Party in Beijing in 1979, but has continued to maintain a strong unofficial relationship with the self-ruled island.

Oudkirk declined to comment on any security initiatives or give any details about the presence of U.S. troops on the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed Thursday that U.S. boots were indeed on the ground, though less than what people would think.

We are going to continue to advance global and regional goals of the Biden administration, including countering malign PRC influence, recovering from the devastating impacts of the pandemic and addressing the threat of climate change, Oudkirk said, referring to the People's Republic of China, China's official name.

Washington has supported Taiwan with arms sales to boost the island's ability to defend itself, and also routinely navigates the waters around the island in what it calls freedom of operation movements.

Oudkirk, who became director over the summer, also reaffirmed that the U.S. will support Taiwan in its role on the international stage, without giving details.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on other members of the United Nations to support Taipeis independent participation in international organizations related to transportation, health, climate change, culture and education. Taiwan, for example, is not a member of the World Health Organization.

China has already slammed Blinken's statement. On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the international bodies.

If anyone still tries to challenge the one-China principle and challenge UNGA Resolution 2758, they will only suffer an even greater defeat, Wang said, referring to the U.N. resolution that opened the way for China to join the United Nations.

A major new focus of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is on supply chains amid the global crunch on computer chips known as semiconductors.

Taiwan is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc., or TSMC, the biggest contract manufacturer of processor chips in the world. Those chips are used in everything from smartphones and medical equipment to gaming computers.

In recent weeks, local media reported that Taiwanese companies are concerned about a request for information from the U.S. Department of Commerce to chipmakers on potentially sensitive information such as their inventory, production and their top customers. TSMC, for example, serves clients in China as well as across the world.

I have stressed that the Department of Commerce's recent request for information is just that, it is a request, Oudkirk said in response to those concerns, saying it is voluntary.

___

Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP)  A beloved Halloween tradition in the city of Rutland is returning after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rutland Halloween Parade takes place Saturday evening starting at 6:30 p.m., and includes 71 floats, according to Recreation Superintendent Kim Peters.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP)  Voters in the sprawling coastal city of Virginia Beach will decide whether to approve one of the larger municipal bonds in the U.S. that would be used to protect against rising seas and intensifying hurricanes.

If it passes Tuesday, the $568 million would fund anything from elevating roads to closing a 100-acre (40-hectare) city golf course to collect stormwater.

If it fails, economists say the city could lose billions of dollars in the next half-century as recurrent flooding inundates roads, businesses and homes.

The referendum underscores the mounting costs of adapting to climate change for U.S. cities. But it will also be a measure of Americans willingness to approve such bonds as more communities seek funding.

Im not confident that it will pass, said Virginia Wasserberg, whose Virginia Beach home was among 1,400 houses and businesses flooded by heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Wasserberg, 41, is a conservative Republican who home-schools her children and supports the bond. Shes campaigned for more flood protections ever since her neighborhood's drainage systems were overwhelmed by weeks of rain that culminated with Matthew.

Homes that are miles from the city's beaches on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay were inundated for the first time. Wasserberg said she and her family fled to the second floor and called 911 --- only to be told that responders couldnt reach them.

I like to say it took a disaster to wake me up, Wasserberg said.

Voter approval is far from guaranteed in this city of nearly half a million people, which some political observers say can lean libertarian. If the bond passes, property taxes would rise by $115 to $171 a year for a home of median assessed value, city officials say.

The need for money to protect communities against climate change is growing across the globe, particularly in the worlds poorest countries. It will be an area of discussion at an upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, which starts Sunday in Glasgow.

In the U.S., 26% of ZIP codes are highly exposed to floods, according to Moodys ESG Solutions, which tracks climate risks and sustainable finance.

As climate change becomes a greater threat, more governments will focus on climate adaptation and resilience projects, said Matt Kuchtyak, the group's vice president of outreach & research.

Several cities have already approved significant bonds. For instance, Miami residents voted in 2017 to fund a $400 million bond, nearly half of which would pay for such things as storm drain upgrades and sea walls.

San Francisco voters passed a $425 million bond to pay for the first phase of strengthening a sea wall that protects against earthquakes and rising oceans. The same year, Houston-area voters supported $2.5 billion in bonds for flood-control projects in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Bonds could emerge as the principal vehicle for funding, said Richard Wiles, executive director of the Center for Climate Integrity, which argues that oil companies should cover such costs because of fossil fuels link to climate change.

None of these cities has hundreds of millions of dollars hanging around, Wiles said, adding that Virginia Beach has proposed one of the biggest bonds.

The city could prove to be an interesting testing ground.

A 2021 telephone survey of 400 residents found that just over half were willing to pay more in taxes for flood-protection projects, according to a report by Old Dominion University. But half also agreed that people who do not experience flooding on their properties should not have to pay for such projects.

And yet, the land in Virginia Beach is sinking and the seas are rising at an alarming rate. Since 1960, sea levels have risen by nearly a foot (0.3 meter). And they're likely to rise by 1.5 feet to 3 feet (0.5 to 1 meter) over the next half-century.

Much of Virginia Beach sits on low coastal plains. Water can drain slowly into tidal rivers and tributaries, sometimes with nowhere to go during heavy rains and high tides.

The bond-funded projects could help the city avoid up to $8 billion in losses to flooding as well as associated economic impacts in the coming decades, according to the Old Dominion University report. The losses are equivalent to about a quarter of Virginia Beachs gross domestic product  or its total output of goods and services.

As flooding becomes more prevalent, insurers will raise premiums, refuse coverage and at some point exit Virginia Beach entirely, economics professor Robert McNab said. Businesses will have more difficulty in moving goods to market and, of course, residents will have more problems moving around the region.

John Moss, a city councilman who's been a large force behind the referendum, said Virginia Beach could still complete the flood-protection projects if the referendum fails. But he said it would take 25 years instead of about a decade.

And even if the bond passes, the projects will make up about a third of what's needed overall protect to against 1.5 feet of sea-level rise, Moss said.

It's a big ask, Moss said of the bond. But the threat is real.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Biden administration on Friday launched a second bid to end a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, while also reaffirming a commitment to reinstate it under court order.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Remain in Mexico policy likely contributed to a drop in illegal border crossings in 2019 but with substantial and unjustifiable human costs" to asylum-seekers who were exposed to violence while waiting in Mexico.

The announcement came more than two months after a federal judge ordered that the policy be reinstated "in good faith, while leaving an opening for the administration to try again to justify ending it.

The administration said earlier this month that it expected to reinstate the policy, known officially as Migrant Protection Protocols, around mid-November, subject to Mexican government approval. Mexico wants cases to generally conclude within six months, timely and accurate access to case information and better access to legal counsel for asylum-seekers.

Some of the administrations most prominent pro-immigration allies say Friday's opinion was overdue and that Mayorkas lacked a sense of urgency. U.S. officials deny slow-walking and point to the research that went into producing the 39-page memo.

Many U.S.-based legal aid groups who have represented asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico say they will no longer take such cases, raising questions about how the U.S. can satisfy Mexico's insistence on better access to counsel. Administration officials say they believe there are enough other lawyers who will represent asylum-seekers sent back to Mexico.

About 70,000 asylum-seekers have subject to the policy, which President Donald Trump introduced in January 2019 and his successor, Joe Biden, suspended on his first day in office. Mayorkas ended the policy in June after an internal review, saying it achieved mixed effectiveness.

Illegal border crossings fell sharply after Mexico, facing Trumps threat of higher tariffs, acquiesced in 2019 to the policys rapid expansion. Asylum-seekers were victims of major violence while waiting in Mexico and faced a slew of legal obstacles, such as access to attorneys and case information.

Mayorkas said Friday that his second review assumed the policy caused a significant drop in border crossings, calling it the strongest argument to keep it. Still, he said benefits do not outweigh costs in terms of relations with Mexico, resources and risks associated with exposure to violence while waiting in Mexican border cities.

(There) are inherent problems with the program that no amount of resources can sufficiently fix. he wrote. "Others cannot be addressed without detracting from key Administration priorities and more enduring solutions.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by the states of Texas and Missouri. The administration is expected to ask that the case be returned to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, Texas, who ordered in August that the policy be reinstated.

The administration is rebuilding tent courts in Texas border cities of Laredo and Brownsville to handle Remain in Mexico cases.

The policy's return and other recent enforcement-minded measures has tested the administration's historically strong relations with pro-immigration groups. To protest, several advocates abruptly ended a Saturday morning call this month with White House officials to discuss Remain in Mexico.

Advocates and pro-immigration advocates generally welcomed the administration's renewed effort.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he hoped it addresses legal objections and ends a policy that he said is willfully designed to punish and deter refugees from legally seeking safety in the United States.
By Olivia Wynkoop

Bay City News Foundation

Nearly 2,000 psychologists, therapists and social workers in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California division voted to authorize a strike against their workplace, the National Union of Healthcare Workers announced Thursday.

The strike is in response to Kaiser allegedly rejecting union proposals, which included easing caseloads and hiring more bilingual therapists from minority groups. Mental health care providers at Kaiser have been without a contract since Oct. 1, the union said in a press release.

The recent Senate Bill 221 requires health plans and insurers to set up followup therapy appointments no later than 10 business days, in an effort to provide timely mental health services in California. NUHW and clinicians say that more staffing is essential to follow this protocol.

"We've been at the forefront in exposing Kaiser's greed in underfunding mental health care and forcing patients to wait months between therapy appointments," Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Kaiser psychologist, said in a statement. "Now, we have the opportunity to stand together with other unions and show that Kaiser's greed is harming patients across California."

Separately, members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions allege that Kaiser is proposing wage cuts in Southern California care facilities for those hired after 2022, which is partially why some of their 36,000 members announced a strike earlier this year.

Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, considers Kaiser's proposal to be a "red flag that it has no intention of fixing its broken mental health care system or complying with state mental health access laws."

"For Kaiser to propose massive pay cuts for future mental health clinicians at a time when patients are waiting months to see their therapist is a slap in the face to everyone who believes in parity for mental health care," Rosselli said in a statement.

Kaiser clinicians aren't the only ones citing understaffing and unfair working conditions in the health care field. Earlier this week, nurses at San Jose's Regional Medical Center rallied outside their workplace to demand better working conditions and more staffing.

Employees at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch and the John Muir Behavioral Health Center in Concord also noted alleged staffing shortages that predate the COVID-19 pandemic when they authorized a strike in a vote last month.

Clinicians have not officially filed the strike to Kaiser or set a strike date as they work through contract talks next week, NUHW officials said in a press release.

Kaiser Permanente officials were not immediately available to comment.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Police in San Francisco have arrested a suspect in connection with a stabbing and assault that occurred this week.

Javon Knighten, 27, was arrested on suspicion of assault likely to produce heat bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted homicide, resisting arrest and on an outstanding warrant, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

On Tuesday at 12:16 p.m in the 100 block of Mission Street, a man approached a 66-year-old woman and pushed her to the ground.

Another woman, who is 31 years old, saw the incident and began following the suspect, police said.

When the woman confronted the suspect, he stabbed her several times before fleeing.

The woman was transported to the hospital for injuries that were not considered life threatening.

Responding officers located the suspect, identified as Knighten, in the area, and was was taken into custody.

Police said Knighten resisted arrest and he and an officer were injured as police tried to take him into custody.

Both were transported to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening.

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.
It took Janeen Mendoza Cruz a moment to process the words across the blue screen. Due to problems with shipping, we wont receive the next production until early Feb2022. She thought it was a one-off, but when Cruz received a similar email from a second glass vendor, a real sense of panic began to creep in.

Cruz, who owns Oakland company Kuali Salsa alongside her husband Rodrigo Cruz Ayala, had counted on the holiday season to ramp up sales for their popular crunchy salsa macha. But after two glass suppliers told her that the paragon glass jars she needed were in low stock, Cruz became concerned that she wouldnt meet the holiday demand on time. Without a clear timeline, Cruzs vendors advised her to prepare to buy enough jars to last through March 2022.

Having to buy five months worth of stock is pretty significant, Cruz said. We usually purchase [jars] every other month, but we just have to confront the reality of what's happening.

Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE

Cruz is already concerned about the ripple effects this will have on her business. After some back and forth, she was able to secure 2,500 glass jars collectively from her vendors, but now those boxes will need to be stored  at a price.

We typically dont buy so many at a time because of the lack of storage. The other thing that is happening is that we will have to reprint our salsa labels, so were talking about another couple thousand dollars to do that for the jars we were able to get.

The supply chain crisis has been an unremitting headache for Bay Area restaurants that have attempted to roll with the punches at every turn. Earlier this year, meat prices spiked and even prompted some local businesses to temporarily close as a result. The pandemic intensified issues with an already imperfect supply chain when coronavirus outbreaks shuttered warehouses and factories overseas. With a rise in online orders and labor shortages, a perfect storm was brewing.

Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE

The big issue now is clearing the backlog of vessels queued up outside Southern California ports. Normally, the Port of Oakland was an option, but due to staffing issues over the summer, many cargo ships rerouted to Southern California instead. The staffing issue has since been resolved, but KPIX reports that some international companies continue to have their cargo ships dock in LA so that they can return faster, rather than make the extra stop in Oakland. Mayor Libby Schaaf has also offered to help clear the long wait of cargo ships at sea, with little effect so far.

The backlog could take months to clear, and thats a huge problem for Bay Area businesses that have been left in the dark on when theyll receive their shipments. Daniel Stoller, co-owner of Square Pie Guys, says his restaurant had its fair share of problems with the supply chain crisis. Some of it has manifested in boxes of king oyster mushrooms stuck at the ports indefinitely or random 10 p.m. deliveries from their paper supplier. On several occasions, the Square Pie Guys crew in Oakland had to work longer hours to handle the late drop-offs.

David Law

Another concern has been getting paperboard to make pizza boxes. Stoller says that since Square Pie Guys opened in 2019, its original cardboard box producer fell out of stock a total of four times. Then in March 2020, takeout orders spiked and the supplier couldnt keep up with demand. Eventually, Stoller says they had to switch vendors altogether.

It just got to the point where the 12-week lead time from ordering to receiving it was too long, Stoller said of the first paper vendor his pizzeria worked with. The predictive demand metrics they were using were just wrong. What they thought we would use in a given month just went out of the water.

After the switch to a domestic paper vendor, Stoller said that he and co-owner Marc Schechter had to pay the new paper company for a custom blade that would be needed to punch out the precise measurements for their pizza boxes. Then came a shortage of paper bags for takeout, and just like that, it was back to square one.

All of a sudden this perfect packaging strategy fell apart, Stoller said. It's one of the things that I think a lot of folks don't think about.

Obour Foods

Elliot Sharifi, owner of Obour Foods inside the Ferry Building, says he has likewise had to resolve issues by finding new vendors. He pivoted from working with two local suppliers to five or six throughout the country in order to get enough jars needed for the hummus at Obour Foods. Its been particularly challenging for Sharifi with increased prices coupled with the stress to find staff.

I was paying 20 cents a jar pre-pandemic, now it's anywhere between 30 and 50 cents a jar, Sharifi said. One of my main concerns is controlling my costs. Everything has just been turned upside down and there's no certainty anymore.

Similar to Cruz, Sharifi has had to place large orders of jars in advance whenever they become available. If I have to deal with this every month, I'm buying two months or three lines of stock just as a buffer. There is a lot of contingency planning and loading up on what we can get so that we're not left hanging last minute.

NIcole Marin and Juan Tellez

Sharifi is hopeful that the problems he and other Bay Area business owners are facing wont last forever, but part of him wonders whether the prices will ever return to what they were before. And if they dont, Sharifi may be faced with the possibility of raising his prices, even though it's not something he wants to do.

I'm trying to figure out whether these price increases are temporary or permanent, Sharifi said.If they're permanent, then I'll have to increase my prices. There's no doubt about it.

But some restaurateurs have already resorted to that as a solution, and it hasnt always been embraced by customers.

I made some dinners with chiles rellenos that I offered to different clients, said Nicole Marin, chef-owner of pop-up Hermanita. Before they were [about] $6 less, but with the high increase of products, I do have to make it up somehow. [Some] people complain ... and I have to tell them youre not just paying for the ingredients, youre paying for the time, the labor, the actual packaging, a little bit of everything that goes into the final price.

Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE

I understand [if] it's not in their budget ... but I'm completely honest because it's important for customers to understand these issues, especially to support all the small businesses since the holidays are the biggest time of the year, Marin added.

Cruz believes in transparency, too, which was why she decided to share an Instagram post earlier this month in case she cant fulfill customer orders. About 50% of Kuali Salsa sales are shipped outside the Bay Area. And while Cruz says that she can potentially use plastic containers on local orders, plastic wont be a solution for shipping.

Cruz gets emotional when she thinks about the possibility of not getting her salsa orders sent out on time, but she hopes that her customers can be understanding and, more importantly, have patience with her.

This definitely throws a wrench in our holiday season, but Im crossing my fingers that it will all work out, Cruz said. I'm trusting that people will show up.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate.com

Given that a record-breaking 90,000 people descended on Golden Gate Park for the final day of Outside Lands 2019, the weekend has potential to be a real nightmare in terms of transportation. Although only 74,000 people a day are expected this year, Muni and BART have made special accommodations, and the festival has its own shuttle service, which will hopefully defuse the inevitable rideshare surge pricing that might make a trip home cost more than a ticket to the festival itself.

Muni is beefing up its service on the N Judah and 5R Fulton Rapid lines, with 5X Fulton Rapid lines heading from Golden Gate Park to Civic Center BART Station. Note that the Fulton lines won't be serving their entire routes; look for signs showing their destinations.
Rosalie Jacques hands me a plastic blue flashlight, gesturing for me to flick it on and point it toward a shelf of retro mannequin heads shrouded in darkness.

Each one stares up at me, wearing a perfectly coifed wig in a different color  from brunette to blonde, baby blue to bubblegum pink. The styles stick out even in the dim light, which was due to a power outage that occurred at the shop on Stockton Street earlier that morning, likely in the aftermath of Sundays atmospheric river.

Jacques, however, is not deterred.

Welcome to my dungeon, she jokes, fluttering polished pink fingernails over her works of art as she continues to show me around the newest iteration of the business shes been running for 61 years.

At least 150 wigs are on display at Jacques' vintage shop, with hundreds more in storage in the back room adjoining her apartment. Framed posters of Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mouse adorn the walls, while bedazzled gowns from decades past hang from rows of clothing racks. Old photographs of scantily clad Las Vegas showgirls and San Francisco drag performers with hair teased to a towering height are everywhere.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

After a year-plus of canceled plays, pageants, parties and performances that have typically buoyed the stylists longtime career, Jacques is banking on a comeback this Halloween  what is usually the shops most popular time of year (aside from events like Pride, Burning Man and Bay to Breakers).

Im ready, girl, Jacques tells me, adding that she plans to set up an outdoor display to draw even more foot traffic. Ive got some hot stuff in this store, and I want people to see it.

She says the new space, which she moved into this July, is four times larger than her previous storefront at 1457 Powell St., where she spent the past nine years of her career and achieved legacy business status. Its also just a block away from the largest shop she ever worked at in the 1960s, where she ran a salon, taught classes to other hairdressers and achieved a cult following among North Beach entertainers.

Theres nothing I cant do with hair. Any decade, any style  I can look at anything and copy it, said Jacques. I worked hard in the early days of my career. I would do maybe 30 or 40 heads per day with two assistants. And there were never ever any two alike.

At 84 years old, the legendary wig shop proprietor isnt finished just yet.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

One of eight siblings, Jacques attended St. Marys High School in her Stockton hometown, but trips into the city kept her sights set on San Francisco as she enrolled in beauty school and dreamed of eventually owning her own salon there. She finally moved to the city in 1957, working at a downtown salon before opening her own two years later.

My teacher in Stockton said that I had hands of gold, and I've been told that by many people throughout the years, she said.

A client from Hollywood introduced Jacques to the beehive made popular in the early 1960s, she said. She learned how to back-comb hair to give it volume  and the bigger, the better. She claims to have been the first and only beauty shop on Broadway doing big hair at the time, and soon attracted a wide range of customers from the nearby clubs, including drag performers at Finocchios, chorus girls at the Forbidden City and topless dancers from the Condor Club, who often sat side-by-side with women Jacques knew from the congregation at Saints Peter and Paul Church on Filbert Street. At the time, her rent was just $75, she said, and business was thriving.

Oh, Carol Doda! Jacques remembered. There was one day where she came into my salon and, unnoticed by me, she climbed into the window facing the street and began stripping. The bus stopped  all of the traffic stopped  to watch her. My husband had to climb in and pull her out.

Bettmann/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Not long after, Jacques began receiving more requests for wigs as the craze of the decade reached its peak.

Everybody wore them, she said.

The iconic musical revue Beach Blanket Babylon, which opened in 1974, became one of her biggest clients.

I still have a receipt from them that was $4,000 for one order, she said.

Jacques said she's also been visited by the likes of Etta James, Little Richard and Mary Wilson of the Supremes, who reportedly purchased a cocktail dress at the shop. In later years, she received visits by cast members from The Real World and RuPauls Drag Race, as well as Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who requested a large curly wig to wear at shows, Jacques said.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

Judd Nelson of The Breakfast Club fame also inadvertently became a customer one day in 1993 when he visited a salon across the street, only to discover that it was closed, she said. Jacques, who was running a taqueria in addition to her shop at the time, had her daughter call him over to talk.

From across the street, he yelled, Can you cut my hair? said Jacques, adding that his manager was adamant that he get a haircut or else.

Within 15 minutes, he was seated in front of Jacques, asking her to tie his hair back into a ponytail and cut two inches off from the bottom.

He asked me how much he owed me, and I said nothing, because it was too easy, she said. He thanked her and gave her a $40 tip.

Easiest $40 Ive ever made, she said, laughing.

Drag performers, including Juanita MORE! and Lady Bunny, would also comprise the majority of Jacques clientele as they collaborated on a slew of shows together, including the first Wigstock West in San Francisco in 1996 and other events like the Snow Ball at Bimbos 365 Club.

I was so blessed, she said. With their help, I had a gold mine.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

Now, Jacques said hopes to dedicate her time to teaching.

I want to leave my legacy as somebody that revolutionizes the hair industry, to be the new [Vidal] Sassoon, she said. If you notice, everybody has the same hairdo now, with the stringy pieces. What is it?

The shag? I ventured.

Yes! The shag, said Jacques, tugging at the curtain bangs framing my own face. Everyone looks like sisters! Me, I can make people look like anything they want, but it doesnt have to be the same.

Thats the key to how her business has been able to stick around for so long, she said.

I love people, said Jacques. And I know what looks good on them. Ninety-nine percent of the time a customer comes in for a wig, the one I pick is the one they buy.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

Today, shes splitting her time between running her shop and teaching wig styling classes at venues like Oasis, though shed like to host future events out of her own space as well. In preparation for Halloween, shes running a deal for half-off lace top wigs, with a large selection of them on sale for just $40.

But for Jacques and many of her clients, wigs arent just a temporary masquerade.

Wigs change people. They walk differently. They feel sexy. She shrugs. Im here for the glamour. If you can make 84-year-olds look as good as I do, well, thats the magic of the wig.

Rosalie Jacques' shop is at 1419 Stockton Street.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE
Torrential rains lashed the San Francisco Bay Area last weekend as an atmospheric river swept Northern California, clogging storm drains, flooding roadways, and knocking out power for thousands.

The storm brought much-needed rain to a water-starved state, but experts say the drought is far from over.

We need many more storms to recharge water stores and break the drought, but when is the next one?

There is not a big storm in the forecast in the next week, but there are three separate chances for rain, David King, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Monterey office said.

Rather than one big monster storm, it's a soggy parade of three weak ones.

The first chance arrives this weekend as a storm system moves onshore near the California-Oregon border Friday night and clips the North Bay on Saturday morning, delivering drizzle and "perhaps a stray shower," the weather service said.

Rain with this system is unlikely south of the Golden Gate and "the main impact into Saturday morning will be increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures heading into the weekend," the weather service said. Highs on Saturday are likely to stay in the mid- and upper 60s at most locations.

The next rain is forecast for Monday when a system is expected to bring widespread light rain across the Bay Area.

Early forecasts show 0.10 to 0.20 inch falling over the central Bay Area including Oakland and San Francisco, 0.25 to 0.75 of an inch across Sonoma county and up to an inch for the Sonoma coastal hills.

Conditions will dry out Tuesday before a system similar to the one on Monday arrives Wednesday into Thursday. King explained the storm will bring widespread rain but it's likely to be weaker than the Monday event.

While none of these storms will put a significant dent in the drought, King said it's promising to see storm after storm heading toward the Bay Area and bringing beneficial rainfall.
Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City To Thi Bich Chau (R) receives Covid-19 financial aid of US$8,200 from Attapeu Province, Laos.



The complicated Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted on some cooperation activities between the two countries in general and between Ho Chi Minh City and Laos localities in particular in the passing time; however, the leaders of the two countries have regularly had phone calls and paid attention to the Covid-19 pandemic situation and supported each other in Covid-19 fight with a desire of soon controlling and repelling the disease.Chairwoman To Thi Bich Chau hoped that the Covid-19 pandemic in two countries will soon be under control in the upcoming time. Besides, Ho Chi Minh City and localities of Laos will continue to implement signed agreements and promote cooperation activities, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two sides and contributing to promoting the special friendship and cooperation relations between Vietnam and Laos.At the receiving ceremony, Lao Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Phimpha Keomixay shared that the donation showed the sentiment and concern of Attapeu Province to encourage the Covid-19 pandemic fight in Ho Chi Minh City.On the occasion, she also thanked the Party Committee, authorities and people of Ho Chi Minh City for their assistants to Laos' localities in the national construction and development, Lao people who are working, studying and living in Ho Chi Minh City during the pandemic outbreak of Covid-19.Ms. Phimpha Keomixay believed that the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Vietnam would be able to soon control the Covid-19 epidemic to continue to perform socio-economic development activities in the new normalcy, especially continue to promote cooperation programs with her country within the framework of signed agreements, including the cooperation agreement for the period of 2021-2025 between Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane.

By Dinh Ly  Translated by Huyen Huong
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.
Kannada Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar, 46, passed away on Friday. The actor was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru on Friday morning after he suffered a heart attack.

The youngest son of Sandalwood cinema legend Rajkumar, his death comes as a shock to his fans and the film industry.
Actress Richa Chadha will be seen sharing screen space with her beau Ali Fazal in the upcoming series 'Call My Agent: Bollywood'. She calls it a blessing as she shot opposite the actor for the first time.

Directed by Shaad Ali, 'Call My Agent: Bollywood', the Indian adaptation of a French show, featuring Aahana Kumra, Ayush Mehra, Rajat Kapoor along with cameos of several Bollywood celebrities - Farah Khan, Ali, Richa, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff, Dia Mirza, releases on October 29 on Netflix.

Richa said: "It was a really blessing to be shooting opposite Ali for the first time. I love the French show and I am happy someone thought it could work in the Indian setting."

'Call My Agent: Bollywood' is inspired by the French multi-season show, 'Dix Pour Cent' (Ten Per Cent). The show offers hilarious glimpses into the world of glitz, glamour and drama.

Richa added: "The director was so open to ideas, he allowed us to improvise and come up with comedic lines. Shaad is cooking up a treat and I cannot wait for the release."

Images: Richa Chadha on Instagram

Text: IANS
He too had updated his status on social media congratulating Pakistan for its win in the T20 World Cup against India on October 24.

Jaipur, Oct 29 (IANS) A couple of days after a school teacher was arrested and granted bail for celebrating Pakistan's victory in a T20 World Cup match, an FIR has been lodged against a person of Banswara on similar charges.

The FIR was registered on Thursday after one Amit Singh, resident of Kushalgarh, filed a written complaint against Armaan of the same area.

The complaint said that the 'message was going viral since the morning of October 25, from an Instagram account arman.sk90 which has a status "Congratulations" Pakistan'.

The complainant alleged that another message was also going viral on social media which says 'Don't Judge a Book by its cover-Babar Azam', adding that such messages were disturbing the national sentiments and national harmony too.

In Kushalgarh, the Rajasthan Police have registered a case in the matter and further investigations are on, said officials.

Two people have also been booked in Jodhpur for celebrating Pakistan's victory in the same match.

--IANS

arc/shb/dpb
In "Race For Tomorrow - Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis" (HarperCollins), an extraordinary journey across 26 countries, Simon Mundy meets the people embroiled in a race that is already reshaping the modern world.

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Climate change isn't just transforming our physical environment, it's permanently shifting the landscape of energy, farming, technology and business. It's eroding ancient ways of life, shaking up global finance and driving a historic new wave of mass migration.

For instance:

* Why is a maverick scientist building a home for engineered mammoths in northeast Siberia?

* How is China's green energy push driving a hazardous mining rush in Congo?

* Could an Israeli fake meat startup make a fortune while helping to save Amazon?

* How is Greenland's melting sea ice putting its people at the centre of a global power struggle?

* Who are the entrepreneurs chasing breakthroughs in fusion power, electric cars, and technology to suck carbon from the atmosphere?

As the impact of climate change cascades through the planet and the global economy, who is battling to survive the worst impacts -- and who is chasing the most lucrative rewards?

With intimate insights into the people living in the most severe throes of climate change, the book is filled with richly reported human stories from every inhabited continent -- an account of disaster, of promise, of frantic adaptation and relentless innovation, of hope, of survival, and of the forces that will define our future.

Mundy spent weeks in each location while researching the book, from sleeping on the floor of herders' huts in Mongolia and travelling with members of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe in the Amazon, to talking to top level CEOs, national leaders and innovators about the decisions they are facing.

These are closely told and compelling human stories on a global scale, with chapters covering Siberia, Greenland, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Maldives, Solomon Islands, Italy, Germany, Cayman Islands, Philippines, India, Ethiopia, Chile, Mongolia, Brazil, the US, Israel, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Congo and provide much food for thought ahead of COP26 -- the UN Climate Change Conference beginning in Glasgow on Sunday.

Simon Mundy began his reporting career in Johannesburg, where he covered Southern Africa for the Financial Times. After a stint writing in the London financial sector he spent seven years in Asia, as FT bureau head in Seoul and then Mumbai. He was born in the UK.

--IANS

vm/dpb
Sharma earlier served as Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission and Nepal's Ambassador to the United States of America from 2009 to 2013.

Kathmandu, Oct 28 (IANS) The Sher Bahadur Deuba government on Thursday recommended veteran diplomat Shanker Sharma as the next ambassador to India.

The post in the New Delhi embassy of Nepal fell vacant recently after Deuba recalled the ambassadors from 12 countries including India. The outgoing ambassador, Nilamber Acharya has already returned to Kathmandu.

Sharma has extensive experience in government, international institutions, and economic research. Before joining the National Planning Commission as a member in 1997, he worked as a Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Nepal; a Senior Economist in the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore; and a Fellow in the East-West Center, Hawaii. He also served as a Professor of Economics in the Centre for Economic Development and Administration, Tribhuvan University.

He worked regionally and globally for many organisations, such as the UNESCAP, World Bank, and ASEAN.

Sharma is close confidant of Prime Minister Deuba.

--IANS

giri/skp/
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Stanley Kakubo said Hichilema will be attending the summit at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lusaka, Oct 30 (IANS) Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Saturday will leave for the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the world leaders' summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a senior government official said on Friday.

He told reporters during a press briefing that the Zambian President was expected to hold side meetings during the summit such as meeting members of the UK House of Commons and UK policymakers, potential investors and Eurobond holders.

The meetings, he said, were part of the strategic engagement of the Zambian leader aimed at making progress towards the government's vision of economic transformation.

The meetings are also critical for Zambia's economic recovery and sustainable economic development, he added.

--IANS

int/khz/
Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank have made binding proposals to acquire Citis consumer business in India that is valued at about $2 billion, according to sources. As a strategic decision, Citi has decided to exit consumer banking business in 13 countries, including India.

Citi is expected to initiate bilateral negotiations and announce a formal winner in the next one-two month. None of the bidders have offered stocks, and have submitted all-cash bids, the financial daily mentioned adding that the first two are the most aggressive bidders and are the frontrunners.

According to one of the sources mentioned above, Singapores DBS, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank had evaluated the prospects of a deal, but eventually did not bid.

Citi's consumer banking business in India comprises of credit cards, retail banking, home loans and wealth management. The bank has 35 branches in the country and employs 4,000 people in the consumer banking business. It contributes a third to overall business but in terms of profitability, corporate banking accounts for more than 80%. Overall, Citibank's India unit had a market share of advances and deposits of 0.6% and 1.1%, respectively.

Across our remaining strategy refresh markets, we are pursuing consumer franchise sales with a focus on optimal results for our people, our clients and our shareholders, says a spokesperson. Conversations with potential buyers continue in all these markets including India, with strong interest from a broad range of bidders.

Experts say potential buyers are looking to strengthen high-end credit card and mortgage businesses through the acquisition. Citi entered India in 1902 and started the consumer banking business in 1985. Even though Citi's cards business has dropped to sixth position  with 2% CAGR over the past decade  average card spend remained higher than that of the overall industry. Until last August, Citibank also catered to 2.9 million retail customers with 1.2 million bank accounts.

Ashish Gupta, head of research, Credit Suisse says, For the larger private banks, Citi's retail business (primarily credit cards and mortgages) adds only 3-6% to their loans and deposits. Is more significant (13-20%) for Kotak and IndusInd Bank, and its 2.6 million card base is a key asset that will more than double their current card base. Its savings franchise is also attractive and adds 30% to Kotak and 50% to IIB savings deposits. The full benefit of acquisition will be contingent on what the cross-sell acquirer can achieve on Citis 2.5 million premium retail liability customers.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed to review the investment norms for mutual fund schemes that invest as per the ESG (Environment, Sustainability and Governance) philosophy. The markets regulator has suggested that from October 1, 2022, asset management companies should only to invest in securities with Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) disclosures.

The existing investments in the schemes for which there are no BRSR disclosures would be grandfathered by Sebi until September 30, 2023. However, in ESG investing, a fund manager picks companies whose operations are considered socially responsible. Schemes, which invest in overseas securities, could choose any global equivalent of the BRSR specified by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Sebi said in a discussion paper on Tuesday.

Presently, these schemes fall under the thematic sub-category. A minimum of 80% of the total assets of the scheme are mandated to be invested in securities following the ESG theme. Hence, these guidelines would apply only to the portion of investment towards the ESG theme, Sebi said. Asset management companies should endeavour to have a higher proportion of the assets under the ESG theme and make suitable disclosures, said Sebi said. Globally, the concept of ESG investments is gaining popularity but there are no universal norms and standards.

Standard-setting bodies like IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions) and FSB (Financial Stability Board) are working towards standardised disclosures for ESG funds.

Sebi states, While such standards are yet to emerge, in the meanwhile, there is a need to introduce disclosure norms for domestic ESG Mutual Fund schemes considering the increased activity in this area. It is understood that these disclosure norms would further evolve and undergo changes based on learnings and experience, both on the domestic and international front.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh states that science-based agricultural Innovations will not only double the farmers' income but will also make India the leading agricultural and scientific power in the world after 100 years of Independence.

Singh was speaking during a first of its kind virtual event, where 75,000 farmers from 75 Aspirational Districts interacted with the leading scientists in agriculture sciences and technologies to commemorate the 75th year of India's independence at a mega event "Farmers-Scientists Connect Meet".

It was organized jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotech-KISAN Hub at ICAR-IARI, PUSA, New Delhi under the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations, a statement from the Ministry said.

Dr Jitendra Singh assured the farmers that the "unique initiative of the Government to find Science-based Agricultural Innovations will not only double the farmers' income but will also make India the leading agricultural and scientific power in the world, when it turns 100 after 25 years of Amrit Kaal Journey."

He said, welfare schemes like PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Kisan Samman, Soil Health Card, Neem Coated Urea, e-Nam to name a few have truly revolutionized agriculture and farm production. The pro-farmer schemes and programmes have also empowered the Agriculture Sector financially & resourcefully, besides giving esteem and respect to the farmers which was lacking earlier, he added.

The Biotech-KISAN is a scientist-farmer partnership scheme launched by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in 2017 for agriculture innovation with an objective to connect science laboratories with the farmers to find out innovative solutions and technologies to be applied at farm level. "The establishment of Biotech-KISAN Hubs in different agro-climatic zones will strengthen and empower the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) with latest and innovative technologies by linking them with national scientific labs and institutions," Singh said and informed, a total number of 36 Biotech-KISAN Hubs have been established so far, covering all 15 agro-climatic zones in the country.

The scheme has benefited over three lakh farmers so far by increasing their agriculture output and income. Over 200 entrepreneurships have also been developed in rural areas, the statement said.

Senior DBT officials informed that the significant achievements of the programme since inception include: revival of grass pea cultivation and its popularization amongst farmers of Bihar; utilization of rice fallows for enhancing pulse production in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh; empowerment of women farmers through scientific goat and sheep rearing in Sundarbans; promotion and popularization of good agricultural practices (GAPs) for seed spice cultivation amongst farmers of Western Rajasthan for getting premium price for agriculture produce; scientific pig rearing for livelihood improvement of tribal farmers of Meghalaya; production of quality planting material (QPM) of Malbhog variety of banana and its cultivation in Assam and promotion of conservation agriculture practices in rice-wheat and soybean-wheat cropping system in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
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Luxury retail is back on the agenda for cashed-up shoppers and the brands are wasting no time getting a foothold into a new store in readiness for a busy year.

Buying an expensive designer handbag or watch may have waned during the pandemic so to entice shoppers through the doors and compete with the internet, the labels are creating experience stores from VIP suites to personalised shopping experts.

Luxury retailer Cartier is the latest in a line of upmarket brands that defied the doom and gloom of COVID-19 and has signed a major lease in the Sydney CBD. Called a Maison, the two-level store will be luxury reimagined.

Renders of the new two-level Cartier store at 388 George Street, Sydney

Other big names that have taken new leases or extended existing ones across the city include Fendi to replace the former Hermes at 135 Elizabeth Street and Seiko to replace the Hype DC at MidCity between George Street and Pitt Street Mall.
Land ahoy Developer Poly Australia is selling off a major Richmond development site, an L-shaped chunk of land on Bridge Road curling around to Lennox Street. The 3531 sq m super-site at 150-152 Bridge Road and 195 Lennox Street was purchased in 2016. Poly originally planned a residential project but switched to office in 2019, gaining a permit for a six level 18,000 sq m office. CBREs David Minty, Scott Orchard, Nathan Mufale and Jing Jun Heng along with Knight Franks Trent Preece, Paul Kempton, Langton McHarg and Dominic Ong are on the case with $35 million expected. Poly is obviously not merging the Lennox Street neighbour into the site. Final negotiations are understood to be underway through Colliers for 193a Lennox Street where a group of surgeons, lawyers and investors are selling their strata offices.

80s-era office A private investor has picked up a three-level office building on Johnston Street, Fitzroy, next to Gurners redevelopment of the Spanish Club. CVA agents Ryan Milivojac and Charles Cini sold it for more than $14,000 a sq m - more than $6.34 million. Private investor swoops on three-level office building in Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Credit: The 80s-era office is on a $453 sq m parcel of land at No.51-55 with rear access to Harrison Place.

The buyer is understood to be planning to occupy part of the 1292 sq m office in the medium term. There is a tenant with a year left to run on its lease and a five-year option. This transaction is the most recent in a long line of strong results throughout Fitzroy. Developers, occupiers and investors are flocking to the suburb in droves, Mr Milivojac said. Developer crush Brunswick is also firmly in the sights of developers. Demand for Brunswick has gone through the roof, JLL agent Jesse Radisich said. We are now working with groups who have firmly placed Brunswick as a top priority for their next site and project, rather than seeing it as a secondary option to pockets closer to the CBD.

Mr Radisich, with Nick Peden, Josh Rutman and MingXuan Li, is marketing a warehouse at 17-23 Hodgson Street which is expected to fetch more than $10 million. The 3705 sq m site is covered in warehousing. Its close to Temple and Royal parks and Jewell station. The suburb is now attracting big name developers. International group Hines paid $16 million for a build-to-rent project in Ballarat Street and listed developers Stockland and Mirvac have plans for apartment and townhouse projects on Albert Street Recently, JLL recently sold 288-290 Victoria Street, Brunswick at an online auction with 13 bidders competing for the 930 sq m site. It sold for $5.127 million or $5500 a sq m - the sorts of values found in nearby inner suburbs a few years ago. Agents declined to comment on the identity of bidders but its understood the auction crowd was a whos who of local and offshore development groups.

Meanwhile, Vision Real Estates Frank Romeo has sold an increasingly rare industrial-zoned property for $4.26 million - the day after expressions of interest closed. The 1660 sq m warehouse at 45-59 Tinning Street is on a 1858 sq m site. Market mission The original Brunswick market, a 1930s era Spanish Mission style building currently operating as office space is up for grabs. The 1930s Spanish Mission-style Brunswick market hall. Credit: One of very few Spanish Mission public buildings still standing, the 910 sq m building at 1 Tripovich Street is on a 710 sq m parcel of land.

The renovated building has four two-level studio apartments and 15 offices. It currently trades as T.O.M.S Place and returns $301,000 a year but could achieve up to $380,000. Records show the vendors are investors David Frid and Michael Kahane who paid $2.8 million in 2017. The property could fetch up to $5 million this time around. Mr Frid moved to Byron Bay a few years ago, buying and renovating the 80s-era Sunseeker Motel which is also for sale at between $15 and $20 million. Expressions of interest are being handled by Fitzroys agents Chris Kombi and Ervin Niyaz. Retail portfolio

A portfolio of 15 shops belonging to the late Harry Oviss has hit the market with expectations of more than $22 million. The shops are predominantly in strips in the north-eastern suburbs: Station Street, Fairfield, the Were Street, Montmorency village with others in Ivanhoe, North Melbourne, Ascot Vale and High Street, Northcote. The real estate auctions follow the recent sale of Mr Oviss Aladdins Cave of art, furniture and jewellery through Gibsons Auctioneers and Valuers. Mr Oviss, who died in January aged 97, opened his first shop in the Block Arcade, selling knitwear, aged just 19. His portfolio was acquired over decades. Gross Waddell agents Michael Gross, Alex Ham and Danny Clark are handling the auction which will be held at Leonda in Hawthorn on November 25. The individual shops are expected to fetch between $850,000 and $4 million.
Cosmetic surgeon and social media star Dr Daniel Lanzer has given a legally enforceable undertaking to stop practising medicine in Australia.

The shock announcement on Friday night from the national health regulator followed a media investigation on Monday by the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and ABCs Four Corners which uncovered allegations of troubling practices across Dr Lanzers network, including serious hygiene and safety breaches, and multiple examples of botched procedures that have left patients in extreme pain and requiring further medical treatment.

Cosmetic surgeon Daniel Lanzer.

In a statement, the Australian Health Practitioner Agency (AHPRA) said the Medical Board accepted an undertaking from Dr Lanzer that he would not practise as a medical practitioner, in any form, in Australia.

It said its inquiries into Dr Lanzers clinics were ongoing but due to privacy provisions it was unable to provide further comment.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As you step into The Lume, billed as Melbournes new and Australias first permanent digital art gallery, the sheer scale sends your mind reeling. When The Age visited for an exclusive preview the team were rehearsing their exhibition, titled simply Van Gogh, that opens on Monday. Hidden projectors blasted a seemingly infinite field of sunflowers across the 3000 square metres of white carpet and up the 11m walls of the cavernous space, carved off the last two bays of the Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Wharf. Bruce Peterson in Van Goghs Starry Night. Credit:Eddie Jim Suddenly, the intense yellow was replaced by a moody blue, as the artists starry night swirled around, the brushstrokes the size of your arm. Speakers played classical hits as a voice-over recounted the life of this unique artist. As a spectacle, its likely to be a crowd-pleaser when it opens  even if it sends chin-stroking art aficionados into apoplectic fits over liberties taken with iconic works. But Bruce Peterson, owner and founder of the company behind The Lume, has ambitions beyond dropping some jaws.

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What weve done here is create Australias first digital art gallery, the first in the southern hemisphere, he says. All systems are Gogh for a November 1 launch of The Lume. Credit:Eddie Jim They will feature exhibitions produced at their studios in Port Melbourne, London and Rome: but theyre also commissioning emerging digital artists in this fast-growing field. Peterson wants to take them from the usual canvas of (if theyre lucky) a wall in a little gallery and let them loose on digital arts equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. Peterson calls on an assistant to give a demo. Suddenly, the floor becomes a dizzying, thrashing sea. Then the walls pulsate with inscrutable, computer-generated forms, plunging us into the metaverse. Were just touching the surface of whats possible at the moment. Bruce Peterson, The Lume The young digital artists now emerging dont actually have a platform to display a lot of their great work, he says. Theyve got TV commercials or the gaming industry but often its just a small 2D area which doesnt do a lot of it justice  where were going to have this great canvas for them. They aim to show contemporary artists as shorts after the main show, and in special one-night exhibitions.

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They are also working with the Australian National Museum on a big Indigenous experience featuring hundreds of artists, co-curated by the museums senior Indigenous curator Margo Neale. Loading He imagines hosting contemporary dance performances, interacting in real-time with a video projection surrounding them. Were just touching the surface of whats possible at the moment, he says. For 15 years cities from Mexico to Denver to Adelaide have hosted Petersons exhibitions and experiences. But six years ago, he decided he wanted to go further: to triple the size of their travelling shows in a permanent space. The Lume uses 143 high-definition, high-powered projectors: their travelling shows use 30. It has 65 kilometres of electrical and data cabling, and the floors plus the walls equal 4400 square metres of projection surface. Which poses the question: is bigger better? If youre showing the worlds greatest art, why do you have to make it three storeys tall?

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Peterson tells a story in answer. He was taking his kids around the great galleries of Italy and France, and found five minutes into it there was a tug on the hip pocket and they were saying lets go get gelati, this is boring, I asked them why is it boring, were in the middle of art and culture and history? And they just said well, nothing is moving. And my daughter said, gee it would be good if there was some music, dad. And that was my a-ha moment because I saw the change that was coming with that generation. Loading They value less the actual, material object, they value the experience more than anything. If we integrate as many of the human senses as we can at one time: vision, audio, aroma, your kinaesthetic sense of space, and if you have them all working together, you get an amplified outcome and often thats an emotional one. This emotionally touches people, which is a very difficult thing to do in two-dimensional galleries. Basically, he wants a childs first experience of art to be a joyful one. I think youre a better human and a better person when youve got art and culture in your life, he says. But weve got to have people engaged.

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Whatever else might have occupied the Booker judges in this year of Covid, they have been mightily taken by death. Death as a catalyst, sparking a sea change in those who are left, or death as a cataclysm, a monstrous event that ends an era: it comes to us all, of course, but very insistently in this years shortlist for the 50,000 ($92,000) Booker prize.

Maggie Shipsteads Great Circle begins with an aviatrix nose-diving into the Pacific, then goes on to tell her story. A journey to a funeral provides the throughline for Anuk Arudpragasams A Passage North; Damon Galguts The Promise covers four decades, with a funeral marking each. Patricia Lockwoods No One is Talking About This begins as a series of waspish riffs on the Twitterverse, then changes gear quite suddenly to be about the death of a child. And so on. Grim times. Or maybe its just that nothing else seems quite serious enough.

The six books on the shortlist for this years Booker Prize. Credit:

Sombre as it is, there is nothing very scandalous or divisive about this years shortlist: no walk-outs, no disputes leaked from the judges meetings, just the usual mildly dyspeptic complaints about the writers who missed out. Indeed, there seems to have been a collective will among Harvard professor Maya Jasanoffs judges to pick something for everyone: this would not be any one persons list of favourites. One listed book is notably rarefied, one will be branded readable, one has a campaigners zeal.
We all do awful things, says Robert Machoian, whose film The Killing of Two Lovers opens with his protagonist doing something nobody should do: standing over his former marital bed, now occupied by his sleeping wife and another man, with a gun in his hand. I mean, I probably safely could say everyone in the world has, like, one thing they wish they could erase and that nobody knew about, because its so outside their overall character  but it happened, anyways.

It is a tribute to Machoian that this arresting opening sequence, conducted entirely in silence, doesnt turn us against David, the man with the gun. That also has a good deal to do with Machoians friend, actor Clayne Crawford; one look at him is enough to tell you he is not capable of pulling that trigger, even if David does live in trigger-delirious Utah. We soon learn that the gun is a relic, unhooked from his fathers wall. Like its bearer, it is a sad thing stuck in the past.

We are in a town called Kanosh, population at last count 474, with a couple whose marriage has run aground. David works as a handyman, log-cutter and anything else needed. Niki (Sepideh Moafi) is a legal clerk who, with her children at school, has the opportunity and encouragement from her employers to study law. Machoian says he thought of his own wife when he was writing Niki, who felt her own possibilities suddenly expand when their third son went to school. More inspiration came from a chance meeting with an academic friend whose wife had done a law degree in mid-life and was now their breadwinner.

That kind of life change, he thought, could easily become crisis. My thoughts for the film were that Niki would be learning how much potential she has. And the question for her is: how far am I going to push that? David is living the life he built for himself and that he always imagined. He is very much living his dream, in a way. Whereas Niki begins to question everything. She wants space to breathe, just for a while.
The same Prime Minister who told us two years ago that electric vehicles would end the weekend now promotes a plan that rejoices in the economic potential of EVs. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit:The Sydney Morning Herald Australia, points out Morrisons blue brochure, is uniquely placed to benefit as this global shift unfolds. We can prosper in a world in transition and capitalise on the global shift to a new energy economy. Why the dramatic reversal? The new position, like the old position, is founded on politics. The policy that helped deliver power at the 2019 election would deliver defeat in 2022, Morrison concluded. He told his MPs that some 80 per cent of Australians wanted the government to do more about climate change. He had to respond. Voters concerned about the climate emphatically ejected Tony Abbott from the Sydney seat of Warringah in 2019. Morrison faced a real risk that in 2022 they would eject up to half a dozen others from wealthy, educated urban seats in Sydney and Melbourne, including Katie Allen from Higgins, Dave Sharma from Wentworth, Trent Zimmerman from North Sydney, Jason Falinski from Mackellar and perhaps even Josh Frydenberg from Kooyong.

Morrison holds the House by the barest majority. He cant afford to lose one seat, much less five or six. Loading Will the trick work? The city-based Liberals are enormously relieved. The regional-based Nationals are another matter entirely. Its momentous, says the Liberals Katie Allen from the affluent seat of Higgins in Melbournes east. I think its the equivalent of the gun laws moment for John Howard  its pivotal. Labor will complain and point-score, thats democracy. The point is, we now have a plan. The turning point for Howard was the Port Arthur massacre. For Morrison, she says, it was Australias season of flames, the 2019-20 Black Summer: People saw the palls of smoke over their cities for three or four months and the connection with climate change was made. Scott Morrison realised then we had to move, but for the last year he was distracted by COVID.

The Liberals Dave Sharma from Malcolm Turnbulls former seat of Wentworth in Sydneys east describes the governments new policy as an enduring political achievement for us as a Coalition and also for the state of national politics. It indicates to voters in my electorate that we are taking this issue seriously, and were addressing their concerns. Weve buried the climate wars and can move ahead now. Weve agreed on the diagnosis and the remedy, and now its an argument about treatment. If Ive got to be a prostitute, Im going to be a bloody good one. What Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce told his colleagues The Nationals are getting a very different reaction. Heres an indicator. Katie Allen tells me shes had dozens of calls and emails from voters happy with the pivot, although many say they now want to see details of the plan. On the other hand, shes had just two emails and one phone call from voters angry at the new policy. Whereas the Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, says hes been fielding angry phone calls non-stop. Joyce and the other Nationals knew to expect a hostile reaction. It turns out many of their constituents truly believed the pro-coal, anti-climate rhetoric the Coalition has been saturating them with for the last decade. They feel betrayed at the reversal. So the Nationals negotiated secretly with Morrison an agreement on nine key demands as the price of their acquiescence in the new policy for net zero by 2050. Joyce is unabashed about this: If Ive got to be a prostitute, Im going to be a bloody good one, hes told colleagues.

The nine commitments will form the basis for much of the Nationals election campaigning in the months to come. They will be offered in an effort to offset electoral anger at the net zero policy. Loading One is that Australia will not sign up to any COP26 climate summit commitment to cut output of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This was implicit in the governments position; the Nationals insisted it be made explicit. A group of nations, including the US, is pressing for countries to cut their 2020 methane output by 30 per cent by 2030. Australia will not be among them. Methane is incredibly important not only for the farm economy but for the regions, says Joyce. Livestock is a major source of Australias methane. To cut methane youd have to cull cattle. Talking about cutting methane is like talking about shutting down lanes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge  soon youre going to have real problems. Another is a multi-billion dollar commitment to set up a fund to develop alternative industries in the regions, principally hydrogen fuel. The idea would be to expand new industry against the likely shrinkage of coal mining as world demand falls. Its expected that this money would be allocated in the next Coalition budget.

A third is that Scope 3 emissions from coal mining are not counted in achieving Australias national net zero commitment. Scope 3 are the emissions not given off directly by a coal mine or other facility but by the customers or others who use their product. A fourth and well publicised commitment was for the Queensland LNPs Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources and Water, to be moved from the outer ministry into the cabinet. Pitt is an opponent of any moves to curb coal or cut emissions. A fifth is that the government commits to a review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This is Australias overarching mechanism for environmental protection. Its summary says it is the Australian governments central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places. Any review of the EPBC Act by a Coalition government would be politically incendiary, especially if its conducted in response to Nationals demands. Under the internal Coalition agreement, the review would be conducted jointly by the Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, and the Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt. Its not expected that this would occur before the next election, which must be held by May at the latest.

A sixth is government commitment to a range of infrastructure programs for the regions and the bush. This would include the extension of the Nationals pet project, the Inland Rail freight line, pending the result of a business case study into its feasibility. This extension from Gladstone to Toowoomba is estimated to cost some $4 billion, which could be funded by the taxpayer or by business. Altogether, tallying the promise of a new industries fund plus the infrastructure plans could quickly add to more than $10 billion in concessions to the Nationals. Many would argue that any review of the EPBC could cost infinitely more in non-financial, environmental terms. Loading This combination  a net zero by 2050 target for the Liberals city seats plus a nine-point, $10 billion package for the Nationals regional seats  is Morrisons formula for retaining government. Could it work? The pollster for Essential Research, Peter Lewis, points out that Morrison has split the electoral bloc that has long favoured more active climate policy. In his polling, about 60 per cent of the Australian electorate wanted more action on climate change.
Red is green and gold

While environmental concerns are important, value is also important to customers, Red Energys CEO Iain Graham says.

As Australias fourth largest energy retailer, value and service have always been the goal for Red Energy since day one.

Call us old fashioned, but weve built the business from the ground up, striving for customer excellence. Red delivers useful energy products and service thats so good our customers take the time to recommend us to their family and friends.

While customers can sign up with Red online, many still want to talk to an Australian consultant who can manage their request over the phone. Red has won multiple Canstar Blue awards for its customer service over the past 11 years, including being rated Canstar Blues Most Trusted Energy Provider for 2021.

Reds Melbourne call centre responds to more than 1.4 million calls from customers each year. Recent customer interactions have centred on drought, bushfires and more recently, the challenges of lockdowns due to COVID-19.

The pandemic forced some changes in Reds workforce, with its door to door sales team redirected to the phones and back-office roles. This kept them employed and also provided a boost to the call centre which was busier than ever.

When competitors reduced operating costs by offshoring their call centres, Red made a conscious decision to keep its consultants in Australia. That decision not only helps us deliver great service, but also plays an important role in supporting the economy by keeping jobs here. Were proud of the fact that this stands us apart from our competitors said Mr Graham.

Red Energy also believes in giving back. The company has been giving to the Breast Cancer Network of Australia since 2014. It also supports the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia, reaffirming its commitment to conservation.

For 100% Australian electricity and gas switch to Red Energy today. Call 131 806 or go to redenergy.com.au
Karen Walker discusses her upbringing, career and the men who have influenced her.

Occupation: Fashion designer

Age: 51

Relationship status: Married

Best known for: Her eponymous fashion label

Karen Walker: [My husband] is a brilliant creative mind and we are the perfect team  neither could have done it without the other.

My maternal grandfather, Reynold, was a businessman born in New Zealand. He continues to be very present in my life even though he died when I was seven. He showed kindness and support to his community and no one ever had a bad word to say about him. He always had a lolly in his pocket for me when I was a child, and always let me win when we played Cluedo.

My father, Noel, worked in the travel business. He wasnt interested in my choice to study fashion. He was entrepreneurial, with a big personality. He passed on his love of travel to me.
When I told my mum I was getting breast implants, she was aghast. I had to whip up my top and show her the wreckage formerly known as my bust. We were squashed onto tiny chairs at the kiddie table at home while my three-year-old daughter ate lunchtime cheesy pasta.

Oh Kate. I had no idea. Theyre worse than mine, said Mum.

Breast feeding three babies in under five years took a toll on my bust.

Sure. It was also like looking at eggs dangling at the end of dress socks. That was when I was standing up. When lying down, my breasts slipped helplessly off either side of my body.

It hadnt always been that way. My figure is like a Besser Block, straight and hipless. My 10C breasts were the best bit. Gravity defying, they were my heavy artillery when I came of age in the 80s topless sunbathing era.
Photographer Andrew Chapman, 67, owes his life to two organ transplants from different donors  one dead, the other living  a decade apart. The second came courtesy of his eldest child, Sarah, 39, last May.

Andrew and Sarah Chapman: Its a difficult thing for a father to accept. You dont have children so you can harvest their organs at a future date. Credit:Josie Chapman

Andrew: Sarah was our first child and I was there for the birth. I remember when we brought her home from hospital. We lay her on the floor in the front room and she immediately shat her nappy. We changed her and two minutes later, she did it again. Then again. I thought, This isnt what lifes going to be like with children, is it? But Sarah turned out to be a placid baby and an earnest child, always pleasant-natured and a joy.

In February 2011, I was in hospital with liver failure because of haemochromatosis [an iron overload]. I was unconscious in hospital with just two days left in the tank when I received a liver transplant. But during the operation, my kidneys went to sleep and never fully woke up again.

At the beginning of this year, I had only 9 per cent kidney function, which put me in line for a family or friend transplant; it was either that or dialysis for the rest of my life.
Every Saturday afternoon, a phone rings at a quiet house in the hilly, dreamy countryside not far from the village of Boorowa in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

Leonie H, who values her privacy and doesnt want her full name used, hurries to pick up the phone and settles in for a pleasurable half-hour or so.

The Conversation in Isolation program has helped many people keep in touch during lockdowns. Credit:Jim Pavlidis

She is 88, describes herself as a little old lady and has lived alone since her husband died 12 years ago. Her house and the garden she loves are surrounded by 550 green acres populated by wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and birdlife.

At the other end of the phone, somewhere in Victoria, is Ruth Liu, a 22-year-old fourth-year medical student.
Recently, I found myself narrating an Amazon Christmas catalogue to my three-year-old, and thats how I realised that life now revolves around the mail. Thats a short book, he commented at the end, after I had talked him through the various Lego and train sets that Jeff Bezos had carefully selected for his Christmas list consideration.

The moment was whatever the opposite of poignant is, and I want to extend my sincere apologies to Mem Fox if shes reading this. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is one of our favourites, but in my sons defence, it had not just arrived shiny and new on our doorstep minutes before bedtime.

The world has felt very big of late, but those boxes from Mum made it feel small again. Credit:Getty Images

Smartphones have given a new lease of life to various inventions we once  as recently as a couple of years ago  would have considered passe. Exhibit A is listening to people we dont know talk in our ears. And Exhibit B is receiving things through the post. This was meant to be the era of the digital cloud and instead its Stuff, vaulted across oceans to our porches courtesy of free or very cheap shipping, that reigns supreme.

Obviously, COVID-19 has accelerated the rise of Stuff. Not too long ago, economists were telling us the best thing on which to spend money wasnt things, but experiences. This is because, their reasoning went, the high you get from acquiring an object is short-lived and ultimately shallow, while the memories of doing something not only live forever but attract more likes on Instagram. Needless to say, the economists didnt consider a world in which there were no new experiences.
A former professor at the University of Technology Sydney who perpetrated a fake harassment campaign against herself will serve a term of imprisonment in the community, after a judge labelled her actions bizarre and unusual.

Dianne Jolley, 51, who was the dean of science at UTS, sent herself 10 threatening letters over the course of three-and-a-half months in 2019, including two containing pairs of her underwear, one left on her car at home, and one which suggested she had been poisoned.

Dr Dianne Jolley pictured in June. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Jolley also slashed items of clothing in her backyard and reported the purported actions of the stalker to university security staff. As a result, the university spent more than $100,000 on security measures including CCTV, a duress alarm, and driving her to and from work in a hire car.

The academic faced trial in the NSW District Court this year, with a jury finding her guilty in July of one count of dishonestly causing financial disadvantage by deception and 10 counts of conveying false information likely to make a person fear for another persons safety.
For Halloween tragic Angelyca Dizon, theres always been something magic about this time of year.

With COVID-19 putting a dampener on celebrations in 2020, she was keen to do what she could to put a smile on her neighbours faces this year.

Angelyca Dizon and her partner have created an elaborate Halloween display at their western Sydney home. Credit:Edwina Pickles

She and her partner have spent much of the past month handcrafting and setting up elaborate decorations in the front yard of their western Sydney home.

The holiday viewed by some as an unwelcome encroachment of American culture on Australia now has widespread appeal, with a growing number of Sydneysiders choosing to embrace Halloween.
Of course the government wouldnt even consider the 30 per cent reduction of methane (Agriculture must cut methane emission, despite no pledge, October 29). The states havent yet offered it plans, and the federal government would never consider doing anything it might have to strive for, or put some work into. The federal government accepts targets that are only so low it can canter towards them. Joyces limited ability to tackle a problem is made obvious by his comments suggesting the only way to reduce methane is to kill a third of the cattle: so defeatist. The cattle industry is on board; this is really just a ruse to protect the highly methane-producing gas fracking industry. Peggy Fisher, Killara Substations, not subs Dear Prime Minister, dont spend any more money on dud subs: spend it on the electricity grid (Power grid operators warn of missing links, October 29). Thats a real plan. Tony Tucker, Leichhardt How good would it have been if the billions spent gold plating the electricity network had been spent on preparing it for renewables, for which we are told it is inadequate. Stein Boddington, St Clair Im waiting for a new mobile phone with a built-in fire extinguisher, as this is likely to come before Morrisons climate-saving technology (Letters, October 29). Tim Schroder, Gordon

Canute in dispute Yet again, poor Canute has been unfairly compared with lesser mortals. This time he is linked to Scott Morrison (Letters, October 29). Far from dithering on the shore, Canute was offering a real lesson for Morrison. He was demonstrating that he was not God and that his power over nature was extremely limited. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT) Freedom to castigate Almost every day the Letters pages contain examples of impudent or harsh descriptions of our political leaders, such as a bunch of dropkicks and a dud prime minister (Letters, October 29). But guess what? None of these letter writers has to worry about the dreaded 3am banging on the door, of being hauled away to who knows where. Hooray for democracy. Joan Brown, Orange

Berejiklians ICAC inquiry turns into a soap opera Its hard to know what public interest was served by the ICAC asking Gladys Berejiklian in a public hearing about the intimate details of her personal life ( Part of my love circle: Berejiklian unpacks secret affair with Maguire, smh.com.au, October 29). Was anyone surprised to learn that the former premier did not have the same regard for Daryl Maguire as she had for her family? As a private hearing has already revealed, the former member for Wagga Wagga was on a frolic of his own. The only question for the ICAC should be whether Berejiklian personally enriched herself or Maguire as a consequence of the government approving infrastructure projects for Wagga Wagga. Why this question needs to be ventilated in a public hearing is a mystery with all the features of a soap opera that threatens to turn the business of government into a three-ring circus. Peter Breen, Bellingen The former Premier showed at her ICAC appearance that a sense of entitlement is not confined to the proverbial white male (I cant stand that guy. His head will be gone, Berejiklian said of bureaucrat in phone call, smh.com.au, October 29). Her position seems to be that as long as she satisfies her own internal concept of integrity, that should be enough for the rest of us. You have shown no consideration for the public servants and colleagues you compromised. Everyone knows you would never have applied such an elastic standard to any of your Labor opponents. Chris McGregor, Cabarita Its a pity Maguire wasnt the member for Wilcannia. The people there could have done with having money thrown at them  lots of it (Ex Premier: Ill throw money at electorate, October 29). June Simpson, Petersham Masks, the new normal

Masks may not be necessary at school or anywhere else but there should be no question that they reduce the wearers chances of being infected with airborne contagions (We need to know if masks are really necessary at school, October 29). Mask wearing should be seen as normal from now on. Not compulsory, but normal for those who wish to wear them. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove How lucky is NSW. Without any fuss, the Kings School has provided a perfect non-use of masks sample which will be able to be compared with the many examples of use-of-masks in public schools, in order to judge the success of preventing virus transmission. Joy Cooksey, Harrington Voice of reason Will House of Reps Speaker, Tony Smith, who was unable to contribute to the House on behalf of my constituents now find voice on the back bench (Speaker to quit in November before retiring at election, October 29)? Is Smiths resignation as the Speaker, a protest, a sign that he is disillusioned with his Coalition party colleagues corrupt behaviour? Is Smiths unwillingness to contest the next federal election a further sign of this disillusionment? Geoff Black, Caves Beach

As a frequent watcher of question time I have been amazed at the patience and impartiality of speaker Tony Smith. His steady guidance helps to keep Parliament as a thriving democracy rather than a cesspool of anger and negativity. Bill McMahon, Lennox Head Any shade of white Painting roofs with reflective white paint to reduce solar energy absorption is a good idea in principle but has its downsides (Seeing light on dark roofs a lifesaver , October 29). In bright sunlight there will be enormous glare from inclined roofs which impacts neighbouring backyards and injects a greater heat load through nearby windows. The effect can be moderated by growing tall trees to block the reflected light but a local environment should be modelled before residents are given open slather to paint their roofs. Geoff Harding, Chatswood No friend to gullible Who is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg trying to fool with his talk of a virtual reality vision, metaverse and new ecosystem (Facebook is changing its name to Meta to emphasise metaverse vision, October 29)? Far from being the philanthropist, Zuckerberg is simply rebranding Facebook as Meta, in order to exploit gullible people and gain even more wealth, dare I say, beyond his means. George Zivkovic, Northmead

Zuckerbergs shiny, brand new online creation represents no more than two thirds of our own beloved ABC logo. Is Aunty entitled to any lucrative royalty payments in future? Lorraine Hickey, Green Point It seems apt that Facebook has been rebranded with a four letter word. Peter Fyfe, Enmore No ID. No vote. Fine How predictable that the Morrison government would propose to impose stricter voter identification requirements echoing the US Republican Party longstanding campaign to restrict voting (Voter ID laws on the cards ahead of next federal election, October 28). One wonders how this approach to disenfranchise voters at the ballot box will fit in with Australian compulsory voting requirement.

Are we to be disenfranchised at the ballot box through lack of identification, and then fined for not voting? Paul Ryan, Rozelle Pooled resources

Ocean pools mentioned by Justine Nolan are for the lucky ones who live within easy access to these spots as I do these days (They listed 45 Sydney ocean pools. I swam the lot, October 29). As a kid growing up around the Parramatta River, we had numerous, free, council maintained tidal harbour pools in relatively clean water to enjoy every day after school. Fun days. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach Call the waa-ambulance What a wonderful and much-needed idea: a crying room for unleashing emotions (Schemes, beams and unseen works that remain in dreams, October 29). Proposed by a professor of architecture no less. We could all do with such a space, complete with a comfy armchair, guillotine blades to chop onions for releasing tears and a bottle of whisky on hand if that doesnt do the job. Much more civilised than sobbing in the car. Judy Finch, Cedar Party A Luther definition Each year I manage my dislike of Halloween by giving All Saints Eve the title of Martin Luther day. Trickers and treaters get some chocolate and a word about the legacy of the great Reformer. Every year they come back and ask for more. David Morrison, Springwood

Poor spiders get bad press at Halloween. Lets hope those huge ones displayed on house roofs will catch equally monstrous mosquitoes lurking in the dark so fulfilling their beneficial, predatory role.

Lyn Langtry, EastRyde Trees displease bees A warning to those who recommend tulip trees (Letters, October 29). They are toxic to native bees. Our Landcare group had been working on eradicating them from our area. Carolyn Van der Veen, Bonny Hills Postscript I didnt have enough time to look properly at the Prime Ministers climate change plan because I was too busy looking for my passport, drivers licence, electricity account et cetera, wrote Barry Sexton of Primbee. It was easy to be distracted by the multitude of announcements this week, but many letter writers were able to focus long enough to skewer the PMs climate epiphany on the eve of his Glasgow trip.
A Sydney businessman arrested on Friday will be questioned over the whereabouts of Mostafa Baluch after the pair were allegedly together hours before the fugitive restaurateurs disappearance on Monday night.

Bennet Schwartz, a former employee at mining giant Rio Tinto, was arrested by the Australian Federal Police on Friday and has been charged over a drug importation scheme allegedly involving Mr Baluch.

Bennet Schwartz (left) has been arrested while Mostafa Baluch is on the run.

Mr Schwartz, 34, met alleged drug kingpin Mr Baluch on Monday, according to sources involved in the international manhunt led by NSW Police.

Police have been applying pressure on Mr Baluchs family and known associates since he vanished and Mr Schwartz, while in custody, will face questions about their meeting.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW governments ban on construction in the midst of the Delta-outbreak was a mistake and foreshadowed it could create potential delays to major projects.

Mr Perrottet said that, while the government had got most of its decisions right during the pandemic, the two-week construction ban was one measure he did not agree with.

Upon reflection, I think we should have kept going, Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet at the Barangaroo Metro dive site on Friday. Credit:Rhett Wyman

From time to time weve got it wrong on various decisions but, in the main, weve got it right... Construction was a challenging discussion and debate that we had. It was a hard decision to close construction during Delta.
I will never forget the first time I walked into the dining hall of St Pauls College at Sydney University. Ahead of me was my friend Jeremy; behind, a thrum of fists pounding the table and feet stomping on the ground that quickly became deafening. Bang, bang, bang, bang; shouts rang out in the timber arches. I was so surprised, I looked around to see what had prompted it, but Jeremy kept me moving.

St Pauls College has decided to become co-ed. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Eventually, I realised it was me. It was just the simple presence of a woman in an all-male colleges mess hall that caused this raucous unnerving drumming. It was the strangest sound, containing both laughter and menace, and it has stayed with me for years.

My friends at St Pauls were good blokes. They are still my friends, loyal and long-lasting. They are now working in arts, industry, the law. But the culture there was shocking in many ways; the spew-marker who had to taste and rate the vomit of drunken blokes, the time the computers at Womens College were defecated on, the sex with drunken, passed out women.

And that was just the stuff I heard about.
Flames and choking smoke surrounded them both, but Daryl Smith and Senior Constable Leah Rudder did not allow enormous personal risk to deter them from saving a life.

The two Australians were awarded one of the nation's highest honours for displaying incredible bravery in their response to emergencies that occurred a year apart on opposite sides of the country.

Senior Const Rudder continued to drag an unconscious man from a burning house in Tarro, NSW, in 2003 despite the walls and ceiling collapsing on top of her.

Mr Smith, a truck driver, worked to free a man from his wrecked ute near Caveton in South Australia's south-east in 2002 after an explosion engulfed the cabin in flames.

The pair became the latest Australians to receive the Star of Courage award for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.
A woman accused of calling the key witness in a slavery case and trying to persuade her not to give evidence in court will stand trial on a charge of trying to pervert the course of justice.

Kumuthini Kannan was charged with keeping a woman as a domestic slave in her Melbourne home when federal police and prosecutors allege she called the complainant from a pay phone and, posing as a Tamil interpreter, tried to dissuade the woman from giving evidence.

Kumuthini Kannan (wearing mask) outside court earlier this year. Credit:Chris Hopkins

During the one-hour call on February 16 last year, Mrs Kannan told the woman dont trust the police and dont trust the lawyers, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday. Prosecutors also allege she told the woman not to repeat what she had earlier told police; that she had no friends, would not be believed in court and that she would rot and die in Australia.

Mrs Kannan, 54, will stand trial over the phone call, which was allegedly been made from a pay phone at Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.
Its a strange claim to make when youre running for Federal Parliament, but Georgia Steele says she is no politician, and furthermore, she never will be.

The former corporate litigator is announcing her run as an independent candidate for the seat of Hughes, an electorate made both significant and controversial due to the long-running tenure of incumbent Liberal-turned-United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly.

Georgia Steele is announcing as the independent candidate for the seat of Hughes. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Hughes now is going to be the epicentre for Clive Palmers United Australia Party for the next election, given Craig Kelly is now that partys leader, Ms Steele says.

I am here saying, there is a sensible, qualified person willing to stand up against the United Australia Party in the interests of the community of Hughes.
Prime Minister Scott Morrisons underlined sections of Bill Gates book about net zero. This is a promising moment, Gates told the virtual summit dressed as always in a business shirt and v-neck knit. Climate activists  and young people especially  are bringing amazing energy and attention to this issue. They are demanding action, and rightly so. He stressed that climate change was an incredibly complex issue that would need billions of dollars in investment because using todays technology it would be virtually impossible to meet our goals. Just like Morrison, the Gates view has critics too. There are many climate campaigners, some of whom call for an end to economic growth, who reject the notion that there is any room for political pragmatism. Two pages of the book  196 and 197  leapt out to Morrison. He underlined key passages with a black pen.

What we can do  and need to do  in the next 10 years is adopt the policies that will put us on a path to deep decarbonisation by 2050, Gates wrote. Why? Because the things wed do to get small reductions by 2030 are radically different from the things wed do to get to zero by 2050. Credit:Matt Golding Morrisons slow but deliberate shift over the past 18 months on climate has not been influenced by Gates alone. The first inspiration came last year from reading Daniel Yergins The New Map, a book that outlines how the role of energy in climate change is shaping geopolitical discussions, challenging industries and lifestyles and accelerating a new energy revolution  the quest for renewables. At its heart is the new geopolitics of net-zero carbon and the relationship between the US and China. Its partly why Morrison outlined net zero as an issue of national security last week, telling his colleagues that Australia needed the Western alliance now more than ever and it would be drawing down on a lot of historical capital if it did not make the commitment.

Getting To Zero - the Quarterly Essay by former chief scientist Alan Finkel  reinforced Morrisons thinking, as did David Attenboroughs A Life on Our Planet. They all shaped his increasing view that the time frame of 2050 was integral. Attenborough, a British broadcaster and natural historian, might be surprised to learn this after he criticised people in Australia this week whod claimed climate change-driven disasters like fires were one-off events. Loading Ahead of the Glasgow climate summit he said nations had a moral responsibility to take swift action to ensure really catastrophic outcomes were not realised. And every day that goes by in which we dont do something about it is a day wasted and things are being made worse, Attenborough told the BBC this week.

When asked at Tuesdays press conference why he would not increase the nations 2030 emissions reductions target Morrison told reporters he was keeping faith with Australian voters. And it was back to Gates again. It is the wrong plan for Australia. And let me tell you why. And none other than Bill Gates has expressed his view, as have many others, he said. He said the same to the ABCs Sabra Lane on Wednesday when she pointed out many climate scientists say its important to go harder on cutting emissions by 2030. I dont share that view. And you know, people like Bill Gates agree with me, Morrison replied. The Gates book sets a goal to stop the 51 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases currently being added to the atmosphere every year. In a clear-eyed fashion  without dwelling on doomsday scenarios for the planet  he argues to do so would require changes to transport, cement and steel production, food and agriculture.

Gates believes firstly that rich nations like Australia need to develop and deploy breakthrough technologies that allow them to eliminate emissions throughout the physical economy. Secondly, he argues, they need to tap the power of markets to fund and deploy these innovations  for example, by finding creative ways to finance technologies, and by levelling the playing field, so they can compete with fossil fuels. Third, he says, governments and corporations need to adopt policies that will make it faster and cheaper to make the transition, and leaders will need to reward those who take difficult steps. Some of this the Morrison government is yet to embrace, leaving room for the prime ministers critics that he has just cherry-picked the easy parts.

Gates says nuclear energy is key as is widespread investment in transmission lines and even lab-grown meat. Former British prime minister Gordon Brown is also a fan of the Gates book but acknowledges it does not have all the answers. While Gates is modest enough to say he doesnt have a solution to the politics of climate change, Brown argued in the Guardian this year that the issue has been continually torpedoed by powerful vested interests, or undermined by weak and incompetent political leaderships that make commitments they do not honour. Loading Tony Wood, the director of the energy program at Grattan Institute, spent 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles and five years as the program director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation. He this week wrote while the governments net zero policy was welcomed it was not a policy platform to hit the emissions reduction target. He has also read the Gates book. I was therefore intrigued that the PM was quoting him since it was Gates who said we need technology and policies and financial markets, he said this week.
Australia has been urged to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccine aid to developing countries and encourage other nations to do the same at this weekends summit of global leaders to reduce the risk of dangerous new strains emerging.

Research commissioned by UNICEF Australia ahead of the G20 meeting of the worlds major economies shows Australias per capita vaccine supply is nine times higher than doses delivered per capita to Sub-Saharan Africa.

A shipment of COVAX AstraZeneca vaccines arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May. Less than 5 per cent of Africa has been vaccinated so far. Credit:Getty

For every 18 doses of vaccine which have been delivered to G20 countries, only one of those has been delivered to low-income countries, UNICEF Australia chief executive Tony Stuart said.

Without higher-income countries increasing assistance through donations of doses and supplies such as syringes, Australian International Development Network chief executive Mark Cubit said low vaccination rates in low-income countries were a risk to everyone.
This is similar to the rules in NSW, but there it is the health minister who has such powers. In Victoria, the health minister will be responsible for the health orders arising from the declaration of a pandemic. The Victorian governments pandemic laws passed the lower house on Thursday. Credit:Chris Hopkins The Premier would have the power to declare a pandemic whether or not a pandemic is present in Victoria, or whether a disease that is in Victoria is one of pandemic potential. Mr Andrews office said this was designed to address the potential risks of emerging pandemics. Health Minister Martin Foley said the legislation took the best elements of pandemic responses from other states and overseas. At the core to this framework is accountability and transparency in decision-making, while ensuring public health advice is central to any pandemic response.

Mr Andrews has said the proposed legislation, which passed the lower house on Thursday night, was modelled on laws in NSW and New Zealand. In NSW, the health minister has broad powers to make any direction necessary to reduce or remove the risk of COVID-19 in an area, to segregate or isolate people and to prevent access to any part of NSW, without a declaration needing to be made. Under Victorias proposals, a pandemic declaration can be renewed for up to three months, with no outer limit on how many times a declaration can be renewed. Victorias laws would be the first among neighbours: NSW is operating under public health orders, rather than a pandemic-specific set of laws. New Zealands laws are pandemic-specific and will not remain in force beyond the period necessary to control the outbreak. Victorias laws differ from NSW in another important way. Here, as the laws stand, there would be no cross-party parliamentary committee specifically designed to scrutinise pandemic orders  although parliamentary committees would be free to conduct inquiries.

Instead, there would be two oversight mechanisms: an independent panel appointed by the government  leading some critics to question its independence  and the cross-party Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee (SARC). SARC, which scrutinises all bills that come before Victorian Parliament, will also consider new pandemic orders put in place by the government. But the proposed legislation limits the committees capacity to place limits on pandemic orders, according to Associate Professor William Partlett of the University of Melbournes law school. SARC would have the ability to recommend pandemic orders be suspended, but the Minister could recommend to the Governor in Council the suspension be overturned. Thats essentially the minister overriding SARC, so SARC is then largely in an advisory position, Mr Partlett said. The only way to disallow [orders] is if both houses of Parliament vote to disallow, which of course is not going to happen because the Minister is ultimately part of the government and the government controls the lower house.

Ms Patten said she was considering moving to amend this aspect of the legislation. I am looking at how SARC conducts itself and the role it plays is worthy of greater scrutiny and I may consider amendments towards that section [of the legislation], she said. A group of top silks on Thursday night released an open letter to government saying the Bill represented a blank cheque to rule by decree. One key criticism is that once a pandemic is declared, the health minister can make any order they believe is reasonably necessary to protect public health, giving the minister extraordinary and ongoing power that is almost impossible to challenge. Instead, as occurs in other jurisdictions, it should not be open-ended but limited to specific powers such as closing borders, mask mandates and lockdowns, the QCs said.

It is one thing to allow temporary rule by decree to deal with an unforeseen and extraordinary emergency in circumstances of extreme urgency. It is something else altogether to entrench rule by decree as a long-term norm. In our view, this is antithetical to basic democratic principles and should not be allowed to happen, the letter said. The proposed laws introduce the harshest fines for non-compliance in the country. Anyone who knowingly breaches a health order and, in the process causes serious health risks to another person, would face up to two years prison for the most egregious examples. A person who failed to comply with a health order, knowing it could cause serious health risks to others, would face a maximum fine of $90,500, while businesses face up to $452,500 in fines for rule breaches. The government says these maximum penalties would be used rarely for those who knowingly put public health at risk and not for minor or moderate breaches. In NSW, the maximum penalty for an individual is $11,000, imprisonment for six months or both, with the risk of $5500 each day the breaches continue. Businesses face maximum penalties of $55,000 and $27,500 for each subsequent day of breaches.

The maximum penalty in Western Australia, which has come under criticism for its tough approach, is 12 months imprisonment or a $50,000 fine. Loading Ms Patten said transparency about COVID-19 responses had been lacking across the country and the Bill would make Victoria the first jurisdiction to release health advice, human rights assessments, and the reasons for pandemic orders. She welcomed the establishment of the advisory committee, which will be compiled of health, legal and other experts, but expressed concern the proposed legislation did not secure the committees funding. She said it was disappointing to see misinformation being spread, including that people could be jailed for refusing to wear a mask, or the Premier could establish a permanent lockdown.

No wonder the community is frightened, she said. Some positive aspects of the laws are that they would prevent law enforcement agencies from accessing peoples QR code information and also create a new concessional fines scheme for people experiencing financial hardship. But its not just the community. The legal profession, too, says there are frightening aspects of this Bill. The Health Minister has the power to detain people for the purposes of COVID-19 control, for a period that must not exceed what the Minister believes is necessary. The Centre for Public Integrity released a briefing paper raising concerns this could, in effect, permit detention for an unlimited amount of time. The legislation stipulates that authorised officers detain a person under pandemic orders, the Chief Health Officer must be notified as quickly as is reasonably practicable, and justify the detention. The CHO must then inform the Health Minister of the detention.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Long before he called Downing Street home, Boris Johnson spent much of his childhood roaming the family farm in Exmoor National Park, a four-hour drive west of London. A daily coexistence with herons, owls, woodpeckers, kingfishers and red deer was something of a storybook start for the boy who would later morph into one of the worlds greenest leaders. As the poet William Wordsworth once wrote of the beautiful Westminster Bridge, Dull would he be of soul who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty, says Stanley Johnson, the Prime Ministers father. And while it might be a different context, the sentiment is the same for Boris. He spent formative time in this beautiful part of England, and it probably left a lasting impression. Stanley Johnson, the father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is an environmentalist in his own right. Credit:Bloomberg Five decades on and a world away from the tranquillity of the farm, Johnson will on Monday welcome 25,000 delegates to Glasgow for a summit billed as a make-or-break moment for the planet. The COP26 talks aim to spare the globe from the worst impacts of climate change, and the strength of Johnsons commitment to the cause has surprised even some of his closest allies. He recently channelled teen climate campaigner Greta Thunberg by telling a youth climate conference in Italy that the reckless actions of their elders meant your future is being stolen before your eyes. And while he this week sought to manage expectations by predicting the Glasgow talks would be touch and go, he has repeatedly framed the gathering as a chance to save the Earth. Despite dealing with an overflowing intray of domestic policy headaches, Johnson has also spent much of the past year poking, prodding and publicly shaming world leaders for not doing enough ahead of COP26. When the summit ends, when most of the world has committed to decisive, game-changing action, it will be clear to all which of us has lacked the courage to step up, he told them in September at the UN General Assembly in New York. The world will see, and your people will remember, and history will judge.

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At first glance, Johnson is an unlikely eco-warrior. The 57-year-old heads a conservative government and as a journalist wrote that many global warming concerns were without foundation, called fracking a miracle and claimed wind turbines would barely pull the skin off a rice pudding. As Prime Minister, though, its a different story. He has led the charge to end coal-fired power generation in rich nations by 2030, will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in Britain by the same year and promises voters hell deliver a Green Industrial Revolution to transform the economy, workplaces and homes. The British government aims to slash emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, one of the worlds most ambitious targets. The Prime Minister recently confessed his earlier columns for the right-wing Telegraph newspaper werent entirely supportive of the current struggle. But the facts change and people change their minds and change their views and thats very important too. As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has rolled out detailed and ambitious plans to slash the UKs emissions. Credit:Getty Stanley Johnson says his sons critics are often too quick to slag him off and underestimate his intellect and genuine interest in the environment, particularly around biodiversity and the proliferation of plastics. Hes basically a big greenie, says Bim Afolami, one of Johnsons backbench MPs and member of the Conservative Environment Network. Before he became Prime Minister, I found myself at dinner with him at mutual friends house, and a big part of the conversation was about the environment and I remember thinking, gosh, I had no idea he was so into this. A key point is that he does not approach climate change primarily like an academic. Too much of this debate becomes very academic very quickly. What the Prime Minister intuitively understands is that people have got to understand what it means for them and their lives.

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Those who know Johnson well stress that to understand his current climate crusade, you must first understand his inner circle. At the centre of that network is Johnsons third wife, Carrie, whom he married in May. A longstanding animal rights activist and former Conservative Party director of communications, Carrie now works for the Aspinall Foundation, which aims to protect endangered animals, and is patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. Boris Johnson with his wife, Carrie Johnson (nee Symonds), at their wedding earlier this year. Credit:Getty Downing Street tries to downplay her influence over government policy and ministerial appointments (they denied in April that she tried to have Environment Secretary George Eustice sacked because of a perceived ambivalence on animal rights), but few dispute shes a big influence on the strength of Johnsons climate convictions. Shes probably one of the most significant spouses in Downing Street in recent years, theres no question about that, says Dominic Dyer, an animal rights campaigner and friend. As then-head of the Badger Trust, Dyer met Carrie last year to lobby against a planned cull in the English county of Derbyshire. The cull was cancelled after the Prime Minister raised the matter directly with Eustice. In 2019, when Boris Johnson had only been Prime Minister for a few months, he basically used half of a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister to speak about commercial whaling, which I know was down to me and others talking to Carrie, who talked to Boris, Dyer recalls. Carrie Johnson has a longstanding history of animal rights activism. Credit:Getty

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One of Carries strongest public defenders is Lord Zac Goldsmith, who rubbishes concerns that the Prime Ministers wife has too much influence and says criticism of her is laden with 1950s sexism. Goldsmith, the son of the late billionaire businessman Sir James Goldsmith, is extremely close to the Johnsons and carries much more heft inside Downing Street than would normally be expected for his relatively junior ministerial position of Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment. His financier brother, Ben, is also an environmentalist and equally friendly with Johnson. Stanley Johnson has also spoken out about the environment for decades, written books about it and in 2015 was even awarded a World Wildlife Fund award. Carrie and Stanley attended an anti-whaling protest targeting the Japanese embassy in London, both shouting save the whales! at the top of their lungs. The 81-year-old, who still owns the farm Johnson spent time at as a child, is itching to go to COP26 next week and would welcome an encounter with Thunberg - a prospect most senior conservatives in Australian politics would never admit to or outright avoid. I think shes absolutely marvellous, Stanley says. As I speak I have her book in front of me, No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference. She has absolutely galvanised the world. But anyone - regardless of their age - who lives here on this extremely crowded, polluted island of ours would have to be a little bit short-sighted not to realise the extent of the environmental problems at a national and international level. Unlike Australia, where climate politics have ruined a string of prime ministerial dreams, Johnsons Conservative Party has seized the environment as a core issue and made it one of economic renewal. Many of the same towns and cities in Englands north which Johnson snatched from Labour at the last election stand to gain the most from a renewables boom. A recent YouGov poll found 50 per cent of respondents believed the UK was not doing or spending enough to reduce emissions. Just 15 per cent said Johnson was doing too much. Hes playing a blinder, Stanley says of his son.

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However, criticism is growing in conservative media about Johnsons approach amid fears his rhetoric is too progressive and his net zero policy program too bold. The risk for the government is that support for the climate agenda ebbs away as the extraordinary difficulty of decarbonisation becomes apparent, as well as its impact on household bills. Confronting the critics head on, Johnson this month suggested the speed of the transition would soon accelerate to a pace where it ends up beyond even his own ambitions. There is a force out there stronger than government. And actually a force that is stronger than business. And that force is consumer choice. That force is the market. And the market is going green. Stanley Johnson has no time for those who say the UK is too green: Its very hard to accuse any government of being over-ambitious when its perfectly clear where we are right now is going to get us nowhere near where we ought to be. Dyer, Carries animal activist friend, agrees Johnson has turned the dial on climate change already but views the next fortnight as a crucial test. Loading Hes a funny politician, Boris. Hes not ideological in any way. I see him as someone who wants to go down in history as having done big things. Hes got an opportunity with Glasgow to be part of this very important decision about the future of the Earth, and the climate emergency we face.

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Rome: US President Joe Biden says he was unaware that France had not been given advance notice that Australia had resolved to tear up a $90 billion submarine contract, describing the handling of the decision as clumsy.

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron before this weekends G20 summit in Rome, Biden issued a full mea culpa to help repair the huge trans-Atlantic rift caused by the new AUKUS defence pact between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

What happened was, to use an English phrase, what we did was clumsy, Biden said.

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands ahead of a meeting in Rome. Credit:AP

It was not done with a lot of grace. I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through. Honest to God, I did not know you had not.
Vatican City: US President Joe Biden said Pope Francis told him he was a good Catholic who can receive communion, widening a gulf between Francis and conservative US bishops who want to deny it because of Bidens support for abortion rights.

Biden and the Pope held an unusually long 1 hour and 15 minute meeting at the Vatican on Friday, local time, as a debate raged back home on the issue.

US President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Credit:Vatican Media via AP

Asked if the topic of abortion came up, Biden said: No it didnt ... we just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving communion, Biden told reporters.

The President, who goes to weekly Mass regularly and keeps a picture of the Pope behind his desk in the Oval Office, has said he is personally opposed to abortion but cannot impose his views as an elected leader.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Roger Lawrence had a follow-up meeting with the new key investor of the latest addition to the Mullet Bay Beach area, Frank Teboul, who aims to add to the overall beach experience with the new bar named Kalatua, which is currently in the development stages slated to be completed on December 31st, 2021, right in the heart of the tourist season. K(C)ala meaning small beach, and Tua meaning yours is hoping to provide an enhanced impression to Mullet Bay.



To escalate and grow our tourism product investment is needed, to stand out as a destination of choice, we need new experiences and product diversification. I welcome new investments as they demonstrate the confidence investors have in our country and our people, stated Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Hon. Roger Lawrence.



Sint Maarten does a great job of attracting repeat visitors, and I want to contribute by helping in positioning Sint Maarten as an elevated market. I would like that tourist to be given an extra opportunity to want to stay here. My target area is comparable to the establishments in St. Barths and or Miami. I am a dreamer, and my dream is to create an atmosphere like the famous, Ibiza sunset at the beach, stated Teboul.



During the ministers initial visit, the remains of the Mullet Bay Boardwalk caught his attention. The minister recalled his childhood experiences and the significance the boardwalk represented for the community, a place of gathering and fellowship.



The boardwalk was damaged prior to Hurricane Luis which destroyed the area. The conversation with Teboul led to the idea of the restoration of the boardwalk. Teboul spoke of the importance of community engagement and social responsibility, he would love to assist with the restoration of the boardwalk, adding that it will bring a natural appeal to the area and further enhance the quality of offering at Mullet Bay.



Teboul thanked the minister for sparking the idea and has moved forward with realizing the idea to beautify the Mullet Bay boardwalk. A vision of mixing the old and new, as rendering plans have started for the development of the area, and hope that stakeholders can come together to recreate the boardwalk to be a symbol of resiliency and collaboration for Sint Maarten.



The Ministry of TEATT wants to capture people's most memorable moments of the Mullet Bay boardwalk and is requesting the public to share their stories by submitting these to the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Selected stories will be used for a fun project called A walk down memory lane.
PHILIPSBURG:---- The Minister Plenipotentiary, Rene Violenus, and senior staff members of his cabinet conducted a working visit to Sint Maarten this past week. The delegation included the cabinet director, Carol Voges, and legal advisor, Farida Telgt. The main purpose of the mission was to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the cabinet, its mandate, structure, and the many opportunities for collaboration and facilitation. Additionally, the team came to maintain and establish relations, improve lines of communication, offer assistance, and share findings and perspectives from working for St. Maarten in the Netherlands.

Amongst other institutions, they visited departments within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DBB) to have an initial discussion on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and to share the cabinets view on the development of a foreign economic policy. Attracting investors has been a challenge for Sint Maarten, thus the delegation finds it important to get a better understanding of the challenges on the ground from the various stakeholders.

As an outpost of Sint Maarten situated in Europe, the Cabinet meets with various dignitaries from all over the world. In order to attract investors and follow through on cooperation with interested governments/states, the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary plays a crucial role in relaying St. Maartens vision to these entities. This includes the areas in which we would like to collaborate with other countries. As such, it is important that we continue to sell Sint Maarten abroad, not only in terms of branding but also in letting the world know what makes this 37 square miles stand out from others in the region or globally, Minister Violenus.

The delegation also met with departments within the Ministry of General Affairs to streamline the processes for the preparation of the Kingdom Council of Ministers meetings, as well as with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday, the Dutch Representation Office (VNP), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Parliament and the office of the Council of Advice. All discussions had were fruitful and served to reconnect and establish bridges geared at the enhancement of opportunities for the people of Sint Maarten. Minister Violenus looks forward to continued dialogue and keeping the lines of communication open for more collaboration between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VSA, Mr. Omar Ottley expresses shock and disappointment in response to the October 28 public notice of the Paramedic Association Sint Maarten (PASM).

The notice of the association stated that OZR insured would have to pay out of pocket for therapies as of November 1. Minister Ottley would like to give peace of mind to OZR insured patients that their respective therapies will not have to be paid for out of pocket and will continue to be covered by their insurance.

In the week of October 18, Minister Ottley met with representatives of the PASM to address their grievances, to which reasonable agreements were made through positive dialogue and a commitment to work collectively on long-term solutions. The direct result of that meeting was the fast-tracked payment to the health care providers of the one (1) billing month that was outstanding, in the same week.

In coordination with SZV, the PASM has actively been receiving updates regarding the status billing and payments; current bills are being processed within the stipulated contractual agreements and are expected to be paid before the upcoming deadline next week.

Im shocked and disappointed that the PASM would issue this notice, which gives a negative tone to the collective agreements weve made with the association and discussions weve had on long-term solutions. Ive been grateful for the understanding of the association for the financial challenges of Government and willingness to be flexible and work together to continue providing care under these conditions. This has not been taken for granted, and this is why Ive made all efforts to ensure that we can come to a consensus on realistic agreements and deliver on our promises. Although disappointed, I trust that we will continue the positive dialogue weve started, knowing that both parties share the same interests for safeguarding access to health care to the community. - Mr. Omar Ottley, Minister of VSA
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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.
Jim Romsaas, editor of Mesabi Tribune, contributed to this report. Reach Regional Managing Editor Suzanne Rook at 507-333-3134. Copyright 2021 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Jim Romsaas, editor of Mesabi Tribune, contributed to this report. Reach Regional Managing Editor Suzanne Rook at 507-333-3134. Copyright 2021 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Emerging young actress Lisette Alexis (Total Eclipse) has landed the lead in Disney+s National Treasure TV series from Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature.The series, whose pilot episode is written by Marianne and Cormac Wibberley and will be directed by Mira Nair, centers on Jess (Alexis), a Latina whose brilliant and resourceful mind loves a good mystery, and she has a natural talent for solving puzzles. Over the course of the show, Jess will uncover her own buried history, as well as the truth about her parents and her connection to a long-lost treasure.
Bir Lehlu, Oct 27, 2021 (SPS) - The units of the Saharawi People's Liberation Army (SPLA) have concentrated their attacks Wednesday against the positions of the soldiers of the occupation forces in the Mahbes sector .

According to War Report No. 349 issued by the Ministry of National Defense, advanced units of our army launched heavy bombardments, which have caused fear and panic in the ranks of the Moroccan occupation forces, in the following positions:

- The Udei Adamran region, in Mahbes.

- The Laagad region, in Mahbes.

The War Report also reports that detachments of the Saharawi People's Liberation Army had concentrated their attacks, Tuesday, against the entrenchments of the Moroccan occupation forces in the regions of Um Dagan, Galb An-nas and Tajalit As-sabat in the sectors Baragi, Auserd and Um Dreiga, respectively.SPS

125/090/TRA
New York (United Nations) 28 October 2021 (SPS)- The Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN, Amb. Majid Takht Ravanchi, affirmed in his statement last Monday before the Joint General Debate of the 4th Committee, that his country supports the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination in line with UN General Assemblys resolution 1514.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people in line with United Nations resolution 1514 (XV) on the granting of Independence to colonial countries and peoples, he said.

He expressed our support for the ongoing negotiations with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution which would provide for the self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara.

He further stressed the importance of the parties' commitment to continue this process within the framework of UN-sponsored talks, without preconditions and in good faith, in conformity with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

It should be recalled that Iran recognized the Saharawi Republic in 27 February 1980. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
Officials at Abercrombie & Fitch Co., the upscale retailer of youth and young adult apparel and accessories, is launching a same-day delivery service across all of its U.S. stores.

There is a $10 fee for same day deliveries, according to a company spokeswoman. The same day deliveries are permanent effort to better serve customers, she said, and are not in response to staffing shortages and supply chain problems that are plaguing many retailers.

In Connecticut, there are Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets and at Danbury Fair mall. The SoNo Collection in Norwalk and Westfarms Mall in West Hartford have Abercrombie Kids locations.

There are also five Hollister stores, which is part of Abercrombie & Fitch, that are offering same-day deliveries. Those locations are in Danbury, Norwalk, Farmington, Milford and Trumbull.

Abercrombie & Fitch has partnered with Uber, Shipt, Postmates, Roadie and software provider Delivery Solutions to allow customers in certain ZIP codes to receive products from its stores within the same day they are ordered. Each brands website features a Get It Fast filter to find products that are available, or shoppers can choose the same-day delivery option for available items at checkout.

After the same-day delivery order is placed, customers can opt to receive tracking updates via text to determine when their order will arrive, according to Abercrombie & Fitch officials. It was not immediately clear whether customers using same-day delivery would be charged an additional fee for the service.

Larry Grischow, executive vice president of Supply Chain and Procurement for the retailer, said Abercrombie & Fitch is thrilled to add same-day delivery as another option in our portfolio of omni-channel services, which also include purchase online pickup in store, curbside pickup, reserve in store, ship from store and traditional parcel home delivery.

Same-day delivery supports our goals of meeting our customers where they are and delivering our product to them when and how they want it, particularly as we approach the holiday season, Grischow said in a statement.

Abercrombie & Fitch tested a pilot program testing the demand for same-day delivery at 40 stores around the country earlier this year before starting the program nationwide, according to the spokeswoman. She declined to say how much the service may have added to sales during the pilot or what the expectations are for increased activity in Connecticut.

Burt Flickinger, managing director of the New York City-based Strategic Resource Group consulting firm, said the move by Abercrombie & Fitch is a truly inspired initiative.

Like all teen and young adult retailers, they didnt move all of the inventory last year, Flickinger said. It re-positions Abercrombie to reassure consumers they have inventory, products that are in store and in style, so that people dont have to go to the malls.

David Cadden, a professor emeritus at Quinnipiac University's School of Business, said that while Abercrombie & Fitch customers will welcome the news, mall operators might not have much enthusiasm for the plan.

They want people to come their malls, Cadden said. As long as it might possibly general customer traffic, the mall owners will be OK with it. But if it eats into traffic, the mall owners will hate it.

Flickinger said all of the brands in the Abercrombie & Fitch portfolio target a younger demographic.

Joanne Anglada, of Cheshire, said she finds this kind of service attractive.

I buy from Abercrombie regularly and pay expedited shipping when I need stuff that same week, Anglada said.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Rarely have the hues of black and white, cinematographically speaking, looked so beautifully lush as in Passing, the hugely impressive directorial debut of actor Rebecca Hall.

But at its core, this film is about shades of gray.

Which is to say, motivations, desires and ambitions are even more layered and textured than the visuals in this quietly compelling film, which takes place in Prohibition-era New York and explores ideas of race, identity and the toxic ripples of a painful lie.

Adapted by Hall from the 1929 Nella Larsen novel of the same name, Passing looks at two sides of the racial divide through a pair of women, childhood friends who have a chance meeting years later. The women, played by the extraordinary duo of Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson, are Black, but they have made drastically different choices: One lives as Black, the other is passing as white.

The tale is of deep significance to director Hall: her own American grandfather was Black but passed for many years as white, she says. She grew up in Britain and never knew him personally  he died when her mother was a teenager  but his story has nonetheless clearly had an impact.

We first meet Irene (Thompson), a doctors wife and mother of two living a comfortable upper-middle class existence in Harlem, shopping on a sweltering summer day in midtown. Clad in a filmy summer dress and gauzy hat (the costumes by Marci Rodgers are wonderful, especially those 20s hats), she appears to use the hats brim as a shield, eyes downcast so other patrons  all white  wont look too closely.

Escaping the brutal heat in a hotel tea room, she sees a prosperous white couple enter, visiting from Chicago. After the husband leaves, his wife, sporting a chic blonde bob, trains her eyes on Irene. She says she knows her. Irene says she must be mistaken, but the womans familiar laugh reminds her: This is Clare, a childhood friend from Harlem.

The two get to talking, and Irene boldly asks whether Clares husband knows she is Black. He does not. Up in Clares suite, she explains how she made her choice: Its wonderful to have money. In fact, she says, its entirely worth the price. That price includes having prayed for nine months of pregnancy that her daughter would turn out light-skinned (she did), so she could keep her ruse going. Still, I have everything I ever wanted, Clare says.

Then husband John (Alexander Skarsgard, in another villain role) arrives back in the room. Turns out, he's an odious racist. He calls Clare a shocking nickname  a private joke  and denigrates all Black people. As Irene makes a hasty exit, Clare looks out the door with longing, as if to say Please take me with you.

Summer turns to autumn (Hall and cinematographer Eduard Grau do a stunning job of evoking changing seasons without the use of color), and Irene has been ignoring letters from Clare, who one day simply turns up on the doorstep, so eager is she to be part of Irenes life.

At first standoffish, Irene relents  she has feelings for Clare that she herself doesn't fully understand  and soon, Clare is accompanying Irene and her doctor husband Brian (Andre Holland, also excellent) to Irenes splashy charity ball, reveling in the opportunity to dance and laugh with Black people. She's desperate for this connection; the fear that her husband might find out seems more present to Irene than to Clare.

That ball scene is terrific, with its joyous dancing and sparkly frocks. Here and elsewhere, jazz music by Devonte Hynes provides a wonderfully evocative soundtrack to what is, for Clare, a headlong descent into danger, ending with one of the more disturbing (and yet starkly beautiful) endings youll see this year.

Negga is heartbreaking as a woman who seems to recognize, despite fun-loving appearances, that time is running out on her ruse. And Thompson is riveting as a woman whose own life, while truer and happier than Clares, is not without struggles, longings and contradictions.

For example: Irene refuses to let Brian teach their boys about the perils of being Black in America  there's been a lynching in Arkansas, and he feels the boys should know. For her, silence is the less painful option.

Irene also has feelings for Clare that seem to run deeper than friendship. And her own complicated sentiments about race and class identity play out in a relationship with the household maid.

Some of these complexities, Irene is aware of. Others seem beneath the surface. But when she gazes at a packed dance floor and comments to a friend that were all of us passing for something or other, aren't we, one gets the feeling she may as well be looking in a mirror.

Passing, a Netflix release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for thematic material, some racial slurs and smoking. Running time: 98 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four,

___

MPAA definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Kosta Diamantis, the states second-highest budget official and a former state representative, resigned Thursday after the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont placed him on paid leave over an allegation of unspecified misconduct.

Diamantis denied any wrongdoing and said his removal was the consequence of a long-simmering power struggle between top Lamont aides and the Office of Policy and Management, where Diamantis was the deputy secretary.

In a telephone interview Thursday night, Diamantis spoke with vehemence about the governors top aides: Paul Mounds, the chief of staff; Josh Geballe, the chief operating officer; and Nora Dannehy, the general counsel.

The bottom line is theyre looking to put the rest of us down, as if they know government better, and they dont. They dont have a clue about government, he said.

Diamantis said the governors staff had been disrespectful to his boss, Secretary Melissa McCaw, who is Black. He described a tense relationship between the governors office and OPM. McCaw could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

A pretext for his removal were questions about the $99,000-a-year state job recently obtained his daughter, Diamantis said.

Max Reiss, the governors communications director, said the administration would not respond to Diamantis claims or answer questions about the nature of the allegation against him.

Instead, Reiss issued a brief written statement: The Governors Office removed Mr. Diamantis because of a personnel matter that is still under review.

Reiss provided copies of two letters sent Thursday to Diamantis; one from Mounds removing him as deputy secretary, then another from a human resources officer acknowledging his decision to resign and retire, rather than await the outcome of a review.

Neither offered specifics of any misconduct. But the one from Theresa Judge, the human resources officer, indicated that McCaw neither initiated the removal nor was aware of a pending investigation of her deputy.

Secretary McCaw was informed today of the pending review into your alleged misconduct, Judge wrote. Subsequent to her notification she has made us aware of your decision to retire from State Service, effective Monday, November 1, 2021. Therefore, your paid administrative leave status will conclude on October 31, 2021.

An Oct. 1 column in The Hartford Courant by Kevin Rennie raised questions about the hiring of Diamantis daughter, Anastasia, as an executive assistant to the chief states attorney, Richard Colangelo. She had been in a classified job at a lower salary.

Executive assistant positions must be approved by OPM, where Anastasia Diamantiss father has become an unusually influential second in command to budget chief Melissa McCaw, Rennie wrote.

Rennie, a former Republican lawmaker, reported that Colangelos office refused to say who requested the creation of Anastasia Diamantiss position or who at OPM approved the salary. Kosta Diamantis, who was not quoted in Rennies column, said OPM does not approve salaries in the Department of Criminal Justice.

Diamantis, of Farmington, is a lawyer and Democrat who represented Bristol in the state House of Representatives. He was hired by the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in 2015 to a post in the Department of Administrative Services overseeing state grants for school construction. Lamont was elected in 2018 and took office in January 2019.

When McCaw hired him in November 2019 as her deputy, he took the grants oversight responsibilities with him to OPM.
MILFORD - The Milford Historical Society, in conjunction with the Connecticut Audubon Society, will host a program on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. on the Milford Point Coastal Center and the worldwide issue of endangered species.

The talk will be at the Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church on the Green. There is ample parking in a back parking lot and a ramp for the handicapped.
NEW CANAAN  A baby is among nine new coronavirus cases recorded in town this week, according to an update from the first selectmans office on Thursday.

The child is under the age of 1, and further details on their condition werent immediately available.

This comes as the town prepares to offer both Moderna and Pfizer boosters, as well as COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 to 11. In anticipation of federal regulatory approvals, the Health Department plans to partner with New Canaan Public Schools to host a large-scale Pfizer youth vaccination clinic once it is approved by state Department of Health. The clinic is being planned for Nov. 11 in the Auxiliary Gym at New Canaan High School from 3 to 8 p.m.

In addition to the infant, New Canaan residents who recently contracted COVID-19 range in age to over 50 and largely caught coronavirus by family transmission, exposure at large events and travel, according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan. Two of cases have unknown sources. Reported positive cases in town are down by one from 10 confirmed last week.

Those sick are mostly experiencing mild symptoms with low grade fever, sore throat, body aches and congestion, the update read.

There have been a total of 153 COVID-19 cases in children under the age of 10. None of the 39 total COVID-19 deaths in town have been people under the age of 60, according to a chart on the town website.

The data includes residents currently living in town and does not include students away at college.

There are three public school students who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, one who attends New Canaan High School, one at West School and one at South School, according to the dashboard on the school districts website on Friday. Eight students are being quarantined due to close contact, including three at South School, two at the high school, two at the middle school and one at East School.

To date, New Canaan has had 55 breakthrough cases out of 14,753 fully vaccinated residents, for a 0.37% case rate. Brea-through cases are rare, but are possible, so we encourage residents who are symptomatic, regardless of vaccination status, to get tested, Moynihan said in the update.

Free rapid testing is provided daily at Irwin House by the Health Department for symptomatic residents.

Next week, the town will also continue twice-weekly community COVID-19 testing in partnership with Waveny LifeCare Network. PCR testing will be available for residents and town employees on Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 10 a.m. at Irwin House in Irwin Park. Registration is required, and people are asked to bring a photo ID, an insurance card and a credit card in case their insurance does not pay the $100 lab fee.

The Health Department is providing local COVID-19 vaccination clinics for eligible residents who are in need of a Pfizer or Moderna booster. Those who were vaccinated with J&J are eligible for a booster dose after two months and can receive Moderna or Pfizer, since the CDC has approved mixing and matching vaccines for booster doses.

The next booster vaccination clinic will be Thursday, also at Irwin House.
NORWALK  Justin Smith is making it his mission to have as many area businesses as possible support the Toys for Tots campaign this holiday season.

Smith, 18, is a student with Norwalk Next Steps, a community-based life and job skills development program within Norwalk Public Schools which is volunteering with the local Toys for Tots for the first time this year. The program was approached by Liz Ward of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce who took over the campaign last holiday season.

(Next Steps) had posted through our newsletter about looking for businesses to work with and I thought this was a great opportunity, Ward said about the partnership.

On his own, Smith already got his fathers boss to agree to put up a sign advertising Toys for Tots in his business, and he has reached out to the owner of his local deli and Principal Reginald Roberts at Norwalk High.

I maybe can gain more businesses, and people can know to donate, Smith said. It will be helpful to other parents if they dont have money.

While working at ONeills Pub and Restaurant with his class on Thursday, he helped owner Ollie ONeill put up signs and set up a collection box. ONeill has supported Toys for Tots for about the last five years and said he was happy to be a part of the campaign again this year when Next Steps approached him. Students have been part of a work program at the restaurant for the last two years.

I thought it was really cool that it was their idea this year. It just shows how good these kids are, thinking about others. It makes me want to be part of their program more going forward, ONeill said.

The volunteer opportunity fit perfectly with Next Steps mission to help students, ages 18 to 22, with significant cognitive and/or development disabilities develop the skills necessary to successfully navigate all aspects of independent life. The students already volunteer at the Connecticut Food Bank and the local community closet.

Its really whats going to help teach our students the valuable of volunteering and giving back in addition to what we do already, which is the vocational skills, the independent living skills, the social and leisure activities, and being able to identify and being immersed into the community, said Jessica Ireland, the transition coordinator for Norwalk Public Schools.

Next Steps spent this week visiting local businesses and asking them to support Toys for Tots, which serves families in Norwalk, Fairfield and Westport. Businesses can help by advertising for the campaign or by setting up collection boxes.

Throughout the holiday season, students will deliver supplies to the supporting businesses and collect the toys and boxes to deliver to the Toys for Tots site. They will also assist in some clerical work such as scanning receipts and making lists to organize the toys by the childrens ages.

More Information To learn more about the local Toys for Tots campaign and how to participate or receive a gift through the program, visit norwalktft.org. See More Collapse

The students may have the opportunity to help sort the donations in December. Organizations like the Norwalk Public Library and the Norwalk Housing Authority help to advertise and enlist families in the campaign, and more volunteers usually get involved when it comes time to distribute the gifts.

Thats what (Ward) had said to us, Everyone loves that part, but nobody sees what the buildup is. Were happy to be part of that, the buildup, Ireland said. Its nice to see as big of a city as Norwalk is, the circle back that always happens. How much ONeills gives back to the community, then the Housing Authority gets involved, and city hall gets involved. Its really nice. Everyone comes together.

New to the campaign is Matt Sweet, the special education teacher for Next Steps, who said he was surprised they were already a bit behind in getting started. Individuals, families, agencies and nonprofits that wish to receive a toy must apply by Nov. 15.

We started a little late, Sweet said.

Now that they know how the campaign works, Ireland expects them to start earlier next year. Shed also like to see Next Steps participation in Toys for Tots to be an annual tradition.

emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com
A former California resident was sentenced this week for trafficking crystal methamphetamine to Connecticut, according to federal prosecutors.

Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport sentenced 36-year-old Jason Williams, a citizen of Belize last living in Los Angeles, on Wednesday to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on July 18.

The Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force arrested an individual on Sept. 22, 2020, who had more than 400 grams of crystal meth. Prosecutors said investigators learned the individual got the meth from a tractor-trailer driver who regularly transported kilogram-quantities of meth and other drugs from California to locations in the eastern United States.

In October 2020, the individual traveled to California and met Williams, who prosecutors said was identified as a supplier of large quantities of meth and marijuana. Williams then traveled to Connecticut.

On Oct. 27, 2020, Williams and Alejandro Castillo gave the individual a crate with about 2.2 kilograms  nearly five pounds  of meth, prosecutors said. The individual was told by Williams to use the crate to ship $60,000 in proceeds from the sale of the drugs.

On Nov. 11, 2020, law enforcement seized an additional five pounds of meth that Williams shipped from California to Connecticut, prosecutors said.

Williams was arrested on Nov. 17, 2020, and has been detained ever since. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.

Castillo, 42, a citizen of Belize, pleaded guilty to related charges and awaits sentencing.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Search warrants will be unsealed in an investigation into billionaire banker-turned philanthropist T. Denny Sanford for possible possession of child pornography, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled.

The unanimous ruling, dated Wednesday and announced Thursday, upheld a lower court ruling that said state law prohibits courts from sealing search warrants and the corresponding lists of what investigators found. The affidavits supporting the search warrants will remain sealed until the investigation is concluded or criminal charges are filed, as allowed under state law.

Notwithstanding the skilled advocacy on behalf of the parties, the question we confront here is not a close one, Justice Mark Salter wrote, adding that state law and court rules are clear. With the exception of the affidavits in support of the five search warrants, our current order sealing the Supreme Court clerks appellate file will be dissolved following the expiration of the time for petitioning for rehearing or the resolution of a petition seeking rehearing, provided we do not grant the petition.

Under state law, Sanfords attorneys have 20 days to ask the court to reconsider.

The investigation into Sanford was reported last year by ProPublica and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Court documents in the case are sealed and refer only to an implicated individual  both news outlets went to court for access.

Sanford has not been charged with a crime. His attorney, former South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, did not mention Sanford by name but released a statement saying: The ultimate fact remains that the investigating authorities have not filed any criminal charges.

Jon Arneson, an attorney for the Argus Leader, said the opinions conclusion is a very lucid explanation of why we prevailed. The state attorney generals office had no comment on the ruling.

Sanford, 85, is the states richest man and is worth an estimated $2.8 billion. He has vowed to die broke, and his name adorns dozens of buildings and institutions in South Dakota and beyond.

Even after the investigation was reported last year, Sanford donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the South Dakota government and the states largest employer, Sanford Health. Some organizations, universities and governments stopped accepting Sanfords donations. But in South Dakota, some of the states top lawmakers, including Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, have not distanced themselves from him.

ProPublica first reported that South Dakota investigators had obtained a search warrant, citing four unidentified sources. Two people briefed on the matter by law enforcement have previously confirmed the existence of the investigation to The Associated Press. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

Sanfords electronic devices came to the attention of investigators from the state attorney generals office after a technology firm reported that child pornography had either been sent, received or downloaded on his device, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP.

Sanford told the AP in 2016 that he wanted his fortune to have a positive impact on children after his hardscrabble childhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 4, and by the time he was 8, Sanford was working in his fathers clothing distribution company.

You can only have so many cars and all of that kind of stuff so put it into something in which you can change peoples lives, he said in 2016.

___

Associated Press reporter Stephen Groves contributed to this story from Sioux Falls, S.D.
WASHINGTON - Tucker Carlson, the most popular voice in conservative media, drew condemnation Thursday for the trailer of a new series he plans to debut next week promising to "tell the truth" about the Jan. 6 insurrection, in which one subject appears to float a baseless conspiracy theory that the Capitol riot was covertly orchestrated by the government.

"False flags have happened in this country," an unidentified female speaker is heard to say in the clip aired on Carlson's Fox News show Wednesday night, "one of which may have been January 6."

Carlson said the three-part series will air as a "Tucker Carlson Original" on the streaming service Fox Nation starting Monday. "We believe that it answers a lot of the remaining questions from that day," he said, arguing that the U.S. government has "launched a new war" on American citizens by prosecuting participants in the insurrection who ransacked the building and attacked law enforcement officers.

If Carlson endeavored to trigger a ferocious backlash with the trailer, he succeeded.

That outrage came from Republicans as well as from Democrats, and even included a member of the Fox News family. "'False flags!?' Bull----," wrote Geraldo Rivera, a 20-year veteran of the network who serves as a roaming correspondent-at-large.

Two prominent Republican members of Congress called out the clip on Thursday morning. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., both serve on the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.

"It appears that @FoxNews is giving @TuckerCarlson a platform to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence on January 6," Cheney wrote on Twitter. "As @FoxNews knows, the election wasn't stolen and January 6 was not a 'false flag' operation." She tagged four company heavyweights in her post, including Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch, Fox News C.E.O. Suzanne Scott, Fox News President Jay Wallace and former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who serves on the board of network parent company Fox Corp.

"Anyone working for @FoxNews must speak out," Kinzinger wrote. "This is disgusting. It appears @foxnews isn't even pretending anymore." He also thanked Rivera for his post.

Asked about the criticisms from Cheney, Kinzinger and Rivera, Fox News representatives did not respond. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed that Carlson's tweet containing the trailer did not violate the platform's civic integrity policy.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who also serves on the Jan. 6 committee, condemned the series in a statement to The Washington Post. "There is no lie too big or conspiracy theory too dangerous for Tucker Carlson to propagate," he said. "His latest salvo is nothing less than an invitation to violence. By airing it, Fox News demonstrates yet again a willingness to profit from tearing the country down."

"It is irresponsible and dangerous for Fox News to promote lies and conspiracy theories," Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., told The Post.

But Lara Logan, a former CBS News correspondent who now hosts her own Fox Nation show, praised Carlson as courageous for the series. "Stay safe Tucker - we've got your back," she wrote.

"Such an important topic - there's so much we don't know about Jan 6," Newsmax host Steve Cortes chimed in.

Carlson has previously suggested that the federal government was in on the attack, arguing on his show in June that individuals referred to as "unindicted co-conspirators" in government charging documents were likely "FBI operatives." Late last month, Carlson had a slightly different take, arguing on his show that the Jan. 6 rioters "don't look like terrorists - they look like tourists," charging again that "they were not insurrectionists."

Carlson betrayed no doubts about the veracity of the claims made in the series. "We're proud of it," he said on Wednesday night. "It's the best thing we've ever done."

The documentary series is the fruit of a new, multiyear deal that Carlson signed with Fox News Media in February to create "flagship" content for the Fox Nation streaming service, which launched in November 2018 as a digital add-on for Fox News superfans and costs $5.99 per month to subscribe.

Unlike the network's television programming, the Fox Nation service is not reliant on corporate advertisers, which insulates it from the boycotts that have targeted the sponsors of shows like "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and Laura Ingraham's "The Ingraham Angle" in the past. John Finley, a Fox News executive who oversaw the launch of the streaming service, acknowledged as much during a 2018 interview.

"There are going to be a lot of voices on Fox Nation," he said. "And that helps balance some of the discussion. But we don't have to worry about ad boycotts on Fox Nation, at least for the time being."
STAMFORD  Two officers were injured Thursday during a drug bust that had been several weeks in the planning, according to police.

Capt. Richard Conklin said police arrested Alfonso Heat Lewis, 37, at the culmination of a weeks-long investigation into drug sales in Stamfords West Side neighborhood.

As part of the investigation, police received a warrant for Lewis arrest and a search warrant for his home, Conklin said.

On Thursday night, Conklin said police followed Lewis to a suspected drug deal on Spruce Street, a one-way street.

Conklin said police cruisers wedged Lewiss car on the street but he drove at the police blockade, apparently to use his car as a battering ram and escape.

Two officers suffered minor injuries during the attempted escape, Conklin said.

With Lewiss car stopped, he allegedly began eating crack cocaine he had on his person, Conklin said. By the time police smashed the window and Lewis was apprehended, there were no drugs in his immediate possession, Conklin claimed.

At Lewiss home, investigators executing a search warrant found 5.7 grams of crack cocaine loose in the kitchen, along with bagging materials and other paraphernalia, according to Conklin.

Conklin said there were two young children at home in the apartment while drugs were out in the open in the kitchen.

Lewis was charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, interfering with police, reckless driving, two counts of risk of injury to a minor and operating a vehicle with no license. He also faced charges of sale of narcotics and possession of narcotics on an outstanding arrest warrant.

Lewis was originally held on $125,000 bond, but a Superior Court judge raised that bond to $202,500 during his arraignment Friday.

Conklin said Lewis, a convicted felon, has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for a 2010 incident in which he rammed the back of his vehicle into two unmarked Stamford police cars and then drove with a narcotics officer dangling from the vehicle.

Lewis also has a number of pending drug charges related an arrest in January 2020.

His next scheduled court date is Jan. 11.
Published: 29 October 2021

Preliminary data: Turnover of construction enterprises grew in September

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, the working day adjusted turnover of construction enterprises grew by 7.4 per cent in September 2021 compared with September 2020.

Annual change in working day adjusted turnover of construction, % (TOL 2008)

Turnover increased compared with the previous month

According to the preliminary data, seasonally adjusted turnover in construction increased by 0.4 percent in September 2021 from August. In August, seasonally adjusted turnover increased by 0.8 per cent and in July turnover decreased by 0.2 per cent from one month ago.

Change in seasonally adjusted turnover of construction from the previous month, % (TOL 2008)

The calculation of indices of turnover of construction is based on the Tax Administrations data on self-assessed taxes, which are supplemented with Statistics Finlands sales inquiry. The monthly turnover of construction enterprises can have even large variations due to invoicing practices. The final invoice for major projects may be recorded in the sales of one month, even if the project had required the work of several months or years.

The factors caused by the variation in the number of weekdays are taken into account in adjustment for working days. This means taking into consideration the lengths of months, different weekdays and holidays. In addition, seasonal variation is eliminated from seasonally adjusted series, on account of which it makes sense to compare observations of two successive months as well.

The data for the latest month are preliminary and are released at a delay of around four weeks. The data may become significantly revised particularly in coming months.

Source: Index of turnover of construction, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Lauri Pullinen 029 551 3043, Heli Suonio 029 551 2481, rakennus.suhdanne@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja

Publication in pdf-format (235.3 kB)

Updated 29.10.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Index of turnover of construction [e-publication].

ISSN=1798-5935. September 2021. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 20.11.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/rlv/2021/09/rlv_2021_09_2021-10-29_tie_001_en.html
Banca Transilvania (BT) has concluded the transaction for acquiring the entire share package (100%), held by the Polish group Getin Holding Group in the social capital of Idea Bank, according to a report sent by BT to the Bucharest Stock Exchange, agerpres reports.

Within the transaction, BT also received 100% of the capital from the companies within the Idea Bank Group in Romania, namely Idea Leasing IFN and Idea Broker de Asigurare.

"We are happy to bring in the Banca Transilvania ecosystem, along with the BT capabilities, a new entity, that has technology in its DNA. We are confident that through what we proposed, we are paving the road for the Romanian banking market, for clients that are more oriented towards online banking. We thank all those who contributed to the success of this acquisition - authorities, consultants, lawyers and the dedicated BT team. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Getin Holding Group for their trust and collaboration," Horia Ciorcila, chairman of the Administration Board of Banca Transilvania, said.BT announced the acquisition contract in June 2021, and recently received the necessary approvals for finishing the transaction from the National Bank of Romania and the Competition Council."The current Idea Bank will become a hub for digital banking, going beyond the sphere of traditional banks. All three entities currently known for the Idea brand will have new corporate identities. The positive impact in the economy and society from the Idea Bank acquisition is the contribution to consolidating the banking industry and repositioning the bank as a digital platform, with an ESG agenda for all levels," the report mentions.Idea Bank is the third bank acquired by Banca Transilvania, after Bancpost (2018) and Volksbank Romania (2015).Banca Transilvania is the largest bank in Romania and the main financier of the economy. With a story that began almost 30 years ago, it has almost 18% market quota, 3.4 million clients, 3 business lines, over 9,000 employees, online banking solutions and 500 branches in 180 cities. It is the only Romanian banking brand from Brand Finance Banking 500 (2021).
Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday that the solution of a minority government is a "very big mistake," and the social democrats cannot support such a thing, agerpres reports.

"I don't know what the liberals have decided and I am not particularly interested. Instead, PSD remains consistent and considers that the solution of a minority government is a very big mistake and we cannot support such a thing. When you are dealing with four crises (...), you cannot go through these crises with a minority government. You need a stable government, with a majority in the Parliament," Ciolacu said at the PSD headquarters.
A new batch of the Moderna vaccine - consisting of 355,200 doses - will reach Bucharest on Friday, by land, informs the National Committee for Coordination of the Vaccination Activities against COVID-19 (CNCAV), agerpres reports.

"The doses will be deposited at the National Company Unifarm SA, and in the next period will be distributed to the existing regional centres nationwide. The deposit of the National Company Unifarm SA is fully authorized and approved by the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania (ANMDMR), the national authority operating in the field of medicine for human use," stated the same source.

To date, 2,827,200 Moderna doses have been received and 803,157 have already been used to immunise the population.
Dozens of people protested on Thursday evening in the University Square against the restrictions imposed by the authorities with the implementation of the green certificate, agerpres reports.

Protesters blocked road traffic in the area, waving tricolor flags and carrying placards with messages such as: "Freedom without certificates", "WHO [World Health Organization] out of the country".

They also shouted: "We will not give up, we will not be vaccinated", "The only solution, another revolution", "Freedom".Deputy George Simion, Save Romania Union (AUR)'s co-chairman, was also present at the protest.
A medical team will arrive from Germany on Friday to evaluate Romanian patients with COVID-19, who could be transferred by plane to hospitals in this country, the German Embassy in Romania informs, agerpres reports.

The evaluation team will be composed of personnel from the medical service of the German armed forces, the same source said. A German air force aircraft will also be available on Monday for the strategic aeromedical evacuation of patients.

The team will travel in collaboration with the Department for Emergency Situations, under the leadership of Secretary of State Raed Arafat."Europe is characterized by its solidarity including in the common fight against Covid-19. Germany and Romania remain united in these difficult times. I am therefore glad to receive the medical team from Germany in Romania. In these dark days, good cooperation between our countries it's really like a ray of hope. Every life counts. Therefore, I hope that the mission and transport of patients will go well," said the German Ambassador, dr Peer Gebauer, according to the said source.
A German medical team is in Bucharest to determine how many Covid patients will be transferred to Germany, interim Prime Minister Florin Citu announced on Friday.

"I want to let you know that a German military medical team has come to Romania to assess patients for transfer to Germany. We'll see what the exact number of people who can be taken to Germany is, and Mr. Arafat will announce the details, but I want to tell you that the team is here and is looking at the situation," Citu said before joining the meeting of the National Liberal Party's Executive Bureau, which takes place at the House of Parliament.

The German Embassy announced that a team of the Bundeswehr Medical Service arrived today in Romania to assess Covid patients who could be flown to German hospitals by a Luftwaffe plane that will be ready on Monday for the airlift operation, Agerpres informs.

The action is carried out in cooperation with the Department for Emergency Situations headed by Secretary of State Raed Arafat.

Europe excels at solidarity in the joint fight against COVID-19. Germany and Romania stay united in these difficult times. I am therefore glad to welcome in Romania the German medical team. In these dark days, the good cooperation between our countries is a genuine ray of hope. Every life matters. Therefore, I hope that the mission and the transport of the patients go well, said German Ambassador Peer Gebauer.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hailed on Friday the adoption of the Space 2030 Agenda - space as a driver of sustainable development, by the plenum of the UN General Assembly, a document initiated by Romania as president of the UN Committee for the peaceful use of the extra-atmospheric space (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space - COPUOS).

The document initiated by Romania is the result of over three years of negotiations that took place in Vienna, MAE reminds in a press release.

"Promoting this resolution, which tackles a top area of interest from the standpoint of the involved technologies and the innovative character, is signing up for Romania's principled orientation of supporter of multilateralism, based on rules, which contribute to solving problems of interest for all UN member states. At the same time, adopting the resolution confirms that the tight collaboration between the Romanian institutions and Romanian diplomacy leads to positive results within the sectorial multilateral framework," MAE specifies, Agerpres informs.

According to the quoted source, the Resolution of the UN General Assembly, highlights the way in which science and space technology can contribute to achieving objectives of sustainable development, such as the activities tied to the countering climate change or reducing the risks of disaster.
MP Bogdan Bola announced on Friday he was resigning from the National Liberal Party (PNL) parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies and acting as an independent MP, agerpres reports.

He said that the current PNL leadership has "thrown the country into chaos."

He added that he will not resign from PNL.Bola's resignation brings to 10 the number of resignations from the PNL parliamentary groups, with the first to step down being the former PNL national leader, Ludovic Orban.
The Republic of Turkey celebrates its 98th anniversary today. This happy occasion encourages us to have an overview of the Republics diplomacy, its evolution throughout a century-long journey, as well as the guidelines of the Turkish-Romanian relations as a distinct example of versatile regional collaboration at a critical geopolitical crossroads.

The birth of modern Turkey was the manifestation of a new era in international relations after World War I. The end of empires and the birth of nation states all over Europe entailed efforts among the international community to explore new ways of governance. The appearance of the Republic of Turkey in world diplomacy represented the concrete outcome of this transition period in world affairs, coinciding with the opening of a new era.

Born from the ashes of decades-long turbulence in the Near East, the young Turkish Republic proclaimed itself as a new actor by the Lausanne Treaty of 1923. The Republic established an effective diplomacy built on firm grounds which would pave the way for young Turkey to reclaim her esteemed place among the family of world nations. With this understanding, Turkey adopted a proactive stance on the major principles of independence, rationality and solidarity. As such, the Turkish diplomacy pursued to accommodate peace and render stability sustainable. This paradigm was epitomized in the motto announced by Kemal Ataturk Peace at Home, Peace in the World.

The projection of this policy on the regional dimension brought forward exemplary initiatives in the South East of Europe and the Middle East. In a period of turmoil where aggression and irredentism accelerated all over the world, Turkey took important steps to ensure security and cooperation in the West and East at a time when the World War II was looming. Romania assumed a key role in Turkish diplomacy in this period. Joint efforts by the founding fathers of Turkey and Romania generated the Balkan Entente in 1934, an early model of contemporary regional ownership.

The multilateral and cooperative nature of the Turkish foreign policy continued to shape Turkeys relations during and after the Cold War. Taking its place in the transatlantic link, Turkey joined NATO and stood out among the founding members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Post-1991 witnessed re-calibration of Turkeys assets and tradition for engagement with the world through a 360-degree angle.

The peace motto of Turkish diplomacy in early years of the Republic remains the guiding principle of Turkish foreign policy today. Aligning its primary codes with the contemporary needs and realities, Turkey resorts to her soft power capacity, creating an upgraded narrative with multiple dimensions. We employ multilateral platforms for dialogue and mediation and as means to further our policy and maintain our global outreach. The annual Istanbul Mediation Conference series, and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) are two major initiatives in this regard. Minister Bogdan Aurescu participated as a panelist in this years ADF.

In consistence with prioritizing cooperation and solidarity in multilateral platforms, Turkey pursues a humanitarian foreign policy. Among the various facets we pioneer in this regard, concerns about the phenomenon of irregular migration and immigrants occupy an exceptional chapter. Under the spotlight of global community, Turkey hosts the largest number of externally displaced people in the world. Out of an approximate 4 million EDPs whom Turkey accommodates on its own territory, 3.7 million Syrians constitute more than ninety per cent. Turkeys embrace to these innocent civilians is not limited to the shelter provided, but it entails a whole set of services in accommodation, education and health.

Adopting the basic principle of regional ownership, regional formats are modern manifestations of our historic commitment to solidarity. The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) are major concrete platforms Turkey paved the way for. Our distinct cohesion in BSEC and the SEECP serves to the collective good in the larger South East Europe and Black Sea basin, maintaining the constructive role we assumed in last century for our common region.

Turkey and Romania celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership this year. Our ever-growing relations and collaboration in almost every field exhibit an exceptional portrait.

As of 2021, Turkey and Romania are the largest commercial partners in South East Europe, with a mutual trade volume of around USD 7 billion. With Turkish entrepreneurs from a multitude of different sectors being among the primary group that perceived and promoted the significance of Romania as a new partner with a promising potential after 1989, Turkish investments have already surpassed the level of USD 7 billion, putting Turkey among the largest foreign investors after the USA and the EU. These figures give Romania the lead among Turkeys economic partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Turkish entrepreneurs have made Romania their second home and represent a well-integrated group of expats in the country.

The presence of the Turkish-Tatar minority in Romania sets the major component of humanitarian aspect in close friendship and good neighbourly relations between our countries. The Turkish-Tatar community enjoy their rights granted by the Constitution and well inclusive policies of Romania through the Dobrogea model.

With our tradition of solidarity for regional stability translated into our joint vision and Alliance under the NATO umbrella, we traject a security dialogue to a wide nexus in the Alliance through the Turkey-Romania-Poland Trilateral Mechanism.

The Trilateral Mechanism has already completed 9 years and 7 Foreign Ministerial Meetings. We will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2022. It has brought forth an extension to the level of Trilateral National Security Advisors in August 2021, which will continue in the years ahead to strengthen our common ground. The Mechanism has provided us with the opportunity to oversee and assess developments that concern transatlantic security from Baltics to Black Sea, trajecting a broad area from Balkans to the Caucasus.

This years Ministerial edition was held in Bucharest on 22-23 April 2021, was crowned by the bilateral dimension. Ministers Aurescu and Cavusoglu marked the 10th Anniversary of the Turkish-Romanian Strategic Partnership, by way of a thematic conference which they launched together. The visit of Turkish Minister of National Defence, Mr. Hulusi Akar to Romania on 8-9 March was also an integral part of our celebrations.

The takeover of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) Command by the Turkish Armed Forces as of January 2021 complemented these visits. The Turkish Land Forces commanded the Multinational exercise of Steadfast Defender 21, held on Romanian territory in May 2021. It set a thorough manifestation of our Alliance and good neighbourly relations.

The birth of the modern Turkish Republic sealed the everlasting friendship and solidarity between Turkish and Romanian peoples. Turkish and Romanian diplomacies maintained this momentum throughout the 20th century. We have transformed this mutual will into a synergy to the benefit of our two nations and beyond. On its 98th anniversary, the Republic of Turkey is determined to elevate this valuable friendship to newer heights.
A 17-year-old minor and a 37-year-old man, Syrian citizens, were discovered at the Giurgiu border crossing point while trying to enter Romania hidden in a truck loaded with mineral wool that was brought from Turkey to Bucharest, after the police found that there was a high carbon dioxide concentration in the trailer, reads a press release issued on Friday by the Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police Giurgiu, agerpres reports.

The investigation established that the persons hidden in the truck were Syrian citizens, a 17-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man.

The two told police that they got into the vehicle while on Turkish soil, without the driver being aware of it. The Syrian citizens said they intended to go to Norway.The border policemen proceeded to interrupt the journey of the hidden persons, and, according to the Romanian-Bulgarian protocol, the two were taken over by the Bulgarian authorities, in order to continue the investigations and order the necessary legal measures.
:38

Nr afisari

buton paus, Agerpres informs.

USR (Save Romania Union) will not vote for the PNL (National Liberal Party) - UDMR (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania) minority Government, the Union's spokesperson, Ionut Mosteanu, announced on Friday.

"USR took note of PNL's decision of going in Parliament with a PNL-UDMR minority Government. USR will not vote for this minority Government, just as we said repeatedly, it supports the restoration of the PNL-USR-UDMR coalition, just as we said repeatedly. But PNL, through its decision of going forward with the decision made a few days ago, of not making the term of PM designate Ciuca more flexible and going forward with this minority Government, is maintaining this political crisis," Mosteanu said.

He added that if this minority Government will be adopted in Parliament, it will pass with the votes of PSD (Social Democratic Party).
Simplify, automate and alert

EverSafe, a technology service that monitors peoples financial accounts for signs of fraud and identity theft, has some clients with dozens of bank, brokerage and credit card accounts, says EverSafe co-founder and CEO Howard Tischler. Even without cognitive issues, its hard to stay on top of that, Tischler says.

Consolidating to one bank, one brokerage and one or two credit cards can make monitoring accounts easier. Putting bills on autopay can prevent missed payments, although bank balances still have to be monitored so that those payments dont deplete the account, Nicholas notes. Most accounts allow customers to set up alerts so that theyre notified by text or email of low balances, transactions that exceed a limit you set or other potential issues. Often you can add more than one phone number or email address so that a second person is notified, as well.
Trees, when left unmolested, typically enjoy a long life span. Imagine if trees in the United States, particularly in the South, could speak. Many might tell us of something sinister they got roped into  literally  over decades. That something is lynching.

Percival Everett, whose Telephone (2020) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, has managed to write a fast-paced and witty novel about a somber subject that lends itself to neither treatment. The Trees gives us the zombielike return to life, and the search for vengeance, of people who were lynched.

Significantly, despite skewering everyone from rural Southern whites to Donald Trump, The Trees is never flippant about those felled by racist violence. The horror that was lynching was called life by Black America, we are reminded by the omniscient narrator.

Not all victims of lynching were hanged. Take Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago who, on a visit to the town of Money in Mississippi, allegedly whistled at a white woman. As punishment, the womans husband and his half-brother tortured Till to death.
ST. LOUIS  Time is up for Mercy employees who did not comply with the health systems COVID-19 vaccine mandate or qualify for a religious or medical exemption.

The Chesterfield-based health care system on Thursday disclosed the percentage of staff who were terminated for refusing the vaccine. But Mercy, like other St. Louis-area hospital operators, declined to say how many employees received exemptions and are continuing to work unvaccinated.

After placing the obstinate Mercy employees on a 28-day suspension with full benefits, 2% of the systems 40,000 employees  about 800 workers  still refused to get the jab, Mercy said.

The Mercy system includes more than 40 hospitals and 700 clinics in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

We prepared for this and knew we would unfortunately lose some of our co-workers, Jeremy Drinkwitz, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin, said in a Mercy news release Thursday. Patients come to us to get better, not to catch an illness. Our communities trust Mercy to do the right thing and to take care of them.
Now, its not enough to ban ideas that make certain adults uncomfortable. They want to fire the educators who dare to say the word racism in a school?

This approach makes me wonder if they have met any kids lately.

Young people are most interested in seeing whatever you dont want them to see. You cant stop them from using the internet, and their most popular social media sites are filled with activism around race and social justice issues.

The children who are denied a complete understanding of our countrys history and how it impacts our current state of affairs will grow up with major blind spots and gaps. They will eventually find out the truths adults tried to keep from them.

It will only magnify the culture of distrust and divisions in our society.
Palmer knows that simply by filing this writ, hes made life more difficult for himself, and potentially his other clients in Saline County. Thats simply the reality of rural justice in Missouri. Public defenders offices, long overworked in the state, tend to have few staff members in most rural counties, and many times they are just out of law school. Every day, they walk into courtrooms where judges and prosecutors wield most of the power, and generally dont take kindly to public defenders gumming up their dockets with motions that seek to protect the rights of all defendants.

So even if Palmer were to win on the Clevenger writ  perhaps especially if he wins  hell walk into the next law day facing a judge who doesnt like to be questioned. That was obvious when Palmer told Rolf he planned to file a writ on the day Clevenger was told she was going back to prison.

What kind of writ do you think youre going to get out of this? Rolf asked Palmer. She violated her probation.

Even so, the probation office believes the best place for Clevenger is in treatment, where the sober living home said she had been doing well. The question now is, did Rolf send Clevenger to prison because of Baby Clevenger, or in spite of the unborn child that is due in March?
The woman in the crash was not seriously injured, according to St. Louis police. Brown and his partner were also accused of later lying on reports to account for their time that night, according to disciplinary records from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Brown denied the misconduct in court filings, but state officials placed his police license on probation.

He also was one of two officers involved in the 2014 shooting death of 25-year-old Kajieme Powell after they were called to investigate reports of Powell stealing an energy drink and snacks from a market.

The shooting prompted protests, but the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office declined to charge either officer, finding that they could argue a reasonable fear for their lives when Powell approached them with a knife.

Brown later drew attention again when multiple criminal cases connected to his St. Louis police investigations were thrown out of court. Lawyers found he had submitted nearly identical language on at least 19 search warrant applications. In each, he said a tip and stakeout indicated drug sales at a home.

Brown was promoted through the ranks of St. Ann police and was involved in a number of high-profile investigations before he left the department in August 2020.

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  A St. Louis man pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to eight years in prison for fleeing police, crashing and killing a St. Louis County woman.

Danny Harris, 25, received an eight-year term from Circuit Judge Bryan Hettenbach after Harris pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, resisting arrest and leaving the scene of a crash. The judge also gave Harris credit for time served.

Harris admitted charges of fleeing police the afternoon of July 24, 2019. Charges said a SWAT officer spotted Harris involved in a drug deal in the citys College Hill neighborhood and that the officer turned on his lights and sirens in an attempt to stop Harris Jeep Cherokee. The officer said he suspended the chase and that a second officer also tried to stop Harris near Palm Street but pulled back because of Harris dangerous rate of speed.

Harris collided with a Chevrolet Tracker at Page and Prairie avenues in the citys Grand Center neighborhood, police said. Reniece Randle, 37, of the 1700 block of Muriel Drive, was in the Tracker and died at the crash scene. A 51-year-old woman in Randle's car suffered minor injuries.
ST. LOUIS  The Board of Aldermen on Friday voted unanimously to extend through November the citys COVID-19 indoor mask mandate, which the Missouri attorney general continues to challenge in court.

Alderman Sharon Tyus, a co-sponsor of the extension resolution, complained about the state law requiring extensions every 30 days that was signed earlier this year by Gov. Mike Parson, calling them busy work.

The city mandate, which took effect July 26 and was extended twice after that, had been set to expire Sunday.

I would think that ... maybe the governor would think about letting us do it every 60 days or 90 days, said Tyus, of the 1st Ward.

Tyus also said the law seems like an attack against people who believe in masks from the anti-maskers.

Parson, when he signed the law passed by the Legislature, said it requires local leaders to be more transparent and accountable for their decisions regarding public health orders.

In the latest extension, Health Commissioner Fredrick Echols says there is ongoing transmission of the coronavirus in all city ZIP code areas and across the metro area and that many city residents still have not initiated vaccination. Masks can slow the spread of the virus, he said.
"I'm proud of this map," said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, a sponsor of the redistricting legislation. "This is a fair map and it reflects the diversity of the state of Illinois." He also said lawmakers chose to unite communities "that shared political philosophies and policy objectives."

Democrats added a second predominantly Latino district, after census data showed Illinois' Latino population grew over the past decade. They also maintained three predominantly Black districts.

GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger, one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, and Darin LaHood were put into the same heavily Republican district, as were GOP Reps. Mike Bost and Mary Miller.

Republican Rep. Rodney Davis, who said he may challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker next year depending on the final map, was drawn into a safe GOP district that meanders from one side of the state to the other. It surrounds another Democrat-leaning district that was carved as a narrow squiggle stretching nearly 200 miles from the home of the University of Illinois to Democrat-friendly communities east of St. Louis. A former aide to Pritzker who worked in the Biden administration, Democrat Nikki Budzinski, is running for the seat.
Texas also sued individually on Friday.

And Florida filed a separate lawsuit challenging the contractor mandate on Thursday.

In all, 19 states  all Republican-led  are suing.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, workers who are employed by a federal contractor make up one-fifth of the entire labor market, Schmitt said. If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises.

A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Biden on Sept. 9 sharply criticized the tens of millions of Americans who were not yet vaccinated, despite months of availability and incentives.

Weve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us, he said, all but biting off his words. The unvaccinated minority can cause a lot of damage, and they are.
Champions for covering everyone on Medicare find themselves up against an unlikely adversary: the American Dental Association, which is backing an alternative plan to give dental benefits only to low-income Medicare recipients.

Medicare has excluded dental (and vision and hearing) coverage since its inception in 1965. That exclusion was by design: The dental profession has long fought to keep itself separate from the traditional medical system.

More recently, however, dentists have stressed the link between oral and overall health. Most infamously, the 2007 death of a 12-year-old boy that might have been prevented by an $80 tooth extraction prompted changes to Marylands version of Medicaid, the federal-state public insurance program for low-income people. But researchers have also, for example, linked dental care with reduced health care spending in patients with Type 2 diabetes. When the World Health Organization suggested delaying non-urgent oral health visits last year to prevent the spread of covid-19, the American Dental Association pushed back, with then-President Dr. Chad Gehani saying, Oral health is integral to overall health. Dentistry is essential health care.
The executives did not show up at hearings, and a judge entered default judgment in the regulators favor, regulatory filings show. The result was a rare so-called stop order, which prohibited the executives from taking their companies  Go EZ Corp., Arc Lifestyle Group Inc. and Nova Smart Solutions Inc.  public.

Go EZ sold smartphone accessories, Arc Lifestyle sold products such as designer apparel, Spanish wine and olive oil, and Novas business included drone development and corporate staffing service, according to the filing.

Respondents are in default for failing to file an answer, appear at the hearing, or otherwise defend the proceeding, wrote Cameron Elliot, an SEC administrative law judge at the time. Their actions call into question managements integrity.

Elliot, who is now an administrative law judge at the U.S. International Trade Commission, told Reuters he did not have any additional information about the case.

Camarero, one of the managing partners of ARC Group, was CEO of Nova Smart. In an email to Reuters, he said he cooperated with regulators, taking their calls and providing them with his email communications. But when they asked him to fly to Washington, he couldnt for personal and business reasons.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed into law a bill that allows Iowa workers to seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and guarantees that those who are fired for refusing a vaccine will qualify for unemployment benefits.

Reynolds signed the bill a day after the Iowa Legislature passed it in a one-day special session convened to pass the state's redistricting maps. The law becomes effective immediately.

Reynolds has opposed government requirements for masks and vaccines, even though COVID-19 has killed nearly 7,000 people in Iowa and medical science has shown both tools to be effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

She said in a statement that no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reynolds said she believes the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19 but has often voiced opposition to mandates.
Straight to voicemail

With so many junk calls out there, its common practice to reject calls that come to your cellphone from unfamiliar numbers. Thats what a Colorado hiker did, again and again, unaware that the calls were from would-be rescuers whod been alerted by a friend that the hiker was past due to return from the hike  forcing a search-and-rescue operation that turned out to be unnecessary.

The hiker, who hasnt been publicly identified, got lost for about 24 hours on Mount Elbert, about 100 miles southwest of Denver, on Oct. 18, The Sacramento Bee reported. After a friend reported the hiker missing overnight, a rescue squad tried calling the hikers cellphone, without luck.

The subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didnt recognize the number, the rescue team said on a Facebook post. If youre overdue according to your itinerary, and you start getting repeated calls from an unknown number, please answer the phone; it may be a [rescue] team trying to confirm youre safe!

The hiker ultimately emerged from the mountain unharmed.

No excuse for film-set shooting ...
My driver from the airport was masked, as were the staffers at the desk at one of my favorite places to stay, the Library Hotel. Housekeeping, they told me, was by request only, because they had to have my permission to enter the room. That was the only difference I encountered.

My first night out was a taping of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." The show tapes at about 5:30 p.m., but when I got my ticket the email noted I should get there an hour early and bring ID, proof of vaccine and a mask.

My walk there took me through Times Square, which is as bustling and surreal as ever. The only difference I noticed was that every couple of blocks, in the middle of the pedestrian-only street, there were kiosks offering free COVID-19 tests.

At the Ed Sullivan Theater, I lined up with a couple of hundred others on the sidewalk. Briskly efficient, masked young staffers from the show scanned our tickets, IDs and vaccine cards and gave us wristbands for entering the theater.

Before the show began, the stage manager rehearsed us. Our job, he said, was to make noise and create energy, and wed have to put in extra effort to make enough noise through our masks. We managed.
In October 2021 Iran announced they had tested two new air defense systems; Joshan and Khatam. Also tested was a new long range (500 kilometers) Quds radar that can spot targets as high as 28,000 meters (90,000 feet). The two air defense systems were apparently capable of detecting and destroying low altitude intruders, like cruise missiles of manned fighters. No details were given on the Khatam system but it was revealed that Joshan was an update of the 2019 Khordad 15 system that included a passive (no transmissions) radar that could detect low level intruders, like an Israeli F-15s. These claims could not be verified because the tests, using live fire against target drones, were held in central Iran, far away from air space where hostile (American) SIGINT (Electronic Signals Intelligence) aircraft (manned or UAVs) might be operating.

Iran does not like anyone verifying its claims of impressive new technology because the claims tend to be exaggerated or completely bogus. SIGINT aircraft can also determine where the new Iranian tech came from, because it is based on older Russian, Chinese or American tech. The Iranians have some great engineers and scientists but lack the capacity to build many new systems, especially if they require components that sanctions on Iran make difficult to obtain. This sort of thing has been going on since the 1990s and demonstrates that Iranian propagandists tend to outperform Iranian engineers and weapons manufacturers.

For example, less than a month after Khordad 15 entered service, Iran shot down an American Triton maritime surveillance UAV (an aircraft based on the 14-ton RQ-4 Global Hawk) operating in international airspace off the Iranian coast. The RQ-4 carries out a wide variety of missions, including SIGINT. When the RQ-4 was downed there was also a U.S. Navy four-engine EP-3 SIGINT nearby, with 35 people on board. Iran later admitted they deliberately did not fire on the manned aircraft. Just as well, because the manned aircraft have some defenses against attack while the UAV does not. Both aircraft were over international waters, as is normal and at high altitude, so they could scan deep into Iran for whatever visual, radar and electronic data they could obtain. Iran insisted, without any evidence, that the two aircraft were over Iranian territory. Inside Iran it was implied that the new Khordad 15 system took down the RQ-4 and could have handled the EP-3.

This downing of an expensive (over $100 million) American UAV was meant to be provocative and, for the domestic Iranian audience, evidence that all the Iranian air defenses can get the job done. They cant and Iranian leaders know it and sometimes admit that openly. For example, the new Khordad 15 uses an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array). This is currently the most effective technology for military radars and has been around since the 1950s. In 1960 the U.S. put its first AESA type radar into service as part of an air defense system and Russia followed by the late 1960s. The development of cheaper, faster and more reliable microelectronics made it possible for AESA to become compact enough for use in ships by the 1970s and in combat aircraft by the 1990s.

Cut off from importing AESA military radars since the 1980s Iran has sought to develop the technology itself. The basic principles are not difficult and Iranian engineers and scientists were aware of how it worked from the beginning but the religious dictatorship of the 1980s stifled the development of a commercial electronics industry necessary to support the design and production of things like AESA systems. While Iran has always produced many engineers and scientists, most of the best ones migrate to the West for better career opportunities.

Iranian military AESA had to be developed and built as a laboratory type system because legal access to foreign tech was illegal and difficult to obtain legitimately. It wasnt until Iran showed off its first locally developed and built AESA radar that anyone could evaluate how far Iranian AESA tech had advanced. Iranian tech like this was built in workshops, not factories because the domestic market was small and there was no real export market for older models of this or much other Iranian military tech. Iran has had an easier time developing military software as there was a lot of stolen code available on the Internet (or passed on by helpful Chinese and Russian developers or hackers). But designing and building a fire control system that makes full use of AESA radar is not exactly a hobbyist hack and requires time, talent and determination, even with access to the more advanced stolen code. Iranian engineers and scientists are admired for how many high-tech military systems they have built. While admirable, Iranian systems are often decades behind what is available from commercial and military producers in the West. China has been catching up, developing modern AESA tech in the last two decades because they have large domestic and export markets for the stuff.

What it comes down to is that Khordad 15, using the Sayyad-3 missile, is basically equivalent to the Russian S-200 systems, which are Cold War systems with some upgrades. Syria still uses a lot of S-200 systems, which are seen as a hazard, not an obstacle to Israeli air strikes. The S-200 is good at hitting high flying aircraft lacking any defenses at all. Syria has already downed (by accident) a four-engine Russian maritime reconnaissance aircraft flying off the Syrian coast using an S-200 missile. The Triton is the size of a small airliner (or large business jet) and not difficult to hit.

The Joshan passive radar upgrade to Khordad 15 required another major leap in Iranian military tech and Iran would rather not have their claims challenged in a realistic fashion.

For over a decade Iranian air defense commanders has been aware of its serious deficiencies when it comes to their equipment and nothing done so far has made a major difference. Outsiders began paying attention to this problem in 2009 when the Iranian Supreme Leader separated most missile-based air defense systems from the air force and organized them into a separate air defense command. Despite vigorous efforts by the new Air Defense Force, the reorganization did not produce air defenses that could keep up with the potential threats from the many enemies Iran has acquired. This was especially true with new American and Israeli systems. The U.S. had sold many of these new systems to Arab oil states. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported to be visibly alarmed at the inability of Iran to defend itself against the many enemy aircraft and missiles that could be used in wartime, especially for a surprise attack. Iran has been promising to destroy Israel and the United States since the 1980s and is now trying to take control of Syria and further threaten Israel. In response to that Israel has been fighting back and Iran is uncomfortable about how this is playing out. In response, Khamenei replaced the commander of the air force in August 2018, the fifth senior military commander replaced in a year of searching for solutions. The new air force commander has not improved the situation, except to escalate the claims of new tech and make it more difficult for foreigners to verify the claims.

The current sense of urgency by Iran appears to have been triggered by a 2017 study of Iranian vulnerabilities to air attack. The study was published in an Iranian military journal that everyone could see and hopefully generate some useful suggestions for solutions. The list of vulnerabilities was basically a compilation of how Iran is generally defenseless against fifteen systems, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, smart bombs, ground penetrating bombs and other specialized air delivered guided weapons, like bombs that use lengths of carbon fibers (to short out electrical transmission lines) or monster bombs like MOAB or bombs that can create an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) that destroy electronics over large areas.

Then there are the specialized defensive and offensive electronic systems carried by many aircraft, UAVs, and missiles. The Americans and Israelis have surveillance satellite systems that monitor Iranian activity and can assist in attacks on Iran. The United States and Israel have most of these scary systems but many of these advanced weapons have been obtained by the Arab Gulf states and since 2015, the Arabs have proved in Yemen that they really have learned how to use them. That includes the Arab operated Patriot anti-missile systems which have intercepted over a hundred Iranian made ballistic missiles fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian Supreme Leader apparently monitors Iranian progress, or lack of progress in this area and demands that senior commanders come up with solutions. That has apparently not been happening and if more senior commanders get replaced it will indicate continued failure.

The Supreme Leader is also aware of the fact that many Iranian air defense systems are fake or press release systems that were announced but never got into production or developed to the point where they work. The Supreme Leader seems to have been upset over the 2018 IRGC press release about the new Iranian stealth fighter. You dont have to be an aviation engineer to understand the critiques of this new aircraft. These detailed descriptions of why the new stealth fighter wont (or cannot) work as described. Many of these critical reports have appeared in overseas Iranian language media and the Internet. These critiques are no secret, especially from the Supreme Leader.

On paper Iran has formidable air defense forces, in practice, most of this stuff is too old or too few to collectively make a big difference. Current Iranian air defenses consist of several hundred Cold War era warplanes in various states of readiness. None are seen as anything approaching a serious threat to aircraft the Americans, Israelis and Gulf Arabs possess. The Iranian ground-based air defense systems are not much better off.

The key Iranian air defense system is the Russian S-300 PMU2 or Iranian systems based on similar Russian and Chinese technology. For example, 2013 Iran announced it had built a factory to produce the Sayyad-2 anti-aircraft missile. This is an upgrade of the Sayyad-1, which was based on the old (1950s) Russian SA-2. Sayyad-1 entered service in 1999. Both Sayyad 1 and 2 copied much from the Chinese HQ-2, which is itself an upgrade of the Russian S-75/SA-2 system. Sayyad-2 appears to have incorporated technology from the American HAWK and SM-1 SAMs inherited from the pro-American monarchy in 1979.

Sayyad-2 is a two-ton, two stage anti-aircraft missile with a maximum range of 80 kilometers and max altitude of 20,000 meters (65,000 feet). The Sayyad-2 has better electronic countermeasures than Sayyad-1 but it is still dependent on the ground radar for guidance to a target and is vulnerable to electronic interference. Sayyad-2 is believed to have a more effective warhead. None of the Sayyad missiles has been in combat and test firings have not been impressive.

The Chinese HQ-2 has been in use since the late 1960s, been upgraded several times with modern electronics, an improved warhead, better rocket motors, and more maneuverability and became much more effective early in the 21st century. Iran has been getting military technology from China since the 1980s. This apparently included the tech for the solid fuel rocket motors used by the Sayyad-2 and possibly some of the electronics. If an attacker does not have good electronic countermeasures the Sayyad-2 could be quite effective. China also has lots of S-300 and may have sold or leaked technical data on that system to Iran.

Iran claims to have kept several other older Russian SAM systems in working order. These include over a hundred launchers for SA-5 and SA-6 SAMS along with radars and fire control systems. These may exist in some usable form but appear to be more press release systems. The same applies to more than a dozen press release systems revealed since 2010 that seem to exist only as a few prototypes.

The new Khordad 15/Sayyad-3 missile system is described as having a search radar that can detect targets 150 kilometers distant and hit these targets when they are 75 kilometers away. Iran also claims the new system can detect and hit stealth aircraft. That sort of thing is easier to claim than accomplish. This was remedied by claiming a new passive radar for Khordad 15 that is better able to detect low altitude stealth aircraft and cruise missiles.

Iran announced it sent some of its most modern air defense systems to Syria to provide protection from the relentless and accurate Israeli airstrikes. There have been no Iranian claims of these new systems working against the Israeli airstrikes. There has been an escalation in claims of new Iranian air defense tech but no movement on putting those systems to the test against modern Western aircraft. UAVs have a known weakness, compared to manned aircraft, when it comes to self-defense against SAM systems. Even large UAVs like the RQ-4, which have the carrying capacity for such self-defense systems, lack the complex and rapid decision-making pilots are capable of. The solution to that is better AI (artificial intelligence) software, which is still a work-in-progress.
A global anti-corruption organization sponsored by donor nations and major NGOs recently completed an analytic report that recommends Congo renegotiate the 2008 mineral deal it signed with China. The Congo-China deal is sometimes called the minerals-for-infrastructure agreement though what came to be known as The China Deal. It is nominally worth $6.5 billion. The deal was reached in 2007 and announced in February 2008. China agreed to finance the building of transportation infrastructure in Congo. China would also help construct an electrical grid and build electrical generating capacity. Improving water supplies is also part of the arrangement. The financing, however, is "resource-backed." The Congo's copper and cobalt reserves are the resources used as collateral backing the financing. That aspect of the deal was a major problem. Congolese critics pointed out that the deal was simply not fair to the Congo as it was economic imperialism. The revenue split between Congo and one of China's main mining concerns is 32 percent for the Congo, 68 percent for China. Two Chinese state-owned-enterprises (SOEs) Sinohydro Corp (SINOH-UL) and China Railway Group Ltd would build roads and hospitals. Profits from Congo's Sicomines cobalt and copper joint venture with China would fund the infrastructure. By mid-2009 media sources estimated that the deal was worth nine to ten billion dollars in the long run, and China was coming out way ahead. Why did Congo make the deal and continue to keep it? Because former president (dictator) Joseph Kabila and his corrupt regime were in charge. In 2021 Congos president is Felix Tshisekedi. Now that his Sacred Union political coalition has removed Kabila supporters from key positions in government ministries the China Deal is open to thorough scrutiny and it looks like the critics who spoke up in 2008 were right. In 2017 the Kabila government agreed to a secret amendment to the China Deal that accelerated payments to Chinese mining financiers and slowed the pace of infrastructure investment. In other words, communist China got money before doing required construction. The recent report called the entire deal "unconscionable." The 2017 amendment certainly is. The new study alleges China has invested less than one billion dollars in infrastructure projects, which is about half of what should have been invested by 2021. Imperialism with Chinese characteristics? Yes. Congo Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge was quoted as saying the agreement must be adjusted. No kidding. (Austin Bay)

October 28, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) soldiers clashed with some ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) Islamic terrorists and killed three of them. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) later claimed responsibility because ADF pledged allegiance to ISIL in 2019 and later described itself as ISCAP (ISILs Central African Province The name changes nothing because ADF continues its terrorist operations, primarily in eastern Congo.

October 26, 2021: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) the army has undertaken a major operation to contain the growing violence from CODECO (Cooperative for the Development of Congo) rebels, who commit a substantial number of the attacks and atrocities in Ituri. Recently CODECO attacked twenty villages and the army was able to track the large group of CODECO men responsible. Today the army clashed with this group, which fled with soldiers in pursuit. The CODECO raiders were confronted again on the 28th and the two clashes left at least 27 men dead and an unknown number of dead not found or carried off by the fleeing CODECO gunmen. These two battles left four soldiers dead and many more wounded. CODECO is predominantly a Lendu tribal organization. It is sometimes described as a political-military sect because its leaders claim to have a religious mission. Like most violence in Congo, there is usually a tribal element because, for most Congolese, tribal leaders can do more for them than dictators or elected officials. This is true in many parts of the world where larger scale governments fail to match the services the ancient tribal organizations provide. Ituri has become a combat zone because of the lucrative gold mines that are seen as failing to provide any benefit to the locals.

October 24, 2021: In CAR (Central African Republic) recent media reports revealed that since the first week of August 2021 at least 11 Russian-hired military contractors have been killed in the CAR. On October 12 five foreign contractors (working for a Russian firm) died in a rebel ambush in the Bombo district (western CAR). At least three other contractors have died in ambushes near the CAR-Cameroon border. In June a UN report concluded that the Russian contractors were involved in active combat with rebel militias.

October 23, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) some ADF Islamic terrorists carried out attacks this evening and again the following day, leaving eleven civilians dead during two attacks. Soldiers showed up to track the ADF raiders.

October 22, 2021: Zambias Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) announced the arrest of 14 current and former government officials for corruption. The arrested officials faced a range of graft charges. Three of the officials were arrested for failing to follow correct transfer of funds procedures on fund transfers they authorized. The other 11 were charged with fraudulent accounting practices. The arrests and charges reflect President Hakainde Hichilemas commitment to combat corruption. In the August 2021 presidential election Hakainde promised to investigate and punish corrupt officials, past and current. He also promised greater government transparency. He won a landslide election, beating incumbent Edgar Lungu. Recently, Zambia published a complete list of its 44 international (foreign)l creditors. Zambias central government owes almost $17 billion including $520 million in overdue interest payments. Slightly more than a third of that total is owed to Chinese lenders. Zambia owes about $10 billion to local lenders. The debt total is about 115 to 120 percent of Zambias GDP.

In Congo several hundred employees of the state-owned ports company stormed its headquarters and clashed with police. The employees claim they are owed three years of unpaid wages. This sort of thing is a typical form of widespread corruption.

October 21, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) 16 people were slain when ADF gunmen launched an attack on a farm community near the city of Beni. An unknown number of people were kidnapped.

Congolese officials reported that since the end of August 165 children (aged five and younger) have died of unknown disease. The outbreak began in Kwilu province (southwestern Congo). The children have malaria-like symptoms and suffer from severe anemia.

October 20, 2021: In Rwanda government prosecutors announced they will appeal the 25-year jail sentence given to Paul Rusesabagina. The prosecution sought a life sentence for backing an armed rebel group that launched attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019. Rusesabagina is the hotel manager portrayed as a hero in the movie Hotel Rwanda, a film about the 1994 genocide. He is currently a Belgian citizen and holds an American green card. There was no evidence presented showing any Rusesabagina involvement with violent activities in Rwanda and many Rwandans and foreigners believe the Rwandan government wants to discredit Rusesabagina and discourage more such prominent local critics,

The Rwanda Space Agency is negotiating with the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to acquire two satellite constellations The constellations are named Cinnamon-217 and Cinnamon-937.

October 19, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) army commanders accused a Rwandan militia called Buhumba of invading Congo. So far the invaders have occupied and looted six villages.

In neighboring Uganda the army revealed a 4X4 armored infantry fighting vehicle produced in Uganda under a technology transfer agreement with the Paramount Group, a South African defense firm. The Ugandan vehicle is named the Chui. It is a mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle (MRAP) type vehicle. The Ugandan Army says the vehicle was designed and manufactured in Uganda. That said, it is very similar to the Nyati MRAP produced in South Africa.

Burundi deported to Rwanda 11 anti-Rwandan government National Liberation Force (FLN) guerrillas. The men are Hutus. They are allegedly connected to Paul Rusesabagina.

October 18, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) heath officials announced that five Ebola virus cases have been confirmed there. The first was reported October 9 in the city of Beni.

October 15, 2021: In CAR (Central African Republic) is trying to reach an agreement with the local government to change the rules on what UN peacekeepers can do in CAR. The UN has found that just playing defense has not worked and wants to use special offensive units to deal with the most dangerous rebels. A similar approach has worked in Congo.

October 14, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) an Ebola virus vaccination program has been established in the city of Beni.

October 11, 2021: The UN believes an estimated 26.7 million Congolese are identified as being food insecure. That means they are not getting the minimum daily intake of food. This leads to physical weakness and disease. This condition is a major cause of the millions of non-combat deaths in Congo since the 1990s.

October 10, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) ADF Islamist terrorists kidnapped several people outside the city of Beni.

October 9, 2021: Congo is investigating charges of corruption in Covid-19 response funding. An initial report estimated that only six million dollars of the $363 million the IMF gave Congo in 2020 to spend on Covid-related projects has been accounted for.

October 6, 2021: Rwanda has begun providing more information about its armed force deployed in Mozambique. The Rwandan Army contingent has slightly more than 1,000 soldiers. The contingent took part in the August 8 attack on the port city of Mocimboa da Praia. The attack drove militant Islamists from the city and into the bush. An estimated 100 militants were killed in the attack and seizure of the port. The Rwandan Army lost four soldiers. Since then, the Rwandan force has engaged the Islamists in several small unit actions in northern Mozambique.

October 5, 2021: Leaders of member states in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) confirmed they will SAFC military operation in northern Mozambique. In July SADC announced the mission would deploy for three months.

October 3, 2021: In Congo the 25th rotation of the Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent has arrived. The unit operates as part of the UN peacekeeping force. The Chinese engineers handle engineering survey, road repair and road construction and unexploded ordnance disposal.

October 1, 2021: In Malawi soldiers are being used to distribute fuel from gas stations. A strike by tank truck drivers has led to fuel shortages. The drivers seek an increase in the minimum wage. Drivers reportedly make around $60 a month.

September 30, 2021: The UN reported that their peacekeepers in Congo reported that 739 cases of war crimes or atrocities occurred in August compared to 492 occurred in July. Congo currently hosts 535,253 refugees and asylum-seekers. from CAR, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2021 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NMI") (TSXV:NMI) today announced that, it has received proceeds of Cdn. $525,000 as a result of the exercise of approximately 2.9 million previously issued common share purchase warrants. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the warrant exercises for general working capital purposes. The warrants were issued in connection with the Company's non-brokered private placement offering of units completed in April 2020 and were set to expire on October 28, 2021.

The exercise price of the warrants was $0.18 and 100% of the warrants have been exercised. "This infusion of equity indicates that investors are confident in the future of NMI. We have an exciting few months ahead with continued rapid acceleration of our Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Dysprosium-Terbium Project with our joint-venture partner JOGMEC as well as continued efforts on our 95% owned gold, tantalum and niobium projects." said Darrin Campbell, President of NMI.

About Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) and the JV

JOGMEC is a Japanese government independent administrative agency which among other things seeks to secure stable resource supplies for Japan. JOGMEC has a strong reputation as a long term, strategic partner in mineral projects globally. The mandated areas of responsibilities within JOGMEC relate to oil and natural gas, metals, coal and geothermal energy. JOGMEC facilitates opportunities with Japanese private companies to secure supplies of natural resources for the benefit of the country's economic development.

Rare earths are of critical importance to Japanese industrial interests and JOGMEC has extensive experience with all aspects of the sector. JOGMEC provided Lynas with US$250,000,000 in loans and equity in 2011 to ensure supplies of the Light Rare Earths metals suite to the Japanese industry.

The Company currently owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of historically disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides $3,000,000 in Term 1 and $7,000,000 in Term 2 to earn a 40% interest in the Lofdal project. Term 3 calls for a further $10,000,000 of expenditures to earn an additional 10% interest. JOGMEC can also purchase another 1% for $5,000,000 and has first right of refusal to fully fund the project through to commercial production and to purchase all production at market prices. The collective interests of NMI and historically disadvantaged Namibians cannot be diluted below a 26% carried working interest upon payment of $5,000,000 to JOGMEC for the dilution protection. The JV Agreement is structured such that no NMI equity will be issued and it is totally non-dilutive to NMI shareholders. To date, JOGMEC, has funded Term 1 and 2 expenditures totaling $6,600,000.

About Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

Namibia Critical Metals Inc. holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The two advanced stage projects in the portfolio are Lofdal and Epembe. The Company also holds significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization.

Figure 2: Location of Namibia Critical Metals' projects highlighting position of gold projects (Erongo, Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein) in relation to important gold projects within the Navachab-Otjikoto gold belt

Heavy Rare Earths: The Lofdal Dysprosium-Terbium Project is the Company's most advanced project being fully permitted with a Mining Licence (ML 200) issued in 2021. The project is being developed in joint venture with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") to provide a sustainable supply of heavy rare earths to Japan, most notably dysprosium and terbium.

Gold: The Company's Exclusive Prospecting Licenses ("EPLs") prospective for gold are located in the Central Namibian Gold Belt which hosts a number of significant orogenic gold deposits including the Navachab Gold Mine, the Otjikoto Gold Mine and more recently the discovery of the Twin Hills deposit. At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the meta-sediments hosting the recent Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified and soil surveys are progressing over this highly prospective area. The Grootfontein Base Metal and Gold Project has potential for magmatic copper-nickel mineralization, Mississippi Valley-type zinc-lead-vanadium mineralization and Otjikoto-style gold mineralization. Detailed interpretation of geophysical data and regional geochemical soil sampling have identified first gold targets, with the first targets currently being drill-tested.

Tantalum-Niobium: The Epembe Tantalum-Niobium-Uranium Project is at an advanced stage with a well-defined, 10 km long carbonatite dyke that has been delineated by detailed mapping and radiometric surveys and over 11,000 meters of drilling. Preliminary mineralogical and metallurgical studies including sorting tests (XRT), indicate the potential for significant physical upgrading. Further work will be undertaken to advance the project to a preliminary economic assessment stage.

Copper-Cobalt: The Kunene Copper-Cobalt Project comprises a large area of favorable stratigraphy along strike of the Opuwo cobalt-copper-zinc deposit. Secondary copper mineralization over a wide area points to preliminary evidence of a regional-scale hydrothermal system. Exploration targets on EPLs held in the Kunene project comprise direct extensions of the cobalt-copper mineralization to the west, sediment-hosted copper, orogenic copper, and stratabound manganese and zinc-lead mineralization.

The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI".

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information please contact -

Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

Darrin Campbell, President

Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760

Fax: +01 (902) 835-8761

Email: Info@NamibiaCMI.com

Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com

The foregoing information may contain forward-looking information relating to the future performance of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. forward-looking information, specifically, that concerning future performance, is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the appropriate securities commissions.

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Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A New York City College of Technology (City Tech), professor and his then-undergraduate research partner have been granted a patent that may revolutionize quantum technology and cybersecurity. Their work has the potential to provide the missing part of the ultimate quantum technology: coupling of existing internet/data transfer telecom lines with quantum encryption/computing hardware.

The utility patent was awarded to the City Tech team of Dr. German Kolmakov, chair of the colleges Physics Department, and then City Tech undergraduate student Shaina Raklyar. With the support of the US Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation (NSF), The City University of New York (CUNY) and prospective New York State funding, a quantum interconnect enabling the coupling of existing internet/data transfer telecom lines with quantum encryption/computing hardware has been designed by the City Tech team and is now being prototyped for testing by US quantum computing companies. Until now, the absence of this quantum interconnect has been a significant obstacle to the deploying of quantum computing.

Quantum computing (QC) is the long-expected next step in dramatically increasing the speed with which computers can perform, tackling problems previously regarded as unsolvable because of the daunting number of variables involved. QC is the processing of information thats represented by special quantum states. By relying on quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement, these machines handle information in a fundamentally different way to classical computers like smartphones, laptops, or even todays powerful supercomputers. It can be seen as a revolution in the way computers function.

Linkage to quantum technology can revolutionize surveillance and homeland security, effectively transforming cybersecurity, the secure transmission of information, artificial intelligence, the creation of new materials and even the advancement of science through the development of new drugs. The main directions of quantum technology development include quantum computing, quantum secure internet and unbreakable quantum encryption of information.

The potential for this breakthrough work is profound. With quantum encryption enabled by the teams patent, Twitter and other social media would never be hacked again, personal data would never be leaked and private conversations would be immune to eavesdropping. With quantum acceleration of computations, new vaccines could be developed in weeks. This technology also has the potential to reduce energy costs for data centers by 50%, and dramatically reduce their carbon footprint  a reduction equal to half of the carbon footprint of global aviation.

To facilitate the commercialization of this technology and attract private funding, Raklyar established a Brooklyn-based, woman-owned, woman-operated startup company  Next Generation Quantum Corp (NGQ). With the support of the NSF, the team led a customer discovery session, interviewing 130+ decision makers, top officers and technology experts from the nation's leading high-tech companies, including IBM, AWS, D-Wave, Intel, and Google, as well as potential adopters of the technology, including Lyft, Uber, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. The interviews underscored the importance of the prototyping now being done and an angel investor has come forward to fund its development.

Shainas work forms the basis of this technological breakthrough, not only within the world of high-performance computing, but in the digital ecosystem as a whole, which has become an essential part of our daily lives. Im sure it will bring new experiences to homes, workplaces and free up time for almost all of us, said Prof. Kolmakov. Im really lucky that Shaina joined in on this research and brought her passions and, also, her scientific and entrepreneurial energy to this project.

It is not by accident that this technological breakthrough is the result of joint research by a City Tech faculty member and his student. City Tech prides itself on the value add of its programs in student-faculty collaborative research.

City Tech President Russell K. Hotzler states, City Tech is proud to be an incubator for the development of innovative technologies such as Ms. Raklyar and Dr. Kolmakovs quantum computing device. Their achievement will leave a lasting imprint in the field of quantum computing and the world of technology in general. We are excited to be the home of such groundbreaking research and congratulate this team on their newly acquired patent.

####

Shaina Raklyar was born in Kiev, Ukraine at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. She moved to the US in 2012 and has lived in New York ever since. When she learned about the opportunities that City Tech provides, her first thought was Wow! this is a cool place with unique majors. This sounded like the future to her, she says, so she immediately applied. Ms. Raklyar completed her bachelors degree in Biomedical Informatics in June 2020 and is now enrolled in a doctoral program at the City College of New York.

When asked about her hopes for the outcome of her work with Professor Kolmakov, she replied, I have three big hopes for the startup. The first is to revolutionize technology and to have our piece integrated in every computer in the future. The second hope is for Next Generation Quantum to go to an IPO. The third hope is for NGQ to get a Nobel prize in physics, or an equivalent in engineering (or both).

Professor German Kolmakov Is a professor of physics, and chairman of the Physics Department at City Tech. He received his Ph.D. from the L.D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics in Moscow, Russia. Professor Kolmakov is the author or co-author of a long list of articles on theoretical physics. Of Kolmakov, Shaina says, German is the smartest person that I know. I truly hope that this is not the last technology that we build together.

City Tech, of The City University of New York (CUNY), located in downtown Brooklyn, is the largest four-year public college of technology in the Northeast and a national model for technological education. In fall 2019, City Tech had an enrollment of more than 17,000 students in 31 baccalaureate and 30 associate degree programs, and was ranked ninth among more than 2,000 U.S. institutions in overall economic mobility for its students (www.equality-of-opportunity.org). For more information, visit www.citytech.cuny.edu.

Attachments

Natalie Chepurniy New York City College of Technology (City Tech) (929) 328-4685 NChepurniy@citytech.cuny.edu

Source: New York City College of Technology (City Tech)
A tunnel inside of the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii is shown in this undated file photo. (Shannon Haney/U.S. Navy)

HONOLULU (Tribune News Service)  Amid ongoing fuel leaks between Red Hill and Pearl Harbor, the Navy said it is investing over $750 million in improvements to its aging fuel storage tanks that lie 100 feet above the Moanalua-Waimalu groundwater aquifer  while also pursuing a double-wall tank experiment.

At a state fuel tank advisory committee hearing held Thursday over Zoom, the Navy said that on July 16 a release of about 150 gallons of marine diesel into Pearl Harbor was detected at Kilo Pier due to corrosion that created a small hole in a pipe.

The state Department of Health was immediately notified, 110 gallons was recovered and the pipeline was emptied, said Capt. Bert Hornyak, commander of the Fleet Logistics Center at Pearl Harbor.

While a small leak, it is the latest in a series of fuel releases from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on down to Pearl Harbor that has the Sierra Club of Hawaii clamoring for relocation and the Navy struggling to keep the World War II-built fuel farm operating where it is as critical to the national security of our nation.

Operator error caused the release of 1, 618 gallons of jet fuel at Red Hill on May 6, the Navy said.

Between March 2020 and May 2021, 7,100 gallons of fuel was recovered from the Hotel Pier area. In 2014, meanwhile, 27,000 gallons of fuel spilled from Tank 5.

In 2019 the Navy recommended a restoration plan for the Red Hill tanks and added leak prevention, detection and mitigation, which the Sierra Club said was the least protective of six upgrade options that also included interior coatings, composite tanks and full tank-within-a-tank.

On Thursday, Capt. Gordie Meyer, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Hawaii, continued to push that restoration plan as best available practicable technology while also highlighting the promise of a double-wall test.

Meyer said that dual path  includes an agreement with Gaztransport & Technigaz North America, known as GTT NA, to explore secondary containment at Red Hill with a system used for oceangoing tankers transporting liquefied natural gas.

The initial proposal uses the existing (Red Hill ) tanks only as support and anchoring points, Meyer said. The system would provide a new outer stainless steel membrane, new inner membrane and a monitored interstitial (space ) between the two.

The technology continues to prove promising with a pilot project in Tank 1 expected to be upgraded to a secondary containment system starting in the fall of 2023, he said.

The two-year project could lead to full-scale construction of the remaining tanks using the same approach, according to Meyer. The proposal by GTT NA would require no excavation atop the tanks, which are buried under 100 feet of volcanic rock, the Navy said.

GTT NAs solution for access to the Red Hill tanks will be through the existing eight-foot upper hatch in each tank, according to Navy Region Hawaii.

The 20 tanks are 250 feet tall. Each can store 12.5 million gallons of fuel. Meyer said 18 tanks are operational or going through the clean, inspect and repair process.

He said all tanks in serv ice continue to pass twice-yearly tightness testing.

It is critical to continue to have the tanks inspected with current approved standards while several research and development efforts are in progresspursuing both paths simultaneously,  Meyer said during the virtual meeting.

We do not want to sacrifice the current upgrades with available technology today while we await new technology. We need to do both, he said.

Fuel tank advisory committee member Melanie Lau asked for an update on possible alternative sites for Red Hill, noting that old underground fuel tanks are being relocated above ground at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state and Naval Base Point Loma in California.

There is practicable technology available, she said.

Meyer said those tanks are very different than what we have here at Red Hill. The mainland tanks were built just below the ground and covered with earth.

With Red Hill, which feeds Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam by gravity, Its not just the tanks that need to be relocated  its the entire fuel distribution system. That also is a consideration.

There also is the security of having the Red Hill tanks buried so deep, he said. Again, these are strategic resources. Moving them above ground causes that issue and concern, Meyer said.

But Lau said, I disagree with you in terms of it being a site that is protected. The whole reason to have Red Hill underground during World War II was to protect it from being bombed,  she said, adding that warfare has improved since then, and everybody knows where the tanks are now.

Construction on the tanks was finished in 1943. The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has taken the position that tank-within-a-tank storage is needed or the fuel farm needs to be moved to protect the aquifer.

In 2018 the Navy estimated that the least expensive method of double-walling the Red Hill fuel tanks would cost between $500 million and $2 billion.

The most expensive tank-within-a-tank option was pegged at $2 billion to $5 billion. Replacing the tank farm with concrete-encased tanks elsewhere would run as much as $10 billion.

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previous coverage Approval of Red Hill fuel storage permit recommended despite risks
Buy Photo Cpl. Estefania Liraortega, a radio operator for Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, checks an AN/PRC-117F multiband, multimission manpack radio during the Active Shield exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct 27, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan  Alarms echoed across this base near Hiroshima, and the power went out at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, signaling to Marines and sailors of the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force that a simulated missile strike was underway.

The base population sheltered in place as combat engineers geared up and moved out to assess damage to the airfield and repair it quickly to get aircraft flying again.

Practicing repairs to a damaged airfield is an essential bit of the weeklong Active Shield exercise, an annual sharpening of skills required to defend MCAS Iwakuni and return it quickly to fighting trim in the event of an attack. The exercise began Oct. 18 and concluded Friday building up to the runway repair exercise.

About 20 members of the Forward Aviation Combat Engineering team  radio operators, explosive ordnance technicians and combat engineers  formed up while 1st Lt. Camille Smith, the FACE platoon commander, led a tabletop exercise to chart the recovery plan. She divided the group into three teams.

Cpl. Kevin Cadiente, 24, of Honolulu, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 117, ensures the teams make accurate damage assessments as quickly as possible.

Because the faster we get that airstrip back up, Cadiente told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday, the faster we repel the enemy and the faster we can keep offenses going.

Buy Photo Marines discuss three possible ways to fix damaged areas of the flight line during an Active Shield exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct 28, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Marine Staff Sgt. Keith Lowe, of Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 , works to identify unexploded ordnance after a mock attack on the flight line during an Active Shield drill at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct 27, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Marine Sgt. Aubrey Larsen, the Forward Aviation Combat Engineering platoon sergeant, radios in a damage report after a mock attack on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct 28, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Combat engineer Marines measure simulated damage to the flight line after a mock attack that was part of the Active Shield exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct 28, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

With each team equipped with a measuring wheel, measuring tape and a radio, they convoyed out in Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles to the flight line to inspect the three 8,000-foot runways.

In a line across the width of one runway, they walked in darkness, their paths illuminated by flashlights.

As they walked, they wrote the location, width and depth of simulated damage in a notebook and radioed that information to an engineering operations cell that marked it on a map.

The Marines have two squadrons of F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters and a squadron of KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refuelers assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 12. The air station is also home to seven F/A-18 Hornet squadrons of the Navys Carrier Air Wing 5, which is attached to the USS Ronald Reagan.

We play a critical role as combat engineers and we are an important asset on base; without us there is no immediate repair methods, Cadiente said. The key role in our job is combat engineering, meaning we can perform our duties in high-stress situations.

The operations cell presents three repair options to the commander for a decision, the engineers will move out with repair kits, including a portable concrete mixer and heavy equipment, to begin the reconstruction.

Airfield damage repair is a significant muscle movement, and it takes a lot of equipment, Capt. Nickolas Gillespie, 31, senior company grade engineer from Limestone, Tenn., told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday. We have been working to make it even more expeditionary by scaling it down to a lighter package to forward deploy it if needed.
Col. Deane Thomey salutes after taking command of the 111th Attack Wing at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pa., June 13, 2021. (Wilfredo Acosta/Air National Guard)

The commander of the Air National Guards 111th Attack Wing near Philadelphia was seriously injured in an Oct. 22 private plane crash that killed his daughter, according to a wing news release.

Col. Deane Thomey, wing commander at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pa., was in the intensive care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the Tuesday release.

His daughter Madeline, 24, died in the crash.

Thomey, of Sherwood, Ark., was piloting a single-engine Piper PA-28R-300 with his daughter when it went down near Walterboro in Colleton County, S.C., according to the release. Thomey was en route from Virginia to Florida when his plane experienced engine problems and crashed into woods, Patch.com of Montgomery County, Pa., reported Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

I ask that you keep the Thomey family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, wing vice commander Col. Rebecca Gray said in the release.

Thomey assumed command of the 111th in April, according to his biography on the wings website. His predecessor, Col. William Griffin, retired on schedule in the wake of a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer in July 2020 that documented a frat-boy atmosphere of sexual harassment and discrimination at the wing.

The wing flies MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to its website.

Thomey enlisted in the Arkansas Air National Guard in 1988 and is a graduate of the Academy of Military Science. He is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom with 73 hours of combat flight time.

He commands more than 900 airmen at Biddle, according to his biography.

Thomeys wife, Melissa, and other family members are with him at the hospital, the units Facebook page said Thursday.
At the market, impoverished families are selling their home appliances and other goods to raise money. The United States will provide nearly $144 million in new aid to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the White House announced Thursday. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  The United States will provide nearly $144 million in new aid to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the White House announced Thursday.

The additional funds will bring the total U.S. aid in the country and for Afghan refugees in that region to nearly $474 million this year, "the largest amount of assistance from any nation," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.

The aid will come as more than a half of Afghanistan's population of 40 million are projected to face an "acute" food crisis this winter, according to a recent report from the United Nations' World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. The group warned that many Afghans were facing levels of food insecurity just shy of "famine" conditions and that the situation was likely to worsen.

"Reduced incomes, lower international and domestic remittances and continuing obstacles to humanitarian assistance (many related to the financial crisis and limited physical access during the winter period) are expected to contribute to the deterioration of food security," the report stated.

As The Washington Post's Maite Fernandez Simon reported, those problems began before the Taliban took over the country in August, with ongoing conflict displacing some 665,000 people and a prolonged drought that has hurt farmers.

The collapse of Afghanistan's public services and economy intensified after the country fell to the Taliban in August, when hundreds of thousands of Afghans and other residents tried to flee. The last U.S. troops departed Afghanistan on Aug. 31, ending the nearly 20-year war there that was launched as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Horne noted U.S. aid would "flow through independent humanitarian organizations who provide support directly to more than 18.4 million vulnerable Afghans in the region, including Afghan refugees in neighboring countries."

Some of the services those organizations provide include shelter, health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation and hygiene, she added.

Last month, a U.N. donor conference for Afghanistan raised more than $1 billion in humanitarian aid for the country, also to be distributed through the U.N. and other nongovernmental partner organizations. The United States at the time pledged $64 million, bringing its total for the year to $330 million.

U.N. officials at the conference urged the international community to grant the people of Afghanistan a "lifeline" in "their most perilous hour."

"The international community must find ways to make cash available to allow the Afghan economy to breathe," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said then. "A total collapse would have devastating consequences to the people and risk to destabilize the neighboring countries with a massive outflow (of people)."
Buy Photo Mohammed Naiem Asadi, his wife Rahima and their daughter Zainab, 5, relax at their home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., on Oct. 26, 2021. Asadi, a former helicopter pilot, left Afghanistan in June, months before the Taliban's takeover of the country. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.  The man who once was Afghanistans ace helicopter pilot is now a dad in suburban New Jersey, building a new life while continuing to think about those left behind.

At the controls of his MD-530 attack helicopter, Mohammed Naiem Asadi was a fearsome foe of the insurgents.

He reputedly killed more Taliban than any other pilot in the Afghan air force, and was lauded by the U.S. military for protecting an American pilot whose airplane had crashed.

He received death threats from the Taliban, which U.S. authorities reviewed before agreeing to allow him and his family into America last year.

But at the last moment, the Pentagon reversed its endorsement, saying later that so many military personnel were under threat that letting them seek refuge would gut the Afghan security forces.

Buy Photo Mohammed Naiem Asadi helps himself to some chickpeas cooked by his wife, Rahima, at their home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

Asadi and his family went into hiding for months while reapplying for asylum. They were eventually accepted and arrived in New Jersey in June, a few months before the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul prompted mass evacuations from the country.

Im very grateful to be in America, Asadi said Tuesday, a year after he had gone into hiding.

He shudders at what could have happened had they not left before Kabul fell.

"We might not have been able to get out of Afghanistan," he said.

But many of his fellow pilots remain at risk of retribution from the Taliban, he said. Many, like him, faced death threats before U.S.-backed government fell and are in hiding after participating in Americas $8.5 billion program to train the Afghan air force.

The Taliban will kill these people if they are found out, Asadi said.

Buy Photo Rahima Asadi hugs her daughter, Zainab, 5, after school in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. Rahima's husband, Mohammed was a M-530 Attack Helicopter pilot in Afghanistan before he evacuated his family as the Taliban took over the country. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Mohammed Naiem Asadi helps his daughter Zainab, 5, hang up her art at their home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Zainab Asadi, 5, heads up a ramp to her house in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

Some 5,000 people  a number that includes Afghan airmen, members of the Special Mission Wing and their families  still need to be evacuated from the country, said David Hicks, a retired brigadier general and head of training for the Afghan air force from 2016 to 2017. An additional 4,000 more may be added to the groups database after their identities are confirmed.

Its our duty to help them, said Hicks, who is part of a group called Operation Sacred Promise, which includes dozens of former U.S. advisers to Afghan pilots among its members.

About 150 Afghan flyers and other military personnel are stuck in the neighboring nation of Tajikistan. The group flew on 16 planes across Afghanistans northern border and were interned by the Tajik government, Reuters news agency reported. Since then, theyve waited for word on whether they can come to America.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have said they will not harm former military personnel who rejoin Afghanistans armed forces. Some may take the offer, Asadi said.

But he doubts the Taliban would so easily forgive the pilots who inflicted so many casualties upon them.

No one can trust them, he said.

Asadi said he tries to focus on his new life, but news from his homeland sometimes overwhelms him.

He recently watched as the Taliban government honored suicide bombers in a ceremony in Kabul. He couldnt sleep that night and still felt sick the next morning.

Buy Photo Mohammed Naiem Asadi practices flying with an old edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator at his home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

Buy Photo Rahima Asadi checks whether her daughter Zainab, 5, has homework at their home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

Asadi spends much of his time trying to improve his English by reading airplane manuals, watching online videos about aviation, and flying through digital skies with an old version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Its hard for me to not work, said Asadi, adding he hasnt yet received a work permit.

His wife Rahima also wants to work someday, but first she needs to learn English, her husband said. She has been learning from her daughter, who each day brings a new word home to study, Rahima Asadi said.

Both parents are excited for how much Zainab, their daughter, seems to enjoy school.

In English, she listed the friends she has made. Zainab, 5, asked her father to hang up a piece of art she had crafted out of construction paper and glue. Like many children, she is a big fan of dinosaurs and Elsa, the queen from the Disney movie Frozen.

Buy Photo Zainab Asadi, 5, shows off some art she made while her father checks over what she did in school, at their home in the suburbs of Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

Once he receives his work authorization, Asadi said he hopes to move someplace where he can find a job.

His dream is to still be a pilot again, but hell drive a taxi or deliver food for a while, if thats what it takes.

I just want to work hard and make a good life for myself and for my family, he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, right, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg talk in Brussels, March 23, 2021. (NATO)

WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back Thursday against criticism from lawmakers that the State Department has not given enough attention to a series of mysterious health incidents among U.S. personnel, commonly known as "Havana syndrome."

Responding to a letter written by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and signed by several other Democratic and Republican senators, Blinken said that the phenomenon "has my full attention and that of the leadership of the department."

"The national security departments and agencies are devoting significant resources to understand what happened and who is responsible," Blinken wrote in a letter obtained by McClatchy. "We do not yet know the cause of these incidents or whether they may be attributed to a foreign actor. But we are leaving no stone unturned to get the answers."

Blinken personally met with U.S. personnel who reported experiencing symptoms on his recent trip to Colombia, the latest cluster of cases to emerge.

"I spoke to the full embassy team regarding the reported AHIs, making clear the priority I  and the full department  attach to the matter," he wrote, using the government acronym for anomalous health incidents. "I also had an opportunity to meet privately with embassy employees who had been afflicted by AHI, listening to their experiences and reiterating my focus on the issue."

Blinken said he plans to communicate with the entire State Department in the coming days to outline the resources available to staff who experience symptoms.

He has faced criticism from Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the job performance of Pamela Spratlen, who oversaw the department's response to the episodes for six months before leaving in September.

Spratlen left her post after reaching the maximum number of hours she was allowed to work under her status as a retiree, a State Department spokesman said at the time. But multiple administration officials told McClatchy that her skepticism that the phenomenon is real created friction with those who experienced it and leaders in the department.

Shaheen led a group of bipartisan lawmakers to press Blinken to name a replacement, sending a letter Oct. 13 urging him to appoint "a senior-level official that reports directly to you."

Blinken responded in his letter that the department is vetting a replacement for Spratlen and that "the right candidate must be experienced, compassionate and willing to engage directly with those affected."

"We are extremely alarmed that reports of these incidents continue to grow. It is clear that this threat continues to target U.S. diplomats and related personnel, and reflects a significant, unmitigated threat to our national security," said the letter from lawmakers, signed by Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ben Cardin of Maryland, and Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Mitt Romney of Utah and James Risch of Idaho, among others.

"We believe this threat deserves the highest level of attention from the State Department, and remain concerned that the State Department is not treating this crisis with the requisite senior-level attention that it requires," the letter states. "We are also concerned that the Department is insufficiently engaged in interagency efforts to find the cause of these attacks, identify those responsible, and develop a plan to hold them accountable."

The federal government has not concluded whether the incidents are deliberate attacks on U.S. personnel.

But CIA Director Bill Burns has referred to them as attacks, and some Biden administration officials suspect the health episodes are being caused by some kind of directed energy device.

Some administration officials privately fear that U.S. delegations traveling overseas are being targeted  and that those responsible are intentionally escalating their attacks against American personnel.

U.S. diplomats in Vietnam reported experiencing symptoms shortly before Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to arrive there in August. A member of Burns' team reported a case during their recent trip to India in September. And cases in Colombia were reported before the head of U.S. Southern Command, Adm. Craig Faller, visited on his farewell tour as commander.

The Colombian police are now working with the U.S. Embassy in Bogota to investigate those incidents, Colombia's defense minister, Diego Molano Aponte, told McClatchy in an interview Wednesday.

"As soon as we knew of the event, the Colombian government decision was to cooperate with the embassy in Colombia and with the different agencies located in Colombia in order to understand, to investigate the whole process  the activities that would be affecting some of the U.S. government officials in the embassy," Diego Molano Aponte said.

"Our police, particularly, have been involved in this operations process, supporting with information, research, operations in the Bogota area," he said.

Blinken wrote to Shaheen that the administration was working to provide the best care possible to victims and on "repairing the relationship with those individuals initially affected," who have complained to the department and to members of Congress that their cases weren't being taken seriously.

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon, who has led the department's response since Spratlen's departure, recently convened an "AHI Working Group" that is focused on "helping people, improving feedback, ensuring parity and improving responsiveness." And the department is developing an internal website to "share the latest information with our workforce," Blinken wrote.

He also said that the department is "working with regional bureaus to ensure appropriate messaging is sent out to employees and family members about AHIs as they consider their next postings." Family members of affected U.S. personnel, including some of those in Colombia, have also reported symptoms.

In recent weeks, the Biden administration sent sharpened guidance to national security officials across the government warning them to move away from the immediate area if they experience sudden heat, sound or pressure in the head, and encouraging them to come forward to report their cases as soon as possible.

Over 200 cases have been reported so far, with U.S. personnel stationed overseas and national security officials in Washington describing symptoms of sudden vertigo, dizziness, nausea and headache.

The public first became aware of the phenomenon after a cluster of cases among American diplomats and intelligence officers at the U.S. Embassy in Havana came to light in 2016.

That event gave the phenomenon its informal name, "Havana syndrome," although the government officially refers to the episodes as "anomalous health incidents."

Some individuals who reported cases have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and are receiving care at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Biden signed a new law that subsidizes care for victims and requires the administration to provide status reports to Congress.

Blinken promised to share with Shaheen information "regarding the protections we have deployed."

"We sent teams of security specialists and occupational safety experts to conduct surveys and inspections of locations where incidents were reported," he wrote.

2021 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., depart after a meeting with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Oct. 28 in Washington. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  With a once-elusive legislative victory now squarely in their sights, congressional Democrats on Friday continued the arduous task to write a $1.75 trillion bill to overhaul the nations health care, education, climate, immigration and tax laws, hoping to hold votes on President Joe Bidens broader economic agenda as soon as next week.

Spanning nearly 1,700 pages  and with still more to add and revise  the legislative wrangling on Capitol Hill marked a new stage in the debate a day after Biden offered the broad outlines of a compromise to satisfy warring liberals and moderates in his own party.

In a positive sign for the president, lawmakers from both Democratic factions largely have praised the plan, which would expand Medicare, invest anew to combat global warming, offer universal prekindergarten, and impose new taxes on the ultrawealthy. Biden has heralded the investments as transformational even though they are in many cases smaller than Democrats initially envisioned.

By late Friday, lawmakers had not issued any policy ultimatums, offering an encouraging sign about the road ahead. But the flurry of activity also masked some of the still-simmering policy divisions  and the lingering feelings of distrust  that continue to plague the partys narrow yet powerful congressional majority.

Behind the scenes, Democrats have mounted a series of late-stage efforts to restore items that they had cut to satisfy two centrist holdouts, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who for months sought to slim down their fellow lawmakers spending ambitions. Some Democrats have angled to restore a measure to lower drug prices for seniors on Medicare, for example, a longtime priority that a number of moderates have blocked.

Democrats still hope they can resolve these and other battles in a matter of days, opening the door for them to hold a vote in the House on the $1.75 trillion package as well as second, separate measure to improve the countrys roads, bridges, pipes ports and Internet connections. The infrastructure plan has been stalled for two months as a result of the partys internal battles over Bidens broader economic agenda.

But the potential for further delays  on top of another failed attempt to hold a vote on the infrastructure measure a day earlier  only further served to ratchet up tensions between Democrats liberal and moderate wings. As the House prepared to adjourn, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., the leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, even went as far as to blast their left-leaning counterparts as the never-enough caucus.

Its sort of stunning to me were in this place, but we need to keep moving forward, keep working on this, she told reporters late Thursday.

The legislative legwork capped off another tumultuous week for Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress. The $1.75 trillion package he presented to his caucus marked a major milestone in a debate that has seen party lawmakers scale back their original $3.5 trillion plan. But it failed to deliver for the president the political victory he sought as he departed for a series of foreign summits into this weekend.

It is both heartening and impressive to observe the strength of Members engagement in the discussion, the speaker wrote in a late Thursday note to lawmakers.

Entering next week, Pelosi has instructed all of the Houses committees to make final adjustments and changes to part of the $1.75 trillion plan, known as the Build Back Better Act, under their jurisdiction. She told them they need to put their pens down by Sunday so that the Rules Committee can have the final text of the bill, according to two House leadership aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe their internal deliberations.

The request opens the door for the House to try again and hold a vote on both the spending package as well as the infrastructure bill next week. But the timing depends on a wide variety of factors  including perhaps a more direct statement from Sinema and Manchin, the sources said, as Democrats want to ensure they are on board with all of the partys plans.

In the meantime, Democrats await the official budgetary estimates on the bill and the tax increases they have proposed to pay for it. To satisfy Sinema, who had opposed increases in corporate and individual tax rates, the White House ultimately put forward a blueprint that raises money through a new surtax targeting Americans who earn millions of dollars in income. It also has proposed a minimum 15 percent tax on many profitable companies, as they try to address the litany of U.S. firms that rely on creative accounting to pay the government nothing.

Potentially foreshadowing roadblocks on the horizon, an analysis from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business released this week found that Democrats plans may raise only $1.5 trillion over 10 years  a gap of about $500 billion from the White Houses estimates. A similar finding from the governments own Joint Committee on Taxation could force Democrats to return to the drawing board to discuss other revenue raisers, according to aides, who point out some party lawmakers have been skittish about the perception they are adding to the deficit.

As they await the numbers, Democrats have not given up on reviving some of the spending priorities they shelved in response to concerns aired by Manchin and Sinema. That includes an imperiled effort to empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, an idea that has drawn intense opposition from the pharmaceutical industry while troubling moderate Democrats in the House and Senate. The White House omitted the idea from its $1.75 trillion framework, putting Democrats at risk of missing their own mark on a major campaign promise.

On a call Friday hosted by Protect Our Care, an advocacy group, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said it is premature and wrong to say the discussions are dead. The congressman said that House leaders are in talks with the like of Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., one of the lawmakers who opposed the partys earlier, more ambitious drug pricing reform plans.

Behind the scenes, Democrats are still haggling privately over the many specifics, including how Medicare would be allowed to negotiate and how many drugs would fall under the program, according to two people familiar with the talks who requested anonymity to describe the fluid negotiations. But concerns persist that they might have to weaken it so dramatically to win the support of lawmakers including Peters in the House and Sinema in the Senate that it simply may not be worth doing, the sources said.

Its only a few members, we just need a few votes, Welch told reporters Friday.

Other Democrats have focused their efforts on restoring a plan to provide paid family and medical leave to millions of Americans who currently lack such benefits. Party lawmakers initially hoped to provide 12 weeks of aid to workers who become sick, need to care for a loved one or are tending to the birth of a child, building off a plan Biden himself had endorsed during the 2020 presidential campaign. But the White House slashed that to four weeks during negotiations and then eliminated it entirely from its Thursday blueprint, a reflection of their broader need to reduce the size of the spending package and address policy concerns raised by Manchin.

Its exclusion infuriated some Democrats, who vowed to fight to restore it. Pelosi even said she would continue to work to secure it in the package. In a press briefing Thursday, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre only would say it remains a priority for Biden, who is just going to continue to work on it.

The only firm red lines that still exist among the House Democratic caucus is on immigration, where Reps. Jesus Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., Lou Correa, D-Calif., and Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., have said they would vote against the Build Back Better agenda if immigration is not addressed in some form.

While $100 billion has been written into the bill to reform the registry system that would allow millions to gain a green card, the proposal has already been struck down by the Senate parliamentarian, threatening its future inclusion. Senators are hoping to present a third plan that would give a certain group of undocumented immigrants work and travel protections, but not a pathway to citizenship. The immigration provisions could bring the total price tag to $1.85 trillion.

The massive question mark surrounding immigration left Correa to depart Thursdays caucus meeting looking dejected and angry, telling The Washington Post later that saying he was disappointed was an understatement.

In sorting out some of the still-smoldering policy fights, Democrats also grappled anew with their own internal divides. Pelosis decision to reverse course on an infrastructure vote Thursday marked another victory for progressives, who have used the bill as leverage as they seek to negotiate their other spending priorities. The bloc, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has said it is only willing to loosen its blockade once they secure final text on the $1.75 trillion bill  allowing the House to vote on both of Bidens plans in tandem.

Speaking to reporters, Jayapal praised the framework and said her caucus had lined up behind the plan, which reflected many of its priorities. But other liberals made clear they would not change their strategy, as they remained fearful that Manchin and Sinema might walk away from the deal.

We are supposed to trust, trust, our trust has to be in two senators that have not, in my opinion, been good faith actors up until this point, said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.

Moderates, however, were left seething about the delay  the second time that Pelosi has had to scrap plans to adopt the infrastructure bill that centrists see as critical to their communities as well as their electoral futures.

Its very disappointing, said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. It wasnt a good day.

People are frustrated right now ... theres a lack of trust and you got a lot of members here that have been here four years or less and they dont seem to understand how you get things done, he told reporters.

Speaking directly to House Democrats, Biden a day earlier had tried to defuse the tension. In a message geared toward liberals, he said the framework, which was the result of months of protracted negotiations, had enough votes to pass the Senate. That comment came even as Manchin and Sinema, the two key moderate senators, stopped short of explicitly saying they would vote for the bill.

But Biden did not explicitly call for House Democrats to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a move that surprised lawmakers who were eager for him to pressure their colleagues into supporting the legislation before he left for Europe and ahead of Tuesdays gubernatorial election in Virginia.

Two House leadership sources, who later spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private nature of negotiations, acknowledged Friday that a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill could have succeeded Thursday had Biden firmly said that he wanted it held immediately. Instead, Bidens plea was softer than expected, as he told Democrats they all badly need a vote on both of these measures, a third leadership source recalled.

The mounting tensions set the stage for a week-ending meeting between Jayapal and Sinema, which the sources saw as necessary to broker confidence between progressives and the Arizona Democrat, especially after a general statement she released early Friday only hardened sentiments that Sinema was not fully endorsing Bidens framework.

Jayapal emerged saying little about the meeting itself but expressing more firmly that it is possible for the House to quickly pass both bills by next week.

The fact that we have the text is huge, and we are in conversation with the two senators, and so I feel positive. I feel very, very positive, she said.
Soldiers assigned to the 377th Engineer Vertical Construction Company place a new headstone for World War II veteran Arthur Lewis, at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti city, Djibouti, Oct. 5, 2021. (Andrew Kobialka/U.S. Air Force)

DJIBOUTI  Nathan Reynolds passion for replacing U.S. military veterans broken or missing headstones took him to a little-known graveyard for foreigners in the Horn of Africa.

Without Reynolds, a 40-year-old Army veteran deployed to Camp Lemonnier with the Defense Logistics Agency, World War II veteran Arthur R. Lewis would likely still be buried in an unmarked grave covered in broken bits of coral at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti city.

This is definitely the hardest one Ive ever done, Reynolds, an Ohio native, said of his work to help the Lewis family get a Department of Veterans Affairs headstone placed at Lewis grave.

Lewis, a Massachusetts native, had served as a radioman in the Coast Guard in the 1920s, then on a Liberty ship for several years with the Merchant Marine during WWII.

An undated photo of Arthur Lewis in August 1947. Lewis, a Coast Guard and WWII Merchant Marine veteran, died aboard the S.S. Steel Vendor in 1959 off the Horn of Africa. U.S. military officials rededicated his gravesite in Djibouti with a new headstone, Oct. 28, 2021. (Lewis family) Mourners attend the funeral of Coast Guard veteran and WWII U.S. Merchant Marine Arthur Lewis in October 1959 in Djibouti city, Djibouti. (Lewis family)

He was working aboard the S.S. Steel Vendor, a former troop transport that had become a cargo ship after the war, when he died at sea in 1959 while transiting from a Red Sea port to Djibouti city. At the time, Djibouti was still known as French Somaliland.

The humble gravestone was all the family expected, said Chaplain James Parnell, an Army major who helped Reynolds. But the deployed Americans didnt stop there.

We were like, We gotta do more than that, said Maj. Jay Cavaiola, of the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, who joined the effort in June.

Soldiers assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa display the American flag at the grave of World War II veteran Arthur Lewis during a burial honors ceremony at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Oct. 28, 2021. Service members cleaned the cemetery and installed a new headstone in honor of Lewis, who died in 1959 while at sea. (Dwane R. Young/U.S. Air Force) From left, Jonathan Pratt, U.S. ambassador to Djibouti, and Maj. Gen. William Zana, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa commander, attend a burial ceremony in honor of Coast Guard veteran and WWII U.S. Merchant Marine Arthur Lewis at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti city, Djibouti, Oct. 28, 2021. Joint Task Force members rededicated the site for Lewis, who died at sea and was buried without military honors in 1959. (Dwane Young/U.S. Air Force)

On Thursday, American and foreign dignitaries and service members from several countries gathered in the baking sun to render Lewis his long-overdue military honors.

Presiding over the event were the U.S. ambassador, the two-star Army commander of the U.S.-led military task force in the region and the Navy captain who oversees nearby Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. base on the continent.

Guests included the Djiboutian defense minister and senior military officers of that country as well as counterparts from France and Canada.

Lewis family, who regretted they could not attend the ceremony, were blown away by the honor shown their father, Parnell said.

It was an opportunity to recognize not only Lewis life and wartime service but also the long-standing partnerships between the U.S., its Djiboutian hosts and their allies, said Maj. Gen. William Zana, commander of the combined joint task force. French, British, Australian and Canadian service members are also interred at the cemetery.

Reynolds called it fortuitous that he was among the 5,000 troops, civilians and contractors deployed last year to Camp Lemonnier, a few miles from where Lewis was laid to rest.

U.S. service members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa attend a burial rededication ceremony in honor of World War II veteran Arthur Lewis at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti city, Djibouti, Oct. 28, 2021. (Dwane R. Young/U.S. Air Force)

A frequent contributor to the website Findagrave.com, Reynolds gets notifications via the websites app of requests for gravesite photos.

Thats how he learned that Lewis daughter, a Washington state resident, was seeking a photo of her fathers grave.

Shed uploaded a black-and-white photo of a flag-draped casket taken before it was lowered into the grave. But despite scouring the cemetery, Reynolds could not find the burial plot.

He offered to send Lewis daughter information on how to ask the U.S. Embassy to place a marker. She told him shed been trying since 2011 to get U.S. officials to help her do just that, but kept running into roadblocks, Reynolds told Stars and Stripes this week.

That actually hacked me off, he said. I was like, no, no, no, this needs to be done.

Staff Sgt. Rolland Cheng of the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion offered to help find the grave and get it marked.

He and Reynolds eventually recruited Army chaplains and a French liaison officer.

They handed off the project to other civil affairs soldiers when they rotated back to the U.S. last spring.

The biggest challenge was driving around town and knocking on doors looking for the right people to help them, said Cavaiola, the major from the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion. Americans met with the citys mayor, the national coroner-mortician and a local bishop.

U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task ForceHorn of Africa clean weeds and debris at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti city, Djibouti, Oct. 11, 2021. The cemetery is the final resting place for World War II veteran Arthur Lewis, who died in 1959 while at sea aboard the vessel S.S. Steel Vendor. (Andrew Kobialka/U.S. Air Force)

After locating the burial plot, they helped the family purchase it in perpetuity, which is uncommon in Djibouti, Cavaiola said. Back in Ohio, Reynolds filed the request with Veterans Affairs for the stone, approved by the family.

The VA was a little confused, Reynolds said. I dont think they get many requests for places like that.

Earlier this year, the Defense Logistics Agency warehouse at Camp Lemonnier received the 240-pound slab of granite. Members of the Armys 377th Engineer Vertical Construction Company installed it earlier this month.

Parnell, the chaplain, said it hadnt been anybodys mission but rather something they did out of a sense of duty.

One last thing remained after Thursdays ceremony: flying the neatly folded U.S. flag and other mementos back to the U.S. for handover to the Lewis family.

Parnell said hed personally make the 8,000-mile trip if necessary.
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.
A University of Canterbury Master of Science student, who hopes his research will help predict volcanic eruptions and ultimately save lives, has won a national competition.

UC Geology postgraduate Charles Ching is the overall winner of the National Universities 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) Masters Research Competition , hosted this year by the University of Waikato.

Hell receive $1000 prize after his video presentation; How staring at a lake can save lives was judged the best in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Charles was one of six finalists from universities across the country competing in Fridays online event. 3MT challenges postgraduate students to sum up their thesis topic and pitch it to an audience within three minutes, using just one PowerPoint slide and their enthusiasm.

Charles, who came second in the University of Canterbury 3MT final in August, says he felt happy and surprised when he heard hed won the national contest.

There were some very high-quality entrants. Its a cool competition because learning how to communicate your research is so important. If you cant communicate it, then its not as useful.

"I've really enjoyed being involved, says Charles.

For his fieldwork earlier this year, Charles regularly climbed Mount Ruapehu, an active volcano in the central North Island, to observe the crater lake Te Wai a-moe where all recent volcanic eruptions have occurred. He has analysed photographs of the lakes surface to identify dark and yellow patches, which are signs of volcanic activity.

His study has identified five volcanic vents beneath the lake, when previously only two of these were known, and also found the lake is far more dynamic than previously thought, which is likely to change the way GNS Science monitors the volcano.

All of this information helps to better predict when and where the volcano will erupt from in the future, which will allow people to be evacuated from the busy ski slopes on the volcano before it erupts and will hopefully save lives, says Charles.

University of Canterbury Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Ian Wright says the win is exciting.

Were thrilled for Charles. Its great recognition from the judges of the quality and impact of his research and his infectious enthusiasm for his subject. Anyone who watches his presentation is able to understand his work and find it interesting and engaging.

The other 3MT award-winners were Giverny Forbes from the University of Otago - highly commended, and Grace Mitchell from the University of Waikato - runner-up.
A shipment of 300,000 rapid antigen tests has arrived in New Zealand and is now being rolled out across some of the countrys largest businesses.

The rollout is part of a Government-approved trial to expand the tools used to find and stamp out Covid-19.

The trial begins this week with 29 businesses across a range of sectors, after the 300,000 tests arrived in Auckland late last week from Australia.

As Associate Minister of Health and Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall announced last week, the initial focus of the trial will be on large businesses, including airports, energy producers, food manufacturers and retirement homes.

The Government, MBIE, the Ministry of Health and the trial businesses are working at pace to determine how this testing can be used more widely across other New Zealand businesses.

MBIE Deputy Chief Executive Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery Suzanne Stew says the trial will allow participating businesses to roll out rapid antigen testing in the workplace to help them meet their health and safety obligations, to give their staff confidence theyre working in a safe environment, and to support the Covid-19 economic recovery.

The swift arrival of the tests means we can now make real progress with the trial. Its encouraging to see the collaborative process between government agencies and the private sector working so effectively.

Using real time insights and experience of this business group, together we can look at how we can expand rapid antigen testing successfully for other businesses across New Zealand.

This is about giving businesses another tool in their health and safety toolkit.

Earlier this month, 29 businesses came together as a collective to ask the Government if they could import rapid antigen tests.

MBIE and the Ministry of Health then worked at pace with the trial businesses to find a way to make testing available that was relevant for New Zealand businesses.

The 29 businesses have signed up to a charter, which will be the foundation for this trial.

Businesses want to do everything they can to keep their teams safe and well, and rapid testing is another added layer of protection that we can now look to include into our health and safety management protocols, says Auckland Airport Chief Executive Adrian Littlewood.

We are delighted to see the tests arrive in the country and our thanks again goes to the Government, MBIE and the Ministry of Health for their speedy response to our request. Were looking forward to getting the trial underway this week with our essential workers.

Procured by Auckland Airport via medical supplies wholesaler and distributor EBOS Healthcare, the 300,000 Abbott PanBio Covid-19 Ag Ra7pid tests are being funded by the 29 participating businesses.

The rapid antigen tests can provide an indicative result in about 15 minutes, and generally cost about $10 to $15 each.

This allows for much faster results, which helps businesses operate more effectively.

Rapid antigen tests tend to be less sensitive at detecting cases, so PCR tests will remain the mainstay of Covid-19 testing in most situations.

Rapid antigen testing is not a replacement for other Covid-19 testing used in New Zealand, or vaccinations. It sits alongside these services to boost New Zealands public health response.
There are 125 new community cases of Covid-19 to report today.

Of these cases 118 in Auckland, four are in the Waikato, one in Northland, and two in Canterbury.

This brings the number of community cases total to 3046.

There are 39 people in hospital currently, all being in the Auckland region. Four patients are currently in ICU or HDU units.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson says the rise in case numbers is a reminder of the infectiousness of Covid-19, and particularly the Delta variant, and the importance of vaccination as the best protection.

With over 30,000 tests processed nationwide yesterday, these results arent unexpected.



"A further case in Auckland who is an MIQ worker, first announced yesterday, remains under investigation to determine whether they are a community or border-related case."



As at 10am, 74 of todays 125 cases are linked  including 29 household contacts and 51 remain under investigation.



Cases Number of new community cases* 125 Number of new cases identified at the border 3 and 1 historical Location of new community cases Auckland (118), Waikato (4), Canterbury (2), Northland (1) Location of community cases (total) Auckland 2,911 (1,511 of whom have recovered); Waikato 105 (32 of whom have recovered); Wellington 17 (all of whom have recovered); Northland 8 (all active cases); Nelson/Marlborough 1 (active case); Canterbury 4 (all active cases) Number of community cases (total) 3,046 (in current community outbreak) Cases infectious in the community 27 of yesterdays 89 cases have exposure events Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious 62 of 89 cases yesterday have no exposure events Cases epidemiologically linked 74 of todays 125 cases Cases to be epidemiologically linked 51 of todays 125 cases Cases epidemiologically linked (total) 2,650 (in the current cluster) (289 unlinked from the past 14 days) Cases in hospital 39 (total, up from 37 yesterday): Waitemata (9); Middlemore (12); Auckland (18)

Average age of current hospitalisations: 49 years Cases in ICU or HDU Four Confirmed cases (total) * 5764 since pandemic began Historical cases ** 179 out of 3,950 since 1 Jan 2021 Contacts Number of active contacts being managed (total): 3,066 Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) 77% Percentage with at least one test result 77% Locations of interest Locations of interest (total) 389 (as at 10am 29 October) Tests Number of tests (total) 4,037,705 Number of tests total (last 24 hours) 31,093 Tests processed in Auckland (last 24 hours) 11,942 Tests rolling average (last 7 days) 23,677 Testing centres in Auckland 18 Wastewater Wastewater detections New detection in Christchurch on 27 October, further testing underway. COVID-19 vaccine update Vaccines administered to date (total) 6,761,930; 1st doses: 3,682,213 (87%); 2nd doses: 3,079,717 (73%) Vaccines administered yesterday (total) 44,779; 1st doses: 12,780; 2nd doses: 31,999 Maori 1st doses: 403,647 (71%); 2nd doses: 289,868 (51%) Pacific Peoples 1st doses: 241,024 (84%); 2nd doses: 190,255 (66%) Vaccines administered to Auckland residents to date (total) 2,430,162; 1st doses: 1,301,761 (91%); 2nd doses: 1,128,401 (79%) Vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday (total) 10,519; 1st doses: 2,413; 2nd doses: 8,106 NZ COVID Tracer Registered users (total) 3,330,579 Poster scans (total) 463,360,769 Manual diary entries (total) 19,185,541 Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday 2,520,130



New cases identified at the border

Arrival date From Via Positive test day/reason Managed isolation/quarantine location 20 October United Kingdom Singapore Day 6/Routine Christchurch 26 October Russia Singapore Day 0/Routine Christchurch 26 October Russia Singapore Day 0/Routine Christchurch

Historical cases identified at the border



Arrival date From Via Positive test day/reason Managed isolation/quarantine location 23 October Philippines Singapore Day 3/Routine Christchurch



Christchurch update

There are two new expected and linked community cases of Covid-19 to report in Christchurch today, both from a single household linked to the cases identified earlier this week.

"This brings the total number of active cases in the region to four. A total of 13 other close contacts have now been identified, who are isolating and will undergo further testing.

"The new cases reported today were close contacts of the two initial cases. They are currently isolating with public health support. The local public health unit is gathering further information from these cases to identify any close contacts and exposure events, including any locations of interest."

People across Canterbury are urged to closely monitor the Ministrys locations of interest webpage, which is updated regularly, with initial sites already identified.

"In addition, anyone in Canterbury  especially those in Christchurch  with any symptoms, no matter how mild, are asked to please get tested. Those in Canterbury are also reminded to get vaccinated today and this weekend if they have not already.

"Testing and vaccination sites are available across Canterbury, today and into the weekend. Please see the Canterbury DHB website for site locations and hours.

"Yesterday across Canterbury, more than 3,000 tests were carried out and nearly 11,000 vaccinations were administered  with 90 percent of residents now having received their first dose, and 71 percent fully vaccinated. Thank you, Canterbury."

Wastewater

Covid-19 was detected in a Christchurch wastewater sample taken on Wednesday (27 October), from a catchment which covers a population of more than 300,000, says the Ministry.

"Further samples are being collected today from a range of sites across Canterbury, in addition to testing in Christchurch, with laboratory results expected early next week."

Auckland update

"We are continuing to concentrate on testing in areas with higher positivity rates and where the risk of unidentified cases is higher.

"We are asking people in the suburbs of Redvale, Rosedale, New Lynn, Wiri, Drury, Henderson and Manurewa to get a test as soon as possible if they have symptoms  no matter how mild and even if they are fully vaccinated."

Testing is available at GP and Urgent Care clinics, with the locations of these can be listed on the Healthpoint website.

In Auckland, public health officials are now supporting 478 Covid-19 cases in the community to safely isolate at home.

Auckland retirement home

A resident at Edmonton Meadows retirement village in Henderson has been confirmed as having Covid-19.

"Public health staff are confident the risk of infection is low but, as a precaution, testing is being arranged for all staff and residents. Both staff and residents at the village have very high vaccination rates," says the Ministry.

"Investigations are underway to determine the source of the infection and identify close contacts. At this stage, no staff members are required to stand down."

Waikato update

There are four new cases reported in the Waikato. One has already been linked to existing cases and interviews with the remaining cases are underway..

Three of the new cases were in the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi area and one in Otorohanga.

"An additional two cases have been confirmed today and will be officially included in tomorrows numbers. Both were in Kawhia at the time they were tested but travelled to the Auckland region before receiving their positive results. They are now in isolation in the Auckland region.

"A pop-up testing centre was set up in Kawhia this morning at the Maketu Marae which will be running for the next three days from 11am to 3pm each day.

"Anyone in the Kawhia areas with symptoms, even if they are mild and they are vaccinated, is urged to get tested."

As well as the permanent testing site in Hamilton, there are five pop-up testing sites operating today in Hamilton, Kawhia, Otorohanga, Whatawhata, and Te Awamutu.

"Please see the DHB website for location details and the Healthpoint website for all other testing providers," says the Ministry.

"There were 3230 swabs were taken/tests were processed throughout Waikato yesterday and 4018 vaccinations were given."

Blenheim update

There remains no new cases in the Nelson Marlborough region following a case from Waikato notified late last week. The case has been isolating in Blenheim.

ESR advises that wastewater samples taken from Blenheim and Picton on Tuesday have returned negative results.

Northland update

"Today we are reporting one new case in Northland, bring the total associated with this cluster to eight. This case is not unexpected, they are a household member of a case and were already isolating.

"There were 667 swabs taken and 1163 vaccinations in Northland yesterday. Northland DHB is continuing to encourage regionwide testing to rule out any undetected community spread."

There are dedicated testing sites operating at Kaitaia, Rawene, Kerikeri, Ohaeawai, Kawakawa, Dargaville and Whangarei.

Details of testing locations are available on the Healthpoint website and the Northland DHB website.
Locals describe their surprise at raid in peaceful multiracial area What stood out for many was the stealth with which the Guardia Civil entered and left their neighbourhood

Mauricio runs the bar next to where the arrests took place. / m.f.

Local residents and business owners have said that one part of the Guardia Civil's raid that stood out for them was the stealth and silence used by the officers to slip in and out of their neighbourhood of Lagunillas last Friday.

"It was a case of 'now you see them, now you don't'; they arrived without sirens, without making a noise," explained a youth out walking his dog.

Mauricio, who runs a bar next to the scene, recalled how four people quietly having lunch in the sun outside suddenly stood up putting on green jackets and balaclavas to hide their faces, telling people nearby to get inside. "We all did as we were told."

"They went dashing from the table towards the person arrested, but, of course, they paid the bill before leaving," he explained.

As quietly and suddenly as they came, the officers left Lagunillas without sirens and without glancing back - and Mauricio opened up his bar again.

Lagunillas is a place of mixed emotions. What many residents see as neglect by the authorities is viewed by others as a tourist attraction. Graffiti covering the abandoned buildings - including the one that was searched last Friday - draws dozens of visitors a day on bike tours in search of urban 'authenticity'.

The local Roman Catholic priest, just as the whole community, is used to the coexistence of different religious faiths in Lagunillas. "Islam is a peaceful religion, here we mix with many of them with normality," he said.

Despite nervousness at the police operation, locals are unperturbed. "It gave us a fright seeing the Guardia Civil with their machine guns, but, hey, it's over now," said Elena while waiting in the queue at the butchers shop.
Its time to beat Suntalgia and enjoy life on the Costa del Sol A destination for the British public for decades, the region has something to suit all tastes and moments, making it a place to return to time and time again

Thursday, 28 October 2021, 18:19

To wake up with sunshine flooding in through the window, to wander along the beach in the warmth in the winter, or to enjoy a full day of great experiences. That is to live, and we want to live again.

Because sunshine is life, it improves your mood and encourages you to enjoy every moment, and on the Costa del Sol, were well aware of that. Far from being a coincidence, our regions name refers to the more than 325 days of sunshine we enjoy per year that, combined with the mild weather, makes the area a paradisical place to come back to time and time again, especially after the difficult times of the pandemic. Now, its time to close the door to darkness, beat nostalgia and enjoy the sunshine.

With that in mind, Turismo Costa del Sol has launched the Suntalgia campaign to invite the British public that forms part of the history and traditions of these Malaga towns to return.

As actor Hunter Tremayne  who lives in Spain  explains in the promotional video launched for the coming edition of the World Travel Market (WTM), life is better with sunshine and joy, and Malaga province stands for both.

Gastronomy, culture, sport, leisure, nature and much more are all present in this little corner of the Mediterranean that always gives the best of itself. Thats why the British public, wise and demanding, has for decades been choosing the province as a place to find a little bit more happiness.

From Manilva to Nerja, with a plate of fresh fish and a glass of Malaga Virgen wine. With the gentle sound of the waves or the joyful sounds of the squares. With family and friends at museums and theatres, in the hills or on the terraces. Theres room for everything on the Costa del Sol. For everything except Suntalgia.
(The Center Square)  Iowa legislators approved the second draft of the state's redistricting map Thursday that will designate legislative and congressional boundaries for the next 10 years.

Republican legislators had rejected the first map.

In the second map, Davenport and Urbandale (Polk and Dallas counties) were the cities above 20,000 persons that gained a senatorial district, and Des Moines (Polk County), Urbandale (Polk and Dallas counties) and Iowa City/University Heights were the cities above 20,000 persons that gained house districts.

After the vote, Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement supporting the maps.

Todays decision by the Iowa Legislature to approve the second draft of the legislative and congressional redistricting maps is very encouraging, Reynolds said in the news release. I am confident in how the process played out  just as the law intended, and I believe these new districts will fairly and accurately represent the citizens of Iowa for the next decade.

Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, was among several legislators who praised the redistricting process. She said that while political pundits have speculated about the impact of the maps, predictions can be wrong; many different political outcomes could come to pass in the next decade.

By giving [Iowans] maps that are drawn without partisan interference, we are ensuring Iowans have the power, she said.

Republicans had been criticized for rejecting the first redistricting map. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said Republicans, who have the majority in both houses, would not have gerrymandered.

The House approved the map in a 93-2 vote. Rep. Jon Jacobsen, R-Council Bluffs, and Rep. Tom Jeneary, R-Le Mars, voted against the bill. The Senate approved the maps in a 48-1 vote, with Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, opposed.

After review of the second Redistricting Plan, I believe it corrects the failures of Plan One to redistrict the state in a compact manner with minimal differences in population, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said in a news release. Despite years of fear-mongering about Gerrymandering and claims the first map could not be improved, the Iowa Senate followed the process outlined in Iowa Code and a more compact map with better population differences has been approved.

Jacobsen said the maps would jeopardize representation for his district in southeastern Iowa through its divisions.

Map totally disenfranchises Pottawattamie County from representation in Iowa House, Jacobsen told The Center Square in an emailed statement Oct. 29. Violates Equal Protection clause of 14th Amendment. Thereby illegal.

Rozenboom said the population change of 4% since the last legislative district map change did not justify the wholesale and drastic change of redistricting, The Iowa Torch reported.

As an illustration, my current Senate district, whose voters have elected me three times, changed in such a way that nearly 75 percent of those voters will no longer be my constituents, Rozenboom told The Iowa Torch, it reported. I dont believe that drastic a change in rural Iowa is justified.

Temporary Redistrict Advisory Commission member, Iowans for Tax Relief Vice President and former House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow told The Center Square in a texted statement Oct. 28 that, although he said the plan is not perfect, it was an improvement from the first.

At least there are no more donuts, he said.
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Tahlequah, OK (74464)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable.
Tahlequah, OK (74464)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable.
Navig8 pools boost ( ) Phoenix Energy Navigation has joined Navig8s Alpha8 Pool entering the 2008-built LR2 Phoenix Hope.



BW buys into WOMAR ( ) BW Group has entered into an agreement with the shareholders of WOMAR to buy out the stake currently held by Heidmar for an undisclosed price.



Nanjing makes impairment provisions ( ) Nanjing Tanker, the Shanghai-listed subsidiary of state conglomerate Sinotrans & CSC Holdings, last year made provisions totalling Yuan4.6 bill ($757 mill) for 19 VLCCs, due to weak spot rates.



OSM signs up Neste ( ) Norway-based OSM Maritime Group has taken over Finnish Neste Shippings fleet management.



China to stimulate VLCC demand ( ) The dramatic changes in US crude oil production through the development of the shale oil industry have already had a significant impact on the VLCC market in terms of demand.




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.
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Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,672 Thanked: 10,971 Times

Driving the Audi Q5 45 TFSI 2.0L Petrol AT





In India, the Q5 is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged Petrol TFSI engine that puts out the 247 BHP and 370 Nm. The petrol Q5 that was available in India till April 2020 also carried the 45 TFSI badge and delivered 248 BHP and 370 NM torque. So, it is the same turbocharged petrol engine in the same state of tune as earlier, but now comes with BS6 compliance. The transmission also remains the same - a 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. The 2021 facelift Audi Q5 has predominantly cosmetic changes only and the dimensions are also almost unchanged. Audi has not shared the kerb weight of the car, but it is unlikely that there would be a significant difference on that front as well.



Once you settle in the driver's seat and press the engine start/stop button, the engine comes to life with no drama. The NVH levels of the Q5 are pretty good and at standstill you don't really hear the engine sound inside the cabin or get any sort of vibration. Slot it in D, take your foot off the brake and you expect the Q5 to creep forward. But the Q5 stays put. Then you realise that the "Auto Hold" function is engaged. I feathered the accelerator and got the behemoth rolling.



A quick glance at the instrument cluster indicates that we are in "Comfort" mode. The Q5 responds well to progressive accelerator input and picks up speed really fast. There is no sudden surge of power when the turbo kicks in at ~2,200 rpm and the power delivery is very linear. The upshifts from the 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic box are quick and almost unnoticeable unless you have your eyes glued to the tachometer. With light accelerator inputs, the shifts upshifts happen at 2,500-3,000 rpm.



On the open road, overtaking is easy. With a light tap on the A-pedal, the Q5 drops a gear or two, deploys a few more horses and before you know it, the overtaking maneuver is done and dusted. Audi claims 6.3 seconds for 0-100kmph in the Q5 and we don't doubt it. Omkar mentioned that the downshifts are more noticeable as compared to the upshifts, but definitely not jerky. In the cabin, if the music is not on, as the rpms rise, you can hear the engine growl and has a nice note to it.



Using the Audi Drive-Select buttons you can put the engine in "Dynamic" mode. The Q5 automatically puts you in Sports mode, even if you were in D mode before selecting Dynamic. The adaptive dampers change the damping rate and the suspension becomes stiffer than the Comfort mode. The throttle response becomes sharper and the Q5 surges ahead with A pedal inputs. While accelerating, the gearbox holds the gears till much longer (4,500-5,000 rpm) and even the actual shifts are executed faster. The 7-speed S-Tronic is intelligent and the Q5 seems to be in the right gear almost 100% of the time, with no real need to change gears by using the paddle shifters. Dynamic mode is definitely exhilarating and a lot of fun when you are in the mood for some spirited driving. Do note, however, that the "Dynamic" mode is too sharp for driving in city traffic.



If by chance, you are not very happy with the Dynamic mode setup, you can always configure the "Individual" mode and finetune the steering weight, suspension stiffness, etc. If you want even more control, go ahead and slot the gear selector in Manual mode and you can rev the engine all the way to the redline of 6,750 rpm. The rev-happy petrol engine won't complain.



"Efficiency" mode should help while ambling around at low speeds in city, where most of the Q5s would spend most of their time. If you are too lazy to select the most appropriate drive mode, just put it in "Auto" and let the Q5 do its own thing smartly.



The Q5 also gets a "mild"-hybrid system. This means that there is no electric motor as such, but the car comes with an idling stop/start system and brake energy regeneration. While coasting, the engine shuts off for few seconds and restarts on its own in a cyclical fashion. This should help enhance the car's fuel efficiency.



Earlier in the day, while looking for a spot to shoot, we took the Q5 on some narrow trails. The sensors on all sides kept on beeping with tall grass and small bushes almost invading the trail. We were not really in off-road mode, but the Q5 managed to tackle the terrain effortlessly. When we found a spot that was almost touching the water of the beautiful Pavana lake, it was pretty early in the day and the grass was wet from the dew. Wet grass means loss of traction and the Quattro AWD system jumped into action and ensured that we didn't get stuck or bogged down. Very nice!



The Q5 is equipped with a basic cruise control system. There is no ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) provided, which means no Adaptive Cruise Control - not cool for a car in the segment and at this price point. Audi had apparently experimented with ADAS in India, but couldn't find a solution that works in the challenging Indian road infrastructure and unpredictable traffic conditions.



The Q5 does not get an air-suspension option in India - something that could have helped with adjustable ride height. Even so, the low speed ride is good in Comfort mode and the car isolates the passengers well from the imperfections of the road. The 2021 Q5 comes with 19" wheels as standard (the 2018 version came with 18-inchers). Interestingly, the ride with the 19-inchers doesn't feel too different due to the adaptive dampers. On broken roads, if you slow down too much, there is some bobbing and lateral movement experienced in the cabin. In the same scenario, at higher speeds, the ride is better.



The Q5 is a fairly big crossover, but with the combination of a light steering and a powerful engine, it feels surprisingly nimble. On curves, the overall body control is pretty good for an SUV/crossover. Of course, you have to keep in mind that this is not a low-slung sedan with a low center of gravity and be reasonable while diving into the curves.



In Comfort mode, the steering is effortless. In fact, it's a bit too light. While it is precise when taking turns or bends on the road, there is very little feedback and it feels a bit disconnected from the road. The steering is even lighter in Efficiency mode, while in Dynamic mode, it weighs up nicely and feels more acceptable.



The brakes are sharp and progressive and help the big crossover shed speed quickly and come to a halt without any drama.



Surprisingly, there is no insulation provided under the bonnet:





Overall, we are impressed with how the Q5 45 TFSI drives and handles. The 250 horses are more than adequate for this mid-sized crossover and owners should be happy with this all-rounder that has a near-perfect balance of comfort, convenience and performance. In India, the Q5 is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged Petrol TFSI engine that puts out the 247 BHP and 370 Nm. The petrol Q5 that was available in India till April 2020 also carried the 45 TFSI badge and delivered 248 BHP and 370 NM torque. So, it is the same turbocharged petrol engine in the same state of tune as earlier, but now comes with BS6 compliance. The transmission also remains the same - a 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. The 2021 facelift Audi Q5 has predominantly cosmetic changes only and the dimensions are also almost unchanged. Audi has not shared the kerb weight of the car, but it is unlikely that there would be a significant difference on that front as well.Once you settle in the driver's seat and press the engine start/stop button, the engine comes to life with no drama. The NVH levels of the Q5 are pretty good and at standstill you don't really hear the engine sound inside the cabin or get any sort of vibration. Slot it in D, take your foot off the brake and you expect the Q5 to creep forward. But the Q5 stays put. Then you realise that the "Auto Hold" function is engaged. I feathered the accelerator and got the behemoth rolling.A quick glance at the instrument cluster indicates that we are in "Comfort" mode. The Q5 responds well to progressive accelerator input and picks up speed really fast. There is no sudden surge of power when the turbo kicks in at ~2,200 rpm and the power delivery is very linear. The upshifts from the 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic box are quick and almost unnoticeable unless you have your eyes glued to the tachometer. With light accelerator inputs, the shifts upshifts happen at 2,500-3,000 rpm.On the open road, overtaking is easy. With a light tap on the A-pedal, the Q5 drops a gear or two, deploys a few more horses and before you know it, the overtaking maneuver is done and dusted. Audi claims 6.3 seconds for 0-100kmph in the Q5 and we don't doubt it. Omkar mentioned that the downshifts are more noticeable as compared to the upshifts, but definitely not jerky. In the cabin, if the music is not on, as the rpms rise, you can hear the engine growl and has a nice note to it.Using the Audi Drive-Select buttons you can put the engine in "Dynamic" mode. The Q5 automatically puts you in Sports mode, even if you were in D mode before selecting Dynamic. The adaptive dampers change the damping rate and the suspension becomes stiffer than the Comfort mode. The throttle response becomes sharper and the Q5 surges ahead with A pedal inputs. While accelerating, the gearbox holds the gears till much longer (4,500-5,000 rpm) and even the actual shifts are executed faster. The 7-speed S-Tronic is intelligent and the Q5 seems to be in the right gear almost 100% of the time, with no real need to change gears by using the paddle shifters. Dynamic mode is definitely exhilarating and a lot of fun when you are in the mood for some spirited driving. Do note, however, that the "Dynamic" mode is too sharp for driving in city traffic.If by chance, you are not very happy with the Dynamic mode setup, you can always configure the "Individual" mode and finetune the steering weight, suspension stiffness, etc. If you want even more control, go ahead and slot the gear selector in Manual mode and you can rev the engine all the way to the redline of 6,750 rpm. The rev-happy petrol engine won't complain."Efficiency" mode should help while ambling around at low speeds in city, where most of the Q5s would spend most of their time. If you are too lazy to select the most appropriate drive mode, just put it in "Auto" and let the Q5 do its own thing smartly.The Q5 also gets a "mild"-hybrid system. This means that there is no electric motor as such, but the car comes with an idling stop/start system and brake energy regeneration. While coasting, the engine shuts off for few seconds and restarts on its own in a cyclical fashion. This should help enhance the car's fuel efficiency.Earlier in the day, while looking for a spot to shoot, we took the Q5 on some narrow trails. The sensors on all sides kept on beeping with tall grass and small bushes almost invading the trail. We were not really in off-road mode, but the Q5 managed to tackle the terrain effortlessly. When we found a spot that was almost touching the water of the beautiful Pavana lake, it was pretty early in the day and the grass was wet from the dew. Wet grass means loss of traction and the Quattro AWD system jumped into action and ensured that we didn't get stuck or bogged down. Very nice!The Q5 is equipped with a basic cruise control system. There is no ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) provided, which means no Adaptive Cruise Control - not cool for a car in the segment and at this price point. Audi had apparently experimented with ADAS in India, but couldn't find a solution that works in the challenging Indian road infrastructure and unpredictable traffic conditions.The Q5 does not get an air-suspension option in India - something that could have helped with adjustable ride height. Even so, the low speed ride is good in Comfort mode and the car isolates the passengers well from the imperfections of the road. The 2021 Q5 comes with 19" wheels as standard (the 2018 version came with 18-inchers). Interestingly, the ride with the 19-inchers doesn't feel too different due to the adaptive dampers. On broken roads, if you slow down too much, there is some bobbing and lateral movement experienced in the cabin. In the same scenario, at higher speeds, the ride is better.The Q5 is a fairly big crossover, but with the combination of a light steering and a powerful engine, it feels surprisingly nimble. On curves, the overall body control is pretty good for an SUV/crossover. Of course, you have to keep in mind that this is not a low-slung sedan with a low center of gravity and be reasonable while diving into the curves.In Comfort mode, the steering is effortless. In fact, it's a bit too light. While it is precise when taking turns or bends on the road, there is very little feedback and it feels a bit disconnected from the road. The steering is even lighter in Efficiency mode, while in Dynamic mode, it weighs up nicely and feels more acceptable.The brakes are sharp and progressive and help the big crossover shed speed quickly and come to a halt without any drama.Surprisingly, there is no insulation provided under the bonnet:Overall, we are impressed with how the Q5 45 TFSI drives and handles. The 250 horses are more than adequate for this mid-sized crossover and owners should be happy with this all-rounder that has a near-perfect balance of comfort, convenience and performance. Last edited by SDP : 3rd November 2021 at 16:09 .
What just happened? It's almost become a weekly occurrence where a technology company has issued a statement regarding supply chain complications impacting their products. Despite reporting record sales, Logitech has now said it will also be affected by logistical problems moving forward.

The computer peripheral manufacturer reported sales of $1.31 billion for the quarter ending September 30, 2021. That represents an increase of 4 percent from the same period last year, comfortably beating a forecast of $1.25 billion by analysts. Furthermore, the figure was a huge 82 percent jump compared to the second quarter of 2019.

It's the company's highest-ever Q2 sales, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise when considering workforces and students have migrated to a work-from-home role due to the pandemic. In addition to mice, Logitech also sells keyboards, headsets, and speakers.

Still, Logitech shares dropped by 6 percent after it reported a significant decline in operating profit, as well as confirming it's experiencing "unprecedented" supply chain problems.

"This supply chain challenge will continue throughout the rest of this year," Logitech Chief Executive Bracken Darrell told Reuters. "We will have some issues delivering at the levels of demand that are out there. On the logistics side, we just have to do the best we can, and plan well."

Non-GAAP operating income fell 40 percent to $211 million during the quarter, while net profit was reduced by 48 percent to $139.5 million. The sharp drop is attributed to a boost in spending on promotions and marketing in stores compared with 2020, which saw the majority of non-essential retailers being closed.

Bottlenecked supply chains have resulted in the time to air-freight components increasing to two weeks, Darrell added. Previously, it would take around four or five days to ship such parts. To make matters worse, costs have also soared, the CEO stressed. Logitech is responding by working with more suppliers, on top of expanding current inventory levels of components.

Darrell noted that there's still strong demand for their peripherals thanks to employees working from home, as well as gamers. With hybrid work models becoming more commonplace, Darrell believes the work from home trend won't disappear just yet, as evidenced by consumers continuing to upgrade their home office PC equipment.

Alongside supply chain issues, the global chip shortage has been compounded by several other problems, including reduced silicon output in China, in addition to aluminum disruption in Malaysia. Moreover, DRAM prices could rise with an earthquake affecting Micron's Taiwan operations.

The general consensus of when the chip situation will improve seems to be sometime during the latter stages of 2022, with some industries facing shortages until the first half of 2023.
SpaceX's Crew-3 mission toilet from the Dragon Crew capsule still needs a final review from NASA to make sure that the last-minute fix solves the urine spilling issue that occurred during the first all-civilian crewed mission.

As per The New York Times, the space exploration firm of billionaire Elon Musk is facing an unprecedented engineering challenge for its passenger spacecraft--the leaks in its toilet.

The latest problem from the Dragon Capsule of SpaceX is something that needs to be taken seriously. It comes as the NASA astronauts could not easily call for a plumber when their toilet gets leaky.

That said, SpaceX and the United States space agency are working together to ensure that the toilet inside the spacecraft would not leak. It should withstand both the temperature and environmental changes as it launches to the International Space Station or ISS.

SpaceX's Toilet Issue

Although the toilet issue has been revealed to the public after the Inspiration4 mission splashed down back to the Earth, officials from the spaceflight did not go into details initially.

In fact, the mission commander of the first all-civilian flight of SpaceX, Jared Isaacman, previously told CNN in an interview that "nobody wants to get into the gory details."

However, eventually, some officials of the flight further disclose that the issue with the toilet extended to the fans of the spacecraft.

On Oct. 25, a SpaceX official, Bill Gerstenmaier, revealed that the tube with urine broke during the Inspiration4 spaceflight, which splashed the human waste to the fan of the spacecraft.

Gerstenmaier further revealed that no one from the crew of the all-civilian mission noticed that the urine had spilled under the floor of the spacecraft. Instead, the mess was only discovered as the spaceflight concluded and got back to Earth.

SpaceX Fixes Toilet Issue

As such, last Sept. 21, the CEO and founder of SpaceX, Musk, vowed to fix the toilet of his spacecraft. In addition, the billionaire also announced some upgrades like the inclusion of both a WiFi connection and an oven.

Now, SpaceX announced that it has already finished fixing the leaking problem on the toilet of the passenger capsule ahead of its Crew-3 mission launch.

The engineers of SpaceX had to redesign the structure of the toilet to avoid urine spilling issues from happening during the firm's fifth crew mission to the space.

However, according to the report by Huffington Post, SpaceX is still currently testing the new toilet design to ensure that it will be free from unwanted spills.

Gestenmaier further noted that the ongoing test should be finished before this week comes to an end.

Read Also: SpaceX Crew Dragon to Fly Russia's Cosmonauts to ISS-NASA to Launch in Russian Spacecraft?

SpaceX's Toilet and NASA

Before the NASA astronauts come aboard the passenger flight of the Dragon capsule, the space agency will still have to take a look at the toilet of the spacecraft.

The NY Times said in the same report that NASA is still expected to approve SpaceX's last-minute new toilet design on Oct. 29.

Related Article: SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Offers an 'Out-of-this-World' View from the Toilet

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The elderly always say to avoid fast-food restaurants and eating from their menu as they are not good for the body and can result in high cholesterol that can be the cause of heart disease. But what they did not tell us, and what the researchers are telling us now, is that it contains a harmful chemical that can cause cancer and diabetes in the long run.

US Fast Food Top Menu Items Has This Harmful Chemical

According to a recently published research on Nature, three of the top US fast-food chain restaurants in the country have been found to have a harmful chemical known as "phthalates" on their food. It was alarming for the researchers to have found this, as it was a long-detected chemical that was not something that belonged to food in the first place.

The researchers also said that there was a novel plasticizer found here, and these are chemicals that can cause a lot of harm for the public in the years to come. Of course, there are small traces on the food, but consumption over time can accumulate a lot and turn out to be fatal for the person that ate it.

Phthalates on McDonald's, Burger King, and Pizza Hut

According to the research (as per Daily Mail UK), the three fast-food chains that have been found to have phthalates are McDonald's, Burger King, and Pizza Hut. The items were not specified, but it was said to be 64 of the top menu items found in these chains.

That being said, it is a massive concern for health officials and these restaurants to contain harmful substances.

Read Also: Chemicals In Beauty Products Linked To Early Puberty Among Girls, Study Says

What are Phthalates?

Through the years, there have been reports that researchers have seen in their studies that fast food menu items contain the so-called "Phthalates" on the food. The study presents itself as information for all, as the presence of the harmful chemical in the food that people eat is alarming and very unsettling as they continue to have them until the present.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Phthalates were once used as chemicals for plastic toys to make them more flexible and softer to the touch. It avoids the traditional plastic feel of the legit plastics and makes them more feel like sturdy and softer to touch. However, it was banned by different agencies already on said toys, as children often bite them or put them in their mouths.

The harmful substance was banned from kids' toys but can still be detected on fast food items from top chains in the country despite its links to cancer and diabetes. Phthalates remain a harmful chemical when injected, and this should be immediately removed for the betterment of our future, as they could have harmful effects in the long run.

Related Article: NHS Bosses Wants Hospitals to Stop Ambulance Delays After a Patient Died While Waiting

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Selected space startups from the United States and a few countries have been chosen to be a part of the accelerator program. Together with the US Space Force, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funded the "Soft Landing."

'Soft Landing' Program Selects Various Space Startups

According to a report by Spacenews.com on Wednesday, Oct.27, the Air Force Research Lab and the US Space Force confirmed that they have already finalized the list of select startups focusing on space studies.

Out of the chosen startups, six of them came from the US while the rest hail from other countries. The "Soft Landing" program aims to bring more programs, especially to New Mexico-based space startups.

The AFRL has also sponsored accelerator programs for the Catalyst Campus and Hyperspace.

SpaceWERX deputy director Gabe Mounce talked more about the role of accelerators in businesses. According to him, these programs brought important collaborations of the startups with the government.

"And we are making it easier for the Space Force and other government partners to learn about emerging technologies," Mounce added.

According to the official website of SpaceWERX, it aims to expand its space industrial base through several partnerships of the industries and operational experts in the military sector. It is currently based in Los Angeles with millions of partners worldwide.

The Space Force and the AFRL support the Q Station-operating "Soft Landing" program. The accelerator project is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Read Also: SpaceX Crew Dragon Vs. Boeing Starliner Comparison: Passenger Capacity, Purpose, and Other Detail

List of Select Startups For Accelerator Program

In line with the space startups participating in the workspace, here's the full list of them:

SPin Tech: This Albuquerque-based startup is known for creating a universal adapter that will match with the incompatible satellite pieces.

Neutron Star Systems: This German space startup is currently working with an electric propulsion system that will be suited for space exploration.

Rogue Space Systems: The team behind this group is focused on bringing out a smart spacecraft. It is based in New Hampshire.

Blue Eye Soft: This South Carolina startup is focused on making AI models for satellite problem predictions during the occurrence of weather changes in space.

Equatorial Space Systems: A Singaporean startup that aims to build a hybrid-engine rocket.

Leaf Space: This Delaware-headquartered provider is eyeing to construct a next-gen Ground Station Network.

Steve Wozniak's Space Venture

Back in September, Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak shared his plans about a possible space company that would be unique from a regular startup.

While many space firms focus on tourism and travel, Wozniak's "Privateer" company would help in eradicating space junks. The main purpose why it was created in the first place is to lessen the pollution in space.

Earlier this week, Space.com reported that Wozniak recruited a chief scientific adviser for "Privateer." Moriba Jah, a known space environmentalist, has officially landed on the team.

In other news, drone delivery firm Flytrex announced plans about service expansion across Holly Springs, North Carolina.

Related Article: Blue Origin Wants To Build Its Own Space Statio

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A new giant solar flare was captured by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The giant international space agency captured the sun's latest activity using its Solar Dynamics Observatory, which has been observing any changes in the solar system's host.

NASA said that the sun released a giant solar flare on Oct. 28, at exactly 11:35 a.m. EDT. On the other hand, NASA explained that solar flares are usually harmless since it they can't easily pass through the Earth's atmosphere.

The space company added that these radiation bursts from the sun couldn't directly affect humans. But, if the solar flare is too powerful, then it can affect communication signals, as well as interrupt GPS, as explained by NASA via its official Solar Cycle 25 blog post.

New Giant Solar Flare Blasts Off from the Sun

According to Space.Com's latest report, the new solar flare this October could be the strongest one released by the sun in its current weather cycle.

Also Read: NASA Hubble Space Telescope Experiences Problems, Now Remains in Safe Mode; Team Works on Fix

Although it is a massive radiation burst, NASA did not confirm if the new solar flare could actually harm people. However, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Group confirmed that since the latest activity of the sun released some solar particles, wide-are radio communications blackouts are expected to happen.

"Area of impact consists of large portions of the sunlit side of Earth, strongest at the sub-solar point," said the American space organization.

The sun's new massive solar flare is just one of the space events recorded by NASA and other independent agencies. In other news, NASA spotted an exoplanet outside the Milky Way Galaxy.

Meanwhile, some experts claimed the Earth's rotation is actually slowing down.

October 2021 Solar Flare's Category

NASA explained that the latest solar flare this October is under the X1-class flare. This means that it is one of the most intense radiation bursts emitted by the sun.

But, X1 is just the first type in the X-class sunbursts. This means that X2, X3, X10, so on and so forth are more dangerous since they can harm people in some ways.

For more news updates about solar flares and other related space stories, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Young Baby Exoplanet Named 2M0437b Found Heating at up to 2,240  Despite Being 100 Astronomical Units from Its 'Host Star'

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(Photo : Unsplash/ Christian Wiediger) Facebook logo

Facebook has officially rebranded and is now called "Meta." The social media company said that the new name would better represent what it does as it plans to broaden its reach.

Facebook has been focusing on other areas like virtual reality or VR.

Facebook Rebrands as Meta

Facebook's change does not apply to its other platforms like the Facebook site, Instagram, and Whatsapp. The change only applies to its parent company that owns the said platforms.

The change came as Facebook was hit by several negative stories. The stories are based on whistleblowers and leaked documents, according to BBC.

One of the ex-employees, Frances Haugen, has accused Facebook of putting profits over the safety of its users.

In 2015, Google restructured its company and changed the name of its parent company to Alphabet.

Also Read: Facebook Tagging Issue is Phishing Scam, Clicking Malicious Video Could Trigger Malware: How to Solve This?

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new name of the social media company together with its plans to create a metaverse, which is an online world where people can work, communicate, and play games in a virtual environment via VR headsets.

Zuckerberg said that the existing brand could not represent everything that they are doing currently, let alone in the future, and they needed to change.

Zuckerberg said during a virtual conference that over time, he hopes that they are seen as a metaverse company and that he wants to anchor their work and their identity on what they are building towards.

The Facebook CEO added that they are now looking at and reporting on their business as two different segments. The first one is for their series of apps, and the second one is for their work on future platforms.

As part of the company's change, Facebook adopted a new brand that will showcase everything that they do. It also gives them a chance to reflect on who they are and what they want to represent and create.

The company also revealed a new logo at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California. The company changed its "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape.

Zuckerberg said that in the near future, the users would no longer have to use Facebook to access their other platforms.

To an outsider, the metaverse idea may be similar to VR, but some believe that it could be the future of the internet.

Instead of being in front of a computer, users in a metaverse will need a VR headset to enter a virtual world that connects all digital environments.

It is hoped that the virtual world could be used for practically anything from play, concerts, work to socializing with others. Facebook stated that it intends to start trading its shares under MVRS from Dec. 1, according to Engadget.

Leaked Documents

The company has had numerous hits to its reputation these past few months. The Washington Post reported on Oct. 28 that Facebook withheld important information about vaccine misinformation during the peak of the pandemic.

The report was the latest in the series of stories based on documents leaked by Haugen to the US Congress and the media.

Among other things, the reports stated that Facebook minimized its research that showed Instagram harmed the mental health of teenagers and was not able to effectively remove hate speech from its platforms outside the United States.

Related Article: Facebook's Watch Party to Stop on April 16: Here's What You Should Know About This Change

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SpaceX tested "Mechazilla," which is basically a pair of giant "chopsticks" that seek to catch the Starship and its Super Heavy booster as it lands, for the first time ever.

It comes after Teslarati reported last Oct. 21 that the space exploration firm of Elon Musk already started its installation of the "Mechazilla" arms on the tall Starship "launch tower" in Starbase, South Texas.

SpaceX Tests 'Mechazilla': Giant Starship-Catching 'Chopsticks'

Now, as per the latest report by Futurism, SpaceX boasted its giant "Chopsticks," which its founder and CEO, Musk, dubbed as the "Mechazilla" tower.

The massive "chopsticks" or the catch and stack arm system for the Starship seeks to grab the reusable spacecraft as it lands back to Earth.

The "Mechazilla" is the first of its kind as no other space exploration firm ever had the idea of catching their spacecraft via massive "chopsticks" as it lands back to Earth.

Last August, the SpaceX CEO first teased about the "Mechazilla"'s ability to catch the Starship like it was a tiny piece of sushi.

Futurism further noted in the same report that such a "wild concept" could end up being a monumental disaster if it fails to catch the spacecraft of SpaceX.

That said, the space exploration firm is already testing the "Chopsticks" for the first time ever, which was streamed live via NASASpaceflight.

The first-ever test of the "Mechazilla" was seen swinging its arms to the left of the Starbase at around 6:30 AM on Oct 28, which proves that the "Chopsticks" is now alive.

The Starship catch/stack arm system "Chopsticks" came alive for the first time this morning, swinging to the left relative to the tower around 6:37 AM CDT.



This is the first of many motions we expect to see performed by the massive machinery.



viahttps://t.co/7zaTWf7AbI pic.twitter.com/1iwjhoyogM  Kerbal Space Academy (@KSpaceAcademy) October 28, 2021

Read Also: SpaceX Launch Site: FAA Environmental Assessment, Jeff Bezos Meme, And Everything You Need to Know

SpaceX Mechazilla

"Mechazilla" is an integral part of the first attempt of SpaceX to launch the Starship to its initial orbital test flight.

On Oct. 6, SpaceX started the assembly of the three major components of the "Mechazilla," such as the carriage-like structure, the tower's QD arm, and its two giant arms.

And on Oct. 20, SpaceX completed the installation of the catch arms of the "Mechazilla" to the Starbase "launch tower" after its first failed attempt last Oct. 17.

Although Musk teased about the "Chopsticks" last Aug, the SpaceX exec did not elaborate on how it will catch both the Starship and the Super Heavy Rocket. Thankfully, a Twitter user that goes by the name "ErcXspace" shared a fan render on the social media giant, which Musk gamely responded to.

The billionaire went on to tweet that the render was "pretty close''. However, Musk further noted that both the "booster and arms will move faster."

Pretty close. Booster & arms will move faster. QD arm will steady booster for ship mate.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2021

Related Article: SpaceX Starship Payload: 250 Tons to Orbit As Expendable, 150 for Reusable Rocket Says Elon Musk

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is still pretty new in the market, but Samsung is already making sure it suits different lifestyles and even industries. The company has announced the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G for business.

Samsung made the announcement during the Samsung Together event on October 28.

Those with a Samsung Business Account get a free Flip Cover with S Pen along with a $100 instant credit per device for eligible devices and accessories when they buy the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G was first announced in August during the Samsung Unpacked online hardware event. It was announced along with the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G for Business

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G for business during a Samsung Together online event held on October 28.

Those with a Samsung Business Account get a free Flip Cover with S Pen along with a $100 instant credit per device for eligible devices and accessories when they buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, according to the Samsung website.

Those who make a purchase with a Samsung Business Account can also "get up to $900 bulk trade-in value per device and exclusive volume pricing," per Samsung.

Related Article: Galaxy Unpacked 2021 Introduces the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Z Flip3 5G

Benefits of the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G for Business

According to the Samsung website, those who purchase the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G using a Samsung Business Account can enjoy the following advantages:

Free shipping and returns

Exclusive volume pricing

Highest online bulk trade-in values

Up to 35% discount for the AppStack software when you bundle

Up to 60 days to pay with 0% Samsung Business Financing

Another thing to take note of is the Samsung Business Trade-in Program. Per the Samsung website, the Samsung Business Trade-in Program "allows customers to trade in eligible devices and receive trade-in credit towards the purchase of new qualifying Galaxy devices.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G was officially announced last August during Samsung Unpacked along with the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G.

The features of the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G include Microsoft Office, OneDrive, and Teams integration, 5G connectivity, a foldable screen with a sleek cover display, and wireless connection capability to a compatible display.

The smartphone also features Samsung's first-ever Under Display Camera, an all-day battery and 25W Super Fast Charging, plus a built-in defense grade security platform and the Knox Vault, which protects your passwords.

The Galaxy Z Fold3 5G supports the S Pen, according to the product page of the smartphone on the Samsung website. It also has five cameras: a 10MP Selfie Camera, a 12MP Ultra Wide Camera, a 12MP Wide-angle Camera, a 12MP Telephoto Camera, and a 4MP Under Display Camera.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy Fold 3, Galaxy Flip 3 Nearing 1 Million Sales in South Korea-Surpassing Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy 21

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Facebook has gotten a new name under the Meta branding following the announcement from company CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, Oc.28. The social media giant has become the latest subject of many memes about the tech firm.

Why Zuckerberg Rebranded Facebook to Meta

According to a report by CBS News, Zuckerberg arrived with the idea of adopting Meta as the official corporate name of the company because of the "metaverse" vision.

Despite a big-name change for the firm, it will still retain the identity of the social media platform. Moreover, other Facebook-related apps such as Instagram and Whatsapp will stick to their original branding as well.

"Our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything we're doing today, let alone the future," Zuckerberg said during the annual Connect conference.

Shortly after Zuckerberg's announcement about Facebook's new brand, many Meta memes quickly flooded the social media sites, especially Twitter.

Twitter Welcomes Meta Memes

Able Gamers Charity Senior Director Steven Spohn or most commonly known as Spawn, tweeted that every time people make fun of Facebook on Twitter, the feeling resembles "very Meta."

Knock knock



Whos there?



Meta



Meta who?



Its mea metastatic cancer on democracy & public health#Facebook. pic.twitter.com/DvdcBEuivp  Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 28, 2021

Another prominent name on the social sharing platform, John "Hardcoded strings" Epler, threw a pun on Meta after saying that they never "Meta" worse idea.

Still, many social advocates believe that Facebook has many irregularities in the company.

Recently, the former product manager Frances Haugen leaked some important documents pointing to the company's plans to ignore improving users' experience in exchange for profit gaining.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also shared her insight about Meta. She tweeted that Meta represents "metastasizing into a global surveillance and propaganda machine", which only comes after ruining civil relationships for the sake of profit.

A Twitter user posted that the brand Meta signifies appropriate symbolism to malignant tumors. In addition, another said that the company is metastatic cancer to public health and democracy.

Even Twitter's official account has joined the bandwagon of new memes for the "Big News" that it announced. Popular streaming platform Hulu also said that the company will still remain as Hulu, as per USA Today.

BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter  Twitter (@Twitter) October 28, 2021

For Zuckerberg, the negative issues circling Facebook were not connected to the company's decision to change its name to Meta.

Read Also: Facebook Teases 'Polar,' an AR and VR iOS Filter App for Creators from the Connect Event

Facebook Suffers From Eight-Hour Outage

This week, Tech Times reported that Facebook had experienced another downtime following DownDetector's announcement. At the time of writing, the origin of the outage was said to start in the UK at around 9:00 AM.

Since the major social media app was inaccessible, many users went to other sites to post their concerns. Some complained about problems in logging in to their accounts, while others said that the problem could be on their devices.

Before the recent outage, Facebook has previously suffered from an outage earlier this month. To address their boredom, social media citizens created memes to lighten their moods.

During that time, Instagram and WhatsApp reportedly underwent the same problem, too.

In line with the Meta trend, the leaked photo highlighted the company's plan to launch its first smartwatch soon.

Related Article: Facebook Rebrands as 'Meta,' Changes Iconic Thumbs Up Sign to New Logo

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Amazon will help its customers to avoid possible delays in shipping the goods during the holiday season.

The tech giant said that it would invest billions of dollars to keep up with the needs of the customers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amazon to Spend Billions to Address Shipping Delays

According to a report by Gizmodo on Friday, Oct.29, the retail giant has come up with the idea of investing its money for the welfare of its shoppers, especially those who rush during the peak season.

Amazon said on Thursday, Oct.28, during the third-quarter results, that the company is headed to make "extraordinary investments" in the last quarter of 2021. This period covers the Black Friday to Christmas season, where several problems regarding product shipping exist.

Andy Jassy, the current CEO of the firm who succeeded Jeff Bezos, said that they are after the concerns of the customers. They also prefer achieving long-term profits instead of short-lived gains.

In a statement, Jassy said that they are expecting to land a billion-dollar investment to prevent shipping delays and other possible obstacles to the customers.

The company assured that it would prioritize its customers while managing the ongoing supply chain problems, supply shortages, and other issues.

The delays in shipping could be attributed to several factors, including lack of warehouse drivers, container shortages, and unloaded cargo in port, to name a few.

Read Also: TikTok Video of a Woman Tackles Amazon Alexa's Ability to Collect User's Recordings | Here's How You Can Request User Data

Amazon Slowed Down on Sales Growth

In another report by AP News, Amazon's revenue forecast for the upcoming holiday fell short of its expectations. The impact on Amazon could also be felt by customers across the US and Europe.

The three-month period that ended on Sept.30 recorded $6.12 per share. This is also equivalent to a $6.2 billion profit. During the same period a year ago, the retailer titan has collected $6.3 billion profit or $12.37 quarterly revenue.

For the final quarter of the year, Amazon anticipates its sales to juggle between $130 billion and $140 billion. For FactSet analysts, the expected result could reach $142.17 billion.

Amazon's Cashier-less Physical Store

Back in March, Tech Times wrote in its report that the e-commerce giant has successfully launched its first-ever physical store without cashiers in London. The check-out free store will let the customers buy items more conveniently.

Originally, the store became accessible to the public in 2018. At that time, Amazon used many technologies such as shelf cameras and advanced sensors for item tracking.

In 2020, the company unveiled the smart shipping carts that will monitor the goods taken by the customers. After removing the grocery bags, that's the time that they will be automatically charged by the store.

In August 2021, Amazon implemented same-day delivery which is only exclusive in 12 cities across the United States. Originally, it was only offered to Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Nashville.

This time, the cloud computing firm added Chicago, Tampa, Houston, Charlotte, Baltimore, and Detroit.

Amazon customers can place their product orders and receive them in just a few hours. When a good is ordered during midnight, expect that it will arrive in the next morning.

Related Article: Amazon Faces COVID-19 Dilemma As it Mulls Requiring Employees To Get Vaccinated

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(Photo : Image from Pexels) 12 People from Ukraine and Switzerland are Suspected of Spreading Ransomware Across 71 Countries | International Law Enforcement Operation

12 people have now been targeted by an international law enforcement operation. They were reportedly targeted for their involvement in over 1,800 ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure as well as large organizations all around the world.

12 Suspects from Ukraine and Switzerland

As per a statement from Europol, it was described that 12 suspects over in Ukraine and Switzerland were "high value targets" that are reportedly responsible for "wreaking havoc all across the world." This is through distributing LockerGoga, Dharma, MegaCortex, and some other ransomware attacks directly against organizations in 71 countries.

According to the story by ZDNet, as of the moment, it is currently unclear if the individuals have actually been arrested or charged, a certain Europol spokesperson stated that the whole "judicial process" is currently ongoing. The suspects are currently believed to have a number of different roles when it comes to aggressive criminal organizations.

Criminal Organization Techniques

These criminal organizations were reportedly responsible for encrypting networks with ransomware then demanding that victims pay them in order to get the decryption key. A number of the suspects are currently thought to be involved in compromising the IT networks of targets. Researchers were recently able to find a code mistake which led to BlackMatter Ransomware losing potential millions in payment.

This is while others are now suspected of being in charge of laundering certain Bitcoin payments that are made by victims. Europol notes that those that are responsible for breaking directly into networks did so through using certain techniques which include brute force attacks, SQL injections, and even sending phishing emails along with malicious attachments in order to seal the victim's usernames and passwords.

Read Also: KT Claims No 'DDoS' Attack But a Routing Error that Caused Outage | Company is Now Under Investigation

Ransomware as Biggest Cybersecurity Threat

Once they are inside the networks, it was said that the attackers would remain undetected and also gained some additional access through using tools which include Cobalt Strike, TrickBot malware, and even PowerShell Empire. This is in order to compromise as many systems as possible well before triggering certain ransomware attacks.

It was stated that as a result of the whole operation, over $52,000 in cash was actually seized along with five different luxury cars. As of the moment, there are a number of computers that have all been seized and are currently under examination in order to secure evidence as well as identify some new leads. Researchers are now predicting an increase in ransomware attacks on eCommerce as the holidays are getting closer and closer.

In total, over 50 investigators coming from agencies all around the world were involved in the operation. This would include six different Europol specialists. This was reportedly coordinated by Europol's own European Cybercrime Centre or EC3. It was noted that a recent European Union Agency for Cybersecurity report actually warned that ransomware is now the biggest cybersecurity issue facing the world as of the moment.

Related Article: Russian Speaking Hackers Attack YouTube Channels to Livestream Crypto Scams, Google's Threat Analysis Group Reports

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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
The founder and longtime leader of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, a powerful trade group in the states biggest industry, was hospitalized and his wife was killed Wednesday after the couples car crashed into a line of congested traffic on Interstate 12.

LOGA founder Don Briggs, 80, was driving eastbound on I-12 near Hammond Wednesday morning with his wife, Nannette, riding in the passenger seat when their vehicle struck a stopped semi-truck trailer. The collision overturned their Toyota Land Cruiser and sent it off the road, authorities said.

Nannette Briggs, 77, was not properly restrained and died at the scene, according to Louisiana State Police. Don Briggs was taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery, according to a LOGA spokesperson.

Don Briggs, founder of Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, injured, wife killed in wreck on I-12 The founder of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association was injured and his wife was killed in a car crash Wednesday morning, according to the 

The crash left family and friends of the couple hoping for a quick recovery for the energy sector leader  and grieving Nannette Briggs' death.

In a statement Thursday, current LOGA president Mike Moncla said he was very saddened."

While we are relieved Don escaped without severe injuries, Moncla said, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Briggs family as they mourn the loss of their beloved Nanette.

Don Briggs founded LOGA in 1992 and oversaw advocacy efforts on behalf of the organizations hundreds of oil and gas-producing member businesses for 26 years.

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He stepped down as the organizations president in 2018 to focus on faith and his family, said Louisiana Association of Business and Industry president Stephen Waguespack, a friend of the Briggs family.

"He pivoted to a life that was really dominated by faith," Waguespack said. "If there's any silver lining to this, it's that he's so in tune with God right now, I have no doubt that he is going to lean towards God to help them get through this."

The crash was Don Briggs' second serious accident in just a few years: He fell and struck his head during a stay at a North Carolina vacation house in 2016, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury requiring months of treatment, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported.

Unrestrained passenger killed in crash with semi truck in Tangipahoa Parish, State Police say A passenger without a seatbelt on died when the car in which she was riding hit the rear of a semi truck that had come to a halt in stalled tr

After the injury, spending time with family  and exploring his newfound religiousness  became Don Briggs priorities, Waguespack said.

The LABI president was in Washington, D.C. with Gifford Briggs, Don Briggs' son, when the two learned of the accident.

Its a heartbreaking and tragic situation to have lost Nan like that, Waguespack said Thursday. I can only imagine whats going through (Dons) mind right now with the loss of his wife, since hes spent the last few years so focused on family and faith.

Police issued no citations following Wednesdays crash and are still investigating the incident, State Police spokesman William Higgins told The Advocate Thursday afternoon.
A Baton Rouge woman who was arrested Friday for beating her uncle to death told police she did so in retaliation after he sexually assaulted someone she knew, BRPD says.

According to an affidavit for her arrest on a count of second-degree murder, emergency personnel were dispatched to a home in the 1700 block of Madison Avenue in response to reports of an assault on the morning of Oct. 15.

Once they arrived, officers found Clyde McFadden, 63, being treated by EMS for injuries he sustained from a beating.

Clyde McFadden was taken to a hospital, where he later told detectives his niece, Yketa Sharmeca McFadden, 36, and a man were responsible for the attack, according to BRPD.

The affidavit for her arrest, which did not name the other man, said he and Yketa McFadden went to her uncle's house on Oct. 15 and called him outside.

As Clyde McFadden stepped out, the unnamed codefendant took a board from his car "and began to beat him," police say, "striking the victim repeatedly about the head and body."

The affidavit says the Oct. 15 attack was the second that week.

63-year-old Baton Rouge man dies after being beaten; homicide investigation underway, police say A Baton Rouge man died in the hospital last week, three days after he was beaten with blunt objects at his home, police said Friday.

Two days prior, police say Yketa McFadden attacked her uncle "with a cinderblock and a stick" after he denied claims of sexually assaulting someone. The unnamed man who was with the niece "also slapped (Clyde McFadden) in the face," the affidavit goes on to say.

Officials say the beatings left Clyde McFadden with cuts on his face and head, broken ribs on the left side of his body and a shattered tibia and fibula.

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Clyde McFadden died from his injuries a day after the second beating. He was 63.

After Yketa McFadden's arrest, the affidavit said she told police she believed her uncle had sexually assaulted someone close to her. Police say she told them she confronted her uncle about the allegations on Oct. 13 and attacked him after he denied the claim.

During an interview with The Advocate, however, Clyde McFadden's ex-wife, Ava Fountain, was adamant he was innocent of his niece's accusations.

Fountain described her ex as someone who struggled heavily with addiction but was serious about getting clean from drugs and alcohol.

"I just don't believe it," she said, adding that she believes the assault was drug-related.

Fountain said the Oct. 15 attack was indeed the second on Clyde McFadden in a matter of days.

She said the first occurred on Oct. 13, but he refused to seek medical attention.

Despite their divorce, Fountain said the two kept in touch as Clyde McFadden worked on his recovery.

Fountain said his death has been difficult to process.

"Do I forgive Yketa? I have to. God says to love everybody," she said. "But I'm frustrated. I'm hurt."
When a friend texted Christopher Gregoire asking for some weed, he agreed to smoke with her and arrived at her Baton Rouge hotel room about 20 minutes later.

He knocked on the door, but instead of his friend welcoming him inside, Gregoire found himself confronted with undercover narcotics detectives, he said during a recent interview. He quickly realized that his friend had cooperated with police at his expense. He said she was working as a prostitute at the time, though he knew her from smoking weed and was unsure whether she used other drugs.

Gregoire, 25, was booked into jail last year on possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

The case exemplifies a controversial practice in the BRPD narcotics division: so-called "troll rips" where detectives would set up dates with prostitutes via online ads, then show up and threaten to arrest the women unless they agreed to set up a drug dealer, according to a recent internal department memo containing widespread misconduct allegations. The practice has come under scrutiny amid a widening corruption probe focused on the division.

Two narcotics detectives have been arrested, one accused of stealing marijuana seized as evidence, another of buying stolen electronics. BRPD leaders also transferred four supervisors from narcotics to street patrols, effectively halving the division, removing its leadership and suspending normal operations.

Alleged corruption in BRPD narcotics unit includes stolen drugs, illegal searches, planted evidence After a Baton Rouge police officer was accused of purchasing stolen electronics several weeks ago, he sat down and drafted a memo alleging wid

Meanwhile, East Baton Rouge prosecutors have dropped charges against at least 115 defendants, including Gregoire, because their cases relied on testimony from detectives accused of criminal wrongdoing. The dropped charges  a small handful of them stemming from apparent "troll rips"  prompted questions about whether some detectives were focusing on low-level drug arrests rather than conducting long-term investigations and bringing charges against dealers farther up the chain.

Gregoire said he believes his case illustrates a similar point. He had no criminal record in East Baton Rouge before his May 2020 arrest. He works and pays taxes.

"To be honest, it seems like a waste of time and tax dollars," he said. "Maybe they were looking for something bigger that night, like heroin or whatever. But using these women to catch people with weed on them  how is that helping anyone?"

Gregoire said the detectives who arrested him appeared relatively uninterested in building a bigger case or figuring out where his weed came from. He was arrested for possessing 9.5 grams of marijuana, less than the 14-gram threshold that carries stiffer penalties under Louisiana law.

The sting occurred during the peak of the pandemic, when local law enforcement agencies had been explicitly discouraged from booking people on minor offenses in hopes of reducing the jail population and minimizing the spread of COVID behind bars.

After BRPD corruption probe halts 100+ cases, will narcotics officers change who they arrest? After local prosecutors dismissed more than 100 cases involving two Baton Rouge police officers recently accused of misconduct, the sheer numb

In an arrest report, police disclosed some details about the circumstances but stopped short of describing all their techniques. The BPRD narrative describes how Jason Acree  who was arrested weeks later and booked into jail for possession of intent to distribute marijuana and malfeasance in office  and other detectives contacted a confidential informant at the Econo Lodge off Siegen Lane. While under police supervision, the informant texted Gregoire asking him to bring her marijuana, according to detectives. The report does not refer to the informant as a prostitute, though Gregoire said she was a sex worker.

Policing experts and local law enforcement leaders interviewed by The Advocate agree that a good narcotics unit should focus on more substantial investigations than one-off drug busts and street-dealer arrests.

Jillian Snider, an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she never saw detectives use a similar technique targeting prostitutes during her 14 years at NYPD, where she worked in narcotics, vice operations and street crimes. She said their prostitution operations focused instead on uncovering human trafficking cases and holding johns accountable.

"Often prostitutes are also the victims of violent crime," she said. "Some are forced into the act of prostitution, so now if you're trying to force them into cooperating with police, that creates an even more sensitive situation. That never was a practice we used."

She said using the tactic to achieve a relatively minor arrest, like the case involving Gregoire, seems unproductive.

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"To me, that's so low level," she said. "I think it's investing way too much manpower and resources into such a low-level charge. I would rather arrest someone with 200 pounds of marijuana."

However, Snider also noted there are still too many unanswered questions about the case to know for certain whether detectives were totally off base. She said police often use low-level offenses to solicit information from suspects and build bigger cases. And court records don't reveal whether the officers who arrested Gregoire had some higher-level intelligence or a potential endgame in mind.

Since his charges were dropped, Gregoire said he wonders whether he'll get back the money he spent on bail, and whether the arrest should be expunged from his record. He pointed out that marijuana use has been legalized in many states.

He also said another man was arrested under similar circumstances that night, using the same informant. Court records show a second marijuana distribution arrest originating from a Reiger Road hotel. The defendant in that case was planning to sell $50 worth of weed, according to police. He was also booked into jail despite the pandemic, and his charges were recently dismissed.

Half of BRPD's narcotics division was arrested or transferred. What happens to their cases? When Baton Rouge police staked out a suspected drug deal and came away with large amounts of marijuana and three guns, Kelvin Patterson told d

In addition to those cases, the list of dropped charges reveals several other similar investigations.

One police report describes an investigation "targeting illegal narcotics and prostitution" in the Baton Rouge area. In that case, an informant contacted a woman through SnapChat and arranged to buy $80 worth of Xanax. The woman was arrested after showing up with the drugs. She had no prior criminal history in East Baton Rouge.

In other cases, detectives ended up arresting the sex workers, either for prostitution or because there were drugs inside their hotel rooms.

According to one arrest report, detectives contacted a woman via an online prostitution ad, arrived at her hotel room and found loose meth on the coffee table. Her arrest also occurred in May 2020. The report does not mention whether she declined an offer to cooperate and avoid arrest.

Charges against at least two other women arrested under similar circumstances were also dropped. Both were advertising sex work online, then found in possession of drugs, according to police. Recent attempts to reach those defendants and other women who cooperated with police were not successful.

The BRPD internal memo that describes so-called "troll rips" was prepared by one of the arrested detectives, Jeremiah Ardoin, who received a misdemeanor summons in December for allegedly buying stolen electronics. He wrote the memo not long after his arrest and gave it to department leadership, alleging widespread corruption among his close colleagues.

The memo presented some specific allegations against other detectives, including Acree. He was rearrested this week on an additional obstruction of justice count. His name appears on arresting documents and subpoena lists for the majority of dropped cases, including the handful involving prostitutes.

BRPD narcotics detective, already facing drug charges, arrested again amid ongoing probe A detective with the Baton Rouge Police Department was arrested late Wednesday afternoon, his second arrest in recent weeks amid an ongoing co

Ron Haley, a local civil rights attorney representing Ardoin, called such cases "the lowest hanging fruit of narcotics investigations."

In an interview last week, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul declined to comment on the specific allegations, citing an ongoing internal investigation into division operations.

But Paul, who once served as narcotics commander for Louisiana State Police, said best practices call for detectives to focus on large-scale narcotics investigations targeting the leadership of violent drug trafficking networks; smaller offenses should fall to the BRPD street crimes division. He said prosecuting drug users should never be the end goal.

Paul said he repeatedly communicated that message to the BRPD narcotics division after taking office in 2018, and the ongoing investigation will reveal how closely detectives followed his instructions. He declined to comment on specific changes coming to the division, but said there is room for improvement.
State Rep. Rick Edmonds, left, R-Baton Rouge, and Benjamin Clapper, right, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, hold out their hands as they and others pray over Liz Murrill, center, Louisiana Solicitor General for the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, during the program held as part of The Louisiana Life March South, one of the state's largest pro-life demonstrations, in Baton Rouge Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. They were praying for Murrill because she will be involved when the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the case of Louisiana Act 620, the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, which requires abortion physicians to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the procedure. An appeal on behalf of abortion clinics has been filed with the Supreme Court to block the 2014 law.
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Prosecutors have ditched a criminal cartel case against ANZ Bank and one of its executives, Rick Moscati, but are continuing the long-running action against investment banks Citi and Deutsche Bank.

After the explosive legal action over a $2.5 billion share sale was launched more than three years ago, ANZ Bank on Friday told the ASX the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDDP) had decided to stop the legal proceedings against the bank and Mr Moscati, who was group treasurer at the time of the capital raising.

ANZ Bank is no longer facing criminal action over a 2015 capital raising. Credit:Will Willitts

The case had alleged cartel conduct on the part of ANZ and investment banks in relation to a 2015 capital raising, and it alleged there was an understanding between the investment banks regarding the supply of ANZ shares.

The action has led to a prolonged legal battle that earlier this year saw the CDDP drop some charges and clear one investment banker of wrongdoing.
Economists at one of Australias big four banks have held out hope to millions of Australian workers that their first decent pay rise in years could be just around the corner.

But the ANZ analysts concede that a record level of job vacancies as bosses struggle to hire has done little or nothing to get wages growth moving again this year, and economists at a leading progressive think tank are sceptical that the seven-year run of low or no wage growth is coming to an end.

Wed all like a little more. Credit:Michel OSullivan

The bank believes that Australians are feeling confident again, though, with rising numbers of workers who like their chances of landing a new job in 2022 as the two biggest labour markets, Sydney and Melbourne, recover from their COVID lockdowns.
Remaining remarkably faithful to McGuires neo-Victorian novel, were introduced first to Henry Drax, played by Colin Farrell, who transformed himself physically for this role; hes a hulk of a man, physically intimidating and fully inhabiting the role.

The ship is The Volunteer, led by Captain Brownlee (the always brilliant Stephen Graham) and the crew he has assembled is even more motley than your standard whaler crew. An Arctic whaler is the kind of place where men are not asked many questions, and this suits both Brownlee and several others on board; the captain is complicit in a plot with the ships owner, whaling magnate Baxter (Tom Courtenay) to wreck The Volunteer for her insurance money as the whaling industry is on its last legs.

This adaptation of Ian McGuires 2016 novel The North Water , about an ill-fated whaling expedition into Arctic waters in 1859, is bleak, wild and violent  and thats before the ship has even left the dock.

An itinerant harpooner, Drax is a monstrous opportunist, motivated entirely by his desires. Within minutes of the first episode, hes committed a heinous crime, and theres worse to come. Patrick Sumner (Jack OConnell), a former military surgeon, is at first an unlikely addition to the crew  ships surgeons are usually medical students, not intellectual types who spend their time in their cabins reading Homer  and his arrival arouses suspicion in the men, particularly Drax. But Sumner, who says he needs six months work while awaiting an inheritance, has his own secrets, quite apart from an impressive laudanum addiction. Hes at least troubled by his past  an incident during the siege of Delhi, which we see during his laudanum-addled dreams  whereas Drax seems to lack any moral compass whatsoever.

Once aboard the ship, rumours are rife, given Brownlees history, having lost another ship and 18 of its crew; the paranoia sets in early.

Colin Farrell as the psychopathic Henry Drax.

For those not familiar with the novel, the first episode might at first seem slow, but if youre still watching by the time the unflinchingly gruesome depiction of whale and seal slaughter assaults you, youll either be hooked or horrified; likely both. And as the journey progresses, the mood that envelops the doomed voyage grows ever darker. As Brownlee remarks at one point, whaling men tend to be refugees from civilisation, and as The Volunteer heads further away from any physical civilisation, life on board grows increasingly miserable; expect sodomy, theft and more than one murder.

The acting is superb, and Farrell, even when mostly grunting or smirking like a deranged psychopath, is the standout; he brings McGuires Drax to life so well its frightening.
If youre like me, your idea of a perfect holiday is equal parts indulgence and an opportunity to move and explore: yourself and the world around you or just escape it all and feel a bit more vital. Its somewhere you return from feeling refreshed, not like you need another holiday.

So, where to go for wellness?

The Rock Nature Reserve, near Wagga. Credit:Destination NSW

Now were out of lockdown and can travel beyond our 5-kilometre radius (and into regional NSW as of Monday), there are plenty of options.

Weve compiled a list of wellness destinations around NSW worth checking out for anyone wanting to move, explore and feel well. Make it a day-trip or make it a holiday, the choice is yours.
Two men police say are leaders within Australias national socialist movement have pleaded not guilty to the alleged armed robbery of a number of hikers in regional Victoria earlier this year.

Thomas Sewell, 28, and Jacob Hersant, 22, will face trial on charges of armed robbery, affray and violent disorder over the alleged incident at the Cathedral Range State Park, north of Marysville, just before 4pm on May 8.

Police allege the pair were among a group of neo-Nazis dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with a white symbol who attacked several bushwalkers after one of the alleged victims took a video of them from inside a car.

The hikers, whose identities have been suppressed, gave evidence this week during a committal hearing, describing the alleged attack as terrifying and chaotic. Two said they thought they might die.

On Friday afternoon, magistrate Peter Reardon said there was sufficient evidence to place Mr Sewell and Mr Hersant on trial. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges. They will next face the County Court of Melbourne for a directions hearing on November 29.
Arguing for the rights of all working people It is incorrect for Andrew Charlton to suggest that inner-city folk argued passionate rhetoric to save our planet but ignored the needs of regional communities. It has been the wedge politics of Barnaby Joyce and the mining industry which pitted the urban working class against the regional working class and raised fears of job losses. Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, as Labor prime ministers, caved into the pressures of such wedge politics. Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce excel in pitting communities against each other. Malcolm Turnbull could not coalesce the progressives within his party and the Nationals. Such divisions were not caused by hipster urbanites. They were caused by Joyce and greedy mining billionaires. When Scott Morrison lands in Glasgow, I hope he will argue for the rights of Latin American working people as strongly as for regional and urban Australian communities. You can be sure, though, that Joyce will be channelling Morrison to grasp a lump of coal in his pocket at COP26 to keep coal mining exports going. At the next election, we should never forget the Joyce divisions of dirty politics.

Leon Zembekis, Reservoir Advocating for jobs in clean renewable energy

Yes, fossil fuel workers must be assured that they can be retrained into other jobs as we replace fossil fuels with clean renewable energy. But I am astounded Andrew Charlton did not appear to be aware that this has been advocated since at least 2011, for instance by internationally recognised think tank Beyond Zero Emissions. BZE says there will be more jobs in renewable energy than are in the fossil fuel industry and has always advocated this to political leaders.

Marguerite Marshall, BZE presenter from 2011, Eltham THE FORUM Our right to vote freely Voter fraud and multiple voting is a tiny problem in Australia that is effectively handled by current processes. Nevertheless the Morrison government is introducing legislation to mandate voter identification (The Age, 29/10). As we have seen in the United States, requiring identification suppresses voting by people who need a voice, including the homeless, victims of domestic violence, people without ID and Indigenous people. Australians must stand up for the right to cast their vote unencumbered by unnecessary and discriminatory laws.

Kate Leslie, Fitzroy

The system works now This legislation being introduced by the government to require identification for people to be eligible to vote ignores one key feature of our system. It is compulsory to vote. Unlike countries such as Canada, the US and the United Kingdom, in Australia the Electoral Commission actually identifies non-voters and fines them. Talk about making sure everyone votes. In Scott Morrison marketing spiel: If it aint broke, dont fix it.

Dave Robson, Port Melbourne Clarifying the drug use While not factually incorrect, the story with its headline Gudinski died with 12 drugs in his system (The Age, 29/10) seems designed to sensationalise Michael Gudinskis death. It fails to note that other than alcohol and cocaine, all are common prescription drugs and may well have been legitimately prescribed. While mentioning recent vertebral fractures, it fails to note whether any of the drugs found had been prescribed for pain management in association with this.In listing the drugs identified and recorded in his death certificate, it fails to acknowledge that a number of these do not have to be taken/ingested by an individual to be found as they can be produced in the body in the metabolism of other drugs  eg, nordiazepam, temazepam and oxazepam are all metabolites of diazepam, and so may show up after just diazepam use. Similarly, codeine is a pro-drug with no analgesic effect of its own  metabolised to morphine in the body.

I am not saying Gudinski did not abuse/misuse drugs (with such use sadly often associated with the music industry), but the articles focus on the quantity of drugs seemed to besmirch the impresarios legacy.

Julie Lord, St Kilda East Such illogical logic Giving unvaccinated Victorians a months grace  Unvaccinated shoppers given grace period as retail reopens (The Age, 28/10)  when case numbers are high is a truly idiotic policy. A bit like telling thieves that they can have free access to your stuff for a month and then you are going to lock the door.

Derek Wilson, Cheltenham Enjoy our new freedoms Victorians have proved with sheer will, regulations and guidance that we can prevail. You can accuse Dan Andrews of many things but he was successful in guiding us as safely as possible through the pandemic.

With a full vaccination rate for people aged 16 and over approaching 90per cent by the end of the year, we can commend ourselves for our commitment in making us and others safe. Also the Andrews government staying steadfast when at times it had little support from the federal government and other states. So here we are with new found freedoms. It is not over yet but we have jumped the biggest hurdle. Take a bow Victorians.

Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris A dangerous power grab It is just what we do not want, a premier credited with the worst performance in the country with respect to COVID-19 cases, deaths, lockdowns, hotel quarantine and business continuity, now telling us to trust him with legislating ultimate emergency powers for himself. Does he even realise he is not an epidemiologist, let alone realise his abysmal track record on handling this issue so far?

Arthur Gouros, Carnegie The innocent detainees Matthew Guy is concerned that the new pandemic laws could see indefinite detention for people who breach restrictions. What about those who have been accepted as refugees by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, but have been held in detention for nine years by the federal Coalition government? Mr Guy, if you do not like indefinite detention then work to allow these people a chance to restart their lives.

Ruth Berkowitz, Kew East

Timely advice unheeded Today marks 15years since the release of the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change which definitively concluded that the benefits of strong, early action on climate change far outweigh the costs of not acting. It is a catastrophic act of culpability that a decade and a half later Australia, an affluent nation generating one of the highest per capita levels of carbon pollution, remains a recalcitrant laggard rather than global leader in heeding this wisdom, even if only for our self-interest.

Rod Duncan, Brunswick East Spend our taxes wisely As a taxpayer, I still need to be convinced that the latest plan to pay business to reduce emissions will work any better than JobKeeper and many other taxpayer-funded programs where, seemingly, businesses greedily take the offered money, primarily for support of their support.

Bernd Aberle, Southbank Our shameful way

The Australian way: to deny, obfuscate, damage faith in democratic process, delude the community and imperil the future of this fragile planet.

Lisa Magnusson, Fitzroy North Thank heavens for gas Yesterday morning, sitting in a dark house with no power, I enjoyed an egg and chive omelette and a coffee followed by a warm shower, courtesy of my gas appliances, and contemplated the proposed phase out of gas appliances to the home.

Pieter van Wessem, Balwyn A case of quid pro quo? I think the support for Scott Morrisons plan voiced by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Letters, 29/10) was a simple reward for his $90billion-plus submarine agreement. Hopefully Australian voters will not be so generous as all we will get from his plan is continuing warming of the planet.

Judy Kevill, Ringwood

The poor pay the price There will be a further 2billion people on the planet by 2050. The global increase in temperature is a byproduct of human interaction with the planet  via destruction of the environment, mining and processing of resources, and accumulating mountains of indestructible waste. Two billion people will be born into a world already depleted of resources, forests and clean water. Net zero emissions by 2050 is a deckchair shuffle from wealthy, industrialised countries based on maintaining their profligate lifestyles and domination of the worlds resources while ignoring an inevitable population catastrophe. It will be the worlds poor who suffer and die.

John Laurie, Riddells Creek Same old, same old ALP? It is said that it is time for Albanese to kick a goal (Opinion, 25/10). Your correspondent (Letters, 26/10) suggests that Labor only needs to line up the goalposts for constructive action. Fairly simplistic. Even though the Coalitions recent performance has been less than inspirational, a Labor shot from point-blank range would probably go out on the full. Commentary after the 2019 result said that Labor was unelectable. Has anything really changed?

Peter Forehan, Murrumbeena

Take a deep breath... Anthony Albanese, please send Chris Bowen on an anger management course or at least make him take a chill pill before he fronts the media. He risks a rerun of his performance before the last election.

Martin Crowe, Fitzroy North AND ANOTHER THING Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding Glasgow grab bag

Glasgow travel checklist: Tim Tams for Xi and Macron, whiteboard, hose, lump of coal.

David Charles, Newtown Is Keith Pitt a coal war warrior?

George Campbell, Sale The plan you have when you dont have a plan.

Mick OMara, Winchelsea Will Morrison wear an Australian flag kilt to COP26?

John Bye, Elwood I like Morrisons Australian way. Out the door at the next election.

Frank Flynn, Caper Paterson

Acting PM Barnaby will be humming Australians all let us rejoice while Scotts away.

Graham Cadd, Dromana Politics The voter ID bill isnt the Australian Way. Its the American way.

Pat Lord, Sale Our voting system isnt broken, so why exactly do we need to fix it?

Michael Brinkman, Ventnor Australians need to send the message to the two major parties that were fed up. Vote independent.

Meredith James, Glenhuntly

Furthermore ... Re anyone can go shopping. Youve lost me, Dan. It will be interesting to see how the next few weeks pan out.

Carole Ruta, Cheltenham Crown Casino to keep its gambling licence. You could have bet on that.

John Page, Glenroy If I were deemed unsuitable to hold my (drivers) licence, Id be off the road.

Bryan Lewis, St Helena Gambling is a tax on the stupid. Allow people their vices but please ban the ads.

Neale Woods, Wattle Glen
A 23-year-old North Melbourne man who police say was carrying a gun has been arrested at a property on Bourke Street in Melbournes CBD.

Police were called to the foyer of a building near the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets about 11am on Friday following reports a man had been seen with a firearm.

Melbournes Bourke Street. Credit:Eddie Jim

A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said officers, including members of the critical incident response team, responded to the report in under two minutes and arrested a man without incident.

Police said a firearm was retrieved and the building searched as a precaution. No one was injured during the arrest and no charges have been laid.
It becomes very problematic when you need to urgently transfer patients for higher levels of critical care. The last thing we can deal with in smaller regional places is a COVID patient on a ventilator because we just dont have the capacity or resources. Victorian Healthcare Association chief executive Tom Symondson said the state reopening did not signal the end of the pandemic. In many ways, its just the beginning for rural and regional health services, he said. Coronavirus has shown its ability to quickly seed in regional communities. On Friday, the Albury Wodonga Health service reported 91 new cases as authorities struggled to contain an outbreak on the Victorian border which has grown to more than 500 cases and is putting extreme pressure on local hospitals.

Victorias COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said the spread was being fuelled by unvaccinated carriers of the virus. Meanwhile, there were also 425 active COVID cases in the Latrobe region in east Gippsland, with 46 new infections reported on Friday. Bass Coast Health chief executive Jan Child was also bracing for increased local coronavirus infections as thousands of Melburnians plan trips to regional Victoria in the coming weeks. The health service is treating eight COVID patients in its hospital at home program, but can expand to 40 patients and possibly more if demand increases.

We know were going to get a whole lot of COVID patients in our community, Ms Child said. Loading The Wonthaggi Hospital can treat up to 36 COVID patients, but the critically ill will be sent to hospitals in Melbourne or Traralgon. Ms Child said staffing shortages posed the biggest challenge. Earlier this year, more than 100 Bass Coast Health workers had to isolate after numerous exposure sites were listed at Phillip Island, posing a huge logistical challenge. Mya Cubitt, the Victorian faculty chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, said she was really nervous about how already stretched rural emergency departments would cope in coming months.

In NSW, fresh cases in regional areas are already outpacing those in Sydney, increasing concerns regional hospitals will buckle under the weight of COVID-19. Credit:Matt Golding It doesnt take very many extra patients to overwhelm our entire rural workforce, Dr Cubitt said. We will be keeping a really close eye on whats evolving at a state level, so that the workforces that are already stretched can get support from the whole system. Dr Cubitt hopes high vaccination rates in regional Victoria would protect many of those infected from becoming severely ill, but she warned there would be very little capacity in our workforce to stretch more than we already have. Mr Symondson said ambulance services would also be stretched amid projections coronavirus cases could peak at about 4000 a day in December.

People wont stop having heart attacks or car accidents or needing maternity care as these hospitals experience peak COVID-19 demand over December and January. Ambulance union head Danny Hill said Victorias regional ambulance service would be pushed to breaking point again as the state reopened. He said rural hospitals, without ICU capacity to cope with seriously ill COVID-19 patients, were heavily reliant on patient transfer systems ferrying rural Victorians quickly to intensive care beds in streaming hospitals in regional cities and Melbourne. These streaming hospitals are set up with negative pressure rooms and ICU beds to provide ongoing critical care to COVID patients.

Some paramedics have also voiced alarm that regional hospitals are not prepared adequately to safely hand over coronavirus patients. Loading We have had members say there is no structured handover process of COVID patients at a lot of these rural hospitals, Mr Hill said. Mr Hill was also worried about ambulance crew shortages in regional areas. In one recent case, an ambulance crew was sent from Romsey in the Macedon Ranges to treat a code-one patient who needed life-saving treatment almost 50 kilometres away in Melton. The metro areas get so busy that it actually draws on a lot of the rural crews, which is a significant concern as we open back up, he said.

Australian Medical Association national president Omar Khorshid said regional hospitals were already battling severe staffing shortages, but the situation had been worsened by a workforce crisis caused by coronavirus. On top of that weve still got pockets in regional areas where vaccination rates are not high enough, so COVID will get into those areas and spread very quickly, he said. So we are extremely concerned about how these rural hospitals will cope. But Rural Doctors Association of Victoria president Rob Phair warned coronavirus cases may not peak until Christmas break when regional towns experienced their biggest influx of visitors. Youre going to have people flooding out of Melbourne, he said. Were going to be quite a bit less capable of providing high-quality emergency care.

A Victorian Health Department spokesman said the states hospitals were ready to scale up. We have the equipment we need ... every day we are opening more beds across the state, he said. Loading A spokesman for Ambulance Victoria said it had not yet reported a significant increase in transfers from regional hospitals to Melbourne. We have increased the capacity of our retrieval services to manage and plan for potential increases in rural demand, he said, adding that patients in regional Victoria requiring urgent treatment at a metropolitan hospital were currently being transferred without delay.
A young man who shot dead his childhood friend with a shotgun, about 40 minutes after they had a play fight outside a Melbourne cafe, has been jailed for 24 years.

But Supreme Court judge Justice Lesley Taylor on Friday found it was inconceivable Paguir Pan would have been so angered at being punched that he murdered Winis Apet; and instead ruled he considered his friend a dog for co-operating with police in another criminal case.

Winis Apet was shot dead in Springvale in March 2019.

Pan, Mr Apet and other friends were drinking alcohol at a Dandenong house on March 10, 2019 when they decided to visit a Springvale cafe. In a laneway outside the cafe, Pan and Mr Apet punched each other in a scuffle, and the latter described the incident as a play fight to another friend.

But Pan, who also used ice and Xanax that night, took Mr Apets car and returned with a hood over his head and a shotgun concealed in a bag. He took out the gun and blasted Mr Apet in the chest from one metre, the court heard.
Authorities received hundreds of complaints about vaccination breaches but only a handful of businesses were fined on Melbournes first weekend after lockdown.

However, the Department of Justice warned it would act against those caught flouting vaccination entry requirements in the days ahead.

The Victorian governments Industry Engagement and Enforcement Operation received 1281 community complaints between October 22 and 24; the first weekend of relaxed restrictions. Almost half related to the requirement for people to be vaccinated before entering a business.

Only 24 businesses faced enforcement actions, 14 of which were fined, during that period. Some related to failures to have a COVIDSafe plan, density limit breaches, keeping records of vaccination status, or not displaying adequate mask signage.
Billionaire James Packer has told the Perth Casino Royal Commission he has no objection to an order from a similar Victorian inquiry this week to sell down his shares in the Crown Group.

The Victorian commissioner Ray Finkelstein recommended Mr Packers company Consolidated Press Holdings sell down its 37 per cent stake in Crown to five per cent or less by September 24 in 2024.

James Packer at the Crown Royal Commission hearing on Friday. Credit:AFR

Mr Packer did not appear in the Victorian inquiry but at an early morning hearing for the Perth proceedings he said he did not object to the requirement put forward by Mr Finkelstein.

The billionaire did say he was unsure if the date should actually be 2026 to stay in line with a different order in New South Wales, but he would rely on his legal counsel for advice.
Former premier Gladys Berejiklian has told a corruption inquiry she would still keep secret her five-year relationship with disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire if she had her time again.

Ms Berejiklian began her evidence in the witness box on Friday insisting she had no obligation to reveal the relationship now at the centre of an Independent Commission Against Corruption probe.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian arrives at ICAC. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

If you were able to have your time again, would you disclose your close personal relationship with Mr Maguire to your ministerial colleagues or any of them? counsel assisting the commission Scott Robertson said.

I didnt feel it was of sufficient standard or sufficient significance in order to do that, Ms Berejiklian said.
Pandemic orders are expressly allowed to differentiate between or vary in its application to persons or classes of person identified by reference to an attribute within the meaning of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (s 165AK(4)). The latter includes a wide range of protected attributes including political belief or activity (Equal Opportunity Act 2010 s 6). Thus, the Bill expressly contemplates that the minister can make a pandemic order targeting persons on the basis of their political beliefs or activities if the minister forms the view that this is reasonably necessary to protect public health. It is not difficult to imagine how some future health minister might form this view in respect of political beliefs or activities that involve questioning or opposing the government public health measures. Pandemic orders can be disallowed by Parliament only upon recommendation by the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee (SARC) or if the government has failed to table the order (s 165AU). But SARC cannot inquire into the merits of the order  it can only recommend disallowance on narrow grounds, effectively limited to the order being beyond power or being incompatible with human rights under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (s 165AS). In any event, the governing party may command a majority in the SARC, as is the case at the moment. Thus, in reality, Parliaments ability to control the ministers power through disallowance is going to be very limited or non-existent.

The Bills Independent Pandemic Management Advisory Committee is not a significant check on the ministers power. The committee will be wholly appointed by the minister him or herself (s 165CE) and will have no power to rescind or amend the ministers orders. The Bill also confers extremely broad and unchecked powers on authorised officers: Without seeking to in any way denigrate their important work, it is to be remembered that authorised officers are numerous and unelected, and include relatively low-level officials, including officers appointed by local councils and other public servants (Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 s 31). As at late 2020, there were as many as 382 authorised officers in Victoria. Loielo v Giles [2020] VSC 722; (2020) 63 VR 1 at [52]-[53].

Yet, the Bill confers on these authorised officers extraordinary powers, again effectively for the foreseeable future. If authorised by the CHO, they will be able to, among other things, take any action or give any direction, other than to detain a person, that the authorised officer believes is reasonably necessary to protect public health (s 165BA(1)(a)). These directions can target multiple people in certain circumstances, including if the direction relates to a particular activity at a particular location and is given to persons undertaking that activity (including, but not limited to, a direction to restrict movement, require movement or limit entry) (s 165BA(4)(b)). Thus, an individual authorised officer will single-handedly have the power to shut down a political protest if the officer subjectively believes that this is reasonably necessary to protect public health.

The protests in Melbourne last month. Credit:Chris Hopkins These directions are, again, effectively unreviewable. The Bill also contains many other troubling elements, including abrogating privilege against self- incrimination (s 212A) and entrenching the system where administrative detention is reviewable not in a court but by Detention Review Officers appointed by the department (ss 165BI and 165BJ). It is, in our view, no answer to these criticisms to say that the Bill contains more safeguards than presently exist for the emergency powers under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. The emergency powers are just that  extraordinary powers that are available to be exercised for only a very short period (originally six months, though this period was extended). There is no need to give the government of the day a blank cheque to rule by decree.

It is one thing to allow temporary rule by decree to deal with an unforeseen and extraordinary emergency in circumstances of extreme urgency. It is something else altogether to entrench rule by decree as a long-term norm. In our view, this is antithetical to basic democratic principles and should not be allowed to happen. We are now more than 18 months into the pandemic. It has become clear what sort of powers might be required to deal with it. There is no need to give the government of the day a blank cheque to rule by decree. Instead, the Bill should give the minister specific powers to do specific things (such as border closures, lockdowns, mask and vaccination mandates, etc), subject to specific and prescriptive requirements listed in the Bill, and subject to unconditional Parliamentary disallowance (i.e. without requiring any SARC recommendation). If these powers prove inadequate, the minister can come back to Parliament and seek additional powers. This is how a parliamentary democracy is meant to work.
Top lawyers say the Victorian governments proposed pandemic laws will give politicians a blank cheque to rule by decree and run counter to basic democratic principles.

In an open letter opposing the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 (Vic), which passed the lower house on Thursday night, the barristers argued the legislation prevented proper scrutiny of government decisions.

Premier Daniel Andrews at a press conference earlier this week. Credit:Joe Armao

The controversial proposal, which is yet to be passed by the Legislative Council, would replace state of emergency powers, empowering the premier and health minister to declare pandemics and enforce health directions. Under the current system, the states chief health officer, who is not an elected official, has these powers.

Victoria has been in a continuous state of emergency since March last year, but that will expire on December 15.
Disgraced former MP Barry Urban will spend his first night behind bars as he awaits his sentencing for lying about his education and policing background to a parliamentary privileges committee.

The ex-Labor politician was due to learn his fate in the Perth District Court on Friday over the fake war medal scandal, however Judge Carmel Barbagallo adjourned her decision until November 11.

Barry Urban and the police medal that triggered investigations into his past.

Urban, who was remanded in custody, is facing a maximum sentence of seven years in jail after a drawn out legal process spanning more than three years.

During Fridays sentencing submissions, lawyer Mark Trowell painted a picture of a broken man who had been living in a van at Leighton Beach.
Denpasar: An American woman convicted of helping to kill her mother on Indonesias tourist island of Bali in 2014 walked free from prison Friday after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence and will be deported to the United States.

The badly beaten body of a wealthy Chicago socialite, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62, was found inside the trunk of a taxi parked at the upscale St Regis Bali Resort in August 2014.

Heather Mack, who was almost 19 and a few weeks pregnant, and her then-21-year-old boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, were arrested a day later after they were found at a hotel about 10 kilometres from the St Regis.

Heather Mack in April 2015 arrives for sentencing at court in Denpasar. Credit:AP

Police said the hotels CCTV showed the couple had argued with the girls mother in the lobby of the hotel shortly before the killing, which is alleged to have taken place inside a room in the hotel.
As theater companies emerge from the pandemic, they will naturally gravitate toward places of comfort: things they do well, or have done well before. For Theater Breaking Through Barriers, that is Brecht on Brecht, a show that had been slated to perform April 2020 anyway, which has now finally opened at A.R.T./New York Theatres. Artistic director Nicholas Viselli (who helms this revival) was an actor in the company's 2002 production, back when it was known as "Theater By The Blind."

In his review of that production, my colleague David Finkle remarked that Bertolt Brecht's Marxist views were "somewhat dated," which they must have seemed a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But two decades after that, with the "end of history" firmly in the rearview mirror, and collective anger at all manner of injustice at a boiling point, does Brecht have something to tell us?

Scott Barton, Sean Phillips, and Stephen Drabicki appear in Brecht on Brecht.

( Carol Rosegg)

Oh boy, does he. Through poems, letters, essays, and play excerpts, Brecht on Brecht offers an avalanche of thoughts on war, science, dissent, populism, and the plight of regular folks who toil in the shadows of history's "great men." All of it is delivered in Brecht's signature style, in which the actors never lose themselves in their roles, but the stage still overflows with epic poetry and music. If you find rhyming couplets irritating in comedy, wait until you hear them deployed in a serious scene about infanticide.

Short vignettes come together to form a blurry mosaic of the playwright's life, much of which was spent in exile, just one step ahead of Hitler's Wehrmacht. The result is a Brechtian jukebox musical: We hear some of the playwright's greatest hits (like "Mack the Knife," one of his many collaborations with Kurt Weill). We also hear a highly selective version of his biography. But the show is never completely satisfying as either bioplay or theatrical revue.

Some of this is baked into the script, devised by George Tabori in 1961 for a production that starred Lotte Lenya. It jumps from scene to scene, rarely giving us time to process what we've just witnessed. It's like having a conversation with a brilliant, restless mind who won't let you get a word in edgewise. Brecht comes across like a red Polonius, even more so in this revival due to the removal of The Jewish Wife, a one-act play typically performed as part of Brecht on Brecht that adheres to more conventional forms of theater. I suspect that audiences with no prior knowledge of Brecht will feel hopelessly adrift through large parts of this remounting.

Anita Hollander, Ann Marie Morelli, Pamela Sabaugh, Fareeda Pyracha Ahmed, and Ann Flanigan appear in Brecht on Brecht.

( Carol Rosegg)

This is despite a sharp, energetic staging from Viselli. Unlike certain other stagings of Brecht, Viselli clearly takes both the form and content of the author's work seriously, leading his cast to earnest yet emotionally clear-eyed performances. An upright piano on a rolling platform constitutes the central element of Bert Scott's versatile scene design, transforming into Mother Courage's cart (and then back again) within the first few minutes. Scott's cabaret lighting provides a moody atmosphere for the musical numbers, while keeping it dim enough for Samuel J. Biodolillo's projections: A recurring video of Brecht testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee serves as an essential spine for the show, allowing us to hear from the man himself (sound design by Eric Nightengale).

Throughout, Viselli remains committed to accessibility: The actors describe themselves at the top of the show for blind patrons, and supertitles appear on the upstage wall for deaf patrons. An ensemble of nine performers of various abilities and disabilities cheerfully obliterates the notion that you have to be completely able-bodied in order to appear in musical theater. Brecht certainly would have dug that.

Dionne McClain-Freeney, Scott Barton, Sean Phillips, Ann Marie Morelli, Anita Hollander, Stephen Drabicki, Fareeda Pyracha Ahmed, Pamela Sabaugh, and Ann Flanigan appear in Brecht on Brecht.

( Carol Rosegg)

Individual performances glimmer like stars through the fog of Brecht on Brecht: Dionee McClain-Freeney not only leads the ensemble to adequate musical performances as music director, but she delivers a stirring monologue on the nature of exile (a projected photo of Haitian migrants at the southern border brings this speech directly into 2021). The three men of the cast (Scott Barton, Sean Phillips, and Stephen Drabicki) sing a beautiful rendition of "In Memory of Marie A." Fareeda Pyracha Ahmed has a gorgeously smoky voice that sounds perfect in Brecht's musical collaborations with Weill and Hanns Eisler. In a scene about the threat posed by the Nazis, Ann Marie Morelli hilariously portrays a prescient potato, wearing a bouquet of spuds on her head like a Mitteleuropean Carmen Miranda (simple, effective, yet imaginative costumes by Courtney E. Uruyo). None of it fully compensates for the show's Brechtian muddle, though it does make 100 minutes go by pleasantly enough.

But was it ever Brecht's intention to be pleasant? My lasting mental image of Brecht on Brecht will likely be Anita Hollander's wide, somewhat terrifying grin as she and the rest of the cast sing "The Song of the Moldau," about the bubble bursting on an unjust status quo, ushering in a time when "the last shall be first." In her unabashed glee at the prospect of violent revolution, Hollander captures the true bite in Brecht's worldview  one that has little patience for liberal incrementalism, and which gains traction every day. Suddenly, Brecht doesn't feel so passe anymore.
2021 Genesis GV80 - Chicagoland Review by Larry Nutson +VIDEO

Premium Utility

By Larry Nutson

Executive Editor and Bureau Chief

Chicago Bureau

The Auto Channel

The 2021 GV80 is the first utility vehicle (UV) from Genesis, the luxury vehicle brand from Hyundai Motor Group.

GV80 made a noteworthy and attention getting appearance at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, the only major auto show to take place in the CV-19 pandemic year 2020. I had a good up-close and personal look at the GV80 and was quite impressed by its luxury look and premium exterior and interior design.

The GV80 midsize utility shares its architecture with the G80 sedan riding on an exclusive rear-drive platform. The all-new GV80s ability to maximize passenger comfort and design flexibility while balancing performance and safety capability all stems from its carefully engineered chassis.

The GV80s large crest grille is flanked by two-line graphic lighting that extends beyond the headlamps, to front fender side lights and into the rear quarter and the taillamps. This Genesis lighting signature is certainly unique and an element I found attractive. Bright trim in the door lower panels carries to the rear across the facia.

GV80 has seating for five, however there is one three-row seven-seat offering. The all-new GV80 is offered in Standard, Advanced, and Prestige trims in 2.5T or 3.5T configurations. Theres also the choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive with the 2.5T. All 3.5T configurations are AWD.

The 2.5T is so named for its 300hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that develops 311 lb.-ft. of torque. Correspondingly, the 3.5T has a 375hp 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 that develops 391 lb.-ft. torque. Both use an 8-speed automatic transmission. Comfort, Smart, Eco, Sport and Custom modes are selectable, with shift paddles allowing for manual gear control.

All GV80s are rated to tow up to 6,000 lbs. Cargo area behind the second-row seat is 34.9 cu.ft. and can increase to 84 cu.ft. with the seat folded. EPA test-lab fuel economy ratings are 21 city mpg and 25 highway mpg for all 2.5T configurations and 18 city mpg and 23 highway for the 3.5T.

As is todays consumer must-have, the GV80 is equipped with a complete array of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) safety features.

The 5-seat interior is plenty roomy. The low dashboard height and large glass area makes for clear sightlines and outward visibility. Slim air vents, a large central infotainment touch screen, low mounted HVAC controls and an uncluttered steering wheel provide an inviting and functional driving environment.

Transmission gears are selected with a center console rotary controller. Just ahead of it sits the infotainment multimedia controller that is turned and pushed to make selections. Redundant controls are steering wheel mounted. The infotainment screen is a big reach so these controls are the ones to use.

The all-new GV80 has a starting base price of $48,900 for the 2.5T RWD. The 2.5T AWD is priced at $54,650, the 3.5T AWD is $59,150 and the seven-seat 3.5T Advance+ is $65.050, plus a $1,025 destination fee for all.

For my Chicagoland drive experience I spent time in a 2.5T AWD Prestige with a base price of $63,400.

I thought the GV80 a deserved consideration compared some well-established competitors from American, German and Asian brands. The powertrain delivers decent all around performance. The cabin is quiet. The Prestige trim has active noise control system that cancels out road and wind noise. Ride quality is very smooth. Theres lots of tech features and luxury appointments.

Heated and ventilated seats also have a massage feature. Road Preview uses a front camera to detect road irregularities in your path and adjusts the electronically-controlled suspension for greater comfort. A 21-speaker Lexicon premium audio system with 1,050 watts of power makes for concert hall listening.

More details on the 2021 Genesis GV80 can be found at www.genesis.com. Genesis provides a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty that includes 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance as well as 3 years/36,000 miles complimentary Service Valet. The GV80 is in dealer showrooms now.

Genesis was ranked the #1 brand in the industry for the second consecutive year in JD Powers 2019 Initial Quality Study (IGS), was named #1 ranked brand in the JD Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) as well as #2 brand in the annual Consumer Reports 2020 Report Card rankings.

More models are coming from Genesis. Recently the GV70 utility vehicle (UV) made its debut. Its the fifth model and second UV in the Genesis lineup and will reach the market in 2021.

 2021 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy

February 23, 2021; If you were not familiar with the Genesis car brand you should be now. Tiger Woods suffered leg injuries in a car crash in Southern California. Tiger was driving a new 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV at excessive speed and lost control, according to reports. His injuries were not life-threatening. Law enforcement officials said the crash integrity of the Genesis GV80  and Woods' use of a seat belt  may have saved his life. Passive safety features required for new vehicles today provide outstanding occupant protection. The Genesis GV80 features a front seat center air bag that in combination with front and side air bag cushion the occupants. ,
Mazda Production and Sales Results for September 2021 and for April through September 2021 (Flash Report)







Mazda Motor Corporation's production and sales results for September 2021 and for April through September 2021 are summarized below.

I. Production Breakdown Sep 2021 Apr - Sep 2021 Jan - Sep 2021 Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) DOMESTIC PRODUCTION Passenger Vehicles 42,305 -49.3 311,739 +15.5 544,763 +9.3 Commercial Vehicles 0 - 0 -100.0 0 -100.0 Total 42,305 -49.3 311,739 +14.3 544,763 +7.8 OVERSEAS PRODUCTION Passenger Vehicles 28,538 -33.1 153,960 -23.4 250,344 -16.4 Commercial Vehicles 0 -100.0 0 -100.0 5,133 -52.5 Total 28,538 -34.0 153,960 -24.7 255,477 -17.7 GLOBAL PRODUCTION Passenger Vehicles 70,843 -43.8 465,699 -1.1 795,107 -0.4 Commercial Vehicles 0 -100.0 0 -100.0 5,133 -70.6 Total 70,843 -44.1 465,699 -2.4 800,240 -1.9

Note 1) Overseas production figures indicate Mazda-brand units coming off the production line (excluding CKD units).

Note 2) Global production figures are the sum total of domestic and overseas production volumes.

1. Domestic Production

(1) September 2021

Mazda's domestic production volume in September 2021 decreased 49.3% year on year due to decreased production of passenger vehicles.

[Domestic production of key models in September 2021]

CX-5: 18,921 units (down 38.9% year on year)

MAZDA3: 7,260 units (down 45.7%)

CX-30: 5,808 units (down 21.9%)

(2) April through September 2021

Mazda's total domestic production volume in the period from April through September 2021 increased 14.3% year on year due to increased production of passenger vehicles.

[Domestic production of key models in the period from April through September 2021]

CX-5: 139,403 units (up 25.8% year on year)

MAZDA3: 48,124 units (up 29.6%)

CX-30: 28,719 units (up 28.5%)

2. Overseas Production

(1) September 2021

Mazda's overseas production volume in September 2021 decreased 34.0% year on year, reflecting decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.

[Overseas production of key models in September 2021]

MAZDA3: 13,322 units (down 0.8% year on year)

CX-30: 9,190 units (down 28.1%)

CX-5: 2,798 units (down 16.1%)

(2) April through September 2021

Mazda's total overseas production volume in the period from April through September 2021 decreased 24.7% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.

[Overseas production of key models in the period from April through September 2021]

CX-30: 55,683 units (up 9.5% year on year)

MAZDA3: 50,854 units (down 8.1%)

MAZDA2: 18,516 units (down 4.3%)

II. Domestic Sales Breakdown Sep 2021 Apr - Sep 2021 Jan - Sep 2021 Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) DOMESTIC SALES Passenger

Vehicles 9,420 -50.0 53,975 -17.8 112,624 -8.4 Commercial Vehicles 851 -49.7 5,621 -30.6 9,756 -31.8 Registration Total 8,212 -50.0 45,732 -21.3 97,987 -11.0 Micro-mini Total 2,059 -49.8 13,864 -11.6 24,393 -10.2 Total 10,271 -50.0 59,596 -19.2 122,380 -10.9

(1) September 2021

Mazda's domestic sales volume in September 2021 decreased 50.0% year on year due to decreased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles.

Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 4.0% (down 1.6 points year on year), with a 1.8% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.5 points) and a 3.2% total market share (down 1.2 points).

[Domestic sales of key models in September 2021]

CX-30: 1,632 units (down 43.8% year on year)

MAZDA3: 1,599 units (down 29.8%)

CX-5: 1,535 units (down 41.1%)

(2) April through September 2021

Mazda's domestic sales volume in the period from April through September 2021 decreased 19.2% year on year due to decreased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles.

Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 3.5% (down 1.1 points), with a 1.8% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.3 points) and a 2.9% total market share (down 0.7 points year on year).

[Domestic sales of key models in the period from April through September 2021]

MAZDA2: 9,388 units (down 22.8% year on year)

CX-5: 7,230 units (down 15.3%)

CX-30: 6,772 units (down 33.1%)

III. Exports Breakdown Sep 2021 Apr - Sep 2021 Jan - Sep 2021 Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) Units YoY

Change (%) EXPORTS Passenger Vehicles 25,927 -61.1 279,981 +28.9 462,066 +17.9 North America 12,713 -58.7 131,841 +22.7 195,245 +9.0 Europe 5,218 -67.6 52,365 +1.1 91,171 +4.1 Oceania 2,063 -74.4 40,892 +40.6 67,137 +44.0 Others 5,933 -49.2 54,883 +90.4 108,513 +38.0 Total 25,927 -61.1 279,981 +28.9 462,066 +17.9

(1) September 2021

Mazda's export volume in September 2021 decreased 61.1% year on year due to decreased shipments to North America, Europe, Oceania and other reasons.

[Exports of key models in September 2021]

CX-5: 12,022 units (down 59.8 % year on year)

MAZDA3: 4,598 units (down 55.0%)

CX-30: 3,368 units (down 35.4%)

(2) April through September 2021

Mazda's export volume in the period from April through September 2021 increased 28.9% year on year due to increased shipments to North America, Europe, Oceania and other regions.

[Exports of key models in the period from April through September 2021]

CX-5: 136,975 units (up 29.7% year on year)

MAZDA3: 41,935 units (up 43.9%)

CX-9: 25,899 units (up 40.3%)

IV. Global Sales

Breakdown Sep 2021 Apr - Sep 2021 Jan - Sep 2021 Units YoY Change (%) Units YoY Change (%) Units YoY Change (%) GLOBAL SALES Domestic Sales 10,271 -50.0 59,596 -19.2 122,380 -10.9 U.S.A 24,045 -0.8 189,955 +40.1 273,213 +34.4 China 16,428 -21.5 89,405 -23.6 139,318 -9.1 Europe 20,461 -9.0 106,441 +29.9 149,522 +17.9 Others 31,754 -10.3 214,800 +26.3 333,364 +23.1 Overseas Sales 92,688 -10.0 600,601 +19.0 895,417 +18.7 Total 102,959 -16.7 660,197 +14.1 1,017,797 +14.2

(1) September 2021

Mazda's global sales volume in September 2021 decreased 16.7% year on year due to decreased sales in Japan, China and other regions.

[Global sales of key models in September 2021]

CX-5: 30,143 units (down 12.6% year on year)

MAZDA3: 20,210 units (down 14.7%)

CX-30: 18,595 units (down 0.9%)

(2) April through September 2021

Mazda's global sales volume in the period from April through September 2021 increased 14.1% year on year due to increased sales in the U.S., Europe and other regions.

[Global sales of key models in the period from April through September 2021]

CX-5: 202,026 units (up 21.4% year on year)

MAZDA3: 115,274 units (up 0.8%)

CX-30: 113,658 units (up 36.9%)
Honda Civic Wins 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors and Wards 10 Best User Experience Awards

TORRANCE, Calif. October 29, 2021

The 2022 Honda Civic's simple and clean interior design approach brings home Wards 10 Best Interiors award

Original Honda design approach of "Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum," which uses technology and design to serve the needs of the driver and passengers, drives Wards 10 Best UX award

The 11th-generation Honda Civic has been recognized by industry-leading WardsAuto in the categories for Wards 10 Best Interiors and Wards 10 Best User Experience for 2021.

Inspired by the classic human-centered designs of early Honda vehicles, the brand's new interior design directionexemplified by the all-new Civichelps enhance the driving experience by eliminating complexity and advancing the user experience through thoughtful and pleasing design elements. The design philosophy features a renewed focus on Honda's classic "Man Maximum/Machine Minimum" approach that maximizes cabin space, while minimizing space required for mechanical components. Inside, the M/M approach results in a strikingly simple, clean and modern take on classic Civic values. By evoking the uncluttered cabin design of early generations of Civic, the new model's interior features exceptional visibility, intuitive ergonomics, extraordinary passenger volume and driver-focused technology.







About Honda

Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO 2 emissions of any major full-line automaker in America, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Honda lineup includes the Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda's electrified vehicle lineup includes the Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, Insight hybrid-electric sedan, and the Clarity Fuel Cell and Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 38 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2020, more than 95 percent of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

For More Information

Additional media information including detailed pricing features and high-resolution photography of all current Honda models is available at hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda.
Former Congressman Will Hurd gave a talk during an event hosted by MSC Wiley. The event was focused around issues pertaining to cyber security.
Hello everyone, God is love. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but they shall have everlasting life. John 15:13-14 states: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hi
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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.
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Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.
Phil Retberg leads his cows back to the pasture after the morning milking at his family's farm, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Penobscot, Maine. The Retbergs are proponents of a "right to food" bill that they say would be "an antidote to corporate control of our food supply," and a chance for rural communities to become self sufficient when it comes to what food they grow and eat.
Portsmouth, N.H. firefighter administers a syringe of the COVID-19 vaccine to an awaiting car at a drive up clinic set up by the New Hampshire National Guard at a bus station, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Dover, N.H.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers an address Aug. 10, 2021, in which he announced that he would be stepping down as governor. The resignation follows an attorney general report supporting allegations of sexual harassment by Cuomo against members of his own staff.
The Hate U Give, book by Angie Thomas was checked out by a DuBois Area Middle School student and several parents brought it to the attention to the DuBois Area School Board at Thursdays meeting. The parents and a student say that it is not appropriate reading material for middle school students.
The Punxsutawney Area Hospital set up a display of white flags to symbolize the Jefferson County residents who have died from COVID-19 and red flags to symbolize the essential workers who continue to work to keep the community safe throughout the pandemic.
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Oneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
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.

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News

Boy Scouts learn about aviation at county's airport

scarpenter / Contributed Photos More than 100 Boy Scouts spend time at Rutherford County Airport last weekend, learning about aviation and taking an airplane ride. scarpenter / Contributed photo Robert Logan, a volunteer pilot from Twin Lakes jumped from an airplane with the American flag as part of the Boy Scouts weekend at Rutherford County Airport.

RUTHERFORDTON  Rutherford County Airport hosted special guests the weekend of Oct. 22-24. A total of 122 Boy Scouts were there, learning about flight, and ultimately taking airplane rides.

The Scouts included the Rutherfordton troop, and also Scouts from the region including the Gastonia area, and a couple of groups from South Carolina.

The troops pitched their tents and slept at the airport Friday and Saturday night. They prepared their own food. On Saturday morning, the Scouts were in class, learning about topics ranging from communication, navigation, aerodynamics and weather.

Shortly after noon, the Scouts took a short ride in an airplane, flying over Rutherfordton and Spindale, and back to the airport. For about half of the Scouts, it was their first time flying. For the majority, it was the first time in a small aircraft.

They were thrilled, said Russell Hyde, who organized the event.

Hyde, who operates Plane Werks, an airplane maintenance and ferry business located at the airport, is passionate about flying and about Boy Scouts. He recruited his friends who are also pilots, to fly to the airport and provide the rides.

The Scouts were mostly 12-14 years old. Many were a bit anxious about their first flight.

One kid who got in the plane was looking nervous, and I asked him if he was OK? He said...I dont know, Hyde said.

Hyde told the Scout they would turn back, if at any point he thought he couldnt continue.

That kid had a great time, Hyde said. He was very excited.

The 14 volunteer pilots, including Hyde, donated their time and paid all expenses associated with the flights. Five American Airlines captains were included among the volunteers.

I love introducing people, especially kids, to flying, Hyde said.

Hydes son is a commercial pilot.

Hyde did most of the planning for the event, which he hopes will happen every three to four years. This was the third event, postponed from last last year because of covid. He likes seeing the thrill in the eyes of the youth when they fly for the first time.

Saturday mornings events were kicked off with Hyde flying a plane above the airfield, while his friend and fellow pilot, Robert Logan, jumped from the plane with an American flag.

On Saturday evening, Hyde reminded the Scouts to always keep looking to the skies for inspiration. With that, the Scouts were surprised with a fireworks display.

Eric Wells is the Rutherfordton troop leader.

These Scouts were so excited...before, during, and after their flights, Wells said. Coming off the plans, they were all grinning from ear to ear.

Events like this one, according to Wells, are good for the Scouts.

We constantly work to expose them to new experiences. We want them to have experiences that they have never had before, Wells said. We want them to learn something new, and conquer their fears.

Wells, who operates Associated Printing and Services in Rutherfordton, was involved with Boy Scouts since he was a child. Wells was an Eagle Scout as was his father, and his son. For the past 20 years, he has been a Scout volunteer, and for the past seven years he has led the Rutherfordton troop.

Our event last weekend was a tremendous success, he added.

Devon Raisch, Rutherford County airport manager, was pleased that the Scouts spent the weekend at the airport.

They all appeared to have a great time. They learned about the airport, and hopefully it grows their interest in aviation, Raisch said.

Raisch says the airport welcomes anyone who would like to see all that goes on at the airport. He encourages other groups to contact the airport and schedule a visit.
Echo Park - The LAPD today said that 182 demonstrators were arrested last night during protests over the closure of the once sprawling homeless encampment at Echo Park Lake.

This morning, the two final residents of the encampment who had refused to leave were arrested for erecting a tent in a city park. Both men -- identified by the advocacy group Ground Game L.A. as Ayman Ahmed and David Busch-Lilly -- also failed to accept offers of housing in other locations, officials said. Ground Game L.A. told the LA Times that Ahmed and Busch-Lilly have since been released from custody.

"I think a lot of people probably who were protesting didn't know that there were only two people last night even left in the park," Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters this morning.

The demonstrators were arrested for failing to disperse after unlawful public assemblies were declared. Three journalists and as well as members the National Lawyers Guild who had been monitoring the protests were at one point detained but later released, according to the LAPD.

Two officers sustained minor injuries, but there was no word on whether any protesters were hurt.

Except for Park Avenue, the streets around Echo Park Lake were reopened this morning after being shut down on Wednesday night. The sidewalks around the lake, however, remained closed this afternoon.

The protests were staged by activists and allies of the homeless after City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell announced earlier this week that Echo Park Lake would be closed and fenced off to repair an estimated $500,000 in damage. Persons who had turned down offers to be housed elsewhere had to leave the park after the closure.

LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) assisted with the removal of all volunteer storage items and property, removing trash and hazardous materials, and taking all unattended personal belongings that remained on-site to one of two LASAN storage facilities for retrieval by the owners. Property left behind will be stored for a minimum of 30 days.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority said today that 138 park residents were placed in Project Roomkey hotel rooms, 35 in Project Homekey sites and 11 in A Bridge Home shelters.

LAPD criticized over arrests

The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the Los Angeles Police Department's response, which included detaining legal observers and journalists covering the protests.

"Taking militarized police action to displace people who are already displaced is cruel and does nothing to bolster public safety. Mass arrests of protesters, legal observers and journalists will not keep the city's brutal, ill-conceived actions from being known. The city leaders who approved this approach should be held accountable," the ACLU said.

Westside Councilman Mike Bonin called the police response "a disgrace."

"A neighborhood in lockdown. Hundreds of cops in riot gear. Reporters being zip-tied and detained. Protesters being kettled and arrested. This is a disgrace and it did not have to happen. It's a shameful day for Los Angeles," he said on Twitter.

City News Service contributed to this report

More Echo Park Tent City Stories

A tent city has become part of the landscape and art of Echo Park

 Woman dies in tent at Echo Park Lake

 Echo Park Lake homelessness raises concerns about hygiene and health

 100 Tents & Counting: Homeless encampment continues to grow at Echo Park Lake

City News Service contributed to this report

This story has been updated and revised to account for new information and details
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd speaks at a crime scene on July 18, 2020. (Courtesy of Polk County Sheriffs Office)

102 Tricked, Then Arrested, in Florida Human-Trafficking Sting

It was all tricks and no treats for 102 people who were arrested on various prostitution charges this week, after police in Florida used a sting to identify victims of human trafficking.

The youngest person taken into custody was 19 years of age and the oldest was 78.

For six days the Polk County Sheriffs Office conducted a special operation with detectives in Operation No Tricks, No Treats.

Its intent was to identify, and help, victims of human trafficking with a focus on those forced into prostitution.

The main targets were those who prey on the victims, as well as the deviant child predators who stalk children online, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference Oct. 28.

We work hand-in-hand with organizations to get help for the victims of human trafficking; We identified three possible victims during this investigation.

The sting used online advertisements to arrange meetings between undercover detectives and suspects, which took place at an undisclosed location in Polk County.

Some of those arrested were thinking they were going to meet, and have sex, with girls aged 13 and 14.

My number one focus in life is to find those who want to hurt our children, Judd said during the press conference.

He said Florida law treats all solicitors of prostitution as victims and authorities obtain assistance from various social services agencies.

Detectives worked closely with non-profit childrens advocate groups for assistance and support.

Thirty-eight people were arrested for offering to turn a trick (commit prostitution), but were treated to a second-degree misdemeanor charge.

Four of those have prior arrests for prostitution, two were possible adult victims of human trafficking and a third juvenile victim was not taken into custody.

The officers arrested 62 for soliciting a prostitute, a first-degree misdemeanor, and five of those had been previously arrested for the same behavior.

During the arrests, detectives seized cocaine heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) and marijuana.

Three people were in the country illegally, two were victims of possible trafficking.

Those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time included 11 who admitted they were married, four were from other states, but 55 lived in Polk County.

At the end of the investigation, there were a total of 29 felonies and 143 misdemeanor charges filed. Most of those arrested have prior criminal records for similar crimes.

A total of five other law enforcement and social service agencies assisted in the investigation.
2 People Detained at Los Angeles Airport After Reports of Armed Individual: Officials

Approximately 300 passengers were evacuated from Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 1 onto the airfield, leaving two people injured.

Two people were detained at the Los Angeles International Airport after airport officers responded to reports of an individual with a firearm on Thursday evening.

In a statement, LAX said a security incident was reported at about 7:30 p.m., which prompted the self-evacuation of some 300 passengers from Terminal 1 onto the airfield. Flights were temporarily grounded, before the airport fully reopened by 9:12 p.m.

Police said that by 7:50 p.m. there was no threat or active shooter at the airport, according to a statement from LAX. No shots were fired and no weapon was recovered, the airport added.

Two people sustained minor to moderate injuries during the self-evacuation, and were treated by the Los Angeles Fire Department, the airport said.

Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department told KTLA 5 that a 40-year-old man was injured, but didnt require medical treatment in hospital, while another person, whose age and gender are unknown, was taken to a local hospital.

Speaking with ABC7 shortly after the incident, one passenger said the pilot said someone believed they saw an individual with a firearm and shouted, Gun!

All runways are open and traffic is moving normally. Check your flight information in case of changes tonight, LAX said in its latest update on Twitter.

Passengers who self-evacuated from Terminal 1 earlier can reclaim their belongings at baggage claim inside the lower level of Terminal 1, the airport added.

One social media user, who claims she was in Terminal 1 at the time of the incident, wrote on Twitter that she and her friend were scared for our lives.

The whole situation and the hours after have been handled so poorly, she wrote.
A woman and child ride a scooter past the China-Myanmar border gate in Muse, Burma on July 5, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

7-Month COVID-19 Lockdown Leaves a Chinese City Devastated

Workers in Chinas gateway to Burma (also known as Myanmar) in Yunnan Province have been left struggling to make ends meet as a result of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown.

Some said both their hopes and savings have been drained since the city started its restrictions in late March.

I filled out a lot of [application] forms but only received 1 pound of rice [from the local government], one netizen in Ruili city wrote.

The city of Ruili has had on-again, off-again lockdowns due to sporadic CCP virus outbreaks since last year, as local authorities attempt to stamp out new infections.

Since March 29, local authorities have imposed strict measures after a new virus flare-up. The border city has been a marketplace for jade jewelry for a long time. Now, shops are shut down, trade is suspended, and unemployment has surged to the highest in a decade in the once-lively city.

Lin Quan (pseudonym), a Sichuan jeweler who sells bracelets in Ruili, has not earned a penny since that date. He told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that he can only live on overdraft or borrow money from family members.

The stalls and stores there have been closed, and all deliveries halted. How can you do business?  How do you think you can make a living? Lin said. About 90 percent of the stores had to close. They cant hold on.

When state-owned media CCTV earlier broadcast online images of the city, the screen was filled with local netizens crying for help, according to Lin. The live stream was later halted.

That is the reality in Ruili, the [loss of] livelihood in the whole small citycries of complaint fill the streets.

Residents wait for COVID-19 coronavirus testing in Ruili in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province on Sept. 15, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Besides halted trade, self-paid hotel quarantine, and travel bans, few people receive wage subsidies or business financial support, including struggling employers, vulnerable workers, and the unemployed.

The owner of a local barbershop, Cheng Hao (pseudonym), told The Epoch Times that his business has been closed for seven months. And I was living on my savings.  If you have a mortgage, car loan, without any income, there is absolutely no way to live.

The county-level city is suffering from a once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe, said Dai Rongli, the former vice mayor of Ruili. A small town should be given more care in place while being given more responsibility, Dai said in an Oct. 28 social media post.

The strapped finances, the exhausted manpower, as well as the daunting gateway city responsibility, make this small town unable to bear the weight any longer, the article reads, while flagging that the central government should take responsibility.

Its necessary to resume production and trade.

Police tape blocks access to a building as part of COVID-19 measures in the city of Ruili in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province on July 5, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Not only are the people without any income collapsing, but public servants have also collapsed, feeling they are doing useless work, Cui Yingzi (pseudonym), a resident of Ruili, told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times on Oct. 28.

My niece, who is under two, has had almost 50 nucleic acid tests. She is still so young, Cui said.

Yet the citys propaganda department denies there is a full lockdown, calling it a period of strict control, state media reported on Oct. 28. The people have no problems with supplies and livelihood security, a spokesman told the media.

Lin said officials are whitewashing the hardships of the people, calling the governments briefing a mere formality.

Across China, the year-on-year gross domestic product growth in the third quarter hit a year low at 4.9 percent, according to official data released earlier this month. The nationwide factory activity also shrank in September for the first time since February 2020.

Gu Xiaohua and Gu Qinger contributed to this report.
90 More Police in Australian State Suspended After Refusing Vaccine

Another 92 police officers in the Australian state of Victoria have been suspended and could lose their jobs after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by a government-mandated deadline. It follows an earlier wave of suspensions in mid-October, where 43 officers were stood down.

On Oct. 29, Victoria Police confirmed that 74 police officers and 18 protective services officers (PSO) were stood down after failing to comply with a directive from the states chief health officer and chief commissioner to receive the vaccine.

Police officers and PSOs who have chosen not to be vaccinated have been referred to Professional Standards Command for failing to abide by an instruction of the chief commissioner and subsequent disciplinary action, which may result in the members being terminated, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

These officers have currently been stood down and directed to take accrued leave, he said, which includes recreation or long service leave.

Police patrol the quiet streets of Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 4, 2021. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

On Oct. 18, 34 police officers and nine protective services officers were stood down after failing to receive the vaccine before a mandatory vaccination deadline.

Jerry Anyoun, leader of the African Australian Family and Youth Foundation in Melbourne, said police were already struggling to deal with the crime rate in parts of the city before the pandemic and urged authorities not to stand down officers.

We need police. We need more police, he told The Epoch Times on Oct. 29. Some of us dont agree with the mandate, some do. But what we should look at is the critical job theyre doing, and the amount of time it takes to train more police.

I would encourage the director of police not to stand them down and look at rapid antigen testing instead, he added. If theyre willing to get tested and go to workas long as theyre not COVID-19 positiveI believe they should have the chance to serve the community.

Anyoun was also concerned that the pandemic had left segments of society jobless, and this could contribute to an increase in crime rates.

I hope that I am proven wrong, but the poverty rate has gone up, and mental health issues [have increased] in young people, unemployment is also an issue in some members of the communityand that will lead to needing more police, he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews issued a sweeping edict in early October, making it compulsory for all authorised workers in the state to receive the first dose of the vaccine by Oct. 15 and the second dose by Nov. 26.

Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews speaks in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

He estimated the order would affect 1.25 million individuals across a range of occupations, including police, personal trainers, retail workers, journalists, actors, and lawyers.

This is critically important to keep the case numbers down so that we can open up on Oct. 26, get our freedom back, get the economy going again, and deliver the national plan, he told reporters on Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, the suspensions come after two Victorian police officers publicly resigned, saying enforcing government health restrictions clashed with their own values.

My personal beliefs about what I believe to be right and ethical appear to be at complete odds with the organisation, Craig Backman, a former senior constable, said in a Facebook post on Oct. 12.

How can I possibly reconcile myself with working for an organisation that is involved with the enforcement of the removal of human rights?

On Oct. 8, former Acting Senior Sergeant Krystle Mitchell, who was on the police force for 16 years, said that while she was happy working for the force every day, behind that is all of my friends that are police officers, that are working the front line and are suffering every day enforcing [the Victorian chief health officers] directions that a vast majority, or certainly a great majority, dont believe in and dont want to enforce.

The consequences of me being here today is that I will be resigning from Victoria Police, effective at the end of this interview, because the consequences of me coming out publicly would be dismissal, she told Discernable.
A Little Bird Hugging a Resting Rhinos Horn Is Captured in Safari Guides Amazing Photo

On spotting a small bird in a unique embrace with a rhinos horn, a South African photographic guide snapped a shot of the precious moment at the perfect time. The heartwarming photo has gone viral and brought joy to many people.

Zaheer Ali, who originally hails from Johannesburg but now lives in Polokwane, is the founder of Zali Safari, a brand built by him and his wife with the intent to showcase Africas wild and beautiful places to the world.

Ali was driving an afternoon tour toward the site of a lion sighting at Mala Mala Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger area in December 2020 when his group came across a lone rhino.

He had stopped the vehicle at a safe distance to tell the family of four on his tour some facts about rhinos, when an oxpecker caught his eye.

I watched as this tiny bird sharpened its beak on the horn of the rhino and it was something I had never seen before, Ali, 32, explained on the Zali Safari blog. As photographers, we are always looking for something different to capture, and this was definitely it!

As the little bird stopped to rest on the rhinos horn, Ali picked up his camera and captured his best photo. He shared it on Instagram, captioned, Sometimes all you need is a hug, and love poured in from netizens in the thousands.

Speaking to The Epoch Times, Ali reflected, Just a simple, everyday interaction between two animals has brought so much joy to so many, and we love that we can do that through this image!

I did not expect this photo to be showcased the way it has, he continued, but in a time where we are longing for that human touch and human interaction, this photo has reminded so many of what life was before the pandemic.

Ali, who has always had an interest in photography, shot cityscapes until his fascination with wildlife took over. This portrait with the rhino marks a turning point in the photographers journey. The photo went viral, and after entering a Kruger Magazine photography competition, Ali won its Amateur Photo and Most Popular Photo awards for the extraordinary shot.

I would really like to encourage others to get in touch with nature and start enjoying whats out there, said Ali, whos flattered by the overwhelming response the image has received. It is so important for us to be in tune with our natural selves, so that we can feel human once again.

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
Amid high tensions between China and Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen answers a question that no Taiwanese president has in the past 40 years: whether American troops are stationed on Taiwanese soil.

A veteran in Taiwan tells how, as a soldier, he shot from an island at Chinese ships. That spot lies just 2 miles from Chinas coast.

U.S. President Joe Biden says Americas commitment to Taiwan is rock solid.

In a major stock fall, Chinas largest tech company Alibaba has lost nearly $350 billion in the worlds biggest wipeout.

Flooding, power shortages, and strict pandemic prevention measures are all sending food prices soaring in China. Some vegetables are reportedly twice as expensive as before.

A renowned doctor in Australia urges banning all Chinese surgeons from Western hospitals, saying they knowingly help cover up communist Chinas forced organ harvesting industry.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) walk past a military honor guard as they walk inside for a meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

AUKUS Provides More Opportunity Than Just Nukes

Commentary

Since World War II, there has not been a time Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and the free world has been at more risk than we are now as China is engaged in the most significant and most rapid expansion of military power in peacetime history, with the worlds largest navy, army, and a formidable missile and air force.

In his recent Lowy Institute report Australia and the Growing Reach of Chinas Military, Thomas Shugart noted: Based on its scope, scale, and the specific capabilities being developed, this build-up appears to be designed to, first, threaten the United States with ejection from the western Pacific, and then to achieve dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

The Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership is a reflection of this heightened risk driven by the aggressive actions and policies of the Peoples Republic of China.

Understandably the focus on the AUKUS partnership has been all about Australia acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. However, this is but just one aspect of the collaboration and certainly not a capability that will be operational any time soon.

The immediate benefit AUKUS provides comes from collaborative military technology development across cyber domains, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and undersea warfare capabilities.

For instance, advanced neuromorphic event-based cameras being deployed to the International Space Station in December 2021 are assisting researchers in looking for a class of high altitude phenomena or transient luminous events, also known as upside-down lightning or sprites.

Instead of firing down to the ground, this is lightning that travels upwards to the upper atmosphere.

Sprites are almost impossible to detect and could be very damaging to satellites, missiles, aircraft, communications, or anything travelling via the upper atmosphere, including SpaceX or other spacecraft.

The Australian industry will share and collaborate with both the UK and the U.S. (and possibly other allies) on this and many more technologies, which is essential given that China has made significant, long-term investments in weapons designed to jam or destroy satellites as they seek to narrow the gap in space technology with western nations.

A handout image supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) shows a view of Dubai as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft passes, taken from the International Space Station on April 10, 2016. (Tim Peake/ ESA/NASA via Getty Images)

A move China signalled in 2007 when it threw down the gauntlet to the Western nations after launching a ballistic missile with a kinetic kill vehicle (KKV) to destroy one of its own satellites and create more than 3,000 pieces of space debris.

This means that the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation of 31 satellites is at significant risk, with military planners broadly agreeing that GPS will be one of the first targets in any conflict.

GPS (and similar positioning systems) enables positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) accurately, determining a location and orientation, current and desired position, and accurate and precise time.

It has become an integral part of everyday life and business. To name just a few, it is relied upon by our pilots, farmers, delivery drivers, financial institutions, fishermen, emergency services, and of course, militaries.

U.S. Army soldiers conduct the annual exercise in Paju, near the border with North Korea, Friday, April 1, 2016. North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea on Friday, Seoul officials said, hours after the U.S., South Korean, and Japanese leaders pledged to work closer together to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear and missile programs. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

If the GPS system is destroyed or disabled, both civilian and military activities will be severely disrupted.

Enter Australian quantum technologies enabling PNT in GPS-denied environments, with world-leading physicists like Professor John Close at the Australian National University (ANU).

Close is developing precision measurement of gravity, gravity gradients, and magnetic scalar gradients with ultra-cold atoms for quantum augmented inertial navigation.

Likewise, James Rabeau, the newly appointed Director of Quantum Technologies at Australias Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), will deliver a prototype diamond magnetometer for navigation in 2022.

The aim is to provide our militaries, industry, and civilian societies with technologies that can provide effective PNT capability in GPS-denied environments. This could mean navigation (and targeting) for high dynamic platforms like missiles, ships, vehicles, or soldiers.

It will also be something that Australia could share with the UK and U.S., which would assist our civilian economies to continue to operate with the least amount of disruption and enable national efforts to fight and win any conflict.

So working in partnership with U.S. and UK defence innovation communities will definitely enable greater outcomes for our countries collaboratively than what is possible separately.

Further, the access to data sets and research from different expertise across various disciplines will provide our three nations defence capability industry with the jump-start it needs to overcome the usual slow and tiring process, that is, if the United States can overcome its mandated bureaucratic protections.

In particular, the U.S will need to address its controls around the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) policy.

ITAR essentially regulates the information and material pertaining to defence and military-related technologies, allowing them only to be shared with U.S. citizens unless authorization from the Department of State is received or a special exemption is used.

If permission is not received then, individuals and organizations can face heavy fines if they share or provide access to ITAR-protected defence articles, services or technical data.

So, while there has been no lack of American interest, and indeed direct project sponsorship with Australian defence innovation unless ITAR is changed, the true collaboration will continue to be slow and overly bureaucratic.

AUKUS was designed to change this dynamic, with the door left open to possibly include other allies. But if ITAR is not reformed, it will be more AUK than anything else, and that will be just awkward.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison answer the press prior to a working diner at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 15, 2021. (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia Accused of Breaking Relationship of Trust by French President

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since a diplomatic row erupted over the cancellation of an AU$90 billion (US$65 billion) submarine contract with the European power.

The Elysee Palace issued a statement of the phone call between the two leaders on Oct. 28, saying the move broke the relationship of trust between both nations.

It is now up to the Australian government to propose tangible actions that embody the political will of Australias highest authorities to redefine the basis of our bilateral relationship and continue joint action in the Indo-Pacific, the statement read.

Looking ahead to the upcoming G20 in Rome and COP26 in Glasgow, the president of the French Republic encouraged the Australian prime minister to adopt ambitious measures commensurate with the climate challenge, it continued, calling on the government to reduce the production of coal and contribute more to the International Solar Alliance.

The prime ministers office said the leaders had a candid discussion on Australian-French relations.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) greets Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 15, 2021. (Thomas Samso /AFP via Getty Images)

The prime minister looks forward to future collaborations on our shared interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, according to a statement obtained by AAP.

A formal face-to-face meeting has not been organised at the upcoming G20 summit, where Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to speak on Australias contributions to cutting emissions and efforts to address social media risks to children.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the call was productive.

Obviously, the French are upset. There is no question about that; they have expressed that, and we understand their frustration, he told the Nine Network on Oct. 29

Once we get through that next year, hopefully, we can continue with steps to normalise the relationship, but thats the situation at the moment.

French anger was triggered following the announcement of the AUKUS pact between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom in September.

While AUKUS promises greater technological collaboration between the allies, the focus has been on how the U.S. and UK governments will assist Australia with acquiring at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

The move saw the Australian government take up a contractual option to cancel the ongoing Future Submarines Program with a French defence contractor, Naval Group.

French ministers reacted by accusing Australia and the United States of stabbing it in the back and proceeded to recall its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington D.C.

Trade deal discussions between the European Union and Australia have also been postponed.

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a press conference with Greek Prime Minister during a signing ceremony of a new defence deal at The Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Sept. 28, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

The reality is that the French should have seen this coming. They should have seen the fact that the submarine they had sold to the Australians under the previous government was not working out, Greg Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association, said. We would not see this new French design submarine into Australian service for at least 20 years.

This is absolutely unacceptable in either economic, political, or strategic terms because we dont know what the strategic environment is going to be like in 20 years time, he told Emeritus Professor of Law David Flint in an episode of Australia Calling. And the French persisted in this knowing that this was a great rip-off of Australian taxpayer money for a product which didnt exist.

Joseph Siracusa, adjunct professor of international diplomacy at Curtin University, said the French were upset because AUKUS was a significant step-up in countering Beijing and disrupted French and European efforts to maintain strategic autonomy toward the Chinese Communist regime.

Theyve been trying to avoid choosing between Washington and Beijing. They want their own strategic autonomy, he told Sky News Australia on Sept. 20

Europe thought they could play the honest broker between Washington and Beijing, and then wake up one morning and find out that the United States, Britain and Australia have tied up together with this nuclear-enabled deal, and of course, its forcing Europe to make decisions it doesnt want to make, he said.

The original plan was for the Naval Group to convert 12 of its new Barracuda-class nuclear submarines into diesel-electric powered Attack-class submarines fitted with U.S. weapons systems.

The pioneering, hybrid project was riddled with ongoing delays and cost blowouts from original estimates of AU$10 billion to AU$89.7 billion.

Prime Minister Morrison revealed that the government had already spent AU$2.4 billion (US$1.7 billion) on the project before construction had begun.
Voters wait patiently for polling booths to open in Hobart, Australia, on May 1, 2021. (Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Australian Indigenous Groups Push Back Over Voter ID Proposal

Australian Senator Amanda Stoker has said that a proposed voter identification (ID) bill would allow for a wide range of proof of identity documentation after two Indigenous bodies described the ID requirement as unnecessary and burdensome.

The Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council have both told a Senate estimates hearing that they werent consulted about the bill introduced into federal Parliament this week.

We find it a bit unnecessary and burdensome, Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner said on Friday.

Theres a number of issues surrounding Indigenous people in Central Australia surrounding postal addressing and street names, having their licences, access to information for the Australian Electoral Commission.

He said the council knew of about 17,000 Indigenous people who were eligible to vote but werent enrolled because of issues regarding identification.

Northern Land Council acting chief executive Joe Martin-Jard urged the government to reconsider the bill because Aboriginal people in remote areas would be further disenfranchised.

But Stoker said the bill allowed for flexibility for residents to provide proof of identity documentation.

Currently, voters only need to turn up at the polling booth on election day (usually a Saturday) and tell the volunteers their names, which will be marked off a register. They then receive a ballot paper with no ID needed.

The new Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) Bill 2021 (pdf) will require voters to produce any proof of identity document when they arrive at a polling booth.

This includes licences, and proof of age, Medicare, concession, pensioner, debit or credit cards, as well as birth certificates and documentation from a financial institution or utility provider.

Theyre deliberately flexible so that it can take into account a number of the concerns that have been raised, Stoker said.

We have made an effort to ensure that some of those concerns around being able to identify addresses and the like arent an impediment to Aboriginal Australians from being able to participate in democracy.

This comes as the federal government is introducing new laws that will require Australians to display voter ID when voting at next the federal election. The proposal has been met with strong criticism from the opposition leader and left-leaning groups with claims of voter suppression.

Opposition Labor Party frontbencher Senator Don Farrell has said his party would repeal the laws if theyre elected to government.

I am in the Labor partywe routinely lose elections, but even I dont think there is anything untoward about the [existing voting] system, he said.

Farrell accused the government of attempting to suppress votes.

[The government] are not interested in cleaning up fraud  they want to suppress votes, he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the proposed law was not earth-shattering and that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters had made similar recommendations in previous elections since 2013.

In fact, its so important that countries like Canada, France, Sweden, Belgium, at least 14 states in the United States, and the United Kingdom has this year introduced voter ID laws to the House of Commons, he told reporters on Oct. 28. I mean, this is a standard practice that is in liberal democracies.

The government will provide an extra $9.4 million to boost Indigenous participation in elections.

The Indigenous enrolment rate has lifted from 74.7 percent in 2017 to 79.3 percent in 2021.

The government promised no voter would be turned away and indicated it would like changes in place by the election to be held by May next year.

Daniel Teng contributed to this report.
Beijings Increasing Aggression Only Toughens US Policy

Bidens new commitment to defend Taiwan is part of a trend toward prioritizing and defending allies

News Analysis

President Joe Bidens increasingly public commitment to defend Taiwan from China furthers a trend followed by George W. Bush and Donald Trump, which increases Americas understanding of Taiwan as a sovereign and a democracy worth defending. Biden is extending this approach on a global scale.

Through the Three Communiques of 1972 to 1982, and the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, America has been more than accommodating of Beijings 70 years of belligerence. Taiwans political diversity, and now democracy, represents the worlds only majority-Chinese country with successful democratic participation of its citizens. For that reason, it serves as a shining example of what China and Singapore, which are also majority-Chinese, could achieve if they turn from authoritarianism to democracy.

Given the changing political landscape of the last 70 years, in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is increasingly powerful and belligerent, and Taiwan has evolved from authoritarian to democratic, American law and policy must evolve in the direction of a clear commitment to defend Taiwan. To guarantee its security in the international system, Taiwan should additionally be recognized as an equal and sovereign member of the United Nations.

With his vow of Oct. 21 to defend Taiwan against a Chinese military invasion, Biden is well on his way. But he, and our allies, must do more. Bidens policy must become Americas policy through executive orders and legislation that reinforce the staying power, past Bidens own tenure as president, of the red line of freedom in Taiwan. This is not only critical to Americas own long-term defense against China, but that of our allies.

The defense of Taiwan is critical to the defense of Japan, which is a U.S. treaty ally. If China attacked Taiwan, Japan would likely support the United States in Taiwans defense. This year, for the first time in 30 years, Japan fully addressed the threat to Taiwan in its annual defense white paper.

The overall military balance between China and Taiwan is tilting to Chinas favor, and the gap appears to be growing year by year, according to the Japanese defense analysts. Attention should be paid to trends such as the strengthening of Chinese and Taiwanese forces, the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the United States, and Taiwans own development of its main military equipment.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is seeking to increase defense spending from its current 1 percent to 2 percent of GDPin line with Taiwan and the NATO standardto help deter China. That should be increased to at least 3.7 percent, which was the American defense spending level in 2020.

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen waves during a ceremony to commission new U.S.-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters at a military base in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on July 17, 2018. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Professor James Kraska, who holds dual appointments at Harvard Law School and the U.S. Naval War College, China is harming its own international image through being too aggressive in East Asia.

The strategic reality of Chinas goal of hegemony in East Asia is driving a bipartisan consensus in the United States and Japan that Taiwanese security is essential for regional stability, Kraska wrote.

The new AUKUS security pact, consisting of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, is in part to deter, and would likely be activated in the event of, a Chinese attack against Taiwan. The closeness of AUKUS members is demonstrated by their willingness to share nuclear submarine propulsion technology with Australia. Taiwan could eventually join AUKUS, though Taipei currently claims not to be seeking such technology.

British Defense Chief Sir Nicholas Carter said on Oct. 20 that AUKUS is not meant to be exclusive, is focused on industrial development, and could at some point include Japan, Canada, and New Zealand. Adding Taiwan as well would provide an explicit mission and relevance to AUKUS far beyond just the sharing of military technology between members.

Given the high stakeswidespread bloodshed and increased relative power of Beijing if it successfully annexes Taiwanit is in the national interests of AUKUS members to protect Taiwan as they would their closest allies. Likewise, it is in their interests to seek the eventual independence and international recognition of Taiwan, including incrementally and through mistakes like Bidens vow to defend Taiwan. If initially seen as mistakes, they are at least less likely to provoke the CCP into war. They can be reinforced later into American policy through executive order and legislation.

While there is worry that a Taiwanese declaration of independence could provoke an attack by China, now may be better than later. If done now, when Beijing is not quite ready to take on the world and invade, Taiwans independence could be a fait accompli. If Taiwan instead waits until China increases its relative power yet further, Taiwans independence could be impossible and instead become a permanent irritant in AUKUS-China relations.

A type 094 Jin-class nuclear submarine Long March 15 of the Chinese Navy participates in a naval parade in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern Chinas Shandong Province on April 23, 2019. (Mark Schiefelnein/AFP via Getty Images)

So reversing the trend toward Chinas increasing relative power is critical. This will require increased defense spending on the kinds of high-technology military platforms and missiles that can deter Beijing.

I dont think either Japan or Taiwan or Europe (or the US) spends enough on defense, Kraska wrote. It was 9% of GDP in the 1960s. We all should be spending 5%; Taiwan 10%.

Taiwan serves as a militarily small but ideologically powerful counterweight to Beijing, and so its existence has implications not only for Asia, but for the international survival of the very idea of democracy. Resolving the situation by forcing Beijing to accept Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation nowthrough consistent legislated commitments from allied democracies to defend the country, and legislated economic sanctions against China if it attacksthus serve peace and stability, and even more so, the interests of freedom and democracy globally.

But despite Bidens recent commitment to defend Taiwan militarily, the United States is still shackled to the approach of strategic ambiguity. The reporters and policy wonks who claim that Biden made multiple gaffes on the issue, and the White House, Pentagon, and State Department statements, especially those that claim no policy change, prove that there continues to be confusion about exactly what the United States would do if China attacks Taiwan.

As David Sanger in the New York Times noted, however, Bidens commitment to defend Taiwan is likely a hardening of Americas position toward Beijing as a result of the latters growing strength.

Biden may be reflecting a desire to toughen Washingtons language to counter new Chinese capabilities, which would allow far more subtle moves to strangle Taiwancutting off undersea cables, internet connections and liquid natural gas shipmentsthan an outright invasion, according to Sanger.

Hugh Tomlinson and Didi Tang in The Times of London wrote: The White House is right: President Biden has not actually changed policy on whether Washington would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack . What he has come close to is abandoning the decades-long policy of strategic ambiguity in which American defence of Taiwan is assumed but not spoken of.

Strategic ambiguity is a continuum, not a binary. Through multiple announcements of his intention to militarily defend Taiwan, Biden is pushing policy in the direction of less ambiguity and more commitment to the island democracys defense.

But an American commitment to help Taiwan defend itself is still not enough. Kraska has outlined the kind of changes that the U.S. economy and military must undergo in order to retain its defensive power on a global scale.

To retain its position as the worlds superpower, the United States should adopt supply-side economic policies that could achieve 4 to 5 percent economic growth, probably more than what China is achieving or will achieve. The U.S. and its allies should also enact a conscious decoupling of China while going on the cyber offensive against the Chinese Communist Party. Finally, the West and Japan must align their military spending with their ambitions, including a preference for forces that can exercise command of the global commons, including in the oceans and airspace, cyberspace, and outer space.

America must have the means to achieve peace through strength not only over Taiwan, then, but over all the battlespaces of the future, and without losing our biggest cities in the process. That requires a stronger American economy to enable more defense spending, and a rebalancing of U.S. military forces from primarily land armies. These were critical to brushfire wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, toward the higher-technology platforms and future military deterrence of major threats emanating from China and Russia.

Read part 1, part 2, and part 4.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Three legislators of TaiwanHsu Yung-ming, Yu Wan-ju, and Chang Hung-luled the Keep Taiwan Free march to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Sept. 16. Hundreds of activists held a rally to protest Taiwans exclusion from the United Nations. (Paul Huang/The Epoch Times)

Beijings Sway Over the UN Thwarts Taiwan Membership

Commentary

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) influence over the United Nations is used overwhelmingly to weaken support for Taiwan around the world.

In 1971, China was a backward, agrarian-based totalitarian country that could neither feed itself nor offer much to the world. Its primary mode of transportation was the bicycle, and in its self-isolation it had almost no influence in global affairs. It was too busy perpetrating the Cultural Revolution that would continue to tear the country apart for another five years.

The US Helped China Rejoin the World

Nonetheless, the most powerful nation on Earth, the United States, led the way for an impoverished China to join the U.N. and gain a seat on the U.N. Security Council. There were both geopolitical and economic reasons behind that decision. Regardless, U.N. membership certainly gave the communist regime, which had run the country into the ground, a much-needed boost in legitimacy.

Not only was it helpful in the subsequent opening of China to Western investment, but it also gave new legitimacy to the communist movementthe very forces we were fighting against in Vietnam and more broadly in the Cold War. Thus, ushering China into the U.N. dealt a serious blow to Americas anti-communist reputation and its policy of containment, as well as the defender of Western civilization and democratic values. The U.N. would also become less pro-West as time passed.

Hurting Our Ally Taiwan

But the immediate consequence was that, after more than 20 years as a pro-American member of that body, Taiwan not only lost its seat on the permanent Security Council to the communists in Beijing, but was demoted. The worlds most prestigious governing body no longer considered it a sovereign nation.

Fifty years later, of course, the Chinese regime is now a global economic and military force. But its also the worlds largest dictatorship, built on slave labor and bereft of civil rights. It also holds millions of religious and political prisoners, subjecting them to torture, deprivation, and even organ harvesting.

Taiwan: A Model Nation

Meanwhile, Taiwan remains the only free Chinese nation, a thriving republic with a fully functioning market economy. It holds free elections. It is a global leader in semiconductor technology and manufacturing, and has numerous trade agreements with nations around the world.

Furthermore, Taiwan enjoys membership in 40 regional and international organizations, from the World Trade Organization to the Asian Development Bank and the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It also holds observer status in several other organizations.

Ambassador Abraham Wen-Shang Chu gives thumbs up to one package of the 20,000 surgical masks donated by Taiwan to help Orange County combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Perhaps just as importantly, Taiwan demonstrated the worlds most effective response to the pandemic and freely helped other nations to do the same, donating millions of masks and other medical supplies to European and Asian nations. Concurrently, the CCP was denying culpability for the disease and its spread, while hoarding supplies and allowing its people to travel freely around the world.

Taiwan is, in fact and deed, a sovereign nation, and a model one at that. And yet, it is still not recognized by the U.N.

Why would that be?

There Really Are Two Chinas

One of the main reasons is that China exerts enormous influence in the U.N. and opposes Taiwan gaining membership once again. It would demonstrate that there are two Chinas in the worldone free, the other captive.

Nonetheless, China is a huge financial contributor to the U.N., which means influence. Only the United States contributes more. Plus, Chinas aggressive foreign policy, coupled with its economic clout, gives Beijing much more leverage over many smaller members, especially those within or in neighboring regions that want or feel it prudent to cooperate with China.

A clear example of this is China filling the void in the U.N. Human Rights Council, which was left behind when the United States withdrew its participation under the Trump administration. The U.N. declarationdrafted by Cuba in support of the oppression of Hong Kong by the CCP garnered almost twice the votes than the one drafted by the United Kingdom that condemned the abuse.

Beijings Growing Power

Chinas foreign aid policy is another prime example. In the Asia-Pacific region, China links aid it provides to many recipients with their severing their diplomatic links to Taiwan. That is precisely the reason only 15 countries, such as the Solomon Islands, ceased diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China.

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is major source of that aid. The BRI focuses mainly on expensive infrastructure projects, for which Beijing will provide the loans to the host nation. Notably, BRI aid often results in recipients getting caught in a BRI debt trap and end up becoming an asset of China.

An even more sinister source of Chinas expanding power in the U.N., and throughout the world, is through the collection of Big Data from member nations. This insidious reality is coming to fruition through the establishment of a U.N. big data research institution in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.

The institutes mission is to gather and analyze data on sustainable development and climate change. China is asserting that it needs as much data as possible to deliver the right results. But experts fear that Beijing will leverage the data to further the spread of the CCPs digital dictatorship to other nations.

China Replacing US Influence

Of course, its not just the U.N. where China is gaining influence. Other non-governmental organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), are under Beijings thumb. Why else would the WHO reject Taiwans entry, especially in light of how well it handled the CCP virus, with only minimal deaths?

Sadly, when it comes to the U.N., even with support from the United States, Beijing has been able to block Taiwans bid for membership. That tells us more about the state and attitude at the U.N., and Americas loss of influence there, than it does about the CCP.

Of course, Chinas animus toward Taiwan goes beyond opposition to membership in the U.N. Beijing is stridently opposing Taiwans request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as well. Their rationale remains the same complaint of there being only one China in the world.

But the CCP is also afraid that Taiwans entry into the CCTPP will strengthen ties with Japan and South Korea, two powerful democratic nations that oppose Chinas totalitarian ambitions. Fortunately, Japan is in full support of Taiwans participation in the trade agreement. Notably, China has applied for entry as well, but as of yet, has not been approved.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Pope Francis meets U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (Vatican Media via Reuters)

Biden Says Pope Told Him He Should Keep Receiving Communion Despite Abortion Support

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was told Friday that he should keep receiving communion despite his support for abortion.

Biden met with Pope Francis in Vatican City behind closed doors.

The topic of abortion did not come up, the president told reporters afterward.

We just talked about the fact that he was happy that I was a good Catholic, he claimed.

Asked if the pope said he should keep receiving communion, POTUS said yes.

Biden has been in danger of being denied communion since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June voted to approve the drafting of a document relating to how abortion supporters should be treated. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), another Catholic who supports abortion, was told the following month that no one can claim to be a devout Catholic and condone the killing of innocent human life, let alone have the government pay for it.

Biden told reporters he did not take communion with the pope. Asked if he discussed the U.C. Conference of Catholic Bishops, he said, that was a private conversation.

The pope has said before that Catholics who support abortion should not be excommunicated. However, he has said that there is no question that abortion is homicide.

Pope Francis, right, speaks while showing items to U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (The Epoch Times via White House)

A communique from the Holy See Press Office said the discussion between the pope and Biden focused on their common commitment to the protection and care of the planet, the health situation and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the issue of refugees, and how to provide assistance for migrants, a report by Vatican News said.

A White House readout said Biden thanked the pope for his advocacy for the worlds poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution and lauded his leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.

Asked earlier in the week if Biden planned to discuss abortion with the pope, White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to respond.

Asked whether the president would take communion with the pope, she said thats something thats very personal.

His faith is something thats very personal to him. I dont have anything to share at this time about that, she added.

The men also spoke about protecting human rights during the approximately 90-minute audience, which was followed by an expanded meeting that included U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

During the visit, Biden and the pope exchanged gifts and jokes. Biden at one point joked that he would buy the drinks if the pope didnt have a challenge coin he gave the pope.

Biden later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin before leaving the Vatican and convening with Italian President Mattarella, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and other Italian officials.
President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting at La Villa Bonaparte in Rome, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. A Group of 20 summit scheduled for this weekend in Rome is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden Tells Macron Submarine Deal With Australia Was Clumsy

President Joe Biden admits his administration was clumsy in its handling of a deal that ended a defense contract between Australia and France.

A trilateral agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australiacalled AUKUSincludes plans for the U.S. to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian military.

It replaced a $66 billion deal for submarines struck by Australia and France in 2016.

I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through, Biden said Oct. 29 during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in the French Embassy to the Holy See.

I honest to God did not know that you had not been.

I think what happenedto use an English phrasewhat we did was clumsy, Biden said. It was not done with a lot of grace. I was under the impression that certain things had happened that had not happened.

French officials had said previously they were made aware of the AUKUS deal only hours before it was announced Sept. 15.

Following the announcement, in an unprecedented move, France withdrew its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington.

What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years, said Macron during the meeting.

Biden called France an extremely valued partner and a power in, and of, itself.

The two leaders arranged to meet this month in Europe during a phone call that took place a week after the AUKUS announcement.

During the call the pair agreed the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies, according to a joint readout from the Elysee Palace and the White House.

Macron also decided that the French ambassador would return to Washington, and the French ambassador to Australia was later returned to his post as well.

White House climate envoy John Kerry told French media on Oct. 5 that Biden had no idea about the fallout with the French from the AUKUS submarine deal.

He literally had not been aware of what had transpired, Kerry said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki later told reporters of course the president was aware of the French being displeased about the deal.

The bilateral meeting between Biden and Macron takes place ahead of the G20 meeting in Rome and the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The pair also discussed European and U.S. strategies in the Indo-Pacific region more broadly, as well as other bilateral defense arrangements and the war against terrorism.

While the Biden administration insists the AUKUS deal is not aimed or about any one country, many view it as a response to the increasingly assertive actions taken by China in the Indo-Pacific region.
A surveillance tower sits at the U.S.Mexico border in Nogales, Ariz., on May 23, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Border Surveillance Tools Could Become Ubiquitous Nationwide: Report

Drones, towers, license plate readers, and other surveillance tools comprise a digital border wall that threatens privacy and civil liberties, according to a new report from three immigration advocacy groups.

The Deadly Digital Border Wall report criticizes law enforcements surveillance of the U.S.-Mexico border, but the tools described in the report could beand have beenused against all American residents as the government ramps up programs to counter domestic extremism.

The reportpublished by Mijente, Just Futures Law, and the Rio Grande Valley No Border Wall Coalitiondetails two main tools law enforcement uses to track migrations: drones and towers. Additionally, the government uses a wide array of surveillance systems and databases to track all people who cross U.S. bordersillegally or otherwise.

According to the report, there are at least 55 surveillance towers along with Southwest border. These structures are 80 to 140 feet tall and are equipped with day and night cameras and a radar that can identify people six miles away, the report said.

There are also more than 360 remote video surveillance systemssmaller, relocatable surveillance towersand dozens of mobile surveillance systems. Each mobile system consists of a truck with telescoping poles in the bed that extend up to 35 feet in the air, outfitted with thermal and video cameras and a laser illuminator, the report explained.

Meanwhile, the government is rolling out its newest surveillance tool: an autonomous tower powered by artificial intelligence, which can be used without the direct control of a human operator, the report said.

The relocatable towers are 33 feet tall and suited to work in remote environments with little maintenance, since they operate off the grid and around the clock, using solar panels for energy, the report said, adding that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans on installing 200 of them by fiscal year 2022.

The growing number of towers is complemented by a fleet of drones along the border in the Southwest. The report said CBP has more than 135 drones, with plans to procure another 460.

Nearly 600 operators were trained to fly them, and the agency aimed to double that number in 2021 with a training program in West Virginia, the report said, adding, Since 2016, CBP has expressed interest in developing drones with facial recognition capabilities.

While the abovementioned tools are ostensibly designed to track illegal border crossings, the report also details numerous surveillance tools used to track all travelers crossing U.S. borders.

For instance, the report raised concerns about the forthcoming Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology System (HART), which the Department of Homeland Security is implementing to replace a legacy system.

Hosted by Amazon Web Services, the new system will aggregate, link, and compare facial recognition images, DNA profiles, iris scans, digital fingerprints, and voice prints on unique profiles of hundreds of millions of people, the report said.

The planned database will collect this invasive personal data from diverse federal agencies like ICE, CBP, FBI, and the Department of Defense, as well as from local and state law enforcement, and from foreign governments including Mexico, the Northern Triangle countries of Central America, and the Five Eyes alliance.

Another surveillance tool that has come under scrutiny is the automated license plate reader, which tracks plate numbers, precise dates and times, images, geolocation information, and other data.

This data can be used to determine the travel patterns of individual drivers, the report said. Most importantly, the plate data can be matched with a cars owner to track their movement, and stored and shared among different law enforcement agencies.

Along with documenting the methods and tools used by the government, the report also tracks the private contractors that have been profiting off the growing surveillance state.

According to the report, Motorola Solutions has a $54.6 million contract with CBP for license plate reader technology, while ICE is paying Thomson Reuters $22.8 million for similar services through 2026. Israeli military contractor Elbit Systems, meanwhile, has a $239 million contract with CBP for surveillance tower development and maintenance, and General Dynamics has been awarded $153 million through 2023 to expand the system, according to the report.

The most expensive system in the report is the HART biometric database system at an estimated $4.3 billion. Military contractor Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $143 million contract to develop the first increment of this system, the report noted.

According to the report, government and big tech are becoming increasingly intertwined when it comes to border surveillance.

The digital wall relies on cutting-edge, for-profit surveillance technologies developed by military contractors, big tech companies, and Silicon Valley start-ups, the report said.

As border enforcement agencies become increasingly reliant on technology to monitor, detain, and deport immigrants, multi-million-dollar contracts are being signed to develop tools for the region.

Lest people think that these tools are solely being used to curtail illegal immigration, the report explained that entire populations are being swept up in the surveillance dragnet.

In 2017, for instance, CBP stationed a tower in San Diego to monitor a protest, according to the report. Last year, CBP drones were deployed on Black Lives Matter protestors in at least 12 cities, the report added.

Border communities feel the impact of this surveillance acutely. The surveillance towers above their towns dont just monitor the border, they monitor their backyards too. The drones flying overhead are an ever-present eye in the sky, watching people as they walk, bike, and drive in their neighborhoods, the report said.

A recent lawsuit from the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation further backs the reports claims, at least when it comes to license plate readers. The lawsuit revealed that one law enforcement department shared such information with more than 600 other agencies.

Specifically, the sheriffs office shares and transfers ALPR information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 18 other federal agencies, and 424 out-of-state law enforcement agencies, the lawsuit says. This includes law enforcement agencies located as far afield as Enfield, Connecticut; St. Louis, Missouri; Lafayette, Louisiana; and Newton County, Georgia.

The report warned that border surveillance is just a taste of what could come for the rest of the country.

The proliferation of checkpoints is a constant reminder that the entire border region is, in the eyes of DHS, a warzone. Border communities have become a legitimate target for surveillance and enforcementa taste of what may await the rest of the country as these technologies are rolled out nationwide.
Beagles have their heads inside mesh cages where they are being eaten by sand fleas, in an experiment conducted in Tunisia and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Public Domain)

California Beagle Freedom Project Responds to NIAIDs Alleged Puppy Testing

After 24 lawmakers sent a letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), last week demanding answers about allegedly cruel puppy testing carried out by the federal agency, the California-based Beagle Freedom Project (BFP) told The Epoch Times these kinds of tests are the industrys dirty little secret.

They do a very good job hiding all of us from the public and its devastating when people do find out that dogs and cats just like the ones we share our homes with are being tortured like this, BFP President and founder Shannon Keith said.

Documents (pdf) obtained by a watchdog group against government animal testing, White Coat Waste Project, found that between October 2018 and February 2019 the NIAID spent $1.68 million in taxpayer funds on animal experimentation at California-based research center SRI International. Fauci has yet to comment on the report.

According to the findings, researchers injected and force-fed 44 beagle puppies between six and eight months old with an experimental drug for several weeks, before killing and dissecting them. Mice were also used for other tests.

Keith said Northern and Southern California are hotspots for beagle testing and that labs dont want to release animals because that means that people know that dogs and cats are being tested on. She said BRP has assisted in rescuing 3,000 animals being used for testing across the world. Shes rescued beagles from SRI International previously, too.

One of the invoices to the NIAID included cordectomy, or devocalization, which involves splitting of the dogs vocal cords so the experimenters wouldnt have to listen to the puppies bark or cry.

The NIAID responded to The Epoch Times request for comment in a previous interview, saying there  are concerns raised about work involving beagles under an NIAID contract for preclinical pharmacology and toxicology services.

Under this contract, the contractor conducts testing as required in animal models by the FDA, in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) guidelines and in a facility accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) or its equivalent.

Vocal cordectomies, conducted humanely under anesthesia, may be used in research facilities where numerous dogs are present. This is to reduce noise, which is not only stressful to the animals but can also reach decibel levels that exceed OSHA allowable limits for people and can lead to hearing loss.

The White Coat Waste Project said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnt require drug testing on dogs for human medicine, so lawmakers are seeking answers from the NIAID on why such experiments are necessary.

SRI International, formerly Stanford Research Institute, has been under heavy scrutiny from activists in previous years for conducting tests on beagles. In 2014, the institute, located in Menlo Park, was inspected by USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and documented to have used a total of 21 dogs for testing that year.

According to its website, SRI International is a 75-year pioneering research institute with a rich history supporting government and industry. Its CEO, William Jeffrey, was formerly part of the George W. Bush administration as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and joined the center in 2014.

SRI is definitely complicit, Keith said. They have a lot of animals in their laboratory including a lot of beagles.

Why beagles? Because they are docile and forgiving, a laboratory employee told Keith after beagles were released from testing.

They wont fight back when youre testing on them, they dont bite you, and they forgive you next time you come over to their cage. She also said theyre the right size for being in cages.

Other California representatives are also taking steps to block similar animal treatment. Keith said her organization helped pass AB 1282, the California Pet Blood Bank Modernization Act, which banned the use of closed colony blood banks and seeks to resolve the shortage of animal blood transfusion needed in veterinarian centers.

Thats gonna phase out close colony blood bank so dogs will no longer be held kept in cages for their blood, Keith said. And were trying to raise the funds so that we introduce a federal bill to end animal testing, but its step by step.

Additionally, other efforts to restrict tests on animals the House introduced earlier this year the FDA Modernization Act, which would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow manufacturers and sponsors of a drug to use alternative testing methods to animal testing to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a drug, and for other purposes.

The act would also be a gateway to more funding and research toward alternative testing based on human biology.

For the most part now, animal testing is bad sciencedrugs are released on the market that proves safe on animals, and then theyre harming and killing people because their systems are completely different than ours. You cant extrapolate the results from pig to a human being, it just does not work, Keith said.

In its statement to The Epoch Times, NIAID said animals used in NIH-funded research are protected by laws, regulations, and policies to ensure the smallest possible number of subjects and the greatest commitment to their welfare.

Institutions receiving funds must conduct research that involves animals in accordance with the Public Health Service Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the statement continued.

The proposed use of animals in research is evaluated during peer review for both contract and grant proposals, and animals used in research are to be provided with appropriate anesthesia and veterinary care. The principles for what isand is notallowed are governed both by regulations administered by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare and the grantee institutions animal care and use committee (IACUC).

SRI International didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.
Military vehicles carrying HHQ-9B surface-to-air missiles participate in a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

CCP Seeks All-Out Push for New Weapons After Reported Test of Hypersonic Missile

News Analysis

Chinas military will break new ground in the development of new weapons and other equipment, said Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a recent conference, according to Chinese state-run media.

Leapfrog development in military equipment and weapons has critically enhanced Chinas strategic capabilities, Xi said, in a nod to the nations strategy of prioritizing critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Over the years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increased efforts to leapfrog the United States, effectively seeking to bypass traditional strategies of development by jumping ahead to newer technologies that would make them irrelevant.

A notable example of this strategy in practice is the reported test of a Chinese hypersonic weapon in July, which could effectively allow the Chinese military to focus on developing next-generation weapons technologies without having to invest in advancing their older, more traditional missile systems.

An all-out push to accelerate military modernization and increase self-reliance in production was called for by the vice-chair of Chinas Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, according to the same report dated Oct. 26.

The CCP leadership have made claims that they seek to have self-reliance in technology and that it is time to accelerate the modernization of all aspects in their military capabilities to exhibit what they consider to be a world-class military, said Sam Kessler, a geopolitical adviser at North Star Support Group, a multinational risk management firm.

The trends indicate thats the direction the CCP is heading, and their economy and system is being restructured to meet those needs.

Chinas Modernization Requires Foreign Tech (For Now)

China is currently undergoing an intense period of military modernization. It is rapidly expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, investing in anti-satellite weapons, and testing nuclear-capable hypersonics of a variety that is years ahead of U.S. development.

Xis comments reflected Chinas current lack of a domestic manufacturing and supply base required to sustain these many efforts, Kessler said.

In their circumstance, it will be essential for the CCP to unify and consolidate manufacturing capabilities regarding their weapons production processes, he said.

Developing a domestic manufacturing base and supply chain for tech like semiconductors is a complicated process for them to perfect.

Advanced semiconductors are required for the manufacture of Chinas most state-of-the-art weapons systems, which makes their production an issue of national security.

But Chinas semiconductor industry is not as developed as that of the United States and its allies, Kessler said. For this reason, the Chinese regime has taken to attempts to source such technologies from Western companies, often using quasi-legal means to conceal the relationship between its military and the private Chinese companies that import them.

While U.S. export laws are meant to block advanced semiconductors and other sensitive technology from being sold to foreign actors that threaten national security, including the Chinese military, experts and lawmakers say they have fallen short of achieving its purpose. This is because much of this technology is sold to unassuming civilian Chinese firms that are not covered by the laws, they say, and then redirected to the CCPs military.

Even Chinese companies sanctioned by Washington have still been able to access some U.S. technology, Republican lawmakers have argued, pointing to some $103 billion worth of export licenses granted from November through April to suppliers of two blacklisted Chinese companies: Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.

In a bid to block sensitive American tech from falling into Beijings hands, the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center recently launched a campaign to warn companies of the CCPs comprehensive efforts to acquire U.S. technologies that could improve Chinese military capabilities.

Recognizing the growing global pushback against Beijings tech ambitions, the CCP is very interested in developing home-grown manufacturing capabilities, according to Kessler.

In fact, theyve done long-term strategic thinking for tackling that issue such as securing access to minerals and mines that are used for developing such weapons and technology on their own turf, he said.

Chinas Weapons Development has U.S. Attention

Such an increase in domestic production of critical and emerging technologies could mean further rapid advancements in weapons systems that challenge the United States own capabilities.

The reported test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle in late July, which allegedly caught the U.S. intelligence community by surprise, is one such example of this.

House Republicans said that the test was likely aided by American technologies obtained by the Chinese military.

General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, referred to the test as a very significant event, and likened it to one of the more tense moments of the Cold War.

I dont know if its quite a Sputnik moment, Milley said, but I think its very close to that. It has all of our attention.

The Soviet Unions launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth, caused mass anxiety and fear that the United States was falling behind its Cold War foe in technological advancement.

The CCPs efforts to acquire the knowledge and technologies required to expand their strategic advantage, and now its efforts to produce those technologies domestically, could lead to a new arms race, according to Kessler. Much as Sputnik led to the space race that saw the creation of NASA, Chinas efforts to leapfrog U.S. military hegemony could trigger profound strides in global weapons development.

Thats a big issue that was being brought up by leaders and thinkers in the U.S. intelligence community circa the 2008-2009 period, Kessler said. They assessed that greater global business, financial, and technological competition would lead to a new arms race and a new period of great power competition.

Weve been seeing that evolve the past decade and its continuing to have a greater impact on the global strategic and diplomatic landscape.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot demands the Chicago Teachers Union to reach a deal with Chicago Public Schools on a reopening plan during a press conference at City Hall, Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 4, 2021. (Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Chicago Passes Budget With One of Nations Largest Universal Basic Income Programs

The Chicago City Council has approved $35 million dollars to pilot a universal basic income program in one of the largest efforts of its kind in the nation.

The newly approved budget will give $500 each month to 5,000 low-income families under the program promoted by Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

I am beyond excited to announce the passage of the most progressive and forward-looking budget in our citys history, Lightfoot said in a statement.

As we move away from the pandemic, we must use this opportunity and once-in-a-lifetime funding to address the economic and emotional pain it has wreaked on our communities. This budget, complete with a historic number of investments and policy prescriptions, will meet this moment and help us fulfill our responsibility to uplifting and empowering our residents, the mayor added.

Local civic leaders hailed the programs passing as an effort that will change and save lives.

The $500 monthly payments to 5,000 Chicagoans included in this budget will change and save lives, Richard Wallace, founder and director of Equity and Transformation, said in a statement Thursday.

A Chicago guaranteed income pilot offers a tangible step toward a more equitable city. It is Lincoln Park saying to West Garfield Park: I see you; I see the high rates of unemployment; I see the income gap; and I am going to do something about it, he added.

Former Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson added her support last month in the effort leading to the programs approval.

As a former Mayor, I know budgets are never easy, and striking the right balance is always the goal. This budget begins that process, with its substantial investments in youth, mental health, community development, arts, and other human service functions, Freeman said in a statement.

At the same time this budget acknowledges that city debt and public safety cannot be ignored. I commend Mayor Lightfoot for the strides in this budget proposal and look forward to a participatory process that addresses challenges like universal basic income, continued small business investment and reimagining public safety, she added.

But not everyone approves of the new basic income program. Some are concerned the no-strings-attached approach has no method to help people beyond a temporary fix.

Bruce Meyer, the McCormick Foundation Professor at the University of Chicago, told local WTTW-TV earlier this year that the blanket program doesnt really help long-term.

It just sends people checks, whereas what you really need given the diversity of problems people face, is a social worker to figure out what people really need, and to get them to job training or to child care or drug treatment or in the end you may say for certain people, just cash is really what they need, Meyer said.

If you dont have someone interacting with individuals, then you dont get the right things to people, he added.

Michael Faulkender, who served as an assistant treasury secretary for economic policy during the Trump administration, also told The Washington Post the plan could continue to hurt the citys job shortage.

There are still millions of low-skilled jobs out there, and you have small business owners who cant find workers to join their companies, said Faulkender, who teaches finance at the University of Maryland. Proposals like the one in Chicago feed the process of reducing the willingness of people to participate in the workforce, he said.

Chicago Southwest Side Alderman Raymond Lopez also pushed back against the plan. Listening to some of the speeches today, I feel like Christmas has come early, he said, calling the budget grossly out of balance in remarks at the budget meeting.
A general view of the town of Khorog, the capital of the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan, on July 7, 2004. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

China to Build Outpost for Tajikistan Special Forces Near Afghan Border

DUSHANBEThe Chinese regime will finance the construction of an outpost for a special forces unit of Tajikistans police near the Tajik-Afghan border, the Central Asian nations parliament said on Thursday.

The post will be located in Tajikistans eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the Pamir mountains, which border Chinas Xinjiang region as well as the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan.

No Chinese troops will be stationed at the facility, a parliament spokesperson said.

The plan to build the post comes amid tension between the Dushanbe government and Afghanistans new Taliban rulers.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has refused to recognize the Taliban government, calling for a broader representation of Afghanistans ethnic groupsof which Tajiks are the second-biggest.

Kabul, in turn, has warned Dushanbe against meddling in its domestic affairs. According to Russian media, the Taliban have struck an alliance with an ethnic Tajik militant group based in northern Afghanistan which seeks to overthrow Rakhmons government.

A Russia-led regional security organization held exercises last week near the Tajik-Afghan border, designed to demonstrate that Moscow stands ready to protect Dushanbe in the event of an incursion from the south.

China is a major investor in Tajikistan and Beijing has also acted as a donor on several occasions, handing over, for example, a new parliament building free of charge.
Headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, China, on Sept. 28, 2018. (Jason Lee/Reuters)

China Warns Unlicensed Online Brokerages They Are Breaking the Law

SHANGHAIA Chinese central banker warned that online brokerages not licensed in China are acting illegally if they serve Chinese clients via the Internet, sending New York-listed shares of Futu Holdings Ltd and UP Fintech Holding sharply lower.

Cross-border online brokerages are driving in China without a drivers license. Theyre conducting illegal financial activities, Sun Tianqi, head of the Financial Stability Department of the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC), said in a speech, according to a transcript released on Wednesday.

Futu and UP Fintech shares slumped more than 20 percent in premarket trade on Thursday on Suns remarks, the first official comments following recent media reports flagging regulatory risks facing online brokers.

Shares of the two firms had already tumbled since Oct. 14, when the official Peoples Daily said in an analysis on its website that Futu and UP Fintech face regulatory risks as Chinas new personal data privacy law takes effect on Nov. 1.

Investors are concerned that the sector will be next in Beijings regulatory crosshairs, after China launched a flurry of crackdowns targeting sectors ranging from technology to cryptocurrency and real estate.

Investors need to see whether the Chinese government will restrict domestic individuals from opening an account at an offshore bank, and whether they can use this account to open a trading account with offshore brokers like Futu, Jefferies said in a note.

Sufficient Capital

Jefferies added that many Chinese securities firms have set up their offshore subsidiaries to provide Hong Kong or U.S. trading services to domestic individuals, and foreign brokers including Interactive Brokers Group Inc also accept mainland Chinese clients, so we need to wait for more guidelines from the regulators.

Futu Chairman and CEO Hua Li said in a posting on Thursday that the company has business licenses in Hong Kong, enjoys a good track record, has sufficient capital and there are no bankruptcy issues.

The speech by the PBOC official threatens to further dent foreign investors confidence in Chinese tech firms, said an institutional investor in UP Fintech, who declined to be named.

Speaking at the Bund Summit in Shanghai over the weekend, PBOCs Sun said that some online brokerages, with only overseas licenses, serve mainly mainland Chinese investors, allowing them to trade U.S. and Hong Kong stocks.

Without identifying the firms, Sun said that 80 percent of accounts of a brokerage registered in the Cayman Islands were opened by mainland clients, while the ratio is 55 percent for another Hong Kong-registered brokerage.

Financial licenses have national boundaries, Sun said. Overseas institutions with only overseas licenses conducting business in mainland China is illegal financial activity.

The transcript of Suns speech was released on the website of the Finance 40 Forum, which organised the summit.

Futu, which has licenses in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States, said in its 2020 annual report that it primarily serves the emerging affluent Chinese population and a large number of its clients are mainland Chinese citizens.

Futu said it does not believe it engages in securities brokerage business in China by redirecting users and clients to open accounts and make transactions outside China, but said there were regulatory risks.

By Samuel Shen and Andrew Galbraith
Chinese Company, Others to Pay $91M for Defective Dehumidifiers

LOS ANGELESA Chinese appliance manufacturer and two of its subsidiaries will pay $91 million for failing to notify the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that millions of dehumidifiers sold to U.S. consumers were defective and could catch fire, federal prosecutors said Oct. 29.

Gree Electric Appliances Inc.. an appliance manufacturer headquartered in Zhuhai, China, and Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd. struck the deal with prosecutors to resolve criminal charges in federal court in Los Angeles.

No one should live in fear that a properly used consumer product might cause injury or death to their loved ones, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said in a statement. Grees months-long delay in reporting known problems with their dangerous and defective dehumidifiers was both criminal and costly. Grees decision to delay the reporting of its defective dehumidifiers has resulted in the recall of millions of those products and the payment of millions of dollars. We will not allow companies to profit at the expense of consumers health and safety.

The companies were charged with one felony count under the Consumer Product Saftey Act of willfully failing to report consumer product safety information to the commission.

The companies knew their dehumidifiers were defective, failed to meet safety standards, and could catch fire. But the companies only reported and recalled the dehumidifiers after consumer complaints of fires, according to court filings.

The companies admitted selling more than 2 million dehumidifiers in the United States between 2007 and 2013. They also agreed to continue cooperating with federal prosecutors, according to court documents.

Charley Loh, 63, of Arcadia, and Simon Chu, 66, of Chino Hillsthe chief executive officer and chief administrative officer of Gree USAwere previously indicted on felony charges for their alleged roles in failing to report the defective dehumidifiers. Both have pleaded not guilty

The resolutions are considered the first corporate criminal enforcement actions ever brought under the Consumer Product Safety Act, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The agreement calls for Gree Zhuhai and Gree Hong Kong to pay a total penalty of $91 million.

The companies will also provide restitution for any uncompensated victims of fires caused by the companies defective dehumidifiers, according to the DOJ.

Gree USA Inc., a subsidiary based in Industry, agreed to plead guilty to the same charge of willfully failing to report consumer product safety information to the CPSC, according to prosecutors.

Representatives of Gree USA are set to appear in Los Angeles federal court on Nov. 8 for an initial appearance.
Chinese Leader Xi Will Skip Climate Summit Due to Trouble With Political Rivals: Experts

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping will not be attending the upcoming United Nations climate summit. Experts say factional infighting among top CCP officials prevent Xi from traveling abroad. And securing his leadership is top priority.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. The news that Xi will be skipping the event was first noted in the Western media through comments made by the events host, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to The Times on Oct. 15.

Its been almost two years since Xi traveled abroad, the longest time since coming to power in 2012. His latest trip outside China was on Jan. 17, 2020, during a two-day visit to Naypyidaw, the capital of Burma (also known as Myanmar), where he promoted his Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road), a massive infrastructure project.

Li Yanming, a U.S.-based expert on Chinese current affairs, told The Epoch Times that Xi is seeking re-election next year, and he decided not to travel outside China in a bid to secure his leadership and prevent any risk of a political coup.

The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CCP Central Committee will be held in November, which is set to pass a resolution that would further reinforce Xis political standing. Thus, Xi can be re-elected for a third term in the 20th CCPs Congress in 2022, breaking the de facto two-term limit.

Conflict among top Party officials is an ongoing issue. To maintain his core position in the CCP, Xi launched a massive anti-corruption campaign.

By 2017, about 440 cadres at or above the vice-provincial military level and other central management cadres were investigated or arrested. Most of these cadres were promoted under Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong. These people hate Xi to the bone. If Xi fails in the 20th CCPs congress major power struggle, he is likely to be liquidated by his political opponents, Wang Youqun, a Chinese current affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times. Xi actually has no way to retreat.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (left) talks to former leader Jiang Zemin during the closing of the 19th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Oct. 24, 2017. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Li mentioned the case of Lai Xiaomin, former CCP secretary and chairman of Huarong Asset Company, who was sentenced to death on Jan. 5 for allegedly committing bigamy and receiving bribes. He was executed within 24 days in Tianjin.

Li said that it was unusual for the CCP to give Lai a swift execution, as death sentences would either be delayed or eventually dropped for hight-ranking officials.

Li said that Lai could have been part of a plan in bringing down Xi.

In September, some Chinese news portals such as NetEase and Sohu published an article, which claimed that Lai and two senior police officers plotted a coup against Xi, but the plan was foiled and all three were arrested. The article was taken down, but a screenshot was captured by Hong Kong Economic Journal.

Li said the article revealed the real reason for Lais execution. The mastermind behind the coup plot is supposedly Xis main political rival: former CCP leader Jiang Zemin and his faction.

Lai was a member of the power circle of Zeng Qinghong, the second most powerful figure of Jiangs faction. Therefore, the reason behind Lais swift execution is not corruption, but his alleged role in the coup, according to Li.

Its noteworthy that on the same day that Lai was executed on Jan. 29, state-run media Xinhua issued a high-profile article that stated, There is no immunity from death for corruption, no one outside the law, no power above the law. Li said the article is a veiled threat from Xia warning to his political opponentsand shows that the conflict among the Party elite has recently heated up.

China expert Qi Jiazhen shares the same views. Qi, a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center and director of the Qi Cultural Foundation in Australia, told The Epoch Times: Xi still wants to be re-elected, but many Party cadres expect to pull him down. Once he leaves the country, he might not be able to come back.

In addition to political instability within the country, Xi Jinping is well aware that if he shows up at an international conference, he will immediately face accountability for the COVID-19 pandemic, Li Yuanhua, an expert on Chinese history and former associate professor at the College of Science of Capital Normal University, told The Epoch Times sister media NTD.

In June, the United States, Britain, and other world leaders at the G-7 summit discussed launching independent investigations into the origin of COVID-19, amid questions whether the virus leaked from Chinas P4 lab in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

On environmental issues such as climate change, Li said that Beijing is not really doing anything to reduce carbon emissions, and Xi will not attend the climate summit in order to avoid embarrassment and accountability.

Last year, Xi vowed to hit peak emissions before 2030 and for carbon neutrality by 2060.

China produces the most carbon emissionsaccounting for 27 percent of total global emissionsand the countrys emissions more than tripled over the previous three decades, according to U.S.-based Rhodium Group.

Justin Zhang Follow Justin Zhang has been analyzing and writing articles on China issues since 2012. He can be contacted at guihang1996@gmail.com
City Council Votes to Make Mason Ohio a Sanctuary for the Unborn

Mason became the second city in Ohio to criminalize abortion within city limits after a tense city council vote on Monday evening.

Located 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati, Mason, with a population of about 30,000 people, voted to ban abortions after four out of seven members of the city council supported the ordinance, which goes into effect in 30 days.

Mason now becomes the 41st city in the country and the second one in Ohio to offer sanctuary for the unborn, an initiative started by a Texas nonprofit. There are currently no abortion clinics in the city, but supporters of the ordinance say that this will ensure no facilities are set up in Mason.

There was a split between Republicans who believe in banning abortions and those who dont, which was unexpected, according to Council member T. J. Honerlaw. Honerlaw, along with Tony Bradburn, Mike Gilb and Mayor Kathy Grossmann voted in favor of the ordinance, while council members Ashley Chance, Diana Nelson, and Josh Styrcula voted for abortion rights.

Im here to protect life. For me its a fundamental issue. If the foundations be destroyed, what do we have left, said Vice Mayor Gilb at the meeting. Im not just here to decide how bright the street lights should be or where the next roundabout goes. Those things are certainly important issues, but theyre not as fundamental as protecting life.

America has a legal system in place to create order in our country. We must follow and abide by that system, Nelson, who has served on the council for five years, said. The supreme court has made a ruling on abortion, regardless of ones opinion on abortion, creating local laws that contradict with federal laws is illegal and unconstitutional.

There were demonstrators from both ends of the aisle displaying fierce support with banners that read, Protect the Unborn, and Bans Off Our Bodies. Speakers were allowed to voice their opinions while some constituents shouted to vote out the members who supported the ordinance.

The ordinance makes it illegal for anyone in Mason to aid or abet an abortion, including the possession and distribution of abortion-inducing drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol. Violators can be punished with up to 180 days in jail or $1,000 in fines. There are no penalties for someone seeking an abortion.

Exceptions include dangerous, disabling, and life-threatening situations for the mother, and accidental miscarriages.

While Kersha Deibel, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, said to AP that the Mason ordinance opened up the city to public ridicule, promised boycotts, and costly litigation, Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said that this decision by the city council was a a stand against the violence of abortion and for the protection of women and babies.

Other smaller Ohio cities like London in Madison County and Celina in Mercer County are also considering implementing similar measures, and banning abortions within their city limits.
Communist Tyranny and the Suicide of Western Civilization

A courageous fighter for freedom shares her story

On American Thought Leaders, Jan Jekielek spoke with North Korean defector Yeonmi Park, author of In Order to Live: A North Korean Girls Journey to Freedom.

They discussed the North Korean regimes tactics of oppression, the parallels between her experiences in North Korea and what she now sees in the United States, and the suicide of Western civilization.

Mr. Jekielek: Your book is honestly one of the best books Ive ever read. It can help people understand what its like to live under a dictatorship.

Ms. Park: The first thing my mom taught me was, Watch out what you say, like even the birds and mice could hear my whisper. She said, The most dangerous thing you have in your body is your tongue. That was the only way that she knew how to protect me. So in a way, in North Korea, even thinking isnt free. A thought crime is a real thing. So thats how they oppress you to the point where you dont even know how to think freely.

Mr. Jekielek: How did living like that change your relationships with people?

Ms. Park: In North Korea, theres no word for friends. We have a word for comrade, which means youre working for the revolution, you share the same goal of the revolution: the glory of the party.

The regime removed a lot of concepts, like love. We didnt know what love was. I never heard anybody saying love to each other. The only love people are allowed is love for the dear leader.

They also get rid of the concept of human rights. When a babys born, they dont know what human rights is. Somebody teaches them. They go to school to learn about human rights. They need to learn. But the regime gets rid of them, they get rid of them in the dictionary.

Thats how they control your thoughts. Like how George Orwell talks about doublespeak. Who controls the language? Who controls your thoughts? They get rid of liberty, human rights, freedom, friends, even depression.

I dont know what depression is. I dont even know what stress is. Because how can you be stressed in a socialist paradise? So they dont allow that word. You dont even know what that is. Thats what the ultimate mind control looks like.

Mr. Jekielek: Reading Animal Farm gave you a picture of how a communist society emerges and how it works.

Ms. Park: Everything I had believed was a lie. When I reached South Korea and read Animal Farm, I understood what had happened to my people and my country.

Mr. Jekielek: Until I read your book, I never realized hunger is a deliberate form of control. How does that work?

Ms. Park: When the Soviets were collapsing, they stopped subsidizing North Koreas economy. So the regime thought, OK, as long as we feed the core class that supports the revolution, then were good. Thats how they measure their success.

Mr. Jekielek: Food became your number one fixation, right?

Ms. Park: You eat lunch, but then you worry about dinner. When you find dinner, you say, OK, I made it through one day, but how am I going to survive tomorrow? Every single minute of your existence, youre worrying about finding food.

Its a very effective tool to control the population. But its torture. Being starved is worse than being raped. Its the worst form of torture you can experience.

Mr. Jekielek: It sent a chill down my spine when you said hunger is worse than rape. Unfortunately, in your book, you describe this as something youre familiar with.

Ms. Park: Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: You were 13 years old when you escaped to China.

Ms. Park: It was 2007, and we couldnt find food anymore.

At night I could see lights coming from China. I thought maybe if I go where the lights were, I would find food to eat.

Mr. Jekielek: You found food, but you also found another form of terror and slavery.

Ms. Park: At this moment, there are about 300,000 North Koreans hiding in China. Most of them are women, and literally 99 percent of them are being trafficked.

So North Koreans are vulnerable in China. The traffickers know we wont ask the police for help, because theyre the ones that catch us and send us back. Thats why the traffickers told us, I can kill you at this very moment. You are less valued than even a pig.

Mr. Jekielek: And you were able to find your mother in this.

Ms. Park: So at 13, I crossed this frozen river with my mom, and the next thing I know shes being raped.

Then they said, If you want to stay in China, you have to be sold as slaves. So they sold my mom for around $65. They sold me for more than $200 because I was a virgin. Thats very valuable in China.

I wanted to kill myself. I was separated from everybody I knew. I was even more oppressed than in North Korea. Then this trafficker who bought me said that if I became his mistress, he would save my family.

So I thought, OK, if I sacrifice myself, I can rescue my family, and became his mistress at age 13. And then he brought my mom and my father to me.

Mr. Jekielek: He kept his word.

Ms. Park: He was a heartless man, raping a 13-year-old. I was a tiny, tiny thing. And he still did that.

But he saved my parents for me. Thats why I couldnt hate. I fantasized about killing him when he was raping me. Looking back now, Im grateful.

Mr. Jekielek: And you then found a way to make it to South Korea.

Ms. Park: We met another North Korean defector. She knew some missionaries who said if we studied the Bible and became Christian, they would help us go to South Korea. So they taught me about God and Jesus Christ, and somehow we proved our faith to them.

Thats when they told us, If you want to escape, youll have to cross the Gobi Desert using a compass.

They gave us the compass and told us to go to the west and north, between those directions. Eventually I followed the North Star, praying that it would lead to freedom. And it did. Ive seen so many miracles in my life.

Mr. Jekielek: So somewhere along the way, you realized that truth-telling is the best way to help your fellow North Koreans. Where did you get this idea?

Ms. Park: In a time of deceit, telling the truth is the only brave, courageous thing you can do.

Even in America right now, its a time of deceit.

I imagined America to be better than this.

When you see America from far away, its the land of hope, the home of the bravea country that stands for justice. It inspired me so much. But coming here, looking inside, I was baffled: How is this possible?

Mr. Jekielek: In an interview with Jordan Peterson, you talked about how disillusioning it was to go to Columbia University. You said zero classes were worthwhile for you. How is that possible?

Ms. Park: I was thirsty for truth and knowledge after North Korea, where I had so much hunger for it.

But at Columbia, they look for hidden oppression everywhere. And in every single class, the conclusion is that the American foundation is bigotry.

Its all about being politically correct. And this is heartbreaking, seeing the suicide of Western civilization.

At my Columbia campuses, every single person was bitter. They complain how theyre oppressed and so resentful. Thats what I couldnt understand. This is a generation thats lost.

Mr. Jekielek: Youve also started to tell the truth about the Chinese Communist Party. How did this become so important to you?

Ms. Park: Without China, Kim Jong Un can never exist. The only reason the North Korean regime has lasted this long is because of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party].

Mr. Jekielek: Where can people watch your YouTube channel?

Ms. Park: They can go to Voice of North Korea. And they can find me at YeonmiParkNK on Twitter and Instagram. Im also on Facebook.

This interview was edited for brevity and content.
Taiwanese Officials Visit to Czech Republic a Blow to Beijing: Experts

Taiwanese government ministers visited Prague in late October in a move that experts said deals a blow to Beijing.

Taiwans Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu visited Prague on Oct. 27 and 28 on invitation after the Czech Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security passed a resolution supporting cooperation with Taiwan on innovation, trade, and investment.

During the forum, Wu called on democratic countries to unite against authoritarianism.

The pursuit of freedom and democracy has always been the most important reason that our two countries are closely connected, Wu said.

Our democratic accomplishments  need to be underpinned by determination and principles. This is especially true in times when authoritarianism continuously seeks to undermine the values and institutions that we all cherish, Wu added. United we stand, divided we fall.

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 4 last year, Vystrcil led a delegation of 89 people, including senators and businesspeople, to Taiwan for meetings with the top echelons of Taiwanese politics. His action was met with fierce vitriol from the Chinese leadership.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil (L) is greeted by Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (R) upon his arrival at the airport in Taoyuan, on Aug. 30, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

In an interview with The Epoch Times, senior political and economic commentator Lin Baohua and Taiwans National Policy Research Foundation researcher and military expert Li Zhengxiu suggested that the Taiwanese foreign ministers recent invitation to visit the Czech Republic is a significant move for Prague.

Although Taiwans foreign minister has visited the United States before, the visit was unofficial and secretive. This time, the public invitation from the Czech Republic is almost the same as officially recognizing Taiwan, Lin said.

Li said, Inviting Taiwans Foreign Affairs Minister is of great significance to the international community. It has far-reaching effects on both the CCPCzech and the TaiwanCzech relationships. TaiwanCzech relations will undoubtedly deepen, and for the CCP, it is undoubtedly a diplomatic setback.

Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu delivers his speech after he received the Silver Commemorative Medal of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic from President of Czech Senate Milos Vystrcil (unseen), in Prague, on Oct. 27, 2021. (Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images)

Both experts said that because the Czech people were once under the rule of communists, they understand the dangers of the ideology. Similarly, Taiwan has a long history of being bullied and threatened by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Taiwans largest opposition party, the Chinese Nationalist Party, which has generally adopted a friendly stance towards Beijing, lost by a large margin in Taiwans past two presidential elections. From this perspective, Taiwan and the Czech Republic have a common language and can communicate in terms of universal values.

From an economic standpoint, the Czech Republic is one of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe where Taiwan has large investments as well as close economic and trade relations. As a result, many industries in the Czech Republic are relatively developed compared to neighboring countries. At the same time, the neighboring countries hope to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan with the intent of developing their economies, according to the two experts.

From Vystrcils visit to Taiwan last year to the Czech Republics plan to establish its first Asia think tank in Taiwan this year, the Czech Republic appears to be attaching great importance to the development of relations with Taiwan, according to Li.

The Czech think tank European Values Center (EVC) also signed a partnership agreement with Taiwan in April this year. According to a press release from the organization, it is slated to open an office in Taiwan in the second half of this year and will be the first in Taipei to be run by a private European think tank.

Lin said that he has always had great expectations for the development of TaiwanCzech relations. He also hopes that the two sides of the Taiwan StraitChina and Taiwancan stay divided on peaceful terms just like the Czech Republic and Slovakia. However, judging by the CCPs continued assertive actions, this seems impossible in current circumstances.

Li believes that the CCPs wolf warrior diplomacy prompted the Czech Republic and Taiwan to become closer. Initially, the Czech Republic welcomed the One-China Policy under its previous administrations, but the CCPs assertiveness repelled the nation and many others. If the CCP continues with this forceful style of diplomacy, its diplomatic relations with other countries will only worsen, he added.

Joyce Liang contributed to this report.
Children are seen in a preschool classroom at Dawes Elementary School in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 11, 2021. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Democratic Reconciliation Bill Would Require Certain College Degrees to Teach Pre-School

Preschool teachers would be forced to obtain a certain college degree if a new Democratic bill is passed by Congress.

Tucked inside the 2,468-page spending bill (pdf) unveiled this week is a provision that says minimum standards for preschool teachers would require lead teachers to a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a related field by not later than 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Over 20 states already require preschool teachers to have a degree. Supporters of the requirement argue that early learning is so fundamental that educators should have adequate knowledge about child brain development, mathematics, and other subjects.

Young children are natural scientists and innovators who test ideas and evaluate results, Anne Douglass, an associate professor of Early Childhood Education and Care at the University of Massachusetts Boston, wrote in a 2018 op-ed. It requires skill, experience and knowledge to structure learning experiences and ask questions that guide the development of childrens creative problem solving and conceptual thinking.

Others, though, assert theres no need for such a requirement.

The literature is clear that there is no relationship between teacher certification and student outcomes, a reality that will certainly hold in the preschool sphere, Lindsey Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation, told The Epoch Times via email. The only beneficiaries will be colleges of education, which will enjoy a new influx of individuals who now need bachelors degrees to teach preschool.

States and other jurisdictions where the requirement has been imposed have not seen tangible positive effects, she argued, adding that the possible and proven negative impacts include saddling preschool teachers with student loan debt, making it harder for people to become preschool teachers, and driving up the cost of preschool by making hiring more expensive.

The bill is expected to be taken up by the House of Representatives in the coming days. It would exclude from the degree requirement teachers who were employed by an eligible child care provider or early education program for a cumulative three of the last five years from the date of enactment and have the necessary content knowledge and teaching skills for early childhood educators, as demonstrated through measures determined by the state.
President Joe Biden receives an economic briefing with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on Jan. 29, 2021. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Democrats IRS Snooping Scheme Removed After Bipartisan Criticism

Congressional leadership has cut a controversial program from their new budget bill that would have allowed the IRS to gain unprecedented information from Americans bank accounts after the measure drew bipartisan criticism.

The program would have expanded the IRSs ability to look into the details of Americans bank transactions. Originally, the IRS would have been able to gain information on all accounts with inflows and outflows of more than $600 per year.

Republicans and banks strongly criticized the program, referencing reported concerns by their constituents and customers over the plan and condemning the new regulatory burdens that the program would place on the private sector.

Democrats, however, were largely supportive of the plan.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), when asked what she would say to those concerned by the program, expressed doubted whether such concerns existed. With all due respect, the plural of anecdote is not data, she snapped.

She applauded the proposal, saying If people are breaking the law and not paying their taxes, one way to track them is through the banking measure, she explained.

Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, praised the $80 billion investment in the IRS and the agencys ability to access small bank transactions, saying Democrats want to ensure tax fairness and to make sure the wealthy do not dodge their tax obligation under the new tax plan.

Another proponent of the plan has been the Biden-appointed former Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

During a Sept. 30 House oversight hearing, Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) questioned Yellen over the plan, citing concerns that the program would constitute an invasion of privacy.

Yellen defended the measure, saying I dont believe its an invasion of privacy and look, the IRS gets a great deal of information that it needs in order to make sure the taxpayers comply with the tax code.

Republicans quickly pushed back against Yellens efforts to defend the proposal.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that Democrats want to finance their spending spree by effectively treating every ordinary American as if they were under IRS audit.

I must have forgotten when the president campaigned on giving everybody their own audit, McConnell quipped.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) decried the plan in a statement as [violating] the liberty of every freedom-loving American who values their financial privacy.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said: No amount of explaining will change the fact that this $600 reporting threshold is completely unacceptable, a massive government overreach, and gives the IRS data they cant manage properly.

Secretary Yellen is essentially implying the American people are regularly committing tax fraud, she said. This rule would facilitate unwarranted snooping by the IRS.

McCarthy said, This surveillance program crosses a line, its un-American. He promised that Republicans will do everything possible to stop it before it ever gets off the ground.

Democrats Join Republicans in Criticizing the Plan

After this strong, unavoidable criticism, proponents of the plan gave an inch, raising the reporting threshold from $600 of activity per year to $10,000 per year.

Yellen applauded this new threshold for protecting American workers.

Todays new proposal reflects the administrations strong belief that we should zero in on those at the top of the income scale who dont pay the taxes they owe, Yellen said.

But even this new proposal was not exempt from scrutiny by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), whose support is necessary for the larger reconciliation budget package to pass.

Speaking at a Tuesday meeting of the Economic Club in Washington, Manchin vehemently opposed the program.

Manchin agreed that the IRS should be somewhat strengthened. Under the reconciliation bill, insisted Manchin, The IRS is going to be able to do the job that theyre supposed to be doing.

But Manchin ruled that his partys snooping scheme did not fall into the category of what the IRS should be doing. [The IRS was] never able to go into bank accounts, he noted.

Manchin related a conversation hed had with President Joe Biden about the program: I said Mr. President, I dont know who put this out or how it got screwed up but they said basically, Were gonna start looking at $600 transactions. Even if its $10,000, okay, thats only $800 or $900 [of activity per month].

Manchin said that he asked the president, Do you understand how messed up that is? To think that Uncle Sams gonna be watching transactions?

I said I dont know how this happened, but this cannot happen. This is screwed up.

Manchin indicated that Biden agreed, quoting the president as saying I think Joes right on that.

Any lingering hope for the program was undercut when 21 House Democrats asked on Tuesday that the measure be removed entirely.

This opposition apparently put the final nail in the coffin for the proposal, which has now been cut from the final bill, a substantial victory for the programs critics. Instead, Democrats have opted to use new revenue-raising measures, including a new billionaire tax.

But the IRS snooping measure, it seems, will not make it to the presidents desk.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 26, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

DHS Secretary Mayorkas Ends Remain in Mexico Program Despite Court Order

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday ended the Remain in Mexico program despite being ordered by a court to move in good faith to restore it.

I am hereby terminating MPP, Mayorkas wrote in a memorandum.

The program is formally known as the Migrant Policy Protocols (MPP). Started during the Trump administration, it forced many asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their claims to be heard.

Mayorkas ended it earlier this year, claiming it had mixed effectiveness and does not adequately or sustainably enhance border management in such a way as to justify the programs extensive operational burdens and other shortfalls.

But a federal judge in August found his memo lacked an exploration of the benefits of the program, which were outlined by the very department he heads. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, ordered the memo vacated and the Biden administration to enforce and implement MPP in good faith until such a time as it has been lawfully rescinded.

Kacsmaryks injunction ruling was upheld by an appeals court and the Supreme Court. Lawyers for the parties are scheduled for oral arguments before an appeals court in the case next week.

In his new memo, Mayorkas continued promoting twin messaging. He said the administration is working in good faith to restore the policy. But he also said he was terminating it.

The department will continue complying with the Texas injunction requiring good-faith implementation and enforcement of MPP. But the termination of MPP will be implemented as soon as practicable after a final judicial decision to vacate the Texas injunction, he wrote.

Mayorkas said he reached the conclusion after a fresh review of all the information relating to the program, including court filings, departmental assessments, and news reports.

I recognize that MPP likely contributed to reduced migratory flows. But it did so by imposing substantial and unjustifiable human costs on the individuals who were exposed to harm while waiting in Mexico. The Biden-Harris Administration, by contrast, is pursuing a series of policies that disincentivize irregular migration while incentivizing safe, orderly, and humane pathways, he wrote.

The Biden administration is facing an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration that critics say is fostered by its lax enforcement policies, including the ending of MPP and the curtailment of Title 42, which is used to expel illegal immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephen Miller, a top immigration adviser during the Trump administration, wrote on Twitter that the administration should be held in contempt of court.

Its been almost 3 months since a federal judge ordered Biden to reinstate MPP (which could be done with a single phone call) & not only has Biden never reinstated MPP theyve instead poured their energy into trying to abolish it, said.

The memo follows three recent updates.

In late September, the states of Texas and Missouri, which brought the suit that led to Kacsmaryks ruling, asked the court to force the administration to reinstate MPP. About a week later, Mayorkas department said it planned to scrap MPP even though the Supreme Court upheld Kacsmaryks ruling. Finally, the administration said it expected to be in a position to re-implement the program in mid-November, pending cooperation from Mexico.
Famed 19th century Native American leader Sitting Bull, who died in 1890, is seen in this picture from circa 1885. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian (Institution/Handout via Reuters)

DNA From Sitting Bulls Hair Confirms Living Great-Grandsons Ancestry

WASHINGTONA sample of Sitting Bulls hair has helped scientists confirm that a South Dakota man is the famed 19th century Native American leaders great-grandson using a new method to analyze family lineages with DNA fragments from long-dead people.

Researchers said on Wednesday that DNA extracted from the hair, which had been stored at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, confirmed the familial relationship between Sitting Bull, who died in 1890, and Ernie LaPointe, 73, of Lead, South Dakota.

I feel this DNA research is another way of identifying my lineal relationship to my great-grandfather, said LaPointe, who has three sisters. People have been questioning our relationship to our ancestor as long as I can remember. These people are just a pain in the place you sitand will probably doubt these findings, also.

The study represented the first time that DNA from a long-dead person was used to demonstrate a familial relationship between a living individual and a historical figureand offers the potential for doing so with others whose DNA can be extracted from remains such as hair, teeth or bones.

The new method was developed by scientists led by Eske Willerslev, director of the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre at the University of Cambridge.

The researchers took 14 years to discover a way of extracting useable DNA from the hair, which was degraded after being stored at room temperature before being handed over by the Smithsonian to LaPointe and his sisters in 2007.

Willerslev said he read in a magazine about the Smithsonian turning over the lock of hair from Sitting Bulls scalp and reached out to LaPointe.

LaPointe asked me to extract DNA from it and compare it to his DNA to establish relationship, said Willerslev, senior author of the research published in the Science Advances. I got very little hair and there was very limited DNA in it. It took us a long time developing a method that, based on limited ancient DNA, can by compared to that of living people across multiple generations.

The novel technique centered on what is known as autosomal DNA in the genetic fragments extracted from the hair. Traditional analysis involves specific DNA in the Y chromosome passed down the male line or specific DNA in the mitochondria-powerhouses of a cellpassed down from mothers to children. Autosomal DNA instead is not gender specific.

There existed methods, but they demanded for substantial amounts of DNA or did only allow to go to the level of grandchildren, Willerslev said. With our new method, it is possible to establish deeper-time family relationships using tiny amounts of DNA.

Sitting Bull, whose Lakota name was Tatanka-Iyotanka, helped bring together the Sioux tribes of the Great Plains against white settlers taking tribal land, and U.S. military forces trying to expel Native Americans from their territory. He led Native American warriors who wiped out federal troops led by George Custer at the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn in what is now the U.S. state of Montana.

Two official burial sites exist for Sitting Bull, one at Fort Yates, North Dakota and the other at Mobridge, South Dakota. LaPointe said he does not believe the Fort Yates site contains any of his great-grandfathers remains.

I feel the DNA results can identify the remains buried at the Mobridge, South Dakota site as my ancestor, LaPointe said, raising the possibility of moving the Mobridge remains to another location in the future.

By Will Dunham
Tesla CEO Elon Musk gestures as he visits the construction site of Tesla's Gigafactory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 13, 2021. (Patrick Pleul/Pool via Reuters)

Elon Musk Argues Proposed Billionaire Tax Will Eventually Target Average Americans

Elon Musk issued a warning on Thursday against Democrats billionaire tax proposal that levies unrealized capital gains, saying that eventually the government will run out of ultra-wealthy individuals, following which, they will target the majority middle class.

US national debt is ~$28,900 billion or ~$229k per taxpayer. Even taxing all billionaires at 100% would only make a small dent in that number, so obviously the rest must come from the general public. This is basic math. Spending is the real problem. https://usdebtclock.org @elonmusk tweeted on Oct. 28.

Chiefly authored by Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, the radical 23.8 percent tax rate for long-term capital gains on tradable assets would be targeted at those making a billion dollars or more in annual income or $100 million or more for three consecutive years. This puts around 700 Americans in the bracket whose wealth is mostly concentrated in stocks.

Existing laws prevent the government from taxing unrealized gains or unsold stocks. The new law changes that to include unsold stocks and adds them into the individuals income that is subject to taxation. The recently proposed changes by the Democrats are mostly to fund their $2 trillion Build Back Better campaign.

The billionaire tax proposal is facing stiff opposition from many Democrats as well, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.

I dont like it. I dont like the connotation that were targeting different people, Manchin told reporters. He also praised American billionaires contribution to society through investments, job creation, and philanthropy.

The other critical issue facing the proposal is the legality of whether the Constitution gives Congress the right to tax wealth. It is likely there will be legal challenges if the controversial plan is passed. Opponents can argue that unrealized gains cannot be counted as income, and thus, must not be taxed.

According to Musk, this tax only covers ~10% of the $3.5 trillion spending bill. Where will the other 90% come from? The answer is you. Musk, with a net worth of almost $284 billion, had recently dethroned Amazons Jeff Bezos as the richest man on the planet.

A recent surge in Teslas (TSLA) stock price following the mass purchase by Hertz of 100,000 cars made the company part of the trillion-dollar club. Musk owns more than 20 percent of Tesla shares.

As a response to a supportive tweet, Musk said he is better suited at allocating capital than Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Who is best at capital allocation  government or entrepreneurs  is indeed what it comes down to. The tricksters will conflate capital allocation with consumption.
Dr. Michael Kurilla, director of the Division of Clinical Innovation at the NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, is seen in a file photograph. (Courtesy of the NIH)

FDA Adviser Explains Why He Abstained From Vote on Pfizers COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Children

The only Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel member to abstain from a major vote this week that essentially authorized Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5 said he did so because of limited safety and efficacy data.

All 17 others voted to advise the administration, or the FDA, to authorize the jab for children between the ages of 5 and 11. The agency already supported doing so and is expected to formalize the authorization soon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would then decide which children should get the shot.

The vote was preceded by nearly eight hours of discussions and presentations, with multiple members expressing concern about the scant data on how the vaccine will affect the age group.

But Dr. Michael Kurilla, an expert on infectious diseases and pathology who directs a division inside the National Institutes of Health, was the only one who didnt support the recommendation.

Kurilla told The Epoch Times in an email that he opposed the specific, binary wording of the question, which opens up the possibility that any child between 5 and 11 will be able to get the Pfizer vaccine. He was also concerned about the longest follow-up for the clinical trial involving the age group being only three months, data that shows children experience severe cases of COVID-19 much less often than adults, and how a large chunk of them have already had the disease, giving them some level of immunity.

If the authorization goes through as expected, at least some of the age group will be able to get two doses of 10 micrograms each, spaced three weeks apart.

The same dosage interval, with a dosage level three times as high, is currently in place for adults. But adults have seen waning effectiveness, especially against infection, prompting the recent authorization of booster doses.

Because the interval is the same, it can be predicted that the effectiveness will also wane in children, Kurilla said. The lower dosage level, meanwhile, brings into question whether the protection against severe disease and hospitalization will be as strong as in adults.

Real-world evidence involving adults suggest the 3-week dosing interval is suboptimal in terms of durability and is likely to be similar in children, leading to waning immunity within 46 months, Kurilla said. Because the Pfizer vaccine offers protection against serious disease even after antibody titers have waned, there is some other basis for immunity, but at the lower dose in children, there is no expectation that those same immune processes will behave similarly to the higher adult dose.

Pfizer/BioNTechs new pediatric COVID-19 vaccine vials are seen in this undated handout photo. (Pfizer via Reuters)

Low Hospitalization Rate

During the meeting, members heard that among children 5 to 11 in the United States, there have been over 1.9 million infections since the start of the pandemic, but just 0.4 percent, or 8,400 of those cases, have required hospital care. And just 94 of them ended up dying.

They also heard that an estimated 20 percent of the hospitalized children were admitted for a reason besides COVID-19 and that nearly seven out of 10 of the children had existing serious health conditions like heart disease, illustrating just how little risk COVID-19 poses to healthy children.

Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 40 percent of children in the age group have already had COVID-19. Recovery from COVID-19 bestows some level of immunity, studies show, with multiple studies indicating the level is actually higher than vaccines provide.

The benefit here is assumed to be prevention of severe disease, which is what were all hoping for, Kurilla said during the meeting. But among the recovered, he added later, The question really becomes, does this vaccine offer any benefits to them at all?

Kurilla signaled he would have voted yes if the FDA had proposed opening up access to the vaccine to a subset of the 511 group. He also explained why he abstained.

My abstention was based on the specific question the FDA asked. A no vote would have been misconstrued as my opinion about the vaccine, he told The Epoch Times. There are high-risk groups within the 511 age group that would benefit from the vaccine, suggesting a more tailored approach.

In this image from video, Dr. Michael Kurilla (C) questions the CDCs Dr. Fiona Havers (R) during an FDA advisory panel meeting on Oct. 26, 2021. (The Epoch Times via FDA)

Others Question Widespread Use

Additional panel members openly questioned whether all young children should get the vaccine.

Im torn. On one hand, we know that many mothers and fathers and parents are eager to administer this vaccine to children because theyre so frightened, perhaps overly so,  that they really are anticipating having access to this vaccine in children, said Dr. Cody Meissner, the director of pediatric infectious disease at Tufts Medical Center.

On the other hand, I think we saw that approximately 68 percent of the children who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have underlying comorbidities. That means about 32 percent do not. And then if we were to take 40 percent of that group that may have immunity already, were getting down to a very small percent of otherwise healthy 6- to 11-year-old children who might derive some benefit, he added.

But others said they saw the need for the vaccination. The protection it gives would prevent more hospitalizations and ensure schools remain open, some argued.

We dont want children to be dying of COVID, even if it is far fewer children than adults, and we dont want them in the ICU, said Dr. Amanda Cohn, a CDC official.

Jeannette Lee, a biostatistics professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said she was impressed by the data presented by Pfizer, which relied on an approach called immunobridging. In this case, Pfizers trial showed the vaccine triggered antibodies in children. The antibodies were compared to those elicited in older groups, and that was used as proof the vaccine will protect the kids against COVID-19.

Kurilla, though, voiced disapproval with the approach, telling colleagues its being based on an immunogenicity marker that we know wanes.

He said he hoped for more flexibility in the authorization, including a single dose for some children and no doses for others, based on factors like prior infection.

There are high-risk individuals and I think they do need to be attended to, that we do need to provide a vaccine for them. But for many others, one doseor no dose, even, if theyve had prior COVID infection. I think they may not need anything more, he said.

A 14-year-old girl gets a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Hartford, Conn., on May 13, 2021. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

Side Effects

Cases of heart inflammation after receipt of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highest in youth, especially boys in their teens. Based on reports submitted to the federally run Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the cases are higher than expected in males aged 12 to 49 after the second Pfizer dose and females 12 to 24 after the second Pfizer dose.

Over half of the children with confirmed myocarditis or pericarditis studied in the Vaccine Safety Datalink surveillance system required hospital care, though no post-vaccination deaths due to the conditions have been confirmed, according to federal authorities.

Pfizer said none of the 5- to 11-year-olds in its trials experienced post-vaccination heart inflammation. Using a third of the amount of that given to older people is, in part, an attempt to curb side effects, though how that will ultimately turn out is unknown.

FDA scientists said they determined the vaccine would prevent more COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among the age group than vaccine-linked heart inflammation cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. They assumed a vaccine efficacy of 70 percent against COVID-19 cases and an efficacy of 80 percent against hospitalizations linked to the disease. Among young males, the benefits appear to outweigh the risks, Hong Yang, an FDA scientist, told members. Among young females, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, she added.

What will the actual myocarditis rate be in these younger kids? Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Childrens Hospital, wondered. That group may be less susceptible to myocarditis, but right now thats a speculation, he added. We dont know that for sure.

Members of the public also expressed concern, arguing the safety data wasnt sufficient to authorize the vaccine for children so young.

But other members pointed to the trial data, the fact fewer reports have come in for 12- to 15-year-olds than 16- and 17-year-olds, and how, generally, fewer younger children experience heart inflammation versus older ones.

I am not as concerned about myocarditis in this age group as I am in the older kids, Dr. Melinda Wharton, another CDC official, said.

Surveillance systems like VAERS will help detect if inflammation becomes an issue in the younger children, members said.

If the surveillance systems do start seeing severe outcomes and deaths from vaccination, Im quite confident that those surveillance systems will tell us that we need to pause like we did with the J&J vaccine to really have a good idea of what the effects are vaccinating this age group, said Dr. Patrick Moore, professor at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.

In this image from video, Dr. Eric Rubin (L) explains why he will vote to advise the FDA to authorize Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for young children during an FDA advisory panel meeting on Oct. 26, 2021. (The Epoch Times via FDA)

The Yes Votes

Ultimately, most members said the benefits and predicted benefits of the vaccine in the 5- to 11-year-olds outweighed the risks and potential risks.

I think this vaccine will likely be effective in reducing pediatric COVID in this age group and may also help reduce transmission. On the safety end, Im encouraged by the lower dose,  finding a dose thats immunogenic and had not too much in terms of reactogenicity, said Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Childrens Hospital.

Dr. Eric Rubin, an adjunct professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said he wanted to give parents the choice to vaccinate their kids, imagining he had a child who was a transplant recipient, though he joined others in saying there are probably some younger children who shouldnt get the vaccine.

The question of how broadly to use it, though, I think is a substantial one. And I know its not our question, but Iand I know were kind of punting that to [the CDCs advisory panel]but I do think that its a relatively close call, he said.

Soon after, in a comment that was widely distributed online, he added: Were never going to learn about how safe this vaccine is unless we start giving it. Thats just the way it goes. Thats how we found out about rare complications of other vaccines, like the rotavirus vaccine.

Rubin told The Epoch Times in an email, responding to critics: The clinical trial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children showed no adverse events. All data to date indicate that it is safe. It will prevent the hospitalization of children with severe disease, as it does with adults. The vaccine works, and saves lives.
Pharmacist Colleen Teevan reconstitutes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before having it administered to people at the Hartford Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on Jan. 4, 2021. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

FDA Authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Children Aged 5 to 11

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday issued an emergency authorization to use Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 through 11, coming days after an advisory panel recommended it.

But before the shots can be distributed across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must first sign off on the move.

As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for todays authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement Friday.

The FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted overwhelmingly to back a smaller dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine for younger children. Children aged 12 and older have been eligible to get the vaccine for months.

In a news release, the FDA said that immune responses in younger children were similar to individuals aged 16 to 25. Based on an ongoing study from the agency, the FDA said that the vaccine was 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in kids aged 5 to 11.

About 3,100 children in that age group have not displayed serious side effects in the ongoing study, the agency continued.

The FDA has determined this Pfizer vaccine has met the criteria for emergency use authorization, it said. Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, the known and potential benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in individuals down to 5 years of age outweigh the known and potential risks.

A news release issued by the FDA said that the agencys and CDCs surveillance systems identified higher risks of myocarditisinflammation of the heart muscleand pericarditisinflammation of the tissue surrounding the heartafter males aged 12 to 17 got the Pfizer vaccine.

Based on its own modeling to ascertain the risk-benefit ratio for children aged 5 to 11, the FDA predicts that overall, the benefits of the vaccine would outweigh its risks in children 5 through 11 years of age.

Other than heart inflammation, other side effects include headache, fatigue, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, nausea, and a sore arm, the health agency said.

More children reported side effects after the second dose than after the first dose, according to the release. Side effects were generally mild to moderate in severity and occurred within two days after vaccination, and most went away within one to two days.

The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week to discuss the vaccine. Depending on the outcome of the panels meeting, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky would then have the final say on when the vaccine can be used for younger children, and also in what circumstances.

Dr. Michael Kurilla, an expert on infectious diseases and pathology who directs a division inside the National Institutes of Health, was the only official on the FDA advisory panel who didnt support the recommendation earlier this week.

Because the Pfizer vaccine offers protection against serious disease even after antibody titers have waned, there is some other basis for immunity, but at the lower dose in children, there is no expectation that those same immune processes will behave similarly to the higher adult dose, he told The Epoch Times.

It came just days after Harvard University professor of medicine Martin Kulldorff told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program that he believes children should not get the COVID-19 vaccine.

I dont think children should be vaccinated for COVID. Im a huge fan of vaccinating children for measles, for mumps, for polio, for rotavirus, and many other diseases, thats critical. But COVID is not a huge threat to children, said Kulldorff, who has often criticized the federal governments vaccine mandates on social media.

In the interview earlier this week, Kulldorf pointed to data showing that children have a very low chance of hospitalization, death, or long-term effects from COVID-19.

Children, he added, can be infected, just like they can get the common cold, but theyre not a big threat. They dont die from this, except in very rare circumstances. So if you want to talk about protecting children or keeping children safe, I think we can talk about traffic accidents, for example, which they are really at some risk.

When the vaccines are rolled out for younger children, there is sure to be parental resistance nationwide.

Earlier this week, a poll carried out by the Kaiser Family Foundation discovered that 30 percent of parents said they will definitely not get the vaccine for their 5- to 11-year-old. Five percent said they would have their kids get the vaccine only if it was required to attend school, it found.

About 27 percent said they definitely would have their child receive the shot, Kaiser said. Another 33 percent of parents said they would wait and see.

Parents main concerns when it comes to vaccinating their younger children ages 5-11 have to do with potential unknown long-term effects and serious side effects of the vaccine, including two-thirds who are concerned the vaccine may affect their childs future fertility, the pollsters wrote.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
A Qantas aircraft takes off from the international terminal of Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2020. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Flights From America and Singapore Will Be the First to Enter Australia

International commercial flights from North America and Singapore will be the first to carry passengers to Australia after the country lifts its international travel ban in November.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews confirmed that a Qantas flight from North America and a Singapore Airlines voyage would land in Sydney and that people would be able to greet their families and friends coming back from overseas at the airport.

It will be fantastic to see those aircraft touch down here in Australia, Andrews told Network Ten on Friday.

From Nov.1, fully vaccinated travellers can enter Sydney and Melbourne without hotel quarantine, while those unvaccinated will still need to isolate for two weeks in the hotel.

The border opening up was announced this week after the nation has hit the 70 percent double dose vaccination threshold, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirming that a quarantine-free travel bubble with Singapore would resume on Nov. 8.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg defended the decision to scrap quarantine for fully vaccinated arrivals, saying that the decision is based on official advice.

For those who were double-dose vaccinated, then you should be allowed to go about your life in Australia and obviously catch up with family and friends, he told the Seven Network.

The treasurer also alerted that reopening the international border could lead to an increase in cases, which would result in deaths and hospitalisations.

We cant defeat the virus. We have to learn to live with it, Frydenberg said. That means following the health restrictions that remain in place, but getting on with our lives and enjoying our freedoms.

As of Oct. 28, 75.5 percent of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated in Australia, with 87.6 percent having had their first dose.

Victoria recorded 1656 new infections and 10 deaths, with the state hitting the 80 percent double dose rate soon. New South Wales (NSW) recorded 268 new cases and two deaths.

As Australia picks up with its vaccination rate, the government is launching a population-wide booster shots program. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the nations medicine and therapeutics regulator, has also approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot for people over the age of 18.

We want to encourage every Australian that is eligible to continue to come forward and complete their primary course and when they are due six months plus to come forward for their boosters, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
Florid Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a report from a member of his administration during a meeting at the governor's office in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 1, 2021. (Screenshot via Epoch Times)

Florida Gov. DeSantis Announces Special Legislative Session Over COVID-19 Mandates

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced that he will have legislators conduct a special session to address reforms to state law that would impose penalties on employers and local officials that mandate masks or COVID-19 vaccines.

In a proclamation (pdf), the Republican governor made a special call to ban vaccine mandates and said that legislators should pass a law prohibiting businesses, schools, and governments to force people to show proof of vaccination before entering.

Your right to earn a living should not be contingent upon COVID shots, DeSantis said in a statement.

Specifically, DeSantis wants the legislature to consider bills to protect current and prospective employees against unfair discrimination on the basis of their COVID-19 vaccination status, allow employees who are denied employment over their vaccination status to be eligible for benefits, deal with complaints regarding vaccine mandates, limit school district vaccine requirements on students and staff, and more.

The governor then attacked shifting narratives that have emerged throughout the pandemic.

We have somehow gone from 15 days to slow the spread to three jabs to keep your job, DeSantis said. In Florida, we believe that the decision whether or not to get a COVID shot is a choice based on individual circumstances, so we are litigating against the Biden Administration and will be passing legislation in this Special Session.

The governor was referring to a lawsuit his administration filed against the Biden administration, NASA Director Bill Nelson, and other federal officials over mandates requiring federal workers and contractors to get the vaccine by Dec. 8. DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are seeking an injunction to block the White House in enforcing the rule.

In an interview with Florida Politics this week, House Speaker-Designate Paul Renner said that Gov. Ron DeSantis announcement on a special session in November likely wont result in any demands being met because he doesnt believe federal mandates or restrictions will receive strong support in the state.

Probably nobodys happy at the end, Renner said. The people on the side of vaccinate or terminate are unhappy. And the people that are on the side of, I can tell my employer what the terms of my employment are and if I get sick they have to pay for it, theyre probably not going to be happy either.

But state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a Republican, sharply criticized Renner over claims that the legislature wont ban vaccine mandates.

Call every Legislator and DEMAND a FULL BAN on employee mandates NOW! Sabatini wrote on social media, describing Renner as a RINO, or Republican in name only.
Former Head of the Provincial Gestapo-Like Office in China Put Under Investigation

The former head of the Chinese communist regimes Gestapo-like office in Jiangsu province is under investigation for allegedly breaking the law. He, and his department, were tasked with suppressing religious freedom within China.

The Commission for Discipline Inspection of Jiangsu reported that Chen Yizhong, the former deputy secretary and deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department, was under investigation for the vague charge of serious violation of regulations and laws on Oct. 24. The notification also listed his former position as the director of the 610 Office.

The 610 Office was an extrajudicial body specially established to execute the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) sweeping campaign of repression against adherents of the spiritual practice Falun Gong.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline consisting of meditative exercises and moral teachings based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The groups popularity surged in China during the 1990s, with estimates putting the number of adherents at about 70 million to 100 million by the end of the decade.

Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin was concerned about the faith groups growing popularity, and launched a nationwide persecution to eradicate the group. He established the 610 Office for the purpose on June 10, 1999its name being drawn from the date of its founding.

Chen was a subordinate of Wang Like, the former secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Jiangsu Province, who was dismissed last year. The two had actively persecuted Falun Gong practitioners in Jiangsu for many years.

In March 2013, Chen began to concurrently serve as the director of the Jiangsu Provincial 610 Office, and as the director of the Stability Maintenance Office.

During Chens tenure at the 610 Office, Falun Gong practitioners were subject to arbitrary detention, torture, forced labor, brainwashing, imprisonment, and forced blood drawing, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that documents Beijings persecution of the spiritual practice.

Detained Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to forced blood tests, which experts say are done to assess the health of their organs. Many practitioners have been killed for their organs for sale on the transplant market by the regime, a 2019 peoples tribunal found.

According to Minghui, in Jiangsus Nanjing city, at least 84 Falun Gong practitioners were known to have been detained, and at least one person was persecuted to death from 2013 to 2014. Numerous Falun Gong practitioners were also harassed over those two years, the oldest being in his 80s.

In the cities of Xinyi and Xuzhou in Jiangsu, from October to mid-November 2013, more than 20 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested by authorities and held in brainwashing and detention centers, Minghui.org reported. Other practitioners had their homes raided, and books and materials relating to the practice confiscated.

A number of Chinese officials who have led 610 Offices around the country have found themselves being put under investigation by the Party. Several former heads have been targeted this year, including Du Rong, deputy mayor of Changzhou city of Jiangsu and director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Peng Bo, deputy director of the 610 office. Others include Liu Xinyun, deputy governor of Shanxi Province and director of the Provincial Public Security Department, and Hui Congbing, deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Shandong Province.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is seen at a Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Donna, Texas, on May 7, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

GOP Seek Answers to Reports of $450,000 Compensation for Illegal Immigrants

Nearly four dozen GOP congress members sent a letter to the Biden Administrations various agency heads on Friday, demanding answers to a report that they are considering paying illegal immigrants who crossed the U.S. border illegally in 2018, $450,000 in compensation each.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) led 43 colleagues to seek answers from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Department of Justices Attorney General Merrick Garland about a recent report from the Wall Street Journal about the compensation plan.

The WSJ report said that the Biden administration is in talks with groups like The American Civil Liberties Union which is representing illegal immigrants who filed one of the lawsuits. The reports said there are currently 940 claims filed by illegal immigrants and the total payout to families could be $1 billion.

Murphy said he could not believe the reports about the Biden administration that they would even consider compensating those that broke U.S. laws to enter the country.

We are a nation of laws, and our laws must be enforced. Promising tens of thousands of dollars to those who unlawfully entered the United States would not only reward criminal behavior, but it would surely send a message to the world that our borders are open, and or rule of law will not be enforced, the House GOP letter states.

If your Administration decides to give out financial compensation to thousands of illegal immigrants in the amount of roughly one-half of a million dollars, you will unilaterally incentivize migrants from more than 150 nations across the world to surge our border, the letter continues.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of the illegal immigrants says the children who were separated from their parents at the border in 2018 faced some sort of lasting psychological trauma.

A group of Venezuelans wait to be picked up by Border Patrol after illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Del Rio, Texas, on June 3, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The suffering and trauma inflicted on these little children and parents are horrific, said Lee Gelernt, the ACLUs lead lawyer in the family separation lawsuit, Ms. L v. ICE, which was filed in 2019. In a 2021 statement, he says that not only should families be reunited but compensated for their suffering.

The incoming administration must reunite the separated families in the United States, but we cannot stop there. These families deserve citizenship, resources, care, and a commitment that family separation will never happen again, said the lead lawyer for the illegal immigrants.

The lawmakers say the compensation for illegal immigrants as compared to the average income in the United States, which is 68,000, is unacceptable.

Furthermore, compare it to the maximum payout from a SGLI life insurance policy for military members, which is $400,000. The idea that we would give illegal foreigners who broke the law a check that exceeds the amount that our government supplies to our valiant and heroic Gold Star Families is shameful, reprehensible, and morally indignant.

The Republicans argue that taxpayer money should not be used to reward illegal entry into the United States, no matter what the circumstance.

As Members of Congress, we are extremely alarmed that this misguided policy shows that the Administration wants to treat illegal immigrants better than law-abiding citizens who create families and contribute to our economy through hard, legal work. We are the country of the strong and the brave, not the country of exploitation and shortcuts, the members wrote.

The Republicans urge the administration to reconsider any such compensation plans.

The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment on the alleged compensation plan by the time of publication.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks across the South Lawn as he leaves the White House on Oct. 7, 2021, in Washington, DC. Biden was traveling to the Chicago area to promote his Build Back Better agenda while also encouraging employers have their employees vaccinated. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Government Assistance Programs and Policies Contributing to Employment Decline Among Able-Bodied Americans: Study

Government assistance programs and policies are contributing to the decline in employment activity among able-bodied Americans, according to a new study by the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Republicans.

The study, titled, Reconnecting Americans to the Benefits of Work, published on Wednesday, seeks to understand why fewer prime-age Americans are part of the nations workforce.

While noting that declining wages, technological change, and international trade all play a part in the decline in employment activity among able-bodied Americans, JEC Republicans said that government programs and policies have likely made work less attractive for these Americans.

The study found that the United States has experienced an unprecedented rise in disconnected prime-age workers over time.

For men, this trend dates back half a century, with their labor force participation rate falling from over 97 percent in 1955 to 89 percent before the pandemic. For women, receding workforce participation began in the last two decades.

The decline in prime-age labor force participation has been mostly voluntary, the study notes, with just 12 percent of inactive, prime-age, able-bodied men stating that they wanted a job or were open to work. Among men who said they are not working due to reasons other than disability, retirement, education, or homemaking, 41 percent personally receive government assistance.

If more men are genuinely choosing to stay home with the kids, go to school, or retire early, policymakers should not be concerned. However, government policies may be tipping the scales toward inactivity and away from work, the study notes.

Policymakers should take note if would-be workers inactivity is indeed enabled or encouraged by poorly structured government benefits or made more likely by unnecessary barriers to work, it adds. This is likely the case for the 41 percent of primeage men who personally receive government assistance and are inactive for reasons other than disability, retirement, education, or homemaking.

JEC Republicans also noted that a growing number of Americans were receiving government assistance despite improving pre-pandemic economic conditions.

The share of working-age Americans living in households between the 20th and 50th income percentiles who receive safety net benefits increased from 20 percent to about 30 percent between 1998 and 2014. This growth in safety net benefits likely makes non-work more attractive and has contributed to declining labor force participation, they wrote.

The study noted a decline in labor force participation and earnings after government assistance programs such as housing assurance, Medicaid, and the introduction of the food stamp program in the 1960s and 1970s.

More recent evidence following the Great Recession shows how the expansion of safety net benefits undermined the rewards to work, creating employment losses and delayed economic recovery, the study adds.

The study focuses on multiple government assistance programs in the time period before Congress passed three massive stimulus packages in an effort to support the economy and help Americans through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional government spending is currently being pushed by the Biden administration, which has said it has secured a new $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act framework for economic and climate change spending that has yet to pass the Senate.

The bill is a revised and reduced version of the $3.5 trillion social spending bill unveiled at the beginning of the year that was blocked by key moderate Democrats who refused to allow such an increase to the national debt.

The new stimulus package has been praised by Democrats such as Sen. Tammy Baldwin, (D-Wis.) for helping working Americans get back on their feet.

But further stimulus support has also been criticized by Republicans including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the ranking member of the JEC Republicans.

As the number of Americans who receive government assistance has grown, more Americans have voluntarily left their jobs, Lee said in a statement to Fox News. Congress plan to spend an additional $3.5 trillion to provide households with new subsidies and fewer incentives to work would only make things worse.

JEC Republicans suggest approaching the current declining employment situation with a three-pronged approach: removing barriers to work such as burdensome regulations, removing financial disincentives to work such as those in social-safety net programs, and bolstering incentives and increasing the attractiveness to work, such as a government-funded wage subsidy to increase workers take-home pay.

Reconnecting inactive workers to the labor force will require careful consideration of poorly-designed federal benefits, wide-ranging regulations that exclude would-be workers from the labor market, and labor laws that restrict employee freedoms to work on their own terms, the study says.

Ultimately, work is a means of promoting wellbeing, not an end in itself. Improving connections to work and increasing the attractiveness of work, particularly among those most at risk for idleness or isolation, can significantly improve the economic, social, and mental well-being of disconnected Americans.
Greek military officers hold Greek flags during a military parade at the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Giannis Papanikos/AP Photo)

Greece Marks WWII Entry Anniversary With Military Parade

THESSALONIKI, GreeceFighter jets flew over the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Thursday as parachutists landed and troops marched in the citys center to mark a national holiday commemorating Greeces defiance of Italy that forced it to enter World War II.

Greeces Oct. 28 national holiday, known as Ochi Day, or No Day, marks the day in 1940 when Athens rejected a pre-dawn Italian ultimatum to allow its forces to enter Greek territory and take control of parts of it.

Italian troops invaded hours later, prompting Greeces entry into the war, in which outnumbered and outgunned Greek forces successfully repulsed the Italians only to be overwhelmed months later by a separate German invasion.

The anniversary of No is a day of honor and pride for our nation, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said, adding that the countrys actions in 1940 remind us of everything we can achieve when we are united.

Last years parades were cancelled as the country grappled with the coronavirus pandemic. This year, most were allowed to go ahead, although Thessalonikis military parade was somewhat pared down, with only military, fire service, and security forces parading without the participation of many of the civic groups and associations that traditionally take part. Participants and spectators alike were asked to wear masks.

But several municipalities and regions across northern Greece cancelled parades by schoolchildren.

A tank with a Greek Flag painted on the side parades through the streets of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, during a military parade, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Giannis Papanikos/AP Photo)

Greek military officers wearing WWII Military costumes take part in the military parade at the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Giannis Papanikos/AP Photo)
Historic Mayoral Battle in the Steel City

PITTSBURGHPittsburghs mayoral election this week will have a historic outcome no matter who wins.

State Rep. Edward Gainey is the favorite to become the citys first African American mayor in this traditionally Democratic city. However, a victory by his rival, Tony Moreno, would give the city its first Mexican/Native American mayor, as well as the first Republican in City Hall in generations; hes running as a Republican after he failed to win the primary as a Democrat.

Gainey argues for the demilitarization of the police and more engagement by officers walking a beat in the community, while Moreno, a military veteran and a former city police officer, says crime is spiking.

Moreno has pledged not to defund the police.

I will keep the city safe, he told The Epoch Times, adding that he advocates smart police policies.

He has a formidable task in this Democratic Party bastion. If elected, he would be the citys first Republican mayor since 1933 and its first elected GOP mayor since 1929.

In the spring, when Gainey defeated Mayor Bill Peduto in the Democratic primary, a KDKA television commentator said Gainey was all but elected.

Much of the general election campaign has focused on public safety; policing and potential reforms figured prominently in debates. While theres agreement between the candidates that crime is becoming a serious problem, last years numbers indicate the opposite.

Republican mayoral candidate for Pittsburgh Tony Moreno at Little Italy Day at the Picklesburgh event on Aug. 22, 2021. (Tony Moreno for Mayor)

Violent crimes and property crimes fell by 20 percent from the previous year, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police reported.

However, Moreno says the reality is different.

Crime is not actually down, Moreno said. Its the way the city has redesignated the categories of crimes.

Gainey, in a KDKA television debate with Moreno, warned that violence is escalating.

Theres a reason why 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds are waking up with violence on their minds, he said, promising to establish alternative response procedures for nonviolent and mental health emergency calls that will reduce police interactions for those struggling with substance abuse disorders, homelessness, mental health crises, and trauma, getting them the resources they need rather than sending them to jail.

The best way to improve community relations is when you have officers walking a beat and when there is a presence, Gainey said, adding that more police is often not the solution to crime problems, and that policing should incorporate a public health plan.

Moreno says Gaineys police proposals are flawed, and criticized the policies of the current mayor, Peduto, a Democrat who is now finishing his second term.

The difference between the way [Gainey] talks about foot patrol and the way I do, Moreno said, is that the current administration does not believe in engaging with people committing crimes related to homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.

Moreno said sometimes a person must be made to go to a mental health center for evaluation.

The court system must be utilized to force the individual into treatment for their safety and the safety of the public, he said. That is when the Sequential Intercept Model comes into play. This is where diversion from incarceration and direction into treatment and other services takes place.

Moreno dismissed Gaineys idea of beat cops, saying officers walking through neighborhoods with no authority to stop criminal activity are not going to accomplish much.

Democratic Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey. (Matt Cashore/Ed Gainey for Mayor)

But Gainey contends that police officers today often lack personal relationships with their communities. He said if the only time a resident sees an officer is when theres a problem, then that erodes the relationship.

Gainey is a veteran of Pittsburgh politics, which Moreno criticizes. Moreno has called out the local Democratic political establishment and accused the corrupt media establishment of taking radical left positions such as defunding or reimagining the police. He said Gainey is surrounding himself with socialists.

Gainey, who declined requests for comment from The Epoch Times, dismisses charges of political extremism. He said hes happy to receive support both from those on the left and the right. By contrast, he said Moreno often condemns both Republicans and Democrats.

Gainey has an extensive political resume. He has served on the staff of two mayors, has been a community development specialist, and started programs such as the 52 Weeks of Peace and the Minority Business Seminar.

Gainey also worked with the Pittsburgh Police Department to improve their hiring practices, according to his website. He warns that the city must find a way to deescalate violence and advocates for equitable policing throughout Pittsburgh.

Would he fire the police chief?

Gainey, during the KDKA debate, said he wouldnt make that call during the campaign.

We have seen a lot of failures in this administration, Moreno said. We have to address them and hold everybody accountable. While Moreno said the entire police staff would be reviewed, he said that Gainey supported the City Councils decision to cut $11 million from police training.

Gainey rejects that claim.

Number one, I had nothing to do with that council decision. And number two, I never said that I would defund the police.

A Tragedy

On the night of a debate hosted by Casa San Jose, a multiple shooting occurred in the Hill district; both candidates stopped to pray for the victims.

Later in the campaign, there was the police use of a Taser of Jim Rogers, a black man who was suspected of stealing a bicycle in the Bloomfield neighborhood. Rogers died at a hospital on Oct. 14, a day after his arrest.

The Rogers case became a part of the most important debate of this campaign, a debate taking place in many big U.S. cities: How do police interact with the public? And how do they keep the city secure at the same time?

At a memorial for Rogers, some accused the police, the media, and politicians of being enemies of the people.

Moreno and Gainey both called the death a tragedy. However, they came to different conclusions.

Gainey said the police department must reconnect with the community. A lifetime Pittsburgh resident, he said he remembers the beat cops of his youth and wants them brought back.

However, Moreno, who knew Rogers, contended that this problem is deeper.

This city government doesnt follow its own police policies. This was a worst-case scenario outcome but unfortunately, it was an inevitable one, Moreno said.

The death of Jim Rogers is sad and tragic and incredibly preventable. There are policies in this department that are not being enforced that could have helped this situation, and Jim would still be with us.

Gainey said the police will improve with more community control.

In a campaign statement, Gainey said he will work with Council to strengthen the Citizen Police Review Boards (CPRB) ability to compel testimony from officers and conduct thorough, independent investigations of allegations of police misconduct.

Moreno said more community board control of the police wont work, instead blaming the current administration for allowing officers to patrol alone, while noting many other big cities have two-person police cars as a standard.

Moreno said the Rogers tragedy is likely an example in which two-person cars, which he said are achievable with better fiscal management, would have better served the community.

Moreno has contended the city government misallocates police resources, forcing officers to do trivial chores such as delivering food.

Peduto spokesman Dan Gilman didnt respond to multiple phone calls and emails from The Epoch Times seeking comment.

Switching to GOP

Morenos political path has been unusual. He came out of retirement after 24 years as a local street cop and was a career Democrat who supported President Barack Obama. But he has also praised President Donald Trump for his policies to help veterans, while criticizing him on immigrant issues.

Moreno, along with Peduto, lost to Gainey in this springs Democratic mayoral primary. Moreno said that in some districts he got zero votes, and I know thats not true because some people there told me they voted for me.

Nevertheless, Moreno received 2,400 write-in votes in the GOP primary, 1,000 of which were thrown out owing to misspellings, but he met the threshold needed to obtain the GOP nomination.

Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Tony Morenos campaign headquarters were vandalized on Oct. 22, 2021. (Photo Courtesy of Patty Poloka, Moreno campaign manager )

Moreno said the windows of his South Main Street campaign headquarters in the West End were recently smashed and anti-police slogans were spray-painted on his property. He accused local news media of largely ignoring the attack, saying the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and KDKA television effectively blacked out the incident.

Neither outlet responded to requests by The Epoch Times for comment.

Im also a minority candidate. Im being attacked, violently, Moreno said, adding that he believes the media response would have been different had the vandalism occurred at Gaineys headquarters.
A Huawei logo is seen on a cell phone screen in their store at Vina del Mar, Chile, on July 18, 2019. (Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters)

Huawei Revenue Slides in Q3 as Smartphone Business Remains Crippled

SHENZHEN, ChinaRevenue of Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. plummeted 38 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, with U.S. sanctions having hobbled its smartphone business and new potential growth areas still in their infancy.

The Chinese telecoms giant posted revenue of 455.8 billion yuan ($71.32 billion) for the first three quarters on Friday, down by almost a third on the same period a year earlier, with a profit margin of 10.2 percent.

Revenue for the third quarter alone came to 135.4 billion yuan, based on Reuters calculations.

Performance was in line with forecast, said rotating Chairman Guo Ping.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump put Huawei on an export blacklist in 2019 and barred it from accessing critical U.S.-origin technology, impeding its ability to design its own chips and source components from outside vendors.

The restrictions have badly hurt Huaweis handset business, with rotating Chairman Eric Xu saying in September that revenue from smartphones would dip by around $30 billion to $40 billion this year.

While Huawei did not break down its third quarter figures by business segment, the company said that the decline is mainly attributable to its consumer business.

Huawei occupied 8 percent of Chinas smartphone market share in the third quarter, down from 30 percent a year earlier when it was the market leader, according to Counterpoint Research.

On the other hand, Honor, formerly a sub-brand which Huawei sold to keep it alive last November, sold 96 percent more phones in the same quarter compared to a year earlier, grabbing a 15 percent share of the China market, Counterpoint said.

Huawei is looking to develop new growth revenue streams outside of base station infrastructure and handsets, with a cloud business, and smart ports, mining, and smart electric vehicles businesses.

In June it launched its Harmony operating system on smartphones, and is looking to supply software to autos companies.

But these new lines will take some time to bear fruit, executives said.
Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, a professor of psychiatry at UC Irvine's School of Medicine, is seen in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2021. (Zhen Wang/The Epoch Times)

I Had to Stand Up and Try to Do Something: Professor of Medicine on Suing School Over Vaccine Mandate

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic like many other medical experts. He worked long hours as the United States tried to grapple with the new disease. He had too many conversations with family members whose loved ones were dying from it.

But as time wore on, he started noticing a pattern in public health decisions that seemed to diverge from traditional medical ethics, including an insistence that people at little risk from COVID-19 get a vaccine.

Kheriaty is now on suspension from the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) and challenging the schools COVID-19 vaccine mandate in court.

I had to stand up and try to do something about it, the professor of psychiatry and director of the UCI Healths Medical Ethics Program said on The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders.

"I knew that I would wake up in the morning & not have a clear conscience." Deep-dive w/ medical ethics prof @akheriaty who filed a lawsuit challenging his university's #VaccineMandate. He was suspended & put on "investigatory leave." WATCH PART 1: https://t.co/gDuQ1J5jjn pic.twitter.com/E3ByL1pIWW  Jan Jekielek (@JanJekielek) October 30, 2021

UCI spokespeople declined to comment for this story.

Liberating

Kheriaty contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, in mid-2020. His infection was confirmed by two different tests from two independent labs. His five children and wife also contracted the disease. They all recovered, with none requiring hospital care.

It was, for me, actually a very liberating experience afterward, because I didnt have to worry about the illness anymore. I knew the science on natural immunity, Kheriaty said.

Natural immunity refers to when people contract COVID-19 and recover. Dozens of studies have documented that these individuals enjoy strong immunity against CCP virus re-infection. Some of the studies suggest the immunity is superior to that provided by COVID-19 vaccines, particularly the Johnson & Johnson one.

I knew that at that point, I was among the safest people to be around, I didnt have to worry about transmitting the infection to my patients, Kheriaty said.

He continued taking precautions, wearing personal protective equipment like masks as required at the hospital. But he was confident he didnt pose a risk to others, which served as a relief.

That relief turned into disbelief when, around a year later, the University of California system, which includes UCI, imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Opt-Out is Temporary

The mandate (pdf) included a natural immunity opt-out, but only temporarily. People who recovered from COVID-19 were told they would only be exempt from the mandate for up to 90 days after their diagnosis.

University officials cited the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which alleges that the antibody tests it has authorized are not validated to evaluate specific immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP virus.

For this reason, individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had an antibody test are not permanently exempt from vaccination, officials said.

The mandate violated rights outlined in the U.S. Constitutions Fourteenth Amendment, including equal protection and substantive due process, Kheriatys lawsuit asserts.

Plaintiff is naturally immune to SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, plaintiff is at least as equally situated as those who are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, yet defendants deny plaintiff equal treatment and seek to burden Plaintiff with an unnecessary violation of bodily integrity to which plaintiff does not consent in order to be allowed to continue to work at UCI, it states.

The situation creates two classes, vaccinated and unvaccinated, when a more reasonable division would be those who are immune and those who are not, Kheriaty believes.

What kind of discriminatory policies do we have in place that are excluding someone like me from the workplace when Im 99.8 percent protected against reinfection whereas someone who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by the companys own data that they submitted to the FDA, is 67 percent protective against COVID infection? he said.

Whose Burden?

Kheriaty initially planned to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Now hes working to change the narrative around mandates.

Some say proposed natural immunity opt-outs for the mandates would be make it much more difficult to ascertain who meets the threshold, versus a vaccine mandate with no lasting provision for post-infection.

Most mandates across the country dont have alternatives for people who had COVID-19 and recovered.

Kheriaty proposes putting the burden of proof on people who want to opt out.

Just have them go get the testing on their own time. You dont have to administer the T-cell test or the antibody test. You dont have to go dig up their old medical record establishing that theyve already had COVID, he said.

Just ask them to bring that in and sign off on that as a kind of immunity passport.

Side Effects

The population of those who recovered and still got a vaccine is known as having hybrid immunity.

A large part of the medical health establishment, including all federal public health agencies, downplay natural immunity. They say it exists but that hybrid immunity is better.

Im not denying at all that people who get infected and recover have a considerable degree of immunity, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last month. We also knowand I think we should not let this pass without saying itthat when you get infected and recover, a) you get a good degree of immunity, but b) when you get vaccinated, you dramatically increase that protection, which is something thats really quite good.

A spokesman for Faucis agency told The Epoch Times in an email that he sourced from several studies, including one from researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. They found that a COVID-19 vaccine based on messenger RNA given following COVID-19 infection boosted neutralizing antibodies.

Many studies, however, show the immunity post-infection is already sky-high for many, leading to questions about why the recovered would then go get a vaccine that, like every jab, has side effects.

Kheriaty worries about other research that seems to show vaccine recipients with natural immunity experience side effects at a higher frequency than those who are not immune who get a shot.

There are now about five independent studies that strongly suggest that individuals that already have natural immunity, when you vaccinate them, the risk of vaccine adverse events or vaccine side effects is higher for that group, the professor said. They have higher risk of side effects from the vaccine. Its not going to help the people around them because natural immunity already is sterilizing, [yet] we dont yet have any COVID vaccines that offer sterilizing immunity.

Jan Jekielek Senior Editor Follow Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of the show, "American Thought Leaders." Jans career has spanned academia, media, and international human rights work. In 2009 he joined The Epoch Times full time and has served in a variety of roles, including as website chief editor. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film "Finding Manny."
Illinois Bill to Repeal Law Requiring Parental Notice of Abortion Heads to Governor

A bill that would allow minors in Illinois to get an abortion without their parents or guardians knowledge now heads to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker after clearing the state legislature.

The bill, known as the Youth Health and Safety Act, seeks to repeal Illinoiss long-standing Parental Notification of Abortion Act, which requires all abortion clinics in the state to notify an adult family member, including parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the same household, or a legal guardian, if a woman age 17 or younger wants to have an abortion. The notification is required for both medical and surgical abortions, and must be made within 48 hours before the procedure.

Under the existing law, the womans parent or guardian doesnt have the right to approve or veto the decision to get an abortion, but its legally required that the parent must be notified either in person or by phone. The law also applies to women living in another state but seeking to have an abortion in Illinois.

The Republican minority in the Illinois General Assembly criticized the Democrat-backed legislation, pointing to a March 2020 survey (pdf) showing that nearly three quarters of people in the state are in favor of the parental notice law.

The Democratic legislators who voted yes tonight acted shamefully and recklessly against minor girls and their parents, Republican state Rep. Tom Morrison said in a statement following the bills passage. They ignored the opinion of most Illinois residentsincluding a majority of pro-choice residents, according to polls.

Its the most basic human relationship that we know and it is a precious bond for a lifetime, most critical during a young girls, a minors, formative years, said Republican state Sen. Jil Tracy, reported the Associated Press. We have enough problems in the state without creating more wedges between children and their parents.

Meanwhile, the legislation was welcomed by the Illinois chapter of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been working to repeal the parental notice law for more than a decade. In 2009, the ACLU sued on behalf of an abortion clinic in Granite City, seeking to block the laws implementation. In 2013, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld a lower courts decision, dismissing the ACLUs challenge.

This is an importation endeavor and deserves the support of everyone who expressed a genuine desire to help and support young people while this bill was under consideration, the group said in an Oct. 27 statement. We encourage Governor Pritzker to sign this measure as soon as possible.
Caskets bearing the corpses of 38 Christian villagers killed in Madamai village, in central Nigeria, by armed Fulani Muslim terrorists on Sept. 26, 2021, being arranged for a funeral Mass at the Government Secondary School, Mallagun, about 2 miles from Madamai on the Sept. 30, 2021. (Luka Binniyat/The Epoch Times)

In Nigeria, Police Decry Massacres as Wicked but Make No Arrests

KADUNA, NigeriaOne month after massacres that claimed the lives of 38 people in Central Nigerias State of Kaduna, Fulani terrorists have struck the Christian farmers in a neighboring county and claimed four more victims, according to the state commissioner of security. Yet authorities have yet to arrest suspects in either massacre.

The military and police authorities have reported to the Kaduna State Government that four people have been killed and three others injured during a clash between locals and some herders in Jankasa, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, [a unit similar to a county] according to a press release of Kaduna state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

According to the reports, the clash occurred along some cattle routes in the area, and then escalated into a fire fight between the two groups, before security forces arrived to bring the situation under control, Aruwan wrote.

The latest attack followed a bloody massacre of 38 unarmed men and women on Sunday evening Sept. 26 in the village of Madamai, in Kaura County, Kaduna State. Eyewitnesses told The Epoch Times that approximately 300 men who were wearing masks and dark clothing attacked Madamai.

The Fulani, a predominantly Muslim tribe, have been involved in a series of attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria stretching over several years.

The spokesman of the Nigerian Police, Kaduna State Command, (ASP) Mohammed Jalige confirmed to The Epoch Times on Wednesday that no arrests have been made related to the Madamai massacre.

I have not been briefed about any arrest so far on the sad violence in Madamai last month. If there was any arrest, it would be well celebrated by us and we would parade the suspects for the public to see so they can know that we cannot tolerate such acts of wickedness in Kaduna state, Jalige said.

Please be assured that when I hear anything relating to that, I will let you know immediately, he added.

James Ishaya, 11, who survived bullet wounds suffered during the massacre in Madamai, Nigeria, on Sept. 26, 2021, is recuperating in a hospital in Jos, Nigeria on Oct. 1, 2021. (Lawrence Zongo/The Epoch Times)

Local lawmakers who spoke exclusively to The Epoch Times say they are outraged by the governments refusal to enforce the law and even more because the authorities distort the nature of the most recent attack by describing it as a clash, rather than a brutal murder by a militia armed with assault rifles.

The government of Kaduna state is using Samuel Aruwan, a Christian, to cause confusion to cover up the genocide going on in Christian Southern Kaduna by describing the massacre as a clash, said Senator Danjuma Laah, who represents Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone in the Nigerian Senate.

It is unfortunate that one month after both Kaduna state government and the Federal government have not been able to bring a single culprit to book after the Madamai massacre in September, 2021, it is using the word clash to disguise another round of killings, close to Madamai, he said to The Epoch Times.

If it is a clash, why were no herdsmen among those killed and injured? Sen. Laah asked.

Unidentified gunmen attacked Madamai village in Kaura  34 residents have been confirmed dead following the attack. Seven others sustained injuries, Aruwan said, according to France24 newswire.

The Nigerian government never identifies the ethnicity of bandit gangs marauding through Nigerias Middle Belt, yet the mission of these gangs is similar to that of the Islamic State insurgency known as Boko Haram, namely, to remove or destroy Christian residents, according to war correspondent Lara Logan in a documentary streaming on Fox Nation (excerpts available on YouTube).

The official narrative of the Nigerian government was faithfully followed in the France24 story: Criminal gangs known locally as bandits have terrorized northwest and central Nigeria for years, but they have become more brazen in recent months and the military has renewed operations in the region. After the attacks in Kaduna, there were no reports of theft of vehicles or livestock by the so-called bandits.

The governments official statement drew the ire of both community and political leadership of Southern Kaduna.

The use of the word clash is very offensive to the sensibilities of the families of the victims and the people of Southern Kaduna, said the Hon. Jonathan Asake, a former Federal parliamentarian, and now President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), to The Epoch Times.

People cannot be peacefully sleeping in their communities, some assailants invade and kill, and the next thing you hear from Kaduna state government is that a clash has taken place, Asake said.

Dont be surprised if tomorrow you hear that some community leaders of Jankassa and some of their youths are arrested over the clash even when they are the ones grieving the loss of their kinsmen killed by invading herdsmen, he said.

It is shocking that since Madamai was attacked on Sept. 27 this year and 38 unarmed victims were massacred, no one has been arrested. And now this one has occurred, instead of going after the killers, Kaduna state government seems to have dismissed this one as a clash in which all the victims are Christian farmers, Asake said.

Although two persons were being questioned over the Madamai killings, no arrests or prosecutions are underway, according to the report on France24.com.

Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai for years has fielded accusations of ignoring the armed Fulani who stand accused of killing hundreds of native Christian farmers and taking over their villages in Southern Kaduna since he was elected governor in 2015. Like Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, el-Rufai hails from the Fulani tribe which numbers approximately 6 million among the total population of 212 million Nigerians.

During his tenure, the government has not arrested a single Fulani leader. On the other hand, it has arrested, jailed, and prosecuted several traditional leaders and Christian clergymen from Southern Kaduna, among them, journalists critical of his government.

Nine top tribal leaders of the Adara tribe alleged in 2019 that the governor has incited violence that resulted in the deaths of more than 800 Adara Christian natives at the hands of armed Fulani herdsmen. Not a single Fulani leader has been called for questioning by police or military authorities.
The long range ballistic Agni-V missile is displayed during Republic Day parade, in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 26, 2013. (Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

India Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile Amid Tensions With China

NEW DELHIIndia has test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,125 miles) from an island off its east coast amid rising border tensions with China.

The successful launch on Wednesday was in line with Indias policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to no first use, said a government statement.

The Agni-5 missile splashed down in the Bay of Bengal with a very high degree of accuracy, said the statement issued on Wednesday night.

Beijings powerful missile arsenal has driven New Delhi to improve its weapons systems in recent years, with the Agni-5 believed to be able to strike nearly all of China.

India is already able to strike anywhere inside neighboring Pakistan, its archrival against whom it has fought three wars since gaining independence from British colonialists in 1947.

India has been developing its medium- and long-range nuclear and missile systems since the 1990s amid increasing strategic competition with China in a major boost to the countrys defense capabilities.

Tension between them flared last year over a long-disputed section of their border in the mountainous Ladakh area. India is also increasingly suspicious of Beijings efforts to heighten its influence in the Indian Ocean.

Talks between Indian and Chinese army commanders to disengage troops from key areas along their border ended in a stalemate earlier this month, failing to ease a 17-month standoff that has sometimes led to deadly clashes. India and China fought a bloody war in 1962.
Jeffrey Epstein (C) appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 30, 2008. (Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post via AP)

Jeffrey Epstein Concealed Sex Crimes When He Sold Charter Jet Company to Georgia Man, Lawsuit Says

By Matt Bruce

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTADeceased millionaire Jeffrey Epstein became infamous for an alleged pedophilia ring enabled by his fleet of private planes.

Just weeks before he was arrested for sex trafficking underage girls in 2019, he sent one of his luxury jets to Georgia.

The tycoon showed off his Gulfstream G-IV to Thomas Huff, a Cobb County aviator interested in buying JEGE, Epsteins charter jet company.

Huff liked the luxury plane, the companys flagship, and Epstein sold him controlling interest in JEGE in June 2019.

But according to a recently filed lawsuit, Epstein never disclosed that the company could be undermined by his sexual misdeeds. Huff is now suing the late hedge fund magnates estate in federal court. Hes being represented by Kennesaw attorney Jeff Banks.

The suit claims JEGE is still haunted by the stigma of Jeffrey Epstein and the companys assets plummeted more than $1.5 million immediately after Epsteins alleged underage sex ring made front-page headlines.

Less than a month after selling the business to Huff, federal investigators raided Epsteins Manhattan mansion and arrested the financier on allegations that he preyed on dozens of girls as young as 14.

According to his indictment, Epstein gave the underage girls money to have sex with him at his New York City mansion and Palm Beach, Florida, estate from 2002 to 2005. Investigators contend he paid several of his victims to recruit more girls and worked with several employees and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse.

Epstein died from an apparent suicide Aug. 10, 2019, while awaiting trial inside a federal jail cell in Manhattan. He was 66.

Huffs complaint, filed Oct. 20 in a U.S. District Court in Atlanta, alleges a breach of fiduciary duty, claiming Epstein failed to disclose the egregious and atrocious crimes against children he committed while he ran JEGE. The companys reputation was ruined from the fallout of Epsteins massive criminal enterprise involving rape, sex trafficking, sexual abuse, physical assault, blackmail, intimidation, fraud and deceit, the suit goes on the allege.

The civil filing lists Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, co-executors of Epsteins estate, as defendants. Indyke was Epsteins longtime attorney and Kahn was his accountant. The two have been described in media reports as indispensable captains of Epsteins sex trafficking operation, allegations they have both denied.

JEGE, now based in Powder Springs, Georgia, offers traveling VIPs fractional ownership and charter flights on a Gulfstream G-IV luxury jet. For years, the company was headquartered in the Virgin Islands with Epstein as its managing partner and sole member.

When he brokered the deal with Huff, Epstein was already a sex offender, convicted of child prostitution in Florida in 2008. But Huff in his lawsuit said many of the allegations against Epstein that surfaced subsequently werent public at the time.

JEGE chartered many well-known public figures, according to the lawsuit, which didnt list any of its customers by name.

Epsteins estate, reportedly worth more than $600 million when he died, included a luxury fleet of three private jets. The Gulfstream G-IV was among the planes that reportedly transported some of the worlds richest and most powerful passengers.

Another of Epsteins aircraft, a 1969 Boeing 727, was notoriously nicknamed the Lolita Express. It reportedly flew underage girls to Epsteins private stretch of the Virgin Islands. The Boeing plane, however, is owned by a Delaware company.

Huff, a former Navy test pilot, was in 2012 named the first aviation safety officer for Gulfstream Aerospace, the Savannah-based corporation that manufactures the G-IV.

JEGE had more than $3.5 million in assets when Huff purchased it, according to his complaint. Its value quickly depreciated more than $1.5 million after Epsteins 2019 arrest.

Company officials cant even get financing because of the stigma of Jeffrey Epsteins victimization of children attached to JEGE, the lawsuit claims.

Huff said he contacted Epsteins attorneys to terminate the purchase contract. Epstein rejected it, according to the lawsuit.

Huff, who argued he would not have bought JEGE if he knew about Epsteins acts, is now seeking compensatory damages from the late financiers estate for the loss of value.

2021 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


President Joe Biden participates virtually in the U.S.-ASEAN Summit from the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex on Oct. 26, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

Judge Blocks Biden Admin From Firing Unvaccinated Employees With Pending Religious Exemptions

A district court judge in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary injunction Thursday that bars both civilian and military plaintiffs from being fired after they filed a lawsuit against the White Houses vaccine mandate.

District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the plaintiffs from being fired while their religious exemption requests to the COVID-19 vaccine are pending.

None of the civilian employee plaintiffs will be subject to discipline while his or her request for a religious exception is pending, Kollar-Kotelly wrote in an order, dated Thursday.

The judge also ruled that active duty military plaintiffs, whose religious exception requests have been denied, will not be disciplined or separated during the pendency of their appeals, noting that the federal government has provided no guarantee of what will happen  if their exemption requests are denied.

Defendants named in the lawsuit, including all Biden administration executive branch secretaries, have to issue supplemental memos by Friday that say they will not terminate or penalize staff while religious exemptions are being heard, Kollar-Kotelly also ruled.

President Joe Biden and members of his administration were sued by 20 plaintiffs last month over his Sept. 9 executive order requiring vaccines for all federal employees and contractors, reported Fox News.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs wrote that plaintiffs along with hundreds of thousands of other federal employees and active-duty service members will be terminated, discharged or separated on or before November 22, 2021.

The Biden administration has shown an unprecedented, cavalier attitude toward the rule of law and an utter ineptitude at basic constitutional contours, the plaintiffs attorney Michael Yoder told the network after Kollar-Kotellys ruling.

Describing this mandate as dangerous to American liberty, Yoder said that our Constitution protects and secures the right to remain free from religious persecution and coercion.

Similarly, he praised Kollar-Kotellys ruling and said that we are one step closer to putting the Biden administration back in its place by limiting government to its enumerated powers. Its time citizens and courts said no to tyranny. The Constitution does not need to be rewritten, it needs to be reread.

Bidens announcement on vaccine mandates across different sectors of society drew significant criticism, leading to lawsuits from several states over the requirements.

Ahead of the mandates deadline, several trade associationsincluding cargo carriers and truckers groupsissued warnings to the Biden administration that vaccine mandates would snarl supply chain bottlenecks and trigger chaos nationwide.

The Washington court order came as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced that his state filed a lawsuit against the White House over its vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

The Epoch Times has contacted the White House press office for comment.
George Gascon, then San Francisco District Attorney who took office as Los Angeles County District Attorney on Dec. 7, 2020, speaks during a new conference in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2014. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

LA District Attorneys Office Awarded $1.5M Grant for DUI Training, Prosecution

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office has been awarded a $1.5 million grant for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) training and prosecution.

This grant will further our goals of preventing impaired driving and reducing alcohol and drug-related fatalities and injuries, District Attorney George Gascon said in an Oct. 29 statement.

The funding will allow the offices DUI Training and Prosecution Section (DTAPS) to continue to improve training tools and resources to work with law enforcement and increase the number of officers certified as drug recognition experts, according to the DAs office.

The grant was awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

As part of the grant, the Office of Traffic Safety has agreed to partially fund a drug recognition expertthrough the District Attorneys Bureau of Investigationwho will be made available to all deputy district attorneys for DUI-related issues.

DTAPS, formed in 2016, has taken a leadership role in training local law enforcement employees and deputy district attorneys in the investigation and prosecution of alcohol and drug-related DUI cases, according to the DAs office.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks during a ceremony in Monterey Park, Calif. on Dec. 3, 2018 (Jae C. Hong/AP)

LA Sheriff Warns of Mass Exodus, Imminent Safety Threat From Vaccine Mandate

The Los Angeles County sheriff slammed the countys absolutely absurd vaccine mandate on Oct. 29 for causing a mass exodus of deputies and an imminent public safety threat.

A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees has caused employees of the department to leave, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. Under the mandate, employees had to be fully vaccinated by Oct 1.

As a result, homicide rates will continue to rise, response times will increase, solve rates will diminish, arrests will decline, patrol services will significantly decline, and patrol states will close, Villanueva said in the statement.

Villanueva, who oversees the largest sheriffs department in the country, with about 18,000 employees, announced earlier this month that he wouldnt enforce the countys vaccine mandate in his agency.

The department may soon not be able to maintain public safety at current levels, he said in the Oct. 28 letter, adding that he could potentially lose 44 percent of his workforce in one day if he followed the vaccine mandate.

Departures have included unscheduled retirements, worker compensation claims, employees quitting, and fewer qualified applicants.

The mandate would cause patrol service to decline, closure and realignment of patrol stations, and elimination of aero bureaus, special enforcement bureaus, and headquarters detectives, he said.

Los Angeles County hasnt restored funding to the department following the defund law enforcement movement, Villaneuva said. As of this week, homicides rates were up 44 percent and aggravated assaults were up 23 percent.

The sheriff is vaccinated and believes it works, but says the choice to get vaccinated is a personal one.

He said deputies who served the community before the vaccine should not be fired because they made a decision about their own body.

President Joe Biden issued the federal vaccine mandate by executive order in August. The mandate allows only for religious and medical exemptions.

The Biden Administration has since been under fire from several groups seeking an exemption or asking for flexibility from the mandate.

Villanueva said his employees are willing to be terminated rather than get vaccinated.

A Washington, D.C., district court judge issued a temporary injunction on Oct. 28 that bars civilian and military plaintiffs from being fired after they filed a lawsuit against the White Houses vaccine mandate.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors wasnt available for comment by press time.
Patients are treated at a makeshift COVID-19 hospital in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Oct. 9, 2021. (Andrew Kutan / AFP via Getty Images)

Mass Burials Authorised Amid Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Surge

Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities have commenced the mass burial of 200 COVID-19 victims to relieve pressure on the Port Moresby General Hospital mortuary after the COVID-19 outbreak in the country worsened.

The mortuary was designed to hold 60 bodies around 30 years ago. However, local PNG media The National reported that National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop said the mortuary was currently full, with at least 300 bodies stacked on top of each other.

Three more (freezer) containers have been installed to store the bodies, and a mass burial is being planned this week, Parkop said. People are dying on arrival (at the hospital) and those who died despite being under the care of the hospitals isolation centre.

The bodies were reportedly brought from hospital wards and homes to the mortuary as COVID-19 cases surge amid the countrys third wave of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

The mass burial was scheduled for Oct. 28 and 29 and was approved by the countrys chief pandemic response controller, David Manning, according to The National.

City officials will also reportedly help the hospital with logistical support to carry out the mass burial safely.

We will also step in to ensure space was given for the burial, Port Moresby City Manager Bernard Kipit said.

Papua New Guinea is a culturally and linguistically diverse country of about nine million people, with many living in traditional remote villages.

Jonathan Pryke, director of the Pacific Islands Program with the Lowy Institute, told nine.com.au that less than two percent of Papua New Guineas adult population was fully vaccinated.

Seven out of 10 people presenting at Port Moresbys largest hospital with symptoms are now testing positive, Pryke said.

Clearly, the PNG health system is buckling under the strain of the pandemic.

Australia Increases Aid

Australia has increased its aid to the countrys COVID-19 response at the request of Papua New Guinea.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced on Oct. 27 that a further 14 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were sent to Papua New Guinea, along with an additional Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT).

The team will support the Papua New Guinea-led response through the allocation of extra health specialists and medical supplies across the health system in response to the current surge in cases, Payne said.

Meanwhile, the ADF health and logistics specialists will work with Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) vaccination teams to help increase immunisation across the country, an Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade release said.

ADF logisticians will assist the PNGDF with forecasting, ordering and transportation of supplies, while health specialists will provide additional training and advice on administering vaccines, the statement read.

Tackling COVID-19 is a global challenge, and we are proud to contribute additional specialist capacity and expertise, with our ADF personnel working alongside our PNGDF partners to help them in this fight, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said.

In October, Australia supplied Papua New Guinea with 240 oxygen concentrators for critically ill patients and delivered 70,000 vaccine doses, bringing the total AstraZeneca vaccine doses given to 144,970.

Australia has also helped deliver more than 770,000 vaccine doses to the country in partnership with the COVAX facility, New Zealand, and the United States.
Were literally paying people in the form of cash welfare, housing, and other services to live in tents on the street, use hard drugs, defecate publicly, and commit crimes, says Michael Shellenberger, author of San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.

In this episode, he breaks down the root causes behind the sprawling homeless encampments found in cities like San Francisco.

Even the word homeless itself is a propaganda word, Shellenberger says. It suggests that the underlying problem is lack of housing, expensive rents, or poverty. And thats not the case.

The term homeless lumps together two groups that are radically different. But its irresponsible to conflate mothers escaping abusive husbands, or people who are just going through some hard times, with people who are mentally ill, or drug-addicted, or both, Shellenberger says.

Fundamentally, a victim ideology guides how progressives deal with homelessness. And this ideology refuses to demand even a modicum of accountability from so-called victims, Shellenberger argues, even when theyre engaging in self-destructive behaviors that could be deadly.

Jan Jekielek: Michael Shellenberger, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders.

Michael Shellenberger: Thanks for having me, Jan. Im super happy to be here.

Mr. Jekielek: I have to say this before we start. Apocalypse Never, your previous book which you wrote a year ago, is a book thats very important to me in trying to understand the realities around climate change. Its just trying to find a path through all this weaponized information. So I want to give you a shout out for that book.

Today, were going to talk about San Fransicko. This is something youve been working on for a long time, the issue of mental health and homelessness and the intersection of this. Give us a framework. What is really happening out there?

Mr. Shellenberger: Sure. As you mentioned, Ive been working on the environment for the last 20 years, pretty heavily focused on the environment. But in the late 1990s, I did work on decriminalization of drugs, harm reduction, and housing first.

I did work for a number of organizations supported by George Soros, including his main foundation, Open Society Institute. When I stopped doing that work around 2000, my understanding was that we were advocating drug treatment, drug rehabilitation as an alternative to prison.

Around 2017, when drug overdose deaths reached 73,000 a year, up from 17,000 in the year 2000, I remember thinking something has gone horribly wrong. I started to look more at the issue.

Last year, we had 93,000 deaths from illicit drugs, overdoses and poisonings. I knew this was something I needed to come back to. Apocalypse Never, my book on the environment, is a reflection on what I had been wrong about, and why I changed my mind about some questions. I wanted to do the same thing for San Fransicko.

Mr. Jekielek: First of all, you dont hear a lot about people changing their minds or being wrong or having made mistakes these days. Its almost like people dig in. So one of the things that comes through in San Fransicko is the homelessness problem. Iits a misnomer. Its not a homelessness issue. It is a drug abuse issue, but somehow these things are conflated.

Mr. Shellenberger: Thats right.The word homeless is a propaganda word. Its been around for decades, but it was really used in the 1980s by progressive activists to demand more subsidized housing.

They used people who were on the street suffering from drug addiction or untreated mental illness as reasons for more housing. Part of the reason that you would use the word homeless is it suggests that the underlying problem is lack of housing, expensive rents, or poverty. And thats not the case.

It was interesting. I try to look back on how I thought about these questions. There was always a lot of political activity around homelessness in San Francisco when I was there in the 1990s, but I was never fully on board with a lot of it because it seemed like it was a defense of people being addicted to hard drugs, living on the street, and engaging in criminal activities.

It never seemed right, either for the people that were engaged in those activities or for the other residents of the city. At various moments, people have  This is not, by the way, my interpretation of that word. The advocates who used the word homelessness explicitly said that they were using that word.

The problem is theyre combining groups of people that should not be combined. So the two groups that are in the biggest trouble that are living on the street, are people suffering from untreated mental illness, and people suffering from drug addiction. Sometimes theyre the same people. Sometimes theyre different people.

There are people with schizophrenia that live on the street. But there are also people that got addicted to heroin or meth that have become disaffiliatedalienated from friends and family, in part, because theyve stolen money from them or borrowed money from them and not paid it backand have been kicked out of their homes.

To mix up those people with, say, the mother escaping an abusive husband, is just irresponsible. There are people that do suffer hard times, and they need some financial help. We do a pretty good job of helping those people. They dont need the same thing that people that are addicted to heroin and meth need.

Mr. Jekielek: It seems like theres a kind of ideological determination. You expound on this in the book. This was really fascinating because I hadnt thought of it that way, that someone in this sort of situation cannot be held accountable for their situation because its seen as an illness. But paradoxically, the only way theyre going to get out of it is to take some responsibility for their situation or let someone else take responsibility. Thats a fascinating juxtaposition.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes, thats right. To some extent, San Francisco is famous for having treated people with HIV/AIDS at a time when other people were not treating them. So it really comes out of a tradition of compassion. San Francisco is named after Saint Francis, who was a saint to the poor and the sick. So, leading with compassion is a big part of our identity.

The problem is most people have some awareness of people that are addicted to hard drugs or even to alcohol and marijuana, which are not perceived as being hard drugs. But people that are suffering from addiction often do need an intervention. This has been well understood for 150 years of opioid abuse. Theres a television show, a reality show called Intervention.

Many, if not most of us have a family or a friend who, at some point, suffered from addiction and benefited from an intervention, or not gotten an intervention and needed one. I have had two childhood friends that have died from complications relating to drug addiction. I have another friend thats still struggling with addiction.

You have to ask the question, why do people that say theyre so compassionate allow people suffering from drug addiction or severe mental illness to live on the streets? The basic idea for progressives is that the system is bad. The system being our democratic capitalist system is bad. It creates victims. Progressives only pay attention to people who are obviously victims of that system.

In San Fransicko, I also described the seemingly contradictory nature of the progressive response to crime, in particular to homicide. What you notice when you look at the data, 30 times more African-Americans are killed by other civilians than by the police.

Yet theres all of this attention to police killings. Why is that? Well, its because progressives are really obsessed with people that are killed by representatives of the system. In that case, by the police. So in the case of people that are addicted to hard drugs or suffering from mental illness, theyre not perceived as victims of the system, per se.

So theres not as much concern or routine care for them. In fact, the people that are perpetuating violence and addiction are drug dealers in San Francisco. The drug trade is controlled by Hondurans. They themselves are viewed as victims of human trafficking. Its not true.

But that victim ideologythe idea that people can be put in the category of victims and that everything should be given to them, and nothing is askedis really the dominant ideology of progressives right now. Its the dominant ideology of all of our political leaders in the San Francisco Bay area.

Mr. Jekielek: This is fascinating. I want to build on this a bit more because this actually offers a broader framework to try to understand whats happening in our society right now.

Mr. Shellenberger: Right.

Mr. Jekielek: Were looking at the critical race theory in schools. I think there are elements of what youre talking about in all of these kinds of efforts. Whats really fascinating is you made a note of this. You were talking about Viktor Frankls approach to psychology.

The idea that life has to be infused with meaning, to take from the title of this book. But also accepting responsibility is a critical element of that. The people who might believe in this kind of victimology ideology that youre describing, also agree that taking responsibility for yourself is something thats important and agree with Victor Frankls approach to helping people.

Mr. Shellenberger: Right.

Mr. Jekielek: It seems like such a paradox. I guess youre offering a little bit of an explanation as to how that works.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes. Most people are familiar with Victor Frankl. Some people arent. Victor Frankl was a psychologist, a psychiatrist in the 1930s and 40s. He was in Austria. Hes Jewish. He became famous for [the] successful treatment of people with depression and suicidal college students.

He would ask the depressed college students who were contemplating suicide, Why dont you commit suicide? It was such a wild question because, of course, it sounds like hes suggesting it. Hes not. Hes just asking people, Why havent you committed suicide?

And the answers that people gave are ones you might imagine. Because I would hate to hurt my family who I love, or I have a girlfriend or a boyfriend who I hope to marry, Oh, Im excited to get my degree in college and have a job and a life. And so they would describe goals. Things that they live for.

Frankl argued against Freud at the time that thats how people live life passionately. Thats how people live a good lifethey have goals. Those goals might change. Some things might not be realized. His philosophy got put to the test when he was taken to the concentration camps.

He realized very early on, if he was going to survive the concentration camps, he had to have a goal. He had to have the right mentality. Of course, it was to survive the concentration camps and be reunited with his wife and parents and to write a book. Well, he gets out of the concentration camps. His wifes been killed. His parents have been killed. He has a new goal, which is to find a new life partner, remarry and to write his book.

I was watching an old Victor Frankl video when COVID started in 2020. I found myself within five minutes of watching them, feeling happy, empowered, excited. I was so struck that Victor Frankl was very popular among liberals and progressives in the 1960s.

Yet at the same period, that same philosophy, when it became part of political life when you would saywe need to have a better attitude, people need to have a good mentality, they need to be self-reliant, they need to be resilientthat was treated by the radical left as blaming the victim.

Thats the name of a very famous book that came out in 1970. I think its a real disservice. Its a manipulation of language, because what it does is suggests that some people are essentially victim by nature of their identity, racial identity, or by nature of their experience.

If youre African American, this is very insulting and racist, the idea is that youre a victim because of your race. Or if you suffered abuse or trauma or some suffering, you are a victim because of that trauma. Thats the first bad idea.

Then the second bad idea is that nothing should be expected of people that are victims. But thats absurd, because of course the way that you achieve a heroic life, the way that you become a hero is to overcome your victimization and your oppression. So part of the reason I want to write San Fransicko is to get it to that moment.

Where did progressives go so wrong? On the one hand, they embraced this really empowering message of self-help in their private lives. But then in their politics, they totally rejected it with this idea that self-help was blaming the victim.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, that moment, is that in 1970? Is blaming the victim coming out? Trace this for me. This is so fascinating.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes. I think some of these ideas, you trace them back and they always end up starting much earlier than you discover. But certainly, 1964, we passed this really sweeping and amazing progressive Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination right away.

President Johnson, his advisor was Patrick Moynihan, who was a Democrat and became a Senator of New York later. Moynihan said weve got a problem, which is that were seeing high levels of divorce and family disillusioned in the African American community. It was a very sensitive subject back then, as it is now. Moynihan had put out a big report on the black family and some of the challenges there.

Mr. Jekielek: It was just a fraction of what it is today 

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes, about one-third of African American families had parental absences, father absences. Today I believe its over 70 percent. So they were identifying a real problem. The response from the radical left was, thats blaming the victim. I think one way to look at it is that the left felt like that message of personal responsibility was competing with their story, which is that the society and the system are to blame for all bad things that happened to people.

Thats a very old view. This is Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century who said that people are born pure and innocent. Then were corrupted by society. Conservatives really have the opposite view, which is that individuals are born fallen, to borrow from the Christian or Judeo-Christian language. Then society gets them on the straight and narrow.

So it comes from that. Then it just became more radical over the last 50 years. I even see in older generations of Democrats, they still had some belief that even people that suffered from victimization, oppression or racial discrimination, that things should still be required of them, that that wasnt the end of the story. But its just become really dogmatic.

Last year, I believe we were in a very severe moral panic after the George Floyd death and protests. That led to a situation where anybody who suggested some sort of reciprocity or personal responsibility was viewed as continuing with oppression. They were just shouted down. Thats how we resulted in so many of the terrible policies we saw, including cutting police, not requiring people to follow the basic laws of city life.

Mr. Jekielek: How does it work in skid row in LA or the Tenderloin in San Francisco? I remember when I was living in San Francisco, driving through the Tenderloin. This was 10 years ago. Already it was dangerous to drive through. You could hurt somebody. There were people wandering through the streets, obviously in very rough shape.

I know its only gotten a lot worse, but this is a direct result of how people who are trying to help these people are dealing with them, and police at the same time. You suggest the ideal situation is for the advocates, and the police to be working together. But this isnt how it plays out now.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes, youve got it just right. What we call homeless encampments is a euphemism. Its a propaganda word designed to make you think that its something different than it is. The idea is that, Oh, its these people helping each other. Theyre camping out. The European researchers And there was a major study done of this that was commissioned by the Norwegian government.

They describe these as open drug scenes where people live inside of open-air drug markets. So buyers and sellers are meeting there, but theyre also just living there because theyre so addicted.

When youre addicted to opioids, whether pills, heroin or fentanyl, and youre in the depths of that addiction, you often need to be using your opioids every four hours, except at night when you might sleep a long time. You sleep off that, but you wake up right away and you need to use. Thats what those encampments are. Theyre open drug scenes.

In Europe, they tried at first, just like were doing in California, just giving people methadone, which is the substitute for heroin. Giving people clean needles. Encouraging them to go into drug treatment. It didnt work. People were like, No, Ill just stay here in the squalor and use drugs because theyre suffering from a kind of mental illness, which is what drug addiction is.

Finally, the people of those citiesAmsterdam, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurichthey all took action with police and social workers to require people, You cant camp in public. You cant use drugs in public. You cant defecate in public. You can come to the shelter. We can get you drug treatment. Or you can go to jail. But those are your two choices.

That was where I thought we left things in the early 2000s. But, weve done a series of laws, court judgements, and changes in public attitudesso much that now its just, Hey, if youre doing those things, well leave you alone because we think youre victims.

Mr. Jekielek: What about police, and how do police interact with these areas? Or how are they allowed to interact with these areas?

Mr. Shellenberger: Naturally, police have been completely demonized, particularly the last several years. But really its older than that. It goes back 50, 60 years when police were viewed as part of the system. Theyre part of this oppressive prison state. Prisons became viewed as a metaphor for the capitalist system by a lot of radical left, socialist, progressive anarchists.

Theres really a long history of valorizing and celebrating convicts, criminals. This is very old. The idea is that capitalism itself is a crime, that property is theft. Nobody is wealthy, they didnt steal their wealth. Its all a corrupt con game.

Anybody that breaks the laws in some sensea rebel, a resistance fighter, and that goes for people that commit very violent crimes even. So the anti-police protests are very old to some extent. They gained new life, obviously, last year.

What I point out in the book and one of the most surprising things, even for me, even in someone thats become very skeptical of the claims made by the left, is just how effective policing really is. You need good policing for sure. But just having more police on the streets reduces crime.

Theres just so many studies that have found this. But one way we know you can reduce homicides is by having police interact with potential killers. Its that classic Hollywood movie where the police officer knows the potential criminal and they have this relationship.

We know that one of the factors driving a rise in homicidesthe willingness of people to killis just total cynicism in the system. Total disbelief that the system is fair, that the system is impartial, that its not discriminatory.

When you have months of activists, the news media, incredible individuals saying that the police are racist, that the police are killers and violent, it reduces the legitimacy of the police. The police are less likely to engage in the community, and would-be criminals are more likely to commit crimes including homicide.

Mr. Jekielek: As a Canadian looking in, its unbelievable how many people are incarcerated. You describe in the book, and this has been documented on this show a number of times before, that people with mental illness end up in prison, or theyre in these open-air drug markets. But theyre not in the sort of area that would actually help them because neither of those scenarios necessarily help them.

Mr. Shellenberger: Thats right. Its an issue Im sensitive to. My aunt suffered from schizophrenia. She was pretty well taken care of. She lived in a residential care facility in Denver, Colorado. She had her own bedroom, a shared living space, shared kitchen space. She was too disabled to work. So she was cared for by taxpayers but in as positive a way as possible.

A lot of people remember how terrible our psychiatric hospitals became around the mid-20th century. And thats true. But its important to remember that the treatment of the mentally ill has always been extremely difficult and often really terrible.

In the 19th century, the 18th century, people with mental illness were locked up in basements and barns, literally in chains. Many people were killed. So the initial impetus to get people into psychiatric hospitals was very humanistic.

We then had a great depression. We had World War II. They were short staffed in those hospitals. The activists that were trying to reform the hospitals took the story to LIFE Magazine, and Lookthese were the big magazines and newspapers. We saw photos of how terrible the hospitals were.

At the same time, progressives were pushing for a very humanistic response, at least they thought, to treat the mentally ill in communities. But what ended up happening, and this really started under President John F. Kennedy and then accelerated after that, we just started, literally, dumping people from the psychiatric hospitals onto the streets.

Some people did get the care that they needed like my aunt. Other people ended up homeless and often addicted to hard drugs. Then many other people ended up in jail and prison. I point out that the institution that has the most seriously mentally ill people in the country is Los Angeles County Jail, kept in absolutely terrible conditions, at least for this population.

Its much easier to deal with somebody with depression or mild depression who becomes addicted to heroin. Thats someone who we have better experience dealing with. But people with schizophrenia or severe bipolar disordersometimes its hard to tell them apartthats a group of people that is extremely difficult to deal with. It requires some amount of sophistication, but it certainly requires engagement and some coercion. Otherwise people end up getting hurt.

Our grandparents, suffering from Alzheimers or dementia, we dont allow them to wander and live on the streets. One of the questions I wanted to ask was why, then, do we allow people that are suffering from psychosis, whether from schizophrenia or from chronic meth use, to be on the streets?

Mr. Jekielek: You get the impression that its a combination of good intentions, and a very specific ideology, like Foucaults ideology or something that came from him.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes. Michel Foucault is this incredibly influential intellectual. Its interesting. A lot of people that did not get graduate degrees in the social sciences or the humanities are not familiar with Michel Foucault about his ideas. Hes a French historian, wrote widely in the 60s and early 70s, and was hugely influential. Many of the ideas today that we take for common come from him.

One of his first big books was on the treatment of mental illness. First of all, it turned out to be an inaccurate history. But he promoted this idea, which was very popular in the 60s and also very wrong, that there is no such thing as mental illness.

They promoted the idea that these are people that were just, we say today, neuro atypical. Theyre sort of quirky or slightly different. That the mistreatment of those folks is just a kind of prejudice. According to Foucault, it was actually a way to enforce standards of the enlightenment and of reason on people. So, there was a romantic view that if these folks were just allowed to be free in society, everything would be fine. It didnt turn out that way.

Seriously mentally ill people that are not properly taken care of can get into a lot of trouble, including committing acts of violence. They can be in psychotic states for a long time and end up hurting other people or hurting themselves. Then Foucault had a similar take on prisons, which is that he was actually against rehabilitation.

He viewed it as too insidious as a power trip, and was a big critic of any kind of incarceration or any kind of  Really, the whole criminal justice system was suspicious from his point of view because we needed something that looked a lot more like what we would call anarchism or more decentralized government, or no government at all.

Mr. Jekielek: How does this manifest in the opposite, which is mass incarceration? The other side being a lack of treatment for people?

Mr. Shellenberger: One way to look at these two waves where we had a huge increase in homicide and other crimes starting in the late 60s, 1970s, all the way through the early 1980s, then we then had a big backlash. A lot of mass incarceration in response to that in the 1980s and 1990s. Then we started to come back from that. A lot of us were like  We really went too far in the other direction.

I think were at a very interesting moment right now because in my book, certainly some people on the left will try to dismiss it as conservative. But I do think when people read it, theyll see that, really, Im arguing for a system much more like what they do in Amsterdam or Europe, which is universal psychiatric careshelter first, treatment first, and then housing earned.

The left has promoted this idea that people on the streets should just be given housing. No questions asked. That housing is a right. Everybody has a right to their own apartment, no matter the circumstances. We know thats actually really dangerous. Its irresponsible to give people suffering from addiction or serious mental illness, cash, or their own apartment without any restrictions on how they spend it.

It often is cruel to people to not give money to the homeless, but we know that when youre supporting people in their addictions, it can actually result in very destructive behaviors. But that is the basic idea, that the people on the street suffering from addiction and mental illness are victims and nothing should be required of them. Requiring anything of them is a kind of oppression.

Its not something that mainstream psychiatrists believe. Its not something that addiction specialists believe or agree with. In San Fransicko, one of the main characters is a leading addiction specialist at Stanford University. Hes somebody who supports harm reduction measures including giving addicts clean needles so they dont get HIV/AIDS, but he says very clearly, Look. You need interventions. I mean, this is obvious.

I think America needs to mature in its own relationship to freedom. These things are justified out of a kind of freedom for victims. But also I think for non-lefties, they go, Well, you cant tell people what to do. My view is, yes, thats fine. You cant tell people what to do.

I dont think we should put any resources into making addicts who are killing themselves in the privacy of their own homes some sort of a law enforcement priority. But we have a situation here where were literally paying people in the form of cash welfare, housing, and other services to live in tents on the street, use hard drugs, defecate publicly, and commit crimes.

So clearly, somethings not working. We need to have some accountability. Tthat includes from the people that we label victims.

Mr. Jekielek: Lets talk about Europe a little bit because people will often say to this, Okay. Well, but look in Portugal, for example, all drugs are legal, or people know better, at least theyre decriminalized, right? That isnt the whole story, but thats what you keep hearing to justify why so many things arent working. Thats what Ive heard many times.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes. When you ask progressives what the solution is to all the drug overdoses in San Francisco  We have one of the highest rates of drug overdoses in the country712 drug overdose deaths or poisonings last year. They say we just need a safe place for people to use drugs. They claim that thats what Europe did. They claim that Europe simply decriminalized. Thats just false.

In Amsterdam, I saw it myself at work. But I also interviewed the head of Portugal drug programs. One of the main talking points is that Portugal just decriminalized all drugs, and its fine. I asked the head of Portugals drug program, If I were shooting heroin in Lisbon, in public, what would happen to me? He said, You would be arrested and brought to the police station.

They have decriminalized a certain amount of drugs for personal use. But if youre caught breaking other laws as a result of your addiction, including using drugs publicly, shooting heroin on a park bench, you are brought before something called a Commissions for the Dissuasion of Addiction, which is just as scary as it sounds.

Usually, its like a defense attorney, a prosecuting attorney, a social worker, a psychiatrist, and your family members. So basically, its an intervention with the power of the state behind it so that if youre a repeat offender, youre arrested again. Something else happens, they will come after you and increase the punishment and the consequences of your behavior.

Mr. Jekielek: But the idea is that, because of this accountability, you can have a chance, right?

Mr. Shellenberger: Thats right. Interventions are liberating for the person thats being intervened upon. The addicts are in the grip of a mental illness. Thats the first thing you have to understand. In the book I describe three recovering addicts, two of whom were homeless at one point. And they just say, I had to be arrested to quit drugs. And Im glad I was arrested.

I interviewed many people, including people that were actively addicted and homeless, who would say, I wish somebody would do something. I wish I would  They wouldnt necessarily say I wish I was being arrested, but they would ask to be on probation. They need some sort of structure to keep themselves healthy and clean.

It used to be that even addicts would be arrested every once in a while and would find themselves in jail or prison where they would have to detox and kick their addiction, at least for a period of time. Were not doing that now.

So, the result is, often theres a lot of what we call poly drug use. Theres a lot of people using multiple hard drugs in a single day, day after day. Meth at night, often, then heroin or fentanyl during the day. It is very hard on the body to live like that.

We see people in San Francisco with open wounds, open sores, people are becoming deeply sick. Obviously theyre dying of drug overdoses. So the popular idea that we should just simply help people to remain heavily addicted but in a slightly safer way, I find it just offensive and quite cynical.

Many people need the intervention. The Portuguese know that. Yes, you dont necessarily need to arrest addicts and put them in prison, but they do need the intervention so that they can get clean and move on with their lives.

Mr. Jekielek: Im remembering this amazing  Was it a Dutch saying? The weak doctor makes the wound stink, or something like that.

Mr. Shellenberger: Thats exactly right. Yes, it was interesting because I had just gone to the big museum in Amsterdam. The Netherlands was really one of the first rich countries. It was famous because it was a country that traded around the world.

In one of the rooms were these pictures of big battles and scenes of warof the Dutch fighting and being really tough. Then in another room were these paintings of the same period of domestic life of tranquilityof a wealthy family in particular. One of a wealthy family with each of them holding their little musical instruments. This must have been the 17th century.

And I was struck by that  I was still struck even when I talked to the Dutch that theres some sense of the softness that you have in the internal life. The private life was only made possible by having national security. This is something that you always hear conservatives say Freedoms not free, right? You have to have some strength there. Of course, in the family too, theres discipline provided against bad behavior and to reward good behavior.

That was when I mentioned this experience of visiting the museum to one of my Dutch friends. Thats when he said soft doctors make wounds stink.The idea is that if you have a wound and its not clean and gets infected, then it smells. So you have to scrub it and make it bleed.

This is something that all bicyclists know. If you get road rash, you need to scrub that wound to make sure it bleeds and is clean. Theres something to that. I think that we are dealing with a really infected wound in the form of these open-air drug scenes, or untreated mental illness.

Yes, we need to get clean. That means that theres going to be some painful coming-to-grips with reality. It wont necessarily be completely pretty, but well end up on the other end of it with a lot healthier people than we have now.

Mr. Jekielek: Something that I really loved about San Fransicko is you went out into the various communities, and not just America, to try to understand what was happening on the groundtalking to the people who are actually doing the work of a variety of sorts. What would you say is the thing that surprised you most that you learned that is unconventional wisdom. Or maybe it is conventional wisdom.

Mr. Shellenberger: The most surprising thing, by far, is that the reason we dont have enough shelter beds in San Francisco or in other cities in California, or on the progressive West Coast is because the homeless advocates themselves had fought to fully fund them. So, when you interview progressives, its shocking.

They say, Well, we didnt want the money to go to shelters because we wanted all the money to go into something they call permanent supportive housing. They really believe, out of a radical left view, that housing is a right. That if you just show up and say, Im homeless, that you have a right to an apartment in San Francisco or in Venice Beach, which is one of the most exclusive residential communities in Los Angeles.

That is really what people believe. That is what they say. Thats why they have denied sufficient funding to build shelters. There are other factors involved, like its hard to build anything in San Francisco because of nimbyism. But thats also solvable. The shelters can be built elsewhere. But that was what was so striking about it.

That was where I saw the comparison with Apocalypse Never, where I point out that the people that are most alarmist about climate change are the same people that are against using nuclear energy or natural gaswhich are the two technologies that have done the most to reduce carbon emissions. That was where you go, Theres something else going on here. Theres some ulterior agenda.

If we know that  We offer more generous cash welfare, housing, and services in San Francisco. Theres a magnet effect. But at the end of the day, you have people living on the street because youre allowing people to live on the street.

If you were to say to the people on the street, You cant sleep here in the park. You have to go sleep in the shelter. And if youre not going to go to the shelter and youre going to insist on being here, then were going to arrest you, you will suddenly discover that you dont have tents all over your city anymore. Thats all that is.

That was, I think, the most surprising thing. At the end of the day, it was like, Okay. If you just dont let people camp out and you require them to sleep in shelters, that solves the problem. You then have to make sure you have enough shelter space. So, I was struck by the ways in which  Its not just the radical left.

Our current governor, Gavin Newsom, advocated defunding shelters as a way to divert all of that funding into housing. So you start to see a pattern here, which is that these really are threats to basic civilizational institutions. First they defunded the psychiatric hospitals and let everybody out. Then they defunded the shelters and said people can sleep anywhere. Now theyre defunding the police and trying to close all the jails and prisons.

A lot of those folks probably should have gotten rehabilitation, but thats not whats happening. People are just being let out without any conditions.

Mr. Jekielek: Okay. So whats the end game of this? Whats your take on that?

Mr. Shellenberger: Well, I think that Americans do need to grow up. One question is, is this the end of Western civilization? Its where we see the attacks on the pillars of civilization occurring. Radical left has been attacking psychiatric hospitals. Its been attacking the police. Its been attacking universities as a place of free inquiry. Its seeking censorship.

Often, its journalists demanding the censorship of alternative media outlets, whether its Epoch Times, or Joe Rogan, or me demanding censorship. So theres an attack underway on the main pillars of Western civilization. And thats really scary.

So one question is, is that where this is all headed? Or are we headed towards the situation where conservatives and liberals just all live in different states and were not really a single country anymore? I find that terrifying and disturbing.

I have a lot of faith in this country because we do have an ability to remake ourselves. We all thought that America was dying in the 1970s. It came back in the 1980s. I think we all felt like America was in real trouble when the Iraq war was going badly and George W. Bush was president. Then, we had a great recession, and we came back. So I do think that America has the potential to come back. Were still unique and special among nations.

Chinas slipping further and further into totalitarianism. That makes the United States more attractive for immigrants and for others. But I do think we have to rescue a sense of national identity. I think this hypersensitivity to racial identity, sexual identity, gender identity, and other identities is a response to the fact that there isnt a strong national identity.

I also think its a response to the fact that traditional religions have been in decline for a long time. Its also a function of the fact that social media has accelerated and intensified many of these trends. Its made people more neurotic, more needy, and psychological, thus reverting towards pretty terrible personal and political behaviors.

I do quote Senator Patrick Moynihan, the same guy that raised concerns around the disillusion of the family in the 1960s. He said, The central conservative insight is that culture determines the fate of a nation. But the central liberal insight is that politics can intervene in that culture. So intervention becomes quite a theme of this work and I think of my work.

Ive been trying to make Apocalypse Never and San Fransicko interventions, first and foremost, in the culture. Talking to Epoch Times and Joe Rogan, just doing these podcasts, its been a real pleasure to be able to just talk about these ideas and surface them.

Because I do think that when reasonable liberals look at victim ideology and they realize that its just as dumb as it soundsthe idea that whole groups of people are victims, and thats the end of the story and that is really terrible psychologically, its very disempoweringI do think that has a big impact.

We need a different political formation. I say formation because I dont know if we need a third party, or if we need one of the parties to change its agenda. But what I end up advocating is something that is not obviously liberal or conservative. I do think we need a shelter-first policy that means you cant camp out anywhere you want. Thats not okay. It means you have to build enough shelters.

I do advocate for universal psychiatric care. Our current system of psychiatric care is a mess. There are gaps in the system. If you get out of drug treatment, we dont have an obvious place for you to go. A lot of those folks get out of treatment and go right back to the street, and some of them overdose and die because their tolerances have dropped.

Other people get out of prison and they have the same problem. We dont have a really functioning psychiatric care system. At the same time, we have a lot of duplicationpeople paid to do the same thing for different groups of people, a lot of overlap. That system has to get fixed.

Im proposing a new agency to handle it at the state level with a hierarchy that reports directly to the governor. A CEO of something that were calling Cal-Psych. It would oversee six regional directors who would oversee powerful case workers who have the power to get you the particular care that you need. So if you overdose from drugs or youre arrested multiple times, Cal-Psych will get you the residential care, the psychiatric care, the rehab that you need.

When I look at that package and I talk to  First of all, we tested it with voters and it polls at 70 to 80 percent support. I interviewed the top psychiatric advisor to the governor whos very famous. He was the head of the National Institute of Mental Health. I also talked to people on the center-right with Manhattan Institute and other organizations.

I found broad agreement on this vision. I even found some agreement on the radical left with the need for involuntary psychiatric care for people that are psychotic. I found support on the radical left for more shelters. Mostly from people that were not just ideologues, but also worked with the people that we call homeless.

So I do have some confidence that the culture is changing. I think were in a big backlash right now against wokism, against cancel culture. I do think that the culture is ready for some sort of new political leadership with a new policy agenda that can really address these problems.

Mr. Jekielek: Its fascinating to hear this opportunity for some bipartisanship or multi partisanship, if such a thing exists. This is an area where there is broad interest across the political spectrum, however you conceive that, in some solution.

You just reminded me of something that you mentioned in the book, which is that there is this radical leftist ideology in play, but theres also civil libertarianism, [where] you cant impose anything on anyones freedom. Its like the combination of these things that actually creates the big issue and how to deal with that.

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes, thats right. When you interview conservatives who identify as either libertarian or as classical liberals, one of the things thats so striking is that many of them are also people that have a strong faith. That faith tradition often has some sort of value around discipline or hard work or propriety.

Something that is more of the Old Testament values, for lack of a better word, that balances out that libertarian attitude. What we have in progressive cities is what one of the characters in my book calls left libertarianism. You could also call it anarchism. But I think that victim ideology is really the key because I think that even for classical liberals or libertarians, your rights end when they start to infringe on other peoples rights.

So, people have a right to their city. People have a right to walk down the sidewalk and not have to move into the street because theres a tent there. They have a right not to see somebody injecting heroin in front of them. They have a right to not have people defecate publicly.

These are all rights that we have as residents of the city. So, the real attack comes from this kind of extreme victimology, which suggests that it would be wrong to enforce the laws against certain groups of people. So, yes, to some extent, I think its a radicalization of libertarianism, but I think the best way I have found of characterizing it is as something more like a radical victim ideology.

Mr. Jekielek: You call it a religion of sorts, like its something deeper than ideology or a replacement where you mentioned the decline of traditional religions.

Mr. Shellenberger: Youve got it, yes. I describe this wonderful psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, out of New York University. Jonathan Haidt argues that most faith traditions, most religions have six core values. He had argued that what progressives had been doing is emphasizing one of them, which is the value of caring, of compassion.

I spent a bunch of time on this. I think he was onto something, but where I try to advance his theory in this particular case is what I see progressives doing is actually redefining each of those six values around victims. So, to give you a sense of it, one of those core values according to Jonathan Haidt is sanctity. Theres some idea that certain things are sacred in society.

Adherence to victim ideology or victimology as a religion is also viewed  They have a view of sanctity, but their view of sanctity is defined differently. So victims themselves are sacred. The traditional view is of the body as sacred. A lot of religions have the view of the body as sacred, and we have different rituals and rules around the kinds of foods that we can eat. Well, that exists as well, but its different.

So for example, according to victim ideology, the sanctity of the body is not violated by heroin or by drugs as it would be for traditional religions. It is violated by the system or the government.

If a traditional conservative would say, Youre defiling the body. Youre destroying your bodys sanctity by the use of these hard drugs, a progressive would say, Nope, thats autonomy. And what would violate that sanctity of the body would be the government intervening and arresting somebody for doing that.

So that is a kind of libertarianism. But again, its particular to people classified as victims. It does not apply, for example, to a so-called privileged person, and their right to not wear a mask for example. That explains why the progressives can be so authoritarian and anti-freedom when it comes to things like mask mandates, and yet so demanding of freedom and liberty when it comes to the right of a person to use whatever drugs they want.

Mr. Jekielek: Talk about Jonathan Haidts work a little more. One element that you didnt mention as we were talking but you do mention in the book is the coddling elementthe coddling in education and upbringing and how thats shaped things. I think if you interject that now, we get the whole picture, right?

Mr. Shellenberger: Yes. There is a way in which all of what were describing is just a continuity of increasing laxity and codding of kids that really starts as we go from working on the farm, to being in the city. It was a pretty gradual process in a lot of ways.

A lot of people look at the period after World War II, where baby boomers were particularly coddled by their parents. But you start to see anxiety about spoiling kids and coddling kids in the 1930s and even earlier. Spare the rod, spoil the child is an expression that comes from a long time ago out of an anxiety around people spoiling their kids too much. Its just gotten more and more intense over the years.

I even had a very progressive person that I know whos a teacher, complaining to me that he was being punished by his principal for having disciplined a child for having engaged in deeply inappropriate behavior in the classroom. The idea was that that child was, if not a victim, then uniquely fragile and should not be disciplined. So, the rise of coddling culture.

I also see behind the opioid epidemic, this idea that any amount of pain should be responded to with very heavy drugs. One of the things I learned in the Netherlands is that they just didnt have an opioid epidemic in most of these European countries. Why? Well, because if you had some pain, their first response was not to just give you an opioid prescription. They were much more conservative in prescribing opioid pills.

Of course, we overprescribed opioids from the 1990s to around 2010. We then cracked down on overprescribing opioids. A lot of those folks then turned to heroin. A lot of those folks are now using fentanyl and dying. The bottom line is, we also needed psychiatric care.

So you do needparticularly if people are being overly coddledsome regulation of these really powerful drugs to say, Do you really need an opioid? Or maybe youre just unhappy. Maybe you need an antidepressant, some therapy, or some counseling. Or you just need to exercise a few times a week to improve your brain chemistry or whatever it is?

So there is a part of it that is uniquely American and that we have such a manic, intense character. We also lack the kind of psychiatric and mental health care systems that European countries have.

I think were also suffering from just decades of coddling and not balancing that need to both unconditionally love our childrenwhich I believe we should dobut also have real consequences for bad behavior and then proper rewards for genuinely extraordinary, remarkable and beneficial behaviors.

Mr. Jekielek: I cant help thinking that the idea that pain, any pain at all, is bad, right?

Mr. Shellenberger: Right.

Mr. Jekielek: And we know thats not true, even though we wouldnt wish pain on anybody.

Mr. Shellenberger: You can see the society. Right now, the hottest self-help movement is stoicism. Stoicism is just a philosophy that says just that. It says, Look at your suffering as an opportunity to become stronger. Look at the pain as a chance to become a stronger person.

The philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, is famous for saying, That which doesnt kill me, makes me stronger. Thats a stoic mentality. Its basically been demonized by many progressives as a way to justify cruelty, but of course its not. Its just acknowledging that life is really hard.

I mean, all of our lives. It doesnt matter how good your life is. Everybodys life is full of moments of pain and suffering. Even people with very privileged lives experience pain and suffering.

I think we need to tell our kids that. We need to expect that theyre going to have pain and suffering, and that they will develop character by overcoming the pain and suffering with some amount of dignity, and by taking responsibility for what they do with that pain and suffering since the pain and suffering, to a large extent, is inevitable.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, I think thats a perfect place to finish up. Michael Shellenberger, its such a pleasure to have you on again. Well have you back for sure.

Mr. Shellenberger: Thanks so much for having me on.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Natural Rights and Religious Liberty: The Founders Perspective

Commentary

The meaning of religious freedom remains one of the more contested areas of our constitutional politics. The progressive left tends to emphasize freedom from religion, especially freedom from the influence of traditional religious sexual morality. Social conservatives, by contrast, emphasize the right to be religious, especially the freedom to live and act in the public square according to ones religious convictions. With President Joe Bidens recent tweet that transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time, the conflict between these competing views of religious liberty will only be amplified.

Both sides in our current church-state debates claim the Founding Fathers as supporters. Progressives say the Founders gave us a secular constitution that does not acknowledge God or the Bible. The First Amendment, moreover, prohibits the establishment of religion, which Thomas Jefferson said erects a wall of separation between church and state.

Religious Liberty, outside Philadelphias National Museum of Jewish History, is one of Moses Ezekiels first commissioned works. The 25-feet tall marble statue was created in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition. (Smallbones/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Conservatives counter that the Founders embraced religion in their deeds. Consider George Washingtons first inaugural, most of which was a prayer. It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official Act, President Washington declared,

my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States .

Conservatives also note that the First Amendment declares that Congress shall make no law  prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Whatever the Establishment Clause means, conservatives claim that the Founders speeches, deeds, and other constitutional provisions reveal that they did not intend to purge religion from the public square.

Given these seemingly contradictory commitmentsfreedom from religion, on the one hand, and freedom for religion, on the otherwhat are we to make of our first freedom? Does the Founders Constitution offer a coherent understanding of religious liberty, one that we might recur to today in our religiously and morally pluralistic nation?

The Founders have much to teach us, but the lessons they offer do not neatly fit into our current political categories. Freedom from religion and the freedom to practice ones religion are, in fact, both aspects of the Founders understanding of our inalienable natural right of religious liberty.

The Founders Understanding of Religious Liberty

We dont quite understand the Founders because we have forgotten their basic principles of government. As we do today, the Founders used the language of rights; but their understanding of rights was far deeper, philosophically richer, and more integrated with a robust notion of duties than ours. We tend to think of rights as interests that are especially important or necessary. We say health care and freedom of speech are rights, for example, because we believe bodily health and the expression of ones opinions are necessary to live a decent life. At the same time, our legal practice recognizes that even fundamental rights, such as free speech, can be curtailed if compelling state interests are at stake and the government uses the least restrictive means to do so. The underlying presumption in how we recognize rights and in how we limit them is that rights come from the state. We think good government grants extensive rights to citizens, because we believe the role of government is to satisfy our collective will and help us gratify our individual desires. But the extent to which any particular right is available depends on it being balanced against other rights and state interests, a process administered in the final analysis by the administrative state and the federal judiciary.

The Founders had a different understanding, at least when it came to natural rights such as religious liberty. Natural is this context means that the foundation of the right lies in our human nature as created by God. The natural right to religious liberty, in other words, is not granted by government; it is a part of the natural fabric of the created moral order, an order in which rights and duties are reciprocal. A just government recognizes this preexisting order; it does not create it.

James Madison, the most philosophically articulate Founder on religious freedom, stated the matter most clearly. What is here a right towards men, Madison explained, is a duty towards the Creator. It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him. Because we are first and foremost children of the Creator, our first allegiance is always to God. The political institutions we create and the civic obligations we impose, accordingly, must recognize our preexisting sacred duties. Our politics must remain limited in its aims out of respect and deference to higher claims of religious authority. We have a political right to religious liberty because we have more sacred and sovereign duties to God.

For the Founders, then, the right of religious liberty imposes limits on the states authority. Congress shall make no law  prohibiting the free exercise of religion because political authorities cannot legitimately exercise direct authority over religious exercises as such.

Congressand the states, via the 14th Amendments application of the First Amendment against themlacks legitimate authority to regulate any aspect of religious worship, including by whom, how, where, and when it is performed. Government officials, accordingly, have no authority to punish an individual for improper worship or to command an individual to worship. How, or whether, individuals worship is not, properly speaking, a direct concern of government. It cannot be, since we the people do notindeed, could notgive government that authority. That is what it means for the people to retain their inalienable rights.

This absence of jurisdiction that prohibits regulation of worship as such is also why the Founders said government cannot establish a religion. The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause together articulate the limits on government authority needed to safeguard individuals natural right to religious liberty. Just as government cannot regulate religious practices, it cannot legitimately license preachers or employ official religious ministers as agents of the state, to take two classic examples of what constitutes an establishment of religion.

The Founders understood these limitations on governmental authority to be categorical, which is why they declared that Congress shall make no law . For the Founders, no law really means no law; since government lacks authority to regulate religious exercises or license ministers, it can never legitimately do so. But the categorical character of religious liberty also means that its scope is relatively narrow. When government acts within its proper domain, religious citizens can be accommodated from burdensome laws, but they have no right to be exempted from otherwise constitutional laws. Likewise, if government cooperates with religious institutions to accomplish an otherwise legitimate civic end, no constitutional barrier is trespassed. The Founders understood the inalienable natural rights of religious liberty only to require the state to remain within its proper sphere. When it does so, legislation can affect religion in ways that religious citizens (just like other citizens) might find either advantageous or unwelcome.

The Supreme Courts Understanding of Religious Liberty

The Supreme Court, however, has long departed from the Founders understanding. Starting in the 1940s, the Court expanded the Establishment Clause by reading it to prohibit government policies from advancing religion, even if those policies pursue an otherwise legitimate civic purpose. It increasingly assumed that the federal government must be neutral between religion and irreligion. The Court also expanded the Free Exercise Clause in the 1960s, ruling that it means religious individuals must not always obey legitimate laws that they find burdensome. Today, this interpretation is often criticized by liberals and embraced by conservatives.

In perhaps its most famous wall of separation decision, Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), the Court held that a Catholic school could not receive state funds even to support the teaching of mathematics and other nonreligious subjects. Because money is fungible, the majority opinion held, public funds at religious schools might end up supporting religious education indirectly, thus violating taxpayers rights to freedom from religion. For the same reasons, in more recent years the Courts liberal justices voted to prohibit religious schools from participating in state-funded school-voucher programs in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), and, in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017), voted to uphold state constitutional provisions that mandate the exclusion of religious institutions and schools from participating in government-funded programseven innocuous ones, such as programs to improve the safety of school playgrounds.

Following the Founders would lead to a much more common-sense result: if a government policy pursues a valid civic purpose and if religious individuals or institutions qualify to participate in the policy under nonreligious criteria, they shouldnt be disqualified on account of their religious character. The Establishment Clause should not be read as a mandate to discriminate against religion.

The same kind of rule, in reverse, should apply to the Free Exercise Clause. Many social conservatives understand the right of religious liberty to mean a right of religious individuals and institutions to be exempt from laws that burden their religious beliefs or commitments. The locus of such arguments today is LGBT+ non-discrimination laws, which many traditional and orthodox Jews, Christians, and Muslims find impossible to comply with fully. Most exemption litigation today falls under the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, not the First Amendment. Nonetheless, social conservatives basic argument remains the same: religious liberty means that individuals ought to be exempt from otherwise valid but religiously burdensome laws.

The Founders, again, would have held a narrower view of the rights of religious liberty, at least at the level of natural rights. If and when the government passes valid laws that pursue a legitimate civic purpose, the Founders held that religious individuals and institutions have no natural or constitutional right to be exempt from them. The Founders recognized that the rule of law is not perfectly just and that, in some circumstances, exemptions from generally applicable laws might be prudentfor example, Quakers were commonly exempted from militia service during the Founding era. Such exemptions, however, were not understood to be a matter of constitutional right. The Free Exercise Clause was not meant to be a religious-privilege provision.

* * *

Church-state issues remain a front in our culture wars, in part, because it is easy to see the unfairness of each sides position. Court liberals seek to prevent religious individuals from participating in our civic life on equal terms. They unjustly penalize religious citizens to advance an exaggerated notion of freedom from religion. Court conservatives seek to exempt religious individuals from the civic obligation of following duly enacted law. Doing so extends special privileges to religious individuals alone, violating basic notions of equality and fairness.

Adopting the Founders approach certainly would not satisfy everyone. Liberals would have to accept that freedom from religion means that one cannot be coerced to go to churchnot that one can eliminate the presence of religion from the public square. Conservatives would have to accept that religious freedom means only that government cannot impose targeted disabilities on religionnot that one is entitled to exemptions from otherwise valid laws.

Perhaps the Founders more modest approach to religious liberty would satisfy no one. It would emphasize legislative compromise and downplay the role of the judiciary and special-interest law firms. Religious and nonreligious citizens would have to learn to get along better and attempt to work together and adopt laws that can apply to everyone equally. Social conservatives would have to focus on preventing the passage of laws that they find oppressive, not on getting exemptions from them once theyre on the books.

Its possible that such an approach would only inflame more political disagreement, that religious and nonreligious citizens are so far apart that the best we can hope for is to vigorously assert ones own conception of rights and defeat the other side in court. But that approach hasnt worked well for anyone. For more than three generations, weve attempted to ignore the Founders wisdom on these questions. Given the current state of our partisan divisions, isnt their approach worth another try?

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Residents sift through rubble from a destroyed building at the scene of an airstrike in Mekele, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo)

New Airstrike in Ethiopias Tigray Capital; Kids Among Dead

NAIROBI, KenyaA new airstrike hit the capital of Ethiopias Tigray region on Thursday following several days of such strikes last week, and a Tigray spokesman asserted that six people including children were killed, as the year-long war intensifies.

Government spokesman Legesse Tulu told The Associated Press the airstrike targeted a site in Mekele city used by rival Tigray forces to make and repair weapons. He said the site forms part of a compound belonging to Mefsin Industrial Engineering, which was also hit last week.

Tigray spokesman Nahusenay Belay denied that the airstrike hit a military target and said it struck a civilian residence, killing six people and wounding more than 20. Three children were among the dead, he said.

Photos from the scene appeared to show rescuers pulling bodies from debris.

Ethiopias government has asserted that the latest airstrikes have been confined to military targets, but Tigray forces have asserted that civilian facilities including factories and a clinic have been targeted instead.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Ethiopias neighboring Amhara region after the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a ground offensive there earlier this month, despite international calls for a cease-fire.
People protest for the release of kidnapped missionaries near the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries headquarters in Titanyen, north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo)

North American Missionaries Going on Second Week as Hostages in Lawless Haiti

Thursday marked 13 days that one Canadian and 16 U.S. citizen missionaries have been held by Haitian kidnappers for $17 million. The kidnappers threaten to kill the hostages unless they get $1 million per person.

The hostages are in Haiti to do work for the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries and were abducted on Oct. 16, while on a trip to visit an orphanage supported by the organization.

The group includes six men and six women ranging in age from 18 to 48, and five children ages 8 months, 3 years, 6 years, 13 years, and 15 years.

Before the kidnapping, their work throughout Haiti included supporting thousands of needy school children, distributing Bibles and Christian literature, supplying medicines for numerous clinics, teaching Haitian pastors, and providing food for the elderly and vulnerable.

In recent months, they were actively involved in coordinating a rebuilding project for those who lost their homes in the August 2021 earthquake, according to Christian Aid Ministries, which regularly updates the situation on its website.

The website also has frequent prayer requests for the hostages to have endurance and to show Christlike love; for government leaders working to release the hostages; and specifically for the kidnappers, that they would experience the love of Jesus.

These families are from Amish, Mennonite, and other Anabaptist communities in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada.

Christian Aid Ministries invited believers from around the world to join them Wednesday in a day of prayer and fasting, and to be mindful that their workers are not the only victims.

People ride a motorcycle past a police car following a call for a general strike launched by several professional associations and companies to denounce insecurity in Port-au-Prince on Oct. 18, 2021. (Richard Pierrin/AFP via Getty Images)

The blog said Haiti had 600 kidnappings from January to September 2021, compared with 231 over the same period last year. It encouraged everyone to pray for others who are being held hostage, and those recovering from the experience of being kidnapped.

Occasionally we are asked why our workers were in Haiti. Why travel to dangerous places? Why not let these countries take care of their own issues? the blog says their faith calls them to get involved.

We live in a very broken world. A world of broken relationships, broken trust, and broken political systems. It is a world of loneliness, fear, and violence. And Jesus came, not just so men could go to heaven when they die, but also to show the kind of a world God intends right here on earth. God desires a world where the hungry are fed, abandoned orphans are cared for, and where lonely refugees are provided for. Jesus came to redeem this broken world and has called His church to work with Him.

They note that as missionaries, they can usually return to a comfortable lifestyle in the United States, but many in Haiti cannot find comfort.

In their current lawless situation, where anarchy reigns, Haitians live under constant fear. They have no way to escape. For many, every trip to the market is overshadowed by the continual threat of violence. As we continue to pray earnestly for our American staff, we also encourage fervent prayer for the Haitian people.

Christian Aid Ministries has coordinated a rebuilding project in areas devastated by the August 2021 earthquake. (Courtesy: Christian Aid Ministries)

Millions of Haitians are facing great difficulties due to ongoing political problems that have intensified in recent days, Christian Aid Ministries said in a Wednesday press release.

Haiti is in a state of anarchy with no active government. Gangs are in charge of many areas and controlling the fuel and goods at the seaports, the release said.

In many areas, fuel is not available and where it is still available it costs an exorbitant amount. Most people are staying close to home because travel is too dangerous. Fear abounds everywhere. Pray that God could bring peace and stability in the midst of this fear and chaos.

The U.S. State Department gives Haiti its highest travel advisory warning, Do not travel, saying kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning and kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings.

Violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common.

Travelers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. Protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent.

Haiti is in a state of chaos and mounting lawlessness. (Courtesy: Christian Aid Ministries)

The U.S. government is extremely limited in its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti and local police generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents, according to the State Department.

In a press briefing late last week, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the department has sent additional personnel and resources to support efforts to get these U.S. citizens to safety.

Our embassy team is in frequent contact with Haitian authorities at the highest levels. That includes those in the Haitian government, the Haitian National Police, Price said.

Were in touch with Christian Aid Ministries, the Canadian government, as well as the family members of the victims, and well continue to work with them. Well continue to work with our interagency partners on what is very much an ongoing matter and an ongoing investigation, he said.

When it does come to these matters generally, it is best that we not detail the steps were taking. Our focus, our sole focus right now is on bringing these individuals to safety.
New York Attorney General Letitia James addresses a news conference at her office, in New York on Friday, May 21, 2021. (Richard Drew, File/AP Photo)

NY Attorney General, Who Oversaw Cuomo Investigation, Announces Bid for Governor

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday she is running for governor, setting up a primary battle with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who took over the governorship following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo over the summer.

In a video released Friday, James highlighted her offices lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and her investigation into deaths in New York state nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Ive traveled all around New York state, I have witnessed too many working families struggling to make ends meet, and its clear that the status quo just wont do, James, a Democrat, said in a statement. New Yorkers need a governor who isnt afraid to stand up to powerful interests on behalf of the vulnerable.

James, 63, then argued that she deserves the governorship as shes taken on big forces and New Yorkers know I will never back down when it comes to fighting for them, adding, Today, I am proud to announce my candidacy for governor of New York so we can bring transformational change that uplifts all New Yorkers.

Before she was elected as attorney general, James represented Brooklyns 35th Council District in the New York City Council for about a decade before she was elected New York Citys public advocate.

Months before he stepped down, then-Gov. Cuomo authorized James to look into claims that he had sexually harassed several women, namely staffers who had worked for him. Independent investigators she had hired then released a report in August 2021 that said there were credible allegations against Cuomo, although she didnt file any charges against him.

Cuomo, who now faces a criminal complaint for alleged forcible touching, panned James report as biased and inaccurate, stressing that he stepped down because he doesnt want to throw New Yorks government into a state of chaos. But in public comment, James dismissed Cuomos assertions and said the former governor needs to take responsibility for his own actions.

Rita Glavin, a Cuomo attorney, told news outlets on Thursday that the former governor never assaulted anyone. Cuomo is slated to appear in court on Nov. 17 over the complaint.

And last year, James filed a lawsuit against the NRA over allegations that top executives engaged in diversion of millions of dollars away from the charitable mission of the organization for personal use by senior leadership, among other claims. The NRA in early 2021 announced it would leave New York state for Texas.

Other than James and Hochul, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, both Democrats, have publicly suggested they would run for governor. Hochul announced her intention to run for governor in mid-August before she was sworn in as governor.
A teacher is seen wearing a mask in class in a file photo. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Over 4 in 5 Australian Teachers Considered Quitting Over the Past 12 Months: Survey

According to a new survey, over 80 percent of teachers across Australia have considered quitting the profession in the last 12 months.

The Australian College of Educators (ACE) and National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) Foundation conducted a survey of 571 educators and found that while a vast majority (87 percent) said they found it to be a rewarding profession, 84 percent have contemplated leaving.

Three-quarters reported feeling stressed from work, 82 percent struggled with work-life balance, and 37 percent reported little or no satisfaction from the job.

A greater proportion of primary school teachers and inexperienced teachers felt stressed fairly often compared to secondary and veteran teachers.

COVID-19 has also caused teachers to spend more time providing emotional support to students compared to before the pandemic.

Many teachers listed behavioural management as the greatest challenge, saying a small minority of disruptive students could have a large, negative impact on the majority.

Almost 70 percent indicated that they spent more than 10 percent of their day managing individual behavioural issues, while 17 percent of teachers said it consumed over half their day.

Most teachers believed that the responsibility of behavioural learning fell on the parents. However, some teachers indicated their frustration with unengaged parents and parents who treated teachers as glorified babysitters.

A teacher teaches language to students at St. Johns High School, in Sydney, on Oct. 14, 2012. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Psychiatrist Tanveer Ahmed told The Epoch Times that the COVID-19 pandemic simply accelerated existing trends, such as digital learning and mental health issues in young people.

One existing trend is that teachers and schools have become increasingly responsible for the emotional well-being of children.

So theres a lot of functions that the family used to do, that teachers and schools are [now] almost expected to do, he said.

Ahmed said Australia has amongst the highest rates of behaviourally disturbed children among OECD countries. This has created a dimension where teachers need to spend more time managing difficult children or those with an autism spectrum diagnosis.

The teachers role has really changed where they have to manage difficult kids and look out for the mental health of all these troubled kids, which are growing in numbers, Ahmed said.

Another aspect that makes the teaching profession increasingly tricky for Australian educators is the lack of authority in the classroom.

The authority that teachers [in Asian countries] have are really high. Whereas here, they dont have the same authority, parents often intervene, he said. Its expected to be almost a partnership with students, but that can often mean they have a much-diminished authority with children, which I think makes their job harder as well.

But Ahmed noted typically, in these types of surveys, respondents rarely actually leave the job.

Sometimes theyre used as a bit of a negotiating tool before some sort of wage negotiations, he said. So we should always take these surveys with a grain of salt.
People With Natural Immunity Dont Need to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine: Rep. Harris

The immunity conferred by COVID-19 infection and recovery has by now been shown to be superior to the protection given by COVID-19 vaccines, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) says.

For people whove had the disease and who have naturally acquired immunity, there is no reason to get a vaccine, Harris, the co-chair of the House Doctors Caucus, said on NTDs Capitol Report this week.

Dozens of studies have shown strong immunity to reinfection among people who got COVID-19 and recovered.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Our conclusion is that if you were previously infected, you are protected because of the previous infection and you dont need the vaccine, Dr. Nabin Shrestha, of the Cleveland Clinics Department of Infectious Disease, told The Epoch Times earlier this year.

Shrestha led a team that found employees at the clinic who had natural immunity were unlikely to benefit from vaccination.

The science is becoming very clear that naturally acquired immunity actually is better than vaccine-acquired immunity, Harris said.

Many experts agree with the school of thought, though the view is far from universal.

Top public health officials and agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, still urge practically everybody to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even those who recovered from the disease.

Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others around you, especially as the more contagious Delta variant spreads around the country, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the centers, said in August after a study suggested those with natural immunity benefited from vaccination.

The debate was on full display during a recent Food and Drug Administration panel hearing considering whether to advise the agency to give shots to children as young as 5 years old.

Multiple members said data indicates children with prior infection dont need a vaccine. Another proposal bandied about is giving such children a single shot, as opposed to the two-dose regimen often used for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Harris says the COVID-19 vaccine mandates that dont incorporate testing or natural immunity opt-outs have widespread resistance and the consequences of the mandates are severe.

There are always going to be 15 or 20 percent of Americans who will just resist the government mandate. They just wont get the vaccine, whether or not theyve had naturally acquired immunity, and the consequences of taking those people out of the workplace, for instance, is going to be very broad, very widespread, and I think very bad for our economy, he told NTD.

If someone doesnt want to get the vaccine, then just ask them to be tested every few days, make sure that if theyre tested, they quarantine themselves. But vaccine mandate that doesnt take into account naturally acquired immunity and doesnt allow an exception, either for religious, medical reasons, or with a test out option, I think in the long run is going to be shown to be more harmful than helpful.
Popcorn and Inspiration: Fly Away Home: The Special Bond Between Fathers and Daughters

PG | 1h 47min | Adventure, Drama, Family | 1996

The holiday season is fast approaching, and soon it will be time for some good-natured, family-friendly films to enjoy. After seeing director Carroll Ballards 1996 film Fly Away Home, I can confidently recommend this as one of the most heartwarming films to share with your friends and family.

The film starts off with a tragic event, however. Amy Alden, 13, and her mother are driving down a road in New Zealand one stormy night. Suddenly, they are involved in a terrible car accident (thankfully, no gore or blood involved), and Amys mother doesnt make it. Amy survives the ordeal, and her estranged father, Thomas Tom Alden (Jeff Daniels), steps in to care for her.

Tom Alden (Jeff Daniels, L) at the hospital to attend to his daughter Amy (Anna Paquin), in Fly Away Home. (Columbia Pictures

Toms an eccentric artist, crafter, and brilliant inventor who lives in nice big house on a stunningly beautiful piece of land in Canada. His house is also his workspace and, therefore, he has a lot of tools and materials all over the place.

Tom (Jeff Daniels) showing daughter Amy (Anna Paquin) one of his zany inventions. (Columbia Pictures)

Tom finds it awkward, at least initially, to try to reach out to the daughter he hardly knows but does so anyway, and it becomes clear that he loves her. But when Toms girlfriend Susan Barnes (Dana Delany) shows up, Amy withdraws a bit more. Understandably, shes still grieving the loss of her mother.

Having a hard time adjusting to her new life, Amy wanders the surrounding lands, and the flora and fauna of the picturesque environs begin to have a therapeutic effect on her. After greedy land developers destroy some of the local habitats close to Toms home, Amy finds a nest of goose eggs left behind in the wake of the destruction. She quickly hides and incubates the eggs in Toms barn.

Soon, the eggs hatch, and the orphaned goslings latch on to Amyinterpreting her as their mother in what is later described as imprinting. Overwhelmed by having to help raise the dozen or so goslings, Tom seeks the help of Animal Regulation officer Glen Seifert (Jeremy Ratchford), who oversees the region. But when Seifert tells Tom and Amy that the birds wings will have to be clippedthereby rendering them flightlessand tries to demonstrate the process on one of the chicks, both father and daughter eject the official right out of the house.

Amy (Anna Paquin) and her goslings. (Columbia Pictures)

Things seem touch-and-go for a while, but as Tom and Susan follow through on their promises and keep their word to Amy, she eventually begins to trust them on deeper levels. Theyre also very upfront and truthful with Amy about everythingsuch as when Tom tells Amy that, unless she intends to hold the growing geese as prisoners in the barn, theyre going to have to migrate south at a certain point.

(LR) Amy Alden (Anna Paquin), Tom Alden (Jeff Daniels), and his girlfriend Susan Barnes (Dana Delany) getting to know each other. (Columbia Pictures)

But he also tells her that with her help, both father and daughter together might be able to figure out a way to enable the geese to make their trip, and their relationship begins to take flightboth figuratively and literally.

The literal flight is possible because Tom and his friend Barry (Holter Graham) have long been experimenting with ultralight aircraft. After many blunders with test pilot Tom as the stunt dummy, and with help from Toms brother David (Terry Kinney), they eventually discover a model that affords a relative amount of safety for the trip.

Amy (Anna Paquin) and Tom (Jeff Daniels) literally and metaphorically taking flight together. (Columbia Pictures)

A Natural Bonding

One of the things that I was initially afraid of, after reading the films synopsis, was that this might turn into one of those overly sappy, cornball fests. But luckily, nothing could be further from the truth. The way in which the relationships between the characters unfold feels natural and genuine, as opposed to forced and contrived.

Toms not a perfect father, but he tries his best with what hes got, which is a powerful message for many men who grew up not knowing how to be a fatherlet alone knowing how to love in the first place.

Jeff Daniels disappears into his role as the estranged father who gradually finds ways to connect with his traumatized daughter. Likewise, the circumstances that they (and the characters around them) find themselves in arent perfect either, but they all find strength within their increasingly warming relationships.

Paquin is also outstanding as young Amy and never overacts in her scenesoffering just enough emotional output for us to see whats shes going through.

Theres a subplot involving a greedy land developer who is tearing up the countryside, but its merely background noisewhether you are an environmentalist or not, it doesnt matter. Fly Away Home is a lovely film because it shows us some of the important things that can bring us together, instead of what divides us. It also showcases the special bond that fathers can have with their daughters. These are fantastic messages to share with others as we look forward to the festive season ahead.

Fly Away Home

Director: Carroll Ballard

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, Dana Delany

Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG

Release Date: Sept. 13, 1996

Rated: 5 stars out of 5



Ian Kane is a filmmaker and author based out of Los Angeles. To learn more, visit DreamFlightEnt.com or contact him at Twitter.com/ImIanKane
Britain's Queen Elizabeth poses after awarding Captain Tom Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain July 17, 2020. (Chris Jackson/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)

Queen Elizabeth II Told by Doctors to Rest for at Least Two Weeks: Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II was told her doctors to rest for at least two more weeks, forcing her to cut back her schedule, according to Buckingham Palace in a statement on Friday.

The announcement comes days after the Queen, 95, spent a night in a hospital. Last week, the monarch had canceled a trip to Northern Ireland but resumed duties earlier this week on Tuesday, the palace said.

Her Majestys doctors have advised that she should continue to rest for at least the next two weeks. The doctors have advised that Her Majesty can continue to undertake light, desk-based duties during this time, including some virtual audiences, but not to undertake any official visits, the palace said Friday.

But it means that she wont be able to attend the Festival of Remembrance on Nov. 13, according to her office.

However, the statement added, it remains The Queens firm intention to be present for the National Service of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday, on 14th November.

Queen Elizabeth II also recently canceled her planned appearance at a United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, which will be attended by a number of world leaders including President Joe Biden. The conference is slated to last from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.

Following advice to rest, The Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty has regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend the Evening Reception of COP26 on Monday, 1st November, read the statement.

But Buckingham Palace confirmed this week that Prince Charles, 73, and Prince William, 39, would attend the event in Scotland, along with their wives, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 74, and Kate Middleton, 39.

After her hospital stay, palace officials said she was admitted after undergoing preliminary investigations for an unspecified ailment.

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 at the time.

The Queen, meanwhile, appeared in a cheerful mood in footage released by the palace on Thursday as she was taking part in a ceremony awarding a medal for poetry. She was also spotted greeting ambassadors in a virtual event.

On Oct. 12, Queen Elizabeth II was accompanied by Princess Anne to a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey and was seen in media footage walking with the assistance of a cane.

Elizabeth, who is the queen of 15 other realms including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and next year celebrates 70 years on the throne, still carries out many public duties despite her age.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Conference: China: Forced Organ Harvesting and the Chinese Communist Party

China: Forced Organ Harvesting and the Chinese Communist Party, a conference held in Belgium, heard and discussed evidence of forced organ harvesting in China, under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party.

Expert testimony was presented by David Matas, a prominent Canadian human rights lawyer, and author of Bloody Harvest, the definitive work on this subject. He explained how particular minority groups are being targeted as victims in this tradespecifically practitioners of Falun Gong.

The conference was moderated by Nico Bijnens, president of Falun Gong Belgium.

Keynote speakers included:

Peter van Dalen MEP, member of the European Peoples Party and member of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights

Edward McMillan-Scott, former vice president of the European Parliament

Hamid Sabi, counsel to the China Tribunal, who presented the Tribunals final judgement

Also present:

Harold King, deputy director of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH)

Andy Vermaut, journalist and human rights advocate

KaYan Wong, spokesperson for Falun Gong in Holland

Manel Mselmi, blogger at Euroblog and a human rights activist

Prior to the event, Falun Gong practitioners extended an open invitation to a workshop activity at the entrance of Jubelpark (Parc du Cinquantenaire), Brussels, a few minutes walk from the Press Club.

Journalists and other interested parties wishing to interview participants were invited to contact Gary Cartwright: editor@eutoday.net
Review of Chinese-Leased Port of Darwin Complete: Australian Defence Department

The Australian Defence Department has completed its assessment of the controversial Chinese-leased Port of Darwin, signalling an impending decision from the federal government on whether to scrap the deal.

Peter Tesch, deputy secretary of strategy and policy at the Department of Defence (DOD), said the review, which the national security committee ordered in May, had been handed to the government.

We are now working with other agencies about facilitating consideration by the government of that information, he told a Senate Estimates hearing on Oct. 27.

The review also encompassed a deal where a Chinese-backed company acquired a 50 percent share in the Port of Newcastle in March 2018, but no immediate concerns were found.

The review was ordered earlier this year following the termination of two Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreements signed between Victorias state leader Daniel Andrews and Beijings National Development and Reform Commission.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who exercised the new powers granted to her under the Foreign Relations Act, ordered the cancellation, citing a conflict with Australias national interest.

The newly legislated law also opened the door for other deals signed with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated bodies to be scrapped, including Confucius Institutes and sister-city agreements.

However, the Port of Darwin has been a significant source of concern among defence experts and political leaders.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in late April said he would not hesitate to terminate the deal if advised to.

If there is advice from the Defence Department or our security agencies that change their view about the national security implications of any piece of critical infrastructure, Morrison told reporters on April 29. We have legislation now which is dealing with critical infrastructure.

You can expect me as prime minister to take that advice very seriously and act accordingly, he added, noting that such a move would be carried out by the treasurer under amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018.

In 2015, the heavily indebted Northern Territory government leased the strategically located Darwin Port to Chinese state-owned firm Landbridge for AU$506 million (US$382 million).

The move raised eyebrows from U.S. officials, with previous U.S. President Barack Obama conveying his concerns directly to then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

In response, Morrisonwho was treasurer at the timeexpanded the remit of the Foreign Investment Review Board so that all Australian asset sales to foreign entities would be subject to federal approval.

In 2016, the billionaire owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, boasted that acquiring the Port of Darwin would assist with the expansion of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI is the CCPs trillion-dollar global infrastructure building fund and arguably the crown jewel of Beijings geopolitical ambitions.

However, it has been accused of being a trojan horse, leaving developing countries heavily in debt and potentially being leveraged for military or spying purposes.
(Left) Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception at Cafe Terigo in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 28, 2019. (Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie); (Right) 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, N.Y., on Oct. 7, 2021. (Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic)

Rust Armorer Breaks Silence on Alec Baldwin Shooting Incident

Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed issued a statement to deny claims regarding the on-set shooting involving Alec Baldwin last week.

Her attorneys, New Mexico-based lawyers Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence, said that there were rushed conditions on the low-budget films set, disputing claims that crew members used live ammunition for target practice.

Safety is Hannahs number one priority on set, her attorneys said in a statement to news outlets on Thursday. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from.

Reed, meanwhile, said that she never saw live rounds being used by any of the weapons she handled on the set.

However, the two lawyers said there were two accidental discharges on the set, but they didnt involve Reed.

The first one on this set was the prop master and the second one was a stunt man after Hannah informed him his gun was hot with blanks, they said in the statement.

Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer, Bowles and Gorence added, without elaborating on her other job role. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department, the lawyers also said.

An affidavit filed on Oct. 27 stated that Reed had told officials on the day of the shooting that she checked the guns ammunition, adding there were never live rounds on the set.

The shooting incident in New Mexico left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured. Authorities investigating the incident said Baldwin, 63, fired the gun during the filming of a scene more than a week ago.

Baldwin, who has issued few statements on the matter, wrote on Twitter that hes cooperating in the investigation and offered condolences to Hutchins family. The actor has not been charged with a crime.

Earlier this week, Sante Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said during a news conference that hundreds of rounds of ammunition were recovered from the set, including the spent shell casing of the bullet that is believed to have killed Hutchins.

Ammunition found on the set included a mix of blanks, dummy rounds, and what we are suspecting [are] live rounds, he said, without ruling out whether charges will be filed in the case.

Baldwins representatives have not yet responded to a request for comment.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Antitrust attorney Jonathan Kanter testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee October 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Kanter has been nominated to be an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Senate Panel Approves Longtime Big Tech Critic to Head Justice Departments Antitrust Division

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a voice vote for the nomination of prominent Google and Big Tech critic Jonathan Kanter to lead the Department of Justices (DOJ) antitrust division.

Kanter, who is President Joe Bidens nominee to head the division, has been a longtime critic of Alphabets Google, and as a lawyer in private practice, has spent years representing rivals of tech giants including Apple and Amazon, who have been suspected of positioning their own products above their competitors in order to generate higher profits.

The giant tech companies have denied any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department sued Google last year over allegations that the tech giant used its power to preserve its monopoly.

A lawsuit, filed in a Washington federal court, asserts that Google had tried to maintain its status as a gatekeeper to the Internet by using a number of interlocking businesses to shut out competitors, thereby securing itself as a monopoly. The DOJ claimed the Silicon Valley firm uses billions of dollars from its own advertisements to pay carriers, browsers, phone companies, and other entities to maintain Google as a default search engine.

Google has disputed that claim.

Along with Kanter, the Biden administration previously chose two antitrust progressives with tech expertise, Tim Wu for the National Economic Council and Lina Khan to be chair of the Federal Trade Commission.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), chair of the panels antitrust subcommittee, supported Kanter on Thursday, saying he has a deep understanding of the issues.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks during a hearing in Washington on June 15, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

One Republican senator, John Cornyn of Texas, asked to be marked down as voting against the nomination, noting that while he shares Kanters concerns about the tech industry, he fears he would use antitrust tools as a hammer to achieve political or social ends, The New York Times reports.

Critics of Kanter also fear that he may end up prosecuting cases that he previously encouraged as a lawyer representing rivals of tech giants.

Kanter said during his confirmation hearing earlier this month that he supported vigorous antitrust enforcement in the technology area, The Washington Post reported.

Political influence should not be a relevant factor in determining whether to initiate or bring antitrust enforcement actions, Kanter said. The kinds of values are around protecting competition, and competition can yield a wide range of benefits, including protecting the free flow of information.

Kanter pointed to multiple industries were antitrust enforcement could be appropriate, including health care, agriculture, and Big Tech.

Ive been a strong proponent of vigorous antitrust enforcement in the technology area, among others, he said.

Earlier this month, a dozen Republican and Democratic senators introduced a bill aimed at stopping Big Tech from limiting consumer choice and restoring competition online.

The American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which is similar to a bill introduced earlier this year by House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust Chairman David Cicilline (D-R.I.), would make it illegal for large tech companies to engage in discriminatory behavior, including disadvantaging rivals.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Huawei sign seen at the IFA 2020 Special Edition consumer electronics and appliances trade fair in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Senate Passes Bill to Further Restrict Huawei, ZTE, Foreign Threats From US Telecom Network

Measure heads to President Joe Biden's desk

The Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to pass a bill that would prevent companies deemed as security threatssuch as Chinese state-backed firms Huawei and ZTEfrom being granted new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators.

Specifically, the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from both reviewing and issuing new equipment licenses to companies on its Covered Equipment or Services List that pose a national security threat.

The bipartisan and bicameral legislation was approved last week by the House on a 420-4 vote. The measure now heads to President Joe Bidens desk to be signed into law.

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), who authored the legislation with Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), celebrated the bills passage. Our bipartisan legislation will prevent China from infiltrating Americas telecommunications networks and compromising our national security, Scalise said in a statement.

Equipment made by Huawei and ZTE, companies linked to the Chinese government, increases the vulnerabilities of our telecommunication systems and puts our national security at risk, Eshoo said.

Scalise said the legislation forcefully signals to the Chinese Communist Party that the U.S. government is committed to protecting the privacy and security of Americans.

The FCC in March designated five Chinese companiesHuawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahuaas posing a threat to U.S. national security under the Secure and Trusted Communications Act of 2019, a law that seeks to protect U.S. communications networks.

People walk next to a ZTE booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on Feb. 25, 2019. (Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

Legislation Closes a Loophole: Senator

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in a statement said that the Secure Equipment Act acts to close a loophole in rules the FCC formally adopted in 2020, which required U.S. telecommunications carriers to rip and replace equipment by national security threats.

While that was an important step, those rules only apply to equipment purchased with federal funding. The very same equipment can still be used if purchased with private or non-federal government dollars, the joint statement reads, noting that the latest Secure Equipment Act will close this loophole and further prevent identified security threats from having a presence in U.S. telecommunications networks.

Rubio in a statement urged Biden to swiftly sign [the bill] into law so that the Chinese Communist Party can no longer exploit this dangerous loophole.

Markey called the legislation a critical national security measure that will keep compromised equipment out of U.S. telecommunications networks.

The FCC in June had voted unanimously to advance a rule that mirrors the bill, banning new equipment licenses for the Chinese companies. Under the proposed rules, the FCC could also revoke prior equipment authorizations issued to Chinese companies.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the commission has approved more than 3,000 applications from Huawei since 2018. Carr said Thursday the Secure Equipment Act will help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into Americas communications networks.

The FCC voted on Tuesday to bar the U.S. arm of a leading Chinese state-owned telecommunication firmChina Telecomfrom operating in the United States, citing national security concerns.

Reuters contributed to this report.
The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Senators Will Need to Be Fully Vaccinated to Set Foot in Senate Chamber

OTTAWASenators will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID19 if they want to participate in person in Senate proceedings.

Senate Speaker George Furey announced the new policy Thursday following consultations with the leaders of the various groups in the upper house.

But although Conservative Senate leader Don Plett was among those consulted on the policy, his office refused to say how many of his 18member caucus have been immunized.

Sen. Plett took part in the discussion and the agreement amongst Senate leaders. We have no further comments, said his spokeswoman, Karine Leroux.

Conservatives in the House of Commons have objected to a similar policy adopted last week for elected members of Parliament. Leader Erin OToole has refused to disclose the vaccination status of his 118 MPs.

A spokesman for Furey said the Senates mandatory vaccination rule will apply to senators attending proceedings in the Senate chamber itself and also to Senate committee meetings  with an option for those with a valid medical exemption to show proof of a recent negative COVID19 test.

The Senates internal economy committee is to meet soon to determine whether immunization will also be mandatory for staffers in senators offices and other employees of the upper house.

Last week, the governing body of the House of Commons decided that anyone wishing to enter the Commons precinct will have to be double vaccinated.

The decision of the multiparty board of internal economy applies to MPs, their staff, employees of the House of Commons administration, journalists and anyone else who wishes to enter the Commons chamber. The policy also applies to a host of other buildings that house MPs offices, committee rooms and other offices related to the operation of the House, including a number of buildings far removed from Parliament Hill.

A memo circulated to employees of the House earlier this week from the administrations chief information officer, Stephan Aube, indicated that working from home will not be an option for those who refuse to get vaccinated without a valid medical exemption.

Although it may affect different employees at different times, this new requirement will apply to virtual and onsite employees alike, Aube wrote.

The House of Commons is currently working on a COVID19 vaccination policy (for) employees, which will determine how this new requirement is applied.

That sets up a potential scenario in which unvaccinated Conservative MPs may be able to participate in proceedings remotely while their staffers cannot.

The governing Liberals and the NDP have indicated theyre in favour of continuing with a hybrid format for the Commons, adopted during the pandemic to allow MPs to participate in proceedings virtually from their homes or offices while keeping the number physically present in the chamber to a minimum.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois want the House to resume normal, inperson operations.

While OToole is opposed to resuming hybrid sittings, it is the only way the unknown number of his MPs whove refused to be vaccinated or who refuse to disclose their immunization status would be able to participate in proceedings, under the board of internal economys policy.

OToole has said all Conservative MPs will abide by the boards decision on mandatory vaccinations but he has also served notice that his party will challenge the boards authority to ban unvaccinated MPs from the Commons precinct.

However, even if they succeed in forcing a vote on the matter in the House, the policy is unlikely to change since all other parties favour mandatory vaccination.

The other parties also say all their members are fully vaccinated, save for one Liberal MP with a medical exemption.

On the Senate side, a spokeswoman for the largest group, the Independent Senators Group, said all 43 of its members have had two shots of an approved vaccine.

The same is true for the 13 members of the Canadian Senators Group, according to leader Sen. Scott Tannas office.

Sen. Jane Cordys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the immunization status of the 14member Progressive Senate Group, which she leads.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.

By Joan Bryden
Serendipity? 3 Sisters Have Same Birthday in Different Years

OVIEDO, Fla.Three sisters in Florida share the same birthday, but theyre not twins or triplets.

Instead, the Lammert sistersSophia, Giuliana and Miawere each born on Aug. 25, respectively, in 2015, 2018, and 2021. All three were delivered naturally.

Explaining the coincidence of their shared birthdays, their mother chalks it up to serendipity.

Divine intervention, fate, loved ones up above, Kristin Lammert told Orlando television station WKMG.

When Kristin Lammert found out that Mias due date was Sept. 8, 2021, she started thinking about the odds of the baby coming a little early.

I thought she could absolutely be born two weeks early and share the same birthday with her two older sisters, Kristin Lammert said.

Kristin Lammert and her husband, Nick, havent ruled out having more children. But whether they get a fourth Aug. 25 birthday child is up to fate, with maybe a little nudge from Kristin.

Shes really good at planning, Nick Lammert said.
Speaker Pelosi Claims Most Progressives Support Infrastructure Bill

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a publicly-released letter that most House progressives support passage of the $1.2 trillion Senate-passed infrastructure bill, despite continued divisions forcing her to push off a Thursday vote on the bill.

While progressives are generally supportive of the smaller infrastructure-focused bill, they see the more expansive Build Back Better reconciliation bill as a far more important package. To this end, the caucus of House progressives has held up passage of the infrastructure bill for months, holding the moderate-preferred bill hostage in a bid to force moderates to support the Build Back Better Act.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the foremost progressive in the Senate, expressed this feeling in a tweet. Sanders wrote, Physical infrastructure is important, but the needs of working families & combatting climate change is more important.

And progressives have held to this threat for months.

After the announcement of a framework budget deal (pdf), progressives were disappointed with the compromise, which cut the bill in half from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion. Several House progressives immediately picked up their old threat, demanding changes to the new bill.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) was one such progressive. I feel like a little bamboozled because this is not what I thought was coming today, she said, warning that she would vote against the infrastructure bill if the budget bill were not strengthened.

Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who supports quick passage of both bills, summed up the situation. Jayapal told reporters Thursday There are too many no votes for the [infrastructure bill] to pass.

This criticism from progressives forced Pelosi to delay a vote once again on Thursday, a move that frustrated members in both factions.

Jayapal upbraided leadership for even attempting a vote Thursday, saying I tried to tell anybody who would listen that we didnt have the votes.

A supporter of passing both bills, Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) admitted that the delay is Not good optics. Its terrible optics.

Moderate Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), who has spoken out against her partys bill in the past, said that many Democrats are extremely frustrated that legislative obstruction of the [infrastructure bill] continuesnot based on the bills merits, but because of a misguided strategy to use the bill as leverage on separate legislation.

I am disappointed that my colleagues, a small sect of my colleagues, have decided they are going to deny the American people this much-needed investment for their own political purposes, Murphy said in an interview.

Disregarding this latest setback, Pelosi said in a Dear Colleague letter that most Members who were not prepared for a yes vote [Thursday] have expressed their commitment to support the [infrastructure bill].

Despite their general support for the bill, it is likely that more negotiations will be necessary, forcing Democrats to go back to square one to regain progressive support and hold on to moderate support.

Sanders indicated as much, saying of the bill I think if you look at the bill that the President announced today, it is probably the most consequential bill since the 1960s. But, Sanders noted, clearly, to my mind, it has some major gaps.

He indicated that his main problem with the bill as it stands is its lack of health care provisions.

Sanders and other progressives have long fought for prescription drug policies that would lower the cost of medication, and these arent included in the framework agreement.

There is, [to] the best of my knowledge, no language in there that takes on the pharmaceutical industry, Sanders said. He added that the new budget would include Medicare hearing benefits, but wouldnt have vision or dental care benefits.

Sanders refused to commit to voting for the bill in its current form, but said that he and other Democrats would fight to make a good bill stronger.

Other Democrats in the House and Senate were especially concerned by the bills lack of healthcare provisions as well.

Another area of contention is the bills removal of the State and Local Tax deduction (SALT), an extremely popular program in high income tax states like New York and New Jersey. The absence of the program led moderate Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to guess that the bill would not be able to win the votes to pass.

Progressives are also concerned that key swing voters Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have yet to commit to voting for the bill. Without their votes, the bill cannot pass in the Senatea risk that progressives are unwilling to take, fearing that moderates will not support the budget bill if the infrastructure bill passes first.

Basically its the [dis]trust of Manchin and Sinema, said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). Thats the problem.

While many progressives have promised to vote for the infrastructure bill with President Joe Bidens assurance that the budget can pass both chambers, this assurance is not one that Biden can give them at the moment, leaving Democratic leaders little choice but to continue negotiations within their long-divided party.
Speaker Removed From Florida School Board Meeting After Reading Sex Scene From School Library Book

The Orange County School Board in Florida removed a speaker from a board meeting after the man read a sexually explicit passage from a book that was available in local school libraries.

In a video recorded on Oct. 26 by a member of the Orange County chapter of pro-parental rights group Moms for Liberty, a man was ordered to be taken out of the meeting chamber by a police officer after he read from the 2019 graphic novel Gender Queer: A Memoir.

Im going to read a passage of a book thats floating around in your schools that has been banned from many other schools, said Jacob Engels, the speaker who was removed, according to Orange Observer. As a member of the LGBT community, the fact that this is floating around for children as young as ninth grade is concerning.

Engels then read a scene from the book depicting sexual acts before board chairwoman Teresa Jacobs asked him to stop, saying that he was out of order.

If you dont stop now, we will remove you from the chamber, Jocob said. She then ordered the mans removal as he continued to read.

Other community members in the audience can be heard protesting the interruption. Our kids are reading this, one man said.

The language he just read is inappropriate in the forum, Jocob explained.

Then why it is appropriate for schools? asked a woman.

I understand the contradiction here, Jocob replied, noting that neither she nor the board were aware of the book. We will look into it, and I do hope the book is removed. OK? And if not, well be back here having this conversation again, but I can guarantee you, I did not know that book was in the library.

The school district later confirmed to the Observer that they have taken down all four copies of Gender Queer in three of the districts 22 high schools.

At this time, the book is not on library shelves and is under review, the district said in a statement. If anyone has a concern about materials or books found in our media centers or in our classrooms, Orange County Public Schools has a process in place for parents or guardians to submit a form to the school principal to address a concern.

The graphic novel, created by California-based cartoonist Maia Kobabe, sparked a controversy earlier this week in Virginia, when conservative advocacy group Independent Womens Voice (IWV) tried to run a 30-second TV ad containing the same sexual scene that Engels read. Local Virginia TV stations, including ABC, CBS, and NBC, have reportedly refused to air the ad, citing federal law which prohibits airing pornographic images.

Its shocking that images, and even some words, that federal law prohibits TV stations to share with adults are the same images being shared with Virginia students with no accountability, said Victoria Coley, vice president of communications at IWV.

The book was available in schools in several Virginia districts, including in Fairfax, Loudon, and Arlington counties, according to IWV.
The California State flag flies outside City Hall, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2017. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

State Officials, Service Providers Start Reentry Program for the Formerly Incarcerated

During the pandemic, the already-high number of people being released from Californias jails and prisons soared. Now, several state officials have joined service providers to launch a program aimed at helping formerly incarcerated people reenter society.

Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan and Mia Bonta recently started the Re-Entry Providers Association of California (REPAC), which aims to equip reentry service providers with resources as they help those re-entering society.

However, those providers say their programs have been chronically underfunded by the state, having to fight for those resources while the state spends more on incarceration than it does on higher education, according to Bryan.

Ninety-five percent of folks who are incarcerated are coming home at some point, he said at an event to mark the start of the program. When they come home, the quickest thing to rebuilding your life is having stable employment and stable housing, education and behavioral health [and] mental health services.

Durazo said during the conference that REPAC is intended to be the essential unified voice that we need to really help shape the conversations that are taking place all over the state, and plans to seek more funding to provide resources like job training, education opportunities and housing for ex-convicts as well as lobby lawmakers to review state laws, regulations and policies.

In May, California approved emergency COVID-19 regulations for prisoners good behavior credits, making about 76,000 prisoners eligible for earlier release based on their credits.

This allowed prisoners who were serving time for a violent offense to become eligible for credits that can be applied toward one-third of their sentences, instead of the previous one-fifth; this includes inmates who were serving life sentences with the possibility of parole.

As a result of the emergency regulation changes, some California lawmakers argue that helping ex-convicts get jobs and housing is more important than ever.

REPACs founding members include reentry service provider organizations such as Amity Foundation, Californians for Safety and Justice, A New Way of Life, the Los Angeles Area Re-Entry Partnership, and others.

The event took place at the Amity Foundation, which serves 200 people daily to receive health care services, employment services, treatment services, and engage in self-actualization [processes], according to Amity Foundation CEO Doug Bond.

The response to the states release of tens of thousands of prisoners, in line with the emergency regulations, has been mixed, with some arguing that more assets should go to law enforcement as a result of the regulation changes.

Were releasing all these prisoners but were not putting any additional assets not only into law enforcement  but also into probation and parole, San Clemente City Councilmember Gene James told the Epoch Times in a previous interview. What kind of post-incarcerated supervision are these ex-convicts going to have when they get into the community?

Some law enforcement officials opposed the changed regulations as well, with the Orange County district attorney, along with 43 counties, filing a civil lawsuit against the early release of inmates.

A spokesperson for REPAC didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
The buildings of downtown Los Angeles are partially obscured in the late afternoon, as seen from Pasadena, Calif. on Nov. 5, 2019. (Mario Tama/Getty Images

Supervisors to Consider $2.5 M Settlement Related to Kobe Bryant Crash

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday will consider approving a $2.5 million settlement for two families suing over the unauthorized sharing of photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash, in which their loved ones also were killed.

Under the proposed settlement, Matthew Mauser would receive $1.25 million and siblings J.J. Altobelli and Alexis Altobelli would share another $1.25 million, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Mausers wife, Christine, and the Altobellis mother, father and younger sisterKeri, John and Alyssadied in the Jan. 26, 2020, crash that also killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and three others.

A report from the County Counsel recommended the settlement to avoid further litigation costs, according to the LA Times.

The county has already spent approximately $1,292,592 in fees and legal costs in the two cases, the LA Times reported.

The Altobellis and Matthew Mauser filed separate federal lawsuits against the county alleging they suffered emotional distress after an LA Times investigation revealed that Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies and Los Angeles County firefighters took and shared crash scene photos for purposes outside law enforcement.

We believe these proposed settlements of $1.25 million are reasonable and fair to all concerned, attorney Skip Miller, of Miller Barondess who represented the county, told the LA Times.

We are pleased that the Mauser and Altobelli families, who as private citizens suffered the same grief and loss as others, will be able to move forward after these settlements, which are subject to final approval by the Board of Supervisors. We also hope that eventually the other families will be able to do the same.

Bryants widow Vanessa sued Los Angeles County last year, alleging that she and her family suffered severe emotional distress after discovering that sheriffs deputies snapped and shared gruesome photos of the helicopter crash scene.

The legal fight between Vanessa Bryant and the county intensified this week when county lawyers sought to have Bryant undergo a psychiatric examination in advance of the trial scheduled for February 2022. Lawyers argued in court papers that she cannot have severe distress from crash photos she and the public have never seen.

Bryant won a legal victory this week when Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby were ordered to be deposed in the case.

The LA Times reported that U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick said Villanueva and Osby appear to have unique first-hand, non-repetitive knowledge relative to the case. The judge limited each deposition to four hours.
In this photo illustration the phrase "In God We Trust" can be seen on an American 10-dollar bill. (Hugh Pinney/Getty Images)

The End of American Courage

Commentary

Its the ability to disregard fear. Thats how the Oxford Dictionary defines courage. There are many things of which were fearful, and whether or not we face most of them is unimportant. Disregarding a fear of spiders to kill one doesnt constitute courage. The Oxford Dictionary places the definition in context by further stating the courage to act on ones beliefs. And in their beliefs is where Americans have faltered.

The definition of belief is a persons religion; religious conviction. Our personal beliefs are arguably the most sacred part of us, and not having the courage to act upon them indicates we truly dont possess them.

Over the centuries, Americans have demonstrated such courage to defend their beliefs in the face of grave dangers. Over the decades, however, Americans seem to have become alarmingly disenchanted with the idea of courage, much less religious conviction. As a result, America now stands on the threshold between preservation and neglection.

The Undermining of American Courage

Today, were too smart for religious convictions or belief in God. And that in itself is just the problemnot that we dont believe in God, but that we sense our national brilliance cant allow such a concession.

The argument for our brilliance is not even personal, but collective. Its the idea that we, on an individual level, may not be that smart, but those in chargethose at the highest levels of science, academia, and lawknow better than we do. Theyre our collective thought process, and if they suggest that God is a fictional aspiration we should relinquish, then we believe they have a valid point, even if we decide to hold on to our belief.

This is how the demise of any society begins. Were told what to think. Even if we choose to do otherwise, weve allowed something just as deadly to poison our individuality: weve allowed the powerful and the brilliant to suggest they can at least attempt to dictate our patterns of thought.

These dictatorial powers harnessed by corporate executives, tenured professors, mainstream journalists, sinister psychologists, and egotistic bureaucrats have made the average American senseeven if subconsciouslythat perhaps its best they dont have a say in the local conversation, much less the national one. So Americans have learned to self-censor. In other words, Americans have silenced their beliefs.

The Result of Silence

This current stream of soft dictatorship is reminiscent of what Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn expressed during a speech he gave in London in 1983:

Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: Men have forgotten God; thats why all this has happened.

Now, to make such a statement meant that God had actually not been forgotten. What it indicates is that those personal beliefs were no longer consequential. They meant nothing. Those beliefs were no longer tolerated being discussed with anyone outside their immediate and trusted circle, and even that was risky.

By the time this statement had been made, the Russian Revolution had accomplished its objective to not merely crush opposition, but also to crush the very idea of becoming the opposition. The only way to become the opposition is to discuss opposition in the marketplace of ideas. A democratic society cant lastindeed, it wont lastif the marketplace is shuttered.

A comparison between Stalinist Russia and modern America is unfair because theyre clearly not equivalent. This is why the statement that Solzhenitsyn heard as a child is so important. Solzhenitsyn was born in 1918, a year into the Revolution. The older people he overheard had witnessed the devolvement of the Russian Empire into the USSR. So they understood why all this ha[d] happened.

This is the potential equivalent of Stalinist Russia. What will our grandchildren overhear in the years to come?

Democracy Depends on the Marketplace of Ideas

The idea of God was the fundamental basis for Englishmen coming to these shores. George Washington considered religion and morality two indispensable supports that held up Americas foundation. Many other Founders felt the same.

The marketplace has introduced many terrible ideas that have moved America away from God. The devolvement has no doubt been a long process. From the theory of evolution taking over as the only scientific reason for human existence to embracing the idea that human existence is arbitrary and can be aborted with little to no objection. From the idea that women cant legally have the same rights as men to the absurd suggestion that surgically women can become men (and vice versa).

The list of ideas that have been inflicted on American society is ongoing and at times devastating. This doesnt mean that these types of ideas should be shouldered for eternity. Bad ideas should be allowed a spot in the marketplace. Its the only way to spot the good from the bad. The problem is when the powers advocate bad ideas, introduce them to society, and then force that society to engage in those ideas (whether they believe in them or not is also inconsequential).

The danger Americans face, which is equivalent to Stalinist Russia, is that the opportunity to circumvent bad ideas is becoming more and more restricted. Its reminiscent of another Solzhenitsyn quote: Beaten down, sickly, virtue has now been allowed to enter in all its tatters and sit in the corner, as long as it doesnt raise its voice.

If logic and reason, along with faith and virtue, are no longer allowed spots in the marketplace, then we doom our grandchildren to soon overhear our frightening statements.

In this day and age, perhaps more than any other time in American history (and I dont write that haphazardly), we need American courage. We must conduct ourselves according to the dictates of our consciences.

Its time to voice our beliefs and preserve that for which we stand. This is not a time to compare modern America with Stalinist Russia. Its a time to compare America with what those older Russians witnessed at the beginning.

If we fail to do so, it will be the end of American courage. And without that, it will lead to the end of America altogether.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
General view of the center stage of Web Summit, Europe's biggest tech conference, in Lisbon, Portugal, on Nov. 5, 2018. (Pedro Nunes/Reuters)

Thousands Gear Up for Tech Blowout in Lisbon in Test of New Normal

MADRID/STOCKHOLMWeb Summit, one of the largest tech conference organizers, will open its doors next week in Lisbon for its first in-person event since the pandemic struck, with the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple set to speak.

Hot on the heels of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in June, it will be the next large tech conference to test a return to normal, reuniting entrepreneurs, top executives, and major investors after 19 months of video meetings.

About 40,000 attendees are slated to join the summit, which will feature 1,000 speakers ranging from Microsoft Vice Chairman Brad Smith to Apple software boss Craig Federighi, addressing audiences including founders of companies which have only recently emerged.

Its almost 100 percent in-person attendeeswe dont sell online-only tickets, Web Summit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave said. Most of these company founders have never been seen in person: they went from nowhere to somewhere exclusively in the last two years of lockdown.

Players in the tech sector, which gained unprecedented financial clout and political reach as the coronavirus pandemic accelerated digitalization worldwide, are set to tackle themes ranging from privacy and regulation to racism and fintech.

While Facebook CPO Chris Cox will be talking about the metaverse, on another stage the social media groups newest whistleblower Frances Haugen will discuss the networks grasp over its 3 billion usersor nearly half the planet.

Physical Event

Joining them at the summit which runs from Nov. 1 to 4 will be executives from more than 70 unicornsstartups valued at more than $1 billionwhile hundreds of startup founders will be seeking attention from venture capitalists to help scale their business.

As people head to Web Summitfor what will be the first physical event for manyI think everyone will be looking forward to the serendipitous meetings, chats between stage sessions, and bumping into old friends in-person again, Harry Nelis, partner at venture capital fund Accel, told Reuters.

A gathering of this size also brings into focus safety precautions against the spread of the coronavirus and bears the risk of turning into a superspreader event, though the venuePortugalis among the worlds most-vaccinated countries.

We will have teams across the venue monitoring capacity, ensuring one-way traffic flows, Cosgrove said. Numerous outdoor meeting spaces were created for small groups, along with on-site medical staff and isolation rooms in every building, he added.

For conference organizers, a successful event is critical to stay above water. Last years event cancellation forced MWC to lay off about 40 percent of its staff, with MWC organizer and telecoms industry association GSMA taking a hard hit.

Cosgrove said Web Summit did not lay off any people because of the pandemic, relying on revenue streams from other products, including hybrid conferencing software, initially designed to complement networking at in-person events and now due to underpin next years CES in Las Vegas.

Launched in Dublin in 2010 with just 400 participants and hosted in Lisbon annually since 2016, Web Summit hosted about 100,000 attendees in 2019.

By Supantha Mukherjee and Clara-Laeila Laudette
Thousands of NYC Firefighters Protest Against Vaccine Mandates at Mayors Residence

MANHATTAN, New YorkThousands of New York firefighters gathered on Thursday afternoon outside Gracie Mansion, the residence of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, to protest against the vaccine mandates.

De Blasio recently imposed a vaccine mandate on all city workers, saying that its for the safety of the city.

The featured speakers at the rally made their voices heard across more than two blocks filled with active firefighters, retired firefighters, and other supporters.

Not anti-vaccine, just anti-mandate, many of the featured speakers said.

Some of the other supporters were asked to remove political signs that werent focused on the main cause.

The deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. Most of them want to keep working, but some would rather retire than take the jabs.

The unions have not been able to reach a final agreement with the mayor. The only accord arrived at was that the firefighters who will be placed on leave will not have their medical and union benefits removed for at least 30 days.

Firefighters rally against vaccine mandates outside Mayor Bill de Blasios residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

I Already Had COVID-19

Sean Fitzgerald of Ladder 174 in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, has been serving in the New York Fire Department for 16 years.

He doesnt want to take the vaccine because he already got COVID-19 in February and thinks his natural immunity is more than enough to fend off the virus.

Pfizer, it just came out that after six months it loses 47 percent of its efficacy. So why am I going to take a vaccine when I already had COVID-19.

I just had my antibodies checked this past weekend  so I dont need a vaccine to help my body ward off such a virus.

If this virus is so deadly, so contagious, then why are the people that are put into power and elected into power to run our nationespecially during times of crisiswhy did they exempt themselves from the shot? Shouldnt they be the first ones to get the shot?

I think that the industrial pharmaceutical complex is larger than anything else, and it trumps all. And what I would like to see, I would like an inquiry into every elected officials investment accounts to see their holdings. Are they holding Moderna [stocks]? When did they purchase Moderna? Are they still holding it? When did they buy Pfizer, J&J? Because there is a monetary component to them to this from their side.

He thinks that there absolutely is a link between the politicians and Big Pharma. Its common sense he added, why else would they be pushing this vaccine?

Sean Fitzgerald, an active firefighter, protests against vaccine mandate outside Mayors residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

Dr. Fauci repeatedly tells the country to trust the science. I feel that natural immunity and the development of antibodies are not being accepted as science. It is absolutely contradictory because it does not further the narrative.

The citys previous policy was to require weekly COVID-19 testing, but that has now been terminated and replaced with the vaccine mandate.

We just wrapped up a month of self-testing in the fire house, weekly testing. And [in] the numbers that came out two weeks ago, 6,000 tests were administered and only 54 were positive.

Unfortunately, we lost one firefighter to COVID-19. But theres over 10,000 uniformed members. And we were operating 24/7, 365 days. We never worked once via zoom conference from our homes. We responded to hundreds of thousands of runs, interacting directly with the public, the infected public, in their homes.

He clarified that seven other deaths reported in the media were not firefighters, but emergency medical services members under the same umbrella of the FDNY.

No Money in Natural Immunity

One firefighter who works for the department at an administrative level told The Epoch Times under the condition of anonymity that he believes there is an effort to push the vaccine for monetary reasons.

When asked if he believes there is a connection between politicians mandating the vaccine and pharmaceutical companies, he replied absolutely, and it shows just the marketing ability of the mainstream media.

I think theres no money in natural immunity. Its all about follow[ing] the money. And if the Pfizer and Moderna shots, their efficacy is dropping 22 percent every 30 days, anybody that took the shot five months ago is nearing zero protection anyway. Its giving them a false sense of security, he said.

We Went From Heroes to Zeros

Firefighter Michael Salcedo said: You cant force people to take something that they dont want to take. We have natural immunity, which is stronger than this vaccine. Let us have the choice of saying yes or no. Its our right.

Salcedo said that if the mandate is not overturned, he and his peers will walk out.

During the pandemic, they were mandated to work and they all performed their duties.

We were mandated to work and we all came to work and we did the right thing. And we were needed then and we were applauded then. And now we went from heroes to zeros. Now they just want to get rid of us because they want to mandate something that we dont believe in. Its our choice to say yes or no, its not their choice to tell us what to put in our bodies.

You could still spread COVID and get COVID and get sick while youre vaccinated. So to me, thats not a good vaccine, Salcedo noted.

Michael Salcedo, an active firefighter, protests against vaccine mandates outside Mayors residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Sarah Lu/The Epoch Times)

Many Are Going to Retire

Steve Rogers is a 38-year veteran that works for Ladder 1.

These mandates are ridiculous. Most of the guys that arent vaccinated have the antibodies and they could be tested weekly. But instead, the city and the mayor want to push for the mandates, and make guys go on leave without pay, he said.

Many guys are going to retire and a lot of guys are going to take leave without pay.

Its gonna leave the fire department very short-staffed and youre gonna lose all the senior men and the senior officers, which is very dangerous.

If all these members go on leave without pay, theyre going to have to close multiple, multiple firehouses every night, which is a danger to the city, as far as fires. Also, as far as EMS runs, people call for a heart attack, and instead of people responding within five minutes, theyll be there in 20 minutes. Very, very dangerous.

Rogers clarified that he personally is not planning to retire at this time.

Steve Rogers, an active firefighter, protests against vaccine mandate outside Mayors residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Sarah Lu/The Epoch Times)

Freedom is Paramount

Kieran Burke is a retired fireman that worked for the city for 23 years.

Im here today to support my fellow city workers, and the citizens of this city, and those that come to visit this city. Because their safety is going to be in serious peril if they go through with this and arbitrarily fire thousands and thousands of highly trained and experienced emergency service professionals, teachers, nurses, sanitation professionals, and so on.

I am personally vaccinated, my choice was that I was going to get vaccinated. But each person has a different setting in their lives that dictate what they do medically and otherwise.

This is the United States of America. Freedom is paramount. This whole entire nation is predicated on freedom, Burke added.

Kieran Burke, a retired firefighter protests against vaccine mandate outside Mayors residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Sarah Lu/The Epoch Times)

Right to Union Representation

Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro told media outlets earlier in the day that he had instructed his members to report for duty regardless of vaccination status, defying the mandate.

He told The Epoch Times that the government is not allowing natural immunity to be a factor in the vaccine mandates.

You will not find a doctor that disagrees with natural immunity. Everyone may have a separate opinion, but up until a few weeks ago, the CDC said you should not get a vaccination within 90 days of being infected.

Ansbro represents about 8,400 active firefighters and 11,000 retired firefighters.

No one will tell you that this vaccine stops you from getting infected. I was vaccinated the first day, my wife was vaccinated. My wife contracted COVID and gave it to me, this mandate does not stop the spread of the Delta variant or a lot of the variants. This vaccine is not 100 percent effective.

We believe our members have a right to choose. And we also believe that our members have a right to be represented by their union and tell the mayor, you have to sit down with us and negotiate the terms of this,' Ansbro said.

He said that about 45 percent of the force had not been vaccinated a few weeks ago and about 70 percent had contracted the virus at some point and gained natural immunity. For those that had not gained natural immunity or gotten vaccinated, he recommended that they get the shot.

Andrew Ansbro, the president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, outside Mayor Bill de Blasios residence during an anti-vaccine mandate protest in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

The Safest Thing to Do Would Be to Test

Uniformed Firefighters Association Vice President Bobby Eustace said all they want is to have a choice.

The amount of exposure that our members have had, combined with the amount of members that are vaccinated, and the number of members that are currently sickthere just really isnt that much of a threat. And if you really wanted to keep people safe, you would test them. Its not taboo anymore that vaccinated people get COVID, Eustace said.

And vaccinated people that have COVID can spread it to other people, both vaccinated unvaccinated, so the safest thing to do would be to test them, right? But we dont do that because it costs a lot of money.

They issued one testing for one week of the fire department. They got about 45 to 60 members positive out of nearly 5,200 members.

A fraction was positivea fractionand they only tested the unvaccinated, not even the vaccinated, and then they stopped because the money was too much. What does that tell you? Eustace said.

Firefighters protest against vaccine mandate outside Mayors residence in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 28, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times reached out to the mayors office for comment.
CCTV footage of Ryan Roberts during the riot on March 21, 2021. (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)

UK: Kill the Bill Rioter Convicted of Arson for Torching Police Vans

A British protester has been convicted of trying to endanger the life of a police officer by torching a van during the riot that followed the Kill the Bill demonstrations in Bristol last spring.

Ryan Roberts, 25, led chants of ACAB: All cops are [expletive]s outside Bridewell police station on the afternoon of March 21 before throwing cans, bottles and placards at officers.

During his trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury heard Roberts verbally abused and repeatedly kicked officers, before smashing in the windows of the police station.

Footage from the riot showed Roberts pushing pieces of flaming cardboard under two police vans, and placing industrial bins around an already partially burnt-out police car and setting them alight.

He told an officer inside one of the vans he would go bang, it was claimed.

Roberts then smashed in the windows of a mobile police station and encouraged the crowd to help roll it over, before setting light to the cab while hundreds of people were close by.

Roberts was convicted on Oct. 29 of one count of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and one count of attempted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered for trying to set light to two police vans.

Two alternative counts of attempted arson were left to lie on the court file, while Roberts was further convicted of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered for setting light to the police car.

Roberts was found guilty of riot, while he was convicted of one count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered in respect of the torching of a mobile police station by a majority verdict of 10 to two.

In his evidence, Roberts said he got carried away fighting for freedom of speech.

The afternoon began with a protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which is going through Parliament.

Roberts told the court the Bill aimed to ban peaceful protest altogether, saying the demo was more about freedom of speech.

He said the mood of the protest changed when police donned riot gear as night fell.

The defendant said officers started pushing the crowd back to create a sterile environment around Bridewell police station.

I hadnt seen the crowd doing anything before that point, Roberts added.

He said police started pushing, shoving and hitting the crowd with shields and batons.

I was fighting for a cause I felt strongly about, Roberts said.

Asked about footage of him apparently kicking a police officers shield and smashing the windows of the police station, Roberts replied: I was just getting carried away in the moment.

Forty-four officers were injured in the riot, which died down in the early hours of March 22.

Roberts will be sentenced on a date yet to be set.

Those protests against the Bill were carried out under the slogan kill the bill, which was criticised over the fact that the bill is commonly used to mean the police in the UK.
Deputy Leader of the UK Labour Party Angela Rayner listens to speeches in the main hall on day four of the Labour Party conference in Brighton, England on Sept. 28, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

UK Labour Deputy Apologises for Attack on Senior Tories

The deputy leader of the British Labour party, Angela Rayner, has apologised for branding senior Tories scum.

The comments, at a reception at Labours conference in September, drew condemnation from senior Conservatives.

Ms Rayner said: I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.

Her apology followed a period of reflection while off work following a bereavement.

It also came after she was targeted by threats and at a time when Westminster is still mourning the loss of Sir David Amess, who was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery.

While I have been away from the cut and thrust of Parliament I have reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often, Ms Rayner said.

I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour Party conference.

I was angry about where our country is headed and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent.

But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.

I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the Government to account.

But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.

A former delivery driver who sent a threatening email to Ms Rayner was handed a suspended sentence on Thursday.

The court heard Benjamin Iliffe, 36, send the message because he felt she was partially responsible for the attack on Sir David after she called the Conservative Party scum.

The defendant, who appeared by video-link from Thorpe Wood police station in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, warned Ms Rayner to watch your back and your kids in the email.

He admitted sending a threatening email, and also pleaded guilty to possessing a quantity of cannabis on Wednesday when he was arrested.

Iliffe, of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months at the hearing at Huntingdon Magistrates Court.

At the Labour conference, Ashton-under-Lyne MP Ms Rayner described the Tories as a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would not have used those words and spoke to Ms Rayner about the comments during the Brighton conference.

Following Thursdays events in court, Sir Keir said: It is shocking and appalling that Angela Rayner has suffered threats against her and against her family.
A screenshot from Google Maps of students at the campus of University of Sussex in Brighton, England, taken on Oct. 8, 2021. (Screenshot via Googlemaps.com)

UK Professor Quits Weeks After Transgender Activists Tried to Get Her Fired

A British university professor has resigned after having a horrible time fending off accusations from transgender activists.

Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor at the University of Sussex, announced on Thursday her decision to leave despite having the support of the universitys leadership.

Stock has been at odds with some transgender activists since 2018 when she said trans women shouldnt be in spaces such as female dress rooms in a completely unrestricted way because many of them are still males with male genitalia and are sexually attracted to females.

Earlier this month, an anonymous group of activists launched a campaign, demanding the University to fire Stock.

In a string of comments written on Twitter, Stock said she was sad to leave the University of Sussex, which defended the rights to have legally held beliefs.

This has been a very difficult few years, but the leaderships approach more recently has been admirable and decent. I hope that other institutions in similar situations can learn from this, she wrote.

The feminist professor said it had been an absolutely horrible time for her and her family, and that shes putting it behind her and hopefully moving on to brighter things soon.

Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex, said the university had hoped Stock would feel able to return to work, and would have supported her if she decided to do so, but respect and understand her decision to leave.

In an open letter to all university staff, Tickell said the right to exercise academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech free from bullying and harassment of any kind apply to and benefit us all, and we will defend them today and in the future.

I would like to make it very clear that it is unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds of sex and of philosophical belief. Her departure is a loss to us all, the letter reads.

Michelle Donelan, minister of state for higher and further education, said it was a sad day for freedom of speech as the toxic environment at the university had made it untenable for Stock to stay.

No academic should ever have to fear for their personal safety, she wrote on Twitter.

Donelan called for other universities to step up and offer Stock a job and said her resignation is another reason why British lawmakers should pass a bill that protects freedom of speech in universities.

On Oct. 12, Stocks former union, the University and College Union Sussex, wrote a letter to its members calling for a clear and strong stance against transphobiaa letter Stock said effectively ended her career at the University of Sussex.
The Cornelis Gert Jan in Le Havre, where it was detained on Oct. 27, 2021. (Michel Euler/AP)

UK Summons French Ambassador Over Fishing Rights Tussle

The British foreign secretary has summoned the French ambassador over disappointing and disproportionate threats relating to post-Brexit fishing rights, following the detention of a British trawler.

Talks are currently underway over Frances claim that Britain has been unfairly refusing licences for their fishing boats.

Earlier this week French ministers upped the ante in the long-running tussle, saying they would block British boats, and tighten checks if an agreement is not reached by Tuesday, Nov. 22.

They have also threatened to cut the electricity supply to the Channel Islands.

In a rare step between allies, foreign secretary Liz Truss summoned Pariss ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna, for talks to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands.

The two will talk late on Oct. 29.

On Oct. 27, scallop vessel Cornelis Gert Jan was ordered to divert to the port of Le Havre after the French authorities said it was fishing in French waters without a licence.

The detention of the British trawler, along with a cranking up of rhetoric from French ministers promoted Brexit minister Lord Frost to call a meeting with ministers yesterday to consider the governments response.

Andrew Brown, director of Macduff Shellfish which owns the detained vessel, said it was being used as a pawn in an ongoing dispute.

He told Sky News: On 27 October, Macduffs scallop vessel Cornelis was boarded by the French authorities and ordered into the French port of Le Harve while legally fishing for scallop in French waters.

Access to French waters for the UK scallop fleet is provided under Brexit Fisheries Agreement. Macduffs fishing activity is entirely legal.

France claims the UK is not granting as many licenses as its fishermen are entitled to under the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), the post-Brexit agreement which includes fishing rights.

Specifically, they claim the UK is withholding licences for small boats, which are issued only if the vessels can demonstrate a history of fishing in British waters.

French maritime minister Annick Girardin also told French radio news programme RTL Matin that Britains failure to comply with the UKEU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) is unacceptable.

Its not war, its a fight, she said.

We have fishing rights, we must defend them and we will defend them.

A UK government spokesperson described the threats from France as disproportionate and not what we would expect from a close ally and partner.

The measures being threatened do not appear to be compatible with the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) and wider international law, and, if carried through, will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also noted that the UK has granted 98 percent of EU license applications to fish in British waters.

English fishing industry representatives have accused the French government of politicising the dispute over licenses and ramping up rhetoric ahead of the upcoming French presidential election.

Environment Secretary George Eustice did not rule out blocking French vessels in return as he struck out at a claim from Frances Europe minister Clement Beaune that the only language Britain understands is the language of force.

Eustice told BBC Breakfast: That is completely inflammatory and is the wrong way to go about things.

French authorities say theyve stepped up surveillance of fishing vessels during negotiations on licensing, with French maritime gendarmes making multiple checks during the night on fishing vessels off the northern French port of Le Havre.

PA contributed to this report
People eat breakfast at a cafe in Sydney, Australia, on May 15, 2020. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Unprecedented Spending Leads Australia out of Recession: Treasurer

The Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said an unprecedented level of government spending enabled the country to endure a COVID-19 recession.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed that monthly retail sales rose for the first time in September since the onset of Delta restrictions in May.

Weve certainly had to spend in an unprecedented fashion because weve faced the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression, Frydenberg told Sky News Australia. And that fullcourt press enabled Australia to have one of the strongest recoveries of any advanced economy across the world.

So todays numbers do show that the economic come back is on, he said.

Non-food industries experienced the biggest rise in sales as restrictions began easing, as more people went out to buy household goods and clothing, footwear, and personal accessories.

Retail turnover continues to vary by state, based on whether restrictions were imposed, removed or extended, ABS director of quarterly economy-wide statistics Ben James said. Queensland sales rose to their highest level ever, up 5.2 percent, with no lockdowns in September.

Frydenberg said the push was off the back of more people getting back into work and working more hours and more businesses reopening.

That is a positive sign for our economy, particularly as we come out of these lockdowns into New South Wales and Victoria, he said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg speaks during a press conference in the Blue Room at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 3, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Frydenberg said the stronger labour market, where unemployment currently sits at 4.6 percent, should give people confidence about the coming months.

Were not without challenges, but we also can go forward with a lot of confidence, he said.

He noted that a key measure for avoiding a second recession was for company and personal tax receipts to rise.

The Department of Finance revealed that total tax receipts for September were $19.5 billion higher than the 2021-22 budget forecasts.

Payments were also $11.7 higher than budget forecasts.

According to figures by ANZ bank, retail spending in September rose 1.5 percent but barely put a dent into the quarterly figure of negative 4.4 percent.

Strong Sydney retail spending since the reopening is a good sign for retail sales once Melbourne retail reopens later today (Oct. 29) and for retail in Q4 more generally. We expect a strong Christmas trading period this year, ANZ senior economist Adelaide Timbrell said.
Unvaccinated San Francisco Police Discarded Like a Piece of Trash: Officer

SANTA CLARA, Calif.Several dozen San Francisco police officers who arent vaccinated against COVID-19 have been placed on leave, a police union leader told NTD Television.

Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, told NTD that there are 41 unvaccinated officers on paid administrative leave. Another 40 are on disability or Family and Medical leave and have yet to report their vaccination status.

The city had previously allowed its city employees to submit exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine, which were approved. Later, however, the San Francisco Department of Public Health issued a health order requiring all city employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 13 or be relieved of their duties.

DHR [Department of Human Resources] kind of bungled the situation from the onset, where they gave very strict timelines on when things were due, Montoya said. My members followed those guidelines, whether it was submitting an application [or] requesting an exemption. And the city has just thrown rules to the wind, and it just really made my members distrustful. It completely lacks transparency, and the members are like, What rules are we supposed to follow? because its really unclear what the rules are at this stage.

Representatives for DHR didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

For some reason, we were told they would go under a secondary review process, and then we had to answer some additional questions, submit those by a deadline, Alicia Worthington, a sergeant at the San Francisco Police Department, told NTD. We received paperwork that stated that our exemptions were now denied.

Worthington was born and raised in San Francisco, and this is her 20th year with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).

Its been really rough for all of us. Ive been in contact with my colleagues who were impacted by the mandates and who are on leave, and were going through a lot of stress, a lot of heartache. We worked tirelessly through the pandemic. And just to undergo a complete 180, and to be yanked from duty and put on leave, is pretty heartbreaking, Worthington said. Youre just discarded like a piece of trash.

Rebecca Schiff, an officer of three years at the SFPD, told NTD that some of the questions regarding exemption requests were combative.

Im a Roman Catholic. They asked questions like, Well, the pope was for the vaccines, so what makes you so different? Schiff said. Very abrasive questioning like that, about our religious beliefs.

Those officers on leave arent allowed to work or volunteer during this time, despite the departments lack of resources. Montoya said it had to restructure during the past month to compensate those on paid leave.

They were pulling officers from admin positions, so people who had been doing paperwork for the last 20 years are now being pulled out to go on the street, which they have been doing prior to terminating us because they just dont have enough people on the streets, Schiff said. They took trainers from the academy and put them back on the street. And then, they hired retired people to come into the academy to make up for the training that they otherwise dont have.

Schiff doesnt think the new trainees will get the same training that she did. Her now-retired father, brother, and significant other are also officers.

Im never not going to be a police officer. Its how I was raised. Its how I see myself, Schiff said. You could put a crowd of people who all look exactly the same, and the only thing thats different about the majority of us who do this work is that when something happens, everybody else ducks and runswere running toward the danger.

The status of those officers on paid leave beyond 30 days is still to be determined.

The department is going through kind of an administrative hearing right now to make a determination whether or not those members will be put on unpaid leave status after 30 days, Montoya said.

Theyre requesting that the city rethink its position and present options other than vaccination.

Its a personal choice. But for the department to just have that kind of hard line  it really doesnt show collaboration between the union and the city, Montoya said. Theyve just taken this one-size-fits-all approach, and itll be up to individual members to [decide] whether they want to seek any type of injunctive relief through the legal system.

Montoya said the department is already short 400 officers and the mandate is adding to their deficit. Some of the police on leave are eligible for retirement. Some are considering employment elsewhere.

San Francisco is always going to be my home, even if I end up somewhere else, out of state. I took great pride. I still have a lot of pride in my profession, what I did in my years of service, Worthington said. Ive had some wonderful times, some great cases, things I can look back on, knowing that I really made a difference and I was impactful in what I did in serving my community.

As of Oct. 5, San Francisco has 2,117 sworn police officers.
USPS to Give Daily Election Mail Reports to Virginia Democrats After Lawsuit Alleging Delays

Democrats in Virginia will receive daily updates on election mail processing and delivery, according to an agreement released Thursday.

The Democratic Party of Virginia sued the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) last week, claiming that thousands of absentee ballots were sitting at postal facilities throughout the commonwealth, unprocessed, for weeks on end.

USPS to give daily election mail reports to Virginia Democrats after lawsuit alleging delays, they alleged, citing data from the Virginia Department of Elections (VDOE).

The party asked a judge to enter a temporary restraining order that would force USPS to deliver all election-related mail within Virginia no later than three days after its entry and nearly immediately process all such mail in Albemarle County and the city of Portsmouth.

USPS officials said the allegations lacked factual and legal merit and said a check of its facilities uncovered no misplaced ballots. Further, they spoke to officials from Albemarle County and Portsmouth and were told there were no issues.

The parties ultimately reached an agreement laid out in a consent order.

USPS agreed to process all election mail within Virginia according to its established procedures, including making sure all mail processing facilities and post offices certify daily they are clear of all election mail scheduled for action on that day.

Beginning Friday, the USPS must also provide a daily report by noon each day confirming a process known as all clear was carried out at each facility in Virginia the previous day.

If any facility does not report being all clear, USPS must provide details on why and follow up as warranted.

The reports shall continue through Nov. 5, the day of Virginias gubernatorial election.

The parties also said theyll work with the VDOE to try to figure out why the agencys reports appear to identify a substantial number of unscanned outbound ballots for Portsmouth City and Albemarle County.

As stated in the consent order, there is a common interest to ensure that if Virginia voters choose to use the mail to vote, they are able to do so effectively, a USPS spokeswoman told The Epoch Times via email.

The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our important role in the electoral process as a secure, efficient, and effective way for citizens to participate when policymakers decide to use mail as part of their election system. We are also actively working with election officials and look forward to a successful election in Virginia, she added.

VDOE and the Democratic Party of Virginia did not respond to requests for comment.
Vaccines Offer More Protection Against COVID-19 Than Natural Immunity: CDC Study

COVID-19 vaccines are better in terms of protection than so-called natural immunity, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study.

Researchers with the health agency used data from a CDC-funded network of hospitals and attempted to estimate the odds of contracting COVID-19.

They formed two groups: one with people who had been fully vaccinated with no documentation of previous COVID-19 infection and one with people who had not received a vaccine but had recovered from the disease. Both groups met the criteria if they tested positive for COVID-19, were hospitalized with a COVID-19-like illness between January and September, and were 18 or older.

Researchers said the unvaccinated with natural immunity, or previous infection, were 5.4 times as likely to contract COVID-19, though that figure dropped to 2.5 times among those 18 and 64 and was nearly 20 times among those 65 and older.

The adjusted odds ratio was calculated using various inputs, including age and geographic region.

We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

The results line up with some other studies but differ greatly from still others, including a major real-world study from Israel that found natural immunity gave better protection than Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine.

This variation is possibly related to differences in the outcome of interest and restrictions on the timing of vaccination. The Israeli cohort study assessed any positive SARS-CoV-2 test result, whereas this study examined laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among hospitalized patients. The Israeli cohort study also only examined vaccinations that had occurred 6 months earlier, so the benefit of more recent vaccination was not examined, the CDC researchers said.

SARS-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19.

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, who ran a study that suggested people with natural immunity are at low risk of reinfection, noted that the CDCs new research was observational.

All observational studies like that are hypothesis generating. The hypothesis, that there is substantial and sustained benefit of vaccination after recovery from infection should be tested in a clinical trial. Randomized controlled clinical trials are the gold standard of medical evidence. The study does support the idea that vaccination after recovery provides enhanced immunity at least in the short-term. That is not a surprise since re-exposure to the virus through vaccination will temporarily boost antibodies, he told The Epoch Times in an email.

Klausner, a clinical professor of preventive medicine and medicine at the University of Southern Californias Keck School of Medicine, gives vaccination to the recovered who want it in his clinical practice and also gives booster doses, which were recently authorized.

Giving vaccines to the recovered is akin to a booster, he added.

Boosters are recommended for certain populations and in my practice, I recommend them to some people. But, as a health policy issue, should people be denied employment, access, or travel due to not receiving a booster? Many do not think so, he said.
This photo provided by the Madison County, Ala., Sheriff's Department shows Rhonda Jean Carlson, who received a life sentence on Oct. 27, 2021, (Madison County Sheriff's Department/AL.com., via AP)

Woman Gets Life Sentence for Helping Husband Plan Killings

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.An Alabama woman received a life sentence Wednesday for helping her husband plan the 2015 killings of his estranged pregnant wife, her unborn child, and three others.

Rhonda Carlson, 48, avoided the death penalty in a deal with prosecutors in exchange for testifying against her husband, Christopher Henderson, prior to his trial. She admitted to helping plan the attack and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This photo provided by the Madison County Sheriffs Department shows Christopher Henderson who was sentenced to death in north Alabama, on Oct. 14, 2021. (Madison County Sheriffs Department/AL.com., via AP)

A jury in July convicted Henderson in the shooting and stabbing deaths of Kristin Smallwood; her unborn daughter; her 8-year-old son Clayton Chambers; her 1-year-old nephew Eli Sokolowski; and her mother, Carol Jean Smallwood. He was sentenced to death earlier this month.

The five bodies were found in a house that had been burned in August 2015, less than a week after Kristin Smallwood filed for a court order to keep Henderson away from the residence. Henderson had married Carlson without divorcing Smallwood.

Carlson admitted to helping plan the killings but denied participating in the slayings. She testified that Henderson had already attacked the five victims before she arrived at the New Market house where the murders took place.

Erin Atkins, Carlsons attorney, discussed her clients sentence with WHNT-TV Monday.

She certainly acknowledges and accepts responsibility for her portion and the crime, which is why weve agreed to a plea. She acknowledges that she was involved, she acknowledges that she had a part to play, and that she can be held legally responsible for the deaths based on Alabama law, Atkins said.

As part of the plea deal, Carlson waived her right to a jury trial and separate sentencing hearing.
Travel nurses take on temporary assignments in hospitals or other health care facilities that have staffing shortages. The contracts typically last a few months and usually pay more than staff positions. (Kyle Lee/Shutterstock)

Worn-Out Nurses Hit the Road for Better Pay

Hospital finances and morale suffer as travel nurses become a growing trend

In parts of the country where COVID-19 continues to fill hospitals, a rotating cast of traveling nurses helps keep intensive care units fully staffed. Hospitals have to pay handsomely to get that temporary help, and those higher wages are tempting some staff nurses to hit the road, too.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, theres some truth in a joke circulating among frustrated ICU nurses: They ask their hospitals for appropriate compensation for the hazards theyve endured. And the nurses are rewarded with a pizza party instead.

Theresa Adams said thats what happened at the Ohio hospital where she worked. The facility across town was offering bonuses to keep its nurses from leaving, but not hers. They got a pizza party.

I heard a lot of noise about Well, this is what you signed up for. No, I did not sign up for this, she said of the unparalleled stress brought on by the pandemic.

Adams is an ICU nurse who helped build and staff COVID units in one of Ohios largest hospitals. She recently left for a lucrative stint as a travel nurse in California.

Travel nurses take on temporary assignments in hospitals or other health care facilities that have staffing shortages. The contracts typically last a few months and usually pay more than staff positions.

Adams hopes to return to her home hospital eventually, though shes irritated with management at the moment.

I did not sign up for the facility taking advantage of the fact that I have a calling, she said. There is a difference between knowing my calling and knowing my worth.

A reckoning may be on its way as hospitals try to stabilize a worn-out workforce.

The use of traveling nurses took off in the 1980s in response to nursing shortages. Although theyve always been paid more for their flexibility, some traveling ICU nurses can now pull in as much as $10,000 a week, which can be several times more than staff nurses earn.

While some hospitals have offered retention bonuses or increased pay for permanent staff members, nurses say it doesnt compare to the financial bonanza of traveling. Hospital managers now find themselves trapped in a pricey hiring cyclecompeting for, in particular, the most highly trained critical care nurses who can monitor COVID patients on the advanced life-support devices known as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines.

Our turnover for ECMO nurses is incredible, because theyre the most seasoned nurses. And this is what all my colleagues are facing, too, said Jonathan Emling, a nurse and the ECMO director at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

The shortage of ECMO nurses has prevented the hospital from admitting additional COVID patients who need their blood oxygenated outside their bodies, he said. No more staff nurses have enough experience to start the training.

We will train these people and then six months later they will be gone and traveling, Emling said. So its hard to invest so much in them training-wise and time-wise to see them leave.

And when they leave, hospitals are often forced to fill the spot with a traveler.

Its like a Band-Aid, said Dr. Iman Abuzeid, co-founder of a San Francisco nurse recruiting company called Incredible Health. We need it now, but it is temporary.

Incredible Health helps to quickly place full-time staff nurses in some of the countrys largest health systems. The number of listings for full-time, permanent nurses on the companys platform has shot up 200 percent in the past year.

To help hospitals, some states are chipping in to hire travel nurses. But for many hospitals, the higher costs are straining their budgets, which is especially difficult for those that have suspended elective surgeriesoften a hospitals biggest moneymakerto accommodate COVID patients.

Every executive we interact with is under pressure to reduce the number of traveler nurses on their teams, not just from a cost standpoint but also from a quality-of-care standpoint, Abuzeid said.

Its hard on morale as well: Camaraderie suffers when newcomers need help finding syringes or other supplies but may be paid two or three times as much as the staff nurses showing them the ropes.

Some hospitals are trying to stop the turnover by offering big signing bonuses to permanent nurses, as well as loan forgiveness or tuition assistance to pursue additional education. Hospitals have also boosted pay for nurses as they earn certifications, especially in critical care.

Other medical centers are looking outside the United States.

Henry Ford Health System in Michigan announced plans to bring in hundreds of nurses from the Philippines. Smaller community hospitals are looking abroad, too. City-owned Cookeville Regional Medical Center, in a Tennessee town of 35,000, is now recruiting its first foreign nurses.

The cost for what we pay for a local recruiter to bring us one full-time staff member is more expensive than what we are going to be spending to bring one foreign nurse, said Scott Lethi, chief nursing officer at Cookeville Regional.

Lethi hopes the staffers from overseas will decide to stay more than a year or two. He said even new nurses sometimes leave or burn out: Cookeville hired a few recent graduates of U.S. nursing programs who quit after just a few months.

Among ICU nurses of all ages, two-thirds have considered leaving the profession because of the pandemic, according to a survey published in September by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

When a nurse leaveswhether to retire, become a travel nurse, or work in another fieldthe remaining nurses can be stretched dangerously thin, caring for more patients at once. COVID patients are particularly demanding, especially those on ventilators or ECMO machines who may require around-the-clock, one-on-one care. COVID patients may be hospitalized for weeks or months.

My ability to care for people has suffered. I know that I have missed things otherwise I would not have missed had I had the time to spend, said Kevin Cho Tipton, an advanced practice nurse in the South Florida public health system. Many of us feel like were becoming worse at our jobs.

The worry about providing substandard care weighs heavily on nurses. But in the end, Tipton said, its the patients who suffer.

This story is part of a partnership that includes WPLN, NPR, and KHN.

Blake Farmer covers health care in Nashville, reporting on the regions unique health challenges as well as the citys concentration of health care companies. Hes been with Nashville Public Radio since 2007. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
As my family and I gathered around our Ofrenda for Dia de Los Muertos, we prayed and let ourselves feel the presence of our loved ones. An Ofr
ROME (AP)  Leaders of the Group of 20 countries gathering for their first in-person summit since the pandemic took hold will confront a global recovery hampered by a series of stumbling blocks: an energy crunch spurring higher fuel and utility prices, new COVID-19 outbreaks, and logjams in the supply chains that keep the economy humming and goods headed to consumers.

The summit will allow leaders representing 80% of the global economy to talk  and apply peer pressure  on all those issues. Analysts question how much progress they can make to ease the burden right away on people facing rising prices on everything from food and furniture to higher heating bills heading into winter.

Health and finance officials sat down in Rome on Friday before presidents and prime ministers gather for the G-20 on Saturday and Sunday, but the leaders of major economic players China and Russia won't be there in person. That may not bode well for cooperation, especially on energy issues as climate change takes center stage just before the U.N. Climate Change Conference begins Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Here's a look at some of the economic issues facing G-20 leaders:

THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY

The International Monetary Fund says the top priority for the economic recovery is simple: speed up the vaccination of the world population. Yet big headlines on vaccine cooperation may not be forthcoming at the Rome summit.

Health and finance officials there warned of a two-track recovery, with vaccine and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back.

Efforts to speed vaccinations were short $20 billion (17 billion euros) needed to pursue a goal of 40% of the world vaccinated by years end and 70% by the middle of next year, said Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund.

The increasing divergence between developing and developed countries would be a major strategic risk for the rest of the world, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

The G-20 countries have supported vaccine-sharing through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Donated doses are coming in at a fraction of what is needed, and developed countries are focused on booster shots for their own populations.

For the developed world, rising consumer prices and government stimulus to help economies bounce back may be a topic at the G-20. But central banks, not presidents and prime ministers, tend to deal with inflation, and stimulus spending is decided at the national level.

GLOBAL TAXES

One major economic deal is already done: The G-20 will likely be a celebration of an agreement on a global minimum corporate tax, aimed at preventing multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes.

All G-20 governments signed on to the deal negotiated among more than 130 countries, and it now faces an ambitious timeline to get approved and enacted through 2023.

U.S. President Joe Biden has tied his domestic agenda to it  creating a global minimum tax can allow the United States to charge higher taxes without the risk of companies shifting their profits to tax havens. U.S. adoption is key because so many multinational companies are headquartered there.

The agreement also helps remove trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe. It allows nations including France, Italy and Spain to back off digital services taxes that targeted U.S. tech companies Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Biden goes to the G-20 with his tax and economic agenda still subject to congressional negotiations. That means he will be unable to show that the U.S. is leading on global corporate taxes, though his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said G-20 leaders understand the nature of congressional talks.

Theyll say, Is President Biden on track to deliver on what he said hes going to deliver?' And we believe one way or the other, he will be on track to do that, Sullivan said.

HIGH ENERGY PRICES

The summit offers an opportunity for dialogue on high oil and gas prices because it includes delegations from major energy producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, major consumers in Europe and China, and the U.S., which is both.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to participate remotely.

Perhaps the most important thing the G-20 could do is to tell those among them that are major energy suppliers that they should think about their future, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.

If energy prices are too high in the developed world, it will only speed up the move away from fossil fuels, which is ultimately, in the long run, bad for the suppliers, he said.

The White House says Biden intends to engage with other key leaders about energy prices, with oil recently hitting a seven-year high in the U.S. at over $84 per barrel and the international Brent crude benchmark reaching a three-year peak at over $86.

We are definitely in an energy crisis, there is no other way to put it, said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis at Rystad Energy and an expert in oil market demand.

But he said its unlikely the G-20 can take any decision that has immediate impact."

So far, Saudi-led OPEC and allies including Russia, dubbed OPEC+, have ignored Biden's pleas to increase production faster than its pace of 400,000 barrels per day each month into next year.

In one bright spot, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state-controlled company Gazprom to pump more gas into storage facilities in Europe, where prices have quintupled this year and fears have spread about winter shortages.

But producing nations are in a powerful position, Galimberti said. There is no one who can put pressure on OPEC+.

SUPPLY CHAINS

Biden will press for countries to share more information about troubles with supply chains that have slowed growth in the developed world. Port and factory closures, shortages of shipping containers and rising demand have contributed to backlogs at ports and delays for deliveries of everything from bicycles to computer chips used in smartphones and cars.

Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, said the president would push for more transparency about identifying logjams with other governments: How do we know, at every level, where there may be bottlenecks or breaks in the supply chain so that we can quickly respond to them?

Trade expert Chad P. Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, agreed that sharing information can be helpful but said theres very little anyone can do" now about the backups over a lack of shipping containers.

Longer term, leaders can discuss efforts to diversify supply of key goods such as masks, other medical protective equipment and semiconductors.

There is a call to diversify some production of semiconductors geographically away from Asia, Bown said.

The U.S. and the European Union are talking about finding ways to incentivize chip production at home without starting a subsidy war  for instance, by agreeing on which sectors of the semiconductor industry each side would seek to attract.

___

Boak reported from Washington.
EDWARDSVILLE  To improve safety at a railroad crossing near Edwardsville, the Illinois Commerce Commission has approved a stipulated agreement to install new automatic flashing light signals and gates at the Quercus Grove Road/Ch23 grade crossing of the Norfolk Southern Railways track.

The addition of new automatic warning devices and gates will improve safety at this location, and that is good news for the community and anyone who utilizes the crossing, said ICC Commissioner Michael T. Carrigan. The allocation of Grade Crossing Protection Funds enables important rail safety projects such as this to advance.
WEST PEORIA, Ill. (AP)  The King of Rock n Roll is back in the building.

An Elvis Presley bust that was swiped from a central Illinois bar has been returned after the story of its theft attracted international attention.

Employees at Jimmys Bar found the missing bust Thursday night sitting on a porch outside the West Peoria saloon, the Peoria Journal Star reported. The theft had been discovered Sunday morning.

Hes back! pub owner Jimmy Spears said early Friday, attributing the bust's return to the widespread attention its theft had attracted. On Wednesday, the bar's Facebook page had made an appeal for its return: No questions asked.

Spears said he was considering ways to improve security for the bust, but for now it's back in its familiar position overlooking the saloon and greeting customers from atop the center of its long bar.

Spears, the bars owner for 39 years, said his niece bought the bust about 15 years ago at a garage sale for $20, and it soon became the business' bar-top mascot.
Joseph Marconnot was a bachelor who saved up a lot of money. While a good amount of that money went to his niece and nephews, other funds were designated in his will to preserve him forever for the public to see him lying in state.

The only way to do that was to make Marconnot into a mummy.

It all happened back in the roaring '20s, when in his 64th year of life, Marconnot  a truck driver  passed away at St. Louis' Barnes Hospital in 1924. Word quickly spread about Marconnot's intentions and the process it would take to follow through with his request.

Newspaper coverage in the archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Globe-Democrat and St. Louis Star and Times provide a window to the events 97 years ago.

Marconnot lived in the Carondolet neighborhood of St. Louis that once thrived as its own city. His early family members settled in the area and it was his parents that sold land to the city that today is partially Carondolet Park. A small, modest home at 7528 Virginia Ave. is where he lived and where mourners would say their final good-byes.

When all was said and done, Marconnot's $70,000 estate went to the children of his siblings. That's a little more than $1 million in today's money. However, $3,000, about $45,000-plus today, was left to make Marconnot into a mummy. Southern Undertaking Co., which also served as a funeral home, was tasked with the duty of carrying out his wishes.

It was also widely reported that Marconnot had an immense interest in the discovery of King Tut in 1922. One of the papers even reported that he kept newspaper clippings of the coverage.

According to the Dec. 30, 1924 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, W.F. Rogers did the work on Marconnot and didn't hold back from the details.

After being embalmed, internal organs had to be removed and then daily injections of preservative fluid and skin treatments were used. Rogers told the media that the overall effort to make the mummification a success was a "drying out" of the body.

Marconnot lied in state at the Southern funeral home for three days, in fact it was over the New Year's Eve holiday so his wake was in progress when 1925 rang in. He was then taken for services at his home, then to Carondolet's St. Boniface Catholic Church for mass, and then finally to the mausoleum on his family plot at Mount Olive Cemetery in South St. Louis County.

A half-ton coffin with a full length glass lid was placed in the mausoleum that featured a windowed door for those interested to peek inside.

He had left money behind to have his mausoleum erected, and to have Southern funeral home tend to him which they did for about 70 years  they would change his suit each year," Matthew DeWitt, managing director of administrative services for the St. Louis Archdiocese Catholic cemeteries, said.

It wasn't until the spring of 1925 that onlookers were able to view Marconnot's body. A reporter for the St. Louis Star and Times described the body as a "wax effigy" and noted that Marconnot's hair, mustache, and eyebrows appeared to be pasted on. By the way, all of his internal organs that were removed are also interred on the family plot.

For about 12 years, people would come to Mount Olive Cemetery to see the mummified man, however when 1936 come to be, the family felt 12 years was long enough. The family took away the public's ability to peek inside and within time, Joseph Marconnot was no different than anyone else resting for eternity on hallowed ground.

The transition to the 21st century briefly brought Marconnot into the spotlight once more as an accident in the cemetery 2002 damaged his mausoleum.

We had to close it all down because a woman ran into the mausoleum. She had blacked out or something," DeWitt said. "We repaired it and put in a solid door.

Coverage of the incident in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed Marconnot was taken back to Southern funeral home, the very building he was originally laid out in, during the duration of the mausoleum's repair. He was eventually brought back to his final resting place where he lies today.

Joseph Marconnot 2 01 Dec 2002, Sun St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) Newspapers.com

Small glass bricks on the side of the mausoleum beneath a vent are the only window to the inside, however, the makings of a glass brick make visibility difficult.

It's not known what became of the funds Marconnot left behind to have his suit changed out. SCI, an funeral home and cemeteries operations company that owns several properties throughout the United States, bought Southern and its Spanish-style building was razed a few years back.

And if you venture out to Mount Olive just to get a view of the Marconnot mausoleum, DeWitt likes to remind visitors that a cemetery is sacred ground. What we do is provide reverence for those who have died and those who are mourning," he said.
HOUSTON  You can take Ryan Eslinger out of St. Louis, but you cant take St. Louis out of Ryan Eslinger.

The writer/director, who is known for films such as When a Man Falls in the Forest and UFO, is teaching a master class for the 30th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival, which is being held Nov. 4-21.

The 40-year-old Eslinger graduated from Parkway Central High School but has Metro East connections as well.

I cant honestly say I grew up in Alton because I moved to Chesterfield when I was 1 and lived there until I was 18, Eslinger said. But I still have family in the area and my mom grew up in Wood River and later moved in with my dad into a place in Rosewood Heights. I know the Alton-Wood River-Edwardsville area pretty well.

I have a soft spot for the whole St. Louis area. I lived in L.A. for a long time and I recently relocated to Houston, which is similar but different. Whenever I talk to people about Missouri, they mention humidity and cicadas and it doesnt sound appealing, but if youre from there, you know it the second you step off a plane.

Eslinger credits Mike Moran, who was his teacher at Shenandoah Elementary School, for setting him on the path to becoming a filmmaker.

Every lunch period I would sit in the classroom because he was always reading books by Stephen King, Tom Clancy and John Grisham, and that captured my attention, Eslinger said. I wanted to know which ones, if any, would be appropriate for sixth-graders.

He recommended (Kings) Eyes of the Dragon and some other books as being more kid-appropriate. I wasnt allowed to see R-rated movies at that age, but I was allowed to read the novelizations of R-rated movies. If there was a Stephen King movie that came out, I wasnt allowed to see it in the theater, but I could read to the book. It really sparked my interest in movies, reading and storytelling.

Eslingers connection to the St. Louis International Film Festival extends back to when he was trying to break into the movie business.

I met (SLIFF executive director) Cliff Froehlich a long time ago when they showed my first movie, Madness and Genius, in 2004 at the Tivoli (Theatre in University City), Eslinger said. Every time Ive made a movie, it seems like St. Louis is a stop-off point and Ive got to show it there.

When my second movie, When a Man Falls in the Forest, was screened at the film festival in St. Louis, one of my third-grade teachers showed up. Its so cool seeing those people and the Tivoli was one of the more important places for me to show my movies. That was where I went to see all the independent films, so it meant a lot to have it show there.

Eslingers virtual master class for the film festival is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6.

To register for the free event, go to Master Class: A Conversation with Writer/Director Ryan Eslinger | 2021 St. Louis International Film Festival (eventive.org).

Every few years, Cliff will reach out with different opportunities, Eslinger said. If I have a film, it might be showing something there, and this year, its being a jury member for the Essy Award (for best St. Louis film).

He also suggested doing a master class, which may follow more of a Q & A format. Ive never actually taught a class, but Ive always wanted to encapsulate how to properly make a movie in textbook style. Id like to walk through film by film when people ask, why did you do this? or how did you finance this? There may be questions that come up that Im not even prepared for.

One of the topics that Eslinger expects to discuss is the recent fatal shooting by actor Alec Baldwin of a cinematographer on the New Mexico set of the Western movie Rust, after Baldwin was handed a prop gun that was not supposed to have live ammunition.

That shooting on the set is a huge problem and something that needs to be addressed, Eslinger said. Id like to talk about how those kinds of things can happen and how to prevent them.

Eslingers debut film  made while he was still in school  was Madness and Genius, which starred Tom Noonan and was shot in 18 days on high-definition video for $20,000.

Eslinger not only wrote, produced, and directed the film but also edited, created the sound design, and composed and performed the music. He cut the movie in his dorm room during his third and final year at New York University, finishing the sound in St. Louis after graduation.

The film subsequently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to glowing reviews.

That feels like a lifetime ago, Eslinger said, laughing. It was edited on an Apple Power Mac G4, which was one of those bluish-looking box-shaped computers. I made it with money that I had saved up from various jobs when I was in high school.

It was a story that I was interested in telling, but at that time, I didnt know if I had more stories, and whether I was going to do another movie after that.

Since then, Eslinger has written and directed some films with high-profile stars, including When a Man Falls in the First, a 2007 drama starring Sharon Stone, Timothy Hutton and Dylan Baker, and UFO, a 2018 science fiction film starring Gillian Anderson and Alex Sharp.

He has also done more independent work such as the micro-budgeted Daniel and Abraham and Colorless Green.

Eslingers work has been featured at Berlin, Toronto, SLIFF, and other festivals. He received the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize and has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Each type of film has its plusses and minuses, said Eslinger, who lives in Houston with his novelist wife, Jamie, and son, Taschen. One might think that the financed movies have less time pressure on them, but the lower-budgeted movies are generally more flexible with their schedule.

The first movie I made that was financed was When a Man Falls and it was kind of a different world back then in terms of budget and time constraints. For UFO, we shot 9 pages (of the script) overnight and we had a hard-out at 5:30 in the morning because one of the actors was leaving on an airplane. In a lower-budget movie, there is more opportunity not to have those kinds of situations. Its almost like you need an astronomical amount of money to prevent those situations and or have no money at all.

As with many filmmakers regardless of their budget, Eslinger has been affected in various ways by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his case, it gave him time to reflect on his career and his themes for future projects.

I write almost every single day and usually on the weekends its the first thing I do, and after a few years I get that itch to make a movie, Eslinger said. Its been a few years since I made UFO, but what was been nice about that is that (the pandemic) has forced me to stop and rethink the way I make movies.

My movies always have to be about a weighty or a very serious subject, but Ive started to focus on having more fun. The last few months Ive been trying to spit out idea after idea and change the process altogether. I havent tried to get a movie made during the pandemic and I cant imagine that COVID hasnt added more expenses onto an already tight budget. Its not appealing to me to add any more time constraints or pressure on filmmaking.

For now, Eslinger is happy to return to his roots through the SLIFF master class and the Essy Awards jury.

Cliff has always been very supportive of my projects when theyve straddled in between that fence between things you make on your own and the larger projects, Eslinger said. I think whats great about the St. Louis Film Festival is that it does support the lower-budgeted and micro-budgeted movies.

A lot of film festival organizers turn their noses up at films that are shot on an iPhone, but that is the way of the future and nothing is going to stop it. I think its smart that Cliff is doing these online classes and moving into more of an online format.

For more information on the St. Louis International Film Festival, go to https://www.cinemastlouis.org/sliff/festival-home.
Salida, CO (81201)

Today

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Partly cloudy skies. Low around 25F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
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Oregon has fully vaccinated 63 percent of all residents and ranks 12th in the nation for the percentage of residents who are fully protected.
Taiwans independence and status as a country is hard to articulate. There are many countries that recognizes it as a sovereign state while others do not.
Boy shot outside police station during protests dies

BANGKOK: A 15-year-old boy who was seriously wounded by a bullet in chaotic scenes in front of Din Daeng police station in August died yesterday morning (Oct 28), according to Amnesty International Thailand.

deathpoliceviolence

By Bangkok Post

Friday 29 October 2021, 08:32AM

The police station in Din Daeng where the boy was shot. Photo: Supplied

Citing the teenagers mother, the rights group said the boy succumbed to his injuries after battling for his life for more than two months, reports the Bangkok Post.

The boy had been in a coma since being admitted to Rajavithi Hospital on Aug 16. He was shot in the neck with a bullet lodged in the upper part of his spine.

His first and second cervical vertebra were also damaged.

Piyanut Kotsan, director of Amnesty International Thailand, yesterday expressed condolences to the boys family and called on authorities to speed up the investigation into the shooting.

The boy was the first protester shot when anti-government demonstrators confronted police in Din Daeng on that August night.

Another young protester was also shot and injured that same night.

Meanwhile, police said yesterday that 15 people have been summoned to answer charges related to violent protests taking place in the Din Daeng area.
FDA to hear proposals to vaccinate younger kids

BANGKOK: Moves are afoot to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to administer COVID-19 vaccines to younger children, officials said yesterday (Oct 28).

ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Friday 29 October 2021, 03:38PM

Opas: Wants more testing. Photo: Bangkok Post

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said more rigorous testing is required to ensure that prospective vaccines are safe for children, which extends the timeline before they can be approved, reports the Bangkok Post.

Chinas Sinopharm has been tested on sample groups of children and the manufacturer is concluding its study before meeting the FDA soon. Officials were hopeful that a speedy approval may be in the works.

Meanwhile, Sinovac has already been used to vaccinate children in a number of countries. Its manufacturer is also gathering various information on its safety and side effects so it can make a presentation to the FDA.

Thailand has authorised the use of Pfizer for children aged 12 years and older but local authorities will soon have to decide whether younger kids can also safely receive this vaccine. Similar studies are now being undertaken by the US FDA.

As the kingdom has sufficient stocks of all three vaccines, if the FDA approves their use for younger demographics, vaccination drives could begin immediately, officials said.

The government has ordered 60 million doses of AstraZeneca and is mulling ordering another 30mn doses of Pfizer for next year. Thailand has also asked Pfizer to secure a new generation of their vaccine for children to safely use.
Old Masters - Australias great Bark Artists

Start From: Thursday 11 November 2021, 05:00PM to Saturday 13 November 2021, 07:00PM Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Experience the rich cultural history of Aboriginal Australians through the traditional craft of Bark Art right here in Phuket. From the National Museum of Australia, witness the beauty and wonder of this expressive art form, from the Old Masters; Australias great Bark Artists, at this Free Public Exhibition from the Australian Embassy of Thailand. Three Days Only! November 11-13 from 5 -7 PM. at The Quintessential Gallery Taste Bangtao.
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Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High around 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.

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Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 48F. Winds light and variable.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

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Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 6C. Winds light and variable..

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Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 2C. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

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Snow this evening will give way to clearing skies late. Low 3C. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%..

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Snow this evening will give way to clearing skies late. Low -3C. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

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Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 6C. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

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Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 2C. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

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Light snow this evening followed by clearing late. Low 3C. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

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Light snow this evening followed by clearing late. Low -3C. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
ALTON  The White Cross Auxiliary (WCA) of Alton Memorial Hospitals mail-in fundraiser this summer collected $12,850 and after expenses netted $10,420 that will be used to support AMH.

Its the second year the auxiliary conducted a mail-in fund raiser instead of its usual Girls on Grapes, Boys on Brew event, which was postponed for a second year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Its big. Its messy. And its very politically complicated. That's President Joe Bidens sweeping domestic policy package as Democratic leaders in Congress try to muscle it into law.

Fallout was brutal Friday after Bidens announcement of a $1.75 trillion framework, chiseled back from an initial $3.5 trillion plan, still failed to produce ironclad support from two key holdout senators  West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Arizonan Kyrsten Sinema. On Capitol Hill, Congress adjourned the night before with fingers pointed, tempers hot and so much at stake for the president and his party.

Yet a formal nod of endorsement of Biden's plan from the partys Congressional Progressive Caucus late Thursday moved the president one step closer to the support needed for passage in the House. Determined to wrap it up, the House will try next week to pass Biden's big bill, along with a companion $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.

Its only 90% done, said Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. So you got to get through the complicated  the last 10%, as you know, is always the most difficult.

The fast-moving  then slow-crawling  state-of-play in Congress puts the president and his party at significant political risk.

Bidens slipping approval rating and the partys own hold on Congress are at stake with the 2022 midterm election campaigns soon underway. Democrats are struggling in governor's races next week in Virginia and New Jersey, where safe victories might have been expected.

"Its sort of stunning to me that were in this place, exasperated Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., told reporters late Thursday as the House adjourned.

Biden arrived that morning on Capitol Hill triumphant in announcing a historic framework on the bill that he claimed would get 50 votes in the Senate. But the two Democratic Senate holdouts Manchin and Sinema responded  maybe, maybe not.

Manchin and Sinema's reluctance to fully embrace Biden's plan set off a domino series of events that sent Biden to overseas summits empty handed and left the party portrayed as in disarray.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to abandon plans to pass the related measure, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, that has become tangled in the deliberations. Progressives have been refusing to vote for that public works package of roads, bridges and broadband, withholding their support as leverage for assurances that Manchin and Sinema are on board with Bidens big bill.

"Everyone is very clear that the biggest problem we have here is Manchin and Sinema, Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona told reporters. We dont trust them. We need to hear from them that theyre actually in agreement with the presidents framework.

Still, step by step, Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are edging their caucuses closer to resolving their differences over what would be the most ambitious federal investments in social services in generations and some $555 billion in climate change strategies.

We will vote both bills through, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chairwoman of the progressive caucus, after endorsing Biden's plan.

Lawmakers are expected to spend the weekend negotiating final details on text thats swelling beyond 1,600 pages. Some are trying to restore a paid family leave program or lower prescription drug costs that fell out of Biden's framework.

Manchin and Sinema, the two holdouts, now hold enormous power, essentially deciding whether Biden will be able to deliver on the Democrats major campaign promises.

Both have privately indicated that they are on board, according to Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a Biden ally.

I have new optimism, tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who was part of a small entourage that met privately with Sinema at the Capitol.

Same, responded Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., who served as a bridge between progressives and the Arizona senator.

But it wont be easy, if past congressional battles are any measure. Legislating is work that takes time and rarely happens on schedule.

Democrats took the full first year of Barack Obamas presidency to pass the Affordable Care Act in a Senate vote on Christmas Eve 2009  and that was only part of the way. It wasn't signed into law until March 2010.

Republicans tried and failed to repeal the same health care law during Donald Trumps first year in a stunning midnight flop in 2017.

Biden's package is even more sweeping than those.

Lets get this done, he exhorted in an address at the White House on Thursday. He claimed the package "will fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better.

While much has been cut from Biden's sweeping vision, still in the mix is a long list of priorities: free prekindergarten for all youngsters, expanded health care programs  including the launch of a new $35 billion hearing aid benefit for people with Medicare  and $555 billion to tackle climate change.

There's also a one-year extension of an enhanced child care tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 rescue and new child care subsidies.

Other expanded health care programs build on the Affordable Care Act by funding subsidies to help people buy insurance policies and providing coverage in states that declined Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.

An additional $100 billion to bolster the immigration system could boost the overall package to $1.85 trillion if it clears Senate rules.

Republicans remain overwhelmingly opposed, forcing Biden to rely on the Democrats' narrow majority in Congress with no votes to spare in the Senate and few in the House.

Bidens proposal would be paid for by imposing a new 5% surtax on income over $10 million a year and an additional 3% on those over $25 million and by instituting a new 15% corporate minimum tax, keeping with his plans to have no new taxes on those earning less than $400,000 a year. A special billionaires' tax was not included.

Revenue to help pay for the package would also come from rolling back some of the Trump administrations 2017 tax cuts and stepping up pursuit of tax dodgers by the IRS. Biden has vowed to cover the entire cost of the plan, ensuring it does not pile onto the nation's debt load.

Just in case they can't wrap it up soon, Democrats gave themselves a new deadline  approving an extension until Dec. 3 of routine transportation funds that will be at risk of expiring without the infrastructure bill.

"The current situation is about as bad as it can get, said Jim Manley, a former top Senate aide.

The progressives' endorsement was progress for Biden, he said. But with trust low, he also said, "I am afraid that it is going to take a while.

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois lawmakers early Friday morning gave final approval to a new congressional redistricting plan that divides the state into 17 districts, one fewer than it currently has due to its loss of population since the 2010 U.S. Census.

The fourth draft plan legislative Democrats had proposed over the previous two weeks was introduced to the public after 7 p.m.

Like earlier versions, it collapses two southern Illinois districts into a single district while carving up much of downstate Illinois into a number of oddly-shaped districts that put cities as far apart as East St. Louis and Champaign into one district, with Bloomington and Rockford linked in another.

This will be the most gerrymandered map in the country, Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said during floor debate. And this process will be used as the poster child for why politicians should never be allowed to draw their own maps.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, who carried the bill on the floor of the Senate, defended the maps.

Weve shown our maps to the public. We have presented them in hearing after hearing after hearing. We have refined them based on the input that weve gotten. And Im proud of this map, he said.

Most of the legislative wrangling over the past two weeks centered on Chicago and the collar counties, and pressure from within the Democratic caucus to create a second largely-Latino district because of the rapid population growth within that community over the past 10 years.

Illinois congressional delegation is currently divided 13-5 in favor of Democrats. Independent analysts, including the nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project, have estimated earlier iterations of the plan would give Democrats as many as 14 seats, and Republicans as few as three.

If that holds true, it could have national implications because Democratic congressional leaders are looking to states like Illinois and New York to help offset losses they expect to take in states where Republicans control the redistricting process.

The redistricting plan passed the Senate on a straight party line vote, 41-18. It passed the House nearly on a party line vote, 71-43, losing two Democratic votes.

The maps needed three-fifths majorities to pass due to a clause in the Illinois Constitution that states any bill passed after May 31 cannot take effect until June 1 of the following year if it does not reach that threshold.

Democrats account for more than the 71 votes needed in the 118-member House, and 36 needed in the 59-member Senate, but bringing them all together proved an elusive task for much of the day.

The draft of the maps that eventually passed Thursday was largely similar to previous versions, except that it moved 3rd District incumbent Rep. Marie Newman, D-La Grange, into a district with Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, D-Chicago, into a reshaped 4th District.

Garcias current district has been described as the ear muffs district, or a C-shaped district, because it stretches from southwest Chicago westward to Westchester and Hillside, then northward along a narrow strip to the Northlake area, then back east along Chicagos north side.

That district is being reshaped in a way that lops off part of the northern strip and forms a new 3rd District, which would be Illinois second Latino influence district. It stretches from the north side of Chicago westward to an area that includes portions of West Chicago and Elgin.

In southern Illinois, which saw the most dramatic population declines since the 2010 census, Republican Reps. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, and Mary Miller, of Oakland, would be paired together in a new 12th District.

On Friday, Bost announced he will seek to represent the redefined district.

With Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi running roughshod in Washington, D.C., Southern Illinoisans need a battle-tested conservative fighting for them now more than ever, Bost said. I have never wavered in defense of our constitutional conservative values; and I will always stand up for the hardworking families, veterans, farmers, and job creators of Southern Illinois who feel abandoned by the liberals in Washington.

In central Illinois, Republican Reps. Darin LaHood, of Peoria, and Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, would face each other in a 16th District primary. On Friday, Kinzinger announced he does not plan to see the post.

Ron DeBrock of The Telegraph contributed to this story.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Senate joined the House on Thursday in approving a change to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act that requested by the governor and attorney general, putting it one signature away from becoming law.

The HCRC Act currently prohibits discrimination against anyone for their conscientious refusal to receive, obtain, accept, perform, assist, counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way in any particular form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience.

The bill passed Thursday would add language stating that it is not a violation of the law for an employer to take any measures or impose any requirements intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19.

Its supporters believe the measure will clarify the legislatures intent as a number of court cases continue through the system in which Illinoisans are challenging COVID-19 vaccine or testing requirements by citing protections afforded in the HCRC Act. Its needed to close a legal loophole allowing people to flout those mandates, they argued.

Critics of the bill  including state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Fosterburg  argued the language is overly broad and that the Health Care Right of Conscience Act actually was intended to protect an individuals right to make his or her own health care decisions.

Last night (Wednesday) was the first time the legislature has weighed in on Governor Pritzkers executive powers since his first lockdown was put into place, Elik said. And now, 19 months later the legislature chose to give Governor Pritzker more authority while further diminishing our rights at the same time.

This is outrageous, she said. The actions made by legislative Democrats threaten our constitutional rights, including our religious and moral beliefs.

The bill passed the Senate 31-24 just before 11 p.m. Thursday with no Republican votes. Because the bill did not receive a three-fifths majority in both chambers, its effective date is set for June 1, 2022, per a provision of the state constitution pertaining to bills passed after May 31.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the existing law should not be applicable to mitigation measures aimed at slowing a deadly pandemic. Those with health care or religious concerns regarding mandate compliance can still access federal exemptions, he said in floor debate.

The Health Care Right of Conscience Act was adopted in 1977 and was intended, I think fairly clearly, to provide protection to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health care professionals who, based on their own conscience, did not want to participate in certain reproductive health care services or prescriptions, he said.

More than 50,000 witness slips were filed against the bill on the General Assemblys website. Lawmakers reported receiving hundreds of calls to their offices against the change.

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said the HCRC Act, when initially passed, created a line that stopped the government from forcing its citizens to receive medical procedures and services that went against their sincerely held beliefs.

Now, the governments trying to erase that line, she said. Once again, its our job here today to stand for those who are standing up for themselves.

State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the proposal diminishes religious protections in the workplace.

My objection is not about vaccinations. Im vaccinated, he said. We go down this path, we dont know where it ends.

Ron DeBrock of The Telegraph contributed to this story.
EDWARDSVILLE  The shooting death of Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmins has shaken area law enforcement agencies, striking particularly hard at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Department.

Timmins, 36, died after being shot Tuesday morning at the Speedway gas station in Pontoon Beach during the traffic stop of a suspected stolen vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a St. Louis hospital.

Timmins wife, Linsey, is a patrol officer for the SIUE Police Department.

Officer Linsey Timmins has been a valued member of the SIUE Police Department for nearly four years, SIUE Police Chief Kevin Schmoll said in a statement released on Thursday morning. The loss of her husband, Officer Tyler Timmins, is heartbreaking.

We respect his service and the many sacrifices he made in the line of duty, Schmoll said. Our deepest sympathies are with Linsey, her family, and our fellow officers as we grapple with this loss.

In addition to his wife, Timmins leaves a daughter, Chloe.

A walk-through first responders line up is planned at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, during Timmins visitation scheduled 1-7 p.m. at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Gateway Convention Center with a law enforcement procession lining up at 9:30 a.m.

Interment services will be private.

On Thursday, Timmins family issued a statement through the Illinois State Police mourning the loss of our son, husband, father, brother and friend.

We would like to thank the law enforcement community and the thousands of others who have expressed their love, support and concern, they said.

Scott Hyden, 31, of Highland, has been charged in the fatal shooting and is in custody. Timmins family said they will not be making any comment on the ongoing investigation and asked that people respect their privacy during their mourning.

Schmoll said that SIUE has set up a fund at the SIU Credit Union. Donations can be dropped off at the SIUE Police Department or at the SIU Credit Union.

If someone wants to donate to The Tyler Timmins Family Memorial, they should make the check out to Tyler Timmins Family Memorial. If they need an EIN (tax ID) number, please provide 87-3289712.

A GoFundMe page supporting the family was created Tuesday at https://www.gofundme.com/f/family-of-fallen-offer-tyler-timmins?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unknown&utm_campaign=comms_l4vs+family-of-fallen-offer-tyler-timmins.

Scott Marion of The Intelligencer contributed to this story.

Recent related stories:

 Timmins funeral arrangements made public

 Hero since day one

 Highland man charged in officer's death

 Unimaginable: Community grieves for slain officer

 Online fundraiser for slain officer surpasses goal

 Pontoon Beach officer dies from Tuesday shooting
ALTON  Illinois American Waters storm sewer replacement work in Alton continues as the company works to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers.

On Friday, officials stated contractors have taken precautions to minimize open excavations during the trick-or-treating weekend. They ask that people be safe when walking around work areas, as sidewalk and pavement restoration may not be fully completed in these areas.

More than six miles of sanitary sewer main are being installed in the Turner Tract, Shields Valley and Piasa Valley areas of Alton. Work kicked off in February and will continue to until 2023.

When Illinois American Water acquired the Alton Regional Wastewater system in 2019, the company pledged it would address requirements set forth by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to remedy combined sewer overflows.

In the Piasa Valley area, Market Street is now open from Broadway to a half block north of 5th Street, although the intersection at 4th Street is still closed. Also, 6th Street from Piasa Street east to Easton Street is closed. Alby Street is closed from 7th Street south to 5th Street. Future work will head east on 5th and 6th streets.

In the Turner Tract area, Lincoln Street will continue to be closed from McKinley Boulevard south to the alley. Work is ongoing both east and west of Lincoln Street on McKinley Boulevard with eastbound traffic closed. The west end of the alley west of Lincoln Street, between McPherson and Douglas Streets is closed to traffic.

Work is on hold in the Shields Valley area while a utility pole is being relocated. Weather has impacted the work, but the pole is expected to be moved next week.

Road closures have not changed from last week. Chamberlin Street is closed north of Bozza Street to Greenwood Street and the intersection of Walker/Chamberlin streets will continue to be closed.

Work in the Piasa Valley area began this spring, focusing on nearly five miles of sanitary sewer main. That work is expected to continue for more than two years, with projects progressing throughout neighborhoods during that time period.

Signs will be placed ahead of construction to notify customers of upcoming closures.

A copy of the long term control plan can be read online at https://www.amwater.com/ilaw/resources/PDF/Water-Quality/ILAW_ALTON_CSO_LTCP_REV.pdf .

Customers with questions are asked to call 800-422-2782.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A judge has refused to allow taxpayers to foot the bill for a private attorney representing Delawares state auditor on criminal corruption charges.

Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden ruled Thursday that State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness is entitled to a public defender, but that she is not entitled to a private attorney at taxpayer expense.

McGuiness, who is responsible for rooting out government fraud, waste and abuse, was indicted earlier this month on felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and on misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict of interest and noncompliance with state procurement laws.

McGuiness, through her attorney, has denied the allegations and maintains that she has done nothing wrong. She has rejected requests from some fellow Democrats to resign, or to at least take a leave of absence pending resolution of the case.

McGuiness has been represented by Steven Wood, a white-collar defense attorney who previously served as Delawares chief state prosecutor.

Wood, who began representing McGuiness roughly a month before she was indicted, filed a motion just days after the charges were announced asking that taxpayers pay McGuiness defense costs. He cited a Supreme Court rule under which a state officer or employee named as a defendant in a civil or criminal case can petition for appointment of a lawyer. The rule includes a provision allowing for the appointment of a private attorney if representation by the attorney generals office would present a conflict or potential conflict of interest.

Wood argued that such a conflict exists in McGuiness case because the attorney generals office is prosecuting her. He sought payment at taxpayer expense at an hourly rate of $550 per hour, noting that McGuiness has limited resources.

Prosecutors opposed the motion, noting that McGuiness is paid a salary of $112,000, has loaned her political campaigns more than $75,000, and owns a house estimated to be worth between $2.2 million and $3.7 million.

They also argued that the Supreme Court rule regarding appointment of counsel is trumped by a provision in state law. That provision states that if a judge finds that the Department of Justice is unable to represent a public officer or employee in a criminal case, the court can may appoint an attorney from the Office of Defense Services, commonly known as the public defenders office.

Compensating a wealthy defendants law firm by several times the courts standard fees would metastasize the statutory entitlement into something absurd, wrote Chief Deputy Attorney General Alexander Mackler.

Jurden sided with the state, ruling that the language of the statute is clear and unambiguous and appointing the Office of Defense Services to represent McGuiness.

Wood did not immediately respond to email and phone messages Thursday.

The criminal charges against McGuiness include allegations that she hired her daughter and one of her daughters friends, both high school seniors at the time, as temporary employees in May 2020, even though other temporary employees had to leave their positions because of a lack of available work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities said Elizabeth McGuiness, who has not been charged, continued to be paid even after enrolling at a college in South Carolina last August. Payments to McGuiness daughter totaling $19,000 were deposited into a bank account for which McGuiness is a listed owner.

McGuiness also is charged with orchestrating a 2019 no-bid contract for a company she had used as a campaign consultant when running for lieutenant governor in 2016. Investigators said she evaded public bid requirements by keeping the initial contract with My Campaign Group just under the $50,000 threshold that requires public bids. They said she also avoided getting approval from he Division of Accounting, a separate state agency, for the payments to My Campaign Group by splitting up invoices and keeping payments under the $5,000 reporting threshold.

Authorities said that when employees in her office became aware of McGuiness misconduct, she responded by trying to intimidate the whistleblowers, including submitting more than three dozen requests to the Department of Technology and Information for the contents of their email accounts. That allowed McGuiness to monitor several employees email communications in real time, according to prosecutors. They said McGuiness also monitored the email of a former employee who now works in a separate government agency.
McALESTER, Okla. (AP)  Oklahoma administered the death penalty Thursday on a man who convulsed and vomited as he was executed for the 1998 slaying of a prison cafeteria worker, ending a six-year execution moratorium brought on by concerns over its execution methods,

John Marion Grant, 60, who was strapped to a gurney inside the execution chamber, began convulsing and vomiting after the first drug, the sedative midazolam, was administered. Several minutes later, two members of the execution team wiped the vomit from his face and neck.

Before the curtain was raised to allow witnesses to see into the execution chamber, Grant could be heard yelling, Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" He delivered a stream of profanities before the lethal injection started. He was declared unconscious about 15 minutes after the first of three drugs was administered and declared dead about six minutes after that, at 4:21 p.m.

Someone vomiting while being executed is rare, according to observers.

Ive never heard of or seen that," said Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center. That is notable and unusual.

Michael Graczyk, a retired Associated Press reporter who still covers executions for the organization on a freelance basis, has witnessed the death penalty being carried out about 450 times. He said Thursday he could only recall one instance of someone vomiting while being put to death.

The Oklahoma attorney general and governor did not respond to questions about Grant's reactions to the drugs. In fact, Department of Corrections spokesman Justin Wolf said by email that the execution was carried out in accordance with Oklahoma Department of Corrections' protocols and without complication.

A statement from Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt referenced a section of the Oklahoma Constitution in which voters overwhelmingly enshrined the death penalty.

"Today, the Department of Corrections carried out the law of the State of Oklahoma and delivered justice to Gay Carters family," Stitt said.

Grant was the first person in Oklahoma to be executed since a series of flawed lethal injections in 2014 and 2015. He serving a 130-year prison sentence for several armed robberies when witnesses say he dragged prison cafeteria worker Gay Carter into a mop closet and stabbed her 16 times with a homemade shank. He was sentenced to die in 1999.

At least now we are starting to get justice for our loved ones," Carter's daughter, Pamela Gay Carter, said in a statement. The death penalty is about protecting any potential future victims. Even after Grant was removed from society, he committed an act of violence that took an innocent life. I pray that justice prevails for all the other victims' loved ones. My heart and prayers go out to you all."

Oklahoma moved forward with the lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-3 decision, lifted stays of execution that were put in place on Wednesday for Grant and another death row inmate, Julius Jones, by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The states Pardon and Parole Board twice denied Grants request for clemency, including a 3-2 vote this month to reject a recommendation that his life be spared.

Oklahoma had one of the nations busiest death chambers until problems in 2014 and 2015 led to a de facto moratorium. Richard Glossip was just hours away from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug. It was later learned the same wrong drug had been used to execute an inmate in January 2015.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection  and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.

While the moratorium was in place, Oklahoma moved ahead with plans to use nitrogen gas to execute inmates, but ultimately scrapped that idea and announced last year that it planned to resume executions using the same three-drug lethal injection protocol that was used during the flawed executions. The three drugs are: midazolam, a sedative, vecuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Oklahoma prison officials recently announced that they had confirmed a source to supply all the drugs needed for Grant's execution plus six more that are scheduled to take place through March.

Extensive validations and redundancies have been implemented since the last execution in order to ensure that the process works as intended, the Department of Corrections said in a statement.

More than two dozen Oklahoma death row inmates are part of a federal lawsuit challenging the states lethal injection protocols, arguing that the three-drug method risks causing unconstitutional pain and suffering. A trial is set for early next year.

Dale Baich, an attorney for some of the death row inmates in that suit, said eyewitness accounts of Grant's lethal injection show Oklahoma's death penalty protocol isn't working as it was designed.

This is why the U.S. Supreme Court should not have lifted the stay," Baich said in a statement. "There should be no more executions in Oklahoma until we go (to) trial in February to address the states problematic lethal injection protocol.

Grant and five other death row inmates were dismissed from the lawsuit after none of them selected an alternative method of execution, which a federal judge said was necessary. But a three-member panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the inmates did identify alternative methods of execution, even if they didnt specifically check a box designating which technique they would use. The panel had granted stays of execution on Wednesday for Grant and Jones, whose lethal injection is set for Nov. 18.

Jones  whose case has drawn national attention since being featured in 2018 on the ABC television documentary series The Last Defense  has a clemency hearing set for Tuesday. Jones, 41, has maintained his innocence in the 1999 shooting death of an Oklahoma City-area businessman. The state Pardons and Parole Board in March recommended that Stitt, the governor, commute his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Stitt has said he will not decide whether to spare Jones' life until the clemency hearing.

Grant and his attorneys did not deny that he killed Carter.

John Grant took full responsibility for the murder of Gay Carter, and he spent his years on death row trying to understand and atone for his actions, more than any other client I have worked with," attorney Sarah Jernigan said Thursday in a statement after the execution.

But Grant's attorneys argued that key facts about the crime and Grants troubled childhood were never presented to the jury. They maintained that Grant developed deep feelings for Carter and was upset when she fired him after he got in a fight with another kitchen worker.

Jurors never heard that Mr. Grant killed Ms. Gay Carter while in the heat of passion and despair over the abrupt end of the deepest and most important adult relationship of his life, his attorneys wrote in his clemency application.

Pamela Carter, who also worked at the prison and was there the day her mother was killed, rejected the idea that her mother and Grant had anything more than a professional relationship and urged state officials to move forward with the execution.

I understand hes trying to save his life, but you keep victimizing my mother with these stupid allegations, she told the Pardon and Parole Board this month. My mother was vivacious. She was friendly. She didnt meet a stranger. She treated her workers just as you would on a job on the outside. For someone to take advantage of that is just heinous.

___

Associated Press writer Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Roxana man has been indicted on multiple counts of child pornography.

Kendrick Hunter, 33, of Roxana, was indicted on three counts of child pornography, all Class X felonies, and two counts of child pornography, all Class 2 felonies.

The case was originally presented by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville police. At the time the charges were originally filed, Hunter was listed with an Alton address.

According to court documents, on Jan. 31 he allegedly had child pornography with intent to distribute it. The three charges were Class X felonies.

On May 21 he allegedly was found to have child pornography. Two Class 2 charges were filed in that incident.

The grand jury on Thursday also indicted four people on drug charges relating to attempts to bring more than 900 grams of fentanyl into the area. The cases were originally filed in early October by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois.

Miguel Lara-Gamez, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona and Jose Armenta-Bobadilla, 26, of El Mirage, Arizona, were each indicted for controlled substance trafficking and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, both Class X felonies.

According to court documents, on Oct. 4 the two allegedly brought more than 900 grams of fentanyl into Madison County using a vehicle.

Joaquin Navarez-Urena, 43, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Jimmy Carrasco, 25, of Glendale, Arizona, also were indicted for unlawful possession with intent to deliver of a controlled substance, both Class X felonies.

According to court documents, on Oct. 5 they allegedly had more than 900 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver.

Also indicted Thursday was Kiante P. Ball, 32, of Edwardsville, on two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, an enhanced Class 3 felony. The case was originally presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On Oct. 11 Ball allegedly was found to have a Glock 19 handgun and ammunition in his residence. Ball has a prior conviction for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance out of St. Charles County, Missouri, in 2013, making him ineligible to possess weapons or ammunition.

Levell A. Douglas, 34, of Pontoon Beach, also was indicted for aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony, and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony, after an incident in which a person was shot. The case was originally presented by the Madison Police Department. On Oct. 16 Douglas allegedly shot a person in the left arm and right leg. Douglas has a 2013 Madison County conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm, making him ineligible to possession weapons.
Halloween is descended from the ancient pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was observed on Oct. 31. That alone is quite sufficient to taint it in the eyes of conservative Christians.

Pope Gregory IV decreed in 837 CE that All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day, would be celebrated on Nov. 1. The day before All Hallows Day, Oct. 31, became All Hallows Eve  or Halloween. This period of the year was further Christianized in 993 CE, when the monastery at Cluny, France instituted All Souls Day on Nov. 2 to commemorate the faithful departed. The period from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 became known as Allhallowtide.

This long-ago Christianization of a pagan festival fails to redeem Halloween for Protestant evangelicals, whose faith doesnt include following the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. Sola scriptura, Latin for scripture alone, was the defining principle of the Protestant Reformation. The reformers affirmed that Christianity should be based on the Bible, rather than church traditions and declarations by the pope. And the word Halloween appears nowhere in holy scripture.

Ironically, Halloweens absence from the Bible didnt deter Ian Palmer from writing 13 Bible Verses About Halloween, which appears in countryliving.com. While acknowledging the days Samhain origin and conceding that the Bible doesnt mention Halloween specifically, Palmer maintains  quite accurately, of course  that the Bible has lots to say about the forces of evil. Palmer cites Bible verses such as And give no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) and Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8).

At least one reader didnt agree with Palmers attempt to make Halloween more palatable for Christians. Youre still practicing something that is from evil and is evil, ButerflyNChrist wrote in the comments section. Research the origin and history of Halloween, youll be surprised but awakened.

ButerlyNChrist is by no means alone. Overt opposition to Halloween can even be found on Facebook. I scrolled through a page titled Say NO to Halloween that features memes such as a smiling woman who is filling costumed trick or treaters bags with candy. This charming scene, however, carries the admonition: You are teaching your children that pagan unholy things are Ok (sic) and fun. And woe to those churches that host harvest festivals during this time of year! Another meme reads: Renaming Halloween as Harvest Fest is like disguising a witch as a princess and calling her good.

Such overt hostility toward Halloween isnt shared by many mainstream Christians, who peacefully co-exist with Halloween. My wife and I attended a Sunday School class two years ago that not only acknowledged Halloween but tied it in with three Biblical passages. Since this is a scary time of year, the couple teaching the class told us, lets review three rather scary incidents in scripture. The incidents included Sauls encounter with the witch of Endor, who conjured up the deceased prophet Samuel (I Samuel 28); Ezekiels experience in the valley of dry bones that miraculously came back to life (Ezekiel 37); and Daniel reading the writing on Belshazzars wall that had been left there by the disembodied fingers of a human hand (Daniel 5). Perhaps the word Halloween is absent from the Bible, but such narratives are certainly in keeping with its spirit.

I still recall a float I saw in Altons Halloween parade back in the late 1970s or early 1980s. It was sponsored by St. Pauls Episcopal Church. The float consisted of young persons dressed as church mice, while a boy in the vestments of a priest held a crucifix. The banner on the side of the float read: All Hallows? Episcopal Youth. Ever the wise guy, I remarked aloud, Thats not a Halloween float. Its an anti-Halloween float.

Such hostility to Halloween belongs to St. Pauls distant past, however. Before the pandemic, my wife and I always attended the chili dinner hosted by this wonderful church that precedes the Halloween parade. Heneghan Hall is replete with Halloween decorations and just about everyone  servers and guests  wears costumes. The food and fellowship make this annual tradition supernaturally fun and I hope its held next Halloween.

John J. Dunphy is an author, the Godfrey 15th Precinct Democratic Committeeperson and recording secretary for the Godfrey Democrats.
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
Job Title: Implementation Manager

Organisation: Standard Chartered Bank (StanChart)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Standard Chartered PLC is a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Hong Kong, China. It operates a network of over 1,700 branches and outlets (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) across more than 70 countries and employs around 87,000 people. It is a universal bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite its UK base, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around 90% of its profits come from Africa, United Kingdom, United States and the Middle East. Standard Chartered Bank Uganda is the longest established international bank in the country; the first branch was opened in August 1912. We had 11 branches up to 1972 and retained only one branch during the turbulence of the 70s. In 1998 we acquired 4 branches of former Cooperative Bank in November 1999. Standard Chartered Bank Uganda today has a network of 11 branches in Kampala, Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara and Gulu. Standard Chartered Bank Uganda has 29 ATMs and over 600 staff.

Job Summary: The roles principal function is to take responsibility and accountability for complex Cash & Trade Implementations within the Country. The client base includes Large Corporate clients, who have exacting standards and expect the highest levels of best practice, standards, and discipline around implementations.

The role requires a person who can execute the business strategy for the Implementation function at Country Level.

The person needs to be an expert in Cash & Trade products and project management, understand the overall TB business strategy ensuring key programmes are supported and embed within the function as appropriate. The continuous drive to improve deal cycle times to enhance revenue realisation is key.

The role is client facing and relationships with clients need to be developed and nurtured to ensure the function remains aligned to client needs. Expertise and a track record of complex project management is a key requirement as well as managing change management. Additionally, sound industry experience coupled with an ability to analyse clients individual needs. Collaboration and co-operation are hallmarks of success as the jobholder often needs to bring together multiple internal parties (Relationship, Sales, Product, Operations, Service) and find innovative solutions to complex requirements.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy

Work closely with clients and internal parties to ensure long- and short-term Cash & Trade Implementation strategies are developed to fulfil client requirements.

Form part of Deal teams and provide RFP/RFI responses on implementation components.

Align to Bank initiatives.

Work with the Country Head of Implementation and TB in defining the country strategy and support digitisation strategy and a future development roadmap for iPROMPT.

Critically review expected revenue and deal size at the deal hand over stage and take responsibility for ensuring revenue assumptions are validated.

Business

Support the business by developing strong client relationships throughout the sales cycle and help to identify additional cross sell opportunities

Maintains appropriate commercial balance between needs of clients and long-term profitability / efficiency of the business

Develop robust switching proposition materials

Ability to provide thought leadership to clients and internal parties in respect to Cash and Trade Implementation strategies.

Processes

Embed PMI standards into Implementation Management.

Monitor client survey feedback and implement appropriate actions in response

Ensure consistency of approach and collateral within the country.

Risk Management

Adherence to laws and regulations, internal risk and compliance policies and ORF.

Completion of all mandatory risk and compliance training including e-learning.

Adherence to the iPROMPT governance process.

Governance

Deliver effective governance, oversight, and controls within the role and, if necessary, oversee changes in these areas

Maintains awareness and understanding of the regulatory framework in which the Group operates, and the regulatory requirements and expectations relevant to the role.

Delivers effective governance; capability to challenge fellow executives effectively; and willingness to work with any local regulators in an open and cooperative manner.









Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The applicant for the Standard Chartered Bank Implementation Manager should hold relevant qualifications, skills and experience

How to Apply:

All candidates should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 9th November 2021

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
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.

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The energy regulator will review the way it caps bills for millions of households across Britain as a major spike in gas prices has driven multiple suppliers to failure.

Ofgem has not revealed what adjustments it might make to how the cap is calculated but will set out its thinking as it launches a consultation next month.

Several energy bosses have been calling for a rethink of the price cap model amid the gas price crisis with numerous suppliers collapsing in recent times.

Currently, the regulator caps the energy bills of more than 14million households on standard variable tariffs at 1,277 per year on average.

Ofgem is set to launch a consultation next month into the way it calculates the price cap

But a fivefold increase in the price of gas has been so rapid that suppliers are now having to pay more for energy than the cap forces them to sell it for.

Ofgem said in a letter to suppliers on Friday: 'The unprecedented rise in energy prices this year has changed the perception of risk and uncertainty in this market.

'In order to protect the interests of consumers, we must ensure that the regulatory frameworks, including the price cap, fully reflect the costs, risks and uncertainties facing the supply companies we regulate.'

The consultation on potential changes will end in February and they could be implemented at the beginning of April, when the price cap is set to change.

So far, it has been predicted the new level could go up by as much over 300 with experts at analysts Cornwall Insight predicting energy bills will rocket to 1,660 per year for price cap customers.

Remaining energy suppliers have called on Ofgem to adjust the way it calculates the cap to make it fairer.

Greg Jackson, boss of Octopus Energy, told the Today Programme: 'The methodology of the price cap is a bit clunky. It looks backwards six to twelve months on historical prices so when you see very big, rapid changes, it isn't agile to that.

'It could be set quarterly, rather than every six months.

'Critically, what it has to do, is to make sure we don't get back to the days of excess margins in energy and also the days of the loyalty penalty where loyal customers paid so much more than new ones.'

Energy firms have called on Ofgem to change the way the cap is calculated to make it fairer

Ofgem also said in the letter it plans to make changes to the supplier of last resort scheme, which steps in if a supplier fails.

When a supplier goes bust, which has happened more than a dozen times in the last two months, the regulator appoints a new company to take over its customers.

This gives customers certainty that they can continue to use their gas and electricity as usual. However it is often an expensive process for the chosen new supplier.

In order to incentivise companies to volunteer, Ofgem allows them to claim back some of these expenses from the rest of the industry  a cost that is ultimately passed on to all bill-payers.

The watchdog said it plans to speed up the process so suppliers do not have to wait for as long to claim expenses back.

Ofgem also said it intends to raise the bar for what it expects from suppliers' risk management processes and potentially change conditions in their licences.

Other plans include to change the frequency at which suppliers have to pay a green charge known as the renewables obligation.

At the moment it is paid once a year, in the autumn but the, often large, charge has often been enough to push struggling suppliers into failure while they still owe large sums to the regulator.
Shell was under growing pressure last night as the fightback against an activist investor was dented by disappointing results.

Shares in the oil giant fell 3.5 per cent after it posted third quarter profits of 3billion  four times higher than the same period last year but a long way short of the 3.9billion expected in the City.

The figures came as Shell bosses launched a forthright defence of the company following an attack by New York hedge fund Third Point, which has built up a 545m stake.

Fighting talk: Shell boss Ben van Beurden has always maintained that the only way to fund the company's switch to green energy is to continue its oil and gas operations

The activist investor, led by financier Daniel Loeb, this week claimed Shell was trying to be 'all things to all people' by attempting to turn into a renewable energy group.

Third Point called for the group to be broken up into 'multiple standalone companies', separating its legacy oil and gas operations and renewable energy arms.

But Shell boss Ben van Beurden hit back. He has always maintained that the only way to fund the company's switch to green energy is to continue its oil and gas operations.

Shell already has a big presence in the wind and solar industries  and bosses argue that the vast amounts of money they make from fossil fuels mean it will be able to capitalise on this expertise.

Van Beurden said: 'The reality is that without companies like us, who are significant providers of energy, without our skills, our scope and scale to convert the energy system, the energy transition will be a whole lot more difficult and may not even happen at the pace needed.'

Echoing her boss, Shell finance chief Jessica Uhl also said splitting Shell into multiple companies would not work in practice. Uhl said: 'We are an energy company that has been providing energy to the world for the last 120 years.

'If you were to split that into component pieces, I think that can sound really interesting from a financial perspective.

'But in terms of real solutions, I think that breaks down, and our ability to integrate and bring these different pieces of the puzzle together will be how we uniquely make a difference in the energy transition.'

Shell has been under fire from investors and campaigners for years and was recently forced by a Dutch court to commit to clearer and more ambitious green goals. The company has been pushed to speed up its switch to renewables at the same time as it has had to navigate the pandemic, which pummelled profits in 2020 and led to a dramatic two-thirds cut to its dividend in the first hack to its payout since the Second World War.

Alongside its third-quarter results yesterday, Shell announced it planned to slash two types of emissions in the next decade in a new 2030 climate target. It will ensure all emissions the company itself generates through its operations  extracting oil, for example  will be net zero carbon. But this leaves out the vast majority  or around 90 per cent  of its pollution, which comes from customers burning its products.

Shell produced around 3.1m barrels of oil a day in the third quarter. This is the equivalent of 3 per cent of global daily demand in 2019, before Covid struck.

Analysts had hoped that soaring oil and gas prices would boost Shell's profits  but it also knocked a number of financial instruments called commodities derivatives contracts.

Shell took a hit of around 3.6billion as a result. The profit miss made investors nervous.

Shell was one of the biggest fallers on the Footsie last night, with shares closing down 3.5 per cent, or 61.4p, to 1706.6p. Rival BP  which releases its own results next week  fell 1.6 per cent, or 5.55p, to 352.05p.
Having 'got Brexit done', Boris Johnson's number one priority was his much talked about levelling-up agenda.

The policy was designed to show the new Red Wall voters that he  and the Tories  were serious about tackling regional inequality in the country.

Levelling up took a back seat when coronavirus struck, but it is now firmly back on the agenda.

Earlier this month at the Conservative Party conference, the Prime Minister declared the UK to be 'not only one of the most imbalanced in the developed world, it is also one of the most centralised  and those two defects are obviously connected'.

He said the UK was lopsided, announcing a 'levelling-up premium' worth up to 3,000 to encourage science and maths teachers to head to different areas of the country.

Then came Chancellor Rishi Sunak who on Wednesday said levelling up was about 'restoring the pride people feel in the places they call home', adding that it would improve 'the infrastructure of everyday life' across the UK.

'Levelling up is also about protecting our unique culture and heritage. The British Museum, Tate Liverpool, the York Railway Museum,' he continued.

He also unveiled the first winners from the Levelling Up Fund, a 4.8billion spending pot that was announced in March's Budget.

So far 1.7billion has been dished out to more than 100 infrastructure projects across the UK.

They are set to be completed over the next four years.

The biggest recipients were the North West and North East, Yorkshire and Humber, the Midlands and Scotland. London and the East of England received the least.

The projects vary in scale and size and although the fund was primarily designed for schemes costing up to 20m, some exceptions were made.

A new South Derby 'growth zone' and an upgrade to ferries to the Isles of Scilly both received nearly 50m from the fund.

Other successful bids included the reopening of the world's oldest suspension bridge in County Durham, the redevelopment of Leicester train station and the Mersey Ferry service in Woodside on the Wirral.

In Scotland the stunning Inverness Castle will get a facelift, while 39m will be invested in transport links in Renfrewshire and 24m will be spent on improving the B714 road in North Ayrshire.

In Wales the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site is to be revitalised.

While in Stoke alone there will be three projects.

They include two big housing projects to create 450 homes in the City centre and regenerating The Goods Yard site.

Noting that some funds were going to local authorities and constituencies represented by Labour MPs, Sunak quipped: 'We are so committed to levelling up we're even levelling up the Opposition front bench.'

Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield and a Red Wall Tory, said: 'This has been long overdue. These are traditionally Labour constituencies which are getting investment from the Tories.

'The industrial heartland is gone and these areas have struggled  we need better jobs, health and education.'

Anderson added that the Tories have also shown their commitment to the North with huge transport projects like the Northern Powerhouse Rail project, HS2 and the Teesside Freeport. Stephen Church, partner at professional services network EY, said: 'Through the Budget and Spending Review the Government has pledged real action on the levelling-up agenda. We welcome the 4.8billion Levelling Up Fund, which has identified the first 105 places to receive funding for local transport.

'This is crucial in order to help level up the economy, as the UK strives to tackle entrenched regional inequalities and close the skills gap.'

But the levelling-up agenda has proved divisive, particularly with Tory MPs who feel the Conservative Party is pandering too much to its new voter base in the Midlands and the North.

London received just 65m in funding for six projects, despite being home to some of the poorest parts of Europe.

Whitechapel Road in east London will receive 9m, while a music centre will be upgraded in southwest London.

The Centre for London thinktank said the capital received the lowest investment per capita of any part of the UK.

Whereas Wales received 38 per head from the fund, London received just 7.22.

According to Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, the 'levelling down' of the South of England and London is a genuine fear which contributed to the heavy defeat of the Tories at the Chesham and Amersham by-election in June.

He said: 'The election showed the Tories cannot take traditional Tory areas and voters for granted. Parts of London need levelling up and this should be done on need and not a geographic basis. I can see why it is being done  after the last election the Tories have to try and retain those votes in traditional industrial Labour areas.'
The UK competition regulator has launched an initial investigation into the takeover of Morrisons by US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

The probe does not prohibit the completion of the deal, but the Competition and Markets Authority said that Morrisons should continue to be run as an independent business for the time being until the investigation has taken place.

It is understood that the CMA is particularly keen to investigate whether there could be competition issues surrounding Morrisons' petrol stations and those of Motor Fuel Limited, the forecourt giant also owned by CD&R.

Probe: The competition watchdog has served an initial enforcement order on Morrisons

The so-called 'initial enforcement order' on Morrisons, CD&R and Motor Fuel comes days after Britain's fourth largest supermarket was taken off the stock market where it spent 54 years following the 7billion acquisition.

A whopping 99 per cent of Morrisons shareholders backed the 287p a share offer by CD&R last week.

Former Tesco boss Terry Leahy, an adviser to CD&R, orchestrated the deal and is tipped to become chairman of Morrisons.

The deal was set to be completed by April next year, however the CMA's investigation could delay it.

In response to the probe, CD&R said in a statement today: 'As expected, the CMA has issued an Initial Enforcement Order and CD&R looks forward to working constructively with the CMA to address any questions they may have.'

There has been speculation that, through the deal, CD&R could combine its 918 Motor Fuel Group fuel forecourts with the 339 owned by Morrisons, opening Morrisons convenience stores on the sites.

That means that CD&R, which bought the Motor Fuel Group in 2015 for 500million, would control more than 1,200 of the UK's roughly 8,000 petrol stations.

The Morrisons' deal could end up facing a similar investigation to that into Asda's takeover by EG Group owners Mohsin and Zuber Issa and private equity backer TDR Capital.

Asda agreed to sell 27 petrol stations to assuage concerns from the CMA that the company could raise fuel prices in these specific locations, which were in close proximity to EG group sites.

Morrisons has been contacted for comment.
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Allegany College of Maryland PhageHunters students pose for a photo to celebrate successfully annotating and publishing the genome for the mycobacterium phage Dignity. From the left are Associate Professor Michele Barmoy, Cheyenne Wright, Haley Bloom, Lily Johnson, Joshua Hershey, Colt McDonald and Professor Steven Heninger.
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 42F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 32F. Winds light and variable.
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 43F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 33F. Winds light and variable.


remaining of

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Debbie Arrington lives in Kingsport and has earned degrees in history and accounting. You can email her at debarrington@hotmail.com.
U.S. President Joe Biden said his governments handling of a security agreement with Australia and Britain had been clumsy and sought to turn the page during his first meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron since a diplomatic crisis last month between Washington and its oldest ally.

The two leaders shared warm words, and friendly body language, but Macron said later that Frances trust needed to be regained by deeds, not words.

The relationship came under strain over the U.S.-Australia security alliance, known as AUKUS, which also includes the United Kingdom. It included a submarine sale agreement with Australia that effectively canceled a 2016 Australian-French submarine deal.

The U.S. decision to secretly negotiate drew outrage from Paris. France temporarily recalled its ambassador from Washington, canceled a gala in the U.S. capital and officials accused Biden of acting like former President Donald Trump.

I think what happened was, to use an English phrase, what we did was clumsy. It was not done with a lot of grace, Biden said. I was under the impression certain things had happened that hadnt happened. And  but I want to make it clear: France is an extremely, extremely valued partner  extremely  and a power in and of itself.

Biden also noted the United States does not have an older and more loyal ally than France and said there is no place where the two nations cannot cooperate.

I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through. I, honest to God, did not know you had not been, Biden told Macron.

Macron said his meeting with Biden was important and that it was essential to look to the future as his country and the United States work to mend fences.

Biden and Macron showed warm body language, with clasped hands and arms on each others backs when they greeted one another. They shook hands a few times while journalists watched the beginning of their meeting.

What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years, Macron said.

PROOF IS BETTER

Macron told reporters afterward that the meeting with Biden had been helpful, with a strong U.S. commitment about European defense, but what happened next was important.

Trust is like love: Declarations are good, but proof is better, Macron said.

A senior U.S. administration official said after the meeting that the two sides were moving forward in their relationship and, after difficult conversations in September and October, talks were now more engaging.

Biden and Macron had a discussion about the rise of China and the questions that poses for democracies and market economies, the official said. They also discussed Iran, supply chains, steel and aluminum tariffs and trade.

The two nations issued a lengthy joint statement after the meeting painting themselves as global democratic partners in the fight against a range of challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis and ensuring the indivisible security of the NATO alliance.

Washington has taken several steps to fix the relationship with Paris since the rift last month.

Biden and Macron spoke to each other last week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also visited Paris, where he acknowledged the United States could have communicated better. Vice President Kamala Harris also announced that she would travel to Paris in November and meet with Macron.

Biden and Macron met at the Villa Bonaparte, the French embassy to the Vatican, which a French diplomat said was a significant mark of goodwill from Biden.

Its an important gesture, the French diplomat said, adding that the United States recognized that it had underestimated the impact of its actions.

France now wants to see if Biden follows his words with actions. Trust is being rebuilt. This is one step. Tokens of goodwill were given, well see whether they follow through over the long term, the diplomat said.

Biden and Macron are in Rome for the Group of 20 summit of world leaders, which opens on Saturday.

SOURCE: REUTERS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, making it the first COVID-19 shot for young children in the United States.

The shot will not be immediately available to the age group. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still need to make recommendations on how the shot should be administered, which will be decided after a group of outside advisers discuss the plans on Tuesday.

Pfizer said it will begin shipping pediatric vials of the vaccine on Saturday to pharmacies, pediatricians offices and other places where the shots may be administered.

The FDA decision is expected to make the shot available to 28 million American children, many of whom are back in school for in-person learning

It comes after a panel of advisers to the regulator voted overwhelmingly to recommend the authorization on Tuesday.

Only a few other countries, including China, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates, have so far cleared COVID-19 vaccines for children in this age group and younger.

The FDA authorized a 10-microgram dose of Pfizers vaccine in young children, lower than the 30 micrograms in the original vaccine for those age 12 and older.

Advisers on the FDA panel said a lower dose could help mitigate some of the rare side effects. At the meeting, they paid close attention to the rate of heart inflammation, or myocarditis, that has been linked to vaccines from both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna (MRNA.O), especially in young men.

The regulator said on Friday that known and potential benefits of the Pfizer vaccine in individuals aged between 5 and 11 outweigh the risks.

For the pediatric shots, the FDA has authorized a new version of the vaccine, which uses a new buffer and allows them to be stored in refrigerators for up to 10 weeks.

In the United States, around 58% of the population is fully vaccinated, lagging other nations such as the UK and France.

Still, the share of young children who receive the shots may be low. The U.S. vaccination rate for 12- to 15-year-olds trails other age groups at roughly 47%.

Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children aged 5 to 11.

This is a day so many parents, eager to protect their young children from this virus, have been waiting for, Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.

The United States started administering the vaccine to teens between ages 12 and 17 in May. Vaccination coverage among the age group is lower than in older groups, according to the CDC.

Pfizers vaccine was the first to be authorized for emergency use in the United States in December last year for those age 16 and older and was granted full U.S. approval in August.

Earlier this week, Moderna reported interim data showing that its vaccine generated a strong immune response in children ages 6 to 11 years. It is awaiting a U.S. regulatory decision on the authorization for children between ages 12 and 17.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Recruiting firms are experiencing a boom in business as the hiring crisis shows little sign of ending.

In her 25 years of experience as a recruiter, Miriam Dushane, managing partner of Alaant Workforce Solutions, said this is the most interesting and challenging year shes seen.

Companies and businesses are flocking to recruiting firms for help filling critical roles. At the forefront of business needs is the demand for customer service and support personnel, but Dushane said even engineering and information technology firms are coming out of the woodwork seeking assistance.

I hate to say this term because it sounds cliche, but there really is a war on talent right now, she said.

We're talking about a whole industry that never used agencies before that see the value and return on investment by doing that because they need to hire so many people for their business, she added.

Alaant took on at least 10 new clients this year, a significant jump for the agency. Dushane said theyve also had 30 percent growth in job placements while direct hire revenue  revenue from companies searching for permanent hires - is up 50 percent from last year.

Patricia Fusco, president and chief executive officer of Fusco Personnel Inc., is seeing a similar bump in business. Her firm has experienced a 40 percent increase in clientele from pre-COVID days and is recruiting for about 200 open positions daily.

We're just absolutely crazy busy right now, she emphasized. It's impacted us in a positive way.

And companies approaching recruiters dont need to fill just one or two positions; many have high volume openings. One of Alaants banking clients has over 20 jobs to fill. Dushane has had to step around her usual hiring process to add experienced staff members that would bolster their services amid employers growing demand.

Alaant typically brings on entry-level employees and mold(s) them from the ground up into solid recruiters, but has had to put that practice aside because it needed people who could hit the ground running, Dushane said.

Those who fail to switch up their methods and be flexible will fall behind the eight ball and lose out. Companies that streamline their hiring processes and acclimate to hybrid work environments will have a better success rate in the hunt for talent.

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While bringing on more staff internally, Fusco Personnel has begun walking away from some clients due to their intransigence. Some companies are offering better compensation and more perks, benefits and accessibility, but some arent.

We try to educate them on what the market is. And if they're not willing to be somewhat competitive in their structure, then we ask not to work with them, just because we feel that it's not advantageous for us to fill the job, Fusco said.

Karen DiPeri, president of the New York Staffing Association, said its important to note that while recruiters are hugely coveted, those firms might be subject to the same hiring struggles theyre addressing.

Attracting talent has been difficult because people arent as active on job boards and not nearly as many resumes are coming through for listings.

We're trying very hard to kind of accelerate the pace at which we are recruiting, and also to be there for our clients when they need staff, she said.
The latest in New York politics This article was featured in the Capitol Confidential newsletter. Sign up here to get it each morning.

A summons charging former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo with misdemeanor forcible touching was prematurely issued on Thursday after a sheriff's investigator filed paperwork with the court summarizing their investigation and seeking to begin the process of obtaining a criminal complaint. (TU)

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed three bills intended to address the state's gun violence epidemic, especially weapons that are falling through the cracks of what elected officials describe as loopholes in New York's otherwise stringent gun laws. (TU)
Weve done Halloween movies quizzes before and crafted election-themed ones, too. But how much attention have we paid to Oct. 29? What is Oct. 29, you ask. Way more than you may have realized.

The 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) might be overshadowed by All Hallows Eves tricks and treats, and the following Tuesdays annual political holiday, often filled with its own tricks and treats. This date on the calendar, though, is chock full of official and unofficial observances, whether they be obscure, weird, wonderful or all three at once.

Test your knowledge of movies that relate to Oct. 29s national and international celebrations  cats, breadsticks, Nevada, oatmeal, the internet itself and so much more.

1. National Cat Day: In Disneys 1997 That Darn Cat, a remake of their own more exclamatory 1965 That Darn Cat!, Christina Ricci plays a teenager who teams up with an FBI agent to solve a kidnapping thanks to the clue scratched onto her mischievous cats collar. Which acclaimed screenwriting team was responsible for this cult favorite of millennials?

A. The Farrelly Brothers (Theres Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber)

B. The Coen Brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men)

C. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt)

D. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie)

2. National Oatmeal Day: In which 2010 film do Ryan Gosling and the actress playing his daughter decide to eat like leopards by taking the raisins out of their oatmeal and sucking them up from the kitchen table, much to the frustration of the Oscar-nominated actress playing their wife and mother? (Hint: There's another holiday connection in the title.)

3. National Hermit Day: British Invasion superstars Hermans Hermits starred as fictionalized versions of themselves in 1966s Hold On!, which had the tagline: Destination Way Way Way Out! The beauties, the beats and the bikinis have one hullabaloo of a rendezvous! True or false: What passes for a plot in this string of musical performances by the group, who were then on a tour of the U.S., involves a NASA Gemini space capsule being named after them by the astronauts children and the government trailing the musicians to see if this will turn into a PR nightmare.

4. National Frankenstein Friday: Whether hes billed as a doctor, a baron or a professor, or if he answers to Victor, Charles or Henry, Frankenstein is the name of the O.G. mad scientist and his creation is the monster. Which of these actors NEVER played Frankenstein, the man, on film?

A. James McAvoy

B. Peter Cushing

C. Kenneth Branagh

D. Christopher Lee

E. Sting

F. Raul Julia

5. National Hermit Day and National Frankenstein Day: In the 1974 Mel Brooks classic, Young Frankenstein, Gene Hackman plays a blind hermit who welcomes a visit from Peter Boyles monster. What causes Boyle to flee into the night, Hackman calling after him, Wait! Where you going? I was gonna make espresso.?

6. Nevada Day: A 35-year-old Steve McQueen played the title character, a half-Native American, half-white teenager in 1966s Nevada Smith. But the character was first featured two years earlier, played as an adult by Alan Ladd in his final film, a sexually provocative smash adapted from a novel by Harold Robbins and loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes. Name it.

7. Internet Day (unofficially): What 2018 animated Disney movie was the first major studio film to have the word internet in its title?

8. National Pharmacy Buyer Day: Jake Gyllenhaal, playing a drug salesman, deals with a lot of pharmacy buyers in the based-on-fact 2010 romantic comedy-drama, Love & Other Drugs, where he falls for Parkinsons disease patient Anne Hathaway. What is the new pill Gyllenhaal peddles in the movie adapted from the nonfiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a [blank] Salesman?

9. National Breadstick Day: In what 1993 sequel does Christopher Lloyd stick breadsticks up his nose to look like a walrus while on a double date with his potential lover interest after getting this dating advice from his brother: Woo her. Admire her. Make her feel like shes the most sublime creature on Earth.?

10. World Psoriasis Day: Playwright and screenwriter Dennis Potter suffered from the often-debilitating skin condition, and gave it to the main character of his cult classic 1986 British miniseries The Singing Detective, starring Michael Gambon (the second Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series). Nine years after the writers death, the show was remade as a film based on Potters own adaptation and starred what not-yet Marvel mainstay as the dermatologically damaged detective?

ANSWERS

1. C

2. Blue Valentine

3. True

4. D. Although Christopher Lee did play The Creature opposite Peter Cushings Victor Frankenstein in 1957s The Curse of Frankenstein

5. Hackman lights the flame-averse monsters thumb on fire thinking it was the cigar he just gave him.

6. The Carpetbaggers

7. Ralph Breaks the Internet

8. Viagra

9. Addams Family Values

10. Robert Downey Jr.


ALBANY  The future of how police misconduct cases in Albany will be handled is just days away.

A proposition on the ballot in the city Tuesday comes down to this: Will citizens be given more oversight over bad actors on the police force, or will the discipline process continue to be meted out in what critics contend is an often-opaque process?

The Albany Police Supervisors Association is pushing back against a new law that, if approved by voters, would allow the citys Community Police Review Board to conduct independent investigations of police misconduct.

Union representatives are asking residents to vote no on Proposal 7, claiming the law will be divisive and cast a chilling effect over the department.

It continues to drive a wedge between us and the community when they falsely demonize us as bad actors, said Det. Lt. Josiah Jones, president of the Police Supervisors Association.

For nearly a week, residents have already been casting early votes on Prop 7, also known as Local Law J, which requires approval at the ballot box after the measure was unanimously approved by Common Council in March with backing by city Mayor Kathy Sheehan.

Currently, the Community Police Review Board can only review the departments own internal investigations and make policy recommendations to the city and the department.

Approval of Prop 7 would further cement the panels independence by giving the board subpoena power and the ability to establish a disciplinary matrix with the police chief.

While reformers contend the fixes are a critical step in restoring a sense of a long-eroded trust between residents of overly policed neighborhoods and cops, Jones said the measure will have the opposite effect.

Its nebulous, not comprehensive, and really leaves up in the air how our due process will be preserved, Jones said. This is a power grab that is funneling a lot of power to people who are not subject matter experts who will make decisions deciding our fate in a vacuum.

Community Police Review Board Chair Nairobi Vives said the reforms are designed to ensure complaints are made in a timely manner - which includes interviewing witnesses firsthand - and isn't intended to be harmful to city police.

"This is what the community has been asking for for decades, more independence and more oversight," Vives said on Friday. "It's just to give more accountability."

But the tightened oversight, Jones said, will accelerate the exodus of officers that has only grown more pronounced in recent years following the nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality.

Albany police are currently down 75 officers from a preferred staffing level of approximately 340, Jones said.

This may be the straw that breaks the camels back with the erosion of personnel and staffing, he said.

Advocates for reform, who rallied outside of Albany police headquarters earlier this month, criticized the current oversight process as merely a review of a review of the departments own internal process that is viewed with suspicion by residents.

Common Council President Corey Ellis said the reforms are long overdue, comparing them to those undertaken by the NYPD in the early 1990s, and accused the Albany Police Supervisors Association of double standards.

I dont think its right to pick and choose when you want the community to participate, Ellis said. What the Common Council has done has created that law, and its part of community policing, and now citizens will have the opportunity to vote yes or no.

At present, the police discipline process can yield multiple outcomes, from counseling memos to reprimands.

Arbitration is another option when an officer contests charges.

Albany police spokesman Steve Smith estimated about a dozen disciplinary cases went to arbitration over the past decade, four of which remain active.

Yet out of those 12, some of those outcomes were settled before an arbitrator had to make a decision, he said.

In those cases, the officer, city and department came to an agreement, he said.

Jones acknowledged the disciplinary process could use some improvement.

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We embrace transparency, but we were never consulted about this  we were never brought to the table," he said. "We want to be brought into the process, and we were never given a seat at the table.

Ellis dismissed those claims.

We informed [the police union] just like we informed any other citizen in Albany when passing a local law, Ellis said, citing open meetings and public hearings.

Either way, the council president said, lawmakers arent mandated to solicit feedback from the department when crafting legislation.

The creation of an independent Community Police Review Board is a legislative act, Ellis said. It doesnt require us to consult the police department.

Albanys Community Police Review Board reviewed between three to five cases in 2019, said Smith.

Alice Green, executive director of the Albany-based Center for Law and Justice, previously put the number of cases far higher.

The number is typically between 30 and 50 annually, Vives said.

"There has been a backlog cases due to COVID," she said.

Supporters of Prop 7 also contend watered-down oversight boards discourage people from filing complaints because they see the process as illegitimate.

Advocates pointed at a long list of Albany police who were never held accountable after they killed or injured Black men, including Jessie Davis, who was gunned down by police in 1984 at his Arbor Hill apartment, and Ellazar Williams, who was shot and paralyzed by a detective in 2018 during a chase, a shooting an internal police probe later determined was justified.

The measure comes as part of a broader package of reforms adopted by the Common Council earlier this spring, part of legislation passed in the wake of protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota and police brutality in general.

Several other cities, including Rochester and Schenectady, have also enacted legislation to give civilian review boards more power over police departments.

If passed, Prop 7 will surely trigger a legal fight with the police union: Officials told the Times Union earlier this month they would likely file litigation to block some elements.
Provided

CORINTH  A Hamilton County man attacked an acquaintance with an ax Tuesday night, nearly killing him, Saratoga County sheriffs investigators said Friday.

Investigators said they arrested Justice D. Locke, 19, of Indian Lake, on felony charges of attempted murder and burglary.
ALBANY  An inmate serving time for a New York City robbery had more years added to his prison stay after an appeals court upheld his subsequent conviction for throwing urine at a guard.

Appellate justices in Albany upheld the conviction of robber Christopher Banch, who was found guilty at trial of throwing urine at a correction officer in Southport Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Chemung County.

Banch, 39, who was convicted of aggravated harassment of an employee by an incarcerated person, received an additional 2 to 4 years in prison on top of his existing sentence for first-degree robbery, weapon possession and grand larceny for crimes in Manhattan.

On Thursday, the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court's Third Department unanimously rejected Banchs argument that he lacked criminal intent in the urine toss. The defendant and his attorney, Karen G. Leslie, argued that Banch threw the urine on Dec. 10, 2016, not to harass correction officers but because Banch wanted a transfer from the prison. And, they argued he tried to throw the urine at a cart.

Leslie told appellate judges during arguments on Sept. 8 that Banch felt disrespected and starved. She said on the morning of the incident, some of his breakfast was missing. She said that Banch had been throwing urine and feces for weeks, as well as screaming and kicking, in an attempt to get moved.

He is now in Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County.

"Both mentally and physically, he was at the end of his rope," Leslie told justices. "I don't see this as an attempt to harass corrections as much as to protect himself from the disrespect that he felt he was getting as an inmate."

Banch testified that on the date of the incident, he modified his behavior, not to the extent that the substance at issue was not urine, but rather that he did not throw the urine, but, instead, he just tipped the cup over, the decision said.

A correction officer testified he saw a "liquid substance coming straight at him," tweaked his back to avoid it and was struck with it, Chemung County Assistant District Attorney Philip A. Alvaro argued to justices.

"The defendant then gets on the stand and tells the court, 'Yes. I had a history of throwing urine, feces, like I always do. And on this day in question, I didn't to throw it at the CO. I simply meant to tip it out of the cell,'" Alvaro told the court.

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He said Banch's claim "simply doesn't make sense."

Justices upheld Banch's conviction, rejecting Leslie's other appeal arguments, which included her contention that a juror should have been disqualified from Banch's trial because she had dated one of the prosecutions witnesses some 18 years earlier. Prosecutors said the relationship had been limited. In addition, Banch had not legally preserved that argument for the appellate court's review.

Leslie also said Banch should not have been partially shackled before the jury. The appellate court said it was a harmless error as evidence "demonstrated that defendant's guilt was overwhelming and there was no reasonable possibility that the error affected the

outcome of the trial." Jurors knew, the decision said, Banch was in prison.

The decision, authored by Justice Molly Reynolds Fitzgerald, was supported by Presiding Justice Elizabeth Garry and Justices Christine Clark, Sharon Aarons and John Colangelo.
WOOD RIVER  The family of slain Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmins has issued a public statement of appreciation for all who have supported them following his death.

Timmins, 36, died after being shot Tuesday morning at the Speedway gas station in Pontoon Beach during the traffic stop of a suspected stolen vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a St. Louis hospital. More than 100 police vehicles on Wednesday escorted his body back to Illinois and Marks Mortuary in Wood River where funeral services are pending.

On Thursday morning, Timmins family issued a statement through the Illinois State Police mourning the loss of our son, husband, father, brother and friend.

We would like to thank the law enforcement community and the thousands of others who have expressed their love, support and concern, they said.

Tyler was the epitome of compassion, empathy and caring throughout his life, the statement reads. He gained notoriety on October 26th when he was senselessly killed in the line of duty.

To many he was a hero that day, the family stated. For us he has been a hero since day one.

There are no words to describe what was taken from us, the statement reads. We will always remember his devotion to his family, his dedication to his career and community, and the love and laughter that he shared with us.

Timmins leaves a wife, Linsey, and a daughter, Chloe. The family noted that the suspect in Timmins murder  Scott Hyden, 31, of Highland  is in custody and said they will not be making any comment on the ongoing investigation. They asked that people respect their privacy during their mourning.

A GoFundMe page supporting the family was created Tuesday at https://www.gofundme.com/f/family-of-fallen-offer-tyler-timmins?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unknown&utm_campaign=comms_l4vs+family-of-fallen-offer-tyler-timmins. By Thursday morning donations had doubled the initial $10,000 goal.

The shooting occurred at about 7:50 a.m. Tuesday. According to police, Timmins had stopped what he believed was a stolen car at the recently opened Speedway convenience store at the intersection of Illinois 111 and Chain of Rocks Road.

He was approaching the vehicle when Hyden reportedly opened fire, striking Timmins in the neck. Timmins was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital where he died of his injuries.

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Hyden was quickly arrested at the scene. On Wednesday he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, both Class M felonies; aggravated discharge of a firearm at a peace officer, a Class X felony; unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and offenses relating to motor vehicles, both Class 2 felonies; and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony.

Hyden is now held in the Madison County Jail without bond. If convicted, Hyden faces natural life in prison, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine has said, adding his office will seek the maximum penalties.

Timmins body left the St. Louis Medical Examiners office in a Granite City Fire Department ambulance at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday with a procession of more than 100 police vehicles led by motorcycle troopers from the Illinois State Police and Missouri Highway Patrol.

The procession passed the gas station where Timmins was mortally wounded and passed beneath a large flag suspended off ladder trucks from the Wood River and East Alton fire departments. Hundreds of people lined the streets.

On Wednesday, Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic said Timmins paid the ultimate sacrifice.

As devastating as this loss is to his family, us, and the entire law enforcement community, I truly believe if Tyler could tell us anything, he would tell us all he didnt die for nothing, Modrusic said. He died doing exactly what he loved: protecting and serving his community.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  One of several legal challenges to North Carolinas contentious voter ID law is on hold amid a dispute over whether two justices on the state Supreme Court  one the son of arguably the state's most powerful Republican politician  should recuse themselves.

The state NAACP's request that Phil Berger Jr. and ex-Sen. Tamara Barringer be disqualified further clouds the future of photo voter ID requirements in one of the numerous Republican-dominated states where lawmakers have sought them, often successfully.

In some states, the laws have been blocked by voters and civil rights groups who have argued that they disproportionately harm Black voters. In addition to the Supreme Court case, two other lawsuits challenging North Carolinas current law are pending in state and federal courts. Federal judges already struck down a previous version of the law that Republicans approved in 2013 and implemented briefly.

The case now before the Supreme Court began in 2018 when the NAACP challenged two amendments to the state constitution put on ballots by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and later approved by voters: the photo ID mandate and a separate provision to reduce the cap on income tax rates.

A trial judge struck down the amendments in 2019, declaring that since many legislators were illegitimately elected from what were previously declared as racially biased districts, they lacked the power to put the questions on the ballot. But an appeals court overturned that decision in 2020, sending the case to the Supreme Court.

The high court was scheduled to hear arguments in the case in August but paused the proceedings after the NAACP requested that Berger and Barringer step down.

Bergers father is Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, who is a named defendant in the NAACP's lawsuit seeking to overturn the photo ID legislation. When Barringer was a lawmaker, she voted in favor of holding the referendum on the voter ID amendment. Both justices joined the court in January after winning statewide elections.

I would have no confidence that either Berger or Barringer would/could decide the issues in the case fairly, said James Coleman, a Duke University law school professor not involved in the litigation. My expectation is that they will vote their partys position on the issues, regardless of how persuasive the other side is."

But Republicans who oppose any recusal say removing the two justices from the decision  there is no one to replace them  would automatically sway the court in favor of voiding the voter ID law. Registered Democrats currently hold a 4-3 advantage on the court, with Barringer and Berger being two of the three Republicans.

The attempt to disqualify them from hearing cases the voters elected them to hear is a subversion of the will of the people and an insult to every informed voter, House Speaker Tim Moore, who is also named as a defendant in the NAACP lawsuit, wrote in a recent letter to the editor.

Martin Warf, an attorney representing Moore and the elder Berger, stressed that Berger is a defendant only in his official capacity  he must be named when a lawsuit challenges a laws constitutionality. And as far as Barringer is concerned, case law has established that being a former legislator who voted on a challenged law isnt by itself grounds for removal, Warf said.

The state judicial conduct code says judges should disqualify themselves, when asked by a legal party, if they have personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts or if the judges near-relative is a party to the proceeding.

The code requires disqualification even if they are in fact impartial and capable of presiding fairly over the matter before them, NAACP attorney Kym Hunter wrote in July.

Recusal requests arent uncommon when attorneys worry a justices family or financial connections could influence the outcome or leave that impression. The named justice usually decides on the request. Recusal denials for an individual justice have been issued by the full court on extremely rare occasions.

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What was unusual in this case is that before either justice indicated publicly whether they would step down, the full state Supreme Court last month asked lawyers on both sides of the lawsuit to submit briefs on more than 20 questions related to the issue. Those briefs are due next week.

"Its not uncommon for the court to ask for additional briefing on a legal question, said Bob Edmunds, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice for 16 years through 2016. But a request for so much information on recusals, he added, is something that I have not observed before.

The one that got the most attention: Does this court have the authority to require the involuntary recusal of a justice who does not believe that self-recusal is appropriate?

The inquiry raises the possibility that one or both of the justices indicated that they would not recuse themselves. Neither responded to a request for comment that The Associated Press asked a court spokesperson to pass along to them.

The briefing order makes the court seem dysfunctional and creates the appearance that justices "arent working together in the normal collegial way, said Jon Guze, a legal expert for the right-leaning John Locke Foundation.

Some states including Michigan, Mississippi and Texas, empower fellow justices to disqualify a colleague who declines to step down, according to the National Council for State Courts. But Guze said he fears disqualifications will become retaliatory and commonplace in North Carolina should Berger or Barringer be removed against their will.

Three former North Carolina chief justices  two elected as Democrats and one as a Republican  wrote in an op-ed recently that recusal decisions during their tenures were made by the jurist identified because only the individual justice can examine her or his conscience.

Only the seven members of our Supreme Court can determine whether this should remain the policy on recusal and disqualification, ex-Chief Justices Jim Exum, Burley Mitchell and Mark Martin wrote. We trust our successors to resolve this difficult question in a way that promotes fundamental fairness, protects the integrity of our judiciary, and, above all else, preserves the rule of law.
ALBANY  The state Education Department won't release 2020-21 statewide assessment data for third through eighth graders, citing incomplete figures since the tests were largely only taken by in-person students during the pandemic.

About 40 percent of students statewide took state English and math exams last spring, compared to more than 80 percent in a typical year, according to the agency.

"To give information that is incomplete will create an incomplete narrative and incomplete story," Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said.

Instead, the department has only released district and school-level scores along with the percentage of students who sat for the tests, now posted on the NYSED website. The individual and school-level scores will help teachers, students and their families with academic planning, officials said.

State education officials repeatedly warned against comparing the results to those in previous school years.

"We have a great deal of work to do, not just academically, but also social-emotionally, in terms of getting students reacclimated to their schedules," Rosa said.

The data for Students Not tested includes students who did not take the tests for varied reasons including receiving entirely remote instruction, students whose parents opted them out of testing, medically excused, absent, and first-year English language learners.

The subgroups of students more likely to take the tests mirrored socioeconomic gaps in access to in-person learning during the pandemic. Students with disabilities, English language learners and those who are economically disadvantaged were significantly less likely to have taken the tests. Black students in New York were the least likely to take the tests compared to other identity groups, with just one in four Black students taking the exams.

In the Capital Region, schools that had more students participating in online learning predictably saw fewer students take the state tests.

Hoosick Falls schools had the lowest test-taking rate. Just 105 out of nearly 1,000 students, 11 percent, sat for the tests.

At Schenectady City School District, which each had more than half of its students learning remotely last year, also had lower-than-average rates, with 22 percent sitting for the exams. Similarly, Albany City schools had 32 percent taking the tests.

Smaller districts tended to have the highest participation rates. Tiny Edinburg Common School district had 100 percent of its 60 students in the grades taking the tests.

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The Wynantskill Union Free School District had 86 percent of its 500 students take the tests. The Menands Union Free School had 84 percent of 380 students taking the exams.

Both Brighter Choice charter schools in Albany had relatively high participation rates; 86 percent of boys took the exams and 83 percent of students at the girls' school did. Other charter schools saw lower-than-average participation rates.

Smaller urban schools like Cohoes and Mechanicville and large suburban schools like Guilderland and North Colonie had higher-than-average participation rates, with between 60 percent to 75 percent of students opting in.

Last year, state officials sought waivers from the U.S. Department of Education for the state assessments and accountability requirements for districts. The federal agency only granted accountability waivers  meaning the scores won't be used to rate schools based on subgroup performance  but required students attending class in person to take the exams. Remote students were allowed to opt-in if they were willing to take the tests in person.

The tests were also abbreviated this year to just one session this year.

The Education Department is looking to shift priorities from being an accountability and compliance-based organization to becoming more "service-oriented," including helping schools navigate the distribution of billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief funds intended to address learning loss, officials said.
South Dakota's labor secretary told lawmakers Thursday that officials had decided to give Gov. Kristi Noem's daughter another chance to win her state real estate appraiser license even before a meeting in the governor's mansion that has spurred conflict of interest questions.

The Associated Press reported last month that on July 27, just days after a state agency moved to deny Kassidy Peters' license, her mother, Noem, convened a meeting that included Secretary of Labor and Regulation Marcia Hultman, the then-director of the appraiser certification program, and Peters herself.

Testifying before the Legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee, which is looking into the agency at the center of the controversy, Hultman acknowledged it was unusual to have an applicant like the governors daughter in a meeting that she said mostly covered potential changes to the application process but included a discussion of Peters' application. However, Hultman defended her departments handling of Peters licensure as keeping with the normal course of business.

Hultman told lawmakers that before the meeting in the governors mansion, state regulators had worked out an agreement with Peters to seek further education and resubmit work samples to be reviewed for compliance with federal standards. Hultman did not give specifics on how or when that decision was made but said it was not unusual for applicants to enter into such an agreement.

We should not say never to an applicant who wants to take extra steps to learn the trade, Hultman said.

When asked by lawmakers why Peters was at the meeting, Hultman said, Someone who is going through the process, regardless of who they are, has insight.

But Kathleen Clark, a law professor who specializes in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis, told the AP the fact that Peters' application was discussed at the meeting was "evidence" the governor had used her power to aid her daughter because it brought pressure on the government employees.

Theres every reason to think this applicant was being treated differently to other applicants, she said.

The governor's spokesman, Jordan Overturf, insisted the committee testimony showed just the opposite, saying it confirms that Kassidy Peters never received special treatment.

After several hours of questioning, Republican lawmakers acknowledged the episode did not look good for the governor but said there was no evidence of direct pressure from the governor. Democrats, who hold just two seats on the 10-member committee, pressed for a deeper inquiry. As the committee concluded its meeting Thursday, it moved to submit a request for the training agreements between Peters and the Department of Labor and Regulation.

Part of the committee's investigation has dealt with another official who was in the meeting, Sherry Bren, the former director of the state's real estate certification program. About a week after Peters received her license in November 2020, Bren was pressured to retire by Hultman. She eventually did so this year but not before receiving a $200,000 payment from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

Republican Sen. David Wheeler said it looked, at the onset, like the governor created a conflict of interest by including her daughter in the meeting. But he was convinced by Hultman's explanation that the agreement was reached before the meeting. He also pointed out that Bren herself did not review Peters' work samples.

At no point, was there pressure placed on Sherry Bren to approve the license," he said.

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Lawmakers also requested that Bren appear before the committee, but she declined. She and Hultman are both barred from disparaging each other as part of Bren's settlement.

In a statement to the AP, Bren said, I am at this time working with my attorney to achieve an opportunity to provide relevant facts to members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee and to correct any factual inaccuracies that were provided to them by Secretary Hultman in her testimony today.

Lawmakers learned Thursday the state had to pay an additional $19,000 in outside legal fees to negotiate the settlement agreement.

Noem, who has positioned herself as a prospect for the GOP presidential ticket in 2024, has defended her conduct by saying she was working to cut red tape to solve a shortage of appraisers. But the organization that represents appraisers in South Dakota told lawmakers they were worried about changes to the agency since Bren's departure.

Sandra Gresh, the president of the Professional Appraisers Association of South Dakota, told lawmakers there has been a breakdown in communication with state regulators since shortly before Bren left her position. She also reported that delays to license renewals had disrupted business for some appraisers and took issue with recent rule changes proposed by the agency.

Hultman said the agency would work to smooth the relationship with the appraiser's association.

The committee chair, Republican Sen. Kyle Schoenfish, said the committee could potentially take further action next month. A separate government ethics board is also expected to review the issue next week.

It still seems like there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, said Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba. And Ill just leave it at that.
GUILDERLAND  A 19-year-old Guilderland man was arrested Friday afternoon in a bizarre attempted bank robbery near the intersection of Western Avenue and Fuller Road that included a bomb threat and terrified workers being evacuated from a nearby office building.

The incident, which included the use of a drone and a tactical team armed with rifles to check for explosives, forced police to shut down traffic for about two-and-a-half hours around the Bank of America branch at 1450 Western Ave. next to the Black & Blue steakhouse.

Guilderland police got a call at 1:33 p.m. that a man had walked into the branch and handed a teller a note that said he would blow the bank up unless he was handed money.

After reaching the scene, police from Guilderland, the University at Albany and the State Police set up a perimeter and shut down traffic along Western between Fuller and McKown roads.

Witnesses, who walked out of neighboring businesses to watch the scene unfold, said that bank employees and customers were ushered out soon afterward, while the suspect remained inside.

Across the street, Kristine Dimas, owner of Elite Design, watched the tense scene with her employees. She said a man soon left the bank and dropped to his knees as a police dog and officers with shields descended on him and took him away in an unmarked police car.

He surrendered, Dimas said. "He looked really frail."

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Police also evacuated people working at an office building next to the bank, telling people they were investigating a bomb threat.

No explosives were found in the bank, and the suspect was charged with falsely reporting an incident in addition to attempted robbery.

Members of the State Police Bomb Disposal Unit and the Albany Police Department Emergency Services Team, using at times what appeared to be a drone, continued to check the bank building to ensure it was clear.

Police left and opened up Western Avenue just before 4 p.m. The man was arraigned in Guilderland Town Court and sent to the Albany County jail.
TROY  A Democratic candidate for City Council has filed a complaint with the state Attorney Generals Office claiming the Rensselaer County Republican elections commissioner shredded an absentee ballot he had submitted.

The complaint, as well as an audio recording made by Steven Figueroa, a candidate in the 2nd Council District, has sent city Democrats scrambling to ensure they arent losing absentee voters to Republican candidates.

Figueroa said he learned that Rodney Wiltshire, a Republican candidate for County Legislature as well as a former Democratic City Council president, had filed an absentee ballot from the same voter that Figueroa had obtained a ballot from.

Figueroa said he went to the county Board of Elections office to check the 100 ballots he submitted and quickly saw the ballot in question was not the one he filed. He said he had marked each envelope so he could identify them.

Figueroa said he asked about the discrepancy while recording on his cellphone and that Republican Elections Commissioner Jason Schofield said he had destroyed the ballot. Schofield can be heard saying the ballot was shredded.

Figueroa said he then filed the complaint with the state.

Assemblyman John McDonald, D-Cohoes, said he met with representatives of the AGs office and that they are investigating. McDonald expressed concerns about the handling of the absentee ballots and the impact on races across the ballot.

A spokesman for state Attorney General Letitia James declined to comment on the Troy case, saying the office doesnt confirm or deny investigations.

Schofield said the ballot filed by Wiltshire was clocked in first and the second was destroyed. He said there had never been a situation where ballots from the same voter were filed by different candidates. He apologized for destroying the ballot filed by Figueroa.

The voter in question went to the county early voting site at the Troy Atrium with Figueroa and cast a ballot in person, invalidating the absentee ballot. Figueroa and Schofield confirmed the voter had voted in person.

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Wiltshire said he knew nothing of the incident. Wiltshire said he is going to voters he knows from past campaigns to obtain absentee ballots. He has been going with Republican-affiliated candidates.

Rensselaer County had problems earlier this year when it was sued successfully by the Attorney Generals Office and other parties to have an early voting site place in downtown Troy for the general election that would be accessible for those without vehicles.

McDonald and State Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem, backed a successful lawsuit that required an early voting site to be in Troy after the county board placed them in Brunswick and Schodack. In 2009, Democrats became embroiled in a Working Families Party absentee ballot scandal that resulted in several convictions.
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.
An Irish doctor has said pregnant women who have already had Covid should still consider gettting vaccinated.

Dr Ronan Glynn made the comments on Twitter as part of a thirteen-part informational about pregnancy, Covid-19, and vaccination.

In a post, he said, "If you have already had Covid-19 you should still consider getting the Covid-19 vaccine. Although previous infection does provide some protection, vaccination is still recommended."

Although he said "most" pregnant women infected with the virus have mild or no symptoms and don't experience serious complications, there is "increasing evidence that Covid-19 can affects your pregnancy".

There is growing evidence that pregnant women may be at increased risk of severe illness from #COVID19 compared with non-pregnant women, particularly in the third trimester.

(4/13)  Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) October 28, 2021

He said, "Pregnant women with Covid-19 are at higher risk of preterm birth, high blood pressure, postpartum haemorrhage and stillbirth than those who are not infected with Covid-19."

According to the doctor, the vaccines can be given "at any time in pregnancy" and that breastfeeding women can receive a vaccine without having to stop breastfeeding.

He also said those who have had laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 in the previous six months will only need one dose.
A strategic move has been announced by Nexen Tire America in which the company will relocate its US headquarters to Richfield, Ohio, to join its North American technical center.

The relocation decision was made shortly after the tire manufacturer identified several key benefits for its US customers. By moving to the central location, Nexen will be able to ensure that the priorities of its customers can continue to be met and it will also enable the company to strategize ways to increase the frequency of traveling to customers. In addition to this, Nexen will enhance its operational efficiency and provide on-going training and support for its dealers in the country.

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Nexens 35,540ft2 Ohio technical center was opened in 2019 at a cost of US$5.2m. The company will continue to utilize its three US distribution facilities in California, Georgia and Ohio.

Nexen Tires road to growth is running straight through the middle of the country into Richfield, Ohio, and were ecstatic to be reuniting with an already incredible and established team at our North American technical center, commented Brian YoonSeok Han, CEO, Nexen Tire America.

Our world-renowned technical center is best known for its unmatched tire testing and development and is now the official home of the Nexen Tire America team where we will continue to develop top-tier tires for our customers.
A solar power generator has started the first phase of its operation at Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Thailands (BTMT) Chonburi facility, where it is being used to power truck and bus tire production.

Comprising 2,160 individual solar panels on the facilitys roof, the installation is capable of producing 1MWp capacity. A second phase installation is scheduled to be completed in 2024 which will provide the facility with an additional 4MWp.

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BTMT predicts that by 2023, the facility can reduce its CO 2 emissions by 30,000 tons each year, an estimated 50% CO 2 reduction compared with 2011 levels, and increase renewable energy usage to approximately 45%.

Bridgestone not only seeks solutions to improve its energy efficiency, but also endeavors to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable society for all, commented Shousuke Namiyama, managing director, BTMT. This solar panel initiative is another positive step in achieving Bridgestones long-term environmental vision towards [becoming]carbon neutral.

The tire manufacturer plans to install solar power generators at the Thai Bridgestone (TBSC) site and at another two facilities in the country  Bridgestone Specialty Tire Manufacturing and Bridgestone Metalpha, with work scheduled to be completed by 2023.

TBSC recently signed a contract with its partner, Impact Solar Group, for the installation of the large-scale 9.9MWp capacity solar power generator at the Nongkhae plant. This will become Bridgestones largest solar power generator in terms of its capacity.
A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for causing a crash earlier this year that killed a grandmother and injured her 6-month-old grandson
The Senate has approved a plan to preserve ramifications for those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19
[October 29, 2021] China's New Regulation on Internet Healthcare will Benefit Platforms like WeDoctor

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /CNW/ -- On 27 October, China's National Health Commission (NHC), the authority responsible for the medical industry, issued a new policy that calls for the regulation of China's fast-growing Internet healthcare industry. The policy is expected to push China's internet healthcare industry into the era of standardized development. According to the NHC, as of June 2021, the number of Internet hospitals in China has exceeded 1,600, the Internet hospital is the provider of online medical services such as online consultations. The first Internet hospital in China was established in 2015 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province by digital medical service platform WeDoctor. This policy has generated widespread interest within the Chinese healthcare industry since its release. The regulatory policy on online medical consultation has been well received within the industry, with the release of the policy seen as beneficial to the development of the Internet healthcare industry, especially for some of large digital medical platforms that engage strictly online medical services. The document, titled "Rules on the Regulation of Online Medical Consulttion (Draft for Comments)", states that physicians are required to authenticate their real identity before providing consultations to ensure that such online consultations are provided by the say doctor. Other people, AI software, etc. are not allowed to impersonate or replace the physicians themselves. As a result, some companies that focusing on using AI technology to provide consultation services may be negatively impacted.



China does not allow Internet healthcare platforms to use consultations as a tool for the sale of prescription drugs. The policy proposes that the occurrence of unified prescriptions and prescription refills is prohibited, that the personal income of healthcare workers must not be linked to income from drugs and medical examinations, and that doctors must not designate locations to purchase drugs and consumables. Liao Jieyuan, founder of China's largest digital medical service platform WeDoctor, believes that the policy has released a clear signal that online medical consultation should be of the same quality as that provided by physical institutions, reflecting China's determination to develop digital medical services, which is essential for the standardized development and market expansion of the Internet healthcare industry.

China's 1.4 billion people have a huge demand for healthcare services and physical hospitals are unable to meet this demand. Platforms such as WeDoctor have leverage technology to help alleviate the demand and supply imbalance in China's healthcare industry. According to a publicly released research report by CICC, with the regulatory policies for Internet healthcare becoming more transparent and standardized, companies providing actual medical services with a sound regulatory compliance system are expected to benefit the most. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinas-new-regulation-on-internet-healthcare-will-benefit-platforms-like-wedoctor-301411817.html SOURCE WeDoctor

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[October 29, 2021] Digital talent summit to explore bridging digital gap in APAC

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, November 3, the ASEAN Foundation and Huawei will virtually host the Asia Pacific Innovation Day  Digital Talent Summit 2021. The online summit is aimed at bringing together policy makers, researchers and industry experts to share solutions and best practices in building a sustainable ecosystem that will help foster digital talents in Asia Pacific. The COVID-19 pandemic has forcefully accelerated the digital economy over the last 1.5 years. As companies and organisations are undergoing rapid digital transformation and seeking skilled knowledge workers to meet the challenges brought by the rise of digital economy, it becomes apparent that there remains a huge gap in digital talents across the Asia Pacific region. A Korn Ferry research finds that Asia Pacific is facing an imminent labor shortage of 47 million people by 2030 and an annual opportunity cost of US$4.238 trillion. According to PwC's 20th CEO Survey, more than 50% of APAC CEOs say it's difficult to hire digital talent with the right skills. <>To solve the digital talent gap and seize the leapfrog opportunity in the digital era, governments across the region have been actively strengthening the policy and providing support. At the summit, governments' leaders from countries across the region, such as Indonesia , Thailand , Cambodia , Malaysia , Philippines and Sri Lanka will share their practice, policy suggestions and vision in cultivating the digital talent ecosystem.



A sustainable digital talent ecosystem requires joint efforts from government, corporations, industrial organizations and educational institutions. Notable speakers from ASEAN, UNESCO, International Telecommunication Union, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Maxis Communications will be featured in the panel discussion on the topic of "Digital Talent as Key to Sustainable Recovery & Development" at the summit. "The creation of a sustainable talent development ecosystem in Asia Pacific requires forward-thinking policymaking and strong public-private partnership. A conducive learning ecosystem will help to groom a generation of digital talents that will someday lead the region's digital future," said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

As the co-organizer of this summit, Huawei this July announced its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0, through which the tech company plans to invest $150 million in digital talent development over the next five years. The program is expected to benefit more than 3 million additional people globally. In 2008, Huawei began to roll out talent development programs, and has since benefited more than 1.54 million people from over 150 countries through scholarships, technology competitions and digital skills training. For example, initiated in 2008 in Thailand, the Seeds for the Future Program is designed to inspire local talents and encourage seeds for the society to tackle digital challenges. "The world ahead will be one dominated by devices: connecting, sensing, and reacting to everything around us. We hope our education programs not only reaffirms our commitment to social responsibility, but also prepares the next generation of experts to design and navigate this digital landscape. Our future depends on it," said Jay Chen, Vice President at Huawei Asia Pacific. The summit can be viewed live at https://www.huawei.com/en/events/asia-pacific-innovation-day-2021 and ASEAN Foundation's official Facebook page on November 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (GMT+7). View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-talent-summit-to-explore-bridging-digital-gap-in-apac-301411705.html SOURCE Huawei

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[October 29, 2021] ICBA Expands Preferred Service Provider Agreement with Wolters Kluwer to Include iLien Document Management

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) has expanded its Wolters Kluwer Preferred Service Provider relationship to include its SaaS (News - Alert)-based iLien system, offered by Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions. The platform helps community banks simplify and automate their lien, titling and real property documentation needs. The Wolters Kluwer iLien product suite allows community bankers to search, file, and manage uniform commercial code filings, process and manage vehicle titles, and record and manage real property documentation with ease. The platform includes full analytics and reporting capabilities for a holistic view of lending portfolios and is backed by Wolters Kluwer's regulatory expertise. "In today's increasingly digitized environment, community banks are seeking solutions that eliminate highly manual processes for improved accuracy and efficiency," said ICBA Senior Executive Vice President of Community Bank Solutions Kevin Tweddle. "The platform's versatility and streamlined approach to document management makes iLien a great fit for community banks seeking to mitigate their risk exposure and simplify complexity across the loan lifecycle." "Community banks serve an important role in their communities and need flexible tools to deliver exceptional service to their ustomers," added Steve Meirink, Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions Executive Vice President and General Manager. "Our iLien solution helps community banks seamlessly perform due diligence and loan management for informed lending decisions that support their bank's business growth objectives."



For more information about the ICBA Preferred Service Providers program, visit www.icba.org/psp. About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. insurers, banks and credit unions, and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwer's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage risk and regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. Governance, Risk & Compliance is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to help ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance. Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,200 people worldwide. About ICBA The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services. With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute 99 percent of all banks, employ more than 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5.8 trillion in assets, over $4.8 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.5 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers' dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA's website at www.icba.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005013/en/

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[October 29, 2021] Pegasus Digital Mobility Acquisition Corp. Announces The Appointment of Independent Directors

Pegasus Digital Mobility Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: PGSS.U) (the "Company"), a special purpose acquisition company founded by Strategic Capital Fund Management, LLC ("Strategic Capital"), announced the appointment of four independent directors in connection with its $200 million initial public offering, which closed on October 26, 2021. "A SPAC needs a clear and simple organization structure and the right people," stated Chairman and CEO Dr. Sir Ralf Speth. "We have carefully assembled a world-class Board of Directors to enhance our value proposition for prospective target companies. We believe that we can be a great partner to a forward-thinking company and management team, which can translate to creating long term value for shareholders." Independent Board Appointments On October 21, 2021, the following individuals were appointed to serve as the independent directors of the Company: Steve Norris is a former member of the UK parliament who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister of Transport in the government of Sir John Major. He is a former Director General of the UK Road Haulage Association and a former Chairman of First Group plc's London bus operations. He is Deputy Chairman of Optare plc, the UK's second largest bus manufacturer specializing in all-electric vehicles, President of ITS-UK, the UK branch of the global intelligent transport systems organization, and chairman of Evtec Automotive Limited, a tier 1 supplier to Jaguar Land Rover, Ford (News - Alert) and Aston Martin. He also joined the board of Empati Ltd in UK which specializes in the development of green hydrogen and the use of AI to assist in the development of sustainable renewable energy. Florian Wolf has considerable experience in investment banking, business development, and financial and operational management across a wide range of industries, with a leadership focus on the electric vehicle and next-generation transportation sectors. Mr. Wolf is the Chief Financial Officer of next-generation battery technology firm Innolith AG, headquartered in Switzerland. While with .P. Morgan, Mr. Wolf assumed the role as the firm's EMEA Head of Electric Vehicles. His coverage and focus included Electric Vehicles, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Battery Cell, Power Electronics and Fuel Cell technology.



John Doherty has 35 years of experience in corporate development, strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, transaction execution & integration, venture capital investments and financial management in the technology, connectivity and digital infrastructure industries across the United States, Europe, Central America, South America and Asia. He is the Chief Financial Officer of Magic Leap, an augmented reality (AR) company pioneering a wearable platform to amplify enterprise productivity, where he is responsible for all strategic, financial and corporate development activity for the company including accounting and control, financial planning & analysis, treasury, fundraising and investor relations. Jeff Foster (News - Alert) has served as an Adjunct Professor of Real Estate at Georgetown University and an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at the University of South Florida. He also served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of DuPont Fabros Technology (NYSE: DFT), guiding the company through its 2007 IPO and its 2017 sale to Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR). Mr. Foster was responsible for obtaining financing through common and preferred equity, bonds and bank debt. He was also responsible for strategic planning, investor relations, accounting and lobbying for a sales tax exemption.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including with respect to the 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 offering filed with the SEC (News - Alert). 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. About Pegasus Digital Mobility Acquisition Corp. Pegasus Digital Mobility Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") is a newly-incorporated, blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted entity. The Company was founded by Strategic Capital, an investment management organization focused on digital economy investments, and the Company led by Dr. Sir Ralf Speth, F. Jeremey Mistry, and Dr. Stefan Berger. The Company is a new special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, it intends to focus its search on target businesses within the next-generation transportation sector with exposure to energy transformation and digital mobility tailwinds, particularly in the European market. The Company believes this business sector is in the early stages of a generational growth trend that is accelerating as a result of energy transformation through the rise of zero emission transportation, as well as the digitization of mobility through artificial intelligence, wireless connectivity and software applications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005411/en/

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[October 28, 2021] Primavera Capital Invests in Solid-State Battery Maker ProLogium to Further Advance Carbon Neutrality

BEIJING, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Primavera Capital Group ("Primavera") announced an investment in ProLogium Technology Co., Ltd. ("ProLogium"), the world's leading solid-state battery ("SSB") maker. In the latest round of financing, ProLogium has raised US$326 million from investors that also include dGav Capital and SoftBank China Venture Capital. The capital will allow ProLogium to expand its mass production of solid lithium batteries in Asia, Europe and the U.S. over the next five years. ProLogium will supply batteries to mainstream automakers in their local markets and will also accelerate the provision of new SSB solutions for its strategic electric vehicle (EV) partners. This is one of several recent Primavera investments into green or energy-efficient businesses that promote carbon neutrality. On October 21 of this year, Primavera announced a strategic investment of US$600 million in wind turbine maker Envision Energy and Envision AESC, two subsidiaries of Envision Group. Previously, Primavera also invested in Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co, China's largest supplier of polymer lithium-ion batteries, as well as in EV makers Xpeng Auto and NIO Auto, and shared travel solution provider Hello Inc. ProLogium i a global leader in SSB innovation and has developed nearly 500 patented technologies for oxide SSBs. Its automated roll to roll pilot production line went into operation in 2017, with at least one million battery cells shipped to various application markets, leading the market in terms of product maturity. The company is accelerating its global expansion and deepening cooperation with mainstream new energy vehicle manufacturers, which will significantly improve the safety and range of its new energy vehicle partners when the production capacity is released.



Dr. Fred Hu, Founder and Chairman of Primavera, commented: "We are delighted to be a new investor and long-term partner to ProLogium. Solid-state batteries have great potential to drive change and mass adoption of EVs due to greater energy density, higher safety, minimal environmental impact and maximum longevity. ProLogium fits well with Primavera's strategy to advance carbon neutrality through active investment decisions." "As an industry innovator, ProLogium not only possesses the world's leading technology but also is led by a sophisticated management team. Foreseeing that future mobility must be zero-emission, smarter and safer, we are happy to join hands with ProLogium to fulfill this vision and contribute to the cause of tackling global climate change," Dr. Hu added.

Vincent Yang Sinan, Founder and CEO of ProLogium, said: "In recent years, ProLogium has been advancing towards the industrialization of SSBs through R&D, mass production as well as quality improvement. While battery is like the heart of an EV, we firmly believe that our SSB will be the key technology for safer and better-performing EVs. We are grateful for the strong support from our new investor Primavera Capital as well as existing shareholders dGav Capital and Softbank China." About Primavera Capital Group Primavera Capital Group is a premier China-based global investment firm that manages both RMB and USD funds for leading institutions, corporations and prominent family offices around the world. Primavera seeks the best opportunities from China's historic transition from a middle-income to an advanced economy and focuses on consumer and retail, technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, business services, financial services, and carbon neutrality related sectors. For more information, please visit https://www.primavera-capital.com/. Media Contact : Primavera Capital Group, Email: [email protected] Finsbury Glover Hering, Email: [email protected] SOURCE Primavera Capital Group

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[October 28, 2021] AHF Files Brief Against CVS at the U.S. Supreme Court

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, filed a brief of amicus curiae with the Supreme Court of the United States earlier today in CVS Pharmacy, Inc. vs. Doe, a case set to be heard and decided by summer 2022. In December 2020, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Doe vs. CVS Pharmacy, Inc. that people living with HIV can state a discrimination claim under the Affordable Care Act against CVS Pharmacy, Inc., for requiring them to use mail-order pharmacies to obtain HIV/AIDS medications or to go to one of a few designated "specialty" pharmacies that are little more than pick-up stations, as part of in-network pharmacy services for private insurance plans. CVS appealed the ruling and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. In its brief, AHF asks the Supreme Court to affirm the earlier judgement of the Ninth Circuit. "For people living with HIV/AIDS, real specialty pharacies and pharmacists that focus on HIV/AIDS and in-person treatment provide demonstrably superior care than do mail-order pharmacies and retail pharmacies. We believe that CVS's denial of choice in pharmacy services for HIV/AIDS patients is both wrong and discriminatory," said Jonathan M. Eisenberg, Deputy General Counsel -- Litigation for AHF.



AHF's amicus curiae brief focuses on three primary arguments: That U.S. Statutory Law Requires Courts to Protect People Living with HIV/AIDS from Disability Discrimination by Healthcare Providers, That Coerced Use of Mail-Order Pharmacies Is Highly Detrimental to People Living with HIV/AIDS, and That Coercing People Living with HIV/AIDS to Use Mail-Order Pharmacies Is a Disability-Rights Violation, by Both Intent and Impact. "CVS said to people living with HIV that they can only go to a few of its selected pharmacies and/or be compelled to utilize its PBM's mail order pharmacies. Patients asserted they weren't getting full service there, which discriminated against them. They wanted to keep their current pharmacies which provide more comprehensive and specialty services," said Tom Myers, Chief of Public Affairs and General Counsel for AHF. "We filed this amicus brief to support HIV/AIDS patients' legal arguments in the case before the Supreme Court and to defend patients' rights and choice in their pharmacy services."

The December 2020 9th Circuit Court ruling validated AHF's earlier warning of the CVS threat to the HIV response back in 2018. See AHF press statement (Nov. 28, 2018) "CVS-Aetna Merger is Bad for HIV Patients." AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028006316/en/

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[October 28, 2021] BOAX launches RMBits series, the first Chinese Meebits style voxel art NFTs by IZBLU Labs

HONG KONG, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BOAX NFT Marketplace and its affiliated digital media production house IZBLU Labs recently launched their latest NFT collection RMBits (www.rmbits.io). This is the first Chinese Meebits style NFTs in the world inspired by the most famous classic Chinese characters in ancient Chinese literature and Chinese mythology. The first release of the 12 original RMBits were sold out within 24 hours. Right now, the full RMBits collection includes 8 characters from Journey to the West, 4 characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and 3 special ones from Stories in Chinese Mythology in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Among these 15 RMBits, the most widely known one is Monkey King, a legendary mythical figure best known in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. While fascinated with its prowess and wisdom, many are inspired by his rebellious spirit against the then untouchable feudal rulers. Other RMBits from Journey to the West include Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, Niu Mowang, Tie Shan Gongzhu, Baigu Jing, and Zhizhu Jing.





There are also four RMBits inspired by main characters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They are Zhuge Liang, who is recognised as the most accomplished strategist of his era; Liu Bei, who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were among the earliest to join Liu Bei, shared a brotherly relationship with their lord and accompanied him on most of his early exploits. To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, IZBLU Labs created three special mythological RMBits related to the "moon": Wu Gang, commonly known as the Chinese Sisyphus because of a divine punishment which has led to him endlessly cutting down a self-healing osmanthus tree on the Moon. Chang'e, the Chinese goddess of the moon, best known for stealing an elixir of immortality from her husband, Hou Yi. And Hou Yi, A skilled archer who shot down 9 extra suns to save the earth. "We do not mass produce our digital art by algorithm, rather we take pride in handcrafting and delivering our best artworks which are creative, fresh, and modern, with Chinese cultural undertones  just like our iconic RMBITS series", the founder of IZBLU Labs Mr. Ian Wen stated, "These RMBits relive the life of ancient heroes and heroines in the modern year of Metaverse. We welcome you as an owner of RMBits to join this epic journey and rewrite their legends of unlimited possibilities." About IZBLU Labs IZBLU Labs is a creative hub of digital arts built on blockchain technology. IZBLU Labs uses blockchain technology to protect and promote Chinese traditional cultural heritage. Through leveraging advanced blockchain technology, IZBLU Labs mints art projects into unique Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) which could not be replicated or altered, addressing issues of transparency and provenance. www.izblulabs.com About BOAX NFT Marketplace BOAX, a new premium NFT marketplace which empowers users to trade rare digital assets online soft-launched in July 2021. Empowered by its banking partner Bank of Asia and related ecosystem, BOAX is uniquely positioned as a strong player in the digital asset space. It serves to facilitate the most influential speakers in this circle and beyond to unite and make positive social impact through the sharing of art in the digital form, connecting the younger, tech-savvy generation to the masterminds and their masterpieces. SOURCE BOAX

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[October 28, 2021] Alchemy Pay Announces Limited Edition NFT Crypto-Linked Cards at Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance Inauguration Event

SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Inauguration Dinner of the newly established Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance (BIA) Alchemy Pay announced the launch of its first series of thirty-six Limited Edition Crypto-Linked Virtual Cards in partnership with "Forbes 30 under 30" blockchain artist Song Ting, who currently holds the record in NFT sales in the Chinese market. Hosted by Alchemy Pay and co-hosts Polygon Network, Draper Dragon, and Bit.Store, the event was held on the evening of October 27 at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai and attended by more than a hundred executives of mainstream and blockchain industry giants including Tencent, Alibaba, Mastercard, Binance, Huobi, OKex, ADA, Polygon, Near and NEO. Alchemy Pay will additionally collaborate with five other world-renowned artists to launch other limited-edition cards which will feature benefits at the highest premium level, such as 24-hour butler service, global airport first-class lounge access, and commensurate Delivering the keynote speech as one of the BIA founders, Alchemy Pay CEO John Tan said: "The mission of BIA to unleash the full potential of the blockchain industry closely aligns with Alchemy Pay's own mission to provide necessary infrastructure that connects the fiat and crypto economies. Alchemy Pay will be collaborating with BIA members to provide easy access to crypto services for every business and individual and lower the barrier to transactions between iat and crypto."



Richard Wang, Partner of Draper Dragon, a fund co-owned by renowned investor Tim Draper, said: "Draper Dragon is honored to be invited by Alchemy Pay to join the Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance. Since 2018, Alchemy Pay and its leaders have been at the frontier of building vital foundations for the blockchain industry. We will continue to support Alchemy Pay and BIA in their cause to advance the blockchain industry." In presentations at the event, two of Alchemy Pay's key institutional partners  Amos Zhang, Head of APAC of NEAR Protocol, and Charlie Hu, Head of Polygon Asia  expressed their optimism for future collaboration with Alchemy Pay to promote the development of the industry, noting as well that their participation in BIA would .

Alchemy Pay's crypto-linked cards can be linked to digital wallets such as Google Pay and PayPal while working with over 40 cryptocurrencies and millions of merchants on the Visa and Mastercard network, including popular eCommerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay. Each of the first edition of the virtual cards will be graphically represented with unique NFT art by Song Ting, making the cards extremely distinctive in branding as well as collectible as NFT art. About Alchemy Pay Alchemy Pay is an integrated fiat and cryptocurrency gateway solution for businesses. Alchemy Pay powers seamless crypto and fiat acceptance for merchant networks, developers and financial institutions, and powers adoption of blockchain technology by making crypto investment and DeFi services readily accessible to consumers and institutions in the fiat economy. Today, Alchemy operates in 18 countries and regions and has touchpoints with more than 2 million merchants through partnerships with industry giants such as Binance, Shopify, Arcadier, QFPay and more. About the Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance The Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance (BIA) was founded by Alchemy Pay, Polygon, NEAR, NEO, Bit.Store, Draper Dragon and Conflux Network. It brings together thought-leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs that are changing history in the blockchain industry. BIA creates mutually beneficial synergies between members across all areas of blockchain technology and provides a forum for solutions in the industry that benefit from shared standards and best practices. BIA has a commitment to incubating projects that solve industry challenges; all with the mission to shape a better world. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alchemy-pay-announces-limited-edition-nft-crypto-linked-cards-at-blockchain-infrastructure-alliance-inauguration-event-301411678.html SOURCE Alchemy Pay

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[October 28, 2021] 14-Year-Old Mathematician Discovers a New Way to Accelerate Calculations and Computing Using 'Antiprime' Numbers; Wins $25,000 Top Award at the Broadcom MASTERS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science today announced that Akilan Sankaran, 14, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the coveted $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, the top award in the Broadcom MASTERS, the nation's premier science and engineering competition for middle school students. Akilan is the first student with a math project in the competition's 11-year history to take home the Samueli Foundation Prize. Akilan wrote a computer program that can calculate "highly divisible numbers", sometimes called antiprime numbers, that are over 1,000 digits long. He created a new class of functions  the smooth class  to measure a number's divisibility. Akilan's program has the potential capacity to speed up and optimize the performance of software and apps, such as Shazam. By analyzing and developing smooth highly divisible numbers, Akilan's goal was to make calculations run more quickly, in turn accelerating countless everyday processes and tasks. The other top winners took on issues ranging from wildfires to obesity to water and light pollution. The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of the Society for Science, inspires middle school students to follow their STEM passions through to exciting college and career paths. Thirty finalists, including Akilan, took home more than $100,000 in awards. The competition took place virtually to keep the finalists, their families and the Society staff safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Each of the 30 finalists participated in online team challenges in addition to being judged on their science research projects. The challenges leveraged project-based learning and tested their mastery of 21st Century skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration in each of the STEM areas. The finalists analyzed biodiversity in their local communities, designed clinical trials, constructed gliders and developed functional programs using Raspberry Pis. "Congratulations to all our Broadcom MASTERS winners," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and Publisher of Science News. "The young people we are celebrating today are working to solve the world's most intractable problems. The Broadcom MASTERS finalists serve as an inspiration to us all, and I know they will all go on to find immense success on their STEM journey." "The finalists competing in the Broadcom MASTERS this year are exceptional. Many completed their research projects and engineered prototypes without access to hands-on resources, which were limited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, they persevered and did not allow these challenges to hinder their passion to explore scientific problems or create engineering solutions," said Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation. "The entire Broadcom family congratulates Akilan and the Broadcom MASTERS Class of 2021." Akilan Sankaran, 14, Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, for his computer program that can calculate "highly divisible numbers", sometimes called antiprimes, more than 1,000 digits long as well as his leadership, collaboration and critical thinking skills. The prize is a gift of Dr. Henry Samueli, Chairman of the Board, Broadcom Inc., and Chair of the Broadcom Foundation and his wife, Dr. Susan Samueli, President of the Samueli Foundation. Camellia Sharma, 14, Henrico, Virginia, won the $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award for demonstrating excellence in science, technology, engineering or math, along with the leadership and technical skills necessary to excel in the 21st Century STEM workforce and build a better community for tomorrow. Camellia built a 3D-printed aerial drone/boat that can fly to a spot, land on the water and take underwater photos. Her software can then count the fish living there. Prisha Shroff, 14, Chandler, Arizona, won the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor who creates a promising solution to a real-world problem. Prisha developed an AI-based wildfire prevention system that uses satellite and meteorological data to identify fire-prone locations and deploy drones there. Josephine E. Schultz, 14, San Antonio, Texas, won the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, an honor made possible by Samueli's generous donation of his 2012 Marconi Society Prize Award. The finalist demonstrates both vision and promise as an innovator, in the spirit of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi. Josephine studied painted lady butterflies and found that changes in light patterns can affect their emergence from their chrysalises by up to two weeks. Ryka C. Chopra, 13, Fremont, California, won the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognizes the student whose work and performance shows the most promise in health-related fields and demonstrates an understanding of the many social factors that affect the health of communities. Ryka geocoded the locations of fast-food restaurants to see if they are built near populations of obese people, perhaps contributin to the obesity cycle.



Broadcom MASTERS winners were chosen from the 30 finalists selected from 1,841 applicants from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and three U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands). Winners were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, engineers and educators. Each finalist's school will receive $1,000 from the Broadcom MASTERS program to benefit their STEM initiatives. In addition to the top prizes, the Broadcom Foundation and the Society also announced the winner of the $5,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award, first and second place winners in each of the STEM categories of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The organizations also named the two Rising Stars who will be the U.S. delegates at the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS International and official observers to Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the winners of the Team Award, sponsored by TIES.

Winners Include: Samueli Foundation Prize: $25,000

Akilan Sankaran, On the Exploration and Analysis of Highly Divisible Numbers DoD STEM Talent Award: $10,000

Camellia Sharma, FishPopAI: Counting Fish Population using Artificial Intelligence Lemelson Award for Invention: $10,000

Prisha Shroff, AI-based Wildfire Prevention System Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation: $10,000

Josephine E. Schultz, Effect of Light Pollution on Chrysalis Stage of Painted Lady Butterfly Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement: $10,000

Ryka C. Chopra, Does the Tail Wag the Dog, After All? Obesity Clusters & Their Influence on Predatory Location Choice of New Fast-Food Chain Franchisees Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award: $5,000 Hailey Miya Van , Multi-stressor Analysis of Carbon Dioxide on Oceanic Ecosystems: Using Climate Change Modeling to Study Hypoxia and Acidification, won the Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award, which recognizes a finalist whose project and performance combines expert STEM knowledge and passion for helping or improving one's community through coding. STEM Award Winners: First and second place winners of STEM Awards demonstrated acumen and promise in science, technology, engineering and math. First place winners were awarded $3,500 and second place winners received $2,500 to be used toward a STEM summer camp experience, with top awards in math sponsored by Robert John Floe, President Floe Financial Partners. Science Award: First place: Atreya Manaswi , Finding the Best Novel, Safe, and Organic Treatment to Attract Small Hive Beetles and Improve Honey Bee Strength (Year 2 Study)

Second place: Elizabeth Reilly , The Role of Leech Saliva and Shisho in the Inflammation and Healing of Diabetic Wounds Technology Award: First place: Ansh Sehgal , Bike to Bike System for Visually Impaired

Second place: Praneel Anil Shah, Utilizing a Bioelectrochemical System with Phototrophic Bacteria to Generate Clean Water and Electricity Engineering Award: First place: Avi Patel , Bike to Bike System for Visually Impaired

Second place: Clara Choi , EEG Study of Virtual Learning Demonstrates Worsened Learning Outcomes and Higher Mirror Neuron Activation Mathematics Award: First place: Eamon Gordon , Assessing the Effect of Voice Onset Time on the Perception of English Consonants

Second place: Sohan Govindaraju , A Novel Mathematical Approach to Predict the Spread of a Wildfire Using the SIR based Model Rising Star Awards:

In recognition of their promise as two of the youngest competitors, two Rising Stars win the opportunity to represent the U.S. as a delegate to Broadcom MASTERS International. Delegates will attend the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest international high school science fair competition. Sebastian Rae Alexis , Quantifying the Effectiveness of Lockdown Measures Using Effective Reproduction Number (Rt) of SARS-CoV2

, Judy Eliana Bai , Computational Prediction of COVID-19 Risky Genes Associated with Lung Cancer Team Award, sponsored by TIES: Each member of the team that best demonstrates their ability to work together and solve problems through shared decision making, communication and scientific and engineering collaboration will receive a gift card to a science supply company to support their interests in STEM. The team award is sponsored by TIES, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM. White Team: Ryka C. Chopra, Atreya Manaswi, Avi Patel, Samhita Pokkunuri and Elizabeth Reilly Broadcom Leadership Award:

The Broadcom Leadership Award is bestowed upon the Broadcom MASTERS finalist elected by their peers to speak on behalf of their class at the Awards Ceremony. The Class Speaker demonstrates the collegiality and spirited leadership that has earned the collective esteem of the class throughout the Broadcom MASTERS competition and united them around common goals. Prisha Shroff , AI-based Wildfire Prevention System Resources:

For more information on the Broadcom MASTERS, visit the Broadcom Foundation and Society websites . To keep up with the Broadcom MASTERS, use the hashtag #brcmMASTERS or follow Broadcom Foundation and the Society on Twitter or the Society on Instagram. To stay connected, visit the Broadcom MASTERS and Society Facebook pages. Media Kit: https://www.societyforscience.org/broadcom-2021-media-kit/ About Broadcom Foundation

Founded in April 2009, the Broadcom Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation the mission of advancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity. The foundation inspires young people to pursue careers in STEM and to develop 21st Century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. It is a founding member of the National STEM Funders Network and plays a leadership role in the STEM Education Ecosystem Initiative in the US and Israel. The foundation's signature programs, the Broadcom MASTERS and the Broadcom MASTERS International, are the premier science and engineering competitions for middle school students around the United States and the world. Learn more at http://broadcomfoundation.org/ and follow us on Twitter (@BroadcomSTEM). About Society for Science

Society for Science is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazine, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science). Media Contact:

Gayle Kansagor

703-489-1131

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/14-year-old-mathematician-discovers-a-new-way-to-accelerate-calculations-and-computing-using-antiprime-numbers-wins-25-000-top-award-at-the-broadcom-masters-301411682.html SOURCE Society for Science

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[October 29, 2021] REMO AI Announces the Canadian Retail Availability of OBSBOT Tiny and OBSBOT Me through Best Buy and Walmart

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /CNW/ -- REMO TECH, creators of OBSBOT, a brand of state-of-art artificial intelligence cameras, announced today that its AI-powered webcam OBSBOT Tiny, and smart tracking tripod OBSBOT Me is available in Canada through Best Buy and Walmart's online stores. OBSBOT's brand of AI webcam and smart tracking tripod, capable of auto-following its users on a swivel, aren't just tailored to remote workers or selfies, but encompass livestreamers, vloggers and all content creators. OBSBOT Tiny boasts a PTZ camera and AI-powered tracking to keep its users under the spotlight, while OBSBOT Me offers the same cutting-edge tracking performance right out of the box, but packed under a smart tracking tripod without needing an extra app. Whether it's used as a web camera for a basic conference call; a solution for teachers to remotely stream their classes; or even for instructors to teach their dance or yoga classes virtually, with OBSBOT Tiny and OBSBOT Me, anyone has the ability to express themselves freely and creatively through video. As video expression has become a much more integral part of our everyday lives, following this past year's global pandemic, OBSBOT continues to deliver innovative solutions that empower its users to be productive regardless of what life throws at them. Pricing and Availability: Celebrating the arrival of OBSBOT Tiny and OBSBOT Me in the world's largest retailers, REMO TECH will offer both products at a major discount of up to CAD$60 off for 3 days starting on the day of the launch. Both products will also be available for up to a CAD$40 off in a follow-up week-long limited discount, which kicks off after the first three days of their availability. To learn more about the discount, find OBSBOT Tiny and OBSBOT Me on Best Buy and Walmart .







Product MSRP (CAD) Promotion date Promotion price (CAD) OBSBOT Tiny $259 3 DAYS Limited

Oct.29 -Oct.31 $199 OBSBOT Tiny $259 One week

Nov.1-Nov.7 $219 OBSBOT Me $189 3 DAYS Limited

Oct.29 -Oct.31 $159 OBSBOT Me $189 One week

Nov.1-Nov.7 $169

About OBSBOT Founded in April 2016, OBSBOT, an artificial intelligence camera brand by REMO TECH, is dedicated to connecting people and the imaging industry to the future. Unveiled firstly at CES 2019, OBSBOT Tail offered a radical new way to easily capture footage with an all-in-one AI camera and was selected by TIME magazine as one of its top 100 inventions of 2019. With artificial intelligence as the core, REMO TECH focuses on the application research of new technologies in the field of videography. It hopes to use revolutionary technology and innovative products to innovate the way of public records and image creation, and to change people's social way. Learn more about REMO TECH and OBSBOT, visit https://www.obsbot.com/about CONTACT:

[email protected] SOURCE OBSBOT

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[October 29, 2021] TigerGraph Wins Rising Star Award at 2021 CybersecAsia Readers' Choice Awards

SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TigerGraph , provider of the leading graph analytics platform, today announced that it has been named a winner in the Rising Star Award category of the 2nd CybersecAsia Readers' Choice Awards 2021 , an industry award that recognizes Asia Pacific leaders in cybersecurity, highlighting major advances and innovation made in the last two years. The Rising Star Award goes to cybersecurity providers that are newer to the Asia Pacific market, with early demonstration of promising and innovative solutions and services. "TigerGraph is proud to be named a rising star by readers of CybersecAsia. Gartner predicts dramatic growth in the use for graph databases by 2025, where 80 percent of data and analytics innovations will be made using graph technology. This accolade is a nod to our role as the vanguard of all things graph supporting artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning application in cybersecurity threat and fraud detection amongst the myriad of industry uses for graph database analytics," said Joseph Lee, vice president of Asia Pacific and Japan, TigerGraph. As the world's fastest and most scalable graph platform, TigerGraph can traverse data from multiple data sources in fractions of a second to perform deep analytcs in real-time, detecting anomalies, identifying malicious patterns of behavior, and train AI to prevent cybersecurity attacks at internet scale.



Victor Ng, Editor-in-Chief, CybersecAsia, said: "Graph database is an emerging technology that is expected to gain momentum in Asia Pacific. TigerGraph is a company to watch as it takes the lead to advocate the use of graph algorithms to support advanced analytics and machine learning applications, creating business use cases across the region  including advanced cyber-threat analytics." TigerGraph also supports enterprises today in driving deeper insights for rapid decision making as they grapple with the unprecedented scale and complexity of distributed data across areas such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML), supply chain management, network resource optimization and customer experience.

Helpful Links Get TigerGraph

TigerGraph Cloud

TigerGraph Website

TigerGraph Blog

TigerGraph on Twitter

TigerGraph on LinkedIn About TigerGraph TigerGraph is a platform for advanced analytics and machine learning on connected data. Based on the industry's first and only distributed native graph database, TigerGraph's proven technology supports advanced analytics and machine learning applications such as fraud detection, anti-money laundering (AML), entity resolution, customer 360, recommendations, knowledge graph, cybersecurity, supply chain, IoT, and network analysis. The company is headquartered in Redwood City, California, USA. Start free with tigergraph.com/cloud . 2021 CybersecAsia Readers' Choice Awards The 2nd CybersecAsia Awards recognizes Asia Pacific's leaders in cybersecurity for the critical roles played and the huge advances and innovations made over the last two years. With the onslaught of COVID-19 and the rise of the digital economy, users are accessing business applications, corporate networks and sensitive data 'anytime, anywhere'. The increasingly broader threat surface brought on by remote working, cloud computing and the explosive growth of data has been a major challenge for organizations across all industry sectors in Asia Pacific. The 2021 CybersecAsia Readers' Choice Awards marks another inflection point for the region, as government bodies, solution providers and end-user organizations collaborate to mitigate the risks brought about by increasingly sophisticated cyber-threats, financially motivated cybercriminals, state-sponsored bad actors, and intentional or unintentional internal threats. SOURCE TigerGraph

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[October 29, 2021] VIP Capital Funding Provides EIDL Funds & Merchant Cash Advances to Small & Mid-Sized Businesses

Raleigh, North Carolina, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Owner and Executive Principal Managing Partner of VIP Capital Funding :Joshua E Triplett

Amidst the coronavirus deadly impact on the global economy, VIP Capital Funding offers their incessant support to several businesses nationwide. The leading fintech company facilitates and accelerates EIDL funds and Merchant Cash Advances to small and mid-sized businesses. These financial products are offered by their adept team of experts under the judicious leadership of the companys CEO, Mr. Joshua E Triplett. Together, they help speed up the growth and cash flow of small and mid-sized ventures through simple and consultative approaches. How do EIDL funds help small businesses? According to the CEO, Economic Injury Disaster Loan or EIDL funds benefit businesses in various sectors, including working capital, inventory, material, payroll, etc. It also includes financing business owners with MCAs or Merchant Cash Advances. These financing solutions aim to serve as a symbiotic and mutually beneficial combination for addressing working capital needs during these uncertain times, added Mr. Triplett. How MCAs promise to provide incredible financial support? VIP Capital Funding helps company owners by understanding their needs first. Following this, their experienced consultants provide the most suitable suggestion to owners for taking advantage of the capital by making a bulk purchase at a discount and using the MCA funds as a bridge before the EIDL advance is sanctioned. It is to be noted that MCA is a revolving capital designed to mutually benefit all parties involved. Owing to the total capital sanctioned, MCAs shall prove advantageous in covering owners previous as well as future MCA debts, while businesses await EIDL funds. The fund is designed to help with bulk discounts for inventory, material, marketing, etc. It furthermore offers tax benefits and negates the cost of the capital with prepayment discounts. VIP Capital Funding additionally provides one of the fastest approvals within 24 to 48 hours. The repayment period depends on the owners turnaround on investment to make profits. Can this be explained with a case study? Two excellent examples by Mr. Joshua E Triplett explained th benefits clearly. If a business owner commits an investment that has a turnaround time of 3 months to make a profit, it would be profitable for him to avail a 5 to 6 months term. Also, the amount depends on the business cash flow instead of the credit score. Similarly, repayment tenure of 8 to 10 months would be ideal for a 6 months turnaround time to make a profit.



How does MCA score better than traditional loans? Business owners usually believe that bank loans are the best possible options, which is not always the case. Traditional loans come with several stipulations and take 30 to 90 calendar days for approval.

If statistics are considered, business owners stand about 5% of approval chances only, following a lot of wasted time, effort and energy. MCA funding brings around 90% of approval chances if business owners are doing at least a $25,000 monthly deposit and hold a credit score of at least 590. VIP Capital Funding sanctions the finance incredibly fast. Again, some of the difficulties with traditional bank loans are a significant amount of approval time, low chances of funding, prepayment penalties, etc. For instance, a business owner is approved at a 5% chance for 3  5 years along with the time required for a traditional bank loan at $100,000 - $200,000. As he utilizes all the funds, there will be prepayment penalties and no renewal. Contrarily, if owners take an MCA at $100,000 - $200,000 for 3 to 6 months from VIP Capital Funding, they can repay the loan with no prepayment penalties and enjoy prepayment discount benefits. The fintech company will help ensure the advance gets renewed once the owner is ready to re-invest for his capital needs. What is VIP Capital Fundings suggestion to its customers? VIP Capital Funding strongly recommends business owners make their decisions based on ROI or Return on Investment and ensure that they make a profit. Promising to be a reliable fintech firm, they want to make sure that every capital infusement is beneficial for all the parties associated. This approach will simultaneously help the company retain several long-term customers successfully who do anywhere from $200,000 to $30,000,000 annually. What is VIP Capital Funding? VIP Capital Funding is a reputed fintech firm with 20 exceptionally proficient financial consultants. The company is dedicated to providing and empowering small businesses with intelligent financing solutions. They are renowned for offering innovative products and services, fast processing of funds and building long-term client relationships. Contact Details: Joshua E Triplett: LinkedIn and Twitter handles VIP Capital Funding: Website: https://vipcapitalfunding.com/ Office Phone: 800-735-7754 Email: [email protected] Carlos Hernandez, Senior Vice President Direct: 919-300-0203 Email: [email protected] Cheynne Chong, Senior Finance Director Direct: 919-521-8451 Email: [email protected] Kenneth Lewis, Chief Financial Officer Direct: (725) 212-1278 Email: [email protected]





There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation.



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[October 29, 2021] Spiceware selected as the Finalist of the UK Ministry of International Trade's Global Fintech Competition

LONDON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spiceware, a cloud-based data security company and a member of Born2Global Centre, announced on October 29 that it was selected as the "Joint Winner" at the Global Fintech Competition 2021 hosted by the British Ministry of International Trade (DIT). The UK's Ministry of International Trade runs a Global Entrepreneur Program (GEP) for innovative technology companies wishing to enter the UK. In conjunction with the program, the annual Global Fintech Competition awards competitive global Fintech companies with innovative solutions such as AI technology, whose sales grew more than 20% compared to the previous year. Spiceware, as the final winner of this year's competition, will be provided with opportunities for businss growth, investment attraction through the UK's International Trade Ministry's network with deal makers and UK affiliated business leaders. The GEP will provide mentoring, promotional support, and access to sessions with venture capitalists, angel investors and corporate financial experts.



The namesake security solution Spiceware on Cloud, which has been verified for innovation through this competition, is a SaaS (software as a service) cloud data security management solution. Through a simple installation, it provides encryption services optimized for detecting and protecting personally identifiable information in cloud environments. Spiceware on Cloud automates the data security process so it can protect the entire personal information lifecycle, contributing to strengthened personal information protection and information security for financial institutions and companies. "We are happy to be selected as the final winner of the Global Fintech Competition and prove Spiceware's technology and business potential", said Keunjin Kim, Founder and CEO of Spiceware. "Starting with this global competition, we will do our best to speed up our entry into the UK and other European markets."

Earlier this year, Spiceware gained global recognition, starting with the registration of 'Spiceware on Cloud' on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace in January. Spiceware participated in the RSA Conference 2021, one of the world's largest security events, and most recently in Tech Crunch Disrupt 2021, the largest startup conference in North America. In Korea, Spiceware was selected as Global Jump 300, a global startup development project conducted by KOTRA, and is a member of the Born2Global Center, an incubation agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT. About Spiceware Spiceware is a tech startup that provides a cloud-native PII protection service as SaaS for businesses in the category of Privacy Preserving Analytics. The company securely protects the complete lifecycle of personally identifiable data, also known as PII, of businesses in finance, public, telecommunications, and healthcare sectors by managing the entire flow of a PII lifecycle from the moment it is first collected to storage, use, and destruction via encryption, anonymization, access log management, and destruction. For more detailed information on Spiceware, visit https://www.spiceware.io. 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 Spiceware: [email protected]

Born2Global Centre: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spiceware-selected-as-the-finalist-of-the-uk-ministry-of-international-trades-global-fintech-competition-301411796.html SOURCE Born2Global Centre

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[October 29, 2021] Frost & Sullivan Names Tenable a Growth and Innovation Leader in the Global Vulnerability Management Market, 2021

COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenable, Inc. , the Cyber Exposure company, has been recognized as a leader by Frost & Sullivan in the firms Frost Radar: Global Vulnerability Management Market, 2021 report. The company, which ranked highest for consistent growth and continuous innovation, also solidified its spot as a market-leader, owning 37.3% of revenue share in the global vulnerability management market.

For organizations of all sizes to remain agile and competitive in an increasingly digital economy, the ability to rapidly adopt and integrate new technologies into corporate environments is critical. But the speed of innovation and deployment often exceeds security measures, creating new attack paths and leaving organizations exposed. Frost & Sullivan recognized Tenables continued product innovation which provides unified visibility and risk-based prioritization across a wide range of cloud-based and on-premises infrastructure, including modern assets, operational technology, containers, Active Directory and web applications. Backed by the industrys most comprehensive vulnerability coverage, security teams can quickly identify, investigate and prioritize the flaws most likely to impact their business. Advanced analytics and measurement capabilities from Tenable also provide CISOs with meaningful business insight, empowering them to communicate their security posture with confidence.



Tenables leadership in the industry is a direct result of its continued product innovation and growth  bringing deep visibility and advanced analytics to every corner of an organizations attack surface, said Swetha R K, senior industry analyst, Frost & Sullivan. Backed by applied research and comprehensive vulnerability coverage, Tenable has strong assessment and prioritization capabilities built into its product suite. According to Frost & Sullivan, demand for vulnerability management will remain strong and sustained, estimating that market revenues will record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% between 2020 and 2025.

Vulnerability management has become a strategic imperative and investment for organizations operating in the digital world, said Nico Popp, chief product officer, Tenable. Our company vision, strategy and product innovation position us as clear leaders in the market. Were excited Frost & Sullivan has recognized our current leadership in the industry and our strong potential moving forward. To read the full Frost Radar: Global Vulnerability Management Market, 2021 report, visit: https://www.tenable.com/analyst-research/frost-sullivan-global-vulnerability-management-market-2021 . About Tenable

Tenable, Inc. is the Cyber Exposure company. Over 30,000 organizations around the globe rely on Tenable to understand and reduce cyber risk. As the creator of Nessus, Tenable extended its expertise in vulnerabilities to deliver the worlds first platform to see and secure any digital asset on any computing platform. Tenable customers include more than 50 percent of the Fortune 500, more than 30 percent of the Global 2000 and large government agencies. Learn more at www.tenable.com . Contact Information:

Tenable

[email protected]



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[October 29, 2021] Chetu Foundation Makes $10,000 Donation Intended for Local Sunrise Police Department's Community Policing Initiative

Yesterday, the Chetu Foundation, the non-profit subsidiary of the global custom software developer, Chetu, celebrated National First Responders Day with a $10,000 check presentation ceremony intended to help support the local Sunrise Police Department and its community policing initiatives. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005090/en/ The Chetu Foundation donates $10,000 intended for the Sunrise Police Department at a check presentation ceremony. (Photo: Business Wire) Committed to supporting first responders in the South Florida area, the Chetu Foundation - for the second year in a row - has made a $10,000 donation in support of those who make up the local emergency services. Last year, the foundation helped support the Plantation Fire Department that was grappling with lower-than-usual donations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, with Chetu expanding into its new headquarters in Sunrise, Florida, the intended recipient is the Sunrise Police Department, which will be looking to allocate the funds towards their community policing programs. "Wit the city of Sunrise now our new home, we are honored to be able to once again support the local first responders that work tirelessly to ensure our safety and continue to serve on the frontlines as we seek to end this pandemic," said Atal Bansal, founder and CEO of Chetu. "Helping our local communities remains a core tenet of the Foundation, and we are thrilled to be able to support our new community and those that give so much to local residents."



The check presentation ceremony, which was held at Chetu's new headquarters, located at 1500 Concord Terrace in the Sawgrass International Corporate Park, featured opening remarks from representatives of the Chetu Foundation and was attended by Major Keven Sweat of the Sunrise Police Department, who accepted the intended donation on behalf of the department, and the mayor of the city of Sunrise, Michael J. Ryan, who provided thanks to Chetu and welcomed them into the city. Founded with the focus to improve childhood wellbeing and support local communities, the Chetu Foundation continues to help the company's employees give back and support charitable initiatives and humanitarian relief efforts around the world.

To learn more about Chetu, or request a consultation, please visit www.chetu.com. To inquire about leasing availability at the new facilities at 1500 Concord Terrace, feel free to visit www.bansipm.com. About Chetu Foundation: Founded in 2018, Chetu Foundation is the non-profit subsidiary of Chetu, a global provider of software development solutions. Created to aid its team members in their philanthropic interests, the Chetu Foundation's mission is based on the principles of "Empowering Children," "Improving the Quality of Life," "Giving Back to Communities," and "Creating and Sustaining Change." While the Foundation actively supports disaster recovery aid and humanitarian assistance, the main focus is the improvement of childhood wellbeing and education in the local communities around the world. To learn more about the Chetu Foundation and the work of the Chetu team members, visit chetufoundation.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005090/en/

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[October 29, 2021] Acticor Biotech, Hemerion and Vivet Therapeutics, winners of the Galien Medstartup Awards 2021: great recognition of French excellence in scientific innovation

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Business France and the Galien Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the eighth edition of the Galien Medstartup Awards. This award, granted during the United States Galien awards ceremony, brings a prestigious panel to the table. This year again, the most influential stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry were able to gather and discuss new collaborative opportunities in medical innovation, strengthening Franco-American relationships. WINNERS OF THE 2021 GALIEN MEDSTARTUP AWARDS BEST COLLABORATION IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL OR BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

Acticor Biotech in partnership with the Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

Acticor Biotech collaborates with the Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center to launch and conduct the ACTISAVE USA clinical trial and evaluate the efficacy of Glenzocimab in patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke. BEST COLLABORATION IN THE MEDTECH OR DIGITAL HEALTH SECTOR

Hemerion in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS)

Hemerion and Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) work together on the development of surgical neurooncology to deliver the first ever photodynamic therapy to manage newly diagnosed Glioblastoma (GBM)  one of the most common and devastating malignant primary brain tumors. BEST COLLABORATION FOR THE DEVELOPING OR UNDERSERVICED POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE

Vivet Therapeutics in partnership with Pfizer and Mirum Pharmaceuticals

Vivet Therapeutics works with two US leaders in their field, Pfizer and Mirum Pharmaceuticals, to develop novel gene therapy treatments and technologies for rare, inherited metabolic diseases originating in the liver which are only currently cured by liver transplantation. To access the replay of the ceremony: click here Business France and the Galien Foundation took advantage of the vibrant energy surrounding the event to organize webinars and virtual networking sessions for 15 French startups and 250 pharma, biotech and medtech, American business leaders and investors. MEDIA CONTACTS

Gwendoline Paquier  [email protected]





Elodie Arnould  [email protected] French Healthcare is an innovative initiative aimed at bringing together French businesses, researchers and healthcare professionals to jointly promote their activities, expertise and technologies internationally. It helps promote the French vision for global health, based on a humanist approach to care and equitable and fair access to healthcare products and services. Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, in partnership with the French Healthcare Association and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is responsible for promoting the brand, which aims to coordinate a team approach to stimulate international cooperation and the influence of France's key strengths.

Follow French Healthcare:

#FrenchHealthcare

Website: www.frenchhealthcare.fr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrHealthCare_EN @FrHealthCare_EN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/french-healthcare-en/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsMLWBGsp3ap17paTV9KcY3meoBZTxWn5 Choose France is a registered trademark of the French government that promotes France's economic attractiveness internationally. #ChooseFrance Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It promotes France's companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and also runs the VIE international internship program. Business France has 1,500 personnel, both in France and in 55 countries throughout the world, who work with a network of partners. Since January 2019, as part of the reform of the state support system for exports, Business France has given private partners responsibility for supporting French SMEs and mid-size companies in the following markets: Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Norway, the Philippines and Singapore.

For further information, please visit www.businessfrance.fr The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation that improves the state of human health. Its mission is to serve as a vehicle for the open exchange of ideas that drive science and new innovations. Its vision is to catalyze the development of the next generation of innovative treatment and technologies that will improve health and save lives. Its scope is global, and their commitment to progress in medicine is both measurable and concrete. Its members express this through the establishment of productive relationships to build lasting bridges between the commercial research enterprise and local communities engaged in public policy, science, finance, academic research and the media. The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the USA for the Prix Galien, an international award that recognizes outstanding achievements in improving the global human condition through the development of innovative therapies. The Prix Galien was created in France in 1970 in honor of Claude Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical and medical technology research.

For more information, please visit www.galienfoundation.org Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1673887/Choose_France_x_French_Healthcare_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acticor-biotech-hemerion-and-vivet-therapeutics-winners-of-the-galien-medstartup-awards-2021-great-recognition-of-french-excellence-in-scientific-innovation-301411924.html SOURCE Business France

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[October 29, 2021] FHLB Dallas and Home Bank Award Nonprofit $10K

Home Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) have partnered to award $10,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP (News - Alert)) funds to Mountain of Faith Ministries, a nonprofit based in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005097/en/ Home Bank and FHLB Dallas have partnered to award $10,000 in PGP funds to Mountain of Faith Ministries, a nonprofit based in Vicksburg, Mississippi. (Photo: Business Wire) "This is the second time in the past three years that Home Bank and FHLB Dallas have supported us with PGP funds, and it is greatly appreciated," said Betty James, executive director of Mountain of Faith Ministries, which operates a 90-day emergency shelter and a 24-month restoration shelter for homeless women and children. The organization also provides alcohol and drug abuse treatment. The funds will be used for administration and operational costs to keep the doors of the shelter open, she said. The funding was celebrated during a ceremonial check presentation this week. "We are pleased to support Mountain of Faith Ministries as it serves some of the most vulnerable people in the Vicksburg community," said Home Bank Senior Vice President and Community Development Director Kelvin Luster. "This PGP grant will provide them the resources they nee to continue their mission, and we are honored to be a part of it."



For 2021, FHLB Dallas awarded $400,000 in PGP grants, and its members provided an additional $200,250 for an impact of more than $600,000 in its five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. "Home Bank has been an active participant in the PGP, and we are partnering with them on a number of grants this year," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "Grassroots involvement like that of Home Bank shows a bank really cares about the communities it serves."

See the complete list of the 2021 PGP grant recipients. For more information about the 2021 PGP grants and other FHLB Dallas community investment products and programs, please visit fhlb.com/pgp. About Home Bank N.A. Home Bank, N.A., founded in 1908 as Home Building & Loan, is the oldest financial institution founded in Lafayette Parish. Through the years, we've expanded to serve markets in South Louisiana and Mississippi: Acadiana, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, St. Martin and Jeff Davis Parishes, as well as Natchez and Vicksburg. With 40 locations across South Louisiana and Western Mississippi, Home Bank is committed to serving the needs of our communities. Personal banking has always been Home Bank's trademark and that tradition continues as we grow, invest and serve our clients and community. We live our values each day, focusing on integrity, innovation and a commitment to serving others. For more information about Home Bank, visit www.home24bank.com. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $60.2 billion as of September 30, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005097/en/

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[October 29, 2021] OneConnect to Announce Third Quarter Financial Results

OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (NYSE: OCFT) ("OneConnect" or the "Company"), a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions in China, today announced that it will release financial results for the Third quarter 2021 after U.S. markets close on Thursday, November 18, 2021. A conference call will follow on the same day. Date/Time Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 8:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time Friday, November 19, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., Beijing Time Online registration Online registration: http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/7195680 Please register in advance using the link provided above. You will receive an email confirmation with conference access information and a unique participant ID. The registration link will be valid through the duration of the call for any late signup. The financial results and an archived transcript will be available at OneConnect's investor relations website at ir.ocft.com.



About OneConnect OneConnect Financial Technology Co. Ltd. is a technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions. We are a Chinese national high-tech enterprise and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019 (NYSE: OCFT). The Company integrates extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology to provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. These solutions enable our customers' digital transformations, which help them improve efficiency, enhance service quality, reduce costs and risks.

OneConnect is an associate of Ping An Group. By leveraging Ping An Group's over 30 years of extensive experience in financial services, OneConnect has established long-term cooperation with financial institutions to accurately addresses their needs of digital transformation. We provide four integrated solutions across the full scope of the businesses - from digital retail banking, digital commercial banking, digital insurance to Gamma Platform (the financial technology infrastructure provider). Besides showing strength and deepening capacity as a financial institution, OneConnect also actively promotes the digital transformation of financial service ecology and provides trade, credit, supply chain, data security, risk management and other related scientific and technological services for the government, regulatory and enterprise users. The company has also successfully exported "Made in China" technology solutions to overseas financial institutions. As of June 30, 2021, we have served 100+ customers in 20 countries and regions mainly in Southeast Asia. OneConnect has world-leading technology capabilities for financial services in AI, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain and Financial Cloud. As of June 30, 2021, we have submitted 5,075 global patent applications, including 1199 overseas patent applications. And OneConnect has won 59 technology awards in international competitions, including four-times entered the list of IDC (News - Alert) Fintech Global Top 100 for four consecutive years, and rose to No. 59 in 2021; In additional, OneConnect has won BAI Global Insurance Certification Award, the 1st Prize in the OMG Micro-expression Competition, the 1st Prize in Machine Learning in DROP Leaderboard, 2020 KPMG China Leading Fintech 50, 2021 Forbes Global Blockchain 50, etc. And we have also passed CMMI5 international certification. For more information, please visit ir.ocft.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005008/en/

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[October 29, 2021] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Aegon N.V.'s U.S. Subsidiaries

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a+" (Excellent) of the U.S. life/health subsidiaries of Aegon N.V. (Aegon) (Netherlands) [NYSE: AEG]. Aegon's U.S. life/health companies are referred to collectively as Aegon USA Group (Aegon USA). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed list of these companies.) The ratings reflect Aegon USA's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. AM Best's expectation is for Aegon USA to maintain its very strong balance sheet strength assessment with the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Some concerns remain with recent moderate volatility and continued pressure on the Aegon USA's operating performance, which is supported by its underwriting and investment capabilities. The overall business profile remains favorable with having a longer-term strategic focus of building a less capital-intensive book of business, and the expected execution of the overall revised business plan objectives and subsequent transition. Aegon USA remains strategically important to its parent, Aegon. Aegon USA's quality of capital is diminished by its historical reliance on special purpose captives used to support unfunded redundant reserves generated from term life and universal life insurance with secondary guarantees, although lately the company has made a strong effort to reduce the overall exposure. Aegon USA has additional access to liquidity as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank, which together with its access to capital markets provides Aegon USA with substantial financial flexibility. While the asset allocation within Aegon USA's investment portfolio is typical for the U.S. life industry, there is some continued exposure to higher risk assets. Aegon USA's operating performance for the first half of 2021 was positively affected by realized expense savings, higher equity markets and some normalization of claims, which were better than expected. These factors helped increase operating results by approximately 86% on overall segments versus prior year. Aegon USA's volatility in earnings continues despite divestment of certain run-off blocks of business. While there is some continued volatility in Aegon USA's operating performance, the U.S. entities maintain an underlying trend of profitability on a statutory and IFRS basis. AM Best notes that Aegon USA's overall top-line growth has also been inconsistent, with direct premium dclining as of late. Additionally, Aegon USA's return on equity levels have further declined in 2020 from prior year, being below expectations with some volatility.



Aegon USA's diverse product lines contribute to the company's earnings, including traditional life, variable life, variable annuities, mutual funds, pensions, and accident and health insurance. There has been an increasingly challenging market environment in the U.S. employee benefits segment. AM Best notes that the company has made a strategic shift to focus on de-emphasizing spread-based products, particularly fixed annuities. As part of the de-risking strategy, certain variable annuities, fixed indexed annuities and long-term care businesses were closed during the first quarter of 2021. Further actions involve a lump-sum offer to buy out certain variable annuities with guaranteed minimum income benefit riders and the expansion of the dynamic hedge program to guaranteed minimum income and death benefit riders in the variable annuities business. Aegon USA said it will consider options moving forward for the legacy variable annuity block as the economic value will have to make sense. The company currently has no immediate plans to move closed block businesses off the books, with additional potential earnings reductions going forward. AM Best also views variable annuities with living benefit riders as displaying some of the highest risk characteristics, as well as being vulnerable to tail risks, which could lead to an increase in required capital.

Although Aegon USA's portfolio includes some products viewed as less creditworthy by AM Best, the company benefits from good diversification geographically and by product type. Aegon USA's business profile remains favorable, with competitive market positions in the U.S. life and annuity arenas supported by a large and diversified distribution system and an integrated worksite strategy that leverages the group's broad market presence. Although unsuccessful execution of the newly announced strategic initiatives could potentially result in weakened earnings and business profile fundamentals, AM Best will continue to closely monitor the targeted strategic objectives set forth across the whole organization. The FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of "a+" (Excellent) have been affirmed with a stable outlook for the following members of the Aegon USA Group: Transamerica (News - Alert) Life Insurance Company

Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005325/en/

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[October 29, 2021] iFLYTEK Holds 1st International Product Roadshow

HEFEI, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Oct. 25 iFLYTEK held its 1st International Product Roadshow as part of the 4th World Voice Expo and the 2021 iFLYTEK 1024 Global Developer Festival. At the roadshow, iFLYTEK's partners and colleagues throughout multiple industries were able to demonstrate their artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, products and applications. There was no absence of AI applications at the iFLYTEK Roadshow. In the field of smart education, ToyCloud Technology presented its AI products that assist in educating children; in intelligent office services, Madao Technology demonstrated its AI smart mouses that allows voice typing; and Vision Intelligence demonstrated its remarkable intelligent interaction services that is enabled by its smart earphones to name a few. Aside from Chinese companies, the Hungarian Evoaid company showcased its Guarding Betas technology that allows users to trigger a danger alert without manual intervention; and ViralWall from Israel brought its air purifier that proved effective against the coronavirus. In ddition to the presentations conducted in Hefei, overseas parallel sessions were held for the first time in Singapore and South Korea, bringing together Chinese and foreign product developers.



Duan Dawei, senior vice president and CFO of iFLYTEK, said at the roadshow that iFLYTEK has been extending international cooperation for the development in the global AI industry. China's AI industry is large, mature and inclusive for new products and new technologies. Therefore, iFLYTEK is willing to serve as a "two-way bridge" to bring qualified Chinese products to the overseas market and at the same time introduce good foreign products into the Chinese market.

To better help Chinese product development teams go global, iFLYTEK its overseas compliance services, which include consultancy and support in terms of personal data protection and intellectual property rights.

Since adopting its internationalization strategy in 2018, iFLYTEK has been deepening international cooperation by virtue of revolutionary breakthroughs in AI technologies and outstanding AI applications. With 22 years of exploration in the field of intelligent speech and AI technologies, iFLYTEK has provided assistance to its partners to jointly create a better world through AI. iFLYTEK will continue to work towards its goal of "one billion users, one hundred billion yuan in revenues, and one trillion yuan in its industrial ecosystem", while integrating innovation and production to usher in AI 2.0 and to create a source of AI technological innovation through systematic innovation. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iflytek-holds-1st-international-product-roadshow-301412018.html SOURCE iFLYTEK

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[October 29, 2021] Germany Hopes for Climate Progress at COP 26

BERLIN, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The eyes of the world will be trained on Scotland when the COP 26 kicks off on Sunday October 31, and Germany, with its keen interest in climate protection, will following the proceedings especially closely. "We here at GTAI along with the majority of people in Germany are hoping that the conference yields concrete reasons for optimism that all the world's nations are pulling together to use technology to protect the climate for the benefit of all," says Germany Trade & Invest Director of Energy, Construction and Environmental Technologies Thomas Grigoleit. Germany allocated some 2.6 billion euros to its various environmental protection ministries and agencies in 2021, according to the country's Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Expenditures on climate protection regularly amount to more than two percent of German GDP. "For years, Germany has been a pioneer of and role model for climate protection," says Grigoleit. "The country ws one of the earliest movers in the direction of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The current low prices in solar energy, for instance, have come about in part because of Germany's early commitment to the technology. The same is true for environmental standards. Germany has always led the way in using technology to minimize environmental damage."



This year, Germany moved forward its target date for carbon neutrality to 2045. But the country knows it can only meet its goals with international help and in conjunction with the business world. "Germany sees decarbonization not just as a huge challenge but also business opportunity," says Grigoleit. "For international companies with innovative environmental ideas and technological savvy, this is a great time to come to Germany. We're going to need the best ideas in the world, if we want to be successful. For that reason, too, the COP 26 will attract huge attention here."

Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) is the economic promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. GTAI supports German companies setting up in foreign markets, promotes Germany as a business location and assists foreign companies setting up shop in Germany. Contact: Jefferson Chase

Senior Manager, Communications

Germany Trade & Invest

Friedrichstrae 60

10117 Berlin

+49 30200099170

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/germany-hopes-for-climate-progress-at-cop-26-301412023.html SOURCE Germany Trade & Invest

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Egan-Jones Sponsored the LPGP Annual Private Debt Conferences in Chicago

Egan-Jones Ratings Company was a sponsor of the LPGP Annual Private Debt 2021 Conferences in Chicago, held on October 27-28.

The LPGP Annual Private Debt Conferences consisted of LPs and GPs from the global private credit market. During the event, the attendees dove into the latest developments and market trends. Over 40 industry leading speakers came together to learn about market growth and where the greatest opportunities can be found.

Sean Egan, CEO of Egan-Jones, moderated two panels during the conference, "Private Credit Strategies: The Quest for Alpha" and "Observing Fund Finance Facilities Performance".

Click here to view Egan-Jones liste as an event sponsor.







About Egan-Jones Ratings Company

Egan-Jones is recognized as a market leader in private placement ratings for insurance companies, asset managers, fund managers, investment banks, and many other market participants covering middle market loans, ground lease, CTL, CRE loans, real estate, REITs, project finance, BDC, and funds including closed-end funds, credit funds, CRE funds, direct lending funds, feeder funds, infrastructure funds, liquidity funds, mezzanine funds, mixed strategy funds, opportunistic funds, real estate funds, structured debt funds, etc. Click here to view sample private placement transactions.

Egan-Jones provides independent credit ratings, Climate Change / ESG scores, and Proxy research and recommendations.

Egan-Jones Ratings Company started providing ratings in 1995 for the purpose of issuing timely, accurate ratings. Egan-Jones is a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) and is recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) as a Credit Rating Provider. Egan-Jones is certified by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005388/en/
[October 29, 2021] The Industrial Internet Is Leading the Four New Economies and Qingdao Is Embracing the City's Summit

QINGDAO, China, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From 26 to 27, Oct., 2021 World Industrial Internet Conference hosted by Qingdao Municipal People's Government opened grandly. With the theme of Integration and Communication of Digitalization and Intelligentization, Convergence of the "Four New Economic Advantages", experts from home and abroad, and representatives of universities and well-known enterprises gathered to show the strong vitality of the Industrial Internet development. Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ling Wen, vice governor of Shandong, Yang Jun, chairman of the Qingdao Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and other leaders attended and delivered speeches. Parallel forums were launched first On 26th, parallel forums were launched around the four directions--new technologies, new models, new business formats and new industries, concerning 5, home appliances, identifier resolution, digital infrastructure, security system and audio-visual communications. In recent years, Qingdao has seized the development opportunity of the Industrial Internet, attracted AI teams and leading enterprises to invest, and formed the "Four New" ecology with Qingdao characteristics.



Top think tanks continue to make contributions The conference further gathered the world's top intellectual resources. At the main forum, Liu Yunjie, academician of CAE, Yang Shanlin, academician of CAE, Zhou Yunjie, president of Haier, Xu Li, CEO of SenseTime, Fan Ji'an, chief scientist of China Unicom, Fan Yuan, president of DAS-security gave keynote speeches respectively. Robert Kahn, the "Father of the Internet", Dr. O. S. Ganiyusufoglu, academician of acatech, and Ronjon Nag, professor of Stanford University gave remote video speeches. The First Plenary Session of China Industrial Internet 100 were also held to give suggestions on building the Capital of World Industrial Internet in Qingdao.

Five national research institutes including National Research Center for Industrial Information Security Development, China Academy of Industrial Internet, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and China Electronics Standardization Institute participated in depth to build platforms, promote transformation, and continued to contribute to the wisdom of the Industrial Internet. Leading enterprises participated actively Many leading enterprises such as Haier, Tencent, China Mobile, Sensetime and Venustech also volunteered to present a series of "industrial banquets" around the fields of security, platform, ecology, digital economy and AI. Many national Industrial Internet competitions were also launched. A series of important achievements were released. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-industrial-internet-is-leading-the-four-new-economies-and-qingdao-is-embracing-the-citys-summit-301412070.html SOURCE Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology

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[October 29, 2021] Campus Workers Launch Campaign for Renewed Investments in BC Colleges & Universities

The union representing over 14,000 workers at BC colleges and universities is launching a campaign calling for better funding for post-secondary education. The Canadian Union of Public Employees campaign - Fund BC's Future - highlights the crucial role investments in colleges and universities will have on tackling some of the province's biggest challenges. "The strains of the pandemic have been felt by everyone on our campuses and in our communities. And our province has been hit with the very real environmental effects of climate change - such as extreme heatwaves and wildfires," says Dave Lance, president of CUPE 116, representing support staff workers at UBC. "BC's future depends on us tackling these issues. And to do so, colleges and universities will be depended on more than ever." Michelle Waite, president of CUPE 3479, representing support staff workers at North Island College, says for colleges and universities to fulfill their vital role, longstanding funding issues must be addressed, and soon. "For decades, governments have failed to invest in post-secondary education. Funding for universities and coleges has eroded dramatically. This has left students paying too much for tuition and accumulating too much debt. It has also left campus workers without the support they need to maintain healthy campuses and deliver quality education," says Waite. "By increasing base-funding to colleges and universities, we can alleviate the pressures on students and campus workers by investing in our entire province's future."



The Fund BC's Future campaign calls on the BC government to address past underfunding with investments that give workers on campus more support to deliver world-class learning, improve campus infrastructure and resources to maintain clean and healthy facilities, and lower tuition fees that make education more accessible for students and will help provide more skilled professionals. The campaign will feature a series of digital ads, and a new website - FundBCsFuture.ca, and on-campus events where students, campus workers, and the public can show their support for investing in colleges and universities as the best investment in BC's future.

CUPE represents over 14,000 members working at BC colleges and universities. CUPE members work in every facet of our post-secondary education system, from providing direct instruction and participating in research, providing maintenance services, staffing ancillary and student services, offering academic support, organizing recreation services and events, staffing libraries, and serving in clerical roles. cope491 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005473/en/

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AM Best to Speak at ICMIF Americas Digital Conference

AM Best's Andrea Keenan will participate in a panel discussion about lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic at the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) Americas Digital Conference on Nov. 9. The one-hour session, titled "Strategic Learnings from the Pandemic," begins at 10 a.m. (EST). This event is virtual.

Keenan, the executive vice president and chief strategy officer of AM Best Rating Services, Inc., will be joined on the panel by Thomas Holzheu, chief economist, Americas for the Swiss Re Institute, and Peter Manchester, global insurance consulting leader and insurance leader for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) at EY. They will address socio-economic and financial learnings from the pandemic; how the industry is likely to change in thefuture; and COVID-19's impact on customer behaviors.







For more information, please visit ICMIF's conference page.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005511/en/
[October 29, 2021] ADDING MULTIMEDIA Knightscope Launches Nationwide Robot Roadshow

Knightscope, Inc., a developer of advanced physical security technologies utilizing fully autonomous robots focused on enhancing U.S. security operations, today announced the launch of its first-ever Robot Roadshow. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005347/en/ Knightscope's robots will embark on a road trip across America, making appearances in select cities spanning at least 12 states and the District of Columbia. (Photo: Business Wire) Knightscope's robots will embark on a road trip across America, making appearances in select cities spanning at least 12 states and the District of Columbia. The tour will kick-off in San Francisco, California on November 2, with two additional Bay Area stops in San Leandro and San Jose to follow. Additional destinations will be announced as they are finalized. The company will bring the Knightscope experience to the figurative doorstep of prospective clients and communities so that they can interact with the machines in person while participating in a live virtual meeting with team experts. The nationwide Roadshow will spotlight a unique, futuristic "pod" housing one of eachof Knightscope's Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) and will include a hybrid storefront equipped to exhibit the fully operational robots, docking station and the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) user interface.



"We are delighted to showcase Knightscope's autonomous security robots across the country," said Knightscope chairman and CEO, William Santana Li. "Connecting with our communities will be instrumental in expanding our national footprint and furthering our mission of making the United States the safest country in the world." Confirmed stops in tour include:

San Francisco, California - November 2, 2021 Salesforce Transit Center: 76 Natoma St. San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) 94105

Oakland, California - November 3, 2021 Energy Recovery: 1717 Doolittle Dr. San Leandro, CA 94577

San Jose, California - November 4, 2021 Regional Medical Center: 225 N Jackson Ave. San Jose, CA 95116

The company continues to build momentum within the autonomous robot space, with several recent achievements that highlight Knightscope as a premier autonomous physical security solution. In August of this year, the City of Huntington Park Police Department extended its existing contract with Knightscope to continue patrolling a popular Los Angeles park. Additionally, Knightscope partnered with Dimension Funding, generating up to $10 million in financing for operations. The company has also secured numerous contract renewals with clients entering their third, fourth and fifth years of service alongside new clients in casino, commercial real estate, airport, and residential verticals. For more details and tour updates, visit: https://calendly.com/robotroadshow About Knightscope Knightscope is an advanced security technology company based in Silicon Valley that builds fully autonomous security robots that deter, detect and report. Our long-term ambition is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world. Learn more about us at www.knightscope.com. Follow Knightscope on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005347/en/

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[October 29, 2021] CWCI: California WC Hospital Stays Decline as COVID Affects the Quantity and Types of Admissions

The latest update to California Workers' Compensation Institute (CWCI) research on California workers' compensation inpatient hospital stays shows the number of injured worker hospitalizations fell 17.2 percent in 2020 - the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic - bringing the total decline since 2010 to 47.2 percent. Using hospital discharge data compiled by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) on nearly 39.2 million 2010 through 2020 inpatient stays, CWCI measured and compared the volume and types of California inpatient hospitalizations paid under workers' compensation to those paid by Medicare, Medi-Cal and private coverage. Since 2010, the number of inpatient discharges in the state has declined steadily for each of the four payer groups studied except Medi-Cal, where enrollment and the number of hospitalizations surged following enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. Throughout the 11-year study period, workers' compensation has consistently represented the smallest share of the hospital stays, with injured workers accounting for just 0.4 percent of inpatient discharges in each of the past four years, compared to 0.5 percent from 2014 to 2016, and 0.6 percent from 2010 to 2013. Prior CWCI studies noted that several factors contributed to the decline in workers' comp inpatient stays from 2010 to 2019,including fluctuations in the number and types of claims; the adoption of utilization review and independent medical review programs requiring that treatment meet evidence-based medicine standards; and a reduction in the number of spinal fusions. The latest study also highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers' compensation inpatient care, including a 20% decline in surgical admissions and a 10% decline in non-surgical (Medical) admissions; a surge in hospitalizations for diseases and disorders of the respiratory system (which went from 2.6% of all injured worker discharges in 2019 to 7.4% in 2020); and a growing percentage of hospital stays for septicemia and sepsis, which are linked to severe COVID infections and which increased from 3.3% to 5.2% of the workers' compensation hospitalizations last year.



Drilling down further, the new report also provides analyses and exhibits detailing: The breakdown of workers' comp inpatient stays among the top five Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs);

The proportion of surgical vs. "medical" (non-surgical) hospitalizations in each of the four payer groups;

The top five surgical and medical inpatient discharges by diagnostic-related group (MS-DRG) in 2020;

The breakdown of the top 10 workers' comp MS-DRGs across payer groups in 2020;

The volume and prevalence of spinal fusion surgeries by payer group from 2010 through 2020; and

The top 10 hospitals based on the percentage of their inpatient discharges covered by workers' comp, and the proportion of California workers' comp medical and surgical hospitalizations rendered at those facilities. CWCI has published its study in a Research Update report, "California Workers' Comp Inpatient Hospital Trends, 2010-2020," which Institute members and subscribers can access in the Research section at www.cwci.org and others can purchase for $14 from CWCI's online store.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005520/en/

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[October 29, 2021] INVESTIGATION ALERT: The Schall Law Firm Announces it is Investigating Claims Against Lockheed Martin Corporation and Encourages Investors with Losses of $100,000 to Contact the Firm

The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) Corporation ("Lockheed Martin" or "the Company") (NYSE: LMT) for violations of the securities laws. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Lockheed Martin announced its third-quarter 2021 financial results on October 26, 2021. As part of its report, the Company stated that it would ake a $1.7 billion non-cash pension settlement charge. This charge decreased the Company's net income by $4.72 per share. Based on this news, shares of Lockheed Martin fell by almost 12% on the same day.



If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005538/en/

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[October 29, 2021] H.I.G. Capital Completes Strategic Investment in Grupo Ransa

H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G."), a leading global alternative investment firm with over $45 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Grupo Ransa ("Ransa" or the "Company"), a leading third-party logistics ("3PL") player in Latin America. Grupo Romero, one of the largest conglomerates in Peru and a longstanding shareholder of Ransa, will remain as a strategic partner in the Company alongside H.I.G. Capital. Ransa's current senior management team, led by CEO Paolo Sacchi, will continue to lead the Company. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ransa, headquartered in Peru, is the largest and most comprehensive 3PL integrated platform in the Andean Region and Central America with operations in 8 countries and 34 cities. The Company is present in attractive and growing markets for logistics operators given increased international trade, outsourcing trends, and high-growth economies and industries. Ransa is a one-stop shop solutions provider, offering an efficient and integral 3PL service, foreign trade services, warehousing, cold storage, transportation, distribution, file storage and value-added services. Paolo Sacchi, CEO of Grupo Ransa, commented: "We are happy to welcome H.I.G. to the Ransa family. This investment is a recognition to our over 7,000 employees, talent and client-centric culture - elements that form our true competitive advantage - and confirms that we have taken the right direction in the strategy we set forth in the past few years. We are excited with the opportunities that lie ahead and believe H.I.G. will help us accelerate our growth trajectory and help us continue delivering high-quality services to our clients." "We believe Ransa is an ideal and leading Latin American player to enter an industry in which H.I.G. has a strong conviction and extensive global experience. Since our first interactions with the Company, we were highly impressed by its unique regional footprint and long-term client portfolio comprised of leading brands in several industries. We are excited to partner with Paolo and his talented management team alongside a partner of the caliber of Grupo Romero," said Fabio Saad, Head of the Andean Region for H.I.G. Fernando Marques Oliveira, Managing Director and Head of H.I.G. Brazil and Latin America, also commented: "This important investment in Ransa reaffirms our commitment to the Andean Region, where we see significant growth opportunities. We hope to accelerate our capital deployment strategy there, and this landmark investment is an important step in that drection to consolidate H.I.G. as one of the leading and most active global investors in Latin America."



Luis Romero Belismelis, Chairman of Grupo Ransa, added: "Grupo Ransa and its team have done a phenomenal job in growing the business into a leading regional player in logistics. We look forward to working with H.I.G. Capital throughout this new phase of growth for Ransa." Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC served as exclusive financial advisor and Garrigues and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as lead legal counsel to Grupo Romero and the Company.

Lazard served as exclusive financial advisor and Rebaza Alcazar & De las Casas, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Roca Junyent served as lead legal counsel to H.I.G. About Ransa Founded over 80 years ago, Ransa is one of the leading third-party logistics ("3PL") operators in Latin America with operations in the Andean and Central American regions. The Company has an extensive regional footprint with critical mass and network in 8 countries and 34 cities, in which it has over 7,000 workers and operates over 3.5 million square meters of infrastructure. It has become a one-stop shop solution, offering an efficient & integral 3PL service to blue-chip client and large multinationals in Latin America. Ransa has a highly diversified client revenue base with +2,500 clients operating in various industries such as consumer, food & beverage, retail, fishing and agribusiness, mining and energy, freight forwarding, automotive and electronics, among others. For more information, please visit https://www.ransa.biz/. About Grupo Romero The Romero Group is a Peru-based business conglomerate with over 132 years of history and comprised of competitive companies operating across a wide range of sectors, including agribusiness, massive consumption, ports, energy and diversified services. The Romero Group's over 15 companies are located in different regions of Peru and in various Latin American countries providing their clients - belonging to different economic sectors - with high quality and value-added service. For more information, please refer to http://www.gruporomero.com.pe About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading alternative assets investment firm with over $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. *Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211029005557/en/

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Across the region and the nation, local leaders are working against vaxx mandates and demands from the current White House administration.



What's lost in this discussion is that most of these leaders ALSO ADVISE THEIR CONSTITUENTS TO GET THE VAXX but simply oppose the medical crackdown on legal grounds.



Still, for the public this argument has only worsened vaccine hesitancy.

Here's a peek at the latest . . .



We'll start from the Missouri side . . .



"When President Biden announced his initial plans to force unconstitutional vaccine mandates, we immediately began aligning state resources for legal action. While we hoped the Biden Administration would recognize these mandates as the abuse of authority that they are, they have not, and we must now use every tool we have available to fight this federal intrusion."



Parson said the federal government has no authority to issue COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Gov. Mike Parson issues executive order fighting federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday that he has issued an executive order protecting Missourians' rights against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates. "As the Governor of the State of Missouri, I stand with concerned Missourians and will do all I can to stop federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates," Parson said in a statement."When President Biden announced his initial plans to force unconstitutional vaccine mandates, we immediately began aligning state resources for legal action.

And then for our friends in JoCo . . .



"The Johnson County Sheriffs Office is a safe haven for law enforcement officers who feel unsupported and undervalued by their communities and their government leaders," Hayden said in the press release.



The sheriff says in the statement that by being mandated to get vaccinations, officers are being forced to jeopardize their careers. He says that smaller budgets, low morale and government overreach is behind the large number of officers wanting to leaving their positions across the country.



Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden confirms the department won't mandate officer vaccinations In a press release sent out Thursday, The Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden reiterated that his office will not require officer vaccinations. The statement also spoke extensively of Johnson County as a safe space for law enforcement officers across the country."The Johnson County Sheriff's Office is a safe haven for law enforcement officers who feel unsupported and undervalued by their communities and their government leaders," Hayden said in the press release.

Developing . . .


Under the radar, today Mayor & Council offered more support and cash to efforts that hope to champion "equity" in Kansas City.



Remember that we talked about the office Office of Racial Equity and Reconciliation and the upcoming task force last week.

Sadly, the task force will be comprised of very angry appointees of Mayor Q and not old school hottie Brit models Rosie Jones, Lacy Banghard, India Reynolds & Sabine Jemeljanova.



Here's the aftermath from a lesser blog . . .



The Council also agreed to use a $129,000 grant from the Health Forward Foundation to fund the new office. The money would also be used to pay for a chief equity officer, data analytics staff and community outreach efforts.

It's important that the cash only funds the effort IN PART and, of course, KCMO taxpayer funds will likely be required for maintenance.



Developing . . .


In this roundup we take a peek around the metro and offer a glimpse at ALLEGED local misdeeds, police action, warnings . . . And, as always, we try to finish on an upbeat note.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Salaries to become priority in next KCPD budget KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police staffing is the center of discussion over funding for the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department as the department is proposing a budget that is 6% higher than the last fiscal year, an increase of more than $16 million. On Wednesday, the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) convened to discuss the proposed budget.

Man sentenced to life without parole set for release on birthday of man he killed KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A local man sentenced to life without parole for an execution-style murder will be getting out in a month. Eddie Ramsey was sentenced to life without parole, but that was before a Supreme Court ruling that changed things retroactively for juvenile offenders.

Man charged in connection to body found during illegal dumping investigation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man is now facing federal charges connected to a body found during an illegal dumping investigation in Kansas City. Cedric Evans, 46, has been charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm as a felon, methamphetamine possession and possession of a firearm with drug trafficking.

Man sentenced to more than 6 years in prison for 90-mph crash that killed a grandmother LEAVENWORTH, KS (KCTV) -- A Leavenworth County man who was in possession of meth has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for a crash that led the the death of a grandmother and injured a child.

59-year-old man sentenced in Leavenworth County for stealing 13-year-old's lawnmower LEAVENWORTH COUNTY, KS (KCTV) -- A 59-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 months probation for stealing a 13-year-old's lawnmower. District Judge Gerald Kuckelman handed down the sentence. According to the Leavenworth County Prosecutor's Office, the court did grant 60 days of jail time, $1,270 in restitution, court costs, and probation fees.

Independence police investigating school threat KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Independence Police Department is working to investigate the validity of a threat made against the Independence School District Thursday night. Officers were made aware of a social media post threatening gun violence Friday at Pioneer Ridge Middle School, according to an IPD Facebook post.

Family of 61-year old woman killed in hit-and-run asks for help from witnesses, police KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Police are searching for the driver who struck and killed a 61-year-old woman Wednesday night and kept driving. Family members identified the woman as Sophia Broadway. They said she lived near the intersection where the incident happened.

Johnson County Sheriff to officers: 'We have a place for you' JOHNSON COUNTY, KS (KCTV) -- Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden has a message for police officers and deputies across the nation: Come join the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. In an open message to the law enforcement community, Hayden said Johnson County is a "safe haven" for officers who feel "unsupported and undervalued by their communities and their government leaders."

KC metro donates thousands in honor of fallen Independence police officer by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - It's been a month since Independence police officer Blaize Madrid-Evans was shot and killed while responding to a call. Since then, people across the Kansas City metro have stepped up to donate thousands of dollars to honor the fallen officer.

Developing . . .
Today the Mayor is in STL.



As of late, Mayor Q and a couple of 3rd District leaders have been trying to forge a greater partnership with this cowtown and arch city.

It's not working.

Culturally and amongst every local demographic, Kansas City is diametrically opposed to the politics of St. Louis.



Moreover . . .

STL is a dump.

Even more importantly, here's a constant question that's confronting Mayor Q today . . .



WHAT DOES KANSAS CITY HAVE TO LEARN FROM THE MURDER CAPITAL OF MISSOURI?!?!



Here's the closest we can get to an answer to that question from Mayor Q . . .



Apropos update . . .

Supposed gun shots heard as KCMO, STL mayors speak on gun violence KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas was at a press conference in St. Louis when supposed gun shots were heard being fired in the background. The shots did not appear to be fired at the party and no one attending the conference was injured. St.

You decide . . .
Here's the aftermath report on this tragic case . . .



"Alyssa Leanne Arreola, 22, of Independence faces charges of second-degree murder in the killing of a man, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, three counts of burglary, and two counts of theft and three counts of theft of a firearm."



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Woman charged in Wednesday KCK killing, multiple other crimes KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A woman suspected of being involved in a Kansas City, Kansas homicide and multiple other crimes is now facing charges in Wyandotte County. Alyssa Leanne Arreola, 22, of Independence faces charges of second-degree murder in the killing of a man, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, three counts of burglary, and two counts of theft and three counts of theft of a firearm.

Neighbor of KCK shooting victim describes scene caught on doorbell video A dozen charges have been filed against a woman who allegedly killed a man and stabbed an elderly woman among other crimes in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday. Alyssa Arreola faces second-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, burglary and theft charges.

Developing . . .
The 2021 General Assembly will place a special emphasis on the importance of innovation, education and rural development, as well as tourisms role in inclusive growth, the theme of World Tourism Day 2021. Additionally, delegates will be presented with the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, a landmark legal instrument designed to restore trust in international travel.

Other key items on the agenda for the General Assembly include proposed reforms to the UNWTO Affiliate Membership Legal Framework, the finals of the UNWTO Students League and appointment of the UNWTO Secretary-General for the period 2022-2025. The General Assembly will also see the winners of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages competition named.

Alongside this, and in line with UNWTOs heightened emphasis on digital communications and visual storytelling, winners of the 2021 UNWTO Tourism Video Competition, aimed at recognizing promotional videos of Member States and Affiliate Members that highlight the sectors resilience and its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will also be announced in Madrid.

Restarting tourism together

Following protocol, the Secretary-General will present his report to the General Assembly on the implementation of UNWTOs Programme of Work, actions and new initiatives since it last met in 2019. The agenda includes the selection of the UNWTO Executive Council Members for 2022, the World Committee of Tourism Ethics, as well as choosing the location and dates of the next session of the General Assembly, with Egypt, Portugal and Uzbekistan all set to submit bids. The Kingdom of Morocco had been scheduled to host this years General Assembly but subsequently confirmed that changing public health considerations meant it was unable to do so. In accordance with the Statutes and the rules of the Organization, the 24th session will take place at its Headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

Members will also be provided with updates on the opening of Regional Offices, including a first Regional Office for the Middle East, to work alongside the UNWTO Secretariat in Madrid, Spain, and planned themes for World Tourism Day in both 2022 and 2023.

Image Credit:  UNWTO
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
It's just over two weeks to go to the Tobago House of Assembly elections.
29/10/2021

Cultura

Editions and Publications of the UB has published La Segunda Republica Espanola: textos fundamentales, a book that gathers a selection of laws, speeches and proclamations of one of the most intense periods in the history of Spain. Curated by Norbert Bilbeny, professor of Ethics, the book brings an introductory study by Paola Lo Cascio, lecturer of Contemporary History, and results from Noli Cabezas Ramirezs documentary research study.

The volume brings together seventy fundamental texts from the Second Spanish Republic, both made by the Republic itself and by other institutions and personalities, always in its favour as a regime and supporting its conception of politics. Words of affirmation and commitment that resonate today for their defence of the legitimate democracy in a Spain that was deep in a long crisis of the monarchical Restoration, and in a Europe that was marked by economic problems and the rise of dictatorial systems. Every chapter includes, apart from the collected texts, an introduction to contextualize the documents and a selection of complementary sources that are available online.

This anthology intends to be the documentary witness of an exceptional experience of the Spanish history. Its interest is still valid, and therefore the book provides evidence on different aspects of that time. Also, it aims to be a tool for useful information for study and academic centres, students and the general audience interested in contemporary history and in particular the political chronicle of Spain. The volume provides with material which is difficult to Access: the main laws, the most decisive governing decrees, and a series of proclamations, speeches and written texts. Each of the nine chapters that build up this piece open with the image of one of the posters of the republican propaganda kept in the Pavello de la Republica CRAI Library of the University of Barcelona, which lent its use for this occasion.

The first chapter includes texts on the advent of the Republic, such as the Pact of San Sebastian (1930) or the Legal Statute of the Provisional Government (1931). The second, focused on the general Republican policy, includes the speech to the Spaniards by Alejandro Lerroux after the events of October 1934, as well as the program of the Popular Front, made public on January 15, 1936, among other texts. The autonomic debate is the subject of the third chapter, where one can find, for example, the statutes of autonomy of Catalonia (1932) and the Basque Country (1936), the draft statute of Galicia (1932) and the proclamations of the Catalan Republic by Francesc Macia, in 1931, and of the Catalan State by Lluis Companys, in 1934.

The fourth chapter provides texts related to the new republican military order, such as the decree that, in 1931, annulled the Law of Jurisdictions, the one that since 1906 had placed offenses under military jurisdiction against the unity of the homeland, the flag and the honor of the army. Next, the religious question is addressed, with speeches by Manuel Azana and Jose Maria Gil Robles, and decrees such as the dissolution of the Compania de Jesus in Spanish territory (1932). The sixth chapter focuses on educational reforms, such as the decree on school bilingualism in Catalonia and the law for the creation of public schools, both in 1931.

The agrarian and economic reform, an inescapable theme, is in the seventh chapter, which brings together laws such as that of crop contracts (1934) and decrees such as that of collectivizations and workers' control (1936), both of the Catalan Government. The eighth chapter selects laws and decrees that implied giant steps in the social transformation of Spain, such as the divorce law and the civil marriage law. It also includes speeches, such as the one made by Clara Campoamor in Les Corts in 1931 defending the universal women's suffrage. The last chapter brings together the anti-fascist speeches by Indalecio Prieto, Juan Negrin, Francisco Largo Caballero, Manuel Azana and Julian Besteiro, delivered during the Civil War.

Norbert Bilbeny is Professor of Ethics at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Barcelona. His research has focused on intercultural issues, ethics of citizenship and cosmopolitanism. He is the author of a large bibliography in both Catalan and Spanish, among which the following stand out Eugeni dOrs i la ideologia del noucentisme (1988), Humana dignidad (1990), El laberint de la llibertat (1990), El idiota moral: la banalidad del mal en el siglo XX (1993), Por una causa comun. Etica para la diversidad (2002), La identidad cosmopolita. Los limites del patriotismo en la era global (2007), Etica del periodismo (Editions and Publications of the UB, 2012), Humanidades e investigacion cientifica. Una propuesta necesaria, with Joan Guardia (eds.) (Editions and Publications of the UB, 2015), Reglas para el dialogo en situaciones de conflicto (Editions and Publications of the UB, 2016), and Legitimidad y accion politica (Editions and Publications of the UB, 2018). He was awarded the Josep Pla Prize in 1984 for Papers contra la cinta magnetica, and the Essay Anagram in 1997 for La revolucion en la etica. Habitos y creencias en la sociedad digital.

Paola Lo Cascio is tenure-track 2 lecturer of Contemporary History at the University of Barcelona. Specialized in the study of Catalan nationalism, the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime, and the contemporary economic history of Spain, she is the author of Imatges 1936-1939: bombes sobre Barcelona (with Susanna Oliveira, 2008), Nacionalisme i autogovern. Catalunya, 1890-2003 (2008), Economia franquista y corrupcion (with Andreu Mayayo and Jose Manuel Rua, 2010) and La guerra civile spagnola. Una storia del Novecento (2013).
Religion is an important aspect of many people's lives throughout the world. Not all beliefs are widely accepted and due to this intolerance, religious persecution has occurred at different times in history. Moravians are no stranger to this type of thought as many viewed this religion with tremendous skepticism. This holds true during the many travels of Moravian missionaries to the West Indies and the Caribbean as they spread the word of Christ and the teachings of founders Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf and Spangenberg. These missionaries were active in a transatlantic approach to the spiritual unity of Moravian communities scattered throughout the Caribbean islands and maintained a consistent set of beliefs through worship and conversion.

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As the development of the Moravian doctrine began to take shape, Zinzendorf's leadership in the eighteenth century had the Moravian community looking outside of its borders for the first time. Prior to the stabilization of life in Hernhutt, the primary focus of community leaders was to ensure the survival of the Moravian Church. Zinzendorf and his Moravian missionaries had seen great success in areas such as Holland, England, and America which, in part, helped to give credibility to what the Moravians were doing, but why would he choose to expand all the way to the Caribbean?

The idea of missions first came in 1731 when Zinzendorf was introduced to an African slave living in the Virgin Islands, along with two Greenlandic Eskimos, all who had been converted to Christianity. Zinzendorf was no stranger to the idea of travel to the East and West Indies thanks to the stories he heard as a child from his grandmother who would read about the East Indies and the activity of the German Pietists in the area (Hamilton 40). This never left his mind and only inspired Zinzendorf, especially "as a boy in Halle, Zinzendorf had met some of these men in person, and what he learned of these experiences had inspired the founding of "The Order of the Grain of Mustard Seed". The Count never lost this interest in the unevangelized parts of the world." (Hamilton 40).

These encounters as a young boy provided the foundation, but the words of Anthony Ulrich is what motivated the church to mobilize and begin to take action. Ulrich, "a former slave from St. Thomas then in the country, was invited by Count Zinzendorf to make a plea for missionaries to be sent to the West Indies before the congregation of Hernhutt" (Furley 3). He spoke of his brother and sister, Abraham and Anna, and their desire to hear the Gospel. "If only some missionaries would come, they would most certainly be heartily welcomed. Many an evening have I sat on the shore and sighed my soul to Christian Europe" (Hutton 17). To Zinzendorf, this was nothing short of a message from God. One of the most interesting statements made by Ulrich during that meeting was that "no one could possibly preach to the slaves unless he first became a slave himself" (Furley 3). This urgent appeal to Zinzendorf from Ulrich about the spiritually deprived slaves in St. Thomas was the final deciding factor for the launching of the first mission.

After hearing the words of Ulrich, a man named Leonard Dober was touched, intrigued, but also distressed about these slaves who have no way of hearing the words of the Gospel.

Dober and another man, David Nitschmann, "a carpenter and established church leader" (Richards 59), were selected to be the first missionaries to make the difficult journey to St. Thomas. They arrived on the shore of the island on December 13, 1732. Remembering the words of Anthony Ulrich, Dober and Nitschmann attempt to sell themselves into slavery in order to reach those already enslaved. However, a Dutch law that was in place prohibited the enslavement of white people. They were able to find work and a place to sleep as a Dutch planter hired them to complete work on a house.

As soon as they had the chance, both men set out to find the brother and sister of Anthony Ulrich and eventually found them on the south side of the island working on a plantation. Both were pleasantly surprised to hear from their brother in Europe, but even more amazed to hear Dober's stories discussing the Savior. Although they had a difficult time understanding the words of Dober who spoke a mixture of German and Dutch, they gathered family and friends together in order to hear the promise of good news from Christ the Savior and give their lives to him.

This spiritual awakening among the slaves continued to spread like wildfire throughout the different plantations on the island. This was not readily accepted by the plantation landowners and they made their displeasure known in their actions. Many slave owners beat their slaves for attending any Moravian meetings and would take all their books away if they were caught learning to read. However, none of this would deter the enslaved men and women. In fact, the crowds that gathered during the evening to hear the teachings only grew larger.

One way the Moravian missionaries were able to reach the ears of those enslaved and spread the word of the Gospel was through the help of a woman known as Rebecca. Detailed in the book Rebecca's Revival  by Jon F. Sensbach, it is her strength and unwavering dedication to the overall Moravian mission that enables two Moravian brothers, Friedrich Martin and Matthaus Freundlich, to "travel along the road in an aggressive recruitment drive for souls"(Sensbach 73) also known as "The Path". Martin noted the extraordinary leadership Rebecca displayed by writing in his journal in 1737, "Rebecca is a very diligent worker, when I am out in the countryside, she takes my place so that the Brethren don't have to look after the Negro women which they do not want to do. The Lord is with her and grounds her heart in faith. It is a serious duty for her to spread His word." (Sensbach 76,77)

Another island the Moravian missionaries would reach was that of St. Croix. A count from the Danish court petitioned the Brethren at Hernhutt for men who could act as overseers to his recently purchased six plantations, but also have the opportunity to teach the enslaved men and women about Moravian beliefs (Hutton 61). Zinzendorf was skeptical of this opportunity, believing that this dual role would create conflict and not allow the missionaries to do what they were sent to do. The chance to spread the word of Christ and preach to slaves was too much to resist and Zinzendorf felt as if the risk was worth taking.

However, St. Croix would prove to be much more difficult than anyone had imagined. The selected eighteen colonists, fourteen men and four women, set out for St. Croix but their boat was forced to dock in a port of Norway due to weather. More than half a year went by before their journey resumed and many died while on St. Thomas for twelve weeks before departing for St. Croix. Only half of the original eighteen made it to St. Croix but they were stricken with a fever and were unable to perform their missionary duties. Reinforcements arrived in 1735 in the form of eleven people, but four of the eleven died within two months of arriving which caused the whole mission to be abandoned.

It had been more than a century after Jamaica became a territory to be owned by the British that any attempt would be made to send a mission to the island. The Moravian mission to Jamaica was founded in 1754 by Zacharias Caries, Gottlieb Haberecht, and Thomas Schallcross. Two wealthy landowners, William and John Foster, owned land in Jamaica but lived in England and invited the Brethren to bring their teachings of the Gospel to the slaves that worked on their sugar plantation. It was on this seven hundred acre plantation run by the Fosters that the first mission station, Carmel, was established. The Moravians would eventually open four more mission stations on the island, but the early years of the missionary effort did not go well.

Religious conversions were slow, possibly due to the strenuous daily work on the sugar plantations which left many who worked in a state of absolute exhaustion. Or it may have been due to the strict requirements if one was to convert. For example, the practice of the selling of slaves would almost always tear families apart, notably husbands and wives. Moravians would allow these slaves, torn from their husbands or wives remarry, but only if there was no chance they would be united with their original partners. Also, the climate and constant fear of fever wreaked havoc on the population, especially the missionaries who had come to the island hoping to preach the word of the Gospel.

A journal written by J.H. Buchner, who was a missionary in Jamaica for fifteen years, documented just how much the Moravians sacrificed in order to try and help many of the slaves in their salvation to Christ. He notes that, "Of the sixty-four brethren and sisters who died in the service of the Jamaica mission, there was only one who lived to endure the severity of the service for nineteen years! Since the commencement of the mission, 193 brethren and sisters have been engaged in the work- sixty-four have died on the island, 98 have returned home, or were called to labour in other islands, and thirty-one are now engaged in the service here"(Buchner 21).

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He also provides a first-hand account of just how hard it was for those enslaved to have any time to attend any of the missionaries' teachings; "When, or at what time, could a missionary labour among these people? One or two hours during the week were allowed to the slaves to attend his ministry, and when they had returned home at night he might be seen making his way through their houses, sitting down with them by the fire while they cooked their evening meal, conversing with and teaching them", (Buchner 33). He also goes on, expressing his frustration at the rigorous work the slaves must endure. An example of this frustration as Buchner explains it, "How could a man with sensitive feelings, with a heart full of love, endure this?" (Buchner 33).

Although the Moravian missionaries did not necessarily agree with slavery, they were hesitant to bring this up as it would lead to more complications and ultimately lead to them being ostracized from the island or even being put to death.

Moravian missionaries traveled to many other small islands in the Caribbean as well as the Eastern and Western Indies. On the island of St. Kitts, they were able to establish the town of Bethesda in 1819 with well over two thousand people as members of the church. There was also consistent progress on the islands of Antigua and Barbados. In Antigua, work began on a new station called Newfield with church membership numbers swelling to over seven thousand within the congregation. One thing that seemed special about Antigua over all others was the attitude toward slavery by the British Parliament in regards to their adoption of the first Emancipation Act on August 28th, 1833. This act, in part, would have seen a number of years pass before a slave could be trusted with complete freedom. "However, the government was so convinced of the fitness of the Moravian Negroes on Antigua-more than ten thousand in all- that the act included a special clause permitting emancipation to take effect on that island the following year," (Hamilton 253). Barbados saw the same level of popularity so, much to the delight of the brethren, the Church was able to acquire eleven acres of land in order to establish a new station named Sharon in 1794. This was the only Moravian congregation on the island.

Moravian missionaries did not receive funding from their home church. In efforts to become entrenched amongst the indigenous, local culture, they employed a strategy of missions in which they worked within the local community to make their own living. Zinzendorf felt it paramount that his missionaries earn their own money in a society in order to teach others the dignity of work. Funding for their missionary work only came from the work they did. This approach to foreign missions gave its users a multifaceted benefit of, first, helping to stimulate the local economy by creating industry and jobs, and, second, providing a bridge with the local people in which to develop relationships and trust in order to present the Gospel.

Missionaries were active in a transatlantic approach to the spiritual unity of Moravian communities scattered throughout the Caribbean islands and maintained a consistent set of beliefs through worship and conversion. The missions vision of Count Zinzendorf paved the way for this small refugee community to alter the landscape of cross-cultural evangelism as it devoted its existence to global outreach. By the end of the eighteenth century, Moravian settlements and mission stations had been established in Germany, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Greenland, Labrador, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, North Carolina, the West Indies, and on the African coast of Guinea. Their vision was to create a transatlantic network of like-minded communities which formed the center of the Moravian missionary efforts. The strategy to conduct this type of undertaking was not a project to be taken lightly. From its base back home in Europe, there was a great emphasis placed on cohesion amongst the Moravian's established missions communities throughout the transatlantic region. Within each settlement, there was deliberate standardization in styles of worship, social organization, and institutional administration. Great importance was placed on communication and interactions between the leadership back home and the isolated missionaries, allowing the Moravians to function as a tight-knit community even though many of its members were separated by thousands of miles.

The missions and missionaries of the Moravian church still hold an enormous amount of relevance in today's times.

Works Cited

1.) Furley, Oliver W. "Moravian Missionaries and Slaves in the West Indies." Caribbean Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, 1965, pp. 316. JSTOR,  www.jstor.org/stable/25611879.

2.) Hamilton, J. Taylor, and Kenneth G. Hamilton. History of the Moravian Church: the Renewed Unitas Fratrum, 1722-1957. Interprovincial Board of Christian Education, Moravian Church in America, 1983.

3.) Sensbach, J. F. (2006). Rebeccas Revival . Harvard University Press.

4.) Hutton, Js Emsl. A History of Moravian Missions . Moravian Publ. Off., 1922.

5.) Buchner, J. H. The Moravians in Jamaica. History of the Mission of the United Brethrens Church to the Negroes in the Island of Jamaica, from the Year 1754 to 1854. Longmans, 1854.
In the past 24 hours, October 28, Ukraine recorded a total of 14 ceasefire violations by Russian occupation forces in the Joint Forces Operation zone in Donbas, five of which involved weapons proscribed by the Minsk agreements.

Thats according to the Ministry of Defense, Ukrinform reports.

Positions of Ukrainian defenders near Prychepylivka came under fire of automatic machine grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns, and other small arms.

In the Zaitseve area, the invaders twice fired at Ukrainian positions, using MANPADs and small arms.

Near Novo-oleksandrivka, the enemy employed grenade launchers and small arms.

Near Zolote-4, Russian occupation forces opened fire with automatic machine guns and MANPADs.

Near Luhanske, the occupiers twice fired easel-mounted anti-tank grenade launchers and large-caliber machine guns. Toward Krymske, the enemy twice opened fire with 82 mm mortars. Russian mercenaries also fired 82 mm mortars at Ukrainian defense positions near Krasnohorivka.

Near Novozvanivka, the enemy fired 120 mm mortars. In the direction of Troyitske, occupiers fired small arms.

In addition, an enemy drone, likely an Orlan-10, was spotted flying over the line of contact in Luhansk region.

Two servicemen with the Joint Forces were injured in hostilities on October 28. The soldiers were provided first aid and evacuated to a medical facility. Both remain in moderate condition, according to the JFO HQ.

It is noted that Ukrainian troops returned fire, without employing weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements, forcing the enemy to cease shelling. Due to their defense efforts, Ukrainian forces held their ground.

Another Ukrainian soldier was wounded in combat on October 29.

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The United States has reminded Russia that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) is not a bargaining chip and Moscow should not use it in its conflict with Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Elisabeth Rosenstock-Siller said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, October 28.

"We are relieved protests outside the SMM monitors' hotel in Donetsk city have ceased and patrolling has resumed. The international community depends on the reports of SMM monitors, but their safety is paramount. If Russia has a dispute with Ukraine, it should be resolved diplomatically. The multinational SMM is not a bargaining chip," she said.

The U.S. diplomat also noted that this latest incident is also "a perfect illustration of why Russia should return to the Joint Control and Coordination Commission, or JCCC." This would be "an important step towards implementation of a durable ceasefire," she said.

"Notwithstanding the conclusion of the protests, we call on Russia to allow the SMM to fulfill its mandate and monitor throughout Ukraine, which includes the Russia-controlled parts of the Donbas and Russia-occupied Crimea. Russia must stop obstructing SMM patrols, jamming UAV flights, and tampering with SMM cameras," Rosenstock-Siller said.

She also added that unrestricted SMM movements within Russia-controlled territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, across the line of contact and across the so-called inter-region boundary line "should be the norm, not the exception."

On October 13, Russian occupation forces resorted to a gross provocation as an armed group wearing armbands of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination were caught red-handed on a reconnaissance mission under the guise of a demining effort near the abandoned positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. One of the group members, Russian national Andrey Kosyak born in 1978, was detained on the spot. Weapons and ammunition were seized from him. Ukraine's law enforcement agencies suspect the man of committing a serious crime in 2010 in accordance with Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine

After that, on October 15, the Russian occupation administration in Donetsk staged a "protest" in front of the hotel where OSCE SMM members reside, criticizing the SMM's activities and specifically events that occurred inside the disengagement area near Zolote on October 13, when a member of the armed formations was reportedly detained by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On October 17, Russian-backed forces blocked the exit from the OSCE SMM's forward patrol base in the temporarily occupied city of Horlivka. Observers were also not allowed to leave the hotel. OSCE monitors were told that "they were not allowed to leave the hotel premises until the member of the armed formations reportedly detained by the Ukrainian Armed Forces inside the disengagement area near Zolote on 13 October had been released."

The OSCE SMM resumed patrolling from its base in Horlivka in the afternoon on October 18.

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The new Brimstone Sea Spear missile, developed by the MBDA defense firm, could be supplied to Ukraine to be used by the Armed Forces.

Thats according to the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Armament Development, and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine which responded to Ukrinforms enquiry.

"The British company MBDA UK is developing a new missile, Brimstone Sea Spear, which in the future may be delivered including to Ukraine to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," said the agency.

As previously reported, The Times, citing a Ukrainian diplomat, said Britain was in talks with Ukraine for the sale of weapons amid fears that the Russian Federation might exploit the ongoing gas crisis in Europe to seize more Ukrainian territories.

In particular, it was about the sale of surface-to-surface missiles developed by MBDA UK, capable of hitting multiple targets simultaneously and carried by warships currently in service with the Ukrainian Navy.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 15, Ukraines Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, told one of the Ukrainian TV channels that half of the funds from a GBP 2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) loan the UK provided to Ukraine will go to strengthen the Ukrainian naval fleet. In addition, Ukraine will purchase two minesweepers, missile weapons, and modern technology to protect its coastline. It is also planned to build two naval bases on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Photo: David Grindley

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Ukrainian gas transmission system fully meets the requirements of safe and reliable operation set before trunk gas pipelines, being capable of annually shipping to European countries 69.3 billion cubic meters of gas.

Thats according to Chief Engineer at the Gas TSO of Ukraine, Yuriy Ziabchenko, who spoke at the VII Ukrainian Gas Forum, Ukrinform was told in the company's press service.

"Considering the existing two entry points alone  Sudzha and Sokhranivka  designated under the current contract, the Ukrainian GTS is capable of and ready to ship 69.3 billion cubic meters of gas per year, " said Ziabchenko.

The existing contract provides for the daily shipment of 109 million cubic meters (40 bcm per year), while the actual shipment volumes as of today stand at up to 90 mcm.

Gas TSO of Ukraine has recalled that the company is constantly working on upgrading infrastructure, implementing a major modernization program. Work is underway on the design and construction of 10 compressor stations.

The chief engineer added that, in order to minimize the risk of emergencies, Gas TSO of Ukraine is implementing an Integrity Management System, which includes all technological and diagnostic data about the GTS sites.

As Ukrinform reported, Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom refused to reserve additional capacity for gas transit through Ukraine for November 2021. Starting October 1, 2021, transit has dropped by approximately 24-25 million cubic meters per day, to 86 million cubic meters, although Gazprom has booked and already paid for 109 mcm of daily transit.

In September 2021, Gazprom booked only 4% of the additional guaranteed transit capacity, which led to a reduction in the volume of Russian gas shipped through Ukraine. In total, in September 2021, Russian gas transit to European countries via the Ukrainian GTS stood at 3.257 billion cubic meters.

Photo: Naftogaz

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Ukraine has provided Moldova with 15 million cubic meters of gas as an emergency assistance and under a condition of return, according to CEO of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) Sergiy Makogon.

"According to the decision of the National Security and Defense Council and the government, the GTS operator of Ukraine provided an emergency assistance to Moldova in the amount of 15 million cubic meters of gas (temporary loan) to stabilize the pressure in Moldova's GTS until additional gas purchases by Moldovan colleagues," Makogon wrote on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

Makogon has noted that Russia has now significantly reduced the supply of "blue fuel" to Moldova, raised its price. Moreover, it offers a discount in case of political concessions from the new pro-European government of Moldova.

According to Makogon, Europe should respond to Gazprom's aggressive behavior, which has led to an energy crisis in the EU and Moldova.

As Ukrinform reported, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine won a tender from the Moldovan state-owned company Energocom to supply 500,000 cubic meters of gas.

On October 22, the Moldovan government approved a 30-day state of emergency in the energy sector due to the gas crisis throughout the country. The country has already agreed to supply gas from Poland and the Netherlands.

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The U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission will meet in the first half of November after a long break, Deputy Head of the President's Office Andrii Sybiha has told Ukrinform.

Sybiha visited New York on October 27-28.

"The commission will meet in the first half of November. We are currently in the active phase of working out the content of this meeting where the key issue, of course, will be the adoption of an updated Charter on Strategic Partnership," he said.

According to him, the parties are currently coordinating their positions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been on a several-day working visit to the United States since August 31. On September 1, he held talks with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Both leaders agreed to intensify the work of the Strategic Partnership Commission, which is to meet this fall in Washington.

On September 9, the Ukrainian part of the Strategic Partnership Commission identified three tasks for its further work, including reform of the Commission, providing the U.S. side with a Ukrainian draft of the Charter on Strategic Partnership, and preparing a plan for the country's transformation.

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Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Roman Mashovets discussed the preparations for President Zelenskys visit to the United Kingdom with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

Key attention was paid to security, defense, and military-technical areas, the press service of the Head of State informs.

Mashovets noted the positive dynamics in the implementation of the agreements reached during the President's visit to the United Kingdom in October last year, in particular on the British assistance in the implementation of projects to improve the capabilities of the Naval Forces of Ukraine. He stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine's maritime security as Russia continues to militarize the Black Sea-Azov region.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President also informed the British side about the situation in eastern Ukraine, the threats posed to our country and Europe as a whole by Russia's energy projects, and shared some plans for the development of Ukraine's security and defense sector.

Mashovets thanked for the assistance in building the national system of resilience and expressed hope for the continuation of constructive cooperation in this direction both at the bilateral level and in the framework of Ukraine's cooperation with NATO.

Ambassador Simmons noted the increased attention of the United Kingdom to the situation in the east

of our country and in the Black Sea-Azov region. She reaffirmed Britain's continued support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and strengthening its defense capabilities.

The parties agreed to maintain a permanent dialogue on security issues to deepen the Ukrainian-British strategic partnership.

As reported, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Vadym Prystaiko informed that an official visit of the Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United Kingdom was expected at the end of October.

Photo credit: President's press service

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ignacio Cassis, Vice President and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation.

Thats according to the Presidents Office, Ukrinform reports.

The interlocutors discussed preparations for the 5th Conference on Reforms in Ukraine, which will be held on July 4-5, 2022, in the Swiss city of Lugano.

"We are very much looking forward to the Conference on Reforms in Ukraine, which will take place next year in your native canton of Ticino," said Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing Ignacio Cassis.

As noted, special attention was paid to bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

"Switzerland is an important trade and economic partner of Ukraine. We are interested in further attracting large-scale investments and implementing promising projects," the head of state stressed.

Read also: Switzerland expands sanctions against Russia over occupation of Crimea

One of the most successful projects currently being implemented in Ukraine is the project by Stadler Rail AG for the modernization and production of urban and suburban rail transport. It is set to be implemented in a number of cities across the country, the report says.

The interlocutors praised the implementation of the project initiated by the Swiss side to manufacture in Ukraine artificial lung ventilation devices. The special importance of their joint production was noted, in particular, given the next wave of the COVID-19 pandemic the world is experiencing.

The parties paid considerable attention to the implementation of cultural projects aimed at promoting Ukraine.

"Our goal is to make the Ukrainian language sound close to other languages of the world in the most significant cultural and historical places," Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The president thanked Ignacio Cassis for the significant humanitarian assistance provided by Switzerland to our country, in particular to Ukrainians on both sides of the line of demarcation in eastern Ukraine.

As reported, Switzerland intends to gather up to 700 participants in the 5th International Conference on Reforms in Ukraine.

Photo: President's Office

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Switzerland plans to bring together up to 700 participants in the international 5th Ukraine Reform Conference.

"We plan to gather from 500 to 700 participants at this conference and talk about very specific things about the reforms we are seeing in Ukraine, which are happening very rapidly and which relate to two very important areas for the people of Ukraine and also for the people of Switzerland: prosperity and stability," Vice President, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis said at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on October 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

Cassis noted that Switzerland sought to play its role in the establishment of peace and stability as this is one of the main goals of its foreign policy. Therefore, the country agreed to host the 5th Ukraine Reform Conference, as well as "to look ahead to the future, seeking peace and stability."

According to Kuleba, Ukraine and Switzerland already formed teams to prepare for the conference.

"Next year, Lugano will host the 5th Ukraine Reform Conference. Today we paid a lot of attention to its content and agreed that we wanted to see clearer and more concrete results of this conference. Our teams have already been formed and are working to ensure that this conference becomes a success story," he said.

Kuleba added that Ukraine also strived to expand investment cooperation with Switzerland, which is one of the five largest investors in the Ukrainian economy.

"Ukraine has a number of attractive mutually beneficial projects to which we invite strategic Swiss investors. Specific proposals will be discussed soon as a meeting of the UkraineSwitzerland joint committee is scheduled for December 2-3 in Kyiv ... and we plan to hold a business forum within the framework of the Committee," the minister informed.

The chief Swiss diplomat pointed out the positive changes in the economy: Last year, trade between our countries increased by 13.8%. So far, we can say that the results for specific volumes are not so impressive, but they can evolve."

According to Cassis, Switzerland, in particular, is very active in railway transportation and hopes to promote this cooperation.

He noted that the budget for SwitzerlandUkraine cooperation aimed at peace and stability amounted to CHF 30 million.

As reported, on October 27-29, Ignacio Cassis is on a visit to Ukraine to make preparations for the international 5th Ukraine Reform Conference.

The 5th Ukraine Reform Conference will be held on July 4-5, 2022, in the Swiss city of Lugano with the participation of representatives of the Ukrainian authorities of all levels.

Photo credit: Ignazio Cassis, Twitter

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Switzerland seeks to promote a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine and do more for the Minsk process progress.

"The situation in eastern Ukraine and Crimea has also been the subject of our talks as Switzerland seeks to promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict. And in this context, we discussed the difficulties faced by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission," Vice President, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis said at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on October 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He noted that Switzerland supported the Minsk agreements and any measures aimed at achieving peace and also sought to do more for the progress of the Minsk process.

"Now it is difficult, we know it, we see it and we are ready to provide support in the promotion of peace," Cassis said.

The chief Swiss diplomat stressed the need for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to have a full view of what is happening in the JFO area.

In addition, the Vice President informed that he and Kuleba discussed the political situation of Ukraine's neighbors  Belarus and Russia. Stability in the region is essential for Switzerland, and Ukraine is an important player in this context, Cassis stressed.

As reported, on October 27-29, Ignacio Cassis is on a visit to Ukraine to make preparations for the international 5th Ukraine Reform Conference.

Photo credit: Dmytro Kuleba, Twitter

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Switzerland received a positive response from Ukraine on completing the legal proceedings needed to return the frozen assets of former president Viktor Yanukovych.

We noted and signaled to Ukraine that there are three years left [while the assets of Yanukovych and his entourage remain frozen in Switzerland], but we received a positive response in the sense that the necessary legal proceedings are underway to ensure that as soon as the legal situation in the judiciary changes, these funds will be returned to Ukraine," Vice President, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis said at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on October 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

Cassis noted that the funds totaled CHF 70 million.

The Vice President of the Swiss Confederation added that he discussed this issue during today's meeting with Kuleba and during last's year international Ukraine Reform Conference in Vilnius.

As reported, the assets of former president Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage will remain frozen in Switzerland for another three years.

On October 27-29, Ignacio Cassis is on a visit to Ukraine to make preparations for the international 5th Ukraine Reform Conference.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that German partners should, first and foremost, express concern over the use by Russian occupation forces of howitzers proscribed by the Minsk agreements.

Kuleba said this at a joint press conference with Ignacio Cassis, Vice President and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, in Kyiv on Thursday, October 28, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"First, Ukraine has not violated anything. Second, we have followed the necessary communication procedures through the JCCC and with the OSCE in order to exercise our right to self-defense. Third, our partners should be concerned, first and foremost, about a howitzer, proscribed by the Minsk agreements, being deployed where it should not have been - much closer to the line of contact than allowed by the Minsk agreements. So, for some reason, when a howitzer is moved to the line of contact, our positions are fired upon and our soldiers are killed, this fact remains without any proper assessment," Kuleba said.

He added that the Ukrainian side is communicating with German colleagues and has no doubt that they remain principled supporters of a peaceful settlement and are trying to help Ukraine stop Russian aggression.

"We are very grateful to them for this. But we are convinced that any assessments should be made taking into account the full context of the situation. Only then they are objective and allow the target audience of these assessments to see the situation correctly," he said.

On October 26, Ukraine used a Bayraktar reconnaissance and strike drone in the area of the Joint Forces Operation for the first time.

German Foreign Office spokesperson Andrea Sasse said that Berlin was "very concerned [] about a report by the Ukrainian Army's General Staff that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had used a drone in response to artillery shelling, the killing of one soldier, and the wounding of another." The diplomat stressed that in Berlin's opinion, this is a violation of the Minsk agreements that allow the use of drones only by the OSCE mission. Berlin also called for "all parties to de-escalate" and be constructive in the talks.

The German government's negative assessment of the use of the Bayraktar drone by the Ukrainian Armed Forces has caused another tension in relations between Kyiv and Berlin.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, firmly disagreed with Germany's position on the issue in a comment to Bild, saying that Ukraine has "the legitimate right to self-defense if its territory is bombarded day and night with heavy Russian weapons and if civilians and soldiers are killed."

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We are being perceived more and more as an important partner and ally. And it is critical in this regard not to forget about pursuing reform

On October 26, Ukraine took part in a meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council's Conference of National Armaments Directors. The event is truly unprecedented. Thats because, despite the fact that our country has been involved in earlier conferences, too (which will be discussed below), this was the first time when this is about the issues that are the prerogative of NATO Allies exclusively. These include defense technology innovations, interaction with science and the defense industry, and the optimal ratio of military needs and budget capabilities.

What is this Conference and who takes part in it?

The NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), or the NATO Armaments Committee, as already mentioned, is the Senior Advisory Committee of the Alliance's North Atlantic Council (NAC). In turn, the NAC is NATOs main political decision-making body, consisting of permanent delegates representing the Allies.

"CNAD was established in 1966 to coordinate the efforts of member states (and, where appropriate, partner countries) to develop, procure and achieve interoperability of armaments and military equipment," Mykhailo, deputy director of the Center for Army Research, Conversion and Disarmament, told Ukrinform. Samus.

The Committee identifies possible ways for cooperation between countries to share risks and costs for design works, research and development, as well as saving costs on scale, interaction with industry, standardization, and interoperability.

The Conference of National Armaments Directors is convened twice a year in plenary format, one time with the participation of the Allies exclusively and the other  where partners attend. There are also monthly regular meetings. They all take place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

"It is known that, for example, besides Ukraine, representatives of Austria, Azerbaijan, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and other countries also take part in such meetings. At one time, even the Russian Federation participated in CNAD meetings, said Valery Riabykh, a military expert and editor of the Defense Express outlet.

As far as Ukraine is concerned, the expert noted, the Ukraine-NATO Joint Working Group on Defense and Technical Cooperation was launched in March 2004: It is responsible for designating and coordinating the implementation of specific measures of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO in the field of armaments. It reports to both the Ukraine-NATO Commission and the Conference of National Armaments Directors.

However, while until last year, when Ukraine became a member of NATO's Enhanced Capabilities partnership on June 12, 2020, the meetings focused more on technical assistance and the implementation of NATO standards, with the acquisition of new status things somewhat changed

"The range of issues in which Ukraine representatives will be engaged can be significantly expanded, especially considering Ukraines continued determination in achieving the ultimate goal of joining the Alliance as a full member," said Riabykh.

What was discussed at the meeting and what exactly can it bring Ukraine?

"Several key topics were discussed during the meeting, including innovation and NATO's core programs. Armaments Directors, in particular, discussed new, breakthrough technologies to understand their potential, identify action plans, tools for their implementation, and the relevant deadlines. They also provided instructions on how to secure capabilities critical to deterrence and defense as soon as possible, through enhanced cooperation between Allies, as well as with NATO's Research and Technology Organization and Strategic Commands, and so on, said Valery Riabykh.

Simply put, the meeting focused on issues related to the Alliance's agenda, which is quite logical.

As for Ukraine

"We have no public information at the moment. However, its highly likely that during this meeting and during those with representatives of individual NATO Allies, the handover of a number of key lethal weapons to bolster our country's defenses could be discussed. This includes anti-ship missiles, various naval defense systems, missiles, and air defense elements," said the expert.

"At such meetings, decisions are made on what weapons to produce and develop, and most importantly  on who will be doing it. As Ukraine today is a NATO enhanced capabilities partner, in this case, it is likely it will also be integrated into the process of designing and manufacturing weapons models for NATO Allies," added Oleh Zhdanov, Colonel in Reserve who is now a military expert.

This means that the Ukrainian defense industry, its research and technology potential may be involved.

"The range of what we can produce is really wide. Firstly, thats thanks to our defense industry, and secondly, because we have unique technologies that even the United States doesnt have. For example, the Atlas space rocket, which was mainly developed and manufactured by the Ukrainian Pivdenmash, recently took off toward Jupiter's satellites, Zhdanov recalls.

In addition, Ukraine can make guidance and navigation systems (including the Neptune missiles). As an example, at Saudi Arabias request, Ukraine built the Hrim (Thunder) missile system from scratch in three years before handing it over to them. Thats not to mention our radars. In particular, the Ukrainian Kolchuga, a passive radar that sees the sky while remaining invisible to everyone else has no competitors internationally.

"Finally, we have a joint project with the United Kingdom to produce missile boats, and with Turkey  an Akinci strike drone. That is, there are many projects of which Ukraine is part, the military expert emphasizes.

And these are both NATO Allies.

"And NATO is already putting forward an issue, as early as today, of involving our country, so Ukraine's defense industry and scientific potential may receive additional orders from the Alliance. After all, designing and producing a missile in Ukraine is several times cheaper than assembling it in the United States or Germany. Therefore, Ukraine's presence at the meeting of armaments directors is important because, on the one hand, they continue to integrate and engage us, and on the other hand, for NATO its cost-effective to use Ukraine as a producer country (even for individual parts or components), Zhdanov is convinced.

However, the Alliance needs to understand all the processes revolving in the country, preferably including its defense industry.

"Over the years, there decisions and efforts have been amassed, and now all this is gradually crystallizing, reaching a practical level. We are involved in specific NATO projects, so we are, in fact, already engaged in the processes taking place within the Alliance. And it is critical in this regard to reform our defense industry. The process that is ongoing today, liquidation of Ukroboronprom, as well as privatization, corporatization, and transition to civilized forms of defense industry management, will lead to Ukraine having it much easier to implement joint projects with our NATO partners, Mykhailo Samus said.

Now it is difficult for our partners to understand exactly where to invest, transfer technology, how it will be protected, whether it could just be stolen out of the blue, and so on.

"Until now, our partners, including the Americans, simply could not physically invest in the Ukrainian defense industry because it was a sort of a Soviet entity, and nothing could be done about it. It was opaque to modern businesses. The thing is that defense industry in the west is a business that wants to see where its money and technology will be in a few years. However, now the process has been launched," said the expert.

It is very important that Ukraine take part in such NATO events, at least because they, among other things, offer us additional impetus for reform.

"As for the topics, areas, and fields of cooperation that will be useful to Ukraine both in terms of combat capability and commercial success in world markets, theres an incredible number of them. We just need to do everything the right way and efficiently," Samus stressed.

In any case

"President Volodymyr Zelensky's policy, aimed at demanding from NATO a clear position on Ukraine's accession, is beginning to bear fruit," said Petro Oleschuk, an international policy expert.

Of course, so far it is hardly worth claiming that Ukraine has made progress on the path toward joining NATO, but still

"We have achieved being increasingly perceived as an important partner and ally. At the same time, we see how Ukraine is gradually beginning to penetrate NATO bodies. And this could mean a certain change in the minds of the Alliance leadership," the political expert concluded.

Myroslav Liskovych, Kyiv
Russian court sentenced four members of the third Bakhchisaray group to 12-17 years in a high-security prison.

56 years in prison for four men! Such an illegal judgment was delivered by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don against members of the so-called third Bakhchisaray group, convicting them under Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code (establishment and participation in a terrorist organization), Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova posted on Telegram.

Seitumer Seitumerov was sentenced to 17 years in prison, Osman Seitumerov  14 years, Rustem Seitmemetov  13 years, Amet Suleymanov  12 years.

Russian prosecutors achieved the illegal imprisonment of Crimean Tatars for a crime they did not commit. The insignificant and unfounded evidence presented by the Russian prosecution is striking. It was reduced to the testimony of two secret FSB witnesses who constantly confused words, Denisova wrote.

According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, "cynicism and lies" of the Russian Federation left Crimean families without breadwinners, one of them  without three at once: Osman Seitumerov and Seitumer Seitumerov are brothers, and Rustem Seitmemetov is an uncle on their mothers side.

Amet Suleymanov is a person with a disability who needs regular medical care because he has serious heart problems. For him, 12 years in prison is tantamount to death, she noted.

Denisova condemned the illegal sentence against Ukrainian citizens.

By prosecuting Crimean Tatars and other illegally detained Ukrainians, the occupying power violates international law, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she stressed.

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights called on representatives of international missions, human rights organizations, and diplomatic corps to force Russia to end unjustified detentions and trials of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens and transfer them to the homeland.

As reported, on March 11, 2020, the houses of Crimean Tatars  Enver Mustafayev, Amet Suleymanov, brothers Seitumer and Osman Seitumerovs, and their uncle Rustem Seitmemetov  were searched in Bakhchisaray.

Mustafayev was released after interrogation. The rest (third Bakhchisaray group) were charged under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code (establishment of a terrorist organization and participation in the activities of such an organization).

In September, Denisova called on international human rights organizations and missions to use all available levers of influence on the Russian Federation to prevent it from terrorizing Crimean Tatars.

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The daily number of coronavirus-related deaths across Ukraine could reach a thousand in early November.

Thats according to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, who spoke at the Right to Power panel show on 1+1 TV on Thursday, October 28, Ukrinform reports.

"Unfortunately, given what we have, we may see a thousand daily deaths from COVID-19 in early November," Danilov said, adding that the daily number of new patients is projected to exceed 50,000.

In this regard, he called on Ukrainians to get vaccinated, and stressed that this is the only way to prevent fatalities.

In addition, Danilov appealed to citizens not to trust antivaxxers, as well as to resist Russias information aggression.

We at the National Security and Defense Council have exposed an entire Russian network which had been attacking our information space. The same network, in Russia, keeps saying: Get vaccinated, get vaccinated, get vaccinated ... And then in Ukraine, this very network says totally the opposite thing, that people shouldnt get vaccinated, Danilov noted, expressing regret that one of the churches is taking part in antivaxxers campaign.

The NSDC secretary assured the public that the situation with oxygen supply to hospitals remains under control, while the two plants, which earlier suspended operations for maintenance, are already restarting their work.

"One plant has already started working, while the other one will launch from Sunday," Danilov said.

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The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine will develop a large-scale program to revive Ukraine's research fleet of 36 ships.

"Today, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Shkarlet is present here. I expect him [to draft] a large-scale program to revive the research fleet of our state for the next 5-10 years. We suggest setting the bar high: 36 research vessels, 12 of them ocean-going, ice class," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said during a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Odesa, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, the Ukrainian research fleet had exactly 36 vessels at the time of the proclamation of the independence of Ukraine in 1991.

The President informed that previously acquired research icebreaker James Clark Ross would be handed over to Ukrainian scientists of the Aademician Vernadsky station in Odesa today.

According to the President, Ukraine is among the world countries most active in space and Arctic research and now starts to return to the world ocean.

Most scientific discoveries in the 21st century are taking place the world ocean, and Ukraine needs to "build ships or buy ships until they are built", he added.

On August 19, 2021, the National Antarctic Scientific Center and the UK Research and Innovation (which includes the British Antarctic Survey) signed an act on Ukraines purchase of icebreaker James Clark Ross.

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From left: UNHCR Representative in Greece, Mireille Girard, and the Deputy Migration and Asylum Minister, responsible for integration, Sofia Voultepsi, are signing the Memorandum.  UNHCR/Eva Savvopoulou

The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will support efforts for the local integration of refugees and asylum-seekers in Greece. This MoU formalizes the existing cooperation between the Ministry and UNHCR in this area.

The Memorandum was signed by the Deputy Migration and Asylum Minister, responsible for integration, Sofia Voultepsi, and the UNHCR Representative in Greece, Mireille Girard.

Integration is a top priority of the Greek government, as highlighted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis when referring to the Greek governments six-point policy on migration and asylum.

We are maintaining with UNHCR a close relationship of trust, as it is evolving between two parties sharing the same concerns. There are big challenges, and only through synergies we can respond to such a demanding humanitarian work, said Mrs. Voultepsi.

Integration is also a key priority for UNHCR as the agency mandated to ensure access to international protection for those who need it and to support them in finding lasting solutions. Local integration ultimately allows refugees to fully exercise their rights and their responsibilities as integrated members of their local communities.

UNHCR aims to support the Governments integration activities and design and launch new pilot initiatives to this end. Integration requires a multi-dimensional approach. It spans from Government to the municipal and community levels.

UNHCR will provide technical support to the Government towards simplifying administrative and legal provisions concerning the integration of refugees. It will continuously profile and share the skills and expertise of refugees to help maximize their chances and their contribution to the Greek society. UNHCR will also monitor the progress of integration over time, through a set of indicators to be agreed upon with the Ministry.

Integration requires concerted efforts by all. Everyone has a role to play, a contribution to make. It is a whole of society approach. Integration starts by working with the refugees themselves to help them realize their potential, so no one is left behind. said Mrs. Girard.

With reduced numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, the country is no longer in an emergency phase. It is important to ensure that those who are present can have a dignified life and integrate smoothly, contributing to local communities, to Greece and to the broader European society.

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Tampa Bay Times reporter Paul Guzzo and actor and filmmaker Joe Davison search for signs of paranormal activity at the Cuban Club on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 in Ybor City, in Tampa, Florida. After mysterious sightings and reports from staff, the Cuban Club is considered by some to be one of Tampa Bay's most haunted buildings. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)
Dr. Mahesh Ramachandran, chief medical officer at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center, at his office in Wheaton, Illinois on Oct. 21, 2021. Recently, Ramachandran experienced a stroke and recovered at his own hospital. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/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
Craig Dominey from the Georgia Film Office presents at Wednesdays Eggs & Issues Chamber event. Georgia is now third in the country behind California and New York when it comes to film production thanks to a tax incentive bill passed in 2008.
Belarusian oil refineries' losses from Western sanctions amount to $80 million, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Nazarov said on Thursday

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2021) Belarusian oil refineries' losses from Western sanctions amount to $80 million, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Nazarov said on Thursday.

"The losses of our refineries alone have already amounted to $80 million," Nazarov told the parliament, as quoted by the state-run news agency Belta.
Moldova is purchasing gas from foreign countries at a higher price than it could have with Russia, but the Kremlin does not comment on this decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) Moldova is purchasing gas from foreign countries at a higher price than it could have with Russia, but the Kremlin does not comment on this decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"What kind of consolidation (of foreign countries) are you talking about? This is not consolidation. Moldova addresses them and purchases gas at a price that is higher than the price discussed at the negotiations (with Russia). But we cannot comment on actions of the Moldovan side," Peskov told reporters.
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ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 29th Oct, 2021) Emirates will soon resume twice-daily flights to Seychelles, President Wavel Ramkalawan announced while heading a delegation at the Dubai Expo 2020.

The Dubai-based airline, Emirates, which previously operated twice-daily flights to Seychelles prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed daily passenger services to Seychelles in August last year.

Speaking at a press conference, President Ramkalawan said the Seychellois delegation in Dubai had a fruitful and successful meeting with tour operators and the resumption of the twice-daily flights is good news for the island nation.

"This in itself shows the confidence the airline has in our country," said Ramkalawan.

The head of state of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, spoke about the various investment opportunities in the fisheries sector including the recently launched aquaculture and tuna.

Ramkalawan invited potential investors to tap into this market.

The island nation is hosting several conferences at the Expo to showcase the various business opportunities as well as guide interested parties through its investment bureau.

"(Expo) Dubai has been an opportunity well spent and we do hope that 2020 will be the starting place for many exciting adventures," said Ramkalawan.

Participating under the theme 'Preserve Nature', Seychelles Expo 2020 is featuring a sustainability pavilion in the world event which started on October 1 and ends March 31, 2022.
Rome, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Oct, 2021 ) :President Joe Biden admitted Friday to "clumsy" dealings with France following a bitter row over a submarine deal, at the start of a European trip designed to show off US leadership -- and mend some fences.

The president deployed a charm offensive with French President Emmanuel Macron in their first meeting since Paris erupted last month over news of a new US-UK-Australia submarine deal that left its own multibillion deal with Canberra in tatters.

"What we did was clumsy, it was not done with a lot of grace," Biden told Macron in Rome, where both are gathered for this weekend's leaders summit, adding that "we have no better ally than France".

It was the clearest sign of contrition from the US since the start of a diplomatic row that saw France recall its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra.

And it marked a sharp contrast to the past four years of Donald Trump's bruising diplomacy, setting a tone for a trip that includes landmark UN climate talks next week.

Macron welcomed efforts by the US to defuse the crisis, saying: "What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years." A joint communique issued after the meeting said the US had committed "additional assets" to France's counter-terrorism efforts in the Sahel.

- Good Catholic - Earlier, Biden had an apparently easier meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, from which he emerged with the message that he was a "good Catholic".

In a meeting that lasted more than an hour -- longer than his two predecessors were given -- the two men stuck to subjects on which they agree and sidestepped the controversial topic of abortion.

The US president thanked the pope in a tweet afterwards "for his advocacy for the world's poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution, and lauded his leadership in fighting the climate crisis and ending the pandemic".

The talks were behind closed doors but footage released by the Holy See showed a good-humoured gathering full of smiles, with the president at points visibly moved, and elsewhere telling the pope, "God love ya".

He called the pontiff "the most significant warrior of peace I have ever met", as he gave him a presidential coin recalling the regiment in which his son Beau Biden, who died from cancer in 2015, had served.

"I know my son would want me to give this to you," Biden said.

The president, who is open about his faith and how it gives him strength, had already met Francis three times before but this was their first tete-a-tete since he entered the White House.

"We just talked about the fact that he was happy I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion," Biden told journalists after the meeting, which his wife Jill attended part of.

Biden supports the right to choose, while Francis, 84, has called terminating pregnancies "murder".

The pontiff has nonetheless distanced himself from a push by conservative US bishops to deny communion to politicians supportive of abortion rights -- which would include Biden.

- Climate leader - The Vatican said they discussed climate change, the pandemic and the issue of refugees and migrants, as well as "the protection of human rights, including freedom of religion and conscience".

Both Biden and the pope have been outspoken on the need to tackle global warming, and Biden will attend the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow starting Monday, with a message that America is once again ready to lead.

Shortly before leaving Washington, Biden unveiled a "historic" blueprint for remaking America's economy, a $1.75 trillion Build Back Better social welfare package on which he has staked his domestic legacy.

He had hoped to secure the deal before leaving, but it has been dogged by weeks of internal party feuding -- it remains to be seen if the revamped deal will gain the support of lawmakers.Biden said his new plan includes "the most significant investment to deal with the climate crisis ever" -- $550 billion to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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Minister for State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Friday underlined the need for transforming education system to set up knowledge economy by equipping students with latest skills to meet modern day needs

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :Minister for State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Friday underlined the need for transforming education system to set up knowledge economy by equipping students with latest skills to meet modern day needs.

Addressing oath taking ceremony of Student Council at Beacon House System at Metropolitan Campus , he said human resources was the country's most valuable asset as young people comprised 60 percent of total population of the country.

"We have to transform our education system in such a way that it can meet the requirements of knowledge economy - enabling our students to play their role in progress of national economy even during their studies," he said. He said human resource was not burden but valuable asset of the country. The country was providing easy loans to unemployed persons aged 18 to 45 years under Kamyab Jawan Programme with the aim to earn their livelihood on their own besides contributing to national economy, he added.

The minister said some 200,000 people were being imparted various technical trainings as the government wanted to create job opportunities extensively.

Furthermore, the government was also creating conducive atmosphere for creating job opportunities for private sector, he added.

The IT exports will be $ 03 billion mark during the current financial year. While IT exports will touch $ 10 billion mark in next three to four years.

He said, the abilities of a girl or boy student studying in school, college or university, was further enhanced, if, he or she was entrusted additional responsibilities of student council's head as once you start achieving your goals, your chances of moving forward increase.

For moving forward, the idol of fear and self must be broken, he added. He urged the students to focus on creativity in educational institutions, go beyond the "copy-paste" system.

 The minister said that the Skill for All program had been launched on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan in which more than 100 courses including certification, high tech, block chain technology, cloud computing had been introduced to help the youth stand on their own feet.

He said the technical training of over 200,000 youths were continuing right now. From out of Rs 100 billion allocated to help the youth to make them self-sufficient in society, Rs 28 billion had been distributed which would have to be repaid in easy installments in 10 to 15 years, he added.

The program is proving very beneficial for youth who have idea but not money to materialize it.

 "Instead of taking jobs, we have to move towards a job-giving system. Young people can be earn their livelihood on their own if provided technical training, but they can also help creating a lot of job opportunities," he said.

He urged Beacon House School to devise a strategy in collaboration with private educational institutions to enable the new generation to get education as well as technical training.

Speaking on the occasion, CEO Nasir Kasuri congratulated the new Student Council, Beacon House School, adding that Beacon House School was moving towards a new learning management system.

The school had all the world class facilities for the students which were getting better with each passing day, he added.

He said that we had taken our students towards technology in a timely manner as per the requirements of modern times.

Beacon House School, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nasir Kasuri, Cluster Director Safia Qasim, faculty members including headmistress, a large number of students were present.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :The members of Pakistan and Kashmiri diaspora in Austria and Slovakia on Friday called upon the international community to notice the plight of people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and work towards the resolution of the longstanding dispute.

In their remarks at a seminar organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Vienna, Austria to mark the Kashmir Black Day, the speakers highlighted the various dimensions of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

The objective of the webinar was to condemn Indian actions of 27th October 1947 and continued state terrorism in IIOJK as well as to urge the international community to raise its voice in support of the long-suffering people of IIOJK, according to a message received here from Vienna.

Attorney at Law and Convener of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Islamabad, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi focused on the mass human rights violations and draconian laws which were being used to crush the Kashmiris' struggle for the right to self-determination.

Director at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad Dr Saif ur Rehman Malik focused on the illegal and unilateral action taken by India in August 2019 which had further exacerbated the plight of the people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Former Vice Chancellor of Sargodha University, Dr.

Ishtiaq Ahmad said that India engaged in good faith efforts aimed at resolving the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Professor and the Dean of Social Sciences at the International Islamic University, Islamabad Dr. Amna Mahmood pointed out that the reign of terror inflicted on the people of IIOJK had exposed India's hollow claims of being the largest democracy in the world.

Mushaal Hussein Mullick, prominent Kashmiri activist and the wife of Mohammad Yasin Malik, Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front said despite their immense suffering, the courage and will of the women of Kashmir remained unbroken. She said the Bharatiya Janta Party regime in India was trying to render the people of IIJK leaderless by targeting their leadership and was also taking measures to alter the demographic structure of the region.

Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher paid homage to the sacrifices rendered by the valiant people of IIOJK and said that the leadership and people of Pakistan remained steadfast in extending moral, political, and diplomatic support to them in their just struggle for the right to self-determination.

He also read out the Kashmir Black Day messages of the President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
The government of Belarus has requested Washington to close the US embassy's Public Diplomacy and USAID offices, including the American Center in Minsk, US Special Envoy on Belarus Julie Fisher said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) The government of Belarus has requested Washington to close the US embassy's Public Diplomacy and USAID offices, including the American Center in Minsk, US Special Envoy on Belarus Julie Fisher said on Friday.

"On October 20, 2021, the Belarusian authorities informed the United States of new measures designed to impede the functioning of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk by forcing the closure of the Embassy's Public Diplomacy and USAID offices, including the American Center in Minsk. The Belarusian authorities are forcing the Embassy to terminate the employment of more than 20 Belarusian members of our staff," Fisher said.

According to Fisher, these actions reflect the deep insecurities of authorities of Belarus about "the role of diplomacy, people-to-people ties and independent civil society."

"The United States will not be deterred from its commitment to helping advance democracy and human rights in Belarus and to supporting the aspirations of the Belarusian people to build a more promising future in a free and independent Belarus, nor will these recent measures cause us to abandon the outreach and engagement that have benefitted the Belarusian people and which have advanced the relations between our citizens," she added.
(@FahadShabbir)

As world leaders flock to Rome for the G20 summit, US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis Friday at the start of a trip aimed at reasserting US international credentials

Vatican City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :As world leaders flock to Rome for the G20 summit, US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis Friday at the start of a trip aimed at reasserting US international credentials.

Shortly before leaving Washington, the president unveiled an "historic" blueprint for remaking America's economy, but it remains to be seen if he can persuade lawmakers to back it.

After weeks of internal party feuding, and with his personal ratings slumping, Biden had hoped to arrive at twin summits in Europe this week -- the G20 and UN climate talks in Glasgow -- with the deal in hand.

The 78-year-old sees himself as the spokesman for democracy in the face of authoritarian regimes, notably China -- although Xi Jinping, like Russia's Vladimir Putin, is not attending the G20 in person.

The president opened the trip on a more intimate note. After landing overnight, he arrived at the Vatican just before lunch for a meeting with Pope Francis, the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

The presidential convoy carrying Biden and his wife Jill swept through St Peter's Square before winding its way to the Apostolic Palace, where a line of guards and Vatican dignitaries awaited the US guests.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) US President Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom during his trip to Europe to talk about Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Thursday.

"On Saturday... He (Biden) will also have the opportunity to meet with the E3, the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK, on Iran to touch base on where we stand right now with respect to trying to resume negotiations to return to the JCPOA," Sullivan said.
The meeting between US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis lasted some 90 minutes, longer than the pontiff's audiences with Biden's predecessors, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, journalists at the scene said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) The meeting between US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis lasted some 90 minutes, longer than the pontiff's audiences with Biden's predecessors, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, journalists at the scene said on Friday.

The meeting is the first in Biden's European tour, during which he is set to attend the G20 summit in Rome and UN Climate Change Convention in Glasgow. Biden's audience with Pope Francis began at around noon Rome time (10:00 GMT). It ended at at 1:30 p.m. First Lady Jill Biden also attended the trip to the Vatican.

Biden is the second Catholic president of the US, the first since John F. Kennedy.

"In his audience with Pope Francis today, President Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world's poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution.

He lauded Pope Francis' leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery," the White House said in a statement.

After the head of the Catholic Church, Biden had a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state.

The meeting between Obama and Pope Francis in 2014 lasted 50 minutes, while Trump spent even less time talking to the pontiff - only 30 minutes.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he hopes for close cooperation with Paraguay during the country's presidency in the South American trade bloc Mercosur with a view to signing the association agreement, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said on Thursday.

On Thursday, Borrell held a meeting with Paraguay's Foreign Minister Euclides Acevedo in Brussels.

"HR/VP expressed that the EU looks forward to working closely with Paraguay during its Mercosur Presidency next year, with a view to concluding the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement. The Agreement will provide a framework for strengthening and modernising our relations," the EEAS said in a press release.

At the meeting, Borrell and Acevedo also discussed the state of the bilateral EU - Paraguay relationship and the regional developments in Latin America.

The EU and Mercosur announced they had reached a free trade agreement in principle at the 2019 G20 Osaka summit, following two decades of negotiations. But the European Parliament said in 2020 that the pact could not be ratified in its current form due to concerns over deforestation in the Amazon region.

If signed, the EU-Mercosur Association would be the largest free trade deal for the Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as for the EU in terms of tariff reduction on the export of goods to Mercosur countries.
The coalition said on Thursday it had killed 95 Yemen rebels in air strikes over the past 24 hours around the strategic city of Marib

Riyadh, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2021 ) :The coalition said on Thursday it had killed 95 Yemen rebels in air strikes over the past 24 hours around the strategic city of Marib.

A statement said the coalition carried out 22 operations targeting rebels in two districts south of Marib that "killed 95 terrorists and damaged 11 military vehicles".
Paris and Washington want to strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday during a meeting with US President Joe Biden

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) Paris and Washington want to strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday during a meeting with US President Joe Biden.

The two leaders met in Italy, ahead of the summit of the world's 20 largest economies. This marked their first meeting since last month's falling out over a scrapped French-Australian submarine deal.

"The work that has been carried out in recent weeks, and which we will talk about today, has made it possible, first of all, to clarify a number of points regarding European sovereignty and European defense, which contributes to world security.

Together we want to strengthen this strategic partnership between the European Union and NATO," Macron said as aired on the BFMTV broadcaster.

In mid-September, Australia withdrew from a $65-billion submarine deal with France and announced that it would build nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new defense partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold brief face-to-face talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G20, Downing Street said Friday, with the two nations locked in a fishing rights dispute

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold brief face-to-face talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G20, Downing Street said Friday, with the two nations locked in a fishing rights dispute.

The leaders will meet at the summit starting in Rome on Saturday as an escalating row over rights for French fishing boats has seen Britain summon the French ambassador.

Johnson and Macron will hold a brief "brush-by" meeting on the sidelines of the summit to "discuss a range of issues", a spokesman for the British prime minister told journalists, without confirming the time and date.

The two sides are at loggerheads over licensing rules for EU boats wanting to operate in waters around Britain and the Channel Islands.

France has been incensed by the rejection of some of its vessels by Britain and the self-governing islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which depend on London for defence and foreign affairs.

France has warned that continued denial of licences would lead to retaliatory measures as soon as next week, including time-consuming checks on all products and a ban on UK vessels landing seafood.

London has promised "an appropriate and calibrated response" to the French measures, since the British fishing industry depends on French ports as a gateway to Europe, its main export market.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has summoned the French Ambassador to London, Catherine Colonna, to a meeting Friday afternoon to explain France's "threats".
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged China's President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to take "concrete action" on climate change as they spoke by phone ahead of the upcoming COP26 talks

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged China's President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to take "concrete action" on climate change as they spoke by phone ahead of the upcoming COP26 talks.

The pair discussed "a range of issues, including action to address the climate crisis ahead of COP26, global trade and economic cooperation, and security and human rights", according to a press release from Johnson's Downing Street office.

Johnson's government is hosting the two-week UN summit in Glasgow from Sunday, but Xi will not be attending.

China did, however, on Thursday renew its emissions cutting plan with a promise that its carbon pollution would peak before 2030.

"The prime minister acknowledged China's new Nationally Determined Contribution and welcomed their work on the COP15 Biodiversity Summit," said Johnson's office.

"He emphasized the importance of all countries stepping up their ambition on climate change at COP26 and taking concrete action to cut emissions and expedite the transition to renewable energy, including phasing out coal." As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, all countries agreed to slash emissions to limit temperature rises, and to submit ambitious plans for further cuts every five years.

Beijing's new submission to the UN confirmed its goal to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and slash emissions intensity -- or emissions per unit of economic output -- by more than 65 percent.

But there is little detail of how China, the world's biggest polluter, will achieve its goals.

Many had hoped for China to wean itself off coal and peak emissions much earlier than 2030, and reduce pollution from heavy industries such as cement, steel and aluminium over the next five years.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Friday that Sudan's military must show "restraint" toward protesters, following deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators in recent days

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2021 ) :UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Friday that Sudan's military must show "restraint" toward protesters, following deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators in recent days.

"Tomorrow there is a manifestation that is announced," Guterres told journalists ahead of the G20 summit in Rome.

"I urge the military to show restraint and not to create any more victims. People must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and this is essential."
FILE - This Oct. 9, 2014, file photo shows the gurney in the the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla. A 60-year-old Oklahoma man who stabbed a prison cafeteria worker to death in 1998 is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 in the state's first attempt to administer the death penalty since a series of flawed executions more than six years ago. The state was moving forward with John Marion Grant's lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-3 decision, lifted stays of execution that were put in place on Wednesday for Grant and another death row inmate, Julius Jones, by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
GRACE PIZZINI is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Pizzini can be contacted at gepizzi@ilstu.edu. Follow Pizzini on Twitter at @gepizzini

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you.
ERIN GESSERT is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Gessert can be contacted at eggesse@ilstu.edu Follow Gessert on Twitter at @erin_gessert

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you.
Normal, IL (61790)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 53F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Brevard County Costco fans can say goodbye to long trips west to their favorite membership warehouse.

Costco is set to open a 148,000-square-foot warehouse Thursday, Dec. 9 at 4305 Pineda Causeway, about a quarter-mile west of Interstate 95.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. will precede Costcos opening, Warehouse General Manager Mike Sinanian said.

Prior to the Melbourne locations opening, the closest Costco was about 60 miles away in Winter Park or in South Orlando.

We are thrilled to be bringing Costcos low warehouse prices to the residents of Melbourne, Sinanian said. They have been asking us to open here for a long time, and we already have made an impact on the local job market. We look forward to contributing to the community in many ways.

Like other Costco locations, the Melbourne warehouse will offer quality, brand-name and private-label merchandise. Costco helps businesses save money on supplies and on items for resale, and provides a wide range of products and services for personal use.

Costco is open only to card-holding members and offers three types of membership: Executive, Business and Gold Star. All types of membership include one free Household Card. Costco membership cards are accepted at all Costco locations around the world and online at costco.com.

Melbourne Costco will feature a variety of specialty departments, including a gas station, a bakery, fresh meat and produce, a deli with rotisserie chicken, an optical department with an independent doctor of optometry, a pharmacy and a tire center. It will also have a hearing aid center, a food court, and beer, liquor and wines.

The Melbourne location will have 230 employees, Sinanian said. Operating hours will be 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

This warehouse will be the 29th Costco location in Florida, There are 572 in the United States and 826 worldwide. Issaquah, Washington-based Costco has nearly 275,000 employees and 111 million cardholders throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, China, Australia and Iceland.

The company said it has been recognized throughout the U.S. for providing its employees with the highest wages in the industry and for its ethical business practices.

A typical retailer has more frills and operating costs that drive the prices higher, Costco President and CEO Craig Jelinek said in a statement. We operate simple buildings, streamline our product delivery, pay fair wages to limit turnover, and in general keep a tight rein on our overhead so as to offer incredible savings on our products and services.

Visit costco.com for more information.
A former professor of Air War College has admitted to being guilty of making false statements to a federal agent about his contact with an official from China. The professor, a 69-year-old man named Xiaoming Zhang, is a naturalized American citizen of Chinese descent and began working at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, in July 2003.

Apart from visiting family, Zhang would travel to China regularly for research and other work-related purposes. According to the Justice Department, sometime in 2012, Zhang became acquainted and developed a relationship with an official working for the Shanghai Municipal Government. Zhang and the Chinese official met in person at least six times. Between Dec. 2012 and Jan. 2017, they exchanged more than three dozen emails.

During the course of their relationship, Zhang came to realize that the official was using him to gain access to confidential information in his possession. The Chinese official also wanted to establish contacts with other individuals through him.

At Air War College, Zhang had undergone regular training sessions about protecting sensitive information. He was also informed to report on any suspicious contacts with foreign government officials.

However, Zhang failed to report the meetings to the Air War College. According to his plea agreement, Zhang also attempted to conceal the relationship he had with the Chinese official, even making multiple false and misleading statements to the authorities.

In August 2017 when Zhang was questioned by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) investigators as part of the process of verifying his eligibility for a security clearance at Air War College, he denied knowing the official in question.

Zhang again tried to cover his tracks by making inaccurate statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in July 2020. He eventually admitted to meeting with the official in China on several occasions. Zhang also confessed to having kept the relationship under wraps because he knew it was improper.

So far, Zhang has not been accused of leaking any secrets but only covering up the details of his face-to-face meetings and emails with the Chinese official. Zhang now faces a maximum of five years in prison. After considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other judicial factors, a federal district court judge will determine the sentence.

As per his plea agreement, Zhang will be required to resign from all positions connected to the U.S. government and contractors. He must also consent to never again seek any job with the government.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Talley of the Middle District of Alabama with support from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Sudanese activists are planning a march of millions this weekend in opposition to this weeks military coup against a civilianled transitional government.
U.S. President Joe Biden launched his whirlwind European diplomatic tour on a conciliatory note, saying Friday that the rollout of a security deal between the United States, Britain and Australia that cut out longtime ally France was clumsy.

What happened was, to use an English phrase  what we did was clumsy, Biden said. It was not done with a lot of grace, he acknowledged, next to French President Emanuel Macron in Rome ahead of the G-20 summit. The two spoke to reporters following their meeting which was notably held at Villa Bonaparte, the French Embassy to the Vatican, instead of a neutral venue.

The Indo-Pacific AUKUS security deal provides Australia with U.S. nuclear-powered submarines. But buying U.S. subs meant Canberra cancelled the $65 billion deal it previously made with Paris for traditional submarines.

The diplomatic fallout was swift: Paris temporarily recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra, saying they were not consulted in advance of the AUKUS deal.

I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not coming through, Biden said Friday. Honest to God, I did not know that you had not been.

This modest concession matters, said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the U.S. and the Americas program at Chatham House.

"It's pretty clear that both Biden and Macron have a lot to lose and wish this relationship to work, she said. So, they are finding ways to signal that, including in this case an acknowledgment that stops short of an apology.

Biden earlier committed to supporting France in their counterterrorism effort in the Sahel, where instability triggers waves of African migrants to aim for Europe.

Clearly the U.S. made a tough call on how to deal with France in the run-up to this decision and, ultimately, the AUKUS partnership stands and France is outside of it," Vinjamuri said.

Other key meetings

Earlier Friday, Biden met with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, a potential key ally in transatlantic relations at a time when German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to leave office and Macron remains politically embattled at home.

They and other leaders will gather at the G-20 summit of the worlds wealthiest nations, hosted this year by Italy, which begins Saturday.

Italy really is an anchor in southeastern Europe for the United States, said Rachel Ellehuus, deputy director and senior fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The White House said Biden thanked Draghi for Italys support following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including by temporarily housing more than 4,000 Afghans who were on route to the U.S. in August. The leaders discussed challenges to security in the Mediterranean region and reaffirmed the importance of NATOs efforts to deter and defend against threats.

Biden is also expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the summits sidelines. Erdogan recently threatened to expel the U.S. and nine other Western ambassadors over their support of a jailed Turkish philanthropist over charges of espionage, terrorism and attempts to overthrow the government  allegations that Western observers have called absurd.

This meeting is important for President Biden to send some messages to Turkey about what is and is not acceptable behavior from a NATO ally, what his expectations are for Turkey being a partner in everything from follow-on security challenges from Afghanistan to Turkey's role in the Black Sea region and Turkey's performance in NATO, Ellehuus said.

Observers, journalists and international partners have repeatedly asked when Biden will meet one-on-one with the leader of the country the U.S. considers its main adversary: China. But Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G-20 summit in person, nor the climate conference that will follow immediately after, in Glasgow.

The White House has confirmed Biden and Xi will meet virtually before the years end.
New violence has wracked northwestern Cameroon, where the military said it killed some 40 separatist fighters over the past two weeks. The Catholic Church said some of those killed were civilians, and witnesses said many houses were burned to the ground.

Cameroons government is expressing frustration with the separatists but vows it will not allow the breakup of the country.

External Relations Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella summoned ambassadors to a meeting Thursday where he laid out the governments position on the separatist crisis.

Mbella Mbella said the separatists are again causing untold suffering in the English-speaking western towns and villages of the majority French-speaking nation.

He said Cameroon is surprised fighters continue to commit atrocities when much has been done to satisfy the needs of the minority English speakers who feel marginalized.

The government of Cameroon has undertaken the most expensive and extensive structural and administrative reforms in its recent history," Mbella Mbella said. "As a key recommendation of the major national dialogue, the government tabled the bill to institute the special status. His excellency Paul Biya has also granted a general full amnesty to combatants who voluntarily drop their weapons."

None of the heads of diplomatic missions invited to the meeting would comment when contacted by VOA.

By special status, the minister is referring to political reforms that gave the largely English-speaking northwest and southwestern regions greater autonomy. The reforms were passed after Cameroon organized what it called a major national dialogue to solve the separatist crisis in 2019.

Mbella Mbella also declared the government will not allow any part of the country to secede.

The separatists have a different point of view. This week, an official from what the separatists call the Ambazonia Interim Government said on Facebook that their forces will never surrender, and that the English speakers will fight until freedom is achieved.

They also accuse government forces of being responsible for many killings and much of the destruction in the western regions.

Separatists blame the government for torching houses during recent operations in the northwestern town of Kumbo and areas nearby. The government said separatist forces were to blame.

The military also said about 40 fighters have been killed in raids on separatist camps in the past two weeks.

However, the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon's Catholic Bishops  a neutral party in the conflict  said some of those killed were civilians.

Kumbo Mayor Venatius Mborong said several hundred civilians had fled the renewed fighting.

"They left Kumbo because they have been kidnapped a couple of times and they have paid ransom and now they are frankless [poor]," Mborong said. "People have sold houses, they have sold their lands, and so they cannot continue staying there."

The United Nations says the separatist war has forced more than 500,000 people to flee their homes since the conflict erupted in late 2017.
Efforts by Chinese diplomats to stop cultural events deemed critical of the government in Beijing have met with mixed results in Europe, succeeding in Germany but being rebuffed by a city government in Italy.

The incident in Germany concerned a new book, Xi Jinping  The Most Powerful Man in the World, by two veteran German journalists, Stern magazines China correspondent Adrian Geiges, and Die Welt newspaper publisher Stefan Aust.

Confucius Institutes at two German universities had planned online events on Oct. 27 to coordinate with the books launch. But the books publisher, Piper Verlag of Munich, said the events were canceled at short notice due to Chinese pressure.

The company accused Feng Haiyang, the Chinese consul general in Dusseldorf, of intervening personally to quash the event at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Duisburg and Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

At Leibniz University in Hannover, the Tongji University in Shanghai  which jointly operates the Confucius Institute there  forced the cancellation of an event, according to the company. Neither the publisher nor the institute offered details on what triggered the cancellation.

The institutes, run by Chinas education ministry, are seen by Beijing as a way to promote its culture. Many Western countries have become wary of the influence the institutes exert on campuses by subsidizing classes, travel and research.

Dozens of Confucius Institutes have been closed or are closing in Europe and Australia. At least 29 shuttered in the U.S. after the State Department in August 2020 designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a foreign mission of the Chinese government.

In a statement, Piper Verlag quoted a Confucius Institute employee as saying that One can no longer talk about Xi Jinping as a normal person, he should now be untouchable and unspeakable.

Felicitas von Lovenberg, head of Piper Verlag, called the cancellation of the events a worrying and disturbing signal.

Aust of Die Welt said the incident confirmed the books basic thesis: For the first time, a dictatorship is in the process of overtaking the West economically, and is now also trying to impose its values, which are against our freedom, internationally.

The book presented China in a very differentiated way as it also talked about Chinas success in overcoming poverty, co-author Geiges said. Apparently, such balanced reports are no longer enough for Xi Jinping. Stories are no longer enough  he now wants a cult around his person internationally, just as he does in China itself.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Berlin said events at Confucius Institutes were planned to bring about better understanding between the two peoples, and they should build on the basis of comprehensive communications between the partners.

China supports the development of the institutes as a platform to understand China comprehensively and objectively, the embassy spokesperson added. But we strongly object to any politicization of academic and cultural exchange.

Both Confucius Institutes said in their respective statements that there were different views between the German and Chinese partners, making it impossible to carry on. The Institute for East Asian Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen had expressed interest in hosting the event, according to the universitys Confucius Institute.

German human rights activist David Missal told VOA Cantonese there has always been pressure from the Chinese side when it comes to critical events, but the tactics were rarely exposed. He took it as a positive development that these incidents are coming to light.

I think this is the only way to fight this kind of influence in a democracy  you have to make these things public, make them transparent, and then there will be political responses to these incidents, Missal said.

Reinhard Butikofer, a German member of the European Parliament who is critical of China, said the next German federal government must draw clear lines about its China policy. Chinese censorship at German universities? Does not work at all. These so-called Confucius institutes, which are in fact CCP aides, have no future, he tweeted.

Earlier this month, the Chinese Embassy in Rome attempted to stop a critical art show, but failed.

A museum in Brescia, an Italian city about 100 kilometers east of Milan, will continue with its plans to open a solo exhibition of the work of Australia-based Chinese exiled activist Badiucao. Scheduled to run from Nov. 13-Feb. 13, the exhibition is entitled China is [not] near. It will feature the artists work criticizing issues such as Chinas handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its crackdowns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The Chinese Embassy in Rome sent the Brescia city council a message on Oct. 21, contending that Badiucaos works twisted facts, spread false information, would mislead the Italian people's understanding of China while seriously damaging Chinese peoples feelings, and jeopardize friendly relations between China and Italy, according to Italys ANSA news agency.

Brescia Mayor Emilio Del Bono told the Il Foglio newspaper the show will not be canceled, adding, I think it is important to show that you can stay friends while criticizing some things.

Badiucao told VOA Mandarin via phone on live TV that he was not surprised by the embassys position. I am very excited that the city government and the museum stood strongly with me. I can say very confidently that my exhibition will not be canceled. I will not amend my exhibits or commit any self-censorship."

VOA Cantonese asked the Chinese Embassy in Rome for comments but received no response.

This story originated in VOA's Cantonese Service.
It is only a matter of time before China's plan to replace the United States as the world's preeminent military becomes reality, a top U.S. general warned, calling on the Washington and its allies to speed efforts to counter Beijings bid for dominance.

General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Washingtons second-most-senior military officer, called the rapid rise of the Chinese military stunning.

The pace they're moving and the trajectory that they're on will surpass Russia and the United States if we don't do something to change it," he told the Defense Writers Group on Thursday, responding to a question from VOA.

We have to do something," he added.

The warning from Hyten, who is set to retire next month, comes a day after the top U.S. military officer publicly confirmed that China tested a hypersonic weapon system in July, sending a glider around the world at five times the speed of sound.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday the Chinese test was very concerning.

I dont know if its quite a Sputnik moment, but I think its very close to that, Milley added, referring to Russias launch of the worlds first artificial satellite in the 1950s. The feat sparked the space race that dominated the next several decades.

Like Milley, Hyten refused to share details of the Chinese hypersonic test, saying the information remained classified.

But he did acknowledge that simply by conducting such a test, China was sending a message.

All the hypersonic weapons they're building, all of the nuclear weapons they're building, are not meant for their own population," Hyten said of China. "It is meant for the United States of America, and we have to assume that, and we have to plan for that."

Hyten expressed confidence that for now, Americas own hypersonic program is more advanced, though he raised concerns that even that could be changing.

"In the last five years, maybe longer, the United States has done nine hypersonic tests," Hyten told reporters. "The Chinese have done hundreds."

"Single digits versus hundreds is not a good place," he said.

Hyten also repeated concerns he first voiced as commander of U.S. Strategic Command, that the U.S. capability to defend against hypersonic weapons, from China and Russia, needs work.

"The most important thing about defending yourself against hypersonics is not the weapon. It is not building your own hypersonics. It's building a sensor that can see hypersonics," he said. Right now, we dont have the sensors.

Hyten said one way to boost visibility would be for the U.S. to work with allies to create an integrated network of ground-based and space-based systems to track the high-speed weapons.

But building such a capability will take time, and Hyten warned its development could get bogged down by the Pentagons growing bureaucracy, which he said continues to slow critical programs, despite recent efforts to boost efficiency.

Hyten said another way to counter hypersonic weapons would be to turn to lasers, which travel at the speed of light.

"We've finally reached the point in technology in lasers that it has reached the maturity that it can actually be lethal on incoming missile threats, Hyten said. "We need to invest in that."

Russia

Despite concerns about Chinas rapidly progressing military prowess, Hyten said that for the moment, Russia remains the biggest existential threat to the U.S.

Russia is still the most imminent threat, simply because they have 1,500 deployed nuclear weapons, plus or minus, and Chinas got roughly 20% of that, the general said in response to a question from VOA. So, you have to worry about Russia in the near term.

They already have operational hypersonic capabilities with nuclear weapons on it, Hyten said of Russia. And they continue to experiment with hypersonics, but not nearly at the pace of China, not anywhere close to the pace of China.
A Chinese national has filed a challenge at the Malawi High Court against a 14-year jail sentence, which a lower court gave him last month after he was convicted of three wildlife crimes.

Lin Yunhua is allegedly a leader of an African wildlife trafficking syndicate known as the Lin-Zhang gang, named after the husband-and-wife leaders. It has operated out of Malawi for at least a decade.

Malawi authorities arrested Lin in August 2019 following a three-month manhunt. Police said he was found with the horns of five rhinos chopped into 103 pieces.

Last month, the magistrates court in the capital, Lilongwe, handed down the prison sentence.

Chrispine Ndalama, Lin's attorney, said, "I can simply say that we have filed the notice of appeal, but we are still consulting with our client on how to move forward. But we havent yet filed any documentation; we just filed the notice of appeal, because you need to appeal within the period of 30 days after the judgment has been delivered.

Ndalama said the appeal asks the court to reduce the 14-year sentence on the ground that Lin was a first-time offender, among other reasons.

In all, Malawian authorities have sent 14 people to prison in connection with the trafficking syndicate, including Lins wife and son-in-law.

Lins daughter was also arrested in December 2020 for alleged money laundering offenses. Her case is ongoing.

Sentence lauded

Wildlife campaigners have commended Lins sentence, saying it would help deter other would-be wildlife traffickers from committing similar crimes.

Mary Rice, executive director of the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency, an organization campaigning against environmental crimes and abuse, said the 14-year sentence was appropriate.

I think to be honest the sentence is fair and commensurate with all charges filed against him," Rice said. "So I am sure the prosecution will counter the appeal, and I guess the case rumbles on.

Brighton Kumchedwa, director of Malawis Department of National Parks & Wildlife, said the government was ready to face Lin again in court.

In the first place, it is his right to appeal," Kumchedwa said, "but yeah, we are very ready for him, just as we did in a lower court. It is our hope and prayer that probably [we will] come be back victorious.

Kumchedwa said the country is now experiencing a decline in wildlife trafficking.

I think following the hefty sentences that are coming from the courts, we are seeing a reduction indeed of these cases related to ivory trafficking," Kumchedwa said. "I dont have a figure on top of my head, but suffice to say that there is a decline.

The High Court has yet to set a date to hear Lins appeal.
Ahead of next weeks climate conference in Scotland, 10 United Nations and international agency heads, including the World Meteorological Organization, are calling on governments to turn their carbon neutral commitments into climate action.

Scientists tracking the impact of human activity on the warming of the planet say the scientific case for urgent climate action is unequivocal. They note rising temperatures have led to increased sea levels and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heat waves, and excess rainfall.

The U.N. and international agency heads have issued a united and urgent call to governments to prioritize climate action, particularly when it comes to water. They say accelerated action is urgently needed to address the water-related consequences of climate change.

World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Clare Nullis says the agency chiefs warn climate change is dramatically affecting the water cycle, making droughts and floods more extreme and frequent, and decreasing the natural water storage in ice and snow.

Changing precipitation patterns are already impacting agriculture, food systems, and livelihoods are becoming increasingly vulnerable, as well as ecosystems, and biodiversity. Rising sea levels threaten communities, infrastructure, coastal environments and aquifers, Nullis said.

Participants at next weeks so-called "make-or-break climate summit" are expected to commit themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The aim is to stave off climate change by limiting global warming to one-point-five to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Nullis said scientists agree on the urgency to translate the commitments into action and to do more to accelerate carbon neutrality.

The concentrations that are up there in the atmosphere now are at record levels. Even if we reach carbon neutrality tomorrow, the inertia in the climate system and especially in the ocean means that heat will carry on increasing for several decades even after that, she said.

At the meeting, Nullis said the WMO, the U.N. Environment Program, and the U.N. Development Program will announce a new coalition fund to improve the collection of essential weather and climate data.

She said the facility will close the growing data gaps that impede the ability to forecast extreme weather events and, ultimately, protect the climate.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague said Thursday that it had shelved a preliminary probe into crimes committed during Colombia's nearly six-decade civil war, saying it would leave investigations to domestic institutions.

The court opened a preliminary investigation in 2004, more than a decade before a peace deal between Bogota and the FARC guerilla group ended a conflict that authorities say resulted in 9 million deaths, disappearances or displacements.

It focused on crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by government forces, paramilitary forces and rebel groups, including murder, kidnapping, torture, rape and forceful displacement of civilians.

On Thursday, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said the court had concluded that Colombia was "living up to its international obligations" to investigate and prosecute the crimes itself.

Thousands are under investigation by Colombian authorities, he said.

"If genuine efforts were made to put an end to impunity, we [the ICC] do not have the right to superimpose the national system," said Khan, flanked at a press conference in Bogota by President Ivan Duque.

Duque said the decision recognized the "solidity" of Colombia's institutions.

"Colombia has shown that there are sentences here, that there are convictions here, that there is reparation here, and above all, that a great effort is made for the truth," the president said.

Tribunal set up

Colombia established the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), a tribunal to try the worst atrocities committed during the conflict. Since 2017, it has charged former FARC commanders with the kidnapping of at least 21,000 people and the recruitment of 18,000 minors.

Senior military officials have been charged with killing 6,400 civilians presented as guerillas.

The JEP hopes to deliver its first verdicts this year or in early 2022. It has the authority to offer alternatives to jail time to people who confess their crimes and make reparations to their victims.

Khan said that if needed, the ICC preliminary investigation could be reopened under a "cooperation agreement" with Colombia  the first the court had ever concluded with a state party.

"The closure of the preliminary examination does not detract from the reality that significant work is still required and that the institutions established must continue to be given the space to perform their constitutional responsibilities," the ICC said in a statement.

Colombia is experiencing its most violent period since the 2016 peace deal, which ended most fighting.

Some dissident FARC rebels, as well as guerrillas with the surviving ELN group, paramilitary groups and drug gangs are battling for control of lucrative smuggling routes.
Dozens of people, many from Hindu right-wing groups, were arrested Friday in India for disrupting Muslim prayer gatherings, local media reported, in the latest sign of growing sectarian tensions in the country.

Hindu groups have been pressuring authorities for weeks in the northern city of Gurgaon on the outskirts of New Delhi to stop Muslims from conducting Friday prayers in open spaces.

On Friday police deployed several hundred extra officers and arrested at least 30 people as crowds of locals and Hindu groups chanted slogans, local media reported.

Critics have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of persecuting minorities, including India's 200-million-strong Muslim population.

Modi's government rejects having a Hindu agenda and insists that people of all religions have equal rights.

Haryana state, of which Gurgaon -- also called Gurugram -- is the capital, is ruled by the BJP.

It is not the first time such an incident has been reported in the city, home to scores of multinational companies.

In 2018, many from the majority Hindu community raised similar objections to Muslims praying in the open.

District officials mediated between the communities and identified around 35 open spaces for Muslims to offer Friday prayers.

Many of those detained on Friday held up placards that read "Gurgaon administration, wake up from your sleep", NDTV television channel reported.

Images on social media showed a group of mostly unmasked people demanding the prayers be stopped. Others chanted "Jai Shri Ram" (hail Lord Ram), a rallying cry for Hindu nationalists.
It was this black box and nobody talked about it, Amir Soltani says of Evin Prison. When he was growing up in Tehran, Soltanis school was directly behind the notorious Iranian prison where journalists, activists and political prisoners are held.

When several of his friends were imprisoned and later released, they returned with stories of humiliation, flogging, torture and mock executions. It kind of shocked me as a child, Soltani told VOA. I never understood why Iranians or anybody would want to hurt another like that. And that prison defined my childhood.

Soltani, author of Zahras Paradise, a graphic novel about the protests following Irans contested 2009 election, left Iran in 1980 after the Islamic Revolution. Now based in the U.S., he has dedicated his life to human rights activism.

Those of us who have some degree of safety and security in the West, or at least in America, it falls on us to use our freedom in intelligent ways for others, he said.

At least 15 in prison

In Iran, where domestic media are controlled by the state, journalists, writers and activists often face censorship, prosecution and imprisonment. At least 15 journalists were imprisoned in Iran at the end of last year, according to the most recent prison census data from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Often journalists are charged with national security crimes, which has serious ramifications for press freedom, said Yeganeh Rezaian, a senior researcher for CPJ.

Rezaian has experienced firsthand the risks to Iranian media. In 2014, she was arrested alongside her husband, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, and imprisoned in Evin for 72 days. Her husband was held for 544 days.

Censorship has expanded beyond just arresting and imprisoning journalists; it has expanded so that journalists are censoring themselves to make sure they stay safe  and that is a very dangerous approach, Yeganeh Rezaian told VOA. The system has abused its power against journalism so deeply that now it starts from the very, very beginning and it is killing the freedom of expression from its very first step.

The New York-based CPJ said four journalists have died in custody in Iran since 2003. One was executed and three died under suspicious circumstances or showed signs of beatings and torture.

Irans mission to the United Nations did not respond to VOAs request for comment on Friday.

Journalists speak out

Despite the risks, writers and journalists continue to speak out. Members of the Iranian Writers Association are some of the most vocal.

The IWA was established in 1968 to support freedom of speech and oppose censorship. Iranian authorities banned it in 1981, and since then its members have been targeted with harassment, persecution and threats.

IWA members are the guardians of the word, and they are the guardians of the creative impulses of a civilization, and they're the face of its culture, Soltani told VOA. The country is awake and it's alive and it's vibrant and it has a voice. And that's what these guys represent.

PEN America this month awarded its 2021 Barbey Freedom to Write award to three members of the IWA who were jailed for speaking out.

Keyvan Bajan, a novelist and journalist, was sentenced to prison on national security and propaganda charges in 2019, along with filmmaker Baktash Abtin and literary critic Reza Khandan Mahabadi.

Their convictions relate to activities including circulating newsletters, compiling a book on the history of the writers association and attending memorial services for other members  activities that Irans authorities say are a national security threat.

These three writers are emblematic, said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, director of free expression at risk programs at PEN America. All of these writers have been very involved in opposing censorship, upholding free expression rights and standing up for writers in Iran.

They all knew that they would probably be pulled into prison because of this work and they've been very steadfast in standing up and continuing to push for these issues amidst a much worsening situation for human rights and free expression, Karlekar told VOA.

Iran ranks 174th out of 180 countries, with 1 being the freest, on the 2021 World Press Freedom Index. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders describes Iran as one of the most oppressive countries because of its persecution and harassment of journalists.

Abtin, Bajan and Khandan Mahabadi are all being held in Evin Prison, where poor conditions have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Abtin and Khandan Mahabadi contracted the coronavirus while there, according to PEN America.

Karlekar said that by spotlighting these writers, PEN hopes to improve conditions for the incarcerated. Better medical care, access to visits from relatives and lawyers, and an end to solitary confinement are all terms they advocate for.

We want full exoneration and people to be let out of jail altogether, but I think even an improvement in prison conditions is something worth fighting for, and would help preserve their lives and save their lives, Karlekar told VOA.

Soltani admitted that working toward press freedom and human rights in countries where oppression is severe can be challenging.

The hardest thing for me as an activist, as a human being, actually, is realizing that the world will not change at my pace, at the speed at which I want it to change, Soltani told VOA. You have to understand that justice is something that flowers over the generations.
On a sunny afternoon near the hamlet of Bidnija in Malta, a small crowd gathered by the side of a rural road to remember one of the countrys best-known journalists.

It has been four years this October since Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a bombing just a short distance from her home.

But despite international attention to the journalists death and her work uncovering corruption, little has changed in terms of Maltas press freedom environment, analysts and local journalists say.

Barriers to access, the use of lawsuits as a form of harassment and an over-reliance on state funding are all cited as ongoing issues. Rights groups have also said that Maltas two main parties dominate media ownership  and by extension, press coverage itself.

Caruana Galizia was widely known in Malta, where her Running Commentary blog had an online readership to rival Maltas established newspapers. She was known as a journalist unafraid to upset the status quo in her reporting on alleged corruption.

Daphne Caruana Galizias assassination was an incredible shock to the nation, Caroline Muscat, founder of The Shift news website, told VOA. It was almost spectacular, in the sense that it was so clearly a message that was being sent to anybody who dared to question corruption.

It took a while for Maltas journalists to come to terms with the killing, said Herman Grech, editor-in-chief of the Times of Malta.

It was quite possibly the biggest blow weve ever had, Grech told VOA. Daphne was not somebody random. Everybody knew Daphne Caruana Galizia. Everybody knew her writing, and everybody knew what she stood for. She was, I would say, loved and resented in equal measure.

A court in February sentenced one person to 15 years in prison for his role in the killing. And in August 2021, Yorgen Fenech, one of Maltas wealthiest businessmen, was indicted on murder charges. Fenech is pleading not guilty.

An official public inquiry into her death in July found that Maltese authorities created an atmosphere of impunity, generated by the highest echelons.

The inquiry made recommendations, including setting up a police unit that focuses on journalists at serious risk and amending the Constitution to recognize journalism as a pillar of democracy that the state has a responsibility to safeguard.

Ensuring those recommendations are implemented has become a focus for media rights groups.

What we want to see is proper press freedom reform that really leads to an improvement in the situation here for journalists, said Tom Gibson, the European Union representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Gibson, along with members of Article 19, Reporters Without Borders and other press freedom groups, met with local journalists and officials including Prime Minister Robert Abela and Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa while in Malta to mark the anniversary of Caruana Galizias death.

Abela committed to working with press freedom organizations on legislation regarding the use of lawsuits against journalists, Gibson told VOA. He said the prime minister also pledged that media affiliated with his Labour Party would not run campaigns against journalists during upcoming elections.

I think Prime Minister Abela wants to show to us that he is going to put in place reforms, Gibson said. Now what we would want to show to him is that we will track these reforms and come back to him, if they don't work.

Maltas Washington embassy spokesperson told VOA the government is committed to addressing the recommendations in the public inquiry.

The government is determined that the necessary legal and institutional reforms are carried out and that journalists are better protected, the representative told VOA. Media freedom is fundamental for our society.

Journalists Grech and Muscat said some reforms have been implemented, but largely the situation has not improved. To Grech, the heart of the problem is that the government does not acknowledge the importance of the media.

The government just simply does not understand the role of the media for democracy, Grech said. The most important thing is that the government has to acknowledge that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy.

Muscat said another problem is the reliance even independent news outlets have on government advertising and state funding. The issue was raised in the public inquiry report, which said that such reliance risks exposing outlets to pressure.

Despite the challenging environment, journalists have not been deterred.

Three weeks after Caruana Galizias death, Muscat founded The Shift, an online investigative news site.

Immediately, I felt that we needed to send a message back to the perpetrators, that you can't do this to one of us, and even if you do, then you will not silence the story, Muscat said. And that's what we've been doing for the last four years.

Muscat said The Shift continues to face barriers to access, including to government events that other news outlets can attend.

But despite that, we are absolutely determined to make sure that there is a positive outcome following [Daphnes] assassination, Muscat said. At least she would not have died in vain."
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Friday about his 75-minute private meeting with Pope Francis, saying the two men prayed together for peace and discussed global issues like climate change, as Biden prepares for a whirlwind diplomatic tour that includes a gathering of the world's wealthiest nations and a major climate summit.

Biden said the two men did not discuss an issue currently dividing the U.S. Catholic church: the divide between Biden's personal opposition to abortion and his stance as president, where he has fought against efforts by states to limit abortion access. Some conservative American bishops are seeking to deny Biden access to communion over this stance.

When asked about the matter, Biden said: "we just talked about the fact that he was happy I was a good Catholic."

Biden, a practicing Catholic who regularly attends Mass, said he did not receive communion from the head of the church. Communion is not usually part of papal audiences with heads of state, church experts have said. This is Biden's fourth meeting with this pope, but his first as president.

When asked if they discussed the rift in the U.S. church, Biden replied: "That's a private conversation."

The president and first lady Jill Biden were welcomed Friday by the head of Papal Household, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza. Around noon, the first couple had a private audience with the pope before participating in a broader delegate meeting, which on the U.S. side included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O'Malley Dillon.

Administration officials described this meeting as both personal and political.

Francis once guided the Biden family through personal grief and perches permanently behind the president's shoulder in a framed photo that overlooks the Oval Office.

During a visit to the United States in 2015, Biden has said, the pope took time to talk with the future president and his family not long after the death of his eldest son, Beau.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday the meeting, while primarily personal, would also cover important policy issues. The White House said the two, accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, would "discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis and caring for the poor."

"First, there'll be the obvious personal dimension," Sullivan said earlier in the week. "On policy issues, of course, in the international realm, they'll be talking about climate and migration and income inequality and other issues that are very top of mind for both of them."

The abortion question

But on the issue of abortion, the two men are clearly divided. The Catholic Church unambiguously opposes abortion. Biden, who says he doesn't personally agree with the procedure, has as president resisted efforts by states and courts to limit access to abortion.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden's views are clear on this matter.

"You are familiar with where the president stands," she said. "He's somebody who stands up for and believes that a woman's right to choose is important."

This issue is a wedge between Biden and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which plans to meet in coming weeks to debate whether politicians who support abortion should be barred from taking Holy Communion.

Massimo Faggioli, a Villanova University theology professor and author of Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States, said the meeting could also affect the conflict between Biden and those conservative American clerics. Circumstances are different now, he said, than the last time a Catholic served as president.

"John Kennedy was not an embattled Catholic at war with his bishops, as is the case for Joe Biden," he told VOA. "And there are high stakes in this meeting and in the (climate) summit in Glasgow a few days later, because both the pope and Joe Biden have very high, on their list of priorities, climate change."

Separating church and state

And, Faggioli said, it's not just the president who wants to draw a line between the church and politics.

"The Vatican and Pope Francis are actively trying to protect Joe Biden's access to the sacraments  not protecting Joe Biden's policies, especially on abortion, but they're protecting Joe Biden's access to the sacrament because they are afraid that if the sacraments are used to make a political statement, the U.S. Catholic Church will lose its catholicity, which means essentially, not being a sectarian church," he said.

"It will be the elephant in the room, probably," he said. "But they agree on this idea that Catholicism is a big tent that should not be defined by political affiliations, and even less, partisan loyalties."

The White House stressed that this meeting was primarily personal.

"I think the president's faith is, as you all know, is quite personal to him," Psaki said earlier in the week. "His faith has been a source of strength through various tragedies that he has lived through in his life."

And, as the White House has also stressed, the president is willing to meet with other spiritual titans. Earlier this week, Biden hosted Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 200 million Eastern Orthodox Christians.

"Our president here is a man of faith and man of vision, and we know that he will offer to this wonderful country and to the world the best leadership and direction within his considerable power," Bartholomew said, after a 45-minute meeting with Biden in the Oval Office.

More importantly, the patriarch noted, the two men used their massive platforms to push for something that other major faith leaders are also embracing: widespread vaccination.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence-France Presse.
An 18-member group of nations, including the United States and United Kingdom, has expressed deep concern over what it calls the Russian governments intensifying harassment of independent journalists and media outlets in the country.

In a statement issued on October 28 under the name of the Media Freedom Coalition, was also signed by Ukraine and North Macedonia, along with Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The statement said that media freedom is vital to the effective functioning of free and open societies and is essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Russian authorities have been accused of increasingly cracking down on independent media outlets, civil society groups, rights activists, and others, using legislations on undesirable individuals or groups, as well as the so-called foreign agents law.

The 18-nation statement said Russian authorities continue in 2021 to systematically detain journalists and subject them to harsh treatment while they reported on protests in support of imprisoned opposition figure Aleksei Navalny.

READ ALSO: Navalny Dedicates His Sakharov Prize to World's Corruption Fighters

It also said the office of student magazine Doxa was searched in April in relation to spurious charges, and four editors were then subjected to severe restrictions on their freedom.

Other cases cited by the group included a June 29 raid by Russian authorities on the apartments of staff members of investigative news website The Project (Proekt), a move made on the same day the site published an investigation into alleged corrupt practices by Russias interior minister.

The statement added that Russian occupation authorities in Crimea have held Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) freelance correspondent Vladyslav Yesypenko since March and have reportedly tortured him in detention.

On July 15, Yesypenko was indicted on specious charges and faces up to 18 years imprisonment, it said.

Yesypenko, a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who contributes to Crimea.Realities, was detained on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence. He 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 at the time described the case as the latest example of the Kremlin's campaign to target independent media outlets and called it a mockery of justice.

The statement by the 18-nation group also said that on October 8, Russian authorities applied the media foreign agent label to the international investigative journalism project Bellingcat, known for its investigation of the poisoning of Navalny.

In an unambiguous effort to suppress Russians access to independent reporting, the Russian government introduced onerous labeling requirements for so-called media foreign agents last year.

Since then, it has charged RFE/RL with more than 600 violations, resulting in fines totaling more than $4.4 million, the statement said.

It increasingly appears the Russian government intends to force RFE/RL to end its decades-long presence in Russia, just as it has already forced the closure of several other independent media outlets in recent years."

In addition, it said, authorities have applied the media foreign agent label to independent Russian outlets operating within or near Russias borders. "While concerns related to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in Russia have intensified, they are not new. We stand in solidarity with independent Russian journalists who assume personal risk in carrying out their professional activities, and we honor the memory of those reporters whose intrepid work has cost them their lives."

The statement urged Russia to comply with its international human rights commitments and obligations and to respect and ensure media freedom and safety of journalists.
Central Asian republics are stepping up their diplomatic activity in the face of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, seeking to balance fears of increased extremist activity in the region against the risk of an economic collapse that could send refugees flooding across their borders.

Three of those republics  Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan  joined Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan in issuing a joint statement from Tehran on Thursday, expressing support for the Afghan people while urging the nations new Taliban rulers to form an inclusive government representing all social and ethnic groups.

The issue is particularly sensitive for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, both of which have large ethnic populations in northern Afghanistan hugging their borders. Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov has recently visited Kabul and met with key Taliban players.

The call for an inclusive Afghan government has been a common global refrain, but where Western governments have sought to pressure the Taliban by withholding aid and access to the nations fiscal reserves, regional foreign ministers are stressing respect for Afghanistans sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as non-interference in its internal affairs.

The enhanced diplomatic engagement is driven in part by political calculation. Central Asians want the Taliban to suppress potential acts of terrorism against them and dampen the spread of extremism.

Obviously, the Taliban takeover is not the most pleasant development, said Dauren Abayev, deputy chief of staff to Kazakhstans president, in a public forum this week. But if you compare them with other groups, it is the not the worst case.

Afghanistans neighbors take some comfort from verbal reassurances delivered to Uzbekistan and others. Last week in Moscow, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said: Afghanistan will never allow its soil to be used to threaten the security of another country.

But the neighbors are equally concerned about the nations economic stability. For weeks, Uzbek, Kazakh and Kyrgyz officials have urged international partners to help avoid a humanitarian catastrophe that would destabilize the region further.

Talgat Kaliev, Kazakhstans special representative, told Euractiv, a pan-European media network, that his country is continuing to provide humanitarian aid

It is necessary to create conditions for dialogue with the new government, regardless of its political attitudes and ideologies, he said.

Kyrgyzstan, too, has delivered humanitarian aid, with Taalatbek Masadykov, deputy chairman of its Security Council, telling Kabul that his country wants peace and stability.

Turkmen officials are in Kabul this week, discussing a prospective pipeline project that, when completed, will link their natural gas-rich country through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Under construction in Afghanistan since 2018, the so-called TAPI project could carry 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Galkynysh, Turkmenistan, to Fazilka, India.

Mohammad Issa Akhund, the Talibans acting minister of mines and petroleum, said in a statement that Kabul has been working hard for some time and takes pride in the project. Afghanistan would take 5% of the gas, with the rest equally divided between Pakistan and India. Kabul hopes to earn transit fees.

One outlier in the regional diplomacy is Tajikistan, which has been openly critical of the Taliban while expressing support for Afghanistans ethnic Tajiks.

But Temur Umarov of the Carnegie Moscow Center writes that despite President Emomali Rahmons harsh rhetoric, Tajikistan has been extremely cautious, limiting their criticism to the fact that Afghanistans new government is not inclusive enough of the countrys ethnic minorities.

This summer Rahmon promised to accept up to 100,000 refugees, a pledge his interior minister Ramazon Rahimzoda later walked back, blaming the international community for failing to assist.

Dushanbe says there are some 15,000 Afghan refugees in Tajikistan. The State Committee for National Security recently reported up to 600 Afghans trying to cross the border daily.

Uzbekistan takes pride in opening the first channel of communication with the Taliban in the region and refers to it as Afghanistans interim government.

Dialogue is key, said Furkat Sidikov, Uzbekistans deputy foreign minister, while expressing confidence to VOA that even Tajikistan is in synch on Afghanistan and that disagreements can be worked out. We will not leave any country in fear or concern  We are closely working with each other on Afghanistan.

For Uzbekistan, Afghan policy is not about the Taliban but the people of Afghanistan, officials in Tashkent reiterate. Yet it is about Uzbekistans self-interest too.

Peace there is essential for us, said Sidikov.

Tashkent has opened the border town of Termez to the international community to serve as a hub for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan  a temporary and ad hoc arrangement.

UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, this month conducted three emergency airlifts to Termez, delivering more than 100 metric tons of shelter materials, blankets, plastic sheeting and supplies. The aid is trucked from Termez across the border to Mazar-i-Sharif while Afghan airports remain closed to commercial traffic.

The border is peaceful. We are not doing this for propaganda We dont want our neighbors to suffer, Sidikov said.

The deputy foreign minister confirmed that Uzbekistan will help Afghanistan repair the Mazar-e-Sharif airport and continue to supply the nation with electricity. Afghanistan can no longer pay, but Tashkent has deferred payment assuming the Taliban will eventually win financial support. To that end, Uzbekistan has called on international financial institutions and donors to unfreeze funds.

In forums ahead of Uzbekistans recent presidential election, the Mirziyoyev administration showcased regional diplomacy as its signature foreign policy success.

Cooperation with Central Asian partners is the top priority, said Sidikov. Uzbekistans trade within the region nearly doubled from $2.7 billion in 2016 [when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took power] to $5.2 billion this year. Afghanistan comprises nearly one-fifth of this commerce.

In Tehran, Uzbek Foreign Minister Kamilov urged the world not to isolate Afghanistan, saying, The international community needs a post-conflict strategy.

Uzbekistan is the driver of connectivity in Central Asia, said Sidikov, Kamilovs deputy. We can build a common future, respecting each others interests. The interim government in Afghanistan wants this, too.

Bakhtiyor Mustafayev, deputy head of Tashkents International Institute for Central Asia, is encouraged by the fact that all the Central Asian governments, which long acted as rivals, now endorse the idea of connectivity, taking advantage of each others unique strengths, from human capital to natural resources.

Mustafayev argues that the region has learned lessons from 30 years of independence since the breakup of the Soviet Union: It needs to act and speak collectively and every state has political will to create that regional space.

Sherzod Muhammad Ashraf, an ethnic Uzbek from Afghanistan currently based in Tashkent, is happy with this intensified Central Asian focus. I like that Uzbekistan and others see Afghans as one nation, but minorities have struggled and yearned for respect.

I hope our neighbors take that into account with the Taliban, because they dont represent us, said Ashraf. Im happy with calls for inclusive government that involve all ethnic groups.



This story originated in VOA's Uzbek Service.
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Some American solar energy companies are calling on the U.S. Commerce Department to expand tariffs on Chinese solar components to include Chinese-linked products from Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. VOAs Mike OSullivan reports on a debate that has divided the solar industry. Camera: Roy Kim for port shots
Editor's note: Here is a fast take on what has been atop the international communitys agenda this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.



Military seizes control in Sudan:

In a year of coups and attempted coups, Sudan is the latest country to see a military takeover. Thousands of protesters demonstrated in the streets following Lt. General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhans announcement Monday that Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other officials of the formerly ruling Sovereign Council had been arrested and a state of emergency declared. Latest on the situation here:



Climate summit opens Sunday in Glasgow:

The international community will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, for the next two weeks to try to stop the countdown to what U.N. chief Antonio Guterres warns is a climate catastrophe. Watch here:



The United Nations took a creative approach to raising the climate alarm, producing a short, special effects-filled video starring Frankie the Dino urging people to climate action so they wont become extinct like him. Watch it here:



Africa faces a syringe shortage threatening COVID-19 vaccinations:

The World Health Organization says only 6% of Africas 1.2 billion people are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Now, as vaccine shipments are increasing, the continent faces a new complication: a shortage of syringes to inject the vaccine.



News in brief



The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran said Monday the death penalty continues to be implemented at an alarming rate in that country. Javaid Rehman told the U.N. General Assembly committee that deals with human rights issues that Tehran executed more than 250 people last year, and more than 230 so far this year. I urge the government to initiate reforms in this area, starting most urgently with a moratorium on the death penalty against child offenders, he said.



The United Nations said Wednesday that worldwide, 28 of its civilian staff died in 2020 and the first half of 2021 because of acts of violence and safety-related incidents. There also was an alarming rise in the number of staff who were abducted  17 in 2020  compared with six in 2019.



Good news:



Thousands of refugees return home:



The U.N. refugee agency reports it has restarted a voluntary repatriation operation for thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic who were living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.



Quote of note:



Many of the women I have spoken to as I have been out across the country in Mazar, Herat, areas of Kabul, tell me they havent eaten in days as they spare what they have for their children. I had women falling at my feet crying for food. Mary-Ellen McGroarty, World Food Program Representative and Country Director in Afghanistan, to reporters Tuesday on the severe hunger conditions affecting millions in that country.



What we are watching next week:



An important report from the U.N. Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on their joint investigation into alleged human rights violations committed by all parties in the conflict in the northern Tigray region will be launched Wednesday by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.



The COP26 climate summit gets underway Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland. The U.N. secretary-general says it may be the last chance for leaders to make ambitious and meaningful commitments to lower carbon emissions in order to keep global warming this century to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.



Did you know?



The United Nations loves acronyms. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. The Glasgow meeting on climate is the 26th session, hence COP26. There is another COP on biodiversity, which takes place every two years  COP15  which met this month in China. And next year, there will be a COP on desertification, which  this is where it gets tricky  also will be a COP15.
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to approve legislation to prevent companies that are deemed security threats, such as Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. or ZTE Corp., from receiving new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators.

The Secure Equipment Act, the latest effort by the U.S. government to crack down on Chinese telecom and tech companies, was approved last week by the U.S. House in a 420-4 vote and now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

"Chinese state-directed companies like Huawei and ZTE are known national security threats and have no place in our telecommunications network," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said. The measure would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from reviewing or issuing new equipment licenses to companies on its "Covered Equipment or Services List."

In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks.

The affected companies included the previously designated Huawei and ZTE, as well as Hytera Communications Corp., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co.

The FCC in June had voted unanimously to advance a plan to ban approvals for equipment in U.S. telecommunications networks from those Chinese companies even as lawmakers pursued legislation to mandate it.

The FCC vote in June drew opposition from Beijing.

"The United States, without any evidence, still abuses national security and state power to suppress Chinese companies," Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson at China's Foreign Ministry, said in June.

Under proposed rules that won initial approval in June, the FCC could also revoke prior equipment authorizations issued to Chinese companies.

A spokesperson for Huawei, which has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, declined to comment Thursday but in June called the proposed FCC revision "misguided and unnecessarily punitive."

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the commission has approved more than 3,000 applications from Huawei since 2018. Carr said Thursday the bill "will help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into America's communications networks."

On Tuesday, the FCC voted to revoke the authorization for China Telecom's U.S. subsidiary to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.


The Biden administration is working with international partners to prepare new sanctions that could be levied in response to Nicaraguas November 7 election, which Washington has denounced as a sham organized by President Daniel Ortega, U.S. officials say.

The U.S. government has also begun a review of Nicaraguas participation in a Central America free trade agreement and has already halted support for any trade capacity building activities seen as benefiting Ortegas government, a senior State Department official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

President Joe Bidens administration, building on sanctions imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump, has imposed punitive financial measures and U.S. travel bans on dozens of Nicaraguan officials, including Ortega family members, amid a government crackdown ahead of the election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement last week that Ortega, who is seeking a fourth term, and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, were preparing a sham election devoid of credibility, by silencing and arresting opponents.

One U.S. government source said further sanctions were in the works for after the election, and the State Department official also signaled such a move was likely.

The Nicaraguan government and its embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ortega said in June that sanctions would not deter him, and that his government was following the law in prosecuting people conspiring against him. He accused Washington in July of trying to undermine the elections and seeking to "again sow terrorism" in Nicaragua, an apparent reference to U.S. financing of right-wing Contra fighters in the 1980s.

"We'll continue to use diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to promote accountability for those who support the Ortega regimes human rights abuses and attacks on Nicaraguan democracy," the State Department official said.

We do have sanctions tools. We are working with international partners, as well to work in multilateral fora, in ways that uphold our values, and we'll continue to do so, the official added.

Both officials declined to identify possible sanctions targets or provide the timing for new measures. The U.S. official said, however, that the next round could include not only people but also security force units or government-controlled companies linked to the crackdown.

The European Union has matched some U.S. sanctions, but it is unclear how far the EU and regional governments are prepared to go to pressure Ortega. He has steadily tightened his grip on the Central American nation he has dominated since returning to power 15 years ago.

Sanctions against Ortega?

Still uncertain is whether the U.S. administration is considering directly targeting Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla leader. Murillo, considered by U.S. officials to be a major powerbroker, is already under sanctions.

The Biden administration spearheaded a resolution last week by the Organization of American States that expressed alarm over the Nicaraguan government's actions.

Since June alone, Ortega's government has arrested dozens of opposition politicians, including presidential hopefuls, suspended a rival party, and it also cracked down on media critical of his rule.

Washington is seeking ways to squeeze Ortegas government financially.

U.S. officials have warned that Nicaragua's membership in the CAFTA-DR regional trade agreement, which gives preferential treatment to Central American exports to the United States, could be in jeopardy if Ortega rigs the elections in his favor. The State Department official confirmed that a review already was under way. Were continuing to review their participation in any U.S.-sponsored assistance program the official said.

The official acknowledged, however, the administration was discussing potential legal obstacles to any suspension of Nicaragua from the trade pact, which some experts have suggested could complicate any action.

One person familiar with the matter said there also were concerns within the administration that Nicaraguas removal could hit its struggling economy hard enough to worsen Nicaraguans' humanitarian plight, spurring further migration toward the U.S.-Mexico border.

About half of Nicaragua's exports go to the United States, with duties kept low under CAFTA-DR.
The top U.S. diplomat to Taiwan said Friday the United States has a commitment to help the self-ruled island provide for its self-defense as tensions intensify between Taiwan and mainland China.

In her first news conference since taking her post in July, the de-facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, said the U.S. continues to have a shared and abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region. She also said the U.S. is deeply concerned by the ongoing efforts by China to undermine that stability.

She said, Our commitment to Taiwan is rock solid.

The U.S. support for Taiwan comes as tensions between China and the island are now at the highest in decades, with Beijing stepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets toward Taiwan.

Since 1979, the U.S. has adopted a one China policy, in which it diplomatically recognized Beijing as the only Chinese government. It is the reason there is no official U.S. embassy in Taiwan. At the same time, the U.S. did not recognize Chinas sovereignty over Taiwan, as Beijing asserts, a point Oudkirk reiterated Friday.

She told reporters, The United States has a commitment to help Taiwan provide for its self-defense  It's a commitment we take very seriously.

Oudkirk refused to comment or provide specifics on any security initiatives when asked about comments made Thursday by Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, confirming a small number of U.S. troops are present in Taiwan to help with training.

She said the U.S. will continue to advance global and regional goals of the Biden administration, including countering malign ((China)) influence, recovering from the devastating impacts of the pandemic and addressing the threat of climate change."



Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned individuals and companies allegedly associated with a network of companies linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The department said in a statement Friday that the targets "provided critical support" to Tehrans drone program. It said they helped spread Iranian drones to "Hezbollah, Hamas, Kata'ib Hizballah, the Houthis, and to Ethiopia."

"Irans proliferation of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) across the region threatens international peace and stability," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in the statement. "Iran and its proxy militants have used UAVs to attack U.S. forces, our partners, and international shipping."

The Treasury Department said it targeted Iranian nationals Yousef Aboutalebi,

Saeed Aghajani, Abdollah Mehrabi and Mohammed Ebrahim Zargar Tehrani. Two Iranian businesses, Kimia Part Sivan Company LLC and Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Company, were also sanctioned.

Iran did not immediately comment on the sanctions, which freeze U.S. assets the targets may have and generally bar Americans from doing business with them.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters.
The United States announced Thursday it is providing nearly $144 million in new humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, where millions of people could face acute hunger this winter unless aid arrives soon.

National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement the U.S. assistance will be directed through independent organizations that provide support directly to more than 18.4 million vulnerable Afghans, including Afghan refugees in neighboring countries.

Our partners provide lifesaving protection, shelter, livelihoods support, essential health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services in response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by health care shortages, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter, Horne said.

She noted that the additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in the region to nearly $474 million in 2021, the largest amount of assistance from any nation.

The United Nations said more than four decades of deadly conflicts and recurrent natural disasters have resulted in a protracted food crisis in Afghanistan.

Humanitarian needs have grown to unprecedented levels, and more than half of the conflict-torn countrys estimated 40 million population, a record 22.8 million people, will "face acute food insecurity" from November, U.N agencies warned earlier this week.

Among those at risk are 3.2 million children under age 5 who are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year, they said.

U.S. and Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan in August after 20 years of involvement in the fighting, leading to the fall of the Afghan government to Taliban insurgents.

The return of the Islamist Taliban to power has triggered financial sanctions on Kabul by the United States and other nations over human rights and terrorism concerns.

The sanctions have blocked the groups access to about $10 billion in Afghan assets parked largely with the U.S. Federal Reserve, raising prospects of an economic meltdown in Afghanistan.
The United States urged the military leaders of Sudan's coup to refrain from "any and all violence" against peaceful protesters who are planning major demonstrations on Saturday.

The appeal to Sudan's military leaders came from a senior State Department official who was briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.

"Tomorrow is going to be a real indication of what the military intentions are," the official said.

Since Monday's military takeover, protesters have taken to the streets of Sudan to demand the restoration of a civilian government. A group of neighborhood committees and other activists are planning a "march of millions" on Saturday under the slogan "Leave!"

Security forces have killed at least nine people by gunfire and wounded at least 170 others during the protests, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee.

Saturday's planned protests have some residents fearing a full-blown clampdown, Reuters reported.

"Confronting peaceful protesters with gunfire is something that should not be tolerated," said Haitham Mohamed in Khartoum. "It will not make us back down; it only strengthens our resolve."

The military takeover occurred after weeks of escalating tensions between military and civilian leaders over Sudan's transition to democracy. The coup threatens to derail the process, which has slowly progressed since the army ousted longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir, ending a popular uprising in 2019.

Sudanese military chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan said Tuesday that the army's overthrow of the country's transitional government was necessary to avoid a civil war.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Friday, "I urge the military to show restraint and not to create any more victims. People must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully. And this is essential."

VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching contributed to this report. Some information came from Reuters.
The World Food Program says that without consolidated global action to stop the acceleration of climate change, the world faces a crisis of acute hunger.

The WFP says climate shocks are destroying lives, crops and livelihoods and are undermining peoples ability to feed themselves. It cites Mozambique as an example of a country particularly vulnerable to climate change. It notes millions of people are suffering from food scarcity because of punishing cyclones, drought and pest infestations leading to agricultural losses.

WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri said Friday that hunger would increase rapidly throughout vulnerable communities worldwide if global action is not taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are leading to climate change.

It's often stated by climate scientists and activists that humans must stop the planet from warming an additional 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the most destructive effects of climate change. Research shows that if global temperatures keep rising to hit the 2 degrees Celsius mark, an additional 189 million people could become food insecure," Phiri said. "Now, in a 4 degree Celsius warmer world, this number could increase by as many as 1.8 billion people.

Trouble spots

The WFP describes the devastating wide reach climate change is having on the livelihoods in communities in the dry corridor of Central America; in Afghanistan, where drought was officially declared in June; and in Yemen, where severe and frequent floods have damaged and destroyed infrastructure and homes.

Phiri said the WFP is helping people in communities where food is in short supply to prepare for, as well as respond and recover from, climate shocks and stresses. He said the agency has reached more than 6 million people in 28 countries with climate risk management solutions.

For example, he said, the WFP provided cash assistance for 120,000 people in Bangladesh four days ahead of severe flooding to help them protect critical assets. In Madagascar, he said, the WFP has launched a microinsurance program to help farmers who have lost their crops because of drought.

Ahead of COP26, the World Food Program is calling for coordinated global climate action to urgently address the challenges of the climate crisis and to reduce its impact on hunger," Phiri said. "More specifically, we are advocating for a shift from crisis response to risk management.

Phiri said governments should manage risks rather than disasters. He said a more forward-looking perspective is needed to prepare for bigger and more frequent climate shocks and enable early action to help prevent predictable climate emergencies.
A court in Zimbabwe Friday ordered the release of about 40 veterans of the nations 1970s independence war, four days after they tried to petition President Emmerson Mnangagwa about their low monthly pension.

Their lawyers accuse the government of infringing on citizens right to demonstrate, particularly those who opposed President Mnangagwas rule.

War veterans chatted outside the courtroom Friday after Magistrate Barbra Mateko ordered their release on about $40 bail. They were arrested Monday while trying to go to Mnangagwas office to ask for a review of their less than $100 monthly pension.

Paidamoyo Saurombe, from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, spoke to VOA after he secured the war veterans release on bail.

Its not a crime to demonstrate in Zimbabwe, its not a crime to petition. Its actually provided for by the constitution," Saurombe said. "So in anything that has to be done, it has to be done in those ambits of the constitution or in those constitutional provisions. And our clients were following constitutional provisions, so to say they committed a crime it would rather be absurd.

The veterans are expected to go on trial next month. The offense of breaching the peace, which they face, has an option of a fine if they are convicted.

Addressing senior members of the ruling ZANU-PF party Friday in Bindura, about 80 kilometers north of Harare, President Mnangagwa said the war veterans had broken protocol.

Various initiatives have been implemented to improve the dignity, welfare and economic empowerment of veterans of the liberation struggle and dependence of the heroes," Mnangagwa said. "But I urge the war veterans to use procedures in the party, not outside the party.Their rich ideological grounding should galvanize the principle of patriotism in the hearts and minds of cadres and embolden them in their efforts to ensure that ZANU-PF remains the party of choice which wholeheartedly serves the people.

At the court, one of the war veterans, who identified himself as Cde Tendai, said he was relieved his colleagues had been granted bail because some of them have chronic conditions.

We were concerned by their health," Tendai said. "We feared that some of them may have died because most war veterans are stressed by so many things. We were surprised by their arrests. We were not violent, we respect the rule of law and our government. The only issue was: we want to petition since we are getting very little money considering how life is difficult.

Zimbabwes war of liberation from the white minority-led rule of Ian Smith lasted for 16 years, from 1964 to 1980.The government still pays monthly pensions to about 30,000 veterans of the war.
Nunurai Jena

The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, Nelson Chamisa, says President Emmerson Mnangagwas assertion that he is faking assassinations claims are a sign of a cruel and brutal leader who want to cling to power at all costs.

Speaking to journalists at the end of his Meet The People Tour in Mashonaland West today, Chamisa said there is need for divine intervention to save Mnangagwa from his evil deeds.

He said, Its a pity and a sorry state what we went through but you hear a president of a nation who is supposed to protect every citizen making such reckless utterances. I escaped death by a whisker when my convoy was attacked by Zanu PF thugs and somebody thinks that its a joke.

Chamisa said he will pray for Mnangagwa. I will pray for him because there is God in Heaven.

He said what irked him most is that President Mnangagwa has already concluded about the all the incidents while police are still conducting investigations.

Its unfortunate that Mnangagwa is talking of faking an assassination when the police are still investigating the incident. Who told him that when the police are still to conclude investigations? He has actually concluded the case for the police and what can they say

now  Its a pity, said an emotional Chamisa.

Addressing Zanu PF Politburo members on Wednesday, Mnangagwa said claims of political violence by the opposition should be ignored.

We should ignore the grand standing by certain elements of our society as they try to attract international attention against their own country, said Mnangagwa.

Chamisa has been attacked by people suspected to be Zanu PF members in Masvingo, Manicaland and Mashonaland West provinces in an effort to block him from meeting his supporters, ordinary people, traditional and opinion leaders and others.

But Chamisa vowed that no amount of intimidation will stop him from visiting all provinces.
Civil war has displaced many in Ethiopia's Tigray region and there is no end in sight to their misery. Heather Murdock travels to the largely cut-off conflict zone, as well as refugee camps in neighboring Sudan, to bring the story of a complex political situation and humanitarian disaster.
Ntungamili Nkomo

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance says it has written a letter of complaint to the U.N. headquarters over what the party is calling biased and deliberate dishonesty by the world bodys sanctions envoy Alena Douhan, who released a report yesterday calling for the United States and Britain to remove their sanctions targeting Zanu PF elites.

Party vice president, Tendai Biti, told a news conference in Harare today that Douhan had not included their submissions in her report.

Consultations between the party and Douhan were held under a toxic, adversarial environment while the envoy was very defensive and obstructive, Biti said.

Douhan was unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, the U.S. insisted today that poor governance and not sanctions, is behind Zimbabwes economic decay.
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La Coruna (94.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s | 7 users found this interesting. leave your comment here

leave your comment here / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s

Viveiro (53.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Se movio todo | 6 users found this interesting.

Ortigueira (47.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Estaba despierta, senti un ruido, como un trueno pero mas fuerte y despues ya empezo a temblar todo, duro unos pocos segundos. | 4 users found this interesting.

Neda (80.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Shaking and rattling woke me up from sleep at 06:32 CEST Yesterday felt a huge bang which sounded like something big hitting the house. This was probably connected. | 4 users found this interesting.

Home (89.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s | 4 users found this interesting.

Naron (78.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s : Muy asustador se movia la cama y el suelo | 4 users found this interesting.

Sada (97.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Los vasos de cristal sonaron durande 10 segundos | 4 users found this interesting.

Carino, Galicia (45.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Dormia y me desperto el ruido y la vibracion de la cama | 3 users found this interesting.

A Coruna, Galicia (101.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : I was in bed and the bed shook. | 3 users found this interesting.

A Estrada, Pontevedra (172.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sleeping in bed and the vibration woke me up | 3 users found this interesting.

Valdovino (67.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Temblor ligero , como si pasase un camion con carga , vibracion durante unos segundos | 3 users found this interesting.

Teo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s | 3 users found this interesting.

A Coruna, Galicia (102.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Senti el de las 6:32 (ligero movimiento horizontal y acompanado de ruido, como si hubiera pasado un tren por debajo del edificio), pero no he notado el de las 6:43. | One user found this interesting.

Naron / not felt / single vertical bump / very short : Temblo la cama | 3 users found this interesting.

Ferrol (80.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Con miedo. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sada, La Coruna (96.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake : Se movieron cristales, cuadros, la cama.... | 2 users found this interesting.

Iglesia 36 Ferrol (82.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Estamos en piso 6 Cosas moverse | 2 users found this interesting.

Galicia a coruna (101.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : Acostado | 2 users found this interesting.

Coruna (99.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Estaba en la cama y senti movimientos laterales | 2 users found this interesting.

Outeiro De Rei (121.8 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : Estaba dormiendo en cama y me desperto la sacudida | 2 users found this interesting.

near Santa Maria, Lugo, Galicia (82.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Like a rumbling machine | 2 users found this interesting.

Boiro, A Coruna, Galicia (189.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : The bed shaked | 2 users found this interesting.

Ferrol / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s | 2 users found this interesting.

Ferrol (81.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : Idk | 2 users found this interesting.

Culleredo , A Coruna / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : nos hemos despertado con una vibracion en toda la casa y fuera varios perros comenzaron a ladrar. han vibrado las ventanas y las lamparas , tambien los cuadros en las paredes y los enseres que estan sobre los muebles. | One user found this interesting.

Santiago de Compostela / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt it clearly while I was awakening, about 6.33 am (I sent a message warning about the quake, at 6.34). I estimated to be about 4,5 of intensity. | One user found this interesting.

Manon (57.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Initially a rumbling , like huge lorries driving by very close then sone vibrations and my roof started creaking and rattling , my walls are 1 metre thick so substantial but the ceilings creaked and vibrated

Ortigueira (51.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sitting on lounge felt large shake of house, thought large earthmoving equipment was driving past .. lasted approximately 15 seconds

Foz, Lugo, Galicia (78.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Estabamos durmiendo y la cama se movio bastante y la puerta de la habitacion choco contra la pared. Mi gatita salto de la cama y se puso debajo de la misma asustada.

near Carral, A Coruna, Galicia (120.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : temblor ligero. acostada en la cama senti que se balanceaba. los andamios colocados en el edificio al vibrar hicieron ruido

A Coruna, Galicia, Spain (97.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt a strong vibration. The house trembled and shook for a couple of seconds. Dogs barked just before it happened.

A Coruna, Galicia (102.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Durmiendo. Solo se ha movido algo la cama. Movimiento lateral acompanado de un leve ruido (similar a como si hubiese pasado un tren a poca profundidad por debajo del edificio)

Campos y Salave (96.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Durmiendo en la cama se movio me desperte y ruido por vibrar las ventanas | 2 users found this interesting.

Naron, A coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Estaba en cama y pense que andaba alguien tocando la cama y andando por la habitacion | 2 users found this interesting.

Arteixo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : De 2 a 5 segundos, un temblor debil que apenas me entere mucho | 2 users found this interesting.

27780 (75.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Leve temblor | 2 users found this interesting.

Lineiras (A Pontenova) Lugo Spain (101.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sat watching TV, noise and vibration. Cat reacted a few seconds in advance. | 2 users found this interesting.

La Coruna, Oleiros, Santa Cruz (100.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Bed awake | 2 users found this interesting.

A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Was in bed. Woke up from the closets rumbling and bed shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

San Julian, A Coruna, Galicia (74 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) | One user found this interesting.

Ferrol (83.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s | One user found this interesting.

Ferrol (80 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s | One user found this interesting.

Ares (88.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short : Ved shake | One user found this interesting.

Lugo (127.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s | One user found this interesting.

Close to Ferrol : unifamilar de 1 piso Nos despertaron ruidos extranos, seguidos rapidamente por un sonido de impacto. Se sentia como si una ola pasara debajo de la cama. Sin mas vibraciones, solo el impacto y el paso de la ola. Los sonidos eran similares a los de un t

Lugo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Senti como se.movian las cosas... Cuadros, ventanas, objetos encima de los muebles. Me desperto el ruido a las 6:30 aprox

Lugo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Senti como se.movian las cosas... Cuadros, ventanas, objetos encima de los muebles. Me desperto el ruido a las 6:30 aprox

Arteixo / not felt / single vertical bump / very short : Estaba en cama y me desperto un temblor y escuche tambien como si alguna estructura (puerta, ventana) crujiese. Fue muy breve.

En Viveiro / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Estaba en la cocina, y como vivo cerca de la via del tren, en un principio pense que pasaba uno por el ruido, pero al momento me di cuenta que era un terremoto. Fue corto, pero lo suficiente para ponerme nerviosa

Cuesta de la tapia Temple, Cambre / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Estaba desayunando sentado en taburete y este vibro al igual que la cristaleria. Acompanado de ruido sordo. | One user found this interesting.

As Pontes de Garcia Rlodriguez / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Vibracion de menos de un segundo de duracion, similar a la producida por el paso de un vehiculo pesado. | One user found this interesting.

Ferrol spain (83.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Slepping | One user found this interesting.

O Vicedo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Yes | One user found this interesting.

A Coruna (102.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sleeping and the bed started shaking but very weak. | One user found this interesting.

Mino, A Coruna (93.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I felt the vibration and the noise (like a rather far storm) | One user found this interesting.

In bed / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Lateral shaking | One user found this interesting.

Sada, A Coruna (96.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s | One user found this interesting.

La Coruna, Oleiros, Santa Cruz (100.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Bed awake | One user found this interesting.

santiago de compostela (155.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

A Coruna (101 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Viveiro, Lugo, Galicia (53.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Me desperte del susto porque empezo a temblar todo

As Pontes (73.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : Felt like a large dog running across the roof

Fene (83.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Fene (83.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

A Coruna (101.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna (103.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna (101.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna (105.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nada

Oleiros, A Coruna, Galicia (101.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Arteixo, La Coruna, Galicia (111.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna, Galicia (101.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Coruna ciudad

Lugo (147.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Manon (57.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Like a large rumbling machine, house buffeted

Fene (82.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

Espasante (49.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Ferrol (81.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Me desperto.

San Sadurnino (74 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Lugo (127.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Vibraba la cama y los armarios

Vilanova de arousa (190.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Cambre, A Coruna, Galicia (105.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Coruna (107.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Xove (53.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s I was sleeping and it woke me up. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ferrol / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Vibracion puertas cristal, y ventanas. Temblor en la cama.

Naron (80 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Xove (56.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ferrol (79.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Cabanas (86.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Ledono / not felt

Vigo (228.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Ferrol (83.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : The house really made a little jump!

San Julian, A Coruna, Galicia (77.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ferrol, La Coruna, Galicia (83.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

As Somozas (69.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Estaba en cama y senti como tres vibraciones seguidas.

Lugo (194.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Just a few seconds, it wakes me up with bed vibration and window vibration

Outeiro de Rei (121.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Sentir el temblor inquieta

Pedroso (73.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Estaba en cama, y he notado como vibraba

Mugardos, Franza (86.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Movimiento moderado en un plazo estimado de 20-25 segundos

Lugo, Galicia (128.8 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

A Coruna, Galicia (102.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Lugo, Galicia (129.8 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Ferrol (82.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It woke me up because my bed was lightly shaking.

Oleiros (101.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

A Coruna (103.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Paderne , la coruna (101.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ferrol (79.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

137.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Lugo (126.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santiago de Compostela / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Sarria (157.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

A coruna / not felt

A Coruna, A Zapateira / not felt

Ferrol (82.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It woke me up because my bed was lightly shaking.

Oleiros, A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tapia de casariego (92.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : bibracion de los muebles y el suelo

Alberto Abegondo La Coruna hora sobre las 6:30 de / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Alberto Abegondo La Coruna hora sobre las 6:30 de (110.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Fene (81.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Parecia que estuvieran moviendo la cama, temblor de la puerta de la terraza y luego ruido como una tormenta

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

A CORUNA / not felt

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Poco

A coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Naron / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : La cama se balancea y ruido como si fuese un trueno lejano

Betanzos / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

A Coruna (101 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna, A Zapateira / not felt

a coruna / not felt

Alvaro Garcia (103.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

A Coruna / not felt

A Coruna / not felt

La Coruna / not felt

Oleiros / not felt : Nothing

A Coruna (105.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nada

Coruna / not felt

A coruna / not felt

Carballo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Carral 15175 / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Me he despertado con el temblor de la cama y el ruido del seismo

A Coruna (103.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : .

Minotos, Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

vilagarcia de arousa (190.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Viveiro / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Estaba en la cama, y empezo a vibrar todo

Lugo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Lugo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

At home.sleeping (52.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : The house tembled during some seconds

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Burela (68.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Sonido vibrante que se iba acercando y un pequeno traqueteo y vibracion

Naron / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : woke up due to closet doors rattling, neighbor dogs barking. lastet a few seconds.

OUROl / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

OUROl / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

A coruna (100.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I woke up with my bed swinging

Touro, santiago / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

San Pelayo, Villayon, Asturias 33718 (111.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake

Cedeira / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : light shaking with a low rumbling noise.

VILAGARCIA DE AROUSA / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Estaba acostada y note como vibraba la cama

Arriondas Asturias / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

GUITIRIZ LUGO / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Retemblar la cama y un ruido fuerte

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

A Coruna, Culleredo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Se movio la cama. Una sacudida

Ares / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Lo sentimos como si pasara un camion grande al lado.

Foz Lugo (76.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Muy coryo

Mera oleiros (96.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

As Pontes de Garcia Rodriguez / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

Viveiro / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Desperte por la vibracion y el sonido

Sigueiro / not felt

As pontes (78.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Lugo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Ferrol / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I thought i was a dreaming.

NARON / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

A CoruNa / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Estaba en la cama y senti como que se movia, escuche el ruido del cabecero contra la pared, sino tal vez habria pensado que estaba sonando

Fene (81.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ourol 27866 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : It felt like a giant lorry driving by and vibration throughout the body

Viveiro, Lugo (53.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Me desperte al instante y temblaba mi cama.

Ferrol / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Xerdix, Ourol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I heard a deep rumbling first then it intensified and the house shook. It felt like the house was going to fall down!

Foz / not felt

A rochela (82.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Me desperte sobresaltada pensando que navegaba

La Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short

La Coruna, perillo-oleiros, avenida Rosalia de C / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Sonido fuerte , parecia como cuando despegan aqui los aviones, luego movimiento de la zona sur de la casa, ventanales traqueteando y un silvido

A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling : Me desperto de un sueno

Abadin lugo (95.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Ribadeo (89.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Culleredo, A Coruna (109.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Ferrol / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Movimiento de cama. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

A Coruna (101.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Sada (95.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Soutomaior (212.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

paderne (97.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Dormia y me despierto el ruido de las puertas ventanas y la vibracion que

Ferrol (157.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Se me movio la cama con ruido

Galicia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

ferrol / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Lugo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Naron a Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : Estaba acostada pero despierta y senti como una sacudida muy rapida.

Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Santiago de Compostela / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Oleiros / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Bilbao / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

15001 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : I was sleeping and I wake up because I felt a little shake

Ferrol (88.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Movimiento de la cama y las ventanas

Santiago de compostela / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short

A Casanova, As Pontes (79.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Coruna / not felt

Mino (103.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Ferrol (81.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Vilalba / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

BERGONDO / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Ferrol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Naron / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Ares Ferrol (87.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 30-60 s : Temblor 6:30 am

Vilanova de arousa (190.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Lugo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Vilalba / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Caldas de Reis / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Cedeira / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Ribadeo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Naron / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short

Pantin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Culleredo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ferrol / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Boiro (189.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ferrol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Ferrol (82 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

La Coruna (98.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Dormia como un liron

Valdovino Galicia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Toques (133.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Oleiros (97.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Cabo prior Cobas Ferrol (79.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Friol / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Naron (80.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Carino / Light shaking (MMI IV)

O Vilar (103.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Pontedeume / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Marin (209 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Estaba tumbada y se movio la cama. Se movio un momento paro y al segundo se movio un poco mas que la primera vez, como durante 2 segundos.

Arteixo (112.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Bares (42.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Foz (76.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Ribadeo / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Vibracion de mobiliario como si pasase trafico pesado

Outeiro de Rei / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : The bed was shaking

Ferrol / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Monteporreiro, pontevedra (203.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Covas viveiro (54.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Estaba durmiendo y senti como si fuera un camion grande el ruido y los cristales temblar

Navia, Asturias (111.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Estaba durmiendo, me desperto

Ferrol (82 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Oleiros / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

Lugo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Viveiro / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was still in bed in a4th floor on my own. Felt like a wave and heard noises in the flat, perhaps the keys hanging in the door and the walls,

Fonteculler / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

86.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Coruna (101.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : A las 06:30h en A Coruna, temblo toda la cocina fuerte, los muebles, la mesa que miedo! Fueron como 5 o 10 sg

Foz (77 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Small quake for five or six seconds

O seixo (85.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s : Estabamos en la cama aun y sentimos como la cama se movia. Tambien se movieron las puertas del armario.

15001 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : I was sleeping and I wake up because I felt a little shake

Naron (77.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Arteixo- La Coruna / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Carral (112.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Coruna / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : sofa behind me shake for a second

La coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III)

CARBALLO (128.3 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

FERROL / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Viveiro / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

naron la coruna espana (79.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sada (96.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Chavin (60.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Viveiro / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

San Sadurnino / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

63.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Viveiro / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : the house was shaking and the furniture

Naron a coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

A coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

A Pastoriza / Weak shaking (MMI III)

burela (62.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Viveiro (55.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Sada la Coruna / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ferrol (97.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ares (88.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Burela (62.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Pontedeume / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Tapia de Casariego (92.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Naron (77 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

15500 (81.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Ares / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

A Coruna (101.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short

Oleiros / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Estaba dormida y me desperto una vibracion, muy pequena y fugaz y pasados segundos, no se, 2, quiza 3seg, llego otro un poco mas largo este si debio de durar 1 o 2 segundos completos. El armario hizo ruido con el traqueteo. Mi marido noto algo p

Naron (79 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Cambre, A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 s

Bergondo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ferrol (81.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Pontedeume (88.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Oleiros (96.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Cambre,A Coruna / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Cederia Galicia spain (59 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

95.3 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Cervo / Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Veigue (Sada) / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Fene, La Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Me desperte y senti un temblor que hizo que yo misma temblara, me asusto mucho porque nunca lo habia sentido.

Ferrol (82.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Mover the vez and sounds Metallica if the portal (88.2 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

As Pontes de Garcia Rodriguez / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

68.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Foz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

A Coruna / not felt

Puebla san julian / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Lugo (128.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Sada (96.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

ferrol (81.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Ferrol (85.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Espasante, ortigueira (47.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Espasante, ortigueira (47.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ferrol (81 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Betanzos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ares (89.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sleeping and it woke me up. I live on a third floor and felt a noise and the shaking.

naron / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

66.8 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Fonsagrada / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Mondonedo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Lugo (126.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Lugo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

Ribadeo (89.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Viveiro / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Perillo- A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : Mi cama se movio hacia los lados y las ventanas sonaron.

Ribadeo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Carino / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

A Coruna / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

A Coruna / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
Stowe, VT (05672)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 42F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Low 31F. Winds light and variable.
In early 2019, a team of Facebook's researchers spent two weeks interviewing 30 users across two Indian cities, Jaipur and Hyderabad. The goal: to learn about their experiences with misinformation and fact-checking on its platforms.

The fact-finding mission, which was described by one of the researchers in an internal document seen by CNN, took place at an important moment for the country, and for Facebook's operations within it. India's national elections, the biggest in the world, were just months away  and Facebook was already bracing for potential trouble.

The year prior, a spate of lynchings triggered by viral hoax messages on Facebook-owned WhatsApp had put the company at the center of a debate about misinformation in the country. In February, 2019, with the election approaching, WhatsApp announced it was deploying artificial intelligence to clean up its platform. It also warned Indian political parties their accounts could be blocked if they tried to abuse the platform while campaigning.

Against that backdrop, Facebook's researchers interviewed over two dozen users and found some underlying issues potentially complicating efforts to rein in misinformation in India.

"Users were explicit about their motivations to support their political parties," the researchers wrote in an internal research report seen by CNN. "They were also skeptical of experts as trusted sources. Experts were seen as vulnerable to suspicious goals and motivations."

One person interviewed by the researchers was quoted as saying: "As a supporter you believe whatever your side says." Another interviewee, referencing India's popular but controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said: "If I get 50 Modi notifications, I'll share them all."

The document is part of disclosures made to the Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to Congress in redacted form by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen's legal counsel. A consortium of 17 US news organizations, including CNN, has reviewed the redacted versions received by Congress.

The conversations reveal some of the same societal issues present in the United States that are sometimes viewed both as products of algorithmic social media feeds and complicating factors for improving them. These include nationalist parties, incendiary politicians, polarized communities and some distrust of experts. There have been widespread concerns globally that Facebook has deepened political divisions and that its efforts to fact-check information often make people double down on their beliefs, some of which were reflected in the research document. (Most of the Indian interviewees, however, also said they wanted Facebook "to help them identify misinfo on the platform.")

Facebook also faced two fundamental problems in India that it did not have in the United States, where the company is based: understanding the many local languages and combatting distrust for operating as an outsider.

In India, English literacy is estimated to be around 10%, Facebook's automated systems aren't equipped to handle most of the country's 22 officially recognized languages, and its teams often miss crucial local context, a fact highlighted in other internal documents and partly acknowledged by the misinformation researchers.

"We faced serious language issues," the researchers wrote, adding that the users they interviewed mostly had their Facebook profiles set to English, "despite acknowledging how much it hinders their understanding and influences their trust."

Some Indian users interviewed by researchers also said they didn't trust Facebook to serve them accurate information about local matters. "Facebook was seen as a large international company who would be relatively slow to communicate the best information related to regional news," the researchers wrote.

Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone told CNN Business that the study was "part of a broader effort" to understand how Indian users reacted to misinformation warning labels on content flagged by Facebook's third-party fact checkers.

"This work informed a change we made," Stone said. "In October 2019 in the US and then expanded globally shortly thereafter, we began applying more prominent labels."

Stone said Facebook doesn't break out content review data by country, but he said the company has over 15,000 people reviewing content worldwide, "including in 20 Indian languages." The company currently partners with 10 independent fact-checking organizations in India, he added.

Warnings about hate speech and misinformation in Facebook's biggest market

India is a crucial market for Facebook. With more than 400 million users across the company's various platforms, the country is Facebook's largest single audience.

India has more than 800 million internet users and roughly half a billion people yet to come online, making it a centerpiece of Facebook's push for global growth. Facebook's expansion in the country includes a $5.7 billion investment last year to partner with a digital technology company owned by India's richest man.

But the country's sheer size and diversity, along with an uptick in anti-Muslim sentiment under Modi's right-wing Hindu nationalist government, have magnified Facebook's struggles to keep people safe and served as a prime example of its missteps in more volatile developing countries.

The documents obtained by CNN and other news outlets, known as The Facebook Papers, show the company's researchers and other employees repeatedly flagging issues with misinformation and hate speech in India.

For example, Facebook researchers released a report internally earlier this year from the Indian state of Assam, in partnership with local researchers from the organization Global Voices ahead of state elections in April. It flagged concerns with "ethnic, religious and linguistic fear-mongering" directed toward "targets perceived as 'Bengali immigrants'" crossing over the border from neighboring Bangladesh.

The local researchers found posts on Facebook against Bengali speakers in Assam with "many racist comments, including some calling for Hindu Bengalis to be sent 'back' to Bangladesh or killed."

"Bengali-speaking Muslims face the worst of it in Assam," the local researchers said.

Facebook researchers reported further anti-Muslim hate speech and misinformation across India. Other documents noted "a number of dehumanizing posts" that compared Muslims to "pigs" and "dogs" and false claims that the "Quran calls for men to rape their female family members."

The company faced issues with language on those posts as well, with researchers noting that "our lack of Hindi and Bengali classifiers means much of this content is never flagged or actioned."

Some of the documents were previously reported by the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets.

"An Indian Test User's Descent Into a Sea of Polarizing, Nationalistic Messages"

Facebook's efforts around the 2019 election appeared to largely pay off. In a May 2019 note, Facebook researchers hailed the "40 teams and close to 300 people" who ensured a "surprisingly quiet, uneventful election period."

Facebook implemented two "break glass measures" to stop misinformation and took down over 65,000 pieces of content for violating the platform's voter suppression policies, according to the note. But researchers also noted some gaps, including on Instagram, which didn't have a misinformation reporting category at the time and was not supported by Facebook's fact-checking tool.

Moreover, the underlying potential for Facebook's platforms to cause real-world division and harm in India predated the election and continued long after -- as did internal concerns about it.

One February 2019 research note, titled "An Indian Test User's Descent Into a Sea of Polarizing, Nationalistic Messages" detailed a test account set up by Facebook researchers that followed the company's recommended pages and groups. Within three weeks, the account's feed became filled with "a near constant barrage of polarizing nationalist content, misinformation, and violence and gore."

Many of the groups had benign names but researchers said they began sharing harmful content and misinformation, particularly against citizens of India's neighbor and rival Pakistan, after a February 14 terror attack in the disputed Kashmir region between the two countries.

"I've seen more images of dead people in the past 3 weeks than I've seen in my entire life total," one of the researchers wrote.

Facebook's approach to hate speech in India has been controversial even among its own employees in the country. In August 2020, a Journal report alleged Facebook had failed to take action on hate speech posts by a member of India's ruling party, leading to demands for change among many of its employees. (The company told the Journal at the time that its leaders are "against anti-Muslim hate and bigotry and welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation on these issues.") In an internal comment thread days after the initial report, several of the company's workers questioned, in part, its inaction on politicians sharing misinformation and hate speech.

"As there are a limited number of politicians, I find it inconceivable that we don't have even basic key word detection set up to catch this sort of thing," one employee commented. "After all cannot be proud as a company if we continue to let such barbarism flourish on our network."

The-CNN-Wire

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Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act could bring major improvements to the city of Huntsville.

How to spend that money was discussed at Thursday's city council meeting.

Huntsville is getting a hefty $34.4 million dollars from the federal government. That money is meant to help the city bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic. Thursday, citizens finally learned how the city plans on distributing those funds.

"The funds were designed to help local governments counteract the negative effects that the pandemic had on the community," explains Penny Smith, the finance director for the city of Huntsville.

Smith has been going over the guidelines on how the city can use the federal stimulus money, since it was first announced back in March.

She must decide "how we best utilize this one-time federal funding to benefit the community as a whole."

Smith came up with five categories to best enhance the city. Workforce development, culture and tourism, parks and recreation projects, stormwater management, and fire trucks.

"It enables us to fulfill many promises and projects that have been shelved or delayed due to the pandemic," says Smith.

However, some citizens would rather see benefits for essential workers.

"Provide extra compensation from the federal ARPA funds to the city bus and paratransit drivers," says Huntsville resident Jerry Cox.

A few council members agree with Cox.

"That seems to be something that's more directly ARPA, COVID related versus the firetrucks," says council member Bill Kling.

There is one problem though.

"Every single worker we can make an argument is essential," says council member Jennie Robinson.

She says it would open a can of worms as to who would really be eligible for the federal stimulus money.

So for now, Smith explains, "The main focus of the act for local funding is on the citizens and the city as a whole."

The city needs to submit a breakdown of how they plan to use the funds to the federal government by November 30th.
Athens Police is seeking the publics help in finding a 16-year-old reported missing this week.

Persais Anna Eastup was last seen around noon Tuesday, walking along Market Street near Athens-Limestone Hospital. Athens Police said she is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall.

Anyone with information that might help locate Eastup is encouraged to contact Athens Police Detective Joe McClanahan at 256-233-8700.
A FedEx worker from the Priceville area is in critical condition at a hospital in Mississippi after being hit by a car while working in Tuscumbia.

Colbert County Emergency Management Agency told WAAY 31 the FedEx worker was struck while delivering packages on Old Highway 20 near Valley Grove Church about 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Holly Douglas identified her husband, Will, as the person hit. Douglas said he has some head trauma and a brain bleed. They found out Thursday that he is not brain dead, and they are asking everyone to pray that her husband wakes up.

Tammy Jeffreys witnessed the incident Saturday. She said it took her breath away.

"I just said a prayer for him and his family," Jeffreys said. "There was someone checking his pulse. There was somebody on the phone with 911. It was just heartbreaking, knowing that his family was thinking he's at work and then this accident happened."

Will Douglas is three hours away from his family in a Tupelo, Mississippi, hospital. Holly Douglas said if he wakes up, he will have a long road to recovery.

She and Jeffreys are both educators, and Jeffreys said she plans to donate some of her sick days so the couple can be together in their time of need.

"As educators, we have sick days that we can provide ... to employees, because she does not want to leave his side and I don't blame her one bit," Jeffreys said. "So, any educators out there that can help with an extra sick day can contact the Hartselle school system and provide that for Holly."

Holly Douglas said the Hartselle City School Board will be approving her FMLA leave in mid-November, and that's when she can start getting those donated days. Her goal is to get 120 days donated, because her husband has several months of recovery ahead of him and she wants to be with him every step of the way.

There is also a donation page for the family to help with expenses because they are so far from home in the hospital. According to the GoFundMe page, Will Douglas has already undergone surgery for his leg and will need another for his arm. His injuries further include a partially collapsed long and broken vertebrae, leaving him on a ventilator and with a feeding tube, Holly Douglas tells donors.

"There's no way to know the extent (of damage) on his brain, only time will tell," the introductory post reads.

Fedex officials said in a statement, The safety and well-being of our team members and service providers is our highest priority. Our deepest thoughts and concerns remain with William Douglas and his family during this difficult time, and we are hopeful for a full recovery from his injuries. Further questions about this incident should be referred to local law enforcement, which is investigating this matter.
Parents in North Alabama are facing another burden from the disruption in the supply chain: Clothing and furniture for babies and toddlers are taking longer to get to retailers.

Parents told WAAY 31 they're seeing a lot less clothing in stock for kids, both online and in stores. We called around to more than 10 children's clothing stores in Madison County and learned they're all having a difficult time stocking various items.

Supply chain disruption is causing shortages for children's clothing Supply chain disruption is causing shortages for children's clothing

Jasmine West, an employee at All About Baby, said it ends up being a guessing game for them.

You just never know what brand is going to run behind, because weve got some shipments stuck at port," she said.

She said the shipping delays in the past few months have been the worst she's seen in her four years working there. West suggested planning ahead and getting some winter clothes now, in sizes your child will wear in a couple of months.

Weve had delays in shipments," West said. "Just (Wednesday), we got a box that we were supposed to get back in July."

However, a three-months-long clothing delay doesn't compare to the year-long wait for cribs and furniture.

These women are having babies, and a lot of them have to leave because we dont get the furniture in time for the baby," said West.

All About Baby has about 90% of its clothing supplies in stock, according to West.

The owner of Play it Again, Sylvia Frith, said the shortages that some stores are facing have driven more parents to shop at consignment stores like hers.

They grow out of (clothes) so fast, and then when the babies are born, you know, theyll come in and theyll be like, Ive got to get more clothes, theyre growing, she said.

Frith said the changing of seasons is when her store generally has the most in stock because people are donating what their kids no longer fit into from the previous year.
The Alabama NAACP held an emergency news conference today announcing their challenge to the Limestone Countys new redistricting plan.

The proposed plan would decrease the number of Black people in District 3 by about 1,500 people. Currently, District 3 has the largest Black population of Limestone Countys four commission districts.

According to Limestone County Commission, District 3's Black population would decrease from about 6,048 to 4,500.

Members of the NAACP are not pleased with the new redistricting proposal and said they believe its aim is to change the demographics to suit the whims of current elected officials. They called it a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Diane Steele, political action chair for the Limestone County NAACP, said "it is the stand for fairness and rightful inclusion." She said the Limestone County Commission's new proposed plan is not an act of democracy.

"Our Limestone County Commission has decided to continue the vestiges of racism in the form of a redrawn map, Steele said.

However, Limestone County District 1 Commissioner Daryl Sammet said reducing the Black population was not intentional.

"I can understand their frustration," Sammet said. "You know, its kind of frustrating to us, too. But this whole redistricting thing is set up on population."

The goal is to have 25% of the Limestone County population in each district, he said.

However, Steele and the NCAAP firmly believe this new plan shouldnt come to action without consideration from the public. Commissioners are set to vote on the redistricting plan Monday.

We would like for the Limestone County Commission to respect our county by scheduling public hearings so citizens can have input," said Steele.

Sammet said he sees no issue with that request.

"I dont think it would be a problem with the Commission weve got," he said. "Wed be more than glad to listen to their concerns and take them into consideration."

With Limestone County being one of the leading growth capitals in North Alabama, all Steele wants is fairness.

"We are asking our leaders to be leaders now," Steele said. "In the right direction. We are willing to work toward a fair map with you."

The NAACP has requested to meet with the Limestone County Commission on Monday with hopes that a new map will indeed be proposed.
The nation is facing a shortage of truck drivers, and one instructor in Decatur said it's the worst he's seen it.

Driving a hefty truck is no easy task, but some love the thrill of traveling and working on the open road.

"I'm a risk-taker, I'm a bike rider, it's just my style," said Kaneska Scott.

Being behind the wheel has turned into Scott's passion.

"I'm no longer a permit holder, I'm now endorsed as a CDL classic today," said Scott.

It's all a part of a three-week training at ESD School, LLC in Decatur.

"I learned how to drive the truck as we went on with the classes, and as long as you follow directions, it was all easy," said Scott.

But since the pandemic, instructor Daniel Roden said the truck driving industry has hit the breaks.

"I've never seen it like it is now," said Roden. "Supply chain breakdown, people moving into other fields, it's a number of things."

Now, some companies are paying people to go to driving school. The demand is so high that many companies are desperate to have truck drivers.

"They'll pay the driver's tuition and in some cases, they'll be paying tuition plus salary while he's here," said Roden.

Scott's with Schneider Transit. After finishing training at ESD, she's now traveling to Houston..

"She's going to get specialized training to drive a tanker," said Roden.

It's just the next step in her truck driving career.

"We tell all of the students when they come in here now, with the shortage of truck drivers in the United States, if you don't have a job before you leave, it's because you're not looking or don't want one," said Roden.

Roden said truck drivers starting pay is $60,000 a year, plus benefits. Find more information on the driving school, here
One of two suspects accused of killing seven people in Valhermoso Springs appeared in this court this week to see if he could get youthful offender status in his case.

It was denied.

John Michael Legg was 19 in June 2020, when authorities say he and then-22-year-old Frederic Allen Rick Rogers shot and killed seven people in a home on Talucah Road before setting fire to the residence. A witness told investigators the suspects and some of the victims were part of a club called 7 Deadly Sins.

The witness told investigators that there were several previous incidents that led up to the shooting, according to a filed affidavit. She said Legg and Rogers became upset over the perceived disobedience towards the club and the theft of several of Leggs guns a few hours before the shooting.

The witness said the suspects planned to go in the home by force and wipe the slate clean. They later sent her a text saying everything has been dealt with, according to the affidavit.

First responders were called to the home that evening after a 911 call about shots being fired. They arrived to find smoke coming from the home and found the victims inside. Authorities said the victims were shot multiple times and had their cell phones taken.

The victims were identified as 45-year-old Tammy England Muzzey, 31-year-old Jeramy Wade Roberts, 22-year-old James Benford, 21-year-old Emily Brooke Payne, 19-year-old Roger Lee Jones, Jr., 18-year-old William Zane Hodgin and a 17-year-old juvenile. A dog, Kasumi, was also found dead in the home.

Rogers and Legg were arrested a few weeks after the shootings, during a traffic stop in Oregon. They are each charged with six counts of capital murder.

Had Legg successfully obtained youthful offender status, he would have faced a maximum of three years if found guilty.
Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 54F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Low near 40F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Biden to meet Pope Francis and Italian PM Mario Draghi in Rome.

US president Joe Biden landed in Rome's Fiumicino airport in the early hours of Friday morning ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit hosted by Italy this weekend.

The president will join the heads of the world's most powerful nations at a two-day summit in the capital's Nuvola conference centre on 30-31 October.

Before he attends the talks, centred on 'People, Planet, Prosperity', Biden will meet Pope Francis in the Vatican where topics up for discussion are set to include tackling poverty, covid-19 and climate change.

The latter subject is also central to the G20 talks which take place just before the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

Biden, a regular church-going Catholic, is the second Roman Catholic US president after Kennedy. He has met the pontiff on three previous occasions but today's meeting will be his first as president.

The visit comes amid friction between Biden, who supports abortion rights, and American bishops who contend that the president's stance should disqualify him from receiving Communion.

A scheduled live broadcast of Biden and Pope Francis greeting each other and sitting down to begin talks was cancelled last night by the Vatican which said it would provide accredited media with edited footage of the encounter after it happened, AP reports.

Biden will meet with Italian premier Mario Draghi today, in addition to private meetings with other heads of state on the sidelines of the G20, before he travels to Scotland on Sunday night for the COP26 talks.
Rome hosts the G20 Leaders' Summit this weekend, the high-profile culmination of talks held during Italy's G20 presidency.

Helicopters circled the skies over Rome all day Friday as the heads of the most powerful nations in the world checked into luxury hotels and diplomatic residences before meeting at the two-day G20 summit in the futuristic Nuvola conference centre.

From Friday evening a 10-square kilometre area of the capital's EUR district will be sealed off ahead of the talks during which leaders will sit down to discuss issues related to three main themes: People, Planet, Prosperity.

Schools in the EUR area closed early on Friday afternoon while a total of 14 metro stations on the A and B lines will be shut from 14.00 on Saturday until the end of the day, reopening as normal on Sunday morning.

The closures will affect the Metro A stations Termini, Repubblica, Barberini, Spagna and Flaminio, and on the B line: Termini, Cavour, Castro Pretorio and Circo Massimo will be closed.

Five Metro B stations in the EUR area will be closed all weekend however. Marconi, Magliana, Palasport, Fermi and Laurentina will be shut all day Saturday and Sunday, reopening at 06.00 on Monday morning.

In addition to extensive road closures in EUR, there will be traffic restrictions and parking bans elsewhere in the city this weekend, including in the area around the Vatican.

Via Nazionale will be completely closed to traffic on Saturday evening, from 18.30, with streets set to be sealed off in the historic centre near the Trevi Fountain on Sunday.

There will also be closures to certain museums and archaeological sites to facilitate private tours for the spouses of the G20 leaders.

The Colosseum will be closed to the public on Saturday, until 14.00, with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill shut for the entire day on Sunday.

Other closures are expected over the weekend at the Capitoline Museums and Galleria Borghese, reports newspaper Corriere della Sera, with private G20-related visits planned in the Vatican Museums too.

For full details of the street closures and traffic diversions see the Roma Mobilita website.
Italian senate voted to block Zan bill on Wednesday.

Rallies were held in dozens of Italian cities last night in response to the senate's rejection of the Zan bill that would have made violence against LGBTQ people and disabled people, as well as misogyny, a hate crime.

Thousands of people assembled at Milan's Arco della Pace, chanting "We will not give up", in a protest organised by Arcigay, Sentinelli Milano and Coordinamento Arcobaleno.

Slamming the 154 senators who voted against the bill in a secret ballot, Sentinelli spokesman Luca Paladini said: "They have given even more strength, legitimacy to those who hate us, to those who view homosexuality as a sickness, to those who treat the disabled in an unworthy way."

There was particular indignation reserved for Matteo Renzi, the former Italian premier and leader of the centrist Italia Viva party, who chose to fly to Saudi Arabia on the day of the vote.

One speaker at the Milan rally told how he had suffered homophobic abuse and was hospitalised for months after being beaten up "on the street, in broad daylight, all because I had silver hair."

Other protests were held in Brescia, Mantua, Florence and Palermo, while in Rome hundreds of people gathered in the shadow of the Colosseum on Via S. Giovanni in Laterano, known as "Gay Street", to express their bitterness at the senate vote.

Protest on 'Gay Steet' in Rome last night. Photo Fanpage.

"You have sunk the Zan bill but you will not bury our voices", one of the protest signs said. "You have stopped the law, you will not stop the struggle", read another.

Among the protesters in Rome was transgender former MEP Vladimir Luxuria who claimed the senate "has shown that it does not even want to discuss the bill, which could have been amended if they wanted."

Describing the vote as a "missed opportunity for Italy", Luxuria said: "What do we tell the mothers who have seen their children come home with bruises on them? Now these people feel less protected and safeguarded and ask themselves: 'Where is the state?'"

Background to the Zan bill

Named after the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) politician and gay rights activist Alessandro Zan, the bill modifies an existing law to allow crimes including racist violence, hatred and discrimination to be punished with up to four years in jail.

The motion in the senate to block the Zan bill, which was approved in November by the lower house of parliament, was put forward by right-wing parties Lega and Fratelli d'Italia (Fdl).

The Zan bill was backed by the PD and the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), among others, however conservatives say the law would have hampered freedom of expression, with the Lega party describing it as "divisive and ideological."

Those to the right of the debate objected in particular to a proposal that Italy's schools would mark a national day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

The move to halt the bill comes after sustained lobbying from conservative groups and even the Vatican which feared that the proposed law could curb the religious freedom of the Catholic Church.

Cover photo Corriere della Sera Milan
Thats a mistake. The Chinese diaspora has served both the Peoples Republic and the world by explaining one to the other as they traveled between their homeland and their countries of residence. Now, that access is gone. For example, who will make sense of Xis common prosperity and its effect on Chinas middle class? From afar, it can be seen as a sincere blueprint to narrow a widening wealth gap. But it might also be a weapon against Xis political foes and their billionaire friends. If the country is shut off even to overseas Chinese who sympathize with reform, how is the world going to tell whats going on?
The trouble with derivatives is the business can be volatile and risky. That was a big sore thumb for the French bank last year when the onset of the Covid crisis led to big first-quarter losses on the complex equity-linked products that are one of its specialties. Its revenue had recovered by the third quarter of 2020, and on Friday it reported an 80% jump in equities-trading revenue for this years third quarter.
For now Satti is optimistic that the transitional government that he served can be pieced back together. Either you find a solution out of this mess and stop the killings, or you allow them to continue, he said. There has to be a way of putting an end to the crisis and engaging in talks to help us move forward.
For all the cheering scientific breakthroughs, its hard to look back and see Covid-19 as anything other than a litany of failures. That of governments, which should have been better prepared to use their resources. That of countries, too wrapped up in themselves to learn from each other and help the more vulnerable. The least wealthy 52 countries have 20% of the global population but 4% of vaccinations. The Covax vaccine initiative has fallen short. Deficiencies in record-keeping and testing mean that in much of the developing world we dont even know exactly how many people have died from Covid-19.
This is also a political opportunity. Lightening national debt loads by centralizing them at the EU level  of which this is the first slippery step  should not be disguised. Fiscal union can either sneak in via the back door or stride confidently into the main entrance but, if the euro project is to survive, it must be in the house. Its part of the great and necessary clarification of what the EU has to become if it is to survive longer term. Time to fix that roof.
Taxpayers with income above $10 million in a given year would pay an additional 5% levy on top of the 37% top rate. Incomes above $25 million would have another 3% surtax tacked onto that. Some high-earning taxpayers that have certain types of business income could also pay an additional, separate 3.8% Medicare tax, meaning that tax rates could be nearly 49% for some very wealthy people. If enacted, the new levies would begin next year. Trusts and estates could also be hit by the surtax, at much lower thresholds. The 5% surtax would kick in at $200,000 in income, with the additional 3% applying at $500,000 of income, according to a draft of the legislation.
Extremely. The court normally takes months to decide whether to hear an appeal and then allots several more for the parties to file their briefs. By contrast, the arguments Monday will take place only two weeks after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to intervene. The last case the court heard on such an expedited basis was Bush v. Gore, the ruling that resolved the 2000 presidential election deadlock. The court decided that case -- and sealed the election for Republican George W. Bush -- four days after Bush asked the justices to intervene. The court moved almost as quickly in the 1971 Pentagon Papers case, when it took only about a week to hear arguments and rule that the government couldnt stop the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing the governments secret history of the Vietnam War. And in 1974, the court took 45 days from start to finish to decide that then-President Richard Nixon had to turn over secret White House tape recordings, leading to his resignation.
Most impressive was how full Torteliers arrangement feels. Hes able to conjure all of the grace and gravitas at the large scale, and able to cast unique light on the finer details of the piece: the diaphanous winds that course through the Danse de Lyceion, the dipping strings and lilting rhythms of Danse Suppliante de Chloe, the grotesque humor of Dorcons failure in classical musics most notorious dance-off. A particularly potent moment was the near total dimming of the house lights during the Danse Lente et Mysterieuse to a single spotlight over Tortelier  a lone instance of dramatic staging that foregrounded the tenderness at the core of the ballets titanic scale.
Media eyewitnesses have been a feature of state and federal executions for decades, and almost every death penalty state has some kind of law or regulation about allowing media witnesses, Dunham said. In Georgia, five journalists can be present and the policy specifically states one of them should be a representative from the Associated Press  a common practice in many other states, including Tennessee, which allows up to seven members of the media, selected by drawing. In Florida, the Florida Association of Broadcasters and the Florida Press Association each select five members as witnesses, in addition to one AP reporter.
The lack of confidence continued into high school. He started drinking at age 16. He can remember drinking before school one morning, just to try to be cool. In his first semester at Illinois State, he joined a fraternity and came home with a 2.5 GPA. The next semester, he got a 0.8 and was kicked out. He spent the next six months living with his parents and working as a manager in the furniture section of a department store. He tried to date the daughter of a fellow store manager, only to learn that he forbade her to go out with him.
Gatollari suggests channeling that feeling you have when you go on a first date or youre meeting your spouses friends for the first time. You put your best self forward. And dont lie to yourself about your confidence level. If this seemed like more fun when you were eating kettle corn and watching it on TV, you should reckon with that. Ask yourself, Can I honestly have fun and feel good while getting done what I need to get done, which is a paranormal investigation? 
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The public has a right to have the best and most professional set of officers protecting and serving them, Braveboy said in an interview. We all rely on them, and the truth is the vast majority of officers are really good officers. It is these officers who are racist, who are not telling the truth, who really disrespect the profession, and those individuals have no place on a police department, certainly they dont have a place on the witness stand.
Leaundra Matthews drove the pair to their friends house and dropped them off, according to court records. Lemae Matthews said she wanted to call 911  hoping that her brother was still alive  but was not allowed to do so until they returned home. When she finally did so, according to her statement to prosecutors, she was vague about what happened because she feared Howard, whom she referred to by his nickname.
He says it is unaffiliated with any campaign, but the radio interviews hes done along the way have tended to focus on Youngkin. At a stop in the suburban battleground of Chesterfield County earlier this week, Frederickss guest was state Sen Amanda F. Chase (R-Chesterfield), the self-described Trump in heels who told listeners she has been working closely with Youngkins campaign to foil what she said were plots by Democrats to steal Tuesdays election. Youngkins team, which has deployed Chase as an official campaign surrogate, declined to comment on Chases claims or the bus tour.
His hearing comes as the Biden administration vows a renewed effort to shutter the military prison  which emerged as a global symbol of American excesses following the 9/11 attacks  and advance a number of military trials, most of which have dragged on for years. Khan is one of only a dozen Guantanamo detainees charged in the military commissions; the majority of the nearly 800 men who landed there were never charged. Thirteen have been cleared for transfer to other countries.
Citing the sensitive nature of the technology in the assembly, the Sandia lab declined to make a member of its staff available to discuss it; nor would the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, which funded the work. But a Sandia employee overseeing the work, Dolores Sanchez, was quoted in a lab news release in August describing the assembly as the brains of the warhead. . . . It looks for the correct code and the correct environmental signals that will unlock the system, and it also ensures that its an authorized flight. In short, it makes sure it always works when we want it to and never when we dont.
Kinzinger, who has served in Congress for six terms, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach the former president after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. Along with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), he is one of two Republicans sitting on the select committee tasked with investigating the attack.
Among the plaintiffs in one ACLU lawsuit filed in 2019 in Arizona are two children, ages 7 and 8, who sobbed as they were pulled from their mother, a 7-year-old girl who fell asleep and woke up to discover that her father had vanished, and a 13-year-old girl handcuffed on Christmas Day to control her while her mother was taken away.
The Bannon subpoena is further complicated by his status when he gave Trump advice. Although Bannon was an aide in 2017, he had long left the White House by the time he gave advice to Trump in 2020 and 2021; he wasnt a presidential aide in the time period the Jan. 6 committee is interested in. This raises another puzzling question: Does executive privilege cover the advice that citizens give to the president? On the one hand, when the Supreme Court endorsed executive privilege, it did so with a particular focus on executive assistants, particularly in the White House complex. On the other hand, the usefulness of candid advice doesnt vary, whether the advice given is a federal functionary or a private citizen. Presidents have long sought and received private advice, and one can easily make the case that the private advice also must be unfiltered and unvarnished so that the president of a great nation receives the best advice possible, to facilitate the best decision.
There were no discernible warning signs. My cousin was kind and got good grades and played varsity soccer. He and the boy had never met. When my mother called to tell me about it, she said hed had a break. And after hours of evaluation and examination, the only diagnosis he ever got was, in fact, psychotic break, which, for the purposes of the law, is equivalent to no diagnosis. No diagnosis meant no meaningful chance for an insanity defense. At 16, my cousin was convicted as an adult in criminal court, and after years awaiting sentencing at a county jail, given life without parole at a maximum-security prison. On his way to the prison, he told me later, he had a panic attack and blacked out. When it was time to get out of the vehicle, he couldnt walk. He had to be carried through the gates.
Though the historical record indicates that people in North America have managed their own abortions for centuries, evidence also suggests that self-managed abortion using pills has been on the rise in recent years. In 2018, an Amsterdam-based doctor launched Aid Access, the first online telemedicine service to provide self-managed medication abortion to people living in the United States. The service operates entirely outside of the formal health care system and outside of Food and Drug Administration regulations, which ban mifepristone imports. Aid Access serves people in all 50 states, providing mifepristone and misoprostol up to 10 weeks of pregnancy for home use. People make a donation of around $110 and fill out an online consultation form, which is reviewed by a doctor, and then medications are mailed to their home. A help desk is available for information and support. Testifying to the scale of demand, the service has received 57,506 requests during its first two years of operation.
Kwasniewski was the first former communist to be directly elected president of an Eastern European country since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Being ex-communists, he and his prime minister, Leszek Miller, worked all the harder to be seen as the responsible custodians of Poland's most important alliance. As Kwasniewski put it, acquiescing to Bush's ask "was part of a bigger game." But the Poles had conditions: First, Miller demanded that the CIA sign a memorandum guaranteeing a certain level of treatment for the detainees. The CIA refused. Miller was worried about the legality of operating a secret prison on Polish soil. He hadn't notified parliament. ("There's nothing in writing," Miller complained to American officials. "I am out here on my own.") So, second, the Poles needed to make sure that the CIA would keep the program an absolute secret. This, the CIA promised.
Justice Antonin Scalias 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller drew fire from some conservatives who said the court was creating an individual right to gun ownership that it was not clear the Constitution granted. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, a Reagan appointee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, fueled the controversy with a law review article calling the Heller majority guilty of the same sins as the Supreme Court that found a right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.
Nine pseudonymous health-care workers asked the court to block a requirement that they be vaccinated by Friday to keep their jobs. Represented by the religious legal organization Liberty Counsel, the workers said Maine was an extreme outlier in allowing only a medical exception for refusing the vaccine, and not an additional one based on religious objection, as they said 47 other states have done.
While there has been bipartisan condemnation of anti-Muslim violence abroad, including against the Uyghurs in China, its unclear whether Republicans will back the measure. Many Republicans rallied around President Donald Trumps plan early in his administration to limit the ability of people from majority-Muslim countries to come to the United States. Critics and federal judges branded it a Muslim ban. Several Republicans are now warning about letting too many Afghan refugees into the country after the end of the U.S.-led war in that country.
But let me be clear: My passion for this country has only grown, Kinzinger said. My desire to make a difference is bigger than its ever been. My disappointment in the leaders that dont lead is huge. The battlefield must be broader, and the truth needs to reach the American people across the whole country.
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.
At the time, we were in a rush to deliver the goods and didnt realize this was such a serious matter, the drivers boss said in an interview with a local television channel. We caused trouble for everyone. I hope you can all not do as we did and respect epidemic control policies.
Everyone is paying attention to the peaking target before 2030, but in my view it may not be possible to give a clear number now, because there is still a certain amount of uncertainty about Chinas economic growth in the future, said Zhang Da, an associate professor at the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, which advised the government on parts of its plan. We dont know exactly how much the economy will grow and how much energy is needed to support the growth.
The G-20 meeting, which will be immediately followed by a climate summit in Glasgow expected to draw more than 100 world leaders, will provide time for Biden to establish a personal rapport with foreign allies, many of whom he has not yet met face-to-face amid changing regimes and pandemic restrictions. European partners in particular have been shaken by Bidens early moves, including a messy Afghan withdrawal, an extension of Trump-era tariffs and the delayed lifting of a coronavirus-related travel ban.
But such is the strained state of American Catholicism that even a diplomatic meeting between admirers can touch on explosive material for the faith. When Biden, speaking hours later to reporters, unexpectedly described Francis as having spoken about Communion, it appeared as if the pope was making a judgment on a question roiling the U.S. church  about whether politicians who support abortion should be barred from one of the religions most sacred rites.
Its self-defense.  Are they assaulting anyone? Kordahi said in the interview, which was recorded in August, shortly before he became information minister. When a host cited drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, Kordahi responded: But you need to also look at the damages inflicted on them as a people. They are bombed in their homes, in their houses, in their villages, in their squares, in their funerals.
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.
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The Sidney Myer Music Bowl would become an all-weather venue with the addition of a huge, translucent sunroof over the lawn amphitheatre, in an ambitious draft masterplan that also adds two new stages.

The concept masterplan proposal for the redevelopment of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Credit:ARM Architecture

The Arts Centre Melbourne annual report released on Thursday contained a previously unreleased image revealing a concept masterplan proposal from ARM Architecture, who were appointed as the architectural lead on a project to explore the future of the venue  though the final design is not yet settled or funded.

Late last year the state government awarded the Arts Centre, which manages the Bowl, $500,000 to commission preliminary architectural plans.

Details in the annual report image reveal a new see-through curved awning stretching from the existing Bowl structure to the back of the grass amphitheatre.
A national plan tied to $770 million of funding for mental health and suicide prevention and due by the end of next month is still in draft form as states and the federal government argue over responsibilities.

The agreement, flagged in December, requires all levels of government to decide how to fix large gaps in the system that currently leave those with more complex mental health needs struggling to find appropriate care.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison releasing the Productivity Commission report in November. The national plan is part of the governments response to the report. Credit:David Geraghty/NewsWire

But Senate estimates heard this week it was still in draft form and meeting the November deadline hinged on whether consensus could be reached.

Asked by Labor senator Karen Grogan whether the plan was on track for the end of next month, Health Department deputy secretary for primary and community care Tania Rishniw said it was working in earnest to complete it within the national cabinets timeframe.
A few short sentences, uttered in private to Daryl Maguire just over three years ago, have drawn the net tighter around former premier Gladys Berejiklian.

And theyve demonstrated just how untenable it would have been for her to have tried to remain in state politics after the Independent Commission Against Corruptions announcement that she herself was under direct investigation.

Recordings of private calls between Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire were played in the ICAC hearing on Thursday. Credit:Kate Geraghty

In a recording played to the commission on Thursday, Berejiklan was heard talking to Maguire barely two weeks after evidence had surfaced of his wrongdoing in an earlier ICAC inquiry on July 13, 2018.

With his wheeling and dealing laid bare, shed publicly scolded him and demanded his resignation as the MP for Wagga Wagga.
Brussels: The European Union could deploy staff from its border force to countries neighbouring Afghanistan to stem the flow of migrants illegally arriving in the bloc after fleeing the Taliban.

Leaked documents show the plans are part of a 1 billion ($1.8 billion) regional aid package that would also focus on protecting human rights and stopping the militant regime becoming an exporter of terrorism.

Afghan refugee children in Islamabad, Pakistan on October 19, 2021. Credit:Getty

The bloc believes it needs to bolster its ties with the war-torn countrys neighbours, such as Pakistan and Iran. But some have questioned whether plans that include sending out officials from border agency Frontex will solve the EUs migration woes, especially when the agency has struggled to manage its own frontiers.

Kris Janowski, former spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said it was a ludicrous idea that Pakistan would invite the West to help police its borders.
London: Britain said on Friday (AEDT) it would summon the French ambassador for a dressing-down, the latest move in a worsening dispute over fishing licenses that has stoked tensions following the Britains departure from the European Union.

After French authorities fined two British fishing vessels and kept one in port overnight, Britain warned it would it retaliate if French officials followed through on threats to block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on British vessels unless French vessels get more permits to fish in British waters. France also suggested it might restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands, British Crown dependencies that lie off the coast of France.

The British trawler kept by French authorities docks at the port in Le Havre, western France. Credit:AP

We believe these are disappointing and disproportionate, and not what wed expect from a close ally and partner, British Environment Secretary George Eustice told lawmakers, as Britain accused France of raising tensions.

Eustice said the threatened measures do not appear to be compatible with the Brexit divorce deal agreed by Britain and the EU or wider international law, and if carried through will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response.
London: French President Emmanuel Macron says Prime Minister Scott Morrison broke the relationship of trust between both countries and has to be the one to repair the damage, in the pairs first phone call since Australia terminated a $90 billion submarine contract.

Macron phoned Morrison shortly before the Prime Minister flew out of Canberra on Thursday evening (AEDT) to attend the G20 summit in Rome and COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.

Scott Morrison with French President Emmanuel Macron in June. Credit:AP

A major diplomatic brawl erupted in September when the federal government axed a deal for France to design and help build 12 diesel-powered submarines in favour of a new defence partnership with the United States and United Kingdom known as AUKUS.

Australia will spend the next 18 months exploring whether the US and UK can help supply eight nuclear-powered submarines instead.
A neo-Nazi group member was sentenced on Thursday to nine years in prison in a case that highlighted a broader federal crackdown on far-right extremists.
U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks publication of thousands of leaked military and diplomatic documents.
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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbian officials praised their steel friendship with China during talks on Thursday with Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi amid fears in the West that by heavily investing in the Balkan state, Beijing is trying to exert its political influence in that part of Europe.

Serbia, a European Union candidate country, and China have rapidly intensified economic and political relations in recent years, with Chinese companies taking over Serbias main copper and steel mills and building roads, factories and railway lines.

Chinese state banks have granted billions of dollars in loans to the Balkan country for the construction projects that are mostly conducted by Chinese workers.

China, which considers Serbia a major entry point to Europe for its Belt and Road economic and political initiative, has also been exporting drones and other military equipment to Serbia, as well as increasing police and state security cooperation.

Between 2005 and 2019, China is estimated to have invested about $10 billion in Serbia.

In the political sphere, we dont have any open issues, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Wang at the opening of their meeting in Belgrade. We have very good cooperation between our countries and we want to bring it to a higher level if possible.

Our friendship is honest and big and no wonder we call it steel, Vucic said, adding that the economic cooperation increased threefold in the last five years.

China bought Serbia's only steel mill in 2016 and both sides have often described their relations as friendship of steel.

Wang said Thursday that the friendly relations between China and much smaller Serbia are based on equality and are sincere. We are very proud of the development of our relations, he said.

There is criticism in the West and among Serbias opposition groups that many of the construction deals between Serbia and China are done in an nontransparent manner, without proper tenders or details about the costs.

Also, environmentalists have warned that coal powered plants operated by Chinese companies in Serbia do not meet international greenhouse emissions standards, further contributing to Serbia becoming one of the most polluted states in Europe.

Although formally seeking EU membership, the populist Serbian president has been forging close political, economic and military ties with both China and Russia.
TRUMBULL  In what seemed like a cross between a business opening and a scavenger hunt, several Trumbull officials and members of the local business community trotted from business to business at the new Long Hill Market Friday morning, cheerfully cutting ribbons and posing for photos at the new businesses.

It was a way for each business to be celebrated, without interrupting the employees too much, said Trumbull director of economic and community development Rina Bakalar. Everybodys trying to operate while we do this, she explained.

But behind the somewhat chaotic atmosphere of the serial ribbon-cuttings at 6450 Main St. was what Bakalar and others see as a real source of pride for Trumbull and its residents.

The Long Hill Market, at the former site of Marisas restaurant, has been in development for several years, and now is the home of four new businesses  Summer Evans Studio, Dunkin Donuts, Elevate Physical Therapy, and Premier Martial Arts  with Italian eatery Ecco slated to open around Thanksgiving.

Bakalar said the 16,000-square-foot marketplace is a real turning point for Trumbull, going from a blighted property that had been unoccupied for some time to a sparkling business complex. This is a big improvement, she said. Its an aesthetic improvement and an environmental improvement.

Those on hand at the event included First Selectman Vicki Tesoro, who also praised the project. This is a real home run for our community, she said, adding that Trumbull is a great location for growing businesses looking to find their niche.

What do you need as a business? You need customers, Tesoro said. Were bringing you our customers and youre bringing us your businesses.

The business owners who temporarily stepped out to take part in Fridays ribbon-cutting included Julian Trotman, owner of the Premier Martial Arts at the marketplace. Part of a nationwide chain, Premier offers a variety of classes for children and adults, and the Trumbull site is Premiers first location in Connecticut, Trotman said. He said he had been looking for a site for his franchise, and this is by far the best site Ive found.

Others who showed up at the ribbon-cutting included Fred Petrossi, the incoming chairman of the Trumbull Chamber of Commerce. I think its a nice complex, he said. Were very optimistic. Its a great location.
MIDDLETOWN  A city man who police say has been arrested seven times in the past year has been charged with breaking into a home and assaulting a person who has a protective order against him, according to an arrest affidavit.

Joseph Santamaria, 28, of Middletown, was charged with home invasion, second-degree strangulation, first-degree burglary, six counts of violation of a protective order, first-degree criminal mischief and third-degree assault. Bail was set at $300,000.

The charges stem from what was described by the lead investigator, Officer Brian Murphy, as a domestic incident around 11 a.m. on Oct. 18.

Murphy said the victims  a 28-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman  said Santamaria broke into the home and assaulting the man, the affidavit said.

Shortly before Murphy arrived, the man told police, he was in his bedroom on the second floor when he heard someone in the bathroom, the affidavit said.

The man said he saw Santamaria and told him to leave because he was not welcome in the house, the affidavit said.

Santamaria broke the bathroom vanity cabinet and punched the bathroom door, the affidavit said. The man said Santamaria then attacked him when he said he was calling the police, the affidavit said.

The affidavit said Santamaria put the victim in a chokehold in the hallway. The victim told officers he could barely breathe before the woman helped to pull Santamaria off him, the affidavit said.

The man tried to put Santamaria in a chokehold to calm him down and get him to stop attacking him, but was instead bit on the forearm and forced to let go, the affidavit said.

Santamaria then picked up a knife before running down the stairs and out the back door, the affidavit said.

The woman told police the garage door of the residence was ripped out and broken off its tracks, the affidavit said. The affidavit said she told police that since the front and back sliding doors were locked, they believe Santamaria broke in through the garage.

The total damage done to the bathroom and garage door was estimated to be over $1,500, the affidavit said.

Murphy said he saw minor redness around the mans neck and a red mark on his left cheek. He also saw the bite mark on his forearm, which the affidavit said broke skin and was very red and bruising. The woman said she had minor leg pain from being knocked down by Santamaria while trying to intervene in the attack, the affidavit said.

Both victims declined medical attention.

The man had four active protective orders against Santamaria at the time of the incident and the woman had two, the affidavit said.

The protective orders included several stipulations, including not to assault, threaten, abuse, harass, follow, interfere with or stalk the protected person. The document also ordered Santamaria to stay away from the mans home and not to contact him. Santamaria was also ordered to surrender or transfer any guns in his name.

When police ran a check on Santamaria, they found an extensive criminal history in Connecticut, dating back nearly a decade, the affidavit said.

On Oct. 1, Santamaria was charged with providing an officer with false information, disorderly conduct, two counts of second-degree criminal mischief, violation of a protective order, two counts of first-degree failure to appear, five counts of violation of a protective order, disorderly conduct and interfering with police.

Since 2017, Santamaria has been arrested nine times  including seven since September 2020  on charges that include criminal mischief, violating a protective order, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and possession of narcotics, according to his affidavit.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Federal wildlife officials are proposing to change the way Mexican gray wolves are managed in the American Southwest, saying removing population limits and setting goals for genetic diversity will help the endangered species recover.

The proposal also would allow more wolves to be released into the wild in New Mexico and Arizona, and place restrictions on permits issued to ranchers or state wildlife agencies that allow the killing of wolves if they prey on livestock, elk or deer.

Management of the predators has spurred numerous legal challenges over the decades by both ranchers and environmentalists. The latest proposal follows one of those court fights. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the proposed changes would better align with revisions made to the species' recovery plan.

The Mexican gray wolf, the rarest subspecies of the gray wolf in North America, has seen its population nearly double over the last five years. A survey done earlier this year showed at least 186 Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona. Ranchers and rural residents have argued that's an undercount and a more accurate number is needed.

Environmental groups consider the proposed changes a step in the right direction but say more needs to be done to ensure a viable population of Mexican wolves.

They say the boundaries established by the Fish and Wildlife Service for recovery of the wolves in New Mexico and Arizona are among the limiting factors. If the animals travel beyond the boundaries, they can be trapped and relocated, returned to captivity or potentially killed.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department captured a wolf in August that was roaming near Flagstaff outside the recovery project's boundaries and relocated it to an area near the Arizona-New Mexico border.

Environmentalists said the wolf known as m2520 has trekked back. Arizona Game and Fish spokesman Tom Cadden said late Thursday that the department is monitoring the wolf's location and behavior.

Environmentalists also have called for reforms aimed at limiting conflicts with livestock and releasing more captive packs into the wild.

"We stand ready to return to court on behalf of lobos (wolves) if the final rule is insufficient to conserve this critically imperiled species, said Kelly Nokes, an attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center.

Ranchers in the mountainous regions of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico where the wolves roam say livestock deaths due to predation are escalating as the population grows. The latest report from wildlife managers put the number of confirmed livestock deaths for the year at 95.

The wolf recovery team uses feeding caches to draw wolves away from cattle, but ranchers say the wolves are becoming more brazen and that efforts to scare them away using range riders on horseback or flagging along fence lines hasn't worked. They also say they don't receive timely compensation for livestock lost to wolves.

It is an incredible management hurdle for those of us on the ground to deal with the wolves," said Tom Paterson, who ranches along the New Mexico state line and is a member of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. Even if we put our cattle on private pastures where we are every day going around and looking, they still kill our cattle.

Paterson has lost several cows and calves this year. He described a trail of blood that stretched 150 feet (46 meters) along a creek and cases in which cattle were attacked and their unborn calves eaten.

This is a broken program, he said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is planning virtual public hearings and information sessions on the proposed changes. The public will have 90 days to comment.

Once common throughout the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico, the Mexican wolf was all but eliminated by the 1970s, prompting the U.S. government to develop a captive breeding program. There are about 350 Mexican wolves in more than 55 zoos and other facilities throughout the United States and Mexico.

___

Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, contributed to this story.
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The Jamie Lloyd Company production of Cyrano de Bergerac will return to the West End and play a selection of dates across the nation, it has been revealed.

Starring James McAvoy in the leading role, the piece will run at Harold Pinter Theatre from 3 February to 12 March, with further performances at Theatre Royal Glasgow from 18 to 26 March.

The full company has been revealed here.

The show got a full five-star review from Sarah Crompton when it first ran at the Playhouse Theatre in the winter of 2019.

Based on the Rostand text and penned for the stage by Martin Crimp, the show follows a man with a large nose and a knack for writing sublime poetry: who falls in unrequited love.

The production has design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound and composition by Ben and Max Ringham, casting by Stuart Burt and fight direction by Kate Waters. Additional movement is by Polly Bennett, costume supervision by Anna Josephs, props supervision by Lily Molgaard, associate direction by Rupert Hands, assistant direction by Nari Blair-Mangat, associate design by Rachel Wingate and casting by Stuart Burt CDG.

Tickets go on sale next week. For both Cyrano de Bergerac and The Seagull starring Emlia Clarke, 12,000 tickets will priced at 15 across all UK productions, with 75% specifically for under 30s, key workers and those receiving government benefits.

After playing in Glasgow, the show will head to New York.
Kids of all ages among migrants in caravan across Mexico

A few thousand migrants have resumed their walk north through southern Mexico, and the chatter of stroller wheels on pavement accompanies the slap of feet
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Quincy, IL (62301)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Social Policy Specialist, Gandhinagar, India

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund

Country: India

Field location: Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Office: UNICEF Gandhinagar, India

Grade: NO-C

Closing date: Wednesday, 3 November 2021

Social Policy Specialist, NOC, Fixed Term, Gandhinagar, India, South Asia Region (SAR), Post Number 104074

Job no: 545498

Position type: Fixed Term Appointment

Location: India Division/Equivalent: Kathmandu(ROSA)

School/Unit: India

Department/Office: Gandhinagar, India

Categories: Social and Economic Policy, Statistics and Monitoring

SOCIAL POLICY SPECIALIST NOC - GANDHINAGAR (POST # 104074)

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 fulfill 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, inspiration

The Social Policy Specialist reports to the Chief of Field Office for general guidance and direction, and is responsible for managing and supervising all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation and HIV.

The strategic and effective advocacy, planning and formulation of social policy programs/projects and the achievement of sustainable results, contributes to achievement of goals and objectives to create a protective environment for children and thus ensure their survival, development and well-being in society. Achievements in social policy programs and projects in turn contribute to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

The Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks includes the following:

- Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action:

Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.

Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy initiatives to reduce child poverty.

Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children

- Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children:

Supports the development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention the most marginalized. Identifies, generates and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.

Promotes strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.

Undertakes improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.

- Improving use of public financial resources for children:

Undertakes budget analysis to inform UNICEFs advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children. Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.

Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.

Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation.

- Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services:

Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of local communities.

Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of essential social services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability.

- Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy:

Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services - in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.

Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

- UNICEF Programme Planning and Performance Monitoring

Provide technical support to the process of developing and monitoring Annual Work Plans, including reporting on progress of the equity and gender marker as outlined in the Programme Policy and Procedures Guidance.

Provide technical support to ensure that a set of programme performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary with inputs of all concerned partners in the context of the multi-year and annual PRIMEs, AMP and AWPs.

Provide technical support as necessary in organizing and managing annual/midyear/mid-term/end term country programme reviews ensuring consistency with objectives and goals set out in the CPD and contribute to the Annual Management Plan. cwZYGV1 Dh7qKS

Monitor follow-up actions based on management decisions resulting from Country Office performance monitoring and evaluation.

Drawing on monitoring and analysis of key programme performance and management indicators, provide professional inputs to management reports, including relevant sections of the annual reports

Support the programme components to effectively monitor and report on the inter sectoral programme results, cross sectoral programme component results and field office results to facilitate programme coherence and convergence where appropriate.

Manages and coordinates technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and governance ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required. Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset. Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as a strong asset.

Language: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is considered as an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate...

For every Child, you demonstrate...

Core Values:

Care

Respect

Integrity

Trust

Accountability

Core competencies (Level 2):

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

Click here to learn more about UNICEFs values and competencies.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

This position is based in Gandhinagar (India).

Selected applicant will have an initial two (2) year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

UNICEF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, meeting, traveling, processing, training, etc.

Advertised: Oct 20 2021 India Standard Time Application close: Nov 03 2021 India Standard Time

Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1634756124979
Project Coordinator, Thailand

Organization: UNDP

Country: Thailand

City: Bangkok

Office: UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok

Closing date: Monday, 1 November 2021

General

Description of assignment title: Project Coordinator

Assignment country: Thailand

Expected start date: 11/01/2021

Sustainable Development Goal: PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist

DoA reserved for persons with disabilities: No

Host entity: UNDP

Type: Onsite

Duration: 18 months

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: Bangkok

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP is the lead development agency of the United Nations, working to support countries work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. UNDP has more than 50 years of experience leading the UNs development work, providing knowledge, practical expertise, and a legacy of trust. UNDP is working with the Royal Thai government, civil society, national partners and the Thai public to help find solutions to persistent development challenges. We continue to work to provide technical expertise, such as improved data quality and collection, international expertise on environmental issues like climate change finance and adaptation. This UNV assignment is part of UNDPs Accelerator Lab Network, the largest and fastest learning global network on development challenges. UNDP has already set up 92 labs in 116 countries including Thailand embedded within UNDPs global architecture and country platforms. The objective of this network is to bring forward actionable insights and reimagine, with policymakers, local communities and social innovators, sustainable development for the 21st century. The Accelerator Labs are testing new ways of working and creating a new capability for decisionmakers to explore, experiment, and grow portfolios of mutually reinforcing solutions to tackle todays challenges. We use the power of the crowd, machine learning and distributed decision making to support partners to understand problems, develop new solutions, promote more inclusive decision making, and provide better oversight of what is done. We identify grassroot solutions and stretch their potential to accelerate development. We apply experimentation closely with government partners to grow this as a mode of operating to reduce costs of large scale public sector reforms. Experimentation helps us learn whether particular assumptions are accurate before deploying solutions at scale, especially in the rapidly evolving contexts that often dominate development progress.

Context

The recent attempt is within the project Promoting a Human Security Approach to PVE in Thailand that aims to advocate and promote a Human Security prevention-based approach to societal tensions in Thailand, through a framework for Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). It will be developed in a comprehensive, gender-responsive and multisectoral manner, based, as possible, on a government and civil society consensus. Two specific results are expected of the project: 1. Thai Government preparation and implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) is informed by a Human Security approach, including through the development of Human Security Guidelines by a cross-Government group, fully informed by gender considerations, and validated a multi-stakeholder whole of society platform. 2. A Human Security approach to PVE is adopted through outreach at local level in 2 selected target areas, for replication elsewhere under provisions of a NAP. This aims to mainstream bottom-up gender responsive responses to challenges, that are not purely hard security driven but that respond to locally identified drivers of conflict.

Task description

Under direct supervision of UNDP Project Manager and UNODC Terrorism Prevention Officer, the Project Coordinator will perform the following functions: (i) Provide technical and coordination support to the management, planning and implementation of the project titled "Promoting a Human Security Approach to PVE in Thailand" including conceptualization, elaboration, refinement and implementation of technical assistance activities, substantive documents and capacity building tools. (ii) Provide support on tasks as elaborated in the project workplan including: a. Conceptualizing substantive focus, methodologies and agenda for technical assistance activities; b. Drafting documents and conducting communications related to technical assistance activities including concept note, discussion papers or briefing documents; c. Providing technical inputs to meetings, consultations, or workshops related to the work on promoting human security approach to PVE in Thailand; d. Drafting meeting and mission reports; e. Conducting advocacy work to explain research findings and recommendations among stakeholders, and through different platforms, as appropriate (iii) Support project manager in reviewing and monitoring project activities, CSO selection per due diligence guidelines, drafting analytical narrative and progress reports encompassing progress, accomplishments, challenges and lessons learnt. (iv) Promote the visibility of UNDP, UNODC and of the donor through regular communication support to the communication focal points of UNDP and UNODC.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 27 - 80

Nationality

Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

3 years of experience in

Masters degree in political science, human rights, international relations, or social science is required; a first-level university degree, in combination with relevant working experience in the field of human security, peacebuilding, social cohesion, prevention and countering of violent extremism and regional/international cooperation, can be considered.

Further educational certificates or academic experience specific to the field of international laws, human rights, and counter-terrorism will be a strong benefit;

A minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in the field of human security, peace and conflict, peace building, human rights, social cohesion, social development, gender equality in relation to prevention of violent extremism is required. Specialized experience on gender dimensions in P/CVE is an asset.

Experience in project management and engagement with government, civil society and community in the areas of peacebuilding, social cohesion, human security and prevention of violent extremism is desirable.

Experience of regional and national frameworks relating to P/CVE in Thailand and countries in Southeast Asia is desirable. Working experience with international organizations and national authorities in Southeast Asia is an asset.

Ability to organize assignments and work systematically;

Ability to work under pressure and deliver under deadlines;

Good team player;

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; cxDthA8 Dh7qKS

Possess high cultural and political awareness.

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the United Nations values and ethical standards;

Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN and UNDP;

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Ability and willingness to work as part of a team to meet tight deadlines and produce high quality work.

Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;

Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;

Have affinity with or interest in human security area, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Area(s) of expertise

Development programmes

Driving license

-

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required Thai, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master degree or equivalent in project development

Competencies and values

professionalism, integrity, working in teams, commitment to continuous learning, communication, flexibility

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia. The climate is tropical, with the monsoon season running from May/June through October/November. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and it is also the most populated city in the country. It is located in the Chao Praya River delta in the central part of the country. Over the past decades, Bangkok has grown rapidly with little urban planning or regulation. This has led to traffic congestion and air pollution, and there is frequent flooding of streets during the rainy season in the Citys low-lying areas. The cost of living in Thailand is relatively low, as compared to many other capitals in Southeast Asia. Housing is widely available in various sizes and at various price points. Private healthcare in Thailand is of an excellent standard, and there are numerous top hospitals in Bangkok, which fall far below countries like the US in terms of price. There are numerous high-quality international schools available in Bangkok, with English as the language of instruction. Bangkok has different public transportation options, including the BTS Skytrain and MRT Underground, metered taxis, mobile-based ride-hailing services (Grab, All Thai Taxi, etc.), tuk tuks, motorbike taxis, buses and boats.

Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1635352285800
Its Team Rubicons mission to respond to all kinds of disasters: earthquakes in Haiti, hurricanes in Louisiana, tornadoes in Oklahoma. If the stakes are high and the need is dire, the veteran-led nonprofit has been offering its services since 2010. But on a recent crisp fall day in Minnesota, volunteers and staff were receiving and packing up sweatshirts and diapers and taking breaks to eat fruit snacks. Not the usual Team Rubicon M.O.

Here today there are first-time volunteers that are retired military veterans and some people that have never been in the military, Team Rubicon CEO Art delaCruz told InsideHook. Weve taken all the good things about the military and brought them in and got rid of all the stuff that was kind of a pain in the ass.

The mission that day was collecting donated goods for Afghans who have evacuated their home country as a result of the U.S. withdrawal and are in the process of resettling here. Team Rubicon was recently tasked by the State Department and Department of Defense to lead the management and distribution of donations  from winter boots to baby formula  to the various military bases where refugees are working through the resettlement process.

This specific kind of humanitarian effort hasnt always been a part of Team Rubicons purview, but delaCruz, who was helping out along with everyone else at a parking lot and loading dock at Target Field in Minneapolis, explained its been something the group has been working up to during the pandemic.

It kind of nests itself into a decision we made in March of 2020, delaCruz said. Once a national emergency was declared at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership team decided Team Rubicon could either survive and go into hibernation mode or thrive and be prepared to do anything. They chose the latter.



Next thing you know were being asked to help with food banks, with feeding operations, and were asked to stand up field hospitals, and were asked to send medical professionals to Navajo Nation to decompress a stressed medical system, and were setting up testing sites, he explained. They did all of that and more, and when the vaccines came, they started helping with vaccine distribution. All told, theyve completed around 635 operations since that time, a huge leap from the 109 they tallied in 2019.

All this while were doing disaster response: tornadoes in Tennessee, hurricanes in Louisiana, rebuilding houses in Houston, he said, all thats going on in the backdrop.

Team Rubicon CEO Art delaCruz (second from right) at the donation collection in Minneapolis. Photo courtesy of Team Rubicon

While delaCruz sees Team Rubicon contracting back to their original focus on disaster response after the pandemic tapers off, he also sees the Afghan resettlement initiative as one thats close to the heart of the veterans that make up about 70% of the 150,000-strong volunteer force.

Particularly for military veterans, the Afghan call to action has been really, really great for the volunteers and for the Afghans, because we had a kinship, a connection, a commitment to each other that were holding true to now, he said.

At the beginning of the pandemic, delaCruz was COO, a position he held for a total of five and a half years before taking over as CEO from cofounder Jake Wood this July. Before joining Team Rubicon, delaCruz served for 22 years and six deployments in the Navy, including time in Afghanistan.

Weve found for our veterans  theyre reconnecting with the community that they used to be a part of, the military community. Theyre reconnecting with an identity by being part of an organization, he said. Certainly I think whats drawn new people is the breadth of the mission. You go, heres our call to action: lets help the Afghan resettlement; this is a national emergency, so lets help with vaccine distribution; lets provide relief to nurses and doctors in Navajo Nation; lets go to Haiti or other places weve been like Mongolia or Uganda and help train and decompress their medical systems.

On October 9, when Team Rubicon was in Minneapolis, delaCruz said the nonprofit had collected $11 million worth of donated goods for Afghan families. But that isnt the only facet of resettlement theyre helping with.

There are 53,000 or so humanitarian parolees, Afghans, on these bases, [and] another 12,000 coming in. Over the course of the next six months, probably another 30,000 or so, he explained. They go through a process and then they resettle in communities. So some of them are already flowing out of these bases, and primarily in Colorado, in Denver, we will understand a family is coming, we will furnish the house, put together all the furniture, get everything ready, and I think weve done 13 homes there now. That will continue to happen across the country in the future.

Team Rubicon members bringing furniture into a home for an Afghan family. Photo courtesy of Team Rubicon

Whether its collecting and distributing donations or furnishing homes, Team Rubicon had committed to helping out with the Afghan resettlement at least through the end of October.

It will last significantly longer than that, he said, if I was a betting man.

Learn more about Team Rubicons efforts and donate here.

This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.

The post For Some Veterans, The Afghanistan Mission Isnt Over Yet appeared first on InsideHook.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Jury selection starts Monday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois man accused of killing two people at a police brutality protest last year.

Rittenhouse's trial is expected to last at least two weeks. Here's a look at the key players:

THE DEFENDANT

Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, was 17 at the time of the shootings. He was an ardent police supporter before the incidents, serving as a youth cadet in the Grayslake Police Department and posting photos of himself brandishing a rifle above the caption Blue Lives Matter. He worked part-time as a YMCA lifeguard in Lindenhurst, Illinois, before he was furloughed in March 2020.

He traveled to Kenosha, which is only about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from his home, on Aug. 25 after pleas went out on social media to protect businesses during protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer two days earlier. Video from the night of the shootings shows Rittenhouse on the streets with his AR-style semiautomatic rifle and a medical kit slung over his shoulder.

People are getting injured and our job is to protect this business, Rittenhouse told a reporter from the Daily Caller before the shootings. And part of my job is to also help people. If there is somebody hurt, I'm running into harm's way. That's why I have my rifle.

Rittenhouse's attorneys say a man  Joseph Rosenbaum  chased the 5-foot-8, 150-pound Rittenhouse in an attempt to steal his gun, forcing Rittenhouse to fatally shoot him. Video that has surfaced so far doesn't show that shooting, but it does show Rosenbaum run toward Rittenhouse and appear to throw a plastic bag at him before shots ring out and Rosenbaum lies dying on the ground. Other video shows Rittenhouse moments later shooting and killing Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz.

Rittenhouse is white, as are the three men he shot.

Prosecutors have described Rittenhouse as a vigilante and a chaos tourist with a violent streak. They unsuccessfully sought to introduce a pair of videos, including one that showed Rittenhouse appearing to punch a girl who was fighting his sister a couple of months before the shootings, and another in which Rittenhouse is heard commenting that he would like to shoot some men he thought were shoplifting from a pharmacy.

As conservatives rallied to Rittenhouse as a symbol of gun rights and resistance to the sometimes damaging protests that followed George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, he has seemed at times to revel in his notoriety. He posed for photos in a Wisconsin bar with members of the far right extremist group the Proud Boys, though his attorneys say there's no evidence he was affiliated with the group before the shootings.

THE MEN RITTENHOUSE SHOT

Rosenbaum, 36, was released the day of the shootings from a Milwaukee hospital where he had been treated for a suicide attempt. It's not clear why he was on Kenosha's streets the night of the protests, though he had a fiancee who lived in the city. His background includes a conviction for sexual conduct with a minor in Arizona in 2002. The judge denied a defense request to argue that Rosenbaum was trying to get Rittenhouse's rifle because, as a convicted sex offender, Rosenbaum couldn't legally get one on his own.

Huber, 26, of nearby Silver Lake, is seen on video swinging a skateboard at Rittenhouse before he was shot. He was known around Kenosha's skateboarding community, and his girlfriend, Hannah Gittings, said skateboarding was his life. Huber served a pair of prison stints stemming from family conflict, including choking his brother in 2012.

A great-aunt, Susan Hughes, said Huber was involved in protests because he was very upset that a police officer had shot Blake, who was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Grosskreutz, 27, of West Allis, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Kenosha, has said he attended several protests following Floyd's May 2020 death. With training as a paramedic, Grosskreutz had carried medical supplies and was doing so the night of the Kenosha shootings. He was also armed with a pistol and had it in his hand when he approached Rittenhouse, who shot him in the arm.

THE JUDGE

Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder graduated from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee in 1970 and has been on the bench since 1983. At 75, he's the longest-serving active circuit judge in Wisconsin.

Among his highest-profile cases was the 2008 homicide trial of Mark Jensen, who was accused of poisoning and smothering his wife. Jensen was convicted, but appellate courts and the state Supreme Court ruled that Schroeder had erred by admitting as evidence a letter Jensen's wife had given to a neighbor before her death in which she said that if anything happened to her, her husband was responsible. A new trial is set next year.

Schroeder has the reputation of being a stern judge who often hands down tough sentences. In 2018, he sentenced a woman convicted of shoplifting to tell the manager of any store she entered that she was on supervision for theft. Schroeder told the woman that embarrassment does have a valuable place in deterring criminality. A state appeals court threw out the sentence.

Schroeder drew attention before Rittenhouse's trial by forbidding attorneys from referring to Rosenbaum, Huber and Grosskreutz as victims  a longstanding practice in his courtroom. But he also ruled that defense attorneys could portray the three as looters, arsonists or rioters if they could prove it.

Kenosha-based defense attorney Michael Cicchini said Schroeder won't wilt under the intense attention expected for Rittenhouse's trial.

He's protective of the right to present a defense, the right to confrontation. Hes that way for all defendants, regardless of the case. The judge in my opinion is not swayed by or interested in politics, Cicchini said. "He'll apply the rules even-handedly without any influence from the media.

THE PROSECUTOR

Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, the lead prosecutor, got his law degree in 1996 from the University of Michigan. He served as a Milwaukee County prosecutor in the early 2000s and spent nine years in private practice before joining the Kenosha County district attorney's office in 2014. He ran for district attorney in nearby Racine County as a Democrat in 2016, promising he would get tougher on heroin traffickers and help heroin users overcome their addiction to keep them out of the criminal justice system. But he lost to the Republican candidate.

Cicchini said he's worked against Binger on several cases. He called the prosecutor skilled and a hard worker.

THE DEFENSE

Racine attorney Mark Richards is leading Rittenhouse's defense. He's a courtroom veteran, earning his law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987. He served as an assistant district attorney in Racine and Kenosha counties in the late 1980s before he opened his own firm in 1990 that specializes in criminal defense.

Richards has worked on more than 100 jury trials. He forced Racine prosecutors in 1999 to drop first-degree intentional homicide charges against Kurtis King, who was accused of strangling his cellmate at the Racine Correctional Institution, after raising questions about the guards' credibility.

Paul Bucher, a former district attorney in Waukesha County and a one-time state attorney general candidate, said Richards is well known and respected in legal circles.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.

-

Find APs full coverage of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse at: https://apnews.com/hub/kyle-rittenhouse
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Swedens response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and its preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient, a stinging official report concluded Friday.

The Scandinavian country has stood out among European nations for its comparatively hands-off response to the pandemic, emphasizing individual responsibility and choices instead of mandated government health measures.

In its preliminary findings, the new report said Sweden's initial protection measures were "insufficient to stop or even sharply limit the spread of infection, and that its solution to counter the outbreak "was based on voluntariness and personal responsibility, rather than more intrusive measures.

It added that Swedish laws were insufficient to deal with a serious epidemic or pandemic outbreak, and that the country's infection control system was decentralized, making it unclear who is responsible for the whole when a serious infectious disease affects the country.

Earlier this week, Sweden passed the threshold of 15,000 deaths with COVID-19.

Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren told Swedish news agency TT that she agreed with the criticism, saying it could have been done differently.

The latest report was along the lines of a December 2020 one that said the center-left Swedish government failed to sufficiently protect the elderly in nursing homes from COVID-19 and was ultimately responsible for the pandemics effects.

In neighboring Denmark, 1,784 news cases of COVID-19 were recorded Friday, the 10th day in a row where the number of people newly infected in Denmark has been over 1,000.

The Danish Patient Safety Authority said it was reactivating its coronavirus Task Force in the capital of Copenhagen, which saw most of the new cases. The task force had shut down in June.

Due to the large number of vaccinations in Denmark, the government dropped most of its coronavirus restrictions on Sept. 19.

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Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
On Tuesday, November 2, 2021 Wilton voters will be casting their votes for Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Board of Education, Planning and Zoning Commission, various land use boards, and Constables in the municipal election. Voting will take place at all three of Wiltons voting districts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The polling places, and the districts are:

- District 1  the Wilton High School Clune Center, at 395 Danbury Road,

- District 2  the Cider Mill School Main Gym, at 240 School Road; and

- District 3  the Middlebrook School Gym, at 131 School Road.

Parking for voters with disabilities will be marked at each polling place. For those people, who are unable to leave their vehicles due to a temporary physical incapacity, curbside voting is available upon request at each of the polling places.

The deadlines for elections are:

- November 1, 2021  In-person deadline for those people, who became U.S. citizens, moved into Wilton, or turned 18 years old after October 26. Town Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to accept in-person voter registrations from these persons.

- Election Day registration  For Wilton residents, who are eligible to vote, and have delayed registering, Election Day registration is available at the Town Hall, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters should bring positive proof of identity, and residence, such as a current, and valid photo ID identification, showing their Wilton address.

- Absentee Ballots became available as of October 1, 2021. Voters may download the application for an absentee ballot at any time by visiting the town website at: https://www.wiltonct.org/town-clerk/pages/absentee-ballots, or by calling the Town Clerk's, Lori Kabacks office at (203) 563-0106. Submit the application to the Town Clerk by mail, in-person, or via the drop box in front of the Wilton Police Department at 240 Danbury Road in Wilton. Upon receipt of the application, the Town Clerk will send an absentee ballot. If people are on the Town Clerks list of voters with permanent physical disabilities, they will receive the ballot automatically.

- October 26, 2021 was the date to Mail-in, in-person, and the online deadline to register to vote. Wilton Town Hall at 238 Danbury Road, was open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., to accept in-person voter registrations.

Contact the Wilton Registrars of Voters Karen Birck, (D), and Annalisa Stravato, (R), at (203) 563-0111, or Town Clerk Lori Kaback at (203) 563-0106, with any questions.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 46F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

A few clouds. Low 24F. WNW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 24F. WNW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. High 46F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable.
Darla Contois first major theatre production is a deeply personal mediation on what it means to be Indigenous in this country.

Darla Contois first major theatre production is a deeply personal mediation on what it means to be Indigenous in this country.

Theatre preview Click to Expand The War Being Waged

 Prairie Theatre Exchange

 Nov. 3-21 (live); Dec. 2-21 (digital)

 Tickets $45 (live), $20 (digital) at pte.mb.ca

"Being alive as an Indigenous person in Canada today is very complicated," says the Cree-Saulteaux playwright from Winnipeg. "Every single day you have to wake up and ask, am I fighting for myself? Am I fighting for my family? Am I fighting for my people? Am I fighting for Canada?"

SUPPLIED Darla Contois

The War Being Waged takes stock of those dynamics through the story of three generations of Indigenous women: a grandmother who raises a child with love in community, a mother who becomes an activist and a granddaughter who finds her voice amid turmoil. The show is presented as part monologue, part poetry and part dance.

The play makes its world premiere at Prairie Theatre Exchange on Nov. 3 and is the first live production hosted at the downtown venue in 603 days, since the start of the pandemic. For Contois  who got her start at Manitoba Theatre for Young People as a teenager and is a graduate of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto  returning to the stage is a precious homecoming.

"It kind of feels like when you havent seen your best friends in a long time and you finally get to embrace each other," she says. "It feels so good."

Sitting in PTEs sunlit atrium during a rehearsal break, Contois is wearing a college hoodie and sipping from a large Thermos. On top of writing and producing a full-length play, shes in school part-time studying business administration. Shes also a new mother.

"Thankfully, I had a really chill newborn," says Contois with a laugh. She wrote much of the play amid the pandemic while her daughter, who is now 14 months old, napped. "My boyfriend he is a really big help and a really big support; I dont think I couldve done this without him."

Starring Tracey Nepinak as the grandmother character, Tantoo Cardinal as the mother and Emily Solstice Tait as the granddaughter, The War Being Waged deals with a wide range of difficult subject matter.

The production includes a trigger warning for descriptions of violence, suicide, anti-Indigenous racism, intergenerational trauma, missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit people, incarceration, and alcohol consumption. The story is at once personal and universal.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tracey Nepinak plays the grandmother in Prairie Theatre Exchanges The War Being Waged.

"Its sort of a path or a journey that I imagined my own life would take, had I made the decisions that Traceys character makes," says Contois, who was the Liberal candidate in the Thompson riding in the 2019 provincial election. "Its heavily based on my own experiences and how I imagined they would play out, in like a worst-case scenario."

Focusing on three generations of the same family allowed her to tie together the trickle-down repercussions of the past with the present and future.

Contois writing is supported by set, costume and lighting design from Andy Moro, a multi-disciplinary artist from Calgary who has been involved in the planning for the better part of a year.

"In a standard situation, were doing it in three weeks of rehearsal," Moro says of the design. "The more (time) you invest, the greater your dividends are  its really that simple."

He took inspiration from a kaleidoscope to create a raised, translucent set with walls that open and close to the beat of the narrative.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Emily Solstice Tait plays the granddauther.

"We knew we were going to be in a lot of different places in her story, so we had to be able to shift effortlessly," he says. "And we really tried to bring the idea of colonialism forward with this (set), you know, barriers that you can see through but cant cross."

This isnt Moros first time working with Contois. He was one of her instructors at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and says its an honour to reconnect at this point in her career  which he describes as an "amazing explosion of output."

"I think the mark of truly great art is when it reaches backwards and forwards at the same time. She has done that to create this very engaging story," Moro says. "Its quite something  you dont see writers burst forth like that so fully formed. Its pretty rare."

Contois was the first person PTE artistic director Thomas Morgan Jones gave a commission to after arriving at the company in 2018 (she also starred in his PTE directorial debut, Happy Place). That commission became The War Being Waged, which Jones is now directing.

The play is a poignant return to live theatre for the company in more ways than one.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tracey Nepinak (top) and Emily Solstice Tait deal with a wide range of difficult subject matter.

"Theres Darla as an Indigenous women and all these Indigneous artists that are on the project and then theres a historically non-Indigenous company helping it come to life. Its really exciting, but it also takes a lot of trust on everyones part," Jones says.

"Darlas voice, from this place, in this place, at this time, is essential for all audiences to see this story as a reflection of the world that we live in."

Contois doesnt necessarily want audiences to take anything away from the production, "Moreso, I hope that they leave a lot of things in the theatre," she says. "Preconceived notions, ideas that they had  I just hope that they come in with an open mind and open heart and are ready to listen."

While Contois will be focusing on school for the time being, shes looking forward to future iterations of her play, "I dont think its going to end here. This is just the first stop," she says.

The War Being Waged runs Nov. 3-21 with a digital run available Dec. 2-21.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney

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Kelvin Goertzen has a message from the Bible for whoever succeeds him in the Manitoba premiers chair.

Kelvin Goertzen has a message from the Bible for whoever succeeds him in the Manitoba premiers chair.

It comes from the New Testament, and it has been his mantra while serving as interim premier over the past two months. Sworn-in Sept. 1, after premier Brian Pallister stepped down, Goertzen will, at a yet-to-be-determined date, hand the reins to the winner of Saturday's Progressive Conservative party leadership election.

Its in the Book of James, Chapter 1, verse 19: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

Goertzen, who says he has attended more than 120 meetings since taking the role, along with many other informal events, said there is one thing he has heard over and over again.

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Manitoba premier Kelvin Goertzen.

"To a person, everyone says they want to connect better with government," he said. "I dont think we learned that lesson well enough in the past."

To do a good job, the next premier should also focus less on speaking and do more listening, he said. "Thats the best way forward."

Goertzen, 52, started learning those lessons as a child in the Pansy Chapel, a small Evangelical Mennonite Conference church, located about 25 kilometres southwest of Steinbach.

"I have great memories of going to church there," he said, praising pastor couple Leonard and Betty Barkman for the examples they set for the congregation.

Although a Mennonite church, that aspect was not played up by leaders, who were focused on creating a hospitable atmosphere for anyone from any culture or group.

To a person, everyone says they want to connect better with government. I dont think we learned that lesson well enough in the past.  Kelvin Goertzen

Because of that, "I didnt really grow up Mennonite," Goertzen said, adding his family later attended a Pentecostal church in Steinbach.

Church was also one of the few stable features of youth, growing up with an alcoholic father.

"My mother wanted us to have a normal life," he said.

As for his father, who died when he was 11, "He was a loving man with a great heart," Goertzen said, pointing to a photo in the premiers office.

"He might have had mental health issues as well," he added. "He clearly had a destabilized life."

Like many others, Goertzen drifted away from the faith in his teenage years. He returned to full participation in church in 1998, when he and his wife, Kimberley, were baptized at Southland Church, a large non-denominational congregation in Steinbach.

The (COVID-19) pandemic threw a lot of things into the air, including our church attendance.  Kelvin Goertzen

Today, the couple are in-between churches, instead logging in to different services online from around North America.

"The (COVID-19) pandemic threw a lot of things into the air, including our church attendance," he said, adding, via the internet. "Now were going to more services than ever before."

As for Southland, "I wish the people there well," he said. "I have only positive things to say about it. We will see where we are led to go in the future."

One thing Goertzen is ready to move away from for good is the pandemic.

"I cant wait to never hear the word COVID-19 again," he said.

His family are all vaccinated, but says he understands how complicated it can be for some Mennonites who "keep alive the historical memory of fleeing government restrictions on religious freedom."

I encourage everyone to be vaccinated. Ive taken no small criticism for saying that."  Kelvin Goertzen

Goertzen wants to assure anyone distrustful of government all actions taken by the province during the pandemic were thoroughly discussed and debated before being announced.

"We arent trying to overreach," he said, acknowledging, however, a better job could have been done of explaining how decisions were arrived at.

"I encourage everyone to be vaccinated. Ive taken no small criticism for saying that."

Yelling at the hesitant "wont convince them to get it," he said of his approach. "We need to talk heart-to-heart."

Although not part of a Mennonite church, Goertzen remains proud of his heritage; his Mennonite ancestors arrived in Manitoba in the 1870s, fleeing religious persecution in Russia.

He cant escape it; wherever he goes, people hear his last name and assume hes Mennonite.

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Inevitably, "The next thing that comes up is Mennonite Central Committee," he said, adding people then go on to express their high regard for Mennonites because of how MCC helps people around the world impacted by disasters.

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Mennonite values have also affected the way he has developed as a politician, he said, noting he has tried to practice building relationships, seeking to avoid conflict, and achieving conciliation with others.

"As a politician, Ive grown in the last few years," he said. "I now see politics as less about policy and more about people."

Politics is partisan, he acknowledged, but, "I have become less partisan over the years. We can disagree, but we can still show respect for others, listen to them."

Its an approach others have noticed. Another Progressive Conservative MLA told him: "'You are the peacemaker of the caucus," he said.

"Thats not a bad legacy to leave."

faith@freepress.mb.ca
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. Kid-size doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine may be getting closer as government advisers on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2021 began deliberating whether theres enough evidence that the shots are safe and effective for 5- to 11-year-olds. (Pfizer via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA cleared kid-size doses  just a third of the amount given to teens and adults  for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week.

One more regulatory hurdle remains: On Tuesday, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a final decision by the agencys director expected shortly afterwards.

The rationale here is protect your children so that they can get back towards normal life, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks. The tremendous cost of this pandemic has not just been in physical illness, its been in the psychological, the social development of children too.

A few countries have begun using other COVID-19 vaccines in children under 12, including China, which just began vaccinations for 3-year-olds. But many that use the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are watching the U.S. decision, and European regulators just began considering the companies' kid-size doses.

This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows boxes of kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. moved a step closer to expanding vaccinations for millions more children as a panel of government advisers on Tuesday, Oct. 26, endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer's shots for 5- to 11-year-olds. (Pfizer via AP)

With FDA's action, Pfizer plans to begin shipping millions of vials of the pediatric vaccine  in orange caps to avoid mix-ups with the purple-capped doses for everyone else  to doctors' offices, pharmacies and other vaccination sites. Once the CDC issues its ruling, eligible kids will get two shots, three weeks apart.

While children are at lower risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 than older people, 5- to 11-year-olds still have been seriously affected -- including over 8,300 hospitalizations, about a third requiring intensive care. The FDA said 146 deaths have been reported in that age group.

And with the extra-contagious delta variant circulating, the government has counted more than 2,000 coronavirus-related school closings just since the start of the school year, affecting more than a million children.

With this vaccine kids can go back to something thats better than being locked at home on remote schooling, not being able to see their friends, said Dr. Kawsar Talaat of Johns Hopkins University. The vaccine will protect them and also protect our communities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also applauded FDAs decision, and said pediatricians were standing by to talk with parents.

Vaccinating this age group is an important step in keeping them healthy and providing their families with peace of mind, said Dr. Lee Savio Beers, the academys president.

FILE - This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. On Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. One more regulatory hurdle remains, as advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a final decision by the agencys director expected shortly afterward. (Pfizer via AP, File)

Earlier this week, FDA's independent scientific advisers voted that the pediatric vaccine's promised benefits outweigh any risks. But several panelists said not all youngsters will need to be vaccinated, and that they preferred the shots be targeted to those at higher risk from the virus.

Nearly 70% of 5- to 11-year-olds hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. have other serious medical conditions, including asthma and obesity, according to federal tracking. Additionally, more than two-thirds of youngsters hospitalized are Black or Hispanic, mirroring long-standing disparities in the disease's impact.

The question of how broadly Pfizer's vaccine should be used will be a key consideration for the CDC and its advisers, who set formal recommendations for pediatricians and other medical professionals.

A Pfizer study of 2,268 schoolchildren found the vaccine was nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections, based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got vaccinated.

The FDA ultimately assessed more children  3,100  who received the kid dosage to conclude it was safe. Youngsters experienced similar or fewer temporary reactions  such as sore arms, fever or achiness  that teens experience.

But the study wasnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys. It's unclear if younger children getting a smaller dose also will face that rare risk. FDA pledged Friday to keep a close watch.

Some parents are expected to vaccinate their children ahead of family holiday gatherings and the winter cold season.

Laura Cushman of Salt Lake City plans to get her three children  ages 7, 9 and 11  vaccinated as soon as possible.

We just want them to get to resume their pre-COVID life a little bit more. And feel safe about it, she said.

But a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests most parents won't rush to get the shots. About 25% of parents polled earlier this month said they would get their children vaccinated right away. But the remaining majority of parents were roughly split between those who said they will wait to see how the vaccine performs and those who said they definitely won't have their children vaccinated.

The similarly made Moderna vaccine also is being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna also are testing shots for babies and preschoolers.

___

AP reporter Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City contributed.

___

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.
The prospects of significant investment and job creation at the Pineland Forest Nursery that was touted with much fanfare in February 2019 is now dead.

The prospects of significant investment and job creation at the Pineland Forest Nursery that was touted with much fanfare in February 2019 is now dead.

The former provincially owned tree nursery near Hadashville, Man., was supposed to have been sold to a B.C.-based entity called Botanist Organic Growers Corp. for $1.43 million after the province issued a request for proposals when it was deemed no longer viable as a provincially operated entity.

But on Thursday, after a request for comment from Agricultural and Resource Development Minister Ralph Eichler, his office said, "While the province entered into the agreement with Botanist Organic Growers Corp. (BOGC) in good faith and, in the interests of all Manitobans, it has become clear that BOGC is unable to fulfill its obligations."

He said the lease was terminated effective September 28 "with BOGC owing $500,000." Manitoba owns the land and is proceeding to conclude its dealings with BOGC after which Manitoba will be exploring new options for the site.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Duncan Gordon (left) and Jeremy Towning.

Back in 2019, the company said its intentions were to develop a hemp production operation and cannabidiol (CBD) extraction operation on site that would employ as many as 200 after three years.

Duncan Gordon, one of the two principals of BOGC said at the time that he expected it would become "one of the worlds major players" in the CBD market.

But two and a half years later the property sits dormant and there does not seem to be any plans for the property or explanations as to how the project went so badly off the rails.

Trudy Turchyn, Reeve of the RM of Reynolds, said she heard a couple of weeks ago that the lease has been terminated.

"When you drive by it is very sad to see. For the province to take such an asset and let it deteriorate it could have been operating for the last three years producing some sort of cash crops or food and employing people."

"This is a small community that's lost 25 good jobs, unionized positions, that was engaged in reforestry, a green economy enterprise, with the promise of a new development in organic hemp and it is all lost."  Lisa Naylor

Prior to its "sale" the nursery employed about 25 people.

Turchyn said for a community as small as Hadashville, the loss of that operation is significant.

In an email in 2018 she referred to it as a "keystone on our region".

As recently as the fall of 2020 the chief operating officer of the RM of Reynolds was told by a senior provincial official in an email that "provincial staff are currently working with the proponent, however we are unable to comment further on the status of this lease at this time."

In addition to the frustration about losing a valuable economic asset in the region, Turchyn said the community has also lost access to an important source of water.

"Pineland had such an abundance of wells and water capacity," she said. "Had it still been operating, working with the municipality they would have allowed livestock producers (to access water during this summers drought) and possibly for the Prawda water co-op to haul water as needed."

PINELAND FOREST NURSERY Back in 2019, the company said its intentions were to develop a hemp production operation and cannabidiol (CBD) extraction operation on site that would employ as many as 200 after three years.

Prawda, a small community east of Hadashville, has a private water co-op. It has has been under a boil water advisory for about 15 years.

Lisa Naylor, the NDPs critic on environment issues, said, "This is a small community thats lost 25 good jobs, unionized positions, that was engaged in re-forestry, a green economy enterprise, with the promise of a new development in organic hemp and it is all lost.

Eichlers email to the Free Press said the company "failed to provide an acceptable plan."

No evidence of the existence of the company can be found on the Internet other than the February 2019 announcement.

Even one of the co-founders of the company who was part of the original announcement, Jeremy Towning, said he was bought out shortly after and has had no idea what happened at the property and also has had no contact with his then co-founder Duncan Gordon.

Towning, a Vancouver real estate executive, said. "I would be curious to know what happened. Gordon bought me out and that was it."

Manitoba has has a hemp production industry for many years but people in the industry seem not to know anything about BOGC.

Jeff Kostiuk, general manager of a company called Hemp Genetics International, which sells seeds to many hemp producers in the country, said he recalls a conversation he had with someone from BOGC a while ago but questioned the companys rationale for growing hemp in a greenhouse and never hear back from them.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
NEW YORK (AP)  The fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on a movie set has put a microscope on an often-unseen corner of the film industry where critics say the pursuit of profit can lead to unsafe working conditions.

This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

NEW YORK (AP)  The fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on a movie set has put a microscope on an often-unseen corner of the film industry where critics say the pursuit of profit can lead to unsafe working conditions.

With a budget around $7 million, the Western Rust was no micro-budget indie. The previous best-picture winner at the Academy Awards, Nomadland, was made for less. But the New Mexico set where Baldwin shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins had inexperienced crew members, apparent safety lapses and a serious labor dispute.

For some in the business, the failures reflect larger issues in a fast-evolving movie industry.

Production is exploding, corners are being cut even more and budgets are being crunched down even more, said Mynette Louie, a veteran independent film producer. Somethings got to give.

The shooting happened at a busy time: Production is ramping up following the easing of pandemic restrictions. Streaming services are increasing demand for content. And all the while, the industry is wrestling with standards for movie sets.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there was some complacency in how weapons were handled on the set. Investigators found 500 rounds of ammunition  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and suspected live rounds, even though the sets firearms specialist, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, said real ammo should never have been present.

Attention has focused on the 24-year-old Gutierrez Reed, who had worked on only one previous feature, and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin. According to a search warrant affidavit, Halls called out cold gun to indicate that it was safe to use but told detectives he did not check all of the weapons chambers.

Lawyers for Gutierrez Reed on Friday said she has no idea where the live rounds came from. They blamed unsafe conditions on the producers cutting corners.

This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer, said attorneys Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence in a statement. She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department. The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings."

Veteran prop master Neal W. Zoromski earlier told The Los Angeles Times that he declined an offer to work on Rust because producers insisted that one person could serve as both assistant prop master and armorer.

Still, the apparent lack of proper weapons protocol has stunned veteran film workers.

This was incompetence, inexperience and  I hate to say this  lack of caring about your job. If theres a whole bunch of ammunition thrown together in a box, thats not how its done, said Mike Tristano, a longtime professional armorer.

Several Rust camera crew members walked off the set amid discord over working conditions, including safety procedures. A new crew was hired that morning, according to director Joel Souza, who spoke to detectives. He was standing near Hutchins and was wounded by the shot.

The New Mexico chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union called reports of nonunion workers being brought in inexcusable. The union will soon vote on a new standards agreement covering 60,000 film and TV crew members  a deal reached with major studios after IATSE prepared for the first strike in its 128-year existence.

In a statement, Rust executive producer Allen Cheney said the six producers on the film collectively had more than 35 years of experience in film and television. He called Rust a union-certified production.

James Gunn, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker, suggested a slipshod culture could be partly to blame.

Dozens have died or been grievously injured on movie sets because of irresponsibility, ignoring safety protocols, improper leadership and a set culture of mindless rushing, Gunn said on Twitter.

The gaffer on Rust, Serge Svetnoy, faulted the movies producers for negligence.

To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, Svetnoy said in a Facebook post.

Gary Tuers, property master of Tomorrow War and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, said the shooting was "an indictment of the modern production culture, which for the last 30 years has pursued tax credits and found every way imaginable (and several that werent) to sacrifice crew health and safety in the name of budget consciousness.

This tragedy was an apparent accident," he wrote on Instagram. "But it was also a predictable outcome of the incentive structure within the modern film industry.

Several companies came together to finance and produce Rust, including Baldwins El Dorado Pictures. The film, which is based on a story by Souza and Baldwin, was financed in part by Las Vegas-based Streamline Global, which describes its business model as acquiring films that offer certain tax benefits that may "reduce the owners federal income tax liability from income earned from other sources.

BondIt Media Capital, an independent film financier, also bankrolled Rust. The Santa Monica, California-based company has helped finance other male-fronted action thrillers like Liam Neesons Honest Thief, Mel Gibsons Force of Nature and Bruce Willis Hard Kill.

Even before the shooting, the most likely destination for Rust was probably video on demand. Baldwins agency, Creative Artists Agency, presold some distribution rights. Last year, Baldwin promoted the movie to buyers at the virtual Cannes film market. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that the script reminded him of "Unforgiven, a 1992 Western starring Clint Eastwood.

The movie was being made under a tax provision called Section 181, which applies to films costing $2.75 million to $7.5 million. It can allow investors to break even before a film reaches any screen, particularly in a state with generous tax credits like New Mexico. The state has been a popular place for productions in recent years. Some of its regulations, including for on-set weapons experts, are less stringent than in California.

In his 30-year career, the armorer Tristano hasn't often experienced producers or crew members who cut corners on safety. But when safety is in question, he has not hesitated to pull his team off a set.

Whenever I was on a set where there was a lot of panic going on, or the AD (assistant director) was rushing, I would say, OK, Im locking the guns back in the truck,  Tristano said. Id say, When you guys are ready to do it right, well do it. If you dont like that, fire me. 

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
BEIJING (AP)  More than 2,000 tourists visiting Chinas Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine following the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in the area.

In this aerial photo released by Xinhua News Agency, stranded self driving tourists prepare to leave Ejina Banner of Alxa League to head to quarantine hotels for two weeks, in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. More than 2,000 tourists visiting China's Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine following the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in the area. (Wang Xuebing/Xinhua via AP)

BEIJING (AP)  More than 2,000 tourists visiting Chinas Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine following the detection of new cases of COVID-19 in the area.

The move follows reports of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the vast, lightly populated region that attracts visitors with its mountains, lakes and grasslands.

An announcement from the regional government on Friday said 2,428 visitors had been placed under observation at hotels in the cities of Baotou and Ordos.

That came after successive reports of new cases of local infection in the region, with Inner Mongolia accounting for 19 of the 48 new cases of domestic transmission announced Friday.

The quarantines are typical of the strict measures China has taken to control the pandemic, which also include mask wearing, electronic case tracing, mass testing, lockdowns and vaccinations.

In the city of Lanzhou, in Gansu province bordering Inner Mongolia, millions of people have been largely confined to their homes over the past week after cases were detected there. Ten new cases were reported in the city on Friday.

China has reported 4,636 deaths among 91,665 cases of COVID-19 recorded in the country since the first infections were detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
ROME (AP)  Leaders of the Group of 20 countries gathering for their first in-person summit since the pandemic took hold will confront a global recovery hampered by a series of stumbling blocks: an energy crunch spurring higher fuel and utility prices, new COVID-19 outbreaks, and logjams in the supply chains that keep the economy humming and goods headed to consumers.

People take part in a protest against the increase of the price of electricity in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. When they gather for their first post-pandemic summit, leaders of the Group of 20 countries will confront a global recovery thats encountering unexpectedly persistent headwinds: A global energy crunch bringing higher fuel and utility prices, allegedly temporary consumer inflation that might hang around longer than first thought, and bottlenecks in supply chains that keep the global economy humming and goods headed to customers. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

ROME (AP)  Leaders of the Group of 20 countries gathering for their first in-person summit since the pandemic took hold will confront a global recovery hampered by a series of stumbling blocks: an energy crunch spurring higher fuel and utility prices, new COVID-19 outbreaks, and logjams in the supply chains that keep the economy humming and goods headed to consumers.

The summit will allow leaders representing 80% of the global economy to talk  and apply peer pressure  on all those issues. Analysts question how much progress they can make to ease the burden right away on people facing rising prices on everything from food and furniture to higher heating bills heading into winter.

Health and finance officials sat down in Rome on Friday before presidents and prime ministers gather for the G-20 on Saturday and Sunday, but the leaders of major economic players China and Russia won't be there in person. That may not bode well for cooperation, especially on energy issues as climate change takes center stage just before the U.N. Climate Change Conference begins Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Here's a look at some of the economic issues facing G-20 leaders:

THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY

The International Monetary Fund says the top priority for the economic recovery is simple: speed up the vaccination of the world population. Yet big headlines on vaccine cooperation may not be forthcoming at the Rome summit.

Employees stand in front of La Nuvola (the cloud) convention center where the G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. A Group of 20 summit scheduled for this weekend in Rome is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Health and finance officials there warned of a two-track recovery, with vaccine and spending gaps slowing poorer countries from bouncing back.

Efforts to speed vaccinations were short $20 billion (17 billion euros) needed to pursue a goal of 40% of the world vaccinated by years end and 70% by the middle of next year, said Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund.

The increasing divergence between developing and developed countries would be a major strategic risk for the rest of the world, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

The G-20 countries have supported vaccine-sharing through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Donated doses are coming in at a fraction of what is needed, and developed countries are focused on booster shots for their own populations.

For the developed world, rising consumer prices and government stimulus to help economies bounce back may be a topic at the G-20. But central banks, not presidents and prime ministers, tend to deal with inflation, and stimulus spending is decided at the national level.

GLOBAL TAXES

One major economic deal is already done: The G-20 will likely be a celebration of an agreement on a global minimum corporate tax, aimed at preventing multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes.

An Italian Civil protection volunteer walks outside the main entrance of the G20 summit media press center in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. A Group of 20 summit scheduled for this weekend in Rome is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

All G-20 governments signed on to the deal negotiated among more than 130 countries, and it now faces an ambitious timeline to get approved and enacted through 2023.

U.S. President Joe Biden has tied his domestic agenda to it  creating a global minimum tax can allow the United States to charge higher taxes without the risk of companies shifting their profits to tax havens. U.S. adoption is key because so many multinational companies are headquartered there.

The agreement also helps remove trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe. It allows nations including France, Italy and Spain to back off digital services taxes that targeted U.S. tech companies Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Biden goes to the G-20 with his tax and economic agenda still subject to congressional negotiations. That means he will be unable to show that the U.S. is leading on global corporate taxes, though his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said G-20 leaders understand the nature of congressional talks.

Theyll say, Is President Biden on track to deliver on what he said hes going to deliver?' And we believe one way or the other, he will be on track to do that, Sullivan said.

HIGH ENERGY PRICES

The summit offers an opportunity for dialogue on high oil and gas prices because it includes delegations from major energy producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, major consumers in Europe and China, and the U.S., which is both.

International Monetary Fund President Kristalina Georgieva waves as she arrives for a meeting of G20 finance and health ministers at the Salone delle Fontane (Hall of Fountains) in Rome, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. A Group of 20 summit scheduled for this weekend in Rome is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to participate remotely.

Perhaps the most important thing the G-20 could do is to tell those among them that are major energy suppliers that they should think about their future, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.

If energy prices are too high in the developed world, it will only speed up the move away from fossil fuels, which is ultimately, in the long run, bad for the suppliers, he said.

The White House says Biden intends to engage with other key leaders about energy prices, with oil recently hitting a seven-year high in the U.S. at over $84 per barrel and the international Brent crude benchmark reaching a three-year peak at over $86.

We are definitely in an energy crisis, there is no other way to put it, said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis at Rystad Energy and an expert in oil market demand.

But he said its unlikely the G-20 can take any decision that has immediate impact."

So far, Saudi-led OPEC and allies including Russia, dubbed OPEC+, have ignored Biden's pleas to increase production faster than its pace of 400,000 barrels per day each month into next year.

In one bright spot, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state-controlled company Gazprom to pump more gas into storage facilities in Europe, where prices have quintupled this year and fears have spread about winter shortages.

But producing nations are in a powerful position, Galimberti said. There is no one who can put pressure on OPEC+.

SUPPLY CHAINS

Biden will press for countries to share more information about troubles with supply chains that have slowed growth in the developed world. Port and factory closures, shortages of shipping containers and rising demand have contributed to backlogs at ports and delays for deliveries of everything from bicycles to computer chips used in smartphones and cars.

Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, said the president would push for more transparency about identifying logjams with other governments: How do we know, at every level, where there may be bottlenecks or breaks in the supply chain so that we can quickly respond to them?

Trade expert Chad P. Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, agreed that sharing information can be helpful but said theres very little anyone can do" now about the backups over a lack of shipping containers.

Longer term, leaders can discuss efforts to diversify supply of key goods such as masks, other medical protective equipment and semiconductors.

There is a call to diversify some production of semiconductors geographically away from Asia, Bown said.

The U.S. and the European Union are talking about finding ways to incentivize chip production at home without starting a subsidy war  for instance, by agreeing on which sectors of the semiconductor industry each side would seek to attract.

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Boak reported from Washington.
CLEVELAND (AP)  One of the four retail pharmacy companies on trial for their alleged roles in fostering an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties announced Friday it had settled lawsuits filed by 10 government entities in the state that have accused the companies of creating a public nuisance.

Attorneys and staff associated with a federal trial of pharmacies, CVS, Walgreens, Giant Eagle and Walmart leave the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse in Cleveland, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. The pharmacies are being sued by Ohio counties Lake and Trumbull for their part in the opioid crisis. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

CLEVELAND (AP)  One of the four retail pharmacy companies on trial for their alleged roles in fostering an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties announced Friday it had settled lawsuits filed by 10 government entities in the state that have accused the companies of creating a public nuisance.

The settlement by Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle includes Lake and Trumbull counties, whose federal lawsuits are being heard in a bellwether trial in Cleveland that began in early October. The other defendants on trial are CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.

Settlement terms were not announced. Another pharmacy chain, Rite-Aid, settled with the two counties in August. Rite-Aid agreed to pay Trumbull County $1.5 million. The amount Lake County will receive has not been disclosed.

Attorneys and staff associated with a federal trial of pharmacies, CVS, Walgreens, Giant Eagle and Walmart, leave the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse in Cleveland, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. The pharmacies are being sued by Ohio counties Lake and Trumbull for their part in the opioid crisis. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Giant Eagle in a joint statement with a committee representing plaintiffs in the national litigation denied causing the opioid crisis but said it recognizes the severity of the crisis, the impact on the public and the hard work of the public officials working to address the harms.

Giant Eagle intends to continue helping the communities in which it operates to address the opioid crisis in a productive way, the statement said.

In a separate statement, Lake and Trumbull County officials said they are focused on supporting our necessary action to combat the persistent negative impacts caused by the opioid epidemic.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is overseeing the current trial in Cleveland and supervises nearly 3,000 opioid lawsuits filed by government agencies and tribal entities from across the country.

More than 500,000 people in the U.S. have died from drug overdoses in the last two decades.

The Cleveland trial has been focused on how the companies contributed to the opioid crisis by filling millions of prescriptions for addictive pain killers. All four companies at various times also distributed those drugs to their retail pharmacies.

Around 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County between 2012 and 2016  400 for every county resident  while 61 million pills were dispensed in Lake County during that five-year period  265 pills for every resident.

The cost of abating the crisis in each county totals around $1 billion, one of the counties' attorneys has said.

We were hit with a tsunami and we were pulling bodies out of the water, April Caraway, executive director of the Trumbull County Mental Health & Recovery Board, testified earlier this week.

The counties are arguing that the companies' lax or nonexistent controls and systems for detecting suspicious orders and prescriptions contributed to the crisis. The companies have said their pharmacies filled prescriptions written by doctors for legitimate medical needs.
FORKS, MAINE - A major Hydro-Quebec electricity export project is tearing apart the citizens of Maine, who will vote on its future in a referendum on Tuesday.

The Hydro Quebec building is pictured Tuesday, June 21, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

FORKS, MAINE - A major Hydro-Quebec electricity export project is tearing apart the citizens of Maine, who will vote on its future in a referendum on Tuesday.

In communities near the 233-kilometre route of the Appalachian-Maine interconnection line, the worksite raises both environmental fears and hopes for economic revitalization.

The line passing through Maine to export 9.45 terawatt-hours annually to Massachusetts could bring billions of dollars to the Crown corporation. A rejection by voters would represent a second setback for Hydro-Quebec after the initial plan to run electricity through New Hampshire in 2019 was abandoned due to public opposition.

Elizabeth Caruso, an elected official from Caratunk, which has a population of less than 80, is among the first people in Maine to have mobilized against the project.

She says the interconnection line would disrupt the lives of residents and allow Hydro-Quebec and Central Maine Power (CMP), the partner that would build the portion of the line in the United States, to rake in "billions."

She is concerned about the consequences of the construction of the line on the Northwoods Forest in the north of the state.

CMP and Hydro-Quebec are trying to place a scar across a sector that is very sensitive to the environment, she said. "It will change the landscape."

She also fears the project will harm the tourism industry, on which the region's economy depends.

Peter Dostie, owner of Hawks Nest Lodge in nearby Forks, shares these concerns and is worried that tourists will leave the area if the project goes ahead and turbines destroy the area's charm.

But CMP rejects those fears.

There's been really a lot of effort to reduce the visual impact, said Katie Yates, community relations manager for New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), the name of the line.

She said CMP has focused on not disrupting the activities of hiking and recreational vehicle enthusiasts. The presence of open land around the lines could even facilitate the movement of animal species and be good for hunters, she said.

Despite these steps, opposition to the project is said to be strong among hunters and fishermen. In 2018, the Sportmans Alliance of Maine, a lobby that represents them, withdrew its support after a survey of its members showed "overwhelming" opposition.

Not all entrepreneurs in northern Maine are opposed to the project.

In Lewiston, where the line ends to the south, the city strongly supports the project. The possibility of reducing three million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by using Hydro-Quebec surpluses, alone, is enough to convince Lincoln Jeffers, director of the economic development department of state's second largest city.

"It's good for New England, it's good for Maine."

Nearly half of the US$1 billion invested in the project will be deployed in Lewiston, where the infrastructure will be built to bring electricity from Hydro-Quebec to Massachusetts, said the municipal official.

He estimates that the project will increase municipal tax revenues by US$6 million to US$7 million out of a total budget of approximately US$50 million.

Our economy is diversified, but we have some poorer areas downtown, he said.

"Raising property values will help us lower municipal taxes and make cities more attractive to businesses."

For the municipality of Jay, the potential tax revenues generated by the project are "welcome," said Paul Binette, a collection agent. Municipal taxes increased from 2011 to 2018 due to difficulties in the paper industry. The situation had stabilized recently, but a factory explosion in 2020 dealt another economic blow to the city.

Still, Binette says he's not taking sides in the debate.

The decision is up to the citizens of Maine. If they refuse the project, "no" means "no" and the taxes will go up."

The project is a golden opportunity for Maine's economy, says Dana Connors, president of the Maine Chamber of Commerce, located in the state capital of Augusta, where the line does not cross. He fears that by cancelling the project, companies will fear investing in Maine.

"It's not every day that you can have an investment of US$1 billion that will be fully paid for by residents of another state (Massachusetts)."

Peter Dostie, who is also a collection agent, believes voters will reject the Hydro-Quebec project.

"There are certain things that are sacred in Maine: the lobster industry, the elk population and the Northwoods Forest."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
WASHINGTON - When, not if, the next pandemic strikes, Canada and the United States need to work more closely together on a mutual, integrated strategy for managing risk at the shared border, rather than trying to shut it down entirely, a new report says.

The office of New York congressman Brian Higgins says U.S. Customs and Border Protection wont be requiring a negative COVID-19 test in order to cross the land border with Canada. The U.S. border crossing is seen Monday, August 9, 2021 in Lacolle, Que., south of Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

WASHINGTON - When, not if, the next pandemic strikes, Canada and the United States need to work more closely together on a mutual, integrated strategy for managing risk at the shared border, rather than trying to shut it down entirely, a new report says.

A task force assembled by the D.C.-based Wilson Center, which included former Quebec premier Jean Charest and former Canadian justice minister Anne McLellan, concluded in its final report that closing the border entirely to non-essential travel likely did as much harm as good.

Next time  and there will be a next time, the panel warns  a plan to mitigate risk rather than trying to reduce it to zero would ultimately be a better solution, its members said Friday.

"A lot of people personally suffered through this period  there was a very high cost on a personal level that can't be measured, but it was real," Charest said during the virtual launch of the final report.

"If only for that reason, we believe governments would be well-advised to look at more of a risk management approach."

The panel also included former Washington governor Christine Gregoire and James Douglas, the former governor of Vermont, both of them from border states where managing the shared frontier is a more pressing priority than it might be in other parts of the country.

The panel also found that despite the lived experience of similar public health crises in the past, such as the SARS outbreak in Toronto in 2003 or the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009, neither country seemed to apply the lessons they had already learned.

And despite public pronouncements of a mutual, bilateral plan when the COVID-19 border restrictions were first imposed in March 2020, Canada and the U.S. didn't actually work together on the strategy as closely as was believed, Charest added.

Unlike in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, when the U.S. suddenly and unilaterally closed its borders to international travel, "this time, a decision was taken to act together, and to be synchronized," Charest said.

"Only what we discovered in looking at the process is that there was much less co-ordination than what we had thought there should have been  much less."

Among the report's other findings:

 There was no tangible plan in place for a return to normal operations, making for uneven and unpredictable conditions across the length of the 9,000-kilometre border;

 A lack of government responsiveness to the concerns of individuals and businesses undermined public confidence in the measures and their efficacy;

 The restrictions focused on the purpose of travel, rather than on engaging members of the public about how they could cross the border safely;

 Legislators and lawmakers at the national level were "largely marginalized," as were regional and local government officials;

 Both countries missed the opportunity to partner with the private sector and incorporate input from businesses on how best to manage the restrictions.

The panel also called for border authorities to be more creative in finding solutions for people with urgent travel needs, including through pilot projects, "trusted tester" programs and adapting restrictions in various regions to better suit the needs of local communities.

"Quite candidly, at the end of the day, we don't want a separation," Gregoire said. "We really fundamentally believe that there are technological advances, there are opportunities. If we can keep planes in the air, where people can travel, we can keep that border open."

Canadians and Americans alike both adjusted in time to the new measures that were put in place at the border following the 9/11 attacks, and will do so again after the pandemic, said McLellan, who was justice minister in Jean Chretien's government at the time.

"Now you don't hear anyone complaining about the fact they have to have a passport to cross the border," McLellan said.

"Just as after 9/11, life doesn't return to so-called normal. It is a new life, with a set of new procedures, but in fact, we all live happily within that domain."

The travel rules prohibited non-essential leisure travel over the land border without restricting trade shipments and essential workers. Canada began easing restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers in August, while a new U.S. requirement that travellers be fully vaccinated will take effect Nov. 8.

Late Friday, the U.S. announced that starting on Nov. 8 non-citizen travellers will be permitted to enter the U.S. through a land border or ferry terminal for a non-essential reason, provided they are fully vaccinated and can present proof of COVID-19 vaccination status. There is no need for a test at the land border.

Unvaccinated travelers may continue to cross the border for essential travel, including lawful trade, emergency response, and public health purposes.

Starting in January 2022, all inbound foreign national travellers to the U.S. must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination.

The U.S. will continue to require that air travellers produce evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test, but the office of New York congressman Brian Higgins says that requirement won't apply to those entering the country by land.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed for us again today that there will not be a testing requirement for vaccinated travellers to cross the land border," Higgins' office said in a statement.

Higgins has already called on Canada's federal government to abandon its requirement that travellers submit the results of a costly PCR test before arriving at a land-border crossing. The $200 test is a significant deterrent to travel and a drag on the economic recovery in border communities, he said.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, acknowledged Friday that testing is "very much a live issue" both inside the federal government, as well as in discussions with provinces and territories.

But as of now, she said the testing requirement remains an important safety measure, even with strong vaccination rates in Canada, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding the Delta variant and lingering questions about how long vaccines remain effective.

"No layer of protection is ever 100 per cent perfect, we know that," Tam said.

"With all these considerations, I think having that additional layer of protection (from testing) is important at this time, but we will review it."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
Carter Friesen never thought his pastime would come to this, at least not so early in his career.

Carter Friesen never thought his pastime would come to this, at least not so early in his career.

Friesen, 16, a budding graphic designer at Oak Park High School, left Thursday to attend a NASCAR Xfinity Series race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. That itself is exciting enough for any fan of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, but its what hes going to see first-hand thats really exciting  his own paint scheme on the No. 7 car driven by SS Green Light Racing driver Joe Graf Jr.

In April, he was posting on Twitter some of the NASCAR paint schemes he created in his spare time, and as luck would have it, Graf saw his work and the team commissioned him to design what would be placed on Grafs car for two races, the first of which was last week in Kansas.

I always get final approval and we were pretty excited about it. It really stood out

 SS Green Light Racing owner Bobby Dotter on Friesens design

"Most teams arent expecting some 16-year-old kid from high school to be designing paint schemes," the Grade 12 student said. "Ive always been interested in NASCAR. Even when I was four or five, when we went to stores that sold NASCAR die-casts, I would always buy one.

"Ive always had a passion for designing, even just cars in general."

When he was able to combine that interest with his interest in computers, it was a natural combination. He uses Adobe Photoshop to create the initial designs and then imports the results into Adobe Illustrator to create scalable versions teams use to create a vinyl wrap to cover the car.

Bobby Dotter, owner of SS Green Light Racing, said it was Graf who found Friesens designs online and made the pitch to the team.

"I always get final approval and we were pretty excited about it. It really stood out," Dotter said in a telephone interview. "It represented a lot of change of pace, since a lot of the cars weve done have been blue and green."

Dotter, who admitted that even now he doesnt know where Winnipeg is located, said finding Friesens work, approving it for a pair of races and inviting him down to see it is part of his commitment to growing the sport.

"We need to get more young people involved. When I was younger, racing was really growing, really big," he said. "The next generation after mine has not really embraced it."

The visit will start in Charlotte, N.C., including a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, before taking the two-hour drive north to Martinsville, Va., for Saturdays race.

Friesen said hes had conversations with other teams and potentially has other deals lined up for next year, but cant comment specifically until plans firm up. His plans now include graduating next June and then studying graphic design at Red River College.

Dotter expects to see more NASCAR paint schemes from Friesen in the years ahead.

"I wouldnt be surprised; people are always looking for something different, and its not like he just took some paint scheme and changed the colours and added a new number, he created something unique. Its totally possible.

"His location is the biggest thing, but today its easy to connect on the internet and people just gotta know hes out there.

"Hopefully, we can accomplish that this weekend."

Friesen is active on Twitter (@FriesenCreative) and Instagram (friesencreative).

kelly.taylor@freepress.mb.ca
CALGARY - Shaw Communications Inc. says it remains committed to its deal to be bought by Rogers Communications Inc. as it reported its fourth-quarter profit rose more than 40 per cent compared with a year ago.

Shaw Communications Inc. says it remains committed to its deal to be bought by Rogers Communications Inc. as it reported its fourth-quarter profit rose more than 40 per cent compared with a year ago. A woman holds two cellphones in this photo illustration, Monday March 29, 2021 in Chelsea, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

CALGARY - Shaw Communications Inc. says it remains committed to its deal to be bought by Rogers Communications Inc. as it reported its fourth-quarter profit rose more than 40 per cent compared with a year ago.

Shaw CEO Brad Shaw reiterated his commitment to work to close the transaction, adding that it was not appropriate to comment on a boardroom fight between members of the Rogers family over control of the company.

Edward Rogers, the son of late Rogers founder Ted Rogers, is fighting with his sisters and mother for control of the board of directors at Rogers.

He has asked a B.C. court to declare legitimate the newly constituted board he formed after being ousted as board chair earlier this month after media reports made public a failed plan to replace CEO Joe Natale with the company's chief financial officer.

Meanwhile, Shaw reported a profit of $252 million or 50 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 31, up from a profit of $175 million or 34 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue totalled $1.38 billion, up from $1.35 billion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SJR.B, TSX:RCI.B)

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version referred to the incorrect fiscal quarter.
MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. shares fell after the engineering firm missed expectations despite swinging to a profit in its third quarter, boosted by the sale of its oil and gas business.

The SNC-Lavalin headquarters is seen in Montreal on February 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. shares fell after the engineering firm missed expectations despite swinging to a profit in its third quarter, boosted by the sale of its oil and gas business.

The Montreal-based firm's shares lost $2.25 or 6.3 per cent to $33.29 in trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

SNC said its net income attributable to shareholders totalled $600.7 million, compared with a loss of $85.1 million in the same quarter last year.

The results in the quarter this year included a gain of $577.8 million on the sale of the company's oil and gas business.

SNC-Lavalin said its profit from continuing operations attributable to shareholders was $18.6 million or 11 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $8.8 million or five cents per diluted share a year ago.

Chief executive Ian Edwards said core engineering services operations performed well through the first three quarters of the year, positioning it to achieve its full-year financial outlook.

"At the same time, we continue to progress winding down our remaining LSTK (lump-sum turnkey) contracts and have reduced the LSTK construction contracts backlog more than 65 per cent over the last two years, he said in a statement.

"Our financial performance thus far in 2021 supports the progress we are making and positions us to execute on our pivoting to growth strategy.

Revenue totalled $1.81 billion, up from $1.78 billion in the same quarter last year.

SNC said its adjusted profit from professional services and project management amounted to 23 cents per diluted share for the quarter, compared with a loss of a penny per diluted share a year ago.

SNC was expected to report 39 cents per share in adjusted profits on $1.8 billion of revenues, according to financial data firm Refinitiv.

The earnings miss was driven by higher costs for legacy projects and corporate costs, said analyst Benoit Poirier of Desjardins Capital Markets. However, he noted its cash flow from operations beat forecasts for an eighth consecutive quarter.

"Bottom line, we are disappointed by the reported miss as the core engineering services business once again performed very well," he wrote in a report.

But analyst Sabahat Khan of RBC Dominion Securities said progress in the engineering services business is encouraging.

"In our view, investor focus should be on the progress across the business lines included within engineering services as that platform will drive the business once the remaining three LRT projects are completed."

Meanwhile, the company noted that the consortium that SNC was part of that built the Champlain Bridge in Montreal is suing the Canadian government for $380 million in damages.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SNC)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

FILE - A man prepares to drive his car Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Sunday April 7, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19, Friday Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga's isolation has helped keep it safe but it faces big challenges should the virus take hold due to its under-resourced health system.

The nearby nation of Fiji avoided significant outbreaks until April, when the delta variant ripped through the island chain, infecting more than 50,000 people and killing at least 673.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said in a radio address that the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday and had been isolating at a quarantine hotel.

The prime minister planned on Monday to make an announcement about any future lockdowns, according to news website Matangi Tonga.

Christchurch had been free from the virus for months until this week, when four community cases were reported after a returning resident caught the virus while in Auckland, where an outbreak has been growing since August.

New Zealand health officials said the traveler to Tonga was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and had returned a negative test before leaving for Tonga. The officials said they would be working with their Tongan counterparts to confirm the case and provide more details in the coming days.

Tongan Health Ministry chief executive Dr. Siale Akauola said it was unfortunate the plane had already left Christchurch before the news came of the community cases there, Matangi Tonga reported.

Akauola said all frontline workers including health staff, police officers and airport staff who were on duty when the plane arrived had also been put into quarantine after the positive case was confirmed. He added that all those working near the flight had been vaccinated.

Located northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is home to about 106,000 people. About 31% of Tongans are fully vaccinated and 48% have had at least one dose, according to research group Our World in Data.
CALGARY - TransAlta Renewables Inc. lowered its financial guidance for this year as it said it has found cracks in several foundations of the turbines at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed earlier this month.

CALGARY - TransAlta Renewables Inc. lowered its financial guidance for this year as it said it has found cracks in several foundations of the turbines at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed earlier this month.

The company says the discovery of the sub-surface cracks means the foundations will likely need repairs, and if replacement is required, costs are estimated at $1.5 million to $2.0 million per foundation

TransAlta Renewables suspended operations and began an investigation after a tower collapsed earlier this month at its Kent Hill wind farm. The suspended operation includes 50 wind turbines at Kent Hills 1 and Kent Hills 2 where the tower collapsed. Five turbines at Kent Hills 3 continue to operate.

The company says the foundation issues at the Kent Hills 1 and 2 sites are unique to the design of those sites and there is no indication of any foundation issues at the Kent Hills 3 site or the company's other locations.

It estimates the outage is expected to result in foregone revenue of about $3.7 million per month for as long as all 50 turbines are off-line, based on average historical wind production.

As a result, TransAlta Renewables lowered its guidance range for its comparable EBITDA, adjusted funds from operations, and cash available for distribution.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RNW)
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  U.S. government regulators for the first time will analyze greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas drilling on federal lands on a national scale, as the Biden administration steps up efforts to address climate change, the Interior Department said Friday.

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground east of New Town, N.D., on May 19, 2021. The Biden administration said Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, petroleum industry regulators for the first time will analyze greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas lease sales on a national scale. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  U.S. government regulators for the first time will analyze greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas drilling on federal lands on a national scale, as the Biden administration steps up efforts to address climate change, the Interior Department said Friday.

The announcement comes as officials are set to hold lease sales in numerous Western states next year amid a fierce debate over federal fossil fuel reserves.

Interior's Bureau of Land Management released a report saying oil, gas and coal extraction from federal lands produced more than 1 billion tons (918 million metric tons) of greenhouse gases last year. That's about one-fifth of all U.S. energy-related emissions.

President Joe Biden campaigned on promises to end new drilling on public lands to help combat climate change. But his attempt to suspend new leases while oil and gas sales underwent a sweeping review was blocked by a federal judge in Louisiana.

FILE - A flare burns natural gas at an oil well on Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. A new federal report released Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, says fossil fuel extraction from federal lands produced more than 1 billion tons (918 million metric tons) of greenhouse gases last year. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Including greenhouse gas emissions in lease sale reviews lets the administration highlight what scientists say are the increasing social costs of climate change  from rising sea levels and wildfires, to public health problems.

Democrats and many environmentalists want to factor those costs upfront into lease sales. They argue that failing to do so amounts to an industry subsidy. Republicans counter that emissions have been declining in the U.S. and placing more obstacles to development will hurt both the industry and U.S. economy.

Environmental assessments that include a greenhouse gas analysis will be released in coming days for lease sales planned early next year in Colorado, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and other states, administration officials said.

Some parcels that had been nominated by companies for sale were deferred and won't be offered. Officials cited concerns including potential impacts to struggling populations of a bird, the greater sage grouse. They did not immediately respond to requests for specifics on the size and location of those parcels.

New land bureau director Tracy Stone-Manning, who was sworn in last week following a bitter confirmation fight, said the agency wants to develop public lands responsibly and make sure climate impacts are considered.

FILE - Pumpjacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., on April 24, 2015. The Biden administration said Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, petroleum industry regulators for the first time will analyze greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas lease sales on a national scale. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

We will continue to exercise the authority and discretion provided under law to conduct leasing in a manner that fulfills the Interior Departments legal responsibilities, Stone-Manning said in a statement.

The change comes amid rising energy prices that have exposed the administration to sharp attacks from Republicans.

The ranking GOP member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Wyoming's John Barrasso, said in response to Stone-Manning's announcement that the added scrutiny of leases would hamstring American energy.

Tracy Stone-Manning and the Bureau of Land Management want to build new regulatory road blocks for oil and gas leasing on Americas federal lands, Barrasso said. This draft plan will result in less American energy production, fewer jobs for energy workers, and more frivolous lawsuits from environmental activists.

Federal agencies previously conducted reviews of potential greenhouse gas impacts from individual lease sales following court orders. Officials in many cases concluded the emissions were miniscule on a global scale.

But environmentalists have long maintained those reviews were too narrow, and ignored the cumulative impact of huge tracts of public lands in multiple states and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico being leased for oil, gas and coal extraction.

The bureau said its future lease sale assessments also will look at impacts to air and water quality, wildlife habitat and quality of life for nearby communities.

Andrew Black with the National Wildlife Federation said including the full costs of energy development was crucial to understanding its impacts.

It's really an important justice issue and step forward for dealing with the ethical and moral responsibilities to these communities, said Black, who worked for Stone-Manning at the federation before she joined the administration. You're looking at this not just as an environmental issue, but what the climate effects are on communities that are encountering devastating droughts, fires, flooding.

___

Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter: @MatthewBrownAP
OTTAWA - The newest member of Canada's highest court says the only unifying principle that seems to stitch his life together is an abiding belief in pluralism.

Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner poses for a photo with the other members of the Supreme Court following a welcoming ceremony for Judge Mahmud Jamal at the Supreme Court of Canada, Thursday, October 28, 2021 in Ottawa. Back row left to right: Judge Nicholas Kasirer, Judge Malcolm Rowe, Sheila Martin, Judge Mahmud Jamal. Front row left to right: Judge Suzanne Cote, Judge Michael Moldaver, Wagner, Judge Andromache Karakatsanis, Judge Russell Brown. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - The newest member of Canada's highest court says the only unifying principle that seems to stitch his life together is an abiding belief in pluralism.

Justice Mahmud Jamal, the first person of colour to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada, says that means faith in the inherent value of the diversity that is a hallmark of Canada.

Jamal was welcomed by a parade of legal luminaries in a ceremony at the court Thursday, though he was officially sworn in at a private event on Canada Day.

They praised his tireless work ethic, collegiality, modesty and efforts to advance the equality rights of Indigenous Peoples, access to justice and the rights of children.

The other eight members of the court were present, but due to COVID-19 precautions, many of Jamal's family members and friends had to witness the ceremony virtually.

Born in 1967 in Nairobi, Kenya, to a family originally from India, Jamal moved two years later to Britain. In 1981, the family came to Canada, settling in Edmonton, where Jamal completed high school.

Jamal's wife also arrived in Canada as a teenager, a refugee from Iran fleeing the persecution of the Baha'i religious minority during the 1979 Revolution.

After they married, Jamal became a Baha'i, attracted by the faith's message of the spiritual unity of humankind, and the couple raised their two children in Torontos multi-ethnic Baha'i community.

"My family's experience is shared by so many new Canadians, including members of this court, who have moved from country to country in search of a better life," Jamal told the gathering Thursday.

"I am particularly touched by the outpouring of support for my appointment from Canadians across the country, even though I must say it has surprised me at times.

"I know that for many people, my appointment adds another form of diversity to the Supreme Court. I am fully aware that this office carries with it an enormous responsibility, which I am very honoured to accept. And I want you to know that I will make every effort to do so."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Jamal to replace retiring judge Rosalie Abella.

Jamal called Abella a "judicial icon" who served with extraordinary distinction during her 17 years on the court.

"After I was appointed, Rosie told me that I would soon learn what it is to have a Jewish mother. She was right," Jamal said.

"As someone with an Indian Muslim mother and an Iranian Bahai mother-in-law, I am absolutely delighted to have Rosie among my circle of multicultural maternal figures."

Jamal said he was sometimes daunted by the scale of what lies ahead.

"If I begin to feel overwhelmed, however, I remind myself that the judicial role is simply to decide one case at a time based on the law and the evidence with no larger plan or agenda," he said.

"I hope that the judicial oath that I took on July 1 will spur me to give back to the country that welcomed my family, and which has given me so many opportunities to learn and to grow."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.
VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier John Horgan said the discovery of a growth in his throat requires immediate biopsy surgery, but he plans to stay on the job.

B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks in Vancouver on September 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier John Horgan said the discovery of a growth in his throat requires immediate biopsy surgery, but he plans to stay on the job.

Horgan said he's been in and out of the hospital for a number of weeks for tests after noticing a lump on his neck and expects an overnight stay after undergoing the biopsy procedure on Friday.

"Those tests have revealed a growth in my throat that requires surgery tomorrow," he said Thursday at a news conference. "The biopsy surgery will reveal what exactly we're dealing with. You're not supposed to have growths in your throat."

Horgan said he won't step down and plans to retain his position as the head of the Council of the Federation.

The premier said he intends to keep working to support the people of B.C. through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

"There's a lot of work to do and I am very anxious to do it, and now more than ever quite frankly," he said.

Horgan, who is 62 and had bladder cancer when he was in his 40s, said he has been in this spot before and he's not alone.

"It's important, I think, for people to understand that this isn't the first time I've experienced a health issue like this," he said. "It's the extraordinary efforts of our public health-care system that gives me complete confidence that all will be fine for me."

Horgan urged people with health concerns to see a doctor.

"For those of you out there who have concerns about this or that, don't wait, see a doctor," he said.

The Opposition B.C. Liberals issued a statement sending best wishes to Horgan and his family on behalf of the party caucus.

"Today's news comes as a shock to all of us," said interim leader Shirley Bond, adding she has known Horgan for almost two decades.

"You are in our thoughts as we all wish for the best possible outcomes in the medical journey that lies ahead," Bond said in the statement.

Horgan said doctors told him his health issues are treatable, but he may be away from the legislature.

As a precaution, Horgan said he appointed Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to serve as deputy premier.

Farnworth, the NDP's house leader who was first elected to the legislature in 1991, will offer steady support, he said.

Horgan said he wanted the public to be confident in the guidance Farnworth will provide if he needs to be away from the legislature.

"Should there be a reason for me to be out of commission for a period of time, receiving treatment, they know that the government's in good hands," he said. "I certainly feel that way and I wanted to reassure people by making that appointment and announcement today."

Farnworth said he may attend briefings or meetings on the premier's behalf.

"My role is to assist the premier in whatever way he needs help," said Farnworth.

Horgan told him he expected to be back at work by next week, Farnworth said.

The minister said he was concerned when Horgan told him about the biopsy surgery.

"He and I have been friends and colleagues for 30-plus years," Farnworth said.

Horgan said his current health issues have convinced him to redouble efforts to push the federal government to increase health funding transfers to the provinces.

He said he expects to attend a meeting with the prime minister and the premiers in December where health transfers will be a top issue.

"It needs a rejuvenation," Horgan said of the health transfers funding.

The B.C. New Democrats recently marked one year since the party's re-election to a majority government in October 2020. Horgan called a snap election during the pandemic after forming a minority government in June 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.
TORONTO - Fly-in communities will be exempt from a federal requirement that air passengers be vaccinated against COVID-19, Canada's transport minister said Friday, a day before the mandate comes into effect.

TORONTO - Fly-in communities will be exempt from a federal requirement that air passengers be vaccinated against COVID-19, Canada's transport minister said Friday, a day before the mandate comes into effect.

Residents who leave their remote communities to access essential services need not be vaccinated to board a plane, Omar Alghabra told a news conference outside Toronto International Pearson Airport.

"We are putting in place some exceptions with guardrails and with measures, as well, to protect the health and safety of everyone," he said. "But again, those are communities that have very little if no access to the outside world, other than travelling by plane."

Ottawa said earlier this month that it was eyeing exceptions for 182 communities that Transport Canada or the provinces and territories have deemed "remote" and largely inaccessible by car.

Alghabra said the government consulted with First Nations, provinces and territories to develop the exemption.

Alghabra also announced a months-long grace period for unvaccinated foreign nationals hoping to leave the country without getting their shots.

They'll have until Feb. 28 to board a plane or boat leaving Canada with only a negative COVID-19 test if they choose to remain unvaccinated.

After that, he said, they'll be subject to the same requirements as everyone else.

There's a similar grace period for other unvaccinated Canadians, when they can travel with just a negative molecular test result for COVID-19, but it lasts only until Nov. 29.

"We know that Canadians who have not been vaccinated are now thinking about getting vaccinated and hopefully they will go out and get vaccinated, so they will be required to get tested prior to departure," Alghabra said.

He noted that the testing mandate is still a step up from existing policies for domestic air travel, which require neither a vaccine nor a negative test.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced in August that all travellers by plane, boat or interprovincial train would need to be vaccinated, and the pledge became a pillar of his successful re-election campaign.

Alghabra said the mandate will help protect workers and travellers alike.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
OTTAWA - Jim Carr says he believes his two-year stint as Justin Trudeau's special envoy for the Prairies helped deliver two extra seats for the Liberals in last month's federal election.

Liberal MP Jim Carr speaks with the media before entering the Prime Minister's Office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 21, 2019. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Carr says he respects Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision not to include him in the new federal cabinet. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - Jim Carr says he believes his two-year stint as Justin Trudeau's special envoy for the Prairies helped deliver two extra seats for the Liberals in last month's federal election.

But if he's hurt by the way the prime minister chose to thank him  by dumping him from cabinet  he's not showing it.

"The prime minister is the only person with a 360 (degree) view of the country and the talent available to serve it and it's his decision. I respect that tradition," Carr said in an interview.

"People will assess the decisions he has made and, speaking only for myself, I feel at ease  Maybe the word is chill."

Carr, a former member of the legislative assembly in Manitoba and president of the province's business council, was considered a star catch when he ran for the Liberals in 2015 in Winnipeg South Centre.

During Trudeau's first term in office, he served as minister of natural resources and then international trade.

But one day after the 2019 election, Carr was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. He was left out of Trudeau's postelection cabinet that fall as he began receiving treatment, but was given a role as special representative for the Prairies, where the Liberals had held onto just four Manitoba seats and were shut out entirely in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Carr returned to cabinet in January 2021 as minister without portfolio, while retaining his special Prairie mission.

He was re-elected on Sept. 20, along with three other Liberals in Manitoba and two in Alberta  a modest gain for the party, although it continued to be shut out in Saskatchewan.

"I'm glad that we actually found some electoral success, of which I was a small part," Carr said of the two new Alberta seats.

But on Tuesday, Carr's name  along with the special Prairie envoy position  was noticeably missing from Trudeau's latest cabinet lineup.

Manitoba now has just one minister, Dan Vandal in Northern Affairs, and Alberta has one, Randy Boissonnault in the tourism portfolio.

The loss of Manitoba cabinet clout has been criticized by former Liberal cabinet minister Lloyd Axworthy, who told the Winnipeg Free Press he fears the party is in danger of losing its only bastion in the Prairies.

While he and Axworthy are longtime friends and colleagues, Carr said they haven't discussed Trudeau's latest cabinet choices.

"Lloyd is an independent thinker and whatever he has to say is because he truly believes it," he said.

Manitoba Premier Kelvin Goertzen has also weighed in, calling his province's reduced cabinet clout "disappointing" and arguing that "Western Canada needs to be better represented at the cabinet table."

The four western provinces have six ministers, the same as the four Atlantic provinces. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador each have two ministers, although they are considerably smaller than any of the Prairie provinces.

But Carr said that's "an arithmetic way of looking" at it.

"The complexities of building a cabinet require the prime minister to factor in many things and then ultimately to make decisions. And people will agree or disagree but I think what remains the reality of our system of government is that it's his prerogative," he said.

He argued that the Prairies are well represented through Vandal, who he noted is also responsible for a new Prairie economic development agency, hived off the former agency that dealt with all four western provinces.

Boissonnault, he added, is a "great choice," bilingual, a "great communicator" and "an Albertan through and through."

Still, Carr did not deny he wanted to be reappointed to cabinet.

"I think every member of Parliament hopes to be in cabinet and I had the honour and the privilege of being in the cabinet for many years."

As to why he was left out, Carr, who just turned 70, said: "I think that renewal was at the heart of the building block for this cabinet and other than that I don't have anything directly from the prime minister or from others to know exactly what the complexities were in his decision-making. But this is what he's decided to do and I accept it."

The most important thing in Carr's life at the moment is his health, which he said is "fine."

"I'm energetic. My cancer treatment is producing very positive results and there's every reason to think that I'll be able to be fully engaged in all of life's pleasures for quite some time."

For Carr, those pleasures include continuing to represent Winnipeg South Centre, where he has lived for virtually all his life.

"My thinking now is to the next chapter of my life and how I can use the values, the friendships, the relationships, the successes, the failures in public life to make me a better parliamentarian," he said.

"I'm looking forward to taking my seat in the House of Commons and finding issues that matter most to me."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
MONTREAL - A Quebec publisher acquitted of child pornography charges last year has filed a lawsuit against the province's prosecution service.

MONTREAL - A Quebec publisher acquitted of child pornography charges last year has filed a lawsuit against the province's prosecution service.

In a statement of claim filed in Quebec Superior Court in September, lawyers for Editions ADA argue that the charges never should have been laid.

While the filing acknowledges that the legal liability of Crown prosecutors is limited, it argues that the actions of the prosecutors in the original case show that they had illegitimate motives or goals and did not have reasonable and probable cause to bring charges.

Editions ADA and author Yvan Godbout were acquitted of child pornography charges in September 2020. The charges stemmed from a horror novel written by Godbout, "Hansel et Gretel,'' which included scenes of child sexual abuse.

Prosecutors argued those depictions of sexual abuse were harmful.

However, Frederic Laflamme and Guillaume Laberge, the lawyers for ADA, argue that allegation was based on a single report from a police criminologist who wrote that the book could lead some people to believe the actions depicted were acceptable and could increase the risk that they would commit similar acts of abuse.

The report never questioned whether the book was in fact child pornography, according to the statement of claim.

The novel Hansel et Gretel is in no way a glorification of sexual violence or pedophilia. It is in fact the opposite, the statement of claim reads. The novel Hansel et Gretel never has the objective of creating desire or arousal in the reader, but rather, to elicit fear, terror and disgust.

The suit argues that the charges were brought on the basis of deficient and blatantly incomplete expert evidence, and that there was no victim and no material evidence other than the novel itself.

It accuses prosecutors of developing tunnel vision focused on certain passages in the novel and acting in bad faith with a gross disregard for the interests of justice.

The statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court. The Quebec prosecution service did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.

Editions ADA; Francois Doucet, the publishing company's president and founder; his wife, Nancy Coulombe, who is an administrator at the company; and their son, Nycolas Doucet, the company's chief executive are all parties to the suit.

The suit claims that ADA saw sales decline as a result of the prosecution and that it lost contracts with other publishers, agents and retailers. It seeks $3.75 million in specific, moral and punitive damages for ADA as well as $175,000 in damages for Francois Doucet, $30,000 for Coulombe and $150,000 for Nycolas Doucet.

It argues that Francois Doucet suffered reputational damage, lost the majority of his friends and felt ostracized due to the serious nature of the allegations. His son, who was personally arrested, was also ostracized and suffered personal harm from the charges, the suit claims.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.



This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
VICTORIA - British Columbia's premier, a "Star Trek" fan and self-professed member of the New Democrats' "Geek Caucus," has received well wishes from a Starfleet captain ahead of undergoing biopsy surgery when tests revealed a growth in his throat.

The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, not seen, swears in Premier John Horgan during a virtual swearing in ceremony in Victoria, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. British Columbia's premier, a Star Trek fan and self-professed member of the New Democrats' "Geek Caucus" has received well wishes from a Starfleet captain as he undergoes biopsy surgery today after testing revealed a growth in his throat. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

VICTORIA - British Columbia's premier, a "Star Trek" fan and self-professed member of the New Democrats' "Geek Caucus," has received well wishes from a Starfleet captain ahead of undergoing biopsy surgery when tests revealed a growth in his throat.

John Horgan announced this week that he had been in and out of the hospital for tests after noticing a lump on his neck and the surgery would reveal what he's dealing with, though he intends to stay on the job.

Kate Mulgrew, who played Capt. Kathryn Janeway on "Star Trek: Voyager," replied to Horgan's statement on Twitter, wishing him "a recovery that moves at warp speed."

Horgan tweeted his thanks, saying Mulgrew's character on the series, which ran from 1995 to 2001, was "the best captain ever" and "it's an honour to be part of your crew."

The premier, who is 62, has said he enjoys watching "Star Trek" in his spare time and he has been spotted wearing "Star Trek" socks.

After announcing that he would undergo the biopsy surgery at a news conference on Thursday, Horgan saluted the show, saying "live long and prosper, people."

He also flashed the Vulcan salute while being sworn in last fall, but later said he had subconsciously spread his fingers out to mimic the salutation popularized by actor Leonard Nimoy when he raised his hand.

He did not intentionally "signal to geeks everywhere" during the ceremony, Horgan said.

The premier has previously tweeted at Mulgrew to thank her for following him on the platform and in 2014 he shared a photo of himself wearing a Star Trek communications badge, saying he and former MLA Michelle Mungall were co-chairs of the B.C. NDP's "Geek Caucus."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Netherlands threw its support behind a new NATO centre of excellence to study the security threats posed by climate change during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's official visit to Holland.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. Global security, trade and tulips will be on the agenda as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Dutch parliamentarians in The Hague this morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Netherlands threw its support behind a new NATO centre of excellence to study the security threats posed by climate change during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's official visit to Holland.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a joint media conference with Trudeau Friday that like many around the world, "NATO is also focusing more attention on the climate issue."

"And that's the reason why we are working on the NATO centre of excellence on climate and security, " he said, standing next to Trudeau.

"Canada has offered to host the centre. In the Netherlands' view, Canada would be the perfect home for this platform, given a strong profile and commitment to this important issue."

Trudeau first announced the intention to ask allies to support the development of such a centre during the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels in June.

The hope is to have the design and negotiation process take place this year and next, and start establishing the centre itself in 2023. Canada said the centre would help NATO members better understand, adapt to and mitigate against the security implications of climate change.

Earlier this month, the United States released climate security strategies from several departments, including Defence, Homeland Security and Commerce, to look at ways to deal with how climate disasters could force mass migrations of people, exacerbating conflict and starting new wars.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a press conference with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte at parliament in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The Pentagon and British defence departments have been developing climate security plans for more than a decade.

The new Canadian centre would become a strategic addition to the more than two dozen such NATO think-tanks. The centres offer the military alliance expertise and research capability to develop doctrines and approaches to a vast array of global security challenges.

They are headquartered mainly in European countries, and are devoted to the study of civil-military operations, cyber defence, military medicine, energy security, naval mine warfare, anti-terrorism, cold weather operations, among others.

In recent years, NATO's cyber centre for excellence headquartered in Estonia has focused on fighting internet-based warfare that has included countering threats posed by Russian hackers aiming to disrupt Western democracies through disinformation campaigns.

Trudeau also took on such campaigns Friday in a speech to Dutch parliamentarians at the historic Ridderzaal.

Paying homage to the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands that rose out of the Second World War, Trudeau said the very values and security Allied forces fought to defend are in peril.

"Its not just conspiracy theorists and marginalized, angry people online," he said. "Its state actors, too, using disinformation, propaganda, and cyberwarfare to harm our economies, our democracies, and undermine peoples faith in the principles that hold us together."

Trudeau did not name any particular state actor, but more than one question from Dutch parliamentarians centred on the rising influence of China, a fact Trudeau said "poses tremendous challenges around the world to democracies and our trading systems."

And yet, Trudeau said China is too big a player to withdraw engagement entirely.

"We cannot pretend that China isn't there, just cross our arms and ignore it," he said. "It is too important a player in our economies right now."

Trudeau added that countries like Canada and the Netherlands have to engage China constructively on trade, on climate change, while challenging it on human rights, the situation in Hong Kong, the Uyghurs, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Trudeau also pushed the Dutch parliament to ratify the comprehensive free trade deal between Canada and the European Union, known as CETA. While the deal is now largely in force, member EU legislatures are also expected to ratify.

Trudeau said CETA has opened markets while protecting the environment and labour rights, as he offered a sharp rebuke to opponents of the deal: "If you can't make a free trade deal with Canada, maybe you're not in favour of free trade at all."

Trudeau also visited the Canadian War Cemetery with Princess Margriet of the Netherlands Friday morning, where he laid a wreath and paid tribute to the 968 Canadians buried there.

Trudeau was thanked repeatedly for Canada's role helping liberate the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War.

He also held a roundtable with climate adaptation experts at the Global Center for Adaptation in Rotterdam, which Canada helped establish. His trip also included a question-and-answer session with university students in The Hague, and an official dinner with Rutte before he departing for Italy.

Trudeau will spend the next two days at the G20 leaders' summit, before flying to Scotland for the United Nations COP26 climate talks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
A woman ushered out of a Winnipeg rental property as masked killers shot Rig Moulebou in his bed says she feared for her life after receiving threats over social media blaming her for the attack.

A woman ushered out of a Winnipeg rental property as masked killers shot Rig Moulebou in his bed says she feared for her life after receiving threats over social media blaming her for the attack.

Tabitha Greive had already been interviewed by police two times in connection to the Nov. 4, 2019, homicide when, four days later, officers told her they had received a "credible threat" against her life, she testified Thursday in a Winnipeg court room.

TWITTER Rig Debak Moulebou, 20, was shot and killed on Nov. 4, 2019.

Greive told jurors she had previously been threatened over social media by people tied to Moulebou, 20.

"I was scared," she testified. "People were blaming me, saying that it was my fault, that I set it up, that I was paid to do it."

Javaid Wahabi, Abdullahi Mohamed and Munachehr Haroon are on trial, charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors allege the three targeted Moulebou for death, after he shot and killed Wahabis brother, Jamshaid Wahabi, two days earlier at Citizen Nightclub in Winnipeg.

Grieve said she didnt know the three accused, but Arnold Nduta, a one-time co-accused who has been offered full immunity in return for his testimony, was her then on-again, off-again boyfriend.

Greive, who testified she works as an escort, said she, along with a friend, had rented the Tim Sale Drive home for the month of October via an online service. After returning Nov. 2 from a trip to Montreal, she found the entry code to the home had been changed and Moulebou now occupying it.

"A man opened the door, who we later found out was Rig," Greive said.

Greive said she spent the night at a hotel and returned to the house the next day to pick up some of her belongings, after which Moulebou accompanied her running errands.

"He had a dirty T-shirt wrapped around his leg with a wound on it," she said.

Greive said she called the owner of the house, who agreed to let her stay for a couple of more days.

She said she woke the next morning to find Moulebou in bed with her, pushing her for sex, to which she ultimately agreed. Later that day, after police knocked on the door looking for the owner of the house, Greive called Nduta to pick her up.

"I didnt want to stay there, I just didnt have anywhere else at the time," she said.

When Nduta arrived, "He asked me to step outside the house door," Greive said. "I was confused why he asked me that. It was winter and I didnt have my coat on."

As she exited, two men wearing masks and gloves walked from around the corner and into the house.

"I heard two gunshots almost immediately," she said.

Greive said Nduta took her by the shoulders to a waiting car, where they were quickly joined by the two masked men, who sat in the back seat.

"Somebody said: Should we do her, too?" Greive said. "I looked at Arnold and he said: No, shes OK, I got her."

Greive said Nduta dropped the two men off before abandoning the car and calling a taxi to take her and Nduta to his Sterling Lyon Parkway apartment.

When questioned by police the following day, Greive lied.

"I told them a story that Arnold and I came up with; that he picked me up in a taxi and we went to his apartment," she said.

"I was scared to tell them what happened. I didnt know who did it, and felt like my life was threatened that night."

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
A vacant, three-acre plot of land in Transcona will be transformed into housing for more than 50 low-income families, as Habitat for Humanity Manitoba embarks on its largest residential build to date.

A vacant, three-acre plot of land in Transcona will be transformed into housing for more than 50 low-income families, as Habitat for Humanity Manitoba embarks on its largest residential build to date.

On Friday morning, officials with the organization and a handful of local politicians turned the sod on a 55-unit townhouse development on the 900 block of Pandora Avenue West.

The Habitat project is expected to go up in phases, with work beginning in earnest early next year. Foundations for five homes are expected to be complete by the second quarter, and 15 homes will be built by the end of the calendar year.

Once the non-profits build is wrapped, as many as 275 people are expected to take up residence in the new community after contributing at least 500 hours of sweat equity. The development will represent 12 per cent of all Habitat homes in the province.

Sandy Hopkins, chief executive officer for Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, said in recent years the charity has placed a greater emphasis on large scale, multi-family developments, as opposed to building one or two homes on smaller plots. (JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

According to Habitat, the homes are expected to retail around $300,000, while the average family income for buyers is below $50,000.

Habitat provides a no-interest mortgage for a period of 15 years, and monthly payments are based on a familys ability to pay, officials said. No down payment is required.

Sandy Hopkins, chief executive officer for Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, said in recent years the charity has placed a greater emphasis on large scale, multi-family developments, as opposed to building one or two homes on smaller plots.

"Were always in the market looking for things, but more typically were buying a place where we can build one home or two homes," Hopkins said Friday, following a brief program that included remarks from Families Minister Rochelle Squires and Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona).

"This is a far more productive way to do it, plus its a community."

On Friday morning, officials with Habitat for Humanity and a handful of local politicians turned the sod on a 55-unit townhouse development on the 900 block of Pandora Avenue West. (JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Habitat purchased the parcel of land  which was initially zoned for manufacturing use but rezoned in September  in the summer of 2020 for about $2 million, Hopkins said. It will cost the charity another $1.5 million to service the land.

Hopkins said finding suitable properties for large infill developments in Winnipeg has been difficult for Habitat. In the case of the Pandora Avenue property, the seller had received two other offers from buyers interested in commercial developments, but chose to sell to Habitat for a residential project, Hopkins said.

Meanwhile, Nason encouraged neighbours living next door to the development to get involved with the build once construction begins, saying it can be a life-changing experience. At a public hearing to rezone the land in September, more than 50 people registered in opposition to the development.

Nason said residents who remain concerned about the project should "give change time," adding Habitat projects blend into the community.

"These are people that are wanting to have a home, an affordable home, just like the people who set up residence in this area. I welcome them with open arms," Nason said.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
GREENBELT, MD.  Patrik Mathews stood motionless and unflinching in a Maryland court room as he was sentenced Thursday to nine years in U.S. federal prison.

GREENBELT, MD.  Patrik Mathews stood motionless and unflinching in a Maryland court room as he was sentenced Thursday to nine years in U.S. federal prison.

The sentence brings to a close a more than two-year odyssey, which began with an undercover Winnipeg Free Press investigation that outed Mathews, 29, as a neo-Nazi and active combat engineer in the Canadian military.

What began with white supremacist recruitment posters in Winnipeg, ended with a stiff prison sentence in Maryland.

While delivering his verdict, United States District Judge for the District of Maryland Theodore D. Chuang noted because politically motivated violence and terror are on the rise, Mathews' crimes required "severe punishment."

Patrik Mathews was sentenced to nine years in a U.S. federal prison on Thursday. (RCMP files)

However, Chuang also took into consideration several mitigating factors when settling on the nine-year sentence, which was significantly lower than the 25 years the prosecution sought and much higher than the 33 months requested by the defence.

Hours later, Mathews co-conspirator, Brian Lemley Jr., 35, a fellow neo-Nazi and U.S. Army veteran who served a 15-month tour of duty in the Iraq war, was also sentenced to a nine-year stint in prison.

Outside the courthouse, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek Barron said he hoped the punishment would deter other white supremacists from acting on their race war fantasies.

"These men sought to divide our community based on hate, and through acts of violence and terror. They collected and assembled weapons and ammunition, trained for acts of violence, vetted others for their cause, and attempted to recruit like-minded extremists," Barron said.

"Todays sentences, though, make clear that their hateful efforts failed."

Shortly before he was sentenced, Mathews was offered an opportunity to address the court. With several pages of loose leaf scrawled with handwritten notes displayed before him on the table, Mathews tried to provide an accounting for his actions.

"I got involved with the wrong people  what else is there to say?" Mathews said.

This image from a Jan. 1, 2020 surveillance video shows Brian Mark Lemley Jr. (right) and Patrik Mathews leaving a store in Delaware where they purchased ammunition and paper shooting targets. (U.S. Attorney via The Associated Press files)

The Free Press exposed Mathews as an active combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserves in August 2019, following an undercover investigation into a local recruitment campaign for the neo-Nazi paramilitary group the Base.

The same day Mathews was outed, the RCMP raided his home in Beausejour, seizing firearms and briefly taking him into custody but releasing him without charge.

Soon after, he vanished, abandoning his truck near the U.S.-Canada border and fleeing stateside, where he was provided safe harbour by neo-Nazi comrades and ferried to safe houses and a paramilitary training camp.

What Mathews didnt know when he illegally entered the U.S. was he had waltzed into a sophisticated counter-terrorism probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which ultimately lead to his January 2020 arrest.

On June 10, 2021, Mathews pleaded guilty to various felonies; on Monday, Chuang imposed two terrorism sentencing enhancements in the case.

While addressing the court, Mathews said he regrets not sneaking out of his Delaware apartment, which he shared with Lemley, and turning himself in at the Canadian embassy prior to his arrest.

"A lot of what was happening when I was meeting these people (in the Base), it would almost become a competition of who could be the most extreme," Mathews said. "Im not somebody who hurts people. Im not a mean person."

A court sketch of Patrik Mathews from Jan. 16, 2020. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

Those sentiments were echoed by his father, Glen Mathews, who was allowed to address the court, saying he loves his son "unconditionally," and adding he doesnt "buy into the notion that Pats a racist."

"I really and truly believe Pat would never hurt anyone," the visibly upset father said. "At his core, hes just too kind for that."

Mathews and his fathers claims about his true character were contradicted by the evidence in the case, which included hundreds of hours of FBI audio recordings, after special agents placed a bug in Mathews and Lemleys apartment.

Those recordings  snippets of which were played in court by prosecutor Thomas P. Windom  were rife with racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic rants, where Mathews expressed a desire to murder ethnic minorities, law enforcement, and political enemies.

"One doesnt come to this place easily, so it seems like a very difficult place to return from," Windom said, adding a harsh sentence was needed to deter other white supremacists from acting out on their ideals.

Defence attorney Joseph Balter reiterated Thursday his argument  explicitly rejected by the judge  that Mathews had engaged in heated and hyperbolic rhetoric but did not ever intend to commit acts of violence.

Homegrown hate: Coverage of a neo-Nazi recruiter in Winnipeg Click to Expand Posted: 11:56 AM Sep. 13, 2019 Read Ryan Thorpe's story on infiltrating a neo-Nazi paramilitary group, and the Free Press' follow-up coverage. Read Full Story

He argued Mathews' descent into neo-Nazism began as an "intellectual pursuit," spurned on by his clients diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome, that resulted in him joining a white supremacist paramilitary group.

"There can be intent without the capacity to actually do anything, and I think that was the case with Patrik Mathews We live in this age where the tenor of rhetoric is so high," Balter said.

Windom pushed back against the idea of Aspergers somehow explaining conduct, arguing whatever neurological conditions Mathews had didnt stop him from holding down jobs and rising through the ranks of the Canadian military reserves.

In his closing remarks to the court, Mathews stated he wished he had never fled Canada.

"I regret daily that I left my homeland, my family, and I just want to go home, so I can try my best to make amends to my family, my community Ive come to understand the gravity of what I did," he said.

"In the words of the Michael Buble song: I want to go home."

When handing down his sentence, Chuang noted Mathews had stopped short of explicitly disavowing the neo-Nazi cause that led him into the Base, and he hadnt apologized for coming to the U.S. to attack its democratic system of government.

Chuang also mentioned that, in a letter addressed to the court, Mathews had quoted Friedrich Nietzsche  a choice the federal judge seemed suspicious of, likely due to the fact the Nazis usurped the words of the German philosopher who died in 1900.

A political spectre hung over the court proceedings, with Chuang, Windom and Balter all referencing the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol at various point throughout the day.

Shortly before the hearing ended, Balter issued a request Mathews be allowed to serve his sentence in a prison as near as Minnesota as possible, so he could be closer to his family.

Mathews has 14 days to file an appeal to his nine-year sentence.

Outside the courthouse, Thomas Sobocinski, FBI special agent in charge of the Baltimore field office, summed up the case by calling Mathews and Lemley traitors to their countries.

"In their own words, they craved blood on their hands," he said.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been taken to Toronto to face sex assault charges laid there last month.

Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been taken to Toronto to face sex assault charges laid there last month.

"Toronto detectives came to Winnipeg and executed the arrest warrant (Thursday afternoon)," Nygard lawyer Jay Prober confirmed. "He will be appearing in court there (Friday) morning."

Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been taken to Toronto to face sex assault charges laid there last month. (Annie I. Bang /Invision/AP, File)

Toronto police secured an arrest warrant on Sept. 29 for six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement in connection to alleged incidents between October 1987 and March 2006.

The Winnipeg Police Service investigated Nygard from February to December 2020. The service sent eight files, based on eight women's complaints, to prosecutors for review, but no charges were ever laid.

Nygard, 80, has been in custody since last December when he was arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant. He faces prosecution in New York on nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.

The U.S indictment against Nygard alleges that from 1995 and 2020, Nygard  alongside his business associates and co-conspirators  engaged in a "pattern of criminal conduct involving at least dozens of victims in the United States, the Bahamas and Canada."

Nygard is accused of raping and sex trafficking young girls, often targeting individuals from "disadvantaged backgrounds" with a "history of abuse," and keeping them quiet via "threats, false promises of modelling opportunities" and "other coercive means."

Earlier this month, on the same day news of the Toronto charges was released, Nygard agreed to extradition on a single count of sex trafficking, moving the process to the ministerial review stage.

It's unclear which jurisdiction will have the opportunity to prosecute Nygard.

"Its up to the minister of justice to make that decision whether he stays in Toronto and faces prosecution there or whether he surrenders" to U.S. authorities for extradition, Prober said.

Nygard continues to maintain his innocence.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg is once again without Swiss Chalet.

Winnipeg is once again without Swiss Chalet.

The chain restaurants 1663 Kenaston Blvd. location has closed, marking the end of the rotisserie chicken eaterys stay in the city  for now, at least.

The closure comes after the Swiss Chalet at 946 Corydon Ave., along with Harveys, permanently shut its doors.

Swiss Chalets parent company, Recipe Unlimited, is staying mum on the reasons.

"We dont have any comments at this time on the store closure," Nicolette Garito, the chains public relations specialist, wrote in an email.

Recipe Unlimited had closed 25 locations this year by the end of its second quarter. Twenty were franchise owned, four corporate, and one a joint venture.

The corporation had 25 brands as of June, including Swiss Chalet, Harveys, Montanas BBQ and Bar, The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, New York Fries and Original Joes, among others.

"The Company continues to execute the planned closures of restaurants that no longer fit its long-term strategic plan," it wrote in its second quarter report.

In October 2020, it closed the Swiss Chalet at 362 Yonge St. in downtown Toronto. The location was one of the chains first restaurants, according to the Toronto Sun.

A Swiss Chalet in Port Coquitlam, B.C. shuttered a month later.

Recipe Unlimited posted a bump in revenue in its second quarter compared to the same time last year. In June 2020, it reported a net loss of $40.6 million. This June, it saw earnings of $19.4 million. It has also opened 42 restaurants, but did not specify the timeline in its report.

Recipe Unlimited would not comment on whether it planned to open another Swiss Chalet in Winnipeg in the future.

Theres a Swiss Chalet on 18th Street in Brandon.

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca
The commanding officer of Manitoba RCMP has taken the rare step of asking the public to withhold criticism after an on-duty officer shot an Indigenous man in Thompson Monday.

The commanding officer of Manitoba RCMP has taken the rare step of asking the public to withhold criticism after an on-duty officer shot an Indigenous man in Thompson Monday.

In a statement Thursday, assistant commissioner Jane MacLatchy addressed public comments that have "called into question the competency and motivation" of the officer who seriously wounded a 30-year-old man.

Video of the incident shows the officer, backing up from the man as he approached him, and then shooting him at close range as. RCMP have said the man was armed with a knife, but First Nations leaders say no weapon is clearly visible in the video.

In the statement, MacLatchy said the officer is a veteran who is a "capable and caring police officer."

Manitobas Independent Investigation Unit is investigating the incident as per its mandate.

"I urge everyone to allow the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba to carry out their important work. In these types of situations, we must let the investigative process take place," MacLatchy wrote.

"This is the best course of action for the involved officer and for the male who was injured. They both deserve a fair and impartial investigation where facts inform the way forward."
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have ushered in a new era of working from home for many Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, 30 per cent of employees from April 2020 to June 2021 who worked during their Labour Force Survey reference week were doing most of their work at home. Compare this to 2016, when only four per cent did so.

Opinion

Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Right-to-disconnect legislation, such as that introduced in France in 2016, gives workers the right to not take phone calls or answer emails outside regular work hours.

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have ushered in a new era of working from home for many Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, 30 per cent of employees from April 2020 to June 2021 who worked during their Labour Force Survey reference week were doing most of their work at home. Compare this to 2016, when only four per cent did so.

Further, few Canadians are eager to return to their old work routine once the pandemic is well and truly behind us. A recent survey conducted by Angus Reid found 22 per cent of Canadians would prefer to work from home full time, whereas a full 39 per cent hoped to adopt a hybrid model in which they could split their time between home and the workplace.

The rationale for this, according to the survey, is that avoiding a lengthy commute gives Canadians more time to prepare healthy meals and exercise. In other words, Canadians are seeking a healthier work/life balance after the pandemic.

Crucially, 89 per cent of Canadians agreed that one benefit of work-from-home or hybrid arrangements was that employed parents would have more time to spend with their kids at home. Rather than dropping their kids off at daycare early and picking them up late to accommodate a long commute and a full day at the office, almost nine out of 10 parents are seeking work accommodation that will allow them to squeeze more hours with their kids out of each day.

And Canadians are serious about this: 29 per cent surveyed said they would look for another job if these work-from-home or hybrid arrangements werent possible. Its clear that if employers want to hold on to their best workers, theyll need to consider the possibility of alternative work arrangements in the future.

So far, so good  but, as always, theres a catch. Going to your place of employment to work is a useful way to create a boundary between work life and family life. Working at home blurs that distinction. With work-from-home arrangements, there are greater temptations to put in longer hours and to work in the evening.

This cant all be blamed on work-from-home arrangements. We are all more connected than ever. If you have a phone in your pocket, then your boss and co-workers have a convenient 24-7 way to contact you and keep you connected to your work, often expecting an immediate response. Its easier than ever for managers to expect more from their employees around the clock, and harder than ever for people to effectively claim time for both themselves and their families.

Parents might get more time with their kids, but thats not worth much if their bosses are hectoring them via their phones late into the evening.

It was exactly this problem that was addressed by Ontarios Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, in new legislation introduced last week. "This is an issue thats been really highlighted because of the pandemic," McNaughton argued. "The lines between family time and work time have been blurred." In response, the minister introduced new "Right-to-disconnect" rules that would require employers to develop policies to ensure the home and family time of employees would be respected.

This might include policies regarding, for example, expected response times for emails received outside regular work hours, or the use of out-of-office notifications while not on the job.

This follows similar right-to-disconnect legislation introduced in France in 2016 that gives workers the right to not take phone calls or answer emails outside regular work hours. And the Ontario legislation has spurred the federal government to act on these concerns: the government now promises similar right-to-disconnect rules to protect the family time of federal employees.

These rules are part of a wider package of reforms introduced by McNaughton which are seen to favour employees and workers in Ontario, including the banning of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The use of these clauses in contracts in which they serve little purposes other than to intimidate workers has proliferated in recent years, and McNaughton is right to ban them.

The fact its McNaughton  a Conservative minister who serves under Premier Rob Ford  who is introducing these reforms has been cause for some skepticism. This is understandable, given the Ford governments callously worker-unfriendly actions at the outset of the pandemic.

But in fact, McNaughtons reforms are in line with one side of a growing debate in conservative circles in Canada. People on this side of the debate argue government power should be used to support workers  including unionized workers  through economic nationalist policies and provide direct support, both financial and otherwise, for families and children. This contrasts with other "conservatives" who hope to lower taxes, reduce the capacity of government and do away with regulations that are there to protect workers.

Royce Koop is a professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba and academic director of the Centre for Social Science Research and Policy.
One of the largest cabinets ever unveiled by a federal government in this country has a rather obvious shortcoming: a desperate shortage of representation from the three Prairie provinces.

One of the largest cabinets ever unveiled by a federal government in this country has a rather obvious shortcoming: a desperate shortage of representation from the three Prairie provinces.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named 38 ministers to sit with him in a new minority-government cabinet. Thats nearly 25 per cent of Mr. Trudeaus 160-member caucus, and eight more ministers than he had in 2015 when he enjoyed a majority.

And yet, even with all those warm bodies in his inner circle, Mr. Trudeau was inclined to name only two from the Prairies.

Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal (Justin Tang / Canadian Press files)

That is, one assumes, partly a result of the simple fact that from the eastern border of Manitoba through to the mountainous western border of Alberta, only six Liberals were elected: four in Manitoba, none in Saskatchewan and two in Alberta.

Saint BonifaceSaint Vital MP Dan Vandal retains his position as northern-affairs minister, with added responsibility for economic development in the Prairies, while Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault was named minister for tourism and associate minister of finance.

Absent from the new roster is Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr, who had held important roles in cabinet before being diagnosed with blood cancer, but was not invited back. While dealing with his health issues, he had been named special envoy to the Prairies. By all accounts, Mr. Carr wanted to stay in cabinet, but clearly Mr. Trudeau felt he did not need him, even in the expanded cabinet he unveiled this week.

What does this say about the Liberal government, its lack of connection with Western voters, and Manitobas place in the Liberal universe?

Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)

Although much has been said about the need for Manitoba to have two cabinet ministers, neither Liberal nor Conservative governments have consistently maintained two posts for the Keystone province. This isnt about whether Manitoba deserves more cabinet posts; its about whether Mr. Trudeau should have put Manitoba MPs to better use in building support in the West.

At a time when the country is struggling to absorb the horror of unmarked graves discovered at former residential school sites in western Canada, Mr. Trudeau might have been well advised to appoint Mr. Vandal, who is Indigenous, to the new ministry of Crown-Indigenous relations. Or he could have elevated Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid, a longtime environmentalist who served as chair of Manitobas Clean Environment Commission, to fill the role of minister of environment and climate change.

While there were several capable MPs available to fill those roles, appointing western MPs with bona fide credentials in Indigenous issues and the environment would have been wise for a number of strategic reasons: it would have demonstrated an effort to provide a western perspective in cabinet and, at the same time, showcased western-based ministers to represent the government in two portfolios that are of keen interest to western voters.

At present, there is realistically very little the Liberals can do to grow their base of support in western Canada; rather, the Grits must wait for a natural demographic evolution to overtake the deep-seated anti-Ottawa and anti-Liberal sentiments in the West.

In the meantime, however, Mr. Trudeau could have been more pragmatic in selecting at least one additional MP from Manitoba to carry the governments colours into the battleground that is western Canada. His failure to do so has made the steep hill he is facing in the West just a little harder to climb.
Both candidates vying to become Manitoba premier this weekend have pledged to shake up the provinces handling of COVID-19  but new polling suggests that's not what most Manitobans want.

Both candidates vying to become Manitoba premier this weekend have pledged to shake up the provinces handling of COVID-19  but new polling suggests that's not what most Manitobans want.

PC party leadership candidates Shelly Glover and Heather Stefanson, one of whom will become the first female premier of the province, told the Free Press in separate interviews this week that change is needed.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Heather Stefanson.

Glover criticized the Tory government's communication throughout Manitoba's pandemic response. Stefanson, who served as health minister from January to August of this year, said government must adopt "a different way of doing things."

"The broad majority of Manitobans, when it comes to a lot of this stuff, are quite comfortable with the restrictions as they are, and in some cases would even want the government to continue to go further," said Curtis Brown, a principal with Probe Research, who shared the results with the Free Press.

"There's a significant chunk of the Tory base that isn't happy about further restrictions, and wants things to be more open, and that's the challenge for them."

Methodology Click to Expand Probe Research surveyed a representative sample of 1,189 adults in Manitoba, from Oct. 19 to 26 online. While online surveys cannot have margins of error, an equivalent, random phone poll would have a margin of 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

His firm polled 1,189 Manitobans in the week leading up to this Tuesday, and found 77 per cent felt the PC government was doing better than its peers in Alberta and Saskatchewan, whose hospitals have been maxed out after mask mandates and most public-health restrictions were scrapped.

The PC government's fortunes have risen since June, as Manitoba has largely avoided the fourth wave.

Premier Kelvin Goertzen, whose two-month stint as premier ends this weekend, has 61 per cent approval, compared with the 29 per cent approval rating former premier Brian Pallister garnered in June, when Manitoba scrambled to evacuate ICU patients to other provinces.

"That's why you see such a big jump, but I'm a little surprised that's how high it is, at double what Brian Pallister's (approval) was," Brown said.

Similarly, Health Minister Audrey Gordon has 53 per cent approval, up from the 45 per cent her predecessor, Stefanson, had garnered.

Some 64 per cent of respondents feel Manitoba has hit the right balance of COVID-19 restrictions, with 23 per cent deeming them excessive and 13 per cent wanting even more restrictions.

Thats a huge change from a year ago, as Manitoba entered a brutal second wave, when just 36 per cent felt the province hit the right balance, 54 per cent wanted beefed-up pandemic measures and just 10 per cent found the rules excessive.

Felix Mathieu, a political scientist at the University of Winnipeg, did his own polling in February for a research project, and found Manitobans were split equally over whether to prioritize the economy or COVID-19 prevention.

To now have majority support for the status quo means most feel the province has struck the right balance, Mathieu said.

"People have been more comfortable with these (prevention) measures. They accept them as being more normal," said Mathieu.

"This creates a certain clash with a portion of the PC membership," he said, specifically those former leadership hopeful Ken Lee signed up, as he gained approval from groups opposing public-health measures.

Prominent party members like Sandy Riley have warned that Lee, who was not allowed by the party to run for the leadership, signed up a large number of party members who disagree with many COVID-19 restrictions.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Shelly Glover.

Mathieu said Glover has been more vocal about attracting those voters than Stefanson, who has the support of most of the PC caucus.

"The issue is, if Shelly Glover wins, she already has appealed to this faction of the population  mostly rural members of the PC (party) who are mostly against these hardcore (COVID-19) measures," he said.

"If she is elected, not only will she have a hard time of bridging the gap between herself and the actual caucus  she'll also need to be able to bridge this gap."

The new Probe polling shows a majority of Manitobans support refusing pay for unvaccinated workers who dont comply with provincial rules requiring routine testing, with 78 per cent overall support, which drops to 59 per cent support in Manitobas rural south.

Just 69 per cent of PC voters support withholding pay, compared with 91 per cent of provincial NDP voters and 88 per cent of Liberal supporters.

Overall, Brown said, Manitobans have an appetite for a cautious approach to the pandemic, particularly the demographics the PCs struggle to win over in elections: Winnipeggers and female voters. The party base most likely to be voting in Saturdays leadership race is more rural, and male.

"That's been the challenge during this entire leadership race, there's a quite small but quite active and vocal group of people who are within the Conservative base that the leadership candidates have to pay attention to," he said.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
They told Bare of other instances of sexual assault. According to the complaint, several workers told police that Colossa had propositioned them to engage in sex with him and his wife. Others verified Colossa showed them photos of Barbara Vera Torres in which she did not appear to be aware that her photograph was being taken.

In the complaint, Bare accused Colossa of becoming increasingly abusive to the point of making a death threat against him in front of other workers. Attempts at mediation ended when the mediator suggested Colossa not visit the brewery and Colossa stopped participating.

The complaint alleges that Colossa fired Barbara Vera Torres for pushing back against the unwanted sexual advances and photos being shared without her consent. She asserts that she is owed more than $3,800 in overtime pay.

Bare accused Colossa of attempting to ruin his reputation after he and Horowitz fired Bare by telling the public that Bare stole from the company and lying to a fellow board member to have Bare removed as the vice president.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock granted a restraining order against Colossa filed by Bare in April. According to court records, this is the second restraining order filed against Colossa by a former employee.
Meanwhile, almost all the Republicans in Congress and state legislatures are silent as they refuse to counter the big lie that Trump won the election. Those cowardly lawmakers know he lost, but theyre terrified of the former president and his base. Only representatives like Liz Cheney, (R-Wyo) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill), have the courage to stand up against the lies, putting the nations welfare above their own political ambitions.

Kinzinger warned about the hazards of the lies in an interview with Rollcall Take Five, published on Oct. 19, But at the moment, I really truly utterly believe that our democracy is under siege. I truly believe that nobody else is coming. We have this sense as Americans that somebody else will come and save the day, because we always have. Nobodys coming, right? Its us. And, I dont like the job enough to sell out the future of this country to keep it. So, if it costs me my job, great. Ill go make more money and have a way easier life.

That kind of courage is rare on both sides of the aisle. They should all take a hint from President Joe Bidens win. The majority of Americans are sick of extremists and want moderating voices in Congress. But, although Biden has been a moderate during most of his political career, even hes having trouble keeping the extremists from taking over.
RANDOLPH  On Monday the Village of Randolph celebrated the completion of a Spectrum Broadband expansion project. The project comes as good news to Dodge County officials, who have planned to invest in broadband as an essential part of its economic development program.

Were pretty excited about this coming in, said Village of Randolph Trustee Nicholas Weinberger. Its a big investment not only for Charter Communications, but for the future of Randolph as well. It has exponential value for potential growth in many different areas, including business, childrens education, and driving excitement around the area.

Dodge County is hoping to use at least some of its promised $17 million in American Rescue Plan funds to boost high-speed internet across the area.

We are confident and all the documents so far indicate that boosting broadband will be an acceptable use of those funds according to the United States Treasury Department, said County Administrator Jim Mielke. The plan is to use those funds for that project. Were confident on that end of it.

A first step is determining where broadband access is weakest, and determining where and how improvements can be made. A survey pinpointing that need ended on Friday.
Carlson reportedly told police she, her boyfriend and child had moved from Sacramento, California, to Indiana five days prior. The group had stayed with a friend in La Crosse, Indiana, the first two days but had to move because the situation became dangerous.

She said her 41-year-old boyfriend had been admitted to Northwest Health Porter Hospital three days prior, and she and her baby had been living in the vehicle in the hospital parking lot, according to the incident report.

Carlson claimed to have left the baby alone for 10 minutes Thursday morning while going into the hospital to talk to nursing staff about her boyfriend, police said.

"Shanelle advised she felt (the child) would be safe inside the vehicle, as he was in his car seat and the vehicle's doors were all locked," according to the police report.

Video surveillance footage showed Carlson entered the hospital without the child at 9:10 a.m. and then was escorted out with security at 9:58 a.m., amounting to the child being left alone for 48 minutes, police said.

Carlson is a registered sex offender out of Los Angeles with a non-compliant registration status, according to police.
In two of those maps, Baraboo was removed from my district and in the third Portage was removed from the map, Considine said.

Alderperson Steve Rohrbeck said he has been following redistricting closely

I dont know what Im going to do. Ill be turning 70 in a few months and Ive got two grandchildren, Considine said. But I can promise Ill be your representative for another year and a month.

Considine said there are currently too many investigations into Wisconsin elections.

Its hard to plan an election when you dont know what the rules will be, Considine said. 

There was a recent session on housing that Considine attended. He said some of the bills could be beneficial to Portage and other communities in his district. He did not give many specifics, but said the new measures would be more beneficial to developers.

It could become easier for developers to get around local government, Considine said. Im in favor of more low income housing. That seems like a better option than having an abundance of rentals.

He said the most troubling part of the session was a proposed measure that would effectively make homelessness illegal.
Harnessing Africas knowledge tank

African universities have great potential to accelerate development and advance knowledge on the continent.

This is despite the challenges facing universities today such as funding and access to higher education, which were exacerbated by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leading African female academics expounded on these challenges and solutions to develop competitive African universities during a panel discussion titled, African conversations on the future of higher education on 25 October. Professor Ruksana Osman, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic facilitated the discussion.

Professor Ameena Gurib-Fakim, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, and the sixth Honourable State President of Mauritius and its first female president said Africa must invest in its education systems to transform the continent because quality education are prime movers of growth and development.

Primary education offers an unprecedented opportunity as sustained growth is the first of several opportunities. I am convinced that the social and economic transformation will happen only when higher education, better access to healthcare and greater emphasis on knowledge become central to the development debate, she said.

Nurturing young talent for transformation

Garib-Fakim emphasised that Africas young talent needs to be capacitated to enable them to solve Africas problems and achieve socio-economic transformation. She added that channelling the increasing reservoir of human capital would yield economic benefits because Africas greatest potential is its people.

Shared growth can be achieved when the new generations of talented and ambitious young Africans are healthy, fully equipped with the right skills, knowledge and competencies that will enable them to formulate and implement African solutions for African challenges.

She implored on participants to be active citizens who challenge the status quo and strive for equity.

Africas demographic division cannot be realised without enhanced equity and representation across society including senior academic division. The system wont reform itself without being challenged to change its status quo by policy makers, institutional governance and a growing body of female academics, putting themselves forward and taking up their seats in the boardrooms of academia, said Garib-Fakim.

Prioritise female academics

Building knowledge and research capacity should be imperative for African universities to develop quality higher education in Africa. To achieve this, research policy in African universities must be reviewed in order to identify and create knowledge not only for innovations in transformative education for the 21st Century but also to create an African-Centric landscape education in university settings for relevance and meaningfulness in content and research to sustain African values and develop appropriate skills, said Professor Theresa Tchombe, Honorary Dean in the Faculty of Education at the University of Buea in Cameroon.

Tchombe, whose areas of research include cognitive development, inclusive education, learning, gender and teacher education said as part of building research capacity, female academics must be prioritised and provided with adequate resources to achieve their research goals.

She added that collaborative and multidisciplinary research could strengthen research capacity in Africa and create opportunities for lecturers and students to gain exposure to global learning contexts.

Adding her remarks, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa, said African universities should be evaluated by how Africans experience them. LenkaBula highlighted that universities are social institutions where knowledge is researched, engaged with and articulated, and where students develop as intellectuals.

The questions around the roles, functions, relevancy and transformations associated with universities have always been critical or central to the reimagination around the relevance of universities. In this context, the relevancy of the university is important because we exist in the context where the shifts and transformations in the present and key amongst them are the renewed global economic crisis and the desperate experiences of the economy and ecology, which amongst others are important in thinking about universities.

LenkaBula said although Covid-19 presented opportunities for universities to explore digital technologies and invest in online learning, it has affected the institutional cultures important to the identity of universities.

While this is an area of concern, other challenges precede this as the continent strives for excellence within its higher education sector.

In Africa, we are not only worried about access but worried about access with success. We are also concerned about success rates, the research outputs as well as the decolonisation of the university.

Reimagining education in the digital era

Palesa Mofokeng, a Masters in Educational Technology candidate at Wits and lecturer at Rosebank College elucidated enabling access to higher education through digital transformation, new digital technologies and pedagogies.

The global pandemic called for lecturers and students to adapt to online teaching and learning as the primary mode of learning.

Mofokeng said digital technologies and learning management systems such as Sakai, Moodle, Blackboard, which enabled online learning had always been available and used in institutions of higher learning. Covid-19 reinforced this mode of teaching and learning, said Mofokeng.

In an attempt to enable access to higher education through digital transformation, new digital technologies and pedagogies, we need to reimagine our mainstream, basic education system in South Africa and the continent at large. We need to start at that level. Covid-19 as black swan, exposed the digital divide within most, if not all, South African and African township and rural schools, she said.

Mofokeng, who is a former Wits SRC Academic Officer stressed that to enable access to universities, the education system should and must be reimagined to address the prevailing societal ills inclusive of inequality and exclusion.
The fevered huckster pitch -- "And so much more!" -- in the final paragraph is a dead giveaway. The ball of confusion published Wednesday without apparent fact-checking as a letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal is a genuine product of Donald Trump's mind. And it shows that he's all-in on his deceptions and fully committed to the cause of undermining our democracy.

Someday the experts will complete the analysis of the former president's public derangement, but for now the best we can do is note when it takes a dramatic turn. In this case he has dumped out a grab bag of misinformation, innuendo and outright lies to insist, nearly a year after the fact, that "the election was rigged, which you, unfortunately, still haven't figured out."

It is a classic Trump technique. Insist that his funhouse reality is real and then insult those who won't agree. It's notable here that he's addressing the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, which is so indulgent of extreme right-wing opinions that last year 280 newsroom employees signed a letter complaining of a "lack of fact-checking and transparency" that threatened the paper's credibility. But Trump is always ready to attack media allies when they don't toe the line. Just ask Fox News. (Fox News and the Journal are part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire.)

The heart of Trump's letter, written in response to a Wall Street Journal editorial that mentioned Biden's 80,000-vote win in Pennsylvania, is his tired insistence that he was cheated out of reelection. In this case he offers 20 assertions about the election in Pennsylvania, including a false claim that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spent a huge sum to "interfere" with the process in a way that presumably hurt the former president.

When Philip Bump of the Washington Post checked the facts, he found the letter rife with deception. For example, Trump cites the election analysis from a group called Audit the Vote PA that actually has no record of auditing anything.

With its suggestive name, Audit the Vote PA is an example of the ways that clever activists can create the illusion of credibility. Anyone can create an instant organization. Let's call ours "Trump University." In the old days, you printed up some stationery and were suddenly in business. Today you make a website. With luck you can persuade enough people to believe that it's real that you have tangible results. Trump University did, in fact, generate millions in revenues until students alleged fraud, the operation was shuttered and the founder paid $25 million to make his legal troubles go away. (Trump repeatedly denied the fraud claims.)

Just as he inflicted genuine harm on the students who believed in his Potemkin university, in his letter to the Journal, and in his long-running campaign about supposed election fraud, the flag-hugging former president does real damage to the country he professes to love.

On the very day that Trump's letter first appeared on the Journal's website, Politico published a poll that found that only 28% of Republicans trust our election system. This is hardly surprising, considering the enormous effort -- lawsuits, tally reviews, and bogus claims -- that Trump and his prominent allies have poured into their effort to persuade us that he was cheated. Add a sweeping Republican-led campaign to impose new state-level regulations on voting and there's been so much sound and fury, people should be forgiven for thinking it all signifies something.

In reality, then-president Trump's own Department of Homeland Security declared the 2020 election the most secure in our history. This means that everything Trump and his enablers have done to erode the public's trust in the system reflects a concerted effort to undermine the American experiment. Elections are, after all, the bedrock of democracy. Destroy citizens' faith in the process and you undermine the nation's political foundation.

If you don't trust my assessment of the danger in what Trump is doing, consider what has been said by Chris Krebs, a Republican who was the Trump administration's election watchdog. Responding to a press conference where Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani repeated false charges of election fraud, Krebs said Giuliani "was undermining democracy. And that's dangerous."

With so few Republicans expressing faith in our elections, it's clear that Trump has made the danger acute. His attacks on public trust are the political equivalent of falsely shouting, "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

In publishing his letter, the Journal amplified Trump's false alarm and enabled the next one, which may well reference his own letter, and its publication in an esteemed outlet, to "confirm" his deceptions. It's all a game, but the stakes are real, and in publishing Trump with no accompanying fact-check, the Journal joined his team.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
The family of Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper said on NBC's "Today" on Friday they considered the Murdaughs to be extended family and hadn't learned about the settlement awarded to them until after Murdaugh's shooting incident made headlines.

Gloria Satterfield, who spent more than two decades as the Murdaugh family housekeeper, died in 2018 in what was described as a "trip and fall accident" at the Murdaugh home, CNN has reported.

The family was initially told the woman tripped over dogs and "they thought she had a head injury because they saw blood," said Ginger Harriott Hadwin, her sister. The housekeeper spent 21 days in intensive care before she died, Hadwin said.

After Gloria's funeral, Murdaugh told the women's family he wanted "to make sure the boys are taken care of, because he loved Gloria that much," said Ginger.

But three years after her death, the Satterfield family had not seen any money from Murdaugh. "I said, I just don't think these boys are gonna get what they deserve," Satterfield's brother, Eric Harriott, Jr., told NBC News' Craig Melvin.

According to attorney Eric Bland, who represents the Satterfields, the family has received none of the $4.3 million insurance settlement awarded and they are still investigating where that money went.

"It's impossible to burn that kind of money in Hampton, South Carolina," said Bland.

According to affidavits released by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Murdaugh "coordinated with Satterfield's family to sue himself in order to seek an insurance settlement with the stated intent to give the proceeds to the Satterfield family to pay for funeral expenses and monetary compensation for Satterfield's children."

Murdaugh has been charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report for the shooting incident that left him injured. Murdaugh told authorities he conspired with a former client to kill him as part of a suicidal fraud scheme, CNN has reported.

After Murdaugh's arrest, his attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, released a statement saying he intends "to fully cooperate with this investigation, as he has with the investigation into the murder of his wife and son.

"He deeply regrets that his actions have distracted from the efforts to solve their murders," the statement said.

CNN has reached out to Murdaugh's attorneys for comment on the interview but has not heard back.

"Dateline NBC" airs more of the exclusive interview with the family tonight at 9 ET.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
BROOKFIELD, N.Y.  New York State Police say two women were hospitalized after being stabbed during a domestic dispute at a mobile home park in Brookfield early Friday morning.

When police arrived on the scene they found two women stabbed and struck by a hammer. Both victims, age 26 and 31, were transported to St. Elizabeth hospital where they were treated and released.

Kirk Tupaj // WKTV Kirk Tupaj // WKTV

Police say the suspect, 32-year-old Ryan Demorest from Cassville, NY was found outside a residence in the nearby town of Plainfield following an apparent suicide.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more details are released.
LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. -- Little Falls is the latest school district to join Connected Community Schools, an initiative that provides support for local parents, students and schools.

Students and staff gathered at Benton Hall Academy Friday to celebrate the new partnership.

Other districts that are part of the CCS network include Camden, Dolgeville, Rome, Waterville and Whitesboro.

The organization connects students and families with resources within each community.

So, connected community schools is kind of like a bridge from the school to the communities, but providing above...and beyond support for families more than even the school could do, whether it's food pantries, hygiene items, clothing, they're doing a clothing drive right now, as we speak, said Little Falls Superintendent Keith Levatino.

CCSs main office used to be in Staley Elementary School in Rome before the building was closed due to flooding.

The group now works out of its North James Street office, but is planning to move to a new centralized resource hub at the Old City Hall in Rome next year.

For more information on CCS, click here.
UTICA, N.Y.  Mohawk Valley Health System is getting nearly $700,000 in federal funding to enhance telehealth services.

The Federal Communications Commissions COVID-19 Telehealth Program allocated more than $8.6 million to health networks across the state to improve services.

MVHS will use the money to purchase tablets and video software licenses, as well as to upgrade internet connectivity and telecommunications services to expand capabilities for telehealth.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says supporting telehealth will help minimize exposure to coronavirus at medical facilities.

COVID-19 continues to strain hospitals and health care providers throughout New York State, said Gillibrand. This investment in telehealth will allow patients to stay connected with their doctors without risking COVID exposure from an in-person visit. I will continue fighting to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality care throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Several MVHS providers started offering telehealth options earlier on the coronavirus pandemic.

Telehealth services allow patients to have virtual appointments or other remote communication with their health care providers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has officially announced she will run for governor of the state.

In a tweet posted Friday afternoon, 63-year-old James says shes running because she has the experience, vision and courage to take on the powerful on behalf of all New Yorkers.

I'm running for Governor of New York because I have the experience, vision, and courage to take on the powerful on behalf of all New Yorkers. Let's do this, together. pic.twitter.com/JA21M19p5m  Tish James (@TishJames) October 29, 2021

James will face off against current Gov. Kathy Hochul, who already announced her intention to run, in a Democratic primary.

This will leave room for another Democrat to run for attorney general in the same election cycle.

James made the announcement just months after delivering a sexual harassment investigation report that led to former Gov. Andrew Cuomos resignation.
LEE, N.Y. -- A woman was arrested in the town of Lee Thursday night after allegedly stabbing her husband with a steak knife.

Troopers were called to Stedman Road around 11:30 p.m., where they found 44-year-old Louis Higby standing outside the home with a stab wound to his shoulder. Louis told police his wife stabbed him during an argument.

Elizabeth Higby Elizabeth Higby

Elizabeth J. Higby, 38, was arrested and charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Louis was taken to Rome Health to be treated. Police say his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
W&M and Colonial Williamsburg announce Bray School's future location, launch initiative to research its history and legacy

Once a schoolhouse: Front elevation of the Dudley Digges House in its original location on Prince George Street, Williamsburg, Virginia. Copy photo by Frank Nivison of photograph taken in early 1900s. Courtesy of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library/Colonial Williamsburg Photo - of - Hide Caption

What is likely the oldest extant building in the Northern Hemisphere used for the purpose of educating enslaved and free Black children is relocating to Colonial Williamsburgs historic campus. Eight months after researchers from Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary announced they had identified the original Williamsburg Bray School  and four months after the researchers conclusively verified its identity  the two organizations today announced the site of the buildings future home on the living-history museums historic campus where it will become a central point of interpretive focus in the foundations ongoing efforts to tell a more complete story of 18th-century America.

During a ceremony held today inside Colonial Williamsburgs Hennage Auditorium, the two educational institutions also announced the creation of a joint research initiative to document the history of the school and its students, which will lead to new interpretive programming that explores the complicated history of this 18th-century institution dedicated to the education of Black children.

Renovations performed over the years have obscured the original structure of the small, white building currently situated at 524 Prince George Street, two blocks east of its original location at the intersection of North Boundary and Prince George streets. The modern additions make it difficult to visualize the 18th-century schoolhouse that has captured the attention of historians and the public alike.

That will change over the next several years through a special arrangement between the university and the foundation. As part of the agreement, the newly formed Bray School Board voted unanimously on Sept. 13, 2021, to approve Colonial Williamsburgs purchase of the building, remove the modern additions to the building and transport it to its permanent home at the northwest corner of the intersection of Francis and South Nassau streets where it will be restored to its original state and used in the foundations public history programming.

Upon its arrival, the Williamsburg Bray School will become the 89th original structure on Colonial Williamsburgs campus  the first new addition to the Foundations cadre of historic buildings since the 1960s. The foundation anticipates restoring this nationally significant structure by 2024, which marks the 250th anniversary of the schools closure on the eve of the American Revolution.

Purchase of the building is made possible by a grant from Truist Financial Corporation through its Truist Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund at The Winston-Salem Foundation.

Truist is proud to support efforts to ensure Williamsburg Bray School has a prominent and permanent home on Colonial Williamsburgs campus, said Thomas Ransom, Virginia regional president for Truist. Stories of Bray Schools rich history will live on, ensuring future generations understand its significance and the people who were part of it.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburgs initial work to restore, transport and interpret the Bray Schools historic structure is possible in part thanks to a grant from the Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation. A major component of the partnership includes the creation of the William & Mary Bray School Lab that will document the schools history to fully understand its complex legacy. Funding for the labs development has been made possible by a generous lead gift from William & Mary alumni Steven and Gale Kohlhagen.

This nondescript building that was hidden in plain sight for decades is taking The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary in a new and exciting direction, said Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of Colonial Williamsburg. Thanks to the generosity of Truist, the Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation and Steve and Gale Kohlhagen, we are able to fully research and interpret the story of the Williamsburg Bray School. This important work will expand our understanding of 18th-century America and add to our body of knowledge about this important time in our nations history. These new stories will be passed along through our public history programming and offer visitors a richer and deeper connection to our shared past.

Additional funds are being raised by both institutions: Colonial Williamsburg is securing funds to complete the restoration and support interpretive work, and William & Mary is fundraising to expand the William & Mary Bray School Lab.

This partnership between William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg promises to transform our nations understanding of the intertwined histories of race, slavery, education and religion in America, William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe said. Each intersects in the story of the Bray School. Bray School research will illuminate what it means to educate justly  William & Marys commitment for all times coming.

William & Mary is also requesting state support for the project, including funding the research teams to study the Bray School and other similar projects. State Senator Monty Mason from Williamsburg and Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr. from Chesapeake attended todays ceremony and offered their support.

This initiative will position Williamsburg as a model for broadening and deepening nation-wide dialogue around the origins of our democracy, leading up to the 250th anniversary of our nations founding in 2026, Mason said. It is hard to overstate the importance of this work to our community, region, and Commonwealth.

Hayes added, Like the Cornland School in Chesapeake, Bray School has an empowering story to tell and now more than ever we need to tell the full story of the Bray School and its importance in African American history.

The William & Mary Bray School Lab consists of William & Mary students, faculty and collaborators whose research is focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the school from the perspectives of families whose children attended it. They also are examining the motivations of the founders who developed the institution and its pro-Christian curriculum in which white slaveowners sent Black children to this school to receive indoctrination in the Christian faith.

Most importantly, the lab will explore the legacies of the children who took ownership of their education and used it in ways the founders never intended. Colonial Williamsburg will bring this important research to life through rich and detailed narratives using the restored Bray School as a backdrop to interpret the lives of those with ties to the school.

A multidirectional flow of research is essential to understanding more about the school and, particularly, the students, said Ann Marie Stock, the universitys presidential liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, who will oversee research operations regarding the Bray School. Well be doing descendant research, conducting oral histories to document the restoration while getting input from visitors and the local community. Its an exciting expansion of our approach to research. By engaging the community in this endeavor, we will catalyze collaboration across boundaries and ensure a broad range of perspectives.

Professor, author and humanities scholar Maureen Elgersman Lee serves as Mellon Engagement Coordinator for African American Heritage and Culture at William & Mary and will simultaneously serve as Director of the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Elgersman Lee is former chair of the Department of Political Science and History at Hampton University. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the program, including serving as Executive Director for the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond, Va., and authoring books and articles focusing on the African diaspora.

From her office in Colonial Williamsburgs Travis House at the corner of Francis and Henry streets, which serves as the William & Mary Bray School Lab, Elgersman Lee will guide the day-to-day research and coordinate with university faculty, external scholars, graduate students, undergraduates and Bray School descendants.

Im excited about the model of the lab, Elgersman Lee said. Its vertical integration, a broad group of individuals who all play a role and get to contribute to the thinking, imagination and study of the Bray School and the dissemination of its story. This is a lab for collaboration.

Nicole Brown, a member of Colonial Williamsburgs corps of Nation Builder interpreters who portrays Bray School Headmistress Ann Wager, will join the research lab team on a part-time basis. A masters student in American Studies at the university, Brown has conducted considerable research on the Bray School and will join the team as the William & Mary Bray School Lab Assistant while pursuing her masters degree. Brown will continue part-time in her role as Ann Wager at the foundation.

The work of Nicole Brown  her own personal research, her graduate research and her experience as a living-history interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg  will add so much to the work of the lab, Elgersman Lee said. She really problematizes the education of enslaved Black children during that period, because it was not provided as a means of self-actualization. It was pragmatic, the actions of slave owners to further claim and control their chattel, a certain amount of education delivered through certain means of catechism. But it was education, nonetheless, and Blacks had agency to use it for their benefit.

The William & Mary Bray School Lab will be aligned with related initiatives at both organizations, including the universitys Lemon Project, and will benefit from input by two administrative bodies: the Bray School Board and the Bray School Community Advisory Council. The former is comprised of foundation and university specialists and two community members who work closely on the partnership and the Bray School initiative.

The latter is comprised of community leaders representing local church congregations, local educators, former elected officials and Terry Meyers, a William & Mary professor emeritus of English whose initial research led to the discovery of the original structure. The council will help ensure that researchers engage the broadest possible number of voices and visions so that they consider a wide and diverse range of perspectives. The Board will review this input and make recommendations to advance the Bray School initiative.

The lab creates an incredible opportunity to continue to welcome the local community into the academic spaces where we have traditionally formed our understanding of history and culture, Elgersman Lee said. As a historian, and as someone who has worked in community history, Ive learned that the history often resides much more in the community than in the academic spaces. I see building and strengthening these bonds as an essential component of lab work.

The Bray School partnership continues a tradition of collaboration between William & Mary and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which includes the reestablishment of Colonial Williamsburg along with the university to support the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture, and a joint partnership with the Greater Williamsburg community that includes members of the citys Historic First Baptist Church to research and interpret the churchs first permanent site on South Nassau Street.

This release was produced in coordination with Colonial Williamsburg.
Lion by He Xiangning [For China Daily]

He Xiangning and China Women Artists Association exhibition held at the He Xiangning Art Museum in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, introduces the cultural scene in the early 20th-century China and a booming art movement promoted by women painters at the time.

The exhibition until Nov 21 shows how a group of well-educated, art-loving women used art to express themselves, to demonstrate their pursuit of freedom and to address social concerns.

On show are 12 noted women artists hailing from different backgrounds who can be broken into three categories: their experiences, art styles and life goals.

Zhenhai Tower, Guangzhou , by Fang Junbi [For China Daily]

One group includes He Xiangning and Yu Feng, who were also reformers and social activists. They made art to promote ideas of social reforms and national progress.

Another group consisted of ladies who came from well-to-do families and were versatile in art and culture. They practiced art as a means of leading a self-made life and pursuing a new identity as independent, educated women enjoying certain social status.

A third group was women trained not only in classical Chinese painting but also Western art  some even studied and lived abroad to gain a wider vision  and they worked to bridge Chinese and Western arts as they were committed to bringing a new look to the home culture.

Huangshan Mountain , by Lu Xiaoman [For China Daily]

Blossoms by Guan Zilan [For China Daily]

Landscape by Li Qiujun [For China Daily]

Portrait by Yang Yinfang [For China Daily]

Couple by Zhou Lianxia [For China Daily]

Jump by Wu Qingxia [For China Daily]

Dance by Chen Xiaocui [For China Daily]

He Xiangning and China Women Artists Association introduces a booming art movement promoted by women painters in the early 20th-century China. [For China Daily]

He Xiangning and China Women Artists Association introduces a booming art movement promoted by women painters in the early 20th-century China. [For China Daily]

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
Students are in the middle of a rehearsal at a primary school in Funan County, Fuyang City, east China's Anhui Province. [People's Daily Online/Miao Zijian]

High-quality music education has become accessible even in the remotest village after a campaign to popularize the harmonica was kicked off in Funan County, Fuyang City in east China's Anhui Province.

To help students cultivate an interest in arts and improve their artistic literacy, Funan County has required that all primary and middle schools teach students the harmonica as a compulsory course starting in September 2020, the melodious musical instrument being an affordable choice for students living in rural areas. The local government even held training sessions for music teachers and invited experts to offer courses on the harmonica before officially launching the campaign.

At a primary school in Laoguan Township, students were recently rehearsing the song Dance of the Golden Snake with the guidance of their teacher.

"Last September, all seven primary schools in our township opened harmonica lessons and we gave each of the students a harmonica for free so that they could learn the instrument in the most convenient way they could. Our school also established a harmonica interest club for students who wanted to learn in-depth and systematic knowledge about the harmonica," said Ren Peng, the principal of a local primary school.

Students learn to play harmonica at a primary school in Funan County, Fuyang City, east China's Anhui Province. [People's Daily Online/Miao Zijian]

"Dance of the Golden Snake is a fast song with quite a lot of key changes. What's more, since different musical instruments are used throughout the song, the song is challenging for the students to play. But through repeated rehearsals, the students were able to know more about the harmonica during the process and were doing better and better," said Liu Mengqing, a music teacher who teaches harmonica to primary and middle school students in Laoguan Township.

In the past, the music education offered by rural schools in Funan focused only on singing and dancing lessons. The harmonica lessons have aroused the interest of the students and brought positive changes to them.

Students in the middle of a rehearsal at a middle school in Funan County, Fuyang City, east China's Anhui Province. [People's Daily Online/Miao Zijian]

At a middle school in Dicheng Township, 90 percent of the school's total student body, or some 232 students in all, are left-behind children. "Some students suffer from mental health problems. We also found that it was difficult for them to catch up with their studies and become more self-disciplined. But since the harmonica lessons were launched, we saw that the students had developed a better version of themselves," said Wang Peng, the principal of a local middle school.

A teacher teaches students how to play harmonica at a middle school in Funan County, Fuyang City, east China's Anhui Province. [People's Daily Online/Miao Zijian]

(Source: People's Daily Online)
94 year old Woodward, OK resident passed November 17, 2021. Services Saturday November 27, 2021 at 10:00 am at the Vici Church of the Nazarene and burial following at Sunnyside Cemetery, Vici. Shaw Funeral Home of Vici
Almost since the beginning of human history, there have been empires that have controlled vast amounts of territory. Some of these empires managed to take control of territory that spanned two or more continents. Over time, however, empires gradually became a thing of the past, replaced by the modern nation-state. By the mid-to-late 20th century, the age of empires had all but ended, as most territories that were imperial possessions of certain powers gained their independence. Nevertheless, empires tend to leave a lasting legacy in the territory they conquer. In fact, they have helped shape the world that we know today. Here are the largest empires in human history:

1. British Empire - 35.5 million km2

Map showing the extent of the British Empire at its peak.

The British Empire was the largest empire in human history. It consisted of the colonial possessions of what is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Britains imperial expansion began in the early 17th century. At its height in 1920, the British Empire controlled 35.5 million sq. km of territory. People used to say, The sun never sets on the British Empire, because the empire consisted of colonies all over the world. But after World War II, British imperialism began to wane, as the United Kingdom granted independence to most of its colonial possessions. Former British colonial possessions include the 13 North American colonies that became the United States of America, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

2. Mongol Empire - 24 million km2

Map of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongol Empire spanned territory in both Asia and Europe. In fact, at its height, it controlled most of the former. The empire began with the unification of Mongol tribes under the leadership of Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Within about a half century, the empire controlled a large part of Eastern Europe, most of Central Asia and most of China. At its height in the mid-to-late 13th century, the borders of the Mongol Empire stretched from the Sea of Japan all the way to western Asia Minor (Anatolia, present-day Turkey), covering an area of 24 million sq. km.

3. Russian Empire - 22.8 million km2

The Winter Palace on the Palace Square during summer in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was a main palace of the Russian Empire and is at present a tourist attraction of the Petersburg city. Editorial credit: Viacheslav Lopatin / Shutterstock.com

The Russian Empire began as the Principality of Moscow, which consisted of the territory surrounding the present-day Russian capital. In the mid-16th century, however, Czar Ivan IV began a campaign of expansion. By the mid-17th century, the Russian Empire had reached the shores of the Bering Sea, across from what is now the US state of Alaska. In fact, Alaska belonged to the Russian Empire at one time. By the late 19th century, the Russian Empire expanded to include territory in the Caucasus and Central Asia. At its height, the borders of the empire stretched from the northern coast of Asia to the borders of present-day Afghanistan and Iran, and from the Bering Sea in the east to the eastern border of Germany in the west, covering a total area of 22.8 million sq. km. Today, the Russian Federation still possesses much of the territory of the former Russian Empire, though the territory it once held in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and part of Eastern Europe is now part of other countries.

4. Qing Dynasty - 14.7 million km2

The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang, China. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 1625.

The Qing Dynasty was an imperial dynasty that ruled China from about the mid-17th century to the early 20th century. It was the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history before the country became a republic. The origins of the Qing Dynasty, however, were not Chinese, but Manchurian, which is why it is sometimes called the Manchu Dynasty. Manchuria is now the northeast region of China. In the 17th century, the Manchus conquered China and set up the Qing Dynasty after overthrowing the previous Ming Dynasty. At its height in the late 18th century, Qing territory comprised 14.7 million sq. km.

5. Spanish Empire - 13.7 million km2

Map of the Spanish Empire.

The Spanish Empire was a vast colonial empire covering large parts of North and South America, the Caribbean, and smaller territories elsewhere. It began shortly after the states of Castile and Aragon in the Iberian Peninsula unified and completed what was called the Reconquista of the peninsula, or retaking of the peninsula from the Muslims in the late 15th century. At its height in the early 19th century, Spanish territory in North and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia covered a total of 13.7 million sq. km. Former Spanish colonies include Mexico, the countries of Central America, and most of the present-day nation-states in South America.

6. Second French Colonial Empire - 11.5 million km2

The Second French Colonial Empire began in the early-to-mid 19th century, following the period of the First French Colonial Empire. Like the UK, France once held many colonial possessions in all parts of the world. Its largest possessions were in Africa, while France maintained smaller colonies in the Americas, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. At its height in the early 20th century, Frances Second Colonial Empire spanned 11.5 million sq. km of territory. Former French colonies include the Northern African countries of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, as well as most of the territory that now makes up Western Africa.

7. Abbasid Caliphate - 11.1 million km2

Memorial Monument of Muhammad ibd Musa al Khwarizmi (Xorazmiy) in Khiva, Uzbekistan, who was a well-known Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer during the Abbasid Caliphate. Editorial credit: Andrii Lutsyk / Shutterstock.com

The Abbasid Caliphate was the third Islamic Caliphate to succeed the Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam. The Caliphate arose in the mid-8th century, when the Abbasids overthrew the previous Umayyad Caliphate. It was during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate that Islams Golden Age began. At its peak, the Caliphates territory stretched from the western border of India in the east to the coast of North Africa in what is now Algeria in the west, totalling 11.1 million sq. km.

8. Umayyad Caliphate - 11.1 million km2

The historic village of Anjar at the border between Lebanon and Syria that is famous for its Umayyad Caliphate ruins.

The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Caliphate following the time of the Prophet Mohammed. It succeeded the Rashidun Caliphate in the mid-7th century and lasted until the mid-8th century when it was overthrown by the Abbasids. The Umayyad Caliphate controlled about the same amount of territory that the Abbasids mentioned above did. At the dynastys inception, it already controlled present-day Iran, the Caucasus, the Fertile Crescent, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt, but went on to conquer a large swathe of territory in coastal Northern Africa, reaching as far as the northern coast of present-day Morocco.

9. Yuan Dynasty - 11 million km2

Ancient map of Chinese Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan Dynasty was the dynasty that emerged to rule China as the vast Mongol Empire broke up into separate empires in the mid-to-late 13th century. At its height, it controlled all of present-day China, as well as Mongolia and the Korean Peninsula, for a total of 11 million sq. km of territory. In the mid-14th century, however, its power began to wane until it was finally replaced by the Ming Dynasty.

10. Xiongnu Empire - 9 million km2

The people who created the Xiongnu Empire were nomads living in the eastern Eurasian Steppe. The empire was founded by a person named Modu Chanyu in the early 3rd century BCE, and was centered in the territory that would later become the domain of the Mongols. At its height in the late 2nd century BCE the Xiongnu Empires territory stretched from the Manchurian region of present-day China to about the eastern limit of Central Asia, and totalled 9 million sq. km of territory.
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Chief Medical Officer details advice behind latest Welsh Government review

Wales Chief Medical Officer has said COVID-19 bed occupancy rates are rising by around 10% per week.

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Frank Atherton detailed his advice this week, Cases of COVID-19 and test positivity rates have continued to increase and Wales is experiencing an exceptionally high rate of community transmission that is not falling in line with modelling expectations. The issuing of false negative PCR test results for welsh residents may be contributing to this uncertain epidemiological position but other factors including a possible impact of increased transmissibility of the Delta sub-lineage AY.4.2 requires further investigation. I have asked Public Health Wales and the Joint Biosecurity Centre to undertake further assessment as to why the community rate in Wales is higher than in other UK nations and why it is not falling as predicted.

I note with concern the rise in case rate in the over 60s age group and rises in hospital admissions. This is likely to reflect both transmission from younger to older age cohorts and an effect of waning vaccine immunity.

The NHS has been under sustained pressure for an extended period. Although the COVID-19 contribution is much less than was seen in previous waves, COVID-19 bed occupancy rates are rising by around 10% per week so we can expect further direct COVID-19 pressures to accrue as long as community rates remain high.

It is timely to consider further restrictions aimed at reducing prevalence and protecting the vulnerable. In particular, I support increasing vaccine uptake (including boosters) as the most important measure in mitigating the health impacts of COVID-19. Discussions have been held with the JCVI on the best interval between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster.

I also support any reinforcement of the range of measures that can be used to encourage and support working from home as a way of reducing transmission of the virus. 

The CMO also refers to some learning following some data, Our better understanding of high secondary attack rates within households brings into question the current policy of non-isolation of household contacts. There would be risks in reversal of this policy including loss of essential staff, reduced public confidence, and undermining of the centrality of vaccination as a protective measure. I therefore support the modification of this policy to require vaccinated household contacts and 5 to 17 year old household contacts of a positive case to self-isolate pending receipt of a negative PCR test result and to remove the requirement for a day 8 PCR test.

Giving a hint of what the topic of discussion could be in the coming weeks he rounded off his summary by saying, The UK Alert Level remains at UK Level 3 but is trending towards UK Level 4. We should watch the evolving public health picture carefully over the coming weeks and Ministers may need to consider a move towards a more comprehensive set of Welsh Alert Level 1 restrictions during the next 21 day review cycle.
MP calls on Welsh Government to resolve police A483 roadworks issue as congestion preventing them reaching emergency calls

Wrexhams MP has called on the Welsh Governments North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA), to address concerns relating to the extension of the Northbound and Southbound A483 Road resurfacing works by attending an urgent meeting.

On Wednesday Atherton wrote to the NMWTRA over concerns following the Welsh Governments announcement that the roadworks would be extended for a further two weeks due to unforeseen circumstances.

Ms Atherton said after hearing from constituents and seeing first-hand the issues created by the roadworks, such as diversions through Gresford and Marford, congestion at the temporary traffic lights and speeding down Marford Hill, she also spoke to the Police and Wrexham Borough County Council.

She said: The Police raised concerns about congestion preventing them reaching emergency calls, forcing them to look at alternative routes by bypassing the A483 to respond to police incidents.

Similarly, Wrexham residents raised concerns about the diversion routes being improperly used, including speeding HGVs on Marford Hill and through the surrounding villages, creating dangerous amounts of traffic, and noise and congestion on roads ill-equipped to cope.

Ms Atherton added: Of course, it is reasonable that when major roadworks take place, there is going to be disruption. However, it is clear in this instance that there has not been enough consideration for the disruption to the area or residents, which is unsurprising given Welsh Labour Governments detachment from Wrexham.

The Welsh Government has not considered the impact of these roadworks or the impact of their extension on the emergency services, public safety, the environment or Wrexham residents. It is essential now that NMWTRA work closely with the myself, the Police and the Council to mitigate these concerns, which are shared by many residents.

I would call on the Welsh Government to involve local stakeholders, including myself, in their consultation process for the works such as these in the future. If I had been consulted on, or informed of these roadworks, which unfortunately I was not, we could have proactively pre-empted these issues by working together.

We asked North Wales Police and Welsh Ambulance Service about the reported issues, and how significant the impact had been on response times. We also asked when mitigation had been put into place, and was that working.

Inspector Gavin Gilmore, said: We understand the requirements for improvements to the A483, however we must balance the need for road improvements with the ability for emergency services to attend calls as quickly as possible.

We have also seen a rise in the number of complaints from residents of surrounding villages, reporting increases in speeding and anti-social driving as motorists try to avoid roadworks along the A483.

The Welsh Ambulance Service pointed us to the council for answers so we re-asked the same questions to Wrexham Council and Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport told us: The road works are part of road improvements resurfacing works on the A483 by Welsh Government who are the responsible body via their agency NMWTRA.

This work was briefed to local businesses and the council together with community councils prior to the works proceeding. The works are due to be extended for up to 2 weeks due to unforeseen issues.

The council does work closely with the trunk road agency to mitigate the impacts on local communities whilst improving the road network in Wrexham.

I am not aware of any police concerns raised to the council, the agency or Welsh Government following the meeting I had with them and our officers recently.
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NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill that would make health orders for all 95 counties under the governor's direction and the governor's office.

Previously, especially during the pandemic, leaders in Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan counties could make their health orders. HB9076 states "as introduced, grants governor exclusive jurisdiction to issue orders and directives regarding county health departments during a pandemic; vests county mayors with authority to issue orders relative to the health and safety of county residents; vests commissioner of health with exclusive authority to quarantine persons and businesses for purposes of COVID-19." To read the full bill, click here.

Supporters told News 4 it's about consistency. Those against worry about local health departments losing authority.

The bill, which Speaker Cameron Sexton sponsored, will head to Senate.

Heres a look at what the House will be considering for the floor session. Only 9 items on the agenda. Its a mixture of resolutions and bills. All of the bills are sponsored by Speaker Cameron Sexton. @WSMV pic.twitter.com/oSKDB6o6J6  Cameron Taylor (@WSMVCameron) October 29, 2021

The House is currently discussing a bill that would require partisan elections for all school board members.

There has been opposition from Democrats on this bill. However, a Republican, Patsy Hazelwood, expressed concerns about the partisan school board elections bill. She worries it would close the door to potentially suitable candidates.

Another bill, HB9077, is one of the other bills presented on Friday and involves showing proof of your COVID-19 vaccination.

HB9077, filed by Speaker Cameron Sexton, had several amendments added to it. State Rep. Jason Zachary presented the bill in the COVID-19 Committee on Thursday.

Bill that would ban showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination advances in special session NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)  Showing proof of your COVID-19 vaccination is becoming more common when you go to a concert or when you apply for a job

All of these bills being taken up by lawmakers have to pass the House and the Senate. Senate has a floor session at 12:30.
Imagine getting a gas bill for over 15 hundred dollars. One woman says she never had to pay that amount and what's even worse, she couldn't get a hold of anyone at her gas company to explain the large bill.
Corporations in the auto and supplier industry have declared a war on workers. Not a week goes by without announcements of new mass layoffs from Ford, Opel, Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen, Mahle, Bosch, Continental, ZF and Schaeffler. Each company wants to destroy thousands of jobs in Germany alone.

Protest against job losses at Daimler-Marienfelde plant in November 2020 (WSWS-Photo)

If they go through with their plans, they will turn entire industrial regions in Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse into poorhouses, as happened four decades ago with the steel and mining regions in the Ruhr and Saar.

Almost 3.3 million jobs in Germany are directly dependent on the automotive industry. A total of 830,000 people work in production, 1.3 million in the supplier industries and automotive trades, and the rest in automotive sales, service stations and other workplaces. In addition, there are millions more jobs in the service sector that depend indirectly on the automotive industry. If the corporations realize their plans, only a few of them will remain.

A study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) predicted two years ago that 500,000 jobs would be lost in the automotive sector. A more recent study by the Ifo Institute expects 178,000 manufacturing jobs to be eliminated in the next four years alone. Masses of jobs will also be destroyed in other sectorsat Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, BASF and in the shipyards.

This jobs massacre is being justified by technological changes and the switch to electric vehicles. But this is a lie. Technological progress and environmental protection are not the reasons for the destruction of the livelihoods of millions of people. Socially planned and democratically controlled, they could significantly raise the standard of living of all of humanity.

What is really at stake is profit. The global auto companies and their billionaire shareholders are waging a brutal international war for markets on the backs of the workers which is turning ever more openly into trade war and preparations for military war. They are using technological changes and the coronavirus pandemic to exploit workers to the hilt. They are cutting jobs, intensifying levels of exploitation, lowering wages, and closing and relocating entire plants.

The greed of the financial oligarchy knows no bounds. Their great role model is Tesla, whose stock market value broke through the trillion-dollar barrier this week. The company is now worth more than the next nine auto companies put together. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the richest man in the world with $289 billion, ahead of Amazons Jeff Bezos. Musk became $464 million richer every day for the past 19 months. While Tesla workers have risked their health and lives in the pandemic, Musk has increased his fortune more than tenfold.

German car companies are emulating Musk. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has called the establishment of a Tesla plant in Brandenburg a stroke of luck because it gives VW a new competitor against which it can measure itself.

In Germany, too, the fortunes of the super-rich have exploded during the pandemic; the 10 richest alone have become 80 billion euros richer. The list is headed by siblings Susanne Klatten and Stefan Quandt, the major shareholders of BMW. Their fortunes rose by 9.2 to 34.2 billion euros.

Workers must prepare for a hard struggle. The corporations will not hand over a cent voluntarily. The capitalist world economy is in a deep crisis. It resembles a Ponzi scheme that will collapse if profits and share prices do not keep rising. Karl Marxs statement that capital is dead labour, which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labour has never been truer than it is today.

More and more workers are becoming aware that a struggle is inevitable. Around the world, resistance is growing. In the US, the largest strike wave in decades is developing. For 40 years, unions there have held back and suppressed labour struggles, but they cannot any longer.

Striking John Deere workers in Waterloo, Iowa (Source: UAW Local 838 Facebook page)

At truck and bus maker Volvo Trucks, auto supplier Dana Inc. and farm equipment manufacturer John Deere, thousands of workers have voted down rotten contracts agreed to by the United Auto Workers union and opted to strike. Labour experts are calling it a domino effect. If the strike at John Deere is not settled, another large group will walk off the job. Strikes are contagious.

The strike movement in the US is part of a worldwide upsurge in the class struggle. Metalworkers went on strike recently in South Africa, health care workers in Sri Lanka; and workers in Turkey have occupied a factory owned by auto supplier Mitsuba. In Germany, too, a storm is brewing, as shown by the strikes of train drivers at Deutsche Bahn, nursing staff at the Charite and Vivantes hospitals, and couriers at delivery service Gorillas, among others.

Break with the unions

Major class struggles are inevitable. But to win, workers must break with the unions. Over the past four decades, these have transformed themselves from reformist workers organizations into paid lackeys of capital.

The IG Metall unreservedly represents the interests of German corporations in the global trade war. It supports the corporate attacks on wages and jobs, as well as the preparations for military rearmament and war. With its army of 50,000 works council representatives and 80,000 shop stewards, it is pushing through the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs and the closure of entire plants against the resistance of the workers.

For example, the Opel plant in Bochum, which once employed 22,000 workers, could not have been closed without the active support of IG Metall (IGM). At Volkswagen, IGM works council representatives agreed five years ago to cut 30,000 jobs in a  pact for the future . Works council head Bernd Osterloh has been rewarded for this with a board position at truck subsidiary Traton, where he earns two million euros a year, more than an assembly line worker earns in a lifetime.

Now, IG Metall is responding to the growing willingness to fight in the factories by clinging even more closely to the corporate boards and the government. That is the reason behind the rallies for fair, socio-ecological change in industry it is calling in more than 50 cities on October 29.

IG Metall is not mobilizing to defend jobs but for fair burden sharing. As if the burden could be fairly shared between a BMW worker who loses his job and the billionaires Quandt and Klatten! In reality, the demand for fair burden sharing is merely the form in which IGM offers the corporations its support in cutting jobs.

While the large corporations have already received billions in government money during the 2009 financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, IG Metall is now demanding on their behalf a further cash injection of 500 billion euros in the form of public investments in the future.

IG Metall is also offering its services to the incoming German federal government. Through these rallies, it wants to involve itself with effective publicity in the current coalition negotiations, it says. In this context, the incoming coalition government, which will likely consist of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Green Party and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), stands unreservedly in the camp of capital. The SPD and Greens, which initiated a comprehensive social counterrevolution under Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, are allying themselves with the FDP, the lobby group of the financial oligarchy and the super-rich.

Build independent rank-and-file committees

The class struggle is international. No matter how hard IG Metall and the media try to suppress information about labour disputes in other countries, workers follow the struggles of their international colleagues with solidarity and enthusiasm. They face the same multinational corporations and financial interests around the world. That is why they must not allow themselves to be divided. They can only defend their jobs, rights and achievements if they coordinate their struggles internationally.

Workers of the Dana subsidiary GWB in Essen show solidarity with their American colleagues

This requires a break with the trade unions and that workers establish independent rank-and-file committees. These committees must organize the struggle against plant closures, layoffs and social cuts, and build links with workers at other sites and in other countries.

In May, the International Committee of the Fourth International and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties initiated the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) to create, as we wrote, new forms of independent, democratic and militant rank-and-file organizations of workers in factories, schools and workplaces on an international scale.

Now, it is a matter of building rank-and-file committees in numerous workplaces that will make the defence of jobs a matter of principle. The right to work is a fundamental right. Technological progress must not be subordinated to the profit interests of shareholders and investors. It is a matter of defending the livelihoods of the working class, the only progressive class that can resolve the worlds social problems.

The building of independent rank-and-file committees is directly linked to the struggle for a socialist perspective. Without breaking the power of the financial aristocracy, not a single problem can be solved. Only the expropriation of the corporations and banks without compensation creates the conditions for democratic control over production. Only then is it possible to develop production according to a plan, in the interests of the working class and social needs.

To all workers who want to fight against the attacks of the corporations, we invite you to contact the Sozialistischen Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party), read the World Socialist Web Site and subscribe to the Autoworker Newsletter. We fight daily for a working-class perspective on the most important political events and inform workers about struggles happening around the world. We will help you form rank-and-file committees and develop international contacts. And we are building the Fourth International as the leadership of the international socialist movement.
This is the first time, of which we are aware, that the US has sought the assistance of a UK court in obtaining jurisdiction over someone where the evidence suggests it has contemplated, if not plotted, the assassination, kidnap, rendering, poisoning of that person.

Protestors block a road outside the High Court in London, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. The U.S. government is scheduled to ask Britain's High Court to overturn a judge's decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be sent to the United States to face espionage charges. A lower court judge refused extradition in January on health grounds. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

These were the words of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges representative, Mark Summers QC, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday.

The US is seeking Assanges extradition to face charges under the Espionage Act which carry a life sentence for exposing a litany of state crimes, including war crimes and human rights abuses.

Throughout the years of proceedings, the central lie depended on by the prosecution has been that the US government is proceeding fairly through the proper channels to secure Assanges legal transfer, as in any other extradition case.

But, as Summers said yesterday, nothing about this case is normal.

Assange is the subject of a massive multi-state manhunt aiming to punish him for his exposure of imperialist crimes against the worlds people and silence him forever.

The US lawyers and UK courts have worked tirelessly to exclude or discount this reality, creating a fantasy world in the courtroom. Yesterday, in light of last months revelations by Yahoo! News that the CIA discussed plans for Assanges murder, his lawyers tore this charade apart.

Summers explained, This is a case where there is credible evidence of US governmental plans, developed at some length, to do serious harm to Mr Assange.

Referring to recently produced US assurances that Assange will be well treated in America, and US lawyer James Lewis QCs arguments that these should be taken in good faith, Summers asked the High Court judges to step back for one moment and consider the reality of this case.

Summers directed them to the Yahoo! News investigation, Kidnapping, assassination and a London shoot-out: Inside the CIA's secret war plans against WikiLeaks, which he explained gave a proper understanding of what lengths the CIA have been prepared to go to in relation to Mr Assange.

Summarising the article, Summers said that WikiLeakss Vault 7 release of CIA electronic surveillance and cyber warfare tools provoked what former US officials variously describe as a desire for revenge, fury, seeing blood, an obsession and a desire for vengeance.

It led to former US CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designating WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence agency, granting the CIA additional powers to act against it, and discussions about killing Mr Assange.

He continued, the CIA discussed kidnapping him, rendering him back to America and this led to the placing into existence of charges so that there would be something in place in the event that they did render him to the USA.

Conversations between the CIA and UC Global, the company which provided security at the Ecuadorian embassy where Assange claimed asylum, involved discussions of kidnapping and poisoning.

Summers concluded by saying what is now known is that the UC Global revelations discussed in the initial extradition hearing were potentially the tip of the iceberg and the CIAs planning in relation to Mr Assange goes much, much deeper than that.

In reference to the conditions in the embassy, Summerss colleague Edward Fitzgerald QC referred to the menacing, threatening and frightening situation that confronted Assange and his family. This included surveillance by UC Global, in cooperation with an American agency, of Mr Assange They were taking counsels and solicitors notes and photocopying them, seeking DNA from the nappies of [the children of Assange and his partner] Stella Moris, talking even of poisoning, killing or kidnapping Mr Assange.

These words damn the UK government and its judiciary as participants in a slow-motion assassination, playing out in plain sight, under only the thinnest veneer of pseudo-legality.

Even if the US cannot secure Assanges immediate and direct murder, they aim to achieve the same end by throwing him in the deepest hole the American legal system can dig.

The lawyers for the US suggested on Wednesday that assurances made by the US to the UK removed the possibility of his imprisonment under Special Administrative Measures, or in the ADX Florence prison in Colorado, which would entail extreme and torturous solitary confinement and isolation from the outside world. Summers countered on Thursday that these assurances are conditional, qualified and aspirational and can be withdrawn on the advice of agencies including the CIA.

Summers said that Assanges fate is likely already sealed. He concluded, The overwhelming likelihood is itll happen and itll happen regardless of what the doctors say about isolation potentially leading to his death.

Speaking outside the court after the hearing, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson explained that Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) basically means torture and for Julian in his condition, death The judges here have only two choices. Basically, uphold the decision not to extradite Julian Assange or de facto give out a death sentence.

In an indication of the importance of this case to the UK, that decision has been handed to the highest judge in the land, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Ian Burnett, Baron Burnett of Maldon. He is sitting in the case alongside Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde.

Their attitude to the naked criminality outlined by Summers and Fitzgerald was summarised by Holroydes interjection, I wouldnt have thought it a controversial position that the CIA and the American intelligence community would be intensely interested in Mr Assange.

Summers was forced to answer, What theyre prepared to do in relation to him is a different issue.

Holroyde intervened several times in the two days of the hearing to challenge arguments made by the defence and on one occasion seemed to openly endorse a prosecution point.

Stella Moris said after the hearing, This is a political persecution that has used the law, extradition law, as a tool to further its political agenda. To take revenge on a journalist. For what? For the publications that he is now indicted over. Publications that revealed war crimes, targeted assassinations, rendition, torture

This US extradition case has been falling apart since the moment it started because it was born rotten. It was born at a time when the CIA was plotting to assassinate Julian. And it also proving to be devastating for the US in the courts. Not only because the US prison system and its inhumane conditions is exposed before these courts in its whole barbarity. But also because the crimes that have been undertaken by the US government against Julian are also exposed before these courts.

Today we were able to air in court Mike Pompeos plans, his sketches and options to assassinate Julian in London. To assassinate a journalist in this city for doing his job because he exposed their crimes.

It is not just the US case that is rotten, but every plank and pillar of bourgeois democracy, which can no longer even pretend to uphold the most basic legal and human rights. The persecution of Assange is the sharpest expression of the fact that class and geopolitical tensions are reaching such extreme levels that the worlds governments are driven to adopt the methods of dictatorship, including political execution.

The High Court judges will now consider their decision, a due date for which has not yet been given. Every effort must be made to use this time for the construction of a mass defence campaign rooted in the only social force which can secure Assanges freedom in the face of such ruthless opponents, the international working class.
A months-long investigation carried out by CTV News has revealed that information about COVID-19 outbreaks in the hospitals of British Columbias Lower Mainland has been concealed from the public and hidden from journalists investigating the matter.

Royal Columbian Hospital (Wikiwand)

Since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in numerous hospitals in the provinces Lower Mainland. Practically every hospital in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley has been subject to at least one outbreak, and dozens of patients have died. In all, hundreds of hospital staff and patients alike have been infected.

One of the deadliest outbreaks was at Burnaby General Hospital in late 2020, which infected over 100 people and killed 12. At Surrey Memorial Hospital, an outbreak that lasted from November 2020 to February 2021 resulted in 125 infections and 13 deaths. Last May, an outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver infected 52 people and claimed the lives of 16. It was the third outbreak at that location since the pandemic began.

Journalists have attempted to access the post-outbreak findings, only to be ignored, avoided and shut out by provincial health authorities. Information has been withheld and the disclosure of documents denied. Government officials have repeatedly insisted that the sought-after documentation is simply non-existentdespite the fact that many lives were lost.

After fighting a freedom of information (FOI) request for several months, BCs Fraser Health Authority finally provided 79 pages of written documentation about the outbreaks in its hospitals to CTV News Vancouver journalist Penny Daflos. Of these, 55 pages were redacted. Every page that Daflos received was marked as confidential.

The outbreaks with the greatest number of fatalities took place in hospitals in Vancouver Coastal Healths (VCH) jurisdiction. Yet VCH privacy officers have stated that there was no documentation to be provided under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. Daflos was told that the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) does not require health authorities to produce an investigative report following an outbreak.

Fraser Health cited three sections of the Information and Privacy Act in their redactions, notably section 13information that would reveal advice or recommendations developed by or for a public body or a ministerand section 17disclosure harmful to the financial or economic interests of a public body.

The Fraser Health information that is legible shows common issues that allowed the virus to spread among patients and staff during outbreaks at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Burnaby General, Delta Hospital and Surrey Memorial Hospital.

The documents note that outbreaks were attributable to staff who were working while infectious, a lack of adherence to proper personal protective equipment (PPE) rules, lax social distancing measures and mask-wearing outside of patient treatment areas, and patients being moved between units while unknowingly infected with the virus. Clutter and hygiene problems were also listed as a factor.

Many of the reports state, largely in line with the BC New Democratic Party governments refusal to acknowledge that COVID-19 is transmitted by aerosols, that, Transmission may have occurred through direct contact between cases or through contact with a contaminated environment.

Most of the reports state that it cannot be determined whether infected health care workers contracted COVID-19 in outbreak units or elsewhere, or in what direction transmission occurred (patient-to-staff, staff-to-patient, staff-to-staff).

The revelations have called into question why, supposedly, no formal documentation was maintained about the outbreaks despite their high death tolls, and how thorough the investigations conducted in the aftermath actually were.

It is known, for example, that infection control specialists who investigated the documented outbreaks did not test everybody in the affected hospitals. Instead, symptom screening took place and random individuals were spot-tested.

The CTV article detailing the struggle to obtain the small amount of information that Daflos did acquire was published on October 14.

Just four days later, in the provincial legislature, BC Minister of Citizens Services Lisa Beare, a member of the NDP, introduced Bill 22, an amendment to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act that would allow the government to impose fees on people filing FOI requests. The changes to the act would also see the BC premiers office become exempt from citizens information requests.

BCs Information and Privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy denounced the NDPs proposal, stating that imposing any FOI request fee would be a significant step in the wrong direction.

The information provided by the provincial health authorities is so lacking that residents of the province have decided to start and maintain social media pages and accounts that give the public a greater awareness of the risks that they face from COVID-19.

BC School Covid Tracker is one such example, an initiative created and maintained by residents of the province who use information submitted by COVID-positive individuals or know of an outbreak that the BC government is not making the public adequately aware of.

This is usually the case with school outbreaks, which are typically just listed by the health authority as exposures. Health authorities use this vague term so as to avoid providing details on how many people were infected in each outbreak.

With BC residents relying on unofficial ad hoc sources to protect themselves and their families, it is all the more vital that information be wholly accessible to those who request it.

We are living in a time when people are seeking more answers, and greater accountability, from public bodies and their governments, amplifying the significant role that freedom of information plays in allowing people to get information about what their governments are doing, and the decisions that affect them, McEvoy said.

It is unsurprising that the BC NDP is attempting to obstruct the publics ability to access information on public bodies like school boards, health authorities, provincial Crown corporations and municipal governments.

The NDP would undoubtedly prefer to smother efforts to uncover more information about its criminal actions throughout the pandemic and the consequences of its safeguarding of corporate profits instead of human life.

Mario Possamai, a pandemic planning expert, forensic investigator and senior adviser to Ontarios Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) commission, recently urged BC premier John Horgan to immediately initiate a public inquiry into BCs handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Possamai said that an inquiry is needed urgently so that more effective measures can be adopted to bring the fourth wave under control and handle future waves better.

In 2003, Possamai told CTV, British Columbias handling of the SARS outbreak was the best in the world. At that time, BC health officials recognized the airborne spread of the virus and immediately adopted measures to stop SARS from spreading in the province.

With COVID-19, the opposite response has taken place. For the duration of the pandemic, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has spent her press conferences sidestepping questions from reporters about aerosol spread. Public health precautions have been virtually entirely based on droplet-oriented protections. The disastrous consequences of these unscientific policies are reflected in the viral spread in hospitals and the ravaging of BCs schools by COVID-19.

Month after month after month, week after week, BC decided not to follow the science and ignore (airborne transmission) and I think its led to preventable deaths and infections, Possamai explained.

Possamai has also criticized the province for its failure to collect and disclose COVID-19 data. BC has consistently lagged behind other Canadian provinces in its per-capita testing rates, and experts have long called into question the official statistics and case numbers recorded by the province.

Earlier this year, the World Socialist Web Site reported on a study published by the Royal Society of Canada that revealed a vast undercount in the nationwide pandemic death toll. Quashed by the corporate media and political establishment, the Royal Societys findings estimate that BCs actual pandemic death rate is almost double what the government has officially reported. It looks like approximately 78 percent of likely or quite likely COVID-19 deaths in BC were not reported or identified, said study co-author and University of Toronto associate professor, Tara Moriarty, at the time. Moriarty also noted that the numbers were adjusted to account for opioid deaths, which have also climbed steeply during the pandemic.

As of October 22, a total of 2,096 people were officially recorded as having lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus in British Columbia. There were 4,969 active COVID-19 cases in the province. On October 21, the province announced 715 new cases, meaning the total provincial case count passed the 200,000 mark. By this estimate, one in 25 people in BC has tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

BC has the second-highest number of active cases in the country after Alberta. The fact that a province with a population of just under 4.9 million people has more active infections than Canadas most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec (which have populations of 14.7 million and 8.4 million respectively), speaks volumes about the NDPs homicidal policies and its complete disregard for the lives and health of the population it governs.
In a letter to the National Institutes of Health made public Thursday, the world-renowned zoologist Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance refuted claims that his organization failed to keep the US government appraised of coronavirus research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Peter Daszak team speaks to journalists in China on Feb. 10, 2021 as part of the of the World Health Organization delegation investigating the origins of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

For an entire week, Daszak and his organization, which conducts vital research into the ecological origins of infectious diseases, have been subjected to a slanderous media campaign, based on the unsubstantiated allegation by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak that EcoHealth did not disclose the findings of coronavirus research right away.

Tabak made this statement without seeking to verify it with EcoHealth, and he did not respond to requests for comment either by EcoHealth or by the Wall Street Journal, which published Daszaks letter.

Tabaks letter was in response to Republican lawmakers promoting the hoax that Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was created through gain-of-function research at the WIV in China with funding granted by the National Institutes of Health to EcoHealth alliance.

Tabaks unsubstantiated statements were refuted by Daszaks well-documented letter. EcoHealth did in fact comply with all reporting requirements, Dr. Daszak wrote. If NIH had indicated to us at any point that any issues needed further clarification, we would of course have complied immediately with any request.

Daszak states that the documents he submitted to the NIH clearly show that EcoHealth Alliance is not out of compliance with our oversight and reporting obligations, and in fact reported this experiment over 3 years and 6 months ago.

According to Daszak, the NIH claimed that an experiment conducted in 2018 was not reported to the NIH until 2021. But Daszaks letter provides a screenshot from a 2018 annual report of the experiment, showing it was, in fact, documented on time.

NIH administrators have, as of yet, provided no explanation for what appear to be blatantly inaccurate statements, which they made no effort to confirm or verify with EcoHealth. Their motivations for making these statements are unknown, but it is possible that, facing a vicious right-wing campaign, they may have decided to deflect blame onto a small non-profit.

In a concluding paragraph, Daszak writes:

We would like to point out that these types of mistakes about the timing or nature of our reporting can be better addressed by contacting us to request clarification prior to responding to any congressional inquiry. This will help ensure factually correct responses and will save our organization and staff from undue disparagement and unjustified accusation of inappropriate behavior that have now ensued in the press. We believe it is very important that the impressions the Congressional inquiry may take away from the incorrect information provided them be addressed quickly and clearly.

Indeed, the NIHs letter prompted a media frenzy, with news outlets, including the Washington Post, making no effort to ascertain the veracity of Tabaks claims before reporting them as fact. The Post, in an editorial published earlier this week, wrote:

Last week, it was disclosed that the EcoHealth Alliance in August filed a report on its research in 20182019the report was two years late. This just happens to be the two-year period of the pandemic and intense debate about the virus origins.

This media campaign has had a disorienting effect on the public, including principled scientists who have opposed the Wuhan lab lie. Responding to the letter, the virologist Angela Rasmussen suggested EcoHealth withheld data from the government agency that funds your work with taxpayer dollars.

But Rasmussen amended these claims in response to questions from the WSWS, writing, My earlier statement was based on Tabaks letter. I have now acknowledged that EcoHealth disputes that, which I did not know at the time.

She added, NIH has not responded other than to say they stand by the letter from Dr. Tabak. They should respond to EHAs claims. If NIH screwed up and didnt communicate with EHA, they should disclose and explain.

Daszaks letter was published by the Wall Street Journal, in a factual news account entitled, Coronavirus Study of Bats in China Met NIH Grant Requirements, EcoHealth Says.

Just hours earlier, the Journal had published an editorial demanding that Daszak be subpoenaed to testify about claims that he helped create Sars-CoV-2. The editorial consists largely of a restatement of the claims published earlier this week in the Post, which likewise called on Daszak to be subpoenaed.

But the Journal editorial was unique in noting a key fact that none of the other media outlets promoting the hoax have admitted: that the lab leak theory has been driven by the populist rightthat is, the fascist movement around Donald Trump. The Journal editorial complained that So far Democrats dont seem interested, in the lab leak theory, perhaps because the populist right has made this a cause.

For nearly two years, Steve Bannon and his co-conspirators Raheem Kassam and Jason Miller, have promoted the libel that Sars-CoV-2 is a man-made virus created at the WIV. In fact, the central demand of the proponents of the lab leak hoaxthat Daszak testify under oath before Congressoriginated with Bannons fascist podcast.

On his War Room: Pandemic podcast, Bannon regularly refers to the movement behind Donald Trump, of which Bannon considers himself the ideological leader, as the populist right.

The far-right National Pulse hailed the Post editorial, writing:

The calls follow months of National Pulse reporting highlighting Daszaks extensive conflicts of interest with the WIV and the Chinese Communist Party, which should have excluded him from serving on bodies such as the World Health Organizations COVID-19 origins investigation team. The National Pulse, which called for Daszak to testify in front of Congress six months ago, has also revealed the close ties between Daszak and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Fauci.

These fascistic forces have been strengthened by the slanderous media campaign against Daszak. Their lies must be exposed and opposed. As the World Socialist Web Site wrote Wednesday night,
Paris and London are threatening each other with large-scale trade war measures starting next week, amid a mounting post-Brexit dispute over how to assign fishing rights in the English Channel.

On Wednesday, French police vessels stopped two British fishing boats off the French coast, detaining one at the Le Havre port. They said the ship detained in Le Havre was not on the list of fishing licenses granted to the United Kingdom by French and European Union (EU) authorities. They threatened both the confiscation of the fishermans catch and to criminally prosecute the ships captain.

It was an act of retaliation against British authorities, who have granted only 15 of 47 French requests for fishing licenses in British waters. Jersey island, a UK dependency off the French coast, has also granted only 66 of 170 French fishing license requests. While British officials claimed they granted around 1,700 EU vessels fishing licenses or 97 percent of the total requested, French Fisheries Minister Annick Girardin replied that only 90.3 percent of license requests were granted, and that UK refusals almost exclusively target French ships.

As Paris and London mount these attacks against fishermen on both sides of the Channel, relations between the European powers are unraveling. Tensions over Brexit are becoming entangled with French hostility to the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) alliance against China, which led Australia to suddenly repudiate a 56 billion French submarine contract. Moreover, both French and British imperialism are stoking nationalism to try to distract from the pandemic and a rising tide of COVID-19 deaths across Europe.

Yesterday, Girardin went on RTL radio to threaten Britain with large-scale retaliatory measures if London does not grant French vessels fishing licenses before November 2. These are:

*intensified health screening of all British seafood products in France;

*banning British fishing vessels from docking at French ports where their catch is processed;

*imposing security checks on all British vessels in French waters;

*intensified security and customs screening of all British truck freight arriving in France.

The French measures are intended to make it virtually impossible in practice for Britain to export goods to France, and for British ships to sail in French waters. Referring to the British governments sudden scrapping last year of the Brexit treaty negotiated in 2019 with the EU, Girardin told RTL, It has been nine months that French fishermen have no longer been able to work. The British are not respecting treaties they signed. We have had enough.

French officials have made other bellicose threats, including to cut off electricity exports to Britain and also to Jersey, which relies on France for 90 percent of its electricity supply. This would likely shut down hospitals and schools on the island.

Now we must speak the language of force because I believe unfortunately that this British government understands nothing else, Frances European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told the far-right TV channel CNews. We will have no tolerance and make no exceptions, he continued, adding: We cannot act as if we have climate of trust with a partner who does not respect the rules.

The British government issued a statement calling the French threats disappointing and promised to retaliate in kind if they were imposed. Yesterday Foreign Secretary Liz Truss summoned Frances ambassador Catherine Colonna to the Foreign Office to face questions today about disproportionate threats.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News, We dont know what theyll do, they said they wouldnt introduce these measures until Tuesday probably at the earliest so we will see what they do. But if they do bring these into place, well, two can play at that game and we reserve the ability to respond in a proportionate way.

The escalating tit-for-tat attack on key economic activity and international trade, on which millions of jobs depend, testifies to the irrationality of the capitalist nation-state system. It is a vindication of the principled position taken by the Socialist Equality Party of Britain on the Brexit referendum in 2016. Calling for an active boycott of the referendum, mobilizing the working class in Britain and across Europe against both the nationalism of the Brexiteers and the EU, a brutal tool of European finance capital.

The Brexit referendum triggered the fight over the division of fishing rights after Britain left the EU, but EU policies and French trade war threats are a deepening expression of the same reactionary nationalist tendencies. This emerges very starkly from the COVID-19 pandemic. London and the EU capitals pursued a virtually identical policy of living with the virus, leading to over a quarter-million COVID-19 deaths in Britain and France, and 1.3 million across Europe.

With the highly advanced state of breakdown of international relations in Europe, the danger of a military clash is growing rapidly. Already in May, a previous Franco-British fishery dispute off Jersey led to a tense naval standoff, as London and Paris dispatched warships to the disputed waters.

Now, the fishing dispute is taking on the character of an all-European diplomatic crisis, as French President Emmanuel Macron meets today with Biden to try to repair US-French relations after the AUKUS treaty in the lead-up to this weekends G-20 summit in Rome.

Earlier this month, French Prime Minister Jean Castex had spoken on the fisheries dispute at the French National Assembly, demanding firmer support from the EU against London. Calling on the EU to ensure Britain respects the terms of the Brexit accord, he threatened to veto the execution of Brexit accords and also place in question our bilateral relations with Britain.

Yesterday morning, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland alongside Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Sweden issued a joint statement demanding a British response to French fishing license requests that respects Brexit accords. It concludes, We call on the United Kingdom to provide a response as soon as possible and to engage in further technical work in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the Agreement.

British officials for their part are announcing plans to build an alliance with the so-called Visegrad group (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) targeting France. The right-wing UK DailyExpress wrote that London aims to build an alliance with sympathetic nations against anti-UK France, cited a senior source close to British Foreign Minister Truss. The source said Truss is talking a lot to the Baltics [Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia] and the Visegrad 4.

The source added that the EU basically is France, and dismissed it with the statement that Truss is fairly relaxed about what they think. The source suggested that Britain encourage Poland and other Visegrad group countries to follow the example of Brexit: Perhaps we should set up an advisory unit on leaving the EU.

These statements are warnings to the working class on the explosive tensions wracking European and world capitalism. It is critical for workers to reject protectionist attacks on fishermen and working people in other industries, whether from Paris or London. Preventing a new escalation of diplomatic and military conflict in Europe, and halting capitalist governments deadly policies on the COVID-19 pandemic, depends on unifying workers in Britain and across Europe in a struggle for the United Socialist States of Europe.
This past week, 1.4 million COVID-19 cases were recorded across Europe, up 18 percent from the previous week. Also 20,503 deaths were recorded in the same time period, up 17 percent. Cases are rapidly spreading across the entire continent: Only four of Europes 47 countries have seen cases fall in the last week.

Medical workers tend a patient suffering from COVID-19 in the Nouvel Hopital Civil of Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Oct.22, 2020.(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

All indicators suggest that the number of deaths and infections will continue to rise as colder weather creates optimal conditions for the virus to spread. Without the immediate imposition of stringent scientific measures to eliminate the virus, the coming winter in Europe threatens to be the deadliest so far in the pandemic.

The center of the surge is Eastern Europe. In Russia, 7,454 people died over the last week. In Ukraine, 3,785 people died, a 63 percent week-on-week increase. In Russia and Ukraine, mass infections of children have led to appalling conditions in overflowing pediatric wards.

In Bulgaria and Romania, 127 and 154 people per million inhabitants died last week, respectively, the two highest rates of any state in the world. The virus is ripping through a largely unprotected population; only 30 percent of Romanian citizens have received both vaccine shots. In Bulgaria, just 20 percent of the population have received two doses.

With Romanias 2,000 critical care beds already full, COVID-19 patients are waiting in hospital corridors for treatment. Last week, 50 patients were evacuated to beds in Poland and Hungary to try to free up space. Dorel Sandesc, head of intensive care at Timisoara hospital in western Romania, told the BBC, I feel like the whole country has become a resuscitation department.

Governments are trying to contain and defuse public anger over their policy of mass death by implementing a few insufficient health measures. A one-week partial lockdown has just gone into effect in Russia. Elsewhere, most workplaces remain open, however, and families are not receiving the financial support necessary to allow them to remain at home. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, We dont want to introduce lockdowns because our economy is gaining momentum, and lockdowns would have a negative impact on economic development.

A similar catastrophe is unfolding in the Baltic countries, though their populations are over 50 percent vaccinated. Last week, Lithuania (population 2.6 million) recorded 19,792 cases and 216 deaths. Latvia (1.8 million) recorded 17,462 infections and 165 deaths, a 53 percent increase over the previous week. Estonia (1.3 million) recorded 10,746 cases and 45 deathsboth increases of more than 30 percent from the week before. As a proportion of the population, these case rates are twice the levels recorded in Britain, the pandemic epicenter in Western Europe.

The conditions prevailing in these countries are a warning for workers across Europe and internationally. As vaccine efficacy wanes over time, new variants develop, and winter weather causes a spike in infections, hospitals throughout Europe will soon be overflowing. Already, conditions in Western and Central Europe are rapidly aligning with those in the East.

Every Scandinavian country has witnessed a near-doubling of infections over the last week. Denmarks cases rose 77 percent to 9,663. In Finland, infections rose 22 percent to 4,187. In Norway, cases rose 78 percent to 5,573. The Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of Denmark in the North Sea with a population of just 49,000, is facing an acute outbreak with 428 cases recorded in the last week.

In Germany, weekly cases increased by 32 percent to 98,101. The 31,402 daily cases recorded on October 26 were the highest daily figure recorded in Germany since January 4. Nonetheless, the incoming SPD-Green-FDP coalition government plans to let the state of emergency expire on November 25. Weekly cases also increased in Austria by 44 percent to 25,090.

In France and Italy cases and deaths are rising following weeks of decline. In France, cases increased by 16 percent to 38,215 last week. Following the end of free tests in France, the week of October 18-24 saw 675,200 fewer tests compared to the week before.

Britain is one of the only countries to record a fall in cases in the previous week. However, the 305,882 recorded was only a 4 percent decline and still left the country leading Europe for the number of recorded infections and only behind the United States in the rest of the world. The 1,010 recorded deaths in the country represented a 6 percent increase on the week before.

Other seasonal diseases also threaten to worsen the crisis. Scientists in many countries have warned that influenza will have a greater effect than previous years due to a lack of natural immunity built up by lower amounts of social interaction during the pandemic. In France, bronchitis infections in children are overwhelming pediatric wards.

Even in European countries with the highest vaccination rates, millions remain unprotected, including school children and many of the elderly. Waning effectiveness of vaccines month by month and new variants also threaten a surge in cases and deaths. Although the ratio of cases to deaths is less than in previous waves due to vaccination, the vast increase in infections due to the increased contagiousness of the Delta variant means that once again hospitals throughout Europe face inundation in the near future.

The number of deaths this winter may well exceed the levels seen in December, January and February a year ago. However, capitalist governments across Europe are preparing for this wave of mass infection and death by again placing profits above lives.

Throughout the pandemic, the guiding principle of the ruling class has been to maximize the number of hours, weeks and days that profit can be extracted from the working class. They are entirely indifferent to the 1.3 million confirmed COVID-19 deaths across Europe so far in the pandemic, and the millions suffering from Long COVID or serious organ damage. This was most crassly summed up in British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons wish to let the bodies pile high in their thousands, but it is held in government offices across Europe.

Meanwhile, the EU has pumped billions into its military budgets and gifted hundreds of billions of euros to corporate bailouts. Spanish courts have ruled that lockdowns are unconstitutional. In France, unions and pseudo-left groups have supported far right-led anti-vaccination protests. These policies all seek to impose a policy of living with the virus on a working population that opposes mass death and the continued spread of the virus.

This conscious policy of social murder can and must be opposed. Without a scientific policy to eliminate the virus, the cycle of mass death and social dislocation will continue for years.

Workers must arm themselves with a scientific and political understanding of the pandemic. Lockdowns are needed to eliminate the virus and end the pandemic. These require full compensation for affected workers and small businesses, combined with vaccination, contact tracing and isolation of infected people.

A political movement to impose a scientific policy to eliminate COVID-19 must be built. This perspective was outlined in the webinar How to end the pandemic hosted by the World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) on October 24. The recording of this event can be viewed here .
In the midst of negotiations to form a new governing coalition in Berlin, Germanys federal government is threatening Russia with the use of nuclear weapons. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk last Thursday, incumbent Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Christian Democrats, CDU) said, We have to make it very clear to Russia that in the endand that is also the deterrent doctrinewe are ready to use such means [nuclear weapons] so that it has a deterrent effect beforehand and nobody gets the idea, for example, to attack NATO partners in the areas over the Baltic states or in the Black Sea. That is the core idea of NATO, this alliance, and it will be adapted to the current behaviour of Russia.

Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Eberhard Zorn (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

The fact that Kramp-Karrenbauer speaks of the use of nuclear weapons against Russia without blinking an eye gives harrowing insight into the state of mind at the highest levels of the German state. Eighty years after the attack by the Nazi Wehrmacht on the Soviet Union and the war of annihilation in the East, scenarios are being discussed behind the backs of the population that directly endanger hundreds of millions of lives. These discussions take place amid the raging pandemic, which has seen the ruling elite sacrifice thousands of people to protect corporate profits.

The Defence Ministrys official website said the minister had chosen her clear words on the occasion of the meeting of the nuclear planning group at the meeting of NATO defence ministers at the end of last week. Kramp-Karrenbauer has made it clear that Germany is and will remain firmly integrated into the alliances nuclear planning. Germany stands by its obligations in the alliance.

A report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) on the NATO meeting explains what this means in concrete terms. That could mean, for example, that German tornadoes equipped with atomic bombs are relocated to the eastern flank when a certain conflict threshold is reached. This is not discussed in public, but it is part of the strategic considerations when the so-called nuclear planning group, to which all member states except France belong, provides advice, the newspaper noted.

In other words: German warplanes armed with US atomic bombs stored in Germany would be relocated to the Russian border in the event of a conflict and they would possibly also drop themwith unforeseeable consequences. A nuclear war between NATO and Russia would not only turn the whole of Europe into a nuclear desert; it would call into question the survival of all humanity.

The F.A.Z article, headlined Defence Planning of NATO: The Art of Flexible Deterrence, shows in detail how aggressively NATO is advancing war preparations against Russia and the central role Germany plays in this.

The new concept Defence and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area (DDA), which was adopted in June, is currently being implemented. The first step in this direction is the Saceurs AOR Strategic Plan, which restructures the area of responsibility (AOR) of the Commander-in-Chief for Europe (Saceur), the F.A.Z. explained. The alliance is going back to an organizational structure that already existed during the Cold War. Each corps gets a precisely allocated area of operations. On the other hand, it is about other threats and the ability to react flexibly to them, according to the F.A.Z.

The plans read like a modern form of total war. An operation plan stipulates to act early and effectively. To this end, the alliance wants to include all of its headquarters in the defence in the future, which of course also applies to the rapid mobilization and relocation of combat units. Ultimately, it is about regaining the dominance of escalation. The trickiest part of it is the nuclear strategy.

The incoming federal government will have the task of implementing these war plans. The planning cycle is, as usual, designed for four years, which is important for the new federal government, writes the F.A.Z. This would define the future priorities and investments, including defence spending. It is about providing the necessary military capabilities that make it possible to actually deploy troops: reconnaissance, strategic air transport, digital operations management, missile defence.

The plans for the implementation of these massive war and armament projects have already been finalised. In May, the Ministry of Defence adopted the cornerstones for the future of the Bundeswehr (German army), which are intended to effectively prepare the German military for the conduct of major military conflicts, including nuclear war.

The Bundeswehr must be able to conduct military operations against an equal opponent in combined arms combat, and in the future also in combined dimensionsacross the spectrum up to and including high-intensity combat, it says. For this, military capabilities for deterrence across the board, including nuclear participation, are necessary.

In addition, the German armed forces would have to be able to provide the political leadership with flexible military options and to provide forces and capabilities that are able to act in all dimensions, adapted to the situation. They would have to act quickly and seamlessly across dimensions and be able to function in the entire spectrum of dimensions at the same time. The guiding principle must be: Organize yourself as you fight.

There is no doubt that the current coalition negotiations between the Social Democrats (SPD), Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens are discussing the implementation of this aggressive foreign and defence policy agenda. As with the formation of the government four years ago, the talks are taking place in strict secrecy. The ruling class knows that its agenda is deeply hated by the population and faces tremendous opposition.

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mutzenich reacted nervously to Kramp-Karrenbauers open threats against Russia. He told the DPA that she should not burden the work of a future federal government. Her recent mind games ... on the use of nuclear weapons in a conflict with Russia are irresponsible. She unfortunately does not differ from the equally unfounded threats from the Russian side.

Mutzenichs statements are false in two respects. On the one hand, he knows very well that it is not Russia, but NATO, that is the aggressor. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, the military alliance has been systematically advancing towards the Russian border. The SPD plays a central role in this. The incumbent Social Democratic Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as foreign minister supported the right-wing coup in Ukraine in 2014 in order to install an anti-Russian regime in Kiev and weaken Moscow. The subsequent dispatch of German combat troops to Eastern Europe also took place with the explicit support of the SPD, which has headed the Foreign Ministry without interruption for eight years.

On Monday, government spokesman Steffen Seibert defended Kramp-Karrenbauers nuclear threats as a logical implementation of the policy of the grand coalition. As long as nuclear weapons are understood by some states as a means of military conflict, there is a need to maintain a nuclear deterrent within the framework of NATO, he said cynically. That is also the case in the coalition agreement.

Significantly, the annual nuclear weapons exercise Steadfast Noon took place in Italy last week. Belgian, Dutch, Italian and German combat bombers were involved in practicing nuclear participation; that is, to train them to use atomic bombs.

The Putin regime has nothing to offer when it comes to opposing the Western preparations for war. It represents the interests of a corrupt oligarchy that has enriched itself through the restoration of capitalism and fears the growing social and political opposition of the working class as much as the imperialist powers. Moscow is responding to threats from Washington, Brussels and Berlin with a mixture of diplomatic and military manoeuvres that further increase the risk of war.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the defence attache of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Russia was summoned on October 25. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said in an official statement that it is hoped that there are level-headed people in the German leadership who can prevent their defence minister from recklessly wanting to test our armed forces.

In fact, the current development as well as historical experience show that there is no level-headed faction in the German leadership. Their turn to militarism, fascism and war has objective reasons which, as in the first half of the 20th century, are rooted in the deep crisis of the capitalist system. There is only one way to stop this dangerous development: building an international anti-war movement based on the working class and fighting for the overthrow of capitalism and for a socialist perspective.
The five largest US meatpackers oversaw mass COVID-19 infections and deaths in their factories and then tried to cover up the data, according to a report released Wednesday by the House of Representatives subcommittee investigating the impact of the coronavirus.

In this April 9, 2020 file photo employees and family members protest outside a Smithfield Foods processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D. At least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year, which is significantly more than previously thought, according to a new U.S. House report released Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves File)

At least 59,000 workers were infected with COVID-19, and 269 died between March 1, 2020 and February 1, 2021 at Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, JBS, Cargill and National. The five companies account for the bulk of meat processing in the country. The number reported was nearly three times higher than the figure of 22,400 that the United Food and Commercial Workers said were infected or exposed.

The report stated, Instead of addressing the clear indications that workers were contracting the coronavirus at alarming rates due to conditions in meatpacking facilities, meatpacking companies prioritized profits and production over worker safety.

The report confirms what is already well known to meatpacking workers and covered extensively by the World Socialist Web Site, that food processing giants, with the vital assistance of the reactionary trade union bureaucracies, criminally disregarded the health and safety of workers, their families and the broader community as the meatpacking industry became a vector for the transmission of the deadly virus. The utter disregard for life was epitomized by managers at one Tyson plant, who took bets on which workers would be infected by COVID-19.

The prioritization of profits over the health and safety of workers and the general public is the policy of not only the meatpacking industry, but characterizes the policy of the US government and all major capitalist governments throughout the world. In the United States alone this has resulted in an official death toll exceeding 750,000, along with incalculable human suffering.

The report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis was based on an analysis of data on deaths and infections from meatpacking companies, as well as a review of more than 150,000 pages of company documents, workers complaints, health department records, company communications and other sources. The committee noted that the total number of infections and deaths certainly exceeded the reported numbers because the reported numbers excluded off-site testing and self-reported cases.

The meatpacking industry emerged early in the pandemic as a major vector for the spread of the disease. In many plants, workers stand packed like sardines, literally shoulder to shoulder in an environment ideal for the transmission of the virus. A report published by Charles Taylor of Columbia University and Christopher Boulos and Douglas Almond of the University of Chicago showed that outbreaks at meatpacking plants were responsible for 8 percent of all coronavirus cases in the early months of the pandemic.

A separate study by the University of California at Davis tied 334,000 COVID-19 cases to the meatpacking industry, causing $11 billion in economic damage. Counties with meat or pork processing plants had infection rates double that of other counties.

Tyson Foods alone accounted for almost 29,500 infections and 151 deaths. The company with the next highest totals was JBS USA, which had 12,859 infections and 62 deaths. The House subcommittee cited figures at certain meatpacking plants with high rates of infection, including a JBS plant in Hyrum, Utah, where 54 percent of the workforce contracted the virus between March 2020 and early 2021. Nearly 50 percent of workers at a Tyson plant in Amarillo, Texas were infected. Forty-four percent of workers at National Beefs plant in Tama, Iowa contracted the coronavirus.

Time and again, workers have stood up to oppose these conditions, only to have their actions blocked and sabotaged by the procompany unions. With the assistance of the WSWS, workers in auto plants, meatpacking, education and health care began to build rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the unions, to organize collective resistance to these deadly conditions in the workplace. This culminated with the launching this past May of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).

The report by the Democratic-controlled House subcommittee focuses its criticism on the policies of the Trump administration, which operated shamelessly on behalf of the meatpacking companies to force workers into deadly workplaces. However, the policies of the Democratic Party and the trade unions do not differ in any significant respect. Congressional Democrats supported the decision by the Trump administration to declare meatpacking a critical industry, based on false claims of an impending shortage of meat. Recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture documents show that the US had more than adequate stocks at the time.

While intended as damage control, the House subcommittee report lifted the lid on the scandalous lack of protection for worker health and safety. Prior to the House report, the main source of information on the spread of COVID-19 in US meatpacking plants had been the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN) COVID-19 Mapping Project, which compiled figures based on publicly available data. FERN had reported 22,694 cases and 88 deaths among workers at the five companies in the House report as of September 8, 2021.

Indeed, so lax and haphazard are government reporting and monitoring that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) told the House committee that it had come to rely on FERN, a small news operation with eight employees, for data. However, FERN recently had to suspend its data reporting due to difficulty in obtaining figures.

The House subcommittee report singled out Smithfield Foods for opposing attempts by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to shut down operations at its pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota after a major outbreak that infected 853 out of the plants 3,500 employees. However, in its push to reopen, management had the support of the United Food and Commercial Workers, with the local union president declaring, Smithfield is doing everything they can for the employees and their safety. We stand with Smithfield to get this plant back open.

In September, OSHA fined Smithfield a paltry $13,494 for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus. At least four workers died from COVID-19 at the plant. The fine was the largest allowed under the nations labor law. That did not stop Smithfield from vigorously protesting even that token amount.

In fact, OSHA issued just nine citations to three meatpacking companies with severe outbreaks in 2020, while reducing inspections by 35 percent, the report stated.

Despite the devastating exposure of their criminal disregard for workers lives, the executives of the companies named in this report can rest easy with the assurance that the Democrats will take no measures to hold anyone accountable. Like so many other reports, it will be quickly shelved and forgotten while the abuses continue.

The disregard for workers lives in the meatpacking industry is typical of the approach taken by all sectors of big business during the pandemic. The maniacal focus on the extraction of profit to maintain bloated stock valuations and the callous disregard for human life exhibited throughout the pandemic are symptoms of a deeply diseased social order. No rational and humane approach to ending to the pandemic is possible without a direct challenge by the working class to capitalist private property interests.

The World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Parties around the world have insisted since the outbreak of the pandemic on the critical necessity for the working class to develop its own independent response based on a socialist program.

We have sought to initiate the formation of independent workplace committees to lead the fight for health and safety, while imparting to the working class the scientific understanding of the nature of pandemic that is needed to address the crisis. As the October 24 webinar sponsored by the WSWS and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) How to end the pandemic demonstrated, there is a wide audience for this approach.

Only the coordinated action of the international working class can bring an end to the deadly pandemic and ensure a future for humankind.
Yesterday, New Zealands Labour Party-led government announced it had identified two COVID-19 infections in Christchurch; a further two people, close contacts of the pair, were announced as positive cases today. These cases and another infection in the town of Blenheim over the weekend were the first detected in the South Island in nearly a year.

Medical staff test shoppers who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket carpark in Christchurch, New Zealand. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

The country is in the midst of a rapidly growing outbreak, which began in mid-August in the biggest city, Auckland. Infections have also been found in the Northland and Waikato regions.

There are 1,484 active cases of the highly infectious Delta variant in the community. The size of the outbreak has increased more than sixfold in the past month, after the government decided on September 22 to ease the lockdown in Auckland from alert level 4, the strictest level, to level 3. This allowed approximately 300,000 people to return to work.

The government has dismissed scientists calls for a return to level 4 in Auckland, and is removing more public health restrictions, creating the conditions for the virus to spread even further. This week, Auckland high schools reopened for students in the top three year levels, allowing thousands to return.

On October 4, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the government would transition away from its previous elimination strategy for COVID-19, which has limited the countrys death toll from the pandemic to just 28 so far. In response to pressure from big business to reopen the economyand allow the extraction of profits from the working class to fully resumethe government insists that people must accept the spread of the coronavirus throughout the country.

Outside of Auckland and Waikato, the country remains on alert level 2, with minimal restrictions including masks and social distancing requirements. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told the media that the government would not impose a lockdown in Christchurch, even though other people may have been exposed to the positive cases.

Of the Christchurch residents who tested positive, one had returned from Auckland on October 15. The first two cases, who live in the same household, became symptomatic last week and tested positive on October 26. The Ministry of Health has announced 13 possible exposure locations in Christchurch, including a supermarket and various shops.

Only 69 percent of people aged over 12 in the Canterbury region, which includes Christchurch, are fully vaccinated. Nationwide, 70 percent of the eligible population, i.e., just 59 percent of the total population, is fully vaccinated.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB, epidemiologist professor Michael Baker said steps should have been taken to keep the South Island free from the virus. He called for stricter rules for people travelling to the island, including a vaccination requirement. The positive case who had returned from Auckland was unvaccinated.

Last week, Ardern announced that when 90 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, the government will no longer use lockdowns to deal with the pandemic. Alert levels will be replaced with a new traffic light system, in which the circulation of COVID-19 is accepted as something the population must live with.

Even when the warning level in the new system is Red, indicating a high risk to vulnerable groups and an unsustainable number of hospitalisations, businesses and schools can still remain open. Public health measures will include the use of masks, distancing, crowd size management and vaccine certificates.

The new approach presents significant dangers. Epidemiologist Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, from the University of Otago, told the Science Media Centre (SMC) there would be very little protection in public spaces for those who arent vaccinated, particularly children. COVID-19 modeller professor Michael Plank, while approving of some aspects of the new system including vaccine certificates, said stricter measures like business closures or localised lockdowns should be retained.

Public health lecturer Dr Rhys Jones and immunologist Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu both criticised the lack of a specific target for high rates of vaccination for Maori and Pacific island communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the current outbreak. As well as lower vaccination rates, these populations suffer from poor health, often linked with poverty, placing them at greater risk of hospitalisation if they contract COVID-19.

Dr Lesley Gray, a senior lecturer in Otagos primary health care department, told the SMC that vaccinations, while important, would not stop widespread transmission. She noted that other countries who have highly vaccinated populations are still experiencing high case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths [e.g., UK].

In Ireland, which has a similar population to New Zealand, 93 percent of adults are vaccinated. Yet on Tuesday the Irish Examiner reported there were 513 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 97 of them in intensive care; in seven days, the country recorded 67 deaths from the virus.

The New Zealand government is charging ahead with lifting restrictions. On Wednesday, Minister Hipkins announced a tentative date of November 15 for reopening Auckland and Waikato primary schools. This would inevitably accelerate the spread of cases, as has happened in country after country.

The teacher unions, NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Post-Primary Teachers Association, are assisting the government in overcoming opposition to school reopenings. They have taken no action to stop teachers and students being placed in unsafe environments.

A concerned parent of high school-aged children in Auckland, who asked not to be named, told the World Socialist Web Site that Hipkins, who is also minister of education, was not listening to the concerns of many schools. You cant force parents or teachers or students to go to school, when school is not safe, under the Health and Safety Act, she said.

She criticised the government for using exams and school credits as a pretext to reopen schools, asking: When did we shift our priority from health and safety in the community to extra NCEA credits [qualifications]? She praised Takapuna Grammar Schools principal, who announced that the school would not reopen, despite Hipkins instructions.

The parent opposed the decision to abandon an elimination policy. We have to put life before profits. Without life, a school will become a ghost school, a city will become a ghost city, she said. She pointed out that China had shown that outbreaks could be stamped out, but it required clear public health procedures and strict enforcement.
The framework for the Build Back Better legislation announced by President Biden Thursday morning and presented to the House Democratic caucus signals the collapse of the reformist pretenses of the Democratic administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress. For all the grandiose rhetoric about sweeping social legislation and the most consequential piece of legislation for working people since the New Deal (in the words of Bernie Sanders), the Democratic Party leadership has embraced a watered-down plan whose yearly cost ($175 billion) is less than one-quarter of the military budget.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The legislation incorporating the framework, a draft budget reconciliation bill, was submitted to the House Rules Committee Thursday and runs to nearly 2,200 pages. Its provisions are complex, and the procedures for its approval are both convoluted and highly precarious. It is entirely possible that the legislative process will lead to a complete political debacle for both the Biden White House and the Democratic Party as a whole, with no significant legislation passed.

But there is a unifying thread to the process of legislative horse-trading with two right-wing Senate Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and a half-dozen right-wing House Democrats, which shrank the initial social spending bill from $6 trillion at the beginning, to the $3.5 trillion bill put forward by the White House, and now to the $1.75 trillion embraced by Biden Thursdayhalf his original plan, and barely a quarter of the opening bid by Sanders.

All these figures represent expenditures spread out over 10 years. By comparison, the military budget over the same period would be at least $8 trillion, and projected interest payments on the federal debt could be even higher. Every year, the Federal Reserve is pumping close to $1.5 trillion into the marketsnearly as much as the proposed legislation allocates in ten years.

The legislation has been shaped entirely by the class interests of the capitalist ruling elite, which demands both a continued supply of cash from the Treasury and a stepped-up supply of low-wage labor in the midst of the pandemic. In the course of these negotiations, measures that provide subsidies to businesses or promote the entry of more workers into the labor force have advanced, while measures that cost business money, sustain working people while they are not actively employed, or simply improve their lives, have been killed.

This rule of thumb explains both what provisions have survived and those which have gone by the wayside. To outline these briefly, based on the descriptions supplied by the White House, the surviving measures include:

Climate-related spending, for a total of $555 billion. This is the largest single allocation in the much-reduced reconciliation bill, and the lions share, $320 billion, is in the form of tax credits to utilities, electric vehicle manufacturers, and companies that build battery-charging stations. Another $110 billion is for direct incentives (subsidies) to producers of solar, batteries and advanced materials (of great concern to the Pentagon), as well as boosting the competitiveness of existing industries, like steel, cement, and aluminum.

Universal pre-kindergarten programs for children aged three and four, as well as federally subsidized child care. Despite the glowing rhetoric about expanding the social safety net, the main purpose of this program is to free the mothers of small children to take low-wage jobs.

Expansion of Medicaid into a dozen states, mainly in the South, all ruled by Republican state governments which refused federal subsidies for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Since most low-wage employers do not offer health care coverage, workers in those states, including Texas and Florida, have a strong disincentive to take jobs that would raise their incomes only marginally, yet make them ineligible for Medicaid.

Extension of the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for around 17 million low-wage workers. This is essentially a wage subsidy for low-wage employers, since it allows workers to survive on extremely low wages with a top-off from the federal government, only available if they stay in their jobs for a minimum number of hours per week. It is not payable to workers who quit their jobs, are laid off or are long-term unemployed.

Creation of a federally funded home health care program for the elderly and disabled. The class purpose is to return to the work force those who might otherwise have to drop out to take care of elderly parents or disabled relatives. This is of particular importance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has frightened people away from nursing homes that have become death traps.

Those programs that have been largely or entirely eliminated include:

Two years of free community college. This would obviously have removed large numbers of workers from the labor force, particularly those working and going to school only part-time, who would be encouraged to enroll in full-time education.

Paid family and medical leave. This was initially set at 12 weeks, then whittled down to four weeks and then eliminated entirely.

The child tax credit of $250 a month and $300 a month for children aged six or less. The bill extends the credit for only one year, to avoid its expiration in the midst of the campaign for the 2022 congressional elections. Once promised as a new, permanent benefit that would cut child poverty in half, the child credit is now set to terminate December 31, 2022.

Authorization for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices using its enormous buying power to bargain with the pharmaceutical companies.

Expansion of Medicare to provide dental, vision and hearing coverage. One of the red lines of Sanders, the proposal has been shrunk to include only hearing coverage, the cheapest of the three. Besides being costly, this coverage was viewed as undesirable competition for insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage plans (a semi-private version of Medicare).

Alongside the tailoring of social spending proposals to meet the class interests of big business, the latest Biden version of the reconciliation package excludes any significant tax rate increases for either corporations or the wealthy, and it does not include even the billionaires tax proposed by some Senate Democrats this week, after the provision was challenged by several of the billionaires and threatened with protracted litigation on constitutional grounds.

There are a handful of tax provisions thrown in to sustain the pretense of fairness and equity, such as a minimum corporate income tax, but these will be easily evaded by giant corporations and their well-funded tax and legal departments. Likewise, the surtax on the incomes of millionaires and billionaires is likely to be eliminated because of the adamant opposition of Senator Sinema to any increase in income tax rates.

These spending and tax measures are combined in the reconciliation bill, which requires 50 votes in the Senate for passage. The separate infrastructure bill has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support, because it is essentially a $1.2 trillion boondoggle for big construction companies and other corporations, such as trucking, shipping, electric utilities and the like.

In the wake of Bidens meeting with the House Democrats, the progressives have embraced the substance of his much-reduced reconciliation bill. While still insisting on the passage of both bills together, they are not arguing for any significant improvements in the reconciliation bill. Medicare expansion, paid family leave, free community college and other measures are off the table.

The whole rotten process exposes not only the nature of the Democratic Party itself. As Biden declared in his remarks Thursday from the White House, after his meeting with the House, I am a capitalist. Or to be more precise, he is a paid servant of the capitalists, like every Democratic and Republican politician.

The Democratic Party is a party of Wall Street, the intelligence agencies and the military, resting on privileged sections of the middle class. The role of Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, et al. is to provide this reactionary political organization with the barest fig leaf of social reform.

Moreover, far from creating space for social reform, as the pseudo-left promoters of the Democratic Party claimed, the right-wing politics of the Democrats, to the extent that they are not opposed through the independent political mobilization of the working class on a socialist program, only fuel the growth of the far right.
Stella Moris and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson spoke outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday at the end of a two-day extradition appeal by the United States government.

Stella Moris, partner of Julian Assange, addresses supporters outside the High Court in London, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. The U.S. government is this week asking Britain's High Court to overturn a judge's decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be sent to the United States to face espionage charges. (AP Photo/David Cliff)

The Biden administration is seeking to extradite and imprison Julian Assange under the Espionage Act for his journalism that exposed US war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Hrafnssons remarks and those of Assanges partner Stella Moris are reprinted below.

Kristinn Hrafnsson:

This afternoon the lawyers for Julian Assange were tearing apart the so-called assurances, the revokable assurances the US is now claiming that they can put forward. The assurances that Julian will be treated fairly, treated well, in the prisons of the United States, that he will get medical help and all that.

I just want to remind people that in the magistrates court they had all the opportunity to actually voice such assurances. They did not. On the contrary, they went on the defence for the prison system in the United States.

They said that so-called Special Administrative Measureswhich basically equals solitary confinement, which basically means torture and for Julian in his condition, deaththat SAMS were not that bad at all. They also defended ADX Florence, Colorado, the most notorious prison in the United States, where Julian might end up. They were defending that prison in a manner that was extraordinary.

They were saying that Julian and prisoners in ADX Florence could have recreational activities, they could play bridge. What are they saying? That Julian would in ADX Florence be sitting down with [drug kingpin] El Chapo, with Timothy McVeigh, the Unabomber and other homegrown terrorists and play bridge?

They also said, which Julians lawyers pointed out this afternoon, that they could have individual recreational activity in their own cells. What does that mean? They are throwing people in cells and keeping them in there for 22-23 hours a day. Only an hour a day outside their cellin another cell with nothing in it.

Thats what waits Julian on the other side, on Devils Island, if he is extradited. That cannot happen.

The judges here have only two choices: uphold the decision not to extradite Julian Assange or de facto hand out a death sentence. That cannot happen. We have to rely on all of you to make sure that in the weeks ahead, while these two judges are deliberating, that you make your voice heard. That you put pressure on your media and your politicians. Because this cannot happen, this must come to an end.

Stella Moris:

If the US wants to treat Julian fairly and well, they should drop this case. They should release Julian from prison because he is suffering right now. In court today, Mark Summers QC, Julians defence, said that there is nothing normal about this case.

There is nothing normal about this case.

It is not just the defence which says that. The [Crown Prosecution Service] told Sweden in 2010, please do not think that we are treating this as a normal extradition case. This is a political persecution that has used the law, extradition law, as a tool to further its political agenda. To take revenge on a journalist. For what? For the publications that he is now indicted over. Publications that revealed war crimes, targeted assassinations, rendition, torture, but also the US subversion of the judiciary in Germany, in Spain, in Italy, when those judges, those investigators had the gall to investigate those same crimes. To investigate CIA rendition and torture of their citizens.

This US extradition case has been falling apart since the moment it started because it was born rotten. It was born at a time when the CIA was plotting to assassinate Julian. And it is also proving to be devastating for the US in the courts. Not only because the US prison system and its inhumane conditions is exposed before these courts in its whole barbarity. But also because the crimes that have been undertaken by the US government against Julian are also exposed before these courts.

Today we were able to air in court Mike Pompeos plans, his sketches and options to assassinate Julian in London. To assassinate a journalist in this city for doing his job because he exposed their crimes.

This country cannot tolerate, should not tolerate, the targeted assassination of journalists for doing their jobs. This should be obvious. We shouldnt be here. I hope the courts reach the right conclusion. But I also call on the US government to not just say they defend media freedom, to not just say journalists shouldnt be killed and imprisoned, but they should walk the walk, not just talk the talk. They should drop this case. They should free Julian.
At its online Annual General Meeting (AGM) early this month, the University of Newcastle Students Association (UNSA) promoted university management, as it carries out a major pro-business restructuring of the regional New South Wales campus, and defended anti-democratic guidelines aimed at stymieing political activity among students.

The University of Newcastle (Credit: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/)

The AGM opened with contributions from University of Newcastle (UoN) Vice Chancellor Alex Zelinsky and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Mark Hoffman. The presence of two university administration officials in a student association general meeting is unprecedented and points to the close ties between UNSA and the highest levels of management. The purpose of their attendance was twofold, to praise UNSA for the role it has played over the past year since it was founded, and to prevent critical discussion among students.

Zelinsky, as the former Australian Chief Defence Scientist, played a significant role in the militarisation of university campuses across the country. At UoN he has overseen a devastating restructure over the past year, which has seen the destruction of 150 full-time equivalent (FTE) academic positions and 64 FTE professional positions across the university. This follows the consolidation of five faculties into three colleges, which involved cutting or amalgamating approximately 530 of the universitys 2,200 courses earlier this year.

Zelinsky limited his remarks to noting UNSAs assistance to students during the recent outbreak of COVID-19 at the campus student residences, which saw 18 students infected. Zelinsky however is not unaware of the opposition amongst students and clubs to UNSA and their new clubs and societies guidelines, which threaten to disaffiliate student groups that advocate for political, social, economic and other views. There is also widespread anger over the restructure.

Hoffman followed up Zelinskys remarks stating that he oversaw the first UNSA board come into formation when I look back at whats happened over the last 12 months of this board I have really enjoyed working with [them]. UNSA replaced the former student associations NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah last year completely bureaucratically and without any discussion or input from students and clubs. Hoffmans remarks make clear the new outfit was formed under the direction of the administration, and with the purpose of creating a pliant student body beholden to management.

Hoffman continued: Its clear that students have different views but what is really impressive is that we actually come together as a university with all those different views. He continued: I have considerably increased confidence that UNSA will be able to support students better and better. UNSAs role, in other words, is to suppress opposition and ensure that the student body comes together under a right-wing management that is attacking staff jobs, conditions and education.

Even though the two chancellors from the university administration were allowed to open the meeting, student discussion itself was suppressed. Students were not allowed to unmute to speak and comments and questions from students were vetted by the meeting hosts.

Throughout the meeting, UNSA claimed multiple times that it had listened to student feedback and changed the club guidelines accordingly. This is false, the guidelines have only been reworded.

An IYSSE member commented in the chat: whilst you say that you have changed the UNSA guidelines, you say under 4c: if your primary objective is to convert other people to believing the same as you, UNSA will not affiliate you. How is this different from the proselytization clause that was in the previous clubs and societies guidelines, where the guidelines formerly stated that proselytization of any kind is not permitted?

The new changes are significant, but not in the way UNSA claims. The word proselytization has fundamentally religious associations. Opting to say convert other people to believing the same as you has far broader scope. If a political organisation has the audacity of seeking to convince students of the correctness of its program and perspective, it could fall foul of the guidelines.

Georgia Killick, UNSAs general manager cryptically responded we want clubs to be a place where you build community of shared beliefs, shared interests, we want peoples primary objective to be about building community as part of the broader university community. The corporate word soup was absurd on its face. How can one develop a campus community or club without debate and discussion to change peoples beliefs?

Killick also responded to a question concerning the lack of consultation with students and clubs over the new guidelines. She claimed they were developed by comparing [them] to a number of other large student associations in Australia, so our guidelines were pretty much a reflection, in line with a lot of other student club guidelines. It is the case that student unions and administrations are cracking down on democratic rights across the country. Killick, however, did not point to a single other university union which explicitly bans attempts to change students opinions.

Killick would later state that the guidelines were developed with a lot of collaboration with the university our guidelines reflect a policy of what needs to happen on campus. In other words, the guidelines were drawn up by the administration, as it carries out attacks on student and staff conditions, and seeks to suppress the resulting opposition.

The Labor Party has played a central role in this operation. While UNSA President Luka Harrison claimed the body is an apolitical organization and does not have any political affiliations, he and other executives are prominent members of Labor. Together with the Liberal-National Coalition, it has carried through a decades-long corporatisation and dismantling of higher education.

Absent from the meeting was the so-called UoN Socialist Club, formed earlier this year and aligned with the pseudo-left party Socialist Alliance. They have also directly collaborated with university management and UNSA, having played a role in organising the student consultation sessions held in May this year which gave university management a platform to justify the university cuts to students.

This is bound up with the clubs orientation to the Labor Party, the Greens, and the unions. The UoN Socialist Club has nothing to do with genuine socialism. Its role is to channel students back behind the organisations enforcing or facilitating the assault on education, including Labor and the unions. To this day, the UoN Socialists have not released an official public statement opposing either.

A handful of right-wing clubs and organisations have claimed to oppose the new guidelines, including representatives of the National Party and Christian groups. Their opposition is entirely tactical, and is based on fears that anti-democratic guidelines could be used by a Labor-dominated union to target them. Many Christian groups, however, have supported a host of attacks on civil liberties, from marriage equality to abortion and more. The Nationals are a right-wing capitalist party, that is in government at the federal level and a number of states, where it is responsible for sweeping attacks on democratic rights, the social conditions of the working class, the destruction of education, and escalating militarism.

The IYSSE, the student and youth wing of the Socialist Equality Party, is the only club on campus fighting to defeat the guidelines and the restructure, through the mobilisation of students and staff against management, UNSA and all the pro-capitalist parties.

A member of the IYSSE posted a message in the chat which was prevented from being posted: The IYSSE is proposing that the rules and regulations should be immediately withdrawn, new regulations should be drawn up as the subject of a mass meeting of students and with the involvement of all students and clubs. Even with the new changes, the clubs and societies guidelines are still an affront to the intellectual and cultural traditions of university campuses and an attempt to prohibit students from exercising basic democratic rights. The attacks on political and religious/faith-based clubs is not just targeting them but the democratic rights of students across the board.

The member added: there needs to be free and open discussion at this meeting. The fact that you have muted students and allowed Alex Zelinsky and Mark Hoffman to speak openly at the meeting is very revealing. The IYSSE opposes this.

The guidelines are above all directed against the mounting social and political opposition of students and youth, who are increasingly opposed to capitalism and attracted to socialism. The IYSSE appeals to students to join its club at the University of Newcastle, as part of the fight to build a movement of students, staff and academics across the country and internationally against the onslaught on higher education and the erosion of democratic rights.
Take the struggle out of the hands of the union bureaucracy! If you are a Warrior Met coal miner, contact the World Socialist Web Site to discuss forming a rank-and-file strike committee at wsws.org/workers.

On Wednesday, a Circuit Court in Tuscaloosa, Alabama granted an injunction requested by Warrior Met Coal against 1,100 miners who have been on strike since early April. The temporary restraining order is the latest in a series of provocations by the company against the ongoing strike.

Striking Warrior Met Coal miners (Source: UMWA)

In April, the miners voted down a sellout contract by 95 percent. This was an early sign of what was to come nationwide, as workers in one workplace after another have voted down concessions contracts by huge margins and pushed for strike action. Following the vote at Warrior Met, workers at Volvo Trucks, Dana Inc., John Deere, Nabisco and others have rejected tentative agreements by similar margins.

The order prohibits virtually any activity that disrupts the companys operations, including picketing or other activity within three hundred yards of any entrances of the premises, and interfering with the conduct and operation of Warriors business and supporting activities, including mass picketing. It effectively enables the company to bring in as much scab labor as possible, while further browbeating the strikers into submission.

For weeks, the company has conducted a smear campaign against the strike by ratcheting up provocations and employing a PR firm, Sitker and Company, to paint the strike as violent in the news and on social media. On a company-sponsored YouTube page, a surveillance video was posted which claims to show picketers attacking a scab. In fact, it shows a vehicle running directly into miners on the picket line. Throughout the strike, multiple picketers and their wives have been struck by vehicles, with at least one miner hospitalized for his injuries.

John, a striking miner who recently spoke to the WSWS and whose name has been changed to protect him from retaliation, noted that, violence is increasing on the picket lines. Miners have been shot at late at night. The cops dont care about the miners and do little when they call in a shooting or vehicular assault, which have continued to occur. Meanwhile, the cops escort the bus with the scabs every day.

The companys strikebreaking activity has been facilitated at every turn by the United Mine Workers (UMWA). Since the start of the strike, the UMWA has left the miners isolated and totally vulnerable to physical attacks and the companys efforts to defeat the strike. In response to Wednesdays order, the UMWA immediately ordered its members to leave the picket line, warning they would be held in contempt of court for failing to disperse. This is a warning that the UMWA will use the injunction as an opportunity to convince workers to accept the next concessionary contract proposed and end the strike.

The strike has dragged on for months, while workers have been starved out on low strike pay, recently raised from $600 to $800 every two weeks, forcing many to seek second and third jobs. John, who is working another job to support himself during the strike, reported that the UMWA has failed to call out multiple mines in the area including Oak Grove and Shoal Creek, and after many months, some pickets have gone to work there or have gone back to work for Warrior Met itself.

In 1982, the UMWA, under the presidency of Richard Trumka, abandoned the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all by introducing the selective strike policy. The UMWA has made no effort to mobilize its membership across Alabama to ensure a victory, let alone across the country. This policy led to the defeats of the strikes at AT Massey in 1985 and Pittston in 1990. Instead, President Cecil Roberts has performed a series of public stunts and toothless protests, including appealing to the Wall Street hedge fund BlackRock, Warrior Mets largest stakeholder.

The miners have been left in the dark about whatever discussions are happening. John reported that the union leadership told members that the contents of negotiation were confidential. Another miner told the WSWS earlier this year, We are being told nothing of what is going on. Only Cecil bragging about being arrested. I think they are thieves themselves, making six-figure salaries while the rank and file gets $300 a week [in strike pay]. He continued, The selective strike stuff makes it much harder for miners. All union mines should be out now. If we were, this would cause real change.

The miners at Warrior Met are above all demanding the reversal of a $6 wage cut and other concessions that the UMWA agreed to in the 2016 contract. As well, there are serious safety concerns and abuses by management.

John reported that he has been fired by Warrior Met multiple times for refusing to work in unsafe conditions. Once, I was working on a belt line. When I arrived at work, the headers on the belt were white with rock dust. When the men spraying rock dust began spraying in a new section, a hole in the hose caused the dust to fill up my station, causing serious visibility problems. I refused to run the belt in that kind of visibility and went up top. The supervisor shouted at me to go back to my station without addressing the visibility issues, and when I refused, I was let go by that supervisor. I phoned in a report to MSHA. Someone from HR called that night and told me to return the next day and do my usual shift.

He reports that another supervisor tried to fire him because he was tasked, along with some others, with putting timber supports into a new section. The section had been taped off with red tape. When the roof began to groan, he and the other miners turned and left the area and the roof collapsed behind them. The supervisor demanded that they go back into the section, but he and the other miners refused to return to the section. The supervisors boss informed the supervisor that he couldnt fire them for this particular incident.

Meanwhile, the use of injunctions as a means of strikebreaking is spreading across the country. In Kentucky, Heaven Hill Distillery won an injunction against 400 striking workers while cutting off their health benefits. John Deere, facing a strike by 10,000 workers across the US, won an injunction at its plant in Davenport, Iowa, banning the use of chairs and barrels, long-time staples on picket lines. There too, the United Auto Workers Local 281 meekly told workers to obey the order.

Temporary Restraining Order, (Source: Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, AL)

Writing about government by injunction, labor historian Irving Bernstein wrote in the Lean Years: A History of the American Worker, 1920-1933: The labor injunction achieved its greatest popularity during the 1920s, with 1,845 orders issued by federal and state courts in the half century 1880-1930, half of them921in the decade 1920-30. This figure takes an added meaning when viewed against the fact that employers faced very few strikes at this time. The number of injunctions issued in the New York City garment trades also concentrated in the twenties, especially the relatively high strike years of 1921 and 1926. By the end of the decade, a union calculating a strike call contended with the strong possibility, if not probability, that a restraining order would be issued.

The intensification of the attack on the coal miners at Warrior Met comes at a critical time in the class struggle, both in the US and internationally. Facing the largest strike movement in the US in generations, the corporations and capitalist state are desperate to stamp out the growing strike wave by every means at their disposalthrough the courts, physical violence, starving workers into submission, and especially through the use of their trade union lackeys.

The lessons of the struggles by other workers across the US are indispensable to the fight by miners in Alabama. They must carefully study the experiences of Dana Inc. auto parts workers, who were forced by the UAW and USW to remain on the job, creating parts and profits for the company, after voting down a contract by over 90 percent. After leaving them isolated for over a month, the unions have succeeded in ramming through a concessionary contract. Similarly, last week the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa called off a strike by 150,000 steel and metal workers just as it was having a powerful impact on the auto industry there.

The key to victory is turning out to these and the thousands of other workers who are currently striking across the US and internationally and uniting in a common struggle to secure high wages, robust benefits, and health and safety measures in the workplace. Such a strategy requires breaking free from the constraints of the UMWA. We urge miners to follow in the footsteps of workers at Dana, John Deere, Volvo Trucks and teachers across the US by forming an independent rank-and-file committee to fight for their demands through the means of class struggle.
On Sunday, October 24, the World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) hosted a webinar, How to end the pandemic, which brought together scientists, teachers, parents and other workers who share a common goal of eliminating COVID-19 worldwide. The event has been viewed by thousands of workers in over 100 countries on every habitable continent.

The event represented the culmination of efforts throughout the pandemic to unite and elevate opposition to the homicidal dictates of the ruling elites. Its success illustrates the extent to which this opposition is developing within the working class. Across the US and internationally, a wave of strikes is burgeoning and workers are increasingly drawing the connection between the drive for profit and the reckless endangerment of their lives and livelihoods.

The comments from American workers below are samples of the widespread support among workers for the October 24 webinar.

Donna, a teacher from Tennessee, participated in the webinar and spoke at length about the insufficiency of limited mitigation measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in schools, while denouncing the herd immunity policies pursued throughout the US South. Donna praised the event afterwards, stating:

The international panel of doctors, scientists, and workers who discussed the state of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday was a glimpse into the future when workers and scientists will work shoulder to shoulder to solve the problems that humanity will face. Workers asked the experts questions that most pertained to their direct experiences on the front lines of the pandemicquestions that governments and the media will never answer because it will reveal the true motives of the homicidal policies that are killing thousands of workers across the globe every day. I am looking forward to more opportunities like the webinar on Sunday to continue to build the partnership between science and the working class in order to build a society built on knowledge and not the drive for profits.

Donna

A Deere worker from Iowa, who is currently on strike alongside over 10,000 of his coworkers, watched the webinar and was struck by its forthright character. He told the WSWS, First time so far Ive seen viable info about COVID and how to deal with it. Ill give you credit on that, it wasnt based on hype or BS.

Further commentary along these lines came from James, a hospitality worker from Massachusetts, who noted the serious and forward-looking perspective of the webinar. He stated, The time has come for a frank discussion on the eradication of COVID-19. I have been employed in the tourism industry on Marthas Vineyard and I was face to face with a ruling class that subordinated the wellness and health of the working class throughout the pandemic to a decadent desire for vacation and self-satisfaction.

At no point has the issue of eradication been raised by the mainstream media, but this is not surprising given their support from pharmaceutical companies who are more interested in their own profit interests rather than a cure. Gathering together top voices in epidemiology and making a case for eradication proves that the Socialist Equality Party has the experience and credibility to provide the political leadership to lead this effort.

Lisa, a nurse in New York City and a member of the New York City Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, offered her support for the meeting alongside a prescient diagnosis of the political situation, stating, The online conference on How to end the pandemic is critical information for working class people worldwide. It is clear to me when listening to the scientists speak that lock-downs of nonessential business, closing schools along with vaccines and boosters, as well as N95 mask use are absolutely necessary to stop COVID in its Delta variant form. We must protect the health and lives of adults and children everywhere.

David North, chairman of the WSWS Editorial Board, made clear that the working class worldwide can stop these needless deaths by mobilizing working people everywhere to carry out this task. I think we should spread this information to working people we know and dont know to stress the urgency to save lives.

There is a very definite link between Deere, Dana autoworkers, Volvo, Kellogg workers fighting against attacks on pay, for an eight-hour day and 40-hour week, nurses fighting for low patient/nurse ratios, teachers and parents fighting to close schools. Our class enemy is the unions, politicians and their corporate, financial elite backers like Gates, Buffett, Blackrock, Carlyle and others that only care about their profits and not human life.

Building Rank-and-File Safety Committees internationally with the courage and energy to fight back is necessary to wipe out COVID and its variants.

Vanessa, a healthcare worker from Ann Arbor, Michigan, also attended the event. She weighed in on the significance of Long COVID and the ineffectiveness of nationally-focused initiatives, stating, There needs to be a global solution. Instead were in the midst of divisions and there is no one coming together to make it a global commitment to end the pandemic.

The scientists were great. They were so clear. Why arent we approaching COVID from this scientific point of view? Im going to push the material from the webinar out and Im going to look at things from a different angle now. It was very informative, one of the very best Ive seen from the WSWS.

Ive heard about Long COVID. A nurse I know at St. Joes Hospital had to fight every step along the way with it. She had a basket of problemsso much fatigue and two years with it. The report [by Dr. Deepti Gurdasani] explained about Long COVID in children and how it can last three months. How lethargic they are. How it is attacking and debilitating young people in their 30s and 40s. We cant brush this under the carpet.

Governments havent addressed this. The fact is before the pandemic we had austerity cuts. In the UK, they disassembled the National Health Service. They eliminated the agency that is supposed to keep up disease-free.

Lisa was spot on, she is ready for the fight. It is appalling that she had to go to such lengths to organize a strike and face the possibility of three months in jail for not sending her children to school. It is very courageous. I have a friend in England with seven children and she has a hard time sending them to school. I told her to keep an eye on Lisa for me. I told her You need to follow Lisa and what shes doing, not what the government is doing. Keep your kids safe.

Vanessa asked, What can you do without resources? But the resources are going to politicians back pockets, when they give out contracts. So much so, the rich are going into space with Captain Kirk, Bezos, Musk, Bransonthey are selling tickets to go to space. They are annihilating the universe with their greed. Now we are threatened with war with China over Taiwan. We have to stop this.

I also liked David OSullivan. You might not think about the taxi drivers, bus drivers, train drivers, but they are putting themselves in harms way all the time. They do it for the greater good. Look at Ann Arbor, Michigan, they just closed three schools because theres no bus drivers, no teachers.

Fauci has done such a disservice to science, just propagandized. He could have done something. Instead weve been given so much propaganda. Weve been in and out of lock-downs, bubbles, etc. I saw all the hardships workers went through during lockdowns. Why not just lock down, eradicate and go back to living?

The WSWS forum was far more instructive, cleared up so much stuff. The relief of clarity! This all makes sense, why arent we following these procedures the scientists outlined? Look at New Zealand, they eliminated it.

Ive long thought we need rank-and-file committees. Especially after I worked at an acute dementia facility. I saw the way the staff were treated. Id never seen such awful conditions, the caretakers and staff came in every day, worked and cared for the residents. Then theyd get fired. It was nonprofit and a church status, so they paid no taxes. But the profits were high. It was criminal.

The WSWS encourages all of our readers who attended the October 24 webinar or have viewed it afterward to send us your comments on the event, which we will publish throughout the week, and get involved in the fight to end the pandemic today!
For a political party, controlling the White House and Congress isn't the picnic it's made out to be. Politicians who find themselves in this treasured position enter office with grand ambitions, even if they control only slim majorities in Congress.

Those ambitions often run into a harsh reality, as the frustrating last few months for the Democrats demonstrate. President Joe Biden has attempted to maneuver a massive domestic agenda through the Democratic Congress, but now heads off to Europe to attend the G20 and COP26 fearing that he might end up with nothing.

The political risks are immense. Other Democratic presidents have learned the perils of failing to move their marquee policies through a Congress controlled by their own party. In 1993, President Bill Clinton gambled big by making health care reform a top priority. Democrats had 57 seats in the Senate and 267 seats in the House -- larger majorities than Biden's Democrats have today.

Despite the fact that Democrats -- with the significant exception of President Lyndon Johnson with Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 -- had been burned when trying to pass national health care insurance, Clinton believed that he could achieve this goal.

Instead of the Canadian-style, single-payer national health insurance proposals that Democrats like President Harry Truman had been championing since the 1940s, Clinton offered a more centrist alternative -- a bold piece of legislation that would have required Americans to purchase some form of health care. First Lady Hillary Clinton headed the task force that devised the plan, along with health care expert Ira Magaziner.

Companies with 5,000 employees or more would be obligated to cover 80% of their workers' insurance while the government would provide subsidies to small businesses, the self-employed and the unemployed to obtain coverage on their own. According to the administration, costs would be controlled; coverage would become universal.

States would establish regional health care alliances in which insurers would be required to sell their coverage. The alliances, predecessors of President Barack Obama's health care exchanges, would encourage managed competition, thereby reducing the cost of premiums. A National Health Care Board would monitor the quality of health care coverage.

President Clinton was initially optimistic. Polls showed that Americans wanted change, and there was bipartisan  as well as corporate  support for bold reform, given skyrocketing costs. The prospects for passage looked good. Even the American Medical Association and the Chamber of Commerce backed an employer mandate and broader coverage.

Clinton was unable to make health care part of the reconciliation process. The administration understood that doing so would have allowed them to move the proposal through the Senate without worrying about the filibuster. Even though there were some Republicans, such as Rhode Island's John Chaffee, supporting reform, avoiding a 60-vote threshold was appealing. But Sen. Robert Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia, rejected the idea. Byrd argued that the health care program didn't fit the criteria of "Byrd's Rule" which prevented passage through reconciliation of policies that were extraneous to the budget.

The rest didn't go well. In the months that followed President Clinton's introduction of the plan, the legislative negotiations were rocky. Small employers rallied against the plan, running ads on television featuring a fictional couple  Harry and Louise  talking about how confusing and frightening the plan seemed to be.

Republicans gradually coalesced against the legislation, turning the proposal into evidence that Clinton was a traditional "tax-and-spend" liberal who wanted to bring socialized medicine to our shores. Bipartisan support slipped away.

Democrats divided, with groups of moderates within the party trying to push for alternatives that weakened support for the administration's original vision. Republican Minority Whip Newt Gingrich accused Clinton of going against "the entire tide of Western history."

By August 1994, the negotiations had collapsed. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell pronounced that the legislation was dead. President Clinton and the Democrats walked away with nothing.

Republicans smelled victory. Gingrich and other Republicans made the health care plan one of the centerpieces of the 1994 midterm campaigns. Critics continued to compare the health care plan to a "Frankenstein" monster and warned about what the president would be able to do should there not be a Republican Congress in place to control him. The strategy worked. Republicans, for the first time since 1954, took control of the House and Senate. Despite all the costs, Democrats had nothing to show for the battle.

President Biden is facing that kind of risk today. Unless Democrats are able to find some kind of substantive legislation that Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema will accept, there is a very real risk of a deal collapsing. If this happens, Democrats once again will face the worst of all worlds. They won't have bold legislation to boast about when speaking to Democratic voters and they will have energized Republicans to attack the threat of big government liberalism going into the midterm campaigns.

This could leave the White House facing a Republican Congress in 2023, but without having the sort of legacy-building legislation that parties count on to strengthen their hold with voters. And unlike in 1996, Biden might be facing a Republican in 2024  possibly former President Donald Trump  who is able to generate much more excitement and enthusiasm than Kansas Sen. Robert Dole could when Clinton ran for reelection.

Unified control of government can be a tricky business. While there are certainly moments like 1933 or 1965 when those conditions allow presidents to transform the relationship between government and citizens, there are others when the internal party divisions become so severe that they only leave behind political wreckage.

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As the world's longest-serving head-of-state, the Queen's skill at wooing world leaders is masterful. Adept in the art of soft diplomacy, she's revered by the other heads-of-state for her hosting skills and ability to avoid offending her guests.

As such, she will be missed by the VIPs gathering in Glasgow for the crucial COP26 climate talks. They surely would have been looking forward to their moment with the ageing monarch, and perhaps a treasured photo. Now that she's canceled her visit on medical advice, her ministers have lost their most valuable diplomat too.

For those still worried about the 95-year-old, the palace has continued to say this week that she is in "good spirits," with sources telling us she was undertaking "light duties" at Windsor. On Thursday, the palace released a snippet from a video call earlier in the day. In the clip, she joked with the 2020 winner of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, David Constantine, who was presented with his medal at Buckingham Palace. "I don't know what you do with it... You put it in a cupboard?" she quipped.

In the Queen's absence, Princes Charles and William will take center stage in Scotland. They will be accompanied by the Duchesses of Cornwall and Cambridge, who have both taken on higher profile and more substantial roles in recent years.

Both Camilla and Kate did their first television news interviews with CNN. Camilla's was on domestic violence in 2017 while Kate found some time to meet us during a royal tour of Pakistan two years later. Both were apprehensive but were determined to make it work.

A great example of how comfortable Camilla has become with her place in the Firm came this week with her biggest -- and arguably most impressive -- speech yet. The Duchess of Cornwall gave an impassioned address at a reception ahead of the Shameless! Festival in London next month, which plans to bring art and activism together to combat attitudes towards sexual violence.

"This country has been appalled and saddened by the loss of women to violence this year. On average, one woman is killed by a man every three days," Camilla said. "Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Wenjing Lin, Geetika Goyal and Bennylyn Burke are names which, with all the others, must never be forgotten."

She continued: "We do not, in any way, hold all men responsible for sexual violence. But we do need them all aboard to tackle it. After all, rapists are not born, they are constructed. And it takes an entire community -- male and female -- to dismantle the lies, words and actions that foster a culture in which sexual assault is seen as normal, and in which it shames the victim."

It was a speech that tapped into how many women in Britain are feeling amid a nationwide reckoning over an epidemic of violence against women and girls here.

Kate too has been refining the causes she's passionate about, whether it's her focus on early childhood or backing of mental health campaigns, like recently with one she hopes will reframe addiction.

How have they done it? Well, in part, they've just bitten the bullet embracing that old World War II motivational mantra of "Keep calm and carry on." But they're also becoming experts in their chosen areas of interest.

Next week, both women will face their biggest diplomatic test to date at what is set to be the largest gathering of world leaders ever in the UK. It isn't about them, it's about the big names they will now be hosting in the absence of Her Majesty.

Nobody expects the duchesses to do anything other than excel, but will they be able to demonstrate that the UK can still retain its diplomatic power without the true star of the show?

Camilla and Kate don't need to show they are as good as the Queen (that's on both their husbands as heir to the throne and next in line who need to show they have the potential for when the time comes). This is the royal long game and COP26 is one of those moments where royalty proves its value to the UK -- which is why all four are so committed to the event.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Charles and Camilla have a very busy month ahead.

The Prince of Wales and his wife are headed to Jordan and Egypt next month. The pair will undertake a four-day trip from November 16 at the request of the British government, Clarence House announced this week. "The tour will showcase these strong bilateral relationships, with a focus particularly on addressing the climate crisis," Charles' office said. It added that the pair will explore how to realize commitments following the conclusion of the UN climate talks in Glasgow.

The first stop on the overseas tour is Jordan where they'll be received by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania to mark the country's centenary. Charles and Camilla have visited Jordan before (in 2015 and 2013 respectively). "The Prince will focus on environmental issues, inter-faith dialogue, heritage preservation and the creation of jobs and opportunities for young people. The Duchess will continue her commitment to supporting women, as well as girls' education," according to Clarence House.

They will then travel on to Egypt where they will meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his wife, Entissar Amer al-Sisi, as well as the Grand Imam of al-Azhar. Clarence House said engagements planned in the country will allow the pair to "celebrate Egypt's ancient culture and spiritual significance, while also looking ahead to modern Egypt, embracing a greener future."

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

US judge sets deadline for evidence in Andrew sex assault case.

Prince Andrew has until July next year to answer questions under oath in the civil sexual assault case against him. Judge Lewis A Kaplan set a July 14 deadline for the submission of all evidence including a potential deposition from the Duke of York, according to a US court document dated October 25. The ruling means that it's possible Andrew's legal issues could cast a shadow over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations which are set to take place next June. The duke's accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, alleges she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and forced to perform sex acts with the royal on multiple occasions while still a minor under US law. Andrew, 61, has repeatedly denied the claims. Read more.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Prince Charles is caught in deep conversation with Oscar-winning actor Judi Dench at a reception hosted by his wife Camilla for her online reading club initiative. During the pandemic, Camilla shared her favorite books in a series of lists. The recommendations were so popular that the duchess launched "The Reading Room," which continues to offer suggestions in addition to chats with authors and an online community for book lovers to connect.

DID YOU KNOW?

The UK government is rolling out the red carpet to welcome world leaders in Scotland and deploying several senior royals to deliver a dose of their soft power and support the country's interests.

But back in the day, one of the "best examples of soft power that Britain has possessed" was the late Princess Diana, journalist Richard Kay said in CNN's new series "Diana." Have a watch of a clip below and don't forget new episodes air Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.

POSTCARDS FROM ROYALS AROUND THE GLOBE

Japanese royal's years-long wait to walk up the aisle is over.

Princess Mako, the Japanese emperor's niece, finally tied the knot with her commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro on Tuesday. When a princess marries a non-royal, Japan's strict imperial law stipulates that she must relinquish her royal status. Mako's departure from the family and plans to relocate to New York where her new husband works at a law firm have drawn comparisons from many to the Sussexes. But those comparisons are pretty hollow. We wrote about it in a special edition earlier this week. (Side note: If you have time, please let us know what you think about our experiment with occasional sends on big stories from other royal families. We want to make sure we're developing the Royal News you want to read and really do value your input. Hit us up on royalnews@cnn.com. And a big thank you to those who've already written in!)

Beatrice and Eugenie attend Greek royal wedding.

Seems like wedding bells are in the air as the Japanese nuptials weren't the only royal celebrations this week. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were spotted in Athens at the ceremony of Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark and his bride Nina Flohr over the weekend. Beatrice was all smiles as she and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi stopped on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens to wave to well-wishers. It was her first appearance since giving birth to daughter Sienna Elizabeth on September 18. The lavish affair saw a throng of European royals descend upon the event including Queen Sofia of Spain.

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SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. (WTHI) - Students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College got a chance to practice responding to disasters.

The mock disaster helped senior nursing students visualize what could happen when they're out on the job. The drill displayed the aftermath of a wind storm and debris falling into a group of spectators at a sporting event. Actors layed in the grass and in the woods. The nursing students had to come and assess their injuries. The nursing instructor says it's important to practice these emergency situations.

"Experience in a safe environment what could be a very tense and stressful situation and also use all the skills they've developed in nursing so far, triaging patients treating patients so it's kind of an exciting event for these students," says nursing instructor Andy Delnat.

The Vigo County Emergency Management Agency also attended the event.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A local man says the Vigo County Health Department's actions have violated his right to free speech. With the help of the ACLU - he is suing the health department.

Doug Springer, from Vigo County, filed a federal civil lawsuit. His allegations stem from social media.

Springer claims the health department violated his rights by banning him from the department's Facebook page.

Springer says in January, he commented on a health department post involving COVID-19 cases in the county. It's an action he claims got him banned.

Springer said he reacted to a Facebook post from the department, writing that positive COVID-19 test results aren't the same as cases of sick patients.

According to court documents - the Vigo County Health Department posted this graphic on January 27 of this year.

Court documents say, Springer, to the best of his recollection, posted the following:

"They are NOT cases; they are positive test results and the majority of them will never get sick from the virus. The very fact that the number of positives without accompanying illness is so high shows that the virus is much less dangerous than it is being portrayed."

When the health department banned him from the page - it hid his previous comments from public view. It also continues to ban him from making new comments.

The lawsuit claims the actions from the Vigo County Health Department violate Springer's rights under the First Amendment. It goes on to say the department's actions represent improper viewpoint-based discrimination.

He's asking to be unbanned from the health department's Facebook page and for all of his comments to be restored.

News 10 reached out to Vigo County Health Department Administrator Joni Wise. She told us she had no comment about the pending litigation.

We also reached out to the three county commissioners and county health commissioner via email. We asked a series of questions about social media policies and the removal of comments. So far, we have not received responses.
PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Indiana State Police says they've taken nearly a quarter of a million dollars worth of fentanyl off the streets following a Putnam County traffic stop.

Police pulled over 40-year-old Polo Huereca-Rivera, of Oklahoma City just before noon on Friday. They said he was following another vehicle too closely and had improper brake lights.

According to police, Huereca-Rivera was showing 'criminal indicators.' He reportedly told police they could search his pick-up truck. During that search, troopers said they found 12 pounds of fentanyl.

The estimated street value of that much fentanyl is $250,000.

Huereca-Rivera was arrested and charged with:
VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Police said an Illinois man is behind bars following a high-speed chase in Vermillion County.

It started around 1:00 Thursday afternoon at State Road 63 and County Road 1250 South.

Indiana State Police says a trooper saw a vehicle going around 96 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Police said the driver, later identified as Caleb Trotter, 21, from Champaign, refused to pull over.

During the chase, Trotter allegedly hit speeds of 120 mph.

Police were able to get ahead of Trotter and place stop sticks in the road, causing his front two tires to go flat. Police said he continued with the flat tires, only stopping when he crashed into a Vermillion County Deputy's patrol car.

Trotter allegedly tried to run from the crashed vehicle. Police were able to catch him, placing him under arrest.

He was charged with:
TERRE HAUTE, Ind (WTHI) - The Vigo County School Corporation has announced a series of community meetings to discuss the high school facilities project.

The meetings will seek feedback on the best way to move forward with the project.

The first of the meetings will start next week, November 2, 2021.



They are:
WABASH VALLEY, Ill. (WTHI) - The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs is working to raise the spirits of veterans in the state.

It's all part of "Operation: Rising Spirit."

The department created the program last year as a way to help cheer veterans up during the pandemic.

Here's where you come in.

You can write a short letter or note of appreciation for veterans, and there's no reason to procrastinate. All you have to do is go to this link!
Notifications of various safeguard (SG) actions received since the committee's April 2021 meeting regarding 32 products were reviewed and a number of general issues were raised at the meeting, which was chaired by Ms Mary Lisa Madell (United Kingdom).

Japan, China and Australia reiterated general concern about the large number of safeguard actions taken, while the United States underlined the importance of transparency in legislative notifications. In comments on the safeguard actions reviewed, several members raised concerns about the impact of safeguards on global trade and supply chains and the importance of strictly adhering to WTO disciplines on the use of safeguards. They recalled that this instrument was intended to address emergency situations.

Under the WTO rules, a member may apply measures to imports of a product temporarily (take safeguard actions) through higher tariffs or other measures if it determines through an investigation that increased imports of a product are causing or threatening to cause serious injury to its domestic industry. Unlike anti-dumping duties, safeguard measures cover imports from all sources, although imports from developing country members with a small share of imports are exempted through special and differential treatment provisions.

Review of legislative notifications

The committee reviewed notifications of new or amended SG legislation or regulations from India, Mongolia and the United Kingdom and continued its review of the legislative notifications of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

Specific notification of safeguard actions

Notifications of various safeguard actions from the following members were reviewed by the committee: Costa Rica; the European Union; the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); India; Indonesia (two investigations); Madagascar (two investigations); Morocco (four investigations); the Philippines (five investigations); South Africa (two investigations); Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey (three investigations); Ukraine (six investigations); the United Kingdom; and the United States.

Six members took the floor in respect of the European Union's decision to extend its safeguard measure on certain steel products.

Six members took the floor in respect of the United Kingdom's decision to extend its safeguard measure on certain steel products.

Members welcomed the following decisions to terminate safeguard investigations without the imposition of final measures: the GCC (on certain steel products); India (on solar cells); the Philippines (on motor vehicles, on aluminium zinc sheets and coils, on prepainted galvanized iron and on galvanized iron sheets, coils and strips); South Africa (on sections of iron or non-alloy steel); Thailand (on aluminium foil); and Ukraine (on ceramic tiles and on wires).

Observations by the European Union

The European Union asked for a specific agenda item to make its observations on the investigation by Ukraine on wire and cables, the investigation by Indonesia on articles of apparel and clothing accessories and the investigation by Indonesia on cigarette paper. Ukraine and Indonesia took note of the observations of the European Union and offered their views.

Requests under Article 13.1 of the Safeguards Agreement

The request made by the European Union pursuant to Article 13.1 (e) of the Safeguards Agreement as well as the request made by Ecuador pursuant to Article 13.1 (b) of the Safeguards Agreement were taken up. Members had various comments on the draft documents submitted by the chair on each request, and the chair suggested that the members continue discussing these two requests.

Possible revision to the safeguards notification format

The committee had another round of discussions on Brazil's proposal regarding certain revisions of the notification format. The chair suggested that members continue discussing this proposal.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee on Safeguards is provisionally scheduled for the week of 25 April 2022.

More background on safeguards is available here.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  The Alabama Legislature has begun drawing the states legislative, school board and congressional districts, although many expect the issue will ultimately be headed for federal court.

Lawmakers convened Thursday for the special session.

Committees are scheduled to vote on the proposed maps Friday.

However, many expect the issue will ultimately be headed for federal court.

There is already an existing lawsuit arguing that the state, which has a population that is about 26% Black, should have a second congressional district with a significant African American population.
MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WTVA) - Information has been released about a collision that seriously injured a pedestrian in Colbert County, Alabama.

The crash happened on Saturday, Oct. 23 at approximately 9:35 a.m. on Old Highway 20.

Thats about three miles east of Muscle Shoals.

According to a news release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), a car collided with a pedestrian.

The pedestrian, 41-year-old William Douglas Jr. of Hartselle, was exiting a delivery truck.

He was taken to the hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi.

A 49-year-old man from Leighton was driving the car.

The news release did not list any criminal charges.

Troopers continue to investigate.
The post Ice Cube Exits Upcoming Film Oh Hell No After Declining COVID-19 Vaccine appeared first on Consequence.

Ice Cube has dropped out of the upcoming Sony comedy Oh Nell No after declining to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 52-year-old rapper-turned-actor exited the project after producers said the full cast would need to be vaccinated. In doing so, Ice Cube walked away from a $9 million pay day.

Production on the film, which co-stars Jack Black, has been postponed as the studio looks for a replacement. Kiato Sakuari (Bad Trip) is on board as director.

Ice Cube has yet to publicly comment on his decision to leave Oh Hell No, or why he is not getting vaccinated. In the past, however, he has been a proponent of mask wearing. In April 2020, he released Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self t-shirt featuring an image of himself wearing a mask, with proceeds benefiting frontline health workers. He also donated 2,000 face masks to Bacone College in Oklahoma.

Consequence has reached out to Ice Cubes representatives for comment.

Ice Cube Exits Upcoming Film Oh Hell No After Declining COVID-19 Vaccine

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Learn about Canada's bats, and how you can support them

Of the world's 1,400 bat species, 19 have been documented in Canada and three of them - the little brown bat, the northern long-eared bat, and the tri-coloured bat - are endangered.

Over the past fifteen years, bat populations nationwide have been in decline due to white-nose syndrome, a devastating sickness that affects hibernating bats.

"When I reflect on Atlantic, Canada, in particular, of the seven bat species that are here, three of those are affected by white-nose syndrome, because they hibernate underground," says Jared Tomie, an ecologist at Cape Breton Islands National Park.

"In these sort of dark, damp, humid environments, that's where the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome thrives."

Tomie spoke to The Weather Network earlier this week in support of Bat Week, an annual initiative highlighting the importance of bats.

WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME CAN HARM BATS IN MULTIPLE WAYS

There are a few ways white-nose syndrome can impact bats, Tomie explains. The disease can make hibernating bats wake up more frequently, sending them out into the wild for food and putting them at risk of starvation or dehydration.

Those that survive the winter with the syndrome may suffer tissue damage because of it.

If bats contract the disease while hibernating and their immune is suppressed they could experience an intense and potentially harmful immune response upon awakening in spring, when their defences come back at full force.

"There's kind of many layers to how it works, but it's quite devastating, overall," he says.

Researchers are working on treatments for white-nose syndrome, but nothing is being tested on a widescale basis just yet.

Parks Canada - bat

A northern long-eared myotis (Parks Canada/Jordi Segers)

BATS HELP FARMERS

Bats are beneficial to the ecosystem, eating up insects that can damage crops. In the U.S., the number of insects bats consume equates to roughly $3.7 billion worth of pest control each year, the National Park Service estimates. With fewer insects around to dine on crops, farmers can use fewer pesticides.

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SUPPORTING BATS

One way to support bats is by setting up a bat box, which creates a safe roosting habitat away from buildings and attics.

If you're in Atlantic Canada, [ecologists are collecting reports on bat sightings](http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/bat_health_regional_outlook.php#:~:text=For%20any%20bat%2Drelated%20questions,434%2DBATS%20(2287), which can be called in using the number 1-833-434-BATS (2287). Be sure to make note of the date, time, and location of the sighting as well as any identifying characteristics of the bat.
As Season 2 of HBO Maxs Love Life got underway, Marcus Watkins comfortably navigated the world projecting the facade of a cool, laid-back dude. And then a funny thing happened. He got to know a woman named Mia, and suddenly his mask fell away.

But lifes gonna life. And at the time Marcus (played by The Good Places William Jackson Harper) met Mia (2 Dope Queens Jessica Williams), he was married to Emily (Utopias Maya Kazan), making those sparks he shared with the attractive woman from the wedding they attended  the one who wasnt his wife  super complicated.

More from TVLine

Upping the ante on those aforementioned complications is the fact that Mia is Black and Emily is white. And when Marcus and Mia started texting (like, a lot), Marcus started making fun of Emilys white fragility and ignorance when it came to Black culture. Marcus also began spending more and more time with Mia, even though he was spoken for and she had a boyfriend. When Marcus was around Mia, he could be himself and share cultural jokes and observations with her he didnt share with his wife. And before he knew it, Marcus was having an emotional and intellectual affair.

Love Life, Marcus and Emily

Thankfully, the writers didnt make Emily a trope or a fool; she knew something was askew the moment she and Marcus got home from that wedding. This is why she innocently but astutely asked Marcus who the pretty woman in the red dress was that he was talking to outside.

Things got wacky at work, too, when Marcus, an editor, tried to land a young and promising writer with an edgy manuscript. The author, Trae (Loves Jordan Rock), was a piece of work, and upon coming to Marcus office he immediately began questioning the editors Blackness. At first, Marcus rightly dismissed Traes harsh criticism. But when Trae said Marcus was an Obama among white people, the safe and cool comparison chilled him to his core and he decided to test out what Trae said  using Emily as his litmus test.

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Marcus asked Emily who he reminded her of, and the moment his wife said the former POTUS name, Marcus realized there was some truth to the words Trae hurled at him. He also realized Emily that really didnt know him at all. But whos fault is that?

Love Life, Marcus Watkins

On the one hand, you could say Emily should have known which comparison would trigger Marcus distrust of her. On the other hand, if Marcus only presented a well-honed persona to her instead of his authentic self, how was Emily supposed to know? (Not to mention the fact that if he wanted to be with Emily, really wanted to be with her, he wouldve educated her about the Black experience, or at least his Black experience. Thats only fair, right?)

By episodes end, Marcus nearly got physically intimate with Mia, but his conscience got the better of him. The next morning, he tried to see Mia again, but her boyfriend was back in town. Marcus went home feeling dejected, but his problems had just begun. A tearful Emily had discovered his countless text messages to Mia on his synced-up iPad, and their marriage was over.

What did you think of the Season 2 premiere of HBO Maxs Love Life? Grade the opener in our poll and drop your thoughts in the comments.

Best of TVLine
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Friday declined to block a vaccine mandate for health care workers in Maine over objections that it doesn't include a religious exemption, the latest example of the high court steering clear of the issue.

The suit focused specifically on the lack of a religious exemption. The court's ruling, which came over the objection of three of its conservatives, allows the state requirement to remain in place while litigation continues.

In a concurring opinion, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted the court has "discretionary judgment" about whether to take an emergency appeal like the Maine case. Without that, she wrote, "applicants could use the emergency docket to force the court" to give a "merits preview in cases" on a "short fuse." The court's emergency docket has come under considerable criticism in recent weeks for doing exactly that.

"In my view, this discretionary consideration counsels against a grant of extraordinary relief in this case, which is the first to address the questions presented," Barrett wrote in an opinion joined by Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, announced in August that the state would require health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs. While the state includes a medical exemption for employees it removed the ability of workers to opt out of the vaccine requirement by citing religious objections.

The Supreme Court had previously quickly rejected challenges to vaccine mandates brought by students at Indiana University as well as teachers in New York City. But neither of those cases dealt with the religious component because the mandates at issue in those other cases included a religious exemption.

Indiana: Supreme Court declines IU students' request to block vaccine mandate

NYC: Supreme Court declines to block New York City's vaccine mandate for teachers

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Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, in a dissent joined by Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, said he would have blocked the mandate.

"This case presents an important constitutional question, a serious error, and an irreparable injury," Gorsuch wrote. "Where many other states have adopted religious exemptions, Maine has charted a different course. There, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered. All for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs. Their plight is worthy of our attention."

The Supreme Court is seen at dusk in Washington, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.

The courts conservative majority has looked favorably on religious freedom claims in the past, including in the context of the pandemic. In a series of rulings earlier this year, the court shot down government restrictions on indoor gatherings that limited the number of people who could worship inside churches and synagogues.

Maines requirement took effect Friday. Its not clear how many health care workers are opposed to the requirement.

"Our nation is at a seminal crossroad whereby only this court can provide the necessary relief to prevent an onslaught of religious discrimination throughout the republic," an attorney for the health care workers told the court.

A federal district court rejected the workers request and a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit let that ruling stand.

The Supreme Court's emergency docket  which more recently has been referred to as its shadow docket  is where litigants come for quick action, usually to temporarily block enforcement of a law while courts continue to consider the merits of the challenger's arguments.

Unlike the merits docket, the high court doesn't hear oral arguments about emergency requests and its opinions  if it issues them at all  are usually far less thorough. But the outcomes can nevertheless have major implications.

In a shadow docket case this fall, the court allowed Texas' ban on abortions after six weeks to stand. In the weeks before that, it unwound President Joe Bidens eviction moratorium and required the administration to keep migrants seeking asylum in Mexico.

But the court has made a number of unusual moves since then, which some have read as responding to the criticism. That includes moving the Texas abortion case to the merits docket so that the justices could hear arguments in the case Monday. The court also shifted the emergency case of a death row inmate seeking religious exercise rights in the execution chamber to its regular docket last month.

Arguments in that case are set for Nov. 9.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court: Maine may mandate COVID-19 vaccine for health workers
Law enforcement leaders praised Hartford and Norwich police officers for their vigilance and professionalism after the two cops escaped targeted gunfire and helped arrest suspects in separate incidents Monday and Tuesday.

What shouldnt be lost here, Brian Foley, an aide to public safety Commissioner James Rovella, said Wednesday, is that both armed, violent suspects were taken into custody safely by police. This speaks volumes of the professionalism of police officers in Connecticut and the heroism of these officers who were trying to help.

The vigilance thats required by police officers always is in play, and is a large part of why these officers were able to survive, East Hartford police spokesman Lt. Josh Litwin said. Its a reminder to everyone of the dangers of this job.

Law enforcement across the nation has become more dangerous. This year through September, 59 officers have been killed in the line of duty, a 51% increase over the same period last year, according to the FBI. Last year, 60,105 law enforcement officers were assaulted on duty, 4,071 more than the previous year, the agency reported.

Manchester police Lt. John Rossetti, head of the local union, attributed the heightened danger to societal changes.

Its a sad state of affairs our society is in, Rossetti said, and I cant help but think its the overall lawlessness and lack of respect for policing as a profession created by the false narratives that politicians continued to project in furtherance of their political agendas.

Our communities are not safer, Rossetti said, and we can look to our local leaders as being responsible.

The incident in Hartford began on Monday at 1:30 a.m. The officer was in her marked cruiser in a Main Street parking lot when a man approached. Believing he was intoxicated or in need of medical help, the officer requested an ambulance. The man, later identified as Jose Cajigas, 31, suddenly drew a pistol and fired through the drivers side window of the cruiser  narrowly missing the officer but shattering glass into her face, police said.

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The officer pulled the car forward while the man ran, but she kept eyes on him and directed other responding officers, who captured Cajigas nearby and recovered the firearm he used, police said.

In Norwich on Tuesday at about 10 p.m., an officer was responding to a report of shots fired when he spotted a man carrying a rifle. A suspect later identified as Andrew OLone, 28, fired at the officer, striking the cruiser with several rounds, police said. The officer returned fire, police said, but no one was shot.

The type of point-blank gun attack that police in Hartford and Norwich described is not as prevalent as other kinds of assaults, according to FBI figures.

In 2019, of the 56,034 officers assaulted on duty, 30.7% were injured. The largest percentage of officer-victims (30.4%) were assaulted while responding to disturbance calls. Assailants used hands and feet as weapons in 79.3% of the incidents, firearms in 3.8% of incidents and knives or other cutting instruments in 1.9% of the incidents, the agency reported.

Noting that police officers have been killed in ambush attacks throughout the nation, Glastonbury police spokesman Lt. Corey Davis said, We train our officers always to be vigilant.

The deadliest attack on law enforcement officers since Sept. 11, 2001 happened on July 7, 2016 in Dallas when a gunman opened fire on officers working at a protest focused on recent killings by police of Black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. The attacker killed five officers and wounded nine others and two civilians before police killed him with a robot-delivered bomb.

Police in Hartford and Norwich have not disclosed possible motives for the recent shootings. Such events, Foley noted, can be traumatic for affected officers.

Both Hartford and Norwich have strong employee assistance programs for officer wellness, he said. I hope they both take advantage of them.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com
In a series of meetings in the fall of 2020, Trump administration officials convened to decide whether a pharmaceutical company they had helped fund and support would be able to deliver what it had promised  Covid-19 vaccine doses for the U.S. and the world.

More than 500,000 people worldwide had died from the virus and the administration was under increasing pressure to find a suitable source of inoculation  and quickly. But one of its top vaccine candidates, Maryland-based Novavax, was reporting data that indicated the company was struggling to find a way to consistently manufacture a high-quality shot. And it did not yet have tests that could determine the levels of purity within each tranche.

It was a total mess, one person with direct knowledge of Novavaxs production process said of the situation, expressing a view that at least two other people who attended the meetings shared. This account is based on the recollections of those people, along with five current and former senior officials, four of whom requested anonymity to disclose internal deliberations.

The U.S. had bet big on Novavax. In July 2020, the Trump administration announced it would invest $1.6 billion over time to help the company build up its manufacturing and deliver 100 million doses by the end of 2020  more than any other investment in a Covid-19 vaccine maker up to that time. Unlike the other vaccines commissioned by the federal government, such as new messenger RNA technology used by Pfizer and Moderna, officials believed the Novavax shot could help not only the U.S., but the farthest reaches of the world. The vaccine did not require freezer storage and thus would be easier to ship to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

But the quality and manufacturing problems Novavax faced appeared to be significant. A select group of officials working with the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed on scaling U.S. manufacturing pressed the leader of their team, Moncef Slaoui, to reconsider whether to support the company. They wanted the administration to focus instead on helping to build capacity at other companies that had more experience. But Slaoui, along with other Covid-19 vaccine officials, was adamant Novavax would deliver. Slaoui, the former scientific director of Covid-19 vaccine development efforts at Operation Warp Speed, confirmed his steadfast support for Novavax in an interview with POLITICO.

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"The reason we selected Novavax is because it had accumulated significant experience in ... making a recombinant protein vaccine against a virus that has a lot of similarities to Covid-19 virus, Slaoui said, referring to the companys ongoing efforts to develop a flu vaccine. We knew that recombinant protein was going to be less fast than the other technologies because you have to make the protein in the appropriate structure. And it's very complex to do.

Operation Warp Speed officials believed that the mRNA vaccines being produced by Pfizer and Moderna could come more quickly, providing protection to U.S. citizens in controlled settings where the need for freezers could be accommodated, and then Novavax could provide an easier-to-handle vaccine to export to other countries. With that in mind, Operation Warp Speed continued to fund and support Novavax's manufacturing over the next six months with the encouragement of top Trump officials from multiple agencies  despite clear warnings that the company had yet to solve core problems, according to five of the people who spoke to POLITICO for this story, including two former officials.



Novavax during that same period pursued deals with multiple countries and international organizations, including the Serum Institute of India and the World Health Organization, to begin distributing its vaccine across the world by the end of 2021. Novavax has pledged 1.35 billion doses to the world, along with the 100 million it promised the U.S.

Yet in the year since then, it's failed to successfully deliver a single dose  leaving the world's neediest countries in limbo as it tries to convince regulators it can consistently produce a high-quality shot.

The delays have posed a serious challenge to American and international officials plans to vaccinate the world. With at least five billion doses still needed to meet global demand, the Biden administration has sought new ways to plug the gap in the coming year.

Pfizer is now expected to supply an additional 1 billion doses to lower and middle-income countries. But Moderna has so far balked at expanding production to aid the rest of the world. AstraZenecas vaccine is still not approved for use in the U.S. and the Biden administration has yet to release millions of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca shots that are going unused in this country.

On Wednesday, Novavax announced that it had completed its filing for emergency use authorization in the United Kingdom, though it is still unclear whether the countrys regulatory body has formally accepted the submission  a signal that would show it believes the companys filing is complete and ready for review.

Britains regulatory body has acknowledged receipt of the application that we submitted electronically, Alison Chartan, a spokesperson for Novavax, told POLITICO in an email.

The company has said publicly that it plans on finishing its filings for Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and has submitted applications with the World Health Organization and India, where its massive manufacturing partner Serum Institute is based.

"You don't file for emergency use approval if you haven't solved all of your manufacturing issues. So we feel that the filing today, and the other regulatory agencies this week, should largely put to bed any of those concerns," Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told Yahoo! Finance on Wednesday.

Still, Novavax faces significant roadblocks in the U.S., where it has said it plans to submit an application for emergency use authorization by the end of the year. As of earlier this month, the company had not been able to prove to the Food and Drug Administration that it can consistently produce a shot that meets the agencys standards and that its tests can successfully determine the vaccines purity levels, according to the three people with direct knowledge of the companys interactions.

In a previous statement to POLITICO, Novavax Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Silvia Taylor said the companys analytical testing methods had been validated  but did not answer questions about whether the FDA had signed off on them.

The vaccine development and regulatory submission processes are highly complex and often require years to advance to the point where we are now. We will fulfill all of our committed doses both in the U.S. and globally, Taylor told POLITICO.

Novavax declined to respond to a series of questions for this article. The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.

Whatever the FDA, viewed internationally as the gold standard, decides about Novavaxs manufacturing quality control and analytics could have an impact on its ability to produce doses for Americans and potentially for other countries across the world.

Meanwhile, the global vaccination campaign is falling further behind schedule. When the World Health Organization and several international groups formed COVAX last April, it aimed to serve as a powerful advocate for dozens of low-income countries that were wracked by Covid-19 yet lacked the resources to quickly develop their own vaccines or compete for scarce doses. Instead, it has struggled to secure the commitments from richer countries needed to quickly vaccinate the world. In nations like India, export bans have kept hundreds of millions of promised Covid-19 doses from reaching COVAX.

That makes the wait for Novavax all the more urgent.

One of the virtues of this technology conceivably would be that you could produce this on a very large scale ... places that could conceivably make billions of doses a year, said Robert Kadlec, the Trump administrations assistant health secretary for preparedness and response. The real issue here is in light of the global need, which to me is very immediate and urgent ... if you can get this Novavax thing to work, it certainly would potentially be able to utilize a very large capacity that exists globally that could meet the demands.

The company in February pledged 1.1 billion doses to COVAX, though multiple people with knowledge of the matter said they do not expect the company to be ready to ship the majority of those doses until the end of 2022. As of September, the Kaiser Family Foundation calculated that just 2 percent of people across low-income countries and 30 percent of those in lower middle-income countries were at least partially vaccinated. Among high-income nations, that figure was 65 percent.

By exclusive reliance on new technologies and innovation, we left the whole southern hemisphere bereft of a vaccine, concluded Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Everybody focused on innovation and speed to the clinic without due consideration of, do we have a vaccine that we can actually make for nine billion people?

Early Warnings

By the spring of 2020, the U.S. was still in the early stages of the pandemic. More than 5 million people had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and 100,000 had died as of the end of May. The country was still experiencing massive upticks in cases as superspreader events led to increased transmission of the virus. With more surges likely on the horizon, senior officials working on Operation Warp Speed were scrambling for a breakthrough that would spare the world the agonies of disease and death, and the economic devastation of repeated lockdowns.

Slaoui tapped Matt Hepburn, a former Department of Defense official and an epidemiology specialist, to oversee the vaccine development process.

Led by Hepburn and Slaoui, Operation Warp Speed fixated on three different options  a vaccine that relied on messenger RNA, an unproven but quickly produced technology that required the U.S. to stand up new manufacturing lines; a vaccine that relied on a biological process of altered viruses that had been used for decades; and a vaccine that used animal cells to produce key proteins needed to fight the virus, also long used by scientists. The third option  known as a recombinant nanoparticle vaccine  was particularly appealing to officials because if one of the mRNA vaccines failed it was likely the other would, too, creating a need for diverse approaches.

We based our decisions on selecting platform technologies that we thought would be best likely to be inducing an effective immune response, be industrialized, be safe enough, and be fast enough ... so as to meet the objective of having vaccines by the end of the year, Slaoui said.

Novavaxs vaccine technology works by infecting insect cells with a virus that instructs the cells to pump out a key spike protein to fight the coronavirus "just like it would be found in nature, and lots of it, Novavax Research and Development President Gregory Glenn told POLITICO in April. That is the reason the government and everybody else was interested in that for Covid. The concept of a recombinant vaccine has been around for a while. The vaccine also uses what is called an Matrix-M adjuvant, a valuable component of vaccine development that provides multiple immune system enhancements.

The companys Covid-19 vaccine was one of two recombinant vaccine candidates the U.S. government invested in, along with an option produced by the international drug makers Sanofi and GlaxosmithKline that the manufacturers ditched last fall because of middling results, later redesigning it and rebooting trials this year.

Novavax had relationships with health officials in the Trump administration who had earlier worked to help the company develop its flu shot. In 2011, the company won an HHS contract to develop the shot valued up to $179 million. The shot has yet to make its way to market.

Slaoui, then-CDC Director Robert Redfield, Covid-19 Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx and Kadlec led the push to support the company in part because it could provide a large tranche of doses to ship to places like Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which they recognized would quickly become the key to defeating Covid-19. International officials were already pleading with wealthier Western countries not to hoard doses and to help COVAX, which was founded in April 2020 in response to the pandemic.

But while Novavaxs technology was familiar to many scientists, they also knew it could be difficult to scale. The vaccines manufacturing requires a complex and stable configuration of proteins that can be difficult to produce on a consistent basis, and Novavax had never before brought a vaccine to market.

Novavaxs inexperience prompted immediate skepticism among some Operation Warp Speed officials, who as early as June 2020 voiced concerns about Novavaxs ability to build up its manufacturing process and produce a quality vaccine on a consistent basis  a benchmark the company had to meet before gaining authorization from the FDA.

They saw a company struggling with the complex process for creating a recombinant protein with no track record to rely on. On top of that, Novavax would have to move at a rapid pace to satisfy the governments demands.

Despite those early warning signs, Operation Warp Speed moved ahead in July 2020, granting $1.6 billion dollars to the company to develop its shot. It came with a tight deadline: Novavax promised to ship 100 million doses by January 2021. The Department of Defense also awarded the company $60 million to help Novavax manufacture 10 million doses in 2020. In total, it was the largest federal government investment until Moderna eventually obtained more than $6 billion to develop its mRNA vaccine.

The funding came at a crucial moment for Novavax. A string of setbacks, including most recently a failed vaccine for a respiratory virus highly contagious in children, had left the company in weakened financial straits. It had sold off manufacturing facilities  a deal that included parting with more than a quarter of its workforce. At one point in 2019, Novavax's stock traded as low as 36 cents.

Novavaxs failure to deliver its vaccine damaged the companys reputation in the scientific and medical communities. Despite those blows, however, Operation Warp Speed leaders reasoned that the U.S. needed Novavaxs recombinant protein technology to diversify its vaccine candidate portfolio.

When we selected [Novavax], we knew this was going to be a harder road, said Slaoui. We knew the [manufacturing] challenges were many. But we had to go that way because maybe the messenger RNA [technology used by Pfizer and Moderna] would not work.

Still, Novavax needed to rebuild its manufacturing operations and beef up its teams almost entirely from scratch. In early 2020, Novavax began working with a U.S. manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions in Baltimore, to produce its vaccine.

Emergents Bayview facility, next to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus, is near Novavaxs headquarters. Emergent had manufactured vaccines previously, such as for anthrax, but had received numerous inspection citations from the FDA for cleanliness issues and inadequate personnel training.

Now it was working with Johnson & Johnson on its vaccine but was in talks to accommodate Novavax as well. The partnership made sense. Emergent had already helped Novavax produce shots for its early clinical trials.

But in June 2020, the Trump administration stepped in to reserve Emergents remaining factory capacity  roughly half its space  to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine instead, ending Novavaxs chances to produce with its Maryland neighbor. Former officials told POLITICO that they wanted both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson operations under one roof because they used the same kind of manufacturing technology. (Roughly a year later, Emergent accidentally botched 15 million Jounson & Johnson doses by mixing its drug substance with AstraZenecas. The complications stalled production at Emergent for several months.)

Novavax had already produced doses with Emergent and the switch from the Baltimore facility forced the company to once again restructure its manufacturing process with new contractors. The administration instead decided to partner Novavax with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, which had campuses in North Carolina, Texas and the United Kingdom.

"There were two challenges with Novavax, Kadlec said. One is that the company was without an established large-scale manufacturing capacity. And then the other one was the places where it was going to be manufactured, places like Texas A&M, FUJIFILM and Research Triangle Park [in North Carolina] ... they were expanding their capacity while also learning this new technology."

Meanwhile, the Trump administration was pushing the company to move faster than normal because the virus was spreading at devastating rates, causing massive surges in hospitalizations and deaths, and the president was eager to find a vaccine to curb the pandemic by the end of the year.

There was incredible pressure on the company to move quickly, one of the people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The speed took a toll. By the end of the summer, the companys data showed signs that it was struggling to move from the small-scale manufacturing process in the clinical trials to a larger-scale operation.

The batches of vaccine the company was producing were inconsistent, with some containing purity levels of as low as 30 percent  a quality level far below the FDAs typical standards, usually somewhere in the 90 percent range, according to two former officials with direct knowledge of the matter. Low purity levels increase the chance that contaminants or unnecessary substances are in the final product, potentially rendering the vaccine less effective or introducing the chance that patients could react to unknown ingredients.

For weeks and weeks and weeks the team assigned to Novavax would come back, and theyd always be talking about lack of purity  it got to be a little bit tedious, one of the former officials said of a team of Operation Warp Speed officials working with the company. Youd figure theyd have, through iterative problem solving, been on a trajectory that was a lot more rapid than the one they were on.

In a statement to POLITICO, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies [FDB] addressed Novavaxs manufacturing issues, saying the product manufactured by FDB can only be released by Novavax once the company resolves its analytical method required to support regulatory submissions in the U.S. FDB has and will continue to support Novavax to advance the manufacturing of Novavax vaccine candidate.

In meetings in the late summer, extending into the fall of 2020, Operation Warp Speed officials grew increasingly tense as Novavax continued to struggle to find a solution to its purity problems. At least three officials working on aiding the companys manufacturing effort during that time pushed the administration to evaluate whether to continue to support the company and invest in its product, according to the three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The officials argued to Slaoui and Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, that Novavax lacked the necessary staffing and know-how to build out its capacity  even with significant government intervention.

But the cohort faced pushback, including from Slaoui, Birx, Redfield, Kadlec and others inside the federal governments Covid-19 response who believed more government support could help fix the manufacturing problems. Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline  the other companies developing a vaccine with similar technology  had scrapped their efforts, while AstraZenecas filing timeline was becoming hazy. Only Pfizer and Moderna seemed confident they could file with regulators that year.

Instead, Operation Warp Speed provided Novavax with outside manufacturing experts to help the company.

I was some of the time between disappointed and frustrated because it was not fast enough or not, maybe sometimes not sharp enough, Slaoui said. We had a lot of technical inputs to provide to them.

Despite U.S. officials doubts and behind-the-scenes conversations about Novavaxs production issues, the rest of the world chased after the company, seeking deals for doses and manufacturing contracts.

With the backing of the U.S., a slew of countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, along with international hubs such as the Serum Institute of India, signed on to manufacture the vaccine for shipment to low- and middle-income countries. Novavax also received extensive funding for its vaccine development from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a private, international foundation that focuses on vaccine development.

"The expansion of our partnership with Novavax represents CEPI's single biggest investment to date," Richard Hatchett, CEPI's CEO, announced in May 2020, as the organization prepared to pour $384 million into the effort. "We still have a long way to go, but we're making important steps forward to deliver a safe, effective and globally accessible vaccine as quickly as possible."

More Delays

In August of 2020, Novavax said in an investor call that it would begin producing doses for Americans on a large-scale basis in the early part of 2021.

Two months later, the company delayed the start of its Phase 3 U.S. clinical trial, citing issues with its manufacturing. But, it said, its forecasts showed that it would likely be able to begin that trial in November. And on Nov. 9, 2020 the FDA had fast-tracked regulatory review of Novavaxs clinical trial data.

Theres been a great deal of progress on the Covid-19 vaccine front since we embarked on this journey earlier this year, Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said during a November 2020 earnings call, touting plans to manufacture its vaccine in seven countries within the next year. We will continue to rise to the challenge presented to us.

There was far less confidence behind the scenes. Former U.S. officials told POLITICO it was clear the company still had not figured out how to produce a top-quality shot in large batches. On Nov. 30, Novavax announced that it was delaying the Phase 3 trial again, pushing the start date to December.

Officials on Operation Warp Speed  including those officials who initially fervently supported Novavax  began to worry that the companys problems would further delay its 100 million doses to the U.S. and its commitments to the rest of the world.

I began to really wonder whether these problems could be fixed to the FDAs satisfaction, one former official involved in the companys dialogue with the Trump administration told POLITICO.

Novavax seemed to gain momentum at the turn of the year. At the end of December, the company finally began its Phase 3 clinical trial, covering close to 30,000 participants. And at the end of January, the company released data from the United Kingdom showing its vaccine worked well at protecting against the original strain of the virus.

As the Biden administration took office, Operation Warp Speed took on a new name, dubbed the Countermeasures Acceleration Group. Slaoui departed, along with some other top officials. But a core group remained, including those assigned to oversee Novavax and its manufacturing.

Could we have done things differently, maybe a little better? Arguably, but theres always the element of the vagaries of manufacturing biological products that have to be overcome, Kadlec said. I think that is demonstrative of what Novavax and quite frankly Sanofi encountered. They had challenges.

Concerns about the companys product and the testing it used to assess the vaccines purity levels lingered.

Erck, the Novavax CEO, downplayed those problems publicly, telling The New York Times that Small things happen, and you lose weeks.

The company continued to insist that it could start producing doses by the summer, with plans to ship as many as 110 million doses by July.

Yet even as Novavax expressed public confidence, the company was still grappling with maintaining purity and keeping up with the speed with which Novavax was producing drug substance at the FUJIFILM Texas plant, former officials said.

According to FDA documents obtained by Kaiser Health News, the regulatory agency had also visited the site in March and concluded that the facility did not have sufficient cleaning procedures in place and raised questions about why there was a backlog of batches.

Following conversations with the FDA, Erck announced in May that Novavax would not seek regulatory approval in the U.S. and Europe until the third quarter of 2021. Nevertheless, he assured investors that nearly all of the major challenges have been overcome.

That same month, the company signed an agreement with COVAX to provide 350 million doses in 2021 and 2022 subject to regulatory timelines, a spokesperson said. The deal came on top of the 1.1 billion doses that Novavax had already pledged to the global vaccine distributor.

Several weeks later, in June, the company released its Phase 3 clinical trial results, showing the two-dose shot was 90 percent effective at preventing infection and 100 percent effective at preventing severe disease  a very promising result.

Today is a great day for Novavax, Erck said following the trial results, adding that the company would be churning out doses across the world within months. We have been successful at all of the plants globally  these eight manufacturing sites  to produce product at commercial scale.

That optimism lasted all of two months. Frustrated by Novavax's now yearlong inability to fix its manufacturing issues, the U.S. in August abruptly cut off further funding of the company and asked it to halt production until it could correct its manufacturing problems and the quality of the test it used to determine the purity of the product.

The company addressed some of those concerns in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the U.S. instructed the company to pause manufacturing so it could focus on matching its analytical methods with FDA standards.

While Novavax has worked to address the quality of its testing, as of earlier this month the companys data showed it was still struggling to produce top-notch batches of vaccines on a consistent basis that met American regulators standards, according to the three individuals with direct knowledge of the matter.

The company's initial donations were originally supposed to ship out by the end of September. But the WHO is still reviewing its application, meaning it can't yet send any doses to COVAX.

Novavax has said it still plans to file for an emergency use authorization in the U.S. before the end of the year. But questions remain about its ability to fulfill its promise to deliver more than one billion doses to COVAX  potentially leaving a gaping hole in the organization's plan to end the pandemic worldwide.

"We're faced with a very unfortunate reality, which is that we have many, many months of insufficient vaccine supplies for the world," said Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Novavax remains a potentially important vaccine globally."


By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Leon Black has escalated his battle against a former model who accused him of rape, filing a lawsuit on Thursday accusing her and her law firm of defamation and racketeering conspiracy.

In the complaint, lawyers for the former Apollo Global Management Inc chief executive accused Guzel Ganieva and the Wigdor law firm of engaging in a "criminal enterprise," including by falsely linking Black to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"Knowing that to him, and in his world, reputation matters, they set about to destroy him and make him pay anything to make them stop," the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court said. "They are planning to line their own pockets with the results."

Ganieva sued Black in a New York state court in June, accusing him of rape and other abuse, forcing her to sign a 2015 nondisclosure agreement about their 6-1/2-year relationship, and defaming her by claiming she tried to extort him.

"This is an obvious act of retaliation," Ganieva's lawyer Jeanne Christensen said in an email about Thursday's lawsuit. "We look forward to defending ourselves against these ludicrous allegations."

Black, 70, has forcefully denied https://www.reuters.com/world/us/leon-black-rejects-russian-womans-claims-violent-behavior-files-countersuit-2021-07-19 the claims of Ganieva, with whom he had what he now calls a "regrettable" consensual relationship from 2008 to 2014.

Those claims included that Black tried to arrange for Ganieva, now in her late 30s, to have sex with Epstein https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/leon-black-says-accuser-eyeing-payday-made-up-jeffrey-epstein-claims-2021-09-08 in 2008.

Black has said he paid Ganieva $100,000 a month for several years not to discuss their relationship after she tried to extort him of $100 million. Those payments stopped after Ganieva tweeted about Black in March.

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In the state case, Black countersued Ganieva for defamation but dropped that claim, with his lawyer saying he wanted to focus on his defense.

Black recently bolstered his legal team, adding John Quinn, a name partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Susan Estrich, whose clients have included former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.

"There is really no reason Mr. Black should be defending himself," Estrich, who said she has known Black since they studied at Dartmouth College in the 1970s, said in an interview. "Private consensual adult conduct is not the law's business. Extortion and defamation are the business of the law."

Black has publicly regretted his involvement with Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Earlier this year, Black stepped down https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-apollo-global-ceo/leon-black-step-downs-as-apollo-ceo-after-review-of-epstein-ties-idUKKBN29U2LK from Apollo after an outside independent review found he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning, though was not involved in Epstein's criminal activities.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jane Wardell)
First lady Dr. Jill Biden added an eye-catching twist to her go-to classics for an audience with the pope today. Dr. Biden wore an inky, deep blue skirt suit that featured a subtle animal print. Think business with a twist. She paired the buttoned-up look with nude-colored fishnet tights and pointy-toed suede pumps. Dr. Biden also added a short, black lace veil, known as a mantilla, for her visit with Pope Francis. Former first ladies Melania Trump and Barbara Bush have worn similar head coverings for their meetings with the pope.

Jill Biden Pope Visit

Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Biden Jill Biden Pope Visit

Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP) (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images

RELATED: Jill Biden Wore a Classic Print to Attend the Tokyo Olympics

CNN notes that doctor and President Biden are in Rome to attend the first G-20 summit of his presidency. While the president attends meetings involving the Group of 20, the outlet reports that Dr. Biden will visit American troops stationed in Rome and have afternoon tea with Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France.

"She will meet with high school students, tour several classrooms, and speak at a pep rally for the senior class," Biden press secretary Michael La Rosa said of a planned visit to a Department of Defense Educational Activity School in Naples.

A source told CNN that the two will "discuss their roles as first ladies in their respective countries" and that they share a passion for education and have "common interests in culture." Both first ladies are advocates for providing access to the arts. In addition to her meeting with Macron, Dr. Biden is scheduled to meet with notoriously press-shy Maria Serenella Cappello, wife of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
King Harald V

Marcelo Hernandez/Getty King Harald

King Harald of Norway was late to the mobile phone party.

The monarch, 84, gave a speech during the annual Parliament dinner held at the Royal Palace in Oslo on Thursday, where he was greeted with laughs after revealing that he didn't switch from landline to cell phone until the ripe old age of 83!

"Many of us have probably needed up to several good wishes during the time we have left behind us," he said, according to Royal Central. "And if there is one thing we have really learned since March last year, it is the importance of modern technology to be able to get in touch with each other. Great was therefore the joy in my family when I got a mobile phone."

He added, "It only took me 40 years."

Unlike the monarch, Queen Sonja has kept up with emerging technology  she even has been spotted wearing an Apple Watch.

RELATED: King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway Become Latest Royals to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

King Harald of Norway

ERIK EDLAND/NTB SCANPIX/AFP via Getty Queen Sonja and King Harald

King Harald isn't the only monarch who has adapted new technology due to the coronavirus pandemic. Queen Elizabeth took part in her first public video call in June 2020 to salute unpaid caregivers alongside her daughter Princess Anne.

Chief executive of the Carers Trust Gareth Howells, who was on the virtual meeting, told PEOPLE that the Queen was "perfectly comfortable with the camera in front of her. A couple more times and she'll be a dab hand at it!"

The Queen, 95, has embraced the video meetings, even holding virtual audiences at Buckingham Palace ... from 20 miles away at Windsor Castle.

That's not to say that the Queen hasn't had her hiccups over video calls. Earlier this month, the monarch spoke with Dame Cindy Kiro ahead of her swearing in as the Governor General of New Zealand.

"Ah, there you are!" the Queen said with a bit of surprise as Kiro popped up on the screen.

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The time difference also caused a moment of confusion.

"Good evening," the Queen said, only to be reminded that it was morning in New Zealand.

"Oh, of course, it's 'Good morning' isn't it to you?" self-corrected the monarch from a room in Windsor Castle.
Supporters Of Julian Assange Protest Ahead Of Extradition Appeal

Protesters holding placards demanding Julian Assange is freed march, during a protest ahead of Julian Assange's extradition appeal on Oct. 23, 2021 in London, England. Credit - Martin PopeGetty Images

This week lawyers for the U.S. government began a legal challenge to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from the U.K. to face charges of violating the Espionage Act.

Assange is wanted in the U.S. on 18 criminal charges after WikiLeaks published thousands of secret U.S. military and diplomatic documents concerning the Afghanistan and Iraq wars in 2010.

In a two-day hearing in the British High Court, the U.S. government appealed a Jan. 4 ruling by a London district judge declining to extradite Assange to the U.S. largely due to the risk he would take his own life in a maximum security prison.

Key recent developmentsincluding new assurances about how Assange would be treated by the U.S.were brought before a British judge tasked with reviewing the lower courts ruling and considering whether the risk to Assanges safety had changed.

Heres what you need to know about the appeal and the story so far:

Who is Julian Assange and what is his website, WikiLeaks?

Australian cyber activist Assange launched WikiLeaks in 2006. The non-profit was set up with the aim of exposing state secrets its founder argued should be in the public domain. In 2010, U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning provided WikiLeaks with hundreds of thousands of highly classified internal documents.

The publications included revelation of what appeared to be war crimes. Footage released in April 2010 showed U.S. soldiers shooting and killing civilians from a helicopter in Iraq. It also included sensitive information about human intelligence sources and surveillance techniques, disclosure of which the U.S. argues put lives at risk.

Later that year, in November 2010, Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of rape and other sexual offences. Assange was working in London at the time, and claimed the allegations were fabricated in order to facilitate his extradition from Sweden to the U.S. for publishing the sensitive documents.

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Facing extradition to Sweden, Assange skipped bail in June 2012 and sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Two months later, Ecuador granted him asylum on the grounds of political persecution. He resided in the embassy building for seven years, during which time the Swedish investigation was dropped in 2019.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven into Southwark Crown Court in London on May 1 2019, before being sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions in 2012. Daniel Leal-OlivasAFP/Getty Images

Why does the U.S. want to extradite Assange?

In April 2019, after a series of behavioral transgressions alleged by the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Ecuador revoked his diplomatic asylum. Assanges supporters claimed the move was motivated by probes by WikiLeaks into corruption by the Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno. Moreno has denied the corruption accusations. He also said Assanges asylum was revoked because Assanges behavior was too disruptive. He claimed Assange smeared feces on embassy walls, an allegation the activists lawyers called outrageous.

Within hours, police in London arrested Assange in the embassy on a U.S. extradition warrant for an indictment of conspiracy to hack a government computer. He was charged by British courts for breach of bail and in May 2019 was sentenced to 50 weeks in a high security London prison. That same month, the U.S. indicted Assange on 17 further charges under the Espionage Act, which carry a total maximum sentence of 170 years in prison. Assange has always denied that his actions constitute espionage.

After visiting Assange in British prison in May 2019, the U.N. special rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, concluded that in addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma. The British government disagreed with some of those conclusions.

The extradition process began in May 2019 but was delayed several times partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Persuaded by the defense teams arguments that the extradition of Assange would be oppressive due to his risk of suicide, a British judge ruled against the extradition on Jan. 4 this year. The U.S. announced it would appeal the decision, but Assange was denied bail due to the risk he might abscond.

What did the U.S. argue in the appeal hearing?

On Oct. 27, the appeal hearing began in the British High Court. Assange did not attend due to poor health, his legal team said. He later appeared via a video link from prison.

Lawyers representing the U.S. argued that Assanges health issues were not as severe as Assanges legal team had claimed during the initial extradition hearing. James Lewis QC told the court that in the previous proceedings Assanges psychiatrist had failed to disclose Assanges relationship with Stella Moris, a lawyer originally on his legal team, and the couples two children, who were conceived during Assanges stay in the embassy.

Having the responsibility of children lowered Assanges likelihood of suicide, Lewis argued. The U.S. lawyers also pointed to the lower rate of suicides in prisons in the U.S. compared to the U.K., and argued that Assanges depression was moderate rather than severe.

Lewis emphasized that the U.S. government had worked to mitigate the risks to Assange if extradited, having issued four binding assurances concerning his proposed treatment in U.S. custody. These included an agreement to send Assange to his home country of Australia to serve the prison sentence and not to incarcerate him in super-maximum security prison ADX Florida. They also included an agreement not to subject him to a highly restrictive form of solitary confinement, provided he did not commit another offence.

What was Assanges defense?

Assanges lawyers argued that his risk of suicide remained substantial and defended the psychiatrists decision not to disclose Assange had a partner and two children.

Representing Assange, Edward Fitzgerald QC pointed to several revelatory investigations by the press concerning Assanges time in the Ecuadorian embassy. In 2019, Spanish newspaper El Pais published evidence that a Spanish security firm tasked with protecting the embassy building had been secretly surveilling Assange, his lawyers, and visitors, and reporting information to the CIA. Security staff allegedly took samples from a babys diaper to check whether Assange and Moris were the childs parents.

Given the threat of constant surveillance, Assanges psychiatrist withheld Stella Moris relationship with Assange for safety reasons, Fitzgerald argued in court. Moris went public as Assanges partner in April 2020.

Last month Yahoo News published a report that the CIA had plotted to poison, abduct or assassinate Assange in 2017. Given the revelations of surveillance in the embassy and plots to kill him, Fitzgerald told the court, there are great grounds for fearing what will be done to him if extradited to the U.S. He urged the court not to trust [the] assurances of the same government alleged to have plotted Assanges killing.

The defense went even further to discredit the assurances made by the U.S. government, calling them conditional and aspirational. Fitzgerald said Australia had not yet agreed to take Assange in if he was convicted, and he predicted Assange would be put in solitary confinement as soon as he arrives in America.

What do Assanges supporters say?

In a press briefing earlier this week, Moris told reporters that Assange was suffering physically and mentally as a result of the proceedings. I saw Julian in Belmarsh prison. He was looking very unwellI was quite taken aback by how thin he was.

Stella Moris addresses a protest in support of her partner, Julian Assange, on Oct. 28 2021 in London, England. Guy SmallmanGetty Images

Assanges supporters are keen to emphasize the significance of the case on global press freedoms. Addressing the Yahoo News investigation, Kristinn Hrafnsson, current editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, compared the alleged CIA plot to the Saudi assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The intentions are the same and the victims are the same: journalists.

Moris argued that the Espionage Act should not be used against publishers of information in the public interest. Julian is accused of receiving, possessing and publishing information to the public, she said. I asked you please to stop suggesting that Julians accused of espionage because its false. Hes accused of journalism.

Read more: The Nobel Committee Sent a Message That Freedom of the Press Is Essential for Peace

However, a senior extradition practitioner who spoke to TIME on the condition of anonymity did not believe Assanges actions could not be considered journalism. Normally there is a crucial journalistic process of reviewing material and presenting it, the source said. But in Assanges case, there was no filter, no analysis, just: publish. WikiLeaks publication revealed sensitive technology-drive intelligence techniques and put human intelligence sources at risk, the person said.

Rebecca Vincent, director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), disagreed with this assessment when she spoke to TIME. In the evidentiary hearing in September, she said, the court heard evidence of how Assange tried to slow the publication [of unredacted information by a German newspaper] and then he warned the U.S. government and urged them to take steps to protect anybody.

International press freedom advocates, including RSF and Amnesty International, are defending Assange on the basis that he acted in the public interest.

The publication of these leaked documents was an incredible contribution to journalism around the world, Vincent told TIME. We now know about war crimes, human rights violations and other abuses committed by states but none of the crimes that were exposed have ever been prosecuted. The only person being pursued here is the publisher.

Journalism is being criminalised even in our own democracies, Vincent said. This is a real tipping point for journalism around the world.

What happens next?

It could take many weeks for the British High Court to come to a decision on this weeks appeal. Whichever side wins, Assanges supporters expect the process will not simply end with the courts ruling. The process could be very fast, Moris told reporters. And it could also take years. Both prospects are terrifying.

Since the defense case relies on arguments concerning Assanges mental state, the U.S. could pursue his extradition indefinitely, according to the extradition practitioner, who is not involved in the current case. Theres nothing to stop them extraditing him from another jurisdiction, or even again from the U.K., especially if hes seen in public appearing well, the person said. If he wants to avoid any subsequent extradition attempts, the extradition practitioner said, Assange will have to show he is still severely suffering from the conditions which prevented his extradition.
Kourtney Kardashian is continuing to celebrate the rosier things in life as a newly engaged woman!

The reality star, 42, posted a gorgeous collection of images to her Instagram on Thursday, leading with a selfie in which she was clad in a sexy red vinyl dress.

Kardashian's outfit featured a delicate shine and crisscross halter straps, contrasting with her shorter dark hair.

RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Is Engaged to Travis Barker: 'Forever'

The rest of the images picked up on the same color motif, including another look at the ring her fiance Travis Barker presented to her when they got engaged last week.

Kardashian also made sure to include another image of the lavish rose display that surrounded them for their magic moment.

Kourtney Kardashian

Kourtney Kardashian/instagram (2)

A shot of a rosy sunset revealed what looked to be Kardashian's two younger children Penelope, 9, and Reign, 6, she shares with ex Scott Disick. (The couple also shares son Mason, 11.)

RELATED VIDEO: Scott Disick Has 'Boyz Night' with Sons Reign and Mason After Kourtney Kardashian Engagement News

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Other images included a red Chanel sweater and matching Marc Jacobs Mickey Mouse top, red peppers at a farmer's market and a black-and-white photo in a book set on top of vibrant rose petals.

The Poosh founder captioned the gallery with a single emoji for a rose.

The eldest Kardashian sister said "Yes" to Blink-182's Barker, 45, on Oct. 17 in an over-the-top beachside proposal.

RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Reminisces on Travis Barker Proposal: 'Can't Believe This Was a Week Ago'

Barker proposed at a beachside hotel in Montecito, California. The musician got down on one knee alongside an elaborate floral arrangement and candles in the sand before popping the question.

This marks Kardashian's first engagement, while Barker was previously married to Melissa Kennedy from 2001 to 2002 and Shanna Moakler from 2004 to 2008.

He shares stepdaughter Atiana, 22, son Landon, 18, and daughter Alabama, 15, with Moakler.
Buckingham Palace said Friday doctors have advised Queen Elizabeth II to "continue to rest for at least the next two weeks." The 95-year-old monarch pulled out of attending the COP26 climate summit in Scotland just two days ago on medical advice to rest.

"The doctors have advised that Her Majesty can continue to undertake light, desk-based duties during this time, including some virtual Audiences, but not to undertake any official visits," the Palace said in a statement.

The queen will not be attending the Festival of Remembrance on November 13, per her doctors' advice, the statement said, but added that it is her "firm intention" to attend Remembrance Day events the following day. Remembrance Day, observed the second Sunday each November, is a day when the queen and others in the royal family lead the nation in a moment of silence to remember those who died in world wars and other conflicts.

Last week, the queen spent a night in the hospital, for the first time in eight years, to undergo preliminary checks. She has recently been seen using a walking stick.

But Queen Elizabeth has continued to perform light duties. On Friday afternoon, the queen recorded her planned remarks for the COP26 summit. She has also taken part in various virtual events this week, including a virtual ceremony on Thursday to present the gold medal for poetry to David Constantine, an award that dates back to 1933.

Women undergoing job transitions at record numbers as pandemic drags on

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Biden begins European trip with meeting with the Pope and French President Macron
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider a lawsuit brought by more than a dozen states challenging how President Joe Bidens administration ended a controversial Trump-era policy intended to curb legal immigration.

In agreeing to hear the case, the court limited its review to whether a group of conservative states led by Arizona are able to defend the rule.

At issue is President Donald Trumps "public charge" rule, approved by his administration in 2019, that denied green cards to immigrants if officials determine they may benefit from safety net programs, such as rental assistance or food stamps.

When Biden became president his administration stopped defending the Trump rule in court, not challenging an order from a federal judge in Illinois that blocked the regulation. The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the rule in another suit in March.

Public charge: Immigration was a hot topic at the Supreme Court. That's changed.

In the current lawsuit, the conservative states sought to intervene to defend the Trump rule, arguing that the Biden administration bypassed the process required to change regulations.

People wait in line outside the Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 11, 2019, to be able to attend oral arguments.

The main question for the court is whether the states may defend the Trump rule in court at all. The California-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled they could not.

The Supreme Court declined to take up the broader, underlying question posed by the suit: Namely, may a new presidential administration kill a regulation approved by a predecessor by not fighting an injunction handed down by a court.

A divided Supreme Court in August required Biden to reinstate a Trump policy requiring migrants to wait in Mexico while U.S. officials process their asylum claims. A conservative majority of the court said that the administration failed to demonstrate the decision to end the program was not "arbitrary and capricious."

Three liberal associate justices, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, would have allowed the administration to continue its suspension of the program.

The Department of Homeland Security announced in September it would try again to end the Migrant Protection Protocol program in a way that can withstand legal challenges.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court takes case seeking to revive Trump 'public charge' rule
SEATTLE  The Wild is having another run-in with COVID-19.

Forwards Mats Zuccarello and Rem Pitlick entered the NHL's COVID protocols and did not play Thursday against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena after testing positive on Wednesday in Seattle.

Last season, the Wild was shut down for almost two weeks after an outbreak sidelined more than half the roster.

"It's what our world is, right?" coach Dean Evason said. "So, we've been through it, dealt with it. We were notified nobody else is positive, so hopefully it stays that way."

The team canceled practice Wednesday afternoon, and everyone was tested Thursday. Zuccarello and Pitlick again tested positive, a source said. All of the Wild players have been vaccinated, including Zuccarello and Pitlick.

Both players were in action Tuesday in the 3-2 win against Vancouver, with Zuccarello scoring the Wild's first goal and Pitlick setting up the game-winner.

Zuccarello, who had a team-high seven points going into Thursday's game, and Pitlick will be unavailable for at least 10 days.They couldn't accompany the team to Colorado where the Wild's road trip wraps up Saturday, but the team will find a way to get them back to Minnesota.

With Pitlick and Zuccarello out, the Wild recalled forwards Connor Dewar and Kyle Rau and defenseman Jon Lizotte from the American Hockey League. Only Dewar and Lizotte played against the Kraken, their first NHL games.

Although the NHL has returned to a normal schedule this season, COVID-19 remains an issue for the league despite most players being vaccinated.

Chicago, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis and Winnipeg have all been affected. The Wild also has three coaches in the COVID protocols: assistant Darby Hendrickson, goaltending coach Frederic Chabot and video coach T.J. Jindra. General Manager Bill Guerin was previously in the protocols but was released and has rejoined the team on the road.

Dewar debuts

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After playing four seasons of junior hockey in Washington, Dewar was back in the Pacific Northwest to make his NHL debut with the Wild against the Kraken.

"It's kind of funny the way it works out and life comes full circle," he said.

Dewar suited up for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League, racking up 99 goals and 197 points.

During that stint, the Wild drafted him in the third round in 2018 and after two seasons in the minors, the winger finally cracked the NHL lineup. Through four games with Iowa this season, Dewar had two goals and two assists.

"Arguably one of their best players or their best player down there right now," Evason said. "He plays with a lot of heart, a lot of passion, a lot of grit."

The 22-year-old started on the fourth line with Nick Bjugstad and Victor Rask, who was back in action after being a healthy scratch on Tuesday.

While Dewar didn't think his parents would be able to make the game from Manitoba, he was expecting his two billet families from his junior career to be in attendance.

"It was awesome," Dewar said of his time with Everett. "Some of the best years of my life."

Injury update

Defensemen Dmitry Kulikov (lower body) and Alex Goligoski (upper body) sat out because of injuries.

Jordie Benn took Goligoski's spot on the top pairing next to captain Jared Spurgeon in his first game of the season and first with the team after signing as a free agent in August.

As for Lizotte, who's from Grand Forks and played at St. Cloud State, he made his NHL debut on the third pairing with Jon Merrill.

Another free-agent pickup in the offseason, Lizotte was with Pittsburgh's minor-league affiliate for three seasons before signing with the Wild.

Same but different

Climate Pledge Arena might look familiar from the outside, but the inside was completely remade ahead of the Kraken's arrival.

Located at the base of the Space Needle on the 74-acre Seattle Center campus, the arena still has the original sloped roof  which previously housed the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics before they left for Oklahoma City. That roof is a historic landmark that was built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

After a $1.15 billion construction project that began in December 2018, Climate Pledge Arena officially opened Oct. 22 with a Coldplay concert ahead of the Kraken's home opener last Saturday.

The venue seats up to 17,100 for hockey, and not one but two scoreboards hang over the ice.

"You're going to feel on top of the action," said Steve Mattson, the executive vice president and general manager of Climate Pledge Arena who was the VP and GM of Target Center in Minneapolis for 16 years before joining Seattle.

The Kraken is also using an old ferry horn as its goal horn, and the arena collects rainwater that's used to resurface the ice.
Maria Itzel Sotos story of growing up in Yakima, working with her parents in the Valley's fields and struggling to earn an education to help others proved an inspiration across the U.S.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Democrats' decision to drop a proposal for paid family leave from their massive social safety net and climate change package was met with disappointment and irritation by female voters in Virginia, a critical constituency in the tight and closely watched governor's race.

Days before Election Day, many Democratic voters there saw the elimination of the plan as a significant step back from the ambitious agenda Democrats pledged if voters ousted Donald Trump from the White House. Some worried it would leave voters soured on the party, just as Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe was scrambling to get out the vote.

"I dont think that the Biden administration is doing themselves any favors, in terms of actually, you know, making good on the promises that they campaigned on," said Meredith Katz, a Richmond mom of a 4-year-old son and an assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, who cast an early ballot for McAuliffe. A lot of people are upset and frustrated and disappointed because of that.

Its unclear whether the gloomy sentiment will become powerful enough to influence the results of Tuesdays election. Polls indicate the race for governor is deadlocked between McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin, with many Virginians having already cast their votes. And other national issues, including threats to abortion rights, may hold more sway with Democratic voters than the chaotic negotiations on Capitol Hill.

Still, McAuliffe hoped to enter the final weekend of the campaign with a sense of momentum, buoyed by progress in Congress that would remind voters that Democrats can pass bold legislation that improves their lives. Instead, he seems eager to move on from the debate.

I'm hopeful that something's going to get done, McAuliffe said when asked directly about the elimination of the family leave provision from the legislation being considered in Washington. But this race is about Virginia.

Biden originally called for up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, allowing workers to get their wages partially replaced in the event of a new child or to care for a seriously ill loved one. It's among several top Democratic priorities that were eliminated to appease two Democratic senators  Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona  who have insisted on a smaller package. Other dropped proposals include expanding Medicare to cover dental and vision care and having Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices.

The concept of paid family leave is particularly popular. A UChicago Harris/AP-NORC poll conducted in February found that 66% of Americans said they favor government funding for paid family leave, compared with just 16% who said they were opposed.

The president nonetheless described his $1.75 trillion framework as historic, saying it would "fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better.

Women in Virginia led the early resistance to Trump when their votes and activism helped propel Democrat Ralph Northam to a nearly 9-point victory over his Republican opponent in the 2017 governors race. In last year's presidential election, 53% of voters in Virginia were women, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate, and they backed Biden decisively over Trump, 57% to 41%. That helped Biden carry the state by 10 points.

McAuliffe has pledged to pursue legislation at the state level that would guarantee an unspecified amount of paid sick days and family medical leave. Hes also released several ads highlighting his commitment to the issue. Youngkin's campaign has not said where he stands on paid family leave.

The risk for McAuliffe is that paid family leave is a particularly tangible component of a broader piece of legislation that Democratic leaders have often struggled to explain and its elimination could be particularly stinging.

Some prominent activists, including the actor Alyssa Milano, encouraged women to consider other provisions in the package, including free prekindergarten, new child care subsidies and a one-year extension of a child care tax credit that was put in place during the COVID-19 rescue.

Kristina Hagen, the director of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, said the measure would be transformative for Virginia families.

This is why, Hagen said in a statement, with just five days left in the 2021 cycle, we are leaning in on our full support for Terry McAuliffe.

Several women interviewed in Virginia on Thursday recalled the informal arrangements and individual kindness of bosses they had to rely on to care for their families without losing their jobs.

Katz, the Virginia Commonwealth University professor, said she was able to spend about six months at home with her son after his birth thanks to an accommodating" department chair and the ability to do some teaching remotely.

Ciarra Smith, a 35-year-old Richmond resident, recently returned to work after having her third child and said time away from work was critical for her and the baby. Her leave was paid for through her job with the state.

For them to even consider removing that (from the legislation), thats going to jeopardize not only the mothers health, but also those developmental bonds with the baby, she said. Then theyre going to be forced with, how do I maintain and survive and still care for my child? And unfortunately, women are always placed in that position.

Eucharia Jackson, a 58-year-old who attended a McAuliffe campaign event at a Richmond church on Thursday, said she was able to cobble together at least three months of leave after the births of her two children because her employer was flexible.

She called paid leave absolutely necessary for new parents and said shes seeing women increasingly disillusioned and open to Republican arguments, animated in particular by the debate over the curriculum being taught in schools.

It certainly would be good to have some good news coming from Washington, she said.



Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Emily Swanson and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a critic of Donald Trump who is one of two Republicans on the panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection next year.

The military veteran, who won a long-shot suburban congressional district a decade ago, became one of a handful of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. He joins a small but growing list of GOP Trump critics in Congress deciding to bow out.

Kinzinger announced his decision in a video early Friday, saying the time is now to move on.

My disappointment in the leaders that don't lead is huge, he said. He added: The battlefield must be broader and the truth needs to reach the American people across the whole country.

Republicans are well-positioned to pick up the House majority in next years midterm elections, but the departure of Kinzinger and other more traditional conservatives casts a shadow over the party now led by Trump.
But prosecutors say blood-pattern analysis suggested that Serna and the shotgun had been at least 4 feet from Hall when the shot was fired, and that police found a single, spent shotgun shell in the shotgun and an opened box of the same kind of ammunition with one round missing in Serna's bedroom.

On Thursday, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jessica Murphy said it's clear from the letters of support that Serna is a good son and good brother, and was an honorable member of the armed forces.

"But that doesn't change the fact that he made a very bad, reckless decision that ended the life of Gavin Hall," she said.

She said Serna knew how to safely use a firearm but chose to ignore precautions.

"He grabbed a gun, racked it and pointed it at his friend's head," Murphy said.

She said Hall's family and friends are devastated that his future will never be realized.

In the end, Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen said when he became a judge he knew there would be difficult cases. And this is one of those.
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I, you see, was youngest among the three of us. My offense was being noticeably taller than them. Nothing more.

To this day I dread Halloween. But wait, theres more.

One Halloween when our kids were very young and we lived in Grand Island, I costumed up and greeted our bell ringers as a festive zombie. For the first time since that youthful trauma I let my defenses down and had a blast on Halloween.

The very next morning I lost my job and found myself with no way to feed three hungry little mouths. Halloween had worked its evil again.

Years later while living in St. Edward where we owned Moseleys IGA, Halloween tradition was for local kids and young adult males to vandalize and generally terrorize their own community. Destruction was as substantial as it was predictable.

This miscreant behavior was getting worse each year to the point the fire department was out hosing down these idiots into the wee hours, trying to literally put a chill on their nonsense so that they might go home. Our local police officer had to be out in the thick of it, too, which left no one in our small station to answer the phone and relay incident reports to law enforcement over the radio.
Tata Motors has signed an MOU with BluSmart Mobility for expanding their all-electric fleet in Delhi NCR. For the same, the Indian carmaker will supply 3,500 Xpres-T electric sedan to the all-electric cab fleet brand. Tata Motors recently launched uts Xpres-T electric vehicle in the country as part of rebranding initiative to separate commercial vehicle EV unit from personal mobility. While the older-gen Tata Tigor was renamed as Xpres-T, the new-gen Tata Tigor is now sold to personal car buyers.

The Xpres-T electric gets twi battery options basis the usability - 21.5 kWh and 16.5 kWh with 2 range options - 213km and 165km (ARAI certified range under test conditions). Available in two trim options, the Xpres-T comes with a single speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, ABS with EBD. The XPRES T EV can be can be charged from 0- 80% in 90 mins and 110 mins (for 16.5 kWh and 21.5 kWh respectively), using fast charging or can also be normally charged from any 15 A plug point.

Also read: Inaugural Zee Auto Awards concludes, Check winners here

The BluSmart Mobility, on the other hand, offers all-electric ride-hailing service across Delhi NCR and has completed more than 700,000 rides till date covering over 22 million km on electric vehicles. BlueSmart has been using the older Tata Tigor electric sedans in its fleet and will induct new Xpres-T to expand the fleet size.

Ramesh Dorairajan, Head  Electric Vehicles (Commercial), Tata Motors said, With the XPRES- T EV, Tata Motors has developed an electric sedan exclusively for the fleet customers. We are delighted to partner with BluSmart Mobility and we are thankful to them for their continued efforts in growing the electric fleet in Delhi-NCR. We recently crossed a key milestone of 10,000 EVs on road, which is a strong testament to how our innovative electric vehicles are resonating well with customers. This order will further strengthen our roadmap of making EVs mainstream.

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New Delhi: In what would come as a huge respite for Indian Railways Catering and Transportation Corporation (IRCTC), the Ministry of Railways has decided to withdraw its decision on sharing of convenience fee earned by IRCTC on online bookings of train tickets.

"Ministry of Railways has decided to withdraw the decision on IRCTC convenience fee," DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted on Friday.

Ministry of Railways has decided to withdraw the decision on IRCTC convenience fee pic.twitter.com/HXIRLxXTlL  Secretary, DIPAM (@SecyDIPAM) October 29, 2021

IRCTC had on Thursday said that the Ministry of Railways has asked it to share 50 percent of its revenue earned as convenience fee from bookings on its website with the national transporter.

Convenience fees charged from customers generated a sizable revenue for IRCTC. The fee is not part of the rail fare. It is for the service of online ticket booking offered by the IRCTC.

Shares of IRCTC on Friday tanked nearly 10 per cent in opening trade to Rs 822.40 apiece. However, soon after the decision of withdrawal broke, the stocks recovered some ground and was trading at 887.35, down 2.89 per cent on the BSE.

IRCTC listed on the stock exchanges on October 14, 2019 at Rs 644 a piece after selling shares at Rs 320 apiece in an initial public offering.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi: In what could bring the much needed respite during the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Paytm has decided to allow its workers to continue Work From Home.

Paytm founder and chief executive officer Vijay Shekhar Sharm has said that the company is not to force people to come to the office and would opt for 100 percent flexible work pattern. (Also read--IT biggies TCS, Infosys, Wipro ending Work from Home for employees)

The company is all set to come up with country's biggest initial public offer on November 8.

One97 Communications, which operates under Paytm brand name, IPO will be launched at price band of Rs 2,080-2,150 per share, implying a valuation of around Rs 1.48 lakh crore.

The Rs 18,300 crore-offer will be the biggest in the country after Coal India's IPO (Initial Public Offer) back in 2010 wherein the state-owned had garnered Rs 15,200 crore.

The IPO -- which will close for subscription on November 10 -- comprises issuance of fresh equity shares worth Rs 8,300 crore and Offer for Sale (OFS) by existing shareholders to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore.

At current exchange rates, the enterprise value is in the range of Rs 1.44 lakh crore to Rs 1.48 lakh crore. The company skipped pre-IPO funding round to expedite launch of the initial share sale.

Paytm's revenue from operations increased by 62 per cent to Rs 8,90.8 crore in the first quarter of financial year 2021-22. In the year-ago period, the same stood at Rs 5,512 crore. In financial year 2021, the company reported a Gross Merchandise Value of Rs 4 lakh crore.

In the first quarter of FY'22, the company's payments and financial services revenue alone stood at Rs 689.4 crore contributing to 77 per cent of its total revenue. The company incurred a loss of Rs 2.9 crore in the quarter ended June 2021.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi: A team of Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit/ Cyber Crime Unit of Special Cell has busted a module who were pretending to be government officials running an online complaint redressal system targeting individuals who had already been cheated. A total of 12 persons including two females have been arrested.

DCP, IFSO Unit of Delhi Special Cell K P S Malhotra in a statement said they recieved inputs that some racketeers were defrauding victims of online cheating by projecting themselves as government officials on fake webpages similar to government's complaint redressal system.

A complaint was received, wherein the complainant alleged that while he was trying to complain about an incident of cheating, he came across one website jansurkashakendara.in. He called on the mobile phone number provided on the website as was informed that they are the authorized persons working with Govt and they would lodge his complaint/FIR regarding the cheating.

On the pretext of lodging and enquiring his complaint, the alleged persons charged Rs 2850/- from him.

The accused persons have created some more similar websites with names Jan Shikayat Kendra, Grahak Suraksha Kendra, Nyaya Bharat and others.

The module pretended to be Government officials and ran a fake online redressal system. They were cheating those individuals, who tried to lodge a complaint regarding online cheating. They would charge the victims a processing fee amount and subsequently stopped responding by blocking them. They used to charge the victims from Rs 500 to Rs 30000 on the pretext of lodging and enquiring their complaint.

"During the analysis of the technical data of the website and the payments gateways attached, it was revealed that several innocent persons are being cheated. Further, seven more similar complaints were found registered at National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. One FIR was also found registered in Karnataka," the statement read.

Around 3000 victims have been cheated by the syndicate. Bank details shows that they had cheated to the tune of Rs 1.74 Crores. Seven laptops, 25 mobile phones, one Ertiga car and Rs 52500 in cash was recovered from them.

The module used to target individuals who lodged a formal complaint. The fraudsters employed search engine optimization to get these websites reflected on the search query.

The Delhi Police appealed to people to be vigilant while making such transactions. It requested cybercrime victims to report the act on the government portal cybercrime.gov.in/ or call helpline number 155260. Also, no processing fee is charged.

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Lucknow: Taking a swipe at opposition leaders including Akhilesh Yadav over their past remarks that BJP makes promises about building a Ram temple at Ayodhya but does not specify a time frame, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (October 29) said that the foundation had been laid off a grand temple and the Samajwadi Party leader did not even make a donation towards the construction work.

Amit Shah, who launched `Mera Parivaar-BJP Parivaar` membership drive here as BJP gears up for the assembly polls early next year, said the BJP was repeatedly taunted by opposition parties over its support to the demand for a grand temple at Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya in August last year.

"Akhilesh and company used to taunt us in 2014, 2017, 2019 that BJP says that the temple will be constructed there but does not tell the dates. Akhilesh babu, not only date but foundation stone has been laid of the temple, You missed out giving even Rs 5,000," he said. Shah said innocent kar sevaks were killed during the Samajwadi Party rule in 1990.

"Akhilesh Babu, I want to remind you that when your party was in power, innocent Ram bhakts were killed through bullets. It is the same state, there is BJP government and Ram Lala is going to have a grand temple," he said. The union minister said that Uttar Pradesh has made rapid development strides under BJP rule.

"Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was the seventh-largest economy of the country, today it has become the second-largest. Akhilesh babu`s state budget was Rs 10 lakh crore. Yogiji has kept an interim budget of Rs 21.31 lakh crore," Shah said.

He said that, unlike the opposition, the BJP has proved that its governments work for the poorest of the poor. "People who were sitting at home for the last five years are coming out thinking their government will be formed. I want Akhilesh Yadav to tell the people of Uttar Pradesh that for how many days he was staying abroad. Where was he during the COVID and floods? They only worked for their family," he said.

The Union Home Minister said that the BJP government in the state had fulfilled 90 per cent of promises made in the 2017 manifesto and the remaining 10 per cent would also be completed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the next two months. Uttar Pradesh is slated to go to the polls early next year.

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United Nations: India's Bharat Biotech has been submitting data on the EUL of Covaxin "regularly and very quickly" to a technical committee which hopes to have a final recommendation to the WHO next week, a top official of the global health agency said on Thursday (October 28, 2021), stressing that the UN body "trusts" the Indian industry that manufactures high-quality vaccines.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which has developed Covaxin, had submitted EOI (Expression of Interest) to the World Health Organisation on April 19 for the vaccine's Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

A technical advisory group of the UN health agency which met on Tuesday has sought "additional clarifications" from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine.

"Let me say that Bharat has been submitting data regularly and very quickly, but they submitted the last batch of data on the 18th of October," Dr Mariangela Simao, Assistant Director-General, Access to Medicines and Health Products at WHO, said at a press briefing in Geneva.

She was responding to a question on the delay in granting the Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin while Chinese vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac were given approval even "with lack of data."

Simao said that when the technical advisory group met on October 26 to discuss the EUL for Covaxin, they asked Bharat Biotech for additional clarifications. The technical advisory group will reconvene on November 2 for the final risk-benefit assessment of Covaxin EUL.

She said WHO is in touch with Bharat Biotech and has "daily conversations" and calls and meetings "clarifying what additional data needs" to be submitted to the technical expert group.

"Let me just clarify and without wanting to mention any specific manufacturer but saying that we have assessed an Indian manufacturer earlier in the year and it took 30 days," she said, a reference to the Serum Institute of India which manufactures the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine.

"So this is not about moving quicker with one or another vaccine...We really trust the Indian industry. India produces different majority of vaccines in the world, high quality vaccines. We are right now at the last stage of the assessment by this external advisory group and we hope to have a final recommendation to the WHO next week. I hope that's well understood."

She said that it is important to highlight that the process that WHO uses for issuing the Emergency Use Listing is a very transparent process and there are "no secrets" involved except for any confidential information.

"Everything else, the procedures that WHO uses, are independent of which country is manufacturing the vaccine," she said, adding that the process is based on the best international standards available.

Simao also noted that sometimes WHO needs to inspect the manufacturer, if it hasn't done an inspection in the recent term.

"It wasn't the case of Bharat. We did not need to inspect Bharat," she said, adding that once the manufacturer has completed submitting all the data to WHO, it is put through for assessment by an external Technical Advisory Group, which comprises experts from six different nationalities and they look at all the data that has been collected by WHO, provided by the manufacturer in recommend the Emergency Use Listing.

She noted that in the case of the two Chinese vaccines also, the group had asked for additional clarifications and the entire process was followed to assess the Chinese vaccines. One of the Chinese vaccines was issued Emergency Use Listing one month after the first technical advisory group meeting, while the second vaccine was given EUL after six weeks, she said.

Simao noted that at the moment, including Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, WHO is assessing eight vaccine candidates.

She said Bharat Biotech started the rolling submission on July 6. "We are treating this as a very urgent matter and we have teams working seven by seven on the topic."

Responding to the Covaxin question, Dr Bruce Aylward, Senior Advisor to WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that in the "stressful situation we are all working under in this pandemic, it is so important that we're accurate in the information that we use and that we share. And we just want to highlight, be on the record, that there were a number of inaccuracies in the way the issue was presented."

He added that the actual information about the EUL dates, process is all available transparently on WHO website.

"We're committed at the organisation from the very top under the Director General to move these processes as rapidly as possible. But let''s be very clear, the timeline for EULing a vaccine depends 99% on manufacturers, the speed, the completeness with which they can get data to the independent groups that assesses for WHO. We just want to be very, very clear on that point."

Aylward added that WHO's job is to save as many lives as possible and as fast as possible. This includes ensuring no product lies unused.

While the organisation does everything, he said, "we need manufacturers, the regulator agencies, others we work with to make sure they have the information they need to make those determinations. We need to make sure the products are safe and effective and produced to the right quality. And that takes a little bit of time, but it's in the interest of global safety."

WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that one of the reasons for the high amount of stress that people who've received vaccines which are not yet approved, either by WHO or by any of the other main stringent regulatory agencies, is "because of restrictions in travel that have been imposed."

She reiterated that the emergency committee that reviews the International Health Regulations met again last week and underlined their previous recommendations that countries should not use vaccination status or selective vaccination status as the sole criteria for entry for travel.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India.

The WHO has so far approved Covid-19 vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, Johnson & Johnson-Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm for emergency use.

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New Delhi: In an attempt to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination process in the country, the Union government is planning to launch a new campaign, Har Ghar Dastak, for the next one month, starting Dhanteras.

The Har Ghar Dastak door-to-door vaccination campaign will run over the next one month for full vaccination in poor-performing districts and will be launched on November 2 on the occasion of Dhanwantari Diwas, official government sources told news agency ANI on Thursday (October 28, 2021).

'Har Ghar Dastak' door-to-door vaccination campaign that will run over the next one month for full vaccination in poor performing districts will be launched on November 2 on the occasion of Dhanwantari Diwas: Official sources  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2021

Earlier, on Wednesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that the Centre will soon start this mega COVID-19 vaccination campaign in poor-performing districts aiming to achieve full vaccination by the end of November.

"We are going to launch a mega vaccination campaign `Har Ghar Dastak`. We have decided that for the next one month, healthcare workers will go door-to-door to vaccinate people eligible for the second dose and also those who have not taken the first dose," the Union Health Minister said.

He also chaired a national review meeting on Wednesday with health ministers of states and UTs. The officials in the meeting discussed the scaling up of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country.

Union Health Minister, while addressing the media yesterday also revealed that 77 percent of the eligible population in India has been vaccinated against COVID with the first dose while 32 percent of people have received both doses.

"More than 10 crores people have not taken the second dose of vaccine. People who are eligible for the second dose should take the vaccine," he added.

Mandaviya also said that there are more than 10.34 crore people in the country who have not taken the second dose after the prescribed interval.

"No district should be without full vaccination", he exhorted the States. He further added, "Let us aim to cover all eligible with 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine by end-November 2021."

Additionally, the Union Health Minister urged the State and UTs to make regional and local level plans with all the stakeholders to reduce the number of people with vaccination overdue. Mandaviya also urged for innovative strategies to encourage them to achieve their targets to review the planning and execution of district-wise plans for coverage of due beneficiaries of the second dose as available on the Co-WIN portal.

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Gurdasspur: The incidents of drone intrusion into Indian airspace in the Gurdaspur sector of Punjab from neighbouring Pakistan have significantly increased in the recent past and call for urgent attention of security officials to install drone detection and neutralization technology to avert the cross border threat.

During the current year, as many as seventeen incidents of drones originating from Pak soil and entering the Gurdaspur sector in Punjab alone had happened. Significantly of the nearly 17 incidents of drone intrusion, six incidents happened after August 15 when Pakistan-backed Taliban took over the control of Afghanistan.

Recently on October 28, a Pak drone was spotted near Shahpur Border out Post (BoP) of Border Security Force (BSF) in the Gurdaspur sector.

A day earlier on October 27, the BSF had confiscated a Pakistani boat near Dhinda BoP in the Gurdaspur sector.

Prior to this on October 5, BSF had spotted three drones flying in Indian airspace in the Gurdaspur sector. One drone was seen in the area of Chauntra BoP while the two drones were spotted in the area of responsibility of Bohar Vadala and Kashyam Barman BoP of BSF.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) BSF, Gurdaspur sector Prabhakar Joshi informed BSF troops had fired in the direction of drones following which they flew back to Pakistan. About the Pak boat, he said the boat was found in Tarna Nullaha and it appeared that it had drifted inside the Indian territory.

BSF has confiscated the boat and lodged an FIR at Narot Jaimal Singh police station.

Taking note of the drone intrusions after October 5 incident, BSFs top brass including Additional Director General (Western Command) NS Jamwal and Inspector General, Punjab Frontier, Sonali Mishra along with other officials visited the forward areas of and BSF BoPs all along the international border with Pakistan in Punjab to review the present situation and forces preparedness.

Expressing concern over the incessant incidents of drone intrusion in Punjab from Pakistan, former Inspector General, Punjab Frontier, BSF, MS Malhi suggested that BSF should immediately buy or develop and execute the drone detection and neutralization technology.
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing farmers` protest against the Centre`s three farm laws, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi on Friday said that the farmers would continue to be exploited in mandis till there is no legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSPs) of crops.

"Till there is no statutory guarantee of MSP, farmers will continue to be exploited in mandis. Strict action should be taken on this," Varun Gandhi tweeted.

The farmers are protesting at different sites since November 26 last year demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

Earlier on October 23, the BJP MP had said that the farmers in Uttar Pradesh are not getting appropriate prices for their crops and urged the Yogi Adityanath-led state government to give farmers the rights that they deserve.

Recently, Varun Gandhi and his mother, Maneka Gandhi, were excluded from the BJP`s new national executive committee.

The development came hours after Varun Gandhi condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which the convoy of Union Minister Ajay Misra`s son allegedly ran over and killed four protesting farmers.

Varun Gandhi had called for "accountability for the innocent blood of farmers" as he posted a purported video of the incident.

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Hyderabad: The checking of mobile phones of people by Hyderabad police as part of anti-narcotics drive sparked a row with activists taking strong exception to police intruding into citizen's privacy.

Videos of personnel from police and excise departments stopping people on roads and checking not just their vehicles but also their mobile phones went viral on social media on Thursday. The police personnel were looking into chats and were reportedly searching for key words like ganja and drugs.

The police action evoked strong reaction from many, who wanted to know if this was legal. They termed this as harassment of people.

Telangana High Court advocate Karam Komireddy termed the police action of checking mobile phones as unconstitutional.

"Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and is an intrinsic part of the right to personal liberty under Art 21 of the Constitution. The action of TS police in checking phones amounts to an invasion of one`s privacy and is therefore unconstitutional," he tweeted.

The search was conducted in areas around Dhoolpet, considered to be a hub of narcotics. The police personnel were seen carrying out the searches in Mangalhat, Bhoiguda Kaman and Jumerat Bazar areas.

Social activist S.Q. Masood wanted Telangana DGP and Hyderabad Police Commissioner to clarify if it is permissible under any law to stop and check people and their mobile phones.

"Can you do this at Banjara Hills or Hi-tech City areas? This is clear harassment to common and illiterate people," he said.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar clarified that the police have no intention of intruding into citizens` right to privacy. He, however, said in case of suspicion, everything including electronic devices are checked as digital evidence is critical. "As far as rowdies, murderers, criminals are concerned, if we find anything in possession, we have to check what is that. It is our prime responsibility," he said.

The anti-narcotics drive was launched following recent directions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to police and excise departments to deal firmly with growing menace of drugs in Hyderabad and other parts of the State.

During the meeting with top officials, the chief minister had stated the reports of drug addicts forming WhatsApp groups in the state, exchanging messages on drugs availability, purchasing and consuming drugs, were alarming.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a whole host of bilateral meetings during his visit to Italy for the G20 summit and Glasgow Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. On the sidelines of the G20 summit, the PM will participate in meetings with several European leaders including France President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European council Charles Michel, President of the European commission Ursula Von Der Leyen.

The in-person meeting with the French President comes as part of high-level exchanges between the two, including the telephonic conversation in September after the AUKUS pact that miffed Paris. The AUKUS pact between UK, US and Australia on nuclear submarines was termed as "stab in the back" by France, and a major cause of rift with Canberra.

The focus has been on PM's meeting with Pope and Secretary of State of Vatican City, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday. Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla at a presser on Thursday said, PM "will also call on the Pope. What discussion he will have, I can't tell but it is an important meeting. We are also looking to meet the next president of G20, which is Indonesia's President. Large number of bilateral being worked out".

Significantly, the Prime Minister will meet German chancellor Angela Merkel, an important meeting given her tenure as the leader of her country comes to an end. She has been seen as one of the most charismatic European leaders, serving the chancellorship of Germany since 2005. The 16th G20 summit will see a number of pull aside when the leaders gather at the G20 summit venue-- the Roma convention center. The PM will also hold talks with Prime minister of Italy Mario Draghi, who is the host of the summit.

Speaking to WION, India's envoy to Italy Neena Malhotra said, "PM Modi will meet Italian PM Mario Draghi which will be their first in-person meeting. Bilateral Relationship has strengthened, especially in the past few years and got a major boost after the virtual summit (with the then Prime Minister of Italy Prof. Giuseppe Conte) we had last year in November".

In Glasgow, he will hold bilateral talks with host UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The in-person meet is something both sides have been waiting for a long time.

Remember, the UK PM was the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade earlier this year, but that could not happen due to covid crisis in his country, later PM Modi was to visit for the G7 summit to Cornwall as special guest which also could not happen due to covid crisis.

COP-26 will see participation of 120 Heads of States/Governments from around the world. On the sidelines, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Israel's New PM Naftali Bennett.

The meeting comes days after External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's visit to the country. The New Israeli PM during his meeting with EAM in Tel Aviv said, "I speak on behalf of Israelis: We love India. We view India as a huge friend and we're looking forward to expanding our relationship in all fields and all dimensions.

In Glasgow, he will also be meeting the New Prime Ministers of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. This will be the first in person meeting of the leaders. Both the meetings will be important given New Delhi shares special ties with both Kathmandu and Tokyo.

The PM had spoken to PM Deuba in July to congratulate him even as both agreed to enhance cooperation between the two countries. The PM spoke to Japan PM Kishida earlier this month, with special focus on the Indo-Pacific. Last month in Washington, PM Modi had a bilateral with the then Japan PM Yoshihide Suga.

He is expected to meet leaders from South American, ASEAN and African countries as well on the sidelines of the summits. All in all, the PM will have bilaterals in "double digit" from the almost 5-day long visit in two countries.

The Prime Minister will have meetings with some members of the Indian community, with COVID-19 protocol in place in Rome and Glasgow.

Traditionally, PM Modi has made it a point to meet Indian diaspora during visits abroad but amid covid it has been scaled down as per COVID-19 norms. This is PM's third visit abroad amid the covid crisis, after his visit to Bangladesh in March and US in September. His last visit, before coronavirus crisis, was in November 2019.

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New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, who is visiting Gujarat, will be inaugurating a housing scheme for economically weaker sections (EWS) at Bhavnagar today (October 29). The President will also visit Shree Chitrakutdham Ashram, the ashram of Morari Babu, at Talgajarda in Bhavnagar district of the state.

A press release issued by the President's secretariat on Wednesday said, "The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind will visit Gujarat from October 28 to 30, 2021. On October 29, 2021, the President will inaugurate a Housing Scheme Project for the Economically Weaker Section at Bhavnagar. He will also visit Shree Chitrakutdham, Ashram of Morari Babu at Talgajarda in Bhavnagar district."

In the evening, Kovind will return to Bhavnagar city, where he will take part in a public event of handing over 1,088 houses built for the economically weaker sections under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the statement said.

On Thursday (Oct 28), Kovind arrived in Gujarat as part of his two-day visit to the state, and met Gujarat High Court's Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and other judges at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Kovind interacted with the chief justice of the high court and other judges over high tea at the Raj Bhavan in the evening after his arrival in the state in the afternoon, an official release said.

Also read: Some lesser known facts about Ram Nath Kovind

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju were also present during this courtesy meet, the Raj Bhavan release said.

Gujarat assembly elections are expected to be held in 2022. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state`s 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.

(With PTI inputs)

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Surat: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (October 29) appeared before a magistrate's court in Surat city of Gujarat to record his statement in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remark on the "Modi surname".

This was the third time the Congress MP appeared before the court in connection with the 2019 case. The court had on October 26 directed Gandhi to appear before it between 3 pm and 6 pm on October 29 to record his statement.

The former Congress president landed at the Surat Airport in the afternoon and headed to the court, situated in the Athwalines area of the city. Chief Judicial Magistrate A N Dave had earlier asked Gandhi to appear on October 29 to record his statement further, after the testimonies of two new witnesses were taken since the Congress leader last appeared before the court on June 24 this year.

Prior to it, the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala had appeared before the court in October 2019 and pleaded not guilty for his comment. BJP legislator from Surat, Purnesh Modi, had filed a complaint against Gandhi in April 2019 under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 that deal with defamation.

In his complaint, the MLA had alleged that Gandhi, while addressing a poll rally in 2019, defamed the entire Modi community by purportedly saying "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Purnesh Modi is now a minister in the Gujarat government led by new Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, holding the portfolios of road and building, transport, civil aviation, and tourism and pilgrimage development.

Since Gandhi's last appearance before the court, testimonies were taken of two more witnesses -- the then electoral officer of Kolar in Karnataka, where the Congress leader made the controversial remark, and a videographer employed by the Election Commission to record his speech.

In his address at the rally in Kolar on April 13, 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi had allegedly asked, "Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi...How come they all have Modi as the common surname."

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New Delhi: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday (October 29) met the kin of four deceased farmers who died waiting in queue for purchasing agricultural fertilizer in Uttar Pradeshs Lalitpur.

Addressing mediapersons, Vadra said, Lesser quantity of fertiliser is now being given in sacks and the price has been increased. What will they do? They have a lot of issues but govt isn't listening. They know that farmers are on roads for months. They are being mowed down by vehicles.

The Congress leader accused the Uttar Pradesh government of failing the farmers and said, The govt has failed, it has completely ignored farmers. This is not an issue of these 4 farmers alone, this is an issue of the entire Bundelkhand.

The govt has failed, it has completely ignored farmers. This is not an issue of these 4 farmers alone, this is an issue of the entire Bundelkhand: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pic.twitter.com/lekNKVFLKA  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 29, 2021

A Congress spokesperson said Vadra met the families of Bhogi Pal (55) of Naya Gaon village who died after fell seriously ill while standing in the queue for fertilisers, Sohi Ahirwar (40) of Mailwara Khurd who allegedly died by suicide after failing to get fertilisers, Mahesh Kumar Bunker (36) of Banyana Narahat village whose condition deteriorated while standing in the line for fertilisers and Bablu Pal (40) of Pali village who also allegedly died by suicide.

Last week, Bhogi Pal of Naya Gaon had died due to cardiac arrest at a fertiliser shop, Superintendent of Police, Nikhil Pathak, had told PTI. He was standing in a queue outside the shop for two days.

On Thursday, Vadra had interacted with her `coolie brothers` or porters at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow, where they shared their problems related to their livelihood and the economic blow they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradeshs capital Lucknow on Friday (October 29) to attend organisational meetings of the BJP.

Citing a statement by BJP's UP headquarters, PTI reported that Shah will reach Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport at 10.30 am. After landing, the senior BJP leader will arrive at the Defense Expo Ground to kick-start the party's membership drive.

Shah will address conveners and in-charges of shakti kendras of the partys Awadh unit as well as flag off the party's LED campaign vehicles. Further, he will visit BJPs state headquarters and hold a meeting with the senior leaders and office-bearers, the statement added.

The Union Home Minister will address party workers at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in the afternoon, which will be attended by former MLAs, former MPs, in-charge and convener of Lok Sabha in the 2019 general elections.

Uttar Pradesh will witness high-profile Assembly elections early next year to 403 seats. The BJP had a resounding victory in 2017 Assembly polls with 312 seats, while Samajwadi Party had bagged 47 seats. Congress had won 7, RLD 1, Apna Dal 9, SBSP 3 and one seat was won by other.

(With agency inputs)

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Punjab / New Delhi: Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party has frayed into the politics of Punjab under the able leadership of National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, there have been no bounds for the love and support the people have showered upon it. The Aam Aadmi Party commits to repaying the love and support of the people of Punjab with gratitude, good governance and policies oriented to bring prosperity to the state.

In this prospect, Arvind Kejriwal took to the roads of Punjab and conversed with farmers of the state, hearing their problems. Finally at Mansa, the CM held an elaborate meeting and discussion with the farmers and heard them out.

There, Kejriwal declared his promise to Punjab farmers of not letting any farmer commit suicide after April 1 when AAP comes into power. He said that it is shameful that even after 75 years of independence, farmers have to commit suicide because the politicians dont care about their lives.

Arvind Kejriwal said that I am no politician, I am a commoner like everyone else, I feel anguish when I read about farmer suicides. He added that the AAP Government has completely changed the face of government schools, hospitals, electricity, water and roads in Delhi; will do it in Punjab too.

The Delhi CM pointed out that CM Channi had promised compensation for crops destroyed by unseasonal rain and pink bollworm, but did not even compensate the farmer whose photo he is advertising the announcement with.

He said that It is very easy to make a promise, very difficult to keep it; the promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party are fulfilled because we do our research before making claims.

He requested all the farmers to not commit suicide if they do not get compensated and said I am your son, will help you out when our government will be formed in March; will deposit the full compensation for the ruined crops in your account by April 30.

Arvind Kejriwal said that together with the people of Punjab, we can revolutionise agriculture; make it a blossoming business and when the Aam Aadmi Party gets a elected in Punjab, we will make agriculture a business of respect and profit.

Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met with farmers in Mansa today during his visit to Punjab. Many senior leaders were present, including AAP's Punjab Convenor and MP Bhagwant Mann, as well as Punjab Co-incharge and Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha.

AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal began his address by expressing deep sorrow over the victims who passed away in an accident at the Tikri Border.

"When I came to Punjab this morning, I received the gut wrenching news of the three women getting trampled at the Tikri Border by a truck, killing all three of them. Before all else, I extend my deepest condolences and pray that their soul rests in peace. I pray to God to give their families the strength to deal with such a huge loss. The Government should take immediate action against the perpetrators, the truck drivers, and severely punish them for this heinous crime," he said.

Kejriwal further touched upon the matter of farmer suicides that has caused deep agony to the state of Punjab for long. "Whenever I hear about a farmer committing suicide, I feel very distressed. I think we all do when we hear about our Annadaatas having to suffer so much. Whatever state the news comes from, it gravely affects the society."

"It is a matter of shame for all of us as a society if, even after 75 years of independence, our society can not protect the lives of its farmers. What is even more stressful is that commoners like you and I get deeply pained, but these politicians who have been ruling over this country for years dont even feel a pinch of the pain."

"Just look at how unbothered these politicians are  our Annadaatas have been protesting for over a year now at the borders of Delhi. Over 600 of them have sacrificed their lives, yet these leaders have shown absolutely no sign of care for their rights!" he said

The AAP National Convenor further assured the farmers of Punjab that AAP will prevent farmer suicides from the day it comes to power. Mark my words. The elections are in February, the results will be announced in the month of March. We will not let any farmer commit suicide in Punjab after April 1. This is my commitment.

"Everyone knows, Kejriwal Jo Kehta Kejriwal Vo Karta Hai. We will do whatever is necessary to accomplish this. The farmers have now suffered too much. It's been seven decades. This implies that these parties had malicious motives and did not want to protect farmers rights. That's not to say it is not possible to protect farmers."

"They used to say that government schools couldn't possibly work. In Delhi, we did it. They used to say that government hospitals couldn't possibly be better. In Delhi, we did it. They used to say that government schools couldn't possibly be better. In Delhi, we ve done it," said Kejariwal.

"They used to say that government hospitals couldn't possibly be good. In Delhi, we 've done it. When I ran for the CM for the first time in Delhi and declared, I will make electricity free," all of the opposition party members mocked me. This was also fulfilled in Delhi. Today, I promise you that no farmer will commit suicide in Punjab  starting April 1. We will not let it happen, he said.

He added, "Today I have come to Punjab because just like how crops in Delhi have been ruined due to unseasonal rains, and crops in Punjab have also been ruined due to unseasonal rains. Crops have been ruined within Punjab even due to the pink bollworm, and the Congress Government is doing nothing about it. This was reported in the newspapers."

"In addition, I read in the newspaper that after Channi Sahib was appointed as the new Chief Minister he went to a village where the crop had been ruined by the pink worm, and he hugged a farmer, Harpreet there. Channi Sahib stated that all farmers whose crops were destroyed would be compensated."

"The entire village was overjoyed because they believed that a good chief minister had finally arrived. Just a week ago, the newspaper reported that farmer Harpreet had claimed that the Chief Minister had hugged him and published a photo of him hugging him behind all the buses, but it has now been a month and no compensation has been received."

"The one who CM Channi hugged was also not compensated. The people of the village where he hugged him, those people were not even compensated. Many people approach me and say the new Punjab CM is imitating the Aam Aadmi Model. I'd like to tell him that, Channi Sahib, it's very easy to imitate us, but it's much more difficult to put into practise."

"It is very easy to make promises, but it is extremely difficult to keep them. We, the Aam Aadmi Party, live up to our promises. I also want to remind the people of Punjab that if the original is present with you, what is the point of voting for the duplicate?" added Kejariwal.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, asserting that the Punjab Government should sit with farmers and calculate how much of the paddy crop was ruined by unseasonal rains and how much of the crop was damaged by pink bollworm. How much did it cost, and how much damage was done?

Pay at least the cost of the product. Where did this figure of 8000 rupees come from? We have been giving compensation in Delhi since April 2015, when farmers came to us saying that their crop had been ruined," said Kejariwal.

He further said, "I accompanied the farmers to their village. Inside the village itself, a meeting of all the farmers was called where we ran all the numbers and the farmers informed us that they had lost money at the rate of 18 thousand rupees per acre. At the same time, we announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre, and the money was transferred to everyone's account within three months. We've made a policy since then and we have paid compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre every time a farmer's crop has been destroyed inside Delhi in the last seven years, he said.

He stated, "I want to appeal to Channi Sahib that you also give at least the cost of the crop to the farmers. I'd like to tell the farmers of Punjab that if Channi Sahib does not give you the price of your crop, I beg you not to commit suicide. You dont have to worry, think of me like your son, like your brother, I will help you out after we come to power.

"But please dont take such a grave step. I understand that even if the farmer does not plant a crop, he will still be able to manage; however, if he spends money and plants the crop, and the crop is ruined, the farmer will be distraught. As a result, the farmer is forced to commit suicide. I implore all Punjab farmers not to commit suicide."

"In March, our government will be formed. If Channi Sahib does not provide full compensation, the full amount will be credited to your account by April 30. Aside from that, the zamindars seem unable to pay the labourers who worked in the field, as the crop has been ruined. I also want to assure them that you please do not be worried. You will also be fairly compensated."

"We will meet with the Jathebandis of farmers in March and give them compensation by April 30 at whatever cost. If we can change Delhi's government schools, hospitals, electricity, water, and roads, we can change Punjab's agriculture with the help of the people of Punjab. I want to assure you that if given the opportunity within Punjab, I will make agriculture a respectable business. Farming will become a profitable business. We're working on a big plan for this.

During this time, farmers made numerous suggestions to AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal. Many of these suggestions were appreciated, and the AAP convener assured them that they would be implemented in Punjab following the formation of the government.

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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (October 29, 2021) launched `Mera Parivaar-BJP Parivaar` membership drive in Uttar Pradesh`s Lucknow ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections.

At the launch event, the Home Minister while addressing the crowd said that Yogi Adityanath has fulfilled 90 percent of his promises and hailed the efforts made by the Uttar Pradesh government. Shah at the event claimed that unlike the opposition the current government in the state has proved that Bharatiya Janata Party governments work efficiently for the poorest of the poor.

Today I can proudly say that Yogi Ji and his team have fulfilled 90 percent of the promises that we made in our 2017 manifesto. I want to say to Yogi Ji to march towards 100 percent target in upcoming months so that ppl can believe that BJP fulfills whatever it says, Amit Shah said in Lucknow.

Lucknow | Today I can proudly say that Yogi Ji and his team have fulfilled 90% of the promises that we made in our 2017 manifesto. I want to say to Yogi Ji to march towards 100% target in upcoming months so that ppl can believe that BJP fulfils whatever it says: HM Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/2uwv2kR2P2  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 29, 2021

The Union Home Minister also lashed out at Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav over his absence.

People who were sitting in the home for the last 5 years are coming out thinking their government will be formed. I want Akhilesh Yadav to tell people of UP that for how many days he was staying abroad. Where he was during COVID-19, flood. They only worked for their family, Shah said.

People who were sitting in the home for the last 5 yrs are coming out thinking their govt will be formed. I want Akhilesh Yadav to tell ppl of UP that for how many days he was staying abroad. Where he was during covid, flood. They only worked for their family: HM in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/VP73XzG1d5  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 29, 2021

Amit Shah will also hold a senior Karyakarta meeting and release a book `Antyodaya ko saakaar karta Uttar Pradesh`.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide of 312 Assembly seats and secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress bagged seven seats.

Uttar Pradesh is set to go to the polls next year.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday asked Twitter to remove certain objectionable material relating to Hindu Goddess from its platform, observing that the social media giant shall respect sentiments of general public as it was doing business for them.

The bench said Twitter was doing a good job and people were happy with it. "Things are going to be removed or not," the court asked the counsel for Twitter.

"You should respect the sentiments of general public as you are doing business for public at large. Their sentiments shall be given due importance... Why you should do things like this. You should remove this," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said.

"You remove it. You have done it in Rahul Gandhi's case also," the bench added.

READ | Delhi HC slams UP police for acting against consenting couple

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Twitter, said the court may mention in the order and they will abide by the direction. The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 30.

Petitioner Aditya Singh Deshwal said he came across some highly obnoxious posts about Maa Kaali put up by a user with the name @AtheistRepublic and the deity was represented in a disgraceful and outrageous manner.

The petitioner, represented through senior advocate Sanjay Poddar, said he intimated the grievance officer of Twitter that the content put by the used was in grave contravention of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and non-compliance of the rules shall make Twitter lose its legal immunity provided under the Information Technology Act.

He claimed that Twitter repudiated that the content in the account is not of a category for which it takes action and therefore, it cannot be removed.

The plea sought direction to Twitter to remove the objectionable content from its platform and also permanently suspend the concerned used account.

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New Delhi: According to a report by an Indo-Australian industry body, the two nations and their respective industries can deeply collaborate in the fields of Agri Tech, E-commerce and retail tech, Fintech, Health Tech, Ed Tech, Cybersecurity, R&D among others. Top officials from both countries reiterated the commonalities between the democracies and commonwealth nations and touched upon how technology can create new opportunities.

Prepared by the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, the report is titled 'Recommendations to build stronger ties between India & Australia in technology and innovation.'

Speaking at the event, Australian Consul-General for South India, Ms Sarah Kirlew touched upon Australia's Pioneering advances in Cybersecurity, AI, Quantum computing and 5G and related policy frameworks. She added that Indian and Australian governments could put in place pathways for closer collaboration.

The diplomat also referred to the comprehensive Indo-Aus Free Trade agreement that is expected by next year, which could maximize economic prosperity for both nations and respective businesses. She added that Australia would be having a Strong country presence at the upcoming Bengaluru tech summit, which would be taking place at the same time as the Sydney dialogue.

Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Principal Secretary to Government, IT Dept, Government of Tamil Nadu, said that India was a strong player in the software domain, but also referred to the need to collaborate with pioneers in the field of education tech.

On the prospects of Tamil Nadu, he said that the southern Indian state is the first to have an Artificial Intelligence policy, has strong relationships with manufacturing firms and that the state was looking towards growing to a $1Tn economy. He added that the state would soon operationalize the Bharatnet connectivity programme that would ensure high-speed internet connectivity to Gram panchayats and small villages, within 1.5years. The senior said that this initiative would be able to significantly boost Education and telemedicine. Also Read: OYO versus Zostel: SoftBank-backed hospitality giant refutes allegations

IACC CEO, Ms. Petula Thomas, said this report considered views of 82 industry leaders, senior government representatives and tech experts. It will serve as a roadmap for implementing the recommendations set out for stakeholders primarily in six key sectors. The Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerces Science & Innovation Industry-sector leadership forum will engage stakeholders to develop a short term (6-12 months) and long term (2-3 years) strategy to deliver on the 41 recommendations made, and create lasting high impact. Also Read: Got special 50 paise coin? You can earn up to Rs 1 lakh by selling it online, check how
New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drugs case on October 2, is all set to walk out of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail on Saturday. The Bombay High Court had on Friday granted bail to Aryan and two other accused in the case, in high relief to Shah Rukh and his family members.

Soon after the court announced the bail to Aryan Khan, several celebrities took to social media and welcomed the courts order, and showed solidarity with SRK and his family. However, Shah Rukh's 'Dil Se' co-star Piyush Mishra has a different take on the matter.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Piyush was asked about his reaction to Aryan Khan's bail. The 58-year-old actor without mincing his words, said, "What will be my reaction? Kiya usne, usko bail mil gayi, baahar aa gaya woh. Abb Shah Rukh Khan jaane, unka beta jaane ya Sameer Wankhede jaane. Mujhe usse kya matlab hai? Theek hai ho gaya. Jo kiya hain woh bhugtenge aap. Apne apne bachchon ko sambhaalein, bas yahi hai."

Piyush and Shah Rukh starred together in 1998 released Mani Ratnam's 'Dil Se'.

Meanwhile, despite securing bail from the Bombay High Court in a drugs case, Aryan will spend one more night in Mumbai's Arthur Road prison as documents related to his release did not reach jail authorities in time on Friday. In the evening, a special court issued the release memo for Aryan Khan, granted bail by the HC on Thursday after 25 days of arrest in the case related to alleged seizure of drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month, but his legal team could not meet the deadline for submission of papers.

"We won't give special treatment for anyone. The law is the same for all. The deadline for receiving the bail papers was 5.30 pm. That has passed. He won't be released today," senior jail official told PTI.

The Bombay High Court on Friday made available its operative order in which it imposed 14 bail conditions on Aryan Khan and his co-accused in the case, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also granted bail, stipulating their release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount.

In the five-page order, signed by Justice N W Sambre, the high court said the trio will have to surrender their passports before the NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court. Also, they will have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence, the HC said.
New Delhi: In a big relief to Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, the Bombay High Court granted him, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha bail on Thursday (October 28) in connection with an alleged drugs case.

Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing the star kid in court, told media on Thursday: Bombay HC has granted bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha after hearing the arguments for 3 days. The detailed order will be given tomorrow. Hopefully, all they will come out of the jail by tomorrow or Saturday.

Aryan will be home by Saturday which means, the star son will be able to celebrate his father Shah Rukh Khan's birthday on November 2.

Take a look at the top 5 arguments made by Aryan Khan's lawyers:

1. The NCB had accused Aryan Khan of conspiracy charges and argued that he was a regular consumer of drugs. NCB's counsel Anil Singh also accused Aryan of being aware that Arbaaz Merchant, who was also arrested in the drugs case, was carrying charas which was meant for consumption. To this, Aryan Khan's lawyer Mukul Rohtagi retaliated saying that a conspiracy means there has to be a "meeting of minds". He claimed that Aryan does not know any of the other accused in the case except Arbaaz Merchant and that there is absolutely no material to show conspiracy as quoted by a PTI report.

2. Former attorney general of India and Aryan Khan's counsel Mukul Rohatgi argued on Wednesday (October 27) that there were no charges of conspiracy at the time of Aryan's arrest as per the arrest memo. He claimed that Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had earlier invoked charges relating to possession and consumption of drugs and later also added the charges of conspiracy in the case as quoted by a PTI report.

Arbaaz Merchant's lawyer Amit Desai had also presented a similar argument for his client at the Bombay HC.

3. On Tuesday (October 26), the star kid's advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued that Aryan Khan was a "young man" who should be sent to rehab rather than jail.

4. According to an ANI report, Mukul Rohatgi told the court that there was "no case of possession of drugs" against Aryan Khan and that he was arrested wrongly. Furthermore, he said, "Law provides that for small quantities, the maximum punishment is one year of imprisonment. For consumption, there is rehabilitation as per law," strengthing his case for bail.

5. Aryan Khan's counsel also stated in court that "no medical at any point was conducted to ascertain if he has taken any drug". He also said that the 6 grams of charas was recovered from Arbaaz, not Aryan and the star kid had no connection to the former's possession. "There was no recovery. There was no proof of consumption," he said as quoted by an ANI report.

The bail was granted after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Aryan Khan and ASG Anil Singh for the Narcotics Control Bureau presented their arguments in court.

Aryan Khan's advocates then sought permission to submit cash bail to which the court refused and said surety is to be given. "I could have given the order also tomorrow. But I gave it today," Justice Sambre said. The legal team of the 23-year-old Aryan Khan, who is presently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, will now try to complete the formalities for his release by Friday as per a PTI report.

For the unversed, Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3, 2021, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28). The trio remained 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".
MUMBAI: Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail officials on Friday informed that Aryan Khan, who was granted bail in the drugs-on-cruise case, will be released from the jail on Saturday. "Aryan Khan will not be released from the jail today. He will be released tomorrow morning," jail officials said.

Nitin Waychal, Arthur Road Jail Superintendent said, "A physical copy of the release order has to be put into the bail box outside Arthur Road Jail for the release. The jail officials waited until 5.35 pm for this."

Earlier today, Bombay High Court issued a detailed bail order of Aryan Khan which stated that the accused should appear before Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) every Friday and was asked to surrender his passport.

The court asked all three applicants - Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, Munmum Dhamecha - to appear before the NCB Mumbai office every Friday, between 11.00 am to 2.00 pm to mark their presence.

"Each accused be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one or more sureties of like amount," the bail order said.

Aryan's bail order stated that "he should not indulge in any similar activities, not try to establish contact with co-accused" and should not make any statement regarding the court proceedings before media.

On Thursday, Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were granted bail by the court following the three-day hearing in the case.
NEW DELHI: Social media has been flooded with heartfelt condolences to late actor Puneeth Rajkumar's family as he left for heavenly abode at the age of 46 following a cardiac arrest on Friday.

National-award winning actor Dhanush also remembered his 'friend' with a moving tweet. "Puneet my friend, this is so heartbreaking. Rest in peace my friend. Hope you are in a better place. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans," the 'Raanjhanaa' actor wrote adding broken heart emoticons to the tweet.

Apart from Dhanush, many actors from the south film fraternity including Mahesh Babu, Mohanlal, Jr NTR, and Ram Charan among others also expressed grief over the untimely demise of the 'Appu' actor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other noted politicians including Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Rahul Gandhi, Prakash Javdekar and Nirmala Sitharaman also mourned his demise.

Son of matinee idol Rajkumar, Puneeth passed away following a cardiac arrest on Friday. He was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after experiencing chest pains.

Lovingly called 'Appu' and 'Power Star' by his fans, Puneeth was associated with the silver screen since he was a toddler. The 46-year-old actor has been the lead actor in 29 films since his 2002 hero debut in 'Appu', with his last release being 'Yuvarathnaa', which hit the screens in April earlier this year.

'Raam', 'Hudugaru', and 'Anjani Putra' are some of his memorable movies.
New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan have been at the centre of the limelight right from the time Aryan Khan's name popped up in the cruise party drugs case. After nearly 25 days of trial and tribulations, their son was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 28, 2021. The other two accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were also given bail in the case.

According to a report in India Today, soon after the news broke, several celeb friends called up Shah Rukh and Gauri to congratulate and pacify the family over this big relief. The report claims that Gauri broke down and cried on the phone as her BFFs Maheep Kapoor and Seema Khan called her up.

Her friends have been her support throughout and remained in touch daily on call. The report alleges that as soon as Gauri Khan got the text of Aryan's bail, she was on her knees praying and crying. Also, sister Suhana Khan thanked her brother's friends abroad for their support during this tough time for the Khan clan.

The detailed order is likely to be released today. The bail was granted after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Aryan Khan and ASG Anil Singh for the Narcotics Control Bureau presented their arguments in court.

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3, 2021, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (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".
New Delhi: Well-known Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar died here on Friday following a heart attack, hospital sources said.

The 46-year old Sandalwood star was rushed to the hospital after he complained of chest pain.

A statement from the hospital earlier said that Puneeth Rajkumar "was brought to the emergency department, Vikram Hospital with history of chest pain at 11:40 am, he was non-responsive and was in Cardiac Asystole and Advanced cardiac resuscitation has been initiated."

The son of matinee idol the late Rajkumar, and Parvathamma, he was fondly called 'Appu' by his fans.

Meanwhile, according to Bengaluru Express reports, parts of Bengaluru were shut down after the news of actor Puneeth Rajkumar death. Pubs and bars in Bengaluru were shut and shops and business establishments at Gandhinagara area, which is the centre of the Kannada film industry, were closed to pay tributes to the superstar.

According to another report, securtiy has been beefed up in Karnataka following the shocking demise of the actor.

Puneeth has donated his eyes. He is survived by his wife Ashwini and daughters Vanditha and Dhruthi.
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan probably breathed a huge sigh of relief after his son Aryan Khan was granted bail in a drugs case on Thursday (October 28) after spending over 3 weeks in jail. The other two accused in the case - Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were also granted bail by the Bombay High Court.

Aryan Khan was represented by Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi in the Bombay HC who presented arguments for the star kid's bail.

Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the media on Thursday: Bombay HC has granted bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha after hearing the arguments for 3 days. The detailed order will be given tomorrow. Hopefully, all they will come out of the jail by tomorrow or Saturday.

Bombay HC has granted bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha after hearing the arguments for 3 days. The detailed order will be given tomorrow. Hopefully, all they will come out of the jail by tomorrow or Saturday: Former AG Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Aryan Khan pic.twitter.com/jQGKYIBxrn  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2021

Later, in an interview with a leading daily, Mukul Rohatgi opened up on Shah Rukh Khan's state of mind and behaviour during Aryan's bail hearings.

He told NDTV, "He has been very, very worried the last three-four days that I was there and I'm not even sure whether he had proper meals. He was just having coffee after coffee. And he was very, very worried. And I could see a big sense of relief, yeah, on the father's face last time I met him."

Rohatgi also mentioned that Gauri Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were taking "great interest" in the case after Aryan lost in the lower court. He said, "Unfortunately, they had lost in the lower court. So it came to the High Court and one month has gone by. And the parents were very, very worried. That is why they were taking a very great interest in the case".

The lawyer also mentioned that SRK "had given up all his professional activities" and was making notes to help Aryan's legal team.

Aryan will be home by Saturday which means, the star son will be able to celebrate his father Shah Rukh Khan's birthday on November 2.

The bail was granted after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Aryan Khan and ASG Anil Singh for the Narcotics Control Bureau presented their arguments in court.

Aryan Khan's advocates then sought permission to submit cash bail to which the court refused and said surety is to be given. "I could have given the order also tomorrow. But I gave it today," Justice Sambre said.

The legal team of the 23-year-old Aryan Khan, who is presently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, will now try to complete the formalities for his release by Friday as per a PTI report.

For the unversed, Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3, 2021, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28). The trio remained 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.
New Delhi: A day after Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay HC, actress Pooja Bhatt tweeted about the targeting of Bollywood and thanked Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik for standing up for the Bollywood industry and Mumbai which she stated are closely connected.

In her tweet, on Friday, she wrote, "Thank you @nawabmalikncp for taking a stand against the engineered campaign of hate towards the Hindi film Industry. It makes us feel less orphaned. Bollywood & Bombay/Mumbai are Intrinsically linked. This is the city of dreams after all & has sustained millions over the years."

The actress had commented on a video of the minister while he was interacting with a leading daily. He had accused the BJP of conspiring to malign Bollywood claiming that the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants to shift the film industry to his state.

Take a look at her tweet:

Thank you @nawabmalikncp for taking a stand against the engineered campaign of hate towards the Hindi film Industry. It makes us feel less orphaned. Bollywood & Bombay/Mumbai are Intrinsically linked.This is the city of dreams after all & has sustained millions over the years. https://t.co/seMh3WFRJE  Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) October 29, 2021

Pooja Bhatt has been actively following the Aryan Khan case and taking to social media to voice her opinions as new developments arise.

Earlier, when Shah Rukh Khan had visited his son Aryan at Arthur Road Jail, she had bashed paparazzi for hounding the superstar during a traumatic time in his life.

She had written, "Dear members of the press. I know times are tougher than ever & there is immense pressure on youll from your respective employers to grab a byte even if it means compromising your own health & safety but how do youll explain this pack like behaviour to your own children? Tragic."

Dear members of the press. I know times are tougher than ever & there is immense pressure on youll from your respective employers to grab a byte even if it means compromising your own health & safety but how do youll explain this pack like behaviour to your own children?Tragic. https://t.co/oU6W1Od9cm  Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) October 21, 2021

The Bombay High Court has allowed bail to Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, at a Rs 1 lakh bond, as per the orders issued on Friday.

Justice NW Sambre, who granted bail to Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha on Thursday, has asked them to furnish one or more surety and not leave Mumbai or India without the permission of the Narcotics Control Bureau investigating officer.

Aryan Khan was arrested after drugs raids by NCB on a cruise ship party on October 2. He has been in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail for three weeks. The Bombay High Court order has to go to a special anti-narcotics court and be processed before a release order is issued.

Aryan will be released from the Arthur Road Jail on Friday evening if the trial court's order reaches the jailor before 5:30 pm.

"We are prepared with our sureties. We are hoping to get the order copy from the high court today. Once we get it, we will submit it along with all the necessary documents to the special NDPS court," Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde told news agency PTI.
New Delhi: As Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan's beloved prince Aryan Khan is all set to return home on Saturday, almost 27 days after he was nabbed by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case, their Mumbai residence has been decked up in Diwali lights.

According to reports Aryan Khan will be released from the Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail at 8 am.

Several pictures were shared on social media that showed the top floor of Shah Rukh's house Mannat covered with beautiful Diwali lights. Besides, rest of the house was covered with thick blinds. Earlier in the day, electricians and a few staff of SRK were seen putting up the lights on the house.

Take a look at a photo of 'Mannat' covered with twinkling fairy lights (Photo courtesy: PTI)

Preparations at Shah Rukh's residence ahead of the arrival of his son has left the superstar's fans elated. Scores of fans today reached Mannat and clicked photos and celebrate the bail to Aryan Khan from the court. Some of the fans burst crackers while a few were seen holding huge posters outside 'Mannat'.

Earlier today, Bombay High Court issued a detailed bail order of Aryan Khan which stated that the accused should appear before Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) every Friday and was asked to surrender his passport.
MUMBAI: Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh left in a small motorcade along with aides and security personnel to pick up son Aryan from the Arthur Road Central Jail, while close family friend and ex-actress Juhi Chawla will be the bail surety.

The court has accepted Juhi, a co-star of SRK in many films, as the surety in Aryan's bail and she signed the relevant papers and executed the bail bond before the court officials, said lawyer Satish Maneshinde.

He said that the court formalities are being completed and now the bail papers will be sent directly to the jail authorities which would process them before Aryan is released.

Simultaneously, SRK proceeded from his Bandra home to the ARCJ to welcome Aryan, expected to step out after an hour or so later this evening.

This was SRK's second trip to the jail - earlier he had gone on October 21 for a 10-minute morale-booster tete-a-tete with Aryan inside the jail ahead of his bail plea in the Bombay High Court.

Prior to that, the superstar was allowed once to meet his son in the Narcotics Control Bureau lockup, where Aryan had broken down, but SRK has maintained a dignified silence throughout the ordeal.

Justice NW Sambre granted bail to Aryan and two others, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, on Thursday evening, but the bail orders were received only on Friday, paving the way for the trio to return home.

Soon after the bail verdict was pronounced Thursday, SRK reportedly shed tears of joy, and later met his entire legal defence team which had been fighting for Aryan`s release for the past four weeks.

The happy-go-lucky Aryan - who left home on October 2 for a fun-filled Mumbai-Goa cruise voyage, totally oblivious of what was in store - was suddenly detained after the NCB swoop, arrested the following day and has been in custody since then - making it a total of 28 days that he slept away from his 'Mannat' bedroom.
New Delhi: After nearly three weeks of trials and tribulations, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Thursday. Aryan, along with friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmun Dhamecha were given bail in connection with the alleged drugs case.

Soon after the news broke, an ocean of fan following reached Mannat - SRK's residence and celebrated with firecrackers, posters etc among other things, hailing the verdict. Amid this, a video of little AbRam Khan waving at the crowd from the top of his terrace, much like dad SRK went viral. Take a look here:

#WATCH | Earlier visuals from actor Shah Rukh Khan's residence 'Mannat' in Mumbai after the grant of bail by Bombay High Court to his son Aryan in the drugs-on-cruise case pic.twitter.com/nCtoT7KuEf  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2021

An excited AbRam was spotted waving at the fans waiting outside Mannat after brother Aryan Khan was granted bail in the cruise party drugs case.

Meanwhile, Aryan Khan is not likely to walk out of the Arthur Road jail, where he is currently lodged under judicial custody, immediately as the court is yet to give its operative order on the conditions imposed while granting bail.

A single bench of Justice N W Sambre also granted bail to his co-accused and his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha, and relief to the trio came just a day before the HC was scheduled to take a two-week break for Diwali.

They had been denied bail twice by lower courts in a case that attracted huge media attention and saw a lot of drama outside the court with almost daily charges and counter-charges surrounding the NCB, its officials, witnesses and Maharashtra politicians.

The detailed order is likely to be released today. The bail was granted after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Aryan Khan and ASG Anil Singh for the Narcotics Control Bureau presented their arguments in court.

Aryan Khan's advocates then sought permission to submit cash bail to which the court refused and said surety is to be given. "I could have given the order also tomorrow. But I gave it today," Justice Sambre said. The legal team of the 23-year-old Aryan Khan, who is presently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, will now try to complete the formalities for his release by Friday asper PTI report.

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3, 2021, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (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".
New Delhi: The Linking of Aadhaar card with bank account is not mandatory. Customers of a bank can use Aadhaar as an optional choice. However, if you fall under a certain category where you recieve subsidy, the money comes in your Aadhaar linked bank account.

In other words, if you are a beneficiary of DBT, it will come to your bank account which is linked with Aadhaar.

Linking of bank account with Aadhaar card is shrouded with a host of myths --one such question being raised is whether someone can withdraw money from your Aadhaar linked bank account or not. (Aadhaar Card: From PAN card, PF, Mediclaim to ITR filing --Check out 8 services where you need to furnish Aadhaar card details)

Dispelling this myth, Aadhaar issuing body Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) says that just like by merely knowing your bank account number, one cannot withdraw money from your account, similarly by merely knowing your Aadhaar number, no one can withdraw money from Aadhaar linked bank account.

For withdrawing money from your banks, your signature, debit card, PIN, OTP, etc., is required. Similarly for withdrawing money from your Aadhaar linked bank account through Aadhaar, your fingerprint, IRIS or OTP sent to your Aadhaar registered mobile will be required.

No Aadhaar holder has suffered any financial or other loss or identity theft on account of any said misuse or attempted impersonation of Aadhaar, says UIDAI.

Furthermore, UIDAI keeps upgrading and reviewing its security systems and safety mechanisms to make Aadhaar more secure and more useable.

There has not been a single instance of biometric data breach from Aadhaar database, claims UIDAI.

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New Delhi: Bringing the much needed comfort to subscribers who are looking to open Atal Pension Yojana (APY) account, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA) has said that the process can be done online.

As of now, the enrolment of Subscribers happens through physical, net banking or other digital modes provided by the respective APY-SPs (APY Service Providers). Now in order to further increase the outreach and simplify the process of Subscription, CRA (Central Recordkeeping agency) would be providing digital on boarding based through Aadhaar eKYC as an additional option. Aadhaar XML based on boarding has already been made available for the benefit of Subscribers. These processes are paperless," reads a PFRDA circular dated October 27. (Also read: Revision in Bank Family Pension, check details here )

How to open Atal Pension Yojana account using Aadhaar e-KYC on PFRDA online?

As per PFRDA circular, based on Aadhaar e-KYC facility, if a person wants to open Atal Pension Yojana account, then he or she has to verify details with Aadhaar based e-KYC process online. The new Atal Pension Yojana subscribers can be onboarded by Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) through Aadhaar eKYC. For the CRAs, this will be an additional option.

PFRDA says that all the APY accounts are to be seeded with Aadhaar number for which the CRA will be providing a functionality for facilitating the Aadhaar seeding of the existing APY subscribers through the proper consent mechanism. Additionally, APY-SPs can also collect the Aadhaar details from their associated subscribers with due consent which would then be shared with CRA for seeding.

The total number of NPS and APY subscribers as of October 23, 2021 is 466.90 lakh.

What is Atal Pension Yojana?

Atal Pension Yojana (APY), the flagship social security scheme of the government. Launched on May 9, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the APY aims at delivering old age income security particularly to the workers in the unorganised sector.

Who can subscribe to Atal Pension Yojana?

APY can be subscribed by any Indian citizen in the age group of 18-40 years having a bank account. APY is a government scheme administered by PFRDA through NPS architecture. The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Therefore, minimum period of contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.

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New Delhi: Bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) have increased to 44 crore in over 7 years till October 2021, a finance ministry official said on Friday.

The PMJDY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2014, and was simultaneously launched on August 28, 2014, to foster financial inclusion.

This national mission was launched to ensure people have access to financial services, namely, banking, remittance, credit, insurance, pension in an affordable manner.

Speaking at an Assocham event on 'National E-Summit on Financial Inclusion - Roadmap for An Inclusive Bharat', Department of Economic Affairs Economic Advisor Manisha Sensarma said the PM Jan Dhan Yojna has seen immense success since its launch.

"A digital pipeline has been laid for the implementation of the PM Jan Dhan Yojna... As of October 2021, around 44 crore beneficiaries have been banked so far and we have been able to mobilise a lot of funds from the very small from the marginalised section of the population through this programme," Sensarma said.

She said JAM trinity, that is linking bank accounts with Aadhaar and mobile numbers, has also helped improve the targeting of social sector programmes and addressing the right section of the people.

Sensarma said that earlier even a lot of benefits were going from the government but there were doubts as to whether they were reaching the right people or not.

" But through the use of technology, the benefits are now reaching the eligible and identified beneficiary so that there is no wastage and leakage of resources," she said.

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Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have expressed their condolences to the untimely death of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar.

"A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers," Modi tweeted.

A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/ofcNpnMmW3  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2021

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that, "My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Gone too soon," he said on the social platform.

My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Gone too soon.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 29, 2021

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said on Twitter, "Condolences on the passing away of Puneeth Rajkumar. A bright star. He had a long promising career ahead. My condolences to his family. My condolences to his family, his innumerable fans and followers."

Condolences on the passing away of #PuneethRajkumar. A bright star. He had a long promising career ahead.

My condolences to his family, his innumerable fans and followers. pic.twitter.com/8Gv4G4vrnz  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 29, 2021

Including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, film stars from Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu film industries have also expressed their condolences.
Chennai: Megastar Rajinikanth underwent a surgical procedure on Friday, October 29, 2021, after he was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai, following complaints of giddiness on Thursday evening. According to the hospital, a panel of doctors examined Rajinikanth and successfully performed a 'Carotid Artery Revascularization' surgery.

The megastar is recovering well after the procedure and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a few days.

Explained in simple terms, the carotid artery supplies oxygenated blood to the head and neck. A buildup of fatty substances that collect and stick to the linings of the arteries, can narrow the carotid and cause health issues. The medical procedure that the 70-year old actor underwent, was meant to remove the block in this artery and thus prevent further issues.

On Thursday, Rajinikanth's publicist had said that the actor was in the hospital for a regular health check-up and that he might have to remain in the hospital for a day, under observation.

Rajinikanth had been to New Delhi earlier this week to receive the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for his stellar contribution to Indian cinema over the last 45years.

On Wednesday, the actor had tweeted pictures of his meetings with the President of India and the Prime Minister. On Thursday he had even shared social media posts of having watched a special screening of his upcoming film, with family.

The superstar is awaiting the release of his 168th flick titled 'Annaatthe', which is to hit the screens on Diwali.
New Delhi: The Sun shot off a significant solar flare which was captured by NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The flare came from a sunspot called AR2887 peaking at 11:35 AM EDT on October 28, 2021.

The importance of the a sunspot is that it determines if the massive solar flare could cause anyharm to earth, and based on its location the flare was positioned in the center of the sun and facing the Earth, Spaceweather.com reported.

"POW! The sun just served up a powerful flare," Nasa tweeted.

POW! The Sun just served up a powerful flare! At 11:35 a.m. EDT today, a powerful X1-class solar flare erupted from the Sun. NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory caught it all on camera. More on our Solar Cycle 25 blog: https://t.co/L5yS3hJRTx pic.twitter.com/iTwZZ7tCOY  NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) October 28, 2021

The flare has been categorised as X1 category and is likely to hit Earth`s magnetic field on Saturday. The X1-class flare caused a temporary, yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of Earth centred on South America, as per the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

The flare created a massive tsunami of plasma. "The plasma wave was about 100,000 km tall and moved through the sun`s atmosphere faster than 1.6 million mph," SpaceWeather.com said.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Though, the radiation flare cannot pass through Earth`s atmosphere to harm humans but it a really intense flare can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

NASA explained that the X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.
Chennai: In two separate cases, Chennai Air Customs seized a total of 3.222kgs of 24K gold, valued at Rs 1.41 crores. On Friday evening, 12 gold pieces weighing a total of 792gms, wrapped in black tape was found concealed in the water heater of the aircraft washroom.

The 24K pure gold was valued at Rs.30.85 lakhs and recovered as unclaimed, under Customs Act.

In another incident, Customs officers found gold paste wrapped in innerwear, lying in a trashcan in the airport washroom. On extraction, the paste yielded 2.52kg of gold, valued at Rs.1.11cr. The gold was seized under the provisions of Customs Act 1962.

Further investigation is underway, said officials.

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New Delhi: Taking users' privacy to a new level, Apple has put the 'App Privacy' report feature in iOS 15.2 beta that will allow users to see what sort of personal data apps have accessed on their iPhones.

The 'App Privacy' report will show which app has access to your sensitive information like location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts across the last seven days.

"Apple has seeded the first betas of iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 to developers for testing purposes, with the update adding promised iOS 15 features like App Privacy Report," reports MacRumors.

The report will also show which other web domains the app contacted and let you compare that with the websites you visited directly in the app.

The 'App Privacy' report was first showcased at Apple 'WWDC' developer conference this year.

The report is available in iOS 15.2 beta in the privacy section of the Settings app.

The report arrives at a time when iOS App Store privacy policies have not bode well with major tech companies like Facebook and Snap who have blamed the Ad Tracking Transparency feature for hitting their business goals.

It took Google nearly two months to adjust to iOS App Store privacy labels.

The iOS 15.2, via the Communication Safety feature, will also warn children and parents when sexually-explicit photos are received or sent from a child's device, the report noted.
New Delhi: Shortly after Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company's major rebranding decision to change its name to Meta, Twitter sent out a message ridiculing the social media behemoth.

"The only #META we acknowledge is this..." tweeted Twitter Safety, accompanied with a link to a storey about the company's META team, which it hired to develop "ethical AI."

The group includes some of the most well-known tech reviewers.

Rumman Chowdhury leads Twitter's META team, which stands for "Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability."

Although it does not reference Facebook or Meta, a separate tweet from Twitter following Zuckerberg's revelation is also becoming popular on the network.

BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter, Twitter posted.

Earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the firm's new name, Meta, at his company's Connect event, stating that they hope to be viewed as a metaverse company over time.

According to Zuckerberg, the name Facebook is still intimately associated with a single product and does not represent all the company does now.

We are a company that builds technology to connect. Together, we can finally put people at the center of our technology. And together, we can unlock a massively bigger creator economy.

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Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Friday extended COVID-19 restrictions till November 30 with additional relaxations, one of them being permission for local trains to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity from Sunday -- almost six months after services were stopped to check the spread of the disease.

The administration also allowed movement of people and vehicles between 11 pm to 5 am from November 2 to 5 for Kali Puja festivities, an official order here said.

It granted similar relaxations for Chhat Puja on November 10 and 11.

According to the order, cinema halls, theatre halls, auditoriums, shopping malls, markets, spa, gyms will be allowed to function at 70 per cent capacity from October 31, but not beyond 11 pm.

"Inter-state local train movement may operate with 50 per cent of seating capacity. All government offices related to non-emergency and non-essential services shall now function with 50 per cent of their total strength (sic)," the order said.

Schools for Classes 9 to 12, colleges and universities will open from November 16, following standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, it maintained.

District administrations, police commissionerates and local authorities have been asked to ensure strict compliance of the state directives on COVID-19, the order added.

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ROME: President Emmanuel Macron said his meeting with President Joe Biden on Friday would allow France and the United States to rebuild trust following a rift over an Indo-Pacific security pact, and that it was key to look to the future.

The two leaders shared a warm handshake for the cameras after Biden kept Macron waiting for more than one and a half hours, before sitting down to talks over climate, counter-terrorism in West Africa and European defence.

"What really matters now is what we do together in the coming weeks, in the coming months," Macron said in opening remarks at France`s embassy to the Vatican.

"It`s an important meeting because after the AUKUS affair, we have embarked on a veritable joint project," Macron said, referring to the acronym for the security pact Washington signed with Britain and Australia.

Macron and his government were left infuriated by the deal which resulted in Canberra scrapping a mega-defence deal for French submarines.

At the time, Macron`s government said it had been `stabbed in the back` by its close allies, upset by the manner in which the affair undermined France and Europe`s role on the global stage.

Macron said there had since been "indispensable clarification as to what constitutes European sovereignty and European defence and what they can bring to global security."
Targetting a Hindu temple in Pakistan's Sindh, unidentified thieves have desecrated Hanuman Devi Mata Mandir in Kotri near Hyderabad and took away jewellery and cash worth thousands of rupees, reported local media.

An FIR under section 295 and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code was lodged at the Kotri police station stated the thieves entered the Hanuman Devi Mata Mandir at the bank of the Indus River on Thursday, reported Samaa TV.

The incident is not the first act of theft at a mandir in Kotri. In January this year, thieves stole gold jewellery and a crown worth hundreds of thousands of rupees from the Guru Balimak Temple. Sindh CM House released a statement over the incident stating that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has been briefed about the matter. "The thief entered through the roof of the mandir and stole necklaces from the moortis. The moortis [carved figures of the Hindu gods] were stored in a glass frame and were wearing two necklaces made of silver," the statement read.

"The two necklaces are reported to be worth Rs 40,000. The thief also stole Rs 20,000 cash from the donation box," Samaa TV quoted Sindh CM House statement.

The CM House spoke about a single thief but locals have said that multiple people entered the temple and desecrated it at night, the Pakistani publication reported. Thieves have also removed and taken away the crown from the idol of the Devi Mata, the locals said.

Chela Ram Kewlani, chairman of Pakistan National Commission for Minorities and Giyan Chand Essarani, Sindh Minorities Minister took up the issue with police on Friday. The FIR has been registered under three sections of the Pakistan Penal Code: 295 about injuring or defiling a place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class; 297 about trespassing on burial places; and 380 about theft in a dwelling house, according to Samaa TV.

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London: Beginning Monday (November 1), the UK will remove the remaining seven countries from its COVID-19 travel ban red list, which will be reviewed every three weeks and revised in case of emerging COVID variant threats, the British government has announced.

From 4am on Monday (November 1), the remaining seven destinations on the UK's COVID-19 travel ban red list Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela will be removed, it said in an update on Thursday.

The red list itself has not been scrapped and will be reviewed every three weeks, with restrictions imposed in case of emerging COVID variant threats.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said that Delta is now the dominant COVID variant in most countries around the world, which means the risk of known variants entering the UK has reduced.

This is another step in the right direction for international travel with more good news today for passengers, businesses and the travel sector, said UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Whether it's reuniting family members or making it easier for businesses to trade, the success of the vaccine rollout both at home and abroad has allowed us to reach this milestone. However, we must not be complacent and remain ready to spring into action and defend our hard-won gains if needed,? he said.

The travel regulations between India and the UK for fully vaccinated passengers had been eased earlier this month, with Covishield-vaccinated Indians not required to undergo self-isolation at a declared address on entry into Britain.

Travellers coming from red list countries continued to be subjected to a mandatory 10-day quarantine at a government-sanctioned facility. The latest update means travellers vaccinated with UK-recognised vaccines will all face similar international travel rules.

The red list and quarantine remain vital in protecting our borders we are keeping a small number of quarantine rooms on standby and will not hesitate to take swift action by adding countries to the red list if the risk increases again, said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

The DfT said government scientists will continue to closely monitor variants of concern in order to ensure the UK's approach remains "proportionate", surveillance through regular testing continuing throughout.

Meanwhile, under rules effective since October 24, fully vaccinated travellers returning to England from countries not on the travel ban red list including India can use a COVID negative Lateral Flow Test (LFT) instead of the more expensive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

All travellers must complete a compulsory passenger locator form prior to travel, including providing a test booking reference number supplied by a testing provider.

Passengers who are not fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine must still take a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 test and complete 10 days self-isolation on entry to the UK.

It comes as the UK recorded 39,842 coronavirus cases on Thursday, reflecting a downward trend over the last few days having crossed 50,000 daily cases last week.

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